Voice of Asia Dec 20 2013 by VoiceOf Asia

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VOICE OF ASIA

FRIDAY, December 20, 2013 Take Advantage Of Preventive Services Under Health Care Law. Read more on Page 18 OR Call 832-415-3180

Commemorating 25 years of dedicated service to the community

Vol. 26 No. 51 Friday, December 20 , 2013 Published Weekly from Houston 713-774-5140 24 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: voiceasia@aol.com

Pratham Houston Holiday Lutﬁ Hassan attends White Luncheon Raises $140,000 House and VP. Joe Biden’s Christmas Parties

Keynote speaker Mike Feinberg and his wife Colleen, Co Founder of Pratham Dr. Madhav Chavan, Pratham Houston President Marie Goradia, Pratham USA Founder Vijay Goradia. Photos by Deborah Wallace, Barﬁeld Photography. by Chitra Divakaruni, Emeritus board member, Pratham

OUSTON - On Friday December 6, Pratham Houston held its festive and highly successful annual holiday fundraiser at the Junior League of Houston. This popular luncheon was a sold-out event. Guests entering the brightly lighted banquet hall were warmly greeted by the Pratham Houston presi-

dent Marie Goradia, luncheon Co-chairs AnnuNaik and Asha Dhume, and Host Committee Chair, Leena Shah, providing a personal touch. The room was beautifully decorated with colorful bouquets of ﬂowers on each table. Sapna Singh emceed the program with enthusiasm and efﬁciency, introducing Marie Goradia who welcomed the assembly and told the audience

that her first interaction with a Pratham Balwadi was unforgettable and she realized that through Pratham each one of us could make a difference in the world and transform lives. Pratham started in 1994 in the slums of Mumbai and today is the largest non-profit in the world in the field of elementary education. ASER, Pratham’s national annual survey of eduContinued on Page 6

US ‘regrets’ diplomat treatment as India seethes by Shaun TANDON

Observatory on Thursday Dec 12, 2013. Both the events were attended by high proﬁle leaders of the democratic party. President Obama thanked the participants for their loyalty and support. “If it wasn’t for your dedication and support Michelle and I will not be here ( at the White House) to host you. After a short speech with full of humor, the President and First lady went around to personally greet and thank the guests individually giving the audience an opportunity to take quick pictures while the band played

live music. At VP. Biden’s residence, the audience was smaller but pretty much the same people while the atmosphere was a lot quieter. VP. Biden and Mrs. Biden greeted and thanked the guests individually while taking pictures and honoring the guests. “ Without a doubt Washington is the place to be at, around this time of the year to get a true sense of the holiday season. I am truly honored and Blessed to get invited to these high proﬁle events”. Said Lutﬁ Hassan.

With New Delhi vowing to “restore the dignity” of diplomat Devyani Khobragade, Indian media reported that the 39-year-old was being moved from her post as deputy consul general in New York to the UN mission in a bid to thwart her prosecution.

“As a father of two daughters about the same age as Devyani Khobragade, the secretary empathizes with the sensitivities we are hearing from India

ASHINGTON Houston’s prominent businessman and community leader Lutﬁ Hassan who now operates out of Washington, DC headquarters, was once again honored with the invitation to attend the Christmas Party with First Lady Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama at the White House on Friday Dec 13th, 2013. Lutﬁ Hassan also attended the Holiday party hosted by Dr. Jill Biden and Vice President. Joseph Biden at the Vice President’s residence at Naval

Dr. Renu Khator, president of UH, will receive BAHEP’s 2014 Quasar Award

ASHINGTON, December 18, 2013 (AFP) - The United States on Wednesday voiced regret to India over the treatment of a diplomat whose account of being stripped and cavitysearched triggered outrage.

As India retaliated against American diplomats in the usually US-friendly country, Secretary of State John Kerry tried to end the row in a telephone call to India’s national security advisor Shivshankar Menon.

Vice President. Joseph Biden and Dr. Jill Biden ﬂanked with Lutﬁ Hassan (center) at VP Biden’s residence

Indian diplomat held for visa fraud in US, released on bail. about the events that unfolded after Ms. Khobragade’s arrest,” a State Department statement said.

Speaking to Menon, Kerry “expressed his regret, as well as his concern that we not allow Continued on Page 11

OUSTON - Dr. Renu Khator, president of the University of Houston and Chancellor of the University of Houston System, will be receiving the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership’s prestigious 2014 Quasar Award for Exceptional Leadership in Economic Development presented during the organization’s 21st annual Quasar Award Banquet on Friday, Jan.17, 2014, at South Shore Harbour Resort and Conference Center in League City. The Quasar Award is presented each year to an outstanding individual who has contributed greatly to the economic wealth and diversity of the Bay Area Houston region. The Quasar Award will be presented to Dr. Khator in appreciation and acknowledgment of her tremendous work in guiding the University of Houston toward a Tier One status as well as her support of the University of HoustonClear Lake in transitioning to a four-year university.

Dr. Renu Khator, Photo Courtesy of UH

All Good Wishes for Voice of Asia and the Community during the Holiday Season Dr. Krishna Dronamraju, President, Foundation for Genetic Research, Houston

Dr.Dronamraju with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack.

www.geneticresearchfoundation.com P.O. Box 27701-0, Houston, TX 77227, Email:kdronamraj@aol.com Phone: (713) 816-3681; Fax: (713) 960-0528

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LETTERS Many argue that homosexuality goes against nature’s will. Is it so? Let us just acknowledge that homosexuals are born with the natural tendency to prefer people of their own sex. If the rule is that opposite poles attract, every rule has an exception. Anjala A. Rehman, Bangalore The verdict spells trouble for the LGBT community, which is among the most vulnerable to sexually-transmitted diseases. Homosexuals will henceforth find it very embarrassing to seek medical assistance openly. The law is only pushing them to engage in unsafe sex. P. Laasya, Chittoor Criminalising homosexuality and calling it unnatural is not going to deter the gay community from its activities. The Supreme Court ruling is only going to marginalise the community further. It has upheld an archaic law. What is the rationale behind passing the onus to the legislature? Given the amount of legislative work that is pending before Parliament, the LGBT community can hardly rely on it for any respite. Ketan Anand, Kanpur Section 377 was incorporated 150 years ago. I did not hear any debate on the subject till the Delhi High Court’s judgment decriminalising gay sex. There is no need for panic or disappointment over the Supreme Court’s verdict; it has only restored what existed for 150 years. As rightly suggested by the Supreme Court, it is for the legislators to delete or modify the Section as they deem fit. K.P. Sanal Kumar, Chennai Western winds are fast sweeping across India, a land of saints and sages. We have already given the go-by to the long-cherished ethos of this great nation, by accommodating something that is unnatural and perverse, in the name of personal preference. The reported attempt by the UPA government to issue an ordinance to decriminalise homosexuality will be a shame. D. Vetha Roy, Lakshmipuram Needless brouhaha has been raised over the Supreme Court’s verdict on Section 377, giving the impression that India would lapse into ante-diluvian times if it is not amended soon. One cannot brush aside the views of groups that are against homosexuality. The government should call for a thorough debate on the issue, instead of merely succumbing to media pressure. It has more pressing problems like price rise and inflation to tackle instead of an issue affecting a group of individuals. A. Gajanana, Bangalore (Letters received by The Hindu newspaper/online)

CORRECTION Witty Bindra’s (IIT Houston Chairman) son’s name is Tegh Bindra, not Degh Bindra as printed in our last issue. Voice of Asia regrets this error and corrects this mistake.

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

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LGBT agitation and its paradoxes by Debraj Bhattacharya

irst thing first - Article 377 should be amended/ repealed to ensure that the LGBT community does not feel “criminalised”. However in my view we need to think carefully why the Supreme Court gave this particular judgment. There are two sides to the massive outpouring of anger and vitriol as soon as the judgment of the Supreme Court by one of its most reputed and senior Judges came out. The first is a happy one - it showed that the LGBT community is not alone and there is a massive amount of support among heterosexual community as well. Famous people from around India, including several Bollywood celebrities, expressed their support for the LGBT community and denounced the judgment. There is another aspect of the reaction which has however frightened me. Justice Singhvi, in an interview to a TV channel said in a polite and dignified manner - “please read my judgment”. But those who were denouncing the judgment had very little patience for that. Facebook and Twitter became sites of a virtual mob lynching one of India’s most respected Judges. Television talk shows became revolutionary platforms. But how many of those who were raising their shrill voice actually bothered to read the judgment first? I am afraid very few. A judgment can of course be correct or it can be incorrect and there are ways of challenging the judgment. But what is frightening is the lack of public decency that was shown especially in the virtual world as hyperbolic and melodramatic status updates filled the newsfeeds. It seemed as if the judgment has said that homosexuality is a crime and all homosexuals should be now rounded up by the police and put in prison. The reality is however much more complex. After reading the judgment I felt that the main issue that the respected Judges were raising is that changing a law is the prerogative of the legislature and not that of the judiciary and therefore the Article 377 should be amended/ changed by the Parliament. Nowhere in the judgment the Supreme Court has said that they consider homosexuality to be a crime and the state must take action to imprison the LGBT community. On the contrary they urged the Parliament to make the appropriate changes.

preme Court to decide whether the legislation passed by the Government of West Bengal in the Assembly is a valid one within the framework of the Constitution. The two are not the same. Moreover it will be worthwhile to take a look at the his-

general election to the unpopularity of this action. However, during in the newly elected Parliament, Labour MP Leo Abse took up the issue and the Sexual Offences Bill was put before Parliament in order to implement some of the Wolfenden Committee’s recommendations

LGBT community seeks support in protecting them and making amendments to IPC Section 377. (PTI) tory of the LGBT movement in Great Britain which led to the change in laws on homosexuality. This is relevant since it was Great Britain which introduced the law that is now Article 377 in the constitution. So we may

after almost ten years of campaigning. The Sexual Offences Act 1967 was accordingly passed and received Royal Assent on 27 July 1967 after an intense late night debate in the House

Our Credentials:

We must also guard against misleading sensationalism regarding the use of the word “criminalization”. The fact is Article 377 was hardly ever used even before the Delhi High Court verdict in 2009. An impression is gaining that Government of India considers the LGBT community as criminals and they are being imprisoned on a regular basis based on this Article. Nothing can be further from the truth. This article has been rarely used in the last 150 years and the biggest problem that the LGBT community faces is societal acceptance rather than state persecution. Indeed in terms of societal acceptance also the situation has improved signiﬁcantly in the last decade or so. Therefore, instead of lynching the Supreme Court judgment and the Judges who the verdict it will be perhaps wiser

Gay pride parades happened all over India after a lower court in 2009 decriminalized same-sex relationships. On Dec. 11, that nation’s highest court overturned that ruling. The Indian Supreme Court held that it was constitutional to ban “carnal intercourse against the order of nature.” India doesn’t go as far as Russia in criminalizing the lives of its LGBT citizens and their families, but the line between them is thin and doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. My colleague Swati Sharma raised a good question for the leaders of the world’s most populous democracy. “If there are major global movements to boycott Russia over its gay rights,” she wrote, “what will happen with India?” - Johnathan Capehart (The Washington Post) ask what happened in the UK as a result of which homosexuality was de-criminalised. Let me quote a passage from an article in Wikipedia: “In 1965, Lord Arran proposed the decriminalisation of male homosexual acts (lesbian acts had never been illegal) in the House of Lords. This was followed by Humphry Berkeley in the House of Commons a year later, though Berkely ascribed his defeat in the 1966

of Commons. It maintained general prohibitions on buggery and indecency between men, but provided for a limited decriminalization of homosexual acts where three conditions were fulﬁlled: 1) the act had to be consensual, 2) the act had to take place in private and 3) the act could involve only people that had attained the age of 21.” It can be seen clearly that the decision to change the law

Why did the judgment say this? I think this is a matter that requires careful reﬂection and its implications go well beyond this particular case. In India it is the legislature (Parliament/ Assembly), which is a representative body, has the power to make or change laws. The responsibility of the Supreme Court is to protect the Constitution and say whether a particular law is violating the constitution or not. Being a nonrepresentative body it is dangerous for India if the Supreme Court usurps the power of making laws from the Parliament. Two examples may be given in this regard. Recently the Land Acquisition Act, after lot of distress across the country, has been changed by the Parliament and not by the Supreme Court. On the other hand the Singur case is a case where it is for the Su-

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to ask why the Parliament is not taking necessary steps to ensure that Article 377 is changed or scrapped. The good news is that the Government has at least shown its willingness to do something. The activists associated with the LGBT movement and their supporters should put pressure on the Parliament to pass a new law as it was done in Britain. Let us hope that Article 377 is scrapped and a new law is introduced sooner than later. (IBN)

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was not taken by the judiciary but by the British Parliament. The LGBT movement in India, like the movement for Right to Education or the Right to Food, should have focused on putting pressure on the Parliament rather than taking the route of the judiciary.

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Arsha Vidya Satsanga Celebrates Houston Methodist Sugar Land Bhagavad Gita Jayanti Hospital honors outstanding nurse with DAISY Award by Chandra Gannavarapu

rsha Vidya Satsanga (AVS) celebrated their fourth annual Bhagavad Gita Jayanti on Saturday, December 14th at Shirdi Sai Jalaram Mandir. Gita Jayanti is the birthday of BhagavadGita, the sacred text of the Hindus. It is believed the immortal “Bhagavad Gita” was revealed to Arjuna (the Pandava prince) by Sri Krishna himself in the battlefield of Kurukshetra (in present day Haryana, India) a little over 5000 years ago. The text was written in third person, narrated by Sanjaya to the blind King Dhritarashtra as it transpired in the battlefield between Sri Krishna and Arjuna. Sanjaya was blessed by his Guru, Veda Vyasa, with the clairvoyance to view the events taking place on the battlefield. Each year, during Gita Jayanti,

Dr. Bharath Srinivasan (lt) receiving the Arsha Vidya ChoodaamaNiH award of 2013. He is the ﬁrst recipient of the Award.

DAISY Award recipient, Suresh Thampi, RN, with wife and the DAISY Award committee.

UGAR LAND — Suresh Thampi, RN, is Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s DAISY Award winner, a national honor that recognizes the contributions of extraordinary nurses. Suresh, house supervisor, was chosen because he always offers the highest level of compassion and support to fellow nurses. He is known for his cheerfulness and great attitude, even during high stress situations. He is honest and ethical in everything he does, and he is an inspiration to other nurses in the hospital for his strong devotion to work and the Houston Methodist I CARE values.

Devotees who participated in the celebrations along with several other activities, several chapters are recited as a group. The program started off with a Puja to Lord Sri Krishna, Vyasa and invocations to Pujya Swami Dayananada Saraswati. Few devotees further sanctiﬁed the atmosphere with melodious Bhajans. Over 30 devotees recited six chapters of Bhagavad Gita including the 10 yr. old Surabhi Kartick. Surabhi has already memorized all the 18 chapters of the Gita. The highlight of the celebration was the giving away of the ﬁrst AVS Award. Dr. Bharath Srinivasan became the recipient of the Arsha Vidya Choodaa-

maNiH award of 2013. This award was instituted by Arsha Vidya Satsanga to recognize individuals of exceptional accomplishments in scholarship and leadership to Sanatana Dharma. Dr. Bharath ji has mastery over a major portion of the Yajurveda including karma kanda. He spearheads projects such as reestablishment of Ayurvedic scriptures, and translation of Rajiv Malhotra’s books to Kannada. He is actively involved in serving the community through spiritual lectures, weekly Sanskrit classes, and writings to uplift and sustain Hindu dharma

and Indian value system. The program ended with an excellent presentation by Bharatanatyam exponent, Ms. Aparna Subramaniam. Ms. Aparna talked about basic concepts and historical perspectives of Naatya Shaastra. She demonstrated how bhakti can be invoked in dance form through Bharatanatyam. Arsha Vidya Satsanga is a nonproﬁt organization inspired by Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati. Please visit http:// www.avshouston.org/ for more details on activities and upcoming events.

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Recently, a patient came to us from another emergency room for surgical intervention and Suresh personally took the patient to the post anesthesia care unit and helped him get ready for surgery. He consistently demonstrates this level of exOBITUARY Many of you may have met Mr. Adil Godiwala. at the ASIE events over the last several years and some of you have gotten to know him more due to business and personal interactions. He was a wellwisher and ardent believer in the ASIE mission. Adil Minoo Godiwalla, 72, passed away in his Houston home

ceptional care and that makes him such an asset to Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. “Suresh embodies the values we strive for,” said Janet Leatherwood, Chief Nursing Ofﬁcer at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital. “He is a constant example of a nurse who is truly passionate about being a nurse and helping others.” In honor of his DAISY Award selection, Suresh received a certiﬁcate of appreciation, a DAISY Award pin and a beautiful sculpture titled “A Healer’s Touch,” hand-carved by artists of the Shona tribe in Zimbabwe. Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s committee selects a DAISY Award winner each quarter.

care Patrick and his family received from nurses inspired this unique award as a way of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families. Today, more than 1,300 hospitals across the U.S. participate in the program. “We are proud to be among the hospitals participating in the DAISY Award program,” said Leatherwood. “Nurses like Suresh are everyday heroes who demonstrate excellence through clinical expertise and compassionate care, and we are excited to be able to recognize him – and our future winners – as outstanding role models for the nursing profession.”

The DAISY Foundation was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died in 1999 from an auto-immune disease. The

To learn more about Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital, please visit houstonmethodist. org/sugarland, and visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/ methodistsugarland to congratulate Suresh on his award.

on December 16, 2013. He was survived by his wife, Arnavaz; daughters Shara, Shanaya, Nina, and Amy; and brothers Yezdi and Kersi Godiwalla. He was born to the late Mehroo and Minoo Godiwalla in Mumbai, India. Mr. Godiwalla graduated from the Benares Hindu University, India and later received a Masters in Civil Engineering from the University of Missouri at Rolla.Mr. Godiwalla

retired from the City of Houston after 30+ years of service, and he most recently served as a Civil Engineering Consultant for Gunda Corporation after retirement. Funeral services took place on December 18th at Klein Funeral Home. At this time, we offer our condolences to the friends and family of Mr. Godiwalla. ASIE, Houston.

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FRIDAY, December 20, 2013

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“All Sales Final” doesn’t always mean “final” Q. I received a gift for the holidays. When I opened it I discovered it was broken. I went to exchange it, and the clerk pointed to a sign that said “all sales final.” They told me I was out of luck. Are they right? Am I stuck with a broken gift? A. As far as I am concerned, they are not right and you are not stuck. A store may sell an item subject to a “final sale.” What this means, however, is that the customer does not have the right to return it if he is doesn’t like it or changes his mind. It does not mean you must accept a defective product. In your case, you say the gift is broken. Under the law, this is a breach of warranty and the store is responsible. A store may sell an item without a warranty, but simply saying all sales are final does not do this. If the sign had also said all sales are “as is,” there would be no warranty and you would be stuck. I suggest you speak with the store one more time. If the store does not give you a replacement, a refund, or repair it, my opinion is you have the right to sue for breach of warranty. Your damages are generally what was paid for the item or how much it will cost to fix it or replace it. A breach of warranty is also a violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Under this law, you could be entitled to attorney’s fees and up to three times your damages. Q. I had an accident that was the other person’s fault. He has no insurance. It is not a lot of money. Am I out of luck? Can I sue in small claims court? A. I am often asked question that are based on a belief that if someone doesn’t have insurance they have no liability. In fact, whether a person has insurance does not affect liability. Insurance pays only for damages that the person would otherwise be responsible for. In your case, if the person caused the accident he is responsible. If he had insurance, his insurance company would pay. If he does not have insurance, he is liable. I suggest you send him a letter or email letting him know you expect he will pay for your damages. If he does not, you may sue in justice court [there no longer is a small claims court] if the amount is under $10,000. Q. If I file bankruptcy, will I lose my house? A. Not necessarily. In Texas, your homestead is “exempt” property. This means that you do not automatically lose it in a bankruptcy. The only parties who may take your house are creditors that are not subject to this “homestead exemption.” For example, a lender that loaned you the money to buy the house, a bank that made a home equity loan or a contractor who improved it, all have the right to take the property. As long as you are willing to reaffirm your mortgage or other loan and continue making payments, you should be able to keep your home. Speak with an attorney who is board certified in consumer bankruptcy. Q. Several years ago, I was sued. A judgment was entered against me. I have not heard anything from them for more than seven years. How long is the judgment good for? A. After getting a judgment, the plaintiff must file an “abstract of judgment.” This creates a lien on certain property, and authorizes collection efforts. An abstract of judgment is valid for ten years. It may be continued for another ten years, however, if the plaintiff takes steps to renew it. You will have to wait three more years to see what steps, if any, are taken by the creditor. If the creditor does nothing, the judgment will no longer be enforceable. Q. I heard you had a book about my legal rights. What is it called and where can I get a copy. A. Thanks for asking. My new book is the 8th edition of “Know Your Rights! Answers to Texans’ Everyday Legal Questions.” The book is written for the average person, and should be available at all bookstores. It is also available through my website listed below.

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“Uma—The Dancer and Teacher”

ma Nagaseth, the accomplished exponent of Indian classical dancing, took her ﬁrst steps in the Bharat Natyam style at the tender age of six. “I underwent long and rigorous training under the tutelage of Guru Kubernath Tanjorkar at the College of Indian Music, Dance and Dramatics, M.S. University of Baroda, coupled with private lessons of over 14 years,” Uma said. Aiming to conquer new horizons, she learned Kathak of the North Indian school of dancing under Guru Pandit Sunderlal Gangani. Exposure to other dance styles such as Kathakali, Mohini Attam, Manipuri, Folk Dancing and Western Ballet has given Uma a wide perspective and deep insight into dancing in its totality. Willing not only to inbibe but also to impart her rich cultural knowledge, Uma established the Natya Upasana Dance Academy in Houston in 1978. Through her tireless efforts, she has developed the academy from an embryonic stage to a full ﬂedged institution. The academy offers training in both classical styles, Bharata Natyam and Kathak, and regional folk dances of India. Teaching comes naturally to Uma. She has taught in Ahmedabad, Baroda, New York City and Dallas. Uma’s students comes from all walks of life and range from tiny four years olds to adults in their 30’s. At present, she has over 80 students.

by Rahul Reddy, Attorney at Law

e recently informed readers of our weekly newsletter about a telephone scam targeting Indian immigrants to try to get money. This morning the scam reached our own office when Attorney Rahul Reddy received a phone call from an individual claiming to be from the Bureau of Criminal Investigations. Initially, the caller tried to reach Mr. Reddy at his home phone number. Mr. Reddy’s cell phone number was provided to the caller and minutes later, a threatening voicemail message was left on his cell phone about legal action that was being taken against his identity. Anticipating that the call was related to the same scam discussed earlier, Mr. Reddy called back to find out how the scam works. A “Senior Criminal Investigator” named Don Lawson took the call. He asked if there had been any contact with the local police department or the Bureau of Criminal Investigations. He proceeded to tell Mr. Reddy that there was an affi-

Besides being a unique classical dancer, Uma is also a professional architect planner and has her own business of commercial art. She also teaches Auto Computer Aided Design and Drafting at the Houston Community College. How does she manage three careers

“I really don’t know,” she said laughing, “except that my family is very cooperative. My husband and three kids are great, without them I’d never be able to do it.” Uma is endowed with a remarkable sense of music and a flair for choreography. The recipient of numerous fine awards, Uma has traveled extensively to perform on stage, stage dance dramas and participate in international folk arts festivals. She has been interviewed on radio, and has performed on television and before many Indian and foreign dignitaries for international women’s association, major festivals, museums and universities. Uma has truly earned her reputation as an ambassador of Indian fine arts in the Western world. (Voice of Asia exclusive) Date of Publication: September 1, 1988

davit filed against him by the government because he “violated the tax code of 1967” and mentioned two other charges related to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and a criminal investigation. The scammer said that if he did not take care of it right now, the local police would immediately come to his home to arrest him. Mr. Reddy asked how it can be taken care of and the scammer said that, according to the affidavit, the IRS is ready to file a criminal case against Mr. Reddy unless he agrees to a settlement amount of $3,464. If he did not agree, then he could fight the case in court but it would cost $72,000. He could avoid all the hassle by paying $3,464 right now. And if it later turns out that the charges were a mistake, they would refund 80% of the money. The scammer gave instructions for making the payment of $3,464. Apparently they do not accept checks and their “EFT system” was down so they could not take credit card payments over the phone. Mr. Reddy was asked to obtain “Green Dot Money Cards”,

conveniently available at any Wal-Mart store. He was instructed to buy 3 prepaid cards in the amount of $1,000 each and one card in the amount of $464. The caller would not allow Mr. Reddy to call back after he obtained the cards. He instructed that he would wait on hold while Mr. Reddy went to the store to purchase the cards. Then he would take the card information over the phone. If Mr. Reddy were to hang up during this process, the police would immediately be notiﬁed to arrest him. As soon as the payment is made, the scammer told him all charges will be dropped. At this point, Mr. Reddy informed the scammer that he would complain to the authorities and the call was immediately disconnected by the scammer. While it may seem easy for many to conclude that this kind of call is just a scam and hang up, clearly there are people out there who followed the caller’s instructions and were cheated out of a large amount of money. Otherwise, these scammers would be out of business. Don’t be a victim!

Expect more holiday travelers, AAA says by Jason Hanna

ver the river and through the woods by car, for sure. But through the clouds? Maybe not like last year. More Americans will take a year-end holiday trip this year than last year — despite falling consumer conﬁdence, but perhaps buoyed by lower gas prices — the auto association AAA said Tuesday.

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The motor club federation deﬁnes the holiday period as December 21 to January 1.

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“While economic growth has stagnated and consumer conﬁdence has fallen Americans will not be Scrooges when it comes to traveling this year,” AAA Chief Operating Ofﬁcer Marshall L. Doney said. “AAA is projecting more Americans to travel than ever before to gather with friends and family, exchange presents and ring in

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Since her arrival in the U.S. in 1975, Uma was closely associated with the immitable Smt.Padmini, a great stage and screen actress and an outstanding exponent of Indian classical dances based in New York.

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AAA projects 94.5 million Americans will take a trip of at least 50 miles sometime during the holiday period — a 0.6% increase from the estimated 94 million last year.

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Immersed in the discipline of the traditional classical Bharata Natyam and Kathak dance styles since childhood, Uma has developed a rare artistic sensitivity. But folk dances are where Uma ﬁnds room for total expression and exuberance. Her self designed costumes exhibit a colorful spectacle. She takes the pain to capture the spirit of each folk style with great gusto to unveil the much lesser known actions and movements.

the New Year.” The group said 91% of travelers will go by automobile, an increase of 0.9% from last year. But holiday air travel, it said, is expected to drop slightly to 5.53 million passengers from 5.61 million last year. AAA said it expects drivers to pay less this year for gasoline. Prices hit a multi-year low of $3.18 per gallon on November 12 but have risen slightly since, it said. The holiday period comes as the unemployment rate, at 7%, is at its lowest level in ﬁve years. But a CNN poll released last month showed only 24%

of the public believed economic conditions are improving, while nearly four in 10 said the nation’s economy is actually getting worse. Meanwhile, the Consumer Conﬁdence Index, calculated by the Conference Board, has declined two months in a row. AAA said the calendar is one reason that travel is expected to pick up this year. Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on Wednesdays, giving travelers the option to start their trip earlier than they would otherwise, or extend through the following weekend, the group said. (CNN)

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 5

FRIDAY, December 20, 2013

IHA Hosts An Enchanting â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Kavita ki Shaamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Report by Swapan Dhairyawan, President, IHA Houston Chapter

our own Sangeeta Pasrija. What can be said about her rendition. She is an awesome person, a diligent leader and passionate about Hindi cause who got me motivated to strive for the IHA goal. Even at a short notice she was prepared with her favorite Kavita by Kunwar Bechainji

It was a hat trick in 2013. A successful Hasya Kavi Sammellan of Shri Kunwar Bechain in April, a National Adhiveshan in September and the Kavita ki Shaam yesterday. There were thoughts whether to do this event or not, but keeping our tradition of December celebration for Hindi Diwas, we have accomplished our goal. The event was sold out. As per our rough count we had about 120 persons attending including 14 poets.

The ďŹ nal curtain down was done by Dr Anant Desai. An engineer by profession has been a vivid Bollywood music follower. He rendered different classical songs with ragdhari meanings for Hindi cause. His melodious voice kept the audience enthralled.

Delicious food, cosy setup, quick podium arrangement by Rajiv, registration and ticketing by Sanjaybhai and Varunji. Volunteering for decoration and ticketing assistance by Eesha. Program started with Mayuresh and Hriday Bhutada. Thanks to all of them.

All the artists and Emcee were felicitated by the IHA Executive Committee. The honors of giving away the plaques was done by Shri Subash Guptaji. He is a senior community leader who is involved in Ekal Vidyalaya and Hindu Swyamsewak Sangh.

Abhajiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quick wits and seamless Emceeing was fabulous. She is a real pro and IHA appreciates your contribution to Hindi cause so also entertaining the Houston audience. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mein jhooth nahi boltaâ&#x20AC;?

The actual program which started at exactly 7:55 ended at almost 10:50 and the audience sat glued and kept hearing one after another poet.

IHA board members with the artists has followed by Sanaata and a Ghazal kept the audience captivated. We have heard him at mushairas and at Kavi Sammellans, but the way in which he switches between the language Urdu and Hindi is indeed brilliant.

Doctor Upadhyayasaab started with a Big Bang and immediately made the audience comfortable by his mix of words, Hasya, vyang and the Veer Ras Kavita of Maharana Pratap. He is a strong pillar of our organization and also on whom I can bank on for bulk ticket sales. He is full of mirth and enthusiasm. I like his statement â&#x20AC;&#x153;paisa vasoolâ&#x20AC;?

I thank all the sponsors for the event whom Rajiv had brought, Madras Pavillion for the venue and food, Darshak Thakkar for sound and PA system, Gautam Jani for the coverage for TV Asia. Thanks to Sanjaybhai for the new and ďŹ rst time format of Survey form which will assist us in understanding the need of our audience. Thanks to the 3 organizations Maheshwari Mahasabha, Indian Muslim Association of Greater Houston and Gujarati Sahitya Sarita who supported our event yesterday and disseminated the information to their database.

He was followed by Rajendra Prasadji, a geologist and a Houstonian for long years is a new entrant in our team. He read his own poems and was applauded by all for his creations. He is from Bihar and spoke an eloquent poetry on his memories as a child in a village near Patna. He promised to stay in touch with IHA team for future.

Sarita Mehtaji followed him with her beautiful Kavita â&#x20AC;&#x153;dharti se ambar takâ&#x20AC;?. She did a marvelous job. More marvelous was her ďŹ rst time night driving from West U to Sugarland. She really had gathered lot of conďŹ dence to have done it just for the passion of Hindi.

He was followed by another geologist Khalid Rizvi who also is a new entrant to our team. Coming in from Hyderabad, India and a Houstonian for long years was a pleasant addition to our list of poets. He was truly thrilled with the support and brethren that he found within the IHA team that he promised to keep all of us entertained.

Navinji Banker followed her with a Kavita on current situation of Draupadis to gather courage against the Dushasans of current day and not wait for Gopal for assistance. He has been IHA ardent supporter since 2008 and has always volunteered at IHA events. It was the ďŹ rst time for him to be on IHA stage. Awesome.

Arun Prakashji, a pioneer for the IHA cause in Houston followed him. I attach his email below which I received it today. Indeed even a one liner of appreciation from him energizes me. Since in 6 years of my association with IHA, I have never seen a word in black in white from Arunji. This does means a lot to me, the team which we are and the class of poets who were there yesterday. He read his own Kavita written Patni Chalisa. It was hilarious.

Meera Kapur followed him with the kavitas written by her Dad Late Mr khanna on Ahimsa and Yoga. She rendered the poems wonderfully and is an ardent strength to IHA cause. She was followed by Dr Nausha Asrar. What can be said about him? He is truly a professional and a gem among persons. His rendering of couple of Do-

Sangeeta Pasrija, past president IHA with Swapan Dhairyawan, President, IHA Houston Chapter He was followed by Devika Dhruvji. She read her own Hasya Ras Kavita. She rendered it very beautifully. She has been supporting IHA through the Gujarati Sahitya Sarita group which she represents.

and chaturayi. He rendered the beautiful poetry Tamasha of Ashok Chakradharji. He was totally into the spirit of this poetry and spoke gracefully on Pluralism. The cause of Hindi is universal and is not limited to religion. Awesome job.

She was followed by Jasmeeta Singh. She rendered a beautiful stirring Kavita on importance of Hindi on this Hindi divas day. She continued to sing a soulful Ghulam Ali ghazal. Awesome job.

He was followed by Kishen Sharma, an Engineer by profession but teaching Hindi since 1992 in Houston read his own works, which were enjoyed by the entire audience. IHA team promised to keep him informed about the upcoming events and IHA happenings.

Fatehali Chatur followed her. As rightly said by Doctorsaab, In Fatehsaab name itself there is victory, Allah

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I cannot but mention what this IHA close family has become. In the midst of the car breakdown of Saritaji yesterday night after the event at the venue, we had Ajitbhai, Kishenji and Dineshji assisting her to get started and make sure she reaches home safe. So much for what the camaraderie which has been created. Thanks. Rajiv, the accounting for this has to be wrapped up in next 2 weeks. Since the calendar year is closing on December 31st, please make sure that all the pledges or ticket money has been delivered to Rajiv or me or mailed to IHA, 8303 SW Fwy Ste 570 Houston Tx 77074. I have to write about this since no organization can run without funding or being current with their receivables. Looking forward to our next Sneh Bhojan on January 4th 2014.

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 6

FRIDAY, December 20, 2013

Prana’s Annual Day presents an Pratham Houston Holiday evening with mesmerizing music Luncheon Raises $140,000

Musicians and artists that participated in the Annual Day celebrations.

Pratham Board past and present with keynote speaker Mike Feinberg, Pratham Co Founder Dr. Madhav Chavan, Pratham USA Founder Vijay Goradia and Pratham Houston President Marie Goradia.

Children present ‘Alice in Wonderland’ by Jaya Ghosh

rana School of Music and Arts ,one of the promising music schools of Katy, dedicated toward spreading music and ﬁne arts in the greater Houston area ,held its annual event on Nov 24, 2013 at Durgabari ,Sur Auditorium with moving music and dynamic drum beats. Prana, meaning, the beats of life was founded in 2006,by Dr. Raja Banga, a renowned tabla player of greater Houston. The Principal of PSMA , Raja Banga , has been teaching tabla for the last 10 years in Houston-Katy area. The school offers classes on North Indian classical/ semi-classical vocal music, tabla, ﬂute, Jazz guitar, Arts and Crafts. Prana’s Students and faculties, presented a wonderful musical program to celebrate its annual day Students’ accomplishments with all music lovers in the community. In spite of cold and chilly weather a good number of crowds gathered and enjoyed every bit of music and beats of drum in the warm inside of Sur auditorium on Sunday . Complementary hot beverages and scrumptious snacks made the musical afternoon more enjoyable and extra cozy for the audience with friends and family. Spectators was entertained thoroughly by different captivating tabla lahara and song performances by prana’s students, gurus and local artists, delighted the audience .The evening started with invocation by the renowned vocalist Shri Balkar Singh, who serves as the vocal faculty for the school. Balkarji and the young kids chanted Ganapati Vandana set to Raag Bhopali Todi and Rupak taal. This was followed by group tabla lehra renditions by the students of the school. The youngest group presented a short lehra on tintaal. It was wonderful to see young children of merely 7 years of age getting engrossed in drumming on stage. These young folks interest towards Indian classical music and Tabla shows Prana’s dedication and devotion in motivating Indian American kids mind towards their

cultural heritage and rich classical music of their parent’s motherland. The intermediate group presented a unique blend of tabla presentation ranging from compositions like Uthan ,Kaeda, Rela and various Tukras, all set in Tintaal. A couple of the recent graduates of the school shared with the audience their learning experience and the value of Indian heritage through music and culture. The ﬁnal tabla presentation included students learning for four years and more ,led by Rishabh Shah, the senior-most student, who has been learning tabla for the last 10 years from Shri Raja Banga, presented a group Tabla lehra with different difﬁcult combinations and variations with proper timing and poise got huge applause. They presented Peshkar, which is the well-known introductory composition of the Farukhabad Gharana, the style Rajaji is trained in. The Peshkar was followed by a number of Tishra Jaati and Chatushra Jaati kaedas presented with compositions recited and explained by Rajaji. This rendition ended with a classic Chalan and Laggi which highlighted the nuances of rhythmic variations. Another noticeable presentation was World Percussion Ensemble, which highlighted various drums from all over the globe, such as Tabla, Pakhawaj, Dholak, Dhol, Dhaak, Kanjira, Tambourine, Djembe and Octopad producing western drum-beats. A number of local vocalists such as Shyama, Rupa, Ruchira, Shamik and Satyaki sang numbers referring to various types of percussions or taals. The drummers included young Vikram, Devanshu, Nirmalya, and especially by dholok presentation by veteran Shri Nani Gopal Ghosh moved everyone in the crowd. Audience started clapping along. Shamik’s Taak doom tak dom baje and dhaker taale with dhak’s beats took the Durgabari crowd easily. It was a joy to witness the fairy tale drama ‘Alice in wonderland’.

The penultimate item of the evening, presented by the cute, talented kids and directed by Debleena Banerji, awed the audience .The excellent acting by the kids aged between 5 and 12 supported by wonderful narration by Rajaji, Achintya, Debleena and Partha Sen ,with appropriate background audio-visual effects really a wonderful experience. All the characters in this play including littile Alice ,Queen of Heart ,little Rabbit, Doctor Rabbit, King, Door, hookah smoking Alligator with perfect body movements ,gestures and facial expressions without any heavy costumes and individual dialogue ,captured the wonderland-ish essence of the story.

Asha Dhume Luncehon co-chair, Marie Goradia, Pratham Houston President, Mike Feinberg, Key note speaker, Leena Shah, Host committee chair, and Annu Naik, Luncheon co-chair.

The evening ended with the final presentation by the trio Balkar-Biplab-Raja. As explained by Shyama, who introduced the artists, the music took the audience from the spell of Alice’s wonderland to the soulful musical wonderland. Balkar Singh and Biplab Samadder opened the session with alaap on raag Shri, which matched the bereaved mood of the evening, followed by an instrumental-vocal jugalbandi bandish on Shankar Mahadev. Biplab on violin and Raja on tabla embellished the rendition to an exquisite level. The last item was an instrumental jugalbandi on Raag Bachaspati which started with alaap, jod accompanied by pakhawaj, and high speed tintaal jhala with a dramatic 16 beat mukhra. The audience was enjoying the occasional exchanges of Taalkari between Biplab and Raja, as this gave them the flavor of saath-sangat and also the drama of sawal-jawab. The final chakkardaar-tihai of the evening left the audience at Durgabari speechless! A mixed audience from different communities attended the event. Connecting cultures through color of classical music and melodies, passing knowledge of music to our kids of new generation in Houston Texas is really praise worthy effort by Prana.

Capture The Spirit Of The Holidays !

Christmas lights by the Galleria on Post Oak Blvd., at 10 PM, December 12, 2013. (Photo by Jacob David) Send your pictures of the City of Houston and around and Win! See Ad on Page 9 for details.

Sameera Faridi (center) owner Poshak flanked by her models. Continued from Page 1 cation has become a powerful force for education reform and is being implemented in several developing countries. Through Read India, Pratham has reached over 34 million underprivileged children using creative teaching techniques. She introduced the four main pillars of Pratham which are ASER, Read India, Vocational and Entrepreneurship training for young men and women, and Open Schools which gives girls and women of any age a second chance to finish high school. Pratham has achieved the unparalleled feat of providing education for only $25 per child per year, 94% of all proceeds go directly to the program. Marie ended with “we have wonderful lives today because we were lucky to receive a good education. Through Pratham we can give an entire generation of the poorest children what we received, the chance of a future.” The keynote speaker, KIPP school founder Mike Feinberg, was humorous as well as enlightening as he compared school dropout figures in India and the US, spoke about the importance of keeping children in school, and pointed out that without education children from disadvantaged back-

which guests responded enthusiastically. The $45,000 raised will be used to help young women from disadvantaged backgrounds to start their own small businesses in India. Mani Surkari, Ofﬁce Manager and Dimpal Kalani, Administrative Systems and Donor Database Manager, were honored for their 10 years of service.

Fashion show by L.K. Bennett grounds had almost no hope of changing their lives. He ended by turning around the popular saying “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach”, by stating, “Those who can’t ignore social inequality teach”. We were privileged to hear from Pratham founder Madhav Chavan, who was visiting from India. He spoke eloquently about the new vocational and entrepreneur training programs Pratham is focusing on, particularly in the hospitality, construction and small business sectors. His speech was followed by a quick and efﬁcient fundraising drive by Marie Goradia to

Then it was time for the spectacular fashion show embracing east and west and featuring elegant evening and party wear clothing provided courtesy of Sameera Faridi of Poshak (Indian fashion house) and Jamal Nasir of LKBennett London (British fashion house). A complimentary makeover service was provided by Saks for makeup and Berkha Khokkar of Fashion Face for hairstyles, and many women eagerly availed of this opportunity. The decorations were by Sara Duggal of Touch of Elegance and ﬂowers by Country Rose. Thanks to the generous donors, a total of $140,000 was raised at the luncheon. An afternoon of glamour, good friends, and philanthropy was a perfect beginning to a festive holiday season. For more information on Pratham, visit www.prathamusa.org or call 713 774 9599.

DIASPORA

VOICE OF ASIA 7

CDC doctor led polio eradication project in India

Indian American surgeon sees a scarless future Pioneer of Natural OriďŹ ce Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery says the procedure will gain wider acceptance

xperts for years doubted whether polio could be eradicated in India because of the size and diversity of the population and the fact that it has stubbornly persisted in the poorest and hardest to reach communities with the worst sanitation and water. Two years ago, India was declared polio free in large part because of the work and dedication of Dr. Hamid Jafari, a medical ofďŹ cer from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who was on loan to the World Health Organization (WHO). Jafari managed a massive public health initiative between the government of India and WHO, directed a staff of more than 2,300 and oversaw the delivery of about 1 billion doses of the polio vaccine to 172 million young children each year between 2008 and 2011. Many of these children were from migrant families or were living in hard-to-reach and high-risk areas.

by Y. Mallikarjun

ost of the surgeries one day would be done without any incision, said Dr. Anthony N. Kalloo, pioneer of NOTES, a technique to perform an abdominal operation without incisions using an endoscope.

Dr. Hamid Jafari (Photo: Sam Kittner/Kittner.com) now in Geneva, Switzerland working on programs to eradicate polio in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. Polio is a contagious viral illness that mainly affects children and can cause paralysis, difďŹ culty breathing and sometimes death. In the late 1940s to the early 1950s, polio crippled about 35,000 people each year in the United States alone. With the widespread use of vaccines developed in the 1950s, the United States became polio free by 1979.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;India was long thought to be the most difďŹ cult country to eradicate polio in the world, but Hamidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technical and leadership expertise was able to prove the skeptics wrong,â&#x20AC;? said Dr. Bruce Aylward, WHOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assistant director general. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He worked with the government to ensure it committed the resources, and he provided an innovative strategy, technical expertise and was a natural diplomat.â&#x20AC;?

Dr. Rebecca Martin, director of the Global Immunization Division at CDC, said Jafari brought energy and fresh thinking to the National Polio Surveillance Project in India.

Reports ranged from 559 to 874 cases in India annually between 2006 and 2009, comprising 43 percent of the conďŹ rmed cases worldwide. That number reached zero in January 2011 and a year later, India completed a designated 12-month period without a single occurrence. The next month, India was removed from the list of polio-endemic countries.

Martin said the multi-faceted approach included targeting high-risk areas for vaccination campaigns, routine immunization, mobile vaccination teams, research that led to development and use of more effective polio vaccines in a setting of poor sanitation and high rates of diarrhea.

Jafariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role with WHO has continued since he completed his assignment in India. He is

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hamid had innovative solutions such as vaccinations at bus stops and on trains, and he found ways to reach the children of migrant workers. He identiďŹ ed where the populations were and made sure they were vaccinated,â&#x20AC;? she said.

Jafari said he looked closely in India at the problem of children missed by vaccination teams and decided the best way to tackle it was by â&#x20AC;&#x153;weav-

ing a tight net that did not allow children to slip through the program.â&#x20AC;? To reach the critical population of newborn babies, for example, he had workers routinely register the babies house to house to make sure they were vaccinated. Jafari said there was a huge problem in the state of Bihar, a very poor region that was â&#x20AC;&#x153;the last refuge of the virus.â&#x20AC;? He said large areas of the state ďŹ&#x201A;ooded every summer from snow melting in the Himalayas. Operations had to be adapted to enable supervision and access. Teams used boats and, motorcycles and waded through water to reach children. Besides reaching children through clinics and trains stations, Jafari said the program involved visits to more than 60 million homes several times a year and some 2.3 million vaccinators. Surveys conďŹ rm that 99 percent of children in the hardest to reach and highestrisk areas are now protected from polio. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Polio has circulated for millennia in India,â&#x20AC;? said Anne Schuchat, director of the CDCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Center for Global Health. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hamid led the program in India that stopped the spread of poliovirus.â&#x20AC;? (PPS News) Dr. Jafari went to medical school in Pakistan and completed his residency training in pediatrics at Dartmouth Medical School and a fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical School.

India third nation where UK parents ďŹ&#x201A;ee to after abducting child

Continued on pg 9

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Reunite - a charity that provides advice and support to parents involved in parental child abduction cases - has dealt with

It is also much harder to return a child from a country that has not signed the 1980 Hague Convention, an international

Vetarans Memorial

India is third in this infamous list with 16 cases of child abduction recorded, followed by Japan 11, Morocco 10, Egypt and UAE 8.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are launching this awareness campaign in the lead up to Christmas to try to prevent parents from doing something that would cause signiďŹ cant distress to themselves, their family and most importantly to the child. We also encourage parents to look for warning signs that their partner may be considering this. Once children are taken overseas it can be extremely difďŹ cult to secure their return to

There is no typical â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;abducting parentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; - although abductions are more likely to take place where families have links to more than one country and, contrary to popular opinion, it is more likely to be the mother who abducts than the father (approximately 70% of abducting parents are mothers).

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In 2012-13 that ďŹ gure rose to 580, the second highest ever recorded and a 113% increase in cases over the previous year.

Parental child abduction cases can take years to resolve, with signiďŹ cant impact on the child or children involved. There is a very real possibility that the child may never be returned. Even when cases are resolved it can take up to 10 years, with a devastating impact on the child, parents and families involved.

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In 2003-04, the FCO was involved in 272 new parental child abduction and international custody cases.

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The number of parental child abduction and custody cases has more than doubled over the last decade.

The FCO has now launched a hard-hitting ďŹ lm â&#x20AC;&#x153;Caught in the middleâ&#x20AC;?, to highlight the issues and encourage parents to think of the consequences before doing something that could do lasting damage to the children and families involved. Mark Simmonds, Minister for Consular Affairs, said â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was very concerned to see an increase in child abduction cases. Parental child abduction has a devastating emotional impact on the child as well as the taking parent and the parent left behind. It can do lasting damage to a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relationship with both parents and their happiness. These are often distressing cases for everyone involved and there are no easy ďŹ xes, but our staff around the world work hard to assist those parents left behindâ&#x20AC;?.

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Latest FCO data has thrown up a startling trend - almost two children a day were abducted to a foreign country by parents in UK in 2012.

FCO is now worried that Christmas 2013 due in just over a week could see a similar spike in child abductions across UK.

Alison Shalaby, CEO of Reunite, said â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parental child abduction is not faith or country speciďŹ c - we see cases involving a range of countries from France and Poland to Thailand, Pakistan and Australia. The holidays can be a particularly stressful time for families, especially if the relationship between parents has broken down. However, there is help available if you think that your partner may be considering abducting your children. Last year we helped to prevent 412 cases involving 586 children which demonstrates something can be done to prevent it from happening to youâ&#x20AC;?.

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Interestingly, contrary to popular belief that fathers are most often to blame, mothers have been found to be responsible for 70% of these abductions, according to UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foreign and commonwealth ofďŹ ce (FCO) said.

It reported a particular spike in cases after Christmas 2012 and again in September this year following the summer holidays.

the UK. Many parents are not aware that by abducting their child, they may be committing a crimeâ&#x20AC;?.

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ONDON - India has now emerged as the third commonest destination for Britain-based parents involved in ďŹ&#x201A;eeing after abducting their child.

447 new cases involving 616 children.

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being used by veterinarians to remove ovaries (oophorectomy) in horses. He said that although NOTES was being used for

scar on the abdomen during removal of gall bladder. He said that generally gall bladder disease was more common in women, especially the young

NOTES (Natural OriďŹ ce Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery) was ďŹ rst carried out in animal models by Dr. Anthony in 1999. The maiden operation in humans was done by Chairman of Asian Institute of Gastroenterology (AIG), Dr. D. Nageshwar Reddy and his colleague Dr. G. V. Rao in 2003. Since then, NOTES was used to conduct more than 3,000 surgeries in Europe, USA and South America. Talking to The Hindu, Dr. Anthony, who is Professor of Gastroenterology and Director, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, USA, said that 100 years from now there would not be any incision for any kind of surgery. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are already evolving into less and less incisions,â&#x20AC;? he added. He said NOTES was now

Dr. Anthony N. Kalloo, pioneer of NOTES. (Photo: Y. Mallikarjun) removal of gall bladder and appendix, bariatric surgeons were adopting the technique in the United States and South America. Explaining its advantages, he said that patients would have no scar and recover faster. In Brazil and Los Angeles, California, the procedure became quite popular among young women as they do not want a

and middle-aged and a lot of it had to with the hormonal differences. In most cases, the gall bladder would be removed because of the pain or due to formation of gall stones. Over 90 per cent of patients get better after gall bladder removal and nearly half a million gall bladder surgeries were being done each year in the United States.

Singapore to deport 52 Indians after Little India riot

INGAPORE - Singapore plans to deport 53 people and issue warnings to about 200 more for their involvement in the city-stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worst riot in more than 40 years this month, which shocked a nation that prides itself on its safety and orderliness.

28 the total number of foreign workers charged with rioting. These 28, all Indians, could face up to 7 years in prison and caning.

The riots sparked intense discussion over Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s policy on foreign labour, which now makes up a ďŹ fth of a population of nearly 5.4 million. Many citizens are increasingly irked by the growing numbers of foreign workers.

Police do not expect to make many more arrests or repatriations as they wind up their probe, barely 10 days after the riot.

The 53 people, all Indian but for one Bangladeshi, are in prison and will be barred from returning to Singapore after being sent home soon, the police said in statements on Tuesday. Charges against seven people would be dropped, taking to

An additional 200 people will be issued an advisory by the police and allowed to stay in Singapore, the police added.

On December 8, a crowd of around 400 set vehicles ablaze and clashed with police after an Indian worker died in a trafďŹ c accident in the Little India precinct, where thousands of workers from the sub-continent gather on Sundays to shop and socialize. The

government

banned

the sale of alcohol in the area last weekend, and suspended shuttle bus services that bring in foreign workers from dormitories, often located in far-ďŹ&#x201A;ung parts of the island. The government said it would stick to its policy on foreign labour. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They (foreign workers) come here to earn a living and support their families in their home countries. In the process they contribute to Singapore by supplementing our need for workers,â&#x20AC;? Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said in comments prepared for a news brieďŹ ng on Tuesday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Those who are law-abiding do not need to worry. They should carry on with their work and activities as usual,â&#x20AC;? added Teo, who is also home affairs minister. (Reuters)

SOUTH ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 8

SPECIAL REPORT

Protests, prayers mark one year since Delhi rape by Nirmala George

EW DELHI - Students, Bollywood actresses and womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s groups held rallies and candlelight vigils across India on Monday in memory of a young woman whose fatal gang rape on a moving bus one year ago shook the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conscience. The victim, a 23-year-old student, was heading home with a male friend after watching the movie â&#x20AC;&#x153;Life of Piâ&#x20AC;? when six men lured them onto a private bus. They beat the man with a metal bar, raped the woman and used the bar to inďŹ&#x201A;ict massive internal injuries. The two were dumped naked on the roadside, and the woman died two weeks later. Protesters and politicians at a public meeting in New Delhi spoke of changes in social attitudes, tough new laws and police reform adopted after the massive street protests that followed the gang rape. In New Delhi, Bollywood actress Swara Bhaskar led a

group of musicians on a bus that performed street plays at several places along the same route taken by the rape victimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bus.

Nirbhayaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assailants were tried relatively quickly in a country where sexual assault cases often languish for years.

In central Delhi, a candlelight vigil was held by dozens of students in memory of Nirbhaya, or â&#x20AC;&#x153;fearless,â&#x20AC;? the name given by the Indian media to the woman because rape victims cannot be identiďŹ ed under Indian law. Prayers were held in a temple in a southern suburb.

Four of the defendants were sentenced to death. Another hanged himself in prison, though his family insists he was killed. An 18-year-old who was a juvenile at the time of the attack was sentenced to three years in a reform home.

The attack sparked protests across the country. Tens of thousands of people held daily rallies, and newspapers gave intense coverage. The outrage spurred the government to adopt more stringent laws that doubled prison terms for rape and criminalized voyeurism, stalking, acid attacks and the trafďŹ cking of women. Fast-track courts were created for rape cases. Rape, rarely talked about in Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deeply conservative society, became front-page news, with demands that police do more to protect women and that courts treat sexual violence seriously.

There has been a surge in the number of rapes being reported: Between January and October this year, 1,330 rapes were reported in Delhi and its suburbs, compared with 706 for all of 2012, according to government ďŹ gures. But the victimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father said that although laws on crimes against women have changed, Indians need to change social attitudes toward women. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Social mindsets have to change. Only then can we say a difference has been made. Only then can I say my daughter did not die in vain,â&#x20AC;? he told the public meeting. (AP)

Telling the Delhi rape story on stage

Scion of Bhutto dynasty makes political pitch as defender of Pakistani traditions

he heir to Pakistanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grandest political dynasty has seized on kite-ďŹ&#x201A;ying, livestock races and Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day concerts in a bid to stake out an identity for himself as a defender of traditional culture against the rising tide of religious extremism in the country.

The Sindh festival is being seen as the ďŹ rst major initiative undertaken by a young politician who until recently was little more than a symbolic ďŹ gurehead for a party that reveres the Bhutto name. Plans for the festival were announced at a glitzy event in Karachi on Monday night that owed more to a Silicon Valley gadget launch than the traditional rallies and campaign speeches that have made the Bhutto familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pakistan Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s party (PPP) a power in the land since his grandfather, ZulďŹ kar Ali Bhutto, set it up in 1967. To a backdrop of computer graphics put together with the help of friends from his university days at Oxford, Zardari paced across an outdoor stage at Karachiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mohatta Palace gleefully taunting the religious right, which has campaigned against Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day and regards the ancient kite-ďŹ&#x201A;ying festival of Punjab as inďŹ&#x201A;ected with Hindu tradition.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;They are surrendering our culture, our history, our identity and our religion based on a lie cloaked in an imported, ďŹ ctionalised version of Islam,â&#x20AC;? he told the crowd.

by Priyanka Pereira

he thing that angered Indian actor Poorna Jagannathan about the Delhi gang rape on Dec. 16, 2012, aside from the violent actions of the group of men found guilty of the attack, was the inaction of those who failed to help the naked and bleeding couple after theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d been dumped from the bus at the side of the road. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yes, I was angry against the six rapists,â&#x20AC;? says Ms. Jagannathan, who has staged an award-winning play inspired by events following the fatal gang rape of a young woman in Delhi last year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But my anger was also against every person who didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop for her when she was thrown out of the bus, the policemen who didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help, and everyone else who failed to live up to their duties and responsibilities,â&#x20AC;? she said. Ms. Jagannathanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s play, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nirbhaya,â&#x20AC;? the name given to the victim of the Delhi rape by Indian media and adopted by womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights groups when describing her, was conceived in part in response to that apathy, and in part as an acknowledgement of her own passive complicity in violence against women, including against herself, she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was angry for all the years of silence I had maintained regarding the sexual harassment I had gone through,â&#x20AC;? Ms. Jagannathan said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is why I chose to stand up this time and break this silence this time around. I also wanted to tell each and every individual of this country that we must learn to stand up for ourselves.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nirbhayaâ&#x20AC;? will open in Delhi in the New Year, following an award-winning run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in the U.K. over the summer. Ms. Jagannathanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision to write the play was also inspired by a performance she saw in New York, almost seven years ago, of Yael Farberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Amajubaâ&#x20AC;? a testimonial play about post-apartheid South Africa. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I watched it, I was mesmerized with the way Yael made her actors bare their thoughts completely. It impacted my psyche and it stayed with me,â&#x20AC;? she said. She kept in touch with Ms. Farber and thought of her immediately when looking for someone to script the play about Dec. 16. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I knew Yael would be the best person to do this,â&#x20AC;? she said. The pair connected about the Delhi rape on Facebook and Ms. Jagannathan expressed her concern about sexual violence and her interest in staging a play. Ms. Farber caught a ďŹ&#x201A;ight and came to India. By the time she landed, the playwright had a deďŹ nite idea of how to go about do-

ing the play, says Ms. Jagannathan, who added her contributions and soon they had sketched out a complete plan. The work centers on the real-life experiences of four of the actors in the play and Nirbhayaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story. Ms. Jagannathan and Ms. Farber cast for actors on Facebook. Seven performers were selected and Japjit Kaur was chosen to play the gang-rape victim. Ankur Vikal, who starred in the Oscarwinning movie Slumdog Millionaire, plays a number of roles including molester, husband, and supporter. Other actors, such as Sapna Bhavnani, Priyanka Bose, Sneha Javale, and Ms. Jagannathan herself, speak about their personal experiences of sexual violence and harassment throughout the play. Their stories range from being doused with kerosene, to molestation by a relative. Most were bitter personal recollections. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yael [Farber] conducted workshops with us to make us comfortable to share our own experiences. One story at a time was taken and dealt with. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t easy, because these were stories which most of us had buried in our subconscious,â&#x20AC;? Ms. Jagannathan said. The play was performed for the ďŹ rst time at the Fringe Festival in July. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The response was overwhelming from the crowd. It was heartening to see people waiting to meet us, after the shows were over. They even shared their own stories and some of them thanked us for our courage and for showing them the way to break their silence,â&#x20AC;? said Ms. Jagannathan. In Edinburgh, they won three awards for the piece: The Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award, The Scotsmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fringe First Award and the Herald Angel Award. Despite the accolades, the group is still nervous about how people in India will react to the show, Ms. Jagannathan says. Funding has also been an issue. After 32 shows in the U.K., the group resorted to crowd funding through New Yorkbased Kickstarter, an online crowd sourcing website. Their campaign, which started in October, reached the goal of ÂŁ50,000 ($81,690) on Nov. 20. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With this money, we plan to have shows in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata. If the amount increases, we would like to add another city as well,â&#x20AC;? Ms. Jagannathan said. The group also hopes to perform in colleges across India.â&#x20AC;? (WSJ) Priyanka Pereira is a freelance writer based in Mumbai. You can follow her on Twitter on @priyankapereira.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari steps out of mother Benazirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shadow by launching festival in Pakistan Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sindh heartland.

The activities are among more than a dozen events that will form part of a two-week cultural festival in February organised by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the 25-year-old son of the assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

He warned that the growing inďŹ&#x201A;uence of hardline Islamic sects originating in the Middle East was leading to people â&#x20AC;&#x153;passively accepting the Talibanisation of Pakistanâ&#x20AC;?.

A still from the rehearsals of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Nirbhaya.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Photo:William Burdett Coutts)

FRIDAY, December 20, 2013

Other plans include horse and cattle racing, which the government ended in 2006, and celebrations of SuďŹ music, which many hardline Muslims regard as counter to Islam with some extremists even attacking the shrines of SuďŹ saints. The opening ceremony will take place at Mohenjo-Daro, the ancient ruins of one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ rst cities. Hosting a large kite-ďŹ&#x201A;ying event in Karachi, the southern port and capital of Sindh, the PPP heartland, will also be seen as an affront to Lahore, the Punjabi metropolis that is the seat of the Bhuttosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; great

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at a PPP rally before a poster of his mother, the assassinated prime minister Benazir Bhutto. (Photo: Rizwan Tabassum/AFP) political rival, the faction of the Pakistan Muslim League controlled by the prime minister, Nawaz Sharif. Despite long being renowned as the home of Basant, a springtime celebration marked by thousands of kites ďŹ&#x201A;own from the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roofs, Lahore banned the popular event in 2005 following deaths and injuries caused by kite strings that some over-competitive enthusiasts coat with glass powder to cut their rivalsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lines. Zardari vowed to strictly control kite-ďŹ&#x201A;ying in Karachi, which will only be allowed with ofďŹ cially sanctioned kites on the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long beachfront. The festival is being seen as a statement of independence and intent of a young politician who has yet to fully stamp his authority on a party that fell into the hands of his father, the former president Asif Ali Zardari, after his mother was killed by assassins while campaigning in 2007. Father and son have reportedly had disagreements in the past over party strategy and the former president stayed away from Mondayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event. One senior PPP member close to Zardari said there was nearly a state of â&#x20AC;&#x153;civil warâ&#x20AC;? within the family and that some of the partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s old guard were uneasy about the young manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s occasionally brash style. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to imagine any other politician ripping open their shirt, as Bhutto did on Monday night to reveal the Sindh festivalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s logo â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a Superman-style â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sâ&#x20AC;?. Others might have shied away from his plan to ďŹ nance some of the cost of the events by selling â&#x20AC;&#x153;heritage cardsâ&#x20AC;? for the chance of wining cash prizes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a lottery in all but name and therefore open to legal challenge.

In recent months Zardari has become increasingly vocal, speaking out against soaring inďŹ&#x201A;ation and against the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s far-reaching plans to privatise state-owned companies. He has also become a pugnacious presence on Twitter, and could be seen Tweeting from his phone during his presentation on Monday, which he cohosted with his sister Bakhtawar. Although he qualiďŹ ed to stand for election on his 25th birthday in September he told the Guardian that he would remain outside parliament until 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the likely year of the next general election. The Oxford University graduate has been criticised before for his weak command of Urdu and his habit of spending much time outside Pakistan, where he is obliged to live under suffocating security in his familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fortress-like home in Karachiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Clifton district. One senior diplomat recently wondered whether Zardari was â&#x20AC;&#x153;too westernisedâ&#x20AC;? to become an effective leader of the party, which shot to power on its platform of socialist populism for the ďŹ rst time in the 1970s. On Monday he spoke to the invitation-only crowd in English, something organisers said was a deliberate decision to give himself more freedom and deny political opponents video clips that could be used against him in the campaigns to come. Later this month he will revert to a more traditional style of politics when he addresses thousands of the party faithful who are expected to ďŹ&#x201A;ock to the Bhutto family shrine in their hometown of Larkana to mark the sixth anniversary of his motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death. (The Guardian)

Nepal splinter group says past pacts annulled by Damakant Jayshi

ATHMANDU - A hardline communist party on Monday declared the two historic agreements between the mainstream political parties of Nepal and the erstwhile Maoist rebels as annulled. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The 12-point Agreement in 2005 and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of 2007 stand annulled,â&#x20AC;? said the Chairman of the CPN-Maoist, Mohan Vaidya â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Kiran,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; at a press conference in the capital. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We need to reach new understanding.â&#x20AC;? The chief of the hardline faction of the party which split from the UCPN (Maoist) in June 2012 also owned

up to the bomb explosions at various places across the country before and during the election to the Constituent Assembly (CA) held on November 19 which the party boycotted. Two people were killed when the CPN-Maoist cadre allegedly threw petrol bombs on a truck carrying paddy. At other places, several people were injured, some of them seriously. Mr. Vaidya repeated his partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s demand for holding an all-party roundtable conference. Referring to reports about uniďŹ cation with the Dahalled party, Mr. Vaidya said it would happen if it joined them in street protests.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission extended the deadline to submit the names of CA members under the PR system by a week upon the request by political parties. The deadline, which has already been extended once, is now on December 25. The request to EC followed a meeting by High Level Political Committee â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a body of parties formed to â&#x20AC;&#x153;superviseâ&#x20AC;? the technocrat government â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which decided to request the commission to extend the deadline. This was the only issue that the parties could agree on. Consensus on other remaining issues remains elusive. (The Hindu)

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ASIA

VOICE OF ASIA 9

FRIDAY, December 20, 2013

Tie-up between Apple and China’s Asia Society Texas Center Names New Executive Director biggest phone carrier might pep up Long-Time Nonproﬁt Leader Bonna Kol Tapped to Head Organization and advocacy for the organization. Prior to KIPP, Kol served as President and CEO of Catholic Charities for six years, one of the city’s largest charities serving more than 90,000 people annually. Kol will assume responsibilities held by John Bradshaw Jr., Acting Executive Director since March 2013. Bradshaw will assume the position of Deputy Director while continuing in his fundraising role as Senior Director of Development, a position he has held since July 2011. Bonna Kol by Anna Foret

OUSTON — Asia Society Texas Center announces the appointment of Bonna Kol as Executive Director, concluding an international search conducted by Russell Reynolds Associates. Her appointment was unanimously approved by the organization’s full board of directors. Kol will assume office in January 2014, becoming the fourth person to permanently hold the position in the Texas Center’s 34-year history. “I am thrilled about the vision and leadership that Bonna Kol will bring to Asia Society,” said Charles C. Foster, Chair of Asia Society Texas Center and CoChairman of FosterQuan, LLP. “I have been fortunate to see our organization grow and become a significant facilitator strengthening ties between Houston and Asia. Bonna is the right leader to make what we do more significant.” Kol comes to Asia Society most recently from KIPP Houston Public School, a charter school serving more than 10,000 students in the Houston area, where she serves as Chief Advancement Officer in charge of operations of development, marketing, community relations

“We owe tremendous gratitude to John Bradshaw and appreciate his robust leadership efforts with staff, administration, programs, events, and fundraising,” said Edward R. “Eddie” Allen III, Asia Society Vice Chair and Co-Founder of Eagle Global Advisors. “John’s efforts demonstrated a high level of commitment and dedication to solidify the organization and ensure that it did not miss a beat while we searched for a permanent leader.” said Allen. “Asia Society is at a pivotal point in Houston. We are pleased to have an executive like Bonna Kol who comes to us with a strong track record of fundraising, management expertise, and nonproﬁt leadership to take the Texas Center into a promising new era.” Bradshaw noted, “I could not be happier with the decision to hire Bonna Kol. She is a proven leader and I am conﬁdent she will deepen the impact the Texas Center has on our great city.” “I am honored to be selected to lead this outstanding organization,” said Kol. “As a second generation Cambodian-American and long-time Houstonian, I have personally seen how diverse perspectives strengthen our city.” She added: “While Asia Society has been in Houston since 1979, the mission has become even more relevant. The Texas Center’s partnerships and programs create opportunities

for us to permeate Houston and bolster the region through connections across a wide variety of fields.” The Search Committee for Asia Society Texas Center was chaired by Eddie Allen and included Albert Chao, Charles C. Foster, Y. Ping Sun, Gordon Quan, Marty Goossen, Milton E. Rosenau Jr., and John Bradshaw Jr. The effort from Russell Reynolds was led by the Manager of their Houston office Stephen Newton and the leader of their nonprofit practice Laurie Nash, out of San Francisco. About Bonna Kol Bonna Kol is a nonprofit executive with 20 years of experience in the development and implementation of multi-million dollar projects. Currently, she is the Chief Advancement Officer at KIPP Houston Public School, a charter school serving more than 10,000 students in the Houston area. As a member of their executive team, she manages the operations of development, marketing, community relations, and advocacy for the organization. Prior to her position at KIPP, Bonna served as the President and CEO of Catholic Charities, an agency dedicated to providing social services to more than 90,000 people annually. There, she helped to oversee the development of a strategic plan for geographic expansion, service to seniors, and housing development. From 2001-2005, she was the Executive Director of Mended Hearts in Dallas, the nation’s second largest support organization offering hope to heart patients, their families, and caregivers. She was also the Director of Operations at the Houston Downtown YMCA from 1999- 2001. Bonna’s Cambodian heritage has facilitated her interest in all cultural aspects of the country. She graduated from the University of Houston and received her MBA at Our Lady of the Lake University.

cooling iPhone sales by Joe McDonald

EIJING - Apple Inc. might have a chance to pep up cooling iPhone sales in China if it finally can reach a deal with the world’s biggest phone carrier. Once China’s must-have gadget, the iPhone has seen its explosive popularity squeezed as the market filled with lowerpriced rivals from Samsung to ambitious local brands. Some analysts say anybody who wants an iPhone and can afford it already has one. That might change if Apple can gain access to China Mobile Ltd.’s network and a new pool of potential customers. After a yearslong courtship, there are signs the two corporate giants might finally be edging toward a deal. The Wall Street Journal said it could be announced as early as this week, though China Mobile spokespeople have said the companies were still talking. On Monday, China Mobile’s website was taking orders for a mystery phone called “Ming Xing,” or Bright Star. It showed a handset silhouette like that of an iPhone but gave no brand name. The timing looks right. Just as Apple’s sales growth in China cools, China Mobile received approval Dec. 5 to start operating the world’s fourth-generation network and needs to market it. State-owned China Mobile has more than 750 million mobile accounts. But its new 4G system — based on China’s homegrown TD-LTTE standard — is unfamiliar to demanding Chinese customers. “Leveraging this brand, China Mobile could build a reputation for their network,” said analyst Jane Zhang of Gartner. “They need China Mobile more than China Mobile needs them,” For its part, Apple would gain access to a bigger, more robust

A woman holding a toy sword walks past an advertisement for the iPhone in Beijing Monday, Dec. 16, 2013. Apple Inc. might have a chance to pep up cooling iPhone sales in China if it ﬁnally can reach a deal with the world’s biggest phone carrier. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) network. It has faster data speeds and suffers fewer complaints about dropped calls than those of two smaller state-owned rivals. How the beneﬁts shake out for each side will depend on what deal the two giant companies, each with powerful leverage, can strike on how to split the costs of iPhone handsets. And on how Apple copes with intense competition from Samsung and other brands. Forecasts of additional iPhone sales in China vary widely, from 10 million to as many as 40 million units. That would be on top of the 50 million iPhones analysts estimate have been sold in China in the past 2 1/2 years. Apple already has agreements with China’s two smaller stateowned carriers, China Telecom Ltd. and China Unicom Ltd. They have 180 million and 275 million mobile accounts, respectively. Almost anywhere else, that would make them the biggest national carrier. But together they are barely half of China Mobile’s total. Other manufacturers are making inroads into China’s smartphone market, squeezing Apple’s leverage with carriers. South Korea’s Samsung sells

one of every five smartphones in China, followed by Lenovo Group, according to research firm Canalys. Apple’s sales are growing but it was in fifth place in the latest quarter, with a 6 per cent market share. For the mass market in a country with an average annual income of about $4,000 per person, less than one-tenth the U.S. level, newcomers such as China’s Xiaomi offer smartphones that run Google Inc.’s Android system for as little as 799 yuan ($125). (AP)

Abduction Continued from pg 7

agreement between certain countries which aims to ensure the return of a child who has been abducted by a parent. As well as emotional distress, both parents may often face severe financial difficulties as they fight for custody of their child through foreign courts. Legal costs overseas and in the UK may continue to mount up for parents, who must bear responsibility for the cost of any legal action taken, even after the child is returned to this country. (TNN)

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FRIDAY, December 20, 2013

New inquiry ﬁnds “no credible evidence” Megatons to megawatts: Russian warheads fuel Princess Diana was murdered

U.S. power plants

by Josh Duboff

his summer, Princess Diana’s death resurfaced in headlines as a former S.A.S.’s solider’s claim that Diana had in fact been murdered by a special forces squad - rather than killed in an accident, as the result of a drunk and speeding driver, as previous investigations had concluded became widely publicized.

by Geoff Brumﬁel

ere’s a remarkable fact: For the past two decades, 10 percent of all the electricity consumed in the United States has come from Russian nuclear warheads.

The soldier himself - known as Soldier N - never set forth these claims himself, but rather the parents of his ex-wife stated them in a 2011 letter to military authorities, a missive which was primarily intended to question the “integrity” of the soldier. In addition to revealing his belief that Diana had been murdered (which he had expressed to their daughter, his ex-wife), the letter also described the ﬂashbacks he was having and other bizarre behavior he was exhibiting. (In 2011, police also found a whole arsenal of weapons in Soldier N’s house, which led to his arrest; he was later discharged.)

It was all part of a deal struck at the end of the Cold War. That deal wraps up today, when the ﬁnal shipment of fuel arrives at a U.S. facility.

The origins of the plan lie in the early 1990s. At the time, Philip Sewell was working for the U.S. De- - Anton Khlopkov, Director, Khlopkov says partment of EnCenter for Energy and it was a win-win. ergy. The Soviet Security Studies “This is the only Union had just time in history disintegrated, when disarmaand Sewell’s job was to ﬁnd ways to collaborate with ment was actually proﬁtable,” he says. the former adversaries. In practice, this involved driving out into the Russian countryside, to military facilities that weren’t even on the map. When Sewell got there, what he saw wasn’t pretty. “Windows were broken, gates were not locked, and there were very few people around,” Sewell says.

Diana, Princess of Wales (Photo: Jean-Louis Atlan/Sygma/Corbis)

North America to be ﬂooded with oil as Mexico ends monopoly

he ﬂood of North American crude oil is set to become a deluge as Mexico dismantles a 75-year-old barrier to foreign investment in its oilﬁelds. Plagued by almost a decade of slumping output that has degraded Mexico’s take from a $100-a-barrel oil market, President Enrique Pena Nieto is seeking an end to the state monopoly over one of the biggest crude resources in the Western Hemisphere. The doubling

“Russia’s nuclear industry badly needed the funding,” says Anton Khlopkov, the director of the Center for Energy and Security Studies outside Moscow. He says Russia’s nuclear complex had nearly a million workers who weren’t getting paid a living wage.

So, in 1993 the deal was struck: The Russians would turn about 500 tons of bombgrade uranium “ This is the only into nuclear fuel. U.S. would time in history when The buy it and sell it disarmament was to commercial plants actually proﬁtable.” power here.

But despite the dubious circumstances related to this claim, and the fact that there have been multiple investigations into Diana’s death before, police decided to take Soldier N’s claims seriously, as seven police ofﬁcers worked full-time on this new investigation. In a statement released overnight Monday, police said: “Every reasonable line of inquiry was objectively pursued in order to fully evaluate any potential evidence. The ﬁnal conclusion is that whilst there is a possibility the alleged comments in relation to the S.A.S.’s involvement in the deaths may have been made, there is no credible evidence to support a theory that such claims had any basis in fact.” (Vanity Fair)

one reason: money.

in Mexican oil output that Citigroup Inc. said may result from inviting international explorers to drill would be e about 2.5 million barrels a day. That boom would augment a supply surge from U.S. and Canadian wells that Exxon Mobil Corp. predicts will vault North American production ahead of every OPEC member except Saudi Arabia within two years. With U.S. reﬁneries already choking on more oil than they can process, pro-

Announcing

ducers from Exxon to ConocoPhillips are clamoring for repeal of the export restrictions that have outlawed most overseas sales of American crude for four decades. “This is going to be a huge opportunity for any kind of player” in the energy sector, said Pablo Medina, an upstream analyst. “All the companies are going to have to turn their heads and start analyzing Mexico.” The revolution in shale drilling that boosted U.S. oil output to a 25-year high this month will allow North America to join the ranks of the world’s crude-exporting continents by 2040. (Bloomburg News)

But inside these crumbling buildings, the Russian government stored the uranium from thousands of decommissioned nuclear weapons. It seemed like practically anyone could walk off with stuff for a bomb. Sewell and his colleagues wanted to get rid of this uranium. So they decided to try to persuade the Russians to sell their surplus to the U.S. After all, the stuff was just lying around. Initially, the Russians refused. “It was a matter of pride, principle and patriotism,” Sewell says. “Even though they didn’t need that excess material, [and] they didn’t have the money to protect it, they didn’t want to let go of it.” But in the end they did let go. For

Very proﬁtable. The Russians made around $17 billion. Sewell’s government ofﬁce was spun off into a private company — the United States Enrichment Corporation — and made money from the deal too. And the U.S. power plants got the uranium at a good price. But all good things must come to an end, says Matthew Bunn at Harvard University. “Russia is a totally different place today than it was twenty years ago,” Bunn says. “As the Russian government is fond of saying, they’re ‘no longer on their knees.’ “ Still Bunn says this deal will go down in history as one of the greatest diplomatic achievements ever. “I mean, think about it – 20,000 bombs’ worth of nuclear material, destroyed forever,” he says. “[Bombs that] will never threaten anybody ever again.” The last shipment arrives today at a US storage facility. It will be sold off to utilities in coming years. So when you turn on the lights, feel good. Your bulb may be powered by what was once a bomb. (National Public Radio)

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Pope overhauls Catholic image but real reforms await

ATICAN CITY - Pope Francis has turned around the way the Catholic Church is seen but his promise of Vatican reform awaits next year and key problems remain, observers said on Tuesday, as the pontiff celebrated his 77th birthday.

FRIDAY, December 20, 2013

US ‘regrets’ diplomat treatment as India seethes

After years of stagnation and turbulence, the ﬁrst ever Latin American pope has brought a down-to-earth style to the papacy and has shown a willingness to tackle issues like the Vatican’s secretive ﬁnances. Francis has also established himself as a global voice on the side of the dispossessed with his critique of unfettered capitalism -- earning the label of “Marxist” from conservative commentators in the United States.

Secretary of State John Kerry (Rt) tried to end the row in a telephone call to India’s national security advisor Shivshankar Menon.

In the Vatican’s own sluggish view of time, he has moved quickly in his ﬁrst months, installing a council of cardinals to advise him and calling for a less “Vatican-centric” Church with more power for bishops.

Continued from Page 1 this unfortunate public issue to hurt our close and vital relationship with India,” it said.

Pope Francis (Photo: Agência Brasil)

He has accumulated 10 million followers on Twitter under the @pontifex handle, nearing rock star popularity, and has been named “Person of the Year” by Time and the US gay rights magazine The Advocate.

The change of mood has been all the more remarkable given the strife in the Church before his election in March, including outrage over child sex abuse scandals and divisions between the Vatican and local churches.

Francis remains a moral conservative, although a compassionate one, who is virtually certain to stick to doctrine on hot-button issues like abortion and contraception, or priestly celibacy and women priests.

“He puts himself at the level of ordinary people without formalism and without barriers,” said Marco Politi, a Vatican expert and author of biographies of the two previous popes, John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

Those issues have hardly gone away, however. Analysts warn that progressives in the Church and its many critics who have hoped for a raft of reforms of Catholic teachings will be disappointed.

Even the pope’s widelypraised comment about gay people -- “Who am I to judge?” -- is seen as showing a new tolerance but is unlikely to alter the Church’s fundamental condemnation of homosexual acts as a sin. (AFP)

Edward Snowden reaches out to Brazil, hints at asylum request by Vincent Bevins IO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden has published a lengthy “open letter to the people of Brazil,” saying he has been inspired by the reaction around the world to his revelations, and lamenting that he can’t fully assist the South American nation’s investigations into spying without being granted permanent political asylum. “Until a country grants permanent political asylum, the U.S. government will continue to interfere with my ability to speak,” he wrote in the letter published by Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo. Snowden, who is living in Russia on a one-year visa, had previously sought asylum in Brazil, among other nations. In November, he wrote a letter that he gave to a German lawmaker, asking international help to persuade the

U.S. government to drop its espionage case against him. Although a senior NSA ofﬁcial suggested last week that the U.S. should consider cutting a deal with Snowden, the White House said Monday that the fugitive should return to the U.S. to face felony charges. In the most recent letter, Snowden makes reference to alleged spying on Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff and on state-run oil company Petrobras, as revealed by documents he took from NSA. Those revelations were published after Snowden took refuge in Russia and led to a falling-out between Rousseff and the Obama administration. In September, Rousseff canceled an ofﬁcial visit to Washington as a result of the reports, and Brazilian lawmakers have attempted to meet with Snowden. Some members of Brazil’s government have called for Snowden to be granted asylum. A spokesman for Brazil’s For-

eign Ministry, who declined to be identified, citing official policy, told The Times that the government had no official statement to make on Snowden’s letter, as it had not received any recent, formal request for asylum. He said that Brazil did receive an official request previously, but “decided not to consider it.” Asked if Brazil would consider a new request, he said, the government “cannot speak about hypothetical situations.” In his letter, Snowden said of his leaks: “I was motivated by a belief that the citizens of the world deserve to understand the system in which they live.” He added: “My greatest fear was that no one would listen to my warning. Never have I been so glad to have been so wrong. The reaction in certain countries has been particularly inspiring to me, and Brazil is certainly one of those.” Snowden said that in response to queries by Brazilian senators he has expressed willingness to

State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said it was “particularly important to Secretary Kerry that foreign diplomats serving in the United States are accorded respect and dignity just as we expect our own diplomats should receive overseas.” The White House also tried to quell the rift, with spokesman Jay Carney saying that “this isolated episode is not indicative of the close and mutually respectful ties that we share.” Khobragade was arrested on December 12 in New York for allegedly paying a domestic worker a fraction of the minimum wage and for lying about the employee’s salary in a visa application. She is free on bail. The fury in India grew Wednesday after an email from Khobragade in which the diplomat said she had been repeatedly stripped and cavitysearched by the US authorities after her detention. “I must admit that I broke down many times as the indignities of repeated handcufﬁng, stripping and cavity searches, swabbing, in a hold-up with common criminals and drug addicts were all being imposed upon me despite my incessant assertions of immunity,” she said in the email.

composure and remain dignified, thinking that I must represent all of my colleagues and my country with confidence and pride.” Outrage grows in India The revelation that a diplomat could be subjected to such treatment at the hands of the United States has caused huge offense in a country that sees itself as an emerging world power. In an address to parliament, Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid said it was his “duty to bring the lady back.” “We have to restore her dignity and I will do it at any cost,” he added. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh termed the diplomat’s arrest “deplorable” as newspapers hailed his government for a series of reprisal measures. “India takes on Uncle Sam,” read the front-page headline of The Hindustan Times, while the Mail Today splashed with “Bulldozer Diplomacy” on top of a picture of a digger dragging away concrete barricades outside the US embassy on Tuesday. US consular officials have also been told to return identity cards that speed up travel into and through India. Import clearances for duty free alcohol and other goods have been suspended.

Sherman spoke to Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh and voiced hope that Indian authorities “will continue to fulﬁll their host government obligations regarding the safety and security of our personnel and mission premises,” Harf said. With a general election just months away, the ruling Congress and the nationalist opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are both keen to be seen as standing up to the United States over the issue. Yashwant Sinha, a former BJP foreign minister, said Tuesday that India should now arrest the same-sex partners of US diplomats after a court ruling last week that upheld a colonial-era ban on homosexuality. Khobragade is alleged to have paid her worker just $3.31 an hour -- well below New York’s required $7.25 -- despite signing a contract to pay her three times that amount. The US Marshals Service conﬁrmed Tuesday that Khobragade had been strip-searched like all other prisoners after being arrested while dropping her two children off at school.

“I got the strength to regain

In a separate call, State Department number three Wendy

Harf said the State Department has not received any notice that India wanted to change Khobragade’s credentials to the UN mission. Such a move “would have to be approved by all appropriate authorities” at the UN and State Department, she said.

assist, “wherever appropriate and lawful,” Brazil’s “investigations of suspected crimes against Brazilian citizens.” Since Snowden’s identity was ﬁrst revealed in June, a number of reports have been published in Brazilian media, co-authored by American journalist Glenn Greenwald, who lives in Brazil. In addition to allegations of spy-

ing on Rousseff and Petrobras, they revealed alleged details of U.S. spying on Brazilian citizens. “Today, if you carry a cellphone in [Sao Paulo], the NSA can and does keep track of your location: They do this 5 billion times a day to people around the world,” Snowden wrote. “If a mother in Porto Alegre calls her

son to wish him luck on his university exam, NSA can keep that call log for ﬁve years or more.” Revelations about spying have also led Brazil to consider passing a controversial law that would require foreign companies such as Facebook and Google to keep their data on Brazilian soil, and thus subject to Brazilian rather than U.S. law.

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FRIDAY, December 20, 2013

Vol. 26

No. 51

Friday, December 20, 2013

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Jaya Misra’s resort line an ode to bohemian lifestyle

UMBAI - Designer Jaya Misra, who worked extensively with Bengal weavers, paid an ode to open minded, carefree and fun loving people with her resortwear collection at India Resortwear Fashion Week (IRFW) 2013. “The inspiration has been taken from bohemian lifestyle. In today’s lifestyle, ‘bohemian’ symbolises people, who live unconventional and artistic lives. So my collection is a tribute to all those open minded, carefree and fun loving people,” said Misra at the second day of IRFW here. The collection encapsulates a mix of kaftans, cover ups in ﬂares, layers and asymmetrical cuts in fabrics that range from chiffon to satin. “And clearly shows the conﬁdence of bohemians who enjoy their lives to the fullest and love their liberty. The pattern used for the collection links each design with other, but at the same time each design stands out differently,” said the designer. One of the highpoints of the design was the use of bright colours - from the shades of ink blue, mint green, fuchsia, to mint blue. According to the designer, “colours are the basic life line of a collection.” (IANS)

Highlighting the design elements in her garments, Jaya Misra said, “Interesting kimono and raglan sleeves added twist to the resort wear range”.

Just a fad or a healthy lifestyle? By Ridhu Bhatia

YDERABAD - Essentially people tend to describe a vegan as a non-dairy vegetarian. Ideologically, a vegan shuns all products that are derived from the labour of animals which include eggs, honey, leather, wool, fur, silk, soaps and cosmetics that contain animal products.

forced to breed cattle and livestock the way they have to now, to meet the demand.

seems like there is no source of protein but this is not true. The reason for the success of the

The ethics of consuming dairy products started being questioned by vegetarians as early as in 1909. In 1944, Donald Watson held a meeting of six like-minded people who believed in the cause and called themselves nondairy vegetarians. It was on that day that the term ‘vegan’ was coined.

Anuradha Sawhney, one of the most public voice for a vegan outlook in South Asia. (Photo courtesy of vegan-india.blogspot.com) In a society where a child is taught to have 2-3 glasses of milk a day, a vegan diet seems very unhealthy. It

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True vegans actually stand for something, and that is the welfare of the poor animals that are beaten, tortured or, worse yet, slaughtered to produce eggs and meat.

But there are some nutrients that vegans don’t get despite their healthy eating. It is of utmost importance, which is why vegans take their daily dose of multivitamins. Vitamin D, for instance, is not available in any vegan friendly fruit. It is recommended that vegans spend time in the sunlight to start producing some Vitamin D for themselves.

Cows are injected with chemicals and hormones so that they produce more milk than is natural for them to produce. Such practices are what veganism is essentially against.

The lifestyle as a whole stands for something beautiful — animal protection and shelter — but over the years it has somewhat lost its meaning.

Donald Watson is now considered the founder of the Vegan Society, the oldest and largest society of vegans in the world. The reasons that vegans give for choosing their difﬁcult lifestyle in an unsympathetic world are ﬁrst, to create a more humane and tolerant society to live in. They believe that if people stop consuming as many animal products as they use, industries will not be

items like lentils, tofu, chickpeas, potatoes, broccoli, kale. Dark leafy vegetables, such as spinach, provide vegans with iron, calcium and zinc, to name a few nutrients.

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As I said in the beginning, now one just thinks of a vegan as a fussy eater who will drink expensive soy milk rather than regular milk. I once overheard a person say, “Oh the friend who is coming over is a vegan, so I guess I should not put any butter in the chicken.” The above statement just proves how illiterate people are about veganism if they have not been born into it or are vegans by choice. Veganism is also being used as a diet to lose weight. This is not what it is all about.

Some pseudo-vegans today truly are what people think them to be — fussy eaters. The fad is such that vegans not only think they are above others by being more humane, but also feel that they have the right to convert others by holding conversations that are always about veganism. Today there are thousands of societies with their very own support groups for vegans. These societies are trying their best to educate the public and be there to guide new vegans in what to put in and on their bodies and also what to wear. These societies have their events and meetings quite regularly. This movement has become so powerful that now along with the ‘Jain option’ most restaurant also carry vegan options. There are vegan cookbooks availContinued on pg 18

Young Life

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Youth trumps experience and wealth in unlikely Aam Aadmi Party win by Betwa Sharma

EW DELHI - Of all the David-andGoliath battles the Aam Aadmi Party faced in the Delhi assembly elections last week, the one in Mangolpuri, a gritty district in northern part of the capital, was among the least likely to result in a win for the upstart party. The Aam Aadmi, or Common Man, Party, also known as A.A.P., put on the ballot Rakhi Birla, its youngest candidate at 26. The former television reporter not only had no political experience, her youth could have been considered a liability in a country where advanced age is associated with experience and wisdom in politics. Presently, 65 percent of Indians are below 35 years of age, but the majority of its ministers are over 65. Through her publicly funded party, she ran against millionaire politician Raj Kumar Chauhan, 56, who joined politics in 1976 and had won four consecutive elections since 1993 for the Indian National Congress, which also leads the governing coalition of the central government. Her victory of over 10,000 votes stunned many political observers. Arvind Kejriwal, the Aam Aadmi Party leader who defeated the three-term chief minister Sheila Dikshit of the Congress Party by over 20,000 votes, cited Ms. Birla’s win as a shining example of the spirit of their politics. “When the common man rises up, the thrones of a lot of powerful people will be rocked, some of those thrones have been broken today,” he said. Wearing a wide grin under her white Gandhi sidecap, Ms. Birla appeared both astonished and amused at the reactions to her win over Mr.

here is need to have a student exchange programme between India and Pakistan to cement the relations between the two countries, said Dr Mohd Azim, head of the Pakistani delegation that is taking part in the ongoing Science Conclave at the Indian Institute of Information technology in the city on Tuesday. An assistant professor in the Forman Christian College of Lahore, Dr Azim reiterated, “It will be very fruitful if the students of India visit our country and spend about 3 to 4 months pursuing science and other subjects and understand our people and culture. In the same way,

Born and raised in the lowincome neighborhood of Mangolpuri, Ms. Birla was at home on its noisy streets crammed with vehicles and vendors jostling in a swirl of smog, and she said she was ready to take on the challenges of governing and the political intrigues that accompany it. “All youngsters hate politics because they see it as a dirty thing,” she said. “I joined A.A.P. not for politics but because of the ideology of changing that dirty thing. But to clean the muck you have to get into it.”

Rakhi Birla, center, with her parents at her home in Mangolpuri, New Delhi. (Photo: Betwa Sharma) Chauhan, who also served as the minister for the Public Works Department. “I really don’t know why everyone is so shocked. Nobody really challenged him before,” she said in an interview earlier this week at her party’s sparse ofﬁce, where Aam Aadmi Party members, also wearing white Gandhi sidecaps, came and went. “All we did was tell the people that their one vote mattered, and if they used it well, it would secure the future of their children.” Ms. Birla continually dismissed any credit for her big victory. “People didn’t vote for me; they voted for the broom,” she said, referring to her party’s symbol, which signaled a sweeping away of corruption and the old order. The 1-year-old party exploded into national consciousness by bagging 28 out of 70 seats in the Delhi elections, after only a few months of rigorous campaigning pegged on promise of combating corruption. Though the Bharatiya Janta Party, or B.J.P., took 32 seats, it was the members of the ﬂedgling party who emerged

as heroes for challenging the two political heavyweights of the country. Now with the Aam Aadmi Party refusing an alliance with the B.J.P. for a coalition government, Delhi faces the possibility of another election within the next six months. “No problem, let’s do it again,” Ms. Birla said. “It’s part of our social movement so we’ll keep taking it forward.” Like some of those who voted for Mr. Kejriwal, Ms. Birla too had been moved by his decision to give up a cushy job as a government tax inspector to become an anti-corruption activist. “I was television journalist and that gives you glamor and fame, but I also realized that it wasn’t fulﬁlling,” she said. “I am a legislator today, but the message is that if a girl like me can do it, then anyone who wants to change should stand up.” Vowing big changes in the near future, Ms. Birla said that her priorities were improving sanitation in the slums of her constituency, and beeﬁng up women’s safety.

‘India, Pakistan should have student exchange plan’ by Ashraf Jamal

“If you ask an auto-wallah to go to Mangolpuri after 8 in the night, he won’t go,” she said. “It’s a matter of shame and sadness for all of us.”

students from Pakistan should come to India and broaden their knowledge in different fields and understand its culture. It will be very useful for both the countries.” He also appreciated the ongoing Science Conclave which is witnessing a conglomeration of great experts and best minds in the field science. The students have got the opportunity to listen to great Nobel laureates and seek inspiration from these great minds to unravel the mystery of science. Dr Azim also laid emphasis that “there is need for having heavy investment in the field of science and technology in both the countries so that fruits

of science can be taken to the people of both the countries”. He informed that there are also institutes of excellence in Pakistan which is making strides in the ﬁeld of science and technology. He emphasized that there is also need to organize science conclaves even in Pakistan. Dr Fareeha, also of Forman College in Pakistan, was excited to visit the country. “It is a great opportunity to be with great minds and listen to the Nobel laureates about how they made great discoveries in unraveling the mystery of science.” She exhorted the students to come forward and explore the vast vista of science. (TNN)

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One of her constituents, Poonam Rai, 19, who lives in a slum about five kilometers, or three miles, from the party’s office, said that she knew little of Ms. Birla, but it was her party’s message of change and battling corruption that appealed to her. Ms. Rai spoke agitatedly about the infrequent garbage collection, overflowing sewers and the daily problems that women faced because there was no toilet in the slum. “We have to go in a public place, and there are men passing cheap comments,” she said. “It is humiliating and embarrassing.” Local residents of Mangolpuri who voted for upstart party said that they were counting on its lawmakers to make good on its promise of cutting electricity and water bills of over 2,000 rupees, or $ 32, every month, which were too high for them. In the slum, loyalties were divided. Supporters of Mr. Chauhan said that he had responded to their demands over the years, especially by making water available in their homes. “I don’t believe that new party will be able to fulfill their grand promises,” said Bilkis, 30, a Congress supporter who goes by one name. “But let’s see how they behave before a re-election.” Ms. Birla’s parents said that they never tried to dissuade their daughter, the youngest of their four children, from stepping into politics. Her family had been engaged in social causes for generations, starting with her great-grandfather and then grandfather who joined the struggle for India’s independence. Ms. Birla’s father, Bhupendra Singh Birla, said he had been a party worker in the

FRIDAY, December 20, 2013

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Drop in US-bound students from Gujarat by Piyush Mishra

HMEDABAD - The US is one country which is on the wish list of every second Indian student, especially Gujaratis to pursue higher studies and later secure a job in the dreamland. The number of Indian students heading for the US saw a dip of 3.5% in academic year 2012-13 in comparison to previous year. Though experts believe that since the visa rules have become quite liberal for studying in the US, the numbers are expected to grow in the current academic year. According to Open Doors data from the Institute of International Education, India is the second leading place of origin for international students with 96,754 students in academic year 2012-13 with 56.4% students studying at the graduation level. On a visit to India as part of Education USA initiative, Ishrat Jahan from Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, US department of state, said that maximum Indian students had difficulties in managing finance when opting to study in the US. “We interact with students and Congress Party for 15 years before joining the movement led by social activist Anna Hazare in 2011 that called for the passage of an anticorruption bill, which would set up an independent body to prosecute political, judicial and government figures. The family also runs a trust to provide free eye treatment, operations and medicines. So, Ms. Birla said, getting involved in social causes “is in her genes.” In 2011, she reported on the anticorruption movement in which Mr. Kejriwal was a major force as well, and last year she covered the protests that erupted over the gang rape of a 23-year-old woman on a bus in Delhi a year ago. “She used to come home and cry a lot,” Sheila Birla, her mother, recalled. “She asked, What has happened to us; what we can do to fix this country? I think that experience really hit her.” She loved her job as a journalist, Ms. Birla said, but these two events made her realize that big changes could be made from the inside the system. And so when Mr. Hazare’s movement fizzled

guide them to the best feasible institute which can meet their financial requirements and simultaneously they can study their choice of subjects,” said Jahan who is a regional educational adviser for India and central Asia. In a shifting trend, there has been a drop in the number of students opting for admissions in B-schools. “As more and more students want to study science and engineering, requests for B-schools has gone down”, said Kamya Suri, centre chief, Indo American Education Society (IAES). According to Ishrat and IAES, admission to the US universities is competitive, but not a difficult process. “Admission process requires proper research, planning and time management from students,” added Suri. As per IAES, 170 students in AugustSeptember and 35 students in December got visa to study in the US. In a reverse trend, there has been a constant rise in number of the US students coming to study in India. “We encourage the US students to come and study in India as it offers some good opportunities”, added Jahan. (TNN) out and gave way to Mr. Kejriwal’s new party, she signed up. Her mother talked about how father and daughter had campaigned together in the myriad by-lanes and knocked on countless doors of Mangolpuri under the scorching sun and late into the night. “I am so proud of her. It is a miracle,” she said. While millions of Indian fathers would be thinking about getting their 26-year-old daughters married off by now, Mr. Birla said, “I am happy to give my daughter to the service of the country.” Laughing, Ms. Birla, chimed in, “Let’s save the country first and then get married.” Two days after the election results, the young legislator said that the first of the two big changes she had experienced was that her mobile phone would not stop ringing. And the second: “Till yesterday, I was putting my problems before others,” she said. “And now people are coming with their problems, and I am happy to have the ability to help them.” (NYT)

VOICE OF ASIA 15

FRIDAY, December 20, 2013

VOICE OF ASIA 16

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FRIDAY, December 20, 2013

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In Bollywoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mixed year, Hrithik Roshan announces separation from wife Sussanne â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Chennai Expressâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; shines Around 166 ďŹ lms released so far and the total collection of the year 2013 is already higher than last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rs.2,423 crore, but 2013 lags behind in number of blockbusters.

his year, the Rs.100crore ($16 million) club was overhauled and swamped, as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chennai Expressâ&#x20AC;? did super-fast record collection of Rs.216 crore (approximately $35 million) at the box ofďŹ ce. In what trade experts called a mixed year for Bollywood, the estimated turnover so far has been Rs.2,633 crore (approximately $424 million), and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dhoom 3â&#x20AC;? is expected to add to the gains.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had some of the biggest ďŹ lms like â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Krrish 3â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Chennai Expressâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and several other ďŹ lms that did exceptionally well. It has been a mixed year with a variety of ďŹ lms in different genres. We had almost all kinds of ďŹ lms,â&#x20AC;? said Nahta.

the year 2013 is better. A lot of unexpected ďŹ lms turned out well and did well. We were not expecting â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ram-Leelaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to hit Rs.100 crore, but it did. It came as a surprise.â&#x20AC;? This year, though small budget ďŹ lms didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do as good business as in 2012, the experts claim it was a decent year for small fries as well.

Ashish Saksena, chief operating ofďŹ cer, BIG Cinemas, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The year has been good, but 15 to 20 percent lesser Around compared to 166 ďŹ lms re2012. I will leased so far say it has been Chennai Express stars Shahrukh Khan and Deepika Padukone and the total a mixed year. had good reason to celebrate! collection As far as small of the year ďŹ lms are conThough the number of ďŹ lms 2013 is already higher than cerned, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Aashiqui 2â&#x20AC;&#x2122;, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ABCD last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rs.2,423 crore, but grossing Rs.100 crore was few, - AnyBody Can Danceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Spe2013 lags behind in number of they set a new record. cial 26â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Grand Mastiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; did blockbusters. Thadani said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Last year we wonderful business.â&#x20AC;? Last year, as many as nine had nine ďŹ lms crossing the Thadani too feels that in the ďŹ lms - â&#x20AC;&#x153;Agneepathâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;House- Rs.100 crore mark. We hardly small budget ďŹ lms segment, full 2â&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rowdy Rathoreâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ek have four or ďŹ ve ďŹ lms which the four ďŹ lms did â&#x20AC;&#x153;exceptionTha Tigerâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;BarďŹ !â&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jab Tak crossed into Rs.100 crore club ally wellâ&#x20AC;?. Hai Jaanâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Son Of Sardaarâ&#x20AC;?, this year, but it has managed to Sources said that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Aashiqui â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bol Bachchanâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dabangg compensate this with last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2â&#x20AC;? collected about Rs.79 crore, 2â&#x20AC;? - joined the Rs.100 crore collection.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;ABCDâ&#x20AC;? makers pocketed club. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chennai Expressâ&#x20AC;? collected Rs.36 crore, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kai Po Cheâ&#x20AC;? In comparison, only ďŹ ve ďŹ lms Rs.216 crore, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yeh Jawaani earned Rs.49 crore, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fukreyâ&#x20AC;? - â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewaniâ&#x20AC;?, Hai Deewaniâ&#x20AC;? Rs.185 crore, took home Rs.32 crore, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Speâ&#x20AC;&#x153;Chennai Expressâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bhaag â&#x20AC;&#x153;Krrish 3â&#x20AC;? close to Rs.200 cial 26â&#x20AC;? earned Rs.67 crore, Milkha Bhaagâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Krrish 3â&#x20AC;? and crore, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bhaag Milkha Bhaagâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chashme Buddoorâ&#x20AC;? grossed â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ram-Leelaâ&#x20AC;? managed to sur- Rs.109 crore and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ram-Leelaâ&#x20AC;? Rs.42 crore, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Madras Cafeâ&#x20AC;? pass the Rs.100 crore collec- Rs.110 croreâ&#x20AC;?, Thadani said Rs.40 crore and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Go Goa and pointed out that â&#x20AC;&#x153;we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Goneâ&#x20AC;? Rs. 25 crore. tion mark this year. have Rs.175 or Rs.200 crore Regardless of few bumper The much-awaited â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dhoom collection in 2012â&#x20AC;?. hits, Rajesh Thadani from Mul3â&#x20AC;? is coming out Dec 20 and Komal Nahta said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Total ďŹ ve timedia Combines deďŹ nes it as with Aamir Khan in the ďŹ lm as â&#x20AC;&#x153;a decentâ&#x20AC;? year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;2013 has been ďŹ lms have crossed the Rs.100- a grey character, it has raised a decent year. In fact, it was a crore mark and among them, the expectations of the people mixed year. There were a few two have even touched Rs.200 and the trade guru feels it will big ďŹ lms and a few average crore club, which is fantastic.â&#x20AC;? be a game changer. ďŹ lms that did well,â&#x20AC;? Thadani Manoj Desai, executive direcNahta said: â&#x20AC;&#x153; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Dhoom 3â&#x20AC;&#x2122; will told IANS. tor of G7 multiplex and Mara- certainly be a game changer. It Trade analyst Komal Nahta tha Mandir, says that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ram- will break all the records and is on the same page and feels Leelaâ&#x20AC;? was a surprise entry into set a new record. A lot of craze that the business has been â&#x20AC;&#x153;nice the Rs.100 crore bracket. and excitement is building up so farâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel compared to 2012, with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Dhoom 3â&#x20AC;&#x2122;.â&#x20AC;?

Wish to see theatre chain showing international films: Aamir Khan

ollywood heartthrob Aamir Khan, who attended the opening ceremony of the 11th Chennai International Film Festival (CIFF) Thursday, said that he wishes to see a chain of theatres in India which will screen ďŹ lms from across the globe. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I sometimes wish in India we had a chain of theatres which would throughout the year showcase ďŹ lms from different parts of the world. Even ďŹ lms from different parts of our country, ďŹ lms from different languages which we could all get to watch...â&#x20AC;? he told reporters here. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These ďŹ lms may not be released on a big scale but there

are so many wonderful ďŹ lms that deserve to be watched. I really miss the fact that India doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a dedicated chain of theatres which programs just for art-house ďŹ lms,â&#x20AC;? he added. Aamir said that these ďŹ lms do attract considerable audience. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There might not be large audience for these international ďŹ lms but I think there is signiďŹ cant audience and I hope with a chain like this even the audience will grow. I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because of these festivals we get to watch these wonderful ďŹ lms from all over,â&#x20AC;? he said. The 48-year old actor-ďŹ lmmaker, who is awaiting the release of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dhoom 3â&#x20AC;?, con-

gratulated everybody associated with the festival, which was also graced by southern superstar Kamal Haasan. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to congratulate all the volunteers who are part of this festival as well as the viewers. I would also like to wish all the ďŹ lmmakers who have travelled from other countries a pleasant stay in India and I wish their ďŹ lms are received well,â&#x20AC;? added Aamir. The opening ceremony was concluded by the screening of Japanese drama â&#x20AC;&#x153;Like Father, Like Sonâ&#x20AC;?. The festival, scheduled to go on till 19 December, will screen 163 ďŹ lms from 58 countries. (IANS)

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ollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan on Friday announced that he is separating from his wife Sussanne Roshan. The relationship that lasted for around 17 years has been in news for quite long for getting sour over personal differences. According to a statement issued by the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Krrishâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; actor said his wife Sussanne had decided to end the relationship. He further said that it was â&#x20AC;&#x153;a very trying time for the entire familyâ&#x20AC;?, requesting the media and others to grant them their privacy at the moment. Hrithik Roshan, who is in the US for a few tests regarding his severe headaches, said that he still believed in the institution of marriage. The actor assured his fans that his treatment was going ďŹ ne. Couple of years back, Hrithik and Suzanne made news for their harried marriage when Hrithik verged on his â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kitesâ&#x20AC;? performer Barbara Mori. Bothered Suzane went out and headed off to her guardians however later it was heard that Hrithik won her heart again and carried her home.

Hrithik Roshanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s full statement: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sussanne has decided to separate from me and end our 17 yr relationship. This is a very trying time for the entire family and I request the media and the people to grant us our privacy at this time. I do not wish this news to disempower my fans In fact, advance booking for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dhoom 3â&#x20AC;? will start Dec 18, said Desai and added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am very sure it will cross Rs.300 crore and will set a new record for 2014.â&#x20AC;? In a nutshell: - Around 166 ďŹ lms have hit the screens so far. - The estimated turnover of the industry so far has been Rs.2,633 crore. - â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chennai Expressâ&#x20AC;? led the race with a collection of Rs.216 crore. - As of now, ďŹ ve ďŹ lms have entered Bollywoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rs.100 crore club in 2013. - Unexpected ďŹ lms made it big. - Trade experts believe it has been a mixed year overall. - Small budget ďŹ lms did decent business, but not as much as last year. (IANS)

Sussanne and Hrithik during happier times. and the people about the institution of marriage in any way. I am a ďŹ rm believer in this institution and respect and honour it at the highest level... And Once again I thank my fans for all

the concern and prayers for my health, my treatment is going well and I should be able to resume my life in every way very soon. Thank you.â&#x20AC;? (Express News)

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VOICE OF ASIA 17

The Show Must Go On An Ode To Raj Kapoor

he “Original Showman” of Bollywood, Raj Kapoor or Raj Sahab would have turned eight nine on December 14, 2013 had he been alive. An actor, a writer, a producer and a director, Raj Kapoor was a man ahead of his times. Raj Kapoor was the eldest son, amongst the six children of Prithvi Raj Kapoor and Ramsarni Devi Kapoor.

in his first movie Inquilab at the age of eleven but his first job was that of a clapper boy in a Kedar Sharma film in 1942 where he was hired by Ranjit Movietone and was paid a sum of ten rupees a month. Bombay Talkies was his next stop. The money was much more – a hundred rupees a month, but Devika Rani, who ruled the studio was not at all impressed with him.

Raj Kapoor. But, as he always said that the SHOW MUST GO ON, he once again got up and gave a stupendous hit, the ﬁlm was Bobby (1973) and couple that became a rage was Dimple Kapadia and his own son Rishi Kapoor. Kapoor family is the oldest and probably the most respected families in Bollywood, with

FRIDAY, December 20, 2013

25 Greatest Global Living Indians: Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan among honorees

n December 14, 2013 superstar and legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan shared the stage with leading scientists, sportsmen, writers, musicians, social activists, as he was honored at the Rashtrapati Bhavan (Indian Presidential Residence) in Mumbai. Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Sachin Tendulkar are the few ones who made it in NDTV’s 25 Greatest Global Living Indians. Amitabh Bachchan was conferred the title amidst celebrations, by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee. The co-founder and executive co-chairperson, NDTV, Dr. Prannoy Roy opened the ceremony with a welcome speech. He said, “Am here tonight on behalf of everybody at NDTV to thank every single one of you, for your trust in us. To cap all our emotions today, the 25 Greatest Global Living Indians have all come here tonight, and just by accepting our invitation, they have given one of the most valuable thing – their trust.” An ecstatic Amitabh Bachchan took on to Twitter: “NDTV honours 25 Global Indians on it’s 25th anniversary. Honours to be done by the President of India! Yours truly is one of them.”

This month, Raj Kapoor would have turned 89 years old. To some, he was Hindi cinema’s most passionate champion; a dedicated ﬁlmmaker in love with the very process of ﬁlmmaking and to some he was a legend who smartly localized the Chaplin Hero, a die-hard romantic and a man with unmatched passion for the world cinema. It is said that Raj Kapoor ate, slept and dreamt cinema. He always broke the mould, went against the tide to make what he believed in and as they say the rest became history. In 1935 Raj Kapoor featured

At twenty one, Raj Kapoor produced, directed and acted in Aag. A modest success, he next made Barsaat, which straightaway put him into the bigger league. Teaming with Nargis, this film set the tone for the RK Films and then followed Awara, Shree 420, Chori Chori, Jagte Raho, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Prem Rog, Ram Teri Ganga Maili and many more. His most ambitious project was Mera Naam Joker, which not only took six years in the making, but even fell flat at the Box Office. This failure broke

generations working in the industry. Prithvi Raj Kapoor to Raj Kapoor to Rishi Kapoor to Kareena Kapoor to Ranbir Kapoor. Recently Time magazine included Raj Kapoor’s 1951 classic Awaara among the twenty new entries added to its alltime hundred list of the greatest films made since 1923. Raj Kapoor was this gusty filmmaker who bereaved all odds and made every film from his heart. We shall always miss you, Raj Kapoor Sahab…

Chasing the bandwallahs: USbased musician Jay Kreimer is in India to capture them on ﬁlm by Shikha Kumar

o baarat is complete without their peppy beats but the ubiquitous bandwallahs play on unsung with little recognition for their work. Shikha Kumar speaks to US-based musician Jay Kreimer, who is in India to capture them on ﬁlm. His Indian musical odyssey began in September, he remembers. Musician and researcher Jay Kreimer had visited Mumbai for a few days before making his way to Gujarat and happened to witness the cheerful frenzy of Ganeshotsav, including the street bands which combine the myriad sounds of so many instruments.

music was approved by Fulbright, he packed his bags for India again. It’s not easy to get hold of Kreimer, who has been in the country for two months now. When he’s not catching brass band musicians on tape, the 61-year-old is criss-crossing Gujarat, finding his next potential interviewee.

ers are next on his list. “India’s tradition of street bands goes back to when they would be used only for royal weddings. In fact, many of the bands I met have been doing this for generations, continuing a family tradition,” he says. Aside from interviewing musicians who played con-

There has been no looking back after that for the USbased musician who is documenting the work and lives of Indian brass bands, which provide the backdrop and colour to so many festivals and celebrations but are struggling for recognition. Kreimer’s bio is extensive — a musician, instrument maker, sculptor, composer and educator. A senior research fellow with Fulbright, he first came to India in 2009, accompanying his wife who was researching the ikat fabric. He stayed in Baroda for four months and was fascinated by street wedding bands, particularly their integration of folk and popular music. When his proposal to document their lives and their

“I was drawn to the brass bands because of their combination of sound and visuals. I like the kind of distortion the portable PA (public address) systems give the vocals and I love the way the singers use the echo boxes,” Kreimer tells dna over the phone as he rests near a fortress in Bhuj after a long day of trekking. He bought two echo boxes for himself. Music to the ears Kreimer has so far documented the young and the old of Gujarat’s street bands — children as young as four and five playing the dhol and youngsters who take it up only for the money. He’s spoken to treble and shehnai players, dholwallahs and saxophonists. Band leaders, vocalists, echo machine performers, synthesizers and even non-perform-

“I met Noor Mohammad, who plays the jodiya-pava, in Bhuj. It’s a reed instrument composed of two separate tubes and reed sets played simultaneously using circular breathing,” he says. Noor Mohammad has only two students to carry forward the legacy — his adult nephew and a Frenchman who comes to Bhuj every year to take lessons from him. While several happy stories emerged as Kreimer went about his interviews, he also discovered that there was another side to the story. In his experience, the better players are happy. One saxophone player said he felt peace when

Before the ceremony a summit was organized, where other Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Waheeda Rehman, Jaya Bachchan and AR Rahman were present. Shah Rukh Khan arrived a bit late to the summit, and blamed it all on Delhi trafﬁc. He then took on the stage, performed with Amitabh Bachchan and Waheeda Rehman.

Here is the full list of NDTV’s 25 Greatest Global Living Legends (alphabetically arranged): Amartya Sen, Amitabh Bachchan, Anish Kapoor, AR Rahman, CNR Rao, Ela Bhatt, Fali Sam Nariman, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Indra Nooyi, Kapil Dev, Leander Paes, MS Swaminathan, Mukesh Ambani, NR Narayana Murthy, Ratan Tata, Sachin Tendulkar, SS Badrinath, SH Raza, Shah Rukh Khan, Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Vikram Seth, Waheeda Rehman, Yusuf Hamied and Zubin Mehta.

Mr. Bachchan felt very humbled on receiving this honour, and mentioned that there are others who are far more deserving than him. He concluded saying, “The greatness

Zee Tamizh is a general entertainment channel that offers a variety of unique programs targeting the Tamil-Canadian audience. Rogers Cable subscribers who enjoy Zee’s top programming can now watch their favorite shows in Tamil throughout the day. Canada has a very large Tamil population, and Zee Tamizh will be of a lot of interest to this vibrant community, who have a very large presence in the Rogers footprint. “The Tamil segment is one of the fastest growing South Asian language groups in GTA. It was an obvious step for us to be part of that movement. With a

Raising awareness ventional instruments, his travels led him to interesting discoveries like the jodiyapava, a traditional musical instrument that is today almost unheard of.

is not in an individual, but the people who think about him/ her in that light.”

for more relevant South Asian programming.”

EE Americas, the #1 South Asian Entertainment Network, in partnership with Ethnic Channels group, the largest distributor of ethnic services in Canada, launched Zee Tamizh on Rogers Cable. The addition of ZEE Tamizh makes a total of 10 ZEE channels currently distributed in Canada.

Such stories, however, are few and far between. “The band people, who can barely play their instruments or don’t play at all, and are used to fill out the ranks of the bands, seem to be the source of the sense of unhappiness in the bands. I’ve seen them getting ridiculed by other band members and even people on the street. It must be a difficult job, and a hard role to perform with dignity,” says Kreimer. Jay Kreimer with a band musician

Indians, that brought glory to the nations. It being 25 years of the existence of NDTV.”

Zee Tamizh launches on Rogers

he played. Another musician started out playing the snare drum with a band in Baroda and is a professional percussionist in Mumbai today.

The strains of the music followed him to Gujarat. And Kreimer was struck. “I saw a great percussion band in the street, along with a crowd of red-dusted dancers. In Baroda, I went for the final immersion ceremony at the Sursagar Lake and saw thousands of people and some great street bands, including two that used the Indian banjo, one of my favorite instruments. We were literally pulled into the dancing,” he says with a laugh.

Post the event, Mr. Bachchan wrote: “A commemoration by the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan of 25

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee himself conferred the title on Amitabh Bachchan.

The cacophony of trumpets, clarinets, drums and cymbals are an inevitable part of any baarat but there’s no hiding the fact that band musicians are a neglected lot. There is hardly any material that documents their lives and little recognition for their music. Kreimer hopes to change all that with his documentary. “When I discovered how

Viewers can subscribe to Zee Tamizh on Rogers Cable Channel 622. Ethnic Channels Group (ECG) is a Canadian based television broadcasting, distribution and communications company, specializing in multicultural television channels for the North American market.

separate ZEE pack on Rogers, we will expect excellent results from the Canada market“- Said Sameer Targe, General Manager of ZEE Americas Hari Srinivas, President of Ethnic Channels Group added, “We are very thrilled to partner with Rogers Cable on the launch of Zee Tamizh. The Zee Network provides unmatched entertainment, and Zee Tamizh will assist Rogers to grow their subscriber base by capturing new clients, who are looking

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little documentation existed, it became a clear opportunity to jump in and do some work that I hope others will continue. I’m approaching this as a working artist with a reasonable understanding of scholarly methods.”

Brass Band for almost 10 years now. I’m continuing a tradition and my family has been in this business for the past 50 years. We’ve established a name for ourselves and we extend our services to places like Goa, Ahmedabad and Surat.

Kreimer hopes to finish his documentary by May next year. His experiences with band musicians have been humbling. He is impressed by their generosity and their willingness to establish a connection. He already has plans to showcase the documentary at the University of Nebraska.

“There are 40 members in my band and during wedding season, we’re completely booked every day. However, Mumbai is not a very band-friendly place. I believe we don’t get any izzat (respect) from the people here. The love and the gratitude we are shown in small towns is so much more. In fact, not just the public, but we also face problems from the police here. As soon as they spot us, they try to extract money from us.

“I’ve seen a real range of quality, excellent musicians and the vitality of the street life here is a huge contrast to the rest of the world. This documentary is my labour of love.” ‘There is no fun in a wedding without a Brass band’ Vinod Shivsagar is the 28year-old owner of New Brass Band, a street band service in Mumbai. Here is his story... “I’ve been managing the New

“The wedding band scene has really changed a lot in the past decade. There are more agents now and fewer owners of bands. I don’t know what will happen to brass bands in the future but I know one thing: band ke bina shaadi mein kuch mazaa nahi hai (There is no fun in a wedding without a brass band).” (DNA)

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HEALTHY LIVING HEALTH

VOICE OF ASIA 18

Friday, December 20, 2013

Section 2

FRIDAY, December 20, 2013

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Exercise in middle Teaching kids to cook helps promote age strengthens healthy living... muscle A new study has suggested that regular exercise in middle age is a protective factor against sarcopenia and effective in maintaining muscle strength and physical performance. Sarcopenia is a disease associated with the ageing process, resulting in loss of skeletal muscle mass and muscle strength and function in the elderly. The multiple adverse health outcomes include physical disability, poor quality of life and premature death.

Illustration by Ericka Mulherin

eaching kids to cook increases the chances that they will eat a healthy diet. It’s also a life skill they need for adulthood. Some nutritional experts offer tips on cooking lessons for the kids:

The cross-sectional study by investigators from Tokyo University assessed the prevalence of sarcopenia and its association with physical performance in 1000 elderly Japanese participants in the Research on Osteoarthritis or Osteoporosis Against Disability (ROAD) Study. Handgrip strength, gait speed, and skeletal muscle mass were measured and other information collected, including exercise habits in middle age. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 13.8 percent in men and 12.4 percent in women, and tended to be significantly higher with increasing age in both sexes. Analysis showed that exercise habit in middle age was associated with low prevalence of sarcopenia in older age and was significantly associated with grip strength, gait speed, and one-leg standing time after adjusting for age, sex and BMI. The study was presented at the IOF Regionals 4th AsiaPacific Osteoporosis Meeting, being held in Hong Kong. (ANI)

Be age appropriate: Tailor the task to your child’s age and skill level. Under-ﬁves can hull strawberries, roll meat balls, add toppings to a homemade pizza. Children who a little older can crack eggs, measure ingredients and stir ingredients in a batter. Follow the recipe: Once children are able, have them read

recipes out loud. It helps them learn to follow cooking instructions. It’s also an opportunity to explain measurements and cooking terms. Make a plan: As young chefs build their skills, involve them in meal planning. If they are ready, let them prepare simple dishes on their own, with supervision. Teen talk: At this point it’s important to expand skills beyond food preparation into grocery purchasing. Get them to help draw up grocery lists. (Canadian press)

...And a healthy lunchbox too

amie Oliver has fought to improve school lunches in his native Britain, and he follows his own advice when

he’s making “pack lunches” for his daughters. Steal some tips from the father of three: Poppy Honey, 7, Daisy Boo, 6, and Petal Blossom Rainbow, 4 months. Make lunch interesting with a salad bag: Take a plastic bag, decorate it with stickers and ﬁll with veggies. Teach the kids to add the dressing to the bag, then shake it over their heads to toss the salad — they can mix it right at the table!

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Include one fruit juice box, not from concentrate. Freeze it to make a “lunch-box fridge” to keep food safe while it sits in the coatroom — by lunch, the drink is like a slushy. The worst thing at lunch is a soggy sandwich. Try this trick: Spread butter edge to edge to “waterproof” the bread before adding the meat and ﬁllings. Use funny cutters to shape the sandwiches. And leave it to Ellie Krieger, host of Healthy Appetite, to make sure every color on the fruit-and-veggie spectrum ends up in her daughter’s lunch. The recipe name, Rainbows and Butterflies Pasta Salad, comes from the multicolored vegetables and, of course, butterfly-shaped pasta. Bella, who turns 7 in September, likes trying to get every color into each bite, Ellie says. “Drop in a blueberry yogurt for the color.” (Food Network)

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physical exam for people who are new to the Medicare program. This exam is available only once during the first 12 months of enro l l m e n t into the For PeoReview and Medicare ple with Medicare Enroll in Right program. You canMedicare get now pays Plan Today. Call not for an an- 713-771-2900 for both the Welcome nual wellguidance. Last to Mediness visit exam and a perAnnual Review care and the sonalized Chance annual prevenwellness tion plan. visit during the first year you You will be able to are enrolled. After that work with your doctor first year, you should to create a personal- take advantage of the ized prevention plan to annual wellness visit. keep you as healthy as Preventive Screenings possible. The wellness All plans offered in the visit may include the Health Insurance Marfollowing: ketplace must provide • An assessment of your important preventive services at no additional health risks cost to you. Screenings • Your updated medical are available for blood history pressure, cholesterol, • A list of your current colorectal cancer and diabetes. Many immuhealth care providers nization vaccines are • A list of your current also available through prescription and over these plans. the counter medications • Your height, weight, Medicare also covers and blood pressure vaccines and screenings to prevent and measurements detect health problems • A screening schedule sooner. If you have for appropriate pre- Medicare you can now ventive services for get preventive screenyou to follow over the ings to detect high cholesterol and diabetes. next five to ten years • A list of your health Cancer screenings inrisk factors along with clude mammograms to indicate breast cancer treatment options and colonoscopies to check for colon canMedicare continues to cer. These preventive cover a one-time free screenings are at no adWelcome to Medicare ditional cost to you.

Vegan Continued from pg 13 able that have countless recipes — all without any dairy in them. Some of us may understand the point of it all and some won’t, but the fact that there

are so many vegans all over the world and more and more join the movement every day makes one believe that humanity exists. The fanaticism that surrounds vegans is a little putting off but hope still exists that veganism goes back to its roots and once again becomes more than just a diet.

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TECH & SCIENCE

VOICE OF ASIA 19

Supercomputer that can single-handedly process 137 million messages a second by Kounteya Sinha

ONDON - It can single handedly do what a few thousand desktop computers together can-process over 137 million messages a second.

It is, however, the most efficient air-cooled supercomputer in the world today (the first-placed machine used an oil-cooled system instead), making it the greenest machine of its kind. Designed and built by the in-house engineering

in supercomputing today and our new system makes an important step forward in this regard.” One of the primary uses of Wilkes is as a test bed for the development of a computing platform for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).

FRIDAY, December 20, 2013

China’s Space Ambitions

hina’s first lunar probe touched down over the weekend and deployed an endearingly named rover, Jade Rabbit. Congratulations are in order for this space success, all the more so because it was a peaceful exploration mission. The U.S. and Soviet Union first conducted these moon probe landings as long ago as the 1960s, but mankind in general should benefit from more such risk-taking.

In military parlance, that is known as “anti-access/area denial” capacity. China’s leaders realized the importance of satellites after a military standoff near its coast in March 1996. Then U.S. President Bill Clinton ordered two aircraft carrier battle groups near the Taiwan Strait in a show of support for the island’s de facto independence. The People’s Liberation Army lacked the capacity to ﬁnd the carriers or the weapons

This is a huge, international effort to build the world’s largest telescope. By detecting radio waves with unprecedented sensitivity and fidelity, the facility has the potential to answer some essential questions about the Universe, such as what the nature of dark energy is, and perhaps the most fundamental question of all - are we alone? Cambridge is leading the deBeing energy-efﬁcient as well as just powerful is the big challenge sign of the computational platin supercomputing, the university said. form within the SKA, which is by far the world’s most ambiAnd what’s best, it is highly team within the Cambridge tious IT project. Wilkes will eco-friendly even though it High Performance Comput- play an integral role in this has a massive 100 gigabytes ing Service, Wilkes’ energy design process. per-second bandwidth which efficiency is 3,361 Mega-flops Maurice Wilkes was the man will help scientists test jet per watt. behind EDSAC, the first proengines, design new drugs to “Flops” (floating point oper- grammable computer to come fight cancer and examine the ations per second) are a stan- into general use. Built in 1946, fundamental nature of the nu- dard measure of computing it put Cambridge at the forecleus of the atom. front of the digital revolution. performance. Meet Wilkes - the super energy-efficient high-performance computer, with a capacity equivalent to 4,000 desktop machines running at once.

One of the world’s greenest supercomputers has just been unveiled by the High Performance Computing Service at the University of Cambridge. Named “Wilkes”, after the Cambridge pioneer Maurice Wilkes, who built one of the first ever programmable computers in 1949, the new system with a design to support the world’s largest telescope has been rated second in the “Green 500” - a ranking of the most efficient supercomputers worldwide.

Dr Paul Calleja, director of the Cambridge High Performance Computing Service said “Energy-efficiency is the biggest single challenge

More than six decades later, this latest supercomputer, bearing Wilkes’ name, is destined to write the next chapter in that ongoing story. (TNN)

A peaceful lunar probe is a welcome change from its military pursuits. The mission is also welcome because it contrasts with what has been Beijing’s rush to use space as a military battleﬁeld. China has launched a ﬂeet of surveillance satellites and developed the ability to destroy the satellites of other nations. It is developing these capabilities as an integral part of its strategy to keep U.S. forces from aiding allies in the East and South China Seas.

Health watchdog cracks down on antibacterial soaps

he US health regulator has warned that antibacterial chemicals in soaps and body washes may pose health risks.

It proposed a rule requiring manufacturers to prove such soaps are safe and more effective against infection than plain soap and water.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) called for a safety review of such products.

Recent studies indicate an ingredient in such products could scramble hormone levels and

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to target them. Beijing accelerated its military modernization program, relying in large part on technology stolen from the U.S. and bought from Russia, and this effort began to bear fruit in the mid-2000s. For satellites, 2010 was a pivotal year as China more than doubled its launch rate and equalled the U.S. in the number of military satelrisks associated with longterm, daily use of antibacterial soaps may outweigh the beneﬁts,” Colleen Rogers, an FDA microbiologist, wrote in a statement on Monday.

boost drug-proof bacteria. Manufacturers have until the end of 2014 to submit the results of clinical trials on their products, the FDA said. The new regulations would be ﬁnalised in 2016. ”New data suggest that the

Certain ingredients in such products - such as triclosan in liquid soaps and triclocarban in bar soaps - may contribute to bacterial resistance to antibiotics, the agency added. Such products may also have “unanticipated hormonal ef-

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lites put into orbit, the first nation to have done so. While the quality of those satellites is not as high as America’s, they are believed to be capable of locating an aircraft carrier. Beijing has also used its space capabilities to develop a carrier-killer: the antiship ballistic missile. The U.S. acknowledged three years ago that this weapon is operational, if not fully deployed. This is part of a layered defense that increases the risks for U.S. carriers policing the Western Pacific sea lanes. Space is the perfect environment for asymmetric warfare, which is central to Beijing’s military strategy. With a relatively modest investment, China has developed the capacity to destroy expensive satellites that the U.S. military relies on for its own targeting as well as command and control. In 2007, China successfully tested an interceptor on one of its weather satellites. Three years later, it maneuvered one satellite close to another, and in July this year it launched three more maneuverable satellites that could be used to destroy enemy surveillance or communications. The Jade Rabbit is a reminder that China is pushing aggressively into space, and it would help the world if its leaders saw this as mainly a science frontier. But with so much of America’s technology dependent on satellites, Washington will have to pay close attention to China’s military ambitions too. (WSJ) fects that are of concern”, according to the statement. Recent studies of such chemicals on animals have shown they may alter hormones, the FDA said, but such results have not yet been proven in humans. “Because so many consumers use them, FDA believes that there should be clearly demonstrated beneﬁts to balance any potential risks,” the statement added. (BBC News)

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FEATURE

VOICE OF ASIA 21

Turkish Airlines Opens their Houston Ofﬁce

GALA DINNER CROWD: The crowd gathered at the Turkish gala dinner event held at the Hilton Houston Post Oak on December 12, 2013. Photos by Jacob David torical tour for all transit passengers who stay at the airport above 6 hours – 1 day. Speaking at the occasion, Genaro Pena, International Investment & Trade at Greater Houston Partnership said that Houston and Istanbul are sister cities. Over 350 companies in Houston do trade with Turkey and an annual estimated $3 Billion in trade is conducted between them. Turkish Airlines’ expansion helps open up more job opportunities and connect our citizens to become a vibrant part of this world. He thanked the Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who was in most ways

Agarwal Continued from pg 20

In fact, Agarwal, along with L&T Chairman AM Naik, last month met Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to urge him to decide quickly on the proposal. “The chief minister said such a proposal is under consideration and a decision will soon be taken,” Agarwal told reporters after the meeting in Bhubaneswar. A source in the state government told Business Standard that all the legal angles have been studied and a decision will be taken soon. A somewhat similar problem had arisen at Sesa Sterlite’s copper factory at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu. The unit, which

lines ﬂies 40 million people to 250 cities annually. It has the youngest ﬂeet with 230 aircraft. It connects 1440 airports across the world. It is ranked as one of the top 10 airlines in the world. It has been awarded the Best Airline of Europe 2012 by the World Airline Awards held at Farnborough Air Show.

Notable Facts: Turkish Air-

The gala dinner event concluded with an award ceremony. Trans Ocean got the Star Partner award. KBR got the Corporate Partner award. Virtuoso got the 2013 Star Performer for Turkish Airlines. USA Gateway Travel got the award for largest Air ticket consolidators. Sky Bird Travel and Tours, Carlson Wagon Lit, Grifﬁn Americas, EFES International and Horizon Travel were awarded for being top Star Performers. The Top 5 Best Airlines in Europe are: Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss International Airlines, Aegean Airlines and British Airways. For more details visit: www. turkishairlines.com

meets 45 per cent of the country’s demand for copper, had to down its shutters earlier this year after the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board alleged that its emission were beyond the permitted levels. Some residents of the port city had complained they had experienced discomfort while breathing and irritation in the eye. The company denied the allegations and said it had invested Rs 500 crore to install anti-pollution devices. The matter went to the National Green Tribunal. It constituted a two-member expert committee to study the matter, and, based on its report, gave a clean chit to the factory. It reopened but after a shutdown of 85 days, which, the company claimed, caused it a revenue loss of Rs 4,000 crore.

But that’s not the last one has heard on the matter: the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has challenged the order in the Supreme Court. Agarwal also had to bear the brunt of the Supreme Court’s decision to stop all shipments of iron ore from Karnataka and Goa over allegations of illegal mining. This hit Agarwal hard - Sesa Sterlite was the biggest miner in the two states. According to the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries, following the ban, iron ore exports declined drastically by around 70 per cent to 18 million tonnes by the end of 2012-13. India, which was the third-largest iron ore exporter in the world, is expected to become a net importer of iron ore in 2013-14. (Business Standard)

largely responsible for the advancement of its economy and growth of the airline. He also thanked the President and CEO of the airline for picking Houston as the right city for inaugurating their ﬂight. Greater Houston Partnership couldn’t be more excited for Turkish Airlines he said because we represent over 2000 businesses who are at the epicenter of global businesses. Over 3000 Houston based companies have locations in 140 nations. All these companies will have a healthy chance to advance their business in Turkey in the coming years.” he added.

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Your Horoscope (For week beginning Friday, December 20, 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 An emotional meltdown, either yours or someone else’s, close to you. Use any stress reduction techniques you can, to help keep your cool. Take a break from what you’ve been doing, and check in with your partner before going any further. Language & communication are tools you can use with great skill and power. If others aren’t prepared to give you what you deserve, reach out and take it for yourself. Celebrate your genius, even if you have to do it alone. Find and maintain your natural rhythm.

Taurus (B,V,U) 21 April to 20 May Use your powers of persuasion to inﬂuence other’s ideas. Don’t be shy about expressing your opinions. Value the things that you have to offer to important public projects. Go full steam ahead with important projects, especially those that may lie at a distance from your present locale. There may be something you need to prove to yourself. Any work that you do now will be touched by your sincerity.

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 June Awakening of your spiritual ties. Your psychic energy will be very strong. Predictions can inﬂuence your current reality without really overriding it. You may think that you need to keep peace, at any price. Be willing to walk away from events that require any physical force. Lead the way by simply doing what you do best. Your ultimate stroke of charm is your ability to laugh at yourself.

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July Business, romance, and playful games, All of which should prove to be deeply satisfying experiences. Nothing can stand between you and what you want. You have an exciting chance to express a more compassionate, caring and nurturing part of yourself. You words will be well heeded. Romance may sweep you off your feet, and you may feel loved and cared for. Emotional highs are certainly welcome.

Leo (M) 23 July to 22 August Trust your gut instincts & be aware of your own power and effectiveness. Some situations in your personal life may be trying, to say the least. Try not to let them to make you feel down. speak to someone impartial & get their perspective. Don’t allow expectations of family members to apply undue pressure on you. If you lose your focus, you could get careless. You will be effective in projects that you are able to promote on an international level.

Virgo (P) 23 August to 22 September Tread lightly on weakened personal & professional relationships. People at a distance may hurt your pride. Some may disapprove with your tactics, and will clearly let you know, how they feel. Don’t try to take on everybody by yourself. Group projects may require the use of kid gloves. Emotions & feelings will interfere with your ability to bring people closer together. You need to take a closer look in the mirror & face your own personal challenges.

Libra (R,T) 23 Sept to 22 Oct Keep up with everyone else’s expectations. You may need to curb some activities so you don’t spread yourself too thin. Don’t get lazy at the wrong moment. Encourage your partners to go forward with exciting and challenging plans. Your home may be a haven that enables you to express the best of your ideas and intellect. Set high goals and know that you’ll hit the bull’s-eye. Do something special for yourself. If others are involved, so much the better, but you don’t really need others to enjoy yourself.

Scorpio (N,Y)23 Oct to 21 Nov

Attorney and Counselor at Law

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FRIDAY, December 20, 2013

Conserve your energy for important tasks to structure new public and career projects. Investments and gambles may not pay off. If you’ve recently been disappointed in romance, felt abandoned, you may act in a way that you’ll regret later. Organizational discussions may not go well, either. You may be tempted to say some things you’ll wish you hadn’t. Be objective and try to understand how others might react to your actions.

Sagittarius (BH,F,DH,TH) 22 Nov to 21 Dec Tremendous opportunities at a distance, that had been almost overlooked. Traveling to distant shores may provide a particular kind of emotional security, but you may need to wait for a better time to travel. Communicate your plans & get started on your future agenda. This way, you’ll be able to put additional points in the bank and that will provide you with bigger dividends later on. Your creative ﬁre will blaze brightly.

Capricorn (KH,J) 22 Dec to 20 Jan Attain perfection, or your version of perfection. Just when you think you have the ability to control your own destiny, things will start to erode slightly. Prepare to deal with the consequences of getting involved in someone else’s personal problems. You may be driven you to take chances that you normally wouldn’t even consider, otherwise. Let your basic grasp of cause and effect be your guiding light, for the moment.

Aquarius (G,S,SH) 21 Jan to 19 Feb Keep yourself grounded & realistic. Don’t sell yourself short. You are in the company of people who think the world of you. You’ll regain a measure of control over your life by being more conﬁdent in who you are. Your behavior will be understood by those who know you and love you. Seek their help to get yourself back on track. Accepting help doesn’t mean that you’re doing a bad job on your own, everyone can always stand a little improvement in their methods.

Pisces (D,CH,Z) 20 Feb to 20 March Gambles of life, In your case, they are not really gambles but intuitive insights. Your careful research and caution make falling in love, dealing with children, or expressing a talent, secure areas of your life. Ideal ﬁnancial conditions could seem elusive, right now. You may think that someone who should want to cooperate has undermined your position with a public event. Let others take the glory, if that is the issue. You may have other papad to fry and can go on to other projects with ease once you’re really willing to let go the present.

Read your detailed horoscope on www.VoiceofAsiaOnline.com

COMMUNITY EVENTS

VOICE OF ASIA 22

FRIDAY, December 20, 2013

RELIGIOUS INSTITUTES & ORGANIZATIONS OF HOUSTON - call Voice of Asia 713-774-5140 Shri Radha Krishna Temple

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

Prog: Location:11625 Beechnut, Houston, TX 77072 Phone: 281-933-8100 Website: www.SRKT.org.

Shiridi Sai Durga Shiva Venkateswara Temple (Katy) Prog: Contact: 713-933-8821/ Udayakumar Gullapalli E-mail: gullapalliu@yahoo.com Website: www.sdsvt.org

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: https://sites.google.com/ site/avbtexas/classes

Arsha Vidya Satsanga Prog: Website: www.avshouston.org Contact: 713-412-2923 / Email: ArshaVidyaHou@gmail.com

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;

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

Sri Meenakshi Temple

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: Sat. Dec. 7 - Ayyappa Mandala Pooja. Asstabhishekam 10am, followed by Annadhanam 12pm-2:30pm. Location: 17130 McLean Road Pearland, TX 77584 Contact: (281) 489-0358 Web: www.meenakshi.org

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:

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Baitus Samee Mosque

Shri Satyanarayan Sai Puja Darshan

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

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

Dr.Ambedkar International Mission Inc. U.S.A

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

Prog: Location: India House 8888 West Bellfort Avenue Houston, Texas 77031

Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple

Hare Krishna Dham (ISKCON) 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

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

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.

Divinity Website: www.godivinity.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: 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 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.gayatripariwarhouston.org/ “

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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:

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Prog: Sundays worship 4:30 pm. Location: All Saints Lutheran Church 1211 West Belfort Avenue, Stafford, TX Contact: 281-686-4135 / Email: pastorvj@linchouston.org

Trinity Mar Thoma Church Prog: Sundays Malyalam service at 9:45 a.m. Every alternate weeks in English at 10:30a.m. Sunday School at 9:15 a.m. Location: 5810 Almeda Genoa Road. Contact: 713-9771-1557/ 281261-4603.

Rekindle The Fire Ministries Prog: Houston Revival Meetings Every second Saturday of the Month. Location: New Song Christian Community Church near 59S and Wilcrest. Every fourth Saturday of the month join a lively youth revival meeting. Website:www.rekindlethefire.org

Indian Catholics of Houston Prog: Location: Claridge Drive Houston, TX 77031 Contact:: (713) 995-6811

Brahma Kumaris Meditation Center

Islamic Society of Greater Houston

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

Location: Eastside Drive Houston, TX 77098 Contact: (713) 524-6615

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, 281-317-7331 Website:bethesdahoustontamilc hurch.org

GHNSS Nair Service Society of Greater Houston Prog. Monthly “Karayogam” every fourth Sat. 6:00 PM. Tel: 281-261-4950/ 281-7788341

Datta Yoga Center Houston Prog: Satsang on alternate Saturdays 5:30pm to 8:00pm. Free Kriya Yoga classes. Contact:713-854-7097 or 281205-0905 Website: dychouston.org

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VOICE OF ASIA 23

FRIDAY, December 20, 2013

Have you been ABUSED, ATTACKED or INJURED?

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We are a leading Healthcare provider of integrated supply chain execution software solutions with a focus on the markets of automatic identification and data collection (AIDC), radio frequency identification (RFID), and enterprise mobility. We offer best in class Benefits and Work Environment. Essential Job Functions • Provide thought leadership, solution architecture, and design for hospital supply chain. • Develop assessment methodology to ensure smooth performance of the assessments. • Perform site assessments of multiple medical facilities to collect the POU (Point Of Use) information necessary for successful implementation, required integration and training. • At the conclusion of each site assessment, report findings as prescribed in the project schedule, knowledge of POU products, not limited to Carefusion/Pyxis, Omnicell, Wavemark, Stanley, and Par Excellence. • Ensures that the proposed POU supply chain solution is documented with up-to-date information that accurately reflects the latest functionality and technology. • Ability to survey current POU equipment installed and make a determination if that equipment would be able to sustain a world class supply chain solution. • Work with process teams, key stakeholders, leadership and 3rd party deployment partners to define processes and application requirements. • Work with process teams, key stakeholders and deployment partners to define best practices, processes, and IT solutions to achieve a best in class capabilities. • Ensures proper configuration, testing, and deployment management of the supply chain solution and related integration areas. • Attends in-service presentations, and complete mandatory education week including, but not limited to, infection control, patient safety, quality improvements, MSDS and OSHA Standards. • Serve as the key application expert in the POU supply chain area. Requirements • Minimum 5 years’ experience on Large Hospital Supply Chain projects a major portion of which is on POU Systems. • College or university degree equivalent, preferably in Supply Chain, Logistics Management and Healthcare Administration • Multitasking, excellent proposal and report writing skills, presentation skills. • Six Sigma and Lean. • In-depth knowledge of Hospital Operations. • Extensive travel required across the country to Assessment Sites. • PC skills - demonstrates proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and others as required Other Skills/Abilities APICS CPIM or CSPC National Certification desired Customer orientation - establishes and maintains long-term customer relationships, building trust and respect by consistently meeting and exceeding expectations

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NEWS REPORTER KTRK-TV, the ABC Owned Television station located in Houston, TX, has an excellent career opportunity for a full time News Reporter. Candidates should have experience in general assignment reporting on multiple platforms, including social media and web, including Live ENG and satellite work. Applicants must be able to develop contacts, enterprise good, hard news stories, and respond well to breaking and spot news. Candidates must have outstanding writing skills and the ability to make good use of graphics and production equipment. Must be willing to work evenings and weekends. All interested applicants must apply on-line at www.disneycareers.com by uploading a resume ﬁle, cover letter and list of references. Interested applicants should also send video tape samples of your news related work to: Human Resources, KTRK-TV, 3310 Bissonnet, Houston, TX 77005. Please Reference Job ID: 154693BR on all materials submitted. No phone calls please, and no third parties. Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V/D.

Editor/ Photographer KTRK-TV, the ABC/Disney owned station located in Houston, TX has an immediate opening for a Full Time Programming Department Editor/Photographer who can do it all. (Edit, shoot, produce) Responsibilities will include working on a variety of innovative station programming and sales/marketing projects both long and short form, including spot production. Qualified candidates must be detail-oriented with a highly creative knack for compelling storytelling through sound and pictures. Minimum of 3 years broadcast television experience required. Must have a valid driver’s license and be flexible to working any shift assigned. All interested candidates should send a video sample of your best work to be considered. Candidates must apply on-line at www.disneycareers.com by uploading a resume file. Please Reference Job ID: 155744BR on all materials submitted. Send non-returnable DVD or VHS resume tape to the attention of Human Resources, KTRK-TV, 3310 Bissonnet; Houston, TX 77005 and include the job reference ID. No phone calls please. Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V/D.

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Biting the bullet after the ballot Disarray in India’s ruling party after poll defeat

EW DELHI - Disarray within India’s ruling Congress party burst into the open on Tuesday after its stunning defeat in state elections, with a senior ﬁgure saying the party would lose a

and for allowing corruption to spin out of control since he was appointed to a second term in 2009. Adding to the Congress party’s troubles, half a dozen of its own lawmakers called

gress party in elections held over the last month in three big states and the capital, Delhi.

“A break from governance would be a welcome break that could be used to reﬁt the party as the nation’s natural party of governance in the 21st century,” the upper house lawmaker wrote in a column for the Indian Express newspaper.

Houston IIT 2013 Global Conference concludes successfully by Jacob David

HOUSTON – Over 1750 attendees beneﬁted immensely from the IIT 2013 Global conference held at Houston, Texas between

hosted a variety of guest speakers lasted for 2 days from December 6 – 8th. The conference focused on ﬁve areas – Sustainability, Technology, Education, Energy, and Life Sciences.

“The current and prospective electoral reverses for the Congress are thus Rahul’s golden opportunity,” he said, referring to the young scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty and potential candidate for prime minister. Aiyar’s opinion was personal and not the party’s view, said Congress spokesman Bhakta Charan Das, but agreed there was a need to analyse what went wrong.

Vicente Fox, Former President of Mexico, P.Harish, Consul General of India, Suresh and Dr. Renu Khator, President and Chancellor of Houston were among the chief guests for the evening at the Chairman’s Reception. Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri could not make it to the closing ceremony due to bad weather in Dallas. She spoke to the participants in a live telephone conversation from Dallas. Dan Nainan, Comedian; Usha Uthup, Indian Jazz, pop and playback singer; and the FAB 5 Houston Rock band kept the conference lively and going forward. At the Chairman’s reception, Pratish Kanani the Vice-chair and IIT alumnus, said, “The Indian Institutes of Technology alumni have proved to be strong innovators and highly successful executives and technologists in the corporate world, entrepreneurial ventures, academia and government among many others. In addition to our professional achievements, we feel enormously responsible to give back to our communities and help

to our weekly free online newspaper! Sonia Gandhi, Congress party president and her son Rahul Gandhi who is the party’s vice president. (Photo: AFP)

general election and needed time in opposition to reinvent itself.

Mani Shankar Aiyar - a veteran of the party who is close to the Nehru-Gandhi family that has run the Congress for decades - predicted defeat in the national election due by next May.

for a parliamentary motion of no-conﬁdence over a decision to split the southern state of Andhra Pradesh into two.

If at least 50 members of the lower house back their demand, the stage would be set for a trial of strength in which Congress

“The party will deﬁnitely introspect and we must come out with a very good approach to revitalise ourselves.” The centre-left Congress party’s main opponent, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was the clear winner in three states that held assembly elections and left its

Kashinath Patil, Lubeena Bindra and Degh Bindra light the lamp at the conference. (Photo courtesy IIT)

Continued on pg 5

“Who can be even half-way realistic and expect the Congress to return to power?” Aiyar told Reuters. In a further signal of uneasiness about Congress’ chances in the general election, the leader of a key party in the coalition government said on Monday the state polls amounted to a rejection of “weak rulers”.

“People do not want weak rulers,” National Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar said, according to domestic media reports. “They want decisive and result-oriented leaders who will formulate policies for (the) poor and implement them.”

Manmohan Singh, the taciturn 81-year-old prime minister, has been widely criticised for the government’s policy drift and a sharp economic slowdown,

Call us: 713-774-5140 email us: adsvoa@gmail.com

Witty Bindra giving ﬁnal thanks for a successful conference with IIT 2013 team. (Photo courtesy IIT)

AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal shows victory sign with party members Prashant Bhushan, Yogendra Yadav and Kumar Vishwas in Delhi. (Photo: PTI) would need the support of several parties to survive.

Aiyar’s remarks follow a disastrous showing for the Con-

December 6th and 8th, 2013. The theme of the conference is ironically Inspiring Innovation for Tomorrow which ﬁts the IIT acronym well. The conference was kicked off by the Chairman’s Reception which was held at the Asia Society Texas Center at 1370 Southmore Blvd, on Thursday, December 5th, 2013.

The conference opened to a grand gala night with select conThe BJP has been boosted temporary dance performances by by the energetic campaigning the Anjali Dance Company, Houston, choreographed by Dr. Rathna Continued on pg 11 Kumar. The programs which rival standing in the capital.

From L-R: Lubeena Bindra, Dr.Renu Khator, Suresh Khator and Witty Bindra, Chairman, IIT. (Photo: Jacob David)

VOICE OF ASIA 24

FRIDAY, December 20, 2013