The South Asian Times
e x c e l l e n c e
Vol.12 No. 13 July 27-Aug 2, 2019 80 Cents
Sant Rajinder Singh Jiʼs talks
draw big crowds in New York
New York: Whether it is speaking at the
United Nations or being interviewed by the
New York Times, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji
Maharaj is no stranger to the Empire State.
Last weekend, the spiritual Master was once
again here to speak on Long Island and in
Queens. The opportunity of spending even a
brief weekend with Sant Rajinder Singh Ji
Chandrayaan II
launched successfully
Bengaluru: A day after launching the
country's second moon mission, the
Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) on Tuesday said the Chandrayaan‑
2 spacecraft is in "good health" and mov‑
ing in the "right direction".
India had on Monday launched
Chandrayaan‑2 on‑board its powerful
rocket GSLV‑MkIII‑M1 from the space‑
port of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh
with the aim of landing a rover in the
unexplored lunar south pole. The 3,850
kg Chandrayaan‑2, a three‑module space‑
craft comprising orbiter, lander and
rover, has been injected into the earth's
orbit. It will be subjected to a series of
orbit maneuvers in the coming weeks to
take it to the vicinity of moon, with the
rover soft landing planned on
September 7.
Continued on page 4
TRAVEL 15 BOLLYWOOD 16
i n j o u r n a l i s m
New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Sant
Did Modi ask Trump for
Rajinder
Singh Ji
Maharaj
blessing
attendees
mediation on Kashmir?
at his 4In desperation to improve ties with Pakistan, President Trump
Queens
College blundered by claiming that PM Modi asked him to mediate on
talk. Kashmir – a bilateral issue between India & Pakistan.
4India has refuted Trump’s claim and Trump administration
itself immediately moved in to control the damage, accepting
that Kashmir is a bilateral issue.
4In New Delhi, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar refuted the
Trump remark yet the opposition parties are demanding a
clarification from PM Modi
drew over 1,500 people to the Science of
Spirituality Meditation Center in Amityville
on Saturday and Queens College on Sunday.
His first talk, “Spiritual Awakening,” was
Continued on page 4
See page 2 for brief summaries of Sant
Rajinder Singh Ji Maharajʼs two talks in NY.
India set to become the 4th President Trump made five controversial remarks before his talks with Pakistanʼs PM
nation to put its flag on the moon. Imran Khan that will raise red flags in New Delhi and other capitals. (Photo courtesy AP)
New Delhi: The comments made by the US Asia Alice Wells sought to calm tempers by
President at the White House on July 22 sit‑ tweeting, “While Kashmir is a bilateral issue
ting alongside Pakistan premier Imran Khan for both parties to discuss, the Trump
could raise red flags in New Delhi and other administration welcomes Pakistan and India
capitals, and his purported conversation sitting down and the United States stands
with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ready to assist.”
on Kashmir is just one of them. However, Mr. Trumpʼs comments on Mr.
T he Indian government stated in Modiʼs alleged offer on Kashmir are far from
Parliament that PM Modi had never asked the only comments he made during the
Trump to mediate or arbitrate on the press meet held at the White House on July
Kashmir issue, as stated by the President 22 that will raise red flags in New Delhi and
during a joint press meet on Monday with other capitals, reports The Hindu, citing five
Imran Khan. controversial remarks he made before his
The Ministry of External Affairs issued a talks with Imran Khan.
statement reiterating Indiaʼs traditional poli‑ “Itʼs supposed to be such a beautiful part
cy of handling all issues with Pakistan “bilat‑
Continued on page 4
erally”, without a third party involved.
The US undersecretary of state for South Related stories on page 3 and 12.
SCITECH 24 SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 30 excellence in journalism
 2 July 27-Aug 2, 2019 SPIRITUALITY TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Satsang in New York with Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj

Spiritual master Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj arrived in the Big Apple on July 20 for a two‐day
program of public talks on Long Island and Queens, three years after his last visit to New York
when he delivered a talk “Building Bridges through Meditation” at the United Nations.

At Amityville SOS Center At Queens College, New York

Liberate the Soul The Pursuit of

through Meditation Happiness

O
n the second day of his found in the world outside.
spiritual program in Only when we look beyond our

A
ddressing the audience
at the Science of
Spirituality Meditation
Center in Amityville, NY, Sant
Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj stat‑
ed that this human existence
has been given to us to unravel
the mysteries of life and death.
Through meditation, we realize
our true nature as soul, and are
able to embark on the inner
spiritual journey that leads us
back to God – the Source from
whence the soul originated.
Commenting on the Statue of
Liberty, a signature landmark
that has greeted thousands of
visitors to the New York
Harbor, he spoke of how people
from all corners of the world
come to New York in search of
liberty. Expounding on this
theme, the spiritual Master
then went on to beautifully
explain the purpose for which
we have all come into this
world, the opportunity before
us to solve the mystery of life
and death, and the need to lib‑
erate our soul which is encased
in the human body.
Living at the level of our
physical senses, he said, we
take ourselves to be the body
and consider all that we experi‑
ence through our five physical
senses to be real. Rarely do we
pause to wonder if there is any‑
thing beyond this physical exis‑
tence. In reality, our true self is
the soul, and in this human
existence, our soul is encased in
the physical body. The spiritual
Master explained how this
human existence is our oppor‑
tunity to realize our true
nature, and to find our way
back to God, the Source from
where the soul originated. This
is the supreme purpose for
which we are all here, he
emphasized. July 20 marked
the 50th anniversary of the
moon landing, a giant step in
humanityʼs exploration of outer
space. Recalling this significant
achievement in space explo‑
ration, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji
spoke of the inner space that
lies within us, waiting to be
explored. These inner regions
exist concurrently with our
physical world, and it is
through exploration of this
inner space that we can uncov‑
er the treasures of what lies
beyond this physical world.
The gateway to these inner
regions is the spiritual eye,
located between and behind
our eyebrows, and the mecha‑
nism to embark on this inner
journey, he said, is meditation,
wherein we take our attention
away from the world outside
and focus it within. Through
meditation, we experience the
inner Light and Sound of God.
In our current state, he
explained, the soul is mired in
layers of mind, matter, and illu‑
sion and has forgotten its true
nature. However, as it comes in
contact with the Light and
Sound of God within, the soul
takes flight into the inner
worlds. Traversing the inner
regions of immense light, love,
and beauty, we experience
Godʼs love for ourselves, and
realize Godʼs limitless, formless
nature. We grow strong in our
belief that God is with us at all
times. With this realization, all
fears of the world leave us, and
we are transformed into loving,
caring, and peaceful individuals
who embrace the oneness of all
life, and who bring peace and
tranquility to all who come in
contact with us. Masterfully
condensing a library of spiritu‑
al gems into one memorable
talk, he then introduced the
simple technique of meditation
on the inner Light and Sound of
God before leading the audi‑
ence in a meditation sitting.
New York, Sant
Rajinder Sing h Ji Maharaj
addressed a big audience of
spiritual seekers at the Colden
Auditorium on the Queens
College campus in Queens. He
discoursed on the topic of spiri‑
tuality and humanityʼs quest
for happiness amidst the ups
and downs of life.
Lasting happiness cannot be
found in the outer world, he
stated. Only when we go within
through meditation can we tap
into Godʼs love, which heals the
spirit and brings about fulfill‑
ment at the level of the spirit,
the body and the mind.
Several citations and procla‑
mations from dignitaries were
shared to mark the spiritual
Masterʼs visit to the Empire
State.
One after the other, the cita‑
tions praised Sant Rajinder
Singh Ji as an ambassador of
peace, acknowledging his spir‑
ited leadership, and his tireless
contributions and dedication to
the serve the community, and
to bring about a world of peace
and spiritual awakening. In his
talk, the spiritual Master
focused on humanityʼs pursuit
of happiness, clarifying that
lasting happiness cannot be
physical existence, do we expe‑
rience joy that is lasting. The
key to happiness, he stated, is
to heal the spirit, which is our
true nature.
Our soul is a part of God but
has been separated from its
Source. Thus, inherent in us is
the intense desire to know God
and to be one with God. We can
heal the spirit by connecting it
to the stability of Godʼs love,
which happens through medi‑
tation.
As soon as we begin to take
steps toward God, and as soon
as we build a bridge between
the soul and God, we experi‑
ence spiritual fulfillment,
which in turn also heals our
body and mind.
As we experience Godʼs love,
we beg in to deve lop rig ht
understanding of who we are
and of our connection to God.
With rig ht understanding,
comes right thoughts, right
words and right deeds, trans‑
forming us into loving and car‑
ing individuals, and bringing
peace and harmony to our lives
and to the world around us. It
all begins, Sant Rajinder Singh
Ji said, as we sit in silence and
connect with the Divine Power
within.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
By Surekha Vijh
The South Asian Times
Washington DC: Pakistani Prime
Minister Imran Khan held a Modi
style rally on Sunday addressing the
Pakistani American community at
Capital One Arena in downtown
Washington DC, where people in
large numbers waited in scorching
heat for hours to get into the stadi‑
um with a capacity of 20,000.
"People ask, 'W here is Naya
Pakistan?' ̶ it is being created in
front of your eyes," Khan told the
gathering.
The problem in Pakistan was that
when political leaders were asked
for answers, they say that political
revenge is being taken, and when
courts make decisions they say
'kyun nikala', he added.
Khan said for a successful gover‑
nance in a country, a system of
merit and accountability was need‑
ed. He cited it as the reason that
democracy succeeded as a gover‑
nance system and left monarchy
behind. Giving the example from
cricket, he said that the Australian
team dominated the sport as they
had a system that brought out talent
on merit. "T his is why we
(Pakistanis) are not dominating the
world in cricket, because there is no
meritocracy."
"A society that doesn't have merit,
doesn't go forward. America have
succeeded because of meritocracy,”
Khan said among cheers as well as
disrupting voices.
Baloch origin protestors disrupted
his speech many times, raising slo‑
gans in favor of Balochistanʼs inde‑
pendence from Pakistan. Protests
were also staged by activists of
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)
and other Pakistani minority groups
New British PM Boris Johnson has close Indian connection
New Delhi/London: Set to be the
new British Prime Minister, Boris
Johnson has a close India connec‑
tion. His estranged wife Marina
Wheeler, whom he married in
1993, is half Indian. Wheeler is
the niece of late editor and writer
Khushwant Singh.
Before they announced their
separation last year after 25 years
of marriage, Johnson had trav‑
elled several times to India with
Marina. They have four children
together.
Johnson, who won the race
within the Conservative Party to
become the country's next Prime
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
Trying a Modi style rally in DC,
Imran gets a mixed reaction
Pakistan Premier Imran Khan addressed a massive rally in Washington DC,
his visit marred by protests by dissenters.
40 militant groups were operating in Pak : Imran
Washington: Successive govern‑
ments in Pakistan did not tell the
truth to the United States, in partic‑
ular in the last 15 years, Pakistani
Prime Minister Imran Khan said
here on Tuesday, adding that there
were 40 different militant groups
operating in his country.
"We were fighting the US war on
terror. Pakistan has nothing to do
with 9/11. Al‑Qaida was in
Afghanistan. There were no militant
Taliban in Pakistan. But we joined
the US war. Unfortunately, when
things went wrong, where I blame
my government, we did not tell the
US exactly the truth on the ground,"
in Washington DC.
Khan said Pakistan was the fastest
developing country in the subconti‑
nent and Asia in the 60s.
"This is the same Pakistan we saw
Minister, is expected to rely on his
declared personal connect with
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to
deliver a "truly special" UK‑India
relationship. In his letter to the
Indian diaspora Tory membership
base, Johnson wrote that, during
his meeting with Modi, he had
stressed upon how India and UK
were modern democracies and
should work together to promote
trade and prosperity. Johnson told
Modi that the two nations should
work closely to tackle the chal‑
lenges that their countries face.
The former Mayor of London and
former Foreign Secretary, 55, has
Khan said.
He was addressing a Capitol Hill
reception hosted by
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson
Lee, Chairperson of the
Congressional Pakistan Caucus.
Part of the reason for this, Khan
explained to the lawmakers, was
that the Pakistani governments
were not in control. "There were 40
different militant groups operating
within Pakistan. So Pakistan went
through a period where people like
us were worried about could we
survive it. So while the US expected
us to do more and help the US win
the war, Pakistan at that time was
go down,” he said, "Anyone who is a
public office holder should answer
to the people."
Pakistan Tehreek‑i‑Insaf (PTI)
under him is the first party where
earlier referred to himself as the
son‑in‑law of India.
However, Johnson is known to
have made several gaffes, includ‑
ing some related to India.
When he was Foreign Secretary,
Johnson was berated at a Sikh
gurdwara for talking about
whiskey exports to India ‑ despite
alcohol being forbidden in the
Sikh faith.
In November 2014, as London
mayor, Johnson suggested that
countries that "haven't had the
benefit of British rule" are now
"less fortunate" ‑ during a discus‑
sion on Winston Churchill.
July 27-Aug 2, 2019
fighting for its own existence," he
said. Khan said it was very impor‑
tant that he met President Donald
Trump and other top American
leaders. "We have explained to
them that the way forward is: num‑
ber one, the relationship has to be
based on mutual trust," he said,
adding that he would be honest in
telling the US what Pakistan could
do in the peace process. Pakistan,
Khan said, was trying its best to get
the Taliban on the table to start this
dialogue. "So far, we have done
pretty well," he said and cautioned
the US that the process was not
going to be easy.
no relative or friend of Imran Khan
is in any post, he said.
The premier said that ten years
ago, the country's debt was Rs 6,000
billion, now it is Rs 30,000 billion,
Boris Johnson will take over from Theresa May as Prime Minister on
Wednesday and will face the Brexit test. (Photo SkyNews)
3
blaming it on the previous regimes
of Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari.
"Where did the money go? We
need to take [back] this money from
them,” he said, adding that he
would get Nawaz Sharifʼs TV and air‑
conditioner removed from jail.
"Our country has been left behind
because of one reason: corruption,"
said Khan.
He said that when he met compa‑
nies in the United States, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia and China for invest‑
ment, they simply said that they
don't come to Pakistan because
there is corruption.
"Through a clean government and
by ending corruption, we will lift
this country." He concluded his
address by vowing that he would
never let Pakistan bow down before
anyone.
The former cricketer‑turned‑politi‑
cian flew in on a commercial airliner
and stayed at the official residence
of the Pakistani Ambassador as an
austerity measure. Faizal Khan, a
local from Washington DC, said,
Khan often visited the US and had a
large support base among the
Pakistani diaspora. “It was hearten‑
ing to see a visiting Pakistani leader
receive a warm welcome by the
members of Pakistani community in
such huge number.”
“We wish he (Imran Khan) could
do something better for the country
which is in bad shape,” said Syed
Ahmed from Virginia.
 4 July 27-Aug 2, 2019 TURN PAGE TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Did Modi ask Trump for
mediation on Kashmir?
Continued from page 1
of the world. But right now thereʼs
just bombs all over the place. They
say everywhere you go, you have
bombs and itʼs a terrible situation.
Been going on for many years. If I
can do anything to help that, let me
know.” Not since the first term of
U.S. President Bill Clinton has an
American president spoken out as
clearly about the issue of Kashmir,
especially of violence in Jammu and
Kashmir. The only exceptions have
been times when U.S. Presidents
have condemned terror attacks in
Jammu and Kashmir, and seldom
has a U.S. President allowed himself
to be drawn out on the issue during
a meeting with a Pakistan Prime
Minister.
In 2013 and 2015, for example,
during the Obama‑Sharif meetings
at the W hite House, former
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif mentioned resolving “out‑
standing issues with India, includ‑
ing Kashmir”, but Mr. Obama didnʼt
refer to it.
Speaking about India to Pakistan
“I will say that we have a very
good relationship with India. I know
that your relationship is strained a
little bit. Maybe a lot. But we will be
talking about India; a very big part
of our conversation today. And I
think maybe if we can help inter‑
cede and do whatever we have to
do. But I think itʼs something that
can be brought back together.
“I have a very good relationship
with Prime Minister Modi. And I
think weʼre going to have a phe‑
nomenal relationship with the
Prime Minister of Pakistan. I do
think that itʼs a two‑way street. You
know, you say India is coming in
and destabilizing Pakistan, but
India is saying that Pakistan is com‑
ing in and destabilizing. So thereʼs a
lot of room right there where we
can meet.”
In his opening remarks, Mr.
Trump said twice that he and Mr.
Khan would be speaking “a lot”
about India during their conversa‑
tion. This is itself a strange diplo‑
matic precedent, as bilateral talks
are meant to focus on bilateral
issues.
Mr. Trump then proceeded to say
the US could “help intercede” in the
strained India‑Pakistan relation‑
ship. New Delhi will also not be
pleased by Mr. Trumpʼs attempt to
equate India and Pakistan on the
issue of “destabilization” or spon‑
soring “non‑state actors”.
Mediation and arbitration
“If I can help, I would love to be a
mediator. It shouldnʼt be ̶ I mean,
itʼs impossible to believe two
incredible countries that are very,
very smart, with very smart leader‑
ship, canʼt solve a problem like that.
But if you want me to mediate or
arbitrate, I would be willing to do
that.”
For India, the bilateral resolution
of all issues with Pakistan is red‑
line that was accepted by Pakistan
during the Bhutto‑Gandhi Shimla
Agreement of 1972, and repeated
in the Vajpayee‑Sharif Lahore decla‑
ration of 1999. It, therefore, should
have been clear to Mr. Trump that
no matter what he thought Mr.
Modi was speaking of, “mediation
and arbitration” on Kashmir is not
something any Indian Prime
Minister would request.
In the 1965 war, Kargil war, or
other conflicts, and even during the
Balakot strikes, several countries
have contacted both New Delhi and
Islamabad in an ef fort to bring
down tensions, but India has not
accepted the idea of mediation or
resolving issues through a third
party interlocutor at any point.
Divulging privileged
conversations
“I was with Prime Minister Modi
two weeks ago, and we talked about
this subject. And he actually said,
“Would you like to be a mediator or
arbitrator?” I said, “Where?” He
said, “Kashmir.” Because this has
been going on for many, many
years. I was surprised at how long;
itʼs been going on a long ̶”
The truth is, even if Mr. Modi
were to have said anything remote‑
ly resembling Mr. Trumpʼs recollec‑
tion of the conversation in Osaka, it
is a breach of international diplo‑
macy to divulge the comments pub‑
licly, without Mr. Modiʼs permis‑
sion, and in front of the leader of
another country. (A readout of the
two leaders talks by Ivanka Trump
does not mention Kashmir).
This is not the first time either. In
February 2018, Mr. Trump had
given out details of what should
have been a private telephone con‑
versation with Mr. Modi on the
Harley Davidson issue.
On Pakistanʼs role in Afghanistan
“I think Pakistan will save mil‑
lions of lives in Afghanistan
because I really believe that they
can ̶ they have a power that other
nations donʼt have with respect to
Afghanistan….And I will say, as of
this moment, theyʼre working very
hard and very nicely, and we appre‑
ciate it.
“I think Pakistan is going to help
us out to extricate ourselves. Weʼre
like policemen. Weʼre not fighting
the war. If we wanted to fight a war
in Afghanistan and win it, I could
win that war in a week. I just donʼt
want to kill 10 million people. Does
that make sense to you? I donʼt
want to kill 10 million people.”
Mr. Trumpʼs articulation of the
resolution in Afghanistan is not just
at variance with the view shared in
New Delhi and Kabul, but at com‑
plete odds with the USʼs own ʻSouth
Asia policyʼ announced by the
President himself in August 2017.
T his new solution appears to
credit Pakistan with “power” over
Afghanistan, as opposed to calling it
out on safe havens for the Taliban,
fighting terror groups and urging it
not to interfere in Afghanistan at
all. Mr. Trumpʼs repeated refer‑
ences to deploying the “Mother of
All Bombs” (MOAB) on Afghanistan,
and his decision against “winning
the war” by “killing 10 million” peo‑
ple are troubling as we ll.
Afghanistan President Ashraf
Ghaniʼs of fice issued a detailed
rebuttal to these comments on
Tuesday evening, and called for the
U.S. to clarify Mr. Trumpʼs com‑
ments, saying, “The Afghan nation
has not and will never allow any
foreign power to determine its
fate….Given the multifaceted rela‑
tionship between Afghanistan and
the United States, the Government
of the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan calls for clarification
on the US Presidentʼs statements
expressed at a meeting with the
Pakistan prime minister, via diplo‑
matic means and channels.”
Sant Rajinder Singh Jiʼs
talks draw big crowds in NY
Continued from page 1
in Hindi, though seeing a fair num‑
ber of non‑Indian attendees, he also
spoke briefly in English. The audito‑
rium was absolutely still as he
spoke about meditation, bringing it
back to its spiritual roots, as he said
the purpose for which we came into
this world is to know ourselves and
to know God. As his talk ended, the
audience erupted in applause. The
talk was translated into both
English and Spanish.
Beofre Sant Rajinder Singh Ji
Maharajʼs at Colden Auditorium in
Queens College, he received seven
citations from federal, state and city
public of ficials, including US
Congress members Tom Suozzi (D‑
NY) and Grace Meng (D‑NY), for his
untiring ef forts in bringing the
message of inner and outer peace
through meditation to all corners of
the world.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo paid
rich tribute to the spiritual Master,
saying: “On behalf of all New
Yorkers, I applaud Sant Rajinder
Singh Ji Maharaj for his invaluable
leadership and dedication to bring‑
ing about a world of peace and spir‑
itual awakening and thank him for
sharing his wisdom and healing.”
A message from UN Under
Secretary‑General for Operational
Support, Atul Khare, of fered this
insight: “Just as we have made con‑
siderable progress in reaching out
to the external world, we need to
make the equally arduous journey
inside toward our souls.”
In the opening remarks to his
talk, “Explore the Journey Within,”
Sant Rajinder Singh Ji expressed his
joy at seeing the diversity that New
York exemplifies. He said although
there are many different languages,
in the spiritual arena, the language
is the language of love; and when
we experience the language of love,
nothing else matters. Just as we
experience our body, we can experi‑
ence our soul, which is part of God.
He defined spirituality as the jour‑
ney of the soul to be with God.
The evening ended with medita‑
tion. First the spiritual Master
explained the technique of medita‑
tion, then the audience sat in pin‑
drop silence, with closed eyes,
enjoying the peace that not only
pervaded the huge auditorium but
also filled their hearts. For updates
on his schedule, check www.sos.org.
Chandrayaan II launched
successfully
Continued from page 1
In a giant leap for the country's
ambitious low‑cost space pro‑
gram, ISRO has undertaken the
most complex and its prestigious
mission ever aiming to land the
rover on the moon.
If successful, it will make India
the fourth country after (Soviet)
Russia, the US and China to pull
of f a soft landing on the moon.
T he ISRO is aiming for a soft
landing of the lander (spacecraft)
in the South Pole region of the
moon where no country has gone
so far.

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TheSouthAsianTimes.info
TLCA youth raise funds for AASHA – ‘Teach for India’
A cultural and fundraising event was held on July 13 in Queens for ʻTeach for Indiaʼ.
By Shaker Nelanuthala
New York: As one may know, Telugu speak‑
ing people originate from the states of
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in India,
and this community is one of the fastest‑
growing ethnic groups in the USA. Thanks
to the insatiable demand for doctors, engi‑
neers and Information Technology profes‑
sionals, the American Consulate in
Hyderabad, India has been issuing the high‑
est number of student, business and profes‑
sional visas to the Telugus and now they
have become part of a vibrant and prosper‑
ous community in the country. Started in
1971 by a visionary group of idealists, The
Telugu Literary and Cultural Association
(TLCA) of New York is one of the earliest
Indian Associations in North America and
the first Telugu organization. The TLCA was
formed with the primary goal of promoting
Telugu literary and cultural activities in the
tri‑state area. Successive generations of
Telugu adults and children have benefited
from its tremendous success towards this
goal, as can be seen by the vitality of its pro‑
Queue Management System
inaugurated at NY Consulate
Ambassador Harsh Vardhan Shringla inaugurated the new system.
New York: The Consulate General of
India, New York has started 'Queue
Management System' to manage queues
of applicants who come to the Consulate
for various services and also to improve
the overall quality and delivery of servic‑
es rendered at the Consulate.
The new system considerably reduces
the waiting time in availing the consular
services and was inaugurated by
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
grams over 48 years.
Based on recent initiatives, India is defy‑
ing the global trends and is on a path to
enroll and graduate 100% of the kids in pri‑
mary schools by the year 2030, as set in by
sustainable development goals of UNESCO.
AASHA is a humble effort by the youth of
the TLCA organization with a slogan “Donʼt
stop believing” and to raise awareness and
funding for Teach for India, a non‑profit
organization to establish schools in India. A
cultural and fundraising event was held on
July 13th, 2019 at Queens High School of
Teaching, Liberal Arts and the Sciences.
Money that was raised at this event will be
donated to Teach for India that works
across India to provide education for under‑
privileged children. It also serves to employ
and train teachers and other school person‑
nel to better cater to the needs of these chil‑
dren.
For several months, the youth coordina‑
tors Harshini Suresh, Neeharika
Kotimreddy, Bindu Koyi, Dipcy Eranki,
Divya Dommaraju, Vaishnavi Adupa, Rishi
Kudaravalli, and Saketh Kotagiri worked
Ambassador of India to the US Harsh
Vardhan Shringla on July 15.
He was also apprised of various initia‑
tives taken by the Consulate for the wel‑
fare of the applicants availing consular
services at the Consulate, such as free
cof fee and free photocopying machine
and Internet facilities.
The Consulate serves about 150,000
persons annually.
July 27-Aug 2, 2019 5
Hindu priest attacked
near temple in NY
New York: A Hindu priest was attacked by a
52‑year‑old man while he was walking down
the street in his religious garb near a temple
in Floral Park,
New York,
according to a
US media
report. Swami
H a r i s h
Chander Puri
said that
around 11
a.m. (local The priest suffered
bruises and abrasions all
time) Thursday,
over his body, including
tirelessly to organize this event and to near the Shiv
his face. (Image : new‑
ensure that AASHA turned out to be a grand Shakti Peeth in stracklive.com)
success. TLCA Executive Committee mem‑ Glen Oaks,
bers Ashok Chintakunta, Babu Kudravalli, while he was walking down the street in his
Prasad Koyi, Rama Vanama, Uma Polireddi, religious garb, a man came up from behind
Sureshbabu Thammineni, and Nehru Kataru and started hitting him, repeatedly, PIX 11
helped the youth in making this event a suc‑ news channel reported. The priest suffered
cess. The Chairman of the TLCA Board of bruises and abrasions all over his body,
Trustees, Dr. Purna Atluri, members Dr. including his face during the attack on July
Mohan Badhey, Venkatesh Mutyala, and 18, the channel reported. "I'm in a little pain,"
others also attended the event. Anyone the priest was quoted as saying by the chan‑
interested in donating to Teach for India nel. Police arrested 52‑year‑old Sergio
can send a check made out to TLCA, C/O Gouveia in connection with the attack. He's
TLCA AASHA program, 4332 Kissena Blvd, being charged with assault, harassment and
#14F, Flushing, NY 11355 (donations made criminal possession of a weapon. The police
are tax‑deductible). are looking into whether the attack should be
(Shaker Nelanuthala is from New York, an investigated as a hate crime, the channel said.
IT & property management consultant, an Some of the people who regularly attend the
editorial contributor to The South Asian temple said they believe the priest was tar‑
Times and an active member of TLCA.) geted. (PTI)
 6 July 27-Aug 2, 2019
Queens borough reps
grill Census Bureau over
language access
New York: On July 15th Queens Borough
President Melinda Katz and Community Board
representatives across the borough grilled the
New York Regional Census director about the
obstacles faced to receiving a fair count in
2020. This was at the meeting at Borough
Hall, where Jeff Behler, the director of the
New York branch of the Federal Census
Bureau, presented the bureauʼs plans to open
four offices in Queens, hiring of around
10,000 of workers and roll‑out of programs
that are designed to collaborate with local
groups. In addition to setting the time frame
of the census rollout, Behlerʼs presentation
emphasized the importance of the data, which
will determine the number of Congressional
seats Queens gets in addition to its portion of
the $675 billion dollars in federal funding
that is allocated across the entire country.
In a question and comment period after the
presentation, the group of board representa‑
tives and Katz identified two major obstacles
toward ensuring a fair count: foreign lan‑
guage access and getting funding to commu‑
nity‑based groups.
Their concern was what if Queens showed
an undercount of a mass amount.
Behler, however, made it clear that census
was once in 10 years process and that is what
it will remain.
The legal battle over the inclusion of the cit‑
izenship question in the survey had its shad‑
ow over the meeting. Behler though empha‑
sized on the security measures that protect
each individualʼs data. Every piece of data pro‑
vided to the census bureau canʼt be shared
with anyone – be it local, state law enforce‑
ment or Homeland Security – he said.
As a means of building trust, Behler high‑
lighted a service the Census Bureau offers
called the partner program where they send
out representatives to any local organization
that wants to hold an educational forum – be
it at a place of worship or a restaurant.
It is the Mayorʼs Office, not the Census
Bureau, however, that takes on the key role of
hiring community groups to actually do the
work of door‑knocking to get residents to fill
out the survey.
Behler revealed that the bureau only offers
its services online, by phone, by mail in 12
languages in addition to English. In the US at
large, this covers 99 percent of all households,
but, as the group pointed out, that statistic
doesnʼt hold much water in Queens where
there are over 160 languages spoken and 26
percent of residents who have limited English
proficiency.
Now, we are devoting a full page to local government news, initiatives, and other information of significant importance to our readers.
Requesting all government agencies at state, county and town levels to send their press releases to: editor@thesouthasiantimes.info
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Nassau County health department
receives four national awards
Mineola, NY: T he Nassau County
Department of Health was recently honored
with four National Promising Practice
Awards at the 2019 Annual Conference of
the National Association of County and City
Health Of ficials (NACCHO). These presti‑
gious awards represent programs from
across the nation that have demonstrated
exemplary and replicable best practices in
response to a local public health need.
“It is with great honor that I congratulate
the staf f at the Department of Health for
being national leaders in the field of public
health,” said County Execut ive Laura
Curran. “These awards are evidence of the
Department of Healthʼs commitment to
developing responsive and innovative pub‑
lic health programs that improve, promote
and protect the health and safety of the 1.3
AG Letitia James announces arrests in
multi‑million dollar Medicaid fraud
New York: Attorney General
Letitia James announced
the arrests of a New York
City pharmacy owner and
three of her managers for
participating in a multi‑mil‑
lion dollar Medicaid fraud
scheme involving kickbacks and HIV drugs.
Pharmacy owner Irina Pichkhadze, 34, of
Queens; three of her pharmacy managers,
Raymond Dief fenbacher, 46, of Queens,
Yana Dubrinskaya, 31, of Brooklyn, and
Tarlan (aka Boris) Pinkhasov, 40, of Queens;
her pharmacy, First Choice Pharmacy; and
two additional companies, Express Audit
Prevention Corp. and OTC Distributors, Inc.,
were charged with crimes re lated to
defrauding Medicaid out of more than $10
million in a kickback and drug diversion
scheme through the First Choice Pharmacy
located in Harlem.
“It is disturbing and deeply damaging to
our society when health care professionals
exploit our most vulnerable patients to steal
millions of dollars reserved to provide New
Yorkers with essential health care,” said
Attorney General Letitia James. “We put our
trust in medical providers to serve us with
honesty and care, and these individuals took
advantage of both that trust and our state.
My office will continue to hold accountable
those who forsake their professional respon‑
sibility to their patients and choose instead
million residents of Nassau County.”
“These awards are vital because each of
them represents a service or program that
we can bring to the residents of Nassau
County,” said Health Commissioner Dr.
Lawrence Eisenstein. “I am proud of the
innovation and efficiency that each of these
programs brings to the County.”
Nassau County Department of Health con‑
tinues to be a national leader in public
health, and since 2013 has earned 19
Model and Promising Practice Awards ‑ by
far the most awards in the entire State of
New York.
Staff of Department of Health with the
awards at NACCHO annual conference
(Image courtesy: Twitter handle
@Nassauexecutive)
to use it to line their pockets
with public funds.”
The four individual defen‑
dants along with First Choice
Pharmacy were all charged in
Supreme Court on various
counts and are punishable for
up to 25 years in prison.
In court, prosecutors from the Attorney
Generalʼs Medicaid Fraud Control Unit
(MFCU) outlined a scheme in which the
defendants allegedly paid or directed
employees to pay cash kickbacks to
Medicaid recipients in return for each
patientʼs agreement to fill their HIV prescrip‑
tions. The pharmacy, in turn, billed and
eventually received hundreds of thousands
of dollars from Medicaid for refills that it
either did not dispense to patients or were
predicated on the payment of an unlawful
kickback.
Large sums of that money, prosecutors
allege, were then funneled through various
banks accounts disguised as payments to
pharmaceutical wholesalers.
During its investigation, MFCU executed a
search warrant at First Choice Pharmacy and
recovered hundreds of bottles of allegedly
adulterated, diverted HIV medication.
New Yorkers can report suspected fraud to
the Attorney Generalʼs toll‑free Medicaid
Fraud Hotline, at (800) 771‑7755 or online
at ag.ny.gov/medicaid‑fraud/contact
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Huntington town
changes accessory
apartment law to
make living affordable
New York: At its July 16 meeting, the
Huntington Town Board approved significant
accessory apartment code changes designed
to make living in the Town of Huntington
more affordable without building new hous‑
ing. The most significant accessory apart‑
ment code change allows the property owner
to live in the accessory dwelling unit of their
primary residence; a measure that will help
offset the cost of living for many residents by
allowing the rental of their homeʼs main
dwelling unit. The code changes also reduced
the minimum lot size requirement from
7,500 square feet to 5,000 square feet and
reduced the lot frontage requirement for an
accessory apartment from 75 linear feet to
50 linear feet, helping more property owners
qualify for an accessory apartment on their
property. The accessory apartment code
changes were enacted July 16, cosponsored
by Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci and
Councilwoman Joan Cergol, after the Town
Board held a public hearing on the resolution
May 29.
The Town Board also unanimously passed
a public safety measure prohibiting accesso‑
ry dwelling units in basements or cellars
unless a valid accessory dwelling unit permit
already exists or is pending with an already‑
filed application.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY July 27-Aug 2, 2019 7

Hyderabad: Venkaiah Naidu, Vice

President of India, inaugurated the
13th edition of the annual Global
Healthcare Summit organized by
the American Asso ciat ion of
Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI),
USA, with the lighting of the tradi‑
tional lamp and delivering the
keynote address at the famous Taj
Krishna Hotel in Hyderabad on
July 21st.
“I am glad to learn that AAPI
serves as an umbrella organiza‑
tion with a network of over 160
chapters across the USA,” Naidu
told AAP I de leg ates. “We are
indeed proud of our doctors and
healthcare practitioners who are
rendering invaluable healthcare
services in countries across the
globe.”
Naidu devoted a good amount of
his speech about the great tradi‑
tions and the greatness of Indian
culture and the civilization of
India. Pointing out to India being
one of the greatest civilizations,
that has given birth to renowned
medical practices and higher edu‑
cation before any other nation,
Naidu said, “If you want to go
abroad, go learn earn and then
return," he quipped.
Calling upon the Physicians of
Indian Origin to rededicate their
lives for the wellbeing of their
motherland, India, serving 130
crore people who need their ser‑
vicers Naidu asked of the AAPI
de leg ates not to forget their:
mother, native place, teacher;
mother tongue and culture and
traditions of India.
In his we lcome address, Dr.
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu
inaugurates AAPI’s annual health summit
AAPI leaders with Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu
Suresh Reddy, President of AAPI,
said, “This GHS has promised to be
one with the greatest impact and
significant contributions towards
harnessing the power of interna‑
tional Indian diaspora to bring the
most innovative, ef ficient, cost‑
ef fective healthcare solutions to
India.”
“Apart from conducting CMEs,
seminars, and workshops, AAPI
must consider collaborating with
various governments and other
private organizations in establish‑
ing a state‑of‑the‑art healthcare
facility in each district of the coun‑
try where affordable treatment is
dispensed,” the Vice President of
India told the delegates.
Naidu praised AAPI and its noble
mission to play an important role
in making quality healthcare
accessible and af fordable to the
people of India. “It is indeed a
laudable objective as both accessi‑
bility and af fordability are the
need of the hour, especially in a
vast developing country like India
with a huge population of middle
class and lower middle class.”
“Only a healthy nation can be a
progressive and wealthy nation,”
the Vice President of India, said.
“India has launched ʻAyushman
Bharatʼ, touted to be the worldʼs
largest health insurance scheme,
under the aegis of which 10 lakh
people have already received free
treatment under the scheme,” he
added.
Describing that Indiaʼs health‑
care sector as grappling with inad‑
equate public spending, low doc‑
tor‑patient ratio, high share of out‑
of‑pocket expenditure, inadequate
infrastructure in rural areas, lack
of penetration of health insurance
and inadequate preventive mecha‑
nisms, Naidu said, “We face a huge
shortage in the number of quali‑
fied medical practitioners in India,
especially specialist doctors. It is
crucial that we address this huge
g ap in the supply of trained
healthcare practitioners by open‑
ing more medical colleges and
increasing the number of seats at
both graduate and postgraduate
levels.”
T he Vice President of India
urged all medical practitioners of
Indian origin working across the
globe, to collaborate and work
with our government and academ‑
ic institutions to make Indian med‑
ical education world‑class.
Naidu called upon AAPI to “help
in promoting the use of telemedi‑
cine in remote rural areas which
lack access to healthcare facilities.
Telemedicine can be used ef fec‑
tively in radiology, cardiology,
oncology, dermatology, and a few
other areas. It will help in reduc‑
ing unnecessary visits to the hos‑
pitals for consultations with spe‑
cialists and avoid long‑distance
travel,” Naidu said.

GOPIO‑CT to honor US company asked to Video clips

six achievers pay $58K in back wages
New York: The Global Organization of People of
Indian Origin (GOPIO)‑Connecticut Chapter will
honor outstanding achievers of the Indian
American community in Connecticut and those
who provide service to the community or the soci‑
ety at large at its Annual Awards Banquet on
Saturday, July 27th at the Stamford Marriott Hotel,
Stamford, CT. The chief guest at the banquet is
Indian Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty. Other
honored guests include US Senator Richard
Blumenthal, Norwalk Mayor Harry Rillings; New
Canaan First Selectman Kevin Moynihan; CT State
Senators Carlo Leone and Tony Hwang and CT
State Representatives Dr. Prasad Srinivasan and
Raghib Allie‑Brennan.
The 2019 awardees are: Connecticut State
Representative Raghib Allie‑Brennan for achieve‑
ment in political involvement; Dr. Ravi Dhar is
George Rogers Clark Professor of Management
and Marketing, Yale School of Management and
Professor of Psychology at Yale University for
Business Management; Dr. Sathya Motupally, Chief
Operating Officer (COO), Doosan Fuel Cell America
for Engineering; Dr. D.R. Nagaraj, Principal
Research Fellow at Cytec Solvay for Applied
Sciences and Dinyar Wadia, Principal of Wadia
Associates for Architecture. In addition, GOPIO‑CT
Presidentʼs Award for a young professional will be
presented to Dr. Asha Kapoor Shah, Associate
Hospital Epidemiologist and Associate Director of
Infectious Diseases at Stamford Hospital.
for H1B violations
Washington, DC: A US company has
been asked to pay $58,815 to two of
its employees after a federal investiga‑
tion found it guilty of violating the H‑
1B guidelines, amidst a crackdown on
the popular visa program by the
Trump administration. The H‑1B visa
program allows employers to tem‑
porarily employ foreign workers in
the US on a non‑immigrant basis in
specialty occupations or as fashion
models of distinguished merit and
ability. The H‑1B visas are the most
sought‑after among Indian IT profes‑
sionals. In its investigation, the Wage
and Hour Division of the department
found that California‑based Login
Consulting Services Inc. illegally
charged one employee for visa peti‑
tion fees, which the law requires the
employer to pay. The employer also
“benched” that worker, a term used to
describe when an employer fails to
pay an H‑1B employee in conditions
such as when work is slow. The probe
also found that the employer paid
another employee less than the
hourly rate guaranteed in the Labor
Conditions Application they submitted
when applying to the H‑1B program,
resulting in another violation.
The company provides services to
private corporations, technology
firms, and state and local government
agencies. T hose recruited and
employed by the firm primarily serve
in positions relating to software devel‑
opment, computer engineering and
business data analysis, the
Department of Labor said.
“Employers who wish to hire guest
workers must fully familiarize them‑
selves with the H‑1B foreign labor
certification program,” Kimchi Bui,
Wage and Hour Division District
Director, said. “The program is there
to help American companies find the
highly‑skilled talent they need when
there is a shortage of US workers,” Bui
added. The resolution of this case
demonstrates our commitment to
safeguard American jobs, level the
playing field for law‑abiding employ‑
ers and ensure no one is being paid
less than they are legally owed, the
official added.
show ʻPunjabis
sneaking into USʼ
New York: A month and a half after six‑year‑old Gurupreet Kaur,
from a village in Haryanaʼs Kurukshetra district, died due to
heatstroke in the Arizona desert while attempting to illegally
cross into the US from Mexico with her mother, two more video
clips have emerged in which Punjabi men and women are seen
crossing a border fence, possibly from Mexico into the US, along
with their children.
Indian women and children trying to cross into the US via
Mexico is a new trend. Punjabi men routinely have been taking
huge risks in their desperate attempts to travel abroad.
Several Punjabi men have lost their lives and some have landed
in jails and returned home as they couldnʼt reach their destina‑
tions. North American Punjabi Association executive director
Satnam Singh Chahal told The Times of India “If these videos
reflect the desperation of Punjabi families to reach abroad along
with their kids, they also reflect poorly on the governments back
home. These videos also show hopelessness and their lack of
faith in their governments,” he said. Elements of desperation and
haste are visible in the latest video clips, said to be shot at the
Mexico‑US border, as men, women and children are seen cross‑
ing the fence.
In both clips, people crossing over are heard speaking in
Punjabi. They are seen crossing while local traffickers show
them the way and say goodbye after the cross‑over. In one clip, a
woman is seen carrying a boy and rushing towards the fence. A
male companion also crosses with two bags. In another, two
girls, two women and three men, including two in turbans, are
seen crossing the fence. (Source: timesofindia.com)
8 July 27-Aug 2, 2019 NATIONAL COMMUNITY TheSouthAsianTimes.info

IN BRIEF

10‑day Partition exhibition Nartan Rang Dance Academy

to come to California
A
n upcoming 10‑day pop‑up exhibi‑
tion will be held in Berkeley by the
1947 Partition Archive, spotlighting
the "largest mass refugee crisis that unfold‑
ed when the British Empire broke up after
World War II" and featuring survivors and
witnesses who "now call California their
home." Starting July 27, the exhibition
''Refugees of the British Empire'' will take
place in the new South Berkeley office of
the Archive ‑‑ a digital accessible‑to‑all
archive project that has been documenting
people's history of the 1947 India‑Pakistan
hosts annual show
will be an enriching cultural journey as the
organizers explore untold stories from San
Francisco Bay area's residents, who once
were refugees of the British Empire.
An oral history workshop on document‑
ing hidden gems in your own family histo‑
ry will be conducted by the Archive
founder Guneeta Singh Bhalla. It will focus
on learning to "ask the right questions,
other practical techniques and overall oral
history ethics, philosophy and etiquette"
Vishwa Nritya, A World of Dance, took its audience on a journey to countries
the Archive said on its website. benefited from the impact of South Asian migration.
The exhibit schedule can be found on the

Partition. The exhibition, coupled with lec‑
tures, storytelling sessions and workshops,
T
1947 Partition Archive social media pages. he Nartan Rang Dance Academy of
The exhibition is free. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan held its
annual production, Nritya Ranjani, at
the Adelphi University Performing Arts
was seamlessly blended with Russian move‑
ment, uchenkos on head and all, in the styl‑
ized Darling by Usha Uthup. There were also
some fan favorite folk‑based pieces that had

Presidential candidate Pete Center on Long Island on June 30th. Nritya

Ranjani 2019: Vishwa Nritya, A World of
the audience of the completely sold‑out
show clapping to the infectious beats.

Buttigieg hires Sonal Shah as Dance, took its audience on a journey across
the globe through various countries which
Choreographed by Nartan Rang artistic
director Swati Vaishnav & her daughter, cre‑

national policy director

have benefited from the impact of South ative head Siddhi, Vishwa Nritya used the
Asian migration and settlement such as choreographersʼ respective expertise in

D
emocratic presidential candidate
Pete Buttigiegʼs campaign has
announced the hiring of
Sonal Shah as national policy
director, as well as Jess OʼConnell
as the senior adviser.
“Super excited to be joining
@PeteButtigieg campaign
with @JessOConnell who is
awesome!” Shah wrote on
Twitter.
Shah is taking a leave of
absence from Georgetown
University, where she was
the founding executive
director of the Beeck
Sonal Shah
Center for Social Impact (Image : beeckcenter.
and Innovation. georgetown.edu)
The Indian American
was a deputy assistant to the president
during the Obama administration and
previously worked at Google, Goldman
Sachs and the Clinton‑era Treasury
Department.
Shah's hiring comes after
Buttigieg released policy propos‑
als on National Service and his
Douglass Plan, aimed at African
Americans. Buttigieg plans to
roll out additional policy
proposals in the coming
weeks, according to the
campaign, CNN reported.
The hirings are the most
high‑profile additions the
campaign has made since
it announced raising $24.9
million in the second
fundraising quarter of
2019, the highest total in
the Democratic field, according to the
Politico report.
Ireland, Russia, the Caribbean, & more. Kathak, Bharatnatyam, folk, Bollywood, bal‑
Using the festive fiddle of Ireland, intricate let, contemporary, and fusion dance to
native Irish footwork was combined with remind themselves and their audience how
strong upper body movements of the far the cultural yarn of the South Asian sub‑
Punjabi bhangra in a piece entitled Dil continent has reached to closely knit togeth‑
Nachde. The ever‑lyrical Bollywood genre er diverse peoples and societies.
ASPIRE PAC endorses Sri Kulkarni
SPIRE PAC, the political arm of whatʼs at stake in protecting American
A Asian American and
Pacific Islander Members
of Congress, voted to endorse
families, and he will fight to
protect access to healthcare
and safe schools for our chil‑
and support Indian American dren in Congress.”
candidate Sri Kulkarni in his ASPIRE PAC was established
campaign for Texasʼ 22nd to work for fair representation
Congressional District in the in the U.S. Congress by sup‑
U.S. House of Representatives. The Indian porting and increasing the
“Sri has served his country American candidate number of Asian American
and community with dedica‑ is running for Texasʼ and Pacific Islander (AAPI)
tion and distinction throughout 22nd Congressional policymakers and federal can‑
District
his life, and ASPIRE is thrilled didates with large AAPI con‑
to endorse his campaign to represent stituencies. The PAC works to support the
Texas,” said Congresswoman Grace Meng values and address the issues important
(D‑NY), Chair of ASPIRE. “Sri knows to the AAPI community.

Sherin Mathews murder: Foster

father seeks new trial
W
esley Mathews, the Indian‑
American foster father, sen‑
tenced to life after his 3‑year‑old
daughter Sherin Mathews was found dead
in a culvert in 2017, has filed a motion for
a new trial, US media reported, less than a
month after he said he would accept any
punishment jurors chose.
In a case that attracted much internation‑
al attention, Wesley Mathews, 39, pleaded
Ambassador Harsh V Shringla attended the first‑ever Shrimad Rajchandra
Gurupurnima Shibir, hosted by the Shrimad Rajchandra Mission and the Jain guilty on June 24 to a lesser charge of
community. In his address, the Ambassador paid homage to the Shrimad injury to a child in Sherin Mathews' death.
Rajchandra Guru and highlighted his close linkages with Mahatma Gandhi. He also He was originally charged with capital
outlined the key initiatives undertaken by the Embassy to commemorate the murder by authorities in the US state of
150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, including the Vegetarian Food Texas after they discovered Sherin
Festival; and handed over donation packets on behalf of the community to Mathews' highly decomposed body after a
representatives of humanitarian organizations. massive search that lasted 15 days. Wesley
Mathewsm sentenced on June 26, appealed
the sentence with his attorney also filing a
motion for a new trial, The Dallas Morning
News reported. In a motion for a new trial,
Wesley Mathews' appeal attorney, Brook
Busbee, stated that he should be granted a
new trial because the "photographs of the
remains of the decedent, both where her
body was discovered and in the autopsy
suite" were so prejudicial as to deny him a
fair trial. At least two jurors were visibly
affected when shown the graphic images,
NBC News reported. The images were not
shown to the audience in the courtroom.
Busbee also stated that jurors were
shown evidence that Sherin Mathews suf‑
fered "fractures from before she died.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL July 27-Aug 2, 2019 9

630,000 undocumented Indians in the US: SAALT

Washington, DC: T here are
630,000 undocumented Indians
in the United States, according to
a study by the South Asian
Americans Leading Together,
known as SAALT. The report also
said that South Asian population
in the United States has grown by
40 percent since 2010.
“By 2065, Asian Americans are
on track to be the largest immi‑
grant population in the U.S. The
South Asian population in the US
grew a staggering 40% in seven
years, from 3.5 million in 2010 to
5.4 million in 2017,” SAALT said
in a statement.
Here are some other findings:
The Nepali community grew by
206.6% since 2010, followed by
Indian (38%), Bhutanese (38%),
Pakistani (33%), Bang ladeshi
(26%), and Sri Lankan populations
(15%).
T here are at least 630,000
Indians who are undocumented, a
72% increase since 2010. There
are currently at least 4,300 active
South Asian DACA recipients.
Income inequality has been
reported to be the greatest among
Asian Americans. Nearly 10% of
the approximately five million
South Asians in the US live in
poverty.
There has been a rise in the
number of South Asians seeking
asylum in the US over the last 10
years. ICE has detained 3,013
South Asians since 2017. The US
Customs and Border Patrol arrest‑
ed 17,119 South Asians between
October 2014 and April 2018
throug h border and interior
enforcement.
The South Asian community in
the United States includes individ‑
uals who trace their ancestry to
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the
Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri
Lanka. T he community also
includes members of the South
Asian diaspora – past generations
of South Asians who originally
settled in other parts of the world,
including the Caribbean, Africa,
Europe, Canada and the Middle
East, and other parts of Asia and
the Pacific Islands. South Asian
Americans include citizens, legal
permanent residents, students, H‑
1B and H‑4 visa holders, DACA
recipients, and undocumented
immigrants.
“As we witness this unprece‑
dented growth in our communi‑
ties, it is more important than
ever that the needs of the most
vulnerable South Asian popula‑
tions are met. South Asians are
impacted by the full spectrum of
federal immigration policies –
from detention and deportation to
H‑4 visa work authorization and
denaturalization to the assault on
public benefits,” said SAALTʼs
Interim Co‑Executive Director
Lakshmi Sridaran. “An accurate
Census 2020 population count is
essential to distributing critical
federal funding to our communi‑
ties. A citizenship question on the
census would chill thousands of
community members, resulting in
a severe undercount, with at least
600,000 South Asians in the
country not being counted and
thousands more deterred. And,
this means even fewer resources
to the communities who need it
the most.”
SAALTʼs demographic snapshot
is based primarily on Census
2010 and the 2017 American
Community Survey.

DIASPORA

Society Icon Awards honors global Indians Bill introduced to

London: In keeping with its editorial
philosophy and to celebrate the global
success stories of Indian Icons from
different fields, Society magazine host‑
ed its annual Society Global Indian
Icon Awards in London. Icons chosen
were from the field of business, philan‑
thropy, art, music, food, sports, law,
medicine, education, amongst others.
The event was in collaboration with
Meera Gandhi and the Giving Back
Foundation which is celebrating its
10th anniversary. Held on July 10th at
Hotel Montcalm in London, it was a
showcase of Indiaʼs rising stature in
the world and a celebration of how
Indians have excelled as global citi‑
zens. The awards brought together
thinkers and high achievers from
diverse fields who also participated in
the So ciety T houg ht Leadership
Forum. Renowned Bollywood film
actor Shabana Azmi and noted film
writer & lyricist Javed Akhtar were
chief guests for the evening, alongside
leading businessman Gopichand
Hinduja, Dr. Kartar Lalwani, global
allow dual citizenship
for Indians
(L to R): Shabana Azmi, Atul Pathak, Javed Akhtar, Meera Gandhi,
Kartar Lalwani, Attika Choudhary
humanitarian Meera Gandhi, King of
Mcdonalds chain Atul Pathak, legal
luminary Sarosh Zaiwalla and many
other well‑known personalities from
UK and India also attended the show.
The award winners include: Shabana
Azmi ‑ Outstanding contribution to
cinema and public service; Anoushka
Shankar ‑ Excellence in the field of
music; Atul Pathak ‑ Business leader of
the year; Meera Gand hi ‑ Global
New Delhi: Draft legisla‑
tion brought before the
Indian parliament seeks to
allow dual citizenship for
millions of foreign nation‑
als of Indian origin who
currently have to
renounce Indian citizen‑
ship once they become cit‑
izens of another country.
Cong ress MP from
humanitarian; Sanjay Joshi ‑
Thiruvananthapuram,
Excellence in the field of education;
Shashi T haroor intro‑
Dinesh Tiwari ‑ Excellence in the field
duced a Bill last week to
of law; Gindy Bhogal & Nav Bhogal ‑
amend Article 9 of the
Excellence in international event pro‑
Constitution of India that
duction; Suleman Raza ‑ Excellence in
provides for automatic
food business; Asma Khan ‑ Excellence
termination of the Indian
in culinary art; Reena Ranger ‑
citizenship upon acquiring
Excellence in community service;
cit izenship of another
Craig Shah ‑ Excellence in luxury and
country.
lifestyle business.
“We have the largest
diaspora in the world,
many of whom have
Overseas Citizen of India
(OCI) card. The OCI has
been further streamlined
and extensively promoted
under the BJP govern‑
ment.
W hile the OCI allows
foreign nationals of Indian
origin to live and work in
India indefinitely, they
canʼt vote or contest an
election and donʼt have
the right to own agricul‑
tural land in India.
Tharoor argues that the
people of Indian origin,
many of whom have been
highly successful tech‑
entrepreneurs and quite a
few also rose to high pub‑
lic of fices overseas, have
an important stake in
India.
“In the era of globaliza‑

Cycle rally in South Africa to celebrate migrated abroad for bet‑

ter opportunities. Taking
tion, more people from
India w ill search for
a foreign passport for con‑ opportunities abroad.

Gandhiʼs birth anniversary venience does not make

them any less Indian,” said
“By automatically termi‑
nating their Indian citizen‑
Tharoor. According to the ship when they seek citi‑
Johannesburg: Indian anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
UN World Mig rat ion zenship of countries of
diplomats in South Africa this year. "The aim was to pro‑
Report 2018, over 15.6 residence, the law ef fec‑
participated in a cycle mote g reater awareness of
million Indians are living tively cuts them of f their
rally along with cyclists as Gandhiji's ideals of truth, non‑vio‑
in other countries, making roots and makes them feel
part of an ef fort to pro‑ lence and Satyag raha," said
it the largest diaspora in like they do not have a
mote awareness of Srinivasa, as he prepared to leave
the world, followed by the real stake in their country
Mahatma Gandhi's ideals for his new post ing as
Mexicans and the of origin,” he told the leg‑
of non‑violence and Ambassador to Guyana the same
Russians. islators.
Satyagraha to celebrate evening. "As we always say, India
Conceived by Indian Consul‑General in A large section of Indiaʼs T he UAE, the United
his 150th birth anniver‑ sent South Africa a lawyer and we
sary. Johannesburg Dr. KJ Srinivasa, the event was sent back a Mahatma, so this is
global diaspora has been States and Saudi Arabia
co‑hosted by the Gandhi Walk Committee, calling for India to allow are the top three coun‑
Conceived by Indian his karmbhoomi."
which annually hosts the walk since 34 years. dual citizenship. The gov‑ tries of residence for peo‑
Consul‑General in The event also served as a wel‑
ernment of India, in order ple of Indian origin out‑
Johannesburg Dr. KJ Srinivasa, the the Indian diplomats July 14th at the come for new Indian Hig h
to cater to some of the side India, together home
event was co‑hosted by the Gandhi inaugural Block Ride in the sprawling Commissioner Jaydeep Sarkar, who
demands of Indians living to about 7.5 million
Walk Committee, which annually Indian township of Lenasia, south of assumed his position in Pretoria last
overseas, introduced the Indians.
hosts the walk. Several cyclists joined the city, to mark the 150th birth month. (PTI)
 10 July 27-Aug 2, 2019
Protests continue in Puerto Rico as governor refuses to resign
San Juan, Puerto Rico:
Thousands of people have taken
to the streets in Puerto Rico to
demand the resignation of the
island's embattled governor,
Ricardo Rosselló.
It comes a day after MrRosselló
said he would not step down
over a leaked online chat in
which he and top aides
exchanged obscenity‑laced mes‑
sages.
The texts included homophobic
slurs as well as insults about vic‑
tims of the deadly Hurricane
Maria in 2017.
Monday's protest is forecast to
be the largest in the US territo‑
ry's history.
Footage early on Monday
morning showed crowded trains
headed to the capital, and long
lines of protesters preparing to
march in the swe ltering
NASA prepares to send “First Woman and Next Man” to Moon
Washington: As the world marked
the 50th anniversary of the first
Moon landing, the US space
agency said it has doubled down
on its next giant leap with the
Artemis program that would take
"the first woman and the next
man" to the lunar surface.
"Artemis" is named after the twin
sister of Apollo who is also the
Goddess of the Moon and the hunt.
"Artemis will light our way to
Mars. The new Artemis identity
draws bold inspiration from the
Apollo program and forges its own
path, showing how it will pursue
lunar exploration like never before
and pave the way to Mars," NASA
said in a statement. The astronauts
White House and Equifax to pay up to $700M in
congressional leaders data breach settlement
close in on budget deal
Washington DC: White House offi‑
cials and congressional leaders are
closing in on a budget deal on
Monday that would raise spending
levels for both the Pentagon and
nondefense programs while extend‑
ing the debt limit until at least July
2021, according to sources close to
the talks. Treasury Secretary Steven
Mnuchin and Speaker Nancy Pelosi
(D‑Calif.) have been leading the dis‑
cussions, although GOP leaders on
the Hill ̶ as we ll as Senate
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D‑
N.Y.) ̶ have been closely involved.
In a sign that the deal is on track
to being finalized, President Donald
Trump touted the "very good talks"
he's having with congressional
leaders on Monday afternoon.
"If you look at debt limit ... we're
Protesters want Ricardo Rosselló, Governor of the US territory to resign (Renuncia in Spanish).
He has only agreed to not running for Governor for another term.
Caribbean heat. Some protesters
were seen blocking highways
while chanting "Ricky resign".
The hashtags #RickyRenuncia
Vice President Mike Pence at Kennedy Space Center,
Cape Canaveral, FL on Saturday.NASAʼs next Moon program is Artemis,
named after the twin sister of Apollo. (Photo: NASA).
would explore regions of the Moon
never visited before, unlock mys‑
doing very well on that and I think
we're doing pretty well on a budg‑
et," he added.
The agreement would eliminate
the threat of dual fiscal crises that
have long been hanging over
Washington ̶ an unprecedented
default on U.S. debt and massive
across‑the‑board spending cuts that
could paralyze key agencies.
While neither side will be com‑
pletely happy with the agreement,
sources close to Mnuchin and
Pelosi say it is a "real compromise"
that gives both parties some of
what they want while permanently
ending the sequester requirement
under the 2011 budget law. That
law calls for $125 billion in auto‑
matic spending cuts if no new deal
is reached.
US AFFAIRS
("Ricky resign") and
#ParoNacional (national strike)
both trended on Tw itter on
Monday. The chat, which con‑
teries of the Universe and test the
technology that will extend the
Washington: Equifax will pay up
to $700 million to settle with the
U.S. and states over a 2017 data
breach that exposed So cial
Security numbers and other pri‑
vate information of nearly 150
million people.
The settlement with the U.S.
Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau and the Federal Trade
Commission, as well as 48 states
and the District of Columbia and
Puerto Rico, would provide up to
$425 million in monetary relief
to consumers, a $100 million
civil money penalty, and other
relief.
T he breach was one of the
largest ever to threaten the pri‑
vate information. The consumer
report ing agency, based in
Atlanta, did not detect the attack
for more than six weeks. The
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
tained 880 pages between the
governor and 11 all‑male allies,
was leaked on 13 July and has
led to days of protests outside
bounds of humanity farther into
the solar system.
"On the lunar surface we will
pursue water, ice and other natu‑
ral resources that will further
enable deep space travel. From the
Moon, humanity will take the next
g iant leap to Mars," said the
agency. Returning astronauts to
the Moon in 2024 could cost
about $30 billion, or roughly the
same price tag as the Apollo 11
spaceflight when factoring in infla‑
tion.
The total cost of the Apollo pro‑
gram that the US launched in 1961
and concluded in 1972 was $25
billion.
The climax of that program came
compromised data included
Social Security numbers, birth
dates, addresses, driver license
numbers, credit card numbers
and in some cases, data from
passports.
"The consumer fund of up to
$425 million that we are
announcing today reinforces our
commitment to putt ing con‑
sumers first and safeguarding
their data ‑ and reflects the seri‑
ousness with which we take this
matter," said Equifax CEO Mark
Begor.
Affected consumers may be eli‑
gible to receive money by filing
one or more claims for condi‑
tions including money spent pur‑
chasing credit monitoring or
identity theft protection after the
breach and the cost of freezing
or unfreezing credit reports at
the governor's mansion in San
Juan. Several of the texts mock
victim of Hurricane Maria, which
devastated the island in 2017,
and may have led to more than
4,000 deaths.
When the nation's chief fiscal
of ficer wrote that he was "sali‑
vating to shoot" the mayor of San
Juan, MrRosselló replied: "You'd
be doing me a grand favor."
On Sunday, the 40‑year‑old
governor refused to resign but
said he would step down as
leader of the New Progressive
Party, a Puerto Rican political
party which advocates for US
statehood.
In an attempt to appease pro‑
testers, he said he would not
seek re‑election. "I hear you,"
MrRosselló said in a Facebook
video. "I have made mistakes and
I have apologized."
nearly 50 years ago when two
astronauts landed on the Moon as
part of the Apollo 11 mission,
which cost $6 billion at the time,
equivalent to $30 billion today.
According to NASA Administrator
Jim Bridenstine, the main dif fer‑
ence between the Apollo program
and the "Artemis" is that the for‑
mer culminated with brief stays on
the Moon while the latter will
entail a permanent human pres‑
ence there. The plan will involve
the recruitment of private compa‑
nies and international partners,
the construction of a lunar space
station and manned landings at
the Moon's south pole within five
years.
any consumer reporting agency.
All impacted consumers would
be eligible to receive at least 10
years of free credit‑monitoring,
at least seven years of free iden‑
tity‑restoration services, and,
starting on Dec. 31 and extend‑
ing seven years, all U.S. con‑
sumers may request up to six
free copies of their Equifax credit
report during any 12‑month
period.
If consumers choose not to
enroll in the free credit monitor‑
ing product available through
the settlement, they may seek up
to $125 as a reimbursement for
the cost of a credit‑monitoring
pro duct of their choice.
Consumers must submit a claim
in order to receive free credit
monitoring or cash reimburse‑
ments.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Pompeo
announces new
global body on
religious freedom
Washington: Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo said Thursday that
the United States will create a
new international body to cam‑
paign for religious freedom, fol‑
low ing a major meet ing in
Washington.
Dubbed the Internat ional
Re lig ious Freedom Alliance,
Pompeo said that details of the
group were still being worked
out but that it would "bring like‑
minded countries together" to
make the issue a priority.
"It will provide a space for the
work that we do here to flourish
throughout the year and, impor‑
tantly, it will defend the unalien‑
able rights of all human beings to
believe, or not to believe, whatev‑
er it is that they choose," Pompeo
told the ministerial‑level meeting.
The three‑day gathering at the
State Department, which is being
US AFFAIRS July 27-Aug 2, 2019 11
held for the second straight year,
is bringing together dozens of
countries and hundreds of
activists to promote religious
freedom.
Pompeo said Albania,
Colombia, Moro cco and the
Vatican were planning events to
follow up on the Washington
ministerial.
Pompeo harshly criticized US
adversaries Iran and China for
their human rights records, call‑
ing Beijing's incarceration of
more than one million Uighurs
and other mostly Muslim Turkic‑
speaking people "truly the stain
of the century." Religious free‑
dom has been one of the few
human rights causes that has
energized President Trump's
administration, which counts on
support from an evange lical
Christian base.
 12 July 27-Aug 2, 2019
Opposition uproar, government denies Trump claim
New Delhi: Amid an uproar over US
President Donald Trump's claim
that Prime Minister Narendra Modi
asked him to mediate on the
Kashmir issue between India and
Pakistan at the G‑20 summit in
Osaka, External Affairs Minister S.
Jaishankar on Tuesday categorically
rejected Trump's statement and
clarified in both the Houses of
Parliament that "no such request
was ever made".
The matter was raised in both the
Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha
when the Houses assembled for the
day. The opposition demanded a
clarification from the Prime
Minister but the government chose
minister Jaishankar to reply. This
led to an uproar in both the Houses
‑ the Rajya Sabha faced an adjourn‑
ment and in the Lok Sabha all the
opposition parties walked out.
In his reply to Parliament, the
External Af fairs Minister categori‑
cally denied Trump's claim and said,
"Yesterday, the US President made
certain remarks to the Press after
meeting the Prime Minister of
Pakistan. He said that he was ready
to mediate if requested by India and
Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. I
assure the House categorically that
no such request has been made by
Prime Minister to the US President.
It has been India's consistent posi‑
tion that all outstanding issues with
Pakistan are discussed only bilater‑
INDIA'S TRYST WITH DESTINY:
Chandrayaan‑2 put into orbit
Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh):
India's second lunar mission was
on track as its 'Bahubali' GSLV
rocket successfully put the moon
spacecraft ‑‑ Chandrayaan‑2 ‑‑ into
the orbit in a copy book style on
Monday afternoon.
T he Rs 375 crore, heavy lift
GSLV‑Mk III rocket slung the Rs
603 crore, 3.8 tonne
Chandrayaan‑2 spacecraft in its
intended earth parking orbit.
The 43.4 metre tall, 640 tonne
rocket, nicknamed 'Bahubali', car‑
ried the 3.8‑tonne Chandrayaan‑2
spacecraft, which will carry out
India's second mission to its clos‑
est celestial neighbour.
From here, it will be a long, over
one‑and‑a‑half‑month journey for
Chandrayaan‑2 as it will traverse
the 384,400 km that separate
Earth and its sole satellite.
After the launch, Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO)
Chairman K. Sivan said: "Today is
a historic day for science and
technology in India. I am extreme‑
ly happy to announce that GSLV‑
Mk III injected Chandrayaan‑2
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
ally. Any engagement with Pakistan
would require an end to cross‑bor‑
der terrorism."
Concluding his statement,
Jaishankar said the Shimla agree‑
ment and the Lahore declaration
provide the only basis to resolve all
issues between India and Pakistan.
The minister read out his state‑
ment first in the Rajya Sabha and
then in the Lok Sabha where the
matter was allowed to be raised by
Speaker Om Birla after Question
Hour. Of fering to be a "mediator"
between India and Pakistan on the
Kashmir issue, the US President had,
in a meeting with Pakistan Prime
Minister Imran Khan on Monday,
asked him if he would agree to the
proposal. The Congress and the
Communist Party of India (CPI)
reacted sharply to the US
President's claim, demanding an
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi witnesses the launch of GSLV‑Mk III,
carrying Chandrayaan‑2 spacecraft. (Photo: IANS/PIB)
into the defined orbit. This is the
beginning of a historical journey
for India to land on the moon in
the South Pole, to explore the
unexplored.
"We had encountered a serious
technical snag, but we fixed it.
Team Isro bounced back with fly‑
INDIA NEWS
explanation from the Prime
Minister on the issue in the Upper
House. "The entire country was
shocked last night to hear US
President Donald Trump te ll
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran
Khan that, at the G20 Summit held
recently in Osaka, the Prime
Minister of India had requested him
to mediate on Kashmir," said
Congress leader Anand Sharma.
Amid the uproar in the Rajya
Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu
adjourned the proceedings followed
by his statement, "how is it possible
that you don't believe on your own
government and believe on what a
foreign leader said."
Meanwhile, the matter was raised
in the Lok Sabha by Congress floor
leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury fol‑
lowed by slogans by other opposi‑
tion members. Chowdhury said,
ing colors. The team identifed the
root cause of the failure in 24
hours. The snag was fixed in 1.5
days and tests were made to check
the systems. The expert team was
on the job for the past seven days
to check the systems."
"For the past 1.5 years, the
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Kashmir a beautiful name,
but bombs all over: Trump
New Delhi: “It's just bombs all
over the place" ‑ US President
Donald Trump's vision of Jammu
and Kashmir, as if it were another
Syria, evoked derision on social
media on Tuesday, with Twitterati
slamming his comments.
One Twitter user posted: "And
the way Trump describes
Kashmir; 'bomb blasts here and
there, every day, in Kashmir" I
doubt whether he's fed with ISI
(Pak) agenda or Top Wanted
Terrorist of US rant!? Does he
know the ground reality of
Kashmir at all? Trump being
Trump."
Another tweet went: "Now as US
is going to be mediator on
Kashmir issue, there will be only
bombs and bombs in Kashmir."
"W here did this loudmouth
Trump see all around only bombs
in Kashmir? We are going there
"India has bowed before the US. We
are not weak. The PM must reply."
The opposition staged a walkout
from the Lok Sabha when its
demand seeking Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's reply was not met
by the government. Raising the
issue for the second time in the
satellite team burned midnight oil
to realise the Chandrayaan‑2
spacecraft. Now the mantle has
been given to the satellite team.
They will do 15 crucial manoeu‑
vresover over the next 1.5
months. It is going to be 15 min‑
utes of terror to safely land the
as tourists every now and then
and having fun. Why do we see
snow‑capped mountains, wild
orchids, and not bombs there?",
another asked.
'Bombs going of f every day'
internationalises not only 'terror'
but also the 'Kashmir issue'. After
Pulwama attack, Modi seeks
Trump's 'mediation' with Pak
over Kashmir. And Donald Trump
offers 'help'. By this raison d'etre,
bombs will continue to go off in
Kashmir!" went one tweet.
"I dunno what's worse, Imran
Khan thinking TRUMPPP is
gonna solve the Kashmir dispute
or Trump's pronunciation of
"Cashmere" and his view on the
region as 'bombs going off every‑
where!'" "Trump: T here are
bombs in Kashmir all over. You
need to do your homework, I
guess," went one Twitter post.
Lower House during Zero Hour,
Congress MP Manish Tewari sought
Modi's reply and asked whether the
Prime Minister had made any
request to Trump at the G‑20 sum‑
mit. Tewari said if this was the case
then, "it is a very big stroke on
India's unity and sovereignty".
Vikram lander on the South Pole
of the moon. The world has been
waiting for this mission," Sivan
added.
Soon after the launch, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi tweeted:
"#Chandrayaan2 is unique
because it will explore and per‑
form studies on the south pole
region of lunar terrain which is
not explored and sampled by any
past mission. This mission will
of fer new knowledge about the
Moon."
Originally the rocket was to fly
on July 15, at 2.51 a.m. but due to
a technical glitch, the mission was
called of f one hour before take‑
off.
After setting right the technical
snag, the ISRO launched the rock‑
et on Monday afternoon.
According to an ISRO of ficial,
the lander Vikram will land on the
moon on September 7.
India launched its first Moon
mission Chandrayaan‑1 in
October 2008, using its light rock‑
et Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
(PSLV).
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Kumaraswamy government falls in Karnataka
Bengaluru: HD Kumaraswamy,
who led the ruling Cong ress‑
Janata Dal Secular government for
nearly 14 months, as Karnataka
chief minister lost the confidence
motion that he had moved after
16 lawmakers from the ruling
coalition resigned this month.
An emotional Kumaraswamy
said he had been running a gov‑
ernment that was speculated to
collapse right from the point that
it was formed. He also alluded to
an opposition‑driven social media
campaign that targeted him for
staying at a luxury five‑star hotel.
At one point, Kumaraswamy said
he had retained the room because
he considered it lucky.
“When I saw the reports against
me, I wondered if I should be the
chief minister. Iʼm hurt, and with
great happiness, Iʼm giving up this
Thousands bid farewell
to Sheila Dikshit
New Delhi: Amid chaotic scenes,
three‑time Delhi Chief Minister
Sheila Dikshit was cremated here
on Sunday as VIPs and thousands
of commoners watched, a day
after the veteran Congress leader
suffered cardiac arrest and died.
Family members broke down as
the mass of men and women,
mostly Cong ress supporters,
raised full throated slogans of
"Sheila Dikshit Amar Rahe" amid
light rains.
Union Home Minister Amit
Shah, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind
Ke jriwal, former Cong ress
President Sonia Gand hi, her
daug hter and party leader
Priyanka Gandhi as we ll as a
string of other Congress veterans
witnessed the last rites.
Delhi, which was the scene of
Sheila Dikshit's greatest political
triumph as she led Congress to
power there in three successive
Assembly elections to become its
longest‑serving Chief Minister,
also made her witness the most
humiliating defeats of her career
with her loss in the Assembly and
Lok Sabha polls.
Her three tenures in Delhi were
remembered for development,
infrastructure and reforms as
well as for rising crime, financial
irregularities and wrongdoings
during the Commonwealth
Games.
She transformed the city by
pushing the work on public trans‑
port, including Delhi Metro, and
also for giving close to 90 fly‑
overs to the city. She was also
Congress and JD‑S lawmakers protest in the Karnataka
Assembly, in Bengaluru. (Photo: IANS)
post,” Kumaraswamy said, before
going on with his speech.
But the chief minister, who did
not claim in his two‑hour long
Obituary
Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays homage to veteran Congress
leader Sheila Dikshit, in New Delhi. (Photo: IANS/PIB)
credited for implementation of
court order for CNG‑based public
transport in Delhi, which is the
most polluted national capital in
the world currently. She also
ensured that the industries are
moved out of the residential areas
of Delhi.
Dikshit was credited for giving
several elevated roads and under‑
passes to the city along with
improved water and electricity
condition, and building numerous
hospitals, colleges and universi‑
ties. The iconic Signature Bridge
over the Yamuna and the recent‑
INDIA NEWS
speech that he had the numbers,
had made it clear early in his
speech that he wouldnʼt run away
from the vote. He also declared
ly‑inaugurated RTR flyover were
her products and the work too
was init iated in her tenure.
Making the ring road single free
to improve the traf fic flow was
also her gift to the city.
Bhagidari (partnership) ‑‑ her
famous citizen partnership pro‑
gram ‑‑ too brought reform with
citizen groups working as part‑
ners for the city's development.
Day by day under her rule, the
city saw rapid development in
almost all fronts, barring law and
order, which was under the con‑
trol of the Central government.
July 27-Aug 2 , 2019 13
that he wouldnʼt let the rebels the vote, hoping that the threat of
responsible for the collapse of his disqualification could persuade
government come back rejoin the some of the rebel lawmakers to
party. Ever. resign.
But be fore he le ft, Kumaraswamy appeared to
Kumaraswamy had a word of acknowledge this strategy. “We
advice for the other lawmakers might have taken time on this dis‑
including those from the rival BJP cussion. It might have been greed.
and its boss BS Yeddyurappa. But it was also hope that people
“This seat is not permanent for can change themselves,” he said,
anybody. T here have been 23 regretting that the opposition had
chief ministers in this state,” he targeted assembly speaker
told the assembly, capping a dis‑ He blamed the opposition for
cussion that had gone on for four being in a tearing hurry to prove
days. his minority status in the assembly
The BJP, which was convinced and come to power.
that the Congress‑JDS coalition “Iʼm not worried. Iʼve done many
had lost its majority, did not par‑ wrongs and good things and Iʼve
ticipate in the confidence motion tried rectify the wrongs,” he said, a
and had been insisting since day remark right at the beginning of
one, that the assembly right away his speech that signalled he was
get down to the headcount. prepared for the collapse of his
The ruling coalition had avoided government.
Parliament
session extended
by 10 working
days
However, most people in Delhi,
including her successor Arvind
Kejriwal, blamed her government
for the rise in rapes in the nation‑
al capital.
Under her leadership, the
Congress won an impressive 52
of the 70 seats in Delhi in 1998.
New Delhi: T he ongoing
She repeated similar magic in
Parliament session will be
2003 and 2008 as well.
extended by 10 more working
After such a long period of rule,
days to complete the legislative
her supporters had also started
business and the government's
making plans for her to assume a
target to pass at least 35 Bills,
greater role in national politics
Parliamentary Af fairs Minister
but then the preparations for the
Pralhad Joshi said on Tuesday.
2010 CWG happened and Dikshit
"I officially announce that the
was targeted for the cost of proj‑
Parliament session will be
ects escalated many times over
extended for 10 more working
amid allegations of rampant cor‑
days," Joshi said. Asked about
ruption. Her tenure could have
the number of Bills to be passed,
survived the Common Wealth cor‑
the Minister said the govern‑
ruption charges, but then came
ment's target is to pass at least
the Anna Hazare movement.
35 Bills and asserted that it "will
Another jolt was the gang‑rape
pass all the Bills".
and death of a young woman in a
With the extension of sittings,
moving bus in Delhi in December
the session will now conclude on
2012 and the frenzied protests
August 9.
that followed hurt Dikshit badly.
The first session of the 17th
She tried to sail through the
Lok Sabha commenced on June
storm but the repeated attacks
17 with oath‑taking by members
broug ht an end to her long
and it was scheduled to conclude
tenure.
on July 26.
Kejriwal also blamed her for
Joshi's assertion came hours
increased prices of daily food
after the BJP's Parliamentary
items, shortage of water and ris‑
Party meeting, which was
ing power bills in the city and
attended by Prime Minister
used these for attacking her.
Narendra Modi, Home Minister
After losing the 2013 Assembly
Amit Shah, External Af fairs
polls, Dikshit came back into state
Minister S. Jaishankar and
politics early this year when she
Minister of Animal Husbandry,
was appointed the state party
Dairying and Fisheries Giriraj
chief ahead of the Lok Sabha
Singh among others.
polls.
14 July 27-Aug 2, 2019 Op-ED TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Time to end the charade around Hafiz Saeed

By Harinder Baweja The US House Foreign Af fairs Committee did well to
counter Trumpʼs comments, saying, “FYI Pakistan wasnʼt

I
t is time to end the charade around Mumbai attack mas‑
termind and Lashkar‑e‑Toiba (LeT) founder, Hafiz Saeed.
For too long, both Pakistan and the United States have
played games around a man who openly espouses terror
and exports his mercenaries to India.
His arrest– for the eighth time since 2001 and for the
sixth time since the Mumbai terror strike in 2008 – is a
sham, just as his previous detentions were. Saeed, who likes
to call himself a professor, has been giving open calls for
jihad against India and the US and it was quite bemusing to
read the tweet posted by President Donald Trump.
“After a ten year search, the so‑called “mastermind” of the
Mumbai Terror attacks has been arrested in Pakistan.
Great pressure has been exerted over the last two years to
find him!” Trump tweeted on Wednesday.
There was no need for a search, let alone a 10‑year one.
Saeed was available, giving Friday sermons by the week
and in television studios, all the time. Trump should know
that his predecessor Barack Obama even placed a $10 mil‑
lion bounty on Saeed in 2013. The question that Trump
needs to answer, if any, is why the bounty has never been
executed considering how freely Saeed has been roaming
around. What pressure is Trump talking about? And what
exactly does he mean by “so called mastermind”? The
26/11 Mumbai attack was one of the worst terror strikes
ever, which killed 166 civilians including six American citi‑
zens. David Coleman Headley, a Pakistani‑American, had
visited Mumbai multiple times to videotape the targets that
were eventually chosen for the final attack. Headleyʼs
account, recorded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
and then the National Investigation Agency of India, leaves
no doubt whatsoever of Saeedʼs role in the planning and
execution of the attacks.
searching for him for 10 years. Heʼs been living freely…”
The Committee also suggested that Trump hold the
applause until Saeed was convicted by the Pakistani
authorities.
So, letʼs come to Pakistan. Numerous dossiers have been
handed over by India to Islamabad and theyʼve been called
“a piece of fiction” by none other than Pakistanʼs foreign
secretary. India has called off talks with Pakistan over the
issue of terror, but the countryʼs stand always has been – in
the particular instance of Saeed – that he was freed by a
court of law.
The fact of the matter is that Pakistan just hasnʼt put pen
to paper and collected pieces of evidence that lie on its soil.
If Saeed has been arrested again – this time on terror
financing charges – it is because Prime Minister Imran
Khan will shortly be leaving for Washington for a meeting
with Trump. Saeed has also been arrested – and the so‑
called charities run by him have been taken over – because
Pakistan has been told in no uncertain terms that it stands
the risk of being blacklisted by the Financial Action Task
Force (FATF) in October.
Pakistan has for long, played the sham game.
This writer visited the headquarters of LeT, which was
rechristened as the Jamaat‑ud‑Dawaah after it had ostensi‑
bly been taken over by the Pakistan government but it was
clear that it was still in the firm grip of Saeed and Co. The
writer was escorted in by Saeedʼs son‑in‑law; not a govern‑
ment functionary. Yes, there was a functionary there but he
was pretty much quaking in his boots.
Saeed remains a terrorist, one sanctioned by the United
Nations, and that is what both Trump and Khan need to Hafiz Saeed remains a terrorist and that is what
understand in its totality and with the seriousness it both Donald Trump and Imran Khan need to
deserves. understand in its totality.

Jadhav verdict: What it means for India & Pakistan

By Prabhash Ranjan vides that “in case of arrest, to facilitate his safe passage to
detention or sentence made on India. The ICJ did not accept this

I
n the much talked about
Kulbhushan Jadhav case, the
International Court of Justice
(ICJ ) ruled in favor of India
ag ainst Pakistan. Any India‑
Pakistan matter is always accom‑
panied by unnecessary jingoism
and bravado. Thus, it is impera‑
tive to separate wheat from the
chaf f for a clear understanding
of the ICJ ruling.
As is well known, India moved
the ICJ in 2017 when Jadhav, an
Indian national, was sentenced to
death by a Pakistani military
court for his alleged involvement
in espionage and terrorist activi‑
ties. During Jadhavʼs entire trial,
India was not given consular
access to him despite several
requests. At the ICJ, India
claimed that Pakistan has violat‑
ed its obligations under Article
36 of the Vienna Convention on
Consular Relations (VCCR) – a
multilateral treaty signed in
1963 that lays down rules for
consular relations between inde‑
pendent sovereign states.
The ICJ agreed with India and
concluded that Pakistan
breached Article 36 of the VCCR
The ball is now in Pakistanʼs court as to how it implements the ICJ
ruling on Kulbhushan Jadhav both in letter and spirit.
for the following reasons. First,
Pakistan failed to inform Jadhav
without delay of his rights under
Article 36 of the VCCR. Second,
Pakistan failed to notify the
appropriate Indian consular post
in Pakistan without delay about
Jad havʼs detent ion. T hird,
Pakistan denied Indiaʼs consular
officers to have access to Jadhav,
and to render assistance to him
including arranging for his legal
representation. The ICJ also clar‑
ified that Article 36 of the VCCR
does not exclude from its scope
persons suspected of espionage.
The ICJ also rejected Pakistanʼs
contention that the question of
consular access between India
and Pakistan is governed by the
2008 bilateral agreement on
consular access and not by the
VCCR. The relevant part of the
2008 bilateral agreement pro‑
political or security grounds,
each side may examine the case
on its merits.”
Re ly ing on this provision,
Pakistan argued that Jadhavʼs
arrest was on ʻpolitical or securi‑
ty groundsʼ, and thus it has the
right to decide the question of
consular access ʻon its meritsʼ.
T he ICJ he ld that the 2008
agreement cannot be read as
denying consular access, even
when an arrest is made on politi‑
cal or security grounds.
India and Pakistan, by entering
into the 2008 agreement, have
not contracted out of the VCCR.
Referring to Article 73(2) of the
VCCR, the ICJ held that while
countries that are signatories to
the VCCR can enter into a bilater‑
al agreement; this can only be for
the purpose of confirming, sup‑
plementing, extending, or ampli‑
fying the VCCR provisions. On
this basis, the ICJ concluded that
the 2008 bilateral agreement
does not displace the Article 36
obligations on Pakistan.
One of the reliefs India sought
from the ICJ was to direct
Pakistan to release Jadhav, and
argument. It held that its jurisdic‑
tion is restricted to interpreting
and applying the VCCR provi‑
sions, and does not extend to
other matters.
T he ICJ has has oblig ated
Pakistan to undertake an ef fec‑
tive review and reconsideration
of the conviction and sentence of
Jadhav through means of its
choosing, which could include
enacting an appropriate legisla‑
tion. However, ICJ has empha‑
sised that this review shall be
ef fective only if Pakistan gives
full weight to the adverse conse‑
quences and prejudices that have
resulted from Pakistanʼs non‑
compliance of Art icle 36 of
VCCR.
Till such an effective review is
undertaken, the stay on Jadhavʼs
death sentence shall continue.
T he ball is now in Pakistanʼs
court as to how it implements
the ICJ ruling both in letter and
spirit. Under Article 94(1) of the
United Nations Charter, Pakistan
is under an obligation to comply
with this ruling.
(The opinion pieces appeared
in The Hindustan Times)

The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRAVEL July 27-Aug 2, 2019 15

We all want a solid 2‐week block of vacation days in the summer, but take heart. Here are 7 magical summer
getaways right here in New York state that will only take a weekend to have you feeling refreshed and revived.

5 Adirondacks Park
I
mmerse yourself in the rugged
beauty of the undisturbed
nature in Adirondack Park and
the charm and culture of Saranac
Lake village. Though it shares the
surrounding scenery with the vil‑
lage of Lake Placid, Saranac Lake
sees fewer tourists, making it a bit
calmer. Check out High Falls
Gorge, a nature park with a short
trail that crosses over bridges̶
some with glass bottoms̶to see
the Ausable River cascading over
cliffs. You canʼt miss a trip to the
Wild Center's famous "Wild Walk,"
an elevated treetop path through
the forest with a playful human‑
sized birdʼs nest and spiderʼs web.

The Wild Center's famous "Wild Walk" is an elevated

treetop path throughout he forest.

Skaneateles (Finger Lakes)

Thousand Islands

E
scape to Alexandria Bay
where youʼll be perfectly
situated to explore thou‑
sands of islands sprinkled on the
St. Lawrence River between the
U.S. and Canada (hence the
regionʼs name of Thousand
Islands!). Stay at Capt. Thomson's
Resort or the family‑run
Edgewood Resort for rooms with a The Skaneateles Lake water is so pure that households in and
view overlooking the water and around Syracuse use it unfiltered! (Photo courtesy of Matt Champlin)
passing boats. And since boating is
a way of life here, learn about all The village of Skaneateles, where the downtown runs right up against
the history of watercraft at the the Skaneateles Lake, is the bucolic remedy youʼve been waiting for to
Yes, there are literally thousands of islands on St. Lawrence River
Antique Boat Museum. You can get rid of everyday stress. The lake water is so pure that more than
between the US and Canada. And yes, the Thousand Island salad
walk right up to more than 300 220,000 households in and around Syracuse use it unfiltered! The
dressing was concocted at the Boldt Castle here at the behest
unique, preserved boats and paddle Skaneateles Lake is breathtaking, no wonder so many people call its
of the owner of Waldorf Astoria hotel.
around French Creek Bay aboard a bright blue waters the prettiest of the Finger Lakes. Visit the public
traditional St. Lawrence Skiff, included with the cost of admission. For a more in‑depth (and a bit more luxuri‑ beach for swimming and snorkeling, or take a sightseeing cruise with
ous) water tour, Uncle Sam Boat Tours offer an exciting “Two Nation Tour,” which travels through American Mid‑Lake Navigation (they offer Dinosaur Bar‑B‑Que dinner cruises as
and Canadian waters (no passport necessary), including an optional stop at Heart Island where you can hop out well!). Explore nature with a nice hike on the Charlie Major Nature Trail
for a tour of the majestic Boldt Castle, the family home built in 1900 of George C. Boldt, proprietor of the where youʼll pass remnants of its days as a railroad in the 19th century..
Waldorf‑Astoria Hotel. According to legend the Thousand Islands dressing was created when Boldt asked his
steward Oscar Tschirky to prepare a special dish in honor of the islands. Oscar who went on to become the
famous maitre‑d'hotel of the Waldorf and creator of the Waldorf salad and Oscar chicken, concocted a recipe Shelter Island (Long Island)

A
that is still considered a secret today.
local island vacation without the crowds? Yes, it is between Long

W
Islandʼs North and South Forks on peaceful Shelter Island. There
hy is world‑class ski
Hunter (Catskills) destination Hunter
are beaches all over the island, but Crescent and Wades both pro‑
vide a lifeguard. A word to the wise: the sunset from the West‑facing
on a list of summer
Crescent Beach is absolutely breathtaking. Because the island is flanked
getaways? Because outdoor
by two peninsulas, the water is naturally calm and perfect for kayaking.
ziplining, swimming, fly‑fishing,
Also try a hike in the gorgeous Mashomack Preserve on a number of
and more prove that there is no
trails ranging from short and sweet to 11 miles long.
wrong season to visit. Here you
can take in some serious
scenery on Hunter Mountainʼs On the
Scenic Skyride, a six‑passenger extreme
chairlift the family can ride edge of
3,200 feet up to the summit, Long
passing over mind‑boggling Island,
views of the Catskills. If you Shelter
want the views with a bit more Island is
action, try New York Zipline flanked by
Adventuresʼ Canopy Tour, the two penin‑
longest and highest zipline in sulas, so
North America (donʼt worry, the water
Ziplining options are there for serious adventurers they have other, milder zipline here is nat‑
and folks like you and me. tours as well!). urally calm.
 16 July 27-Aug 2, 2019 ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD TheSouthAsianTimes.info

'The Lion King': Rs 13.17‑cr 'Mission Mangal' celebrates

haul on day 1 in India India's women scientists
V
idya Balan, Taapsee Pannu, Sonakshi the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
Sinha, Nithya Menen and Kirti
Kulhari are set to recreate the iconic
The film
opened in team of women who executed Indian Space
India across Research Organisation's (ISRO) Mars
2,140 screens Orbiter Mission (MOM) of November 2013,
on July 19. in the Independence Day release, "Mission
Mangal". "'Mission Mangal', a film which I
hope will inspire as much as entertain. A
film which I've done specially for my daugh‑ Akshay plays mission director.
ter and children her age to familiarize them
with the incredible true story of India's mis‑
sion to Mars!" Akshay had earlier tweeted.
In reality, it was the women associated with
the mission who played an instrumental
role in the project. Ritu Karidhal and
Nandini Harinath were the deputy opera‑
tions director of the Mars mission,
The film is based on an inspiring real inci‑
dent, but the script has taken a few liberties
for the sake of drama. It is positioned as a
fictional story, and all the characters and
their names have been changed.
The programme director in real life was
M. Annadurai. In the film, Vidya Balan will
be seen essaying the project director while
"It's based on true events but the charac‑
ters are not specific to particular scientists.
There are different posts and characters
assigned for each post. I haven't met the
people who were part of the mission, but
since I belong to a science background ‑‑ I
have completed my engineering ‑‑ I am
familiar with the terms and theories

T
he Lion King" has registered a business
of Rs 13.17 crore on its opening day in
India, and the trade believes the film
will only seen an upturn in collections over
the weekend. Many feel it could record the
third‑highest opening weekend for a
Hollywood film in India, after only "Avengers:
Endgame" and "Avengers: Infinity War".
The film is director Jon Favreau's update of
the 1994 Disney classic of the same name.
It opened in India across 2,140 screens on
July 19 in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
While the film's gross box‑office collection
was Rs 13.17 crore, nett figures for day one
stood at Rs 11.06 crore.
Favreau returns with a film in this genre
after the 2016 global blockbuster, "The
served as deputy operations director that have been used in the film,"
Jungle Book". The 2016 film had seen a on the Mars Orbiter Mission. The star Taapsee told IANS. "Mission
bumper opening in India too, recording a Rs Karidhal is a Master's degree hold‑ cast of Mangal" is set to release on
10.09 crore‑haul on its opening day. "The er in Aerospace Engineering from ʻMission August 15.
Lion King" has surpassed that mark. Mangalʼ.
"'The Lion King' roars... Opens in double
digits on day one. Trends better than 'Spider‑
Man: Far From Home', which collected Rs
10.05 crore on day one. Business will witness
an upturn on day two and day three, when
kids and families throng cineplexes," tweeted
trade analyst Taran Adarsh.
The star‑studded voice cast of the Hindi
dubbed version cashes in on Shah Rukh
Khan's stardom. SRK voices Mufasa in the
dubbed Hindi version while his son Aryan
acts as Simba. Sunidhi Chauhan and Armaan
Malik have sung for Hindi version.

Media‑celeb equation thrives 'Yesterday': Sweet but drab

on mutual respect, say stars homage to the Beatles
A
s the ugly spat
By Subhash K Jha

I
between actress
Kangana Ranaut magine... what if there was no music of
and a section of media the Beatles in this world. It is a good
continues, Bollywood way of approaching an icon's omnipres‑
celebrities from Akshay ence in our universe. What if the plays of
Kumar and Parineeti Shakespeare, the symphonies of
Chopra to Siddharth Beethoven, the voice of Lata Mangeshkar
Malhotra said that the or the performances of Meryl Streep were
relationship between not with us? How drab life would be!
the two fraternities Not being a particularly fanatical follow‑
should be based on er of the Beatles' music, Danny Boyle's
professionalism and steadfast outpouring of giggly gush got a
This film won't appeal to a generation that
mutual respect. tad tedious for me. To its credit, however,
has not grown up revering the Beatles.
"The truth is we the film never plunges into pedestrianism.
It preserves a perky optimism till the end. The notion of plagiarism is thereby ren‑
celebrities and the
The basic premise of the world losing dered puerile and futile.
media share an impor‑ Kangana Ranaut had had an ugly spat with a journalist memory of all the Beatles' songs during a It's even more difficult to accept the tal‑
tant relationship. We
good rapport with the media, highlighted 12‑second global power outage is hard to ented and pretty Lily James squandering
really need you people because we can
how at times celebrity reputation gets accept. The heart is in the right place, but her life and attention on this unlikely
reach out to the common people through
affected. absurdities abound. What is a young brown‑skinned Beatles avatar.
your medium, and vice‑versa. So I hope
It pretty much fell apart for

that the problem that has happened will
get resolved," said superstar Akshay
Kumar.
Sidharth Malhotra voiced a similar
view at a media event: "I think the rela‑
tionship between the media and celebri‑
ties is almost like an old married cou‑
ple's. They might have an argument here
or a fight there, but at the end of the day affected. So, the media should be respon‑
we have a professional relationship."
Parineeti, who always maintained a
"During film promotions, we spend a
lot of time giving interviews and that way
we share a friendly relationship.
Friendship, however, should not be mis‑
understood because many times an actor
is gets misquoted. I just hope a good rela‑
tionship is maintained because many
times the reputation of people gets
sible about these matters," added the
actress.
REVIEW
brown Indian (or is he
Pakistani) Jack Malik (Himesh
Patel) doing singing rock and
roll in London? It's like a jazz
singer from New Orleans singing on the
roads of Patna. Who would take him seri‑
ously?
Himesh Patel's Malik act is, at best, unas‑
suming. He lacks screen charisma and it is
hard to imagine nations of youngsters
swooning over him just because he sings
songs of the Beatles that no one recognizes.
me when Ed Sheeran (yes, Ed
Sheeran!) showed up at Jack
Malik's home as a fan of the aspiring
singer's Beatles catalogue with an offer that
Jack just can't refuse. While Jack and Ed
confab casually in the cramped kitchen,
Jack's dad (Sanjeev Bhaskar) walks in and
says, "You look like Ed Sheeran." This is a
film that won't appeal to generations that
have not grown up revering the Beatles as
the ultimate musical experience.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
S
he is an epitome of grace, elegance
and intellect. And thatʼs what makes
actress Deepti Naval a true artist. The
critically acclaimed actress made a mark in
the 1980s in parallel cinema with her ʻclose
to lifeʼ characters in films like Chashme
Baddoor, Kamla, Junoon, Saath Saath and
many more. And she is still making a mark
as a writer as Sydney art lovers enjoyed a
poetic evening with her in mid‑July thanks
to Manju Mittal from SAI Creative Arts.
With an undying quench for learning,
actress Deepti Naval never stopped as an
artist. In 1983, she published a selection of
poems in Hindi, Lamha Lamha and in 2004
published a collection called Black Wind. She
is also the author of a collection of short sto‑
ries, The Mad Tibetan, and a painter and
photographer.
To unravel her unstoppable journey, we
got talking to her in an intimate conversa‑
tion where she talked about how she always
knew which kind of roles she wanted to do,
her experiences while trekking and her close
friendship with late actor Farooq Sheikh.
At a very young age, you became the face
for the changing woman of India. Was that
what you aimed for when you started your
acting career?
Deepti Naval: I picked roles that I wanted
to play. I didnʼt just go with whatever came
along. By the time I entered the film indus‑
try, I was already a college graduate from
New York City. So I had a fairly good idea of
what I wanted my career to be. As a child, I
grew up watching commercial cinema but
then America happened followed by the
exposure to world cinema. Before joining
By the time I entered
Bollywood, I was already
a college graduate from
New York. So I had a
fairly good idea of what I
wanted my career to be.
As a child, I grew up
watching commercial
cinema but then America
happened followed by
the exposure to world
cinema.
films, I knew what kind of films I wanted to
do. Legendary actresses like Nutan and
Waheeda Rehman inspired me. But I had to
follow my course in my choice of films. I
wanted to be more real and not dolled up. I
wanted to play characters that represented
my time.
While you were at the peak of your career
in the 1980s, what changed in the 90s?
Deepti Naval: In the 90s there were very
few challenging roles that I got to read. It
was in the 90s that I realised that I had to
live my life. I canʼt be sitting here in Bombay
and wait for an interesting role to come my
way. Those were the years when I went off
trekking. I would come back, earn some
money and then drive my car back to the
hills. I learnt a lot and met some wonderful
yet ordinary people, sitting at dhabas and
got a close feel of life. I didnʼt want to live
like a movie star, all cocooned in my apart‑
ment. I wanted to be out there and connect
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD July 27-Aug 2, 2019 17
Writing is closest to my heart
as an artist: Deepti Naval
The actress spoke to Neeru Saluja in Sydney
Directors like Zoya Akhtar
are bringing fresh and
interesting content and I
also like director Nitya
Mehraʼs work who has
directed me in a the web
series ʻMade in Heavenʼ.
Itʼs wonderful working
with these girls.
So whatʼs next in your
kitty?
Deepti Naval: Iʼm doing
a web series ʻPawan and
Poojaʼ which should be
From her co‑stars, Deepti Naval remembers released in a few months.
Farooq Sheikh very fondly. Iʼm also working on my
was a great working relationship. I also childhood memoir. I didnʼt realise it will take
with people. I wanted to travel and draw enjoyed working with Naseer. Both of them so much time.
from the experiences of others. Iʼm a big will always remain my favourite actors. You have achieved so much in life but also
nature lover and need any excuse to go to That was a golden era. Do you think the have an undying quench for new ventures in
the wilderness. Maybe my camera was my films made these days have the same quali‑ life. Is there something you still yearn for?
excuse! ty? Deepti Naval: Yes, I want to go back to
Thus in the 90s I was occupied living my Deepti Naval: Technically the films nowa‑ school. I want to go back to New York and
life on a different plane. But then cinema days are much more suave. And there is also join college for a semester or two. I come
brought me back. I was in Ladakh and I was interesting content. But there was a time in from a family of teachers and my father used
offered four roles over the email. I told between when the content lacked quality to say learning should continue all your life.
myself that I can live in Ladakh and corre‑ and the glamour quotient was high. Thatʼs what I have always believed in.
spond and read my scripts via email. All I
need is an internet connection in my place at
Manali which I still use as my getaway.
You are an actress, a writer, a painter and
a photographer, but which medium is closest
as
alize I w
to your heart?
Deepti Naval: Writing comes first. Writing n’ t re
“ I did ntil now
.
is my take on things, my reaction to my life
e 3 u
and observations. Itʼs basically me. I started in Zon n.”
m a ke a pla
3
writing at a very young age. Writing is an
I mus t
E
ON
internal process, you need to process your
Z
thoughts and itʼs a cathartic medium for me
as an artist.
What advice would you give to aspiring
ANH ATTAN
writers and actors? Alex M
Deepti Naval: Donʼt protect yourself from
life. Just go out there and live your life. Gain
real experience and that is going to help you
in your acting. Interact with people, observe
what they do. Observation is the best
method of acting. I never went to an acting
school. It only comes from being fine‑tuned
to life. Watching great performances also
helps. Watch all the good actors from life.
Which actors did you observe and learn
from as an actress?
Deepti Naval: I watched Naseeruddin Shah
as I got a chance to work with him. I was on
the sets of Junoon and was surrounded by
all these wonderful actors – Shabana Azmi,
Naseeruddin Shah, Kulbhushan Kharbanda,
Jennifer Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor. I got a
chance to observe them.
What experience with an actor or director
is strongly etched in your memory?
Deepti Naval: My working life with actor
Farooq Sheikh. He was a wonderful co‑actor
and a well‑read person. Of course we fought
a lot. He was full of beans but very quiet. He
was my personal friend. I not only enjoyed
his friendship but learnt from him as he was
always reading and I had a weakness for Visit NYC.gov/knowyourzone or call 311 to find out what to do
to prepare for hurricanes in NYC #knowyourzone
books. I enjoyed interacting with him as he
could talk about anything under the sun. It
18 July 27-Aug 2, 2019 TOURISM TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Delhi's Safdarjung Tomb MakeMyTrip, ASI deal

gets LED illumination for online ticketing for
heritage sites
New Delhi: In a bid to
promote India as a her‑
itage tourism destina‑
tion, online travel
booking company
MakeMyTrip Ltd. Is
teaming with the
Archaeological Survey
of India (ASI) for con‑
venient and hassle‑free
online bookings for
116 historical monu‑
ments and sites across
India.
The agreement
signed Sunday entails
listing and offering an online booking This partnership will help make it
gateway to the ASI protected heritage convenient for travelers to plan and
monuments such as the Taj Mahal, Red book their visit to these heritage monu‑
Fort, Qutub Minar, Khajuraho, ments online.
Charminar, Golconda Fort and so on. "It will provide world‑class e‑ticket
The ASI currently offers online ticket‑ booking service to help travelers plan
ing on Zoonga, CityWalkers and in advance and eliminate the hassle of

T
he historic monument, a sandstone
and marble mausoleum of Nawab
Safdar Jung built in the 18th century,
has been illuminated following an
Archeological Survey of India (ASI)
project. The illumination from 7‑11 p.m. will
cast light on the domes, ramparts, minarets,
arches and balconies from different direc‑
tions. ASI has previously illuminated the Red
Fort and Purana Qila. Qutub Minar is next.
Westland platforms.
"India has so much to offer in terms
of its rich cultural heritage and there is
a long distance that we have to cover to
showcase the best that India has to
offer to the world.
standing in long queues, saving time
and effort by booking online through
our platform," Deep Kalra, founder and
group CEO, MakeMyTrip said in a state‑
ment.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info July 27-Aug 2, 2019
 20 July 27-Aug 2, 2019 SUBCONTINENT TheSouthAsianTimes.info

After ICJ rap, Pakistan agrees to grant

consular access to Jadhav
Islamabad/New Delhi: Act ing on the
International Court of Justice ruling,
Pakistan has agreed to grant consular
access to Kulbhushan Jadhav "according to
Pakistani laws", the Pakistan Foreign Office
said.
In a statement released recently, the
Pakistan foreign office said it has informed
Jadhav of his rights to consular access
under the Vienna Convention.
However, the statement said that
Pakistan will grant consular access to
Jadhav "according to Pakistani laws".
"As a responsible state, Pakistan will
grant consular access to Commander
Kulbushan Jadhav according to Pakistani
laws, for which mo dalit ies are being
worked out," it said.
The move comes after the ICJ rapped
Islamabad for continually denying Jadhav,
incarcerated in a military jail in an
unknown location in Pakistan, consular
access in accordance with the Vienna
Convention. India had asked Pakistan to
"act immediately" on the ICJ verdict and
grant consular access to Jadhav.
The ICJ has directed Pakistan for contin‑
ued stay on the death sentence of Jadhav
and to provide him consular access.
Pakistan had refused to allow Indian offi‑
cials to meet Jadhav ever since his "arrest"
in March 2016 for alleged espionage. India
had approached the ICJ after he was in
April 2017 sentenced to death by a military
court. Islamabad's move comes ahead of
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit
to Washington, where he is to meet
President Donald Trump at the White
House on July 22.
Jadhav case: India
spent Re 1, Pakistan
crores on lawyers
New Delhi: Senior advocate Harish Salve
charged Re 1 as his fee to represent
India during the public hearing in the
Kulbhushan Jadhav case in the
International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the
Hague. Pakistan, on the other hand,
spent more than Rs 20 crore on lawyers
to prove that Jadhav was a spy.
Former External Affairs Minister
Sushma Swaraj had on May 15, 2017
revealed in a tweet that Salve was charg‑
ing merely Re 1 to represent India in
The Hague. According to reports, Salve's
charges Rs 30 lakh a day otherwise.
The Pakistan government had in its
budget document presented in the
National Assembly the last year said that
it paid Rs 20 crore to UK‑based barrister
Khawar Qureshi, who is representing
the country in The Hague. A Cambridge
University law graduate, Qureshi is the
youngest lawyer fighting a case in
the ICJ.

Modi‑Xi summit will Hafiz Saeed arrested in Pakistan,

take bilateral ties to new
heights: Chinese envoy
Beijing: The informal summit
between Chinese President Xi
Jinping and Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi later this meeting between the two state
year will take the bilateral rela‑
tions to new heights but at the
same time the two
countries cannot let
"individual" issues
hurt their ties,
Beijing's newly‑
appointed envoy to
Delhi Sun Weidong
has said.
Sun, who is head‑
ed to New Delhi to
take charge of his
office, spoke to the
Beijing's newly‑appointed
Indian media in
Beijing on a host of
envoy to New Delhi
Sun Weidong.
issues ranging
from border dispute to trade
deficit and US' trade war to the
forthcoming informal summit
between Xi and Modi.
"This year the two leaders are
going to hold another informal
meeting. I believe this will be the
top priority in our bilateral rela‑
tions which will surely scale our
relations to new heights," Sun
said in Beijing.
Modi and Xi are likely to meet
in Indian city of Varanasi in
October this year, which will their solution that is fair rationale and
second informal meeting after
the one in China's Wuhan last
year.
"I think since the informal
leaders in Wuhan... China‑India
relations have now taken on a
very good and
sound momentum
for development,"
Sun said.
Sun, who is a for‑
mer envoy to
Pakistan and a
South Asia expert,
said China and
India "will have to
do more than just
managing differ‑
ences and take
more initiative in
shaping our rela‑
tionship".
The planned route of the China‑
Pakistan Economic Corridor
through disputed Kashmir,
Beijing's opposition to New
Delhi's entry into the Nuclear
Suppliers Group and widening
trade deficit are some of the key
irritants in India and China ties.
On the boundary issue, Sun said
that both sides will have to
"accommodate each other's legiti‑
mate concerns so as to find the
acceptable to both sides.
sent to judicial remand
Islamabad: One of the most want‑
ed terrorists in India, the master‑
mind of 26/11 Mumbai attack
and several cases of terror crime
in the country and Jamat‑ud‑
Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed
was arrested in Pakistan by the
counter terrorism unit and sent
to judicial remand, media report‑
ed.
Hafiz Saeed who has several
cases pending against him was
travelling to Gujranwala from
Lahore to appear before an anti‑
terrorism court to see k pre‑
arrest bail when he was taken UN‑designated terrorist Hafiz Saeed.
into custo dy by the Counter
Terrorism Department (CTD).
A CTD official told media Hafiz
Saeed had been presented in an
‘Drama' of arrest and release
anti‑terrorism court and sent to
prison. He added that the charge enacted 8 times before’
sheet against Saeed will be pre‑
New Delhi: India wondered if the question is whether this time it
sented soon.
arrest of Mumbai terror attacks would be more than a cosmetic
The official further said that a
mastermind Hafiz Saeed this time exercise and whether Saeed will
case against Hafiz Saeed had
would be "more than a cosmetic be tried and sentenced for his ter‑
been lodged under the anti‑ter‑
exercise" as Pakistan has enacted rorist activities," he said at a week‑
rorism act, Pakistani media quot‑
the "drama" of his arrest and ly media briefing.
ed Reuters as saying.
release eight times since 2001. He said that "Pakistan's sincerity
"The main charge is that he is
Responding to reports of Saeed's to take action against terrorists
gathering funds for banned out‑
arrest in Lahore, Ministry of and terror groups will be judged
fits, which is illegal," Punjab
External Af fairs spokesperson on the basis of their ability to
Chie f Minister's spokesman
Raveesh Kumar said: "This is not demonstrate verifiable, credible
Shahbaz Gill was quoted as say‑
the first time that Hafiz Saeed has and irreversible actions against
ing. The CTD has been directed
been arrested or detained. terrorists" and to disrupt and dis‑
to complete its investigation and
"This drama has taken place at mantle terror groups operating
submit a charge sheet to the
least eight times since 2001. The from their soil.
court in the stipulated time.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INTERNATIONAL July 27-Aug 2, 2019 21

Boris Johnson elected UK Prime Minister 'UK would enter recession

London: Former Foreign Secretary
and leading Brexiteer Boris
Johnson was on Tuesday elected
the leader of the ruling
Conservative Party and the coun‑
try's next Prime Minister.
Johnson de feated Foreign
Secretary Jeremy Hunt by a mar‑
gin of 92,153 votes to 46,656,
announced Dame Cheryl Gillan,
the co‑chair of the party's parlia‑
mentary g roup, at the Queen
Elizabeth II Centre, near
Parliament house. 87.4 per cent of
the 159,320 party members
voted.
In his victory speech, Johnson
began by acknowledging his vary‑
ing popularity in the party saying:
"I know there w ill be people
around the place who will ques‑
tion the wisdom of your decision,
and there may even be some peo‑
ple here who still wonder what
they have done."
He said he had three priorities ‑‑
to "deliver, unite and defeat". The
slogan, he said made the acronym
'dud' until "you added the final ele‑
ment, 'energise', which, in fact,
made it 'dude'."
British PM frontrunner Boris Johnson.
"I say to all the doubters ‑‑ 'Dude'
we are going to energise the coun‑
try. We are going to get Brexit
done on October 31 and to take
advantages of all the opportunities
it will bring in a new spirit of 'can
do'. We are once again going to
believe ourselves and like a slum‑
bering giant we are going to ping
off the guy‑ropes of self‑doubt," he
said.
"I will work flat‑out from now on
with my team that I will build," he
said. "The campaign is over and
the work begins."
Praising Hunt, Johnson said he
had been a font of "exce llent
ideas" and joked that he's planning
to "steal them".
He also congratulated Theresa
May, whom he's long been a critic
of. "It was a privilege to serve in
her Cabinet," Johnson said. "Thank
you, Theresa." May, in turn, con‑
in case of no-deal Brexit'
London: T he UK's economy
would slide into recession in
2020 if it leaves the EU without a
deal, according to a report by the
country's fiscal watchdog.
T he Of fice for Budget
Responsibility (OBR), which pro‑
vides independent economic
advice to the British government,
said the economy would lose two
per cent in gross domestic prod‑
uct if the UK pulled out of the EU
on October 31 w ithout first
securing a future agreement.
Both Conservative Party leader‑
ship candidates, Boris Johnson
and Jeremy Hunt, have kept the
gratulated her successor, promis‑
ing him her "full support from the
backbenches".
US President Donald Trump also
tweeted his congratulations to
Johnson, say ing: "He w ill be
great!"
EU Commission's Brexit negotia‑
tor Michel Barnier said he was
looking forward to working with
Johnson "to facilitate the ratifica‑
no‑deal Brexit option on the
table.
"Heightened uncertainty and
declining confidence deter
investment, while higher trade
barriers with the EU weigh on
exports," said the OBR's report
on its no‑deal Brexit stress test.
"Together, these push the econ‑
omy into recession, with asset
prices and the pound falling
sharply."
"Real GDP falls by 2 per cent by
the end of 2020 and is 4 per cent
below our March forecast by that
point," according to the report
cited by Efe news.
tion of the withdrawal agreement
and achieve an orderly Brexit".
Johnson has previously said the
agreement May reached with the
EU was "dead".
Johnson will not take office for‑
mally until Wednesday afternoon.
May will face her final Prime
Minister's questions in the House
of Commons before tendering res‑
ignation to the Queen.

Israel demolishes Palestinian Iran detains 17 CIA spies,

homes in East Jerusalem
Jerusalem: Israeli forces began demolishing a
number of Palestinian homes on the outskirts
of East Jerusalem despite protests and inter‑
national criticism.
Hundreds of Israeli troops and police offi‑
cers accompanied by bulldozers arrived
before dawn at the Wadi al‑Hummos area in
Sur Baher, a Palestinian neighborhood
between East Jerusalem and the Israeli‑occu‑
pied West Bank.
Residents said they had been given permits
to build by the Palestinian Authority and
accused Israel of an attempt to grab West
Bank land, the BBC reported. Israel, however,
argues that the buildings are located too
close to the separation wall, a military barrier
built by Israel around the West Bank.
A spokesman with the paramilitary Israeli
Border Police told Xinhua news agency that
demolition of 12 buildings had begun.
Palestinian protesters hurl stones during clashes with Israeli soldiers.
sentences some to death
International and local activists were mobi‑
lized to the area and documented the demoli‑
tions. Live broadcast on Israeli channels
showed massive construction vehicles razing
a two‑storey building and then digging
through the ruins.
Three families with 17 individuals, includ‑
ing nine children, will be displaced by the
demolitions, according to a statement by the
Palestinian Authority (PA). It condemned the
demolitions as "illegal" and a "war crime".
Secretary‑General of the Palestinian
Liberation Organization Saeb Erekat urged
the International Criminal Court to open a
judicial investigation into the case.
Israel annexed East Jerusalem in the 1967
war and declared the entire city as its eternal
indivisible capital in 1980, a move that has
never been recognized by most of the inter‑ The development comes amid standoff between Tehran and Washington.
national community.
Tehran: Iran has detained 17 people on to certain participants in scientific events
charges of spy ing for the Central abroad, sending emails and messaging
Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the USA and through social media, the report said.
sentenced some of them to death, said the The development comes amid standof f
Intelligence Ministry. between Tehran and Washington, following
The Ministry's Director‑General for count‑ US President Donald Trump's decision to
er‑intelligence said the 17 "professional scrap the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposi‑
spies" were working on behalf of the CIA tion of sanctions on Iran. Also, there has
throughout the last year, Fars news agency been a spate of maritime episodes, including
reported. Iran's seizure of a UK‑flagged oil tanker in
"The spies were employed in sensitive and the Strait of Hormuz last week.
vital private sector centres in the economic, The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
nuclear, infrastructural, military and cyber accused the vessel of "violating internation‑
areas where they collected classified infor‑ al regulations".
mation," the of ficial said in a statement Iran's move in the strait came just hours
cited by the Iranian media. after authorities in Gibraltar agreed to
The official claimed the CIA had recruited extend the detention of Iranian oil tanker
them by mainly contacting them over the Grace 1 in its custody for 30 days. That ship
Internet. Other tactics included issuing or was captured by the British on July 4,
renewing US visas, hiring Iranian specialists, accused of attempting to transport oil to
providing necessary equipment and access Syria in violation of EU sanctions.
 22 July 27-Aug 2, 2019
India's current account balance deficit grew to $68 billion: IMF
United Nations: India's current
account (CA) balance deficit grew
to $68 billion in 2018‑19 from
$49 billion the previous year,
according to the International
Monetary Fund (IMF), which said
the deficit was justified by devel‑
opment needs.
The External Sector Report of
the IMF released on Wednesday
by Chief Economist Gita Gopinath
also found that India's Net
International Investment Position
had slightly improved with the
deficit coming down from $438
billion in 2017‑18 to $431 billion
in 2018‑19.
India's overall international
reserves, though stood at $411.9
billion at the end of March this
year, down from March last year
by $12.5 billion, it said.
The report said that the reserve
level is adequate for "precaution‑
ary purposes relative to various
criteria".
"India's low per capita income,
favorable g rowth prospects,
demographic trends, and develop‑
ment needs justify running CA
deficits," it said.
Speaking to reporters at the
launch of the report in
Washington, Gopinath explained:
"Not all external imbalances are a
cause for concern as there are
RJio pips Airtel to be India's
2nd largest mobile operator
New Delhi: India's newest and
only profitable telecom operator
Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. of
three years has overtaken oldest
incumbent and rival Bharti
Airtel to become the second
largest operator in terms of
mobile subscriber base, data
from the Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India showed on
Friday, showed. As of May end,
Jio had 32.29 crore users as
against Airtel's 32.03 crore
users.
Vodafone Idea is still at the
top position with 38.75 crore
users. The subscriber numbers
include active and inactive con‑
nections.
Jio had entered the sector in
September 2016 and disrupted
the industry with cheap tarif fs,
free voice calls forcing other
smaller operators to shut shop
or get acquired. Reliance Jio
added 81.8 lakh new subscribers
in May. Vodafone Idea's sub‑
scriber base declined by 57 lakh
to 32.03 crore in May. Bharti
Airtel witnessed a loss of 15.1
lakh subscribers in May, with
overall subscriber base standing
at 38.75 crore.
The continued sharp erosion
in the subscriber base of the two
operators is due to a hike in
good reasons for countries to run
current account deficits or cur‑
rent account surpluses at certain
points in time.
"For example, it's natural for
young fast‑growing economies to
run current account deficits as
they borrow from ageing
economies with weaker growth
prospect".
The IMF report, however, cau‑
tioned that "external vulnerabili‑
ties remain, as highlighted by
bouts of turbulence in 2018".
"India's economic risks stem
from volatility in global financial
conditions and an oil price surge,
as well as a retreat from cross‑
border integration", the report
said. "Progress has been made on
FDI (foreign direct investment) lib‑
eralisation, whereas portfolio
flows remain controlled. India's
trade barriers remain significant."
The IMF said that India has to
attract more stable sources of
financing to reduce vulnerabili‑
ties.
To attract FDI, it suggested
improving the business climate,
easing domestic supply bottle‑
necks, and liberalizing trade and
investment. T hese would help
"improve the CA financing mix,
and contain external vulnerabili‑
ties", it added.
Jio had 32.29 crore
users as against Airtel's
32.03 crore users.
minimum recharge plans, which
mandates prepaid customers to
recharge their accounts at least
monthly to keep the numbers
active. This has led low ARPU
(average revenue per user) cus‑
tomers to exit.
Reliance Jio, a unit of Mukesh
Ambani‑led Reliance Industries
is pushing subscriber growth by
of ftake of Jio phones and cheap‑
er monthly plans. The sub
scriber market share of Reliance
Jio rose to 27.80 per cent in
May. Vodafone Idea and Bharti
Airtel's market shares stood at
27.6 per cent and 33.3 per cent,
respectively, in the same period.
BUSINESS TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Private sector to be principal driver
of India's growth
New York: "The government has
no intention at all of being the
main driver of g rowth in the
country" and this role will be
taken up by the private sector,
according to India's Niti Aayog
Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar.
The Indian government will give
the private sector the space and
the incentives to carry out this
nation‑building role, he said on
Wednesday at the India
Investment seminar at India's con‑
sulate‑general here.
He said that during Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's first
term a lot of the foundational
work on the economy had been Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar, left, and India's New York
Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty at the India Investment
done with the focus on inclusion
Seminar held in New York. (Photo: Arul Louis/IANS)
and now the consensus in the gov‑
ernment is for acce lerated investment is required, he said. he listed agriculture, mining, tex‑
growth, he said. For the first time, invitation has tiles and leather and mobility as
India is on the cusp of a major gone out to the private sector to well as the exports sector, which,
transformation over the next five invest in the railways, he said giv‑ he said, has suffered.
year, Kumar said. "You will see a ing an example. The government India has to make better use of
decade plus of sustained high is willing to take its investments external demand and spur exports
growth". This cannot be achieved below 50 percent in what are now through small and medium enter‑
by the public sector alone and the public sector undertakings, he prises while creat ing better
private sector has to play a key said. Among the sectors that opportunities for "Make in India",
role as a massive amount of require attention to spur growth, he said.
Freeze all appointments,
promotions: Govt tells Air India
New Delhi: In the wake of its pro‑
posed privatization, the govern‑
ment has asked Air India to put a
freeze on large‑scale promotion
and appointments.
A new flights has to be started
only when it is extremely neces‑
sary and after due diligence from
commercial aspect.
"The direction came almost a
week back. It says that due to
impending privat izat ion, no
major initiatives have to be taken
up. T here w ill be freeze on
appointments and promotions," Air India has a total debt of about Rs 58,000 crore.
an official source told IANS.
The direction has come from which things are moving, the air‑ operational decisions on a day to
the Department of Investment line's ownership would be trans‑ day basis have to be taken imme‑
and Public Asset Management or ferred to a private party," said a diately rather than following a
DIPAM. senior Air India executive. bureaucratic process or going
After failing to find a bidder in Air India has a total debt of for tender process.
its previous term, the Modi 2.0 about Rs 58,000 crore. T he "Left to myself, I would all be
government is working on war‑ cumulative loss of the national interested entirely in supporting
footing to sell Air India to a pri‑ carrier is to the tune of Rs the public sector. But, the ques‑
vate player. It has already recon‑ 70,000 crore. tion arises: is the government
stituted the group of ministers In the financial year ending equipped to run an entity, like
(GoM) to decide the course of March 31, 2019 the airline is Air India, where operational deci‑
privatization. estimated to have reported a loss sions on a day to day basis have
Consulting firm EY is already of Rs 7,600 crore. to be taken on the spot?" Puri
working to finalize preliminary Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep said in the Rajya Sabha.
information memorandum (PIM) Singh Puri this week said that Air The reconstituted GoM headed
to invite expression of interest India has to be privatized in by Home Minister Amit Shah is
(EoI) from prospective bidders. order to save it. He suggested expected to meet in the next few
"This time, we have no doubt that government was not weeks to take decisions pertain‑
over disinvestment. The speed at equipped to run an airline where ing to Air India's privatization.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info SPORTS July 27-Aug 2, 2019 23

'Dhoni asked not to retire while team grooms Pant'

New Delhi: Chief selectors M.S.K.
Prasad started Sunday's press
conference with great gusto after
picking the Indian squads for the
Windies tour. Not only did he say
that he would clear all doubts
about the strange replacement
pattern during the World Cup,
but also added that he would
clear the air over M.S. Dhoni's
position.
While he started on the lines
that Rishabh Pant is being
g roomed w ith an eye on the
2020 World T20, what he did not
reveal was how the team man‑
agement has requested Dhoni not
to retire at the moment.
Speaking to IANS, sources in
the know of developments said
that while Pant is being readied
with an eye on the 2020 World
T20, the team management does‑
n't wish for Dhoni to hang his
boots as that could create a sud‑
den vacuum in the set‑up which
will be hard to fill if Pant suffers
an injury by any chance going
into the next showpiece event.
"Dhoni knows what his role and
position is. All these talks about
his retirement and when he will
call it quits makes no sense as he
is a team player. He will never
react to any controversy and I am
sure you all know this much
about the man and his ethics.
"While the team management is
M.S. Dhoni
grooming Pant with an eye on
the next T20 World Cup and
beyond, they want Dhoni as a
mentor and back‑up if he is need‑
ed going into the tournament.
They want him to stick around a
bit longer.
"Take a look around and tell me
who are your options if Pant suf‑
fers an injury? To be honest, all
the names on the other side don't
match‑up to be half as good as
Dhoni still is. Yes, there is no
denying the fact that Pant is the
future and he will be looked at
across all formats, but Dhoni's
guidance as well as presence is
st ill needed," the source
explained. Prasad on his part said
that the team was looking at Pant
across all formats and that it was
on Dhoni to decide when he wish‑
es to retire. "Retirement is purely
individual.
A legendary cricketer like
Dhoni...he knows when to retire.
But as far as the future roadmap
is considered, that is in the hands
of the selectors. He (Dhoni) is
unavailable for this series.
Having said that, we had certain
roadmaps till the World Cup.
Subsequently, post the World
Cup, we have laid down few more
Selectors give old
heads one more go
Mumbai: Kedar Jadhav hasn't
done anything wrong for his
non‑inclusion, said chief selec‑
tor M.S.K Prasad when announc‑
ing the squads for India's tour of
the West Indies. Virat Kohli is
set to lead the team across for‑
mats and Jasprit Bumrah has
been given a rest till the Test
series as expected. As for M.S.
Dhoni, the chief selector said
that while the former India skip‑
per has made himself unavail‑
able for the series ag ainst
Windies, they are looking at
grooming Rishabh Pant across
all formats. In fact, Prasad went
on to add that the decision to
retire lies with Dhoni.
Starting with the T20I side,
the batting at the top wears a
similar look w ith Shikhar
Dhawan coming back at the top.
But Shreyas Iyer and Manish
Pandey have been brought back
plans. "We thought of giving as
many opportunities to Rishabh
Pant to see he is groomed. That's
our plan right now. Pant hasn't
done anything wrong for his non‑
in the middle‑order. The spin
department sees the call‑up of
Rahul Chahar for what has been
a quality show in the Indian
Premier League. The pace bowl‑
ing department also has a fresh
look w ith Khalee l Ahmed,
Deepak Chahar and Navdeep
Saini in the squad g iving
Bhuvneshwar Kumar company.
In the ODI squad, it has been
the biggest surprise as Kedar
Jadhav and Kuldeep Yadav have
both been given another go.
Bhuvneshwar again has Khaleel
and Saini for company while
Mohammed Shami is back in the
ODI squad after the selectors
decided to rest him for the
T20Is. The Test squad also has
almost the same look from the
last time with most of them
picking themselves and Bumrah
coming back for the Test
Championship.
inclusion in the playing XI. Pant
will be playing all the three for‑
mats so we will have to look
about his workload manage‑
ment," he said.

Dharmasena admits to Hima sprints to 400-meter

'judgmental error' in WC final
Colombo: Kumar Dharmasena, who along with
Marais Erasmus was the onfield umpire in the
2019 World Cup final, admitted on Sunday
that he made a mistake by awarding an extra
run to England after the ball ricocheted off
Ben Stokes' bat and ran to the boundary.
"It's easy for people to comment after seeing
TV replays," Dharmasena told Sri Lankan
weekly the Sunday Times.
"I agree that there was a judgmental error
when I see it on TV replays now. But we did
not have the luxury of TV replays at the
ground and I will never regret the decision I
made. Besides, the ICC praised me for the deci‑
sion I made at that time," he was quoted as
saying. With England chasing a target of 242
set by New Zealand in what has since been
called the greatest World Cup final of all time
and even the greatest ODI ever, Stokes went
for a double off the third ball of the final over
with his team needing nine runs to win. But
Martin Guptill's throw from deep mid‑wicket
ricocheted of f a diving Stokes' bat and ran
away to the boundary.
Dharmasena had signaled six runs with
Stokes having seemingly completed the sec‑
ond run. However, law 19.8 of the cricket rule‑
book pertaining to overthrows says, "If the
boundary results from an overthrow or from
the wilful act of a fielder, the runs scored shall
be any runs for penalties awarded to either
side, and the allowance for the boundary, and
Kumar Dharmasena.
the runs completed by the batsmen, together
with the run in progress if they had already
crossed at the instant of the throw or act."
Television replays showed that Stokes and
non‑striker Adil Rashid had not crossed when
the throw came in from Guptill and hence
Dharmasena should awarded England five
runs, instead of six.
Former umpire Simon Taufel was one of the
first to point out the error.
gold, 5th this month
Nove Mesto (Czech Republic): Ace
Indian sprinter Hima Das continued
her sensational sprint as she
clinched her fifth gold in July by
claiming the top honors in a 400‑
metre race in Czech Republic.
The ace Indian sprinter won the
gold after she clocked a season‑best
time of 52.09 seconds in her pet
competition at the Nove Mesto nad
Metuji Grand Prix on Saturday. Her
personal best is 50.79 seconds,
which she recorded at the Asian
Games in 2018.
"Finished 400m today on the top
here in Czech Republic," she tweeted
after the race.
T he Assam sprinter, however,
failed to qualify for the World
Athletics Championships as the
400‑metre qualification mark for
the world event has been kept as Hima Das. (Photo: IANS)
51.80 seconds.
Das had won the gold medal in the 200m Poland. Braving a sore back, the Assam run‑
race at the Tabor Athletics Meet. ner had clocked 23.97 seconds to win the
In her first competitive 200m race of the gold while Kerala runner V.K. Vismaya had
year on July 2, Hima had clocked 23.65s to grabbed silver with a timing of 24.06 sec‑
win gold at the Poznan Athletics Grand Prix, onds.
also in Poland. On July 13, she won her third 200m gold
Then on July 8, she won her second at the Kladno Athletics Meet in Czech
200m gold at the Kutno Athletics Meet in Republic with a time of 23.43 seconds.
 24 July 27-Aug 2, 2019 SCI-TECH TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Seeing Earth from space changes

astronauts' minds forever
W
hen astronauts first saw
Earth from afar in the
Apollo 8 mission in 1968
‑ the US's second manned mission to
the Moon ‑ they described a cogni‑
tive shift in awareness after seeing
our planet "hanging in the void."
This state of mental clarity, called
the "overview effect", occurs when
you are flung so far away from
Earth that you become totally over‑
whelmed and awed by the fragility
and unity of life on our blue globe.
It's the uncanny sense of under‑
standing the "big picture", and of
feeling connected yet bigger than
the intricate processes bubbling on
Earth.
In a Vimeo video
(https://vimeo.com/55073825) by
Planetary Collective called
Overview, David Beaver, co‑founder
of the Overview Institute, recounts
the sentiments from one of the
astronauts on the Apollo mission:
"When we originally went to the
Moon, our total focus was on the
Moon. We weren't thinking about
looking back at the Earth. But now
that we've done it, that may well
have been the most important rea‑
son we went."
Seeing cameras turn around in a
live feed of Earth for the first time ‑
even for viewers at home ‑ was
absolutely life‑changing. The iconic
new kind of self‑awareness."
NASA astronaut Ron Garan
explains this incredible feeling in
his book, The Orbital Perspective.
After clamping into an end of a
robotic arm on the International
Space Station in 2008, he flew
through a "Windshie ld Wiper"
maneuver that flung him in an arc
over the space station and back:
“As I approached the top of this
arc, it was as if time stood still, and I
was flooded with both emotion and
awareness. But as I looked down at
the Earth ‑ this stunning, fragile
oasis, this island that has been
given to us, and that has protected
all life from the harshness of space ‑
a sadness came over me, and I was
hit in the gut with an undeniable,
sobering contradiction.
“In spite of the overwhelming
beauty of this scene, serious
inequity exists on the apparent par‑
adise we have been given. I couldn't
This high‑resolution composite earthrise image was taken by
the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2015. (Photo: help thinking of the nearly one bil‑
NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University) lion people who don't have clean
water to drink, the countless num‑
"Earthrise" image was snapped by dif ferent perspective. I think the ber who go to bed hungry every
astronaut Bill Anders. focus had been: we're going to the night, the social injustice, conflicts,
Until that point, no human eyes stars, we're going to other planets," and poverty that remain pervasive
had ever seen our blue marble from author and philosopher David Loy across the planet.
space. said in the Planetary Collective “Seeing Earth from this vantage
"It was quite a shock, I don't think video. point gave me a unique perspective
any of us had any expectations "And suddenly we look back at ‑ something I've come to call the
about how it would give us such a ourselves and it seems to imply a orbital perspective. Part of this is
the realization that we are all travel‑
ling together on the planet and that
if we all looked at the world from
that perspective we would see that
nothing is impossible.”
Author Frank White first coined
the term, the "overview ef fect",
when he was flying in an aeroplane
across the country in the 1970s.
After looking out the window, he
thought, "Anyone living in a space
settlement … will always have an
overview. They will see things that
we know, but that we don't experi‑
ence, which is that the Earth is one
system," he says in the Vimeo video.
"We're all part of that system, and
there is a certain unity and coher‑
ence to it all."
He later wrote a book about it in
1998.
While this ef fect is usually rele‑
gated to astronauts and cosmo‑
nauts, civilians may too be able to
experience this ef fect ‑ that is if
space tourism plans ever get off the
ground.
A company called World View is
planning to start floating people to
stratospheric heights in a balloon.
And Virgin Galactic, despite road
blocks, may eventually zip wealthy
customers 62 miles (100 kilome‑
ters) above Earth for a view of a life‑
time.
Source: ScienceASlert.com

Apple users are FaceApp now has the access to 150

replacing iPhones
with Samsung: Report
million people's faces and names
F F
aceApp, deve loped in
ewer and fewer Apple users are sticking with
Russia, first went viral in
iPhones when it comes to replacement and
2017. Now, after an old
are switching
age filter update, it has taken
to Android phones,
social media by storm once again.
especially Samsung, a
More than 100,000 million peo‑
new report by
ple have downloaded the app
BankMyCell has said.
from Google play. And FaceApp is
The iPhone trade‑in
now the top‑ranked app on the
site has been collect‑
iOS App Store in 121 countries,
ing data on the new
according to App Annie. It is
device people have
scary, but it has been experienced
during the valuation and trade‑in of their old iPhone.
in the past that the data collected
It essentially lets users sell their used phone and
may not be saved securely.
upgrade to a new one.
In the past the face filters have
BankMyCell found that 18.1 per cent of iPhone
helped us to look younger and
users were trading in their device for a Samsung
prettier by adding the right color
device in June, the highest level since it's been in the
to our face along with a thick lock
study, according to a CNET report on Thursday.Sci
of hair to our scanty scalp. But
The site collected data from over 38,000 people
the aging bit is a new addition to
trading in their phones since October through 2019
the face filter. For the filter to Here is how they will look when older. Can you spot the celebs?
to track Apple brand loyalty during the upgrade
work you have to put in an image
cycle.
of yourself in the app and then experi‑ ters that are there on Snapchat and on their faces. Now we have Deepika
People who chose Samsung repeatedly were in big‑
ment with the filters. Instagram. Padukone, Amir Khan, Salman, Khan
ger numbers. Just 7.7 per cent of Galaxy S9 users
FaceApp uses deep neural networks Social media is full of people trying and last but not the least the iconic
switched over to an iPhone and 92.3 per cent
(a kind of AI) to generate transforma‑ the face filter. Varun Dhawan and Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli.
remained on the Android operating system (OS). In
tions of your face. It allows users to Arjun Kapoor were the first Indian But aged or not aged, Indian skipper
comparison, 26 per cent of people trading in their
look old or young, add smiles, tattoos, celebrities to try on the filter. Fans of Virat Kohli still holds his style and
iPhone X are moving onto another brand, the report
glasses, facial hair, and even swap gen‑ various Bollywood celebrities and killer instinct which is prominent on
added. ‑IANS
ders. We are all aware of the face fil‑ cricketers are applying the viral filter his face. Source: Outlook
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
More women & minorities New ways to save money
needed for financial in your digital life
planning jobs W
A
mericansʼ need for compe‑
tent and ethical financial
advice continues to grow,
but the population of profession‑
als who can provide such advice is
shrinking. At the same time, the
demographics of wealth in the U.S.
are shifting. The average net
worth of African American fami‑
lies increased by 30 percent from
2013 to 2016, according to the
Federal Reserve. Women now con‑
trol more than one‑third of wealth
in the country, according to The Boston
Consulting Group. And an
“InvestmentNews” report found the top‑
fifth of Latinos, or more than 2.1 million
households, have an average wealth of
more than $400,000.
Not reflecting these changes, however,
are the demographics of todayʼs financial
planning workforce. Less than one‑fourth
of the more than 84,000 Certified
Financial Planner (CFP) professionals are
women, and only 3.6 percent are Black or
Latino. The gap between the current state
of the financial planning profession and
what is needed in this shifting landscape
presents big career opportunities for
aspiring CFP professionals, particularly
female and minority candidates.
“We need more financial planners,” says
Brittney Castro, a Los Angeles‑based
Latina CFP professional. “Itʼs such a great
career. Youʼre helping people with their
money, you make good money, and you
have ultimate freedom over your time.
Thatʼs a win‑win‑win.”
8 great ways to combat boredom
W
hile we all get bored from time
to time, itʼs important to know
that chronic boredom may be
bad for health, as experts have found it
can be associated with depression, anxiety
and even bad habits like smoking and
overeating.
July is Anti‑Boredom Month, and the
perfect opportunity to explore new hob‑
bies and interests, while giving yourself
the tools to combat boredom now and in
the future.
4Test a new recipe: Think outside the
culinary box. Look for a recipe from a
style of cuisine you havenʼt tried before.
Or, attempt a cooking feat for the first
time, such as making pasta from scratch.
4 Learn to play a song: With todayʼs
digital instruments, such as Casio
Keyboards CT‑X700, you can learn to play
your favorite song in an afternoon, no
matter what your experience level is. Its
lesson system displays proper fingering
and notation, and a six‑track recorder
makes it easy to capture your creation.
4Host a book club: Pick a book youʼve
been meaning to read and invite friends to
join you in reading and discussing it. This
can turn into a monthly tradition, with a
SELF HELP
Financial planners earn a median pay of
$89,000, according to the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, which also projects that
job opportunities within the financial advi‑
sory industry are expected to grow by 15
percent between 2016 and 2026. This
means CFP professionals can enjoy lucra‑
tive careers with long‑term opportunity
and room for growth, all while helping
others. The ways in which diverse finan‑
cial professionals benefit their communi‑
ties is multifaceted, according to Justin
Sullivan, CFP, an African American invest‑
ment advisor for a wealth management
company in Atlanta. Giving back is a cen‑
tral part of the work, he says, whether
through formal financial planning services
or simple conversations with people in the
community. “I think we take for granted
what people know, especially when you
talk about groups that have not historical‑
ly been exposed to wealth.”
To learn more about financial planning
careers, visit cfp.net/become‑a‑cfp‑profes‑
sional.
different host each selecting the book
each meeting.
4Host a gaming tournament: Invite
friends over for a gaming tournament ‑‑
just be sure you have the best possible
visuals with your home theater. With pro‑
jector options that sense ambient bright‑
ness in the room and adjust accordingly –
eʼve all heard those time‑tested
ways to save money ‑‑ dine out less,
sign up for rewards programs or
switch off the lights when you leave the room.
But in todayʼs digital world, there are some
great ways to save that you may not have
thought about.
From swapping wireless carriers to
installing smart home devices to shopping
electronically, here are several new ideas to
save cash on your digital lifestyle.
Make Your Discount Work for You
Today, around 50 million people take
advantage of discounts from their employer
or affiliated organization to save on talk, text
and data plans. These deals are often so great
that consumers never think to comparison
shop to see if they could save more by switch‑
ing. In fact, approximately 30 percent of wire‑
less customers with discounts say they stay
put because of their deals.
Take another look at whatʼs out there ‑‑ you
might just be surprised at whatʼs new. For
example, T‑Mobile recently announced it will
match or beat eligible wireless discounts from
other major carriers when you switch to their
Magenta plan, which is packed with benefits
like unlimited talk, text and data, a Netflix
subscription, and mobile hotspot. T‑Mobileʼs
Magenta plan also has taxes and fees includ‑
ed, so youʼll also save money each month
there. The company promises that once you
switch, it will match or beat the discount: up
to $15 for one line or up to $30 for two or
more lines. Plus, T‑Mobile typically has spe‑
cial offers on phones for those switching car‑
riers. Learn more at www.T‑Mobile.com.
Make Your Home Smarter
You used to save money by simply turning
down your thermostat in winter and up in
summer. Now you can make your home (and
like the LampFree XJ‑F210WN from
Casioʼs Advanced Series line ‑‑ you can
make a day of it, with stunning visuals in
any lighting conditions.
4Express yourself: Pick up a pen, set a
timer and just start writing. Donʼt over‑
think it. When the timer buzzes, you may
find you have the opening of a novel, a
July 27-Aug 2, 2019 25
wallet) smart by using a smart thermostat,
such as those from Nest, Ecobee, Honeywell
or other home automation companies. These
smart devices help you wring more savings
from your thermostat than traditional tem‑
perature management. Some models come
with sensors to place around your home to
more finely tune your temperature, adapt to
your routines, and allow you to control them
from your phone, PC or tablet. You can even
change settings while on‑the‑go, so you donʼt
waste energy when your routine changes
without warning. Shop Better Electronically
First there were physical coupons. Then
came online coupons. Now there are coupon‑
ing apps and web browser extensions to make
it even easier to save.
For instance, Ebates empowers you to earn
as much as 40 percent cash back when shop‑
ping at over 2,500 stores ‑‑ including Kohlʼs,
Sephora, Old Navy, Walmart, Amazon, Gap
and others ‑‑ without having to keep track of
points or fill out forms. When shopping
through the mobile app or via a plug‑in
through your web browser, you automatically
save. Stores pay Ebates a commission for
sending you their way, and that money gets
shared with you. Just donʼt shop so much that
you buy things you donʼt need!
poem or song lyrics. Writing prompts,
available online, can help you get started.
4Make math fun: Learning math
shouldnʼt be a bore. Use a scientific calcu‑
lator to play online math games or invent
your own. For example, the fx‑991EX sci‑
entific calculatorʼs high‑resolution LCD
screen allows for more information for
applications like spreadsheets and 4X4
matrix calculations.
4Jump‑start a pick‑up game: You donʼt
need to join a formal team or have lots of
equipment to enjoy athletic competition.
Call a few buddies and head to a local field
for a pick‑up game of soccer or two‑hand
touch football for some on the fly sports‑
manship.
4Explore nature: Make more of your
next nature walk, using new tools, such as
the PRG600YB‑2, a timepiece that
includes a direction sensor for compass
readings, pressure sensor for altimeter
and barometer readings and a thermo sen‑
sor for temperature. Its solar power tech‑
nology means fewer battery changes and
its water resistance up to 100 meters
means you can safely venture into unchar‑
tered waters.
StatePoint
 26 July 27-Aug 2, 2019 LIFESTYLE TheSouthAsianTimes.info

We want equality, not sympathy: Miss Deaf Asia 2018

N
ishtha Dudeja is an accom‑
plished lawn tennis player
and even knows judo. In
2018, she became the first Indian
woman to bag the title of Miss Deaf
Asia. Nishtha Dudeja, who has beat‑
en the odds despite a severe hear‑
ing loss, has been a source of inspi‑
ration to many. Societal prejudice
against the specially‑abled, howev‑
er, upsets her.
"I don't like it when people show
sympathy towards the disabled. It
makes me sad. We are a part of
society and we deserve equal
respect and treatment. Disability
should not be considered a stigma
or a taboo. I want people to look up
to me for strength and positivity
and I don't want their sympathy.
"I want equality not only for
myself but also for thousands of
other specially‑abled children who
are not even able to raise their voic‑
es," Nishtha told IANS, with her
father Ved Prakash Dudeja by her
side, communicating her thought
Nishtha Dudeja has beaten the odds despite a severe hearing loss.
process to us by way of words.
The 23‑year‑old is currently pur‑
suing masters in economics from
Mumbai's Mithibai College. Prior to
it, she completed graduation with
B.com from Delhi University.
Talking about her education,
Nishtha thanked her parents for
supporting her and raising her like
a "normal child." "Whatever I have
achieved in life is because of my
family's support. They did not send
me to a special school. I did my
schooling like other normal kids.
Yes, there were instances when I
was teased by fellow mates but I
never paid heed to them. I wanted
to make my parents proud so I
worked hard to fulfill my dreams,"
said Nishtha. Nishtha's father Ved
Prakash is a civil engineer in the
Indian Railways. In 2001, he shifted
to Delhi from Assam for his daugh‑
ter's treatment because of a lack of
healthcare facilities for the disabled
in that state.
Expressing concern over inade‑
quate medical facilities for the dis‑
abled all across India, Ved Prakash
urged the government to "develop
more speech therapy centers" and
"accessible facilities in public
areas."
Apart from appealing to the gov‑
ernment, Nishtha's father also
emphasized on the importance of
education for the specially‑abled.
"When I got to know that my
daughter is hearing impaired, I
promised myself I'll never consider
it a disability. I made sure to give
her everything she deserved. I sent
her to a regular school. My wife and
I ensured she received a good edu‑
cation. We sent her to speech thera‑
py sessions, which helped her a lot,”
says Ved Prakash.
Nishtha is now all set to partici‑
pate in the women's marathon
event on September 8. At present,
she does not exactly know what to
do after her MA, but she still cannot
forget the moment when she was
crowned Miss Deaf Asia 2018. "She
feels more empowered now. People
recognize her. She wanted to create
awareness about hearing‑impaired
people. Earlier she did not have a
voice but now she has a voice. Now,
people listen to her and draw inspi‑
ration from her," Ved Prakash
added.
Before signing off, Nishtha shared
a "special message" for specially‑
abled people. "You should have
good intentions about everything
and everyone. You should never
give up. You should follow your
heart and do whatever you want to
do. I always listen to my heart. I fol‑
lowed my heart and I won Miss
Deaf Asia. We are no less than any‑
one. We all have superpowers," she
added.

15-day 'Happiness Anushka Sharma lifts weights Why Elon Musk’s girlfriend
like a pro, inspires fans screams as honey tea gets
Utsav' begins in slowly boiled
Delhi schools
W
hile Tesla CEO Elon Musk is aiming to dis‑
The Sui rupt the health industry with his brain‑on‑
Dhaaga the‑chip technology, his girlfriend Grimes is
actress busy with a weird and bizarre training regimen ̶
motivates involving 20‑25 minutes of screaming session while
her fans to honey tea is being slowly boiled to spending hours in
hit the gym a “deprivation tank” to “astro‑glide” to other dimen‑
as she posts sions: past, present and future. The weirdest part,
a video on
however, is an experimental surgery in which the 31‑
social
year‑old Canadian singer whose real name is Claire
media.
Elise Boucher has “eliminated all blue light” from her
vision to cure seasonal depression ̶ a claim that has
left ophthalmologists baffled. “I have also eliminated
all blue light from my vision through an experimental

A
surgery that removes the top film of my eyeball and
nushka Sharma resumed her daily routine as
The Utsav will celebrate the success of ʻhappiness curriculumʼ replaces it with an orange ultra‑flex polymer that my
soon as she returned from England after World
(Image courtesy Twitter handle @msisodia) friend and I made in the lab past winter as a means to

T
he Happiness Utsav is
launched across all 1,031
schools of the Delhi direc‑
torate to celebrate the success of
the 'happiness curriculum' and
the positive impact it made on
the children studying in govern‑
ment schools.
During the festival, the first 50
minutes of each day, all children
studying in Delhi govt schools
will take part in various activities.
Every morning, the assembly
session and the first period will
be dedicated to the activities
related to the festival. Deputy
Chief Minister Manish Sisodia
said, "The Delhi government is
celebrating the Happiness Utsav
to mark the first year of the cur‑
riculum's launch. On day 1, the
children were involved in a draw‑
ing mela, where they drew on the
subject 'W hat makes you
happy?'"
"Lakhs of children across the
Cup 2019. Without wasting any amount of her
city from Classes 1 to 8 sat in cure seasonal depression,” Grimes posted on her
time, the Zero actress decided to hit the gym. While
their respective school assem‑ Instagram account while replying to an question from
weekends generally tend to be mostly lazy and easy for
blies to take part in the activity. Adidas brand which she has now collaborated with. To
people, but not for this diva who motivated her fans to
Such activities will encourage maintain her healthy “cellular” routine, she takes a
get up and get fit. And why not? After all, being the wife
children to reflect on their emo‑ battery of supplements such as NAD+, Acetyl L‑
to a sportsman will automatically keep Anushka goal‑
tion and thought process. It will Carnitine, Magnesium, etc) to “maximize the function
oriented. Anushka posted a video to her Instagram
help them understand themselves of my mitochondria.” NAD+ is a coenzyme found in all
story on Saturday wherein she is lifting weights and
better and lead them to be mind‑ living cells and itʼs required for the fundamental bio‑
practicing heavy duty squats.
ful of their feelings," he said. logical processes that make life possible. (IANS)
Dignitaries, alumni, and parents
have been invited by the schools
to witness the festival. Schools
will organize activities such as
plays, poetry recitation and exhi‑
bitions as part of the program.
“All schools will hold a panel dis‑
cussion in every class on what
ensures happiness for children
and what it means to be compas‑
sionate towards others. Teachers
have identified the participants
and the questions for the panel in
advance," Sisodia said.
T he final ceremony will be
attended by the Deputy Chief
Minister and other dignitaries.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info EDUCATION July 27-Aug 2, 2019 27

Why high schoolers should spend

the summer job shadowing
By Kristen Moon
ummer is officially here, and
pro‑active college and high
school students are likely look‑
ing for a way to make the time off
school more productive.
For students who can spend a few
weeks investing in unpaid job shadow‑
ing, it is an excellent way to elevate
your college application and learn
more about what future career path
might be best for you.
What Is Job Shadowing?
Job shadowing is when you spend a
week, or even a few weeks, observing a
professional working in their day‑to‑
day position. Through shadowing, you
gain hands‑on knowledge, which can
help you narrow down what academic
field or career you want to pursue.
As a high schooler, it can be particu‑
larly beneficial. It demonstrates to col‑
leges that you not only want to
become a doctor, engineer, or architect
but that you took the initiative to
explore the field further. Regardless of
whether you are in college or high
school, it shows ambition and
resourcefulness to colleges and future
employers.
Use Your Network
You might think it is hard or incon‑
venient to find a job shadowing experi‑
ence, but that is a misconception.
Many of the best opportunities are not
found on a job board, but instead, are
right in front of you.
For example, if you dream of becom‑
ing a physician, you could consider
reaching out to your local family doc‑
tor or pediatrician. Likely, you already
have a relationship with them, and if
you explain your aspirations and that
you would like to learn from her, your
doctor might be willing to take you
under her wing.
Check With Your School
Your school might have connections
with different companies who encour‑
age job shadowing. Ask your academic
advisor, counselor, or someone in the
career office for a list of willing organ‑
izations.
Reach Out Directly
If you have a dream job or organiza‑
tion that you know of and no connec‑
tions to that community, try to reach
out to the company directly. You can
call or email someone in the human
resources department. Mention that
you are an interested student who
wants to learn more about the career
and would like to job shadow. Have
specific reasons why you want to shad‑
ow at that particular company.
Give Something In Return
When reaching out to your network,
emphasize the value that you can help
bring to the company. Perhaps you are
strong at social media or graphic
design.
Tell the doctor that you can help
with social media marketing or assist
an employee with new social media
ideas. Try to make job shadowing
mutually beneficial and form a deeper
connection.
Job shadowing is an excellent way to
see professionals in the workforce and
decide what career is right for you.
During your job shadowing, you might
also meet future mentors who can help
guide you throughout your academic
career.

IMMIGRATION
By Michael Phulwani, Esq. and
Dev B. Viswanath, Esq.
Entering USA after deportation,
I what are my options?
f a noncitizen was deported or
removed from the U.S. to anoth‑
er country they may be barred

VISA
removal order or deportation or citizens or permanent residents. ple with family that have been
from reentering the U.S. for either
were present in the U.S. for at least The I‑212 request can be a very removed may have options avail‑
five, ten, or 20 years, or perma‑
one year without first obtaining useful tool for individuals who able to them and should contact
nently. The length of time depends

TALK
permission from immigration offi‑ have some time related bar from an experienced Immigration
on the the reasons why the individ‑
cers are not allowed to file Form I‑ entering the US related to Removal Attorney to find out what their
ual was removed and whether they
121. or Deportation. Individuals or peo‑ options are.
were convicted of a crime.
If the individualʼs Form I‑212 is
A foreign national who had pre‑
chance. Every I‑212 that is filed is granted they then may apply for
viously been deported or removed Dev Banad Viswanath is the Principal
looked at individually and is decid‑ an immigrant visa. In some cases,
from the U.S. may request to reen‑ Attorney of The Banad Law Offices PC
ed case by case. individuals may need to file a sepa‑
ter before waiting the required in the United States,
Some factors that are looked at rate waiver of the grounds of inad‑
number of years if they have a new and Banad Immigration in India for which
when deciding an I‑212 are: the missibility if the individual was
valid basis for which a green card Attorney Michael Phulwani is also affiliated
reason for deportation, how much deported for reasons such as being
or a visa should be granted. This as Of Counsel. With Offices in Manhattan,
time has passed since deportation, unlawfully present in the U.S. or Queens, Bangalore, and Mumbai, the firm is
would require Form I‑212,
the length of time the individual for committing a serious crime. able to assist clients with all facets of the
Permission to Reapply For
had lived in the U.S., and moral This separate waiver will require immigration process, including
Admission into the U.S. After
character. Not everybody is eligi‑ Form I‑601 to be filed with USCIS Employment Visas, Consular Visa Assistance,
Deportation or Removal, to be
ble to apply for a waiver through and the individual will need to Student Visas, Removal & Deportation, US
completed and submitted to USCIS.
Form I‑212. Individuals who were show immigration that their denial Citizenship and Green Card Applications
This form is known as a waiver based on Family or Employment. Dev B.
previously removed from the U.S. of entry would cause extreme
request which asks immigration to Viswanath can be reached at
or ordered removed but voluntari‑ hardship to a qualifying relative.
forgive the individualʼs inadmissi‑ Dev@Banadlaw.com and 718‑361‑5999.
ly left the country, or have entered Qualifying relatives are: spouse,
bility and give them a second
the U.S. unlawfully after a prior child, or parent who are either U.S.
28 July 27-Aug 2, 2019 HUMOR TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Humor with Melvin Durai

A cheap cellphone
makes life easier
M
y 12‑year‑old
daughter, Divya,
had been asking
me for a cellphone for a cou‑
ple of years and I finally
decided to buy her one, not
because I thought she
absolutely needed one, but
because I was tired of her
borrowing mine.
“Daddy, can I use your

BEST phone for just a minute?”

she would ask. An hour later,

RATE she would still be using the

phone, and when I finally retrieved it from What concerns me is that she takes her

FOR her grasp, I would discover several new

apps that she had downloaded.
phone to school. All the other kids do it,
she said, so why shouldnʼt she? Besides,

INDIA The new apps didnʼt bother me much,

but I wasnʼt thrilled about receiving
how is she supposed to occupy herself
during the bus ride to school?

AND dozens of notifications such as “Jessica

liked your comment” and “Rupa shared
“Why donʼt you talk to other kids?” I
asked.

PAKISTAN your photo.”

Divya wanted an iPhone, because her
friends have Apple products and it would
be easier to communicate with them. The
New York Head Quarter iPhone 6 and 7 were priced too high for
our budget, so we settled for an iPhone 5,
422‑S Broadway
though it wasnʼt exactly cheap, at least by
HICKSVILLE my standards. I reluctantly parted with
$150 for the phone, fearing that I would
NY 11801
regret the expense.
516‑827‑1010 My phone, in comparison, cost me only
$80, and if I happen to lose it, I probably
wonʼt lose much sleep. Just a week or two.
If Divya loses her phone, I might lose a
month of sleep, especially if she starts bor‑
rowing my phone again.
She looked at me like it was the most
ridiculous thing she had ever heard. “Oh
Daddy, nobody does that anymore.”
I hate to see Divya being obsessed with
her phone, and I also worry that she will
lose it or have it stolen from her.
I donʼt understand how people can walk
around with phones that cost $750 or
more. If I spent that much on a phone, Iʼd
want it to be immobile – not mobile. Iʼd
want to keep it in one spot, preferably
inside our home, where I can make sure it
doesnʼt get lost or stolen.
For many people, phones are status sym‑
bols, no different from wearing expensive
jewelry. But thereʼs one major difference:
jewelry is usually attached to our bodies
in some way, unlike a cellphone, which is

Laughter is the Best Medicine far more likely to fall out of our grasp –
and into the toilet.
Numerous cellphones take the plunge
each year, not just into toilets, but into
swimming pools, lakes, rivers and many
other places where cellphones arenʼt
By intended to go. For the average American,
Mahendra itʼs a loss of not just a few hundred dol‑
Shah lars, but also a few hundred cat photos.
Just recently, a man from New York City
Mahendra Shah was traveling on a train, moving from one
is an architect by car to another, when he dropped his
education, phone on the tracks. So what did he do?
entrepreneur by He pulled the emergency stop.
profession, artist As reported by the Associated Press, Eric
and humorist, Jones apparently considered it an emer‑
cartoonist and gency that he was about to lose his phone.
writer by hobby. Thanks to his “emergency,” the other pas‑
He has been sengers on the train, taking the morning
recording the commute to work, were delayed – and per‑
plight of the haps late for work. Other trains on several
immigrant connected lines were also delayed.
Indians for the Jones was charged with “defiant tres‑
past many year pass” and “interfering with transporta‑
in his cartoons. tion.” The article does not say how much
Hailing from Jonesʼ phone was worth, but it was appar‑
Gujarat, he lives ently worth a lot to him.
in Pittsburgh, As for me, if my phone dropped on rail‑
Pennsylvania. road tracks, Iʼd just whisper “bye” to it and
turn toward my daughter.
“Divya,” Iʼd say. “Can I borrow your
phone? Just for a minute, I promise.”
TheSouthAsianTimes.info ASTROLOGY July 27-Aug 2, 2019 29

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

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

JULY 27‑AUG 2, 2019

Aries: Lonely hearts can rejoice in
the fact that they are close to finding
their soul mates. A recently conclud‑
ed deal may not be as lucrative as it
seemed. You manage to remove all differ‑
ences with partner. Keeping the lines of
communications open will be to your
advantage. Inadequate returns in the pres‑
ent job will force some to quit and look
towards greener pastures.
Taurus: Your close associates will
find it difficult to support you in a
new venture due to paucity of time.
Those working hard to get back in shape
may have to work still harder. Your flirting
can send wrong signals to those around
you. You are likely to be adjudged the best
in a competition. After you have convinced
yourself, it is best not to delay signing a
financial document.
Gemini: All round achievement on
the work front will keep you in a
buoyant mood. A changed diet plan
suits you well and will find you in the best
of health and spirits. A colleague is sup‑
portive and will help you out of a tight cor‑
ner. Those embarking on a journey will
need to remain cautious all throughout.
Lovers are likely to stick to their word
bringing them closer.
Cancer: Good focus and concentra‑
tion will let some students make
good progress in preparing for a
competition. Some of you are likely to get
serious about coming back in shape. A loan
given in good faith will take some more
time in being returned despite promises.
Meeting distant relations in a family get
together promises to take you down the
memory lane.
Leo: In the coming week, you can
expect to achieve success in your
professional field, which will bring
you honour and respect. A financial situa‑
tion will need your immediate attention.
Help you had been counting on will make
a positive difference.
Those adopting yoga or an exercise regime
are likely to discover the benefits for them‑
selves.
Virgo: Big projects and plans give
you a thrill, and you will be able to
complete them to your utmost satis‑
faction. Work for which an advance has
been paid may need to be monitored close‑
ly. Savings will be put to good use by some.
Those burdened with mental tensions will
be able to achieve peace of mind. Family
life will be immensely satisfying as spouse
and children are caring and supportive.
Libra: You will have plenty of time
to indulge in your favourite hobby.
Good advice is likely to help you
make a profitable investment. A happy
encounter with someone you admire will
leave you cheerful. Your longing for lover
will be fully rewarded. Students will be
able to cope up with additional load. At
workplace you will be able to make much
progress on lagging projects.
Scorpio: You will find a deadline dif‑
ficult to meet on the work front.
Keep your ego under control at
work, especially while dealing with sen‑
iors. You are likely to misplace an expen‑
sive item or forget to take back the change
while shopping. Condition of a family elder
is likely to improve. Donʼt be too trusting
of an opposite number you had met
recently, as stars foretell caution.
Sagittarius: Professionals looking
for a job switch may have to strive
hard for a good break. This is not
the time to press your luck on the financial
front as loss is indicated. A new diet will
begin to show positive results in your quest
for getting back in shape. Domestic chores
if not planned properly can leave you
fatigued. A meeting with lover may need to
be cancelled due to a prior engagement.
Capricorn: Irregular routine of a
family youngster can irk you and
lead to an ugly scene. You are gen‑
erally good with finances, but a weak
moment may find you wasting money on
people who are not even your friends.
Work front is your saviour this week as
you go all out to impress higher ups. Your
unique style will help you take positive
strides towards your professional goals.
Aquarius: A spat with a neighbour
may sour relations. A fat commis‑
sion is likely to find your bank bal‑
ance swell. Loverʼs indifference may make
your patience run thin. Meeting an old
friend is likely to cheer you up. A missing
piece of jewellery or an expensive item you
had been searching for long will pop up
most unexpectedly. Achievement of a fami‑
ly youngster will make you feel proud.
Pisces: A positive frame of mind will
find you hale and hearty.
Professionals can expect a substan‑
tial income this week. Your good grip of
the situation will make you an automatic
leader at work. A tie‑up with another com‑
pany will prove profitable for some indus‑
trialists. Check the expiry date before con‑
suming medicine. Something troubling
lover can make him or her irritable.

July 27, 2019 people who would also help you in

You are governed by the number
9 and dominated by the planet
Mars. You are also influenced by
the planet Mercury. Full of
courage, dashing ness, you are a
born warrior. You will not let any
obstacle come your way. In the
coming year, you can expect to
reach your ambit ious goals,
because of your perseverance and
determination. You will be able to
study any subject in great details
and this will bring success to you
in your individual projects. But
sometimes, you tend to jump to
rushed decisions. You try to under‑
take projects, which may be too
big for you to handle alone. Try
not to be egoistic and over esti‑
mate your strength and capabili‑
ties. Your conversational abilities
will make you a centre of attrac‑
tion, at social gatherings. Your
inborn ability to tackle subjects
like science and mathematics will
draw a lot of attention and praise
from those around you. T he
months of May, October and
January will be very significant.
July 28, 2019
You are governed by the number
1 and the Sun. You are also domi‑
nated by the planet Mercury. You
are blessed with many qualities.
Intelligent and bright, you do well
in your educat ional career.
Study ing a subject to g reat
lengths, is your passion. Your
interest in science subjects, will
prove an asset for you in your pro‑
fessional career, in the year ahead
of you. The ability to study a sub‑
ject with keen interest, with an
ANNUAL PREDICTIONS: FOR THOSE BORN IN THIS WEEK
added capacity to put it into prac‑
tice, will take you to the height of
success, professionally. Your prac‑
tical approach to your work, will
bring laurels for you, from your
seniors. Your ability to work well
with your colleagues, will be well
received by your Bosses. A lover of
music and art, you will be drawn
to artistic creations, in the year
ahead of you. Your pleasing per‑
sonality and warmth nature,
allows you to make many friends.
T he months of April, July,
November and January will be
highly productive for you.
July 29, 2019
Governed by the number 2, you
are also governed by the Moon
and dominated by the planet mer‑
cury. Full of imagination, you
appear to be dreamy, sometimes. A
perfect executor of plans, your
Bosses will rely on you for com‑
pleting big projects. In the coming
year, your ability to complete big
plans and projects to perfect will
bring you success in your related
fields. Honour and prestige will be
yours in the coming year. You will
travel a lot. This will mainly be
related to your work. You are able
to draw friends towards you. They
enjoy your warmth and friendly
nature. You are sympathet ic
towards those who need help.
They always look to you for advice
and help. You have an inborn abili‑
ty to judge the good from the bad.
T his he lps you to make goo d
friends, and take wise decisions.
Abiding by the law is of utmost
importance to you. The months of
May, September, December and
February will be result oriented.
July 30, 2019
You are governed by the number
3 and by the planet Jupiter. You
are also dominated by the planet
Mercury. Studious by nature, you
are fond of reading and like to
acquire knowledge. Your ambi‑
tious nature, coupled with your
confidence, w ill he lp you to
achieve success in your profes‑
sional field, in the year ahead of
you. Philosophy and religion will
draw your attention, in the coming
year, but you will maintain an
objective outlook in whatever you
undertake. You will go out of your
way to help those who need you.
Friends and relatives will look to
you for advice and comfort. You
will leave no stone unturned, to
help your friends. Although, proud
by nature you are sympathetic
towards your friends and your col‑
leagues at work. You will be able
to charm, those around you, with
your communication skills. In love
matters, you will be hesitant to
take the first step, till you are sure
of a positive response. The months
of July, October, September and
November would prove to be high‑
ly significant.
July 31, 2019
Governed by the number 4, you
are also governed by the planet
Uranus, and dominated by the
planet Mercury. You are coura‑
geous by nature and can face any
eventuality, which may come your
way. The ability to handle any dif‑
ficult situation, with ease, comes
naturally to you. Your sharp mem‑
ory and a practical approach, will
make those of you in business
achieve success, in the year ahead
of you.
You will reach newer heights of
excellence. Advance planning, cou‑
pled w ith enthusiasm and
dynamism, will bring success to
you from all corners. Travel will
also form an important part of
your career. Travel to distance
places, is foreseen. This will be
both, for pleasure as well as for
work. The coming year, will be
financially a good one, for most of
you. But you will have to control
your obstinate nature. At times
you tend to get too obstinate and
impetuous. The month of May,
August, November and January
will be highly eventful.
August 1, 2019
Governed by number 1 and the
planet Sun, you are creative, hard
working, warm hearted and sin‑
cere by nature. You are admired by
people around you for your ability
to take quick and courageous deci‑
sions, but you need to check your
tendency to behave reckless, impa‑
tient and short‑tempered at times.
This year improvement in your
work atmosphere would be there,
giving you lot of job satisfaction.
You would interact with important
your career. Your contacts with
the public will be lively and chal‑
lenging. Your earnings would
improve but it would be essential
for you to save. Your be loved
would be in a highly romantic
mood and the two of you would
have goo d t ime together.
Renovation, construction and pil‑
grimage would also interest you
later this year. T he months of
April, September, November and
February would be highly eventful.
August 2, 2019
Influenced by number 2 and the
Moon, you are active, imaginative,
simple, trustworthy and impres‑
sive person. You value relation‑
ships more than anything else in
life. You often devote more time
and attention in looking after the
needs of others than doing things
for self‑gain.
You are creative and honest, but
you need to control your tendency
to behave moody and carefree at
times. This year you need to be
more particular about your health
and diet. Long pending legal mat‑
ters would be sorted out to your
satisfaction. Your rapport with
important govt. authorities in vari‑
ous departments would improve
and you would be rewarded for
your hard work with promotion or
an increment. Matrimonial
alliances for some. You need to
prepare yourse lf for a better
future by investing in additional
educat ion and training. T he
months of June, October &
January will prove to be highly
eventful.
 30 July 27-Aug 2, 2019
By Sant Rajinder Singh
Ji Maharaj
P
eople are happy on their
birthdays; their faces
beam with happiness on
their special day. But we should
consider every day as our birth‑
day. When we go to sleep at
night, no one knows if they will
awaken the next morning. When
we do get up the next morning,
we should consider that new
day to be our birthday.
This means living each day as
if it were the most special day of
our lives.
What can we do to make that
day special? We can celebrate
each day as our true birthday.
How do many people spend
their day? They wake up, show‑
By Sant Rajinder Singh
Ji Maharaj
B
eing recept ive is like
being an empty cup. This
describes the attitude we
should adopt in meditation and
in our spiritual life. In medita‑
tion, pitchers of divine wine of
spiritual love cascade into us
from God. If we meditate like an
empty cup, we can receive per‑
petually wine of ecstasy.
Meditat ion should be an
ef fortless ef fort. We close our
eyes and simply gaze at what
lies in front of us, without any
thought of what will or should
appear.
The sooner we sit in that state,
the sooner we will have inner
progress. It is for God to decide
what to g ive us w ithin. For
example, sometimes when medi‑
tat ing, we get distracted by
thoughts such as wanting to see
a particular colored light or
inner experience. Our mind
becomes so determined to see
what it wants to see that it dis‑
tracts us from our concentra‑
tion. In meditation, we should
not be disturbed by thoughts
generated from our mind. Even
sitting with a preconceived idea
of what we should see is consid‑
ered a distraction of thought. If
our mind is constantly thinking
of what it wants to receive in
meditation, it is blocking the
way for the divine g race to
enter. It is like a friend is knock‑
ing at our door, but he or she
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS
The spiritual meaning of our birthdays
er or bathe, get dressed, have
breakfast, and either take care
of their family or go to a job,
often fighting traf fic to get to
work. They spend most of the
day earning a living, then fight‑
ing the traf fic to return home,
eating dinner, entertaining
themselves, and going to bed. A
majority of that time is spent in
taking care of the needs of the
physical body. Yet, there is more
to life than just the upkeep of
our physical body. We have a
RECEPTIVITY: BEING THE EMPTY CUP
cannot enter because we are
standing in the doorway. The
very thought of what we expect
to see in our meditation is an
obstacle for it keeps our mind
active and we cannot focus our
attention on the inner light. We
merely have to sit at the door
and wait.
Go d w ill fill us w ith more
grace and blessings than we
could ever have dreamed of. If
we sit in humility and keep our
hearts open for whatever God
wants to give us, pitchers upon
pitchers of the sweet waters of
life will pour into us. The divine
wine of the light and sound will
spiritual side. To celebrate each
day as our birthday, we can
devote equal ef fort, if not more
ef fort, to finding the Divine
within us.
How then should we spend our
day to make it a true birthday so
that our lives are really worthy
of celebration?
We can celebrate each day
with gratitude that we were
born as a human being. Our
human birth should not be
taken for granted. Any other life
Meditation with the attitude that we are
an empty cup is the highest state of
prayer. It means that we do not even ask
for anything but just wait lovingly and
devotedly for whatever God wants to
give. It is a prayer in which we know that
God will give us what is best for us.
flow through us and around us,
and we will be satiated with bliss
and inebriated with the wine of
spiritual love.
Our spark is lit by a spiritual
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
form lacks the faculty by which
they can know themselves and
know God. As we lead our lives
in the human form, we can real‑
ize that it is our turn to know
God. Will we make the best use
of that opportunity or squander
it? God has given us this body to
use to earn the spiritual wealth
that will take us back to God.
However, what do we do? We
live out our lives meeting the
same needs of survival as all
other species of life. Most peo‑
ple devote the entire gift of the
human form to feeding it, repro‑
ducing, and keeping it alive. We
are in the most precious form
one can have. We should earn
the spiritual capital for which
we received this body̶knowing
ourselves and knowing God. For
us, the day dawns when we
make a connection with the
inner Light and can drink from
that fountain of light at anytime.
It is a time of celebration, for we
receive the key to the inner
kingdom. We have the medita‑
tion technique by which we can
go within anytime we want. It is
now up to us to make use of the
Master at the time of initiation
into the inner light and sound.
Next, we maintain the flame
when we learn to meditate, lead
an ethical life, become a vegetar‑
Most people
devote the entire
gift of the human
form to feeding it,
reproducing, and
keeping it alive.
We are in the
most precious
form one can
have. We should
earn the spiritual
capital for which
we received this
body̶knowing
ourselves and
knowing God.
gift by putting in time for medi‑
tation so we can go back to God
in this lifetime.
(For more visit www.sos.org)
ian and avoid alcohol and intoxi‑
cating or hallucinogenic drugs,
perform selfless service, and by
attending satsang. Finally, we
merge our individual spark into
the dazzling Eternal Flame illu‑
minating our soul and spreading
light to the whole world. We can
reach this ultimate stage when
we further ignite our spark by
developing receptivity, a ruling
passion, gratitude, and love.
Receptivity is an openness to
receive the light, love, and bliss
of the Eternal Flame. It involves
keeping our floodgates open to
receive all the treasures of the
Divine.
Meditation with the attitude
that we are an empty cup is the
highest state of prayer. It means
that we do not even ask for any‑
thing but just wait lovingly and
devotedly for whatever Go d
wants to give. It is a prayer in
which we know that God will
give us what is best for us.
To derive the greatest benefit
from the blessings bestowed by
God, we should adopt this hum‑
ble attitude of the empty vessel.
Our mind will be emptied of its
ceaseless desires and distrac‑
tions. We will instead be open to
receive wave after wave, pitcher
after pitcher, of sweet grace. We
will find ourselves attaining
union with God in the shortest
possible time.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info July 27-Aug 2, 2019
TheSouthAsianTimes.info July 27-Aug 2, 2019