Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Immigration 12
Heritage 27
Spiritual Awareness 30
Follow us on
Sangma in ring, but Pranab sure shot for President India, Page 19
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
BhupathiBopanna pair for Olympics, Paes gets Vishnu Sports, Page 26
Race for Pak PM: PPP drops Shahabuddin, names Pervez Ashraf
Islamabad: Tipped earlier as a covering candidate, Raja Pervez Ashraf of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was Thursday named the party's main candidate for the office of prime minister following the issue of a non-bailable arrest warrant against the previous contender Makhdoom Shahabuddin. Pervez Ashraf was earlier minister of power and water in the Gilani government, Two opposition candidates, Continued on page 4
The Xavier University School of Medicine, Aruba (XUSOM) has graduated 63 students from the class of 2012, out of which 27 were conferred degrees June 16 at a grand ceremony including hooding and taking of the Hippocratic Oath. The event was graced by dignitaries including NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and top officials of the school. The WHO-recognized medical school in a Caribbean island boasts over 300 students on its rolls, with guaranteed clinical rotations in the US. (Photo: Xitij Joshi). See report and more pictures on page 14-15.
Anjani Jain, an almunus of IIM Ahmedabad, is joining the Yale School of Management as senior associate dean for the full-time MBA program. two years, he has been the vice dean of the MBA program for executives. Jain has taught a range of courses and conducted important research in production and operations management, and he will contribute to the Yale SOM curriculum as a senior lecturer. Jain also has a PhD. from the University of California, Los Angeles, Graduate School of Management.
Dharun Ravi, 20, right, walks out of Middlesex County jail, NJ with his attorney Steven Altman.
New Jersey: Dharun Ravi, the Rutgers University student who was convicted of a bias crime after spying with his web cam on his roommate who later committed suicide, was released from Middlesex County jail Tuesday morning after serving 20 days of his 30 day sentence. Ravi, 20, who eluded a maximum 10-year sentence and reported to jail voluntarily May 31 while his lawyer appealed his sentence, was given 10 days off his term for good behavior and working while in jail. Ravi - who wore a beard and glasses while exiting prison - still faces three years of probation, as well as orders to pay fines and perform community service for spying on Tyler Clementi who was having a romantic encounter with another man. Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge days after the incident.
Yoga practitioners celebrate the summer solstice during the Mind Over Madness event in New York's Times Square, June 20, 2012. At least 14,000 people attended on the longest day of the year.
Turn Page
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Mr. Anil Bansal (third from right), the new Executive Chairman of Indus American Bank , was given a reception at the Hicksville, NY branch on Thursday. Pictured are: Indus officials Gagandeep Kaur, Roopam Maini, Akshat Kaul (branch manager), Jasbir Chopra (President and CEO) with guests Kamlesh Mehta, Darshan Singh Bagga, Ravishankar Bhooplapur, and Bobby Kumar Kalotee. At Rio India blames story Continued from page 1 ple of common but differentiated responsibilities -- are at the heart of international cooperation for sustainable development. We are glad that we have collectively agreed on this key issue," Natarajan told journalists at a briefing session. But India felt saddened by the lack of firm commitment by the rich nations on how to fund schemes, technologies and programs that will result in making planet Earth greener and promote growth and inclusion in a sustainable manner. But that was not expected given the current global economic crisis. "While we remain disappointed with the weak political will in developed countries to provide enhanced means of implementation to developing countries, we are glad we have agreed to set up two important mechanisms -one for technology transfer and another for finance," Natarajan said."Both were Indian proposals and received strong support from G77 countries, including those from Africa, the least developed countries and small islandstates. We are now keen to collectively ensure these mechanisms are operationalized and delivered effectively for developing countries." At the Summit, India also sought to point out the dichotomy between the environmental concerns of the rich countries and those of the poor and developing economies, particularly since the latter were being asked to reverse the consequences of what had been done earlier by the developed world. But that does not mean India was seeking to shirk its role. "India has already taken several steps to promote green growth in the context of sustainable development, including plans for emissions intensity reduction by 20-25 percent by 2020 over 2005," Natarajan said. Race for Pak PM story Continued from page 1 Maulana Fazlur Rehman from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Sardar Mehtab Abbasi from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), also filed nomination papers Thursday. Shahabuddin's name was dropped after an anti-narcotics court Thursday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against him as well as disqualified prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's son Ali Musa in an illegal drugs quota case, Geo News reported. A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has directed the Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) to arrest Shahabuddin. Shahabuddin, in his earlier capacity as health minister, had unauthorisedly approved the manufacturing license for the drug ephedrine to two pharmaceuticals firms -- Berlex Lab International and Danas Pharma -- for Rs.7 billion. The case came to light after the two Multan-based companies failed to export asthma drugs to Afghanistan, after obtaining export quotas from the health ministry. President Asif Ali Zardari had earlier formally named Shahabuddin as the PPP's candidate for the PM post. A special session of the National Assembly has been summoned Friday (June 22) to elect the new prime minister, after Yousuf Raza Gilani was disqualified by the Supreme Court
Strategy & Business Development Namit Narain, C: 516.303.2075 Namit@TheSouthAsianTimes.info Printed Every Saturday by Forsythe Media Group, LLC ISSN 1941-9333 76 N Broadway, Suite 2004, Hicksville, NY 11801 P: 516.390.7847 Website: TheSouthAsianTimes.info Updated Daily Chairman and Co-Founder Kamlesh C. Mehta Co-Founder: Saroosh Gull President: Arjit Mehta Board Advisors (Honorary) Ajay Lodha, MD, Lakhpat B. Mehta, Esq. Rajasthan High Court & Supreme Court West Coast Correspondent Pooja Jain, Pooja@TheSouthAsianTimes.info New Delhi Bureau Meenakshi Iyer Delhi@TheSouthAsianTimes.info Managing Editor: Parveen Chopra C : 516.710.0508 Editor@TheSouthAsianTimes.info Associate Editors Vikas Girdhar, Hiral Dholakia-Dave, Meenakshi Iyer Contributing Editors: Melvin Durai, Dr Prem Kumar Sharma, Harry Aurora, Ashok Vyas, Ashok Ojha, Jinal Shah, Dr Akshat Jain, Nupur Joshi Administration and PR (New York) Smita Bhooplapur. P: 516.390.7847 Smita@TheSouthAsianTimes.info Marketing & PR (Washington DC) Chander Gambhir, P: 703.717.1667 Jaipur (India) Bureau Prakash Bhandari Prakash@TheSouthAsianTimes.info Print Distribution in India Maneesh Media Agency, P: 91.141.4188811, MMedia@TheSouthAsianTimes.info Photographs: Gunjesh Desai/ masalajunction.com. Xitij Joshi/xitijphoto.com
Photo Journalist: Parveen/Bhanu Seth Chief Cartoonist: Mahendra P. Shah Art and Design: Vladimir Tomovski Bhagwati Creations, Rahul Sahota Web Editor: B.B.Chopra News Service: HT Media Ltd. IANS Newswire Services Printing: Five Star Printing, NY Richner Publications Contacts Editor@TheSouthAsianTimes.info Subscribe@TheSouthAsianTimes.info Advertisements Advertise@TheSouthAsianTimes.info P : 516.390.7847 F : 516.465.1343
Notice: The South Asian Times is published weekly by The Forsythe Media Group, LLC. POSTMASTER: Send all address notices, subscription orders/payments and other inquiries to The South Asian Times, 76 N Broadway, Suite 2004, Hicksville, NY 11801, USA. Copyright and all other rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be reprinted without the consent of the publisher. The views expressed on the opinion pages and in the letters to the editor pages are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of The South Asian Times. The editor/publisher does not warrant accuracy and cannot be held responsible for the content of the advertisements placed in the publication and/or inaccurate claims, if any, made by the advertisers. Advertisements of business or facilities included in this publication do not imply connection or endorsement of these businesses. All rights reserved.
Gov Bobby Jindal ment that the private sector was doing fine, he added: Mr. President, Ive got a message for you: The private sector is not doing well when 23 million Americans are unemployed and underemployed in this great country. This president, the private sector is so foreign to him he might need a passport to actually go visit and he might need a translator to help him talk to folks in the private sector. Jindal gave a standard expression of disinterest when asked about his name coming up as a possible vice presidential candidate. Ive got the job that I want, he told reporters after his speech.
Raghuveer Nayak ing to sell President Barack Obama's vacant senate seat. Nayak had also told the FBI that Jackson made a "pay-to-play" offer to get Blagojevich to appoint Jackson to fill the senate seat left vacant by Obama's election as US President. Nayak was charged with 10 counts of mail fraud, five counts of interstate travel in aid of racketeering, and four counts of filing false income tax returns for the years 2005-2008. The indictment seeks forfeiture of at least $ 1.8 million in alleged fraud proceeds, or substitute assets, including Nayak's Oak Brook, Illinois residence and two surgery centres. In addition to those two facilities, Nayak owned and controlled health care-related businesses in Illinois and Indiana, according to the indictment. Each count of mail fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $ 250,000 as well as mandatory restitution, while each count of filing a false income tax return carries a three-year maximum prison term and a $ 250,000 fine.
Minister of External Affairs, S. M. Krishna met with Indian National Overseas Congress (I) (INOC), USA Senior Leaders in Washington DC during his recent visit. George Abraham, President of INOC, USA was accompanied by Senior Executive members, Treasurer Kanwal Sra, Kerala Chapter Chief Kalathil Varghese, Former Vice President and current Executive Committee member, Mohinder Singh, and Lavika Bhagat Singh, President of the Washington Chapter.
IN BRIEF
ndia Association of Long Island (IALI) has organized the 21st Annual INDIAFEST 2012 annual event which will be held on Sunday August 12th 2012, at Hyatt Regency Hotel, Hauppauge, NY. IndiaFest 2012 is a way for us to celebrate the rich ethnic and cultural diversity of India with the long Island, New York community. IndiaFest has become one of most anticipated and biggest premier events to occur in long Island,NY with over 10,000 people in attendance. The event is
free for all with no parking fee. The festival will showcase and highlight in many ways - Indian culture, Art and Crafts, varieties of delicious Indian cuisine, Fashion Shows, Indian Bazaar, designer clothing and jewelry, Music, Indian Folk and classical dances, Bollywood entertainment, mingle with social and political dignitaries, Youth and Kids activities and even in the area of spirituality and yoga.In addition, the event will have lots of free gifts, raffles and big prizes. For further info visit www.IALINY.org
unanda Mane (Ashoka Fellow 2011), co-founder and President, Lend-A-Hand India, an NGO, has been conferred with the reputed Ashoka Globalizer Fellowship 2012. She will be presenting the program model of Lend-A-Hand India at the Globalizer Summit 2012 in Geneva later this month. The Ashoka Globalizer is a highly selective fellowship program which aims to broaden the scale of innovative social initiatives, which have
succeeded at a local/regional level by providing financial and strategic support to take them to the global scale. The Geneva Summit will see her present the model of Lend-A-Hand India and exchange ideas in the field of rural development with social entrepreneurs from Sub-Saharan Africa and India. The fellowship stands testimony to the instrumental role Lend-A-Hand India has played in reducing the disconnect in educational curricula and employment opportunities.
V journalist and documentary filmmaker Joya Dass tackles the topic of curable blindness in children in the developing world, in a 50-minute documentary 'First Sight.' A screening was held at the Disney Screening Room Tuesday, June 19th. First Sight features new music from award-winning artists Sivamani and Falu. Screening was made possible by a donation from Meera Gandhi and the Giving Back Foundation and is featured as part of S.H.E. Summit Week, about women effecting change in the world. Living in rural India and beset by poverty, poor hygiene, and lack of medical care, Ranjith, Balaji, and Anitha all suffer from devastating eye conditions that diminish their quality of life and threaten their futures. First Sight follows the emotional journeys of these young patients as they prepare for and undergo life-changing procedures to reverse their debilitating handicap. India is home to a fifth of the worlds blind children, many of whom suffer from easily reversible conditions, such as cataracts. However,
generations of intermarriage, poor hygiene, malnutrition, child labor, a lack of education have left these children with no avenue for seeking treatment. Recognizing the plight of this highly vulnerable demographic, one doctor formed the Sankara Eye Institutions, India. When the right resources and the right intentions connect, common conditions such as cataracts are easily solved. Since the 1970s, Sankara doctors have performed over a half million free eye surgeries. Their monumental goal is to treat a million people a year and eradicate curable blindness in the country by the year 2020. First Sight follows Ranjith (age 15), Balaji (age 14) and Anitha (age 5) as they undergo life-changing eye surgeries at a foundation hospital in Tamil Nadu. The film not only aims to raise awareness for eye disease in the developing world, but also seeks to illuminate the remarkable journeys of three of its youngest victims. Their stories represent both the immense hardships and the growing hope in overcoming it.
he Akanksha Foundation, an education non-profit organization credited with creating the charter school system in India through public-private partnerships, announces the opening of four news schools in Mumbai by mid-June: Laxmi Nagar, Bandra; Mahalaxmi MPS, Mahalaxmi; Wadibunder, Mazgaon; and Nutwar Nagar, Jogeshwari. Each new location will house one lower kindergarten classroom, which will educate 30 students and employ two teachers, for a total of 120 new students and eight new teachers. As part of our commitment at the Clin-
ton Global Initiative (CGI) last year, The Akanksha Foundation pledged that it would open six new schools by 2015, for a total of 15 fully-operating schools, says Vandana Goyal, the organizations Chief Executive Officer. We are well ahead of our goal, and we are looking forward to reporting our progress at CGI this September. Last year, The Akanksha Foundation was recognized as NGO of the Year for The India NGO Awards, co sponsored by The Resource Alliance and The Rockefeller Foundation.
New York man and his female acquaintance were indicted June 14 in the fatal shooting of the man's wife in front of their 3-year-old son at a family celebration in Boonton, N.J.Kashif Parvaiz, 26, of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Antionette Stephen, 27, of Billerica, Mass., were indicted on charges of first-degree murder, first-degree conspiracy to commit murder, multiple weapons offenses, endangering the welfare of a child and child abuse charges. Both are being held at the Morris County Jail. According to news reports, the two are accused of killing Parvaiz's wife, Nazish Noorani, 27, on Aug. 16, 2011 while the couple was in Boonton visiting Noorani's family during Ramadan celebrations. Noorani died of multiple gun- shots to the chest. Parvaiz, who was shot
four times, had originally told authorities he and his wife were victims of a hate crime. He claimed they were approached by several men who yelled racial slurs before shooting them while they pushed their son in a stroller, nj.com reported.Through phone records, authorities discovered Parvaiz allegedly plotted the killing and had Stephen carry out the shooting, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office said. "This case was extensively investigated with witnesses interviewed and significant evidence gathered in numerous states," Morris County Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi said in a statement. "We now look for- ward to presenting our proofs in court and again extend our sympathies to Nazish Noorani's family for such a tragic and senseless loss."
California Attorney General Kamala Harris for Victims of Human Trafficking), by Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield (D-San Fernando Valley), which will require that more victims of human trafficking receive restitution. AB 2466 will be heard in the Senate Public Safety on June 26. Attorney General Harris has made the fight against human trafficking a priority throughout her career. This week she announced an innovative program with Yahoo! and Polaris Project to combat human trafficking, which, in the past five years, has largely migrated to the Internet. Through this joint effort, if key search words like human trafficking are entered into Yahoo! Search, Internet users will see a banner that states: Call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888373-7888 to report sex trafficking, forced labor, or to get help.
Mitra Dutta, engineer-physicist. to serve in this position and past recipient of the Society work with so many excel- of Women Engineers' lent researchers across our Achievement Award, the campus. We want to pro- organization's highest vide the best environment honor. possible for our faculty to Since joining Illinois carry on their important University, she has been work." principal or co-principal Dutta joined Illinois investigator on about 20 University in 2001 to head grants totaling more than the newly formed depart- $7.5 million. ment of electrical and comDutta received a BSc puter engineering. from Gauhati University, an A longtime senior MSc in physics from the researcher and director with University of Delhi, and a the Army laboratories who master's and doctorate in supervised $310 million in physics from the University grants to universities, she is of Cincinnati.
Empowering Women seminar panel and special guests. Washington, DC: For the second year, the National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA) organized an Empowering Women seminar on June 8 following NFIAs Congressional luncheon and White House briefing under the leadership of Lal Motwani. The seminar was attended by 150 people where distinguished speakers spoke highlighting the contributions of women from all walks of life who have been making an impact in many economies. The speakers also addressed womens struggles because of prevalence of poverty and other social ills that ail many societies all over the world. A documentary Tinka Tinka, about the dream of a Dalit girl of getting education in India, was also shown. The symposium, put together by Angela Anand, was held at Diya Restaurant in Vienna, VA. It was addressed by Ambassador Islam Siddiqui, the Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Obama Administration, and US Trade Representative. He said women are making significant contributions and can also benefit economically because the Administration has placed a high importance on bilateral trade. Dr. Kalpana Kochhar, Chief Economist (South Asia) at the World Bank, pointed out that South Asia has the highest gender inequality in the world. In response, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State (South and Central Asia), Dr. Alyssa Ayres, said the Obama Administration is focusing on helping womens development globally and that the President has appointed an ambassador, Ms. Meulanne Verveer, to spearhead the initiatives for helping women overcome societal and economic barriers. Ajita Talwalkar, Special Assistant to Under Secretary of the Department of Education and focused on student loan financing, said, Education is important for Indian families and education helps individuals to get out of economic disadvantage.
Bikram Kumar Mohanty Bhubaneswar: Indian-American entrepreneur Bikram Kumar Mohanty has been chosen as the candidate of President Barak Obama's Democratic Party for Georgia state's Senate elections slated later this year. Migrating to the US in 1994 from Chandbali in Odisha's Bhadrak district, around 110 km from here, Mohanty, 45, is the founder and chief executive officer of Innovative Rehab Solutions - a health care company based in Gerogia's Valdosta city. "As a student, I got the opportu-
Ravi Baichwal American young professionals lead the program and were successful in
Major (Retd) Avtar Singh sons who were killed. Singh owned and operated Jay Truck Lines in Selma. It is unclear when he settled in the Selma area, but a search of public records databases reveals prior addresses in Fowler, Fresno and Kerman dating to 1996, the Bee said. He also may have lived in Iowa for a time in 2006-07. The murder-suicide has left the tight-knit Indian community in the small agricultural town of Selma shocked. "Our community is completely shocked," Rajbir Singh Pannu, president of the town's Sikh temple, said Sunday. "It's a really bad misfortune, especially for the children who died. Anybody who takes somebody's life, in our religion that's cowardice." The Indian community numbers about 15,500 in Fresno County. That includes 750 in Selma, surrounded by vineyards and peach orchards. The majority of Indians in the area are Punjabi Sikhs, like the family.
78 percent of Indian Americans say being a good parent is one of the most important things to them personally. (28 percent), the survey found. More than half of Indian Americans (57 percent) own a home, compared with 58 percent of Asian Americans overall and 65 percent of the US population overall. The share of adult Indian Americans who live in poverty is 9 percent, lower than the rate for all Asian Americans (12 percent) as well as the national rate (13 percent).Indian Americans stand out from most other US Asian groups in the personal importance they place
10
Perspective
from the American people. The majority of the arrivals from India were Sikhs who preserved their religious beliefs and practices by keeping a beard, long hair on their head and wearing a turban. They were easily distinguishable from the rest of the immigrants. But, unfortunately, they were called Rag heads, a derogatory term used for the Indians at that time. Also, all Indians were commonly called Hindoos (Hindus) irrespective of their faith. The very presence of Hindus in America provoked hostility from the Asiatic Exclusion League which carried propaganda against the Hindu invasion of America and persuaded the media to write against The Tide of Turbans. The employers preferred the Indians to the whites but the unions despised them. As the number of Indian workers increased within a span of few years, they started encountering rampant prejudice and widespread hostility. In 1907, Indians became the victims of racial riots in Bellingham, a milling town in the state of
On the extreme right with President Truman signing the Luce-Cellar bill, are J J Singh and Dr Anup Singh. Washington. The chief objective of the attack was to scare them so badly that they will not crowd white labor out of the mills. The nightmarish incident forced about 300 Indians, employed in various mills, to leave the town in fear. The Asiatic Exclusion League and other similar groups became emboldened and wanted to prevent further immigration from India and force those already in the country to go back. Anti-Indian immigration groups also succeeded in getting the Alien Land Law passed in 1913, a
new law that prevented aliens ineligible for citizenship" to own property in California. The U.S. citizenship conferred many rights and privileges but only white immigrants were eligible to apply. Indian nationals without citizenship, continued to suffer humiliation and hardships. The US Congress could pass a law to grant US citizenship to 2,000 or possibly 2,500 Indians in America. But majority of the Indians were very skeptical if Congress would pass such a law. It was not that they did not want citizenship rights, but they had suffered so many hardships and been knocked about so much that it was very difficult for them to believe that there was a chance of their winning. (Saund: Congressman from India) J. J. Singh of India League of America, Mubarak Ali Khan of the Indian Welfare League, Anup Singh, Haridas Muzumdar, Taraknath Das, and from California, Dalip Singh Saund of the India Association of America, led the lobbying effort for citizenship rights. They were able to successfully convince Connecticut Republican Congresswoman, Clare Booth Luce, and New York Democrat Congressman, Emanuel Cellar, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, to jointly introduce a bill in Congress for the grant of US citizenship to Indian immigrants. However, selling this concept to the majority of the members in the US Congress was an uphill task, more so as the passage of the bill could open the door for other Asians who were similarly deprived of citizenship rights. For four years, the bill languished in the Congressional Committees and Indians continued running into obstacles in finding a powerful ally to push it through Congress. Although, President Roosevelt wrote letters to Congressmen and Senators but some die-hard members of Congress and the American Federation of Labor would not relent in their opposition. Fortunately, in 1946, President Truman took special interest in the passage of the LuceCellar Bill which was subsequently passed by the US Congress. President Truman signed the bill on July 2, 1946, in the presence of several people including Sardar J.J. Singh of New York, President of the India League and Dr. Anoop Singh of Washington DC. On July 2, Luce-Cellar Bill became law as the Immigration Act of 1946, conferring rights of citizenship on the natives of India. This day, in essence, should be considered as the Independence Day for Indian Americans. The US proclaims liberty and justice for all. For the first time, Indians felt that this phrase applied to them also. Indian Americans should celebrate Americas independence enthusiastically on July 4. At the same time, Indian civic organizations should organize annual celebration of July 2 as the day when Indians achieved parity, equality and dignity in America. The grant of citizenship rights opened new opportunities for Indian nationals. They could lease or own land, which previously they could not under the Asiatic Exclusionary laws or take part in an election or even run for a public office. They could go back for a visit to India or bring their spouse and minor children to the US. There was no longer a bar on love relationship; an Indian could marry an American citizen. (Inder Singh is chairman of Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO International), former president of NFIA and founder president of FIA of Southern California.)
Law TheSouthAsianTimes.info
11
Rajat Gupta's fall 'from lofty board room to lowly jail cell'
New York: The conviction last Friday of the one-time poster boy of Indian business in America, Rajat Gupta, on charges of securities fraud marks yet another phase in his roller coaster ride from an orphan to lofty board room to convicted felon. A jury at federal court in Manhattan convicted the former Goldman Sachs' India-born director of three counts of securities fraud and one count of conspiracy. He was acquitted on the remaining two counts of securities fraud. Each of the three securities fraud charges he was convicted of carry maximum sentences of 20 years each. He was also found guilty of one count of conspiracy, which carries a five-year maximum. The jury reached its verdict on the second day deliberations concluding a four-week trial that started on May 21. Gupta, 63, did not testify in his own defense. It was the highest-profile conviction yet in a wave of federal cases focused on Wall Street misconduct. Adult daughters of Harvard educated Gupta hugged and wept as the verdict was read. He showed no visible reaction. Ironically, Gupta's fall from grace was brought about by another Indian American, Preet Bharara, nicknamed the "Sheriff of Wall Street", for leading a wave of insider trading probes over the last two-and-a-half years. "Having fallen from respected insider to convicted inside trader, Gupta has now exchanged the lofty board room for the prospect of a lowly jail cell," as Bharara succinctly summed it up after a federal court jury convicted Gupta on three counts of securities fraud and one count of conspiracy. Born in Maniktala, Kolkata, in 1948 to a freedom fighter journalist Ashwini Kumar Gupta, Rajat became an orphan at the age of 18 as his parents died one after the other within two years. His upward journey began after he received a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Delhi in 1971 and chose to go to Harvard Business School, where he was named a Baker Scholar. Gupta joined McKinsey & Company in 1973 as one of the earliest Indian-Americans at the consultancy. Starting his career in New York, he moved to Scandinavia to become the head of McKinsey offices there in 1981. Elected senior partner in 1984, he became head of the Chicago office in 1990. In 1994, he was elected the firm's first managing director born outside of the US, and re-elected twice in 1997 and 2000. In this capacity, Gupta was recognized as the first Indian-born CEO of a global corporation. After retiring from active practice, while maintaining an affiliation at McKinsey, Gupta served as corporate chairman, board director or strategic advisor to a variety of large and notable organizations. These included Goldman Sachs, Procter & Gamble and American Airlines, and non-profits including The Gates Foundation, The Global Fund and the International Chamber of Commerce. Rajat Gupta is additionally the cofounder of four different organizations -- the Indian School of Business, the American India Foundation, New Silk Route and Scandent with various partners. The conviction of Gupta on charges of securities fraud has shocked India's business elite, who are still struggling to come to terms with the downfall of one of their most celebrated members. In India, while many expressed feelings of sadness and shame, others admitted that the trial had damaged the international image of Indian commerce. "The devastating part of this is that Rajat was a hero and a role model to many of us, in terms of his success and his conduct," says Jayant Sinha, managing director of Omidyar Network India Advisors, an investment group, and a former colleague of Gupta at McKinsey. "So to see this happen, it is just really heartbreaking." During the trial many leading industrialists backed a public campaign supporting Gupta and casting doubt on the evidence against him, including Mukesh Ambani, the billionaire head of Reliance Industries, and Adi Godrej, chairman of the Godrej Group. Ambani also published an open letter, in which he expressed admiration for Gupta's philanthropic endeavors, which included a prominent role in setting up the Indian School of Business, an elite western-style management school founded in Hyderabad in 1999. "I respect Rajat for his selfless dedication and humility and he will always be a friend of mine," he wrote. But while the tone of much of the reaction to the verdict has been marked by quiet regret, others have been more critical, both of Gupta's conduct and more broadly of the manner in which India's business elite rallied to his defense. Gurcharan Das, an author of books on the Indian economy and former chief executive of the Indian operations of Procter & Gamble, said the saga suggested that Gupta, while associating with billionaires, aspired to become one of them. Eminent New York lawyer Ravi Batra said, The Jury has spoken fast and with two "not guilty" verdicts, made it more just. Gupta, in a moment of near insanity, successfully sued the US Government to dismiss the S.E.C. administrative case and got a double-barrel response: criminal indictment and a civil case. He stands convicted by a just jury, which honored its oath to hold the Government to its highest burden of proof: guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Now, after the defense motion to set aside the verdict is swiftly disposed off by the court, the sentencing stage will cause Judge Jed Rakoff, one of America's independent best, to take stock of Gupta's lifelong good deeds to determine a reduced just sentence. Wall Street, directors and consulting firms have just had one of their own convicted for cheating the investors on Main Street. High time for fiduciaries to honor their duties honestly, he added.
Preet Bharara, nicknamed the 'Sheriff of Wall Street', led a series of insider trading probes, which brought about Gupta's downfall. Praising Bharara, Batra said, Preet Bharara is a global hero, even as markets in the EU and across the world continue to suffer from an economy tainted by financial misconduct by self-proclaimed masters of the universe, Bharara has reminded them all that they are subject to the rule of law and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. In so doing, he is doing to Wall Street what Rudy Giuliani did to the mob."
12
Immigration TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Its not exactly Dream Act. The provisions are cornerstone of what Dream Act was _ David Nachman, Esq.
By Vikas Girdhar D a v i d Nachman, of Nachman, Phulwani & Zimovcak (NPZ) Law Group, P.C., provided exclusive insight to the new immigration policy, speaking to SATimes. Historical perspective About a year ago, John Morton, who is in charge of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Division of the Department of Homeland Security, passed through what was called the Prosecutorial Discretion Memorandum. It listed out some of the initiatives that ICE was hoping to take. One of those initiatives was specifically with regard to individuals who were, what we call Dreamers or kids who were brought to the United States when they were young, who knew no other country other than the US, who have gone to school and who dont have criminal records. What the memorandum did is it gave the government the ability to exercise what is called prosecutorial discretion and to close their cases and not remove them from the United States, depending on what part of the process they were in, immigrationwise. Lets say, if they were in a removal proceeding, the trial attorney was given discretion to be able to close the case. If they were not in a removal proceeding, the legal counsel could, if they wanted to, try to make out an affirmative action for application based upon prosecutorial discretion. It was wonderful that they promulgated this policy but the downside was that not all of the agencies of the Department of Homeland Security were on the same page a year ago.
EXCLUSIVE
When ICE promulgated that memorandum, CBP (Customs and Border Protection) and CIS (Citizenship and Immigration Services), which are the other two agencies within the Department of Homeland Security, were turning their backs and saying this is a nice thing but we dont really know what ICE is talking about. That was the position that they took. So what happened was that with this passing of the buck as in any bureaucratic organization, you had a lot of people who were just throwing up their hands and saying look, Im not going to do anything because its the safest thing to do. What it means now What just happened on June 15 is that the President made an announcement about the new provisions. It was an administrative initiative. This is very important. A lot of people think its an executive directorate but its an administrative action by the Department of Homeland Security. The anti-immigration people are saying its unconstitutional or hes acting without Congressthats a load of baloney. Fact is, the administrative agency under the administrative arm, which is that part of the government, is taking an initiative. Theyre passing a policy where if you have an individual who entered the United States prior to the age of 16, was in the country for at least five years continuously (and thats defined), gone to school or served in the military and is under 30 years old as of the date of the memorandum passing which was June 15, that they are allowed to obtain deferred action. There are two ways to obtain it: 1) If they are in removal proceedingsthe government is opening removal proceedings for them. Any cases that have been administratively closed, they are going to be reopening them and issuing deferred action to these kids. 2) Theyre in the process of
employment authorization document, which is done on a form I-765. Right now, there is not enough information out there for us to be able to do anything except for the people who are currently in removal proceedings who do qualify for these provisions because we can make a motion to reopen those cases and to have the affirmative action granted to them. Future outlook We are very hopeful that something more formal will be coming down. For us right now, its just a matter of getting the word out. For a very long time, since 1996, the alleged cornerstone to comprehensive immigration reform (CIR) has been the discussion of Dream Act. Politically, Marco Rubio, who is allegedly going to be Mitt Romneys running-mate, is working on his own Dream Act bill in Florida. Obama beat him to the punch by making this announcement. I believe that President Obama is sending a subtle message to the masses that if and when he is re-elected in the second term, he is going to push through comprehensive immigration reformand for us, thats a wonderful message to get. For more information, visit the Dream Provisions Page of the firms website www.visaserve.com.
The DREAM Act (acronym for Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) has been gaining support in recent years.
formalizing a policy and a procedure for making an affirmative application to these kids who are in the US. So what theyll be able to do is apply directly to the Citizenship and Immigration Service and theyll be able to obtain employment authorization documents and that will be good for two years which will allow them to get social security and drivers license and also to be able to apply for tuition benefits and all kinds of wonderful benefits that students should have. There is no policy currently in place and we are warning the public to be very careful because there are people out there that are not licensed to practice law that are preying on these people. There are a tremendous amount of people in the Indian community, the South Asian community, the Hispanic communityevery community you can possibly imagine, has these people that encounter those that dont speak the language and selling them the bill of goods. There is no policy in place. So what were doing is we are taking names and numbers and once theres a policy out therea formal procedure thats been implemented, were going to be notifying everyone as soon as we can, hopefully through the reach of media and other non-governmental, community and religious organizations to get the word out there and to try to get as many people as possible swept under this new law. Its estimated, I believe, there are 400,000 to 500,000 people in the US who will be able to benefit from this new rule. I personally believe that the application process is going to mimic the deferred action process that presently exists, which is basically a written letter to the district directors office requesting deferred action for humanitarian purposes, which have to be clearly outlined and accompanied by an application for
Asians, more than Latinos, are largest group of new arrivals in U.S.
31% for Hispanics, according to a report released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center. That's a significant change from a decade ago, when 19% of immigrants were Asians and 59% were Hispanics. Far fewer Asian Americans enter the US States illegally than do Hispanics. The Pew survey looked at recent arrivals of people with both legal and unauthorized status, as well as those arriving with work, student or other temporary visas. Pew's exhaustive new report on Asian-Americans found important differences between AsianAmericans and other population groups in America. It also shed light on the diversity among Asian-Americans, who sometimes cringe at the broadness of the category that covers every country of origin from Afghanistan to South Korea. The Pew survey showed that across the board, AsianAmericans are more satisfied than any other Americans with their lives, finances and direction of the country. They also place more value on traditional marriage, family and parenthood and usually possess a strong work ethic. Nearly seven in 10 respondents said people could get ahead if they are willing to work hard. And 93% of Asian-Americans describe people of their origin as "very hard-working," whereas only 57% said the same about Americans as a whole. Asian-Americans also attain college degrees (61%) at about double the rate of recent nonAsian immigrants (30%), Pew found. Indian-Americans lead other groups in terms of income and education. Seven in 10 Indian-American adults ages 25 and older have a college degree, compared with about half of Americans of Korean, Chinese, Filipino and Japanese ancestry, and about a quarter of VietnameseAmericans.
In 2010, 36% of new immigrants were Asians compared to 31% for Hispanics. Washington: The immigration debate often centers on stemming the flow of people entering the United States illegally and what to do about securing borders to the south. But here's a fact that goes without much attention: Asians have now taken over Latinos as the largest group of new arrivals every year. In 2010, 36% of new immigrants were Asians compared to
US Affairs TheSouthAsianTimes.info
13
Republican nominee for President, Mitt Romney Washington DC: Newt Gingrich says he believes the super rich have an unfair advantage in American politics, but he also tells Spinners & Winners that he urged his wealthiest supporter to give millions to the cause of electing Mitt Romney President. Spinners and Winners caught up with the former Speaker of the House at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., where he weighed in on presumptive nominee Mitt Romney's strengths and weaknesses, the unavoidable role of money in politics, and another of his great passions: zoo animals. Romney's "biggest weakness is gonna be the tendency of the consultants to say play it safe," warned Gingrich. But if Romney stays on offense, Gingrich argued, Obama could lose by a "surprising margin." When Romney was his foe during the primary battle, however,
* * * * * *
4 YEAR OR 5 1/2 YEARS MD PROGRAM FOR MOTIVATED STUDENTS CLINICAL ROTATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES LOW STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO USMLE REVIEW WITH KAPLAN SUPERIOR FACULTY AND IDYLLIC LOCATION FOR THE STUDY OF MEDICINE PAYMENT PLAN OPTIONS AVAILABLE
* MAINTAIN MINIMUM HONORS TO QUALIFY FOR FURTHER SEMESTERS * ONLY SEMESTER MD1 THROUGH MD4
14
27 of the 63 graduates taking the Hippocratic Oath at the ceremony held in New York. (right) Graduating class Valedictorian, Rachel Karmally speaking. ment for the graduates. to serve humanity. Do all the good introduced Keynote Speaker Dr now we officially get to put those President Bhooplapur, in his you can, by all the means you can, Jerome Lowenstein, Professor of small, but significant letters at the inspiring address, while noting that in all the ways you can. Medicine at NYU School of end of our name M.D. all the graduates were wearing Chancellor Dr J. Ganesh Bhat Medicine, with a personal anecdote She also recounted a medical identical caps and gowns, empha- also addressed the graduates and that it was Dr Lowenstein who case to stress the onerous responsisized individuality as the interviewed and hired him as bility a physician has to his or her key to success. Always be a young man for a nephrolo- patients. a first-rate version of yourgy fellowship at NYU. The hooding ceremony of the self, instead of a second-rate Dr Lowenstein, who has graduates was rendered by Brian L. version of somebody else. also written books on med- Little, and Dr Manuel Flores. Dr Dream to be bigger, bolder, ical matters, advised the Flores also administered the better. As Henry David medical graduates to listen to Hippocratic Oath, ending the Thoreau once said, Go conthe patients personal stories, evenings proceedings but starting fidently in the direction of because people have emo- the celebrations for the new docyour dreams. Live the life tional needs too. tors and their near and dear ones. you have imagined. Chairman Edwin Casey XUSOM was chartered in the Bhooplpaur complimented also gave his address. He Caribbean in 2004 by the Ministry the graduates for choosing then said that XUSOM is a of Education of Aruba. The the most noble of all professchool of cooperation not Medical School is now directed by sions. competition, yet as the tradi- a group of eminent doctors from Medicine is the only protion goes, he introduced the the United States all of them fession that possesses the Class Valedictorian in Rachel experts in their specialties. With its power to heal diseases and Karmally, MD. admissions office in Woodbury, the only one that labors conIn her speech, Rachel NY, Xavier is one of the most tinuously to destroy the reacalled the graduation day as affordable medical schools. Best son for it own existence, he The enthusiasm of the graduates families and the sweetest of their time as of all, there are no MCAT required said while encouraging them medical students, because for admission. friends was writ large on this balloon
XUSOM Board Members, Trustees, Faculty and top officials posing after the graduation ceremony.
15
Ravi Bhooplapur, President of Xavier University School of Medicine at Aruba (XUSOM), conferred the degrees on the graduates and addressed them.
Keynote speech was delivered by Dr Jerome Lowenstein, Professor of Medicine at NYU School of Medicine, and author.
XUSOM Chancellor Dr J. Ganesh Bhat introduced the Keynote Speaker and delivered his address.
New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio was the Guest Speaker at XUSOMs 2012 graduation ceremony.
XUSOM Trustee Dr Dayan A. Nayak, Keynote Speaker Dr Jerome Lowenstein, Chancellor Dr J.G. Bhat, and Board member G.S. Narula.
Dr. Neelam Dwivedi, Associate Professor, and (extreme right) Dr. Arun Kumar Dubey, Dean, Basic Sciences, with President Bhooplapur and Valedictorian Rachel Karmally.
The proud graduating class of 2012 and XUSOM top officials posing for a picture together on the dais.
16
Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha in 'Rowdy Rathore' and Vidya Balan and Farhan Akhtar to come together in Shaahi Ke Side Effects prise, audiences enjoyed watching Big B romancing Tabu and they also appreciated his pairing with Jiah. It was so because it fitted into the scheme of the story. A typical paring that saw high popularity was when heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor and Konkana Sen Sharma came together in "Wake Up Sid". Not only did audiences enjoy their on-screen chemistry, the film too turned out to be one of the biggest successes of 2009. Vidya Balan was seen romancing Naseeruddin Shah in "Ishqiya" and later in "The Dirty Picture" and in both the films, they scorched the screen with their passionate romance. "At times it works at times it doesn't. The story has to be conniving like 'The Dirty Picture' or 'Kahaani', where it should be justified," said Mirani. The 44-year-old Akshay, who teamed up with 25-year-old Sonakshi Sinha in recent hit "Rowdy Rathore", says age doesn't matter while finalizing the cast. "Age is just a number. Even today I can run better than a person who is half my age. Also, if these young girls look great with us, then what to do?" said Akshay, who will again be seen with Sonakshi in "Joker". Sonakshi, who started her career with much older Salman Khan in "Dabangg", says chemistry is more important than anything else. "There is nothing like that, one should not think about it (unusual pairings) so much! After all, the chemistry looks awesome on screen and we saw that in 'Rowdy Rathore', isn't it?" she added. Upcoming love triangle "I, Me Aur Main" starring John Abraham, Chitrangda Singh and Prachi Desai; "Shaadi Ke Side Effects", for which producer Pritish Nandy has roped in Vidya and Farhan as the lead pair; and Farah KhanBoman Irani starrer "Shirin Farhad Ki Nikal Padi" are expected to take the trend forward.
A scene from 'Teri Meri Kahaani' t's romance versus crime at the box office this weekend with out and out romantic drama "Teri Meri Kahaani" and reality-based crime thriller "Gangs Of Wasseypur" hitting the screens this week. Kunal Kohli's "Teri Meri Kahaani" will see hit 'jodi' of "Kaminey" - Shahid Kapoor-Priyanka Chopra - serenading on the screen in three avatars in three different
Naseeruddin and Madhuri Dixit eteran actor Naseeruddin Shah says he cannot wait to work with Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit in Abhishek Chaubey's "Dedh Ishqiya". "Madhuri and I have worked together before. I am her fan. I don't know how many films of mine she has seen but I always thought she is a good actress and I am waiting to work with her again," he said. Chaubey is all set to make the sequel of his 2010 debut film "Ishqiya". Of the original cast, Naseeruddin and Arshad Warsi have been retained, while Vidya Balan has been replaced by Madhuri. Talking about the film, Naseeruddin said: "It is a nice step. I am also waiting for the shooting. It will be at the end of the year. I amw
ctor Uday Chopra finds rumors of a relationship with Yash Raj Films (YRF) discovery Parineeti Chopra ridiculous. "Whoa! @ParineetiChopra and I are NOT dating guys...it's kinda ridiculous! And she doesn't call me Sir, though I think she should start," tweeted Uday. Parineeti's Bollywood career kicked off with Yash Raj Films' (YRF) Ladies vs Ricky Bahl. She followed up its success with Ishaqzaade. Meanwhile, Uday is looking after the banner's Hollywood wing -- YRF Entertainment, which develops and produces feature films for the US and international market. The duo were spotted enjoying together at various nightspots, sparking rumours that there's something beyond a professional camaraderie.
aiting also because it will be Abhishek Chaubey's next film. I feel it will be better than 'Ishqiya'." Naseeruddin will also soon be seen in Kabeer Kaushik's "Maximum". The film also features Sonu Sood and Neha Dhupia in pivotal roles. One of bollywood's finest actors, Nasseeruddin says that he will never leave acting. "I like films and love them. I will never leave acting. Even if I stop working in films, I will never leave acting. I do a job which I love," he added. Most veteran actors are becoming directors now, but Naseeruddin has no such plans. "I will not be directing a film. It's very difficult and I admire the people who make good films. But I will not try," he said.
17
igital filmmaking has opened up a whole universe of opportunity for those with cinematic aspirations. Today, like photography being the art of the masses, filmmaking has come closer home to the larger masses. This should have resulted in crazy, wonderful experiments. And it has. To have proof watch independent film 'Kshay', made on a micro-budget, a handful of actors and over a two years period. It is a film which despite its flaws, not only manages to hold its own, but in moments shines. Chhaya (Rasika Dugal) gets enamoured by a white statue of goddess Laxmi and wants to have it at any cost. The husband, who is struggling to make ends meet, agrees to get it once he has money. Soon, however, her desire takes an obsessive turn to disastrous consequences. The greatest strength of the film, is its obvious but beautiful and extremely important metaphor. Chhaya's obsession for the statue of Laxmi (goddess of wealth) and her ability to see it everywhere is an allegory to modern man's maddening
Review
there really is no need. Obsession is an end in itself, an end of all beauty and grace. The film, however, is not bereft of flaws. Though otherwise the editing is nice, it is 15 minutes too long. One has the nagging feeling that the makers were scared of not being taken too seriously if the film did not reach 90 minutes duration. This leads an otherwise beautiful film to slack. Many shots are useless and don't add to the narrative. E.g.in the end when the guy is crossing the road, it takes him forever and the camera meanders with the character. It does not serve any purpose because his next crucial act is not carried out in that one long shot. Three minutes could have been easily saved just in that shot. The film rests on the petite shoulders of Rasika Dugal. And this Film and Television Institute of India graduate plays the transformation of an innocent, loving housewife into a bewitched woman elegantly. One can only wish her the best, hoping she'd catch the attention of more filmmakers for her solid performance.
A scene from the film Kshay. obsession for wealth. Driven by a madness not different from Chhaya's, we want money. We do not care what this does to those near us or what its final conclusion would be. And this obsession, debutante directorwriter Karan Gour captures beautifully and metaphorically in his film. Shot in black and white, the film complements its straightforward statement against obsession. There's no final reason given for the character's fixation with the statue, but
lamoring for the casting for 'Bigg Boss' season 6 has begun in a big way. And if the casting agents are to be believed, American socialite, television reality star, model and actress Kim Kardashian is being wooed to come on the season 6 of the baap of all the reality shows... obviously for the oomph factor. Apparently, the hitch is the price she is quoting, which is close to Rs 4.5 crore, as per the casting agents. It may be recalled that the Bigg Boss season 4 had welcomed the busty hottie, Baywatch star and Playboy cover girl Pamela
Anderson, and in the last season it was the porn star Sunny Leone, who was shacked up with the reality show's dirty dozen. Agents say, that filling in the controversial slot after Sunny Leone, who had captivated the audience's heart last year, would be tough. They want someone super sexy. And coordinators are pitching in aggressively. "We have approached many international celebrities for Bigg Boss but I can't divulge the names right now," says Deepak Dhar, Endemol India CEO. Kim Kardashian
oman Irani, who started his film career at the age of 44, feels it is the passion for the art of acting that has helped him in establishing himself as an actor even after crossing forty. "To become an actor, you need to have passion. You need to have fire in your belly. It's true that you need talent to become successful, but if you don't have the passion for the job you are doing, you will never succeed," said Boman, who was in the city to attend an educational program. "If you have the passion and the fire in your belly, you will get noticed one day," he added.
Boman's one of the first films was 2001 release 'Everybody Says I Am Fine' and after more than a decade, he is one of the most renowned names of the B-town thanks to his versatility and brilliant performances in "3 Idiots", "Lage Raho Munna Bhai", "Don-2", "Housefull-2" and "Eklavya". His latest release is "Ferrari ki Sawaari", which deals with the concept of small guys with big dreams. "What I need right now is a good night's sleep. For the last few days, it has been a hectic schedule regarding the promotion of 'Ferrari ki Sawaari'," he said.
s his show 'Satyamev Jayate' makes waves, the 47-year-old has now become the first non-MP Bollywood actor to be invited to the Indian Parliament.
18
Honors TheSouthAsianTimes.info
New York: The India Association of Long Island (IALI), perhaps the largest organization representing Indians on Long Island, held its 33rd Annual Fund-Raising Gala Dinner at Leonards in Great Neck, NY last Sunday and honored seven outstanding individuals. The cream of Long Island high society comprising community leaders, business people, politicians, executives and county representatives were among 300 attendees. Chief Guest was Consul General Prabhu Dayal and Guest of Honor was New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. IALI President Dr. Sukhvinder Ranu delivered the Welcome Address. He was followed by Amb. Dayals warm words of appreciation. He also released IALIs Annual Souvenir Journal in the presence of Dr. Ranu, IALI
Honorees were presented citations from Nassau County. (Photos: Vaaho Photo) Jaswinder Singh Johal and Deepak Bhardwaj, owners of Apna Bazaar. Each Honoree received a rosewood plated engraved plaque, was invited to speak, and their wives were presented with a bouquet of roses. A Bollywood style entertainment with local artistes Rangeela Dance Studio was followed by DJ Ricky who got people on to the dance floor with high energy music. Dinner was fromCopper Wok. Sponsors included JHS Capital Advisors, Habib American Bank, Chase Bank, Xavier University School of Medicine-Aruba, Atlantic Partners Financial Group, Ashok Kumar of Copper Wok, and Mohammad Faroqui of Malak Designs.
IALI President Dr Sukhvinder Ranu presented Consul General Prabhu Dayal a plaque as a token of appreciation. Guest of Honor NY State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli joined in the presentation.
George Abraham, Dr Jagan Pahuja, Raj Mehta, and Apna Bazar duo Deepak Bhardwaj and Jaswinder Singh Johal were among the honorees.
Ambassador Prabhu Dayal released IALIs Annual Souvenir Journal in the presence of Dr. Ranu, IALI Past President Rajeshwar Prasad and Secretary Rekha Valliappan.
Animesh Goenka (left), Dr. Ajay Lodha (middle) and Sher Singh Madra (right) receiving the plaque from Consul General Prabhu Dayal. The gala event was attended by many notable community leaders such as Harry Singh of Bolla Oil, Ravi Bhooplapur of Xavier University School of Medicine, Haridas Kotahwala, President Rajasthan Association, Lokendra Singh Kalvi, Ex Minister of Rajasthan, Shudh Prakash Singh of INOC and Prem Bhandari of Rajasthani Bhasha Movement.
India TheSouthAsianTimes.info
19
PA Sangma resigned from the Nationalist Congress Party to join the presidential race Democratic Alliance (NDA), led candidate. "BJP decided that if UPA wanted by the BJP, could not arrive at consensus on presidential candidate as a consensus candidate, they should the Janata Dal (United) and the have discussed with us, as consenShiv Sena could not decide their sus has a pre-requisite like Atal
Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi Alvi, the Congress spokesperson, said addressing a public meeting here last night. The Congress was however quick to distance itself from Alvi's comments. "Party does not approve of this....the Congress has always been in favor of uniting all secular forces," AICC General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi said.
Last week, Mamata Banerjee was left red-faced after Mulayam Yadav said his party would support Pranab Mukherjee candidature tooth and nail. chief Mulayam Singh and Last week, Samajwadi Party Banerjee had virtually rejected
20
India TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on way to attend the Earth Summit tunity to give meaningful content to the paradigm of sustainable development," the prime minister said. According to him, there was now the need to move away from a resource-intensive development process, while ensuring inclusive and balanced development and growth to eradicate the grinding poverty that afflicts millions of people around the globe. The Rio+20 Conference is expected to dwell on some com-
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said the NDA prime ministerial choice should be secular and acceptable to everyone Patna/New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's disguised attack on his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi opened a can of worms for the BJP-led NDA, with another ally Shiv Sena coming out in support of UPA presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee. Janata Dal-United leader Nitish Kumar said the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) prime ministerial choice should be secular and acceptable to everyone - an obvious comment on Modi. "The NDA will have to declare its nominee. The electorate should know who they are voting for and who will lead the country. The NDA should have a leader who can feel for the underdeveloped states like Bihar," the chief minister said in his interview to the Economic Times. "This leader should be acceptable to every constituent of the alliance. To me, the leader of the coalition should have secular credentials... In a multi-religious and multi-lingual country like ours, the leader should not have rough edges in his personality. An alliance can win the confidence of the people only if the leader is seen as accommodating," he said. While the Bharatiya Janata Party kept mum, its alliance partner Shiv Sena came out in support of UPA presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee, exposing the cracks within the NDA. Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Bharatkumar Raut also told IANS Tuesday that the NDA should name its prime ministerial candidate. "We feel that the NDA should take this step but only after consultation with all the parties in the alliance," Raut said. The BJP has maintained that the prime ministerial candidate will be announced only after the Lok Sabha elections. But Modi had been projecting himself for the post.
French President Francois Hollande with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh the reckoning and have voiced their keenness to quote a better price if India so desires. The Indian government, however, has not yet shown any interest in the overture. If the French president also talked about the EADS Cassidian's efforts to get back in the race, an official noted: "No specific reference was made." Rafale, along with Typhoon, had in April 2011 edged out the Boeing F/A-18 and Lockheed Martin F-16, the Saab' Gripen and United Aircraft Corporation's MiG35 in the Indian Air Force's Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender to emerge the front runners.
Op Ed TheSouthAsianTimes.info
21
Bill Clinton is a major surrogate for US President Barack Obama's re-election campaign By Anirudh Bhattacharyya s US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spent time schmoozing with Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna at the US-India Strategic Dialogue in Washington, the Obama administration was engaged in a strategic dialogue with her husband, former President Bill Clinton. The gist of that conversation could well have been: "Shut up, please." Bill is a major surrogate for US President Barack Obama's re-election campaign. But already, the relationship between them has turned into one resembling that between supposed allies, the US and Pakistan. Every time Obama's team puts a strategy in place, Bill saunters out to the media and destroys it. You can almost picture a Clintonian wink as he shrugs: "But I was only trying to help, guys." Bill was famously elected president on the bumper sticker slogan: "It's the economy, stupid." As the Obama re-election campaign attempts to deflect attention from that very issue, their mantra of grief could well be: "It's the stupid economy." Even as they attempt to paint Republican Mitt Romney a one percenter and a vulture capitalist, Bill smiles at the camera and talks. For instance, he described Romney's business record as "sterling", an adjective that left Democratic strategists lost for words. If Romney's time heading the firm Bain Capital was to be another mode of attack, Bill was happy to interject and explain that Romney's background put him over the "qualification threshold" to be president. At times, Bill even seems to channel his nemesis during his presidency, then Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich. During his abortive run for the Republican nomination, Gingrich described himself as a would-be "president of paychecks" while dubbing Obama "the finest food stamp president in American history." Always competitive and unwilling to let his erstwhile adversary have the last word, Clinton recently whined about the state American economy is in with "so many people getting food stamps, so many people getting unemployment." The Romney campaign is certainly enjoying the unexpected assist. It launched a fake Twitter account Bill_Clinton12, now suspended. Funnily enough, those tweets, meant as parody, seemed too real. One went: "A vote for @BarackObama is a crap shoot, a roll of the dice." That was a phrase Clinton actually employed during the 2008 primary campaign, when his wife was engaged in a bitter race with Obama for the Democratic Party's nomination. The Romney campaign killed that Twitter account, possibly figuring that Bill was doing a fine hit job on his own. The real question is whether Bill is really gaffe prone. If the punditry expects American voters to believe that, Clintonistas could turn to them and respond, "Sorry, no cigar." Who could believe that a politician, who, during l'affaire Monica Lewinsky, asked for a clarification of what the "meaning of the word 'is' is", would be careless with words? With Bill Clinton you know what the meaning of this is. He may have turned vegan but he knows red meat when he sees it. Obama may just find out what the meaning of diss is. There's no doubt that Clinton will proclaim during the campaign that he's got Obama's back. That may not be where the president wants him. (Currently based in Toronto, Anirudh Bhattacharyya has been a New York-based foreign correspondent for eight years.)
ven as Pranab Mukherjee basks in the sunshine of an almost certain victory in the presidential election, there are inevitably a number of losers, such as P.A. Sangma, who banked on the perception of the Congress's political weakness and habitual dithering to fish in troubled waters. But, the biggest among them is Mamata Banerjee, who has undoubtedly made the most egregious mistake of her career. Coming on top of her other follies as chief minister intolerance of dissent, inability to control her unruly cadres, lacking a game plan for the state's development - her latest bungle is bound to haunt her for a long time, especially because she tried to prevent a fellow Bengali from rising to the country's highest constitutional office. What is more, she tried to do so not because of any ideological kink, like the roadblock put up by the Communist Party of IndiaMarxist (CPI-M)'s Prakash Karat and his supporters in the politbureau against Jyoti Basu becoming the prime minister in 1996, which the then West Bengal chief minister called a "historic blunder". Instead, Mamata was guided solely by her petty, personal angularities. As a result, what could have been a routine exercise involving adherence to coalitional loyalties turned into an unedifying spectacle of hectoring, subterfuge and double-talk. Yet, none of this political vaudeville would have occurred if she had simply agreed, or disagreed, with Sonia Gandhi's list of two names for the president's post - those of Pranab Mukherjee and Hamid
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav spoiled Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee's party when he took a U-tun on A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's name for the President's race
Ansari. If the Trinamool Congress chief disagreed, as her subsequent actions showed, she could have informed the Congress president accordingly and, as political propriety demanded, announced her decision to leave the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA). What made her adopt such an uncompromising position is difficult to say. But, it is not impossible that having had her way in a number of confrontations with the centre - on foreign investment in the retail and aviation sectors, land acquisition, the setting up of the National Counter-Terrorism Center (NCTC), pension funds, et al - she apparently thought that she could browbeat it on the matter of the presidential nominee also. That she was working to a plan in this respect was evident, first, from her dismissive references to Mukherjee several weeks ago when she called him a "son of the world" when asked whether he was a son of Bengal; and, secondly, from her decision to be in touch with the Samajwadi Party (SP) before and after her meeting
with Sonia Gandhi. Why the SP initially fell for her strange, even infantile, tactics is not clear unless it simply wanted to keep the centre off-balance for a while. On Mamata's part, by including Somnath Chatterjee's name in the list of candidates drawn up along with Mulayam Singh Yadav, she obviously wanted to atone for her decision to oppose Mukherjee. The choice of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was a part of the typically cynical Muslimappeasing tactics of Indian politicians. Regrettably, the former president, too, played along probably because he is too simple-minded to detect their cynicism. If she stays on in the UPA, it will be at the cost of her self-respect, especially now when there are bound to be murmurs in her own party at her immaturity. But, she will be isolated as never before if she leaves the UPA. Although she was all alone when she fought the CPI(M) for three decades, that was when her political stars were rising, even if unknown to herself. Now, they seem to be sinking.
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
22
Diaspora TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Newly opened Arcelor Mittal Orbit at Olympic Park administrative body that runs the city and is headed by the mayor, paid the rest. The curling steel structure is designed by Anish Kapoor, the Turner prize-winning artist known for his large-scale installations. The aim, he says, was to create a piece of art that "engages a real public." On approach across the windy wasteland that is the current Olympic Park, the Orbit has as much impact as a broken-down helter-skelter at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, a seaside theme
Five Indian taxi drivers were attacked midnight side window. "It was terrifying. They were smashing the car and hitting me with the bats also. I leaned to the left side (of the driver's seat) to avoid the baseball bats hitting me (but) one guy punched me in the face," he said. "They didn't say anything to me, they just smashed the car and straight away asked for the money." Singh handed over $150 in cash and his phone. One of the men punched him before the group sped off in the cars. He suffered a bloodied lip in the attack. Taxi owner Sunny Singh said one of his drivers was attacked.
Subcontinent TheSouthAsianTimes.info
23
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was disqualified for contempt of court for refusing to write to the Swiss authorities to reopen corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari. ever, sentenced him only "until the rising of the court", or till the time the judges left the court chamber. That was only for about 30 seconds after the verdict was handed down. During Tuesday's hearing, Attorney General Irfan Qadir said the prime minister was not answerable to the court over the dispensation of his professional duties. A resolution had been moved by the government and was adopted
Mukhtar were strong contenders for the post. Religious Affairs Minister Khursheed Shah, a senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), told media the parliament session would begin Friday at 5.30 p.m., Geo News reported.
Pak ambassador to the US Sherry Rehman Islamabad: Pakistan wants an friends to respect our sovereignty "appropriate" apology from the US and territorial integrity. This means over the NATO air strike last year no drone attacks and no incursions that killed its two dozen soldiers, into Pakistani territory." the country's ambassador to Rehman said she was not highWashington Sherry Rehman has lighting Pakistan's sacrifices in the war on terror as part of some "vicsaid. Rehman said the apology over tim narrative" but was reminding the Salala border post incident was the world of the key contribution important to help move the bilater- her country has made over the last al relationship forward, Dawn several years. News reported. "We have helped arrest or neuShe said the two countries are in tralize nearly 250 Al Qaeda mema "critical phase" of negotiating bers, provided the US free use of new terms of engagement and nar- our highways to transport supplies rowing down their differences. to Afghanistan. We have lost more Rehman said the supply routes to than 37,000 Pakistanis to terrorism. Afghanistan through Pakistan Over 5,000 security and law would "remain closed pending a enforcement personnel have laid down their lives fighting terrorUS apology". "The debate on the matter has ism," she said. "I hope we can narbeen wrongly cast as a price haggle row our differences and move or price gouging in the US media. expeditiously forward. In the conThis is not the case," she said. text of our region, Pakistan and the On drone strikes in Pakistan's US working individually are a lot northwest tribal region, the envoy less effective than the sum of the said: "We want our American two working together."
State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland Project that India is sponsoring, which we think can play a strong role in increasing trade and investment across the region." "We've encouraged the police training programme. So all of these things are good steps and they help knit the region together in a democratic direction." The US itself has done a lot of work with Afghan forces, Nuland said suggesting, "There have been manifest improvements in the security situation there, and now we're in the process of turning many of those areas over to Afghan leadership, in line with the 2014 process."
24
International TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with U.S. President Obama at the G-20 Summit in Mexico. growth, poverty reduction and job reacting to the document. creation," the declaration said, "The declaration indicates that adding the recommendations multilateral development banks made by multilateral development should be strengthened for this banks in this regard must be purpose. We would work with Gimplemented. 20 countries to transform their "The Los Cabos Declaration commitment to specific action." fully reflects our initiative that In his address during the plenainvestment on infrastructure in ry, Manmohan Singh said with developing countries can play a developing countries such as India major role in strengthening devel- already facing serious problems opment and in stimulating global due to the negative impact of the recovery," Manmohan Singh said, global economic crisis, funds for
history," Calderon told journalists after the summit. He said the capitalization would help the global effort to overcome the financial crisis. The G20 in April pledged to contribute $430 billion to the IMF to fight the spread of the debt crisis in the eurozone.
WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange Quito: WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange has asked for political asylum at Ecuador's embassy in London and officials in the South American nation are considering his request, its foreign minister said. "Ecuador is studying and analyzing the request," foreign minister Ricardo Patino told reporters in Quito. Assange faces extradition to Sweden for questioning over alleged sex crimes after Britain's top court said last week that it had rejected a legal request to reconsider his case. The former computer hacker gained international prominence in 2010 when WikiLeaks began releasing secret video footage and thousands of US diplomatic cables, many of them about Iraq and Afghanistan, in the largest leak of classified documents in US history. The decision by Britain's Supreme Court ended the selfstyled anti-secrecy campaigner's 18-month legal battle against extradition in the British courts, and now only a possible appeal to the European Court of Human Rights stands in the way of his transfer. The British court rejected the 40-year-old Australian's argument that a European arrest warrant issued by Swedish prosecutors for his extradition was invalid. In November 2010, Ecuador backed off an idea of inviting Assange to visit the country as President Rafael Correa accused him of breaking the law by releasing US documents.
Shakil Afridi. of bin Laden's children from the family compound in Abbottabad. In May, outraged at Afridi's conviction, US Senate panels voted to cut aid to Islamabad by $33 million -- one million for every year of the physician's 33-year sentence.
Business TheSouthAsianTimes.info
25
Fitch also revised down India's real GDP growth forecasts to 6.5% and 7.0% for fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2014
in India of over 5,200 branches and more than 16,000 ATMs for remittances to India, a company release said. "India has one of the highest remittance volumes in the world according to the World Bank," said Daniel Ayala, executive
vice president and head of Wells Fargo's Global Remittance Services. "This is evident from high customer demand as well. We are glad we can make payout locations even more convenient now by expanding our remittance payout network in India with
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is welcomed by Mexican President Felipe Calderon in Los Cabos resolve the financial problems fac- respond now," he added, comparing ing them." the situation in 2008, when the crisis Planning Commission Deputy started, with the state of play now Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia when it has threatened to resurface said: "It is a more challenging crisis with far more damaging implicain many ways. I wouldn't say at the tions. moment it is more serious, since we "When there is a big global crisis, don't know if it will be managed or emerging markets are not left unafnot." fected," he said. According to him "In the first crisis, there was the main reason for India's slowenough fiscal room to respond. down were the result of what was There isn't enough fiscal room to happening across the globe. But he
26
Sports TheSouthAsianTimes.info
A
Both Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna have refused to pair with Leander Paes for London Olympics Olympics, she will pair with Paes the AITA and the sports ministry, in the mixed doubles category. both Bhupathi and Bopanna Earlier, AITA had decided to refused to play with Paes. field just one team, that of Paes and Paes' letter to the AITA secretary Bhupathi. However, in a letter to general Bharat Oza came on a day
mid the raging controversy surrounding Indian tennis, young guns Yuki Bhambri and Vishnu Vardhan said they are ready to partner Leander Paes at the London Olympics. Yuki (World No. 219) and Vardhan (328) are in the running to partner Paes after Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna refused to share the court alongside the 1996 Atlanta Games bronze medallist. Yuki said Bhupathi-Paes
remained India's best players but he was up for the Olympic challenge if two men's doubles teams were sent to the competition. "It would be a great opportunity for someone like me or Vishnu. I am just back from playing in the qualifiers of Wimbledon which is also the Olympic venue. Though I have not heard from them, I hope the selectors will make the best possible decision," Bhambri, lost in the first round of Wimbledon qualifiers, told a television channel.
First target to make Olympic Chinese will be tough to semis: Hockey captain beat at Olympics: Saina
Kolkata: Asserting that India were now one of the fittest teams, hockey team skipper Bharat Chettri said making the semifinals would be the first target at the July 27-Aug 12 London Olympics. "We have decided that we will first focus on making it to the semi-finals. Then we will work ourselves out," Chettri told mediapersons here. Indian, who have an unparalleled record of eight gold, one silver and two bronze medals in Olympic hockey, are in pool B alongside title holders Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Korea and Belgium. The top two sides would reach the semis. Exuding confidence, Chettri said though Germany and the Netherlands were formidable rivals, the Indians had it in them to beat any team. He praised
Hyderabad: India's top badminton star Saina Nehwal says it will be tough to beat the Chinese at the London Olympics despite her recent successes against them. Saina defeated Chinese World No 4 Shixian Wang in the quarter-finals and her World No.3 compatriot Li Xuerui to win the Indonesia Open Super Series Premier event. Saina, who returned home from Jakarta late Monday night to a warm welcome from her family, friends and well-wishers, told reporters Tuesday that it would be a tough four to five weeks of preparation for the London Games. "For me, the important point is to be fit and injury free before the Olympics," said Saina, who believes she is mentally in good shape following her successes in the two tournaments. She is waiting for the return of her mentor and chief coach Pullela Gopichand from Singapore to plan a special programme for Olympics. "Of course, it will be really hard and I need to work on a few areas. I found some weak areas in my game in these two tournaments." The World No. 5, who defeated some of the top Chinese players in Thailand and Indonesia, feels it would not be easy playing
Australian coach Michael Nobbs and physical trainer David John. "Under John, the teams' fitness has gone up immensely. We are now among the fittest team. We can give a good fight to our opponents," Chettri said on the sidelines of a felicitation ceremony at the Netaji Indoor Stadium. He said while earlier the Indian team's fitness level used to veer around 40 percent, now it has gone
up to 90 percent. Chettri said under Nobbs' tutelage, the Indians were playing a more attacking variety of hockey. "We are creating more chances. He has changed the defensive style which we had adopted earlier". He said the Indian team, which made the cut for the Olympics after eight years, was also studying the video footage of rival sides.
Badminton star Saina Nehwal them in the Olympics. that I played such a long "Chinese are, of course, match," she said. very strong opponents. Talking about the final They are so many of them against the reigning All but it is not impossible. I England and Asian champiam trying to defeat most of on, she said beating one of them but, of course, it is not the top contenders of the easy. I have to work very Olympic medal was highly hard for that. In Olympics satisfying. again, there will be three to Asked about the Chinese four Chinese. I have to players, she said they fight work extra hard for that." for each and every point Saina defeated Shixian even if they are losing. "It is after a marathon quarter- very good to see that. It is final at the Indonesia Open not easy to beat them. You and her World No.3 compa- have to be alert and ready triot Li Xuerui in the final. for them or other Asian "The quarter-final was the players." final for me because it was Saina, who won the a one hour 40 minutes Indonesia Open for the third match. We were dead on the time, said he enjoyed playcourt. I still can't believe ing in that country.
Heritage TheSouthAsianTimes.info
27
Originating in Gangotri, the most sacred river is pristine pure in the mountains like at Deoprayag in Uttarakhand. Haridwar: A spiritual group here is conducting a survey on how best to clean the entire 2,525-km Ganges, the holiest of all rivers for Hindus but highly polluted today. The Gayatri Parivar has already begun cleaning the river in patches all across the country but it feels this is not enough. The entire stretch has to be given a facelift -- at one go if possible. "It will be a hugely challenging task, but this is our dream," explained Kedar Prasad Dubey, a former State Bank of India officer who is one of the key persons involved in the project. Dubey said the survey would find out the number of ghats along the river, the extent of pollution and the number of volunteers needed for what would be an unprecedented enterprise. "We will also create public awareness on the necessity to keep the Ganges clean and litter-free," Dubey said. The Ganges originates at Gangotri in Uttarakahand, at a height of 12,769 feet above sea level. It passes through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal states in India before entering Bangladesh where it flows into the Bay of Bengal. The Ganges basin is the most heavily populated river basins across
Industrial waste and sewage and festival offerings, like at Allahabad in this picture, have contributed to the pollution of the Ganga.
The campaign by the tourism ministry aims to improve quality of services and provide a hygienic environment around tourist destinations in the country.
28
Humor TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Nandipati. What did she correctly spell? Her name? *-* Playboy Boss Hugh Hefner, 86, is having a stormy relationship with his fiance, a 22-yearold model. The argument? One says: "You're just after my money" while the other says: "You're just after my body." The report forwarded didn't say which was which. Hmm, we'll just have to try to work it out for ourselves. *-* After pleading for 24 years, a woman last week persuaded officials that she was alive. Arshafi Devi had been wrongly declared dead in 1988, the Indo-Asian News Service reported. These days, being able to walk and talk is not considered evidence of being alive. Look at Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, who clearly died years ago, but still tours. *-* Last week, I spent 10 minutes reading "How
to Never Be Found", the website written by psycho cannibal killer Luka Magnotta. Never be found? Police found him in four days. I want 10 minutes of my life back. *-* The people of Shingo, in Japan's Aomori Prefecture, claim Jesus moved from Israel to their neighborhood 2,000 years ago, married a local girl, took Japanese citizenship and started a family. At Shingo's annual festival last week, 500 tourists watched as locals danced and chanted the word "Nanyadoyara", which has been handed down for generations, although nobody knows what it means. I strongly suspect it's ancient Hebrew for "Yeah, we're totally off our rockers." *-* Put on my sunglasses and went outside to stare at the sun the other day. Couldn't see the transit of Venus. In fact, after five seconds, I couldn't see anything at all. One reader emailed me to say: "This morning I saw the greatest celestial phenomenon this century, or there may have been a speck of dirt on my lens. How does one tell?" Some people have no imagination. *-* How would you feel if someone deposited a vast amount of yellow slimy stuff in your office? You'd rejoice if you were a tax collector in parts of Tibet, where tax bills are paid in yak butter. I wish this was allowed in other places. We'd queue up to fling our annual payments to the tax collector: "Catch this, sucker." *-* Oh no. THE Phantom housecleaner has been caught. A person has been breaking into homes in the US, washing the dishes, taking out the trash, and vacuuming the carpets. Not a joke. By the quality of the work ("not terrible") victims could tell that the housebreaker was female. When I first read about her, I wished she'd break into my office, preferably making regular twice-weekly visits. But the mystery cleaner's career is over. Police recently caught Sue Warren of Cleveland, Ohio, after she cheekily left one victim an invoice for $75 bearing her name
and address. This news was sent to me by an unmarried male reader, who said: "Please publicize this story to inspire 'copycat' housebreakers to do the same thing in Asia." He particularly wanted someone to break in and deal with his former flatmate's fridge, which had "not been opened for 13 months" and was making strange noises "as if a slime monster had evolved inside". Later it occurred to me that there ARE equivalents to the Phantom housecleaner in Asia. Several times I have stopped at traffic lights in India or China or Indonesia and a young man has washed my windscreen unasked. These guys ask for a few coins, which I give them, partly to reward their enterprise, but mostly because they give me this mad glare which tells me they would insert their sponge-on-a-stick thing deep into one of my orifices if I didn't. *-* A US court fined an Asian doctor $3 million last week for "failing" to warn his patient that being in a bisexual orgy could be fatal. Can someone please warn the US judicial system's credibility that decisions such as these could be fatal? It may be too late. *-* The DEAD BODY of a guy called Vicente Benito was found in his home in the village of Canizal (total population: 520) in Spain last week, the media reported. Doctors reckon he had been dead for 20 years. I guess this is what is meant by the "slow pace of village life". Typical conversation in Canizal must go like this: "Have you seen Vicente recently?" "Yes, I popped in to his place three or four decades ago, he's fine." *-* A RECENT survey said that marijuana smokers get into fewer car crashes than alcohol drinkers. Not surprised. It's hard to get into a traffic accident when you can't find your car. (Nury Vittachi is a columnist who travels around Asia. Send ideas and comments via www.mrjam.org. His column will alternate with Melvin Durais)
Daredevil Nik Wallenda nearing the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls on June 15th. He became the first person to walk a tightrope across the falls, taking steady, measured steps for 1800 feet across the roaring falls. Though tethered to the wire to prevent falling, he still had to contend with gusty winds and the slippery wire. An estimated crowd of 125,000 people on the Canadian side and 4,000 on the American side watched with bated breath as Wallenda crossed the falls. (Inset) Wallenda exulting after accomplishing his feat.
Astrology
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
29
Free Consultation
Learn about the fair value of diamonds & precious stones. from a Gems Expert
For appointment, please call 516-390-7847
or email consult.gems@gmail.com A special offer for the readers of The South Asian Times
30
Why is silence and stillness so important in meditation? We say we want to find God. But God can only be found in the stillness of our soul. We need to shut down the chatter of the world to hear God within. God comes to us within in the form of a divine Current. This Current is both radiant Light and celestial Sound. To see and hear it within, we need to silence the outer world and silence our thoughts.
We may hold a cup or a bucket as the creature lies still on our floor, and we are very silent as we creep up on it from behind to catch it in the bucket so we can take it outdoors. These examples show that we can be still and quiet when we choose to be. Those who are parents know the importance of being quiet when the baby finally falls asleep. When the baby is sleeping and we do not want noise to awaken him or her we are still. We know how long it took us to get the baby to sleep and we want to get our own rest. So, we tiptoe around and remain still so as to let the baby keep sleeping. When we throw a surprise party for someones birthday, we may have a room filled with many people trying to keep still until the person enters. We remain quiet until everyone yells out, "Surprise." If the person takes a long time entering the room, we remain quiet and no one wants to speak and spoil the surprise. tally. If we can stare into the eye doctors painful light for many minutes without moving or blinking, then how is it that we cannot gaze continually into the inner Light, which is not painful, but loving and warm, without mentally moving or blinking? Why is silence and stillness so important in meditation? We say we want to find God. But God can only be found in the stillness of our soul. We need to shut down the chatter of the world to hear God within. God comes to us within in the form of a divine Current. This Current is both radiant Light and celestial Sound. To see and hear it within, we need to silence the outer world and silence our thoughts. We need to sit physically still without any part of our body moving. We need to close our eyes. Then, we need to keep mentally still so no thoughts disrupt the silence needed to focus our attention into gazing within. All great saints practiced and spiritual Masters to perfect the art of stillness required for meditation progress. Can we expect to achieve the results we want when we can barely be still for a few minutes? Physical stillness requires control of our body. It is remarkable how much control we exercise over our body when it comes to worldly pursuits. For example, look at how many tasks we do to get our body in shape. We force ourselves to do aerobic exercises by spending twenty to thirty minutes a day on a treadmill or taking a brisk walk. We find time to do this to keep up our cardiovascular system. We spend time daily when we feel the need to lift weights or do workouts to keep fit and build our muscles. We snatch away time from our other pursuits when we feel something is important. We spend time daily preparing food that we feel will be delicious, nutritious, or weight-reducing. This reminds me of a humorous
Join us for an afternoon of Polo and enjoy a gourmet picnic while sampling wines from Long Island vineyards.
Childrens activities are part of the festivities that will make this a perfect day for you and your family.
Honoring
Katie Kilcommons - McGowan
Executive Director and Founder
Provide your own picnic at your reserved tailgate space. Tailgate fee includes admission to the childrens tent but not the catering tent.
HorseAbility
Ed Wrigley Horsemanship Award
Mary DAntonio 94
SUNY College at Old Westbury
Tickets are $95.00 per person, children under 12 admitted free Tailgate space $50.00
To reserve your ticket(s) or tailgate space call: (516) 876-3207 Proceeds to benefit The Old Westbury College Foundation
Sponsored by: