Washington: A survey by a lead-

ing US think tank has found that

Indians expect the BJP to do a bet-
ter job in facing the various chal-
lenges faced by India. By a margin
of more than three-to-one, Indians
would prefer the BJP to lead the
next Indian government rather than
the Congress, according a survey
by Pew Research Centre of
America.
The survey also suggests that
BJPs PM candidate Narendra
Modi is more popular than
Congress vice-president Rahul
Gandhi. Roughly eight-in-ten
Indians (78 percent) have a favor-
able view of Modi, compared with
16 percent who hold an unfavor-
able view. Rahul Gandhi is seen
favorably by 50 percent of those
surveyed and unfavorably by 43
percent, the survey said.
Seven-in-ten Indians are dissatis-
fied with the way things are going
in India today.
And by a margin of better than
two-to-one, the public says the BJP
would do a better job on each of a
half dozen challenges facing the
nation -- from combating corrup-
Simferopol, Ukraine: Masked
gunmen stormed the parliament of
Ukraine's strategic Crimea region
as Russian fighter jets scrambled to
patrol borders, while Ukraine' s
newly formed government pledged
to prevent a national breakup with
the strong backing of the West
the stirrings of a potentially dan-
gerous confrontation reminiscent
of Cold War brinksmanship.
Meanwhile, Moscow granted
shelter to fugitive Ukrainian presi-
dent Viktor Yanukovych, state
media said.
As gunmen wearing unmarked
camouflage uniforms erected a
sign reading "Crimea is Russia" in
the provincial capital, Ukraine's
interim prime minister declared
that the Black Sea territory "has
been and will be a part of
Ukraine." The escalating conflict
sent Ukraine's finances plummet-
ing further, prompting Western
leaders to prepare an emergency
financial package. Yanukovych,
whose approach to Moscow set off
London: Britain's communications
spy agency intercepted and stored
screenshots from hundreds of thou-
sands of webcams, and the multi-
year operation yielded a huge trove
of intimate photographs of unsus-
pecting users, media reports say.
The Guardian says GCHQ inter-
cepted video chats of 1.8 million
users in a six-month period of
2008, and that the program was
still active in 2012. The project,
code-named "optic nerve," targeted
video chats such as those offered
by the Yahoo Messenger service.
The Guardian report is based on
data leaked by former US National
Security Agency contractor
Edward Snowden. Yahoo said
The South Asian Times
e x c e l l e n c e i n j o u r n a l i s m
excellence in journalism
Fashion 15 Indian Elections 13
Vol.6 No. 44 March 1-7, 2014 60 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Smithsonian exhibition 16 Personal Finance 25
75% Indians
want BJP to
lead India:
US survey
Continued on page 4
Continued on page 4
Continued on page 4
Pro-Russian demonstrators wave Russian flags during a protest
in Simferopol, Crimea, Ukraine, Feb 26.
UK spy agency snooped on Yahoo webcam chats
Yahoo called it a
whole new level
of violation of the
users' privacy.
Russian war games heighten tensions in Ukraine crisis
Celebrated by Hindu
devotees all over the
world, Shivaratri is
dedicated to Lord
Shiva, and holy men
mark the occasion by
praying. Pictured is
one of the sadhus
from Nepal and India
who gathered at the
Pashupatinath temple
in Kathmandu to take
part in the Shivaratri
festival, which fell on
Feb 27.
Day dedicated
to Lord Shiva
And 8 in 10 Indians have a
favorable view of Modi.
3 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY
Blakeman runs for Carolyn
McCarthys seat in Congress
New York: Republican Bruce
Blakeman launched his campaign to
succeed retiring Rep. Carolyn
McCarthy Thursday, attacking
President Obama and House
Democrats on the economy and the
health care law.
Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford)
endorsed candidacy of Blakeman,
the Nassau County Legislature's for-
mer presiding officer, at a meeting
in Valley Stream. But King predict-
ed a "rough" campaign to succeed
McCarthy (D-Mineola): "I know of
no one more qualified to run in this
district than Bruce Blakeman."
The National Republican
Congressional Committee first
wooed Hempstead Town Supervisor
Kate Murray for the 4th District, but
King said the committee is now
"very interested" in Blakeman.
Blakeman, 58, of Long Beach, has
run unsuccessfully for state comp-
troller and U.S. Senate. On the
Democratic side, Nassau District
Attorney Kathleen Rice is running.
Congressmen want Diwali holiday
in New York schools
Washington: Noting that
Diwali has been gaining
increasing recognition in
the US, six US lawmakers
have urged New York
City' s education depart-
ment to include the Indian
festival of lights among
new public school holi-
days.
The plea was made in a
letter last week by Joe
Crowley, Democratic co-
chair of the Congressional
Caucus on India and Indian
Americans, along with
House members Charles B.
Rangel, Grace Meng,
Gregory W. Meeks, Yvette
D. Clarke, and Carolyn B.
Maloney
"We appreciate your con-
sideration of school holi-
days that reflect our
diverse city and ensure that
students aren't forced to
choose between attending
school and observing
important holidays with
their families," wrote the
lawmakers in the letter to
schools chancellor Carmen
Faria.
Diwali is a festival of
great significance to mil-
lions of Indians and is
widely celebrated amongst
the three million-plus
Indian-American commu-
nity, as well as others,
noted a media release from
Crowley's office.
Crowley, who represents
Queens, led his colleagues
in creating the first-ever
Congressional celebration
in October 2013.
The lawmakers repre-
senting New York City said
they supported a potential
move to recognize Eid al-
Fitr, Eid al-Adha and
Lunar New Year as New
York City public school
holidays and urged the
chancellor to include
Diwali on the list.
"In fact, this year the
Congressional Caucus on
India and Indian-
Americans celebrated the
first-ever Congressional
Diwali, and the White
House has recognized the
festival under successive
administrations," the law-
makers noted.
Curbs on US author's book on Hinduism ignites row
Washington: Penguin
India's decision to with-
draw from publication
and pulp copies of an
American professor' s
book on Hinduism in an
out of court settlement
has ignited a fiery debate
in the US on freedom of
the speech in India.
The reactions have
ranged from anger to sad-
ness to jubilation depend-
ing on which side of the
debate one is on.
If the New York Times
branded it "Muzzling
Speech in India", an
author and activist called
it a "moral victory" for
Hindus.
Pulping of "The
Hindus: An Alternative History" by
Wendy Doniger, who teaches
Hinduism at the University of
Chicago Divinity School, "is only the
latest assault on free
speech in India", the
Times said in an editorial
last week.
"The publisher's move is
likely to encourage more
demands for censorship,"
it said, suggesting "the
wanton abuse of laws
restricting speech is creat-
ing a climate of fear" and
"enemies of free speech
have pledged to get even
more books banned".
Alyssa Ayres, a senior
fellow for India, Pakistan
and South Asia at the
Council on Foreign
Relations (CFR), was
more circumspect.
Saddened, he wrote, "One
of the great things about
India is the wonderful acceptance of
vigorous disagreement."
But now "it is getting harder to rec-
oncile the India that symbolizes
robust democracy, pluralism on a
grand scale, and the lessons of toler-
ance, with another India tiptoeing to
avert hurt feelings", she wrote.
Doniger told the Times that she
expected the book to meet trouble in
India. Noting that "she wasn't the only
author to face scrutiny by Hindu fun-
damentalist groups", Doniger said
that "right now people are really wor-
ried about what's happening in India"
and that has spurred "this tremendous
outpouring of indignation" about the
fate of her book.
In her book, Doniger said she want-
ed "to tell a story of Hinduism that's
been suppressed and was increasingly
hard to find in the media and text-
books".
The author told the Times she "had
no plans officially to protest the deci-
sion in India" and expressed gratitude
for the good run the book had there.
In the US too, the controversy has
sent the book shooting toward the top
of Amazon's bestseller ranks.
Bruce Blakeman has been
endorsed by Rep Peter King
(right). On the Democratic
side, Nassau District Attorney
Kathleen Rice is in the race.
The controversy
has sent the "The
Hindus: An
Alternative
History" book
shooting toward
the top of
Amazon's best-
seller ranks.
New York: A diagnostic firm
founded by an Indian-Ameri-
can physician has agreed to
pay $15.5 million to settle
charges that it falsely billed
federal and state health care
programs and paid kickbacks
to physicians.
The Diagnostic Imaging
Group (DIG), founded in 1985
by Mumbai native Leena
Doshi, would pay $13.65 mil-
lion to the federal government
and an additional $1.85 mil-
lion to New York and New Jer-
sey under a settlement an-
nounced by officials of the two
states.
Doshi herself has not been
charged or accused of any
wrongdoing. The DIG, which
operates a chain of diagnostic
testing facilities through its
subsidiary Doshi Diagnostic
Imaging Services, headquar-
tered in Hicksville, New York,
was charged with billing for
tests that were not performed
or not medically necessary.
The DIG previously operat-
ed chains in New Jersey and
Florida through subsidiaries
Doshi Diagnostic Imaging
Services of New Jersey and
Signet Diagnostic Imaging
Services, officials said.
The settlement resolves alle-
gations that the DIG submitted
claims to Medicare, as well as
the New Jersey and New York
Medicaid Programs, for 3D re-
constructions of CT scans that
were never performed or inter-
preted. Additionally, the DIG
allegedly bundled certain tests
on its order forms so that
physicians could not order
other tests without ordering
the additional bundled tests,
which were not medically nec-
essary.
The settlement also resolves
allegations that the DIG paid
kickbacks to physicians for the
referral of diagnostic tests.
According to the govern-
ment, the kickbacks were in
the form of payments that the
DIG made to physicians osten-
sibly to supervise patients who
underwent nuclear stress test-
ing. These payments allegedly
exceeded fair market value
and were, in fact, intended to
reward physicians for their re-
ferrals.
"Paying physicians for their
referrals and submitting false
claims to increase Medicare
and Medicaid reimbursements
simply cannot be tolerated,"
said Daniel R. Levinson, in-
spector general of the US De-
partment of Health and Hu-
man Services. "Besides levy-
ing a hefty penalty, the settle-
ment requires an independent
organization to review Diag-
nostic Imaging Group's claims
for five years and to send re-
ports to the government."
The allegations resolved un-
der the settlement were raised
in three lawsuits filed in 2009
and 2010 in federal courts un-
der whistleblower provisions
of the False Claims Act.
The three whistleblowers
will receive a total of $2.77
million as part of the settle-
ment.
Leena Doshis diagnostic firm to pay
$15 mn for false claims
Doshi has not been
charged or accused of
any wrongdoing.
Printed Every Saturday by
Forsythe Media Group, LLC
ISSN 1941-9333
76 N Broadway, Suite 2004,
Hicksville, NY 11801 P: 516.390.7847
Website: TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Updated Daily
Chairman and Co-Founder
Kamlesh C. Mehta
Co-Founder: Saroosh Gull
(Editor@DesiClub.com)
President: Arjit Mehta
Board Advisors (Honorary)
Ajay Lodha, MD,
Lakhpat B. Mehta, Esq.
Rajasthan High Court & Supreme Court
Managing Editor: Parveen Chopra
C : 516.710.0508
Editor@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Associate Editors
Jinal Shah, Hiral Dholakia-Dave,
Meenakshi Iyer
Contributing Editors: Melvin Durai,
Dr Prem Kumar Sharma,
Harry Aurora, Ashok Vyas,
Dr Akshat Jain, Nupur Joshi
West Coast Correspondent
Pooja Jain,
Pooja@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
New Delhi Bureau
Meenakshi Iyer
Delhi@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Strategy and Marketing
Jinal Shah
P: 315-436-1142
jinal.shah85@gmail.com
Marketing & PR (Washington DC)
Chander Gambhir, P: 703.717.1667
Jaipur (India) Bureau
Prakash Bhandari
Prakash@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Photographs: Gunjesh Desai/
masalajunction.com.
Xitij Joshi/xitijphoto.com
Photo Journalist: Sandeep Ganatra
Cartoonist: Mahendra Shah
Art and Design: Vladimir Tomovski
Bhagwati Creations, Rahul Sahota,
Dhiraj Kumar
Web Editor: B.B.Chopra
News Service: HT Media Ltd.
IANS Newswire Services
IANS Washington Bureau
Arun Kumar
arun.kumar@ians,in
Printing: Five Star Printing, NY
Contacts
Editor@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Subscribe@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Advertisements
Advertise@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
P : 516.390.7847
F : 516.465.1343
Website:
www.TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Notice: The South Asian Times is published weekly by The Forsythe Media Group, LLC. POSTMASTER: Send all address notices, subscription orders/payments and other inquiries to The South Asian
Times, 76 N Broadway, Suite 2004, Hicksville, NY 11801, USA. Copyright and all other rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be reprinted without the consent of the publisher. The
views expressed on the opinion pages and in the letters to the editor pages are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of The South Asian Times. The editor/publisher does not warrant accuracy
and cannot be held responsible for the content of the advertisements placed in the publication and/or inaccurate claims, if any, made by the advertisers. Advertisements of business or facilities included in this
publication do not imply connection or endorsement of these businesses. All rights reserved.
4 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info TURN PAGE
75% Indians want BJP to lead ...
Continued from page 1
tion to fighting terrorism. The Pew
survey results are based on face-to-
face interviews with 2,464 randomly
selected adults across India between
Dec 7 and Jan 12. The margin of
error is 3.8 percent.
Dissatisfaction with recent devel-
opments in India is remarkably
widespread among both BJP sup-
porters and Congress backers,
young and old, rich and poor, city
dwellers and ruralites, the survey
says. But views of the major parties
vary across the country, with sup-
port for a BJP-led government
strongest in north India.
However, backing for the BJP is
roughly equal in both rural and
urban areas despite Congress's deep
roots in rural India and its efforts to
cement rural political support
through employment and food secu-
rity programs.Pew Research centre
said its survey did not directly ask
about vote choice or the likelihood
that a respondent would vote, and it
could not gauge the level of support
for either the BJP or Congress in
particular constituencies.
But it reveals a widespread desire
among Indians for a change in lead-
ership. After Modi, Anna Hazare, is
the second most popular of the
national figures tested in the survey.
Russian war games heighten...
Continued from page 1
three months of pro-Europe protests,
finally fled by helicopter last week-
end as his allies deserted him. The
humiliating exit was a severe blow
to Russian President Vladimir Putin,
who had been celebrating his signa-
ture Olympics even as Ukraine's
drama came to a head. Putin had
dreamt of pulling Ukraine a huge
country of 46 million people consid-
ered the cradle of Russian civiliza-
tion closer into Moscow's orbit.
For Ukraine' s neighbors, the
specter of Ukraine breaking up
evoked memories of centuries of
bloody conflict.
"Regional conflicts begin this
way," said Polish foreign minister
Radoslaw Sikorski, calling the con-
frontation "a very dangerous game."
Russia has pledged to respect
Ukraine's territorial integrity. But
the dispatch of Russian fighter jets
Thursday to patrol borders and drills
by some 150,000 Russian signaled
strong determination not to lose
Ukraine to the West. In the capital,
Kiev, the new PM said Ukraine's
future lies in the European Union,
but with friendly relations with
Russia. Western leaders lined up to
support the new Ukrainian leader-
ship, with the German and British
leaders warning Russia not to inter-
fere. On Thursday, the White House
said welcomed the Ukrainian parlia-
ment' s efforts to stabilize the
country.
UK spy agency snooped on Yahoo...
Continued from page 1
Thursday the report represents "a
whole new level of violation of our
users' privacy." The California-
based company also said it was not
aware of the snooping and would
never condone it. The newspaper
said the spy agency refused to
answer a series of questions about
the reported program. It said the
snooping was at least in part aimed
at identifying targets using automat-
ic facial recognition software.
The report also said the British
agency eventually excluded images
in which software had not detected
any faces from search results, as
part of an effort to prevent staff
from viewing explicit images.
Previous disclosures from
Snowden, who faces criminal
charges in the United States and
lives in exile in Russia, show the
NSA was actively exploring the sur-
veillance potential of video game
consoles. NSA analysts also are
thought to have infiltrated virtual
games like "World of Warcraft" to
spy on targets.
INOC apprises CG of issues with consular services
NJ Sikhs demand action against hate crimes
New York: A delegation of the
Indian National Overseas Congress
(I) USA led by its national President
Shudh Parkash Singh presented a
memorandum to Consul General
Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay on Feb 26,
described the problems Indian com-
munity is facing across America for
poor passport and visa services. Last
year INOC had suggested to the
Prime Minister to overhaul the sys-
tems at Indian consulates and grant
more funds for improving the infra-
structure.
The consul general confirmed that
the outsourcing company for visa
services is being changed. and
hoped the services will dramatically
improve once the new company
takes over. He showed the delega-
tion the improvements already made
in the visitors area of the consulate.
The passport/visa section is being
renovated.
INOC press release also mentions
some of the changes CG Mulay is
implementing:
CCTV cameras have been put
in the consulate basement for safety
and security.
CG reviews daily reports on
number of visas/passports issued
and not issued.
The consulate records are being
digitized.
The first floor of the consulate
will soon be cleared and decorated
for use of the community. The main
hall will be open to the community
for hosting events.
INOC demands and suggestions
in the memorandum included:
There should be transparency in
selection of the new outsourcing
company.
The consulate services area
should be moved out of the base-
ment to the first floor.
The visa passport services area
for public should be made upscale.
The rules for issuing visas to
Sikhs on political asylum should be
changed..
Consulate should do Town hall
type public meetings all over its ter-
ritory outside Manhattan.
By Jinal Shah
Jersey City, NJ: Agitated by two hate
crime incidents in two months, the
Sikh community here is demanding
greater representation in the citys
administration to tackle the problem.
On Wednesday, about 40 members
of Jersey Citys Sikh community met
with City Council members Joyce
Watterman, Daniel Rivera, Richard
Boggiano and Khemraj Ramchal and
police officials to raise the issue.
Sunny Kumar, of Nanak Naam Jahaj
Gurdwara of NJ, recounted an assault
on Indrajit Singh, 34 on Feb 15 on
Liberty Avenue off Carlton Avenue
during a dispute over snow shoveling.
Indrajit was told, "Osama go back
home. You don't belong here." The
man's beard was torn out and he was
beaten with a shovel. He had to be
taken to Jersey City Medical Centre.
In January, two Sikhs K.D. Singh,
35 and Prabajoti Singh, 37 -- were
punched and kicked because of "the
way they looked", Kumar said. One of
them suffered a broken wrist and the
other facial bruises. In both the cases a
police complaint was lodged and
arrest was made in Indrajits case. The
Sikhs said they would like to partici-
pate in more cross-cultural events to
increase awareness of their culture.
Awareness and understanding of
Sikh culture and traditions is key.
Accompanied by INOC leaders, Shudh Prakash Singh presented
a memorandum to Consul General Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay.
NYIT student missing
Jasmine
Joseph,
22, a nurs-
ing stu-
dent, has
been
missing
since 24th
Feb from
New York
Institute
of Technology (NYIT), Old
Westbury campus. Her father,
Soni Joseph, hailing from
Kerala, resident of Syosset in
Long Island, is requesting any-
body with any clue about the girl
to call him at 516-364-4813.
5 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY
Vikram Pandit launching new
consulting firm
New York: Citigroup's former Indi-
an-American CEO Vikram Pandit is
partnering with the co-author of the
popular "Freakonomics" book series
to launch a new consulting business,
according to a media report.
Aimed at helping companies im-
prove their cultures and use of tech-
nology, Pandit's new firm called
TGG, is promoting "a novel ap-
proach to address the challenges that
large complex organizations face in
compliance, fraud, corruption, and
culture and reputation," according to
the Wall Street Journal.
"We think the results are transfor-
mative for companies looking to cre-
ate a culture of performance and in-
tegrity," Hamid Biglari, one of Pan-
dit's former Citigroup lieutenants and
a managing partner of the new ven-
ture, was quoted as saying in an
email to top executives at Deutsche
Bank.
Another plus, according to the
email cited by the Journal: Pandit
and Biglari's "domain expertise"
from their time running Citigroup.
Biglari's email says TGG's partners
include Steven Levitt, co-author of
the "Freakonomics" series that com-
bines economics with everyday deci-
sion-making, and Daniel Kahneman,
a winner of the Nobel Prize in eco-
nomics.
Levitt and Kahneman already
helped create a Chicago-based con-
sulting firm called The Greatest
Good. The venture is the latest effort
by the 57-year-old Pandit to bounce
back after leaving Citigroup two
years ago.
TGG's aim is to use insights into
human behavior, economics and so-
called big data-the crunching of ever-
greater volumes of information more
quickly and deeply-to help large,
complex companies analyze employ-
ee behavior, management decision-
making, business models and strate-
gy, the Journal said.
The new company doesn't have
any clients yet, but Pandit and
Biglari plan to use their networks of
CEO contacts around the world to
identify prospective customers in the
banking industry and beyond, it said
citing a person with knowledge of
their plans.
Abraham Verghese and Sanjeev Arora
conferred prestigious Heinz awards
New York: Two Indian-origin men
are among this year's prestigious
Heinz Awards recipients.
Abraham Verghese, a professor at
Stanford University Medical
School, and Dr Sanjeev Arora of
Albuquerque in New Mexico will
be honored in Pittsburgh April 3,
the Heinz Family Foundation an-
nounced on its website Tuesday.
The five recipients will receive a
cash award of $250,000 each as
well as a medallion inscribed with
an image of late Senator John
Heinz. Abraham Verghese, who
was born to parents from Kerala in
Ethiopia, was given the award in
recognition of his best-selling au-
thorship.
In his first book, 'My Own Coun-
try', he wrote extensively about
AIDS in rural areas of Tennessee.
Verghese did his MBBS degree
from Madras University in 1979.
Albuquerque physician Dr. San-
jeev Arora has been named the win-
ner of the Heinz Family Founda-
tions 2014 Public Policy award for
his work on Project ECHO, an ef-
fort to use telemedicine to bring
health care to rural New Mexicans.
The awards recognize outstand-
ing individuals for their contribu-
tions in the fields of arts, humani-
ties, environment, human Condi-
tion, public policy, technology,
economy and employment.
The awards are conferred annual-
ly by the Heinz Family Foundation
and were instituted in 1993.
Sanjeev Arora received it
for using technology
for community healthcare
Prof Abraham Verghese was
awarded for his authorship
Vikram Pandit
Washington, DC: Taking advantage of
the latest info tech revolution, an un-
precedented number of Indian-Ameri-
cans are gearing up for active partici-
pation in the upcoming Lok Sabha
elections.
A few of the Indian-Americans have
already started campaigning to get a
Lok Sabha ticket from various political
parties - the BJP, the Congress and the
Aam Admi Party.
Given the initial response so far, there
seems to be greater enthusiasm among
the supporters of the BJP and AAP in
the US. The American chapters of both
the political parties have already creat-
ed an army of volunteers.While hun-
dreds of them would travel to India dur-
ing the election campaign period, sev-
eral thousands of supporters of both
these parties would call their friends
and relatives back home to vote in fa-
vor of their candidates. In an effort to
boost their party base, both the Over-
seas Friends of BJP-USA and AAP-
USA over the past one month have
been holding a series of Google hang-
outs with their top leaders urging them
expand their party base in the US, but
also donate funds for election and
launch phone campaigning.
"This is a historic election. We Indi-
an Americans need to actively partici-
pate in the general elections," said
Chandrakant Patel, president of OFB-
JP-USA."Indian-Americans supporters
of BJP and Narendra Modi would be
campaigning through social media and
phone calls, for which several thousand
volunteers have come forward and their
number is swelling every day," he said,
adding hundreds of BJP supporters are
planning to travel to India for the cam-
paign. "The voice of NRIs have a
greater impact on the people," he said.
AAP-USA leader Pran Kurup said
his party was doing frequent Google
hangouts with NRIs. AAP has in fact
launched a dedicated website for the In-
dian diaspora. Encouraged by the suc-
cess in Delhi assembly polls, the AAP
supporters are planning to adopt Lok
Sabha constituencies.
"Several volunteers' teams have been
formed all across the world, including
many cities in the US. These teams are
self-running for the most part similar to
AAP's Swaraj concept while they are
still sufficiently coordinated to share
the do's and don'ts from each other," he
said. The party is also using Google
hangouts for fund raising campaigns.
For instance in one hangout last month,
it generated donations of over
Rs 20 lakhs.
Indian-Americans gear
up to campaign for
Lok Sabha polls
New York: INOC leaders
met Ministers of State for
External Affairs E. Ahamed
and Preneet Kaur last week
in Delhi and urged transparency and
community input into selec ing a re-
placement for BLS International, the
current vendor who has done a dis-
service to the community and the na-
tion, their press release said.
The team comprised George
Abraham (Chairman), Mohinder
Singh Gilzian, Harbachan Singh,
Sawaran Singh and Juned Qazi
apprised them about the grievances
of the Indian community in dealing
with BLS, the visa processing
agency that replaced Travisa. They
also made a submission to External
Affairs Minister Salman
Khurshid who is said to
have terminated the contract
with BLS.
Said George Abraham: We cau-
tioned the ministry about a re-pack-
aged BLS under another name as
this group seems to have quite a bit
of political clout dealing with the
Government.
The leaders also expressed their
appreciation and support to the
efforts of New York Consul
General D.M. Mulay who has sent
in his recommendations on the
issue.
INOC has requested the foreign
ministry to probe the termination of
the BLS contract and ask for new
bids in New York and make the
selection after proper vetting by a
board which should perhaps have a
representative from the local Indian
Community as well.
According to some reports, pass-
port and visa applications wait in
the BLS office for many weeks,
upsetting tourists and businessmen
in their planning of trips to India.
There are also allegations of cor-
ruption targeting the unsuspected
visa seekers. The Ministry has not
denied the reports that of the
issuance of visas to people who
may have received political asylum.
INOC urges foreign ministry for proper vetting of BLS replacement
BLS International is the visa processing agency
in America that people had problems with.
George Abraham (second from left) and INOC leaders meeting
Preneet Kaur, Minister of State for External Affairs.
6 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY
IN BRIEF
Town of Hempstead celebrates India Republic Day
T
hough winter weather prompted the
postponement of Hempstead Towns In-
dia Republic Day ceremony in January,
snow didnt get in the way Feb 21 as Supervi-
sor Kate Murray and Senior Councilman An-
thony J. Santino led the annual celebration of
Indian American culture at Town Hall. Hemp-
stead Towns 11th annual celebration, co-spon-
sored by the India American Forum, is Long Is-
lands only India Republic Day ceremony. In-
dia Republic Day, observed on January 26th,
marks the establishment of India as a republic
and its liberation from British rule.
The event featured an impressive display of
cultural dances and musical performances, ap-
pearances and speeches by distinguished guests
and a cultural food reception provided through
the generosity of Akbar Restaurant of Garden
City. The event was capped off by Hempstead
Towns presentation of the 2014 India Repub-
lic Day Awards. This years honorees were
Narendra Hadpawat, M.D., and Bina Sabapa-
thy. Hadpawat, a Five Towns resident, is a
founder of one of the most successful cardiol-
ogy practices on the south shore of Long Island
and has been the director of Medicine and Car-
diology at Peninsula Hospital for over 20 years.
Bina Sabapathy, an active member of Vedic
Heritage, a religious organization located in
Hempstead, is Vice President of the India As-
sociation of Long Island.
Indu Jaiswal, Chairperson of Indian Ameri-
can Forum welcomed every one and thanked
the Town of Hempstead and Supervisor Mur-
ray for continuing the traditions of India Re-
public Day Celebrations. Also a warm wel-
come was given to Nasreen Ahmed, who made
history by getting elected to the Town Clerk
Position. Key note speaker Thomas S Gulotta ,
in his remarks praised the efforts and achieve-
ments of Indian American community in USA.
Mr. Gulotta was also honored by the Town of
Hempstead and Board of Trustees and Board
Members of Indian American Forum. Several
community leader and dignitaries were present,
Members from Martin Luther King Group,
Reverend Elliott, Dr Ajay Lodha, President of
AAPIQLI, Animesh Goenka, Satnam Prahar,
President of India Association of Long Island,
Zahid Syed, Chairman of Human rights com-
mission in Nassau County, Deputy Commis-
sioners in Nassau County Ratna Bhalla, Sunita
Manjarekar. Jaya Bhooplapur, Sunita Sadhnani
and many Rotary Club members, Dr Anila
Midha, President of South Asian Womens Al-
liance, Giri and Indu Chhabra from Hindu Cen-
ter, members from Vedic Heritage in Hemp-
stead, and NY Kali Mandir in Baldwin and sev-
eral other community leader graced the
evening. Cultural programs were choreo-
graphed by Satya Pradeep and Sangeeta Pandit
and vocal performances were Parth Merai,
Mayuri Gowda and Rhea Manjrekar.
$1.5 million Hindu temple planned in Tampa
Free Chronic Disease Self Management
Program from April 13-May 28
A
$1.5 million and 10,600 square feet
Hindu temple has been planned in
Tampa, Florida, which hopes to com-
plete construction in 24 months.
Existing Sanatan Mandir in about 4,000
square feet, whose history goes back to 1989
and which has been a Jewish synagogue, will
be reportedly remodeled into a Community
Hall when the new temple starts functioning.
According to reports, a permit has been ob-
tained to build this new temple which will
have five shikhars visible from Interstate 275
and a state-of-the-art audiovisual system, re-
ports suggest.
Indian youth must work to end inequality: Jesse Jackson
E
xhorting India's youth to "care" and rise
to the challenge of eradicating inequal-
ity and poverty, American civil rights
activist Jesse Jackson Wednesday highlighted
the issue of brain drain from India.
"Some of the best minds today are from In-
dia...many Persian Gulf nations export
oil...others export timber and some export co-
coa, some export diamonds. There is a brain
drain and India is exporting brains," he said
while addressing students at the Indian Insti-
tute of Management-Calcutta (IIM-C).
"Your generation doesn't have the burden
of...liberation of the country....It is your chal-
lenge to move us from freedom to equality,"
he said.
Jackson, who ran for the US Presidency,
urged students to think about the country and
overcome odds to bring about change.
Highlighting the growing importance and
contributions of Indians globally, he said:
"Some of the best minds in the world are In-
dians. The driving force in the Silicon Valley
in America are Indians."
"Across the board, we see a growing body
of Indian brains being put at work to change
the world. How do you reconcile this level of
technological science and capital concentra-
tion with a third of the population being
trapped in poverty," he questioned.
"This generation must end poverty," Jack-
son said.
Nina Davuluri to be chief guest at TANA gala in NJ
T
he Telugu Association of North
America (TANA) will host a gala
event in celebration of Women and
Youth Day on March 8 at the Royal Alberts
Palace in Edison, New Jersey.
Miss America Davuluri, whose parents
hail from Andhra Pradesh, will serve as
Chief Guest of the event. She is the first
woman of Asian descent to win the
renowned pageant. She will be joined at the
TANA event by several other prominent
Telugu and Telugu Americans: Aruna
Miller, the first Telugu woman ever elected
to a state legislature (Maryland), will be a
guest of honor; Arvind Mahankali, the de-
fending champion of the Scripps National
Spelling Bee; Subha Vedula, a semifinalist
in the 2012 season of American Idol;
Ramya Ramana, the youth-laureate poet
who performed at the inaugural ceremony
of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio;
and many more.
The event will also recognize prominent
Telugu women who have made significant
contributions to their communities and
fields of work. According to the press re-
lease issued by TANA, the honorees will be
Telugu Woman STARs from the Mid-At-
lantic region, including Dr. Tulasi
Polavarapu, Dr. Sunitha Kanumury, Dr.
Meera Boppana, Dr. Shalini Patcha, Dr.
Janani Krishna, Janaki Rao, Jayaprada Val-
lurupalli, Saroja Sagaram and Shobha
Tummala will be recognized for their
achievements and many contributions to
the community.
T
he Chronic Disease Self-Management
Program was created by Stanford Uni-
versity and is being sponsored by the
NJ Department of Health and Human Servic-
es. It consists of workshops given 2 hours
weekly for six weeks in community settings.
The program focuses on challenges that are
common to individuals living with chronic
health conditions such as diabetes, high blood
pressure, arthritis, chronic pain, anxiety, etc.
The target audience includes those with
chronic diseases and their caregivers. The
goal of this program is to empower attendees
with the skills they need to effectively and op-
timally manage their conditions.
The workshops are facilitated by two
trained leaders. Topics covered include: man-
aging your symptoms, getting started with
healthy eating and exercise, communicating
effectively with your physician, managing
fear, anger and frustration, and making daily
tasks easier. Studies indicate that those who
have taken the program demonstrated signifi-
cant improvement in overall health and quali-
ty of life.
South Brunswick Health Department in
partnership with the Middlesex County Office
of Health Services and Indian Health Camp of
NJ IHCNJ will be offering this free program
at the South Brunswick Municipal Building
beginning April 23, 2014, from 10:00 a.m. to
12:30 p.m. Participants are expected to make
a commitment to all six sessions. They will
receive a copy of Living a Healthy Life with
Chronic Conditions.
To learn more about this workshop and to
register contact Nancy MacKay at 732-329-
4000 ext. 7258 (South Brunswick Health De-
partment) or Dr. Tushar Patel at 848-391-0499
or e-mail tpatel434@yahoo.com. Class size is
limited and enrollment will be on first come
first serve basis and is open to all residents.
Community members at the
flag hoisting ceremony
Event will recognize prominent Telugu women
D.R. Mehta, the founder of Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti
(BMVSS), known the world over for devising the Jaipur Foot, was felicitated
at a dinner at the Indian Consulate in New York in the presence of Amb.
Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay, the Consul General of India last week. He is seen here
explaining the working of the Jaipur Foot to the alumni of Harvard Business
School during the latter's visit to Jaipur Foot center. The Jaipur Knee was
designed at the Stanford University. Mehta and Lynda Applegate professor at
the Harvard Business School help a handicap try his hands on the tricycle.
7 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY
Jindal slams Obama for waving 'white flag of surrender' on job growth
Washington, DC: Louisiana's Indi-
an-American governor, a potential
2016 Republican presidential candi-
date, has accused President Barack
Obama of "waving the white flag of
surrender" on the economy by focus-
ing on a limited set of executive ac-
tions.
"I think there are things we can do
instead of waving the white flag of
surrender, instead of declaring this
economy to be a minimum wage
economy," he said emerging with a
group of governors from a meeting
Monday with Obama that stressed
bipartisan cooperation.
I think our economy, I think
America can do better," said Jindal,
who is term-limited and is consider-
ing a White House run in 2016.
Slamming Obama for his execu-
tive order raising the minimum wage
for federal contractors to $10.10 per
hour, he said that's the wrong place
for the White House to be focusing
its energies.
"The Obama economy is now the
minimum wage economy. I think we
can do better than that, I think Amer-
ica can do better than that," Jindal
said suggesting that the president
rein in regulations and expand
drilling on federal lands to boost eco-
nomic growth.
Connecticut's Democratic Gover-
nor Dannel Malloy said Jindal's com-
ments strayed from the civil dis-
course that dominated the weekend
meeting of the National Governors'
Association, according to Politico, a
media site focusing on politics.
"There are differences here and
you just heard what I think ended up
being the most partisan statement
that we had all weekend," he said.
"I don't know what the heck was a
reference to white flag when it
comes to people making $404 a
week. I mean, that's the most insane
statement I've ever heard, quite
frankly," Malloy was quoted as say-
ing.
Jindal cut in with a response. If his
earlier statements were the most par-
tisan thing Malloy heard all week-
end, "I want to make sure he hears a
more partisan statement: that if Oba-
ma really wants to grow the econo-
my, he should delay the Affordable
Care Act mandates.
"We think we can grow the econo-
my. We think we can do better than
the minimum wage economy," he
said, wrapping up his rebuttal.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is 2016 Republican
presidential candidate hopeful
I
f home state approval ratings
are any indication, the Daily
Beast reported, it is likely that
presidential candidate Governor
Jindal doesnt stand a chance.
Past performance is supposed to
predict future results in politics as
well. For instance George W. Bush
boasted of a 76 percent approval
rating two years before he began
running for president. And the pre-
vious two governors to win their
partys nominationsBill Clinton
and Michael Dukakissimilarly
boasted high approvals back home.
As far as the 2016 presidential
contest is concerned there seems to
be a close call between Indianas
Mike Pence and Arkansas Mike
Beebe.
Pence boasts a 63 percent ap-
proval rating, higher than any of his
fellow Republican governors, ac-
cording to a polling average analy-
sis by The Daily Beast. And the
Arkansas Democrat, despite presid-
ing over a state that is trending Re-
publican, gets the nod of approval
from 66 percent of Arkansas voters,
the highest among any of his fellow
Democrats. Jindal has a 35/53 ap-
proval/disapproval number, putting
him 18 points under water, a figure
only better than Illinois Pat Quinn
and Rhode Islands Lincoln Chafee,
who are not seeking re-election.
Jindal least popular Governor?
Washington, DC: South Car-
olina's Indian American gov-
ernor Nikki Haley has blasted
the Obama administration's
plan to make cuts to the re-
serve military force while re-
ducing the size of the army to
its pre-World War II size.
"It really is a slap in the face
to anyone who has served
over this past decade multiple
times and left their life to do
this," said the Republican
governor, whose husband is in
the National Guard and re-
cently returned from a one-
year deployment to
Afghanistan, Monday.
"We have active duty but the
active duty hasn't felt the pain
that the National Guard has
felt and this is not how you
show your thanks," she was
quoted as saying by CNN.
Defence Secretary Chuck
Hagel unveiled the depart-
ment's spending plan for 2015
and beyond, which reduces
the size of the Army to its pre-
World War II size. All military
forces, both active and re-
serve, would be cut under the
budget plan. Speaking at a
press conference by the Re-
publican Governors Associa-
tion following a bipartisan
meeting of governors at the
White House, Haley said
Monday's conclave largely
had a respectful tone until the
discussion turned toward mil-
itary cuts at the end.
Nikki Haley calls military budget
cuts a 'slap in the face' Washington, DC: An epic duel
running into an astounding 66
rounds between a 13-year-old
Indian-American boy and an
11-year-old girl in Missouri
ended in a tie as the Spelling
Bee organizers actually ran out
of words.
The battle at a branch of the
Kansas City Public Library
Sunday was between Kush
Sharma, a seventh-grader at
Frontier School of Innovation,
and Sophia Hoffman, a fifth-
grader at Highland Park Ele-
mentary, CNN reported.
The original pool of 25 stu-
dents was quickly whittled to
just Kush and Sophia. The two
will go head-to-head again
March 8 for a spot in the
Scripps National Spelling Bee
in Washington.
Indian-Americans have dom-
inated the contest over the
years. New York student
Arvind Mahankali won the
2013 Scripps National Spelling
Bee, breaking a personal four-
year losing streak.
Kush and Sophia burned
through that list, as well as 20
other words organizers picked
from the dictionary when they
realized it was possible they
might need more words, Mary
Olive Thompson, outreach co-
ordinator for Kansas City Pub-
lic Library, said. "The officials
were fatigued. The kids weren't
tired. They had endless energy
and were doing an amazing
job," she was quoted as saying.
He told CNN he would work
hard for the rematch and would
study every free minute of the
day if he scores a place in the
national bee.
"I'm looking forward to see-
ing how far Sophia can push me
and how far my skills can go,"
he was quoted as saying.
Organizers run out of words as Indian-
American boy locked in epic Spelling Bee tie
Washington, DC: After agreeing to
pay $13 million to resolve investors'
claims that directors sold Infogroup
on the cheap to bail out founder Vin-
od Gupta, a former financial backer
of Bill Clinton, the company's new
owners have sued Gupta.
Papillion, Nebraska-based In-
fogroup has alleged that Gupta's
Omaha-based rival company called
Database 101 has improperly re-
cruited InfoGroup employees and
accessed InfoGroup computer
secrets.
Accusing Gupta of copying the
look of Infogroup's websites, the
new Infogroup suit also claims that
it "recently has uncovered evidence
that DB101 has obtained access to
InfoGroup-protected computer sys-
tems or information stored on such
systems on or about June 2013".
Gupta said the suit was without
merit and that he has only hired for-
mer Infogroup employees who were
let go as part of job cuts at the rival
company, according to Omaha
World-Herald.
InfoGroup declined to comment,
citing a policy on pending and past
litigation, the World-Herald said.
The suit alleges deceptive trade
practices, breach of contract, com-
puter fraud, false advertising and
other behavior.
InfoGroup is seeking a jury trial,
injunctions against what it calls mis-
conduct, and unspecified damages.
In the previous Feb 5 deal, In-
foGroup agreed to pay over $13 mil-
lion from insurance to settle the
class-action lawsuit brought by the
New Jersey Carpenters Pension
Fund, according to a Delaware
Chancery Court filing.
Gupta browbeat InfoGroup's
board into selling the company to
CCMP Capital Advisors LLC for
$463 million, shortchanging in-
vestors, the fund said.
Gupta was described in the suit as
favoring a quick sale after spending
lavishly on luxury goods and travel
and consulting fees for former Pres-
ident Bill Clinton and Hillary
Clinton.
Gupta, according to the World-
Herald, said that his relationship
with the Clintons earned huge divi-
dends for Infogroup and that the
company was fortunate to attract the
buyout offer it did get.
Gupta also used company money
to support favored Clinton charities
and for luxury cars used for person-
al and family transportation, the
shareholder suit alleged.
Gupta said his relationship with
the Clintons, including money spent
in their direction, was repaid to In-
fogroup many times over, leading to
business with the Democratic Na-
tional Committee and other
organizations.
"Through the Clintons, we got to
know new potential customers 'and
big ones'," Gupta said. "Companies
like Google and Yahoo."
Meanwhile, pursuant to the
Delaware court order, lawyers have
issued a notice to all holders of In-
fogroup stock between Aug 20,
2008 and July 1, 2010 of pendency
and proposed settlement of
class action.
The Delaware court is scheduled
to hold a settlement hearing April 30
to determine whether it should grant
final approval and certification of
the proposed settlement.
Infogroup sues Clinton-backer Vinod Gupta
Vinod Gupta, former
CEO of Infogroup
South Carolina Gov. Nikki
Haley, with her husband
Michael - a member of the
National Guard, slammed
President Obama for
being cavalier about cut-
ting the defense budget.
Kush Sharma (right) and
Sophia Hoffman
8 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY
Washington, DC: As many as 10 In-
dian-Americans are eyeing high po-
litical office from governor to attor-
ney general to membership of the
House of Representatives in the No-
vember 2014 Congressional and
state elections.
With two Indian-Americans, Bob-
by Jindal and Nikki Haley, already
holding the governor's jobs in
Louisiana and South Carolina re-
spectively, a third one, Neel
Kashkari, a former top treasury de-
partment official, has entered the
fray in California.
Another Indian-American, Kamala
Harris is seeking re-election for at-
torney general in California, Ameri-
ca's largest state in terms of popula-
tion which is home to thousands of
Indian-American techies.
Ami Bera, the only Indian-Ameri-
can Congressman and the third ever,
is seeking re-election from the Sev-
enth Congressional District of Cali-
fornia, while Ro Khanna, a former
top Obama administration official, is
challenging sitting Democrat Mike
Honda in the 17th District.
Challenging Democrat Khanna,
former deputy assistant secretary of
commerce, is yet another Indian-
American, Vanila Mathur Singh.
An associate professor at Stanford
University's School of Medicine, she
has entered the fray from the Repub-
lican Party.
Democrat Upendra Chivukula, the
first Indian-American lawmaker in
New Jersey state assembly, now
plans to run for the US House of
Representatives from the state's 12th
Congressional District with party
colleague Rush Holt retiring.
After losing twice, Democrat Man-
an Trivedi plans to run for the House
of Representatives for the third time
in Pennsylvania.
Indian-American film maker
Amardeep Kaleka is challenging
2012 Republican vice presidential
candidate Paul Ryan in the first Con-
gressional District of Wisconsin.
He is the son of the Wisconsin Sikh
Temple (gurdwara) president Sat-
want Kaleka, one of the six victims
of the August 2012 Oak Creek gurd-
wara shootout. Swati Dandekar, the
first Indian-American to be elected
to Iowa House of Representatives in
2002, is now seeking to enter the US
Congress. Indian-American Manju
Goel is seeking election on a Repub-
lican ticket from the Eighth Congres-
sional District of Illinois.
Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj featured
guest editor in The Times of India
Delhi, India: Sant Rajinder Singh
Ji Maharaj was invited to be guest
editor of the Times of India Speak-
ing Tree, an 8-page special edition,
published on February 2 in Delhi.
His featured article, Dealing with
Stress and Anger, (p. 1), gave
readers practical tips for daily life
and how meditation can keep them
calm and balanced.
The issue also included other ar-
ticles focused on meditation. Dr.
Louis A. Ritz, professor of neuro-
surgery, University of Florida,
Gainesville, wrote Meditate!, ex-
plaining how meditation can bring
positive changes to the brain. The
article Boost Performance; Banish
Pain, by Kunwarjit Singh Duggal
M.D. from the Chicago area in Illi-
nois, detailed how meditation can
improve performance at work, in
sports, and in school as well as re-
duce pain. Dr. Rimjhim Duggal
Stephens, who combines alterna-
tive medicine and wellness tech-
niques in her practice in Vancouver
where she teaches pathology, con-
tributed Take Time Out. She de-
scribes how taking time to meditate
actually saves time by making a
person more productive.
Published in India and sold
throughout the world, the special
Times of India Speaking Tree edi-
tion reaches millions of people. It is
raising awareness of the value of
meditation on the inner Light and
Sound as taught by Sant Rajinder
Singh Ji Maharaj. Head of Science
of Spirituality/Sawan Kirpal
Ruhani Mission and president of
the Human Unity Conference, Sant
Rajinder Singh Ji is also author of
many best-selling books, such as
Meditation as Medication for the
Soul, Spark of the Divine, Inner
and Outer Peace through Medita-
tion, and Empowering Your Soul
through Meditation, all available
through Amazon.com and Barne-
sandnoble.com in both book and
Kindle eBook format. He recently
presided over the 27th Internation-
al Conference on Human Integra-
tion in Delhi, India earlier this
month. For more information about
Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, his
program schedule, and meditation,
please visit www.sos.org.
Sant
Rajinder
Singh Ji
Maharaj,
head of
Science of
Spirituality
Top (L to R): Neel Kashkari, Kamala Harris, Ami Bera, Ro Khanna, Vanila Mathur Singh
Bottom (L to R): Upendra Chivukula, Manan Trivedi, Amardeep Kaleka, Swati Dandekar, Manju Goel
10 Indian-Americans in fray
for high political offices
Pentagon's Vikram Singh
joining Washington think tank
Sikh American drives away
with victory in Minnesota
Washington,
DC: Vikram
Singh, a lead-
ing Indian-
American secu-
rity expert at
the Pentagon, is
joining a Wash-
ington think
tank to oversee
its work on na-
tional security
around the
globe, while
continuing his
focus on Asia.
As deputy as-
sistant secre-
tary of defence for South and Southeast Asia,
Singh is currently the highest-ranking Indian-
American at the Pentagon.
He will be officially joining the Centre for
American Progress (CAP) as the new Vice Presi-
dent for National Security and International Poli-
cy in March.
"We're thrilled to have Vikram Singh lead our
national security and international policy team,"
said CAP President Neera Tanden in a statement.
"Vikram is a leading foreign policy thinker of
his generation and has tackled the country's great-
est foreign policy challenges during his time at the
State Department and the Pentagon.
"As we continue to shape a pragmatic foreign
policy strategy over the next decade, Vikram's in-
sights, sharp strategic mind, and experience will
guide our work."
Before his current appointment at the Pentagon,
Singh was the deputy special representative for
Afghanistan and Pakistan at the State Department.
He has also served in the Department of De-
fence as a senior advisor, representing the depart-
ment in National Security Council policy reviews
of Pakistan and the war in Afghanistan.
He later led the development of Pentagon's post-
2014 strategic approach to South and
Central Asia.
Washington, DC:
A Sikh American
in Minnesota
drove away with a
victory when he
won the right for
the community in
the US state to
wear their turbans
in driver's licence
photos.
Last month
when Blaine resi-
dent Jatinder
Singh went to the
local Driver and
Vehicle Services
(DVS) office to get
his licence re-
newed, he was told
his turban was not allowed in his driver's license
photo.
He then went to the Sikh American Legal Defence
and Educational Fund (SALDEF), a community or-
ganization, which pointed DVS officials to the de-
partment's explicit policy on religious
accommodation.
In fact, the department's own guidance material
shows examples of compliant photographs, including
a full-face photo of a Sikh American man wearing a
turban.
Following SALDEF's intervention, Singh was able
to get his licence with his articles of faith intact.
Apologizing for the incident, DVS director, Patricia
McCormick, pledged to work with SALDEF on reli-
gious accommodation training of DVS staff "specifi-
cally, related to accommodating the Sikh turban"
as needed.
Jasjit Singh, executive director of SALDEF com-
mended "Jatinder Singh for identifying an opportuni-
ty to make change, for the benefit of Sikh Americans
in Minnesota and elsewhere, who now see a shining
example of a fair policy properly enforced."
North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) chair-
man Dalwinder Singh Dhoot also expressed the Indi-
an American community's "satisfaction and happiness
on the significant victory" of Jatinder Singh.
Vikram Singh will join Center
for American Progress
Jatinder Singh proudly
flashes his driving permit
US AFFAIRS 9 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
By Robert Golomb
W
hen I interviewed New York State
Assemblyman Alfred Graf (RCI,
5th AD, Suffolk County) in his
Holbrook District Office last Thursday, I
planned as my first question to ask him about
the controversial Common Core Curriculum,
because, Graf, who serves in the Assemblys
Education Committee has become known as
one of its harshest and most visible critics.
But the two-term, 56-year-old Assemblyman
- whose district spans the townships of
Brookhaven and Islip - beat me to the punch.
Can you locate the area known as
Mesopotamia on a world map or globe and
identify it as part of Asia? he asked me with
the sound of total seriousness in his voice.
And then he quickly followed up with a series
of additional questions: Do you know that
this is the first question, and the next 80 are
much tougher, that students in the first grade,
yes the first grade, have to answer in English
Language Arts as part of a so-called listening
and learning strand following the guidelines
of the New York State Common Core Cur-
riculum? Does this make sense to you? Do
you think that these questions are age appro-
priate? Should a students promotion from
one grade to the next be based on the ability
to answer questions that are so age inappro-
priate? Should teachers face disciplinary ac-
tions if their students are unable to correctly
answer such questions?
I left every one - from the first to the last -
of Grafs questions unanswered. But such
and similar questions have been at the center
of the debate surrounding the implementation
of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
in NYS and across the nation.
Serving as an extension of the Obama Edu-
cation Departments Race to the Top program
and developed and authored under the close
guidance of the Obama White House by a
committee composed of several state gover-
nors and state education officials throughout
the country, CCSS establishes a set curricu-
lum and ironclad benchmarks for the per-
formance of students in grades K-12 on na-
tionally standardized English Language Arts
(ELA) and mathematics examinations. NYS
is among one of the 45 states that has adopt-
ed CCSS which, now in its transition phase
across the country, was originally planned by
the Obama Administration to be fully imple-
mented in the 2014-2015 school year.
That plan, however, has now been put on a
temporary hold in many states as CCSS has
met with resistance from growing numbers of
parents, educators and elected officials. To
these critics, CCSS emphasis on high stakes
nationalized standardized examinations and
its institution of a set in stone, single per
grade curriculum for students from their first
to their final year in every public school is, in
a theoretical pedagogical sense, totally un-
sound, and in a practical sense, totally unreal-
istic. To its proponents, however, CCSS is an
innovative future oriented program that will
strengthen students critical thinking, writing
and computer skills, enabling them, say these
proponents, to compete in an ever increasing
competitive global market.
Here in New York State, Graf fails to attach
any such positives to CCSS. This claim, he
asserted, about placing a new emphasis on
the teaching and learning of computers, high-
er order thinking and writing is laughable.
This is exactly whats been taught as part of
{New York State} curriculum over the past 30
years. Who do they think they are fooling by
suggesting that they are presenting new and
revolutionary goals?
According to Graf, CCSS, unless stopped,
will do irreparable harm to students in NYS
and across the nation. This {CCSS} is state
sponsored child abuse, he stated. Its pred-
icated on the one fits all curriculum and test-
ing practice, which all research has found in-
hibits rather than enhances the ability of stu-
dents to grow socially, emotionally and cog-
nitively. And, as if to add injury to insult, if
you take a look at the {CCSS} curriculum,
you will find a host of grammatical errors.
What a horrible example for the students,
whose education they claim to care so much
about.
Rather than being encouraged by a recent
decision of Governor Andrew Cuomo to es-
tablish a committee to further study CCSS
and delay its full implementation in NYS for
two years, Graf believes that the governor is
simply trying to fool the voters. Governor
Cuomo will not oppose the President {on
CCSS}. It would be against his long-term po-
litical interests if he did. All that he is doing
by forming a committee and putting in a de-
lay is temporarily kicking the can down the
road, hoping the voters will forget before
election day.The most onerous parts of
CCSS still remain, including tying teacher
evaluations to the performance of their stu-
dents on standardized exams. This will turn
schools from the places of learning they
should be into test taking warehouses.
Referring to a bill he introduced last week
which calls for NYS to withdraw from Com-
mon Core and the related Race to the Top pro-
grams and replace it with a program that in-
cludes ending the emphasis placed on high
stakes testing and replacing it with an em-
phasis put on the use of best teaching prac-
tices, Graf added, If the Governor really
were the advocate for our children that he
claims to be, he would throw his full support
behind this bill. He has absolutely no inten-
tion of doing so, and without that support, he
knows that the bill will have little chance of
becoming law.
Graf is sometimes referred by his support-
ers in the anti-CCSS fight as the only member
of the Assembly who is a former teacher.
Such a description is technically true, but
very much incomplete. Grafs career line in-
cludes two years of service in his late teens in
the US Navy and 19 subsequent years of serv-
ice as a NYC Police Officer - until an on the
job injury forced him to retire. It wasnt until
then that Graf returned to college, earned a
BA in Elementary Education and began
teaching in an alternative education program,
which he left several years later to attend and
graduate from Touro Law School, then start-
ing his own law firm.
Graf told me that he is proud to have the ti-
tle teacher associated with his name and
believes whatever the job has had, he was, in
a way, a teacher. Based upon my experience
as an educator, I truly see teaching as a noble
profession. But other jobs require that you
be a teacher also. Whether as a police offi-
cer talking to troubled teens, or as an attorney
representing victims of family violence, I al-
ways saw and continue to see myself as a
teacher.
Graf, the married father of a 29-year-old
son who works in private industry, and two
girls in their 20s, one an artist, the other, fol-
lowing in her fathers footsteps, a member of
the NYPD, said his goal as a legislator is to
help build a state where all young adults in-
cluding his own children will want to live and
raise their own eventual families.
Sometime in the near future I visualize my
children with their future spouses and chil-
dren sitting at the dinner table with my wife
and me at our house enjoying a Sunday din-
ner, he told me. Such is a common hope, I
believe, for all parents throughout the state.
But because of New York States high tax
rate, high unemployment rate and high cost of
living, people in their 20s and 30s, particu-
larly, are fleeing {NYS} to low tax, employ-
er and employee friendly and low energy
costs states like Florida, Texas and the Car-
olinas. I am working together with members
of both parties to change policies to reverse
this trend. Why the governor is wasting his
time with this Common Core nonsense while
doing nothing constructive to try to solve the
real problems facing New Yorkers is a ques-
tion I would like to ask him.
You bet he would.
Robert Golomb is a nationally published
columnist. MrBob347@aol.com
Leading fight against Common Core Curriculum
Locate the area known as Mesopotamia on a world map. This is the first of 80 tough
questions that first grade students have to answer in ELA as per the Common
Core Curriculum, NYS assemblyman Alfred Graf says.
Corporate Office: 385 Seneca Avenue, Ridgewood NY 11385
718.821.3182, www.AtlanticDialysis.Com
US AFFAIRS
New York: Piers Morgan is out of
a job. Three years after the jour-
nalist and TV personality took
over for Larry King with his own
nightly primetime show, CNN has
decided to cancel Piers Morgan
Live, the New York Times con-
firmed Feb. 23. Highly opinionat-
ed and, well, British, Morgan, 48,
struck many as an odd choice to
headline an American news pro-
gram, and the show struggled
mightily in its ratings, losing to
rivals Fox News and MSNBC.
"It's been a painful period and
lately we have taken a bath in the
ratings," Morgan admitted to the
Times' David Carr. The decision
to cancel the show was ultimately
made by CNN' s president Jeff
Zucker, who has slowly been
remaking the news networking.
"Look, I am a British guy debat-
ing American cultural issues,
including guns, which has been
very polarizing, and there is no
doubt that there are many in the
audience who are tired of me
banging on about it," Morgan
admitted freely.
Plans for a 9pm replacement are
currently underway, and Morgan
added that he'll still have a role at
CNN -- one which is still to be
determined. "I have been talking
for some time about different
ways of using me."
I'm in danger of being the guy
down at the end of the bar who is
always going on about the same
thing," continued the gun control
advocate, admitting that many
American midwesterners were
likely upset about "this British
guy telling them how to lead their
lives and what they should do
with their guns."
Piers Morgan Live cancelled by CNN
Washington: It isn't India alone that faces moves to
split big states for one reason or another. If a venture
capitalist has his way California, America's largest
state, would be split into six separate states with
Silicon Valley, home to many Indian techies, turned
into its very own state.
Last week tech Investor Tim Draper, a VC behind
such brands as Skype and Hotmail, gained some trac-
tion for his libertarian pipe dream of "Six Californias"
with the state approving his initiative to begin collect-
ing petition signatures to put it on ballot.
The proposal needs the signatures of 807,615 regis-
tered voters by July 14 to qualify as a ballot measure in
November' s elections, according to California
Secretary of State Debra Bowen. The ballot may even
be delayed until 2016. Facing a tight deadline to gather
signatures and build political momentum Draper,
founder of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, wants "to make
sure there is enough time."
But experts see little chance of success for Draper's
move. "Even after a successful referendum, the state
legislature and Congress still have to approve it. And
that is, well, not going to happen," as the Washington
Post put it.
Though Draper hasn't revealed how much he would
spend to bankroll 'Six Californias', he previously
shelled out $20 million for a failed 2000 initiative to
create a state-funded private-school voucher system.
Under Draper's plan besides Silicon Valley, the other
five new states would be called Jefferson, North
California, Central California, West California and
South California.
Los Angeles and Santa Barbara would be part of
"West California," while San Francisco and San Jose
would be in "Silicon Valley."
"California, as it is, is ungovernable," Draper said in
a statement.
"It is more and more difficult for Sacramento (State
Capital) to keep up with the social issues from the vari-
ous regions of California."
"With six Californias, people will be closer to their
state governments and states can get a refresh," he
said.
It isn't the first time that a split has been proposed.
Since its founding in 1850, proposals have come to
break California, home to 38 million people, into two
states, or three, or four.
Split California into 6: Man behind Hotmail has a pipedream
Washington: Defense Secretary
Chuck Hagel is proposing a new
budget plan designed to turn the mil-
itary's attention from the long ground
war in Afghanistan toward emerging
cyberthreats from China and increas-
ing challenges from al Qaeda-affili-
ated groups in Africa.
The Pentagon road map, sure to
face fierce resistance from across the
political spectrum, calls for reducing
the military's reliance on manpower-
heavy troop buildups, investing in-
stead in more agile special forces and
cyberwarriors.
In unveiling the first Pentagon
budget to bear his imprint, Hagel is
calling for cutting back the size of
the Army to a level opposed by some
top generals, curtailing construction
of a new class of Navy ships cher-
ished by top admirals and scrapping
an Air Force plane used to protect
U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Instead, Hagel proposes injecting
more money into changes defense
officials say will make for a more
adaptable and innovative military
that is better ready to respond to
changing threats.
Hagel wants to pare back the size
of the active-duty military by 13%
and the reserve force by 5%. But he
is looking to boost the size of U.S.
Special Forces by nearly 6% by
adding about 3,000 personnel to the
kinds of teams that killed Osama bin
Laden in Pakistan, rescued an Amer-
ican aid worker in Somalia and freed
U.S. commercial sailors captured by
pirates off the coast of East Africa.
"This is a time for reality," Hagel
said Monday in unveiling the $496
billion budget plan. "This is a budg-
et that recognizes the reality of the
magnitude of our fiscal challenges,
the dangerous world we live in, and
the American military's unique and
indispensable role in the security of
this country and in today's volatile
world."
Congress has the final say on the
Pentagon budget, and must approve
most of the recommendations in it.
The full details of the proposed
budget will be included in President
Barack Obama's budget plan to be
unveiled next week. The proposal
will be submitted to Congress, which
will weigh the Pentagon's proposals
over the course of the year.
Hagel's proposals attempt to estab-
lish new priorities for a pared back
military that is preparing for years of
declining financial support.
Doing so won't be easy. Every ma-
jor element of the spending plan is
certain to face opposition from pow-
erful groups, governors and lawmak-
ers who have different ideas for how
the Pentagon should spend its mon-
ey.
Veterans groups and their congres-
sional supporters are preparing to
battle Hagel's call to curtail spending
on military benefits that consume a
significant portion of the Pentagon
budget.
Influential lawmakers are expected
to oppose Hagel's proposal to elimi-
nate the entire military fleet of about
300 A-10 "Warthog" jets, widely ad-
mired as a plane key to helping U.S.
ground forces in battle.
And Congress is likely to reject
Hagel's call for creating a commis-
sion to examine the closure of mili-
tary bases across the country.
But Pentagon officials said Mon-
day if Congress doesn't make those
cuts, other spending would have to
be curtailed.
Hagel's military budget focuses on changing threats
Piers Morgan admits that he
went hammer and tongs
against the polarizing issue of
gun violence in America.
Silicon Valley, home to many Indians,
proposed as one of 6 states.
Defense Secretary cuts back on traditional
troops, boosts special forces and cybersecurity.
10 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Washington: For the first time
since the US military got involved
in Afghanistan in 2001, US public
opinion about the war is now more
negative than positive, showed a
poll.
Americans' views are now split
down the middle, with 49 percent
saying the involvement there was a
mistake and 48 percent saying it
was not, Xinhua cited from
Gallup's Feb 6-9 World Affairs
survey.
Gallup first asked Americans
about US intervention in
Afghanistan in November 2001,
just after the US sent its military
into the country after the Sep 11
terror attacks on New York and
Washington DC that killed nearly
3,000 people.
The US invaded Afghanistan to
punish the Taliban for harboring Al
Qaeda terrorists responsible for the
attacks.
At that point, fewer than one in
10 Americans said US involve-
ment there was a mistake -- the
most of any war since Gallup first
asked the question during the
Korean War in 1950.
"Clearly, in the turbulent atmos-
phere and general ' rally effect'
environment that followed 9/11,
Americans were overwhelmingly
supportive of the decision to send
the US military to Afghanistan,"
Gallup said in a report that accom-
panied the survey.
Americans' perceptions that US
involvement in Afghanistan was a
mistake rose as the war continued,
although there were some ups and
downs over the years.
Those believing the war was a
mistake reached 25 percent in
2004, and surpassed 30 percent for
the first time in 2008, and 40 per-
cent in 2010, according to Gallup.
Still, the more than 12-year span
during which less than half of
Americans thought the US made a
mistake in entering Afghanistan
has been remarkably long, relative
to past US interventions, Gallup
found.
Afghanistan has become
America's longest war, stretching
over 12 years since US military
forces were first sent in 2001, with
well over 35,000 troops still there.
The Obama administration plans
to draw down the number of troops
in Afghanistan significantly by the
end of this year. Once that hap-
pens, Americans' assessment of
whether the intervention was a
mistake will largely depend on the
political course Afghanistan takes,
including whether terrorist cells
are able to regroup there, Gallup
said.
More Americans feel Afghanistan
war a mistake: Poll
11 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA
Accidents sink Indian navy chief
New Delhi: Indian Navy
chief Admiral D.K. Joshi has
resigned, a day when seven
sailors were injured after
smoke filled up a compart-
ment of a submarine.
The government has
accepted his resignation with
immediate effect, a defense
ministry release said.
The resignation came bare-
ly hours after seven Indian
Navy personnel were injured
and at least two went missing
when smoke spread through a
compartment in the INS
Sindhuratna submarine that
was underwater off Mumbai,
about 50 nautical miles (80
km) in the Arabian Sea.
There were 94 sailors on
board the submarine when
smoke was reported in the
sailors' accommodation.
The seven injured sailors
were airlifted by helicopter
and shifted in an unconscious
state to the naval hospital,
INS Asvini, in south Mumbai
early Wednesday.
Two more sailors who were
on board the submarine,
remain "unaccounted for" or
are missing and a search for
them has been launched.
Officials suspect that the
two "unaccounted for" offi-
cials may have been trapped
in one of the sealed compart-
ments of the vessel.
"Taking moral responsibili-
ty for the accidents and inci-
dents which have taken place
during the past few months,
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral
Devendra Kumar Joshi today
resigned from the post of
CNS," the release said.
It said that the Vice Chief
of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral
R.K. Dhowan will be dis-
charging the duties of offici-
ating CNS, pending appoint-
ment of regular CNS.
The navy has been hit by a
spate of accidents over the
past seven months, causing
concern.
The biggest accident
involved fire on the INS
Sindhurakshak and the subse-
quent sinking of the subma-
rine in the Mumbai harbour
Aug 14 last year, killing all
18 personnel aboard.
Defence Minister A.K.
Antony had earlier this month
expressed concern over the
accidents suffered by the
navy over the past few
months.
INS Talwar, a frigate, col-
lided with a fishing vessel
last year.
A fire broke out on INS
Konkan at the dry dock in
Visakhapatnam in December
2013 when it was in the dry
dock for maintenance. And
INS Betwa, also a frigate,
suffered damage in January.
Trooper guns down five colleagues, kills self
Srinagar: A trooper fatally
shot dead five of his col-
leagues and then turned the
gun on himself following a
heated argument in north's
Kashmir Ganderbal district,
officials said.
A police officer said that
an angry trooper of the
Rashtriya Rifles went
berserk inside the Safapora
(Manasbal) camp in the dis-
trict, 35 km from here, fol-
lowing a heated exchange
of words with his col-
leagues. "He resorted to
indiscriminate firing result-
ing in the death of five
Rashtriya Rifles troopers.
After the firing, the irate
trooper shot and killed him-
self," the police officer said.
Lt. Col. N.N. Joshi, public
relations officer at the
Indian Army' s Srinagar-
based 15 Corps, said that a
court of inquiry has been
ordered.
Incidents of fratricidal fir-
ing have been occurring in
security forces deployed in
Jammu and Kashmir during
the last two decades.
The incidents are attrib-
uted to tensions among sol-
diers and troopers deployed
in extremely hostile condi-
tions, long periods of sepa-
ration from families, lack of
recreational facilities and
poor command and control
structure. In latest INS Sindhuratna accident, TV reports say two
Navy personnel were dead while five got injured.
Tip off led to Tejpal prison raid
Panaji: Tip-offs from "good" journalists
in the national capital led to the surprise
raid on Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun
Tejpal's prison cell, according to Goa
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Parrikar, speaking at a public function
here, alleged that Tejpal from whom a
mobile phone was allegedly recovered
during a raid Feb 23, was speaking to
Delhi-based journalists every morning.
"There are journalists in Delhi who
reported to us that he was speaking to
reporters from Delhi every morning,"
Parrikar said.
"The intelligence (for the raid) came
from the Delhi press," he said.
Nine mobile phones were allegedly
found in the Sada prison complex housing
Tejpal during a sudden raid Feb 23.
Prison officials claim that a SIM card
was also found in the editor's shirt collar.
Tejpal, however told the raiding team
that the phone could belong to another
inmate living in his cell.
Tarun Tejpal was using a mobile
phone inside the jail
12 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA
New Delhi: Two months before the
general elections, a new US poll
suggests that the ruling party
Congress may suffer one of their
worst defeats in the country's 67-
year history.
Seventy per cent of Indians say
they are dissatisfied with the way
things are going in India today,
according to a new Pew Research
Center survey. And 63 per cent of
those polled said they would prefer
that the opposition Bharatiya Janata
Party lead the next government,
compared with just 19 per cent who
picked the governing Congress
party led by Sonia Gandhi.
"This poll affirms what most of us
suspected," said Shekhar Gupta, edi-
tor in chief of Indian Express. "But
what it doesn't tell us is who will
lead the next government."
The pollsters interviewed 2,464
randomly selected adults at their
homes between December 7 and
January 12 in states and territories
that are home to roughly 91 per cent
of the Indian population. The poll
has a margin of sampling error of
four percentage points.
Perhaps the most important find-
ing was the popularity of Narendra
Modi, the official prime ministerial
candidate of the Bharatiya Janata
Party. Pew found that 78 per cent of
those polled had a favorable view of
Modi, with just 16 per cent holding
an unfavorable view.
Modi, who is currently the chief
minister of Gujarat, is considered by
many to be the most controversial
national political figure in India's
history. He led the state during the
2002 riots which cost the lives of
more than 1,000 people, mostly
Muslims. He has been linked with a
secret police assassination squad
and with surveillance efforts con-
cerning a woman he admired.
But Modi has softened his image
in recent months, and the Bharatiya
Janata Party has undertaken an out-
reach to Muslims, who make up
about 14 per cent of the India's pop-
ulation. Modi has presided over an
economy in Gujarat that is among
the strongest in India, and he has
promised to bring to the rest of the
country his economic expertise and
ability to build good roads.
Modi' s brand of aspirational
nationalism and barbed criticism of
the governing coalition has attracted
huge crowds to his speeches, but the
fact that so few had a negative view
of him in Pew's poll, given his con-
troversial past, was somewhat sur-
prising.
"I think the BJP will do very
well," Hartosh Singh Bal, the politi-
cal editor of Caravan magazine.
"That's clear from this poll. But
whether Modi becomes the next
prime minister will come down to
10 to 20 seats in Parliament."
BJP spokesman Prakash
Javadekar said the Pew poll was
similar to many others that showed
his party far ahead of the Congress
party.
US survey suggests crushing loss for Congress
Pew found that 78 percent of those polled had a favorable view of
Narendra Modi, with just 16 percent holding an unfavorable view.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court
has stayed the release of four con-
victs in the Rajiv Gandhi assassina-
tion case, ordering status quo on a
plea by the Centre challenging the
Tamil Nadu government's proposal
to release them.
The court bench headed by
Justice P. Sathasivam directed that
the central government' s plea
would be heard on March 6. The
court also issued notice to the state
government and the four prisoners
on the Centre's plea against their
release.
The Centre had moved the apex
court to prevent Tamil Nadu gov-
ernment to set free four other con-
victs serving life imprisonment in
the case.
The apex court had on February
20 stayed the release of three con-
victs Murugan, Santhan and
Arivu whose death sentence
was commuted to life term by it on
February 18 in the case, saying
there had been procedural lapses
on the part of the state government
on the decision to release them.
The Centre's move came after the
apex court had said it could file a
fresh petition regarding the other
four prisoners whose sentence has
also been remitted by the Tamil
Nadu government. It has sought
stay on the release of convicts
Nalini, Robert Pious, Jayakumar
and Ravichandran.
The Jayalalithaa government had
on February 19 decided to set free
all the seven convicts in the Rajiv
Gandhi assassination case.
Santhan, Murugan and Arivu are
currently lodged in the Central
Prison, Vellore, in Tamil Nadu and
they are in jail since 1991. The
other four are undergoing life sen-
tence for their role in Gandhi's
assassination on May 21, 1991 in
Sriperumbudur.
Rajiv Gandhi was killed by a sui-
cide bomber at an election rally in
Sriperumbedur on May 21, 1991.
Fourteen other people also lost
their lives in the blast.
The Centre had moved the apex court to prevent
Tamil Nadu government to set free four other convicts
serving life imprisonment in the case.
Rajiv assassination case:
SC stays release of 4 convicts
Don't run away from
global challenges:
Modi to traders
New Delhi: Narendra Modi
has asked the trading commu-
nity not to run away from
global challenges but face
them and promised to scrap
unnecessary laws as it appears
that government believes "all
are thieves".
He also batted for complete
overhaul of governance, say-
ing the fashion of running the
affairs of country from Delhi
should stop and states must be
trusted to govern.
"I don't know if it will bene-
fit me politically... Trading
community should not run
away from global challenges.
They should not think they
wi l l di e i f busi nesses go
online... You demand from
government to help build your
capacity to meet challenges...
"A small town buyer is also
looking for branded products.
We should not meet to decide
how to escape from this but
how to take it on. You should
enhance your quality and fil-
ter out those whose quality is
suspect," he said addressing
the Confederation of All India
Traders (CAIT).
The BJP's prime ministerial
candidate said there are too
many laws in the country and
t he government seems t o
believe that all are "thieves".
"The country cannot run like
this and whether it is govern-
ment or society, they should
have trust in each other and
law should come in force only
when this trust is broken," he
said.
Modi said the trading com-
muni t y shoul d focus on
capacity-building and quality
t o t ake on t he gl obal
challenges.
Don't appreciate such language:
Rahul on 'impotent' remark
New Delhi: Congress vice presi-
dent Rahul Gandhi said that he
does not "appreciate" External
Affairs Minister Salman
Khurshid's "impotent" remark
on BJP's prime ministerial can-
didate Narendra Modi.
Khurshid at a rally Feb 25 in
his Farrukhabad constituency in
Uttar Pradesh, called Modi
"impotent" in failing to protect
the people during the 2002
Gujarat riots.
"I do not appreciate this kind
of language," Gandhi told the
media here.
Other Congress leaders also
said that the party does not sup-
port the use of such language.
"Congress party does not sup-
port the use of such language.
Congress leaders should not use
such language as this is the lan-
guage of BJP. What Rahul
Gandhi said is right," said
Minister of State for
Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv
Shukla.Minister of State for
Information and Broadcasting
Manish Tewari said: "Congress
will only use the language that is
appreciated by the people."
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi
13 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info BATTLEGROUND 2014
11 parties to jointly contest Lok Sabha polls
New Delhi: The grouping of 11
non-UPA, non-NDA parties will
contest the coming Lok Sabha elec-
tions and ensure defeat of the
Congress and the BJP, CPI-M leader
Prakash Karat said here.
Briefing reporters after meeting of
11 parties, which include the
Samajwadi Party, AIADMK, Janata
Dal-United (JD-U), Janata Dal-
Secular (JD-S) and four Left parties,
Karat said the parties will work to
provide an alternative to the
Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party
at the centre.
"Leaders of 11 parties have
resolved to fight upcoming Lok
Sabha elections together," he said.
The meeting was not attended by
Asom Gana Parishad and Biju
Janata Dal but Karat said the leaders
of these parties had conveyed in
advance their reasons for not being
able to attend.
"Keeping in mind Lok Sabha elec-
tions, we decided that leaders of 11
parties should meet and decide on
cooperation and working together,"
he said.
Contending the "misrule" of
Congress-led United Progressive
Alliance has been marked by "mas-
sive corruption, unprecedented price
rise, acute distress of farmers and
glaring inequalities", Karat said:
"We do not want Congress and UPA
to continue in power. We will work
for defeat of Congress and UPA."
The BJP's basic policies were "no
different" from those of the
Congress, he said, claiming that on
the issue of corruption, the record of
BJP-ruled states and that of the
National Democratic Alliance gov-
ernment was "as bad or worse as
(of) Congress and UPA".
"Today, the challenge before us by
the BJP and its prime ministerial
candidate Narendra Modi is the
challenge to the very edifice of sec-
ular society," Karat said.
He accused the BJP and "its men-
tor RSS" of communal agenda and
said the grouping will "ensure that
BJP and its allies are not able to
come to power at the centre."
"We need alternative to BJP and
Congress. Leaders of 11 parties
resolved today to work together to
present an alternative before the
country," he said.
The leaders also issued a joint
declaration which said they will
present an alternative which will
have "democratic, secular, federal
and pro people" agenda.
Answering queries, JD-U presi-
dent Sharad Yadav said the grouping
"was the first front".
He said its prime ministerial can-
didate will be decided after the Lok
Sabha elections expected April-
May. On seat sharing, Karat said
each party will ensure success in
their states, while they will "pool
resources at all-India level".
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish
Kumar ruled out any truck of his
JD-U and the alliance led by the
BJP after the elections, while
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam
Singh Yadav said that more parties
will be included in the new front.
Nitish Kumar, H.D. Deve Gowda, Prakash Karat, Sharad Yadav
and Mulayam Singh Yadav in New Delhi.
Congress mired in corruption, says Modi
Jagraon (Punjab): Accusing the
Congress of being involved in
umpteen corruption scandals, BJP's
prime ministerial candidate
Narendra Modi said that it was
strange that the party was now
showing concern about something it
had failed to control in the past 10
years. "I am surprised that Congress
leaders are accusing others of cor-
ruption. How can they point fingers
at others when their own govern-
ment has seen so many scams?"
Modi asked, addressing a the 'Fateh'
rally in this Punjab town, 145 km
from Chandigarh.
"They (Congress) have changed
the nomenclature of ABCD. It is
now A for Adarsh (scam), B for
Bofors, C for Coal scam," he said,
listing the various scandals.
Modi asserted that he would not
allow anyone to loot the treasury.
In a reference to the Congress
election symbol, Modi said that if he
became the prime minister, "I assure
you I will sit like a 'chowkidar' and
ensure that the 'panja' (hand) is kept
away from the coffers".
"When Rajiv Gandhi was prime
minister, he said that out of every
rupee sanctioned from Delhi, only
15 paise reach villages. I want to
know which 'panja' is robbing the
rupee," Modi asked.
The Bharatiya Janata Party leader,
who has been accused by Finance
Minister P. Chidambaram of not
spelling out his stand on the coun-
try' s economy, said agriculture,
manufacturing and service sectors
needed to be promoted to help the
economy grow.
"We need industry to take India
forward. We need agriculture so that
no one goes hungry. The service
sector requires least investment...
We have not paid adequate attention
to this sector," Modi said.
"Land is not going to increase and
land holdings are getting smaller.
We have to increase agricultural
production by bringing new technol-
ogy and scientific research."
Referring to the 'one-rank, one-
pension' announcement made by the
UPA government, Modi said that it
had failed to address the issue in the
last 10 years.
BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi
during a rally in Punjab
New Delhi: The Lok Janshakti
Party (LJP) has said it is looking
for options for an alliance and the
"option of BJP is open".
"We are looking for alternate al-
liance partners as there is a dead-
lock with existing allies," LJP
leader Chirag Paswan said after a
meeting of the party's parliamen-
tary board. LJP chief Ramvilas
Paswan, Chirag's father, added:
"We have kept the option of BJP
open." Ramvilas Paswan said his
party has had grievances with the
Lalu-Prasad led Rashtriya Janata
Dal since long, and the talks for
an alliance with the Congress did
not show much progress.
"Elections are at the door, and
they (Congress and RJD) have not
taken any decision, what can we
do," he said.
BJP sources, however, indicated
an alliance with the LJP is almost
final and an announcement will be
made soon.
LJP says option of alliance
with BJP is open
New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party
president Rajnath Singh said it has
been fed to people that his party was
anti-Muslim, and added that the
BJP would "apologize" if it had
made any mistake.
"If we have made any mistakes,
we will bow our head and apolo-
gize," Rajnath Singh said at a pro-
gram of the BJP's minority cell.
Speaking at the "Narendra Modi's
Mission 272+: Role of Muslims"
summit, attended by members of
the party's minority cell, Rajnath
Singh urged Muslims to give the
BJP a chance in the Lok Sabha
elections.
"Give us a chance, there will be
elections again after five years. If
we fail in meeting your expecta-
tions, don't vote for us again," he
said.
The BJP president hit out at the
Congress for propagating that the
BJP was "anti-Muslim", and ac-
cused it of using the "divide and
rule policy".
"It has been fed to people that the
BJP is anti-Muslim. Did we get In-
dia divided on basis of religion?
Those who divided the nation on
basis of religion are communal...
they use the policy of divide and
rule," he said, referring to the
Congress.
Defending his party and its prime
ministerial candidate Narendra
Modi, Rajnath Singh said Muslims
in Gujarat, where Modi is the chief
minister, have the highest per capi-
ta income.
"Hundreds of Muslims are elect-
ed representatives in local bodies in
Gujarat from the BJP. Per capita in-
come of Muslims is highest in Gu-
jarat. Modi ruled for 10 years and
created such a situation," he said.
"They (Congress) malign Modi so
that Muslims remain distant from
the BJP," he said.
BJP would apologize for
any mistake: Rajnath
Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ramvilas Paswan with LJP
leader Chirag Paswan during a press conference in New Delhi
Bharatiya Janata Party
president Rajnath Singh
14 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info OP-ED
By M.R. Madhavan
T
he last session of the 15th
Lok Sabha brings to an end
one of the most disappointing
periods in the short parliamentary
history of India.
The numbers tell part of the story:
this Lok Sabha saw over 800 hours,
or almost 40 percent of its scheduled
time lost to disruptions; the least
number of bills were passed in a full
term, and some important ones with-
out any discussion; the budget was
passed last year without discussing
the expenditure allocation for min-
istries; over 40 percent of Question
Hour was lost to disruptions, imply-
ing that ministers were not held
accountable for their actions. The
images include that of pepper spray,
blackout of proceedings, and an
important bill on creating a new
state passed through a voice vote.
What is of even greater concern is
that parliament continued to slide in
the performance of some of its core
roles. In a parliamentary democracy
(and indeed, as per our constitution),
the government is formed by the
group of people (party or coalition
of parties) who have the confidence
of the majority of the members (in
our case, the Lok Sabha).
This majority can be tested from
time to time, by any group of MPs.
Indeed, this is one of the fundamen-
tal roles of parliament - to confer
legitimacy to the government. The
last session of parliament saw an
event when the legitimacy of the
government was challenged but was
not tested.
A number of MPs brought a notice
for a no-confidence motion against
the government. The rules of proce-
dure state that a minimum of 50
MPs are required to move a no-con-
fidence motion -- this will ensure
that frivolous attempts are thwarted.
Another important role of parlia-
ment is as a body that holds the gov-
ernment accountable for its actions.
This is done in three main ways:
asking questions in the Question
Hour, through parliamentary com-
mittees, and through debate on key
issues on the floor of the house. On
all three counts, there could have
been a much better performance.
Over 40 percent of the time of
Question Hour was lost to disrup-
tions. Rajya Sabha experimented for
one session with a change in the
time of Question Hour to the after-
noon but was not successful in
reducing disruptions. Parliament is
the only body that can make nation-
al laws. This parliament did pass
some laws with far- reaching impli-
cations. These include the Right to
Education Act, the new Companies
Act, the Sexual Harassment of
Women at the Workplace Act,
amendments to the IPC and CrPC to
protect women against sexual vio-
lence, the Pension Act, the Land
Acquisition Act, the Food Safety
Act, the Lokpal Bill, and the
Whistleblower Act. However, sever-
al important bills were not passed
and will either lapse or will be in the
pending list of the next parliament.
These include the women's reser-
vation bill, the mining bill, a set of
bills related to higher education,
another set related to corruption, the
insurance bill, the forward contracts
amendment bill, the micro-finance
bill and the seeds bill.
Are there any lessons to be learnt
and corrective action taken?
Parliament must start reasserting its
position as that of the body that
holds the executive accountable, and
not be subservient to the wishes of
the executive. Perhaps, the most
important step that needs to be taken
is to repeal the anti-defection law.
Though the original purpose of the
law was to reduce the instability of
governments, it has ended up being
a tool for party bosses to determine
the way MPs vote on each issue.
How to make our parliament more accountable
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
A jaded diplomatic dance in Obama-Dalai Lama meet
By Mayank Chhaya
W
hen President Barack
Obama meets the Dalai
Lama in the White
House on Friday morning, a
jaded diplomatic dance will play
out.
The meeting is being hosted in
the Map Room of the White
House instead of the Oval Office
in a somewhat laughably symbol-
ic scaling down of its perceived
importance. It is a meaningless
gesture of accommodation that
successive US presidents have
made keeping in view Chinese
sensitivities.
Normally, only visiting heads
of states and other important dig-
nitaries are met with in the Oval
Office. The Dalai Lama has tradi-
tionally been received in the Map
Room, which in the diplomatic
scheme of things is just another
room in the White House as
opposed to the Oval Office which
is in the West Wing and the cen-
ter of everything in Washington.
The Map Room is on the ground
floor where maps were consulted
by President Franklin Roosevelt
during the Second World War.
Many other events have taken
place there.
This will be the Dalai Lama's
third meeting with President
Obama, the first two having
taken place in February, 2010 and
July, 2011. Like the previous two
meetings, this too is expected to
be high on the optics and rather
inconsequential in terms of mak-
ing any impression on Beijing to
directly engage the Dalai Lama.
The traditional wisdom of such
a meeting is to read a possible US
rebuke of China for its human
rights record and other con-
tentious issues. Entering the mix
this time are territorial tensions in
the East China Sea. As the
Obama administration continues
to strengthen its strategic pres-
ence in the region, the meeting
with the Dalai Lama might come
in handy, albeit purely for its
optics.
There has been no change in
the US position that Tibet is part
of China. National Security
Council spokeswoman Caitlin
Hayden, who announced the
meeting, said Washington sup-
ported the Dalai Lama's approach
but recognized Tibet to be "a part
of the People' s Republic of
China.
"We do not support Tibetan
independence," Hayden said.
"The president will meet the
Dalai Lama in his capacity as an
internationally respected reli-
gious and cultural leader," she
said.
"The United States strongly
supports human rights and reli-
gious freedom in China. We are
concerned about continuing ten-
sions and the deteriorating human
rights situation in Tibetan areas
of China."
The Obama administration is
expected to lay fresh emphasis on
the need for Beijing to hold direct
talks with the Dalai Lama with-
out conditions.
While all this sounds encourag-
ing to someone just becoming
familiar with the issues, those
who follow the Sino-Tibetan dis-
pute and the US position on it, all
this is almost comically routine
and so far without any conse-
quence at all.
China is expected to react to the
meeting like it always does - with
unconcealed contempt and
almost contrived anger. A senior
Chinese official was quoted by
Reuters as saying that foreign
leaders who meet the Dalai Lama
should "pay a price for it." These
are words which are repackaged
every time Beijing thinks
Washington is engaging the Dalai
Lama in ways it disapproves of.
They do not really lead to any
identifiable consequences in US-
China relations. It makes no
sense for the US president not to
receive the Dalai Lama in the
Oval Office because in the over-
all scheme of things it would
make no material difference to
China where the Tibetan leader is
actually hosted. Meeting him in
the Map Room is neither fooling
the Chinese nor making them
appreciative of America's gesture
in being mindful of their sensitiv-
ities. No matter how one looks at
it this is nothing more than ves-
tigial diplomatic thinking which
no one is willing to give up.
It makes no sense
for the US presi-
dent not to receive
the Dalai Lama in
the Oval Office
because in the
overall scheme of
things it would
make no material
difference to
China where the
Tibetan leader is
actually hosted.
Parliament must start reasserting its position as that of the body
that holds the executive accountable, and not be subservient to the
wishes of the executive
China is expected to react to the meeting like it always
does - with unconcealed contempt and almost contrived anger
Politics
Diplomacy
FASHION 15 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
By Shilpa Raina
Karachi: There wasn't a color that didn't
make an appearance at the ramp on the last
day of the Fashion Pakistan Week in
Karachi. A pop of neon, a dash of gold,
ash-white or saffron, with digital prints in
company, brought down the curtains on the
fashion extravaganza on Feb 21. Pakistan's
color sentiments have always drawn
towards subtle pastel tones. But Friday
evening at the Fashion Pakistan Week,
there was a definitive change in explor-
ing more sunny and summery options for
a bright spring/summer ahead.
The color burst came from the bad boy
of Pakistani fashion, Ali Xeeshan. The
moment popular Bollywood number
"Jumma Chumma" started playing; one
knew drama would unfold. Models in
robes, long dresses accentuated at the
waist, kimono-sleeve dresses and a head
gear, started sashaying down the ramp,
with dashes of neon green, feisty orange,
and shocking pink staying with the eye
on an ash-white base of the fabric.
Welcoming the spring in its fullest
was Maleena C. Nasir of label
Daaman. Using prints of leaves,
roses, trees and petals, this young
designer presented a wearable col-
lection -- cigarette pants teamed
with long kurtas, smart shirts with
trousers and a few chic jumpsuits.
The color palette ranged from
cherry yellow to blossoming
pink, morning orange sun to pure
white -- it was easy on eyes, and
comfortable wear.
It is always pleasing to see a
sari on the Pakistani ramp,
and a delight to see a well-
draped sari. This was what
label Kayseria delivered at
the ramp with its finest
prints transformed into
saris and high-slit suits.
The entire show had a
rustic feel to it and
resembled women
from bucolic Gujarat
and Rajasthan --
from the Indian side.
Perhaps, this collec-
tion showcased how similar the culture is
in these regions that border Pakistan.
Digital prints dominated the collection of
designer Wardha Saleem and Tapulicious
by Tapu Javeri. Javeri's brand features
Pakistani designers Kamiar Rokni, Hassan
Sheheryar Yasin and Mohsin Ali. He pre-
sented three capsule collections and all of
them had a heavy dosage of graphic print-
ing. From geisha to photographs of
Karachi, from monochromatic zebra and
tiger prints to psychedelic busy prints --
the edgy, western silhouettes were heavy
on busy prints. Nevertheless the audience
cheered and the show went on.
Old guards take centre stage
Earlier, fashion veterans Maheen Khan
and Shamaeel Ansari presented cohesive
collections, blending western aesthetics
with Pakistani sensibilities and translating
them into wearable everyday fashion.
Considering Pakistan's conservative atti-
tude towards bold fashion, designers show-
casing shift dresses, backless gowns, and
shorts on the ramp during the sixth Fashion
Pakistan Week left buyers and foreign
journalists wondering about the buyers and
audience for such garments.
"These are worn at private balls and par-
ties," a fashion designer pointed out, flash-
ing pictures of a recent party she attended.
Of course, there were pretty, young
women wearing clothes that need a chauf-
feur-driven car. And they have to be rich in
the volatile Karachi city to enjoy freedom
of wearing what they like.
But aren't fashion weeks supposed to
generate business and reach out to mass
consumers?
These questions were answered
Thursday by Khan's brainchild "Gulabo" -
a street couture brand and Ansari' s
"Shamaeel" who is an authority in couture,
and her pret line resonated with Pakistan's
cultural potpourri.
Printing architectural landscape of
Pakistan - trucks, autos and trees - and
Google maps on black and white fabric
with a dash of pink, gold and psychedelics
prints, the free flowing long kurtas with
different cuts, teamed with capris and ciga-
rette trousers were very much wearable
and resonated a strong sense of Pakistan's
street culture.
Gulabo was a young, dynamic and
vibrant collection.
Having over two decades of experience
in the industry, Ansari's "affordable" and
wearable pret range made a statement that
got her standing ovation.
Jewel-toned jackets, richly worked
monochromatic long coats, shift-dresses,
kaftan dresses with constellations of
threads, appliques, sequins and in-house
prints stood out.
Unlike India, where designers take a few
months to stock their ramp collection in
their stores, Ansari's collection will be
available at multi-retail store Labels from
Feb 25.
New Delhi: Jewelry designer Alpana
Gujral's new collection titled Spring 2014, a
revival of the Mughal era with a contempo-
rary touch, was scheduled to be exhibited
here for two days from March 3.
Spring 2014 will be presented at her store
in Lajpat Nagar here.
The line offers necklaces, cuffs and ear-
rings made of pearls, ruby, gold, tourmaline,
black onyx and diamond, and Gujral
believes the designs will offer spiritual depth
for the wearer.
Alpana Gujral revives Mughal era style jewels (1) Designer Maleeha C. Nasir's
collection for label Daaman.
(2) Maheen Khans Gulabo was a
young, dynamic and vibrant
collection.
(3) Kayseria brings sari on
Pakistani ramp.
(4) A model presents a creation
by apu Javeri.
Spring 2014 collection by Alpana Gujral
1
2 3
4
16 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY 17 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
T
ime and again, Indian Ameri-
cans have been lauded as a
model minority - for being the
best educated ethnic group to earners
of the highest per capita income,
nearly twice the national average.
They have been celebrated for their
achievements in different elds in-
cluding politics and arts and are feted
for their contribution to American so-
ciety.
But their history in the United States
going back two centuries has been a
spottily-recorded mystery, although
the rst Indians arrived on these
shores in 1790, a decade after the Dec-
laration of Independence in 1776.
On Feb 27, the Smithsonian Mu-
seum in Washington DC along with
the Asian Pacic American Center
plugged this gap signicantly by
rolling out the rst ever exhibition, ti-
tled Beyond Bollywood: Indian
Americans Shape the Nation, chron-
icling the heritage of Indian immi-
grants and Indian Americans and the
contribution they have made to the
American melting pot.
The exhibition comes at a time when
the nation is debating comprehensive
immigration reform. Approximately
3.3 million people in the US are of
Asian Indian descent, that is one in
every 100 Americans.
The vibrant life, culture and history
of immigrants from India and Indian
Americans is the story of America,
said Konrad Ng, director of the Smith-
sonian Asian Pacic American Center.
This wonderful exhibition deepens
our understanding of the American ex-
perience as lived by the Asian Pacic
American communities who have
journeyed frombeing exotic outsiders
to being the faces and voices of the fu-
ture. We are excited to present an ex-
hibition that we hope will excite and
inspire generations.
The 5,000 sq ft exhibition docu-
ments tales of discrimination, resist-
ance, and achievement with dozens of
historical and contemporary images,
lms and artifacts.
Curator Masum Momaya said her
team used Indian-American stereo-
types as an entry point for visitors to
learn more. We want to take people
beyond some of the things they know
and have seen in popular culture to the
deeper and more nuanced history, she
said explaining how important the ex-
hibition is in the larger political cli-
mate.
As a curator, I think its important
for museums and cultural institutions
to share history associated with cur-
rent political and public policy de-
bates, to add context. So, I believe that
understanding the history of Indians in
America will help us understand im-
migration today she added.
The free exhibit illuminates the an-
swers, and provides the intriguing his-
torical narrative of Indian Americans.
The opening section has photo-
graphs of early Indian immigrants to
the U.S., and a poem "Bright Pas-
sages" by Indian American Meena
Alexander. It ends with "...why have
you brought us here?"
It's a story that dates to the rst Indi-
ans arriving in 1790, those who helped
build the nation's railroads and farms.
Since then, Indian Americans have
played crucial roles not just in farm-
ing, the building of railroads, but also
the military. And more recently, their
impact has been felt in the elds of en-
gineering, medicine, and motel own-
ership, all of which have their own
panels illustrating their respective im-
portance.
The historical narrative is inter-
spersed with artifacts and artworks.
Art illustrating these stereotypes in-
cludes posters of one of the
best-known Indian Ameri-
cans, Apu, owner of the
Kwik-E-Mart in "The Simp-
sons"; a touring magician
doing an Indian rope trick;
and Rudolf Valentino as The
Young Rajah in brown-face.
One of the most effective of
all the stereotype-busting
artworks is a three-photo
series UnSuitable Girls -
- "Most Reluctant House-
keeper", "Least Dutiful
Wife", and "Most Appre-
hensive Fiance" by An-
jali Bhargava and Swati
Khurana.
In another striking pho-
tography series, An In-
dian from India, Annu
Palakunnathu Matthew
frames her photographic
self-portraits with similar
ones of Native Americans
-- before and after being
assimilated.
Specic items are also
very powerful in dis-
pelling stereotypes and
racial proling that have
sparked violence. Two
most important items are
- the royal blue Sikh tur-
ban worn by Balbir
Singh Sodhi, the rst
South Asian person
murdered in retaliation
for September 11, 2001.
He was shot to death in
Mesa, Ariz., a few days
after the terrorist attack
and a copy of a newspa-
per story about "Dot-
busters", a New Jersey
hate group named for
the dot or "bindhi"
some Indian women
wear on their forehead.
A "Dotbusters" leader
tells the newspaper,
"We will go to any ex-
treme to get Indians to
move out of Jersey
City...We will never be
stopped." The curator
pointed out, "It was re-
ally important to put the
violence section close
to the front because it
was and is an important
part of Indian American
history." Alarge portion
of the show focuses on
the difculties Indian
immigrants have had in attaining U.S.
citizenship, and even being counted in
the census. In 1907, soon after the
Chinese Exclusion Act restricted im-
migration from "Asiatic nations", a
mob of almost 500 men attacked Pun-
jabi lumber mill workers in Belling-
ham, Wash. Within two weeks, all
Indian people left the city. And within
months, additional attacks occurred
elsewhere in that state, and also in
California, and Vancouver, B.C.
Almost 40 years later, the Lance-
Cellar Act of 1946 extended the right
of naturalized citizenship "to persons
or races indigenous to India." How-
ever, only in 1980 did the census begin
using the category "Asian Indian".
Today, one in every 100 Americans is
of Indian heritage. (Their prior census
categories included "foreigner", and
later "Hindu" -- regardless of their re-
ligion.)
Other important facets of the Indian
American experience that are included
in the exhibit are the Indian domi-
nance of the Scripps National Spelling
Bee and the prevalence of Indian
American (specically, Punjabi) cab
drivers. Individuals singled out for
their accomplishments include Acad-
emy Award-nominated writer/director
M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth
Sense), reigning Miss America Nina
Davuluri, as well as athletes such as
former Green Bay Packer Brandon
Chillar and Olympic silver medalist
Mohini Bhardwaj.
Documenting Indian American her-
itage would be incomplete without
mentioning the great Indian export -
Yoga. Hence as a tribute to the his-
tory of yoga in America a "lotus
room" is reconstructed from one in
Centreville, Virginia -- the country's
rst yoga studio to teach the philoso-
phy as well as the practice of yoga.
The exhibit also covers the many re-
ligions practiced by Indians in the US
a total of nine, which includes
Bahai and Zoroastrianism, in addition
to Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Bud-
dhism, and Jainism as well as the
practice of yoga.
Indian American musicians, such as
DJ Rekha and Raje Shwari, are also
featured. An entire wall is dedicated to
the discrimination Indian Americans
have faced throughout the years, par-
ticularly the dotbuster movement of
the 1980s. A large, long table is set
with traditional Indian foods and
spices, "an important part of America's
cultural landscape," noted curator Mo-
maya. Among other highlighted arti-
facts include a dress worn by Michelle
Obama designed by Indian American
Naeem Khan, which was a challenge
to get for the exhibit. We spent more
than a year pursuingand eventually
were able to borrowa dress de-
signed by Naeem Khan and worn by
First Lady Michelle Obama at the
2012 Governors Dinner. Aside from
the Inaugural Ball gowns that are
shown in the National Museum of
American History, its rare to be able
to show a dress of a First Lady, let
alone a sitting First Lady, noted Mo-
maya, adding, Khan comes from a
long line of embroiderers and design-
ers, dating back to the Mughal Courts
in India and this particular gown in-
corporates embroidery techniques
passed down to him on a classic
American silhouette. Its literally an
example of Indian American being
woven into the fabric of the garment.
In a nice touch, shoes sent in from
desi families across the country are
kept at both entrances to Beyond
Bollywood, to mir-
ror the fronts of many
Indian-origin homes.
At a media preview,
Momaya explained
that the title and the
theme "Beyond Bol-
lywood" was chosen
intentionally to at-
tract visitors and
suggest that we in-
tended to go be-
yond stereotypes.
When we surveyed
the public as to the
rst word that
came up when
they thought of
Indians, India or
Indians in Amer-
ica, Bolly-
wood emerged
most frequently.
While the exhi-
bition takes
Bollywood as a
point of depar-
ture for the sto-
ries were
telling, we
paired it with
the word Be-
yond to
show that
were a lot
more than you think we are, to show
the ngerprints and footprints that In-
dian Americans have left and are leav-
ing on this country, said Momaya
adding, As with any group, we are a
lot more than popular stereotypes sug-
gest and my intention as a curator has
been to focus on cultural, political and
professional contributions that Indian
immigrants and Indian Americans
have made to shaping U.S. history.
We think many visitors will be sur-
prised to learn that the rst big wave
of Indian American immigrants ar-
rived in the U.S. in the late 1800s.
They worked in lumber mills and on
railroads alongside Chinese immi-
grants. The exhibition talks about a
number of Indian immigrants who
fought for U.S. citizenship and still
combat stereotypes today. Its a very
important story to tell, which is why
immigration is one of the seven
themes in the exhibition. I hope read-
ing these stories will add context to
what is being debated today, Mo-
maya elucidated. The exhibition has
been funded in large part by donations
from philanthropists and corporations
from across the country especially
members of the IndianAmerican com-
munity, including Asian American
Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA).
Some other highlights are the public
programs, which include perform-
ances featuring Indian American art,
comedy, cuisine, dance, lm, televi-
sion, literature and music. The Center
will also offer online education cur-
riculum and an opportunity for indi-
viduals to share their family stories
through a digital portal.
Beyond Bollywood is the Smith-
sonian Asian Pacic American Cen-
ters largest exhibition and will be on
display on the second oor of the Na-
tional Museum of Natural History for
at least one year. It will then travel
around the country to libraries, muse-
ums, universities and community cen-
ters as a part of the Smithsonian
Institution Traveling Exhibition Serv-
ice beginning May 2015 for ve years.
It was planned that after the exhibit
shows at the Smithsonian, it will then
travel around the country from 2015
through 2020 because part of the
Smithsonians commitment is to tak-
ing itself beyond its walls. This will be
key to initiating conversations in areas
with and without Indian American
communities, said Momaya.
As a curator what does she hope
people will take away fromthe exhibi-
tion? I want visitors to walk away
with an understanding of the vast and
deep contributions of Indian immi-
grants and Indian Americans in shap-
ing US history, said Momaya, adding
that although the exhibition highlights
certain individual achievements of
prominent desis, it is rst and fore-
most meant to honor the overall im-
pact of the Indian American
community.
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
Indian contributions to the American religious landscape are show-
cased as part of Beyond Bollywood. Here, Swami Vivekananda and
guests at Green Acre School, Eliot, Maine, ca. 1894. This school, a
meeting-place for the study of world religions, was just one stop on a
tour in which Vivekananda introduced the West to Hinduism & yoga.
(Photo courtesy of Eliot Bahai Archives and Maine Memory Network / Smith-
sonian Institution Asian Pacific American Program.)
By Jinal Shah
Family photographs collected from around the US are featured in Beyond Bollywood. Here, Pandit Shankar Ghosh,
Shrimati Sanjukta Ghosh, with Vikram (Boomba) Ghosh at Samuel P. Taylor State Park, Lagunitas, Calif., ca. 1970.
(Photo courtesy of the Ali Akbar Khan Foundation / Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program)
The Naeem Khan dress for First Lady Michelle
Obama that she wore at the 2012 Governors
Dinner.
(Photo: John Gibbons, Smithsonian.)
Indian Youth Against
Racism, a group from
Columbia University,
documented
violence against Indians
in New
Jersey and
implemented
educational programs on
South Asian cultures in
Jersey City schools. The
group also helped pass a
bill in the New Jersey
legislature raising
mandatory penalties for
"bias crimes.
(Photo by Corky Lee.)
Indian immigrants work on the construction of the Pacific and
Eastern Railroad in Oregon, ca. 1906.
(Photo courtesy of Southern Oregon Historical Society (#1603) / Smith-
sonian Asian Pacific American Program)
Congress-
man Dalip
Singh
Saund, with
Senators
John F.
Kennedy
and Lyndon
B. Johnson,
1958.
(Photo
courtesy of
Eric Saund.)
DJ, producer, and
activist Rekha
Malhotra, popu-
larly known as DJ
Rekha, is credited
with popularizing
bhangra in
America.
(Photo courtesy of
Eco Magazine.)
An Indian immigrant
worker harvests beets in
Hamilton City, California
for the Sacramento
Valley Sugar Company,
c. 1907-1915.
(Photo courtesy of the
California State University,
Chico, Meriam Library
Special Collections)
The Sharma family in San Francisco, 1983.
(Photo: Prithvi Sharma)
The 5,000 sq ft exhibition
documents tales of dis-
crimination, resistance,
and achievement with
dozens of historical and
contemporary images,
films and artifacts. Curator
Masum Momaya thinks
its important for museums
and cultural institutions to
share history associated
with current political and
public policy debates to
add context.
Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation is a major exhibition at the Smithsonian
Museum in Washington DC that chronicles the history of Indian Americans from the 1700s
to the present and how much they have influenced their adopted land.
Showcasing Indian Americans
contributions to the melting pot
18 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
B
ollywood actor Aamir Khan
visited Gahlaur village and
met family members of
Dasrath Manjhi, who single-hand-
edly carved out a road by cutting
through a hill in Bihar, for his TV
show "Satyamev Jayate 2".
Amid tight security, Aamir spent
nearly half an hour and interacted
with Bhagirath Manjhi and Basanti
Devi, the son and daughter-in-law
of Dasrath Manjhi and other mem-
bers of his family.
"I am really happy to be here to
touch the soil of this land, where a
man has created a rare example of
making difference with his dedica-
tion and commitment of years for
selfless cause," Aamir told media
persons here.
The actor-producer said that he
has fulfilled his wish to visit the
place associated with Dasrath
Manjhi.
Both Bhagirath and Basanti, who
are disabled and live in penury at
Dasrathnagar Dalit tola near
Gahlaur in Gaya district, about 100
km from state capital
Patna, told Aamir in
Magahi, a local dialect,
that they are living in
abject poverty and
sought his help to
improve their condition.
Dasrath Manjhi, popu-
larly known as "Mountain
Man", using nothing more
than a hammer and a chisel
and working day and night,
single-handedly cut a 360 feet
long, 30 feet high and
30 feet wide pas-
sage through
a hill
ne a r
Gahlaur. He died in
2007, battling with
cancer.
Shakira to don Indian designer's outfit
I
nternational superstar Shakira, who returns as a coach on The
Voice, will be seen in Indian designer Khushali Kumar's outfit in
the premier
episode of the sea-
son six of the TV
show. She has
zeroed on a gun-
metal short dress
from Kumar' s
label Reve for the
premiere episode.
After privately
viewing the collec-
tion, well-known
styling duo Rob
Zangardi & Mariel
Haenn immediate-
ly knew that the
intricate Indian
line, Reve by Khushali Kumar was a great fit for new mother, Shakira,
Kate, US media and celebrity liaison for Reve by Khushali Kumar, said
in a statement.
It seems Khushali has got a firm foothold in Hollywood as she has just
finished styling for Justin Beiber's new video Wait For a Minute.
Salman's fresh trial in hit-
and-run case from March 26
T
he union home ministry has sought a
report from the Maharashtra govern-
ment on the repeated parole granted
to Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, an official
said. Last week, in a communication, the
centre asked the state government to clarify
whether Dutt was accorded any special
privileges while accepting his parole
request thrice within eight months since he
was lodged in the Yerawada Central Jail in
Pune.
Confirming the development, state
Home Minister R.R. Patil said the
state government would send its
reply to the central government
soon.
"We shall inform the centre
under what circumstances the
parole has been granted," Patil
told media persons here.
Asked whether convicts took
advantage of the parole system,
Patil said it pertains to certain
legal issues and he has sought
details on this from the addi-
tional chief secretary in the
home ministry.
Dutt, 54, has been sentenced
to serve the remaining 42 months
of his five-year prison term after he was
found guilty in the March 1993
Mumbai bomb blasts.
He returned to the Pune jail May 18,
2013, and subsequently was granted
parole on several occasions, creating a
controversy.
Currently, Dutt is out on parole since
Dec 21 and will remain outside jail till
March 21. Prior to this, he was released
on a fortnight-long furlough, which
was extended by another fortnight in
October 2013.
A
Mumbai sessions court has fixed
March 26 as the date for the fresh
trial of Bollywood actor Salman
Khan in the hit-and-run case.
The ruling came at a hearing of the case
when the prosecution submitted a list of 17
witnesses who will be
examined and
cross-examined
again. Last
year, July 24,
the sessions
court framed
charges against
Salman for the
more serious
charge
of
culpable homicide not amounting to mur-
der, which entails a 10-year prison term.
Earlier, the 48-year-old actor was tried
for the less stringent charge of rash and
negligent driving, which attracts a two-
year sentence.
Later, in November 2013 Salman moved
the sessions court seeking a fresh trial in
the case since the magistrate's court had
not given him an opportunity to cross-
examine witnesses in the context of the
new charge of culpable homicide not
amounting to murder.
Salman was previously charged and tried
by a Bandra magistrate's court under the
Indian Penal Code Section 304(A) (rash
and negligent driving).
After nearly 10 years, the magis-
trate had held that a case under
IPC 304 (2) was made out
against Salman and sent the
case to a sessions court for
trial, which he challenged.
Besides IPC Section
304(2), Salman also faces
charges of causing death by
negligence, causing hurt by
an act, causing grievous
hurt and damage or mis-
chief to property, and
charges under the Motor
Vehicles Act and the
Bombay Prohibition Act.
On Sep 28, 2002, an
allegedly inebriated Salman
Khan, while driving his
Toyota Land Cruiser SUV,
ran over some pavement
dwellers near a bakery in
Bandra (West). While one per-
son was killed, four others
were injured in the incident.
Sanjay Dutt's repeated parole
under central scanner
Singer Shakira
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD 19 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
I
ndian actor Lilette Dubey is
helping her "The Best Exotic
Marigold Hotel 2" co-star
Richard Gere develop a taste for
Rajasthani dishes, and he is said to
be trying them with fervour.
Gere, who has visited India sev-
eral times as a goodwill ambassa-
dor for AIDS campaigns and for
his Buddhist activities, is in
Udaipur to shoot for the
Hollywood film.
"Richard loves the local cuisine.
But he is wary of the spices and
mirchi (chilli). Lilette and her two
daughters Neha and Ira helped him
pick the dishes with the minimum
masala. The three ladies have also
taken Gere sightseeing in
Udaipur," said a source from the
unit.
The cast of the sequel, directed
by John Madden, comprises a dis-
tinguished bouquet of British and
Indian troupers both old and
young, including Judi Dench, Tom
Wilkinson, Maggie Smith, Dev
Patel, Tina Desae and Lilette.
Gere is eager to learn more about
Bollywood. He is even said to have
asked for a Bollywood-styled
romantic song to be incorporated
in the screen romance with Lilette.
J
ennifer Lawrence-starrer
"The Hunger Games:
Catching Fire" has eclipsed
"Iron Man 3" to become the
highest-grossing film released
at the US box office in 2013.
Lionsgate Entertainment
announced that the movie has
grossed $423.6 million to date,
now stepping into the top 10
highest-grossing films of all
time domestically, reports dead-
line.com.
Globally, "The Hunger
Games: Catching Fire", which
released in the US Nov 22,
2013, now enjoys a worldwide
box office total of $838.2 mil-
lion after seven weeks in the-
aters. That eclipses the $691
million the first "Hunger
Games" made during its entire
theatrical run.
"The Hunger Games:
Mockingjay Part I" and "The
Hunger Games: Mockingjay
Part 2" are in production for
release Nov 21, 2014 and Nov
20, 2015, respectively.
**************
B
eing in the world this enchanting
film inhabits is like being in the state
of a waking dream. The world is
fatally flawed. But it's also beautiful in spite
of the deep flaws, or maybe because of
them?
Imtiaz Ali's new intriguing work takes us
into the heartland of India, much in the
same way that "Jab We Met" and to a lesser
extent "Rockstar" did. Imtiaz loves his
India. With all its gigantic contradictions,
anomalies and aberrations.
And Veera, the arresting protagonist of
"Highway", is an anomaly herself. Alia's
performance nails Veera with a persuasive-
ness that belies her two-film old history.
Veera is a girl ridden with complexities
and contradictions. Wealthy and spoilt, in a
superbly staged highway drama, she is kid-
napped on the eve of her wedding by a
hood, played by Hooda with his habitual
clenched intensity.
The rest of the narrative is pretty much in
character with what we expect in a film that
constructs its wistful fable out of the harsh
reality of the ailment known as the
Stockholm Syndrome. Going by the book of
"How To Fall In Love With Your
Kidnapper", Veera promptly falls for her
scowling kidnapper whose associates
(played effectively) conveniently fall off the
plot's radar to leave the lovers alone.
Whether Veera genuinely feels a love or
whether that love is born out of defiant
rejection of the life of luxury and affluence,
we will never know. As played majestically
by Alia, Veera appears to be a bundle of
snarled contradictions, some compelling,
others purely annoying.
Randeep Hooda is in fine, if somewhat
typecast, shape. Though his accent is dis-
tracted from his performance, the charac-
ter's pain made itself apparent through its
mawkish mother-fixated past-history.
In some vital ways, "Highway" resembles
Gyan Correa's Gujarati masterpiece "The
Good Road". One sequence where the kid-
nap victim helps her kidnappers to escape
detection by the police at a check-point on
the highway is almost inter-changeable in
the two films.
Is this really a film? Or is it a poem that
spills out metres of magnificence in a road
journey where you measure life' s
worth not in years, but in kilo-
meters.
R E V I E W
R
ahul Mishra has
emerged as the
first Indian fash-
ion designer to win the
International Woolmark
Prize (IWP), past recip-
ients of which include
icons like Yves Saint
Laurent and Karl
Lagerfeld.
Mishra, a young and
creative designer, was
announced the winner
of the 2013-14 IWP
during the final awards
event held at the
Triennale Museum.
Mishra's Merino wool
collection was based on
craftsmanship and his
knowledge of tech-
niques and embroidery.
He is over the moon and
emotional about his vic-
tory.
"I feel like this is a dream and
this is giving me new hopes for
my future career. This award
will change the perception of
global fashion in regards to
Indian fashion and this is all
because of wool - an amazing
fibre, the fibre of possibilities,"
he said in a statement.
A judging panel including
Frida Giannini, Franca Sozzani,
Tim Blanks, Colette Garnsey,
Angelica Cheung, Alexa Chung
and representatives from the
global IWP retail partners,
selected Mishra, who was repre-
senting India and the Middle
East at the platform.
"For me, Rahul has won
because of his ability to apply
his knowledge of embroideries
through wool, one of the most
versatile fibres with originality
in an unexpected way,"said
Giannini, who is creative direc-
tor of luxury label Gucci.
Mishra was among the five
talents that competed for the
prize. The top five were chose
from 20 countries and out of
over 48 designers.
Rahul wins International
Woolmark Prize in Milan
Designer Rahul Mishra with the
International Woolmark Prize (IWP)
'Highway,' elegiac excursion into know-man's land
Gere enjoys local food in Udaipur
Actor Alia Bhatt in 'Highway'
Richard Gere is in India for
'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 2' shoot
'The Hunger Games...' highest grosser of 2013 in US
20 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info DIASPORA
Probe Britain's role in Bluestar, say Sikh groups
London: Two Sikh groups in Britain have demanded a
full inquiry into the extent of Britain's involvement in the
Indian military operation in the Golden Temple in Amrit-
sar in 1984.
The Sikh Federation UK and the British Sikh Council
said in an open letter that there were "too many serious
questions that remain unanswered", BBC reported Thurs-
day. Sikh Federation UK's spokesperson Dabinderjit
Singh said Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague
had misled parliament about the army assault on terror-
ists holed up in the shrine.
Citing a report by the British cabinet secretary, Hague
had confirmed to parliament earlier this month that the
Indian government had sought advice from Britain prior
to the operation. In his report, Cabinet Secretary Jeremy
Heywood had said that Britain advised India that a mili-
tary operation in Sikh's holiest shrine should only be a
last resort and suggested that helicopters could be used as
part of a strategy to minimize casualties.
Hague told Britain's members of parliament this month
that the Indian government's campaign had "differed
from the approach recommended" and there had been no
"helicopter-borne element."
"Every single book (on the subject) says that actually
helicopter gunships were used. They were used on June
4,5 and 6, 1984, Singh was quoted as saying.
"So that starts to put a different level of complicity in
terms of what parliament was told," he said.
"So not only was the foreign secretary and the report
that has been produced misleading, it was not truthful."
Earlier, declassified documents suggested that the Mar-
garet Thatcher government was involved in planning the
military operation in the temple.
Official figures put the death toll in Operation Bluestar
at 575. Hague said Britain's involvement had only a "lim-
ited impact" on the events.
The British Sikh Council's Gurmukh Singh said: "Un-
less there is admission of the truth, and the whole truth is
revealed, and then there is reconciliation, you cannot
draw a line under 1984."
Declassified documents suggested involvement
of Margaret Thatcher government in planning
the Bluestar military operation.
Dubai: Ali bin Sumaikh Al Marri,
chairman of Qatars National Hu-
man Rights Committee, has said
that given the large number of Indi-
ans who live in Qatar, one cannot
say the mortality rate among Indian
expatriates in the country during the
past two years is alarming.
Al Marri said a vested interest
lobby was behind a sustained me-
dia campaign against Qatar in the
run-up to the 2022 FIFA World
Cup, The Peninsula reported
Wednesday.
Most of the construction projects
related to the event employ foreign
workers. Those publicizing the
mortality rates must explain the cir-
cumstances behind the deaths, the
report quoted Al Marri as saying.
Indians constitute the largest ex-
patriate group in Qatar and their
number is almost double that of
Qataris. Al Marri said that if one
looked at the mortality rates of
Qataris during the last two years,
one would find that the death rate of
Indian expatriates was natural.
The newspaper, citing Indias ex-
ternal affairs ministry, said that of
the 241 Indian deaths in Qatar in
2013, only 14 were reported from
construction sites. Of the 237
deaths in 2012, 13 were reported
from work sites. Western media re-
ports had alleged that there was a
high death rate among Indian mi-
grant workers in the country.
Lobby behind Indian deaths
report: Qatar
Wellington: An Indian couple in
New Zealand facing deportation has
approached a local Member of Par-
liament (MP) for help.
Bhuvnesh Mehta and Jaswinder
Kaur, of Hastings in Hawke's Bay
region of New Zealand's North Is-
land, are facing deportation after
various visa applications submitted
by them were declined by Immigra-
tion New Zealand last year.
The couple claimed that they
were facing the ordeal because of a
series of mistakes made by law firm
Luscombe Legal, the New Zealand
Herald reported Thursday.
The two had also submitted an of-
ficial complaint with the New
Zealand Law Society regarding the
matter.
They claim that Luscombe Legal
gave them inadequate advice when
documentation and applications
were sent to Immigration New
Zealand.
The law firm has, however, de-
clined to comment as it is the sub-
ject of a complaint.
The country's immigration min-
istry earlier this month said the
complaint would not affect the cou-
ple's status as overstayers and ad-
vised them to leave the country im-
mediately. The couple, however, is
determined to stay in the country
and have appealed to Tukituki MP
Craig Foss to assist them in ap-
proaching Minister of Immigration
Nikki Kaye.
An Auckland-based lawyer, act-
ing on behalf of the pair, states that
the justification for Kaye to inter-
vene would be on "moral grounds."
Mehta and Kaur also enclosed a
copy of the complaint to the Law
Society with the submission.
The couple said they had not
heard from Foss yet and had no idea
what Foss was going to say about
this matter. The duo are hoping that
the MP will contact them soon.
Indian couple in New Zealand seeks
help to avoid deportation
London: An Indian-origin tycoon in
the UK will not be allowed to visit
the Buckingham Palace despite win-
ning an auction to take part in a
celebrity tennis match there after get-
ting embroiled in a bribery scandal, a
media report said on Sunday.
Bhanu Choudhrie, whose family is
one of the biggest donors to deputy
prime minister Nick Clegg's Liberal
Democrat party, bid 75,000 pounds
for the privilege of playing against
Boris Becker and Novak Djokovic,
The Sunday Times reported.
However, a week after the auction,
Choudhrie, 35, and his father, Sudhir,
64, were arrested in dawn raids in
London carried out by the Serious
Fraud Office (SFO).
They were questioned for several
hours over allegations of bribery and
corruption involving defence con-
tracts won by Rolls-Royce in Asia.
They both have denied any wrong-
doing. The tennis prize was the most
prestigious lot to go under the ham-
mer at a fund-raising dinner attended
by Prince Charles at the Victoria and
Albert Museum earlier this month.
The event was organized by the
British Asian Trust (BAT), a charity
set up at Charles's behest to raise
money for causes in India, Pakistan,
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
A source close to the event was
quoted by the daily as saying that no
money had been received yet from
Choudhrie and his gift would not be
accepted.
It means the tycoon, whose busi-
ness interests have included care
homes, hospitals, luxury hotels and
restaurants, will no longer be invited
to Buckingham Palace. Charles and
Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall,
visited some of the projects backed
by the charity during an official trip
to India last November.
Indian not allowed Buckingham Palace
visit after scandal
New Delhi: The government said
Tuesday it has set up a dedicated
community affairs wing in Indian
missions in the United Arab Emirates
(UAE) to deal with the redressal of
grievances of Indian nationals.
The community affairs wing also
resolves matters related to irregular
residence status of Indian nationals
in UAE, followed by repatriation of
the concerned individuals, the min-
istry of overseas Indian affairs said in
a statement here.In addition to this,
there is one Indian Workers Resource
Centre (IWRC) at Dubai addressing
grievances of Indian workers which
also offers free legal, psychological
and financial counseling to distressed
Indians and also organizes awareness
campaigns at prominent labor camps
to educate the Indian workers, it said.
Government has made robust
arrangements to deal with the prob-
lems of Indian workers in Emigration
Check Required (ECR) countries
which include Indian Workers Re-
source Centre, helpline for providing
counseling and other assistance and
Indian Community Welfare Fund for
need based and on-site welfare of
distressed emigrants, it said.
Dedicated wing in
UAE's Indian missions
to address grievances
Bhuvnesh Mehta and
Jaswinder Kaur
Singapore: An elderly Sikh in
Singapore has been honored for
his outstanding volunteer services.
Surjan Singh, 82, received the
Ministry of Social and Family De-
velopment Volunteers Award for
helping some 60 boys, mostly in-
volved in petty crimes such as
theft, the Straits Times reported.
Singh, a retired teacher, worked
for Community Probation Service,
a voluntary service, for 42 years.
Sikh honored
in Singapore for
voluntary service
Surjan Singh
21 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info SUBCONTINENT
No troops in Afghanistan post-2014: Obama
Washington: US President
Barack Obama, in a phone con-
versation with Afghan President
Hamid Karzai, raised the possibil-
ity of no American troops left in
Afghanistan beyond 2014.
"Specifically, President Obama
has asked the Pentagon to ensure
that it has adequate plans in place
to accomplish an orderly with-
drawal by the end of the year
should the United States not keep
any troops in Afghanistan after
2014," Xinhua quoted the White
House as saying.
Karzai has refused to sign a
bilateral security agreement
(BSA) that allows legal immunity
to residual American troops, who
will be tasked with training and
assisting Afghan forces as well as
conducting counterterrorism oper-
ations beyond 2014 after most
American and NATO combat
troops exit.
Obama left open the possibility
of concluding the security pact
with Afghanistan later this year, as
a new Afghan president will
emerge in elections slated for
April.
"However, the longer we go
without a BSA, the more chal-
lenging it will be to plan and exe-
cute any US mission," the White
House warned.
"Furthermore, the longer we go
without a BSA, the more likely it
will be that any post-2014 US
mission will be smaller in scale
and ambition."
Row over the pact is just one
irritant in Washington-Kabul ties,
as Karzai had set new conditions
for his signing of the deal, includ-
ing a promise by Washington not
to allow its forces to conduct
counterterrorism raids on Afghan
homes, and US agreement to free
Afghan prisoners held at its
Guantanamo prison.
US Secretary of Defence Chuck
Hagel said that his department
will move ahead with "additional
contingency planning" to ensure
adequate plans are in place for an
orderly withdrawal by the end of
the year.
In a statement, the Pentagon
chief called the potential "zero
option", in which no American
troops will be left behind in
Afghanistan after 2014, "a pru-
dent step" in face of Karzai' s
unwillingness to sign the security
deal.
"As the United States military
continues to move people and
equipment out of the Afghan the-
ater, our force posture over the
next several months will provide
various options for political lead-
ers in the Untied States and
NATO," Hagel said.
Hamid Karzai has refused to sign a bilateral security agreement
(BSA) that allows legal immunity to residual American troops.
Kathmandu: In what could
be termed as increasing
Chinese engagement in this
country, Nepal and China
revised their bilateral air
service agreement (ASA) by
increasing flight frequencies
four-fold from 14 to 56 a
week.
Under the revised pact, an
additional seven flights per
week will be added annually
to 70 flights per week by
2016.
This pact is almost a uni-
lateral one as no Nepali air-
line operates services to its
northern neighbour. All
these flights will be operated
by the Chinese side.
The new ASA has also
permitted both sides unlimit-
ed traffic rights for cargo-
only flights with any type of
aircraft and permitted bilat-
eral and third-party code-
sharing by carriers of the
two countries.
According to Nepal's min-
istry of culture, tourism and
civil aviation, Nepali and
Chinese carriers can operate
from seven Chinese cities -
Chengdu, Lhasa, Beijing,
Kunming, Shanghai,
Guangzhou and Xian. China
has also agreed to open the
route from Kathmandu to
Lhasa, the nearest city from
Nepal and with which Nepal
has historical trade ties.
The Kathmandu-Lhasa
route would be one of the
most expensive in the world
as a one-way ticket would
cost $450.
The opening of this air-
space will allow internation-
al airlines to fly in Nepali
airspace, which means sav-
ings in fuel and distance for
carriers and revenue for
Nepal.
Nepal, China sign
new air services pact
Colombo: Sri Lanka' s
government has rejected a
call by UN High
Commissioner for Human
Rights Navanetham Pillay
to establish an internation-
al inquiry to investigate
alleged war crimes as the
country prepares to face a
fresh resolution in Geneva
next week, a statement
said.
In response to a report
compiled by Pillay after a
visit to Sri Lanka in 2013
on alleged violations of
international humanitarian
laws including killing of
civilians during the last
phase of a three-decade
conflict in 2009, the Sri
Lankan government
insisted "conclusions and
recommendations con-
tained in her report reflect
bias and are tantamount to
unwanted interference in
the internal affairs of a
sovereign state", Xinhua
reported.
The permanent mission
of Sri Lanka to the UN in
Geneva said in a statement
that "a trajectory that has
emerged with regard to
the recommendation of
the high commissioner for
the establishment of an
international inquiry
mechanism reflects the
preconceived, politicised
and prejudicial agenda
which she has relentlessly
pursued with regard to Sri
Lanka".
Recalling that the high
commissioner has called
for an "independent, inter-
national inquiry" just
weeks after the end of the
war May 26, 2009, at the
11th Special Session of
the UN Human Rights
Council (UNHRC) on Sri
Lanka and in three other
subsequent sessions and in
a report, the government
said the reference in the
current report that "the
high commissioner
remains convinced"
demonstrates her persist-
ent efforts against Sri
Lanka.
"It is pertinent to ques-
tion the factual basis for
the high commissioner's
initial formal call for an
independent, international
investigation in May 2009
and its continuation in
order that the international
community not be mis-
led," the statement further
said. The government has
defended its position by
insisting that sustained
and significant progress is
being made on the recon-
ciliation process in Sri
Lanka.
The extensive report
came as the Sri Lankan
government faces a US-
led resolution before the
UNHRC next month for
failing to implement ade-
quate reconciliation meas-
ures and investigate alle-
gations of war crimes.
Sri Lanka rejects
UN report ahead of resolution
Pak assures UN envoy
of support in Afghan peace
Islamabad: Pakistan assured the
visiting Special Representative of
the UN Secretary General for
Afghanistan, Jan Kubis, of its sup-
port to peace and reconciliation in
the embattled country, officials
said. The UN envoy met Adviser to
the Prime Minister on National
Security and Foreign Affairs,
Sartaj Aziz, and discussed matters
related to Afghanistan and
Pakistan-Afghanistan relations,
Xinhua reported citing the
Pakistan foreign ministry.
"The adviser underscored the
importance Pakistan attached to a
stable, peaceful and united
Afghanistan and wished the
Afghan people well during the
security, political and economic
transitions in 2014 and beyond," a
statement said.
The adviser underscored
Pakistan's resolve to support the
international community's efforts
for stability in Afghanistan. He
reaffirmed Pakistan's steadfast sup-
port for an inclusive Afghan-led
and Afghan-owned peace and rec-
onciliation process.
Islamabad: The outlawed
Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
has rejected the Nawaz Sharif
governments call for an uncondi-
tional ceasefire, a media report
said.
If this is what we have to do,
we would have done it 10 years
ago, the Dawn Wednesday quot-
ed TTP spokesman Shahidullah
Shahid as saying.
It is the government which has
waged a war against us and it is
for the government to end it now.
Let the government hold fire and
we shall follow suit, he told the
newspaper.
Shahidullah also blamed intelli-
gence agencies for Monday' s
killing of TTP's senior command-
er Asmatullah Shaheen Bhittani.
He said Shaheen Bhittani had
been on the hit list of Pakistani
intelligence agencies.
The TTP spokesman added that
there had been a few other inci-
dents of killing of its commanders
and his organisation suspected
them to be the handiwork of
Pakistani intelligence agencies.
This is a drones alternative.
Now we are being hunted through
ground drones, he said.
Pak Taliban
rejects call for
unconditional
ceasefire
The opening of this airspace will allow international
airlines to fly in Nepali airspace
INTERNATIONAL 22 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Ukraine in power vacuum after president ousted
Kiev: Dramatic changes were wit-
nessed in Ukraine as parliament
ousted President Viktor
Yanukovich after more than three
months of violent protests and
released his arch rival Yulia
Tymoshenko.
Yanukovich, who insisted he
would not step down, has left
Kiev for his support base in the
country's pro-Russian east, result-
ing in a political vacuum in the
government.
Former prime minister
Tymoshenko came to the spotlight
as she turned up at the
Independence Square and
addressed anti-government pro-
testors in central Kiev soon after
she was freed from jail.
Yanukovich had warned that he
would not accept any parliament
decisions as opposition leaders
behaved as "gangsters who terror-
ize Ukrainian people".
"The events witnessed by our
country and the whole world are
an example of a coup d'etat," he
said, comparing it to the rise of
the Nazis to power in Germany in
the 1930s.
It was unclear who would fill
the vacuum left by Yanukovich as
parliament voted to set early elec-
tions for May 25.
Opposition lawmaker Arsen
Avakov, one of the leaders of the
anti-government protests, was
elected Saturday as the acting
interior minister by parliament
until a new government is formed.
Parliament also elected
Alexandr Turchinov, an ally of
Tymoshenko, as the new speaker
after his predecessor Volodymyr
Rybak resigned due to health rea-
sons.
Opposition web site Ukrainska
Pravda said Tymoshenko intends
to run for president in May.
Turchinov said the protests have
reached their goals and urged the
activists to end their demonstra-
tion. However, Tymoshenko
called on protestors to continue
their encampment at the
Independence Square.
The Independence Square,
where a sprawling protest tent
camp was set up in December, has
been the centre stage for the past
three months of anti-government
demonstrations in Ukraine that
has claimed dozens of lives.
Disturbances in Kiev this week
left 80 people dead, according to
the latest official figures, although
opposition groups say that nearly
100 people were killed Thursday
alone.
Ousted Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich and former president Yulia Tymoshenko.
London: Wealthy foreign-
ers may soon be able to gain
fast track citizenship and the
right to settle in Britain.
Britain' s Migration
Advisory Committee
(MAC) has now recom-
mended to the government
that foreign millionaires
should be allowed to submit
sealed bids to win residence
visas for Britain. They
would have to pay a mini-
mum of 2.5 million each to
enter an auction for one of
100 elite investor visas.
At present, about 500
migrants a year are given
residence visas in return for
investing a minimum of
1million.
But the MAC says there is
little or no gain to UK resi-
dents from the investor
route and hence has recom-
mended raising the amount
to 2 million.
The MAC said, "A further
reform might involve auc-
tioning some slots. At pres-
ent it is not possible to
determine the optimal price
- investment threshold - for
a visa under the Tier 1
(Investor) route. One
approach to determining the
price would be to auction a
certain number of slots, say
100, with a reserve price a
little above the investment
threshold (recommended to
be 2 million), perhaps 2.5
million. The government
would receive the excess
over the 2 million. This
surplus could go to good
causes."
It added, "In order to
encourage investors to enter
the auction, the MAC rec-
ommends two incentives be
provided. First, the
investors who gain an auc-
tion slot should receive
accelerated settlement after
two years. Second, the resi-
dence requirements for such
investors should be
relaxed."
Britain's home secretary
Theresa May has asked the
committee to look at
whether auctioning visas or
making it available in
exchange of a hefty dona-
tion can be a plausible
option. UK says though a
screening process will
ensure criminals aren' t
let in.
In the year to 2013 Q3,
there were 560 main appli-
cant visas issued under the
Tier 1 (Investor) route.
Now, superfast UK
citizenship for 2.5 million
Bangkok: Gunmen opened fire near
several opposition protest sites in
Bangkok, stoking tensions in the capital
as Thailand's embattled prime minister
flew to her political stronghold in the
north.
Street violence, often targeting pro-
testers, has become a near-daily feature
of the almost four-month-long crisis
gripping Thailand, with the toll standing
at 22 dead and hundreds wounded.
Police said unknown gunmen fired
sporadically for around an hour in three
areas of Bangkok where demonstrators
are camped out alongside upscale shop-
ping malls and luxury hotels. Nobody
was wounded. "We don't know which
side fired the shots, but the aim of the
gunmen is to intimidate," deputy nation-
al police spokesman Anucha Romyanan
said. Prime Minister Yingluck
Shinawatra is under intense pressure to
step down with the protesters calling for
an unelected "people's council" to tackle
corruption and a culture of money poli-
tics. Her supporters say they will not
accept the removal of an elected govern-
ment by the protesters, military or the
courts, raising fears of a protracted
standoff.
Yingluck has been summoned by an
anti-graft panel on Thursday to hear
charges of neglect of duty in connection
with a rice subsidy scheme that the
opposition says is rife with corruption.
If found guilty she could be removed
from office and face a five-year ban
from politics.Yingluck flew to the north-
ern city of Chiang Rai on Wednesday to
inspect government-backed projects,
saying she might not attend the National
Anti-Corruption Commission hearing.
"I have not yet made up my mind,"
Yingluck told reporters when asked if
she would face the panel. "She is not
avoiding the political situation in
Bangkok," said Transport Minister
Chadchart Sittipunt.
UN officials
reiterate call
for political
solution in Syria
Washington: The US is ready to
provide financial support to
Ukraine to complement the
International Monetary Fund
(IMF) aid in a bid to improve the
East European country's econo-
my, White House said.
"The United States, working
with partners around the world,
stands ready to provide support
for Ukraine as it takes the
reforms it needs to get back to
economic stability," Xinhua
quoted White House spokesper-
son Jay Carney as saying.
The support can complement
an IMF programme by helping to
make reforms easier and by
putting Ukraine in a position to
invest more in health and
education to help develop
Ukraine' s human capital and
strengthen its social safety net,
Carney said.
United Nations: As the conflict in
Syria enters its fourth year, UN
officials have again stressed the
need for a political solution to end
the crisis, as well as greater efforts
to protect civilians and ensure they
receive the assistance they desper-
ately need.
"We are in a race against time.
More people are slipping out of our
reach as the conflict intensifies and
armed groups fragment and more
battle lines are drawn, " Kang
Kyung-wha, assistant secretary-
general for humanitarian affairs
and deputy emergency relief coor-
dinator, said.
Kang, one of several senior UN
officials who briefed the General
Assembly on the humanitarian sit-
uation in Syria, cited the need to
ensure that civilians were protected
and able to receive the assistance
they need.
The conflict has also been
marked by growing evidence of
war crimes, crimes against humani-
ty and gross human rights viola-
tions by Government forces and
armed opposition groups, High
Commissioner for Human Rights
Navi Pillay told the 193-member
body in a video briefing.
US ready to give Ukraine
financial aid
Gunshots rattle Thai capital as PM flies out
Prime Minister
Yingluck Shinawatra
BUSINESS 23 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Bangalore: Indian IT bellwether Wipro Ltd has
announced it had won a 10-year multi-million dollar
contract from the Britain-based leading integrated sup-
port services firm Carillion Plc.
As a global strategic partner, Wipro will provide inte-
grated IT and back-office services to Carillion, which
operates across industry verticals in Britain, West Asia
and Canada, providing a range of solutions, including
project finance, design, construction and support servic-
es. Carillion also handles public-private partnership
projects "We will deliver operational and cost efficiency
to Carillion through its outsourcing and transformation
services as our engagement covers its IT infrastructure
and applications, human resources) and finance and
accounting) business process outsourcing (BPO) servic-
es," Wipro vice-president for engineering and construc-
tion Arjun Ramaraju said in a statement here.
Leveraging its domain expertise in platform-driven
integrated delivery of IT and BPO services, the global
software major will partner with Carillion for joint busi-
ness and technology transformation projects the world
over.
"We will work with Wipro to develop this strategic
partnership for delivering IT services to our global cus-
tomers and explore new opportunities for both of us,"
Carillion group finance director Richard Adam said in
the statement.
Wipro wins 10-year deal from British IT firm
Wipro will provide integrated IT and back-
office services to Carillion
New Delhi: The Supreme
Court has issued a non-bail-
able warrant against Sahara
group chief Subrata Roy for
failing to appear before it in
person as directed at the
court's last hearing. Roy was
also given till March 4 to
comply with the court's order.
An apex court bench of
Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan
and Justice J.S. Khehar, while
noting that a plea was made
Tuesday seeking exemption
from personal appearance,
said this was reiterated
Wednesday but would not be
accepted. The case relates to
the non-refund of money to
investors.
The court then issued the
non-bailable warrant against
Roy and directed him to be
present in the court March 4.
As the court commenced, it
enquired whether Subrata
Roy and three other directors
of two Sahara companies
were present in court.
The Supreme Court Feb 20
had asked Roy and three
directors of Sahara India Real
Estate Corporation Limited
(SIRECL) and Sahara
Housing Investment
Corporation Limited (SHICL)
Ashok Roy Choudhary, Ravi
Shankar Dubey and Vandana
Barghava - to be present in
the court Feb 26.
The court was told that the
directors of SIRECL and
SHICL were present, but Roy
could not come as he had to
rush to Lucknow to see his
ailing mother.
Apparently displeased,
Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan
said: "The arm of this court is
very long. We will issue war-
rants. This is the Supreme
Court of the land. When other
directors are here, why cannot
he be here?"
Roy and the directors were
asked to be present in person
for the failure of the Sahara
companies to deposit with
market regulator SEBI securi-
ties worth Rs.19,000 crore as
guarantee to return investors
money that it had collected.
Sahara deposited Rs. 5,120
crore with SEBI in December
2012.
Warrant against
Sahara chief Subrata Roy
The Supreme Court has issued a non-bailable
warrant against Sahara group chief Subrata Roy for
failing to appear before it
India's economy to grow
at 5.5 percent: Moody's
New Delhi: India's economic
growth is expected to remain
sluggish at 5.5 percent in the
financial year beginning April 1,
2014, as the general elections
will delay reforms, international
ratings agency Moody's said.
Moody's said in a report that
India's gross domestic product
(GDP) growth should remain
weak, at 5.5 percent in the fiscal
year ending March 2015, as elec-
tions due in the next three
months will delay reforms need-
ed to revive growth.
"In addition, the rupee will
remain volatile, making the
operating environment more
challenging for importers and
exporters, it said.
"In terms of specific sectors,
our outlook is negative for the
refining and marketing sector.
We expect refining margins to
stay weak and for companies to
suffer delays in subsidy reim-
bursements due to the upcoming
elections, Vikas Halan, a
Moody's vice president and sen-
ior analyst, said in the report.
Ranbaxy halts operations
at two key facilities
Mumbai: Ranbaxy
Laboratories said it
has halted produc-
tion of key drug
ingredients at its
two key domestic
facilities, as a "pre-
cautionary meas-
ure". This comes
close on the heels
of the US Food and
Drug Administration imposing
an import alert on shipments
from its Toansa plant to the US,
due to poor manufacturing stan-
dards.
The company, in a notice to the
Bombay Stock Exchange, said it
is temporarily putting on hold
shipments of pharmaceutical
ingredients from its two API
manufacturing plants, Toansa
(Punjab) and Dewas (Madhya
Pradesh). The Ranbaxy scrip
bounced back after an initial fall
to close nearly 1% higher at Rs
367 on the BSE.
Supplies of API (active phar-
maceutical ingredients) to all
key markets in Europe and India
may be affected, till the compa-
ny rectifies the issues at these
plants. It may decide to fill in the
shortfall by importing APIs from
China and other countries, ana-
lysts say.
When contacted, Ranbaxy
declined to comment on the
issue. The company's API busi-
ness contributes around 8-10%
of the overall revenue, and with
shipments from both plants sus-
pended, around 3% of revenues
may be impacted in the short
term, analysts added.
Already, the FDA action would
lead to drug delays, threatening
new drug launches and jeopard-
izing lucrative revenues from the
US. With the latest company
decision to suspend all ship-
ments from these plants, it
makes matters worse.
The company said it is examin-
ing processes and controls at all
the company's API manufactur-
ing and quality units. This volun-
tary decision was taken as a pre-
cautionary measure, and out of
abundant caution to better allow
the company to assess and
review processes and controls, it
SPORTS
Sochi: Russia has delivered a "spec-
tacular" Olympics as the Sochi
Winter Games closed with the
whole country basking in athletic
achievements and compliments
from the Olympic chief.
In a fitting end to the Sochi
Olympics, Alexander Legkov led
Russia's podium sweep at the men's
50km cross country skiing and the
host four-man bobsled team won a
second gold, consolidating Russia's
top place on the medal table - an
ending few would have imagined
after it finished only 11th in the
2010 Games. Despite a few glitches
including an unopened Olympic
ring that marred the otherwise per-
fect opening ceremony, the Games
was generally well-run.
International Olympic Committee
(IOC) President Thomas Bach con-
gratulated Russia in the closing cer-
emony for delivering "all what it
had promised" and thanked
President Vladimir Putin for his role
ensuring their "extraordinary suc-
cess". Bach said the Games showed
"the face of a new Russia, efficient
and friendly, patriotic and open to
the world", hailing the Olympics as
"the athletes' Games".
Earlier in the day, Bach rated the
Sochi Olympics as a "great" Games
without a single complaint from ath-
letes. Bach said all participants had
"overwhelmingly positive" response
to the Games and they "loved" the
venues and facilities.
"Whether you speak with the ath-
letes, national Olympic committee,
international federations, sponsors
or broadcasters you hear a lot of
praise for these Games," he said.
Bach's recognition was music to
ears to the hosts who spent more
than $50 billion on a world-class
resort, six stadiums and long-term
infrastructure improvements for the
Sochi region. Russia, according to
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry
Kozak, has fulfilled every pledge
made by President Putin when he
successfully bid for the Olympics in
2007 and promised a "really spec-
tacular event". Russia, shut out of
top 10 with only three golds at last
Games, proudly perched atop this
time, having garnered 33 medals
including 13 golds. About one
fourth of Russia's golds came from
former South Korean Victor An,
who won Russian hearts by sweep-
ing three golds and one bronze to be
the most successful athlete in Sochi.
An now has eight Olympic medals
in total after also winning three
golds and a bronze for South Korea
in 2006.
Norway, spearheaded by Marit
Bjergen and Ole Einar Bjoerndalen,
came second overall with a 11-5-10
haul. Canada ranked third overall on
its 10th gold from the 3-0 ice hock-
ey victory over Sweden. It also
swept two curling titles.
The US was fourth with eight
golds from snow and one from ice
dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie
White, followed by the Netherlands
with eight golds, all from speed
skaters who won 23 of the 36
medals on offer and taking a medal
in all 12 events.
China finished 12th with nine
medals including three golds, two
golds less than in last Games, and
remained the highest ranked Asian
delegation, with South Korea placed
13th (3-3-2) and Japan 17th (1-4-3).
Apart from European and North
American countries, only China,
Japan, South Korea and Australia
have struck gold in the winter
Olympic history.
Next Winter Olympics will be
held in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Sochi closes Olympics in the glow of success
24 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Mulheim an der Ruhr (Germany): On a good day for
Indians, rising shuttler H.S. Prannoy pulled off one of the
biggest upsets of his career by beating fellow countryman
and friend Parupalli Kashyap at the $120,000 German
Open Grand Prix Gold here. This was the 21-year-old's
first win over academy mate and ninth seed Kashyap in
two meetings. Prannoy won the men's singles second
round 21-19, 21-18 in 47 minutes at the RWE-Sporthalle.
The Kerala shuttler will next face South Korean sixth
seed Wan Ho Son for a place in the quarter-finals.
Earlier, Anand Pawar and Arvind Bhat also progressed
to the third round by beating their respective opponents.
While World No.34 Pawar of Mumbai
expectedly beat Slovenian Iztok
Utrosa 21-16, 21-12 in 28 min-
utes, former national champi-
on Bhat also caused a big
upset by overcoming Hong
Kong third seed and World
No.10 Yun Hu 21-17, 16-21,
21-11 in 59 minutes. P.C.
Thulasi and Arundhati Pantawane
also tasted first round success in
women's singles.As Arundhati overcame
Danish Line Kjaersfeldt 17-21, 22-20, 21-19 in 51
minutes, Thulasi made a remarkable recovery to beat
Canadian Li Michelle 7-21, 21-19, 21-17 in one hour
and two minutes to progress to Round 2.
Host Russia finished the Winter Games with 32
medals - 13 gold, 11 silver and nine bronze
Indian
shuttler
H.S.
Prannoy
London: World No.1 Rafael Nadal is expected to
earn $1 million a night in the International Tennis
Premier League (ITPL) to be held later this year.
The tournament, modeled on the lines of cricket's
Indian Premier League, is the brainchild of Indian
tennis veteran Mahesh Bhupathi and its players'
auction will take place in Dubai over the week-
end. The Telegraph has reported that Nadal is
committed to play as a marquee player in the city-
based ITPL scheduled from Nov 28 to Dec 20
across Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai,
Singapore and Hong Kong.
The other top players who have shown in inter-
est are reigning Australian Open champion
Stanislas Wawrinka, Tomas Berdych, Richard
Gasquet, Agnieszka Radwanska, Victoria
Azarenka, Caroline Wozniacki.
The report added that Swiss great Roger
Federer, 32, is not keen on taking part in the event
in a already crammed calendar while Andy
Murray is still in talks with Bhupathi, who was
part of the Scot's commercial team briefly.
Nadal set to earn $1 mn a
night in Bhupathi's league
World No.1
tennis player
Rafael Nadal
Fatullah (Bangladesh):
India romped home to a
comfortable six-wicket win
over Bangladesh in the
second One-Day
International (ODI) of
the Asia Cup at the
Khan Shaheb Osman
Ali Stadium here.
Chasing 280, the
visitors achieved the
target with one
over to spare.
India captain
Virat Kohli
scored a
match-winning
knock of 136,
his 19th cen-
tury in the
f o r m a t .
A j i n k y a
Rahane supported
him well with his
73.
Earlier, Bangladesh
skipper Mushfiqur Rahim
scored his second century,
making 117.
India started their campaign in
the Asia Cup with an aim to retain-
ing the number-two spot on the
Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings
at the April 1 cut-off date.
At number two, India will be the
highest ranked side in the five-team
tournament, with 115 ratings points,
and will contest the tournament
that also features fourth-ranked
Sri Lanka, sixth-placed
Pakistan, ninth-placed
Bangladesh and unranked
Afghanistan.
The side that finishes top of
the ODI rankings table at the
April 1 cut-off date will receive
a shield and a cheque of
$175,000, while the side that finish-
es second will receive $75,000.
India held the number-one rank
from January 2013, but ceded the
top position to Australia after losing
the recent ODI series against New
Zealand 0-4. Even if India were to
win all their matches in the Asia
Cup, including the final, they would
gain only two ratings points to move
to 117, on par with Australia. But
when ratings are calculated beyond
the decimal point, Michael Clarkes
side will be ranked higher.
Therefore, India can at best hope to
retain the number-two
position at the end
of the Asia Cup,
but their position
will be chal-
lenged by
fourth-ranked
Sri Lanka.
India captain Virat Kohli scored a
match-winning knock of 136, his
19th century in the format.
Asia Cup: India beat Bangladesh
by six wickets
Shuttler Prannoy overcomes
Kashyap in German Open
25 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info PERSONAL FINANCE
Generally, you are self
employed if you:
Operate as an independent
contractor
Are the sole proprietor of a
business or you practice a trade
In some way or another are in
business for yourself
Things to know if you
are self-employed:
If you and your spouse operate a
business together and file a joint
return, both of you may be able to
be treated as sole proprietors
instead of as a partnership. Each
spouse would report their share of
income and expenses as a self-
employed individual on the appro-
priate form (for example,
Schedule C or Schedule F).
Up to 100% of medical insur-
ance costs you pay for yourself,
your spouse, and your dependents
may be deductible as an adjust-
ment to income on Form 1040, US
Individual Income Tax Return.
The deduction is subtracted direct-
ly from your total income and
applies whether or not you item-
ize.
If you use your vehicle for busi-
ness purposes, you may be able to
deduct expenses associated with
such use. You may choose the
actual expense method or use the
standard mileage rate. If you
choose the actual expense method,
you must also keep track of your
vehicle-related expenses for the
year. Vehicle related expenses
include gas, oil, insurance, repairs,
cleaning, registration, etc.
The business portion of your
personal property taxes and vehi-
cle loan interest is also deductible.
Whichever method you choose,
you must keep track of the
mileage on your car from the first
day of the year or the first day you
use your car for business through
the end of the year.
You may be entitled to a tax
break if you are operating a
business from your home. The
following questions will help you
determine whether you can
deduct the business use of your
home:
Is this part of your home used
regularly and exclusively in con-
junction with your business or
work?
Is this your primary place of
business?
Is this where customers and
clients meet with you?
Is this where you store prod-
uct
samples?
Is this where you administer
or manage your trade or business?
If you answered yes to any of
these questions, you may be able
to deduct certain depreciation and
operating expenses for the busi-
ness use of your home. The same
might apply if you use a separate
structure, such as a shed.
You may recover your invest-
ment in certain business-related
properties (such as equipment, a
vehicle, or a building) through the
use of depreciation. In this man-
ner, you deduct some of your cost
on each years return. If you do
not claim the depreciation, and
later sell the property, the IRS cal-
culates the basis as though you
had taken the deduction each year.
If you have unclaimed or have
under claimed depreciation deduc-
tions on property placed in service
in prior years, you may be able to
fully recover all allowable depre-
ciation in the current year.
Up to $500,000 of certain tangi-
ble business property may be
deducted in the year it was put in
service as a section 179 expense
rather than using the depreciation
method.
Your employees wages and
salaries are deductible if they are
paid during the tax year for work
directly related to your business
and the pay is reasonable. You
must be able to verify that the
payments were made for duties
actually performed. There are var-
ious types of withholding for dif-
ferent types of employees.
Specific forms must be used for
reporting payments made to
employees.
You may be able to deduct
expenses for a leased asset (such
as a car or computer) used in your
business. If it is not used solely
for business purposes, you may
deduct only the percentage of use
that applies to your business or
work.
Business tax credits can reduce
your tax liability. There is a credit
for providing access to the dis-
abled and a work opportunity
credit for providing work for
members of groups with special
employment needs or higher
unemployment rates.
If you are a freelancer writer,
photographer, etc., you may quali-
fy to use Schedule C, Profit or
Loss from Business, as a self-
employed individual and report
your deductible business expenses
on that form. If you were an
employee you would add these
expenses to other miscellaneous
deductions on Schedule A and you
would be limited to only the
remaining expenses after subtract-
ing 2% of your adjusted gross
income from the total.
Costs that you have when set-
ting up an active trade or business,
investigating the possibility of
creating or acquiring a business,
and some legal fees are business
start-up costs. You can choose to
deduct up to $5,000 of business
start-up costs with the remainder
amortized over 15 years.
Franchise fees, goodwill, and cus-
tomer-based intangibles are also
amortizable.
If you use an accrual-basis
method of accounting and you
have been unable to collect money
owed to your trade or business,
you may be able to deduct that
debt. You must have previously
included the money owed as
income so that you have a basis in
the debt. A cash-basis taxpayer
normally does not report income
until they receive payment so they
cannot deduct a bad debt.
The tax implications of a self-
employed individual are different
from those of an ordinary wage
earner. Each situation may present
a number of complex tax ques-
tions.
Certain individuals who are cov-
ered by a high deductible health
insurance plan may be able to
contribute to a health savings
account (HAS). An HAS is a tax-
exempt trust or custodial account
that you set up with a U.S. finan-
cial institution (such as a bank or
an insurance company) in which
you save money exclusively for
future medical expenses. The dis-
tributions from HSAs are tax free
if they are used for qualified med-
ical expenses. Contributions are
deducted from your gross income
when calculating adjusted gross
income, which means you do not
need to itemize deductions to
claim your contributions.
You should also consider the
following questions before you
begin preparing your tax
return:
Will you have to pay Social
Security and Medicare taxes,
FUTA taxes, and workers' com-
pensation insurance?
Will you have more than one
trade or business?
What if your attempt to oper-
ate a business fails?
Should your financial calcula-
tions be based on a calendar year
or a fiscal year?
Here are some additional cred-
its and deductions for small busi-
ness owners:
Qualified leasehold property
placed in service before January 1,
2014 is eligible for up to $250,000
of section 179 deduction. This
includes improvements to rented
business property necessary for
your business.
There is a Small Business
Health Care Tax credit for
employers who pay 50% or more
of the qualified cost of health
insurance.
The special bonus depreciation
rate is 50% (down from 100%) of
the qualified new property
purchased and placed in service in
the business after December 31,
2011.
There is a 2% adjustment for the
Social Security taxes paid with
Schedule SE for 2012.
To contact the author, email:
ksra@ksracpaspc.com.
Tax savings if you are self-employed
Introducing a regular column by an eminent CPA with over 25 years of
experience and having 25 offices in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens counties.
By Vatsal Srivastava
T
he Oracle of Omaha Warren Buffet
once said participants should treat mar-
ket fluctuations as a friend rather than
an enemy. Indian investors will now have a
product to do just that.
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) is
introducing the VIX futures (volatility index
with contract symbol of IndiaViX) Feb 26.
This derivative can be used by both hedgers
who can protect the risks of their equity port-
folios and speculators who can take outright
directional bets on the expected near-term
volatility.
The volatility index is also known as the
"fear index" in the Western markets. It was
first launched by the Chicago Board Options
Exchange (CBOE) in 1993. Although the
pricing of VIX is relatively complex and
involves a deep understanding of implied
volatility and the options market, the underly-
ing trading idea is quite basic.
The VIX shows the markets expectation of
the next 30-day volatility. Higher the India
VIX reading, the more volatility market par-
ticipants are expecting and vice-versa. If
investors are expecting large sideways move-
ment in equity indexes, such as the S&P 500
or the Nifty, one trading strategy could be to
go long on VIX futures. VIX values of greater
than 30 are generally associated with large
amount of volatility as a result of investor fear
and uncertainty in the markets, while readings
below 20 signify calmer or less-stressful
times in the market, going forward. However,
these levels should not be used as a rule of
thumb while trading.
At the peak of the turmoil during the finan-
cial crisis of 2008, the US VIX had hit an all
time high of 80. However, during the debt
ceiling (fiscal cliff) debate over two years
ago, the US VIX stood below 20.
The success of VIX futures in India would
be determined by its liquidity. Over time,
efforts must be made by the NSE and other
exchanges that wish to launch the product in
the future, to educate the retail investor about
the advantages of trading on this product and
shore up the trading volumes.
Further, NSE should also look to introduce
a VIX options contract soon. Most fund man-
agers in US and Europe do not take positions
in outright VIX futures to hedge their portfo-
lios but prefer buying VIX puts or calls as per
their strategy. Option contracts, limit an
investors downside after having paid a
premium.
Vatsal Srivastava is a senior
market analyst.
A 'volatility' index
in India adapting
Chicago model
The tax implications of a self-employed individual are different
from those of an ordinary wage earner.
By Kanwal S. Sra CPA
26 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info SELF HELP
W
hile pregnancy can be a joyful
time, there can be a lot to think
about. Whether youre a first time
parent or you have a growing brood, wel-
coming your newest family member is a big
task.
Here are some tips for staying organized
throughout the process:
Do your research. While certain parent-
ing skills are intuitive, some knowledge
must be acquired. Gather as much informa-
tion as you can from other parents, your
obstetrician, and pregnancy and child devel-
opment books, magazines and blogs.
Check-up. Maintain a special calendar
for your pregnancy that can help you stay on
top of doctors appointments and other
important health reminders.
Think ahead. Even at a baby store
designed for parents convenience, shopping
will become more difficult once the baby
arrives. So think beyond infancy and consid-
er your baby's future needs now, like differ-
ent clothing sizes, convertible car seats, safe-
ty gates, feeding accessories and develop-
mental toys.
Register. Who knew such a tiny bundle
of love could need so much stuff? The best
way to ensure your baby will have every-
thing he or she needs upon arrival is to create
a registry and make requests.
Friends and family want to get you the
things you want -- from bibs to bouncers to
strollers. Include a range of price points to
provide choices. Early on, use announce-
ment cards and email announcements to
keep friends and family in the know.
Stay organized. Be advised that even
with a registry, you could still get gift dupli-
cates. So opt for a retailer that offers hassle-
free returns and exchanges, such as Buy Buy
Baby, which also offers other conveniences
such as personalized customer service from
expert registry consultants, a huge product
selection, and a mobile app.
Get started. From painting and furnish-
ing the babys room to stocking up on dia-
pers, start early so you can relax, take your
time and have fun. Starting early gives you
time to consider your choices and enough
lead time on furniture special orders. You'll
also be quite thankful if your baby decides to
arrive before expected!
Tips to prepare for your new baby
I
ts easy to be misled by the
many misconceptions about
heart disease -- for example, that
it only affects the elderly or those
with unhealthy diets.
But in reality, every 40 seconds
someone in America dies from heart
disease, making it a leading cause of
death in the country.
One of the most impactful heart
diseases affecting millions of
Americans is acute heart failure
(AHF), which significantly reduces
life expectancy and impacts quality
of life.
Although HF sounds final, it does
not mean the heart has actually
"failed" or stopped. Rather, it occurs
when the heart is unable or fails to
pump enough oxygen-rich blood
through the body.
AHF can occur in people who
have never had heart failure (HF)
before or when people with chronic
HF suffer critical episodes where
symptoms become worse and urgent
hospital treatment is required.
AHF is not the same as a heart
attack, cardiac arrest, or a heart
rhythm abnormality, although those
conditions and others may con-
tribute to the AHF episode.
The most common symptoms of
AHF include shortness of breath,
known as dyspnea, which can sub-
stantially incapacitate a person.
Fluid build-up in the lungs and
throughout the body is another com-
mon symptom and is often
described by patients as a sensation
that feels close to drowning.
Every episode of AHF results in
a downward spiral of worsening
health and damage to vital organs
such as the heart and kidneys which
decreases the patients chance of
surviving another episode, says Dr.
Hal Skopicki a cardiologist at Stony
Brook Medical Center in New York.
Anyone experiencing AHF symp-
toms should seek immediate med-
ical attention.
Patients at-risk of AHF should
understand that seeking prompt,
accurate diagnosis and treatment is
critical to long-term survival. Then,
once discharged from the hospital,
education and support are keys to
making the necessary lifestyle
changes that can help avoid another
episode. The American College of
Cardiology has more information
about AHF at cardiosmart.org.
What you should know about acute heart failure
Indian docs develop 'painless'
treatment to repair teeth
A
novel "regenerative" tech-
nique to repair infected
teeth -- claimed to be
painless and cheaper than the tra-
ditional root canal treatment --
has been developed by doctors at
the All India Institute of Medical
Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.
Termed as "SealBio", the tech-
nique uses body's own stem cells
and eliminates the need for cum-
bersome root canal fillings.
Developed by doctors Naseem
Shah and Ajay Logani at the
Department of Conservative
Dentistry and Endodontics, it has
obtained an Australian patent,
while an application with the US
Patents office is under process.
Root canal treatment demands
rigorous training, clinical skills
and several cumbersome sittings
with dentist. It involves thorough
cleaning and shaping followed by
filling of the entire root canal
with one of several sealer
cements.
The AIIMS technique is
claimed to be the first that dis-
penses with the need for root
canal filling.
Instead of filling the root canal
with artificial materials that may
pose bio-compatibility problems,
it makes use of regenerative
potential of stem cells and growth
factors available at the root of the
teeth. Stem cells act as a repair
system for the body capable of
replenishing adult tissues.
In case of this technique, the
stem cells at the root of the
decayed teeth are stimulated to
induce regeneration and deposi-
tion of a natural tissue barrier
(seal) to fill up the root canal in
just one sitting.
In other words, a "biological
seal" is achieved at the root canal
rather than attempting to seal it
with artificial filling materials
with all its drawbacks, the doctors
say.
The root canal is restored to
health by gradual build up of tis-
sue by stem cells over a period,
extending from a few weeks to
some months.
The AIIMS doctors say that this
treatment simplifies the whole
procedure with minimal use of
equipment, less time and cost of
treatment.
The success achieved by AIIMS
doctors could trigger research in
regenerative techniques in other
clinical situations in dental
science.
Four things that may help you maintain digestive balance
A
round this time each year, New
Years resolutions get lost amidst
busy schedules and unexpected obli-
gations. Even if your resolutions are a thing
of the past, its possible to get back on track
by identifying easy to follow changes that
dont require huge alterations in lifestyle.
Sherri Shepherd knows a thing or two
about busy schedules and how they can com-
plicate healthy intentions. Shepherd, actress,
comedienne, Emmy award winning co-host
of "The View and Align spokeswoman, is
constantly on-the-go and has developed a
few health resolutions that fit into her
already packed life.
Hydrate
Hydration is key to overall health and well-
ness and is a simple substitute for any
unhealthy beverages already being con-
sumed. Water can help your body fight con-
stipation and is great for your skin. Next time
you have a soda craving, try water with
lemon added for a healthy, flavorful hydrator.
Stay Healthy On-The-Go
Staying healthy when you are constantly
away from home or running around town can
prove to be challenging and stressful. After a
long day, unhealthy options can seem more
appealing and derail our healthy intentions.
Preparation is the key to avoiding diet pit-
falls. Carry a healthy snack with you or pen-
cil in a stop at a healthy restaurant before you
leave the house for the day.
Fortify Your System
Probiotics, the healthy bacteria found natu-
rally in our bodies, are essential for many
vital body functions and can help to build a
healthy digestive system as well as maintain
natural balance. But these bacteria are fragile
and common issues such as changes in diet
and schedule, stress, and travel can disrupt
them.
Juggling my busy schedule and the stress
that sometimes comes with it can throw my
body out-of-sync. Taking a probiotic supple-
ment regularly is an easy way to maintain my
digestive balance and keep me in my
groove, says Shepherd.
To learn more about how to naturally help
build and support digestive health with pro-
biotics, visit www.AlignGI.com.
Get Active
With life constantly throwing us curve
balls and unexpected turns, its important to
recognize the need for balance in life. Take
time to relax and adopt healthy hobbies like
meditation and exercise. Get gutsy and try
something youve wanted to do, but never
had the confidence to try -- then bask in the
sense of accomplishment you feel.
These steps, combined with small lifestyle
changes, like staying hydrated and adding a
probiotic supplement to your diet, can help
contribute to overall health and well-being
and keep your healthy goals attainable.
(StatePoint)
AHF is not the same as a heart attack or cardiac arrest,
although those conditions may contribute to the AHF
episode. Common symptoms of AHF include shortness
of breath, and fluid build-up in the lungs and
throughout the body which feels close to drowning.
Even at a baby store designed for
parents convenience, shopping will
become more difficult once the
baby arri ves. So thi nk beyond
infancy and consider your baby's
future needs now, like different
clothing sizes, convertible car seats,
safety gates, feeding accessories and
developmental toys.
LIFESTYLE 27 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Men healthier, happier than women: Survey
New York: Its widely perceived
that people in the position of power
are often lonely. But that cant be
completely true, claims new study.
On the contrary, powerful people
feel closer to others even though
the sentiment is not necessarily
reciprocated.
This sense of closeness also
explains some of powerful people's
confidence, the study found.
Emily Rutter, a graduate student
in psychology at Harvard
University, was interested in how
power influences interpersonal
relationships.
There are two main theories of
power. The behavioral approach
theory holds that powerful people
are aggressive risk-takers who tend
to assume others share their goals.
The social distance theory, on the
other hand, suggests that high-
power individuals should actually
feel more distant from other peo-
ple. Rutter and her colleagues first
measured the participants' trait
power, meaning how powerful they
feel on a day-to-day basis by ask-
ing questions about their feelings
of control in life and influence over
others.
In the first study, volunteers were
asked how close they felt to vari-
ous people in their lives, such as
neighbors, parents, bosses and
friends.
In the second study, the partici-
pants were assigned to actually
interact online with another person.
Both studies found that the more
powerful people felt, the closer
they felt to others.
The powerful people also felt
less stressed about getting their
cover letters evaluated.
"If you feel similar to the person
who is evaluating you, you feel
less stressed," Rutter was quoted as
saying.
"What I found coolest is people
who have a high sense of power
are feeling closer to others and if
you think about the reverse, the
lower-power people are feeling far-
ther away," she added.
The study was recently presented
at the annual meeting of the
Society for Personality and Social
Psychology in Austin, Texas.
London: Men are healthier and hap-
pier about their appearance than
women in general, according to a
new survey.
Health and Happiness, a nation-
wide study of 2,000 men and
women found that men reported a
higher rate of happiness when it
came to their weight, shape, appear-
ance and the way they are perceived
by others.
Women, on the other hand, were
found to be more self-conscious and
slightly less satisfied with their hap-
piness levels at around 49 percent.
Women are also much more likely
to try dieting compared to men,
reports femalefirst.co.uk.
Men dont feel stressed as often
either. Almost 60 percent of male
respondents said they only felt
stressed once a month, whereas 60
percent of women said they felt anx-
ious once a week or more.
Over 70 percent of men also claim
they rarely felt depressed or had
mood swings, compared to half of
women who admitted to feeling low
or unhappy at least once a month, if
not more. Headaches, bloating or
poor digestion were less of a prob-
lem among men. Almost half of
them said they rarely got headaches,
compared to 64 percent women who
said they experienced them at least
once a month or more.
For 70 percent of men, bloating
and poor digestion would only occur
once a month or less, but almost half
of women said it was a weekly or
daily problem.
The general perception is that
women are more health conscious,
but what this survey shows is that
women do actually have more
health issues to deal with, especially
relating to digestion, mood, anxiety
and sleep, said leading nutrition
expert, Patrick Holford, who con-
ducted the research.
The results also show that
respondents, regardless of their gen-
der, considered the absence of dis-
ease to be an indicator of good
health. But being healthy means
more than that - its abundance of
well-being indicated by good energy
levels, a stable mood and a sharp
mind, all of which achieve optimum
health, added Holford.
New York: The warm season
is ready to arrive, so you
should prepare your house
for it.
Here are a few of home
design trends you'll be see-
ing in the upcoming
months, reports huffington-
post.com:
Muted colors: Looking to
add a touch of color but not a
fan of bold hues? This is your
season. Muted colors and
over-dyed fabrics are where
it's at with this year's spring
trends. With washed out pat-
terns, tie dye, ombres, and
dip-dyes everywhere, it' s
easy to incorporate this
spring trend into your interi-
ors.
Natural wood: We' ve
been seeing a lot of natural
wood the past few seasons,
and this spring we'll see even
more.
Natural wood furniture with
a smooth and matte finish is
the hottest trend in furniture
and home decor.
Gold: To glam up your
home decor, add some glitzy
and super shiny metals. If
you're really bold, you can go
all out with gold metal furni-
ture or keep it a bit more sub-
due with a few gold decora-
tive accessories
People in power aren't that lonely
London: A number of trends from the
1980s and 1990s are slowly returning
to high street fashion. Choker neck-
laces, for instance, are doing the rounds
not only on fashion runways but are
also being flaunted by many celebrities.
A choker is a close-fitting necklace,
worn high on the neck. This type of
jewelry can consist of one or more
bands circling the neck.
The last high-fashion choker neck-
lace that grabbed attention was the lux-
ury label Dolce & Gabbana's "Love"
piece that singer-turned- fashion
designer Victoria Beckham wore.
Theyve been reinvented once again
and designers all over the fashion cir-
cuit are using them to accessorize their
collections, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
Holly Fulton, Balmain and Saint
Laurent are just some of the designers
to focus on the choker and ensure all
eyes are drawn to the neck.
But one should be very careful while
trying out such accessories. Avoid
wearing them with fussy necklines but
other than that youre good to go.
Chokers make a
stylish comeback
London: Are you dieting to lose
extra weight? Avoid friends who
take you to midnight parties as late
night cravings or that temptation for
alcohol can simply be too strong to
resist. Theres more to dieting than
just sheer willpower and self-con-
trol, shows research.
In the fight against obesity, we
need to help people become more
aware of the various personal, situa-
tional and environmental factors that
expose them to dietary temptations,
explained Heather McKee of the
University of Birmingham in
Britain.
In doing this, we can help them to
develop the necessary skills to cope
successfully with dietary tempta-
tions and prevent lapses, he added.
Researchers monitored the social
and environmental factors that make
people, who are following weight
management programs, cheat.
Eighty people who were either
part of a weight-loss group or were
dieting on their own participated in
the one-week study.
They were given cell phones on
which they kept an electronic diary
of all the temptations that came their
way and the situations during which
they gave in to these temptations.
This helped the researchers to
make a complete real-time record,
known as ecological momentary
assessment, of participants dietary
temptations and lapses.
Participants lapsed just over 50
percent of the time when tempted,
and were especially vulnerable at
night. They were more likely to give
in to alcoholic temptations than to
eat a sugary snack or to overindulge.
The stronger the dietary tempta-
tion, the more likely a participant
was to lapse.
The findings could be valuable for
dietary relapse and weight mainte-
nance programs, noted the study
published in the journal Annals of
Behavioral Medicine.
This helps piece together the
complex jigsaw surrounding the
daily predictors of dietary tempta-
tions and help us to better under-
stand how dietary temptations and
lapses operate, said McKee.
Shun late night cravings to
stay on dieting route
Home
decor spring trends to
watch out for
F
ear is rising. Many people in the
West are terrified that activist cells
from Asia could cause chaos in
urban areas using small, portable
weapons of mass destruction. Yes, I am
talking about durians. Recent events sug-
gest the fears are justified. Consider this
true story.
A homesick Asian student living in
Britain went to a Chinatown supermarket
recently and spent the equivalent of $30
on the above mentioned smelly, spiky
fruit. Then he decided to walk home.
Everyone he passed turned to glare at
him. He leapt on a bus. After one minute,
passengers were staring and sniffing.
After two, they moved to the far end of
the vehicle. After three, they ran from the
bus and the driver phoned the police. The
Asian student leapt off and ran to his bed-
sit, where he deposited the durian and
went to a lecture. That's when the real
trouble began.
Neighbors called building managers to
report a poison gas attack. Building man-
agers called the police. The police called
the army. An army hazardous materials
team evacuated the building and sealed
off the area. Within hours, the US mili-
tary budget had doubled and global war
had broken out.
Okay, it's all true except that last sen-
tence, so why didn't I include the guy's
name? Because this scenario happens
regularly. On the day of writing this, a
durian purchase closed down part of
Plymouth. It's not just durian, either. At
regular intervals, the Office of
Emergency Management in New York
receives panicked calls about clouds of
"deadly caramel gas" sweeping through
the city. Again, it's just Asian food. A
New York factory processes methi, a
wonderfully tasty sweet Indian vegetable.
I read in a newspaper that security
experts are worried that bad guys could
bypass airport security by inserting
chemical weapons into their bodies. But
surely this already happens? My aunt's
baked lentil-cumin dish is the scariest
chemical weapon on the planet. Simply
sneak it onto the recipe list of an airline
caterer and you could fill an entire plane
with noxious gas in minutes. It would be
a scene of indescribable horror and mis-
ery, just like her dinner parties. I dis-
cussed this with readers, and a French
one said Asians could fight an entire war
using smelly foods, such as Japan's natto,
China's stinky tofu, Korea's doenjang and
so on. This was a bit cheeky, coming
from the nation which invented camem-
bert, a dangerous chemical weapon if
ever I smelt one.
But here's a two-part trick to cultivate
harmony for any Asians living in or visit-
ing Western countries. First, remove all
cumin from your curry recipes. (That's
the ingredient that goes out through your
pores.) Second, eat a large dish of stir-
fried methi every other day. This makes
your sweat smell to Western nostrils like
maple syrup waffles. This is not a joke;
I've tried it. Look it up on the Internet.
You can save a fortune on after-shave. It's
long been known that if you eat lots of
methi and stroll around airports, you
soon find yourself followed by dozens of
Canadians with their tongues hanging
out. Now that's scary.
28 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info HUMOR
Funny Bone by Nury Vittachi
Laughter is the Best Medicine
You can fight chemical warfare with durians
Smelly durians are even banned in some airports of the world
by Mahendra
Shah
Mahendra Shah is
an architect by
education, entre-
preneur by profes-
sion, artist and
humorist,
cartoonist and
writer by hobby.
He has been
recording the
plight of the immi-
grant Indians for
the past many
years in his car-
toons. Hailing from
Gujarat, he lives
in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania.
1st March, 2014 Ruled planet: Sun Ruled by no: 1
Traits in you: Due to the positive effects of your ruling plan-
et Sun, you will have the characteristics of a good human be-
ing. By nature, you are accountable, unique, courageous,
committed, competitive, coordinated and intelligent. You
should work on your negative personality traits such as self-
ishness, dependency and pessimism.
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 sportsper-
son, you need to be very careful for your diet and nutrition to
perform better in your sporting events.
Finance this year: If you have planned to invest in the stock
markets, better to go for it this year as you will be hugely
benefited. You will gain ample amount of money from your
decisions regarding finances this year.
Career this year: You may get the chance to complete all
your previous assignments and this will enhance your respect
as a brilliant performer in your professional circuit. If you are
into a profession that demands creativity, then you will be
very successful this year as far as your career is concerned.
Romance this year: You will share a better relationship with
your spouse or partner this year as compared to the previous
year. You will find your partner supportive enough in every
challenge you face. If you are not married yet, this year may
prove to be the ideal year for you to get married.
Lucky month: April, July and December
2nd March, 2014 Ruled planet: Moon Ruled by no: 2
Traits in you: Your ruler, the Moon makes you a very friend-
ly individual. You are simple, confident, realistic, sincere,
and optimistic. You are very innovative and try to perform
your work in a different and efficient way. You need to work
hard on your characteristics of being jealous and insensitive
at times.
Health this year: You will enjoy a normal health this year.
However, you need to be in regular contact with your doctor
to remain healthy. If you face some minor health issues, you
should take prescribed medication without neglecting.
Finance this year: You will be able to stabilize your finan-
cial condition by reaping profits from your past investments.
You may also plan for new investments this year. You will
find enough new opportunities to start up a new business that
would yield money for you. You should invest in real estate
or stock market for better returns.
Career this year: You will reach new heights in your pro-
fession as you would be appreciated by your colleagues and
seniors for better productivity. Your decision making capa-
bilities would make you popular among your co-workers.
Your profession related trips would become more successful
than
Romance this year: You may find yourself among the wed-
ding bells if you are eligible. Your love life with your partner
will flourish with the love, care, and support of your partner.
Lucky month: May, August, October and November
3rd March, 2014 Ruled planet: Jupiter Ruled by no: 3
Traits in you: Being ruled by Jupiter, you are courteous,
courageous, decisive, ambitious, disciplined, and realistic.
You are gifted with high imagination power, optimism, and
enthusiasm. However, behaving restless and dominating may
hamper your characteristics at times. You need to work on
your personality to make yourself better as an individual.
Health this year: You may go through few minor health is-
sues, which will create unwanted tensions for you through-
out the year. To avoid falling sick frequently, you need to get
your medical checkup done periodically.
Finance this year: You will be fortunate enough this
year to be among financial gains. All you need to do is to
grab opportunities to earn money. You will find plenty of
earning opportunities around you. However, you have to
work hard to gain that money. Overall, this year will give you
financial stability and security.
Career this year: As far as your professional life is con-
cerned you may find your job a bit monotonous. You need to
go for innovative ideas to get better in your profession. Your
decision making capacity may make you the favorite to win
an award in your professional circuit.
Romance this year: You may get engaged to your love this
year. You will enjoy a great marital life with your beloved.
You will find your partner supportive enough in every situa-
tion. You should try and maintain a better relationship with
your partner to enjoy a better family life.
Lucky month: June, August, September and January
4th March, 2014 Ruled planet: Uranus Ruled by no: 4
Traits in you: Uranus, being your dominating planet helps
you become dynamic and creative. You are positive, realis-
tic, responsive, and sincere. You need to work and overcome
the weaknesses in your personality to attract more people to-
wards you.
Health this year: As far your health is concerned, you will
be lucky enough to enjoy a good health. However, you need
to take proper medication to retain your health. You should
leave bad habits of smoking and alcohol to get a good health
this year.
Finance this year: You may get your pending works done,
which will yield enough financial benefits for you. You
should invest in share market or real estate to get better ben-
efits. You need not borrow or lend money as it may create
disturbances in your personal life.
Career this year: You may get your expected promotion this
year. You will get a better performance appraisal as com-
pared to the previous year and it will encourage you to work
hard. You may touch new heights in your profession. Try and
help your colleagues as it will earn you enough respect.
Romance this year: If you are unmarried, you may get mar-
ried towards the end months of the year. You will enjoy a bet-
ter relationship with your partner throughout this year. You
should not involve yourself in any kind of argument with
your beloved as it may disturb your relationship.
Lucky month: July, October, December and February
5th March, 2014 Ruled planet: Mercury Ruled by no: 5
Traits in you: Your ruling planet Mercury makes you realis-
tic, reliable, sincere, and optimistic. You are the master of an
excellent memory power and charismatic characteristics.
You need not get nervous at tough time as it may create a
question mark on your capabilities.
Health this year: You will go through minor health issues
this year. You have to take regular advice from the doctor and
practice healthy nutrition and diet to remain healthy. Medi-
tation and yoga may help you in retaining a perfect health
throughout the year.
Finance this year: You should invest in real estate to get bet-
ter benefits. Your legal matters will settle down and provide
you with the flow of the blocked money. You need to deci-
sive enough before investing on something else but real es-
tate as there are chances of loss.
Career this year: Being an efficient professional, you are
highly respected in your professional circuit. Your ordinates
and seniors may take advice from you. You may get your
long expected promotion this year. Salary hike is also likely
to happen.
Romance this year: The emotional attachment with your
spouse or partner may blossom this year with lot of love,
care, and concern. If you are not married, then you may go
for a romantic relationship. You will enjoy a very blissful
time with your beloved.
Lucky month: May, April, August and December
6th March, 2014 Ruled planet: Venus Ruled by no: 6
Traits in you: Your ruling planet Venus makes optimistic,
ambitious, caring, aspiring, and determined. You are very so-
cial and love to make new friends and get into new relation-
ships. You are a huge follower of intelligence and education.
Health this year: You will enjoy a better health this year as
compared to last year. However, the health of an aged fami-
ly member may deteriorate and that will make you bothered.
You may end up spending lot of money for the health issues
of your family members.
Finance this year: You will get financial benefits if you have
invested in past. For future financial gains, you may invest
on real estate and stock market. You should study the market
well before investing on anything. Do not be in a hurry to in-
vest as it may go in loss.
Career this year: You will get enough opportunities in your
professional life to prove yourself. You will create a better
impression on your seniors or higher management, which
may result in promotion. You should work efficiently to
maintain your respect at your workspace.
Romance this year: As far as your relationships are con-
cerned, you will enjoy a good time this year. You will find
your spouse or partner supportive enough in your difficult
time. You will be able to solve any problem that comes in
your way to achieve something. If you are unmarried, there
is a healthy chance for you getting married this year.
Lucky month: June, August, October and November
7th March, 2014 Ruled planet: Neptune Ruled by no:7
Traits in you: As you are governed by planet Neptune, you
are blessed with various positive characters. You are confi-
dent, decisive, generous, humorous, honest, modest and op-
timistic. You are not an admirer of arguments or silly fights.
You should work on your nature of being selfish, pessimistic,
and arrogant.
Health this year: You may suffer some minor injuries due to
vehicle accidents. However, it will not be critical. You may
go through minor health issues during the initial months of
the year. Moreover, you will enjoy a sound health through-
out the year with proper medical checkups and medications.
Finance this year: This year may bring you huge finan-
cial benefits. You will enjoy the returns of your invest-
ments. If you want to gain financial profits, you have to
work hard. You may invest in various profitable busi-
nesses. However, you should not start new partnerships
or trust new friends.
Career this year: Being friendly and quick in decision mak-
ing, you will create many admirers for yourself in your pro-
fessional circuit. Your juniors may seek your advice in crit-
ical times to deliver efficient work. It is advisable for you not
to get involved in office politics. You should handle official
matters diplomatically.
Romance this year: You need to spend more time with your
partner for the betterment of your marital relationship. If you
are not married, you may need to take care of the emotional
outburst of your beloved. You may get involved in a marital
life later this year. Moreover, you will enjoy a healthy ro-
mantic life this year.
Lucky month: July, October, December and January
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: March 1-7, 2014
Annual Predictions: For those born in this week
29
ARIES: A very good week to apply for
overseas job. Time spent with relatives
will be to your advantage. Certain
important plans will be executed, bringing
fresh financial gains. You are likely to enjoy a
pleasure trip that will rejuvenate your pas-
sions. You attain a bloom in health on sharing
happiness with others. A short trip with lavish-
ing experiences is the right thing for you.
Getting your dream home will be the greatest
pleasure for you. Hard work is likely to be
supplemented by your lucky stars.
TAURUS : Promotions and monetary
benefits for dedicated professionals.
Family members will be very positive
& supportive to your plans. Speculations are
likely to bring monetary profits. Romantic
entanglement would add spice to your happi-
ness. A cheerful state of mind would allow
enjoying the perfect health. Pack your bags
and be ready for an amazing holiday. Selling a
plot might be profitable as property rates tend
to rise sooner. Previous days unsuccessful
efforts would prove fruitful during this week.
GEMINI: Pending proposals will get
implemented with the help of seniors.
Relatives will be willing to lend a help-
ing hand at the time of need. Monetary posi-
tion is likely to improve later in the week.
Chances of your love life turning into life-
long bond are high on the card. Divine knowl-
edge from a saintly person provides solace &
comfort. Traveling with kids can be a chal-
lenge, try to reduce the stress and nerves.
Lifestyle home is what you are looking for?
You will be highly benefited by making inde-
pendent arrangements rather than depending
on others assurances.
CANCER: Good week for imple-
menting new plans and ventures. A
week for renewal of bonds and family
ties. Hard work of previous days brings good
fortune enabling to fulfill monetary promises.
Exciting week as your long pending wait for
affirmation is going to materialize. Meditation
and yoga prove beneficial for spiritual as well
as physical gains. Excitement for a vacation is
not enough, planning is also required. Deals
on commercial property can tend to be at full
boom. You get enjoyment from music and cre-
ative work.
LEO: Subordinates/co-workers would
be very helpful. New relationship at
family front will be long lasting &
highly beneficial. You succeed in making
some extra cash on playing your cards well.
Enjoying the company of partner in a lively
restaurant would bring immense romantic
pleasure. A very healthy week when your
cheerfulness gives the desired tonic and confi-
dence. Just take a walk in the countryside and
experience new things. Investing residentially
is one thing you can rely on. You find devel-
oping an interest in literature as you come in
contact with philosophers/intellectuals.
VIRGO: Traveling brings new over-
seas business opportunities. Guests
visit would make it a pleasant & won-
derful week. An auspicious week to invest
money on items that would grow in value. The
presence of love would make you feel life
meaningful. You are likely to maintain good
health that would also give you success. Time
to go for a memorable trip. Investment on
overseas property has to be considered seri-
ously. This week you will be successful in
increasing your influence & fame.
LIBRA: Auspicious week to start a
new venture. You will be in the mood
to celebrate with family and friends in
this week. Investment on long-term plans
would pave the way for earning financial
gains. Love life brings some memorable
moments that you could cherish rest of your
life. A continuous positive thinking gets
rewarded as you succeed in whatever you do
during this week. Time to spend money on not
a vacation but a luxury vacation. Time to
spend money on your homely accommoda-
tions. You find someone to let your emotions
flood out.
SCORPIO: Professional attitude at
work brings success. Good advice from
family members brings gains. Extra
caution & care seems to be the need of the
hour especially in financial matters. Your
flashing smile would work as the best antidote
for romantic partners unhappiness. Creative
hobbies are likely to keep you relaxed. If
adventure is your style of holidaying, then
plan it and move around. A good week to
make some investment on kitchen items. A
week when you will excel in the art of life
with your expertise in facing challenges.
SAGITTARIUS: Seniors colleagues
are likely to lend a helping hand. The
company of family friends will keep
you in a happy & relaxed mood. Improvement
in finances makes it convenient in clearing long
pending dues & bills. Sharing candyfloss and
toffees with lover/beloved would bring unlimit-
ed joy. With a positive outlook & confidence,
you succeed in impressing people around you.
A beautiful vacation you awaited for is on your
cards. You might be purchasing a refrigerator or
any other gadget for your house. Political and
social reputation is likely to increase.
CAPRICORN: A hectic schedule
awaits at professional front. Parental
guidance in your decision would
immensely help. Successful execution of bril-
liant ideas would help in earning financial
profits. Company of love partner would
inspire to take initiatives in this week. Mental
alertness would enable to solve a tricky prob-
lem. Destination with a great deal is on your
way, be ready for traveling. Purchasing of
electrical appliances can be done. You find
developing an interest in social servicing.
AQUARIUS: Handling subordinates
might be a little tough. A week when
misunderstandings at family front are
sorted out with ease. A very successful week
as far as monetary position is concerned. Love
works like a panacea as you find sanity. A
cheerful state of mind brings mental peace. Be
ready to travel with a challenge, new connec-
tions will help you. A good deal for residential
property is ahead. A week when your actions
will be backed by your luck.
PISCES: Hard work & dedication
would win the trust of seniors at work.
Believe it or not someone in the family
is watching you closely and considers you a
role model. Indications of earning financial
profits through commissions, dividends or
royalties. Love partner touches soul that
would take imagination to unlimited heights.
Good time to divert attention to spirituality to
enhance mental toughness. Traveling abroad
can be exciting adventure that will be remem-
bered forever. Time to make investments on
farmlands. You successfully solve your old
disputes and land-related problems.
March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info ASTROLOGY
Time Commitment to
Meditation and
Spirituality
When we observe the life of Sant
Kirpal Singh Ji we find that he
made a time commitment to medi-
tation and spirituality far beyond
that made by many others, This
was a key component in his suc-
cess in finding God.
When he asked Hazur about how
much time he should put in for
meditation, Hazur told him to
mediate six to eight hours a day.
This was the schedule he was told
to keep even while holding a full-
time job and having a wife and
children to support. He also put in
time for selfless service, helping
the sick and needy at their homes
or in hospitals. It is hard to believe
as we try to meditate even two and
a half hours a day, as a minimum,
in our own lives, while working
fulltime and raising our own fami-
ly, what an amazing feat this was.
He made the commitment and
stuck to it no matter what.
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji often told
the story of a wrestler who would
go out every night in the cold
weather to practice. It was this
nightly practice that made the
wrestler successful. Similarly, Sant
Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj would
sometimes meditate on the banks
of a river to help him stay awake.
When Sant Kirpal Singh Ji
Maharaj began his mission, he
started by spending time in
Rishikesh. He would put those
with him into meditation for six to
eight hours a day. He lived that
example in his own life and
encouraged others to do the same.
Through his time commitment to
meditation and spirituality he was
able to achieve union of his soul
with God in his lifetime.
The Discipline to Do
What It Took to Be
Successful in Achieving
His Spiritual Goals
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj
exemplified discipline. He did
whatever was necessary to be suc-
cessful in achieving his spiritual
goal of union with God. This suc-
cess depends on meditation, which
he did daily for the longest possi-
ble time. He meditated six to eight
hours daily as instructed by Hazur.
Along with this, he lived up to
the ethical virtues prescribed by
the spiritual teachings. This
involved leading a life of nonvio-
lence, truthfulness, purity, humili-
ty, and selfless service. He was the
epitome of nonviolence to the
point that he would not even
unnecessarily harm plants or trees.
We could see how in his house at
his ashram he did not want a tree
that grew through the ceiling of the
rooms to be moved. As an infant I
was brought by my parents to be
with Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj
in Rishikesh at the start of his mis-
sion. When Sant Darshan Singh Ji
Maharaj was collecting banana
leaves from which the food would
be served for a meal, he brought
nine leaves. When Sant Kirpal
Singh Ji asked him how many peo-
ple were eating, and he replied
seven, Sant Kirpal Singh Ji
Maharaj told him he should have
only brought seven banana leaves
and we should not unnecessarily
take the lives of any more plants
than were necessary. Just look at
the extent of his nonviolence to
even think like that!
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj
made a rule in the house when he
was raising his family that people
should only talk good of others
and not engage in gossip, slander,
or criticism. He practiced this
virtue himself and was a model for
others. He was an embodiment of
truthfulness. At a time when bribes
were the norm in the field of busi-
ness, he himself refused bribes and
told his son, Sant Darshan Singh Ji
Maharaj, to also refuse bribes.
He was the model of selfless
service. He served the sick and
needy all through his life. Even
before he was initiated, when the
great world influenza epidemic
broke out the disease killed mil-
lions globally. The disease was so
infectious that people feared
touching the dead bodies of those
in their families to give them a
proper burial. But Sant Kirpal
Singh Ji organized a team and
helped with the burial of the family
members of the community who
had died from the disease. As part
of his daily routine, he would visit
the sick and needy in their homes
or visit them in hospitals. He also
did a tremendous amount of self-
less service for Hazur and the mis-
sion, from physical seva in build-
ing the ashram, to helping in publi-
cations, writing books, and holding
satsang. He was the only one
Hazur allowed to convey the initia-
tion instructions during Hazurs
lifetime.
His ethical life also involved liv-
ing on a strict vegetarian diet,
avoiding all meat, fish, fowl, and
eggs, with no alcohol or hallucino-
genic drugs. You can imagine how
much discipline would be involved
for a child to tell his nonvegetarian
parents that he did not want to eat
meat. When told by his father that
meat was good for him, he told his
father that he did not want to make
a graveyard of his body. He then
stuck to the vegetarian diet even as
a young boy.
He also observed obedience to
the Master no matter what. He
often spoke of following the
Masters commandments in spirit
and letter. He did this himself, and
this helped him achieve the ulti-
mate goal of union with God.
When his Master told him to give
satsang in his town, he did so regu-
larly. One time when Hazur hap-
pened to visit that town, Sant
Kirpal Singh Ji got word that his
Master was nearby. He was in a
dilemma whether to run to see his
Master or give satsang. He ulti-
mately decided that since Hazur
had told him to give satsang he
should do so. Then, when satsang
was over, he went to the place
where Hazur had been, only to
learn that Hazur had already left to
return to his own ashram. Sant
Kirpal Singh Ji was heartbroken
that he had missed the darshan of
his Master.
He then went to see Hazur later
that evening. When he had a
chance to meet with Hazur he
asked whether he had done the
right thing in giving satsang
instead of going for darshan.
Hazur reassured him that he had
done the right thing in doing his
duty and giving the satsang.
Time and again, Sant Kirpal
Singh Ji had choices, and he
always chose to do what the
Master wanted him to do. It was no
wonder that Hazur commissioned
him to carry on the spiritual work
since he was the most obedient of
Hazurs disciples.
Focused on His Own Spiritual
Goals Instead of What Others
Were Doing
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji always
focused on his own spiritual goals
instead of what others were doing.
He stuck to his schedule of medita-
tion, his ethical virtues, and his
discipline no matter what. Sant
Kirpal Singh Ji was not concerned
with what others were doing. He
kept his attention on what he had
to do. He never got involved in
criticism or backbiting even
though others may have done so.
This focus on his own spiritual
progress kept him from falling into
the traps that many others do of
wasting time on focusing on what
others are doing. This quality
helped him use his precious
breaths of life to attain union with
God.
Not Letting Obstacles
in Way of His
Spiritual Goals
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji did not let
any obstacle stand in the way of
achieving his spiritual goals.
Neither physical pain, negativity of
others, or setbacks stopped him
from his chosen path.
Think of the stamina needed to
meditate for long hours, yet he did
so no matter what. Think of the
grueling schedule of work, career,
family, and meditation he
observed, yet he never became
sidetracked. Think of the labor he
put in to do seva. After a long
days work he would engage in
physical or intellectual seva to help
others. Although he may have been
tired, he would go out and serve
others after work. He would stay
up late doing seva for his Master,
often working the whole night
through. As tired as his body may
have been, he attended to medita-
tion and seva.
Think of the criticism he
received from others as he made
progress on the spiritual path.
When he had the love and attention
of Hazur others became jealous
and tried to make things difficult
for him. Yet, he never let any of
these difficulties stop him from
doing what was right.
Never Letting
Failures Sidetrack Him
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj
never let failures sidetrack him. He
experienced the same ups and
downs of life that every disciple
goes through, but he never let that
stop him from meditating no mat-
ter what.
(To be continued....)
Part three of the discourse 'Olympics of meditation'
Sant Kirpalji was the model of selfless service
By Sant Rajinder Singh
Ji Maharaj
Sant Kirpal
Singh Ji
Maharaj
exemplified
discipline.
He did
whatever
was neces-
sary to be
successful in
achieving his
spiritual goal
of union
with God.
30 March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info SPIRITUAL AWARENESS
March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
March 1-7, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
*Grond 8eneloclor Ioble(5} at $100,000 each
*8eneloclor Ioble(5} at $50,000 each
*Polron Ioble(5} at $25,000 each
*5upporler Ioble(5} at $15,000
*lndividuol Iickels are also available at:
$10,000; $5,000; $2,500; $1,500; $1,250; $1,000
For more information and to make
reservations please contact:
Ihe Giving 8ock Foundolion
Golo 8enel Olce
Golo20J4IheGiving8ockFoundolion.nel
(9J4} 426-3839 or (9J7} 593-86J7
Wednesdoy, Morch J9, 20J4 | Ihe Pierre, NYC
6:00pm Cockloil keceplion | 7:30pm Dinner
www.IheGiving8ockFoundolion.nel
Media Partner