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Vol.8 No. 10 July 11-17, 2015 60 Cents

Glorious Gujarat expo to showcase state in NJ in August

Offering opportunity for companies in India as well as in
US to promote their products & explore business deals.
By Jinal Shah
New York: Glorious Gujarat
USA, a two day exposition
organized by FICCI and
Ahmedabad based Praveg
Communications, &
supported by Gujarat
Tourism, Sports Youth
and Cultural Activities
Department,
Indo
American Chamber of
Commerce among others, will be held Aug 22
and 23 in Edison, NJ.
It was officially
announced at a curtain
raiser on Thursday at
the Indian Consulate in New
York.
This is the perfect opportunity
for companies in India as well as
companies based in US to showcase and promote their products
and explore strategic business
deals, said Dhrumil Patel, direc-

tor of business development,

Glorious Gujarat, which will be
held at New Jersey Convention
and Exposition Center.
The exhibition is one of many
other shows organized to promote
trade and culture
between the United
States and the state of
Gujarat, including
Vibrant
Gujarat
Summit organized by
the Gujarat government
and Chaalo Gujarat.
Glorious Gujarat will
encompass a range of
cultural and commerce
related
activities.
According to the organizers there
will be business exhibitions with
exclusive pavilions on real estate,
gems and jewelry and garment
sector, cultural programs,
Bollywood performances and
Glorious
Gujarat
Award
Continued on page 4

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Urged by Modi, Ufa

BRICS declaration
condemns terrorism
Ufa, Russia: The Ufa BRICS declaration reiterated the five members strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
The document, issued on
Thursday, stresses that there can be
no justification, whatsoever, for
any acts of terrorism, whether
based upon ideological, religious,
political, racial, ethnic, or any
other justification.
"We are determined to consistently strengthen our cooperation
in preventing and countering international terrorism," it said.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi made a strong pitch for united action against terrorism and
extremism by countries, including
among BRICS, without discriminating between groups, or countries, sponsors or targeted nations.
Addressing the BRICS plenary ses-

PM Modi & Nawaz

Sharif hold meeting
in Ufa. See page 4.

PM Narendra Modi & leaders of 4 other BRICS nations witnessing

the signing ceremony at Congress Hall in Ufa, Russia on July 9.

sion, he said peace and stability

were the bulwarks of progress and
prosperity and it was the responsibility of countries to unitedly combat terrorism and extremism. The

Ufa resolution also stresses that the

UN has a central role in coordinating international action against terrorism, that must be conducted in
Continued on page 4

Gov. Nikki signs bill removing Confederate flag from SC capitol Greece's last-ditch plan accepts
harsh austerity to get debt relief

Columbia, SC: South Carolina

Gov. Nikki Haley on Thursday
signed into law a measure to
remove
the
contentious
Confederate battle flag from the
state Capitol, the culmination of a
years-long movement that was
reignited by the murders of nine
members of a historically black
church in Charleston town in the
state.
Before adding her signature to
the legislation, Haley spoke of the
black victims, who were killed by a
white man after they welcomed
him into a June 17 prayer meeting
at Emanuel African Methodist
Church. Their act of love and faith,
Haley said, set into motion a chain
Continued on page 4

US AFFAIRS 9

Countrys creditors are expected to favorably receive the new offer

With her predecessors in the governor's office and others

looking on, Gov. Nikki Haley signed a bill into law that enables
the removal of the Confederate flag from the
South Carolina Statehouse grounds.

OP ED 13

BOLLYWOOD 16

SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 30

Athens: Only a day after grim

predictions of financial and
social collapse in Greece, the
desperate government scrambled
to propose a new bailout package
to bring the country back from
the brink of falling out of the
eurozone.
As details of the new offer
emerged, it appeared the Prime
Minister Alexis Tsipras was
capitulating to demands on harsh
austerity terms that he urged his
Continued on page 4

A pro-euro protester waves

an EU flag outside the Greek
parliament in Athens.

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July 11-17, 2015

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July 11-17, 2015

FIA to attempt 3 Guinness records at India Day Parade

By Jinal Shah
New York: On August 16, the
Federation of Indian Associations
of New York, New Jersey and
Connecticut (FIA), will attempt to
break three Guinness world records
at the 35th Annual India Day
Parade.
The three categories for the
Guinness records are: most different flags flown simultaneously,
most people receiving henna tattoo
and most confetti popped at a single event.
We are planning to unfurl about
11,000 flags including flags of all
195 nations, flags of different tribes
of India, religious flags, sports
flags and more. We are also
attempting to break the world
mehndi application record and confetti popping record, Ankur

Vaidya, FIA president, told The

South Asian Times.
The parade will have several
floats, marching groups, bands as
well as celebrities from India.
We have not finalized the
Bollywood star for the grand marshal but we are in talks with the top
actors and actresses. Besides, there
will be two singers - one Indian
and other western - and one TV
actor, said Vaidya. These stars will
flag off the participating volunteers
to set the world record after the
parade at the fun fair at Madison
Avenue.
The idea behind their attempt to
create world records, Vaidya said,
is to add glory for India and
Indian people. The parade has
come a long way since it was started 34 years ago, it is the largest
India day parade in the world and it

is high time the parade gets the

recognition it deserves.
As part of their continued support
for social causes in India, FIA will
support the Darjeeling Sanitation
Project, which is part of Prime
Minister Narendra Modis Clean
India initiative.
Sixty-seven percent of the total
cost will be provided by FIA, while
the remaining 33 percent will be
provided by the beneficiary, said
Vaidya adding we have partnered

Violence & terrorism cannot solve any problem: Lokesh Muni

Atlanta, GA: Emphasizing that
war, violence and terrorism cannot
solve any problem, the world
renowned Jain guru Acharya
Lokesh Muni has said that dialogue
based on non-violence and unity in
diversity can solve all conflicts.
Violence gives rise to counter
violence. Dialogue based on
Bhagwan Mahavirs philosophy of
non-violence and Unity in
Diversity can solve all conflicts,"
the Acharya said in his address to
the convention of The Federation
of Jain Associations in North
America (JAINA) that took place

Acharya Lokesh Muni

over the July 4 weekend in Atlanta.

The four-day 18th biennial

JAINA convention was attended by

representatives from 70 Jain centers in North America and Jain religious leaders from India.
Observing that unity in diversity
is the basis of Jainisms great philosophy, Lokesh Muni, 54, rued
that currently they are divided into
different sects. "It is expected that
like America we should develop
unity between all four sects of
Jainism to bring them under one
banner, one flag and one roof and
present the Jain religion and principles to the next generation in a scientific way," he said.

Nina Davuluri to be Grand Marshal

at India Day Parade of Long Island
Hicksville, NY: To celebrate
Indias 69th Independence Day,
the 4th annual India Day Parade
of Long Island will take place
in Hicksville on Sunday, August
9, it was announced at a curtain
raiser at Kwality banquet hall
here.
Nina Davuluri, the first Miss
America (crowned in 2014) of
Indian origin, will be the Grand
Marshal.
Organized by IDPUSA with
the support of numerous community organizations, the

parade with floats and marching

groups and bands will as usual
kick off from Patel Brothers
plaza and move along South
Broadway. Cultural program
and food and shopping stalls
will be located at the corner of
South Broadway and E. Barclay
Street. Gala dinner with
Bollywood actress Neetu
Chandra, also a Grand Marshal,
will take place on August 10.
Nina Davuluri, first Miss
America of Indian origin

with them for about 100 sanitation

projects in Darjeeling. The
Darjeeling Sanitation Project aims
to reduce the incidence of waterborne disease for at least 3,500
people in Darjeeling through access
to potable water and improved sanitation and hygiene practice.
At the parade kickoff held last
month at the Indian consulate,
Consul General Dnyaneshwar
Mulay lauded FIA for completing
35 years of the iconic parade. He
also urged the group to increase
their engagements with the community, requesting them to organize events on a monthly basis.
The annual event attracts a record
number of crowds from the tristate
each year. Last year, over 200,000
people attended the parade and the
cultural entertainment program,
Vaidya claimed.

FIA President Ankur Vaidya

Elderly man assaulted

for being Indian in NJ
New Jersey: An elderly IndianAmerican man was attacked and
left bleeding on the road in a
New Jersey neighborhood in an
apparent bias crime by an
assailant who has been taken into
custody.
Rohit Patel, 57, sustained serious injuries including broken
teeth, stitches on his mouth and
forehead when he was knocked
down and beaten over the head
by Nyle Kilgore in North
Brunswick last week.
A report on CBS New York
said police had taken Kilgore, 24,
into custody, charged him with
bias intimidation and aggravated
assault and he is now out on bail.
The report cited police as saying that the attacker targeted
Patel because he is Indian and
there have been a recent string of
bias attacks against men of
Indian descent in the New Jersey
area.
"My dad is a very fragile, innocent man who was just on his
daily walk," said Dipen Patel in
the CBS report.
"What went through your mind
to see him and actually want to
cause him pain?" Patel said his

Rohit Patel had moved

recently from the UK

father was walking in the neighborhood when he saw someone

getting out of the car that had
stopped nearby.
The attacker, identified as
Kilgore, followed Patel for less
than a minute before knocking
him out with a blow to the head.
Patel's son questioned the bail
granted to Kilgore, saying, "I
don't understand how you can
have someone who is continuously committing hate crimes,
violent hate crimes, and he's able
to get out the same night."
Patel and his wife had just
moved to New Jersey from the
UK in May and are now contemplating moving back.

July 11-17, 2015

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting

his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz
Sharif, in Ufa, Russia on July 10.

Modi raises the

issue of terrorism,
Lakhvi in meeting
with Sharif
Ufa, Russia: In the first structured meeting since May 2014, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif held bilateral talks that
last for an hour on the sidelines of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
(SCO) summit here.
Modi raised the issue of terrorism and
told Shairf to bring to justice Mumbai
attack mastermind Lakhvi to have peaceful, friendly relations with India.
Tension has been brewing between both
countries ever since talks between foreign
secretaries were called off last August
after the Pakistani envoy held talks with
Kashmiri separatists ahead of a bilateral
dialogue.
The Indian delegation included
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar while
Sartaj Aziz, Sharifs advisor on foreign
affairs and national security, was in the
Pakistani delegation.

TURN PAGE
Urged by Modi, Ufa BRICS declaration...
Continued from page 1
accordance with international law, including
the UN Charter, international refugee and
humanitarian law, human rights and fundamental freedoms.
According to Sujata Mehta, secretary (economic relations) in the Ministry of External
Affairs, there is a good paragraph on cooperation in the UN, specifically with regard to
reform of the UN Security Council.
"We believe that this is a good paragraph
which reflects the aspiration of three BRICS
members to become permanent members of
the Security Council and a recognition of that
by the two BRICS members who are already
members of the Security Council," she said.
"We believe that the formulations contained
in this reflect some of our interests and reflect
the importance that we in India attach to
cooperation among BRICS members on this
field," she added.
"There is a reflection in this declaration on
the importance of IMF reform and reform of
the World Bank governance structures. This
again is a topic that each of the leaders
touched upon in all the remarks that they
made Thursday. There is a reference to cooperation in WTO," she said at a briefing here.
"There is a good reflection of cooperation
on the subject of climate change. This too is
something that all the leaders spoke about
and which is reflected in the declaration."
Glorious Gujarat expo to showcase state...
Continued from page 1
Ceremony. The exhibition will see more
than 100 companies participating from real
estate, gems and jewelry, garments and accessories, travel and tourism, handloom and
handicrafts, hospitals, banks and financial
institutions, IT and software, Ayurvedic &
herbal products industry.
Glorious Gujarat offers a complete package of business promotion and entertainment.
Most of the participating companies are from
India but we are expecting participation from
US based companies as well, added Patel.
The award ceremony will include performances by the students of Blind Peoples
Association and Bollywood stars including
Prachi Desai, also the brand ambassador of
the exhibition.
The award ceremony will be held not only

to encourage but also to recognize a lot of

hardwork Gujaratis have put in, said Patel.
Also present at the curtain raiser event were
G. Sreenivasa Rao, Consul (Trade, Commerce
& Education) and Bhagyesh Jha, chairperson
of Gujarat Sahitya Academy.
We have seen Madhya Pradesh and
Maharashtra chief ministers and delegations
come to attract investments in their particular
states to establish or further build relationship
between the people. And I hope Glorious
Gujarat will bring new opportunities for
Americans, Indian Americans to invest in
projects Gujarat is offering, said Rao.
Jha, who was instrumental in organizing the
biennial event- Vibrant Gujarat Summit and
Gujarats 50 years celebrations, said,
Narendra Modi, then chief minister of
Gujarat, mentioned that Gujarat is one state
where commerce and culture go together and
that business is in our DNA and this is what
we are trying to promote at the event.
Gov. Nikki signs bill removing...
Continued from page 1
of events that led to the flag's removal less
than a month later. "May we never forget the
actions that those people took to get us to this
point today," the governor said.
Haley noted that when the confessed killer,
21-year-old Dylann Roof, was caught, relatives of the victims said in court that they forgave him. That act of forgiveness, Haley said,
sparked a wave of compassion around the
country that motivated people to change
things.
In the days after the shootings, photos
emerged of Roof posing with the Confederate
flag, a Civil War relic that is also seen as an
emblem of racism. That sparked a nationwide
debate about the flag's place in American culture. Many businesses stopped making and
selling the flag and its images, and public
officials discussed removing the flag from
public grounds.
That included South Carolina, which first
flew the Confederate flag at Capitol in
Columbia in 1962 as a response to the civil
rights movement.
The state legislature, which lost state Sen.
Clementa Pickney, Emanuel's top pastor, in
the shooting, responded by voting overwhelmingly this week to take the flag down.
The shootings forced a change in Haley,
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too. The Republican governor had previously
opposed calls to lower the flag, and had
voiced support of a 2000 compromise in
which the flag was moved from atop the
Capitol dome to a nearby flag pole. But she
shifted her view amid the furor that followed
the shootings.
Greece last-ditch plan accepts harsh...
Continued from page 1
countrymen to reject in the referendum last
Sunday, like tax increases and various measures to cut the costs of pensions.
But Tsipras sought a three-year bailout loan
totaling 53.5 billion euros (about $59 billion)
and asked creditors to commit to discussing
restructuring the nations massive debt. The
amount was more than it would have been
without a nationwide banking shutdown that
has pummeled the economy, New York Times
reported.
The new loan would come on top of 240
billion euros in bailout loans Greece has
already received since 2010. Tsipras seemed
to have gained ground on debt relief.
Germanys finance minister, Wolfgang
Schuble, finally conceded a little on that
Thursday, admitting that debt sustainability is
not feasible without a write-down of debt.
Tsipras went before his cabinet to seek a
commitment for reform measures in the new
plan that, presumably, went beyond what had
been offered previously. He will seek the
approval of Parliament on Friday. Much may
hinge on his ability to persuade the more radical elements of his Syriza party to support a
package that in essence was anathema to
many of them last week.
It is still too early to gauge whether this
prospective bailout will be any more effective
than earlier pacts in balancing the demands of
the creditors against some relief from austerity. The representatives of Greeces main creditors the eurozone nations, the European
Central Bank and the IMF are scheduled
to review the new proposal in Brussels on
Friday.
Approval will also require an assessment
by the 19 finance ministers of eurozone countries. That meeting, of the so-called
Eurogroup, has been scheduled for Saturday
afternoon in Brussels.One analyst said he
thought the offer would be well received by
creditors.
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India desperate for

US leadership: Bobby Jindal
Washington, DC: Keeping
up his tirade against
President Barack Obama,
Republic presidential candidate Bobby Jindal has suggested that "non-aligned
countries like India and
Vietnam are desperate and
hungry for American leadership.
"From my perspective, it's a complete
failure," said the Indian-American governor of Louisiana, who prefers to be
called only "American", of Obama and
his presidency showing a complete
ignorance of the changed political realities of today. "In seven short years, we
no longer stand with Israel. In seven
short years, we're on the verge of
allowing Iran to become a nuclear
power, starting a potential nuclear arms
race in the Middle East," he told Fox
News.
"After winning the Cold War, we're
about to allow (Russian President
Vladimir) Putin to continue to threaten
Eastern Europe. He's already in the
Ukraine.
"We've allowed ISIS to grow in the
void that he created in Iraq and now
could be creating, is creating in the rest

of the Middle East, including

Afghanistan," he said.
"China's rising. We've got
countries that are looking for
American leadership."
Asked what he would do,
Jindal said he would put two
brigades in Eastern Europe.
"But right now, it's not clear
to me we've got the resources to do that
because he keeps -- this president keeps
-- hollowing out the military.
"And China, we would work not only
with our allies, like Japan and South
Korea and Taiwan. We'd work with
non-aligned countries like India and
Vietnam that are desperate and hungry
for American leadership," he said.
But "it starts with a vision of America
as playing a unique role in the world.
This president -- I think when he leads
from behind, when he criticizes
America, he doesn't embrace American
exceptionalism.
"We understand that America is different, America is special," said Jindal.
"We are unique, and we're unabashed
to say so. It's not arrogance to say that
we are a special country and that we are
going to protect our interests and our
allies."

Rajat Gupta's appeal in

insider trading case rejected
New York: Goldman Sachs' former Indiaborn director Rajat Gupta failed to get his
insider-trading conviction tossed on the
ground that he did not benefit from the
alleged tips after a judge ruled it was "too little, too late."
Manhattan federal Judge Jed Rakoff on
Thursday rejected Gupta's appeal to have his
2012 conviction overturned, saying a recent
appeals court decision did not affect tippers
like him, the New York Post reported. Gupta
and Galleon Group founder Raj Rajaratnam,
to whom Gupta was accused of passing illegal tips about Goldman Sachs "were close
business associates with a considerable history of exchanging financial favors," Rakoff
noted.
He had appealed against his conviction
after an appeals court threw out two insidertrading convictions because the government
had not proved that the people who gave the
tips had received a financial benefit.
Gupta is serving a two-year sentence at a
prison in Massachusetts and is reportedly
scheduled for a March 2016 release.

July 11-17, 2015

4 Indian-Americans honored as
"The Pride of America"
Washington, DC: Four Indian-Americans are
among 38 individuals being honored for having
"helped advance and enlighten our society, culture, and economy" as "Great Immigrants: The
Pride of America" by Carnegie Corporation of
New York.
As a July 4th American Independence day
"Salute to Great Immigrants Who Help Make
America Strong" and their accomplishments, the
corporation for the tenth year is taking out a fullpage public service ad in The New York Times.
In addition, the Corporation recognizes new
citizens with a companion website at greatimmigrants.org, which includes the stories of many
other naturalized citizens, video and audio
recordings, and interactive quizzes.
The four Indian-Americans being honored are:
Preet Bharara US Attorney, Southern District of
New York, Rakesh Khurana Danoff, Dean of
Harvard College and Marvin Bower, Professor of
Leadership and Development, Madhulika Sikka
Vice President, Executive Editor, .Mic (India)
and Abraham Verghese, Physician, Professor,
Author (India). "Our founder, Andrew Carnegie,
came to this country as the son of impoverished
immigrants and grew up to become one of the
greatest contributors to American industry and
philanthropy," said Vartan Gregorian, President
of the Corporation.
"His devotion to US democracy stemmed from
his conviction that the new infusion of talent that
immigrants bring to our country keeps American

The honorees: (clockwise): Abraham

Verghese, Physician, Professor, Author
(India), Rakesh Khurana Danoff, Dean of
Harvard College and Marvin Bower,
Professor of Leadership and Development,
Madhulika Sikka Vice President, Executive
Editor, .Mic (India) and Preet Bharara US
Attorney, Southern District of New York.

society vibrant."
The 38 Great Immigrants honored this year
come from more than 30 countries around the
world and represent leadership in a wide range of
professions, the corporation said.
Celebrating "naturalized US citizens whose
contributions are vital to the fabric of our nation
and the strength of our democracy," it noted that
nearly nine million legal permanent residents are
currently eligible to naturalize and become US
citizens. Carnegie Corporation of New York was
established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 "to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding."

Indian-American physicians launch research foundation

New York: The American
Association of Physicians of
Indian Origin (AAPI), the largest
ethnic association of medical professionals in the US, has launched
a Scientific, Academic Research
Foundation (SARF) for supporting key academic research initiatives. The pioneering initiative
was launched during a solemn
ceremony, attended by physicians, community leaders and
international media personnel at
the Indian Consulate in New York
on Friday, according to an AAPI
release.
"SARF has been founded to
support and promote excellence
in medicine, advance key research
and academic initiatives and
establishing a robust and credible
process of recognizing significant
contributions of Indian American
Physicians with Excellence

AAPI members at the launch function at

Indian Consulate in New York

awards," AAPI President Seema

Jain said.
SARF award categories
include: Lifetime Excellence for
Research
&
Innovation,
Excellence in Leadership to
Young Physician Award,
Excellence in Global Health,
Physician of the Year award and
Hall of Fame award.

The first ever SARF Inaugural

Awards Gala will be held on Aug
14 at the Pierre Hotel in New
York. The inaugural gala will be
addressed among others by by
Hardeep Singh Puri, Secretary
General of the Independent
Commission on Multiculturalism,
Bob Oliver, President and Chief
Operating Officer, Otsuka

America Pharmaceuticals and

Dnyneshwar Mulay, Consul
General of India in New York.
"It is estimated that there are
1.2 million physicians of Indian
origin working not only in India,
but also, in most of the countries
around the world," Jain said.
"Their contributions to the
world of healthcare is enormous.
It's in this context, AAPI's new
initiative becomes very timely
and unique," she said.
The SARF awards are for individuals who distinguish themselves and are at the cutting edge
of their field, rising up above
thousands of others, jain said.
In his inaugural address, Mulay
metaphorically described the
Indian American community as a
"fertile ground," where AAPI has
grown to be a "Banyan tree," and
SARF is a "beautiful flower."

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July 11-17, 2015

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South Asian groups join vigil for victims of church attack

New York: Following the recent
events of shooting at a historic
African American church in
Charleston, South Carolina, and
arson at other churches, NYC
Public Advocate Letitia James and
South Asians 4 Right Choice
founder Pam Kwatra along with
other South Asian organizations
held a candlelight vigil at the Calvary Baptist Church in Jamaica,
NY. The vigil was performed respectfully to honor the victims and
their families, while also bearing
in mind the atrocities performed
elsewhere and the importance of
taking a united stand for equality
and against discriminatory violence.
Among some of the more notable organizations present were
South Asians 4 Better Choice,
Clergy United For Community
Empowerment Inc., G30 for India
Vision Foundation, several Sikh
gurdwaras, Long Island Gujarati
Cultural Society, and several Muslim communities. Christians were
joined by members of the Sikh,
Muslim and Hindu communities
during the interfaith memorial.
The ceremony started off with
remarks by Letitia James. The
prayers were performed by
Bhupinder Singh- Gurdev Singh

"I think it's something powerful

when people can come
together, regardless of what we
believe and as a human race to
say, 'Look, we know injustice
and we know when something
is happening to someone.'
When one is grieving, we're all
grieving."
-Pam Kwatra
Kang. (Sikh clergy); Chamunda
Swami (Hindu), Imam Ismail
from Jackson Heights Muslim
Center; and Rev. Harding Dunlop
& Pastor Emeritus of Salem AME
Church.
Mahatma Gandhi & Martin
Luther King Jr taught us to live
with peace & nonviolence. Remembering our great leaders, we
must follow their ideals and work
with our politicians on gun control
all over the nation. These nine
families forgave this young man
who was filled with hate and
wanted to start a race war. The
families who were victimized returned his hate with forgiveness

South Asian 4 Right Choice

founder Pam Kwatra
addressing the audience

and love. These Christian families

taught us that love & forgiveness
is more powerful, says Pam
Kwatra. She also said Charleston
shooting resonates with Wisconsin
gurdwara attack on Sikh brothers
and sisters only three years ago.
You can't even feel safe in House
of worship.
"I think it's something powerful
when people can come together,
regardless of what we believe and
as a human race to say, 'Look, we
know injustice and we know when
something is happening to some-

Indian American Night 2015 held

Members of IAF with Honorees: Vijay Goswamy, Bina Sabapathy, Kishore

Kuncham, Dr Bhavani Srinivasan, Raji Kuncham, Trupti Shah, Dr Vijay Shah,
Kalpana Patel, Sangeeta Sethi, Indu Jaiswal, Dr Azad Anand, Gobind Munjal.

East Meadow, NY: Delayed by a month by

bad weather, the annual Indian American
Night was presented by Indian American
Forum on June 30 at Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre in Eisenhower Park here. The
program is part of the summer concert series sponsored by Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums.
Indian American Night is a showcase of
Classical Indian music and folk dances
from India.
The program started with yoga sessions
conducted by Anita Sehgal (Neelu). Health
awareness services were organized by Dr
Madhu Korrapati, Dr Sunil Mehra, Dr
Tarun Wasil, Dr Reena Loona, Dr Parul
Bahl, Dr Vijay Shah, and Dr Shah of AAPIQLI.
Nassau County Executive Edward P
Mangano was represented by Sunita Manjrekar, his Deputy Commissioner of Employment, Vocational and Community Serv-

ices. Also present were legislator Rose

Walker, Nassau County Parks Commissioner Brian Nugent, and several other officials.
Honorees for the evening included
Naveen C Shah, CEO of Navika Group, and
President of RANA; Dr Vijay Shah, Vice
Chairman of Friends for Good Health; oncologist Trupti Shah; Sangeeta Sethi, President of the Rotary Club of Jericho Sunrise;
Dr Madhu Korrapati, President of AAPI
QLI; Raji Kuncham, President of TLCA;
and Kalpana Patel, President and CEO of
Unique Comp.
Indu Jaiswal, Chairperson of Indian
American Forum welcomed every one and
thanked all the sponsors and supporters for
their participation.
A cultural program, organized by Jaya
Bahadkar, was emceed by Arvin Batra. Several music and dance performances lent color and charm to the celebrations. Students
from different schools took part.

NYC Public Advocate Letitia James speaking at the vigil.

Multifaith leaders participated in the event.

one.' When one is grieving, we're

all grieving," Pam Kwatra said.
Those who spoke at the event
besides Pam Kwatra (Hindu community) included Eric Kumar
(Punjabi community), Flora
Parekh VP of SA4BC (Gujarati
community), Gurdev Singh Kang,
President of 118 street Gurdwara
(Sikh community); Rev. Edwin
Reed, Sr. Pastor of Morris Brown
AME Church; Rev. Dr. Ernestine
Sanders, Executive VP and CEO
of CUCE; Ali Nazmi (Muslim
community); Kirpal Singh Billing

(Sikh community); and Bishop

Charles Norris, Executive Secretary of CUCE.
Pastor Victor T. Hall, Sr. performed the final Benediction.
The vigil was aimed to not only
remember and honor the victims
but also to send a strong message
that such actions will not be tolerated. The event was a powerful
demonstration of standing up to
bigotry and racism, as the combine resolve takes strength from
South Asian communities and individuals who participated.

BAPS Charities hosts

annual community walk in Parsippany NJ

New Jersey: The annual BAPS Charities walk, held on June 21 in Parsippany helped raise support for Carol G. Simon Cancer Center. Patients who need
cancer treatment services turn to Carol
G. Simon Cancer Center at Morristown
Medical Center and Overlook Medical
Center. They offer: Comprehensive,
state-of-the-art treatment services, provided by board-certified physicians.
Representative Jigisha Kothari noted,
Every year lives are saved with free
cancer screening which is possible by
BAPS Charities and dedicated volunteers who raise funds during the
walkathon. This year, over 260 individuals of all ages joined together to
walk in support of Carol G. Simon Cancer Center. The walk commenced with
a traditional prayer for world peace and
an opening speech by Congressman
Rodney Frelinghuysen "New Jersey
has best oncologists and BAPS Charities being here to raise money for remarkable cause which bring hopes in
people lives...."

NATIONAL COMMUNITY

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

July 11-17, 2015

Joe Biden to Speak on 10th Anniversary of India-US Nuclear Deal

Washington: US Vice President Joe
Biden would deliver a keynote speech on
India-US relations at an event in
Washington hosted by a top American
think-tank to mark the tenth anniversary of
the historic civilian nuclear deal between
the two countries.
"Vice President Biden will speak on the
strategic importance of the US-India partnership," the White House said yesterday.
Mr Biden's speech follows a full-day
conference at Carnegie Endowment for
International Relations on the 10th
anniversary of the landmark US-India civil
nuclear agreement that will include
remarks by Arun K Singh, India's
US Vice President Joe Biden will deliver a
keynote speech at a full-day conference
hosted by CII and Carnegie Endowment
for International Relations

Indian-American jailed for 14 yrs

for running extortion scheme
New York: An Indian-American
has been jailed for more than 14
years and ned one million dollars for running a massive extortion ring from India-based call
centers in which he and his coconspirators impersonated
American ofcials and threatened to arrest victims unless
they made payments.
Sahil
Patel,
36,
of
Pennsylvania was also sentenced to three years of supervised release following the completion of his 14 and a half year
prison term.
Patel had pleaded guilty in
January 2015 to his role in
organizing the US side of a massive fraud and extortion ring run
through various "call centers"
located in India, through which
he and his co-conspirators
impersonated FBI and Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) ofcials
and threatened victims with
arrest and nancial penalties
unless they made payments to
avoid purported charges.
Patel and his co-conspirators
also used several layers of wire
transactions in order to conceal
the destination and nature of the
extorted payments, which
totaled at least US $ 1.2 million.
In imposing the sentence here,

US District Judge Alvin

Hellerstein said there was need
to impose a "very serious sentence" to deter others from committing similar crimes.
"The nature of this crime
robbed people of their identities
and their money in a way that
causes people to feel they have
been almost destroyed,"
Hellerstein said.
US Attorney for the Southern
District of New York Preet
Bharara said Patel's elaborate
scheme involved impersonating
law enforcement ofcers and
using intimidation and fear to
bilk over a million dollars from
hundreds of unsuspecting victims.
Assistant Director in Charge
of New York FBI's Field Ofce
Diego Rodriguez said the
"duplicitous" consumer fraud
scheme preyed on the vulnerabilities of victims who were
forced to pay false penalties for
fear of retribution.
"Wreaking havoc on hundreds
of innocent Americans, Patel
and his co-conspirators also
called into question the integrity
of the federal law enforcement
community by falsely portraying
themselves as government ofcials," he said.

Ambassador to the US, it said.

The event is being hosted jointly by
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and
Carnegie Endowment for International
Relations, a top US think-tank.
The day-long conference is likely to be
addressed by some of the key architects of
the civil nuclear deal. Prominent among
them being the then Under Secretary of
State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns,
former Deputy Secretary of State William
Burns, former Indian Ambassador to the
US, Ronen Sen; two former Indian foreign
secretaries, Shyam Saran and Shivshankar
Menon; and former National Security
Advisor Stephen J Hadley.
Assistant Secretary of State for South
and Central Asia, Nisha Desai Biswal,
would also deliver remarks on the occasion. A day later, CII is hosting a major
conference at the Capitol Hill to release a

report titled 'Indian Roots,American Soil'

to highlight the investments and contributions of Indian companies in the US, as
well as the mutually benecial bilateral
trade relationship.
In addition to heads of Indian companies
with large US investment footprints, and
Indian Ambassador of India to the US,
there will also be a high-level CII CEOs
delegation in attendance, led by Chandrajit
Banerjee, Director General, CII and Sumit
Mazumder, president, CII and Chairman
and Managing Director, TIL Limited.
Several top US lawmakers are expected
to attend including the co-chairs of the
Senate India Caucus, Senator John Cornyn
and Senator Mark Warner, as well as
Congressman Ami Bera and Congressman
George Holding, co-chairs of the
Congressional Caucus on India and Indian
Americans.

Indian-Americans raise $ 75,000

for eye hospital in Bihar
Washington,DC: IndianAmericans have raised $ 75,000
at a recent fund raiser in
California to build a state- ofthe-art 200-bed super speciality
eye-hospital in Bihar.
The Shankara Eye Foundation
and the Bihar Foundation USA
have pledged to raise $ 4 million towards the initial capital
cost of the project, that aims to

conduct 25,000 free surgeries

every year.
It would benet more than
one lakh people of Bihar every
year, said Rai Rajiv Kumar
Sinha, vice chairman of Bihar
Foundation of USA.
The foundation held its fund
raiser in the last week of June
in Cupertino Community hall,
San Francisco bay area, a media

release said. The annual function of Bihar Foundation was

attended by eminent BihariAmericans.
Dr Jayant Kumar, project ofcer of the foundation,
announced the $ 75,000 donation on behalf of the project
core committee as the rst
foundational step towards success of the project.

US Muslim groups launch fundraiser to help

rebuild burned black churches
New York: A coalition of Muslim
groups has launched an online
fundraiser to help rebuild predominantly African-American churches damaged in a recent spate of
res across the South.
At least eight churches have suffered re damage since a shooting
on June 17 at Emanuel African
Methodist Episcopal Church in
Charleston, South Carolina, left
nine black parishioners dead.
The church burnings took place

within just 10 days of one another,

and three are being investigated as
possible arson cases.
To many, it is clear that these
are attacks on black culture, black
religion and black lives, the
coalition wrote on the campaigns
LaunchGood page.
Its Ramadan, and we are experiencing rsthand the beauty and
sanctity of our mosques during
this holy month. All houses of
worship are sanctuaries, a place

where all should feel safe, it

added.
The coalition which consists
of U.S. organizations Muslim
Anti-Racism Collaborative and
the Arab American Association of
New York as well as digital startup Ummah Wide has so far
raised over $23,000 in ve days.
After the campaign ends on July
18, the money will be given to
pastors of the burned churches
that need it most, the groups said.

NATIONAL COMMUNITY

July 11-17, 2015

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Indian American gets six years jail for ponzi scheme Job ads on Google sexist, says
Chicago: A US court has sentenced
the former Indian American head of
a Chicago investment firm to six
years in prison for stealing more
than $9 million in a ponzi scheme, a
media report said Tuesday.
"I'm a rotten individual for what I
did to (investors). I'm a rotten individual for what I did to my family,"
Neal Goyal told the US district
court in Chicago last week, asking
the judge to have mercy on his family.
But Judge Matthew Kennelly first
scolded Goyal, 34, for trying to use
his family as a shield for his own
misdeeds at sentencing, Chicago
Tribune reported.
"If you had given one thought one thought - to your family during
those eight years you would not be
standing here now," Kennelly was
quoted as saying.
"It's a little disingenuous to come
up here and tell me not to hurt them.
You're the person who put the hurt
on them, not me." Goyal's Goyal

Neal Goyal

Caldera Investment Group was a

ponzi scheme so brazen that for several years he did not even bother to
place any trades, according to prosecutors.
Most of the money was stolen
from family and friends in the tightknit Hindu community where his
parents, both physicians, had long
been leaders, even founding a River
North community center, the

Indian-American pleads
guilty in sex trafficking case
New York: An Indian-American
motel owner has pleaded guilty to
financially benefiting from a sex
trafficking scheme in the US state
of Louisiana.
Kanubhai Patel, 74, pleaded
guilty for the network that operated out of Riviera Motel in New
Orleans in which multiple adult
women were compelled to
engage in prostitution.
This was announced by Vanita
Gupta, principal deputy assistant
attorney general and head of the
Civil Rights Division, and
Attorney Kenneth Allen Polite Jr.
of the Eastern District of
Louisiana.
"The Department of Justice will
not tolerate those who traffic in
human beings or who benefit
financially from human trafficking," Gupta said in a statement
issued by the US Federal Bureau
of Investigation.
"We will continue in our steadfast determination to bring to justice not only those who use force
and coercion to exploit other
human beings but also those who
knowingly profit from these

depraved acts."
According to evidence presented in court and documents filed,
Patel acknowledged that as the
former owner of the Riviera
Motel, he regularly rented rooms
to people who are charged as sex
trafficking co-conspirators.
The FBI called them pimps
who forced and coerced women
to engage in prostitution.
Patel admitted that although he
never personally recruited,
groomed or coerced any of the
victims, he benefited financially
from the sex trafficking operation.
"This defendant callously profited from a sex trafficking venture that used force, fraud and
coercion to compel women to
engage in commercial sex acts,"
said Attorney Polite.
"These crimes often pass without detection because victims live
in fear from physical abuse,
threats and other forms of coercion. My office is committed to
prosecuting individuals and
organizations that profit from this
illegal conduct."

Tribune said citing prosecutors.

During the eight-year scheme,
prosecutors said Goyal spent more
than $2 million on luxury car leases,
fancy dinners and travel to Hawaii
and Tahiti.
He, his wife and three children
lived in a $1.5-million, five-bedroom Lakeview house overlooking a
park.
Every morning, he drove a top-ofthe-line black Mercedes-Benz to
offices on Michigan Avenue with
floor-to-ceiling views of the
Chicago River and pretended to be a
hedge fund manager, according to
prosecutors and former employees.
Goyal spent $600,000 on his
wife's two upscale baby goods boutiques, as well as a large cash infusion for Tommy Knuckles, his
father-in-law's failed Lincoln Park
tavern, the charges alleged.
He even gave employees a gold
bar as a reward and rented out a
bank vault for an employee
Christmas party, prosecutors said.

Indian American researcher's study

New York: A study by an IndianAmerican at Carnegie Mellon
University shows that lesser number of women, as compared to
men, are shown in online ads
promising high-salary jobs.
"The tool that runs experiments
with simulated user profiles established that the gender discrimination was real," said Anupam Datta,
associate professor of computer
science and of electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie
Mellon University.
The study, published in the proceedings on Privacy Enhancing
Technologies, used the automated
AdFisher tool developed by Datta
to run 21 experiments evaluating
Ad Settings, a web page Google
created to give users some control
over the ads delivered to them.
"We can't look inside the black
box that makes the decisions, but

AdFisher can find changes in preferences and changes in the behavior of its virtual users that cause
changes in the ads users receive,"
said Michael Carl Tschantz,
researcher at the International
Computer Science Institute in
Berkeley, California.
To study the impact of gender,
researchers created 1,000 simulated users - half designated male,
half female - and had them visit
100 top employment sites.
"The male users were shown the
high-paying job ads about 1,800
times, compared to female users
who saw those ads about 300
times," said Amit Datta, an Indianorigin a Ph.D. student in electrical
and computer engineering.
By comparison, the ads most
associated with female profiles
were for a generic job posting service and an auto dealer.

135 benet from IHCNJ health fair

New Jersey: On June 28 a health
screening and disease awareness
and prevention fair was held at
Shree Venkateswara Temple in
Bridgewater, New Jersey. Indian
Health Camp of New Jersey, a nonprofit organization and Balaji
Temple jointly collaborated this
health camp for the 15th consecutive year to benefit people who are
uninsured or underinsured which
was open to all residents in New
Jersey.
Attended by more than 135 participants, the services included during
the health fair were blood test, EKG,
physical examination, dental examination, cancer screening and prevention education for prostate, breast,
cervical, colon-rectal cancer and
oral cancer, eye screening, dietary
counseling and physical therapy
counseling and many other ancillary
medical services. Under the leadership of Dr. Ashok Patel,
Cardiologist, approximately 10
physicians in various specialty areas
of internal medicine, cardiology,
neurology, pulmonary, emergency
medicine, ophthalmology and other
specialties and dentists, dietitians
and physical therapist provided their
service on this day to screen and
educate patients on diabetes, hypertension, cardiac disease, high cho-

Doctors, paramedicals and volunteers rendered

their services for the cause

lesterol, various cancers, oral diseases, dietary and weight management counseling and chronic pain
management. The New Jersey
Commission for the Blind staff provided eye screening for glaucoma,
diabetic retinopathy and cataract to
qualified registered participants on
this day.
The medical personnel from
Robert Wood Johnson University
Hospital, volunteers from SATHI
for stroke and diabetes education,
Rite-Aid pharmacy were among the
booths set up for providing free
counseling and education on chronic

diseases and prevention.

LabCorp of Raritan sponsored the
blood test service on this day as
their continued community support
to IHCNJs efforts of early detection
and prevention of chronic diseases.
IHCNJ will hold their next health
fair on Sunday, September 13, 2015,
from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Durga
Temple in South Brunswick, NJ.
The registration form for this health
fair will be available in Gujarat
Darpan and Tiranga newspaper or
visit organization web site at
www.IHCNJ.org to download
the form.

US AFFAIRS

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Clinton, Bush take potshots over immigration

Washington: As the US presidential race hots up, rival
Democratic and Republican
frontrunners, Hillary Clinton
and Jeb Bush, are taking potshots at each other over immigration, while long shot Bobby
Jindal criticized all as talkers.
The Republicans were on a
spectrum of hostility that was
really regrettable in a nation of
immigrants like America,
Clinton told CNN Tuesday in
her first interview of the 2016
presidential race, but Bush and
real estate mogul Donald
Trump were singled out.
Jindal, the son of immigrants
from India, who identifies himself as only American, also
criticized Trump for his comments about illegal immigrants
from Mexico being killers,
rapists, and drug dealers even
as he stuck to his own hawkish
stand on the issue.
Bush doesnt believe in a
path to citizenship. If he did at
one time, he no longer does,
said the former first lady and
secretary of state, while touring
Iowa, the first state from where
presidential campaigns traditionally begin with party caucuses.

Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush are accusing each other

of flip-flops on immigration

She was very disappointed

in Trump for his comments
about immigrants and the
Republican Party for not condemning his remarks more
quickly, said Clinton.The Bush
campaign asserting that the former Florida governor believes
in a conservative legislative
solution to fix our broken
immigration system in turn
accused Clinton of flip-flopping on immigration.
Hillary Clinton will say anything to get elected and her
numerous flip-flops on immi-

gration prove it, said a campaign spokesperson in a statement.

In her interview, Clinton also
dismissed the suggestion that
the American people have a
problem trusting her.
People should and do trust
me, she said, blaming the
barrage of attacks that are
largely fomented by and coming from the right for fuelling
such a perception.Meanwhile,
Louisiana Governor Jindal said
Tuesday he disagreed with
Trumps comments about ille-

gal immigrants from Mexico.

I disagree with the comments. I see people as individuals, not members of ethnic or
economic groups, he told
local NH1 newspaper in New
Hampshire on a three-day
swing through the first primary
state.
But what I believe is that we
do need to secure the border,
said Jindal. Secondly, folks
that want to come here should
come legally, to learn English,
to learn our values, to roll up
their sleeves and get to work.
Jindal also took a shot at his
rivals calling them a bunch of
talkers. I think we have a lot
of talkers running. I think we
need a doer, not a talker.
We have a talker in the
White House, it hasnt gone
very well, he said of
Democratic President Barack
Obama.
The Washington Post reported that Jindals super PAC, a
kind of independent political
action committee that can raise
unlimited funds so long as it
does not contribute directly to a
candidate, is about to lay down
$706,210 for three more weeks
of Iowa TV.

July 11-17, 2015

Bernie Sanders finds

some traction
Washington: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is continuing to draw massive crowds on the campaign
trail, leading him to strike a triumphant tone on the
stump. But if history is any guide, he
will have difficulty
sustaining
his
momentum, owing
to
difficulty
expanding his message to less-liberal
Democratic voters.
Hillary Clintons
campaign is worFacing the bulldozer
ried
about
named Hillary Clinton,
Sanders, whom a Vermont Senator Bernie
top Clinton aide
Sanders is the only
Democrat presidential
described as a
hopeful who is getting
serious force in
some attention
the 2016 battle.
We are worried
about him, sure. He will be a serious force for the
campaign, and I dont think that will diminish,
Clinton Communications Director Jennifer
Palmieri said Monday.
While he's still more than 40 percentage points
behind Clinton in virtually all national polls, he's
greatly improved his stock in the early primary
states.
A new Quinnipiac University poll released last
week found he doubled his share of Democratic
supporters in Iowa in just seven weeks. Some polls
in New Hampshire show Sanders less than 10
points behind Clinton.

Donald trumps other GOP candidates, grabs headlines

Washington: With his inflammatory antiimmigrant comments the real estate mogul
Donald Trump is hogging the limelight in the
presidential race for 2016.
In his presidential announcement speech on
June 16, he had said that Mexico is purposely
sending drugs delaers, criminals and rapists.
In his subsequent comments on the subject, he
refused to climb back, fuelling a storm. While
fellow GOP candidates Jeb Bush and Marco
Rubio did condemned the remarks, a handful
of Republican hopefuls Rick Santorum, Ted
Cruz, and Ben Carson - have defended (even
applauded) the billionaire, in what might be
attempts to appeal to conservatives opposed to
immigration reform.
And when ESPN and NASCAR among
others - cut ties with Trump over his controversial remarks, he reacted "On The Record"
Tuesday. "It's unbelievable," he told Greta Van
Susteren. "One was a banquet and one was a
golf outing ... The whole thing is crazy."
"Why are they coming at me? Because I'm
against illegal immigration," Trump stated. "I
speak up for the country ... I'm totally opposed
to it ... Frankly, people have given me great

Real Estate billionaire Donald Trump

credit for talking about it. I brought a subject

to light."
The 2016 GOP presidential candidate said
businesses have bailed on him because "they
want to be politically correct."
Van Susteren asked Trump if he will drop
out of the race because of the backlash he has
received.
"I want to make America great again, that's
more important to me than my company,"
Trump stated. "We will never be great if we
keep going like this, we will never be great
again as a country."

Army plans to cut 40,000 troops

Washington: The US Army plans to cut
40,000 soldiers from its ranks over the next
two years, a reduction that will affect all its
domestic and foreign posts, USA Today
reported Tuesday.
An additional 17,000 Army civilian employees would also be laid off under the plan, officials intend to announce this week.
Under the plan, the Army would have
450,000 soldiers by the end of the 2017 budget
year. The reduction in troops and civilians is
due to budget constraints, the Army asserts in

a document. Some of the cuts were expected.

During the peak of fighting in Iraq and
Afghanistan, the Army swelled to about
570,000 soldiers to ensure that deployments
could be limited to one year. After most troops
came home from those wars, the Army
planned to shrink. The Army declined to comment on the proposed reductions in its forces.
If the automatic budget cuts known as sequestration, set to begin in October, take place, the
Army would have to slash another 30,000 soldiers, according to the document.

Corporate Office: 385 Seneca Avenue, Ridgewood NY 11385

718.821.3182, www.AtlanticDialysis.com

10

OP ED

July 11-17, 2015

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

THE 2016 RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE

MOVES INTO HIGH GEAR

By B. Ramesh Babu

Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich by
promising to protect each from the
other.
-Oscar Amringer
ow do you distinguish
elections in India and
America? was the most
frequent question my students
across the US asked over the
decades. I responded by saying:
In India the candidates stand for
election. In the US they run for
office. In an American election,
if you merely stand, you stand no
chance! However, if you run very
hard, you may be the lucky one.
Invariably the pace is the
essence of the race. Often a candidates body language and style
seem to matter more than substance and the policy alternatives
in contention. On this score the
presidential election of 2016 may
turn out to be quite different.
While it is too early in the race to
predict, Hillary Clinton and Jeb
Bush may finally emerge on the
top. They symbolize two different
and contending legacies on the
role of government in the life of
the nation.
Four latest rulings of the
Supreme Court (legalizing gay
marriages, upholding the
Affordable Care Act a second
time, banning the Confederate
flag, and declaring indirect racial
discrimination in housing as illegal) in effect moved the mainstream of national politics further
to the left. These key decisions
once again demonstrated that the
Supreme Court moves in step with
the popular will sooner or later.
However, the new political/ideological dispensation may pose an
extra challenge to the Republican
side, which is already overcrowded with unprecedented number of
declared and undeclared candidates of different degrees of credibility. Much will depend on who
makes least errors, who takes the
lead in the early State primaries
and caucuses, the major challenges facing the nation at home
and abroad between now and
July/August next year, and how
the leading contenders offer to
deal with them.
The race to the presidency in the
US essentially goes through three
stages: primaries and conventions
of the two parties in the various
States, their national conventions;
and the national elections. Then,
there is a peculiar American twist,
which stipulates that the winning

The field of declared presidential candidates for 2016 includes

(top row) Hillary Clinton (D), Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Martin
O'Malley (D), (middle row) Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, Bernie
Sanders (D), George Pataki, (bottom row) Ben Carson, Carly
Fiorina, Mike Huckabee and Lindsey Graham.

candidate must get at least 270

seats in the Electoral College, an
archaic but a constitutionally
mandated intermediary institution.
Usually the candidates that poll a
clear majority of the popular vote
also win in the Electoral College.
But, there have been a few cases
to the contrary and the outcome of
a recent election ended in the lap
of the Supreme Court.
Crucial Issues
The sluggish economy and foreign policy reversals in the
Middle East and elsewhere are the
obvious perennials. Future of
Obamacare and same sex marriage is now settled by the
Supreme Court. Racism, gun control, undocumented immigrants
are the top electoral issues now.
Many instances of police killing
unarmed young blacks and the
hate murder of innocent blacks
in a church in Charleston, South
Carolina, by a white youth triggered a new wave of black civil
rights activism across the nation.
Climate change and poverty are
among the other major electoral
issues. Pope Franciss encyclical
envisioning science and faith as
partners in a communal quest to
protect the vulnerable from the
rampant profit motive and
exploitation of the Earth is an epic
challenge to some American values. The NSAs spying scam and
the cyber hacking of the
Department of Personnel and
Managements data on the federal
government employees transformed the issues of citizens
rights and nations security into
urgent challenges confronting the
nation today.
It will be interesting to see how

the candidates supported by powerful rightwing religious groups

will meet the new challenge. How
far the liberals will go against the
entrenched capitalist credo will
also be worthy to watch. As the
election gathers momentum how
the complex mix of issues and
personalities mesh and sour is
anybodys guess. And that is what
is most fascinating about
American elections, which seem
like fast paced chaos to outside
observers like me. Fortunately,
they seem to somehow work!
Contestants and Aspirants
The 2016 campaign for the presidency is called an open race
because the sitting President is not
in the contest. On the Democratic
side Hillary is leading by a mile.
Senator
Bernie
Sanders
(Independent form Vermont), the
brave and well known socialist, is
gaining traction with the passage
of time. The other credible contender is the former Governor of
Maryland O Malley, who is canvassing on a more populist plank
than his established reputation.
Both of them are positioning
themselves to the left of Hillary
Clinton, which in effect could
make her the more acceptable to
the majority of the Democratic
Party.
On the Republican side the
scene is overcrowded and confused. The latest count shows that
16 candidates are in the race. But,
soon many of them will fade
away. Ideologically they range all
the way from the extreme
rightwing to the more moderate
position of the party. Former
Governor Jeb Bush of Florida, son
and brother of two former

Presidents, carries the most familiar family name. Consequently, he

leads the pack, though his position
as of now is not as strong as that
of Hillary on the other side.
Among the more credible GOP
candidates are: Senators Marco
Rubio (Florida) and Ted Cruz
(Texas); Governors Chris Christie
(New Jersey), Scott Walker
(Wisconsin), John R. Kasich
(Ohio), and Piyush Bobby Jindal
(Louisiana). Donald Trump from
New York City is adding color to
the contest.
For the first time in American
history, income inequality or the
widening gap between the top and
the bottom of the society has
emerged as an electoral issue. As
a long time observer of the
American scene, I recall the eloquent words of the former Sen.
John Edwards in 2004. He spoke
about the two different
Americas in the country: the first
consisting of those who lived the
American Dream and the second
inhabited by those who struggle to
make ends meet every single day.
Now almost all candidates are
constrained to refer to the widening gap between the two Americas
and the need to bridge it. To be
dubbed a liberal is no more a
political or an electoral handicap!
Hillary Clinton is running on an
economic agenda that is most
likely to run on a more liberal and
populist plank than that of
Edwards as the campaign moves
into high gear. Even Jeb Bush
agrees that the opportunity gap is
the defining issue of our time. He
avers that the American dream
has become a mirage for far too
many and that many Americans
see only a small portion of the
population riding the up escalator
of the national economy.
Liberals as well as the conservatives agree on the primacy of the
contemporary challenge confronting the nation. However, the
differences on how to deal with it
and what is the proper role of the
Government in the country are as
wide as ever and run along predictable legacies of the two parties. Hillary declared that the
nations economy should work for
all and not just for the most privileged. Her declared goals are in
tune with the liberal policies of
President Obama. She envisages a
leading role for the government in
achieving them. She had no hesitation in characterizing the hate
killings in the Charleston church
as an act of racist terrorism. By
way of contrast most of the
Republican leaders stumbled and
mumbled in response.

Jeb Bush saw no reason why

we cant achieve 4 % growth.
But when asked how it could be
achieved, he mentioned paring
away regulations, reforming the
tax code, developing more traditional energy sources, tackling fiscal structural problems, and training to produce more skilled work
force, and so on.
All the GOP candidates are long
on the rhetoric in condemning the
nations economy to be in shambles. They are equally vigorous in
rubbishing President Obama on
the foreign policy front, especially
in the Middle East. However,
none of them has come up with
any coherent and meaningful
alternative set of policies on the
economic front or foreign policy.
Narrow partisan conflict between
the Congress and the President
reached the highest levels during
the last six years. On the whole, I
will blame the right wing
Republican leadership more than
the President on this score. Issues
of racism, gun control, and immigration that have come to the fore
during the recent years are testament to the narrow minded partisanship of the GOP leadership,
which did not and could not reconcile to Obamas victory in 2008
and more so to his re-election in
2012.
July 4 Reflections
From the 1890s the US has been
going through a 30-year cycle of
leftward lurch followed by conservative
consolidation.
Progressive Era of the 1890s, the
New Deal, the Great Society and
the Civil Rights movement of the
1960s, etc. should be seen in that
light. Unless the GOPs leadership
accepts the current leftward lurch
of millennialism gracefully and
focuses attention on the economy
and national security, the party has
not much of a chance in the presidential race of 2016. Otherwise
Hillarys victory will mark another great breakthrough the gender
barrierto the White House in
the history of the nation!
If I were an American citizen, I
would vote for her because she is
in swing with the liberal thrust in
the thirty year cycle of the
nations history. God bless
America!
Prof. Ramesh Babu, a specialist
in International Relations and
American Politics, studied in
depth key presidential election
since 1948. Currently, he is the
Scholar in Residence, Foundation
for Democratic Reforms, a think
tank and advocacy group based in
Hyderabad, India.

INDIA

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

July 11-17, 2015

11

Apex Court hands over Vyapam probe to CBI

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has handed over to the CBI the investigation into
the criminal cases related to the Vyapam
scam and over 40 deaths linked to it. The
CBI will start its probe from Monday.
The apex court bench headed by Chief
Justice H.L. Dattu handed over the probe
to the Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI) after Attorney General Mukul
Rohatgi told the court that he has instructions by the Madhya Pradesh government
on handing over the probe to the CBI.
In its order, the court said: "The AG on
instructions says that the state of Madhya
Pradesh has no objection whatsoever for
transferring investigation into criminal
cases related to Vyapam scam to the CBI
and also the cases related to the deaths of
the persons...for fair and impartial investigation."
"We appreciate the stand for the attorney
general", the court said and added: "In
view of the above, we transfer investigation of criminal cases relating to Vyapam
scam and the deaths to the CBI from

The scam came to light in Madhya Pradesh in 2013. So far, nearly 2,100 arrests
have been made in connection with the scam.

Monday."
Meanwhile, death of one more person

'Rajasthan forwarded Lalit Modi's

name for Padma award'
Jaipur: In a new expose, a
from the state for the coveted
media report said that the
Padma awards.
Rajasthan State Sports
Raje, along with External
Council, a state government
Afffairs Minister, has been in
body, had forwarded the name
the midst of a raging controof controversial former IPL
versey for having testified in
commissioner Lalit Modi for a
favour of Modi's British
Padma award during Chief
immigration application in
Minister Vasundhara Raje's
2011.
previous tenure in office.
Ater this revelation, there
In a letter to principal secrehas been pressure on Raje to
tary (Youth Affairs and Sports
quit following charges of
in July 2007 the council said:
"financial dealings" with
Chief Minister
"We are forwarding docuModi.
Vasundhara Raje.
ments of Lalit Modi for the
The opposition Congress
Padma award for necessary
demanded Raje's resignation
action," the Dainik Bhaskar reported on its citing an election affidavit of 2014 in
website.
which she had mentioned holding shares in
The documents forwarded were a profile company owned by her son Dushyant
of Modi, who was the then president of the Singh, alongside Lalit Modi.
Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA), and
After few days Congress claimed there
details of his businesses.
was a "criminal nexus" between Raje and
Raje was the chief minister from 2003 to Modi by producing fresh documents in
2008 and it is during this time that the state support of its claim that the Dholpur
government is said to have requested Modi Palace, which has been converted into a
to forward his profile for the coveted private heritage hotel, was a state-owned
award. The Rajasthan State Sports Council property. The BJP has refuted the charge as
recommends the names of sportspersons "baseless".

Sonia invites Opposition leaders

for Iftar dinner
New Delhi: In an attempt to show a message of opposition unity, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has invited leaders
from all non-BJP aligned parties for an
Iftar dinner.
According to reports, Gandhi has invited
leaders from the Trinamool Congress
(TMC), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and
Samajwadi Party (SP), along with those

allies Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)

and National Conference (NC)
The Congress plans to go on the offensive against the BJP in the upcoming
Monsoon Session of the Parliament over
the Lalitgate issue, involving External
Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara
Raje, as well as over the Vyapam scam.

connected with Vyapam scam came to light

as the Special Task Force probing the scam

presented the death certificate of one of the

accused-turned-witness to a court here.
Sanjay Yadav of Balia district in Uttar
Pradesh was accused of getting three people from Hamirpur fraudulently recruited
as constables in 2013 through Vyapam
exam. He later turned an approver in the
case.
The Special Task Force (STF) court here
was told that Yadav died two months ago
in a private hospital in Bhopal after prolonged illness, and his death certificate was
presented to the court.
Vyapam (Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal) or
Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination
Board conducts recruitment and entrance
exams not conducted by the MP Public
Service Commission. The scam came to
light in 2013. So far, nearly 2,100 arrests
have been made in connection with the
scam.
According to officials, there have been
33 deaths of those involved in the Vyapam
scam. Unofficial sources, however, put the
number of deaths at over 40.

Referendum on Delhi statehood not

unconstitutional: AAP

Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal.

New Delhi: A referendum on full statehood for Delhi was not unconstitutional
and the BJP and the Congress had also
asked for the same in the past, AAP leader
Dilip Pandey said.
Addressing a press conference here, the
Aam Aadmi Party leader said the demand
for full statehood to Delhi was the first
pro-people issue before the central government and hoped that Prime Minister
Narendra Modi accepts it.
"Full statehood to Delhi is a very important issue and necessary for the proper
development of the national capital. It is
an issue concerning the people of Delhi,
and so it is necessary to get their opinion
on this matter," he said.
Pandey also hinted that the government
may seek help from the Election
Commission for conducting a referendum
on the statehood issue.
"The government is mulling all possible
ways to conduct a referendum. The gov-

ernment may approach the Election

Commission for a referendum."
Pandey said the current discussion on
full statehood for the capital was not an
AAP initiative but had been raised earlier
by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the
Congress.
He said that in 2013, the BJP in its vision
document released before the Delhi
assembly election had talked about full
statehood.
"When the BJP started feeling they were
heading towards defeat, they deflected
from the issue of full statehood," Pandey
said.
"In 2003, veteran BJP leader L.K.
Advani had tabled a bill in parliament in
this connection which was then sent to the
standing committee."
Taking a dig at Prime Minister Modi,
Pandey said that while the AAP had fulfilled its promises, the BJP leader now
talks of "jan dhan (public money)" instead
of his earlier talk of "kala dhan" (black
money).
He said the Congress had also advocated
full statehood for Delhi.
"On December 21, 2013, former chief
minister Sheila Dikshit had raised the
demand of full statehood to the national
capital. Similarly on January 23, 2015, the
Congress again asked for full statehood to
Delhi and included this in its election manifesto."
"Why is the Congress now opposing the
move?" he asked.
Congress leader Ajay Maken had on
Monday termed Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal's idea of conducting a referendum on statehood as "unconstitutional and
a dangerous ploy with grave fallout".
In a cabinet meeting last week, Kejriwal
stressed that the priority of the urban
development department of the city government should be on gaining statehood
for the national capital.

12

INDIA

July 11-17, 2015

Modi-Sharif bilateral meeting in

Russia on Friday
Ufa (Russia): Indian
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi were to hold a
bilateral meeting with
his Pakistani counterpart
Nawaz Sharif on July 10
- in a much anticipated
meeting that could likely
set off an improvement
in bilateral ties.
"It is confirmed. PM
@narendramodi and PM
Nawaz Sharif will have a
bilateral meeting in Ufa
tomorrow at 9.15 am on
sidelines
of
SCO
Summit," Indian external
affairs
ministry
spokesman
Vikas
Bilateral relations are expected to figure in the talks
Swarup tweeted.
between the two countries.
The confirmation puts
to rest speculation of a
ment in ties between the two rivals, both
possible meeting between the two leaders nuclear powers.
on the sidelines of the Shanghai
But continuing firings on the border,
Cooperation Organization summit.
which claimed the lives of security perThe meeting comes days after Modi sonnel, and the Pakistani envoy hobnobtelephoned Sharif on June 16 to convey bing with Kashmiri separatists last
Ramadan greetings and stressed on the August saw India calling off foreign secneed for peaceful and bilateral ties.
retary-level talks at the last moment.
Bilateral relations are expected to figure
Ties saw a downswing after that, and
in the talks between the two countries and Pakistan's raising the Kashmir issue at
possibly some agreements inked, includ- international forums did not help matters.
ing to boost trade.
The release of 26/11 mastermind
Modi and Sharif had met in November Zakiur-Rehman Lakhvi, despite India
last year during the SAARC Summit in voicing concerns, also added to India's
Kathmandu, but they did not hold any concerns.
bilateral meeting.
Friday's meeting is likely to see terrorThe two had held a bilateral meeting on ism being discussed, especially India's
May 26 last year during the swearing-in concern over the release of Lakhvi by a
of Modi. The two had exchanged gifts, court in Pakistan.
the sari-shawl diplomacy, and tweets,
Both India and Pakistan are to be made
which had given rise to hope of improve- permanent members of the SCO.

Kalyan Singh seeks change

in national anthem
By Prakash Bhandari
Jaipur: Rajasthan governor Kalyan Singh is seeking a
change in the national anthem penned by Gurudev
Rabindranath Tagore.
While delivering the keynote address during the 26th
convocation as the Chancellor of the University of
Rajasthan this week, he suggested that the term
"Adhinayak" in the national anthem should be replaced
by "Mangal". He said when the Nobel laureate Tagore
had penned the lines, the country was under the British
rule and so he chose to praise the "Adhinayak" (ruler).
He suggested that the related line should be replaced
by "Jan gan mangal gayein.
"To replace the word "Adhinayak" with "Mangal" is
the need of the time," he said.
He also objected to the use of the prefix
"Mahamahim" in Hindi for the governor or the use of
the word His Excellency.
He said the word "Manya" be used for the governor as
the governor is never "mahaan" (great). The governor
attracted attention when he questioned the Mughal
emperor Akbar referred to as "Mahaan" in text books.
He said the Rajput ruler Maharana Pratap should be
called Mahaan (great) for his valor and sacrifice.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Modi proposes annual

BRICS trade fair

Prime Minister Narendra Modi being received by the Russian President

Vladimir Putin for the BRICS Summit in Ufa.

Ufa (Russia): Prime Minister Narendra

Modi has proposed the BRICS nations
host an annual trade fair, adding ed that
India would be happy to host the first such
event of the five-nation bloc.
"I will propose an annual BRICS trade
fair. India will be happy to host the first
BRICS trade fair," Modi said in his
remarks at the BRICS Business Council
meeting at the seventh BRICS Summit.
Modi said that economic cooperation
among the five countries of Brazil,
Russia, India, China and South Africa is
very important and would give a boost to
manufacturing.
Modi spoke in Hindi and stressed the
five nations should create synergies seeing
each other's advantages.
He said cooperation would also give a
boost to skill development.
He said the BRICS New Development
Bank has become a reality and has an
Indian as its head in M.V. Kamath.
He proposed cross-BRICS collaboration

and said the $100 billion BRICS

Contingency Reserve Arrangement would
help calm the economies.
He said customs arrangement among the
BRICS nations would be a major step in
boosting trade.
The five BRICS countries represent
almost three billion people, or approximately 40 percent of the world population
and have a combined GDP of $16.039 trillion, or 20 percent of the gross world
product.
Russia's Bashkortostan is hosting the
seventh BRICS summit and the 15th
Shanghai Cooperation Organization
(SCO) summit in capital Ufa where
around 10,000 visitors are expected during the two back-to-back summits.
The BRICS summit is set to formalize
the $100 billion BRICS New
Development Bank and a currency reserve
pool worth another $100 billion.
Russia assumed the BRICS rotating
leadership in April 2015.

Modi meets Iranian President Rouhani

Ufa (Russia): Prime Minister Narendra
Modi met Iranian President Hassan
Rouhani in their first meeting amid
hopes of an international deal on
Tehran's nuclear program being hammered out that would raise India's
imports of Iranian oil.
Modi, who met with Russian
President Vladimir Putin and Chinese
President Xi Jinping, held his first bilateral meet with Rouhani on the sidelines
of the BRICS and SCO summits.
"Advancing a significant partnership.
PM @narendramodi meets President
@HassanRouhani on sidelines of
BRICS/SCO Summits," tweeted external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas
Swarup.
India had majorly dropped its crude
imports from Iran under US pressure to
limit its purchases of oil from the Islamic
republic over Iran's nuclear programme.
However, India's oil imports from Iran
began from May amid promise of a
nuclear deal being arrived at between Iran
and the five permanent members of the
UN Security Council and Germany.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani

India, the world's fourth biggest oil consumer and among the top importers of
Iranian oil, shipped in 367,900 barrels per
day (bpd) of Iranian crude in May, up 39
percent over April, according to media
reports.Essar Oil, Mangalore Refinery
and Petrochemicals Ltd., and Indian Oil
Corp. are the Indian refiners that buy oil
from Iran.
The Modi-Rouhani meeting comes as
India is moving fast ahead with developing the strategic Iranian port of Chabahar,

seen by India as offering an alternative

route to landlocked Afghanistan and
beyond to resource-rich Central Asia.
The Chabahar port on the Gulf of
Oman is 72 km from Pakistan's Chineseconstructed port of Gwadar. It has the
capacity to handle 2.5 million tonnes a
year, which Iran would like to increase
to 12.5 million tonnes.
Modi in his talks in Uzbekistan and
Kazakhstan has proposed linking the
Chabahar port with the International
North-South Transport Corridor that
proposes to link up Mumbai with St
Petersburg in Russia.
Earlier in the day, Modi also interacted with Indian CEOs and Finance
Minister Arun Jaitley.
"BRICS for Business. Indian CEOs
interact with PM @narendramodi and FM
@arunjaitley first thing in the morning,"
the MEA spokesperson said.
Modi is in Ufa to attend the seventh
BRICS summit and the 15th SCO summit. India is set to be made permanent
member of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation.

FIRST PERSON

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

July 11-17, 2015

13

On becoming an American citizen

Is it a curse to be an Indian citizen? a friend commented, triggering a train of thought.
wo days before July the 4th I took the
oath of citizenship, and accepted the
inevitable collateral damage of having
to renounce my Indian citizenship. My
Facebook posting about the ceremony in a
courthouse in Central Islip, NY - which my
son described as tedium, but which marked a
big, symbolic transition in my life - received
the standard congratulatory messages.
Except one. What is there to congratulate
for becoming a citizen of USA? Is it a curse
to be an Indian citizen? Is paradise guaranteed when you throw away your Indian passport? wrote an irate Binoo John, a journalist
friend in Delhi.
Well, I think most immigrants do get a
twinge of doubt, some even face a heartwrenching dilemma -- first when leaving
ones motherland and eventually when
deciding to settle down for good in the
adopted country.
My immigration story is a bit topsy-turvy
and I have my reasons for consciously and
patiently working towards becoming a naturalized citizen of America.
First, in my twenties, when life in India
was a bit desultory, I started a Quit India
movement of my own and managed to get
away to Australia. A year there but failed to
find a firm footing.

First Person
By Parveen Chopra

No matter the new piece of paper

in my hand, I will remain an
Indian at heart.

Back home, I managed to advance in my

journalistic career, even pioneered the genre
of a body-mind-spirit magazine. Got married, bought a house, begot a child. Life was
set, or so it seemed. Meanwhile, middle class
life in the country was becoming cushier and
Indias image was improving. The thought of
going abroad never crossed the mind.
Then, circumstances conspired to make me
walk out of the magazine I had founded and
nurtured with my blood and sweat. Got a
well-paid job only to be laid off a year later.
Destiny had other plans.
Out of the blue I got a job offer from New
York, passed on by a friend. Soon after landing here, I asked my wife and 9-year-old son
to pack up and join me. It seemed to be a
foolhardy decision then, as the wife faced
taunts from her near and dear ones of Chala
Murari hero ban-ne.
Learning the ropes of making a life here
that too in the aftermath of the crash of 2008
- we realized that you feel secure enough to
put down roots in America only after you get
a green card. But it takes years to get a green
card, isnt it? Luckily, a kind colleague suggested applying for permanent residency in
the EB1 category. It has no wait time, albeit
meant for Olympians and Nobel laureates
and the like! Looking at my portfolio of

accomplishments, my lawyer said, You

stand a chance. One-in-a-million chance!
Wifey said well take it. Four months of finger-crossing, and the green card came in the
mail - no fuss, no questions asked.
After the green card, citizenship is, of
course, a matter of time. You still weigh in
the pros and cons of what is almost an irreversible step. More a predicament for us
Indians because New Delhi does not accept
dual citizenship.
So why did I take the step? India is booming. Even many Indians settled here are
moving back to the new land of opportunity.
One reason I can readily give is that after
having lived in a comparatively cool and
calm Long Island when I visit DelhiGurgaon, I find the place hot, overcrowded
and oppressive. Securing the everyday
necessities like bijli-paani even today can
cause enough sturm und drang to make you
squirm. Our only son, now ready to go to
college, in particular, does not want to look
back.
Yet, no matter the new piece of paper in
my hand, I will remain an Indian American. I
will always carry and cherish and disseminate knowledge about the glory and richness
of Indias culture and heritage and
spirituality.

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

14

OP-ED

July 11-17, 2015

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

No easy choice for European leaders for Greece

By Amit Kapoor
he Greek referendum that
was announced on June 26
by Prime Minister Alexis
Tsipras has taken Europe by
storm. The No side has clearly
emerged the winner with a 61
percent vote. It is now clear that
a majority of Greeks do not seem
to agree with the conditions and
plans for more austerity of the
'troika' of International Monetary
Fund, The European Central
Bank, and The European
Commission.
Four mock polls done before
Sunday had also predicted this
result with 'OXI' meaning 'No'
winning by a small margin.
Pandemonium has ensued after
the results were declared earlier
in the day with the Leader of
Opposition and finance minister
Yanis Varoufakis resigning. The
markets have responded, taking a
beating in China and Europe
amid fears of 'Grexit'. Greece has
had a long historical record of
financial profligacy. A brief historical antecedent is helpful in
understanding how Greece got
here. In 1992 for entering the
euro zone, Greece along with
other several initial eurozone

The fate of Greece critically depends at present on the 18

democratically-elected leaders and institutions of the eurozone.

members, signed the Maastricht

Treaty. A key point was the creation of a single currency the
euro. For this, agreements were
also made for convergence in
economic policies of its members. The criteria primarily
included a reduction in debt to
GDP ratios to 60 percent of the
GDP, deficits to reach close to 3
percent and inflation to be no
higher that the lowest three inflation members. These criteria led
Greece to control and reduce its

inflation, to little more than the

euro area in 2000. Similarly,
deficits were reduced. Greece's
debt to GDP ratios remained
higher than 60 percent, but that
did not prevent Greece from
introducing the Euro in January
2002. Post-its introduction, borrowing costs plummeted as the
euro was perceived to be a stable
currency and investors saw the
yield on Greek bonds almost
converging with extremely creditworthy countries like Germany.

It resulted in a spike in investment and GDP growth rates went

up.
In 2008, post the global financial crisis, Greek growth faltered
and this was accentuated by the
2009 announcement by the new
government that the deficit levels
were not 6 percent but a much
higher 12.6 percent. All this
resulted in a recession, with GDP
falling dramatically since 2009.
All this was followed by bailouts
and 'rescue packages' by the troika that largely went to the creditor banks abroad rather than
Greek people.
The result has thus been sustained economic misery (GDP
down by 25 percent, an unemployment rate of 25 percent and
youth unemployment of 50 percent). It has been brought to the
present state of turmoil where
capital controls are put (essentially meaning restrictions in taking out more that euro 60 a day
from ATMs).
With the recent referendum, the
ball is now in Eurozone members and creditors court.
Immediate measures seem to be
talks and negotiations between
German Chancellor Angela
Merkel and her French counter-

part Francois Hollande. Both

have agreed to meet in Paris to
map out a future course of action
in Greece. The fate of Greece
critically depends at present on
the 18 democratically-elected
leaders and institutions of the
eurozone. A likely Grexit is
quite possible now according to
various analysts that could also
potentially lead to more troubles
for the Greeks who will probably
have to go ahead with the earlier
currency 'drachma'. The risks of
contagion though low, remain.
However, things will become
clearer once the emergency eurozone summit announced by
European Union President
Donald Tusk takes place on
Tuesday. The geopolitical and
security implications of the
recent events could include talks
of Greece with China and Russia,
two countries that are eager for
increasing their strategic influence within and near Europe.
Going ahead, it is left to the 18
leaders to decide what path they
want to pursue. Do they set a
precedent of negotiating and
restructuring debts as Pikkety
suggests or do they call for a
'Grexit'? Either way the choice is
not an easy one to make.

Modi's positives should not be swamped by negatives

By Amulya Ganguli

o, even as the economy is certified

by the Reserve Bank governor to be
on the mend, and Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has promised to take the
country into a digital age with more e-governance, it is the daily stumbles of ministers and mandarins that are attracting
greater attention.
While these missteps may be difficult to
prevent, given the casual manner in which
rules tend to be flouted by the rich and
powerful, a prompt and decisive intervention from the highest levels will be an
effective counter to the impression that the
government is being overwhelmed by various problems.
The prime minister's decision to step into
the rumpus caused by the deplaning of passengers in Leh, Ladakh, to accommodate
VIPs is a sign that the norms are being
tightened.
But there has to be more such steps at a
time when the various controversies range
from la'affaire Lalit Modi to the mysterious
deaths of the accused and witnesses associated with a scam in Madhya Pradesh to the
holding up of an international flight so that
a member of a chief minister's staff can
fetch his passport from home or the nonsubmission of e-tenders (even as e-governance is being hailed) by a Maharashtra
minister for the purchase of fire extinguishers. Collectively, the drip-drip of allega-

Arguably, by the time the economy picks up and the daily gaffes are
curbed, the next general election will not be far away.

tions can erode the government's image. It

will not be until the economy reaches a
high plateau of an 8-9 percent growth rate,
or the prime minister's fabled penchant for
enforcing discipline begins to visibly bear
fruit on more than one occasion, that the
government will be able to breathe easily.
Arguably, by the time the economy picks
up and the daily gaffes are curbed, the next
general election will not be far away. In the
meantime, the state elections in Bihar,
Assam, West Bengal and elsewhere, apart

from the various by-elections, may not

always yield results in the BJP's favour,
thereby denting its confidence.
Since the run-up to a general election is
not the time to take what may be unpopular
decisions, whatever the government has to
do on the economic front has to be done
now. If any "bitter medicine" is to be
administered, as the prime minister said
right at the beginning of his tenure, this is
the time for it to be given.
But as long as the government continues

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

to grapple with the various controversies,

any movement even on ushering in governance via mobile phones, as Modi promised, or ensuring Swachh Bharat, let alone
on the economy, will be tentative.
What the fate of the Congress in the last
general election has shown is that the government must always be proactive about its
plus points. Otherwise, an accumulation of
negative impressions can be fatal.
As is known, the poverty reduction under
the Manmohan Singh government was the
fastest in the country's history. This was
stated by none other than the present government's chief economic adviser, Arvind
Subramanian. Notwithstanding this
remarkable achievement, the Congress
crashed to its worst defeat in its history
simply because the many scams, big and
small, undermined the party's and the government's credibility.
If the Modi government wants to avoid a
similar outcome, it will have to match its
performance with promise. And the promise is not only the one on economic growth
but also on transparency in official functioning based on trust and credibility.
However, trust cannot be gained by
rejecting a Right to Information (RTI)
application seeking details on the former
cricket impresario, Lalit Modi's passport.
Nor can it be enhanced if a minister of state
in the external affairs ministry accuses
those seeking such information as conducting a "supari" (contract) operation.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

TRISTATE COMMUNITY

July 11-17, 2015

15

Bhavans Nartanrang Dance Academy hosts Annual Showcase

Swati Vaishnav (in pink dress), Nartanrangs Artistic Director, with the dancers and others.

The show was a tribute to evergreen Bollywood

dancing divas Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi.

New York: The Nartanrang Dance Academy of

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan hosted its annual
showcase on June 27 at the Hindu Temple
Auditorium in Flushing here. Titled Nritya
Ranjani 2015: AAJA NACHLE!, the show was
a tribute to evergreen Bollywood dancing
queens Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi. The students, from the age of 3-1/2 years old to 50
years old, skillfully and enthusiastically performed to the two divas greatest hits, including
such instrumental pieces as The Dance of
Envy and Tandav.
One of the shows highlights was a studentchoreographed Kathak-Bharatanatyam jugalbandi piece, which was originally performed at
Lincoln Center for the Art of Living organization at the 1st International Yoga Day on June
21.
The year-end show of the Nartanrang Dance
Academy always chooses themes in which to
display an impressive range of genre and skill,
inclusive of semi-classical, folk, Bollywood,
fusion, and contemporary styles of dance. The
students worked diligently under the tutelage of
Artistic Director Swati Vaishnav during the 9
month semester to continue the journey of mastering their craft, and it showed on Jun 27.
Emcee Shivang Vaishnav kept an upbeat and
interactive dialogue throughout the medley-format show.
For more information on classes, schedules,
and events, please contact Swati Vaishnav at
vaishnavswati7@gmail.com.

16

ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD

July 11-17, 2015

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Shahid hitched in low-key 'Vivah' with Delhi girl

ctor Shahid Kapoor and
Delhi girl Mira Rajput
tied the knot this week in
a low-key ceremony at a farmhouse in New Delhi after months
of speculation surrounding their
nuptials. The wedding ceremony
was attended only by close relatives and friends, and a grand
celebration is yet to happen in
Mumbai.
The 34-year-old star, son of
veteran actor Pankaj Kapur and
his former wife Neelima Azim,
married 21-year-old Mira,
according to the traditions of the
Radha Soami sect, a philosophical organisation based on the
spiritual teachings of all religions. Both the families are followers of the group.
Mira, whose is said to have
first met the Haider star at a
'satsang' of the group, pursued a
bachelor's degree in English
from Delhi University's Lady
Shri Ram College.
The much-guarded wedding
was attended by around 40 to 50
guests, according to sources.
Shahid opted for a white kurtapyjama and a safa (turban) for
the marriage, while his bride
donned a green and pink salwarkurta with a dupatta wrapped
around her head. She completed
her look with a maang-tika on
her forehead and subtle make-up.
The celebrations started with a
sangeet ceremony, where Shahid
was seen shaking a leg with Mira
on the hit wedding song "Saj
dhaj ke" from his film

Actor Shahid Kapoor with his wife Mira Rajput in Delhi.

"Mausam". This was leaked via a

video, which went viral online.
After their wedding, the couple
also attended a celebratory lunch

with their families. They

changed their ensembles, and
while Shahid opted for a pristine
white sherwani designed by

Bollywood
actors with
not so famous
spouses
ollywood
heartthrob Shahid Kapoor
broke a million hearts when
he tied the knot with Delhi
University graduate Mira Rajput.
The Haider actor, who once
dated actress Kareena Kapoor
Khan, shocked many by marrying a
woman outside the film industry.
However, he is not the first star to
marry a non-film personality.
The actor, who had earlier been Madhuri with husband Shriram Madhav Nene.
linked to his co-stars including
Vidya Balan and Priyanka Chopra, has now the film fraternity.
If Shahid's low-key wedding grabbed the
joined the league of celebrities like John
Abraham and Imran Khan who took the attention of many, actress Minissha Lamba,
unconventional route of marrying outside too, got married to her long time beau Ryan

Kunal Rawal, Mira looked elegant and resplendent in a light

pink and silver embroidered
lehenga with a veil over her
head.
She sported an elaborate
Navratna neckpiece and earrings
set, and teamed her look with a
'maang-tika' and a 'jhoomar' on
the side of her head.
The media was, in the midst of
it all, kept waiting for a glimpse
of the duo since Monday. But
their efforts went in vain until the
couple came hand-in-hand to
greet the paparazzi at Gurgaon's
Trident hotel. After the less-than-

Tham, the owner of popular Juhu nightclub

Trilogy. The couple have been together for
a while now and reportedly got married at a
Mumbai court on Monday.
John's hush-hush wedding to investment
banker Priya Runchal was also one of the
most talked about events in 2014. The duo
are said to have met via mutual friends in
2010. But at that time, the "Madras Cafe"
star was dating actress Bipasha Basu, with
whom he had a roaring affair for almost a
decade before they broke up in 2011.
Actor Imran Khan also chose to marry his
childhood sweetheart Avantika Malik. The
Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola star has a
one-year-old daughter Imara Khan with
Malik.
In 2010, actor Vivek Oberoi married
Priyanka Alva, daughter of Karnataka minister Jeevaraj Alva. The couple welcomed a
daughter on the auspicious occasion of
Akshya Tritiya in April. They also have a
two-year-old son Viaan.
Other actors like Shah Rukh Khan,
Farhan Akhtar, Emraan Hashmi and the
likes have also found love outside the
industry.
In the past, dancing diva Madhuri Dixit
created ripples in the industry by marrying
Shriram Madhav Nene, a cardiovascular
surgeon from Los Angeles. The duo tied the
knot in 1999 and have two sons Raayan
Nene and Arin Nene.

a minute appearance, Shahid even

blew a flying kiss at the shutterbugs, before he took his newly
wed bride away.
Later, Shahid even shared a
'selfie' with his bride on
Instagram,
and
wrote:
"#hitched". Shahid, who was previously in a relationship with
actress Kareena Kapoor Khan for
over three years and later linked
to his co-stars Vidya Balan,
Priyanka Chopra, Anushka
Sharma and Bipasha Basu, had
confirmed being fixed with Mira
at an event in March this year.

Hema Malini blames

dead girl's family for crash
ilm Actress and BJP MP Hema
Malini, who was injured in a car
crash in Rajasthan that also killed
a two-year-old girl, blamed the girl's
father for the accident,
prompting a relative to
question her.
"How I wish the girl's
father had followed the
traffic rules - then this
accident could have
been averted and the lil
one's life safe," tweeted the 66-year-old
actress.
"My heart goes out to the child who
unnecessarily lost her life and the family members who have been injured in
the accident," she tweeted.
This prompted B.K. Gupta, uncle of
Shikha Khandelwal, mother of the child
who was killed in the accident near
Dausa on July 2, to question Hema
Malini. Gupta told IANS: "Why is
Hema Malini after almost six days raising this topic, we don't understand.
Where was she for all these days? The
accident happened on July 2. Why again
this issue is being raised?"

ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

uperstar Salman Khan,

who is out on bail after
being sentenced to fiveyear jail term in the 2002 hit-andrun case, will not be traveling to
different cities to promote his
forthcoming
drama
film
Bajrangi Bhaijaan.
The actor wants to stay with his
family, so he will be promoting
the film via video conferencing
here, says his spokesperson.
The 49-year-old was seen on
Friday at the launch of special
Eid song Aaj ki party from the
film, along with director Kabir
Khan,
composer
Pritam
Chakraborty and singer Mika
Singh.
However, the Dabangg actor
will not travel to cities as his
family wants him to spend more
time with them.
Salman will spend this time
with his family and will not be a
part of the city visits. We are
doing video conferencing from
Mumbai, his spokesperson said
in a statement. The story of

Aamir Khan

on the project has started and is at

a very nascent stage.
Oscar-winner A.R. Rahman has
also come on board for the music
of the film.
Aamir Khan Productions was
founded in 2001. It is known for
launching fresh faces in the industry like Darsheel Safary, nephew
Imran Khan and Prateik Babbar.

'Terminator Genisys'
Genisys' aa treat
'Terminator
treat for
for
Schwarzenegger's fans
Schwarzenegger's
fans
his film is based on characters designed by James
Cameron and Gale Ann Hurd
from the "Terminator" series which
began way back in 1984. A battle for
survival between the nearly-extinct
human race and Cyberdyne
Systems' world-spanning synthetic
intelligence, Skynet which during
the course of time created the
Terminators, who were used against
individual human targets, forms the
crux of this time-travel Sci-fiction
series. "Terminator Genisys", is the
fifth edition of this series. Narrated
from the leader of the human resistance force, John Connor's (Jason
Clarke) point of view, the narration
rolls off circa Aug 2027, with his
voice-over revealing, "Skynet is a
threat to all humanity that existed. 3
billion people died in a nuclear fire.
Survivors called it the judgement
day. I was born after the judgement
day." And then it is revealed, that
after yet another assault on a Skynet
facility, John sends his friend Kyle
Reese (Jai Courtney) back in time,
to 1984 to protect his mother, Sarah
(Emilia Clarke) from a Terminator
assassin and thereby ensures his
own existence.
Unfortunately, an unexpected turn
of events creates an altered timeline
and instead of meeting a scared
waitress, Sarah with John in her
womb, Kyle meets a skilled fighter

17

Salman not to promote

Salman
promote
'Bajrangi
'Bajrangi Bhaijaan'!
Bhaijaan'!

Aamir on lookout for

new female face
amir Khan's production
house is searching for a
fresh female face, who can
act as well as sing, for their
upcoming venture which will be
directed by the Bollywood superstar's team member Advait
Chandan.
The 50-year-old took to microblogging website Twitter to mention the specifications needed.
"Hey guys, need your help to
spread the word. Thanks. Love. a,"
the "Ghulam" actor tweeted.
The complete post about the
requirement reads: "Aamir Khan
Productions is looking for a girl
who can sing, in the age group of
12-17. Record a video of yourself
singing a Hindi song of your
choice and email it (or a link to the
video) to: casting@akpfilms.com .
"Please include a short introduction in Hindi and attach a signed
letter of consent from a
parent/guardian." Chandan previously used to work for Aamir as
one of his team members and has
also assisted the PK actor's wife
Kiran Rao in her films. The work

July 11-17, 2015

Salman Khan with Kareena in a film ' Bajrangi Bhaijaan.'

Bajrangi Bhaijaan, which also

stars Kareena Kapoor Khan and
Nawazuddin Siddiqui, is about a
man discovering love during a
journey from India to Pakistan.

Team 'ABCD 2' dances away

into Rs.100 crore club

A scene from 'Terminator Genisys.'

who is protected by a Terminator

guardian who she fondly calls,
"Pops" (Arnold Schwarzenegger).
Now confused, Reese laments
about the time travel mechanism.
Meanwhile, he also suffers from
bouts of vision which reveal to him
that "When Genisys, the latest technical application comes online,
Judgement day begins."
Unsure about the turn of events
and where it will lead him, forms
the crux of this edition, which figuratively leads to John's genesis too.
On the performance front, this
edition seems to be Arnold
Schwarzeneggeras show. He is
simply dynamic and self-aware with
his broad jaw-gritting smile and

pouting, "I am old but not obsolete."

It is also fascinating to see a bout of
Arnold Vs Arnold in the film.
Jai Courtney as Kyle is charismatic, whereas Jason Clarke as John
Connor gets lost in his myriad
avatars and Emilia Clarke, as the
agile and spunky Sarah is fairly
competent.
Mounted on an epic scale with
visuals in neon blue and golden
hued frames with cool CCI images
incorporated, the film is glossy and
mind-boggling.
Director Alan Taylor's pace of the
narration is racy and he is technically savvy to deliver a well-synchronised action film, on par with the
last four editions.

Bajrangi Bhaijaan, which is

slated to release on July 17, is
Salman's second film with Kabir
after 2012 blockbuster Ek Tha
Tiger.

A scene from the film 'ABCD 2'

arun Dhawan and

Shraddha Kapoor-starrer
dance film ABCD 2
has crossed the Rs.100-croremark by minting Rs.101.91 crore
in its third week, say trade
experts.
With the success of the Remo
D'Souza directorial, Varun has
made his debut in the Rs.100crore club
ABCD 2, which released on
June 19, is the second Bollywood
film in 2015 to enter the Rs.100
crore club after Kangana
Ranaut's Tanu Weds Manu
Returns.
With #ABCD2, Varun

Dhawan as well as director Remo

D'Souza will march into Rs.100
crore club. Shraddha Kapoor's
2nd film to cross Rs.100 crore,"
trade analyst Taran Adarsh posted on Twitter.
The sequel of the 2013 film
ABCD: Any Body Can Dance",
got the highest opening day and
opening weekend collection in
the year so far.
While the film's entry is
Varuns first time ever in Btowns this much-hyped club,
Shraddha has been there done
that. Her film Ek Villain was
her first ever Rs.100 crore-plus
film.

18

JULY 4 CELEBRATIONS

July 11-17, 2015

New York: Americans celebrated 239 years as an independent

nation on July 4 with extravagant fireworks displays, rock
and classical concerts and
parades big and small.
Hundreds of thousands of
people braved tight security
along New York City's East
River to watch the annual
Macy's Fourth of July fireworks display. The 25-minute
show featured more than
50,000 shells set off from five
barges on the river.
President Obama said "freedom is not free" but is paid for
by all the men and women of
the military, including those
who blanketed the White
House South Lawn for a concert in their honor by Bruno
Mars. Obama spoke minutes
before the annual Fourth of
July fireworks lit up the night
sky over the National Mall in
Washington DC.
In Philadelphia, gay rights
activists gathered in front of
Independence Hall on July 4 to
mark the progress of their
movement and pay tribute to
those who launched it a halfcentury ago.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

America celebrates Independence

Day With fireworks, parades

Fireworks over Washington DC as the United States celebrated

the 239th anniversary of independence on Saturday.

Fireworks explode over the East River during the Macy's 4th of
July Fireworks 2015 in New York on Saturday.

World is turning toward India, Venkaiah tells Telugu meet

Special to The South Asian Times
Los Angeles: The world is now looking at
India for leadership in spiritual and other
matters, and expatriates all over the globe
must extend cooperation to the BJP-led
National Democratic Alliance at the Center,
Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah
Naidu has stated.
Whichever country they set their foot
on and wherever they live, Indiansparticularly Telugusshould not forget their
motherland. They should continue to maintain relations with Mother India, Naidu
urged in Telugu at the convention convened
by the North America Telugu Society
(NATS). Our regions and states are different now, but we can still remain united.
The society organized a 3-day convention
in Los Angeles over the long weekend of
July 4. The minister, who was the chief
guest there, presented awards to the honorees. He appreciated the services rendered
by NATS in its native and adopted lands.
Andhra Pradesh lawmaker and film star
Nandamuri Balakrishna cited the work
done by NATS. He was joined by others
such as industrialist and GMR Chairman

Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao, Nimmagadda

Prasad (another industrialist) and business
tycoon Vimal Kavuri.
Many participants were attracted by the
literary strength at the convention. Poets
and lyricists were highly praised for their
works. Actor Tanikella Bharani, and writers Parupalli Ranganath and Kondaveeti
Jyotirmayi cornered attention of the audience. The music concert given by Anup
Reubens on the final day was among the
highlights; actor Ali and actress Pinki were
some of the stars who danced to the tunes
of Reubens.
On the spiritual side, the padukas of
Shirdi Saibaba on whose name a new temple is being built in New Jersey were the
cynosure of all eyes.
For food, Telugu specialties such as
aavakaaya, mango daal, gongura and a
variety of sweets particular to the region
were enjoyed by the conventioneers.
NATS Chairman Madhu Korrapati pointed out that service is the motto of his
organization. Other officeholders contributions were highlighted at the convention. It
was decided to hold the next biennial convention in 2017 in Chicago.

M. Venkaiah Naidu was the chief guest at the NATS convention.

Andhra Pradesh
lawmaker
and film star
Nandamuri
Balakrishna
was among
the prominent
guests from
India.
NATS Chairman Madhu Korrapati speaking at the convention.

DIASPORA

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

British Tamil batsman dies

after being hit on the chest
London: A British Tamil batsman died after being hit by a ball
on the chest while turning up for
Manipay Parish Sports Club in
division three of the British Tamil
League.
Bavalan Pathmanathan was
playing at the Long Ditton recreation grounds on Sunday when he
received the blow.
"We were called to Windmill
Lane, Long Ditton, to reports that
a man in his 20s had been injured
by a cricket ball striking his
chest," a spokesman from South
East Coast Ambulance Service
was quoted as saying by the
guardian.com on Tuesday.
"We sent an ambulance and two
cars to the scene along with an
ambulance from the London
Ambulance Service and the air
ambulance also. The man was
treated at the scene and then
taken to Kingston hospital in a
life-threatening condition," he
added. Pathmanathan was given
Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation
(CPR) and was treated in an
ambulance but the 24-year-old
died from the injuries,

Bavalan Pathmanathan

guardian.com reported.
Surrey chief executive Richard
Gould expressed grief at the sad
news and offered his condolences
to Pathmanathan's family.
Last year, Australian batsman
Phillip Hughes died after being
hit on the head by a bouncer during a domestic match.
In India, Bengal batsman Ankit
Keshri died in April this year
owing to an on-field collision sustained during a domestic match.

Visiting grandpa leaps in front of

train to save granddaughter
Sydney:A 62-year-old Indian man did not
think twice before leaping in front of an
approaching train to save his 18-month-old
granddaughter at an Australian railway station,
media reports said on Tuesday.
The grandfather, who had arrived in
Australia only a few days ago, launched himself into the path of the train at Sydney's
Wentworthville station on Sunday after the
pram holding the toddler rolled onto the tracks,
the Daily Telegraph reported on Tuesday.
The man picked up the pram and handed it
back to his wife and the distraught mother of
the child, who stood on the platform. But he
did not have much time to get back up to the
platform and was forced to run for his life
along the tracks until he could throw himself
off to the side. The family was on its way to
visit a Sikh temple when the terrifying incident
was captured on CCTV in the station, which
has platforms sloping towards the tracks for
weather reasons.
"He's done a really great job and he didn't
really think for a second about his own life at
all, he just jumped out to save her," the child's
uncle Parminder Singh told reporters later.
The child and her grandfather suffered minor
injuries and were released from hospital hours
later.

Indian arrested in
biggest Malaysian
drug bust
Kuala Lumpur: A 36-year-old
Indian man was arrested in a drug
bust in Malaysia's capital Kuala
Lumpur, media reported on Friday.
Police seized 19 tonnes of white
powder, believed to be ketamine,
from a house in Rawang.
Assistant Commissioner R.
Munusamy said the house was used
as a storage facility for the substance,
estimated to be worth at least 290
million Malaysian ringgits ($7.6 million). "When we arrested the suspect
(on Thursday), we found two packets, each containing five kg of white
powder," The Star Online quoted
Munusamy as saying. The arrested
Indian man was not identified.
"Following the arrest, the suspect
led us to a house along Jalan Aman
Sierra, Rawang," he said, adding that
when they searched the house they
found 762 gunny sacks, each containing 25 kg of the same white powder that they found at the time of
arrest. He said police also arrested a
42-year-old businessman at the
house. "We have sent the substance
for analysis to verify that it is ketamine.

July 11-17, 2015

19

India-born girl tops secondary

entrance exam in Trinidad

Trinidad & Tobago PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar

congratulates Anusha Saha

Port of Spain: An India-born girl,

Anusha Saha, has topped Trinidad
and Tobago's Secondary Entrance
Examination.
Anusha was congratulated by
Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar, a person of Indian origin,
and Minister of Education Tim
Goopeesingh, both of whom visited
her Grant Memorial Primary
Presbyterian School in this country's
second city, San Fernando, on
Wednesday.
Just over 18,300 students wrote
the annual exams to gain entry to
the secondary school system which
is universally free -- like kinder-

garten, primary and tertiary education here.

Anusha was born in India and
came here as a baby with her parents Jayanta Saha, an engineer, and
his wife Kuntala Saha from Delhi.
They have been living here for 15
years.The parents said they were
extremely happy about their only
child's success.
About her future plans, Anusha
said she wanted to be a brain surgeon. She has become the talk of the
country among educators, teachers,
academics and politicians, especially since the country votes for a new
government on September 7.

Chandy seeks Sushma's intervention Only Indian-owned restaurant in

for Indian nurses in Britain
Slovenia gets certificate of excellence
New Delhi : Kerala Chief
Minister Oommen Chandy
on Friday requested External
Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj to take up with the
British government the proposed amendments in their
immigration rules which will
affect nurses from the state.
Chandy met Sushma
Swaraj in New Delhi and
prevailed upon her to take up
the change in the United
Kingdom immigration rules
that will adversely affect
migrants from India, especially nurses from Kerala,
from 2017. The rule stipulating that migrant workers
have to leave Britain after six
years if they do not earn at
least 35,000 pounds per
annum would especially
affect them.

He told her that media

reports reveal that over
30,000 nurses from India and
other non-European countries employed in Britain's
state-funded National Health
Services (NHS) will be
forced to leave under the new
rules. "Nurses in Britain, on
an average, earn salaries
between 21,000 and 28,000
pounds in a year. At present,
the number of nurses from
India is estimated to be
17,000 of which 70 to 75 percent are from Kerala," said
Chandy. In a memorandum
submitted to her, he said he
wished to bring this issue to
her notice and requested her
to take suitable steps to prevail upon the British government and avert a situation of
mass return of migrants.

Ljubljana: The only Indianowned and operated restaurant in

Slovenia -- the Taj Mahal in
Ljubljana -- has received a
Certificate of Excellence from
Trip Advisor, with a rating of
4.5/5.00.
The restaurant, owned by
Mandeep Singh, has been ranked
at 35 out of 380 rated restaurants
in Ljubljana, the highest among
those serving Indian cuisine
made by Indian chefs.
Mandeep Singh said that he
invested in and converted this
restaurant in central Ljubljana
from Chinese to Indian cuisine
two years ago and has since
added external catering, home
delivery and takeaway services.
The restaurant with nearly 70
covers has the capability of
catering for large group tours.

"We opened Taj Mahal in

September 2013 because we
realized that in Ljubljana there
were no authentic Indian restaurants. That time there were two
Indian restaurants but the oldest
Indian
restaurant
had
Europianized Indian food, adapted to the taste of Europeans," he
said.
"Therefore, when we started to
offer the authentic Indian food
with a lot herbs, spices, wide
choice of traditional Indian dishes, cooked by real Indian cooks
from New Delhi, people noticed
that. We are also the only ones in
Ljubljana to have south Indian
food, such as dosas, utthapams
and idli," he said.
"Only a few restaurants get
these certificates and we are
proud to receive it," he added .

20

SUBCONTINENT

July 11-17, 2015

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

India, central Asia can combat extremism together

Astana: Prime Minister Narendra
Modi touched on the shared
Islamic heritage of India and
Central Asia, which, he said, has
always rejected the forces of
extremism, as he urged for boosting defence and security cooperation to defend the region's peace
and defeat terrorism and rising
extremism.
In his address at the Nazarbayev
University in the Kazakh capital,
Modi also said India's engagement
with Central Asia has been short of
promise and potential and added
that he is determined to change it
with closer cooperation.
Speaking on the shared heritage
of India and Central Asia, Modi
said the Islamic heritage of both
India and Central Asia "is defined
by the highest ideals of Islam knowledge, piety, compassion and
welfare. This is a heritage founded
on the principle of love and devotion. And, it has always rejected the
forces of extremism.
"Today, this is an important
source of strength that brings India
and Central Asia together."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a group photograph with the CEOs and
business leaders of Kazakhstan and India, in Astana.

He spoke of the close connection

between the two sides through
Bollywood, Sufi music, yoga and
Hindi, adding: "It is the foundation
of a relationship of hearts and emotions. And, it cannot be measured
only by the scale of trade or the
demands of states."
Speaking at length on terrorism

Pakistan's 11-year
terror Bill: $100 bn
New Delhi: Terrorism cost the Pakistani economy nearly $100 billion (Rs. 6.4 lakh crore)
between 2004-05 and 2014-15, according to
data in the Pakistan Economic Survey 201415.
Thats enough to finance Pakistans education budget for 134 years (based on the current
year).
The losses are direct and indirect. Of the
$6.63 billion lost due to terrorist attacks in
2013-14, 38 percent represented reduced tax
collection and 30 percent reduced foreign
investment.
Pakistan contends that the heightened incidence of terrorism is a reaction to the conflict
and instability in Afghanistan after the 9/11
attacks.
The US invasion of Afghanistan led to an
increased influx of refugees into bordering
Pakistan, which "witnessed a sudden spike in
the frequency and scale of terrorist attacks",
according to the Economic Survey.
Pakistan's economy is estimated to have
grown 4.2 percent during 2014-15.
Terrorism in Pakistan is driven by sectarian
and ethnic factors, and 54,960 people (including terrorists) have died since 2005, according
to data released by South Asia Terrorism
Portal(SATP), a resource from the New Delhibased Institute of Conflict Management.
Terrorism has disrupted production cycles,
delayed exports and increased business
costs.Pakistani products have gradually lost
their market share to competitors," the Survey
said. Pakistan is ranked 154th out of 162 countries, according to the 2015 Global Peace
Index, a measure of unrest, published by the
Institute for Economics & Peace, a think-tank
based in Sydney.

and extremism, Modi said: "We

live at the frontier of instability. We
live close to the crucible of extremism and terrorism.
"We see terrorism spawned by
nations and groups. Today, we also
see cyber space become a platform
without borders for terror to draw
recruits to its cause. "From theatres

of conflicts to the calm neighbourhoods of distant cities, terrorism

has become a global challenge as
never before." Modi said India and
Central Asia would combat terrorism through the "strength of our
values and our commitment to
humanism". Terming India the new
frontier of opportunities for the

world and Central Asia a region of

immense resources, talented people, rapid growth and a strategic
location, he said: "So, I am here to
start a new era in our relationship
with Central Asia.A India is prepared to invest more in a new partnership of prosperity."
Pitching for boosting trade and
connectivity with the land-locked
region, he expressed hope that all
of Central Asia would become
members of the International North
South Transport Corridor and said
that India is keen to join the
Ashgabat Agreement on trade and
transit.
He said India's upgradation of
Iran's Chahbahar Port would open
up routes into Central Asia. "I also
hope that we can restore the traditional route to Central Asia through
Pakistan and Afghanistan".
He called for Central Asia to
flourish and regain its central role
in Eurasia. "From Europe to Asia,
all nations must foster a climate of
cooperation and collaboration, not
competition and exclusion, in this
region."

Kabul confirms parley with Taliban

Kabul: The Afghan government has confirmed holding
face-to-face peace talks with
the Taliban at a hill resort in
neighboring Pakistan and
said the dialogue will continue after the Muslim holy
month of Ramadan.
"The first ever formal talks
for peace between the delegation of High Peace Council
of Afghanistan and Afghan
Taliban group was held in
Murree city of Pakistan and
the second round of talks
would be held after
Ramadan, the Muslim fasting
month," a statement of the
Afghan foreign ministry
released here said.
Aimed at contacting antigovernment militants and
established by former president Hamid Karzai in 2010,
the 70-member High Peace
Council (HPC) was authorized to contact the Taliban
and other insurgents groups

The 70-member High Peace Council (HPC) is

authorized to contact the Taliban.

to convince them to give up

fighting, boost reconciliation
process and help government
in reconstruction process of
the war-ravaged country.
"The Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan, while welcoming the beginning of the formal talks as the first step
towards achieving peace, is
hopeful that the process

could facilitate the way for

achieving lasting and honorable peace in the country,"
the statement further added.
The Afghan foreign ministry in the statement also
thanked Pakistan for facilitating and hosting the first ever
direct talks between the delegation of High Peace Council
and the Taliban.

If needed, Pak can

use nuclear
weapons: minister
Islamabad: Pakistan will
use nuclear weapons if its
survival is at stake,
Defense
Minister
Khawaja Asif has said.
"(If we need to use them
for) our survival, we will,"
Asif told Saleem Safi on
Geo News program 'Jirga'.
The minister said the use
of nuclear weapons was
an option as they were not
kept merely for show.
"We should pray that
such an option never arises, but if we need to use
them (nuclear weapons)
for our survival, we will,"
he said. He also accused
India -- also a nuclear
power -- of waging a
proxy war by fueling terrorism directly or indirectly ... in Pakistan.

Kerala eyes more tourists from Sri Lanka, China

Thiruvananthapuram: A
luxury liner from Sri Lanka
and chartered flights from
China are expected in
Kerala as part of efforts to
woo more tourists from the
two countries, a minister
said.
Kerala Tourism Minister
A.P. Anil Kumar said that
his department's efforts to

attract more and more

tourists from China and Sri
Lanka were paying off.
"The first luxury liner
from Sri Lanka is expected
to dock in Kochi on
October 2 and chartered
flights from China are
expected during the coming
tourist season that begins in
November," Kumar said.

He said the luxury liner

from Colombo will reach
Kochi and will then go to
the Maldives.
"Around 2.2 lakh tourists
from Sri Lanka visit India
every year but very few
travel to Kerala. We will
soon begin an aggressive
'Visit Kerala' campaign in
Sri Lanka," the minister

said.
Kumar was in China last
week leading a tourism delegation. He said his preliminary talks with Chinese
tourism officials were a
success.
"Chinese people travel a
lot and we are going to
launch a campaign there to
attract tourists to Kerala."

INTERNATIONAL

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

July 11-17, 2015

21

Deadline looming, Greek PM seeks open debate

Strasbourg/Athens: Greek
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has
made an impassioned defense of
his country's position to the
European Parliament (EP) even
as Athens was set a Thursday
deadline to come up with a new
set of proposals for creditors.
Speaking for the first time at an
EP plenary session in his role as
prime minister, Tsipras said: "I
think the debate we are having
today in this chamber should
have taken place much earlier.
For five months, the negotiations
on the future of Greece were held
behind closed doors. The
European Parliament, instrument
par excellence of democracy,
must play a more active role in
this respect."
In the wake of two emergency
meetings in Brussels, following
the "No" vote in Sunday's referendum, the Greek prime minister
offered a political dimension to
the Greek question while also
attempting to appease his government's critics.
"Until now, we have been
obliged to talk to three institutions whose positions were sometimes different and conflicting.
Frankly, if the debate were taking
place exclusively between the
Greek government and the

Greece extends closure of banks

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras casts his ballot

at a polling station in Athens, Greece.

European Commission, we would

not be here today," he said during
a long debate.
"I have no hidden agenda to
take Greece out of the eurozone.
My country became a field trial
for austerity, but we must now
look reality in the face: it failed!
Europe must be democratic or it
will be very difficult to survive
the difficult times we are going
through," Tsipras insisted.
"The current Greek government
took office five-and-a-half
months ago; the bailouts started
five years ago. The issues we
face do not spring from just these
past five months," he stated.

"We filed a 47-page text, the

result of a difficult process of
negotiation. Yet an image has
been created that Greece had not
made any proposals. We submitted a request to the European
Stability Mechanism and we will
refine our proposals in the next
two days. But these proposals
must also lead to a commitment
to find a lasting solution to the
debt," Tsipras said.
The prime minister emphasised
in his speech several times about
the need to "find a solution in the
interests of Greece but also in the
interests of Europe". He also
raised the issue of German debt

Athens: The Greek government has extended bank closures and a 60

euro($66) daily limit on ATM withdrawals until Monday next week,
media reported. "The bank holiday is extended to July 13," the finance
ministry said in a statement.
The curbs were imposed on June 28 after a deadlock in bailout talks
with creditors led a rush of withdrawals.
The announcement came after the European Central Bank (ECB)
decided not to increase support for Greek banks until the debt crisis is
resolved.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has said that he would submit
"credible" reform plans on Thursday - ahead of a Sunday deadline by
the European Union (EU) to find a solution.
European Council President Donald Tusk has said that this was now
the "most critical moment in the history of the eurozone".
after the Second World War by
stating that "the greatest moment
of European solidarity was the
London Conference in 1953
when European countries decided
to cancel 60 percent of
Germany's debt".
In Brussels, Greece was given
an ultimatum that either there
would be a deal or Greece and its
banks would face the prospect of
going bust on Monday (July 13).
On Sunday, a meeting of all 28
members of the European Union
EU) will be held -- a day after the
new Greek proposals are expected to be discussed by the eurozone finance ministers.

In the debate in the European

Parliamentin
Strasbourg,
European Council President
Donald Tusk told members of the
European Parliament that there
were only "four days left" to
reach a final agreement.
Meanwhile, another report from
Athens said Greece's government
pledged on Wednesday the immediate implementation of reforms
as soon as next week in exchange
for further support via the
European Stability Mechanism
(ESM) to avoid default and
Grexit, according to a formal
request tabled, a finance ministry
statement said.

Modi proposes BRICS football meet

Ufa (Russia): Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has proposed a
BRICS sports council with football
meets, and suggested that the first
football event could be held in
India, which is to host the next
summit.
Addressing the BRICS plenary
session here, Modi also proposed
setting up an agriculture research
centre. "A BRICS sports council
should be established. Football
meets should be organised. India
could host a football event next
year," Modi said.
"I have good fortune of welcoming you to the BRICS summit in
India next year and invite you all
and look forward to it," Modi said.
He said all decisions in BRICS
should be taken on the basis of
consensus, collaboration and cooperation, and that it is "essential that
all should observe international
rules". He stressed the challenges
posed by climate change should be
collectively met.

Indian PM Narendra Modi & Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Narendra Modi in Ufa, Russia.

The prime minister also suggested that the New Development

Bank should fund a major renewable energy project.
He stressed the need for reform
of the United Nations Security
Council.
On terrorism, he said concerted
action was needed to combat terrorism and extremism.
"I would like to see the first

major project funded by the New

Development Bank to be in the
area of clean energy," he said.
Modi also proposed an annual
BRICS trade fair, and said India
could host the first such event.
He also proposed BRICS cooperation in film festivals and film
awards, which he said would boost
filmmaking and people-to-people
connect.

World's oldest man dies in Japan aged 112

Tokyo: Sakari Momoi, a Japanese
man recognized by the Guinness
World Records as the world's oldest
living man, has died a natural death
here aged 112. Momoi was born on
February 5, 1903 in Minamisoma
city in Fukushima prefecture in cen-

tral Japan. He was named the oldest

living man by the Guinness Book.
This title will now pass on to
another Japanese, Yasutaro Koide,
also 112 and only a month younger
than Momoi, state-run broadcaster
NHK reported. Koide is yet to be

certified by Guinness. Momoi, a

resident of Saitama, passed away on
Sunday, NHK said. He spent the last
few years of his life in a care home
in Tokyo and was hospitalized just a
week ago for kidney failure, which
led to his death.

Will try to do yoga,

Putin promises Modi
Ufa
(Russia):
Russian
President Vladimir Putin, who
is known to be a active supporter of healthy lifestyles, fitness
and sports, has promised Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
that he will to go in for yoga on the condition that his level of
bodily fitness will allow him to.
He made the remark at a meeting with Modi on the sidelines
of the simultaneous summits of
BRICS and the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization
(SCO) at Ufa in the western
Urals, after Modi thanked
Moscow for supporting India's

idea to mark June 21 as

International Yoga Day at the
level of the UN.
Modi also thanked the
Russian side for widely marking
the day this year.
"Yoga is something I've never
done so far but it can't help
being attractive," Putin said.
"I'll see what my condition
permits me to do proceeding
from the level of my physical
fitness," he stated.
"When you look at real yogis,
it seems no on can attain this
kind of perfection and the
thought stops you," he added.

22 July 11-17, 2015

BUSINESS

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

India, Kazakhstan ink five agreements Greece crisis: Eurogroup

Astana: India and Kazakhstan
inked five agreements, including
in defence, railways and uranium
supply, as Prime Minister
Narendra Modi held talks with
Kazakhstan President Nursultan
Nazarbayev here.
Modi, in his media statement
after the talks, said he was pleased
that the Kazakh president has
"responded positively" to his
request to consider additional
blocks for Indian investments.
"We are pleased to have a much
larger second contract for purchase of uranium with Kazakhstan
and expanding our civil nuclear
cooperation," he said.
"Kazakhstan is our biggest economic partner in the region. We
will work together to take economic ties to a new level," he
said.
"We both agree that connectivity
is an important issue, but one that
we will address," he said, according to tweets by external affairs
ministry spokesperson Vikas
Swarup.
Modi also thanked Kazakhstan
for its "continued support for

India set to launch five

British satellites
Chennai: The Indian space
agency began the countdown for
the July 10 rocket launch that
would carry five British satellites. The rocket is scheduled to
blast off at 9.58 p.m. on July 10
from the first launch pad with
five satellites together weighing
around 1,440 kg, for an undisclosed fee.
Since 1999 India till date has
launched 40 satellites of other
countries and the successful
launch of the five British satellites would take the tally to 45.
The 44.4 metre tall and weighing 320 tonne the PSLV is a four
stage/engine rocket with six strap
on motors for addition thrust during the initial phase of the flight.
The first and third stages are
powered by solid fuel and are
cast ready while the second and
fourth stages are powered by liquid fuel which will be filled during the countdown. According to
ISRO, this is the heaviest commercial luggage carried by a
PSLV rocket till date.

meeting ends fruitless

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of the

Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev
at Akorda President's Palace in Kazakhstan.

India's candidature for a permanent seat in the UNSC and for a

UN CCIT".
The two sides inked a joint
statement, which "noted the rising
challenge posed by terrorism in
their immediate region, highlighting importance of regular consultations", Swarup posted.
Both sides also agreed to "col-

laborate closely in the framework

of the International North South
Transport Corridor and through
bilateral initiatives to improve
surface connectivity".
The two leaders also welcomed
the signing of an agreement on
defence and military-technical
cooperation, the joint statement
said.

Brussels/Athens: An emergency
Eurogroup meeting in Brussels
on the Greek debt deal ended
inconclusive this week, with
lenders saying that they expected
to discuss Greece's proposals
during a Eurogroup teleconference.
The finance ministers of euro
zone countries didn't receive new
proposals they had expected from
Greece on Tuesday, Eurogroup
head Jeroen Dijsselbloem said
after the crucial meeting.
"We welcome our new Greek
colleague and listen to his assessment of situation after the 'no'
vote in Greece," he said in a short
statement, adding that there are
no new proposals from new
Greek Finance Minister Euclid
Tsakalotos.
"The Greek government will
send a new request letter for
European Stability Mechanism
(ESM) support, as soon as it
comes in, I am hopeful that

tomorrow morning we will have

another conference call in the
Eurogroup to formally start the
process of dealing with the
request," Dijsselbloem said.
He noted that the group will
ask the European Union institutions to look at the financial situation in Greece.
"And then the institutions will
come back to us, and we will see
whether we can formally start the
negotiations," he said.
However, Greek government
sources dismissed the criticism,
insisting that Greece's new
Finance Minister Tsakalotos had
in fact presented proposals.
"Is the problem that we do not
have proposals, or that they do
not like our proposals? " a government source asked, according
to the Greek national news
agency AMNA.
The Greek side stressed that
Greece's proposals had been
rejected again.

Rupee could be hit by Greek crisis: Government

New Delhi: The Indian government said it
was closely monitoring the Greek situation
and euro market movements after austerity
proposals by creditors being rejected in a referendum posed the possibility of the country's
exit from the euro zone, while the rupee may
be affected due to the outward flight of
investment.
"In these situations what mostly happens is
there is flight to dollars, to a safe haven.
Rupee might also be affected by that. But
nothing gets unusual at all so far," Chief
Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian told
reporters here.
"This is a drama which is going to play out
for some time. We are well protected in at
least three ways. Our macro-economic situation is much more stable. We have reserves.
We are an economy which is still a very
attractive investment destination. So I think
we are relatively well insulated," he said.
"As for the crisis itself, it is going to going
to be long and prolonged," he added.
Over 61 percent of Greeks voted "no" on
Sunday, responding overwhelmingly to Prime
Minister Alexis Tsipras' calls to reject a proposal by the country's creditors for more austerity in exchange for a financial bailout.

Indian industry feels that if a crisis developed for Europe due to Greece, India too
could feel the tremors like the rest of the world.

On possible impact of the crisis on Indian

economy, Subramanian said that as the crisis
plays out, "financial markets are going to be
volatile. Both the ECB (European Central
Bank) and Fed (US Federal Reserve) will
take this into account".
"We will have to see how the euro moves
now. We are closely monitoring the Greek situation. There could be some reaction on the

Fed rate hike," Finance Secretary Rajiv

Mehrishi said.
He had last week expressed apprehension
that if yields on euro bonds go up, it might
impact inflows and outflows from India.
Indian industry feels that if a crisis developed for Europe due to Greece, India too
could feel the tremors like the rest of the
world.

SPORTS

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

July 11-17, 2015

23

Yogeshwar, Amit picked for wrestling Worlds

New Delhi: Olympic bronze medalist
Yogeshwar
Dutt
and
reigning
Commonwealth Games champion Amit
Kumar were among the 16 male wrestlers
selected to represent India in the World
Championships to be held in Las Vegas
between September 7 and 12.
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI)
selection committee picked the grapplers of
both the Greco-Roman and Free Style categories during the selection trials conducted
at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here.
In the hard fought bout of Free Style 65
kg category, Yogeshwar beat Asian
Championships gold medallist Amit
Dhankhar 6-3, while in the 74 kg category,
Olympian Narsingh Yadav beat Parveen
Rana from Railway Sports Promotion
Board 6-5 in a very close clash.
In the 57 kg category, 2013 World
Championships silver medallist Amit
Kumar overcame Sandeep Tomar of
Services Sports Control Board 3-2.

Olympic bronze medalist Yogeshwar Dutt and reigning

Commonwealth Games champion Amit Kumar.

Asian Games 2014 medallist Mausam

Khatri (97 kg) also booked his berth for the
World Championships as he ousted
Satywart Kadian 6-0.
In the 61 kg category, Sonu from Haryana
has only been selected for the Kazakhstan

Tournament and will have to give final trial

against Bajrang before the World
Championships. The 2013 World
Championships bronze medallist Bajrang
couldn't participate in the trials due to
injury. The selection committee comprised

Paes-Hingis enter Wimbledon mixed doubles quarters

Wimbledon: The Indo-Swiss
tennis pair of Leander Paes and
Martina Hingis produced a clinical performance to enter the
mixed doubles quarter-finals of
Wimbledon Championships outclassing Artem Sitak of New
Zealand and Anastasia Rodionova
of Australia 6-2, 6-2 here.
The experienced seventh seeded
pair needed just 48 minutes to
outclass the Sitak-Rodionova
team in straight sets to win the
third round match and book a
place in the quarter-finals of the
grass court tournament. Paes and
Hingis started their pre-quarters
match on an aggressive note, winning 12 out of 16 first serve
points and later on converted two
break point opportunities out of
five to claim the first set 6-2.
They then upped the ante in the
second set to break their oppo-

The Indo-Swiss tennis pair of Leander Paes and Martina Hingis.

nents once and denied SitakRodionova any chance of breaking back. Paes-Hingis also won
13 of the 15 first serve points of
the set. The Indo-Swiss pair next

faces the winner of the match

between Marcin MatkowskiElena Vesnina and Lukasz KubotAndrea Hlavackova to book a
place in the semi-finals.

Feels great to reach Wimbledon semis: Bopanna

Wimbledon: Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna expressed
happiness on reaching the men's
doubles
semi-finals
of
Wimbledon
along
with
Romanian partner Florin
Mergea.The ninth seeds stunned

veteran top seeds Mike and Bob

Bryan 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(9), 7-6(5) in
two hours and 35 minutes to
book a place in the last four of
the tournament.
"Still have adrenaline running,
feels great to be through to the

semis. Thank you all for the

support," Bopanna tweeted.
Next up, Bopanna and Mergea
will take on fourth seeds JeanJulien Rojer of the Netherlands
and Horia Tecau of Romania for
a place in the final.

WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh

(chairman), secretary general V.N. Prasood
(convener), vice-president R.K. Hooda,
treasurer Bhola Nath Singh, joint secretary
Darshan Lal, executive member and
Olympian Jai Prakash, chief coach Kuldeep
Singh, foreign expert Vladimer
Mestvirishvili, coach Mahabir Prasad
(Member) and foreign expert Emzar
Makharadze selected the team.
"The level of competition we have seen
today in the trials shows that our preparations for the Rio Olympic Games are on
right track. I am convinced with the performance of our wrestlers and confident
that they will do much better in the World
Championship this time," WFI president
Sharan Singh said in a release.
"Now this 16-member team will travel to
Kazakhstan to participate in the
International Wrestling Tournament which
will be a good international exposure for
our players".

US beat Japan 5-2 to

win World Cup
Vancouver: Carli Lloyd scored
three goals in the first 16 minutes as the US beat Japan 5-2 in
the Women's World Cup final.
Lloyd's flash of genius devastated Japan in a re-match of last
World Cup final where Japan
beat the American side in
shootout.
Inspired Lloyd drew the first
blood with only three minutes
into game when she dashed onto
a corner kick and drove the ball
past Japanese goalkeeper Ayumi
Kaihori.
Two minutes later, she
received a back-heel pass from
teammate Julie Johnston and
tapped the ball in to make it 2-0.
In the 14th minute, Lauren
Holiday put the Americans 3-0
ahead as she volleyed on misclearance by the hapless
Japanese defender Azusa
Iwashimizu.
The 32-year-old Lloyd completed her hat-trick two minutes
later with an amazing half-fieldlong lob.
Japanese forward Yiki Ogimi
pulled one back in the 27th

The members of the US team

after winning the Women's
World Cup final.

minute when she brushed aside

Johnston and sent a curved shot
past American goalkeeper Hope
Solo.
In the 52nd minute, Japanese
playmaker Aya Miyama sent the
ball into the area and Johnston
headed in an own goal when she
tried to clear it.
Midfielder Tobin Heath
regained the three-goal advantage for the U.S. side with a
blank-point shot after two
minutes.

India's first pro boxing body launched

New Delhi: Professional boxing took baby
steps in India with the launch of the first
national governing body here.
Named the Indian Boxing Council (IBC),
it will sanction professional matches and
award national and subordinate championship titles. It will promote pro boxing in
the country and facilitate pugilists who
wish to turn professional in the hope of fat
pay cheques, organisers said.

This comes close on the heels of the

country's star men's amateur boxer Vijender
Singh's decision to turn professional, just a
year prior to the 2016 Rio Olympics. His
move created a huge outcry in the country's
boxing fraternity and was termed selfish
and against the interests of the country by
many. Vijender, bronze medalist at the 2008
Olympics and a two-time medal winner in
Asian Games, announced last month that he

was joining boxing promotional company

Queensbury Promotions in a "landmark,
four-year deal".
The IBC is conceptualized by former
Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF)
secretary general P.K. Muralidharan Raja
and is partnered by IOS boxing promotions.
He said it has the support of international
promoters who are keen to develop professional boxing in India. It will be headquar-

tered in Pune and has the support of several

former IABF officials and boxers.
"IBC will be a not-for-profit organisation
whose intention is to facilitate boxers who
want
to
become
professional,"
Muralidharan said.
Asked why Indian boxers will be tempted
to join, Muralidharan said, "We would
ensure financial security and offer them
lucrative deals."

24

HEALTH

July 11-17, 2015

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

How to wean kids away from Maggi and other noodles

New Delhi: So what do you do if your child hankers for
noodles, now that Maggi and other brands are under a
cloud? Experts say one should go for the generic varieties
or make alternatives more interesting.
It's difficult to stop children from eating their favorite
noodles or fast food, so put in extra effort, suggests
Aarchie Bhatnagar, a Delhi-based dietician.
"Mothers can buy plain raw noodles and cook, adding
vegetables to make the dish healthy. Momos or burgers
can be also made at home by replacing maida with rice
floor," says Bhatnagar.
But what about pesticides, contaminants and germs in
raw food bought locally? From the farm to the table, our
food passes through different processes and different
hands.
Experts advise that vegetables and fruits should be
washed well. Peeling fruits will cut down surface pesticide content. The water-soluble compound potassium
permanganate may also come to your aid.
"Mix enough of the permanganate in water to give it a
light pink color. Soak fruits and vegetables and rinse
them well. This will effectively remove pesticides, bacteria and other pests," advises Kanika Malhotra, senior
clinical nutritionist from HealthCare at Home (India), a
global venture offering home health care services. Too
much of the permanganate, though, can be harmful so
ensure that the water color is light pink and not dark, she
adds.
Sonia Bajaj, an acclaimed nutritionist and fitness expert

Replace noodles with healthy options like

homemade momos made from rice flour

advises that suma tablets (chlorine-based sanitizing

tablets) may be used to clean or sanitize vegetables and
salads. Even vinegar can help, she adds.
Another option for healthy food at home is to look for a
good ultrasonic food washer. This washer uses the principle of ultrasonic and reactive oxygen to remove most of
agricultural chemicals from fruits and vegetables.
It also removes fungicides, pesticides and contaminants
and has been found to be quite effective, says Ritika

Samaddar, head (dietetics) at Max Super Speciality

Hospital in Delhi. "The cost, however, is an issue and
cannot be a solution for the masses," explains Samaddar.
The price of a washer starts at around Rs 7,000.
But should vegetables and other food items be bought
only from reputed grocery stores? According to
Bhatnagar, one should only buy food items from reputed
stores as they have certain basic hygienic standards in
place. "This will ensure certain purity but adulterationfree food cannot be guaranteed," she maintains.
For Samaddar, "buying even from a local vender is fine
provided the fruits or vegetables are washed properly
before consumption."
Organic food is another choice. An organic product is
considered truly organic when it is duly certified and contains 95 percent or more organic ingredients.
"Organic foods will mostly be without pesticides and
more nutritious per serving. But these are more expensive, hence not an option for the public, Samaddar says.
She advises that one should look for certification, wherever possible.
What are the other ways to ensure that healthy food
items reach our table? Read food labels carefully and do
not get fooled by gimmicks.
"Check how much fat or sugar is there in the food. Just
saying 'contains oats' and actually 'containing four percent per 100 gms' is not justified," Malhotra points out.
As a rule, the more processed the food is, the more toxic
it is likely to be.

Grub experimentation could An apple a day may not keep the doctor away
promote weight loss

New York: Being a little experimental with one's eating habits

could prove to be a surefire
recipe to losing weight rather
than sticking to healthy food on
a daily basis, suggests a new
research.
Counterintuitive as it may
sound, researchers have found
that adventurous eaters, known
as "foodies", weigh less and
may be healthier than their lessadventurous counterparts.
The study, involving over 500
women across the US, showed
that those who had eaten the
widest variety of uncommon
foods -- including seitan, beef
tongue, Kimchi, rabbit, and
polenta -- also rated themselves
as healthier eaters, more physically active and more con-

cerned with the healthiness of

their food when compared with
less-adventurous eaters.
"These findings are important
to dieters because they show
that promoting adventurous eating may provide a way for people -- especially women -- to
lose or maintain weight without
feeling restricted by a strict
diet," said study co-author
Brian Wansink, author of the
book "Slim by Design:
Mindless Eating Solutions for
Everyday Life."
"They also reported being
much more likely to have
friends over for dinner," said
lead author Lara Latimer from
the University of Texas.
The article was published in
the journal Obesity.

New York: So is it possible

that by eating an apple a day,
anybody can keep the doctor
away? A doctor, Rajender K
Arora thought the same, did
some medical research and
here is what he found:
Apple, and especially its
skin,
contains
many
polyphenols. One of these
polyphenols is known as
phloridzin. Phloridzin inhibits
glycation (glycation is a common
known cause of aging). One of the
causes of glycation is increased
uptake of glucose from the intestine.
And guess what? Phlordzin inhibits
glucose uptake from the intestine by
52% (Mol Biol Rep. 2011 Dec 14).
The net effect is fewer glucose molecules leaving the intestine to contribute to blood sugar levels and glycation.
Studies have shown that apple
polyphenols reduce abdominal fat
accumulation by 2 inches (abdominal girth) in 12 weeks. This is
achieved by better utilization of the
glucose and by blockage of the pancreatic lipase resulting in reduction
of the fat absorption from the intestine.
Apple polyphenols reduce the deposition of fats in organs and in the
linings of arteries, where atherosclerosis starts. It also reduces the stickiness of platelets and vessel walls,
helping blood to slip more readily
through arteries. That prevents older
age and the formation of dangerous
clots.
Apple polyphenols block cholesterol absorption, and in a dose of
1500 mg/day, HDL (good cholesterol) goes up and LDL cholesterol

ulcers and lymphoma

of stomach, is also
inhibited by apple
polyphenols. It has
been recent discovered
that apple polyphenols
can protect animals
infected with deadly
H1N1 influenza virus.
The best product for
Polyphenols found in apple skin
proper
methylation in
offers numerous benefits
the body is said to be
(bad cholesterol) goes down (J Oleo apple polyphenol (others are methySci. 2005;54(3): 143-51).
lated vitamin B12, methylated folic
It has been proved by the epidemi- acid, vitamin B6, betaine, resveratrol
ological studies that people who con- and peterostilbene). Methylation is a
sume large amount of apple polyphe- process that regulates regular cell
nols can cut their colon cancer risk division in every cell. Researchers
by nearly 50% (Eur J Cancer Prev. point out that reduction in methyla2010 Jan: 19(1):42-7). They do so by tion may be one of the mechanisms
inhibiting cyclo-oxygensase and underlying the aging process. Apple
lipo-oxygenase, both of which pro- polyphenols have been proved to
duce inflammation (a precursor of extend the life span of various
cancer). Butyrate is an anti-inflam- species, especially of a worm known
matory molecule produced by the as C. elegans by 12%.
normal colonic bacteria and apple
Because drug companies cannot
polyphenols enhance the rate of pro- make decent amount of money sellduction of butyrate. Apple polyphe- ing apples or their extracts, none of
nols have also shown powerful pro- them will ever spend money on medtection of colon cell DNA (Mol Nutr ical research to confirm above findFood Res. 2009 Oct;53(10):1254- ings. And because nobody can own
62). They reduce the numbers of polyphenols present in fruits, nobody
colon polyps by up-to 42% and their is going to do marketing to sell capgrowth rate by as much as 60% in sules of apple polyphenol. Therefore,
animal models (Cancer Prev Res only you can decide if apples or
(Phila), 2011 Jun;(6):907-15).
apple polyphenols are good for your
Apple polyphenols boost immunity health.
by fighting infection (especially
In summary, people who wish to
against atypical tuberculosis) and prevent diabetes, abdominal fat, athbinding to toxins produced by certain erosclerosis (aging), blood clots,
bacteria such as Staph aureus, colon polyps, colon cancer, and bacPseuomonas, and Bacillus species terial and viral infections, should
(Appl Environ Microbiol. 2008 Oct; think of taking 600 mg of apple
74 (19):5986-90). Helicobacter polyphenols daily. (available at most
pylori, a bacteria that causes peptic health stores).

LIFESTYLE

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

July 11-17, 2015

25

Online rummy on a high roll in India

New Delhi: From what was essentially a

club-oriented indulgence and would peak
among certain sections during Diwali, card
games like rummy have now become a
year-round indulgence for revelers in
India. With the advent of online gaming
portals that host these games with an
option to bet real money, Indians needn't
indulge in illegal gambling activities and
yet fulfill their love for betting.
And in case you're wondering, these
online game portals are exempted from
gambling laws since rummy is considered
as a "game of skill" according to a 1967
Supreme Court ruling, and the gambling
laws only apply to a "game of chance."
India's prohibitive legislation has paved
the way for illegal gambling activities,
unlike Macau which is widely heralded as
the hub of legalized gambling across the
world. According to the Goa, Daman and
Diu Public Gambling Act 1976, casinos
can be set up only at five star hotels or offshore vessels with prior permission of the
government.
Online games like rummy have, however, brought in a change for youngsters and
long-time betting enthusiasts who can
legally bet and earn money on these portals.
"Skill games like rummy are exempt
from gambling laws in India and hence
whether they are played with money or

not, the legality doesn't change. However,

non-skill games are not legal for real
money play," says Ankush Gera, CEO,
gaming company Junglee Games, which
introduced JungleeRummy.com, an online
destination for all rummy players.
The buy-ins range from Rs.12 with a
point value of 0.1 to Rs.2,400 with a point
value of 10 on online card gaming portal
adda52.com <http://adda52.com/>, and if
multiple users are to be believed, it's standard on most platforms.
The websites host rummy games where
players, who are 18 years and older, can
bet actual money after buying chips
through various online payment options.

Even toddlers love to use iPad

New York: Small babies are
quite adept at using and mastering the latest technology, so
much so that many toddlers
can use an iPad when they are
just one, and most of them
master the gadget by their second birthday, reveals a new
study. Researchers from University of Iowa
analyzed hundreds of YouTube videos of
babies trying and quickly mastering the technology.
They found half of toddlers can use an iPad
when they are just one, with 90 percent mastering the gadget by their second birthday,
Daily Mail reported. The researchers admit
they were stunned by the results. "By age
two, 90 percent of the children in the videos
had a moderate ability to use a tablet," Juan
Pablo Hourcade, associate professor of com-

puter science was quoted as

saying. "Just over 50 percent
of 12 to 17-month-old children in the videos had a
moderate ability," Hourcade
said. Hourcade and his colleagues defined "moderate
ability' as needing help from
an adult to access apps but being able to use
them while displaying some difficulty with
basic interactions.
Hourcade hoped this study and others that
follow would influence the development of
newer apps which encourage interactive education for infants and toddlers. "One of the
biggest differences we found is that when
children turn one year old, they switch from
using both hands and all their fingers to interact with the tablet to using an index finger -which is what adults do," he said.

Poor sleep may make you more impulsive

New York: Sleep deprivation may put you
at increased risk for succumbing to impulsive desires, inattentiveness and questionable decision-making, says a study. The
researchers found that poor sleep habits can
have a negative effect on self-control, which
presents risks to individuals' personal and
professional lives. "Our study explored how
sleep habits and self-control are interwoven
and sleep habits and self-control may work
together to affect a person's daily functioning," said one of the study authors June
Pilcher, professor at Clemson University in
the US. "Exercising self-control allows one
to make better choices when presented with
conflicting desires and opportunities. That
has far-reaching implications to a person's
career and personal life."

Poor sleep habits, which include inconsistent sleep times and not enough hours of
sleep, can also lead to health problems,
including weight gain, hypertension and illness. Studies have found that sleep deprivation decreases self-control but increases hostility in people, which can create problems
in the workplace and at home," Pilcher said.
"Many aspects of our daily lives can be
affected by better-managed sleep and selfcontrol capacity."
"Improved health and worker performance
are two potential benefits, but societal issues
such as addictions, excessive gambling and
over spending could also be more controllable when sleep deficiencies are not interfering with one's decision making," Pilcher
said.

Although Indians are said to be skeptical

when it comes to online transactions, the
number of active players has only risen in
the past few years, says Gera.
"The market size has grown 400 percent.
Rummy dominates real money gaming in
India and 'teen patti' (a popular card came)
dominates social free to play," Gera said.
Delhi-based online rummy player Gopal
Rathore, says that not only the number of
players but the number of game portals
have also increased over the years.
Most of the participation on the game
portals, which promise a safe online environment for players, come from the 25 to
50 year age group. "Taj Rummy provides a

safe environment for gamers who play

with real money. Our software is licensed
and there are encryptions in place to make
sure our players get exactly what they are
paying for," Parikshit Madishetty, managing director of Grid Logic Software, the
company behind Taj Rummy, told IANS
when asked about their online security.
The growth of the trend is mainly credited to customer satisfaction, which is why
the online portals have a high retention
quotient. "(Our players are) extremely satisfied... and retention is extremely high.
People find entertainment and games are
one of few things that bring joy into people's lives," Madishetty said.
The peak participation on the websites is
seen during holidays and festivals with the
portals offering high value prizes and promotional tournaments. In fact, in March,
JungleeRummy.com hosted a World
Rummy Tournament 2015 in Singapore.
It is interesting to see how card gaming
has reached a virtual level where norms
and conditions are strictly applied to
ensure safety for gaming enthusiasts who
do not hesitate to partake in real money
gaming.
Although online card gaming has a long
way to go in India, the impact it has made
in recent years is noticeable and it is clear
that the future of the industry may be
bright in the country.

26

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

How to find a smartphone that will last

mericans have spent

more than $23.5 billion
on smartphone repairs
and replacements over the last
seven years, and those numbers
are on the rise.
So when shopping for a smartphone and exploring features like
camera and speaker quality, dont
neglect to consider a devices
durability.
New research can help you
make a smart smartphone decision. SquareTrade, a protection
plan provider for smartphones,
tablets and other electronics, tested the durability of new smartphones from Samsung and rated
the phones according to their
breakability.
The SquareTrade Breakability
Score is based on a number of
factors, from physical characteristics to the results of
SquareTrades drop, dunk and

SELF HELP

July 11-17, 2015

slide tests -- and for the first time,

the score incorporated results
from a new bendability test.
"Bendability may be good in
the yoga studio, but it is not what
you want in a mobile device,"
says Jessica Hoffman, vice president of global communications
for SquareTrade.

Looking into new phone

options? Consider these results:
 Samsung created its most
durable phone yet with the
recently released Galaxy S6,
which performed well in all four
tests. It was the least bendable of
any of the phones tested, surviving 110 pounds of pressure.

Under the same amount of pressure, the new Galaxy S6 edge

cracked, and the Apple iPhone 6
and iPhone 6 Plus bent. The
iPhone 6 even separated near its
volume button.
Samsung took a step back
with the slide test: The glass-bodied Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6
edge slid farther than any other
phone, and twice as far as the
plastic Galaxy S5.
 Both new Galaxy phones
survived six drops from six feet
high without breaking -- perhaps
due to their Corning Gorilla
Glass 4 bodies. In comparison,
the Galaxy S5s removable back
popped off repeatedly, exposing
the battery and other components. The iPhone 6 Plus broke
apart entirely and stopped working 30 minutes later.
All phones performed equally when dunked into water for 10

How your shopping experience is changing

Homebuyers: Beware of
unexpected repair costs

Consumers are making more on-the-go purchases using their smartphones.

he shopping experience is
evolving with shoppers
pressing needs in mind -- and
there are big changes that have
already had an impact on you that
you may not even realize have happened. Consumers are making more
on-the-go purchases using their
smartphones. New shopping centers
are looking less like traditional
malls and more like mixed-use
spaces resembling a walkable town
square. And one trend that you have
likely played a role in and benefited
from without even realizing it is
known as fast fashion.
Fast fashion -- which brings
designs from runway to the store
more quickly and more often -- is a
growing trend amongst retailers,

and its happening because of you,

say experts.
The customer is the center and
the meaning of the life of the business, says Victor Ejarque, former
Buying Director for Stradivarius,
who drove the global expansion of
the brand and was instrumental in
increasing its revenue by seven
times. We owe it to the customer
and have the obligation to satisfy
her product needs as rapidly as possible.
Because of this trend, consumers
now are accustomed to being able to
access the latest trends theyve seen
splashed in the pages of high-end
magazines at affordable prices. This
rapid turnover of inventory is something relatively new -- and a benefit

seconds. The lower the score the

more durable the phone is and
after testing was completed, the
Galaxy S6 came away with a
Breakability Score of 4, faring
better than its Galaxy S5 predecessor, which received a
Breakability Score of 6 in last
year's test. However, the Galaxy
S6 edge performed slightly worse
with a Breakability Score of 5.
Samsung has sharpened its
game with the new Galaxy S6,
the phone we believe is the new
phone to beat when it comes to
durability, says Hoffman.
However, while thinner and
larger screen phones like the
Samsung Galaxy S6 and the
Apple iPhone 6 are extremely
popular and continue to make
gains in durability, our claims
data shows that consumers are
breaking them at higher rates
than ever before.

that fashion-forward shoppers of

previous generations did not enjoy.
As a result, its become something
of a consumers market.
Shoppers will naturally pick the
store with the best product at the
right time in the right place and at a
competitive price, says Ejarque,
who advises stores and their vendors to become more flexible and
able to react to the changing
demands of the market.
With 25 years in the business
under his belt, Ejarque says that this
shift to the retail business model
over the past few years has happened rapidly as a result of consumers and that brands looking to
remain relevant will need to transform the way they do business.

Tips to get faster, stronger and more flexible

f you work out a couple times
a week, you are on the right
path to good health. But
experts say this can and should be
just the beginning of your fitness
journey.
Our bodies are designed to be
fast, powerful and agile, says
Paul Coach Wade, fitness expert
and author of the new book
Explosive
Calisthenics.
However, modern Americans
have become the slowest, least
agile members of our species in
all history. Wade says a vanishing percent of people even attempt
to unlock their bodys full athletic
potential. To help, he is offering
tips to take your overall fitness to
the next level.
Ditch the Excuses
Getting in great shape requires

consistency, and its all too easy to

make excuses for missing a workout. Whether youre always on the
road or cant afford to renew your
gym membership, Wade says such
excuses dont hold water.
While modern training methods involve equipment like barbells, balls, boxes and gymnastics
gear, the superior way of building
maximum speed, power and ability is the old-school method of
using just your bodys own
weight, nothing else, he says.
Whether youre crunched for
time or crunched for space, dont
let these circumstances prevent
you from getting a great workout.
Pushups, squats, leg raises,
bridges and jumps are just a few
fundamental exercises that can be
performed in a small space with-

out any gear.

Ditch the Fear
Traditional calisthenic moves
used by gymnasts, martial artists,
athletes and tumblers -- such as
flips and kip-ups -- may seem
intimidating. But Wade says that
most people have the inherent
ability to master such moves by
working on each one in progressions. Movements like these
have been handed down from generation to generation, he says.
They should not be the exclusive
domain of gymnasts.
Stay Focused
Dont try to take shortcuts.
Successful athletes dont leap
ahead and tackle moves they
arent ready for -- they find ways
to make the stuff they can already
do work even better for them.

f youre buying a home, there

are additional expenses you
may want to budget for
beyond the down payment and
monthly mortgage. Home projects, even small ones, can really
add up.
Recent
data
from
HomeAdvisor, a leading home
services marketplace, reveals that
75 percent of homebuyers will
face a costly emergency within
the first 12 months of moving into
a new home. From unplanned
projects to unexpected emergencies, most homebuyers reported
spending more time and money
on projects than they initially
anticipated.

The most frequent emergency

projects reported by homebuyers
in the first year of owning a new
home included blocked toilets
and pipes, a clogged drain, a broken heating or cooling system and
water leaks. These unexpected
projects can cost homeowners
anywhere from $199 to fix a
clogged drain to $2,068 to repair
water damage according to
HomeAdvisors True Cost Guide.
To help prepare for these unexpected costs, homebuyers should
plan to spend 1% of their home
purchase price on repairs and
emergencies each year, says
Marianne Cusato, special housing
advisor to HomeAdvisor.

FEATURES

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

July 11-17, 2015

27

Once behind bamboo curtain,

China showcases resurgent Tibet

By Vishal Gulati

Lhasa: Once behind a bamboo curtain like the rest of China, Beijing
is now presenting the resurgent
Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR)
in a new light to the world.
In a bid to counter what it calls
"propaganda by exiled Tibetans and
the western world," the Chinese
government has thrown open the
gates to the Roof of the World to
show how developed the region
had become under its rule. The area
abounds in virgin nature as well as
historical and cultural sites.
"Last year also a delegation of
journalists came here to see the
development and gather first-hand
information about the region," Wu
Yinggjie, the first deputy secretary
of the Communist Party of China's
TAR committee, told visiting journalists from India and Nepal last
week.
"In future, more journalists will
be invited to come and see the
overall development that TAR has
undergone in the past six decades
and that too as per the aspirations
of the people of all the ethnic
groups in the area," Wu told IANS.
A visit to this capital town,
known for its famed Potala Palace once the seat of the Dalai Lama and its nearby areas revealed that
the region has been undergoing a
construction boom with expressways, housing complexes, markets,
posh neighborhoods, special economic zones and education centers

coming up in rapid succession.

The Dalai Lama is running a government-in-exile from Dharamsala
in the Indian hill state of Himachal
Pradesh. He had escaped to India in
1959 along with 20 other Tibetans,
including some ministers, after a
series of pogroms by the Chinese
government against an uprising by
the Tibetans.
Spread over more than 1.2 million sq km, the Tibet region constitutes about one eighth of China's
territory.
China has allocated 27.37 billion
yuan ($4.7 billion) since 2006 for
construction in the region. "Special
emphasis has been given to the
housing sector. We are aiming to
provide houses to 2.3 million local
farmers and herdsmen," Wu said.
He said although before 1950
Tibet was "totally backward," the
per capita income for farmers and
herdsmen in the region touched
7,359 yuan or $1,259 in 2014. For
others, the per capita income was
26,068 yuan ($4,350).
The Chinese government, Wu
said, was giving special attention to
education in the region. "We are
providing 15 years of free education to each student, whereas in the
mainland it's for nine years," he
added, saying that 3,000 yuan was
being spent per child per year till
the 12th grade. He said the education was being imparted keeping in
mind the Tibetan culture, with the
Tibetan language being compulsory
for each child.

Zhang Dali, president of the

plush Beijing Experimental School
in Lhasa, told the visiting journalists that the school was providing
education to over 2,500 students by
using modern tools like electronic
blackboards.
Tibet University's College of
Agriculture and Animal Husbandry
vice president Zheng (one name)
said priority has been accorded to
tapping natural energy like hydro,
wind and solar power.
"With the funding of the central
government hundreds of micro
hydropower plants have been set up
in the TAR that are meeting the
electricity requirement of the villagers," he said.
Statistics provided by the government show that the GDP in the
region had increased to 80.7 billion
yuan ($13.5 billion) in 2013 from
174 million yuan in 1951.
In a White Paper on Tibet
released in April, the Chinese government said illiteracy had been
wiped out among the young and the
middle-aged.
It said a basic medical and health
service system has been established. Tibet now has 6,660 medical and health institutions. Free
medical services are now available
to all farmers and herdsmen in the
region, with the annual subsidy
being raised in 2014 to 380 yuan
per person.
In 2014, the White Paper said,
every county and township had
highway access and 62 of the

A visit to Lhasa, Tibets capital, known for its famed Potala Palace once the seat of the Dalai Lama - and its nearby areas shows that the
region has been undergoing a construction boom with expressways,
housing complexes, markets, posh neighborhoods, special economic
zones and education centers coming up.

China has allocated $4.7 billion since 2006 for construction in the Tibet
Autonomous Region, giving special emphasis to the housing sector.
region's 70 counties were accessible by asphalt roads. The rail link
connecting Lhasa and Shigatse - an
extension to the Qinghai-Tibet
Railway - was now in service.
Tibet now has five airports by
eight airlines and 45 domestic air
routes link Tibet with other parts of
China. A network of optical cable,
satellite and long-distance tele-

phone lines has been established in

the region. By the end of 2013, the
penetration rates of telephones and
Internet stood at 98.1 percent and
37.4 percent, respectively.
In 2013, the total value of Tibet's
foreign trade reached $3.31 billion
and the region hosted 12.91 million
tourists, including 220,000 from
overseas, the White Paper said.

How rural India gained 86 mn illiterate people

New Delhi: About 86 million more rural
Indians have been counted as illiterate than
the 2011 census data found.
This is revealed by the Socio Economic
and Caste Census (SECC), which counted
315.7 million Indians in rural areas as illiterate in 2011, the same year as the census and
the highest number of illiterates of any country in the world.
Put another way, rural India has more illiterate people than the population of
Indonesia, the worlds fourth-most populous
country, and twice the population of
Pakistan.
Released last week, the SECC, which
focused on rural India, counted more people
(literate and illiterate) than the census: 35.73
percent of Indians in rural areas as illiterate,
as against 32.23 percent counted by census
2011.
The new data has also revealed the low
levels of literacy in rural India.
Those who are literate can barely read or
count
As many as 14 percent (123 million people) of literate Indians in rural areas have
not studied past class five, while 18 percent
(157 million) have completed primary education, or class five.

Given that educational levels in India do

not reflect real learning, 280 million literate
Indians in rural areas are only nominally literate.
As IndiaSpend reported earlier, only a
fourth of all children in class III can read a
class II text fluently, a drop of more than 5

percent over four years. With math, a quarter

of children in class III could not recognize
numbers between 10 and 99, a drop of 13
percent over four years, according to the
2014 Annual Status Report on Education
(ASER).
Only 3 percent (three million) of Indians in

rural areas have completed graduation or a

higher level of education.
Central India reported the highest illiteracy
rate of 39.20 percent and east India 38.79
percent, followed by west India (35.15 percent), north India (32.87 percent), the northeast (30.2 percent) and south India (29.64
percent).
Union territories fared the best with less
than 15 percent of the population illiterate.
Rajasthan reported the worst illiteracy rate:
47.58 percent or 25.88 million people, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 44.19 percent or 22.80 million illiterate people, Bihar
with 43.85 percent or 42.89 million illiterate
people and Telangana with 40.42 percent or
9.5 million illiterate people.
The surprises are the presence of the southern states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
in the top 10 state for illiteracy.
Kerala is another surprise in the SECC
analysis. While state surveys and the census
have repeatedly claimed a literacy rate of
more than 90 percent, the SECC report says
11.38 percent, or 3 million Keralites, are
illiterate.
Among union territories, Dadra & Nagar
Haveli reported the highest illiteracy rate of
36.29 percent.

28

July 11-17, 2015

HUMOR

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Funny Side by Nury Vittachi

Why I hate motivational speakers

ONCE SAT IN a seminar where the
motivational speaker kept saying:
Accept yourself as you really are. Fine
with me, but the colleagues who were at my
side all had serial killer personalities.
I tried to warn the speaker but she didn't
pick up on my discreet pointing and headshaking gestures.
***

People in certain professions, such as journalism, law and stockbroking, can be "rough
diamonds" (minus the diamond part).
One reporter colleague made so many enemies he ended up renaming half the contacts
in his phone book Do Not Answer.
Nobody wants these people to be themselves. We want them to be other people.
***
But heres the thing: touchy feely spiritual
types are storming the world of work, creating absurdity.
Example: In front of me is a Financial
Times report that says UK accountants are
now calculating the cash value of the workings of NATURE.
The National Audit Office estimated the
value of bees' service to the British economy
at 200 million pounds.

Of course, everyone's thrilled that the hard

work of bees has finally been recognized
(equal pay for equal work, right?), but what
would bugs do with pay packets? (I suggest
the money be diverted to other low-level,
insect-like toilers, such as me.)
***
The new corporate buzz-phrase is nontangible costs. The Center for Science and
the Environment in India said a single hamburger with non- tangible costs would be
US$200. I think everyone was supposed to
be amazed by this, but it just reminded me
of the cost of meat at my overpriced local
supermarket, which I shall call ParknRob.
***
Then the US Center for Investigative
Reporting said that if you included all the
associated costs of getting gasoline to your
car, gas should cost US$15 a gallon.
But I'm sure they failed to include US
wars, in which case the true cost should be
US$15 billion a gallon.
Which reminds me of the cost of cartons
of milk or juice at ParknRob.
***
Enough! What humanity needs to do is

remember the 1963 line from sociologist

William Bruce Cameron: Not everything
that counts can be counted.
Now before you correct me, I know full
well that the internet attributes this quote to
Einstein.
But you should NEVER BELIEVE ANYTHING you read on the internet, unless you
are reading this, in which case, this sentence
is the SOLE EXCEPTION.
***
The seminar ended with the motivational
speaker telling us that the most important
thing in life is to ignore what other people
say and be yourself.
My serial-killer colleagues smiled and

nodded.
***
That was worrying, but still, in other
cases, business types SHOULD listen to creative individuals for their useful perspectives.
Case in point: comedian Stephen Wright
asked: If all the nations in the world are in
debt, where did all the money go?
Good question, right? I have no idea about
the answer, but suspect it is something to do
with my daughters.
Total world debt is currently US$233 trillion. That's quite a lot of money.
And it reminds me: must get cash for
weekly ParknRob visit.

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

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

July 11-17, 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

July 11-17, 2015

ARIES: Students may find their
grades falling due to avoidable distractions. You can be hauled up by
parents for overspending and trying to live
beyond your means. It is best not to get into
an argument at work even if you are in the
right. Cooling off with lover at your
favourite joint is on the cards. Overeating or
eating exposed food is likely to prove bad
for your system.

CANCER: Those indulging in betting or speculation stand to lose.

Whatever you are involved in at
work, keep it confidential and on need-toknow basis. Those going steady for a long
time can discuss marriage. Budgetary planning will be required for those going in for a
renovation. Purchasing your dream house
may still remain beyond your reach despite
the downturn. Your aches and pains disappear as you adopt a new exercise regimen.

LIBRA: There is a likelihood of

getting late for a meeting or a conference, so start early. Spouse may
persuade you to buy a particular household
item that you are not keen on. A family
youngster is likely to start earning soon. You
can be completely bowled over by a workplace colleague of the opposite gender.
Good progress foreseen for those undertaking a long journey. Avoid outside food and
drinks.

TAURUS: Enhancement in salary or

previous arrears will boost your
finances. Following a diet fad will
help you remain in shape. Your professional
approach to the issues at hand will help in
expediting them. Giving a helping hand on
the domestic front will be fun. A get-together can be planned by youngsters. Avoid busy
roads and dont drive a vehicle you are not
confident of. Postpone your decision to buy
something expensive.

LEO: Your popularity is set to rise as

you tackle a difficult project at work.
You will not go wrong in a situation
if you follow the advice of a senior in letter
and spirit. Managing finances well will help
some business persons to diversify into
other fields. Vehicle can give you trouble,
but it will be of minor nature. Keep romance
on the backburner on this professionally
happening week!

SCORPIO: Showing off is good, but

this week you seem to overdo it a bit.
You may be passed over for selection
to a prestigious institute. Chances of losing
your temper on a family member cannot be
ruled out for some. Financial stability is
assured. Love may tug at your heart, but you
may not spare time for it. There is no need
to become big hearted where property is
involved.

AQUARIUS : This is the time to

reap the benefits of deeds done in
the past. Workplace is likely to be a
fun place this week as bonhomie prevails.
Some of you will manage to address all
pending issues. An evening out with family
is on the cards.
Commuting can pose a problem for those
going to far off places for work or studies,
but it will be overcome. Health remains satisfactory.

GEMINI: An inspection at work will

go satisfactorily. Chance to travel
overseas on an official trip is likely
for some. A place you had always wanted to
visit will soon become a reality. Your bargaining powers will come in handy.
Newlyweds are likely to remain in total bliss
as togetherness strengthens loving bonds.
Dont touch your savings even if it means
tightening your belt. A diagnosis may need a
second opinion.

VIRGO: Some of you can be

gripped by the fear of getting laid
off. You may get irritated by the nonperformance of a family youngster on the
academic front.
Chances of a romantic affair getting discovered cannot be ruled out. It is best to postpone a trip. You may not get the expected
service for an electronic item bought by
you. Investing in a scheme may prove to be
a bad call.

SAGITTARIUS: Softening your

stance on some domestic issue will
be most welcome by the family. A
youngster can make you feel wanted and
may even become a source of entertainment.
An opportunity to further your career is
likely. You can get attracted to someone
who is much younger to you. Some of you
can pass through a tight financial situation.
Lack of exercise can have an adverse affect
on your health.

PISCES: You somehow always manage to get on the wrong side of

spouse and face the brunt! Beware,
domestic front seems turbulent this week.
You are likely to be made answerable for
something you failed to execute at work.
Those indulging in romance on the sly can
run the risk of getting exposed. You are likely to burn your fingers in a financial deal.
Those associated with travel and transport
need to be cautious.

CAPRICORN: You will bounce

back to your old chirpy self this
week. Your bubbly nature is likely to
attract people like moth to flame. Someone
is likely to rope you in for organising an
event, because you can give a touch of class
to it. Spending time in the company of
friends and neighbours will while away the
lonely hours for the elders. There is a likelihood of love blossoming for some.

Annual Predictions: For those born in this week

11th July, 2015
Ruled planet: Moon Ruled by no: 2
Traits in you: With the influence of your ruling planet
Moon, you are industrious, creative, friendly, and simple. You are a challenge loving person and try to perform
on the toughest tasks ever. However, your laziness stops
you from achieving your set goals. If you get over your
casual approach towards your commitments, you will
rise to be a winner for each and every opportunity.
Health this year: You may suffer with problems in your
eyes and mouth. So you need to get your periodic medical checkup done on time and take prescribed medicines
without negligence.
Finance this year: You may go for investments in various sectors say stock market or real estate this year. You
may plan to build your new house or renovate the old one
towards the end of the year. You may plan to build your
new house or renovate the old one towards the end of the
year.
Career this year: You may be criticized in your professional surroundings for your innovative plans. Your
plans will be opposed by your seniors and management
but you will be able to convince them the usability and
action of your plan with your ability to speak artistically. You will be supported by your friends and colleagues
and this will help you enhance your confidence.
Romance this year: You will be in a good mood
throughout the year as your partner will provide you with
lots of love, care and concern. If you are unmarried, this
year may end our bachelorhood or spinsterhood.
Lucky month: November, January, April and May
12th July, 2015
Ruled planet: Jupiter Ruled by no: 3
Traits in you: The influence of the planet Jupiter makes
you realistic, dignified, idealistic, and committed towards your work. Being highly social, you are pretty
much interested in making new friends and roam different naturally attractive places.
Health this year: You may have to celebrate religious
functions very frequently at your place to find peace of
mind.
Finance this year: If you are into business, this year is
supposed to bring you lots of success personally and financially. You will be able to grow in financial status
with the help of your previous investments and paternal
properties. You may land up in critical problems if you
share your business secrets with your friends, colleagues
and partners. You should not borrow or lend money to
anyone to avoid future discrepancies.

Career this year: You have inborn leadership skills. So

you do not like to follow anyone and you want to always
stay ahead of others in every field. You should work on
your mood swings and stubbornness not to lose any opportunity to grow in your profession.
Romance this year: You may get influenced by a person
of opposite gender and it may bring drastic changes in
your life.
Lucky month: December, February and June
13th July, 2015
Ruled planet: Uranus Ruled by no: 4
Traits in you: As you are influenced by Uranus, you are
born dynamic, elegant, confident, studious and reliable.
You are efficient and determined enough to execute
every task you are assigned. This makes you distinguished from the others. You are always assigned an important and crucial position to handle as you are able to
take responsibility and take care of it. However, you
should not show your jealousy over few things to add
value to your personality.
Health this year: Work pressure may show its bad effect
on your health and weaken you. To avoid health issues,
take your food on time and practice physical exercise to
stay fit and healthy. You may visit various pilgrimages to
attain peace of mind.
Finance this year: You have to invest intellectually by
completely studying the market conditions else you may
face huge loses. If you are in import/export business of
garments, you may expect drastic increase in your profit. If you are a builder, you will be in huge profit later this
year.
Career this year: This year you will be flooded with opportunities to perform and grow in your professional career. If you are planning to move abroad for business purpose, you will get good news as per your expectations.
You may plan for foreign trips for professional requirements
Romance this year: You will be very happy with your
relationship with your spouse or partner as you will get
timely support and advice.
Lucky month: October, April, May and June
14th July, 2015
Ruled planet: Mercury Ruled by no: 5
Traits in you: Your ruling planet blesses you to be intelligent, rational, dynamic and highly daring. Your foresightedness is exceptional though you fail to convert
your plans because of your lack in interest, casual behavior and frequent mood swings.

Health this year: As your parents will remain sick, you

may take stress for their health.
Finance this year: You should not get into new business
or any kind of new partnership as it may prove to be very
disappointing this year. You should go through the contracts vividly before signing it as huge money will be involved with it. You should not get into financial commitments before thinking its positives and negatives.
Later this year, you may be able to earn some financial
and personal benefits.
Career this year: You will grow as a profession by acquiring knowledge over new technologies. Your skillsets
will enable you to work efficiently, which in return will
give you apromotion or salary hike.
Romance this year: You may get involved in a new romantic relationship through your friends. If you are married, you will be enjoying a very good relationship with
your spouse throughout the year.
Lucky month: July, September, December and March
15th July, 2015
Ruled planet: Venus Ruled by no: 6
Traits in you: Venus, being your ruling planet makes
you lively, elegant, attractive, helpful, diplomatic and realistic. You have a charismatic personality and your confidence makes you popular in your friend circle. However, you should work on your nature of being outspoken
and restless.
Health this year: If you have some chronic disorders,
you need to get your medical checkup done on a regular
basis. You may try meditation and yoga for better results.
Finance this year: Your financial status will be improved this year followed by your new business plans.
You will be successful in multiplying your investments,
which would result in exceptional profits this time
around.
Career this year: You will be able to implement all your
learnings and education in your profession and this will
bring you lots of appreciation, respect and even a promotion.
Romance this year: Towards the end of the year you
may get married. If you are not planning to marry this
year, you may continue with your romantic relationship.
Lucky month: August, November and January
16th July, 2015
Ruled planet: Neptune Ruled by no: 7
Traits in you: Being ruled by Neptune, you are the master of all the positive characteristics. You are reliable,
loving, caring, creative, and very much emotional. What-

ever may be the situation, you always smile and that

makes your nature an attractive one. You can easily make
friends. Despite being very intelligent, you do not have
control on your arrogance and stubbornness. To become
an improved individual, you need to work on your negative characteristics.
Health this year: You will enjoy a sound health this
year. However, sickness of a family member will be the
reason of concern for you.
Finance this year: You need to work hard this year to
get maximum benefits from your previous investments.
You will get enough support from your family members
if you suffer losses and they will also help you take crucial financial decisions. If you want financial growth,
you should visit overseas for the same. You will get
chances to meet popular and influential individuals during your foreign trips.
Career this year: You will be successfully completing
you previous pending projects and works and this will
bring you satisfaction and mental peace.
Romance this year: You will be deeply involved in the
romantic relationship you are currently in. You may decide to get married this year.
Lucky month: October, January and April
17th July, 2015
Ruled planet: Saturn Ruled by no: 8
Traits in you: Your governing planet Saturn helps you
become elegant, realistic, truthful, disciplined, and creative. By nature you are helpful and committed to your
friends so you will enjoy respect in your friend circle.
However, you have to work on your nature of being jealous and rigid.
Health this year: Some young family member may fall
sick and you may feel stresses and concerned for the
same.
Finance this year: This year, you will be able to find
various profitable investment opportunities. However,
you need to be selective in investing your money. Do a
vivid research on market conditions and risk factors before going for any investment. You should not disclose
your plans to the people you do not trust as it may cause
problems in future. You will be able to expand your business by partnering with other profitable associates.
Career this year: You will be highly rewarded this year
if you are a journalist, doctor and marketing
professional
Romance this year: If you are eligible for marriage, it
may happen this year.
Lucky month: December, February, April and July

30

SPIRITUAL AWARENESS

July 11-17, 2015

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Moral Dimensions of Leadership

By Sant Rajinder Singh

Ji Maharaj
o be a leader requires knowing what to do, and why to
do it. Enthusiasm, motivation, skill, and knowing how to do
things right is not enough. We have
to know whether it is the right
thing to do. For that, moral leadership is required.
Moral leadership has two central
aspects: understanding our true self
and serving others. True leaders
need knowledge of the self that
gives access to an inner moral
compass that guides our activities
and gives direction for those who
follow us. A clear and simple directive has come to us through the
ages:Know Thyself.
Leadership is about who we are
, and what we do.Along with
learning to act as a leader, we must
possess the characteristics, behavior and habits of mind and heart of
true leaders. True leaders have the
courage to confront the meaning of
existence. They have the courage

to live in a manner that offer meaning to others, By their example,

they inspire hope in others that
they too can become one of Gods
noble works. Such leadership transcends organizational leadership
an d also moral leadership. It is life
leadership. Such leaders enter
within their own hearts and souls,
engage in self-analysis, and connect with the spiritual force within
themselves. They become connected to the limitless spiritual power
within and radiate unmatched
strength of character and will. Yet
they are the most humble and compassionate of leaders. True leadership is not acting a certain way; it
is a reflection of who we are within.
Many focus on the routines of
life, such as waking up, getting
dressed, eating, driving, working to
earn a living, coming home, and
repeating the cycle the following
day. We go through life growing
up, having a job, raising a family,
retiring, and then passing away. We
wonder if that is all there is to
human existence. Those who raise
this question cannot rest until they
find answers. They conclude that
there is a higher power within that
guides us. That inner spiritual
power is the source of morals,
virtues, power, and life. It does not
matter what name we call it
whether God, consciousness, soul
that power is within, enlivening
each of us.
Once we contact the eternal spiri-

tual power, we connect with the

source of the qualities of true leaders. We automatically and effortlessly inculcate the virtues and
characteristics associated with
great leaders.
The second aspect of leadership
is service. Great moral leaders of

Those who are spiritually aware

see the same power enlivening all
creation. A life of service is based
on deep spiritual and moral principles that are understood and internalized when we contact the Truth
within. Intellectually understanding service does not provide the

tual growth and service. If we tap

into spiritual sources within, we
will become leaders whose lives
will inspire others to follow and
who will be a blessing to those we
meet. We need dedication and perseverance to achieve anything. For
those who turn towards spiritual

Great moral leaders of history have

saidthat service
before self was
the key to a full
and

rewarding

life. A leader must

be a servant first.
It is by serving
others that we
earn the right to
lead them.
history have said that service
before self was the key to a full and
rewarding life. A leader must be a
servant first. It is by serving others
that we earn the right to lead them.
We may act as leaders , but we
must be servants to lead meaningfully. How is it possible?

conviction we need when we are

tested, as we most certainly be, by
people and circumstances.
Becoming a true leader is about
becoming a true human being.
Leadership is a product of deep,
ongoing self-analysis. It is about
choosing a life committed to spiri-

path, moral leadership will come

without fail. We do not need to act
or pose. Our moral leadership and
spiritual strength will flow from
our words and actions and will
reach the hearts of others as naturally and inevitably as a stream
flows towards its source.

Mysticism, the Science that Injects Life with Peace and Joy
By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj
ysticism, rightly understood, is the most universal
and fundamental approach to achieving an integrated and fulfilling life. In a world that has made such
remarkable scientific and material progress, the challenge
before us, individually and collectively, is to make similarly
spectacular progress in the spiritual sphere.
Each of us is allotted a limited amount of time on earth.
During this time we have a unique opportunity to investigate
the purpose for which we were born and try to understand the
meaning of life itself.
The desire to know and understand things seems to be
innate in human beings.
Scientists are engaged in this pursuit, but the tools they use
are limited to those that are physical and intellectual. Over
the years, saints and mystics have unraveled the mysteries of
life and death and have discovered that complete understanding could only be gained at the spiritual level. Because the
spiritual pursuit deals with realms of experience that ultimately transcend that which is physical and mental, it seems
mysterious. That is why this approach came to be known as
mysticism.
Mysticism, however, is a science that injects life with
understanding, joy, peace, and love. It is a practical approach
to living that enriches our inner life and enriches our relationships with others. The basic premise of mysticism is that
each of us, in reality, is a soul inhabiting a physical body for
a rather short period of time. It may be twenty, forty, sixty,
eighty, or even a hundred years, but in the not too distant
future, each of us will die and leave this world.
Where did our soul come from before we entered this
world? Where will it go after we leave here? What is the purpose of this world, and of life itself? These questions are fun-

Where did our soul come from

before we entered this world?
Where will it go after we leave
here? What is the purpose of
this world, and of life itself?
These questions are
fundamental to understanding
our human existence.

damental to understanding our human existence.

The mystics are those enlightened individuals who have
searched and found the answers to these questions. They tell
us that the purpose of our life is to reunite our soul with its
Creator, and they offer to teach us a method by which we can
do so. Throughout the ages many methods have been taught
to achieve this union, but in our contemporary world, we
need an approach that takes into account the realities of modern life. Such an approach to mysticism offers unlimited
opportunities for improving our lives and improving the lives
of people throughout the globe.
The beginning of our souls journey is the contact with the
Light and Sound of God. The Light and Sound current flows
out from God, but it also flows back to God.
We can catch this current at the point of the third or single
eye. That is the connectin point between our soul in the body
and the Light and Sound current emanating from the Creator.
If we can concentrate our attention at that point, we can soar
on it back through the higher regions of existence. The current will ultimately lead us to our primary Source, back to the
Lord. The method is simple. As we gaze within, we transcend
awareness of body-consciousness into realms of Light and
Sound within. As we continue this process we will prove to
ourselves that there is Light and Sound beyond, that we can
exist separately from the physical body, and that there are
higher realms of divine consciousness. The test is to prove it
to ourselves. Those who spend time daily in this process have
had success in proving the hypothesis that there is an existence beyond this world.
Through meditation on the inner Light and Sound we can
achieve the peace, harmony, love, and bliss that we so desperately seek, and we can be a part of an ever increasing
group of people who are spreading peace and human unity
throughout the world.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

July 11-17, 2015