Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
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16
June 30-July 6, 2012
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Compiled by I J Saldanha-Shet
T
he mythological and historical back-
ground of the Gowda Saraswat
Brahmins popularly known as GSBs
is amazing and ancient. Saraswat
Brahmins, includes the integral Konkani
community of GSBs, one of the five
ancient Gowda Brahmins, some others are,
Kanyakubja, Maithili, Utkal and Gowda
Brahmins, their name derive basically from
the mythological river Saraswati that had
flowed in the present Punjab and Rajasthan
region, from the Himalayas to the western
sea near Dwaraka in Gujarat.
The River Saraswati
It is believed even today that the River
Saraswati flows underground as detected
by the remote sensing satellites. There is
also a strong belief that in Prayag,
Allahabad, it is flowing under-ground;
Saraswati joins Ganga and Yamuna to form
the triveni sangam. Again this is corrobo-
rated now with some research studies that
Saraswati flowed very close to Yamuna
which merges the waters of Saraswati.
Therefore, today the once famous and great
river that had acted as the cradle of Vedic
Civilization called Saraswati Valley
Civilization is not visible. Then it is
believed that Rajasthan became a desert as
the river went dry. This obviously must
have taken place thousands of years ago.
Manusmriti makes a mention of
Brahmavarta as the most sacred land lying
between two rivers, Saraswati and
Drishadwati which in fact formed the
homeland of Saraswats - the Saraswat
country and from here several migrations
took place to the other parts of Bharat
Khanda, the Indian sub-continent.
First migration
A king from Saraswat country, called
Videgha Mathava with his follower,
Gautama Rahugana set out to find out new
pastures. In those days fire was to be car-
ried physically from place to place and the
king carried a tiny spark on his tongue. On
the way the companion started conversing
with the king but the king remained tight-
lipped without giving any reply for fear that
the spark might fall or get extinguished. He
understood the anxiety of the king and
invoked Agni, the fire-god. On hearing the
praises, out came the flames of fire from
the mouth of the king and started rolling on
the ground like the waves of the sea.
"Agnideva, what is thy command?" the
king asked, "Follow me," was the com-
mandment of the fire-god. Accordingly,
they followed. The flames sped away
through the Gangetic belt and on reaching
the western bank of the River Sadaneera
vanished. This is how the civilization
moved to the other region, later to be
known as Aryavarta, and some of the fami-
lies of Saraswat Brahmins moved to the
east and settled down in Trihotrapura a
township in Gowda Desha and later called
themselves as Gowda Saraswats.
According to another version, our forefa-
thers never went to Trihotrapura but were
called Gowda Saraswats as Saraswats were
one among five groups of Brahmins who
were collectively called Panchagowdas as
stated earlier. Whatever be the version, civ-
ilization moved from western part of India
to the Eastern India and definitely some
families, when the river went dry must have
gone to Trihotrapura. This anecdote is men-
tioned in Shatapatha Brahmana.
I
n the Sahyadri Khanda of Skanda Purana
Lord Parashurama after reclaiming land from
the western sea invited various groups of
Brahmins from different parts of Bharat Khanda.
In response ten families of Gowda Saraswats
came down from Trihotrapura with their deities
of daily worship and settled down in Gomantak
now known as Goa. In gratitude even today the
Gowda Saraswats dedicate all their havans and
yajnas be it Gayatri or Mrityunjaya to Lord
Parashurama stating "Yajnantargat Bhagwan
Shri Parashuramamurti priyatam."
In the course of time the ten families multi-
plied and they took to trade and commerce as
permitted by the scriptures, besides officiating as
priests. This gave them various surnames as they
have to-day like Kini - a treasurer handling
money with the jingling sound, Mallya - a con-
struction contractor who built mansions or
mahals, Nayak-a leader in any army. In Goa they
were in full bloom and they built up hundreds of
shrines and temples besides establishing Shri
Kaivalya Math in the eighth century.
Gomantak virtually became a golden land for
them for a long time, till Goa came under the
rule of Muslim kings and then under the
Portuguese. Both the rulers especially the latter
were ruthless to Gowda Saraswats, so in the six-
teenth century they had to migrate to other parts
of the country like the Malenad and the coastal
belt of Karnataka and Kerala, besides
Maharashtra.
Here they had to start afresh from a scratch
and all this they did just to protect their deities
and preserve their religious beliefs for posterity.
Not all the Saraswats did migrate from the banks
of the River Saraswati to the Eastern India or
Goa. Only one section called Gowda Saraswats
travelled and migrated this way. Even here there
is another version that people followed the
course of the River Saraswati went up to
Dwaraka and by ship they sailed to Goa. For
their stay in Dwaraka, the Gowda Saraswats are
nicknamed as Dorkes also.
T
heir brother Saraswats migrated to vari-
ous other parts of the country. Those
who migrated to Kashmir called them-
selves as Kashmiri Pandits, Sind-Sind
Saraswats, Kutch-Kutchi Saraswats, Rajapur-
Rajapur Saraswats, Punjab-Punjab Saraswats,
Rajasthan-Rajasthan Saraswats and Chitrapur-
Chitrapur Saraswats.
Culture and tradition
In respect of culture and tradition of the
GSBs H. H. Shrimat Sudhindra Tirtha
Swamiji has this to-say: Basically Gowda
Saraswat Brahmins are mild natured. In edu-
cation, trade and commerce and service sector
they have contributed very significantly.
Wherever they reside they identify themselves
with the locality and become one with other
people. They build centers of worship in the
places of their residence and offer prayers for
the welfare of the people of the locality. They
seek the assistance of the people in their own
community and rarely do they seek the help of
others, even if they are in great financial diffi-
culties. They are always conscious of respect
and honor instead of wealth and money. For
all their religious and cultural activities they
collect donations and subscriptions from their
own people. They have an attitude of helping
others and they hold Swamiji, God and
Dharma in high esteem. Even if they are in
difficulties or even if they are away from their
home and town they communicate with each
other only in Konkani, a dialect which is said
to have evolved from ancient Sanskrit form
called Prakrit.
The amazing history of
Gowda Saraswat Brahmins
Lord Parshurama with Saraswati Brahmin settlers commanding
Lord Varuna to make the seas recede to make the Konkan.
The Konkani migration map.
Sri Mangeshi Devasthanam
The second & third waves Brother communities
special section
Historical view 2
D
ue to geo-morphosis in the
Himalayas, the Saraswati began
to dry up and the Saraswats were
forced to migrate to greener pastures.
Some went to Kashmir in the north, oth-
ers went eastward. Few made their way to
the Konkan and Goa. These came to be
recognized as Goud Saraswats or
Dakshinatya Saraswats, to distinguish
them from other Saraswat groups of the
north.
This community was called ' Goud'
because they were followers of Monism
or Advaita as preached by Shri
Goudapadacharya, who was guru of Shri
Govinda Padacharya whose direct disci-
ple was the great Shri Shankaracharya,
who resurrected Hinduism or Vedic reli-
gion in India. Shri Gaudapadacharya
Mutt, first mutt of Saraswats dedicated to
the memory of Goudapadacharya was
established in Keloshi (Quellosim) in Goa
in the 8th century AD. He later moved to
Kaivalyapura or Kavale in Goa as the
mutt at Keloshi was destroyed in 1564
AD. To this day, the swamis of Kavale
math are known as Goudapadacharyas.
Kavale Math is the Goud Saraswat com-
munity's Adimath (first math) and three
main sub-sects of Dakshinatya Saraswats
Sashtikar, Shenvis (Karbharis), and
Chitrapur Saraswats (Bhanaps) were
known as Goud Saraswats or Konkani
Brahmins until 300 years ago. Other
Saraswat subsects include Pednekars,
Rajapur Saraswat Brahmins Balavalikars
and kudaldeshkars. In the 13th century,
Dwaita (Vaishnava) philosophy advocat-
ed by Madhvacharya became popular and
many Saraswats adopted Vaishnavism.
They continued to worship the deities
they brought with them from the north.
These were 'Mahan Girish' or Mangueshi,
Shakti or Shanta durga, Vishnu, Ganesh
and Surya. They form the 'Panchayatan'
or five deities, sacred to all Saraswats.
The Saraswat Brahmins are mentioned in
the Vedas, the Ramayana, the
Mahabharata, the Bhagavata and even the
Bhavisyottara Purana. They may have
come from Central Asia to the Indian sub-
continent through the Hindu-Kush moun-
tains and the Khyber pass to south in
about 20001500 BC or they were indige-
nous. The meaning of 'Saraswat' has more
than one origin. One refers to 'offspring
of Saraswati the goddess of learning
applied usually to learned and scholarly
people. It may denote the residents of
Saraswati river basin. The Brahmins of
this region who are referred to as
'Saraswats' in Mahabharata and Puranas
were learned in Vedic lore. They concen-
trated on studying subjects like astrono-
my, metaphysics, medicine and allied
subjects and disseminating knowledge.
Goud Saraswats could be found in all
the kingdoms of the western coast under
different dynasties right from 6th century
A.D. Kadamba, Rashtrakuta, Hoysala,
Chalukya Shilahara and Vijayanagara
kings had given important posts to
Saraswats. There were admirals, treasur-
ers, ambassadors, army chiefs and foreign
language interpreters among them.
They were famous traders, who con-
ducted maritime trade with Eastern and
Western countries of the contemporary
world. They were highly respected and
trusted by the rulers. The spoken lan-
guage of Saraswats is Konkani.
The Portuguese traders were followed
by Christian missionaries. Conversions
began to take place under the Portuguese
in 1560. Most of the Saraswat families
left Goa with their family deities, risking
life and limb. New temples came up in
the coastal districts of Karnataka for
Saraswat deities. As time passed, the idols
were taken newly constructed temples in
Goa, though are not in the original
ancient spots. Many people migrated to
Kerala and built temples mainly dedicat-
ed to Vishnu and his avatars. The first
Vaishnava Saraswat Math of Gokarna
Math lineage was established in the year
1475 in Varanasi.
The origin of Gokarna Math comes
from the lineage of Sri Palimar Math, one
of the eight Maths established by Sripad
Madhwacharya in Udupi. Kashi Math at
Kochi came up in 1560 A.D. All the
Vaishnav Saraswats (Madhwa) are
Kulavis (followers) of either Kashi Math
or Gokarna Math. 'Smarth' Saraswats owe
allegiance to either Kavale Math or
Chitrapur Math.
Saraswats continued to hold important
posts under Keladi or Nagar rulers. Many
families who emigrated from Goa settled
down in smaller towns and villages in
Shimoga, South and North Kanara dis-
tricts. Saraswats were the first beneficiar-
ies of English education introduced in
1840. Thus they became a forward and
prospering community in the modern
context. Gaud Saraswat Brahmins are cat-
egorized by last name (indicating profes-
sion), Gotra (lineage) or Math (spiritual
guru).
17
June 30-July 6, 2012
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Sri Shankaracharya is credited for resur-
recting Hinduism or Vedic religion in India
M
ost of the GSB' s including
Chitrapur Saraswats and some
Rajapur Saraswats are vegetari-
an. Their food is usually without onion
and garlic. However some GSB's from
North Kanara, Goa and Maharashtra are
piscovegetarian (fish eaters).
The inclusion of fish in the diet is not
looked upon as non vegetarian. Legend
has it that when the Saraswati River dried
up, the Saraswats who could not farm,
were permitted to eat sea food/fish. The
fish were euphemistically called Sea
Vegetable (Jal Kaay).
However they too eat only vegetarian
food without onion and garlic on festival
days and on Mondays, which is auspi-
cious for Lord Shiva. The recipes use
large amounts of coconut and spices.
Rice is the staple food of all GSB's.
Some of the special recipes of GSB's
are- Daali thoy (Konkani dal. Most
famous recipe of the GSB's), Beebe-
upkari (cashew based), Val val (Mixed
vegetable stew, adapted from the French)
, Patrode (Colocasia leaves in spicy bat-
ter),Chana Ghashi (Chickpeas in coconut
gravy),Kadgi chakko (Raw jackfruit side
dish), Avnas ambe sasam (Pineapple
mango gravy), Patoli(coconut and jag-
gery in turmeric leaves), Muga mole ran-
dayi(Sprouted moong daal side dish),
Payasu(kheer made from milk and dry
fruits).
L
ike most communities, the Gowda
Saraswat Brahmins have rituals
which occur throughout the life
cycle.
Barso: During the eighth month the
mother moves to her parental home antic-
ipating childbirth. On eleventh day of
child birth barso is held. Child's ears are
pierced, child is named and cradled on
this day. The grandmother whispers the
child's name into his/her ear and a horo-
scope is cast. When the child turns 3
months old, a visit to the temple is done
and thereafter, the child goes to the
father's abode.
Chawla: When the child is 2 years,
before he completes third year the
"Chawla" (Child's first hair cut) ceremo-
ny is held.
Munji: When a male child turns 8 years
old, the Munji (Konkani word for
Upanayanam) is performed. In this cere-
mony, the jannuvey or the sacred thread is
placed on the left shoulder of the child.
From that day on he becomes an official
member of his caste and is called a dwija
(translated in English as "twice-born") and
expected to practice extreme discipline
during this period known as brahmacharya.
The thread is changed every year in a festi-
val. The main rituals in a GSB munji are
Devatha Prarthana, Ganapathi Puja, Udada
Murthu, Matrubhojan, Yajnopavita
Dharana, Brahmachari Agnikaryam,
Savitri Upadesha, Danda Dharana,
Matrabiksha etc.
Marriage: A typical GSB marriage
consists of the following events Varan
Appoche, Nandi, Nishchaithambul,
Yedur Kansnani, Urdha Murthu, Kashi
Yatra, Lagna, Havan Purnavati,
Chautanan, Tulsi Puja and Mandal
Virajan.
Death Ceremonies: The other
extremely important rituals for the GSB's
are the death ceremonies. All GSB's are
cremated according to Vedic rites, usual-
ly within a day of the individuals death.
The death rites include a 13-day ceremo-
ny. The ashes of the departed are
immersed at a confluence of two rivers
(sangam) or the sea. Like all other
Hindus, the preference is for the ashes to
be immersed in the Ganges, Godavari
river or river Kaveri. There is also a year-
ly shraddha that needs to be performed.
These rituals are expected to be per-
formed only by male descendants
(preferably the eldest son) of the
deceased.
Festivals: GSB's celebrate almost all
festivals in Hinduism. They follow the
Hindu Lunar calendar, almanac to be spe-
cific which is known as Panchang in
Konkani that gives the days on which the
fasts and festivals should be observed.
Compiled: I J Saldanha-Shet. (With
reference to various published sources).
Saraswat cuisine
Chief rituals of GSBs
special section
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24
June 30-July 6, 2012
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
By Anil Mulchandani
T
he beautiful Konkan coastline of
Uttar and Dakshin Kannada regions
of Karnataka possesses some of pret-
tiest beaches in India.
From Goas airport, we headed south to
Karwar, a town set along the estuary of Kali
River with a naval base opened in 2004-05
by the then Defence Minister Pranab
Mukherjee to protect the countrys Arabian
Sea maritime routes. Karwar s coastal
stretch is surrounded by islands like
Anjedive where men from Vasco Do Gamas
ship are believed to have found a ruined
temple and water tank. Franciscan mission-
aries visited the island in 1500 and are said
to have made their first converts on Indian
soil at Anjedive. The Portuguese fort built in
1505 was abandoned and occupied in the
17th century by the British whose tombs can
still be seen. The Portuguese rebuilt the fort
and canons were added in 1731.
Rabindranath Tagore wrote, ``Here in
Karwar I wrote the Prakritir Pratishodha,
Nature's Revenge, a dramatic poem. The
hero was a Sanyasi who had been striving to
gain a victory over Nature by cutting away
the bonds of all desires and affections and
thus to arrive at a true and profound knowl-
edge of self. Karwar features prominently
in Tagores memoirs as a place where he
stayed as a teenager when his elder brother
was in the civil services.
We visited the maritime museum which is
on the main road near Naval Base and the
Tagore beach. The INS Chapel, which
played an important role in the Indo-Pak
war during the early 70s, is now a Warship
Museum. The museum has a statue of
Paramvir Chakra winner, 2nd Lt Rama
Raghoba Rane, whose accomplishments in
1948 are remarkable.
Karwar has scenic beaches ranging from
isolated stretches to a boulevard with hawk-
ers and vendors. There are places to stay and
the Devbagh Island approached by a short
crossing has resort and facilities for diving
and watersports.
From Karwar, we drove south to Gokarna,
just off the NH17.Gokarna has become one
of Karnatakas most famous beach destina-
tion and is getting popular with European
tourists besides drawing Indian families.
The most famous site is Om Beach, which is
named for its contours and its popularity has
resulted in huts created along the beach to
house backpacking tourists and beach-
junkies. Equally attractive is Kundle Beach
which has lovely sands and runs along a
pretty stretch of sea.
Both these beaches are accessible by
descending steps and walking along sandy
trails and those who enjoy walking could
also climb the headland beside Om Beach to
trudge down to the Half-Moon and Paradise
beaches.
There is also a beach beside the Gokarna
town, which is a cultural and religious cen-
tre. The Mahabaleshwar Shiva Temple and
the Ganesh Temple attract devotees in large
numbers. Around the temples you can see
tribal people like the Goudas. This town is
also a Sanskrit education centre. From the
overcrowded town beach, you can get a boat
to visit other beaches.
Continuing along the National Highway
17 we came to the town of Bhatkal, which
has important Jain and Hindu temples. The
Khetapai Narayana Temple, built in the 17th
century, is in the classic South-Western
India style with a simple steeply pitched
roof to deal with the heavy rainfall on the
seaward side of the Western Ghats chain.
The exterior walls have fine latticework on
stone with high-quality sculpture while the
temples piece-de-resistance is the magnifi-
cent Vijayanagara-style entrance with some
superb sculpture. The Jain temples of the
17th-18th century are also worth seeing
among the best is the Chandranatha Basti.
From here, you can take detours to visit the
14th century Vidhyashankara temple at
Sringeri, the 15th-16th century Jain shrine at
Karkala, and the beautiful Jain temple of
Mudabidri.
We travelled onward to Udupi, an impor-
tant pilgrimage site. This is also the birth-
place of Madhva, a 12th century saint who
set up eight monasteries in the town. The
Krishna Temple here is set around a large
tank that devotees believe has associations
with the holy River Ganges every 10 years.
According to a local legend the idol of Lord
Krishna turned around to give darshan to a
devotee from a lower caste who was not
allowed access to the shrine. Malpe near
Udupi is a scenically attractive place.
After lunch at Udupi, we travelled onward
to Mangalore Airport for our return flight.
Karnatakas sapphire
Konkan coastline
Om beach at Gokarna
The Mahabaleshwar Shiva Temple and the Ganesh Temple attract devotees in large numbers to Gokarna.Shiva instructed Ravana that
the sacred atmalinga should not be placed on the ground as it would establish itself where placed on earth. On his way back to Lanka,
Ravana stops for his evening prayers at Gokarna. To prevent Ravana from getting a weapon as powerful as the atmalinga, Ganesh in the
disguise of a Brahmin boy, tells Ravana that he will hold the atmalinga until Ravana finishes his prayers. As soon as he receives the
atmalinga, Ganesh promptly puts it down. Ravana tries to extricate it, resulting in throwing the coverings of the Linga to Surathkal,
Dhareshwar, Gunavanteshwar, Murudeshwar and Shejjeshwar temples. A local fish vendor at Gokarna
Gowda woman in Gokarna
Photos by Dinesh Shukla
special section
26
June 30-July 6, 2012
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Not just Konkanis
From cinema to sports, from banking to theater, people of Konkani origin have created a
distinguished mark for themselves in almost all walks of life. The SATimes profiles
some of the well-known Konkani-origin personalities
Anant Pai
Lata
Mangeshkar
A
nant Pai, popularly known as Uncle
Pai, was an Indian educationalist and
creator of Indian comics, particularly the
Amar Chitra Katha series in 1967, along
with the India Book House publishers, and
which retold traditional Indian folk tales,
mythological stories, and biographies of
historical characters.
In 1980, he launched Tinkle, a children's
anthology, which was started under Rang
Rekha Features, India's first comic and
cartoon syndicate, that lasted till 1998,
with him as the Managing Director.
Today, Amar Chitra Katha sells about
three million comic books a year, in
English and more than 20 Indian lan-
guages, and has sold about 100 million
copies since its inception in 1967 by Anant
Pai, and in 2007 was taken over by ACK
Media.
A
Goan by
o r i g i n ,
She is one of
the best-
known and
most respect-
ed playback
singers in
I n d i a .
Mangeshkar's
career started
in 1942 and has spanned over six and a
half decades. She has recorded songs for
over 1,000 Hindi films and has sung in
over 36 regional Indian languages and for-
eign languages, though primarily in Hindi.
She is the second vocalist to have ever
been awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's
highest civilian honour. Lata was featured
in the Guinness Book of World Records
from 1974 to 1991 for having made the
most recordings in the world.
Girish Karnad
G
irish Raghunath Karnad is
a contemporary writer,
playwright, screenwriter, actor
and movie director in Kannada
language. His rise as a promi-
nent playwright in 1960s,
marked the coming of age of
Modern Indian playwriting in
Kannada, just as Badal Sarkar
did it in Bengali, Vijay
Tendulkar in Marathi, and
Mohan Rakesh in Hindi.
He is a recipient of the 1998
Jnanpith Award for Kannada,
the highest literary honor con-
ferred in India.
For four decades Karnad has
been composing plays, often
using history and mythology to
tackle contemporary issues. He
has translated his major plays
into English, and has received
critical acclaim across India.
His plays have been translat-
ed into several Indian lan-
guages and directed by emi-
nent directors like Ebrahim
Alkazi, B. V. Karanth, Alyque
Padamsee, Prasanna, Arvind
Gaur, Satyadev Dubey, Vijaya
Mehta, Shyamanand Jalan and
Amal Allana.
He is also active in the world
of Indian cinema working as
an actor, director, and screen-
writer, both in Hindi and
Kannada cinema, earning
numerous awards along the
way. He was conferred Padma
Shri and Padma Bhushan by
the Government of India.
Mario Miranda
M
ario Miranda or Mario de Miranda
was a famous Indian cartoonist
based in Loutolim, Goa. Miranda had
been a regular with The Times of India
and other newspapers in Mumbai, includ-
ing The Economic Times, though he got
his popularity with his works published in
The Illustrated Weekly of India.
Miranda was born in Daman, then in
Portuguese India, to Goan Catholic par-
ents. At an early age when his mother saw
him drawing his home walls, she brought
him a blank book, which he calls his
"Diary". Miranda's early cartoons present-
ed vignettes of Goan village life, a theme
he is best known for even today.
Deepika Padukone
B
orn to badminton player Prakash
Padukone, she chose to become an
actress and not pursue a career in sports.
Padukone made her acting debut in the
2006 Kannada film Aishwarya.[2] The fol-
lowing year, she made her Hindi film debut
in Om Shanti Om, for which she earned the
Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. It also
remains her biggest commercial success so
far. She subsequently appeared in films such
as Love Aaj Kal (2009) and Housefull
(2010). While the former earned her a
Filmfare nomination in the Best Actress cate-
gory, the latter emerged as a commercial suc-
cess. In addition to acting, Padukone is also
the ambassador of prominent brands such as
Tissot, Sony Cybershot, Nescafe and
Kingfisher Airlines.
Madhuri Dixit
B
ack on stage after an illustrious career,
Madhuri is cited by the media as one of
the best actresses in Bollywood. The Dhak
Dhak girl made her film debut in Abodh
(1984) and received wider public recognition
with Tezaab (1988). She went on to establish
herself as one of Hindi cinema's leading
actresses, acknowledged for several of her
performances, her beauty, and her accom-
plished dancing.Some of her proceeding
films include such box-office hits as Dil
(1990), Saajan (1991), Beta (1992), Hum
Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994) and Raja (1995).
After a relatively low phase, she reinvented
herself with the romance Dil To Pagal Hai
(1997) and subsequently received critical
acclaim for her work in films like
Mrityudand (1997), Pukar (2000), Lajja
(2001) and Devdas (2002). In 2002, she
retired from films in order to raise her chil-
dren and made a comeback with the musical
Aaja Nachle in 2007. In 2008, she was
awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-high-
est civilian award by the Government of
India. She is married to Dr Shriram Madhav
Nene, with whom she has two children. The
couple resided in the United States before
moving to India in 2011.
special section
27
June 30-July 6, 2012
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
The great Konkani story continues...
Guru Dutt
Margaret Alva
V
asanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone, popularly known as
Guru Dutt, was a well-known film director, producer and
actor. He is often credited with ushering in the golden era of
Hindi cinema.He made quintessential 1950s and 1960s classics
such as Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam and
Chaudhvin Ka Chand.
In particular, Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool are now included
among the greatest films of all time, both by Time magazine's
"All-TIME" 100 best movies. He is sometimes referred to as
"India's Orson Welles". In 2010, he was included among CNN's
"top 25 Asian actors of all time".
M
argaret Alva is the Governor of
Rajasthan. She was the Governor of
Uttarakhand before being appointed
Governor of Rajasthan. Alva became
Uttarakhand's first woman governor in
July 2009. She took over from Punjab
Governor Mr. Shivraj Patil,who was hold-
ing an addtional charge of that State.She is
a senior leader of the Indian National
Congress and was the General Secretary
of the All India Congress Committee. A
lawyer by profession, she was conferred
an honorary doctorate in literature by the
University of Mysore, Karnataka. She is
the founder President of NGO 'Karuna'.
Remo Fernandes
L
us Remo de Maria Bernardo Fernandes, popularly known as
Remo Fernandes, is a pop/rock/Indian fusion artist and playback
singer. His musical work is a fusion of many different cultures and
styles he's been exposed to as a child in Goa and in his later travels
around the world.
His music, reflecting life and socio-political happenings in India
with which every Indian could identify, became popular largely with
the growing, English-educated, Indian middle class. A popular stage
performer in India, he has also taken part in many music festivals
around the world. He now writes and sings his songs in five different
languages, English, Hindi, French, Portuguese, and Konkani.
Reita Faria
R
eita Faria Powell became the first
Indian to win the Miss World title, in
1966. After winning the Miss Bombay
crown earlier that year, she won the Eve's
Weekly Miss India contest. Reita Faria
was a student at the Grant Medical
College & Sir J. J. Group of Hospitals
where she completed her M.B.B. S.
degree.
She lives in Dublin, Ireland with her
husband, endocrinologist David Powell,
whom she married in 1971. Reita was a
judge at Femina Miss India in 1998, and
has come back to judge the Miss World
competition on a few occasions.
George Fernandes
G
eorge Mathew Fernandes is an Indian trade unionist, politician,
journalist, agriculturist and member of Rajya Sabha from Bihar.
He is a key member of the Janata Dal (United), and was the founder
of the Samata Party. He has held several ministerial portfolios includ-
ing communications, industry, railways, and defence, and was the
only Christian minister in Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's cabi-
net.
A native of Mangalore, Fernandes was sent to Bangalore in 1946 to
be trained as a priest. He moved to Bombay in 1949, and joined the
socialist trade union movement. As a fiery trade union leader,
Fernandes organised many strikes and bandhs in Bombay in the
1950s and 1960s. He was a defense minister in the National
Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government (19982004).
Leander Paes
L
eander Adrian Paes is a pro-
fessional tennis player who
currently features in the doubles
events in the ATP tour and the
Davis Cup tournament.
He is the sports ambassador of
Haryana. Paes completed the
career grand slam in men's dou-
bles after winning the Australian
Open in 2012. Having won
seven doubles and six mixed
doubles Grand Slam titles and
finishing as runner up in numer-
ous other Grand Slam finals, he
is considered to be one of the
greatest and most respected con-
temporary doubles and mixed
doubles players in the world. He
is among the most successful
professional Indian tennis play-
ers and is also the former cap-
tain of the Indian Davis Cup
team. He is the recipient of
India's highest sporting honor,
the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
award, in 19961997; the
Arjuna Award in 1990; and the
Padma Shri award in 2001 for
his outstanding contribution to
tennis in India.
Dilip Vengsarkar
F
ormer cricketer Dilip Balwant
Vengsarkar is now an administrator. He
was also known by the nickname 'Colonel'.
Vengsarkar made his international cricket
debut against New Zealand at Auckland in
197576 as an opening batsmen. India won
this Test convincingly, but he did not have
much success. He played a memorable
innings in 1979 against Asif Iqbal's Pakistan
team in the 2nd Test at Feroz Shah Kotla,
Delhi. He was a member of the 1983 World
Champion's team. He had a productive run of
scores between 1985 and 1987, where he
scored centuries against Pakistan, Australia,
England, West Indies and Sri Lanka, many of
them in successive games. At this pinnacle of
his career, He was rated as the best batsmen
in the Coopers and Lybrand rating (a prede-
cessor of the PWC ratings).
While the West Indies pacemen dominated
the cricket world, Dilip Vengsarkar was one
of the few batsmen who was successful
against them, and scored 6 centuries against
the likes of Marshall, Holding and Roberts.In
particular, Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool are
now included among the greatest films of all
time, both by Time magazine's "All-TIME"
100 best movies. He is sometimes referred to
as "India's Orson Welles". In 2010, he was
included among CNN's "top 25 Asian actors
of all time".
special section
28
June 30-July 6, 2012
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
By Smita Bhooplapur
A
n essential part of each Indian
culture and language is its cui-
sine. The cuisine not only reflects
on the kind of agricultural cultivation in
the region, but also on the tastes of native
people in the area. The Konkani cuisine
is unique because of the ingredients that
are its own. For example, coconut,
seafood, jackfruit and different kinds of
meat are popular ingredients in their
dishes.
Due to its coastal location, Konkani
food traditionally and historically
includes lot of seafood. Also, coconut use
gives Konkani cuisine a characteristic
taste.
Coconut trees are a given in most
Konkani backyards and the use of
coconut oil in preparing dishes is a com-
mon practice. Now with growing health-
consciousness, coconut oil use has
decreased but traditional foods are still
made with it.
Two other trees/plants you could find
easily here are:
Teppal a key, niche spice used in vege-
tarian and non-vegetarian dishes alike.
Bimal a fruit commonly grown in the
region is used as a souring agent and in
pickles.
Besides tamarind, Ambade used both as
souring agents and to make pickles.
Jackfruit, mango, and drum sticks also
get in Konkani food.
Fish and seafood have been popular in
Konkani cuisine, there are other foods
used, such as beef, mutton and chicken.
Rice is a staple carbohydrate in most of
the meals and consumed on a daily basis
by Konkanis.
The Konkani cuisine is a delight for
those seeking new flavors and new tastes
as there is much variety in dishes to
explore. Over the years, Konkani cuisine
has carried down its traditional foods.
However, it has also managed to attain
newer dishes as well due to creativity and
experimentation.
Indeed, those who try Konkani cuisine
will know that through its history it has
managed to encompass a wide range of
foods in the region.
In addition to the main course meals
that would have a variety of fish, meat,
chicken, and rice-based dishes, there are
other integral portions such as desserts,
beverages and appetizers that are includ-
ed in Konkani cuisine.
Side dishes could be broadly classified
as -
Urad papads which are roasted
directly on the flame, pickles and then
some kind of vegetable.
Upkaris - These are simple vegetable
dishes garnished with few fresh coconut
shavings and seasoned with green chilli
or red chilli powder.
Talasanis Unlike upkaris, here the
vegetable is stir-fried and cooked in more
oil and red chilli powder used.
Randayis - These have a base of
coconut, usually have a combination of
pulses and vegetables (there are randayis
with pulses alone or vegetables alone
too). The coconut paste is usually watery
and the dish looks like a gravy. But these
are served on the side.
The most popular in this category must
be - dudde randayi, muga mole randayi.
Sukke, sagle - These also have a base
of coconut. But unlike randayis, these
have a dry (sukke) paste.
Phodis - A masala is applied to differ-
ent vegetable pieces, then they are rolled
in sooji and tava fried.
Apart from these we have
kosambaris/kismuris, bharth, sasam etc.
Gravy dishes are often coconut-based.
Most of the Konkanis are fish eaters.
Fish gravies usually have a coconut
base - either a gravy with coconut and
onion or teppal and coconut.
For frying, fish is marinated in spicy
masala and then rolled in sooji and fried.
The meals are usually accompanied by
a cup of plain buttermilk or in kokum
season, a cup of kokum kadi.
Kairi ani Chana Gashi / Raw Mango
and Kabuli Chana Coconut Curry
This coconut curry is a delightful com-
bination of spicy, sweet and sour. In
Konkani cuisine, it is common to find a
seasoned coconut curry with the combi-
nation of bean/legume and or vegetable.
The ground coconut paste is called
Maasolu and depending on the type of
seasoning (mustard, garlic, onion), the
curry is referred to as that (Ambat/kod-
del/ghashi).
This serves well with rice, yogurt rice
or with Rotis/Chapathis.
Serves: 3-4 people
Ingredients
1 raw mango/green mango/kairi
cup kabuli chana/ garbanzo beans/
any chana should be fine (soak in water
for 6-8 hours)
cup coconut (shredded) [fresh or
frozen]
2-3 red chillies [roast in 1 tsp of oil]
1 Tbsp urad daal
1/8 tsp methi/fenugreek seeds
1 Tbsp Tamarind paste
Tbsp jaggery
Salt
Water (as required to make fine
paste)
For tadka
1 tsp mustard seeds
4-5 curry leaves
1 Tbsp Oil (coconut or regular veg-
etable)
Method
Pressure cook the soaked Kabuli
chana/garbanzo. Keep aside to cool.
Meanwhile roast the red chilies in a
little oil till they are crispy.
Roast the urad daal, methi in a drop
of oil until it turns light brown.
Grind the roasted chillies along with
coconut, tamarind, urad dal, methi to a
smooth paste. Add water as required.
Wash the raw mango thoroughly and
chop into big bite size pieces (along with
skin).
Boil a little water in a sauce pan and
add the chopped raw mango.
When it is half cooked, add the
coconut paste/masala, salt, jaggery, and
add the boiled kabuli chana.
Simmer on medium for the next 10-
15 minutes until the gravy thickens a bit
and then switch off the gas.
In another small pan, heat 1 tbsp of
oil and add mustard seeds, curry leaves
and let it splutter. Add this seasoning to
the boiled curry and mix well. Cover
with lid.
Serve hot as a side dish with rice
along with Aloo Raita and some pappads.
The unique Konkani palate
special section
29
June 30-July 6, 2012
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
By Roopa Shenoy
O
n the rare occasion that I get some
time off from work, I find myself
googling Konkani History or Where
are the Shenoys from? perhaps out of hope
of finding royal lineage or to corroborate the
cut above the rest feeling I have! What I
find is definitely an ego-booster. The travels
and travails of our ancestors are sure to make
anyone proud to be part of such an illustrious
community. We have come a long way and we
can proudly claim to be the most forward,
enterprising and fun-loving folk.
The engineer in me would categorize every-
thing Konkani into cuisine, culture, language
and values. The sequence of the categories
gives an idea of just how important food is to
us (Now dont point out that values came
last!). Any Konkani worth his/her salt will
know the makings of the perfect Dalitoy, the
all but official Kul-devu. Im not a big fan
of Patrade, but you may disagree! Food is
always the focus of most of our social events.
A typical Mangalorean conversation starter
would be, Jevna kasale aaji? We may love
our sushi or pasta but theres still room for
some good ol Doodh Pak! (Though, one
may pass over the Madgane). A high point
in the aamchigele gastronomical calendar
would be Chavathi; funnily enough, for the
lesser souls amongst us, its more about the
food and who gets the naivedya Deva
paan ( and at the risk of blasphemy, dubbed
the holy mess). The Diwali special Visonu
rava fry and Motiyale Ghashi deserves a
special mention!
Over the years, the food we eat has begun to
define our cultural heritage to such an extent,
they have blurred the lines between the first
two of my Konkani compartments (cuisine-
culture). The most remarkable displays of cul-
ture would be the Kodial Theru and your
Big-Fat Amchigele Weddings. During
Theru time, Bird Watching is usually high
on every guys agenda a close contender to
Darshana of Lord Venkateshwara; the birds
and the Lord both step out in their full glory
and ritual regalia. The seasoned Theru-goer
knows the algorithm to identify the optimal
route to the temple dodging all the road
blocks, the best parking spots and always
enlists the trusted neighbors cousins mother-
in-law (another seasoned Theru-goer who was
there since 9 am) to keep a seat with a square
hand kerchief. If you take a friend along, the
common strategy is to slowly encroach into
the towel-reserved area next to yours inch by
inch (as you distract the sentinel stationed to
keep the seat with Arent you a Shenoy from
the Mangalpady clan?) until youve com-
pletely outmanoeuvred the neighbor and his
handkerchief! . Then comes the food; the
quintessential Dali-toy and Tori Ghashi
own the show. I deliberately skip over the part
following the burki-fying (lapping up the
food with a single minded devotion that would
certainly please the Lord!). The end of the
meal involves single-arm-wrestling your way
through the crowd (which usually includes a
quivering dog) striking a Statue Of Liberty-
esque pose with all the Payasa dripping
down your other elbow which is held high
above your head, the piece of Kuwale you
stepped on, lodged between your toes with
some random Mais 8-sovereign
AshtaLakshmi Vanki nudging your spine
and egging you forward. Let the reader con-
centrate on conjuring images of the spectacu-
lar Theru and not dwell over minor incon-
veniences.
For the average Konkani, weddings are a
great occasion to socialize and bring on the
bling. It is considered normal to turn up
decked like a Christmas tree, even if its the
wedding of a second cousins high school
friend, that you met briefly two Therus ago.
At almost every Konkani wedding you can
witness the Manglorean wave an off shoot of
the Mexican wave. First, you will notice the
guest trickling rate spike up at noon.
Secondly, the first circle will be near deliri-
ous with hunger-pangs in their sweat soaked
Kanjivarams and itchy baubles which seemed
like a good idea while dressing up at 5 am
before leaving for the marriage venue. And
then the eldest, most venerable looking uncle
of the bride will Vinanti to the crowds to
have lunch - which has the same effect as
waving a red flag in the bulls face. The tidal
wave of people lunging towards the food is a
rather alarming sight to the non-Mangalorean
eye. Mais and Mamus drop all pretence of
poise and chivalry, break from their stupor
and just go for it with gusto. The venerable
uncle runs for cover and trips over the wires,
cutting out the Kadri Gopalnath music for a
few minutes, providing some relief to the
newborns in the crowd. An interesting point to
note: 80% of the guests never notice the
Kanyadana and Sapthapadi - considered
the most important of the wedding rituals.
Most attendees are busy compiling the
Annual Bling Report and The
Comprehensive Eligible Bachelors Reference
Guide and debating if the new BMW parked
outside is a gift from the Brides or the
Grooms parents. (Actually it is rented out on
hourly basis to provide some fodder for gos-
sip). Moving with the times, we do have
rather elaborate Mehendi ceremonies and
cocktail parties but the puritans would cock a
snook at them Kasaki nanche kai pura.
Kaam na ve?
The common thread that binds us the world
over, without a doubt, is the language. My
ears perk up each time I hear someone speak-
ing this familiar and comforting tongue in a
strange city, and I am sure it is true for all of
us. It acts as the glue binding us all together.
Replete with double entendres and whimsical
metaphors, Konkani is the linguaphiles
delight. Personally, the lullabies and mindless-
ly cute songlets for babies are a favorite.
One of them loosely translates to Sit here,
right here, Peacock! Peacock flies to the
Kundapur temple festival lyrics worthy of
R.E.M, indeed! The witticisms scattered in the
devasthana-saleri talk could fill a tome.
Konkani & Tulu are two of the languages I
know, that have the uncanny ability to give a
comic twist to just about any talk, be it at
funerals or an uncles business running into a
loss. The tone and other subtleties twist and
turn the meaning of a seemingly innocent sen-
tence. For instance, budanti means intelli-
gent, whereas savai-budanti is one and a
quarter more, but cannot be taken quite literal-
ly (Rather than implying over-intelligence, it
is a satirical manner of speech). Brevity, is the
soul of wit and the explanation above proba-
bly butchered it, but you see my point? The
stories passed down from grandmother to
grandchild are a legacy we should protect.
Although I recently heard a pretty jazzed up
version of Mukund and Malati, (read Hansel
& Gretel) who found a box with an iPad 2 and
a Blackberry and lived happily ever after with
free apps! Heck, some alterations to suit the
changing world are inevitable and welcome,
as long as we retain the morals and essence of
the stories.
Lastly, the values instilled in us from a
young age and reinforced by seeing them in
practice all around us are what truly mould us
into balanced, loving and essentially good
human beings. Your non-Konkani friends may
call you Kokke which is an euphemism for
shrewd, calculating and crooked; theyre just
jealous you get all the good deals and are
genetically wired to process a tad faster! Your
father taught you the value of hard earned
money. Your mother taught you selflessness
by doing your laundry and insisting on serving
you hot dosas right out of the pan, even with
that bad back. Your sister taught you...well,
tolerance and patience. Those are virtues too!
The mandatory Saturday evening temple drills
that you detested as a youngster surely evoke
an overwhelming feeling of being a part of
something bigger, albeit in retrospect. It is this
community feeling that is enriching and gives
us a sense of belonging. Sure, Im all for
maintaining a secular and open-minded out-
look to the world but being a Konkani is a part
of my personality and adds more shades to it.
Life of a Mangalorean Konkani
An insider report
Konkani language uses many double rhyming words.
special section
For the average Konkani, weddings
are a great occasion to socialize and
bring on the bling. It is considered
normal to turn up decked like a
Christmas tree, even if its the wedding
of a second cousins high school friend,
that you met briefly two Therus ago.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info June 30-July 6, 2012
Pranab leaves active
politics: End of an era
R
espected among friends and
foes alike, Pranab Mukherjee,
the "most perfected politician
of the current lot", left active politics
marking the end of an illustrious
career spanning four decades in the
Congress and government.
The redoubtable number two in the
Manmohan Si ngh cabi net si nce
2004, Mukherjee has been the chief
trouble shooter of the Congress-led
United Progressive Alliance govern-
ment.
The fact that he heads 83 out of the
183 group of ministers adds to his
reputation for versatility, which few
others can match. Senior Congress
l eader Mani shankar Ai yar sai d
Mukherjee is unique as he can be
firm and yet reach out to his oppo-
nents.
"He could be firm not only with
leaders of other parties but with
Congress leaders as well," Aiyar
said.
Another trait Aiyar finds remark-
able in Mukherjee is his "elephan-
tine" memory on issues related to
pol i t i cs and governance. The
Bharatiya Janata Party too has nice
words for him.
"Mukherjee is a seasoned politician
and a good human being... he is a
dedi cat ed Congressman, " BJP' s
nat i onal vi ce presi dent Mukht ar
Abbas Naqvi sai d. Mukherj ee' s
father Kamada Kinkar Mukherjee, a
Congress politician, influenced him.
His political career started as a
deputy minister for industrial devel-
opment in 1973 and he became the
finance minister in 1982, a post he
holds currently.
His parliamentary career began in
1969 with a Rajya Sabha member-
ship and he was nominated to the
upper house until 2004 when he was
elected to the Lok Sabha from West
Bengal's Jangipur constituency.
The 76-year-old Mukherjee is a
man of unparalleled experience and
has served as commerce, foreign,
defence and finance ministers.
While the accolades have been
many, there are some brickbats too.
Accordi ng t o seni or j ournal i st
Kuldeep Nayar, Mukherjee served
t he Congress wel l for over four
decades but "the only blot on him
was when he, as union commerce
minister, went along with former
prime minister Indira Gandhi, who
declared emergency in 1975, and her
son Sanjay Gandhi, who had become
an extra constitutional authority."
Opi ni on on how Mukherj ee as
finance minister managed a slowing
down economy of late too is varied.
Nayar said Mukherjee failed as he
became bereft of ideas in the past
two years while presenting the gen-
eral budgets. "He is leaving the econ-
omy in a mess," Nayar said, adding
"he perhaps was thinking more about
his presidency."
However, political commentator N.
Bhaskara Rao described Mukherjee
as t he most perfect ed pol i t i ci an
among the existing lot across parties
as he understands national issues,
can analyse them and always found a
solution to a political crisis."
"He was t he most rel i ed upon
leader by the Congress while making
its strategy whether the party was in
power or not," Rao said.
Though Rao said his absence from
the government would be worrying
for the Congress as the country is
facing an economic crisis, Aiyar said
"the Congress is bigger than any
individual and would find a replace-
ment of Mukherjee."
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
The 76-year-old Pranab Mukherjee is a man of unparalleled experience and has served
as commerce, foreign, defense and finance ministers
Op Ed 31
South Asia: China on
diplomacy rail
By Subhash Chopra
T
he Western demo-
nization of China as
Dragon power has
tried to create a bug bear
image in the minds of peo-
ple across the world, not
excluding South Asia.
However, not everyone has
fallen for it. Even the West,
though wary, is more than
eager to expand trade rela-
tions with the fastest grow-
ing global economy.
Countries like Britain have
introduced Mandarin as
one of optional new lan-
guages being taught in
schools on par with
European and other lan-
guages. Ideological caution
notwithstanding, govern-
ments from Africa to Asia
are more than ready to dis-
card the stereotype image
of China. South Asian
countries are no exception.
From Afghanistan to Sri
Lanka and Nepal, China
has assiduously wooed
South Asian countries with
aid, trade and even military
assistance when thought
fit. Diplomatically too,
China has been quick to
exploit differences, as
between India and
Pakistan, or back a new
regime, as in the case of
Bangladesh after its birth
in spite of old ties with
Pakistan, as also in Nepal
by heavily supporting the
emerging Maoist forces
after having earlier played
ball with the royal regimes
of Kings Mahendra,
Birendra and briefly even
Gyanendra.
Relations with India have
necessarily been on a dif-
ferent plane because of
Indias size, strength and
the 1962 war between the
two countries. Yet China
has not allowed the past to
stop striking new paths like
trade with India.
On their part, South
Asian countries too have
displayed a practical
approach in dealing with
China. The Hamid Karzai
government in
Afghanistan, for instance,
has had no hesitation in
awarding the $3.5 billion
copper mining project in
Aynak area of Logar
province, south of Kabul.
Afghanistan is thought to
be sitting on copper ore
worth more than $80 bil-
lion. China has also been
selected as the preferred
bidder for petroleum
exploration in northern
Afghanistan. There is also
talk of rail and road proj-
ects some time in the
future.
Pakistans relations with
China go a long while
back, especially to days
when it brokered a thaw
between Beijing and
Washington under Nixon
and Kissinger administra-
tion. The building of
Karrakoram Highway
through northern Kashmir
territory controlled by
Pakistan but disputed by
India has led to a highly
piquant situation between
New Delhi and Beijing.
Sino-Indian territorial dis-
putes, of course, go back to
British Indian colonial
times left unresolved since
the Durand Line border
drawn up by the British but
unrecognized by China and
Afghanistan. The resultant
issues have been made
more complex by Chinas
recent involvement in the
Gilgit region of Kashmir.
Fortunately, barring the
odd diplomatic spat, India
and China have successful-
ly charted the new path of
bilateral trade relations,
while putting aside border
disputes. Indeed the border
trade between the two
countries has crossed the
$60 billion mark in less
than a decade , and is rac-
ing towards the $100 bil-
lion level. Whatever the
historical territorial bag-
gage, the two Asian giants
have no desire to give up
the fruits of trade for the
sake of barren land strips
where not a blade of grass
grows. That is not to say
that the two giants are any-
where near the Hindi-
Chini bhai-bhai (brotherly
) euphoric days.
Chinas forays into Sri
Lanka and the Maldives or
Bangladesh and Nepal con-
tinue to be watched closely
by India. Chinas establish-
ment of a fully fledged
embassy in the Maldives
and its tourist spending in
the island nation, outstrip-
ping the combined spend-
ing of Western tourists,
have not gone un-noticed
by India.
Bangladesh too has its
arms open for aid and trade
with China which is
already a major trading
partner, with total volume
topping $7 billion by 2010.
China, in turn, has its eye
on opening a trade route to
the Bay of Bengal via
Myanmar for its land-
locked south western
province of Yunan.
Overall, the Chinese
impact on South Asia
keeps a fine balance
between economic and
strategic influence.
In fact strategic influ-
ence derives its strength
from trade and economic
cooperation, which is per-
haps overly interpreted as
hegemony.
India and China have successfully charted the new path of
bilateral trade relations
32 Diaspora & Subcontinent
June 30-July 6, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
New Delhi: Ahead of
his outreach visit to
Central Asia in the first
week of July, External
Affairs Minister S.M.
Krishna said he had
asked embassies and
consulates to be
"responsive" and
"proactive" in mitigat-
ing problems of expatri-
ates living around the
world.
Krishna will be meet-
ing heads of Indian mis-
sions in the region next
week. Over the last few
months, he has held
such interactions on a
regional basis in Singapore, Cairo,
Abu Dhabi, Madrid and Havana.
"In the meetings (with heads of
Indian missions) that I have been
having in various regions of the
world, what we have done is to try
analyse the various issues and prob-
lems of Indian expatriates in the
respective countries, and how they
look at the global developments of
the region," Krishna said.
"The feedback that I have got so
far is that this has served an impor-
tant and useful purpose of the
ambassadors in that region trying to
share their perceptions, views and
experience with their colleagues and
their counterparts," Krishna said.
Based on the interaction, the min-
istry of external affairs will prepare
an assessment and provide the need-
ed inputs.
Krishna said the message he had
been persistently providing to the
heads of missions is to "treat our
own people well".
Giving examples of racial attacks
against Indians in Australia a couple
of years ago, Krishna said the Indian
missions in Sydney and Melbourne
had begun walk-in meetings with
officers for Indians on Fridays.
"With that, the problems of
Indians in Australia has been sub-
stantially solved, if not eliminated.
"So, in many other nations, partic-
ularly where we have a large expa-
triate population making substantial
remittances to India, it is all the
more reason why our embassies and
consulates should be more respon-
sive and proactive in terms of miti-
gating their problems."
"Particularly in the Gulf region,
when they are in distress, their
issues need to be taken up and
resolved. This has helped quite a bit
in addressing the Indians' concerns
abroad," he added.
Be responsive to expat's
needs: SM Krishna
New Delhi: India has renewed its
request to Pakistan to release death
row prisoner Sarabjit Singh after a
midnight volte-face by Islamabad
and said it was awaiting official
communication from the Pakistan
government and a report from the
Indian High Commission in
Islamabad on this issue.
"I have seen media reports about
the impending release from impris-
onment in Pakistan of Surjeet
Singh...I welcome this decision and
further renew our request to the
president of Pakistan to release
Sarabjit Singh who has been in
custody for over two decades. He
is serving a death sentence, "
External Affairs Minister S.M.
Krishna told reporters here.
Krishna's statement came after
Pakistan' s apparent volte-face
about releasing Sarabjit Singh. On
June 26, the Pakistani media had
carried reports of Sarabjit getting a
presidential pardon. However,
Islamabad clarified late evening
that it was not Sarabjit but Surjeet
Singh, his fellow inmate at Kot
Lakhpat jail, who would be
released.
Admitting confusion over the
issue, Krishna said he has also seen
media reports and stressed that
there is no absolutely no official
communication from Pakistan on
reports of Sarabjit Singh's release.
Krishna, however, renewed
request to the Pakistan government
to take a lenient and humanitarian
view and release Sarabjit Singh,
who has been in custody for over
two decades and is serving a death
sentence for his alleged involve-
ment in a string of blasts in the
Punjab province in 1990.
"As you are aware that govern-
ment of India has consistently
urged the government of Pakistan
on several occasions to take a sym-
pathetic and humanitarian view on
the case of Sarabjit Singh," said
Krishna.
"I also appeal to the government
of Pakistan to release all Indian
nationals who have completed their
prison term. I request the release of
all Indians who are serving jail sen-
tences in Pakistani prisons," he
added.
Pakistan claims that Sarabjit
Singh, who is known as Manjit
Singh there, was involved in stag-
ing four blasts in Lahore and
Multan in 1990, which claimed 14
lives. His family however, main-
tains that Sarabjit, a resident of
border town of Bhikhiwind, had
strayed across the border in an ine-
briated state in August 1990.
Surjeet has been in Pakistani cus-
tody for over 30 years. He was cap-
tured near the India-Pakistan bor-
der on charges of spying during the
era of military ruler Zia-ul-Haq and
was on death-row too, but his sen-
tence was commuted to life-impris-
onment in 1989.
"I think there is some confusion.
First, it is not a case of pardon.
More importantly, it is not Sarabjit.
It is Surjeet Singh, son of Sucha
Singh. His death sentence was
commuted in 1989 by President
Ghulam Ishaq Khan on the advice
of then prime minister Benazir
Bhutto," presidential spokesperson
Farhatullah Babar was quoted as
saying by Geo News.
India presses for Sarabjit's release, awaits response
Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna
On June 26, the Pakistani media had carried reports
of Sarabjit getting a presidential pardon.
London: Indian-origin British tel-
evision actress Shobna Gulati has
said she was forced to quit micro-
blogging website Twitter after
suffering a stream of racist abuse.
Internet users mutilated photos
of the 45-year-old "Coronation
Street" actress and posted them
online with "sick comments", The
Sun reported.
One user wrote: "You' re not
British, you' re foreign", while
another tweeted, "You have got to
be the ugliest f***** I've ever
seen".
One post read: "I'll always be
here to bother you."
Gulati, who plays the character
Sunita in the TV soap, said:
"Being racially abused on Twitter
really shook me up. It felt like
going back in time to the 1970s."
"It put me in mind of a psycho -
like a horror movie. I just decided
enough was enough. I tried to
ignore it but it started to affect my
confidence. Violent, vitriolic
hatred gives people their moment
in the spotlight. It beggars belief,"
Gulati said.
Gulati, born in Oldham to
Indian parents, spoke out after
"Towie" star Lauren Goodger was
also targeted by internet users
over her weight.
"I know how she (Goodger)
feels. It's just bullying," she said.
Indian-origin British TV
star faces racist taunts
Washington: Noting that India's
arrest of terror suspect Abu Jindal
has exposed Pakistan's role in the
26/11 Mumbai attack, a US expert
has asked Islamabad to take action
against all those involved, includ-
ing serving intelligence officials.
Jindal's alleged confession that
"Pakistani intelligence officials
were present in the control room
from which he directed the attack-
ers is explosive," wrote Lisa
Curtis, senior research fellow for
South Asia at the conservative
think tank Heritage Foundation.
"If true, these accusations will
undermine an already shaky US-
Pakistan relationship and further
tarnish Pakistan's global image,"
she said noting the US likely
assisted India in tracking Jindal
and may have even weighed in to
pressure the Saudis to deport him
to India.
Noting that Islamabad has
dragged its feet on investigating
and prosecuting 26/11 suspects,
Curtis said: "Pakistan must take
action against any individuals
involved in the Mumbai attacks,
even if it means punishing serving
intelligence officials."
"Doing otherwise would only
hasten the country's international
isolation and slide toward pariah
state status."
Meanwhile, State Department
spokesperson Victoria Nuland
reiterated US support for India's
efforts to bring the perpetrators of
the Mumbai attacks to justice.
Abu Jindal's arrest exposes
Pak role: US expert
Surjeet Singh's family
rejoices
Ferozepur (Punjab): While the
family of Sarabjit Singh, the
Indian prisoner on death row in
Pakistan, was left shocked by
Islambad' s flip-flop over his
release, there was jubilation in
the home of his fellow inmate
Surjeet Singh, who will be freed
after over three decades in
Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail.
At Phidde village in Punjab's
frontier district of Ferozepur,
280 km from Chandigarh,
Surjeet's family celebrated the
news that he would be released
soon.
"We are all eagerly awaiting
my father's release from Lahore
jail. He completed his term years
ago. Finally, he is being released.
We will welcome him at Attari
border with great fanfare,"
Surjeet' s son Kulwinder told
media in his village.
Shobna Gulati
Terror suspect Abu Jindal
Business & International 33
TheSouthAsianTimes.info June 30-July 6, 2012
Put service tax on NRI remittances on hold: Tharoor
Thiruvananthapuram: Lok Sabha MP from
Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor has urged Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh to put on hold the service tax
on remittances by non-resident Indians (NRIs). In his
letter to the prime minister, Tharoor pointed out that the
decision to impose 12.36 per cent service tax on remit-
tances to India by NRIs with effect from July 1 has gen-
erated tremendous resentment across Kerala.
"The imposition of the service tax will adversely
affect millions of Keralities, especially those working in
low-paid jobs in the Gulf region. This tax of Rs.1,236
for every Rs.10,000 sent home will be an unbearable
burden on these ordinary people... and their dependent
families at home," he said.
He called for keeping the decision in abeyance pend-
ing a more detailed examination of the "adverse impli-
cations" of the move. Tharoor argued that this was a
short-sighted measure which risked diverting remit-
tances to hawala channels and tempting otherwise law-
abiding citizens to indulge in undesirable malpractices.
"At a time when the country needs to attract inward
remittances and investment, any measure which dis-
courages these should not be contemplated," he said in
the letter.
Damascus: Syria is in a
state of war, President
Bashar al-Assad has said,
ordering his cabinet to
crush the anti-regime revolt
even as fierce fighting
broke out near the capital
Damascus. With the upris-
ing now in its 16th month,
Assad told his cabinet that
Syria was in a "real situa-
tion of war".
"When one is in a state of
war, all our policies and
capabilities must be used to
secure victory," he said
according to the official
SANA news agency.
Turkey meanwhile said it
had issued fresh rules of
engagement to its army in
response to the shooting
down by Syria of one of its
fighter jet last Friday.
And a senior official trav-
eling with US Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton told
AFP that a Geneva confer-
ence on the crisis planned
for this weekend was threat-
ened by Russia's refusal to
consider Assad's departure.
Across the country, the
violence continued with at
least 116 people killed,
according to the
Observatory for Human
Rights which said 68 civil-
ians, 41 soldiers and seven
rebels had lost their lives.
The fighting drew closer
to the capital with clashes
breaking out Tuesday in the
suburbs of Damascus
between rebel forces and
Syrian army units, around
elite Republican Guard
posts, the London-based
Observatory said.
"Violent clashes are tak-
ing place around positions
of the Republican Guard in
Qudsaya and Al-Hama,"
Observatory head Rami
Abdel Rahman told AFP in
Beirut.
It was the first time that
artillery had been used "so
close to the capital", he
added.
"This development is
important because it's the
heaviest fighting in the area
and close to the heart of the
capital."
President Assad says
Syria 'in a state of war'
At least 116 people have been killed in the violence so far
Athens: Assailants
attacked the offices of
Microsoft in Athens, driv-
ing a van through the front
doors and setting off an
incendiary device that
burned the building
entrance, police said.
There were no reports of
injuries in the pre-dawn
attack on the U.S. compa-
ny' s headquarters in the
Greek capital, located in
the Maroussi suburb north
of the city center.
Police said initial infor-
mation indicated three peo-
ple had been inside the
van. They forced the two
security guards at the
building to leave before
they reversed the van into
the front entrance, smash-
ing the door.
The two security guards
were giving testimony to
police.
The assailants then trig-
gered an incendiary device
inside the van that police
said appeared to have con-
sisted of camping gas can-
isters and several contain-
ers of gasoline.
Police forensic teams
examined the burned-out
van, which was still out-
side the blackened entrance
later Monday morning.
Authorities said no warn-
ing call had been made
before the attack. There
was no immediate claim of
responsibility.
Greece has experienced
attacks by several small
armed anarchist or domes-
tic terrorist groups for
decades, which usually tar-
get official buildings,
banks or symbols of state
power with small bombs or
incendiary devices. The
attacks usually occur late
at night and rarely cause
injuries.
Although they have died
down over the past year,
attacks had spiked follow-
ing the fatal police shoot-
ing of a teenager in Athens
in December 2008 that led
to widespread riots across
the country.
Assailants attack Microsoft
headquarters in Athens
There were no reports of injuries in the
pre-dawn attack
New Delhi: On his first day after
taking additional charge of the
finance ministry, Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh set about putting
together a unified mechanism for
the ministry. As part of that exer-
cise, Singh met key advisors.
The meetings focused on mecha-
nisms for taking inputs and making
policy decision, which will
announced soon.
Singh faces a slew of challenges,
key among them slowing growth,
rising inflation, a ballooning fiscal
deficit and a falling rupee.
The toughest challenge for the
Prime Minister is to push growth
back to at least the 7 per cent lev-
els. The Budget estimate for the
current fiscal is 7.6 per cent, with a
margin of error of around 0.25 per
cent. With GDP growth dipping to
6.5 per cent last fiscal, and a nine-
year low of 5.3 per cent for March
quarter, reviving growth will likely
be a priority.
Additionally, he must also take
steps to boost investor confidence,
which has taken a hit after the
introduction of retrospective tax
laws, and the new General Anti-
Avoidance Rules (GAAR).
The monsoon this year has also
been weaker than usual, raising
concerns that agricultural output
could fall, putting more pressure on
the government to raise minimum
support prices for crops. This, in
turn, could push the subsidy bill
higher. A poor crop could also
force farmers to opt for the national
jobs program, the Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment
Guarantee scheme, which would
also push up the governments
expenditure and add to the deficit.
India's economic crisis: PM
meets top advisors
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
with UPA's President nominee
Pranab Mukherjee
Mumbai/New Delhi: In a bid to
prop up the battered rupee, the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
hiked the limit of overseas invest-
ments in government bonds and
announced a few other measures
to improve market sentiments.
The limit of overseas invest-
ment in government bonds has
been raised by $5 billion to $20
billion and that of external com-
mercial borrowings to $10 billion.
Certain manufacturing and
infrastructure companies that earn
foreign exchange can now borrow
from overseas markets to repay
rupee loans for capital expendi-
ture.
"The overall ceiling for such
ECBs would be $10 billion," the
central bank said.
The measures are aimed at
attracting more foreign invest-
ments that would help revive the
battered currency, which hit a
record low of 57.33 to the dollar
last week.
The RBI announced the new
measures after discussions with
Finance Minister Pranab
Mukherjee and Economic Affairs
Secretary R. Gopalan.
The Reserve Bank of India said
in a statement that it has taken
measures "in consultation with
the government of India". The
new measures are introduced with
immediate effect.
However, the move failed to
cheer the markets as investors
were expecting bolder steps.
The rupee pared the gains and
ended the day 0.2 percent higher
at 57.01 after rallying 1.3 percent
before the announcement was
made. Benchmark indices of the
Indian equities markets also
ended in the red. Chairman of the
the Prime Minister's economic
advisory council C. Rangarajan
said the RBI measures will have
some impact on the currency in
the short run.
The limit of overseas investment
in government bonds has been
raised by $5 billion to $20 billion
Government bonds:
India raises overseas
investment limit
INTERNATIONAL
34 Sports
June 30-July 6, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Tennis mess: AITA rejects Sania's claims
New Delhi: The All India Tennis Association (AITA)
has rejected claims made by Sania Mirza that she was
made a bait to pacify Leander Paes and said that pairing
them for the mixed doubles event of the Olympics was
done purely on merit.
Sania in a strongly worded statement Tuesday night
ripped apart the AITA and didn' t spare Paes and
Bhupathi either for the selection controversy for the
Olympics.
But the AITA defending its selection strategy said
their decision to pair Paes and Sania was purely on
merit as they are two highest ranked players in India.
"As regards selection of teams, the selection commit-
tee on 21st June, the last date for nomination, noted that
Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna had made them-
selves not available for selection with Leander Paes
despite efforts of AITA.
The committee then selected Leander Paes with
Vishnu Vardhan as his doubles partner as Vishnu
Vardhan was the preferred partner and also silver medal-
list in Asian Games. The committee also decided that
wild card application be made for Somdev Devvarman
and for Sania Mirza for both women's singles as well as
women's doubles as without a wild card she will not be
eligible to play mixed doubles.
"The committee, thereafter, selected world No. 7 and
India No. 1 Leander Paes to partner world No. 12 and
India No. 1 Sania Mirza in the mixed doubles Olympics
event. With a combined ranking of 19 they were placed
9th in the top 12 teams to be eligible for mixed doubles.
This selection is purely on merits," AITA secretary gen-
eral Bharat Oza said.AITA said it respects all its players
and is fully aware of the accomplishments of Sania as
an excellent tennis player.
"AITA believes that Leander & Sania together are
capable of producing fantastic results in the Olympics.
The final decision of the selection committee has
already been communicated to the IOA on 21st June
2012. We earnestly appeal to all the players to unite
together, shed off all their differences, stop going public
and join hands together in the best national interest of
winning medals for the country and to bring glory to the
nation," she said.
US eye 30 athletics medals
Washington: US Olympic athletics
team is aiming at no less than 30
medals at the upcoming London
Games, said coaches Andrew Valmon
and Amy Deem. Men's Olympic coach
Valmon and women's coach Deem
expressed confidence on a rest day at
the US Olympic track and field trials.
"There is a lot of opportunities to
get those 30 medals," Valmon was
quoted as saying.
The 30-medal goal for London was
set by former USA Track and Field
chief executive Doug Logan and
backed by new chief executive Max
Siegel.
The US team claimed 23 medals
from athletics at Beijing with seven
golds, nine silvers and seven bronzes.
"We're going to have a strong team.
We're excited," Valmon said.
"Our goal is always to bring home
as many medals as we can. We are on
track to do that," Deem said. "I think
we have an opportunity to bring home
a lot of medals."
The women's team includes reigning
100m World champion Carmelita
Jeter, reigning 100m hurdles Olympic
champion Dawn Harper and reigning
Olympic discus champion Stephanie
Brown Trafton.
The men' s team comprise 2004
Olympic 100m champion Justin
Gatlin, former world 100m champion
Tyson Gay, reigning world high jump
champion Jesse Williams and reigning
Olympic 400m champion LaShawn
Merritt.
Tennis player Sania Mirza
ICC declines to make
DRS mandatory
Kuala Lumpur: The International
Cricket Council (ICC) executive
board has rejected its chief execu-
tives' committee's (CEC) decision to
make the controversial Decision
Review System (DRS) mandatory
for all Tests and ODIs.
The board approved the recom-
mendations of the CEC relating to
the inclusion of Hot Spot cameras as
part of the minimum specifications
for the DRS and the amendment of
the LBW protocols regarding the
"margin of uncertainty", but felt
using the system was better left to
judgment of the two competing
nations.
"ICC Board agreed to continue
with the present arrangement where
the two competing nations in a bilat-
eral series decide on the use of
DRS," the ICC Board said at its
meeting. After receiving detailed
match data and consumer research,
the board agreed with the CEC that
there should be continued and con-
sistent emphasis placed on the pro-
motion of the three formats of inter-
national cricket, particularly 50-over
cricket. "At the same time it was
decided that, in conjunction with the
changes in playing regulations,
there should be further considera-
tion of the branding of ODI cricket,
while being cognisant of the high
level of interest in 50-over cricket in
many countries," the ICC said.
When considering the appeal of
the 50-over format, the board
approved the recommended regula-
tion changes, including that
Powerplays be restricted to the first
block of 10 overs and a batting
Powerplay of five overs to be com-
pleted before the start of the 41st
over.
European tour should stand in good stead: Nobbs
New Delhi: India hockey coach
Michael Nobbs warned his boys
that there won't be room for errors
against top European teams at the
London Olympics.
Nobbs said the tour of Europe
ahead of the Games will help his
team iron out its flaws ahead of the
Games. The Indian team will play a
three-match Test series in France
and two invitational tournaments in
Spain that also involve South
Africa and Great Britain.
"I have always maintained that
we have to play against best teams
in the world. I am confident that
the matches that we will play in the
coming few days will boost the
confidence of the boys. The boys
will realise that there is no room
for error when you ply against top
European teams. They will punish
you hard. This experience will
come handy in the Games," said
Nobbs ahead of the team's depar-
ture for Europe.
Asked where he would expect
the team to finish, Nobbs said: "It
is difficult to predict. With a little
bit of luck we can do wonders (in
the Olympics). We are really a tal-
ented side but the boys need to
have belief and absolute confi-
dence in their abilities."
India captain Bharat Chetri con-
curred with the coach and said the
team is not going to London to
make up the numbers.
"We are not just going there
(London) to participate in the
Olympics we want to do something
for the country. A medal in London
will mean a lot for Indian hockey
as it help in reigniting interests for
the game among youngsters. Semi-
final is our first target and it is pos-
sible if every single player give his
70-80 per cent on the field," he
said.
India hockey coach Michael Nobbs
Cricket
Ultimate Bollywood 35
Thesouthasiantimes.info June 30-July 6, 2012
Asha remembers
Pancham-da, breaks down
S
inging legend Asha Bhosle
broke down while shooting
for special R.D. Burman
episode for singing reality show
"Indian Idol 6". In the episode, the
contestants are to pay a tribute to
music maestro fondly called
Pancham-da by singing his compo-
sitions. A small video was played in
remembrance of Pancham-da that
chronicled a few special moments of
Pancham and Asha during their
recordings. Asha became emotional
when a video showed Pancham-da
thanking her for motivating him to
bring the trend of Jazz and Latino to
Bollywood and inspiring him to
compose better music.
She could not control her tears
remembering the days spent with
the evergreen music composer and
credited him for all her knowledge.
R
omantic-thriller "Ek Tha
Tiger" starring Salman Khan
and Katrina Kaif will hit the-
atres on Independence Day, Aug 15,
while its trailers will be unveiled
Wednesday.
Directed by Kabir Khan and pro-
duced by Aditya Chopra, the film
will see Salman-Katrina pair on sil-
ver screen after four years. Their
last film together was 2008 release
"Yuvvraaj".
Y
esteryears superstar Rajesh
Khanna is much better but
would have to stay in the
hospital for "a couple of days", said
his estranged wife, actress Dimple
Kapadia, who is taking care of him.
"He is much better today
(Tuesday). He is not getting dis-
charged today. He will be back
home in a couple of days," Dimple
said.
The 69-year-old was admitted to
the Lilavati Hospital here Saturday.
But his recovery will perhaps take
more time. Rajesh Khanna, known
as India's first superstar, has been
battling health issues for quite some
time. His manager had said that the
actor had stopped taking food for
"three or four days".
This left fans worried, but the
actor stepped out of his Bandra bun-
galow, Aashirvad, to wave at fans
next day. Dimple and son-in-law
Akshay Kumar were at his side and
said that he was "fine".
In April, the actor was admitted to
hospital after he felt uneasy and
weak, and was discharged after
about three days.
Asha Bhosle breaks down on the sets
Rajesh Khanna
'Ek Tha Tiger' to release
on August 15
Rajesh Khanna to stay few
more days in hospital
A poster of Ek Tha Tiger.
Small films make it to big screen this weekend
Avatar 2, 3 and 4 to start
filming in September
T
he shooting of Avatar 2, 3 and 4 will begin this
September -- that was the revelation made by
Sigourney Weaver to entertainment website
Showbiz411.com, confirming that James Cameron
intended to produce a four-part saga. While promoting
TV series Political Animals, Sigourney Weaver put an
end to the endless speculation about the future of
Avatar.
The actress will indeed be involved in the new films
despite the death of her character, Grace Augustine, in
the first installment. Weaver also confirmed rumors
that James Cameron had decided to extend the futuris-
tic eco-fable to four parts, after having originally
intended to create a trilogy. The first sequel to Avatar,
the biggest box office success in the history of cinema
with takings of $2.78 billion, is not scheduled to arrive
in theaters until the end of 2014, or even the following
year, taking into account the long post-production
process needed to bring to life the graphic effects of
the flora and fauna of planet Pandora as well as its blue
inhabitants, the Navi.
N
owadays, small is big at the box
office. After san stars medium budg-
et "Gangs Of Wasseypur" set the
cash registers ringing last week, the ticket
window is gearing up for a string of small
budget movies - "Maximum", "Dal Mein
Kuch Kaala Hai" and "3 Bachelors" - com-
ing out this Friday to woo movie buffs.
"Gangs Of Wasseypur", inspired by a real
life story, is a crime thriller. Director Kabeer
Kaushik' s "Maximum", featuring actors
Sonu Sood, Naseeruddin Shah, Neha
Dhupia, Amit Sadh, Arya Babbar, Anjana
Sukhani and Vinay Pathak is also from the
same genre.
The story of the film goes back to 2003 in
Mumbai where a war against the underworld
had been declared. And the responsibility
was on two chosen officers - Pratap Pandit
(Sonu) and Arun Inaamdar (Naseer), the
shoot-out specialists.
Both are equally ruthless. Their motive is
maximum control. But they are not alone in
this game. There are other players. Moving
at every level, they take the drama through a
complex interplay of politics, land deals,
fake shootouts and dirty money.
The story moves through five long years
and ends on a railway platform.
The item number "Aa ante amalapuram" is
already popular. The other two films will - "3
Bacheors" and "Dal Me Kuch Kala Hai" -
will lighten up the mood as they are come-
dies. "Daal Mein...", Pakistani actress Veena
Malik's Bollywood debut movie, will seen
her in a double role.
The story is a tale of a budding actress,
played by Veena, who is over motivated to
become successful in Bollywood.
Dabu, a man in his forties, a total looser,
has a weak point which is luxurious life and
women. He is obsessed with this budding
actress. At some point all of a sudden he gets
rich after hitting a roll-over prize of
birthright. Dabu decides to share his destiny
and his future with her. Directed by actor
Anand Balraj, the film also features Jackie
Shroff and Vijay Raaz. On the other hand "3
Bachelors" is a humorous take young men's
love life. The story is about two young bach-
elors and one young at heart bachelor.
With actors Sharman Joshi, Manish
Nagpal, Raima Sen and Ria Sen in lead char-
acters, the film went on floors a decade back
and is seeing an abrupt release now.
The story is a mix of comedy, romance and
confusion. TV show "Astitva" fame Ajai
Sinha has directed it.
A scene from the file Maximum
Amitabh
Bachchan not
dead: Netizens
A
fake news item about
actor Amitabh
Bachchan's death in a
car accident has been doing the
rounds this week. A blog post
said, Amitabh Bachan died in
a single vehicle crash on Route
80 between Morristown and
Roswell. He was pronounced
dead at the scene by para-
medics responding to the
vehicleThe blogpost went on to
give details about the super-
star's funeral also. Memorial
services for Amitabh Bachan
have not yet been announced.
The service is expected to be a
closed casket funeral due to the
severe head trauma. Additional
details and information will be
forthcoming as they become
available.
I
was at the dentists office the other day
and came across an issue of People
magazine. On the cover was a picture
of singer Beyonc Knowles, along with the
headline Worlds Most Beautiful
Woman!
I was surprised, shocked, stunned, stupe-
fied and many other S words. Beyonc,
the most beautiful woman in the world?
Dont get me wrong. Beyonc is indeed a
beautiful woman but I thought that every-
one agreed that Aishwarya Rai is the most
beautiful woman in the world.
Indeed, when an Indian mens magazine
recently asked its websites visitors Is
Aishwarya Rai the most beautiful woman
in the world? only one percent clicked on
the response No, she isnt. Everyone else
a whopping 99 percent chose the
response: Yes, she is. Continue to free
pics of Beyonc.
Despite such overwhelming evidence,
People magazine decided to name Beyonc
the worlds most beautiful woman. I had
no choice but to call the editor of People
and get to the bottom of this.
Me: Is Beyonc really the worlds most
beautiful woman?
Editor: Yes, thats what we believe.
Me: Did you tell Aishwarya Rai?
Editor: The Bollywood actress? No, we
didnt tell her. But we informed her agent
and hes breaking the news to her gently.
Me: Was it because you thought that
Aishwarya had gained some weight? You
may have heard that some Indian publica-
tions are calling her FAT, but trust me, they
are just using an acronym for fit and
trim.
Editor: Youre kidding!
Me: Its true. Many people who are FAT
in India would be considered fit and trim
in America. Aishwarya is actually quite
slim. Im sure you already know this, but
she won the Miss World title in 1994, was
named most beautiful woman in the world
by none other than Julia Roberts, and is
still considered the most beautiful woman
in the world by 99 percent of Indian men
taking an online survey, as verified by the
independent accounting firm of Ash,
Warrior & Rye.
Editor: Thats impressive, but it really
wouldnt have affected our choice of
Beyonc. We looked at hundreds of photos
of beautiful women from around the world
and Beyonc just stood out she has this
special quality.
Me: Yes, I know she has a special quali-
ty, but I thought you looked at these
women only from the front.
Editor: We did! We try to focus on
beauty, not booty. All of us my staff and I
agreed that Beyonc is the worlds most
bootiful I mean, beautiful woman this
year.
Me: What about last year?
Editor: In 2011, the worlds most beau-
tiful woman was Jennifer Lopez.
Me: Did you tell Aishwarya?
Editor: No, we didnt tell her. But we
informed her father-in-law, Amitabh
Bachchan, and he tweeted his three million
followers to visit every magazine rack in
America and draw a mustache on J-Los
cover photo.
Me: So he took it pretty well, then.
Editor: Yes, I suppose you could say
that. By the way, do you know how I can
get rid of 10,000 Bollywood DVDs that
were dropped on our building from a heli-
copter?
Me: Just go to Edison Township, New
Jersey, and have a sidewalk sale. What
about previous years? Going back a decade
or so, who did you put on your cover as the
worlds most beautiful woman?
Editor: Julia Roberts in 2010, Christina
Applegate in 2009, Kate Hudson in 2008,
Drew Barrymore in 2007, Angelina Jolie in
2006, Julia Roberts again in 2005, Jennifer
Aniston in 2004 and Halle Berry in 2003.
Me: What do you have against poor
Aishwarya?
Editor: Nothing. We just think these
other women were really beautiful. Before
our beauty issue comes out, we spend
days poring over photos of beautiful
women from around the world some
from as far away as Alaska!
Me: Im sure your readers appreciate
how much hard work you put into this
important task searching the entire
world for the most beautiful woman. And
somehow she always seems to turn up in
America.
Editor: Yes, were quite lucky to find
her right here in America.
Me: It doesnt surprise me. According
to the U.S. State Department, America has
the worlds highest BWD (beautiful
woman density) about 25 beautiful
women per square mile, slightly less in
West Virginia. You cannot walk down the
street without running into a beautiful
woman. Maybe thats why Freida Pinto
moved from Mumbai to Los Angeles. She
was beautiful before, but now she has a
chance to be the most beautiful woman in
the entire freakin world!
36 Humor
The most beautiful woman in the world
June 30-July 6, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Photo of the week
Humor with Melvin Durai
Naked volunteers, numbering around 1700 pose for US artist Spencer Tunick in
downtown Munich as part of the city's opera festival on Saturday. Tunick's latest
installation, 'The Ring' is inspired by Andreas Kreigenburg's new Ring cycle
production for the Bavarian State Opera. Tunick is best know for organizing
large-scale nude shoots. Since 1994, he has photographed over 75 human
installations around the world.
Aries: This week do not spend on others
just to impress them. Your expenses would
rise and it would be difficult for you to save. Avoid
spending on things that are not necessary. You
would have plenty of social gatherings to attend to,
and you would make new and important contacts.
You would easily impress members of the opposite
sex and win approval and confidence of your
clients. Do not let others make investment deci-
sions for you or losses are almost certain.
Taurus: Maintain a positive outlook to
grab the best of this week. Travelling
would help establish important and long lasting
relationships. Financial gains would pick up later
in the week, which would take care of pending
bills, jobs and proposals. This period also seems
good for taking a break from your recent hectic
schedule and relax and spend loving moments with
family members. Dont be harsh in your speech if
minor differences may arise.
Gemini: This week if you mix business
with pleasure, and socialize with col-
leagues and important clients, then you would cer-
tainly stand to gain. Your expenses are likely to rise
and you would find that money slips through your
fingers rather easily, but rapport and trust that you
would build now would go a long way in improve-
ment of your career. Transfers and promotions for
some. Residential moves and renovation during
this period will prove auspicious. Keep an eye on
your weight, avoid overeating and be regular
towards your exercise.
Cancer: Domestically this period would
be sensitive therefore be careful how you
handle your family members. Difference of opin-
ion would create an uneasy atmosphere at home
making you tensed most of the time. Avoid con-
frontations and arguments, as it would lead to
nowhere. Contacts that you make during this week
would teach you new things, some of which you
can put to use to your benefit. Property or vehicle
transactions seem quite likely for some. Keep away
expensive and injurious tools and equipment from
the reach of children.
Leo: Insincere gestures of friendliness are
likely to occur. Try to stay away from indi-
viduals whom you find difficult to get along with.
Obstacles that have been pulling your morale down
recently seem to get over. Try not to overspend on
visitors and guests, although gifts and presents dur-
ing this period would be plenty. Family members
will be supportive and caring. Do not sign any
legal documents or papers without consulting a
lawyer.
Virgo: This week travel would entice you,
however your tendency to overspend
would create problems at home. Fresh business
opportunities would come through most unexpect-
ed sources. Making decisions after discussing mat-
ters would help you build a better rapport with col-
leagues, co-workers and partners. Opportunities to
go out with friends will be informative and pleasur-
able. Its time to look after the needs of your chil-
dren as they will look forward to you for knowl-
edge and assistance.
Libra: This week your professional
approach to your work is going to enhance
your position and bring you immediate gains. Past
efforts will result in unexpected gains, add to your
new income, and keep you financially comfortable.
Your ability to come up with quick solutions will
keep you in the forefront. A relatively good period
to enter into new business alliance or to finalize a
real estate deal. New relations and attachments
will develop as a result of vacation and other recre-
ational activities.
Scorpio: This week dont expect people to
perform miracle for you rather make you
own plans and decisions and you shall never regret.
Empty promises are certain from people whom you
trust the most, but dont let this effect your moral
and lower your work performance. Set yourself new
goals, and rewards will come with time. Overseas
news and business offers for some. You will find
travelling benefiting and highly motivating.
Sagittarius: This week take care of any
medical problems that you or one of your
family members may have been ignoring for some
time. You would have sufficient time for yourself
therefore you should not ignore your health and
looks at any costs. You can always fall back on
your family members for some advice. Do not take
any hasty decision and stay away from any form of
gambling and speculation. Yoga and meditation
will improve physical as well as mental health.
Foreign related matters would take shape.
Capricorn: This week concentrate on your
work as someone at a higher position is
keeping an eye on you. Your morale and spirits
seem to be high and if you show results as expect-
ed monetary gains and other, benefits cannot be
ruled out. Expand your circle of friends by joining
new clubs and participating in social activities. A
visit to a religious place or a religious person is
high on the cards for some of you. Take extra care
while driving.
Aquarius: This week meeting people in
your trade would be beneficial. Children
and spouse would provide care and love. Guests
and visitors will bring you gifts in cash and kind.
Going out with friends will be exciting and you
will learn new and different skills. Your enthusiasm
and energy will make you a star at social gather-
ings. Avoid committing yourself into any new joint
ventures
Pisces: This week expenses rise but help
from others will take care of your needs.
Romance clouds your mind and you will find it
extremely difficult to concentrate on important
work. Pleasure trips for some will be educating.
Little time for meditation and yoga will be impor-
tant for mental as well as physical gains.
Investment needs to be handled with care.
Someone close to you will get easily upset if
behave insensitive to their needs. Do not overspend
just to impress others.
June 30:
Governed by number 3 and the planet Jupiter, you
are energetic, honorable, ambitious, dignified and an
intelligent person. You are a person with outstand-
ing personality and ability to make many friends.
You are always appreciated for your sincerity and
commitment, but your need to check your tendency
to behave over ambitious and dictatorial at times.
This year new plans and projects will be alluring but
instant gains might not be possible. Great period for
consultants and brokers. Investment is definitely rec-
ommended but sudden losses due to thoughtless de-
cisions cannot be ruled out. New romance for some
as others get involved in a matrimonial wedlock.
Distant pilgrimage is certain later in the year. Dont
be too friendly with strangers and avoid disclosing
your plans, as chances of deceit are very strong. Be
extra careful while lending money and take extra
care of your jewelry, precious gifts and items. The
months of October, December, March and May will
be important.
July 01:
Influenced by number 1 and the Sun, you are active,
energetic, determined, responsible and original. You
are creative and highly result oriented person, but
you need to curb your tendency to behave reckless,
spendthrift and stubborn at times. You would get
great deal of satisfaction from your work this year.
New sources of income will improve your financial
position and your confidence will be at its peak. Pro-
fessional changes if done towards the middle of the
year will prove to be beneficial. Family responsibil-
ities will escalate and people at home will be more
demanding. Real-estate transaction towards the
yearend should bring monetary gains. The months of
August, November and February will be result ori-
ented.
July 02:
Influenced by number 2 and the Moon. You are ac-
tive, smart, energetic, responsible, systematic and a
friendly person. You are never satisfied until you
achieve your dreams. You can really do wonders
with the given opportunities but you need to check
your tendency to behave stubborn and fickle-mind-
ed at times. This year you would place yourself in a
much better position, both socially and financially.
Your high confidence and morale will benefit you in
your career. Your income would rise, but you would
also spend more on luxuries making it extremely dif-
ficult for you to plan any savings. You will expect
very highly from your beloved, which might be the
reason for some problems at times. Understanding
the needs of each other would be essential to main-
tain the harmony at home. Property disputes or long
pending matters may be decided amicably towards
the end of the year. The months of July, October and
March will be highly important.
July 03:
Governed by number 3 and the planet Jupiter. You
are a practical, energetic, business minded, brilliant
and an optimistic person. Youre co-operative and
helpful and enjoy great respect in your friends cir-
cle, but you need to check your tendency to behave
jealous and stubborn at times. New sources of in-
come will improve your financial position. New
contracts will be highly beneficial. Frequent and
fruitful journeys will be undertaken bringing you de-
sired results. A property transaction or acquiring a
new vehicle during this period seems likely. Visit to
a religious place or blessings from a spiritual person
will be high on your agenda. Your outgoing nature
will work to your advantage as you gain favors and
benefits from important people. The months of July,
August, November and April will bring prosperity.
July 04:
Ruled by number 4 and the planet Uranus. You are
generous, peace loving, dashing, systematic, disci-
plined, artistic character and introvert in nature. You
possess a strong memory and an ability to impress
others with your intelligent and witty conversation,
but you need to control your tendency to be extrav-
agant, reckless and moody at times. This year you
are advised not to trust others on important issues.
Sharing personal and secretive information will not
be in your interest. The atmosphere at office will re-
quire you to handle important jobs with more re-
sponsibility. A sudden influence of a spiritual person
will bring remarkable change in your life. Your
spouse and family members will be supportive to
your concerns and provide you with love and affec-
tion. Distant journeys, maybe overseas for some will
fetch favorable returns. The months of July, Sep-
tember, November and January will prove to be sig-
nificant.
July 05:
Ruled by number 5 and the planet Mercury, you are
active, intelligent, sensible, systematic and highly
courageous. You are a great admirer of music and lit-
erature, but you need to curb your tendency to be-
have moody, spendthrift and careless at times. This
year you will make good financial gains, provided
you take advantage of the opportunities being pro-
vided to you. Your charisma and outgoing personal-
ity will bring you popularity and win you favors.
Home front will be peaceful with family members
extending all possible help and cooperation. Spouse
and children will look after you well, but be highly
demanding at times. Wedding bells for some in the
last quarter of the year while others will find ro-
mance to keep them in the right spirit and good
mood. The months of September, October, Decem-
ber and February will prove to be important and
eventful.
July 06:
Ruled by number 6 and the planet Venus, you are
generous, practical, energetic, original and a simple
person. Your hard-work and sincerity are appreciat-
ed by others but your tendency to behave extrava-
gant and to interfere in the affairs of others attracts
enormous criticism at times. The coming year sees
new ideas and plans materializing. Perfect year that
will improve your earning power and let you estab-
lish important relationships. Support from your sen-
iors and colleagues, will boost your morale and gen-
erate new confidence. Overseas assignments for
some will be lucrative. Spouse will provide love and
care, but behave highly possessive and unpre-
dictable.
A journey preferably to a distant location towards the
yearend cannot be ruled out. The month of Septem-
ber, November and March will prove to be highly re-
sult oriented.
Astrology 37
TheSouthAsianTimes.info June 30-July 6, 2012
By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma
Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874
Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899
psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com
Stars Foretell: June 30-July 6, 2012 Annual Predictions: For those born in this week
i) Accurate Data: Please make sure Date,
Time and Place of birth is accurate.
ii) Careful: Did you check background of the
astrologer before disclosing your secrets.
iii) Fee: Discuss the charges before, dont feel
shy. Its his business.
iv) Expectation: Expect the best, if the out-
come is not as desired, never give up.
v) Consult: Take second opinion before
spending thousands on cure/remedies.
Learn about the fair value of
diamonds & precious stones.
from a Gems Expert
For appointment, please call 516-390-7847
or email consult.gems@gmail.com
A special offer for the readers of
The South Asian Times
Before you consult...
Free Consultation
38 Spiritual Awareness
June 30-July 6, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
M
illions of people go to the
movies. A movie may last
two or three hours. People
have no trouble shutting out the rest
of their worldly responsibilities,
including their children at home
with the babysitter, or even their
Blackberry or text messages, during
the movie, without any problems.
Yet, how is it that when it comes to
sitting still to concentrate within in
meditation, we cannot concentrate
for more than a few minutes?
Staying silent for any reason
begins with desire and passion.
Whatever we want to do we can
achieve. If we have a desire to
improve our body, we learn how to
silence any distractions to accom-
plish our goal. If we desire to
improve our mind or entertain our
mind, we have no trouble silencing
any interruptions to achieve our
desired outcome.
Look at all the amazing tasks
humans do when they have a desire
and how they put in time to make
their dreams a reality. For example,
people have figured out how to put
a human being on the moon. Who
could imagine that someone walk-
ing on earth, pulled down by gravi-
ty, could rise out of the earths grav-
itational pull, travel through oxy-
gen-less space, land on a moon,
without any oxygen, walk on that
lifeless surface, and come back
alive. It is remarkable. Yet, someone
had the dream to make it happen
and then set in motion all the neces-
sary steps for it to become a reality.
If we can put a physical body on a
moon, why cannot we take our spir-
it and return it to the spiritual realms
from where it came? All it takes is
the desire to do so and a will to fol-
low the instructions to make it hap-
pen, and it will happen.
Another example of making a
dream into a reality is that of the
astronauts who are able to leave the
space shuttle to do a spacewalk
safely and even make repairs or
upgrades to the ship. Is that any-
thing less than amazing?
Some people are afraid to lean out
their window on a second floor or
higher lest they fall. Yet, astronauts
venture out to space, where there is
no oxygen, and face dangers such as
the cord breaking, causing them to
float off to their death in space. Yet,
these people put their mind to doing
these feats and achieved it.
If we ever watched the Olympics,
we are awed by the tremendous
feats that athletes train themselves
to do with their physical bodies. We
marvel at their ski jumps, hurdles,
gymnastics routines, or amazing
triple jumps while skating. We won-
der how they can hurl their body
into the air and do all those gyra-
tions, seemingly defying laws of
gravity. Yet, they set their mind to it
and their body followed along.
In marathon races people test their
stamina and endurance to run miles
and miles. We marvel at how they
do it. Yet, they had a goal and
worked day after day to increase
their ability to run. They not only
trained their body, but they trained
their mind to keep at the task until
they achieved their goal.
Some people can barely swim
across a pool, yet there are people
who train themselves to swim the
English Channel. We wonder how it
is possible. But someone had that
desire and worked hard to make it
happen.
If we look at the field of medi-
cine, we marvel at how doctors
have created ways to transplant an
organ such as the heart or do deli-
cate brain surgery. For centuries no
one could have dreamed these treat-
ments possible, yet people had the
idea to develop these methods, and
they worked hard to make it reality.
The mind is a great tool to use to
achieve a goal. All the great inven-
tions, innovations, and creations
have come about due to the power
of the mind. The question is, why
cant we control our mind to sit still
to concentrate within?
For success in any field, we need
a ruling passion and commitment.
When we do not succeed at a task it
is because we take it as a low priori-
ty. Then, we do not have the will to
do it. We are focused on all the
other aspects of life. Success
requires us weeding out those time-
wasters or distractions that keep us
from achieving our goal.
In this connection, there is a story
from a novel that illustrates this
point well. Five people were being
held in a prison camp during a war.
They found there was only one way
for them to escape. They had to
escape in a hot air balloon. They
were able to escape to an area where
a hot air balloon was being kept and
were able to lift off before the
guards discovered them. As they
sailed off, they discovered to their
horror, that the wind was blowing
them over the ocean. They drifted
further and further away from land
and were fearful of how long the hot
air balloon would stay up. They
drifted for many hours over the
ocean waters and then discovered
that the balloon was descending,
getting closer to the waters surface.
One of them said, "We are going
to crash into the ocean unless we
either heat the air in the balloon or
get rid of some weight." Another
said, "We have no way to heat the
air in the balloon so we have to
reduce the weight by throwing
something overboard."
They took stock of what they had
with them. They decided to throw
overboard their shoes, coats, and
weapons which they had smuggled
out with them when they escaped.
As they threw these items into the
ocean, they each took a sigh of
relief as the balloon rose higher.
Hours more passed. Soon, they
realized the hot air balloon was
descending again. What were they
to do now?
As they neared the oceans sur-
face, they discussed what to do. All
they had left to throw overboard
was their small supply of food. With
no choice, they threw overboard
their food.
As one said, "It is better to be
hungry than to drown." They fig-
ured they could live for days with-
out food, whereas if they kept the
weight of the food, it would mean
certain death for all five of them by
drowning if the hot air balloon fell
into the ocean. The balloon rose
again and all were relieved.
Hours more passed. Again, the
solution to throw overboard the
food was only temporary. Without
heat for the air in the balloon, it
started flying lower and lower,
again nearing the surface of the
water.
"Now what?" they wondered.
There was nothing left to throw
overboard. Finally, one of the men
had an idea. It was their last resort.
They could cut the ropes that held
the basket in which they were rid-
ing. The basket was heavy, strong
enough to hold five men and their
supplies. If the balloon did not have
that weight to carry, it could stay
aloft.
"But how will we be saved?"
asked one of the other men.
The man with the idea said, "We
will each tie all the ropes together
strongly to form a basket out of the
ropes, and we will sit on the ropes
hanging from the balloon once we
release the basket from the ropes."
The men knew they would have to
hold on to the ropes for their lives,
but there was no other hope for
them. The men began to cut away
the basket beneath their feet and tie
the ropes together as support for
them. As they did so, the hot air bal-
loon had less weight pulling it down
and it rose up again.
As they sat, sitting on the support
of the ropes only and holding on for
their lives, a welcome sight greeted
them. They were nearing land. As
their hot air balloon reached close
enough range for them to swim to
land, they jumped off and swam to
the island safely.
The story has an instructive les-
son. Each time they were faced with
the possibility of their death, they
had to toss out something they con-
sidered the least necessary. They
first decided that their lives were
more important than their clothing.
Next, they had to choose between
their lives and food. They decided
they could live without the food for
a few days. Finally, they had to
decide between their lives and the
comfort of the basket. Each time
they had to discard something less
necessary than what their chosen
goal was.
For success in life, especially on
the spiritual path, we must do the
same. In our case, it is a matter of
discarding time-wasters. What are
those things that are keeping us
from our chosen goal?
Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj
said beautifully in a verse:
Begin to live your life according
to your aspirations,
And step towards your chosen
goal.
Our trouble is that we have not
yet made up our mind what our
aspirations are. One day we say we
want God, but the next day we want
to make a lot of money. Then, the
next day we want to have a physi-
cally fit body. Then, the next day we
want to travel and see the world. We
do not stick with one goal long
enough to have success. We allow
the chatter of the world to sway us
from our goal.
If our goal is to find God, we need
to stay still, physically and mentally,
in meditation. This requires us to
quiet the distracting voices that call
to us from the world outside and
from our own mind. We need to set
our sights on our spiritual goal and
silence all other distractions.
We do not realize what a great gift
simran is. We do not have to worry
about silencing our mind by our-
selves. We can repeat the five
Charged Names given to us at the
time of our holy initiation as a way
to silence the mind. While repeating
the five Charged Names, our mind
is automatically silenced. The
Names do not allow any space for
our own thoughts to distract us.
Simran is a powerful tool given to
us by the attention of the Master to
help us silence our mind. All we
need to do is make a decision. What
is that decision? We need to decide
that we want to find God and that
we are willing to put in time to
meditate. If we make that choice,
then all we need to do is sit still and
keep quiet. Five magic wordssit
still and keep quiet. Repeating sim-
ran helps our mind stay quiet. In
this way, we will be still long
enough for God to have a chance to
meet us and greet us. God will have
a chance to bathe us with the Light
and Sound. Absorbed in the Light
and Sound, we will rise on that
Current to meet the radiant form of
the Master. The Master will then
guide us through the higher spiritual
realms until our soul reunites with
God. Let us stay still for God. If we
can do so long enough, we will find
we can achieve our lifelong goal
and desireto be one with the lov-
ing Lord.
Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj is
an internationally recognized spiri-
tual leader and Master of Jyoti
Meditation who affirms the tran-
scendent oneness at the heart of all
religions and mystic traditions,
emphasizing ethical living and med-
itation as building blocks for
achieving inner and outer peace.
www.sos.org.
Concluding part of the discourse Stay still for God
Distractions keep us from achieving our goal
By Sant Rajinder Singh
Ji Maharaj
Our trouble is that we have not yet made up our
mind what our aspirations are. One day we say
we want God but the next day we want to make
a lot of money. The next day we want to have a
physically fit body. Then we want to travel and
see the world. We do not stick with one goal
long enough to have success. We allow the
chatter of the world to sway us from our goal.