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The Ghazal King also loved horses and races Tribute, Page 26
Raj Rajaratnam, the Galleon hedge fund billionaire, gets 11 years in prison for insider trading
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Indian HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and John J. DeGioia, President, Georgetown University, at the USIndia Higher Education Summit in Washington, DC on Oct 13. See story on page 4.
Rotary Club of Hicksville South members, club president Dan Flynn and charter president Kamlesh Mehta pose for a group photograph with Rotary District 7250 Governor Gabor Karsai. Hicksville, NY: To create wider awareness about its community, humanitarian and intercultural activities, Rotary Club of Hicksville South will be present in strength at the 7th Annual Diwali Mela 2011 held by AsaMai Hindu temple October 16 near the temple here. The clubs philanthropic projects completed include $67,000 for heart surgeries saving 71 young lives in Delhi under the Gift of Life program, $20,000 Continued on page 4..
Raja Amar, CEO of Portables Unlimited, sees growth opportunities in the merger formation to ZOOM for fine-tuning its products particularly manufactured for the US
Sam Khan (left), who is contesting for Edison Council as a Republican, seen here at fundraiser for Nikki Haley in Bridgewater Township, which was attended by influential South Asians. earned Democrats ire for listing her race as White on her voter registration form, but that did not deter her Indian American donors and supporters in New Jersey. As far back as 2009 many business owners and professionals of New Jersey shifted their allegiance from Democratic Party to Republican that contributed to Chris Christies victory in the gubernatorial race. Republican Party, in turn, has reached out to Indian Americans motivating them to enter public life under the umbrella of GOP. Some resourceful members of the community are expected to do so in near future. The population of Indian Americans in USA is in the vicinity of 3 million. The communitys allegiance is divided among the Democrats and Republicans. As an increasing number of second generation Indians vie for political positions, their presence in both parties is a good sign for the future of the community.
Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info
London: Gurmeet K. Sodhi has proved yet again to be one of the most influential women in the South Asian media when she recently won the World Sikh Awards for Sikhs in Entertainment category. She is a New York based television host, producer and perhaps the youngest South Asian woman to launch her own LIVE talk show. The worlds only awards to recognize Sikh contributions across the globe took place Oct 9 in the UK. Many Sikhs were
acknowledged for their contributions to business, sports, entertainment, philanthropy, the media, and education. With her personal touch and ability to connect with her viewers, Sodhi has strived to ensure that her show informs, educates and entertains all ages and demographics. She brings humor and talent in the way she handles all her guests and focuses her topics to incorporate everyday aspects of life.
New Delhi: In his reply to Congress leader Digvijay Singh's letter, Anna Hazare has said that the RSS is trying to defame him by claiming to have backed him during his fast in August. Accusing Singh of spreading canards that he was close to the BJP and RSS, he said in his letter Thursday that not a single person from the RSS had come to meet him at Ramlila Maidan during his 13-day fast. The Rotary Promoting Awareness & Adult Literacy (ROTO-PAAL) Program has recently been introduced as a volunteer driven, free, structured program providing adult learning resources and guidance services to the South Asian community in Nassau County. It is led by M. Quddus, General Secretary of the club and Vimi Sikka, charter president of neighboring Jericho Sunrise Rotary Club. Rotary Club of Hicksville South was started in 2009 by a group, largely Indian Americans, of like-minded friends drawn by Rotary's diverse, nonpolitical, and nonreligious structure. It was inspired by the then District Governor Ravi Bhooplalpur. Ballots story continued from page 1 West Coast Correspondent: Pooja Jain, pj@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
He said the Congress and the BJP were two sides of the same coin as both were not serious about fighting corruption. He also refuted the charge that he wanted to become president. I neither have the capacity nor the desire to become the President of India. In Hisar by-poll, he said he asked people to vote against the Congress, but not in favour of the BJP.
electorate," said Glenn D. Magpantay, Director of the Democracy Program, AALDEF, which has long monitored elections and found that Asian American voters in the newly-named jurisdictions often faced barriers to voting. Under the Voting Rights Act, when the census finds that 5% or more than 10,000 voting-age citizens speak the same language, have limited English proficiency, and (as a group) have a higher illiteracy rate than the national rate, all voting materials must be translated and interpreters must be provided at poll sites. Although determinations used to be updated only once every ten years, in 2006 it was changed to five years, given the fast changing demographics of the US population. Art and Design: Vladimir Tomovski Bhagwati Multimedia, Rahul Sahota, Web Editor: B.B.Chopra
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Hindu Mahamandirs foundation Indian Americans to hold anti-corruption protest in stones laid in Robbinsville, NJ
Robbinsville, NJ: A crisp autumn Sunday morning dawned on the 102-acre site of Swaminarayan Akshardham in Central New Jersey, complete with the sounds of the mantra-chanting swamis, bustling volunteers and chattering children. October 9th, 2011 was the last of three days of ceremonies organized to celebrate the sacred foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Akshardham Mahamandir. The celebration consisted of six sacred Vedic ceremonies - two on each day - to consecrate the start of construction of the Akshardham Mahamandir. Devotees and well-wishers participated in the ceremonies while preserving the homely climate of the surrounding neighborhood. The usual green and brown landscape of this site off U.S. Highway 130 was transformed into a paradise adorned with gleaming colors and captivating sounds. Christine Ciaccio, Robbinsville City Council President was awed by the site's transformation. "We have come a long way in the last year. The buildings are coming up fast and I can see the love and excitement radiating everywhere. When I speak with the youth, I feel their confidence. The parents love it. The community loves it." The celebrations were organized by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha in the presence of Pujya Mahant Swami and Pujya Ishwarcharan Swami, two senior swamis and disciples of the organization's guru, His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj. The celebrations included a tour of the entire complex, the Vedic consecration ceremony, and an assem-
NY on Oct 16
The celebration consisted of six sacred Vedic ceremonies to consecrate the start of construction of the Akshardham Mahamandir bly in which Pramukh Swami Maharaj's blessings were broadcast to the audience from Mumbai, India. Inspirational narratives of selfless sacrifice of the many individuals and families involved in the project were also shared with those present. The shilas, or sacred stones, placed in the foundation were sanctified and blessed by Pramukh Swami Maharaj in Mumbai, India on August 31, 2011 before being sent to New Jersey. Pramukh Swami Maharaj had blessed those present, "We are engaging in this service to please God. Even our smallest service is considered as a great act of sacrifice by God. We pray that thousands of people may benefit from this Akshardham Mahamandir, and may all those that come to visit be graced with the greatest blessings." Mayor Dave Fried remarked, "Normally when someone comes in with a project to our community, they tell us what they want and they tell us why we should want what they want. But, BAPS was different. They asked, how do we make this work, what do you want, how can we be part of the community? They showed us
The sacred stones for foundation were sanctified and blessed by Pramukh Swami Maharaj in Mumbai from day one that they wanted to work with our community and that has really made it feel like a partnership." The Akshardham Mahamandir is part of the Swaminarayan Akshardham Complex in Robbinsville, New Jersey and is expected to be completed in seven years. The complex will also be home to a youth and spiritual activity center, a unique Hindu mandir, and a center for spiritual and social development. The unique Hindu mandir is expected to be inaugurated and open for worship next year.
New York: The Indian American community will organize a protest demonstration against corruption and against the harassment being meted out to Janata Party president Dr. Subramanian Swamy here on October 16. A press release issued by Save India From Corruption said that the protest is being organized to express disgust and abhorrence against the unwarranted harassment of Dr. Swamy, a former cabinet minister, who has emerged as the embodiment of resistance against totalitarian and corrupt system. "The anti-corruption movement in India is the result of Dr. Swamy's efforts started as far back as 2008. He is the one person out of 1.2 billion who could nail many of the culprits of the 40 billion dollar 2G scam, from Raja, Kanimozhi and many others," the release said. The release further accused India's Home Minister P. Chidambaram and the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police of falsely registering a case against Dr. Swamy. "Dr. Swamy cannot be cowed
The protest is also against harassment of Janata Party president Dr Subramanian Swamy down by adopting vindictive attitude or dictatorial techniques. In a recent poll conducted in The Times of India, 81 percent of the people said that Dr. Swamy is being targeted by the UPA Government for his role in the 2G spectrum scam case." "In addition to filing frivolous FIRs, the government refuses to act on his request for housing in a safer environment in New Delhi to protect from Congress goons and Jihadists. The release said that Dr. Swamy had come under attack on three different occasions between 2008 and 2011 in Chennai, Madurai and New Delhi.
TV host Ashok Vyas receiving the award along with his wife Sheila Viswamjee Maharaj in Seattle and Washington DC. Vyass dedication and spirit to work for the community has been recognized by various cultural and religious organizations, such as, Rajasthan Association of North America, India Community Club, Staten Island, East West School of Dance, Shikshaytan and Paramananda Yoga and Vedanta Institute. He has translated several spiritual books from English to Hindi.
Isha Jain
Husain paintings exhibition at Hema Malini's NY event canceled after Hindus protests
New York: Forum for Hindu Awakening has learned from the organizers (SAMAA) of Late M. F. Husains paintings exhibition at Hema Malinis October 1 New York dance concert that they had canceled the exhibition upon receiving emails from protesting Hindus. The organizers wrote, On behalf of SAMAA, we apologize to all of you if we hurt your sentiments. Hemaji was unaware of such an exhibition. As soon as we received your emails, we canceled the exhibition. As soon as Hemaji came to know about the exhibition, she totally opposed it and did not want to be any part of it. On October 1, Forum for Hindu Awakening had received a complaint about the exhibition to be held during the post concert reception that evening. Forum for Hindu Awakening immediately appealed to Hindus across USA and India to write to the event organizers, requesting cancellation of the exhibition by Late M. F. Husain, whose paintings have offended Hindus for portrayal of Hindu Deities in nude.
In the Jewels of India series, the Consulate General of India, New York, organized two popular music programs in quick succession. Anup Jalota, renowned for devotional singing, gave a recital on October 6 for about 200 guests. He was welcomed by Consul General Prabhu Dayal (left). Talat Aziz (right), known for his versatile singing skills which includes ghazals, film and sufi songs, graced the stage at New India House on October 10. He dedicated the evening to Jagjit Singh who had passed away the same day in India.
15-Year-Old Aditi Ahuja performed Arangetram at the elite venue where she plays in the Festival Orchestra. Aditis parents, Tania and Anilesh Ahuja, say, We are very proud of Aditi and what she has accomplished at such a young age. She is an exceptionally disciplined person who can do whatever she wants if she sets her mind to it.
(L to R): Dr Kartik A Srinivasan, Sumita Pennathur and Hari Shroff Science and Technology. He has published over 40 peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals. Foxboro, Massachusetts-born Pennathur, 33, is assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of California in Santa Barbara. Her research is focused on using fundamental fluidics knowledge at both microscale and nanoscale to create novel devices for practical applications.
Dr.Birendra (Raj) Dutt stamped out by the millions," Dutt said. Well aware with the potential of the computer chip, the US Department of Defence is fully supporting Dutt and his company.
Vijaya Emani fought against domestic abuse Washington, DC: On October 20, 2011, President Obama will welcome to the White House the 13 recipients of the 2011 Presidential Citizens Medal, the nations second-highest civilian honor. This years recipients of the Citizens Medal come from different backgrounds but they share a commitment to a cause greater than themselves, said President Obama. They exemplify the best of what it means to be an American, and I am honored to be able to offer them a small token of our appreciation. The Citizens Medal was established in 1969 to recognize American citizens who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens. Like last year, President Obama is recognizing Americans this year whose work has had a significant impact on their communities but may not have garnered national attention. In May, the President called on members of the public to nominate people in their lives who have performed exemplary deeds of service outside of their regular jobs, including individuals. Nearly 6,000 public nominations were submitted, and the President selected the 13 awardees, one of which is Indian American Vijaya Emani from Strongsville, Ohio. Emani became a role model for victims of domestic abuse because of her strength and determination in overcoming domestic abuse in her own life, and by speaking out about the issue publicly, she broke a long held taboo in the Indian American community. Emani lived and breathed many causes including projects to aid the homeless and promoting diversity. Although she was killed in a tragic vehicle accident, her example and message live on. Emani posthumously receives the Citizens Medal for her courage in overcoming and speaking out against abuse.
comedies. Penn and Spilo met with the TV networks last year when Penn took a break from his job as White House associate director in the Office of Public Engagement to film the upcoming A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas. The comedy will reflect some of Penns experiences working on
Sikh International Film Festival, Leadership Summit and Heritage Gala in NYC from October 13-15
New York : The Sikh Art & Film Foundation will present its eighth annual Sikh International Film Festival and inaugural Leadership Summit, October 13-15, 2011 at the Asia Society and Museum, 725 Park Avenue (at 70th St) in New York, with the Sikh Heritage Gala and awards ceremony closing the festival the evening of October 15 at Cipriani, 55 Wall Street. Filmmaker Gurinder Chadha (Bend it like Beckham, Its a Wonderful Afterlife) will be a featured guest during Sikh Heritage Week, including Leadership Summit on October 13, and the Heritage Gala on October 15, where she will receive one of the three awards given by the Foundation. The festival will present 11 documentary and short films featuring Sikh stories from across the globe, from both established and emerging filmmakers. The opening night festivities on Friday, October 14, include two U.S Premieres with an after party to follow at the Asia Society. U.S. Premiere films opening Oct. 14 are Harpeet Kaurs featurelength documentary A Little Revolution, a gripping story of hope, empowerment,
A still from "Hew McLeod" and dreams in the rural village of Punjab where orphans of farmers have committed suicide; and The Ulysses, by directors Alberto Garcia Ortiz and, Agatha Maciaszek, which centers on Punjabi Indian immigrants in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on the Moroccan coast, living in shanty community they've built to avoid deportation. On Saturday, October 15 the two competitive categories of documentaries and shorts will screen at the Asia Society and be judged by the festival jury. The shorts program runs on Saturday from 11:30am1:30pm and documentaries will screen from 2-5pm. Canadian Soldiers Sikhs will make its world premiere during the documentary session. The film, by director David Gray, chronicles ten Sikh men in the Canadian army struggling through enlistment, training, and the battlefield. The short film program includes the world premiere of Let It Out, a music video addressing bullying in schools from a Sikh point of view, and New York premiere of The
Harpreet Kaur's documentary A Little Revolution will be screened at the film fest Reunion, about two Sikh friends and their different way of assimilating into American society. Preceding the film festival, the Leadership Summit on October 13 from 7-9pm will bring together leaders and mentors in the Sikh community and beyond to discuss the next generation of leaders and provide an opportunity to network. Participants include Gurinder Chadha, Dr. Mohanbir S. Sawhney (professor, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University), and Gurvendra S. Suri (founder and CEO, Optimal Solutions Integration, Inc.) with moderator Matthew Breitfelder (chief talent officer, BlackRock). Announcing the 2011 festival and Sikh Heritage Gala, Mr. Tejinder S. Bindra, President of the Foundation, said, were proud to celebrate Sikh culture through the wonderful medium of film. He continued, the lineup weve acquired for this years festival will excite and move audiences while shining a light on our often underexposed and sometimes misunderstood culture.
Indian American writer Rajan Gangahars Punjabi movie Khushiyaan released worldwide on Friday
New York: US based Non-resident Indian, Rajan Gangahar recently wrote the screenplay, dialogue, jointly wrote the story and creatively developed the film as a consultant including running an actors workshop for Punjabi Movie 'Khushiyaan.' The movie released worldwide on Friday. Punjab born Gangahars fathers employment with the government made them make a move every three years and gave Rajan an opportunity to live in many cities in India and also in Paris. He discovered his love for art while playing a small part on stage during an Independence day celebration and pursued it during his college days. Winning many accolades including a gold medal in a competition kept his artistic tendencies validated and motivated. He spent his youth in India, teaching acting, directing plays and being in a theater company. He came to USA as a part of a cultural troupe. Staying back, he started his own business, Eastern Air Couriers with a headquarter in New York, that quickly grew from a two employee until to an international company with multiple branches. Though he had to come to terms with the harsh reality of earning a living and to make a steady income, Rajan never gave up on his true passion embedded in acting and related pursuits. Through his company he remained dedicated to all forms of art from award shows to fashion shows to plays and book launches. He kept his dream alive and it paid off through several ventures like an Off Broadway play Indian Wants The Bronx where he got an opportunity to portray a character from his own roots. 'Khushiyaan' is his first film as a scriptwriter. I got the offer to write the screenplay for 'Khushiyaan.' Initially I did hesitate thinking it would be very different from writing a play but characteristically, I
Rajan Gangahar on the sets of Khushiyaan grabbed the bull by its horns and decided to give it a try. It also happens to be his first movie. The Director of the movie knew what he wanted. He had the subject and he was working on it with writers from India but was not successful and then he met me and we both shared same ideas, he adds. It was not just about writing a screenplay and dialogue. With a keen artistic point of view, Gangahar analyzed every character, their personalities, their innermost fears and insecurities, in short every aspect that shaped their personalities and individuality, their responses to circumstances, their individual perceptions of all values in life including selfishness, greed, morality etc all. I involved myself personally in every aspect of the film from choice of location down to every minute detail of the making of the film. The storyline had deep roots in his journey as an immigrant into a foreign country. He has written this screenplay and dialogue as an original, emotional and passionate artist, taking cues from his own life.
Dr.Gurmej Sandhu (extreme left) Huntsville. He was inducted into the Distinguished Engineering Academy of The University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2001 and was a recipient of the distinguished Alumni Achievement Award in
Bioenergy Scientist Suresh Babu Receives Don Klass Award for Excellence
Chicago: Dr. Suresh Babu was presented with the Don Klass Award for Excellence in Thermochemical Conversion Science by Gas Technology Institute (GTI) to recognize his pioneering and innovative contributions in the field of bioenergy. He received the award at a tcbiomass2011 dinner event held at the Art Institute of Chicago. Dr. Babu works in the Global and Regional Solutions Directorate at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, NY, where he is responsible for Biomass Program Development for NE Biomass. Prior to that, Babu worked with Battelle Science & Technology, Malaysia and The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI), Delhi, India to develop pyrolysis of Malaysias oil palm biomass and gasification of India's biomass, respectively. He is globally recognized as a leading bioenergy researcher with over 38 years of alternative energy RD&D experience, focused on biomass gasification, coal gasification, and natural gas utilization. Dr. Babu's research experience covers the entire spectrum from hands-on research to planning and deployment of technology. Dr. Babu has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Osmania University in India and an M.S. in Chemical Engineering, Fuels, and Combustion from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, India. He earned his Ph.D. from Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago, IL.
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US Affairs TheSouthAsianTimes.info
US looking to punish Iran Romney emerging as GOPs inevitable candidate for alleged terror plot
Washington DC: Attorney General Eric Holder has announced a plot was foiled involving men allegedly linked to the Iranian government planning to kill the Saudi ambassador to the US. Now the Obama administration plans to leverage charges that Iran plotted to kill the Saudi envoy on American soil to wage a "new global campaign to isolate the Islamic republic," AP has reported. Administration officials plan to lobby for new international sanctions against Iran, as well as for individual nations to expand their own existing penalties. "This really, in the minds of many diplomats and government officials, crosses a line that Iran needs to be held to account for," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the AP, adding that she and President Obama hope to "enlist more countries in working together against what is becoming a clearer and clearer threat" from plot, adding via a spokeswoman: "Should the facts be confirmed, this would constitute a major breach of international law with serious international implications." At home, a top Republican in the House suggested that the United States should not rule out any action, including a military response, in the wake of the alleged terror plot. In an interview with CNN, House Homeland Security Chairman Peter King called the alleged scheme an "act of war" five times during a five-minute interview. For its part, Iran is denying any involvement in the plot. "These are cheap claims" Iran's parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, said. "By giving it a wide media coverage, it was evident that they are trying to cover up their own problems. ... We have normal relations with the Saudis. There is no reason for Iran to carry out such childish acts." Nashua, N.H.: Following a series of strong debate performances, Mitt Romney has started to attract new support from major donors and elected officials, some of whom had resisted his previous entreaties, as people across the GOP grow more accepting of the presidential contender as the partys standard-bearer, reports Washington Post. Hes viewed as an almost inevitable candidate, said longtime strategist Ed Rollins, who until last month managed the campaign of Rep. Michele Bachmann, one of Romneys opponents. Hes the heavy favorite. The party establishment seemed to be moving Romneys way. Endorsement from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who criticized Rick Perry, the other presidential hopeful, has boosted Romneys campaign. But a new national poll highlighted the volatility of the race. A Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll showed the surging businessman Herman Cain numerically ahead of Romney for the first time, 27 percent to 23 percent, with Perry third, at 16 percent. On Wednesday, Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and former House speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) became the latest in a
At Tuesdays GOP debate, Mitt Romney (right) and Herman Cain stole the show. string of current and former elected officials who have backed Romney over the past week. Former Republican National Committee chairman Jim Nicholson, hedge fund manager Paul Singer and Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone are among the major Republican fundraisers supporting the candidate. The shift is being noticed not just among Republicans, but Democrats as well. In Chicago, President Obamas campaign advisers increasingly view Romney as the most likely general-election foe and on Wednesday they attacked the former Massachusetts governor as taking diametrically opposite positions on key issues during his political career.
Mansour Arbabsiar, part of the alleged Iranian plot to kill a Saudi envoy to US. Iran. It appears as though the White House won't have much trouble rallying their base. The BBC reports that British Prime Minister David Cameron's office released a statement promising to "support measures to hold Iran accountable for its actions." The E.U.'s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, meanwhile, expressed "grave concern" about the
Op Ed TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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By Sumit Mitra
wenty years is long enough for even a hyperactive man to start wearing thick bifocals, forget for a moment the name of his secretary, or look embarrassingly cheerful on solemn occasions. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, though, seems to have undergone an identity shift that is quite puzzling. Nobody suspects that between 1991 and now - he has forgotten his economics. Yet
there is something badly amiss in his personality. As finance minister in the Cabinet of the late PV Narasimha Rao, he dismantled controls, broke monopolies and embraced globalization - all in a short span - and seemed unstoppable, driven by a religious zeal. But all that is water under the bridge. Singh has lost his 1991 spirit. His senior-most ministers fight like querulous schoolchildren while he looks on. When his 'boss', UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, went on a
playing the Islamic card. The lesson of Taliban attacks on Pakistani civil and military outfits, including the attack on the high security Navy base in Karachi, has not been learnt. The other obsession which Pakistan must get rid of is its concept of using Afghanistan as its strategic depth backyard. If super powers like the erstwhile Soviet Union, Britain and America cant control Afghanistan, what chance has Pakistan got? Instead Pakistan should join India and Afghanistan in trilateral cooperation with others for a better world all round. Hamid Karzai with Manmohan Singh. almost afraid of mentioning the India word to Pakistan, as only a couple of years ago Washington bowed to Pakistans insistence to exclude India from the London conference on Afghanistan attended by almost 60 countries. No longer so. The US is now repeatedly and openly asking Pakistan to change its mindset on India which would be beneficial to itself and the entire region. Pakistan, like India, should join in the development and reconstruction of Afghanistan. Short of asking Pakistan to emulate India, the advice from the US -- and Britain has shown a full circle change. Karzais signing of the strategic pacts with India last week clearly has not endeared him to the Pakistani establishment. His description of Pakistan as Afghanistans twin brother and India as a friend hasnt cut much ice. Pakistani establishments paranoia about India shows no sign of diminishing at least for now. Nor does Pakistan look any nearer to realizing the full danger it faces from the Taliban. Perhaps it still believes that it can control Taliban by (Subhash Chopra is a freelance journalist and author of Partition, Jihad & Peace -- South Asia after bin Laden.)
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Former police officer R.K. Sharma. (Inset) Shivani Bhatnagar. Prakash. The high court upheld the life sentence of the fourth convict, Pradeep Sharma. "Although the motive behind Pradeep Sharma killing Shivani Bhatnagar is unclear and has not been established, we have already found, on the basis of
Chennai: A day after the CBI booked M. Karunanidhi's grandnephews -- former union minister Dayanidhi Maran and promoter of Sun TV and SpiceJet airline Kalanithi Maran -- the DMK president said that he would never let them down. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa dismissed the action against the Marans as an eyewash. Conducted across three cities Chennai, Hyderabad and the national capital - the Central Bureau of Investigaton (CBI) searches in connection with the second generation (2G) telecom airwaves case involved the premises of the Marans as also of Apollo Hospitals director Suneeta Reddy. Refuting media reports that he and the DMK party were unconcerned about the Maran brothers, Karunanidhi said: "Kalanithi and Dayanidhi are like my children, entrusted to me by their father Murasoli Maran, and I will protect them." Karunanidhi said he would support them in their legal battle. Former communications minister Dayanidhi Maran is under the CBI scanner following a complaint by industrialist C. Sivasankaran that
Maran forced him to exit mobile telephone company Aircel. Sivasankaran alleged that Aircel was not given telecom licensees and he was forced to sell his holdings to Malaysia-based Maxis Group owned by T. Ananda Krishnan. The CBI Sunday registered a case against Maran brothers -- Dayanidhi and Kalanithi -- under the Prevention of Corruption Act, a probe agency official said in Delhi. A first information report (FIR) was also registered against Ralph Marshall, CEO of Astra TV that invested in Sun TV, and T. Ananda Krishnan. Karunanidhi said he did not react to the CBI raids and the case against his daughter and Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi as he did not want to politicise the issue. Kanimozhi is in judicial custody in the 2G spectrum allocation case. He said he kept quiet on the case against his daughter as the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government was not responsible for the raids. Kanimozhi is in jail now charged as co-conspirator in the 2G spectrum scam, alongwith DMK leader and former communications minister A. Raja.
Federal Law and Justice Minister Salman Khurshid. Justice Dattu said the statement was made "when we are in the midst of a serious matter going on for six hearings".
Federal Defense Minister A.K. Antony. "There is no question of India going there (South China Sea) in large scale. We will go there for exercises and other things. We will go there uninterrupted for passage of ships and trade. There is no question of any naval presence...that is not our intention. Our main concern is to protect our core area," he said.
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The interlocutors are learnt to have also recommended the withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). economic package to tackle the huge unemployment in the state and major infrastructure development to provide connectivity and boost tourism, officials in the know said. Flanked by his team members, Padgaonkar stressed that the document would have been "far more worthwhile" if the separatists had engaged in a dialogue, and rued the fact that they "missed the bus". "Indeed, our prime focus in the report is the welfare of people of Jammu and Kashmir and it is along this key concept that we have made out recommendations," Padgaonkar said. "We have taken into account the stated public position of various separatist groups. These have been reflected in our report. The fact of the matter is that we have tried again and again to engage them and again and again they refused. I believe they have missed the bus," he said. Although Padgaonkar declined to divulge the recommendations in the report, he mentioned that people's views on "questions related to Armed Forces Special Powers Act to the Disturbed Areas Act to various other legislations that are in force," have been incorporated. "We have also had regular consul-
Relatives mourn the death of Sayeed Muhammad Yousuf near Srinagar. of any torture," a senior official of the state government said here. A political storm had followed the NC worker's death with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah so that the judicial probe into the death could be carried out impartially. Omar had said he had done nothing wrong and ruled out resignation.
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Sri Ram Sene activists beaten up Prashant Bhushan inside his Supreme Court chamber for his comments on Kashmir. Kashmir were anti-national and run," said a senior police official. Police said that raids are on to nab anyone who will make such comthe two youths. Taking responsibili- ments will not spared." Bhushan was taken to the Ram ty for the assault, Sri Ram Sene's state unit general secretary Tushar Manohar Lohia Hospital for his Agarwal, said: "Comments made by injuries, which doctors said were Prashant Bhushan on Jammu and not major. Speaking in the evening
Congress leader Digvijay Singh. Dwivedi said the whole country knows that the RSS and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had repeatedly said they are with Anna and were making "certain arrangements" for their campaign. A Congress party leader said on condition of anonymity that issues were important and not individuals.
Team Anna has urged Hisar voters to hand a "historic defeat" to the Congress. the Jan Lokpal Bill proposed by Anna Hazare. Hazare confidant Arvind Kejriwal hails from Hisar and has been carrying on high-voltage campaign against the Congress, distributing handbills and CDs containing Anna's personal appeal. Corruption has evidently become a huge issue in the byelection, the survey said. Asked if they were aware of Hazare's call to vote against the Congress, 84 percent interviewed answered in the affirmative.
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With over 120 designers, 200 buyers and an expected revenue of at least Rs.30-35 crore, the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) kick-started with a heady mix of color, contrast and bling for the modern woman. The focus of the spring-summer edition was plain business though. A look.
Models in creations by designer Shantanu Goenka at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring Summer 2012.
A model in a creation by designers Alpana and Neeraj during the 18th edition of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Show in New Delhi
Actor Deepika Padukone with designer Wendell Rodricks at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Spring Summer 2012 in New Delhi. New Delhi: Actor Kangana Ranaut, who walked for designer Shantanu Goenka at the ongoing Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW), says the people in Bollywood are not very stylish except for her contemporaries Priyanaka Chopra and Sonam Kapoor. "I don't want to hurt anyone with my remarks, but I find that the style quotient is missing in Bollywood except for Priyanka and Sonam who know how to carry well," Kangana told reporters here. The Kolkata-based designer presented a line inspired by the French queen Marie Barrios. According to him, Kangana was the perfect muse for this collection. "I wanted Kangana to look feminine, I didn't want to go overboard and I thought she completely justified the theme," he said. Dressed in a white and beige gown, she looked confident while sashaying down the ramp. "I never feel uncomfortable while walking the runway as I have done it in films like 'Fashion' and 'Raaz 2'. So it has become a part of my character," Kangana said. "Also, I love Shantanu's design and admire his creativity. He always makes something which suits my complexion and figure," she added. When asked about her future projects, she said: "I am working on the sequel of 'Tanu Weds Manu' and 'Ishqiya'." New Delhi: Deepika Padukone's wedding plans may not be on cards anytime soon but actress has already decided who to contact for her D-day. The actress, who walked the ramp as a showstopper on the third day of Will Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) Monday night, feels Wendill Rodricks would be best for her. "If I will do a Christian wedding I will definitely wear Wendill's designs. He is just superb," said the 25-year-old, who walked the ramp as the brand ambassador of Fiama Di Wills. She walked the ramp wearing a white colour gown with lots of surface texture. Being the last show of the day, it started off on a high note with a band called The Other People performing live on the stage to set the mood. Wendill showcased a variety of beautiful garments varying from gowns, camisoles, palazzos, jumpsuits and jackets. For the very first time, the Goa-based designer introduced malkha cottons in his collection with colours like black, brown, white, beige and cream. However, the show had a little 'oops' moment when model Indrani Dasgupta was about to fall while walking the ramp as her gown came in her way. But as a true professional she managed to hold herself and completed her walk with elan. Indrani's professionalism won her accolades from designer Rohit Gandhi, Rohit Bal and Sunil Sethi, chief of Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) who were present to watch the show.
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Festival
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Five days of frenzied puja festivities came to an end as idols of Goddess Durga and her children were immersed in the Ganga river and other water bodies across the nation on Bijoya Dasami, marking an end to the celebrations. On Dashmi, people celebrated the victory of good over evil by celebrating Dusshera where effigies of demon king Ravana and his two brothers were burned across the nation. A glimpse.
Kolkata: Five days of frenzied puja festivities came to an end in West Bengal as idols of Goddess Durga and her children were immersed in the Ganga river and other water bodies across the state on Bijoya Dasami, marking an end to the celebrations. A sense of sadness pervaded the atmosphere as devotees bade farewell to the goddess. In Kolkata, the streets were choked with immersion processions. All roads led to the Ganga where millions gathered to watch the idols being immersed in the river. Bijoya Dasami marks the end of Durga Puja, the biggest festival of eastern India. "Security arrangements were beefed up across the city and at the ghats (river banks), where immersion of idols was held. CCTV cameras were installed at the immersion sites. Policemen were deployed at every crossing to maintain law and order," Kolkata Police Commissioner R.K. Pachnanda said. In keeping with tradition, the idols of Goddess Durga along with those of her four children - Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartik - are immersed with much fanfare across the state. Married women smeared the deities and each other with 'sindur' or vermilion and offered sweets to the idols. They prayed for the well-being of their families and the long lives of their husbands. Leading Bengali film actress Rituparna Sengupta was also seen smearing vermilion on the deity at a community puja at Robinson Street in south Kolkata. "Every year I enjoy sindur khela on Bijoya Dasami. This year is no exception," said 42-year-old house maker Moumita Basu. Students of schools and colleges were seen at marquees with their books and pens in the belief that the goddess would bless them with a good academic record. After the immersion of idols, Bengalis wish each other "Shubho Bijoya" - or Happy Bijoya Dashami and visit each other's place with sweets. All sweet shops in the state were crowded since morning. However, not all idols across the state are immersed on the same day. While the traditional puja organisers conduct the immersion on Dashami, some community puja organisers keep the idols in the pandals for one or two more days. Thousands of people thronged Babughat, a popular stretch on the banks of the Ganga, to watch the grand immersion spectacle as chants of "Bolo Bolo Durga Mai Ki Jai" (Hail, Mother Durga) rent the air. Men and women were seen dancing. Film actress Munmun Sen was also seen enjoying the immersion ceremony at Babughat. The Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) deployed heavy-duty cranes and barges this year for the first time to clear the river quickly after the immersion of the idols.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi throws an arrow as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and vice president Hamid Ansari look, at the Dusshera festival at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi. People watch an effigy of demon king Ravana being turning into flames in Amritsar.
Priests worship Goddess Durga during the Durga Puja festival in New Delhi.
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A
Priyanka features on the cover of People magazines Indian edition.
ctor Priyanka Chopra, known for her simple yet stylish wardrobe, has been given the title of India's Best Dressed by People magazine. Annually, the magazine honors style icons with the Best Dressed edition. This year, Priyanka has featured on the cover of its India edition. About being chosen as the face
of People's special issue of India's Best Dressed for 2011, Priyanka said: "I'm excited because I never thought I would get this title." Talking of the one style accessory she has at all times, she said: "I wear confidence." The former Miss World will walk the ramp for Manish Malhotra at the Mercedes-Benz Best Dressed Show 2011 in
Mumbai, in a celebration of the special issue of the magazine. She will wear an Indo-Western creation. "The Best Dressed show marks the coming together of the entertainment industry's most stylish people on one platform. My collection for the evening is my signature style of opulent glamorous Indian wear," Malhotra said in a statement.
Reviews
explore their world with inquisitive candor, giving them space to grow even as they groan and whine and dine their way through a series of well-written misadventures that never end in an embarrassing deadend. Yes, you know the culmination. You know Jai (Zayed Khan) will get rid of his bossy fiancee and Naina (Dia Mirza) will be out of a suffocating association with a man, who loves her but not in the way she yearns to be. You know how it will finally turn out. And yet you get involved with the lives of these mismatched pairs looking for love, warmth and togetherness in a fast-moving world of cut-throat dreams. Sangha lets the lives of his protagonists take their own time to get to know their hearts and mind. He is in no hurry to tell his story. The pace is steady and the flow of events, not quite out of the rapidfire round in a quiz show. Cinematographer Aseem Bajaj has shot the characters in warm detail. The cities of Delhi,
The film is a mellow and lingering look at lives that don't seem borrowed or faked. Mumbai and Chandigarh are never accentuated by the visuals. There are questions to be answered on what makes the urban relationship an endangered phenomenon. As the characters explore their own befuddled emotions and their misplaced devotions, the narration acquires its own momentum.
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Ranbir Kapoor.
anbir Kapoor, 29, will now play the lead in the film Two States, which is based on author Chetan Bhagats novel by the same name. Earlier actor Shah Rukh Khan had reportedly been finalized for the role. The film will be produced by filmmakers Karan Johar and Sajid Nadiadwala. Sajid has the rights of the book and we are in discussions about an association, says Johar. Sajid confirms, Karan and I are in talks to produce a film together. He approached me but nothing has been finalized yet. While SRK is busy promoting his sci-fi superhero film RA.One, Ranbir is currently shooting for Barfee opposite Priyanka Chopra.
t some point in this pointless parody of all of David Dhawan's Tom and Jerry comedies from the past, Devgn and Dutt, playing a pair of warring, snaping, snarling, sneering con-persons, call for each other. 'Chetan? Bhagat? Chetan? Bhagat? ." In that pause between the last blast and the next you know the script writer (Yunuz Sajawal) is thinking of how to carry the plot to the next gag. Wish they had actually roped in author Chetan Bhagat to write some of the episodes. We would at least be looking at more than just an endless raunchy wordy ramble into the realm of toned bikini bodies. And these include the two leading ladies Kangna Ranaut and the striking Lisa Haydon. In fact the film looks like one long excuse to let the camera ogle at semi-nude female figures in Thailand and Bangkok. The laughter, if it was ever intended, is strictly incidental. The gags in "Rascals" are so
Sanjay Dutt, Kangna Ranaut and Ajay Devgn in a still from the movie. stale and tasteless and the situational comedy so devoid of any kind of originality or freshness, you wonder if David Dhawan just made this unfunny comedy to please his friends who play the major roles in the film. As Chetan and Bhagat, Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn get to ham to their hearts' content. Not their fault. It's the need of the hour. Make that two hours. Two long painful hours of mirthless gags and skits adding up to no sense of hilarity. Kangna Ranaut is the funniest thing in the film. And not in any intended way.
But nothing matches up to the brazen insulting nature of the dialogues. At one point Chetan or Bhagat (hard to say which one speaks, as they're constantly interrupting and shouting down one another) look at a dark-skinned man and comment: "How did this black gulab jamun get a white rashogolla for a daughter?" Go get a laugh, Mr. Dhawan. The prolific and trendsetting director has clearly run out of tricks to make the Tom and Jerry act any further. And really, Anil KapoorGovinda in "Deewana Mastana", Salman-Govinda in "Partner" did the sniping and snarling, so much better. The film is carpeted with dreadfully unfunny jokes that insult every community including, of course, the movie-going community which is expected to laugh at a scene where Sanjay Dutt puts on an unconscious woman's underwear on and wonders: "Why is it so much easier to take off a woman's clothes than put it on?"
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oing back in time on his 69th birthday on October 11, megastar Amitabh Bachchan revealed that when he was born he was brought home wrapped in a 'gudari' - a cheap form of cloth. And the actor proudly calls himself "gudari ka lal". "I was born today ! 11th of October 1942 in Allahabad in a small private maternity outfit run by a missionary Dr Brar, in the most crowded market area of the city, Katra. I was brought home by my parents in the best possible transport machinery that they could afford - a tonga!" Amitabh wrote on his blog bigb.bigadda.com. "Wrapped in a 'gudari' I still refer to many that I am a 'gudari ka lal' - a human that is affiliated with the cheapest form of clothing. I loved being in that form and still love it," he added. Amitabh says he finds himself close to the people who have led a life in adverse
conditions. "I have noticed on many occasions that the life and the style of those that live in such conditions, are closest to me in temperament. There is a certain sense of attachment every time I come in close contact with people and circumstances that narrate to me stories of the time," he said. "That is my most alluring possession. The complete ease that I feel and identify with when in the company of those that inhabit those lands," he added. And what does the actor wish on his birthday? "I wish another day to pass in peace! One of the best ways to bring in birthdays is to be working at what you need to be working on ... I work because I need to ... love !!" he wrote on his Twitter page. Angry young man Amitabh Bachchan turns 69.
Madhuri Dixit Nene "Excited! Should be back in Mumbai by middle of October," she had written on her Twitter page.
Shah Rukh Khan, Hema Malini and Esha Deol, at the music launch of Tell Me O Khuda. t seems Hema Malini has her announcement, Akki, along taken Shah Rukh Khan's on- with Dimple, waited for the music screen avatar as a superhero in launch and then just stormed out "RA.One' a little too seriously. of the venue. He was very unhapReportedly, at the music launch py to have been left out of Hema's of "Tell Me O Khuda", Hema address to the audience, especially gave SRK too much importance, since he was present on time, much to the humiliation of the unlike SRK." other guests - Akshay Kumar, SRK and Hema have known Dimple Kapadia, Yash Chopra each other since 1992, when and Shatrughan Sinha. Hema gave the actor his break in A source said that when Hema Bollywood in "Dil Aashna Hai", introduced the film's cast and but her preferential treatment for invited them on the stage, she him at the music launch has made a special announcement to reportedly strained her relationsay that they were awaiting the ships with others in the industry. arrival of a special guest - none The source told us that after other than SRK. While the rest of Akshay stormed out, the rest of the invitees tried to be more gra- the invitees followed suit. cious about her special treatment, "When SRK finally landed up Akshay made it a point to show at the event, Hema once again his displeasure. took the microphone to announce The source said, "Ignoring Yash that her special guest has finally Chopra, Akshay Kumar and arrived. But, by then Yash Chopra Dimple Kapadia at any event is a and Shatrughan Sinha had left the big insult to the fraternity. What event," added the source. Despite made it worse was that Hema repeated attempts, Akshay made a special mention about remained unavailable for comSRK, who was running late. After ment.
ctor Rani Mukerji reportedly shocked chat show host Simi Garewal recently. Rani, 33, who appeared on
Simis show, allegedly spoke about her relationship with filmmaker Aditya Chopra off the camera, but denied dating him on
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Diaspora TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Rabinder Singh appointed a judge was Mota Singh, who was knighted in 2010. A leading human rights lawyer,
Dr Janusz Krzyzowski has translated Jataka tales into Polish ing oriental literature into his native Polish language for the past 15 years. Apart from Persian poets, such as Maulana Rumi, Omar Khayyam and Hafiz, he has translated Mir Taqi Mir, Mirza Ghalib, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Faiz Ahmad Faiz and many others with the help of Surender Bhutani, an Urdu poet and historian based in Warsaw. Together they produced eight volumes of Urdu and Sufi poetry in the last six years.
Subcontinent TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Masood Kausar (centre) Islamabad: Pakistan's restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province's governor Masood Kausar survived an assassination attempt as militants fired rockets at the venue of a rally to be addressed by him, in a tribal area , leaving at least one person dead and seven injured. The incident took place in Kalaya area of Orakzai tribal region shortly before the governor was scheduled to reach the spot. Tariq Hayat, a senior administration official for the tribal belt, said at least three rockets were fired from nearby mountains. One person was killed and seven others were injured, TV news channels reported. There was no official word on the casualties. Governor Kausar, who was in a meeting, had not reached the venue of when the rockets were fired, officials said. Most of those injured were tribal elders, witnesses said. No group claimed responsibility for the strike but such attacks are usually blamed on the local Taliban.
An undated photo of Jalaluddin Haqqani (centre), founder of Haqqani network. Kabul, and were blamed for many high-profile attacks, including a truck bombing on a US military base in Wardak province Sep 10 and a coordinated attack on ISAF headquarters and US embassy in Kabul Sep 13. Regarding the security transition process from ISAF to Afghan security forces, Medley said the second phase of transition will be announced by Afghan government in coming weeks. The first phase of transition of security responsibility began in July this year, and the process will be completed by the end of 2014. NATO civilian representative's spokesman also stated that the alliance would support Afghanistan beyond 2014. "The NATO commitment is clear. Afghanistan will not be abandoned and the Alliance will stay committed," Medley said.
Beijing has stepped up its "lobbying" to bag a couple or more of crucial development projects in the 1,190-island archipelago. and surveillance. New Delhi is also assisting Male to set up a network of ground radars in all its 26 atolls and link them with the Indian military surveillance systems.
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Business TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Infosys profits up, cuts BlackBerry services affected again of India, down revenue forecast New Delhi: MillionsandBlackBerry users acrosscut-off Middle East, Africa Europe faced another
Mumbai: IT bellwether and India's No. two software services exporter, Infosys reported a 9.72 per cent growth in its consolidated net profit to Rs 1,906 crore for the second quarter ended September 30. The results matched forecasts, as outsourcing The company had posted a net profit of Rs 1,737 orders rose and a crore for the September quarter of the previous weak rupee boosted fiscal (2010-11). margins. The company had posted a net enable it to build long-term partnerprofit of Rs 1,737 crore for the ships with clients and help drive September quarter of the previous their business objectives, he added. The company expects operating fiscal (2010-11), Infosys said in a filing to the Bombay Stock margins to fall about one percentage point in the fiscal year ending Exchange. The consolidated revenue of the March 2012, its chief financial officountry's second largest software cer said on Tuesday, as the firm exporter rose to Rs 8,099 crore in warned about global economic the reporting period from Rs 6,947 uncertainty. Infosys, which counts Goldman crore in the year-ago period, translating into a 16.58 per cent increase. Sachs , BT Group and BP among its "The global macroeconomic envi- main clients, cut its dollar revenue ronment is still uncertain. It is and growth forecast to 17.1 per cent to should be a concern for the IT 19.1 per cent for the fiscal year, industry. In this scenario, clients are from 18 per cent to 20 per cent prolooking for new opportunities for jected earlier. Revenues are expected to be in the growth, accelerated innovation and increased returns on investments," range of Rs 8,826 crore to Rs 9,012 Infosys CEO and Managing crore for the quarter ending Director SD Shibulal said in a state- December 31, a year-on-year ment. Infosys' strategic initiatives growth of 24.2 per cent to 26.8 per and organizational structure will cent. from online services, just a few hours after the Canadian cell phone makers claimed it had fixed the problem. "BlackBerry services have been affected due to an unplanned international outage at RIM. Inconvenience is regretted," one of the leading Indian telecom service provider Reliance Communications said in a message to its users. Canada-based Research in Motion (RIM) that makes BlackBerry claimed early Tuesday that it had fixed the problem and services have been restored. BlackBerry services collapsed in Asia, Europe, Africa, and Middle East early this week. It took nearly 20 hours to restore the services. However, within a few hours the services collapsed
In India, over one million people use BlackBerry, the popular smartphone brand. again, causing hardships to the users, many of whom rely on it for their business communications. In India, over one million people use BlackBerry, the popular smartphone brand.
The striking workers at Maruti's Manesar plant. the strike at SPIL. On October 10, the Haryana Labor Department slapped a notice on workers for "breach of settlement" in connection to the agreement that was signed on October 1 to end the 33-day-long impasse and asked them to respond within the next 48 hours.
whether the central bank should stick to its hawkish stance on inflation even as Indonesia cut its key policy rate amid moderating global economic growth. The RBI's next monetary policy review will be unveiled on October 25.
International TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Washington, : The United States has issued a worldwide travel alert for Americans after a plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Washington was exposed. "The Department of State alerts US citizens of the potential for anti-US actions following the disruption of a plot, linked to Iran, to commit a significant terrorist act in the United States," authorities said in a statement. The alert said the "Iranianbacked plan to assassinate the Saudi ambassador may indicate a more aggressive focus by the Iranian government on terrorist activity", which was aimed at diplomats from certain nations, including the US. The worldwide terror alert, which will expire on
Spanish lawmaker Gaspar Llamazares. represented in the photos made with parts of the lawmaker's face "have been killed". United Left sources have said that since 2010 the politician has contacted several US law firms to file suit against the FBI. In fact the case was accepted by one law office, but a few months later the US attorneys refused to proceed with the suit without ever saying why. Llamazares has found a Spanish attorney's office to take over the case.
US says Iran backed plot to kill Saudi envoy to Washington Adel al-Jubeir. January 11, came after the US, reported Xinhua. Iran's foreign ministry US Justice Department Ramin Tuesday accused two men, spokesperson including an Iranian-born Mehmanparast rejected the US citizen, of conspiring to US accusations, terming kill the Saudi Arabian envoy them as an "incorrect" and Adel al-Jubeir and planning "prefabricated scenario", the bomb attacks against Saudi semi-official Fars news and Israeli embassies in the agency reported.
Zarganar, a prominent comedian and vocal government critic, was among those released as part of a pardon of more than 6,300 prisoners. The freedom of an estimated 2,000 political prisoners, including pro-democracy campaigners, journalists, monks and lawyers, has long been a key demand of Western powers that have slapped sanctions on Myanmar.
The violence erupted after Coptic Christians protesting against an attack on a church in Aswan clashed with security forces. soon spread to the Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the demonstrations that forced President Hosni Mubarak to step down in February. Copts comprise almost 10 per cent of the population in Egypt and is considered the largest Christian community in North Africa.
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(L to R): Tawakul Karman, Leymah Gbowee and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf received a clean bill of health from observers. She was sworn in as Africa's first elected female head of state in January 2006. JohnsonSirleaf vowed to create a "government of inclusion" to heal the wounds of war and toured the streets to win over Liberia's poor youth, many of them former child soldiers who believe Weah was cheated. In January 2010, she went back on her campaign promise to be president for only one term when she announced she would contest the
Thomas Sargent (L) and Christopher A Sims he Nobel prize in economic science was awarded to Thomas J Sargent at New York University and Christopher A Sims at Princeton University for their research looking at the causeand-effect relationship between economic policy and the broader economy. Their work uses statistical analysis to disentangle the question of whether a policy change that happened in the past affected the economy or whether it was made in anticipation of events that policymakers thought would happen later. This research has also helped economists better understand how people's expectations for policy affect the economy. Sims said on Monday that his research was relevant for helping countries decide how to respond to the economic stagnation and deci-
mated budgets left by the financial crisis. Sims, 68, who is presidentelect of the American economic association, has primarily looked at temporary policy changes, such as a surprise in government finances or a change in the interest rate. For example, his methods have been used to determine whether a central bank's decision to raise the interest rate affected inflation or whether bank officials raised the interest rate precisely because they expected that inflation change later on. The prize committee at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said in a statement that his research has tried to develop a systemic way for distinguishing between unexpected shocks to the economy, such as a change in oil prices or government finances, and expected changes.
L to R: Adam G Riess, Saul Perlmutter and Brian P. Schmidt Schmidt is associated with the High-z Supernova Search Team in Australia. The acceleration is thought to be driven by dark energy but what that dark energy is remains a mystery.
Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature.
he Nobel Prize in Literature Baltics (1974); Paths (1973) and Windows and Stones 2011 is awarded to Tomas Transtromer for because, (1972), according to his biography. through his condensed, translucent His style has gradually shiftimages, he gives us fresh access to reality. ed from the traditional and ambitious nature poetry written One of Swedens most important poets, Transtromer was born in in his early twenties toward darker, personal and more open Stockholm, Sweden in 1931. He verse. attended the University of The wheel-chaired poet has Stockholm, where he studied psybeen mentioned to be nominatchology and poetry. He now lives with his wife Monica in Vasteras, ed as a Nobel winner for many west of Stockholm. years. Tomas Transtromer His works have sold thousands of Transtromer s honors and volumes in his native country and have been translated awards include the Aftonbladets Literary Prize, the Bonnier Award for Poetry and the Neustadt International into more than fifty languages. Transtromers books of poetry include The Great Prize for Literature. He is also a respected psychologist, has worked at a Enigma: New Collected Poems (New Directions, 2003), The Half-Finished Heaven (2001); New Collected juvenile prison, with the disabled, convicts and drug Poems (1997); For the Living and the Dead (1995); addicts.
Bruce Beutler and Jules Hoffmann discovered receptor proteins that can recognize such microorganisms and activate innate immunity, the first step in the body's immune response. Ralph Steinman discovered the dendritic cells of the immune system and their unique capacity to activate and regulate adaptive immunity, the later stage of the immune response during which microorganisms are cleared from the body.
Sports TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Karun Chandhok. Chennai: Karun Chandhoks hopes of driving at the Indian GP received a setback as Team Lotus boss Tony Fernandez hinted that regular drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli could keep their seats for the countrys first Formula One race to be run on October 30. However, it was learnt that Karun will be behind the wheel of the green-yellow liveried car during the free practice session. Malaysian businessman Fernandez said his focus was securing the 10th spot in the constructors championship rather than pleasing the Indian and his fans. We have two extremely experienced race drivers (Kovalainen and Trulli) and Ive got to do whats right for them and for the team, not for Karun or for the Indian fans. We have to finish tenth and we have the right people to do that for us, Fernandez was quoted as saying. Sources said driving at the Indian GP was on the cards when Karun signed a contract with Lotus earlier this year, but both their main drivers were not willing to step aside for the Indian racer. The Air Asia owner, whose father was born in Goa, said there was no point in putting Karun in drivers seat at the Indian GP just for the sake of it.
New Delhi: Formula One team Force India received a shot in the arm with the Sahara Group investing $100 million, an amount that will be used for research and development involving the cars, upgrading the wind tunnel, acquiring a new simulator all aimed at improving the chances of the team finishing among the top three in the constructors title over the next few years. With this the Sahara Group has picked up a 42.5 per cent stake in the Force India and have become co-owners. Mallya has a similar stake of 42.5 per cent, while the Mol family own 15 per cent. The team will now be known as Sahara Force India and Sahara Groups Subrata Roy will be the chairman of the board of directors, while Mallya will retain his position as team principal. Mallya said he is still not ready to have an Indian driver in his team as the current "lot does not suit me". Mallya asserted that he is committed to have an Indian driver in his team in the future but his current focus is taking Force India to higher level in the pinnacle of motorsports. "The current Indian drivers don't suit me. I am
The team will now be known as Sahara Force India. happy with the current lot of drivers that we have got. The more important thing is that we have got an Indian team on the grid, and I am really proud of that," Mallya told reporters here. "Our one in a billion hunt for a F1 driver is on the right track. We will take the winner to the United Kingdom which is a hub for motorsports. He will be training with the local drivers and his expenses will be borne by us," said Mallya.
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Tribute TheSouthAsianTimes.info
The film industry remembered the singer and many paid condolences through Twitter. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan posted on the microblogging site: "The sonorous silk voice of Jagjit Singh silent now!! A great loss to the world of music and Ghazal ...Prayers and condolences." Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman tweeted: "Rest in Peace Jagjitji...No one can replace your voice and the perfection you had towards your art." A Padma Bhushan award recipient, Singh sang for many popular Hindi films as well as in several languages, including Urdu, Punjabi, Gujarati and Nepali. His career boasted a repertoire comprising 50 albums, and he readily contributed to the ghazal, devotional and Bollywood market. Music icons like Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle feel his music will live on. "I can't imagine the days when I will no longer be able to hear his silken voice, no longer be able to talk to him or listen to his new songs. Now his old ghazals is all we have. His soothing voice, his warm hearted nature are all gone now. He was the pride of India. I also feel bad for his wife Chitra, she is all alone now," said Asha Bhosle. Lata, with whom Singh collaborated for bestselling album "Sajda", said: "It is such a big loss, an end of an era. He was one artist who never needed films to get popular. He was an instant hit." Singh also worked with his singer wife Chitra, whom he mar-
he soulful voice behind many a popular ghazal was stilled forever with the death of Jagjit Singh Monday. But some of his songs like "Hontho se chhoo lo tum", "Jhuki jhuki si nazar" and "Tumko dekha toh yeh khayal aaya", will live on. His death left not just his friends, family and colleagues teary-eyed, but also a huge void in the music industry, which was enriched with his soul-stirring and lilting melodies. Singh was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai Sept 23 following a brain haemorrhage. He is survived by wife Chitra Singh, who was by his side when he breathed his last Monday.
agjit Singh had a strong Rajasthan connection and was raised in Ganganagar where he studied in Khalsa School. His father Amar Singh Dhiman worked for the public works department. It was his father who after encouraged Jagjits love for music by getting him training. Jamal Khan, a well known khayal, thumri and dhrupad singer, gave him training in Hindustani classical music. Jagjit Singh gave his first public performance at a gurdwara in Amritsar, where he was lauded for his singing talent. Later, in Jalandhar, Jagjit honed his singing skills learning from the singers of Sainia gharana before moving to Kurukshetra pursue his post graduate studies. Yet, his father wanted his son to become a bureaucrat, but Jagjits mind was made up. To pursue a career as a singer, he went to Bombay on the advice of the then vice chancellor of Kurukshetra University, Suraj Bhan. From his six brothers and sisters Jagjit was very close to his elder brother, Jaswant Singh Dhiman, who retired as director of physical education in Jaipur. Whenever in Jaipur, Jagjit would visit his home and the family would enjoy a sumptuous Punjabi meal. He lived in a luxurious flat in Mumbai, but when he came to our house he never felt
uncomfortable and mixed with the children and loved them. He helped my husband Paramjit Singh buy a shop at Jaipur and we are indebted to him for this, said Himmat Deep Kaur, wife of Jagjits nephew Paramjit Singh. Two of his younger day friends from Ganganagar, Onkar Sharma and L.M. Sharma, also fondly reminisced: I had gone to Mumbai to meet him and shared the small room where he was staying for a rent of Rs 30. He had performed at the birthday party of matinee idol Dilip Kumar, for which he was paid Rs 275. He spent most of the money in hosting me to a big dinner, said Onkar Sharma, a former bank official. L.M. Sharma said he too would have been a singer, but had no patience and could never have struggled the way Jagjit did in Mumbai to establish himself. Jagit gave his first concert at Jaipurs MGD School in 1974 and people loved hearing him. I had the honor of compeering three of his concerts in Jaipur. In fact in the eighties when Jaipur Jaycees organized his program I managed to get Jagjit chachaji for a fee of Rs 25,000 when he commanded Rs 50,000 then. He readily accepted a smaller fee because he wanted to come to meet his family at Jaipur, said Sanjay Pareek, well known compere and advertising personality. Jagjit Singh was passionate for horses and
racing and he bought four horses in partnership with the former Cricket Board president P.M. Rungta from breeder Digvijay Singh. Jagjit Singh visited Digvijays stud farm at Jaipurs Khatipura to see how the horses he bought were getting groomed. Digvijay is also the honorary secretary of the Rajasthan Polo Club. Digvijay Singh, who left for Mumbai to attend the singers funeral, said Jagjit agreed to donate a few colts to the Rajasthan Polo Club to enable young polo buffs learn polo. My father co-owns four horses with Jagjit Singh and both of them would spend their morning at the Mahalaxmi race course in Mumbai to supervise the training of these horses, said Kishor Rungta, son of PM Rungta and a former treasurer of the BCCI (The Board Of Control For Cricket In India). Its an irony that when Jagjit Singh was fighting for his life in the ICU of the Leelavati hospital in Mumbai following brain hemorrhage, Rajasthan Royals, a horse co-owned by the singer and my father, won Saturday's feature race, the Pelican Trophy, at the Pune racetrack. Ridden by CS Jodha and trained by young Adhiraj Singh Jodha, Rajasthan Royals came up with a spirited gallop in the last 100 meters to sweep past the front-running Angelo to post a sensational victory in the main event, said Kishor Rungta.
His wife, Chitra, stopped singing when their young son died in 1990, but it didn't curb Jagjits zeal to create soul-stirring music, and touch a million hearts. Jagjit Singh was desperate to be in Pune for this race and accompany his horse on the victory lap, but fate had other design, said a sad Kishor. "He told me I'm sure my horse is going to win and I will travel to Pune after finishing my show with Ghulam Ali in Mumbai. Unfortunately, he had to be rushed to the hospital," said Adhiraj Singh Jodha, the trainer of Rajasthan Royals. "But now that his prediction has come true, we took the trophy to the hospital room, but he could not see it, added Jodha.
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they receive the funding to produce hyped-up reports on nonexistent threats. The reports are disseminated through the right-wing media and prominent evangelical ministers, often becoming part of the mainstream debate. Having established a solution that Islam, and by implication Muslims, need to be politically and socially restricted because they are a danger Islamophobe activists search for a problem such as the Ground Zero Mosque, while politicians stroke the bigotry for votes. The efforts came to fruition in 2010 with media disinformation, hate-spewing rallies and numerous attacks on mosques in the lead up to the 9/11 anniversary. Islamophobes also inspired Anders Breivik, the radical Christian extremist who confessed to slaughtering 77 people in Norway on July 22, saying he wanted to save Europe from a Muslim takeover. Building hysteria * In the past year in the US, the anti-sharia movement has gathered a full head of steam in the Deep South and Southwest, which is apparently in danger of being overrun by the Taliban. Arizona, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Tennessee have passed laws banning the use of Islamic law in state courts, which is unconstitutional, while some two dozen states have seen similar legislation introduced since 2010. * Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, convened hearings in March 2011 on alleged radicalization within the Muslim-American community. He has said there are too many mosques in this country, 85 percent of which are ruled by the extremists, and we should be looking at them more carefully and finding
Scottish scientist John Robison stoked hysteria in the fledgling United States with his tract on the Illuminati, claiming it was formed for the express purpose of rooting out all the religious establishments and overturning all the existing government of Europe. This dime-store Manichean resurfaced with dismal predictability after the Sept. 11 attacks with a new class of demagogues, ones who specialize in spreading Islamophobia. While anti-Muslim hostility found root in the fertile soil of American nativism, Islamophobia has become a national pastime thanks to the funders, think tanks, fear mongers and right-wing media and politicians promoting it. Experts play a crucial role in the network as
out how we can infiltrate them. King also authored Vale of Tears, a fictional account of Muslim terrorist attacks on Long Island that he called half truth. * Stop the Madrassah is a purported community coalition that opposed the Khalil Gibran International Academy, New York Citys first Arabic dual-language school. Through Fox News, and New Yorks rightwing media, Pamela Geller, Daniel Pipes and others demonized principal Debbie Almontaser as a 9/11 denier and jihadist, and fomented anti-Muslim sentiment in general. Mayor Bloomberg forced Almontaser to resign in 2007, starved the school of funds and support, and announced the schools closure in April 2011. * Neither a mosque nor located at Ground Zero, Park51 is planned to be an Islamic cultural center in lower Manhattan. Pamela Geller lit the Islamophobic fires with a May 2010 post on her Atlas Shrugs blog, calling Park51 Islamic domination and expansion Its a stab in the eye of America. By the summer, regular demonstrations at Ground Zero picked up the vicious rhetoric portraying Islam as the enemy, with all Muslims wanting to conquer unbelievers, with the megamosque an Al Qaeda triumph. While protests quickly faded after the 9/11 anniversary, the center was injected into the national discourse and Republican candidates around the country continue to shrilly denounce it as a wedge issue. Meanwhile, civil liberty groups have documented an increase in mosque attacks, saying the anti-mosque and antiMuslim sentiment expressed in the opposition to Park51 was not an isolated incident.
Born into a traditional, middle-class Italian family, Sonia Gandhi met and fell in love with Rajiv Gandhi, son of prime minister Indira Gandhi and grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru, while studying English in Cambridge, the book says. 'Cruelly tested by the assassinations of her motherin-law and of her husband, Sonia grew into a strong, authoritative but always private figure,' Singh says. According to Henry Kissinger, the former US secretary of state, 'the biog-
raphy was an insightful portrait of an extraordinary woman and a compelling and important story of tragedy, family and a nation of upward trajectory'. In his foreword, Mikhail Gorbachev, the former president of Soviet Union, said 'Sonia Gandhi has served India in many ways - as Rajiv's wife, as the mother of two remarkable children, as an example of dignity and strength, and as a political leader of high caliber. India must be proud of her'. 'The book draws back the curtain, allowing the reader to encounter Sonia as the person behind the largerthan-life figure that she is for India's millions,' Ashley Tellis, senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said. For Tim Marshall, foreign affairs editor Sky News, 'the book is a compelling love story woven into the complexities of Indian politics'. 'If you want to understand modern India
people who want to read and I want to keep that urge in them alive,' he added. So far, two films have been inspired by his books. His first novel, 'Five Point Someone', about the college life of three engineering students, went on to become the 2009 blockbuster '3 Idiots', while his 'One Night @ the Call Center', around a group of six call centre employees, was made into 'Hello'. His other two books 'The 3 Mistakes of My Life' and '2 States: The
Story of My Marriage' are also set to be converted into movies. The first has found the fancy of 'Rock On!!' director Abhishek Kapoor and Sajid Nadiadwala is taking forward 2 Statges seriously. Bhagat is hoping 'Revolution 2020', which takes a look at corruption in the non-elite institutes in the Indian education sector with a love story in the backdrop, will also find its way to the big screen. It came out in the market Friday. The IIT graduate's popularity has grown manifold over the years thanks to his books and also the films made on them. In fact, the lead characters of David Dhawan's recently released comedy film 'Rascals' were named Chetan (played by Sanjay Dutt) and Bhagat (Ajay Devgn) respectively. An English author getting such popularity in India was unheard of some years ago.
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Humor TheSouthAsianTimes.info
ome people believe that chivalry is dead, but I don't think that's true. Chivalry isn't dead - it's just on life support. Doctors are trying their best to revive it. But do we really want them to? That's a question women need to answer. Men are ready to open doors for you and give up seats on buses and trains for you. We'll do almost anything for you, except carry your handbags while you shop. Even the most chivalrous man has to draw the line somewhere, especially with so many video cameras around. No one wants to be featured in a viral video titled Lost at the mall: this guys manhood. Granted, not all men are eager to jump to your assistance. Some of us are ill-mannered buffoons. You know the type: the only door theyll open for you is the door to the kitchen. And when youre done cooking an elaborate meal, theyll wait for you to serve them, saying, Opening that door really tired me out. But most of us do want to be considered gentlemen. In fact, there was a time when we went out of our way to be courteous to women. My memory isnt perfect, but I do recall a moment in 2001 that I opened a door for a young lady. Or
day and not one woman stood up to let me sit. (This piece originally appeared in Times of India, Chennai edition.)
did I just dream it? No, Im pretty certain it really happened. I parked the car, ran around to the other side and opened the door for my lovely wife. She looked at me with a puzzled expression and said, What did you do this time? What do you mean? I asked. Well, you must have done something wrong and are trying to make up for it. I didnt do anything wrong. Im just trying to be a gentleman. A gentleman? Let me guess: youve been watching Oprah again. Yes, women can sometimes be a little suspicious when you try to be nice to them. But thats not the main reason chivalry is on life support. What has really hurt it is the Womens Liberation Movement. Women want to be treated as equals - and before I get myself in
Tech Life
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Astrology
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ant Mat is the path of love. Sant Mat translates into "teachings of the Masters or saints." Study any of the worlds religions and we find that the founder of each religion taught the same exact message, which is that God is love, our soul is love, and the way back to God is through love. How simple and clear this message is, but we lose sight of it. Thousands of books are written to speculate about God, but the founders of every religion had it correct. They boiled it down to one word, and that is love. God is the power of love. It is love that blossomed forth into expression as creation. Whether we poetically describe God as a parent whose love wanted to create children, or God as an artist whose love to create burst forth into song, paintings, poetry, or sculpture, the essence of that creation is love. If we look at nature we find at the core of all the physical sciences is the law of attraction. This whole universe is held together by the law of love expressed as physics. Gravity is the law of attraction that keeps objects within the atmosphere of the planet, or we would all float off into space. The dance of neutrons, electrons, and protons is a pull of attraction that keeps them tied together as molecules of matter, or we would be just one loose universe of floating energy with no matter. Electricity is the flow of charged particles from the positive part of a circuit to the negative part. Magnetism is based on the flow of energy between positive and negative poles. Physics is just an expression of the law of love. As Gods love flows out, creation comes into being. Love lies at the heart of all Gods expressions, from the spiritual realms of creation, to the physical realm, and all matter and energy that exists within these realms. Love is at the heart of all forms of life in creation as well. It exists within every living thing from the plants, to the animals, to humans.
Whoever came in contact with a Master-saint came in contact with walking love on earth
contacting that love within them. See the faces of those who rise above body-consciousness. They are enraptured with love. Those who have had a near-death experience describe their entry into a world of Light where they experienced more love than they ever had on earth. Those who meet a Master in the physical form or the radiant form within during meditation describe experiencing more love from the Master than from anyone else they met in this world. Meditation is not a dry set of physical steps, such as sit down, close your eyes, and look within; meditation is an act of love. It is the dance of love between the soul and godly love within us. The term spiritual "Master" means "one who has mastered meditation on the Light and Sound and can teach us to do the same." The Master of meditation of the inner Light and Sound is teaching us how to reawaken our love within us through connecting with the stream of love to take us back to the source of love, which is God. The Master radiates love through his eyes, through his words, through his smile, through his touch, through his presence in the physical realm, and through his spiritual or radiant form which we meet in meditation. His ethereal form radiates even more than his outer form. His radiation of love increases as we travel with the Master within through each higher realm of creation. The love