The South Asian Times

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Vol.6 No. 2 May 4-10, 2013 60 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Big B graces Gatsby premiere in NYC

Indo-Pak ties hit new low as Sarabjits body brought back

New Delhi/Lahore: Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh's body was brought to India after he died in a Pakistan hospital Thursday, succumbing to his injuries six days after being attacked by his fellow inmates in a jail and pushing the India-Pakistan ties to a new low. Authorities Thursday evening started a postmortem examination of the body after it was brought from Lahore by a special Air India flight to Amritsar and taken by helicopter to his The residents of Sarabjit Singhs native place in Punjab protest against native Bhikhiwind, 50 his death in Pakistani custody. km away. Lahore's Jinnah hospital had earli- announced a number of measures, 14 dead, his family claimed that the er announced that Sarabjit was dead, including state-level honors at his devoted brother, husband and father bringing an end to a 23-year saga cremation, financial assistance to from a poor rural family in Punjab had crossed over in an inebriated that began on a fateful August day the family. While Pakistan declared him a ter- state when he was just 26. in 1990 when he crossed over to Sarabjit will be cremated in his Pakistan. Following his death, the rorist and convicted him for 1990 Continued on page 4 authorities in New Delhi and Punjab blasts in Lahore and Multan that left

Legendary Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan attended the premiere Wednesday of The Great Gatsby at Lincoln Center in New York. He has a small but important role in Baz Luhrmanns 3D film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Spiderman Maguire, based on the famous novel by F. Scott Fitzerald. Bachchan was accompanied by wife Jaya on the red carpet. (Photo: Yagnesha Shah).

After building collapse, western retailers mull role in Bangladesh

New York: Following the collapse of a building with several garment factories in Bangladesh last week, killing over 430 people, many Western apparel companies sourcing from Indias neighbor have scrambled to address public concerns about
Continued on page 4 The Walt Disney Company has ended the production of its branded merchandise in Bangladesh.

Indias envoy to UN, and Consul General in New York check in

New York: In the last one week, two key Indian diplomats who joined office attended meet and greet with the community here. Ambassador Asoke Kumar Mukerji, Permanent Representative of India to United Nations, met with mediapersons and others at the India Mission to UN on April 30. And Ambassador Dnyaneshwar Mulay, Consul General in New York, was accorded a reception by several community organizations and groups on April 26 at Asia Society, where a Memorandum of critical issues and suggestions from the Indian American community of the Tristate area was also presented to him.

Obama funnier than Conan .. Page 2 Boston in my backyard .. Page 19

Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay (left) at the reception given in his honor.

Amb. Asoke Kumar Mukerji addressing the gathering at India Mission.

Womens World 15

Real Life 19

Lifestyle 26

Spiritual Awareness 30

excellence in journalism

May 4-10, 2013

HUMOR

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Obama funnier than Conan OBrien

The annual White House Correspondents Dinner is an entrenched tradition, usually featuring a comedian, and attended by the President of course. But President Obamas proved a tough act to follow for Conan OBrien.

Riffing on Obamas up-and-down relationship with House Speaker John A. Boehner, late night star Conan OBrien compared the two to a blind date between Anderson Cooper and Rachel Maddow where you know nothing will happen (because both TV anchors are known to be gay).

Rush Limbaugh warned you about this -- second term baby, were changing things around here a little bit, Obama said. And showed pictures of his new hairdo copying the First Ladys. In the spoof screened, Obama plays Daniel DayLewis ("Lincoln' star) enacting the title role in the biopic 'Obama'.

At the White House Correspondents Dinner on April 27, President Obama brought the house down with his irreverent jokes and one-liners, photoshopped pix of himself and a spoof promo for Spielberg's followup to Lincoln, a biopic titled Obama, in which he plays Daniel Day-Lewis playing Obama.
Curated by Parveen Chopra

A couple of months ago, the White House released a photo of the President shooting skeet to quiet chatter that he had exaggerated about his firearm usage in an earlier interview. Taking off on some Republicans alleging it was a fake, Obama said that indeed the picture was photoshopped, but to make it a little less crazy. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell responded to Obama jab about being a boring drinking buddy by releasing a Twitter photo of himself drinking beer next to an empty chair. A glass of red wine is ordered for the elitist guest, Obama.

This picture Obama showed takes off on the Democrats forever blaming all persisting ills in America on the George W. Bush presidency. Obama attended the Bush library dedication a few days ago.

Former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palins tweet was ripped apart in the blogosphere, because the dinner event is a decades old tradition and is not publicly funded.

Playing on the symbiotic relationship between Hollywood and Washington, Conan OBrien screened pictures juxtaposing Washington heavyweights mugs and who would be ideal to play them in a movie.

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May 4-10, 2013

Mangano orders high security for LI marathon on May 5

Mineola, NY: Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano announced Tuesday stepped up security measures for the Long Island Marathon in the wake of the Boston bombings in early April for the safety of the marathon participants, spectators, and all members of our community. Radiation detectors, extra police and K-9s will be on hand for the marathon, which is set for Sunday. All runners and volunteers must pick up their credentials ahead of time, Mangano and County Police Department officials announced. Bags and backpacks will be prohibited near the finish line. Attendees must put items in a clear plastic bag provided by race organizers.

Congresswoman demands US retailers better protect workers in Bangladesh

New York: As Bangladesh continues to reel from the deadly factory collapse that killed more than 400 workers, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) today sent letters to major American retailers demanding they do more to improve the deplorable working and safety conditions that exist at the facilities that produce their products. Meng, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, sent letters to the chief executive officers of Walmart, the Gap and the American Apparel Footwear Association, a major trade group, urging them to take leading roles to protect the subcontracted workers they use in Bangladeshs clothing factories. It is time for U.S. companies to finally take responsibility for the widespread safety problems that have long plagued the factories they use in Bangladesh, said Meng. For too long, American retailers have done virtually nothing about these unacceptable and outrageous working conditions and they must be held accountable for their reckless disregard for adequate safeguards. It is the moral responsibility of American companies that procure goods within the country to ensure their suppliers operate safe factories. American companies should demand that their contracted suppliers correct all safety violations and dismiss any contractor that that places peoples

Nassau County Executive Mangano making the announcement

One of the biggest changes will be that spectators will not be allowed at the starting line. Only registered participants will be permitted into the Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K starting line area on Charles Lindbergh Blvd. Mangano says all the

extra safety measures, including police overtime, could cost $250,000 or more. He also said, I would also like to remind residents of our See Something Say Something Campaign, if something or someone seems out of place, please call 911.

Congresswoman Grace Meng

lives at risk. Its time to stop the greed. Putting profits ahead of safety can no longer be an option. The factory collapse in Bangladesh occurred last week after cracks discovered in the building were not fixed. The disaster came after previous tragedies that killed workers in collapses and fires, also due to unsafe conditions.

Jaya Row gives an inspiring talk

Community groups present memorandum to the new Consul General

Mrs. Jaya Row, one of Indias most renowned motivational speakers, gave a Vedanta based talk on Inspired Living at the Nassau County Legislative Chamber in Mineola, NY on Wednesday. Seen in the picture from left are Kamlesh Mehta, Countys Director of Business and Economic Development, Varinder Bhalla, Dr. Phillip Elliot, County Dy Executive Jaya Row, Norma Gonsalves, Presiding Officer of the County Legislature, and Rakesh Bhargava. Bhalla and Bhargava arranged the program. (Photo: Parveen Chopra)

Several community organizations and groups alongwith GOPIO held a reception for the incoming Indian Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay on April 26 at the Asia Society in New York where a Memorandum of critical issues and suggestions from the Indian American community of the Tristate area was also presented to him. Seen in photo: Amb Dnyaneshwar Mulay receiving citation from Dr Renuka Misra, others in photo are (from left) Dr. Asha Samant, Jaswant Mody, Dr. Sudhir Parikh, Quddus Mohammed, Dr. Thomas Abraham, Ashook Ramsaran, Amb. Dnyaneshwar Mulay, Dr. Renuka Misra, J. Nami Kaur, Anita Bhat, Patsy Leopold, Mridul Pathak, Sangeeta Ahuja.

May 4-10, 2013

TURN PAGE

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Sarabjits story Continued from page 1 hometown in the border district of Tarn Taran Friday, amid great anger in the town. A number of leaders are expected to attend the cremation. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal announced three-day mourning for Sarabjit and said that he would be given a state-level funeral. He announced government jobs for Sarabjit's two daughters of Sarabjit and financial assistance of Rs.1 crore. Expressing sorrow at the passing away of Sarabjit Singh, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said, "It is particularly regrettable that the government of Pakistan did not heed the pleas of the government of India, Sarabjit's family and of civil society in India and Pakistan to take a humanitarian view of this case." Expressing deep shock and sorrow at the death of Sarabjit Singh, both houses of parliament Thursday condemned the "inhuman treatment" meted out to him in a Pakistani jail. On its part, the BJP upped the ante and demanded that diplomatic relations with Pakistan be scaled down. "The level of diplomatic relations should be scaled down and for the time being Indian high commissioner to Pakistan should be called back," BJP president Rajnath Singh said. The Pakistani media itself exposed ill-treatment meted out to Sarabjit Singh in Lahores Kot Lakhpat jail and pulled jail authorities for their failure to provide him adequate security. Bangladesh Building Collapse story Continued from page 1

India okays IKEA's Rs.10,500 crore investment proposal

New Delhi: The Indian government Thursday approved the Swedish furniture firm IKEA's Rs.10,500 crore investment proposal in single brand retail business. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cleared the proposal at a meeting here. "The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today gave its approval to the proposal of M/s. Ingka Holding B.V., Netherlands, as recommended by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB)," an official statement released after the meeting said.The approval would result in FDI inflows amounting to Rs.10,500 crore into the country," it said.

US federal panel seeks to keep Modi out

Washington: A US panel on state of religious freedom has recommended the country should continue to deny Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi a US visa. There is significant evidence linking him to the violence and the terrible events that took place in Gujarat and for this reason, a visa would not be appropriate, Katrina Lantos Swett, chairwoman of the US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said on Tuesday. The commission wrote to the secretary of state in 2012 reiterating its recommendation. The US continues to deny Modi a visa, though he hasnt asked for one since 2005. The commission released a report that categorizes countries according to what the US considers is their record on religious freedom India is on its second tier list.

Ambassador Asoke Kumar Mukerji (middle), Permanent Representative of India to UN, with guests at a reception April 30 at India Mission to UN.

working conditions there. Following earlier factory tragedies in Bangladesh, the Walt Disney Company, considered the worlds largest licenser with sales of nearly $40 billion, in March ordered an end to the production

of its branded merchandise over there. A Disney official told The New York Times that the company had sent a letter to thousands of licensees and vendors on March 4 banning production in countries including Pakistan, where a fire last September killed 262 garment workers. Benetton repeatedly scaled down its accounts of goods produced at one of the factories, while officials at Gap, the Childrens Place and other retailers have tried to figure out how to improve conditions, and some debated whether to remain in Bangladesh at all. Bangladesh has some of the lowest wages in the world, prompting its government to lure Western companies and their jobs, and many labor groups want those big corporations to stay to improve conditions, not cut their losses and run. But there is peril in operating there. This week two dozen retailers and apparel companies, including Walmart, Gap, Carrefour and Li & Fung, met near Frankfurt with representatives from the German government and NGOs to try to negotiate a plan to ensure safety at the more than 4,000 garment factories in Bangladesh. With 3.6 million garment workers and more than $18 billion in apparel exports last year, Bangladesh is the worlds secondlargest apparel exporter after China. Meanwhile, Mohammed Sohel Rana the fugitive owner of the illegally constructed building that collapsed, was arrested and would face charges of negligence. The mayor of the Dhaka suburb where the building was located was suspended from office. Mohammad Refatullah is blamed for having approved the construction of the Rana Plaza.

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Indian-American filmmaker gets new Tribeca fest award

New York: Indian American filmmaker Meera Menon has been awarded the inaugural Nora Ephron Award at the 12th annual Tribeca Film Festival being held here. Menon, who was selected out of eight contenders for her debut feature "Farah Goes Bang", was conferred with the award for embodying the spirit and vision of Nora Ephron, the legendary American filmmaker and writer, a festival statement said. The award carries a cash prize of $25,000. Set in 2004, "Farah Goes Bang" follows an awkward 20-something girl as she hits the road with her friends to stump for John Kerry in the presidential election. At the same time, she secretly hopes the trip will also be her opportunity to finally shed her long-unwanted virginity. "We're thrilled to highlight Meera's work with this special award. We were impressed with her fresh, witty, and smart take on a coming of age story about girlfriends, passions and politics," TFF co-founder Jane Rosenthal said in the statement.

Ayad Akhtar wins Pulitzer Prize for play Disgraced

New York: Ayad Akhtars Disgraced, a play about a successful Pakistani-American lawyer whose dinner party goes out of control, has won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for drama, it was announced April 15 Its such a huge honor. Im still in shock, actually, the playwright said from London, where hes helping ready a new production of Disgraced at the Bush Theatre. I feel very fortunate and very grateful. "Disgraced had its world premiere at Chicagos American Theater Company in 2012 and then ran at Lincoln Center Theaters Claire Tow Theater last autumn. The lead character, Amir Kapoor, a Pakistani-American corporate lawyer in New York, lives on the Upper East Side in an apartment vividly described in the script as spare and tasteful with subtle flourishes of the Orient. Amir loves the Knicks and the Magnolia Bakery and his elegant $600 shirts with their ridiculous thread count. The dinner party at the heart of the

A still from Disgraced. Aasif Mandvi plays the lead.

Meera Menon

"Her film captures the spirit and themes of Nora's work. I'm proud to continue Nora's legacy through this award and continue to encourage women filmmakers to create the work that inspires them," she added. Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff are the other co-founders of the Tribeca Film Festival that was founded in 2002 in the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks.

play brings together two couples and several religious and ethnic identities. When that chatter touches on Islamic and Judaic tradition, the Quran and the Talmud, racial profiling and Sept. 11 and the Taliban and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Benjamin Netanyahu along with the requisite alcohol intake chaos is achieved. The Columbia Universitys prize board on Monday said the 42-year-old playwrights work beat out finalists Rapture, Blister, Burn

by Gina Gionfriddo and 4000 Miles by Amy Herzog. Akhtar, a 42-year-old New Yorker, also wrote the novel American Dervish and co-wrote and played the lead in the film The War Within. His Disgraced got a celebrity gloss when the lead character was played by Aasif Mandvi, the very funny Indian American correspondent on Jon Stewarts The Daily Show. The drama award includes a $10,000 prize.

Indian American wins Wharton School award

New York: ZenKars, a venture of an Indian American and his friend, won the 2013 Perlman Prize at the 2013 Wharton Business Plan Competition. Awarded by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, the award also carries a cash prize of $30,000, according to a statement issued out of Philadelphia. Founded by the student team of Indian American Venkat Jonnala and Jean-Mathieu Chabas, ZenKars is an online model connecting used cars from corporate directly to consumers targeting a $600-billion market. Their 'peaceful buying experience' for the buyer offers competitive prices, detailed vehicle information, convenience and warrantees, the statement said. Jonnala and Chabas, both second year MBA students, met via Facebook while looking for roommates in Philadelphia and soon started floating entrepreneurial ideas and hit on ZenKars. Their idea was accepted by DreamIt Ventures, which then gave them additional seedfunding. ZenKars also won the Committee's Choice Award. The Venture Finals is the final event of the year-long Wharton Business Plan Competition.

Stanford Professor Nalini Ambady needs your help

New Delhi: Nalini Ambady hails from Kochi bady, the first Indian in Kerala, they are tapAmerican woman profesping various Malayalee sor working in the psycholassociations. They have ogy department at the presdecided to insert advertigious Stanford University tisements and appeals in in California needs help to the Kerala media seeksurvive. Suffering from a ing donors to save her rare kind of blood cancer, life. she is not looking for orThere is a dedicated gans but only a few cells of Facebook page to help the right kind. She has only find the donor and even six weeks to find it. special camps are being Nalini Ambady, a mother held in Kerala and of two girls is undergoing Mumbai to get more Nalini Ambady chemotherapy for now but people to register as doctors have advised her to get a bone donors. While Ms Ambady has donated marrow transplant done at the earliest. $25,000 for the effort, her family in InIt is easiest to find a matching donor dia also donated around Rs.3.75 lakhs amongst siblings but Ms Ambady has in the hope of finding a right donor not found a match with them. She now match - considered a 1 in 20,000 possineeds to find a donor from outside her bility by her doctors. Besides the cost of the test, the results family. Though America has a large bone take around 3 weeks to arrive before the marrow bank, not many specimens are follow-up procedures can be taken up. India has three bone marrow regfrom South Asians. Hearing of her condition, some of Ms istries but only about 25,000 samples. Ambady's friends and social network- Experts say India needs at least ing groups have started looking for a 500,000 donors considering the great donor for her in India. Since Ms Am- genetic variation the country has.

An appeal from friends of Nalini Ambady

his is an appeal to help save the life of Nalini Ambady. She has been given a few weeks to find a bone marrow donor and time is running out! Nalini is originally from Ernakulum. She is a renowned scientist whose work was featured in Malcolm Gladwells best selling book Blink. She is the first Indian woman to have been on the faculty of both Harvard and Stanfords psychology department. She is also the mother of two young girls. Nalini needs your help. She is suffering from leukemia and needs a blood stem cell donor soon in order to survive. Due to certain genetic markers, her match will almost certainly be a fellow Keralite. Right now, there is no match in the registry for her. Would your organization be willing to host a bone marrow donor drive to register Keralites? Hosting a drive is easy! Be the Match, the national bone marrow registry, will help you every step of the way. Registering takes only minutes a simple cheek swab and a little paperwork. Anyone between the ages of 18-44 can be a donor. If you cant donate, you can help us find donors. Please call or email for more information: NaliniNeedsYou.com: (650) 318-1297 Taylor Phillips: taylorp@stanford.edu Sribala Subramanian: bsubra@nyc.rr.com Keep track of the latest developments in India and the US at nalinineedsyou.com

May 4-10, 2013

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International Jain Sangh celebrates Mahavir Jayanti in NJ

New Jersey: On March 28th 2013 International Jain Sangh known as IJS celebrated 2016 Mahavir Jayanti , the birth anniversary of 24th Trithankar Bhagwan Mahavir with great pomp and show in Edison hotel Raritan center NJ. Jains from all over NJ participated in the celebration. The program started with Poojan where Lord Mahavir was worshiped and prayers were bestowed upon Bhagwan Mahvir with great devotion. This was followed by the Jaap of Namokar Mantra for world peace. Namokar Mantra is the most auspicious of all the mantras for Jains and if chanted with great devotion brings bliss and happiness and destroys all evil. A colorful procession was taken out, the devotees praised lord Mahavir, singing and dancing with the idol of Mahavir Swami that was established and Abhishekh ceremony was performed by all. A beautiful cultural program was put together and hosted by Shalini Jain. The cultural program opened with Shelby Jain who sang in her beautiful voice two most auspicious bhajans in Jainism, the Namokar Mantra and Tumse Laagi Lagan' devoted to Bhagwan Mahvir Swami.

Asha Motwani funds India-US entrepreneurial program

Indian entrepreneurs annually to visit U.S. tech centers. Asha Motwani, who has invested in over 75 start-ups in the U.S., recently began to seed fund India-based start-ups. The idea for the program, also dubbed the Startup Corridor, came when Motwani met several bright young entrepreneurs in India pursuing excellent ideas and experiments but without the kind of mentoring that is so common in Silicon Valley, she told Indias Business Standard newspaper. Reading and talking about this kind of mentoring in abstract can take one forward only so much. Unless the entrepreneurs understand the culture, the walk, and the talk of Silicon Valley, serious dialogue was unlikely to emerge. In the first round of the program, several entrepreneurs from India met with Silicon Valley entrepreneurs including Twitter founder Jack Dorsey and NetScape Communications cofounder Marc Andreessen. They also visited the Stanford Design School and the headquarters of Google, Facebook and Twitter. Prospective entrepreneurs in the group came from the Indian Institute of ManagementAhmedabad, Kochi-based Startup Village and Ahmedabad-based National Institute of Design. Motwani told the Business Standard she doesnt expect monetary returns. If the visiting fellows help and encourage the batches that will visit after them thats reward enough, she said. Asha wants to build and continue the fellowship program for at least 10 entrepreneurs every year for next few years and we will be helping her team every step of the way," said Sanjay Vijayakumar, chairman of the Startup Village Board of Governors, and another advisor to the program.

Cultural Program: Shelby Jain singing bhajan Naresh Jain President of Educare foundation gave a presentation on Jain concepts of non violence. Children performed dances to the tune of bhajans. Dr. Tulsi Mahajan an educator and peace builder presented his views on Jainism. An essay competition was held for kids to speak on Jain religion topics. Anookhi Pathshala was held were kids asked questions based on Jain religion kids were recognized and presented with trophies for their performance and participation. The president of IJS Mr. Alok Jain gave the closing speech. The program ended on friendly, peaceful and devotional note.

Venture capitalist Asha Motwani

Washington, DC: Venture capitalist Asha Jadeja Motwani, wife of the late Stanford Professor Rajeev Motwani a noted Indian American computer scientist who mentored Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin and helped design algorithms that currently power Google has launched a fellowship enabling Indian entrepreneurs to network with entrepreneurs and seed investors in Silicon Valley and other tech hubs in the U.S. The Rajeev Circle Fellowship will select more than a dozen

125 attend health fair in Edison

New Jersey: On Sunday, April 28, 2013, a health screening and disease awareness and prevention fair was organized by Indian Health Camp of New Jersey in collaboration with IndoAmerican Council of Seniors of Edison. Indian Health Camp of New Jersey, a non-profit organization held this health camp for the fifth consecutive year at their Edison location. Approximately Next health fair is on June 23 125 pre-registered participants above the age of 45 without medical ed the courtesy of blood test service insurance attended this comprehen- on this day. The blood test reports will be reviewed by the physicians sive health screening fair. The services provided during this and mailed it to all participants with free health fair included comprehen- a counseling note, if any abnormalisive blood test, electrocardiogram, ties are detected in the test. The physical examination, cardiology State of New Jersey, Commission counseling, vision screening for for the blind and their dedicated glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, team provided thorough eye screencancer prevention education and ing to qualified patients on this day. chronic diseases screening and Middlesex County Public Health counseling, diabetes and stroke edu- Department representatives providcation and prevention strategies. ed the information to promote and The physicians, nurses, medical protect public health and welfare to assistants, phlebotomists, EKG include chronic disease and cancer technicians, medical students and awareness and education. Diabetes other volunteers from various spe- education and counseling was procialties of internal medicine, cardi- vided by the Novo Nordisk repreology, ophthalmology and preven- sentatives, while Stroke risk factors tive medicine provided their servic- and prevention strategies and counes for more than six hours on this seling were provided by the day to screen and educate patients American Association of Indian on diabetes, hypertension, cardiac Nurses representatives and SATHI diseases, high cholesterol, various student volunteers. The IHCNJ next health fair will be types of cancer and other chronic debilitating diseases which is preva- on Sunday, June 23, 2013, from 8:30 a.m. to 1: 00 p.m. at Shree lent in South Asians. Temple in Accurate Diagnostic Labs in Venkateswara South Plainfield and Edison provid- Bridgewater, New Jersey.

A special Meet and Greet event was hosted by the Embassy of India in Washington, DC in collaboration with The Indian Dance Educators Association (IDEA), on April 12. The aim of the event was to facilitate a dialogue for the first time between the Indian dance community and mainstream art commissioners and organizations as well as to provide an opportunity to showcase the Indian dance community and create an awareness about the different Indian Classical and Folk styles. The event featured special performances by Astad Deboo (right), a pioneer of modern dance in India and Praveen D. Kumar, eminent traditional Bharatnatyam dancer.

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Obama vows to stand up for South Asians' civil rights

Washington, DC: Noting that South Asian Americans, particularly those who are Muslim, Hindu, or Sikh, have too often faced "senseless violence and suspicion", President Barack Obama has vowed to keep up the fight against discrimination. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders "have made our country bigger and brighter again and again, from Native Hawaiians to the generations of striving immigrants who shaped our history," he said, in a Presidential Proclamation declaring May as the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. "Their story is the American story," he said, but noted, "for many in the AAPI community, that story is one also marked by lasting inequality and bitter wrongs." "Immigrants seeking a better life were often excluded, subject to quotas, or denied citizenship because of their race," Obama noted. "And in the last decade, South Asian Americans -- particularly those who are Muslim, Hindu, or Sikh -- have too often faced senseless violence and suspicion due only to the color of their skin or the tenets of their faith," he said. Obama noted: "Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have prevailed over adversity and risen to the top of their fields -- from medicine to business to the bench. "But even now, too many hardworking AAPI families face disparities in health care, education, and employment that keep them from getting ahead," he said reaffirming his administration's commitment "to addressing those disparities." "We are standing up for civil rights, economic opportunity and better outcomes in health and education," he said. "We are fighting for commonsense immigration reform so America can continue to be a magnet for the best and brightest from all around the world, including Asia and the Pacific," said Obama but acknowledged "meeting those challenges will not be easy." "But the history of the AAPI community shows us how with hope and resolve, we can overcome the problems we face," he said.

Indian embassy issues fresh guidelines for OCI card holders

Washington, DC: The Overseas Citizens of India card holders, while travelling to India, must carry the OCI booklet and their passport having 'U' visa sticker, the Indian embassy has said. While the OCI card provides its holder a multiple entry, multi-purpose life-long visa for visiting India, in many cases its holders are required to apply for its re-issuance, including re-issuance of new passport for those below 20 and above 50. "For an applicant who is 21 to 49 years of age, there is no need to re-issue OCI documents each time a new passport is issued. However, if the applicant desires, he/she can request that the OCI documents be re-issued so that the OCI documents reflect the correct passport number," the Embassy said. For an applicant who is 50 years of age or older, OCI documents must be re-issued once after the issuance of a new passport, the statement said. One should apply for re-issuance of OCI card in case there is a change in personal particulars, loss or damage of passport and/or OCI booklet, for correcting personal details entered wrongly while submitting online applications. However in case of emergency, the OCI card holder can continue to carry the old passport wherein OCI 'U' visa sticker is pasted along with the new passport and the OCI booklet for visiting India. "It is important for the OCI card holder to carry the OCI booklet along with the passport having U visa sticker. Both these documents should always be in the possession of the OCI card holder while travelling to India," it said. Minor children of OCI card holders are not eligible for OCI cards, it said adding that they can apply for PIO (People of Indian Origin) card. An individual who has ever been a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh, is not eligible for OCI card. OCI exempts from registration with local police authority for any length of stay in India and is at parity with Non-resident Indians (NRIs) in respect of economic, financial and educational fields, except in relation to acquisition of agricultural or plantation properties. "OCI can be used as identity proof for application of PAN Card and driving license as well as for opening a bank account if the card holder is residing in India," the Embassy said.

Indian American is Google's highest-paid employee

New York: Nikesh Arora, the Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer of Google emerged as the highest paid employee of Google, with a total compensation of $46.7 million in the year 2012. This is more than double the amount which he received the year before, as reported by Bloomberg. Arora, who is with Google for the past many years, has been successful in building the European operations of the company into a significant one. He was appointed to the post of global ad sales boss in the year 2009. Prior to joining Google, he was chief marketing officer and a member of the management board at TMobile Europe. While there, he spearheaded all product development, terminals, brand and marketing activities of T-Mobile Europe. In 1999, he started working with Deutsche Telekom and founded TMotion PLC, a mobile multimedia subsidiary of T-Mobile International. Prior to joining

US to honor two Indian-Americans as 'champions of change'

Washington, DC: Marking the community's heritage month this May, the White House has announced to honor 15 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women including two Indian-Americans as "champions of change" in recognition of their significant contribution to the community. The two Indian-American women to be recognized next week by the White House are Aparna Aparna Bhattacharyya and Pramila Jayapal Bhattacharyya from Atlanta and an opportunity for the White house to feature groups of Pramila Jayapal from Washington state. They would be recognized along with 13 other AAPI Americans individuals, businesses and organizations who are doing extraordinary things to empowwomen at a White House event on May 6. "These fifteen women represent the strength and er and inspire members of their communities. A passionate advocate for immigrant survivors of diversity of the AAPI community. These leaders in business, advocacy, philanthropy, sports, the arts, and family and sexual violence and ensuring they have academia are wonderful examples for young access to safety, justice and healing, Bhattacharyya is women across the country," said Valerie Jarrett, senior the Executive Director of Raksha, in Atlanta, Georgia. She has worked to ensure that attorneys, law advisor to the president and chair of the White House enforcement, and service providers are culturally comCouncil on Women and Girls. "As we celebrate Asian American and Pacific petent to serve immigrant survivors. Jayapal has conIslander Heritage Month this May, we pay tribute to tinued to work for advancement of immigration the many AAPI women from Bernice Pauahi reforms in the state as well as nationally, and in the Bishop to Congresswoman Patsy Mink to Sunita aftermath of 9/11 she founded the largest immigrant Williams who have shaped the story of America," advocacy organization in Washington State, added Tina Tchen, chief of staff to the First Lady and OneAmerica. She is currently the Distinguished Taconic Fellow at executive director of the White House Council on Center for Community Change and a Distinguished Women and Girls. The Champions of Change program was created as Fellow at the University of Washington Law School.

Nikesh Arora

Deutsche Telekom, Arora held management positions at Putnam Investments and Fidelity Investments in Boston. Arora holds a masters degree from Boston College and an MBA from Northeastern University, both of which were awarded with distinction. He also holds the CFA designation. In 1989, Arora graduated from the Institute of Technology in Varanasi, India with a bachelors degree in electrical engineering.

May 4-10, 2013

NATIONAL COMMUNITY

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Indian American students shine in California science fair

New York: Indian American students shone in this year's California State Science Fair, grabbing the top award, six first place honors and various other awards. Eesha Khare, a 12th grade student of Lynbrook High School in San Jose, California, won the top award for 'Project of the Year' in the senior grade at the fair held earlier this year, India-West reported Saturday. Khare also won a $5,000 for her project, 'Design and Synthesis of Hydrogenated TiO2-Polyaniline Nanorods for Flexible HighPerformance Supercapacitors'. My project this year created a cost effective, environmentally friendly and energy efficient water purification filter, using photo-activated Nano-TiO2. I developed a filter, and a prototype design, which can be applied in rural and modern settings all around the world. Last summer, Khare had completed an internship with Water and Sanitation Management Organization, which has a mandate to provide clean drinking water to 18,000 villages in the Indian state of Gujarat. Stating that it was an eye-opening experience for her, she said: After coming back to the US, I visited the Rinconada Water Treatment plant in Santa Clara County, which provides 80 million gallons of clean drinking water to the Silicon Valley every day, where I saw the Silicon Valley water treatment method. It was truly fascinating to see, and it allowed me to gain insight on water purification on a large scale. The five Indian American students who won first place honors winners in the junior category are Mythri Ambatipudi of Stratford Middle School, San Jose, Venkat N. Sankar, of The Harker School, San Jose, Ashwath M. Radhachandran, of Thurgood Middle School, San Diego, and Shashank H. Dholakia and Shishir H. Dholakia, of Marion A. Peterson Middle School, Sunnyvale. This year, 1,037 students from all over California participated in the fair that was held at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

Sikhs support bill against bullying in schools

Petition signatures needed in California
Sacramento, CA: May 1st marked a momentous occasion wherein California Legislature held a hearing on a legislation that addressed serious issues relating to bullying and peer abuse, with particular focus on issues that impact students in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, their families, peers and communities. Dr. Seema Kaur, United Sikhs National Director, spoke in support of SB 231 at this hearing in the California State Senate, alongside Ms. Lisa Ford Berry, founder of B.R.A.V.E. (Bullies Really Are Violating Everyone) Society and co-sponsor of this bill, aimed at establishing the California Technical Bullying Prevention Center - a hotline for California students being bullied. State Senator Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) introduced Senate Bill (SB) 231, to address issues related to youth bullying and peer abuse. Co-sponsors of the bill include California Senate pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Senator Marty Block (D-San Diego), Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (D- San Francisco), Bonnie Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), and Philip Y. Ting (D-San Francisco). Dr. Seema Kaur, speaking both as a community leader and a mother of three says, The series of events that led to the loss of a beautiful soul - Michael Joseph Berry - to bullycide is not an isolated case. Many of our children are facing similar circumstances all over the country. All children that are either suffering or have been lost belong to all of us. Why should we expect a child to offer an explanation as to who they are in order to be accepted in their peer groups? In the Sikh community, children continue to face harassment and bullying in schools because of their Sikh identity. This reflects a growing trend, as demonstrated by incidents of school bullying outlined in our 20112012 Global Sikh Civil and Human Rights Report , where one students hair was set on fire and anothers was forcibly cut. Sikh boys have regularly been subjected to harassment and school bullying at the elementary school level and beyond. This hotline will be an outlet for them and their families to know that there is help, along with a voice that will listen and do something about the abuse they are facing. Under SB 231, the Bullying Prevention Center will be staffed by trained professionals who will provide assistance to students and parents with conflict resolution, crisis intervention, suicide prevention and bullying prevention resources. The choice not to practice, or practice a particular religion is a fundamental right of every American citizen, and nothing should get in the way of this basic right. We all have an obligation to speak up so that our children can walk down the hallways with the same sense of safety as every other child. Our legislators need to take action now to put a system in place to stop harmful assumptions and judgements being made based on physical appearance, race, religion, etc. Together, lets empower ourselves and our children to say something do something about peer abuse. said Dr. Sidhu.

Indian American's book on billionaire immigrants out Sant Rajinder Singh Ji giving talks
aires has hit the stands here. "This book captivates the reader with stories of people who arrived in America with nothing but the desire to succeed and the ability to think positively," Singh said in a statement Friday. "All of the billionaires were hindered in some manner as strangers to the United States. Some of these individuals had hardly enough money for a cup of coffee while others lacked the knowledge of English necessary to communicate or get a decent-paying job," he added. Through perseverance and other keys to success discussed in the book, all 12 immigrants had become billionaires, Singh said. In the book, the author has analyzed each individual's course of action and decisions in life to arrive at the 12 keys of success. An author and entrepreneur, Singh migrated from India to the US in 1973 and is now a US citizen.

on meditation in Chicagoland area

Author Dr.Harsimran Singh and the book (left)

New York: A book titled 'How 12 Immigrants Made Billions: 12 Keys to Success' by Indian American author and entrepreneur Dr. Harsimran Singh detailing stories of immigrants to the US who became billion-

Green Kumbh Yatra reaches Jerusalem

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj and his wife Mata Rita Ji greet the international audience gathered to hear his talk. Illinois: After returning from India, spiritual guru Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj has resumed a schedule of discourses and meditation programs in the Chicagoland, IL area. Beginning earlier this month with programs in Lombard and Naperville, on Sunday, April 28, he spoke in Lisle. Referring to the omnipresence of God, the Creator, he said in the same way an author knows every detail about the characters he or she writes about, God, too, knows every detail of our lives and is always with us. He spoke of the importance of connecting with ourselves at the level of our soul through the process of meditation. The audience then had an opportunity to sit in meditation according to his instructions. Science of Spirituality has its national headquarters in Naperville, IL and offers regular meditation classes, vegetarian cooking classes, retreats, and programs on living spirituality enriched lives, free of charge and open to all. A world-renowned spiritual Master and head of Science of Spirituality, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj has made the teachings of Sant Mat available to everyone. He travels continually, teaching meditation and helping people meet the challenges of the times, in both their worldly and spiritual lives. He has been honored by heads of state, civic and religious leaders all over the world for his work toward peace through spirituality. He will next speak at the Pipers Banquet Hall, 1295 Butterfield Road in Aurora on Sunday, May 12, at 2:30 PM. For more information about Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj and his schedule, visit www.sos.org

unique environmental pilgrimage, 'Green Kumbh Yatra', travelling across various countries to promote the importance of environment and biodiversity conservation, was received in Jerusalem on April 22. The Green Kumbh Yatra is the brainchild of Kusum Vyas, founder of GYAN and Living Planet Foundation of Houston, USA. Vyas was in Jerusalem to attend The First International Jerusalem Symposium from April 21 to April 25. The Symposium was timed to celebrate Earth Day, a history making day for the Green Kumbh Yatra. During a ceremony at the Old City's Jaffa Gate

Kusum Vyas presenting the Green Kumbh to Nir Barkat, Mayor of Jerusalem. Deputy Mayor Naomi Tsur looks on.

with the Tower of David and the Old City walls serving as a backdrop, Vyas presented the Green

Kumbh to Barkat, Mayor of Jerusalem as Deputy Mayor Naomi Tsur looking on.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

NATIONAL COMMUNITY

May 4-10, 2013

'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' will spur a dialogue: Mira Nair

INTERVIEW
By Arun Kumar Washington: Acclaimed Indian director Mira Nair is hopeful that her new thriller "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" would spur a dialogue between two worlds depicted in it particularly in the context of the Boston Marathon bombings. Based on the novel of the same name by Pakistani writer Mohsin Hamid, the film tells the story of two conflicting ideologies - the "fundamentalism" of the capitalists and that of the terrorists - through a young Pakistani man chasing his American Dream. The film "not only gave me the opportunity to make that modern tale on Pakistan, but it was also in its bones a dialogue with America," Nair said. "There is so little of conversation between this part of the world and that part of the world and especially post 9/11 that conversation has become a monologue," she said. She saw in "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" a "chance to create a bridge, create a dialogue." Nair said she has tried "to make a film that questions who is the other or who do we make to feel like the

The film is about two conflicting ideologies - the "fundamentalism" of the capitalists and that of the terrorists.
other and make something that's not reductionist", where one is either a good guy or a bad guy and things are black or white. In a complicated world "we are many things. Not just one thing - not just Indian or American or just this or that, but we are a combination of so many identities especially in this globalizing world," she said. And that's what the film tries to approximate through the characters of protagonist Changez Khan (Riz Ahmed) and Bobby (Liev Schreiber), an American journalist, whom he tells about his experiences in the US at a teahouse in Lahore, "and the worlds they live in". "I think our film is about the mutual suspicions that these two worlds have for each other," Nair said. "And in understanding why this suspicion exists." "That could be illuminating in

A still from Mira Nair's "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" released in New York and Los Angeles this Friday. Inset: Mira Nair.

terms of understanding how such a shift can happen in an individual ... to bring men to an act of terror this way as we see in Boston," Nair said. "I have to be optimistic," she said, but her film was just "an early step because we are still paying the price of reaction, that quick reach of reactions that I have seen happen in the country post 9/11." Delhi, which is a twin city to Lahore, doubled for the Pakistani city for filming the teahouse, the uni-

versity and all the interiors. "The first bolt of inspiration" that Nair had to make a film on Pakistan was in 2004 when she first visited Lahore, where her father had studied, and was "dazzled by the kind of largesse of warmth and spirit and love" she received. Reading Mohsin's "wonderful novel" in manuscript form 18 months later, she realized that like the writer "I have lived half my life in New York City and half my life in the sub-

continent and I knew both worlds within and somewhat without." When Nair finally set out to make "The Reluctant Fundamentalist", Mohsin joked if she was making 'Monsoon Terrorist' "because I love music, I love naach, gaana, tamasha," said the maker of films like "Monsoon Wedding" "Mississippi Masala" and "The Namesake". In fact "Music is a huge part of my breathing universe and the modern music in Pakistan is just unbelievably inspiring" in its rendition of old traditional sources like the qawwali and the ghazal, she said. Nair has used three poems of Faiz Ahmad Faiz "Bol, ki lab azaad hain tere", " Mori arz suno" and "Dil Jalane Ki Baat". But did she ever feel that the film's treatment was in danger of slipping into 'lite' territory? "No, it's my way," said Nair. "For me music is very much part of how we live in the subcontinent and I wanted to integrate that." And "Yes, I don't want my films to be only like heavy, sort of home work, like a lecture," she said, "I make films also to take you on a journey that elevates you, that moves you, maybe shocks you. But in which, I hope, you can see yourself."

Wish Happy Mothers Day on Zee TV with Zee Dil Se

New York, NY: Zee TV, which recently became the first South Asian Channel to launch in HD in the US and Canada, is now providing its viewers, a chance to record Mothers Day messages on Zee Dil Se. This year Mothers Day is on 12 May. Those looking for creative ideas to make this day special for their mothers can record their message on Zee Dil Se. Zee TV will make this Mothers Day extra special by sending Free Veria skincare products worth $50 for every message that is recorded on the Zee Dil Se website. Recording a message on Zee Dil Website (www.zeedilse.com) is easy. After signing up, choose a date on which you want your personal video message to be telecast on Zee TV. After this you can record your video message for 15 seconds. It can be done with your webcam or you can also upload a pre-recorded video message. Then you can review, submit and make a payment of $99 to see your message come to life on Zee TV. If you like the Zee Dil Se Facebook page and participate in the Mothers Day contest, you can also record this message free of cost, on winning the contest. Zee Dil Se Facebook fans are participating and winning Veria skincare products every week! Zee Dil Se is for viewers in the US, who want to say something special to their loved ones in a special way. On Zee Dil Se, you can record personalized video messages for occasions such as birthday, new job, anniversary, etc. Now, one can gift their loved ones messages that will make them smile, cry and laugh as if they were near you. All you need to do is to log on www.zeedilse.com and record your message to see it live on Zee TV with your friends, family and loved ones! Zee TV has become synonymous with unparalleled quality in entertainment. An undisputed leader, it reaches more than 167 countries and 500 million viewers globally. More than 2 million viewers cherish it in the USA. As an Indian channel in the US, Zee TV is committed to strengthening the values and traditions that appeal to the South Asians in the USA. To learn more about this program, please contact: Roopsi Narula, Indo US Media, Suite 2004, 76 N, Broadway, Hicksville, NY 11801. Roopsi@indousmedia.com

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May 4-10, 2013

US AFFAIRS

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

3 pals of Boston bombing suspect held for cover-up

Washington: Three college friends of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were charged Wednesday with removing items from his dorm room or lying about it to the feds. Azamat Tazhayakov and Dias Kadyrbayev were charged with conspiring to obstruct justice. Robel Philipos was charged with making false statements, federal authorities said. Tazhayakov and Kadyrbayev, who are from Kazakhstan, had been detained April 20 on immigration charges. Philipos was taken into custody later. The men recognized Tsarnaev, 19, from video of the bombing scene released by the FBI and Kadyrbayev texted him about it, a criminal complaint said. Tsarnaev's responses included the messages "lol," "you better not text me" and "come to my room and take whatever you want," the court document said. The trio went to Tsarnaev's dorm room at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, where they found he had already left and were let in by his roommate. After watching a movie, they spotted a backpack containing seven red tubes of fireworks that had been emptied of their explosive powder and Kadyrbayev decided to take it, according to the complaint. They also took a laptop because they didn't want to arouse the roommate's suspicions about the backpack, the complaint said. Back at his apartment, the three friends "started to freak out" because they realized Tsarnaev was wanted in the bombing, Philipos said, according to the feds. They then "collectively decided to throw the backpack and fireworks into the trash because they did not want Tsarnaev to get in trouble," Kadyrbaev told agents, according to the complaint. Kadyrbaev allegedly put the items in a large trash bag and tossed it into a dumpster near his apartment. There was no indication the three men had any prior knowledge of the bombing.

Obama has 'the juice' for second term agenda

Washington: Echoing Mark Twain, President Barack Obama has confidently asserted that he has enough "juice" in him to get things done in Washington despite a divided and politically dysfunctional amosphere. "Golly, I think it's a little -- as Mark Twain said, rumors of my demise may be a little exaggerated at this point," Obama said Tuesday in response to a question at a White House press conference 100 days into his second term. "We understand that we're a divided government right now, (and) things are pretty dysfunctional up on Capitol Hill," he said when asked if he still had "the juice" to get his agenda through Congress since lawmakers had blocked several of his initiatives. But he said he is still confident that a range of priorities will get done, like immigration reform offering a path to citizenship to an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants, including some 260,000 Indians. "That's going to be historic achievement," Obama said. "I've been very complimentary of the efforts of both Republicans and Democrats in those efforts." Turning to the Boston bombings, Obama said he had asked "our entire counterterrorism team what more can we do" to meet the threat posed by "self-radicalized individuals" like the suspects Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. With the core of Al Qaeda weakened, he said, "one of the dangers that we now face are self-radicalized individuals who are already here in the US, in some cases may not be part of any kind of network." Obama defended the way the FBI handled a tip from Russian intelligence about Tamerlan Tsarnaev, but said his administration would "review every step that was taken" to see if more could have been done to prevent the attack. He said Russian officials had been "very cooperative" since the attack on April 15, as American investigators have travelled to Dagestan in southern Russia to try to reconstruct the activities of Tamerlan during a six-month visit last year. As for the sweeping $85 billion in forced spending cuts that took effect in March due to congressional inaction on deficit reduction, Obama said the austerity is "damaging our economy" and "hurting our people." Lifting them will require compromise, he said asking both parties to "sit down" and commit themselves to reduce "our deficit sensibly" and ensure investment in infrastructure, education and basic research that will help the economy and the country grow.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, second right, and Dias Kadyrbayev (who has been arrested) in Times Square. NBC News intentionally blurred the faces of the other people with Tsarnaev and Kadyrbayev.

"Please be advised that there is no threat to public safety," the Boston Police Department said on its website. FBI agents have also questioned Tamerlan Tsarnaevs widow, Katherine Russell, for hours to find out what she knows about the plot. FBI agents also wanted to collect a DNA sample from Russell to compare with female DNA found on a bomb fragment. The female DNA also could have come from many other sources, including a store clerk who sold some of the raw ingredients in the bomb or a spectator at the race. The agency has also questioned Mikhail Misha Allakhverdov, the mysterious Muslim friend that the bombing suspects relatives blamed for helping to radicalize Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Allakhverdov has denied he had anything to do with the bombing and has said he has not seen Tamerlan Tsarnaev in years. Tamerlan Tsarnaev traveled to Russia for about six months in 2012, raising questions whether he received any training there on how to construct the bombs.

Welcome high skill workers or lose them: US think tank

Washington: Citing the significant contributions of immigrants from India, a leading US think tank has suggested that America must roll out the welcome mat to high skill workers to remain competitive and innovative. While much of the congressional immigration reform debate is focused on a 'path to citizenship' for 11 million illegal immigrants, including some 260,000 Indians, a proposal by Senate's "Gang of Eight" focusing on skilled workers "should attract broad support," it said, describing it as 'path to prosperity'. Called the Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013, it proposes increasing the number of visas for high-skilled foreign workers and granting permanent legal ('green card') status to more foreign students who earn graduate degrees from American universities in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math). "Current US immigration practices prevent US companies and entrepreneurs from gaining access to talented, high skilled employees," noted Karl F. Inderfurth, Wadhwani Chair in US-India Policy Studies and Scott Miller, Scholl Chair in International Business at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). "A further incentive for increasing the number of high skill immigrant visas to the US is the benefit that can come from the bilateral economic links the immigrant community maintains with their country of origin," they wrote. Indian Americans, for example, "are one of the fastest growing minorities in the United States, and in addition to coming here for higher education, they increasingly have come to start companies and invest," Inderfurth and Miller said. The evidence that Indian immigrants and Indian businesses boost the US economy is clear, they said. "Since 2006, Indian nationals have founded 33 percent of all engineering and technology companies founded by immigrants in the United States, which accounts for about a quarter of all companies launched." "Indian companies support more than 250,000 jobs for locals in the United States. In addition, Indian companies have invested more than $4.9 billion and employ more than 27,000 Americans," Inderfurth and Miller said. Reactions to the proposal in the US and India have been mixed, the paper noted. The North American Association of Indian IT Professionals (NAAIIP) is pleased with new stipulations to increase the number of temporary high-skill visas (H1B visas) and provide foreign high skill workers with some employment flexibility.

High coastal population growth poses risk of extreme weather

Washington: If current population trends continue, the already crowded US coast will see population grow from 123 million people to nearly 134 million by 2020, putting more of the population at increased risk from extreme coastal storms like Sandy and Isaac, which severely damaged infrastructure and property last year. The projection comes from a new report released from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) with input from the U.S. Census Bureau. According to the report, which analyzed data from the 2010 census, 39 percent of the U.S. population is concentrated in counties directly on the shoreline -less than 10 percent of the total U.S. land area excluding Alaska, and that 52 percent of the total population

A 2010 map of America showing high density of population in the coastal areas.

lives in counties that drain to coastal watersheds, less than 20 percent of U.S. land area, excluding Alaska. A coastal watershed is an area in which water, sediments, and dissolved material drain to a common coastal outlet, like a bay or the ocean. People who live near the shore, and managers of these coastal communities,

should be aware of how this population growth may affect their coastal areas over time, said Holly Bamford, assistant NOAA administrator. As people move to the coast, county managers will see a dual challenge -- protecting a growing population from coastal hazards, as well as protecting coastal ecosystems from a growing population.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

INDIA

May 4-10, 2013

11

Sarabjit dies in Pak - but not from the noose

Amritsar: Sarabjit Singh - the impoverished family man from a Punjab village, the death row prisoner who languished for 23 years in Pakistan, the man who in death became the latest bone of contention in India-Pakistan ties who died after being brutally assaulted by fellow prisoners in Pakistan, was of all these. On April 30, 2009, Sarabjit Singh was scheduled to face the gallows but his hanging was postponed indefinitely. Four years and two days later, he died in Pakistan, not from the noose but after being brutally assaulted by fellow prisoners at the Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore. The 49-year-old was declared dead by doctors in Lahore's Jinnah Hospital, six days after he was attacked on April 26, marking an end to his family's sustained efforts to save him from gallows and secure his freedom. Sarabjit was all of 26 years when he was arrested inside Pakistan August 1990 and later charged with being an Indian spy who was involved in two terrorist incidents there. He spent the next 23 years in Pakistani prisons and was subjected to torture - the biggest one being the proverbial Damocles sword of death penalty hanging over his head. A sustained campaign by his spirited sister Dalbir Kaur in the last few years gave some hope that Sarabjit would avoid the death penalty. But that was not to be. His family, especially sister Dalbir Kaur, wife Sukhpreet and daughters Swapandeep and Poonam, approached everyone they could. But Sarabjit was not lucky enough to return to Indian soil alive. The family met him briefly in jail April 2008 after a gap of 18 years. He saw his grown up daughters for the first and only time. This week, the family met him again - but he had slipped into a deep coma and probably never even knew. There was a brief, tantalizing moment of hope. In June last year,

It will be the final farewell when Sarabjit's body journeys back home

reports said the Pakistan government announced that he was being released. However, in a flip-flop, the Pakistani authorities clarified that it was not Sarabjit but another Indian prisoner, Surjeet Singh,

being released. "We felt cheated. Celebrations had started in our house and elsewhere. But he was not released," Dalbir Kaur said. It will be the final farewell when Sarabjit's body journeys back home.

It's the killing of our citizen: India

New Delhi: The death of Sarabjit Singh was "put simply, the killing of our citizen while in the custody of Pakistan jail authorities", the external affairs ministry said Thursday. In a statement, the ministry said India has asked Pakistan to "release the body of Sarabjit Singh so that he can be given a funeral in India and among his own people". It said the "shocking attack" on Singh in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail April 26 "highlights the need for concerted action by Pakistan to safeguard Indians in Pakistani jails".

'Body to be handed over to Indian mission'

Islamabad: Pakistan will hand over the body of Sarabjit Singh, an Indian prisoner who died Thursday in a Lahore hospital, to the Indian High Commission at the earliest, said the ministry of foreign affairs. The foreign ministry said that the government of Pakistan, "which had been providing all assistance to the family of Sarabjit Singh as well as to the Indian authorities since the occurrence of this unfortunate incident, will continue to facilitate for the early completion of all formalities and hand over the mortal remains of the prisoner to the Indian High Commission at the earliest possible".

Sarabjit's sister calls for political unity

New Delhi: Dalbir Kaur, sister of Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh, has asked all political parties to come together and strengthen the government's hands. "Sarabjit gave up his life for the country. He was martyred for India. (Pakistan President Asif Ali) Zardari killed him because of elections," Dalbir Kaur told reporters here. She said: "The entire country should come together. I appeal to all parties to make the hands of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde stronger."

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May 4-10, 2013

INDIA

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Coal scam: SC raps CBI, government

New Delhi: UPA II battled a crisis after the Supreme Court censured the Manmohan Singh government for meddling in the CBI investigation into coal block allocations, setting the stage for more paralyzing fireworks in parliament. And on a day Additional Solicitor General Harin Rawal resigned after taking on Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati, anguished Supreme Court judges demanded that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) be "liberated" from "extraneous consideration, influences and intrusions". The court ruling followed CBI director Ranjit Sinha's admission that his agency had shared the status report on the coal block allocations probe with Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and an official of the Prime Minister's Office. Sinha added to the mess by admitting what critics and activists have been alleging for long: that the CBI was not an "independent organization" and that he was "part of the government". With general elections due next

BJP to hold nation-wide protests against UPA

New Delhi: After stalling parliament, the main opposition BJP has decided to hold nationwide protests on May 4 and 5 to "expose" the scams of the UPA government. "These protests will unmask the misuse of constitutional institutions to cover up scams, corruption and sins of the Congress," BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters here. "BJP leaders including L.K. Advani, party chief Rajnath Singh, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley and all BJP chief ministers will lead protests across the country," Naqvi said. "The prime minister has become the guardian of sins and the Congress a caucus of corruption. Every corruption, scam and loot of public money is being done under the guardianship of the prime minister by the Congress with impunity," he said. accountability for the overall mess. "Each passing day reinforces that the prime minister is not coming out clean before the apex court... He cannot escape accountability," said BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad. Parliament has remained paralyzed since April 22, when it reconvened for the second half of the budget session after a monthlong recess. It was again adjourned for the day after aggressive MPs from both sides took on one another.

Federal Law Minister Ashwani Kumar

year amid speculation that it could be held earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declared that it would not attend any meeting of Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath. Congress sources admitted that it was becoming politically untenable to defend the law minister but underlined no action would be taken in haste.

A Supreme Court bench headed by Justice R.M. Lodha came out with a trenchant criticism of the government for interfering in the CBI's probe into coal blocks allocations. It asked the agency to file an affidavit stating the changes made in the report vetted by Minister Ashwani Kumar. Judges Lodha, Madan Lokur and Kurien Joseph said the affidavit to be filed by the CBI director should

be "candid, truthful, absolutely complete and founded on records". Noting that its trust in the agency has been breached, the judges observed: "We believed you and trusted you... this is how the draft report was changed... the court was kept in dark." The opposition sharpened its knives. The BJP called the UPA II government the most corrupt since India's Independence and said Manmohan Singh could not escape

'We will preserve India's Delhi riots: Sikhs protest Sajjan's acquittal perception of LAC'
New Delhi: Scores of angry Sikh groups, waving placards and shouting slogans, blocked a busy road and disrupted the Metro service for a few hours to express their outrage over the acquittal of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. As the Sikh groups promised more such protests, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit pleaded that the issue not be politicized. Holding placards that read "Give justice to '84 victims" and "Hang the culprits who massacred Sikhs", different Sikh groups gathered outside the Tilak Nagar police station in west Delhi since early morning. Most of them were from the Tilak Vihar area, a resettlement and rehabilitation colony that houses the victims of 1984 antiSikh riots. The Sikh groups were angry at

Sajjan Kumar's acquittal came almost three decades after an estimated 3,000 Sikhs were killed in riots in India in 1984

On April 15, a Chinese platoon set up camp 19 km inside Indian territory in Depsang Valley in Ladakh

New Delhi: Dismissing talk of softness in approach in the standoff with China, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said both sides have a mechanism to amicably resolve border incidents and the Indian government had a "very determined view" that its perception of the LAC is preserved and any violation "put right". In an interview to NDTV news channel, Khurshid said India shares a "much larger relationship with China" and the world is looking at both countries as the future of not only Asia but of "a vibrant more successful world of tomorrow". "We don't want to be dogs in the manger because someone's jingoism has to be satisfied, we don't

need certificates of patriotic zeal from anyone," said Khurshid, referring to criticism of what is perceived as the government's "soft" approach in dealing with the border incursion by Chinese troops in Depsang area of Ladakh. Khurshid, who is going to Beijing on May 9, told the channel: "Whether I am soft or harsh or hard, the job is to talk to China and ensure the mechanism we have in place for years effectively we get and are able to do what we want to do. It is not my job to engage with the BJP, when the job is done effectively (I) will report to people." On April 15, a Chinese platoon set up camp 19 km inside Indian territory in Depsang Valley in Ladakh.

the acquittal of Sajjan Kumar by a city court in a case related to the killing of five people in the Delhi Cantonment area during violence against Sikhs following the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi Oct 31, 1984. The court convicted five

others in the same case. Sajjan Kumar's acquittal came almost three decades after an estimated 3,000 Sikhs were killed in three days of riots in India's capital and elsewhere. The group then barged into the nearby Tilak Nagar Metro station and came onto the track, disrupting the service for a few hours. A group of Sikhs also entered the Subhash Nagar Metro station a few kilometres away. They demanded action against Sajjan Kumar and other accused in riot cases, including another Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, blamed for instigating a mob that led to the murder of three men in a gurdwara in north Delhi in Nov 1, 1984. A city court on April 10 re-opened the case against him.

Sikh group offers money for Sajjan's conviction

New York: A US-based Sikh rights group has announced a million-dollar reward for those individuals whose testimony and evidence may result in the conviction of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar. The reward will be given to those individuals who will come forward with tips, evidence and testimony leading to the reversal of a Delhi court's judgment acquitting Kumar in a 1984 antiSikh riots case, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) announced. SFJ said it would engage top advocates to prosecute the appeal against the acquittal of Kumar before Delhi High Court.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

INDIA

May 4-10, 2013

13

SP hardsells Harvard boycott to woo vote

Lucknow: Concerned that its appeal among Muslim voters was dimming, Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) is on an overdrive to hardsell its boycott of a Harvard lecture after minister Azam Khan was detained at Boston airport as "standing up to imperialist US". Azam Khan's detention led to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav boycotting the lecture at the Harvard Business School on the successful management of the Kumbh Mela and also a civic reception held in his honor by the Indian consulate. While the party has since been attacking the US in its bid to become a "mascot of antiAmericanism", Azam Khan also blamed External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid. Soon after his return from the US, Azam Khan announced that the state was canceling all future trips by its ministers to the US. As if on cue, Vidhan Sabha Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey canceled the US leg of his Commonwealth tour beginning May 20. Party strategists say the attack on Khurshid, added to the anti-US campaign, was a "well thought one". As an SP functionary put it: "Our minority vote bank had been dented owing to the killing of a Muslim cop and the 28 plus communal flare-ups but we hope all that would be a thing of past." The party is making the most of the opportunity given to it. Party spokesperson and Prisons Minister Rajendra Chowdhary hailed Akhilesh Yadav for "standing up against unjust and antiMuslim America", a stand he said was in line with the SP's socialist ethos. Supporting the chief minister's decision to boycott all engagements in the US, Chowdhary said: "What is wrong in it?" His party colleague, SP national general secretary Ram Asrey Kushwaha added that Akhilesh Yadav's move "would send the right message among the Muslims". With general elections due next year, party insiders admit that in the coming days the party would go into overdrive to tell its crucial Muslim vote bank that the SP has stood for them on foreign shores. The state bureaucracy is, howev-

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav (left) and his state urban development minister Azam Khan in New York

er, unimpressed as is the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "This is a plan hatched long back but sadly they are now compromising on national respect for petty political gains," said BJP spokesperson Vijay Bahadur Pathak. He said the SP was trying

to break the Congress hold on fringe Muslim seats in Uttar Pradesh by raising the anti-US bogey. The road shows and other engagements that were planned for Akhilesh Yadav's July trip to US have "for now been put on hold", sources said.

Rahul mocks BJP campaign against corruption

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi during a rally in Karnataka

Shivpal criticized for writing to Obama

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh minister Shivpal Singh Yadav's letter to US President Barack Obama on cabinet colleague Azam Khan being detained at Boston airport has triggered a controversy with opposition parties and civil society activists terming it objectionable. In a petition sent to Governor B.L. Joshi, activist Urvashi Sharma termed the letter written by the Public Works Department (PWD) minister as unconstitutional and against diplomatic norms under which external affairs is a central not a state subject. Leaders cutting across party lines also come down heavily on Shivpal Yadav. "This government and its ministers are known for their illegal and anti-constitutional acts so the letter written by Shivpal Singh Yadav comes as no surprise," said senior Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Naseemuddin Siddiqui. Congress spokesperson Virendra Madan was equally critical and accused leaders of the state's ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) of "making a joke of their US visit".

Uttar Pradesh minister Shivpal Singh Yadav

"This is highly objectionable and cannot be wished away," Sharma said. "No leader from any state can directly address the head of any other state like this."

Mandya (Karnataka): Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi mocked the BJP's attack on the central government over corruption, saying that the party does not talk about its former chief minister going to jail for graft in Karnataka. "They spoke in parliament about corruption, but they will not talk about it in Karnataka. They will also not say that a chief minister went to jail (over corruption charges)," Gandhi said here at a rally held as part of the campaign for the May 5 assembly polls in the

state. B.S. Yeddyurappa, the BJP chief minister, was forced to quit in July 2011 over mining bribery charges. He floated the Karnataka Janata Party, which is contesting the assembly elections alone. Mandya, about 80 km from Bangalore, is considered the stronghold of the Janata Dal-Secular (JDS). Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of "mortgaging" Karnataka's rich natural resources like iron ore to the Reddy brothers and using their money to acquire power in the state.

73 'Ponzi' funds will be shut down: Bengal

Kolkata: The West Bengal government announced it would shut down 73 companies against whom the central government has received complaints of indulging in 'Ponzi', or multi-level marketing, schemes. Making the announcement in the state assembly, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the government was looking into the list of 73 companies named by union Corporate Affairs Minister Sachin Pilot against which the central government has got complaints. She was speaking in the house after a bill seeking to bring to justice those trying to dupe people by collecting money from them. "We will close the companies in the next 24 hours," she said. Banerjee, however, refused to name the companies. "If I say anything it will alert the companies," she later told media persons in the assembly lobby. Pilot had named the companies during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha. Banerjee said her government would keep an eye on the financial establishments to ensure poor investors were returned the money. The chief minister said her government has taken a timely step to pass the bill to protect the interests of the people and it would be an example for the rest of the nation. She said the relevant bill would be sent to Governor M.K. Narayanan for his signature May 5 once he returns to the state. Speaking during discussion on the vote of thanks to the governor for his address to the assembly, she alleged that many files and documents of the earlier Left Front regime were now missing, prompting a walk-out by Left Front members.

Kutchi Jains connect via largest online forum

New York: The Vagad Visa Oswal Jains, a clan of Kutchi Jains from Gujarat, has created a national record by making the largest online family tree. The network, created by Mumbai-based Amit Chheda and Atul Nisar, has also been recognised as the largest online family tree in the 'Limca Book of Records 2013'. As many as 57,000 members of the community are now connected through the online forum 'Commu Tree' (www.vagadvisible.commutree.com), of which 45,000 are still alive, while the rest are ancestors, said a press release. "Atul wanted to connect with community members. Social networking sites did not prove to be useful and there was no other forum, which is when we decided to start a community network, said Chheda, 29, an alumnus of IIT Bombay. The objective of this platform is to create a global network for members to connect, as well as a matrimonial platform for finding suitable partners from within the community, he added. This is almost like a digital census of the community, since census records are done only at a villagelevel and not for the entire community, said Chheda. "This online platform is like a social networking site for the community, where we can instantly connect with each other, said Hasmukh Shah, a 49-year-old char-

tered accountant from Mumbai. Amit and Atul now plan to approach the Guinness World

Records to enroll www.vagadvisible.com as the largest online community network in the world.

14

May 4-10, 2013

OP-ED

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Will we run again?

Leaders in the 21st century need to emanate both confidence and compassion. Its not rocket science, just common sense. If only our politicians could read the writing on the wall.

By Barkha Dutt

was in the United States the morning after the senseless bombings at the Boston marathon. I watched President Obama deliver a message of succor and strength at the citys memorial service, pausing to personalize the tragedy of a young eight-year-old boy and his last living hours; offering resilience to an emotionally ravaged people by vowing: You will run again.

It may have been theatrical, rhetorical or that days assignment for a spin-doctor at the White House. But, in that moment, it hit the right note, and even made someone like me normally an absolute admirer of our noisy, colorful, chaotic multi-party democracy feel regret for the absence of a culture of communication in my own country. Eleven thousand miles away, my hometown was erupting in a rage reminiscent of the anti-rape

protests of December last year. This time the anger spilt onto the streets after a little girl who after being sexually violated with bottle-shards and candlesticks, was battling for her life. It seemed like dj vu in Delhi. Not just the horror of the assault itself, but also the responses shutting down metro stations, callous police handling and platitudes are mostly anodyne political interventions. Yet again, the prime minister and the Congress president chose strong words and statements over conversation and an emotionally distant formality over a more direct look-in-the-eye communication. This, though, seems to be a departure from their first instinct silence. Remember Dr Manmohan Singhs rehearsed, almost reluctant address to the nation eight days after the Delhi gang rape? And the

polices crackdown on agitators? Why do our politicians find it so difficult to talk directly to people? Either they believe that political communication is some airy-fairy new-age concept that is irrelevant to elections or they are trapped in a yesteryear style of delivering speeches to a crowd, from the safe distance of an elevated stage, instead of connecting personally with the individual. You wouldnt believe it, listening to some of them drone on endlessly on prime time TV. The sheer noise of political conversation in India can mislead you into believing that there is too much being said, not too little. But the structured template of gladiatorial television debates, where everyone plays out an assigned role, is no substitute for modern leadership, which in an age of hyper-information, can only be

rooted in emotional accessibility and an openness of style. Last year, as I moderated a Town Hall conversation in Kolkata with Hillary Clinton, I marveled at how unfazed she was by the tough, spontaneous questions thrown at her by young students in the crowd. The worlds most powerful diplomat was willing to bend the power equation and allow a 17year-old to talk to her like an equal. That is what contemporary politics is all about. And this is what people expect from their leaders, to admire them, but yet feel comfortable with them. Leaders in the 21st century need to emanate both confidence and compassion. Its not rocket science, just common sense. If only our politicians could read the writing on the wall. (The views expressed by the author are personal)

UPA better placed than NDA vis-a-vis allies

By Amulya Ganguli

t isn't only the Congress's myriad problems that raise questions about the government lasting till 2014. What is no less worrisome for the voters is that the ruling party's opponents are in an equally sorry state. What this means is that the post-poll scenario, whether it is later this year or early in the next, will be marked by considerable political instability. In fact, this is the only prospect which appears absolutely certain. It is this belief that neither the Congress nor the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be able to provide a stable government, which has made the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav call on his Tamil Nadu counterpart, Jayalalithaa, in search of forming a third alternative, about which his father, Mulayam Singh Yadav, has talked for quite some time. Prakash Karat of the Communist Party of IndiaMarxist (CPI-M), too, has spoken in favour of such an arrangement. He was, of course, the driving force

Between a listless NDA and a scam-tainted UPA, the electorate will be hard put to make a choice

behind a similar endeavour in 2009 under the Bahujan Samaj Party's Mayawati, which collapsed in a heap when the Congress crossed the 200-seat mark in the 543-member Lok Sabha. This time, however, Karat will be more hopeful because there isn't the faintest chance of the Congress approaching any such figure. All that the Congress will probably hope

for is to get a few seats more than the BJP so that it will be in a slightly advantageous position when renegotiating its terms with its present-day allies in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). But, even if the two main formations - the UPA and the BJPled National Democratic Alliance (NDA) - win, say, 300-odd seats between them, there will still be a huge chunk

of 240 seats with the regional parties. It is this large group which has fueled the prime ministerial ambitions of Mulayam Singh Yadav and stoked the longstanding Third Front dreams of Karat. The next certainty, therefore, about the post-poll scene apart from the chaotic political conditions - is the tug-of-war between the UPA and the NDA about their constituents. In this

respect, the former is in a slightly better position because it is a larger conglomerate comprising nearly a dozen parties compared to the NDA's four. The BJP's difficulty is that if it bows to the Bihar chief minister's dictates, it may be able to prevent the NDA's disintegration, but it will lose face. What is more, if it is compelled to project someone else as the prime ministerial candidate whether L.K. Advani, who, as Sushma Swaraj says, can be the PM nominee, or Sushma Swaraj herself - the saffron camp's core group of supporters, the communal-minded Hindus, whose virulent presence on the internet is a new feature of Indian politics, will be greatly disheartened. Therefore, between a listless NDA and a scam-tainted UPA, whose first party, the Congress, is hobbled by two centres of power - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party president Sonia Gandhi - the electorate will be hard put to make a choice. Nor will the options of the voters be improved by the presence of a medley of regional leaders whose visions are limited to their own states.

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

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

WOMENS WORLD

May 4-10, 2013

15

Failure is the stepping stone to success: Reshma Saujani

By Jinal Shah New York: Failure is the stepping stone to success, it may sound clichd but to Reshma Saujani, first generation Indian American and founder of Girls Who Code, success means taking risks and pursuing your dreams even if it means temporary failure. In fact in her new book Women Who Dont Wait in Line, she explores the importance of failure and its connection to risk, and what it means for todays women. The book, one of the first from Amazons new publishing venture, is expected to release soon. The book is about the next generation of female leadership. The title itself suggests - dont wait around for your turn, take that risk now. Apply for the job you dont think youre qualified for. Do the thing that people tell you not to do. Mentorship is the New Feminism. Sponsor young women and challenge them to ask for more, to take their career to the next level, Saujani told the SA Times. She was attending a meet and greet event Tuesday for South Asians United for a Better America (SAUBA), an organization dedicated to the needs, concerns, and interests of the South Asian community on a local, state, and national level. Saujani, daughter of a political refugee expelled from Uganda in 1972 and former deputy public advocate for New York City, talked about her unsuccessful first political foray (she lost the Democratic primary to Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney) to a room full of South Asians. It was an upstart race against an 8 year old incumbent, an absolutely crazy thing to do. I had zero name recognition. But the moment I started that race it was the best 10 months of my life and flash forward to my election day I lost 80/20 it was miserable. I had no concession speech ready in my purse, no backup plan. Also we live in the society thats very ashamed of failure and especially the women - it feels like we have to do the job before we get the job. Yet she learned a very important lesson Its okay to fail. She carefully weaved in another theme in the book, that of sisterhood, something she learned during her failed election campaign. This new generation is about supporting, doing business together; a generation that needs to accept risk and failure and embrace it, generation that fights for structural changes in society that makes it possible for women to work and have children, take parental leave, fight for affordable day care. Several of the chapters are about each of these issues and interviews with both successful women like Beth Comstock, chief marketing officer of GE, and younger women who people dont really know yet like Tiffany Dufu, chief leadership officer at Levo League and past president of The White House Project, added 37 year old Ivy League-educated lawyer and a former hedge fund attorney. Saujanis unreleased book has already created a buzz in the media in time for her race for NYCs Public Advocate office. Saujani is running in a five-way race, rivals include State Senator Daniel Squadron and Councilmember Letitia James. Yet, she is confident as she not only has a deep understanding of the office but also strong support from prominent politicos like the Clintons and also the South Asian community. At the event, Saujani shared her belief that increasing South Asian representation in politics is critical to better serving community needs. If she becomes NYC Public Advocate, she will be the first South Asian elected official in New York City. Commented Bhinish Shah, SAUBA's co-founder, "Reshma's fresh perspective on the role of Public Advocate and her ideas on promoting STEM education and creating middle class jobs is what has attracted SAUBA's attention. We firmly believe that promoting the voices and issues that concern the South Asian community through political advocacy and candidate support not only benefits the community but benefits our people at large." Founding Girls Who Code During her tenure as deputy public advocate in 2012 Saujani learned that the staggering 70 percent of students in the citys public schools did not have access to a computer. Worse, though 57 percent of US college graduates are women, only 14 percent of them have computer science or engineering degrees. Further, as per a 2011 report by the US Department of Commerce, women made up half of the US workforce, but held less than 25 percent of STEM jobs. The numbers are more depressing for immigrant women. To bridge the gender gap, Saujani founded Girls Who Code (GWC) to recruit women in tech fields. Astonishingly in 1970 we had more female engineers than today, she said blaming it on the attitude of girls as well as of society towards. On the campaign trail for congressional seat in 2010 she observed the power of technology in communities but girls didnt seem to be interested. I often Reshma Saujani, who is running for NYCs Public Advocate office, gave an exclusive interview to the South Asian Times. came across girls who said I dont think it is interesting or cool or I go to a computer lab and the boys wont let me in. The idea is to make them excited and passionate. Technology is moving at an unprecedented rate and we dont want our women to be left behind. GWC is an 8 week summer program where girls aged 13-18 learn hard coding skills like java, html, c++ and specific projects such as mobile app, website. We also expose them to female entrepreneurs and organize field trips to companies like Twitter and Facebook to see the application of technology in everyday lives. We are now going from 20 to 180 girls all from New York City this summer empowering them with the skills they need so that they have the potential to be the inaugural class at the Roosevelt Island Tech campus, Saujani added.

Bollywood divas' summer beauty routine: Simple yet effective

By Nivedita Mumbai: Do you wish for a glowing skin, soft shiny hair and a fit body? Take a peek into the beauty regimes of Bollywood divas like Deepika Padukone and Nargis Fakhri. These are not skin deep but keep them healthy and beautiful. Each one of them follows a different regimen, but one thing is common in their must do list water intake and use of moisturizer. Deepika Padukone: My daily skincare regime includes moisturizer with SPF (sun protection factor). At night, I remove whatever little makeup I wear and then apply hydrating cream. Also, plenty of water, balanced meals, regular workouts and adequate sleep figure on my must have list. Since my work involves a lot of travelling and exposure to extreme climatic conditions, it ends up taking a toll on my hair. I get tender coconut hair oil massages at least once a week to protect my hair. Nargis Fakhri: I need a beauty regime that guarantees results. A 20-minute deep conditioning treatment with hot coconut-based hair oil really works for me as it locks in the moisture and keeps my hair soft and smooth. I make sure that I drink two liters of water a day to flush out toxins. I also have coconut water daily and make sure I eat something every two hours. My snacking is limited to health foods like walnuts, almonds and dry fruits. At night, I try to eat a light meal, but sometimes I don't succeed. I absolutely love desserts and, yes, I cheat v e r y containing natural ingredients. I also love products with mint as they are so cooling and refreshing. When your hair is exposed to summer heat, it is imperative cially during summer. For breakfast, egg whites and multigrain toast is the best. For lunch, jawar ki roti and sabzi and for dinner, fish and salad are my safest bet. In between meals, if hungry, I have fruits or curd or buttermilk. Evelyn Sharma: Coconut-based moisturizers work wonders for the skin as they lock in moisture from escaping the skin's surface. Make sure that your diet includes fiber as it has necessary vitamins and minerals. Balance your diet with rich portions of fruits, vegetables, nuts and liquids. I take coconut water through the day.

Evelyn Sharma

to keep your hair free from dirt and stickNargis Fakhri often. I think the key is not to be hard on yourself, but use moderation. One should eat everything in measured quantity. You must know what suits your body the best. Isha Koppikar: I am very particular about cleansing, toning and moisturizing my skinand moisturizing my body with products iness. My diet includes more liquids, especially in summer. A lot of fruits and vegetables are an integral part of my diet. I cut down on non-vegetarian food in summer. Lemon and mint juice refreshes and helps me beat the summer heat. Curd and buttermilk are my favorite, espe-

Deepika Padukone

16

May 4-10, 2013

ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Never thought I'd come this far: Aamir

A
amir Khan, who completed 25 years in filmdom Monday, attributes this success to the mistakes he made over the years. One of the most respected and versatile actors of his generation, he admits when he started, he never thought he would come this far. "I have had unsuccessful films, but I learned a lot from those films. I give my failures as much importance as my success," Aamir said at a press conference to celebrate his silver jubilee in the industry. His debut film "Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak" came out on April 29 in 1988 and turned out to be a game changer at the box office, which was reeling under hackneyed plots and flops. A fresh film with fresh faces

Aamir Khan celebrated his silver jubilee in the industry

'Bombay Talkies' gets thumbs up from Bollywood

QSQT should not be remade: Imran

mran Khan, who cried after wathcing the climax of his uncle Aamir Khan's debut film "Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak" (QSQT) at a special screening to mark 25 years of the hit movie, says it should not be remade. "The film is still fresh and very enjoyable. To tell you the truth, I cried during the climax of the film. Yes, I was seeing it on the big screen for the first time and it was a lot of fun," the 30-year-old told reporters post screening. Imran believes the film is too special to be remade. "This film should not be remade. I believe this is a very special film and in my opinion I don't think anyone can remake it," Imran said.

brought in a breath of fresh air. If the beautifully stitched romantic saga launched Aamir Khan in filmdom, it also introduced Mansoor Khan as a director and gave Juhi Chawla her due. If the story was fresh, so was the music of the movie that is still remebered for lilting numbers like "Gazab ka hai din", "Akele hain to kya gum hai" and "Papa kehte hain", which were picturised in a completely different style. Year 2001 marked a turning point in Aamir's career as he turned producer with Oscar nominated period drama "Lagaan Once Upon A Time In India", and later directed issue based film "Taare Zameen Par". Post "Lagaan", he has been part of some of the biggest hits of the decade like "Dil Chahta Hai", "Rang De Basanti", "Ghajini" and "3 Idiots".

The anthology film 'Bombay Talkies' brings on the screen four different stories

Dharmendra does Punjabi rap in 'Yamla Pagla Deewana 2'

eteran actor Dharmendra seems to be getting younger with age. The 77year-old has done a Punjabi rap for the title track of his upcoming film "Yamla Pagla Deewana 2". He has also sported a rockstar-look for it. A glimpse of this song has already been incorporated in the movie's theatrical trailer, which was unveiled in March. Sharib Sabri, who has composed the song with his brother Toshi, said the song is special. "For the first time, we will be seeing Dharamji doing Punjabi rap on the screen. His rapper look, with the

ctress Konkana Sen Sharma couldn't stop her tears when she watched "Bombay Talkies", while for Riteish Deshmukh it was a wonderful cinematic experience. The film gets the thumbs up from the film fraternity who feel that it is a must watch. A special project to mark 100 years of Indian cinema, the anthology film "Bombay Talkies" brings on the screen four different stories put together by directors Zoya Akhtar, Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap and Dibaker Banerjee, respectively. There was a special screening of the film before its commercial release Friday and it seems to have appealed to the celebrity audi-

The celebs took to Twitter to praise the movie. Here is what they have to say:
Ayushmann Khurrana: Finally saw 'Bombay Talkies'. (I) felt very big while being a very small part of Indian cinema. Riteish Deshmukh: 'Bombay Talkies' will shock you, entertain you, enthrall you. Zoya, Anurag, Dibakar and Karan - thank you for this wonderful cinematic experience. Konkona Sen Sharma: Laughed and cried while watching 'Bombay Talkies'. Four fine, sensitive films and super performances. Rahul Khanna: Just watched a screening of 'Bombay Talkies' and it was absolutely outstanding. Congratulations Karan, Dibaker, Zoya and Anurag. And a big congratulations to the cast of 'Bombay Talkies'. Such fine, fearless performances in all four films. After the success of the studio's "Rio", which was also released a week earlier, this is said to be the second foreign animation film ever to release first in India over the international territories, said a statement. "Epic" tells the story of an ongoing battle between the forces of good, who keep the natural world alive, and the forces of evil, who wish to destroy it. Chris Wedge of "Ice Age" fame has directed the film.

rings on his fingers, is really special in this song," The poster of Hollywood film he said.' Epic, releasing in India on A poster of 'Yamla Pagla May 17 Deewana 2

'Epic' to H release in India before US

ollywood film "Epic", a 3D animated adventure comedy, will hit Indian screens May 17, a week before it opens in the US. The Fox Star Studios' fantasy movie is based on William Joyce's book "The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs". It has voiceovers by Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Amanda Seyfried, Christoph Waltz, Aziz Ansari, Pitbull, Steven Tyler and Beyonce Knowles.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
Review

May 4-10, 2013

A scene from 'Iron Man 3'

17

'Aashiqui 2': moving version of love

t's no coincidence that this surprisingly moving film is inspired by Frank Pierson's 1976 drama "A Star Is Born". And I deliberately mention the funky psychedelic 1976 version and not the older (1954) version of the same story. In spirit and in the way the two principal actors perform their parts of two soul-mates and singers torn asunder by their allegiance to the same competitive spirit of showmanship, "Aashiqui 2" is robustly reminiscent of the Kris Kristofferson-Barbra Streisand film where he discovers a cosinger who steals his heart and also his career. For love to live the lover must die. It's a curious tradeoff and one carried off in this film with an exuberance of emotions. The premise for the plot presumes love to be selfless all-giving and unconditional. Just to see Shradha Kapoor's eyes melt in

'Iron Man 3:' slick and enjoyable

mutating emotions of unflinching devotion to her alcoholic star-on-the-skids lover is a vision that makes us believe true love still exists. This petite beauty with eyes that never stay silent gives to her part so much heart, you want to just embrace her and protect her from her self-destructive mentor-turned-tormentor. "Aashiqui 2" is a film with its heart in the right place. There are many moments of pure cliche between the lovers. And these moments, so deeply entrenched in the conventions of our cinema, blossom into fresh statements on modern love. It's a joy to see writer Shagufta Rafiqui and director Mohit Suri ferret out those feel-good places in the script where the protagonists plonk their emotions with a confidence and conviction that reaches out to the audience. Watching this smoothlyoiled drama of disintegrating love

A scene from 'Aashiqui 2'

egastar Amitabh Bachchan, who is making his international debut with Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby", feels it's "not worth" being part of the film's poster keeping in mind his blinkand-miss appearance. However, he cant's deny the order of the director. "The poster of 'The Great Gatsby', something I thought to be too presumptuous but Baz Luhrmann insisted that it be done so there," the 70-year-old tweeted with a picture of himself wearing a hat and beard on his face. Big B plays Meyer Wolfsheim in the $125 million 3D project, an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel of the same name. "The poster of mine for 'The Great Gatsby'... not worthy of being there, considering my minuscule role, but Baz Luhrmann," he further tweeted. In the film, Amitabh will be Amitabh Bachchan in seen sharing the screen space 'The Great Gatsby' with Hollywood stars Tobey Maguire and Leonardo Di Caprio. Other cast members for the film include Joel Edgerton, Carey Mulligan and Isla Fisher. "The Great Gatsby" will open the 66th edition of Cannes International Film Festival, starting May 15. and Amitabh will walk the red carpet with the team at the gala event.

'Not worthy of being in A 'The Great Gatsby' poster'

I couldn't help remember Rahul Roy and Anu Aggarwal's wooden performance in "Aashiqui". Our cinema has a come a long way, and not always in the right direction. "Aashiqui 2" makes us grateful for the movement of the love story away from the standard Romeo & Juliet format into the dark destructive domain of "A Star Is Born". Sometimes love is just not enough. ctress Juhi Chawla, who will be seen in a negative role in "Gulaab Gang", says the film "may be sort of" inspired by Sampat Pal Devi, the founder of Gulabi Gang in Uttar Pradesh. "It is not someone's story... may be sort of inspired by Sampat Pal Devi's story. The film is a dramatic version of all this that is happening," Juhi said. The Gulabi Gang was formed in 2006 by Devi, a mother of five and former government health worker (as well as a former child bride), as a response to widespread domestic abuse and other violence against women. 'Gulabis' or the group members as they are called, visit abusive husbands and beat them up with laathis (bamboo sticks) unless they stop abusing their wives. They wear pink. The film "Gulaab Gang", directed by debutant Soumik Sen and produced by Anubhav Sinha, stars Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla in key roles. "It is about whatever has been happening on women... those stories are taken and this movie is made. I am in a negative character," said Chawla. The mother of two says her current priorities are "family, home and my work".With characters culled from Marvel Comics, we know for sure that "Iron Man 3" would be packed with spectacular action and nice razor sharp, witty lines. When, the film begins with a voice-over which states - "A famous man once said, we create our own demons. Never mind who the famous man is." - we are all the more confident about the same. The voice-over at the very onset sets the tenor of the film. The first scene ushers in a New Year's party in Bern, Switzerland, heralding the new millennium where a businessman-cum-genius inventor-cum mechanic Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is partying hard. The

ith characters culled from Marvel Comics, we know for sure that "Iron Man 3" would be packed with spectacular action and nice razor sharp, witty lines. When, the film begins with a voice-over which states - "A famous man once said, we create our own demons. Never mind who the famous man is." - we are all the more confident about the same. The voice-over at the very onset sets the tenor of the film. The first scene ushers in a New Year's party in Bern, Switzerland, heralding the new millennium where a businessman-cum-genius inventor-cum mechanic Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is partying hard. The audience waits with baited breath to understand how he creates his own demons. "Iron Man 3" is the Superhero's journey of finding the demons he created and destroying them.

Flash forward to the present day, following the attacks on New York where a new terrorist, Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), is threatening to bring down the US government. Tony is mentally fatigued. He is worn out with confidence and anxiety issues. This causes a strain on his relationship with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). He is unable to sleep and so he spends all his time developing a super cloak - The metallic shield that can protect him. Created through advance mechanics, it assembles itself around him and works on mental remote. Thus making him the formidable - Iron Man. Every character in "Iron Man 3" is important and the actors deliver credible performances. Downey uses his offbeat persona to good effect, adding blunt honesty to Tony's character to help make the film more approachable.

'Gulaab Gang' inspired by real Gulabi gang

audience waits with baited breath to understand how he creates his own demons. "Iron Man 3" is the Superhero's journey of finding the demons he created and destroying them. Flash forward to the present day, following the attacks on New York where a new terrorist, Mandarin (Ben Kingsley), is threatening to bring down the US government. Tony is mentally fatigued. He is worn out with confidence and anxiety issues. This causes a strain on his relationship with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). He is unable to sleep and so he spends all his time developing a super cloak - The metallic shield that can protect him. Created through advance mechanics, it assembles itself around him and works on mental remote. Thus making him the formidable - Iron Man. Every character in "Iron Man 3" is important and the actors deliver credible performances. Downey uses his offbeat persona to good effect, adding blunt honesty to Tony's character to help make the film more approachable.

Actress Juhi Chawla

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May 4-10, 2013

LENS EYE

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

This summer, let your clothes scream colorful'. Delhi Designera Kamaall Dixsit and Varruna Kapur have launched 'The Riot of Colors' -traditional wear in colors like magenta, red, blue and emerald green. Egypts Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) president K Chandrashekhar Rao garlanding a Telangana Talli statue in Hyderabad on April 27. The TRS agitation has picked up again for a separate Telangana state carved out of Andhra Pradesh.

Indian cricket fans, the Swami Army, go wild as a wax figure of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar is brought to Sydney Cricket Ground before being permanently housed at the Madame Tussauds Sydney. Marion White (middle), executive director of the Child Abuse Prevention Program (CAPP), presents the Children's Champion award to Queens Borough President Helen Marshall April 30 at a workshop for school guidance counselors. CAPP, which has reached more than 420,000 children with the help of puppets like Sabrina and Steven, tells children that they have a right to be safe.
Bollywood actress Chitrangda Singh and badminton player Jawala Gutta celebrate the soldier who respects and stands up for women as actor Sundeep Kishan takes a pledge to become a Soldier for Women at Hyderabad on April 29.

Egypts deposed president Hosni Mubarak sits behind bars inside the courtroom during his trial at Cairos criminal court. The court had rejected Mubaraks second appeal for his release pending the investigation of illicit gain charges and confirmed the prosecutions request o keep him detained.

Virgin's passenger spaceship called SpaceShipTwo has completed first rocket test flight. The six-passenger craft owned by an offshoot of Virgin Group fired its rocket engine in flight for the first time on Monday, a key step toward the start of commercial service in about a year, Virgin owner Richard Branson said.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

OP-ED

May 4-10, 2013

19

Karnataka assembly poll a key test

By George Abraham

he 224-member Karnataka assembly will go to polls on May 5. Undoubtedly, the result will set the tone for the 2014 general elections and significantly impact the political parties as to how they would conduct themselves in the realignment process. It is well known that Karnataka state has been beset with corruption, nepotism, ineptitude, public squabbling and internal rivalries and, to simply put it, very bad governance. The BJP regime has also become known for its religious intolerance of the minorities and moral policing. In a nutshell, BJP in its years as a ruling party saw Karnataka take a beating in terms of development as well as suffer a dent in the progressive image of such a vibrant state. The Kannadigas deserve better governance. It was a state that created the Silicon Valley for India through its dynamism and energy under previous Congress governments. NRIs working with entrepreneurs in India played a vital role in transforming Karnataka, especially Bangalore into a world class metropolis. US President Barack Obama has mentioned Bangalore in many of his speeches including once when he exhorted American students to toil harder at school, saying their success would determine the country's leadership in a world where children in Bangalore and Beijing

The state that gave India its own Silicon Valley has suffered bad governance under the BJP, says the President of INOC (I) USA.
were raring to race ahead. It was Congress governments under Veerappa Moily and S.M. Krishna who ushered Karnataka into the modern age, recognizing the potential of Information Technology and Bio-medical research and laid the foundation for their growth. In addition, the land reform act, major irrigation projects, establishment of several universities including the University for Medical Studies and the prestigious National Law School of India University were all part of those notable achievements. Moreover, four lakh houses were constructed during the last Congress government in the state under Rajiv Gandhi rural housing program. Since 1980 Karnataka leads the nation in GDP and per capita GDP as compared to other states in India. It has also become home to biotechnology, with half of large firms in Bangalore. Smt. Sonia Gandhi in a major address pepping up the Congress cadres in Karnataka said, We all know corruption is a disease, a cancer. Who does it affect the most, it is the poor. No other party has done what UPA has done to fight corruption. We brought RTA

(Right to Information Act) because we genuinely want to fight corruption. She went on to say that the UPA government wanted to pass the Lokpal bill but BJP has obstructed the initiative. There is no doubt that corruption is endemic and it is a national problem that transcends all boundaries. However, it should be clear that UPA Government has done a whole lot more to fight corruption than any other party. Anyone who is directly accused of corruption has either resigned from the Government, sent to jail or is under active investigation and facing possible trial. The RTI itself has become the catalyst in unearthing numerous cases of corruption and has become an effective tool in the hands of the civil society. In addition, the UPA Government has introduced number of bills in Parliament to combat corruption -- The Public Procurement Bill, 2012, Grievances Redresser Bill, Foreign Bribery Bill, Judicial Accountability Bill as well as the Whistle Blowers Protection Bill. What happened to Karnataka under the stewardship of BS Yeddyurappa is out there for the record. He is accused of massive corruption, with 15 cases against him and his family members and he was subsequently jailed, becoming the first Chief Minister to be jailed for corruption. It has been reported in the media that All restraint appears to have been thrown to the winds during the reign of Chief Minister Yeddyurappa when the Reddy brothers, ministers in his BJP gov-

The seat tally predicted by a CNN-IBN and The Week poll. ernment who had allegedly bankrolled the party's campaign, were given free rein and illegal mining spilled into adjoining Andhra Pradesh. A former BJP leader and junior central minister V. Dhananjaya Kumar has even alleged that one of the national leaders of BJP was on the take from the Yeddyurappa Government in this web of corruption and misguided governance. BJP also tried to turn Karnataka into a mini Gujarat with fanning of the flame of communalism across the state. There were cases of people getting killed, worship places of minorities attacked and their leaders jailed for exercising their right to religious freedom under the Constitution. Once again the objective of the BJP Government was to divide the people along caste and religious lines. Sonia Gandhi while visiting the Mangalore city said the following, "We have to see the forces of communalism are defeated... We must stand up and fight these forces. We must fight communalism regardless of where it originates from. The UPA Government under the capable leadership of Dr. Manmohan Singh has shown the way for economic growth and prosperity for all its citizens by leading India as an important player in the global arena while keeping the integrity of the nation and providing inclusive growth opportunity to everyone. The Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Act alone has given much needed relief for so many unskilled workers across the country. Reforms in the economic arena including granting o f FDI to multinationals, which will not only benefit the consumer but also expected to bring technology and jobs along with it. Undoubtedly, the NRIs in United States especially from the proud state of Karnataka with a long history and tradition, would like to see their state continue to be a beacon of hope for freedom, liberty and justice for all. The cosmopolitan city of Bangalore that has become a magnet for those with a vision, dynamism and energy has to be sustained and to be protected. The NRIs indeed have a stake in the outcome of this very important election. Therefore, the time is ripe for the people of Karnataka to speak out on Election Day with their ballots. They can reclaim their state back by electing clean candidates who are committed to good governance.

Boston in my backyard
By Parveen Chopra et us call him Joe. He lived across the road from our house in Long Island, NY. Moving into the neighborhood over a year ago, we initially found this tall, sinewy Caucasian intimidating. But then came winter and he offered to shovel snow for us for a price, of course -- and we became acquaintances. Yet, all we gathered was that he did odd jobs and lived alone. The other day, when Joe came to run an errand for the girl living upstairs, he must have passed through our backyard. He must have also happened to look into our puja room enshrining a big picture of Shirdi Sai Baba and smaller ones of assorted deities with flickering around them as a kind of perpetual aarti. Later that evening, when I came back home and was parking my car, he beckoned me. I am curious about that big picture in your home, Joe asked. Taking a while to apprehend what he might be referring to, I replied, Oh that, that is a picture of Sai Baba, a spiritual guru guru,

REAL LIFE

you know spiritual, you know.. different from religious. I know what you mean. he said nonchalantly. All too aware of the recent Boston marathon bombings, I sensed that he might have mitaken our Sai Baba to be some kind of Islamic preacher of hate. Flustered, I blabbered on, My wife believes in this guru. He died early last century. Nobody knew if he was a Hindu or Muslim. I was alluding trying to feel exalted--to the saint-poet Kabir who too was followed by both Hindus and Muslims and nobody knew what religion he was born into either. But Joe would not get any of that. But we are Hindus. I said, believing that that would end any suspicion Joe might have developed towards us. Joe kept nodding, and then, before walking away, he said: I hope you are not making bombs. I was stunned by this stinger-in-the-tail. It triggered a whole train of thoughts in my head. Oh, Sai Baba may sport a beard, and may look like a Muslim, but I am cleanshaven.

But then, what about people who do have beards, and actually are Muslims, how much suspicion and ill-will they must be arousing? I did not resent Joe, ascribing his remark to his ignorance as well as the unfortunate situation in America post-9/11. It has not helped that Muslims have figured in almost all the terror plots since. Being a journalist, I would have liked to enlighten Joe about the mistaken backlash against the South Asian community. As it turned out, it was good that I did not develop any new fear or anger towards Joe okay, maybe a wee bit. The next morning, he came calling again. This time he came upon my wife and apologized profusely for talking about bomb to me the previous night. My wife invited him into the puja room, and said, Look for yourself what is in here. I admire Joe for apologizing, it was more courageous than hinting to a neighbor that you may be fabricating crude explosive devices at home, in the manner of pressure cooker bombs Tsarnaev brothers used to deadly effect in Boston. When I went over the episode with my family, my son was more understanding:

A picture of Shirdi Sai Baba and flickering lights in our puja room had our neighbor ask, I hope you are not making bombs. The anti-climax came the next day. A first-person account.
Forget it, guys, you know these Americans If you see something, say something.

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May 4-10, 2013

DIASPORA

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Indian-origin woman shortlisted for 'best job in world' Trinidad and Tobago to set up
London: One for the taste buds! An Indian-origin woman in the UK has been shortlisted out of 600,000 applicants for the post of Western Australia taste master, described as one of the "best jobs in the world." Asha Patel, who grew up in Rushey Mead, Leicester, has been shortlisted along with 24 other people for the job that involves "eating your way round the state, foraging out the finest produce and uncovering the best bars and restaurants." The Australian state's tourism website has described it as "one of the best jobs in the world." Patel said, landing the job would be "a dream come true." For a selfconfessed food addict and travel lover, being paid to research the finest produce and best eateries on the other side of the world must be the absolute dream job. So Asha is more than a little excited after being shortlisted for excitement," Asha said. "It would mean everything to me. I was thrilled, ecstatic and a bit overwhelmed when I found out I'd been shortlisted. It's quite different to anything I've ever done before," she said. Asha works as a freelance writer and photographer in London, but says food is her true love. While the other five positions, lifestyle photographer, Outback adventurer, park ranger, wildlife caretaker and "chief funster", are all equally amazing jobs, the 30year-old says she was instantly drawn to the role of taste master. She said she knew it was for her as soon as she read the job description. "I'm really passionate about food and have such a love for it," she said. After applying, Asha was asked to send in a video to show why she would be perfect for the job.

Vivekananda Foundation
Port of Spain: The Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago, where about 40 percent of its 1.3 million population is of Indian origin, will soon set up a Vivekananda Foundation in honor of the late Indian philosopher saint, whose 150th birth anniversary is being observed this year. The idea is the brainchild of Indian High Commissioner Malay Mishra, and it is proposed to take shape by September. At an international seminar "One World: One Reality" held here, Indrani Rampersad, a former columnist of The Guardian, said Swami Vivekananda brought "revolutionary ideas" to the global table of religion and spirituality when non-Christians were seen as "pagans and barbaric." Indian envoy Mishra said Swami Vivekananda was a figure who galvanized people of India as well as in places as the US, Britain and Japan, with simple but powerful words, "I Am Divine." Mishra called on the young people to read Swami Vivekananda's writings as his words were "dynamic, and full of fire and energy." Rampersad Parasram, chairman of the Swami Vivekaanda 150th Birth Anniversary celebrations, said: "The message of the inherent divinity in all of us regardless of the discrimination of class, caste or creed makes the case for us to embrace each other and create a world where despite the diversity we can break down the walls of prejudice and work together towards salvation which is the ultimate goal of human birth."

Asha Patel

the role. More than 600,000 applicants from across the world applied for six positions and just 25 people have now been shortlisted for each role, the Leicester Mercury newspaper reported. The winners of each will spend six months carrying out the job of their dreams, getting paid $50,000 plus USD 50,000 living expenses, for the pleasure. "I'm really up for adventure and

Seven South African Indians get National Orders

n unprecedented seven Indian-origin-South Africans have been presented with South Africa's highest civilian awards by President Jacob Zuma. The seven-Indians were among the 38 recipients of the National Orders, the highest awards the President can bestow on citizens and foreign nationals. It is presented on the Freedom Day that is celebrated on April 27 to mark the day on which Nelson Mandela took over as the country's first democratically-elected President in 1994. Among the recipients of the order was veteran Indian diplomat Enuga Reddy who had led the fight against apartheid at the UN since 1963. The second highest award called the Order of the Baobab was presented to Lenasia-based community worker Suraya Khan, popularly known to all as "Aunty Bibi", while the same order in Silver went to journalist and community activist Yusuf Abramjee and pioneering skin cloning plastic surgeon Dr Ridwan Mia. Zarina Hutchinson collected the Order of Luthuli in Silver awarded posthumously to her mother

Indian-origin cop wins racial discrimination case in South Africa

Malaysian Indians come out in support of ruling coalition

Singapore: Ahead of the general elections in Malayasia, many Malaysian Indians have come out in support of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in the country. Indian community leaders and the general public have given credit to the Barisan Nasional for providing Malaysian Indians with shelter, clothing and education assistance, the New Straits Times reported Wednesday. The Barisan Nasional is mainly a coalition of the country's three largest race-based political parties -- the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) and the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA). According to Perak Hindu Youth Organization adviser R. Anbalagan, the Barisan Nasional, through its actions, has shown that it understood the problems of the Indian community. "Financial aid has been allocated to us under the budget as well as through other agencies," he was quoted as saying. "This has endeared BN to Indian voters. I can see more Indians, including youth, giving their support to BN." Malaysian Public Service Society chairman Andrew Raju was quoted as saying that older Indian voters are grateful for the benefits they have reaped under the BN government, "such as pension and healthcare." V.T. Naidu, a 62-year-old retired policeman, said it was because of the opportunities provided by the BN government that his son has become an engineer and his daughter also an engineer. According to the report, the Indian community's support for the ruling coalition has grown in the state of Selangor since the last general elections in 2008. Ramesh Rao, president of the Pertubuhan Minda dan Sosial Prihatin, said in contrast to another party that ruled the state, the BN government "never issued notices to stop temple bells from ringing or demolished Hindu temples." In the state of Negri Sembilan, too, Indian support for the ruling coalition is growing. Jeya Balan, chairman of Negri Sembilan Hindu Sangam chairman for Taman Templer in Seremban, said Indians saw BN's "clear direction and agenda for the community." "The support is there. The political tsunami of 2008 has taught us not to place our hopes on parties that do not deliver," he was quoted as saying.

A
Among recipients was Enuga Reddy, former Principal Secretary of the UN Special Committee against Apartheid

Amina Desai who was banned for many years in South Africa before eventually going to Ireland. Prof Quarraisha Abdool Karim received the Order of Mapungubwe in Bronze for her internationally acclaimed research into HIV Aids. Laila Turkmore-Reddy, daughter of veteran diplomat Enuga Reddy, who started the fight against apartheid led by India in 1948 at the UN and continued to do so for many decades, received the Companions of OR Tambo in Silver on his behalf.

n Indian-origin police officer in South Africa, who was overlooked for a promotion because of his race, won an unfair discrimination lawsuit on Monday and was awarded about 20 lakh rupees as compensation. The officer, Captain M Munsamy from KwaZulu-Nata had applied for three superintendent posts in 2000. He was recommended for one of the posts, but was not appointed because "Indian males were over-represented and Africans were under-represented" at the level of superintendent, Acting labor court judge Benita Whitcher said in her judgment. In respect of the other two posts, police management said he lacked relevant experience for one, and the other required a female to be appointed for "representativity", she said. He then sued the police ministry and department for unfair discrimination, claiming the difference between the salary he was paid and the salary he would have been paid had he been promoted 11 years earlier. He was awarded 3,33,000 Rands in backpay, Murcury news reported. Judge Whitcher has also ordered the police to pay the costs of the lawsuit. In his testimony before the court, Munsamy said he should not have been overlooked because he had more than 25 years service at the time he applied for promotion and had performed important functions relevant to the post, including inspecting police stations.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

SUBCONTINENT

May 4-10, 2013

21

Pak polls on May 11, assures Gen Kayani Benazir killing: Musharraf in judicial custody
Islamabad: General elections will be held on May 11, said Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani while asking people not to harbour any suspicions or misgivings about it. The powerful army chief said in Rawalpindi that general elections would be held in the country May 11, reported Associated Press of Pakistan. "We must not harbor any suspicions or misgivings Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani about it," Kayani said while If we succeed in rising above all ethnic, addressing the Yaum-e-Shuhada (Martyrs linguistic and sectarian biases to vote solely Day) ceremony at GHQ. He said the elections were a golden oppor- on the basis of honesty, sincerity, merit and tunity that could usher in an era of true dem- competence, there would be no reason to fear dictatorship or to grudge the inadequaocratic values in the country. He added that in his opinion, it is not cies of our present democratic system, he merely retribution, but awareness and partic- stressed. He went on to say that the country's salvaipation of the masses that can truly end this tion resides in transforming the government game of hide and seek between democracy into a true platform of public representation. and dictatorship. Islamabad: A court in Rawalpindi ordered former president Pervez Musharraf to be sent to 14 days judicial remand in the case relating to former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination, a media report said. The Rawalpindi Anti-Terrorist Court (ATC) ordered Musharraf to be sent to jail on 14 days judicial remand. However, Musharraf will be kept at his farmhouse in Chak Shahzad in the outskirts of Pervez Musharraf has been accused of failing Islamabad which had earlier been to provide adequate security to Benazir Bhutto declared a sub-jail, Geo News to provide adequate security to Bhutto quoted sources as saying. when she returned to Pakistan from exile in Musharraf was not produced before the 2007. Bhutto, who had twice served as court Tuesday for security reasons. prime minister, was killed in a suicide Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) attack in the garrison city of Rawalpindi in lawyer Chaudhry Zulfiqar said that their 2007, shortly after she addressed thousands investigation from Musharraf has been of her supporters at an election rally. completed. Musharraf's government had accused the Musharraf, who ruled Pakistan from Pakistani Taliban of killing Bhutto, the 1999 to 2008, has been accused of failing charge denied by the Taliban.

Assault on press in Sri Lanka worrisome: US

Washington: Highlighting the attacks on a Tamil-language newspaper in Sri Lanka, the United States has said it would continue to "very directly" press its concerns for press freedom bilaterally as also through the international community. Uthayan, a Tamil-language newspaper in Sri Lanka, "has seen its personnel beaten, its newspaper shipments burned, its equipment destroyed, and its offices set ablaze in this last month alone," State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell told reporters Tuesday. "The assault on a free press in Sri Lanka extends beyond Uthayan," he said. "The BBC Tamil-language service has had its programs about Sri Lanka and the Human Rights Council censored.". "Reporters have been physically assaulted and murdered in years past, and a prominent political cartoonist has been missing for three years," Ventrell said continuing what he called "our Free the Press campaign." The United States, Ventrell said "calls on Sri Lankan authorities to demonstrate their commitment to the rule of law and freedom of expression by conducting thorough investigations into all attacks and killings of journalists and bringing perpetrators to justice. Urging Sri Lankan authorities to protect freedom of expression, he said: "The necessity of upholding this fundamental right was not only a component of the UN Human Rights Council resolution in Geneva this March, but it was a central recommendation of the Sri Lankan Government's own Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission."

Prachanda seeks good ties with India

New Delhi: Nepals former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', who is also the head of Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), the country's largest party, held very good talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during which he emphasized that his party was in a new phase politically and ideologically" and wanted good relations with India. A day after Prachanda told an audience here his party had agreed that without good relations with India Nepal cannot prosper, Prachanda said that We are in a new phase politically and ideologically in relations with India, his comrade Krishna Bahadur Mahara said. He said India and Nepal should review the past and take forward their relations. He also discussed the second Constituent Assembly elections due in Nepal in November and sought help in the country's economic development. Manmohan Singh said India

Nepals former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

stands by Nepal and we are with Nepals economic development, Mahara, who was present at the meeting, said. Prachanda, who was on a four-day trip of India, visited here after four years. The last time he came here as prime minister and also after first visiting China. He also met India's External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Tuesday.

Islamabad: Although India is "much kinder" to its creative artists than Pakistan has ever been, Shamshad Begum was "stepped over" for other singers in the 1960s, as her voice was considered too powerful for the cinema in those days, a Pakistani daily said. Lauding the voice that gave immortal songs like "Kajra mohabbat wala", "Leke pehla pehla pyar" and "Teri mehfil me kismat", the News International said the singer lived a "relatively reclusive life" after retiring from playback singing in 1965. One of Bollywood's earliest singers, Shamshad Begum died at her home in Mumbai this week. She was 94, and is survived by a daughter. The daily said Bollywood films are "largely defined by the music they offer, and Shamshad Begum represented those great playback singers of yesteryears, when lyrics were poetry and composition an art and skill both". "The depth and beauty of Shamshad Begum's musical talent is evident in the fact that her songs, recorded chiefly between 1945 and 1965, continue to be re-

Bollywood neglected Shamshad Begum: Pak daily Delhi-Dhaka land deal to benefit Assam: Gogoi
Guwahati: In the face of stiff criticism by opposition parties over the India-Bangladesh landswap deal, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said it will, in fact, serve the state's interest in tackling infiltration, smuggling and promoting trade relations between the two countries. "I am in favor of the agreement. Assam will not only get some land but also be able to improve relation with Bangladesh further. Good relation with Bangladesh is necessary for the interests of Assam. Checking infiltration and smuggling, and improving trade relations with Bangladesh are all in Assam's interests," said Gogoi while addressing the media persons here. "Though the lands in adverse possessions are in the maps of each country, in reality, they are not in cont rol of either of the two countries. Only the lands in adverse possession will be exchanged. There is no question of state losing land," Gogoi said, refuting the opposition's claim that the state will only lose land after the deal. Opposition parties like the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have opposed the agreement, saying that it will affect India's sovereignty.

Shamshad Begum

recorded, remixed and featured in Bollywood movies to this day," the daily said. This also, "unfortunately", says much about the quality of music being produced today, it said, adding that people continue to prefer the "golden oldies".

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May 4-10, 2013

INTERNATIONAL

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

New Italian govt confirmed by Senate Need proof on Syria's use of chemical
Rome: Italian premier Enrico Letta's crossparty government won a final vote of confidence vote in Parliament, giving life to a grand coalition that aims to put aside decades of animosity to return the eurozone's thirdlargest economy to growth. Letta's first order of business is a trip to Berlin, where he is expected to press German chancellor Angela Merkel on the necessity of easing austerity politics that have put pressure on ordinary Italians in favor of growth policies. Letta will take the message to Paris, where he meets tomorrow with President Francois Hollande, and then to Brussels. The European tour aims also to demonstrate that this government wants to remain at the heart of the decision-making in Europe. The new government was confirmed on Tuesday by the Senate by a vote of 233 in favor, 59 against and 18 abstentions, a day after it easily won confirmation by the lower house. The government brings together in an uneasy coalition the center-left Democratic Party, which won the lower house in February elections but not the Senate along with its long-time political opponents, the center-right under Silvio Berlusconi's People of Freedom party. Letta outlined to the two houses an ambitious program to get young Italians into work , reform the electoral law, reduce the cost of

weapons: Obama
Washington: US President Barack Obama warned against rushing to judgment on the use of chemical weapons in Syria, saying he needs "hard, effective evidence" before taking further moves. Addressing a press conference at the White House to mark 100 days in office in his second term, the president also vowed to take "a spectrum of options" not applied before once he gets the facts. "What we now have is evidence that chemical weapons have been used inside of Syria, but we don't know how they were used, when they were used, who used them," Obama said, adding: "We don't have a chain of custody that establishes what exactly happened." The White House stated last week that "The US intelligence community assesses with some degree of varying confidence that the Syrian regime has used chem-

New Italian premier Enrico Letta

maintaining Italy's political class, reform the judicial system and make it easier for the children of immigrants born in Italy to become citizens. He said the government would step down if he hasn't accomplished his goals within 18 months. Letta already has made one big concession to Berlusconi's backers: a pledge to put on hold an unpopular tax on first residences until it can be reviewed. Berlusconi today said he will only support the government if the tax is repealed. The tax on first homes, which was reintroduced by the technical government of Mario Monti, generates 4 billion euros ($5.2 billion) a year, and the decision to suspend June payments will cost the state 2 billion euros, at a time when the government needs to come up urgently with additional funds to pay for a fund for workers on temporary layoffs.

More than 70,000 people have been killed in the Syrian civil war so far

ical weapons on a small scale in Syria, specifically the chemical agent sarin", an assertion that had been made by Britain, France and Israel days earlier. Obama has said time and again that the use of or failure to secure the chemical weapons by the Syrian government will be a " game changer" in his handling of the Syrian conflict, which has dragged on for three years

and killed more than 70,000 people. "That is a game changer because what that portends is potentially even more devastating attacks on civilians and it raises the strong possibility that those chemical weapons can fall into the wrong hands and get disseminated in ways that would threaten US security or the security of our allies," he maintained.

Guantanamo camp needs to be closed: Obama

Washington: President Barack Obama vowed to make a new push to close the Guantanamo detention center, where about 100 inmates are on hunger strike, saying it was damaging to US interests to keep holding prisoners there in legal limbo. Human rights groups have long been critical of the 12-year-old camp for foreign terrorism suspects, and their concern has intensified in recent weeks. Some of those on hunger strike are being force-fed at the camp at the US naval base in Cuba. Obama, who repeatedly vowed to close the camp, which now holds 166 detainees, when he was campaigning for a first term and when he first took office in 2009, said he would re-engage with lawmakers to find a way to shut the facility and make good on an unkept promise. However, he offered no new path to overcoming congressional, political and legal obstacles that blocked his earlier efforts to close Guantanamo, where many of the prisoners have been held for more than a decade without being tried or charged. "It's not sustainable - I mean, the notion that we are going to continue to keep over 100 individuals in a no-man's land in perpetuity," Obama told a White House news conference.

Hezbollah hints at possible Syria intervention

Beirut: The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group said that Syrian rebels will not be able to defeat President Bashar Assad's regime militarily, warning that Syria's "real friends," including his Iranian-backed militant group, were ready to intervene on the government's side. In Damascus, a powerful bomb ripped through a bustling commercial district, killing at least 14 people and bringing Syria's civil war to the heart of the capital for the second consecutive day. Hezbollah, a powerful Shia Muslim group, is known to back Syrian regime fighters in Shia villages near the Lebanon border against the mostly Sunni rebels fighting to topple Assad. The comments by Sheik Hassan Nasrallah were the strongest indication yet that his group was ready to get far more involved to rescue Assad's

Russia, Japan condemn North Korea

Moscow: Russia and Japan condemned North Korea for its refusal to give up its nuclear weapons program. In a joint statement, the two countries said North Korea has stubbornly refused to give up plans to create nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles "contrary to the international community's calls". In a declaration, adopted following talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, both leaders called for Pyongyang's strict adherence to the UN Security Council Resolution 2094 and UNSC resolutions of the fourth round of the sixparty talks of Sep 19, 2005. Tensions have risen on the Korean Peninsula since December, when North Korea tested a long-range Taepodong 2 missile, and in February carried out its third nuclear test, following tests in 2006 and 2009.

An elaborate affair with full military honors will culminate with a service at St. Paul's Cathedral in London

embattled regime. "You will not be able to take Damascus by force and you will not be able to topple the regime militarily. This is a long battle," Nasrallah said, addressing the Syrian opposition. "Syria has real friends in the region and in the world who will not allow Syria to fall into the hands of America or Israel." Hezbollah and Iran are close allies of Assad. Rebels have accused them of send-

ing fighters to assist Syrian troops trying to crush the 2year-old anti-Assad uprising, which the UN says has killed more than 70,000 people. Deeper and more overt Hezbollah involvement in the Syrian conflict is almost certain to threaten stability in Lebanon, which is sharply split along sectarian lines, and between supporters and opponents of Assad. It also risks drawing in Israel and Iran into a wider Middle East war.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

BUSINESS

May 4-10, 2013

23

Economy to grow 6.1% in 2013-14: World Bank Investor sentiment towards

New Delhi: The World Bank has put Indias GDP growth forecast to 6.1% for the current fiscal (2013-14), underlining that growth is expected to recover gradually. According to the World Banks latest India Development Update, a twice-yearly report on the Indian economy and its prospects, economic growth is likely to accelerate to over 6% during the current fiscal year, up from an estimated decade low growth of 5% in the previous fiscal year. Growth is expected to further increase to 6.7% in the next fiscal year, it said. The reduced forecast is largely due to estimated farm sector growth of 2% during 2013-14 against the previous estimate of 2.7%, despite normal monsoon projections. Despite the current downturn, long-term prospects remain bright for India, said Martin Rama, chief economist, South Asia,

India improving: Citigroup

New Delhi: The World Bank has put Indias GDP growth forecast to 6.1% for the current fiscal (2013-14), underlining that growth is expected to recover gradually. According to the World Banks latest India Development Update, a twice-yearly report on the Indian economy and its prospects, economic growth is likely to accelerate to over 6% during the current fiscal year, up from an estimated decade low growth of 5% in the previous fiscal year. Growth is expected to further increase to 6.7% in the next fiscal year, it said. The reduced forecast is largely due to estimated farm sector growth of 2% during 2013-14 against the previous estimate of 2.7%, despite normal monsoon projections. Despite the current downturn, long-term prospects remain bright for India, said Martin Rama, chief economist, South Asia, World Bank. India possesses the fundamentals to grow at sustained high rates over the next several decades, he added. In recent months, both wholesale price index-based inflation and trade deficit have declined. Inflation fell below 6% and is now within the Reserve Bank of Indias (RBIs) comfort range. With the stabilisation of the rupee and expectations of a good monsoon, inflation is expected to decline further, the update said. The current account deficit, which reached a record high of 6.7% during October-December 2012, is also expected to narrow in the medium term.

Growth is expected to further increase to 6.7% in the next fiscal year

World Bank. India possesses the fundamentals to grow at sustained high rates over the next several decades, he added. In recent months, both wholesale price index-based inflation and trade deficit have declined. Inflation fell below 6% and is now within the Reserve Bank of

Indias (RBIs) comfort range. With the stabilisation of the rupee and expectations of a good monsoon, inflation is expected to decline further, the update said. The current account deficit, which reached a record high of 6.7% during October-December 2012, is also expected to narrow in the medium term.

Arrival of foreign tourists India's monsoon likely to be normal this year rising: Chiranjeevi
New Delhi : Arrival of foreign tourists in India grew by 2.3 percent in the first three months of 2013 despite the Delhi gang-rape and cases of sexual assaults on foreign tourists, the parliament was informed. In a written reply to a question, Minister of State for Tourism K. Chiranjeevi informed the Lok Sabha that 20.27 lakh foreign tourist arrived in India from January to March 2013 as compared to 19.81 lakh in the same period in 2012, an increase of 2.3 percent.Speaking on the precautions taken to ensure safety of tourists, Chiranjeevi said that the tourism ministry had written to all the chief secretaries of state governments and union territory administrations to take immediate and effective steps for ensuring conducive and friendly environment for all tourists. The minister was reacting to a survey conducted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) which said that there was a decrease of 25 percent in foreign tourist inflow and a decrease of 35 percent in women foreign tourist inflow in India since December 2012 after the brutal Delhi gang-rape.

New Delhi: In what could be a breather for farmers and common people, India's monsoon is likely to be normal with 98 percent rainfall expected, Science and Technology Minister S. Jaipal Reddy said. "The monsoon rainfall is related to crop production in the country and also has significant impact on economy. The good news for farmers is that the southwest monsoon this year is most likely to be normal," said Reddy. "Quantitatively, monsoon season rainfall is likely to be 98 percent of the long period average (1951-2000)," he added. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), there is very low probability for the season's rainfall to be deficient, Quantitatively, monsoon season rainfall is likely to be 98 percent this year which is below 90 percent, or excess, which is above 110 percent. Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka are likely to get The probability of normal rainfall is 46 percent normal rain," said Shailesh Nayak, secretary, minwhile there are 27 percent chances of seasonal rain- istry of earth sciences. fall to be below normal. According to IMD, the factors affecting southwest "All prediction models show that monsoon will be monsoon seem to be normal as of now and anything normal. By and large, the drought-hit areas of concrete can be said only by mid-May.

India's IT exports resilient despite difficult times

Dubai: India's IT exporters have demonstrated resilience by surviving the difficult market conditions of recent times, a senior industry official has said. Kamal Vachani, Hon. Regional Director of Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) for the Middle East, said India's export of computer software and services during 2012-13 is estimated to have registered a growth of 10.26 per cent over 2011-12. "In value terms, export of computer software and services during 2012-13 is estimated to be $75 billion, up from $68 billion estimated in 2011-12", said Vachani. With an objective to give a visible momentum to enhancing IT & ITES exports from the country, ESC has created a unique brand for Indian software and services companies in 2001 - INDIASOFT International IT Exhibition & Conferences, Vachani said in a statement.

India ranks 8 among 27 most powerful nations in world

New Delhi: India is among the top 10 most powerful countries in the world. In a first-of-its-kind study of "national power" a group of eminent strategic experts and scholars have placed India at the eighth position among a group of 27 most powerful countries in the world. The study, conducted by the New Delhi-based Foundation for National Security Research (FSNR), judged "national power" by various indices, including energy security, population, technological capability etc. An interesting index of national power was judged by "foreign affairs capability", which includes self-reliance in defence, membership of multilateral groupings, role in global rule-making and soft power. Interestingly, though China comes out as the second most powerful nation in the world after the US, Chinese foreign affairs' capability is comparable to India's, even though in terms of total power New Delhi comes way below Beijing. The US is by far the world's most powerful nation, several notches ahead of its nearest competitor, China. The study observes, "China is still much lower than the US in energy security, technological capability and foreign affairs capability. Even in economic and military fields, the indexed value of China's capabilities is much lower than that of US. Therefore, any notion that China will pose a threat to the supremacy of the US in the near future has to be tempered with caution."

The export of computer software and services during 2012-13 is estimated to be $75 billion

According to him, the main focus of INDIASOFT events has been to enhance the opportunities for Indian software companies in emerging and established IT markets across the world. ESC has organised 12 editions so far.

24

May 4-10, 2013

SPORTS

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

BCCI nominates Gavaskar for Dhyanchand Award

Bangalore: Batting legend Sunil Zealand in the Gavaskar is BCCI's choice for the subsequent Dhyanchand award (lifetime months, and his achievement), while Virat Kohli is the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) choice for Arjuna award. The middle-order batsman, who has gradually evolved into a vital cog in India's batting wheel after the exit of the big guns, is the only nominee from the Board in this category. After a brush with the sports ministry Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar last year where a war of words erupted after BCCI alleged elevation as vice-captain for the that it had not received the nomina- Asia Cup have apparently contion forms in time, the Board was tributed to his nomination. rather prompt in despatching the The two nominations received as nominations to the ministry's offices on Monday for the Khel Ratna in New Delhi, sources told TOI. The award were that of para athlete HN last date for receiving nominations Girisha and hockey player Sandeep for the Arjuna, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Singh. Girisha's silver medal-winRatna, Dronacharya and ning effort in high jump at the Dhyanchand awards is Tuesday. London Paralympics, which fetched Kohli, who won the ICC ODI him the Padma Shri earlier this year, Cricketer of the Year award last is likely to lead him to the Khel September, is the only choice and Ratna too. unsurprisingly so, having evolved With the months post Olympics from his early days where he was being rather dull, a majority of the dubbed an ODI specialist. His cen- nominations received this time were tury against Australia in the repeats from those who failed to Adelaide Test in January last year, make any headway last year, it is the productive run against New learnt.

IPL6: Super Kings soar higher

Pune: Pune Warriors poor run the Indian Premier League (IPL) continued as they suffered their fifth consecutive loss going down to twotime champions and table toppers Chennai Super Kings by 37-runs at the Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium. Super Kings' sixth consecutive win helped them consolidate their position at the top of the table with 14 points from nine matches while Pune Warriors are languishing at the bottom of the table with four points also from nine matches. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni again led from the front with an unbeaten 16-ball 45 and Suresh Raina remained unbeaten on 63 as Super Kings recovered from a slow start to put up a competitive 164 for three in 20 overs. Dhoni, who smashed four fours and three sixes, was adjudged as Man of the Match. Chasing a target of 165, Pune Warriors put on a dismal batting

The Chennai Super Kings players celebrate the wicket of Robin Uthappa

performance with Steve Smith top scoring with 35 and they managed in 20 overs. It was a brilliant spell by fast bowler Mohit Sharma (3/20) that put Pune Warriors right on the backfoot early on and they failed to recover from it. Sharma plucked out Aaron Finch (15), Tirumalasetti Suman and Yuvraj Singh (5) to derail Pune's run chase. ASharma provided Super

Kings the first breakthrough as he got rid of Finch in the third over with Dhoni taking an easy catch behind the stumps. Sharma struck again in the next ball to remove Suman trapped lbw. Pune kept losing wickets at regular intervals and half the side was back in the dug-out in the eighth over for 55 runs and by the half-way mark they were left struggling at 68 for six.

IPL teams standings

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts

Chennai Super Kings Royal Challengers Bangalore Rajasthan Royals Mumbai Indians Sunrisers Hyderabad Kings XI Punjab Kolkata Knight Riders Delhi Daredevils Pune Warriors

10 10 9 10 10 9 10 10 10

8 6 6 6 6 4 3 3 2

2 4 3 4 4 5 7 7 8

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

16 12 12 12 12 8 6 6 4 (As on May 2)

Now, badminton world looks at Indian market

New Delhi: After cricket, hockey and football, the badminton world is looking at India as a preferred hub. The just-concluded third edition of the India Open Super Series here has created a market buzz for more international events. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) is obviously pleased with the way the $200,000 event was organized at the Siri Fort Sports Complex as it did not waste time in recognizing the Indian leg on a par with other major Super Series. The event, originally allotted for three years in 2011, got an extension till 2017 last year. The immediate offshoot of the successful conduct of the Tier-2 event at the Siri Fort world class infrastructure is the allotment of the prestigious Tier-1 2014 Thomas Cup and Uber Cup finals to India. The Thomas, Uber, and Sudirman Cups, Olympics, and World Championships are all Tier-1 events while the Super Series tournaments are in tier-2. Tier-3 tournaments are Grands Prix and finally come the Level-4 International Challenge Series. Thanks to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, badminton India Open every year. This time, women's singles defending champion and Olympic gold medallist Li Xuerui of China gave it a miss. "Actually, India Open gets isolated in the calendar and that does not enthuse many players to come here. All big tournaments are generally lined up in a cluster and it becomes logistically easy for players to play back-to-back events," BWF Super Series marketing manager Selvam Supramaniam of Malaysia said. How did he rate the Super Series events? "Well every Super Series has its own pluses and minuses. For instance, Indonesia Open has a huge fan following because it has a badminton culture and it produced some of the game's greats like Taufik Hidayat. At the All-England, the tradition as well as the presentation is what makes it special. In Malaysia, crowds come in to see World No.1 Lee Chong Wei, who has a huge following back home. "In India it is the media coverage and Saina Nehwal, who bring crowds to the stadium. In any case, the players must have a pleasant experience to come back to an event," Supramaniam signed off.

Champions Trophy: India first play S. Africa

New Delhi: India will open their campaign in the the last edition of the ICC Champions Trophy with their Group B match against South Africa at Cardiff on June 6. The biennial tournament is being would wound up as the ICC is unable to slot it in the crowded cricket calendar. Indian play their second group game against the West Indies at the Oval on June 11 before running into neighbours Pakistan at Edgbaston on June 15. There are only two day-night games and curiously, Sri Lanka figure in both, to be played at The Oval - against England on June 13 and against Australia on June 17. The semifinals are on June 19 and 20 and the final on Sunday, June 23.

The India Open Super Series in New Delhi was a hit with the Badminton World Federation (BWF)

got a truly high-class infrastructure, and now the BWF sees a huge potential for marketing the game in India. "The infrastructure and the stadia are excellent and the players are very happy with the arrangements. We see a huge potential here and that's why India Open was preferred over Swiss Open which was relegated to Grand Prix Gold," BWF deputy president Paisan

Rangsikitpho said. "India has one of the best venues. The Siri Fort Sports Complex can accommodate five playing courts while there are many more for practice and that helps in running through the initial rounds as scheduled without undue delay," he added. What baffles the organizers is that despite such good facilities, some of the world's top players skip the

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

MEDICAL TOURISM

May 4-10, 2013

25

Sri Lanka posing a challenge to Kerala ayurveda

By M.R. Narayan Swamy Guruvayoor (Kerala): Its decades long ethnic conflict over, Sri Lanka is steadily emerging as a major competitor to Kerala's ayurvedic system of medicine, a leading industry expert says. But officials are quick to point out that as long as Kerala sticks to its pristine form of ayurveda school, no challenge from anywhere can upset what is clearly the biggest tourist draw to the southern state. "Sri Lanka has slowly come up as a threat to our market," said Sanjeev Kurup V., Secretary of the influential Kerala Travel Mart Society who also runs the Paithrukam Hospitality Group. "I was in Sri Lanka only last week, and I estimate they have taken away 30-40 percent of our business," Kurup said at the Perumbayil Ayurveda Mana, an idyllic centre located near the famed Guruvayoor temple. Ayurveda plays a key role in attracting close to one million foreign and over one crore domestic tourists every year to Kerala. Almost 70 percent of the foreigners and 30-40 percent of Indian tourists come to Kerala for ayurvedic treatment. Thanks to ayurveda, the average stay of a foreigner in Kerala is 18 days - one of the highest in the world. According to Kurup and others in the industry, even earlier Sri Lanka was doing well in the business of ayurveda. But the long running conflict between Colombo and the Tamil Tigers did cast a shadow on tourism in general. "After the war ended in 2009, ayurveda business is picking up rapidly in Sri Lanka," said Kurup, who saw for himself that ayurveda clinics had sprouted along the island nation's southwestern coast, the tourist hub. For one, as the Sri Lankan rupee is weaker than its Indian counterpart, ayurvedic treatment is cheaper there compared to India. Another reason, Kurup says, is that in Sri Lanka many clinics allow men to provide ayurvedic massage to women. "Well, ladies from countries like Germany, even if they are 45 years of age or more, are pretty strong physically, and they somehow don't seem happy with our women," he said. "But in Kerala we follow the authentic system of ayurveda, and that only permits same-sex treatment including in massage." Sri Lanka is willing to deviate - if only to woo the Western tourist. "We need to be aware of the emerging trends," Kurup said. "Our costs are going up, but we cannot and do not compromise on quality. Sri Lanka is able to market an entire ayurveda packet for about just 90

euros a day." In comparison, some clinics in Kerala charge up to 300-400 euros a day. Kurup said the Kerala government as well as the private industry were both aware of the Sri Lanka threat. A senior Kerala government official said the Sri Lanka challenge was real but it need not be overstated. "Yes, Sri Lanka is also making a pitch for ayurveda," Suman

Billa, Secretary in Kerala Tourism, said. "But their growth won't be at our expense," he said. "Our ayurveda is so unique. And there is enough space in ayurveda business for more players to get in. Sri Lanka will certainly draw tourists. As long as we stick to our quality and play our game well, we will not only be able to protect ourselves but grow too. But we should not get into a situation of price wars."

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May 4-10, 2013

LIFESTYLE

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Women going under knife for toned arms like Michelle Obama
he number of women getting plastic surgery has increased but it's not for a nose job or breast implants. Toned and tightened arms are what more women are striving to get on the surgery table. According to the latest cosmetic and reconstructive surgery statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, upper arm liposuction has seen a significant increase. Female celebrities including Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore and Kelly Ripa are making the toned arm look very popular. The mostadmired arms of all? Those of First Lady Michelle Obama, US News reports. It is believed that having fit look-

Now special dance, yoga apparel!

New Delhi: Make your dancing and yoga sessions fun and stylish with a special spring-summer apparel range from a leading fitness brand. Reebok has launched the range as part of its commitment to women's fitness, aiming to change the way women perceive, define and experience fitness. The two categories are designed for high energy, giving customers an edge during their work out sessions, a statement said. The apparel is equipped with PlayDry Technology for moisture management, helping customers keep moisture away from skin. The collection has been Dance and Yoga apparel from fitness brand Reebok. designed keeping in mind Latin Dance and hence comes in bright colors and bold detailing. With design details including layering options, the apparel is customizable to meet each woman's individual workout and style needs. The yoga apparel, made in association with known yoga expert Tars Stiles, is practical as well as stylish, fun and contemporary at the same time. It has soft draping designs in vibrant silhouettes and four-way fabrics, which move with every stretch and every pose during yoga. There is a use of bold statement graphics and contemporary urban designs. The apparel is available across Reebok stores.

Michelle Obamas toned arms have inspired a generation

ing arms gives women a sense of authority and strength.

Going under the knife for a perfect Facebook profile pic Huge diamond to be auctioned
New Delhi: College student Shayna John was not happy with her nose. And to give it the perfect shape, she recently underwent nose correction surgery - all this for her profile picture on Facebook. Cosmetic surgeons said an increasing number of people, especially school and college students, across India are going under the knife to get that perfect face for their Facebook account. The trend is growing as social media, along with online dating, has today become the common trend. The way one looks online is considered to be the first impression of one's overall image and personality. Popularly known as 'Facebook Facelifts', aesthetic plastic surgeons said it is equally common among men. According to Anup Dhir, chief cosmetic surgeon, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, good looks are desired by all humans and cosmetic surgery is an effective tool to fulfill this desire. "People want to look attractive on social sites. This trend is gaining popularity. Many girls and boys are coming forward for Facebook Facelift - a word coined in west - to acquire aesthetically pleasing looks," said Dhir. Dhir said young women mostly opt for rhinoplasties or nose jobs, lip injections or brow lifts, while young men prefer laser treatments to remove unwanted hair and scars. Women also go for chemical peeling, botox and body contouring to get those attractive looks, the doctor added. Annie Singh, a first year Delhi University student, said she went under the knife to get the perfect mugshot for her profile photo. "I hated my nose. So I decided to undergo rhinoplasty. I also went for chemical peeling to remove pigmentation and get a glowing spotless skin. I have got so many compliments from my friends on Facebook and it feels good." John, a final year English student, said looking good on Facebook is the new 'in' thing. "It is not just a platform to meet new friends or keep a tab on existing ones it but can also be used for professional work," she said. "Through Facebook one can get so many opportunities like modeling, acting or even marriage proposals. So, if I put up my best picture with a perfect face, it will do no harm. I am very happy after getting rhinoplasty," the 23year-old said.

Geneva: A pear-shaped colorless 101.73 carat diamond was presented here in Geneva by Christie's and expected to achieve more than $20 million at an auction May 15. According to Jean-Marc Lunel, senior specialist at Jewelry Department of Christie's, this gem-

stone is not only one of the largest pear-shaped diamond known to date, it also combines perfect color and best clarity. "It is certainly an exceptional treasure, and most probably one of the perfect things that could be found on earth," Lunel told Xinhua.

Travel experience officer, hotel test sleepers... China's dream jobs

Beijing: Being paid to travel and scooping a monthly salary of 10,000 yuan ($1,600) just for taking photos and writing blogs... this is not a dream, but Hao Na's job. Having traveled to more than 10 different countries throughout Asia and Europe, 28-year-old Hao Na has made a full-time career of her passion since becoming a "travel experience officer" for a tourism website, a job which involves sharing her travel experiences online to lure potential clients, reports Xinhua. "Others save money to travel but I travel to make money," says Hao, who was chosen from among 50,000 applicants to be offered the position in April. "It's definitely my dream job," she adds. Inspired by the new ways of communication made possible by social media platforms like Weibo, where ordinary people can share when young graduates were assigned to dull working positions in which they had no interest. The development of Chinese society and technological innovation has created a new breed of jobs that can no longer be found under oldfashioned classifications of employment. Zhang Yumo's job sounds like the most comfortable vocation in history. She is a "hotel test sleeper" for a mobile app. Her working responsibility is to anonymously experience hotels' service, environment, cleanliness, value for money and dining. Her reviews posted on the mobile app provide an independent third-party evaluation and help travelers make smart hotel picks. "When making comments on hotels, we try our best to get rid of subjective preference and write objective descriptions... Using pictures and videos, my report serves as a vivid illustration for customers," she says. Zhang was selected for the job in 2010 from a pool of 7,000 applicants thanks to her art college degree and background of freelance writing. She has since been certified by the China Hotel Association as a "Professional Hotel Test Sleeper" earning 10,000 yuan a month. "These emerging jobs like travel experience officer, modeling for websites, hotel test sleeper, pet photographer, reflect Chinese people's pursuit of a high quality of life," according to Liu Kang, director of the China Employment Training Technical Instruction Center. "These jobs cater to the rising demand of urbanites for a sophisticated lifestyle as well as offering more opportunities for young people to jump into a job that they are really passionate about," he adds.

their experiences and points of view, China's travel industry has started to recruit individuals like Hao to offer frank and honest advice to would-be travelers. It is proving a good promotional alternative to handing out glossy brochures.

"The job has given me a sense of responsibility when I travel. I am expected to tell other travelers why I love these places and how they can find the special attractions as well as some money-saving tips," Hao says. Gone are the days of the 1980s

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

SELF-HELP

May 4-10, 2013

27

Credit education: A key ingredient for homeownership

heres a good reason why many people dream of owning a home. Homeownership offers benefits such as stable monthly payments and the opportunity to establish a sense of community. It can also be a way to build equity over time. But dont dive into the process unprepared. Experts say its crucial to become financially literate first. Educated borrowers are better prepared for successful, long-term homeownership and overall financial stability, says Christina DiazMalone, Vice President of Housing and Community Outreach at Freddie Mac. In fact, a recent study found that financial counseling before purchasing a home can reduce the likelihood of going into default. For first time homebuyers, counseling reduces the likelihood by an aver-

age of 29 percent. Luckily, free credit education resources and information are becoming more widely available. For example, Freddie Macs CreditSmart program, a comprehensive, multilingual curriculum used by lenders, churches, schools and non-profit organizations, has helped more than three million consumers across the country make more informed financial decisions. Today its available in two ways. CreditSmarts new, self-paced web version features 12 education modules. You can take the free online course at www.FreddieMac.com/creditsmart. Or, consider attending a class led by a housing counselor certified by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. A credit education course can prepare you for homeownership by covering the following topics:

Budgets A spending plan is necessary for anyone with financial goals. Financial education can help you differentiate your spending needs vs. wants, and set up a realistic budget accordingly, as well as provide guidance for how to stick with the plan. Credit Generally speaking, the better your credit, the lower your interest rates and fees will be when obtaining a loan. If you dont have credit or you dont have good credit, its essential to establish good credit before trying to get a loan. Savings To buy a home, youll need upfront money for a down payment, which is usually between five and 20 percent of the home price, and money for closing costs,

moving expenses, and any immediate repairs or renovation costs. Credit education can teach you how to save and how to invest your money wisely. Lingo The real estate and mortgage world has its own language. And if you arent well-versed in it, you can get in over your head quickly. Study up on terms and concepts like loan-to-value ratio and fixedrate mortgage so you dont sign anything you dont understand! Avoiding fraud Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous companies and indi-

viduals out there who may not have your best interests in mind. Reliable financial education can help you recognize the warning signs of fraud. Familiarizing yourself with the resources at www.FreddieMac.com/ homeownership/educational is a good start. Ask family and friends for names of real estate agents and lenders with whom they've worked or contact your financial institution or a certified housing counselor for guidance. Is homeownership right for you? Dont just guess. By becoming a savvier consumer, you can make smart financial decisions.

eb-based programs are the new effective measures in weight loss and weight management, according to a study. Weight loss is a topic of concern for nearly 36 percent of Americans who are considered obese. There are many barriers that can interfere with weight loss. For those attending face-to-face weight An overweight man and his avatar loss programs, barriers he created on Second Life can include travel, conflict with work and tenance program was conducted home, need for child care, and using Second Life, a web-based loss of anonymity. virtual reality environment availIn a study released in the new able to the public. issue of the Journal of Nutrition Participants in Second Life creEducation and Behavior, investi- ate virtual representations of gators from the University of themselves, called "avatars", Kansas Medical Center continue which can interact with other to explore alternative weight man- "avatars" and navigate through the agement delivery methods to virtual world of Second Life. eliminate some of these barriers. Voice communication is accomDebra Sullivan, lead investiga- plished via headset, which allows tor, says: "Although we found for person-to-person and group weight loss was significantly interaction. Education and traingreater for face-to-face compared ing takes place on an "island", to virtual reality, weight mainte- which is purchased from Second nance was significantly better for Life and provides restricted group virtual reality." access to the nutrition education The virtual reality weight main- and training area.

Web-based programs for How to live life on your own terms weight-loss next new thing I W
f your daily routine has you wanting more out of life, youre not alone. Work, chores and other day-to-day responsibilities may make the concept of living life on ones own terms sound unattainable. However, a positive attitude and some diligence can help you attain your goals, say experts. For example, author and artist J.W. Winslow believes that you can find your happiness with some hard work and positive dreams. The rewards for doing so are immeasurable. Finding outlets for creative expression is crucial to living a full, rich life. Whether youre writing books, music or poetry, or painting a picture, it is a high like no other to create something beautiful, different or unexpected. Open your mind and let the vision come out, try something new and escape, says Winslow, who created the new Big Sur Trilogy, Mystic Adventures in Big Sur, a collection of novels informed by her Hollywood childhood and life in Big Sur, California. Winslow believes that if people did what they loved to do from the beginning, we would thrive in a better world with a live and let live attitude. As a model of what it means to make a life out of your hopes and dreams, she is offering some insights to help inspire others: When you make bold decisions, you will attract naysayers. Be brave and unafraid of the fallout or the people who doubt you. Despite the myth that the creative life is easy and simple, its not always the case. Discipline and grit are key components, so be prepared to work hard. Attaining freedom and personal power may require you to stand up for yourself. Dont be afraid to have a voice and be heard! Live out your life where you are most inspired. For me, its Big Sur, where the wild drumbeat of

Finding outlets for creative expression is beneficial to living a full, rich life.

waves and wind make a cacophony of sounds. There is a magic to this place, says Winslow. Find the spot that makes you come alive! It is the human condition to take life for granted. In the glare of the fast lane, dont forget the simple things that mean the most -- family, friends, connecting with nature. Be humble and compassionate. The only way to find out what you are missing is to jump into the fray and see what happens. More information about J.W. Winslow and Mystic Adventures in Big Sur is available online at www.jwwinslow.com. Dont let your life pass you by. Discover what it is that will make you happy and fulfilled and take steps to realize your dreams.

28

May 4-10, 2013

HUMOR

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Funny Bone by Nury Vittachi

Super-smelly cinema is here and I'm off

E
xtreme smelliness is the next big thing in movies. Modules containing 1,000 smells are being bolted to the backs of cinema chairs. Computerized smell-releasers recreate the aromatic pongs of whatever you see on the screen, as tiny motors shake your chair and tiny sprays spurt liquid in your face. You pay extra for this. This type of movie cinema, called 4DX, was invented in South Korea, and is now spreading like wildfire, I hear from reader Moon Jaewook. South Korean 4DX theaters have now opened in China, Thailand and Japan, and negotiations are taking place in India. I was in a completely normal cinema last week when I received a powerful range of odors from small children nearby, plus some splashes of mystery liquid. This DID NOT enhance my cinema-visiting experience. Movies I would DEFINITELY NOT like to see in 4DX: Any Sylvester Stallone, Tom Cruise and especially Bruce Willis pics. These guys always end up as sweaty, blood-spattered messes. A movie I WOULD like to see in 4DX: The new Hunger Gamesmovie: I bet the delectable Jennifer Lawrence smells of peaches. *-* Mainland Chinese internet censorship firm Anquan advertised last week for a Chief Pornography Identifier with an annual package of 200,000 renminbi (US$32,300). Do they pay you or do you pay them? *-* Live hobbits have been spotted in Indonesia, park rangers say. No, it's not actor Danny Devito on holiday, I checked. The tiny people have been identified as living examples of homo floresiensis, a primitive human dubbed "the hobbit" by scientists. Forest rangers say they twice saw 15 minipeople walking through a swamp at the Kambas National Park in Lampung in March, the Jakarta Post reported. "The rangers monitored their presence for around 15 minutes from a distance of around 35 meters. When the rangers were about to approach them, they immediately hid behind trees and vanished. They ran very fast," said park spokesman Sukatmoko, who uses only one name. Indonesian environmentalist Mukri Friatna told the paper that small humans were well known in his country's forests: "In Kerinci Seblat, they are known as the orang pendek, in Flores as homo floresiensis, and in Bone as members of the Oni tribe." (Orang pendak means "little people"). Some observers described them as "pygmies", so I phoned an expert to ask. He said pygmy was a Western term for populations whose adult males were 5 ft (1.55m) tall or less. "Some anthropologists refer to people slightly over 5 ft as 'pygmoid'," he added. This is ridiculous. That means many Asians are pygmies or pygmoids. In Indonesia, India, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Vietnam, the average man is 5 ft 2 ins to 5 ft 5 ins while the average woman is 4 ft 10 ins to 5 ft). Mahatma Gandhi was 5 ft 3 ins. Surely it's equally valid to think of Asians as being "proper" human-size while Westerners are grotesque giants? The tallest country in the world is Holland, where pretty much everyone is 6 ft tall, including kindergarten children. I went to Holland once. It was like being in the Land of Knees. You know those YouTube videos which were squeezed into the wrong format causing everyone to look like lampposts? In Holland, that's real life. *-* Civil servants should be slapped regularly, an Indian politician said last week. Goan Minister Dayanand Mandrekar was defending former tourism minister Mickky Pacheco, who was arrested for thumping government staff. "Sometimes officials do not do any work properly and do not listen, too," Mandrekar said, according to the Times of India. "Then, like he said, they should be slapped." If I was Mr Mandrekar I would be VERY NERVOUS about eating anything from a government canteen from now on. *-* I saw a dead bird the other day. I was sorely tempted to pick it up and place it in a crowded place so that people would think "bird flu" and run away screaming. The powerful desire to cause disruption for no reason is a powerful genetic impulse which seems to be limited largely to children and "adult" males, if that's not tautology. Wonder what the evolutionary purpose is? *-* A tiger has turned pacifist. Provided with a live goat for his dinner, he befriended it instead. Tiger and goat played in the enclosure's pool together. Zookeepers decided to starve the tiger to give him no choice but to chow down on his new buddy, but the new two friends chose to fast together instead. After two days, staff rescued the goat and provided the tiger with a portion of raw beef instead, said the report in the Times of India. The zookeepers at the Bor wildlife sanctuary in Maharashtra, India, insisted they were not being horrible, but were doing a scientific experiment to see whether the tiger was ready to be released back into the wild. I think the goat should have been given some sort of medal for its ordeal, spending a long time trapped in a small space with a hungry tiger. (This could make a good book or a film: wonder if anyone has thought of it yet?) It strikes me that the same "I-lived-with-a-dangerous-animal" award should go to anyone who has ever shared a home with Charlie Sheen, Britney Spears, Ike Turner, my children, etc. The goat's miraculous story of survival could have made the zoo world famous. So what did the idiotic staff do? They threw the goat into a nearby cage occupied by the tiger's two sisters, who immediately ate it. Zookeepers appeared surprised that the female of the species was tougher and more ruthless than the male. These monstrous people seem to know nothing at all about basic biology. Do they not have wives or girlfriends? *-* Junior despot Kim Jong Un issued his women soldiers with sexy high-heeled platform shoes as part of their official uniform, it was revealed last week. They certainly look good, but I worry about their efficacy on the battlefield. One of my colleagues wears them and gets stuck to manhole covers and escalators several times a day. If this is the cute army with which he is going to launch world war three, I say: Bring it on.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

by Mahendra Shah
Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist, cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrant Indians for the past many years in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

ASTROLOGY

May 4-10, 2013

29

By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma

Stars Foretell: May 4-10, 2013
ARIES: New ventures start on a positive note. Encourage children to engage themselves in household activities in their spare time. Investment concerning residence will be profitable. You will have to make extra efforts to meet romantic partner during this week. A cheerful state of mind brings mental peace. Fly away with your dreams, new business horizons are ready to explore. You might deal in some ancestral property or any other parental property. Polite and nice behavior to others would immensely benefit you. TAURUS: Enjoy your work to keep interest alive. Friends and family members would lend a helping hand. Financial hassles seem to get over as someone lends a timely helping hand. Love life brings some memorable moments that you could cherish rest of your life. Engaging yourself in creative work would keep you relaxed. A fun- filled holiday at an amusement and theme park with your family is there. Your rented accommodation might be disputed. Close friends are likely to get annoyed on your rash behavior GEMINI: Journey undertaken for business purpose might fail to bring expected results. Arguments with children could put some mental pressure. However dont strain yourself beyond a point because certain issues are best when left untouched. Rise in expenses will put unnecessary burden on budget. Your flashing smile would work as the best antidote for romantic partners unhappiness. A pessimistic attitude could prevent from making any progress. Time to resolve your issues otherwise travel plans may not work out. A deal regarding residential property can start moving on its right path. Voluntary work done in past brings laurels in this week. CANCER: You succeed in completing projects efficiently provided you put in all your efforts. An unexpected message from a distant relative brings happy news for the entire family. Promising week to invest surplus money in real estate. Do things that would invest in your romantic relations. Mental pressure/stress could weaken resistance and thinking power. Better to avoid it to save health. An interesting cruise ship is next place for your vacation. Before you invest in real estate, take advice of a family member. You find yourself doing much for others and less for yourself. LEO: Promotion is likely to make you vulnerable, as everyone is watching you closely and failure could be embarrassing and expensive. Relatives are likely to give some valuable advice regarding personal life. A sound financial health would enable to invest on lucrative schemes. Instant romance could come your way provided you care for it. Good time to divert attention to spirituality to enhance mental toughness. Breathtaking beautiful site scenes are your lovers desire. Discussing property matters with parents can help for better innovations. Maintain a distance from people trying to influence you with bad habits. VIRGO: Hard work put-in the past will yield handsome rewards in business. You receive care and affection from family members. Control your expenses and avoid being too lavish in your spending. Cataract patients should avoid visiting a polluted environment as smoke could cause further problems to their eyes. Time to relax and enjoy your visit to a relatives place. Planning a property might explore new horizons for you and your family. People will try to find out the secret behind your magical charms. LIBRA: Business partners behave supportive on executing strategies to sort out pending problems. Matrimonial alliance for eligible bachelor in family brings joy to all. Your brilliant ideas would help in bringing financial gains. Company of love partner would inspire to take initiatives during this week. A pleasure trip gives the much-needed tonic to health. Journey to some famous historical place sounds exciting to your kids. Your friends and family will be of great support if you are trying for an office. Reputation will suffer if you get associated with dubious characters. SCORPIO: You need to sharpen your leadership qualities to steer the professional boat. Unexpected gifts and presents from close relatives/family members cannot be ruled out. Explore new investment opportunities that comes your way, commit only after considering the viability of the projects. Harsh words retard the smooth pace of romantic journey. High time for you to realize your true potentials. You may face some chaos or disruption while traveling, be prepared for it. Dealings in disputed properties will ruin your reputation. Inability to restrain from temptation could bring humiliation. SAGITTARIUS: Keep self-confidence high and concentration to handle the pressure with ease. A new outlook will be the source of laughter at family front during this week. You need to control your spending by purchasing only essential items. Love works like a panacea as you find sanity. You need to develop self-trust to encourage yourself to fight illness. Your travel plans are smooth, but the toughest part is that your partner doesnt have time. Its time to make some property investments for your kids. The week could bring a surprise at personal front. CAPRICORN: Even on confronting setbacks let these not deter you from professional path. Enjoying a picnic with family will not only bring joy but also help in clearing misunderstandings. If possible take independent decisions when it comes to making fresh investments. Love partner touches soul that would take imagination to unlimited heights. Health would remain fine despite a busy schedule but dont take it for granted. If you want to travel start planning your trip now. Purchasing official accessories can lead to improve growth of your office. Carefulness on your part would foil enemies attempts to disrepute you. AQUARIUS: A missed opportunity would hard to regain especially at professional front. An impulsive behavior brings disappointment at family front. Better to control it to save all. A tight financial position could lead to criticism and arguments. Failure in communicating your message to romantic partner could invite dullness. Toothache/stomach upset might create some problems. Better to take physicians advice to get immediate relief. Travel may not be safe, reliable, inefficient and stressful. Inheriting property from your relatives seems to be ahead. A competitive nature would help in winning any contest you participate. PISCES: Keeping business interests supreme in mind would enable to conquer problematic situations. Spend some relaxed moments with family members. Investment should be handled with extreme care and avoid being lured by dubious money ventures. Someones timely help would enable visualizing succeeding in love. Cataract patients must avoid overexposure to sunlight. Romance is in full bloom, a journey full of pleasure is your crave. Your income can be doubled by renting your house or a part of your house. Troubles fade away as you take things in a stride.

Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874 Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899 psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com

Annual Predictions: For those born in this week

May 4: You are governed by the number 4 and the planet Uranus. You are also influenced by the Moon. You are born intelligent and with a methodical approach to life, you are able to reach high positions in your career. The coming year will bring you success and prosperity in your respective fields. You will not only attain fame and recognition, but also be able to earn a lot of money. The year ahead, will be full of activity and you will keep a busy schedule but professionally and socially. In matters of love, you will not express your feelings, till you are sure of what response you will receive from the other end. Sometimes you tend to get obstinate and this creates a rift between you and your loved ones. Try to be more flexible in your approach to life. This will do wonders for you. The months of June, October, January and April will be result oriented. May 5: You re governed by the number 5 and the planet Mercury. You are also dominated by the Moon. You are blessed with intelligence and shrewdness. Those of you in business, will attain success in your new projects and plans, which you undertake, in the year ahead of you. You will be firm in your word and deeds. You will find the cooperation of your colleagues and loved ones. On your part, you will be honest and sincere to your loved ones and will go out of your way to see that they are happy. You will donate generously towards charity, in the year ahead of you. This will give you a sense of satisfaction. Your charming personality will draw many friends towards you. You will be the centre of attraction at many social gatherings. In matters of love, you will have to be careful that you choose the right life partner. The months of July, September, November and March will be highly important. May 6: You are governed by the planet Venus and dominated by the Moon. You are also influenced by the number 6. You are blessed with art and music. Anything, which is beautiful, is a passion for you. Your intelligence and sharp memory will bring you success in your professional pursuits, in the year ahead of you. You will gain high positions and earn lots of money too. But you sometimes, tend to become proud and boastful. This could lead to friends, drifting away from you. You will also have to control your urge to take hasty decisions. Your family will be of utmost importance to you, in the coming year. You can expect to receive love and affection from them at all times. On your part, you will do your best, to give them the luxuries of life. Your communication skills will be an asset for you, in the coming year. July, September and November will be highly eventful. May 7: You are governed by the number 7 and dominated by the planet Neptune. Moon also has an influence on you. You are cautious and alert in taking decisions. In the coming year, you will be able to take wise decisions, both in your professional as well as your domestic front. Your children will be a source of joy for you. They will live up to your expectations and bring you happiness. Your good-humoured nature will draw many friends towards you, and you will have a good social life in the year ahead of you. Your generous nature, will draw you towards those who are needy and oppressed. You tend to get depressed, when you get too engrossed in one subject. So, try to keep yourself busy, with various activities, instead of concentrating on one subject or work. June, September, December and March will be highly important. May 8: You are governed by the number 8 and by the planet Saturn. You are also influenced by the Moon. You are blessed with wisdom and intelligence. Coupled with your organizing capacity, you will be able to achieve success in your professional field, in the year ahead of you. Your inborn urge for knowledge, will allow you to go deep into the study of different subjects. Research and studies, will occupy a lot of your time, in the coming year. Your personality will draw people towards you. But, sometimes, you tend to get dominating. This may lead to your friends drifting away from you. You will put tremendous efforts in fulfilling whatever you strive to undertake, in the year ahead of you. You will leave no stone unturned to achieve success in whatever project you undertake. August, December and February may prove to be highly significant. May 9: You are governed by the number 9 and dominated by the planet Mars. You are also influenced by the Moon. You are fearless and courageous by nature. In the coming year, you are likely to inherit property from ancestors, especially from your fathers side. Hard work and the ability to take right decisions will bring success to you in the year ahead of you. For those of you in business, it will be a good year. You can expect to sign and negotiate big deals. You like to help others and those in need, will look to you for advice and solace. But, sometimes, you tend to get dominating. You try to impose your ideas on others. You will have to learn to control this trait in your character. October, December and February will prove to be very significant. May 10: You are dominated by the number 1 and the Sun. The planet Moon, also has a strong influence on you. Success and prosperity will be yours, in the year ahead of you. You will handle challenging projects, with determination and sincerity. This will bring you fame and recognition, in your professional front. You will be able to save money for the future, which will give you a sense of security and satisfaction. Religious by nature, you will not bend down to tradition or superstitions. Anything beautiful, appeals to you. You will be attracted towards art and will purchase artifacts for your home, which will bring beauty and a sense of well being around you. New ideas, which you put into action, will draw the attention of your seniors. Your work will be appreciated by your colleagues and your loved ones. Happiness, a great social life and pleasures of life will be for you, in the coming year. July, October and January will prove to be highly eventful.

i) Accurate Data: Please make sure Date, Time and Place of birth is accurate.

Before you consult...

ii) Careful: Did you check background of the astrologer before disclosing your secrets. iii) Fee: Discuss the charges before, dont feel shy. Its his business. iv) Expectation: Expect the best, if the outcome is not as desired, never give up. v) Consult: Take second opinion before spending thousands on cure/remedies.

Free Consultation
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For appointment, please call 516-390-7847

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30

May 4-10, 2013

SPIRITUAL AWARENESS

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Lasting peace can be found within us

The great mystic-poet and saint, Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj, expressed this beautifully in one of his verses: Whenever l experience any moments of bliss, Life comes and offers another cup of sorrow. It seems as if lasting peace in this life is virtually impossible. Life should be more than a pendulum in which we swing back and forth between moments of joy and moments of sorrow. Despite the obstacles, we can attain true peace in this lifetime. But to do so, we need to undergo a shift in our way of thinking. Our angle of vision needs to change. We tend to look for peace in the outer world. We hope to find it in our possessions, positions, and relationships. But the loss of any of these causes us to become agitated and distraught. Our peace of mind is disturbed. Everything in this world is subject to change and eventual decay. So long as we look to the transitory world for happiness, we will be disappointed. We need to change the way we look at this problem. An anecdote from the life of the Moghul Emperor Akbar can help us in this regard. Akbar is considered to be one of the most enlightened emperors of India. He had a number of advisors to help run his ministries. Among these great minds was Birbal, the wisest of them all. He was quite clever and could figure out solutions to difficult problems by looking at them from a totally different perspective. One day Akbar wanted to test his advisors, so he presented them with a puzzle. He took a stick and drew a line in the sand. He asked the advisors to try to shorten the line without erasing any part of it. Each counselor took a turn but all were stumped. They could not figure out how to make it shorter. Finally, Birbal came forward, took the stick, and carefully drew a line next to the one the emperor had drawn. But Birbal made his line longer. By drawing the second line longer, it made the original one look shorter. The solution to finding peace requires us to look at the problem from a new perspective. We cannot change the nature of the world or its problems. But we can add a new dimension to life that will give us peace. Lasting peace can be found within us. Enlightened luminaries throughout history have had mystical experiences which earned for them the existence of an inner spiritual reality. Buddha found enlightenment by inverting within himself. Christ has said,"The Kingdom of heaven is

By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj

he woman was filled with joy and set out to follow his instructions. She visited one house after another. Yet at each door she received the same reply. One or more members of the family had passed away. Each household thought she must be a fool for thinking that any family can pass through life escaping the loss of one of its members. In this way Lord Buddha taught her that death is the one inevitable reality of life. We as mortal human beings are all going to die one day. Sickness and disease are other facts of life. We need only examine our own existence to see how difficult it is to go through life without any illness, mishap, or accident. Medical books are filled with many diseases that can afflict human beings. There is no dearth of accidents that could befall us as we move through life's journey. We live in an environment over which we do not have total control. With death, misfortune, or illness hanging over our heads, how can we live in perpetual, uninterrupted peace? Even if our physical body is fairly healthy, few can lead their lives without strife. There are many occurrences that produce stress. If we have a family, we know that the illness, unhappiness or misfortune of any member causes the others to be distressed. Whenever any two people live or work together, there are bound to be tensions due to differences of opinions or viewpoints. When we are not at peace with those with whom we come in contact, we experience stress and apprehension in our day-to-day activities. And this tension prevents us from leading a life of happiness, joy, and bliss. There are a host of other problems that afflict our lives. If we search for peace in our outer life, at best we can find transitory moments of tranquility. We certainly do have times in which we enjoy the warmth of being with our loved ones, or we have moments of happiness from some gain or achievement. But these moments are fleeting. Inevitably, life again presents us with another set of problems.

The way to reach the spiritual realms is to invert through a process known as meditation. Through meditation, we can separate our soul from the body to voyage into the regions within. We can learn how to meditate from spiritual teachers or mystics who have mastered this science.
He is an ocean of all consciousness, all bliss, all joy. When He decided to become many from one, His thought or creative vibration resulted in two primary manifestations, Light and Sound. This current of Light and Sound was the cause of all creation. As it traveled outward from God it brought forth various regions or planes into existence. It created a plane of pure consciousness. This is a region of Light so bright that it equals trillions and trillions of outer suns. In our scientific age, it seems hard to believe that anything could be as bright as trillions of suns. But even in the physical universe scientists have discovered quasars or quasistellar material whose light is as bright as millions of galaxies. They are so bright that even though they are millions of light years away, scientists can still detect them with modem instruments. As the divine Light and Sound continued moving out from its source, another plane of existence was created. It was called the supracausal plane. Next, the causal plane was created. It is the plane from where the universal mind was created. The next plane is the astral plane. Finally, the physical plane was created,

within you." The Muslim and the Judeo-Christian scriptures speak of prophets who communed with God. Mystics from every religious tradition have described their inner spiritual experiences. They have spoken of heavenly realms that coexist with the physical world. These are realms of joy and love which are within us. They are regions of eternal peace and bliss beyond time and space. We cannot change the fundamental nature of the world, but we can become attuned to the worlds lying within us. In order to find peace in the world, we must first find it within ourselves. We can do this only by changing our perspective in life. The way to reach the spiritual realms is to invert through a process known as meditation. Through meditation, we can separate our soul from the body to voyage into the regions within. We can learn how to meditate from spiritual teachers or mystics who have mastered this science. They first explain the theory so we can understand the process. Then they give us a practical demonstration of it at the time of initiation. From these teachers we learn that in the beginning, the creative principle of the universe, which we call God, was all alone. It is said that

in which we reside. The physical plane consists of our universe with all its stars and planets, our earth, humanity, and all other species of life. Besides bringing the various planes of creation into existence, God also sent into these worlds conscious particles of Himself, drops of Himself, which we call souls. They inhabited the various planes of creation. Soul is of the same essence of God. It is pure spirit and is all-consciousness, all bliss, all joy. When it took up residence on each plane it had to assume a covering or body corresponding to the material of the region. Thus, the soul was cloaked in a causal, astral, and physical body. In the causal plane we use our causal body. When we function in the astral plane, we do so with our astral body. And we have a physical body in which to work in this physical plane. The soul was also given the mind through which it receives impressions and communicates when it inhabits the causal, astral, or physical planes. In the physical universe the soul is covered with the maximum layers or coverings. The result is that the soul forgets itself and becomes identified with the bodies which it inhabits. It forgets its true nature and its residence in spiritual realms within. This forgetfulness is the cause of unhappiness and ignorance of the mysteries of life. All knowledge of the creation, of who we are and of God, is within our soul. The soul is perpetually conscious. But the soul's coverings a so thick that the divine Light cannot shine through any more. In order for the Light to again radiate, we have to remove the various coverings of the soul, one by one. Meditation is a process by which we can remove each veil until we shine forth as pure soul. The various planes of existence do not have a physical location in our universe. They do not exist above or below us, in the sense of space as we know it. They exist within us. The way to reach them is not by any mode of outer travel, not by any space ship, not even by traveling faster than the speed of light. The way to reach these realms is by entering within through inversion. This form of meditation taught by teachers of Science of Spirituality is a simple method to rise above the physical body and traverse the inner planes. Meditation requires concentrating the attention at a special point in the body through which we can enter within. The outer expression of our soul is the attention. (To be continued...)

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

May 4-10, 2013

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

May 4-10, 2013