Vol-8-Issue-37 Jan-30 - Feb-5 - 2016

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A birdseye view of Rajpath with the 67th Republic
Day Parade in progress in New Delhi. (Photo: PIB)
Republic
Day
celebrated
across US
Snow in DC and
NYC could not
dampen the spirit
Washington, DC:
Indian
Ambassador to the US, Arun K.
Singh led India's 67th Republic
Day ce lebrations across the
country, unfurling the tricolor at
the Indian Embassy here on
January 26.
A large number of eminent
Indian Americans gathered at
the embassy on Tuesday even as
the capital city and its surround
ing areas were yet to recover
from a major blizzard over the
weekend that dumped two feet
of snow.
Ambassador Singh addressed
the Indian community and read
out the speech of President
Pranab Mukherjee delivered on
the eve of Republic Day.
Similar Republic Day celebra
tions were held at other Indian
diplomatic missions in New
York, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta
and San Francisco and the
Permanent Mission of India to
the UN.
In New York, Consul General
Dnyaneshwar Mulay hosted a
reception attended by a large
number of prominent communi
ty leaders and dignitaries includ
ing PR of India to the UN, Amb.
Syed Akbaruddin, Consul
General of Bang ladesh Md.
Shameem Ahsan and TV Asias
HR Shah..
T he Federation of Indian
Associations (FIA) hosted the
Republic Day celebrations over
the weekend in Chicago on
January 24. Said Ausaf Sayeed,
Consul General in Chicago, who
For the first time, a

contingent from the
French 35th Infantry
Regiment was given the
honor of leading the
marching contingents at
the parade celebrating
Indias 67th Republic
Day in New Delhi.
New Delhi: Over the years, the Republic Day
parade in the national capital has come to be
associated with an equal mix of military preci
sion and a glimpse of the country's diverse cul
tural heritage and so it was this 26thJanuary
except that everything this year was rather busi
nesslike and minimalistic. The display of mili
tary prowess was without
flourish. President
Pranab Mukherjee
took the salute from
an enclosed
podium on the magnificent Rajpath boulevard as

the Chief Guest for the occasion, French
President Francois Hollande, looked on at the
passing men and machines of the services. For
the first time, a contingent from the
French 35th Infantry
Regiment elements of
which had served in
India in 178184
was given the honor
of leading the march
ing contingents and it performed with panache,

preceded by a pipes and drums band and salut
ing in a rather unusual style with the right hand
held straight across the chest. The celebrations
began with Prime Minister Narendra Modi
dressed in a brown bandgalla suit and sport
ing a saffron Gujarati turban driving to
the Amar Jawan Jyoti memorial to the
Unknown Soldier at India Gate and lay
ing a wreath in honor of the countless
Indian soldiers who have died in bat
tles since World War I.
Modi then drove up to
the saluting base to
receive
President
Continued on page 6
Continued on page 6
RDay Special pages 532
VOX POPULI 32
President Pranab Mukherjee, French President Francois Hollande and PM Narendra Modi at the ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
US AFFAIRS 39
BOLLYWOOD 40
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 44
excellence in journalism
REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
CELEBRATIONS
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
DESPITE TERROR THREATS,

R-DAY ENDS IN PEACE
Across the country,
governors and chief
ministers unfurled the
national flag and took salute
from military and police
units. Despite the terror
threats, the celebrations
went off peacefully
everywhere.
New Delhi: India's 67th Republic
Day was celebrated across cities
and towns with the country's mili
tary might on display in the capital
where French troops made history
by joining the impressive parade.
French President Francois
Hollande, the chief guest, watched
admiringly the 90minute splen
dour where President Pranab
Mukherjee took salute from the mil
itary. It ended with colourful
tableaux marking India's cultural
diversity, a daredevil motorcycle
show and a grand flypast by air
force fighters.
Across the country, governors and
chief ministers unfurled the nation
al flag and took salute from military
and police units. The celebrations
went off peacefully everywhere.
A contingent from the French
35th Infantry Regiment elements

of which served in India in 178184
got the honor of leading the
marching contingents and it per
formed with panache, preceded by a
pipes and drums band. It is the first
time a foreign army unit took part
in the event.
The French apart, there was much
that was dif ferent this time. The
armored element was bareboned
just the T90 Bhishma main battle
tank and the BMP infantry combat
vehicle the marching contingents
were fewer, as were the massed
bands. In another break with tradi
tion, the young recipients of the
National Awards for Bravery came
up towards the end.
At the of ficial function at the
Maualana Azad stadium in Jammu,
Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N.
Vohra hoped the state will get an
elected government soon.
He also paid tribute to late chief
minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed,
whose death on January 7 led to
Governor's Rule in the troubled
state. Peoples Democratic Party
president Mehbooba Mufti, tipped
to lead a new PDPled government
in the state, attended the Republic
Day event in Srinagar.
In Srinagar, separatist leaders
were put under house arrest to foil
protests.
In Maharashtra, Governor C.V.
President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chief
Guest French President Francois Hollande at the saluting dais at Rajpath. (Photo: PIB)
Rao unfurled the national flag and
took the ceremonial salute in
Mumbai. Lakhs of people enthusias
tically took part in events in
Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik and
elsewhere.
The day was celebrated across
Karnataka with patriotic fervour.
Governor Vajubhai R. Vala hoisted
the tricolour and reviewed guard of
honour at the Manekshaw Parade
Ground in Bengaluru.
Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah
unfurled the national flag at the
Marina beach in Chennai and took
the salute from contingents of the
Rafale done,
Pakistan given a snub
New Delhi: Only the financial
details need to be worked out in
finalizing the muchawaited pur
chase of Rafale fighter aircraft
from France, adding that it would
be concluded soon, said Prime
Minister Narendra Modi as India
and France signed the Rafale deal.
India and France also came out
w ith a joint statement which
talked about the need for "all
countries to effectively deal with
terrorism emanating from their
territory or territories under their
control".
"Only financial aspects of the
Rafale deal is left. The intergov
ernmental agreement has been
finalised. It will be done soon," the
prime minister told reporters
after delegationlevel talks with
French President Francois
Hollande here.
On his part, Hollande said: "We
signed an intergovernmental
agreement (IGA) on Rafale deal. It
is a decisive step for India to pur
chase the fighter jets and also for
France to make them available to
Modi and Francois Hollande at the

IndiaFrance Business Summit in
Chandigarh. (Photo: PIB)
a great country like India."
Re ferring to the financial
aspects of the deal, Hollande said:
"That will be sorted out soon."
"Dassault Aviation is very pleased
with this progress, and is actively
supporting French authorities in
their efforts to finalize a complete
agreement within the next four
weeks," the company said in a
statement from Saint Cloud in
France. The Indian Air Force (IAF)
had shortlisted Rafale for induc

tion into its frontline combat fleet,
replacing the ageing Sovietera
MiG21 squadron but the deal did
not materialize for long. They
agreed to intensify cooperation in
homeland security, cyber security,
special forces and intelligence
sharing. Terrorism, they said, can
not be justified under any circum
stance, regardless of its motiva
t ion. Earlier in Chandig arh,
addressing the IndiaFrance
Business Summit, Modi said India
and France had huge potential to
work together in various fields.
Modi pitched for investment in
India by French companies, say
ing India had a lot to of fer in
terms of skilled workforce and as
a market for French products.
CEOs of 25 Indian and French
companies attended the business
summit. Modi earlier received
Hollande at the Rock Garden,
after the president flew into the
city created by French architect
Le Corbusier to start his threeday
official visit to India.
armed forces. Chief Minister J.

Jayalalithaa and thousands of peo
ple enjoyed the colourful floats.
The main event in Rajasthan took
place in Bikaner, where Governor
Kalyan Singh unfurled the Indian
flag in a packed Karni Singh
Stadium. Chief Minister Vasundhara
Raje attended the event.
Odisha Governor S.C. Jamir
unfurled
the
tricolor
in
Bhubaneswar. Chief Minister
Naveen Patnaik hoisted it in
Cuttack. Maoist calls to boycott the
celebrations failed to evoke any
response. Punjab Deputy Chief
Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal

unfurled the national flag at
Bathinda as his father and Chief
Minister Parkash Singh Badal, 88, is
unwell. Haryana Governor Kaptan
Singh Solanki unfurled the flag in
Chandigarh. Chief Minister
Manohar Lal Khattar did so in
Gurgaon.
West Bengal Governor K.N.
Tripathi took the salute at a colorful
marchpast from the army, navy and
air force personnel on the Indira
Gandhi Sarani in Kolkata. Chief
Minister Mamata Banerjee also
attended.
HOLLANDE PRAISES
COFFEE'S JOURNEY
Karnataka tableau during the Republic Day parade on Rajpath.

(Photo: IANS/PIB)
New Delhi: French President Francois Hollande was among the digni
taries who paid special attention to a depiction of how coffee is grown
and brewed in Kodagu on the Karnataka tableau at the 67th Republic
Day parade, a official said. "Our tableau depicting facets of coffee from
beans to beverage made an impressive show at the RDay parade on
Rajpath, drawing special attention of VVIPs, including Hollande,
President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi," state
information deputy director H. Srinivas told IANS.
As the 11th state tableau to roll on Rajpath, the theme in sculptures
showed a woman in traditional garb plucking red berries in a planta
tion, another drying them, a third carrying them in a basket, while a
man processed the beans in a roaster and converted them into powder
for brewing into steaming aromatic cup of coffee in a steel filter.
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
Akbaruddin presents
credentials as UN
Permanent
Representative of India
By Arul Louis
United Nations: Promising India's
unwavering support for UN's devel
opment and peace ideals, Syed
Akbaruddin presented his credentials
Monday to SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki
moon as the 21st Permanent
Representative of India to the world
body.
Welcoming him, Ban said that he
appreciated India's significant role at
the UN as a longtrusted partner of
the multilateral system. Reiterating
India's commitment to the UN,
Akbaruddin assured the secretary
general of his fullest support in help
ing fulfill the priorities the latter had
set for this year, including the quest
for peaceful political solutions for
international conflicts and working
towards the developmental goals of
Agenda 2030.
Akbaruddin brings to the crucial
diplomatic posting at the heart of the
193member organization a trove of
rich experience and contacts from his
stints at an international body, as the
organizer of the recent IndiaAfrica
Summit and from serving as Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's de facto
spokesperson during his many for
eign tours.
Akbaruddin succeeds Asoke Kumar
Mukerji who retired at the end of last
year.
This is the second turn at the UN
for Akbaruddin, who joined the
Indian Foreign Service in 1985. He
served in India's UN Mission as a first
secretary from 1995 to 1998, when
he fo cused on Security Council
re form, a matter that assumes
Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin presenting credentials to

UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Kimoon.
urgency in his current role as the
longdelayed process is finally gain
ing traction.
Another topic he specialized in the
1990s assignment was peacekeep
ing, which continues to be an area of
Indias major contribution to the UN.
Currently 7,798 Indians are serving
in UN peacekeeping operations.
Historically India has been the
biggest contributor to UN peacekeep
ing, having sent more than 180,000
Indian troops to 48 of the 69 UN mis
sions so far.
Akbaruddin also brings an insider's
insight into the workings of interna
tional organizations from his work at
the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) in Vienna from 2006
to 2011. He worked at the IAEA as

the head of external relations and as
the special assistant to the director
general. His most recent position at
the External Affairs Ministry was as
Chief Coordinator of the IndiaAfrica
Forum Summit held last October in
New Delhi with all 54 African nations
participating. With Africa forming
the largest single group at the UN,
this experience gives him a rich
Rolodex of contacts.
Before that he was the External
Af fairs Ministry' of ficial spokesper
son from 2012 to 2015 when he
attended several multilateral and
bilateral meetings at the ministerial
and prime ministerial levels.
IANS
Chairman and Co-Founder

Kamlesh C. Mehta
Associate Editors:
Hiral Dholakia-Dave
Co-Founder: Saroosh Gull
Contributing Editors: Meenakshi Iyer,

Nilima Madan, Melvin Durai,
Dr Prem Kumar Sharma, Ashok Vyas,
Dr Akshat Jain, Ashok Ojha
President: Arjit Mehta
TURN PAGE
Military precision, glimpses of heritage

Continued from page 3
Mukherjee and the visiting French President.
The President's Bodyguard presented the national salute,
the tricolor was unfurled and the national anthem was played
to set the tone for a rather poignant moment the posthu
mous presentation of the Ashok Chakra, the country's highest
gallantry award in peacetime. It was presented this year to the
widow of Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami of the Parachute
Regiment, who laid down his life while fighting terrorists in
Kashmir last September.
The French contingent apart, there was much that was dif
ferent this time around. The armored element was bareboned
just the T90 Bhishma main battle tank and the BMP infantry
combat vehicle the marching contingents were fewer, as
were the massed bands.
Then, instead of a marching continent of exservicemen,
there was a tableau dedicated to them in the first part of the
parade, an army dog squad with handlers made an appear
ance after 26 years, and the camelmounted troopers of the
Border Security Force brought up the rear of the parade's mili
tary element.
Still, there were the perennials, most notably soldiers of the
Parachute Regiment trotting down in quick time in full battle
gear, tableaux and marching contingents of the Indian Navy
and the Indian Air Force, and also a representation of the cen
tral paramilitary forces like the CRPF and the Assam Rifles.
But, in another break with tradition, the young recipients of
the National Awards for Bravery came up towards the end, fol
lowed by the children's pageant, a daredevil motorcycle dis
play by the Corps of Signals, and a grand flypast by fighters,
heavylift transports and helicopters of the Indian Air Force.
In between all this were the tableaux, 23 of them, represent
ing 17 states and six central ministries, showcasing among
others the government's flagship Digital India and Swachh
Bharat initiatives. As the event ended, the stands quickly emp
tied out, with many perhaps wondering what Beating Retreat
ceremony on Friday, the precision display by the massed
bands of the three services which brings the Republic Day cel
ebrations to a close, would have in store.
IANS
Republic Day celebrated across US

Continued from page 3
was the chief guest, "While different organizations represent
ing IndianAmericans may separately celebrate dif ferent
events under their respective banners, all of them should
come forward to join hands to have one single united celebra
tion for two events of great national importance
Independence Day and Republic Day."
Indian Americans in Houston too observed the Republic Day
with great fanfare and patriotic fervor. A flag hoisting ceremo
ny was held at the residence of Consul General Parvatheneni
Harish. Despite a chilly morning and a working day, a large
number of guests attended the event.
Source: PTI
Jaipur (India) Bureau

Prakash Bhandari
Prakash@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
IANS Washington Bureau

Arun Kumar
arun.kumar@ians,in
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PRESIDENTS SPEECH
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
Guard against intolerance,

embrace consensus: Pranab
New Delhi: President Pranab
Mukherjee has urged Indians to
shun "violence, intolerance and
unreason" and said that decision
making must be based on coopera
tion and consensusbuilding.
In his annual Republic Day eve
address, the president also said
that while rebellion was also a
virtue of democracy, "let us also
applaud what our democracy has
achieved" since independence in
1947. Saying reverence for the
past was one of the essential ingre
dients of nationalism, he said that
it was important to ensure that all
citizens got justice, equality, and
gender and economic equity.
"When grim instances of vio
lence hit at these established val
ues which are at the core of our
nationhood, it is time to take note,"
he said.
"We must guard ourse lves
against the forces of violence,
intolerance and unreason."
The president said that to revi
talize the forces of growth, the
country needed reforms and pro
gressive legislation.
"It is the bounden duty of the law
makers to ensure that such legisla
tion is enacted after due discussion
and debate.
"A spirit of accommodation,
cooperation and consensusbuild
ing should be the preferred mode
of decisionmaking."
Saying no one nation could be an
oasis of growth, he pointed out
that India's economy also faced the
blowback. Nature was also unkind
to India last year, he added, refer
President Pranab Mukherjee addresses the nation on the eve of 67th Republic Day celebration at
Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. (Photo: IANS/RB)
ring to drought and floods, affect
ing rural income and employment.
India, he said, was building and
implementing strategies to solve
these problems.
"This year, with an estimated
growth rate of 7.3 percent, India is
poised to become the fastest grow
ing large economy. Contraction in
global oil prices has helped main
tain external sector stability and
control domestic prices. Despite
occasional setbacks, industrial per
formance this year has been
strong."
Mukherjee said there "will be,
amongst us, occasional doubters

and baiters. Let us continue to
complain; to demand; to rebel. This
too is a virtue of democracy.
"But let us also applaud what our
democracy has achieved."
He said with investments in
infrastructure, manufacturing,
health, education, science and
technology, India was positioning
itself to achieve a higher growth
rate which in 1015 years will help
banish poverty.
The president said that as the
20th century ended with a remark
able revolution in science and
technology, there were reasons for

optimism that the 21st century
would see the last of extreme
poverty.
"That optimism has faded in the
first 15 years of this century," he
said, adding the scourge of terror
ism had reshaped war into its most
barbaric manifestation. "Terrorism
is inspired by insane objectives,
motivated by bottomless depths of
hatred, instigated by puppeteers
who have invested heavily in havoc
through the mass murder of inno
cents.
"This is war beyond any doctrine,
a cancer which must be operated

out with a firm scalpel. There is no
good or bad terrorism; it is pure
evil."
He said terrorists seek to under
mine order by rejecting the very
basis of strategic stability, "which
are recognized borders. If outlaws
are able to unravel borders, then
we are heading towards an age of
chaos". Without taking any coun
try's name, the president said that
there were bound to be disputes
among nations.
"As is wellknown, the closer we
are to a neighbour the higher the
propensity for disputes. There is a
civilized way to bridge disagree
ment; dialogue, ideally, should be a
continual engagement.
"But we cannot discuss peace
under a shower of bullets."
The president lauded the many
government schemes including
Aadhaar, the Pradhan Mantri Jan
Dhan Yojana, the Saansad Adarsh
Gram Yojana, the Digital India pro
gramme, the Pradhan Mantri Fasal
Bima Yojana and MGNREGA.
The MakeinIndia campaign, he
said, will boost manufacturing by
facilitating easy conduct of busi
ness and improving competitive
ness of domestic industry.
"The Startup India programme
will foster innovation and encour
age newage entrepreneurship.
The National Skill Development
Mission envisages skilling 300 mil
lion youth by 2022."
The president ended his speech
with Tagore's immortal words:
Move ahead, the roll of drums
announce your triumphal march;
With feet of glory, you shall cut
out your own path;
Delay not, delay not, a new age
dawns.
EXCERPTS FROM THE PRESIDENT'S R-DAY EVE SPEECH
n the eve of the 67th

Republic Day of our
nat ion, I extend warm
greetings to all of you in India
and abroad. I convey my special
greetings to members of our
Armed Forces, paramilitary forces
and Internal Security Forces. I
pay my tribute to the brave sol
diers who made the supreme sac
rifice of their lives in defending
India's territorial integrity and in
upholding the rule of law.
The year 2015 has been a year
of challenges. During this year,
the global economy remained
subdued. Unpredictability ruled
the
commo dity
markets.
Uncertainty marked the institu
tional responses. In such troubled
environment, no one nation could
be an oasis of growth. India's

economy also had to face the
blowback. Weak investor senti
ments led to withdrawal of funds
from emerging markets including
India putting pressure on the
Indian rupee. Our exports suf
fered. Our manufacturing sector
is yet to recover fully.
In 2015, we were also denied
the bounty of nature. While large
parts of India were af fected by
severe droug ht, other areas
reeled under devastating floods.
Unusual weather condit ions
impacted our agricultural produc
t ion. Rural employment and
income levels suffered.
Aadhaar, with its present reach
of 96 crore people, is helping in
direct transfer of benefits, plug
ging leakages and improving

transparency. Over 19 crore bank
accounts opened under the
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
is the single largest exercise in
the world at financial inclusion.
The Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana
aims to create model villages. The
Digital India programme is an
effort to bridge the digital divide.
The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima
Yojana targets farmer's welfare.
Increased spending on pro
grammes like MGNREGA is aimed
at enhancing employment gener
ation to rejuvenate the rural
economy.
The MakeinIndia campaign
will boost manufacturing by facil
itating easy conduct of business
and improving competitiveness of
domestic industry. The Startup

India programme will foster inno
vation and encourage newage
entrepreneurship. The National
Skill Development Mission envis
ages skilling 300 million youth
by 2022.
Reverence for the past is one of
the essent ial ing redients of
nationalism. Our finest inheri
tance, the institutions of democ
racy, ensure to all citizens justice,
equality, and gender and econom
ic equity. When grim instances of
violence hit at these established
values which are at the core of
our nationhood, it is time to take
note. We must guard ourselves
against the forces of violence,
intolerance and unreason. Peace
is the primary objective of a
rational consciousness as well as

our moral universe. It is the foun
dation of civilization and a neces
sity for economic progress. And
yet, we have never been able to
answer a simple question: why
does peace remain so elusive?
Why has peace been so much
more dif ficult to attain than
degenerate conflict?
Terrorism is inspired by insane
objectives, motivated by bottom
less depths of hatred, instigated
by puppeteers who have invested
heavily in havoc through the
mass murder of innocents. This is
war beyond any doctrine, a can
cer which must be operated out
with a firm scalpel. There is no
goo d or bad terrorism; it is
pure evil...
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
THE PARADE
Many happy,
others wanted more
By Mohd Asim Khan
New Delhi: It was a somewhat dif
ferent experience for thousands of
people who braved the early
morning chill to w itness the
parade on Rajpath on the 67th
Republic Day. T he parade was
shorter compared to previous
years and contingents, bands and
tabaleux coming in quick succes
sion meant people had less time to
soak in the experience. Many went
happy and content while others
expected more.
People started pouring in at the
Rajpath from early morning with
parking enclosures full to capacity
almost two hours be fore the
parade commenced at 10 am.
As Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, elegantly dressed in a fawn
bandhgala suit and a saffron tur
ban alighted from his vehicle, peo
ple cheered and clapped with
many standing up to catch a
glimpse of him. People had to wait
in long queues, sometimes stretch
By Sushil Kumar
New Delhi: They are young, ener
getic, brave and are even willing
to risk their lives to save that of
others.
They are the special 25 brave
sons and daughters of India, who
saved several lives while putting
themselves in lifethreatening sit
uations and not worrying about
their own wellbeing. Hailing from
dif ferent parts of the country,
they received the Nat ional
Bravery Awards for 2015 from
President Pranab Mukherjee at
the Rashtrapathi Bhavan for show
ing exemplary courage without
expecting anything in return.
On Tuesday, these bravehearts
were part of the Republic Day
parade on the magnificent
Rajpath, with the president taking
the salute and his French counter
part Francois Hollande the chief
guest.
Two of them Gaurav Kawduji
Sahastrabuddhe of Maharashtra
and Shivansh Sing h of Uttar
Pradesh were honoured posthu
mously as they died while helping
others in trouble.
Sahastrabuddhe died on June 3,
2014 while trying to save four
boys from drowning in a lake.
They were playing near Ambazari
lake in Nagpur district when one
of them slipped and fell into it.
On seeing this, the other three
President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande
arriving at saluting dais at Rajpath. (Photo: PIB)
ing half a kilometre, due to strin
gent security checks. While the
children were joyous in anticipa
tion of exhilarating sights, adults
seemed to be filled with a sense
pride at the prospect of watching
the country's defence prowess and
cultural diversity from up close.
The enclosures were packed to
capacity. The police refused to
allow my car's central locking key
inside at any cost. I didn't know
what to do as my car was parked

far away. There were more people
like me. So we hid the keys in the
parking lot. Hope we find them,
said Rahul Sharma from Rohini in
west Delhi.
The sky was hazy and the low
flying choppers at the beginning
of the parade were visible for
barely a few seconds. The India
Gate was just a silhouette from the
press enclosure which was diago
nally opposite the saluting base

where the VIP's were seated and
the Rashtrapati Bhavan was com
pletely invisible.
The sight of army dogs, that
returned to Rajpath after 26 years,
and the gaily caparisoned BSF
camels, made the crowd stand up
and cheer. The children looked
particularly charmed with the so
wellbehaved dogs and the swag
gering camels. I had to jostle in
MEET INDIA'S BRAVEHEARTS
Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi felicitated the winners of the
National Bravery Awards in New Delhi. (Photo: PIB)
dived into the water to rescue him
but they too started drowning.
Sahastrabuddhe then jumped into
the lake and saved them one by
one but he himself got so tired in
the process that he could not save
himself and died.
Similarly, Shivansh Singh died
while trying to save his friend
Vivek, who fell in the Saryu river
while bathing. Vivek was in deep
water and was drowning when

Shivansh Singh reached there to
help him. He tried his best and
brought Vivek near the shore.
However, Vivek had died by that
time and Shivansh Singh also died
after a while as he got very tried
in the process.
T heir mothers received the
award from the president on
behalf of their brave sons.
The bravehearts, who looked

cheerful after receiving their
awards, had one sentiment in
common that they would serve
the country or would continue
helping people in need as they
grow up.
"I would like to serve the nation
as I g row up," Rakeshbhai
Shanabhai Patel told IANS, adding:
"We all should help each other in
long queues and had to endure

early morning chill. My little kid
was even tired of walking down
from the parking lot to here. But in
the end it is rewarding, said
Fatima, who came from Old Delhi
to watch the parade.
The huge T90 main battle tanks
did inspire awe, which was further
complimented by the Brahmos
missile coming after them, but
there wasn't much after that in
terms of weaponry.
The tableaux, however, did not
evoke much cheers, neither did the
motorcycle stunts e licit the
expected ovation.
The themes of tableaux seemed
familiar and the design elements
did not impress me, said Vikas
Singh, a resident of Gurgaon.
People also could not get the full
thrill of flypast, the concluding
part of the parade, due to fog. The
Sukhoi SU30 MKI Trishul forma
tion and the breathtaking vertical
charlie by another SU30 was a
bare ly twosecond sig ht. T he
planes quickly disappeared into
the sky, their roar heard till long
after.
Anjali Vyas, who came all the
way from Jaipur to watch the
parade, said she had more expec
tations. I came with so much
expectations. But it was not as
good as I had thought. The contin
gents came close on each others'
heels and there was no time to
soak a sight in. Everything looked
hurried and mechanical, she said.
whatever way we can."
"Serving the nation is my dream.
I think we should continue to
serve our country in whatever
way we can," he said.
Pate l had saved a boy from
drowning. He struggled for over
35 minutes in a well that the boy
had fallen into while playing.
Joena Chakraborty helped her
father retrieve his mobile phone
from a miscreant as she caught
him the leg while he was trying to
run away after snatching the
device. "Anybody who has done
something wrong is to be chal
lenged," Chakraborty told IANS.
"The moment I realised that my
father's mobile phone was
snatched by a man, I, without
loosing a second, started chasing
him. He had a blade in his hand
but it did not deter me to grab
him by his legs," she said. Passers
by caught the snatcher and hand
ed him to the police.
Sarwanand
Saha
of
Chhattisgarh, who saved a man
from drowning in flood water,
said that helping others in dif fi
cult situations should come natu
rally to people.
"I was returning from school
when I saw a man drowning. I
immediate ly jumped into the
water and pulled him out of it," he
told IANS, adding that he did not
fear for his own life as "it all hap
pened without any warning".
Wishing our patients,

staff and friends
staff,
Happy
Republic
Day
Happy
New Year
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
10
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
THE STATES
Rajasthan celebrates
R-Day with fervor
Jaipur: The 67th Republic Day
was celebrated with gaiety, fervor
and enthusiasm in Rajasthan.
Governor Kalyan Singh unfurled
the national flag in a packedto
capacity Karni Singh Stadium
during the statelevel function in
Bikaner, over 340 km from here.
Singh took salute and inspected
the guard of honour amidst
cheers and applause from the
spectators.
Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje

and senior of ficials were also
present on the occasion.
Personnel from the Rajasthan
Armed Constabulary (RAC),
Rajasthan Police, government
railway police (GRP), home
guards, traffic police, NCC cadets
and school children participated
in the parade.
School children and artistes
then performed folk dances to
patriotic songs. Daredevils team
of police performed acrobatics on
motorcycles.
The governor also honoured
of ficers, employees and police
TAMIL NADU
CELEBRATES
REPUBLIC DAY
Governor K Rosaiah.
Chennai: Tamil Nadu celebrated the 67th
Republic Day with patriotic fervor on
Tuesday, with Governor K. Rosaiah
unfurling the tricolor at the Marina
beach here. He also took the salute from
the armed forces and other security
forces. Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, her
ministers and a large number of people
enjoyed the colorful floats. District collec
tors across the state unfurled the nation
al flag and took salute from police con
tingents.
personnels for distinguished and

meritorious services.
T here was tight security in
place in and around the stadium
and in Bikaner town.
In Jaipur, Bharatiya Janata
Party's state unit president Ashok
Parnami unfurled the national
flag at the BJP state head office
while state Congress president
unfurled the national flag at
Pradesh Congress Committee
office.
Reports of similar functions
also came in from Bharatpur,
Tonk, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Kota and
other major cities of the state.
Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh unfurling the national flag in Jaipur.
ANDHRA MAKING BIG STRIDES

DESPITE ODDS: GOVERNOR
Vijayawada: With the double digit growth in
the first half of the current financial year,
Andhra Pradesh is making big strides on the
path of development despite the hurdles it
faced in the wake of bifurcation, Governor
E.S.L. Narasimhan said. Speaking at the 67th
Republic Day celebrations here, he said the
state achieved the growth rate of 11.77 per
cent in first half of 201516 as against the
national average of 7.2 percent.
"This is a remarkable achievement for a
state whose prospects were far from bright
just 19 months ago," he said at the main offi
cial celebration held at Indira Gandhi munici
pal stadium. The governor said while agricul
ture and allied sectors registered a growth of
29.17 percent, the manufacturing and servic
es sectors recorded 6.77 and 9.10 percent
growth respectively. Stating that sustainable
development and inclusive growth are the
guiding principles of the government, he said
"while sustainable development is our aim, we
never lose focus on welfare of common man".
He claimed that both development goals as
well as fruits of the welfare policies were
being realized as planned. "While targeted
double digit growth is becoming reality, the
fruits of welfare schemes are reaching the
needy," said Narasimhan. The governor said
surpassing all expectations, the state succeed
ed in grabbing the eyeballs of the investors at
Telangana and AP Governor ESL Narasimhan

inspects Guard of Honor in Hyderabad.
the recent CII Partnership Summit in
Visakhapatnam by attracting investment of
Rs.4.70 lakh crore.
The governor called birth of new state capi
tal Amaravati as dawn of a new era. It will be
one of the best cities in 21st century.
Within a short period, the state achieved
second position in the World Bank ranking of
states in the ease of doing business. Andhra
Pradesh is aimed to become the number one
state. He described infrastructure mission as
a catalyst for development. It envisages excel
lent global and domestic connectivity through
multimodel transportation to steer the econ
omy in the right direction.
Under the infrastructure mission, the state
will have VisakhapatnamChennai industrial
corridor, BengaluruChennai industrial corri
Patriotism marks R-Day in Karnataka

Bengaluru: The Republic Day was celebrated
across Karnataka with patriotic fervor as
Governor Vajubhai R. Vala hoisted the tri
colour and received guard of honour at the
Manekshaw Parade Ground in the city cen
tre. Clad in a light grey suit, Vala went
around the rectangularshaped ground in an
open jeep and reviewed the parade, waving
at and greeting about 8,000 people who
flocked to the venue on a sunny morning
with winter chill in air.
A military helicopter showered rose petals
over the dais on the ground where Vala
unfurled the national flag and took salute
from military and police battalions and other

contingents. After addressing the gathering
in Hindi, Vala witnessed a colourful march
past by about 20 contingents, including
armed forces, state reserve police, Border
Security Force, civil defence forces, home
guards, fire brigade, Bharat Scouts and
Guides, National Cadet Corps and their
bands.
Boys and girls representing Congress Seva
Dal and about 2,500 students from staterun
and public schools and colleges from across
the city also took part in the marchpast.
Later, the students staged cultural pro
grammes and sang patriotic and devoted

songs, drawing applause and cheers from the
audience. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, state
Home Minister G. Parameshwara, Bengaluru
Development Minister K.J. George, a host of
VIPs, dignitaries and officials, including top
police officers were present on the occasion.
According to reports, the Republic Day was
celebrated with gaiety and fervour peaceful
ly in cities, towns and district headquarters
across the state.
Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala hoists the

national flag in Bengaluru.
dor, two special investment regions, four

major ports, four active airports, national
highway 7, , several SEZs and industrial parks
The government is trying to make the state
drought free by adopting a strategy which
includes prioritizing irrigation projects, inter
linking of rivers and large scale promotion of
drip and sprinkler irrigation.
He listed various steps being taken to give
fillip to agriculture. The state is also ensuring
seven hour free electricity to farmers.
Narasimhan said the government launched
state enterprise architecture epragati which
will change the way citizen services will be
of fered. Designed in collaboration with
Wipro, it offers a bouquet of 600 services to
people across the state. The first phase of e
pragati will be completed by October 2016
while the whole project will be completed by
October 2017 Andhra Pradesh is also set to
become first state in the country to introduce
overhead optic fibre cable network for cable
television and internet connections
Earlier, the governor unfurled the national
flag and reviewed a colorful parade. Various
departments highlighted their initiatives
through tableaux. Chief Minister N.
Chandrababu Naidu, his cabinet colleagues,
Chief Secretary I.Y.R. Ksirhna Rao, Director
General of Police J.V. Ramudu and other top
officials attended the celebrations.
THE STATES
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
11
Despite militants' threat, R-Day

celebrated across Assam
Guwahati: Amid a boycott and
shutdown called by northeastern
militant outfits, the 67th Republic
Day was celebrated peacefully
across Assam with of ficial func
tions well attended by people from
different walks of life.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun
Gogoi hoisted the tricolor at a
function here and said the govern
ment would set up a memorial in
the state to honor the people who
laid down their lives for the free
dom of the country from the colo
nial rule.
"To show our deepest respect
and gratitude to all freedom fight
ers for their selfless service to the
nation, my government has decid

ed to set up a Freedom Fighter
Memorial," Gogoi announced.
Steps have also been taken for
raising freedom fighter's pension
to Rs.20,000 in the current year,
he said, noting that the pension in
2001 (the first of his 14 consecu
tive years of chief ministership)
was only Rs.1500.
Gogoi said his government
would deal with all kinds of terror
ism strongly and has brought 13
militant outfits of the state to the
negotiating table so far.
He hoped that the peace talks
with the United Liberation Front
of Assam (ULFA) faction that sup
ports negot iat ions would get
momentum now after the extradi
tion of the outfit's general secre
tary
Anup
Chet ia
from
Bangladesh. The chief minister
appealed to the antinegotiations
faction of ULFA led by Paresh

Baruah to shun the path of vio
lence and join the national main
stream. Highlighting the develop
mental works of his government,
Gogoi announced that all the col
leges in Assam were to be connect
ed with WiFi network for the bet
terment of the students communi
ty. "Assam has also become the
first state in the country to adopt
sustainable development goal mis
sion," he said.
Gogoi took the opportunity to
criticise the central government,
saying Assam has been suf fering
because its 'special category' sta
tus has been curtailed.
"T here have been fund cuts
under some of the flagship pro
grammes and other important
central funds in the past one year.
The development programmes
have been stagnant due to the
Stunts during the Republic Day parade in

Guwahati, Assam. (Photo: IANS)
fund cut," said Gogoi. He said he
has given several memorandums
to the Prime Minister, appealing to
him to continue the 'special cate
gory' status for the state and the
centrestate funding pattern of
90:10 for all centrally sponsored
schemes.
Gogoi slammed the central gov
ernment for suspending the North
East Industrial and Investment
Promotion Policy (NEIIPP) without
which, he said, "no one will come
to invest in the state".
Indian, Chinese armies

hold border meets
Kids in cartoon characters during the

parade in Mumbai. (Photo: IANS)
KIDS, CARTOON
CHARACTERS PARADE
ON R-DAY IN MUMBAI
Mumbai: A parade here com
memorating the 67th Republic
Day saw a large number of
school children along with car
toon characters marching away
with smile and pride.
The parade was led by a caval
cade of horses trained and pro
vided by the Amateur Riders
Club here, along with contin
gents of security forces from the
navy, air force and army.
There were various cultural
performances like the Lazim,
Bhangra, Gujarati folk songs and
more at the event, where
Poonam Mahajan and Priya Dutt
hoisted the national flag.
Nickelodeon Toons from "Motu
Patlu", "Pakdam Pakdai" and
"Dora The Explore" walked the
parade, and the entertainment
channel's 'superkid' Shiva led the

cycle group with more than 150
children. Together, they promot
ed 'The Big Green Help', an ini
tiative for a greener environ
ment.
"We are happy to have associ
ated with Nickelodeon for the
annual Republic Day Parade in
Mumbai. We loved the Nicktoons
being a part of the parade along
with the children and marching
in respect for the country," said a
source close to the organising
committee.
With over 40 schools partici
pating for the parade and more
than 20,000 spectators, the
channel along with the children
had a oneofakind experience
to salute the country and honour
the heroes, read a statement.
Jammu: Indian and Chinese armies held bor

der personnel meetings on the Line of Actual
Control (LAC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Ladakh
region to commemorate India's 67th Republic
Day. The Indian Army's Udhampur headquar
tered Northern Command spokesman, Colonel
S.D. Goswami told IANS here: "On the occasion
of the 67th Republic Day of India, Ceremonial
Border Personnel Meetings between the
troops of Indian Army and Chinese People's
Liberation Army were held in eastern Ladakh."
"At the ChushulMoldo Meeting Point, the
delegations were led by Brigadier R.S. Raman
and Senior colonel Cheng Zheng Shan while at
the Daulat Beg Oldie Meeting Point, the dele
gations were led by Colonel B.S. Uppal and
Lieutenant Colonel Duanyug Kang," Goswmi
said. "The proceedings commenced with cere
monial flag hoisting of both the countries fol
lowed by the military commanders of both
sides delivering speeches which exuded
warmth and a spirit of friendship and bon
homie." "Thereafter, a cultural programme
showcasing vibrant Indian culture and tradi
tional grandeur was organised."
INDIAN, PAK ARMIES

EXCHANGE GREETINGS
AT LOC
Jammu: Indian and Pakistan armies exchanged greetings
and sweets on the occasion of the Republic Day at the Line
of Control (LoC) here.
"On the occasion of the 67th Indian Republic Day, troops
of India and Pakistan exchanged sweets at Poonch
Rawalakot crossing point and Mendhar Hot Spring cross
ing point in Krishna Ghati sector of Jammu and Kashmir,"
Lieutenant Colonel Manish Mehta told IANS here. The offi
cers of the two neighboring armies have been holding peri
odic flag meetings to ensure peace on the LoC in Kashmir.
R-Day celebrated with

traditional fervor in UP
Lucknow: The 67th Republic Day
of India was celebrated with usual
fervor across Uttar Pradesh.
Governor Ram Naik took the salute
at the ceremonial parade here.
After hoisting the tricolor, he
called on the people of the state to
work for unity and prosperity of
the state and the country.
Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav
along with his family, ministerial
colleagues and bureaucrats were
also present at the event as dozens
of tableaux rolled down on the
Vidhan Sabha road as part of the

pageant. As school children, attired
in colorful dresses marched past
the VVIP enclosure, while the polit
ical leaders and general public on
both sides of the road loudly
cheered and applauded.
T he tableau depict ing the
Lucknow Metro Rail evoked
biggest cheer.
Similar functions were held in
many parts of the state where min
isters, senior officials and district
magistrates took the salute.
The Bharatiya Janata Party also

celebrated the Republic Day at the
party office.
Congress party celebrated the
day at the party office, as former
minister Ram Krishna Dwivedi
unfurled the national flag. Various
state party leaders attended the
special occasion.
Security was beefed up across
the state on the Republic Day in
the light of intelligence inputs that
terrorists might target the parades
and functions at some places.
14
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
HOLLANDE IN INDIA
Modi goes stylish, Hollande looks

suave at R-Day parade
New Delhi: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, known for his sar
torial taste, chose a welltailored
fawncolored bandhgala with a
saf fron Gujarat i turban; as
opposed to the crisp white shirt
and formal suit sported by French
President Francois Hollande, the
chief guest at the 67th Republic
Day Parade here.
Hollande, who keenly watched
the colourful parade that show
cased India's military proweess
and cultural diversity, looked
suave and dapper in tune with the
perception that French men have
a style of their own.
Alongside him was Modi, whose
traditional look for the special
occasion left Indian designers
impressed.
He was as "appropriate ly"
dressed for the event as he is at
other times, said fashion designer
Amit GT, who has earlier show
cased his creations in Paris, Milan
and Vienna.
"His bandhgalas are always
immaculately tailored. His look
during the Republic Day was
appropriate, if not fashion for
ward.
He has to connect with all citi
zens of India, so if he sports a tur
ban or anything related to India, it
should be admired. "He is a smart
ly dressed politician," Amit told
IANS.
This is not the first time that
Modi sported a turban at a public
event. During last year's Republic
Day parade too, he teamed his tra
ditional bandhgala with a bright
red Rajasthani bandhani turban.
He also wore a red turban on
last year's Independence Day and
a turban in the colours of the

national flag in 2014.
Designer Varija Bajaj said what
ever he wears, Modi is definitely a
"trendsetter".
"Isn't this man fantastic in giv
ing every trendsetter a run for
their forecasts," Bajaj asked while
speaking to IANS.
"He is a perfect brand ambassa
dor for Indian fashion. I have
always complained how men
sport the same blue and grey
office wear to all occasions. Hope
now that we now learn from the
prime minister's choice of colours
that India is all about vibrant
colours and not the American
monotones.
"I simply salute his choice of tra
ditional turban and bandhgala. As
if it was announcing, 'Go India go!
Now the world is following you',"
added Bajaj, who's known for
working with a melange of bright
colours in her creations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeting French President Francois

Hollande at Rajpath in New Delhi. (Photo: IANS/PIB)
PRESIDENT'S AT HOME
SUN GREETS SPECIAL
GUEST HOLLANDE
New Delhi: A warm
sunny afternoon pro
vided the perfect back
drop for the customary
At Home hosted by
President
Pranab
Mukherjee
at
Rashtrapati Bhavan on
the
evening
of
Republic Day. French
President Francois
Hollande,
Vice
President
Hamid
Ansari, Prime Minister President Pranab Mukherjee with Hollande
during the 'At Home' reception at
Narendra Modi, union
Rashtrapati
Bhavan. (Photo: IANS/RB)
ministers and other
dais
by his aides. He later moved
dignitaries like former prime
to
a
canopy in the centre of the
minister Manmohan Singh, veter
lawns
in an area marked for VIPs
an BJP leader L.K. Advani and
Congress president Sonia Gandhi and introduced the union minis
were also present on the occa ters and his staf f to the French
president.
sion.
Modi also mingled with the
Union ministers like Rajnath
Sing h, Arun Jaitley, Nirmala invitees. And, like Mukherjee,
Sitharaman , Ravi Shankar took a walk around the venue,
Prasad,
Harsh
Vard han, g reet ing the invitees w ith a
Dharmendra Pradhan, Jayant namaste, handshake or a wave.
Sinha, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, & Modi wore a cream waistcoat on
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore the occasion.
Keeping reports of a terror
were also in attendance.
threat
during the French presi
The capitals powers that be,
dents
visit, the invitees were
along with foreign dignitaries
and a number of diplomats from expected to stay within enclo
various embassies, ming led sures that were demarcated to
among themselves at the Mughal prevent any mobbing of the
Gardens as they waited for the Mukherjee or Modi, who walked
along the designated path with
president to arrive.
Mukherjee, dressed in a black their security keeping a close
bandhgala, was escorted to the watch.
Hollande
paying floral
tributes at the
samadhi of
Mahatma
Gandhi, at
Rajghat in
Delhi. The
Minister
of State for
Environment,
Forest and
Climate Change
(Independent
Charge) Prakash
Javadekar is
also seen.
(Photo: PIB)
Chandigarh, Puducherry, Nagpur

on France's smart city radar
Chandigarh: French President Francois Hollande has
offered his country's assistance in the development
of at least three smart cit ies Chandig arh,
Puducherry and Nagpur.
The announcement came during two backtoback
meetings which the visiting head of state, along with
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, held here with the
corporate leaderships of the two countries. The first
meeting was with the IndoFrench CEOs Forum.
Following the first economic engagement, the two
leaders then attended the larger IndiaFrance
Business Summit hosted by India's Department of
Industrial Policy and Promotion, the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry and the Confederation of
Indian Industry.
The businesses of the two sides also signed 16
pacts mainly in urban development and clean ener
gy, but also covering one agreement on aerospace
between the French g iant Airbus and India's
Mahindras.
Addressing the meeting with the IndoFrench
CEO's Forum, Prime Minister Modi said India today
presented immense opportunities to the global
investing community both as a market and a hub for
Modi and Hollande visiting the Nek Chand Rock

Garden in Chandigarh. (Photo: PIB)
manufacturing. "India is the fastest growing econo
my in the world. We have the labour and the market
for your products," Modi said. "India is also a source
of hope and confidence for the entire world commu
nity," he said adding that the investment climate had
also improved considerably.
Modi, who recalled having met the French presi
dent five times last year, also said that France's
greatest strength has been innovation, which can fit
well with India's talent. "This kind of partnership can
achieve a lot."
HOLLANDE IN INDIA
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
15
INDIA, FRANCE TAKE A STEP

ON RAFALE, DISCUSS TERROR
New Delhi: India and France signed
14 pacts to bolster ties and con
cluded an intergovernment agree
ment for the purchase of 36 Rafale
fighter aircraft by New Delhi but
with financial issues yet to be
resolved.
The two countries also decided
to bolster cooperation against ter
rorism, and told Pakistan to bring
to justice those responsible for ter
ror strikes in Gurdaspur and
Pathankot and the November
2008 terror attack in Mumbai and
ensure that such attacks do not
recur. French President Francois
Hollande and Prime Minister
Narendra Modi also agreed to col
laborate to construct six nuclear
power reactors at Jaitapur in
Maharashtra instead of two decid
ed earlier.
The two sides had "a very pro
ductive discussion" during the del
egation level talks at Hyderabad
House here which lasted 90 min
utes, beyond the expected dura

tion. Earlier Modi and Hollande
had "restricted talks" for about an
hour.
Hollande and Modi later took a
Delhi Metro train to attend a func
tion in Gurgaon in Haryana to lay
the foundat ion stone of the
International Solar Alliance (ISA)
headquarters and inaugurate its
Interim Secretariat. The two lead
ers jointly launched the ISA at the
Paris Climate Change summit.
India and France came out with a
joint statement which talked about
the need for "all countries to effec
tively deal with terrorism emanat
ing from their territory or territo
ries under their control".
They agreed to intensify cooper
ation in homeland security, cyber
security, special forces and intelli
gence sharing. Terrorism, they
said, cannot be justified under any
circumstance, regardless of its
motivation.
Both leaders called for decisive
action against the Pakistanbased
LashkareTaiba,
Jaishe
Mohammad, HizbulMujahideen
and Haqqani Network as well as
Solar alliance will be lifegiver to mankind: Modi
Modi and Hollande travel on Delhi Metro

on way to Gurgaon. (Photo: PIB)
Gurgaon: Prime Minister
Narendra Mo di said the
International Solar Alliance will
"work like a lifeg iver to
mankind". At a function held
here to lay the foundation stone
of the Internat ional Solar
Alliance (ISA) headquarters and
inaugurate an interim secretariat
of the ISA, Modi said it will be
like an "international organisa
tion" like the WHO and the UN,
"but headquartered in India".
T he Internat ional Solar
Alliance will "work like a life
giver to mankind", Modi said.
Modi said that at the recent
COP 21 climate conference in
Paris, two major initiatives were

launched one was by the US
and France on innovation on how
to fight global warming and cli
mate change, and the other was
by India on the solar alliance.
An initiative of Modi, the ISA
was jointly launched by him and
Hollande on November 30 last
year ahead of the Paris climate
summit. It is an alliance of some
120 countries situated between
the Tropics of Cancer and
Capricorn.
Hollande also boarded a Delhi
Metro train along with Prime
Minister Narendra Modi to visit
Gurgaon in adjoining Haryana.
PM Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande during a

joint press conference at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. (Photo: IANS)
groups such as Al Qaeda. Modi and
Hollande praised each other after
the signing of 14 agreements.
Earlier, Hollande, who flew into
Chandigarh on Sunday, was given
a ceremonial we lcome at the
Rashtrapati Bhavan on the second
day of his threeday visit to India.
After the bilateral talks, Modi
said financial details need to be
worked out in finalizing the much
awaited purchase of Rafale jets

from France, adding this would be
concluded soon.
Modi had, during his visit to
Paris last year, announced India's
intention to buy 36 Rafale medium
multirole combat aircraft built by
Dassault. The deal is valued at
around Rs.60,000 crore (almost
$9 billion). "Only financial aspects
of the Rafale deal is left. The inter
governmental agreement has been

finalised. It will be done soon,"
Modi said.
Hollande said: "It is a decisive
step for India to purchase the
fighter jets and also for France to
make them available to a great
country like India."
On the financial aspects, he said:
"It will be sorted out in a couple of
days." Foreign Secretary S.
Jaishankar, who briefed the media
after the bilateral talks, said 30
agreements were signed between
the two sides since Sunday.
Referring to the civil nuclear
cooperation, he said: "At Jaitapur,
we will collaborate to construct six
nuclear power reactors."
The joint statement said Modi
and Hollande encouraged their
industrial companies to conclude
technocommercial negotiations by
the end of 2016 to build six
nuclear power reactor units at
Jaitapur, with due consideration to
"localisation of manufacturing in
India". France reaf firmed its sup
port for India's candidature for a
permanent seat on the UN Security
Council.
Aishwarya talks films, Cannes

and more with Hollande
New Delhi: Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is said to
have had a "hospitable" experience when she met
French President Franois Hollande at a special lunch
eon here on Tuesday, looking radiant and ravishing in a
red Banarasi sari.
Their conversation ranged from talking about movies
to her experiences at Cannes, a guest at the lunch told
IANS, adding that Hollande even made Aishwarya join
him at his table.
"The French president was very warm," the insider
said. Aishwarya, who has been in the midst of shooting
her new film "Sarbjit", took out time from her busy
schedule to attend the lunch, which was hosted by
French Ambassador Francois Richier here.
The former beauty queen, a past recipient of the pres
tigious 'Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters', a civil
ian award by the French government, was the only
Indian actor to be present.
Hollande attended the lunch following his appearance
at the country's colourful Republic Day parade on
Rajpath as the chief guest. Other guests at the lunch
included designers Ritu Beri, who has earlier received
the Chevalier Des Arts et Des Lettres award, one of the
highest civilian awards by the French government, for
her contribution to the enrichment of IndoFrench cul
tural relations; and Manish Arora, who shares a deep
connect with Paris, the source said. There were other
politicians and businessmen at the gala. For the occa
sion, Aishwarya chose a perfectly suited ensemble a
sari from designer duo Swati and Sunaina.
Made in Banaras ageold weavers from where are
poised for a facelift courtesy Prime Minister Narendra
Modi the sixyard wonder that the actress wore, was
woven with fine mulberry silk and zari made from pure
silver threads dipped in gold.
Only natural fibres and ecofriendly dyeing was used
in the making of the sari, a source close to the design
Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan ina red Banarasi sari

with President Hollande. (Photo: Facebook)
ers, told IANS.
It was only fit that that Aishwarya chose a creation so
deeply rooted in Indian technique and craft to meet the
president of France, a country that she's had a great
connect with for long.
She's a regular at the Cannes International Film
Festival, where the first look of "Jazbaa" her come
back film post pregnancy was launched last year.
An actress who has featured in Bollywood films like
"Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam", "Dhoom 2", "Guru" and
"Devdas", Aishwarya is also an ambassador of French
cosmetics and beauty company L'Oral Paris, for which
she recently starred in an ad with Eva Longoria.
In fact, she even shot for her international film "Pink
Panther 2" in Paris.
16
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
NATIONAL HONORS
Padma Awards 2016 announced

RELIANCE FOUNDER DHIRUBHAI AMBANI, ACTOR RAJINIKANTH,
ART OF LIVING'S SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR, MEDIA BARON RAMOJI RAO
AND INDIAN-AMERICAN ECONOMIST AVINASH DIXIT
AMONG 10 EMINENT PEOPLE CHOSEN FOR PADMA VIBHUSHAN
ounder of the Reliance empire late

Dhirubhai
Ambani,
Superstar
Rajinikanth, Art of Living founder Sri Sri
Ravi Shankar and media baron Ramoji Rao
have been chosen for Padma Vibhushan,
country's secondhighest civilian award, this
year.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor
Jagmohan, former DRDO chief V K Aatre,
cancer specialist and chairperson of Adyar
Cancer Institute Dr V Shanta and eminent
Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi dancer Yamini
Krishnamurthi and classical vocalist Girija
Devi and IndianAmerican economist
Avinash Dixit have also been named for
Padma Vibhushan on the occasion of this
year's Republic Day celebrations.
Noted actor Anupam Kher, singer Udit
Narayan, former CAG Vinod Rai, chairperson
of media group Bennett, Coleman & Co. Indu
Jain, sports star Sania Mirza and Saina
Nehwal, spiritual leaders late Swami
Dayanand Saraswati, Swami Tejomayananda
and former US Ambassador to India Robert
Blackwill are among the 19 eminent people
chosen for Padma Bhushan.
Industrialist Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry,
Maruti Suzuki chairman R C Bhargava and
eminent architect Hafeez Contractor also fig
ure in the list of Padma Bhushan awardees.
Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, who was the
prosecution counsel in the Mumbai terror
attack case, actors Ajay Devgn and Priyanka
Chopra get Padma Shri besides a posthu
mous Padma Shri for actor Saeed Jaffrey.
Devi, 86, already a Padma Shri and Padma
Bhushan recipient, is known as thumri queen
for popularizing the genre. She is also an
exponent of khyal and tappa.
Kher, known for his outstanding character
roles in a career spanning over three
decades, will receive Padma Bhushan with
Superstar Rajnikanth
Media mogul Ramoji Rao
Narayan, who ruled Bollywood playback

singing in the '80s and '90s.
The "Saaransh" actor said he was "happy,
humbled and honored" to be recognized.
"Today the son of an exiled Kashmiri
Pandit, who worked as a clerk in the forest
department of a small town, has received the
coveted Padma Bhushan in recognition of his
hard work. Thank you my country," Kher
tweeted.
Both Kher and Narayan are already Padma
Shri winners.
Actors Ajay Devgn and Priyanka Chopra,
33, have been named for Padma Shri awards,
Devgn, a twotime National award winner, is
known for his intense performances in films
like "Zakhm", "The Legend of Bhagat Singh",
"Omkara", "Gangajal", "Apaharan" and
"Drishyam."
"I feel deeply humbled yet elated to receive
such honor from my own country. This
announcement today makes it special for me
when I'm filming abroad for my new

film 'Shivaay'. I'd like to acknowledge
that Padma Samman puts an extra
responsibility on me and I promise to
serve my country for as long as I can,"
Devgn, 46, said in a statement.
adma Awards one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred
in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma
Shri. The Awards are given in various disciplines/ elds of activities, viz. art,
social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, lit
erature and education, sports, civil service, etc.
Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; Padma
Bhushan for distinguished service of high order and Padma Shri for distinguished
service in any eld. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every
year.
This year the President of India has approved conferment of Padma Awards to 112
persons. The list comprises 10 Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan and 83 Padma
Shri Awardees. 19 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons
from the category of foreigners, NRIs, PIOs (including one posthumous) and 4
Posthumous awardees.
AMBANI SONS PROUD, HUMBLED

egendary entrepreneur Dhirubhai
Ambani has been named for this
year's Padma Vibhushan award,
India's second highest civilian honor, for
his "exceptional and distinguished" serv
ice.
Ambani will be conferred the award
posthumously for his contribution to
trade and industry the only person cho
sen for the Padma Vibhushan this year
under this category.
T he president of India confers the
award around MarchApril. Both his sons
overseeing the empire he created felt
overwhe lmed and honored by the
announcement.
"The Padma Vibhushan awarded to Shri
Dhirubhai Ambani is an honor to the
indomitable spirit of Indian entrepreneur
ship, innovation and ambition to always
do better than the best in the world," said
Mukesh Ambani, his older son. T he
Art of Living founder and spiritual leader

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
younger son Anil Ambani, who oversees

the Reliance Group, said the honor was a
recognition of Indian entrepreneurship.
"I personally, and the entire Reliance
family, are truly overwhelmed and deeply
humbled at the award of this great
national honor, the Padma Vibhushan, for
the greatest entrepreneur and wealth cre
ator in the history of India, my beloved
father, Shri Dhirubhai Ambani," he said.
"The true legacy of Dhirubhai lies in the
inspiration that he continues to provide
to millions of young people, who are
dreaming impossible dreams, and setting
out to achieve their entrepreneurial ambi
tions." "In his lifetime, Dhirubhai created
and shared more wealth with Indians
than anyone before or since."
Industrialist Dhirubhai Ambani

will be awarded Padma Vibhushan
posthumously.
Padma Awardees
from the US
conomist Avinash Dixit, former US envoy
to India Robert Blackwill, educator Sal
Khan and Master Card CEO and
P r e s i d e n t
Ajaypal Sing h
Banga have been
se lected
for
Padma Awards,
announced on
the eve of Indias
Republic Day.
Dixit bagged
P a d m a
Vibhushan in the
foreigner catego
ry.
Khan
Academy fame
Indian American
Sal
economist Avinash Dixit Salman
Khan,
and
Ajaypal Singh Banga have been selected for
Padma Shri awards.
17
Jan 30 - Feb 5, 2016
T h e Pa r a d e i n P i x
Over the years, the Republic Day parade in the national capital has come to be associated with an equal mix of
military precision and a glimpse of the countrys diverse cultural heritage and so it was this year. A glimpse...
When Rajpath
came alive
Rajpath comes alive with the daredevil stunts of motorbike riders of Corps of Signals in New Delhi.
The BSF Camel contingent passes through the Rajpath.
The French Army marching contingent passes through the Rajpath on the occasion of the 67th Republic
Day parade in New Delhi. (right) Smerch Multiple Rocket Launcher System passes through the Rajpath.
The tableau of the Election

Commission of India passes
through the Rajpath.
(Photos: IANS/PIB)
18
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
THE STATES
Bihar celebrates 67th Republic Day

Patna: Bihar celebrated the
67th republic Day, w ith
Governor Ram Nath Kovind
hoisting the tricolour in the
state capital city.
The governor took salute at
an impressive parade by securi
ty forces and, in a short speech,
lauded the state government
for development activities and
combat ing corrupt ion and
crime.
Kovind said rule of law pre
vailed in Bihar and motto of the
Grand Allianceled government
was development of the state.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar
hoisted the tricolor at his offi
cial residence here.
Governor of Goa
Mridula Sinha.
Stay united
against divisive,
anti-national
forces: Goa
governor
Panaji: Goa Governor Mridula
Sinha called on people to stay
united in the face of divisive
and antinational forces.
Speaking at the 67th
Republic Day parade here, the
governor said the biggest duty
of the citizens is to stay alert
and cooperate with state and
national agencies to maintain
security and harmony.
"Our biggest duty is to stay
united in the face of divisive
and ant inat ional forces.
Staying alert and (showing)
cooperation with security agen
cies can help both the state as
we ll as central agencies to
maintain security," Sinha said.
Lamenting that a combina
tion of poverty, malnutrition
and unhygenic conditions was
taking a toll on the health of
the nation's citizenry, she also
said the country needs to com
plement modern medicine with
ancient Indian medicinal wis
dom.
"Many of the diseases are
rooted in poverty, malnutrition
and poor hygiene. We can stop
these illnesses to quite an
extent if we can provide people
with nutrition, healthy environ
ment, clean water and educa
tion," Sinha said. "Today, the
health condition of citizens of
our country are worrisome and
deplorable. While we are using
modern medicine to overcome
many fatal diseases, we are
confronted with newer illnesses
creeping up," she said, while
advo cat ing adaptat ion of
ancient medicinal systems.
Republic Day celebrations underway at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's residence in Patna.
Jharkhand celebrates Republic Day

Ranchi: Jharkhand cel
e brated the 67th
Republic Day, w ith
Governor
Draupdi
Murmu hoisting the tri
color at Morabadi
Ground here.
Murmu
became
Jharkhand's
first
women governor to
hoist the flag on
Republic Day. She also
took salute of the
armed forces and other
security forces.
Chie f
Minister
Raghubar Das hoisted
the tricolour at the sec
ond capital, Dumka.
Mumbai: Bollywood celebrities

Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor,
Akshay Kumar, and Anupam
Kher among others wished their
fans and friends a Happy
Republic Day, hoping that there
be progress and equality in the
country in the years to come.
Republic Day Parade underway at Morabadi Grounds in Ranchi.
Manipur celebrates
Republic Day peacefully
Imphal: The 67th Republic Day was
celebrated in all nine districts of
Manipur without any major unto
ward incident despite calls for boy
cott and general strike.
The call for boycott and dawnto
dusk shutdown was given by the
banned underground militant
organisation United Naga Council,
among others. Several hundred
trucks, buses and other vehicles
were stranded along the national
highways in the wake of the shut
down call.
There were some incidents on
Monday night of burning down of
the decorative gates erected by gov
ernment departments for the
Republic Day ce lebrations in
Tamenglong district.
Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh
was the chief guest at the main
function held at Kangla, where over
100 contingents and tableaux par
ticipated in the parade and display.
On the occasion, the chief minister
sought public cooperation to ensure
the overall development of the
Filled with pride,

B-Town celebs
wish Happy
Republic Day
state. There were state and central

forces, school and college students,
cultural and sports contingents and
tableaux highlighting the achieve
ments of the government depart
ments.
All shops and commercial estab
lishments remained shut, with the
Republic Day being a national holi
day. Police had beefed up security
measures throughout the state.
The chief minister decorated six
police personnel with medals for
meritorious service. One Fire
Service Medal was also given.
It was also of ficially announced
that the President's medal for dis
tinguished service was awarded to a
policeman and the Presidential cor
rectional medal for meritorious
services was given to two jail staff.
Meanwhile, in the Jiribam sub
division of Imphal East district, the
main function was he ld at the
Government higher secondary
school. Despite the call for a boycott
and general strike by some tribal
organizations, a function was held
in the district headquarters of

Churachandpur.
At Saprameina, in the Sadar Hills
subdivision, tribal groups per
formed cultural dances at an official
function.
In Tamenglong, District Collector
M. Luikham hoisted the national
flag as 19 contingents participated
in the function.
Reports of peaceful celebrations
of the Republic Day were received
from other parts of the state as well.
Meanwhile, there were some
reports saying that some of the par
ticipants of the parade in Imphal
were hospitalized after being indis
posed.
They complained about having
not been provided blankets and
other warm clothes despite severe
cold and given insipid food.
Lucy, one of the girls, told IANS
that they were given Rs.200 each
per day. Several participants were
unhappy with the management,
including provision of basic ameni
ties, including washroom.
On the country's 67th Republic

Day, here's what the cine stars
had to share on Twitter:
Amitabh Bachchan: Happy
Republic Day ...2016! January
26...
Rishi Kapoor: Happy Republic
Day to one and all!
Anupam Kher: My India. Happy
Republic Day.
Akshay Kumar: Just holding this
flag swells up your chest in pride.
She did what no other country
did for its people. Happy
Republic Day.
Varun Dhawan: Happy Republic
Day.
Pulkit Samrat: Let's all pledge to
be more deserving of the rights
granted to us. Happy Republic
Day folks!
Alisha Chinai: Jai Hind... Happy
Republic Day... Love and light to
my fellow Indians everywhere in
the world!
Preity Zinta: Happy Republic Day
Folks. Ask not what your country
can do for you, but what you can
do for your country!
Neha Dhupia: Following our
annual tradition of breakfast in
bed and watching the parade on
TV with family and lots patriot
ism in the air! Happy Republic
Day
Dino Morea: Happy Republic Day
my India!
Esha Gupta: Happy Republic Day.
Mallika Sherawat: Here's wishing
everyone a very happy Republic
Day, Jai Hind.
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
20
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
Indian Consulate in NY
celebrates 67th Republic Day
New York: The Consulate General
of India in New York, hosted a
reception to celebrate the 67th
Republic Day of India on January
26. A large number of guests con
sisting of prominent dignitaries
like PR of India to the UN Amb.
Syed Akbaruddin, Consul General
of Bang ladesh Md.Shameem
Ahsan ndc, Commissioner
Upendra Chivikula, , TV Asia CEO
Mr. H. R. Shah besides a large
number of community leaders and
representatives both from local
and Indian community were pres
ent. T he evening beg an w ith
singing of the national anthems of
the two countries, and reading out
excerpts of the President's mes
sage on the eve of the 67th
Republic Day of India, by Deputy
Consul General Dr. Manoj
Prominent community leaders from TriState attended the event

Mohapatra.
Following this, Consul General,
Amb Dnyaneswar M. Mulay wel
comed the guests to the Republic
Day celebrations and highlighted
the notable achievements India
has made in the past year.
Addressing the gathering, he said
that the true beauty of India lies in

its diversity. He further said that
India is a country with collection
of dif ferent views, cultures, sub
cultures people, and when we cele
brate Republic Day we are actually
celebrating this unity in diversity.
On this o ccasion Amb. Syed
Republic Day celebrations at Indian

Embassy in Washington DC
Ambassador Arun
K. Singh paying floral
tributes to the statue
of Mahatma Gandhi
on the occasion.
(Photos: Facebook page
of Indian Embassy in
Washington, DC)
Remarks by
Ambassad
or Arun K.
Singh and
reading of
the
President's
Republic
Day
Message..
Consul General Dnyaneswar Mulay addressing the crowd.

(Photos: Facebook page of CGINY)
Akbaruddin also spoke about the
nonresident Indians who are the
real Ambassadors of India and
they should also support the
ef forts in making India a global
leader and he is ready to take up
their matters in the United
Nations.
The event concluded with cake

cutting ceremony followed by
classical dance performance by
Arya Dance Academy of New York.
Guest were then invited for an
authentic Indian dinner and the
opportunity to interact with all
Consulate officials.
Padma Shri for Akshaya Patra

chairman Madhu Pandit Dasa
Stoneham,
MA:
T he
and designed the first cen
Government of India has
tralized kitchen to provide
awarded Mad hu Pandit
school meals to underprivi
Dasa, founder and chair
leged children in the
man of Akshaya Patra, the
Government schools of
Padma Shri Award for dis
Bangalore Rural District
t inguished service ren
during
July
2000.
dered by Akshaya Patra for
Akshaya Patra works with
children in government
the Government of India
schools in India.
and state governments and
Mad hu Pandit Dasa
is one of the most admired
received the Padma Shri
publicprivate partner
award on January 26th;
ships in the sphere of edu
(Photo: Twitter)
the Award is traditionally
cation and child welfare.
given on Indias Republic Day. Upon receiv Under Madhu Pandit Dasas inspirational
ing the Award, Madhu Pandit Dasa said, leadership, Akshaya Patra has grown from
This award is recognition of our humble providing 1500 children with school meals
service of leading this cause of nutrition for to 1.5 million children in 15 years, becom
education amongst the government school ing the worlds largest NGOrun school
children through the Akshaya Patra pro lunch program. Madhu Pandit Dasa com
gram. It is an inspiration for me and the pleted his Bachelor in Civil Engineering
entire team at Akshaya Patra to reach out from IITMumbai in 1980. While he was
the work of our foundation to many more doing his Masters in 1981, he dedicated
hungry children of this country. Quality himself to the service of humanity by
food for these children is a need for quality becoming a fulltime member of ISKCON.
education that will in turn create citizens of Upon founding Akshaya Patra, Madhu
great character. Our children are the real Pandit Dasa had the foresight to set it up as
asset of our nation. Madhu Pandit Dasa has a fully separate and secular 80G not for
been a visionary leader for Akshaya Patra profit organization.
21
Jan 30 - Feb 5, 2016
T H E CO N S T I T U T I O N
India honors Lincolns Gettysburg Covenant
and uplifts all
By Ravi Batra
ixty six years ago, on January

26, 1950, Indias Constitution came into force - replacing far away Englands Government of India Act of 1935.
That India chose Dr. B.R. Ambedkar to give birth to the legal architecture that would unleash every
Indians best urges while minimizing their worst - a durable compact between Indias citizens and
their government - is perhaps the
best compliment any nation can
bestow upon a single individual to
do the job that took all of Americas best in Philadelphia in 1789
after a tumultuous 1776.
Plato, the cherished author of
the Republic, laid out a Greek
merit-based caste system - albeit,
it was never so labeled. While reasonable minds can differ if India
borrowed from Plato, or Plato borrowed from India, the simple fact
is that Plato and the Indian caste
system are inseparable.
What is also true is that rules

without individual flexibility become rigid and unfair - which is
why we have the noble judiciary
toiling to fashion justice one case
at a time. Indias caste system over
the thousands of years robbed
India and all Indians of the right
to be really proud - for within the
Indian society was a system that
denigrated the individual based
upon status, not merit or ability as
Plato envisioned and perhaps as
India originally thought. Hat tip to
Justice Scalias Originalist constitutional philosophy.
Along came Indias Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin rolled into
one - a man educated at Columbia
University - a man who took the
United States Constitution, clarified by Supreme Court precedents,
both lofty and slavery-sinful, and
unleashed upon India humanitys
then-best humanistic covenant - by
and between the people, and with
their government. Dr Ambedkar
even included sunset clauses for
remedial benefits, as in affirmative
action, believing 50 years before
Justice Sandra Day OConnor did in
providing that affirmative actions
must sunset in 25 years - as they
offend the Equal Protection Clause.
The wisdom that is embedded in
Constitutions is worthy of hot debate, on a perpetual basis, if citizens
wish their aggregate view to find
voice in judicial decrees safeguarding societal compacts. In a republic,
it is always the noble judiciary that
safeguards a nations soul - even as

the two political branches, executive and legislative, give utterance
to the views of the citizenry.
For those who marvel at India, a
successful secular democracy with
an economy that harnesses the American Dream as if it had been dreamt
by every Indian in technicolor, it
should not fail comprehension that
India paid the heavy price in blood
to Lord Cornwallis for his loss to
General George Washington or that
Americas Founding Fathers created
the template for Indias constitution
through the learned, wise, courageous and tempered Dr. Ambedkar.
It is Indias pride that every religion has found her soil to be both
welcoming and fertile - in fact, for
several millennia, India was the freest market for ideas - merely mortal
and superbly Divine. That many a religion sprouted there or sought shelter there is pretty remarkable too.
Dr. Ambedkars ultimate gift is

that Indians and their elected representatives can have robust disagreements - without fear of suppression or punishment - thereby
making every Indian an owner
of his or her government. What
Abraham Lincoln promised at Gettysburg - a government of, by and
for the people exists in India.
As an American lawyer, I take
partial ownership of Indias Constitution with great pride; as an
Indian-American, I take great
pride in Americas exceptionalism
- after all, there is a natural alliance between United States and
India, one that was decreed by patriots in both nations seeking to
live free forever.
So to everyone who loves
Abraham Lincoln - behold over
a billion people living peacefully
under law and who dare to own
their government.
While Sureshbhai Patels case

was lost, something I predicted a
year ago given the anemic lawsuit
filed and the municipalitys clever
liability avoiding chess move of firing Parker, its not Americas fault after all, right here in America, we
won Krittika Biswas, withdrawal
of frivolous charges against Amb.
Prabhu Dayal, forcing Amb. Nancy
Powell into retirement given her
core misconduct in the Devyani
mess, and completely protected
Indias sovereignty by winning
dismissals of cases against Indian
Congress party and Mrs. Sonia
Gandhi. Unlike Sureshbhai, we
held New York City liable for Krittikas loss of her federal civil rights.
The fault lies not in our stars, but
in ourselves for not knowing the
law in a nation of laws.
The author is a New York

based eminent attorney
That India chose Columbia educated Dr Ambedkar to give

birth to the legal architecture that would unleash every Indians
best urges is perhaps the best compliment any nation can
bestow upon a single individual to do the job that took
all of Americas best in Philadelphia in 1789.
Of the people, for the people and by the people

By Sumant Batra
he Indian Constitution, the

longest of any sovereign
nation in the world, provides a comprehensive framework
to guide and govern the country,
keeping in view her social, cultural and religious diversity.
The Constitution was framed by
the Constituent Assembly of India,
established by the members of the
provincial assemblies elected by
the people of India. Dr B.R. Ambedkar, the chairman of its Drafting
Committee, is considered the chief
architect of the Indian Constitution.
It establishes the main organs
executive, legislature and judiciary,
defining their powers, demarcating their responsibilities and regulating the inter-se relationship.
It inter alia lays down the basic
structure of governance and the

relationship between the government and the people. The Constitution is the mother of all other laws
of the country. Every law enacted
by the Government has to be in
conformity with the Constitution.
The preamble to the Constitution declares India to be a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic
Republic and a welfare state committed to secure justice, liberty
and equality for the people and
for promoting fraternity, dignity
of the individual and unity and
integrity of the nation. The objectives specified in the preamble
constitute the basic structure of
the Indian Constitution which cannot be amended. The opening and
last sentences of the preamble:
We, the people... adopt, enact and
give to ourselves this Constitution
signifies the power is ultimately
vested in the hands of the people.

Although Article 1 of the Constitution says India shall be a Union
of States, the Constitution provides
for a federal structure with clear division of powers between the Centre and the states, each empowered
to enact and legislate within their
sphere of activity. The Seventh
Schedule contains three legislative
lists which enumerate subjects of
administration viz union, state and
concurrent legislative lists.
The Constitution provides for
the Parliamentary form of Government with a bicameral legislature
at the Centre consisting of Lok
Sabha (Lower House of Parliament)
and Rajya Sabha (Upper House of
Parliament).While the Lok Sabha
consists of the elected representatives of people, the Rajya Sabha
consists of representatives elected
by the state legislative assemblies.
The President is the nominal

head of the state and the Parliament. In actual practice, the Prime
Minister, aided by the Council of
Ministers, heads the executive and
is responsible for governance.
An impartial judiciary, independent of the legislature and the executive, is one of the main features
of the Constitution. The Supreme
Court of India is the highest court
of the country and acts as guardian of the Constitution and serves
as the final court of appeal. Each
state has a High Court as its highest
court. Under powers of judicial review, the Supreme Court and High
Court can declare a law as unconstitutional or ultra vires if it contravenes any provisions of the Constitution. This power of judicial review
constitutes a middle path between
the American judicial supremacy
on one hand and British Parlia-
mentary supremacy on the other.

The Constitution vests these
fundamental rights in citizens: (i)
Right to Equality, (ii) Right to Freedom, (iii) Right against Exploitation,
(iv) Right to Freedom of Religion, v)
Cultural and Educational Rights
and vi) Right to Constitutional
Remedies. These rights are justiciable, but not absolute. Reasonable
restrictions can be imposed. People
also have to perform their duties.
Then there are directive principles that the Government should implement for establishing social and
economic democracy in the country.
The success of the Indian Constitution, for a country as diverse
and complex as India, continues
to intrigue, impress and inspire
experts around the world.
The author is a corporate and
policy lawyer in India.
22
Jan 30 - Feb 5, 2016
D E V E LO P M E N T
Startups India and creating

a more competitive country
India is fastest growing startup nation, said Sundar Pichai, Google CEO.
Nasscom projects that it will become the second largest startup nation after USA.
By Amit Kapoor
tartups form the basis of a

more productive and prosperous nation. The growth of several countries in the past have been
driven by a need for creating better solutions for existing problems
by entrepreneurs. This, along with
secure property rights are major
differences between organized and
unorganized societies.
Innovative enterprise the world
over has made nations economically better off and people more
prosperous. The most prominent
examples that come to mind are
those of Germany, Israel and the
US. The East Asian miracle was
also based on creating local industries that could assemble
parts more productively and at
a cost advantage as compared to
western countries that led to their
export competitiveness.
Japans major companies like
Toshiba, Hitachi, and Toyota
were once small enterprises.
Even countries like China have
greatly benefitted from the policies envisaged in the late 1970s
in making people more productive and prosperous as mentioned
by Deng Xiaoping in 1984, when
he focused on using the forces of
production for economic development - thus ending the decadesold conception of how society
ought to be organized.
The primary point being driven
home in all this is that well-designed policies as such greatly assist in making a productive people
more prosperous. In a way, the
3Ps of policies, people and productivity lie at the core of becoming a prosperous nation.
Indias earlier economic development model has rarely focused
on developing entrepreneurs as a
strategic resource for national development. The colonial overhang
in the past has meant that Indias
initial years post-Independence
went deeply mistrusting private
entrepreneurs and enterprises in
doing social good. However, this
has resulted in what many people
call a mixed up economy rather
than a mixed economy. This is
where Prime Minister Narendra
Modis speech at the Startup India
launch mentioned the role of government to stop over-regulating
and letting the people themselves
resolve the issues they face.
Come to think of it, the jobs that
India requires over the next decade
- with a million people entering the
workforce every month - cannot be
provided fully by the formal sector
multinationals and governments
public sector enterprises alone. In
a way, this presents a sizeable opportunity for India to capitalize on
its demographic dividend. However if India continues with is older
policies, it may very well end up
curtailing private sector development as well as entrepreneurship.

Now, the government rightly recognizes the role of entrepreneurs
as job creators and capable of absorbing the surging workforce in
the decade ahead. The startup plan
which has been unveiled before
hailed and scorned at in equal

measure due to the public funds
being used as venture capital.
Other major announcements
deal with the removal of tax for
an initial period of three years
and further exemption of capital
gains tax for incubators investing
pursuing their dream of entrepreneurship, but deeper societal

issues must also be addressed for
optimal outcomes. Over the next
10 years, Indias aim should be to
make the ecosystem of enabling
entrepreneurship more robust
and making it a more viable career
the people has many positives for

unleashing the latent Chi or the
creative force of the Indian economy. These include doing away with
certifications, simplification for
opening up a start-up and helping
start-ups protect their intellectual
property with procedural help as
well as financial assistance.
Apart from this, other provisions
include creating a fund of funds
with a corpus of Rs.10,000 crore
(almost $1.5 billion) that has been
in startups. Apart from these, the

other major announcements deal
with setting up of seven research
parks and promotion of entrepreneurship in biotechnology.
Taken together, these are bound
to help develop a culture of entrepreneurship. However, a significant point is looking at structural
issues that hinder entrepreneurship in the Indian context.
The government has done well
to draw the attention of youth for
option for individuals wanting

to take the plunge. How this will
play out will determine Indias
ability to leverage its human resources effectively for economic
growth and competitiveness.
10000 Startups program
asscom has been inviting applications

from technology startups across the
country for Angel Funding and a national Acceleration Program. This invitation
procedure is processed through the recently
launched portal www.10000startups.com. As
part of the initiative, NASSCOM was to shortlist
close to 500 entrepreneurs who will be eligible
for funding ranging from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 2
crore through leading angel investor networks
of the country. Selected startups will be also
offered 3 to 4 months of incubation at leading
incubators of India, along with co-working space

at affordable cost. NASSCOM, along with partners, will focus on multifold activities aimed at
fostering entrepreneurship, building entrepreneurial capabilities at scale and providing robust
early stage support through mentorship.
The selected startups will be provided with
a startup kit worth Rs 10 lakh comprising of
a host of free business tools from Microsoft,
AWS and Google. Focused initiatives through
webinars will provide a focus on emerging
technology trends and whitespaces where upcoming startups can build ventures.
According Nasscom, some 800 new tech
startups set up their shop in India in 2015.
Nasscom also added that if the growth keeps
going at this pace, the country will become
the second largest startup ecosystem after the
United States over the next two years.
Startups in India are growing at a phenomenal rate. The growth rate is much faster than
Israel and Britain, which are currently ranked
between India and numero uno US.
We expect that within the next couple of
years, we will have the second biggest start-up
ecosystem in the world, said R Chandrashekhar, President, Nasscom.
Amit Kapoor is president

and CEO of India
Council on Competitiveness
and honorary chairman
of the Institute for
Competitiveness, India.
Nasscom adds a startup

warehouse in Hyderabad
he National Association of
Software & Services Companies (Nasscom) has partnered
with the Telangana government and
other entities to create a startup
warehouse that will provide an affordable co-working space to the
young entrepreneurs.
T-Hub Nasscom Startup Warehouse
would take care of young entrepreneurs concerns of building right product in the market and give them a platform to emerge as stronger players,
said Nasscom chairman BVR Mohan
Reddy in a statement earlier this month.
T-Hub is a public private partnership
(PPP) between Telangana government
and Indian School of Business (ISB),
International Institute of Information
Technology-Hyderabad (IIIT-H) and
National Academy of Legal Studies and
Research (Nalsar) along with other private sector leaders.
Aiming to create a micro ecosystem
where startups and entrepreneurs can
work together and share experiences,
Nasscom 10,000 Startups is setting up warehouses across states.

The first startup warehouse was set
up in Bengaluru in 2013, followed by
Kolkata, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Kochi,
and Gurgaon. Nasscom 10,000 startup program is now looking to launch
this facility in other emerging cities in
partnership with their respective governments, said Nasscom statement.
Bengaluru warehouse has recently
been expanded from 10,000 sq ft to
40,000 sq ft in keeping up with the
response the warehouse elicited from
budding entrepreneurs.
According to Nasscom report
Start-up India -- Momentous Rise of
the Indian Start-up Ecosystem, Hyderabad is one of the emerging cities.
T-Hub in collaboration with ISB,
Nalsar and IIIT-H announced a $100
million venture capital fund, the
statement said.
Telangana IT and panchayat raj
minister T Rama Rao also attended
the inauguration.
Jan30-Feb 5, 2016
26
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
SCI-TECH
TECHNOLOGY VISION 2035
Putting science to use

By K. Syama Prasad
&Virat Majboor
Unveiled by PM Modi at the Indian Science Congress earlier this month,

Technology Vision Document 2035 projects where India and its citizens
should be in 2035 and how technology should bring this vision to fruition.
he Prime Minister unveiled the

Technology Vision Document 2035
while inaugurating the 103rd Indian
Science Congress on 3rd January 2016 in
Mysore.
The document foresees the Indians of
2035, and technologies required for fulfill
ing their needs. It is not a visualization of
technologies that will be available in 2035,
but a vision of where India and its citizens
should be in 2035 and how technology
should bring this vision to fruition.
T he do cument is dedicated to late
Dr.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the former President
of India.
The Prime Minister in his foreword to the
document hoped that the 12 Sectoral
Technology roadmaps being prepared by
Technology Information, Forecasting and
Assessment Council, (TIFAC), which is also
the author of this Technology Vision 2035
document, would excite our scientists and
decision makers. He also said India will be
the country of young for the next few
decades.
It is imperative that every youth blossoms
to his/her full potential and that the poten
tial is fully tapped for the benefit of the
nation. This in turn requires that needs of
our children and youth for nutrition, health,
knowledge, skill, connectivity and identity
are met.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called
upon the intelligentsia, Universities and
think tanks to actively work for fulfilling
the vision. After unveiling this document,
in his speech he said that his government
intends to integrate Science & Technology
into choices it makes and strategies that it
pursues.
The 12 identified sectors of Vision
Document are:
4 Educat ion * Medical Sciences &
Healthcare * Food and Agriculture * Water
* Energy
4Environment * Habitat * Transportation *
Infrastructure * Manufacturing * Materials
4 Informat ion and Communicat ion
Technology
Roadmaps, when prepared, will be pre
sented to the Government of India and they
would lead for further adoption of tech
nologies in those sectors.
The document says that as technology is
for empowering individual citizens, it will
empower the country as well. The Aim of
this Technology Vision Document 2035 is
to ensure the Security, Enhancing of
Prosperity, and Enhancing Identity of every
Indian, The Vision documents also identi
fies 12 prerogatives six for meeting indi
vidual needs and six for the collective
needs that should be available to each and
every Indian. These prerogatives are pre
sented in this chart:
PM Modi unveiling the Vision Document, which is dedicated

to former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
Individual and Collective Prerogatives
Assurance of these prerogatives, according
to the Vision document, is the core of tech
nology vision for India. For assuring these
prerogatives, technologies are mapped as: 1)
those readily deployable, 2) those that needs
to be moved from Lab to Field, 3) those that
require targeted Research and 4) those that
are still in Imagination. The last of these cat
egory of technologies could come about as a
result of curiosity driven or paradigm shat
tering :Bluesky Research like on Internet of
Things, Wearable Technology, Synthetic
Biology, Brain computer Interface, Bioprint
ing and regenerative medicine. Precision
agriculture and robotic farming, vertical
farming, interactive foods, autonomous vehi
cles, Bioluminescence, 3D printing of build
ings, earthquake prediction, weather modifi
cation technologies, green mining etc are
some other such technologies expected that
would go a long way in sustainably fulfilling
the needs of the present and future genera
tions of mankind.
The vision document also makes a men
tion of three critical essential prerequisites
or Transversal Technologies i.e., materials,
manufacturing, and Information and
Communication technology (ICT) to provide
the foundation upon which all other tech
nologies would be constructed.
The document also talks of required infra
structure which it says primarily include rel
evant knowledge institutions besides ports,
highways, airports, railways, cold chains, etc.
Among the essential prerequisites, it also
mentions fundamental research in the fields
of physics, chemistry, biology and other
allied sciences. The document dwells upon
the grand challenges in the fie ld of
Technologies which, it says, we should
resolve as a nation. The challenges are:
4Guaranteeing nutritional security and
eliminating female and child anemia
4Ensuring quantity and quality of water in
all rivers and aquatic bodies
4Providing learner centric, language neu
tral and holistic education to all
4Developing commercially viable decentral

ized and distributed energy for all
4Making India nonfossil fuel based
4Securing critical resources commensurate
with the size of our country
4Ensuring universal ecofriendly waste
management
4Taking the railway to Leh and Tawang
4Understanding national climate patterns
and adapting to them
4Ensuring location independent electoral
and financial empowerment
There has also been a raging debate on the
Social Impact of technology and the choice
between capital intensive and manpower
intensive. Capital intensive technology, espe
cially in India with abundant human
resources, has been projected as detrimental
to the use of Manpower as it is argued that
it would reduce jobs. The Vision Document
seeks to bust this myth by arguing in favor
of judicious policy and conscious planning in
employing technology to impart new skills
to the manpower and fulfill needs of the
society. It visualizes technology as a great
leveler rather than as an enhancer of social
stratification.
In order to overcome these challenges, the
Vision Document 2035 envisages a rational
assessment of the capabilities and con
straints of the Indian Technological
Landscape. It categorizes technologies into a
sixfold classification from an Indian per
spective, which is as follows:
4Technology Leadership niche technolo
gies in which we have core competencies,
skilled manpower, infrastructure and a tradi
tional knowledge base, eg., Nuclear Energy,
Space Science.
4Technology Independence strategic tech
nologies that we would have to develop on
our own as they may not be obtainable from
elsewhere, eg., Defence sector.
4Technology Innovation linking disparate
technologies together or making a break
through in one technology and applying it to
another, eg., solar cells patterned on chloro
phyll based synthetic pathway are a potent
future source of renewable energy.

4Technology Adoption obtain technolo
gies from elsewhere, modify them according
to local needs and reduce dependence on
other sources eg., foreign collaboration in
the sectors of rainwater harvesting, agri
biotech, desalination, energy efficient build
ings.
4Technology Constraints areas where tech
nology is threatening and problematic i.e. hav
ing a negative social or environmental impact
because of serious legal and ethical issues, eg.,
Genetically Modified(GM) Crops.
The Vision Document, in a separate sec
tion, gives a Call to Action to all the key
stakeholders. It brings to notice that for long
term sustainability of Indias technological
prowess, it is important that
4Technical Education Institutions engage in
advanced research on a large scale leading
to pathbreaking innovations.
4Government enhances its financial sup
port from the current 1% to the longenvis
aged 2% of the GDP.
4 T he number of fulltime equivalent
Scientists in the core research sector should
increase.
4 Private Sector Participation and
Investment in evolving technologies that is
readily deployable and is translatable from
lab to field thereby increasing efficiency in
terms of technology and economic returns.
4AcademiaIntelligentsiaIndustry connect
is established via idea exchange, innovative
curricula design, based on the needs of the
industry, industrysponsored student intern
ships and research fellowships inter alia.
4Creation of an Research Ecosystem so as
to achieve the translation of research to tech
nology product/process by integrating stu
dents, researchers and entrepreneurs.
The vision document emphasizes that
India cannot afford not to be in the forefront
of the knowledge revolution, either applied
or pure.
K. Syama Prasad is Addl. Director General,
PIB, New Delhi and Virat Majboor is Asst.
Director.
HISTORY
Jan 30-Feb 05, 2016
27
Modi declassifies Netaji files,

evokes mixed reaction
New Delhi: Ending decades of wait,
the Indian government has declassi
fied the first set of 100 files on rev
olutionary leader Netaji Subhas
Chandra Bose, whose whereabouts
after a reported air crash continues
to be a mystery even after 70 years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
who had announced during a meet
ing with Netaji's family members in
October last year to make the hith

erto secret files public, released dig
ital copies of the documents run
ning into around 16,600 pages at
the National Archives of India, evok
ing overwhelming emotion, protests
and even snide remarks.
The files were released on the
119th birth anniversary of Bose
popularly addressed with the hon
orific Netaji a leading light of the
Indian freedom strugg le, who
valiantly led the Indian National
Army against the British Indian
Army during World War II.
Modi also launched a webportal

https://netajipapers.gov.in to
release the digital version of the
declassified documents.
"As a first step, the National
Archives of India is placing 100
files relating to Netaji in public
domain after preliminary conserva
tion treatment and digitisation," a
statement released by the Prime
Minister's Office (PMO) said.
It added that the remaining files
will be placed in the public domain
after their conservation treatment
and digitisation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching

the website 'netajipapers.gov.in', a digitised
version of the papers related to
Netaji, in New Delhi. (Photo: IANS/PIB)
"The government of India has written to the
concerned foreign governments to declassify
all files or papers related to Netaji. The gov
ernment is committed to pursue this matter
with them," the statement said.
A number of members of Netaji's family
present during the declassification were over
come with emotion.
Netaji's niece Chitra Ghosh broke down in
tears. His grandnephews Chandra Bose and
Surya Kumar Bose were also teary eyed as
they called it a "great day for the entire
nation".
However, Surya Bose added that the docu
ments released during the day were not the
muchneeded intelligence files.
In Kolkata, Sugata Bose another grand
nephew of Netaji and Trinamool Congress
MP found fault with Modi for choosing the
revolutionary leader's birthday to declassify
files, and said he should have spoken to
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to clear
the air about Netaji's "death".
He also remarked that the freshly declassi
fied documents would not bring up any new
information.
The first lot of 33 files were declassified by
the PMO and handed over to the National
Archives of India on December 4, 2015.
"Subsequently, the ministries of home
affairs, and external affairs too initiated the
process of declassification of files relating to
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in their respec
tive collection which were then transferred to
the National Archives of India," the PMO
statement added. The National Archives
received 990 declassified files, pertaining to
the INA, from the defence ministry in 1997.
Born on January 23, 1897 in Cuttack,
Odisha, Bose stood fourth in the Indian Civil
Service examination, but declined to join the
coveted cadre as he did not want to serve the
British masters. Instead, he plunged into the
freedom movement.
T he Mamata Banerjee government on
September 18, 2015 had released 64 files
running into 12,744 pages in the presence of
Netaji's family members, who have campaign
ing for declassification of the files for years.
Nobel laureate Amartya Sen said in Kolkata
that he was interested in seeing the contents
of the files, but it was far more important to
debate Netaji's life and work, to follow his
vision, rather than to discuss under what cir
cumstances he died.
28
Jan 30 - Feb 5, 2016
F E AT U R E S
Did the British rule have

any benefit for India?
By Vikas Datta
ow should we view the

British Empire and its legacy for its former colonies?
Was it one of the worlds greatest modernizing forces, as some
historians claim, or was it only a
destructive bane? The latter, says
Congress politician Shashi Tharoor who maintains the only two
benefits for India were cricket and
the English language.
Tharoor contested the contentions of co-panelist, British historian, author and MP Tristram Hunt,
that the benefits included rule of
law and an effective parliamentary
system, saying he was not sure how
good the latter has been for India.
Shashi Tharoor maintains the only two benefits for India were cricket and the English language.
On reparation for the damage to the former colonys social and economic fabric, Tharoor, who
had created a stir by raising the demand at a debate in Oxford, said it should be a token amount.
The system of governance of a
small island nation was sought to
be transplanted to a nation where
there were not only ideological
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor at a session at the Jaipur

Literature Festival on January 23. (Photo courtesy PTI)
differences, but a bewildering

range of diversities, he said, at a
session titled Empire at the Jaipur
Literature Festival here on Monday.
On the idea of rule of law, Tharoor contended it was part of the
normal evolution of society and India could have achieved it for itself.
You dont need foreigners to
come and oppress you for benefit
of development, he asserted.
(Historian) Niall Ferguson (who
has termed the British Empire a
great modernizing force) has not
questioned for whose benefit it was
done. I only accept cricket and the
English language, said Tharoor.
Hunt, who had stepped in for Ferguson who wasnt able to make it
for the event, contended that there
was renewed interest in the Empire
in his country -- where it had been
absent for years from the school
curriculum -- as Britain took decisions on its place in the world.

The author of Ten Cities that
Made an Empire, which seeks
to chart the changing nature of
the British Empire through 10
(formerly) imperial cities spread
though out the world, Hunt said
the empire had had an influence
on his country too -- and still has.
British politics are becoming
like Indian politics. The centralized system is shifting to a more
federal system... we are willing to
take coalition partners, he said.
On the question of financial
compensation for the damages
to the former colonies social and
economic fabric, Tharoor, who
had made headlines by making
the demand at a debate in Oxford,
said it should be a token amount,
say a pound for every year of rule,
rather than a ridiculous amount

as had been calculated and would
be an exercise in absurdity and
futility, could never be paid and
besides, India couldnt even know
what to do with all that money.
Hunt noted that such a demand
was more advanced in the former
Caribbean colonies, but instead
of money they had sought help in
education and development.
On whether bygones should be
bygones, Tharoor said he agreed.
History cannot be undone. But it
haunts our past and affects the future. By all means let bygones be
bygones, but never forget it... we
must remember it.
Hunt said he agreed. We must
interrogate, analyze and reinterpret the bygones, he said, adding
he was quite skeptical of official
apologies for historical wrongs.
The worlds changed spin: How the East is rising again

The Silk Road or Silk Route is an ancient network of trade routes that were central to cultural interaction through
regions of the Asian continent connecting the West and East from China and India to the Mediterranean Sea.
he West is relinquishing its

predominant role in global
politics and economics to
the East - Asia spreading from
the Middle to the Far East - in this
century and the significance of the
ancient Silk Roads, which were
once the hub of commerce, culture
and knowledge, is slowly getting
restored, says a historian.
The Silk Roads area will shape
the next century as it plays a significant role in the hydrocarbon
economy, and in one sense, the
terrorist outrages taking place in
the European capitals and elsewhere arise from the Middle East,
which is its significant part, said
Oxford academician Peter Frankopan at a session titled The Silk
Roads at the Jaipur Literature
Festival on Sunday.
Control over networks was the
story of the 19th century, the 20th
century and will be the story of the

21st century but now Eastern nations like India and China will be
resuming eminence, he contended.
Frankopan, who in his new book
The Silk Roads: A New History of
the World seeks to reassess the
role of the east where civilization
itself began and the worlds great
religions were born and flourished, but was eclipsed by the
advent of colonialism from the
western hemisphere from around
the 15th century, says the Easts
role in shaping the world has not
been sufficiently known. Confessing himself influenced by Luke
Skywalker, Alexander the Great
and Indiana Jones, he said that he
in his book had sought to address
the deficiency of the role of East.
Legendary travel writer Colin
Thubron, who has travelled most of
the Silk Roads region and described
his adventures in a series of inimitable travelogues, noted Frankopans book takes history back
from the West and was an awesome feat of scholarship and the
range of sources that had been
consulted would need one knowing 15 to 16 languages.
Frankopan also sought to clarify that there was no such thing
as a single Silk Road but rather a
series of Silk Roads or networks
that linked continents and oceans
together, and along which flowed
ideas, goods, disease and death
and empires were won and lost.
And in the contemporary world,
the patterns of exchange are mirroring those that were seen in the
Silk Roads, as his book says.
On the significance of the area,
he said it represented three things,
which were the best of the human species - the willingness and
ability to communicate, the ability

to cooperate and curiosity.
This is what brings me and you
all to the Jaipur Literature Festival,
he noted, adding it was along the
Silk Roads that the goods and ideas
that have shaped and influenced
the world flowed till nearly half a
millennia ago, when the focus shifted to the western hemisphere and
colonialism which was based on unequal relationships and duplicity.

He noted that in the era that the
Silk Roads set the pattern for the
world and Europe didnt figure into
it, since it never had any resources
that could be traded, while there
were more Christians in Asia then
that had been in Europe till at least
the 13th century. Source: IANS
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
30
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
OPINION
INDIA'S CIVIL-MILITARY
DISCORD BODES ILL FOR ALL
By Admiral
Arun Prakash (retd)
ndia's Republic Day on Tuesday

(January 26) would have been
ce lebrated with traditional
pageantry and the citizen gets a
panoramic view of the country's
military capability. Intelligence
inputs warn that it will be yet
another test for the national securi
ty apparatus. However, it provides
an opportune occasion to objective
ly review how India has dealt with
its complex security challenges.
Regrettably in India's National
Security 'Hall of Shame' we can now
add, 'Pathankot 2016' after
'Kandahar 1999', 'Parakram 2002'
and 'Mumbai 2008.'
Given that India is a nuclear
weapon state, which fields one of
the world's largest armed forces
and spends upwards of $40 billion
annually on defense, one cringes at
accounts of our seemingly inept
handling of yet another terrorist
attack. Equally disheartening is the
fact that, eight years after 26/11,
we lack the ability to deter the
architects of this attack, and the will
to punish its perpetrators.
It is a matter of sheer good for
tune that the crossborder terrorists
who managed to enter the
Pathankot air base failed to target
aircraft, helicopters and missiles as
well as the huge bombdump and
fuelstorage facilities. We overlook
the fact that some of our air bases,
adjuncts to the nuclear deterrent,
may also house nuclear warhead
components. So, while cautioning
the world about the dangers of Pak
warheads falling into jihadist hands,
we need to ensure that a similar
fate does not befall our own.
The caliber of a nation's leader
ship is tested by a crisis. Whether it
is floods, an aircraft hijacking or a
terror strike, India's response to any
crisis has followed a depressingly
familiar sequence. Regardless of
intelligence inputs, the onset of a
crisis finds multiple agencies
pulling in different directions, lack
Police personnel stand guard following a crossborder attack on an Indian air force
base in Pathankot, Punjab, on January 2, 2016. The attack was suspected to be by
terror organization JaisheMohammed, led by Maulana Masood Azhar.
retaining the colonial

legacy of sporting army
rank badges and star
plates but also garnering
unusual influence in
national security matters
over the years.
Many of our
Central Armed
Police
Forces
(CAPFs)
have
blurred the dis
tinction between
police and mili
tary;
terming
themselves
'para
Police personnel stand guard following a crossborder attack on an Indian air force base
militaries',
with
in Pathankot, Punjab, omn January 2, 2016. It was suspected to be by terror
constables wearing
organization Jaishe Mohammed, led by Maulana Masood Azhar.
military style com
ing unitary leadership, coordination coordination. Regrettably, civilmili bat fatigues and being addressed as
and, above all, a cohesive strategy. tary relations have, of late, been 'jawans'. There are only three, duly
Adhoc and sequential damagecon deeply vitiated and the resultant constituted, paramilitary forces in
trol measures eventually bring the dissonance could have adverse con India: the Coast Guard, Assam Rifles
situation under control, with loss of sequences for the nation's security.
and the Special Frontier Force; all
life and national selfesteem. After a
W hat is worse; civilmilitary headed by armed forces of ficers.
freewheeling blamegame, the state recriminations, so far, confined The five CAPFs, namely BSF, CRPF,
apparatus relapses into its coma within the walls of South Block, ITBP, CISF and SSB cumulatively
tose state till the next disaster.
seem to be proliferating. Post over a million strong are headed
From the media discourse, it Pathankot, the constabulary has by IPS officers.
appears that this template was jumped into the fray and, if an
The deployment of CAPFs in bor
faithfully followed in the Pathankot intemperatelyworded newspaper derguarding as well as counter
episode. While the military has due article (Indian Express, January 13) insurgency roles calls for military
processes for learning from its mis by a serving Indian Police Service (read infantry) skills; for which nei
takes and dealing with incompe (IPS) of ficer is an indicator, civil ther the police constables nor offi
tence, one is not sure about the rest military relations may be entering a cers receive adequate training. This
of our security system.
downward spiral. This outburst lack of training and motivation as
Whether or not IndiaPakistan should compel the political leader well as a leadership deficit has man
peace talks are resumed, the ship to undertake a reappraisal of ifested itself in: (a) these forces
Pakistani 'deep state' has many the prevailing civilmilitary equa repeatedly suffering heavy casual
more 'Pathankots' in store for India. tion which contains many anom ties (confined only to constables) in
For Pakistan's InterServices alies; one of them being the role of Maoist ambushes; and (b) recurring
Intelligence (ISI), crossborder ter the police forces.
instances of infiltration taking place
rorism is an inexpensive method of
Worldwide, an unmistakable dis across borders guarded by CAPFs.
keeping India offbalance. The strat tinction is maintained between the
In the case of the antiterrorist
egy of plausible deniability and appearance and functions of the National Security Guard (NSG), its
threat of nuclear 'firstuse' assures military and civilian police, the lat combat capability comes from the
them of impunity from retribution. ter being charged with the mainte army; yet, by government mandate,
Such situations call for all compo nance of law and order, crime pre it is headed by a police officer. The
nents of India's national security, vention/investigation and traf fic fact that this elite force has seen 28
military, intelligence, bureaucracy, regulation et al. India's unique secu directors general in 31 years makes
central and state police forces to rity compulsions have seen the one wonder if round holes are being
work in the closest synergy and Indian Police Service (IPS) not only filled by square pegs.
A second anomaly in the civilmili

tary matrix pertains to the fact that
the Government of India Rules of
Business have designated the civil
ian secretary heading the defense
ministry as the functionary respon
sible "for the defence of India and
for the armed forces". Since no mili
tary of ficer, including the three
chiefs, finds mention in the
Business Rules, the Service HQs are
subaltern to a 100 percent civilian
ministry. Every major decision
whether it pertains to finance,
acquisition, manpower or organiza
tion requires a ministry nod which
can take decades.
A false and dangerous belief pre
vails on Raisina Hill that civilmili
tary relations constitute a zerosum
game in which 'civilian control' is
best retained by boosting the
bureaucracy and police at the
expense of the military. Postinde
pendence, the civilmilitary balance
has been steadily skewed by push
ing the military officer well below
his civilian counterparts with the
same years of service. This has
caused deep resentment in the mili
tary, and the resultant hierarchical
distortion could lead to a civilmili
tary logjam the last thing the
nation needs at this juncture. It is
high time the Indian politician shed
his traditional indif ference to
national security issues and took
tangible measures to ensure a sta
ble and equitable civilmilitary para
digm one which ensures a say for
the military in matters impinging
on the nation's safety and security.
Admiral
Prakash is a
former Indian
Navy chief and
Chairman,
Chiefs of Staff
Committee.
The views
expressed are personal.
31
By Vikas Datta
Jaipur: Much on the toxic
memories and legacies around
Partition in 1947, which continue to create bad blood even
seven decades later arise out of
misconceptions about its reasons,
dynamics, and processes, and its
important to clarify these so both
India and Pakistan move beyond
assigning blame to healing, say
some historians of the event.
It was also contended that Partition was not necessarily inevitable, the violence it entailed doesnt
seem to have been elaborately
planned and even shocked leaders on both sides though they had
contributed to it with their careless and inflammatory statements,
while there are many aspects that
have not received the level of attention they should, such as the
Jan 30 - Feb 5, 2016
Important to correct
m i sconce pt i on s about
Partition to allow healing
effect on people outside the three
major communities and the areas
like Punjab and Bengal that are
usually focused upon.
At a session titled The Great
Partition at the Jaipur Literature
Festival on Sunday, PakistaniAmerican historian Ayesha Jalal,
who has argued Partition was one
of the possible outcomes being negotiated, said the Muslim Leagues
March 23, 1940 resolution calling
for a separate homeland, was part
of its movement to settle the question of minority rights but noted
it ended up aggravating the issue
instead of solving it.direction (the
attempt did not succeed). Not projecting his own persona or professional life, Vaidya says suffice it to
say that I am a civil engineer with
interest in real estate.
In the exclusive interview Vaidya gave to The South Asian Times,
Writers brought out

horrors of Partition
more than historians
Jaipur: Writers, like Saadat
Hasan Manto, brought out the
horrors of Partition much more
vividly than historians, says Pakistani-American historian Ayesha
Jalal, who is the grandniece of the
famed Urdu writer who passed
away at the age of 43 in 1955.
Mantos short stories can embellish history but fiction cannot
replace history, she said at a
session titled The Pity of Partition: Mantos Life, Times and
Work Across the India-Pakistan
Divide (the title of her 2013 biography on Manto) at the Jaipur
Literature Festival on Saturday.
She maintained Mantos legacy survives and is more relevant now because of his type of
thinking, of his approach which
was to question everything.
People dont think, they go
with perceived wisdom. He questioned it, raised uncomfortable
issues especially of human bestiality in his stories of Partition,
she said. On Manto becoming a
bone of contention in the subcontinent amidst the tide of intolerance, Jalal said there was
always some intolerance here
but now it was growing throughout the world, but a writer like
Manto is often invoked by the
youth as a form of protest.
She also noted that if intoler-
h i s t o ry
ance is growing, so is the opposition to it. Like interest in Mantos

works in India, there was also a lot
of interest in Pakistan, she said.
About how she came to write
the book on Manto, Jalal said
she had come across letters to
Manto from his mother and others, which formed an archive.
She noted he seemed to have a
sense of history for when he left
the then Bombay for Pakistan, he
had taken all his letters along.
Manto was non-political, writing film scripts in Bombay, was
not a Muslim League supporter
though being anti-colonial and
for him the batwara was not
necessary. Bombay gave him a
sense of himself. Partition, in a
sense, made Manto, but it also
destroyed him, said Jalal.
She said that while in Bombay,
Manto had close friends like actors Ashok Kumar and Shyam,
and there was no Hindu-Muslim
feeling in him, and he in fact
made fun of it, like in his story
Dhobi which was a real incident, though partly fictionalized.
But Pakistan never proved
conducive to Manto. He had an
ambiguous relationship with
the authorities, quickly became
disillusioned, turned to drinking
more, and the lack of recognition
killed him, she said.
he discussed FIAs achievements

during his two-year term, the visa
camps last year that he had first
proposed, even the ticklish issue of
FIA executive committees dominated by one community - Gujaratis.
Minority rights is a legacy of
Partition, and it is an issue in all
three nations, she said.
Writer and journalist Nisid Hajari contended that the genocide of
Partition was either triggered by
being misguided by a political figure, or falling prey to madness but
in either instance, people could
not fully explain their actions, and
nobody admitted responsibility.
British historian Yasmin Khan
noted the demand for Pakistan
has been conflated with the violence that followed.
Theyve been put on the same
track... disentangling both is difficult but important, she maintained.
US-based history professor Venkat Dhulipala noted the event had
seen emergence of a hostage population theory or that minority
rights can be ensured by a certain
terror and such rhetoric was widespread then, as was talks about
transfers of populations, made by
people like Mohammad Ali Jinnah
and even B.R. Ambedkar.
The violence can be understood by the incendiary and passionate statements made in the
public sphere, he said.
But Jalal noted that most of the
violence was not about religion as
is commonly thought, but about
property or its forcible seizure
from those who could not resist it.
UNHCR estimates 14 million Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims

were displaced during Indias Partition and over a million killed.
(Photo by Margaret Bourke-White)
Intervening here, publisher and

writer Urvashi Butalia highlighted
how patriarchal Indian society
enabled violence and as families
were already violent towards their
women, it was just the degree
and the targets of violence that
changed during Partition.
She also suggested that it was
a mistake to define minorities in
purely religious terms during Partition, since many other minorities were also affected, including
Dalits, hijras and women, or even
inmates of mental asylums.
On the responsibility for Partition, Hajari said even Mahatma
Gandhi did not have political power to stop it though he had tried to
tamp down on the violence.
I hesitate to assign percentages but the Congress made several
mistakes and could have been

more generous politically.
Khan said it should be known
that the leaders then were also
human and faced many pressures
and compulsions and that is why
they couldnt compromise. There
were several missed opportunities. The Cabinet Mission Plan
was one..., she said.
Jalal, however, maintained it
was imperative to go beyond finger-pointing to healing.
She noted that a recent poll
in Pakistan had 39 percent of
respondents saying they were
helped by a Hindu or a Sikh during the Partition, but these stories
have not come into the mainstream narrative yet. Without
them, the unimaginable violence
would have been unconscionable.
Bravery stories on Indian war heroes

New Delhi: Children would now
get to know about Independent
Indias Param Vir war heroes
through the Veergatha series of illustrated books published by National Book Trust.
The books, embellished with illustrations along with the text, introduce the readers to the war heroes
in a lucid and attractive manner.

The first set of five books in
English and Hindi was released
by Defence Minister Manohar
Parrikar in New Delhi on the eve
of Republic Day. Army Chief General Dalbir Singh was also present on the occasion.
The five books illustrate the
The new set of books will introduce Param Vir Chakra

winning war heroes to Indian children
bravery saga of the Param Vir

Chakra awardees, who include Major Somnath Sharma (1947 IndiaPakistan war), Major Shaitan Singh
(1962 India-China war), Havildar
Abdul Hamid (1965 India-Pakistan
war), Second Lieutenant Arun
Khetarpal (1971 Bangladesh liberation war) and Captain Manoj
Kumar Pandey (1999 Kargil war).
The books have been developed
with the support of the ministries
of defence and HRD. The Veergatha series seeks to introduce the
great acts of bravery of the Param
Vir Chakra awardees to instil a
sense of inspiration and patriotism
in children at an early age.
The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is
Indias highest military decoration
awarded for the highest degree of
valor or self-sacrifice in the presence of the enemy. Source: IANS
32
Jan 30 - Feb 5, 2016
V ox P o p u l i
?
y
l
l
a
Re
We the People. With these three words starts the Preamble to the Constitution of both India and the US promising that it is people
who give power to their government. But lately a nagging feeling is getting vocalized that people in the two democracies or for that matter
in other countries, have very little power over the affairs of the state. The government, headed by any political party, is controlled by the
Establishment, coterie of a few powerful people. The sporadic, localized responses of the populace like Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives
Matter in America, or voting to power newly formed Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi are not enough or potent enough.
Our respondents reflect on the issue.
Ashook
Ramsaran
President,
GOPIO International
President Abraham Lincoln quite

eloquently said that Government
of the people, by the people, for the
people, shall not perish from the
Earth. However, there continues to
be deep rooted and intense yearning among the masses for more
voice in determining good governance, accountability and well being of their lives. Despite the clamor emanating from many quarters
and by many segments of society,
there seems to be a widening gap
between service to the people and
rewards to the entrenched bureaucracy and special interests, the latter being distinctly pronounced and
visibly disproportionate. This can
be evidenced in both USA and India
where government and businesses
dictate policies and laws in self
serving ways at odds with the needs
and aspirations of the overwhelming majority of the population.
While there continues to be attempts by various movements and
groups to highlight with intent to
rectify the disparities, unfortunately, these efforts have not been sustained, massive or effective enough
to make noticeable changes in society. It is believed that, should the
present policies, disparities and social neglect continue, there can be
serious and irreversible detriment
to the social and economic fabric in
both USA and India.
Unless and until strong, selfless and effective leadership are in

place to make necessary changes
for the common good and not for
the privileged few, the masses of
people continue to be of service to
those few being served.
With rapid advances in technology and on-line accessibility on
the increase in both USA and India,
there is a timely opportunity for
the voices of people to be heard on
all issues, from local to regional,
national and international matters. When the elected representatives and business interests enact
policies not in the interest of the
people, there is the distinct possibility of mass groundswell to
rectify problems and demand accountability. It is imperative that
sustained efforts be made in harnessing the power of the people
for the governance of their lives
and fulfilling the quest for government of the people, by the people,
for the people.
Dev B.
Viswanath,
Esq.
Banad Law Offices, NYC
It means that everyone will have a

voice at the table! In a true democracy every voice matters and in India,
this is definitely the case. People are
free to criticize the government and
law enforcement and are backed by
the powerful media. In some ways,
Indias media is the last defense for
the common man against the voice
of the powerful. This is true in the
US as well. There is no way in a
country of 1.2 billion people that
everyone can be happy with the
government all the time, but one
hopes that everyone feels supported
enough to voice their opinion and
outrage when the government takes
positions that are hurtful, without
feeling like they will be chastised or
their opinion doesnt count.
India, since its inception, has been
a complicated country of diverse and
competing ideologies amongst varying levels of socio-economics and
has endured with a global strength
never before witnessed. God Bless
Mother India, God Bless the United
States, and Wishing Peace of Mind
& Heart for Everyone!
Surinder
Rametra
Businessman, author
Since independence progressively, Indian voters have become

more assertive and active in the
process of democracy. The turnout at elections is significantly
growing even in rural areas.
Democracy welcomes transparency in contrast to closed systems
such as in Mideast, North Korea,
China, which practice tightly centralized decision-making and defy
fundamental freedom of speech.
India is tending towards open systems that mature democracies such
as the US display and debate openly
on important topics including cordial relations with neighbors, global
warming, pollution, and economics.
Communalism, separatism, terrorism, monocracy, and illiteracy
are still plaguing the nation. At
times communal and fundamentalist forces raise unpatriotic sentiments causing strain enough to
threaten democracy as well as derail the countrys progress. Yet, the
spirit of democracy in India is deeprooted and strong enough to face
new challenges. Therefore, we have
to be vigilant. Secularism means
freedom to profess, practice and
propagate ones religion without interfering with that of others. There
cannot be any discrimination on
the basis of ones faith and religion.
Shomik
Chaudhuri
Vice President,
Adforce North America
On this Republic Day I would

like to congratulate Mother India!
India, as is our adopted home, the
United States, is a vibrant democracy. That doesnt mean that everyone will like or appreciate the
direction that the country is taking.
India is the biggest democracy

in the world - a sovereign socialist,
secular, democratic republic, with a
parliamentary form of government.
The success of Indian democracy is
a tribute to the wisdom and maturity of the people of India.
India has been a Republic for

67 years and is yet to find footing
as a truly democratic country run
by its people. Presently, the country is ruled by a small section of
politicians representing various
parties. Leadership should always
be in the hands of qualified group
of people who can deliver what
they are supposed to deliver. But
that is not the case.
The primary reason is that Indias Constitution did not make
it mandatory for lawmakers to
be qualified for their portfolios.
There is no qualification for someone to become a politician. So the
unscrupulously powerful, the
rich and even gangsters having
enough clout find their way into
legislatures self-serving people
who have no interest in serving
the people. Politics has become a
game of buying votes through any
means, public good be damned.
The first step towards changing the political firmament in India would be an amendment to
the Constitution that debars from
elections all people with questionable backgrounds, lack of proper
training and/or education. Politicians have to put country before
anything else.
India is truly an amazing country and should be a world leader.
Its millennia-old history of ethics,
values and wisdom in every field
is an education for the world at
this time. But it is sad that as Indians we tend to neglect our values
and strengths and ape what is not
good for us in the long run.
I can only say Arise India and
Know Thyself.
33
V ox P o p u l i
Jan 30 - Feb 5, 2016
India and America:

Like democracies, unlike
protest movements
Kulraaj
Anand
Program Director,
8K Radio EBC
I would like to wish Happy Republic Day to every Indian all over
the world. Life is like a flying kite,
till the time it is connected it is an
amazing experience and when it is
disconnected you dont know what
is next. Stay connected with your
Motherland. I know there are needs,
there are frustrations, but the most
important asset we have is patience.
I feel before we criticize we
should give full faith and chance
to the present government. Lets
support new ideas, new thoughts,
new values to take our country to
the next level. Strength is not individual, it is a joint effort.
By Robert Golomb
ndia and America are alike

in many ways. They are both
democracies. They both have
a free enterprise capitalism economic system. They both share the
same friends and face the same
enemies. Even the preamble to the
Constitution of these two countries starts with the same three
words: We the people.
Where the countries differ dramatically though is with the nature of their protest movements.
In India the Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP) was formed in Delhi to offer real reforms to actual injustices. One of the most egregious
injustices involved a low-income
resettlement colony in North- East
Delhi. Families living there were
paying inflated prices for water
and electricity. Two years ago, at
the request of the AAP, an estimated 300,000 people gathered
in Delhi to protest that terrible
economic injustice. Those protests
were heard by the government.
The prices for these two essential natural and essential products
were reduced to fair and affordable prices. While the resolution

to this problem was accomplished
through social protest, a term almost always associated with the
left, AAPs leader, Arvin Kerjiwal,
has stressed that his party is nonideological: If we find our solution on the left, we are happy to
borrow from it there. If we find our
solution in the right, we are happy
to borrow from it there.
If only that were true for the
Black Lives Matter (BLM) and the
Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movements here in America. Lets start
with the former, which is based on
the premise, actually an ideology,
that white cops murder innocent
black citizens with impunity on a
regular basis in the urban communities of America. It doesnt matter
to BLM that the facts belie their
claims. One fact: far more white
law-breakers are killed by cops
than are blacks. Another fact: in
almost every case of police shootings, whether the person killed
is black or white, the victims of
these police shootings were themselves carrying lethal weapons.
The final, arguably most important fact: most murders in the

black community are intra-racial.
According to official FBI statistics between 1980-2008, 93% of
black murder victims were killed
by blacks. (The remaining 7%
were not killed by cops, but rather
by whites and Hispanics.)
That 93% number tragically
is presently on the rise. But you
wouldnt know it from the BLM
leaders, who continue to view

those same cops who seek to protect their community from dangerous criminals, as the dangerous
criminals themselves.
OWS is also motivated by
a false ideology. In New York
City and throughout hundreds
of other cities throughout the
USA their leaders loudly voice
to their legions of cheering supporters the same message: Free
enterprise capitalism as it exists
in countries like America and India is their enemy. Socialism or
Communism as these systems
exist in countries like Cuba and
Venezuela are their friends.
Give me instead the non-ideological, problem solving AAP
movement any day of the week.
Robert Golomb is a nationally and internationally published columnist. Email him at MrBob347@aol.comand
follow him on Twitter@RobertGolomb
Contrasted with Black Lives Matter, AAP is non-ideological,

problem solving movement.
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34
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
INDIA
SC NOTICE TO CENTRE ON
PRESIDENT'S RULE IN ARUNACHAL
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has
issued notice to the central gov
ernment and Arunachal Pradesh
Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa
on a plea challenging the imposi
tion of President's Rule in the
northeastern state on January 26.
An apex court const itut ion
bench of Justice Jagdish Singh
Khehar, Just ice Dipak Misra,
Justice Madan B. Lokur, Justice
Pinaki Chandra Ghosh and Justice
N.V. Ramana also ordered the cen
tre to file its response, if any, by
January 29 and directed further
hearing in the matter on Monday
(February 1).
The court recorded that senior
counsel Satya Pal Jain, appearing
for Governor Rajkhowa, "under
takes to furnish a copy of the gov
ernor's report and other material
recommending issuance of a
proclamation under Article 356 of
the Constitution of India, to the
court in a sealed cover".
The court directed that the "orig
inal record be kept available by
the attorney general during the
hearing".
The court gave liberty to the
petitioner, Congress chief whip in
Arunachal Pradesh Rajesh Tacho,
to amend the plea to "assail the
report of the governor, and the
consequent ial (president ial)
proclamation".
The court directed that Tacho be
provided, during the course of the
day, the date on which Rajkhowa
sent a report recommending the
imposition of President's Rule.
At the outset of the hearing, sen
ior counsel Fali S. Nariman told
the apex court that ever since the
last hearing on Fe bruary 22,
Arunachal Pradesh had been put
under President's Rule and two
advisors appointed to assist the
The union cabinet on January 24 decided to impose President's Rule.

(Photo: IANS)
governor in running the affairs of
the state. Seeking the date on
which the governor recommended
the imposition of President's Rule,
Nariman said senior counse l
Harish Salve, who appeared for the
governor, told the court on
January 14 that nothing untoward
would be done to precipitate the
situation. Describing as "crucial"
POOKUTTY GETS GOLDEN

REEL NOMINATIONS
New Delhi: Oscarwinning Indian
sound designer Resul Pookutty
says getting nominated at the
Mot ion
Picture
Sound
Editors63rd annual Golden Reel
Awards for films banned in India
tells that "we have to keep our
mind open as artistes". He has
dedicated the honour to the
2012 Delhi gangrape victim.
"The recognition outside India
simply tells us that we have to
keep our mind open as artistes. I
am getting messages from all over
the world that we have not seen
this work in India, but it's being
recognised outside. That is some
thing that our policy makers need
to think about, Pookutty told
IANS over the phone from
Mumbai.
Pookutty has received nomina
Resul Pookutty . (Photo: IANS)

t ions for "Unfreedom", a film
based on homosexuality, and
Leslee Udwin's controversial BBC
documentary "India's Daughter",
that tells the story about the Delhi
gangrape of 23yearold trainee

physiotherapist Jyoti, whom media
called Nirbhaya, on December 16,
2012, in a moving bus. The award
ceremony w ill be he ld in Los
Angeles in February.
Directed by Raj Amit Kumar,
"Unfreedom" has been nominated
in Feature Film Foreign Film
(Sound Ef fects, Foley, Dialogue
and ADR) category while "India's
Daughter" will compete in the
Te levision Short Form,
Documentary category.
Having won an Oscar for
"Slumdog Millionaire" in 2009,
Pookutty dedicated his nomina
tions to the victim of the brutal
gangrape that shook the entire
world and also inspired the for
eign filmmaker to make a docu
mentary on the subject.
TMC doing vote bank politics over Dalit student: Irani

Durgapur (West Bengal): Union
Minister Smriti Irani accused the
ruling Trinamool Congress in
West Bengal of indulging in a
vote bank politics over the sui
cide of a Dalit scholar in
Hyderabad.
"Trinamool leader Dere k
O'Brien had gone to Hyderabad
to demand justice for the Dalit
student. I want to ask him... in
Nadia, a Trinamool leader had
murdered three Dalits inside
their home in May 2015... why
didn't O'Brien visit their fami

lies?" Irani said. "Because for him,
vote
bank
'tamasha'
in
Hyderabad is more important
than securing justice in Nadia,"
she said at a public rally in
Durgapur, around 165 km from
Kolkata. Widespread protests
have rocked India following the
death of Rohith Vemula, who
committed suicide on January 17
after his suspension along with
four other Dalit students from
Hyderabad University over an
alleged clash with a leader of the

Akhil Bharat iya Vidyarthi
Parishad (ABVP).
Last wee k a twomember
Trinamool MP delegation, led by
its leader in the Rajya Sabha
Derek O'Brien, spent a long time
at the Hyderabad University cam
pus and addressed the students
demanding justice for Vemula.
Irani also slammed the Mamata
Banerjeeled government on
recent incidences of violence in
the state.
the date on which President's Rule

recommendat ion was sent by
Rajkhowa, senior counsel Kapil
Sibal sought to know the grounds
and material relied upon by the
governor while making the recom
mendations. Opposing the plea,
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi
said that the governor's report
was confidential and could not be
shared with petitioner Tacho.

However, he said, it could be
shared with the bench. Nariman
contested Rohatgi's plea that the
governor's report was confidential
as he cited an earlier sevenjudge
bench judgment in former
Karnataka chief minister late S.R.
Bommai's case, wherein the court
said that the governor's report
was not confidential.
Justice Lokur confronted the
attorney general with the apex
court judgment wherein the gover
nor's report was reproduced.
The presidential proclamation
mentions "a" report by the gover
nor, Justice Ramana pointed out
as Rohatgi said there were a series
of reports by Governor Rajkhowa.
The Congress on January 25
moved the Supreme Court chal
lenging the cabinet decision to
impose President's Rule in
Arunachal Pradesh on the recom
mendat ion of Governor Jyot i
Prasad Rajkhowa.
Women barred from approaching

Maharashtra Shani Temple
Ahmednagar (Maharashtra):
Maharashtra Police has barred
women from proceeding towards
the famous Shani Shingnapur
Temple to offer prayers, defying
the centuries old tradition at the
temple that does not allow
women to enter it.
Around 1,500 women activists
led by Bhumata Ranrag ini
Brigade President Trupti Desai,
joined by a few men, en route to
the temple, were stopped by
police near Supa, after they
entered Ahmednagar district in a
convoy of around 50 vehicles
Tuesday afternoon.
After a brief argument and
jostling w ith police, many
women squatted or lay on the
road shouting slogans condemn
ing the police action and calling
it a 'Black Day' on the occasion
of India's Republic Day when the
Constitution granted equal rights
to men and women.
Later, the police detained a few
of the activists, including Desai
while the others vowed they
would not leave the place with
out offering prayers at the open
tosky temple's sanctum sancto
rum.
"T he manner in which the
police behaved with us is objec
tionable... We were going peace
fully to exercise our right of
offering prayers... They are stop
ping us from going to a temple
which is a place of worship. The
country is celebrating Republic

Day, for us it's a 'black day,' but
we will go to the temple," Desai
told mediapersons.
Ant icipat ing trouble, the
Temple trust had deployed 250
volunteers, 60 women volun
teers and another 250 police
personnel, besides another 40
odd private security guards to
secure the temple and prevent
the women's brigade from enter
ing.
A threelevel steel barricade ...
much like the rings of planet
Saturn, of which Lord Shani is a
manifestation ... was erected by
the temple, while the police had
set up barricades at strategic
intervals on all the approach
roads to the village.
The situation was tense in the
village since Monday night as
the Bhumata Ranragini Brigade
had warned of hiring a helicop
ter and climbing down in ropes if
they were stopped, but late
Monday night the Pune collector
declined permission for the
chopper.
The unique open temple has
no walls or roof. A selfemerged
(svayambhu) fivefoothigh black
stone stands on a platform and is
worshipped as Lord Shanidev.
Shani Shingnapur is globally
known as the only village where
houses do not have doors and
locks, and the village remains
theftfree.
SUBCONTINENT
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
35
PAKISTAN MUST ASSIST INDIA

ON PATHANKOT: DAILY
Islamabad: Pakistan must actively

assist India to bring to justice ter
rorists who oversaw the attack on
the IAF base in Pathankot, two
Pakistani experts have said.
Sikander Ahmed Shah, a former
legal adviser in the foreign min
istry, and Abid Rizvi, an expert on
international law, said it was
clear that JaisheMohammad
(JeM) was responsible for the
January 7 attack. "JeM is not an
indigenous Kashmiri group; it
constitutes mostly extremists
from Punjab who are known to
have perpetrated acts of terror
ism," they said in a column in the
Dawn. Point ing out that the

attackers were dressed in Indian
Army uniform while using lethal
force against the airbase, "such
action would also constitute per
fidy, a war crime under interna
tional law".
They added: "The attack on the
airbase will undoubtedly influ
ence future interactions between
India and Pakistan, and the two
countries must collaborate on
curbing regional terrorism."
Terrorists who India says
belonged to JeM and came from
Pakistan raided the Indian Air
Force base in Pathankot, killing
seven security personne l.
Security forces killed all six ter
rorists.
India is pressing Pakistan to
take action against the JeM lead
ership and all those who master
UN chief welcomes
Nepal constitutional
amendments
United
Nations:
"He hopes that cur
SecretaryGeneral Ban
rent positive develop
Kimoon has we l
ments could help nor
comed Nepal parlia
malise passage of sup
ment's vote to amend
plies at Nepal's border
the constitution and
points and refocus
hoped that the posi
attention to address
tive deve lopment
urgent reconstruction
Ban Kimoon
would help ease the
and other needs,"
(File photo)
border blockade.
Dujarric added.
Responding to a question,
Over the weekend Nepal's par
Ban's spokesperson Stephane liament voted to amend the con
Dujarric said Tuesday that Ban stitution in order to create a
"welcomes parliamentary action House of representatives, rede
to amend the Constitution as an lineate electoral constituencies
important step in resolving dif so they can potentially meet the
ferences on constitutional demands of Madhesis and
arrangements."
ensure social justice.
India is pressing Pakistan to take action against the JeM leadership.

minded the attack.
Shah and Rizvi, however, said
Pakistan must "dist inguish
between acts of terror and a gen
uine struggle for liberation".

Going forward, Pakistan must
ensure that it must not sacrifice
the Kashmiri cause at the altar of
fostering better relations with

(India) while at the same time
opposing terrorism in all its
forms."
Kohli's Pak fan arrested for

hoisting Indian flag!
Lahore: A Pakistani fan of Indian
cricketer Virat Kohli was taken
into custody for raising the tricol
or on his roof in Punjab province.
The police, who arrested the fan,
identified him as Umar Draz, who
hails from Okara district of
Pakistan's Punjab province, about
200 km from here.
"We raided the house of Umar
Draz and seized the Indian flag
from his rooftop," police of ficial
Muhammad Jamil was quoted as
saying by the Express Tribune on
Wednesday.
Asked why he had hoisted the
Indian flag, Draz said: "I am a big
fan of Virat Kohli. I support the
Indian team because of Kohli.
Hoisting the Indian flag on the
rooftop of the house only shows
my love for the Indian cricketer."
Virat Kohli. (File photo)

Jamil said the police have filed a
case ag ainst Draz under the
Maintenance of Public Order. He
was presented in court on
Tuesday and was remanded in
police custody.
Draz has apologized for the inci
dent and said he did not know it
was a crime to hoist the Indian tri

color. He has urged the authori
ties to let him off the hook as he
is "an Indian cricketer's fan and
not a spy".
Police have also found posters
of Kohli pasted on the walls of
Draz's house.
INDIA TO DEEPEN ECONOMIC, COMMERCIAL TIES WITH SRI LANKA

Colombo: India looks to deepen
its economic and commercial
t ies w ith Sri Lanka and has
maintained that the island
nation continues to be a key
part of India's "neighborhood
first" policy, an Indian envoy

said here.
India's High Commissioner to
Sri Lanka Y. K. Sinha speaking at
an event to mark the Indian
Republic Day in Colombo said
relations between India and Sri

Lanka have been transformative
in the past year and India's total
development assistance commit
ment to Sri Lanka was now
around $2.6 billion, covering all
areas of contemporary re le
vance.
Sinha also noted the increas
ing air connectivity between the
two countries and the growing
tourist arrivals from India in Sri
Lanka. India is currently the

leading market for the highest
number of tourist arrivals to Sri
Lanka followed by China,
Xinhua reported.
36
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
Bikram Yoga founder to pay

$6.5 mn in punitive damages
Washington, DC: After ordering
ce lebrity yoga guru Bikram
Choudhury to pay $924,500 in
compensatory damages in a lawsuit
for sexually harassing and firing a
female employee, a US court has
told Choudhury to pay $6.47 mil
lion in punitive damages.
Plaintif f Minakshi JafaBodden,
Choudhury's former legal adviser,
said in the lawsuit that he inappro
priately touched her and wrongfully
fired her in 2013 after she began
probing sexual abuse claims from
other women.
"I feel elated and vindicated," Jafa
Bodden told the New York Daily

News after the Tuesday verdict that
was handed down by a Los Angeles
jury consisting of six women and
three men. Meanwhile, 69yearold
Choudhury, Kolkataborn founder
of Bikram Yoga a form of hot yoga
testified that he is "almost bank
rupt." Choudhury told jurors he had
no income at all last year and his
collection of more than 30 luxury
cars has been promised to
California Governor Jerry Brown for
a children's school dedicated to
automotive engineering.
JafaBodden filed her lawsuit in
2013 claiming Choudhury sexually
harassed her with a barrage of
misogynistic comments and threat
ened her and her daughter's lives
when she raised questions about
sexual abuse claims brought by
Yoga guru
Bikram
Choudhury
numerous women.
JafaBodden testified earlier in
the trial that Choudhury made her

life a living hell after she moved to
the US from India to act as his

personal lawyer. (IANS)
Four Indian-Americans nominated to

MIAMI DOCTOR
Democratic Convention Committees
ATTACKS UBER
DRIVER, SUSPENDED
Washington, DC: Four eminent
IndianAmericans, including two
women, have been nominated to
the Democratic Partys 2016
Convention Standing Committees
which would formally announce
its candidate for the presidential
polls. Topping the list of Indian
Americans is Smita Shah, presi
dent and CEO of Chicagobased
Spaan Tech, who has been nomi
nated as vicechair of the Rules
Committee.
One of the top fundraisers for
President Barack Obama and
now Hillary Clinton, California
Anjali Ramkisson
Washington, DC: A doctor at a
Miami hospital is on adminis tra
tive leave after a video surfaced
on YouTube showing her hitting
and screaming profanities at an
Uber driver.
The Miami Herald reports that
Jackson Health System of ficials
have removed fourthyear neu
rolog y
resident
Anjali
Ramkissoon from clinical duties
after Sundays incident. It was
posted on YouTube Tuesday.
Ramkisson of IndoCarribean
descent got into the back of the
Uber car, even though she hadnt
called for it and she wouldnt
get out.
The people who had ordered
the car to come said it was fine to
take her instead of them, but the
driver didnt want to take her
anywhere.
The driver was threatening to
call 911, after the woman tried to
take his keys, and started hitting
and kicking him.

The girl wound up sitting in the
passenger seat of the car, and
throwing all of his belongings
out of the window.
Police allegedly showed up
after the video ended, and she
was already in another taxi ready
to leave. Police had to stand in
front of the car and stop them
from moving.
Police placed her in handcuffs,
and she beg an to apolog ize,
claiming she would lose her med
ical license if she got arrested.
According to the post, the Uber
driver decided not to press
charges. Miami police spokes
woman Frederica Burden told the
Herald that of ficers were called
for a disturbance, but no report
was taken. A hospital statement
says an internal investigation will
determine any disciplinary
action, including possible termi
nation.
based Shefali Razdan Duggal has

been nominated as a member of
the Rules Committee.
Renowned ophthalmologist and
entrepreneur, Sreedhar Potarazu
has been nominated to the
Credentials Committee, accord
ing to the list released by the
Democratic National Committee
(DNC) Chairwoman De bbie
Wasserman Schultz.
DNC rules provide for the Chair
to appoint 75 Party Leader and
Elected Of ficial Members to the
three Convent ion Standing
Committees to be he ld in
Philadelphia in July, which would

formally announce partys presi
dential candidate.
T hese Party Leader and
Members serve in addition to and
together with the over 160 mem
bers that are elected in every
state to those same committees.
Saif Khan, an Iraq war veteran
who had served as a Combat
Eng ineer in the Iraqi city of
Mosul as part of Operation Iraqi
Freedom, was nominated to the
Rules Committee. He hails from
Mysuru and currently lives in
Washington, DC. (PTI)
Sikh removed from Trump rally

Washington: A turbaned Sikh, who
was forced out of Donald Trump's
election rally after he protested the
Republican presidential frontrun
ner's antiMuslim speeches with a
'Stop Hate' banner, has said that he
plans to take his peaceful protests
to other rallies of the realestate
tycoon.Arish Singh, a former editor
of a local newspaper 'Little Village'
and a comedian, was thrown out of
a Trump rally in Iowa on Sunday
after he interrupted Trump's signa
ture antiMuslim speech by dis
playing the banner.
"I am a not a Muslim. But you
don't have to be a Muslim to stand
ag ainst ant iMuslim bigotry,"
Singh, a resident of Chicago, tweet
ed.
"I did interrupt him. I did say,
'why do you give shelter to white
supremacists. Why do we have
white supremacists robocalling in
Iowa?' I did say that as we dropped
the banner," Singh told the publica
Arish Singh plans to continue his peaceful protests

tion in an interview.Singh said that
he decided to interrupt the speech
due to a series of remarks by
Trump such as his suggestion that
the US ban all Muslim immigrants
which have coincided with a rise in
incidents of xenophobia and big
otry against Sikhs and Muslim
Americans.While Trump has not
attacked Sikhs directly, Sing h

pointed to a series of hatecrimes
perpetuated ag ainst Muslim
Americans over the past months.
It is part of the Sikh tradition to
stand up to injustice, regardless of
where it might manifest, he said,
adding that he plans on protesting
during Trump's rally in Iowa City.
TRISTATE SPOT NEWS
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
37
Bhansalis named to Top 100 Most

Influential People in Accounting
Hauppauge,
NY:
AccountantsWorld cofounders
Dr. Chandra Bhansali and Sharada
Bhansali were named to the Top
100 Most Influential People in
Accounting by Accounting Today
mag azine
for
2015.
AccountantsWorld has been a
pioneer in cloudbased software
solutions for accountants for over
15 years, and the two cofounders
are the first husbandwife team to
receive this recognition. This
truly is an honor for both of us,
said Dr. Chandra Bhansali, CEO of
AccountantsWorld. As a compa
ny, we are happy to see that our
peers recognize our contributions

to the accounting profession.
Having dedicated ourselves to
helping accountants grow their
practice and become more prof
itable through cuttingedge soft
ware solutions, this achievement
is very fulfilling.
Said Dan Hood, editorinchief
of Account ing To day, W hat
makes this list so special is that
we ask candidates to name who
they think are the most influential
people in the field. The people
who made the list were not cho
sen by the magazine, they were
chosen by their peers. This makes
the acknowledgement all that
more
important.
AccountantsWorld opened the
first online portal for accountants
in 1999, and since then has
repeatedly identified ways to use
new technolog y to serve the

needs of professional account
ants. From the earliest days of the
Internet, Dr. Bhansali and his co
founder and wife Sharada under
stood that the Web would change
the nature of accounting work,
and could be used to foster
stronger collaborat ion w ith
clients and put unprecedented
computing power in the hands of
accounting firms of all sizes. The
result of that vision has been the
development of a suite of cloud
based solutions designed exclu
sively to help accountants grow
their practices and better serve
their clients.
As natives of Jodhpur, India, the
Bhansalis came to the United
States in 1974 for higher educa
tion at the University of Buffalo,
NY. Chandra Bhansali earned a
Chandra and Sharada Bhansali

PhD in Engineering and Sharada
Bhansali earned two Masters
deg rees in Mathemat ics and
Industrial Engineering. They have

two adult children, Divya and
Punita.
MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga

to co-chair AIF board
Ajay Bhutoria seen with President Obama
AJAY BHUTORIA SELECTED TO

HILLARYS AAPI NATIONAL
LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
New York: Hillary for America
announced the launch of its Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders for
Hillary Leadership Council a group
of over 150 elected officials, commu
nity, and grassroots leaders who will
help build a grassrootsdriven volun
teer team that will help Hillary
Clinton engage, energize and organ
ize support in the AAPI community
ahead of the caucuses and primaries.
These officials are taking on leader
ship roles on the heels of the launch
of AAPI for Hillary in San Gabriel,
California, where Clinton was sur
rounded by leaders from the commu
nity and discussed whats at stake for
the AAPI community in this election.
The latest to join the powerful list
of influential NRIs is Ajay Jain
Bhutoria from Fremont California.
Bhutorias involvement as AAPI
National Leadership Council for
Hillary Clinton's election campaign
for US Presidency is seen as another
example of top Indian immigrants
moving into mainstream US politics
and their contributions to American
social and political life in general.
Bhutoria joins other members which

include Congressman, Senators and
elected of ficials and community
leaders from Japanese, Chinese,
Pakistani,
Philippines,
and
Vietnamese among others.
Bhutoria has been the cohost for
several events connecting Indian
Americans in San Francisco Bay
Area. These events have been attend
ed by Hillary Clinton and helped
raise more than $100,000 for the
Primary Campaign funds.
Bhutoria has been awarded several
national and international awards
with most recent awards being:
California
State
Assembly
Community Hero 2015; South Asian
Inspirational Achiever Award 2015;
Time of India NRI Inspirational
Achiever Hero Award 2015; SAF
Foundation Inspirational Community
Hero Award 2015 and more.
Bhutoria has served and led various
organizations including Rajasthan
Association of North America, GOPIO
Silicon Valley and Global
Organization for Community
Services.
New York: Ajay Banga, President

and Chief Executive Of ficer of
MasterCard has joined the
American India Foundation (AIF)
Board of Directors and has further
agreed to serve as a CoChair of the
Board.
In addition to his role at
MasterCard, Banga is a member of
President Obamas Advisory
Committee for Trade Policy and
Negotiations. He serves on the
Board of Directors of the U.S.India

Business Council (USIBC), where he
recently completed his tenure as its
longestserving chairman. He is also
a member of the U.S.India CEO
Forum. He is a Fellow of the Foreign
Policy Association and was awarded
the Foreign Policy Association
Medal in 2012.
Banga is also recipient of Padma
Shri announced by Indian govern
ment on Jan 26th.
I look forward to working with

Lata and the entire AIF team as they
continue to drive social and eco
nomic inclusion in India and build
an even stronger bridge between
the United States and India, said
Banga. Ive seen the impact organi
zations like this can have on
empowering individuals to live
more productive lives. With the cur
rent pace of change, its an exciting
time to be joining this group.
RICH HOMAGE PAID TO INDIAN SERVICEMEN

By Ashok Ojha
New Jersey: Members of the Indian
American community in New Jersey
paid rich tribute to jawans and offi
cers of Indian Army who laid their
lives fighting for India. A fundrais
ing event was organized at Deewan
restaurant in Piscataway where
more than two hundred community
members pledged support to the
projects run by Shradd ha
Foundation, a nonprofit group ded
icated to supporting the families of
Indian army men.
Col Virendra Tavathia, a retired
of ficer of the Indian Army and
trustee of Shraddha Foundation
informed the audience about the
foundations number of projects in
India to help families of servicemen
who laid their lives in the line of
duty.
Col Tavathia said that the founda
tion has set a target of raising
$25,000 at the event. He narrated a
number of instances where children
and widows of soldiers were living
in distressed situation due to lack
of support. Shradhaa will use its
Organizers of Shraddha Foundation including Major Krishna Chari,

Major Mehra, share the stage with philanthropist Jatinder Bakshi.
(Photo: Ashok Ojha)
resources to provide educational
resources and career counseling to
spouses and children of soldiers of
Indian descent, he said.
The foundation aims to provide
career counseling and education to
the spouses and children of soldiers
who have sacrificed their lives.
Community members such as

Jatinder Bakshi, Sunil Hali and oth
ers pledged substantial financial
support to the organization.
A musical program was presented
by a number of young and upcom
ing singers who performed popular
yesteryear Bollywood songs.
38
SPORTS
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
SANIA-MARTINA ENTER
AUSTRALIAN OPEN FINAL
Mirza-Dodig enter semis,
knock out Paes-Hingis
New Delhi: Top seeded tennis pair
of Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis
hardly broke sweat on their way to
victory in their 35th successive
match and enter the women's dou
bles final of the Australian Open at
the Melbourne Park here.
The IndoSwiss pair took only 54
minutes to beat GermanCzech 13th
seeds Julia Goerges and Karolina
Pliskova 61, 60 in the semifinals
at the Rod Laver Arena. They will
take on Czech seventh seeds
Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie
Hradecka in the final to earn their
eighth title on the trot.
The last four contest was going
without any hiccup till 21 when
the world's top ranked team broke
their opponents in the fourth game
to go 31 up. Sania and Martina
held their service game and broke
the 13th seeds' serve again in the
sixth game to take a 51 advantage.
It was only a matter of t ime
before they sealed the set in their
favour in only 26 minutes.
Sania and Martina, who are both
individually ranked No.1 in the
world, carried the momentum into
the second set to break Julia and
Karolina in the first and third
g ames to go 40 up. It finally
Top seeded tennis pair of Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis.

(Photo Courtesy: The Hindu)
looked like the GermanCzech com
bination would be able to get of f
the mark when they were 400 up
in the fifth game, but Sania and
Martina were in total demolition
mode. They first brought the game
to deuce and then broke their
opponents for the third time in the
set to make it 50.
Serving for the set and match,
Sania wasted three matchpoint
opportunities but finally clinched it
when Julia's hit went into the net to
give the IndoSwiss pair entry into
the finals.
This will be Sania's first women's
doubles final here with her previ
ous best coming in 2012 when she
reached the semis with Russian
Elena Vesnina. The top seeds com
plimented each other really well.
While Martina was impeccable up

front at the net, Sania's ground
strokes were hit so hard from the
baseline that their opponents were
hardly able to get near the balls.
The reigning Wimbledon and US
Open champions were easily the
dominant pair, winning 60 points
to the GermanCzech pair's 33.
They also won a remarkable five
breakpoint chances to none out of
four opportunities for Julia and
Karolina.
Earlier in the day, mixed doubles
third seeds Rohan Bopanna and
YungJan Chan were knocked out
of the year's first Major, losing their
quarterfinal 26, 57 in 55 minutes
to FilipinoSlovenian pairing of
Treat Huey and Andreja Klepac on
Show Court 2.
Melbourne: T he top
seeded tennis pair of
Sania Mirza and Ivan
Do dig totally out
classed
de fending
champions Leander
Paes and Mart ina
Hingis to march into
the mixed doubles
semifinals of the
Australian Open at
Melbourne Park here.
Defending champions Leander Paes
Mirza and Dodig took
and Martina Hingis. (File photos)
just an hour and 13
minutes to completely outplay both the combinations which led
the IndoSwiss pair of Paes and the set to the decider.
But it was the t iebreaker
Hing is 76(1), 63 on Show
Court 3. Mirza, who last won the which made the big dif ference
title here in 2009 with compa where out of the eight points
triot Mahesh Bhupathi, is played, Paes and Hingis only
already in the women's doubles managed to win one point in
final with Hingis while Paes is comparison to the IndoCroat
pair's seven, clinching the set in
her former partner.
The IndoCroat pairing will 44 minutes.
The top seeds were on a roll.
next take on RussianBrazilian
fifth seeds Elena Vesnina and They carried the momentum to
Bruno Soares for a place in the the second set, which they won
final. The first set was evenly in less than half an hour, where
contested with both pairs break they broke Paes' serve early in
ing the each other once. The the first game to get the crucial
number of total points won, win break. Paes was not able to hold
ners and unforced errors were his serve and gave in to his
also more or less the same for opponents.
BUSINESS
India among 10 largest IMF

WORLD BANK CUTS
2016 OIL FORECAST members with historic reforms
Washington/New Delhi: Even as
the World Bank revised sharply
downwards its oil price forecast
for 2016 to an average of $37 a
barrel from $51 predicted in
October in context of the con
t inuing supply g lut and low
demand prospects from emerg
ing economies, the Indian basket
of crude oils fell to a 14year low
on the last trading day.
"World Bank is lowering its
2016 forecast for crude oil prices
to $37 per barrel in its latest
Commodity Markets Outlook
report from $51 per barrel in its
October projections," the multi
lateral lender said in a release in
Washington on Tuesday.
The Indian basket, comprising
73 percent sourgrade Dubai and
Oman crudes and the balance in
sweetg rade Brent, fe ll on
Tuesday at $26.63 for a barrel of
nearly 160 litres, of ficial data
showed on Wednesday. It had
touched exactly the same month
ly price in June 2001. In this

regard, the bank also scaled
down its growth forecast for
emerg ing and deve loping
economies to 4 percent in 2016,
from an expected 4.6 percent
previously, and said the predic
tion was "subject to considerable
downside risks in a fragile global
environment". Explaining that
the lower forecast reflects vari
ous supply and demand factors,
the World Bank said "these
include soonerthananticipated
resumption of exports by Iran,
greater resilience in US produc
tion due to cost cuts and efficien
cy gains, a mild winter in the
Northern Hemisphere, and weak
g rowth prospects in major
emerging market economies".
The bank forecast crude oil
prices at $37 a barrel for 2016
by using an average of UK Brent,
Dubai and the US West Texas
Intermediate (WTI) oil prices,
equally weighted.
Washington: The International Monetary Fund's his

toric quota and governance reforms that for the first
time place four emerging market countries Brazil,
China, India, and Russia among its 10 largest mem
bers have become effective.
The reforms that also increase the financial strength
of the IMF, by doubling its permanent capital
resources to SDR 477 billion (about US$659 billion)
from about SDR 238.5 billion (about US$329 billion)
entered into force this week.
Other top 10 members 188nation agency include
the US, Japan, and the four largest European countries
France, Germany, Italy, and Britain.
The reforms represent a major step toward better
reflecting in the institution's governance structure the
increasing role of dynamic emerging market and
developing countries, according to an IMF announce
ment. The entry into force of these reforms will rein
force the credibility, effectiveness, and legitimacy of
the IMF, it said.
The conditions for implementing IMF's 14th General
Quota Review, which delivers historic and farreaching
changes to the governance and permanent capital of
the Fund, have now been satisfied, IMF said.
The amendment to the IMF's Articles of Agreement
creating an allelected IMF's Executive Board (Board
Reform Amendment) entered into force on this week.
IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde.

(Photo: Courtesy, IMF)
The quota increases under the 14th Review, which
were conditional on the entry into force of the Board
Reform Amendment, are expected to come into effect
in the coming weeks, IMF said.
"I commend our members for ratifying these truly
historic reforms," IMF Managing Director Christine
Lagarde said.
US AFFAIRS
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
39
AT 40% IN POLLS, TRUMP SKIPS

GOP DEBATE TO RILE FOX
Bloomberg weighs
independent 2016 bid
Jon Kaiman to
run for Rep. Steve
Israels seat
Mineola: Jon Kaiman, Chairman of

the Nassau Interim Finance
Authority
(NIFA)
has
announced his
candidacy for
ret iring Rep.
Steve Israels
Third District
seat from NY
in the US
NIFA chair Jon House
last
Kaiman
week and will
give up his paid and unpaid state
posts to campaign fulltime for the
job. Im announcing now, declaring
my candidacy, said Kaiman, former
North Hempstead supervisor,
speaking to Newsday, and in com
ing days, I will open a committee
and separate from my state job and
NIFA. Kaiman, 53, of Great Neck,
said he will give up his $153,000a
year job as a special adviser to Gov.
Andrew M. Cuomo for Sandy storm
relief, as well as his unpaid post as
chairman of the NIFA within the
next few days.
Fox presenter Megyn Kelly and Donald Trump

Washington: Defying conventional
wisdom, Republican presidential
frontrunner Donald Trump has
refused to reconsider his decision to
skip the party debate before the
first crucial nominating contests
and in the process has become the
talk of the talk shows.
As pundits discussed whether his
move to sit out Thursday night's
Fox News debate four days before
the Iowa caucuses would hurt him
or help him, Trump said Wednesday
he'd move forward with his own
competing event.
His "tremendous" rally at Drake
University in Des Moines at the
same time as his Republican rivals
gather for the debate just two miles
away will raise money for wounded
veterans, he said.
Escalating his longrunning feud
with TV presenter Megyn Kelly,
Trump lashed out at the Fox News
anchor whom he has accused of
treating him "unfairly" in the past.

Calling it a "conflict of interest"
Trump demanded that Kelly be not
allowed to moderate T hursday
night's debate. But Fox News
declined to give in. Kelly will be one
of the three moderators at the
debate. Texas Senator Ted Cruz
challenged Trump to debate him
Saturday night in Sioux City, Iowa.
But Trump laughed off Cruz's call to
debate, saying in a message on
Twitter that if they did it the contest
should be held in Canada, where
Cruz was born. Florida Senator
Marco Rubio called Trump's deci
sion to skip the debate, and Cruz's
oneonone challenge an "interest
ing sideshow." Meanwhile, Trump
has hit a new high in the race for
the Republican nomination, accord
ing to a new CNN/ORC Poll, with
more than 4in10 Republican vot
ers nationwide now saying they
back the billionaire.
New York: The New York Times

last week detailed former NYC
mayor Michael Bloomberg's latest
moves toward a presidential run
a possibility the billionaire has
considered before.
W hile Bloomberg, 73, has
decided in the past that he would
stand little chance of winning, his
latest calculations are shifting in
light of Donald Trump's populari
ty among likely Republican voters
and the possibility that Vermont
Senator Bernie Sanders bucks
rival Hillary Clinton in the
Demo crat ic primary race.
Bloomberg has told allies he
would likely mount a bid if either
Trump or Texas Sen. Ted Cruz
won the GOP nomination and if
Sanders cont inues to exceed
expectations.
According to the Times,
Bloomberg has already directed
his advisers to draw up plans for
an independent campaign, and
the former mayor has indicated to
friends and supporters that he
would be willing to spend at least
$1 billion of his own money to
fund a bid.
Aides have already begun draft
ing a plan in case Bloomberg
Former NYC Mayor

Michael Bloomberg
decides to jump into the 2016
race. Should he choose to run, the
billionaire, who founded a finan
cial data and media empire, would
then be primed to deliver several
detailed policy speeches. A robust
television advertising campaign
would further prop up his bid.
One source close to Bloomberg
said the former mayor would run
as a fiscal conservative capable of
tackling another recession and
reducing the national debt. On
social issues, his campaign would
lean more moderate, especially on
issues like abortion and samesex
marriage.
In
December,
Bloomberg commissioned a poll
to determine his chances against
Trump and Clinton.
INTERNATIONAL
ZIKA VIRUS COULD BECOME SWEDEN PLANS TO EXPEL

UP TO 80,000 ASYLUM'EXPLOSIVE PANDEMIC'
SEEKERS: MINISTER
London: US scientists have urged the World
Health Organization to take urgent action
over the Zika virus, which they say has "explo
sive pandemic potential."
Writing in a US medical journal, they called
on the WHO to heed lessons from the Ebola
outbreak and convene an emergency commit
tee of disease experts according to a BBC
News report.
They said a vaccine might be ready for test
ing in two years but it could be a decade
before it is publicly available.
Zika, linked to shrunken brains in children,
has caused panic in Brazil.
Thousands of people have been infected
there and it has spread to some 20 countries.
Brazilian President, Dilma Roussef, has urged
Latin America to unite in combating the virus.
She told a summit in Ecuador that sharing
knowledge about the disease was the only
way that it would be beaten. A meeting of
regional health ministers has been called for
next week.
The Zika virus was discovered in monkeys
in 1947 in Uganda's Zika Forest, with the first
human case registered in Nigeria in 1954 but
for decades it did not appear to pose much of
a threat to people and was largely ignored by

the scientific community. It was only with an
outbreak on the Micronesian island of Yap in
2007 that some researchers began to take an
interest.
In the US, one case of the Zika virus has
been identified in Arkansas and another in
Virginia, Center for Disease Control (CDC)
said, adding that one case was also confirmed
in a girl in California, but she has since recov
ered. As of now there is no vaccine to prevent
Zika. The best way to prevent diseases spread
by mosquitoes is to avoid being bitten, it said.
CDC said no locally transmitted Zika cases
have been reported in the continental US, but
cases have been reported in returning travel
ers. Locally transmitted Zika virus has been
reported in the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico. With the recent outbreaks, the number
of Zika cases among travelers visiting or
returning to the US will likely increase, it said.
CDC said Zika is a disease caused by Zika
virus that is spread to people primarily
through the bite of an infected Aedes species
mosquito. The most common symptoms of
Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunc
tivitis (red eyes).
Stockholm: Sweden intends to expel up to

80,000 migrants who arrived in 2015 and
whose application for asylum has been
rejected, Interior Minister Anders Ygeman
has said.
"We are talking about 60,000 people
but the number could climb to 80,000,"
the minister was quoted by Swedish
media, adding that the government had
asked the police and authorities in charge
of migrants to organize their expulsion.
The proposed measure was announced
as Europe struggles to deal with a crisis
that has seen tens of thousands of
migrants arrive on Greek beaches, with
the passengers mostly fleeing conflict in
Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan undeterred
by cold wintry conditions.
The UN says more than 46,000 people
have arrived in Greece so far this year,
with more than 170 people killed making
the dangerous crossing.
Ygeman said the expulsions, normally
carried out using commercial flights,
would have to be done using specially
chartered aircraft, given the large num

bers, staggered over several years.
Sweden, which is home to 9.8 million
people, is one of the European Union
countries that has taken in the largest
number of refugees in relation to its popu
lat ion. Sweden accepted more than
160,000 asylum seekers last year.
But the number of migrant arrivals has
dropped dramatically since Sweden enact
ed systematic photo ID checks on travelers
on January 4.
Swedish officials on Tuesday called for
greater security at overcrowded asylum
centers a day after the fatal stabbing of an
employee at a refugee center for unac
companied youths.
In neighboring Denmark, meanwhile,
the government this week approved legis
lation to seize the valuables of refugees in
the hope of limiting the flow of migrants.
Some have likened the Danish proposals
to the confiscation of gold and other valu
ables from Jews by the Nazis during the
(PTI)
Holocaust.
40
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
BOLLYWOOD
Padma Shri honor result of

my hard work: Priyanka
Dhanush will share screen

space with Uma Thurman
Dhanush
'excited' about
Hollywood
debut
Chennai: Actor Dhanush, who is
"excited" about making his
Hollywood debut in Iranian
French director Marjane Satrapi's
"The Extraordinary Journey Of
The Fakir Who Got Trapped In
An Ikea Cupboard", will start
filming for it from June, said a
source. "Dhanush will start shoot
ing for his portion of the film
from June 15. He is expected to
shoot for nearly three weeks. The
film will be shot in Italy, Morocco
and France (apart from India)," a
source close to Dhanush told
IANS. He will be sharing the
screen space with "Kill Bill" star
Uma Thurman in the film, which
is a comedy adventure tale based
on Romain Puertolas's best
selling debut novel with the same
name, which came out in 2014
and has been translated into 35
languages. Dhanush earlier took
to Facebook to share his excite
ment about his overseas debut.
"I am very excited by this
opportunity to work in a full
length Hollywood film 'T he
Extraordinary Journey Of The
Fakir Who Got Trapped In The
Ikea Cupboard' for the first time."
"The director Marjane Satrapi
felt I would be apt for this role
and I feel there are many facets I
can explore for this character. I
thank my fans and media for con
stantly standing by me and push
ing me to explore new endeavors
and challenges all the time," read
his post.
The novel that the film is based
on relates to the pilgrimage of a
con man from India to an IKEA
store in Paris which turns into a
philosophical odyssey.
The film will follow his journey
from New Delhi to Paris where
he falls in love with a woman and
accidentally gets deported along
with a band of African refugees
to the far corners of Europe
against his will.
IANS
Mumbai: From bagging her first

award for her American TV show
to being one of the Padma Award
winners, actress Priyanka Chopra
says she is living a dream and the
national honor is a result of her
hardwork.
"From 'Dil Dhadakane Do' to
'Bajirao Mastani' to gett ing
People's Choice award for
'Quantico' and now Padma Shri...I
can't explain in words what emo
tions I am going through. I think I
am living my dream," Priyanka,
who is currently in Montreal, told
PTI over phone.
"I think it's all the benefit of
working hard. I don't take my job
for granted," she said.
Priyanka will be conferred with
Padma Shri, India's fourth highest
civilian honor.
She became the first South Asian
actor to w in People's Choice
Awards (favorite actress) for her
American TV show "Quantico" ear
lier this month.
"I am happy... excited that this
honor came my way. It has been a
good year for me. The start has
been great. I am grateful to people

who have acknow ledged my
work. Being the daughter of an
army of ficer, this honor
makes it more special,"
Priyanka said.
T he
33yearold
actress said she was
elated to be among
the illustrious per
sonalities from films,
arts and culture field
who have receive the
national honor.
"I am excited and
happy to be in the
illustrious list of peo
ple and gett ing the
award," she said.
The actresssinger said
awards are acknowledge
ment of an artists' work
and w ith honors comes
responsibility to do better work.
"I think w ith award comes
encouragement to do better and
good work. There is responsibility
to perform better. I am happy
(that) I am acknowledged for the
work that I have done," she said.
The Padma Shri comes close on heels of Priyanka winning Peoples

Choice Award earlier this month (Photo PTI)
PRINCE WINS BIGG BOSS 9,

to work on fiction shows now
Prince Narula
made a hat
trick having
won reality
shows Roadies
X2 and
Splitsville 8
previously.
Mumbai: The suspense is finally

over. The audience has had its say
and out of Prince Narula, Mandana
Karimi, Rishabh Sinha and
Ro che lle Rao, the w inner is
Prince Narula.
The man, known for his fights
and flirting, emerged victorious
even as Rishabh Sinha was
announced as the first runnerup.
Prince won Rs. 35 lakh as prize
money out of which he donated Rs.
5 lakh to host Salman Khans chari
ty Being Human.
With Bigg Boss 9, Prince is the
new reality TV star he won
Roadies X2 and Splitsville 8 and
was the second runnerup in Mr
YASH CHOPRA TAUGHT ME

HOW TO LOVE: REKHA
Mumbai: Actress Rekha, who was
honored with the Yash Chopra
Memorial Award, says that the
filmmaker taught her how to love
and inspired her to write shayri.
Talking about Yashji would be
like chota muh badi baat what
can we say about him? Id like to
definitely state that he taught me
how to love. Not just by watching
his films (did) I understand Oh,
this is love, not just by speaking or
watching that there is beauty and a

very tender emotion, but a feeling
that is invisible which every person
definitely feels it that Yashji
taught me, Rekha said in her
speech after accepting the award.
It was Rekhas turn to receive an
award after she is usually the one
who is seen presenting awards to
the best actor or actress. On this,
she said: Ive always maintained
that its more important for me to
Rekha was honored with Yash Chopra

Memorial Award on Jan 25th.
give than to receive. I guess I gave
my share of the only thing I know
of, that is love. I take this award
as not just an award or a validation
but I think it is something of a
reminder to say that the curtains
Punjab 2014. Now, he wants to

move on to acting and fiction
shows. After having a successful
run in reality shows, next I want to
enter the fiction genre. I want to
act in films and TV. Before coming
to Bigg Boss, I was going through
the script of two new shows. I had
also signed them, but because of
Bigg Boss, I was not able to start
shooting for them. So, now soon Ill
start working on them, Prince
said. I cant reveal much about the
two shows. But yes they are fic
tional ones and will show me as an
actor for the first time onscreen.
Their shooting will begin soon, he
added.
have not fallen yet but the best is
still to come in the near future. And
it will definitely be a reminder for
me to do better than the best, bet
ter than ever before and this is not
my last chapter but it is the best
chapter, yet to begin.
The award has been instituted by
the T.S.R. Foundation of T
Subbarami Reddy in the memory of
the producerdirector, who died in
2012, to annually honor a distin
guished senior film personality for
outstanding contribution to film
industry with a gold medal and a
cash prize of Rs.10 lakh.
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
42
HUMOR
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
Funny Side by Nury Vittachi
HATE YOUR LEADER?

START YOUR OWN ENCLAVE
W
HEN A VISITING Westerner airily

dismissed Asia as a region of nat
ural disasters and incredibly nasty
leaders, I was really upset.
The truth hurts.
***
A similar point was made in the shape of
a request I received from a reader who did
not want his name or address printed:
Dear Mr Columnist Person, nobody likes
our government. Can we form an enclave?
Yes, you can. Enclaves are hot right now.
Many people recommend the quick and
easy Beijing system of territorial expan
sion, where you just build stuff in the sea
and look outraged when anyone complains.
***
But be warned. Enclaves, city states and
territories are often independentish bits of
OTHER peoples countries, so the whole
issue can be VERY touchy.
Look at a map and you can see that
Singapore is really just a teensy bit of
Malaysia, but it is not polite to say that.

Malaysia itself is half in Thailand and
half in Borneo, but you must never say
that, either. Hong Kong is part of China,
but the residents think they are a separate
citystate, and no one has the heart to tell
them the truth.
***
This summer, sadly for people who love
micronations, arguably the strangest
enclave on the planet has just disappeared
in a deal between two countries.
Dahala Khagrabari enclave was legally a
piece of India, but it was inside an enclave
of Bangladesh that was itself inside an
enclave of India that was surrounded by
land which was definitely Bangladeshi.
This is not a joke.
Nor was it a joke for residents, who tech
nically crossed numerous borders every
time they took their bullock cart out for a
spin.
CHILD: Are we nearly there, Daddy?
DAD: Were st ill in India, son. No,
Bangladesh. No, India. No Bangladesh.

***
A European colleague tells me that an
odd enclave exists in his region: a splodge
of land inside the Netherlands that is legal
ly part of Belgium.
The boundary runs right through lots of
actual buildings. In the past, legal closing
t ime for bars was earlier in the
Netherlands, so when it got late, drinkers
simply moved to tables on the Belgian side
of the room and ordered another beer, he
said.
***
But back to the reader who wants to start
his own country.
The Beijing system is to grab a bit of land

and then announce that it has belonged to
you since the earth formed from interstel
lar dust.
W hen Beijing used this line in East
Turkestan, the residents complained that
they had lived there for centuries before it
became a newly acquired territory for
China.
Beijing vehemently denied this, but its
argument was severely undermined by the
fact that it renamed the area Xinjiang,
which is Chinese for newly acquired terri
tory. (This is also not a joke, believe it or
not.)
***
Column done: time to vacate my desk or,
as I prefer to call it, my personal enclave.
Laughter is the Best Medicine

BEST
RATE
FOR
INDIA
AND
PAKISTAN
New York Head Quarter
422S Broadway
HICKSVILLE
NY 11801
5168271010
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
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
43
psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com
Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899; Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874;
By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma
Annual Predictions: For those born in this week (Jan 30 - FEB 5 2016)
30th January, 2016

Ruled planet: Jupiter Ruled by no: 3
Traits in you: Being ruled by Jupiter, you are
courteous, courageous, decisive, ambitious,
disciplined, and realistic. You are gifted with
high imagination power, optimism, and en
thusiasm. However, behaving restless and
dominating may hamper your characteristics
at times. You need to work on your personal
ity to make yourself better as an individual.
Health this year: You may enjoy a great health
this year. However, that does not mean you
will start neglecting your health. You need to
take care of your diet and nutrition to main
tain a good health. You may practice some ex
ercises to remain fit.
Finance this year: Your confidence and hard
work will help you earn a lot of money and
you will be able to expand your business as
well. You may go ahead investing on anything
you want as this year is pretty rewarding for
you. Your past legal disputes will get resolved
this year and give you enough opportunity to
make money.
Career this year: You will enjoy a fruitful year
as a result of your past performances. You
may get the expected salary hike this year.
You will be very much approachable due to
your knowledge, intelligence, and hard work.
However, you need to look after your profes
sional etiquette and try to perform much bet
ter than previous year.
Romance this year: Your romantic life will be
come stagnant this year as you may not give
enough time to your beloved. If you are un
married and planning to marry this year, it
may not happen because of the negative
movements of your stars and planets.
Lucky month: April , May Sep. December,
31st January, 2016
Ruled planet: Uranus Ruled by no: 4
Traits in you: Uranus, being your dominating
planet helps you become dynamic and cre
ative. You are positive, realistic, responsive,
and sincere. You need to work and overcome

the weaknesses in your personality to attract
more people towards you.
Health this year: You will enjoy a good health
throughout this year but provided you go for
regular medical checkups and take proper
medication prescribed by the doctor.
Finance this year: Your financial condition
will be pretty good as the movements of your
stars are favourable for making money this
year. You may go for any investment on real
estate or gold. Do not trust anyone when part
nerships are concerned. You should not lend
or borrow money as it will create disputes.
Career this year: You may have to take few
major decisions in your profession. You can
succeed if you put some extra effort in your
work and deliver quality. You have to drive
the team to put qualitative effort.
Romance this year: Your plans to go for holi
days with your partner may not work because
of huge work pressure and this may create
disturbance in your marital life. You need to
take care of the emotional requirements of
your partner to lead a peaceful life this year.
Lucky month: May , June ,August, November
1st February, 2016
Ruled planet: Sun Ruled by no: 1
Traits in you: Your ruling planet, the Sun
blesses you with a unique character. You are
pretty confident, creative, intellectual, opti
mistic, and enthusiastic. You are gifted with
an artistic perception. You are very much so
cial and like to make new contacts wherever
you go. However, you need to control your
mood swings and selfishness.
Health this year: You may go through a very
bad patch as far as your health is concerned
this year. You may fall sick frequently with mi
nor diseases like fever, cough, cold, body pain,
and so on. You should take care of your health
by taking proper medication.
Finance this year: If you are well educated
and employed, you may find yourself in huge
monetary benefits this year. You might get fa
vors from government officials to get your
work done, which will earn you a lot of mon
ey. You may go for investments in various sec
tors as it may prove to be Career this year:
You are quite capable of taking wise decisions.
So your colleagues may seek you help in tak
ing critical decisions. You will excel as an ef
ficient employee and this might bring you a
promotion or salary hike. Your confidence,
hard work, and dedication will help you ob
tain success in every project assigned to you.

Romance this year: You may go for a roman
tic relationship this year if you are yet to be in
one. If you are married, you will enjoy a good
time with your spouse. You may plan for mar
riage if you are still unmarried. You should
plan for a long holiday with your partner to
give time to each other.
Lucky month: March, May and September
2nd February, 2016
Ruled planet: Moon Ruled by no: 2
Traits in you: Being influenced by the Moon,
you are creative, simple, reliable, intelligent,
hardworking, and very social.
You are a very efficient in your work. Howev
er, you need to control your attitude of being
rude and pessimistic.
Health this year: Your health will remain fine.
However, you may suffer from various minor
diseases say cough, cold, body pain, loss of
sleep and so on. To enjoy a very healthy life,
you need to get a good control on your diet.
You have to stay away from alcohol and ciga
rettes to avoid any organ dysfunction.
Finance this year: You may go through a mod
erate financial condition this year. You past in
vestments may not bring you expected re
sults. You may get minimal return from your
fixed savings and that would not make you se
cure financially. You should not lend money to
anyone during this year as you may feel the
requirement of money at any point of time.
Career this year: Being a hardworking pro
fessional, you are well capable of performing
the best. However, you need to be very selec
tive and cautious if you plan to make a move
for your career. You may go for a new job op
portunity. You may see many ups and downs
in your career as you may struggle to get
things right for yourself.
Romance this year: Your marital life will go on
smoothly with the gradually growing under
standing between you&your spouse. You will
get enough support from your partner when
ever you are in a problem. If you are yet to
marry, you may need to wait for another year.
Lucky month: June, November, Dec. January
3rd February, 2016
Ruled planet: Jupiter Ruled by no: 3
Traits in you: As your governing planet is
Jupiter, you are intelligent, dignified, dynam
ic, simple, ambitious, and optimistic.
You are very whimsical towards your work.
However, you need to eradicate few negative
characteristics such as jealousy, rude, irre
sponsibility.
Health this year: You will be going through a
not so very good health this year around. You
might need to take proper care of your health
by frequently visiting your doctor for medical
checkups. You need to adhere to the medica
tions prescribed by the doctors for your bet
terment.
Finance this year: You may be in a very good
financial groove this year as you will find prof
it everywhere you go for investment. You may
start few new ventures if you are into hard
core business. You might have to take few im
portant decisions to go for the opportunities
provided. You may invest on real estate and
stocks this year.
Career this year: If you are a very keen learn
er, then you may get the chance to prove your
self at a higher level. You will enhance your
skills and impress your employer to get better
professional benefits. You may get a good per
formance appraisal or a promotion, which will
encourage you to work even hard.
Romance this year: If you are yet to be in a
marital relationship, there is a healthy chance
for you to get into one. Your romantic life may
take a leap this year if you are married. You
should not get involved in any kind of con
frontation or argument with your beloved as
it may weaken your relationship.
Lucky month: April , July, September, January
4th February, 2016
Ruled planet: Uranus Ruled by no: 4
Traits in you: With the influence of Uranus,
you are born active and lucky. By nature you
are dynamic, reliable, honorable, dignified, en
thusiastic, decisive, and very cooperative.
However, you need to work on your stub
bornness and frequent mood swings.
Health this year: You would not remain satis
fied as far your health is concerned as minor
illness may disturb you throughout this year.
To avoid these health issues, you need to take
care of your health by taking healthy food and
medicines at time. You may go for yoga and
meditation.
Finance this year: You will be among ample
financial benefits throughout this year. You
will find new source of income and it will
bring you lot of money and scope to expand
your business. You may try your hands in var
ious investment plans as you may get enough
returns due to your favoring star movement.
Career this year: You are destined to get plen
ty of good fortune and fame. Your dedication
towards your work and efficiency may bring

you exceptional success. You may get pro
moted to a managerial position and that will
of course result in a handsome hike in your
salary.
Romance this year: You may get into matri
monial alliance towards the last few months
of the year. If you are married, you will enjoy
a blissful romantic relationship with your
partner. You should plan for surprise outings
to make your relationship grow stronger.
Lucky month: May , July , August, September
5th February, 2016
Ruled planet: Mercury Ruled by no: 5
Traits in you: As your ruling planet is the Mer
cury, you are born realistic, intelligent, simple,
focused, caring, determined, and courageous.
As you are very helpful, people trust you very
soon and you enjoy a good impression in your
friends circle. However, you need to work on
your stubbornness and jealousy to become a
better individual.
Health this year: Your health may remain the
same as it was during the last year. You may
improve a bit with medication and diet con
trol. You may practice meditation and yoga
for better results. Do not neglect the health of
your family members as well as they may fall
ill frequently this year and you may remain
bothered for the same.
Finance this year: You may find yourself in fi
nancial benefits. However, you need to take
enough toil to make this happen. You may go
for various new proposals and assignments,
which would improve your income and pros
perity. There may be a huge rise in expenses,
but you will be able to meet those with your
increased earnings.
Career this year: You will be successful in
every project you take up this year. You may
be adjudged the best employee by your high
er management because of your efficiency,
hard work, and timely delivery. You may need
to negotiate with different types of customer
and learn a lot about handling a project inde
pendently.
Romance this year: Your marital relationship
will move on smoothly. If you are yet to mar
ry, you may fall into a romantic relationship
this year. You may get into a marital alliance
if you are already into a relationship. You will
be leading a blissful romantic life with your
spouse or partner with lots of love, care, and
concern.
Lucky month: April , May, July, December
Stars Foretell: January 30-February 5, 2016

ARIES: Your greatest gains will come through
your creative ideas at professional
front. Parents and friends will do
their best to keep you happy.
Improvement in finances is cer
tain. Enjoying the company of part
ner in a lively restaurant would bring
immense romantic pleasure. You will be success
ful in getting rid from tensions. Time to relax
and enjoy your visit to a relatives place. Your
friends and family will be of great support if you
are trying for an office. A promising week to dis
cuss future goals with important people.
TAURUS: Success is certain provided you work as

a team. A promising week to plan
things for your progeny.
Speculation coupled with some
unexpected gains improves finan
cial health. The presence of love
would make you feel life meaningful. A
sparkling laughter filled week when most things
proceed, as you desire. Journey to some famous
historical place sounds exciting to your kids. Its
time to make some property investments for
your kids. You are likely to benefit on positive
reply from friends.
GEMINI: You will be on the seventh heaven when

you receive recognition for your
achievements at work. You would
be the center of attraction at a
social gathering that you attend
especially with family. A new
source of income will generate through
influential contacts. Love life brings some memo
rable moments that you could cherish rest of
your life. Purchasing official accessories can lead
to improve growth of your office. Good week to
oblige people whom you feel could prove impor
tant in future.
CANCER: Your creativity will amaze people around

you besides enhancing career
prospects. You would prefer to
relax and enjoy the company of
family members in the evening.
Investment made this week would
enhance prosperity and financial securi
ty. Your flashing smile would work as the best anti
dote for romantic partners unhappiness. A very
healthy week filled with happiness & vitality. Its
time to travel with innovative imagination.
Inheriting property from your relatives seems to
be ahead. You are likely to be full of good ideas.
LEO : New job opportunities for some will be bet

ter than expected. this week you
move with new excitement & confi
dence as you receive support from
family and friends. An improve
ment in financial position would
enable to make important purchases.
Sharing candyfloss and toffees with lover/beloved
would bring unlimited joy. Are you longing to go
on a vacation then be ready for it? Your income
can be doubled by renting your house or a part of
your house. A week when your choice of activities
would bring gains far beyond expectations.
VIRGO: At work you are likely to win apprecia

tion and awards for past ef forts.
Family front seems to go smoothly
as you receive their full support to
your plans. You are likely to earn
monetary profits through most
unexpected sources. Company of love
partner would inspire to take initiatives this
week. Yoga and meditation would help in keep
ing in shape and mentally agile. Be ready to hang
out with your friends. It would be beneficial if
you plan to buy a small property. Selfdiscipline
would enable to manage you better.
LIBRA: Timely and swift action would give an

edge over others at professional
front. You find relief, comfort and
affection in the company of family
members. A sudden inflow of
funds will take care of your bills
and immediate expenses. Love works
like a panacea as you find sanity. Blessings of a
saintly person give peace of mind. By traveling
you will learn about new places, ultimately its a
great deal for yourself. Real estate is one thing on
which you can rely on to invest. Paintings bring a
pleasant relief to people at the time of crisis.
SCORPIO: Colleagues and subordinates will lend

a helping hand enabling to com
plete the work on time. Monetary
position is likely to improve on
recovering of delayed payments.
Love partner touches soul that
would take imagination to unlimited
heights. Chances of recovering from physical ail
ment are high. Pack your bags and some eatables
and go out for a picnic. Investment on construc
tion business would flourish your income. You
succeed in cutting yourself away from old ideas
& beliefs those have outlived their purpose.
SAGITTARIUS: Success in completing difficult

assignments brings a lot of laurels
at work. Family members will be
very positive & supportive to
your plans. Investment in
antiques & jewelry brings mone
tary gains and improvement in finan
cial position. Inexhaustible energy enables to
participate in outdoor activities. Many people
want to fly international and you are one of
them. Dealings for older properties can be in
process. Your ef forts keep the atmosphere
buoyant around you.
CAPRICORN: Selfconfident would enable to convey

your point of view with ease a work
place. Relatives will be willing to
lend a helping hand at the time of
need. Long pending arrears and
dues will finally be recovered.
Romantic imagination would keep you in
a jovial & cheerful mood. You attain a bloom in
health on sharing happiness with others. By travel
ing youll learn about new places and cultures,
which is ultimately a great deal about yourself. Your
possession for acquiring a plot might be achieved.
Timely action would save from humiliation.
AQUARIUS : Mental clarity gives a decisive edge

over all competitors at professional
front. New relationship at family
front will be long lasting & highly
beneficial. this week investment
concerning residence will be prof
itable. The company of love partner
makes you forget about the work. A cheerful state
of mind would allow enjoying the perfect health.
You and your loved ones been busy for quite
sometimes and have finally decided to go on a
vacation. If you invest on smaller properties then
it can be beneficiary for future investments.
PISCES: Calculated risks would enables to com

plete the project on time. Guests visit
would make it a pleasant & won
derful week. Financial hassles
seem to get over as someone
lends a timely helping hand.
Sudden romantic encounter will lift
your spirits. Divine knowledge from a saintly
person provides solace & comfort. Your next
journey is to a place which is full of natural beau
ty and ravishing. Your plan to own a house is
ought to be in the right way. Dont get surprised
on waking up to a pleasant surprise this week.
44
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS
Education for a
Peaceful World
By Sant Rajinder Singh

Ji Maharaj
find ourselves preoccupied in

making a living and raising our
children. We lead such busy lives
that we have little t ime for
leisure. As we get older and life
begins to pass us by, we begin to
question,
"Is the purpose of life only to
be born, grow old, and die? Or is
there something else?"
Spirituality deals with develop
ing the higher values of life and
with becoming a better person.
Spirituality means inculcating
love in our hearts for all humani
ty, irrespective of skin color, reli
gion, or nationality, irrespective
of whether a person is rich or
We will stop destroying our

forests, our air, our water, and all
of nature which God has given to
us for our life here on earth.
When we destroy anything that
we have received, when we take
so much from the soil for our
sustenance yet pollute the land
instead of trying to rejuvenate it,
we are harming the whole world.
The universes have been created
in perfect harmony. There is so
much lost when we do not take
proper care of nature. And if we
do not take proper care of our
selves, whether it be physically,
intellectually, or spiritually, it
affects our life in this universe.
try to enter the inner realms. God

is within each of us. The human
body is the highest form of all
creation and the holiest of the
temples and churches because it
was not made by any human
hand; it was made by the hand of
God. To practice spirituality does
not require any religious conver
sion. Spirituality is a science that
can be practiced by a member of
any religion, and even by those
who do not belong to any reli
gion. It is not necessary for peo
ple to convert from one religion
to another. We do not believe in
any conversion; we be lieve
instead in "inversion." T his
affect them, but they affect many

other human beings all around
them. If all of us start making
good decisions, we will be mov
ing in a direction which will ben
efit everyone. Along with being
able to make a good intellectual
decision, along with being able to
make a good physical decision,
we have to learn to make good
spiritual decisions.
What do we have to learn in
life that will help us? We need to
learn that if we have love in our
hearts for everyone, then we will
have a society in which people
would behave as if others were
members of their own family. If
n the past, educators all over

the world have placed tremen
dous stress on the intellectual
and physical development of stu
dents. The result is that we have
turned out human beings who
are physically and intellectually
superior to our predecessors.
The amount of knowledge that
we are gaining today is doubling
at a much faster rate than it did
previously. About two centuries
ago, the knowledge available to
the general public used to double
in one century. But according to
research done in 1986, studies
have shown that knowledge is
now doubling every five years.
There is so much research in all
areas that we are exposed to a
greater amount of information
now than we were just a few
years ago. T his informat ion
explosion has led us to become
more and more involved in a
materialistic way of life. With the
advancement in the electronics
field in the last twentyfive years,
so many g adgets have been
invented that they should have
given us more time for leisure,
more time to enjoy ourselves,
and more time to explore who we
are, where we came from, and
what our purpose in life is. It
takes so much time and effort to
learn how to operate these
devices that rather than giving us
the leisure time we thought we
would have, we are becoming
more and more involved with the
gadgetry.
As we grow older, we have the
responsibility of our children on
our shoulders. We spend time
wondering about the best way to
raise our children so that they
will grow up to become better
human beings than we are. We
want them to have an easier time
in their lives than we had. We
Spirituality means inculcating love in our hearts for all humanity, irrespective of
skin color, religion, or nationality, irrespective of whether a person is rich or
poor, or from the East or the West. If everyone would start seeing the Light
of God in all people this will help bring peace and harmony to the world.
poor, or from the East or the
West. If everyone would start
seeing the Light of God in all peo
ple, this will help bring peace and
harmony to the world. Once we
realize that our soul is a part of
God, and that part is the same in
each human beingand not only
in human beings but in all living
creatureswe will not want to
harm anyone. We will then start
to see the goodness in everyone.
We will begin to think about the
welfare of others. We will also be
concerned about the ecology of
the world.
To develop our spiritual side it

is important to start the basic
moral instruction about spiritual
ity at an early age. It is important
that the spiritual and ethical val
ues of life are taught properly.
We can deve lop spiritually
through a process of meditation.
Through meditation we not only
develop the higher human val
ues, but we also realize our true
selves and gain knowledge about
the soul in our body. Meditation
is another form of concentration.
The process of meditation is one
in which we close our eyes and
means that we invert our atten

tion to go within. Contact with
this current of divinity within us
brings us peace and joy.
Education is a means by which
we train children to deal with the
problems of life. Children have to
be taught right from wrong. They
have to be taught how to make
good decisions.
If we can teach children to
make decisions properly, then
when a problem arises in life,
they will make the right choice.
We also need to teach children
that their decisions not only
along with the intellectual and

physical traits, the spiritual traits
can be taught to children, then
this world will become a haven of
joy and peace.
Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj

is an internationally recognized
spiritual leader and Master of
Jyoti Meditation who affirms the
transcendent oneness at the heart
of all religions and mystic traditions, emphasizing ethical living
and meditation as building blocks
for achieving inner and outer
peace. www.sos.org.
Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016

Vol-8-Issue-37 Jan-30 - Feb-5 - 2016

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The South Asian Times

Vol.8 No. 38 Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016 80 Cents

New York Edition

The South Asian Times

Vol.8 No. 38 Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016 80 Cents

New York Edition

For the first time, a

podium on the magnificent Rajpath boulevard as

ing contingents and it performed with panache,

RDay Special pages 532

REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL

Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016

Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016

DESPITE TERROR THREATS,

35th Infantry Regiment elements

Modi and Francois Hollande at the

had shortlisted Rafale for induc

armed forces. Chief Minister J.

Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal

Karnataka tableau during the Republic Day parade on Rajpath.

Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016

Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin presenting credentials to

to 2011. He worked at the IAEA as

Chairman and Co-Founder

Co-Founder: Saroosh Gull

Contributing Editors: Meenakshi Iyer,

President: Arjit Mehta

Military precision, glimpses of heritage

Republic Day celebrated across US

Jaipur (India) Bureau

IANS Washington Bureau

Photographs: Gunjesh Desai/

Printing: Five Star Printing, NY

Photo Journalist: Sandeep Girhotra

Chief Operating Officer:

West Coast Correspondent

Art and Design: Vladimir Tomovski

Managing Editor: Parveen Chopra

New Delhi Bureau

Web Editor: B.B.Chopra

Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016

Guard against intolerance,

amongst us, occasional doubters

technology, there were reasons for

a cancer which must be operated

EXCERPTS FROM THE PRESIDENT'S R-DAY EVE SPEECH

n the eve of the 67th

be an oasis of growth. India's

ging leakages and improving

domestic industry. The Startup

rational consciousness as well as

Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016

what to do as my car was parked

nally opposite the saluting base

MEET INDIA'S BRAVEHEARTS

water and was drowning when

The bravehearts, who looked

long queues and had to endure

REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL

Wishing our patients,

Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016

Jan 30-Feb 5, 2016

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje