Vol 8 Issue 7 - June 20-26, 2015

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LalitModiGate
30,000 expected at NYCs

Yoga Day Celebration
Ban Ki-moon, Sushma Swaraj and Sri Sri Ravishankar to address the UN event.
New York: As the
world celebrates
International Day
of Yoga (IDY) on
Sunday in a unique
event that is in
many ways an
endorsement of the
Indian way of life,
over 30,000 people
are expected to participate in a mass
demonstration of
the ancient art in In preparation for International Day
of Yoga on June 21, the United
the city's Times
Nations is festooned with banners
Square after global
announcing the celebrations in New
leaders and diplo- York. (Inset) Amb. Asoke Mukerji briefing on the headline
mats from around event at UN headquarters. (Photo courtesy: Jay Mandal)
the world launch
the observance at the UN headquarters. plaza, India's Permanent Representative to
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is to the United Nations Asoke Kumar Mukerji
deliver the keynote address at the main told reporters here on Tuesday. UN General
event at the UN headquarters in an open Assembly President Continued on page 4
Corruption Exposed
at top level of BJP
New Delhi: For a government that promised to clean
up the Augean stables of
politics in India, the murky
details of the links of
External Affairs Minister
Sushma
Swaraj
and
Rajasthan CM Vasundhara
Raje with the fugitive former IPL chief Lalit Modi
and how they helped him
with immigration in UK
have exposed the bitter
truth that corruption at top
levels is endemic in BJP
too. One can, of course,
recall from the past at least
three high profile corruption
Continued on page 4
Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje come

under fire for helping the fugitive former IPL chief
who has been probed for financial irregularities
Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje with Lalit Modi; (right)

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
See detailed stories on page 11.
Indian diaspora has become an important constituency The Pope appeals for sweeping
Arun Jaitley addressed an OFBJP meet after ringing the closing bell at New York Stock Exchange
action on global warming
By Parveen Chopra
New York: While at business meetings after arriving
in the US, Indias Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was
assuring foreign investors on economic reforms and
the tax regime in the country, he was at home ground
when addressing a community outreach event organized by the Overseas Friends of BJP at Five Star
Restaurant and Banquet in Long Island City
Wednesday.
In a flowing speech mixing some English with
Hindi, the No 2 in Modis cabinet heaped praise on the
industrious and successful Indian diaspora, who contribute to the countries where they settle and also
extend help back home as they retain emotional ties
with the motherland.
He gave several examples testifying to the growing
importance of NRIs in the host countries as well as in
India. Thousands of Indian Americans travelled to
US AFFAIRS 9
DARK IS DIVINE 18
India to canvas for BJP in the 2014 election or took to

the phone or email to do the same. Then, they filled
the Madison Square Garden in New York for Modis
reception. In the run up to the elections in Britain,
realizing the importance of Indian voters, Prime
Minister David Cameron traveled to India thrice, and
had a Mahatma Gandhi
Continued on page 4
SELF HELP 27
Vatican City: Pope Francis has

issued a stark warning over the
urgent need to tackle "extraordinary climate change and an
unprecedented destruction of
ecosystems" in an eagerly-awaited
message on the environment
released Thursday.
In his encyclical, which is a
papal letter sent to all bishops
around the world and in turn to one
billion Catholics, he blames climate change on apathy, political
shortsightedness and a pursuit of
profits. He calls climate change
one of the principal challenges facing humanity today and has
Continued on page 4
Detailed story on page 21.
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 30
Pope Francis has issued an

encyclical on climate change in
a stunning move reverberating
across the world.
excellence in journalism
June 20-26, 2015
YOGA
Practice sessions for the First International Day of Yoga in Haute Savoie, France
with the backdrop of Mont Blanc. The event is being organized by Embassy of
India in Paris in association with Center Tapovan.
Consulate General of India, Sydney organized a curtain raiser for the

International Day of Yoga. The participation was drawn from several leading
yoga schools of Sydney. Yoga Guru Govindaraju Venkataraman
demonstrated various Yoga asanas.
Volunteers rehearsing Yoga asanas for

IDY in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Embassy of India in Mexico organizes public yoga class cum demonstration at the
Feria de las Culturas Amigas 2015 (Culture and Friendship Fair 2015) at the
Historic Centre of Mexico City
A curtain raiser in Budapest by Art of Living Yoga Team.
An IDY curtain-raiser event was organized by the

Embassy of India, Moscow at the Technology and
Design College in the city of Korolyov,
Moscow in April 2015
Embassy of India Doha organized an event on Yoga

at the KATARA Cultural Village, Doha on June 12.
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
June 20-26, 2015
Events galore to mark Yoga Day in NYC

By Ashok Ojha
New York: With its 13 year long
tradition of celebrating yoga at
Times Square, New York City is
playing a central role in the global
celebration of International Day of
Yoga on June 21. The Government
of India will enthusiastically support IDY events in New York City
in the presence of Indias External
Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj,
who will address the main event at
UN headquarters and visit Times
Square at noon where thousands of
New Yorkers in yoga gear will par-
ticipate in a spectacular public performance of yoga led by wellknown instructors.

Yoga is part of New Yorks
lifestyle, where trained teachers
conduct classes for a fees. However,
there is no fee for participating in
the yoga session at Times Square.
Organized by Times Square
Alliance, registration for participating in yoga session on June 21 will
begin at 7 am. All classes will be
webcast so that yogis from around
the world can participate in Times
Squares celebration of the IDY,
said their announcement. 30,000
people are expected to participate in

the Times Square yoga sessions.
The Consulate General of India
office in New York has extended its
support to all events taking place
around the city, said Ambassador
Dnyaneshwar Mulay at a press conference.
Tech Mahindra, an Indian IT company, and a host of other organizations are striving to ensure the success of the yoga events at numerous
locations in and around NYC,
including at JFK and Newark airports, where air travelers will be
invited to join in the yoga sessions
IALI honors India House donors

and others at gala
Melville, NY: India
Association of Long
Island (IALI), one of
the oldest and largest
organizations serving
the Indian community
of Long Island, celebrated its 36th Annual
Award and FundRaising Gala at
Huntington Hilton
here on June 14, amid
a good mix of digniIALI President Satnam S. Parhar was presented a citation
taries, business and
from Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano. Seen in the
community leaders,
picture from left are: New York State assemblymen Chad
heads of organiza- Lupinacci and Michael Montesano, Parhar, Hempstead Town
tions, IALI members,
Clerk Nasrin Ahmad, and Director of Nassau Countys
South Asian media,
Business and Economic Development Kamlesh Mehta.
and others.
IALI President Satnam S. Parhar gave the Senior Councilman Town of Hempstead
welcome address and appealed for donations Anthony Santino, Nassau County Legislator
for IALI's newly acquired India Center in Laura Curran, Hempstead Town Clerk
Hicksville. At hand to greet all guests was Nasrin Ahmad, Nassau County Human
Rights Commission Chairman Zahid Syed
IALI's Executive Council.
Six prominent Long Islanders honored and Commissioner Sharanjit Singh Thind.
On the occasion, donors to IALI's India
were: President /CEO of NYC Health and
Hospitals Corporation Dr. Ramanathan Raju, Center were individually recognized with
Senior VP Wealth Management of Prandara citations in Diamond, Gold, Silver, Bronze
Group Morgan Stanley Kamesh Nagarajan, and other donor categories. A special plaque
Hotelier / Owner Swan Club Roslyn Bobby went to IALI Vaisakhi Chair Ajay Batra and
Singh Sidana, Chairman Sapient Party Pinki Jaggi for raising over $20,000 from the
Bobby K. Kalotee, IALI's Community IALI Vaisakhi Cruise Cruise for a Noble
Projects Chair Aruna Saxena and principal Cause.
Parhar also recognized the contributions
attorney at Banad Law Offices Dev
Viswanath. To do the honors were Indias for the community of two newspaper owners:
Deputy Consul General in NY Manoj South Asian Insiders Sharanjit Thind and
Mohapatra, Director of Nassau Countys Indian Panoramas Prof Indrajit Saluja.
The entertainment segment included perBusiness and Economic Development
Kamlesh Mehta representing County formances by Shradhanjali Indian Arts
Executive Ed Mangano, NYS Assemblymen Academy, and NYC Bhangra Group.
Michael Montesano and Chad Lupinacci Sponsors including HAB Bank, Indus
(representing districts falling in Long Island), American Bank were thanked.
and receive information flyers.

The Ganesh Temple in Flushing is
preparing to receive 3,000 people at
its Yoga celebrations throughout the
day on June 21st. The daylong celebration at the temple includes Indian
cultural performances and Satvik
meals. More than 5,000 people are
expected to attend a ticketed event
at Lincoln Center in the city in the
evening headlined by spiritual guru
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The proceeds
from the event will go to help needy
children, said a representative of
the organizer, Art of Living
foundation.
Consul-General Dnyaneshwar
Mulay briefing on events to
mark the International Day of
Yoga celebrations in NYC on
June 21.
Modi has changed terms of India-US

engagement: Amb. Arun K. Singh
By Arun Kumar
the enterprising and highachieving Indian-American

Washington:
Prime
community," Singh said.
Minister Narendra Modi's
"In two summits with the
government has e fectively
US in four months, the
laid the foundation for
Government addressed linIndia's rapid transformation
gering differences with the
and purposeful diplomacy
US on nuclear liability,
leading to new terms of
injected new energy into
India's engagement with
defense and economic
the US, according to Indian
cooperation, and explored
Ambassador Arun K.
pragmatic ways forward on
Singh.
IPR issues and climate
"As we celebrate one
change," Singh said. "Bold
year of India's current govnew initiatives were taken"
Indian Ambassador to US,
ernment, it is difficult not
and the two summits "creArun Kumar Singh
to see the changes in the
ated new milestones, new
way of doing business, and not to see in them expectations and new excitement, Singh said
cause for optimism," he said Tuesday in a asserting, "Sound progress has been made to
keynote address at the Asia Society in New implement the vision of our leaders."
York.
"I would argue that we are at a qualitatively
"Of course there is more to come in each of different phase in India's domestic transforthese, and I am confident that each passing mation, in India's foreign policy approaches
year, we will make new progress," Singh said and in India's engagement with the US than
speaking on the topic of "India under Modi: we were a year ago," the ambassador said.
One Year In." Turning to what India's trans"The last year has been used effectively to
formative goals at home and creative diplo- lay the foundation for India's rapid transformacy abroad mean for its relations with the mation and for robust and purposeful diploUS, Singh said: "In the past year, our relation macy, which have also led to new terms of
with the US has been transformed."
India's engagement with the US," Singh said.
"The US was quick to offer to partner with
Turning to India's broader external engageIndia in realizing the goals that our new ment, the envoy said, "In the last one year,
Government set for India's transformation, foreign policy has seen emphasis as a dynamand as a result, the narrative in our relations ic tool for the government's quest to accelerhas begun to reflect new found energy and ate India's transformation and leverage India's
optimism," he said.
strengths to promote development in our
"The excellent personal friendship" enjoyed region, under the motto of 'diplomacy for
by Modi and President Barack Obama has development'."
"provided a solid political foundation for our
"Enhanced engagement with neighbors in
overall relationship," Singh said. Modi "fur- South Asia and in the Indian Ocean Region
ther expanded the canvas of our interaction has been a hallmark of the government's
with the US by giving full play to the role of diplomacy," he said.
June 20-26, 2015
TURN PAGE
Valedictorian
Solanki denied his
right by NJ school
Lalit Modi-gate exposes corruption at top...

Continued from page 1
cases involving BJP leaders then BJP
president Bangaru Laxman caught on camera accepting a bribe, former Karnataka
CM B.S. Yeddyurappa embroiled in mining
scam, and corruption charges against former BJP chief Nitin Gadkari.
The latest on the fast moving and as yet
unconcluded scandal is that a stung Modi
government is looking at the possibility of
contesting Delhi HC order on Lalit Modi's
passport, which was restored on the order
of Delhi high court, uncontested by the
Enforcement Directorate. The passport was
revoked earlier.
Sushma Swaraj maintains that she helped
Lalit Modi on humanitarian grounds to
help him travel to Portugal for the treatment of his cancer-stricken wife. Raje also
pleads no wrong doing or impropriety but
admits family relations with Lalit Modi.
While Swaraj is being defended by her colleagues in party and the government,
reportedly they have been told not to do the
favor for the Rajasthan CM till facts come
out.
LODI, NJ: Devan Solanki, the Ivy Leaguebound valedictorian at Lodi High School in
New Jersey, alleges that school officials have
plotted against him first by stripping him of
the opportunity to deliver the graduation
speech, then by suspending him, and finally,
by requiring that he undergo a psychiatric
evaluation before he can return to school.
About 90 students held a rally in front of
the school Tuesday, demanding that school
administrators reverse their decision, lift the
suspension and give Solanki the platform he's
seeking on Tuesday, June 23, when the 2015
graduating class meets on the football field.
Solanki admits to having disciplinary
infractions but insists they're minor using a
cell phone on one occasion, and talking back
to teachers on two separate occasions. He
thinks it's his reputation for occasionally
being sharp-tongued with Lodi High School
staff that's led to the end-of-year graduation
woes. Although the psychiatrist determined
that Solanki is no danger to himself or others
and can go to school, Principle D'Amico still
isn't allowing him on school grounds, according to his mother.
30,000 expected at NYCs Yoga Day...

Sam Kutesa and Indias External Affairs
Minister Sushma Swaraj too will speak at
the event attended by representatives of
some of the co-sponsoring nations of IDY
resolution.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder of the
Art of Living Foundation, is to give a lecture on the benefits of yoga and lead a
demonstration by a group of his followers
at the UN and, through a video link, the
thousands on Times Square.
The UN celebrations are to be webcast on
the UN network and also shown on the
NASDAQ market building's giant video
screen and others on Times Square.
"Yoga offers a simple, accessible and
inclusive means to promote physical and
spiritual health and well-being," Ban Kimoon said in his message for IDY. "It promotes respect for one's fellow human
beings and for the planet we share."
A manifestation of the universal value of
"vasudhaiva kutumbakam" -- the world is
one family, the UNGA resolution for IDY
Devan Solanki
was co-sponsored by 177 nations (the

largest number ever for such a resolution)
and adopted unanimously by the 193-member organisation, Amb. Mukerji said.
The idea of an International Day of Yoga
was proposed by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi in his address to the General
Assembly last September, calling yoga "a
holistic approach to health and well-being"
and to finding "the sense of oneness with
yourself, the world and the nature."
"Yoga embodies the unity of mind and
body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; the harmony between man and
nature; a holistic approach to health and
well-being. It is not about exercise but to
discover the sense of oneness with yourself,
the world and the nature."
For yoga day to be observed starting this
year, Amb. Mukerji said the resolution for
it had to be passed by UNGA before the
end of last year, but the calendar had
already been set with no room for fresh
items.
The Indian Mission found a way around
this by invoking the association Modi made
between health and yoga. They had the
Yoga Day resolution introduced as part of
the health agenda that was already on the
calendar for December, Mukerji said.
The Mission brought the full force of
multilateral diplomacy to bear on the project, he said. The Indian diplomats were able
to have the 18 co-sponsors they initially
had snowball to reach 177 co-sponsors.
And when both the US and China signed
on, the effort gained momentum.
Asked about the role of Muslim countries
as co-sponsors and the controversies raised
in India by some Muslims, Amb. Mukerji
said yoga was presented as a health matter
with no religious undertones and pointed
out that 47 of the 56 members of the
Muslim grouping, the Organization of
Islamic Cooperation (OIC), joined as cosponsors. While Pakistan and Saudi Arabia
did not co-sponsor, they did not object to
the resolution either.
The Pope appeals for sweeping action...
brought the moral case for acting to combat
manmade global warming center stage in a
way it never has before. While slamming a
New Delhi Bureau
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slew of modern trends -- the heedless worship of technology, our addiction to fossil
fuels and compulsive consumerism -- the
Pope said humanity's "reckless" behavior
has pushed the planet to a perilous "breaking point." Citing Scripture and past popes'
and bishops' appeals, he urges people of all
faiths and no faith to undergo an awakening
to save God's creation for future generations.
Francis has set his sights far beyond the
circle of his church. With an eye toward
several key climate change summits scheduled for later this year, the Pope said his letter is addressed to "every person living on
this planet."
At least two Catholic presidential candidates Jeb Bush and Rick Santorum- have
already distanced themselves from the
Popes views on climate change, denied by
Conservative Republicans. Religion and
politics should not be mixed, they argue.
Indian diaspora has become an important...
statue installed in front of the parliament
building. More, Jaitley said at the World
Economic Forum in Davos he came across
New Zealand PM visiting the India pavilion, who when asked pointed out that
Indian population in his country has
reached 8% and is only going to grow.
Pointing to the biggest outcome of the
2014 election in India with contributions
from the youth, BJP and Modi - Jaitley said
that caste based and dynastic politics was
delivered a blow and meritocracy won. In
the context, he revealed the BJP chose Ab
Ki Baar Modi sarkar over Ab ki bar
Bhaajpa sarkar as its poll slogan because
55% people polled preferred to vote for
Modi compared to 35% for the party. In
Modi people see a leader who would succeed in fulfilling their dream of making
India great again, Jaitley said amid
applause.
Jatiley said India is not content being the
fastest growing economy in the world. We
lead because others have slowed. But we
have the capacity to grow in double digits.
He also expressed pride in the performance of the Modi government in its first
year. We have provided a decisive leadership and a government that slogs, he said.
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TRISTATE COMMUNITY
June 20-26, 2015
Two US lawmakers urge India to take action against phone fraud

New York: Two US lawmakers have urged
India to take action against telephone scammers who they said defraud millions of
Americans. Their appeal came after they
proposed tough legislation to combat widespread fraud by foreigners that hijacks
caller IDs.
"We think that all governments should
crack down on scammers, fraudsters and
bad actors -- including India,"
Representative Leonard Lance of New
Jersey said in a statement this week.
Another cosponsor of the anti-fraud bill,
Representative Grace Meng of New York,
said, "As we push for it to become law, we
urge law enforcement agencies -- where
these scams are occurring and originating -to do all they can to combat it."
The call for action in India by Meng and
Lance is significant because many of the
frauds originate in India or use Indians and
they could erode the credibility of India's
$118 billion back office sector.
In these frauds, the criminals make it appear that they are calling from a
government agency, bank, police department, credit card or technology
company, pharmacy or hospital by having those numbers appear on the
victim's phone. The scammers then make fraudulent claims and ask for and
often receive money or the person's personal or financial information, which
they use to commit more fraud.
The bill the two Democrats have cosponsored with Republican Representative Joe
Barton of Texas seeks tougher action by the
US against telephone scams knows as
"caller ID spoofing."
In these frauds, the criminals make it
appear that they are calling from a government agency, bank, police department, credit card or technology company, pharmacy or
hospital by having those numbers appear on
the victim's phone. The scammers then
make fraudulent claims and ask for and
often receive money or the person's personal or financial information, which they use
to commit more fraud.
Their bill proposing the Anti-Spoofing
Act of 2015 would strengthen the Truth in
Caller ID Act by prohibiting spoofing by
foreigners, and target new Internet-based
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services
and text messaging used in frauds, the
Representatives said earlier when they
announced it.
"The problem of caller ID spoofing has
gotten out of control," the lawmakers said.

"Millions of Americans continue to get
ripped off by con artists and scammers who
perpetrate this despicable crime, many losing thousands of dollars."
Last year, Microsoft filed a suit in a
Federal court in California against C-Cubed
Solutions Private Limited based in India,
accusing it of pretending to be from
Microsoft and cheating people into paying
for nonexistent services, stealing their
financial information for further fraud and
planting viruses.
The lawmakers, whose constituencies
include many Indian Americans, noted that
the fraud affects "particularly the South
Asian community."
Law enforcement officials in several
places, including New Jersey and
California, have issued alerts specifically
warning the Indian American and South
Asian communities about these frauds after
discovering victims among them.
Vegetarian Vision presents Jago Hindustani program India committed to reducing corporate taxes: Jaitley
New York: Vegetarian
Vision Team under the
leadership of Chairman
Mr. H.K. Shah & Malati
Shah organized a patriotic
musical and singing program "Jago Hindustani
on May 31st at Bellerose
High School, Queens, NY.
The authentic presentation
of carved fruits, vegetables, traditional dinner
and the unique heart
touching patriotic theme
of the program were the
highlights of the event.
Vegetarian Vision team at the event
Under the guidance of
President Chandra Mehta & K.K. Mehta, the our website at www.vegetarianvision.org,"
overall event was coordinated by vice presi- said Chairman H.K. Shah.
"Production of non-vegetarian food has a
dent Flora Parekh with the help of
Development Director Vinod Shah, Treasurer direct effect on global warming. If one person
Minesh Desai & a team of hardworking vol- turns five other people vegetarian and requests
unteers, who worked tirelessly to make the them to repeat, we can fulfill our dream and
program a huge success leading into a "sold importantly involve our youth. We are planning various unique, fun filled events for the
out" event couple weeks before.
Over 335 people attended the event which year including a ThanksGiving Dinner, said
started with a sumptuous authentic dinner. The President Chandra Mehta.
The Jago Hindustani program involved nonprogram started with American & Indian
National Anthems by Kirti Shukla followed by stop singing and music that charged up the
inspiring speeches by H.K. Shah and Chandra audience with a highly patriotic spirit. People
Mehta. Vegetarian Vision Goals and objectives learned a lot about the history of India, during
were presented in the speeches. "Our vision is the Moghul and British regime, through powto make people aware of the benefits of erful commentary and songs and also learned
becoming vegetarian. Human beings, by about the sacrifices made by great patriotic
nature, are vegetarian and veggie diets are leaders. The singers were handsomely rewardhealthy and environmentally friendly. Be a ed by impressed attendees. Overall, the organiVegetarian Vision member to help spread the zation, through its unique vision and mission,
noble cause. Membership forms available on helped spread vegetarianism, patriotic way.
By Ashok Ojha/SA Times
Jaitley said that state governments

are entitled to a greater share in
New York: Indias Finance
central revenue irrespective of
Minister Arun Jaitley has forcewhich party was ruling the state.
fully reaffirmed his governments
The elected governments in
commitment to revitalize Indian
states have a duty to improve the
economy by bringing liberalizalives of their people and deserve
tion and reducing corporate taxes.
higher stake in the Indian econoSpeaking Wednesday at a gathmy. However state governments
ering of industrialists, business
must demonstrate their seriousexecutives and attorneys at a
ness for development, he said.
reception held at Waldorf Astoria
Commenting on the land
in New York City, Jaitley said that
reforms controversy, Jaitley
Finance Minister
Indias current growth rate of 8 %
pointed out that Indias agriculArun Jaitley is in US
was not enough to revitalize its
ture sector was experiencing a crileading a business
economy and unleash its true
sis due to the huge number of
delegation
potential.
landless peasants. The only way
In addition to bringing down corporate to solve this crisis was land reform by which
taxes, Jaitley elaborated upon a series of steps more land is allocated for manufacturing secundertaken by his ministry including plans for tor to accommodate surplus labor from agrifurther liberalizing economic policies, creat- culture.
ing transparency in implementation of govIndian law firm Shardul Amarchand
ernment decisions and introducing strict Mangaldas hosted the reception.
penalty against black money and its transfer
On Wednesday afternoon, Jaitley rang the
to foreign banks. We are enforcing legisla- closing bell at New York Stock Exchange in
tion to stop illegal transfer of black money lower Manhattan and toured its trading floor.
into foreign banks. When we are reducing Accompanied by a high-level business deletaxes there is no reason for transfer of funds gation from India, it was his first major public
abroad. Criticizing the flawed policies of the engagement in USA.
previous government and their attitude
Speaking to reporters outside NYSE, Jaitley
towards liberalization, Jaitley said the old sys- said that he was eager to convince foreign
tem encouraged crony capitalism. Some investors about stability in government poliindustrialists still feel comfort in the old sys- cies. There have been concerns from
tem, but transparency and liberalization is investors about our reform and taxation poliessential for promoting market based econo- cies which I intended to clarify.
my and rejecting a system where discreLater he met with investors to explore
tionary powers were abused.
opportunities of increasing long-term
Referring to steps taken vis--vis states, investments in India.
June 20-26, 2015
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
US senator to be honored as Friend of India

between the two countries," GOPIO
Washington, DC: A leading Indian
community organization will honor a
said.
US senator as a Friend of India along
Five Indian Americans to be honored for their achievements in profeswith five outstanding achievers of the
sion and community service are:
Indian American community at its
Prof. Akhil Reed Amar, Dr. Vinod
annual awards banquet in Stamford
Saturday.
Srihari, Nisha Arora, Dr. George
The Connecticut chapter of the
Joseph and Moh Sharma.
Amar is Sterling Professor of Law
GOPIO has selected senior
and Political Science at Yale
Democratic
senator
from
University. Srihari is Yale faculty
Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal, for
member and Associate Director of
the "Friend of India" award.
Blumenthal serves on several
Yale's Psychiatry Residency Training
important US Senate committees
Program. Arora is Co-founder of
including armed services, commerce,
Indian Community Centre (ICC) of
Greenwich. Joseph is Deputy
judiciary, veterans' affairs and science
Senator Richard Blumenthal
Director of the Whitney and Betty
and transportation.
"With increasing US-India cooperation in Defence, MacMillan Centre for International and Area Studies at
Commerce and Science & Technology, Senator Yale. Moh Sharma serves as a Policy Advisor for the
Blumenthal helps to improved bilateral relations House Democratic Caucus.
Santino nominated for

Hempstead Town Supervisor
Councilman Tony Santino & Town Clerk

Nasrin Ahmad at the flag hoisting outside Hempstead Town Hall to celebrate
India's Republic Day in January 2014.
Hempstead, NY: Anthony J. Santino, a close

friend of the Indian American community for
over two decades, is the Republican nominee
to run for the Supervisor of the Town of
Hempstead this November.
When elected, Santino will replace Kate
Murray who is the GOP pick for Nassau
County District Attorney.
Santino was first elected to the Hempstead
Town Board in 1993 and has been re-elected
every four years with a large plurality.
Hempstead is Long Island's largest town.
In a recent interview with Varinder Bhalla,
of the Indian American Voters Forum of New
York, Santino said, As Senior Councilman
of the Hempstead Township, I have worked
closely with the Indian American community
on Long Island, but I will be able to do a lot
more when I get elected Supervisor in
November. Santino has been a consistent
supporter of the India Association of Long
Island (IALI) and its food drives to benefit the
Interfaith Nutrition Network.
Dr. Sunil Mehra, the former President of
IALI and of Long Island-Queens AAPI,
applauds the bond that the Santino has built
with the community. For over 20 years,
Santino has been the liaison of the Indian
community and the go-to person for any governmental assistance from the Hempstead
Town and Nassau County governments, says
Mehra. Adds Arvind Vora, Councilman
Santino is also active with the Shanti Fund, a
charitable organization that promotes peace
through education. Santino was named
Shanti Funds Man of the Year in 1997.
The Gujarati Samaj of New York also honored Councilman Santino in 2004 for his dedication to the community. The Councilmans
outreach to the Indian American community
also includes active participation in the Five
Towns Indian Association and the Elmontbased Kerala Center.
On January 26, 2003, Town Supervisor Kate
Murray and Councilman Santino unfurled the
Indian tricolor flag outside the Hempstead
Town Hall the first time ever by any township across New York and launched the celebration of the Republic Day of India, which is
commemorated annually.
In recognition of Councilman Santinos two
decades of dedicated service to the Indian
American community, the Indian American
Voters Forum of New York honored him on
August 15, 2014 at the Consulate of India,
where Amb. Dnyaneshwar Mulay presented
him a plaque on their behalf.
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
June 20-26, 2015
Sikh student can join US army with beard, turban

Washington, DC: A Sikh college student
will be able to join the US Army, without
being forced to cut his hair, shave his
beard or stop wearing his turban thanks to
a Washington court ruling.
District Court Judge Amy Berman
Jackson ruled last week that the Army violated Hofstra University student Iknoor
Singh's rights when it refused to let him
compete for a spot as a contracted member
of his college's Reserve Ofcer Training
Corps program.
"The court nds that defendants have
failed to show that the application of the
Army's regulations to this plaintiff and the
denial of the particular religious accom-
Iknoor Singh
modation he seeks further a compelling

government interest by the least restrictive
means," the judge wrote. She added that
the Army's refusal to permit Singh to
enroll while adhering to "articles of faith"
that include his hair and turban "cannot
survive the strict scrutiny" of the federal
law. The Army has given "tens of thousands of exceptions" to its grooming and
uniform policies, the judge wrote, and
made "successful accommodation of
observant Sikhs in the past," noting several
who have served with distinction, receiving commendations. Jackson said the
Army's own research contradicted deputy
chief of staff Lt. Gen. James C.
McConville's opinion in denying Singh's

enrollment request.
McConville and other Army ofcials had
contended the articles of faith would have
an adverse impact on unit cohesion and
morale, discipline and health and safety.
Singh, a resident of Queens in New
York, who plans to enroll in the ROTC
program in autumn, told Newsday in a
phone interview Monday: "Being told no a
handful of times, I didn't give up."
"I had faith and let things play out," he
was quoted as saying. "I'll be going on
weekend eld exercises, which I wasn't
previously able to do. I'm very excited
about that."
Virginia student Braveen Two Indian-Americans on Republican diversity project leadership

Ragunanthan honored with
National Public Health Award
Richmond, Vir: In
recognition of his
dedication to serving
the less fortunate,
V i r g i n i a
Commonwealth
University Indian
American graduate
student
Braveen
Ragunanthan was
honored by the U.S.
Public
Health
Service Physician
Professional
Advisory Committee
with
its
2015
Excellence in Public Braveen Ragunanthan (Photo: duke.edu)
Health Award.
According to VCU News, the interned with the World Health
in
Geneva,
national award recognizes medical Organization
students who demonstrate their Switzerland, and participated in
commitment to improving public the School of Medicines
health. He received the award at International/Inner-City/Rural
the School of Medicines student Preceptorship. This four-year program focuses on equipping medHonors Day ceremony in May.
As an undergraduate student at ical students with the knowledge,
Duke, he spent summers in the skills and values needed to proMississippi Delta, at the epicenter vide compassionate care to underof the HIV/AIDS crisis in South served communities. Eventually,
Africa and battling neglected trop- I plan to work as a primary care
ical diseases in Ethiopia. He says physician in a medically underthat these trips instilled in him the served community and health probelief that all people of all back- fessional shortage area. I am intergrounds, regardless of their cir- ested in grassroots community
cumstances, deserve a chance to organizing and the potential of
working in the space of public
enjoy a healthy life.
Since enrolling in the School of health to positively impact comMedicine, Ragunanthan has munities, Ragunanthan said.
Washington, DC: Ahead of the

2015-2016 election cycle, the
Republican Party has included two
Indian-Americans state legislators
on a project to recruit, train, and
elect Republican candidates from
diverse communities on the state
level. Niraj Antani and Janak Joshi,
State Representatives in Ohio and
Colorado Houses respectively, are
part of the leadership team of
Republican State Leadership
Committee's (RSLC) Future
Majority Project (FMP).
Headed by former Oklahoma
Speaker of the House and
Niraj Antani (left)

and Janak Joshi
Republican National Committee

member T.W. Shannon the project
seeks to get elected Republican
candidates "who better represent
the full diversity of America."

In 2013-2014, FMP recruited
hundreds of new candidates and
elected 43 new leaders to ofce.
This cycle, FMP aims to recruit
250 new, diverse candidates and
see 50 of those candidates appointed or elected to ofce, the party
said.
"As someone who has served in
the trenches of state government, I
understand the importance of
recruiting the right candidates with
the right message in every district
and state across the country," said
Shannon.
UN reports three sex cases involving Indian peackeepers

New York: A UN report says that
Indians in its peacekeeping operations were involved in three substantiated cases of sexual exploitation or abuse between 2010 and
2013.
During those four years, there
were a total of 64 substantiated
cases of sexual abuse by UN peacekeepers, according to the report
released on Friday. More than
100,000 uniformed personnel serve
in UN peacekeeping operations.
For context, the UN Ofce of
Internal Oversight Services (OIOS),
which looked into allegations of
sexual exploitation and abuse in
peacekeeping operations, however,
noted in its report that largest contributors of troops to the UN like
India had lower incidence of cases
of abuse.
India, which currently has over
8,000 personnel in the peacekeeping
operations, is one of the largest con-
tributors to the UN.

The other largest contributors of
uniformed personnel to the UN are
Pakistan, which has more than
8,750 in UN operations and had
four substantiated cases, and
Bangladesh with over 9,000 personnel and two such cases.
"While many variables, including
contingent size, could affect the
numbers of substantiated allegations, it appears that the largest
TCCs (troop contributing countries)
do not have the highest number of
substantiated allegations against
their personnel," the report said.
Britain, which has fewer than 300
personnel serving in UN operations,
had one substantiated case. South
Africa with 2,160 had the highest
number of cases, nine. Uruguay
with under 1,500 personnel had
eight cases.
The UN Department of Field
Services, which deals with the
deployment of personnel in peacekeeping operations, said in response

to the report, that given the huge
number of troops deployed "it can
easily be argued that such data
would more appropriately point to
individual failings than to the overall attitude of a member state's military forces towards SEA (sexual
exploitation and abuse)."
The report lacked specic information about the incidents, except
for one case against Pakistani police
personnel in Haiti involving the
abduction and rape of a 13-year-old
boy.
According to the report, besides
outright violence and rape, many
cases involved troops providing
gifts to women and girls, exploiting
their poverty. In some of the
instances, the women were given
food and supplies for babies and in
others, gifts like jewellery, clothing
and electronics.
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
June 20-26, 2015
Shivshankar Menon named

Three Indian Americans shortlisted
Distinguished Fellow at Brookings
for White House Fellowship
Washington, DC: Shivshankar
to May 2014, and previously
Menon, former national securias foreign secretary of India
ty adviser to Indias prime minfrom October 2006 to August
ister, has joined the Brookings
2009.
Institution as a distinguished
He has served as ambassador
fellow, its president Strobe
and high commissioner of
Talbott recently announced.
India to Israel (1995-1997), Sri
Menon will serve within the
Lanka (1997-2000), China
foreign policy program at
(2000-2003), and Pakistan
Brookings. Menons profes(2003-2006). He was also a
sional experience includes
member of Indias Atomic
diplomacy, national security,
Energy Commission (2008atomic energy, disarmament
2014). A career diplomat,
Former national security
issues, and Indias relations
Menon also served in Indias
adviser to Indias PM
with its neighbors and major
missions to the International
Shivshankar Menon
global powers. He currently
Atomic Energy Agency in
serves as chairman of the advisory board of Geneva and the United Nations in New York.
the Institute of Chinese Studies in New Delhi,
Menon studied at the Scindia School,
and has been a Richard Wilhelm Fellow at Gwalior and at St. Stephens College, Delhi
MIT and Fisher Family Fellow at Harvard University, where he studied ancient Indian
University.
history and Chinese. In 2010, he was chosen
Menon served as national security advisor to by Foreign Policy magazine as one of the
the prime minister of India from January 2010 world's "Top 100 Global Thinkers."
Indian-American doctor shot

dead by friend in Texas
Washington, DC: IndianAmerican cardiologist Suresh
Gadasalli was shot dead last
week at the Healthy Heart Centre
in Odessa, Texas by a patient and
business associate who then
killed himself, according to
police.
Witnesses said 60-year-old
Ayyasamy Thangam shot the 53year-old Gadasalli multiple times
on Thursday afternoon, according to an Odessa Police
Department news release.
Thangam then closed the door
of the room the two men were in
and witnesses heard another single gunshot, it said.
Gadasalli was in the Odessa
area since 1993, and became
prominent by performing cuttingedge heart surgeries, helping
open Alliance Hospital before it
was purchased by Odessa
Regional Medical Center in
2007, according to local OA
online.
Gadasalli
was
named
'Community Statesman' in 1997
by the Heritage of Odessa
Foundation.
He reportedly performed the
Cardiologist Suresh Gadasalli
world's first simultaneous hybrid

revascularization, and he was
nominated as "Super Doctor" by
the Texas Monthly Magazine in
2008, it said.
Gadasalli was also previously
investigated in a federal court
case on a currency structuring
charge, the news site said.
The FBI began their investigation into the Healthy Heart
Center in June 2012.
Gadasalli was accused of violating federal law in structuring
transactions to avoid reporting
requirements, it said citing previous reports. According to court
records, Gadasalli's case was
closed on January 22, 2014.
Washington, DC: Three Indian

Americans are among the national finalists for the 2015-16 White House
Fellowship which offers exceptional
Americans first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the federal
government.
Luxme Hariharan, Payal Patel and Anil
Yallapragada are among those representing "an accomplished and diverse crosssection of professionals from the private
sector, academia, medicine, and armed
services."
They will be evaluated by the
President's Commission on White House
Fellowships from June 11 to 14, according to a White House statement.
Luxme Hariharan from Madison,
Wisconsin, is Paediatric Cataract,
Glaucoma, Cornea and International
Health Fellow, Children's Hospital of
Los Angeles, University of Southern
California Eye Institute.

Payal Patel from Houston, Texas, is
Infectious Diseases Fellow, Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Centre, Harvard
Medical School.
Anil Yallapragada from Myrtle Beach,
South Carolina, is Medical Director,
South Carolina Stroke Institute, Grand
Strand Medical Centre.
Under the program founded in 1964 by
President Lyndon B. Johnson, selected
individuals spend a year in Washington,
DC working full-time for cabinet secretaries, senior White House staff, and
other top-ranking government officials.
There are more than 700 White House
Fellow alumni, a distinguished group
that includes former secretary of state
Colin Powell, CNN chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, and Pulitzer
Prize-winning author and historian Doris
Kearns Goodwin.
Museum of Moving Image NY to honor Mani Ratnam

The filmmaker to appear in person with his trilogy: Roja, Bombay, and Dil Se
New York, NY: Museum of the
Moving Image will present a special tribute to film maker Mani
Ratnam featuring the director in
person with a trilogy of films that
follow lovers against a backdrop of
Indian politics: Roja (1992),
Bombay (1995), and Dil Se
(1998)the last featuring one of
the most famous scenes in all of
Indian cinema, the Chaiyya
Chaiyya musical number on top of
a moving train. The series, Politics
as Spectacle: The Films of Mani
Ratnam, runs from July 31 through
August 2, 2015. Ratnam will participate in conversations after each

film, moderated by Richard Pea.
Mani Ratnam is a treasure, and
we are pleased to host him in New
York with three of his most significant and beloved films, said
Christina Marouda, the Museums
Deputy Director for Development
and Founder of the Indian Film
Festival in Los Angeles, who organized this program. This weekend
tribute offers audiences, both devoted fans and new viewers, a rare
opportunity to see his gorgeous
films on the big screen, presented in

35mm.
Richard Pea, Director Emeritus,
New York Film Festival and
Professor of Film Studies at
Columbia University, added: The
false dichotomies that are used to
categorize filmsart vs. commercial cinema, entertainment vs. political filmmakingdisappear when
one sees how easily Mani Ratnam
is able to combine aspects of all of
them into his work. A New York
tribute to this important filmmaker
is long overdue.
Indian-American teen killed during Russian roulette game

Washington, DC: An 18-year-old
Indian American teenager from
Texas was killed during a game of
Russian roulette, media reported.
According to police, Vikram
Virk, 27, confessed on Saturday to
shooting Jaskaran Singh in the
head that afternoon while playing
the deadly game in Virk's car, CBS
News reported.
Virk reportedly told police that
he handed Singh a handgun that
Virk believed he had emptied.

Singh then pulled the trigger twice
while pointing it at Virk, the police
said.
"The suspect then took the gun
and pointed it at (Singh) and pulled
the trigger one time and the gun
did not fire. The suspect then
pulled the trigger a second time
and the gun fired, striking the complainant in the left temple," a
detective wrote in the arrest affi-
davit for Virk. Virk rushed Singh to

a local hospital, where Singh succumbed to his injury. Hospital personnel recovered the handgun used
to shoot Singh from Virk's car and
turned it over to police.
Virk initially said Singh shot
himself, but during questioning
admitted that he killed his friend,
police said. Police have charged
Virk with manslaughter. He is
being held on a $150,000 bond.
US AFFAIRS
Hillary Clinton begins second

rendezvous with destiny
Washington: Addressing the first major
rally of her 2016 presidential run from New
York Citys Roosevelt Island in a state that
she represented as senator for eight years
after as many years as First Lady, she said
America cant succeed unless you succeed.
Wearing a blue pant suit, with husband Bill
Clinton in a red T-shirt and daughter Chelsea
standing among a cheering crowd by the side
of an H-shaped blue stage with a red arrow
like her campaign logo, she declared
Democracy cant be just for billionaires and
corporations.
Prosperity cant be just for CEOs and
hedge fund managers, she told the crowd of
supporters waving paper US flags and chanting Hillary, Hillary!
Prosperity and democracy are part of your
basic bargain, too, said the Democratic
frontrunner invoking both her husband Bill
Clinton and President Barack Obama, whom
she served as Secretary of State for four
years after a hard fought battle with her 2008
rival. You brought our country back. Now
its time, your time, to secure the gains and
move ahead. And you know what? America
cant succeed unless you succeed.
Invoking President Franklin Roosevelts
famous remark This generation of
Americans has a rendezvous with destiny,
Clinton noted Americas longest serving
president had called on every American to
do his or her part and they answered.
Its Americas basic bargain if you do
your part, you ought to be able to get ahead,
she said. When everybody does their part,
The Democratic frontrunner for White

House chose Roosevelt Island in NYC for
her first major rally.
America ought to be able to get ahead too.

Clinton slammed Republican opponents
with an extended riff on the Beatles song
Yesterday.
There may be some new voices in the
Republican choir, she said of the partys
2016 field. But theyre all singing the same
old song. Its a song called Yesterday. They
believe in yesterday.
These Republicans trip over themselves
promising lower taxes and less regulations
for wealthy corporations without any regard
for what that will do to income inequality,
she said.
Since announcing her candidacy in April,
Clinton had so far addressed only low-key
and small roundtable events in the first states
to vote in the presidential primaries Iowa,
New Hampshire, South Carolina and
Nevada.
June 20-26, 2015
Third Bush jumps into White House race

Washington: Jeb Bush, a
problem via an executive
son and brother of former
order.
US presidents, joined a
He tried to distinguish
crowded
field
of
himself
from
other
Republican contenders setRepublican candidates as
ting the stage for a possible
an executive animated by
dynastic clash with a forbig ideas and uniquely
mer first lady, Hillary
capable of carrying them
Clinton in 2016 White
out and hit out at
House race.
Democratic frontrunner
Watched by his 90-yearHillary Clinton. Mocking
Jeb Bush
old mother, Barbara Bush,
her "no-suspense primary"
wife of George H.W. Bush, who lost the he warned that "the presidency should not
1992 presidential race to Bill Clinton, Jeb be passed on from one liberal to the next."
Bush made the announcement Monday in
The 11th Republican contender to jump in
his adopted hometown of Miami, Florida, a the race, John Ellis Bush, 62, the second son
state he governed for eight years. Formally of 41st president George H.W. Bush and
throwing his hat into the ring after a six younger brother of 43rd George W. Bush,
month exploratory run, Bush saying that who succeeded Bill Clinton in 2001, is
"America deserves better," declared: "We banking on more than his family name.
will take Washington - the static capital of
"It's nobody's turn. It's everybody's test.
this dynamic country - out of the business of And it's wide open, exactly how a contest
causing problems."
for president should be," Bush said hinting
"The question for me is what am I going to he knew he would need more than his linedo about it," said Bush who has cultivated age to win the Republican nomination.
the image of a sober conservative. "And I've
As a CNN/ORC Poll released earlier this
decided: I'm a candidate for president of the month showed Bush isn't entering the race
United States of America."
as a clear front-runner. It found him virtually
At one point, he was interrupted by protes- tied at the top of the field with Senator
tors wearing yellow shirts with letters that Marco Rubio, a fellow Floridian.
read, "Legal Status Is Not Enough," calling
Behind them, 10 percent of those polled
for immigration reform.
said they planned to support Wisconsin
Departing from his prepared remarks, Governor Scott Walker and former Arkansas
Bush took a dig at President Obama saying Governor Mike Huckabee. When matched
as president, he would pass "meaningful against Hillary Clinton, Bush trails 51 perimmigration reform" rather than solving the cent to 43 percent.
Most US adults back ban on powdered alcohol: Survey

New York: Driven by concerns of potential
misuse among underage youth, majority of
adults in the US favor a ban on recently
approved powdered alcohol which can create an instant cocktail when mixed with
water, reveals a survey.
Packaged in travel-friendly pouches, the
new alcohol-on-the-go product is set to be
launched in flavors of distilled spirits like
vodka, rum and mixed drinks.
According to the University of Michigan's
C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll
on Children's Health, 60 percent of the US
adults favor a complete ban of powdered
alcohol in their states, while 84 percent support prohibiting online sales of the product.
"The product's makers tout powdered
alcohol as improving convenience for peo-
ple who enjoy the outdoors and others who

want to travel light with alcoholic beverages," said Matthew Davis, director of the
National Poll on Children's Health and professor of pediatrics and internal medicine at
the University of Michigan Medical School.
"Given that several states are considering
legislation about powdered alcohol, our poll
looked at what the public thinks about this
new product.
The majority of adults agree that powdered alcohol may spell trouble for young
people." Only about a third of adults had
heard about powdered alcohol when the poll
was conducted in May 2015. The product is
set to launch this summer but some states,
including Louisiana, South Carolina and
Vermont, have already banned it.
An all-women mosque in LA
The first women-only
mosque in the United
States that opened in Los
Angeles in February this
eyar. on The mosque is
housed in a century-old
multifaith worship space
near downtown.
Originally built as a
synagogue, Pico-Union is
now the home of the
nonprofit Womens
Mosque as well as
several Jewish and
Christian groups.
Corporate Office: 385 Seneca Avenue, Ridgewood NY 11385

718.821.3182, www.AtlanticDialysis.com
10
INDIA
June 20-26, 2015
Opposition picks up Advani remarks to attack Modi government

New Delhi: Opposition parties,
including the Congress and AAP,
on Thursday attacked the Narendra
Modi government after veteran
BJP leader L.K. Advani's remarks
that forces that can crush democracy were stronger at present and a
repeat of an Emergency-like situation cannot be ruled out.
Advani made the remarks in an
interview to the Indian Express
daily.
Congress spokesperson Tom
Vadakkan said it is not only his
party which is questioning the
government "but even senior BJP
leadership is raising questions on
the efficacy of the government".
Another Congress spokesperson
Sanjay Jha tweeted: "A totalitarian
system is gradually overwhelming
India; Advani Ji's warnings confirm our worst apprehensions."
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind
Do Advanis remarks hint at fear of

totalitarian system under Modi
Kejriwal also took a dig at Prime

Minister Modi and the central government in a reference to the various standoffs between the Centre
and his Aam Aadmi Party government on issues including power to
appoint and transfer officials.

"Advani ji is correct in saying
that Emergency can't be ruled out.
Is Delhi their first experiment," he
tweeted. AAP leader Ashutosh also
tweeted that Advani's interview is
first "indictment of Modi's politics". "He is saying democracy is

not safe, emergency is not far,
under Modi's leadership. When
Modi was to be made PM candidate Advani discussed in his blog
about Mussolini and Hitler. He
was hinting at the future then
under Modi," he said in a series of
tweets.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish
Kumar, of the Janata Dal-United,
said Advani was a veteran leader
and there is need to give attention
to his fear and worry.
"The BJP leader is right to a
large extent in his remarks that at
the present point of time, the
forces that can crush democracy,
notwithstanding the constitutional
and legal safeguards, are stronger,"
he told media persons in Patna.
BJP spokesperson M.J. Akbar,
however, said Advani may have
been referring to institutions rather

than individuals, and he does not
think there is any chance of an
emergency-like situation.
In an interview to the Indian
Express ahead of the 40th anniversary of the imposition of emergency in India, Advani said "forces
that can crush democracy, notwithstanding the constitutional and
legal safeguards, are stronger".
Observing that he did not mean
the political leadership was not
mature, he said he did not have
faith due to its weakness.
Advani also said that he did not
have confidence that Emergency
cannot happen again, noting "there
aren't enough safeguards in India
in 2015".
Internal emergency was imposed
on the country by Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi on June 25-26, 1975
and it lasted 19 months.
Disproportionate assets: PM non-committal on northeastern states'

special
status:
Tripura
CM
CBI begins probe against
Himachal CM
New Delhi/Shimla:
In a setback to
Himachal Pradesh
Chief
Minister
Virbhadra Singh, the
CBI on Thursday initiated a preliminary
inquiry against him
and his family over
allegations of corruption and acquiring
disproportionate
assets during his
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister
tenure as union steel
Virbhadra Singh belongs to
minister. However,
Congress party
Virbhadra
Singh
refuted the allegations. Official the Himachal Pradesh High
sources told IANS that the Court.
Admitting his petition on May
Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI) restarted the preliminary 8, a division bench of Justice
inquiry on the basis of the Rajiv Sharma and Justice
income tax department order Sureshwar Thakur made
that said the agricultural income absolute an interim stay on the
of Virbhadra Singh and his fam- April 1 notice of the income tax
ily dramatically increased in the department, observing that a
revised return, which was an reasonable opportunity of being
apparent attempt to justify the heard in the matter granted to
investments made in the pur- the assessee must be effective
chase of insurance policies and not a mere formality.
"The order must contain speworth over Rs.6.1 crore.
"This is just a preliminary cific reasons after taking into
inquiry. If the allegations are consideration the factual matrix.
proved to be true, a regular case Merely stating that the transfer
will be registered against is for the purpose of coordinatVirbhadra Singh and his fami- ing in itself is not a ground for
consolidating the cases at one
ly," a CBI official told IANS.
Virbhadra Singh's petition place.
The cause of action has arisen
challenging the order of the
income tax department transfer- in Himachal and the convenring his cases from Shimla to ience of the party cannot be
Chandigarh is also pending in overlooked," it noted.
Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister

Manik Sarkar said that Prime
Minister Narendra Modi remained
"non-committal" on continuation of
the special category status for eight
northeastern states, demanding the
arrangement be continued for their
development.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi
remained silent on the eight chief
ministers` demand to continue with
the special category status," Sarkar
told reporters here on Wednesday
after returning from New Delhi,
where he met Modi on this issue.
Expressing his apprehensions that
the special category status of the
northeastern states was going to end
due to various factors, he demanded
that the special status was a must to
bring these underdeveloped states
on par with other mainland states.
These states are Arunachal
Pradesh,
Assam,
Manipur,
Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland,
Tripura, and the Himalayan state of
Sikkim. "The prime minister also
remained evasive on a joint meeting
with all eight chief ministers.
However, he agreed to attend the
next meeting of North Eastern
Council (NEC) in Delhi," the
Tripura chief minister said. "If the
The Seven Sister States in

Indias northeast
central government does not provide

funds for the development of the
northeastern states, we cannot
approach Washington or Pakistan
for money," remarked Sarkar, who
has been the chief minister of
Tripura for more than 17 years.
All the eight chief ministers
belonging to the Congress, Left and
regional parties sent a signed resolution on April 23, urging Modi to
continue with the `special category
status` to their mountainous states.
Sarkar, a member of CPI-M politburo, said that after the Planning
Commission`s abolition, the funding
pattern of Normal Central
Assistance (NCA), Special Central
Assistance (SCA) and Special Plan
Assistance (SPA) had become

unclear.
"Earlier, the special category
states used to get reasonable amount
under the NCA, SCA and SPA. The
funding pattern for the special category states for centrally sponsored
schemes (CSS) was in the ratio of
90:10, where 90 percent of the total
expenditure was borne by the central government and 10 percent contributed by the state concerned," he
pointed out.
"Any change in the burden sharing will only add to the liabilities of
the states, which they will not be
able to meet, leading to dumping of
pro-people developmental schemes
in the northeast region," Sarkar
added.
He expressed the apprehension
that after the formation of NITI
(National
Institution
for
Transforming India) Aayog and considering the 14th Finance
Commission recommendations and
the 2015-16 union budget, their special category status was going to
end. There are 11 states in India
clubbed under the special status category, comprising eight northeastern
states, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu
and Kashmir and Uttarakhand.
4 Saarc nations drive towards free vehicular movement

Kathmandu: In a major step
towards sub-regional cooperation
with far-reaching consequences,
four Saarc nations - Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) will start unhindered vehicular
movement between them from
September this year.
Nepal's Minister for Physical
Infrastructure and Transport
Bimalendra Nidhi said on

Thursday that direct vehicular
movement among the four member countries of the SAARC will
kick off from September 18. The
four countries inked the BBIN
Motor Vehicle Agreement in
Bhutan's capital Thimphu on
Monday. Nepal and India have
already signed the Motor Vehicle
Agreement during the 18th Saarc

Summit held in Kathmandu last
November.
Minister Nidhi said that the
accord will not only help facilitate
seamless and unhindered transport
between the BBIN countries, but
also help in promotion of economic development and tourism
of these countries.
INDIA
June 20-26, 2015
11
Chidambaram bolsters attack on Sushma on Lalit Modi link

New Delhi: The controversy over Sushma
Swaraj helping former IPL chief Lalit Modi
continued to billow as senior Congress
leader and former union finance minister P.
Chidambaram accused the external affairs
minister of "nepotism" and abuse of authority even as the government reiterated its stand
that she had committed no impropriety.
Speaking to reporters in Chennai,
Chidambaram also asked the government
about the steps it has taken to bring back the
former IPL chief, who faces an Enforcement
Directorate notice for alleged financial
impropriety.
Chidambaram said Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley has confirmed that the Enforcement
Directorate was investigating 16 cases
against Modi and show cause notice was
issued in 15 cases.
Posing seven questions to the government,
Chidambaram said if Sushma Swaraj wanted
to facilitate Modi getting travel documents
on humanitarian grounds, she should have
asked him to get in touch with the Indian

High Commission in London. "Why did she
feel he should have UK travel documents
rather than Indian travel documents?" he
asked.
Leveling a series of allegations,
Chidambaram said it was "nepotism, abuse
of authority and violation of rules".
He also asked the NDA government to
make public the letters exchanged between
him and British Chancellor of Exchequer
George Osborne.
Chidambaram said he wrote to his British
counterpart Osborne that Lalit Modi was
being investigated under Indian laws and the
British government should send him back to
India as his passport was revoked by the
Indian government.
Continuing the attack on the government,
the Congress party demanded that Prime
Minister Narendra Modi break his silence on
the issue. Calling him "Maun Modi",
Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh
Surjewala questioned the PMs "conspiratorial" silence on the Lalit Modi controversy.
The Congress is also demanding the resignation of Sushma Swaraj over her assistance
to Lalit Modi.
Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad
backed Sushma Swaraj, saying she did not
commit an action of impropriety or corruption by helping Lalit
Modi procure documents to travel to
Portugal last year for his cancer-stricken
wife's treatment.
Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday got strong
backing from Finance Minister Arun Jaitley,
who termed "baseless" all allegations against
her. On Rajasthan Chief Minister
Vasundhara Raje, whose name also cropped
up in the controversy, Prasad said the details
would have to be looked into. The Congress
on Wednesday demanded Raje's resignation
over allegations that she testified in favor of
former IPL chief Lalit Modi's British immigration application in 2011.
As finance minister P. Chidambaram

had written to his British counterpart
that Lalit Modi was being probed
under Indian laws and the British
government should send him back as
his passport was revoked.
Amit Shah to take yoga

Lalit Modi link comes back to haunt Rajasthan CM
lessons from Muslim teacher
By Prakash Bhandari
Ram
Kirpal
Patna: BJP president Amit Shah
Yadav, will also
will take lessons
attend the yoga
camp in Patna.
from a Muslim
Shah's plans to
yoga teacher at a
attend the yoga
special camp here
on June 21 camp here has
become a political
International
Yoga Day.
Chief
BJP President Amit Shah issue.
Minister Nitish
"Yoga experts
Mohd Tamanna and Ashok Sarkar Kumar targeted the BJP and
will teach yoga to Shah at Moinul Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
Haque stadium here," Ajit Kumar, and said they had made yoga a
in-charge of Bihar-Jharkhand matter of "show-off and publicity". He termed BJP's move to
Patanjali Yogpeeth, said.
He said Tamanna will give tips hold a yoga camp on June 21 a
"drama", following which
on yoga to Shah.
At least half a dozen union min- Telecommunications Minister
isters from Bihar, including Ravi Ravi Shankar Prasad advised
Shankar Prasad, Rajeev Pratap Nitish Kumar to practice
Rudy, Radha Mohan Singh and 'pranayam' for peace of mind.
Money for rural India from Delhi triples

New Delhi: Over the next five years, money to rural local governments
(panchayats) will rise nearly three times, from Rs.63,051 crore to
Rs.200,292 crore, on the recommendations of the 14th Finance
Commission - a constitutional body that recommends sharing of financial
resources between the centre and the states. Panchayat institutions in
Kerala are most effectively decentralised and so best placed to handle this
money. The next best are Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
Gram panchayats, the smallest unit of the panchayat system, get the
largest share of finances, 60 percent, from the central government.
Block and district-level panchayats, the second and third tier of the
three-tier panchayati raj system, get most of their money from the states.
While gram panchayats generate 11 percent of revenue, block and district-level panchayats generate 0.4 percent and 1.6 percent respectively.
These are some of the key findings of a report titled "A Contemporary
Analysis of Fiscal Transfers to Rural Local Governments in India" by
Accountability Initiative, a New Delhi-based think tank. While India's
urban population increased 31.8 % between 2001 and 2011, 69 percent of
India is still rural. This fact has not been lost on Delhi.
A major transfer of power was a part of local government reforms in the
early 1990s when panchayats were duly empowered. The Indian
Government became a three-tiered structure -centre, state and local (rural
and urban) - in 1992 under the 73rd and 74th amendments.
Jaipur: The new revelations

made by the former IPL supremo
Lalit Modi in an interview to a
news channel has bared the skeletons of the Rajasthan Chief
Minister Vasundhara Raje. His
move reveals facts about how
thick was the relationship
between him and Raje.
Particularly, the fact that during
the critical time when his wife
Minal was ailing with cancer, it
was Raje who took her to Portugal
in 2012 and 2013.
Lalit Modi seems to have picked
up cudgels against Raje as a
revenge because she severed her
relationship with him and ousted
him from the Rajasthan Cricket
Association's (RCA) presidentship. This was the time when
she was out of power and despite
being made the leader of
Opposition, she hardly stayed in
Jaipur. The then Chief minister
Ashok Gehlot often jocularly
asked, Where is Vasundhara?
What is she doing abroad? Why is
she staying for so long in UK
where Lalit Modi has taken
refuge? Why is she not playing
her role as the leader of
Opposition?
Lalit Modi enjoyed the fruits of
his friendship with Raje for long
and despite the fact that he was
not present in India, when the
RCA election took place last year,
Modi largely because of the support of Raje governments bureaucrats, won the RCA election.
Lalit Modi was a thorn in the
flesh of the former national cricket board chief N. Srinivasan and
finance minister Arun Jaitley and
the BCCI banned the RCA for
electing Modi as president whom
it had banned for life.
Meanwhile, Vasundhara Raje
Vasundhara Raje allegedly testified in favor of former IPL chief

and RCA president Lalit Modi's British immigration application
felt uncomfortable keeping her

friendship going with Lalit Modi
as her detractors were still linking
Modi with her. During her first
term as the states Chief Minister,
she had invited a lot of criticism
by both her own party men and
the Opposition by allowing Lalit
Modi to become an extra
Constitutional authority
Finally, Vasundhara found that
any association with Modi would
allow her detractors to thrive on
the situation because Modi was
continuing as President of the
RCA. So, she engineered a coup
by encouraging a close associate
of Modi and the BJPs minority
community face Ameen Pathan to
oust Modi as RCA president.
Pathan led a rebel group who
voted Modi out of the RCA
through a no confidence motion.
This came as a shock to Lalit
Modi and he tweeted just after the
no confidence motion that
Vasundhara was being misguided
by some of her aides.
As Chief Minister, Raje now
had no option but to keep distance from Modi especially
because when she was out of
power, her MP son Dushyant got

embroiled in a controversy
because of his alleged financial
deals with Modi. A Jaipur-based
lawyer Poonam Chand Bhandari
wrote a series of letters to the
Enforcement Directorate claiming
Modi had laundered black money
for Raje's son. Bhandari alleged
that around Rs 11 crore was routed to Niyant Heritage Hospitality
Ltd by a company owned by Modi
and his wife. In this company
Dushyant and his wife are directors. The money was transferred
from Mauritius.
Raje, after severing her relationship with Lalit Modi, tried to tell
the BJP high command that she
was no longer associated with
him. Modi, meanwhile, was targeting her indirectly by twitting
sarcastic comment against Jaitley
and the BJP general secretary
Bhupendra Yadav.
After the controversy about the
appeal made by Sushma Swaraj
on behalf of Lalit Modi was made
public, he took his revenge
against Vasundhara by stating
how she also tried to help him in
getting immigration visas.
12
OP-ED
June 20-26, 2015
BJP can only hope for narrow victory in Bihar elections

By Amulya Ganguly
n the hour of Narendra Modi's
electoral triumph last year, he
could not have imagined that
only a year-and-a-half later, he
would face a situation where he and
his party would have to devote all
their energies to maintain their
prime position in the political field.
Unless Modi and the BJP are able
to overcome the challenge of their
opponents in the Bihar assembly
elections this coming winter, their
grip on the throne in Delhi will
become shaky.
The first sign that all was not well
for Modi in Bihar was available last
August when the Janata Dal-United
(JD-U), Lalus RJD and the
Congress overcame the setbacks
they had suffered in the general
elections to win six of the 10
assembly by-elections in the state.
The BJP's tally of four pointed to
a waning of the Modi wave that had
enabled the party to win 22 of the
40 parliamentary seats in Bihar in
May 2014. With the BJP's allies,
the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) winning six and the Rashtriya Lok
Samta Party (RLSP) three, the BJPplus group's total went up to 31.
To the BJP's satisfaction, the
worst show was by its former ally,
Nitish Kumar's JD-U, which could
win only two seats while the latter's
one-time arch-enemy and now an
ally, Lalu Prasad's RJD won
Lalu Yadav had to accept Nitish Kumar as CM candidate.

Caste calculations are in BJPs game plan too.
seven, showing that its victory by

over 136,000 votes over the JD-U
in the Maharajganj by-election in
June, 2013, was not a fluke.
Clearly, Nitish Kumar's contention
that Lalu Prasad had presided over
a "jungle raj" in Bihar when the
RJD was in power between 1990
and 2005 had not significantly
eroded the latter's base of support.
But, now, political exigencies
have compelled Nitish Kumar to
push Lalu Prasad to the background. The JD-U chief is now the
CM candidate of the Janata "parivar" led by Mulayam Singh Yadav
of the Samajwadi Party (SP).
The BJP, however, is unlikely to
be too perturbed by these develop-
ments. For one, the "parivar" has

been saved in the nick of time
because only a few weeks ago, it
was being said by the SP leaders
that the group would not be formed
before the Bihar elections. Even
now, its "unity" is apparently confined only to Bihar.
For another, Lalu Prasad's observation that he was ready to consume poison - accept humiliation
for the sake of fighting the "cobra
of communalism" - has been seen
to reflect his unhappiness over
Nitish Kumar's elevation.
The RJD chief's distress is understandable because his conviction in
the fodder scam has undone his
gradual political gains as was evi-
dent from his party winning of

seven parliamentary seats and three
assembly by-election seats in Bihar
in 2014.
Although the Manmohan Singh
government tried to save him with
Sonia Gandhi's blessings by enacting an ordinance seeking to overturn the judicial diktat disqualifying
convicted legislators, the document
was torn up in front of television
cameras by Rahul Gandhi. It was
this act that has now led to the
anointment of Nitish Kumar at Lalu
Prasad's expense.
But, the fraught relations between
the two OBC leaders could not
have been eased by the outward
show of bonhomie if only because
the RJD leader, as a Yadav chieftain, can claim to have the support
of the largest group of the backward castes in Bihar since the
Yadavs comprise 16 per cent of the
population.
Lalu Prasad, therefore, undoubtedly saw himself as the obvious
CM candidate of the Janata parivar
till he was unceremoniously
dumped in favor of Nitish Kumar,
who is a Kurmi, a backward caste
which makes up a mere 3.7 per cent
of the state's population.
The preponderance of the caste
factor may seem odd and even
laughable to people outside the
Bihar-Uttar Pradesh "cow belt".
But, it is a matter which is at the
heart of electoral calculations in the
region.
Although Modi regretted the continued dominance of casteism in
Bihar during a recent visit to the
state, it is precisely these castebased animosities that the BJP will
try to exploit during the poll campaign. What is more, to show that it
is not lagging behind in playing the
caste card itself, the party has
claimed that the Mauryan emperors, Chandragupta (324-300 BC)
and Ashoka (272-232 BC), who
ruled from Patalipura, the ancient
name of Patna, were of backward
caste origin - Kushwaha or Koeri.
What may be considered unfortunate, however, is why the BJP
should have fallen back on these
regressive tactics when its USP is
supposed to be the PMs development mantra. It was this agenda
which won the BJP its famous victory in the general election.
If it is now resorting to the familiar divisive means of the Hindi
heartland to edge ahead of its opponents, the reason probably is the
party's realization that it hasn't been
able to push the economic reforms
vigorously enough to fulfill its last
year's promises.
Given this failure, the most which
the BJP can expect is a narrow victory, which will be nearly as much
damaging to its reputation as a
defeat.
Amulya Ganguly is a political
analyst.
If Modi transforms education, he'll be remembered as a visionary

The passage of the long-pending Foreign Educational Institutions Bill would make high quality
education widely available in India, apart from improving the quality of existing education
providers through direct competition. Prime Minister Modi has directed that the feasibility
of foreign universities entering the education space in India be urgently examined.
By Amit Dasgupta
he front page news that Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has
personally directed that the
feasibility of foreign universities
entering the education space in India
be urgently examined has come as
good news for the higher education
sector, which is currently reeling
under burgeoning demand, limited
supply and the mushrooming of
poor quality educational institutions.
There is hope that the BJP, which
had opposed the bill on the subject
when UPA-II moved it, would support it now if the prime minister
endorses it.
This might well turn out to be the
game changer that would transform
the education landscape in India. It
is an accepted fact that many graduates, including those with engineering degrees, are unable to find
employment because they do not
possess the knowledge or skills that
make them market-worthy. This is a
consequence when shoddy education vendors flood the market simply to take advantage of demand.
Quality education suffers as a consequence.
The passage of the long-pending
Foreign Educational Institutions Bill
is, consequently, viewed by many as
the panacea. It would make high
quality education widely available
in India, apart from improving the
quality of existing education
providers through direct competition. Many unreliable vendors
would be rendered redundant by
market forces. This would further
contribute to improving the education delivery system.
Apart from savings in foreign
exchange by providing Indian students an opportunity to study in
India rather than going abroad, the
entry of foreign education providers
is expected to see increased investment in and encouragement of
R&D, which has been a long-neglected sector. Additionally, a signifi-
cant boost is expected to be given to

the online platform, which is likely
to emerge as a lucrative product in a
rapidly growing demand-driven
market, such as India.
Speculation that with the opening
up of the education space, India
could be positioned as an Asian education hub will also have positive
implications on infrastructure,
streamlining administrative procedures with regard to mutual recognition and accreditation, and the dismantling of abrasive visa regulations, particularly for those wishing
to come to India for research projects. Collaboration with foreign universities would, most certainly, see
the exchange of faculty and students, including credit transfer, and
consequently impact positively not
only on joint research but also on
tourism.
In other words, this has the potential of emerging as a powerful public diplomacy tool in foreign affairs
by opening its doors to international
students and international faculty.

When learning is experiential, it has
the ability of becoming second
nature and thus, influencing perceptions and behavior. In short, the
studying-in-India experience would
enable students to make Indian
friends, travel within India, and
receive an experiential exposure to
India's diverse cultural heritage.
Consequently, when they return to
their countries, they would have a
more informed, first-hand and longlasting perception of India. This lies
at the core of any public diplomacy
intervention because it helps create
life-time friends.
Equally important is the fact that
the liberalization of India's education sector would send a strong signal to the global community of
India's openness to engage with
international partners. This would
be in keeping with the prime minister's message that his government's
priority would lie in ensuring the
ease of doing business and in the
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
dismantling of protectionist barriers.

However, this requires firm advocacy by none other than the prime
minister himself, who needs to not
only make his intent clear but insist
on time-bound implementation. It is
expected that vested interests and
strong lobbies, many of whom enjoy
considerable political patronage,
would oppose the passage of the
bill, as it would, most certainly,
threaten their existence and impact
their bank balances.
A positive signal was conveyed by
Modi when he directed that the foreign education bill needs to be revisited. If he is able to transform the
education landscape in India, he
would be remembered as a man of
vision. After all, it is only nations
that recognize the primacy of education are able to achieve sustainable
economic growth and social justice.
Amit Dasgupta is a former diplomat and part of the SP Jain School
of Global Management in Mumbai.
OP-ED
June 20-26, 2015
13
Indian outsourcers blamed for misuse of H1B program

t hardly needs saying that immigration
policy should not undermine Americans
jobs, wages or working conditions. The
problem is that what some companies want
cheap, exploitable, disposable labor is
exactly what the system can be twisted into
giving them. Former workers at Walt Disney
World in Orlando or at Southern California
Edison, the power utility, can tell the story.
Those two companies recently laid off hundreds of tech employees, who were replaced
by temporary workers recruited by outsourcing firms based in India.
These are only two of many troubling
episodes involving the H-1B program, which
provides up to 85,000 visas a year to foreigners, mainly highly skilled technical workers.
The program was created to allow companies
to fill gaps in their work force with specialized employees they cannot find in the
United States. But the law has loopholes, and
companies here and overseas ruthlessly
exploit them. A huge industry has risen to
meet labor demand in the information-technology sector, with the imported workers
being employees of the outsourcing firms.
On Thursday the Labor Department
announced it was investigating two of the
largest companies that supply H-1B workers,
Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services, based
in India. Senators including Jeff Sessions,
Republican of Alabama, and Dick Durbin, an
Illinois Democrat, asked for the inquiry after
This editorial first appeared

in The New York Times
Monday under the
headline, Workers Betrayed
by Visa Loopholes.
reports that Southern California Edison
turned to Infosys and Tata for H-1B workers
even as it was laying off 540 workers, many
of whom said they had to train their replacements. The Times recently reported a similar
story at Disney, which contracted with HCL
America, a branch of an Indian outsourcer,
and laid off 250 workers. Some workers said
they were asked to stay on to train the newcomers who took over their jobs.
A mass influx of foreigners doing the jobs
of the workers they displace is clearly not
what the law intended. Congress surely did
not want to give companies a more efficient
means of slashing payroll costs while pushing more people to the curb. But despite common perceptions about the H-1B law, it does
not require companies to recruit American
workers before looking overseas.
The program badly needs reforming, which
even members of Congress who are otherwise far apart on immigration issues agree
on. Senators Durbin and Charles Grassley of
Iowa have proposed tightening the rules to
Tech workers at Disney World in Orlando were reportedly asked to train their
replacements as in the movie Outsourced.
require companies to work harder to find

people in this country to fill jobs, to post job
openings on the Labor Department website
and to pay fairer wages. They would also
give the government more authority to investigate fraud, and added protections for H-1B
workers, who themselves are vulnerable to
exploitation because of their dependency on
their employers.
Many of these good ideas were contained
in a Senate bill to overhaul the immigration
system. That bill died, killed by hard-liners in
the House who objected to its provisions for
unauthorized immigrants.
That was a tragedy, because worker protection has always been a core ideal of comprehensive immigration reform, which would
include allowing 11 million unauthorized
immigrants to seek legal status and work without fear. With no immediate possibility of such
an immigration overhaul, opportunistic tech
companies are pursuing their own narrow
agenda, pushing for vast increases in H-1B
visas. That might help their recruiting problems, but leave much of the system as dysfunctional as ever. Better to fix immigration.
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
14
YOGA
June 20-26, 2015
The higher reaches of Yoga

The hierarchy of needs is the model
of human development postulated by
Abraham Maslow, an American
psychologist. The peak in this
pyramid almost converges with the
higher states of consciousness as
described in mystic traditions.
Correspondence can even be drawn
between level of needs from bottom
up and the upward journey of the
kundalini from the base chakra
named Mooladhar to the top
Sahasrar chakra.
By Parveen Chopra
ou are healthy, fairly
happy, and well-settled in
life. Yet, there is a
vague vacuum, a nagging
feeling that there should
be more to life. This
amorphous condition
ails many, often unbeknown even to them,
but is known in psychiatry and psychology,
more so in the past
few decades when at
least one of the
streams of psychology started looking
beyond mental illness at enhancing life and happiness, if not
imbuing life with meaning.
That stream is known as
Humanistic
PsychologyTranspersonal Psychology, which
goes beyond the established
Freudian and behaviorist schools.
The most well known of the third
school has been Abraham
Maslow
(1908-1970), an
American psychologist who
introduced a model of developmental psychology that has
become well known not only in
the field of psychology, but also
in management and other human
sciences. It describes developmental stages, which are based on
what Maslow calls human needs.
Thus, his model is known as
Maslow's hierarchy of needs and
depicted as a pyramid.
At the base of this pyramid is

Physiological Needs, including
food, water, air, and sleep. And
then on to Safety Needs, Social
Needs and
Esteem
Needs. Still higher are
Cognitive (knowledge, meaning, selfawareness)
and
Aesthetics (beauty,
balance and form)
Needs. Approaching
the peak is the need
for
SelfActualization
(morality, creativity, spontaneity, lack
of prejudice and
acceptance of facts).
Point to be noted is that what
the most enlightened, modern
psychology is asserting lately has
been addressed eons ago by the
yogic sciences of India. Here we
are, of course, talking about
authentic yoga, which while possibly including body work or
asana-pranayama as a foundation,
is actually about encountering,
examining, exploring, integrating
and transcending the many levels,
currents and crosscurrents of
mind and consciousness.
Most of us routinely experience
three states of consciousness,
namely, sleep, waking and dreaming states. In meditation, even a
novice has flashes of a fourth
state, when you subjectively feel
you had blanked out, but coming
out it did not feel like sleep. Brain
wave pattern using the electroencephalogram will confirm that

you were not sleeping, you were
alert yet in a deep state of rest. In
yoga they call the state Samadhi.
It is better understood as pure
consciousness - you are conscious, not of anything outside or
inside, but of consciousness itself.
It is like the snake eating its own
tail. Beyond time and space,
samadhi is transcendence of our
mundane experience. Perhaps the
craving for this transcendence
goads so many to experiment
with drugs, in particular psychedelics. There is also bliss.
It is, however, important to note
that there is a great difference
between the terms SelfActualization as postulated by
Maslow and Self-Realization as
in spirituality, with the former
having to do with higher levels of
fulfillment at the personality
level, while still in relation to
worldliness.
Self-Realization has to do with
that knowing of pure consciousness (or many other such terms),
which is beyond, transcendent, or
transpersonal. Maslow, too, in
his later years, expanded his
model to include the higher levels
of human experience. But the
bliss and beatitude that we see
and sense in depictions of a
Buddha, Mahavir, Nanak, Jesus
or Krishna seem many times
more. That is because they have
attained enlightenment (often
shown in pictures as a halo)

where they are able to sustain the
bliss, the transcendence, the pure
consciousness alongside other
three states of consciousness.
Guru Nanak described it as naam
khumari nanka chadi rahe din
raat.
A still higher state of consciousness is when pure consciousness
experienced within is also witnessed as the stuff of which
everything in the universe animate and inanimate- is made of. I
am That, Thou art That, All This
is That declare the three Veda
mahavakyas, containing the highest knowledge uttered so simply
yet profoundly. Science and spirituality are converging again
because Quantum Theory too has
reached the point where the
source of all matter and energy is
described as a vacuum, a nothingness that contains all the possibilities of everything that has ever
existed or could exist.
Mystics and munis would
rather say that it is Immanent
God that permeates everything.
As Pope Francis wrote this week
in his encyclical (a controversial
document because it calls upon
the human world to combat climate change to save the earth),
The universe unfolds in God,
who fills it completely. Hence,
there is a mystical meaning to be
found in a leaf, in a mountain
trail, in a dewdrop, in a poor persons face. The Pope quotes a
ninth century mystical Muslim

poet Ali-al-Khawas to bridge the
gap between the creatures of the
world and the interior experience
of God: The initiate will capture
what is being said when the wind
blows, the trees sway, water
flows, flies buzz, doors creak,
birds sing, or in the sound of
strings or flutes, the sighs of the
sick, the groans of the afflicted.
Most of us, caught as we are in
our daily struggles, transient
desires, grasping at this and that,
have no time and inclination to
take the road not taken not in
these times of ever-present distractions of text messages and
YouTube videos and many forms
of instant gratification. But the
untrodden path promises untold
riches, and sublime experience
beyond the reach of our ordinary
mind and intellect. The mystic
streams of major world religions
offer the wherewithal to guide the
seeker on the odyssey and shining
examples in the many prophets
and men of God who scaled the
higher reaches of yoga and lived
to tell the world.
In the run up to the
International Day of Yoga, this is
the last in a series of articles
written by Parveen Chopra,
Managing Editor of The South
Asian Times. He is also founder
editor of Indias first spiritual
magazine, Life Positive, and a
teacher of meditation.
YOGA
June 20-26, 2015
15
Yoga does not discriminate, says UN chief
United Nations: Emphasizing that

yoga does not discriminate, UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said
he discovered the simple sense of
satisfaction it brings when he
tried his first asana during his
visit to India.
In his message for the first
International Day of Yoga to be
observed on June 21, Mr. Ban recalled that it took him a
while to gain his balance when he tried yoga for the first time
in New Delhi during his visit in January but soon realized it
can be done by anyone.
And yoga does not discriminate; to varying degrees, all
people can practise, regardless of their relative strength, age
or ability. I discovered this for myself on trying to do my first
asana, a tree pose suited to beginners. It took a moment for
me to gain my balance, but once I did, I appreciated the simple sense of satisfaction that yoga can bring, the UN chief
said in the message.
He said during his visit to India, he had the opportunity to
practise yoga with one of his senior advisers. Mr. Bans adviser on Myanmar, veteran Indian diplomat Vijay Nambiar, had
given the UN chief his first yoga lesson in preparation for the
coming International Day of Yoga.
The UN spokesperson had also tweeted a photo of Ban trying to follow Nambiar while doing his first yoga asana.
Although he happened to be a son of the country, I might
equally have done the same with many other colleagues from
different parts of the world. Yoga is an ancient discipline from
a traditional setting that has grown in popularity to be enjoyed
by practitioners in every region, Ban said.
He said Yoga offers a simple, accessible and inclusive
means to promote physical and spiritual health and well-
Surya Namaskar is
non-religious: Ramdev
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon trying out a

yoga pose as guided by his adviser
on Myanmar, Vijay Nambiar.
being. In proclaiming June 21 as the International Day of

Yoga, the UN General Assembly recognized the holistic benefits of this timeless practice and its inherent compatibility
with the principles and values of the UN, Ban said.
Yoga offers a simple, accessible and inclusive means to
promote physical and spiritual health and well-being. It promotes respect for ones fellow human beings and for the planet we share, he said.
The Yoga Day was a brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, who had mooted the idea in his maiden address to the
General Assembly in September last year.
New Delhi: In the run up to the International Day of

Yoga, controversies surrounding Surya Namaskar continued. Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Monday said the
controversy of linking Surya
Namaskar exercise with a
particular religion was baseless. Surya namaskar is an
exercise and it has nothing to
do with any religion. It cannot be related to the worship
of surya (sun). Some people
are in the habit of creating
controversy, he said while
starting his yoga camp in
Panchkula, Haryana.
Ramdev said people all
over the world were now
understanding the benefits of yoga exercises. He said the
declaration of June 21 as the International Yoga Day will
help in the spread of awareness about yoga. It is a matter of pride for all of us that out of total 177 countries,
which supported the UN resolution on Yoga Day, 47
were Muslim countries. Several Muslim organizations
are also going to participate in the celebrations of IDY
on June 21, he said, while trying to de-link the impression that yoga belonged to Hindu religion.
Yoga Day to be celebrated Why are Indian Muslims opposing yoga when
12,000 feet above sea level Muslim countries are supporting it?'
New Delhi: Indias armed forces
have planned yoga sessions on
board warships and even at
Siachen, the world's highest battlefield, to celebrate the first
International Day of Yoga (IDY)
on June 21.
"From
Kashmir
to
Kanyakumari," a senior Army
official said when asked their
plans for Yoga Day.
He said that nearly 500 troops
at the Siachen base camp - about
12,000 ft above sea level - will

practice yoga to mark the day.
The Navy too has plans for
Yoga Day and aims to do "Yoga
across the oceans".
"Yoga sessions would be carried out on all our ships and
installation," an official said.
Indian Navy units located as far
as the Mediterranean Sea in the
West, the Western Pacific Ocean
and the Southern Indian Ocean
will participate in the event.
Yoga at
Siachen
Base.
Navy
personnel
practising
yoga
New Delhi: Over 47 Muslim-majority countries have supported the

International Day of Yoga, yet some
Indian communities, including sections of Muslims, are opposing it,
Shripad Yesso Naik, the minister of
state for yoga and traditional medicine, has said.
"Over 47 Arab countries have not
only supported the event but have
also become partners. All the countries abroad want to help us with the
event while Indian communities
want to oppose it," Naik said in an
interview ahead of the Yoga Day on
June 21. "We have requested all
Indian communities to support the
cause and not politicize it," the minister added.
Rebutting as baseless the allegations that the International Day of
Yoga is meant to spread the Hindutva
agenda, Naik said one of its elements, the 'surya namaskar' (yogic
postures for prayers to the sun) has
been taken out of the day's activities.
The ministry has received objections from Muslim leaders that surya
namaskar required everyone to pray
to the sun, while Muslims were
allowed to pray only to Allah.
"We do not want any controversy
over surya namaskar. There is no
compulsion to chant any prayer and
if people do not wish to say 'om' they
can chant 'Allah'," Naik said, adding
Muslim students practice Yoga at an Ahmedabad

school on June 16, 2015.
that the leaders have extended their

support after a meeting with him.
"Yoga is an Indian identity. We
have every need to celebrate it.
Through this celebration we aim to
reach out to every nook and corner of
the world and spread the benefits of
yoga," Naik said.
"Our aim is to unite the people for
a better world," he added.
Naik's ministry, as also the external
affairs ministry, have been tasked
with organizing the first International
Day of Yoga in India and abroad,
with the activities expected to be
held across 193 countries. The event
in India, which involves a budget of
over Rs. 30 crore, is expected to see
more than 35,000 people performing
yoga at New Delhis Rajpath along

with millions of people from across
the world also performing in their
countries. The prime minister, other
government ministers and officials,
as also foreign delegations are
expected to be present for the
Rajpath event.
Over 100 yoga training centers
have been opened ahead of the Day
of Yoga, apart from over 560 centers
in each district of the country.
The ministry also aims for a place
in the Guinness World Records for
the largest yoga congregation, the
minister added. The current record is
held by Gwalior's Vivekanand
Kendra, where 29,773 people simultaneously performed yoga.
16
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
June 20-26, 2015
Indians taking acting more seriously: Kunal Nayyar

t 33, he has managed to carve his
own niche in the west as Raj
Koothrappali in popular TV sitcom
The Big Bang Theory. Actor Kunal
Nayyar believes scope for niche Indian
actors has widened a lot in international
market, and so, they are taking acting a lot
more seriously.
International market has widened scope
for Indian actors a lot. We were making
movies a lot longer than the rest of the
world. The quality of movies coming out of
India is fantastic. I think it has opened the
eyes of the world regarding the quality of
movies and the quality of talent that not
only lmmakers and directors but even
actors and actresses in India have, Kunal
told IANS over phone from US.
Indians are denitely taking acting a lot
more seriously. A lot of change has happened in the past 15 to 20 years, where people from small town, who do not belong to
any lm backdrop, have got success in the
industry. We are on par over the rest of the
world when it comes to our talent in making
lms, he added.
In recent times, a lot of Indian stars
including Nimrat Kaur, Irrfan Khan,
Priyanka Chopra and Ali Fazal have made a
foray into the international lm industry as
Kunal says now Indians are being
approached for better and meaty roles.
Kunal said: Im honoured to be on the
number one TV show in US as I play one of

the lead characters in it. I feel blessed that
Im working as an actor here, but then I
know how difcult it is to crack characters
in any industry Bollywood or

Hollywood.
Asked why Indian actors are only
approached for character-based roles, Kunal
added: I dont want myself to get caught
up in those sorts of discussions because I
dont have the luxury to do it. I think if I
was a huge Bollywood star, I would have
understand why it will be tough to leave
everything that Im going through and then
move on to Hollywood, though not stuck in
the bottom, but have the same brand that
Ive in India. So, its something that I
havent faced yet.
But, the Indian persona is changing.
Here, we have a lot of characters, especially
in TV shows where we have an Indian playing the role of an American. So its something that has never happened previously.
Apart from The Big Bang Story, Kunal
has also appeared in lms like Ice Age:
Continental Drift, The Scribbler and
Dr. Cabbie. He has also been part of TV
shows like NCIS, Sullivan & Son. He
was even seen hosting The Late Late
Show.
Talking about his career graph, he said:
Im lucky to be working in Hollywood. If I
look back and watch some of the things that
Ive done in the past years, I see a long journey with The Big Bang Theory and hosting The Late Late Show under the
lights.
Madhuri was first B-Town

actress with personal
trainer: Leena Mogre
Tribute
Christopher
Lee: A stellar
career from
Dracula to
Saruman
By Ankit Sinha
rom my earliest childhood memories, one image which remains
etched deep within my subconscious
is that of the foreboding aura of Dracula.
The feared vampire of Bram Stoker's
eponymous novel was brought alive on
screen in 1958 by the legendary
Christopher Lee - an actor who defined the
horror genre in cinema.
It was in 1957 that a 35-year-old Lee
was cast in Hammer Film Productions'
"The Curse of Frankenstein" as
Frankenstein's monster - the character
which was destined to attain immortality in
the annals of horror cinema.
The charismatic actor passed away last
week at the age of 93 in London after suffering respiratory and heart problems.
As a fan, Lee's death came as a shock
since I had long revered the veteran actor
ehind every successful man is a

woman. However, there is a
woman behind actress Madhuri
Dixit's age-defying looks and fit hourglass frame - Leena Mogre.
The Tezaab star was the first
to have a personal trainer, Mogre
said.
Madhuri was my first client. And
that time, the concept of personal
training didnt exist in Bollywood.
And she was the first to have a personal trainer, the fitness trainerentrepreneur said.
Mogre used to conduct Madhuris
training sessions at the actress house
where she practiced aerobics to keep
herself fit.
I used to take her training sessions at her house and due to her passion for dance, we used to do aerobics. She used to carry her music
player or walkman to the film sets so
that she could practice and keep herself fit, she said.
The actress, often regarded as
Bollywoods dancing diva, even
loved Mogres book Total Fitness:
The Leena Mogra Way and wrote
the foreword to it. On the big screen,
Madhuri was last seen in Vishal
Bharadwajs Dedh Ishqiya and
Anubhav Sinhas Gulaab Gang. She
also appeared on the small screen as a
judge of dance reality show Jhalak
Dikhhla Jaa.
for his versatility and panache. With his

impeccable portrayals of Frankenstein's
monster and Dracula, the actor had
become a household name in the horror
genre and had developed an enviable fan
following in India and across the globe.
Born in London in 1922, the actor had
an illustrious career spanning 70 years.
His towering personality - he was 6' 4" distinguished good looks and rich baritone
made him an enviable and respectable figure in Hollywood. Lee had a predilection
for the sinister and macabre, as he admitted being "fascinated by the nature of evil"
during a 2003 interview.
"There is something sad about malevolence, to be wicked," he said in an interview with the Guardian.
Lee's first break came in Terence
Young's 1948 drama "Corridor of
Mirrors". He played secondary and anonymous characters in various low-budget
films for 10 years before finding his mark
in the industry. As the years passed, Lee's
acting career took even a bigger curve as
he branched out to play several memorable

roles. If he was famous for portraying
Dracula and Frankenstein's creature in the
late 1950s, he attained fame in the 1960s
as Fu Manchu, in the 1970s as the pagan
Lord Summerisle "The Wicker Man" and
Scaramanga in Bond-movie "The Man with
the Golden Gun" and in the 2000s as the
evil wizard Saruman in "The Lord of the
Rings".
His career witnessed a renaissance at
the turn of the new millennium, but the
film which acted as a silent precursor to
his resurgent popularity was the highly
controversial "Jinnah". Directed by Jamil
Dehlavi, the 1998 biopic saw Lee in the
role of Pakistan's historic founder,
Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Lee left an everlasting impression with his sincere portrayal of the Pakistani national icon.
The veteran actor was reintroduced to a
new generation of film lovers in the 2000s
with his role as Saruman in the hugely
popular "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and as
Count Dooku in the "Star Wars" series.
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
June 20-26, 2015
17
Salman, Mahesh Babu, Dhanush Salman's plea against

conviction adjourned till July 1
set for box office battle
uperstars Salman Khan,
Mahesh Babu and Dhanush
are set to battle it out at the
box office when their films
"Bajrangi Bhaijaan",
"Srimanthudu" and "Maari"
release on July 17 worldwide.
Salman's "Bajrangi Bhaijaan",
directed by Kabir Khan, has been
confirmed to release on July 17 as
it happens to be the Eid weekend.
Director Koratala Siva has also
confirmed that Mahesh Babu's
"Srimanthudu" will release on the
same day.
"We had zeroed in on July 17 as
release date long back. There won't
be any changes. We have one have
week of patchwork left, and once
we're done, we will unveil the
audio towards the end of this
month," Siva told IANS.
Meanwhile, the makers of
Dhanush's "Maari", which is
he Bombay
High Court
h
a
s
adjourned till July
1 Bollywood actor
Salman Khan's
appeal against his
conviction by a
lower court in the
September 2002
accident case.
When the matter
came up, the
actor's counsel
Amit Desai informed the high
court that the "paper book" - a
compilation of all evidence and
documents that is served to
both sides by the court - was
yet to be completed.
Justice A.R. Joshi ordered
expeditious completion of the
case papers before the formal
hearing in the matter could be
A scene from 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan.'
directed by Balaji Mohan, have

also finalised July 17 as the release
date. If the three films release
Success of
'Jurassic
World' a
blessing:
Irrfan
Irrfan Khan in 'Jurassic World.'
cclaimed Indian
actor
Irrfan
Khan considers
the success of "Jurassic World" a
"blessing. He plays the role of
Simon Masrani, the owner of the
ith all the tropes of the romance

genre
weaved
into
it,
"Ishqedarriyaan" is a typical contrived, mushy and predictable tale of a Prince
Charming and a damsel in distress.
The Prince here is the young, 20-something,
soft-hearted, multi-billionaire Agam Diwan,
who is in love with his passion and career.
'Ishqedarriyaan'
An
oft-seen
love
story
together, it will indeed be a battle

for screens, says trade analyst
Trinath.
dinosaur park in the Hollywood

film.
The success of 'Jurrasic World'
has come out as blessing for all
of us. I am overjoyed with the
response that the film has
Settled in Georgia in the US, he is an enigma

that the media houses want to unravel.
An investigative journalist, who believes that
"behind every fortune, there is a crime", he
delves into his family history and surfaces with
their dodgy past. This lead brings Agam Diwan
to India. He lands in Himachal Pradesh, where
he meets Loveleen, the daughter
of the man, his father is supREVIEW
posed to have cheated. She
is in desperate need of funds
and teachers to run the
Abhinandan Vidya Mandir,
a school founded by her
grandfather.
During their first meeting, instead of initially
hearing him out, she mistakes him for a teacher and
appoints him. He willingly
obliges. Tables turn. He
A poster of
'Ishqedarriyaan'
received in India and abroad. I

thank everyone who has contributed to this film and made it
such a large success, Irrfan said
in a statement.
Jurassic World is said to have
minted a global collection of over
$200 million.
The story unfolds 22 years after
the events of "Jurassic Park" in a
fully functional resort on Isla
Nublar that sees more than
20,000 visitors a day. The new
park includes a biological preserve, a safari, a zoo, and a theme
park type setting and of course
unprecedented close access to
real, living dinosaurs.
Jurassic World, which also
stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas
Howard, is set on Isla Nublar
island, the same location as
"Jurassic Park". It is a direct
sequel to the runaway 1993 hit.
now works for her and they share an

employer-employee relationship. Soon, they
become friends.
He is her messiah in disguise. He ensures that
every wish of hers is fulfilled by playing 'god' in
her life. He falls in love with her and realises
that she is besotted with Arjun, a promising
musician. Agam does the sacrificing act till
Loveleen realises her folly.
The actors deliver their parts sincerely.
Mahaakshay, who has a fairly appealing screen
presence with a slightly weak voice, charms you
as the restrained loverboy Agam. While he is
suave and razor-sharp as a businessman, he displays equal simplicity and naivete as the teacher
in India. Kavin Dave as Agam's best friend and
Man Friday is stereotypical. Evelyn Sharma as
Loveleen passes off as a Punjabi girl and is fairly good at emoting. Actor-singer Mohit Dutta,
who has a limited screen time, is impressionable
and essays the role of Arjun in style. Overall,
this is an ideal film for die-hard romantics who
believe that good things happen to good people.
taken up.
The judge posted the matter for
July 1.
A lower court
on May 6 sentenced the actor
to five years in
jail for various
charges, including
culpable
homicide
not
amounting to
murder. Salman,
49, appealed against the conviction in the high court which
suspended his sentence and
subsequently granted him bail.
The superstar has been convicted for ramming his car into
a bakery in Bandra west, killing
one pavement dweller and
injuring four others, on
September 28, 2002.
US 'Big Brother'
to feature first
transgender
contestant
he US version of reality
TV show Big
Brother will feature its
first transgender contestant in
its upcoming summer season.
Twenty-five-year-old
Audrey Middleton, who was
born Adam, will compete in
the 17th season of the show.
Audrey Middleton is a Big
Brother super fan who
applied online, like many
other hopeful houseguests,
and was open about her transition in the application
process, a CBS spokesperson
told variety.com.
It is customary for Big
Brother houseguests to share
personal news inside the
house, and Audrey plans to
discuss her story with the
houseguests in her own words
during the premiere episode
on Wednesday, June 24, the
spokesperson added.
Middleton, a digital media
consultant, hails from a small
Georgia town. According to
her biography on CBS website, "she is a former competitive swimmer and Mixed
Martial Arts (MMA) Ring
Girl, who loves to dress up
and look fabulous head-to-toe,
but also isnt afraid to get
dirty."
18
SOCIETY
June 20-26, 2015
Two countries, two campaigns,

one mission: end color bias
By SATimes
atima Lodhi, 25, born in
Karachi, Pakistan had a normal childhood until she
entered school. Her first assignment was to draw a face and color
it. Instinctively she picked a dark
brown crayon only to be replaced
with peach by her arts teacher.
Too young to understand the fair
skin preference, Lodhi continued
schooling accepting subtle biases
as normal until she found herself
nominated in her high school
award ceremony for makeover
required category.
The way school fellows started
clapping and hooting when my
name was announced was not actually humorous but extremely hurting, recalls Lodhi.
Her ordeal with colorism a
term though coined in the west by
African American scholars is now
universally accepted in defining
discrimination based on color - did
not end with school. In fact it got
worse in her teens. Enter aunties
who recommend fairness products
to look presentable for marriage
and job as if they were miracle
cure for a disease called darkness.
I was often told to use fairness
creams and try desi remedies to
look presentable to move in the
society, she said.
Although color was never a topic
of discussion in Lodhis family, it
was for the world outside her
home.
I was always told by my elders
that looks dont matter and that I
have to focus on my studies and
my career, she said. Education
became the classic compensation
for the absence of fair skin or
good looks.
Lodhis story is not a case of
idiosyncrasy. Girls and women on
both sides of the border in the
Indian subcontinent and across the
globe face similar discrimination,
the only difference is that she
raised her voice against it.
After spending her entire childhood and teenage years waiting in
the shadows, Lodhi decided to put
the spotlight on the issue of color
bias and two years ago she formed
Dark is Divine campaign.
South Asians are no strangers to
the deep-seated issues of colorism.
No one knows the origins but there
is a legacy of colonialism embedded within color preferences as
much as the fairness industrys
multimillion-dollar obsession over
skin-lightening products in the
Indian subcontinent.
Bollywood too has helped fuel
bias with its strict skin-to-character
Dark is Divine founder Fatima Lodhi speaking at University of

Gujrat in the Punjab province of Pakistan.
Kavitha Emmanuel, founder of Dark is Beautiful campaign in

India. Photo courtesy womensnews.org/ Credit: Vijay Alphonse
Nandita Das lends support to Dark is Beautiful campaign
Students hold signs at an anti-colorism drive held in Pakistan
correlation where light-skinned

actresses get major roles and darkskinned actresses relegated to supporting characters, or successful
actors peddling skin lightening
cosmetics on air.
And it is this bias, steamed
majorly out of media propaganda
that Lodhi and activists like her are
fighting against. Dark is Divine, a
campaign is the first anti-colorism
campaign in Pakistan that is working on a global level to transform
Asia into a region where women
are not judged based on the color
of their skin and are all treated
equally, explained Lodhi.
Across the border there is another such organization championing
the cause of colorism for the past
six years. Kavitha Emmanuel, 45,
founder-director of Women of
Worth, a small womens movement
in Chennai, started Dark is
Beautiful campaign to fight the
toxic belief that a persons worth is
measured by the fairness of their
skin.
Both Lodhi and Emmanuels
fight is against the perceptions prevailing in the society and also
against the barrage of fair skin
propaganda in the media by way of
celebrity endorsements and light
skin models.
All of us remember Shah Rukh
Khans advertisement for the skin-
lightening product of the Indian

cosmetics giant Emami where the
actor Shah Rukh Khan throws a
tube of cream to a young male fan.
In the next scene, the boy's skin is
lighter, his smile confident. The
message? Fair skin is a prerequisite
for success.
The past few years, however, has
seen both an increase in the use of
light skinned women as advertising
models -- and an increase in
acceptance of dark skin as a sign of
beauty. There has also been an
increase in the number of
artists/actors signing up as
endorsers as well as an increase in
the number of those socially
responsible actors who have taken
a stand against fairness cream ads
like Bollywood actress Kangana
Ranaut.
The national award winning
actress who recently refusal to
endorse a fairness cream, has not
only earned her accolades from her
fans, it has also sparked a new feelgood vibe. Ever since I was a kid,
I have never understood the concept of fairness...." Kangana said.
Social media was abuzz with
appreciation for her stand.
In another instance, fashion photographer Sharath Shetty recently
shot a series of photos featuring
model Revathy Iyer. In one impressive image where the model's face
is remarkably darker than the rest

of her body, Shetty tries to emphasize that beauty is independent of
skin color.
In fact, in 2013 Nandita Das, best
known for her powerful roles in
Fire, Earth, and Bawandar, went
one step ahead and embraced the
Dark is Beautiful campaign and
helped boost it out of its base in
southern India.
These instances show that there
is a much-needed shift from the
prejudice that dark skin is inferior
and fair alone is beautiful. But will
such celebspeak help those who
struggle against the fairness bias on
a regular basis?
According to a 2012 survey by
an Indian matrimonial website jeevansathi.com, the bias doesn't just
exist, but goes across genders 71% women prefer fair men when
it comes to marriage, the survey
claims. A news report quoted a senior executive from the portal as
saying that 65-70% of men on
these sites mention their skin color
as 'fair'.
Fairness industry continues to
thrive on such archaic views that
are being reinforced every day
through media propaganda, paleskinned beauty icons, and photoshopped images.
For change to kick in, it's important to fight the skin color battle at
the grassroots level. Lodhi and
Emmanuel are trying to do just that
with their respective media literacy
campaigns. "We are working on
building what we call 'media literacy'. We teach children in school to

understand that what they see in
ads, movies or music videos must
not become the standard to define
who they are," stated Emmanuel on
her website. Emmanuel is responsible for introducing new advertising
guidelines that refrains fairness ads
from showing "people with darker
skin as unattractive, unhappy,
depressed or concerned.
Until and unless, we as a region,
as a society dont confront color
stratification honestly, we cannot
drive people out of the inferiority
complexes. Repetition and existence of biased standards of beauty
will make it difficult to allow people to be comfortable in their own
skin. Dark is Divine aims to redefine the unrealistic standards of
beauty, added Lodhi.
In addition to their grassroots
movement, both campaigns are
building forces globally.
The campaign has become global with the passage of time as we
have conducted several awareness
sessions and drives in different
countries with the help of our
ambassadors. We also have our
web radio by the name of Dark is
Divine Talk Radio through which
we reach out to the masses and
generate awareness. The campaign
has so far made its presence
throughout Asia, in a few countries
of Africa, Middle East, as well as
some of the European countries
and the U.S. said Lodhi.
10-year-old Krish Nagrani

becomes Canada's Mental
Math Champion 2015
London: Could anyone keep up with this young man's math
magic? How much time would it take for an average person to
solve the following puzzle? 3.65 + 2.19 + 81.92 + 36.42 - 5.19 +
19.24 -14.47 + 5 = ?
This one had to be solved mentally 4.8 seconds. And 10-year-old
Krish Nagrani did it, winning the Canadian national competition
in mental math on June 7. The competition was organized by
UCMAS. Krish was given 100 arithmetic problems to solve in just
eight minutes, which works out to only 4.8 seconds to solve each
math problem. Krish worked out all 100 math problems with
100% accuracy in mental math.
I feel quite happy and proud of myself about this accomplishment. It was the first time I have ever won a championship trophy,
so I and my family and teacher feel really amazed, shocked and
proud of myself as they were the ones who pushed me to do better
in math each day, said an elated Krish.
He practiced 500 questions daily for three months.
His next target is to do 200 questions in eight minutes. I have to
practice more and push myself more, he says. Inspired by his
sister Mehr, Krish wants to a professional soccer player, and win
medals when he grows up.
DIASPORA
June 20-26, 2015
19
T&T general elections on September 7

Port of Spain: General elections
will be held September 7 in the
Caribbean nation of Trinidad and
Tobago, home to a huge ethnic
Indian population, Prime Minister
Kamla Persad-Bissessar has said.
Persad-Bissessar, who is of
Indian origin, made the announcement at the final sitting of the 41member House of Representatives
on Friday.
On May 24, 2010, PersadBissessar became the first Hindu
woman to sit on the prime minister's chair of this Caribbean
nation.
During Friday's announcement,
she said that she would advise the
president to dissolve parliament at
midnight on Wednesday, June 17.
Persad-Bissessar formed the
People's Partnership coalition
government with her United
National Congress(UNC), the
Congress of the People(COP), the
Movement
for
Social
Justice(MSJ, the National Joint
Action Committee(NJAC) and the
Tobago
Organization
of
Kamla Persad-Bissessar is
first Hindu PM of
Trinidad & Tobago
People(TOP). Several social

issues, infrastructural matters and
political matters are projected to
be aired on the political platforms
during the 87-day campaign for
the September 7 elections, the
10th in the country.
For several weeks now, the
opposition People's National
Movement (PNM), led by Keith
Rowley, has been campaigning

prior to Friday's announcement by
the prime minister.
This is the first time that a large
number of opinion polls have
been done with television and
radio stations also caught in the
process.
The latest opinion poll shows
the People's Partnership coalition
getting 21 seats and the PNM 20
seats or vice versa.
Elections in this twin-island
republic are based on the ethnic
composition of the one million
plus voters. All persons 18 years
and over are eligible to vote.
This country has a population of
44 percent of East Indian extraction whose forefathers were
sourced from India between 1845
and 1917 to work on the agricultural plantations of the then
British colony of Trinidad and
Tobago.
Observers contend that the elections this year will be tough.
Trinidad and Tobago, like India, is
a member of the Commonwealth.
Madurai man's spicy success story in Moscow

Moscow: At P. Jeevanantham's
chain of retail outlets selling Indian
spices and other food items in
Russia, locals are his major customers and not Indians.
His Russian customers are not
cooking Indian food at their homes
but buy the spices for their medicinal properties.
"When I started the Indian Spices
Shop in early 1990s, my customers
were largely Indians-students and
others-who bought the items for
cooking. But with the reduction of
Indian population due to economic
reasons, the ratio of Indian-toRussian customers reversed," says
Jeevanantham.
"The Russians do their research
on the internet on the natural remedies for some ailments and come
here to buy the spices. Recently, a
Russian asked for gymnema leaves
having anti-diabetic properties
which were shipped to him from
India," he added.
Born and raised in Madurai,
Jeevanantham owns and runs a
chain of seven Indian Spices Shop
outlets-five of them in Moscow, one
each in St. Petersberg and Tver.
He has also promoted a hotel by
name Amil in Rajapalayam in Tamil
Indian Spices Shop has seven

outlets in Russia
Nadu. "The retailing business

growth is good. We clock around 20
percent annual growth. The Indian
hotel is also picking up business
with occupancy going up at a steady
pace," he said.
Jeevanantham landed in Moscow
the then capital of undivided Soviet
Union for a masters in agriculture.
"As the education was in Russian
language we had to study the language for a year and then join the
main course," he recalled.
According to him, vacations were
spent in London working in retail
outlets there.
"I used to see many Indians in
London buy spices and other things
at the retail outlets. Though at that
point of time there were many
Indians living in Moscow and in

other parts, there was no outlet
catering
to
our
needs,"
Jeevanantham said.
During early part of the 1990s
there used to be around 12,000
Indians in Moscow. Indians also
lived in other parts of the then
Soviet Union.
"It was then I wondered about the
business opportunity for selling
Indian spices and other food items
for the Indian community in Russia.
In order to cook our food we used to
bring the ingredients in bulk from
India. At that time there were other
Asian nationals in Russia apart from
Indians and other foreigners," he
said.
According to him, at that time
India mainly shipped pepper and
curry leaves to Russia for industrial/bulk users and not for retail customers.
The idea of starting an Indian
store started gaining roots in his
mind and partnering with his friend
M. Athimoolam set up his first store
in Moscow at the People's
Friendship University in 1994.
The initial investment was around
$300 and the outlet catered to the
Indian and other Asian students.
In the run up to the International Yoga Day on 21 June, daily

preparatory yoga sessions are being organized on the first
floor of the iconic Eiffel Tower from June 15-19, 2015. These
sessions are being organized in association with Lol, My
Little Paris and the Eiffel Tower. A grand public event will be
held on the foot of the Eiffel Tower on 21 June.
20
SUBCONTINENT
June 20-26, 2015
John Kerry speaks to Sharif to reduce India-Pak tensions

Washington: "Enormously concerned" over recent increase in tensions between India and Pakistan,
US Secretary of State John Kerry
has spoken with Pakistan Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif to work out
how to tamp them down, acknowledging that the latter had just finished a conversation with Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The increase "in the tensions
publicly between India and
Pakistan" over India's surgical
cross border strike against militants
in Myanmar, was "of enormous
concern to all of us for all the obvious reasons," he said via teleconference.
The 71-year-old diplomat, who
suffered a broken leg two weeks
ago, made a surprise appearance at
the State Department's daily press
US Secretary of State John Kerry and Pakistan

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
briefing on crutches on a television

screen remotely from his Boston
home. "These are two very, very
important countries playing a critical role with respect to regional
interests," said Kerry who broke

his right femur in a bicycling accident in France and had surgery at a
Boston hospital. "And it's very,
very important that there be no
misinterpretation or miscalculation
with respect to any of the backand-forth and the empowerment
some entities might feel as a result
of that," he said.
"The prime minister was
extremely forthcoming," said
Kerry adding, "He could not have
been more direct. He had actually
just finished a conversation himself
with the prime minister of India,"
Narendra Modi.
"And we welcomed some thinking together about how we can
work, all of us, to try to reduce
those tensions over the course of
the next days and weeks," he said.
Kerry, who was due to fly to
Washington later Tuesday, did not
say whether he had or planned to
have similar conversations with
Modi or other Indian officials.
After introducing the department's new spokesman, John

Kirby, on what was Kirby's first
day at the podium, Kerry gave a
short statement starting with his
conversation with Sharif earlier in
the day about tensions between
India and Pakistan.
He also tackled questions from
reporters about the Iran nuclear
talks,Syria and other hot issues.
After "spending a fair amount of
time in the next few days focused
on China for the Security &
Economic Dialogue," he would be
going to Vienna "to conduct what
one hopes would be the closeout"
of Iran nuclear talks. Kerry said the
talks, which have a deadline of
June 30, "remain tough," but insisted the US had not changed its position "one iota" in recent months.
Ban Ki-moon hopes for 'amicable' Kashmir resolution

United Nations: SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon hopes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and Pakistan Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif "will continue to
engage with each other" to try to
resolve the Kashmir situation
"peacefully and amicably",
according to Ban's deputy
spokesperson Farhan Haq.
At the daily press briefing here,
Haq side-stepped a question by a
Pakistani journalist who, referring
to Kashmir, wanted to know if
Ban was going to "call upon India
Modi sends Ramadan wishes

to Sharif, Hasina, Ghani
New Delhi: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi spoke over telephone to his Pakistan and
Bangladesh counterparts, Nawaz
Sharif and Sheikh Hasina, and
Afghan President Ashran Ghani
and conveyed to them good wishes for the Muslim holy month of
Ramadan, an official statement
said.
In his conversation with Sharif,
Modi reiterated his message of
"peaceful, friendly and cooperative" relations between the two
countries.
Modi's message came after
Pakistani parliament unanimously
passed resolutions condemning
recent statements made by the
Indian leadership, referring to
Modi's statements relating to the
1971 war during his visit to
Bangladesh earlier this month and
comments of some
Indian ministers in the wake of
India's military action along
Myanmar border against terror
groups.
Sharif had also on June 11

termed statements by the Indian
leadership as "irresponsible".
Talking to Hasina, Modi said his
visit to Bangladesh "has set the
stage for a new era in bilateral
cooperation and regional partnership between the two countries".
He thanked her for his "successful visit" and "the extraordinary
hospitality, friendship and goodwill" that he received from the
people and government of
Bangladesh.
Modi assured President Ghani of
India's steadfast commitment to
support Afghanistan in its efforts
to build a peaceful, stable, secure
and prosperous nation.
"He (the prime minister) conveyed the good wishes for the holy
month of Ramadan to them and
their people. He expressed hope
for peace, tranquility and harmony
in their countries and in the region
during this month of piety and
prayers," a Prime Minister's Office
release said.
to have some sort of a dialogue

with Pakistan" and mentioned US
Secretary of State John Kerry's
call Tuesday to Sharif. Haq avoided saying if Ban would make a
call.
"Our hope in this, is that the
leaders of the two countries will
continue to engage with each other
and try to resolve the situation
peacefully and amicably," Haq
said. "And we will see where they
go with that."
Kerry has brought to the fore
what he called "the recent increase
in the tensions publicly between

India and Pakistan".
That was the first issue that he
brought up at his first press conference, since his bicycling accident last month, saying that he and
Sharif had talked about it.
"It's very, very important that
there be no misinterpretation or
miscalculation with respect to any
of the back-and-forth and the
empowerment some entities might
feel," he said. Kerry added that
Sharif told him about his conversation with Modi.
Meghalaya villagers to approach UN over Delhi-Dhaka land deal

Shillong: Describing the ratification of the land swap deal
between India and Bangladesh as
violation of the human rights of
the indigenous people, tribal villagers in Meghalaya threatened to
move the United Nations if the
Indian government fails to revisit
the bilateral agreement.
"We will petition the concerned
state and central authorities to
immediately conduct a review of
the agreement, and if this does not
fructify, then as indigenous people, a petition will be sent to the
United Nations for intervening
and overseeing a fresh boundary
survey under its mandate," said
John F. Kharshiing, chairman of

the Grand Council of Chiefs of
Meghalaya.
Land owners and traditional
heads residing near the IndiaBangladesh border in Meghalaya
went into a huddle in Dawki village on Saturday over the recent
ratification of the land swap deal.
The chairman said the agreement was arrived at in the absence
and ignoring the claims of the
landowners and traditional heads,
which is a violation of human
rights of the indigenous people.
Kharshiing said the "faulty"
Radcliffe Line was drawn in two
months in June-July 1947 in
Delhi, due to the urgency to

divide India and Pakistan.
He said the boundary between
India and Bangladesh along
Pyrdiwah was supposed to be
midstream on the Piyan river, and
pillars were erected on the Indian
side of the river as "reference pillars", but on a number of occasions, the pillars were washed
away by strong currents of the
Umngot and Piyan rivers.
The chairman also said the land
swap would affect the sacred forest of the Ryngksai clan at
Umkrem, and "there is a possibility that this precious biodiversity
will be lost to Bangladesh".
INTERNATIONAL
June 20-26, 2015
21
Pope urges revolution to save Earth, fix 'perverse' economy

Vatican City: Pope Francis called
Thursday for a bold cultural revolution to correct what he calls the
"structurally perverse" economic
system of the rich exploiting the
poor that is turning Earth into an
"immense pile of filth."
In a sweeping manifesto aimed at
spurring action in U.N. climate
negotiations, domestic politics and
everyday life, Francis explains the
science of global warming, which
he blames on an unfair, fossil fuelbased industrial model that he says
harms the poor most. Citing
Scripture and past popes' and bishops' appeals, he urges people of all
faiths and no faith to undergo an
awakening to save God's creation
for future generations.
It's an indictment of big business
and climate doubters alike.
"It is not enough to balance, in
the medium term, the protection of
nature with financial gain, or the
preservation of the environment
with progress," he writes.
"Halfway measures simply delay
the inevitable disaster. Put simply,
it is a matter of redefining our
Pope Francis waves as he leaves at the end of his weekly general

audience, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, June 17.
notion of progress."
Environmental scientists said the
first ever encyclical, or teaching
document, on the environment
could have a dramatic effect on the
climate debate, lending the moral
authority of the immensely popular
Francis to an issue that has long
been cast in purely political, economic and scientific terms.
Veerabhadran Ramanathan, a
Scripps
Institution
of
Oceanography scientist, said the

encyclical would be a "gamechanger in making people think
about this."
"It's not politics anymore," he
said, adding that science is usually
difficult for people to understand
but that people respond to arguments framed by morality and
ethics.
The energy lobby was quick to
criticize the encyclical and its anti-
fossil fuel message.

"The simple reality is that energy
is the essential building block of
the modern world," said Thomas
Pyle of the Institute of Energy
Research, a conservative free-market group. "The application of
affordable energy makes everything we do food production,
manufacturing, health care, transportation, heating and air conditioning better."
Francis said he hoped his effort
would lead ordinary people in their
daily lives and decision-makers at
critical U.N. climate meetings later
this year to a wholesale change of
mind and heart, saying "both the
cry of the Earth and the cry of the
poor" must now be heard.
"This vision of 'might is right'
has engendered immense inequality, injustice and acts of violence
against the majority of humanity,
since resources end up in the hands
of the first comer or the most powerful: the winner takes all," he
writes. "Completely at odds with
this model are the ideals of harmony, justice, fraternity and peace as
proposed by Jesus."
The encyclical "Laudato Si,"
(Praise Be) is 191 pages of pure
Francis. It's a blunt, readable booklet full of zingers that will make
many conservatives and climate
doubters squirm, including in the
U.S. Congress, where Francis will
deliver the first-ever papal address
in September. It will likely put several U.S. presidential candidates on
the hot seat since some
Republicans, Catholics among
them, doubt the science behind
global warming and have said the
pope should stay away from the
debate.
"I don't think we should politicize our faith," U.S. Republican
presidential candidate Jeb Bush, a
Catholic convert, said on the eve of
the encyclical's release. "I think
religion ought to be about making
us better as people and less about
things that end up getting into the
political realm."
Yet one of Francis' core points is
that there really is no distinction
between human beings, their faith
and the environment.
US admits it should have acted faster against IS in Iraq
Deposed Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi
US 'deeply troubled' over death

sentence to Mohammed Morsi
Washington: President Barack
Obama's administration said
that it is "deeply troubled" by
the death sentence handed down
against deposed Egyptian
President Mohammed Morsi,
contending that it was politically motivated.
At his daily press conference,
White House spokesman Josh
Earnest said the result of
Morsi's trial is another example
of a "politically motivated" sentence, and he expressed his
unease over the judicial practices of the new Egyptian government.
"The US has repeatedly raised
concerns about the detention
and sentencing of a variety of
political figures in Egypt," said
Earnest, adding that "we are
concerned that proceedings
have been conducted in a way
that is not only contrary to uni-
versal values but also damaging

to (the) stability that all
Egyptians deserve."
Specifically, the White House
condemned the mass trials
against opposition figures or
critics of the regime and said it
had conveyed those concerns to
the government of Egyptian
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
The Criminal Court in Cairo
on Tuesday confirmed the death
sentences imposed on the former Egyptian president and
almost 100 Islamists for planning his escape from a prison on
the outskirts of Cairo during the
2011 revolution.
Morsi was toppled by the
Egyptian military in 2013 after
coming to power in elections
resulting from the popular revolution that two years before had
put an end to the three-decade
dictatorship of HosniMubarak.
Washington: US Defence
Secretary Ashton Carter admitted
that they did not act fast enough to
prepare Iraqi forces for the threat
posed by the Islamic State militant
group. "We ... determined that our
equipping of the Iraqi security
forces had proceeded too slowly,"
Carter said in a hearing of the
House Armed Services Committee.
In addition, the defence chief
said that Iraq is having problems
recruiting new members of the
Iraqi security forces, who are being
trained and strengthening the country's ability to fight the IS.
The Pentagon, he said, has decided to accelerate the shipment of
anti-tank weapons and other types
of military equipment to the Iraqi
forces, including the militias created by the Sunni and Kurdish
minorities. The Pentagon chief sig-
nificantly lowered the number of

Iraqi soldiers to be trained from the
initial figure of 24,000 to 7,000.
The US feels that the inability of
the Shi'ite-led government in
Baghdad to maintain a religiously,
and ethnically-diversified armed
forces and to work for the inclusion of the Sunni and Kurdish
minorities is the root cause of the
flight of the army before the IS

advance toward Mosul last summer.
Meanwhile, the head of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, General Martin
Dempsey, said he was against
sending US combat troops to Iraq,
as some Republican senators have
proposed with an eye toward putting the IS on the run.
Obama invites Israeli PM to White House: Report

Jerusalem: US President Barack
Obama has invited Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to
visit the White House in July, the
Yediot Aharonot newspaper
reported.
The meeting will take place on
July 15 or 16 after the nuclear
deal deadline between Iran and
the P5+ group of world powers
passes but before Obama is to put
the agreement to a vote in
Congress, the Israeli newspaper
clarified.
The deal has been hovering
over deteriorating relations

between the two allies, such as
Netanyahu's trip to Washington
last March amidst his election
campaign when he argued his
sharp opposition to the agreement
before the Congress.
In an almost unprecedented
incident, Obama refused to meet
the Israeli leader claiming that
this would interfere in Israeli
elections, but promised they
would meet if and when
Netanyahu won the election.
Moreover, Netanyahu's prior
trip was sponsored by Republican

leaders of Congress, who invited
the Israeli prime minister to discuss the White House agreement
with Tehran; the affair was interpreted by the US president as an
Israeli attempt to interfere in
Washington's foreign policy.
The upcoming trip will serve to
heal relations between Obama
and Netanyahu, to rehabilitate
bilateral cooperation and to
ensure Washington's support for
Israel in international forums,
according to the newspaper.
22 June 20-26, 2015
BUSINESS
Business delegation to propel Indian agenda in US

New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
will be accompanied by a high-powered
business delegation on his ten-day visit to
the US to propel the nation's agenda, a
business chamber said.
As many as eight past presidents of the
Federation of Indian Chambers of
Commerce and Industry (Ficci), led by current president Jyotsna Suri, are embarking
on a four-day visit to the US from June 17
to 20, the business chamber said in a press
release here.
"This visit by FICCI seniors is aimed at
supporting the nation's agenda and to
assure international investors and the business community that Indian industry
strongly stands by the vision of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and Finance
Minister Arun Jaitley to take India to higher
levels of growth and overall development,"
said Suri.
The delegation will travel to New York
and Washington D.C. to highlight India's
improved investment climate and positive
economic outlook, the release added.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is

accompanied by a high-powered
business delegation
The Ficci seniors will interact with officials from the New York Stock Exchange,
foreign institutional investors, think-tanks
Sitharaman to lead Indian

delegation to St. Petersburg
New Delhi: Commerce Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman will lead an
Indian delegation for the St.
Petersburg
International
Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2015,
to be held at St. Petersburg
between June 18-20, a
Confederation of Indian Industry
(CII) statement said.
She will address the RussiaIndia Business Roundtable,
where Alexey Ulyukaev, minister for economic development of
the Russian Federation, will also
be a speaker.
The CII will send a CEOs delegation representing leading
Indian businesses at SPIEF and
at the India-Russia Business
Roundtable.
The business delegation will
be led by CII president Sumit
Mazumder. The members will
also participate in the B20
Turkey Regional Consultation
Forum.
India has invested a cumulative $8 billion in Russia, primarily in energy sector, while Russia
has brought in $4 billion into
India.
and business schools too.

Ficci and the US-India Business Council
(USIBC) will facilitate meetings with
CEOs, business leaders, investors, and representatives from the US industry and
Indian-American community, the release
said.
The Indian business leaders joining the
finance minister are Harshavardhan Neotia,
chairman, Ambuja Neotia Group; Y.K.
Modi, chairman and CEO, Great Eastern
Energy Corporation; Onkar S. Kanwar,
chairman, Apollo Tyres; Saroj Kumar
Poddar, chairman, Adventz Group; Harsh
Pati Singhania, vice chairman and MD,
J.K. Paper; Rajan Bharti Mittal, vice chairman and MD, Bharti Enterprises; Naina Lal
Kidwai, country head, India and director,
Asia Pacific, HSBC; Uday Shankar, CEO,
Star India; Atul Punj, chairman, Punj Lloyd
Group; and Rashesh Shah, chairman and
CEO, Edelweiss Financial Services.
Jaitley's US itinerary during the visit,
ending on June 25, embraces New York,
Washington and San Francisco cities.
India needs to project its new

image: US business leader
New York: Recent changes in China has made
it less predictable and this gives India a big
opportunity to project its stability, a leading
US business leader said. While the conditions
for doing business in India have improved and
businesses are "thrilled by the shift" in India
over the past year, there was still a lingering
image problem, Sandra Peterson, the Group
Worldwide Chairman of Johson & Johnson
said. Therefore, India has to be more vocal
about projecting its stability and image, she
said. "You cannot change the image of operating in India over 30 years in just a year," she
said. She was speaking at the Asia Society
Policy Institute on "India Under Modi: One
Year In." She said that democracy was
"messy" in the US and it was the case in India,
but American business leaders don't make the
connection and see India's democratic process
in isolation. Answering question from the
audience about corruption, Peterson said that
India was not as corrupt as many places and
her company operated there under strict codes
against corrupt practices. She added that corruption was not at the top of the list of concerns for businesses to operate in India.
India to have 1.4 bn mobile subscribers by 2020: Report

New Delhi: India will have at least 1.4 billion mobile
subscribers by 2020, resulting in a population penetration of 100 percent, says a report released by Swedish
communication technology and services provider
Ericsson. According to the report, the growth will primarily be driven by the increasing affordability of
devices and services.
"Maintaining and improving quality of the user experience is likely to be at the top of Indian operators'
agenda over the coming years," Chris Houghton, India
head at Ericsson, said.
"A network with a mix of macro sites, micro sites and
small cells will need to be established to manage coverage, capacity and network performance for the best
user experience and to meet the growing demand for
data services," he added.
The report also observed that GSM/EDGE subscriptions will decline from 780 million in 2014 to around
510 million by 2020.
"The GSM/EDGE subscription base is predicted to

peak in 2015 and decline thereafter as subscribers
migrate to 3G services," the report revealed.
Also, the report claims that WCDMA/HSPA subscriptions will increase from over 120 million in 2014
to around 620 million by 2020 due to the increase in
proportion of WCDMA/HSPA subscriptions from 13
percent to 45 percent.
US Fed Reserve signals small rate hike in September

Commerce Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman
"Russian capabilities in infrastructure are well respected, and

we would like Russian companies to participate in the Indian
tender system for public-private
partnerships," CII director general Chandrajit Banerjee said.
"However, we need to address
issues of information gaps
through the India-Russia
Business Roundtable," he added.
Washington: The Federal Reserve, America's central

bank has signaled that the long-awaited interest rate hike
could come in September as the economic activity has
picked up.
"The committee expects that, with appropriate policy
accommodation, economic activity will expand at a
moderate pace," the bank known as the Fed said after a
two-day policy meeting of the Federal Open Market
Committee.
But the committee lowered its projections for economic growth significantly. In March, committee members
projected 2015 growth would be between 2.3 percent
and 2.7 percent.
"When the committee decides to begin to remove poli-
cy accommodation, it will take a balanced approach

consistent with its longer-run goals of maximum
employment and inflation of 2 percent," it said.
Fed "currently anticipates that, even after employment
and inflation are near mandate-consistent levels, economic conditions may, for some time, warrant keeping
the target federal funds rate below levels the committee
views as normal in the longer run," the statement added.
Analysts said with economy getting on track after six
years of recovery from the Great Recession, the central
bank believes a Fed rate hike in the coming months
would be a healthy sign for the economy. The Fed
slashed interest rates to near 0 percent in December
2008 to help rejuvenate the battered economy.
SPORTS
June 20-26, 2015
23
Dhoni back as India, Bangladesh renew ODI rivalry

Mirpur (Bangladesh): India
would undergo a change of guard
and heart against Bangladesh
when Mahendra Singh Dhoni will
lead for the first time since the
World Cup.
Since Dhoni's sudden retirement
from Tests midway in an away
series against Australia last year
and Word Cup loss in Cup semifinals against the same opponents,
much has changed in the governance of Indian cricket.
While Dhoni's Test withdrawal
facilitated the emergence of Virat
Kohli as skipper, India's flop
World Cup defence fast-tracked
the
removal
of
passive
Zimbabwean coach Duncan
Fletcher for a more agile and
exertive team director Ravi
Indian ODI skipper MS Dhoni during a press conference in

Dhaka on June 17.
Shastri.
Dhoni's much acclaimed calm
and composed style of captaincy
was also swapped for a combustible approach to leadership by

a younger, brasher Kohli.
The team has sought to move on

to greener pastures since the Cup
heartache but would have to fall
back upon the tried and tested
leadership of Dhoni to move them
forward.
Their first endeavour in the oneoff Test match against Bangladesh
at Fatullah was ruined by rain.
And not much is expected to
change in the three-match OneDay International (ODI) series
starting Thursday.
All three matches at the Sher-eBangla National Stadium will be
day-night contests with the likelihood of rains ruining the match,
partially or entirely, a realistic
possibility.a With a change in the
format of the game, dynamics of
both squads would also underdgo
Lalit Modi admits closeness to Sushma, Vasundhara

New Delhi: IPL's controversial former chief Lalit Modi has admitted
close relations with Rajasthan Chief
Minister Vasundhara Raje and
External Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj, and said he has been "over
criticised" and "taken to task" by the
former UPA government.
"At the end I have done nothing
wrong. I've gone by book... I have
been over criticised, have been taken
to task by the (UPA) government for
no reason for all," he said in an interview to India Today TV.
"The entire UPA government was
against me," he said.
Modi added that former finance
minister P. Chidambaram tried to
deport him to India.
He challenged the Enforcement
Directorate (ED) to prove charges
against him and said "Swarajs" have
been his friends for over 20 years,
and that Vasundhara Raje is a "family
friend".
Asked if he was cool about
External Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj possibly losing her job
because of her support to him, he
said: "I am not perfectly cool and
Warriors close out

Cavaliers for NBA crown
Lalit Modi and Sushma Swaraj at an event.
calm about someone doing an honest

losing their job. (Shashi) Tharoor lost
job because he lied. He lied he had
nothing to do with the Kochi team..."
He said he sought help from Sushma
Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje so that
he could be with his ailing wife, and
admitted making call to Sushma
Swaraj.
He said he could have given up his
right as Indian citizen and taken
another citizenship but he did not do

so because he wanted to prove that
his passport was taken wrongly.
Modi also said Sushma Swaraj's
daughter Bansuri has been his lawyer
for four years.
"I am close to a lot of politicians,"
he added. "Sharad Pawar and Praful
Patel also helped me with travel
papers... Rajiv Shukla also helped me
with travel documents," he said.
Swiss authorities probing 53 suspicious activities of FIFA bank accounts

Zurich: Swiss banks have identified
53 instances of suspicious activity
around FIFA's accounts for possible
money laundering, Swiss attorney
general Michael Lauber revealed.
Lauber said his office has seized
"huge amount" of data for corruption inquiry from world football's
governing body and it is being
analysed.
The inquiry is part of a Swiss
investigation regarding bribed bidding process for the 2018 and 2022
World Cups, awarded to Russia and
Qatar, respectively.
Both countries have repeatedly
denied any wrongdoing. Lauber said
the investigation focussed on 53
banking relationships reported by
a variation.
India remain the stronger unit
with a more balanced side but the
hosts are not pushovers anymore,
particularly after a drastically
improved Word Cup performance.
Pacer Mashrafe Mortaza, whose
leadership skills have transformed
the side, would take over the mantle of captaincy from Mushfiqur
Rahman. Their uninhibited run in
the World Cup was halted by India
in the quarters. But the manner of
which brought much hostility
among the two cricketing boards,
with Bangladesh alleging partial
umpiring decisions contributing to
their loss, which culminated in the
resignation of Bangladesh's
Mustafa Kamal as International
Cricket Council's (ICC) president.
the Swiss financial intelligence unit.

"We are facing a complex investigation with many international
implications," he was quoted as saying by bbc.com on Wednesday.
"The prosecution is ongoing and
will take time. The world of football
needs to be patient -- by its nature,
this investigation will take more
than the legendary '90 minutes'."
Lauber said the investigation would
take a long time and that violation of
anti-money-laundering was deep
rooted. "So far, our investigative
team obtained evidence concerning
104 banking relations (relationships
between banks and clients). And, be
aware that every banking relation
represents several bank accounts,"
he said. "We note positively that

banks in Switzerland did fulfil their
duties to file suspicious activity
reports. Partly in addition to the 104
banking relations already known to
the authorities, banks announced 53
suspicious banking relations via the
anti-money-laundering framework
of Switzerland." FIFA is facing its
worst crisis with widespread corruption claims damaging its image following the arrest of seven of its top
officials and indictment of 14 people
by the United States.
The US Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) is in the midst of
a major investigation into a massive
corruption scandal dating back to the
1990s.
Stephen Curry (left) has been the star of Golden State

Warriors' triumph; LeBron James singlehandedly took
the Cavs to the finals, but could not add win yet
another championship.
Cleveland (United States):

Stephen Curry and Finals'
Most Valuable Player (MVP)
Andre Iguodala scored 25
points apiece as the Golden
State Warriors beat Cleveland
Cavaliers 105-97 to win their
first National Basketball
Association (NBA) title in 40
years.
Iguodala becomes the first
NBA Finals MVP with zero
starts in the regular season.
He averaged 16.3 points, 5.8
rebounds and four assists per
game. Curry, the league's
MVP, grabbed six rebounds
and eight assists besides 25
points. Draymond Green
recorded a triple-double with
16 points, 11 rebounds and 10
assists on Tuesday night,
reports Xinhua.
Steve Kerr becomes the first
rookie head coach to win the
NBA title since Pat Riley with

1981-1982 Los Angeles
Lakers.
"This was awesome. We
talked about staying strong,
staying with it. That was
coach's motto, the whole playoffs. Stay with it. They kept
fighting. This is unreal,"
Iguodala said after the win at
the Quicken Loans Arena
where more than 20,000 people attended the game.
LeBron James returned
from Miami but failed to
deliver his home town a title
after All-Stars Kyrie Irving
and Kevin Love were injured
in the post-season. James had
32 points, 18 rebounds and
nine assists. J.R. Smith had 19
points and five rebounds and
Timofey Mozgov finished
with 17 points and 12
rebounds.
24
LIFESTYLE
June 20-26, 2015
Choose the bikini to

suit your body type
hether you're
heavy on the top
or bottom, it's
vital to choose swimwear
that suits your shape.
Wearing a bikini with an
embellished top or a ruffled one is perfect for slim
people, and for people with
a short torso a high-cut
bikini is ideal to turn the
spotlight on your long legs. Anuj Lalwani,
stylist, FashionAndYou.com, a flash website,
shares tips on how to choose the perfect
swimwear according to your body type:
Bottom heavy: Avoid wearing bikini boy
shorts that cover a part of the thighs as this
also cuts the legs off at just the wrong place.
Higher cut bottoms are ideal for such body
shapes. A skirted bottom, however, is the winner in this case and it lends a beautifully feminine elegance while hiding the largest part of
the upper leg. You can also opt for a tankini
that gives the illusion of height and proportion.
Top heavy: What you need is support.
Go for bikinis with underwires or padded
cups. If you want to minimize attention on the
top area, opt for one or two piece swimwear
whose upper portions are in darker colors,
with a lighter hue at the

bottom.
Middle heavy: A
high-waist retro bikini is
the best way to camouflage that little weight
youve been carrying since
the last holiday. Ruched
swimwear helps in making
your waist look slimmer.
You can also draw away
attention from the mid-riff region by putting
on a halter or a one-shoulder top that catches
the eye.
Short torso: A high-cut bikini is ideal to
turn the spotlight on your long legs. A bikini
or a tankini with long ruched top will also
make your upper body look longer and slimmer. Alternatively, a halter top is a great way
to draw attention to your neck and shoulders
and lengthen the appearance of your torso.
Lanky: A bikini with an embellished top
or one that sports ruffles is perfect to give an
illusion of a fuller bust. Look for options that
come with pads or are in the form of a pushup to give you that added edge. Heighten the
feminine quotient further by opting for bottoms in bright colors and catchy prints that
make you appear a tad bit more curvaceous
while you lounge by the ocean.
Chandigarh is happiest Indian

city, Delhi happiest metro!
developing country like India will
have various dimensions of happiness and contentment. In the backdrop of a considerable amount of population still figuring below the poverty line
and working hard to make ends meet, a
happiness study was unveiled in Delhi last
week. It was conducted by LG and commissioned by Indian Market Research
Bureau (IMRB) International.
Taken on a small scale, the overall
Happiness Index has been benchmarked
against the five broad domains of happiness, namely pursuit, purpose, pleasure,
passion and context. On the basis of this
happiness index, North Indians have been
considered as the happiest in the Happiness
Index Score of 141.
Chandigarh, the City Beautiful, is ranked
as Indias Happiest City and, no points for
guessing right, Delhi is the happiest metro.
Reflecting its if-you-want-it-then-do-it
ethos, Chandigarh ranks highest on the
pleasure and passion domains which are
driven by factors like people being able to
do things for themselves and the time they
have for themselves. Given the overall
condition of the city, its education and population, one is convinced of Chandigarh
being rated the happiest city.
However, Delhi, frequently flayed as the
rape capital of India, being announced as
the happiest metro came as a surprise to
many Delhizens themselves. Clarified
Priyadarshini Narendra, vice president,
IMRB, Women these days are happy to
move to cities for a job and to work inde-
CHANDIGHAR
DELHI
pendently. Given factors such as pollution,

population and the other problems that are
faced by Delhiites, we did not include
them because they are external factors and
not in the control of a human being.
Incidentally Mumbai and Guwahati
turned out to be grumpiest cities.
The happiness study also stated that in
the present day scenario, money can buy
happiness and, the older generation is happier than the younger generation.
Those to whom happiness matters the
most, are the least happy. While being
happy is a priority for the younger age
group, it is the older generation who are
happier and more content in life, added
Narendra.
Your social media reading

habits reflect your personality
our social media activity reveals
much more about you than you
imagine, a study indicates.
A new study by Fractal Analytics and
BuzzStream - both digital analytics platforms - establishes the connections
between gender, education, political
leanings, and preferred publications of
Facebook users, adweek.com reported.
It found that across all publications
studied, from the BBC and Fox News, to
Wired and BuzzFeed, most audiences
were primarily men.
Yahoo and BuzzFeed were the only
publications preferred by women. The
Guardian and Wired had audiences that
were overwhelmingly male at 97 percent,
Much like how different sites attract
users with different levels of education,
people of varying education levels are
also attracted to different publications.
For instance, Yahoo readers are 16 percent more likely than the average
Facebook user to only hold a high school
diploma.
Business Insider, Forbes and BuzzFeed
audiences are more likely to hold gradu-
ate degrees. In fact, any user who read

the publications studied was more likely
to have received higher education than
the average Facebook user overall.
Most publications also seem to attract
liberal leaning audiences. BuzzFeed,
USA Today, and Fox News were the only
publications where conservatives outweighed liberals.
Around 20 percent of the audience for
every publication, even the most conservative and liberal, identified as moderate, which may be a result of social
media reducing political polarisation.
TRIBUTE
June 20-26, 2015
25
Man who rocked Chandigarh

Few people knew about Nek Chands garden,
which he created secretly in his spare time
from waste material, until it was discovered
by the Chandigarh city authorities.
He passed away last week.
By Jaideep Sarin
ek Chand, who died last
Thursday, was the man
who literally "rocked"
Chandigarh for the past four
decades, bringing India's first
planned city on the international
map through his creations from
waste material.
Nek Chand, the creator of
Chandigarh's famous Rock Garden,
suffered a cardiac arrest and passed
away.
The master creator had celebrated
his 90th birthday last December.
Starting as a road inspector in
Chandigarh when the city itself was
being built as a symbol of postindependence, modern India, Nek
Chand took to the idea of creating
something from waste material.
The raw material for his creations
was all waste - be it rocks and
stones, broken bangles, light

switches, electrical appliances, broken plates and other Bone China
and ceramic material, discarded
and broken wash-basins and even
toilet seats, marbles and anything
and everything that was a complete
waste for others.
People and organizations even
used to come from all over the
region to donate waste material to
the Rock Garden.
For the initial few years, Nek
Chand silently pursued his love for
creating things from waste. He created several things, hiding it from
the eyes of the authorities and the
public, in a forest area in
Chandigarh's northern part. He
used to pedal on his bicycle in and
around Chandigarh for many years,
collecting all waste and rocks to
later create things.
It was only in the mid-70s that
Nek Chand's art was finally recognized and Chandigarh's "Rock

Garden" came into being. The
Rock Garden, which was officially
inaugurated in October 1976, is
presently spread in several acres of
land close to Chandigarh's famous
landmark, the Sukhna Lake.
It now has three phases - all comprising creations of Nek Chand,
from animal and human figures to
waterfalls, village scenes and much
more.
Nek Chand was awarded a
Padma Shri for his creative work
by the government of India. He was
made creator-director of the Rock
Garden in the 1980s and continued
in the post till his death.
The fame of the Rock Garden can
be seen from the fact that it draws
over quarter of a million visitors
annually even now.
For Nek Chand, creating his
world of waste and rocks, was not

always smooth. He faced official
wrath in the initial years as well as
in the late 80s when he wanted to
expand the garden for newer creations.But the master creator stood
against all this official apathy, supported by the public, like a rock.
The life journey of Rock Garden's
creator Nek Chand may have ended
for now. But his creation will stay
for generations to come.
26
June 20-26, 2015
SCI-TECH
What made Twitter look beyond 140 characters? Smartphone overuse bad for your hand
hat could have made
Twitter grow beyond
being just a microblogging, social media site and
relent on its strict 140-character
limit - at least for direct messaging services? Come July twitteratis can send direct messages on
the platform as long as 10,000
characters.
But why this sudden decision?
With growing popularity of
direct messaging platforms like
WhatsApp and Facebook, experts
feel Twitter's decision was to
keep its customers happy and the
site competitive.
"Micro-blogging is the main
identity of Twitter. They must be
getting feedback from the users
to increase the length of the
direct messages from 140 characters," Rishi Tejpal, principal
research analyst at Gartner, told
IANS.
"I think the Twitter decision
reflects its urge to diversify into
different domains using existing

infrastructure," Tejpal added.
"We've done a lot to improve
direct messages over the past
year and have much more exciting work on the horizon. One
change coming in July that we
want to make you aware of now
(and first!) is the removal of the
140 character limit in direct messages," one of the Twitter developers wrote.
"Twitter has been upgrading its
features with a focus on its direct

messaging. Lifting the limit is
going to be extremely useful for
brands to not only handle customer issues but in delighting
customers," Sumana Samuk, digital
marketing
manager,
Litehouse, an experience design
house
under
Harman
International.
Increasing the character limit
will definitely provide more flexibility.
"It will be a novelty,"said
Sachin Doon, co-founder, Digital
Research and Technology
Solutions. "On the positive side,
it could be used by businesses as
well, like including product
newsletter too in direct messages," Doon told IANS.
"On the other side I feel it good
for those who still love to write
descriptive letter-like things to
each other, people might actually
start to use proper grammar and
punctuation."
requent smartphone users

are more likely to have an
enlarged median nerve and
have their hand function and pinch
strength impaired, says a new
study.
However, the study, published
online in Muscle & Nerve, doesn't
clearly link heavy smartphone use
to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS),
www.medscape.com reported.
"The exact clinical relevance of
the study findings is not known.
Future studies are warranted to
address the clinical relevance of
median nerve enlargement in high
smartphone users," lead author
Esra Erkol Inal from Suleyman
Demirel University, Turkey was
quoted as saying.
"Still, youngsters should be
aware of the dangers of these
pocket devices," she added.
A hand-held smartphone compels the user to engage in repetitive flexion/extension of the wrist
and to use their thumb to text,
movements that are involved in
the etio-pathophysiology of CTS,
the researchers said.
Research suggests that students
now typically spend more than
three hours a day texting, emailing, scheduling, and browsing the
internet on their mobile phone.
The current study included 102

university students, 66 of whom
used a single-hand-held smartphone and 36 of whom didn't use a
smartphone.
Researchers divided participants
into three groups according to
their level of smartphone use:
nonusers, low users, and high
users.
They based this use according to
the Smartphone Addiction Scale
(SAS). There are no official diagnostic criteria for smartphone
addiction, but based on Internet
addiction, it's defined as the overuse of smartphones to the extent
that it disturbs the users' daily
lives, Inal said.
"It has been reported that smartphone addiction has many features
of addiction, such as tolerance,
withdrawal symptoms, preoccupation, mood deregulation, craving,
and loss of control," she said.
Pigs as smart as chimps!

cientists have found that pigs
have excellent long-term
memory and can solve problems just as good as chimpanzees.
"We have shown that pigs share a
number of cognitive capacities with
other highly intelligent species such
as dogs, chimpanzees, elephants,
dolphins and even humans," neuroscientist Lori Marino of Emory
University in the US was quoted as
saying by Daily Mail.
The researchers found that pigs
are skilled at completing mazes and
other tests requiring location of
objects.
They can also grasp a simple
symbolic language and learn com-
plex combinations of symbols for

actions and objects.
The researchers came to the conclusion after looking at several
studies conducted on pigs and other
animals. Previous study also found
that pigs have empathy and they are
often involved in mock fighting
with each other, in the same way as
dogs.
Indian entrepreneurs launch

new social networking app
ndian entrepreneurs Gurnam
Sunny and Inderdeep Bassi have
come up with a social networking app which they claim has a lot
of semblance to Facebook.
The app called Aashiqui allows
users to set a background "cover"
image for their profiles and choose
two profile photos.
The posts (users and their group
of friends) made via the app including status updates, photos, check-ins
and the music they are currently listening to are seen in a straightforward, reverse-chronological timeline. Also, there is an option which
lets users update their statuses in

two different ways: Users can either
update a status the traditional way,
or they can use a photo from
Aashiqui's gallery.
Gurnam Sunny, CEO of Aashiqui,
said: "It was my dream to make
social networking more interesting
and unique. Through Aashiqui App
you can do everything you do on
Facebook but we have managed to
add several unique features."
The hashtag feature is also available and clicking on hashtags will
take the user to feeds of public posts
that contain the same hashtag.
SELF HELP
27
Show Dad he's your hero

this Fathers Day
f Dad is your hero, Fathers Day is the perfect

time to let him know. Luckily, there are plenty
of fun ways to shine a light on Dads valor -from cool new gifts to handmade creations.
Athletic Gear
Maybe its been a month since Dad laced up his
sneakers -- but you can change that.
Whether its a new set of weights, a mountain
bike repair kit, or reflective running apparel, you
can help keep Dad in super hero shape while promoting his athletic interests.
Cool Tools
Adults view many everyday tasks as mundane,
parenting moments -- whether its changing a flat
tire, pitching the tent on a camping trip, or checking
for monsters under the bed. But to a child, these
tasks can seem heroic, especially with the right
tools. Give Dad the right accessories to perform
these tasks with the ease of a hero.
June 20-26, 2015
Wearable headlights are not only comfortable and

compact, but they can also help dads complete projects that require two hands. A new range of waterresistant, drop-tested headlights from Energizer feature powerful LEDs, a patented digital focus, dimming technology, shatter-proof lenses and a handy
pivoting function, giving users the ability to control
the beam direction.
The Energizer Vision HD+ Focus, the most innovative headlight in the collection, allows for a beam
of up to 80 meters.
Write a Story
Celebrate all of Dads heroic accomplishments
with a comic strip or short story. Whether your
Super Dad fixed a flat tire in an emergency, helped
you finish your science project at the 11th hour or
turned a boring day of errands into an adventure,
you can show your appreciation by making him the
protagonist of your own literary creation.
Tips to throw delicious summer

birthday parties for kids
Tips to stay in touch

with your spiritual side
hile there are
many differences between
the major world religions,
there are just as many
similarities. Fostering a
conversation about religion and incorporating
spirituality into your life
can benefit you and your
family, believe experts.
Finding common
ground in the various religious scriptures, history
and spiritual practices can help us
reach peaceful solutions to social
issues, says author Star Chang,
whose new book, Coming Home:
A Spiritual and Religious
Dialogue, explores diverse religious teachings.
Chang is offering spiritual practices to incorporate into your everyday life, regardless of your faith.
The goals of the major world
religions are similar; however the
ways of achieving them can differ.
For example, many religions practice love to achieve their goals.
Everything you do, do it with love.
While faith is difficult to prove
with the advancements of modern
science, it is a trust in something
greater. Have faith in what youre
doing, even if all the signs arent
clear.
The goal of the sciences is to
find the ultimate truth, which is
what the major world religions are
also seeking. Scientists attain this
goal by using external tools, while
religion draws upon an internal
force. Put both to good use to tackle your goals.
Human beings consist of three
parts -- mind, body and spirit. The
othing beats the anticipation of your birthday when you are a child. But once schools
out, it can be tough to gather all your childs
friends due to summer camps and family vacations.
To combat this perennial summer birthday concern, some parents throw a big party during the
school year and another smaller family shindig on
the actual date. Others make sure the day is full of
surprises, including yummy, unforgettable treats.
Here are some great ideas to make the day extra
delicious, from three lifestyle and entertaining
experts:
Berry, Berry Good
Every family has their special touches that turn
children into excitement charged little bees buzzing
around practically giddy with anticipation. For me,
that was a can of whipped cream, writes food and
lifestyle expert Coryanne Ettiene, reflecting on her
childhood in a recent posting on her Kitchen
Living with Coryanne blog. The moment I would
open the fridge door and see that bright red top, my
heart would nearly burst from happiness while I let
dreams of whipped cream swirl in my head.
With this in mind, a favorite easy recipe for birthday party strawberry shortcake gives the dessert a
mini makeover with individual frozen shortcake
bites, says Ettiene, whose nostalgia for her sweet
childhood memories led her to partner with Reddiwip on their summer #PartyReddi promotion, which
challenges partiers to create recipes with the
whipped topping.
You can make Ettienes frozen bites by slicing
strawberries across the waist (so the hole appears in
the center), cutting small squares of angel food
cake, and stacking them together with colorful
paper straws through the middle. Place them in the
freezer for up to an hour and serve with a small
bowl of Reddi-wip for dipping. Or for even quicker
birthday treats, add a slice of berry and a slice of
angel food cake to serving spoons and top with the
whipped topping.
Sundae Tea Party
Inspired by the spirit of the tea parties most girls
love so dearly, Dawn Sandomeno and Elizabeth
Mascali, co-founders of The Party Bluprints Blog,
are sharing tips for a tea party with an ice cream
sundae twist. This birthday party idea is perfect for
spirit is the lead, the mind is inbetween and the body is the follower. Confusion will arise if the mind
or the body becomes the lead.
Check in with your spirit often.
Tolerance is a practice that
comes from the heart. Make sure
your heart is light and free of judgment.
If there is negativity underlying your actions, the good you do
will not be felt. To do the most
good you can, find balance and
come from a place of positivity.
Many major religions emphasize having a good heart, sound
thought and good behavior as universal virtues. Help others with
these three principles in mind.
Be kind to all people and
beings without discrimination.
These teachings are abundant in
many world religions, and were as
true thousands of years ago as they
are today.
In our modern society, it can easy
to lose touch with your spirituality.
But exploring this side of yourself
can help you have a deeper appreciation and broader understanding
of other cultures and systems of
belief.
summer and can be hosted indoors or out.

Set a table with personal sundae stations for each
guest. Each setting should have its own parfait glass
with ice cream and three soup spoons or tasting
spoons with toppings.
Choose traditional options like sprinkles, minimarshmallows, and flavored syrups or try something new like fresh fruit, pretzels or popcorn. Then
add some fun by placing several cans of Reddi-wip
on the table so each child can spritz her sundae herself. Just beware: whipped topping with real cream
can go fast, especially with sugared-up fingers on
the button, so have enough on hand.
For a fun setting, build your tablescape on a coffee table and provide colorful pillows for seating.
Polka dots and stripes can evoke the vibe of a retro
sundae shop.
Above all, show your child how special he or she
is by celebrating the big day together. These memories can be the biggest treat of all.
28
June 20-26, 2015
HUMOR
Funny Side by Nury Vittachi
Adults' duty to tech-mad kids
LL adults have a vital duty to tell

young people about The Olden Days
(a phrase which covers the period
from the early Triassic era to about 2008).
In the past, people would go A WHOLE
DAY WITHOUT TAKING A SINGLE PICTURE OF ANYTHING, I declared.
My Facebooking Snapchatting children
were stunned. So how did you have fun,
Dad? one asked.
We would look at clouds and see if we
could find animal shapes, I told them. Yes,
life was thrilling then. They have no idea.
***
But now family life is upside down!

In my house, the only people who can
open child-proof packaging are the children.
The only people who can get past the netnanny web filter are the children.
The only people who can do online hedgefund asset swaps that crash the Dow Jones
are the children.
***
One friend said that this resourceful, hitech generation of youngsters would make
great spies.
No, Ive met spies, and its no fun: they get
swallowed up by their cover jobs.
I knew one agent who played the part of a
hard-drinking, grizzled journalist so well that

he drank himself to death. Probably got an
authenticity award from the espionage community.
***
Whats more, read the news: the whole hitech spying thing has been outsourced to
wildlife.
A few days ago, A PIGEON was arrested
and charged with espionage on the PakistanIndia border (not a joke).
The bird was detained for acting suspiciously, which probably means it was wearing a false moustache and taking snaps of
military facilities.
Indian security officers discovered messages in a foreign language and a phone
number written on its feathers, the news item
said.
Now spies dont usually share contact
details, so this might just be the pigeon
equivalent of when you write down your
phone number on your hand because youre
getting old.
Pigeons get old too, right?
***
Just a week before the dramatic pigeon

arrest, the Egyptian authorities detained A
STORK for espionage and readers may
recall the still-earlier incident when the

Iranian army arrested 14 squirrels for suspiciously hanging out in the woods near a
nuclear enrichment facility.
***
Smug officials proudly said they detained
the creatures before they were able to take
any action, but did not say what the squirrels expected actions were.
I suspect the list would include eating
nuts, hiding out in trees, and stealing
food from bird feeders, which are things
weve all done at some time, right?
Or is that just me?
***
Moving on swiftly, the night before writing
this, this writer was strolling only the Hong
Kong central waterfront, just before Star
Ferry, and looked to the skies for animalshaped clouds.
Lo and behold, there was a camera drone

hovering overhead!
It stayed there for about two minutes,
watching me walk and eat junk food.
Either it was hungry, or (more likely) it had
been sent to check up on me by my caloriecounting app.
Or my kids.
***
But theres one good thing about technology: If its time to summon people for dinner,
I just turn off the Wi-Fi and watch the whole
family come running. Mwa ha ha!
***
And heres a tip to help adults use computers.
Change your password to invalid.
Every time you get it wrong, the computer
will says: Your password is invalid.
Youre welcome.
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.
ASTROLOGY
June 20-26, 2015
29
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
June 20-26, 2015

ARIES: Performance dips on the
work front, so tighten your belt.
Someone is likely to misunderstand
your intentions and become uncooperative.
You may not succeed in managing your
finances well. Youngsters may have to bear
snide remarks of parents or family members
over an issue. Love will beckon those who
seek it. Some of you can plan a short vacation. Those feeling out of sorts will regain
perfect health.
CANCER: Your uncanny sense of

anticipation will not allow anyone
to catch you on the wrong foot!
Whatever is entrusted to you is likely to be
completed most quickly and efficiently.
Some good investments will help keep you
financially healthy. An overbearing person
may need to be shown his or her place. Love
life may suffer due to other commitments.
Following a set routine will be your key to
good health.
TAURUS: Not sticking to a set routine may start affecting your work.
You certainly cannot afford to waste
time in frivolous things. Students will do
well to keep up with the class and not lag
behind. You can get annoyed by someone
hampering your freedom. You can get hurt
by someone two-timing you on the romantic
front. Those driving their own vehicles need
to be careful on the road.
LEO: You will have to take stock of

your present situation and chart your
path for the future. Professionals will
need to build their team to succeed. You will
have to make it clear to someone not to
meddle in your personal life. This week,
enjoyment will be at the top of you mind on
the romantic front. You will have no dearth
of money, so go out and splurge!
GEMINI: You can find yourself in a

happy situation at work. Problems
blocking your progress simply disappear. A family member will start reposing
more faith in your capabilities. Those dealing in property or computers are likely to
earn well. A person you had recently met
can catch your fancy. Marriage front is likely to get activated for the eligible. A decision regarding a journey overseas will be in
your favour.
VIRGO: Things finally start looking

bright on both personal and professional fronts. You will be amongst a
chosen few for a prestigious assignment.
Travelling overseas on scholarship cannot
be ruled out for some.
Doubts about someone or something will be
unfounded. A youngster is likely to make
you guide or mentor. You will be firmly in
the saddle at work to initiate or oversee
something important. You enjoy perfect
health.
LIBRA: You can be asked to speed

up some pending projects at work. It
will be important to take security
measures at home to prevent any untoward
incident. Give your attention to a family
youngster, as he or she may require your
help. Meeting relations or old friends is on
the cards for some. Ensure you have adequate money in your account before issuing
a cheque. Health needs care.
CAPRICORN: Some of you will

derive much pleasure in dealing with
clients this week. You will be able to
keep up your enthusiasm in doing something mundane. Someone may invite you to
his or her place for a night stay. An impending function will keep you busy and happy.
It is best to leave financial matters to
experts. Parents will be good sport in letting
you do your own thing. Health remains satisfactory.
SCORPIO: Take time off to reflect

on your present and on your plans for
the future. Working hard without
career planning may not take you far.
Someone can tempt you into trying something that you shouldnt. Never-ending
domestic chores may appear tedious. You
are likely to rope in someone to help you in
furthering your romantic interest. Select an
exercise regime that easily blends with your
lifestyle. Health needs care.
AQUARIUS: This is the time to

really let your hair down and enjoy
yourself. A new deal or a positive
development at work will keep you in an
upbeat mood. You can be most indulgent on
the domestic front this week. Your financial
position is set to grow stronger. Spending
time with sweetheart is foreseen and will be
most satisfying. Dont volunteer to drive
someone to someplace unless asked.
SAGITTARIUS: At present you are

passing through a bad phase of life.
All your attempts at pleasing someone will fail as you fall short of winning
their trust. Students are likely to perform
much below their own capabilities in a competition or exam. Even though you are
spending little money, you may continue to
worry about your financial future. Your selfcentredness can upset your immediate kith
and kin. Health remains satisfactory.
PISCES: Something not going right

at work may be blamed on you. You
can feel neglected by the people you
have not much in common with, but are
forced to accompany. Overspending by family on an outing is likely to upset you. Those
on a long journey may experience travel
fatigue.
Taking some time out for romance will be
refreshing. Some food or drink may not suit
your system.
Annual Predictions: For those born in this week

20th June, 2015
Ruled planet: Moon Ruled by no :2
Traits in you: Your ruler, the Moon makes you a very friendly individual. You are simple, confident, realistic, sincere, and
optimistic. You are very innovative and try to perform your
work in a different and efficient way. You need to work hard
on your characteristics of being jealous and insensitive at
times.
Health this year: You will enjoy a pretty good health this
year. You need to take care of the health of your family members. You need to take extra care of your health if you are having some chronic diseases. You may go for domestic healthcare instead of allopathic medicines as it will give better results for your ailments and save your money as well.
Finance this year: This year will see an increase in your
earnings. However, you will end up spending a lot of money
on your family. You will spend enough money to buy luxury
and comforts and this will affect your savings. You may get
into new partnerships to start new ventures towards the end
of the year.
Career this year: You will be very impressive in your professional circuit this year. However, you need to work smart
and perform well to grow as a perfectionist. You should take
quick decisions to excel in your field. You may have to help
your ordinates to drive productivity.
Romance this year: The emotional attachment with your
spouse or partner may blossom this year with lot of love, care,
and concern. If you are not married, then you may go for a romantic relationship. You will enjoy a very blissful time with
your beloved.
Lucky month: May, June, August and December
21st June, 2015
Ruled planet: Jupiter Ruled by no: 3
Traits in you: Being ruled by Jupiter, you are courteous,
courageous, decisive, ambitious, disciplined, and realistic.
You are gifted with high imagination power, optimism, and
enthusiasm. However, behaving restless and dominating may
hamper your characteristics at times. You need to work on
your personality to make yourself better as an individual.
Health this year: You may undergo few minor health issues
this year, which may bother you for a long time. You can go
for yoga or meditation to restore your good health. You need
to take required medication by consulting a doctor.
Finance this year: As far as finance is concerned, you will
be earning a lot of money. You will be assigned to new projects and those will be highly yielding for you. You will gain
enough profits from your past investments. Your improved financial status may bring you lot of happiness and joy later
this year.
Career this year: You will be given more responsibility this
year as you have proved yourself to be an efficient resource
for your employer. You may expect a promotion or salary

hike later this year. You should guide your ordinates to perform better and bring unexpected results for your organization.
Romance this year: Your relationship with your partner may
reach to new heights this year as your love, trust, care and
concern will develop towards your beloved. You may get
married towards the end of this year if you are yet to marry.
Lucky month: April, August, November and January
22nd June, 2015
Ruled planet: Uranus Ruled by no: 4
Traits in you: The influence of your ruling planet Uranus
makes you active, practical, enthusiastic, courageous, ambitious, and highly philosophical. You are very proud of your
traditions, culture and rituals. You are highly religious and
have a very sharp mind. However, you need to work on your
impatient and stubborn behavior.
Health this year: Your health will remain good throughout
the year. You need to take utmost care of your health to maintain it and remain fit. The health of your family members
might be a concern for you this year. Try and avoid your bad
habits and start practicing yoga for the betterment of your
health.
Finance this year: You will be fortunate enough this year to
be among financial gains. All you need to do is to grab opportunities to earn money. You will find plenty of earning opportunities around you. However, you have to work hard to
gain that money. Overall, this year will give you financial stability and security.
Career this year: You will get enough opportunities in your
professional life to prove yourself. You will create a better impression on your seniors or higher management, which may
result in promotion. You should work efficiently to maintain
your respect at your workspace.
Romance this year: You will share a blissful romantic relationship with your spouse or partner. Your marriage is on
cards if you are yet to marry. You will find your partner supportive enough in every crucial situation.
Lucky month: May, June, November and February
23rd June, 2015
Ruled planet: Mercury Ruled by no :5
Traits in you: Your ruling planet Mercury makes you realistic, reliable, sincere, and optimistic. You are the master of an
excellent memory power and charismatic characteristics. You
need not get nervous at tough time as it may create a question
mark on your capabilities.

health.
Finance this year: You may get benefits from your investments later this year. This year seems to be an ideal one to
start investing in business, land or gold. Your efforts to earn
money may pay off this time. You may go for new partnerships. However, you should verify the financial background
of your partner for your financial security.
Career this year: If you are a working professional, you may
face various profession related problems this year. You need
to handle all the issues diplomatically else you may lose your
job. You may create wonder in the creativity field if you are
a writer, singer or actor.
Romance this year: You will find your partner to be a huge
emotional support for you during the tough times of your life.
You may get involved in a matrimonial alliance.
Lucky month: June, August, January and March
24th June, 2015
Ruled planet: Venus Ruled by no: 6
Traits in you: As you are ruled by Venus, you are simple,
generous, cheerful, friendly, humble, honest and peace loving. You are pretty interested to stay in harmony with each
and everyone in your surroundings. You need to work on your
nature of being restless and pessimistic.
Health this year: You will enjoy a better health this year as
compared to last year. However, the health of an aged family
member may deteriorate and that will make you bothered.
You may end up spending lot of money for the health issues
of your family members.
Finance this year: Your past investments may yield a lot of
money for you this year. You need to be extra cautions while
investing huge amounts as it is a bit risky to put money on unpredictable things. Overall, you will enjoy a strong financial
condition.
Career this year: You will be given more responsibility this
year as you have proved yourself to be an efficient resource for
your employer. You may expect a promotion or salary hike later this year. You should guide your ordinates to perform better
and bring unexpected results for your organization.
Romance this year: If you are yet to be in a relationship, this
year is the ideal time to find a partner. You will get ample support from your spouse in any critical decision you have to
take. You should show your love to your partner as it strengthens your relationship.
Lucky month: July, November, December and January
25th June, 2015
Ruled planet: 7 Ruled by no: Neptune
Traits in you: As you are governed by planet Neptune, you
are blessed with various positive characters. You are confident, decisive, generous, humorous, honest, modest and op-
timistic. You are not an admirer of arguments or silly fights.

You should work on your nature of being selfish, pessimistic,
and arrogant.
Health this year: You will enjoy a better health this year as
compared to last year. However, the health of an aged family
member may deteriorate and that will make you bothered.
You may end up spending lot of money for the health issues
of your family members.
Finance this year: Your undisputed energy and enthusiasm
to earn money will make you financially stable this year. You
may go for property sale this year and earn a lot of money.
Career this year: Professionally you will enjoy a smooth
life. You may get recognition in your professional circuit as a
result of your hard work and dedication. Your promotion is
on cards. You should take help of your seniors to learn quickly and perform exceptionally well as it would help you grow
professionally.
Romance this year: You will spend a peaceful life with your
love interest this year. You will lead a blissful life with your
beloved with lots of love, care, concern, and support.
Lucky month: September, December, March and April
26th June, 2015
Ruled planet: Saturn Ruled by no: 8
Traits in you: Your ruling planet Saturn makes you humble,
honest, focused, practical, realistic and enthusiastic. You are
blessed with enormous talent and imagination. Along with
the positive characters in you, there are some negative aspects
in your nature. You need to work on your nature of being envious, unreliable, and indiscipline.
health.
Finance this year: You will be among major financial gains
this year. You may go for a real estate transaction later this
year and this will bring you a lot of money to cherish. You
may start up a new business. If you are already into business,
you may plan for expanding its territory this year.
Career this year: Your interest and enthusiasm to perform
will make you an extraordinary performer in your professional circuit. You will be respected and rewarded for your
work. You need to take the leadership responsibility to cement your position in your organization.
Romance this year: You may try and convert your long time
romantic relationship to a married one. You will be enjoying
a great life with your spouse with lots of understanding, love,
and care. You need not get into any kind of argument with
your beloved this year.
Lucky month: April, July, November and December
30
June 20-26, 2015
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS
Jyoti Meditation Instructions:

An Introductory Meditation Technique
By Sant Rajinder Singh

Ji Maharaj
yoti Meditation (light meditation) is an introductory practice
used
in
Science
of
SpiritualitySawan Kirpal Ruhani
Mission that anyone of any age can
try on your own. The full meditation technique used in Science of
Spirituality, which leads to inner
experiences of spiritual realms of
light within, is called Shabd
Meditation or Surat Shabd Yoga as
is practiced by people all over the
world.
A good analogy to understand the
joy of meditation can be found in
the reports of those having a neardeath experience, or NDE. In such
experiences, someone who underwent a physical trauma or accident
may have undergone clinical death.
As doctors and medical practitioners worked on their body, the
patients experienced floating above
their body and watching the procedure being done on them. Some
floated through walls to witness
friends and relatives in other
rooms, what they were doing,
wearing, or saying, and later, when
By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji

Maharaj
s people around the world
focus on the economy and
in budgeting their finances
to make ends meet, there is another
budget that each of us can consider.
Besides what we amass in this physical world, we also are given a certain number of breaths by God to
use in our physical existence. We
analyze how we are budgeting the
use of our finances, but how often
do we look at how we are budgeting
the capital of our lifes breaths given
to us as a gift of the Divine?
This is a good time to analyze
how we have been spending our
precious breaths and time, and
whether we can make better use of
them. Are we spending our time
haphazardly and wastefully, or are
we spending it with purpose?
How can we make best use of our
time?
We have twenty-four hours in the
day to budget to our lifes purpose.
Just as some of our finances go to
the necessities of life such as food,
clothing, and shelter, so do some of
our breaths go into activities relevant to our physical survival. We
the patient was revived, what they

saw and heard were borne out to be
true. At some point, those describing the experience report going
through a dark tunnel to emerge in
a world of light. There, they met a
being of Light who embraced them
with more love than any they ever
experienced in their physical life.
The joy they felt in this world of
light was so tremendous many did
not want to return to life. During
this time, they no longer felt any
pain. The light was bright and
intense but not scorching. This
experience was so loving it transformed their lives and they realized
how important it is to be loving.
They returned to their body as it
was not their time to die, but they
were transformed by the experience. They no longer feared death
and knew that there was more to
life than their physical body. They
knew they could exist beyond this
body.
According to a Gallup Poll, over
thirteen million people reported this
near-death experience. The good
news is that people can experience
the realms of inner light through
mediation without the trauma of a
near-death experience. This bliss
and love can be ours any time we
want through meditation. When we
tap into this place of peace and
calm, we naturally are beyond the
reaches of stress and anger. We are
in a place of joy and bliss that lasts
with us even when we come out of
meditation.
To get started with the Jyoti

Meditation practice, which anyone
can try on your own at home or
anywhere you like, sit in a comfortable pose, most convenient to you,
in which you can sit still for the
longest possible time. While meditating, it is not necessary to hold
hands or touch anyone else, as any
movement brings your attention
back down into the body, distracting from concentration at the seat
of the soul, also called the third
eye, single eye, shiv netra, divya
chakshu, ajna or aggya charka,
tenth door, or daswan dwar (located
between and behind the two eyebrows.
Close your eyes, gently, as you
do when we go to sleep, but remain
wide awake. Closing your eyes
keeps you from being distracted by
the outer sights of the physical
world. With closed eyes, focus your
attention in front of you. Do not put
pressure on your eyes. Also, do not
raise your eyes upwards towards
the direction of the eyebrows as
that puts pressure on your eyes and
forehead and can result in a
headache. Rather, keep your eyes
focused gently in front of you and
look into the middle of what
appears within. Keep gazing horizontally, focusing about eight to ten
inches in front of you with closed
eyes.
Look lovingly into the middle of
what appears in front of you. At
first, you may see either darkness
or light, sparks of light, pinpoints
of light, flashes of light, circles of

light, or light of any color, such as
red, orange, yellow, blue, green,
purple, violet, white, or golden
color. No matter what you see, continue to gaze into the middle of
what appears. You may see inner
vistas such as an inner sky, clouds,
stars, a moon, or a sun.
While gazing into the middle of
what appears, you may notice that
your mind distracts you with
thoughts. You may find that the
thoughts distract you from gazing
within. You may find that you cannot silence your mind to continue
meditating. To help keep your mind
from distracting you, you can mentally and silently repeat any Name
of God with which you feel comfortable. This repetition should go
on mentally, and not aloud, as you
continue to gaze. This silent repetition gives the mind something to do

so that it does not send thoughts to
you that can distract you from meditating. As your attention converges
at the third or single eye, you may
then see inner lights. These lights
are a reflection of the lights of the
inner realms. By gazing deeper into
the middle of that light, you can tap
into the spiritual treasures within
and enjoy the profound peace, joy,
bliss, and happiness unlike any
found in this world. Those who
meditate are permeated with a
divine love that engulfs and fulfills
them. The beauty of meditation is
that this joy can remain with you
even after you resume your daily
activities. May you find this meditation helpful in improving the
health of your body, mind, & soul.
Is Spirituality in your Daily Budget?

spending time in meditation whereby we invert our attention to find the
Divine within us. Do we budget
enough time for this?
Those on the spiritual path have set self-knowledge and

realization of the Divine as a goal within this very lifetime.
have to spend time taking care of
the body, such as in eating, bathing,
dressing, sleeping, and other bodily
activities. We also need to spend
time earning a living to pay for the
necessities of life. We have to go to
school or college or get training for
our jobs as well. If we have a family, we need to take care of them. We
also want to be a contributing member of our community and be of
service to others. Beyond this, we
are left with time we can spend any
way we like. How can we budget

that time to make the best use of it?
Those on the spiritual path have
set self-knowledge and realization
of the Divine as a goal within this
very lifetime. Saints and spiritual
Masters teach that we do not have to
wait until this life ends to discover
what lies beyond. We can witness
the realms beyond in this lifetime by
sitting in silence, focusing our attention within, and exploring the inner
spiritual treasures. This involves
Caring for the soul

Meditation takes practice, whereby we can connect with the divine
Light and Sound within and soar on
it to explore realms beyond. The
practice of concentrating within
takes repetition to become adept at
it. As in all tasks in life, daily practice will help us achieve success. In
planning our spiritual budgetthe
capital of our lifes breaths to
achieve the goal of union with the
Divinewe need to allocate some
time daily for meditation. Just as we
want a balanced financial budget,
we also want a balanced budget of
our time. Balancing our time means
spending time developing our physical, mental, and spiritual side of life.
While attending to our responsibilities of taking care of our body and
mind, we also need to care for our
soul.
As we look ahead to 2013, let us
spend time analyzing how we want
to budget our time. We can make a

chart of how much time we need to
spend in the various activities necessary for our life to survive in this
physical world and how much time
we need to put into our spiritual
practices. Mostly, we allocate everything on our to-do list first and then
put in the time for meditation last.
This year, we can try allocating our
time for meditation first, and then fit
in all the other responsibilities we
have. In this way, we can ensure that
our meditation is not an afterthought, but as important a part of
our day as our other duties.
Some people find that meditating
in the beginning of the day, right
after we awaken, ensures that we
always get that meditation time in
and do not leave it for last, when
other responsibilities may take so
long we never get to our spiritual
practices. If we make meditation an
essential part of the day, we will
find it becomes a habit. We will be
making the best use of our time and
find that the spiritual gains we
achieve will enrich all aspects of our
lives.
June 20-26, 2015
CELEBRATIONS INC. & VEDIC HERITAGE INC.

CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO JOIN THE
INTERNATIONAL
YOGA DAY EVENT
With Chief Guest
Honorable Acharya
Dr. Lokesh Muni
AND OTHER INVITED DIGNITARIES
Saturday, June 20, 2015,

6 PM 9 PM
At the Pandit Jasraj Auditorium
of Vedic Heritage Shree Hanuman Temple,
111 Jerusalem Ave.,
Hempstead, NY 11550. USA
YOGA PRESENTATION BY
MS RANJU NARANG GROUP
Free Admission. RSVP is mandatory.

Limited seats available.
Acharya dr. Lokesh Muni

Founder Ahimsa Vishwa Bharati, New Delhi, India
Refreshments and dinner

will be served
Sponsored by Celebrations & Kamlesh Mehta.
RSVP
Nilima Madan (516) 603 5022
Media Partners:
Uma Sengupta (718) 380 0724
The South Asian Times, The Asian Era
Shalu Chopra (917) 754 3463

Kamlesh Mehta (516) 395 3764
email: yogainternational2015@gmail.com

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Vol.8 No. 7 June 20-26, 2015 60 Cents

New York Edition

30,000 expected at NYCs

Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje come

Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje with Lalit Modi; (right)

India to canvas for BJP in the 2014 election or took to

Vatican City: Pope Francis has

Pope Francis has issued an

June 20-26, 2015

Consulate General of India, Sydney organized a curtain raiser for the

Volunteers rehearsing Yoga asanas for

A curtain raiser in Budapest by Art of Living Yoga Team.

An IDY curtain-raiser event was organized by the

Embassy of India Doha organized an event on Yoga

June 20-26, 2015

Events galore to mark Yoga Day in NYC

ticipate in a spectacular public performance of yoga led by wellknown instructors.

people are expected to participate in

IALI honors India House donors

and receive information flyers.

Modi has changed terms of India-US

the enterprising and highachieving Indian-American

June 20-26, 2015

Lalit Modi-gate exposes corruption at top...

30,000 expected at NYCs Yoga Day...

was co-sponsored by 177 nations (the

Chairman and Co-Founder

Managing Editor: Parveen Chopra

Strategy and Marketing

June 20-26, 2015

Two US lawmakers urge India to take action against phone fraud

gotten out of control," the lawmakers said.

By Ashok Ojha/SA Times

Jaitley said that state governments

June 20-26, 2015

US senator to be honored as Friend of India

Santino nominated for

Councilman Tony Santino & Town Clerk

Hempstead, NY: Anthony J. Santino, a close

June 20-26, 2015

Sikh student can join US army with beard, turban

modation he seeks further a compelling

McConville's opinion in denying Singh's

Virginia student Braveen Two Indian-Americans on Republican diversity project leadership

Washington, DC: Ahead of the

Niraj Antani (left)

Republican National Committee

the full diversity of America."

UN reports three sex cases involving Indian peackeepers

tributors to the UN.

deployment of personnel in peacekeeping operations, said in response

June 20-26, 2015

Shivshankar Menon named

Indian-American doctor shot

Cardiologist Suresh Gadasalli

world's first simultaneous hybrid

Washington, DC: Three Indian

California Eye Institute.

Museum of Moving Image NY to honor Mani Ratnam

August 2, 2015. Ratnam will participate in conversations after each

films on the big screen, presented in

Indian-American teen killed during Russian roulette game

Virk believed he had emptied.