US Affairs 10

Op Ed 19

Art & Craft 25

Spiritual Awareness 30

NEW YORK EDITION

Vol.5 No. 1 April 21-27, 2012 60 Cents
Soha bags big role in film on Rushdies Midnights Children Rajasthan Association to celebrate Holi with Hasya poets Festival, Page 18

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MasterCards Ajay Banga to head US-India business body Business, Pages 24

Geithner presses Pranab over Indias tax plans

Washington: Tim Geithner, US Treasury secretary, raised the stakes over Indias proposed tax laws, telling Pranab Mukherjee, Indian finance minister, Thursday that the plan had dampened enthusiasm in the Asian nation among US business and investors. Pranab Mukherjee is in Washington on a 4-day visit to attend the spring meetings of the World Bank and IMF. Geithner s intervention was prompted by growing concern from US companies that they could be hit with huge levies if Indian measures to tax certain international business transactions

India successfully test-fires 5,000 km Agni-V missile

Bhubaneswar/New Delhi: Launching itself into an elite club of nations with the capability of hitting targets 5,000 km away, India Thursday successfully tested a longrange nuclear-capable ballistic missile that can reach Beijing and Shanghai in China, and all of Pakistan. With its launch off the Odisha coast, India also emerged as a major missile powerhouse of the world, having developed Agni-V almost entirely indigenously over the last four years. The missile, described as "China-killer", carries a warhead weighing more than a tonne. With the development, India also stormed into an elite, exclusive club of nations comprising US, Russia, China, France and Britain -- all UNSC members -that have this capability. Continued on page 4

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee (received in New York by Consul General Prabhu Dayal on the right) has come for the IMF-World Bank meetings. retroactively are implement- com group, fend off a large ed. Geithners warning could tax bill that would be Continued on page 4 help Vodafone, the UK tele-

India Thursday joined a select group of countries with the successful launch of the 5000-km range Agni-V. The longrange nuclear-capable ballistic missile taking off from a test range on Wheeler Island off Odisha coast.

Eboo Patel receives Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize

By Vikas Girdhar/SATimes Garden City, NY: Dr. Eboo Patel received the prestigious Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize on Wednesday at an impressive ceremony in Garden City Hotel here. Earlier on that day, the Founder and President of Chicago-based Interfaith Youth Core also spoke on faith and his drive at Hofstra University, which administers the award. Named after the founder of Sikhism, the $50,000 prize is bestowed biannually since 2008 (when the recipient was the Dalai Lama) to recognize significant Continued on page 4

SATimes celebrates 4th anniversary

Hicksville, NY: Launched in April 2008, The South Asian Times has continued to grow at a scorching pace even as it blazes a unique trail. Bowled over by its concise coverage of news, journalistic excellence and objectivity, the community has taken it into their hearts and homes, making it one of the most read and admired weekly newspapers for Indian Americans. As we enter the 5th successful year of continuous publication, we thank all our readers and advertisers for their support. Moreover, in less than four years, our group has transformed from a local newspaper to an

Dr Eboo Patel, speaking at Hofstra University, which administers the award.

Nassau County Executive presented a citation Saturday to Jagadguru Swami Narendracharyaji Maharaj at a program in the Legislative Chamber, Mineola, NY. Based in Maharashtra, Swamiji is on a fortnight long North American tour organized by Jagadguru Narendracharyaji Maharaj Global Foundation, US. Related stories on pages 14-15

international news-wire service provider and full service marketing and advertising agency. It merits repeating that we are a true family oriented newspaper. We refrain from sensationalizing, nudity, promotion of casinos, nightclubs, tobacco and alcohol, psychic readers, Black Magic Continued on page 4

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April 21-27, 2012

Mahavir Jayanti celebrated at PMs house

A Jain group led by Acharya Lokesh Muni took part in the Mahavirs birth anniversary celebration at the Prime Ministers official residence in Delhi.

Acharya Lokesh Muni presented a picture of Lord Mahavir to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on the occasion.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said that the global threat of terrorism and nuclear power can be solved by following Lord Mahavirs philosophy of Peace and Non-Violence. He was addressing the gathering April 5 at his official residence on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti Celebration in the auspicious presence of the founder of Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti, the renowned Jain Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni. The PM said, Lord Mahavir gave the message of Unity in Diversity. Following his teachings our country has the sacred culture of tolerance and non-violence, giving due respect to diversity and multiplicity is part of our culture and civilization. We have to strongly maintain this heritage. I am delighted to say that Acharya Lokesh, keeping this culture alive has played an important role in solving tension between different communities many times. For his remarkable contribution, Government of India honored him with National Communal Harmony Award 2010. Followers of his teachings, the Jain Community is a very peace loving community, and they have played an important role in development of nation and society. Honored with National Communal Harmony renowned, Jain Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni said on the occasion that Lord Mahavir philosophys has the solution for global problems. He said that following his teachings mankind can solve the problems of terrorism, global warming, corruption, poverty, Naxalism, population explosion and female feticide. He said that following the path of non-violence, peace and harmony we can build a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous society. Acharya Lokesh presented a gorgeous picture of Lord Mahavir to Dr. Manmohan Singh on the auspicious occasion.

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April 21-27, 2012

Raja runs for State Senate in Penn GOP Primary

Pittsburgh, PA: Republican candidate D. Raja, former CEO, cofounder and chairman of Pittsburgh, Pa.-based IT firm Computer Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) is running for the 37th District state Senate seat in Pennsylvania. A former commissioner in Lebanon, Pa., the 46-year-old Raja ran unsuccessfully for Allegheny County Executive last year (I-W, Nov. 18), losing by a 2-1 margin. The Indian American candidate is opposed in the April 24 primary by two GOP candidates Mark Mustio, 54, of North Fayette, Pa.; and Sue Means, 60, of Bethel Park, Pa. No Democrats are running for the seat, which is being vacated by state Senator John Pippy, R-Moon, Pa. Mustio is currently in his fifth term in the state House of Representatives representing the 44th District. He is also running for re-election for his House seat against Democrat Mark Scappe. Means, a nurse, has served on local and state GOP committees and two years ago ran against Democratic incumbent Matt Smith for the 42nd District state House seat. Smith won with 60 percent of the vote. Raja cited a flier mailed to voters by Mustios campaign that claimed Rajas company, CEI, plans to increase jobs from 85 to 250 at its $36 million state-of-the-art facility in India. Raja said the information was false. The $36 million figure refers to company revenues. This is just flatout lies. And I think this is politics, he told the editorial board. Mustios campaign clarified in a statement later that there was no intent to mislead voters, and that the $36 million figure referred to the size of the company. Mustio told the Post-Gazette editorial board that the Raja campaign has also been spreading misleading fliers, including one that he said incorrectly claimed he supported amendments that opposed privatization of state liquor stores. The Indian American candidate later fought back with a TV ad labeling Mustio a union endorsed liberal. Raja co-founded CEI in 1992. He has a masters degree in computer science from the University of Pittsburgh and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University.

New York state sues Sprint for $300 M for tax fraud
New York: Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman has filed a lawsuit against Sprint-Nextel Corp. for deliberately under-collecting and underpaying millions of dollars in New York state and local sales taxes on flat-rate access charges for wireless calling plans. Brought under the New York False Claims Act, the lawsuit requires Sprint to pay three times its underpayment of over $100 million. Sprints major wireless competitors, including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and MetroPCS, have followed the law regarding these taxes. By deliberately evading sales taxes, Sprint cost state and local governments over $100 million that could have been used for critical services and much needed resources that our state and its citizens need given the challenging economic times we are in, said Schneiderman. The decision not to collect and

D. Raja ran unsuccessfully for Allegheny County Executive last year. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported recently that the campaign has turned negative. Raja and Mustio addressed the negative campaigning issue when they met with editorial board writers at the Post-Gazette. Means has stated in the past she intends to stay above the fray and did so for the most part at the meeting, the newspaper added.

pay these taxes arose out of a nationwide effort by Sprint to obtain an advantage over its competitors -- not by cutting its prices or offering better service - but by failing to collect and pay sales taxes its competitors properly collected and paid. 29 states and the federal government have passed False Claims Acts, but only New York's Act expressly covers tax fraud as a result of a landmark law authored by Attorney General Schneiderman. The investigation of Sprint began with a whistleblower lawsuit - also called a "qui tam" action filed in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan in March 2011, just after the Taxpayer Protection Bureau was created.

NY Tamil Sangam celebrates New Year by feeding the poor in Staten Island
New York: The New York Tamil Sangam (NYTS) celebrated the Tamil New Year 2012 by feeding the needy, hungry and homeless on SatNYTS event. Members of the NYTS and other volunteers who participate in the event gather each year in Dr Krishnan's house for a South Indian breakfast prepared by Dr Sashikala Krishnan and proceed to the church for the function. This time they included Dr Sashikala Krishnan, Shanmugam, Volunteers preparing meals in the kitchen. urday, April 14 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Stapleton Hts, Staten Island. The program was organized by Drs. M.N. Krishnan, former President of NY Tamil Sangam, and Sashikala Krishnan. It was well coordinated by them in a successful manner 23rd year in a row. The annual feeding event has been the brainchild of Dr Krishnan. The money spent for this humanitarian cause is donated annually by members, board , volunteers and friends of New York Tamil Sangam. The meal this time was prepared by chef Bruno and his son Bruno, Jr, who have been dedicating their services for the past 23 years for the Kanchana, Albert, Indira, Vijaykumar, Uma, Murali, Ramesh, Vidya & Piriya, Natarajan, Arul, Manonmani, Jagannatham,Jr., Jagannatham, Jayakumari, Usha and Arcot. About 150 people were served with full course of meal. The remaining food was taken to a single mothers home/outreach center.

About 150 people were served with full course of meal at the Trinity Lutheran Church.

Members of the NYTS and other volunteers posing for a photograph.

Tu Che Lajawab, a Gujarati comedy starring Sarita Joshi, of Baa Bahu Aur Baby fame, had a sold out show on April 15 at the North Brunswick High School auditorium in New Jersey.

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Agni V missile story Continued from page 1 Chinas foreign ministry spokesperson downplayed the tests, saying: "China and India are both big emerging countries, we are not rivals but co-operation partners." However, state-run Global Times said that India may have missiles that can reach most Chinese territory, but it stands "no chance in an overall arms race". It added that New Delhi would gain nothing by stirring "further hostility". Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hailed the successful test as "another milestone" in the country's "quest for security, preparedness and to explore the frontiers of science". He congratulated the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and other organizations, which had worked tirelessly in the endeavor to strengthen the defense and security of the country. Geithner Pranab story Continued from page 1 imposed on its 2007 purchase of Hutchison Essar as a result of the legislation. Geithner encouraged Mukherjee to reassure foreign investors that India will continue to welcome foreign capital, according to a Treasury official. He also said that the US Treasury was examining Indias proposed tax provisions to determine their impact on the US-India bilateral income tax treaty, the official said. US business groups, ranging from the Chamber of Commerce to Financial Services Forum and the Information Technology Industry Council, had pressed Geithner to intevene and were pleased he did so. Earlier, George Osborne, UK chancellor, on a trip to New Delhi, chastised the Indian government for the proposed measures and warning of potentially harmful effects on trade and investment. In March, India unveiled a series of amendments to its finance bill that have angered a wide range of multinationals. The most high-profile measure would retroactively tax business deals in which a non-resident transferred shares into a non-Indian company that derives its value substantially from Indian assets Eboo patel story Continued from page 1 work in increasing interfaith understanding. The ceremony to present the award to Dr Patel, a member of President Obama's inaugural Advisory Council on Faith-Based Neighborhood Partnerships, was attended by over 300 prominent Indian-Americans and members of the Hofstra University community. The President and Dean of Hofstra spoke about the history of the Bindra familys association with the university. Teji Bindra, representing the Bindra Trust that established and funds the Guru Nanak Award, described the true secularism of Guru Nanak and his teachings. Sir Mota Singh, first Sikh knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, also spoke. As the third recipient of the Guru Nanak award, Dr Patel, a doctorate in the sociology of religion from Oxford University, expressed humility and a relishing of the opportunity to make a difference among the youth of the country. He spoke about his first interaction with Sikhism through his fathers friend and childhood uncle. He went on to discuss his relationship with the Interfaith Community that began with his acknowledgment of belonging to three separate groups. As a Muslim, an Indian, and an American, he often found it difficult to integrate all three, but realized that at the core of all communities are the same principles championing good deeds, such as compassion. At Hofstra, Patel spoke about his childhood influences and the obstacles he faced en route to becoming a prominent figure in the encouragement of faith development, especially among young adults. We generally work with college students on a campus because there is no other place where things can go from idea to reality so quickly, said Patel. A campus is the most important place for interfaith to actually take form. He cited how college campuses offer different mediums of discussiona casual dinner and a formal group meeting in the same day, for examplebut can contain a mutual ideas and thoughtprovoking triggers than can materialize into something wider. Service is a bridge between faiths, he said. For an interfaith leader, there are three things that must take place to make a difference: the voicing of values, the engaging of others and finally the action taken on by that group. There is a constant stress on service and faith working together. Patel spoke candidly about some of his early formative experiences. He described the confrontation he had with his father, who urged him to stop being ignorant and focus on the religious diversity in America. While young Patel had been fixated on American icons such as Martin Luther King Jr., one especially life-altering incident involved his own faithIslam. He recounted his adolescent visit to India where he learnt of his grandma harboring an abused girl, one whom the family did not even know the name of. This taught young Eboo that heroes could arise from within his own familyhis own faith. This incident and the Dalai Lamas own admission of his admiration of Islam made Patel passionate in his drive for interfaith SATimes Celebrates 4th Anniversary story Continued from page 1 removers and other kinds of fraudulent advertising. Our policy is to allow a maximum 35% space for advertisements to give space to useful and informative reading material.

April 21-27, 2012

In U-turn, Pak says no change in Siachen policy

Islamabad: A day after Pakistan army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said his country favored talks with India to demilitarize Siachen, the world's highest battleground, Islamabad Thursday said there was no change in its stance on the disputed glacier. Foreign Office spokesperson Moazzam Ali Khan said: "It is in our mutual interest that we address all the issues in a meaningful and result-oriented manner." General Kayani had said Wednesday that his country favored talks with India to demilitarize the Siachen glacier. After visiting the Gayari army base that was hit by a massive avalanche April 7 entombing nearly 140 soldiers, the army chief said Pakistan was open to talks with India to demilitarize Siachen.

The nonprofit Business Center For New Americans (BCNA) received the "American Dream Award" last week from Mayor Bloombarg. Pictured are BCNA officials: Mr. Leonid, Sr. Loan Officer, Ms. Christine, Training Consultant, Ms. Harriet Joynes, Board Chair & Treasurer, Ms. Yanki Tshering, Executive Director, Mr. Vishwanath Dasma, Sr. Loan Officer, Mr. Aaron Lackman, Loan Officer, Ms. Candyce Mason, Director of Development and Communication, Ms. Francess Smith, IDA Program Specialist, and Ms. Maria Paulino, Loan Officer. .

Consultant - Media Alliances Bhrigu Pankaj Prashar C: 516.303.4002 Bhrigu@TheSouthAsianTimes.info Printed Every Saturday by Forsythe Media Group, LLC ISSN 1941-9333 76 N Broadway, Suite 2004, Hicksville, NY 11801 P: 516.390.7847 Website: TheSouthAsianTimes.info Updated Daily Chairman and Co-Founder Kamlesh C. Mehta Co-Founder: Saroosh Gull President: Arjit Mehta Board Advisors (Honorary) Ajay Lodha, MD, Lakhpat B. Mehta, Esq. Rajasthan High Court & Supreme Court West Coast Correspondent Pooja Jain, Pooja@TheSouthAsianTimes.info New Delhi Bureau Meenakshi Iyer Delhi@TheSouthAsianTimes.info Managing Editor: Parveen Chopra C : 516.710.0508 Editor@TheSouthAsianTimes.info Associate Editors Vikas Girdhar, Hiral Dholakia-Dave, Meenakshi Iyer Contributing Editors: Melvin Durai, Dr Prem Kumar Sharma, Harry Aurora, Ashok Vyas, Ashok Ojha, Jinal Shah, Dr Akshat Jain, Nupur Joshi Strategy & Business Development Namit Narain, C: 516.303.2075 Namit@TheSouthAsianTimes.info Administration and PR (New York) Smita Bhooplapur. P: 516.390.7847 Smita@TheSouthAsianTimes.info Marketing & PR (Washington DC) Chander Gambhir, P: 703.717.1667 Jaipur (India) Bureau Prakash Bhandari Prakash@TheSouthAsianTimes.info Print Distribution in India Maneesh Media Agency, P: 91.141.4188811, MMedia@TheSouthAsianTimes.info

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April 21-27, 2012

Education, quality and innovation Key to Indias economic growth

By Smita Bhooplapur/SATimes New York: Focusing on India as Maintaining Momentum, Columbia Business School held its 8th Annual India Business Conference in the Low Memorial Library. Manoj Singh, global chief operating officer of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, was one of the keynote speakers to discuss the growing opportunities, challenges and potential that India possesses as a nation at Columbias one-day conference. In an exclusive interview with The South Asian Times, Singh, who has led Deloitte Consulting in North South America till 2003 and has been instrumental in expanding Deloittes presence in India, China and Asia Pacific, is confident that Indias long term prospects are excellent. Deloittes presence in India is represented by approximately 18,000 employees and has grown significantly over the past 5 years. Singh mentioned that there are several factors for Indian companies to consider when they plan for continued growth. He listed that the service industry, automotive sector, housing sector and renewable energy industry are all industries estimated to expand in the upcoming years. The key thing is that a lot of Indian companies have become very successful as global companies and they are meeting what is compared for as world class standards. The important thing there is to serve the entire value chain, starting with designing, engineering, building, marketing as opposed to just one segment of it. So, thats a key part of it [looking at whole value chain], said Singh. Singh also emphasized the importance of people and having an educated employee pool to serve knowledge-businesses. What I see is that, I travel around the world, and in places like developed economies, there are new trends that are developing like data analytics. If you look at growing markets, you cant find enough people to able to fill the growth that is needed. He recommends companies to invest in training and developing the skills sets of their employees. The best form of innovation is talentdriven innovation. If you have good people and you train them well, they will innovate. A lot of innovation actually occurs on the job. [In this way], the whole value chain is enhanced. The Indian populations median age is 25 while Chinas median age is 35 and 45 for Japan. To build on

Exclusive to SATimes
this figure, Singh stated that population figures or producing engineers will not suffice. Instead, training the youth to have employable skills, skills set applicable to the job based on a quality education go a longer way in defining Indias talent pool and industrial success. In terms of potential foreign and local investment, Singh said the service sector- specifically information technology and financial services, manufacturing with an emphasis on high-end manufacturing, automotive industry and renewable energy are big growth areas in the near future for India. India needs a lot of energy. Power is also one of the biggest growth areas. It is also one with the longest incubation periods from start to end for things to develop, added Singh. To support emerging industries, having appropriate supporting infrastructure is also very crucial. Currently, approximately 10 million cellphones are being added in India every year and this, Singh stated, is a sign of Indias strength to cater to increased infrastructure demands. Addressing infrastructure in India, Singh said that more roads, power and increased number of air and sea

ports are still necessary. A lot of money has been allocated [for infrastructure]. The key questions are 1) if the government has enough confidence to spend it in light of the current outlook and 2) Foreign companies have confidence that the payment structure and arrangements are going to work. Singh estimates that if this growth occurs, it will be worth approximately $750 billion to $1 trillion in the upcoming 5-6 years. Singhs mental trajectory of Indias growth is very high. Based on his experiences, Singh suggests three lessons for India or Indian companies to learn from other countries. First, development is a continual process and eminency and selfsufficiency cannot be obtained rapidly. However, a strong foundation of good Infrastructure and education must be laid for this development. Secondly, it is worth to focus on education and training people in order to achieve high-quality results and a high employment rate even if the cost of labor increases. Lastly, corruption must be weeded out of India. Singh states that to push innovation in India, there has to be greater ties between academic institutions and private enterprises, more encouragement be given to people to maintain the spirit of innovation

Manoj Singh, global chief operating officer of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited and continue allocation of funding for research and development. India today is one of the best centers, in my opinion, for basically service sector innovation. SAP came out of Germany. There is no reason why the next piece of software cannot come out of India. Branding is a key part of it. An IIT Kanpur and Carnegie Mellon alumnus, Singh was one of the four key note speakers for the Columbia conference. Other distinguished guests present were Jagdish Bhagwati University Professor, Columbia University and the intellectual father of Indian Economic reforms; Nirupama Rao, Ambassador of India to the United States; Ron Somers President, USIndia Business Council and Dr. Kiran Bedi, first female IPS officer, and core team leader of India Against Corruption movement.

Twists on Yoga making possible Muslim acceptance

lowers of Islam--for the reason that it is founded on grounds of Hinduism. Yoga is not for Muslims. It was forbidden, said Muhammad Rashid, a 56-year old Muslim and community activist from Queens who for quite some time was part of the large group of people that denounced yoga. Only after his move from Bahrain to New York in 1997 did Rashid begin to make the full transition from being a part of the group openly voicing yoga opposition to encouraging its incorporation into any Muslims daily life, just like he has. Traditionalists will maintain their old-school views by focusing on a number of factors that point to a distinct disallowance of the incorporation of yoga within the confines of Islam. For one, H. Kumar Kaul, in his Yoga in the Hindu Scriptures, claims that the principles of yoga were first described in the Vedas, which are the 10,000 year-old pillar of Hinduism. Another major factor is the fact that members of Parliament in India have often pushed to include wording to eliminate madrasas, or Islamic schools making the attempts of a clear separation of the two even more glaring. A third factor is that even as recently as four years ago, a council of Malaysian Muslim clerics declared yoga forbidden by Islamic law. From the conventional Namaste used to open and close yoga practices to the tight-fitting clothes that are usually worn by participants, Islams values have not allowed the flexibility to adjustuntil now. Considering how quickly yoga has picked up and been popularized as an essential part of peoples lives, especially in the westernized world, Muslims have found ways to create yoga that not only doesnt contradict their religionbut even encourages facets of their own. I discovered whatever Im doing in yoga, Im doing five times a day in prayer, said Rashid. Indeed, many of the kneeling bows prevalent in salat, the Muslim practice of praying five times a day, are central to traditional yogic postures. There has been a more refined yoga that has been picked up by Muslims, such as one devoid of Sanskrit sanctions and one that loosens the common practice of skin-tight clothing. Recent discussion of the yoga-forMuslims issue basically points to an acknowledgement of the similarities of the benefits of yoga and values tantamount to Islam. The only difference is, Rashid has been one Muslim who has been willing to uncover and spread the blurring of such a distinction. As Rashid organized a daylong yoga class at a festival last summer, he saw Muslims practicing salat some even on their yoga mats. Maybe theyre getting that same benefit in their prayers. Maybe they dont need to do yoga, said Rashid. The mere fact that yoga and salat similarities have even been recognized signal a progressive acceptance of a refined yoga that best fits the confines of Islam. Perhaps these are the most important yoga twists because they may ultimately be able to reel in a huge sect of people who are already practicing simple yogic moves but havent yet been able to see it.

By Vikas Girdhar/SATimes New York: For years, the incorporation of an activity by one religious group has been seen as a sin because it bears the cores and foundation of a conflicting religion. The subject here is yogaan exercise based on meditation and slow, specialized body movements that aims to release stress from the mind, body and soul. That sect of people being referred to and largely unwilling to follow the tenants of yoga, are fol-

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April 21-27, 2012

Court reserves decision to re-instate case against Kamal Nath

New York: On April 18, US Federal Judge Robert Sweet heard on submission a motion filed by November 1984 Victims requesting the court to vacate its earlier order dismissing the case against Indias Union Cabinet Minister of Urban Development Kamal Nath and re-instating the same. The victims motion to reinstate the case argues that survivors of November 1984 Sikh Genocide, as a matter of law, has a right to conduct jurisdictional discovery to uncover Kamal Naths contacts with New York to establish courts personal jurisdiction in this class action lawsuit filed under Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) and Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA). The case against Minister Nath was filed by "Sikhs For On March 06, Judge Sweet dismissed the complaint against Congress Leader Kamal Nath on the grounds that summons were not properly served upon Minister Nath and that plaintiffs failed to show that Minister Nath had minimum contacts with New York sufficient to support courts personal jurisdiction over the case. The SFJs motion to reinstate the case against Kamal Nath is based on the evidence that Minister Nath entered into a book deal with New York City publishing giant McGraw-Hill Inc. which published Naths book Indias Century in the United States in 2007. Additionally motion also points to news reports about Nath publicly acknowledged the receipt of summons on April 06, 2010 while he was in New York to attend a construction conference organized by McGraw Hill Inc. The motion contends that the court abused its discretion by ordering dismissal of complaint against Nath without first affording victims of November 1984 a jurisdictional discovery and an evidentiary hearing in order to prove the court that personal jurisdiction exists over Minister Nath. In opposition to plaintiffs motion, Kamal Nath through his attorney David Lindley, states that plaintiffs have failed to state a prima facie case for personal jurisdiction, such as might warrant jurisdictional discovery, particularly considering Minister Naths multiple immunity defenses. According to Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor to SFJ, since service of summons and personal jurisdiction are issues in this case, plaintiffs will again serve Kamal Nath in India through the procedure provided under Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters (Hague Service Convention 1965). The Hague Service Convention is a multilateral treaty which allows service of process of judicial documents from one signatory state to another without use of consular and diplomatic channels. India signed the Hague Service Convention on November 23, 2006 and established a Central Authority for receiving and serving judicial documents from courts in foreign countries, added attorney Pannun.

Indias Union Cabinet Minister of Urban Development Kamal Nath Justice" (SFJ) a US based human rights group for his role in leading an armed mob which attacked Gurdawara Rakab Ganj Delhi on November 01, 1984 in which many Sikhs were burnt alive.

Hindu Organization of LI to celebrate Earth Day

New York: The Hindu Organization of Long Island will celebrate its fourth annual Holi/Earth Day on Sunday April 29th, 2012 from 10AM to 12 noon. The keynote speakers are Dr. Uma Mysorekar, President Hindu Temple Society of North America who will speak on Role of a Hindu in Contemporary American Society and Rakesh Kaul, C h a i r m a n Spherenomics,"The Sapphire Pendant in the Diamond Necklace" Kashmir's contribution to the Indic Spiritual Journey. The event will be held at Veatch House- Ballroom, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Manhasset, 48 Shelter Rock Road , Manhasset, New York. The Hindu Organization of Long Island is a community based group dedicated to providing awareness of Hindu Dharma in the community. The event is open to adults only.

2012 IFFLA announces award winners

The festival saw LA premiere of Prashant Bhargava's 'Patang' Los Angeles: Celebration! That was the mantra throughout the six days of the 2012 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA). The festival concluded Sunday evening (April 15) with a red carpet and gala 10th anniversary fete that included the Los Angeles premiere of Prashant Bhargava's Patang and the presentation of the festival's Grand Jury and Audience Choice Awards, followed by an after party. This year the festival hosted 45 filmmakers and screened 33 features, documentaries, and short films at ArcLight Hollywood, home of IFFLA since its inception. Founder Christina Marouda said, "This milestone anniversary has truly led to an incredible celebration year and has become our most successful festival yet. IFFLA is proud to be a catalyst for Indian filmmakers and cinema in Hollywood. With themes that strike a universal chord among audiences, the popularity of our festival continues to grow each year. As we enter our next decade, we look forward to offering audiences the unique opportunity to experience the rich textures and subtle complexities that make Indian cinema so special." In addition to the sold out screenings, IFFLA, known for its exceptional events, treated film fans to music and dance via the return of Rhythm Village/Rhythm Village Unplugged and introduced a Family Day to its roster this year. Continuing its commitment

Deepak Chopra and son Gotham Chopra in 'Decoding Deepak', which won Best Documentary prize. to bridging the industry gap between the Indian and American entertainment industries, IFFLA held two seminars that explored the journey that its filmmakers make from production to distribution. "From Script to Screen: of the Making of PATANG" which included Actress Seema Biswas, screenwriter, director and editor Prashant Bhargava, producer Jaideep Punjabi, writing consultant James Townsend, and composer Mario Grigorov; and "Aiming High: The Personal Journeys of Three Indian-American Industry Leaders" with panelists Universal Television Production Head Bela Bajaria, Producer Sunil Perkash (SALT) and Producer Adi Shankar (THE GREY) moderated by Rupak Ginn (Royal Pains). Eros Entertainment head Kishore Lulla along with Sundance Institute's Michelle Satter and Alesia Weston and IFFLA Board and HFPA member Ahmed Lateef were this year's Industry Leadership Awards (ILA) honorees on Thursday, April 12th, at the House of Blues in Hollywood which was emcee'd by ABC 7's Eyewitness team member Subha Ravindhran.
"Corrode (Kshay) " received the Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature Marathon Boy received the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary Noise (Shor) was named Best Short Film "Decoding Deepak" received for Best Documentary and Audacity (Aashprodha)" for Best Short

National Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 21-27, 2012

'US didn't heed warning about Mumbai attack'

Washington, DC: As India probes the role of the estranged wife of admitted Pakistani American terrorist David Headley in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack, she claims she tried to prevent it but US authorities did not bother. Headley's second wife Faiza Outalha, who had visited India twice, has said in a TV interview that she tried to prevent the 2008 Mumbai attack by going to US authorities abroad but they did not bother. "So I went to them and I then started saying stuff, I said he's going to bomb everything, he's a criminal. They didn't bother," she was quoted as saying by Chicago's WLSTV/DT. Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative Headley, who after a plea deal with the US authorities testified in Chicago last year that the LeT founder and leader Hafiz Mohammad Saeed was the brain behind the Mumbai attack.

Indo-US economic ties top priority for Powell

Washington, DC: Headed for New Delhi next week, new US Ambassador to India Nancy J Powell has said realizing the true potential of economic relationship between India and the US would be her top priority. The first women US ambassador to India, Powell said she would leave for New Delhi on next Wednesday and would be back shortly for the India-US Strategic Dialogue in mid-June. Among her priorities in India, she said are "economic relationship". "Clearly our relationship is founded on democratic values, from the shared history that we have in promoting those values, but the economic and commercial relationship has been a very very important one," she told at a reception hosted by US India Business Council (USIBC) in her

India, U.S. investing together in clean energy research

Washington, DC: The U.S. Department of Energy has selected three consortia that will make up the $125 million U.S.-India Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Center. The consortia will bring together experts from national laboratories, universities and industry in both the United States and India. Consortia researchers will leverage their expertise and resources in solar technology, advanced biofuels and building efficiency to unlock the potential of clean-energy technologies, the Energy Department said in a press release. This innovative research program will help promote clean energy, create jobs, and open export opportunities, said David Sandalow, assistant secretary of energy for policy and international affairs. By bringing some of our best scientific and technical minds together, we can strengthen both our great nations. The three lead U.S. institutions the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the University of Florida and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have partnered with three lead Indian institutions: the Indian Institute of ScienceBangalore, the Indian Institute of Chemical TechnologyHyderabad and CEPT UniversityAhmedabad. As part of a planned five-year initiative, the Energy Department will make $5 million available in 2012. The department plans to make additional requests to Congress for up to $20 million over the

Jagdish Sewhani, President, America India Public Affairs Committee, with Ambassador Nancy Powell in Washington D.C. before she left for India. honor. In her brief speech, Powell said she looks forward to promoting American business in India, working with the Indian community, which wishes to invest in the US, because this truly is a bilateral relationship a two way street. Before the reception, the USIBC senior leadership held a detailed briefing for Powell on the state of India-US relationship from their perspective. "American businesses, we believe joining the Indian counterpart are the foundation of this partnership, on top of which we crowned it with a strategic partnership," said Ron Somers, USIBC president. Last week, Powell had met Indian Ambassador to the US Nirupama Rao.

Indias Union Minister of Power Sushil Kumar Shinde with U.S. Secretary of Energy, Dr. Steven Chu in Washington, DC on April 16, 2012.
next four years that will be used to support work conducted by U.S. institutions and individuals. The Indian government also committed to funding $25 million over five years that will be used to support work by Indian institutions and individuals. In addition, U.S. and Indian consortia members have pledged more than $75 million in matching funds, for a combined funding total of more than $125 million for joint research and development. The Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Center is part of the U.S.-India Partnership to Advance Clean Energy, launched by President Obama and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009.

IMF suggests reforms, inflation check to resume India's high growth

Washington, DC: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has suggested reinvigoration of structural reforms, including development of infrastructure, fiscal consolidation and controlling of inflation to bring India's growth back to potential and ensure its inclusiveness. In the assessment of IMF Executive Board, which concluded 2012 Article IV Consultation with India last month, sound macroeconomic policies and fundamentals enabled India to weather well the global economic crisis. Nevertheless, economic growth has slowed below trend in the last year due to cyclical and structural factors, and while inflation has come down, it is still high. Some directors noted that it is difficult to attribute the current slowdown to structural factors. Downside risks prevail in light of the uncertain global environment, supply constraints and elevated funding costs. A major challenge will be to bring growth back to potential and ensure its inclusiveness, while further lowering inflation, IMF said, noting the directors underscored that this will require a reinvigoration of structural reforms and fiscal consolidation. Directors encouraged continued vigilance against inflation, IMF said. "They agreed that policy rates should be kept unchanged until inflation is clearly on a downward trend, given the uncertain outlook for growth."

National Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 21-27, 2012

Shah Rukh victim of US random selection system

Comment
By Mayank Chhaya Chicago: When India's star actor Shah Rukh Khan was detained and questioned for two hours at the Newark International Airport in August, 2009, the action could well have been a result of the random selection parameter built into the U.S. immigration's security system rather than only racial profiling. With Khan reliving that experience on last Thursday at a small airport in New York state, the question whether that parameter was designed deliberately to focus on people of certain names, religion, background, nationality or race has cropped up again. The possible answer is unlikely to placate a certain segment of Indian population that feels outraged at the actor's treatment. At some level it is understandable that the whole security apparatus has been designed to not just take out potential terrorists in their first attempt but to disrupt their operation at any and every stage. No one at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is likely to acknowledge that the system works the way it does because of a built-in combination of intelligent and brute logic as well as

US corporates preparing 'agenda for progress' for UP: USIBC

Washington, DC: India-focused American companies are developing the "Agenda for Progress" for the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh with the objective of its all-inclusive and dynamic growth, the US India Business Council(USIBC) has said. The Agenda for Progress, tailored made for the state, is being prepared at the request of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. It would be developed within the first 100 days of the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh by USIBC, which is the apex body of American companies doing business in India. "Once Yadav fine tunes the agenda, USIBC will launch a major highlevel executive mission to Uttar Pradesh to begin implementation," USIBC President Ron Somers said. "I look forward to working with this forward-thinking Chief Minister to help achieve his goal of creating offensive, seems to have been built into the system with the rationale that it is better to humiliate a thousand innocent Khans than let a potential terrorist Khan enter the US. However, this explanation does not make sense because Khan has been visiting the US for many years. jobs and prosperity for the people of this great state," said Somers, who had met Yadav within the very first week of him taking over as the Chief Minister. Somers said he discussed the development priorities for the state, where American investment would be welcome. These areas include farming best practices; agricultural development, food processing, water development for drinking, irrigation, and treatment; connectivity - including by air, by roads, and via the internet. Other areas include health care development, vocational skills development; manufacturing - with an emphasis on job creation and energy and power development. "American companies are keen to invest in all these sectors - so long as the business environment is welcoming," he said.

Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan at Yale. preordained bias. Khan's name or one that closely resembles his appears to be on a list of over a million others that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has compiled of people it thinks are, at the very least, of suspicious antecedents. Getting off that list for those like the actor who have absolutely nothing to do with terrorism has been known to be a nightmare in America. The list has been a subject of serious scrutiny and criticism by civil liberties groups which believe it is sweeping in its reach and more often than not throws up those who have absolutely nothing to do with any terrorist groups. On the face of it, Khan may have been randomly picked out by the US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services' database. The system at the White Plains, New York, airport threw up Khan's name for any number of variable reasons. It is hard to speculate on the algorithm that triggered it. Someone might argue that the Khan = Muslim = possible terrorist = detention logic, although profoundly

Ang Lee to promote Life of Pi in India

Many US immigrants children moving to India

New York: Samir N. Kapadia seemed to be on the rise in Washington, moving from an internship on Capitol Hill to jobs at a major foundation and a consulting firm. Yet his days, he felt, had become routine. By contrast, friends and relatives in India, his native country, were telling him about their lives in that newly surging nation. One was creating an e-commerce business, another a public relations company, still others a magazine, a business incubator and a gossip and events Web site. Id sit there on Facebook and on the phone and hear about them starting all these companies and doing all these dynamic things, recalled Mr. Kapadia, 25, who was born in India but grew up in the United States. And I started feeling that my 9to-5 wasnt good enough anymore. Last year, he quit his job and moved to Mumbai. According to a New York Times news report growing number of highly educated children of immigrants to the United States are uprooting themselves and moving to their ancestral countries. They are embracing homelands that their parents once spurned but that are now economic powers. Enterprising Americans have always sought opportunities abroad. But this new wave underscores the evolving nature of global migration and the challenges to American economic supremacy and competitiveness. Speaking to the New York Times, many of these Americans said they did not know how long they would live abroad; some said it was possible that they would remain expatriates for many years, if not for the rest of their lives. Their decisions to leave have, in many cases, troubled their immigrant parents. Yet most said they had been pushed by the dismal hiring climate in the United States or pulled by prospects abroad. Markets are opening; people are coming up with ideas every day; theres so much opportunity to mold and create, said Kapadia, now a researcher at Gateway House, a new foreign-policy research organization in Mumbai. People here are running much faster than the people in Washington. The United States government does not collect data specifically on the emigration of the American-born children of immigrants or on those who were born abroad but moved to the United States as young children. But several migration experts said the phenomenon was significant and increasing. Weve gone way beyond anecdotal evidence, said Edward J. W. Park, director of the Asian Pacific American Studies Program at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Officials in India said they had seen a sharp increase in the arrival of people of Indian descent in recent years including at least 100,000 in 2010 alone, said Alwyn Didar Singh, a former senior official at the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. Many of these Americans have been able to leverage family networks, language skills and cultural knowledge gleaned from growing up in immigrant households.

Filmmaker Ang Lee New Delhi: Oscar-award winning Taiwanese-American filmmaker Ang Lee is coming to India. The producer-director, who has to his credit flicks such as The Hulk, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Brokeback Mountain, will be visiting the country to promote his upcoming flick, Life of Pi. Starring Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Tobey Maguire and Gerard Depardieu, the 3D fantasy adventure is based on the Booker-winning novel of the same name by Yann Martel. "As far as we know, he is coming this year," says an officer from the press division of the Taiwan embassy. A representative from Fox Star Studios, distributors of the flick in India says, "He'll be here somewhere around December, just like Jon Landau came here to promote Titanic 3D. We'll try to get (the film's actors) Irrfan and Tabu too around that time (for the promotions)." The 57-year-old shot about 30% of the film in Puducherry early last year after a six-month recce with his pre-production team. The novel, set in Puducherry of the 1970s, narrates the ordeals of a young Indian boy, the lone survivor of a shipwreck, sharing a life boat for over 200 days with a hyena, a zebra with a broken leg, a female orangutan and a 45pound Royal Bengal tiger.

Young Indian American wins school board election primaries

Washington, DC: A young Indian American has created history of sorts after winning the primaries in a school board election in the State of Maryland. Raheela Ahmed, 18, finished first in the Prince George's County (Maryland) Board of Education elections, while the incumbent School Board Chairwoman, Jeana Jacob, received about 1,000 votes less than her. Jacobs has been the School Board Chair for the past five years and is vying for her second re-election. She received 25 per cent of votes compared to Raheela's 34 per cent. If elected in November, Raheela, an undergraduate student at University of Maryland, will become part of a nine-member School Board, which administers the 18th largest school system in the US, with more than 120,000 students and an annual budget of $1.6 billion. Currently at the University of Maryland, College Park as a student in the Honors College, studying Biology and Business there, Raheela has already started preparing for the November elections. "I go to sleep thinking about the campaign every night," she said. "I'm taking a class in accounting and then somehow I'm linking it to budgets and linking it to campaigning," she said.

Raheela Ahmed

National Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 21-27, 2012

Three Indian US lawmaker praises Americans named 2012 India's role in Afghanistan Truman Scholars
Washington, DC: A key US lawmaker has welcomed India's positive contribution to Afghanistan's reconstruction saying USIndia partnership has an important role in contributing to the war torn nation's progress and wellbeing. The House Foreign Relations Committee's Republican chairperson, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen commended India's role in Afghanistan during a meeting Monday with the Indian ambassador to the US Nirupama Rao as they discussed the regional situation in India's neighborhood. Ros-Lehtinen, who is senior-most House Republican woman in the US Congress, spoke of shared values and complementarities between India and the US and the broad spectrum of opportunities,

Sejal Hathi Washington, DC: Three Indian American students and one of Bangladeshi origin were recently named 2012 Truman Scholars by the Truman Scholarship Foundation. The mission of the Truman Scholarship Foundation is to recognize college juniors with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to careers in government, the nonprofit or advocacy sectors, education or elsewhere in the public service. The foundation provides them with financial support for graduate study, leadership training, and fellowship with other students who are committed to making a difference through public service. Those named for 2012 included Sejal Hathi of Yale University, Hamid Nasir of

Hamid Nasir the United States Military Academy, Rahul Rekhi of Rice University and Akbar Hossain of Franklin & Marshall College. Hathi, from Fremont, Calif., is a junior studying biotechnology and global health. An avid social entrepreneur, Sejal founded the international NGO Girls Helping Girls at age 15 and, as CEO, has helped train and mentor thousands of girls worldwide to incubate entrepreneurial projects addressing global issues, in more than 20 countries. Nasir from Anchorage, Alaska, is a comparative politics and Arabic double major who plans to eventually earn a masters in public affairs. He served as the chief of staff for the Student Conference on United States Affairs, an annual four-day public and foreign

Rahul Rekhi policy conference. Hamid aspires to be a South Asian Foreign Area Officer in the U.S. Army. Rekhi is a bioengineering student at Rice University from Sid Richardson College. Originally from Houston, Texas, he attended Cinco Ranch High School. In the past, Rekhi has done research on experimental therapeutics for ovarian cancer at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Last year he won a Goldwater Scholarship. Hossain of Bangladeshi origin is a junior with a declared major in government and a minor in sociology. He grew up in Pennsylvania. He is currently the president of Brooks House Congress and is also involved in several other clubs and organizations.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Republican chairperson of The House Foreign Relations Committee

including in the economic sector, for the two countries to collaborate, according to the Indian embassy. Discussing the current state of India-US relations, and the global strategic partnership between the two countries, Rao briefed the US lawmaker on India's perspective on regional and global issues of common interest. She also gave an

overview of trade and business ties between India and the US and the bright prospects for business and economic cooperation that existed in the partnership. Rao expressed her deep appreciation of the commitment expressed within the US Congress to build a stronger and even more substantive USIndia relationship, the embassy said.

Indian-American shot dead in California

Washington, DC: A 20-year-old IndianAmerican, who migrated to the US from Jalandhar in India's Punjab state with his parents seven years ago was shot dead in Fremont, California, sending shock waves in the community. Rahul Sharma was shot in the head while standing in the driveway of his apartment complex at Central Avenue in Centerville at 10.54 p.m. April 5, according to Fremont Police which identified the victim Friday. Investigators have few leads, the San Jose Mercury News reported citing detective Bill Veteran. "Somebody there said they might have heard an argument before the shooting. But we haven't confirmed there was one yet," Veteran said. Witnesses reported they heard a man and a woman arguing outside an apartment complex, followed by several gunshots, reports state. Arriving officers found Sharma in the driveway to the complex with a gunshot wound to the head. He was transported to the Regional Medical Center of San Jose where he was pronounced dead, police said. Police said the area has become a centralized place for increased gang activity. However, they could not confirm whether this shooting was gang-related. On Friday, Fremont police released a composite sketch of a possible suspect who was described as an African-American man in his 20s, wearing a white T-shirt and earrings in both ears. Sharma was working towards his General Educational Development (GED) certificate at Fremont school district's Adult and Continuing Education program. "My son was a good boy who wanted to go to school and do good things," said his mother, Davinder Sharma, in an emailed statement from the family to the San Jose Mercury News. In a statement, the North American Punjabi Association condemned the murder and demanded a high-level inquiry.

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US Affairs TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 21-27, 2012

Three Secret Service agents dismissed amid prostitution scandal

Washington: Three Secret Service agents implicated in a prostitution scandal in Colombia including two supervisors are leaving the agency as investigators seek to determine whether the embarrassing episode led to a security breach. Officials said it appeared that none of the 11 Secret Service agents who allegedly brought prostitutes to their hotel rooms in Cartagena before President Obama arrived for the Summit of the Americas last weekend had weapons, radios, schedules or other potentially sensitive material in their rooms. They were not part of the elite unit responsible for guarding the president. Paul Morrissey, assistant director of the Secret Service, said in a statement Wednesday that one agency supervisor was allowed to retire, another was "proposed for removal for cause," and a nonsupervisory employee had resigned amid the widening repercussions of a case that has discomfited the White House. None of the three was identified. Morrissey said that the inquiry was in its early stages and that it involved "all investigative techniques available to our agency." That includes polyand are committed to a full review of this matter." Ten members of the U.S. military who also stayed at the hotel face a separate Pentagon investigation on charges of misconduct. The agents and military members were part of a team sent to Cartagena to help secure government buildings and other facilities before Obama's arrival. Investigators have identified and begun to interview at least 20 women believed to be prostitutes who were brought into the hotel. Officials knew who they were because they were required to leave personal identification at the front desk. Local police were called after a disturbance broke out, reportedly over whether one of the prostitutes would get paid. The scandal overshadowed the summit. Obama said at a news conference in Cartagena on Sunday that he would be angry if the allegations were true because he expected representatives of the U.S. government to act with "the utmost in dignity and probity." White House officials have said the president's security was not compromised, however.

Gender gap, likeability forge Obama ahead of Romney: Poll

Washington: President Barack Obama holds a ninepoint lead over likely Republican challenger Mitt Romney, thanks to a large gender gap and likeability factor, according to a new poll. The perception that the president is more likeable and more in touch with the problems facing women and middle class Americans benefits Obama, according to a CNN/ORC International poll released Monday. But the public is divided on which candidate can best jump-start the economy. According to the poll, 52 percent of registered voters say if the presidential election were held today, they would vote for Obama, with 43 percent saying they would cast a ballot for Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who is making his second bid for the White House. The survey indicates women voters back Obama over Romney by 16 points (55 percent-39 percent), virtually unchanged from an 18point advantage among women for

11 US Secret Service and 10 military personnel are said to have used the services of the escorts from Pley Club in Cartagena, Colombia, where Obama attended the Summit of the Americas last weekend.
graphs, interviews with the agents and supervisors involved, and witness interviews conducted in Cartagena, he said. Eight other agents implicated in the incident are on administrative leave. Their security clearances have been suspended pending the outcome of the inquiry. "Since these allegations were first reported, the Secret Service has actively pursued this investigation, and has acted to ensure that appropriate disciplinary action is effected," Morrissey said. "We demand that all of our employees adhere to the highest professional and ethical standards

the president in CNN polling last month. Half of those questioned say that Obama is more likely to stand up for what he believes, with only 29 percent saying that about Romney. Nearly half say that Romney is more likely to change his position on the issues for political reasons, just 39 percent saying the same thing about the president. Obama has double-digit leads over Romney on likeability, honesty, confidence, values, leadership and almost every other characteristic tested, with one important exception. According to the poll, Obama holds a 48 percent-43 percent margin over Romney among crucial independent voters. The survey also indicates s generation gap, with all age groups, except those 65 and older, backing Obama.

Obama Care riles Catholics, to impact presidential poll

With Catholics belief that the affordable healthcare law is a threat to the religious freedoms, President Obama stands to lose the heavily Catholic swing states of Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio and Michigan, which he won in 2008 and cannot afford to lose this fall. But if the Supreme Court strikes down the legislation in June, that ironically might help him win.
By Robert Golomb Given that the goal of Obama Care is to provide affordable health care to every American, it is ironic that it is Catholic hospitals that are confronted with the greatest threat from it. If deprived of the federal subsidies they have always received in the past, these same Catholic hospitals, which for more than a century have provided affordable quality medical care to millions of Americans of all races, religions and creeds, would be forced to close. Even its most adamant supporters might find it difficult to explain how this health care reform could fill the enormous void that the closing of these Catholic hospitals would leave. It is also ironic that the Catholic Church and Catholic institutions that have long been unfairly criticized for being exclusive are now being punished for their inclusiveness: If Catholic institutions did not employ or provide services to nonCatholics, they would be exempt from the mandates and associated sanctions of this legislation. As Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, wrote in a recent column, Coercing religious ministries and citizens to pay directly for actions that violate their teaching is an unprecedented incursion into freedom of conscience. Organizations fear that this unjust rule will force them to take one horn or other of an unacceptable dilemma: Stop serving people of all faiths in their ministries - so that they will fall under the narrow exemption - or stop providing health-care coverage to their own employees. Even if such moral arguments have not persuaded the White House to change course, it would seem, in this presidential election year, that political considerations would have. To be re-elected this November, the president needs to win or at minimum come close to winning the 54% of the Catholic vote he tallied in 2008. Should he fall significantly below that number, he will almost certainly lose Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio and Michigan - heavily Catholic populated key swing states that he won in 2008 and cannot afford to lose in 2012. Thus the president cannot be happy to learn that an estimated 70% of Catholic pastors throughout America in their Sunday sermons are alerting their parishioners to the threat that this legislation presents to the religious freedoms that they, like American citizens of all faiths, have always believed were protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. In addition to his problems with Catholic voters, the president also cannot be happy to learn that a sizable number of Protestant, Jewish and Mormon clergy are offering similar sermons to their own respective flocks. Nor can the president be happy to be reminded that polls continue to show that approximately 65% of all Americans, regardless of religious affiliation, oppose his health care plan. The president, however, may be handed the chance to escape this potential political catastrophe. The nine justices of the Supreme Court have just completed their deliberations on the constitutionality of Obama Care. While the justices have already made that decision, it will not be announced to the nation until late June. As Americans on both sides of the issue anxiously wait to find out what that decision will be, a number of both Democrat and Republican political consultants and elected officials have speculated that if the Supreme Court strikes the act down, the president will, ironically, stand a far greater chance of being re-elected. These political insiders note that from the day in June that the Courts decision will have been announced until election day in November almost 6 months will have passed - an eternity in presidential politics, which, they contend will allow the general public to forget and Catholics to forgive the

he late Arthur Schlesinger is best remembered for the first three years of the 1960s that he took a leave from Harvard to serve as President John F Kennedys press secretary. Having years later noted that prejudice against the Catholic Church was, the deepest bias in the history of the American people, Schlesinger would be advised, were he alive today, not to apply for a job in the Obama White House - from where a war against the fundamental dictates of that seventy seven million member church is being waged in the name of the Affordable Health Care Act health reform legislation best known as Obama Care. Obama Care mandates that Catholic hospitals, universities and all other Catholic run institutions that employ or provide services to non-Catholics offer contraception and sterilization procedures in their employees health care plans - an edict that goes against the fundamental teachings of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church could never violate those sacred teachings. But yet, unless they do just that, the federal government, under the provisions of this act, possesses the power to eliminate funding to every Catholic institution in America.

Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has damned the healthcare legislation. president for his attempt to impose his widely unpopular health care mandate upon them. If the president shares similar thoughts, it is possible that, his strong words defending his health care reform and his attempt to vilify his opponents to the contrary, he secretly hopes that he will wake up one morning in late June and be told that the Supreme Court had overturned what for the past two years had been deemed the most important legislation of his presidency. Robert Golomb is a nationally published columnist. He writes on a range of educational, cultural, political and international topics. MrBob347@aol.com

US Affairs TheSouthAsianTimes.info

11

April 21-27, 2012

Pentagon condemns US soldiers posing with Afghan corpses

Washington: US Defence Secretary Leon E. Panetta Wednesday rejected the conduct depicted in two-year-old photos of several US soldiers posing with corpses of Afghan militants, released in a front page story of the Los Angeles Times. The Los Angeles Times Wednesday published a story and a photo showing a US soldier with a dead insurgent's hand on his shoulder. The US newspaper later posted another photo on its website showing several other US soldiers holding legs upright of another dead militant's mangled corpse. Pentagon soon released a statement of Panetta, who is in Brussels for a conference of NATO defence and foreign ministers that a probe is underway that could lead to disciplinary measures. "Anyone found responsible for this inhuman conduct will be held accountable in accordance with our military justice system," Xinhua quoted Panetta as saying. "These images by no means represent the values or professionalism of the vast majority of US troops serving in Afghanistan today," said the statement. Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said Panetta was disappointed that the newspaper published the photos despite a Pentagon request not to do so. According to the Los Angeles Times story, a soldier who had served in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne's 4th Brigade Combat Team from Fort Bragg, N.C., anonymously provided 18 such photographs taken over several months because he believed they represented a breakdown in leadership and discipline that compromised troop safety. Marine Corps General John R. Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force, also issued a statement in Kabul strongly condemning the actions depicted in the photos. Allen said the incident represented "a serious error in judgment by several soldiers who have acted out of ignorance and unfamiliarity with US Army values" that could "undermine the daily sacrifices of thousands of ISAF troops".

Warren Buffett diagnosed with prostate cancer

Washington: American billionaire investor Warren Buffett has been diagnosed with stage I prostate cancer, the CNN reported Wednesday. In a letter to shareholders of his firm Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett, 81, said Tuesday his "condition is not remotely life-threatening or even debilitating in any meaningful way". He said additional tests did not reveal incidence of cancer anywhere else in his body. "I feel great -- as if I were in my normal excellent health -- and my energy level is 100 percent," Buffett wrote. Over 70 percent of men diagnosed with prostate cancer do not die from the disease, according to Otis Brawley, a prostate cancer expert. Buffett said he will undergo daily radiation for two months beginning in mid-July, a decision made with his doctors. Buffett has made a name for himself by turning Berkshire Hathaway into a successful investment firm. Berkshire owns more than 80 companies, including insurer Geico, chemical company Lubrizol, railroad company Burlington Northern Santa Fe, and MidAmerican Energy. Buffett has yet to name his successor as CEO of Berkshire.

Ajit Jain, left, is considered a prime candidate to succeed Warren Buffett as chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway, but Buffet has made no announcement yet.

US Senate rejects Obama's wealth tax proposal

Washington: The US Senate has blocked President Obama's proposal to raise tax rate on those earning over one million dollars a year. The wealth tax bill is largely considered a key element of Obama's re-election campaign and part of the broad plan for long-term deficit reduction. Despite the Democrats' majority in the Senate, the lawmakers voted with a final tally of 51-45 Monday, falling short of nine votes to move the debate on the socalled "Buffet Rule" forward. The "Buffett Rule", named in a reference to Warren Buffett, the billionaire investor who has repeatedly complained that the richest Americans generally pay a smaller share of their income in federal taxes than do middle-income workers, was intended to impose a minimum 30 percent tax rate on annual incomes beyond one million dollars. The current top income tax rate in the US is now 35 percent. But many super rich Americans pay much less because of deductions and lower rates for income that comes from investments rather than earnings. According to a recent Gallop poll, 60 percent of voters support Obama's initiative saying that the wealthy must pay their "fair share." The opponents of the "Buffet Rule" claim that the new wealth tax would not slash the deficit or improve the employment situation, but would discourage investment, instead. Political experts believe that the battle over the "Buffet Rule" is not over and will continue through the election campaign, which culminates in November, and beyond.

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India TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 21-27, 2012

Rama Sethu row: Centre keeps mum

New Delhi: The central government shied from taking any stand on the plea by Janta party president Subramanium Swamy that the mythological Rama Sethu in the Palk Strait be declared a national monument. An apex court bench of Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice Anil R.Dave recorded that the central government does not intend to file its response to the petition of Swamy. The court at its last hearing had asked Additional Solicitor General Harin Rawal to take instructions from the government on Swamy's plea that the mythological Rama Sethu, known as the Adam's Bridge in the Palk Strait between southern India and Sri Lanka, be declared a national monument. After recording that the central government did not intend to file its response to Swamy's plea, the court directed the matter be listed for further hearing in the third week of August. The Supreme Court on March 27 had asked the central government to unequivocally state whether the mythological Rama

Odisha abduction case: crisis worsens

Bhubaneswar: With the hostage crisis worsening and a day to go before the deadline set by the Maoists lapses, Odisha offered to withdraw cases against people named by the rebels in exchange for the release of state legislator Jhina Hikaka. The announcement from the government came hours after a rebel leader gave an ultimatum to the state to clarify its position soon. Aruna, a rebel leader in an audio message aired by local television channels earlier in the day, said the government should make concrete announcement on the steps it had taken regarding the release of the prisoners. Rejecting the earlier announcement by the state that the prisoners have to apply for bail through their lawyers, the rebel leader said the government should take the responsibility of processing the bail applications as they (prisoners) have been framed in false cases. Responding to the latest audio message issued by the rebels, state Panchayati Raj Secretary and one of the government mediators, P.K. Jena, said the government will seriously consider the demands. Appealing the rebels to release Hikaka first in good health and unharmed, Jena said if the rebels release Hikaka by 5 p.m. on April

The State legislator Jhina Hikaka has been abducted by Maoists. 18 (Wednesday), the government will seriously consider withdrawal of prosecution (against the detainees) in suitable cases. Regarding the step taken by the government, he said two people whose release had been demanded by the rebels have already obtained bail from the courts. He also added that steps are being taken for the release of some others. While the Maoists want the government to free 29 prisoners in exchange for the release of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) lawmaker, the government has said it will release only 25. Hikaka was kidnapped by the Andhra-Odisha border special zonal committee of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist in his home district of Koraput on March 24.

The mythological Rama Sethu, known as the Adam's Bridge, is situated in the Palk Strait between southern India and Sri Lanka, Sethu could be declared a national monument. It gave the government a day to address its query, and decided to take up the matter on March 29. The court also directed the government to place before it the report of the group headed by environmental expert R.K. Pachauri on the feasibility of executing the Sethusamudram project off Dhanushkodi, a town at the southern tip of the Rameswaram island of the Tamil Nadu. The earlier plans of cutting a shorter sea navigation route through Rama Sethu had run into litigation and controversies involving religious beliefs. Earlier in 2009, the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) had said that there was inadequate data to come to a definite conclusion if alignment 4A at Dhanushkodi could be used as an alternate route for undertaking the Sethusamudram project.

Delhi civic polls: BJP back to power

The BJP won 138 seats of the 272 wards in the tri-furcated civic body.

Mamata among Time's most influential people

New York: Mamata Banerjee has been named among the 100 most influential people in the world by the Time magazine in its 2012 list which also includes US President Barack Obama, secretary of state Hillary Clinton and billionaire investor Warren Buffett. Apart from Mamata, advocate Anjali Gopalan, who works for the rights of gays and the transgendered, is the only other Indian in the list released by the magazine. Trinamool's Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brian broke the news to chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Derek later tweeted she smiled and said thanks. Later Mamata said, "This is not a honour for me alone but for Ma Mati Manush." In recent days, Mamata's government has been criticised for choice of newspapers for state and state-aided libraries and a professor's arrest over circulation of a cartoon featuring the chief minister. Time said the leader spent years struggling on the margins but ultimately she proved to be the "consummate politician". "Though much of Indian society remains hidebound in patriarchy

New Delhi: A triumphant Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retained control over Delhi's civic administration, with the results of elections to the trifurcated Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) coming as a shot in the arm for the party ahead of the 2013 Delhi assembly polls. The BJP won 138 seats of the 272 wards in the tri-furcated civic body. The Congress secured 78 seats in the polls. While the BJP lost 26 seats as compared to 2007 when it had won 164 seats, the Congress's tally went up from 64 to 78 seats. Of the smaller parties, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) bagged 15 seats, Nationalist Congress Party and Samajwadi Party secured two seats each, while Independents bagged 24 seats. The issue of corruption and price rise played hard on the minds of voters who let local

issues take a backseat, said BJP leaders as the results started pouring in. The Congress said the election centered on local issues. "These are local elections, local issues. People who work for the people, these are qualities that count. In every election, there is a winner and a loser. One has to accept it with good grace," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told reporters here on the sidelines of a function. With 97 percent of the national capital under the MCD, people have pinned hopes on the three new civic bodies to deliver a hassle-free and efficient functioning of the civic infrastructure and public amenities in the city of 16.7 million. The remaining three percent is under the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Delhi Cantonment Board.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. and tradition, strong women still prevail in the nation's political life. Mamata Banerjee rose to the fore last year when she and a movement she built from the grassroots wrested control of her home state of West Bengal, ending three and a half decades of sclerotic communist rule," Time said. Referred to by her supporters as 'Didi', Mamata was labelled by critics as a "mercurial oddball and a shrieking street fighter". Through successive elections, she steadily expanded her power base while chipping away at those of her opponents, Time said adding that her lower-middleclass background was no obstacle in a country "notorious for its dynasties". "She out-Marxed the Marxists. And as chief minister of her home state, she has emerged as a populist woman of action - strident and divisive, but poised to play an even greater role in the world's largest democracy," the magazine said.

India TheSouthAsianTimes.info

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April 21-27, 2012

India swept by missile delusion: Chinese daily

Beijing: India may have missiles that can reach most parts of China but stands "no chance in an overall arms race" with the country, a Chinese daily said Thursday, when India test-fired its 5,000 km range nuclear capable missile, and added that New Delhi would gain nothing by stirring "further hostility". The article, "India being swept up by missile delusion", that appeared in the op-ed section of the staterun Global Times said India apparently is hoping to enter the global intercontinental missile club, despite intercontinental missiles normally having a range of over 8,000 km. India test-fired the Agni-V missile that can accurately hit targets more than 5,000 km away. With this launch, India entered an exclusive club of nations that have this capability. The daily noted that India has moved rapidly in developing missile technology. "It successfully launched the Agni IV with a range of 3,500 km last year. Indian public opinion has long seen China as its reference point for military development," it said. Criticizing India, it said the country "is still poor and lags behind in infrastructure construction, but its society is highly supportive of developing nuclear power and the West chooses to overlook India's disregard of nuclear and missile control treaties". "The West remains silent on the fact that India's military spending increased by 17 percent in 2012 and the country has again become the largest weapons importer in the world," it said. It stressed that India "should not overestimate its strength".

India creates history, tests 5,000 km Agni missile

Bhubaneswar/New Delhi: India has created history with the successful testing of the much awaited Agni-V longrange ballistic nuclear-capable missile, described as 'China killer', that can accurately hit targets more than 5,000 km away. With the launch from an a defense base in Odisha, India stormed into an exclusive club of nations, including US, Russia and China, that have this capability to hit targets over 5,000 km away. "It was a fantastic launch. It hit the target with high accuracy," S.P. Dash, the director of the test range, said. The missile test was carried out at 8.07 a.m. from the test range in Wheelers' Island off Orissa coast, India's Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) V.K. Saraswat told reporters at the test site. "India is today a nation with proven capability to design, develop and produce a longrange ballistic missile. India is a missile power now. The threestage Agni-V missile's entire performance has been successSaraswat and Agni-V Project Director Avinash Chander and congratulated them for "this immaculate success", defense ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said. Antony described the development as a major milestone in the country's missile program and said that "the nation is indeed proud" of its defense scientists. He also recalled "the untiring contributions" of former DRDO chief M. Natarajan. DRDO has wanted to test Agni-V on Wednesday, but had to postpone the launch due to bad weather and lightning in the area of the test, and for safety reasons. It had a test window till Friday. But the scientists did not have to wait that long and the missile, which was prepared over 15 days for the test, was brought to the launch site Thursday morning, DRDO officials said. Interestingly, the Agni-V programme has a woman missile scientist, Tessy Thomas, as the number two in the project under director Avinash Chander. Thomas had led the Agni-IV missile programme.

With the launch from an a defense base in Odisha, India stormed into an exclusive club of nations, including US, Russia and China.
fully demonstrated. All mission objectives and operational targets have been met," a jubilant Saraswat said. Agni-V is about 2,500 km short of being called an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), as the world recognised range for an ICBM is over 7,500 km. It will go through a series more tests before it is inducted into the armed forces by the end of 2014. But this missile provides India the capability to hit targets deep inside China and the entire Pakistan territory. However, India maintains a 'no-first-strike' nuclear weapons policy and Agni-V and the 3,500-km-range Agni-IV missile, which was successfully tested in November 2011, are deterrents against a nuclear attack from its enemies. China, in India's neighborhood, has the 11,500 km range Deng Fong-31A inter-continental ballistic missile in its arsenal that can hit targets all over South Asia. Soon after DRDO announced the success of Agni-V, Defense Minister A.K. Antony spoke to

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Peace and truthful practices must begin at home

-Jagadguru Narendracharyaji Maharaj
By Ashok Ojha Edison, NJ: He doesnt advise his followers to go to temples every day, neither he tells anyone to reject the materialistic world altogether. His Holiness Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Swami Narendracharyaji Maharaj, who is currently on a visit to the US and Canada, gives a simple advice: Pray to your favorite god or deity ten minutes a day and you will feel the transformation in your life. Many people complain that their children dont show interest in their heritage. The parents find it a daunting task to inspire their children to practice Indian traditions and the established path of virtues. To such parents I would say that you shouldnt blame your children for deviating from your family traditions, said Swamiji in an interview. He pointed out that parents should stop giving instructions to their children, and instead practice the traditional way of life on a daily basis. When your children will observe you doing the right thing, they will automatically follow, he commented. With a focused goal to remind the Indian immigrants the importance of age old Hindu spiritual values, Swami Narendracharya said that it was the duty of every human being to follow the path shown by our ancestors. I am visiting USA to pass on this message because as a religious person this is my Dharma. It is everyones dharmic responsibility to engage in spiritual duties. You can build your consciousness to be very powerful simply by devoting some of your time every day to practice Dharma and relieving yourself from bad habits or bad karma, he reminded. Here is some of his spiritual advice for everyone: wish to serve every human being. That is how you can realize God. Q. Do you think that an ordinary person can experience the same feeling as you do? Swamiji: Of course. If you want to experience the existence of God you have to get into the service of humanity. Thousands of people attend my discourses which takes place in many parts of India. I tell them to experience self realization by doing good work, by helping others. They celebrate their traditions, festivals and worship various deities. Their acts bring brotherhood and community feeling in the society. It motivates fellow human beings to engage in Satsang and chant the different names for God. Such activities have led to social awakening and preservation of values. Q. What is the outcome of self realization? Swamiji: When you have self realization, you will forget your worries. Your agonies and problems will vanish. But it cant be achieved overnight. One has to focus on attaining peace of mind by practicing spiritual path shown by our saints. Hindus follow the philosophy of Shaivaites and Vaishnavites. Even though I am a follower of Vaishnavite tradition there is no conflict between the two. As a religious head of Dakshin Peetham I propagate the marg shown by our great Guru Ramandacharyaji Maharaj. Religious heads of Shaivaite tradition are known as Shankaracharya while religious heads of Vaishnavite are known as Jagadguru Ramanandacharya. In India there are eight religious heads, of which four are Shankaracharyas and four are Ramanandacharyas. All of us are doing the same thing: promoting the Dharma.

Swami Narendracharyaji Maharaj at a community reception held Sunday at TV Asia studios in Edison, NJ, and seen with community leaders H.R. Shah, Dr. Sudhanshu Prasad and Atma Singh, as well as devotees and his visit organizers Sushil Goyal and BL Vijay.( Photo: Gunjesh Desai/masalajunction.com ) Q. What do your expect from your current tour of USA and Canada? Swamiji: I was invited by the office bearers of the foundation (Jagadguru Narendracharyaji Maharaj Global Foundation, Inc.) that was established by my followers. They wanted me to visit the places where Indian immigrants are settled and meet them. My mission is to make everyone happy. Most of Indian people who live in America have earned success in their lives. They are enjoying the wealth and prosperity they have earned in this country. I am happy to know that our people are among the best in this country. But I know that they have to face challenges in their daily lives - at work as well as at home. I want to make their soul stronger. I ask everyone to devote some time from their busy schedule in prayers. Pray to your favorite God or deity. It doesnt matter who. Regular prayer, even if it is for ten minutes a day, will give you peace of mind. It will make you stable. You have more energy and spiritual power to face any challenge outside your home. You will not only be able to develop your decision making power but also could improve your personality. Prayer will help you in improving your life at home as well as at work. At the same time your life will be transformed for better. Q. How do you think we can retain our values and our traditions? Swamiji: You must practice your religion. Hindu sages designed certain rules for leading a peaceful life. Every Hindu should practice the traditions established thousands of years ago. No matter how successful you become dont forget the virtues of good life. Being truthful, humble and helpful to others are the virtues that our sages taught us. It is our duty to continue that tradition. My wish is to establish a Hindu Peetham in America where anyone could have access to our scriptures and holy books. Today we are not learning the wisdom and the philosophy as Vedas and Upanishads taught. These scriptures are time tested. The Hindu Peetham will provide these books to people who want to learn Indian traditions. It is a great cause in which everyone should participate. Q. How do you spread the message of Indian religion and spirituality? Swamiji: I live and work in Nanijdham in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. Our organization is engaged in a variety of social and religious activities. We work towards the holistic welfare of people. We run womens shelter for needy women, hospital, orphanage and other social activities in the region. All our activities are aimed towards serving the God. We acknowledge God in everything we do. Our activities cant be bound within the artificial boundaries of religion. We

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Swamiji offers practical mantras for mental peace and progress

Salih. Vegetarian lunch was served by Copper Wok. Swamiji is visiting the US and Canada from April 13 to 30. His programs have been organized by the Jagadguru Narendracharyaji Maharaj Global Foundation, Inc, which aims to set up a Hindu Peetham to make his teachings available to all Indian Americans and their families. Swamijis message is to unite all Hindus and provide authentic knowledge about Hindu religion, worship procedures and gods and goddesses.

Jagadguru Swami Narendracharyaji Maharaj By Parveen Chopra Mineola, NY: Swami Narendracharyaji Maharaj kicked off his fortnight long North American tour with a stately program at Nassau County Legislative Chambers in Mineola, NY on Saturday. Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano made time to come and greet the revered saint, a Jagadguru from the Vaishnavite tradition, and presented him a citation lauding his service to humanity. In his brief address, he expressed his appreciation about the ancient heritage of India, Indias message of universe as a family and spreading peace and harmony. He also requested Swamiji to come every year to bless the county. Swamiji, in turn, presented him a golden idol of Goddess Laxmi. Blessings of the goddess of wealth will help the county in these tough times, remarked Kamlesh Mehta, Director, Business and Economic Development of the county. He thanked Hon. Mangano for making the event possible, and welcomed all present. Swamiji was introduced by BL Vijay, Treasurer of the Jagadguru Narendracharyaji Maharaj Global Foundation,US, who also introduced to the sizeable audience Swamiji, his message and mission. Before starting his discourse in Hindi, Swamiji said that instead of talking about religion and spirituality, he would rather dwell on everyday challenges that people face, because without solving them, you are not motivated to seek higher things. Life is a flow, Swamiji started off. It has its ups and downs. We mistakenly believe like Arjun (driven by Lord Krishna) that we are running the show and get stressed

Hon. Ed Mangano speaking on the occasion.

Swamiji presented a golden idol of Goddess of wealth Laxmi to Hon. Mangano. On the right is Sushil Goyal, Vice President of Jagadguru Narendracharyaji Maharaj Global Foundation, US, which has organized Swamijis North American visit. doing so. The way out is to strengthen the mind with daily 10 minutes of mental exercise in the form of meditation or praying to deity of your choice. To mitigate suffering, Swamiji also gave practical advice to develop decision making ability, leadership quality and emphasized time management and the need of meticulously planning ones life. Following his advice, he said, is guaranteed to bring four major things all human being want: happiness, solutions, stability and progress. Why he prescribes just 10 minutes of bhakti every day? He explained. Bhakti or devotion develops sattvik (all-positive and benign) qualities, and in turn human qualities. This leads to live and let live and helping others live peacefully. That is parmarth, here and now, not in some afterworld. After the discourse attended by 200 people, Swami ji met many followers individually to give spiritual guidance to resolve their issues. The program began with a Bhajan sung by Vijay Kumar. Mrs Nimmi Mehta & Mrs Nilima Goyal presented a bouquet to Guru Maa who is accompanying Swami ji from India. Fern Dcor of Hicksville did the decoration, coordinated by Amen

Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano lighting the traditional lamp, helped by B.L. Vijay, who introduced swamiji, his message and mission.

Hon. Mangano presented a county citation to Swamiji, honoring and lauding his service to humanity. Pictured from left are: BL Vijay, Ashok Vyas who compered the program, Kamlesh Mehta, Director of business development for the county, Deputy County Executive Dr Phillip Ellliott, Hon. Mangano, Swamiji, Sushil Goyal, Haridas Kotahwala, Animesh Goenka, Prem C. Bhandari and Dr Sukhvinder Ranu.

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Ultimate Bollywood TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 21-27, 2012

Rajini didn't pay for '3' losses: Dhanush

amil star Dhanush is upset with reports that his father-in-law, the legendary Rajinikanth, is reimbursing the Telugu distributor's revenue losses for his movie "3". Dhanush, who became a sensation across the country with his song "Kolaveri di", is married to Rajinikanth's daughter Aishwarya, who has directed "3". "How I love the stories that are created just because I am married to a particular person's daughter," said Dhanush. "'3' has suffered no losses.

And even if there are losses to be compensated for, god has been kind to me. I can take care of my own financial liabilities, thank you very much," he added. The Hindi version of '3' will be released next month, and it also features Kamal Haasan's daughter Shruti, who is yet to establish a good foothold in Bollywood. The protective father and the movie enthusiast in Kamal feels "3" could do good to the Hindi film careers of Dhanush and Shruti, provided it is edited well, especially in the second half.

Dhanush, who has been painstakingly working on the Hindi version of "3", has perhaps decided to take Kamal's advice seriously. "The film has gone into serious re-editing. Most experts feel '3' didn't work to its optimum level at the Tamil and Telugu box office because of its inordinate length," said a source close to the project. "Kamalji saw the film and made suggestions as to how and where to prune down the length, specially in the second half," the source added.

Tamil star Dhanush with Rajnikanth.

Sajid Khan hits hattrick with 'Housefull 2'

Los Angeles film fest: 'Gattu' gets two awards

he Children's Film Society of India's (CFSI) movie 'Gattu' has received two awards at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. Directed by Rajan Khosa, the children's film won the Audience Award and the Honorable Mention Award at the prestigious gala Sunday evening in Los Angeles. The film is based in a small Indian town where kids and adults are obsessed with kite flying, and puts the spotlight on street children in the country. The director is proud with the twin-win for the issue-oriented movie. "It's a very proud moment for me and everyone who is associated with 'Gattu'," Khosa said in a press statement. "Gattu, played by Samad Mohammad, whose trust and love I

received, was a natural kite flyer. In almost every small town in India, you see street kids, selling trinkets, playing pranks and begging. You ignore them, or you dole out a coin or two, but you and I know, they are far too smart to be wasted like this. "These awards are only a tiny step towards the massive task of empowering street children in India," he added. Nandita Das, chairperson, CFSI, is also delighted about the appreciation for "Gattu". "We are delighted with this double win, especially the Audience Award. That is really the true test of any film. An endearing story, when well told, will surely connect with everyone - whether you are six or 60," said Nandita. 'Gattu' director Rajan Khosa.

I'm playing the bulbul of Pak: Soha

Akshay Kumar with Asin in 'Houseful 2.' oha Ali Khan finally film is because of his excellent reveals her role in Deepa style, attention to detail, Mehtas closely guarded bizarre visual meanderings adaptation of Salman Rushdies and digressions, she says. I 1981 Booker prize-winning was ready to play any part novel, Midnights Children. I because I wanted to be part of play Jamila, Saleem Sinais sisthe film. ter. The two arent real siblings To prepare for their roles, but when Saleem develops feelthe ensemble cast consisting ing for her, she doesnt respond of Shabana Azmi, Shahana well, says Soha. Goswami, Seema Biswas, Though Saleem is supposedly Shriya Saran, Indian American the promised child born at midactor Satya Bhabha and Soha, night, its Jamila who becomes did a weeklong workshop in more successful, says Soha. I Sri Lanka. go on to become an accomWe learnt to let go of our plished singer and a bulbul of inhibitions, to get in character Pakistan who also sings for the and how to respond to other President, she explains. They characters, says Soha. use my voice to motivate troops Things emerged in the workgoing to war. Jamila is quite shop that Deepa incorporated vain and too young to care into the screenplay. Actor Soha Ali Khan. about anything but herself. Salman Rushdie has been a Soha rates Rushdie as one of the most intelligent figure of controversy since he wrote The Satanic authors today. One of the reasons I said yes to the Verses which is banned in India.

irector Sajid Khan hits hattrick with "Housefull 2: The Dirty Dozen", which has grossed Rs.72 crore worldwide and become the second biggest opening of the year after "Agneepath", which earned Rs.75 crore. Released last Friday, the film, co-produced by Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, grossed Rs.57 crore in India and Rs.15 crore overseas so far. "Despite releasing during the IPL cricket frenzy, 'Housefull 2' has opened well in theatres across India. With its strong weekend performance, we believe 'Housefull 2' has also lived up to its name like predecessor," Nandu Ahuja, senior vice president, India

Theatrical, Eros International Media Ltd, said in a statement. Sajid Khan's last two directorial ventures - "Heyy Babyy" and "Housefull" - were huge hits. A sequel to 2010 release "Housefull", the film's cast is called dirty dozen that comprises of Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Riteish Deshmukh, Shreyas Talpade, Asin Thottumkal, Jacqueline Fernandez, Zarine Khan and Shahzan Padamsee. It also features veteran actors Mithun Chakraborty, Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Boman Irani. Bollywood Voice Blogging Goes Global With New Bubbly App, Now Available Everywhere on iPhone

Ultimate Bollywood Thesouthasiantimes.info

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April 21-27, 2012

Concept to can: luring Hollywood to Hyderabad

hree decades after his father, legendary Telugu actor Akkineni Nageswara Rao, started the Telugu film industry's migration from Madras (now Chennai) to Hyderabad, his actor son Akkineni Nagarjuna has embarked on an ambitious plan to attract Bollywood and Hollywood to "world-class production facilities" in this southern metropolis that has grown into another destination for technology companies. By setting up integrated film shooting floors and production facility at his Annapurna Studios, located in upscale Banjara Hills, he is providing the right ambience for top film production houses of Indian and the international cinema. He has now added five stateof-the-art, climate-controlled floors with an investment of Rs.100 crore (Rs. 1 billion/20 mn USD)) and it is already said to be receiving enquiries from Hollywood. To be formally thrown open for movie production soon, the studio offers a one-stop solution for a filmmaker. One can step in with

A view of glass house at the existing facility at Nagarjuna's Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad. the concept and go out with the can (the end product), Nagarjuna, managing director of the Annapurna Studios, told select journalists. Known for his entrepreneurship, the 52-year-old, who has vast experience in the film world, wants to raise the standards of the studio to an international level. Acknowledging that technical standards of filmmaking in India are not at par with Hollywood, he is launching a project to train the manpower. "We want to start a month-long training for the crew to make them ready before Hollywood comes here," said Nagarjuna, who launched the International School of Film and Media here last year. He believes India can be an outsource hub for film production, on the lines of the information tech-

nology (IT) industry. "They look at India as less expensive to make films. India being the highest film producing country has all the talent and infrastructure," said the actor, pointing out that India also offers artists at low cost and studios on low rentals. The newly built studios, which were added to the five floors already existing on the 22-acre area, are equipped with digital interface, state-of-the-art editing suits, dubbing, animation, computer graphics and color correction facilities. It will soon be adding background recording rooms. Instead of shootings at multiple locations, editing the shots at another location and giving the background music at yet another place, filmmakers can now do all of these at one place, explained Nagarjuna. He said with the available broadband facility, the scenes shots here can be uplinked for editing in any country. Producers of "Bombay Dreams", a stage show which is now being

made into a film with Indian stars, have already shown interest to shoot at Annapurna Studios. Through such associations, Nagarjuna, who is famous for films like "Geethanjali", "Siva" and "Criminal", hopes to achieve Rs.45-50 crore turnover by 2013. "If you get one or two contracts with Hollywood studios then you reach it before you know," said a confident Nagarjuna. As outdoor shooting is becoming more difficult, production houses are increasingly feeling the need for integrated facilities, and floors are coming back to fashion once again. Nagarjuna's dream is to create such an infrastructure that the producers do not have to step out for any shoot. He cited Hollywood film "300", which was completely shot in three floors and the shoot also included an ocean scene. As the first trial of the new facility, Nagarjuna's home production "Rajanna" was partly shot at the new air-conditioned studio. Nagarjuna's first target for the studio is Bollywood.

Meet Indian celebrities, via Bubbly voice blogging

Brad-Angelina engaged since Christmas?

ollywood's first couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie broke the news of their engagement only last week, but new reports reveal that Pitt had already proposed to his partner of seven years last Christmas itself. And the reason for not making it official back then seems to be Jolie's directorial debut 'In the Land of Blood and Honey.' A source told BANG Showbiz, "Brad had the ring designed last year and made sure it was ready by Christmas because he wanted a romantic Christmas proposal - and he got it. They didn't announce their engagement sooner because Angie focused so much on promoting In the Land of Blood and Honey. She was very busy with the movie and her Oscar campaign. She also worried that the engagement would take over press on her film and detract from that. "There was some negative press on Blood and Honey that bothered her a lot, and she didn't feel the timing was right. So they waited," the source told the website.

Brad Pitt with Angelina Jolie.

The service allows you to hear voice blogs, or bubbles, from celebrities and public figures. Mumbai: Bubbly, the voice blogging service from Bubble Motion is now available on Android in India. The service allows you to hear voice blogs, or "bubbles" from celebrities and public figures. Bubbly already has 16 million users worldwide and the Bubble Motion team says that it is excited to bring the service to the 11 million Android users in India. Bubbly had previously launched for iOS devices in March of this year. The team says that engagement levels were high with users utilizing the application on an average of three times a day. Check out the video below to get an idea of what Bubbly is and what it can do. Bubbly has seen incredible growth since launching in 2010 and has registered a million new users in the last month alone, says Bubble Motion CEO, Thomas Clayton. We hope the new Bubbly app for Android and iPhone brings the experience of voice blogging to millions more, allowing for users on other continents to connect and follow our vibrant community of Bubblers across Asia. The new Bubbly app also allows users to follow celebrities, sports stars and other well-known users, letting you move beyond just reading celebrity posts to actually hearing updates recorded in their own voice.

eteran actor Anupam Kher is shocked after reading reports that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has asked producers of his next film Mr. Bhatti On Chutti to mute dialogues mentioning political leaders George Bush and Manmohan Singh. "Censor board asks makers of my film 'Mr. Bhatti On Chutti' to mute the names of George Bush and Manmohan Singh. Shocking," tweeted the 57-year-old. Directed by Karan Razdan, the movie narrates the story of a group of Indian tourists visiting the Lake District in Cumbria, Britain. But they get mixed up in the saga of a missing British woman. With Anupam in the lead role, the film is slated for release on June 21."'Mr. Bhatti On Chutti' is a spoof. I play over the top detective who has a peace plan for President Bush. Muting his name will mutilate the film," Kher posted.

Anupam shocked on censor cut in 'Mr. Bhatti On Chutti'

Anupam Kher in a scene from 'Mr. Bhatti On Chutti.'

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Festival TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 21-27, 2012

RANA to celebrate Holi with Hasya poets

Well-known Hasya poet Shri Aaskaran Atal is especially flying from India to perform with the talented poet from Seattle, Shri Abhinav Shukla, for RANAs celebration of the Festival of Colors on April 29 in Garden City, NY. Attendees will enjoy not only hilarious performance by Hasya poets, but also authentic ethnic Rajasthani delicacies.
New York: Organizing Hasya Kavi Sammelan as part of its Holi celebration is becoming a tradition with RANA (Rajasthan Association of North America, NY), one of the top cultural organization of the Tristate area. Last year, they had two poets Hasya Samrat Surendra Sharma and Haysa ka dhamaka Arun Gemini regale the audience at their Holi event. About this year s program, informs Haridas Kotahwala, RANA President and patriarch of the Indian gem and jewelry community here: RANA is well known for its annual Holi and Diwali celebrations in the community for the last 12 years. This year, on April 29 Hasya poet Shri Aaskaran Atal is especially coming from India to perform with very talented, famous poet Shri Abhinav Shukla for our celebration of the Festival of Colors. Please come with family and friends to enjoy the hilarious performance by hasya poets as well as ethnic Rajasthani delicacies. The venue of their Holi celebration this time around is Akbar Restaurant in Garden City, NY. Shri Aaskaran Atal is a poet, writer and director from Jodhpur district in Rajasthan now based in Mumbai. As hasya poet, he has participated in more than 3,000 programs in India and all over the world. He has been a recipient of the award named after Kaka Hathrasi, the most well known poet in the genre. His published books are: Hum Kya Samajhte Nahin Hain Dhaai Aakhar Haasya Ke (both Humor and Satire Poetry), and Film Puraan (Humorous & Satirical Articles on Cinema). He has written the dialogues for the Rajshri film Vivah (2006), and is a writer for the series Movers and Shakers starring Shekhar Suman. Seattle based Abhinav Shukla is a young and talented poet who has been participating in national level Hasya Kavi Sammelans from a young age and has made a name for himself as an intelligent and melodious Hasya Kavi. He is known for his humorous poems in the traditional 'Ghanakshari chhand' style and thoughtful takes on current affairs. His poems and articles have been published in major newspapers, journals and magazines across the globe. He has a book and two poetic albums to his credit. He has appeared on several TV and radio shows in India and abroad. Abhinav has been felicitated by numerous organizations in US and India. Abhinav was born in Meerut, U.P. and earned his Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from (Akash Ganga), Womens Education (Janani Vikas), Mid-Day Meals for children (Akshay Patra) and many others. Kotahwala then gives the update on RANAs most ambitious, upcoming project: RANA has laid a strong foundation in the US and now it is time to do something concrete to cement our ties to our mother state of Rajasthan right here. Building a Rajasthan Bhavan in the US has always been the dream of the Rajasthani community. Our many highly motivated and dedicated members are taking the

Shri Aaskaran Atal is a poet, writer and director based in Mumbai, who has written for films and TV serials. IETRU, Bareilly, and his Masters (Software Systems) from BITS, Pilani. Informing that RANA was established in 1999 by six dedicated members, Arvind Bhandari, Kamlesh Mehta, KK Mehta, Naveen Shah, Rajesh Shah and Sunil Shah, Kotahwala says, I congratulate them for their vision. RANA has lived up to its mission and organized several functions to promote Rajasthani culture, values and heritage, not only in USA but also the world over. RANA has organized three successful international Rajasthan conventions in New York. They were inaugurated by the Chief Ministers of Rajasthan: Shri Ashok Gehlot in 2003 & 2010, and Smt. Vasundhara Raje Scindia in 2006. The conventions were also effective in raising funds for RANAs charity projects such as Rainwater Harvesting

Seattle based Abhinav Shukla is known for his humorous poems in the traditional 'Ghanakshari chhand' style and thoughtful takes on issues of the day. first step in this direction by planning to buy a building to make this dream a reality. At the Rajasthan Bhavan our community would be able to meet and enjoy under one roof. I am confident that our coming functions will be held at our own Bhavan.

Haridas Kotahwala, RANA President and patriarch of the Indian gem and jewelry community, flanked by poets Hasya Samrat Surendra Sharma and Haysa ka dhamaka Arun Gemini at RANAs Holi event last year in Flushing, NY.

RANAHoli Celebration 2012 Sunday, April 29, 5 PM Akbar, Garden City, NY

Op Ed TheSouthAsianTimes.info

19

April 21-27, 2012

Can Narendra Modi play national role now?

By Amulya Ganguli

Afreen, Falak and fair vaginas - the monologues continue

By Minu Jain nother baby girl killed before she got a chance at life, another father unable to contain his disappointment at begetting a daughter, another mother mourning her child and her helplessness. The sickeningly familiar story has been repeated once again in Bangalore with the death of threemonth-old Afreen from burns and bites allegedly by her father. It is the latest chapter in the sorry tale of women in India, where regressive practices and age-old traditions continue to sit uneasily with claims of progress and rising economic prowess. Afreen died of grievous head injuries, a dislocated neck, cigarette burns and even bite marks, just three days after she was admitted to hospital. Her mother Reshma, just 19 and as much a victim, sobbed uncontrollably as she recalled her husband's brutal assault on the baby because he wanted a male child. In a continuing chain of exploitation, Reshma, it is reported, also alleged that her husband, car painter Umar Farooq, tried to poison her and harassed her for dowry. She did attempt to fight back and even approached the Bangalore Child Welfare Committee. But it was clearly a losing battle for the young mother and her infant daughter. In the end, despite the very best in healthcare, Afreen died of a cardiac arrest shortly before noon Wednesday. Less than a month ago, on March 16, another baby died in horrifically similar circumstances, also in the public gaze. The subject of countless headlines, two-year-old Falak also had a cardiac arrest and died after 60 days at New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences, unable to recover from the broken skull, fractured limbs and bite

arendra Modi's career provides a classic example of how a kinky ideology can thwart political ambitions in a pluralistic society. Yet, when the same ideological outlook enabled him to scale the heights of political power by winning the 2002 assembly elections in Gujarat, the chief minister must have presumed that even greater successes were in store for him. What he hadn't taken into account were the imperatives of a multicultural country. Till the 2002 elections, Modi was operating within the parameters of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) world view based on the concept of cultural nationalism or one nation, one people, one culture. The obvious similarity of this slogan with Nazi Germany's ein volk, ein Reich, ein Fuehrer (one people, one nation, one leader) underlines the fascistic basis of the idea. But neither Modi nor the BJP was bothered. They believed they were on a roll at the time. However, it was the jolt of the defeat in the 2004 parliamentary polls, which woke them up to the realities of Indian broadmindedness. Moreover, Atal Bihari Vajpayee's belief that the 2002 Gujarat riots were responsible for the BJP's defeat two years later might have also induced both Modi and his party to mull over their past policies. Hence, the chief minister's new emphasis on development for all the people of Gujarat. There was no more mocking of the minorities by him as when he crassly described the camps of riot victims as child-producing factories or took care to pronounce the then chief elec-

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) report recently gave a clean chit to the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the Gulberg housing society massacre case. tion commissioner's full name of James Michael Lyngdoh to stress his Christianity, which, according to V.D. Savarkar, is a religion alien to India, like Islam. But none of it has helped Modi, the man who was described by Ashis Nandy as a "textbook case of a fascist and a prospective killer, perhaps even a future mass murderer". The social commentator was prescient, for the last phrase was used by journalists for the chief minister after the riots. Indeed, this is the charge he still faces and even after his latest exoneration by the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigating Team (SIT) - the Nanavati commission had earlier given Modi a clean chit in its interim report - the public perception about his complicity continues. Because of this belief, even the SIT's report has aroused disbelief with a prominent Muslim resident of Gujarat, J.S. Bandukwala, calling it "compromised". Of course, no final word has yet been said about Modi's role. Even the SIT report was only about the mob violence in the Gulberg housing society where the former Congress MP, Ehsan Jafri, was killed. The report will now be considered by the trial court while the views of the amicus curiae, Raju Ramachandran, are yet to be made public. However, the point is not the prolonged legal battles, but the fact that Modi's strenuous attempts from the post-2004 poll results to put the riots behind him haven't cleansed his image. It has been said that one of the reasons why the outbreak, which he callously described as "stray incidents" although 1,200 people were killed, continues to haunt him is that he has never expressed remorse, as Manmohan Singh has done about the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. However, even if he does say sorry at some point, it may not make much of an impact for two reasons: one is that the BJP itself remains committed to its "one culture" ideal for India, which emphasises the country's Hindu character to the exclusion of all minority cultures, as in a theocracy. The riots, for which the Gujarat high court has castigated the state government, and the demolition of the Babri mosque 10 years earlier, were the fallout of the Hindutva camp's virulent communal propaganda. While the 1992 act of destruction helped the BJP to attain power at the center, the 2002 outbreak made the party lose it. Evidently, the square peg of communalism cannot fit into the round hole of a secular democracy.

Baby Neha Afreen was allegedly battered by her Bangalore-based father for being born a girl. marks inflicted on her. Because it is the same counFalak, like Afreen, was just try where one end of the specthe smallest link in a chain of trum of discrimination constisexual exploitation and gen- tutes Falak and Afreen and the der disparity. Hers was a other, the buyers of the latest twisted tale of human traffick- fairness cream in the market ing that revealed a fresh atroc- a 'clean and dry intimate ity at each turn. It started with wash' that promises fair priher biological mother, the vic- vate parts. It's a wide arc that tim of an abusive husband, takes in dowry victims, foetiand ended with a 14-year-old cide, domestic violence, rape girl, who took the battered and so much more. baby to hospital and claimed The woman who buys the to be her mother. wash - the ad promising that it She was of course not the will liven up your love life - is mother. Barely a teen, she was subject to the same bigotry just another oppressed girl that the two babies were. She who was trafficked herself will use it, hoping to induce and given custody of the baby greater romance in her life by her abusive boyfriend. and succumb a little more to And this is the proverbial the pressure of looking good tip of a very deep iceberg in a - even in her most private country where there are only parts. 914 women for every 1,000 The product addresses the men. insecurities of millions of For every Falak and Afreen women - and rakes in the who become the talking moolah. The fairness industry points of an entire nation is a multimillion rupee one, thanks to the media - but still just as the foetal sex determidon't survive -- there are mil- nation and selective abortion lions of girls who die in obliv- industry that Unicef estimates ion, or are killed in the womb is now worth Rs.1,000 crore itself. Like the two-day-old ($244 million). child in Madhya Pradesh's It's a brave new world out Gwalior town who was given there, but for Indian women, nicotine by another father and doubtless women elsedesperate for a son. where too, it is a question of So, where does it end? many steps backward and one It probably doesn't, not even step forward. The momentum in the India of today that of backwardness stays prides itself on its many unchanged, despite Afreens achievements, its woman and Falaks tugging at our conpresident, its woman speaker, science every now and then. its woman leader of opposiIt's the tired cliche, the more tion and woman chair of the things change the more they ruling alliance. remain the same.

The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.

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Op Ed TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 21-27, 2012

Obama, Romney chase 'floating' voters

By Meenakshi Iyer f we see the data emanating from the first Gallup daily tracking poll of the US Presidential campaign this week, 90 percent of Republicans support Matt Romney while 90 percent of Democrats favor President Barack Obama. The bigger question here is: how the more independent-minded voters end up making their choice. The campaigns are all targeted to that tiny number of swing voters. They're hard to reach because they purposefully don't listen to the candidates all that much. Typically, Americans stay true to partisan allegiances formed when they were young. They won't be swayed by the ups and downs of a particular campaign. According to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll, registered voters are evenly split between Romney and Obama with both supported by 46 percent each. Last month's Times/CBS News poll also showed a close race, with 47 percent supporting Obama and 44 percent Romney. Following the exit of former senator Rick Santorum, his closest rival in the Republican nomination race, a majority of Republican primary vot-

Typically, Americans stay true to partisan allegiances formed when they were young. They won't be swayed by the ups and downs of a particular campaign, says the Gallup daily tracking poll.
ers - 54 percent - now say they would like to see Romney nominated, the poll found. These include a plurality of evangelical Christians, a group that had formed Santorum's base of support. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich is backed by 20 percent of Republican voters, while House member Ron Paul draws 12 percent support. But the poll continues to show a lack of strong enthusiasm among many Republican voters for Romney's candidacy with only one in three saying they would enthusiastically support him in November. Meanwhile, a CNN/ORC International Poll found an ideological split among Republicans over who should be Romney's running mate. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice tops the list of those presented with a list of possibilities, with 26 percent. Santorum was the top pick of 21 percent. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie were tied at 14 percent. But among self-described tea party supporters, Rubio is the top choice, with 22 percent, and Christie is second, with 18 percent. Rice and Santorum drop into a tie for third place.

Among Republicans who say they aren't tea party supporters, 36 percent say Rice is their choice, and one in four say they prefer Santorum. Christie barely cracks double digits, and Rubio is in single digits among non-tea party supporters. The X-factors The perception that the president is more likeable and more in touch with the problems facing women and middle class Americans benefits Obama, according to the CNN/ORC International poll. But the public is divided on which candidate can best jump-start the economy. According to the poll, 52 percent of registered voters say if the presidential election were held today, they would vote for Obama, with 43 percent saying they would cast a ballot for Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who is making his second bid for the White House. The survey indicates women voters back Obama over Romney by 16 points (55 percent-39 percent), virtually unchanged from an 18-point advantage among women for the president in CNN polling last month. Half of those questioned say that Obama is more likely to stand up for what he believes, with only 29 percent saying that about Romney.

Nearly half say that Romney is more likely to change his position on the issues for political reasons, just 39 percent saying the same thing about the president. Obama has double-digit leads over Romney on likeability, honesty, confidence, values, leadership and almost every other characteristic tested, with one important exception. According to the poll, Obama holds a 48 percent-43 percent margin over Romney among crucial independent voters. The survey also indicates s generation gap, with all age groups, except those 65 and older, backing Obama. And the poll points to an income divide, with Obama holding a 20point lead over Romney among those earning less than $50,000 per year, while those making more than that figure divided between the two candidates. Obama's likeability and strong performance on personal characteristics helps explain why three-quarters of his supporters questioned say their vote will be a vote for Obama, not a vote against his opponent, CNN said. By contrast, more than six in ten Romney supporters say their choice will be mostly be a vote against Obama. (With inputs from IANS)

Diaspora TheSouthAsianTimes.info

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April 21-27, 2012

Indian boy in UAE helps Indian-origin Oxford don save environment Dr Sivia will not be prosecuted
Abdul Muqeet with his mother Andaleeb Fatima London: An Indian-origin Oxford University don will not be prosecuted in connection with the death of his colleague, a UK court has ruled. Dr Devinder Sivia, 49, was arrested at his home in Oxfordshire, on suspicion of murder in January after police discovered the body of his friend and colleague Professor Steven Rawlings, 50. According to The Telegraph, Baljit Ubhey, Chief Crown Prosecutor for Thames and Chiltern CPS, said that following inquiries by Thames Valley Police, he has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to put before a court. I received a file from Thames charges in relation to the death of Steven Rawlings , the paper quoted Ubhey, as saying. I extend my sincere sympathies to Mrs Rawlings for the death of her husband. An inquest will take place in due course, he added. Dr Sivia and Professor Rawlings had been friends for 30 years and had published a book together. Prof Rawlings wife Linda Rawlings, rallied to support Dr Sivia following his arrest. I do not believe that Steves death is murder and I do not believe Devinder should be tarnished in this way, she has said in a statement issued through Thames Valley Police.

Abu Dhabi: A 10-year-old Indian boy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is doing his own bit to save the environment. Every day, he makes paper bags and distributes them to supermarkets, stores and malls. Abdul Muqeet started his project when he was only eight. Abdul's father explained to him the negative impact the non-biodegradable plastic bags have on nature. This led Abdul to think about eco-friendly ideas -- what he could do personally and how he could get other people to act, the Gulf News reported. Every day after school, Abdul began making bags from old newspapers. In two years, he has made and distributed about 4,500 bags to supermarkets, stores and malls. "I make 10-15 bags a day, except on exam days," Abdul said. His schoolmates have nicknamed the bags "Abdul Muqeet Bags", and he is popularly known as the "paper

bag boy." Abdul is never shy about stopping a stranger in a supermarket to deliver his message. He waits at the check-out counters and politely asks for a minute of their time to talk about the environment. "I tell them that recycling one tonne of paper saves 17 trees," he said. Abdul has held demonstrations in Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi Mall, Khalidiya Mall, Jimi Mall in Al Ain, Dubai Festival City and Dubai Marina Mall. His mother Andaleeb Fatima said Abdul has received several awards for his commitment to environmental conservation. His parents now accompany him to his demonstrations. "When we saw his enthusiasm, we wanted to nurture his interest. I want to tell mothers that every child can give back to the community," she said.

Dr Devinder Sivia Valley Police, have considered all the evidence, and have decided that Devinderjit Sivia will not face any

Norway custody row: Court expected to give decision on April 23

Norway: The fate of two NRI children, presently under foster care here, is expected to be decided on Monday by a Norwegian court, which on Tuesday heard the child welfare services plea for sending them back to India. The final judgment in the case, that has seen intense diplomatic involvement, is expected on April 23, official sources said, adding that senior officials of Ministry of External Affairs were present to assist the Norwegian government in the case. Three-year-old Abhigyan and one-year-old Aishwarya were taken away from their parents Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya by Norwegian authorities in May last year on grounds of emotional disconnect. Since then the case has taken various turns and the last court hearing was postponed in view of reports that the parents have filed for divorce. However, the parents denied this. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had taken up the matter with his Norwegian counterpart during the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul last month. Dr. Singh had said India is keen to find an amicable and good solution to the custody battle of the two young Indian children within the ambit of the law. India has been maintaining from the beginning that the children need to send back to the country.

Terror attack: Indians in Afghanistan safe

New Delhi: In the wake of Sunday's terror attack in Afghanistan, India said it was in constant touch with its embassy in Kabul and its citizens living in that country were safe. Blasts and gun shots were heard inside a luxury hotel in Kabul after militants stormed a building near the UN mission in Afghanistan. "We are in constant touch with our embassy in Kabul. All Indian citizens are reported to be safe," said a statement issued by the external affairs ministry here. Around 4,000 Indians are living in Afghanistan and are engaged in a host of socioeconomic reconstruction projects. India has pledged $2 billion for reconstruction of Afghanistan.
Jai Gulabrai, a second generation Indian who has adapted to all of Ghana's ways and is a Ghanaian at heart.
Accra: He looks every inch an Indian. But that is all about 67-yearold Jai Gulabrai because he has adapted to all of Ghana's ways and is a Ghanaian at heart like any other second generation Indian born and nurtured in the country. "I am proud to be a Ghanaian," he declares. In spite of their adopted nationality, Gulabrai and many second generation Indians still have links with the Indian community through the Indian Association in the country. "Big Jay", as he has become known to his friends and family, has every reason to be a proud Ghanaian, because he holds a Ghanaian passport and on the day of interview he was proud to show me his new biometric voter's registration card for the 2012 election. "I was the first to be registered at my polling station. In addition, no one I have ever been associated with

Jai Gulabrai looks like an Indian, has the heart of a Ghanaian

has ever considered me as an Indian." "From my school days in Accra and in Kumasi, where I ate from the same bowl with my mates, no one saw me differently. We were color blind and I have thus grown to see myself more and more as a Ghanaian." In addition, his Bywel night club, off the famous Oxford street in Accra, which he has been running for more than 20 years now, has become an attraction for the movers and shakers of business and politics on Thursday nights. Gulabrai was born in Ghana's second city, Kumasi and attended school in both the cities. He speaks the Ga language which is spoken in the capital fluently and so is his Akan Twi which is the predominant language across the country. "My father, Gulab Rai Hassaram, came to Ghana in 1925 at the age of 16, after he lost his parents, to work as a store boy in the then Gold Coast. This was upon the recommendation of his school mate, whose father was running the Chanrai Group in the Gold Coast at the time," Gulabrai said. He said he was easily employed because he was educated in the special business language of Varkai. "My father worked for the Chandrai Group for a while and then went into a partnership that did not work and then decided to set up his own retail chain, Rose Pillars in 1947 which had branches all over the country. "My father ran the Rose Pillars which became a household name in retail business throughout the country until 1976 when he decided to give it up to the daughter of his Ghanaian friend. This was because I was out of the country and was involved with other things in Europe and was not ready to take over the enterprise at the time," says Gulabrai. Gulabrai, who described himself as a marketer, had been involved in businesses around Europe and in parts of Asia before finally deciding to return to Ghana to start his present love which is running a night club. "This was initially started to keep friends together as a meeting place. It has however grown big and turned out to be a place for creme de la creme to unwind every Thursday night," he said. Asked if he uses his network of friends who cut across the country's political spectrum to promote his night club, Gulabrai said: "I do not use my connections for my benefit because I do not need favors from anyone." Gulabrai, who describes himself as a "walking encyclopaedia of Ghanaian politics" says he has lived through all the political history of the country and thus understands the politic history very well. "In addition, my father's house was a meeting place for all sorts of politicians and that has made me to have friends from all across the divide," he added. Gulabrai has refused to be involved in politics even though he could have done so because "politics is a combination of ideologies that is required to build a nation and I would not want to stick to one political ideology." He says his neutrality has given him the opportunity to criticize people in government, who have always respected his views. In spite of this, Gulabrai says he supports the Convention People's Party (CPP) though not a card bearing member. The party was set up by the country's first President, Kwame Nkrumah, whom he described as a nationalist who set the country on the road to good development. "Just look at the industries he set up in his time. The infrastructure policies he embarked upon have not been equaled since," Gulabrai added.

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Subcontinent TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 21-27, 2012

Pak bomb-maker scoured New York for targets

New York: A Pakistani bombmaker, who was involved in a foiled 2009 plot against New York city's subways, has revealed how he and an Al Qaeda handler in Pakistan considered everything from the subway to movie theatres as targets. "We started the conversation on such targets as Walmart, the New York Stock Exchange, Times Square, subways, movie theatres, I believe buses were mentioned too," Najibullah Zazi said in court at the trial of an alleged coconspirator, Adis Medunjanin. Zazi, an immigrant from Pakistan and the third man in the group, Zerein Ahmedzay, an immigrant from Afghanistan, have already pleaded guilty. Medunjanin, a Bosnian immigrant who travelled with the two friends to Pakistan where they allegedly sought terrorist training, is among those accused of devising the scheme. Zazi testified that Medunjanin had provided him with audio belt - "the centre of Al Qaeda activity against the United States" - to join the terrorist group, according to prosecutors. Once there, they said, the men were given "special treatment" and "private training by Al Qaeda" because of their coveted status as US citizens. A year after the foiled 2009 plot against New York city's subways, another bombing attempt took place in 2010. Pakistan-born American Faisal Shahzad has pleaded guilty to trying to detonate a car bomb in New York's Times Square May 1 while working with the Taliban in Pakistan. He has been sentenced to life in prison. Shahzad admitted he drove a Nissan Pathfinder into the crowded Manhattan intersection laden with improvised explosives. He fled when they failed to go off and was arrested May 3 at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport after boarding a flight to Dubai.

Pak, US to hold talks on new terms of engagement

Islamabad: Pakistan will hold talks with the US on "new terms of engagements", the foreign ministry said. This follows last week's parliamentary approval of fresh guidelines for the country in its troubled relationship with Washington. The guidelines were framed in the wake of last November's NATO air strike on Pakistani border posts that killed 24 soldiers. Relationship between the two allies had been at the lowest ebb since the NATO raid, which had also led to suspension of high-level contacts for months. The contacts were revived late last month, reported Xinhua. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar Monday night and "discussed bilateral relations and agreed to broaden engagements for pursuit of agreed objectives", the foreign ministry said. Foreign Minister Khar told Clinton that Pakistan would "welcome a US delegation to continue the dialogue process on new terms of engagement". No dates have been announced for the talks.

Najibullah Zazi. recordings of terrorist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki promoting jihad. He testified that he wanted to enlist in the Taliban "before they win and America leaves, I should go and be a part of it". "My understanding was they wanted me to carry out a martyrdom operation," Zazi testified. The three initially resisted, he said. "We talked amongst ourselves, looked at each other and said no," he said, only to later begin their planning. Prosecutors allege Medunjanin and the two others eventually hatched a plan to rig backpacks with explosives and blow them up on New York subway stations. Angry at the presence of US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, the three went to Pakistan's tribal

Pakistan prepares to deport Osama's family

Islamabad: Pakistan is making arrangements to deport 16 members of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden's family after their 45-day jail term ends this week, a media report said. Osama was gunned down in Abbottabad town by US commandoes in May last year. A meeting was held at the interior ministry to finalise the arrangements for their deportation, reported Dawn citing sources. The Al Qaeda chief's three wives - two Saudi and one Yemeni - and 13 children were detained March 3 and were kept in a house that was declared a sub-jail. A judge sentenced them for having entered Pakistan without valid travel documents and living here illegally. Amir Khalil, counsel of the Osama family, told the daily that travel documents of the family were ready.

EU to allow Myanmar to export goods at discount

Brussels: The European Union (EU) will abolish 20-year sanctions against Myanmar and include the country into its generalized system of preferences, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said. The official decision on sanctions against Myanmar (formerly Burma), which the EU and the US had introduced over human rights violations, is expected at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council April 23. Speaking at a European Parliament session in Strasbourg, Ashton Wednesday said she would visit Myanmar later this month and invited the country's foreign minister to Brussels. Myanmar was ruled by military dictators in 1962-2011, which brought about Western economic sanctions in the 1990s. However, the opposition party, National League for Democracy led by Nobel prize winner Aung Sun Suu Kyi, was openly elected to parliament and hailed in the EU. Although parliament remains controlled by the military, a civil government was formed in March 2011 and the military delegated their powers to its members.

The Al Qaeda chief's three wives and 13 children were kept in a house (in the picture) that was declared a sub-jail.

Pakistani gets 2 years jail for helping LeT

Washington: A Pakistani man living in Virginia has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for providing material support to Pakistan based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taeba (LeT), blamed for the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Jubair Ahmad pleaded guilty in December to making a propaganda video for the group, which included images and a prayer given by the LeT leader, Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, suspected of masterminding the Mumbai attacks. The video also showed "scenes where atrocities have been inflicted on Muslims, followed by the activities of the mujahideen conducting attacks in Kashmir," according to the Justice Department. Recently, the United States announced a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Saeed.

Afghan terror attack ends: 48 dead, 65 injured

Kabul: At least 48 people, including 36 terrorists, have been killed and 65 injured in what was a well-coordinated terror attack launched by heavily-armed Taliban militants in Kabul and three other cities that ended Monday following an 18-hour military operation, authorities said. Taliban attacks on government interests has left 48 people, including the attackers, dead and injured 65, Interior Minister Bismillah Mohammadi said. "Overall, 36 terrorists and 12 others including eight security personnel and four civilians were killed during terrorist and counter-terrorist operations," Xinhua outed Mohammadi as saying. He said as many as 37 rebels armed with suicide vests, assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades began their offensive Sunday and security forces launched countPaktia's provincial capital Gerdez 100 km south and Logar's provincial capital Pul-eAlam 60 km south of capital Kabul on Sunday as part of what they called spring offensive. After the fierce fighting came to an end in Kabul that Monday morning saw a string of explosions, police said Taliban militants have been brought under control and all the attackers have been killed. "In the counter offensive against terrorists in Kabul, eight security personnel were (killed) and 46 sustained injuries. Out of these, five are civilians and the remaining are security personnel," said Mohammad Zahir, head of Crime Investigation department of Kabul police. "The last of militants were overrun in Darul Aman area (of Kabul) at 7.30 a.m. today (Monday) and all the attackers have been killed," the police statement said.

Taliban militants fighting Afghan and NATO-led forces launched one of their biggest ever attacks in three parts of Kabul.

er offensive during which 36 attackers were killed and one captured. Taliban militants fighting Afghan and NATO-led forces launched one of their biggest ever attacks in three parts of the capital city Kabul, Nangarhar's provincial capital Jalalabad city 120 km east of Kabul,

International TheSouthAsianTimes.info

23

April 21-27, 2012

Gunfire and wrangling cloud U.N. Syria mission

Beirut: Gunfire and protests near a team of U.N. observers in Syria and diplomatic wrangling over the scope of their mission underlined the precarious prospects for a week-old truce which has so far failed to halt a year of bloodshed. Shooting erupted close to an advance party of military personnel from the United Nations who had been swarmed by protesters denouncing President Bashar al-Assad in the town of Erbin, on the northeastern outskirts of the capital Damascus. There were no reports of casualties. But scenes of monitors' vehicles stuck in a crowd and men running away while gunfire rattled in the air were an ominous echo of an earlier monitoring mission, by the Arab League, which collapsed in January. The United States said the incident - and sustained shelling by the Syrian army of the city of Homs - raised questions about whether observers could actually monitor any truce and pledged to step up pressure on Assad at a meeting in Paris. No formal agreement has been reached yet on how the new monitors should operate, and Syria challenged U.N. Secretary Ban Ki-moon over the size and scope of their mission.

New US envoy to India says hello in 10 languages

Washington: Nancy Powell, who will be the first female American ambassador to India, arrives in New Delhi this week with an intimate video message of greetings subtitled in 10 Indian languages. Wielding a much-used camera, Powell, 65, is shown walking around the National Mall in Washington DC as she speaks about her time in India from 1992 to 1995 when she served as a US Consul-General in Kolkata and a political counsellor in New Delhi. "I am impressed by how much deeper and broader Indian-American relations have become and how much greater role India now plays in addressing the world's challenges," she said outlining her ambitious built on a "rock solid foundation." The 2.36-minute video, released by the US embassy in New Delhi ahead of Powell's arrival, is subtitled in 10 Indian languages: Hindi, Urdu, Bangla, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Punjabi and Gujarati. Powell, a former ambassador to Pakistan and Nepal, said she plans to trav-

A team of U.N. monitors walk through a hotel in Damascus. Ban said this week that 250 observers were insufficient in a country of 23 million where the United Nations says at least 9,000 people have been killed in the past 13 months. He sought European help in supplying planes and helicopters. But Syrian Foreign Minister Walid alMoualem said 250 was a "reasonable number", adding they should be from countries such as China, Russia, Brazil, India and South Africa - all more sympathetic to Damascus than are the West or the Arab League.

Nancy Powell will be the first female American ambassador to India. el to all corners of India, and that she sees India and the US "forming one of the definitive partnerships of the 21st century". She is also looking forward to walks in Lodhi Gardens in central New Delhi, she said. But "I am not focused on reliving the past", she says, and speaks of capturing a "future of even stronger ties between US and India". "Phir milenge," ("Till we meet again,") she concludes, just before flying off to New Delhi.

Wikipedia entries full of factual errors, says researcher

Washington: Sixty percent of Wikipedia articles about companies contain factual errors, according to a new research, which warned people not to rely on the website for accurate and balanced information. "It does not surprise me that so many Wikipedia entries contain factual errors," said Marcia W. DiStaso, assistant professor of public relations at Penn State University, who conducted the research. "A high amount of factual errors doesn't work for anyone, especially the public, which relies on Wikipedia for accurate, balanced information," says DiStaso. DiStaso surveyed 1,284 professionals from Public Relations Society of America, the International Association of Business Public Relations and the National Investor Relations Institute to assess their working relationship with Wikipedia, the Public Relations Journal reports. Results of the survey indicate a gap exists between public relations professionals and Wikipedia concerning the proper protocol for editing entries, according to a Penn statement. When respondents attempted to engage editors through Wikipedia's "Talk" pages to request corrections of facts in entries, 40 percent said it took "days" to receive a response, 12 percent indicated "weeks," while 24 percent never received any type of response. According to Wikipedia, its standard response time to requests for corrections is between two and five days. Only 35 percent of respondents were able to engage with Wikipedia, either by using its "Talk" pages to converse with editors or through direct editing of a client's entry. Respondents indicated this figure is low partly because some fear media backlash over making edits to clients' entries. Respondents also expressed a certain level of uncertainty regarding how to properly edit Wikipedia entries. Of those who were familiar with the process of editing Wikipedia entries, 23 percent said making changes was "near impossible". Twenty-nine percent said their interactions with Wikipedia editors were "never productive".

According to Wikipedia, its standard response time to requests for corrections is between two and five days. Communicators, the Word of Mouth Marketing Association, the Institute for

North Korea vows to go ahead with space program Too early to tell on North Korean leader: Clinton
Moscow: North Korea will continue further development of its aerospace technologies, including a satellite program, despite the UN Security Council condemnation, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The North Korean foreign ministry said in a statement that it will continue to exercise its "sovereign right for the use of space", as it was universally accepted by international laws, "which are above UN Security Council resolutions". The ministry said the UN Security Council resolutions "violate the legitimate right of every country for satellite launches". "In accordance with the state space program, we will continue launches of various satellites, including geostationary, required for the country's economic development," the statement said. Pyongyang also announced the withdrawal from the Feb 29 deal with the US to impose a moratorium on nuclear activities and longrange missile tests in exchange for US food aid. After the failed April 13 launch of the Unha3 rocket, which North Korea had said would put a satellite into orbit, Washington suspended its food aid to the country.

Washington: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered some hope that North Korea's young leader, Kim Jong-un, may yet change course despite the reclusive Communist state's recent rocket launch and the threat of a new nuclear test. In an interview with CNN's "The Situation Room," Clinton said it was too early to tell what to make

of the surprise remarks to soldiers on Sunday by the youngest son of the late Kim Jong-il, who saw North Korea fall into deep poverty and developed a nuclear weapons program during his 17-year rule. Without elaborating, Clinton said Jongun's speech was analyzed as "some of the old - same old stuff" and "some possible new approach".

"We really are waiting and watching to see whether he can be the kind of leader that the North Korean people need. "If he just follows in the footsteps of his father, we don't expect much other than the kind of provocative behavior and the deep failure of the political and economic elite to take care of their own people," Clinton said.

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Business TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 21-27, 2012

MasterCard's Ajay Banga to head USIBC

Washington: Ajay Banga, president & CEO of MasterCard Worldwide, has been elected next chairman of the US-India Business Council (USIBC), a trade association made of 350 top American and Indian companies. Banga, who became the president and CEO of global payments and technology company in July, 2010, takes over from Harold "Terry" McGraw III, president, chairman, and CEO of The McGraw-Hill Companies. "As a long time supporter and member of USIBC, I have witnessed the Council's stature and influence rise dramatically as a direct result of the iconic leadership provided by former chairs Chip Kaye, Indra Nooyi, and Terry McGraw," said Banga. "It is an exceptional honor to be entrusted with such a legacy and I look forward to building on their successes." Banga currently serves on the board of Kraft Foods and is a member of such prestigious groups as the Council on Foreign Relations, the Business Roundtable, and the Foreign Policy Association. Banga's "deep business experience in India, as well his global business

Microsoft, Google win Indian developer awards

Bangalore: Global software major Microsoft and global search engine Google bagged the Great Indian Developer Awards 2012 for innovative products and applications at the IT developers' fifth annual summit. Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 has been selected in the development environment category and Google Android in the mobile development category for the prestigious awards, instituted by Saltmarch Media, a platform of professionals from diverse sectors with an objeccategories in terms of functionality, usability, bleeding-edge quotient and feedback from the developer ecosystem. "India like many countries skipped the mainframe, PC and internet revolution but went directly to mobile. The role of mobile and telecommunications has a direct impact on the GDP (gross domestic product) growth as research indicates," Nokia India head of ecosystem Gerard Rego told the developers on the occasion.

Ajay Banga, president & CEO of MasterCard Worldwide. acumen and leadership, will be enormously helpful as we move forward to realize the full potential of closer US-India relations," said McGraw. "By expanding the partnership between our two nations over the next several years, including passage of a bilateral investment treaty, we can move from $100 billion in two-way trade to $500 billion by the end of the decade," he added. "MasterCard's activities in India empowering people via financial inclusion and making available to every segment of Indian society innovative payment solutions are central to the future US-India growth story," said USIBC President, Ron Somers.

tive of informing, networking and serving them with information, evaluation and guidance to excel in their jobs. The awards recognize the product and innovation excellence of software products and tools that aid developer productivity across 11

IMF raises global growth forecast

Washington: Global growth is slowly improving as recovery in the United States gains traction and dangers from Europe recede, but risks remain elevated and the gains are very fragile, the International Monetary Fund said. India is forecast to expand 6.9 per cent in 2012 and 7.3 per cent next year, growing slightly below the revised forecasts of January as a result of weak demand and higher interest rates, the IMF said. Another flare-up of the euro-zone sovereign debt crisis or sharp escalation in oil prices on geopolitical uncertainty could easily undermine confidence and disrupt the improving growth path for world economy, the IMF said. "With the passing of the crisis and some good news about the US economy, some optimism has returned. It should remain tempered," said Oliver Blanchard, the IMF's chief economist, in the latest World Economic Outlook. "Even absent another European crisis, most advanced economies still face major brakes on growth. And the risk of another crisis is still very much present and could well affect both advanced and emerging economies," he said. The global economy is on track to expand this year by 3.5 per cent and by 4.1 per cent in 2013, up slightly from 3.3 percent and 3.9 per cent GDP output respectively that the IMF had forecast in January, when market concern was rampant that Greece could default and Italy and Spain were facing budget crises.

New Delhi: Indian Industry rejoiced at the interest rates cut by the Reserve Bank of India for the first time in three years by an unexpected and sharp 50 basis points, with top honchos saying the decision would boost business sentiment and revive investment and growth. "It is a very good step because high interest rates were having negative impact on the country's economic growth," said Adi Godrej, chairman, Godrej Group. "The cycle of repo cut has started and we may see more cuts in future," Godrej, president-designate of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), told reporters. The RBI in its annual monetary policy for 2012-13 cut the repurchase rate by 50 basis points to 8 percent, which will automatically see the reverse repurchase rate also drop to 7 percent from 7.5 percent. "I am delighted," said Bajaj Auto Chairman Rahul Bajaj.

India Inc says cheers to surprise BlackBerry launches interest rates cut new smartphone
Bajaj said the move would help boost investments and improve economic growth. "While the cut in policy rates by RBI is an encouraging move, we also need the government to push reforms as this would improve business sentiment and spur investments in the economy," said R V Kanoria, president, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci). Kanoria hoped that the government would take positive measures that would result in increased liquidity and not crowd out private investment as a result of high government borrowings. "The cut in repo rate by 50 basis points is a welcome move, which was much needed given that the GDP growth is moderating and IIP (index of industrial production) growth is declining," Chandrajit Banerjee, director general of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), said about the RBI's annual monetary policy.

The new phone is loaded with the company's new operating system 7.1 OS.

American Airlines plans to cut another 1,200 jobs

Dallas: American Airlines wants to eliminate 1,200 nonunion jobs as it cuts costs while under bankruptcy protection. That pushes the company's overall job-cut target to 14,200. It announced plans in February to cut 13,000 union pilots, flight attendants and ground workers. American outlined the cuts for many nonunion workers. The company wants to outsource the jobs of all airport skycaps and cargo agents, cancel a planned lump-sum payment that was due for nonunion workers next year, freeze their pension plan, cut vacation and paid holidays, and reduce medical benefits.

New Delhi: Canadian mobile handsets maker Research in Motion (RIM) has launched BlackBerry Curve 9220 for the global markets in India to regain lost market share in the smartphone category. The new smartphone has a raft of features, including a dedicated BlackBerry messenger key, and is loaded with the company's latest operating system (OS) 7.1 OS. The smart phone also has an in-built FM radio. The company is also offering many free applications with the phone such as pencil camera, photo studio pro and horoscope oracle

worth Rs.2,500 for free till June 30, 2012. Carlo Chiarello, executive vice president, RIM's smart phone division, said "the growing economy and large youth population has made India one of the company's key growth areas for us". The country has recently witnessed launch of a handful of low cost smartphones in the sub Rs.6,000 range to tap the rising demand for such devices. According to data by IT research firm CyberMedia, smartphone sales in India surged 87 percent at 11.2 million units in 2011 over the previous year.

Art & Craft TheSouthAsianTimes.info

25

April 21-27, 2012

Carrying India abroad in foreign brushstrokes

Sterre Sharma attributes the rich substance of her artwork to the equally exquisite spirituality and culture of India.
he tag "expat artist" sits on them like misnomers. Meet this band of painters who are of foreign origin but have been carrying indelible images of India abroad through their fascination with the mysteries, faiths and colors of the Orient. Indian multimedia artist of Dutch origin Sterre Sharma, who made India her home in 1971, delves into Oriental spirituality and everyday reality to look for inspiration. "All my paintings are inspired by Indian spirituality and culture," Sterre said. She has painted anecdotes from the love story of Radha-Krishna, using the visual imagery of Vrindavan's traditional peacock dance, and has interpreted the stories of Hanuman and the sacred Hindu symbol of 'Om' in mandalalike abstract compositions in her art. The Hindu epic Mahabharata which she read after settling down in the home of her Indian politician husband, Satish Sharma, has been a life-changing experience. She has been helping nearly 1,200 families of poor Indian performers from the slums in the capital to showcase the endangered Indian arts in Europe since 1992, besides her own international art shows. "I wanted to be an artist when I was seven," said Sterre. British artist Olivia FraserDalrymple inherits her passion for Indian art from her ancestor, James Baillie Fraser, who painted Indian

A painting of people on the streets by leading contemporary Olivia Fraser-Dalrymple architecture during the East India John Zoffany, George Chinnery and Company Raj. Olivia paints in the James Fraser have passed on to hisnorth Indian miniature style and tory; making room for a smaller picks up her subjects from the folk wave, who call themselves cultures and streets of India. Indophiles, and paint contemporary Olivia, wife of novelist William India. Dalrymple, said she uses an Indian Spirituality remains their primary vocabulary in her work. The fact inspiration, but with new issues like that she started off as a linguist sustenance, economics and perspechelps her approach her art as an tives. interpreter - "to capture the medita"The avenues for foreign artists to tive quality of Indian miniature art". show their works are difficult. They The history of the British Raj, have to adapt to Indian sensibilities beginning at the tail-end of Mughal to relate to buyers. Galleries now rule, till independence is littered look for foreign artists," says arts with names of artists who were promoter AnubhavNath of the commissioned to document India - RamchanderNath Foundation. then the new jewel in the empire's Indian Vaishnavism is young crown - for branding in Europe. American artist Michael-Buhler Post-Independence, East India Rose's artistic muse. Company painters like Thomas and Buhler, known for his IndiaWilliam Daniell, James Forbes, inspired spiritual photographs, tries

An interpretation of Hindu mythology by Dutch artist Sterre Sharma to put the West in the Indian context often through images of foreign women clad in saris. The 32-year-old, who exhibited at expat gallerist Peter Nagy's Nature Morte gallery last month with Olivia, hunts for ideas from "Indian scriptures, performance traditions and religious mores". Then there is Delhi-based American artist Zachary Becker. "I came to India in 2009 to work for an art project for young inmates of Tihar jail in the capital, and stayed over," Becker said. Becker, who works on the sights and sounds of the capital, including politics and migration, in multimedia, says he often appears in his own photographs of the city to drive a political message about unity. India also helps him sustain as an artist unlike many Western nations, hit by the recent downturn.

Food in art: Artists play with dynamics of gastronomy

plate of food and wine on the table is no longer mere gastronomy. It is high art of flavor, color, textures, concepts, cultures, science and politics - everything that contemporary art has been experimenting with for the last decade. Food in conceptual art seeks to connect the visual with the cerebral and the visceral, says Indonesian contemporary Julian Abraham, who is working on the concept of fermentation, wine, prohibition and faith with installations. His new work, "Karma Wine: KapitanBiopunk", a multimedia installation on display in the national capital recently, relates to the art and science of winemaking. A sculpture, resembling Abraham, responds to viewers' repeated entreaties for wine over a microphone on the basis of sonic waves. Once the sound connection is made and the circuit established, the figure lowers

An installation of fluorescent food by Italian artist Alfonso Borrogain working in India. its head and pours wine as benediction from its mouth into the devotee's waiting cup. The installation is accompanied by texts "about the history of fermentation, its religious and scientific significance and analogies". The wine is tamarind water fermented over two weeks by the artist. "I have used the concept of a religious rite wherein the worshipper prays to the guru expecting a good life and probably a good afterlife. The wine is a salute while the viewers' prayer is a rite," Abraham said. The artist began working with fermentation in 2010 after the Indonesian government increased

excise duty to check alcoholism. "But it did not work out that way - people tried to brew their own alcohol with methanol or wood alcohol...I wanted to explore its implications and outlooks across cultures," Abraham said. The humble fortified biscuit designed to enhance nutrition level - is a subject of food aid politics in young artists RuchikaNegi and AmitMahanti's new video installation, "The Idea of The Biscuit" - featuring a biscuit advertisement and a man masticating food. Studies say fortified biscuits with iodine and iron have improved the health of rural children in developing countries and sparked virulent politics over brand placements, pricing and policies. Performance and installation artist ShwetaBhattad uses food and performance to address issues of wastage. Her new multi-media performance art,

"Three Course Meal and Dessert of Vomit", paints a macabre portrait of gluttons drowning in their own "vomit". Italian conceptual artist Alfonso Borrogain has been engaging with street food vendors in the capital with his concept of fluorescent food - lighting them up with phosphorous or colored phosphorescent lamps. "Food is my strategy. I like to place surprise articles inside them and give to people across diverse cultures," Borrogain, who is in India for an artist's residency program, said. The artist has been working with "Ostrich eggs and chicken egg" pinhole cameras - made of the egg shells - that photograph people as they eat eggs. "We eat eggs and the eggs eat us," Borrogain explained. The artist said he was a member of an international group of nearly 20 artists who make conceptual art around food to address issues, which is a growing trend.

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Lifestyle TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 21-27, 2012

Accessorize or try a bikini sari when on holiday

he holiday season is round the corner and you don't know what to pack? Designers suggest jazzing up the resort wardrobe with accessories or going for innovative garments like the bikini sari and bright color kaftans teamed with studded footwear. Resort wear is not just about the sarong, shorts, t-shirt and wraparound. Fabrics also make a difference like the silk chiffon, crepe and silk lycra while lazing around during holidays. "Always go for resort wardrobe made with intelligent fabrics that are non-fussy, easy to maintain and extremely durable for a holiday, whether you're on land or sea," Narresh of designer duo Shivan-Narresh, known for the resort wear line, said. "Don't try to go overboard with your oomph quotient while holidaying and opt for breezy silhouettes. Go for bright colors that cut strategically on the body," he added. Shivan said: "A swimsuit, sarong, trapeze linen shirt and the bikini sari are perfect whether you are spending your time on a beach or in a bar." Cruise wear got prominence on the ramp at the last edition of the Lakme Fashion Week when models hit the ramp in outfits with tribal and digital prints, bohemian style jumpsuits, rompers and short dresses with multiple buttons.

Holiday wear trends for 2012. Designer JatinVarma says the kaftan and sarong may be a must-have for girls who don't want to experiment with their looks, but one can add spark to looks by styling with funky accessories like chunky neckpieces, elegant hats, chic hairbands, scarves and metallic chappals. There are options aplenty. "Yes, there are girls who believe they have limited option when it comes to resort wear, but one needs to learn how to style up the evergreen kaftans and sarongs in different and new ways," Varma told said. "One can team up bright coloured kaftans with trendy accessories. Also, bling shorts with a cotton top and short length kaftans with a pair of bling shorts can add volume to the entire personality." For many style divas, designs and cuts are important but they should emphasize on accessories too. "Selection of the right accessory is the key to boosting holiday wear and one can jazz it up by going for flower-butterfly clips, hairbands, big sunglasses or aviators and metallic hue chappals," said Puri.

Archana Kochhar's design for Holiday trend. "Accessories play a major role in enhancing the look. Go for oversized sunglasses, hats, neon neckpieces and chunky metallic bracelets and color blocked wedge sandals as they spice up the look and set you apart from the rest," said designer ArchanaKochhar. Designer PriaKataariaPuri said, "Breezy semi fluid fabrics such as silk chiffon, crepes and silk lycra in hues like bright orange, tangerine, sunshine yellow, apple green, candyfloss pink and off white are perfect for the cruise line."

She braves bullets to bring healthcare to women

he frail and seemingly calm UdasiSahu manages to conceal the excitement of her first plane journey. But the 42-year-old health worker can't conceal the thrill of her job trying to change the face of maternal health in conflict-torn districts of Odisha. Spanning a journey across the boondocks of north Odisha's landlocked Keonjhar district, Sahu's 16 years of unflinching passion to work for womenfolk in the Maoist heartland has landed her the national award as one of the best auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) in India. "I always wanted to do this...Almost two decades ago, right after my marriage, I told my husband about my wish to work for village women who were not aware and never cared to think of their own health," Sahu, a Class 9 dropout, said in Odiya as her colleague translated it into English. She travelled by an airplane for the first time to receive this award. A well-known face in the district, not even once has she thought of leaving her job or village due to harsh circumstances, thanks to her husband's support. Udasi conducts 50 to 60 deliveries a month while she maintains the track record of zero maternal mortality rate in Childa sub-center over the last five years. "The villages we work in have been facing constant conflict. There have been several indirect attacks from time to time around the subcenter where our staff gets injured, but that does not mean we will leave women and children unattended," Sahu says. In the rural healthcare system, an ANM is the key field level functionary who interacts directly with the community and has been the central focus of all the reproductive child health programs. The ANM mans the sub-center - the first

Parenting moving towards mutual growth, freedom

o your homeSaid actress work, eat whatRaveenaTandon, "There ever is on the is no perfect parent. I table and don't ever try became a mom when to be naughty. Parenting my child was given to has moved beyond the me. We say many things reprimands and stern that might unconsciousetiquette codes to ly wound the child. A become an art of mindparent has to be confulness, analysis and scious about what is complex psychological good and bad..." Shefali Tsabary's book was released in healing. At a session on parIndian stores this week. The mantra in the new enting in the capital nuclear home is freedom and sensitivity; it recently, she recalled a lesson that her daughspares the rod and allows the child to discover ter had taught her. its own identity through the roller-coaster of "I left my favorite sunglasses a couple of life, said New York-based clinical psycholo- years ago at a hotel in South Africa where I gist and writer ShefaliTsabary, who works was invited to attend an Indian Premier with families to promote mindful living and League match. After I returned, I telephoned conscious parenting across the world. the hotel to enquire about glasses. I lost my Tsabary in her new book, "The Conscious temper with my three-year-old daughter who Parent: Transforming Ourselves, Empowering interrupted my call," Tandon said. Our Children", (released in Indian stores this "My daughter said 'Mama, you can have my week), tries to move the epicenter of the par- pink Cinderella sun glasses... and I realized ent-child relationship away from the parent- how materialistic I was sounding. It gives me to-child "know it all" approach to a mutual goosebumps thinking about it. We must learn growth. to love the journey with our children," Tandon Once parents begin to learn alongside the said. Healer, psychologist and writer child, "power, control and dominance become ShiviDua, the author of a new book on parentan archaic language, because parents unwit- ing, "Let Go Mom...I Will be Fine", said: tingly pass their needs, psychological pain and "Parents are often embarrassed when a child is egos to their children". unable to meet parents' expectations." "Long ago, my father gave me the freedom "Things have changed from my childhood to find my own self after I told him that I and we have to understand that our children could not return home permanently to India are independent human beings. We have to from the US. Our children have the right to keep the process of our own growth alive," fight and live their own destiny," Tsabary said. Dua said.

contact point between the primary health care system and the community. Sahu was awarded here at a two-day national consultation on safe motherhood April 11-12. The nominations received from 10 high-focus states were judged by a team led by the ministry of health and family welfare in collaboration with White Ribbon Alliance and other experts on board. A mother of two, Sahu has seen it all being a birth attendant in villages amid confrontation between Maoists and security forces, helping women make an informed choice on family planning, immunization of babies, nutrition programs or running a health sub-center all by herself. In forest fringe villages where institutional delivery was a distant dream, Sahu managed to take hospital care to the doorstep, even if she was called at midnight by any family. Considered to be the pulse of the government's National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), around 800,000 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and ANMs form the ground force of delivering health services in rural parts of the country. With nearly 150,000 sub-centers across India, the number of ANMs at sub-centers and primary health centers increased from 130,000 in 2005 to 190,000 in 2009. Inspite of the increase, the National Family Health Survey (2006) puts the picture clear on lack of skilled birth attendance: only 52 percent of women receive three antenatal contacts and 42 percent receive any postnatal care. There are districts with just one ANM per 500 population. Unlike the ASHAs who receive a performance-based incentive, the ANMs are given a monthly pay. However, there are times when these health workers do not get salaries for months together, Sahu admits.

Sports TheSouthAsianTimes.info

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April 21-27, 2012

Bangalore: Team Bangalore's deadly opener Chris Gayle took Team Pune to the cleaners but he also sent 11-year-old Tia Bhatia to the operation theater. After his huge six broke her nose, he rushed to her bedside, held her hand, planted a kiss and profusely apologized. He was hit for a six when she told him, "It's an honor to be hit by you." The Bhatia family, residents of Kalyan Nagar, was soaking in the excitement at the Chinnaswamy Stadium until the penultimate ball of the 13th over which Gayle slammed into the stands and the ball cannoned into her. Tia was rushed to the nearby Mallya Hospital by stadium paramedics and underwent surgery around 9am on Wednesday. "She

It's an honor to be hit by you: spectator to Gayle

Randhawa rekindles old magic on Asian Tour

New Delhi: Indian golfer Jyoti Randhawa believes he is on the right track to return to his winning ways after coming close at the $2.5 million Malaysian Open over the weekend. Randhawa, who became India's first Asian Tour number one after claiming the coveted Order of Merit crown in 2002, stayed in the title hunt at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club before two errors on the back nine saw him settle for tied 11th place alongside countryman Jeev Milkha Singh and South Africa's Jbe Kruger on Sunday. He picked up $40,850 for his efforts which pushed him up to 24th place on the Merit list, which Kruger continues to lead with $437,519. "All in all, I'm feeling good. I just need to give it a little bit more time. I guess I'm on the right track. After this week, I'm feeling even more confident. I'm looking forward to the rest of the year," said Randhawa. As he approaches his 40th birthday next month, Randhawa knows he faces a tough challenge in his hope to win a ninth career Asian Tour victory with many emerging young stars making a name for themselves across the region. Randhawa, who enjoys skydiving, shooting and adventure sports outside the ropes, found inspiration in brother-in-law Digvijay Singh, who won his first win on Tour at the Panasonic Open India last month at the age of 40.

Chris Gayle's huge six broke 11-year-old Tia Bhatia's nose at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. was admitted with a fractured nasal a week or two. She may be disbone and was bleeding. Doctors charged in two days," said Dr performed nasal bone repair sur- Kanchan Sanyal, medical superingery and she should recover within tendent of the hospital.

Gayle rushed to meet 11-year-old Tia in hospital on Tuesday night after he learnt that one of his huge sixes in the match against Team Pune had broken her nose. He even gave her the medal won for hitting the maximum sixes in the match, and also his jacket. A friend accompanying Gayle said: "She reportedly said that if this was the treatment she got, she wouldn't mind getting hit again!" And Tia asked him to continue hammering those sixes. After meeting Tia, Gayle tweeted: "Thanks! Really amazing game-that's #IPL. Visit Tia who got hit by 1 of my sixes, broken nose (her 1st word to me is to Chill. She's fine!)". Vijay Mallya and his son Siddhartha, owners of Team Bangalore, also visited her past midnight.

Indian women's hockey team lose to US

Pakuranga (Auckland): The Indian women's hockey team went down 0-3 to the US in their first match of the second leg of the Four-Nation Tournament at the Lloyd Elsmore Hockey Stadium. The US dominated the proceedings as India played insipidly with numerous unforced errors. The goal scorers for the Americans were Shannon Taylor (penalty corner 14th minute), Paige Selenski (30th minute) and Michelle Cesan (47th minute). India took the field without central midfielder Asunta Lakra suffering from a sprained neck which helped their rivals to maneuver their attacks into the Indian striking circle without much difficulty. There was pressure on Indian deep defenders Joydeep Kaur and Kirandeep Kaur who were unable to rise to the occasion. India should have taken an early lead but Anuradha Thokchom who was setup after a good move by Poonam Rani and Ritu Rani failed to beat US goalkeeper Amy Swensen. Shortly after Rani also missed an easy scoring opportunity as she could not beat the goalkeeper on the one to one situation. US took the lead in the 14th minute from a penalty corner rebound scored by Shannon Taylor. India tried to find the equalizer and earned two penalty corners. While the first one was

The Indian women's hockey team went down 0-3 to the US. easily intercepted, the second one, a direct set piece by Deepika was stopped on the goal line by Michelle Dawson.

IPL 2012: Top performers so far

PL extravaganza has begun in a grand fashion, throwing up some nail-biting contests and has produced some great performances both with the bat and ball. From Ajinkya Rahane to Faf du Plessis and Munaf Patel to Sunil Narine, cricketers from all over the planet have provided wholesome entertainment to the fans and this is just the beginning of the IPL jamboree. Here we take a look at the top performer of the IPL so far:

the fifth edition of IPL with his blazing match-winning knocks of 98 and 102* for Rajasthan Royals. The orange cap holder has set the stage on fire accumulating boundaries at breathtaking pace. The Mumbai lad who was with Mumbai Indians for the first three editions didnt get many chances to play. However, this year right from the first match against KXI, he has been the highest run scorer and in 6 games so far has scored 304 runs at 60.80 including a century. Robin Uthappa Robin Uthappa was bought by Pune Warriors for USD 2.1 million. The reason behind this was a strong domestic season in the limited over format. He has so far scored 172 runs from five matches which is the third highest so far including a fifty. Owais Shah Karachi-born Owais Shah was bought by Rajasthan Royals this year after his previous franchise Kochi Tuskers Kerala was terminated. He has justified his place in the side by scoring two fifties in six innings.

He has so far scored 216 runs at 54.00. Top three Bowlers Munaf Patel Once hailed as the fastest man in Indian cricket Munaf Patel plays for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. He hasnt played for India since England tour but has emerged as the leading wicket taker in IPL 5 so far. In four matches he has bowled 14.4 overs and taken 10 wickets at 8.90 while giving away 89 runs. Lasith Malinga The slinger from Emerald Isle has been a Teams Rajasthan Royals Delhi Daredevils Kolkata Knight Riders Pune Warriors Mumbai Indians Chennai Super Kings Kings XI Punjab Royal Challengers Bangalore Deccan Chargers Mat 6 4 6 5 5 5 5 5 3

vital cog in Mumbai Indians squad and has caused much trouble to the batsmen with his stinging yorkers. With an excellent economy of 4.54, Malinga has bowled 15.5 overs and taken 9 wickets in four matches. Morne Morkel The lanky speedster from South Africa was bought by Delhi Daredevils in the IPL 2012 auction. He carried his international form in the IPL as well claiming 9 wickets in four matches. In the 15 overs he has bowled so far, he has given away just 89 runs and his best bowling figures read 3/18 against KKR at Eden Gardens. Won 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 0 Lost 2 1 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 Tied 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 N/R 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Pts 8 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 0

Top three Batsmen Ajinkya Rahane Ajinkya Rahane has set the ball rolling in

Ajinkya Rahane has set the ball rolling in the fifth edition of IPL.

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Humor TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 21-27, 2012

Humor with Melvin Durai

Dont bug me to go camping.

t may surprise you to hear this, but Ive never gone camping, never felt the urge to leave the comforts of my home to spend a few days in a tent somewhere. Dont get me wrong: I like being close to nature. I just dont like nature getting too close to me. You never know what you might encounter in nature: mosquitoes, bees, wasps, Al Gore. Actually, Id be quite pleased to run into the former vice-president in the woods, especially since the mosquitoes would have another place to land. Mosquitoes can be a pain in the neck, not to mention the arms, legs and other body parts. Bees, wasps, flies and ants can also be annoying. I dont need insects to bug me. I have three children. And if theres anything worse than dealing with insects, its dealing with children dealing with insects. My daughter Divya is the worst. She has singlehandedly destroyed any progress made over the last century in human-insect relations. A single fly can produce a high-pitched scream from her, almost as if someone changed the channel in the middle of Dora. My wife, Malathi, doesnt like flies either. Then again, she has never been too fond of uninvited guests who head straight for her food. Especially when they dont have the decency to wash up.

place themselves and were waiting outside for someone to let them in. Fly: Its about time they opened the door! We spent half our lives waiting. Second fly: Im hungry! Does anyone know where they keep the trash can? We were staying in a cabin, but in some ways, we were really roughing it. We had to endure some extreme conditions. For example, our cable had only 40 channels. And we didnt have a DVD player. Talk about a primitive existence! If I was a hardcore camper, I wouldnt complain about the insects. Id just catch them and have them for dinner. You cant be picky about what you eat when youre a real camper. Real campers realize that its better to eat an insect than have an insect eat you. Not that I know anything about eating insects. Ive just read the book Camping for Idiots, which includes this important tip: In order to get your recommended daily allowance of protein while camping, you must get used to the idea of sleeping with your mouth open. The closest Ive come to camping was staying in a cabin near a Minnesota lake. I spent a few days there with my wife and kids and a dozen flies. We just opened the door and they flew right in, as though they had rented the

The cabin did have an oven and microwave, but to get the camping experience, we didnt do all our cooking there. Malathi started a fire outside, and I wore a loincloth and headed to the woods to hunt for boar. Actually, we picked up some meat and veggies at a nearby grocery store. Malathi cut them in pieces, put them on skewers, and roasted them in the fire. For at least an hour, we felt like real campers. Then we went inside and ordered pizza.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

by Mahendra Shah
Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist, cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrant Indians for the past many years in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Tech Life

Most teens use internet while driving: Study

London: Thousands of people, especially the young, are giving into the lure of using internet on their smartphones while they are behind the wheel, a new study has revealed. The number of users has rocketed in recent years. In 2011 there were 17.6 million, a 107 per cent increase since 2009, meaning that 45 per cent of users now access the web from a mobile device. It seems to have spawned a generation that can't bear to be out of touch, electronically at least. According to RAC figures, worryingly nearly one quarter of motorists aged 17 to 24 now admit to accessing email or social-networking sites from their phones while driving. Nick Reed, a senior human factors researcher who led the project by the TRL for the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), found that those who use their smartphones on the move routinely spend up to 60 percent of their time looking down at the device instead of focusing on the road ahead,. As compared to this, those without phones spend just 10 per cent of the time, on an average, looking away, for instance to check the speedometer, satnav or in-car entertainment. "That 60 per cent is enough to miss someone braking or swerving in front of you, debris in the road and other hazards," the Telegraph quoted Reed as saying. "You may get away with it for a while but if you do it consistently, you will have an accident," he said. A new IAM report based on the research, "Don't Poke Me I'm Driving", suggests that the phenomenon could be responsible for hundreds of "unexplained" accidents each year, adding that the true scale of the problem remains masked, as it is notoriously difficult for police to establish if a driver has been using a phone before a collision. Police usually only report collisions where someone has been injured, and mobile phone users often slow down to compensate for their unsafe behavior, which means their actions cause less severe crashes-leading to a lower level of reporting. "The precise time of an accident, to within a few seconds, can be very difficult to establish so proving that a phone was in use before the crash, rather than just afterwards, can be tricky," Peter Rodger, the IAM's chief examiner, said. So official government figures attributing 1,690 injury road accidents to mobile phone use between 2006 and 2010 might be only the tip of the iceberg. Where official statistics fail to illuminate this growing safety problem, the TRL study has, largely, shone a light.

Astrology
TheSouthAsianTimes.info

29

April 21-27, 2012

Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874 Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899 psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com

By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma

Stars Foretell: April 21-27, 2012
Aries: This is a great week for working women. You will have the energy to achieve just about anything you set your mind to. Your concentration will be good and others will give you the respect you deserve. A mixture of romance, pleasure and entertainment is stored for you for the next few days. Income is likely to improve, but there will be a rise in expenses as well. Property matters will take final shape. Be extra cautious of colleagues who might try to distract you from your long-term goals. Taurus: When dealing with stubborn individuals, try to stay emotionally calm and avoid arguments. You will probably find that despite your best efforts, it is very difficult to change people who possess rigid and orthodox views. Take care of important tasks and correspondence that have piled up on your desk. This is also an excellent time for professional advancements, promotions and recognition. In the second half of the week you will build up new associations and contacts which will be long lasting and highly fruitful. A short pleasure jaunt towards the weekend cannot be ruled out. Gemini: This week your dominating attitude will cause uneasy moments with partners and colleagues. Difference of opinions will cause arguments and your opinion will face severe criticism. Flexibility, negotiation and compromise are the keys to maintain peaceful and harmonious atmosphere around you. Romance will be in the air, so make the best of it and avoid raising any issues that could start unwanted arguments. Your health might suffer if you dont take care of yourself. Cancer: This week you will become very restless. You will be very hungry for something new and exciting, which is also challenging and will keep you entertained. You can look for some out door games, which will keep you in cheerful mood and also help you keep in perfect shape. It will be a rather slow week, but you should not neglect your responsibilities. Your interest in religious activities will bring you close to a spiritual person. Do not overspend on luxuries and entertainment. Leo: This week you will find special joy in creative activities. You will enjoy interacting with people who share your views and thoughts. You will be in a position to teach them what you know. Your ability to communicate effectively will help you enhance your reputation and make an invincible mark for yourself. Finances improve in the middle of the week as you benefit from past investments. However, your health will need some attention, especially if suffering from some serious ailment. Your interest in new cultures will lead you to different forms of entertainment. Virgo: This week housewives should look into ways to make extra money while staying at home. They can take classes of cooking, stitching, painting or even helping students with their schoolwork. Relationship with someone close to you might get strained over petty issues. You need to complete pending jobs before you start with new ones. Your unfinished workload will only lead to embarrassment. Middle of the week will be highly crucial for those unemployed, as they will receive a good offer. Libra: This week people will listen very attentively to what you have to say, so make the best of it. Your intelligence will make you shine. You will be able to impress others with your knowledge and your ability to handle complicated issues. Unexpected gains or losses are foreseen therefore investment needs to be done with extreme care. The end of the week sees you over occupied with social gathering and family functions. Children will need careful handling and proper guidance. Scorpio: This week you will have ample energy and will participate in competitive activities that interest you. Your creative talents and your ability to lead others will come in handy. However you need to focus and concentrate on one thing at a time, putting your hands in many jobs will get you no where. Expensive household purchases are likely to be made towards the end of the week. Sudden romantic developments with a stranger will brighten up your days ahead. Sagittarius: People will take care of you and you will eagerly return their favours. You will share your belongings with your close friends and family members. A wonderful idea if given prompt response will yield immediate gains. Budding romance for those unattached will bring new excitement and cheerfulness in their lives. Health will be perfect, but you certainly need to take precautions in the changing weather. Capricorn: This week get ready to do some travelling. You need to associate with people who will show you new directions and goals. Although your financial position will improve in the next few days, the outflow of money will still create hindrance in executing your new plans and projects. Taking opinion from people who have experience and knowledge will be important. Health will be normal despite a busy and hectic week. A trip abroad is on the cards for some of you. Aquarius: Your erratic behaviour will frighten your loved ones. Even some of your closest friends will get annoyed after seeing you behaving this way. Get involved in activities that will help you build contacts with people who share similar interest. Selective speculation in real estate and stocks will be highly rewarding. Good week for students and professionals as they witness steady progress in their respective fields. Auspicious events and marriage proposals for some. Pisces: This week your energy is focussed on solving new issues. You will have a crystal clear sense of what needs to be done and whats best for you. You will even use your recreation time in planning and preparing your next move. Home front will be peaceful and pleasant, and family members extend their full support. Avoid disclosing your plans and associating too much with strangers. Your expenses will show an upward trend.

Annual Predictions: For those born in this week

April 21: Impacted by number 3 and the planet Jupiter, you are intellectual, distinguished, fun-loving, kind and a cheerful person. You are perfect in everything you carry out, which in return gets piles of positive reception and rewards for you. Nevertheless you call for having power over your receptiveness to behave wastrel, dominating and malicious at times. A lot of new surprises and rewards for you are assured with the upcoming year. Pecuniary gains will flood in the course of different sources. Your economic situation will be better due to novel sources of revenue and continuing projects will obtain a major lift up. Voyages carried out for work reason will be advantageous and highly gratifying. Venture in a house and chosen stocks recommended. As a result of health problem in the family you will experience abrupt expenditure which will generate tension for your mind. Lawful affairs will turn out to be costly. You will be likely to purchase a property or a means of transportation. The months of September, December, February and June will add to success. April 22: Commanded by number 4 and the planet Uranus, you are full of life, logical, efficient and have a charming distinctive character. You are highly social and accommodating, but you need to limit your propensity to behave envious, self centered and negative at times. Gifts and Rewards will be received this year. Novel offers and projects will lift up your reliance and determination. Dealings in property will help to get good profits and also assist in increasing funds. Travel will be carried out in order to establish significant associations and financial benefits. Journey abroad or business dealings are there for some. In the last part of the year, some of you will type the knot, while others will find love to keep them moving. Constant patients should take additional care for their health. You are advised not to give and take money. The months of August, September, November, March and June will be greatly exciting. April 23: Administered by number 5 and the planet Mercury, you are dynamic, intellectual, sagacious, methodical and very brave. You are a big devotee of music and writing, but you must curb your penchant to behave temperamental, compulsive shopper and sloppy at times. You will be in high spirits this year as whatever you do will fetch victory for you. Investments made in the past will yield you attractive proceeds and long awaiting judicial disputes will reconcile in your favor. You will be getting nearer to a religious person who will make an extraordinary variation on your thoughts and character in the latter half of the year. You are likely to get unanticipated gains in cash and kind from near ones and friends all the way through the year. Pressure and anxiety might lead to a few minor health tribulations. The months of August, November, March and June will demonstrate to be noteworthy. April 24: Impacted by number 6 and the planet Venus, you are munificent, realistic, bouncy, unique and a simple individual. Your uphill struggle and honesty are cherished by others but your tendency to behave profligate and to get in the way in the issues of others allures massive censure at times. For scientist, lawyers, writers, and women professionals connected with advertising and marketing will certainly attain rewards and positive reception. A healthier understanding with your family members will make certain gaiety, peace and success at home. As the year advances economic gains will amplify making you expend more on luxuries and other comforts. Heath issues will cause anxiety; for that reason, do not close the eyes to medical advice whenever indispensable. The months of July, December, January and February will prove to be exceedingly valuable. April 25: Administered by number 7 and the planet Neptune, you have the qualities of being conscientious, loving, inventive, straightforward and a research oriented human being. You grab hold of many abilities, which make you well-liked amongst your acquaintances, but you have need of checking your behavior of being green-eyed, apprehensive and fake at times. The year is ideal to commence paramount changes and make tough decisions. Property, partnerships and new ventures related issues will get sorted out. Pay attention on your hard work and development and success will go after by themselves. The second half of the year will yield in chances to travel abroad for commerce in addition to enjoyment. Careful speculation will fetch profits. You can receive some good news from offspring towards the last quarter of the year. Renewal, erection and hanging out with friends will be major emphasize of this year. The months of September, November, January and May will bear out to be greatly considerable. April 26: Lined by number 8 and the planet Saturn, you are determined, brisk, trustworthy, organized, and a somber person. You acquire outstanding aptitude and conviction to come to blows against any difficult state of affairs with audacity, but you must cut back your propensity to act highly obdurate and covetous at times. The approaching year vows monetary success and good healthiness. Businessmen will spend in more lucrative projects. Communal get-togethers and traveling will raise favorable links. A family member residing far away will render unanticipated assistance will give a most important growth to your career. Regardless of your inconsistent behavior, your partner will be fairly obliging and shower her full love and care upon you. A fascination contained by the group will keep you in high morale for some time but it will not be for long-term. The months of August, December, March and April will validate to be very much paramount. April 27: Directed by number 9 and the planet Mars, you are bright, striking, daring, passionate and a sparkling personality. You can easily draw notice in any mass because of your modest attitude and rational talks, but you require reducing your tendencies towards violence and impatience at times. The upcoming year observes new thoughts and plans turning up. It will be an ideal year that will enhance your earning capability and allow you to establish significant contacts. You will obtain cooperation from your seniors and co-workers and will heighten your spirits and engender new self-assurance. Overseas projects for some will be profitable. Spouse will render affection and care; however will act very domineering and volatile. A trip if possible to an outlying place towards the last phase of the yearend cannot be ruled out. The month of September, November, January and May will bear out to be exceedingly result oriented.

Before you consult...

i) Accurate Data: Please make sure Date, Time and Place of birth is accurate. ii) Careful: Did you check background of the astrologer before disclosing your secrets. iii) Fee: Discuss the charges before, dont feel shy. Its his business. iv) Expectation: Expect the best, if the outcome is not as desired, never give up. v) Consult: Take second opinion before spending thousands on cure/remedies.

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30

Spiritual Awareness TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 21-27, 2012

The lesson of the tree

toys. Still other children may come and play hide n seek under the tree. A parent may put up a swing for his or her child, hanging it from the limb of the tree. Young people may enjoy each others company under the shade of the tree. A student may bring his or her books to read and study under the tree. A married couple may come to enjoy a picnic under the tree. Old friends may sit under the tree and reminisce about the great times they shared. The tree is a witness to the ebb and flow of life that passes by while the tree remains the same. Generations may even come and go. As one generation grows up and passes away, a new generation takes its place. Over the hundreds of years a tree may stand it may remember the parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and even of our life may change, but we remain focused on the Light and Sound within. We may grow from being a young child to becoming a teen and then a young adult, but we remain fixed on the Light and Sound in our meditation. We may be a couple getting married and then later becoming parents, but we remain fixed on the Light and Sound within. We may be the parents of children or teens, but we remain fixed on the Light and Sound within. We may be marrying off our children and becoming grandparents, but we remain fixed on the Light and Sound within. We may be retiring and enjoying the golden years of life, but we remain fixed on the Light and Sound within. We may be going though times of poor health or sickness, but we remain fixed on the Light and which others disagree. We go from fame to scandal in the twinkling of an eye. But we should remain like the tree, unchanged and constant, with our attention focused on God and the Light and Sound within. People experience fluctuations in their relationships throughout their lives. In fact, any two people who live, play, or work together will experience fluctuations even throughout the course of the day. One moment we are happy with our spouse, partner, friend, coworker, or neighbor. They are the best thing since apple pie. They make us happy. They are loving and caring. Then, the next moment, someone has a different idea about how to do something, someone is stressed out and shorttempered, or there is a disagreement over a misunderstanding. mentaries about those scriptures. He intellectually knew the scriptures backwards, forwards, and upside-down. One day, he left his study where he did his research to take a walk. When he came back to his study he noticed his eye-glasses were missing. He began searching everywhere in his office for them. He looked between the pages of his books, thinking he had taken them off and used them as a bookmark. Not there. He looked around his desk. Not there. He looked on the bookshelves. Not there. He retraced his steps to the other rooms in which he took a walk. Not there either. Then, he began singing aloud to a tune, "Where are my glasses? Where are my glasses?" as if that would bring an answer from within himself. Then, he began to analyze the situation as he analyzed his scriptures.First he said to himself, "Okay. There are only two options here. Either the glasses were taken by someone who needed glasses, or they were taken by someone who does not need glasses." He thought this would narrow down his search for the culprit who took his glasses. Then, he broke down these two options further into two more possibilities. He said, "If it was a person who needed glasses, then he already must have glasses. If it was someone who doesnt need glasses, then why would he take them from me?" So we can rule out that it is someone who does not need glasses." Next, he explored this even further, by saying to himself, "If it were the person who needed glasses, then if he needs to wear them, he would have glasses by now. So it must mean he needed the glasses for gain, such as to sell them in the market to someone else. This leaves two more options." Then, he broke it down further to the next two options, by saying, "If he sells them in the market, he would either sell them to someone who needs glasses or to someone who does not need glasses. That means, though, if someone needs glasses, he most likely already has his own glasses. If someone does not need glasses, then why would he buy them? So that theory does not work." (To be continued...) Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj is an internationally recognized spiritual leader and Master of Jyoti Meditation who affirms the transcendent oneness at the heart of all religions and mystic traditions, emphasizing ethical living and meditation as building blocks for achieving inner and outer peace. www.sos.org.

By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj

id you ever observe a tree in your neighborhood, in front of your home, or in a park that you visit over the years? One thing that is noticeable is that the tree remains fairly constant in a variety of circumstances. The tree is mostly unchanging while everything around it changes. Take for example the seasons. The tree remains rooted in its spot through the four seasons. The trees outer dress may change, but its trunk and branches remain the same. In the spring, there are freshly formed buds popping up from the branches. In the summer, the tree is covered with rich green leaves. Then, in the autumn, the leaves turn to red, orange, yellow, and golden colors. In the winter the leaves fall off, revealing the branches and limbs of the tree. Although the leaves may change, the tree remains fairly fixed. The weather around the tree also changes. The temperature outside may be slightly cool in the spring with some warm days. There may be the heavy rains of spring soaking everything around the tree. Then, comes the hot summer with the weather alternating between rain and dryness. In the fall comes cool air. In the winter the tree is bare of leaves and is sometimes covered with snow and ice. Occasionally, there may be a hurricane or tornado that blows so hard it may threaten to snap the tree. There may be floods with rising waters around the tree. There may be drought with no rain at all. Some trees may be shaken to their roots by an earthquake. Other trees must bear the intense heat of a fire. All kinds of natural disasters may come and go, yet the tree remains. The tree also remains constant while the people around it come and go. One day there may be parents playing with their newborn baby as they relax under the tree. On another day there may be a parent playing catch with his or her toddler. Children may come and play a game called "tag" under the tree. Other children may come and play with their dolls or stuffed

Success on the spiritual path rests on stilling the mind. We need stillness to meditate successfully. Within our own mind we need to be still and unchanging like the tree in order to have fruitful meditations. Meditation is a process of focusing on the Light and Sound within. The current of Light and Sound is always there, but we need to have a still mind to find it. Any thoughts will distract us from seeing and hearing that Light and Sound in meditation. great-great grandparents of a young child just entering the world. While the cast of characters visiting the tree may change, the tree remains the same. The constancy of the tree provides an instructive lesson for those on the spiritual path. Circumstances may change, but the tree remains mostly the same. It may grow also, but it stays in its place, with relatively the same shape. How can the lesson of the tree help us? Success on the spiritual path rests on stilling the mind. We need stillness to meditate successfully. Within our own mind we need to be still and unchanging like the tree in order to have fruitful meditations. Meditation is a process of focusing on the Light and Sound within. The current of Light and Sound is always there, but we need to have a still mind to find it. Any thoughts will distract us from seeing and hearing that Light and Sound in meditation. If we are like the tree, then the thoughts can come and go around us, like the changing seasons, and we remain unaffected. The seasons Sound within. No matter what season we experience in our life, we are like the tree, unchanging and constant with our attention fixed on God and the Light and Sound within during our meditations. Besides the seasons of our life changing, we may experience daily fluctuations. One day we are the beneficiary of good fortune, and the next day ill luck comes our way. One day, we get a good job or a promotion, and money is just flying into our hands. The next day, we may lose our job, get demoted, or lose our money in the stock market, and money is flying out of our hands. But if we are like the tree, the financial ups and downs of life do not take us off course. We remain fixed on the Light and Sound within. There may be fluctuations in our name and fame. One day, we may have our ten minutes of fame in the newspaper for winning an award, for being recognized for our service, or winning a championship. The next day, we are suffering ignominy or slander, and we come under attack for something we did not do or for our views with Then, our spouse, partner, friend, co-worker or neighbor becomes the enemy. We suddenly feel that person is out to get us, to hurt us, and to make our lives miserable. Then, after we get fed up with fighting, maybe a few minutes later, a few hours later, or a few days later, everyone calms down, talks it over, makes up, and life is rosy again. Then, things go along fine for awhile, and then there is another flare-up. Our emotions are on a roller-coaster as we go from joy to pain in our close relationships with people. But, if we are like the tree, we remain steady and constant. We are always in a calm, loving, and caring state no matter how the other person behaves, speaks, or acts. We are able to deal with the slings and arrows of the times in a cool, calm and collected manner and keep our attention focused on God. Like the tree, our focus is constant and fixed on God and the Light and Sound within during our meditation. In this regard, there is a humorous story about a religious scholar. He spent days and nights studying the scriptures and the various com-

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181-25 Midland Parkway, Jamaica Estates, NY 11432, Phone: 718.969.2745
WWW.RANAUSA.ORG CORDIALLY INVITES YOU WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS TO OUR

HOLI CELEBRATION & HASYA KAVI SAMMELAN

SUNDAY APRIL 29 2012, 5.30 PM ONWARDS
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Contribution: $40 per person

HASYA KAVI SHRI ABHINAV SHUKLA

Seats are Limited. Don't miss the opportunity to see these two renowned poets. Contact the persons below for tickets.
HARIDAS KOTAHWALA 917 842 3201 BEENA KOTHARI 631 586 1579 SHYAM SARAF 718 997 7673 AJAY K LODHA MD 347 865 7906 MANJU SURANA 914 725 1025 VINOD KOTAHWALA 718 268 3211 ANIMESH GOENKA 516 624 2460 SHASHI SHAH MD 516 365 4854 DASHRATH DUGAR 516 294 1968 KANAK GOLIA 516 365 8410 VINOD JAIN 845 480 5580 RAVI LASHKERY 516 294 2651 SUSHIL GOYAL 516 621 1725 KAILASH SINGHVI MD 516 621 4760 SURENDRA KAUSHIK MD 914 762 6168 AJEY JAIN MD 516 627 1891

HASYA KAVI SHRI AAS KARAN ATAL NARENDRA HADPAWAT MD 516 295 0215 JUGAL AGARWAL MD 718 353 0340 SMITA LODHA MD 516 869 1681 AJAY K JAIN 516 801 4540 RAVI JARGAD 718 268 6951

RANA is well known for its annual Holi-Diwali Celebrations in the community for last 12 years. This year, on April 29 Shri Aaskaran Atal is specially coming from India to perform with very talented, famous poet Shri Abhinav Shukla for our celebration of the Festival of Colors. Please come with family & friends to enjoy the ethnic Rajasthani delicacies, and hilarious performance by hasya poets.Thank you. With warm greetings, Haridas Kotahwala President