The South Asian Times

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Vol.11 No. 1 May 5-11, 2018 80 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info

10 years of publishing
successfully
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warm reception from our readers,
unmaking
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this issue.
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PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Wuhan to our readers, advertisers and supporters
go past earlier irritants and review relations from the for making The South Asian Times the
strategic and long‑term perspective. (Photo PIB) most circulated, admired and read Trump wants to forge a deal with North
newspaper among the South Asian
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India, China move to communities. We are proud to say that
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reset ties at summit site www.thesouthasiantimes.info gets

New Delhi: India and China
have reached a broad strategic
understanding on how to take
forward ties, rocked by the
tense military standoff along
their common borders last
year, at the end of a rare 2‑day
informal summit between
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and Chinese President Xi
Jinping. It took place in the
Chinese city of Wuhan and
ended last Saturday.
From the Indian perspective,
an agreement between the two
leaders that India and China
will “respect each otherʼs sensi‑
tivities, concerns and aspira‑
tions,” and that they will main‑
tain peace and tranquility along
their frontiers are seen as key,
reported Mint newspaper.
A statement issued by the
Indian government said PM
Modi and President Xi
reviewed developments in
India‑China relations from the
strategic and long‑term per‑
spective.
“Prime Minister Modi and
President Xi underlined that as
Continued on page 4
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ting high standards of positive cover‑
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We look forward to serve the com‑
munity with balanced news and views
President Donald N. Korean leader Iranian leader
for many more decades to come and,
Trump Kim Jong‑un Hassan Rouhani
and seek your continued support and
affectionate participation. By SATimes Korea and its impetuous leader,
Sincerely, Kim Jong‑un, hell‑bent on getting
Team @ The South Asian Times Washington: How much differ‑ a nuclear program. The two
Forsythe Media Group, LLC ence a few months can make in called each other names. Now the
95 Broadway, # 2, world affairs! Not too long ago, two are ready to meet and dis‑
Hicksville, NY 11801 President Donald Trump vowed cuss denuclearization of the
516.390.7847 ʻFire and Furyʼ directed at North Continued on page 4

Indian economy can play role in Signs of a thaw in India‑Pak relations

'Making America Great Again' Arch-rivals agree to participate in multi-nation
Washington: Given the
inherent strength of its
At one level, the Trump administration's
'America First' and 'Make in India' of the
military drill and revive Track 2 diplomacy.
economy and upward Modi government might "sound contradicto‑ New Delhi/Islamabad: A group of Indian being conducted by the Shanghai
trajectory, India can ry", but when one sees the potential of the experts has visited Pakistan to discuss all Cooperation Organization (SCO), will see the
play a very useful role two economies, there is scope for actually aspects of bilateral ties and participation of almost all SCO
in realizing President helping each other do exactly what the two revive the Track II diplomacy member nations including
Trumpʼs promise of countries want, Sarna told the Asia Group in process with Islamabad amidst China. PTI reported that Indian
ʻMaking America Great a podcast interview on April 30. the chill in the relationship Defense Minister Nirmala
Againʼ, Indian "I don't speak for the US, but as far as after a number of border skir‑ Sitharaman confirmed the
Ambassador to the India is concerned, we have an economy mishes. development during the SCO
US, Navtej which we believe can actually not only help And, in a first, India and Pakistan will par‑ Defense Ministersʼ meeting in Beijing recent‑
Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna has ourselves, but we are in a position where we ticipate in multi‑nation military exercise in ly. As for Track II diplomacy, the Neemrana
Sarna spoke to the Asia Group. said. Continued on page 4 Russia in September. The military exercise, Dialogue received Continued on page 4

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TheSouthAsianTimes.info May 5-11, 2018
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Dr Parikh acquires ITV
with eye on Indian market
New York: The publishing group Parikh
Worldwide Media (PWM) has acquired
ITV Gold channel with plans to enter the
Indian media market.
Announcing the acquisition last week,
PWM Chairman Sudhir Parikh said: "We
will have tie‑ups with digital platforms in
India to launch ITV
Gold before we pen‑
etrate the cable
markets there with
informative news
shows and pro‑
grams that will give
insight into the Indian diaspora and their
issues in the US."
PWM now has a presence in print,
online and electronic media making it a
premier Indian‑American media house, a
company statement said.
Launched in 1985, New York‑based ITV
Gold became the first 24‑7 cable TV chan‑
nel in the US to deliver news about India
and the diaspora. ITV Gold portfolio
includes Vision of Asia, a program running
since 1976.
PWM publishes 4 weekly newspapers ‑‑
News India Times; Desi Talk from New
York and Chicago, and Gujarat Times ‑‑
and an online magazine, Indian American.
Babu Stephen & Ajay Ghosh among NAMAM awardees for excellence
By Parveen Chopra
Fords, NJ: Not only the Indian Americans
as a whole, each subset of the community
in America also has countless achievers
who have excelled in their respective
fields. The Malayalee community has not
lagged behind either. NAMAM, or the
North American Malayalees and
Associated Members, founded by
Madhavan B. Nair, has bestowed
Excellence Awards last Saturday on seven
people at a gala event in Royal Albertʼs
Palace here.
What stood out was that two of the hon‑
orees happen to be the leading lights of
the Indo‑American Press Club (IAPC),
which serves as a platform to raise the
voice of Indians working in the media in
North America. The two are Dr. Babu
Stephan, current Chairman, and Ajay
Ghosh, founding President of IAPC. Babu is
the CEO of DC Healthcare Inc, president of
SM Reality LLC in Washington, has been
politically well‑connected in both
Washington DC and Kerala and has dab‑
bled in media. Having arrived in America
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
Padma Shri Dr Sudhir Parikh
owns Parikh Worldwide Media
Dr Parikh is a physician who has
received the Padma Shri award and has
been president of AAPI.
Deepak Viswanath, son of ITV Gold's late
founder, Banad Viswanath, said: "This
partnership combines the strength of two
well established and respected Indian
American Media. It is a launching pad to
expand the channel on new platforms
across the US."
Namam founder Madhavan B. Nair pointing to the awardees (from left) Rekha Nair,
Babu Stephen, two guests, T.S. Nandakumar, lady guest, Dr. Thomas Abraham,
Ajay Ghosh, Ramadas Pillai and Tiara Abraham.
almost 4 decades ago, he has been among
the first generation of builders of Indian
community here. In his acceptance speech,
Babu recounted the Indian communityʼs
landmark achievements in all walks of life
here. Ajay Ghosh was chosen for his con‑
tributions to media. He has founded the
Universal News Network (UNN), a news
portal, as chief editor, and has been associ‑
ated with news publications including
India Tribute, Indian Express (North
American edition), NRI Today and Asian
May 5-11, 2018 3
Omi Vaidyaʼs new
avatar at TV Asia
By Suchitra Srinivas filled episodes will have political satire,
love life dilemmas, comical daily living of
Edison, NJ: TV Asia has launched its new South Asian Americans as its focus,” he
satirical comedy show ʻSamachari Newsʼ added.
hosted by the ʻ3 Idiotsʼ Produced by TV Asia
fame Omi Vaidya. Telecast the show has a strong
Sundays evenings, the team of writers ‑‑ Molly
show in news anchor style Karna and Rithvik Dubey
will be the first of its kind – who work every week
targeting the South Asian on the script with Vaidya.
viewers. The show has comedy,
The conclave of Punjabis, skit, news and common
Gujaratis or Pakistanis or man interviews. The first
the Sri Lankans living in episo de was all about
America had their own typ‑ immig rat ion, the next
ical world of real life come‑ weekʼs is on love, dating
Hosting an original comedy
dies, which is not to be and marriage inter‑
show touching on the lives of
seen in TV programs made spersed with lot of data
South Asian Americans for concerning the communi‑
here. ʻSamachari Newsʼ is
the first time!
all set to fill the gap as it ty living here. Dat ing
presents bold real‑life comedy touching apps and arranged marriage will find a
the life of South Asian here. way in. What would skin‑lightening mean?
“We donʼt have to deal with EMIs but What would the politics in India mean to
we have to with 401Ks. There should be South Asian Americans?
someone talking about this in the TV pro‑ Omi Vaidya, best known for his Chatur
g rams we watch. Samachari News Ramalingam in the 2009 Bollywood hit
attempts to deliver this,”, said Omi Vaidya, film, ʻ3 Idiotsʼ has a passion for acting.
who is presenting a late‑night comedy After his new movie, ʻBlack Mailʼ, he is
show for the first time. “Our totally fun‑ working on more feature films.
Pillai, President/CTO of Nuphoton
Technologies; Rekha Nair, an advocate for
organ donation; child prodigy siblings
Tiara and Tanishq Abraham. In her accept‑
ance speech, Rekha Nair, who stunned the
world by donating her kidney at a young
age to save the life of a woman, made an
impassioned appeal for organ donation.
Of the two siblings, Tanishq, 14‑year‑old
senior (4th year) completing his biomed‑
ical engineering degree, could not come
down from California, but his sister Tiara,
12, was there and she also gave a rendi‑
tion as soprano.
The evening program was studded with
Era magazines. And since 2010, he has dance performances, both Indian classical
been the media consultant of AAPI. In and contemporary/Bollywood.
addition, he has taught Social Work Formed in 2010, NAMAM has been
Seminar and guided students at the reaching out to the community with cul‑
Graduate School of Social Work at tural programs, social gatherings and
Fordham University in New York City since humanitarian aid efforts. Said its founder
2006 and works as a Primary Clinician at Madhavan Nair, “It is our priority to pass a
Yale New Haven Hospital, serving patients deep awareness about our rich heritage,
with behavioral health issues. Other unique customs and eclectic culture of
awardees included GOPIO founder Dr. Kerala to the younger generation in the
Thomas Abraham; T.S. Nandakumar, a USA, so that they can appreciate and take
Carnatic music percussionist; Ramadas pride in their genealogy.”
 4 May 5-11, 2018 TURN PAGE TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Making and Trump's decision about whether to population will also be conducive Neemrana Dialogue was
Letter to the Editor unmaking N‑deals abandon the deal. for development in the region,” he launched in the early 1990s and
Continued from page 1 He said that the Trump adminis‑ said. included influential former diplo‑
Koreasʼ message Korean peninsula. The credit for tration's negative comments about Xi and Modi “endorsed” the work mats, military veterans and aca‑
for India, Pak the dramatic turn of events is the deal had created "fear and done by the special representa‑ demics, who were having unoffi‑

W
hen two leaders from
South and North Korea
can meet why canʼt India
and Pakistan leaders can meet too?
To maintain peace between two
South Asian neighbors is in the best
interest of both countries. In India
and Pakistan, a majority of the peo‑
ple want peace between the two
countries. We must get closer to
each other for the best interest of
our current and future generations
and the world.
Taj Ahmad, Old Bridge, NJ
Taj Mahal discoloring
worries apex court
New Delhi: The Taj Mahal was yel‑
low and now turning brown and
green, a Supreme Court Bench of
Justices Madan B. Lokur and
Deepak Gupta found from photo‑
graphs handed over to them by
noted environmental lawyer M.C.
Mehta in open court on Tuesday.
Mehta said the upkeep of the
UNESCO World Heritage site was in
a shambles. River Yamuna, which
used to flow nearby, has dried up.
Encroachments and industries have
cropped up in the neighborhood of
the white marble mausoleum.
CCTVs hardly work. The govern‑
ment merely views the Taj as a
money‑making venture. “Perhaps
you do not care,” Justice Lokur
addressed Additional Solicitor
General A.N.S. Nadkarni.
Looking at the photographs
repeatedly, the judge wondered
whether the Taj Mahal in its present
discolored form would end being
the “eighth wonder of the world.”
He asked the government whether
it has the expertise to conserve the
17th century monument. “Even if
you have the expertise, you are not
utilizing it,” the court observed.
mainly being given to President
Trumpʼs strong arm tactics and the
economic sanctionsʼ pressure
brought on North Korea by US and
other nations. The South Korean
President, Moon Jae‑in, who has
already met Kim in the demilita‑
rized zone, has gone to the extent
of suggesting that Trump should
get a Nobel Peace Prize for the
breakthrough with North Korea,
which bodes well for the world.
President Trump said Tuesday in
the White House that the dates
and venue for the talks with Kim
will be announced in a couple
days. In the past, Koreans have
bamboozled US, so Trump is cau‑
tious yet optimistic on the out‑
come of the meeting.
US Presidentʼs avowed criticism
of the existing nuclear deal with
Iran and threats to walk out of it is
now, however, sitting well with
most pundits and diplomats. And
re‑imposing sanctions on Tehran
after the May 12 deadline to
extend waiver could jeopardize the
possibility of a deal with North
Korea, they argue.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahuʼs dramatic speech on
Monday to argue Iranʼs dishonesty
about its nuclear program seems
to have added to Trumpʼs resolve
to pull out of the nuclear agree‑
ment negotiated in 2015 between
the US, Iran, China, Russia, France,
UK, Germany and the European
Union. Franceʼs Pre3sident
Emmanuel Macron and Germanyʼs
Chancellor Angela Merkel both
visited Trump in the White House
to persuade him to stay in the deal
but they donʼt seem to have suc‑
ceeded.
Iranian President Hassan
Rouhani has accused that the US
has breached the N‑agreement by
criticizing it ahead of President
ambiguity for different countries
and businesses for their relations
with Iran," possibly damaging the
country's economy.
India, China move to
reset ties at summit
Continued from page 1
two major countries India and
China have wider and overlapping
regional and global interests,” it
said.
The summit was seen as an
effort by India and China to repair
trust and improve ties that were
hit by a 73‑day‑long military
standoff on Bhutanʼs Dokalam
plateau last year. The other irri‑
tant was India refusing to attend a
China organized conference on its
massive Belt and Road Initiative.
There was also friction over China
blocking Indiaʼs entry into the
Nuclear Suppliers Group as well as
Beijingʼs refusal to back Indiaʼs
attempts to get Pakistan based mil‑
itant Masood Azhar named a ter‑
rorist. Beijing has been eyeing
with concern Indiaʼs growing
closeness to the US and joining the
US, Japan and Australia for quadri‑
lateral cooperation talks in the
Indo‑Pacific region.
Briefing reporters in Wuhan,
Indian foreign secretary Vijay
Gokhale described the talks
between the two leaders as “for‑
ward looking” of such informal
summits should continue.
Modi and Xi agreed that “India
and China, as major powers with
decisional and strategic autonomy,
will pursue peaceful stable and
balanced relations and such a rela‑
tionship will be a positive factor
for stability in the current global
uncertainty,” Gokhale said. They
also agreed that the “development
of a sound bilateral relationship
which has about 40% of the world
tives of India and China on trying
to find a “fair, reasonable and
mutually acceptable settlement” to
the boundary dispute, Gokhale
said. Pending the settlement, Modi
and Xi agreed that “it is important
to maintain peace and tranquility
in all areas of the India China bor‑
der region, and to this end, the two
leaders decided that they would
issue strategic guidance to their
respective militaries to strengthen
communication to build trust and
understanding, to implement vari‑
ous confidence‑building measures
and to strengthen existing institu‑
tional mechanisms to prevent and
manage situations in the border
areas,” Gokhale said.
Signs of a thaw in
India‑Pak relations
Continued from page 1
a fresh start with the Indian
expertsʼ visit to Pakistan, diplomat‑
ic sources said.
The Indian side was led by for‑
mer foreign ministry secretary
Vivek Katju, and included well‑
known educationist J S Rajput,
while the Pakistan side was led by
former foreign secretary Inamul
Haque.
The interactions between the
two sides took place between April
28‑30 in Islamabad, sources said.
"The two sides discussed all
aspects of bilateral relations and
agreed that all issues between the
two countries should be resolved
through talks," according to a
source.
The Pakistani side also included
former governor State Bank of
Pakistan Ishrat Hussain, whose
name has been circulating in the
media as one of the candidates to
become Pakistan's caretaker PM
during the general election expect‑
ed to be held this July.
cial backing from the foreign min‑
istries of the two countries.
The India‑Pakistan ties nose‑
dived in recent years with no bilat‑
eral talks taking place.
The two sides often accuse each
other of ceasefire violations along
the Line of Control, resulting in
civilian casualties.
Indian economy can play
role in 'Making America
Great Again'
Continued from page 1
can play a very useful role in mak‑
ing America great again," Sarna
said.
"We are confident that we're
growing at 7‑7.5 per cent, given
our reforms taking off in India,
given our buying capacity over the
next few years, whether you take a
buying energy, which we're now
buying from the US oil and natural
gas, whether you are buying civil
airplanes or our defense acquisi‑
tions. Even if you just take these
three baskets, we can be a very
important partner for what the
United States Administration is
trying to do is to create jobs to
increase its exports," Sarna said.
"Also, India has the weight of our
professionals who are sufficient
enough to send lots of them here
and that they are playing a very
crucial role in making American
companies be globally competitive.
So I think there are ways of work‑
ing together around this," Sarna
added.
Observing that the India US ties
are on an upward trajectory and
that there are no fundamental dif‑
ferences between the largest and
oldest democracies of the world,
Sarna said that he feels that "time,
energy and resources," are the
only thing that constrains this
relationship.

New Delhi Bureau News Service: HT Media Ltd.

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TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Kamlesh Mehta, Chairman of The South Asian Times, greeting last week
Babu Stephen, Washington based Chair of the Indo‑American Press Club (IAPC),
in the newspaperʼs new office in Hicksville, NY, joined by Shomik Chaudhury,
Parveen Chopra, Ginsmon Zacharia, Sunil Kuzhampala, Benzi Johnny
and George Kottaram.
US ends Temporary Protected
Status for Nepali immigrants
Washington: The Trump administration
announced last week an end to the tempo‑
rary protected status (TPS) for Nepali immi‑
grants that has been in place since the dev‑
astating 2015 earthquake. The move could
force roughly 9,000 Nepali immigrants to
choose between returning to their still‑
recovering home country or living in the
shadows in the US, reported CNN.
T hursday's announcement by the
Department of Homeland Security continues
the administration's effort to substantially
curtail the use of TPS, a system designed to
allow immigrants to stay legally in the US
rather than send them home while their
country is ravaged by crises.
According to the report, Home land
Indian traders violated sanctions
on N. Korea: UN report
New Delhi has reiterated its commitment
to implement the sanctions
United Nations: India violated the UN
Security Council sanctions on North Korea
last year by importing metals worth $2.2
million and export ing jewe lry worth
$578,000, according to the UN panel moni‑
toring the sanctions. Some of the imports
and exports continued even after the Indian
government issued a notification banning
them in March last year.
The panel of experts established by the
Council said in a recent report that between
January and September last year India had
imported iron and steel valued at $1.4 mil‑
lion, iron and stee l pro ducts worth
$234,000, copper worth $233,000 and
$526,000 of zinc, ignoring the sanctions.
The jewelry including diamonds was export‑
ed between January and June last year.
"All exports (from North Korea) after 4
September 2017 violated paragraph 8 of
resolution 2371 (2017), while those before
4 September 2017 violated paragraph 26 of
resolution 2321 (2016)," the report said.
Those resolutions demand that countries
prohibit the import of iron and iron ore
from North Korea. A 2013 resolution
TRISTATE COMMUNITY May 5-11, 2018 5
Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said
recipients of those protections will have one
year to either prepare to leave the US or
find other means to stay before the protec‑
tions expire.
The government's review concluded that
"the disruption of living conditions in Nepal
from the April 2015 earthquake and subse‑
quent aftershocks ... has decreased to a
degree that they should no longer be
regarded as substantial, and Nepal can now
adequately manage the return of its nation‑
als." Critics of the decision to end Nepal's
status say the country is still struggling to
recover from the earthquake, which killed
nearly 9,000 people and destroyed hun‑
dreds of thousands of homes.
banned the export of precious and semi‑pre‑
cious stones to North Korea.
In contrast to its dealings with North
Korea, India has in other cases strongly sup‑
ported strict implementation of UNSC sanc‑
tions and in some cases called for more
stringent actions, especially relating to ter‑
rorism, and criticized countries opposing
those restrictions.
The iron imports continued even after
March last year when India's Directorate
General of Foreign Trade imposed restric‑
tions on importing iron and iron ore from
North Korea, even as it said the sanctions
lacked clarity, according to a note from
India's UN Mission to the sanctions panel
last July.
The identities of those who traded with
North Korea was not included in the report
and it is not known if the Indian govern‑
ment took action against them.
New Delhi reiterated its commitment to
implement the sanctions in letter and spirit
in a report India's UN Mission sent last
month to Karel Van Oosterom, chair of the
Council's North Korea Sanctions Committee.
6 May 5-11, 2018
Indian‑descent women
killed in New York fire
A H
heroic Indian‑de‑
scent woman died
in New York along
with her parents while try‑
ing to save others in a
burning house.
Police identified the
woman as Harleen Kaur,
32, and her parents as
Pyara Kainth, 87, and
Ragvir Kaur‑Kainth, 82.
Eight others, including
her two children whom the Harleen Kaur
woman first saved, were (Image : ndtv.com)
injured in the blaze that
started around midnight on Saturday. The
injured were hospitalised on
Sunday. Harleen Kaur's brother Param Singh that 11 members of the extended family had
told ABC Channel 7 TV that she had man‑
aged to come out of the burning house with
her two children but ran back inside to help
save others. The eight hospitalized persons
included an eight‑year‑old girl and a six‑
Indian Overseas Congress attends
AICC plenary in New Delhi
M
any of the Colonial Nations that
gained independence from their
Colonial masters faltered because
they failed to build Institutions. However,
India under the leadership Nehru, built in‑
stitutions that provided security, safety,
and justice for all its citizens” said George
Abraham, Vice‑Chairman of the Indian
Overseas Congress. He was addressing the
All India Congress Committee Plenary ses‑
sion which was held in New Delhi in March
2018. “Today, these revered Institutions
are under growing threat, and it is time for
us to wake up and deal with it. Freedom of
Conscience is fundamental to all freedoms.
It is innate and God‑given; nobody has any
right to trample it” he was alluding to the
growing attacks on people of faith and
other minorities in the country. "The NRI
community is indeed concerned about
these and other issues plaguing the coun‑
try, and we will work together with AICC
to coordinate our actions while working as
We are Sikhs campaign makes
it to Shorty Awards
E
arlier this month, in recognition of
the tremendous results of the We
Are Sikhs digital marketing cam‑
paign in 2017, the National Sikh Campaign
(NSC) and FP1 Strategies were named final‑
ists for the 2018 “Social Activism” and
“Multicultural Community Engagement”
Shorty Awards. The Shorty Awards honor
the best of social media by recognizing in‑
fluencers, brands and organizations on
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram,
Snapchat, Musically and more. Past win‑
ners include J.K. Rowling, Michelle Obama,
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
IN BRIEF
year‑old boy. Officials said
that three of the injured
were in critical condition.
The fire in the Queens
Village neighborhood of
the city, which has a large
immigrant population,
took 138 firefighters and
over 90 minutes to put it
out, officials said.
The cause of the blaze
was being investigated but
Fire Department Deputy
Assistant Chief Michael
Gala told reporters there
was no immediate indication of anything
suspicious. Singh told CBS Channel 2 TV
gathered in the house to celebrate an up‑
coming wedding. "It was my parents, grand‑
parents, uncle, my aunt, my brother‑in‑law,
my sister, my nephew, my niece" who were
in the house, he told the TV station. (IANS)
Sam Pitroda (Chairman, Overseas
Congress Department, AICC & Chairman,
IOC, USA) with Mohinder Singh and
George Abraham
goodwill ambassadors in the U.S. to help to
forge stronger ties" added Abraham. Abra‑
ham also thanked Sonia Gandhi for inau‑
gurating the Overseas Congress in 2001
and applauded the appointment of Sam
Pitroda as the Chairman of the newly cre‑
ated ʻOverseas Congress Departmentʼ un‑
der AICC.
Malala Yousafzai, Neil Degrasse Tyson, Tay‑
lor Swift, Tyler Oakley, Casey Neistat, Han‑
nibal Buress, Jenna Marbles, Adele, DJ
Khaled, and other top innovative and cre‑
ative professionals in social media.
Digital media was an integral part of why
We Are Sikhs successfully reached millions
of Americans across many demographics
and effectively informed neighbors about
the Sikh faith. We Are Sikhs comprehensive
digital strategy reached over 5.5 million
Americans and over 2.3 million online
video views.
Hindus welcome Diwali holiday at NJʼs
Bernards School District starting 2021
indus, who have been pushing for
Diwali holiday at Bernards Town‑
ship School District (BTSD) in New
Jersey, have welcomed the announcement
of holiday on Diwali, the most popular of
Hindu festivals, starting 2021.
Nick Markarian, BTSD Superintendent, in
an email to Hindu statesman Rajan Zed,
wrote: The Board directed that the district's
calendar policy be revised to close school
for students on Diwali when Diwali falls on
a weekday starting with the 2021‑2022
school year.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society
of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada,
called closing schools on Diwali by BTSD “a
step in the positive direction.” He urged all
public school districts and private‑charter‑
independent schools in New Jersey to close
on Diwali in view of presence of a substan‑
tial number of Hindu students in New Jer‑
sey; as it was important to meet the reli‑
gious and spiritual needs of these pupils.
Dr Uzma Syed announces candidacy for
Syosset school district board election
A
longstanding alum‑
na and resident of
Syosset School Dis‑
trict, Dr. Uzma Syed an‑
nounced her candidacy for
Syosset School District
Board of Education. She
promised to enhance aca‑
demic programs to main‑
tain Blue Ribbon standards,
leverage technology to fos‑
ter active learning, create a
secure environment to sup‑
Dr Uzma Syed
port the physical, mental
and social well‑being of the children of the our community, and make sure that Syos‑
Syosset school district. Dr. Syed attended
Medical School at the University of New
England in Biddeford, Maine. She complet‑
ed her training in Internal Medicine and
Infectious Diseases at Winthrop University in our district", she said.
Padma Kuppa running for state
representative in Michigan
I
ndian American Padma
Kuppa of Troy, Michigan,
is running for state repre‑
sentative and wants “to cre‑
ate a positive impact in our
community.”
Kuppa was born in India
and grew up in the U.S. but
her family moved back to In‑
dia in the early 1980s. She,
however, moved back to at‑
tend grad school.
“After starting a family, I
moved to Michigan. I was
Padma Kuppa
blessed to be able to stay (Image : Twitter)
home for a few years and
raise our children. During that time, I
came to appreciate how kind and caring
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
In New Jersey for 2017, when Diwali fell
on October 19; Glen Rock Public Schools
announced closure of schools and offices
on Diwali; in West Windsor‑Plainsboro Re‑
gional School District, schools were closed
on October 19; and in Piscataway Township
Schools, there was “No School for Students”
on Diwali. And in the recent past, Millburn
Township Public Schools announced Diwali
day off for students for the next three
years, Edison Township Public Schools de‑
clared “no school for students” for upcom‑
ing Diwali and Chesterfield Township
School District declared school closure on
November seven for Diwali; reports suggest.
Zed urged New Jersey Governor Philip D.
Murphy, New Jersey Acting Education Com‑
missioner Dr. Lamont Repollet and New Jer‑
sey State Board of Education President
Arcelio Aponte; to work towards adding Di‑
wali as an official holiday in all the stateʼs
public schools, and persuading the private‑
charter‑independent schools to follow.
Hospital in Mineola, NY.
Currently she is a partner
at South Shore Infectious
Diseases and Travel Medi‑
cine Consultants in West
Islip and Syosset.
Dr. Syed feels strongly
about the community in
which she grew up and is
now raising her two kids.
"Like many of you, I am a
parent, a property owner
and a taxpayer of Syosset.
I want to be the voice of
set remains a pioneer in education, tech‑
nology, sports, arts, and in all aspects of
our district. I have great aspirations for
bringing positive change to all age groups
people here are. I realized
that building a tight‑knit
community like ours hap‑
pens from the ground up, so
I began looking for ways to
get involved. And thatʼs
when my love for the area
started turning into action,”
Kuppa states on her cam‑
paign website.
Kuppa is highly involved in
her community. She serves
on the Boards of the Troy
Historic Society and Michi‑
gan Roundtable for Diversi‑
ty and Inclusion and volun‑
teers with The Troy Community Coalition
and PTAs from K‑12.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Reconsider decision Trump hails Kalpana Chawla
to revoke H4 work as American hero
permits: Lawmakers
Washington: A group of 15 influ‑
ential lawmakers from California
has urged the Trump administra‑
tion to reconsider its move to
revoke an Obama‑era rule that
gives work permits to spouses of
certain categories of H‑1B visas,
the most sought‑after among
Indian IT professionals.
The lawmakers asserted that
the existing H‑4 rule was a mat‑
ter of both economic competi‑
tiveness and maintaining family
unity. "The H‑4 rule lessened the
burden on thousands of H1‑B
recipients and their families
while they transition from non‑
immigrants to lawful permanent
residents by allowing their fami‑
lies to earn dual incomes. Many
entrepreneurs used their EADs to
start businesses that now employ
United States (US) citizens," they
said in a letter to the Homeland
Security Secretary Kirstjen M
Nielsen.
"Eliminating this benefit
removes an important incentive
for highly skilled immigrants to
remain here to invest in and
grow our economy to the benefit
of all Americans," the lawmakers
said.
The letter came amidst reports
that the Trump Administration
was planning to approach the
court to inform that it has decid‑
ed to rescind the Obama‑era
executive order which gave work
permits to spouses of certain cat‑
egories of H‑1B visas. The order
has not been rescinded yet. The
lawmakers did not say if they
had received any response from
Nielsen.
The lawmakers said that until
2015, the spouses of many high‑
ly skilled H‑1B visa holders were
left out, unable to contribute
financially to their family or pur‑
sue their own professional goals
because they did not have per‑
mission to work. "It can take
decades for these immigrants
and their families to receive
green cards and the Department
of Homeland Security extended
eligibility for employment
NATIONAL COMMUNITY May 5-11, 2018 7
Washington: President Donald her the Congressional Space Medal
Trump has hailed Indian‑origin
Kalpana Chawla as an American
hero for devoting her life to the
of Honor, and NASA (National
Aeronautics and Space
Administration) posthumously
authorization to certain H‑4
space programme and inspiring awarded her the NASA Space
dependent spouses because it
millions of girls to become astro‑ Flight Medal and the NASA
recognised the economic hard‑
nauts. Distinguished Service Medal, he
ship facing the families of many
Donald Trump's remarks came said. "Ms Chawla's courage and
H1‑B workers who needed dual
as he issued a proclamation declar‑ Kalpana Chawla was the first passion continue to serve as an
incomes to survive in high‑cost
ing the month of May as 'Asian woman of Indian‑origin in space. inspiration for millions of
areas," the letter said. "In many
American and Pacific Islander She was one of the seven crew American girls who dream of one
areas where these high‑tech pro‑
Heritage Month'. The US Congress members who died in the Space day becoming astronauts," said
fessionals live, such as Silicon Shuttle Columbia disaster in
has also designated the month of President Trump.
Valley, it is nearly impossible for 2003. (Image : dnaindia.com)
May each year as "Asian/Pacific The proclamation noted that
a family to live on one income," it
American Heritage Month." Chawla was the first woman of during Asian American and Pacific
said.
Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian descent to fly in space, and Islander Heritage Month, the
Since the H‑4 rule was imple‑
woman of Indian‑origin in space. became an American hero for her Trump administration recognizes
mented three years ago for
She was one of the seven crew devotion to the Space Shuttle pro‑ their tremendous contributions.
spouses of highly skilled immi‑
members who died in the Space gramme and its various missions "Through their industriousness
grants, over 1,00,000 workers,
Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003 transporting cargo and crew to and love of country, our nation has
mainly women, were finally
when the craft disintegrated dur‑ and from the International Space enjoyed the privileges and enrich‑
granted permission to work and
ing its re‑entry into the Earth's Station," President Trump said. ments of multiple innovations and
contribute to their households
atmosphere. For her achievements, the US societal advancements," President
and the US' economy, it said.
"Indian‑American Kalpana Congress posthumously awarded Trump said. (PTI)
Last week, Indian American
congresswoman Pramila Jayapal
and congressman Ro Khanna
told community leaders that they
opposed the decision of the
State heads, global business leaders
Trump Administration to termi‑
nate the Obama‑era work per‑
mits to spouses of H‑1B visa
to attend World Hindu Congress 2018
Washington, DC: Heads of several Chapter of the World Hindu
holders. "I oppose the move. I am
countries with sizeable Hindu popu‑ Economic Forum (WHEF).
on a bipartisan Bill that seeks to
lation, chief ministers of states, top He said the purpose of the WHEF
ensure work permits for spouses.
corporate honchos and religious is to make Hindus visible and
It is also a question of countering
leaders are scheduled to attend the respectable across the globe.
domestic violence. Because most
second World Hindu Congress "Hindus should be the dominant
of these spouses are women, in
(WHC) in Chicago in September, force in the world economy,"
the absence of economic inde‑
organizers of the mega event said. Vigyananand said. "The day Hindus
pendence, they become vulnera‑
Billed as the biggest‑ever gather‑ Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu law‑ ‑‑ who constitute 16 per cent of the
ble," Khanna said at an event
ing of who's who of the Hindu com‑ maker in the US Congress, is the world population ‑‑ become 16 per
organized by the US India
munity across the globe, WHC from chairperson of the Chicago event, cent of the world economy, people
Friendship Council.
September 7‑9 is being held to com‑ which is being organized by World would start listening to them
"I oppose the move to termi‑
memorate 125 years of Swami Hindu Foundation headed by former (Hindus)." he said.
nate work permits to H‑4 visas.
Vivekananda's historic Chicago IITian Swami Vigyananand. Noting that some 30 years ago, no
Women who are just as qualified,
address on September 11, 1893. With India emerging as a global one in the world cared about China,
sometimes more qualified than
The chief ministers who have con‑ economic power, top corporate lead‑ Swami Vigyananand said the world
their spouses but haven't been
firmed their participation at the ers from India, the United States and is now paying attention to China,
able to work,"," Jayapal said.
event include Yogi Adityanath from others parts of the world are likely because of its economic power,
With the future of thousands of
Uttar Pradesh and Devendra to attend the three‑day WHC. Many which results in military power and
Indian professional, mostly
Fadnavis from Maharashtra. of them include those leading global power. "Our whole purpose is
women, at stake, the Indian
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Fortune 500 companies. to regain economic strength," he
Embassy here is believed to have
Lama, Art of Living founder Sri Sri According to organizers, some said, as he urged the entrepreneurs
taken up the matter very strong‑
Ravi Shankar, and Pranav Pandya Bollywood and Hollywood super‑ present at the gathering to consider
ly with the Trump
from Gayatri Parivar are among the stars would also be participating entire world as the market. Held
Administration and US
religious leaders who have consent‑ and addressing the mega event. once every four years, WHC is a
lawmakers.
ed to attend the event. The purpose is to "ignite" global global platform for Hindus to con‑
President Donald Trump had
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat would Hindu community for its political nect, share ideas, inspire one anoth‑
signed an executive order for
also be addressing the mega event and economic empowerment, er and impact the common good.
tightening the rules of the H‑1B
in Chicago, which is expected to be Vigyananand told a Washington The theme of WHC 2018 is
visa programme to stop "visa
attended by more than 2,000 Hindu audience on the occasion of the first "Sumantrite Suvikrante" ‑‑ think col‑
abuses" last year. (PTI)
delegates from over 50 countries. anniversary of the Washington DC lectively, achieve valiantly.
 8 May 5-11, 2018 NATIONAL COMMUNITY TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Democrat Hiral Tipirneni loses Indian‑origin man

Congressional by‑election jailed for $450,000
New York: A Democrat Indian‑

American doctor has narrowly
lost a by‑election to Congress in a
heavily Republican constituency
in Arizona but dramatically
increased her party's support in
what was seen as a referendum
on Donald Trump's presidency.
Hiral Tipirneni lost by only six
per cent of the votes in April 24th
by‑election from a constituency
that was considered so heavily
Republican that the Democratic
Party did not even bother to run a
candidate there in 2016 consider‑
ing it futile.
The by‑election in the con‑
stituency, which covers the sub‑
urbs of the state's main city
Phoenix, was caused by the resig‑
nation of Trent Franks, the sex
scandal‑tainted long‑time
Republican member of the House
of Representatives.
Trump polled 21 per cent more
votes in the constituency against
Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presi‑
dential election.
Had Tipirneni won, she would
Hiral Tiperneni lost by only six per cent of votes (Image : azcentral.com)
have joined the four Indian‑
Americans in the House of
Representatives ‑‑ Ami Bera, Raja
Krishnamoorthi, Pramila Jayapal
and Ro Khanna. Kamala Harris is
a senator of part Indian‑American
heritage.
Despite Tipirneni's defeat, her
polling 47 per cent of the votes in
a constituency that had previous‑
ly been written off as unwinnable
by the Democrats was seen as a
boost for the party working hard
to capture Congress in the
November elections.
"Win or lose, we're taking this
to November," Tipirineni told her
supporters after the election,
according to a report.
Arizona's Republican Senator
Jeff Flake conceded that
Tipirneni's showing was a warn‑
ing to his party, saying that the
six per cent margin signaled a
threat.
(IANS)
visa fraud
New York: An Indian‑origin
man has been sentenced to
prison in the United States
after being convicted for wire
and visa fraud, under which he
collected over $450,000 in ille‑
gal filing fees for H‑1B visas
and green cards for workers
from India.
Ramesh Venkata Pothuru, 44,
a former owner and operator
of Virgo Inc. and Isync
Solutions, was sentenced to
one year and one day in prison
following convictions for wire
and visa fraud, according to a
statement from US
Immigration and Customs
Enforcement.
The sentencing follows a
joint investigation by US
Immigration and Customs
Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland
Security Investigations (HSI)
Document and Benefit Fraud
Task Force (DBFTF).
Ramesh Venkata Pothuru col‑
lected over $450,000 in illegal
filing fees and related expenses
from more than 100 fraudu‑
lent visas and employer‑spon‑
sored green cards for non‑
immigrant workers from India.
The investigation disclosed
that between 2010 and 2013,
Ramesh Venkata Pothuru col‑
lected hundreds of thousands
of dollars in filing fees from
workers he was sponsoring
under the H‑1B nonimmigrant
worker visa program.
In addition, many of the H‑1B
non‑immigrant workers were
also recipients of employer‑
sponsored permanent foreign
labor certification applications
filed by Pothuru with the
Department of Labor. (PTI)

Harassment allegations Americaʼs Smartest Family

against top cancer scientist attracts big audiences
Washington: Indian‑
American scientist Inder
Verma, considered as one of
the world's leading authori‑
ties on gene therapy and can‑
cer, has been placed on
administrative leave follow‑
ing allegations of "inappro‑
priate conduct" against him.
Verma, 70, a scientist at
the prestigious Salk Institute
for Biological Studies in
California, has been placed Inder Verma has been
placed on administrative leave
on administrative leave,
following allegations
pending the outcome of the
(Image : ndtv.com)
investigation into the allega‑
tions against him. The institute did not give
any reason for suspending Verma.
The institute has hired The Rose Group, a
San Diego‑based international employment
law and consulting firm, to investigate allega‑
tions, not yet made public, that were reported
to the institute in February.
Verma, who is also on the boards of several
Indian scientific institutes, has denied the
allegations. "Recently, the institute became
aware of allegations concerning Inder Verma.
Consistent with Salk's policies governing
workplace conduct, the institute has under‑
taken a formal investigation that is being led
by an independent outside party," Dan Lewis,
chairman of the Salk Institute for Biological
Studies said in a statement.
The action against Verma comes nearly
four months after he was placed on tempo‑
rary leave as editor of the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, a prestigious
scientific journal. The allegations of inappro‑
priate conduct against Verma were first
reported by Science maga‑
New York: Zee TVʼs original production ‑ Produced by leading firm, Touchdown
zine, according to which last
Americasʼ Smartest Family has been attract‑ Productions, the show was conceptualized as
summer, three female Salk
ing large audience numbers all season. Now a Zee Originals property and produced by
senior scientists sued the
in its 8th episode and heading towards the Touchdown Productions. The production was
institute for gender discrimi‑
semi‑finals, the show, which pits families done over a one‑month period in a custom
nation calling it an "old boys
against families in a unique quiz format is built studio accommodating the set.
club" that had systematically
poised to become the number 1 show in its “We are very happy with the result of this
impeded their careers
time slot and category. first ever endeavor and look forward to pro‑
because they were women.
Hosted by 23‑year‑old YouTube sensation ducing multiple seasons of the show,” said,
The lawsuits are set to go to
Zaid Ali, “Americaʼs Smartest Family” is a Rahul Walia, Executive Producer and CEO of
trial next December.
unique mashup of the American household Touchdown Productions.
Verma, who has denied the
allegations, told the San
favorites “Family Feud” and “Jeopardy” but “Iʼm very happy with the outcome of the
with that special ZEE TV twist that celebrates show whether it is on the production end, or
Diego Union‑Tribune that
its South Asian heritage. Complete with a the sponsorship end. With this we can easily
the leave had stemmed from
diverse set of categories and a buzzer, each allude to Zee TVʼs initiative of being the first
the lawsuits that Salk profes‑
episode will feature five challenging in‑studio movers in the market. I am looking forward
sors filed against the Institute in July.
question rounds, testing pre‑screened con‑ to learning who the winning family turns out
"I have never used my position at the Salk
testants on their ability to answer quickly and to be,” said Sameer Targe, Head of Americas
Institute to take advantage of others. I have
more importantly ‑ their ability to work as a for Zee TV. “Americaʼs Smartest Family” is
also never engaged in any sort of intimate
team. Only the fastest, most well‑rounded broadcast every Saturday at 9:00 p.m. EST;
relationship with anyone affiliated with the
family will get to take home the crown. 9:30 p.m. PST; and 9:00 p.m. AST on ZEE TV.
Salk Institute, he said in a statement to
Science through his attorney.
"I have never inappropriately touched, nor
have I made any sexually charged comments,
to anyone affiliated with the Salk Institute. I
have never allowed any offensive or sexually
charged conversations, jokes, material, etc. to
occur at the Salk Institute,” said Verma who Shrivastava
earned his MSc in Biochemistry from the Family,
Lucknow University. Zaid Ali,
Denying misconduct allegations to the and Purani
Union‑Tribune, Verma said, "I believe that it is Family
inappropriate for an individual in a position
of authority to engage in any intimate rela‑
tionship with a direct report or to use that
position of authority to take advantage of oth‑
ers." In 2005, he was appointed as foreign fel‑
low by the Indian national Science Academy.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY May 5-11, 2018 9

Sadhguru speaks on Capitol Hill

By Surekha Vijh
Washington DC: Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev,
one of the most influential spiritual gurus,
was on Capitol Hill, meeting members of
Congress and Indian community leaders,
discussing environmental issues.
Speaking to a group of about 50 people,
he said yoga has a special place in our lives
as the stress levels are rising. He asked
people to adopt conscious living to reduce
stress and learn to keep intellect in aware‑
ness, not in memory.
The program was organized by the US‑
India Strategic Partnership Forum
(USISPF).
“Whatever the events and situations are
around you, you don't get crushed by them;
you ride them," he advised, adding, "To
mold situations the way you want them
you must first know who you are.”
“Your body is just an accumulation of
food. Your mind is just an accumulation of
impressions gathered through the five
senses. What you accumulate can be yours,
Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev met members of Congress and Indian community leaders at
an event organized by USISPF (Image courtesy: @Innrengineering/Twitter)
but it can never be you... You are trying to
live your life through what you have gath‑
ered, not through who you are. What's
more, you are not even a hundred percent
conscious of what you have gathered,"
Sadhguru, founder of Isha Foundation,
said. He said the practice of hatha yoga, as
we commonly know it, is but one of eight
branches of yoga.
In fact, yoga is a sophisticated system of
self‑empowerment that is capable of har‑
nessing and activating inner energies in
such a way that your body and mind func‑
tion at their optimal capacity.
Health is a natural aspiration for every
cell in your body. It is not an intention you
have to create in your mind. Every cell in
your body is striving and wanting to be
healthy. Just leave them alone, he added
Sadhguru described the power of breath,
advising, “Slow it down to nine breaths (a
minute) and weʼll know the language of all
creatures; slow it to six, you know the lan‑
guage of earth; reduce it to three and you
know the language of creation.”
Mukesh Aghi, president of the USISPF,
said, USISPF is an organization building
partnership between the US and India and
promotes bilateral trade ties. He said
Sadhguruʼs message was universal and
they support him in his endeavors.

DIASPORA

London to host Jaipur litfestʼs UK version NHS officials flay

By Prakash Bhandari literary discussions look at a vari‑

Jaipur: From 8‑10th June, Londonʼs

iconic British Library will be trans‑
formed as Zee Jaipur Literature
Festival (ZEE JLF) fills its historic
spaces with a sumptuous showcase
of South Asiaʼs literary heritage,
oral traditions, performing arts,
books and ideas.
Seventy eminent authors and
thinkers from across the globe will
gather there to showcase South
Asiaʼs unique multilingual literary
heritage.
Dialogues and debates from
across the region will highlight the
cultural and social diversity found
within it and shed new light on its
current relationship with the UK.
The Intense two‑day programme
explores themes such as transla‑
tions, poetry, women empower‑
ment, democracy and travel. The
Zee Jaipur Literature festival held
in Jaipur each January has been
described by Time Out as ʻthe
Woodstock, Live 8 and Ibiza of
world literature.ʼ
2018 marks the fifth year of the
Festivalʼs presence in London.
Festival co‑directors Namita
Gokhale and William Dalrymple
have curated a bespoke programme
to bring what is frequently referred
to as ʻthe greatest literary show on
Earthʼ to UK audiences.
Speakers in this yearʼs diverse
programme include Shashi
Tharoor, who will discuss his new
book Why I Am a Hindu, John
Zubryczki will talk about his latest
work Empire of Enchantment,
Robin Jeffrey, author of Waste of a
Nation, one of Indiaʼs most
acclaimed young poets Tishani
Doshi, South Korean author Suki
Kim, American investigative jour‑
nalist Katherine Boo, railway histo‑
rian Christian Wolmar, Bollywood
power couple Shabana Azmi and
Javed Akhtar, economist Lord
Meghnad Desai and Islamic histori‑
an Faisal Devji.
The weekend features sessions
that highlight the centenary of the
start of the British womenʼs suffra‑
gette movement and its progress
since, and traverse the life and lega‑
cy of Winston Churchill, one of his‑
tory's most complex and divisive
figures.
Contemporary political issues will
be debated across a range of ses‑
sions. ʻExile and Insurgencyʼ ques‑
tions the actions of those who take
up arms against established gov‑
ernments while ʻWhy I Am A Hinduʼ
considers the vital contribution of
the religion to a plural and secular
democracy. Discussions on the
geopolitical jigsaws of the
Himalayan region sit alongside
debates around the issue of waste
and sanitation in India. Other ses‑
sions provide a gripping and rare
first‑hand account of an undercover
writer in North Korea and get to the
bottom of the mystery around one
of the heroes of Indiaʼs independ‑
ence movement. The programmeʼs
ety of subjects such as poetry, rang‑
ing from the pre‑modern Sufi genre
to contemporary legends such as
Jan Nisar and Kaifi and Tishani
Doshi. ʻTranslations...An Equal
Musicʼ delves into translation and
how it impacts access to and under‑
standing of individual and national
narratives, highlighting the process
and practice of translation along
with the discipline and aesthetics of
voice, interpretation and technique
across source and target languages.
ʻThe Fictional Leapʼ explores the
reconstruction of the past, the axis
between truth and fiction and the
leap of faith into historical fiction.
There are also discussions on the
impact of the British Empire
through sessions on Lady Edwina
Mountbatten as the charismatic
ʻLast Vicereineʼ in the context of
Indian Independence, Partition and
the legacy of British rule and one
on the ʻRailways and the Rajʼ, which
explores the fascinating transfor‑
mative role of the Indian railway
network, a creation of the British
Raj.
Other sessions examine the diver‑
sity of artistic heritage in South
Asia, including Islamic calligraphy,
Indian classical music (with a focus
on sarod), two brilliant painters
from 18th century India (Nainsukh
and Manaku), songs from Sufi
saints Bulleh Shah and Shah Abdul
Latif and the untold stories of
Indian magic.
“We are delighted to return to
the British Library with another
edition of the Festival, bringing
together the best of writers from
India and the world,” said Sanjoy
Roy, festival director.
decision to deny visas
to Indian doctors
London: Senior officials of
Britain's National Health Service
(NHS) have condemned a deci‑
sion by the British government
to refuse visas to 100 Indian
doctors. The Indians were denied
visa after they were recruited as
part of a long‑running scheme in
north‑west England which sup‑
plies junior doctors to more than
30 NHS trusts. Such doctors have
been coming to Britain from
India to do their post‑graduation
courses at their own expense but
they are also allowed to work
and earn.
Most of them return home
after their courses unless they
can find jobs in England. So it
has been helping both parties.
Sanjay Arya, an NHS boss in
the northern English city of
Leeds, says the British govern‑
ment's decision to deny visa to
Indian doctors will only harm
patients because employers like
him will find it difficult to fill
gaps in hospital doctor rotas.
Jon Rouse, head of the Greater
Manchester Health and Social
Care Partnership said he was
shocked by the rejection of visas
to Indian doctors at a time of
several shortages of medics at
the NHS.
The concerned NHS trusts
have now written to the minis‑
ters in charge of health and
home to urgently review the
decision.
Danny Mortimer, chief execu‑
tive of NHS Employers, said he
had heard of another 400 cases
of rejected visas since December
but it's not clear how many of
them are Indians.
In Britain, there's a govern‑
ment‑imposed cap on the num‑
ber of visas that can be issued to
skilled workers. This includes
sectors ranging from health to IT
and banking. Britain's Home
Office, responsible for issuing
visas, has argued that the cap is
in the national interest.
But the NHS bosses, who're
already finding it difficult to
retain and recruit doctors from
the European Union because of
the uncertainties over Brexit, dis‑
agree.
Ironically, the latest row over
visas to Indians coincides with a
new exhibition in London to
recognise the South Asian doc‑
tors' contribution to General
Practice in Britain.
The Royal College of General
Practitioners has honoured a
number of veteran GPs, includ‑
ing Dr Shiv Pandey, Dr K.S.
Bhanumati and Dr Sri Venugopal.
Traditionally India has provid‑
ed the largest single group of
doctors by a country to Britain.
There are now about 26,000
doctors working in Britain who
were qualified in India.
 10 May 5-11, 2018
NASA junks
first‑ever robotic
mission to Moon
Washington: In a major disappointment to
the lunar scientistsʼ community, NASA has
cancelled the first‑ever robotic mission to
Moon that was supposed to excavate materi‑
als such as hydrogen, oxygen and water
from the lunar poles.
According to a report in The Verge last
Friday, the US space agency pulled the plug
on Resource Prospector that aimed to be the
first mining expedition on another world.
“There are no other (NASA) missions being
planned to go to the surface of the Moon,”
Phil Metzger, Planetary Physicist at
University of Central Florida who is part of
the team for Resource Prospector, was quot‑
ed as saying. Building on the findings of the
Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing
Satellite (LCROSS) and Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) missions that
proved the existence of water on the Moon,
Resource Prospector planned to take the
next step and harvest resources.
According to an earlier NASA statement,
the agency planned to launch Resource
Prospector in the 2020s.
“After a three‑day journey from the Earth
to the moon, the lander will set down on the
lunar surface and deploy a rover carrying
the “in‑situ resource utilization” (ISRU)
instruments. “As the rover traverses the
lunar surface, it will use prospecting tools to
search for sub‑surface water, hydrogen and
other volatiles,” the US space agency had
said. After The Verge put out the story,
NASA issued a statement, saying that “some
of the instruments from the Resource
Prospector mission would be used in other
missions that would land on the moon later”.
“Weʼre committed to lunar exploration.
Resource Prospector instruments will go
forward in an expanded lunar surface cam‑
paign. More landers. More science. More
exploration,” new NASA chief Jim
Bridenstine tweeted
In a letter to Bridenstine, the Lunar
Exploration Analysis Group has called for
the mission to be reinstated and scheduled
to launch in 2022, The Wall Street Journal
reported. “This action is viewed with both
incredulity and dismay by our community,”
the group wrote.
Trump hails House panel ʻno collusionʼ report on Russia
President Trump said Mueller probe
should end now while Democrats have
rejected the panelʼs conclusions,
endorsed only by the GOP members, as
being partisan. (Photo courtesy Reuters)
US AFFAIRS
Senate confirms Pompeo
as Secretary of State
Washington: The US Senate on Thursday
narrowly confirmed Mike Pompeo as the
new Secretary of State to replace Rex
Tillerson who had stepped down earlier.
Pompeo, the outgoing chief of CIA, was
opposed by 42 Senators including most
Democrats who voted against him for fear
that his hawkish policy positions could dire
US interests, Xinhua reported.
The confirmation enabled Pompeo to rep‑
resent the US to attend an upcoming NATO
Foreign Ministers' meeting in Brussels, and
would facilitate his communication with
North Korea to lay the groundwork for
President Trump's direct talks with top
Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Shortly after the confirmation, Trump said
he was "pleased" with the Senate's confirma‑
tion of Pompeo to serve as the 70th
Secretary of State.
In a statement issued by the White House,
Trump noted Pompeo's "immense talent,
energy, and intellect," saying these would be
"an incredible asset for our country at this
critical time in history." Trump confirmed on
Trump to finally visit Britain in July,
may also go to Jerusalem
Washington: Department of State has con‑
firmed that President Trump will visit Britain
on July 13. They retweeted the post of British
top diplomat Boris Johnson announcing the
visit, Xinhua reported.
The White House spokesperson Sarah
Sanders was quoted by the US media as say‑
ing earlier on Thursday that the visit is "pret‑
ty exciting news".
The visit was categorized as a "working
visit", but the British media reported that
besides meeting with Prime Minister Theresa
May, Trump could also meet with the Queen
and royal family members.
The visit would come after Trump attends
the NATO summit slated for July 11‑12 in
Washington: The House Intelligence
Committee has released a 253‑page report
on its investigation of Russian interference
in the 2016 presidential election.
The GOP report signals the committee
found no evidence of collusion between
Trump campaign associates and Russia but
affirms evidence that Russia interfered in
the 2016 election.
Though its findings were previewed in a
summary a month earlier, President
Donald Trump hailed the Republican
report as vindication of his claim that there
was "no collusion" between him or his team
and Kremlin.
"Just Out: House Intelligence Committee
Report released. 'No evidence' that the
Trump Campaign 'colluded, coordinated or
conspired with Russia,'" Trump tweeted.
"Clinton Campaign paid for Opposition
Mike Pompeo was serving as
CIA director. (Photo courtesy AP)
April 18 that Pompeo secretly met with Kim
earlier in April, tweeting that the "meeting
went very smoothly and a good relationship
was formed." The Kim‑Trump meeting is
expected in May or early June.
Trump has nominated Gina Haspel,
Pompeo's deputy, as the new director of the
CIA, the first woman so chosen. She is also
Brussels. Trump made a sudden announce‑
ment on January 11 that he has cancelled his
trip to Britain due to disappointment over the
new location of the US embassy in London.
President Trump has also said that he was
considering travelling to Israel next month to
attend the opening of the US embassy in
Jerusalem, which is being moved from Tel
Aviv. "I may go. I'm very proud of it," he said
during a joint press conference with German
Chancellor Angela Merkel in the White
House last Friday, Efe news reported.
Last December, Trump directed the State
Department to start making arrangements to
move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to
Jerusalem, which implies an official recogni‑
Research obtained from Russia ̶ Wow! A
total Witch Hunt! MUST END NOW!"
While the report stated the committee
found an absence of evidence of a cam‑
paign‑Russia connection, it did emphasize
that other ongoing investigations ̶ such
as Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe
̶ might be privy to facts the committee
could not obtain.
The Senate Intelligence Committee is
also continuing to investigate Russian
interference in the 2016 election.
"We acknowledge that Investigations by
other committees, the Special Counsel, the
media, or interest groups will continue and
may find facts that were not readily acces‑
sible to the Committee or outside the scope
of our investigation," the panel concluded.
The document, endorsed only by
Republican members of the panel, follows
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Veteran Affairs
secretary nominee
opts out
R
onny L. Jackson, President Trump's
pick for the
post of
Veterans Affairs
Secretary, with‑
drew from consid‑
eration last
Thursday amid
allegations of pro‑
Ronny L. Jackson
fessional miscon‑
duct. The 50‑year‑old White House physi‑
cian, said he was withdrawing because the
allegations against him "have become a dis‑
traction" for Trump and his agenda.
likely to meet tough confirmation hearing
because of her earlier alleged support for
torture techniques against arrested
terrorists.
tion of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
This move challenges the international con‑
sensus on Jerusalem, which states that the
city's status must be decided through peace
talks between Israelis and Palestinians.
Palestinians have considered the embassy
move as a provocation that has disqualified
the Trump administration from being an hon‑
est broker in the Israeli‑Palestinian peace
process.
The White House has not confirmed
Trump's visit, while some Israeli media have
said that the US delegation will be led by
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Trump's
daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared
Kushner, who are both presidential advisors.
a year‑long investigation that at times was
marked by intense partisanship and acri‑
mony. The report was based interviews
with 73 witnesses, nine hearings and a
review more than 300,000 documents.
Democrats have rejected the conclusions,
describing ample evidence that suggests
the possibility of collusion and accused
Republicans of short‑circuiting the investi‑
gation and letting tight‑lipped witnesses
off the hook without subpoenas.
The report also includes what
Republicans describe as shortcomings in
the intelligence community's assessment
that Russia came to favor Trump winning
the 2016 election. That finding drew howls
of protest from Democrats who said it's
part of a campaign to discredit the investi‑
gators who launched and continue to pur‑
sue the ongoing Russia probe.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Trump delays metals tariffs
on EU, Canada and Mexico
Washington: President Donald Trump has
announced he will again postpone impos‑
ing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports
from Canada, Mexico and the EU for
another 30 days giving key allies a
reprieve.
The move on Monday gave key trading
partners ‑‑ and three of Washingtonʼs four
largest trading partners time till June 1 to
reach a deal with the Trump administra‑
tion to avoid duties of 25 per cent on steel
and 10 per cent on aluminum exports
sent to the US.
The administration has also reached
preliminary agreements with three other
countries that had initially been granted a
temporary exemption – Argentina, Brazil
and Australia ‑‑ allowing them to escape
the duties as details get finalized over the
next 30 days, the White House said.
Trump said he would consider reimpos‑
ing the tariffs if the agreements were not
finalized "shortly".
"In all of these negotiations the adminis‑
tration is focused on quotas that will
restrain imports prevent transshipment
and protect the national security," the
White House said in a statement.
It said it also "reached a final agreement
with South Korea on steel imports" which
were part of the administrationʼs renegoti‑
US AFFAIRS
ation of the US‑South Korea free trade
agreement.
The decision came days after French
President Emmanuel Macron and German
Chancellor Angela Merkel personally lob‑
bied Trump in Washington last week not
to bring the steel and aluminum tariffs
down on the EU.
The prolonged exemptions for Canada
and Mexico came as the Trump adminis‑
tration was working to renegotiate the
NAFTA among the three countries.
The EU which has been a vocal critic of
the tariffs threatened $3.5 billion in retal‑
iatory tariffs on jeans, motorcycles, cran‑
berries and orange juice if Trump follows
through with metals tariffs.
Trumpʼs trade team is heading to Beijing
this week to try to work out an agreement
with Chinaʼs leaders over another round
of proposed tariffs.
US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross
earlier said that the nations seeking
waivers were asked to agree to impose
quotas on steel and aluminum in
exchange for getting a permanent break
from tariffs.
In a statement Monday the British gov‑
ernment called the move "positive" and
that it would work with American and EU
negotiators for a permanent exemption.
May 5-11, 2018 11
Questions Mueller wants
to ask Trump leaked
Washington: The New York
Times on Monday pub‑
lished a list of questions
that Special Counse l
Robert Mueller wants to
ask President Trump.
Almost 50 questions were
recently submitted to
Trump's lawyers, and later
obtained by the newspa‑
per. Many of the questions
relate to potential obstruc‑
tion of the investigation
into Russian election‑med‑ President Trump and Special Counsel
dling, and whether Trump Robert Mueller: rising tensions
planned to fire Mueller.
The list also includes questions about former said in a tweet. “Oh, I see...you have a made
NSA Michael Flynn's contacts with Russians up, phony crime, Collusion, that never existed,
before Trump's inauguration and his subse‑ and an investigation begun with illegally
quent firing; the decision to fire then FBI leaked classified information. Nice!”
Director James Comey; the recusal of Despite Trumpʼs claim that the Times story
Attorney General Jeff Sessions; and possible does not list questions Mueller would ask him
campaign coordination with Russia. Trump's about collusion, there are, in fact, reportedly
lawyers are reportedly still weighing whether several such questions, including “what
or not to allow the president to submit to an knowledge did you have of any outreach by
interview, whether by written questions or in your campaign, including by Paul Manafort,
person. to Russia about potential assistance to the
Trump complained Tuesday about the leak. campaign?” and “What discussions did you
“So disgraceful that the questions concerning have during the campaign regarding any
the Russian Witch Hunt were ʻleakedʼ to the meeting with Mr. Putin? Did you discuss it
media. No questions on Collusion,” Trump with others?”
 12 May 5-11, 2018 INDIA TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Congress politics blocked

development in Karnataka: Modi
Chamarajanagar (Karnataka):
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
Tuesday lamented that all develop‑
ment in Karnataka has been
blocked by the ruling Congress due
to its obsession with family poli‑
tics.
"Where there is Congress, all
roads that lead to development are
blocked. There is only family poli‑
tics, corruption and lack of harmo‑
ny," Modi told a Bharatiya Janata
Party rally in Santhemarahalli vil‑
lage, about 170 km south of
Bengaluru.
Launching the BJP's election
campaign in the district for the
upcoming Assembly election, Modi
addressed hundreds of people,
including party cadres.
"We hear in Delhi that there is a
BJP wave in Karnataka. But as I see
it, it's not just a wave but a storm,"
thundered Modi.
The Prime Minister's 40‑minute
speech in Hindi was simultaneous‑
ly translated into Kannada, a first
since his visits to the southern
state over the past few months, so
as to connect with the people in
the local language.
Law and order in Karnataka has
collapsed under Congress rule,
Modi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi challenged Congress President Rahul
Gandhi to speak for 15 minutes without paper.
"When the Lokayukta in the state
is not safe, how can one expect the
common people to be safe under
the Congress government?"
Karnataka's anti‑graft ombuds‑
man Justice P. Vishwanatha Shetty
was stabbed at his office by a man
in the state capital on March 7.
The Congress has also failed in
keeping its promises about electri‑
fying villages, Modi said, adding
that April 28, 2018 would be
remembered by the country forev‑
er when 18,000 Indian villages
were electrified.
"(Former Prime Minister)
Manmohan Singh said Indian vil‑
lages would be electrified by 2009,
but in four years they could electri‑
fy only two villages. The Congress
has nothing but contempt for the
poor," alleged Modi.
T he Centre w ill now work
towards electrifying each house‑
2,655 candidates in fray
for Karnataka election
Bengaluru: In all, 2,655 candi‑
dates are in the fray for the May
12 Karnataka Assembly elec‑
t ion, the state Elect ion
Commission said.
Of the 3,509 candidates who
filed valid nominations by the
deadline on Tuesday, papers of
271 others were rejected after
scrutiny on Wednesday. A total
of 583 candidates withdrew
from the contest by Friday. Of
those still in the fray, 219 are
women. As many as 222 nomi‑
nees are from the ruling
Congress, 224 from the opposi‑
tion Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP), 201 from Janata Dal‑
Secular (JD‑S), 1,155 independ‑
ents and 800 from other nation‑
hold in the country, he added.
Modi also challenged Congress
President Rahul Gandhi to speak
for 15 minutes on the achieve‑
ments of his party's government in
Karnataka. "T he Cong ress
President had challenged me that if
al, regional and fringe parties,
according to the final list
released by the poll panel.
In the 2013 Assembly elec‑
tions, there were 2,948 candi‑
dates, state Chie f Electoral
Officer (CEO) Sanjiv Kumar said
in a statement.
However, the number of
female candidates this time has
gone up to 219 from 170 in
2013 elections, while the total
number of male candidates
came down to 2,436 this time
compared with 2,778 in the
2013 elections.
The number of rejections and
withdrawals also went up this
time to 854 from 744 in the last
Assembly elections.
he speaks for 15 minutes in
Parliament, I will not be able to
take it. I ask him (Gandhi) to talk
about the achievements of
Cong ress government in
Karnataka, without a paper in your
hand."

Lalu shifted from AIIMS Sonam Kapoor to wed

to Ranchi, blames Modi
New Delhi: Convicted RJD chief Lalu
Prasad blamed Prime Minister Narendra
Modi after he was told to leave AIIMS
where he was being treated to return to
Ranchi, shortly after Congress President
Rahul Gandhi called on the former Bihar
Chief Minister.
"It (shifting from AIIMS to Ranchi hospi‑
tal) is under the pressure from the Centre,
from Narendra Modi that I am being sent
back there. It is entirely due to political
rivalry," Lalu Prasad told reporters as he
came out of AIIMS on a wheelchair after
being discharged.
The RJD leader said shifting him back to
the Rajendra Institute of Medical Science
(RIMS) in Ranchi was a conspiracy so that
his health would deteriorate further. "I am
being shifted to a place where there are no
facilities. It is a tough time, but I will
face it."
But AIIMS spokesperson B.N. Acharya
said the decision followed the recommen‑
dation of a medical board set up for his
treatment which found significant
improvement in his health and that "he
was discharged on Saturday" itself.
Saying Lalu Prasad was currently stable
and fit to travel, Acharya said in a state‑
ment: "The medical board met on April 28,
Ranchi‑bound convicted RJD chief Lalu
Prasad at New Delhi railway station.
(Photo: IANS)
reviewed his progress and decided that he
was fit to be discharged. However, due to
his chronic problem of hypertension, dia‑
betes and backache he was advised to be
on regular follow up and management at
RIMS Ranchi. He was therefore discharged
on Saturday. However he requested to be
kept in hospital as he wanted to travel on
Monday."
Lalu has been convicted in four fodder
scam cases since 2013 ‑‑ the latest being
the Dumka treasury case in which a special
CBI court sentenced him to 14 years in jail.
Anand Ahuja on May 8
Bollywood
actor Sonam
Kapoor with
Anand Ahuja.
Mumbai: Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor
will marry Delhi‑based businessman Anand
Ahuja here on May 8, the family has con‑
firmed following weeks of speculation
around the wedding.
A statement on behalf of the Kapoor and
Ahuja families was issued on Tuesday. "The
Kapoor and Ahuja families take great joy
and pride in announcing the marriage of
Sonam and Anand. The wedding will take
place on May 8 in Mumbai," read the state‑
ment. The families have said it is an "inti‑
mate affair" and have requested the media
"to respect the family's need for privacy".
"Thank you for all your blessings and love,
as we celebrate this special moment in our
lives," the statement read.
Sonam and Anand have been dating for
some years, but it is only since a few months
that they have been open about their
moments and travel diaries together on
social media.
The lighting and decorations outside the
Kapoor residence here added fuel to the
speculation about the wedding.
Veteran actor Anil Kapoor, Sonam's father,
reportedly commented at an event last
week: "Media has always been with me and
my family when we began our careers. We
will share everything at the right time. You
all will know very soon. We won't hide these
details. You will know why there is lighting
outside the house."
A week after her D‑day, Sonam will be
seen at the 71st Cannes Film Festival red
carpet to fulfil her commitment as a L'oreal
Paris brand ambassador on May 14 and
May 15.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Rahul tears into Modi for silence on critical issues
New Delhi: Congress President
Rahul Gandhi made a blistering
attack on Prime Minister
Narendra Modi accusing him of
being "hollow" and speaking "lies"
while being silent on pressing
issues concerning the judiciary,
women, Dalits, youth, farmers
besides corruption.
Addressing a well‑attended Jan
Akrosh rally at the Ramlila Maidan
here, Gandhi tore into the Modi
government's record in of fice so
far and said the Congress will not
only w in the forthcoming
Assembly polls in Karnataka but
all Assembly polls this year and
the Lok Sabha polls next year.
"Four years of Modi government
have given unemployment, BJP
MLAs committed atrocities on
women, informal sector was
destroyed, Modiji could not stand
up to China," Gandhi said.
The enthusiastic gathering at
the rally, which came almost a
year before the Lok Sabha polls
and signalled Gandhi's intention to
Now have
in-flight
connectivity in
Indian airspace
New Delhi: Calling and texting
from aircraft will soon become
a reality as the Telecom
Commission on Tuesday has
approved in‑flight connectivity,
facilitating both voice and data
calls and date surfing in Indian
airspace, Telecom Secretary
Aruna Sundararajan said here.
"Almost all recommendations
by the Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India (TRAI) on
this have been accepted. We are
expediting the process (to start)
and within 3‑4 months it should
be ready. We will be opera‑
tionalising this decision imme‑
diately," she told reporters after
the meeting on Tuesday.
She said there were only two
exception to TRAI's recommen‑
dations. The sector regulator
said that foreign satellites and
foreign gateways should also be
permitted, "but there had been
an earlier committee of secre‑
taries meeting that decided that
it should be an Indian satellite
or a Department of Space
approved satellite and the gate‑
way should be in India."
Sundararajan said: "We have
to create a separate category of
licensee, called In‑Flight
Connectivity Provider. This will
also be applicable for ships. Re
1 will be the token license fee.
It is applicable above 3,000
meters." She also said that the
matter need not go to the
Cabinet for approval.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi addressing the
ʻJan Aakrosh' rally in New Delhi. (Photo: IANS)
build up electoral momentum with
sharp attacks on Modi, loudly
cheered the Congress chief, who
packed a lot of punch in his 30‑
minute speech, repeatedly citing
Modi's description of himself as
"chowkidar" (guard).
Kathua incident a ʻminor issueʼ: J&K Deputy CM
Jammu: Controversy hit the
Jammu and Kashmir government
when BJP leader Kavinder Gupta
said after being sworn in as
Deputy Chief Minister that the
rape and murder of a young girl
in Kathua was a "minor issue"
that should not have been hyped.
"The Kathua incident is a minor
issue. It should not have been
hyped this much," Gupta said
about the crime that triggered
widespread outrage across the
country and cost two of his party
colleagues their ministerial jobs
in the Mehbooba Mufti‑led BJP‑
PDP coalition government.
Gupta, a known RSS loyalist,
however, sought to correct the
statement later, saying the matter
was already in the court and
should be left to the Supreme
Court to decide about it.
"It is not good to keep talking
about it repeatedly. It is not good
to keep playing it up again and
again. What I said earlier was
that there are many such inci‑
dents, nobody should provoke
(people) about such incidents
deliberately."
This is not Gupta's first brush
with controversy. As the speaker
of the legislative Assembly earli‑
er, he had sparked row by blam‑
ing the Rohingya refugees living
in Jammu for the attack on an
army camp in Sunjwan in
February.
Earlier, in a major mid‑term
cabinet overhaul, Gupta was
sworn in as the new Deputy Chief
Minister replacing Nirmal Singh,
who is set to become the Speaker
of the Jammu and Kashmir leg‑
islative assembly.
INDIA
do whatever it likes. They think it
is their right to crush any dissent,"
she said and termed it "direction‑
less and anti‑people".
Former Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh said the Modi
government has not been able to
fulfil any of its promises. "The
style of work of the Modi govern‑
ment can increase threat to
democracy. Constitutional institu‑
tions are being insulted," he said.
Both Sonia Gand hi and
Manmohan Singh urged party
workers to strengthen the hands
of Rahul Gandhi in defeating the
BJP.
Gandhi defended senior party
leader Salman Khurshid over his
"blood on party's hands" remarks,
saying he would allow "divergent
UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, views to flourish in the party", but
in her speech, said India had been asked party members to fight
turned into a land of falsehood, together in the ideological battle
hatred, anger and violence since against the RSS.
Modi became the Prime Minister. He said unlike the Congress,
"The government takes parlia‑ only the views of Modi and party
mentary majority as a license to President Amit Shah prevail in the
Jammu and Kashmir's newly elected Deputy
Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta.
The Bharatiya Janata Party also as one of the participants in "pro‑
inducted Satpal Sharma, its state rapists" rally was now a minister
unit chief, as a cabinet minister in her cabinet.
along w ith new faces Rajiv "Two BJP ministers removed in
Jasrotia, Sunil Kumar Sharma, J&K for attending a pro‑rapist
Devender Kumar Maniyal and rally and a MLA who is reported
Shakti Raj Parihar. to have attended the same rally is
Former Chie f Minister and promoted as a minister. Why are
National Conference leader Omar the BJP/Mehbooba Mufti con‑
Abdullah said Chief Minister fused about where they stand on
Mehbooba Mufti appeared con‑ the Kathua rape?" Abdullah
fused on her stand over Kathua tweeted. The BJP also withdrew
May 5-11, 2018 13
BJP.
Referring to death of Judge B.H.
Loya, Gandhi said people in the
Supreme Court had stated that
pressure was being exerted on the
court, but Modi was "silent" as he
was on the unprecedented press
conference of four judges of the
apex court in January.
He accused the Prime Minister
of being silent over Union Minister
Piyush Goyal's alleged sale of
shares held in a privately‑held
company at nearly 1,000 times
the face value.
Fugitive jeweler Nirav Modi has
taken away Rs 30,000 crore of
people's money and fled to
London but "did the chowkidar say
a word about Nirav Modi", he
asked.
The Congress leader said the
Modi government was willing to
waive Rs 2.5 lakh crore worth of
loans of a few industrialists but
was not ready to do the same for
farmers, who were being forced to
commit suicide.
Top Hizbul
commander
among three
killed
Srinagar: A top Hizbul com‑
mander, Sameer Tiger, and
his asso ciate Aquib were
killed in a gunfig ht w ith
security forces while a civil‑
ian also lost his life during
clashes in Jammu and
Kashmir's Pulwama district.
Police sources said Sameer
Tiger, who was on the list of
most wanted militant com‑
manders in south Kashmir,
was killed in Drabgam vil‑
lage.
The Rashtriya Rifles, the
Central Reserve Police Force
(CRPF) and the Special
Operations Group (SOG) of
Jammu and Kashmir Police
surrounded Drabgam village
following information about
the presence of militants.
Police said that as the secu‑
rity forces closed on the hid‑
den militants, they opened
fire, triggering an encounter.
Mobile Internet facility was
suspended in south Kashmir
as a precaution.
three of its ministers ‑‑ Nirmal
Singh, Bali Bhagat and Priya Sethi
‑‑ from the government. Singh
had angered many BJP support‑
ers when he supported the gov‑
ernment's move for a Crime
Branch investigation into the
Kathua crime.
 14 May 5-11, 2018 OP-ED TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Child rape: Why death penalty doesn't mean swifter justice

bout 90 per cent of child rape cases
were pending trial in India in 2016,
no more than 28 per cent of such
cases ended in conviction, and there is a 20‑
year backlog in bringing cases to trial, the
latest available national crime data show.
These data indicate the government move
to prioritize a change to legislation that
allows courts to grant the death penalty to
rapists of children younger than 12 will not
bring quicker or better justice because
there is no plan to address conviction fail‑
ures and court delays.
The new ordinance also adds a minimum
punishment of 20 years to anyone who
rapes a woman below 16.
Of 39,068 rape victims ‑‑ including
women and girls ‑‑ in 2016, 43 per cent
(16,863) of the girls raped were minor,
below the age of 18, while, five per cent
(2,116) were less than 12 years old, accord‑
ing to National Crime Records Bureau
(NCRB) data.
The Union cabinet on April 21 approved
an ordinance to the Indian Penal Code (IPC),
Indian Evidence Act, Code of Criminal
Procedure and the Protection of Children
from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), allowing
for harsher punishments to those commit‑
ting sexual crimes against women and chil‑
dren.
The amendments, known as the Criminal
Law Ordinance 2018, come during a period
of national uproar. April 2018 was a month
where the high‑profile rape cases of an
eight‑year‑old in Jammu and Kashmir's
The introduction of death penalty for those accused of raping a child under 12 years could
negatively affect reporting, as families fear ostracization & legal consequences.
Kathua district, and the alleged rape of a
minor in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, allegedly by
a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator,
dominated the national media and fuelled
much politicized debate along religious and
ethnic lines.
There were 19,765 reported child rapes
in India in 2016, or 54 every day, under
section 376 of the IPC and section 4 and 6
of the POCSO Act ‑‑ an increase of almost
six per cent compared to 2014 when
18,661 cases were reported.
It may be noted that child rape cases in
2016 were recorded under section 376 of
the IPC and section 4 and 6 of the POCSO
Act. In 2014 and 2015, these cases were
recorded separately under IPC crimes and
POCSO Act. Cases reported in 2012 and
2013 were only under section 376 of the
IPC. Madhya Pradesh reported the most 13
per cent (2,467) child rapes nationwide in
2016, followed by Maharashtra (12 per
cent, 2,292 cases) and Uttar Pradesh (11
per cent, 2,115 cases).
Sikkim reported the highest rate of rape,
32.5 rapes per 100,000 children, followed
by Mizoram (26.7) and Delhi (14.5), as
against the national average of 4.4 child
rapes.
About 18‑20 per cent of child rapes occur
in the family and 50 per cent in an institu‑
tionalized setting, according to a 2013
paper published in the journal
Psychological Studies.
Offenders were known to the victims ‑‑
including both women and girl child ‑‑ in 94
per cent of the rape cases reported in 2016,
NCRB data show. Most of them (29 per cent)
were neighbors, followed by "known per‑
sons on promise to marry the victim" (27
per cent) and relatives (six per cent); 30 per
cent were other known people.
The introduction of a death penalty for
those accused of raping a child under 12
years could have a negative effect on
reporting, as families fear ostracization and
legal consequence for family members.
Six fast‑track courts were set up in Delhi
in 2013 after the gang rape of 23‑year‑old
paramedic student "Nirbhaya", to address
the high rate of unfinished investigations
and encourage swifter convictions.
However, in 2012, regular courts resolved
500 cases compared to 400 in fast track
courts, which failed to serve their inherent
purpose. (IANS/IndiaSpend)

Can Yechury stitch together an anti‑BJP coalition?

By Amulya Ganguli the distance between the CPI‑M rather weird because the
and the Congress is unlikely to be Congress has been politically

G
iven the weakened posi‑
tion of the Communist
Party of India‑Marxist
(CPI‑M) at the national level, the
uneasy truce between its two fac‑
tions led, respectively, by the
present and former General
Secretary, will be of interest
mainly to the party faithful.
Even then, what the other polit‑
ical parties will be looking at is
the kind of "understanding", as
mandated by the party congress,
which the CPI‑M will be able to
reach with the Congress and
whether the opponents of this
line ‑‑ former General Secretary
Prakash Karat and his comrades ‑
‑ will accept the formulation or
wreck it.
The tussle between Karat and
the present General Secretary,
Sitaram Yechury, will be at its
most intense in the three states
where the CPI‑M still has some
influence ‑‑ Kerala, West Bengal
and Tripura.
Of these, it is in Kerala that the
Yechury‑Karat confrontation will
be most fierce since the state is
the home ground of Karat and
CPI‑M leaders Sitaram Yechury and Manik Sarkar at the
22nd CPI‑M party Congress in Hyderabad. (Photo: IANS)
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan,
both of whom are against any
deal with the Congress.
Since communist "discipline"
stipulates that once a political
line has been accepted, everyone,
including its critics, has to abide
by it, the Kerala scene will be
enlivened by the CPI‑M's pursuit
at the ground level of an "under‑
standing" with the party's main
rival, the Congress.
True, the arrangement will be
only for the Lok Sabha elections
when the two parties are expect‑
ed to work together against the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),
which is known to be rather weak
in the state.
Had there been a stronger
opponent, there might have been
a possibility, however faint, of the
red flag and the tricolor fluttering
together. In the present context,
bridged, whatever the party line.
All that can be expected is that
their mutual recriminations will
be put on hold.
Unlike Kerala, where the CPI‑M
and the Congress are evenly
matched as can be seen from the
way the two parties come out on
top in alternate assembly elec‑
tions, both are quite weak in
West Bengal at present.
The two parties will also know
that they are losing ground to the
BJP in West Bengal, which has
pushed the CPI‑M down to the
third position in recent elections
and the Congress to the fourth.
The Trinamool Congress, of
course, remains at the top. For
the two "losers", however, the set‑
backs may facilitate their coming
together in a rescue act.
From this standpoint, there is
unlikely to be any difficulty in
reaching an understanding
between the CPI‑M and the
Congress, except for the fact that
it is not known what the ties will
be between the Congress and the
Trinamool Congress.
In Tripura, the scene will be
assimilated by the BJP as the
reversal of the vote shares of the
two parties show. While the
polling percentage of the
Congress dropped precipitously
from 36.5 in 2013 to 1.8 this
year, that of the BJP rose from
1.5 per cent to 43, showing a
wholesale migration of the
Congress's base of support to the
BJP. The CPI‑M, on the other
hand, managed to hold on to its
base by securing 42.6 per cent of
the votes compared to 48 in
2013. But, given the virtual dis‑
appearance of the Congress, the
Marxists are unlikely to be inter‑
ested in an understanding with a
non‑existent party. In Tripura,
therefore, the CPI‑M will be tak‑
ing on the BJP on its own.
There is little doubt that as the
electoral race gathers momen‑
tum, Yechury can be expected to
be engaged in stitching the loose
ends of the anti‑BJP combination
together, thereby gaining stature
which his party's position does
not warrant. If he succeeds, it will
put the final seal on his "victory"
over Karat.

The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Meals in the
mountains
By Pushpesh Pant
M
y earliest memories of
meals in the mountains
date back to the 1950s
and Mukteshwar, a small town in
what is now Uttarakhand, at an alti‑
tude of 7,500 feet, offering a
breathtaking view of the snow‑
capped peaks of the Himalayas. It
was surrounded by a mixed forest
of oak and rhododendron, along
with isolated strands of deodar.
Nestling under the shadow of an old
Shiva temple were sparsely popu‑
lated hamlets whose residents
toiled year‑long on handkerchief‑
sized terraced fields. Like most vil‑
lages in the Himalayan region,
everyone ‑‑ rich or poor ‑‑ con‑
sumed what was locally produced.
The winters were harsh and the
supply of vegetables from the
plains all but
dried up from
November to
March, but my
mother tried
her best to keep
us well‑nour‑
ished with a
menu composed
of dried and
stored vegetables.
Over the years I
have had opportu‑
nities to savor dif‑
ferent types of
Himalayan cuisine, H ima layan stap
The
starting from the Chines e
Pahadi Brahmin fare
of my childhood to
Newari delicacies,
Himachali dishes and Buddhist
food. I have found several similari‑
ties between these cuisines of the
Himalayan region. For example, sin‑
gal (sweet semolina spirals) used to
be a staple during festivals in the
Kumaon region.
Resembling jumbo jalebis ‑‑ the
spirals were crisp on the outside
and fluffy within ‑‑ these were mild‑
ly sweet and redolent of saunf (fen‑
nel). Years later, I encountered this
long‑lost friend in Nepal where it
goes by the name of sel roti. In
Kumaon, it is made with semolina
batter while in Nepal rice flour is
used. The mountainous regions of
eastern Nepal have many things in
common with the hill people in the
northeastern states of India. The
Magars traditionally consume pork
but eschew buffalo, while the
Gurungs consider pork a taboo but
have no inhibition about buffalo
meat. The Tamangs, Rais and
Limbus have a preference for kine‑
ma (fermented soybean), bamboo
shoots, buckwheat and thongba
FOOD May 5-11, 2018 15
The food of the people in the Himalayan
region is drastically different from that of
the plains people in India. With harsh
winters, they have to depend on local
produce and dried and stored stuff.
different from ours. Ema datshi
chillies 'n' cheese is the national
dish, but there is much else to
tempt you if you aren't addicted to
the breakfast buffet in the hotel.
Buckwheat noodles and pancakes
paired with local wild greens and
sundried meat are foods that
haven't changed for generations.
There were friends who discovered
what they described as excellent
"thin‑crust pizza joints" and "yak
meat hamburger outlets" too.
Regrettably, aspirational foods ‑‑
fast and fashionable, mostly junk ‑‑
have made steady inroads into the
Himalayas. From Ladakh to Bhutan
through Himachal and Uttarakhand,
not to forget Nepal, meals in the
mountains have lost their flavor.
Even if the dishes bear old names ‑‑
momo or thukpa, sekua or bhuta ‑‑
the ingredients and recipes have
"evolved" to suit "contemporary"
Buddhism teaches the middle path even in food,
and that when we eat, it should be with deep‑felt gratitude tastes and health concerns. There
and reverence for what we are imbibing. are a few septuagenarians around
who can recollect foraged foods like
lentils. Wo is a variation of the cuisine, the chromatic creativity of shishuna (stinging Himalayan net‑
barha. Syen is the familiar the Thai and the rustic ruggedness tles), linguda (curved ferns), jarg
fried kaleji (liver). Mye is of the basic Tibetan diet offer a daz‑ (wild spinach) and taruda (a variety
boiled and fried tongue and I zling range to choose from. From of yam growing between two hard
have never understood why piping hot nourishing soups and rocks) or chewn (edible wild mush‑
it has not become better crunchy cool exotic salads to lamay, rooms) that until two generations
known. tempura, momos, pickles and relish‑ ago came to the rescue of the
Another cuisine I enjoy is es to accompany rice or noodles, abjectly poor. People have switched
that of the Buddhists. myriad cur‑ from coarse cereals like madua to
Buddhist food, like the reli‑ ries wheat, and refined oil and
o u ca n have in
mos y gion, has travelled far and vanaspati have annihilat‑
le of mo Ask for
N ew Y ork also. wide, from India to ed ghee made from
re sta u rants in e d o r fried. Myanmar, Thailand, cow's milk.
gs, steam
dumplin Cambodia, Indonesia, Tibet, Nature has been
(millet beer). Raksi is China, Japan and Korea. The ruthlessly rav‑
stronger and many in the cities as essence of the Buddha's teach‑ aged and biodi‑
well as in villages down their food ings is encapsulated in the versity
with this local beer. middle path. If desire, the destroyed while
It was Sita Sreshta, a Newar from root cause of all distress and chasing the
Kathmandu, who introduced me to misery, is to be conquered, mirage of devel‑
the exotic delicacies that are part of we must lead perfectly bal‑ opment.
the culinary legacy of this artistic anced lives, avoiding all Communities in
community. The ingredients used excess and ensuring that noth‑ villages even at
may be the same as in other moun‑ ing disturbs the tranquility of high altitudes are
tainous regions but the final prod‑ the mind. For the Buddhists, food no longer bound
uct is transformed almost beyond is an integral part of their sadhana. together by shared
recognition. Unlike women in the Like right thought and right liveli‑ values, dreams and
Indian villages, those dwelling in hood, right food can complement struggles. It's not surprising
the Kathmandu Valley have more and facilitate right contemplation. that festive feasts and ritual
time (comparatively!) to experiment When we eat, it should be with A Sikkimese having foods have died unlamented deaths.
in the kitchen. deep‑felt gratitude and reverence thupka noodle soup. Patrician deluxe hotels and a few
Newar traders enjoy a level of for what we are imbibing. plebian eateries continue to serve
affluence greater than the workers Tibetans believe that it is essen‑ and desserts, the Buddhist culinary "ethnic" thalis or some little‑known
and peasants and can afford to tial to make a lifelong commitment repertoire is rich and resplendent. "lost" dishes but the magic is miss‑
spend more on food. Celebratory to a healthy dietary regime. The Modern research has validated ing. This is not the stuff that memo‑
festive delicacies are more elabo‑ Buddhist culinary philosophy is many of the traditional beliefs ries are made of.
rate. Achaar (pickle) ‑‑ both veg‑ rooted in the teachings of Ayurveda. about Buddhist food. In Tibetan cui‑ Prof. Pushpesh Pant is a noted
etable‑ and meat‑based ‑‑ is widely Buddhism distinguishes between sine the traditional repast compris‑ academic, food critic and historian.
used as an accompaniment. During foods of light (satvik) and foods of es a bowl of roasted barley and but‑ Extracted from the book “The
a visit to Nepal, I came across darkness (tamasik). Light foods are ter tea. Himalayan Arc: Journeys East of
kwathi, a soup prepared in the essential, pure and easy to digest. An edition of Mountain Echoes, an Southeast", edited by Namita
Newari kitchens, a close cousin of Dark foods put a strain on the sys‑ annual literature festival, took me Gokhale and published by
the rasa/tathwani in Uttarakhand tem and are toxic and intoxicating. to Bhutan and provided me a rare HarperCollins.
but made with different beans and The subtle aromatics of Indian opportunity to savor hill food very (IANS)
 16 May 5-11, 2018 ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD TheSouthAsianTimes.info

I'm proud of my exotic Priyanka not

brown color: Diana Hayden a bridesmaid
at Markle's
A
day after Tripura Chief me winning the Miss World, it's a pity
Minister Biplab Kumar and shame, that when you win the
Deb questioned the
"beauty" of Diana Hayden, the
biggest and most respected beauty
pageant in the world, you get criti‑
wedding
A
former Miss World has cised and put down as opposed to ctress Priyanka Chopra
slammed the thought that being appreciated and respected says she will not be a
'light skin is better', and said for bringing more accolades bridesmaid at Prince Harry
she is proud of her exotic back home and further appre‑ and actress Meghan Markle's
brown skin color. ciation of our Indian brown upcoming royal wedding.
Deb reportedly exotic beauty. However, the actress didn't clear
said in Agartala "It's also hurtful," she the mystery whether she has been
that international added. invited to the wedding or not.
beauty contests Pointing out at the bigger In an interview with people.com,
were a farce as issue, Diana said: "Being Priyanka expressed her excitement
the results were brown skinned, I've had to about Harry and Markle's wedding.
all predeter‑ fight the 'light skin is bet‑ The couple will exchange vows at
mined. He also ter' issue we have in India. I St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle
said he failed felt so strongly about it on May 19.
to understand that I turned down a fair‑ "I'm super excited about her and Actress Priyanka Chopra says she is
the "process of ness cream ad because it her big day," Priyanka said. excited about the wedding.
judgment" of the went against my belief. We
crowning of the are Indians and predomi‑
Miss World contest
in 1997, in which
nantly our skin color is
brown and we should be “October” – love story
Diana was crowned. really proud of it and learn to
"We see women as
goddess Laxmi,
appreciate it like it's appreci‑
ated around the world. "It's with a “Différence”
Saraswati. Aishwarya obviously that our skin color
By Shivaji Sengupta
Rai represents the difference is on his mind as he

I
Indian women. She Former Miss World and is comparing me to Ash
will explain what I mean by that French
became the Miss actress Diana Hayden. (Aishwarya) and not Priyanka
word ‑ Différence – in my title in a
World and that's all (Priyanka Chopra) or Manushi
minute. But first let me explain why I,
right. But I do not understand the beauty of (Manushi Chhillar) who currently holds the
who hardly ever writes on films, felt moti‑
Diana Hayden," Deb said. Miss World title, and very deservedly so.
vated to do so after seeing ʻOctoberʼ, the
Diana is hurt. "That's some strong disap‑ "Shame on him as our beautiful, exotic
latest film by Shoojit Sircar. Coming out
proval of me winning the Miss World title," brown coloring is to be proud of. I
amidst a sea of crowd from a state‑of‑the‑
Diana said in a statement. "With regards to sure am!"
art cinema in New Delhi, I was struck with
strange sensibilities. Of course, I liked the

WASN'T PLANNED AS BIG EXPOSE: film. But it was such a different film
(something which many film critics also
say).

USHA ON 'BʼWOOD'S DARK SECRET' The difference was obvious, yet the nag‑
ging question ‑‑ what sort of love story

W
was this? What was the difference? I had
ell‑known Marathi
seen another film with a vaguely similar
actress Usha Jadhav
theme – ʻTalk to Herʼ by Pedro
has created a stir
Almondovar, the Spanish film maker. I
with her confessions on BBC
remember feeling the same way about that
World News documentary
Spanish film: ʻa love storyʼ. Sircarʼs own
"Bollywoodʼs Dark Secret" where
distinction – that “this is a story of love” –
she has spoken about being sex‑
isnʼt very helpful.
ually exploited in exchange for
To me, ʻOctoberʼ is a love story with a
work.
différence. That French word means the
"It wasn't planned as a big
same as the English one, except that in
expose or anything. It was an
recent times it has been popularized by a
experience that I had gone
French philosopher, Jaques Derrida, to
through, which I had put behind
mean “a gap” –between what one sees, and
me long ago. I was young, I was
what is, what one knows and what it
raw and inexperienced and I was
seems to be. Linguists say that metaphors
asked for sexual favors by this
came into being in all languages from our
person who was in a position to Actors Banita Sandhu and
capacity to do something more with
get me work. I had moved on," Varun Dhawan at the filmʼs promotion.
words than the dictionaryʼs definition of it.
said Usha. Throughout most of the film, Shiuli is in a
For example, when the poet sings, “There is
"I had the strength to get over coma, and Danʼs desperate wish that Shiuli
a red rose in Spanish Harlem,” we know
the traumatic experience. I had put revives becomes his obsession. A film critic
that by “red rose” he means a woman. Thus,
the experience behind me. Then I has written, “October isnʼt
according to linguists, we create a differ‑
got to know about this documen‑ predictable….[Itʼs] a film that has textures
ence between the word and its meaning
tary that the BBC was making on given in the dictionary and create some‑ like gossamer. To me, it is a metaphor for
why the casting couch expose that thing else which readers not only accept, love”. And not just with the story. The direc‑
had hit America after (producer) but are impressed by it. tor has, knowingly or unwittingly created
Harvey Weinstein was exposed, has Shoojit Sircarʼs ʻOctoberʼ creates a dif‑ for his audience a subtle play between the
not reached India's entertainment férence. Instead of a standard, typical love absence/presence that the film as a medi‑
industry. story, he gives us a love story with no um characteristically possesses. It is up to
loited girls to speak up.
says it is important for exp lovers. Shiuli and Dan, the two protagonists, the director to exploit this characteristic
Marathi actress Usha Jadhav which Sircar does brilliantly.
have been friends but never lovers.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD May 5-11, 2018 17

Aish, Sonam, Deepika to add

Bʼwood glamor to Cannes fest

The film opened in 2,000 Indian screens in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

9.
l will be held from May 8‑1
The 71st Cannes Film Festiva
'Avengers…' off to a
brilliant start in India
A
vengers: Infinity Warʼ, which brings
together 22 superheroes to fight one
supervillain Thanos, minted over Rs
30 crore on the first day of its release, there‑
by getting a good start at the box office.
The Marvel Studios film made Rs 40.13
crore as gross box office collection and Rs
31.3 crore as net box office collection.
“ʼAvengers: Infinity War' has definitely
been one of the most anticipated movies of
this year and the response from Indian fans
across has truly been unprecedented," said
eye‑opener more so, because it was released
in just 2000‑plus screens... This Marvel
movie is a marvel at the box office too. East.
West. North. South... It's 'Avengers: Infinity
War' wave across the country.
"Sets a new benchmark for Hollywood
films in India."
Adarsh listed the top five films of 2018 so
far, on the basis of their opening day and/or
paid preview business. The list is led by
ʻAvengers: Infinity Warʼ (English and dubbed
versions), followed by ʻBaaghi 2ʼ,

C
ome May and Bollywood actresses
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sonam
Kapoor and Deepika Padukone will
be heading to Cannes to add glamor at the
red carpet of the prestigious Cannes Film
Festival. The 71st Cannes Film Festival will
be held from May 8‑19. The actresses will
be walking at the red carpet as L'oreal Paris
brand ambassadors.
Deepika will be walking the red carpet for
the second time on May 10 and May 11.
Aishwarya will be completing 17 years at
Bikram Duggal, Executive Director and Head ʻPadmaavatʼ, ʻPadManʼ and ʻRaidʼ.
the red carpet and will be attending the fes‑
Studios and Chief Marketing Officer, Disney The newest addition to the Marvel cine‑
tival on May 12 and May 13. Sonam will be
India, in a statement. matic universe opened in 2,000 Indian
completing eight years at Cannes and will
"With an epic storyline, larger‑than‑life screens in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
attend the festival on May 14 and May 15.
characters and our localization efforts, the Trade expert Komal Nahta tweeted: "Gosh!
Some of the other L'Oréal Paris spokesper‑
film is setting a milestone in the cinematic Gosh! Rs 30 crore‑plus is the historic box
sons that will be seen on the red carpet
universe," Duggal added. office figure of Hollywood film 'Avengers:
include Julianne Moore, Helen Mirren and
Trade guru Taran Adarsh was amazed at Infinity War' for day 1 in India."
Doutzen Kroes.
the business. Anthony and Joe Russo have brought the
The cosmetic brand is celebrating 21
He tweeted: “ʻAvengers: InfinityWar' story alive on the big screen with actors like
years as the official make‑up partner for the
smashes records. Sets the box office on fire. Robert Downey Jr, Mark Ruffalo, Benedict
Festival de Cannes. The theme this year is
Biggest start of 2018 so far. Numbers are an Cumberbatch and Scarlett Johansson.
#Summer Escape.

I ENJOY MY ROLE AS ʻThere's an unspoken hierarchy

A MOTHER: PADMA LAKSHMI on a mainstream film's setʼ
A
n unspoken hierarchy on the sets of a 'Richa ko kuch alag do, alag

I
ndia‑born supermodel Padma
Lakshmi says raising a child
alone is not easy, but she is
glad that she has her family's
support.
She has a daughter named
Krishna Thea Lakshmi‑Dell.
Asked if raising a child alone is
tough, Padma said: "It is difficult
but I don't feel I am raising her
alone.
"I have a lot of family members
that contribute to her clothes,
her education and her relation. I
am lucky that I enjoy my role as
a mother. It is the most gratify‑
ing thing that I have done in my
life and continue to do."
The actress, who is also a TV
host, producer and cookbook
author, is quick to point out that
"it is not the only thing".
"I don't think a woman is not
Actress Padma Lakshmi is also a TV host,
complete without children or
producer and cookbook author.
anything like that. But for me it
has been a wonderful experience, and also
feels very lucky in her company. She is
funny," added the host of "Top Chef", which is every day and no two days are the same.
aired in India on AXN. On her bond with her
daughter, she said: "I am learning about her
mainstream film is not something van mil jaye (Give Richa a
actress Richa Chadha is fond of. separate vanity van)', so
Having worked in both mainstream cin‑ when I will sit and eat food
ema and projects with theatre artistes, with them, I will feel
Richa pointed at the basic difference weird," she said.
between the two. During the shoot of
"Working in mainstream is somewhat ʻAbhi Toh Party Shuru
stressful, but not in exact sense. It's a Huiʼ, the experi‑
very different experience... There is an ence was differ‑
unspoken hierarchy in a mainstream ent.
film, that I am not fond of," Richa said All the
after she wrapped up the shoot of actors, who
ʻAbhi Toh Party Shuru Huiʼ. have a lot of
The film's ensemble cast includes experience,
actors as talented as Pankaj Tripathi, stayed
Saurabh Shukla, Vinay Pathak, Divya together till
Dutta, Manoj Pahwa and Pavan its wrap up.
Malhotra. Richa says even if she is on And they also
the top of that hierarchy, it makes her helped junior
uncomfortable. artistes in giving
"Even if I am at the top of a hierar‑ the best shot.
chy, I don't like it. Because it
unknowingly distances yourself
from other people working on the Actress Richa
Chadha will be
project. For example, there are five
soon seen in
actors and all of them are equally com‑
ʻAbhi Toh Party
mercially viable and have equal experi‑
Shuru Huiʼ.
ence... Just because my manager says,
 18 May 5-11, 2018
South Asian wedding
planner expo held in DC
The décor
and mandap
was a blend
of desi and
western.
By Surekha Vijh in Washignton DC
T
he South Asian community, or desi
community as it is popularly called, is a
force to reckon with in the US. Just a
decade ago it struggled to have a voice in
Washington, now there are four Indian
Americans in Congress. AAPI and AAHOA are
powerful professional groups. In tech a large
number of Indians and Indian Americans hold
top jobs.
In the Washington D.C. area, in particular,
South Asians are mainly professionals: doc‑
tors, engineers, IT professionals, professors,
hotel owners or they work at the World Bank
or IMF. Many who own gas stations, 7‑Elevens
and Dunkin Donuts or motels, are also grow‑
ing in business.
No matter in which field they are, South
Asians want a grand wedding for their chil‑
dren. This it is part of the culture and espe‑
cially now a part of their neo‑rich culture.
Making a note of this rising demand, the
new MGM National Harbor resort and spa
showcased a Desi Wedding Planner in their
spacious ballroom.
The moment one entered one felt a sense of
celebration. The ballroom looked ready for a
wedding party to move in for the ceremony
Indrajit Suryawanshi,
MGM Executive
Banquet Chef,
demonstrated at the
event the best way to
make butter chicken.
(Photos: Regetiʼs
Photography/MGM
National Harbor)
FEATURES
put henna. The appetizers included
paani puri, chaat, dhokla, kaju
rolls and bhel puri along with
samosas, aaloo tiki and
pakora, while the main
courseʼs menu included
chicken and lamb dish‑
es with vegetarian
palak paneer, gobhi
aaloo and daal and
sabz biryani.
Starter soups
included fancy
names like dahi
ka shorba,
tamater dhania
shorba, kerala
Well‑to‑do South Asians in the greater Washington DC area
chicken soup, veg
want elaborate weddings for their children. And MGM National
and fanfare with a beautiful mandap in the sweet corn, mush‑ Harbor is ready to cater to that demand.
middle, Beauty and Spa in one corner and Desi room shorba along
dishes with chefs and servers waiting all with various kinds of salads. Desi Chinese sta‑
around the room, along with fancy pastries tion offered vegi manchurian, Shanghai stir‑
and drinks to pass around. The music and fried chicken and chilli paneer skewers. There
décor was also desi. was also a desi taco station.
There were only 50 invited guests for the There were a few yogurt preparations with
showcase event. According to Susan Schall, enhancements, desserts and beverages. The
the Catering & Conference Services Manager flower decorations included water lily, lotus
who sporting a formal Indian dress, said that flower and royal orchid. According to Frank
they kept it small as it was meant for the Fraser, director of catering & conference serv‑
organizers to get a feel of how to do it.
Indrajit Suryawanshi, Executive Banquet
Chef, opened the event with a small workshop
on how to make butter chicken. “Since butter
How you can prepare
chicken is the most popular dish at any Indian
restaurant, I decided to show how to make it,” kids for healthier
he said. He added they were flexible and will
try to combine all popular Desi items whether
Punjabi, Gujarati, Bengali or South Indian or
relationships
C
any other. hildren learn many lessons
Decorations were suggested by Radiant from parents that can help
Decor. Radia Rahman said they tried to them sail through the
make the wedding mandap and rough waters of adult life with ease. Now a
décor a mix of South Asian and new study says that a positive family climate
western. that nurtures parent‑child engagement can even
The MGM Spa and Salon rep‑ set them up for healthier, less‑violent romantic re‑
resentative said that they are lationships as young adults.
well‑equipped to provide "I think it was very interesting that we found that
bridal make up. But they positive engagement with parents in
are yet to get somebody to adolescence was linked with romantic
love in early adulthood," said Mengya
Xia from Pennsylvania State University.
"And this is important because love is
the foundation for romantic relationships,
it's the core component," Xia added.
The findings, published in the Journal of
Youth and Adolescence, showed how early fami‑
ly relationships can have long‑term impact on
young adult romantic relationships.
The researchers found that when adolescents reported
a positive family climate and their parents using more
effective parenting strategies ‑‑ like providing reasons
for decisions and refraining from harsh punishments
‑‑ those adolescents tended to go on to have better
relationships.
"The family relationship is the first intimate
relationship of your life, and you apply what
you learn to later relationships," Xia said.
"It's also where you may learn how
to constructively communicate ‑‑
or perhaps the inverse, to yell
and scream ‑‑ when you
have a disagree‑
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
ices, to set the mood for the wedding day, they
have special bridal suites before the wedding
to relax and get prepared before the big event.
Bridal and hospitality suites suitable for any
size group are available. “When it comes to
weddings, there's much more to worry about
than planning the rehearsal dinner,” he added.
Brandon Singletary, communication special‑
ist, said that MGM Resorts hosts hundreds of
wedding events
each year.
“Working with
MGM wedding
planner makes
everything a
breeze,” he
added.
ment. Those are the skills you
learn from the family and you will ap‑
ply in later relationships," Xia added.
Hoping to learn more about how early fami‑
ly experiences affects later romantic relation‑
ships, the researchers recruited around 1,000
adolescents for the study.
At three points in time between sixth and ninth
grade, the participants answered several questions
about their families and themselves.
They reported their family climate (if
they tend to get along and support each
other or fight often), their parents' disci‑
pline strategies (how consistent and
harsh they were), how assertive they were,
and if they had positive interactions with
their parents.
When the participants reached young adult‑
hood, at an average age of 19.5, the researchers
asked them about their romantic relationships.
The researchers found that a positive family climate and
effective parenting in adolescence were associated
with better problem‑solving skills in young adults' ro‑
mantic relationships. Additionally, kids who had
more positive engagement with their parents dur‑
ing adolescence reported feeling more love and
connection in their young adult relationships.
The researchers also found that a more co‑
hesive and organized family climate and
more effective parenting during ado‑
lescence was associated with a
lower risk of violence in
young adult relation‑
ships.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info SUBCONTINENT May 5-11, 2018 19

Modi, Xi to guide armies on averting another Doklam

Wuhan (China): Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and President Xi
Jinping pledged to keep the India‑
China border quiet and personally
guide their respective armies to
avert Doklam‑like military stand‑
off in future as the two wrapped
up their two‑day informal summit
in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
India's Foreign Secretary Vijay
Gokhale said the icebreaking
meetings between Modi and Xi
will have a "positive impact" on a
number of thorny issues that have
bogged down the two uneasy
Asian neighbors.
"The two leaders underscored
that it is important to maintain
peace along India‑China border
region and decided that they will
issue strategic guidance to their
respective militaries to strengthen
communications and to build trust
and understanding," Gokhale said
briefing the media on the six
rounds of talks between Modi and
Xi in two days. They also decided
to strengthen existing institution‑
al mechanisms to prevent and
manage situations in the border
areas. Gokhale said Modi and Xi
Indian PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi
Jinping share a moment in Wuhan.
were of the view that Special
Representatives on border talks
from both countries will have to
intensify their efforts to seek a
fair, reasonable and mutually
acceptable settlement.
Gokhale said the two leaders
reviewed developments in India‑
China relations from the strategic
and long‑term perspective and
decided to implement various con‑
fidence‑building measures.
"They also agreed that both
sides have the maturity and wis‑
dom to handle the differences
through peaceful discussion with‑
in the context of the overall rela‑
tionship, bearing in mind the
importance of respecting each
other's sensitivities, concerns and
aspirations," Gokhale said.
Meanwhile, sources said India and
China okay if India doesn't
join Belt and Road project
C
hina said it won't push India hard if it has issues joining
Beijing's multi‑billion dollar Belt and Road project. India
opposes China's ambitious connectivity project as its key
artery ‑‑ China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) ‑‑ passes through
disputed Kashmir held by Islamabad and claimed by New Delhi.
"We feel that there is no fundamental difference between China and
India on the issue of supporting inter‑connectivity," Chinese Vice
Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou said.
"The Indian side does not exclude this cooperation. It is also contin‑
uing to advance on interconnection. India is also a founding member
of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). It is the second
largest shareholder of our region," Kong said.
"As for whether India accepts the expression Belt and Road, I think
it is not important and China will not be too hard on it," he said.
China have decided to work on a order which will enable all coun‑
joint economic project in tries to pursue their development
Afghanistan, a move that could and contribute to the elimination
upset Beijing's "all‑weather ally" of poverty and inequality in all
and New Delhi's arch‑rival regions of the world," Gokhale
Pakistan, which borders said. He also said both the leaders
Afghanistan. recognized the common threat
"They (Modi and Xi) reiterated posed by terrorism and reiterated
the importance of building an their strong condemnation of and
open, multipolar, pluralist and resolute opposition to terrorism
participatory global economic in all its forms and manifestations.

Pak Foreign Minister disqualified 9 scribes among 41 killed in

from electoral politics Afghanistan suicide bombings
Islamabad: In a blow to the ruling
Pakistan Muslim League‑Nawaz
(PML‑N) ahead of general elec‑
tions, the Islamabad High Court
(IHC) disqualified Foreign
Minister Khawaja Asif from
Parliament for life for holding a
work permit of the United Arab
Emirates.
The court announced its verdict
on a petition stating that Asif did
not mention his foreign employ‑
ment in his nomination papers,
the Pakistani media reported.
Asif vowed to challenge the rul‑
ing and said he had never con‑
cealed his foreign work permit,
the Express Tribune reported.
A three‑member special bench
ruled that Asif had been proven
dishonest under the country's
Constitution because he did not
fulfill constitutional requirements
for a public office holder to dis‑
close his all assets and sources of
income. It also stated that he was Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has
not even qualified to contest the
2013 general elections.
The disqualification petition was filed by
Pakistan Tehreek‑e‑Insaf (PTI) leader
Usman Dar, who lost elections to Asif in
2013, Geo News reported.
As per the petitioner, Asif was not enti‑
tled to be a Member of the National
Assembly nor a federal minister under the
unlimited term employment Contract
between him and International
Mechanical and Electrical Co (IMECO), a
company in Abu Dhabi.
Kabul/Kandahar: At least 30 people,
including nine journalists, were killed
as two suicide bombers blew them‑
selves up in quick succession in the
Afghan capital on Monday. Hours
later, another suicide bomber struck
in Kandahar province killing 11
madrassa students.
The Islamic State militant group
claimed responsibility for the Kabul
bombings where French news agency
AFP's chief photographer Shah Marai
was among the journalists killed.
There was no claim of responsibility
for the bloodbath in Kandahar, a for‑
mer stronghold of the Taliban.
In a separate incident, 29‑year‑old
Afghan security forces members inspect
BBC reporter Ahmad Shah was shot at a blast site in Kabul.
dead by unknown gunmen in Khost
province, taking the toll in the Monday vio‑ Europe (RFE), Tolo News cameraman Yar
lence to 42. A militant on a motorbike carried Mohammad Tokhi, Afghanistan's 1TV
out the first explosion at 8 a.m. in Kabul's reporter Ghazi Rasooli as well as cameraman
Shashdarak area in Police District 9 which Nowroz Ali Rajabi, Mashal TV's Ali Saleemi
houses the offices of Afghanistan's intelli‑ and Saleem Talash. Sabawon Kakar, a critical‑
gence service, Defence Ministry, NATO and ly wounded RFE cameraman, died in a hospi‑
many embassies, prompting journalists to tal. "This is the deadliest day for Afghan
rush to the scene. media in the past 15 years," the head of Tolo
vowed to challenge the ruling. Another bombing occurred about 20 min‑ News TV, Lotfullah Najafizada, told the BBC.
utes later when an attacker, posing as a cam‑ Hours later, 11 students of a madrassa were
Asif was hired as a full‑time employee of
eraman, detonated explosives as journalists killed and 17 people, including five Romanian
IMECO on July 2, 2011 and held various
gathered at the site of the first blast. soldiers, were injured in a suicide attack
positions, including those of the legal
The Islamic State claimed the twin blasts aimed at a NATO convoy in Kandahar
adviser and special adviser, the petition
through its news agency Amaq and said the province. US Ambassador John Bass tweeted:
stated.
intelligence services headquarters was the "I condemn today's terrible Kabul attack (and)
Asif admitted being employed as a legal
target. AFP said the death of its "treasured reaffirm our commitment (to) stand with the
advisor as stated in the employment form,
colleague" Shah Marai, who had written of the Afghan people in their fight for peace (and)
however, he stressed that the business
dangers of reporting in the Afghan capital, security across Afghanistan. We mourn for
relationship between the company and the
was "a devastating blow". those murdered, including the brave journal‑
respondent was in accordance with the
The other media fatalities were Mahram ists who stand for truth in the face of vio‑
law.
Durani and Abadullah Hananzai, of Radio Free lence."
 20 May 5-11, 2018
Two heads of state call on Trump
The President stands his ground on Iran deal and tariffs
Macron fails to move
Trump on Iran deal
Washington: French
President Emmanuel
Macron in a thinly
veiled attack on his US
counterpart Donald
Trump's "America First
agenda" denounced
"extreme nationalism"
and "isolationism" and
said that he believes
that Washington will
pull out of the Iran
nuclear deal "for
domestic reasons".
A day after demon‑
strating his "bromance"
with the US leader,
President Trump welcomed French President Macron to the
Macron, while address‑
White House in Washington D.C. on April 24.
ing a joint meeting of
Congress last
Wednesday, raised differences with
Washington's policies on global trade, Iran
and the environment. He urged the US to
engage more with the world, step up the
fight against climate change and stay in the
Iran nuclear pact for now.
Macron said isolationism, withdrawal and
nationalism "can be tempting to us as a tem‑
porary remedy to our fears. But closing the
door to the world will not stop the evolution
of the world. It will not douse but inflame
the fears of our citizens", the Washington
Post reported.
He added: "We will not let the rampaging
work of extreme nationalism shake a world
full of hopes for greater prosperity. The US
had invented multilateralism and now need‑
ed to reinvent it."
Talking about the Iran deal, Macron said:
"My view is... that he will get rid of this deal "The United States is
on his own, for domestic reasons." Trump
has until May 12 to decide on the deal,
which aimed to prevent Iran acquiring
nuclear weapons.
The US leader has long criticized the
agreement as being too soft on Iran. He ear‑
lier said he will refuse to sign the next round
of waivers unless the agreement was amend‑ term". "We are killing our planet," Macron
ed to take a tougher stance, CNN reported.
Macron's remarks appeared to be a con‑
cession that he may have failed to convince
Trump to stay party to the agreement dur‑
ing his three‑day visit to Washington. The
French leader said he believed there was "a
big risk" Trump would leave.
He reaffirmed France's commitment to the uted to emissions.
Iran accord, saying that both his country
and the US had signed it along with China,
Russia, Britain and Germany, plus the EU.
"That is why we cannot say we should get
rid of it like that". In reference to Trump
having pulled out the US from the Paris cli‑
mate change agreement, Macron said
changes in the US stance on several world
issues might work in the short term but
were "very insane in the medium to long
DIPLOMACY
In his address to a joint session of the US
Congress in Washington D.C. on April 25,
French President Emmanuel Macron took
swipes at Trump. (Photos: IANS)
the one who invented
multilateralism. You are the
one now who has to help to
preserve and reinvent it."
said. "Let us face it: There is no Planet B."
He said the Trump administration was
ignoring scientific consensus on global
warming but he remained optimistic that
"one day the US will come back and join the
Paris agreement", which requires countries
to limit the global rise in temperature attrib‑
He cast a skeptical eye at Trump's efforts
to slap tariffs on imports from allies and
undermine existing free‑trade deals. To
Macron, this bid to boost American manu‑
facturing jobs at home was "counterproduc‑
tive and shortsighted". The French President
was given a three‑minute standing ovation
in the chamber. He hailed the "unbreakable
bonds" of the US and France, forged in "lib‑
erty, tolerance and equal rights".
Merkel, Trump meeting
fails to deliver tangibles
Washington DC: For Germans, last Friday's
working session between President Trump
and Chancellor Angela Merkel at the
White House proved unexpectedly cordial
but failed to produce tangible results. Not
that the chancellor, her government or the
German public had really expected any,
reports NPR. Even senior German officials
who briefed reporters on Thursday as
Merkel traveled to Washington said they
expected US tariffs on European steel and
aluminum imports to take effect May 1 as
scheduled.
"The entire visit for Merkel ̶ even more
than for Macron ̶ was about damage
control," said Olaf Boehnke, Berlin‑based
senior adviser to the Copenhagen consul‑
tancy firm, Rasmussen Global. He added
that he couldn't "see Merkel really sacrific‑
ing any positions that would bring her
trouble at home."
According to a new poll by YouGov for
the German news agency, DPA, 39 percent
of Germans think their government should
criticize Trump's policies more.
Months of trans‑Atlantic conversation
and European pleas and threats have failed
to change Trump's belief that the EU and
Germany ̶ the bloc's economic power‑
house ̶ treat the U.S. unfairly when it
comes to trade and leave Washington foot‑
ing the bill for NATO.
Senior German officials said Merkel's
goal during Friday's meeting was to try to
connect with him. Her talking points
included German investments in the U.S.
being more than double than those of the
U.S. in Germany: $328.9 billion vs. $136.4
billion, the officials said.
Merkel also spoke about German car‑
makers exporting 480,000 cars from their
plants in the U.S. to the rest of the world,
providing jobs and income for Americans.
Yet, Trump in his joint news conference
with Merkel, demanded a "fair and recipro‑
President Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel address a joint
press conference at the White House in Washington D.C. on April 27. (Photo: IANS)
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
cal trading relationship."
Nor were Merkel and Macron of France,
who preceded her for a White House trip,
able to extract a guarantee from Trump
that he won't pull out of the Iran nuclear
deal on May 12. That prospect is especial‑
ly worrying to the EU given lucrative busi‑
ness deals European firms have made with
Iran since the sanctions were lifted.
In a nod to the White House position,
Merkel said she supports the idea of addi‑
tional measures to curb Iran's ballistic mis‑
siles program and its regional activities
and referred to the nuclear deal ̶ formal‑
ly called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action ̶ as a "building block."
Germany's planned increase of $18 bil‑
lion in defense spending over the next
three years also failed to impress Trump,
even though it was a difficult concession
that Merkel and her Christian Democratic
Union party had wrested from their gov‑
erning partner, the Social Democrats, dur‑
ing coalition talks earlier this year.
At Friday's news conference, Trump
repeated his demand that all NATO part‑
ners , including Germany, contribute at
least 2 percent of their GDP to defense
spending. Given the German economy is
booming, the percentage of its budget
spent on defense has slipped to under 1.2
percent. "A lot of the key issues are still
open, but it's not the full‑blown disaster
that some people feared," explained
Constanze Stelzenmueller, a senior fellow
at the Brookings Institution.
It also showed Merkel's "ability to keep
her cool in what seems like a really losing
situation and come back with something
where she's actually regained ground ̶ or
so it seems ̶ in terms of a relationship
that looked bad and unsalvageable," she
said. "And she made it clear that she can
manage to find a rapport with Trump.
That's more than many of us expected."
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INTERNATIONAL May 5-11, 2018 21

Kim, Moon pledge to denuclearize Korean Peninsula

Seoul: The leaders of North and South
Korea pledged to work towards a "com‑
mon goal" of denuclearizing their peninsu‑
la and formally ending the Korean War by
the end of this year, following a historic
day of talks on the border that divided
them for almost seven decades.
North Korean leader Kim Jong‑un and
South Korean President Moon Jae‑in in a
joint declaration said that "there will be
no more war on the Korean Peninsula and
thus a new era of peace has begun".
The agreement was signed and issued
after their bilateral summit earlier in the
day at the truce border village of
Panmunjom, inside the heavily‑fortified
Demilitarized Zone, Yonhap news agency
reported.
The US, Russia, China and Japan hailed
the historic meeting.
"I cannot stop my excitement as we meet
here at such a historical place. Also, it is
very moving that you have come to
Panmunjom to greet me," Kim told Moon
shortly after the walking over the Military
Demarcation Line (MDL) to the South
Korean side of Panmunjom.
Kim invited the South Korean President
to step briefly across the demarcation line
S Korean President Moon Jae‑in (R) and N Korean leader
Kim Jong Un share a historic handshake.
into North Korea, before the pair stepped
back into South Korea ‑‑ all the while hold‑
ing hands. They planted a pine tree on the
demarcation line in the demilitarized zone
as a symbol of peace and prosperity.
Kim became the first North Korean
leader to have stepped on South Korean
soil since the end of the 1950‑53 Korean
War. The Moon‑Kim meeting was the
third inter‑Korean summit but the first to
be held in South Korea.
South and North Korea agreed to com‑
pletely cease all hostile acts against each
other in every domain, including land, air
‘Potential talks
with Kim in three
or four weeks’
Washington: US President Donald
Trump has said that there would likely
be a US‑North Korea meeting in the
"next three or four weeks", but "what‑
ever happens, happens", the media
reported.
"We are doing things that are good. I
think we'll have a meeting over the
next three or four weeks, it's going to
be a very important meeting", Trump
said.
"Look, I may go in. It may not work
out. I leave... I'm not going to give you
what's going to actually happen
because we don't really know", the
President added, to loud cheers.
and sea. Both the leaders also agreed to
push for disarmament "in a phased
manner".

Amber Rudd resigns US signals it may exit

as UK Home Secretary
Tainted by deportation targets, Amber Rudd has been replaced as
Home Secretary by Sajid Javid, of Pakistani origin
London: UK Home Secretary
Amber Rudd has resigned, say‑
ing she "inadvertently misled"
MPs over targets for removing
illegal immigrants, the media
reported.
The resignation came after the
Guardian revealed that in a
leaked 2017 letter to Theresa
May, Rudd had told the Prime
Minister of her intention to
increase deportations by 10 per
cent, seemingly at odds with her
recent denials that she was
aware of deportation targets.
Rudd was due to appear in the
House of Commons to explain
the revelation. Downing Street
sources said that in preparing
for her statement, new informa‑
tion had become available which
convinced Rudd she had inadver‑
tently misled parliament and she
had therefore phoned May to
tender her resignation.
In her resignation letter, pub‑
lished hours after the latest leak,
Rudd said she had "become
aware of information provided
to my office which makes men‑
tion of targets. I should have
been aware of this, and I take
full responsibility that I was not".
May replied that she believed
Rudd had given her evidence "in
good faith"; but that she could
"understand why, now you have
had chance to review the advice
that you have received on this
issue, you have made the deci‑
sion you have made, and taken
responsibility for inadvertently
misleading the home affairs
select committee". The Home
Secretary had faced mounting
pressure over her role in setting
the culture and policies that led
to long‑term residents of Britain
from Caribbean countries being
denied healthcare, pensions and
benefits and in some cases the
threat of deportation.
Iran nuclear deal
Riyadh: The US' newly‑appointed
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo,
who is here on an official visit,
signaled that Washington would
likely withdraw from the 2015
Iran nuclear deal, media reports
said.
The agreement had failed to
"moderate" Tehran and the US
would pull out of the nuclear deal
if it was unable to "readjust" it on
more favorable terms, Efe news
reported quoting Pompeo. Newly‑appointed
The US Secretary of State spoke US Secretary of
briefly to the press alongside State Mike Pompeo.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al‑
Jubeir, and also accused Iran of Saudi Arabia, the first leg of his and the US, as well as the EU, and
supporting terrorism and the Middle East tour. The Iran nuclear saw Iran commit to halting its
Houthi rebel movement in Yemen. deal was signed between China, nuclear program in exchange for
Pompeo is on a state visit to France, Germany, Russia, the UK the lifting of economic sanctions.
Gaza witnesses 5th week of protests
Gaza: Gaza city witnessed the fifth
consecutive week of protests by
Palestinians calling for their right
to return to their homeland.
Organized by numerous
Palestinian groups, the Great
March of Return calls for demon‑
strations to be held for a month
and a half at protest camps along
the Gaza‑Israel border to demand
the right of Palestinian refugees
A Palestinian protester
to return to their homeland, from
takes part in clashes with
which they were expelled both Israeli forces in Gaza.
before and after the founding of
the state of Israel on May 14, million Palestinians are refugees. been killed in confrontations with
1948, reports Efe news. Since the beginning of the Israeli security forces along the
According to the UN, about five protests, 40 Palestinians have Gaza border.
 22 May 5-11, 2018 BUSINESS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

CBI books ex‑Aircel Sprint, T‑Mobile

promoter in Rs 600
crore bank fraud
New Delhi: In yet another bank fraud, the CBI has
registered a case against former Aircel promoter
C. Sivasankaran, his companies Axcel Sunshine Ltd
and Finland‑based WinWinD Oy for defaulting a
loan of Rs 600 crore sanctioned by IDBI bank, an
official said.
The agency on Thursday also carried out search‑
es at 50 locations across Delhi, Mumbai,
Faridabad, Gandhinagar, Chennai, Bengaluru,
Belgaum, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Pune including
at residences of former senior IDBI bank officials.
The CBI filed an FIR on charges of criminal con‑
spiracy, cheating and corruption against British
Virgin Islands‑based Axcel Sunshine Ltd on allega‑
tions of perpetrating fraud through the loan
accounts of WinWinD Oy and Axcel Sunshine Ltd.
Apart from Sivasankaran and his two firms, 12
other individuals (director and chairman of private
firms) including two foreigners, nine companies
and 15 top (then and current) IDBI bank officials
are named in the Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI) FIR which was based on Central Vigilance
Commission's reference.
Sivasankaran allegedly took a loan of Rs 523
crore through his companies in February 2014.
This swelled to Rs 600 crore after becoming a
non‑performing asset, said the official.
It was Sivasankaran who earlier said then
Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran had pres‑
surised him to sell his stakes in Aircel to
Malaysian firm Maxis in 2006, on the basis of
which CBI had filed a chargesheet.
"It was alleged that Finland‑based firm
WinWinD Oy was sanctioned loan by ICG
(Institutional Client Group), Chennai, IDBI in
October 2010 to the extent of USD equivalent of
EUR 52 million (around Rs 322.40 crore)," the CBI
official said. According to the official, perform‑
ance of WinWinD Oy showed stress and it was
eventually granted voluntary bankruptcy by a
court in Finland in October 2013.
All villages in India
connected with
electricity: Modi
New Delhi: All villages in India have
now been connected with electricity,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
announced on Sunday.
Leisang village in Manipur's Senapati
district became the last village to be
connected to the national power grid on
Saturday.
As per official data, there were
18,452 villages without electricity in
the country at the time of Modi's taking
office in May 2014. "Electricity reached
all Indian villages on Saturday," Modi
said in a tweet.
"Yesterday, we fulfilled a commitment
due to which the lives of several Indians
will be transformed forever!," he said in
another tweet. The work of bringing
power to India's nearly 6 lakh villages
had been undertaken under the govern‑
ment's Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram
Jyoti Yojana.
As per government data, 1,236 vil‑
Revenue collection under GST reaches Rs 7.19 lakh crore
New Delhi: Total revenue collected
under Goods and Services Tax (GST) for
eight months upto March this year has
been Rs 7.19 lakh crore with an aver‑
age monthly collection of Rs 89,885
crore during the period. "Including the
collection of July 2017, the total GST
collection during the financial year
2017‑18 stands provisionally at Rs.
lages are uninhabited and 35 have been
notified as grazing reserves.
The government has set the next tar‑
get of providing electricity connections
to over 4 crore rural and urban house‑
holds by March 2019 under the
Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar
Yojana (Saubhagya) initiative.
Meanwhile, Congress said the govern‑
ment was celebrating inefficiencies and
taking credit for the work done by UPA
government. "Dear Amit Shahji, India
has 6,49,867 villages. Congress
connected 97 per cent with
electricity.
During UPA (2004‑14), Congress elec‑
trified 1,07,600 villages. "In 60 years,
Congress average is electrifying 10,000
villages per year. Congress created
#PowerfulIndia but didn't boast," said
Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh
Surjewala in a tweet directed to the BJP
President.
7.41 lakh crore," an official statement
said here. This indirect tax regime was
rolled out on July 1, 2017.
Of the total revenue collection,
Central GST was Rs 1.19 lakh crore,
State GST was Rs 1.72 lakh crore,
Integrated GST was Rs. 3.66 lakh crore
(including Rs. 1.73 lakh crore on
imports) and cess was Rs. 62,021 crore
deal faces tough
path in Washington
Washington: T‑Mobile US and Sprint have
agreed to combine in a $26.5 billion merg‑
er, creating a wireless
giant to compete
against AT&T and
Verizon. T he deal
would combine two of the four biggest
wireless carriers in the US, setting the
stage for an in‑depth investigation by the
Justice Department into whether the tie‑up
would harm competition in the industry.
“I find it hard, given the history, to see
the DOJ not challenge it,” said David
Turetsky, a former deputy assistant attor‑
ney general with the antitrust division. Itʼs
basically a four to three in the wireless
industry. Even if they argue there are 10
players, they are still the top four.”
Sprint and T‑Mobile have complementa‑
ry wireless spectrum that may be a strate‑
gic advantage as the companies build a 5G
network. T‑Mobile controls a large portfo‑
lio of lower‑band airwaves that can travel
long distances and pass through walls and
windows. Sprint has the largest US holding
of higher‑band, 2.5‑gigahertz spectrum
that can handle more data capacity but
over limited distances.
(including Rs. 5702 crore on imports).
The finance ministry statement said the
revenue gap of each state is coming
down over last eight months. The aver‑
age revenue gap of all states for last
year is around 17 per cent.
It said there has been a progressive
improvement in the compliance level
observed during the course of the year.

Congress, BJP in tug of war over Minister Piyush Goyal

New Delhi: The Congress has called
Minister of Railways and Coal Piyush
Goyal's alleged sale of shares held in
a privately‑held company at nearly
1,000 times the face value as a
"murky saga" of "gratification, gross
impropriety and conflict of interest".
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),
however, quickly came to the
defense of its Minister, saying it was
an attempt by the Congress party to
attack Goyal based on "baseless,
malicious and incorrect" accusations.
T he Congress party has sought
Goyal's removal and a "comprehen‑
sive, independent investigation" into
the matter.
Minister of Railways and Coal
Piyush Goyal.
Citing a detailed story by a news
website, the Congress alleged the
BJP leader had sold, in September
2014, the entire stock of the private‑
ly‑held company he and his wife
owned, at nearly 1,000 times the
face value to a group firm owned by
Ajay Piramal, without informing the
Prime Minister's Office (PMO) then
or later. The transaction took place
four months after Goyal became a
Minister. In a statement, Piramal
Group also denied the charges, say‑
ing: "Piramal Group strongly refutes
the false allegations made by The
Wire in their factually inaccurate
and libelous story dated April 28,
2018."
"The malicious news article pub‑
lished on The Wire is libelous and is
an attack on the reputation of the
Piramal Group. The Group is contem‑
plating taking immediate and appro‑
priate measures, including defamato‑
ry action, against the online media
entity and the concerned
individual(s)," it added.
A BJP statement said that over the
last one month, "the Congress party
has made Piyush Goyal a target by
hurling malicious allegations against
Goyal's bona fide business dealings
to insinuate wrongdoings and irregu‑
larity."
Congress President Rahul Gandhi
in a tweet said: "It's no secret that CA
Piyush Goyal, the BJP Treasurer, has
pried open the doors of every major
corporate house for PM Modi. How
then will the PM act against this
Minister, caught red handed, misus‑
ing his power for Rs 48 crore of per‑
sonal gain?"
Congress Spokesperson Pawan
Khera earlier told reporters that the
deal "directly exposed" one of the
seniormost Cabinet ministers of the
Modi government.
The article in the news website,
The Wire, alleged Goyal's ownership
of the company ‑‑ Flashnet Info
Solutions (India) Pvt. Ltd. ‑‑ nor its
subsequent sale were disclosed in
the mandatory statement of assets
and liabilities he made to the PMO in
2014 and 2015.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info SPORTS May 5-11, 2018 23

IPL: Watson, Dhoni star

as Chennai beat Delhi
Pune: Dominating batting from Shane
Watson and skipper Mahendra Singh
Dhoni helped Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
beat Delhi Daredevils by 13 runs in an
Indian Premier League match here on
Monday
The win also saw Chennai sitting at the
top spot with 12 points in eight matches
while Delhi languishing at the bottom of
the table with four points.
After posting 211/4 with opener Shane
Watson (78), Dhoni (51 not out) and
Ambati Rayudu (41 not out) scoring
handsomely, ChennaiA bowlers restricted
Delhi to 198/5 in their allotted 20 overs.
Middle‑order batsman Rishabh Pant (79
runs off 45 balls;) and Vijay Shankar (54
not out) were the only players who faced
the Chennai bowlers valiantly but their
innings went in vain as no other batter
rose to the occasion and went back
cheaply.
Big names Colin Munro (26), skipper
Shreyas Iyer (13), who played a huge role
in Delhi's last win and Glenn Maxwell (6)
failed to score which resulted in their loss.
For Chennai, K.M. Asif took two wickets
while Lungi Ngidi and Ravindra Jadeja
chipped in with one wicket each.
Earlier, openers Watson (78) and Faf du
Plessis (33) provided a perfect start Chennai Super Kings celebrate their win against Delhi Daredevils in Pune. (Photo: IANS)
before skipper Dhoni and Rayudu (41 not
out) finished the proceedings in style to Pos. Team Plyd. Won Lost Tied Net RR Pts.
power Chennai Super Kings to an impos‑
1 Chennai 8 6 2 12
ing total.
Dhoni and Rayudu were at their 2 Hyderabad 8 6 2 12
destructive best as the duo hammered 3 Punjab 7 5 2 10
Delhi bowlers towards the end of the 4 Kolkata 8 4 4 8
innings and accumulated 79 runs in six
5 Rajasthan 7 3 4 6
overs.

Modi praises athletes Saina, Prannoy lose in semis

for 'excellent
performances' at CWG
New Delhi: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi congratulated the
Indian athletes, especially women,
for their "excellent performances"
at the 2018 Commonwealth
Games (CWG), saying there were
many path‑breaking achievements.
Appreciating table tennis player
Manika Batra's performance,
Modi, in his monthly radio pro‑
gram "Mann Ki Baat", said: "Our
women athletes have made us
proud.
"This edition of the games was
special on one more count ‑ a
majority of the medalists were
women athletes. In squash, boxing,
weightlifting and shooting, the
performance of women turned out
to be par excellence. "
He also remarked on the final
contest in badminton which took
place between two Indian shut‑
tlers, Saina Nehwal and P.V.
Sindhu.
"Everyone was thrilled for the
fact that despite there being com‑
petition, the ultimate medal win‑
ner had to be India. The whole
country watched it with abated
breath. I too enjoyed watching the
match," Modi said.
India bagged 66 medals ‑‑ 26
gold, 20 silver, 20 bronze. "This
success makes every Indian swell
with pride."
at Asia Championships
Wuhan (China): Indian singles stars Saina
Nehwal and H.S. Prannoy settled for bronze
medals after losing in the semi‑finals of the
Badminton Asia Championships here.
London Olympic bronze medalist Saina lost
to Chinese Taipei top seed Tai Tzu Ying 25‑
27, 19‑21 in 45 minutes. It was Saina's third
bronze medal in the Asia Championships.
Following her ninth consecutive win Saina
against Saina, Tai has taken a 11‑5 lead in Nehwal.
head‑to‑head record against the veteran (File Photo:
Indian. In a men's singles semi‑final, Prannoy IANS)
was defeated by Reigning Olympic champion
and Chinese third seed Chen Long, who won
21‑16, 21‑18 in 52 minutes.
World No.10 Prannoy bagged his first
medal at the continental meet. It was India's
first medal since Anup Sridhar's bronze
medal in 2007.

How soccer changed the life of a poor Dalit girl

Alakhpura (Haryana): About four years ago,
15‑year‑old Anyabai won Rs 54,000 when
she led her school team to victory in a state‑
level soccer match. The prize money was
more than what her mother earned in an
entire year.
Hailing from Alakhpura, a village some 30
km from the district headquarters of
Bhiwani in Haryana, Anyabai is a Dalit by
caste and desperately poor by means.
Her father died of a heart attack when she
was just two and the burden of earning for
the four‑member family passed on to her
mother, Maya Devi, whose life story pro‑
vides a window into the struggles of people
at the lowest rungs of society.
Then there are also those who have
defied the system and become achievers in
their own right.
One of them is the fatherless girl Anyabai,
who could have been a victim of the oppres‑
sive systems of caste and patriarchy, but
Just a few years after she started playing,
Anyabai (Right) has already represented
India twice at the international level.
her skills as a soccer player helped her
challenge both.
Just a few years after she started playing,
she has already represented India twice at
the international level.
"She gets around Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000
for playing every national match. Last year,
she won around Rs 2.5 lakh by playing a
few matches," Sonika Bijarnia, her school
coach, told IANS. "She manages to play two‑
three matches every year."
So soccer is not only helping her find a
purpose in life and represent her country at
the highest levels, but is also helping her
bring her family out of the vicious cycle of
poverty.
Anyabai played in the U‑15 South Asian
Football Federation in 2017, in which India
lost to Bangladesh in the finals. She recol‑
lects the final with a bit of disappointment,
saying: "We lost 1‑0."
Anyabai, who has a sister and a brother, is
her mother's pride. "Nobody in the entire
family has achieved so much," Maya Devi
said. "I didn't have any hopes (while)
Anyabai kept playing," she said.
In 2016, she played in the Indian U‑14
women's soccer team at the AFC Regional
(South and Central) Girls Championship in
Tajikistan.
"Life changed. Of course, it did. The schol‑
arships I have been getting have helped us
to build a two‑room set in the village,"
Anyabai said.
Two years back, she was given the job of
a "safai karamchari" (sanitation worker).
Among the five cleaners in the village, she
is the only woman. Despite some improve‑
ments, the life of struggle continues for
Maya Devi and her family. She has modest
dreams for her daughter. "Aap logon jaise
ban jaaye kisi din, yahi chahti hun (all I
want is, she becomes like one of you some‑
day)." But Anyabai's dreams are bigger. "I
wish to grow up and play like (Argentine
footballer Lionel) Messi," she said passion‑
ately.
 24 May 5-11, 2018
Real head turners your
home needs post‑marriage
M N
oving into a new home
post‑marriage can be
extremely exciting and
fun. From the wall colors, finishes,
furnishings and art pieces, the cou‑
ple may have certain ideas for dec‑
orating the home. The best way to
decorate your abode is to think
about all the things that make the
two of you feel comfortable individ‑
ually and as a couple, say experts.
Delhiʼs Mikita Laad Gupta, senior
designer at Bonito Designs and
Meghna Menon, interior expert of
UrbanClap.com, list tips that you
can choose from to accentuate the
look of your home and bring in the
'wow' factor:
Customized personal wall: Make
your home stylish with a personal‑
ized decorative wall. Ensure that
you do not overdo your walls or
leave them completely blank.
Create your own collection of cus‑
tom signs, contemporary photo
canvases, wood plaques, personal‑
ized canvas prints, slate signs and
classic wall hangings.
You can transform your photos
into genuine works of art with per‑
sonalized wall art. All the pre‑wed‑
ding and post wedding photos and
family photos of different shapes
and sizes can be hung up and
turned into a stunning photo wall.
S
ummer heat calls for giv‑
ing up on those heavy
and greasy products
and switching to safe, healthy
and natural products which
can easily seep in through the
pores of the face. So make sure
you are choosing your beauty ritu‑
als wisely.
Supriya Malik, beauty expert and
founder at Indulgeo Essentials, and
Dilip Kundlia, founder and beauty
expert, Oshea Herbals in New
Delhi have logged in a few tips to
deal with different skin types,
which are surely unavoidable:
Dry Skin: During summers, we
often tend to avoid venturing out
under the scorching sun and pre‑
fer staying in an air‑conditioned
Delhi to get 45‑story
residential skyscraper
T
he national capital is
going to get its tallest
45‑story residential sky‑
scraper soon that will be a one
of its kind luxury dwelling
space in the heart of the city, its
developers said last week.
Spread over 40 acres, the
182‑meter tall luxury housing
project in central Delhi's Karol
Bagh area is estimated to cost a
In this way you can relive those
amazing memories you have creat‑
ed with your partner and family
every day!
Personalized crockery: How
about accessorizing your tabletop
with quirky crockery made of funky
prints or photographs? Customized
crockery is a trend that is picking
up amongst couples.
Apart from giving a quirky look
to the house, personalized crockery
with photo prints on mugs, plates
and glasses is the perfect way to
show that special someone they
mean the world to you. Sip your
favorite coffee or green tea in these
stunning looking mugs. Isn't it a
fantastic way to remember a beau‑
tiful past while cherishing an even
better present?
Character furniture: Choosing the
Why
are essential
oils so essential
in summer?
environment. The skin gets very
dull and dry, posing a need for
reinstatement of moisture content
in the skin via some essential facial
oils. These oils safeguard the
trans‑epidermal water loss by cre‑
ating a natural protective barrier
on the skin.
Organic oils for dry skin: Almond
oil, Lavender oil, Avocado oil,
whopping Rs 300 crore, said an
official of the city‑based Unity
Group. The Group on Thursday
entered into a partnership with
Italian luxury housing brand
Gianni Versace S.p.A. to develop
the project.
Till now, 101‑metre MCD
Civic Centre on Minto Road in
New Delhi is the tallest building
in New Delhi with 28 floors.
LIFESTYLE
right furnishings for all the rooms
can be an overwhelming task for
couples. However, picking the right
pieces can make your home look
spacious and be the focal point of
your abode. While the two of you
definitely want to invest in pieces
that are durable, ensure they make
for a beautiful addition to your
home interior.
Apart from the basic require‑
ments like a bed or a dining table,
choose accent furniture which
reflects your personality as a cou‑
ple. If you both love reading, for
instance, how about setting up a
beautiful loveseat near a window
where you can both curl up and
read on weekends? Choose vibrant
or subtle colors and some really
interesting throw pillows to match
the decor and the tone for the rest
of the room.
Argan oil, Flaxseed oil, Rosehip oil,
Lemongrass oil.
Oily Skin: Sweating is an indis‑
pensable part of summers, which
results in oily skin. Hot and humid
weather leads to an increase in the
production of oil from the
Sebaceous Glands. This, in turn,
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Cuomo introduces bill
to ban plastic bags in NY
ew York Governor
Andrew M. Cuomo has
embraced a statewide
ban on single‑use plastic bags
and has introduced a bill to
outlaw them by next year, the
media reported. The three‑
page bill, introduced by
the governor
last
week,
comes a
little more
than a year
after he
blocked a 5‑
cent sur‑
charge that
New York City
had sought to place on single‑
use plastic bags, reports The
New York Times.
Cuomo described the meas‑
ure as an effort to counteract
the "blight of plastic bags" that
is taking "a devastating toll on
our streets, our water and our
natural resources".
The second‑term Governor
seeking a re‑election later this
year said: "We did not inherit
the earth, we are merely bor‑
rowing it from our children."
If the bill passes, New York
would join California, which
increases the greasiness on the
skin. It might be surprising that
facial oils are inevitable for oily
skin, too as our skin might also be
thirsty for its desired nourishment.
These nutrients are sucked easily
by the dermis, thereby making the
skin healthier.
approved a statewide ban of
plastic bags in 2016.
Hawaii has a de facto ban on
plastic bags.
This proposal came as a
result of a report in January by
a task force that
Cuomo convened
last year after
blocking the city
bill, The New
York Times
reported.
A ban was
one of eight
options enter‑
tained by that report,
though it also outlined a num‑
ber of drawbacks, including
the fact that paper bags, an
alternative to plastic, cost
retailers "three to five times as
much as single‑use plastic
bags". Under Cuomo's propos‑
al, a variety of bags would be
exempted from the ban,
including those that contains
raw meat, fish or poultry; bags
sold in bulk; those used in bulk
packages of fruit and dried
goods; those used for deli
products; newspaper bags;
trash, food storage and gar‑
ment bags; and takeout food
bags.
Organic oils for oily skin:
Primrose Oil, Jojoba Oil, Grape
seed Oil Geranium oil, Rosehip Oil,
Neem oil, Patchouli oil.
Combination Skin: Summers are
taxing for those who have an oily
T‑zone, along with dry patches on
the rest of the face. People having
combination skin, must use prod‑
ucts which maintain a right bal‑
ance, so that the skin is neither
buttery nor brittle. Thus, such peo‑
ple should go in for lighter based
oils with anti‑bacterial properties
that will battle the oily areas and
shield the drier ones. Organic oils
for combination skin: Olive oil,
Ylang Ylang oil, Rosemary oil,
Raspberry seed oil, Carrot seed oil,
Grape seed oil, Jojoba oil.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
How to get into Ivy League colleges
3 tips for students applying for highly in-demand institutions & competitive programs.
SHINE ON, STUDENTS
By Kristen Moon
W results overnight
hen applying to presti‑
gious institutions such
as Ivy League colleges
and competitive programs, you
must give your absolute best, and
you can start as early as you like
with your personal development
and experience. Here are three
guiding concepts to bear in mind
as you make these choices.
1. Develop a niche
If youʼve heard the phrase “jack
of all trades, master of none,” this
is particularly true in competitive
college admissions. In college, you
plan to pursue excellence and
mastery of a specialized field, cor‑
rect? Itʼs in your best interest to
concentrate your attention on
your intended field as early and
as much as possible.
We hear all the time that
people are meant to be “well‑
rounded”.
It sounds good, but thatʼs the
Visiting America? A near and dear
one can sponsor your stay
By Michael Phulwani, Esq.
& Dev B. Viswanath, Esq.
A TALK
n Affidavit of Support
Form I‑134 is a form an
individual fills out and
signs to accept financial respon‑
sibility of another individual who
is coming to the United States
temporarily. The individual who
signs the affidavit of support
becomes the sponsor of the indi‑
vidual who comes to the United
States during their trip. The pur‑
pose of the form is to show USCIS
that the visa applicant has spon‑
sorship and therefore will have
the means to be in the United
States.
When submitting an affidavit
of support, a sponsor must show
that they have enough income
and/or assets to support the trav‑
eling nonimmigrant. There is no
same as knowing a little about a
lot of things, rather than knowing
a lot about one or two
things.These institutions are look‑
ing for potential students who
will be successful in their pro‑
grams. How will you demonstrate
your abilities if you appear simply
mediocre in many areas, rather
than advanced in your desired
field?
2. Donʼt expect
True professionals, true masters
of their craft will invariably tell
you that excellence is not easily
achieved. You WILL need to put in
the work. Consider this quote
from Malcolm Gladwell: “The
10,000‑hours rule says that if you
look at any kind of cognitively
complex field, from playing chess
to being a neurosurgeon, we see
this incredibly consistent pattern
that you cannot be good at that
unless you practice for 10,000
hours, which is roughly ten years,
if you think about four h.”
You will need to put in the work
to achieve the results.
3. Understand what
universities value
Colleges know that prospective
students (and their parents)
research rankings. Reputation
matters to these schools, and
black and white rule with the
amount needed as is the case
with permanent resident
Affidavits of Support.
What are the pieces of evi‑
dence to show sufficient income
and financial ability to support
an intending nonimmigrant?
4 Copies of the intending
sponsorʼs most recent years of
tax returns filed with IRS.
4 Bank statements.
4 Employment letters
4 If there are other sources of
legal income that can be listed.
Applicants should recognize
that the Sponsor is providing
COLUMNS
therefore, you need to offer value
to them. Your application should
show them how you will add to
their community.
In addition, schools are looking
to maintain or improve their
yield. Once admission is offered
to a student, it improves their
yield when that student actually
enrolls. This factors into an insti‑
tutionʼs reputation. This is why
“demonstrated interest” is impor‑
tant ‑ school representatives are
encouraged by your attention and
sincerity when you engage in con‑
versation with them. This can be
at a college fair, in your applica‑
tion and correspondence, during
a campus tour, etc.
Lastly, your standardized test
scores matter here too. If your
scores are higher than the
schoolʼs average, you raise their
average. Inversely, if your scores
Know the non-immigrant Affidavit of Support
proof that they will take care of
and handle expenses and possi‑
bly boarding and lodging for the
intending immigrant. Itʼs not a
preventative affidavit of support,
to stop an applicant from becom‑
ing a public charge, like with the
Affidavit of Support for perma‑
nent residents, but an affirmative
declaration that an intending
non‑immigrant has the means
and protection to be in the
United States during the penden‑
cy of their stay.
Moreover, applicants for a non‑
immigrant are still responsible to
show and establish to the satis‑
faction of a consular officer and
a CBP officer that they have the
sufficient ties and intent to
return to the home country.
May 5-11, 2018 25
are lower than the schoolʼs aver‑ your passion is, if you know what
age, you may lower theirs. These drives you, then you can channel
tips are not something that you that into your class selections,
can begin your senior year of volunteer opportunities, intern‑
high school after perusing a few ships, summer activities, and
colleges online. If you review tip more. Prepare yourself to give
#2, preparing early can be to yourself the best chance of
your benefit. If you know what acceptance.
About the author
Kristen Moon is an independent
college counselor and founder of
MoonPrep.com. Moon Prep provides
one‑on‑one tutoring services catered
to university admissions. They guide
students through the entire applica‑
tion process including: completing
applications, personal statements, sup‑
plemental essays, student resumes,
scholarships, and financial aid. Their
specialty lies in the Ivy League, direct
medical programs (BS/MD), and highly
competitive universities.
Therefore, just because you have Please consult an experienced
a non‑immigrant Affidavit of Immigration attorney with an
Support sponsor, it does not understanding of consular non‑
absolve you of your responsibili‑ immigrant visas to see if a Non
ties, to show nonimmigrant Immigrant Affidavit of Support
intent as well as other require‑ form I‑134 would be right for
ments for nonimmigrant visas. you or your family.
Dev Banad Viswanath is the Principal Attorney of
The Banad Law Offices PC in the United States,
and Banad Immigration in India for which Attorney
Michael Phulwani is also affiliated as Of Counsel.
With Offices in Manhattan, Queens, Bangalore, and
Mumbai, the firm is able to assist clients with all
facets of the immigration process, including
Employment Visas, Consular Visa Assistance,
Student Visas, Removal & Deportation, US
Citizenship and Green Card Applications based on
Family or Employment. Dev B. Viswanath can be
reached at Dev@Banadlaw.com and 718‑361‑5999
Dev will be in India from April 28 to May 11.
You can contact his office for a consultation.
26 May 5-11, 2018 HERITAGE TheSouthAsianTimes.info

The Magic of Vedic Mathematics Part 12

Rediscovered half a century ago by the Puri Shankaracharya Bharati Krishna Tirtha, Vedic Mathematics is a lightning fast mental math
system. We continue to serialize from ‘The Curious Hats of Magical Maths’ book that makes learning the system easy.

Continued on page 27
TheSouthAsianTimes.info HERITAGE May 5-11, 2018 27

Continued from page 26

Answers

Extracted from ʻThe

Curious Hats of
Magical Maths ‑
Vedic Mathematics
for Schools Book 1ʼ
by James Glover,
with permission from
Motilal Banarsidass
(MLBD). Founded in
1903, they specialize
in Indology books.
For more informa‑
tion, Mr R.P. Jain,
email:
mlbd@mlbd.com.
US distributor:
southasiabooks
@gmail.com

To be continued in
the following
issues of The South
Asian Times.
28 May 5-11, 2018 HUMOR
Funny Side by Nury Vittachi
How not to impress
a woman
BEST
RATE
(Image: introvertedbadass.com)
FOR
U
seful tip: Guys, end every sentence
INDIA you speak to a woman with, "But I
could be wrong." This saves time.
AND Example: "Good morning! But I could be
wrong!"
PAKISTAN That thought was inspired by a news item I
just read. A man robbed a bank and then
threw some of the money over singer Taylor
Swift's fence "to impress her."
New York Head Quarter More evidence that most men have NO
IDEA how women think.
422‑S Broadway
Bruce Rowley was arrested as he left
HICKSVILLE Taylor's home in Rhode Island a few days ago.
NY 11801 Bruce, you do NOT impress wealthy women
by throwing cash over the fences of their
516‑827‑1010 mansions. You throw property deeds, credit
cards and in your case, I think vasectomy
papers would be essential.
It reminded me of a case in India where a
young man stole a train for his girlfriend.
Ketan Kumar, 24, thought his beloved would
Laughter is the Best Medicine
By Mahendra Shah
Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist,
cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrant Indians for
the past many year in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
be pleased to be presented with the 8.20 p.m.
express to Amrapali. Sadly for him, both girl‑
friend and police were significantly unim‑
pressed. Ketan, buddy, you need to know
more about how girls think. Big, ugly steam‑
ing lump of metal? Great for guys. But for
girls? No.
A colleague, hearing about this column's
topic, forwarded me a news video from
Chechnya. It shows a five‑year‑old boy walk‑
ing down the street hand‑in‑hand with his
girlfriend. He swiftly breaks into a car and
turns on the engine to show off. The five‑
year‑old girl, way smarter than her compan‑
ion, swiftly backs away while he drives off,
pursued by adults.
This all adds to the tonnes of evidence that
males are born thinking women are
impressed by extreme stupidity and immorali‑
ty, and it takes us years ‑‑ let's be honest,
decades ‑‑ to realize this is not the case.
Young males should take advice from
fathers of girls, who are forced to learn some‑
thing about the young female brain. For
example, I now know that fathering a daugh‑
ter means pretending you're thrilled when
they spend half your salary having an eighth
of an inch cut off their hair. The tricky thing
is that they don't tell you whether they've had
an invisible haircut, their eyebrows plucked
or a complete head transplant, but just burst
through the door saying: "Well, Dad, what do
you think?" You MUST reply: "It looks great"
and then leave the country before there are
any follow‑up questions.
In fact, when a young woman asks her
father for his opinion on any matter, what she
is really saying is: "I wish to hear my opinion
repeated in a deeper voice."
Stop press: A colleague forwards another
example. On April 24, several media reported
that a man named Zach Doell decided to pick
up his girlfriend from the University of
Louisiana in a different funny vehicle every
day, including the Batmobile, a car that
looked like a giant hot dog, and an ice cream
van.
He thought this was highly impressive. His,
er, thrilled girlfriend Brianna Garcia told the
media it was "embarrassing."
So there you have it. It is this columnist's
fervent hope that this information will help
young men and young women understand
each other and communicate better.
But I could be wrong.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info ASTROLOGY May 5-11, 2018 29

Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874

By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899
psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com

MAY 5‑11, 2018

ARIES: An enjoyable time is foreseen
this week. You are likely to have fun
travelling with family. Those searching
for suitable accommodation may find luck
shining on them. Minor ailments can trouble
you. Your focus may waver on the academic
front and get you into all sorts of problems.
On the professional front, you may be hard
pressed to prove your mettle. It will be wise
to restrain yourself from spending on things
that catch your fancy.
TAURUS: T here is a possibility of
someone you know from your child‑
hood days springing a surprise. Your
desire to visit a tourist destination is likely to
get fulfilled soon.
A house or an apartment may come in your
name. Changing your diet and shunning junk
food is the need of the hour and will have
positive ef fect on your health. Financially,
you w ill be able to achieve stability.
Indecision regarding choosing the right
career may keep your mind in turmoil.
GEMINI: A windfall on the professional
front cannot be ruled out. Someone
you are promoting is likely to get
established firmly. Your image is likely to get
a boost on the social front. Someone is likely
to get serious with you and compel you to
take a call on the romantic front. Health wise
you will feel on the top of the world this
week. Taking career advice from elders or
seniors will be beneficial.
CANCER: Someone may be out to
hurt you, but you will be able to get
the better of him or her. You are like‑
ly to grow monetarily stronger by taking
some good decisions on the financial front.
Someone may seem hell bent in drawing your
attention on the romantic front. A property
issue may get decided in your favour.
Irregular timings may tell on your health.
Your initiative at work may go in vain, if you
donʼt supervise it.
LEO: Options open to you on the aca‑
demic front may appear a bit confus‑
ing, but make a considered choice.
Family will be much more supportive of your
ideas. Some of you will have a good time in
the company of friends or cousins. This is a
good time to go enjoy a picnic or visit an old
monument.
A love interest is likely to make the first move
on the romantic front, so be prepared! Health
and finance appear good.
VIRGO: You are likely to regain lost
ground on the academic front. Things
started this week will prove most ben‑
eficial. You will need to become financially
savvy to raise capital for something big. Not
being in sync with other family members may
make you feel that you are not being given a
fair deal. You may be taken aback by some‑
oneʼs brazen attempt to indulge in romance,
but deal with the situation diplomatically.
You will remain fit and energetic.
LIBRA: Some promising career
options may come to those looking
for suitable employment. You will be
able to achieve what your heart desired on
the professional front. A timely loan may
save some from an embarrassment. Raising
money for higher education will not be much
of a problem. You are likely to adopt healthy
options to achieve total fitness. Catering to
somebodyʼs mood is required.
SCORPIO: Developments on the profes‑
sional front appear favourable. Luck
may favour you on the academic front
in getting something that you desperately
want. Some problems being faced on the per‑
sonal front are set to get resolved. Returns
from property and investments will keep
your coffers brimming. Your efforts towards
maintaining goo d health w ill be richly
rewarded. You may plan a trip out of town for
something urgent in the coming weeks.
SAGITTARIUS: Preparations for a jour‑
ney may keep you busy. A new mode
of conveyance is set to ease your com‑
muting problems.
Putting money in property now is likely to
prove a goldmine at a later date. You are like‑
ly to develop romantic feelings for a co‑work‑
er in the office and receive positive signals
too! Expenses may need to be brought under
control. You will need to pay more attention
to your health and make efforts to keep your‑
self fit.
CAPRICORN: You will need to be at your
persuasive best to get what you desire!
Familyʼs support will help you in think‑
ing something big on the financial front.
Someone that you find harsh on the social front
may have a soft heart, so donʼt make opinions in
haste. You may be held responsible for a deed
that you have not committed at work.
Academically, you may find things improving.
An exercise routine may look discouraging, but
will help bring you back in shape.
AQUARIUS: Getting a leg up on a rival is
only possible if you play your cards
well. You will be torn between profes‑
sional and domestic commitments, and may find
it difficult to prioritise things. Pressure on the
work front may mount, but you will be able to
counter it well.Some of you may remain occupied
trying to figure out ways to make a quick buck.
Needless risks are best avoided by those romanc‑
ing on the sly. Health remains satisfactory.
PISCES: Something happening in your
personal life needs to be dealt with
patience and forbearance. There are too
many forces pulling you in different directions.
You can be in a mental turmoil regarding an
option on the professional front, but you will
manage to make the right choice. Depleted bank
balance will make you think twice before incur‑
ring any heavy expenditure. Remaining helpful
to others without any selfish motive is your
innermost desire. You may rush headlong into
romance.

5th May, 2018
Traits in you: As your ruling planet is the
Mercury, 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 friendʼs 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
control. 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 financial 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 prosperity. There may be a
huge rise in expenses, but you will be able
to meet those with your increased earn‑
ings.
Career this year: You will be successful in
every project you take up this year. You
may be adjudged the best employee by
your higher 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 independently.
Romance this year: Your marital relation‑
ship will move on smoothly. If you are yet
to marry, you may fall into a romantic rela‑
tionship this year. You may get into a mari‑
tal alliance if you are already into a rela‑
tionship. You will be leading a blissful
romantic life with your spouse or partner
with lots of love, care, and concern.
6th May, 2018
Traits in you: As you are ruled by Venus,
you are simple, generous, cheerful, friendly,
humble, honest and peace loving. You are
pretty interested to stay in harmony with
each and everyone in your surroundings.
You need to work on your nature of being
restless and pessimistic.
Health this year: Your health would be
moderate this time. You may not have the
privilege to take the diet of your wish as
the doctor would prescribe to avoid that.
You may practice yoga and meditation
along with your prescribed medicines for
better results.
ANNUAL PREDICTIONS: FOR THOSE BORN IN THIS WEEK
Finance this year: Your expectations for
financial gains may not convert to reality
as you have to spend a moderate financial
life this year. Do not invest huge amount on
anything as you may go in loss. You should
wait for the right time to invest on any‑
thing. You should not lend money to any‑
one as it may create financial crisis for
yourself.
Career this year: As far as your profes‑
sional life is concerned, you are expected to
get a lot of opportunities throughout this
year. However, you have to work hard and
efficiently to convert those opportunities.
Being a quick decision maker, you may
have to decide on many critical matters in
your professional circle.
Romance this year: You may try and con‑
vert your long time romantic relationship
to a married one. You will be enjoying a
great life with your spouse with lots of
understanding, love, and care. You need not
get into any kind of argument with your
beloved this year.
7th May, 2018
Traits in you: Your ruling planet Neptune
makes you intelligent, adaptable, charming,
independent, humble, decisive, courteous,
and courageous. Along with many positive
characters, you also have few negatives.
You need to work on your carefree and
dominating attitude towards others to get
respect and attention in your friend circle.
Health this year: You need to take an
appropriate care of your health. You may
fall sick in the middle months of the year
though those will not be serious. If you are
a sportsperson, you need to be very careful
for your diet and nutrition to perform bet‑
ter in your sporting events.
Finance this year: You will be financially
profited from you long term past invest‑
ments. Your legal issues will be solved to
give you a huge amount of money. You may
end up spending a lot of money on your
family members this year though you will
earn a handsome amount. You may go for
investments to get benefited in future.
Career this year: Professionally, you are
a very smart and efficient worker. So you
may need to clarify doubts and help you
peers and juniors in their work. People in
your professional circuit will seek your
help at every crucial situation. You may get
promoted as a result of your spectacular
performance throughout the year. You may
be assigned a new responsibility this year.
You may go for a job change as well as
there will be plenty of opportunities avail‑
able.
Romance this year: You will be spending
a peaceful and content life with your
beloved. During the last few months of the
year, you may have few misunderstandings,
which can be cleared and sorted out if you
both sit and try to listen each other.
8th May, 2018
Traits in you: The influence of the planet
Saturn makes you creative, realistic, help‑
ful, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and optimistic.
You should take care of your impatience
and jealousy to excel as an individual.
Health this year: You may fall sick often
this year if you do not take required pre‑
ventive measures. You should see your doc‑
tor once a month to check your health con‑
ditions and supplements if required. You
should also take care of the health of your
family members by providing them medical
attention.
Finance this year: You may prosper
financially with the opportunity to earn as
much as possible with new sources of
income. You may go for long distance busi‑
ness trips if you want success in your busi‑
ness. Be aware of fraud investment agen‑
cies as you may end up losing a huge
amount of money. You are advised not to
lend money this year.
Career this year: Your hard work, dedica‑
tion, and ef forts in your work will get
reflected in your professional hierarchy as
you may go a step further towards your
promotion. You will be admired by your
peers and seniors this year for your per‑
formance and decision making capabilities.
Treat your ordinates respectfully and try to
help them in difficult situation as it would
help you in getting a better appraisal
towards the end of the year.
Romance this year: Your relationship
with your partner may reach to new
heights this year as your love, trust, care
and concern will develop towards your
beloved. You may get married towards the
end of this year if you are yet to marry.
9th May, 2018
Traits in you: Your ruling planet Mars
makes you strong, determined, courageous,
enthusiastic, intelligent, ambitious, and
motivated. You have a strong dislike
towards fake people and fake emotions.
You are a huge fan of truth and cleanliness.
You need to work on your nature of show‑
ing dictatorship and being rude and stub‑
born at times.
Health this year: As far as your health is
concerned this year, you may not remain
healthy throughout the year. There will be
few hiccups in your health as you may suf‑
fer from many minor diseases. If you want
to stay healthy, you should go for proper
medication and a healthy diet plan. You
have to leave consuming alcohol and smok‑
ing cigarettes.
Finance this year: You may go through
sudden gains and losses this year.
However, you will be capable enough to
find out the source to earn ample amount
of money. Your financial condition will be
improved for a long term. If you are into
business, you may enhance your business
to gain better profits. You should invest in
real estate this year as the chances of
return are high.
Career this year: You will face huge chal‑
lenges in your professional field this year.
There will be a lot of changes in your pro‑
fessional life. You may remain disturbed
about your profession. You may go for a
new job change as you would find the cur‑
rent work disgusting and monotonous.
Romance this year: You will enjoy an
improved life with your partner with lot of
love, care, and concern. You should give
time to your spouse or partner. If you are
not married, you might have to wait as the
movement of your planets does not suggest
a marital alliance this year.
10th May, 2018
Traits in you: Being governed by the Sun,
you are endowed with uniqueness and phi‑
losophy. You are courageous, daring, cour‑
teous, affectionate, decisive, and very deter‑
mined. You need to work on your impa‑
tience and short tempered nature.
Health this year: You may remain wor‑
ried for the health of your spouse. Your
health will remain fine though it needs
extra care. You should regularly visit to
your doctor for checkups. Try to secure
your parentʼs health as they may suf fer
from minor ailments throughout this year.
Finance this year: Financial gains are
sure for you this year as you may get into
new business ventures. However, try to
avoid partnerships as much as you can. You
may get benefited from your past invest‑
ments or sale of paternal land or property.
You may go for renovation of your house
and that will make you spend enough
money. You may go for business trips later
in the year and you will succeed in bringing
new business.
Career this year: The nature of your pro‑
fessional work will allow you find many
new job opportunities with high salaries.
You should take up a new job to flourish in
your career. You will gain required expert‑
ise in your profession and perform better
than ever.
Romance this year: You will be in a
peaceful relationship with your beloved
this year. You should take care not to get
involved in any kind of confrontation or
argument with your partner. You may get
into marital relationship this year if you are
yet to marry.
11th May, 2018
Traits in you: The influence of your rul‑
ing planet Moon makes you simple, dynam‑
ic, charismatic, creative, reliable and
focused. You need to control your frequent
mood swings and stubbornness to become
a better individual.
Health this year: You will enjoy an over‑
all good health this year though you may
go through minor health issues throughout
the year. You should practice yoga and
meditation for better result. Your parents
may fall sick and this might make you
tensed. Take special care of your spouseʼs
health. Take a normal diet and medicines to
remain healthy.
Finance this year: Your past investments
may yield a lot of money for you this year.
You need to be extra cautions while invest‑
ing huge amounts as it is a bit risky to put
money on unpredictable things. Overall,
you will enjoy a strong financial condition.
Career this year: You will enjoy a great
professional career this year. If you are
involved in arts or creative field, this year
will be very good for you. You will reach
new heights in your career and you will
gain enough recognition. You may seek
help from an experienced person to suc‑
ceed in your career.
Romance this year: You will spend a
peaceful life with your spouse. If you are
unmarried, you may get into a matrimonial
relationship towards the end of this year.
30 May 5-11, 2018 SPIRITUAL AWARENESS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Malcolm X College hosts Sant Rajinder Singh Ji

Maharaj for meditation program

S
ant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, head
of Science of Spirituality, spoke at
Malcolm X College on the West Side
of Chicago on April 21 and 22. Prior to the
event, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji was presented
with a welcome tribute from Mayor Rahm
Emanuel which said: “I commend your con‑
tinued commitment to creating love and
unity and your work in bringing people
together to overcome the challenges we all
face.
At the Saturday program, Dr. Terry
Mason, chief operating officer of the Cook
County Department of Public Health, intro‑
duced Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj.
Attending the program was the interim
President of Malcolm X, Dave Sanders, who
along with Dr. Mason, met with Sant
Rajinder Singh Ji where they discussed the
value of meditation as being an important
part of our education and medical systems.
Addressing an overflow audience each
day, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji spoke about the
many causes of stress and strife in our lives
today. He said when we are in turmoil with‑
in, how then can we expect to find peace
without. We cannot change our environ‑
ment; we must change our angle of vision.
Our true nature is soul, a part of God, and
it is this Power that enlivens the body.
Awakening to the truth that we are not dis‑
tinct from God, we become conscious of the
silken bonds of love that connect us all. This
is the state of consciousness we achieve
through meditation. Both daysʼ talks were
simultaneously translated into Spanish.
Commenting on Earth Day, he said it is
incumbent upon us to be responsible custo‑
dians of the earth, to ensure we use its
resources wisely and maintain ecological
balance so that we may leave it for future
generations. After each talk, Sant Rajinder
Singh Ji introduced the technique of medita‑
tion on the inner Light and Sound of God,
after which everyone sat in meditation.
For more information about Sant Rajinder
Singh Ji Maharaj or Science of Spirituality,
visit www.sos.org.

Realizing we are never alone

exist. Yet, we have multiple
instances that show love in this
world, a love of which the recipi‑
ent may not even be aware, that
still exists.
We cannot see God at our physi‑
cal level. We assume that because
we cannot see the Lord, that there
is no God. However, God is there,
and embracing us with love at all
moments. Just because we are not
aware of that love does not mean
it is not there. We do not know
that God has immeasurable love
for us. Yet, we are always wrapped
in Godʼs protective embrace.
By Sant Rajinder Singh How can we experience Godʼs
Ji Maharaj love and know for certain there is
a God?
would just be a planet of water.
We marvel at life itself, the
human body, animals, and plants,
and how they have been created
to survive generation after gener‑
ation for millions of years. We
marvel at the various systems in
the human body that allow us to
eat, breathe, grow, reproduce, and
repair themselves when injured.
We wonder at the miracle of the
human brain and how we take in
information, learn, plan, analyze,
and create.
The cycles of the earth are
incredible with the water cycle to
supply the planet and its inhabi‑
tants with a fresh supply of water
for billions of years for drinking
inner workings of creation. They
have been in touch with the non‑
material aspect of life, the spirit or
soul, through first hand personal
experience. They have come in all
the ages, in all cultures and time
periods, and have all concluded
the same thing̶there is a Power
who created all that is, whether
we call it God or by any other
name, and that Power is a loving
one that brought us all into being.
It is loving and protective of the
creation that sprouted into being
from its power of love. Just as par‑
ents decide to bring a child into
this world as an expression of
their love and a desire to create
offspring, so did God bring all cre‑
In this age of science and ration‑
ality, few want to believe in God,
as this Power cannot be seen with
the physical senses. Yet, God is
there. Saints and Masters who
have found God tell us that if we
truly want to believe in God, we
need to experience it for our‑
selves. Thus, they give us a way to
prove Godʼs existence for our‑
selves. Once we do so, we will also
realize Godʼs love for us is like the
love of the parent for a child.
How can we prove Godʼs exis‑
tence and love for us? The way we
can do so is through meditation. If
we sit in silence and focus our
attention within, we will find the
manifestation of God in the form

M
any feel each of us is
alone in the universe. We
wonder if there is a God,
and, if there is, how could God
even know about us, given the bil‑
lions of people in the world.
In this age of science, we may
find it hard to believe in a power
such as God who could create all
of us and love us. We feel that the
only love that is possible in the
universe is what we know as
human beings, such as between
parents and children, lovers and
beloveds, spouses, or families. We
think that because we cannot see
God with our physical eyes that
such a power could not really
We may get a sense there is a
God when we look at the wonders
of creation. When we see how the
sun and the planets keep their
place in the solar system without
colliding into each other, we won‑
der at how that could happen. We
see how out of all the planets, few
are habitable enough to support
human life because they are
either too hot, too cold, or lack an
atmosphere for breathing. We
marvel at the earth and how it is
just the right temperature to sup‑
port life, has just the right mix of
elements for breathing, and just
the right amount of land surface
on which to live, otherwise it
and washing. We wonder at the
rock cycle in which rock is broken
down to form new soil or is built
up to create land, hills, and moun‑
tains on which to live. We marvel
at how plants provide food for
people and animals, as well as
oxygen given off as waste for us
to breathe. The more scientists
learn about the workings of the
universe, of physics, chemistry,
biology, astronomy, and geology,
the more they conclude that some
super intelligent power must have
designed all this.
Beyond the scientists, we have
scientists of the soul, or saints and
Masters, who have explored the
ation into being out of love and
the same desire to create.
Godʼs love came into expression
and the result is the existence of
all the realms of existence, this
physical universe, human beings,
animals, plants, and everything
that is. God started alone and
from Godʼs love countless souls
were created. It may seem like
God cannot know all the souls God
created, but God does, and loves
and protects each one. Similarly,
we may not know it, just as an
infant is not aware that it exists
because of its parents, but that
Power is there, loving us and pro‑
tecting us.
of the inner Light and Sound. We
can travel on this source back to
God and merge in that divine
Power. This inner journey
through meditation will lead us to
the realization of God and the
embracing love that God has for
each of us. God is not far. God is
within us. God has protective
arms around us. Our soul is con‑
nected to God. Our problem is that
we are not aware of our soul, so
we do not realize God. Our first
step is to achieve self‑realization
or knowledge of our true self.
Once we do so, we will find that
we are one with God and will
achieve God‑realization
TheSouthAsianTimes.info May 5-11, 2018

This message is sponsored by The South Asian Times.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info May 5-11, 2018