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Vol.12 No. 30 November 23-29, 2019 80 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Ensure justice for Tamils, India

tells new Sri Lankan Prez
New Delhi: he Indian government
expects Sri Lankaʼs new govern‑
ment led by President Gotabaya
Rajapaksa to take forward the
process of national reconciliation
in order to meet the aspirations
of the Tamil minority for “equali‑
ty, justice, peace and dignity”. President Trumpʼs call to Ukraineʼs new President Zelensky was not
This was the message conveyed ʻperfectʼ as he claims, but Republicans do not believe the misconduct
by external af fairs minister S rises to the level of an impeachable offence. (Graphic courtesy CNN)
Jaishankar during a meeting with
the newly elected Sri Lankan
president in Colombo on
Tuesday. Jaishankar had visited
Continued on page 4
Impeachment of
Indian external affairs minister S. Jaishankar met Sri Lanka's
newly elected president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Colombo.

Congress‑NCP, Sena to announce Trump likely,

alliance to form Maharashtra govt Removal, no
Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav
Washington: Impeachment testi‑ Ukraineʼs president; for
Thackeray and his son Aaditya
mony be fore the House Democrats, itʼs become clear that
met NCP president Sharad Pawar
Intelligence Committee this week the storyline theyʼve laid out is
in Mumbai on Thursday night in
has seen both parties run into unlikely to convince Republicans
their ef fort to form government
unmovable truths: For to remove Donald Trump from the
in Maharashtra with the support
Republicans, itʼs become clear that presidency. Next, the Democrats
of the Congress. The same day
something happened here that will move the impeachment effort
Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan
falls short of “perfect,” the word to the House Judiciary Committee
said in New Delhi that his party
President Trump has used to Continued on page 4
and the NCP have "complete una‑
describe his phone call w ith See detailed story on page 11.
nimity" on all issues concerning
government format ion in
Maharashtra and will now hold NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena president
Uddhav Thackeray met in Mumbai. (Photo: PTI)
India buying naval guns
Continued on page 4
worth $1 billion from USA
4 Indo-Canadians inducted
T
he U.S government
has approved the

in Trudeau’s Cabinet sale of 13 naval

Ottawa: In a first, a Hindu woman
lawmaker has been inducted into
Canadaʼs Cabinet as Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled
his new team of ministers that also
includes three Sikh MPs.
Anita Anand, a former law pro‑
fessor at University of Toronto,
has been g iven the charge of
Public Services and Procurement
Ministry, CBC News reported.
Born in the town of Kentville in
the province of Nova Scotia, the
Liberal MP represents the riding
of Oakville in Ontario. She is on
the advisory board of Canada India
Foundation. The 3 Sikh ministers
sworn in on Nov 20 are: Liberal
MP Navdeep Bains, g iven
Continued on page 4
Anita Anand is the
first Hindu appointed
as cabinet minister in Canada.
(Photo : Canadian Press)
guns worth $1 billion to
India in the biggest
defense deal between the
two countries in four
years. T he MK‑45 Gun
System allows Indiaʼs navy
to conduct anti surface
warfare and ant i‑air
defense missions, while enhancing ensure Indiaʼs supremacy in the
interoperability with US and other Arabian sea.
allied forces. The purchase will See page 12 for details

RELIGION 2 FESTIVAL 15 HUMOR 28 SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 30 excellence in journalism

 2 November 23-29, 2019
Jains & Sikhs walking together
As the world celebrates Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s 550th birth anniversary,
the authors discover the rich history and linkages between Sikh and
Jain communities, a stellar example of sharing and caring.
By Dr. Harvinder Singh Sahota
& Dr. Sulekh C. Jain
O
n November 12, 2019 the 550th
Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak
Dev Ji was celebrated all over the
world. He was an apostle of peace, harmo‑
ny, co‑existence and respect between all
religions and human beings. The same
week Indian and Pakistani governments
inaugurated the opening of the Kartapur
Sahib Corridor, giving access from India to
a holy Sikh shrine in Pakistan. Thousands
of devotees have since been going to the
Kartarpur gurdwara.
While Sikhism is the youngest religion
of the world, Jainism is one of the oldest.
In terms of population, Sikhism is the 5th
largest and Jainism the 6th largest in the
world. Both religions are in the minority
in India.
There is so much in common between
Jainism and Sikhism. Since the birth of
Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Sikhism, Jains and
Sikhs have been walking together. This is
a living and true example of interfaith
dialogue, inter‑dependence, co‑ existence,
respect, cooperation, sharing, caring and
helping each other.
Much of the history of Jains and Sikhs is
intertwined. 2,600 years ago, Bhagwan
Mahavir was born in Bihar and Jainism
flourished in that state. Patna in Bihar is
where Sikh history left a large footprint.
Guru Teg Bahadur, the ninth guru, lived in
Patna, and the tenth Sikh master, Guru
Gobind Singh was born there. 350 years
ago, a prominent Jain in Patna by the
name of Salis Rai Johri hosted Guru Teg
Bahadur and his family on their way to
Assam. The wife of Guru Teg Bahadur,
Mata Gujri, stayed with this Jain family for
several years. In this Jain household Guru
Gobind Singh Ji (the last Sikh guru in
human form) was born in 1666 and grew
up to the age of 6.
Later this Jain family donated a piece of
land for the dharamshala, the site where
eventually the Sri Patna Sahib Takht (one
of the five Sikh holy places) was built,
commemorating the birth place of Guru
Gobind Singh, who later shifted to
Anandpur sahib in Punjab. This same Jain
Johri also built a Jain temple next door.
The Jain temple and Sikh gurdwara on the
same land next to each other in the same
campus just separated by a simple wall is
a unique example of respect for the faith
of each other.
Sikhs and Jains have never quarreled
nor harmed / destroyed each otherʼs
places of worship. In Punjab, Jains attend
Sikh colleges and Sikhs attend Jain educa‑
tional institutions. The two communities
working together made Ludhiana the
hosiery capital of the world. Some Jain
sadhus / monks have come from Sikh fam‑
ilies and in Punjab, Jain sadhus often stay
at Sikh homes and also get their gochari
RELIGION
The Sikh gurdwara known as Takht Sri
Patna Sahib, one of the 5 holiest Sikh
shrines, stands cheek by jowl with a Jain
temple, on land donated by a Jain jeweler.
The gurdwara in Patna commemorates the
birth of 10th Guru Gobind Singh Ji, whose
family was hosted in a Jain household.
(food) from them. The Punjabi University
in Patiala has a Department of Jainology.
Jains served Sikh maharajas in impor‑
tant positions. All Sikh maharajas in states
ruled by them in Punjab (Patiala, Nabha,
Fridkot, Jind etc.) employed Jains in
responsible positions such as treasurers
because of the Jainsʼ trustworthiness and
honesty.
Jains and Sikhs have not only co‑existed
but have provided safety and shelter to
each other as evidenced in the migration
of Jains and Sikhs during the 1947 parti‑
tion and the protection provided by a Jain
acharya.
Both communities celebrate Diwali:
Jains for nirvaan of Bhagwan Mahavir and
Sikhs for the release of sixth Guru
Hargobind Ji from Gwalior fort.
Unconditional ahimsa (nonviolence) is
the core Principle of Jains.
Sikhs practice ahimsa by seva, service to
the needy and those in distress. Their tra‑
dition of free langar, started over 500
years ago and now to be found through‑
out the world wherever Sikhs have settled
is unique.
Both Jains and Sikhs have no caste sys‑
tem and stand for equal rights and respect
for all humans including women.
Both Jainism and Sikhism are the least
known and most misunderstood in the
West. As a result, Sikhs often fall victim to
hate crimes and their gurdwaras come
under attack.
Academic study of Jainism and Sikhism
has significantly lagged behind other Indic
religions in North America. Jain and Sikh
community leaders are closing this gap by
establishing centers for Jain and Sikh
studies. These initiatives are unique and
historic in nature.
In this painting
of the
procession of
Maharaja Ranjit
Singh, a Jain
monk is seen
at bottom
left. Sikh
maharajas used
to hire Jains in
positions
requiring trust,
such as
treasurers.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
A comprehensive book on the Jains and
Sikhs walking together is being planned.
Here is one very inspiring example of
the two working together. Five years ago,
Jain and Sikh community in Los Angeles
established the first joint center for study
and teaching of Jainism and Sikhism at
Loyola Marymount University in Los
Angeles, emulating the legacy of Takht Sri
Patna Sahib. After thorough search, Dr.
Niranjan Kaur Khalsa, a Sikh scholar with
PhD in Sikhism from University of
Michigan, was inducted as the professor
for this center. Right away Jains and Sikhs
liked and welcomed her appointment. She
taught standalone classes in Jainism and
Sikhism with separate syllabi. She taught
both religions with equal love, sincerity,
passion, dedication and high scholastic
contents. Her classes were not only full
but also many students were on waiting
list. She took her students each semester
to the Jain and Sikh temples in Los
Angeles. Students liked her very much too.
Without doubt there are hundreds of
such opportunities all around us waiting
to be explored and started.
Saint Kabir said, “Water is the same in
all. Only utensils are of different colors.”
Let us work together even more to learn
from the beauty and wisdom of each tradi‑
tion and dismantle all the walls of hatred
and mistrust dividing humanity .
This is the real and true message of
Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Dr. Harvinder Singh Sahota is
Laguna Beach, CA based
cardiologist and inventor of the
Perfusion Balloon, now used in
angioplasty surgeries all over
the world.
Sulekh C. Jain, PhD, is Past
President of the Federation of
Jain Associations in North America
(JAINA) who now lives in
Las Vegas, NV.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY November 23-29, 2019 3

Tamil Nadu Deputy CM visited US

to boost investorsʼ confidence
By Suchitra Srinivas
The South Asian Times
New York: With top‑class infrastructure,
eased compliance procedures and friendly
business environment, Tamil Nadu is all set
to be the investment destination, asserted
the stateʼs Deputy Chie f Minister O.
Paneerselvam.
Speaking at the interactive session
organized by the Indian Consulate here, he
assured the Indian American business com‑
munity that the investment climate in
Tamil Nadu promises impressive returns.
In his 10‑day trip to the US,
Paneerse lvam also visited Chicago,
Washington DC, and Houston. He held
meet ings w ith Internat ional Finance
Corporation focusing on urban and infra‑
structure projects in the state besides
meeting investors and business community
to further the investments proposals in the
pipeline from the major Tamil community
dominated terrains.
T he Principal Secretary (Finance), S
Krishnan in his presentation made a clean
case for the state, highlighting the industri‑
al and business infrastructure that is con‑
ducive to the g rowth trajectory. He
stressed that the investment fund manage‑
ment company run by professionals is a
pioneering ef fort of the state and that it
would be an ideal investment option for
the high net worth individuals not looking
at big time business commitments. It is
encouraging that efforts are being made to
connect the Indian diaspora with Tamil
Nadu. In September, state Chief Minister
Edappadi K. Palaniswamiʼs visit to the US
had identified prospects for investments to
the tune of over Rs 5,000 crore committed
by US investors. His deputyʼs visit was
expected to build on that.
In Houston, the Deputy Chief Minister
inaugurated the Houston Tamil Studies
Chair initiative and committed to support
it. At the Meenakshi Amman temple in the
same city he inaugurated a Kalayana
Mandapam (Marriage Hall). While there,
he was honored by the Meenakshi Temple
Society and the Metroplex Tamil Sangam.
The Fairland, TX mayor declared Nov 14 as
ʻOPS Dayʼ honoring the Deputy CM.
In another gesture to mark the 150th
anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian
Consulate of New York invited school chil‑
dren to speak in Tamil on the relevance of
Gandhijiʼs teaching today. Praising the par‑
t icipat ion of children, Paneerse lvam
acknowledged the cultural integration Deputy CM O. Paneerselvam of Tamil Nadu
engaged by the Indian diaspora, and con‑ complimenting one of the school children
gratulated the community for taking Tamil who spoke at the Indian Consulate in Tamil
language across the globe. on Gandhiʼs relevance today.

How Zakaria became Ravi Batra slams Kartarpur

part of the Ukraine story referencing anti‑India rhetoric
New York: Fareed
Zakaria, the Indian
And exposes ‘liberal lunatics’ Pramila Jayapal and Ilhan Omar
American host of New York: Ravi Batra, eminent attor‑ wish to engage in a new genocide ‑
CNNʼs GPS wee kly ney and Chair, National Advisory as the Speaker in the video argues
program, revealed Council for South Asian Af fairs, for.
last week that he was has last week sent an urgent mes‑ “Freedom of religion, and separa‑
the one chosen to do sage to Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of tion of church and state ‑ two key pil‑
the interview with the House Foreign Af fairs lars of a free society ‑ were not
Ukraine President Committee, referencing a recent intended for folks with hypocritical
Volodymyr Zelensky incendiary video with a Muslim cler‑ treasonous strategies to advance
in which the newly ic evidently in Pakistan promoting a politically ‑ that was Hitlerʼs.
elected leader would conspiracy theory. Jayapalʼs political recipe would
have announced the In an aborted interview with Indian American Writes Batra, “While I donʼt under‑ require every American Jewish
investigation into for‑ Fareed Zakaria, Ukraine President Zelensky stand the language (Urdu) well, I Congress‑member to be against
mer Vice President was expected to announce the investigations understood the religious Speaker Israel in order to be a loyal
Joe Biden, as alleged‑ that Trump wanted.
celebrating recent Kartarpur Guru American; absurd. Both Omar and
ly demanded by President Trump. ter. And Ukraine, as you heard all Nanak Birthday initiative as a strate‑ Jayapal need to visit Ground Zero
According to Zakaria, he went to of today, is on the front lines of
Eminent attorney Ravi Batra
gic step to cause Sikhs to join and 9/11 Museum, and pay heartfelt
Kyiv to do research and prepare this great struggle between the Pakistan in attacking India and elimi‑ understands that every Lincolnesque homage to the dead, survivors and
for the interview, but just after West and Russia. And they had nating all Hindus ‑ a genocide. Governmentʼs Job1 is Public Safety, brave First Responders ‑ as we in
news of the whistleblower broke, been encouraging and negotiat‑ “With this as the ground‑reality, it so Freedoms and Rights can be exer‑ New York and those in Mumbai have
“the interview fell apart.” ing back and forth. Things picked delays normalization of Kashmir. We cised freely, I reject with extreme tasted the painful evil of Terror.
“Of course, we had no knowledge up around August and need to help make Sub‑Continent prejudice ‑ unprincipled self‑promot‑ “I would happily trade 100 Omars
that President Ze lensky was September. I went to Kyiv to meet Terror‑Free ‑ for enhanced safety of ing liberal lunatics who have never & 1000 Jayapals for one Imran Khan
going to announce this investiga‑ with him. It seemed it was con‑ our own Service Members ASAP ‑ so governed ‑ folks like Pramila Jayapal and one Narendra Modi ‑ both prime
tion into the Bidens and into firmed and then it fell apart right Freedoms, not Genocide, is planned and Ilhan Omar (“some people...did ministers are dear to me, as they
2016 during the interview,” about the time just after the news and enjoyed.” something”) who merely pander for dare to make their nations Terror‑
Zakaria told CNNʼs Jake Tapper. of the whistle‑blower came out. Batra, who stands for eradicating political advantage shamelessly. As Free, escape the chains of war‑mon‑
“But hereʼs the story: Weʼd been So it is possible to conclude that terror in all shapes and forms, also Rep. Omar is insultingly wrong gers or chaos‑loving liberal‑lunatics,
trying to get an interview with they realized the story was now takes issues with Congresswomen about WTC and 9/11, Rep. Jayapal preferring instead to have actual
Zelensky pretty much since he public and the aid had been Pramila Jayapal and Ilhan Omar in gets no kudos for being Pro‑Terror peace so rights can be equally
got elected,” Zakaria explained. released, they didnʼt need to do an email to The South Asian Times: and an ignoramus self‑defaming enjoyed by minorities and majori‑
“Heʼs a pretty interesting charac‑ the interview.” “As a Patriot and an American who Anti‑Hindu, and assisting those who ties.”
 4 November 23-29, 2019
Netanyahu indicted of fraud, abuse of trust
Jerusalem: Israel's attorney general
has charged Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu with bribery, fraud and
breach of trust in connection with
three separate cases. Attorney general
Avijai Mandelblit formalized the indict‑
ment against the acting leader on
Thursday, which is a new blow to the
unstable and gridlocked Israeli politi‑
cal landscape, Efe news reported.
The prosecution has accused the
head of government in connection with
three cases, known as Case 1,000,
Case 2,000 and Case 3,000, the
Ministry of Justice said in a statement.
In all three cases, Netanyahu has
been accused of fraud and abuse of
trust, and in addition in Case 4,000 he
is alleged to have committed bribery,
the most serious accusation that puts
his position in question.
In Case 4,000, also called the Bezeq
Case, Netanyahu is accused of having
done favors between 2012 and 2017
to Israeli telephony giant Bezeq in
exchange for favorable coverage of
From the Desk
of the Editor
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e invite Indian
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tutions to send us press
releases and information
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Israelʼs PM Benjamin Netanyahu
him and his wife Sara on the Walla
news website. Both Bezeq and Walla
are controlled by the same business‑
man Shaul Elovitch, who is also
charged with his wife Iris. In Case
1,000 he is suspected of accepting lux‑
urious gifts from two millionaires for
himself and his family worth almost
UK's Prince Andrew steps back from
public duties over Epstein scandal
London: T he United Kingdomʼs
Prince Andrew has announced he is
stepping back from royal duties
over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. In
a statement released on Wednesday
he said he would end his public
work for the foreseeable future over
his links to the convicted sex offend‑
er, Efe news reported.
He also of fered to help police
investigating allegations against the
disgraced hedge‑fund manager and
accused sex trafficker. Andrew said
his former association with Epstein
had become a "major disruption" to
the royal family.
"T herefore, I have asked Her
Majesty if I may step back from pub‑
lic duties for the foreseeable future,
and she has given her permission,"
he added. "I continue to unequivo‑
cally regret my ill‑judged associa‑
tion with Jef frey Epstien." Epstein
was found dead in a prison cell in
the United States while awaiting
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Contributing Editors:
Shaker Nelanuthala, Prof. Shivaji Sengupta,
Surekha Vijh (Washington, DC),
Suchitra Srinivas (New Jersey),
Melvin Durai, Dr Prem Kumar Sharma,
Ashok Vyas, and Dr Akshat Jain
Current Affairs Columnist
Swadesh Rana
TURN PAGE
$290,000, in exchange for favors. Case
2,000 relates to an alleged pact
attempt with Arnon Mozes, who is also
accused, editor of the national Israeli
daily newspaper Yediot Aharonot, to
get more positive coverage of him in
exchange for damaging the distribu‑
tion of newspaper rival Israel Hayom.
As a defendant, Netanyahu would
not be obliged to leave his post as
prime minister or deputy, but if he was
convicted, parliament could vote for
his dismissal if the crime involves
"moral depravity" as is the case with
the bribery accusation, according to
Israeli law. He has claimed the indict‑
ments are "an attempted coup" to top‑
ple him and his right‑wing govern‑
ment.
trial for sex traf ficking of minors.
Andrew's statement said his death
"has left many unanswered ques‑
tions, particularly for his victims,
and I deeply sympathize with every‑
one who has been af fected and
wants some form of closure".
Andrew has been under increasing
criticism for his relationship with
the well‑connected financier, with a
number of sponsors severing ties
with the royal after an interview he
gave with the BBC on Saturday. The
59‑year‑old has been accused of
having sex with a 17‑year‑old girl,
Virginia Roberts, in 2001 after
going to a London nightclub. He has
denied all the allegations and in the
BBC interview said he was at a pizza
restaurant on the day in question.
Roberts said she had sex with
Andrew three times, in London in
March 2001, weeks later at
Epstein''s New York mansion and a
third time on his private island.
New Delhi Bureau
Meenakshi Iyer
Delhi@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Jaipur Bureau
Prakash Bhandari
Prakash@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Impeachment of Rajapaksa after he won the
Trump likely,
Removal, no
president ial e lect ion w ith
more than 52% of the vote.
Continued from page 1 The 2.2‑million Tamil minority
and expect to hold a vote in accounts for a little more than
the House by Christmas. In the 11% of Sri Lankaʼs population.
majority, they have the vote.
The next step, a trial in the Congress‑NCP, Sena to
Senate may hold peril for announce alliance to
Dems. This weekʼs Gallup Poll, form Maharashtra govt
showing 90% of Republicans Continued from page 1
approving of Trump, will bol‑ talks with the Shiv Sena to
ster Senate Republicans. They "finalize the architecture of
may try to exact revenge by the alliance".
summoning the testimony of In Mumbai, Congress and
Joe and Hunter Biden, and the the NCP will now hold deliber‑
whistleblower. ations with their other pre‑poll
allies ‑‑ Peasants Workers
Ensure justice for Party, Samajwadi Party,
Tamils, India tells Swabhimani Paksh and CPI(M)
new Sri Lankan Prez ‑‑ and then with the Sena,
Continued from page 1 Chavan told reporters after
Sri Lanka as a special envoy of another round of talks
Prime Minister Narendra Modi between senior leaders of his
to convey his greetings on
Rajapaksaʼs election win and
party and the NCP in the
national capital.
to invite him to India.
Rajapaksa accepted the invi‑
Sources said the three par‑
ties are likely to make a for‑
tation and will make a state mal announcement on Friday
visit to India during November about joining hands to take a
29‑30. shot at power in the state.
Foreign ministry spokesper‑ Udd hav T hackeray w ill
son Raveesh Kumar told the address a meeting of party
media on Thursday: “You must MLAs and senior leaders on
have seen President Friday during which he is
Rajapaksaʼs statement where expected to deliberate on the
he affirmed that he will be the party's line of action in the
president of all Sri Lankans, backdrop of the three main
irrespective of their racial or non‑BJP part ies making
religious identity and without efforts to form government in
creat ing a dist inct ion on Maharashtra, a party leader
said.
whether they voted for him or
not.”
Rajapaksa also said during 4 Indo‑Canadians
his meeting with Jaishankar inducted
that he is committed to ensur‑ in Trudeauʼs Cabinet
ing the development of the Continued from page 1
northern and eastern Innovat ion, Science and
provinces, which have a size‑ Industry portfolio; Harjit
able Tamil population, and Sajjan, who ag ain gets
“considers India a valued part‑ National Defence portfolio;
ner towards this endeavor”. and Ms Bardish Chagger is
Jaishankar was the first senior Minister of Diversity, Inclusion
foreign leader to meet and Youth.
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TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY November 23-29, 2019 5

Nehruvian ideals espoused in NY

Queens, NY: "I was born in India,
lived in India as a child, and again as
an adult. I am 51 years old. I have
grown up largely abroad, but my
heart is Indian, and my gods are
Hindu, and that means that both are
open, giving, inclusive, expansive,
full of love. My Indian heart sings
Eshwar Allah Tero Naam, and my
Hindu gods teach me, 'aano bhadra
krtavo yantu vishwatah.' This is
from the Rig Veda and means: Let
noble thoughts come to me from all
directions," said Sunita Viswanath,
co‑founder, Hindus for Human
Rights, at the Nehru Jayanthi cele‑
bration on November 14 organized
by the Indian Overseas Congress,
USA and Indo‑US Democracy
Foundation.
"The India that was envisioned by
Nehruji, Gandhiji, Ambedkarji and so
many other visionaries and revolu‑
tionaries, the India that is a sover‑
eign, socialist, secular and democrat‑
ic republic which ensures justice, lib‑
erty, equality to all citizens and pro‑
motes fraternity to maintain unity
and integrity of the nation, is in cri‑
sis. This carnage of lives, rights, and
democracy is happening in the
name of our faith. There must be a
Hindu response to Hindutva.”
Dr. Leno Thomas, the emcee of the
event, stated that Nehru saw democ‑
racy as a means to an end, not the
end itself. He saw freedom as a tool
to uplift a lot of people. "
Welcoming the guests including
Paul Vallone, the NYC Councilman
Paul Vallone, George Abraham, Vice‑
Chairman of the IOC, USA recollect‑
ed a bit of history where India was
at the time of Independence.
"Congress started with zero.
Electricity was available only in 20
villages across India, telephone facil‑
ities were available only for 20
rulers (kings) in the country, no
drinking water supply, no hospitals,
no educational institutions, no fertil‑
izers, no jobs, rampant starvation in
the country, four planes, 20 tankers
and fully open borders, minimum
roads and bridges, empty exchequer
and that is what Nehru inherited."
"Today India has the largest army,
thousands of warplanes, lakhs of
Industrial Institutions, electricity in
almost all villages, hundreds of elec‑
trical power stations, several thou‑
sands of highways and bridges, new
railway projects, stadiums, super‑
specialty hospitals, most of the
Indian households with television,
telephone services across the coun‑
try, banks, universities, AIMS, IITs
IIMs, nuclear weapons, submarines,
ISRO…all these were achieved under
the vision of our first Prime Minister Sunita Viswanath, co‑founder,
Jawaharlal Nehru. Some would talk Hindus for Human Rights,
speaking at an event to
as if this all has happened in the last
celebrate Jawaharlal Nehru's
five years, and it is nothing but an
birth anniversary.
outright distortion of history. The
attempt by the current regime to Paul Vallone, who received a
marginalize the legacy of Nehru is Humanitarian Award from the Indo‑
shameful and will not succeed," US Democracy Foundation for his
Abraham added. support for promoting democracy
The meeting also played Nehru's and freedom, lauded Nehru for his
"Tryst with Destiny" speech and Mr. inclusive policies that united India.

Nita Ambani
elected trustee
of The Met in NY
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Ǖ ɟ€ȪĤȡͧ˜€ȡĤ‘ȡ“€ȧ‡ȡf‚Ȣ@‚ǓžȢ›ȡͪ€›ȡȲ‚ȡĮŽkšǺǔ犖ȡͬ’
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Nita Ambani, te chairperson of the  èŠǗ ͫŒ™Ȫ     

Reliance Foundation  f€–ȯŒǾ˜     

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New York: Nita Ambani, the founder
*“ȪŠǒ–‡›ȣ€ȡ—Ǖ‚ȡ“€š“ȯ€ȯͧ›fǓ“ȡ Ȣǔ‡à˜ȯ‘ȡš¡ɇ@`”šȪȏͩ€šȡf`”™Ȫͬ‚ȡ—ƣȯ€Ȫ‘žȡ[ȯ¡ɇ@
and chairperson of the Reliance
Foundation, has been elected an hon‑
]™ Ȣ˜ȡ
orary trustee of New Yorkʼs
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Metropolitan Museum of Art, the arts
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powerhouse of the US.
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Announcing her election by the
             ›ȡ‚Ǘ“¡ȣȲ  ›ȡ‚Ǘ“¡ȣȲ
board on Tuesday, the museumʼs
               
chairman Daniel Brodsky said, “Mrs              
›ȡ‚Ǘ“¡ȣȲ ›ȡ‚Ǘ“¡ȣȲ
Ambaniʼs commitment to The Met and              
›ȡ‚Ǘ“¡ȣȲ ›ȡ‚Ǘ“¡ȣȲ
to preserving and promoting Indiaʼs              
›ȡ‚Ǘ“¡ȣȲ ›ȡ‚Ǘ“¡ȣȲ
art and culture is truly exceptional.
Her support has an enormous impact
on the Museumʼs ability to study and 16 Ǒ‘ Ȳ–š, €ȯžȡ˜–‡ȯ €”Ǘšȣš¡ ȯ —šȯ  ‚f›ȨŠšȣ]ȯ‘“”Ȫ芘ȡ€[“¡ȣȲCDCLIɮȡšȡĤȡ܏ͩ€f‡ȡ“ȯ …ȡǑ¡f@€Ǚ”™ȡڙȡ“‘Ʌ  ͩ€h“-›ȡ^“”š“—š“ȯ
display art from every corner of the
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world.”
kš“Ȳ–šɇÈ ͬ‚ͪȲ‚€Ȫ–Ȳ‘š¡Ʌ ‚ȯ@
Under her leadership, the Reliance
Foundation has supported several pro‑
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grams at the Met.
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The museum said in a statement,
“Generous with her time and expert‑
ise, Mrs. Ambani is also a member of ›ȨŠšȣ˜Ʌ  èȢ€ǙǓͩ€ Ȣ^€ȡ_€ȯͧ›f\“Ǖ˜Ȫ‘“™ȡ”ȡğȡ€ȧ‚ȡšȲ Šȣ“¡ȣȲ ‘ȯ Ȣ¡Ȱ @›ȨŠšȣ]ȯ‘€ɉ€Ȫ–ȯšȢ–Ȳ ‚ ȯ …Ǖ“ȡ‡ȡȡ¡Ȱ  kš›ȨŠšȣ˜Ʌ  `“€ȯ‘‡ȶ €ȯ\“Ǖ ȡšĤȢ¢ȡ

The Metʼs International Council.”  Ǘ…Ȣ˜Ʌ ` ȢИ˜Ʌ šȡ‡ȡȡ@

She “is especially committed to pre‑
serving and promoting Indiaʼs art, cul‑ ›ȨŠšȣǑ‘ Ȳ–š, €ȯ Ǖ–¡–‡ȯ€Ȫ295 Merritt Avenue, Wyandanch, NY 11798˜Ʌ ǔ萏Wyandanch-Wheatley Heights Ambulance Corp˜Ʌ ]™Ȫǔ‡
ture, and heritage” the Met said. €ȧ‡ȡf‚Ȣ@¡˜]ȯ‘€ɉ€Ȫ`”ǔ萏¡Ȫ“ȯ€ȯͧ›fĤȪ× ȡǑ¡€šȯ¡ɇ
With Reliance Foundationʼs sponsor‑
ship, the Met will hold next year the
exhibition, “Tree and Serpent: Early
Buddhist Art in India, 200 B.C.–A.D.
400”, at its landmark venue on Fifth
Avenue, along with others that will
cover such topics as 17th‑century
Mughal art and contemporary Indian
sculpture.
 6 November 23-29, 2019 LOCAL GOVT TheSouthAsianTimes.info

AG James investigates housing Congressman Peter

discrimination on Long Island
Long Island,NY: New York Attorney General
Letitia James Nov 19 announced that her
office is launching an investigation into allega‑
tions of discriminatory practices by Long
Island real estate agents as first reported by
Newsday. The newspaper recently published
the results of a three‑year probe into the indus‑
try, finding fair housing violations by several of
Long Islandʼs most prominent residential bro‑
kering firms. According to the report, agents at
several firms steered undercover testers to
neighborhoods whose composition matched
their own race or ethnicity, directing white
testers toward areas with the highest white
representations and minority testers to more
integrated neighborhoods. Agents also alleged‑
ly subjected minority testers to more restric‑
tive conditions, such as requiring mortgage
preapproval to view properties. “Fair access to
housing is a basic civil right that all New
Yorkers, including Long Island residents, are
entitled to,” said Attorney General Letitia
James. “The pattern of discrimination uncov‑
ered by Newsdayʼs intrepid reporting raises
significant concerns and calls for action. I have
directed the Civil Rights Bureau in my office to
investigate these serious allegations and we
encourage Long Island residents to report any
instances of housing discrimination.” If you
have questions or believe you have been a vic‑
tim of housing or lending discrimination, con‑
tact the Civil Rights Bureau of the New York
State Attorney General's Of fice at 212‑416‑
8250 or civil.rights@ag.ny.gov.
King from LI to retire
Washington, DC: Longtime GOP Rep. Peter
King announced on Nov 11 he will not Congressman
seek another term in office, becoming the Peter King
latest in a growing list of Republicans who
are not seeking reelection in 2020.
King, a former chairman of the House
Homeland Security Committee, is perhaps
best known for his outspoken calls for
strict anti‑terrorism measures. He's repre‑
sented part of Long Island in Congress
since 1993 and said Monday he plans to
finish out his current term. told CNN on Monday that King "was really
King, 75, said he was retiring so he can holding on" until his daughter, Erin King
live full‑time in New York and spend more Sweeney, a former councilwoman in
time with his family. Hempstead, New York, "could run for his
A source familiar with King's thinking seat and win it."

Westchester considers
52% pay raises for
lawmakers, 26%
↴⳦ⷊ䣠ㅀㆾ䩿䐴嫸
for department heads
White Plains: Westchester County lawmak‑ Community Development Corporation of Long Island (CDCLI) 䗭 ⅌ 㩢 ᴍ Albanese
ers are considering giving themselves 52% Development Corporation ⌇ṛ漓㊤⋖ Wyandanch 㙐 E 㜊䖃 䖃ㆾ䩿䐴嫸ȼ
raises, part of wide‑ranging salary increas‑ E 㜊Ṍᶍ
㜊 Wyandanch 㙐ᴬ⻂漓䰦徺 Wyandanch LIRR 幥䧘 䧘ȼ廘ⵡⷹ䩐⁰◚⭁漓㘈 123 ᴩ
es planned in the 2020 county budget. ≔擳Ȼ᳿⭄⪣⎋ᴣ⭄⪣⫒≔Ṍ漢媽媠廘ᶚ⫒䖃䗭䖃㔮媨 媨䷎㱍俋㕮⌃⸁䖃⪵ⶬ尞㇄ ㇄⺖屶漓
Lawmakers' base pay would be boosted
廘ᶚ⪵ⶬ䖃㐵⁤⋮ᴹ㘫☯∹㐵⁤ᴬ ᴬἻ漏AMI漐䖃 50%Ȼ60%Ȼ % 90%Ȼ100%⎋ 110%ȼℜ ℜ⣊䣞
from $49,200 to $75,000 and county
局⬅ḗ ḗ⁇㋏ẚ 19 ᴩ⫒≔Ṍ䷘廿Ḍₚᶹȼ㩣⠕漓ᶥᴹ坋↧ ↧ᴌẾȻ⌫壈⋉壅壈⋖㉞ᶹ ᶹ⟪㋏
department heads and commissioners
would see their pay increased 26% from
ẚ⫒≔Ṍȼ
their current level under proposed salary
changes. Department heads and top aides ॣ୐ਸ֠*
ॣ୐ਸ֠
to Westchester County Executive George ≔Ṍ㑯惎 ≔Ṍ⠦⬎⬎ 㗿ṍ 㗿槗
Latimer would see their $155,425 salaries
12 ≔擳 $949 - $1,484
jump to $195,000 in 2020.
92 ᳿⭄⪣
⪣ $1,012 - $1,674
They would also receive retroactive rais‑
es for this year that would bring their 19 ᶋ⭄⪣
⪣ $1,210 - $2,180
2019 earnings to $175,000.
The $2.1 billion budget proposed by *㯧:⭄㬐旿僩
㬐 坋丳䶲䐴尸ȼᴉ廯䣞
䣞惐⳱∄〉䐧ᶊᴙ㰤尳ȼ
Latimer for next year would increase
spending but slightly reduce the county ‫ݶ‬ҵਸ֠
property tax levy due in large part to new AMI ङ 50% AMI ङ 60% AMI ङ 90% AMI ङ 100% AMI ङ 110%
sales tax revenue. Lawmakers haven't
‫ڈ؟‬
received a pay increase since 2005. Non‑
ы‫ރ‬ ߂௤ ߂Ѻ ߂௤ ߂Ѻ
Ѻ ߂௤ ߂Ѻ ߂௤ ߂Ѻ ߂௤ ߂Ѻ
union employees haven't seen raises since
1 $ 3
 - $ 43,400 $  - $ 52,0
, 80 $  - $ 78,120 $
 - $ 86,800 ‫ޗ‬ - ‫ޗ‬
2007, while subordinates in labor unions
2 $ 3
 - $ 49,600 $  - $ 59,5
, 20 $ 5 - $ 89,280 $ 
 - $ 99,200 $  - $109,120
have seen contractual increases over the
3 $ 
 - $ 55,800 $ 49, - $ 66,9
, 60 $  - $100,440 ‫ޗ‬ - ‫ޗ‬ $  - $122,760
same period. Ben Boykin, chairman of the
4 $ 
 - $ 62,000 $ 49, - $ 74,4
, 00 $  - $111,600 ‫ޗ‬ - ‫ޗ‬ $  - $136,400
legislature, said the legislative pay increase
5 $ 
 - $ 67,000 $  - $ 80,4
, 00 $  - $120,600 ‫ޗ‬ - ‫ޗ‬ $  - $147,400
would bring pay in county government
more in line with Suffolk and Nassau coun‑
ties on Long Island. Legislator Damon ❬ₚ⪍㑵䖅ㆾ䩿䐴嫸⻆杼ᶏ 2019 ⵵ 12 㘉 16 㓦ᴌ≉ 5 㾺ⅎ(㾺 晟㈈徯ㄴ㓷擵)ᶥ僴 CDCLIȾ
Maher, D‑New Rochelle, said he was hop‑ 嫸㯩【漕晟☩䷀❬ₚ䖅䐴嫸⻆杼ᶏ⍩ᴁ僴⍩ᶕ䖅㩤ⴹ⳦ṝ㓷 㓷擵(ᴋ≉ 9 㾺僴ᴌ≉ 5 㾺)弓
弓ᶥ漕
ing to slow down the process. He said the 㘭↟⪥ 11 㘉 11 㓦(伂⁶冃)Ƚ11 㘉 28 㓦⎍ 29 㓦(〠⽪冃)ᴎ↟Ⱦ
last analysis of county elected official pay
was done by a citizens committee in 2008,
and that work should be updated even if 㘈 ⁲ 䐲 嫶 ⋉ 媠 ℑ ㈆ ⸔ 漓 嫶 㱎 壇 ㄐ ᷫ 䖃 乐 䧘 www.cdcli.org 漓ㄕ ⋐ 徭 ᷵ ䷘ CDCLI 徭䪰
an increase was appropriate. Legislator
BuildingE@cdcli.org漓ㄕ㇧ㅒ 631-471-1215 幫 222漓ᵞ⋮ᷤ☧ www.NYHousingSearch.gov ᴉ
John Testa, the legislature's Republican
ㅽℯȼ䐲嫶⎋杸䗭㈆≖㒆᷵䖃嫬壿 壿㋏ẚ凰嫬⎋塾䋬䅘嫬漓⢁㘈墀㭁漓ᵞ⬅㋏ẚ⁵ᷕ嫬 嫬壿ȼ
minority leader, called the proposal for
lawmakers "outrageous" and said the pay
increases should be in smaller increments ⋁↟ㆼ䩽⵵ᴌ俼Ờ嫀ḙ劶ㅸㄕ㘈屃㜻䣞Ṏȼㆼ䩽䐲嫶ᶹ⬅㈈
ᶹ 斎㘹ㆼ⋕䖃杹ⶎ㊑№☧
№ 䩈
as they would have been in the private sec‑ Ἐ⌌≔ᴉȼ
tor. In a statement, Director of Operations
Joan McDonald said comparable positions
in Nassau and Suf folk counties are cur‑ ㆾ䩿⬇ᶏ 2019 ⵵ 12 㘉 20 㓦ᴋ≉ 10 㾺☩ Wyandanch-Wheatley Heights Ambulance
rently compensated at a higher level than Corp ᴿ坍
ᴿ 漕嫦⋹Ṏᶏ 295 Merritt Avenue, Wyandanch, NY 11798Ⱦ嫸䐴嫸ᶻ䣰㚂⋃↡漊
in Westchester. Most of the positions
receiving pay raises require advanced
degrees and professional experience that
cannot be filled without competitive
salaries, McDonald said.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY November 23-29, 2019 7

Number of Indian Houston police lets Sikhs wear articles of

students in US surpassed faith at work in honor of Sandeep Dhaliwal
Houston: In honor of fallen Indian‑ the KHOU Television station.

two lakh: Report American Sikh police of ficer

New Delhi: The number of Indians
studying in the US increased by
almost three per cent over the last
year to 202,014, ‑‑ the sixth consec‑
utive year marking such growth.
According to the 2019 Open Doors
Report on International Educational
Exchange re leased on Monday,
Indians make up over 18 per cent of
all international students in the
United States. India provided the
second highest number of graduate
students and jumped up to third
place in undergraduates, it said.
Speaking at the United States
India Educational Foundation
(USIEF), the Embassy's Minister
Counselor for Consular Af fairs
Charisse Phillips said, "Student
exchanges between our two coun‑
tries help strengthen the foundation
upon which our strategic partner‑
ship is built. Indian students are
looking for a great education and
the United States of fers the best
return on this investment."
In 2018‑19, US colleges and uni‑
versities hosted more than one mil‑
lion international students for the
fourth consecutive year. The total
number of international students
expanded for the thirteenth consec‑
utive year.
The top places of origin for inter‑
national students studying in the
United States were China, India,
South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Canada,
Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, Brazil and
Mexico. The top host states were
California, New York, Texas,
Massachusetts, Illinois,
Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio,
Michigan and Indiana.
Open Doors is published by the
Institute of International Education
(IIE), which has conducted an annu‑
al statistical survey on international
students in the United States since
its founding in 1919 and in partner‑
ship with the US Department of
State's Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs since 1972.
EducationUSA is a US Department
of State network of over 430 inter‑
national student advising centers in
178 countries and territories.
EducationUSA is the official source
on US higher education. In India
there are 7 EducationUSA advising
centers.
Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, the
Houston Police Department has
changed its dress code policy to
allow the minority community mem‑
bers to represent their faith while on
duty. On September 28, Sandeep
Dhaliwal, a 10‑year veteran of the
Harris County Sheriff's office and its
first Sikh deputy, was gunned down
while conducting a mid‑day traffic
stop in northwest of Houston.
The 42‑year‑old trailblazing police
of ficer made national headlines
when he was allowed to grow a
beard and wear a turban at work.
"@houstonpolice is now the largest
law enforcement agency in TX to
adopt a policy allowing officers to
wear articles of faith on duty," City of
Houston tweeted on Monday.
"Proud to announce HPD (Houston
Police Department) will accommo‑
date Sikh of ficers by letting them
wear their articles of faith while on
duty, one of the largest police depart‑
ments in the country to do so.
Deputy Dhaliwal taught us all a valu‑
able lesson about inclusion. It was an
honor to know him," Houston Mayor
Sylvester Turner tweeted. "Proud to
stand with @SylvesterTurner and so
Sikh police officer Sandeep
Singh Dhaliwal made national
headlines when he was allowed
to grow a beard and wear
a turban at work
many members of our community to
announce our policy and get the
word out to our greater community,"
Chief of the Houston Police
Department Art Acevedo tweeted.
In a news briefing, the Houston
Police Department announced that
they are changing its uniform policy
to allow officers to wear their arti‑
cles of faith while on duty in order to
be more inclusive in honor of the
fallen Sikh deputy, Fox News report‑
ed. "I'm honored," Sandeep
Dhaliwal's father, Pyara Singh
Dhaliwal, was quoted as saying by
"The honor I got from this commu‑
nity and from the chief, the police
department and the sheriff depart‑
ment is ... I have no words to say. So,
I very much thank all of these bodies.
Wonderful moment," he said.
The New York Police Department,
the Chicago Police Department, the
Metropolitan Police Department in
Washington and the Riverside Police
Department in California are the
other law enforcement agencies in
the US which have uniform accom‑
modations for the Sikh officers. Sikh
advocacy groups also praised the
policy change.
"This policy change shows that no
one should ever choose between
their faith or their career, and also
that these articles of faith pose no
barrier to service," Nikki Singh, poli‑
cy and advocacy manager for the
Sikh Coalition, was quoted as saying
by the CNN. Dhaliwal, worked with
United Sikhs, a global humanitarian
relief and advocacy nonprofit, to
help organize the donation of truck‑
loads of supplies for first responders
after Hurricane Harvey.
He was allowed to wear the turban
and beard while patrolling the
streets to bolster cultural diversity.

US Kashmiri body asks Congress for

were destroyed or vandalized and desecrated
during 1990s.
The situation in the region “is a direct

inclusion in human rights discussions

product of cross‑border terrorism emanating
from across the border with a focus on radi‑
calization of Islam … (and) It is a widely docu‑
Washington, DC: The Kashmiri Overseas life in Jammu and Kashmir.” behind the 300,000 to 400,000 Kashmiri mented fact that Pakistan has created,
Association (KOA) has called upon the U.S. KOA has asked the commission to investi‑ Pandits being forced to flee the Kashmir trained, armed and nurtured terrorist groups
Congressʼ Human Rights Commission to reach gate the threat of Islamic radicalization to the Valley in the 1990s because of targeted as a matter of its state policy in South Asia
out to Jammu and Kashmir “community mem‑ religious minorities in the Kashmir valley and killings of religious minorities by Islamic ter‑ that has resulted in death of over 42,000
bers who have been silent victims of human more broadly in the whole region, and asking rorists, and the hundreds of temples of reli‑ civilians in Jammu and Kashmir alone over
rights over the last 30 years,” in a letter a the commission to look into the situation gious minorities in the Kashmir valley that the last three decades,” the letter says.
KOA letter to Congressmen James P.
McGovern (D‑MA) and Christopher H. Smith
(R‑NJ), co‑chairs of the Tom Lantos Human
Rights Commission.
The Potomac, Maryland‑based nonprofit
KOA, whose stated mission includes promot‑
ing Kashmir Pandit ethnic and socio‑cultural
heritage, has voiced disappointment in the
commissionʼs failure to reach out to the
effected community to participate in a hear‑
ing this past week. KOA says a move to be
more inclusive “would have elicited far wider
response from potential expert witnesses,
non‑government organizations working in
this field and wider public and would have
enriched the Commissionʼs hearing, according
to the letter signed by Shakun Munshi Malik,
KOA president, CEO, and chairperson, and
KOA Secretary Amrita Kar.
The group has made clear its positions on
the situation in Kashmir and Jammu, stopping
just shy of demanding decisive action from
the US government and the human rights
commission.
In the letter, the group says the
Congressional commission, designed to cham‑
pion of the protection of human rights,
“would be hard pressed to protect fundamen‑
tal human rights when terrorism and its mul‑
tifarious consequences stymie every aspect of
8 November 23-29, 2019
Mayor de Blasio pays tribute to
Guru Nanak as a great faith leader
Mayor Bill de Blasio speaking at the Richmond Hill gurdwara (Photo : Baldev Singh/BJ Video)
N
YC Mayor Bill de Blasio has called
Guru Nanak Dev ji as “one of the
great leaders of faith that the
world has ever known.”
“…we celebrate today ideas so powerful
that we feel them as strongly today as
when they were first put forward over half
a millennium ago. This is what we honor,”
he said at the Sikh Cultural Society
Gurdwara in Richmond Hill in Queens on
November 17 while commemorating the
550th birth anniversary of the founder of
Sikhism. “What we celebrate today is the
continued belief that love can conquer
hate, that we really are one people that we
should be able to see past external differ‑
ence and see the commonality of the
human heart,” said de Blasio.
The Mayor also spoke about racist and
hate attacks against the Sikh community.
“Unfortunately we live in a nation today
where these ideas are under attack, we live
in a nation where people are being demo‑
nized because of who they are, because of
their faith, because of the ways they honor
their faith. We have seen Sikhs attacked,
we have seen hate crimes against this com‑
Tom Suozzi extends greetings
to Sikh community
R
epresentative Tom Suozzi extend‑
ed greetings to the Sikh communi‑
ty in his House speech. "Dear
Madam Speaker,I rise today to extend my
greetings to my friends in the Sikh com‑
munity who are celebrating the 550th
anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak
Sahib, the founder of the Sikh religion. Sat
Sri Akal!"
According to Sikh tradition, Guru
Nanakʼs birth and many events in his
early life demonstrate that he had been
marked with divine grace, he said. "
During his life, he traveled to many places
proclaiming the message of one God who
dwells in every one of his creations and
constitutes eternal truth. Guru Nanak set
up a unique spiritual, social and political
platform based on equality, fraternal love,
goodness and virtue – attributes we could
use more of in the world today," he added.
The anniversary of Guru Nanakʼs birth
is the perfect time to reflect on the contri‑
GURU NANAK 550
IN BRIEF
munity not only here, but all over the coun‑
try…. There must be consequences for
anyone who acts out of hatred towards this
community which contributes so much to
New York City and so much to the
America.”
De Blasio talked about how the city has
reached out to the Sikh community, in vari‑
ous ways. “We are honoring the communi‑
ty at events like this and at City Hall and
Gracie Mansion. We have an office to pre‑
vent hate crimes that allies with the com‑
munity and works shoulder to shoulder to
stop tragedies before they happen…. Now
members of the Sikh community are serv‑
ing proudly in the NYPD, they are honoring
and maintaining their faith and they are
protecting all of us, and our NYPD, our city,
is better because they are now allowed to
serve.” He also released a proclamation
terming November 17, 2019, in the City of
New York as Guru Nanak Dev Ji day.
Elected officials who were present on the
occasion including NYS Senator John Liu,
Assemblyman David Weprin, and Queens
Borough President Melinda Katz, who has
been elected District Attorney.
Tom suozzi
butions of the Sikh community to world
peace and understanding, he said.
"The strength of the United States lies in
our rich diversity. We are truly blessed
with people of many faith and cultures,
including the Sikhs, who have contributed
so much to the fabric of our American
communities and the entire world," he
added. Suozzi ended the speech with
'Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguruji
ki Fateh'.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Parveen Chopra, Editor of The South Asian
Times, honored at Guru Nanak 550 event
Parveen Chopra (middle), Editor of The South Asian Times, was honored for
ʻHumanitarian Service and Global Harmonyʼ on November 17 at an interfaith
event celebrating Guru Nanak Dev Jiʼs 550th birth anniversary. The celebration at
Worldʼs Fair Marina in Queens, NY, was organized by 1God1humanity, started by
community leader Amarjit Singh Anand (right). The South Asian Times
congratulates him on this honor. (Photo : Baldev Singh/BJ Video)
Celebrating ʻOneness: A Light for
Humanityʼ at NJAPC on Nov 23rd
T
o commemorate the 550th birth transcended the centuries.
anniversary of Guru Nanak, the “The event brings together guest speakers
founder of Sikhism, Letʼs Share a Meal and artists from all over the world and pro‑
in collaboration with theSikh Chamber of vides a wonderful opportunity to learn more
Commerce Global (SACC), Dhan GuruNanak about Guru Nanakʼs teachings and Sikhism”,
Jatha and SAVA will host Oneness: A Light said Onkar Singh, founder, Letʼs Share a
for Humanity, at the New Jersey Performing Meal. Eminent guests expected: Phil
Arts Center on Saturday, November 23rd Murphy, NJ Governor; Bob Menendez, NJ
from 3‑7pm. More than 3,000 guests are Senator; Hasan Minhaj, artist, writer, pro‑
expected to attend the event to celebrate ducer and political commentator; Gurbir
Guru Nanak Dev Jiʼs teachings of Grewal, NJ Attorney General; Ravinder
“Oneness”̶equality of all races, genders, Bhalla, Mayor, Hoboken.
and religions̶that form the very foundation Performances will be by Nirinjan Kaur,
of the Sikh faith. Shivpreet Singh, Hasan Minhaj, Satpal Singh,
Through various performances by Prof. Surinder Singh (Raj Academy) , Jasvir
renowned artists and an Interfaith Panel Kaur Rababan, Shiv Khera, Dr. Gurnam
Discussion, the event will showcase how Singh, Dr. Chintamani Yogi along with sand
Guru Nanakʼs teachings on love, peace, artist Lawrence Koh and painter Vilas Nayak
equality, and universal brotherhood have and Karamjeet Singh among others.
Milan Cultural
Association celebrated
150th birth anniversary
of Mahatma Gandhi and
550th birth anniversary
of Guru Nanak Dev ji at
Norwich on Nov 15. On
this occasion, a photo
exhibition on the life and
times of Guru Nanak Devi
ji sponsored by the
Consulate General of
India, New York was also
exhibited. The exhibition
was inaugurated by
Stacy Gold, Council
Member of Norwich. A
number of speakers
addressed the gathering,
including Stacy Gold, Ripi
Singh, Inspirational
speaker from Norwich
and Murugesan
Ramaswamy, Consul
(CPV) of CGI, New York.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL November 23-29, 2019 9

Principles of Guru Nanak more relevant Air India revises its

today: US lawmakers on Gurpurab
Washington, DC: The philosophy and teachings Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, winder schedule
of Guru Nanak Dev echoed the corridors of the said that Guru Nanak was a true humanitarian
US Capitol as powerful American lawmakers and
eminent Indian‑Americans celebrated the 550th
birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism and
champion in the face of entrenched discrimina‑
tion. She said he preached against prejudices
based on race, cast, and status.
from US to India
underscored that his principles were more rele‑ "He promoted the equality of all women dur‑
WINTER 2019/20 SCHEDULE
WINTER 2019/20 (Upto
SCHEDULE (Upto March 7,March
2020) 7, 2020)
Arrives Arrives
vant today than ever before. ing a time when women had low status and little Flight Continues
Frequency From To Depart (Next (Next
Republican Senator from Indiana Todd Young, respect within society. There is so much as a No. to
Day) Day)
who has introduced a resolution in the Senate country that we should take away from the Daily AI-102 New York/JFK Delhi 1230 1255 Mumbai 1910
on the occasion, said the Sikh‑Americans had teachings of Guru Nanak. His legacy is a legacy Daily AI-144 Newark/EWR Mumbai 1145 1300 Delhi 1910
Wed/Fri/Sun AI-104 Washington/IAD Delhi 1025 1100 Hyderabad 1535
succeeded in making a profound impact across of peace and equality," Chu said.
Daily AI-126 Chicago/ORD Delhi 1230 1415 Hyderabad 1925
the US because they followed the teachings of Republican Congressman Greg Pence from Daily exc Tue AI-174 San Francisco/SFO Delhi 0930 1515 Bengaluru 2025
the first Sikh guru. Indiana referred to his speech on the House Mon/Wed/Sat AI-184 San Francisco/SFO Delhi 0100 0700 --- ---
"While radical for his day some 500 years ago, floor earlier in the day.
the teachings of the first Sikh guru who we cele‑ "Indiana is proud to be home of over 10,000 New York: Ef fective this week, Air booking fees. Passengers whose jour‑
brate today were consistent with our nation's Sikhs that enrich our communities, embody the India has revised the schedule of ney originated overseas and are
founding principles and teaching that everyone, meaning of Hoosier values. Hoosier Sikhs are flights from the USA to India for the returning to India, and who have not
regardless of gender, regardless of class, regard‑ one of the fastest growing business communities Winter 2019/20 timetable. This year, provided a local US contact, without
less of creed, everyone has been created equal," in Indiana and there are contributions to our flights will depart earlier than in prior which there is no means of conveying
Young said. economy and cultural value," he said. seasons to reduce ground time at US schedule change details, are especial‑
In his address to a Capitol Hill event organized NJ Attorney General Gurbir Singh Grewal said airports with a view to ly cautioned to review
by the Indian embassy to celebrate the 550th there was a need to raise awareness about the lower operating costs the departure time of
birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, Senator Sikh faith more today than ever before and high‑ and improve fleet uti‑ their flights.
Young said his neighborhood is full of Sikh light the Sikhs' contributions to the society. lization. All passen‑ Flight status can be
American families. Indian Ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan gers, especially those checked at the “Manage
"I'm also glad that your commitment to equali‑ Shringla said that the opening of the Kartarpur that purchased t ickets we ll in Your Trip” link on the carrierʼs web‑
ty and inclusion has led to the historic agree‑ corridor between India and Pakistan was a his‑ advance, are advised to review their site www.airindia.in, by calling Air
ment which allowed the border corridor toric day. The Indian government has taken sev‑ Reservation Confirmation to confirm India at 1‑888‑634‑1407 or by check‑
between India and Pakistan to be thrown open eral actions to commemorate the 550th birth if the departure time of their flight ing with your travel agent. Airline
for Sikhs to visit Guru Nanak's shrine just in time anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, he said. has been advanced so as to avoid passengers are always encouraged to
for this 550th birthday," Young said. The event was also marked by an exhibition arriving late to the airport, missing provide a valid local contact in the
Congresswoman Judy Chu, founding member on the life and teachings of the founder of their flight and being subject to no‑ event of an unforeseen schedule
of the Congressional Sikh Caucus and chair of Sikhism along with two panel discussions. show, cancellation and/or change of change or flight delay.
 10 November 23-29, 2019 US AFFAIRS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Trump says he may testify in impeachment probe

Washington: President
Donald Trump has said he
may take up an offer by con‑
gressional Democrats to testi‑
fy in the impeachment probe.
He made his remarks on
Twitter after several current
and former US officials have
expressed their concern
about Trump's behavior in
the Ukraine case in closed‑
door sessions or public hear‑
ings in the House, Efe news
reported.
"Even though I did nothing
wrong, and don't like giving
credibility to this No Due
Process Hoax, I like the idea
& w ill, in order to get
Cong ress fo cused ag ain,
strongly consider it!" he said
about testifying.
It marks the first time that
Trump has spoken about the
possibility of testifying in the
Democrat‑led inquiry, which
had been held behind closed
doors for weeks before enter‑
ing a new phase last week
with public hearings.
The probe is aimed at deter‑
mining whether Trump
threatened to withhold mili‑
tary aid to Ukraine in a bid to
pressure that country's presi‑
dent to announce an investi‑
g at ion into former Vice
President Joe Biden, a leading
candidate for the 2020
Democratic presidential nom‑
ination, and his son, Hunter.
The Democrats say Trump's
act ions amounted to
"bribery," one of the offenses
that the constitution men‑
t ions as a basis for the
impeachment and removal of
a US president.
Trump's health under scrutiny
after unplanned visit to hospital
P
resident Trump's
impromptu visit to a
doctor last Saturday
prompted renewed questions
about the status of his health
after the White House denied
on Monday the speculation
that he had been treated for a
medical emergency.
Trump, 73, went to Walter
Reed Medical Center in
Bethesda, MD. Trump's doc‑
tor, Sean Conley, wrote that
Trump's "interim checkup"
over the weekend had been
"routine," and was only kept
secret because of "scheduling
uncertainties." "Despite some
speculation, the President has
not had any chest pain, nor
was he evaluated or treated
for any urgent or acute
issues," Conley wrote in the
memo. "Specifically, he did
not undergo any specialized
cardiac or neurologic evalua‑
tions." While Trump claimed
that he had begun "phase
one" of his annual physical,
Conley said Trump would
have a "more comprehensive
examination" next year. While
Trump described his condi‑
tion on Twitter as "very good
(great!)," Conley's memo did
not characterize the presi‑
dent's overall health. It did
include cholesterol figures
that had reduced since
Trump's last physical exam in
February.

2020 Democratic candidates Michael Bloomberg apologizes

respond to Obama's warning for ''stop-and-frisk'' policy
on going too far left New York: Michael Bloomberg, the bil‑ lives, he said, but accepted that good
lionaire former mayor of New York intentions were not good enough. "I
who has made moves towards running can't change history... However, today
Washington: Democratic candidates for working people," he said, adding: as a 2020 presidential candidate, has I want you to know that I realize back
the 2020 presidential election have "When I talk about raising the mini‑ apologized for backing then, I was wrong, and
reacted to a warning by former mum wage to a living wage, I'm not the city's "stop and frisk" I'm sorry. But I also
President Barack Obama against mov‑ tearing down the system. We're fight‑ policy, it was reported want you to know that I
ing too far left in politics. ing for justice." Meanwhile, Elizabeth on Monday. T he stop‑ am more committed
On Saturday, the former President Warren struck a more conciliatory and‑frisk policy which than ever to ending gun
while speaking at a fundraising forum tone, choosing to praise Obama's trade‑ refers to a brief non‑ violence," he said.
in Washington cau‑ mark health care policy, intrusive police stop of a Bloomberg, who was
tioned the candidates the Affordable Care Act. suspect, disproportion‑ Mayor of the city from
against pursuing polices "I so admire what ately targeted black and 2002 until 2013, added
that were not "rooted in President Obama did," Latino residents in New that the policy "eroded
reality", the BBC report‑ Warren said at a cam‑ York City, the BBC Although he hasn't formally what we had worked so
ed on Monday. Obama, paign event in Iowa. reported. Speaking at the announced his candidacy, the hard to build: trust".
who was in of fice from "He is the one who led Christian Cultural Centre, former NYC Mayor has "Trust between police
2009 to 2017, said ordi‑ the way on health care an African‑American indicated that he may join the and communities, trust
nary Americans didn't and got health care cov‑ church in Brooklyn, race for Democratic between you and me...
want to "completely tear erage for tens of mil‑ nomination for President.
Bloomberg on Sunday And the erosion of the
down the system". lions of Americans when said the policy was a mistake. He trust bothered me, deeply. And it still
T he remarks repre‑ nobo dy thoug ht that believed that stop‑and‑frisk saved bothers me.
sented Obama's most was possible."
pointed intervention yet Former President Obama has New Jersey Senator
in a crowded race featur‑ said that ordinary Americans Cory Booker said the 70% find Trumpʼs actions tied
ing over a dozen candi‑ don't want to "completely tear party ought to be focus‑
dates. Although none of
down the system".
ing its energy on defeat‑
the Democratic candidates explicitly ing President Trump, not internal polit‑
to Ukraine wrong: Poll
Washington: An overwhelming 70% of that he should either be impeached by
rebuked Obama's comments, Vermont ical squabbles. Julian Castro, a former
Americans think President Donald the House but not removed from office,
Senator Bernie Sanders mounted the mayor of San Antonio, Texas, said he
Trumpʼs request to a foreign leader to or be neither impeached by the House
strongest defense of his policy plat‑ was confident any Democratic candi‑
investigate his political rival, which sits at nor convicted by the Senate. The survey
form. Replying to questions on a forum date would beat President Trump,
the heart of the House of Representatives' also finds that 1 in 4 Americans, 25%,
aired by Univision, a Spanish‑language regardless of their political persuasion.
impeachment inquiry, was wrong, a new think that Trump did nothing wrong. Still,
TV network, he was asked whether the The Democratic race is still in flux as
ABC News/Ipsos poll finds. A slim majori‑ nearly 1 in 3, 32%, say they made up
former President was "right" to say vot‑ the first of the state‑by‑state votes that
ty of Americans, 51%, believe Trumpʼs their minds about impeaching the presi‑
ers didn't want systemic change. will decide which of the contenders
actions were both wrong and he should dent before the news broke about
Sanders said: "Well, it depends on challenges Trump for the White House
be impeached and removed from office. Trumpʼs July phone call with Ukrainian
what you mean by tear down the sys‑ looms in Iowa in February 2020.
But only 21% of Americans say they are President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in which
tem." Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend,
following the hearings very closely. In Trump urged his Ukrainian counterpart
"The agenda that we have is an agen‑ Indiana, topped the latest poll of likely
addition to the 51%, another 19% think to investigate former Vice President Joe
da supported by the vast majority of Democratic voters in Iowa.
that Trump's actions were wrong, but Biden and his son, Hunter.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info US AFFAIRS November 23-29, 2019 11

Trump and the Politics of Impeachment

For Donald Trump, the 2020 elections look, if not rosy, definitely positive. So, for him to seek a roundabout,
underhand way of trying to investigate and discredit Joe Biden wasn't necessary. Now, what these
impeachment proceedings will do is, not oust Trump, but convince a majority of Americans that
he was guilty of trying illegally to coerce the Ukrainians into helping him win the election.
Analysis By interesting ‑ and new, having into illeg al spy ing of the
Shivaji Sengupta never known of such things back Democratic party, planting secret
home. Over there if you snooped recording equipment inside

O
n Wednesday, Gordon
Sondland, the U.S.
Ambassador to the
European Union, testified to the
House Impeachment Committee.
His testimony was widely antici‑
pated for several reasons. Chief
among them is that despite the
many who have answered the
House's subpoena, he seems to be
the only one who has had any
direct contact with President
Trump. Others who testified, did
so on the basis of orders they had
received from up top, or had
heard a member of the State
Department say thus and such
about Trump, or from someone
from the government of Ukraine.
The central issue for impeach‑
ment is: Did Trump use his power
as President to hold back $391
million that the US had pledged to
Ukraine for military de fense
against Russia? Also did he use
his office to withhold an opportu‑
nity for Ukraine's newly elected
president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to
be invited to the White House for
a formal meeting, a meeting that
would have enhanced Ukraine's
international image, especially
from Russia's perspective who
would regard the invitation to
Washington as strengthening the
alliance between the two coun‑
tries?
The House, with a Democratic
majority, brought these impeach‑
ment proceedings against the
President because he has alleged‑
ly tied the above two "prizes" to
Ukraine investigating an alleged
corrupt ion involving Joseph
Biden, former vice president, and
All 10 candidates in Democratic presidential debate on Wednesday in Atlanta favored impeachment proceedings against
Trump ‑‑ Sen. Kamala Harris going to the extent of saying, “we have a criminal living in the White House.”
Fact remains that so far the Democrats haven't really found a candidate who can confidently beat Trump.
President Trump swooped on one sentence from Ambassador
Sondlandʼs testimony Wednesday claiming that it has exonerated him.
one of the front runner
Demo crat ic candidate for
President in the 2020 elections.
There is a record of a telephone
conversation that strongly sug‑
gests that President Trump did
posture like he would withhold
the money and the White House
visit unless Ukraine immediately
announced that they would inves‑
tigate Hunter Biden, who served
on the Board of a corrupt
Ukrainian organization, Burisma,
from 2014‑2019, some of this
period covering when his father
was vice president of America.
The fact that Joe Biden is a presi‑
dent ial candidate for the
Demo crat ic Party for 2020,
makes Trump's condit ion for
investigating the Bidens palpably
personal and illegal. In the words
of Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the
House, what Trump had done, if
he has done it, amounts to
bribery.
It all started with a "whistle‑
blower." A whistleblower is a typi‑
cally American term for someone
who, upon seeing a wrong‑doing,
committed by an organization or
institution, points it out to others,
i.e., in an attempt to correct the
wrong‑doing. In a culture like
America, where there is a con‑
stant vigilance on over‑reaching
one's powers, whistleblowing is
one of those things sanctioned by
society in order to maintain a
level playing field. A whistleblow‑
er is not a squealer or a traitor; he
or she deserves to be protected.
Who this whistleblower is, we
don't know, nor are we supposed
to. But given the often top‑secret
nature of the State Department
that manages US foreign af fairs,
the whistleblower this time is
most likely from that Department
or from the White House itself.
From the President down,
numerous Republicans have
demanded to know who the
whistleblower is, demanded that
he or she be broug ht to the
impeachment hearings, quite for‑
getting that those are precisely
the things a whistleblower cannot
be made to do.
For us South Asians, domiciled
in the US, this concept of the
whistleblower should be very
around an institution, and told
something about your boss,
chances are that you'd be hunted
down. In America, where the rule
of law dominates, a whistleblow‑
er's complaint can result in
impeachment.
In a very short time of about
two months, this impeachment
thing has caught on like wildfire.
A few weeks ago, I had argued in
these columns that Democrats
should not impeach Trump. It
might backfire against them in
next year's presidential elections.
I still think so. But the Democrats
in Cong ress maintain that
impeachment is necessary so that
it serves as a reminder to future
presidents not to over‑reach their
powers, and, above all, respect the
law.
I believe that the impeachment
has already met its goal which,
because of the Republican majori‑
ty in the Senate, could not have
been to convict and oust this
President. The goal was to leave
hardly any doubt in the minds of
most Americans that the president
did indeed try to coerce the
Ukrainian government to investi‑
gate the Bidens because he con‑
siders the former V.P. the most
serious challenge to his re‑elec‑
tion.
Here, there may be an interest‑
ing comparison w ith Richard
Nixon's Watergate scandal, which
also led to impeachment effort. In
1972, Nixon won ree lect ion
against the Democrats in a land‑
slide. But two years before that,
out of his own sense of insecurity,
Nixon's reelection team entered
Democrat of fices in Watergate
Hotel. The plot blew up in the
Republicans' face. When Nixon
found out what his team had
done, he tried to cover it up. From
thereon, all was downhill. Nixon
was accused of obstructing jus‑
tice. Impeachment proceedings
started. He would have been
impeached, possibly also convict‑
ed, had he not, amidst waves of
opposition, resigned.
For Donald Trump, the 2020
elections look, if not rosy, definite‑
ly positive. Joe Biden notwith‑
standing, the Democrats haven't
really found a candidate who can
confidently beat Trump. A number
of economic indicators also favor
Trump. For him to seek a round‑
about, underhand way of trying to
invest ig ate and discredit Joe
Biden simply wasn't necessary.
What these impeachment pro‑
ceedings w ill do is, not oust
Trump, but convince a majority of
Americans that he was guilty of
try ing illeg ally to coerce the
Ukrainians into helping him win
the election.
Ambassador Sondland's testimo‑
ny was probably most damaging
to Trump and Republicans. The
latter's holding out for concrete
evidence and not hearsay, suf‑
fered in the face of what Sondland
said. While his testimony did not
quite amount to a smoking gun,
the sheer volume of who said
what to whom, the criss‑crossing
of different depositions, seems to
leave little doubt in Americans'
minds that Trump did try some‑
thing illegal. The Republicans'
demand for evidence is also being
sabotaged when the White House
itself refused to obey subpoenas,
holding up major players involv‑
ing Ukraine, such as John Bolton
and Mick Mulvaney from giving
their testimony. As for public
opinion, 51% of Americans believe
Trump is guilty of illegally influ‑
encing Zelensky.
I am not a lawyer. But I wonder
whether enough hearsay, corrobo‑
rat ing each other, can ever
amount to evidence? Perhaps not.
But in that case how would one
ignore the fact that the White
House deliberately has withheld
evidence by not allowing their
State Department's personnel to
testify?
Shivaji Sengupta regularly con‑
tributes op‑eds to The South Asian
Times
 12 November 23-29, 2019
US okays sale of naval guns
worth $1 billion to India
New York: The US has approved the
sale of 13 naval guns and related
equipment worth $1 billion to India
to help it "meet current and future
threats, according to the Defence
Security Cooperat ion Agency
(DSCA).
The DSCA said on Wednesday
that the State Department approved
the sale of the anti‑surface warfare
and ant i‑air de fense MK 45 5
inch/62 caliber (MOD 4) naval guns
and the agency notified Congress
about it on Tuesday clearing the
way for the deal to go through. The
approval came just days after
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's
recent US tour. It will enhance
India's naval capabilities, particu‑
larly in the Arabian Sea. The MK 45
is manufactured by BAE Systems
Land and Armaments at its facili‑
ties in Louisville, Kentucky.
The deal is the latest develop‑
ment in the growing defense ties
between India and US and the
announcement came as the two
countries were holding a joint mili‑
tary exercise, Tiger Triumph from a
naval base in Vishakhapatnam.
"Military collaboration between
India and the United States is a
result of growing, high‑level trust
and consistent ef fort to broaden
the ways in which we can work
together," US Ambassador Kenneth
Juster said at the start of the exer‑
Will march to Parliament 10 times
if demands not met: JNUSU
New Delhi: A day after their march
to Parliament was stopped by
police amid violent scenes, the
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Students' Union said the students
are ready to undertake a march to
parliament "10 times" if their
demands are not met.
The students, who are demand‑
ing the resignation of JNU Vice
Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh
Kumar, have alleged that Delhi
Police are "trying to break the
backbone" of the protests by tak‑
ing union members into detention.
On Monday, hundreds of JNU
students staged a march to
Parliament, on the opening day of
the winter session, to protest
against a hike in hostel and mess
fees. However, the police stopped
the protesters mid‑way, leading to
a scuf fle between the two sides,
which led to the students staging a
sit‑in, that in turn led to massive
traffic snarls across central Delhi.
JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh
said: "Police had detained at least a
hundred students including me,
and Satish (General Secretary of
JNUSU), just to make sure the high
It will enhance India's naval capabilities,
particularly in the Arabian Sea.
cise last week. The DSCA announce‑
ment included a clarification that
"the proposed sale of this equip‑
ment and support will not alter the
basic military balance in the
region." Any of fset ‑‑ requirement
to manufacture some components
for the product or other things in
India ‑‑ would be negot iated
between BAE Systems and New
Delhi, the DSCAsaid.
The announcement said, "The
proposed sale will improve India's
capability to meet current and
future threats from enemy weapon
systems. The MK 45 Gun System
will provide the capability to con‑
duct anti‑surface warfare and anti‑
air defense missions while enhanc‑
ing interoperability with US and
Hundreds of JNU students staged a march to Parliament on the
opening day of the winter session.
powered meeting with the secre‑
tary (MHRD) does not take place."
According to Ghosh, when the
meeting did take place late on
Monday night, they were told that
the V‑C and Registrar would not
attend. "We have made it clear in
the meeting, that the agitation will
stop only after all our demands are
accepted, and if the V‑C has a prob‑
lem with that then we demand his
resignation," she said, addressing a
press conference at the JNU
INDIA
other allied forces." It added, "India
will use the enhanced capability as
a deterrent to regional threats and
to strengthen its home land
defense." T he deal will include
3,500 D349 Projectile, 5 inch/54
MK 92 MOD 1 ammunition and
spare parts, personnel training and
equipment training, publications
and technical data, transportation
and logistics and technical support
by the US government and BAE
Systems, the DSCA said.
According to BAE Systems, MK
45 Mod 4 with a range of more
than 20 nautical miles or 36 km is
being used on US Navy DDG 51
Class destroyers and on the fleets
of South Korea, Japan and
Denmark.
administration block.
They have demanded restoration
of the reservation for SC/STs in
hostel accommodation and they
have rejected the proposal for 10
per cent hike in hostel rates every
year. They have also demanded
rollback of a proposal to include
the salary of contractual workers
in the mess bill.
T he students have conveyed
their demands to the Ministry of
Human Resource Development.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
NRC will be
implemented nation‑
wide: Amit Shah
New Delhi: T he Nat ional
Register of Citizens (NRC) will be
implemented nationwide, said
Union Home Minister Amit Shah
in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday,
asserting that no person from
any religion need to be afraid of
it. "The NRC exercise is moni‑
tored by the Supreme Court. No
religion has been targeted or
isolated during the NRC exer‑
cise," said Shah responding to a
query of Congress leader Syed
Nasir Hussain. The MP asked
whether the NRC provides citi‑
zenship to immigrants of six
non‑Muslim faiths.
Shah said NRC and T he
Cit izenship Amendment Bill
2016, which lapsed on June 3,
2019, are two dif ferent issues
and both should not be seen
through one prism.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah
Must remove passport
condition for Kartarpur
visit: Sukhbir
Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal
(SAD) President Sukhbir Singh
Badal has asked Pakistan Prime
Minister Imran Khan to waive
the requirement of passport
ident ificat ion to access the
Kartarpur Corridor, besides ask‑
ing him to do away with the $20
service fee being levied on the
pilgrims.
In a statement released here,
the SAD President said that
thoug h Imran Khan had
announced that Indian pilgrims
won't need passport to g ain
access to the Kartarpur Corridor
and that any valid identify proof
would suffice, the Pakistan army
had clarified later that entry
would be given on the basis of
passport‑based identification
only.
Sukhbir Badal asked Imran
Khan to instruct Pakistan gov‑
Shah said people whose names
are missing from the NRC can
approach tribunals formed at
the tehsil level. The Assam gov‑
ernment will provide financial
help to those who don't have the
money to file pleas, he said.
Shah said the government would
bear the cost of hiring a lawyer.
The updated final NRC, which
validates genuine Indian citi‑
zens, has left out over 19 lakh
applicants in Assam. Most of
these are people who have not
produced required documents to
prove their claims and have the
opt ion of appealing to
Foreigners' Tribunals and subse‑
quently approach the courts.
In Assam, the NRC aims to
identify illegal immigrants who
entered the state and settled
after March 25, 1971.
ernment of ficials to accept any
valid identity proof from the
devotees other than passports.
"A majority of the people in the
rural areas do not have pass‑
ports. Moreover, getting a pass‑
port issued just for this visit
amounts to an additional expen‑
diture of around Rs 2,000.
Most of the devotees plan to
travel in family groups and this
means an average family would
have to spend at least Rs 8,000
on passports besides additional
expenditure to reach Dera Baba
Nanak," he said.
"If the $20 service charge is
also taken into account, an aver‑
age family of four would have to
spend around Rs 15,000 to visit
Kartarpur Sahib. This is beyond
the reach of under privileged sec‑
t ions of so ciety," the SAD
chief said.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA NEWS November 23-29, 2019 13

AYODHYA VERDICT: Sena‑NCP‑Congress alliance

Rift in Sunni Waqf Board could be christened
on review plea 'Maha Vikas Aghadi'
Lucknow: Sharp differences have emerged
among members of the Uttar Pradesh
Sunni Central Waqf Board over the filing
of a review petition in the Supreme Court
ag ainst the verdict in the Ram Shiv
Janmabhoomi‑Babri Masjid title dispute Sena
chief
case and accepting the five‑acre land for a
Uddhav
mosque.
Thackeray.
Members are questioning Board chair‑
man Zufar Faruqi's decision of not going
in for a review of the Supreme Court ver‑
dict.
Senior Board member Abdul Razzaq
Khan said: "How can the chairman take a
Mumbai: In order to address reservations of name should be visible in the 'Maha Shiv
decision without holding a meeting? It
some allies in the Congress‑led 'Maha Aghadi' especially when it was a part of the
may be his personal view, but the Board
Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Aghadi' in Maharashtra, the proposed name former 'Maha Yuti' alliance with the
decision will be taken only after the meet‑
Board Chairman Zufar Faruqi of the new upcoming alliance with Shiv Sena Bharatiya Janata Party and other parties
ing, which is scheduled to be held on
mosque or for a charitable purpose? We is likely to be 'Maha Vikas Aghadi', party supporting the saf fron group for the past
November 26."
will discuss all these suggestions on sources said.Until now, the Shiv Sena had more than 25 years.
The Board will meet here on November
November 26," said Adnan Farukkh Shah. been terming the prospective alliance as a "We are optimistic that after the govern‑
26 to decide its strategy after the SC ver‑
Imran Mabood Khan said: "Supreme 'Maha Shiv Aghadi', but after suggestions ment formation, ef forts are finalized. The
dict. Board chairman Zufar Faruqi has
Court accepted that the mosque was built from some smaller allies of 'Maha Aghadi', it new entity will be known as 'Maha Vikas
consistently said since the day of the ver‑
in 1528. So, its existence is proven. That it has been made more neutral by replacing Aghadi' government working as a united
dict that a review petition will not be filed.
was desecrated in 1949 was also accepted 'Shiv' with 'Vikas'. front (aghadi) for the progress (vikas) of
T he two dissenting members of the
and so was its demolition in 1992. "We hope this will have universal appeal Maharashtra (Maha)," the Congress leader
Board, Abdul Razzaq and Imran Mabood
Abdul Razzaq Khan said: "Alternative and even the Shiv Sena may not have any added.
Khan, also said that the offer of the five‑
land should not be accepted for 'Allah ka objections. Plus, it supplements the upcom‑ With a neutral name in the offing, other
acre land for a mosque should not be
Ghar' (house of God). A review of the order ing Sena‑NCP‑Congress government's prime 'Maha Aghadi' allies of the Congress‑NCP
accepted. Abrar Ahmad also agreed with
should also be done." agenda of 'vikas' or deve lopment," a like CPI, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana,
the two on the five‑acre land offer.
Board chief Zufar Faruqi, on his part, Congress leader told IANS, preferring not to Peasants & Workers' Party and others who
"A number of Muslims have approached
said that the fate of the five‑acre alterna‑ be identified. have had decades‑long political rivalries and
us on whether to accept the alternative
tive land will be decided in the November He explained that some smaller parties fought with the Shiv Sena at various levels
land. Another issue is, if it is accepted,
26 meeting. had objected as to why only the Shiv Sena's will feel mollified.
what use would it be put to ‑‑ to build a

India's water 'unproductive', SC questions analogy between

Kashmir & Hong Kong
'least productive': Minister New Delhi: "Is there cross border
terrorism in Hong Kong?", the
New Delhi: Asserting that the
Supreme Court queried the counsel
government is working in the
who sought to draw an analogy
direction of enhancing drinking
between Kashmir and Hong Kong,
water capacity in the country,
which is facing unprecedented pro‑
Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra
democracy protests for over five
Singh Shekhawat said India's The Supreme Court asked
months.
water is "unproductive" as well whether there was cross
The Hong Kong court in a recent
as "least productive", and sug‑ border terror in Hong Kong.
decision ruled against the law to
gested that the drinkable water Justice Ramana replied that the
ban face masks. The Hong Kong
resource of the country can be Indian Supreme Court is also far
Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, had
restored for the next 50 years if superior in upholding fundamental
proposed a ban in the backdrop of
10 per cent of irrigation water is rights of citizens. Arora contested,
increasing demonstrations and the
saved. "The situation in Hong Kong is actu‑
protesters had adopted a strategy of
Not ing that 18 per cent ally worse. The citizens conducted
using masks to hide their identities
regions of the country face flood peaceful protests... Proportionality
in public.
problem and 12‑13 per cent go test was applied. Citing this, I am
Senior advocate Meenakshi Arora,
through drought every year, the Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. just drawing an analogy."
representing an intervenor in a mat‑
minister stressed the need for Justice B.R. Gavai, who is also on
the country w ith drinkable together at one stage and forge ter connected with restrictions in
water management and the bench, querying her on the
water for the next 50 years," the a consensus on the issue so that Jammu and Kashmir following revo‑
informed the Lok Sabha in a backdrop of protests in Hong Kong,
Minister said in his reply to a water should be saved for the cation of Article 370, cited before a
written reply that no proposal to said "Is there cross border terrorism
query. country. bench headed by Justice N.V.
declare the right to safe water a in Hong Kong?"
The minister said that around T he minister said over 18 Ramana the Hong Kong court's
fundamental right is under con‑ Justice Gavai insisted that the
4,000 billion cubic metres of crore households are supplied recent decision against a law ban‑
sideration by the government. apex court has delivered an order
water comes into the country drinkable water in the country ning face masks.
"India's water is least produc‑ upholding rights of the citizens,
throug h ice and rain water and the government is planning Arora sought to draw an analogy
tive. There is a need for a water "Why bank on Hong Kong judge‑
which includes the water that to provide the facility to 15 between the restrictions imposed
management and the maximum ment?"
comes from the river and inter‑ crore more households for on people in Kashmir and
use of irrigation water. If we Justice Ramana said the top court
national basins. which Rs 3.5 lakh crore has Hongkong. She told the bench that
save almost 10 per cent of the has a long tradition of upholding
He appealed to all states to sit been allocated. in the Hong Kong judgement, the
irrigation water, we can prosper rights of the citizens.
test of proportionality was applied.
 14 November 23-29, 2019 OP-ED TheSouthAsianTimes.info

The dilemma that Indian

American lawmakers face
By Yashwant Raj she spoke about at the hearing. It is not Many Indian Americans face the loyalty
clear yet if it will be only about Kashmir or challenge often, especially those involved

P
ramila Jayapal, an Indian American
Democratic lawmaker, is planning
to introduce a resolution in the
House of Representatives. And Rashida
Tlaib, a Palestinian‑descent lawmaker, is
also working on one, but may defer to
Jayapalʼs if it works for her as we ll.
Jayapalʼs unrelenting focus on Kashmir
sheds light once again on the cloying
embrace Indian Americans are held in by
India and Indians.
At the House hearing on Kashmir ̶ it
was all about Kashmir, letʼs face it, despite
the pretence of discussing human rights
in the region ̶ last month as Democrats
g rilled w itnesses on restrict ions in
Kashmir, political detentions and human
rights violations, some Indian‑origin
Americans privately wondered ̶ grum‑
bled, actually ̶ if Representative Ilhan
Omar had been more aggressive and hos‑
tile or Jayapal.
Tied to that question was an expectation
Pramila Jayapal.
that as an Indian American, Jayapal
should have gone easy on India. She did‑
nʼt, of course. And has remained at it, with
plans to follow up with a resolution, which
also Assam.
Ro Khanna, another Indian American
lawmaker, has been battling a similar
expectation war, for joining the Pakistan
Caucus in the US Congress. For some
Indians, this was akin to cheering for the
Pakistani team in a high‑stakes cricket
match against India. Khannaʼs supposed
intransigence is still being debated and
decried on social media months after. He
needs to be “shamed”, some say.
There is talk also of cancelling fund‑rais‑
ing events in the Indian American commu‑
nity to punish him. And efforts are said to
be under way to engineer his defeat in the
next elections in concert with Japanese
Americans, who have been preparing for
any opportunity to avenge the defeat of
Mike Honda, a veteran Japanese American
Democratic lawmaker who mentored a
new crop of Asian Americans in politics.
Khannaʼs of fice did not responded to a
request for comments on the issue.
in the highly partisan world of politics and
government af fairs. And thatʼs why, they
believe, Jayapal and Khannaʼs situations
are symptomatic of a larger problem that
effects them personally, hampering their
ability to perform their duties as American
officials.
Many career government of ficials of
Indian descent say they have felt pres‑
sured to attest to their impartiality when
dealing with Pakistan for the same reason.
In some instances, Pakistan has actually
objected to working with US foreign serv‑
ice officials of Indian descent.
T hey neednʼt have. As an Indian
American, who has lived here for more
than four decades and worked with multi‑
ple Indian governments, said, these law‑
makers “are Indian only by the colour of
their skin, otherwise they are standard
American legislators”.
(The article appeared in The Hindustan
Times)

Ending temple politics good but Pak the cornerstone

By Saeed Naqvi down the line, in due course, intentions in his very first speech
when required, because Hindutva in Parliament in May, 2014. We

I
t was delusory to imagine that
the Ayodhya verdict would
bring down the communal
temperature, even thoug h
Muslims will acquiesce in the
judgement after a brief sulk.
Ayodhya is part of a much bigger
enterprise. It is, to use my
favorite image, a case of two
interlocking triangles.
The caste triangle, is as old as
the hills and which negotiated
change across centuries at its
own pace, including the phase of
conversions to other faiths. The
uplift of lower castes was a con‑
tentious issue throughout the
national movement but a vol‑
canic convulsion erupted only
when Hindu interests saw one of
their very own, V.P. Singh, sub‑
vert the caste structure by imple‑
menting the Mandal Commission
Report. Western not ions of
democracy, social justice, upward
mobility were being imposed on
a uniquely unequal system.
It might have seemed revolu‑
tionary to some but it shook
Hindu society to the core. The
Hindu riposte was quick and
powerful. V.P. Singh had intro‑
duced the Mandal report on
August 1, 1990. On September
25, 1990, BJP President, L.K.
Advani, embarked on his Rath
Yatra from the Somnath temple
in Gujarat to Ayodhya. It was a
What would be required for that epochal outcome would
involve resetting the corner stone of the communal
edifice relations with Pakistan.
fiery expedition to mobilize pub‑
lic opinion for the Ram Temple
"exactly" on the spot where Ram
was born. Indeed, V.P. Singh's
provocation came in handy for
Advani to implement the BJP's
resolution adopted at Palampur
in June 1989.
In fact, Indira Gandhi began to
incorporate a touch of saffron in
her own politics as became clear
from her campaign for Jammu
e lect ion of 1983 when she
pitched the campaign against
minority communalism, of the
Sikhs in this instance.
When Rajiv Gandhi had the
temple locks opened in 1985 to
balance his capricious reversal of
a Supreme Court order giving
alimony to a Muslim widow, he
was not act ing w ithout any
precedent ‑‑ his own grandfather
had will nilly accepted the idol in
the mosque. His promise for Ram
Rajya on the eve of the 1989
elections was all part of the con‑
tinuing clamor for a Ram temple.
By adopting this plank, Rajiv was
hoping to attract Hindu votes.
Does the Ayodhya verdict bring
about a closure to the conflict?
The way the national mood has
evolved since 1947, I do not see
the Sangh Parivar having com‑
pleted its agenda. It can be
argued that mosques in Kashi
and Mathura are equally an
af front to Hindu sentiment. I
expect these issues coming up
has not completed its tasks yet.
Remember, the demand for the
mandir entailed the removal of
the mosque for which Muslims
began to agitate. Spurred by cler‑
ics and lawyers, they dug their
hee ls in. Caste leaders like
Mulayam Singh Yadav spotted an
opportunity: they sought to lure
the Muslim away from the
Congress by posing as protectors
of the mosque. On October 30
and November 2, 1990,
Mulayam as Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister opened fire on kar
sevaks, or Hindu volunteers, who
had assembled in Ayodhya in vio‑
lation of government orders.
At least 16 were killed. In hind‑
sight, the death of Hindu kar
sevaks must be seen as a defin‑
ing moment. Muslims embraced
Mulayam. (Laloo Prasad Yadav
does not quite fit in the same
way because of a different social
structure in Bihar.) But as the
Muslim vote drifted towards
caste leaders, so did Hindu con‑
solidation receive a shot in the
arm.
Narendra Modi appeared on
the firmament in Gujarat, later in
New Delhi, blessed by the Gods.
T he post 9/11 g lobal
Islamophobia, enhanced the tol‑
erance level for an ever more
stark anti‑Muslim (anti minority)
platform. He gave notice of his
have to overcome "1,200 years
of foreign subjugation". As that
delightful Congress leader, the
late K.K. Tewari told me: "in his
subconscious the Hindu nurses
the belief that the Muslim rulers
were foreigners." But Modi is the
first leader to say so.
By firmly opposing the two‑
nation theory but, paradoxically,
accepting a theocratic Pakistan
next door, the founding fathers
muf fled the allegations of "dou‑
ble‑speak" by their iconic stature
as leaders of the independence
movement. The incendiary mate‑
rial for communalism left behind
by them ‑‑ Pakistan, Kashmir,
Indian Muslim tied to beef, love
jihad and terror (the third in the
list has been accentuated recent‑
ly). The triangle has to be consis‑
tently on slow fire to keep suffi‑
cient saf fron in the air for the
Parivar to proceed on its tasks.
Can this disharmony ever be
phased out? Not by settling
Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura
alone. What would be required
for that epochal outcome would
involve resett ing the corner
stone of the communal edifice
relations with Pakistan. That step
w ill open up possibilit ies in
Kashmir and take the heat of f
Hindu‑Muslim relations. But,
then, what happens to the proj‑
ect of Hindu consolidation?

The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info COMMUNITY November 23-29, 2019 15

Honoree jewelry designer Ruchi Kotahwala posing

with her son, Vihan, RANA President Haridas Kotahwala Dr Preeti Mehta is honored by the CG and RANA President. Honoree Dr Meena Bansal
and the Consul General.

RANA celebrates Diwali

In the spirit of
Honoree Dr Dr Nisha Jhalani

By Ashok Vyas
Melville, NY: The annual Diwali celebra‑
tion of Rajasthan Association of North
America (RANA) at Huntington Hilton in
Long Island on November 17 brought
community members together in the spirit
of love. It was a gathering of prominent
members of the Rajasthani community
based in New York.
It was not just the celebration of the fes‑
tival of light, but also an inspiring evening
with lot of emphasis on ʻserving the
needyʼ, ʻhelping the society at largeʼ. This
theme resonated with awardees of the
evening.
This was the crux of the message of
love and service
RANA President Haridas Kotahwala. This
was the recurring message from the 4
awardees of the evening ‑‑ three promi‑
nent women doctors namely Dr Preeti
Mehta (gastroenterologist), Dr Meena
Bansal (also a gastroenterologist) and Dr
Nisha Jhalani (cardiologist) ‑‑ and entre‑
preneur Ruchi Kotahwala (jewelry design‑
er), T hey were honored by RANA
President joined by Chief Guest of the
evening, Consul General of India, Sandeep
Chakravorty.
Community leader Dilip Chauhan pre‑
sented a citation on behalf of Brooklyn
borough President, Eric Leroy Adams, to
the President Kotahwala and Treasurer
Chandrakant Sukhwal.
The event coordinator Rajshree Shah
was honored by RANA President.
Among the causes and organizations
RANA members are supporting include
Jaipur Foot, Veerayatan, and Akshaya
Patra. That the flow of knowledge and
inspiration to serve society is flowing
from one generation to another as was
evident by the presence of perfumers
Prabha and Kanak Golia, who were credit‑
ed for this passion by awardee Dr Preeti
Mehta, their daughter. Other awardees
and the Consul General all gave inspiring
and substantial speeches. Young Vihan
stole the hearts by his exemplary speech
to introduce the honoree, his mother
Ruchi Kotahwala.
Whoʼs who from the Rajasthani commu‑
nity, accomplished businessmen, doctors
and media personalities attended and
enjoyed the event. They included Naveen
Shah, Kamlesh Mehta, Dr Samin Sharma,
Dr Raj Modi, Prem Bhandari, Dr Shashi
Shah, Dr Ajay Lodha, Ashok Vyas and
Kanak Golia.
Rajasthanis love good food – and there
was a nice spread to gorge on. Sustaining
the cultural roots of traditional dance,
many attendees performed collectively on
Ghoomar in Rajasthani attire.
RANA community continues to thrive
with cultural roots and mutual coopera‑
tion as was evident at this Diwali celebra‑
tion oozing with positive energy.

Future of RANA is in good hands.
Vihan, grandson of President
Haridas Kotahwala, impressed
everyone in introducing his
mother, RANA Diwali 2019
honoree Ruchi Kotahwala.
(Clockwise) On behalf of RANA, President Haridas Kotahwala honored the chief
guest, Consul General of India Sandeep Chakravorty.
Community leader Dilip Chauhan presented a citation on behalf of Brooklyn
borough President, Eric Leroy Adams to RANA President Haridas Kotahwala.
The event coordinator Rajshree Shah was honored by RANA.
 16 November 23-29, 2019 ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD TheSouthAsianTimes.info

New-gen star siblings get Short films no longer a

innovative with showbiz entry small deal: filmmakers
S
hort films currently find increasing
space in India's two biggest film festivals
‑ the recent Jio MAMI Mumbai Film
Festival and the upcoming International Film
Festival of India (IFFI). Coupled by the growing
presence of these films at festivals abroad, the
importance of the genre has been on the rise,
slowly but steadily.
A recent short film that has been creating
buzz is "Letters", which has been selected for the
Non‑Feature Film section of Indian Panorama at
the forthcoming 50th IFFI. The film is based on
the letter censorship that was practiced during
World War II.
Nikhil Singal, director of "Letters" feels the
Actor Soha Ali Khan. choice of the format while making a film should
depend on its subject. "It depends on the nature

K
arisma and Kareena Kapoor,
Saif and Soha Ali Khan, Kajol
and Tanishaa, Shilpa and
Shamita Shetty ‑‑ all of them, actors
and siblings who made a mark in
recent years. Cut to 2019, a new gen‑
eration of siblings is raring to go in
Bollywood, following in the footsteps
of famous brothers or sisters.
The difference is, the new breed is
not necessarily foraying Bollywood as
film actors. Many of them are not
entering Bollywood directly, because
getting the perfect launchpad is not
always a possibility. Rather, they are
first trying to grab public attention by
appearing in music videos, magazine
covers and ad‑films, before testing
Bollywood acting waters.
Actress Kriti Sanon's sister Nupur
Sanon has just made her acting debut.
Unlike her sister, however, Nupur did‑
n't choose a Bollywood film but a
music video to introduce the audience
to her skills.
Nupur featured in B Praak's new
music video, "Filhall", along with
Bollywood star Akshay Kumar.
While promoting the song, she was
asked if she would debut as a
Bollywood actress, Nupur said:
"Hopefully soon. I am glad that I took
my time to do my first music video
because I never ever dreamt that I
would work with superstar Akshay
Kumar in my very first project. I am
going to wait for right opportunities. I
am in talks with a few people but I
haven't signed anything as of now”.
Newcomer Sara Ali Khan's brother
Ibrahim Ali Khan was also one of the
debutants of 2019.
The news of actress Katrina Kaif's
sister Isabelle making her Bollywood
debut had been doing the rounds for
quite a while now, and earlier this year
it was confirmed that she will be mak‑
ing her debut opposite superstar
Salman Khan's brother‑in‑law Aayush
Sharma in the film, "Kwatha"
of the story. Some stories require the small for‑
mat and some are perfect for feature‑length cin‑
ema. The budget is also an issue for budding
filmmakers, and that is why we start with short
films. Having said that, getting a producer for a
short film is challenging because this format
does not get theatrical release. Investment is
much lesser than that of feature films," Singal
told IANS, outlining the pros and cons.
Jio MAMI this year saw four short films being
screened ‑ "Sepia", "Sibling", "Nawab" and
"Adheen".
"A short film should be celebrated like feature
films in main film festivals like these because
people's interest to watch films in this format is
growing. It should not be treated as an alterna‑
tive for budding filmmakers, or as a stepping
stone to enter the business of entertainment,"
said "Sepia" director Archit Kumar.
Bollywood actor Aparshakti Khurrana, who
played the protagonist in "Sepia" and "Nawab",
feels the rising popularity of short films is also
because of the fact that the audience is growing
used to other formats of cinematic storytelling
beyond feature films. "The whole approach of
Actor Aparshakti Khurana played
the protagonist in the short film ʻSepiaʼ.
making video has changed. Look at the kind of
music videos we are watching. The production
quality is so good, so is the storytelling. In fact,
so many music videos are almost like short
films. In the nineties, all those videos of the
band Euphoria were like short films," said
Aparshakti. Bollywood filmmaker Imtiaz Ali,
who has been mentoring filmmakers keen on
making short films on the platform
"Humaramovie", said: "I find telling a story in
the short format is tough. I tried many times and
it is really not easy to encapsulate an idea in a
limited time." Ali tried short filmmaking with
'The Other Way'.
Nitin Singal, whose feature film "Seven" has
been premiered on the OTT platform ZEE5, con‑
cluded: "It is true that short films do not get a
theatrical release and therefore business is
tough. But there is the option of digital release
now. My film ʻLetters' will soon stream on an
OTT platform, and my producer earns money
from the digital release."

Bon Appetit! Katy Perry enthralls fans with her Firework

W
ith over 25,000 fans,
pop icon Katy Perry's
mesmerizing perform‑
ance blew the audience away at
the OnePlus music festival held at
the DY Patil Stadium in Navi
Mumbai.
On Saturday night, after seven
years, Katy performed in India. She
had previously performed at the
opening ceremony of 2012 Indian
Premier League in Chennai.
"I was overwhelmed with the
energy and love I felt as I per‑
formed. I had goosebumps when
they sang along with me to their
favorite songs. I could not have
asked for more, Katy Perry said at
the OnePlus music festival
Pop icon Katy Perry performing in Mumbai, and seen with Bollywood celebrities.
"I am told this is your winter.
And, knowing about the money India. I can't believe myself. Look Festival. Dua Lipa said: "The show tonight He told IANS: "It's been a fun
and traffic, you should give your‑ at how many people showed up. The roar came when it was time was absolutely amazing. This was time here, I have been here since 4
self a round of applause. We love So, it is not going to be seven more for Katy to take the stage. my first gig in India and the vibe p.m. I would like to say it's worth
you and that's why we are here," years for me to come back." Taking the evening to a crescen‑ and energy of the fans blew me it. Totally great."
Katy added. Before she hit the stage, Dua do, Katy Perry wrapped up her away! I can't wait to come back The 14‑year‑old Gayitri, who
During her performance, Katy Lipa, Amit Trivedi, Ritviz, The performance with her hit single soon." traveled from Delhi to Mumbai to
also told the gathering: "We never Local Train and "Firework" accompanied by a stel‑ Sahib Singh from Gurugram, with her family, told IANS: "I really
want to forget you. It has been Aswekeepsearching entertained lar pyrotechnic show. Haryana traveled to Mumbai to see enjoyed the festival. This is first
seven years since I was last in the audience at OnePlus Music During the show, pop sensation Katy Perry and Dua Lipa. concert of my life”.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD November 23-29, 2019 17

Social media following replaces fan mail

D
raw has been a watch‑
word in the film industry
all along. The industry
revolved around this word: the
opening draw, weekend draw and
which star had the draw. The
power to pull in the audience to
start with, and the rest would be
left to the merits of the film. The
thing was that, a good draw over
the weekend and the opening
week assured a certain recovery, a
buffer.
That was the era of fan mails,
and the popular stars got such
mails in thousands. All that kept
Gone are the days of old‑time fan following. No postman delivers hundreds of fan letters every day.
the fans thrilled was a reply with are romantics and the Indians, has changed. No more mail and Fans always gathered outside honors on his birthday, Eid and
an autographed photograph of rather more so, probably the rea‑ pre‑printed replies. It has taken a the bungalows of stars as they such special occasions.
their beloved star. son Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Dev whole new dimension. Although, knew when a star leaves for or What made thousands of people
This fan mail business needed Anand, all romantic stars, where most of the fan flowing has shift‑ arrives from shootings. Similar write fan letters to stars? I think
the stars to have a part‑time help, the most favorites. ed to social media, especially was the case outside film studios, two things worked. The maga‑
to reply systematically to all such Khanna's wedding with Dimple Twitter, it is not all that genuine although on a smaller scale. Most zines were the only access for the
mails. The good thing about this Kapadia was decided in a jiffy and like the fan mail era. Nobody such fans hanging around were fans to follow their fans and the
was that it helped some college the invitations to the whole indus‑ wrote a mail to an artiste to abuse outsiders, either new to Mumbai black‑and‑white era of the print
students or such to earn some try were sent through telegrams. or badmouth. Now, the fan follow‑ or visitors. media added a kind of mysticism
money. There was no net or cellphone in ing on the social media has turned The concept of ʻDarshan' came to the stars. Stars hardly went in
Rajesh Khanna was called the those days, but somehow his fans into pro and anti. into being following the near‑fatal public. It was either films or a few
first superstar of Hindi films and got the whiff. As a result, there While nobody takes social accident of Amitabh Bachchan on magazines that existed.
his popularity was said to be was so much crowd outside the media reactions seriously, the real the sets of Coolie while shooting a Gone are the days of old‑time
unparalleled. Women wrote him venue that even the legit invitees picture comes across through fight scene in 1982. fan following. No postman deliv‑
fan mails with blood instead of found it tough to get through. what has now been termed as This ritual is now also followed ers hundreds of fan letters every
ink. But, then, people of the world Now, the fan following system ʻDarshan'. by Shah Rukh Khan who does the day.

Hip‑hop in India 'Marjaavaan': Mush,

is here to stay mayhem and retro mess
H M
arjaavaan" was made with the pri‑ the songs, action, melodrama and bizarre dia‑
ip‑hop as a genre
mary intention of reprising the suc‑ logues. Sidharth and Tara are Raghu and
has been gaining
cess of "Ek Villain" for Sidharth Zoya, a local goon and the verbally‑chal‑
popularity among
Malhotra and Riteish Deshmukh. The two lenged girl of his dreams. Riteish Deshmukh
millennial in India over the
actors have been struggling to survive new is Vishnu the midget, son of Raghu's gangster
recent past, and the suc‑
Bollywood lately, so they have gone old boss (Nasser). Vishnu hates Raghu because
cess of the film "Gully Boy"
school with a vengeance. "Marjaavaan" the latter has his father's trust. Twist in the
earlier this year has only
reloads eighties style violence and melodra‑ tale (if you can call it so) happens when
helped initiate the musical
ma, unleashing the combo for a loud potboil‑ Vishnu kills Zoya. Now Raghu guns for
genre to a wider audience
er impact. revenge.
base. Hip‑hoppers sing

about reality with uncom‑
promising verve, which
draws them close to young
listeners.
Recently, Mumbai wit‑
nessed an amazing lineup
of hip‑hop performances
from artists across the
country, who performed at
the Haq Se Hindustan concert. The concert
featured performers such as The Dharavi
Dream Project (Mumbai), Dopeadelicz
(Mumbai), MC Manmeet Kaur
(Chandigarh), MC Heam (Mumbai), Khasi
Bloodz (Shillong), Gubbi (Bengaluru),
Swadesi + Bandish Projekt
(Mumbai/Ahmadabad) and many others.
All the artists feel hip‑hop has a bright
future in India because a lot of youngsters
from different parts of the country, espe‑
cially the millennial, are showing interest
in the genre. Talking about the same,
Bengaluru‑based rapper Gubbi said: "The
millennial are taking a lot of interest in
hip‑hop. I think in the beginning they
would want to do it because it seemed
cool. But the ones who sustained have
Review
For obvious reason, the onus In "Marjaavaan", a big part of
of unloading this all‑out formula the larger‑than‑life drama kicks
bag on the audience's senses with the midget Vishnu. Which in
falls on writer‑director Milap Zaveri who, in a turn means Riteish Deshmukh gets to play
short span of time, has established his status out the villain of the piece with filmi swag.
as Bollywood's go‑to guy if the loud action‑ While it is not a memorable role, it has
melodrama cocktail is what you're looking to impact enough to obliterate the fact that the
Rapper MC Heam. serve. If Zaveri used the retro mayhem film actually has nothing to offer. The fact
mantra to sell 'deshbhakti' in his last film, that Sidharth and Tara as Raghu and Zoya
realized that this is the best way they can
"Satyamev Jayate", this time the formula is share near‑zero chemistry does not really
put across their emotions."
employed to carry forward a tale of mush. help matters either. Milap Zaveri has just
According to artists of the musical group
Like most of eighties commercial Hindi cin‑ served a very messed‑up tribute to the
Dopeadelicz, relatability is the factor that
ema, Zaveri's script is an excuse to play out Bollywood entertainers of yore.
clicks with young listeners. "Whatever
content is coming through hip‑hop, young‑ The star cast of "Marjaavaan" in Mumbai.
sters can relate to it. There is a lot of real
content that is coming out that Bollywood
or other music industries and genres don't
show. So, I feel hip‑hop is very close to
people and they can relate to it”.
Rapper MC Heam believes that new‑gen‑
eration listeners connect with hip‑hop
because it is all about the truth. He said:
"Hip‑hop is all about truth, that's why it is
increasingly becoming popular. I think
everyone can connect with hip‑hop if the
person is from the street, slum, poor or
rich”.
 18 November 23-29, 2019 PHILANTHROPY TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Meera Gandhi celebrates 10

years of her charity foundation
Movers and shakers attended the gala reception in London
highlighting the extensive work of the Giving Back Foundation.
London: To mark the extensive
work of T he Giving Back
Foundation over the past decade,
Ms Meera Gandhi, founder and
CEO of the foundation, hosted a
g ala recept ion in London on
November 19.
A host of ce le brity friends
including Royal Designer
Elizabeth Emanuel who designed
Princess Diana's wedding gown,
Lord Raj Loomba and Lady Veena
Loomba, the team from Cherie Meera Gandhi
Blair Foundation, Sheetal Mafatlal, flanked by
Radhika Chanana and many more celebrity
were in attendance at the gala friends Ivana
Hoti, Radhika
event.
Chanana
The reception took place at The
and Sheetal
Dorchester Hotel, the iconic luxu‑ Mafatlal.
ry hotel of London.
The talk‑of the‑town event coin‑
cided w ith Mayfair Times of Meera Gandhi describing to the elegant audience the
London featuring on the cover of extensive work of The Giving Back Foundation.
the November issue of their luxu‑
young women and children, include Asha Dan (Mother
ry magazine. It was their philan‑
addressing illness, poverty and Teresa's homes for orphans); Asia
thropy special issue and she led it Meera Gandhi
suf fering are the primary activi‑ Society; AUW (Asian University
as this issue celebrated the philan‑
t ies of the Giving Back for Women, Bangladesh); Bono was on the
thropic work of Meera Gandhiʼs
Giving Back Foundation over the
Foundation, whose motto is, "We One/Red (Aids); Centrepoint cover of the
are to the universe only as much (Friends of the Foundation of Philanthropy
past decade. The magazine focus‑
as we g ive back to it." T he Prince William and Prince Harry);
es on the fascinating people in
Foundation also exists as a plat‑ Cherie Blair Foundat ion For
Issue this month
some of the upscale areas of
form for debate and discussion, as Women; Children's Hope India in of Mayfair Times,
London. Meera Gandhi who main‑
tains homes both in London and
philanthropic activities continue NYC; Clinton Global Initiative; prominent luxury
to evolve around the world. CRY (childrenʼs rights); Donna
New York.
The foundation is supported by Karan's Urban Zen; Eleanor
magazine of
Meera Gandhi set up The Giving London, in a
HRH Prince Edward, Bill & Hillary Rooseve lt Leadership Center
Back Foundation in 2010 as a not‑
for‑profit, 501(c)(3) organization
Clinton, Tony & Cherie Blair, (ERLC); Pratham (program for tribute to her
Sad hguru, Rahul Gand hi, PM street children in India); United
in the USA. Its beneficiaries are charity work
Narendra Modi, Rekha, Hema World Colleges/Pearson School
carefully selected existing chari‑
Malini, Kerry Kennedy, Oprah (bringing together diverse stu‑
ties around the world, with special
Winfrey, Deepak Chopra to men‑ dents); Vedanta Academy in India;
emphasis on the education of
young women and children in
tion a few.
Af filiates of the foundation
Versailles Foundation; and The
Woodstock Film Festival.
NJ Gov. Phil Murphy hosts
need. Uplifting and empowering
Diwali at his official residence

Scores of Indian‑Americans including elected and appointed

officials, and faith leaders, attended Diwali celebrations
hosted by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and First Lady
Tammy Murphy on November 8 at the gubernatorial mansion
Lord Raj Loomba & Lady Veena Loomba Meera Gandhi with Elizabeth Emanuel, in Princeton, NJ.
a the event. wedding dress Designer for Princess Diana.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
By Shubha Singh
P
eople have mig rated
through the ages, in search
of greener pastures, more
abundant food sources, better cli‑
matic conditions, and after defeat
in wars or to escape them. Modern
day migration is often to flee from
war, ethnic rivalries, effect of colo‑
nial practices that denuded the
land and made it unproductive or
to seek better economic prospects.
But migration has become a con‑
troversial term as politicians have
used racism and xenophobia to
divert attention from their policies
by demonizing migrants.
Illegals, migrants, aliens, foreign‑
ers, stateless are some of the terms
used to describe the newcomers,
while US President Donald Trump
typically uses much harsher epi‑
thets. In the past decade, anti‑
migration rhetoric has come to
rule the public discourse in the
West and many other countries.
But, it is those migrants that boost
economic activity and perform the
dirty work that residents of the
host country are loathe to under‑
take. Suketu Mehta's "This Land is
our Land: An Immig rant's
Manifesto" is a searing broadside
on migration that describes the
historical causes of migration, the
impact of migration on individuals
as well as the native and the host
countries, dispels the myths and
falsehoods that surround migra‑
tion and presents a well‑reasoned
argument in favor of migration.
According to Mehta, about one‑
Internal rumblings in Pakistan and their import for India
By D.C. Pathak
T
he mounting protests in
Islamabad ag ainst PM
Imran Khan, led by Maulana
Fazlur Rahman, head of the influ‑
ential Jamiat‑ul‑Ulema‑e‑Islami
Pakistan, re flect the complex
domestic politics currently facing
the current regime. What has trig‑
gered the protest is the uncertain‑
ty that has crept into the Army‑
Imran Khan grid, the state of trian‑
gular links of Pakistan with US and
China and the deterioration of
India‑Pak relations.
It seems some awkwardness has
been created by Imran Khan for
the army in both foreign policy
and domestic economy. The 'deep
state' there had tradit ionally
enjoyed, in the eyes of the people,
a strong image in dealing with
India on Kashmir and this had evi‑
dently been dented by the tough
counter responses of the Modi
regime. Pak army might find it
convenient to blame it all on the
civilian leadership. It could use the
protests against Imran Khan to fur‑
ther strengthen its hold on the
country.
A case for migration
In his book, Suketu Mehta holds that present day migration is a
long‑term effect of colonialism.
quarter billion people or one in 29
humans live in a country that is
not their country of birth. He
explains how the West has benefit‑
ed from migration and how west‑
ern countries need and will contin‑
ue to need migrants to boost their
economies.
Mehta calls the debate on migra‑
tion as "hypocritical". In his book,
he juxtaposes his personal experi‑
ence of migration, his family histo‑
ry, research and other tales of
migration, together with reportage
from ground level and the various
underlying causes of migration to
construct a powerful vindication
for migration.
Mehta arrived in the United
States from India in the mid‑
1970s. He describes his family
moving "all over the earth, from
India to Kenya to England to the
US and back again ‑‑ and still mov‑
ing." He relates the racism and dis‑
crimination, he and his family
encounter in America despite
being part of the so‑called privi‑
leged "model" minority.
Mehta's grandfather had a pithy
response when asked in a London
park in the 1980s, "Why are you
here?" He said: "Because we are
The Pakistan army can do with some pressure of public opinion get‑
ting focused on the Prime Minister at a time when things are not
working out well for Pakistan internationally and internally as well.
Significantly, the Maulana is
blasting Imran for failing Pakistan
and even questioning the legitima‑
cy of last year's general election
but without directly criticizing the
army. In the current public agita‑
tion against Imran Khan, both PPP
and PML(N) are supporting Fazlur
Rahman from behind. The Pakistan
army can do with some pressure of
public opinion getting focused on
ANALYSIS November 23-29, 2019
This Land is Our Land: An Immigrant's Manifesto;
By Suketu Mehta, Jonathan Cape, London, 2019
the creditors. You took all our ef fect of colonialism. Colonialism
wealth, our diamonds. Now we and slavery destroyed economies
have come to collect." It was an apt and displaced thousands of people
response to British colonialism, but to meet labor requirements in new
Mehta extends it not just to the old colonies and at home. Colonial
imperialists but also to the United powers like Britain and France
States for its economic colonialism. drew up borders (about 40 per
And with it, he provides the basis cent of national borders world‑
for the demand for reparations. wide, according to Mehta) without
When there is talk of reparations regard to ground realities.
for slavery, colonialism is not far The US did not have colonies like
behind as brutally oppressive and the major imperial powers but it
exploitative. Mehta holds that pres‑ has controlled and influenced
ent day migration is a long‑term nations with its economic power.
Afghanistan and India. Imran
Khan, instead of pleading that
action will be taken against terror‑
ist leaders named by the UN
denounced the attitude of the
Americans and declared that 'join‑
ing the US war on terror was a big
mistake of Pakistan'.
Imran came of f as a staunch
Islamist himself who upheld the
cause of Islamic radicals targeting
the West. This weakened the Pak
army's hand in Afghanistan as an
objective looking mediator on the
question of bringing round Taliban
to accept a peace pact with US.
Imran Khan's handling of Indo‑Pak
issues looked clumsy when, after
Balakot and more recently in the
wake of abrogation of Article 370
by India, all that he could do was
to talk of a possible nuclear show‑
the Prime Minister at a time when down between the two countries.
things are not working out well for W hat made the situat ion of
Pakistan internationally and inter‑ Pakistan even worse in the assess‑
nally as well. ment of US was Imran Khan's
Pakistan's relations with US, the unconcealed fascination for China
mainstay of its geo‑political stand‑ and the projection by him of Sino‑
ing, took a beating during Imran Pak alliance as a counterfoil to the
Khan's time. President Trump's slipping US support for Pakistan.
admonition to Pakistan for provid‑ The Pakistan army might have
ing safe haven to terrorists on its expected the PM to be more
soil was in the context of both nuanced in handling international
19
America's arbitrary interventions
in many countries, especially in
Central America, propping up dic‑
tators and repressive regimes
brought political instability and
strife that often forced people to
flee their homes. In the 1950s, it
overthrew a Guatemalan leader
whose land reform polices went
against the interests of the US‑
owned fruit company.
Mehta travelled to the migrant
crossing places to learn about
what he describes as ''survival
migration'' and listen to migrant
stories. He visited arrival points in
the Mediterranean coast and the
Wagah‑Attari border. He describes
Friendship Park at the border of
California and Mexico where peo‑
ple gather to catch a glimpse of
loved ones across on an old wire
mesh fence.
Migrants are not a drain on soci‑
ety, according to Mehta, they con‑
tribute to the places they go to and
also to the places they leave in the
form of remittances. Wealthy
countries with aging populations
need migrants to revitalize the
economy. Migrants constitute 3 %
of the world's population and con‑
tribute 9% of the total GDP.
relations in a manner that gave
Pakistan relevance to both US‑
India and US‑China equations.
Imran Khan also has not much to
show on the economic front.
Financial aid from Saudi Arabia,
OIC Chair, and loan from IMF can‑
not suffice.
From India's point of view,
Pakistan may be set for creating
some new areas of concern. First,
Maulana Rahman's agitation, fac‑
ing no restraint so far, has the
ef fect of enhancing the presence
of Islamic radicals in Pakistan con‑
firming the reading that the Pak
army‑ISI combine is now
unabashedly using Al Qaeda‑ISIS
fronts against India besides the
India‑specific outfits like LeT, JeM,
Hizbul Mujahideen, Harkatul
Mujahideen and HUJI.
Secondly, Kashmir's total integra‑
tion with India has made Pak agen‑
cies according to our Intelligence
plan ways and means of stepping
up infiltration of Islamic militants
through Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri
Lanka where the ISI had an opera‑
tional turf. Intensification of 'proxy
war' is clearly on the cards.
The writer is a former Director
Intelligence Bureau
 20 November 23-29, 2019 SUBCONTINENT TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Pakistan trained Saeed, New Lankan president

others: Musharraf says will remain neutral
Islamabad: Former Pakistani
military dictator Pervez
"T hey were properly
trained, and we were in sup‑
on foreign policy
Musharraf has admitted that port of them. T hey were Colombo: After swearing‑in
the Pakistan state not only Mujahideen who would fight as the seventh Executive
gave a "hero's welcome" to against the Indian Army for President of Sri Lanka,
terrorists like Lashkar‑e‑ their rig hts. T hen the Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed Lashkar‑e‑Taiba was created, stressed that Sri Lanka
but also trained and support‑ and a dozen other outfits... wants to stay out of conflicts
ed them to fight against India They were our heroes. among the world powers
in Jammu and Kashmir. "T hey were fighting for and would remain neutral in
In an undated video inter‑ their brothers and sisters in its foreign policy.
view of Musharraf, uploaded Kashmir, risking their lives. "We will maintain friendly
by former senator "The whole thing should be and cordial re lat ionship
Farhatullah Babar, the for‑ understood. Now the situa‑ with all the nations and we
mer Pakistan President also tion has changed, and they don't want to be caug ht
acknowledges that Pakistan have become villains, and between power struggles of
"introduced religious militan‑ people are asking for them to international politics among
cy" in Afghanistan in the be caught and punished. dif ferent nat ions,"
1980s, and at the time ter‑ "Now it has been converted Rajapaksa said after he took
Sri Lankaʼs former Defense
rorists like Osama bin‑Laden, to terrorism. This religious oath at the historic Sinahala Secretary‑turned President
Former Pakistan President retired Gen
Jalaluddin Haqqani were "our Pervez Musharraf. mujahideen that was earlier Budd hist city of Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
heroes". a positive impact has turned Anuradhapura. "In maintain‑
"From 1979 we changed it was dif ferent," Musharraf told into a negative activity," he ing relationships with us, we urge tions were the first after Easter
(Pak policy) a lot, we introduced his interviewer. "Now the situa‑ said. all nations to respect our sover‑ Sunday attacks carried out by ISIS‑
religious militancy in favor of tion has changed, now the heroes Babar, attaching the video, eignty," he added. led eight local suicide bombers on
Pakistan to oust the Soviets have become villains." wrote on tw itter: "W hen Rajapaksa announced he would April 21. Rajapaksa reiterated that
(from Afghanistan). "We brought Going to Kashmir, he says: Musharraf blurts that militants soon form a new government to national security was his top‑most
in the Mujahideen from across "Take the 1990s, in Kashmir, were nurtured and touted as implement his policies. priority. Rajapaksa, who is known
the world, we broug ht the Hafiz Saeed. There was a free‑ 'heroes' to fight in Kashmir. If it Former Defense Secretary‑turned for his military‑disciplined admin‑
Taliban, we trained them with dom strugg le that started in resulted in destruction of two President had selected Ruwanveli istration as the Defense Secretary
weapons... 1990. They were beaten by the generations of Pashtuns, it didn't Mahaseya, a massive temple built and the man who promoted capital
"T he Haqqani, they are our Indian Army, and they ran to matter. Is it wrong to demand by valiant king Dutugemunu in Colombo as a green city under for‑
heroes of the '80s, Osama bin Pakistan. They were supported Truth Commission to find out north‑central city of mer Rajapaksa regime, stressed
Laden was our hero, Zawahiri by Pakistan, they were given a who devised self‑serving policies Anuradhapura, situated 200 km "corruption would never be toler‑
was our hero.. Then the situation hero's reception. that destroyed Pashtuns?" from capital Colombo. The elec‑ ated under my administration"

Nepal PM says Kalapani Pak's MQM founder seeks

area belongs to them
Kathmandu: Nepal Prime Minister K.P.
Sharma Oli on November 17 said the
Kalapani area belonged to Nepal and
that India, which included the region
in its of ficial maps recently, should
"immediately withdraw its army from
there".
According to a report by The Indian
Express, this was Oli's first of ficial
response to the controversy, which
started after India released its new
political maps on November 2 follow‑
ing the restructuring of the state of
Jammu and Kashmir into two Union
Territories.
Oli made the remarks during a
meeting organized by the Nepal Yuva
Sangam, which is the youth wing of
the ruling Nepal Communist Party.
"We will not allow even an inch of our
Nepal PM
K.P. Sharma
Oli urged
India to with‑
draw its
army from
Kalapani.
territory to be occupied by any coun‑
try, India must vacate it," Oli said at
the meeting, adding that dialogue with
India will follow after "India with‑
draws its army from our land".
While India has not yet of ficially
replied to Oli's statements, sources
told the newspaper that the new maps
depicted India's "sovereign territory
accurately" and that there has been no
revision in boundary with Nepal.
Oli's statement comes after days of
protests by both the opposition and
the ruling parties in Nepal over the
map. According to the report, during
an all‑party meeting called by Oli
three days ago, participants, including
former prime ministers and foreign
ministers, urged the prime minister to
take up the issue with India.
asylum, financial help from India
London: Altaf Hussain, the leader said he would like
founder of Muttahida to travel to India because
Qaumi Movement (MQM) his g randparents are
who has been charged buried there.
with a terrorism of fence, "If India's Prime
has requested Indian Minister Modi allows me
Prime Minister Narendra to come to India and pro‑
Modi for help by giving vides me asylum with my
asylum and financial help colleagues, I am ready to
to him and his compan‑ come to India along with
ions, a media report said. my colleagues because
On October 10, Hussain my grandfather is buried
was charged by the UK's there. My grandmother is
Crown Prosecut ion buried there and thou‑
Services with the terror‑ sands of my relatives are
ism of fence in a case buried there in India. I
related to his incendiary want to go to India to
speech relayed from the their graves."
UK to his followers in Addressing Mo di,
Pakistan in 2016, Geo Hussain alleged that his
News said in the report. Muttahida Qaumi Movement assets, house and offices
He is due to stand trial leader Altaf Hussain. were taken over in
in June 2020 and passport Karachi after August 22,
remains with the UK police as part of his bail 2017. He asked the Indian Prime Minister to
conditions and he is not allowed to apply for help him with money if he could not provide
any travel document unless permitted by the him asylum.
court. Lawyers were now assessing whether Hussain's MQM is influential in urban areas
Hussain has breached his bail conditions by of Pakistan's southern province of Sindh,
asking Modi to let him stay in India while he including its restive port city of Karachi.
awaits trial of his case. The MQM claims to represent the Urdu‑
In his first ever public speech after the UK speaking migrants who moved to Pakistan with
police relaxed his bail conditions, the MQM the partition of India in 1947.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INTERNATIONAL November 23-29, 2019 21

No talks until US drops 'Cold and hungry' HK

hostile policy: N Korea radicals start to surrender
Pyongyang: A senior North
Korean official has put for‑ Hong Kong: Tired, cold and hun‑
ward new conditions for gry radicals holed up at Hong
talks with the US, saying Kong's Polytechnic University
Washington should give up surrendered after the cityʼs
its hostile policy before leader Carrie Lam said she hoped
coming to the negotiation the stand‑of f with police could
table with Pyongyang. be brought to a peaceful conclu‑
"The US always calls for sion. The two sides have been
negot iat ion for denu‑ locked in a violent confrontation,
clearization, but there is no with sporadic clashes over the
room to say about the past 24 hours interspersed with
negot iat ion be fore the those inside making increasingly
complete and irrevocable desperate bids for freedom,
withdrawal of its hostile reports the South China Morning
policy toward the DPRK, Post. Hundreds were evacuated
the root cause of the overnight from inside the univer‑
nuclear issue of the Korean sity campus after politicians and
education figures cut deals with Police fire tear gas at protesters during an
peninsula," the state‑run
police allowing them to leave. anti‑government rally in Hong Kong.
Korean Central News North Korean leader Kim Jong‑un.
Agency reported. It will be At around 10 a.m, another 50 and treat injured or under‑aged pus. T he university has been
possible to consult denucleariza‑ such talks that bring nothing to protesters emerged, with some protesters in a humanitarian occupied for about a week by
tion only when confidence‑build‑ them, reports Xinhua news agency. suffering from hypothermia and manner. Earlier, areas bordering hard‑core elements of the anti‑
ing between the North and the US Denuclearization negotiations leg injuries. Paramedics treated the campus, especially the main government movement, who
goes first and all the threats to the between Washington and them at a temporary station out‑ entrance in Cheong Wan Road, have cut of f major road links
security and deve lopment of Pyongyang have stalled since side the campus, before they became a battleground between such as the Cross‑Harbour
Pyong yang were removed, he Fe bruary's second summit in were sent to five city hospitals. radicals and police, said the Tunnel in Hung Hom, which con‑
stressed. Hanoi between North Korea's Kim Chief Executive Carrie Lam said South China Morning Post. nects Kowloon and Hong Kong
Earlier, advisor to North Korean Jong‑un and US President Donald she had laid out two principles Of ficers repeatedly fired Island. A police armoured vehicle
Foreign Ministry Kim Kye Gwan Trump ended without a deal. The w ith police for handling the rounds of rubber bullets and tear went up in flames on Sunday
also issued a statement, saying two leaders first met in Singapore stand‑of f, that they were to try gas, while a water cannon truck from a barrage of petrol bombs
they were no longer interested in in June 2018. resolving the incident peacefully, sprayed blue dye into the cam‑ thrown by radicals.

Documents reveal China's Battle with Israel

hardline stance towards Uighurs
Beijing: An expose of over 400 internal
Chinese government documents relating
to Beijing's mass detentions of Uighurs,
Kazakhs and other Muslim minorities in
Xinjiang province highlights the Chinese
state's hardline stance towards them,
especially that of President Xi Jinping.
The documents were leaked to The New
York Times by a member of the Chinese
political establishment in an ef fort to
hold President Xi accountable for the
mass detentions.
An Uighur human rights group says
that China has more than 500 detention
centres, prisons and "re‑educat ion
camps" in Xinjiang. China has detained
over one million Uighur Muslims in
Xinjiang over the past three years.
Human rights groups say these so‑
called re‑educat ion camps are an
attempt to suppress the Uighurs' reli‑
gion and Islamic identity by involuntari‑
ly detaining them without trial, some‑
times with threats of violence and tor‑
ture.
According to the do cuments, in
response to a spate of violent attacks
carried out by Uighur militants in 2014,
Xi told party leaders that they needed to
"be as harsh as them and show absolute‑
ly no mercy." Xi hinted at the internment
camps in one speech, although he did
not call for mass detention outrightly
and resisted banning Islam in the coun‑
try entirely.
"There must be ef fective educational
The documents include
unpublished speeches by
Chinese President Xi Jinping.
remolding and transformation of crimi‑
nals. And even after these people are
released, their education and transfor‑
mation must continue," he had said.
The Chinese government has denied
any human rights abuses, saying that
the ef forts are important in combating
extremism and terrorism.
The leaked papers consist of 24 docu‑
ments, including nearly 200 pages of
"not over" despite
ceasefire: Hamas chief
Gaza: Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas chief, said
that the battle with Israel is "not over"
internal speeches by Xi and other lead‑
although the new
ers, and more than 150 pages of direc‑
wave of violence
tives and reports on the surveillance and
in the Gaza Strip
control of the Uighur population in
is over. Haniyeh
Xinjiang.
made the remarks
There are also references to plans to
after he gave his
extend restrictions on Islam to other
condolences to
parts of China.
the Abu Malhous
The Communist Party also has a spe‑
family which lost
cial manual instructing officials on how
eight of its mem‑
to deal with Uighur students who get
bers in the last
back from university to find that their
round of violence
families have been imprisoned as part of Hamas leader
between Israe l Ismail Haniyeh.
the mass detention.
and the
The Uighurs are a mostly‑Muslim eth‑
Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Xinhua news
nic minority largely based in Xinjiang in
agency reported. "Our victory in the previous
western China. Many Uighurs call the
round is not counted by the number of the
region East Turkestan.
fired rockets, nor by the losses sustained, but
A number of Uighurs have been arrest‑
by the fact that resistance has completely
ed or forced into detention on flimsy
paralyzed the entity (Israel) during the esca‑
charges, such as texting people outside
lation," he told reporters.
Xinjiang or setting their clocks to two
Last week, a new wave of violence broke
hours ahead of Beijing's time zone to
out between Israel and Gaza's militant
align with Xinjiang's natural daylight
groups after Israel bombed the house of
schedule.
Baha Abu al‑Atta, a senior Islamic Jihad com‑
The documents also tell officials to say
mander, killing him and his wife.
that detainees "have very good condi‑
In response, the militant group fired bar‑
tions for studying and living there," and
rages of rockets into Israel, before Israeli
that tuition, food and living costs are all
war aircraft retaliated by launching
free of charge.
airstrikes on Gaza, killing 35 Palestinians
Former detainees have described the
including women and children. Recently,
detention centres as being overcrowded
Egypt brokered a ceasefire between the two
and having almost nonexistent hygiene
sides, which remained fragile as several more
standards. They have also recalled being
rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel and
shackled to chairs and forced to sing
Israeli war aircraft fired back.
propaganda songs to get food.
 22 November 23-29, 2019 BUSINESS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

India still projected as fastest growing economy: FM

New Delhi: Finance Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman said in the
Lok Sabha that growth has decel‑
erated, but there is no slump and
India is still projected to be the
fastest growing economy in FY20
among the G‑20 nations.
She said the government has
been taking several measures to
address moderate levels of fixed
investment rate in the economy,
plateauing of private consump‑
tion rate and a modest export
performance, w ith a view to
increasing the GDP growth.
In a written reply, Sitharaman
said India's economic growth
decelerated but its economy is
still the fastest growing among G‑
20 nations and that the goal of $5
trillion economy will be achieved
by 2025. In a written reply to a
quest ion from N.K.
Premachandran, MP from Kerala,
that despite some recent deceler‑
ation in growth, India's economy
was still projected by the World
Economic Outlook to grow at the
fastest rate among G‑20 countries
in 2019‑20. "During the last five
years, the government has imple‑
mented major reforms to build
the investment climate in the
country for becoming a $5 tril‑
lion‑dollar economy," the minister
said.
The World Economic Outlook
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
(WEO) of October 2019 projects a
significant slowdown in world
output and trade in 2019. Yet
India, despite some recent decel‑
eration of GDP growth, is still pro‑
jected by WEO to grow at the
fastest rate in 2019‑20 among G‑
20 countries, she said.
On a question whether the gov‑
ernment has analysed the impact
of implementation of the Goods
and Services Tax (GST) on eco‑
nomic slowdown, Sitharaman said
the GST reform stands out as the
most important measure for
improving ease of doing business
in the country.
"Further, in the World Bank's
Ease of Doing Business 2020
Report, India's ranking improved
by 14 positions to 63 in 2019
from 77 in 2018 after GST was
implemented in 2017,"
Sitharaman said.
On the impact of implementa‑
tion of foreign trade agreements
and economic slowdown, she said
the government publishes an eco‑
nomic survey of the country on
an annual basis analyzing various
aspects of the economy, including
trade agreements and state of the
economy. "The government has
also been engaging with various
stakeholders to understand their
concerns and taking appropriate
measures for the economy," she
said. Sitharaman said while taking
reform measures, the administra‑
tion has kept inflation low, fiscal
Global economy
will remain fragile
in 2020: Moody's
New Delhi: Global credit condi‑
tions in 2020 will weaken as a
result of growing risks of an
economic downturn, trade poli‑
cy uncertainty and the ef fects
of an unpredictable political
and geo‑political environment,
Moody's Investors Service said.
Although Moody's does not
expect a recession in 2020,
recession risks are building, the
report said.
The global economy has wit‑
nessed the lowest global growth
in 2019 since the 2009 reces‑
sion.
Risks will be centered around
US‑China trade disputes, Brexit‑
spending disciplined and current
account deficit manageable to
ensure macroeconomic stability
for a healthy investment climate
in the country.
India's economic growth slowed
down to 5% in the Q1 and is
expected to have declined further
in the second quarter for which
official data is expected later this
re lated uncertainty and the
escalation of other bilateral dis‑
putes. At the sector leve l,
spillover effects from trade fric‑
tions will drive shifts in global
supply chains and weigh on
investment decisions, Moody's
noted.
Furthermore, sporadic
episodes of heightened finan‑
cial market volatility will flare
up as long as trade uncertainty
lingers. Other risks to the global
economy relate to high leverage
and the historically high num‑
ber of debt issuers with weak
credit quality accessing the
credit markets.
month.
In her statement Sitharaman
further said the 15% corporate
tax rate for new domestic manu‑
facturing companies announced
in September was "among the
lowest in the world".
For other domestic companies
not availing of any tax breaks, the
rate was cut from 30% to 22%.

15 foreign banks keen to China slams US over

open branches in India B
New Delhi: India could have more
foreign banks soon as in the case of
other Asian countries like China,
Singapore and Hong Kong with 15
overseas banks have been in touch
with the Central Bank, to open
branches in the country.
As per RBI Data, already 46 for‑
eign banks are operating in India
including two banks operating in
wholly‑owned subsidiary (WOS)
mode. RBI has informed the finance
ministry that 15 banks have shown
interest in opening their branches
in India, said official sources.
Foreign banks, except those oper‑
ating in WOS mode, require prior
approval of the RBI for opening
branches in India.
RBI has further apprised that the
foreign banks open their branches
in India based on their commercial
judgement.
With regard to banks operating in
WOS mode, as per RBI norms, at
least 25 percent of the total number
of branches opened during a finan‑
cial year, must be opened in
unbanked rural (Tier 5 and Tier 6)
centres that do not have a brick and
mortar structure of any scheduled
Already 46 foreign banks are operating in India.
commercial bank for customer‑
based banking transactions.
It is also mandatory for foreign
banks to provide loans to farmers
and scheduled castes/scheduled
tribes for employment on the lines
of Indian Banks.
RBI has rules that foreign banks
have to comply with RBI's extant
priority sector guidelines. These
guide lines provide for foreign
banks with 20 branches and above
to lend 40 percent of Adjusted Net
Bank Credit (ANBC) or Credit
Equivalent Amount of Of f‑Balance
Sheet Exposure, whichever is higher
to priority sector including lending
to Weaker Sections including, inter‑
alia, scheduled castes/scheduled
tribes.
Hong Kong bill
eijing” China on Wednesday
condemned the passing of
the Hong Kong Human
Rights and Democracy Act of 2019
in the US Senate.
The US Senate passed the legisla‑
tion on Tuesday despite strong
opposition from the Chinese gov‑
ernment, Xinhua reported.
"The move grossly interfered in
Hong Kong af fairs and China's
internal af fairs, seriously violated
international laws and the basic
norms governing international rela‑
tions and blatantly bolstered the
opposition and radical violent crim‑
inals in Hong Kong, which once
again laid bare in front of the whole
world the overbearing nature of
some US politicians and their evil
attempt to contain China's develop‑
ment," said Yang Guang,
Spokesperson, Hong Kong and
Macao Af fairs Of fice of China's
State Council. Yang said that the
continuous violent activities in
Hong Kong have seriously trampled
the rule of law and social order, dis‑
turbed Hong Kong's prosperity and
stability, challenged the bottom line
of the "one country, two systems"
principle.
He added that some of the violent
behaviors were inhumane and
appalling.
"Facts have proved that the
biggest risk facing Hong Kong now
is rampant violence, not the so‑
called issue of democracy and
human rights," Yang said, adding
that the behaviors of some US
politicians have completely con‑
fused right and wrong and con‑
founded black and white, and are
double standards with total disre‑
gard to principles.
Yang underscored the Chinese
government's unswerving determi‑
nation to protect national sover‑
eignty, security and development
interests, implement the "one coun‑
try, two systems" policy and oppose
any external force in interfering in
Hong Kong's affairs.
"Nothing can stop the rejuvena‑
tion of the Chinese nation," he said,
noting that Hong Kong will main‑
tain long‑term prosperity and sta‑
bility with the strong support of the
motherland and the law‑based
rights and freedoms of Hong Kong
residents will be fully protected.
"We advise some US politicians to
immediately stop interfering in
Hong Kong af fairs, and abandon
those foolish moves that benefit
nobody but instead hurt them‑
selves," he said.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
D/N Test: Buzz at Eden Gardens unmistakable
Kolkata: T he Indian and
Bang ladeshi players stayed
indoors after landing, and India
head coach Ravi Shastri had to
change his initial plan of drop‑
ping by at the Eden Gardens due
to a delayed flight. But the buzz
at historic ground was unmistak‑
able on Tuesday as preparations
were in full sw ing two days
ahead of India's first‑ever Day‑
Night Test.
At the Eden, groundstaf f were
seen working overtime as the 22‑
yard strip remained under cov‑
ers. Every corner of the Cricket
Association of Bengal (CAB),
which is undergoing renovation,
overflowed with officials attend‑
ing meetings, journalists follow‑
ing them for scoops and workers
running against time to complete
the work in time.
The Eden club house graf fiti
wore a pink theme, the mascot
omnipresent and a pink balloon
cont inuing to float over the
colossal stadium.
The turf looked greener than
usual and as the sun descended
into the horizon and the flood‑
lights came on, Eden seemed to
be basking in the glow of some‑
thing which has never happened
before.
The day BCCI president Sourav
Ganguly managed to convince
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB)
to play a Test match under lights
w ith a pink ball, Cricket
Association Bengal (CAB) secre‑
tary Avishek Dalmiya had said
that they would leave no stone
unturned to make the historic
event a grand success.
Hong Kong Open:
Kidambi Srikanth
loses in semis
Hong Kong: The Indian
challenge at the ongo‑
ing Hong Kong Open
2019 badminton tour‑
nament came to an
end as Kidambi
Srikanth went down in
the semi‑final to Lee
Cheuk Yiu in straight
games here.
Srikanth, who was
trailing 3‑11 at mid‑
break in the first
game, lost the first contest 9‑21.
In the second game, Srikanth
showed signs of a comeback as
he was leading 11‑8 at mid‑
break. Srikanth had a game point
but the Hong Kong shuttler held
his nerve and managed to take
the second game 25‑23.
Earlier, ace India shuttler P.V.
Preparations were in full swing ahead of
India's first‑ever Day‑Night Test.
Since that day, CAB has dished
out gala plans to make the match
special starting with Bangladesh
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
confirming her presence on Day
1 along with a clutch of sports
stars like badminton world
champion P.V. Sindhu, chess ace
Viswanathan Anand, tennis sen‑
sation Sania Mirza among those
to be present.
The historic match will kick‑
start with Army paratroopers
expected to fly into Eden to hand
over a pink ball each to the two
captains just before the toss.
This will be followed by the
ring ing of the Eden Be ll by
Bang ladesh Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina and West Bengal
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
During the 20‑minute tea
break, former captains and a
clutch of sports stars will be
taken out on carts making a
Kidambi Srikanth.
Sindhu had also bowed out of the
tournament as she lost a close
match to Busanan
Ongbamrungphan of Thailand.
Saina Nehwal had crashed out
on the opening day of the tourna‑
ment after going down against
China's Cai Yan Yan in straight
games.
SPORTS
round of the ground along the
boundary lines.
During the 40‑minute dinner
break, CAB has organised a talk
show featuring the 'Fabulous
Five' of Sourav Ganguly, Sachin
Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil
Kumble and V.V.S. Laxman who
will walk down the memory lane
talking about the 2001 Test win
against Australia at the same
venue.
T he CAB will also felicitate
sports stars including Olympic
champion Abhinav Bindra, tennis
star Sania Mirza, world bad‑
minton champion PV Sindhu and
six‑time boxing world champion
MC Mary Kom among others.
The CAB will also felicitate the
team members of the first Test
team of Bangladesh which took
on India in 2000, a game where
Ganguly made his debut as Test
captain.
Nur‑Sultan to host
India‑Pak Davis Cup tie
Kolkata: Nur‑Sultan, the capital
city of Kazakhstan, has been cho‑
sen to host India‑Pakistan's Davis
Cup t ie to be played on
November 29‑30.
"T he Internat ional Tennis
Federation (ITF) has sent us a
mail. Pakistan's appeal has been
rejected. It will take place in Nur‑
Sultan, Kazakhstan on November
29‑30," Hironmoy Chatterjee, All
India Tennis Association (AITA)
secretary, told IANS on Tuesday.
The tie was initially scheduled
to take place in Islamabad, but
due to political tensions between
the two countries, the AITA had
requested the ITF to shift it to a
neutral venue.
T he move irked Pakistan
Tennis Federation (PTF) who
appealed to ITF saying not to
change the venue. But, their plea
was not heard and the venue was
shifted. The tie will take place on
November 23-29, 2019
Pink balls have been
hand-stitched
New Delhi: T he amount of
reverse swing that the SG pink
ball will aid has been a burning
quest ion ever since it was
announced that India will play
its maiden Day‑Nig ht Test
against Bangladesh at the his‑
toric Eden Gardens from
November 22.
T he likes of Mohammed
Shami are known to use the
reverse swing as one of their
most potent weapons and the
pink balls for the Day‑Night
Test have been prepared keep‑
ing that in mind.
Speaking to IANS, a BCCI offi‑
cial said that the seams in the
pink balls have been hand
stitched to ensure that the ball
aids reverse swing.
"T he pinks balls prepared
have all been hand stitched as
that increases the chances of
the ball aiding reverse swing.
Shouldn't be a problem to get
the pink cherry to reverse," the
official revealed.
For those unaware, the pink
ball aids conventional swing
more than it reverses because
of the extra lacquer used to
make sure that the ball is easy
to spot even under lights. The
spotting has been a major area
of concern with the pink ball,
especially in the Twilight phase.
The pink ball takes around 7‑
indoor hard courts, which coach
Zeeshan Ali said will work to
India's advantage. But Ali pointed
out that sub zero temperatures
could be a problem, even
indoors.
"It's (November) 17 there, as
we speak so it will be a challenge
even if we are playing indoors.
But on hard courts, we have the
advantage," Ali told IANS over
23
8 days to make and it starts
with the preparation of the
pink‑dyed leather. Once the
leather is ready, they are cut
into pieces which shall later
become the covering of the
ball. The leather is most impor‑
tantly softened overnight to
ensure that it is not too hard
and can be easily wrapped
around the cork later.
After this, the cups are
stitched from the leather cut‑
t ings and are once ag ain
coloured. Once the leathers are
ready, the cork is inserted and
that is followed by stitching
them up. The inner stitching
takes place first and the ball is
then stitched from the outside.
Once the main formation is
complete, the final layer of col‑
oring and shining is done
be fore the ball is finally
weighed and dispatched. The
pink ball is heavier than the
conventional red ball.
The tie was initially
scheduled to take
place in Islamabad.
phone. "Our players have done
well in the last two weeks and I
am hopeful of a good show. As
coach, I am happy with what we
got. We will be missing out on
Prajnesh (Gunneswaran) and
Divij (Sharan) and of course
Rohan (Bopanna) pulled out due
to injury, but we have got back‑
ups and they are in good form,"
said the coach.
 24 November 23-29, 2019 SCI-TECH TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Wikipedia co-founder Facebook loves your data, and

launching Facebook,
Twitter rival
rakes in moolah every year
San Francisco: Your data is data on users' friends. The
invaluable to Facebook and the social networking giant set
San Francisco: Intended to get right what Facebook and
social networking giant earned May 2015 as the deadline
Twitter have so far been getting wrong, Wikipedia co‑
$157.41 average revenue per for complying with the
founder Jimmy Wales is launching a social‑media web‑
user (ARPU) in the US and new rules. But some firms
site named "WT :
Canada in the past five quarters. continued to have access
So cial" which w ill
In comparison, Facebook earned to the crucial data, includ‑
compete with both
only $15 average revenue per ing Tinder.
the so cial media
user in Asia‑Pacific in the same In yet another data
platforms.
time period, its Q3 2019 earnings breach, Facebook earlier
Instead of going
have revealed. this month revealed that at
for an ad‑funded
Facebook is earning triple the least 100 app developers
model, Wales aims
revenue from its US users as from may have accessed users''
to finance it through
its users in Europe where average data for months, confirm‑
donations, just like
revenue per user was mere ing that at least 11 part‑
Wikipedia.
$50.73 in the last five quarters. ners "accessed group
Like those plat‑
"Part of that is attributable to Facebook earned $157 average revenue per user in the US members'' information in
forms, WT:Social will let users share articles. But
the fact that American con‑ and Canada in the past five quarters. the last 60 days".
WT:Social will be funded by donations, rather than
sumers spend more in general ‑‑ The social networking
advertising.
per capita consumption in the US is allowed the dating app special access to giant found that the apps ‑‑ primarily
"The business model of social media companies, of
about 80 per cent higher than in user data, as revealed by leaked social media management and video
pure advertising, is problematic. It turns out the huge exchanges.
Europe," reports Slate. streaming apps ‑‑ retained access to
winner is low‑quality content," Wales was quoted as Access to Facebook data helped Tinder group member information, like names
Facebook has nearly 1.62 billion daily
saying by Financial Times. It started as Wikitribune ‑‑ a
active users and 2.4 billion monthly thrive, but there came a point when it and profile pictures in connection with
site that published original news stories with the com‑ inched closer to losing that access.
active users. group activity, from the Groups API
munity fact‑checking and sub‑editing articles. The ven‑ The leaked correspondence was part (application programming interface).
A cache of recently leaked Facebook
ture never gained much traction, so Wales is moving it
documents, obtained by NBC News, of a long‑running lawsuit in California Facebook is facing scrutiny after per‑
to the new platform with a more social networking
showed how the CEO Mark Zuckerberg state court, between former Facebook sonal data of 87 million users was har‑
focus.
oversaw plans to consolidate the social app developer Six4three and Facebook. vested by UK‑based political consulting
WT:Social will be free to join, but at the moment, you In 2014, Facebook, which is facing sev‑ firm Cambridge Analytica. The Federal
network's power by treating users' data
either have to sign up for a waitlist, donate or invite eral antitrust investigations, announced Trade Commission (FTC) has slapped
as a bargaining chip.
friends. Just a month old, it already has 50,000 users,
Despite dismissing Tinder co‑founder a new set of rules to prevent third‑party Facebook with a $5 billion fine as a
the Engadget report added.
Sean Rad as irrelevant, Zuckerberg also app developers from getting access to result of the breach.

India to be top player in data-driven world next decade: Michael Dell

Interview by
Deepak Sharma
Austin (Texas): The ''data king'' of
the world and founder of IT giant,
Dell Technologies, Michael Dell
feels that the next decade would
be driven and shaped by data, and
India could be one of the signifi‑
cant players. In an exclusive inter‑
view with IANS, here at the compa‑
ny's g lobal headquarters, the
American billionaire businessman
and Chairman of Dell, one of the
world's largest technology compa‑
nies said that India figures as the
topmost destination for his enter‑
prise in the years to come.
From building a microsensor
into a small finger ring to trans‑
forming autonomous vehicles,
including aircraft by redefining
artificial intelligence (AI), Dell
seems determined to shape the
world by the next decade through
a revolution in processing and
storing data. "Dell is the only com‑
pany in the world capable of
achieving this objective...and I feel
India has the potential to be a cen‑
ter of exce llence for us," said
Micahel Dell, who leads the IT
company which has a revenue
worth over $90.62 billion, adding,
"I would be visiting India soon and
our company has ambitious plans
to expand in a country known for
its inte llectual capabilit ies."
Talking about Digital India, Dell have also set up a Dell Medical
said that it's an excellent initiative University in Austin, and we are
of the government (led by Prime focusing on providing innovative
Minister Narendra Modi). "The medical services to the unaf ford‑
Make in India (project) also able.
impresses us. But it would be more "Our social commitment would
appropriate if India fo cuses be a top priority for the next 35
beyond manufacturing smart‑ years. In the last 35 years Dell has
phones, (hinting that a lot more is grown from a small company to a
"If you look at the countries
happening in the manufacturing global giant....and in the next 35
of the world and compare
business related to IT). India has to years we not only want to lead the
them with India, the out‑
focus on other areas too," Dell told come of human progress is world of technology but also want
IANS during an interaction at Dell tremendous. It (India) has all to focus on people who have been
Technology Summit. the possibilities to enhance lagging behind in society. T he
"If you look at the countries of its capabilities...and Dell is world has to be better for every‑
the world and compare them with excited about this," he said. one, in many ways," said Michael
India, the outcome of human Dell, once (in 1992) the youngest
progress is tremendous. It (India) women. "In India, we are working and we have reached 11 million CEO of a Fortune 500 company to
has all the possibilities to enhance with Tata Trusts in the field of people. By the next few years we becoming a leader in shaping the
its capabilities...and Dell is excited social and health care services, will try to reach 44 million. We future of the world.
about this," he said.
The 54‑year‑old billionaire with
net worth of over $31 billion, is
seen as one of the topmost philan‑
thropists from this part of the
world. His company is empower‑
ing people from economically
weaker sections with software
technology.
For instance, a door to door
delivery salesboy from Boston, was
recently trained in software skills
and has now become part of the
Dell engineering. Girls of a similar
profile from Brazil have also joined
the Dell team. By the next few
years, Dell Technologies also dedi‑
cates 50 per cent of the jobs to
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Lessons learnt, Rajat
Gupta is at peace
By Sukant Deepak
Y
oung and middle‑aged corporates
in sharp suits and expensive
watches are standing in a disci‑
plined queue. But they wonʼt be content
with just an autograph. Most of them also
want pictures with him. 'Him has no prob‑
lem obliging. Itʼs his moment. He is noth‑
ing short of a rock star right now.
The occasion may have been the launch
of Rajat Gupta's book ''Mind Without
Fear'' (publisher: Juggernaut) at the Nehru
Memorial Museum Library in the capital,
but the corridor is full of people confess‑
ing in almost a star‑struck tone how he
has been an inspiration to them. For the
uninitiated, Gupta was the first foreign‑
born Managing Director of management
consultancy firm McKinsey & Company in
the US from 1994 to 2003. In 2012, he
was convicted by US courts for insider
trading and spent two years in jail.
In ''Mind Without Fear'', he tells his side
of the story, which he did not speak of
during his trial, based on the advice of his
lawyers.
Mention if the economic conditions in
the US prevailing during the trial had an
impact on the decision, Gupta told IANS,
"Let us not forget that it was the biggest
financial crisis of our lifetimes. People
were losing their jobs, pensions and there
was economic fear and uncertainty.
People also believed that they hadn't done
anything wrong and it was the financial
system that was to be blamed.
Consequently, they wanted people to be
held accountable. Sadly, the ones actually
responsible were never really convicted."
Though he started the outline of the
book while in prison, the actual process of
writing commenced after a year of the
release. "And I took one and a half years
to write it." Ask him about the process,
and if it helped getting things out of his
system, and he asserts, "Yes. Of course,
though writing certain parts was tough as
one had to relive several painful moments
and situations, but I felt much better post
writing them. Frankly, I am quite happy
with the end product. Many people who
have read it say it's quite gripping."
Talking about the time spent in prison,
Gupta, recalling his several weeks in soli‑
tary confinement, said, "That was almost
like torture and I should be a very angry
man. Of course, I wasn't happy about it,
but in the end if I reflect upon it, it gave
me a great deal of learning. I read the Gita
six or seven times in those seven weeks. It
allowed me to cope. It brought context
and meaning to those 49 days. Physically,
the solitary confinement is all steel, harsh
and cold. You go through such extraordi‑
nary indignities? One of the greatest les‑
sons in Gita is equanimity ‑‑ happiness and
sorrow are the same things. I can say that
I have emerged much richer from my
prison experience. I now have more empa‑
thy."
Stating that he does regret not testify‑
ing, Gupta, who has also been on the
board of Goldman Sachs, Pro cter &
Gamble and American Airlines adds, "Not
BOOKS
Once MD at McKinsey,
Rajat Gupta spent 2 years
in US jail for insider trading.
About his new memoir,
'Mind Without Fear', he
says: “The book is my side
of the story and main intent
of writing it was not to try
to argue my innocence or
present evidence to refute
the judgement. It was more
to say, 'Ok, here is how I
experienced it'. In fact, I
wanted to give an idea
about certain lessons
I had learnt."
because I think that it would have
changed anything, but I would have been
able to tell myself that I tried everything I
could. The book is my side of the story
and main intent of writing it was not to try
to argue my innocence or present evi‑
dence to refute the judgement. It was
more to say, ''Ok, here is how I experi‑
enced it''. In fact, I wanted to give an idea
about certain lessons I had learnt."
While Gupta feels much better ‑‑ physi‑
cally, mentally and spiritually post the
prison term as it was a period of learning,
reflection, and being at peace with him‑
self, he wants to focus more on his philan‑
thropic work now. He wants to be more
involved w ith the Indian School of
Business (ISB), which he co‑founded in
1997 and Public Health Foundation of
India.
"I am in my 70's. Besides the two, I have
also started thinking and working on
reforms in the criminal justice system in
the US."
Meanwhile, the number of people wait‑
ing for his autograph has increased mani‑
fold.
November 23-29, 2019 25
Guru Nanak offers strong,
enduring infrastructure
with fellow humans
By Vishnu Makhijani
W
ith Guru Nanak Dev's birth
anniversary being observed
around the world, such
moments of "collective ef fervescence"
are enormously meaningful, with the
first Sikh master of fering a strong and
enduring infrastructure with fellow
humans, a new book says.
Over the years, more and more Sikhs
and non‑Sikhs are coming together to
celebrate the First Sikh," Nikky‑Guninder
Kaur Singh writes in "The First Sikh ‑
The Life and Legacy of Guru Nanak”,
noting that the very first time she heard
the Master's hymns in public worship on
American soil was at a Sindhi gurdwara
Author of the book 'The First Sikh',
in Boston in 1974.
Nikky‑Guninder Kaur is Crawford
T hus, be it at the University of
California‑Davis, the Yuba County, the Professor and Chair of the
Department of Religious Study
Indian Consulate in New York, the
at Colby College in Maine.
Pothohar community hosting an elabo‑
eminent poet Mohammad Iqbal (1877‑
rate evening at the Mayfair Theatre in
1938) compares Guru Nanak to "the
the heart of London or the valedictorian
reciting Guru Nanak's hymn at the bac‑ luminous Abraham, the son of Azar and
the spiritual ancestor to the Jewish,
calaureate service (convocation) of the
Colby College in Maine, Singh writes: Christian and Islamic religions. Just as
"Such moments of Abraham broug ht
the light of monothe‑
'collective ef ferves‑
ism to his idolatrous
cence' are enormous‑
ly meaning ful. T he world, Guru Nanak
enlig htened India
feeling here is not a
with a unicity of the
simple tolerance of
people of other faiths, divine One (tawhid):
"Batkada phit bad
or adding aspects
muddat ke mag ar
from dif ferent faiths
into a syncretic blend; roshan hua/noor‑e‑
ibrahim se azar ka
to the contrary, it is
g har roshan
real respect for and
rejoicing in the differ‑ hua/phir uthi akhir
ada tawhid ki Punjab
ence and distinctive
richness of our shared se/hind ko ek mard‑
e‑kamil ne jag aya
humanity.
khawab se" (Ages
T he author,
later the house of
Crawford Professor
idols was lit up
and Chair of the
again/Azar's house
Department of
was lit up by the
Re lig ious Study at
luminous Abraham/Once more from
Colby College, wonders whether in the
Punjab finally decreed/A perfect person
21st century, when we easily connect
awoke India from its sleep).
over email, Twitter, Skype, Facebook and
Thus, it's little wonder that the ''Nanak
Instagram, "do we connect emotionally
effect'', Singh writes, "surges across mul‑
and spiritually?"
tifarious channe ls and moves us to
"The First Sikh offers us a strong and
embrace fellow beings. Seeing ''our'' self
enduring infrastructure with fellow
humans. We remember him, we imagine in the ''other'' is what Guru Nanak's visu‑
him, and we praise him for breaking bar‑ al, poetic, philosophical and musical ren‑
riers; innovatively and gently he guides ditions bring about".
us to envision the single Reality ‑ time‑ His repertoire of 974 hymns is an
less, formless, fearless, who cannot and "extraordinary gift for humanity", the
must not be confined to any sect or reli‑ writer says, adding that Guru Nanak
gion. "does not belong exclusively to the Sikhs,
"Men and women of all ages, stages of his person and voice transcend all man‑
life, sexual orientations and religious made boundaries, all their ideological
backgrounds are inspired by his magical systems and categories.
personality and magical words. They are T here is no conclusion here. T he
magical for sure, precisely because they momentum of his legacy is taking on a
are so real, applicable and empowering," dynamic trajectory. T he First Sikh's
the author states. 550th birth anniversary is but the begin‑
Singh notes that in a "glorious tribute", ning of exciting new encounters".
 26 November 23-29, 2019 SELF HELP TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Is your perception of used cars out‑of‑date?

With a used vehicle, you’ll either end up with a lot more car
for your money, or a lot more money in your wallet.

E
ven as more Americans turn to the
used car market for affordable vehicle
options, a recent survey suggests that
outdated notions about used cars persist.
Consumers not only think that used cars on
average are older at the time of sale than they
actually are, but also less expensive, accord‑
ing to an Ally Financial survey of more than
2,000 American adults conducted by The
Harris Poll. On average, the survey finds that
Americans think the average age of a used
vehicle at the point of sale is 6.6 years, but
the 2019 Edmunds Used Vehicle Report puts
the average age at 4 years. The Ally survey
also finds that on average, consumers believe
that the average price of a used vehicle is
$9,860 when itʼs actually more than twice
that amount ‑‑ $20,664 ‑‑ according to
Edmunds.
“Even though many Americans are buying
used cars, the survey shows many people
lump all used cars in with old clunkers,” says
Matt Arnold, senior regional vice president of
Auto Finance at Ally. “Itʼs time to let go of old
stereotypes. With a used vehicle, youʼll either
end up with a lot more car for your money, or
a lot more money in your wallet.” For those
shopping for a used car or considering doing
so, Arnold offers the following tips:
8 Prioritize needs and wants: Think practi‑
cally about which features are necessary.
Some nice‑to‑have tech features add to the
price and can cost thousands of dollars in
repairs if they break.
8 Get a vehicle history report: The mini‑
mal cost is worth the investment, and some
car dealers will provide it for free upon
request.
8 Know your budget: Beyond the purchase
price, your automotive budget should include
insurance, finance costs and ongoing mainte‑
nance and repairs.
8 Research finance options: A healthy
down payment can reduce monthly costs ‑‑ at
least 10% of the purchase price is recom‑
mended for a used car.
8 Go online: Auto dealers want buyers to
walk away feeling good about their purchase
and welcome well‑researched shoppers.
Prepare yourself by checking online
resources like Kelly Blue Book or Edmunds
for a specific vehicleʼs local market value.
8 Consider a service contract: Protection
plans help provide peace of mind and can
cover expenses for repairs and replacement
parts that may no longer be under a manufac‑
turerʼs warranty.
“Ultimately, todayʼs used vehicles are better
quality and feature more options than ever
before. A 75,000‑mile used vehicle is in an
entirely different category than it was just a
few years ago,” says Arnold. “With many of
the same tech and safety features that new
cars offer but at a significantly lower price
point, theyʼre a smart alternative for all budg‑
ets and lifestyles.”

How to help young adults

build credit history
A
s young adults establish their finan‑
cial independence, they may be over‑
whelmed with enticing credit card
of fers. Free airfare, cashback and special
introductory rates may be tempting, but
choosing the right card is more important
than snagging some fun freebies.
If your young adult is looking to get start‑
ed with credit, consider these options to help
guide them toward their financial goals.
4Add them as an authorized user on
your card: When just starting out, young
adults may have trouble getting approved
for a credit card independently. One way to
help with this is to add your young adult as
an authorized user on one of your credit
card accounts. Many lenders report account
information for authorized users to credit
reporting agencies, which helps develop a
credit history. For most cards, both positive
and negative account activity is reported.
Think of it as your young adultʼs credit
report inheriting your credit habits. Your
child will get his or her own card, but youʼll
remain the primary account holder. This
means youʼre on the hook for any purchases
they make.
4Apply for a secured or student credit
card: One option for students with limited
income and a short credit history is a
secured credit card. This type of card will
help build credit history like a standard
credit card would. The main dif ference is
that secured cards require a deposit up‑
front, which acts as the cardʼs credit limit.
Despite forking over a deposit, your student
must still pay back the outstanding balance
in full and the funds from the deposit canʼt
be used to pay off the balance. After gradu‑
ating to a regular card or closing the secured
card account, the issuing bank will refund
the deposit amount.
Those with an established credit history
may want to consider a student credit card,
which is no different from other credit cards,
but typically has lower credit limits. This
type of card generally requires proof of
income for approval, so they make the most
sense for students who have jobs.
4 Consider a rewards card carefully:
Once young adults have established healthy
credit card habits and a more robust history,
they can move on to choosing the best card
for their situation. Those alluring rewards
credit cards are popular because of their
perks and bonuses like cashback, bank
points and travel miles on their purchases.
But as exciting as they may be, if your young
adult isnʼt careful, spending can easily get
out of hand. These cards, some of which
have annual fees, should be reserved for
those who have a set budget and strict
spending plan.
W hether an authorized user on your
account or already on their own credit path,
itʼs important for your young adult to under‑
stand how credit works and how to interact
with it responsibly.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info IMMIGRATION November 23-29, 2019 27

The B-1 Visa - for the

By Dev Banad Viswanath,
Esq. & Michael Phulwani, Esq.

I
f a foreign individual would
like to come to the U.S. for

Business Traveler
some sort of short business
activity they will most likely have
to apply for a B‑1 visa. A B‑1 visa
is a temporary non‑immigrant
business visa. This visa is for for‑

VISA
an additional six months. The 1 visas granted; those numbers Any dependents of B‑1 nonim‑
eign individuals who are coming maximum total amount of time include boarder crossing cards. migrants, spouse and children
to the U.S for business purposes. permitted in B‑1 status on a sin‑ From the year 2014 to 2018 under the age of 21, are not

BUT NOT TO WORK. Some quali‑
fying business purposes include:
8 Settling an estate,
8 Negotiating a contract,
8 Taking part in short‑term
training, or
8 Consulting with business
associates
Foreign individuals entering
the U.S. under a B‑1 visa may not
do any productive work or
accept paid or unpaid work. The
B‑1 visa status does not give an
individual permission to manage
a business or start a new busi‑
ness. When planning to travel to
the U.S. with a B‑1 visa, the for‑
eign individual must make sure
they have a valid passport as
well. If their passport is expired
and it contains a valid visa in it a
U.S. Embassy will not transfer a
TALK
valid visa in an expired passport
to a new passport. The foreign
individual will need to carry both
their old passport with the valid
visa and their new passport or
apply for a new visa to be includ‑
ed in the new passport.
Under a B‑1 visa a foreign indi‑
vidual may stay in the U.S.
between one and six months, six
months being the maximum.
However, most B1 visa appli‑
cants will get 3 months of
authorized entry. The rationale is
that there is really no need for a
person to be in the US for more
than months on a non‑working
business trip. After the initial
period of stay ends, an extension
of stay may be granted for up to
gle trip is one year. An individual
is not required to have a return
ticket when they come to the U.S.
but they should have evidence
with them to show that they have
a reason to leave go back home
at the end of their stay. One of
the requirements needed for an
individual to be granted a B‑1
visa is to show that they will be
here for a specific amount of
time and they plan on returning
to their foreign home. A B‑1 visa
is a temporary visa and therefore
an individual cannot stay in the
U.S. for an infinite amount of
time.
From the year 2014 there has
been decrease in the number of
B‑1 visas that were granted.
According to the Department of
State (DOS) in 2014 there were
44,880 B‑1 visas granted and in
2018 there were only 38,705 B‑
there has been a steady decrease allowed to obtain a dependent
in the number of B‑1 visas that visa.
are granted. This may be con‑ Each dependent who will join
nected to the stricter compliance the B‑1 visa holder to the U.S.
with immigration rules and regu‑ must apply separately for a B‑2
lations under the Trump visitor visa and must follow the
Administration. rules of that visa.
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 working from the India offices from
November 5th to November 20th for any
assistance or consultations.

80,000 immigrants Supreme Court leans

approved for DACA have
arrest records: USCIS
Washington: Nearly 80,000 immigrants
approved for the Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program,
which shields those who came to the
country illegally as minors from deporta‑
tion, have an arrest record ‑‑ including
arrests for violent or sexual offenses. The
data released recently by U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration Services (USCIS) shows
only arrests or apprehensions for a crimi‑
nal offense or an immigration‑related civil
of fense and does not take into account
whether there was a conviction, acquittal,
dismissal or a lessening of charges.
T he report finds that of the nearly
889,000 applicants for the DACA pro‑
gram, 110,000 had arrest records. Of the
more than 765,000 approved for DACA,
toward Trump plan to
79,398 had arrest records. Of that num‑
end DACA program
ber, 67,861 were arrested before their
most recent DACA approval, while 15,903
were arrested after their most recent
approval.
Protesters
T he of fenses incurred by DACA
outside
requestors who were arrested before their the
most recent approval include battery Supreme
(3,421), assault (3,308), burglary, break‑ Court as
ing and entering (1,471), rape (62), mur‑ it was
der (15) and theft or larceny (7,926). The hearing
largest population arrested were suspect‑ the
ed of driving‑related of fenses excluding DACA case
DUIs (23,305) and immigration‑related
of fenses (12,968.) The report comes as
the Obama‑era programʼs constitutionali‑
ty is under examination at the Supreme
Washington: The Supreme Court last week ation. The court's four liberal justices
Court.
appeared likely to side with the Trump argued that the decision to end DACA
administration in its ef fort to end a pro‑ should rise or fall on the administration's

Citizenship application
gram that lets nearly 700,000 young, tenuous claim that it was illegal, rather than
undocumented immigrants live and work in what Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
the USA without fear of deportation. said might be a more legitimate reason: "We

fees up by 80% During an extended, 80‑minute oral argu‑

Washington: The Trump administration
last week proposed increasing the cost
of applying for U.S. citizenship and a
marriage‑based green card, as well as
for the first time charging a fee for asy‑
lum applications. Under the new propos‑
al, published in the Federal Register, fees
for citizenship would increase by more
than 80%, from $640 to $1,170. For
marriage‑based green cards filed within
the United States, application fees would
increase by 56%, from $1,760 to
$2,750. The government is also seeking
to remove fee waivers on these forms,
among others. Some asylum seekers will
also be required to pay $50 to apply for
asylum, making the United States only 1
of 4 countries in the world to charge for
an asylum application. The government
will also increase fees for recipients of
DACA program, from $495 to $765 to
renew their protections.
ment inside a packed courtroom that includ‑
ed some of the threatened immigrants, sev‑
eral conservat ive just ices noted the
Department of Homeland Security laid out
several reasons for its decision to rescind
the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals,
or DACA, program.
Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch acknowl‑
edged that the case's "sympathetic facts ...
speak to all of us," but he said the large
number of people affected and the impact
ending DACA would have on employers and
entire communities was taken into consider‑
don't like DACA, and we're taking responsi‑
bility for that, instead of trying to put the
blame on the law."
Chief Justice John Roberts looked to be
the key vote, as he was in June when he
voted with the court's four liberal justices to
strike down the Trump administration's
effort to add a citizenship question to the
2020 census. This time, he said the attorney
general might be justified to say DACA was
illegal after a related ruling by the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit that the
Supreme Court upheld on a 4‑4 vote in
2016.
 28 November 23-29, 2019 LIFESTYLE TheSouthAsianTimes.info

UK royals undergo wellness Salman Khan appeals fitness

treatment in Bengaluru
B S
ritish royals Prince Charles
and Princess Camilla who
are visiting India have
undergone traditional wellness
treatment at a private spa in
Bengaluru this week, an official said
on Saturday.
"Prince of Wales Charles and
Duchess of Cornwall Camilla have
undergone Ayurvedic we llness
treatment at our spa Soukya," a
spokesperson said in a statement.
The Prince also celebrated his
71st birthday in the presence of his
family and friends on November 14.
"The royals were at the spa for
the sixth time for the wellness treat‑
ment, starting on November 11
with Princess Camilla and the
Prince joining her on November
14," Soukya said.
At Soukya, the royal couple
underwent dif ferent ayurvedic,
naturopathic and yoga treatments.
The wellness center said homeop‑
athy is the first choice of treatment
for the British royal family for more
than 100 years.
Interestingly, Prince Charles is
the patron of the Faculty of
Homeopathy in the UK.
The royal couple also planted a
champa sapling on the Soukya cam‑
pus, whose bark is used in
ayurvedic medicine for treating dis‑
orders in the heart, blood vessels,
cholesterol and blood pressure.
Soukya, located at Whitefield, a
southeast suburb in Bengaluru, is
run by Dr Isaac Mathai who has
been a health consultant to the
freaks not to use steroids
alman Khan, who has
Prince inspired millions of peo‑
Charles and ple in the country to
Princess take up fitness with his muscu‑
Camilla
lar brawn, has urged fitness
planted a freaks not to use steroids, point‑
champa
ing out that such substances
sapling
triggered off liver and kidney
inside the
campus of ailments besides causing other
Soukya harmful effects to the body.
International "Nowadays, there is a trend of
Holistic taking steroids but it's really a
Health wrong trend. I feel no one
Center should use these. In fact, a lot of
people misuse steroids, which is
British royal family for more than really bad for their bodies
15 years. because you can damage your
In April 2018, Prince Charles and liver and kidney. There are a lot
Prime Minister Narendra Modi of people who have died doing
jointly inaugurated an Ayush Centre exercises in the gym because of
at the St. Charles Hospital, London heart failure. So, it is not the
where Dr. Mathai is an adviser. right thing to do at all."
Other world‑famous personalities "I think protein shakes and
who underwent treatment at supplements are good for your
Soukya include Nobel Laureate body but the kind of steroids
Desmond Tutu, Hollywood actress people are consuming are very
Emma Thompson and royalty from harmful. With those steroids,
the Middle East and Europe. you can build your body but
people can easily figure it's a
body built by steroids and not
naturally. That kind of body
cannot last long," said Salman,
while interacting with the media
at the preview of Being Strong
Fitness Equipment on Sunday in
Mumbai.
Salman started a huge fitness
revolution in India way back in
1998, after his shirtless avatar
in the iconic song O oh jaane
jaana in Pyaar Kiya To Darna
Kya became a rage. Since then,
youngsters especially have
started hitting the gym to have
a similar hunky frame.
Talking about the timing of
workouts for being fit and
healthy, Salman said,
"Whenever I get time, I exercise
one body part. Sometimes, I
exercise the stomach, chest or
legs, because I don't have the
time to spend an hour or two in
the gym. Wherever I spot a
small place, I start doing exer‑
cises."

HUMOR
Man caught
stealing ice Sale of cow-dung cakes at US store
cream during
live news report fuels Twitterati's imagination
A A
Twitter post by an Indian journalist ry." "If someone wants to eat them, they cooking." In a cheeky play on words, one user
man in the US was caught
on Monday on the sale of cow‑dung should be allowed to do so," read a tweet. said: "Isko dekh kar maine DUNG reh gaya."
stealing ice cream during
cakes in a US store for Rs 215 elicited One user reminded that "Religious or not, Earlier this year, Amazon was selling ''nat‑
a live news report, in a
witty responses from users. this is good fuel for conventional Punjabi ural'' coconut shells for nearly Rs 1,400.
hilarious video that has gone
"My cousin sent me this. Available at a gro‑
viral on social media and has
gathered more than three million
views on Twitter. In the video, a
cery store in Edison, New Jersey. $2.99 only.
My question: Are these imported from desi Laughter is the Best Medicine
cows or are they from Yankee cows?" Samar
Fox Sports reporter does his
Halarnkar tweeted on his handle @samar11.
piece to camera during a live
The accompanying picture showed a pack‑
report on an ice hockey match,
et of 10 cow‑dung cakes, with the label duly
with fans cheering and waving in
informing prospective customers that the
the background. Then, a man in
product was meant only for "religious pur‑
the crowd slyly takes away an ice
poses" and was "not eatable" (sic).
cream cone from the hand of
The post got quite a few humorous reac‑
another person who is busy talk‑
tions. One user wrote: "Better to market them
ing to his friend and looking at
as ''Cow Dung Cookies'' in the US."
his phone.
"It does not guarantee the ''cakes'' are made
He takes a large bite of the ice
from Cow‑Dung from cows native to India,"
cream and then tries to return it
said another user.
to the owner but decides to dis‑
One tweet said: "Product of India."
appear into the crowd as the man
Another asked: "Is that from buf falo???
realizes that his dessert is miss‑
Raw material input/output high!!!"
ing and begins looking around
One raised suspicion on the quality of the
for the thief.
product in a witty way: "Morality question is
The viral video has been shared
kya inka character dheela hai #sorrynotsor‑
by ESPN and the Carolina
Hurricanes, one of the teams
playing the ice hockey match.
"Crime of the century," they
tweeted along with the viral
video.
Since being shared on
November 12, the video has By Mahendra Shah
received over 48,000 likes and
nearly 14,000 retweets. T he Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist,
video has been viewed more than cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrant Indians for
three million times. the past many year in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info ASTROLOGY November 23-29, 2019 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; w.premastrologer.com

NOVEMBER 23‑29, 2019

Aries: A favourable week is foreseen
which allows you to accomplish
much. An important presentation is
like ly to go we ll, as you are at your
impressive best! Body aches and pains
troubling you for the last few days will dis‑
appear. You will manage to plan your
expenditure accurately and keep within
the budget.Social front is likely to remain
abuzz with excitement about something
that concerns you.
Taurus: Unfounded fears may dis‑
turb you this week on the academic
front. Things may not go your way
at work, if you donʼt regain control of the
workplace situation. Influencing someone
to turn things in your favour may meet
with mixed success. You manage to recov‑
er money invested in a bad deal, but not
without your share of hiccups. Regular
exercise and controlled diet promises to
keep you fit.
Gemini: A new field of work is likely
to fascinate you and push you to
take it full time.You will soon taste
the satisfaction of climbing the ladder of
success on the professional front.Financial
constraints that you had been experienc‑
ing up till now are set to ease. You can
safely say goodbye to an old ailment that
had been troubling you for long.An over‑
seas assignment may come your way and
promises to prove most exciting.
Cancer: An invitation to marriage
or party may be received.Someone
may approach you in a matter
related to your profession. Being fully pre‑
pared on the academic front is a mis‑
nomer, so keep at it! Those planning a
family are in for some good news. You and
your beloved coo like two lovebirds! Job
dissatisfaction is likely to make you look
for greener pastures. Expect an eventful
journey.
Leo: Work is likely to chase you this
week. Project yourself in a befitting
manner, if you want to get noticed
by those who matter on the professional
front. A responsibility needs to be dis‑
charged on the social front. Do so at the
earliest. Overdoing anything this week on
the fitness front may cost you dear. Do a
bit of financial planning, before you start
thinking on the lines of investment.
Virgo: You will be able to make
much progress on lagging projects
at work. Your ability to impress oth‑
ers is likely to make you popular on the
social front. A good time with family is
foreseen as you enjoy bliss and together‑
ness. Positive happenings all around will
keep you happy and contented.Those liv‑
ing on rent will soon be able to own their
own house. Ailment that is troubling you
will show signs of disappearing through a
new line of treatment.
Libra: Weather may become your
enemy number one on the health
front, if you are not careful.Lover
may appear off mood, so keep away and
give space. Moneywise, you will not face
any problems as you will have enough.
Finishing a school project can be a trying
experience, but you will be able to com‑
plete it.Some minor ailment on the health
front can trouble you for a long period, if
you are not cautious enough to prevent it.
Scorpio: T he wee k holds much
promise, but efforts will be required
to grab opportunities. You derive
much pleasure and immense happiness in
togetherness by seeking the company of
partner.
Comfortable financial situat ion w ill
prompt you to think beyond daily needs. A
difficult phase begins on the academic
front, so tighten your belt. A minor ail‑
ment irritates, but not for long.
Sagittarius: Job interviews or job
related activities are likely to take
some t ime to bear fruits. It is
important to remain positive. Donʼt shy
away from taking help on the academic
front. Be careful with whom you associate
romantically as a two‑timing individual
may prove disastrous for your peace of
mind. Those contemplating a joint busi‑
ness venture should postpone it by at least
a month.
Capricorn: This week, you will be
favourably placed, both personally
and professionally. Newlyweds can
expect blissful togetherness! Family will
be supportive of your ideas, but only to an
extent. On the social front, you can expect
the support of your admirers and well‑
wishers. Financial soundness may encour‑
age you to invest in risky ventures, but
donʼt succumb to temptations. A set
routine is your key to good health, so stick
to it.
Aquarius: You are likely to remain
socially active by visiting or call‑
ing over your near and dear
ones.Love life needs resurrection.There is
a good chance of being entrusted with a
prestigious project on the professional
front. You will be able to add to your
wealth by managing your funds well.You
can go ahead with financial deals or trans‑
actions as the week appears favourable.
Pisces: If you get a chance to see a
new place, donʼt miss the opportu‑
nity. The professional front seems
quite rosy the whole week as you are like‑
ly to score over your compet itors.
Domestic front can find you in the exciting
company of friends and relations. It is best
to nip a minor ailment in the bud by tak‑
ing preventive measures. A windfall by
way of inheritance or gift cannot be ruled
out for some.

November 23, 2019 long lasting re lationships.

Governed by number 5 and the
planet Mercury. You are intelligent,
sharp, sensible, business oriented,
dignified, original and dashing per‑
son. People perceive you as a very
warm and friendly person, but you
need to check your tendency to
behave restless and impatient at
times.
Financially a very favorable peri‑
od starts this year, but you should
avoid getting involved in conflict
with loved ones. You would make
financial gains through sale of
property, accrual of rent, dividends
or interests. This is also a good
time to invest in long‑term invest‑
ments and speculations. Children
would be a source of immense hap‑
piness and win laurels in their
fields. Pilgrimage or a distant jour‑
ney will be high on your cards. The
months of March, July and
December will be highly significant.
November 24, 2019
Ruled by number 6 and the plan‑
et Venus. You have a pleasant per‑
sonality, sharp memory and you
are very fond of worldly pleasures.
You are very methodical, emotional
and helpful person. You make your
plans and stick to it, but you need
to control your tendency to behave
moody, timid and spendthrift at
times.
This year businessmen would
expand their ventures into new and
more profitable avenues. You
would do extremely well if you deal
in real estate, but expect some
ANNUAL PREDICTIONS: FOR THOSE BORN IN THIS WEEK
opposition to arise from partners.
New romance for some, so make
the best of it. Meditation and Yoga
should be practiced for spiritual as
well as physical gains. Some exhil‑
arating news from your children
will bring happiness later in the
year. The months of February, May,
August and November will be high‑
ly eventful.
November 25, 2019
Dominated by number 7 and the
planet Neptune, you are highly cre‑
ative, af fectionate, trustworthy,
original, energetic and emotional
person. You never run away from
difficult task. What might appear
impossible to others would look
like a challenge to you. You have
great talents, but you need to con‑
trol your tendency to behave arro‑
gant and dominating at times.
This coming period is good for
starting new ventures. Projects that
have been slow till now would gain
momentum. Disputes if any would
get sorted out and bring a sense of
re lief to your mind. Romantic
encounters with colleagues might
develop, though it would be very
short lived.
Your competitive nature would
make you stay ahead of others and
also make you popular amongst
your peers. Friends will be helpful
but demanding. T he months of
February, May, September and
November will prove to be
significant.
November 26, 2019
Influenced by number 8 and the
planet Saturn. You are ambitious,
authoritative,
systematic, sober and simple per‑
son. You have great potential to
influence large group of people.
You possess modern, revolutionary
views which keep you in the lime‑
light, but you need to control your
tendency to behave stubborn and
jealous at times.
This year you would have abun‑
dance of energy, which if properly
used would bring you overwhelm‑
ing results. Financially it seems to
be a good period to invest in stocks
and property, but all investments
should be made for a long‑term
basis. A distant journey seems like‑
ly later in the year, most probably
for attending some auspicious
occasion. Friends and relatives will
not be very helpful and should not
be depended upon. The months of
March, June, August and January
will prove to be beneficial.
November 27, 2019
Ruled by number 9 and the plan‑
et Mars. You are active, energetic,
trustworthy, systematic and quick
in taking decisions. You always wel‑
come new ideas and are fond of
reading to increase your knowl‑
edge and discover new and
unknown things, but you need to
control your tendency to behave
shy, arrogant and moody at times.
The coming year improves finan‑
cial status of many and some even
inherit ancestral property. Business
will flourish and financial gains will
lift your confidence. Legal matters
that have been haunting your mind
will settle to your satisfaction.
Promotions and increments are
likely for some. Romance however
will not be pleasant as frequent
arguments and disagreements will
keep on bothering your mind.
Students will perform remarkably
we ll in academics and sports.
Those suf fering from blood pres‑
sure and piles need to take extra
care of their health. The months of
March, August and December will
be highly significant.
November 28, 2019
Influenced by number 1 and the
Sun, you are active, energetic,
determined, responsible and origi‑
nal. You are creative and highly
result oriented person, but you
need to curb your tendency to
behave reckless, spendthrift and
stubborn at times.
New jobs and assignments will be
the highlight of the coming year.
Promotions and transfers for some
employees. Investment in property
will yield good returns in the long
run. Frequent and fruitful journeys
will be undertaken bringing mone‑
tary gains and help you build up
Relations with someone of the
opposite sex will strengthen giving
a refreshing and interesting twist
to your life. Some exciting news
from children will lift your spirits.
Rise in your medical bills as health
of your parents could cause tension
and anxiety. T he months of
February, May, October and
December seem to be highly
eventful.
November 29, 2019
Governed by number 3 and the
planet Jupiter, you are bold, ambi‑
tious, dignified, courageous and
intelligent person. You are hard
working and always appreciated
for your commitment and efforts,
but you need to control your ten‑
dency to behave erratic, stubborn
and lazy at times.
Financially this promises to be a
highly lucrative year. New contract
or partnership will take shape, lift‑
ing your moral and confidence.
Investment in stocks and real
estate recommended. Businessmen
dealing in trading and export will
benefit. Students will find this peri‑
od highly exciting, adventurous
and full of good opportunities.
Religious feeling will arise making
you go for a pilgrimage later in the
year. Nuptial knots for few love‑
birds. Chronic patients need to take
preventive medication. Drive care‑
fully, especially during the night.
The months of June, August and
January seem to be important and
significant.
 30 November 23-29, 2019
By Sant Rajinder Singh
Ji Maharaj
I
f we were to look down upon
this physical world from a high
vantage point, we would find
the light of billions of souls shim‑
mering throughout the world.
Like a foaming sea, they move
about from one life to another,
from one form of living thing to
another. All the souls, when seen
in their true perspective, are the
same. They are all a part of God's
consciousness; they are all Light,
and they all have an innate bliss.
But if we look at the condition
of our world, we are appalled and
shocked by the suffering and pain
each form of life is undergoing.
We find strife and dissension
throughout the world. We find
countries at war. Many nations
are embroiled in internal con‑
flicts. We see religious groups at
odds with each other. Community
strife is widespread. Even within
families we find discord and
disharmony. We find human
beings killing various forms of
life, including other human
beings.
We wonder how there can be so
much pain and turmoil caused by
people who have within them the
same divinity of God. This seem‑
ing "fragmentation" of God into so
many souls was meant to bring an
increase in the Lord's happiness.
Just as a couple bear children to
increase their mutual love and
joy, so did God bring about the
creation of so many souls, so
many children. Yet the result is
far from what was intended. We
who are moving packets of bliss
and all‑consciousness are aware
of great pain and torment.
If we could return to our true
state and realize we are soul, we
would find lasting peace and
ecstasy. If we could tap deeply
within ourselves, penetrating
beyond the outer form of this
physical bo dy and mind, we
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS
PEACE, HARMONY AND
HUMAN UNITY
would find a wellspring of eternal
peace and happiness. We would
discover the secret of unity
underlying this Universe.
Honoring saints
and founders of
all religions
through
meditation
The various religious and spiri‑
tual traditions have more com‑
monalities than dif ferences. The
common core of each is the same.
They believe in a higher power,
althoug h called by dif ferent
names, which created all of us.
They also believe that we have a
spiritual core within us created by
the hig her Power. T hey also
speak of tapping into this spiritu‑
al side of ourse lves throug h
prayer, meditation, or inversion to
uncover our Source. While lan‑
guage, terminology, and customs
differ, at the heart of all are prac‑
t ices that connect our true
essence, the soul, with the higher
Power.
Saints, Masters, spiritual teach‑
ers, and enlightened beings, such
as Budd ha, Jesus Christ,
Mahavira, Moses, Krishna, Rama,
Guru Nanak, Kabir, Maulana
Rumi, St.Teresa of Avila, Mira Bai,
Hazur Baba and many others
came to help connect people of
their times with the divine within
them. To understand the role of
saints and Masters, there is a
story about a lion cub that
became lost from its mother. A
mother sheep found the lion cub
frig htened and alone in the
wilderness. Out of compassion,
the sheep took the cub and raised
her as her very own. T he cub
grew up with the other sheep and
began acting like them. Crying,
“Baaah, baaah,” it even began to
believe it was also a sheep.
One day, a lion came by and
thought it strange to hear this
young lion baaahing like a sheep.
The lion asked, “Why are you
making sounds like you are a
sheep?” T he young lion said,
“Because I am a sheep.”
The lion said, “Come with me.” It
brought the young lion to a pool
of water. “Look down into the still
pool,” said the lion. When the
young lion looked down, it
jumped back startled to see a
lionʼs face staring back at it.”
“See! You are a lion,” the older
lion told him. “That is who you
(Image courtesy: stockphotos.ro)
really are.”
We are in the same predicament
as the lion. We think we are the
body and the mind. We do not
realize that we are soul. We are
not sheep; we are lions̶true
sons and daughters of the Divine.
The stillness of meditation is the
reflecting pool in which we can
see who we really are. When our
body and mind are still, we can
see our own true self as soul.
Meditat ion is a pract ical
method in which we can discover
our true self as soul and achieve
spiritual consciousness by reunit‑
ing our soul w ith the hig her
Power. It is a way to discover our
true purpose in life and to reach
the goal of enlightenment in this
lifet ime. In this way, we can
uncover who we really are and
can truly say that we know our‑
selves
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
. Enlightened
living
There is a quotation by the
great Greek philosopher, Socrates.
He said, “Our prayers should be
for blessings in general, for God
knows best what is good for us.”
This quote coincides with the
prayer to Go d to
give us whatever is good for us.
Time and again, whenever we
demand something from God that
is continually denied to us, it is
usually because we are asking for
something that is not good for us
ultimately.
T here have been many
instances in which people prayed
to God for something, and God
did not grant their wish. Later
they came to learn that receiving
the wish would not have been a
good thing after all. Will a mother
allow the child to have poison?
T he child may cry for it and
throw a tantrum, but if it is poi‑
son, the mother will not grant it.
Instead the mother will give the
child what is best for him or her.
The child may not realize it at the
time, but as the child grows and
learns, the child is grateful for all
the things the mother denied him
or her that were ultimately not
good.
Many people are anxious about
making choices. The way to be
sure we make the right choices
about what to pray for is to pray
that God gives us what is best for
us. God makes no mistake. Rather
than pray for something that may
or may not be the best for us, let
us pray for Godʼs will for us.
If we relax and rest in Godʼs
will, we will find that everything
works out for the best in the long
run. Meditation is a process of
relaxing in Godʼs will. Meditation
provides a time when we can let
go of all clutching and praying for
this thing and that. It is a time in
which we sit in a state of stillness
and surrender to Godʼs will. It is a
chance to let go of all our wants
and desires.
We merely sit in a receptive
mood and ask God to grant what
is best for us. We will find that
God will give us much more than
we had expected.T hat is the
secret to enlightened living.
Through meditation, we will
find the treasure of spiritual
pearls to enlightened living that
will bring us peace, happiness,
and bliss. God wants us to live in
eternal peace and bliss in the
spiritual realm.
The essence of
religion
Saints from every religion teach
the same truth. They help us find
the common elements in each.
They have love and respect for
other great saints and the world's
religions. They recognize that
they are teaching the same Truth.
Although outer languages, cul‑
tures, customs, and the way of
dressing and greeting may differ
from country to country, the
essence of religions is the same:
there is one God, we are children
of one Creator, and our purpose is
to know ourselves, know God, and
love all.
(For more visit www.sos.org)
TheSouthAsianTimes.info November 23-29, 2019
TheSouthAsianTimes.info November 23-29, 2019

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