Religion 15

Bollywood 19

London Olympics 24

Spiritual Awareness

The South Asian Times

NEW e YORK x cEDITION e l l e
Tulsi Gabbard: First Hindu in race for US House

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Immersion in another culture: China diary Travel, Page 16 Sahara Group buys NY's Plaza Hotel for $570 M Business, Page 23

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Arizona don named dean of Pace University School National Community, Page 8

Olympics: Saina in semis, Paes-Sania in quarters, Vijender in boxing quarters

Gagan Narang with bronze lone medalist so far.

Community excited over 1st In Day Parade on Long Island

By Parveen Chopra Hicksville, NY: The Inaugural India Day Parade of Long Island on August 11 now has a Grand Marshall in Bollywood superstar Vinod Khanna even as it continues to garner endorsements from officials and has lined up big-ticket sponsors. The Indian community is united and excited about the parade to celebrate India's 66th Independence Day in style in Hicksville with the theme "Celebrating Democracy and Unity." The parade has full support from the office of County Executive Ed Mangano and Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Jon Venditto, the town in which the parade venue falls. The Grand Marshall Vinod Khanna will be joined at the parade by Ambassador Prabhu Dayal, Hon. Mangano, Supervisor Venditto and Grand Sponsor Harry Singh of Bolla Oil. Many other prominent officials, political leaders and judges will also march in the parade. More than 30 community organizations are participating. The 3-day celebratory event commences

Shuttler Saina Nehwal and (left) shooter Gagan Narang

London: Champion shuttler Saina Nehwal rewrote history by becoming the first Indian to cruise into the Olympics badminton semi-final while the crack mixed doubles tennis combination of Leander Paes and Sania Mirza stormed into the quarter finals at the London Games here Thursday. So, Indias medal hopes are alive after Gagan Narang opened the countrys account with a bronze in the men's 10meter air rifle event. The fourth seeded Saina won 21-15, 22-20 over former World No.1 Dane Tine Baun at the Wembley Arena, before Leander-Sania blazed past the formidable Serbian pair of Nenad Zimonjic and Ana Ivanovic, 6-2, 6-4 at Wimbledon court. Vijender Singh entered the quarterfinal of the men's boxing 75 kg category with a close 16-15 points victory over his US opponent Terrel Gausha. A bronze medalist in the Beijing Asian Games four years ago, he will take on

Uzbek Abbos Atoev in the round of last eight Monday. Inspired by Saina's performance, Parupalli Kashyap played his heart out against top seed Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia but in the end lost the men's singles quarter final 19-21 and 11-21. However, before Saina took to the court, India's date with the Olympics began with a double heartbreak Thursday as highly-rated double trap marksman Ronjan Singh Sodhi failed to make the final while pugilist Jai Bhagwan fell by the wayside in the prequarterfinals. Saina would now face reigning World Champion and top seed Wang Yihan for a place in the final. The Chinese has a 5-0 record against the Indian, but Saina's superb form in the competition is encouraging. If she loses in the semis, Saina would go for bronze medal play-off and bring the country its first Olympic medal from the sport. Continued on page 4

Bollywood superstar Vinod K will be the Grand Marsha

with the Parade on August 11 starti p.m. from Patel Brothers Plaza as walk one mile north on Broadway colorful banners and waving In American flags. Continued o

Team Anna calls off fast, to enter politics

New Delhi: Social activist Anna Hazare and his team have announced they would call off their indefinite fast against corruption and proposed forming a "political alternative" as an answer to an "unresponsive" government. Making the announcement to thousands of flag-waving cheering supporters, Hazare said he and Team Anna, as Continued on page 4

Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal on fas

President Pranab approves food security ordinance

New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee Friday promulgated the national food security ordinance, which gives around 67 percent of India's 1.2 billion people 5 kg grain per month at highly subsidized rates. The union cabinet Wednesday approved the ordinance, which gives six months to the states to roll out the right to food law and also to identify the beneficiaries. The measure, the largest social welfare intervention in the world, is expected to be a game-changer for the ruling UPA government coming ahead of the polls to five state assemblies this year-end, and the general elections of 2014. The Congress said the decision should not be linked to the polls. The food bill, a pet project of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, is

Long Island to cheer India Day Parade on Aug 11

Hicksville, NY: The second India Day Parade (IDP) will be held in the newest Little India, Hicksville, on Sunday, August 11 to celebrate 66th anniversary of India's independence. The first IDP last year down South Broadway starting from Patel Bros Plaza witnessed thousands of people who marched in the parade or cheered it on. There were entertaining and enriching floats and bands. The Grand Marshal last year was veteran Bollywood actor Vinod Khanna and Guest of Honor was Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano. This year the only celeb name announced so far is Miss USA 2005 Chelsea Cooley as Guest of Continued on page 6

The ambitious measure will give two-thirds of India's 1.2 billion people, 5 kg grain a month at highly subsidized rates.

US celebrates July 4 with parades, fireworks and cookouts

part of its 2009 poll promise, the party said while clarifying that it would bring no financial burden to the exchequer and would not upset plans to rein in fiscal deficit at 4.8 percent of the GDP. The opposition, however, kept on its attack and charged the government, Continued on page 6

JAINA stages a successful convention in Detroit

The Independence Day fireworks display wowed Washington D.C. on Thursday night as revellers watched from boats in the Potomac River

The 17th biennial JAINA (Federation of Jain Associations in North America) Convention with the theme Jainism: The Global Impact was held July 4th-7th in Novi, near Detroit, MI. The meet was attended by over 3,500 delegates. Pictured is the colorful procession with some Jain Detailed convention coverage on page 7 spiritual leaders and convention attendees.

Washington: The Fourth of July was celebrated with a number of standard, but beloved, events: patriotic parades in the morning, barbecues with the family in midafternoon, fireworks in the evening and, later on, lots of partying in communities large and small across the country. Two hundred thirty-seven years ago, the

Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress of the then-13 British colonies proclaiming their independence from Great Britain. "This is a day to celebrate independence, Continued on page 6 Special Section on Independence Day (page 15-27 )

Travel 26

Heritage 28

Leadership 30

Spiritual Awareness 36

excellence in journalism

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July 6-12, 2013

Chelsea Clinton to headline Prathams NYC Gala

New York, NY: Pratham education. Prathams USA has announced that innovations have been Chelsea Clinton will speak recognized with the at the Pratham Gala in Kravis Prize for New York City on Friday, Leadership, Skoll Award Oct. 4, 2013, on the USS for Social Intrepid. The theme of this Entrepreneurship, and years gala is Journeying most recently, the WISE Toward a Fully-Educated Prize, which is equated India. with a Nobel in We are thrilled to have Education, for its CEO & Chelsea Clinton join us, Co-founder, Dr. Madhav said Dinyar Devitre, Chavan. Chairman-Elect of I applaud Pratham for Pratham. Recognized for the strides it has made in her dedication to global helping expand quality humanitarianism as a education for every child committed philanthropist in India, said Chelsea and Board Member of the Clinton. Prathams stratChelsea Clinton Clinton Foundation, Ms. egy of engaging all the Clinton tirelessly advocates for a healthier, sectors that need to work together to ensure equitable and safe world. any child anywhere gets the education he or Since its start in Mumbai 20 years ago, she deserves -- the government, businesses Pratham has become one of the most influ- and private citizens that work collectively ential forces in Indias educational system. toward a common goal -- is similar to the It currently serves the education needs of model the Clinton Foundation employs in underprivileged children in 16 of Indias 28 our work across the world in expanding states and is one of the Worlds largest non- access to quality health care and economic profit organizations in the field of primary opportunity.

India Day parade to be held on August 11 in Edison, NJ

By Ashok Ojha/SATimes Edison, NJ: Indian Business Association, a New Jersey based organization of Indianowned businesses in Central New Jersey, will celebrate Indias Independence day on Sunday, August 11, 2013 by holding a parade. It will be ninth year of organizing a parade on Oak Tree Road in Edison to Iselin, NJ. The announcement of the parade was made at a kick-off meeting held at TV Asia auditorium here on June 27 where dozens of community organizers and business owners expressed their support to the event. Welcoming the guests Kapil Shah, president of IBA said that a number of organizations including TV Asia and Indus American Bank have extended their support to the event. Mahesh Shah, former President of IBA said that IBA needed the support of community folks and businesses for spectacular celebration of Indias Independence Day. He invited various cultural and social organizations to actively participate in the event on August 11. Chandrakant Patel, chairman of IBA urged everyone to join the celebration and urged residents to support one parade to be held on the occasion. In 2012 the Independence Day celebration was marred by factional fight between IBA and a

IBA members at the kick-off meeting

rival group both of who claimed legitimacy for holding the parade. The issue went to court to determine who should be allowed to hold the parade on Oak Tree Road, the hub of Indian businesses. The issue is yet to be resolved amicably. Patel invited the rival group for a possible merger. Continuing the tradition of organizing open air cultural show, a variety of group performances will be held at the culmination point of the parade. IBA will also host a Gala Reception Dinner in honor of dignitaries and sponsors. Others who addressed the gathering included Anil Patel, Subash Doshi, Dr. Mukund Thakar and Atma Singh.

Top BJP leaders to meet IACC members

To discuss the partys impact on Indias economy if elected to power in 2014
New York: It is widely speculated that in Indias general election next year, BJP, Indias current main opposition party, will regain power and form the government. While the India-America Chamber of Commerce does not endorse any political party or doctrine, it would like its members to understand the economic impact of this possible change. Hence it will have on July 25th a highprofile team of BJP leaders, President of the BJP, Rajnath Singh, accompanied by Anant Kumar, National General Secretary of BJP and Dr. Sudhanshu Trivedi, National Spokesperson for the BJP and Political Advisor to the President of the BJP, to give its members an in-depth analysis of What will BJP do to jumpstart the stalled

Statue of Liberty reopens to public for first time since Superstorm Sandy
New York: The Statue of Liberty finally reopened on the Fourth of July months after Superstorm Sandy swamped its little island in New York Harbor as Americans across the country marked the holiday with fireworks and barbecues. A large crowd gathered for the holiday and ribboncutting ceremony at Liberty Island with federal officials and New York's mayor. Lines stretched blocks long for the boat, which left from Battery Park in Manhattan starting at 8:30 a.m. Thursday. Rodney and Judy Long, of Charlotte, N.C., were the first people in line for the boat called Lady Liberty. They couldn't get tickets to climb up to the top of the statue, but they were just glad to be there for the big reopening, they said. "It's perfect timing for it to reopen. It's really a symbol for what the country is all about," Rodney Long said. Some repairs to brick walkways and docks are still underway, but much of work has been completed since Sandy swamped most of the 12 acres of the national landmark. The statue was spared in the fall storm but Lady Liberty's island took a serious beating. Railings broke, docks and paving stones were torn up and buildings were flooded. The storm destroyed electrical systems, sewage pumps and boilers. Hundreds of National Park Service workers from as far away as California and Alaska spent weeks cleaning mud and debris.

BJP President Rajnath Singh will be keynote speaker.

Indian economy if it is elected to power? Rajnath Singh will be the keynote speaker.

July 6-12, 2013

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US celebrates July 4 with parades... Continued from page 3 the independence of the country and all its citizens. That's why I've come with my family to the capital to experience this day," Brad Rutherford, a resident of West Virginia, said in Washington D.C. Early in the morning, hundreds of people gathered in the nation's capital before the National Archives building - which houses the original copy of the Declaration of Independence where, after a military band played the national anthem, actors dressed up as the country's first three presidents, George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, read extracts from the document. "It's impressive... It's all full of flags, people on the street... I've experienced the 4th of July in other US cities, but it's impressive in the capital," Carolina Merce, a young Spanish woman who took advantage of her presence in Washington to attend the parade, said. Along with her, her friends Iaki Borda and Elisa Lopez shared a bit of shade. "It's my birthday and, since there's a lot of atmosphere today, we'll take advantage of it to go to a party tonight," said the latter. In New York, the Statue of Liberty was officially opened once again to the public after being closed for repairs to the surrounding facilities on Liberty Island that were damaged by Superstorm Sandy in late October 2012. The fireworks in New York harbor on the evening of July 4th are some of the most spectacular in the country. President Pranab approves food... Continued from page 3 which is in minority in parliament and is surviving on outside support, of skipping a debate by passing the ordinance and demeaning parliament. "Successive government have repeatedly failed in addressing the problem of malnutrition, it is a shame. Now they are bringing this through ordinance, what were they doing for four years?" CPI-M leader Brinda Karat asked. BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said it was a political step. Even Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose party supports the UPA from outside, opposed the food security ordinance, saying it was "antifarmer". The ordinance will help the farmers, countered the Congress, adding that there was no other option as the opposition did not allow the food bill to be debated in the budget session. "The bill was introduced in December 2011, and we repeatedly appealed to the opposition to discuss the bill and pass it," Congress general secretary Ajay Maken told reporters. Food Minister K.V. Thomas said the government will have no difficulty in managing 61.2 million tones of grain needed for implementing the ordinance. Issues like storage space and digitization of distribution system were being improved, he said. The ordinance has to be ratified by parliament in the coming monsoon session, likely to start early August. Long Island to cheer India Day ... Continued from page 3 Honor. Among the cultural programming is Live Music by DJ Kutcha. Food and other stall will be there of course. Unlike the parades in New York and New Jersey, the one in Hicksville brings all Indian communities and organizations together. Its founders are Bobby Kumar Kalotee, Kamlesh Mehta and Harendra Singh. Grand Sponsor is Patel Brothers. The South Asian Times is a media sponsor.

Dancing the Krishna story

Port Washington, NY: The Nartanrang Dance Academy of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan held its annual dance production, Nritya Ranjani 2013 here on June 30. Choreographed and directed by Swati Vaishnav,Kanha Ki Basuri" saw students of Nartanrang perform to songs & skits detailing the 7 major episodes of Lord Krishna's life. These skits were written and narrated by Deepak Dave, Executive Director of the Bhavan, USA, and were performed Hemant Sheth as Narad. Students performed on various numbers from pure folk dances to Bollywood foot-tappers, from a Rajasthani folk number to a Gujarati garbaraas to songs from "Kisna" & "Student Of The Year". The vivid and colorful costume design and cutting edge lighting complemented the theme. The MC was Monty Kataria. Nartanrang Dance Academy offers a graduation certificate to

The sequence Kaliya mardan being performed from the life of Lord Krishna.

students who attend the school for five consecutive years and then go on to complete a small apprenticeship during their last year. Graduates then perform solo pieces as well as a group graduate piece at the recital and receive trophies and graduate certificates. This years graduates, Shreya Sanghavi, Kajal

Shah, Anisha Jadav, Aditi Mandalaywala, and Nabiha Keshwani showcased their achievement in beautiful and touching performances ranging from all eras of Bollywood. Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay was speaker and trophy presenter as well.

Snowden is offered asylum by Venezuela

Caracas: Venezuela is offering "humanitarian asylum" to U.S. National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, President Nicols Maduro said Friday, suggesting his country could offer the leaker a way out of his apparent limbo in a Moscow airport but provided no details as to how it could happen. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega also said his country would consider such a request by. Snowden. It wasn't clear how Snowden could make it to either country, however. There are no direct commercial flights from Moscow to Caracas. And a recent analysis of his possible routes to Ecuador, a country that last week extended an asylum offer to him providing he could get to Ecuadorean territory, showed that all of his connecting flight routes to that country ran through countries that have extradition treaties with the U.S. Nonetheless,. Snowden could board a plane from Moscow to Havana, and then go on to Caracas. Although Cuba has an extradition treaty with the U.S., it has largely been a dead letter.
Edward Snowden

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July 6-12, 2013

JAINA meet held successfully in Detroit

Held over the July 4 weekend, the 17th biennial convention focusing on Jainism: The Global Impact attracted a host of holy men and leaders in their respective fields.

From left: JAINA President Dr. Sushil Jain, Jainesh Mehta, Convener Prem Jain, Vastupal Shah, and Bob Gatt, Mayor of Novi, MI.

At a JAINA seminar (from left) Jigish Shah, Mahendra Vora, Milap Shah, Arun Firodiya of Kinetic India in Pune, Dr Manoj Jain, Syntel chief Bharat Desai, and Dr Manish Mehta..

Novi, Michigan: The 17th biennial JAINA Muni Roop Chandraji, Acharya Chandnaji (Federation of Jain Associations in North and Guruvanand Guruji. America) Convention with the theme The main sponsor (Maha Sanghpati) was Jainism: The Global Impact was Syntels Bharat Desai and family. held July 4th-7th at the Suburban Shrikant Mehta of Combine Collection Showplace in Novi, International, Detroit, was a suburb of Detroit. another major sponsor. They The convention was were among many Jain attended by over 3,500 leaders in their respective delegates mainly from fields such as Arun North America and a Firodia of Kinetic India, couple of hundred from who were in attendance. other countries. The proEvents staged included gramming focused on eclectic speakers to multiple ways that address current global Jainism has impacted the issues, inter-faith panel world today and will condiscussions with representinue to do so in the future. tatives from all major reliThe keynote speaker was gions, cultural programs Sam Pitroda, Chairman of the highlighted by unique enterNational Innovation Council tainment combo of Bollywood and Advisor to the Prime Minister music and American Symphony of India. The Jain monks programs and Jain prayer cerKeynote speech by Sam and scholars from around emonies. At the convention, Pitroda, Chairman of the the world who graced the National Innovation Council JAINA announced its deciconvention included and Advisor to the Prime sion to create a one million Gurudev Chitrabhanuji, dollar educational fund to Minister of India. support the needy Jain families. The convention also observed the 160th birth anniversary of Vir Chand Gandhi, 100th anniversary of Acharya Tulsi, and 91st birthday of Chitrbhanu ji. The South Asian Times was the media partner. JAINA (www.jaina.org) is the umbrella organization of 72 centers in the USA and Canada. JAINAs President is Sushil Jain. The Convention Convener was Prem Jain. The vast majority of some 150,000 Jains in North America emigrated in the 1960s and 70s, and were predominantly entrepreneurs and professionals. About 12 million Jains live in India. Jainisms three foundational principles and codes of conduct are: Non-Violence (Ahimsa), Openness (Anekantwad), and Non-possessiveness (Aparigraha), The last and best known of the religions 24 Prem Jain, the new President of JAINA, tirthankars was Mahavira, who lived over is the Convener of Jaina Convention 2,600 years ago. 2013. He is an IITian and a founding Jain beliefs and ethics have influenced partner of Cisco. The New Vice President is Ashok Damodia, Secretary many world leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and is Yogendra Jain and Treasurer is Nelson Mandela. Gunwant Shah.

Bollywood Music Concert with Michigan Philharmonic

Two exhibits at the JAINA exhibition: A model of Jambu Dweep as in Jain cosmology, and (right) Painting by Shubha Jain, Navkaar mantra in Brahmi script.

Temple of the Jain Society of Greater Detroit

July 6-12, 2013

TRISTATE COMMUNITY

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IN BRIEF

Manavis 2nd Financial Literacy Workshop on July 24

s part of its Economic Empowerment program for women, Manavi is organizing several educational workshops in New Jersey. In collaboration with Tina Dhar, wealth advisor with The Capital Legacy, LLC, the first Financial Literacy Workshop (FLW) was held on June 26, 2013 in the premises of North Edison Library. The second workshop of the series is scheduled for July 24, 2013, at the Morris County Library from 6:30-8:30 PM. Tina Dhar is an expert financial advisor with 24 years of experience and is also the co-

IIT Bombay alumni host first networking event

founder of Minerva Foundation for Financial Literacy. Along with Tina, award-winning motivational speaker, Eileen Strong, will share her personal story of surviving domestic violence and thriving. She will talk to the audience about some key steps to build confidence and achieve success in life. Manavi is the pioneering organization in the U.S. to focus on violence against women in the South Asian community. The workshop will be from 6:30-8:30 P.M at Morris County Library, Whippany. It is open to all women. For more info call 908-405-6400.

Dancing to help the blind see

he debut production of the non-profit The Mudra Foundation: Art for a Cause left the audience wanting more. Titled Water: The Flow of the Divine, the program thrilled, inspired and educated the packed audience at the Madison Theater in Rockville Center, NY. Planned as the 10th Anniversary celebration of Mudra Dance Studio, Muttontown, NY, it was held as a benefit concert for Sankara Eye Foundation, the renowned organization thats committed to eradicating curable blindness in rural India. The program opened auspiciously with a shloka on Apah water in Sanskrit, by Dr. Sanjay Doddamani, a cardiologist who is also a trained classical dancer. This was followed by a sequence of dances rendered in the Bharathanatyam, Kathak, Odissi and Mohiniattam traditions, each interpreting water in their own unique style. The dances educated audiences on a variety of water-related concepts like, the descent of the Ganges, the significance of the Kalasha and the birth of Brahma in a lotus, among others. Semi classical dances set to the composition of esteemed artistes like Gulzar and Shanker Mahadevan brought out other dimensions of water. A splash of lighthearted folk dances added variety and flair to the lineup. There were exquisitely rendered guest performances by Vaishali Chaudhuri, Mala Desai, Preya Patel and Aarati Ramanand and

Mudra Dance Studio performers light up the stage.

their students as well as the schools of Savitri Ramanand, Syed Tirmizi and Swati Vaishnav. One of the highlights of the evening was a moving performance by Dr. Arti Datta along with her daughters Tanya and Saumya. An interesting deviation from the water theme was a performance by senior students of The Mudra Dance Studio that was especially choreographed as a dedication to the Sankara Eye Foundation. The NY chapter coordinator of SEF, Kanika Marwaha addressed the audience eloquently and gave an overview of their goals and vision for the next decade. The host of the evening was the well-known thoracic surgeon, Dr. Shahriyour Andaz. For more details of The Mudra Foundation: Art for a Cause please visit www.The MudraFoundation.org.

he first IIT Bombay Networking Event of the year called Beyond BRICS Private Equity in India and Energy was held on June 4, 2013 at the Cooper Union Foundation Building in lower Manhattan, New York. The event was attended by about 35 to 40 IITB alums and friends. The speakers for the evening were: Darius Pandole, Senior Indian Partner of New Silk Route Partners, Indias leading Private equity company founded by an IIT Bombay alum Parag Saxena , and Dr. Suresh Bhate, an IIT Bombay alum who is the President & Founder of Inverters Unlimited Inc., the only UL listed manufacturer/developer of Grid Tied Solar Inverters in New York state. Darius gave an excellent Power Point presentation highlighting the private equity industry in India. He expounded on the opportunities and pitfalls of investing in PE (private equity) investments in India. Unlike private equity investments in the US, the PE companies investing in India almost always take only a minority position in the portfolio companies they invest in. Darius explained the risks involved in such cases and how as a PE investor they protect themselves. According to Pandole, India now ranks sixth after the US, UK, Spain, France and China in terms of PE deal value. PE investments in India peaked in 2007 at $17.1 Billion and currently stand at $10.2 Billion in 2012. Darius responded to several questions from the audience and touched on the

Dr Suresh Bhate

corrosive effect of corruption affecting investments in India. Dr. Suresh Bhate gave a rousing talk on how he founded and started his venture in Albany, NY making UL listed Grid Tied Solar Inverters now used by the solar power industry. Inverters made by his company Inverters Unlimited Inc., have been used in Solar Panel installation at the New York State Governors mansion in Albany, NY and he is in the running to get his systems installed at the White House in Washington, DC. In clear and succinct style, Suresh explained the ecological importance and economic benefits of installing solar panels in residential buildings and houses. Once again, Suresh was peppered with questions regarding solar panel installation in homes from the audience.

Karsh Kale, Salim Merchant, DJ Rekha define Music Beyond Boundaries

haratiya Vidya Bhavan and Molecule Communications along with Pria Haider organized a panel discussion last week on music beyond boundaries featuring composers Karsh Kale, Salim Merchant and DJ Rekha. The panelists described how Indian music has gone global and their contribution to the music world. Each speaker narrated how they were inspired by music and the richness and mosaic of Indian music that has crossed seven seas now. The panelists also attempted to answer the question why Indian music is very much Bollywood-driven and is there music beyond cinema? Emmy Award-nominated Salim Merchant, one of Bollywoods hottest music composers, said one should not attempt to swim in the vast ocean of music but get drowned to feel the rhythm of it inside out. You cant play safe if you want to succeed or merely survive, he said. There should be a fire of knowledge about music that should keep burning. He narrated how Indian music has been adapted

A reception in honor of Congressional leaders at Washington, D.C. was organized by The American India Public Affairs Committee (AIPACom) on June 27th in which Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman, Foreign Affairs Committee; Joe Crowley, Chair, India Caucus; Steve Chabot, Chairman, Subcommittee, South Asia; Gregory Meeks, Joe Wilson, Ami Bera, Grace Meng and several high ranking officials from State Department, Senate and India Caucus participated. Joe Crowley and all the Congressmen expressed their wholehearted support in favor of India. From left: Shiv Dass, Ed Royce, Ami Bera, Jagdish Sewhani, and Joe Crowley. (Photo courtesy: Jay Mandal )

Suman Nagpal, Ajay Srivatsav, singer Sharda, DJ Rekha, Karsh Kale, Salim Merchant, Dr. Navin Mehta and Pria Haider.

in various countries and blend perfectly with global music in different forms. Karsh Kale, described by Billboard Magazine as a visionary composer and producer, said one should follow the heart if he or she wants good music. DJ Rekha of Basement Bangra fame narrated how she saw music through her DJ angle and how she adapted different forms of Indian music in her career. Indian music has engulfed the world, she added. Compiled by : Hiral Dholakia-Dave

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July 6-12, 2013

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LA doctor found guilty in Hep C Case Five Indian-American kids win White House
Washington, DC: A prominent former Las Vegas doctor and endoscopy clinic owner was convicted July 1 of all 27 criminal charges against him including second-degree murder in a 2007 hepatitis C outbreak that officials called one of the largest ever in the U.S. A former employee at Dipak Desais Endoscopy Clinic of Southern Nevada, nurse-anesthetist Ronald Lakeman, was found guilty of 16 of 27 charges against him but was spared a murder conviction stemming from the death of 77-year-old Rodolfo Meana in April 2012. Defense attorneys for both men said they will appeal. Desai, a former Nevada state medical board member, surrendered his medical license, declared bankruptcy and turned over his business affairs to family members and

healthy lunch recipe challenge

Washington, DC: Five Indian-American children are among 54 winners of a nationwide recipe challenge to promote healthy lunches as part of the First Lady's Let's Move! Initiative invited to a "State Dinner" at White House Tuesday. The group will join First Lady Michelle Obama for a healthy lunch, featuring a selection of the winning recipes and a performance by singer Rachel Crow, followed by a visit to the White House kitchen garden, according to an official announcement. "Our Kids' State Dinner is one of my favorite events of the year, and the kid chefs who come from around the country never cease to impress and inspire me with their creativity and ingenuity," said Michelle Obama. The Indian-American winners are: Shefali Singh, 12, (Falmouth, Massachusetts) - "Shefali's Scrumptious Spring Rolls"; Vijay Dey, 12, (Chapel Hill, North Carolina) - "Spring Rolls"; Anisha Patel, 11, (Blacklick, Ohio) "Kickin, Colorful, Bell Peppers stuffed with Quinoa"; Ganesh Selvakumar, 9, (Broomall, Pennsylvania) - "Lentil Spinach Soup and Mint Chutney" and Devanshi Udeshi, 12, (Sugar Land, Texas) - "Slam Dunk Veggie Burger." "I'm counting down the days until the winners join me at the White House to celebrate these healthy and delicious meals that kids everywhere will love," she said. For the second consecutive year, The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids' "State Dinner" invited a parent or guardian to work with their child ages 8-12 to create a lunchtime recipe that is healthy, affordable, original and delicious. In support of Let's Move!, launched by the First Lady to help solve the problem of childhood obesity, each recipe adhered to the guidance that supports US Department of Agriculture's 'MyPlate' to ensure that the criteria of a healthy meal were met. Entries had to represent each of the five food groups that are the building blocks for a healthy diet, either in one dish or as parts of a lunch meal, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and low-fat dairy foods, with fruits and veggies making up roughly half the plate or recipe.

Dr Dipak Desai

lawyers in recent years. The Indian American doctor stared straight ahead as the jurys verdicts were read. His lawyers maintained that he was unfit for trial because of the effects of several strokes in recent years. Desais wife, Kusam, sobbed quietly and one of their adult daughters cried out as Desai and Lakeman were

handcuffed and led from the courtroom to jail to await sentencing Sept. 5. We love you, Daddy, she said to Desai. God is with you. Always with you. Desai didnt appear to respond. Desai, 63, and Lakeman, 66, face the possibility of life in prison for their multiple felony convictions.

Neilesh Patel wins National Jefferson Award for Public Service

Washington, DC: Dr. Neilesh Patel, a San Francisco Bay Area dentist, was awarded the prestigious National Jefferson Award for Greatest Public Service by an Individual Under the Age of 35 during ceremonies June 19 at the Arena Stage here. Dubbed as a "Nobel prize for public service and volunteerism," the award has been bestowed upon many famous Americans since 1972. The 31-year-old Patel was honored for his founding of HealthCare Volunteer, which has facilitated health services for upwards of one million people around the world. The force of volunteers spans over 193 countries and is comprised of professionals from every single health profession. Patel started the organization when he was a dental student at UCLA with a student loan of $250. "All I wanted is for health volunteering to be accessible by all who want to serve humanity," said Patel in an interview in Washington. "It's now a reality." Patel has received multiple government appointments. The Indian American has served as the public services representative on the Children's Policy Council for the State of Texas, as a public health consultant for the FDA's Dental Devices Branch, and as a dental

14TH Videocon D2H IIFA weekend to host an acting, music workshop

New York: This year the 14th Videocon D2H IIFA weekend 2013 celebrates a century of creativity, passion and excellence in Indian Cinema. In order to pay tribute to the various crafts behind our glamorous films, IIFA will host an Acting workshop and Music workshop on the 2nd and 3rd day respectively. The Acting Workshop (100 Years of Indian Cinema: An Actor Prepares) will be led by internationally renowned veteran actor, Anupam Kher with the aim to decode the great craft of acting and motivate the audience to tap into their creative side. The workshop will throw light on various topics like the evolution of Indian cinema and will provide guidance to those who seek a professional career within the acting fraternity. The workshop on day 2 (5th July) is an open invitation to students and film enthusiasts to participate. This creatively stimulating workshop aims to provide consistent training along with comprehension and respect for the craft of acting. There will be an interactive session wherein Mr. Kher will discuss the trends in Indian cinema and his personal experiences working with various acting legends from across the world. This will be followed by a crash course in acting techniques, body movements, voice modulation, diction etc. and will also feature a special tte--tte with Shabana Azmi, Ramesh Sippy and other surprise guests from the In-

Dr Neilesh Patel

consultant for the Tulare County Office of Education Early Childhood Program. Patel runs a private dental practice called Sweet Smiles, which provides general dentistry, including sedation dentistry, for adults and children ages 1 and up.

Manish Dayal to star with Helen Mirren in a DreamWorks production

script by Steven Knight. Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey and Juliet Blake are producing. The story revolves around an Indian family that moves to Southern France and opens an Indian restaurant a hundred feet across the street from a Michelin-starred French restaurant, and a culinary battle ensues. "The Hundred-Foot Journey" will begin production in September in France and India and will be released in US theaters on August 8, 2014. DreamWorks' partner Reliance will distribute the film in India while the Walt Disney Company is distributing the film in the United States and in select international territories. Mirren, 67, is a four-time Academy Award nominee and won an Oscar for her portrayal as Queen Elizabeth II in "The Queen". She has starred in films like "The Madness of King George," "Gosford Park," "The Last Station," and more recently in "Hitchcock." Dayal has appeared in projects for Film, TV, and Theater. He portrayed Raj Kher in The CW series, "90210." He has also starred in "The Good Wife", "Law & Order: Criminal Intent", "Rubicon" and "Outsourced."

Manish Dayal

Los Angeles: Helen Mirren and Manish Dayal are set to star in the DreamWorks pic The HundredFoot Journey, which is based on the Richard Morais novel, Variety reported. Lasse Hallstrom will direct from a

dian Film Industry. The Music Workshop (Music: Bringing Indian Cinema Alive) will see prolific musician Sonu Nigam along with other renowned guests from the music industry throw light on the journey behind the unforgettable songs that set Indian cinema apart from the rest of the world. The workshop will also feature an interactive Q and A session with the audience to explore the factors that come together to influence music for Indian Cinema. The unique aspect of the workshop is that the guests and panellists will then use inputs and recommendations from the audience to compose a song LIVE which will excite even the most discerning listener. The Music Workshop will be held on Saturday, 6th July at The Venetian Macau, from 12noon to 2pm. Both workshops are open to students, film and music enthusiasts and attendance is free. Those wishing to attend can register at musicworkshop@iifa.com & actingworkshop@iifa.com respectively or log onto www.iifa.com

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

US AFFAIRS

July 6-12, 2013

11

Delayed employer mandate in Obamacare gives breather to some

Washington: The Obama administration has postponed one of the fundamental provisions of the healthcare reform law, responding to mounting concerns from business owners who would have been required to start providing health coverage to their employees next year. On Tuesday, Treasury Department officials announced the government would not penalize businesses that fail to provide health insurance next year, delaying what is known as the employer mandate component of the law until 2015. Starting then, firms with more than 50 employees will be required to provide at least a minimum level coverage to their workers or pay a steep fine to the federal government. Officials made the decision to push the requirement back after fielding a flood of complaints from business owners about its implementation. We have heard concerns about the complexity of the requirements and the need for more time to implement them effectively, Mark Mazur, assistant secretary for tax policy, wrote in a blog post announcing the postponement, later adding that the administration plans to use the additional time to consider ways to simplify the new reporting requirements for business owners. The newly delayed mandate has been a major point of contention for small business owners and lobbyists since it was approved as part of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. Many warned that it would cause administrative nightmares for small employers and discourage those near the cutline from expanding beyond 50 workers. This latest delay is the most consequential in a series of setbacks for the presidents signature law, which has shown signs of fragility as the initial deadline for full implementation approaches at the end of the year.

Hints that NSA is building more pervasive surveillance capability

Websites such as Reddit and Mozilla supported a campaign in US cities to "Restore the Fourth" - a reference to the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment, which protects citizens against unlawful search and seizure.

As Arizona fire rages, warning of more unpredictable blazes

Boise, Idaho: Fire scientists here at the National Interagency Fire Center confirms what seems anecdotally evident: Wildfires are getting bigger the average fire is now five times as large as it was in the 1980s and these enormous conflagrations have a capacity to grow. Unforeseen winds are swerving and turning on fire crews, and it's no longer unusual for fires to double in size in a day. Last month at Rocky Mountain National Park, the Big Meadows fire amazed veteran firefighters by burning across snowfields. The fire wasn't carried by embers, but marched inexplicably over deep snow. Unexpected fire behavior perhaps a sudden wind shift may have been at work in the Yarnell Hill fire, the out-of-control blaze that killed 19 elite wildland firefighters in Arizona on

The Granite Mountain Hot Shots of Prescott, Arizona. 19 of 20 crew members perished in the Yarnell Hill fire June 30 Brendan McDonough (inset), the lone survivor.

Sunday. U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell told Congress last month: "The last two decades have seen fires that are extraordinary in their size, intensity and impacts." A multitude of factors contribute to making wildland fires more

complicated to fight and more difficult to understand: drought, insect-ravaged trees, fewer resources set aside to thin overgrown forests. But the physics of fire remain immutable: a voracious force constantly seeking fuel to consume.

Washington: Despite US intelligence officials repeated denials that the National Security Agency (NSA) is collecting the content of domestic emails and phone calls, evidence is mounting that the agencys vast surveillance network can and may already be preserving billions of those communications in powerful digital databases. A McClatchy review of public records, statements by Obama administration officials and interviews with cyber and telecom security experts lends credence to assertions that the capability for such surveillance exists. FBI Director Robert Mueller told a Senate committee on March 30, 2011, that technological improvements now enable the bureau to pull together past emails and future ones as they come in so that it does not require an individualized search. The administration is building a facility in a valley south of Salt Lake City that will have the capac-

ity to store massive amounts of records a facility that former agency whistleblowers say has no logical purpose if its not going to be a vault holding years of phone and Internet data. Security experts, including a former AT&T engineer, say that the NSA has tapped into fiberoptic cables carrying phone and Internet data in cities across the country. Glenn Greenwald, of The Guardian who reported on the disclosures of NSA leaker Edward Snowden, is ready to report on a classified document that talks about how a brand new technology enables the NSA to redirect into its own repositories 1 billion cellphone calls every single day. What we are really talking about here is a globalized system that prevents any form of electronic communication from taking place without it being stored and monitored by the NSA, Greenwald said.

Snowdens PRISM: Friends looking out for friends

Or spying and breach of privacy: Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
By Ravi Batra ddie Snowden has unleashed into the sunlight a core shadowy principle of statecraft, which Ronald Reagan in the midst of his warm engagement with Mikhail Gorbachev seeking to end the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall, used a Russian proverb translated as: Trust, but verify. Short of soldiers and bullets, is there a better way to protect sovereignty and public safety than "looking," aka spying? The answer to the former is an easy "no," but to the latter is split - threats from foreigners are "easier," but homegrown threats have Constitutional bars, and hence, "tougher." Upon learning the name PRISM, Europe has reacted with Casablanca-like feigned shock and protested, to help those in their own public squares feel good, and in so doing kept the distance between statecraft

and internal democracy intact. Only India has acted with reasoned sanity in accepting cyber security, knowing that social media is forcibly shortening the necessary distance between statecraft and democracy, thereby forcing every government and its leaders to speak more truth, more often, to their own better-informed and better-connected citizenry. To those confused by the Arab Spring and effects of social media, it is quite simple: the citizenry is better informed and better connected, and will no longer buy "the moon is made of blue cheese," or worse, calculated and instigated hate at neighbors or neighboring countries as a distraction, with the notable exception of Syrias Assad, who has successfully unleashed sectarian violence to drown out the discontent-based Arab Spring. Instead, citizenry will use its better understanding and connectivity to make

governments perish that dont honor Lincolns promise during his 1863 Gettysburg Address of "government ...for the people...". Just ask Egypts Morsi when Tahrir Square was refilled with proud Egyptians holding their government to account well before the election cycle, and welcomed the militarys overthrow of Morsi and installation of Chief Justice Adli Mansour as Interim President (no relation to Palestines UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour). The better informed citizenry is harder to please with platitudes, and harder to govern when the floor of basic human existence is breached with tanking economies - again, ask Morsi. To make matters worse for governance, social media, in addition to television and movies, has created a higher expectation in every human being of his/her basic rights and needs - in another 25 years or so, it will

Edward Snowden, the NSA whistleblower

reach a near-universally accepted standard, such that what one is paid in New York for a particular task will be similarly paid in Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo, Mumbai, Jerusalem, Moscow, Cairo, Berlin, Palermo, Madrid, Rio, Toronto, Sidney, Cape Town and Casablanca. It would be as if the AFL-CIO had negotiated a global salary for all labor. Just "imagine," as John Lennon warned, what that would do to all governments who are forced to do more good more efficiently to more people - it would be as if the rules Continued on page 14

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July 6-12, 2013

INDIA

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

India plays down US cyber snooping reports

New Delhi: India has sought to play down reports of the US cyber snooping at diplomatic missions, including at the Indian embassy in Washington, and said it was merely a "computer study of patterns" and also cast doubts on the veracity of the revelations. "I don't think we should be raising it to such a high level... that it becomes a matter of serious question. It is only a computer study of patterns - meaning destination. It is not snooping," External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said in Brunei where he has gone to attend meetings with ASEAN countries. He said the issue was discussed during the India visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry. "Kerry and (US President Barack) Obama have clarified, there is some information that they get out of scrutiny and they use it for terrorism purposes," he said. sought, and let the external affairs ministry first find that out". According to media reports, US spies eavesdropped on European diplomats in European Union buildings in Washington. German magazine "Der Spiegel" reported that computers were also hacked so the US could access computer files and e-mails. The latest disclosures come days after fugitive former CIA agent Edward Snowden blew the whistle on massive data mining by America's National Security Agency (NSA), using its top-secret Prism programme. India has said earlier that it would be "unacceptable" if it is revealed that the cyber snooping infringed on the privacy laws of Indian citizens.

India declines Snowden's asylum request

New Delhi: India said it has declined the asylum request of fugitive former CIA agent Edward Snowden who blew the whistle on US data mining. I can confirm that earlier today our embassy in Moscow did receive a communication dated June 30 from Mr Edward Snowden. That communication did contain a request for asylum," said India's external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin here. We have carefully examined the request. Following that examination we have concluded that we see no reason to accede to the request, he said. Snowden, who is holed up in Moscow airport has sought asylum from 21 countries, including India. His US passport has been revoked.

Fugitive former CIA agent Edward Snowden blew the whistle on massive data mining by America's NSA

He said India and the US have a cyber security dialogue during which such issues are discussed. "As far as we are concerned, there

are no issues at stake," he added. Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said the "government is looking at what is the nature of information being

BJP discusses 'aggressive' campaign against UPA

New Delhi: The BJP parliamentary board discussed steps to launch an "aggressive" campaign, on "war-footing" against the UPA government for the coming assembly and Lok Sabha polls while expressing concern over the government using CBI as "a political tool". In the first meeting of the parliamentary board after party veteran L.K. Advani's resignation episode last month, the party sought to give a message of unity. Advani attended the meeting and sat next to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Advani had resigned from major party posts last month following appointment of Modi as campaign committee chief of the party for 2014 Lok Sabha polls. He had relented only after intervention from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The parliamentary board meeting was followed by a meeting of party office bearers. Briefing reporters after the meetings which lasted almost two hours, party general secretary Ananth Kumar said that the parliamentary board discussed the "misuse of CBI by the government". The BJP is miffed at the way Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has handled the probe into the Ishrat Jahan case and is apprehensive about the probe reaching the doorstep of former Gujarat minister Amit Shah. Shah, recently appointed Uttar Pradesh in charge, is considered close to Modi. The CBI charge sheet in the case Wednesday termed the gunfight as fake and said it was engineered by the Guajrat Police and the Intelligence Bureau. Ananth

LK Advani attended the meeting and sat next to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar

BJP, JD-U exchange barbs over Modi

Patna/New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar took a dig at Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's Uttarakhand "rescue mission", saying he could not do a similar act as he was not "Rambo". The Bharatiya Janata Party, long-time ally of Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United (JD-U), hit back, saying being a "Rambo" was better than being a "dumbo". News reports earlier had claimed Modi rescued 15,000 Gujaratis in a day from Uttarakhand, which was hit by devastating flash floods and landlides. "Uttarakhand is not in Bihar. Neither am I Rambo to jump in and save people. Nor am I greedy for media bytes," Nitish Kumar said responding to questions from journalists Monday. Reacting to the comment, BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi said: "People who have failed, who do not have initiative, are using such derogatory words as Rambo. It is thousand times better to be a Rambo than being a dumbo." Nitish Kumar's Janata DalUnited broke its alliance with the BJP last month after Modi was made the head of the saffron's party's poll campaign committee.

Kumar alleged the Congress was using CBI as a political tool. "We condemn the misuse of CBI. We demand that CBI should function independently," he said. He said the parliamentary board discussed the preparations for the coming assembly polls in five states Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Mizoram - at the end of the year and the 2014 Lok Sabha polls."The workers are conducting a campaign to reach individual houses. We will hold meetings of 1,500-2,000 booth workers in each parliamentary constituency and also in assembly seats facing elections," he said. He said the party was preparing on "war-footing" for the next Lok Sabha polls and another meeting of parliamentary board will be held July 8.

Railway bribery: Court takes note of chargesheet

New Delhi: A Delhi court took cognizance of the charge sheet filed by the CBI against Vijay Singla, nephew of former railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, and nine others in the alleged Rs.10 crore cash-for-post bribery scandal. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge Swarana Kanta Sharma took cognizance of the charge sheet and posted the matter for proceedings July 11. Filing the formal charges July 2, the probe agency named as the accused Singla, suspended Railway Board Member Mahesh Kumar, alleged middlemen Sandeep Goyal, Samir Sandhir, Sushil Daga, Ajay Garg, Rahul Yadav and businessman Manjunath and his aides P.V. Murali and Venugopal. Barring Murali and Venugopal, the CBI has arrested eight others named in its charge sheet. Bansal, a Congress leader who lost his job in the cabinet after the scam surfaced, was questioned by the CBI but was not named in the charge sheet as the agency could not find any evidence of his direct involvement. However, Bansal has been named as a prosecution witness. The agency filed a list of 90 prosecution witnesses along with the charge sheet and named Bansal as the 39th witness.All the accused have been formally charged for the offence of criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code and relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.Besides Bansal, the CBI has also named Railway Board's former chairman Vinay Mittal, who retired July 1, as a prosecution witness.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

INDIA

July 6-12, 2013

13

Eyeing 2014, cabinet clears food security ordinance

New Delhi: The union cabinet has approved an ordinance for the National Food Security Bill, which is expected to be a game-changer for the UPA ahead of the polls to five state assemblies this year-end and the general elections in 2014. "The cabinet has approved the food security ordinance unanimously," Food Minister K.V. Thomas told reporters after the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cleared the ordinance. The food security bill, one of the big-ticket welfare initiatives of the UPA and a pet project of ruling alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, aims to provide subsidised food grain to around 67 percent of India's 1.2 billion people. Around 800 million people would thus get the subsidised food grain at an initial cost of around Rs.1.3 lakh crore to the government. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is wary that the bill can bring electoral benefits to the ruling combine. The United Progressive Alliance chose the ordinance route as national food security bill is held up in parliament. The BJP did not allow parliament to debate the bill during the budget session that ended May 8, badgering the government on the issue of alleged faulty coal blocks allocations and sought the prime minister's resignation.But there were division within the UPA as well on the food security bill.

Ishrat was killed in fake encounter: CBI

The food security bill aims to provide subsidised food grain to around 67 percent of India's 1.2 billion people.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, who had earlier expressed reservations related to the huge subsidy involved and the interest of farmers, wanted the bill to be debated in parliament. Pawar is now on board, said UPA sources. The ordinance will now go to President Pranab Mukherjee and will be promulgated after his approval. It will then have to be face parliamentary approval within six weeks of the commencement of the next session.

Ishrat Jahan

Reveal Ishrat's terrorist links: Rajnath

Guwahati: Targeting the government over the CBI charge sheet in the Ishrat Jahan staged shootout case, BJP president Rajnath Singh Thursday said the government should disclose "her terror links". The Bharatiya Janata Party president claimed that the case was being hyped for political purposes. He also took the government to task over its handling of the economy. Talking to reporters here, Rajnath Singh said the government should disclose which terrorist outfit Ishrat Jahan was associated with. "What was her track record? With which terror outfit was she linked? There should be a disclosure from the government on this," he said. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP )president said over 3,000 staged shootouts had taken place before 2002, but hype was being created only around the Ishrat Jahan case. "Hype is being created on the issue for political purposes," he said.

Ahmedabad: Nine years after Ishrat Jahan was shot dead by Gujarat Police in an alleged shootout, the CBI filed a chargesheet here naming at least six policemen as accused. While indicating that Ishrat, 19, who lived in Thane, was not a terrorist as alleged, the chargesheet named policemen P.P. Pande, A. Choudhary, D.G. Vanzare, Tarun Barot, J.R. Parmar, Bharat Patel and N.K. Amin among the accused. They were charged with murder, abduction, conspiracy and destruction of evidence and other charges as per the chargesheet filed by Assistant Commissioner of Police P. Rathod before the Special POTA Court.

Declaring that the encounter was 'fake', the 1,500-plus page chargesheet stated that three others killed in the same gun battle of June 15, 2004 allegedly harbored terror links. Welcoming the chargesheet, Ishrat's family said in Mumbai that they have been "vindicated" after struggling for justice for nine years. "We have got justice after so many years. All allegations against Ishrat have been proved false. We are happy that the CBI states she was not a terrorist. Now we demand the severest punishment to all the accused, this is our appeal. We have suffered a lot all these years," said a composed Musharat, sister of the late Ishrat.

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July 6-12, 2013

INDIA

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Uttarakhand evacuation ends, relief work on

Dehradun: The massive 15-day effort by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to evacuate stranded people in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand concluded this week with the last pilgrim rescued from Badrinath. Officially, over 3,000 are still missing, but NGOs fear the figure could well be 10,000. As authorities continued their efforts to account for the missing and reach out to farflung areas with relief material, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) vice chairman Shashidhar Reddy said the official count of the missing was over 3,000 but the NGOs' estimate of 10,000 missing "cannot be ignored". IAF spokesperson Squardon Leader Priya Joshi said that the first phase of Operation Rahat concluded Tuesday with a group of 150 being taken out to safety from Badrinath. "It was one of the biggest heli-lift evacuation of civilians in aviation history," Joshi said. State government officials said around 1.1 lakh people stranded by flashfloods and landslides were evacuated by personnel of the army, IAF, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). They said that some laborers remain in the affected areas and would be taken out as soon as roads were restored. Officials said authorities now faced a challenging task of cremating badly decomposed bodies in Kedarnath area. The situation was compounded by a variety of factors, including bad weather. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said that over 3,000 people were missing and the focus was to reach out to people stuck in far-flung regions of the state. He said that 800 people would be evacuated from Pithoragarh in choppers. Asked about a UN report putting the missing number at 11,000, Bahuguna said that the figure of 3,000 has been arrived at with help of various agencies. He said that thousands remain missing and parts of Uttarakhand were cut off even a fortnight after the devastating floods. An official statement said that India has sought financial and technical assistance from the multilateral development agencies, especially the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), to help rebuild infrastructure in Uttarakhand. mere "looker" or a real "buyer." As to Snowden, he lost all principle-credibility and civic martyrdom when he left America, to bash it. To drive home that point is none other than the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, telling Snowden that he ought to stop anti-American activities and deeming his asylum application withdrawn. Not since the city-state of Athens has society endured chaotic democracy (mob rule) in its pure direct citizen-vote manner. Society has chosen republics as a better model. Over time, statecraft relied upon different tactics. Rome used "Bread and Circus" and Maximilien de Robespierre used Reign of Terror during the French Revolution; each, a friendly reminder of resident evil at any spot of the governance spectrum. With the representative form of republican government, statecraft is vital and necessary, and needs the governmental privacy that Snowden breached: deliberation privilege, along with the executive, legislative and judicial privileges to function. The ultimate danger is that social media has the ability, in citizenhands, to do to governments what a government can do with PRISM to citizens or foreigners. Lurking, in the shadows is chaos emanating from converting representative governments into direct citizenshipdemocracy of the city-state of Athens. The ultimate answer may well reside in the hard line of freedom drawn across history by Thomas Jeffersons Declaration of Independence, subscribed by the brave, for it led to the hallowed Constitution and its goal "...to form a more perfect union." The world, I submit, given its digital shrinkage, requires us all to "form a more perfect world." Happy Birthday America!

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said that over 3,000 people were missing

Kedarnath Valley to be fumigated

Dehradun: As the rotten smell of decomposed bodies, animal carcasses and floating wood makes it difficult for rescuers to remove the dead buried under mounds of rubble in Kedarnath Valley, the Uttarakhand government is planning to fumigate the area with herbal spray. That should make it easier for airdropped men to dig out the bodies and cremate them, the state's health minister said. According to Uttarakhand Health Minister Surinder Singh Negi, the main problem the rescue teams are facing at the moment is to enter the Kedarnath Valley, the worst affected in the June 14-17 incessant rains that triggered landslides. Hundreds have died and an equal number of people are missing in the state. "At the moment, our prime focus is on the Kedarnath Valley. Our prime need is to take out the bodies buried under at least 10-

20 feet of rubble," Negi said. "The main question we faced was how to enable rescue teams to enter the area, where it is said many bodies are buried. The teams found it extremely difficult to airdrop in these areas because of the rising stench, which is increasing every day due to the incessant rains," Negi added. "We are now planning to use herbal sprays which will make the air around that area a little breathable. This will then enable the teams to get down, use the earth moving machines and dig out the dead. The dead can then be given a decent funeral," Negi added. The minister also said they will use the spray in the entire 14 km stretch that leads to the Kedarnath shrine. While over 100,000 people have been evacuated from the Uttarakhand region, many hundreds are still missing.

Snowdens prism story Continued from page 11 of capitalism and corporate governance were applied to sovereign governments. Accountability, per GAAP. Just imagine. Now, turning to PRISM and listening to embassies of friends and foe alike. Anyone not watching embassies of other nations ought to be fired by their citizens, for the first order of business for any government, at any time in history, is to protect public safety from enemies foreign and domestic. That requires keeping your eyes open, at all times. So, looking and listening of embassies is good and needed. PRISM, on the other hand, is a very mild act of looking at a senders and a recipients email address, thats it. No different than looking at a sealed envelope sent through the postal service (unlike a post card, which has open contents - but, which converting envelope to postcard-power is available to Google, Microsoft and all other ISPs, including, Rediff mail in India, as they can and do read email-contents). What makes PRISM hot and heavy isnt the email addresses, but the ability to remember them all, forever, and calculate nearly infinite permutations from them that generates an alert of danger-possibilities. It is akin to a really perfect card counter, like Dustin Hoffman in the movie "Rain Man," playing blackjack at a casino and winning each time as he could remember what had come and what was left in the card shoe. Pretty cool; and, pretty normal and legal even as casinos hate it.The United States, as a friend to many, armed with PRISM knowledge, alerts other nations of possible danger from terror. Friends looking out for friends. Indeed, other nations have warned the

United States of possible danger to us, from their intelligence activities - again, friends looking out for friends. Indeed, this kind of help can convert an enemy into a friend! In any event, the right response to such help is a "Thank you," not friend-bashing. Left for last, is the right of privacy. This is a confusing topic, if one isnt careful. Right of privacy large, medium and small - is an individuals right against ones government, corporate defalcation and foreign government. Rules of contract govern the dispute between a citizen and a corporation. It is what it is, unless the public policy says otherwise. As to ones own government, as in the United States we have the 4th Amendment against "unreasonable searches and seizures," and the 4th Amendment jurisprudence is well developed and privacy is at its "strongest." Lastly, an individuals rights against a foreign government runs smack into the sovereign immunity of the intruding government, leaving the individual to ask their own government to complain to the intrudergovernment, as permitted in the comity of nations. A parting thought on privacy. Most citizens, natural and corporate, have ripped any privacy from any public space by installing security cameras, audio mikes etc., and broadcasting it on the web. People, voluntarily, driven to be celebritylike, have made Facebook and Twitter billions while giving up privacy over private acts and private thoughts. Perhaps, what is left somewhat private is an unspoken thought or an idea yet-not-born. But, PRISM like programs can already predict which fork in the road down yonder you will likely take, or if a shopper in a store is a

True, the world we live in is no more bipolar or unipolar where Americas writ runs. True, the country is wending its way out of the recent recession, but US economy remains the largest in the world, allowing a shot at the American Dream. The upward mobility for the multitudes here may have been hampered in the last decade or so, but the mostly well-educated and well-heeled Indian American community is faring well. All said and done, for Indian immigrants, America is still the best country to live in and prosper, and to raise families.

We are the Greatest Nation in the World : Obama

President Obama used his weekly address to commemorate our nations Independence Day, and to recognize the generations of Americans from farmers to teachers to entrepreneurswho worked together to make the United States what it is today. The President also thanked the men and women of the military, who have given so much to defend the United States at home and abroad, and said that we are grateful for their service and sacrifice.

Hi everybody. I hope you all had a safe and happy Fourth of July, filled with parades, cookouts, fireworks and family reunions. We celebrated at the White House with a few hundred members of the military and their families. And we took a moment amid the festivities to remember what our Independence Day is all about what happened 237 years ago, and what it meant to the world. On July 4th, 1776, a small band of patriots declared that we were a people created equal free to think and worship and live as we please. It was a declaration heard around the world that we were no longer colonists, we were Americans, and our destiny

would not be determined for us; it would be determined by us. It was a bold and tremendously brave thing to do. It was also nearly unthinkable. At that time, kings and princes and emperors ruled the world. But those patriots were certain that a better way was possible. And to achieve it to win their freedom they were willing to lay it all on the line. Their lives. Their fortunes. Their sacred honor. They fought a revolution. Few would have bet on our side to win. But for the first of many times to come, America proved the doubters wrong. And now, 237 years later, the United States this improbable nation is the greatest in the world. A land of liberty

and opportunity. A global defender of peace and freedom. A beacon of hope to people everywhere who cherish those ideals. Generations of Americans made our country what it is today farmers and teachers, engineers and laborers, entrepreneurs and elected leaders people from all walks of life, from all parts of the world, all pulling in the same direction. And now we, the people, must make their task our own to live up to the words of that Declaration of Independence, and secure liberty and opportunityfor our own children, and for future generations. I want to say a special word of thanks to the men and women of our military,

who have played such a vital role in the story of our nation. You have defended us at home and abroad. And you have fought on our nations behalf to make the world a better, safer place. People in scattered corners of the world are living in peace today, free to write their own futures, because of you. We are grateful for your service and your sacrifice, especially those still serving in harms way and your families here at home. So, God bless you all. And may God bless the United States of America.

President Barack Obama

The White House
July 4, 2013

13-page US Independence Day Special

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A LITTLE DENTED, THE DREAM LIVES!

In keeping with the theme of this July 4 special section, America, My America, some prominent Indian Americans dwell on their experience of living and working in the US. They try to pinpoint what is exceptional about the country that makes it a magnet for people from all over the world. But is the American Dream getting beyond the reach of many as upward mobility seems to be getting impeded?
Interviews by Parveen Chopra open a business opened, or acquire a permit. In America, the protocol and process for such tasks is simplified. It is often questioned whether the American Dream is moving further out of the reach of many of its people and if the upward mobility is getting progressively impeded. While I still believe that America holds true to its dream and continues to seed many success stories even today, they are becoming fewer. Reasons could be many. Take our entitlement system which was meant for extreme hardships, but has become a way of life now. Our trade deficit, budget deficit and enormous national debt are other factors. However, all is not lost as we still can boast extraordinary amounts of talent and resources available in this country. What we need is to continuously strive to build sound structural foundations, mend our ways, and commit to credit worthy things, lest we run the risk of heading backwards and possibly creating a bad future for our grandchildren. those in need whether in their own backyard or around the world, whether afflicted by natural calamities or disease. Research is a consistent part of all initiatives, providing leadership to the world to fight and cure deadly ailments. Support is provided to nations fighting for democracy and human rights. America is the leading economic power, a major political and cultural influence, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovation. Hailing from India, the largest democracy of the world, also a significant political and cultural influence, innovating continuously in research and technology, I respect the commonalties and the differences between the two nations and impact, in my humble way, the growing partnership between the two countries I love. What I would like to see is a stronger political structure that is more supportive of the people, working toward the betterment of the nation. I would like to see more women involved in the political process and, above all, see a woman in the White House as President. Dream. It is very accepting of immigrants. In my 40 years here, I have never been made to feel embarrassed for my looks, or my ethnicity. The impact of recession on our community is also less because we look for other opportunities when one door closes. Not having taken too many loans, we also have better leverage. And guidance is available within the supportive community. enshrined one man, one vote from the outset.

Rakesh Bhargava

Arun Kumar

Long Island based serial entrepreneur -- funded or founded eight businesses et us first look at the attributes and factors that contribute to America currently: It is a young country and so collectively we are always looking forward. The US and its leaders always want to make the future better than its past. The dignity of labor is preserved. Americans, high or low, do their own chores. The ability to innovate and freedom to be creative prevails. One does not get frowned upon or reprimanded for mistakes that may occur when experimenting with new ideas. In stark contrast, in India where I grew up such freedoms were missing. At age 24, I had become the branch manager of a bank, a privilege those days when seniority overruled merit. While I was given the opportunity to grow rapidly, I was simultaneously stifled to conform to the certain set way of doing things. Here in the United States, everyone is expected to follow a civil code of conduct. People are expected to challenge themselves while still doing things the way it is supposed to be done. Things such as traffic laws are followed to almost perfection in America. The reason this country is a magnet for people from all over the world is because of the opportunity and abundance of capital. The extravagant flourishing of entrepreneurship is done in the right way. It is promoted rather than discounted. For example, in any African or Asian country, you are likely to encounter multiple impediments to incorporate a company,

Arvind Vora
North America Bureau Chief of IANS news agency t seems only the other day that I came here to take up a short assignment to report on America, which was emerging as a strategic partner for India with a landmark nuclear deal on the anvil that would soon end Indias status as a nuclear pariah. It has been seven years since then with not a single day passing without an exciting development, what with two momentous elections and Indian-Americans notching up successes in various fields, including politics, a path they were somewhat reluctant to tread earlier. Having worked in two closed societies like Pakistan during Ziaul-Haqs military regime and China when it was just opening up to the world back in the 1980s, America was indeed a refreshing change. Living and working in the US has been a satisfying experience both professionally, and personally. Unlike chaotic India, things work here, buses and trains run on time well almost always. All that makes this country a magnet for people from all over. Its indeed a land of opportunity that welcomes with open arms people with all skill sets willing to put in a hard days work. Though chasing the American Dream has become somewhat harder with recession and consequent unemployment closing some doors, I believe that its a shortterm phenomenon. Indians may seem better off than others thanks to their belief in good education, family values and hard work. And thats the key to success in America for anyone not just Indians.

President of Long Island Multi Faith Forum he greatest thing about America is liberty and freedom. To paraphrase a quote by Judge Learned Hand: Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it. While it lies there, it needs no constitution, no law, no court to save it. Liberty and freedom convert into creativity, which when nurtured create the highest things. Whether it is the military and nuclear ability to defeat Germany and Japan in World War II or develop the iPhone. Such leaps require certain thought processes, not the domain of docile minds. But liberty has to be protected and calls for constant vigilance and sacrifice. While we observe national holidays with fireworks and shopping, we in the Indian community must also devote some time to learn about American history since Independence. More credible is the fact that America is committed to promote democracy abroad and uplift others. The one blemish was slavery, and its lingering effect on equality for all. Free India, on the other hand,

Lavika Bhagat Singh

Harsimaran Singh

President, Washington DC Chapter, Indian National Overseas Congress (I), USA and of Liberty, Land of Plenty, Land of Opportunity, Blessed with the Bounty of Nature the Nation that most everyone in the world aspires to travel to and become a part of in some way or other. The sky is not even the limit here. Ambition and perseverance are certainly rewarded. One can live as private or public a life as one desires. The oldest democracy in the world where civil rights certainly exist and laws of the land do prevail. Where basic infrastructure can be taken for granted and the government and civil society work together to help

Entrepreneur, author, motivational speaker

enerally, all immigrants come with the motive to be successful -- so the American Dream is stronger for them than for citizens. Indians, in particular, are bound to do well here for many reasons. Our family life is good, religious belief strong, and our outlook positive. We are willing to sacrifice our present for a brighter future. We possess the power of persistence, and can be patient. America provides liberty and the chance for a fair shot at the

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

July 6-12, 2013

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FACING DISCRIMINATION IN AMERICA

Ive equipped myself with enough knowledge about civil rights but this knowledge doesnt help much in day-to-day life. A first person account.
By Ashok Ojha ong ago United States accepted diversity as its national character. Anyone violating this perspective will be an outcast in no time. Supported by robust legal provisions diversity is well protected in books. Anyone caught demonizing fellow Americans with racially charged remarks would endanger their career and ruin their fortune -no matter how popular or powerful that person is. It recently happened when the cooking queen Paula Deen admitted using racial remarks in the

past. Even her apology couldnt save her -- a number of business corporations including Wal-Mart and Food Channel boycotted her. A number of celebrities including the TV host Don Imus and film actor Charlie Sheen got into trouble for racial outbursts. However, many such incidents in our daily life go unnoticed or without a fair attention by fellow citizens. Once I was travelling in a local train with a suitcase. The compartment was empty with enough space to leave your bags on the floor. The ticket checker came by, and asked me to lift my suitcase and put it on

the rack overhead. The bag was heavy, besides the rack was not wide enough to accommodate it. I argued with the official about the vacant compartment promising to move my bag as soon as passengers show up. The checker rolled his eyes, looked at me intently and ordered me to follow his instruction without delay. I opted to get down at the next stop. And how can I forget the taxi driver who responded to my complaint that his taxi smelled of cigarette smoke with this comment: you guys smell of curry! Years before 9-11, I went to NYU

When complained that his cab smelled of tobacco, the driver countercharged, You guys smell of curry. Yes, racial stereotypes persist in America hailed otherwise as a melting pot of cultures.

(New York University) with a broad ambition of reinforcing my scholarly pursuits and experiencing the pleasure of participating in openminded discussion sessions. I studied with a number of professors and lecturers who made me feel at home with their ideas and logical arguments. I was flying high with selfesteem until that unfortunate day when an employee of the university offended me and treated me harshly for no apparent reason. That day I felt hurt as my self-esteem was attacked by a fellow American who made me feel unwanted and stranger at my own institution. I had gone to the building housing the human resource department for an interview. I was referred by none other than the dean of my school. The office of my interviewer was on the first floor where I entered in full view of the security officer sitting comfortably behind his huge desk near an elevator. I went inside to report at the front desk where my university badge was checked. The interviewing authority was informed of my arrival and I was asked to wait for my turn to go inside her cubicle. Suddenly the security officer barged in the reception area of the department, stood in front of me and asked me to follow him outside the room and towards his desk. I politely told him that I was waiting to be called inside for an interview. The officer raised his

voice to a level that scared me. I looked at the receptionist hoping that shed intervene on my behalf. The lady kept mum and continued looking at her papers. Threatened and afraid I had no choice but to follow the security guy to the hallway near his desk. After pulling me in the area of his domain he demanded my school ID that I was holding in my hand. He raised his finger at me as if I was a criminal and told me in no vague terms that he would take stern action for entering the building unauthorized. He was telling this to a legitimate student of the university that prided itself as a protector of equal rights. Devastated by his behavior, I was too demoralized to consider applying for another job at the university. I finished my degree but never felt at home at NYU after that day, thanks to the discriminatory incident. Many years have passed since this incident. I made USA my adopted country and learned to equip myself with enough knowledge about civil rights. However, this knowledge doesnt help much in day-to-day life when fellow Americans avoid you in public, avoid sharing a table with you at lunch, move their residences from the neighborhood if it becomes too welcoming for newcomers from other countries and restaurants dont feel happy if you declare to be a vegetarian.

19

AMERICAN DREAM? NOT AS MUCH!

hey have innumerable examples of Indians who moved to Uncle Sams land, worked hard and achieved success in their lives. But they are also witness to a booming economy and elevated

lifestyles despite the challenges posed by the bureaucratic mindsets and corrupt politicians. With the world turning a global village, how relevant is the idea of American Dream for todays Indian youth? The

Immigration Bill is bound to have its impact on the flow of new immigrants. SO are they willing to go that extra mile to secure a positive future in the US? Or are they wanting to slug it out in India despite its anomalies and

work towards their and their countrys better tomorrow? SATimes spoke to a few Indian youngsters. By Hiral Dholakia-Dave

Bhavik Kharod
from Gujarat studying mechanical engineering at Arizona State University

Harsh Mankad
Manager at Bangalore office of a US telecom company

Harshit Kachchhi
Product Lead at Yahoo!'s Bangalore office

Chandni Dhawan
PR professional based in New Delhi

Rajiv Gupta
CEO of EGE Global Education, a student advisory firm based in Mumbai

niversity: Globalization has opened the doors for bright minds to cross both the physical and mental boundaries of countries and cultures. Innovations and startup companies are mushrooming around the world. Young entrepreneurs have become role models through their success stories. This has been made a reality through quality universities opening their doors for the brightest minds of the world. Talking about quality education, the country that first comes to mind is America. Our world has become a global village and many European countries are opening up their universities to bring in more international students and promote a global cultural melting pot. Even developing countries like India are witnessing rapid economic growth which has created a huge demand for talented young professionals. But America has always been a symbol of a land of opportunities that welcomes bright minds with the best resources to gain knowledge and achieve their dreams. It still has the best universities of the world like Stanford and Harvard which are the epitome of quality education and I have no doubt that they will continue to be the dreams of Indian youth in the years to come. This nation also welcomes people who value education and knowledge with open arms and rewards them with opportunities which very few other nations in this world

rom what I've gathered, American Dream is about the perception of getting to lead a more comfortable life in a liberal society that offers numerous economic opportunities. I do wish to lead that kind of life but I hope to lead that life in India. Even though this may not be completely possible, I'm satisfied with the quality of life that I have in India. I don't really have an American Dream. Having grown up in a very close-knit family, moving away to a different socio-cultural setup for a long duration is not an option that I'm considering at the moment. I have had and still have the option of moving to USA through my company but I haven't considered taking that up. Having said that, I do not mind living in America for a few years. I've spent 10 months in USA and I liked a lot of things about the country.

can offer whether it is personal growth, intellectual development or recognizing an individual as a person who can contribute towards the society. The emphasis on understanding of coursework and continuously challenging things the way they are to find better solutions is a way of student life here, be it an internship or an engineering class. There are no second thoughts on pursuing this dream as it is a dream which has the pillars of quality education, innovative thinking and value for human potential that support it.

n the globalized era where Indian rupee value is tumbling down and inflation is shooting up sky high it is obvious for the Indian youth to dream about "American Dream" with open eyes and hard-work in sight! Ultimately, the race is for securing a better life with minimal efforts. As far as I am concerned, I think bit different. I feel that 'happiness' is a state of mind. I would like to see the opportunity in a different way altogether. With everything at my fingertips, being an IT & management professional, can't I start my own business that can compete with best western companies and can generate lot of good employment opportunities for my fellow countrymen? That again, with the help of Angel investors ready to invest in my idea! Definitely, I can and I will. However, time has not yet arrived for me although I have started growing essential networking roots for the same. Will politics and bureaucracy not stop me from growing with no backing? Probably it will come as a hindrance. But does that mean that I stop even trying for it? Never! I will find a way out. Will this give me an opportunity to live American Dream? - Not sure! But at least I can say confidently that I will surely get the happiness & meaning in life. And that's what American Dream is all about - equal opportunity to flourish for everyone while helping motherland to be better place to live by doing some grass root level work!

healthy, corruption-free, prosperous life where one has the right to make individual choices without being judged that is the American Dream for todays Indian youth. Despite the world turning into a global village and everything being easily available all around from different cuisines to international brands, living in America still remains a dream. Even though we do have access to the luxuries, the basic necessities that every Indian dreams of are still missing water, electricity to name a few. With the new immigration rules coming about and the immense uncertainty involved, would one still want to follow the American Dream? We, as human beings have attachments with our loved ones, are insecure about our future and fear what is awaiting us next. On the one hand, seeing so many challenges involved and on the other, seeing India as one of the fastest growing economies and turning into a land of opportunities, the American Dream does fizzle out for once but will still remain a dream in most Indians hearts.

he perceived quality of American education is no doubt higher. Especially when it comes to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), US is considered the Mecca. In India with every other parent wanting their child to go for either medicine, engineering or management and US offering some of the best schools it becomes an obvious choice when studying abroad is considered. Having said that cant deny the fact that with lot of European countries too offering equivalent courses at cheaper rates, students are willing to opt for them too. However when it comes to thinking of return on investment in education, when they see their cousins, seniors coming back from UK and not getting proper jobs here while hardworking students who went to the US finding good career options, obviously studying in America takes precedence. As far as impact of new immigration rules goes, only time will reveal. Change in Post Study Work rules killed the UK market. Students end up investing around Rs.30-40 lakh for studies. They definitely want to stay back and pay off at least the loans. It remains to be seen whether the new immigration bill will have dramatic impact on the post study stay of students.

22

At the recently concluded fourth annual strategic dialogue between worlds two largest democracies, India stated that its ties with the US have turned from estranged democracies to engaged democracies, as it is exploring and absorbing in myriad ways its transition from being a country subjected to select American sanctions to becoming a strategic partner. Both US Secretary of State John Kerry and the Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid reflected on the remarkable expansion and growth of the bilateral relationship since the inaugural Strategic Dialogue in 2010. They committed to further broaden and deepen the partnership and charted a vision for the future, centered on promoting shared prosperity, peace and stability. Khurshid said bilateral cooperation will extend to new horizons such as energy, while intensifying existing areas like health, science and technology, education, space, defense and nuclear energy. Some of the major areas of cooperation include:

from estranged to
engaged democracies
Bilateral cooperation between the two nations is on a higher trajectory

India and US :
Health Sector
New Delhi last week, co-chaired by HRD Minister MM Pallam Raju and John Kerry. The partnerships include a Harvard-India Nutrition Initiative between the Harvard School of Public Health and the St Johns Research Institute in Bangalore; and agreements between Aligarh Muslim University and Ohio State University, and between Assam Agricultural University and Washington State University.

Civil Nuclear Initiative

Signaling that the 2008 civil nuclear deal between the two countries is on, Kerry assured that both Indian and US companies are now working towards early commencement of commercial cooperation in this area. In June last year, under the IndoUS civil nuclear deal, Westinghouse and NPCIL signed an Early Works Agreement for installing the first 1,000 MW American nuclear reactor in India.

In July 2009, a Health Dialogue was established between the two countries. To date, four working groups have been constituted - maternal and child health, non-communicable diseases, infectious diseases and health system strengthening. To build up the disease surveillance and epidemiological capacity in India, a Global Disease Detection-India Centre was set up in 2010 by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Center for Disease Control (NCDC). The center is now operational and experts have collaborated on food borne diseases, emergency operations, zoonotic diseases, public health laboratory systems, disease surveillance, epidemiology, and acute encephalitis. New bilateral cooperation between the Department of Biotechnology and the National Institutes of Health has helped launch low cost health diagnostic tools; brain research collaborative partnership on neuroscience; and international cancer genome consortium. More collaboration has come through in prevention and control of road traffic injury - (trauma system development, and emergency medical services), and the FDA and the Drug Controller General of India are working jointly in the area of HIV/AIDS, Human and Avian Influenza and other Emerging Infectious Diseases.

India is setting up 200 community colleges to develop a more skilled workforce. In higher education, the US continues to be the most favored destination for Indian students. an estimated one lakh Indian origin students are enrolled at American universities. Over the last four years the Fulbright-Nehru program, supported by both governments, has nearly tripled in size with 300 students.

better and do even more. We could break down trade and investment barriers and I was particularly appreciative of the discussions we had on those matters, Kerry said. To support private sector initiatives that strengthen trade, create employment, and foster economic growth in both countries, American and Indian government are actively engaging in concrete activities. The Export-Import Bank of the US provides financing, which enables procurement of US goods and services where private financing is unavailable. EX-IMs overall commitment to India is over $12 billion since 2002, supporting petro-chemical energy, transportation, infrastructure projects as well as the purchase of aircraft and other goods and services. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) has invested $2.6 billion in 140 projects in India since 1974, focused primarily in three critical areas: clean technology and renewable resources; microfinance and access to capital for small and medium-sized enterprises; and infrastructure development. The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) provides support for infrastructure feasibility studies, reverse trade missions, and other technical assistance in the Indian market, that has translated into over $1.3 billion in US exports through its project commitments since 1992.

People to people ties

Secretary of State John Kerry with External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid before the 4th U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi on June 24, 2013.

Education
India and the US have announced eight new partnerships in fields including health, technology, energy and sustainable development, and training of human resources as part of the second round of the Obama-Singh 21st Century Knowledge Initiative which was announced in 2009. Each government pledged $5 million. The announcement was made at the India-US Education Dialogue in

Four MOUs were also signed, including one between IIT, Bombay, and edX, a massive open online course (MOOC) platform founded by MIT and Harvard University to offer free online university-level courses in a wide range of disciplines. Hundreds of Indian students flock to MOOC platforms for free online courses from top universities including Stanford, MIT, Harvard and Yale. On edX, Indians form the second-largest group. On Coursera, 8.8% of those enrolled are Indians compared to 27.7% from the US. An MOU signed between the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is to set up community colleges in India.

Trade and economic relations

Addressing the media after the conclusion of the 4th India-US Strategic Dialogue, Secretary Kerry said economic engagement had seen tremendous progress over the last decade with trade between US and India growing five-fold. Just in the years of the Obama Administration investments between our countries have grown by a factor of 10. Last year we almost topped $100 billion in two-way trade in goods and services and we are on track to do even better this year. It is a good start. But both of us believe today that we can do

The citizens of the two countries form the heart of the U.S.-India relationship. For more than two centuries, they have shared ideas and inspiration, sparked innovation, and bettered nearly every aspect of the relationship. A growing field of cooperation is targeted philanthropy to promote mutually beneficial inclusive growth objectives. Towards this end, the U.S. Department of State supported the creation of the innovative online portal www.indiagivingnetwork.org, which makes it easier to learn about and support non-profits in India. This portal was inspired by the Indian-American communitys endeavors. Various philanthropic organizations supporting different causes include Action for India, American India Foundation, AAPI Charitable Foundation, Asha for Education, Breakthrough, and Childrens Hope India.

Compiled by Jinal Shah

23

ccording to the conventional wisdom of those presiding in the political left, the 43rd President of the United States, George W Bush, was (and is) a dummy. This son of the 41st presidents ascent from a minor owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team to governor of Texas to his election as President in 2000 and re-election in 2004 was, according to his vast army of detractors, the result of family connections and the work of the political wizard Carl Rove, whom, they point out, Bush himself named the architect of his political triumphs. Putting aside the irritating disclosure that Bush had a far above normal IQ of 125, just 10 points below that of Bill Clinton, long deemed a virtual genius by almost every Democrat and even a large number of Republicans, Bush might well have been a dummy- at least, in the political definition of the word.

By Robert Golomb

President George W. Bush: India, Israel and Africas best friend

No matter that a small minority of Indian Americans voted for him in 2000 and 2004, George W. Bush became the most pro-Indian President in the history of America.
The 43rd President of the United States actually, rather, embraced them. And the world is a better place because of it. Just look at India, Israel and Africa as prime examples. There are almost three million people of Indian origin living in the US. Of those of voting age, 51% are registered Democrats and a mere 6% are registered Republicans. While no exact data can be found concerning how Bush -- with the remaining 49% of independents thrown into the mix -- fared with the Indian American voters in 2000 and 2004, it can be estimated that he tallied between 10% and 20% of trading peer, supporting the worlds largest democracy seemed to come naturally. In late September 2001, just weeks after the 9-11 terrorist attacks against America, President Bush, as if signaling his understanding that India and America face the same deadly terrorist enemies, lifted the sanctions imposed under the provisions of the 1994 Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act by the Clinton Administration against India in late May 1998, following the countrys nuclear tests earlier that month. In November 2001, just two months later, President Bush and then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee held meetings in which both leaders agreed that India and America would begin a new era of cooperation and friendship that would provide political, military and economic benefits to both nations. The transformation of the Indo-US relations had begun. And as history teaches us, that new relationship would reach new heights during Bushs two terms in office. This blossoming of the relationship between these two great nations would include: increased military cooperation during the Bush years India and America conducted joint military exercises unparalleled in scope before and since; expanded collaboration in the war against terrorism -- in the aftermath of 9-11 and continuing throughout Bushs following seven years in office India and America steadily increased their exchange of intelligence information; escalated commerce - bilateral trade between the two nations tripled during Bushs second term in office; a strengthened nuclear power partnership - the 123 Agreement (finalized during Bushs last months in office) freed American and Indian businesses and corporations to work together in nuclear power related projects. The 123 Agreement proved to produce technical advances and economic benefits that continue to be felt in both countries to the present day. George W Bush did not fare too much better with the Jewish vote in 2000 and 2004 than he did with that of voters of Indian origin, winning only 19% of the Jewish vote in 2000 and a slightly improved 24% four years later. Yet, as in the case with India, Bush did not allow domestic political factors to enter into his foreign policy calculations. A student of Christian and Jewish history, Bush presumably knew that if Jews, persecuted and murdered over the past 200 centuries culminating in the genocide of 6 million in the European World War 2 Holocaust 70 years ago, were the same proportion of the world population in the 21st century as they were in the time of Christ, the Jewish population would stand at 200 million, rather than the scant 12 million (half of whom currently live in Israel) who exist today. Bush also presumably knew that the Palestinians, rather than being the victims of the Israelis, have in alliance with their fellow 100 million Muslim neighbors waged wars of annihilation against the Jews of the Middle East for more than a century -- both before and after the creation of the State of Israel. A cornerstone of the Bush foreign policy was to assure that Israels enemies would not succeed and that Israel, the only democratic nation in the Middle East, would survive. Bush implemented that policy by furnishing Israel with more economic aid and loan guarantees than had any other White House since the founding of the Jewish nation. He also supplied Israel with advanced weaponry including in 2006 bunker buster bombs used to destroy the trenches from which Hezbollah guerillas launched attacks against Israeli civilian populations; and, perhaps, just as importantly, Bush provided Israel with unprecedented diplomatic support: Most notably unlike previous both Democratic and Republican administrations which had viewed the building of new Israeli settlements as an impediment to the peace process, Bush referred to them as the new realities on the ground which the Arab world, he intoned, had to acknowledge in its future peace negotiations with Israel. However poorly Bush performed with Indian American and Jewish voters, Bush fared even far worse with the African American electorate, never exceeding 10% of their vote in either presidential contests. Yet, Bush may have well been the best friend in the White House that the continent of Africa ever had. At the time that Bush became President, HIV/AIDS was ravaging the continent. But only 50,000 Africans were on the disease fighting anti-retroviral drugs. Bush was to change that. In 2003, the 43rd POTUS initiated The Presidents Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar). By 2007,1.3 million Africans were on this medication, supplied mostly by America. Bushs policies scored similar success in fighting malaria, which, while receiving less media attention than HIV/AIDS, was killing millions of Africans throughout the continent. As a result of programs initiated under the Bush Administration, the number of people falling victim to malaria was cut in half in 15 African nations. Add to this the fact that Bush supported the cancellation of thirty four billion dollars of the debt that 27 struggling African states cumulatively owed to America; add further that he led the international isolation of North Sudan to punish it for the mass murders of Christians and Animists in Darfur, consequently bringing the Muslim nation to the negotiation table with South Sudan, and you might understand why Bush was known to be loved and continues to this day to be loved by the people of Africa. Five years after he left the Presidency, Bush is also known to still be loved by a major portion of the people of India and Israel, many of whom, along with the people of Africa, might perhaps long for the good old days when a dummy sat in the American White House.

A strengthened nuclear power partnership - the 123 Agreement (finalized during President Bushs last months in office) -- freed American and Indian businesses and corporations to work together in nuclear power related projects. The President is seen here with Indias PM Manmohan Singh.

In politics, intelligence is sometimes defined as the ability to identify your base and pursue policies that will lead them to vote for you and, conversely, identify your detractors and laugh in their faces. While Bush in the most part was friendly to his conservative base -- supporting a strong military, declaring a youre with us or against us American led international war against Islamic terrorism, lowering taxes on all Americans -- he never laughed in the face of those voting blocs which voted against him, or for that matter voted against virtually every other Republican candidate, in overwhelming numbers.

their vote. It proved fortunate for the more than one billion people living in India that Bush did not allow conventional domestic political factors to enter into his policy considerations. Bush, rather, became arguably the most pro-Indian President in the history of America. For Bush, who viewed India as a counterbalance to the increasing power of China, an ally in the fight against the terrorist threat emanating in Pakistan, a partner in regulating and policing the internationally economically vital Indian Ocean water lanes from the Suez Canal to Singapore and a major

Robert Golomb is a nationally published columnist. He writes on a range of educational, political and international issues. He is currently writing a book on the Presidency of George W. Bush. MrBob@aol.com

24

India-US Ties forged at the top

The United States and India are two great democracies with common values and increasingly convergent interests. Here is their spectacular journey as seen through pictures of meetings between Indian Prime Ministers and US Presidents and their state visits.

US President Dwight Eisenhower met Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at Parliament House in New Delhi.

1959

President John F. Kennedy welcoming Prime Minister Nehru in Washington. Looking on is the then Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson.

1961

US First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy with Indira Gandhi on an India visit.

1962

Pres. Richard Nixon, and the visiting Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the White House, Washington, DC. There were visible cold vibes and Nixon was later upset that Mrs Gandhi pushed ahead with breaking away of Bangladesh from Pakistan.

1971

President Ronald Reagan and Mrs Indira Gandhi stand at attention during the arrival ceremony for the Indian Prime Minister at the White House.

1982

2010

On a State visit to India, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama shook a leg to the tune of a Marathi folk song with some children in Mumbai in November 2010.

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee chats with President Bill Clinton at the White House in Washington DC in September 2000.

2000

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SALIENT FEATURES OF US CONSTITUTION

ith the Declaration of Independence, published on July 04, 1776, written by Thomas Jefferson, begins the independent history of United States of America. After 16 weeks of discussion, the new constitution of USA was unanimously signed on 17th September 1787 by delegates of states. The constitution was adopted/ratified on 21st June 1788 (as nine state (New Hampshire-ninth state) convention ratified) and enforced on March 07, 1789 (Rhode Island last state to ratify it). James Madison is considered as the primary author of US constitution. Here are the top 10 interesting features of the US constitution: 1. Written Constitution American constitution is a written constitution framed in 1787 and enforced in 1789. It consists of seven articles; three of them related to structure and powers of Legislative (Article 1), Executive (Article 2) and Judiciary (Article 3) and the other four dedicated to position of states (Article 4), modes of amendments (Article 5), supremacy of national power (Article 6) and ratification (Article 7). It also holds that constitution is the supreme law of the land. Article one is the longest and cannot be amended. Like other constitutions, it also consists of preamble; a single sentence that introduces and defines purpose of the document. 2. Rigid Constitution It is one of the most rigid constitutions in the world which means that for amending it, a special and difficult procedure has to be followed. It consists of 2 steps;

James Madison is considered as the primary author of the US constitution

2.1 Proposal for Amendment Either two-third (67%) of both the houses (Senate and House of Representatives) shall propose for amendment to constitution or on the application of legislatures of two-third (67%) states shall call a convention for proposing amendment. 2.2 Ratification of Proposal The amendment shall be ratified by the legislatures of three fourth (75 %) of all states or by the convention of three fourth of states. It is because of this rigidity that American constitution has been amended only 27 times in over 200 years. 3. Popular Sovereignty In U.S, the people rule i.e. they have delegated their powers to the government and the government owes its authority to the will of the people. The principle of popular sovereignty is stated in the Preamble of constitution as we the people..do ordain and establish this constitution for United States of America.

4. Bicameral Legislature The constitution of USA provides for bicameral legislature i.e. two houses in the center. According to Article 1, All legislative powers are vested in Congress. Congress consists of two houses i.e. Lower House or House of Representatives and the Upper House or Senate. 4.1 House of Representatives The House of Representatives has 435 members who are elected by the people through adult franchise method for a period of two years on population basis i.e. state with larger population gets more seats in this house like California has 53 members. 4.2 Senate The members of Senate are elected by the state legislatures. Each state has two senators meaning that each state has two votes in senate. These senators are elected for a period of six years on parity basis. The total number of senators is 100 as the total states are 50. 5. Separation of Powers The doctrine of separation of powers divides power between the three pillars/institutions of government to prevent interference of one institution in the affairs of another. The powers are divided among Congress, President and the Judiciary. Congress has the power to make laws which outline general policies and set certain standards. President can enforce, execute and administer law. He is assisted by his cabinet but is solely responsible for all actions of Executive branch. Judicial Powers are exercised by the Supreme Court which interprets laws and decided cases and controversies in conformity with the law and by the

methods prescribed by law. 6. Checks & Balances The system of Checks and Balances laid down by the separation of powers prevents misuse of powers. The powers are provided in such a way that it provides a check upon other institutions. 7. Federal System The U.S constitution provides for a federal system of government which means that powers are divided among center/federal government and the states. According to Article 1, the federal government has jurisdiction over 18 matters and residuary powers are vested in states. States are autonomous bodies and center cannot meddle in their affairs. In case of conflict, Supreme Court decides or settles the dispute. 8. Presidential System The constitution provides for a presidential form of government. Article 2 provides the powers, election and their matters related to president. President is elected for a term of 4 years and is not answerable to Congress but cannot dissolve Congress. He has a cabinet to assist him in running his executive powers. 9. Republicanism The constitution calls for a republican system with President as elected head of the state. The constitution derives its authority from the people and is supreme law of the land. Neither center nor states can override it. 10. Dual Citizenship The constitution provides for dual citizenship i.e citizen of United States and the state where one is domiciled. Britain and Pakistan provides for single citizenship.

WILL THE GUNS EVER HAVE ROSES?

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. -Text of the 2nd Amendment he Second Amendment protects an individual right that existed before the creation of any government. The Declaration of Independence made clear that all human beings are endowed with certain unalienable rights, and that governments are created to protect those rights. After going virtually unchallenged for more than one hundred years, Americans right to own guns is one of the hottest political topics today. The elementary-school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, and some other recent shootings in America produced two polar

public reactions: fear among some Americans that the federal government will restrict gun rights, and hope among others that it will actually do so. Colorado, New York State and, most recently, Connecticut have clamped down on guns, while states like Texas are considering legislation that would try to block the enforcement of federal gun regulations. Lost in this confusion and anxiety is the possibility that a basic consensus on guns exists among Americans. Opinion polls suggest that a majority recognize a right to bear arms, subject to reasonable regulations protecting public safety. This strong dual commitment, if clarified and entrenched in our Constitution, could reassure most, though not all, of us. It is actually quite unusual for gun rights to be included in a constitution. In a recent historical study of constitutions, only 15

Only 15 constitutions (in nine countries) had ever included an explicit right to bear arms

constitutions (in nine countries) had ever included an explicit right to bear arms. Almost all of these constitutions have been in Latin

America, and most were from the 19th century. Only three countries Guatemala, Mexico and the United States have a constitu-

tional right to arms. Of the 15, US is the only one that does not explicitly include a restrictive condition.

26

New York State features 11 beautiful vacation regions. The states attractions span from landmarks such as Niagara Falls to the wine trails of Hudson Valley and treasures like the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Whether its wide-ranging outdoor activities for the whole family like hiking, biking and boating, culinary wonders and farm-to-table fresh foods, or the rich history and culture of one of the 13 original colonies, New York State offers big excitement and tons activities for all travelers. This summer, vacationers looking for the next new thing to experience will find that New York State offers some splashy new activities, attractions, and events. Here is a sampling:

An upside down house and Native American culture

There are many new attractions and activities available in New York state this summer.

Finger Lakes
Upstate Guide Service, a new fishing guide service on Skaneateles Lake, offers outfitted and guided fly fishing, spin fishing, ice fishing and waterfowl hunting trips in the Finger Lakes and Adirondack regions. Accommodations range from remote backcountry camps to lakeside lodges.
http://www.upstateguideservice.com/

WonderWorks new upside down house and inversion tunnel and its 70-foot high Canyon Area with a world-class indoor suspended rope course are among the new entertainment options at Destiny USA, the largest enclosed retail destination in New York State. Other recent openings include the Funny Bone Comedy Club, Pole Position Raceway, Revolutions Entertainment (bowling, cinegrill), OptiGolf (with 80 simulated courses), and Dave & Busters (games, food). http://www.destinyusa.com/
Lobby of the upside down house

NEW THINGS

Greater Niagara
Smokin Joes Native Center presents authentic Native American dance performances by the World Class Native Spirit Dancers. The shows are designed to appeal to all ages with exciting Native American music and songs, exceptional costumes and stories that have been passed down through the generations about the sacred Niagara Falls and the traditional Native American way of life. http://www.sjnativecenter.com/

TO DO AND
PLACES TO GO

Adirondacks
A rock climbing wall, bungee trampoline, mountain biking and both guided and self-guided hikes are being introduced at Gore Mountain this summer. Other new activities include inflatables for kids, workshops in yoga, jewelry making and cooking, plus live music every Friday, 4-6 p.m. http://www.goremountain.com/

Authentic Native American dance performances can be enjoyed near Niagara Falls

NEW PLACES

The Catskills
Imagine showering next to an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus guarded by tropical fish in a 400gallon saltwater aquarium. Thats just one of the features of the latest theme room at The Roxbury. The hotels glamorous new three-bedroom cottage, The Archaeologists Digs captures the adventure of archaeologys Golden Age. Its aquarium was featured on Animal Planets hit show Tanked and its secret passageways add to the fun. http://www.theroxburymotel.com/

TO STAY

& UPDATES
Adirondacks

NEW EVENTS

A painting by Georgia OKeeffe and her 1920 portrait by Alfred Stieglitz.

Finger Lakes
The Old Stone Mill Inn, that recently opened in Skaneateles, features luxurious vacation rentals and a central location within walking distance to shopping, dining and the lake. Each unit sleeps four, with two bedrooms, two full baths and a living room, dining room, kitchen and balcony.

The Adirondack Challenge will take place on July 21 in Indian Lakes featuring an invitational white water race, internationally competitive flatwater race and a festival with music, New York State foods, kids activities and more. From 1918 until the mid-1930s, artist Georgia OKeeffe (1887-1986) spent part of each year at Alfred Stieglitzs family estate, just north of Lake George village. From June 15 to September 15, 2013, the Hyde Collection Art Museum & Historic House is hosting at Lake George an exhibition of 58 of her paintings, titled Modern Nature: Georgia OKeeffe and Lake George. Teddy Roosevelt, aka renowned Roosevelt reprisor Joe Wiegand, will be speaking to visitors at the Saratoga and North Creek Railway as part of a weekend of train rides, historic talks, crafts and family-friendly events during the Teddy Roosevelt Returns to North Creek event, September 13-15.

27

National Heritage areas make for great family vacations

Families are always looking for a trip that is fun, affordable, and memorable for everyone. This season, consider traveling to National Parks and nearby National Heritage Areas (NHAs), which can be exciting destinations to experience the best that America has to offer. NHAs are designated by Congress as places where natural, cultural, and historic resources converge. National Heritage Areas make great vacation stops for anyone interested in learning more about our nations diverse heritage, says Alan Spears, Legislative Representative for the National Parks Conservation Association. We should all advocate for these National Park Service-managed programs to retain adequate funding and protection. Here are five destinations for you to choose from:

8 million pay homage at 9-11 Memorial

Over eight million people from all 50 US states and over 175 countries have visited the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York commemorating the September 11 attacks of 2001, which killed over 3,000 people. The memorial with two square pools where the Twin Towers once stood, and engraved with names of all the victims, opened on September 11, 2011.

Gettysburg, PA,
is big draw for democracy lovers
Gettysburg in Pennsylvania is a small town just an hour and a half drive away from Washington but attracts three million visitors every year. This year is special as it marks the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincolns famous Gettysburg address four months after a bloody battle that is often considered a turning point in Americas civil war. Starting in June the town has been witnessing a series of special events including battle re-enactments.

The site of Lincolns Gettysburg address

The memorial

Early Settlers
The Essex National Heritage Area, located in Massachusetts near the Boston National Historical Park, showcases colonial settlements, maritime adventures and centuries of American growth. Take a trip back in time by exploring the trail of 17th century settlers, or check out the maritime trail of 18th century seafarers. With 26 historic landmarks and 86 historical sites and museums open to the public, there is much to learn.

Civil War
Right by the iconic Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area captures many compelling stories of the home front. Walk through the same battlefields soldiers did 150 years ago and the same sites politicians used to spur political and social change after the battles were over.

Cultural Crossroads
An important cultural crossroads, the Yuma Crossing in Arizona is represented by the blending of the many different traditions of the areas people. The natural ford on the Colorado River has been a gathering spot for people for over 500 years and is a vital landmark of westward expansion.

www.nps.gov/history/

For help planning a trip to a National Heritage Area, visit

heritageareas. For more information on National Parks visit www.npca.org/.

Go West
Out west, the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area is a popular destination. This region in Utah is recognized for its dramatic landscapes, including Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef and Zion National Parks. It is also known for a string of communities along the axis of the corridor that reflect Mormon colonization. You will find a blend of art galleries and artisan studios, western adventures, historic sites, celebrations, antiques and indigenous foods. Take a guided horse pack or 4-wheel vehicle trip along cowboy trails or visit some of the most isolated towns in America.

Outdoor Adventure
The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor encompasses New Yorks canal system and the communities that grew along its shores. Near Saratoga National Historical Park, this area is for outdoor lovers, as you can cruise, row, motorboat, fish, canoe and kayak on the hundreds of miles of scenic waterway. You can even cycle along the historical and active sections of the Erie Canal. Consider planning your trip around one of the dozens festivals and events that celebrate canal heritage.

Seneca Knitting Mills building located in Seneca County, NY, York is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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July 6-12, 2013

HERITAGE

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Kumbhalgarh Fort

Jhalawar-Gagronfort

The UNESCOs committee during the review considered various cultural criterion:
Cultural Criterion 1: "The Hill forts of Rajasthan represent a masterpiece of human creative genius." Cultural Criterion2: "The fort settlements exhibit an important interchange of Princely Rajput values and ideologies, across the medieval period within the varied cultural zones of northwestern state of Rajasthan in India." Cultural Criterion3: "The hill forts of Rajasthan are an exceptional testimony to the Rajput cultural tradition and the socioeconomic strata of Rajasthan." These forts are architectural manifestations of Rajput valor, bravery, feudalism and cultural traditions documented in several historic texts and paintings of the medieval and post medieval period. The hill forts mark the sites where the ritual of Jauhar (self immolation of womenfolk rather than subjugating to the enemy) took place, reflecting a cultural tradition of the Rajputs for whom pride and valor was more important than life. Cultural Criterion 4: "The series of six forts illustrate a significant period of human history." The hill forts are definitely an outstanding example of the defensive fort typology, with unique planning and architectural features, exceptional civil engineering feat in building monumental fortifications in stone. Individually, as well as collectively these six forts represent an incomparable ensemble or landscape that illustrates the medieval history of the Rajasthan region in India.

By Prakash Bhandari

he Rajasthan tourism has one more reason to rejoice. Six hill forts from the state have found its way into the UNESCOs world heritage site. The hills forts are Amber Fort of Jaipur, Chittorgarh, Gangron, Jaisalmer, Kumbhalgarh and Ranthambore. The world heritage committee of UNESCO at its 34th meeting in Pnom Penh, Cambodia approved the Indian proposal of including the six hill forts of Rajasthan in the list of world heritage sites. In a first, the tion to UNESCO list forts have been included under the has already started. cultural property category. All these efforts, said Rajasthans tourism minister Bina the minister, will reinKak said, The selection of these force positioning of forts is a reflection of our work Rajasthan on the world done in the area of conChittorgarh Fort tourism map as a servation in the past. favored tourist destinaWe stand by our tion. Outlining the significance of extensive fortificommitment each individual fort, the report mencations up to 20 towards contions As a former capital of the kilometers in servation and Sisodia clan and the target of three circumference protection famous historical sieges, optimized of our rich Chittorgarh is strongly associated various kinds cultural with Rajput history and folk lore. of hill terrain, heritage, of The sheer number and variety of specifically which we architectural remains of early date the river at a r e (ranging from the 8th-16th cenGagron, the immensely turies), the minister emphasized, dense forests at proud. mark it as an exceptional fort in its Ranthambore, Kak elaboratscale and monumentality comparaand the desert at Jaisalmer Fort ed that these six ble to very few other Indian forts. Jaisalmer, and exhibit view from a Haveli forts will receive She added that Kumbhalgarh was important phase of enhanced international constructed in a single process development of an architecturrecognition the way the Jantar and (apart from the palace of Mantar in Jaipur did after being al typology based on established Fateh Singh, added later) selected in the World Heritage List traditional Indian principles. retains its architectural coherin 2010. It is to be recalled that sev- This selection will also pave way ence. Its design is attributed eral missions of ICOMOS (advisory for other monuments to be nominat- to an architect known by body to UNESCO) visited ed for being included in the World name Mandan who was Rajasthan since 2011 and discussed Heritage List. In fact, the work also an author and theorist at the nomination in great detail with relating to Stepwells of Abhaneri, the court of Rana Kumbha in State Archaeology Department, ASI Bandikui, Bundi as well as the fres- Chittorgarh. This combinaand the Indian Advisory Committee co paintings of Shekhawati region tion of factors is highly on the World Heritage under the for being submitted for considera- exceptional. Situated in the

Ministry of Culture. Kak says ICOMOS report recognizes the Outstanding Universal Value of hillforts with following statement: Within the state of Rajasthan, six extensive and majestic hill forts together reflect the elaborate, fortified seats of power of Rajput princely states that flourished between the 8th and 18th centuries and their relative political independence. The

Amer Fort, Jaipur

middle of forest, Ranthambore is an established example of forest hill fort and in addition, the remains of the palace of Hammir are among the oldest surviving structures of an Indian palace. Gagron is an exemplar of a river-protected fort. In addition its strategic location in a pass in the hills reflects it control of trade routes. Amber Palace is representative of a key phase (17th century) in the development of a common Rajput-Mughal court style, embodied in the buildings and gardens added to Amber by Mirza Raja Jai Singh I.Jaisalmer is an example of a hill fort in desert terrain. The extensive township contained within it from the outset, still inhabited today, and the group of Jain temples, make it an important (and in some respects even unique) example of a sacred and secular (urban) fort.

Ranthambore Fort

30

July 6-12, 2013

LEADERSHIP

By Parveen Chopra
Laurel Hollow, NY: At an elegant event on July 1, lawmakers from State, County and Town heaped praise on Harvinder Harry Anand, who is remitting office after serving four terms as Mayor of Laurel Hollow. Several citations were also presented to him acknowledging the service rendered. In his speech, Mayor Anand recalled the time six years ago when NY State Senator Carl L. Marcellino administered him the oath of office, the chemical engieneer-turned-entrepreneur enthusiastically made promises to the Village residents. Anand told the residents that I will bring my business skills to the position and we will run a fiscally responsible village, we will treat our residents with respect and dignity. Laurel Hollow in the northern part of Nassau County is a tony Village with apopulation of barely 2000 but location of the famous Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

Fond farewell to Mayor Anand

Presiding over the Village of Laurel Hollow, NY, for three terms, Mayor Harry Anand is leaving it in a fiscally happy position.
while passing on the baton to his Deputy Mayor, Daniel F. DeVita, who took the oath of office as Mayor at the event. Other speakers at the event described Anand as not a yes man and the one who fiercely and courageously defended his community. The Sikh-born Mayor also received love from all quarters because he gave love, they said. Speakers included NY State Senator Carl L. Marcellino, and Assemblyman Charles Lavine. Those attending included Nobel laureate Dr. James D. Watson of Cold Spring Harbor Lab and former Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi. revenues and lower the expenses. Looking to tighten the belt, Mayor Anand noticed that police and fire departments ate up 60% of the villages total budget. He negotiated a police contract with the neighboring village of Oyster Bay Cove, which saved his village $500,000, over 15% of the total budget. Also negotiated were long-term contracts with the fire departments. During the two hurricanes, Anand said, long hours of hard work put together by his team, and constant communication with the residents saved the day. Anand thanked his Board of Trustees, Village staff, and other officials

Mayor Harry Anand in his speech revealed the simple but magical secret of not raising taxes raising revenue and lowering expenses.

New York State Senator Carl L. Marcellino, called his mentor by Mayor Anand, speaking at the event.

Mayor Anand flanked by Harendra Singh of Singh Hospitality, and Arvind Vora, Chair of Long Island Multi Faith Forum, at the event.

But during his term, Mayor Anand had to contend with a financial disaster, Hurricane Irene, Superstorm Sandy and revenue items such as building permits and mortgage tax dropping by half. But he reported proudly, In spite of these challenges, we delivered on our promises. I am leaving office with lower taxes than when I took office. We have done this without compromising on the quality of services our residents expect from us. The Mayors magic mantra is simple: Raise the

A select group of lawmakers, officials and appreciative village residents attended the event.

Mayor Anand with his wife Dr Chandni Anand and son Angad.

Citations presented to Mayor Anand included those on behalf of (left to right) New York Assembly, Nassay County, and the Board of Town of Oyster Bay.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

INTERNATIONAL

July 6-12, 2013

31

Adly Mansour, Egypt's caretaker president

Cairo: Adly Mansour, head of Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC), will serve as caretaker president of the country after the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi, Defense Minister Abdel-Fattah alSisi said. Earlier, the Egyptian army chief announced the suspension of the country's constitution, which means President Mohammed Morsi is no longer in power and the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court will now be the temporary head of the

Egypt crisis: Obama takes cautious stand

Washington: Striking a cautious balance, President Barack O bama called for a quick restoration of democracy in Egypt, but st opped short of condemning Egypt ian military's removal of President Mohamed Morsi. Saying he is "deeply concerned" about the removal of Morsi and s uspension of Egypt's constitution, Obama urged all parties to w ork together and called on the military "to avoid any arbitrary arrest s of President Morsi and his supporters." "I now call on the Egyptian military to move quickly and responsibly to return full authority back t o a democratically elected civilian government as soon as possible t hrough an inclusive and transparent process," he said in a statement. "The United States continues to believe firmly that the best foundation for lasting stability in Egyp t is a democratic political order wi th participation from all sides and all political parties-secular and rel igious, civilian and military," Oba ma said. Obama's written statement followed a meeting of national secu-

Adly Mansour

country, media reports said. Morsi's speech lacked "significant steps" to resolve Egypt's worst crisis since the 2011 revolution that overthrew Hosni Mubarak.

Australian PM unveils new cabinet

ustralian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has unveiled his new cabinet, filling out key positions left by resigned Julia Gillard supporters. Chris Bowen, already been sworn in as Treasurer, will take the portfolio of financial services and superannuation from Bill Shorten, who has a new portfolio of education in addition to his old portfolio of workplace relations. Deputy Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is also minister for infrastructure and transport, will take on the broadband, communications and the digital economy port-

folio vacated by key Gillard supporter, Stephen Conroy. Jacinta Collins, deputy leader of the government in the Senate, joins the cabinet as minister for mental health and aging. Mark Butler, minister for mental health and aging in the Gillard cabinet, will take on the portfolios of climate change, environment, heritage and water. Tony Burke will be the new minister for immigration, multicultural affairs and citizenship, as well as retaining the arts portfolio. Brendan O'Connor will serve as the minister for employment, and for skills and training.

The Egyptian army chief announced the suspension of the country's constitution, removing President Mohamed Morsi

rity officials, including Defense S ecretary Chuck Hagel, Joint Chief s Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey and CIA Director John Brennan a t the White House. "The situation in Cairo created a n uncomfortable policy scenario f or a US government and president that champion democratic principles," CNN said. Obama had refused to choose sid es during the Arab Spring protests in Cairo that toppled longtime lead

er Hosni Mubarak in 2011 and his administration adopted a similarly neutral stance ahead of the military's decision Wednesday to remo ve Morsi, the news channel noted. Washington's intelligence think t ank Stratfor felt "the overthrow of Egypt's moderate Islamist government undermines the international efforts to bring radical Isla mists into the political mainstream in the wider Arab and Muslim world."

Subcontinent

Pakistan ends moratorium on executions: Official

Islamabad: Pakistan's new government has ended a moratorium on executions, an official said as Amnesty International raised concerns about a "shocking and retrograde step". Under the previous government led by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), no one except a soldier convicted by court martial was put to death since 2008. But the PPP suffered a crushing defeat in historic elections on May 11, which swept to power the centre-right Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) under Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. A presidential order imposing a moratorium on the death penalty, issued in 2008, expired on 30 June. In Pakistan all executions must be approved by the president. The PPP's Asif Ali Zardari is due to step down in August and the parliament controlled by the PML-N will elect a new head of state. "The new government has decided to deal with all cases of execution on merit," said interior ministry spokesman Umer Hameed. "The government has given clear instructions to see all such cases on a case-by-case basis and there will be no general amnesty for the convicts waiting for execution," he said. London-based rights group Amnesty International on Wednesday called for an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty.

'No accountability for ISI's actions in Pak'

Sri Lankan leader in India for talks

New Delhi: Sri Lankan Minister Basil Rajapaksa arrived here amid Indian concerns that Colombo may dilute a constitutional provision related to devolution of powers to provinces. Rajapaksa, a brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was to meet External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Friday amid fears that the India-backed 13th amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution could get diluted. The provision devolves powers to provinces, and was a key decision after India and Sri Lanka signed a pact in 1987 to end Tamil separatism. Rajapaksa, the economic development minister, is also slated to meet National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon, who is set to visit Sri Lanka later this month. External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said Rajapaksa's visit was part of the regular high-level consultation India and Sri Lanka hold. Rajapaksa could call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Manmohan Singh told a delegation of Sri Lanka Tamil MPs here last month that he was dismayed by reports suggesting that Colombo planned to dilute certain key provisions of the 13th amendment. This, it is feared, could take place ahead of elections to the northern provincial council.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was in for a shocker earlier this week when he learnt that the country's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Frontier Corps (FC) had never been questioned about their operations in Balochistan province. Sharif was holding a high-level meeting in Quetta Tuesday to discuss the law and order situation there when this reality dawned on him, The News International reported. According to the report, Sharif came to know that the ISI and the FC were never asked about their operations in Balochistan

for 16 years now nor had any government taken any ownership for their actions. "For the first time in 16 years, we have been asked to explain our doings and the government is ready to take the political ownership," an insider said quoting the inspector general of the FC and the ISI chief of Balochistan, according to the report. "Now you will see results of this ownership," they were quoted as saying by The News. Sharif's visit to Quetta took place two days after a suicide attack claimed 30 lives in the Hazara neighborhood of the city. The area has seen a series of terrorist acts since January.

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July 6-12, 2013

SPORTS

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Kalmadi voted out as AAA Paes, Bopanna, Mirza lose at Wimbledon chief after 13 years
Though Kalmadi has stated that he had no issues with the vote, his supporters were unwilling to digest the count of invalid votes. "It is too much of a coincidence to believe that seven members in an electoral college of 45 losing their vote for some strange reason. But then in a democratic vote such things do happen. These invalid votes are as good as walking out or abstaining to facilitate a vote in a particular direction," said a delegate to the congress. Kalmadi, who is out on bail after serving nine months in a Delhi jail for his alleged involvement in New Delhi Commonwealth Games scams, had the numbers despite the Arab camp favouring the Qatari, a senior AAA vice-president. Kalmadi's election campaign was spearheaded by his close confidante Lalit Bhanot, who is also out on bail in Commonwealth Games corruption case, and he was confident of the victory of the Congress MP from Pune. "I have no issues and I congratulate Mr AlHamad for being elected as president. I am rather relieved that I will be able to work at the grassroots level in athletics," said Kalmadi without any visible rancour on his face. Al-Hamad said Kalmadi's contribution to Asian athletics can never be forgotten. "We cannot forget Mr. Kalmadi's contribution. He did his best, now we have to take the baton from him and continue the movement," said Hammad. London: It was a bad day in office for Indian tennis players at Wimbledon as Leander Paes, Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza lost their respective matches. While Paes lost his mens doubles semifinal, Mirza went out of the mixed doubles at the quarterfinal stage. Bopanna on the other hand, lost both his, mens doubles semifinal and mixed doubles quarterfinal, matches on the lone grass court major. Bopanna partnering Frances Edouard Roger-Vasselin lost a five-set battle to top seeds Bob and Mike Bryan of the United States. The 14th seeds lost 7-6(4), 4-6, 3-6, 7-5, 3-6 in two hours and 48 minutes on Court No.1. This was Bopannas best ever mens doubles outing at Wimbledon, having reached the quarterfinal previously in 2010. Vikas Gowda gives India first gold at Asian Athletics Pune: Discus Thrower Vikas Gowda won India's first gold medal at the 20th Asian Athletics Championship when he hurdled the iron disk to 64.90m to beat Irani strongman Mohammed Samini at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex at
Leander Paes

Suresh Kalmadi

Pune: Suresh Kalmadi has been voted out as president of the Asian Athletics Association (AAA) 18-20 by Qatari Dahlan al-Hamad after a whopping seven ballots were shockingly found invalid in his home town. Thus ended Kalmadi's 13-year run as the boss of Asian athletics and with it his only remaining major sports office. Kalmadi was voted out at the 20th Congress of the continental body. He has already quit as president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in the wake of his arrest and charge sheet in the financial irregularities case connected with the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Curiously, Kalmadi unseated Indonesian Bob Hassan 19-15 in his backyard in Jakarta and history repeated when he was defeated on his home turf here.

Balewadi. India won three medals, all of different colours as they moved up on the medals tally after having won just two bronze medals on the opening day. Women's 400m runner M.R Poovamma struck silver medal with a run of 53.37 seconds, while the long distance runner Ratiram Saini took the bronze in the men's 10000m race.Indian long distance runners led the race on the initial stages of men's 10000m. At the end Bahraini duo Alemu Bekele (28:47.26) and Bilisuma Shugi (28:58.67) were 1-2 when Saini (29:35.42) sprinted out compatriot Kheta Ram (29:35.72) for the bronze.

Business

Chennai: The Reserve Bank of India does not have any target for rupee level but will use all the instruments it has to reduce volatility, RBI Governor D. Subbarao said. He also said the bank's monetary policy transmission is not agile as the commercial banks are reluctant to pass on the benefit of interest rate reduction to borrowers and not all applicants will get a banking licence. Speaking to reporters here after attending the bank's board meeting, Subbarao said the bank has no exchange rate target but would use all the instruments it has to reduce the Indian rupee's volatility. The Indian rupee fell to over Rs.60 to the US dollar recently. "I cannot say anything more than standard policy of RBI, we employ instruments which are available to us in order to manage volatility. We don't have exchange rate or target plan, we try to manage the currency movement by using all the instruments," Subbarao said. Asked about the applications for banking licence, Subbarao said there are no definite numbers as to the new players and not all applicants will get a licence. When asked about the conflict of interest in the case of Aditya Birla Nuvo's application as its chairman Kumarmangalam Birla is also on the RBI's board, Subbarao said the group applying for the banking licence is a recent development while Birla has been on the bank's board for the past six years. He said the matter will be discussed with the government.

RBI will try to reduce rupee volatility India expanded at faster rate than China: HSBC
New Delhi: India expanded at a faster rate than China during June, even as growth in emerging market economies during the month was the lowest since the global financial crisis in 2008/09, an HSBC survey said. The HSBC Emerging Markets Index ( EMI), a monthly indicator derived from the PMI surveys, sank to 50.6 in June from 51.3 in May, signalling the weakest increase in output since May, 2009. The latest figure was the lowest in over four years as the Chinese manufacturing output witnessed a decline as did production in other Asian economies, HSBC said. Among the largest emerging economies, output stagnated in China, registering a marginal fall for the first time since August 2012. Meanwhile, output stagnated in Russia, while India and Brazil both posted weak rates of growth. During June, the HSBC composite index for India, which maps both manufacturing and services sectors, stood at 50.9, whereas for China it was 49.8, Brazil 51.1 and Russia 50.1. An index measure of above 50 indicates expansion. Commenting on the findings, HSBC Co-Head of Asian Economic Research, Frederic Neumann said: "Asia is feeling the pinch from jittery financial markets. The road ahead looks bumpy with manufacturing slowing further." Meanwhile, the volume of new business in global emerging markets was little-changed from one month previously, weighed down by a fall in manufacturing new orders and the rate of employment growth in emerging markets was marginal in June. With regards to business expectation for the next 12 months, HSBC said respondents reflected weaker sentiment in both manufacturing and services sector.

On Finance Minister P. Chidambaram's observation that the RBI, apart form focusing on reining in inflation, should also look at economic growth and job creation, Subbarao said the central bank is doing its best to balance financial stability and industrial growth.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD

July 6-12, 2013

33

SRK father third time, jury out on sex test

Saif Ali Khan and Shahid Kapoor

Saif. Shahid to battle it out at the box office

his November, the industry will witness a big clash at the box office. However, the conflict this time is touted to be slightly more personal, as the two stars involved are Saif Ali Khan and Shahid Kapoor. While the former actor is Kareena Kapoors husband, she was in a relationship with the latter back in the day. Both actors action dramas Saifs Bullett Raja and Shahids Rambo Rajkumar will take each other on this November 29. Its a coincidence. But whether the makers like it or not, this topic (of the clash between Saif and Shahid) is bound to come up, says trade analyst Taran Adarsh. Otherwise too, the collision is going to be big since both the movies feature top names. Plus, with directors like Tigmanshu Dhulia (Bullett Raja) and Prabhudheva (Rambo Rajkumar) and the involvement of studios like Fox Star and Eros, the situation will be interesting. At the same time, trade analysts also feel that the films might benefit from the buzz created as a result of the clash. While, Bullett Raja was initially set to release on September 6, Rambo Rajkumar was scheduled for November 15. Ultimately, the content will be the deciding factor since both the films play with similar genres, says exhibitor-distributor Akshaye Rathi.

ollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan became a father for the third time on May 27, officials at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) confirmed on Wednesday, even as controversy raged over whether an illegal prenatal sex test was conducted. Though the BMC has received a birth report from an Andheri clinic stating that a boy was born to Shah Rukh Khan and G a u r i through surrogacy, the civic body is clueless if and where, a sex determination test

was conducted. The civic body is probing whether the star couple knew the childs gender before its birth. Also, the birth report does not mention anything about surrogacy. Our doctor who went for inspection did not check the registration book. We dont know who the woman who delivered the child is, said Dr A Bamne of BMC. News reports, however, claimed the surrogate was a close relative of the couple. Advocate Varsha Deshpande whose NGO had filed a complaint with the BMC about the alleged sex determination, said, The civic body seems to be helping the accused.

Shah Rukh Khan with wife Gauri

'Lootera' gets thumbs up from Bollywood

ilmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane, whose last film "Udaan" won accolades at many film festivals, has impressed the film fraternity once again with "Lootera", which was screened for a select few. A period romance, "Lootera" features Ranveer Singh with Sonakshi Sinha. Co-produced by Phantom Films and Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Motion Pictures, the film is set to be released on Friday. B-town took to Twitter to share views on the film: Karan Johar: Saw the superbly crafted and performed 'Lootera'... Sonakshi Sinha is a revelation!

All accolades for Vikram...team Phantom and team Balaji!(sic). Anurag Kashyap: Such i n c r e d i b l e response for 'Lootera'. A filmmaker amongst us d i r e c t o r s Vi k r a m a d i t y a Motwane. Konkona S e n

Sharma: 'Udaan' director Vikramaditya comes back with a glorious second film 'Lootera'. Can`t wait to see what he will make next. Ranveer exceptional. Aditi Rao Hydari: Lootera'. swooning. Ranveer, Sonakshi, Vikramaditya is epic! And so is the Dop (Director of Photography). Shruti Seth: Just watched 'Lootera'. Such a poignant story of love and longing. Superlative jobs by everyone, but the director deserves the loudest applause. (sic)" Milap Zaveri: 'Lootera` is an epic masterpiece. Bautiful! Ranveer and Sonakshi give the greatest performances of 2013! Vikramaditya and Ekta take a bow!

A scene from 'Lootera'

ditya Pancholi and his wife Zarina Wahab's 20day ordeal of watching their only son Sooraj, an aspiring actor, imprisoned for allegedly abetting actress Jiah Khan's death, has ended. The parents thank the judiciary and the god. Sooraj, who was arrested June 10, was granted bail by the Bombay High Court. He has been ordered to pay a surety of Rs.50,000, surrender his passport and report to police whenever required for investigations. Aditya said: "It's finally happened. My boy is coming out. I am just so grateful to the honourable judge for being fair to us. We had begun to lose hope." Zarina, who has been going through an agonising wait for her son's return, said: "We knew Sooraj would be out because he has done no wrong. We just didn't know why it was taking so long. My son has gone through so

much. We've suffered outside. But we can't begin to imagine Jiah case: what he must have gone through." Zarina has nothing but kind words for Jiah Khan, who committed suicide June 3. "Her soul must have finally rested in peace. Jiah loved my son. She couldn't have been happy with what was happening to Sooraj. It is ironical that Jiah's mother says she wanted Sooraj in jail because of Jiah when the last thing Jiah would have ever wanted was to see my son in distress," said Zarina.

Sooraj Pancholi

Sooraj Pancholi gets bail

34

July 6-12, 2013

HUMOR

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Funny Bone by Nury Vittachi

My new hero - workman who blacked out two countries

once plugged in an appliance and accidentally blacked out my whole school. I was an instant hero. I later told the head teacher that jumping around yelling "woohoo" was how we expressed deep sorrow where I come from, but he wasn't buying it. My achievement was eventually topped by a friend who dug a hole in his garden and short-circuited his entire street. Yet both of us have to bow to workman Ngo Tan Thao. He recently damaged a cable and managed to fuse much of his country AND the country next door. The guy was moving stuff with a crane when he hit some wires in Binh Duong, Vietnam, the Thanh Nien news website reported. With a loud ZAP, he killed the electricity supply in multiple provinces of Vietnam, plus a big chunk of neighboring Cambodia. Both countries' capital cities were blacked out. Ngo must have learned how big his foul-up was in stages. First, his fellow workmen would surely have noticed that their equipment had died. Second, complaints must have come from further afield. "Ngo, you idiot, the whole town is without electricity." Third, the mega-scale of the problem must have become apparent. "President Truong is

Workman Ngo Tan Thao recently damaged a cable and managed to fuse much of his country - AND the country next door. The guy was moving stuff with a crane when he hit some wires in Binh Duong, Vietnam, the Thanh Nien news website reported. With a loud ZAP, he killed the electricity supply in multiple provinces of Vietnam, plus a big chunk of neighboring Cambodia. Both countries' capital cities were blacked out.
on the phone and he's not happy." And finally the cross-border nature of the disaster would have become apparent. "Ngo, there's an angry president calling from the country next door." Poor Ngo. Paying for lost productivity out of his salary is going to take him eight and a half billion years. I wonder what he replied when he got home and his wife asked if he'd

had a good day? "So-so. I've had better." More importantly, could this incident on May 22 go into my files under the important title of MFU (Major Foul-Up) of the Century? There are other contenders. In March 2011, a woman named Hayastan Shakaryan, then aged 75, found a cable and stole it to sell as scrap. It turned out to be the internet link for Armenia and Georgia. She was charged with several offences, which can be summarized as Stealing the Internet and Causing the Populations of Two Countries to Abruptly Return to Reality. Yet she merely shut down the web for two countries, while Mr Ngo shut down the internet AND halted ALL OTHER important electricity-dependent activities, if such things exist, which I personally doubt. Europe has one entry in the Major Foul-Up stakes. Two nuclear submarines, one French and one British, crashed in the Atlantic in February 2009. If they had exploded, World War III would have started. This was an impressive foul-up, considering the difficulty of getting two objects to bump into each other in an ocean measuring 82 million square kilometers, a space equal to the combined volumes of China and India's land masses, plus Kamal Rashid Khan's ego. On the plus side, big foul-ups can be helpful. The next time warmongers in India or Pakistan or China or North Korea start to get their missile systems ready for launch, all we have to do is to assign Mr Ngo of Vietnam to do the wiring. "Oops, sorry, I touched the wrong wire and sent your country back to the Stone Age. I'll get it fixed in a year or two, probably."

Laughter is the Best Medicine

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

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

ASTROLOGY

July 6-12, 2013

35

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: July 6-12, 2013

ARIES : Success in completing difficult assignments brings a lot of laurels at work. Relatives are likely to give some valuable advice regarding personal life. Finances will definitely get a boost. But at the same time there will be rise in expenses too. You are likely to spoil the mood of love companion on raising controversial issues. You are likely to maintain good health that would also give you success. Breathtaking beautiful site scenes are your lover s desire. Purchasing official accessories can lead to improve growth of your office LEO: A firm commitment will not only enable to achieve professional targets but also to realise your dreams. Enjoying a picnic with family will not only bring joy but also help in clearing misunderstandings. Successful execution of brilliant ideas would help in earning financial profits. You are likely find comfort in the arms of romantic partner. Mental alertness would enable to solve a tricky problem. Its time to travel with innovative imagination. Real estate is one thing on which you can rely on to invest. You involve yourself in something interest to divert fixation from personal problems. Sagittarius: For some change of job would bring mental satisfaction. You are likely to hear a good news from close relatives. Property dealings would materialize helping in bringing fabulous gains. Partner brings immense romantic pleasure even if work pressure occupies your mind Cutting down the number of parties and pleasure jaunts would help in keeping in good mood. Pack your bags and some eatables and go out for a picnic. If you invest on smaller properties then it can be beneficiary for future investments. Friends timely help would save from the conspiracy hatched by enemies. Taurus: Self-confident would enable to convey your point of view with ease a workplace. You receive care and affection from family members. Investment on long-term plans would pave the way for earning financial gains. Romance touches new heights, as partner positively responds. A continuous positive thinking gets rewarded as you succeed in whatever you do in this week. Time to relax and enjoy your visit to a relatives place. Inheriting property from your relatives seems to be ahead. Efforts to interact with strangers will see light of the week. Virgo: Dedication and sincerity at work will be of little value on failing to translate ideas into reality. Charming nature and pleasant personality would make you the attraction of family function in this week. A very successful week as far as monetary position is concerned. Love and romantic encounter will keep you in a cheerful state. A cheerful state of mind brings mental peace. Are you longing to go on a vacation then be ready for it? Investment on construction business would flourish your income. Tireless efforts would bring a marked difference in life. Capricorn: Your inner values coupled with a positive attitude will bring success at work. An old friend makes a pleasant visit later in the week. You are likely to earn monetary gains through various sources. Romance rules heart & mind during this week. A beneficial week to work on things that will improve your health. Many people want to fly international and you are one of them. Your plan to own a house is ought to be in the right way. A close friend will lend a helping hand in legal battle. Gemini: Mental clarity gives a decisive edge over all competitors at professional front. Matrimonial alliance for eligible bachelor in family brings joy to all. Improvement in finances makes it convenient in clearing long pending dues & bills. You are likely to find someone with whom you will enjoy the ecstasies of love. Creative hobbies are likely to keep you relaxed. Journey to some famous historical place sounds exciting to your kids. Your income can be doubled by renting your house or a part of your house. You need to be careful of the motives of people you are associated with at personal front. Libra: You will fail to explore the full potential of software/hardware skills. Family members appreciate the changes made in & around the house. Indications of earning financial profits through commissions, dividends or royalties. Sudden romantic encounter is foreseen this week. Good time to divert attention to spirituality to enhance mental toughness. Be ready to hang out with your friends. Dealings for older properties can be in process. Sincere efforts would prove beneficial in whatever you do. Aquarius: Make sure you work in close cooperation with seniors to bring desired results at workplace. Evening enjoyed with family and close relatives brings immense pleasure. Increase in income from past investment is foreseen. Romantic imagination occupies mind forcing to go out of the way to please partner. Your confidence and energy will be high in this week. Plan and enjoy a holiday, little hussle- bussle might be possible. Plan to invest in cafeteria or a bakery shop; it might create new opportunities for you. People feel the fragrance of your personality. Cancer: Calculated risks would enables to complete the project on time. A new outlook will be the source of laughter at family front. You will be presented with many new financial schemes. However you must weigh them considering all pros & cons before making any commitment. Love comes your way as friendship turns into romance. With a positive outlook & confidence, you succeed in impressing people around you. Romance is in full bloom, a journey full of pleasure is your crave. It would be beneficial if you plan to buy a small property. Success in motivating others teaches the importance of being enthusiastic. Scorpio: Cooperative nature brings desired results at professional front. Friends and family members would encourage to work harder. Important people will be ready to finance anything that has a special class to it. A promising week for romance when your innovation infuses a new spirit in it. A pleasure trip gives the muchneeded tonic to health. By traveling you will learn about new places, ultimately its a great deal for yourself. Your possession for acquiring a plot might be achieved. You make changes in yourself rather than expecting others to do so. Responding positively & quickly to new ideas in business will go in your favour. You are likely to plan a short trip with family. Monetary gains from unplanned sources will brighten your week. Cupids arrows would make your heart flutter high. A week when smile will perpetually be on your face and strangers will seem familiar. By traveling youll learn about new places and cultures, which is ultimately a great deal about yourself. You might apply for bank loan as to get back the possession of your mortgaged property. Testing times bring-in-forth hidden talent.
yield a lot of money for you this year. You need to be extra cautions while investing huge amounts as it is a bit risky to put money on unpredictable things. Overall, you will enjoy a strong financial condition. Career this year: You will enjoy a great professional career this year. If you are involved in arts or creative field, this year will be very good for you. You will reach new heights in your career and you will gain enough recognition. You may seek help from an experienced person to succeed in your career. Romance this year: You will spend a peaceful life with your spouse. If you are unmarried, you may get into a matrimonial relationship towards the end of this year. Lucky month: September, December, April and July 12th July, 2013 Ruled planet Jupiter Ruled by no 3 Traits in you: As you are influenced by planet Jupiter, you are dignified, religious, mentally strong, enthusiastic, lovable, respectable, determined, devoted, and courteous. You are self dependent and have a great leadership quality. You are able to take quick decisions. However, you need to take care of you nature of being arrogant and stubborn. Health this year: Your health will remain good throughout the year. However, you need to go for regular fitness programs or practice yoga and meditation for better results. Do not avoid your regular medication. Look out the health of your family members as they may fall ill frequently. Finance this year: Sudden gain in money may surprise you. Your pending legal issues will get resolved this year and provide you with ample of money. You may go for new investments this year as this year seems to be profitable for you. Do not trust strangers in business. Do not lend any money this year as you face a straight loss. Career this year: You will be over ambitious as far as your career goals are concerned. Take time to plan your career. Do not be in a hurry for a job change. You will improve your skills and expertise. You will find your work pretty interesting and it will give you the job satisfaction you wanted. Romance this year: Your romantic life would be at its peak this year around. Try to sort things out if you have any problem with your spouse or partner. Do not initiate an argument with your beloved as it may result in weakening your relationship. Lucky month: November, January and June

Pisces:

Annual Predictions: For those born in this week

6th July, 2013 Ruled planet Venus Ruled by no 6 Traits in you: As you are ruled by Venus, you are simple, generous, cheerful, friendly, humble, honest and peace loving. You are pretty interested to stay in harmony with each and everyone in your surroundings. You need to work on your nature of being restless and pessimistic. Health this year: Your health would be moderate this time. You may not have the privilege to take the diet of your wish as the doctor would prescribe to avoid that. You may practice yoga and meditation along with your prescribed medicines for better results. Finance this year: Your expectations for financial gains may not convert to reality as you have to spend a moderate financial life this year. Do not invest huge amount on anything as you may go in loss. You should wait for the right time to invest on anything. You should not lend money to anyone as it may create financial crisis for yourself. Career this year: As far as your professional life is concerned, you are expected to get a lot of opportunities throughout this year. However, you have to work hard and efficiently to convert those opportunities. Being a quick decision maker, you may have to decide on many critical matters in your professional circle. Romance this year: You may try and convert your long time romantic relationship to a married one. You will be enjoying a great life with your spouse with lots of understanding, love, and care. You need not get into any kind of argument with your beloved this year. Lucky month: August, September and March 7th July, 2013 Ruled planet Neptune Ruled by no 7 Traits in you: Your ruling planet Neptune makes you intelligent, adaptable, charming, independent, humble, decisive, courteous, and courageous. Along with many positive characters, you also have few negatives. You need to work on your carefree and dominating attitude towards others to get respect and attention in your friend circle. Health this year: You need to take an appropriate care of your health. You may fall sick in the middle months of the year though those will not be serious. If you are a sportsperson, you need to be very careful for your diet and nutrition to perform better in your sporting events. Finance this year :You will be financially profited from you long term past investments. Your legal issues will be solved to give you a huge amount of money. You may end up spending a lot of money on your family members this year though you will earn a handsome amount. You may go for investments to get benefited in future. Career this year: Professionally, you are a very smart and efficient worker. So you may need to clarify doubts and help you peers and juniors in their work. People in your professional circuit will seek your help at every crucial situation. You may get promoted as a result of your spectacular performance throughout the year. You may be assigned a new responsibility this year. You may go for a job change as well as there will be plenty of opportunities available. Romance this year: You will be spending a peaceful and content life with your beloved. During the last few months of the year, you may have few misunderstandings, which can be cleared and sorted out if you both sit and try to listen each other. Lucky month: October, January, March and June 8th July , 2013 Ruled planet Saturn Ruled by no 8 Traits in you: The influence of the planet Saturn makes you creative, realistic, helpful, thoughtful, enthusiastic, and optimistic. You should take care of your impatience and jealousy to excel as an individual. Health this year: You may fall sick often this year if you do not take required preventive measures. You should see your doctor once a month to check your health conditions and supplements if required. You should also take care of the health of your family members by providing them medical attention. Finance this year: You may prosper financially with the opportunity to earn as much as possible with new sources of income. You may go for long distance business trips if you want success in your business. Be aware of fraud investment agencies as you may end up losing a huge amount of money. You are advised not to lend money this year. Career this year: Your hard work, dedication, and efforts in your work will get reflected in your professional hierarchy as you may go a step further towards your promotion. You will be admired by your peers and seniors this year for your performance and decision making capabilities. Treat your ordinates respectfully and try to help them in difficult situation as it would help you in getting a better appraisal towards the end of the year. Romance this year: Your relationship with your partner may reach to new heights this year as your love, trust, care and concern will develop towards your beloved. You may get married towards the end of this year if you are yet to marry. Lucky month: September, December and April 9th July, 2013 Ruled planet Mars Ruled by no 9 Traits in you: Your ruling planet Mars makes you strong, determined, courageous, enthusiastic, intelligent, ambitious, and motivated. You have a strong dislike towards fake people and fake emotions. You are a huge fan of truth and cleanliness. You need to work on your nature of showing dictatorship and being rude and stubborn at times. Health this year: As far as your health is concerned this year, you may not remain healthy throughout the year. There will be few hiccups in your health as you may suffer from many minor diseases. If you want to stay healthy, you should go for proper medication and a healthy diet plan. You have to leave consuming alcohol and smoking cigarettes. Finance this year: You may go through sudden gains and losses this year. However, you will be capable enough to find out the source to earn ample amount of money. Your financial condition will be improved for a long term. If you are into business, you may enhance your business to gain better profits. You should invest in real estate this year as the chances of return are high. Career this year: You will face huge challenges in your professional field this year. There will be a lot of changes in your professional life. You may remain disturbed about your profession. You may go for a new job change as you would find the current work disgusting and monotonous. Romance this year: You will enjoy an improved life with your partner with lot of love, care, and concern. You should give time to your spouse or partner. If you are not married, you might have to wait as the movement of your planets does not suggest a marital alliance this year. Lucky month: October, November, February and June

10th July, 2013 Ruled planet Sun Ruled by no 1 Traits in you: Being governed by the Sun, you are endowed with uniqueness and philosophy. You are courageous, daring, courteous, affectionate, decisive, and very determined. You need to work on your impatience and short tempered nature. Health this year: You may remain worried for the health of your spouse. Your health will remain fine though it needs extra care. You should regularly visit to your doctor for checkups. Try to secure your parents health as they may suffer from minor ailments throughout this year. Finance this year: Financial gains are sure for you this year as you may get into new business ventures. However, try to avoid partnerships as much as you can. You may get benefited from your past investments or sale of paternal land or property. You may go for renovation of your house and that will make you spend enough money. You may go for business trips later in the year and you will succeed in bringing new business. Career this year: The nature of your professional work will allow you find many new job opportunities with high salaries. You should take up a new job to flourish in your career. You will gain required expertise in your profession and perform better than ever. Romance this year: You will be in a peaceful relationship with your beloved this year. You should take care not to get involved in any kind of confrontation or argument with your partner. You may get into marital relationship this year if you are yet to marry. Lucky month: August, November, January and May 11th July, 2013 Ruled planet Moon Ruled by no 2 Traits in you: The influence of your ruling planet Moon makes you simple, dynamic, charismatic, creative, reliable and focused. You need to control your frequent mood swings and stubbornness to become a better individual. Health this year: You will enjoy an overall good health this year though you may go through minor health issues throughout the year. You should practice yoga and meditation for better result. Your parents may fall sick and this might make you tensed. Take special care of your spouses health. Take a normal diet and medicines to remain healthy. Finance this year: Your past investments may

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July 6-12, 2013

SPIRITUAL AWARENESS

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Chapter excerpt from the book: Empowering Your Soul through Meditation

The empowered soul

By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj

ithin us are riches greater than any we can ever accumulate on earth. We have inside us a source of knowledge from which all other knowledge flows. A love far greater and fulfilling than any we can know in the outer world is waiting to embrace us with open arms within. At our core is a strength and power that can enable us to overcome any fear. Underlying our separateness as individuals is a connectedness and oneness to all life. Awaiting us inside is a bliss and joy so fulfilling that we need no other outer intoxicants to make us happy. All these gifts lie within us in the empowered soul. The soul is a source of tremendous wisdom, love, and power, yet we remain ignorant of its treasures when we allow it to be overpowered by the mind, the senses, and the physical body. When the mind and body assert power over the soul, the soul forgets itself. But the empowered soul is our true nature, and it is time we reclaim the soul so that its gifts can enrich our life. There are two ways through which to view ourselves with regard to the soul. The first is to view ourselves primarily as a body and mind. When we see ourselves in this manner, we say that we are a mind and body that have a soul. The second is to see ourselves primarily as a soul. When we change perspective and identify with the soul, we say that we are a soul who has or wears a mind and body. To assess how we look at ourselves is one of our goals. If we think we are a mind and body, then ours is a journey to find the soul. If we realize that we are the soul, which has been given a mind and body to maneuver through the physical world, then our goal is to further empower the soul. By empowering the soul we recover its natural control over the mind and senses. The aim of Empowering Your Soul through Meditation is to help reacquaint us with the qualities of the soul and provide direction for its empowerment. The souls power has been forgotten. The mind, the senses, the body, and the pulls of the physical world have placed the soul in a state of forgetfulness from which we must awaken. When we empower our soul, its wisdom, immortality, love,

fearlessness, connectedness, and bliss add a new dimension to our life. Many people live and die without ever realizing the full power and potential of their soul. At some time in their life, they may begin to wonder about the soul, about God, and about the purpose of their existence. This search for meaning and purposethe spiritual questis one that people pursue in individual ways. Some seek answers in scripture while others search in places of worship. Some go beyond their own religion to find the answers offered in other faiths. Whichever method one adopts, the direction one follows to find the answers to lifes questions is known as the spiritual path. It is the spiritual path that

no records because they did not found a religion or leave behind any scriptures. Some of them we know of through references by other people who wrote about them. One thing is clear: these realized souls have the ability to teach us how to realize ourselves. If we find such a being, we can learn how we, too, can discover our soul and its attributes. True knowledge comes from seeing and experiencing on our own. We may read what others write or listen to what others say, but we cannot be fully satisfied until we experience it for ourselves. This book touches on the two aspects of spiritual knowledge that can help us realize our soul: the theoretical knowledge, and the person-

body because we can look at it, feel it, and listen to sounds coming from it. However, where and what is the soul? How can we recognize it? What are its characteristics and qualities? This book provides a way for us to accomplish two tasks: the theoretical understanding of our true selves as soul; and the practical technique for the realization of our soul and the empowering of it to guide our lives. Some of us may spend our lives searching for knowledge in the world outside. Little do we know that the source of all answers, the universal wisdom, lies within us. Some of us may find that at times our life is thwarted by fear and anxiety, hopelessness and depression, yet we have a

Exploration within will help us discover our own potential. Once we learn to tap into our inner resources, we experience a profound transformation that will enrich all areas of our life from personal relations, to physical, mental and emotional health, to our work, to our spiritual growth, and the attainment of our lifes goals. This transformation can bring peace and joy into our lives and can contribute to a peaceful, loving world. The Empowered Soul is a manual for daily living and personal discovery.
leads us to the realization of our inner self, to the soul. Many people pass through life never realizing who they are and never certain about the purpose of their existence. In times of trouble or in the face of death, they may raise these questions but may not follow them through to a fulfilling conclusion or else may abandon the process when the bad times pass. But those who have a burning desire to find the answers to the mysteries of life can find them. Fortunately, there are people in the world who have found spiritual fulfillment and can guide us. If we look through history we find that in every generation there have been people who have realized themselves as soul and have realized God. Some of their wisdom and experiences have been recorded in history and, in some cases, a religion has been created from their teachings. Other realized souls have come and gone but have left behind al or practical knowledge. The theoretical side consists of what other realized people have said about the soul (such as what are some of the qualitieswisdom, immortality, fearlessness, love, connectedness, and bliss). The personal or practical side consists of a technique that I learned from a fully realized being. I wish to share this technique to help others realize their soul on their own. On the theoretical side, a basic agreement among enlightened souls is that we are not just a physical body, but we are also the soul or spirit behind the body. It is the soul that that gives us life. When the soul is in the body, we are physically alive. When the soul leaves the body at the time of death, the body ceases to exist. The body may perish, but the soul that inhabits it is immortal. The soul continues to exist after our physical death. We are aware of our physical source of fearlessness within us that can help us overcome any inner turmoil. We fear our own death and the passing away of our loved ones. We are petrified of the unknown and what awaits us beyond this life. But we do not realize that immortality is ours. We crave love and seek it many places. But there is an unconditional love that is ours awaiting us with open arms. We need only turn in the right direction to find it. We feel alone and unconnected in this world. But there is a place of unity and connectedness within us. If we could but only tap it we would find the richness of relationships with others, with nature, and with all life. Exploration within will help us discover our own potential. Once we learn to tap into our inner resources, we experience a profound transformation that will enrich all areas of our lifefrom personal relations, to physical, mental and emotional health, to our work, to

our spiritual growth, and the attainment of our lifes goals. This transformation can bring peace and joy into our lives and can contribute to a peaceful, loving world. The Empowered Soul is a manual for daily living and personal discovery. From the outset, we should define certain terminology to ensure that there is no confusion in how words are being used throughout the book. The term soul is defined as our true essence or spiritual sidethe part of us that lives beyond the death of our physical body. The soul exists whether it has a body or mind. When it enters this world, it is given a body and mind. As human beings, we are thus embodied souls or souls with a body and mind. The terms we or us refer to us as human beings or embodied souls. The process of finding the soul is referred to as tapping into or discovering our soul within us. When we finally do discover our soul and identify with it as being our true nature, then the soul is referred to as the empowered soul, a soul that has recognized itself and is aware that it is the essence of who we really are, that it is the guiding power behind the body and mind. True joy is not as elusive as we think. We can find lasting happiness if we only look in the right place. Within us lies the unlimited power and energy of the empowered soul. Its rich qualities include wisdom, fearlessness, immortality, unconditional love, connectedness, and bliss. Tapping into the soul and its power can enrich and transform our life. We remain ignorant of these inner gifts because blockages keep us from tapping into them. How can we remove these blockages? What process do we need to employ to discover all that we seek? There are simple techniques for accessing the riches of our soul. We need not search the four corners of the earth. We need not travel into outer space. These techniques can be practiced in the comfort of our home. Once we learn to tap into our inner resources, we can experience a profound transformation that can enrich all areas of our lifepersonal relations; physical, mental, and emotional health; professional work; spiritual growth; and the attainments of our lifes goals. This transformation cannot only bring peace and joy to our lives, but can also contribute to a peaceful, loving world. The aim of the book is to provide a means by which we can re-identify with the soul, (i.e. realize that the mind and body are merely our souls outer coverings through which it can live and work in this physical world) and to empower the soul to guide our life.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

July 6-12, 2013

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

July 6-12, 2013