TheSouthAsianTimes.

info
Vol. 4 | No.12 | July 9-15, 2011 | 60 Cents
The South Asian Times
US Affairs 9 Op Ed 19 Spiritual Awareness 30 Lifestyle 27
NEW YORK EDITION
Excellence In Journalism
Parsi community
created modern
India: Amitav Ghosh
Features,
Page 26
Indian-American
broadcaster les age
discrimination suit
National Community,
Page 7
Deadlock over
separate Telangana,
protests hot up
India Newswire,
Page 12
JAINAs 16th
Convention in Houston
a huge success
JAINA Convention,
Pages 16-18
Pakistan turns
new front line
of war on terror
2G scam claims another
minister: Maran quits
Kerala temple
treasure could be
worth $100 billion
New Delhi/Chennai: Union
Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Ma-
ran resigned Thursday following
allegations of involvement in the
2G spectrum scam, becoming the
second DMK minister after A.
Raja to exit the cabinet.
New Delhi: The
valuables found in
the secret cellars of
Keralas famous Sree
Padmanabhaswamy
Temple in Thiru-
v a n a n t h a p u r a m
could be worth Rs
5 lakh crore ($100
Toronto: Pakistan is now the
new front in the war on terror as it
has become a new safe haven for al-
Qaeda, says the Canadian media a
day after the country blacklisted the
Pakistani Taliban and started with-
drawal from Afghanistan Tuesday.
The war on terror has shifted,
and Pakistan is its new front line,
said the daily National Post.
These two events (blacklisting
of the Pakistani Taliban and the
start of withdrawal from Afghani-
stan) encapsulate a shift, not only
for Canada, but for all other na-
tions on the front lines of the war
on terror. For a number of years,
those lines have been shifting
southeast, from Afghanistan to
Pakistan, the paper said.
It said the Tehrik-e-Taliban is
very dangerous as its stated goal is
resistance to the countrys govern-
ment, the draconian imposition of
Sharia law and the waging of war
against NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Because of these militant outts
Pakistan has become the main
staging area for terrorist plots
around the world and - despite the
United States assassination of Osa-
ma bin Laden in Abbotabad - a new
safe-haven for al-Qaeda.
Quoting a study by the New
America Foundation, the paper
said 53 percent of terror plots
worldwide since 2004 involved
jihadists trained in Pakistan, com-
pared to six percent in Yemen and
three percent in Iraq. Pakistani ji-
hadi groups have directed 44 per-
cent of the terror plots since then,
according to the paper.
War on terror continued on page 4
While the government and the
Congress party did not comment on
the big political development, an
emboldened opposition described
it as too little too late and sought
resignation of Home Minister P.
Chidambaram, who they alleged
showed complicity in the scam.
Thursdays turn of events is
likely to impact both the shape of
impending cabinet shufe and deli-
cately poised relations between the
Congress and the DMK.
2G scam continued on page 4
Union Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran is second DMK minister to exit
Manmohan government in the spectrum scam.
53 percent of terror plots worldwide since 2004 involved jihadists,
like Tehrik-e-Taliban and LeT cadres, trained in Pakistan.
Only ve of the six secret cellars of Padmanab-
haswamy Temple have been opened, yielding
Gold idols, ornaments and other valuables.
billion), believes former chief sec-
retary of Kerala CP Nair.
As per a report, Thursday, the
former bureaucrat claims that the
estimated market value of the trea-
sures unearthed from the temple
makes it the richest temple in the
world.
Kerala treasure continued on page 4
CommuniIy 15
TheSouIhAsianTimes.inlo May 14-20, 2011
PSG College ol Technology, CoimbaIore
celebraIes diamond jubilee in New |ersey
T
he Diamond Jubilee
Celebrations oI PSG
College oI Technology,
Coimbatore, India was held at
Chutney Mary restaurant in
Monmouth Junction, New Jersey
on Saturday May 7, 2011. The
gathering was attended by 50
alumni Irom various Iields oI PSG
College oI Technology. The alumni
came Irom Boston, Virginia,
Pennsylvania, New York and New
Jersey. Included were, the oldest
graduate Mr. Shanmugam Irom
1959 batch and the youngest grad-
uate Irom 2010 batch.
The meeting was presided by
visiting dignitaries oI PSG
Management Mr. G. Rangaswamy-
Managing Trustee, Mr. C. R.
Swaminathan - the ChieI
Executive, Dr. R. Rudramoorthy
Principal PSGCT, Dr P.
Radhakrishnan - Director,
PSGIAS, Dr. R. Nandagopal
Director, PGSIM, Dr. G.
Ranganathan - President, Alumni
Association, Dr R. Nadarajan,
Head/Maths & Computer
Applications, PSGCT, Dr A.
Kandaswamy, Head/Biomedical
Engineering, PSGCT.
The slide show presentation
highlighted various departments in
PSG College oI Technology and its
growth into an University accredi-
tation which will be honored upon
PSG next year. It emphasized the
importance oI PSG Tech Corpus
Fund, which will help in education
oI 200 deserving students every
year. The PSG Trust already helps
250 students each year Ior their
education.
Some oI the alumni honored by
Mr. Rangaswamy were - Mr. Jack
Poola Ior his donations to PSG
Tech, Mr. SampathKumar, Mr.
Marthuchala Moorthy, Mr. Selvam
and Mr. Vijay Ior planning the
meeting in New Jersey.
1he college's Managing 1rustee Mr Rangswamy presenting a plaque
to 1ack Poola (left) in recognition of his donation to PSC 1ech.
Mr C R Swaminathan Chief Executieve (in white) and Dr Radhakrishnan
Past Principal (in blue) with students
Mg 1rustee Mr Rangaswamy presenting a plaque to Sampath Kumar,
organizer of the event
Mg. 1rustee Mr. Rangaswamy presenting a plaque to
Selvam, master of ceremony
Dr Rudramurthy, Principal, speaking. Mg 1rustee and
Selvam are also seen in the picture.
1he alumni at the event
Poll gives thumbs down
to govts Lokpal Bill
Meera Shankar bids
farewell to Washington
Near unanimity in the TOI poll that the PM
and the judiciary should be under the purview
of the proposed Lokpal bill.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Vol. 4 | No. 16 | August 6-12, 2011 | 60 Cents
The South Asian Times
Tourism 18 Spiritual Awareness 30 Op Ed 24
NEW YORK EDITION
Excellence In Journalism
Gowda is new
Karnataka
chief minister
India Newswire,
Page 11
Another Tri-Valley:
North Virginia
Univ raided
Tristate Community,
Page 5
Aarakshan is
neither pro- nor
anti-reservation - Jha
Bollywood,
Page 16
First person account
by Sikh girl of
Norway massacre
Eye Witness,
Page 25
New Delhi: Congress president
Sonia Gandhi on Thursday under-
went surgery at New Yorks Me-
morial Sloan-Kettering Cancer
Center for an undisclosed ailment
which will keep her out of India
for a month.
Congress spokesperson Janard-
han Dwivedi said in Delhi that We
have information that the surgery
was successful and her condition
is satisfactory. He added that in
Sonia Gandhis absence, she had
appointed a four-member group to
handle the day-to-day running of
the party -- including her son Rahul
Gandhi, who is increasingly being
seen as a future prime minister.
The Congress partys announce-
ments caught the country by sur
prise because there was no inkling
New Delhi: By naming her son
and party general secretary Rahul
Gandhi as one of four people who
will oversee the Congress while
she is away from India for almost
that Sonia had travelled abroad.
Tehelka news magazine had-
reported on microblogging site Twitter
that Sonia, 64, was admitted on Thurs-
day to Sloan-Kettering, the worlds
largest private cancer hospital. Re-
nowned oncologist Dr Dattatreyudu
Nori, director of the cancer centre at
the New York Hospital Medical Center
of Queens, was said to be attending on
Sonia. Her daughter Priyanka, besides
Rahul, is with Sonia in the US. Rahul
will fy back soon to India to look after
the affairs of the party.
Italian-born Gandhi is the widow
of assassinated former premier Ra-
jiv Gandhi and widely seen as In-
dias most powerful politician, with
her key power-broking position as
Congress president.
Sonia Gandhi Continued on page 4
New Delhi: On Monday, Team
Anna released the results of a ref-
erendum carried out by it on the
Washington: The celebrated
tenure, in the words of Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton, of Meera
Shankar as the ambassador of India
to the US came to an end July 31
amid a round of receptions.
The U.S. Department of State
Lokpal Bill in the constituency of
HRD minister Kapil Sibal, Chandni
Chowk, Delhi. An overwhelming
85% of respondents, they claimed,
preferred the Jan Lokpal Bill - or the
one drafted by civil society mem-
bers - to the government version.
Hogwash, said the Congress,
claiming that the referendum was
done only among BJP supporters
in Chandni Chowk. Sibal himself
was dripping sarcasm - he thanked
Team Anna for not giving itself a
100% in favor.
The Times of India decided to fnd
out whether the referendum really
refected the popular mood and de-
cided to do a poll itself on the net.
Lokpal Continued on page 4
Sonia Gandhi undergoes surgery
at Sloan-Kettering in city
Sonia signals that Rahul matters
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Vol. 4 | No.12 | July 9-15, 2011 | 60 Cents
The South Asian Times
US Affairs 9 Op Ed 19 Spiritual Awareness 30 Lifestyle 27
NEW YORK EDITION
Excellence In Journalism
Parsi community
created modern
India: Amitav Ghosh
Features,
Page 26
Indian-American
broadcaster les age
discrimination suit
National Community,
Page 7
Deadlock over
separate Telangana,
protests hot up
India Newswire,
Page 12
JAINAs 16th
Convention in Houston
a huge success
JAINA Convention,
Pages 16-18
Pakistan turns
new front line
of war on terror
2G scam claims another
minister: Maran quits
Kerala temple
treasure could be
worth $100 billion
New Delhi/Chennai: Union
Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Ma-
ran resigned Thursday following
allegations of involvement in the
2G spectrum scam, becoming the
second DMK minister after A.
Raja to exit the cabinet.
New Delhi: The
valuables found in
the secret cellars of
Keralas famous Sree
Padmanabhaswamy
Temple in Thiru-
v a n a n t h a p u r a m
could be worth Rs
5 lakh crore ($100
Toronto: Pakistan is now the
new front in the war on terror as it
has become a new safe haven for al-
Qaeda, says the Canadian media a
day after the country blacklisted the
Pakistani Taliban and started with-
drawal from Afghanistan Tuesday.
The war on terror has shifted,
and Pakistan is its new front line,
said the daily National Post.
These two events (blacklisting
of the Pakistani Taliban and the
start of withdrawal from Afghani-
stan) encapsulate a shift, not only
for Canada, but for all other na-
tions on the front lines of the war
on terror. For a number of years,
those lines have been shifting
southeast, from Afghanistan to
Pakistan, the paper said.
It said the Tehrik-e-Taliban is
very dangerous as its stated goal is
resistance to the countrys govern-
ment, the draconian imposition of
Sharia law and the waging of war
against NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Because of these militant outts
Pakistan has become the main
staging area for terrorist plots
around the world and - despite the
United States assassination of Osa-
ma bin Laden in Abbotabad - a new
safe-haven for al-Qaeda.
Quoting a study by the New
America Foundation, the paper
said 53 percent of terror plots
worldwide since 2004 involved
jihadists trained in Pakistan, com-
pared to six percent in Yemen and
three percent in Iraq. Pakistani ji-
hadi groups have directed 44 per-
cent of the terror plots since then,
according to the paper.
War on terror continued on page 4
While the government and the
Congress party did not comment on
the big political development, an
emboldened opposition described
it as too little too late and sought
resignation of Home Minister P.
Chidambaram, who they alleged
showed complicity in the scam.
Thursdays turn of events is
likely to impact both the shape of
impending cabinet shufe and deli-
cately poised relations between the
Congress and the DMK.
2G scam continued on page 4
Union Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran is second DMK minister to exit
Manmohan government in the spectrum scam.
53 percent of terror plots worldwide since 2004 involved jihadists,
like Tehrik-e-Taliban and LeT cadres, trained in Pakistan.
Only ve of the six secret cellars of Padmanab-
haswamy Temple have been opened, yielding
Gold idols, ornaments and other valuables.
billion), believes former chief sec-
retary of Kerala CP Nair.
As per a report, Thursday, the
former bureaucrat claims that the
estimated market value of the trea-
sures unearthed from the temple
makes it the richest temple in the
world.
Kerala treasure continued on page 4
CommuniIy 15
TheSouIhAsianTimes.inlo May 14-20, 2011
PSG College ol Technology, CoimbaIore
celebraIes diamond jubilee in New |ersey
T
he Diamond Jubilee
Celebrations oI PSG
College oI Technology,
Coimbatore, India was held at
Chutney Mary restaurant in
Monmouth Junction, New Jersey
on Saturday May 7, 2011. The
gathering was attended by 50
alumni Irom various Iields oI PSG
College oI Technology. The alumni
came Irom Boston, Virginia,
Pennsylvania, New York and New
Jersey. Included were, the oldest
graduate Mr. Shanmugam Irom
1959 batch and the youngest grad-
uate Irom 2010 batch.
The meeting was presided by
visiting dignitaries oI PSG
Management Mr. G. Rangaswamy-
Managing Trustee, Mr. C.R.
Swaminathan - the ChieI
Executive, Dr. R. Rudramoorthy
Principal PSGCT, Dr P.
Radhakrishnan - Director,
PSGIAS, Dr. R. Nandagopal
Director, PGSIM, Dr. G.
Ranganathan - President, Alumni
Association, Dr R. Nadarajan,
Head/Maths & Computer
Applications, PSGCT, Dr A.
Kandaswamy, Head/Biomedical
Engineering, PSGCT.
The slide show presentation
highlighted various departments in
PSG College oI Technology and its
growth into an University accredi-
tation which will be honored upon
PSG next year. It emphasized the
importance oI PSG Tech Corpus
Fund, which will help in education
oI 200 deserving students every
year. The PSG Trust already helps
250 students each year Ior their
education.
Some oI the alumni honored by
Mr. Rangaswamy were - Mr. Jack
Poola Ior his donations to PSG
Tech, Mr. SampathKumar, Mr.
Marthuchala Moorthy, Mr. Selvam
and Mr. Vijay Ior planning the
meeting in New Jersey.
1he college's Managing 1rustee Mr Rangswamy presenting a plaque
to 1ack Poola (left) in recognition of his donation to PSC 1ech.
Mr C R Swaminathan Chief Executieve (in white) and Dr Radhakrishnan
Past Principal (in blue) with students
Mg 1rustee Mr Rangaswamy presenting a plaque to Sampath Kumar,
organizer of the event
Mg. 1rustee Mr. Rangaswamy presenting a plaque to
Selvam, master of ceremony
Dr Rudramurthy, Principal, speaking. Mg 1rustee and
Selvam are also seen in the picture.
1he alumni at the event
Fashion 15
The secrecy about Congress
president Sonia Gandhis
ailment plus the fact that
Sloan-Kettering is a cancer
center gives rise to speculation
that she may have cancer.
Rahul Gandhi has been taking up
more and more responsibility in
Congress party, and is likely to
eventually occupy the prime
ministers chair.
a month, party president Sonia
Gandhi has provided the clear-
est sign of his growing clout
in the countrys oldest political
outft. In a statement she issued
from the US where she is being
medically treated, Sonia Gan-
dhi nominated Rahul and three
long-time loyalists -- Defence
Minister A.K. Antony, her po-
litical secretary Ahmed Patel
and another general secretary
Janardhan Dwivedi.
It immediately struck political pun-
dits and Congress watchers that she
had excluded most of the old guard.
The Sonia decision means that
Rahul, 40, widely seen within and
outside the party as a possible fu-
ture Congress prime minister, will
attend the partys core committee
meetings and those of leaders of
the ruling United Progressive Al-
liance (UPA).
Rahuls selection should not
be a surprise to anyone, political
analyst N. Bhaskar Rao said, add-
ing his importance was known for
years -- at least since he became a
general secretary.
A Congress leader who did not
want to be identifed underlined
that the younger Gandhi was al-
ready discharging important re-
sponsibilities in the party.
Rahul Gandhi Continued on page 4
Finishing her term, Indian ambassador Meera Shankar received
encomiums from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
hosted a reception to bid her farewell
on 26 July, which was attended by
senior members of the US Adminis-
tration and other key Ambassadors.
Meera Shankar herself also called
on the Secretary of State in her offce.
Meera Shankar Continued on page 4
Anti-corruption crusader Anna
Hazare burns symbolic copies of
the Lokpal bill to denounce the
proposal in its current form.
Tristate Community 3
TheSouthAsianTimes.info August 6-12, 2011
Mangano seeks private
Coliseum developers
IALI to showcase Indian
culture at 21st
Indiafest in Long Island
Kangana Ranaut to be
Grand Marshal at NJ parade
Mineola: County Executive Ed-
ward P. Mangano pressed the reset
button Tuesday on the 77-acre
Nassau Coliseum site, urging pri-
vate developers to pitch redevel-
opment plans in an effort to keep
the Islanders from departing when
the team's lease expires in 2015.
As some potential suitors ex-
pressed interest in luring the Na-
tional Hockey League franchise,
Mangano sought to reframe the is-
sue a day after county voters de-
feated a referendum that would
have permitted borrowing of up to
$400 million to build a new arena
and a minor league ballpark.
Nassau will consider leasing or
selling the land. Mangano called
for preliminary proposals to be
submitted by Aug. 12.
The plans must address job cre-
ation, revenue and quality of life,
he said.
"This is a call to action,"
Mangano said. "If you have pro-
posals, bring them forward. The
county will be moving forward."
His remarks came as NHL Com-
missioner Gary Bettman ex-
pressed hope that the Islanders can
remain on Long Island.
Islanders owner Charles Wang,
who said Monday night he was
"heartbroken" by the defeat of the
referendum, has said that if a new
Coliseum isn't built, he would
move the team after its lease
expires.
Melville, NY: The India Association
of Long Island (IALI) will host a
day-long cultural program on Aug. 7
at the Huntington Hilton Hotel in
Melville, Long Island. The 21st In-
diafest 2011, a showcase for India's
culture, will include classical, folk
and Bollywood dances and songs; a
fabulous fashion show by designer
Sushma Patel; arts and crafts ven-
dors, designer clothes and jewelry,
various types of delicious foods,
games for children and raffles with
exciting prizes, as well as Mehndi
demonstrations.
The organizers also said in a press
release that Manu Narayan, lead ac-
tor of the Broadway show Bombay
Dreams is scheduled to make a spe-
cial appearance and give a perform-
ance.
About 10,000 persons are expect-
ed to visit this event. Attendees can
get free health screenings, meet so-
cial and political leaders and partic-
ipate in honoring Indian-American
community leaders.
Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano and New York Islanders owner
Charles Wang (background) after the referendum to build a new Nas-
sau Coliseum did not pass Aug. 1.
The 7th India Day Parade on Oak Tree Road, NJ, will be held on next
Sunday, August 14, by the Indian Business Association with the support
of New Jersey Federation of Indian Associations and other associa-
tions. Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, known for her gritty roles in
films like Fashion will be the Grand marshal. After the parade, a cul-
tural program will be staged at St Cecelia Church parking Lot at Oak
Tree Road, in the area called the Little India.
Indian American actor Manu
Narayan is scheduled to make an
appearance at the event.
19 Indians indicted for
$60 mn medical fraud
Washington, DC: US Federal
prosecutors have charged 26
people, including 19 Indians,
with participating in a scheme
to defraud government
Medicare and Medicaid servic-
es for the elderly of nearly $60
million in unwarranted pre-
scriptions.
An indictment unsealed in
Detroit accuses Babubhai 'Bob'
Patel, 49, a Canton Township
pharmacist, of using his owner-
ship in more than 20 Michigan
pharmacies to facilitate the
fraud, according to Detroit
News.
Prosecutors allege that Patel
used kickbacks and other in-
ducements to convince physi-
cians to write prescriptions that
were filled at his pharmacies
'without regard to the medical
necessity of those prescriptions
and services'.
Since 2006, prosecutors al-
lege that Patel Pharmacies
wrongly billed Medicare for
more than $37.7 million in pre-
scriptions and Medicaid anoth-
er $20.8 million.
'Health care fraud steals
funds from programs designed
to benefit patients, and we all
pay for it,' US Attorney Bar-
bara McQuade said in a state-
ment.
In addition to the pharmacists
and doctors, those charged in-
clude a psychologist, an ac-
countant and several business
associates from the area.
According to prosecutors,
Patel allegedly also used re-
cruiters to find patients who, in
exchange for kickbacks, would
allow the pharmacies to bill
their insurance for drugs and
other services.
The pharmacies were in De-
troit, Dearborn, Southfield,
Warren, Taylor, Berkley, Ponti-
ac, Troy, Hazel Park, Oak Park,
Waterford, Livonia, Commerce
Township, Roseville, Bay City,
Saginaw and Kalamazoo.
All of the defendants were
charged with conspiracy to
commit health care fraud and
23 of the 26 were charged with
conspiracy to distribute con-
trolled substances.
In addition to Patel, those
named in the 34-count indict-
ment include physician Paul
Petre, pharmacists Dineshkmar
Patel, Anish Bhavsar, Ashwini
Sharma, Pinakeen Patel, Kartik
Shah, Viral Thaker, Hiren Pa-
tel, Miteshkumar Patel, Lokeh
Tayal, Narendera Cheraku and
Chetan Gujarathi.
Arpitkumar Patel, Sumanray
Raval, Harpreet Sachdeva,
Ramesh Patel, Rana Naeem,
physician Mustak Vaid, psy-
chologist and patient recruiter
Sanyani Edwards and business
associate Komal Acharya have
also been named in the
indictment.
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4 National Community
August 6-12, 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Ground Zero mosque launches

9/10 fund drive, tweaks name
New York: With the 10th anniversary of
9/11 on the horizon, things are chugging along
at the World Trade Center site in preparation.
The mayor has announced that both President
Obama and former President George W. Bush
will be joining him at the ceremony. Two short
blocks away, Sharif El-Gamal is rushing to
meet his own September deadline. The de-
veloper of the Park51 community center that
sparked a furor last year is still struggling to
raise funds for the project.
Last week, Park51 launched a fundraiser
aimed at raising $7 million over the next month
and a half. The deadline for the funds is Sept.
10, which El-Gamal called a motivational
deadline, its proximity to the 10th anniversary
merely a coincidence.
Last November, when the project sought
$5 million in 9/11 grants, it caused quite a
stir, so any fundraising attempts could prove
fraught. The geometric project is expected to
cost $100 million.
Meanwhile, the projects name has been
changed to PrayerSpace, but that appears to
simply be the name of the 2,000-seat chapel
planned for the 15-story community center,
nrst known as Cordoba House and more wide-
ly called the ground zero mosque, while the
overall project is still Park51.
In his impassioned speech to donors last
Friday, El-Gamal said Park51 is an oppor-
tunity to show the world who we are, and
what we believe in, and what our practice is,
and what our faith is.
their good wishes for her early recovery.
Congress headquarters had also received
reports of prayer meetings and havans
conducted in different parts of the country,
wishing Sonia a speedy recovery.
Sonia Gandhi Continued from page 1
In January 2009, current Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh underwent heart bypass
surgery at theAll India Institute of Medical
Sciences in New Delhi.
The Nehru-Gandhi dynasty has ruled In-
dia for most of its post-independence his-
tory, with three members of the family be-
coming Prime Minister.
Sonia Gandhi holds total sway within the
Congress and is credited with crafting the
strategies that gave the party back-to-back
general election victories in 2004 and 2009.
She will miss the start of a crucial ses-
sion of parliament for the scandal-plagued
government which intends to introduce draft
laws on a range of key areas, including cor-
ruption, land acquisition and food security.
Sonia Gandhis absence for the opening of
the new session on Monday was noted in the
Indian media but explained by an apparent
viral infection she was said to be suffering
from Her last known public engagement was
her 24-hour visit to Bangladesh from July 24.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke
to Sonia and wished her a speedy recov-
ery. Lok Sabha Opposition leader Sushma
Swaraj of BJP and Gujarat Chief Minister
Narendra Modi were among the nrst to send
Lokpal Continued from page 1
And the results were stunningly similar to
Team Annas referendum. As many as 23,499
netizens responded to the poll and there was
near unanimity that the PM, MPs, the judiciary
and all levels of the bureaucracy should be un-
der the purview of the proposed Lokpal bill.
While it`s difncult to tell how manv of the
respondents know the exact proposals of the
two drafts of the Bill, its clear that the gov-
ernments credibility is low and Team Annas
high. On the question of whether the Lokpal
should cover all bureaucrats rather than just
Group A ofncers. 97/ said ves`
The same proportion asserted that if a citi-
zen`s work is not done on time. nnes must be
imposed on the guiltv ofncer An equallv im-
pressive 94/ felt the conduct of MPs in Parlia-
ment should be covered by the Lokpals brief.
Set against those numbers. the 86/ who
said the PM should be covered by the Lokpal
and the 84/ who felt the judiciarv should also
come under it seems almost anti-climactic. The
message, however, remains clear - the Lokpal
must have teeth and the breadth of jurisdiction
to be effective. The winner of the perception
battle is clearly the Gandhian and his mates.
That`s a massive vote of no-conndence in
the government version of the Bill and a clear
endorsement of the views of Team Anna.
Meera Shankar Continued from page 1
At tat meeting. Hillarv Clinton said. On
behalf of the American people and the Obama
Administration, I extend my best wishes to you
as your celebrated tenure as the ambassador of
India comes to an end. I thank you for your
service and remain deeply grateful to you for
helping to strengthen the important partnership
between our two countries. The new Indian
ambassador to the US,Nirupama Rao (previ-
ously Foreing Secretary) is expected to take
ofnce in Washington DC later this month
The Indian Community of the Greater Wash-
ington Area hosted a reception for the Ambas-
sador on 24th July, at which Robert Blake,
Jr., Assistant Secretary of State for South and
Central Asia Bureau was the keynote speaker.
Ambassador Blake highlighted the immense
contribution made by his friend, Amb. Shan-
kar, in serving Indias interests in Washington
in an energetic and innovative manner. Amb.
Rahul Gandhi Continued from page 1
In recent years, Rahul Gandhi, who was
elected to the lok Sabha for the nrst time two
years ago, has played a key role in election
campaigns, and in rejuvenating the Youth
Congress and the partys student wing.
Some in the Congress said no deep mean-
ing should be read in the exclusion from the
four-member group of Finance Minister and
veteran Congressman Pranab Mukherjee or
other high-pronle leaders like Digvijav Singh
K. Sreekumar, another political analyst, said
the rise of Rahul was a natural choice for Sonia
but he coming weeks will pose a major challenge
for him. The country will watch how he han-
dles burning issues like Anna Hazare`s threat-
ened fast and developments in parliament.
Predictably, Rahuls appointment sparked
criticism from the opposition. What other
announcement could we expect from Sonia
Gandhi? asked Javed Raza, general secre-
tary of the Janata Dal-United. For years the
party has been handled as a private property
of the Nehru family.
Shankar hosted two receptions on 25th July 2011
and on 28th July 2011 for the Indian American
community and her American interlocutors re-
spectively. The Indian American community
was represented by all the leading associations in
the Greater Washington Area and from across the
country. The Governors of Maryland and Alabama
also sent special citations to Ambassador Shankar
for promoting ties between India and their states.
Letter to the Editor
Dr. Madhugiri Nageswara-Rao
University of Florida
Citrus Research and Education Center,
Lake Alfred, FL
Dear Editor,
Being regular readers of your reputed
The South Asian Times, we cordially
wish to congratulate all your team mem-
bers for their sincere efforts in making this
diverse publication endeavor a GRAND
success in the hearts of Asian Indian com-
munity and the Agricultural scientists like
us. The quality articles/news covering
various Indian communities are very in-
formative and are always inspiring.
Tristate Community 5
TheSouthAsianTimes.info August 6-12, 2011
$1.5 million Gates grant
for Columbias Chandran
New York: Kartik Chandran,
an associate professor of Earth
and Environmental
Engineering at Columbia
University, has been awarded
$1.5 million from the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation for
his project to develop a revolu-
tionary new model in water,
sanitation, and energy.
Working with his partners
Ashley Murray, founder and
director of Waste Enterprisers,
and Moses Mensah, a chemi-
cal engineering professor at
Kwame Nkrumah University
of Science and Technology,
Chandran is developing an
innovative technology to transform fecal
sludge into biodiesel and create the Next-
Generation Urban Sanitation Facility in
Accra, Ghana.
We are especially pleased that the Gates
Foundation has recognized the critical impor-
tance of sustainable sanitation by investing in
our pioneering project, Chandran said in a
press release.
Thus far, sanitation approaches have been
extremely resource and energy intensive and
therefore out of reach for some of the worlds
poorest but also most at need populations.
This project will allow us to move forward
and develop practical techn
ologies that will be of great
value around the world, the
Indian American researcher
said.
Chandran and his team aim
to develop a bioprocess tech-
nology to convert the organic
compounds present in fecal
sludge to biodiesel and
methane, two potent sources
of energy, and thus convert a
waste-processing facility into
a biorefinery.
The biorefinery will not
only be an economical source
of fuel, but, by minimizing
discharge of fecal sludge into
local water bodies, it will also contribute to
improved human health and sanitation.
Chandran says that potential outcomes of
his work will also include integrating the bio-
process technology component into a social
enterprise business model that will further
promote widespread implementation of this
approach and technology across the globe,
especially in developing economies.
Chandran has been associated with Ghana
for two years as the faculty advisor for the
Columbia University Engineers without
Borders Ghana team and expects to involve
them in this project as well.
Another Tri-Valley: North
Virginia University raided
Virginia: The University of North Virginia
(UNVA) is in Annandale, Virginia, a suburb
of Washington. The university is reported to
have 2,400 students of which 90 per cent are
from India and an overwhelming majority are
said to be from Andhra Pradesh. Like the Tri-
Valley University earlier, UNVA was raided
on Thursday by investigating and law
enforcement agencies on charges of visa
fraud. However the US administration has
assured that it would protect the interests of
hundreds of Indian students in the university.
Sources said the UNVA was authorised to
issue I-20 form to about 50 students but had
issued and enrolled a much larger number.
"Today, officials from ICE's Student and
Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) served
UNVA with a notice of intent to withdraw
(NOIW) UNVA's authorization to admit for-
eign students," ICE spokeswoman Cori W
Bassett said in a statement.
In a day-long exercise, dozens of officials
from different federal agencies, including
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI), entered the Annandale campus of the
university and took away with them a large
number of boxes full of documents and com-
puter hard drives from its administrative divi-
sion. However, based on the experience of
the Tri-Valley case, and given that India had
strongly objected to the manner in which its
students were treated, US authorities are
believed to have informed their Indian coun-
terparts that they would handle this case and
follow-up action in a different manner.
Unlike Tri-Valley University, the focus of
investigations here is not the students but the
school. Officials made it clear that there
would be no arrest, detention or electronic
monitoring of students. They also said that
the university would not be immediately shut
down, it had been given a months notice to
explain. The university declined to make any
comment; it did not communicate with its
students and staff either, except for a notice
posted at the entrance that said the university
was still open but students had the choice to
move to other varsities or look for other
options, if they so wanted.
The present students would have one of the
three options: continue at the University
while it functions, seek transfer to another
university and seek voluntary return to India.
In another major relief, visa status of the
students would not be terminated, they would
remain valid for their present duration, which
would also provide time for seeking transfers
while continuing in a valid visa status.
In another notice, ICE has informed the
UNVA students that they have two choices
continue to attend classes and maintain their
active status, seek transfer to another SEVP-
approved institution.
"UNVA students must immediately depart
the country if they are unable to continue to
attend classes and maintain their active status
in a manner required by the regulation or if
they are unable or do not wish to seek trans-
fer to another SEVP-certified institution," it
said. UNVA officials no longer have access to
SEVIS and not be able to manage non-immi-
grant students records in SEVIC, the
notice said.
Prof Kartik Chandran is devel-
oping an innovative technology
for Next-Generation Urban
Sanitation Facility"
Kal Penn
returning to TV
Washington, DC: Indian-American actor Kal
Penn, who is best known for his role in the
'Harold and Kumar' movies, is ready to return
to television after a couple of stints in Obama's
White House. Penn, who served in White
House's Office of Public Engagement as an
associate director, has taken on a major recur-
ring role on the CBS comedy 'How I Met Your
Mother,' as Kevin, the love interest for Cobie
Smulders' lovelorn Robin, according to
TVLine. Penn resigned that post on June 1,
2010 to fulfill his commitment to film the lat-
est, Christmas-themed 'Harold and Kumar'
film installment.
Kal Penn will be in CBS comedy 'How I
Met Your Mother,' as Kevin, the love inter-
est for Cobie Smulders' lovelorn Robin
Second Annual Mela Teeyan Da 2011 was held on Saturday, July 30 from 10:30am - 5:00pm at
120-23 Atlantic Avenue, NY. Organized by Kiirpa Heritage, the day long events included Lil'
Miss Punjaban, Miss Punjaban and Mrs. Punjaban contests. The event was sponsored by T
Mobile and managed by AWMobile of Hicksville. In photo with Punjaban of the year is Ms.
Kawal Sahni, Sales Director of AWMobile which has 25 T Mobile corporate stores. The winners
received Blackberry 9780 each. More than 1200 women attended the mela.
90 per cent of 2400 stdents at UNVA are
reportedly from India
6 Tristate Community
August 6-12, 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Buffalo, NY: Satish K Tripathi, president of
University at Buffalo, has been named a regional
co-chair of the Western New York Regional
Economic Development Council, one of 10
region- based councils charged with allocating
economic development funds within their
regions. Tripathi's appointment, and that of co-
chair Howard A.Zemsky, managing partner of
the Larkin Development Group in Buffalo, was
announced July 26 by New York Gov. Andrew
Cuomo.
Cuomo was joined by Lt.Gov. Robert Duffy,
local officials, business
leaders and community
members for the formal
launch of the Western New
York council at Roswell
Park Cancer Institute in
Buffalo.
The council will coordi-
nate economic develop-
ment for Allegany,
Cattaraugus, Chautauqua,
Erie and Niagara counties.
Tripathi was quoted as
saying in a press release
from the university that by
creating the regional coun-
cils, Cuomo "is addressing
the specific economic
development needs of each
area of New York state."
The governor acknowl-
edged as much. "For too
long, Albany has imposed
one-size- fits-all economic
development plans across the state, ignoring the
unique assets and challenges of each region,"
Cuomo is quoted as saying in the release. "This
approach is exactly what western New York
needs to rejuvenate its economic climate. Under
Lt. Gov. Duffy's leadership, the Western New
York Regional Council will work to ensure that
residents and businesses from Niagara to Erie to
Chautauqua counties are able to build a healthy
business climate for the region, including lever-
aging the resources of the higher education insti-
tutions in the area," Tripathi said.
Jersey City, NJ: Over 70 community mem-
bers gathered for a hearing called "South
Asians in New Jersey: Ten Years After
9/11" to reflect on the decade since the 9/11
tragedy, and to provide recommendations
for moving forward. The hearing, held on
Saturday, July 30, 2011 in Jersey City, New
Jersey, was organized by South Asian
Americans Leading Together (SAALT), a
national nonprofit organization, as part of
its campaign - An America for All of Us - to
mark the 10-year anniversary of 9/11.
Community members affected by back-
lash after 9/11, as well as policymakers,
shared stories and examples of positive
solutions. Notably, the hearing happened a
day after the Board of Education in Passaic,
NJ unanimously passed an anti-bullying
resolution presented by SAALT.
The resolution calls on the Board of
Education to enforce the New Jersey Anti-
Bullying Bill of Rights, institute a bullying
prevention program; and train students and
employees around cultural and religious
practice sensitivity, among other require-
ments. Just a week earlier, the Township of
Teaneck, New Jersey also passed an anti-
bias resolution presented by SAALT.
Divided into three panels, the New Jersey
hearing addressed the ongoing struggles of
communities impacted by discrimination,
racial profiling, Islamophobia, immigration
enforcement and hate crimes. A Sikh com-
munity member, Rajinder Singh Khalsa
gave a disturbing account of how, following
the 9/11 tragedy, he was accosted by indi-
viduals who insisted that he remove the
"dirty curtain" on his head.
In response, the second panel of advo-
cates provided recommendations on how
communities can strengthen their voices
and take action.
The third panel of policymakers stressed
the importance of community involvement.
Mayor of Teaneck, New Jersey, Mohammed
Hameeduddin, spoke about the importance
of building strong partnerships with other
communities to address these issues.
City Council President of Hoboken, New
Jersey, Ravi Bhalla also discussed the
importance of getting involved at the local
level, and urged community members to
become civically engaged. Amardeep
Singh, Commissioner from the White
House Commission on Asian Americans
and Pacific Islanders, was present and heard
complaints from the community regarding
post-9/11 discrimination.
Commissioner of the Board of Education
in Passaic County, Salim Patel, asked par-
ents to come forward to raise issues that
their children face in schools.
New York, NY: More than two thousand Indian
Institute of Technology (IIT) alumni, comprised
of distinguished business executives, govern-
ment officials, and leading entrepreneurs from
around the world, will descend upon New York
City for the first-ever global IIT conference to be
held in the city that never sleeps from
September 30 to October 2, 2011, at the New
York Hilton Hotel. This year marks the 60th
anniversary of the inception of the "IIT System.
The seven IITs--each built on the pattern of MIT
in India--are globally recognized as the premier
engineering and science universities and regular-
ly make the Top 50 list in global rankings. The
IIT graduates have come to represent India's
capacity for excellence in education,technology,
and human capital around the world.
We believe it is imperative to continue to
build upon this positive image of the IITs and
present it to a global audience, says Kumar
Shah, one of the organizers of the event and an
IIT Bombay graduate. We also want to give our
alumni plenty of opportunities to network with
each other and industry leaders. Today, we find
that the United States and India are on a path of
major collaboration in multiple platforms,
including healthcare, commerce, and entertain-
ment; IITans are very much integrated in build-
ing that bridge. Thus, the theme of this confer-
ence is: SOLUTIONS FOR A BETTER
WORLD.
Featured keynote speakers in this conference
include MIT Media Lab Chairman Nicholas
Negraponte, renowned Bollywood actor Anil
Kapoor and Grammy-nominated Chandrika
Tandon; also invited are: Vice President Joe
Biden, Sec. Hillary Clinton, Sec. Steven Chu,
Andrew Liveris (CEO, Dow Chemical), and
Mukesh Ambani (CEO, Reliance), just to name a
few. In addition to keynote speeches, a number
of panel discussions are planned in areas of
finance, healthcare, geopolitics, academia,
investments, entrepreneurship, and alternative
energy.
More than 50 thousand alumni make their
home in the United States. They constitute a
model immigrant community: extraordinarily
well-educated, high-achieving, creating busi-
nesses and opportunities, generating wealth, and
contributing to their adopted nation.
The 200,000+ alumni of the IITs (about 25%
in the USA) have reportedly created about 20
million jobs; have created $500 billion of eco-
nomic value; control annual budgets of $1 tril-
lion; serve on the boards of over 50% of the 500
largest companies in India; 9% of alumni are
entrepreneurs, and 40% of them have founded
more than one company. In the U.S., IIT alumni
achievements include: Creation of more than
200,000 jobs; Pioneering such technologies as
cellular communications and HDTV; 60% of
Silicon Valley startups have an IIT graduate as a
CEO or a founder; Leading executive positions,
including CEO, at firms such as Citicorp,
Hartford Financial, Harman International,
Google, Cisco, Microsoft, and Rohm & Haas;
Deans of leading universities such as Harvard,
Carnegie Mellon, and MIT and Director of the
National Science Foundation; Honored by the
U.S. Congress (HR227) for contribution to the
creation of industries, jobs, and intellectual
properties in America.
South Asians reflect on ten years
post 9/11, look for solutions
Passaic and Teaneck, NJ pass anti-bullying and anti-bias resolutions
Policymakers panel (L-R): Salim Patel,
Commissioner of the Board of Education,
Passaic, NJ; Mohammed Hameeduddin,
Mayor, Teaneck, NJ; Ravi Bhalla, City
Council President, Hoboken, NJ;
Amardeep Singh, Commissioner, White
House Commission on Asian Americans
and Pacific Islanders.
Community members engaging with the
panelists.
All pictures by William Hollingsworth
Satish Tripathi to co-chair Regional
Development Council in NY
IITians to gather in NYC for
biennial global conference
National Community 7
TheSouthAsianTimes.info August 6-12, 2011
Washington, DC: Democrats have accused
North Carolina' s Indian-American
Governor Nikki Haley of listing her race as
"white" in her voter registration form in
2001 and playing on it for political conven-
ience.
The local Post and Courier reported that
the state Democratic Party, which first
obtained the public record in this regard, is
challenging whether her inconsistency on
the card might have made her ineligible to
voter under the state's new Voter ID law.
State Democratic Party Chairman Dick
Harpootlian said whether Haley listed her
race as white or not doesn't really matter to
him, but the issue is that the governor has
shown a pattern of such actions.
"Haley has been appearing on television
interviews where she calls herself a minori-
ty -- when it suits her," Harpootlian was
quoted as saying.
"When she registers to vote she says she
is white. She has developed a pattern of
saying whatever is beneficial to her at the
moment," he said. "She can't even tell the
truth about her racial heritage."
There was no immediate response from
Haley' s office. The state Election
Commission gives people the choice of
declaring their race as white,
black/African-American, Asian, Hispanic,
Native American or other, the agency's
spokesman Chris Whitmire said.
Democrats slam Haley
for listing herself white
North Carolina Governor Nikki Haley
New York: Penn State's C
R Rao an Indian American,
Emeritus Holder of the
Eberly Family Chair in
Statistics and one of the
world's top statisticians,
has been honored with the
Royal Statistical Society's
Guy Medal Award in Gold
the highest award given to
a statistician by the United
Kingdom.
The ceremony took place
on 29 June. He has is rec-
ognized for his fundamen-
tal and innovative contribu-
tions to statistical theory
and methodology.
Rao laid the foundation
of modern statistics, with
multifaceted distinctions as
a mathematician,
researcher, scientist and
teacher.
His contributions to
mathematics and to the the-
ory and application of sta-
tistics during the last six
decades have become part
of graduate and postgradu-
ate courses in statistics,
econometrics, electrical
engineering, and many
other disciplines at most
universities throughout the
world.
Rao' s other awards
include 32 honorary doc-
toral degrees from univer-
sities in 18 countries on six
continents.
In addition, Rao was hon-
ored in 2010 with the India
Science Award. In 2003, he
received the first
Mahalanobis International
Award in Statistics from
the International Statistical
Institute and the Srinivasa
Ramanujan Medal from the
Indian National Science
Academy. In 2002, he was
honored by President
George W. Bush with the
National Medal of Science,
the highest award given to
an American scientist for
lifetime achievement in
fields of scientific research.
In 1989, the American
Statistical Association
awarded him the Wilks
Medal.
Statistician C R Rao receives
UKs Royal Society award
C R Rao
US warns Indian students
about 'predatory visa
fraud rings'
Washington, DC: As
another US university came
under the scanner, the
United States asked Indian
students to be alert to the
existence of 'predatory visa
fraud rings and fraudulent
document vendors.'
'We are looking into this
matter, we're following the
case closely, and we're in
communication with the
Government of India offi-
cials on it, ' State
Department spokesman
Mark Toner said Friday, a
day after a raid on the
University of Northern
Virginia.
Based in Annandale, a
Washington suburb, the
unaccredited, for-profit pri-
vate university has some
2,400 students of which 90
percent are from India,
mostly from Andhra
Pradesh, registered at three
locations in northern
Virginia.
The US embassy in New
Delhi has briefed the
Ministry of External Affairs
and the US Department of
Homeland Security and the
State Department have been
in contact with the Indian
Embassy here, Toner said.
Declining to give details
as an investigation is ongo-
ing, the spokesman said 'it's
important to note that a
hundred thousand Indians
are receiving a good educa-
tion at certified US institu-
tions each year, and we cer-
tainly welcome the contri-
bution of Indian students
wishing to study in the
United States.'
'And of course, as always,
we caution them to be alert
to the existence of these so-
called predatory visa fraud
rings and fraudulent docu-
ment vendors,' he said.
Asked how US consulates
or embassies in India issued
visas for study at such insti-
tutions, Toner again
declined comment in view
of 'an ongoing investiga-
tion'.
' They' ve taken action
against this school, and
we're in close coordination
with the Indian
Government as we move
forward. But beyond that, I
don't want to comment on
details,' he said.
US Immigration and
Customs Enforcement has
warned the Northern
Virginia University that it
could withdraw the school's
authorization to admit for-
eign students.
Agency Spokesperson
Cori Bassett, however,
would not say why the
action was taken, saying it
is part of a pending investi-
gation.
The school remains open
and certified and will have
the chance to rebut the gov-
ernment's allegations.
New York: Preeta Bansal, senior policy
advisor and the general counsel of the
Office of Management and Budget, is
leaving the administration to join an
organization that conducts research and
engages in advocacy in areas such as
social policy, political strategy, eco-
nomics, military or technology issues
and probably return to private practice.
Bansal i s among several Indi an
Americans who are leaving the admin-
istration after two years and more due
to the demanding schedules is what is
considered a natural turnover.
Bansal led the Obama-Biden legal
transition team for six months prior to
its inauguration and was a part of the
president's campaign team of outside
advisers since the start of 2007.
In 2009, Bansal was mentioned as a
possible nominee for U.S. solicitor gen-
eral, after Elena Kagan left the post
aft er bei ng named t o t he Supreme
Court.
Preeta Bansal to leave
Obama administration
8 National Community
August 6-12, 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Washington, DC: A team led by an Indian origin sci-
entist has packaged lithium ion batteries, which power
mobiles and smartphones, into a single nanowire. The
breakthrough could be a valuable power source for
new generations of nanoelectronics.
Pulickel M. Ajayan, who did his B. Tech in metallur-
gical engineering from Banaras Hindu University in
1985, India and Ph.D. from Northwestern University
US in 1989, had been inching towards single nanowire
devices for years.
These researchers at Rice University first reported
the creation of 3D nano batteries last December, the
journal Nano Letters reported.
"The idea here is to fabricate nanowire energy stor-
age devices with ultrathin separation between the elec-
trodes," said Arava Leela Mohana Reddy, study co-
author and research scientist, according to a university
statement.
The team's experimental batteries are about 50
micrometres tall, as thick as a human hair and almost
invisible when viewed edge-on, Reddy said.
Theoretically, the nanowire energy storage devices
can be as long and as wide as the templates allow,
which makes them scalable.
The nanowire devices show good capacity. The
researchers are fine-tuning the materials to increase
their ability to repeatedly charge and discharge, which
now drops off after about 20 cycles.
A nanometre is a billion of a metre.
Mitul Desai to lead
US efforts to expand
ties with diaspora
Washington, DC: Mitul Desai, an
Indian American international
finance and law expert, has been
brought in to State Department's
South Asia bureau to lead its
efforts to expand 'partnerships and
engagement with the private sec-
tor and diaspora groups' in the
US.
Announcing the appointment of
Desai at an India Donor
Roundtable here last week,
Assistant Secretary of State for
South Asia Robert Blake said 'The
US-India relationship has never
been stronger,' thanks to the 'im-
portant role' that the Indian com-
munity has 'played in creating and
strengthening these ties.'
'Indeed I have made it a priority
for the South and Central Asia
Bureau to expand our partnerships
and engagement with the private
sector and diaspora groups here in
the US,' he said.
Desai, who has been named
Senior Advisor for Outreach,
comes from a private sector career
in international finance and law,
where he worked on many issues,
including global health, Blake
noted.
'He also has extensive experi-
ence working with diaspora com-
munities. I know he is very excit-
ed to work with you in his new
capacity,' he said.Desai received
his BA in Chemistry and
Philosophy at Rutgers University
and his JD from the Boston
University School of Law. He was
born in Kankakee, Illinois, and
lived in South Carolina, Ohio, and
Pennsylvania before moving to
Succasunna, New Jersey, where
he spent most of his childhood.
His parents, Indirajit and Surekha
Desai who hail from Gujarat,
came to the US in the 1960s,
when they were both in their early
20s. He has a younger brother,
Amit.
Why packing on pounds is riskier
for Indians
Toronto: Packing on pounds is
riskier for Indians and other South
Asians than white people, says a
study.
While white Caucasian people
store their extra body fat in their
waistlines, Indians and other South
Asians carry this extra fat into their
internal organs like liver and
abdomen affecting their normal
functioning.
It is this disruption of normal
organ functions among Indians and
South Asians that triggers diabetes
and heart problems, says the study
conducted by a young Indo-
Canadian researcher.
Sonia Anand, who is professor of
medicine and epidemiology at
McMaster University, says that the
prevalence of diabetes and coronary
diseases among South Asians is due
to their body adding " the organ-
hugging fat" that leads to these dis-
eases.
"South Asians have less space to
store fat below the skin than white
Caucasians. Their excess fat, there-
fore, overflows to ectopic compart-
ments, in the abdomen and liver
where it may affect function," says
Anand. She says this visceral fat is
associated with metabolic problems
such as elevated glucose and abnor-
mal lipids which lead to coronary
artery disease.
Her study support previous
research which shows that, even
with the same body mass index
(BMI) as Caucasians, people from
the Indian subcontinent have more
risk factors for cardiovascular dis-
ease, including type 2 diabetes, low
'good' cholesterol, and more abdom-
inal obesity.
Arya Sharma, director of the
Canadian Obesity Network and a
co-author of the study, added, "This
study helps explain why South
Asians experience weight-related
health problems at lower BMI levels
than Caucasians. For the clinician,
this also means that individuals of
South Asian heritage need to be
screened for the presence of heart
disease and diabetes at lower
BMIs."
The study by Anand and Sharma
appears in the medical journal PLoS
ONE.
Reception hosted by the Indian-American community to bid farewell to
Ambassador Meera Shankar on July 24, 2011.
Mitul Desai has been named Senior Advisor for Outreach at State
Departments South Asia bureau
Pulickel M Ajayan leads the team of researchers at
Rice University
Indian origin scientist designs
nanosized batteries
London: The glorious Rolls Royce car
used by an Indian maharaja during the
British reign is to be sold in US next
month by Bonhams auction house.
According to a foreign news agency, the
car which was commissioned by Umed
Singh II, the maharaja of Kotah, is expect-
ed to sell for up to 1.6 million dollars.
Bonhams said that the car's eight-litre,
six-cylinder engine with a low gearing
ratio allowed "it to creep powerfully
through the roughshod jungles of
Rajasthan." "It was more for a show but
everything would be ready and then they
would then go and take this Rolls Royce
up to a point or the hills and from there
shoot the tiger that was already captured
by their servants," the BBC quoted Pran
Nevile, a writer and expert on India's colo-
nial history as saying.
Rolls Royce used by an Indian
maharaja up for sale in US
A handout picture obtained from Bonhams
auction house press office in London shows
a 1925 New Phantom Rolls-Royce car cus-
tomised with mounted guns and searchlights.
A 1925 Rolls-Royce car customized with
mounted guns and searchlights and used by
an Indian maharaja to hunt tigers will be put
up for auction in the United States. The New
Phantom was commissioned by Sahib
Bahadur, officially known as Umed Singh II,
the maharaja of Kota, from the British motor
manufacturers. (AFP Photo)
National Community 9
TheSouthAsianTimes.info August 6-12, 2011
Chicago, IL: Vijay Jolly inaugu-
rated the OFBJP National Council
Meeting held in Chicago, IL from
July 22-24, 2011 at Holiday Inn,
Rolling Meadows, IL. Over 60 plus
delegates across the nation attend-
ed the 3 day National Council
meeting while over 200 Indian
Americans attended the public pro-
gram. The special emissaries of
national BJP was represented by
Vijay Jolly-Convener of Overseas
Affairs; and Shri Shanmuganathan-
Additional Secretary of BJP
Parliamentary Party; the invited
guests were Kishen Reddy-
President of AP State BJP; Mrs.
Poonam Mahajan- National Vice
President of Bhartiya Janata Yuva
Morcha (BJYM); and Suresh
Chavunke- Chairman of Sudarshan
TV and Sai channel. Dr. Adapa
Prasad, the President of OFBJP-
USA presided over the convention
and Amar Upadhyay, OFBJP-USA
General Secretary was the conven-
er of the meeting in Chicago.
The event started in the evening
of Friday July 22nd, with informal
gathering and introductions. Dr.
Adapa Prasad introduced the
guests and the delegates. Dr Prasad
regaled the audience with his expe-
rience in running and administer-
ing OFBJP. Vijay Jolly has
enthralled the audience with his
inspirational speech and exhorted
the delegates to step up and work
for the OFBJP with renewed vigor.
He conveyed the best wishes of
Nitin Gadkari, the President of BJP
to OFBJP. He ascertained that there
is only one OFBJP in USA that is
being represented by the current
National Executive Committee
headed by Dr. Adapa Prasad.
Jolly stressed on the need for
OFBJP-USA to interact with US
federal and local lawmakers to
educate them on various Indo-US
bilateral issues and matters that
affect these issues and the views of
BJP. He stressed upon the imple-
mentation of performance audit
and set the agenda for OFBJP for
the next six months, that includes
workers training sessions in the
five zones across the nation. He
appreciated the work done by
OFBJP in reaching out to the larger
Pravasi Bharatiya community and
wanted the OFBJP membership
and support base expanded in the
coming months.
Kishen Reddy, in his speech
touched upon the topics of terror-
ism, corruption and nation build-
ing. He asked the delegates to help
their brethren in India as well as in
USA that are in need of help. He
asked OFBJP to do some social
service as well in addition to its
mandated activities.
He cited the example of the
plight of Tri Valley students and
how OFBJP-USA helped them by
taking up their cause with Indian
Embassy, US state department and
white house and governor of
California.
Poonam Mahajan gave a brief
speech on the power of youth and
women and said that India is young
and it will remain young for many
decades to come. She urged the
OFBJP youth to be the ambassa-
dors of India. Shri
Shanmuganathan talked about the
importance of discipline in
karyakartas and observed that
OFBJP leadership is carrying out a
good work.
OFBJP hosts national council meet in Chicago
L-R: Poonam Mahajan, Vijay Jolly, Mahesh Mehta, Shanmuganathan,
Adapa Prasad, Yash Desai
Pakistani mangoes arrive
on the US shores
Washington, DC: The first ship-
ment of Pakistani mangoes
reached the US market last week
at Chicagos OHare airport on
July 28. After a quick trip to
Iowa for electron beam irradia-
tion (for food safety), the fra-
grant chaunsa mangoes returned
for their coming out party at the
Palmer House Hilton following
Saturday afternoon.
Pakistani Ambassador to the
U.S. Hussain Haqqani presided
over the mango party, which he
said was the culmination of two
years of strategic dialogue with
the late ambassador Richard
Holbrooke and others officials
about ways they could improve
relations relatively easily.
Although the mangoes wont
be in stores for a few weeks and
theres no definite price yet, the
ambassador said that he has
already sent boxes to Sen. Dick
Durbin, Sen. Mark Kirk, Rep.
Jesse Jackson Jr, Illinois
Governor Pat Quinn and
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
He further said a box should be
arriving at the White House on
Monday.
We have been waiting for this
for the past 20 years for
Pakistani mangoes to come
here, said Samina Khattak to
Chicago Tribune. We have been
eating the Mexican and Indian
mangoes but they are not the
same.
Haqqani said that the chaunsa
is one of more than 200 Pakistani
mango varieties and he expects
more growers with different vari-
eties to meet U.S. import
requirements in the near future.
As the biggest importer of
mangoes in the world (with $250
million in mango imports)
America was a ripe market for
the Pakistani mango, Haqqani
said.
US-India state-to-state engagement
begins in New Delhi
Washington, DC: Special
Representative for Global
Intergovernmental Affairs Reta Jo
Lewis landed in New Delhi
Saturday to begin a trip through-
out India as part of a plan for
U.S.-India state-to-state partner-
ships. This initiative engages
Indian state and local leaders
throughout the country in a dis-
cussion of topics of mutual inter-
est and partnership with their
counterparts in the United States,
such as trade and investment,
infrastructure, education, science,
and technology. Special
Representative Lewis will travel
to several cities within the Indian
states of Assam, Orissa, Andhra
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and
Maharashtra to meet with chief
ministers, mayors, and panchayat
leaders, as well as with leaders in
the business and academic com-
munities.
This initiative follows the
momentum for bilateral engage-
ment built by Secretary Clinton,
who returned from the second
round of the U.S.-India Strategic
Dialogue just a few weeks ago.
Since the inaugural Strategic
Dialogue in 2010, the U.S.-India
partnership has flourished, result-
ing in advances in nearly every
area of human endeavor.
Special Representative Lewis
has worked on similar state-to-
state initiatives in Brazil, South
Africa, Nigeria, and most recently
China; however, this is her first
visit to India.
Special Representative Lewis
explained that her goal for the trip
is to listen and to learn how state
and local leaders in India hope to
engage their U.S. counterparts.
Im very excited about this state-
to-state engagement, but I need
[their] vision for linking together
regional leaders.
Chaunsa mangoes made a debut
at a mango party hosted by
Pakistan ambassador to the US
Hussain Haqqani
Dr. Navin C. Nanda was presented the Father of Modern
Echocardiography award by the Chinese Ultrasound Doctor
Association in Wuhan, Peoples Republic of China in May
2011. This is the largest physician organization in China.
Seen here Dr. Nanda (left) receiving the award from Dr. Jian
Yang, Vice-President of the Chinese Medical Doctor
Association. On June 17, Dr. Nanda was honored by an
appointment as Distinguished Professor of Medicine and
Cardiovascular Disease by a Special Resolution of The
University of Alabama System Board of Trustees. A Professor
of Medicine and Director of the Heart
Station/Echocardiography Laboratories at the University of
Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, Dr.Nanda is
also a senior scientist in the centers for Health Promotion,
Aging, Minority Health Behavior and Cardiovascular Biology.
Dr. Nanda is the first physician of Indian origin to receive this
appointment in the University of Alabama system.
10 US Affairs
August 6-12, 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Washi ngton: The very real
threat of forcing the nation into a
first-ever financial default
along with the potential for eco-
nomic calamity will forever
be a powerful tool used by law-
makers and presi dent s al i ke,
reports New York Times
Never again will any presi-
dent , from ei t her part y, be
allowed to raise the debt ceiling
without being held accountable
for it by the American people
and without having to engage in
the kind of debate weve just
come t hrough, Mi t ch
McConnel l , Senat e Mi nori t y
Leader, said moments before the
Senat e vot e on t he deal he
worked out to raise the debt ceil-
ing by $2.1 trillion.
President Obama had argued
repeatedly during the last several
weeks that holding up a debt
ceiling increase amid partisan
pol i t i cal bi ckeri ng was t he
equivalent of a hostage-taking,
wi t h t he gl obal economy at
stake.
The debt ceiling should not be
something that is used as a gun
agai nst t he heads of t he
American people, the president
said.
But by McConnells way of
thinking, the risk of default was
a clarifying kind of moment for
lawmakers, who too often refuse
to tackle hard problems. He said
t he j ust -ended debat e i n
Washington created an entirely
new t empl at e for fut ure
attempts to raise the debt ceiling.
This kind of discussion isnt
something to dread; its some-
t hi ng t o wel come, Mr.
McConnell said. And while the
president may not have particu-
larly enjoyed this debate, it was a
debate that Washington needed
to have.
Thanks to the legislation that
McConnell and Obama helped to
negotiate, there wont be another
such debate during the presi-
dents current term. The $2.1 tril-
lion boost in the debt ceiling
should make another increase
unnecessary unt i l March of
2013.
But in the long term, it may be
impossible for Washington to put
the debt ceiling genie back in the
bottle. Why? Because in the end,
hostage-taking works.
Future Republicans will no
doubt look back on the debt ceil-
ing fight of 2011 as a success.
Whether conservative members
got everything they wanted or
not, it is hard to argue that they
did not get more than they would
have without the threat of hold-
ing up the debt ceiling increase.
Debt ceiling now permanent weapon in politicos hands
Mitch McConnell, Senate
Minority Leader, disagrees with
President Obama that holding up
a debt ceiling increase was
the equivalent of hostage-taking
Washington: The Senate voted Tuesday to
raise the governments debt ceiling and cut tril-
lions of dollars from its spending, concluding a
long and fractious partisan battle just hours
before the governments borrowing authority
was set to run out.
The bill, which passed 74 to 26, was immedi-
ately signed by President Barack Obama, who
took a final shot at his Republican opposition
for what he called a manufactured and
avoidable crisis. Voters may have chosen
divided government, he said, but they sure
didnt vote for dysfunctional government.
Voters will render their verdicts on the merits
of divided government next year, but its impact
is now abundantly clear: the agenda of the
112th Congress will be dominated by continu-
ous fighting over spending priorities and regu-
lation, with a high bar for big debates on for-
eign policy and other domestic issues coming to
the fore. In the seven months since the change
of power in the House, the Washington dis-
course has shifted almost completely from the
decades-long battle between both parties over
how to allocate government resources to joust-
ing over the moral high ground on imposing
austerity, with seemingly none of the political
or practical motivations that have historically
driven legislation.
Republicans, though controlling only one-
third of the process through their majority in
the House, appear to have firmly snagged the
upper hand in the legislative dynamics, largely
because of their unwillingness to sacrifice
ground even when their stance threatens both
the governments ability to operate and pay its
debts, and their own prospects for retaining
their jobs.
Democrat s, hamst rung i n part by
Congressional procedures and hewing to more
traditional methods of compromise and negotia-
tion, allowed Republicans to pull the center of
debate much closer to their priorities.
The compromise over the debt ceiling,
which the House passed on Monday, has been
denounced by Democrats as being tilted too
heavily toward Republican priorities, mainly
because it does not raise any new revenues as it
reduces budget deficits by at least $2.1 trillion
in the next 10 years. But it attracted the votes of
many Democrats, if only because the many
months of standoff had brought the country per-
ilously close to default.
The wrangling in Congress also laid bare
divisions within both parties, with the final pas-
sage in the Senate relying on the votes of the
remai ni ng cent er of each part y 28
Republicans, 45 Democrats and one independ-
ent voted aye with the most right- and left-
leaning members left ultimately on the side-
lines.
In t he Senat e, Kel l y Ayot t e of New
Hampshi re and Mi ke Lee of Ut ah, bot h
Republican freshmen blessed by the Tea Party,
voted against the bill, mirroring their counter-
parts in the House, including a third of that
chambers freshmen.
On the left, six Democrats and one independ-
ent rejected the bill, arguing that it placed too
much burden on middle- and lower-income
Ameri cans. Among t he Democrat s who
opposed the measures were reliable liberals like
Senator Frank R. Lautenberg of New Jersey, but
also Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York,
who voted in contrast to the senior member
from her state, Senator Charles E. Schumer.
Obama signs debt bill, ending a fractious battle
Washington: The Pentagon pushed
back aggressively on Wednesday
against what senior officials warned
was the prospect of $1 trillion in
military budget cuts and thousands
of layoffs, furloughs and reductions
in military programs over the next
decade.
Less than 24 hours after President
Obama signed a debt-ceiling bill
calling for trillions of dollars in
reduced government spending,
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta
and top Pentagon officials said that
large cuts to the Pentagon budget
which has more than doubled since
the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001
would imperil the nations security.
In a letter to Defense Department
personnel posted Wednesday morn-
ing on the Pentagons Web site, Mr.
Panetta warned that if a
Congressional panel could not reach
agreement on cuts to the nations
deficit, it could trigger a round of
dangerous across-the-board defense
cuts that would do real damage to
our security, our troops and their
families, and our ability to protect
the nation.
Mr. Panettas letter was followed
by a briefing to reporters by a senior
Pentagon official who said that
while he did not want to alarm peo-
ple in the Defense Department, he
saw the possibility of involuntary
separations or the laying off of
military personnel as well as lay-
offs and furloughs of civilians who
work for the Pentagon.
Wednesdays sound of alarm from
the Defense Department was its
opening salvo in what are certain to
be many months of battles over mil-
itary spending and how much the
Pentagon should have to give up in
a new era of austerity. No one in the
building disputes that the huge mili-
tary buildup since the Sept. 11
attacks is coming to an end, but the
Pentagon is already drawing a line
about how far it is willing to go.
On Wednesday, that line was $400
billion in military cuts over the next
decade and no more.
Although White House officials
estimate that an immediate $1 tril-
lion in cuts called for in the debt-
ceiling bill will take $350 billion
from the Pentagon over the next
decade, the Pentagon official said
that as he measured it, the cuts
amounted to $400 billion.
Pentagon sounds alarm on threat of budget cuts
Cheers and applause broke out on the House
floor as Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), still
recuperating from a shot in the brain,
returned to Washington DC to vote for the
debt limit compromise bill.
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta fears that large cuts to Pentagon
budget would imperil the nations security.
Muslims loyal to US,
hopeful: Poll
Washington: A decade after the
September 11 terrorist attacks, a
Gallup poll released on Tuesday
found that the vast majority of
Muslim Americans say they are
loyal to the US and optimistic
about the future, even though they
are more likely than other reli-
gious groups to say they recently
experienced discrimination.
Nine out of 10 Muslim
Americans said that their co-reli-
gionists in the US were not sym-
pathetic to Al Qaeda, the group
held responsible for the 2001
attacks. Majorities in other reli-
gious groups agreed that Muslim
Americans did not sympathize
with Al Qaeda, but the percent-
ages were much lower.
India Newswire 11
TheSouthAsianTimes.info August 6-12, 2011
Gowda new Karnataka chief minister
Bangalore: Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) MP D.V. Sadananda Gowda
took oath as Karnataka chief minis-
ter succeeding scam-hit B. S.
Yeddyurappa, whose prosecution
in a graft case was approved by
Governor H.R. Bhardwaj.
The 58-year-old Gowda was
elected the BJP legislature wing
leader in a secret ballot amid high
drama that exposed cracks in the
ruling party that took power for the
first time in Karnataka in May
2008.
He defeated Rural Development
Minister Jagdish Shettar narrowly.
Gowda got 63 votes and Shettar 55
as 118 legislators took part in the
voting to decide a successor to
Yeddyurappa, who quit Sunday
after being indicted for corruption
by the Karnataka ombudsman, N.
Santosh Hegde.
Soon after the election Gowda
met Bhardwaj and staked claim to
form the government. The gover-
nor accepted the claim. He took
oath alone as differences have
cropped up in the party in the wake
of a bitter fight to be the party's
second chief minister in a little
over three years.
Gowda, a known Yeddyurappa
loyalist, will be the BJPs' second
chief minister in a little over three
years and will have 22-months in
office as the assembly' s term
expires May 2013.
A two-time Lok Sahba member
and two-time assembly member, he
will be the second chief minister
from coastal Karnataka after M.
Veerappa Moily, now the corporate
affairs minister in the central gov-
ernment.
The voting to choose between
Gowda and Shettar took place after
a stormy two-hour meeting of the
legislators. Speaker K.G. Bopaiah
and a nominated member did not
vote. As Gowda is not a member of
the state assembly, he will have to
get elected to the house or get nom-
inated to the council within six
months.
Gowda was backed by the
Yeddyurappa faction while Shettar
had the support of the faction led
by Bangalore South Lok Sabha
member Ananth Kumar and party's
state president K.S. Eshwarappa.
Yeddyurappa is facing five cases
of corruption and illegal land deals
filed by two Bangalore advocates.
On July 28, the BJP parliamen-
tary board decided that
Yeddyurappa should go. Party
leaders said he was damaging the
BJP's image. On Yeddyurappa's
prosecution, a communique from
Raj Bhavan said: "The governor
recommended the Karnataka
Lokayukta to initiate criminal pro-
ceedings against Yeddyurappa ...
on the basis of the ombudsman's
investigation report on illegal min-
ing. "The governor also directed
the ombudsman to take action
against Yeddyurappa through the
Lokayukta police and conveyed his
decision to the registrar of the
Lokayukta."
In his final report on the mining
scam, Hegde recommending the
prosecution of Yeddyurappa, four
cabinet ministers and scores of
officers found guilty under the
Prevention of Corruption Act.
Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh offering sweets to D.V. Sadananda
Gowda (right). Gowda is former chief minister BS
Yeddyurappas yes man.
Delhi CM cornered
over CWG scam
New Delhi: Delhi Chief
Minister Sheila Dikshit
has found herself in trou-
ble after a leaked
Comptroller and Auditor
General (CAG) report
indicted her of involve-
ment in irregularities in
contracts related to
Commonwealth Games
and the opposition
demanded her resignation.
An angry Dikshit retali-
ated by saying that her
government has not "done
anything wrong". "We
have not done anything
wrong. Everything was
done keeping in mind the
national interest and pres-
tige.
We were entrusted with
certain responsibilities
and we delivered them,"
Dikshit said.
Earlier in the day, a sen-
ior Delhi government
official defended the gov-
ernment. Delhi Chief
Secretary P.K. Tripathi
said media reports quot-
ing the CAG report "does
not give facts accurately".
"The reportage of the
CAG report does not give
the facts accurately and
we would like to correct it
so that the image of the
government is not
maligned," Tripathi told
mediapersons in a hur-
riedly called press confer-
ence.
"The media reports said
that for street lighting four
parties were selected of
which one was selected
later on directions of the
chief minister. We want to
make it clear that at no
stage did the chief minis-
ter give any such direc-
tions.
"It was decided by the
board of assessors who
made recommendations.
At first Spaceage (compa-
ny give the contract) was
not selected and later they
made a representation.
The CM has simply
marked it to the engineer-
in-chief and did not even
make any recommenda-
tion.
"The Works Advisory
board is headed by the
principal secretary of
PWD. The board rejected
Spaceage. It was after
being rejected by the
Works Advisory Board
that the company went to
the court and then the
court ordered that they
have to be included.
So their inclusion is at
the behest of the high
court and not on the direc-
tions of the chief minis-
ter," added Tripathi.
The CAG report leaked
faulted the Prime
Minister's Office for let-
ting Suresh Kalmadi run
the Commonwealth
Games Organising
Committee.
The report, yet to be
tabled in parliament, also
said that the Delhi gov-
ernment and civic agen-
cies overspent Rs. 100
crore on streetscaping and
Rs. 31 crore on street
lightning.
Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit.
Raja, PM exchanged
19 letters on 2G
New Delhii: The prime
minister and former tele-
com minister A Raja
exchanged 19 letters on the
issue of 2G spectrum and
licences in about four years
between 2006 and 2010.
It included a four-page
detailed explanation of Raja
on allegations against him
on the controversial
January 2008 allocation of
2G spectrum and licences,
which is now under multi-
ple investigations and for
which Raja and several oth-
ers are in jail.
The explanation was sent
by Raja on April 21, 2010,
almost six months after CBI
filed its FIR against
unnamed persons in the 2G
scam. Raja rubbished the
allegations as "motivated
and malafide, exhibiting a
deliberate attempt to malign
me".
The minister told the PM
that the allegations of
Subramanian Swamy, in his
write petition before the
Delhi High Court, were all
taken from a newspaper,
"which is the party maga-
zine of BJP". The minister
called the allegations "mali-
cious", and told the PM
about the defamation case
he had filed against a Tamil
bi-weekly, Junior Vikatan,
for carrying similar articles.
Raja also told the PM that
Green House Promoters
and Equaas Estates, both
companies accused of being
his fronts, had filed crimi-
nal complaints against the
allegations in the media. "It
is clear that there are some
'vested interests' including
the above named petitioner
in filing the case against me
before the Delhi HC and
they are bent upon bringing
down my image as well as
the image of the govern-
ment of India on such false
news and premises," Raja
told the PM.
The PM replied on April
26 to Raja' s explanation
with a terse reply, "I have
received your letter of 21
April, 2010 regarding" the
case filed by Swamy. He
signed off with "warm
regards" to Raja. In fact,
most of the PM's letters to
Raja were such terse confir-
mations of Raja's missives.
The 19 letters were provid-
ed by the PMO in response
to an RTI plea filed by New
Delhi-based advocate and
RTI activist Vivek Garg.
While 11 of the letters were
from Raja to the PM, eight
were from the PM to Raja.
However, it was not the
last communication
between the two before
Raja resigned in November
2010 from the Cabinet. The
last letter between them
was from the PM on July 7,
2010, "I have received your
letter of 2 July, 2010
regarding the recommenda-
tions of the Telecom
Regulatory Authority of
India on spectrum manage-
ment and licensing frame-
work." Raja's last letter to
the PM on July 2, 2010 said
the new recommendations
on spectrum management
and licensing framework
from TRAI should be
decided by a new empow-
ered group of ministers or
the Cabinet itself.
The prime minister Manmohan Singh with former
telecom minister A Raja.
12 India Newswire
August 6-12, 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
New Delhi: Team Anna began burning copies
of the government's version of the Lokpal Bill
that was tabled in Parliament on August 4.
Team Anna said the symbolic protest would
continue till August 16 when Gandhian Anna
Hazare will go on fast to protest the exclusion
of several recommendations made by civil
society members on the bill.
The proposed legislation introduced in the
Lok Sabha doesn't cover the Prime Minister
within the purview of the ombudsman during
his or her term in office. But once the Prime
Minister demits the office, he or she may be
investigated for any wrongdoing during the
term.
It also excludes the judiciary and any action
of an MP in Parliament or committee.
"To protest the unilateral, high-handed deci-
sion of the government, the copies of the bill
will be burnt from today," said civil society
member Arvind Kejriwal.
Having both investigation and prosecution
powers, the ombudsman once created will
have a chairperson and 10 members, half of
them judicial.
The institution will be appointed by the pres-
ident on the recommendation of the selection
committee consisting of the Prime Minister,
Speaker, leader of the House of which Prime
Minister is not member, minister of home
affairs, leader of opposition in both Houses,
judge of Supreme Court, chief justice of a high
court, President of National Academy of
Science, and cabinet secretary (secretary of
committee).
According to the draft bill, the ombudsman
will have powers to investigate all corruption
cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act,
1988.
It covers MPs, ministers, 'Group A' officers,
any 'Group A' officer in a company or body
owned by the government, any officer of a
society or trust that is financed by the govern-
ment or gets funds under Foreign Contribution
(Regulation) Act, 1976 or gets funds from the
public.
New Delhi: Finance Minister
Pranab Mukherjee has assured par-
liament all possible steps to tame
inflation and said there was no need
to temper growth even as an amend-
ment motion to condemn the gov-
ernment over price rise was defeated
320:51.
The Lok Sabha first passed a
motion moved by the opposition
with government consent that
expressed concern over price rise.
But an amendment moved by the
Left parties seeking to censure the
government over high inflation was
defeated in a division.
"That despite repeated discussions
on price rise in the house, the bur-
den of price rise on the common
man is continuing," Meira Kumar
said, reading the motion which was
moved by Bharatiya Janata Party's
Yashwant Sinha and Janata Dal-
United's Sharad Yadav.
"Expressing deep concern over
price rise, this house calls upon the
government to take immediate
effective steps to check inflation
that will give relief to the common
man," the speaker added.
She later put to division an
amendment to the motion, moved
by Communist Party of India leader
Gurudas Dasgupta, seeking to incor-
porate into it "failure" of the govern-
ment to control inflation. This
amendment was defeated 320 votes
to 51. Earlier, replying to the debate
Thursday, Mukherjee sought to
assure parliament that Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh's gov-
ernment was taking all possible
steps to tackle price rise, but said
there was no need to moderate
growth in a bid to tame inflation.
"There is no inherent contradic-
tion between inflation and growth,"
Mukherjee said in reply to a debate
in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of
parliament, on the opposition
motion that expresed deep concern
over price rise. The finance minister
said in the 1980s, India' s gross
domestic product (GDP) growth had
averaged slightly above 5 percent
and around 6 percent in the 1990s
which were low when compared
with the growth of around 8-8.5 per-
cent now.
"Was inflation low at that time?
No!" Mukherjee said, adding sever-
al steps were needed to tame infla-
tion and that the house -- both the
members of the treasury and opposi-
tion -- must collectively ensure
these measures are allowed to be
taken. "India was never known to
have a high growth rate. We have
brought inflation down from 22 per-
cent to around 8 percent," he said,
noting the previous Lok Sabha had
debated the price rise issue eight
times and the present Lok Sabha had
discussed it four times.
His comments came against the
backdrop of India's annual rate of
inflation based on wholesale prices
inching up to 9.44 percent for June
from 9.06 percent for the week
before and the opposition's demand
that the government either tames
price rise or quits.
Team Anna burns copies of Lokpal Bill
Growth with moderate
inflation needed: Pranab
Supporters of Anna Hazare burn copies of Lokpal Bill in New Delhi on August 4.
Finance Minister Pranab
Mukherjee arrives for the
Monsoon Parliamentary Session
in New Delhi.
India Newswire 13
TheSouthAsianTimes.info August 6-12, 2011
Acharya Lokesh gets
Communal Harmony
Award
Govt to pump Rs 1,732 crore
into Air India
New Delhi: Vice
President Hamid Ansari
presented the presti-
gious National
Communal Harmony
Award for 2010 to
Acharya Dr. Lokesh
Muni, founder of
Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti,
in a function held at the
Vigyan Bhavan in New
Delhi recently. Prime
Minister Dr. Manmohan
Singh, Home Minister
P. Chidambaram and
Home Minister (State)
Jitender Singh were
also present at the event. Acharya
Lokesh has been selected for his
remarkable contribution in the field
of peace, communal harmony and
non-violence.
On the occasion, the prime min-
ister said secularism does not mean
being irreligious but on the con-
trary, it is an index of religiousness
and spirituality. The more a person
is religious, the more he is secular.
The vice president said that prin-
ciple of Anekanta is the strongest
medium of mutual exchange of
views and Acharya Lokesh is a per-
fect principle of this. This award to
him is just an expression of grati-
tude towards his great contribution
for the country, he added.
Acharya Lokesh Muni, 50, is a
writer, orator and social worker. He
is the chief functionary of Ahimsa
Vishwa Bharti, a Delhi-based vol-
untary organization that aims at
promoting non-violence, peace,
communal harmony, working
against female foeticide and drug
addiction, providing help during
natural calamities, etc.
Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni being presented the
National Communal Harmony Award by Vice
President Hamid Ansari in New Delhi.
Special cell takes up issues of Indian
workers abroad
New Delhi: A recently set up special cell takes up par-
liament members' complaints regarding problems
faced by Indian workers aboard, the government said
on Thursday. "A cell has been set up in the recent past.
Any complaints by the MPs are addressed by the sec-
retary," External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said
replying to questions in the Rajya Sabha regarding 17
Indian laborers stranded in Malaysia.
He was replying to a suggestion for setting up a spe-
cial cell to address situations where Indian workers
face difficulties abroad.
"Usually the workers face difficulties, but they are
not able to get in touch with the ambassador there.
They then approach their families, which approach
MPs or MLAs (legislators) and then we come to the
minister," Congress member P.J. Kurien said.
Some other members also suggested a mechanism to
be developed in India, wherein the families of the
workers can approach authorities.
The minister first said he will consider the sugges-
tion but later said the overseas Indian affairs ministry
was already there to take care of the issue.
Replying to the question on 17 Indian workers from
Jharkhand being stranded in Malaysia after being
denied the promised wages, the minister said the work-
ers were with the Indian high commission in Kuala
Lumpur and the issue was being taken up by the
authorities.
New Delhi: In a bid to pump cash
into the financially-troubled Air
India, the government Thursday
cleared a Rs 1,732 crore package
for the flag carrier, that was strug-
gling even to pay salaries to its
staff. The decision was taken at a
meeting of the federal cabinet here,
presided over by Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh, who had
assured parliament a day ago that
swift steps will be taken to help the
carrier clear the backlog in the
wage bill.
The package calls for Rs 1,200
crore as equity and Rs 532 crore as
the fare for VVIP travel and evacu-
ation services rendered by the air-
line, so that the carrier can meet
both its immediate needs and also
raise funds on its own for its other
operational and fleet expansion
program, official sources said.
The airline is laden with a cumu-
lative debt of Rs.40,000 crore it
incurred over aircraft acquisition
and as short-term loans to maintain
its operations.
The cash-strapped carrier is also
seeking a total infusion of
Rs.17,000 crore, which includes
Rs.5,000 crore for this fiscal year
alone.
Earlier, the government had
infused Rs.4,000 crore in the previ-
ous two fiscals. The airline was
also promised another tranche of
Rs.2,000 crore this year in the
union budget.
Amul to Manipal, expat Goan
documents Indian success
Panaji: India's growing
potential is the subject of
admiration for Eugenio
Monteiro, a Goan-based in
Portugal, who has just
authored a book focusing
on India's rise as an eco-
nomic power.
The book, being
released Friday, is called
'The Rise of India'. It was
earlier published in
Spanish as 'El despertar de
la India'.
Monteiro sees India as 'a
country vast and diverse
like its challenges', and
goes about seeking to
explain its many facets in
the book. He sees a 'mira-
cle' in the recent economic
changes in India, and the
entrepreneurial energies
unleashed owing to them.
His overview is meant to
introduce an understand-
ing of India, from the
1600s to the East India
Company' s stay, right
down to the economic
changes India has seen in
recent times.
With the skill of an engi-
neer, Monteiro describes
how, despite lack of
resources and a large pop-
ulation, initiatives are
being offered in fields like
healthcare and education
in India.
Besides pointing to
some prominent industrial
groups, the book looks at
successful initiatives like
India's first private univer-
sity, the Manipal
University.
Monteiro also dwells on
the milk cooperative
Amul, telephony solu-
tions, philanthropy-based
private hospitals,
Bangalore-based Devi
Shetty' s revolution in
healthcare, the ' Jaipur
Foot', an artificial limb,
the Madurai-based
Aravind Eye Care System,
which has made eye care
affordable to poor and the
like.
Indian leads spiritual healing
project in Britain
London: Hospitals in Britain
under the National Health
Service are offering patients
'spiritual healing' under a proj-
ect led by an Indian-origin
man. The 205,000-pound
research project features 'heal-
ers' who pass their hands over
the patient's body to channel
'healing energy' to affected
areas in a 20-minute session.
Sukhdev Singh, a consultant
in gastroenterology is coordi-
nating the research. He said he
has been encouraged by the results so far.
'For many of the individuals we see, conven-
tional treatments do not provide the complete
answer. By being able to offer healing therapy,
we are able to offer complementary methods of
treatments which have been showing good
results,' Singh was quoted as saying by the Daily
Mail. Though supporters of spiritual healing
claim the energy can lessen pain, critics have
branded the theory as 'voodoo'.
They say the healing has 'no scientific basis'.
For the two-year study, the NHS Good Hope
Hospital in Sutton Coldfield has employed three
healers, who are recruiting 200
patients suffering from bowel condi-
tions. The patients are divided into
two groups - one which receives five
sessions straight away and the other
after a three-month delay.
The group that has had the treat-
ment will then be compared to the
one that has not. A patient, however,
said she refused to join the trial.
'How a person running their hands
over you can make a difference, I
really don't know. I think there is a
certain amount of pandering to peo-
ple' s desperation,' she said. ' The healing
appeared to be based on the Buddhist spiritual
practice of Reiki, which is ironic when Christian
doctors and nurses are warned about praying for
their patients,' she said.
The Healing Trust, Britain's largest healing
organization, healing works by correcting 'ener-
gy flow imbalances'. It said the therapy is usual-
ly 'non touching', and patients remain clothed.
Alternative medicine such as healing or
homoeopathy have been gaining acceptance in
Britain. Several NHS units allow volunteer heal-
ers to operate in hospitals.
Australian radio host calls India
'shit hole', Ganga a 'junkyard'
Sydney based Indians seek apology from radio station
Melbourne: An Australian radio show host is
facing criticism from the Indian community
over his reportedly derogatory comments on
India and Hinduism, in which he called river
Ganga a 'junkyard'.
A Sydney-based Indian group is seeking an
apology from the radio station following a
report that host Kyle Sandilands made anti-
India comments on his "Kyle and Jacky O"
show.
According to a report by a local ethnic TV
program 'Desi Kangaroos', Sandilands said
"India is a shit hole" and went further to
describe river Ganga as a 'junkyard'.
The Council of Indian Australians (CIA)
lashed out on Sandilands for the "insulting"
remarks, and has said it would take up the issue
with Australia's media regulatory body if it was
not amicably resolved.
"Sandilands made insulting comments
against India and ridiculed River Ganges which
is a sacred river in Hinduism. His ridicule
involved some of the practices of the followers
of Hinduism," CIA president Yadu Singh said
in an official statement.
Singh said he found Kyle's comments "insen-
sitive, insulting, hurtful and unwarranted" and
that he was upset and angered by them.
"Indian Australian community is a peaceful
and tolerant community... It does not attack any
nation, national group or religious practices of
any group. It is obviously not happy when oth-
ers attack them or their belief system," he said.
The body has written to his radio station,
demanding an apology from it and from
Sandilands.
It said it will pursue the matter and will seek
a satisfactory resolution, failing which the mat-
ter will be pursued with Australian
Communication & Media Authority (ACMA).
14 Diaspora
August 6-12, 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Toronto: With the Karnataka mining scam
making news in Canada, Indo-Canadian
honchos have urged New Delhi to address
concerns of foreign investors eyeing the
Indian mining sector.
Lack of information about policy goals
and current negative news about this sec-
tor are not 'the way to position India's min-
ing sector' in the global market, Hari
Panday, who started the ICICI Bank in
Canada, said.
Canada is the 'mining guru of the world'
and India should lose no time in explain-
ing its mining policies to this country as
well as Australia and South Africa, he
said. 'Last year, 70 percent of the world's
mining funds were raised here at the
Toronto Stock Exchange. India should
issue a white paper at this mining centre of
the world to tell global players about their
mining policies. Carry out road shows
across Canada to woo investors, profes-
sionals, regulators and stock exchanges
which are clueless about Indian policies,'
said Panday who is currently president &
CEO of Toronto-based PanVest Capital
Corporation which promotes two-way
investments between India and Canada.
He said Indian mining delegations come
here regularly each year, but 'these visits
are meaningless unless you tell global
investors that India means business.'
The Kanpur-born honcho was also criti-
cal of Indian policies which create stum-
bling blocks for its companies trying to
raise money abroad.
'Currently, any Indian company wishing
to list on the Toronto stock exchange
should be first listed on the Bombay Stock
Exchange. Worse still, the BSE is not even
an accredited exchange at the Toronto
stock exchange. It means if Canadian
investors buy and sell Indian equities, their
capital gain is hundred percent taxable.
This is not the way do business,' Panday
said.
He said India should allow foreign
investors to take their money back and
forth.
Hemant Shah, sales director at the
Canadian mining equipment leader Cubex
Ltd., said, 'Canada can be India's one-stop
mining shop as it has the all global mining
companies listed here. In Toronto, you can
raise money not only from Canada, but
also from all over the world.'
Shah, who has been selling mining
equipment to India for three decades, said,
'Indian bureaucrats come here but they
have failed to sell India. Instead, ministers
should visit here to assure companies
which are jittery about investing in India.'
India urged to issue global
white paper on mining
Kyle Sandilands
Cover page of the book
"The Rise of India"
(inset) Expat Goan
author Eugenio
Monteiro
'The healing is based on
the Buddhist spiritual
practice of Reiki
India Jewelry Week fuses
traditional with modern
Buyers' resolute thumbs up to Delhi Couture Week
T
he second edition of India
International Jewellery
Show (IIJW) was a daz-
zling affair, held from 31st July to
4th August, 2011 at Grand Hyatt,
Mumbai. Conceptualized by the
Gem and Jewellery Export
Promotion Council in 2010, IIJW
met with a mega success in year
one itself. The second edition had
a score and more leading jewelry
designers/design houses display-
ing their collections and master-
pieces to a niche audience.
Indias topmost models and
Bollywood stars, past and pres-
ent, sashayed down the ramp
wearing the premium designer
jewelry.
From Day One at the IIJW, it
became clear that jewelry design-
ers were fusing the traditional
with the contemporary. There was
a heady dose of bling, expensive
gems, sparkling rocks and spec-
tacular gold jewelry along with a
generous splash of divas at the
IIJW. While actor and brand
ambassador Sonam Kapoor sport-
ed resplendent pearl ornaments as
she inaugurated the event, minis-
ter for tourism, Subodh Kant
Sahay, was also present with his
daughter.
At the Gitanjali show, precious
jewels shared the limelight with
Bollywood divas such as Bipasha
Basu, Soha Ali Khan and Riya
Sen. The emphasis was on tradi-
tional designs set in a contempo-
rary pattern. Actor Kangana
Ranaut was seen sporting tribal
jewelry in heavy gold at the
Amrapali show a trend that
won praise from the audience.
Gehna jewelers showed some
brilliant cuffs in their collection
and Sangam chains had gold
chains and bubble bangles on dis-
play. The Tanishq show also saw
beautiful, wearable and function-
al jewelry.
IIJW is an initiative to show-
case India's finest in jewelry, be it
design, innovation, craftsman-
ship, technology or quality to the
customers around the globe.
India, the world diamond leader,
is today burgeoning with energy
and passion when it comes to
jewelry.
T
he Synergy1 Delhi Couture Week
(DCW) that concluded Aug 1 with an
impressive showcase by veteran
designer Rohit Bal was a huge hit with buy-
ers and has opened up new business opportu-
nities, the man behind the show says.
"Manish Malhotra's entire collection was
bought by designer boutique Karma. The
new store 'Evoluzione' purchased the outfits
of almost all the designers. Varun Bahl's line
was taken by Ensemble, Aza and Ogaan.
These are just some examples of an event
that was a successful venture," said Sunil
Sethi, president of Fashion Design Council
of India (FDCI).
The second edition of the couture week,
held at Hotel Taj Palace, New Delhi was all
about extravagant fashion, glamour, luxury
and of course Bollywood with stars like
Aishwarya Rai, Sharmila Tagore, Madhuri
Dixit, Sonam Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha,
Shradha Kapoor, Rahul Khanna, Zayed
Khan, Soha Ali Khan,Jacqueline Fernandez,
Arjun Rampal and Urmila Matondkar graced
the event with their presence.
Leading designers like Varun Bahl, JJ
Valaya, Meera & Muzaffar Ali, Manav
Gangwani, Suneet Varma, Adarsh Gill, Anju
Modi, Ashima-Leena, Shantanu & Nikhil,
Manish Malhotra, Gaurav Gupta and of
course Rohit Bal, showcased their haute cou-
ture line. With new title sponsor, the organiz-
ers made sure that the fashion extravaganza
proved to be an ideal business platform for
all the participants to widen their customer-
base. Sethi also believes that it is necessary
for the designer brand to be the part of the
couture week, especially those who are
known to be the best couturiers.
Designer duo Shantanu and Nikhil, who
showcased a collection titled "Perfume",
were amazed at the response they received
after the show.
"It was a consumer event which went
amazingly well. The timing of couture week
was apt because the bridal season will now
kick off. At out show, we had at least 70 per-
cent of our clients," Shantanu said.
Actress Zarine Khan sported designs by Johra Jewels.
Kangana Ranaut sported tribal
jewelry in heavy gold for
Amrapali at IIJW.
Bollystar Sonam Kapoor walked the ramp
for Manish Malhotra couture show as a
surprise showstopper
Actor Shradha Kapoor walked for designer
Anju Modi
New Bollywood sensation Sonakshi Sinha
walked the ramp for Shantanu And Nikhil
A model displaying an eye-catching design
by Rohit Bal
C. Krishniah Chetty & Son
showed ornaments for men too.
A model walking the ramp with
Gehna jewlery
Tanishq show saw elegant yet
wearable jewelry.
Fashion 15
TheSouthAsianTimes.info August 6-12, 2011
16 Ultimate Bollywood
August 6-12, 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
P
rakash Jha isnt displeased with the
controversies over his new socio-
political flick Aarakshan that dared
to tackle the combustible topic of reserva-
tions in educational institutions in India.
The acclaimed director, having tasted box
office success with his last film Rajneeti
(Politics) may not admit it but controver-
sies usually help sell cinema tickets.
When asked whether opposition by some
vociferous and influential pro-reservation
critics of the film will delay its release
(scheduled for August 12), he says, No
delays, as the Censor Board has already
passed it. These people have been talking
to the press not to me.
Aarakshan, Jha clarifies, is neither
anti- not pro-reservation. It tries to under-
stand the system, the pain of living with it,
and communicating it.
He even insists that the story goes fur-
ther to underscore the commercialization
of education, where those who can pay the
capitation fee get into good schools and
colleges. Reservations helps some others
get in. The losers are those who are neither
moneyed nor belong to reservation sys-
tems beneficiary castes.
Speaking to the SATimes on the phone
from Mumbai, Jha agreed that the divide
between haves and have-nots is growing
into a serious problem in India, giving rise
to Maoist violence in Bihar, to which Jha
belongs, and surrounding states.
Jha denies reports that Ajay Devgan was
to initially essay the role that went to Saif
Ali Khan. Ajay was not available, but he
would be in my next movie which is about
the development of the country. Satsang
is another project about religion and gurus
that he would take up later.
The bearded director disagrees that
Devgan would have been more suited to
play a Dalit man in Aarakshan, arguing,
Please dont underestimate Saif who has
given a new dimension to that role.
The director who has been making films
for almost 25 years and has received many
awards, does not deny that starting with
Rajneeti (2010), the big star cast (Devgan,
Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor) has helped
him hit the bulls eye, but would like to
thank the big stars (in Aakarshan they
include Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika
Padukone) for agreeing to work in his
projects.
He also points out that Gangajal (2003)
and Apaharan (2005) too met with modest
commercial success.
When asked about his connection with
the pro-Dalit Lok Janshakti Party, founded
by Ram Vilas Paswan in Bihar, on whose
ticket he contested the Lok Sabha election
in1999, Jha says, I was never a member
of the party. I applied to the public that I
want to serve in Lok Sabha, but my appli-
cation was rejected. Now I am done with
politics.
Now for the last five years he has been
involved with development initiatives in
Bihar-- spearheading growth in infrastruc-
ture, healthcare and vocational training
facilities in the state through his NGO
Anubhooti.
T
he boy is a dreamer. One
look at the former President
of India A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
on television and Chotu decides to
call himself Kalam. Kalam
believes every child has the right to
education.
Without the least display of pity
or preachiness, debutant director
Nila Madab Panda creates a world
of infinite hope and minuscule joys
for his precocious unlettered but
smart protagonist Chotu.
The wispy but firm-handed nar-
ration weaves through Chotu's rela-
tionships with various characters in
his life his uncle, the dhaba
owner Bhatti, which is played with
endearing warmth by Gulshan
Grover, the jealous Bachchan-
crazy recruit at the dhaba Laptan
(Pitobash, natural in his unsophisti-
cated meanness), the free-spirited
French tourist Lucy (Betarice
ordeix), and above all, Chotu's rap-
port with the Rajasthani royalty
Ranvijay Singh (Husaan Saad), a
kind lonely aristocrat boy who
eagerly befriends Chotu to share
his luxurious but solitary life with.
The shared moments between
Chotu and his motley crew of com-
pelling characters are tender and
genuine. The characters are never
slotted or allowed to become
stereotypical. They convey a kind
of free-flowing casualness that
makes them real and yet dramatic
in a subtle way.
The film's social message of edu-
cation-for-all is underlined but
never italicized. It's left to the boy
protagonist Harsh Mayar to bring
out the theme's inherent message
without making the plot heavy or
didactic.
A scene from the movie 'I Am Kalam.'
Prakash Jha directing Amitabh Bachchan in Aarakshan, who is said to have copied
Jha's look for his role.
S
ome are busy changing
nappies, others are prepar-
ing to welcome their first
child: motherhood is the buzz-
word in tinseltown! While
Aishwarya Rai and Lara Dutta
are in the family way, Konkona
Sen Sharma, Mandira Bedi and
Preeti Jhangiani are relishing
playing hands-on moms to their
newborns.
The much-awaited news of
Aishwarya's pregnancy was bro-
ken to the fans and film fraternity
by her father-in-law, megastar
Amitabh Bachchan, in June. The
Bachchan household was over-
joyed with the news - with papa-
to-be Abhishek thanking every-
one for their "love, support and
blessings".
In a recent interview, Abhishek
said: "I want a daughter who will
look like Aishwarya".
Meanwhile, work has taken a
backseat for Aishwarya, who was
been replaced by Kareena Kapoor
in Madhur Bhandarkar's ambi-
tious project "Heroine".
Lara, who married tennis ace
Mahesh Bhupathi in February, is
the latest to confirm her pregnan-
cy. "We are excited about the
baby," tweeted Lara, who had tied
the knot in a church wedding in
Goa amid close family and
friends. In the meantime, it' s
celebrity mothers like actress-
turned-TV host Mandira, Preeti
and Konkona, who are making
the most of the joys of mother-
hood.
Married to filmmaker Raj
Kaushal, Mandira had a son on
July 17, after 12 years of mar-
riage. They are proud parents of a
baby boy, whom they have named
Vir.
The excited father had taken to
Twitter to share his joy. He post-
ed: "Ladies and gentlemen..the
czar of our lives Mr Vir Kaushal
has arrived, " while Mandira
wrote: "And here starts an excit-
ing new chapter of my life! "
Preeti and her husband, Parveen
Dabbas, who are gearing up for
the release of their debut produc-
tion and direction venture "Sahi
Dhandhe Galat Bande", respec-
tively, also joined the list of new
celebrity parents with the birth of
their son in April.
Another celebrity couple shar-
ing parental responsibilities these
days are Konkona and Ranvir
Shorey.
Within six months of their mar-
riage, Konkona gave birth to baby
boy Haroon in March. They were
in a relationship for over three
years, and solemnised their wed-
ding in a low-key, private cere-
mony.
The stork also visited other
Bollywood celebrities in the first
half of this year! Actor Manoj
Bajpayee's wife, Neha (real name
Shabana Raza) had a daughter in
February. They named her Ava
Nayla. It was the "most memo-
rable day" for Manoj, who will
soon be seen in Prakash Jha' s
"Aarakshan".
The stork comes visiting B-town
Actor Lara Dutta, who married tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi in
February, is the latest to confirm her pregnancy.
'I Am Kalam,' a message
without preaching
'Aarakshan is not anti- or pro-reservation'
An interview with director Prakash Jha by Parveen Chopra
Ultimate Bollywood 17
Thesouthasiantimes.info August 6-12, 2011
A
ctors Saif Ali Khan and
Deepika Padukone will
appear as special guests
on the fifth season of the game
show "Kaun Banega Crorepati",
which starts off August 15 with
megastar Amitabh Bachchan as
the host.
"One interesting candidate and
the entire anxiety of the working
of the show just flies past .. we
had a few today and tomorrow
is another day .. let us hope that
al l goes wel l . . t he second
episode towards the evening
will have invites to Saif and
Deepika .. who come to promote
their film and mine as well -
'Aarakshan' !!!"Amitabh posted
on his blog bigb.bigadda.com.
"In many ways, the philoso-
phy of the film and that of KBC
is quite similar. Given opportu-
nity, even the lesser privileged
shall prosper. Or at least have
t he capaci t y t o prosper, " he
wrote.
However, Mumbai rai ns
played spoilsport as the produc-
tion unit had to stall the shoot-
ing of the show several times
due to the noise of the rain.
"The rains have been inces-
sant.. and so harsh that we had
to stop shooting KBC at times,
because of the noise factor. But
all in all a most satisfying day
harsh and hard, but satisfac-
tory," Amitabh said.
Saif had previously appeared
with actress Preity Zinta in the
second season of t he show,
while Deepika came as a guest
last year although she didn' t
play.
F
or the past few weeks,
Bipasha Basus personal life
has been grabbing headlines.
Daily stories of her break-up with
long-time beau John Abraham
flood the news, but the actor
insists, I have nothing to say.
Enough has already been spoken
about it. Right now, I am enjoying
life.
Keeping her distracted are multi-
ple movie projects, including her
first Hollywood flick, Roland
Joffes Singularity, which the actor
just finished working on.
Yes, I have wrapped up work on
Singularity, says Bipasha with a
smile. And now, the film is in
Rolands hands. I think he is busy
with the post-production. Honestly,
Im proud to have done the movie
at a time when global filmmakers
are finding India exciting.
The actor plays Tulaja Naik, a
Maratha warrior, in the film thats
set against the backdrop of the first
Anglo-Maratha war in 18th century
colonial India. The story revolves
around the romance between
Tulaja and British soldier James
Stewart, played by Josh Hartnett
(Pearl Harbor, 2001, Sin City,
2005).
As an actor, it was a very chal-
lenging film, she says. Working
with Roland has been a novel
experience. And although
Singularity is over, life continues
to be hectic for Bipasha, who says
with a smile, But I am not com-
plaining. Thats the way I love it.
A
fter setting the "Bigg Boss" house in India
on fire, "Baywatch" beauty Pamela
Anderson has now decided to feature on the
British version of the reality show "Big Brother".
The 44-year-old is on the brink of signing up for
the show, which will go on air Channel 5 this month,
reports dailystar.co.uk.
"I am very excited. I will just be myself and have
fun with the contestants in the house," she said.
Anderson has an edge over her rivals as she has
already been on the show.
In 2008 she joined the Australian "Big Brother".
Last year she spent three days on India's "Bigg
Boss".
Bipasha Basu.
Actors Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone.
Saif, Deepika to
appear on KBC 5
I'm nervous about TV debut: Dutt
S
anjay Dutt is excited about
his TV debut with reality
show "Bigg Boss 5", but
admits he is nervous too!
"I'm pretty nervous doing it. I've
never done it, I don't know what it
will be but I know one thing that it
will be very different," Sanjay, who
turned 52, said.The actor, who is
said to be teaming up with Salman
Khan for the controversial show,
reveals Salman won't be with him
throughout the season.
Nevertheless, he promises to try to
make it fun.
"Salman will introduce me in the
show and will do two episodes
with me and then I'll be on my
own. Salman asked me to do it and
I thought I should do it. It's some-
thing new for me. It's a good plat-
form. I'm going to have fun. That is
the way I am. I will not make it
serious," he added.
"Bigg Boss" is a reality show
where celebrity contestants stay in
a single house for about three
months, with no connection to the
outside world. They are overseen
by a mysterious person known as
"Bigg Boss", whose only presence
in the house is through his voice.
Sanjay Dutt.
Kareena says no to 'Mandakini' act!
K
areena Kapoor may have
said 'yes' to play Mandakini's
character in Milan Luthria's
Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Part
2, but little did she know what being
Madakini really meant. Apart from
playing the don's girlfriend, the role
as envisaged by the filmmaker
required Kareena to get wet under a
waterfall a la Madakini style. This
technically means the actress had to
wear a white saree and sit under the
gushing water as done by Mandakini
in her 1985 superhit film Ram Teri
Ganga Maili, produced and directed
by Kareena's grandpa, the legendary
(late) Raj Kapoor.
This scene, however famous, has
not gone down too well with the
modern day Mandakini, Kareena.
A source revealed, "Madakini is
remembered for that scene in Ram
Teri Ganga Maili. Milan didn't ask
Kareena to go so bold. However, the
scene that he had envisaged was
quite titillating and demanded a cer-
tain amount of exposure. Kareena
was not comfortable with it." The
scene in question was meant to be
Kareena' s introductory scene in
OUATIM Part 2. The actress has
refused to do the scene point blank.
Kareena told Luthria politely but in
no uncertain terms that she wouldn't
do such a outrageously wild scene
even if it weren't to the effect of what
Mandakini did.
Explaining, Luthria's desire to have
the scene in the first place, our source
said, "See, there's no denying that
OUATIM Part 2 is a story based on
the dreaded underworld don Dawood
and his friend-turned-foe Chhota
Rajan. And Kareena plays the role
similar to that of Mandakini, who
was allegedly very close to Dawood
at a point in time. Luthria, simply
wanted to establish the connect."
The film will go on floors in
January. "Work is in progress.
Luthria and Bebo are working
around it. Whatever is done or
changed will have to suit Kareena's
sensibilities," added our source. Kareena Kapoor.
Pamela
Anderson.
Bips wraps up first
Hollywood film
Now, 'Big Brother' for Pamela
18 Tourism
August 6-12, 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
H
aving had the reputation of a
'sarkari' city that goes dead at night,
Chandigarh is all set to give itself
an image makeover after darkness falls.
The city's administration is planning to pro-
mote night tourism by illuminating the
city's buildings and monuments.
"Chandigarh Tourism has planned to pro-
mote night tourism in the city to add a new
dimension to its product. Architectural edi-
fices and monuments of Le Corbusier
(Chandigarh's founder-architect) shall be
illuminated keeping in view their prime
importance in the city's history," Arvind
Malhotra, GM-tourism, Chandigarh
Industrial & Tourism Development
Corporation (CITCO), said.
The city's 'Capitol Complex' in Sector 1,
which houses the buildings designed by Le
Corbusier and his team in the 1950s and
1960s, will see buildings like the Punjab
and Haryana civil secretariat complex,
assembly complex and the Punjab and
Haryana high court complex being illumi-
nated.
"Visitors and tourists would now be able
to get an opportunity to marvel at the archi-
tectural edifices of Chandigarh during the
evening and night time also. The illumina-
tion of these architectural buildings shall be
done in such a manner that there will be a
high visual effect. The illumination of these
buildings would give a boost to night
tourism in Chandigarh," Malhotra said.
Chandigarh, a union territory, is the joint
capital of Punjab and Haryana states. The
city, with a population of nearly one mil-
lion, attracts a lot of tourists since it is the
gateway to states like Himachal Pradesh,
Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
"Having evolved as a big commercial,
educational and healthcare centre in this
part of the country, Chandigarh gets a lot of
visitors. Many foreigners come here to
study the city's architectural concepts and
marvel at the city itself," Vikas Handa, who
runs a travel agency, said.
To make the night tourism experience
better, Chandigarh Tourism even plans to
conduct evening sightseeing tours on the
city's double-decker 'Hop on Hop off' buses
to the city's tourist attractions and monu-
ments.
The administration has already initiated a
plan to landscape and light up entry points
to Chandigarh on the peripheral routes at
Mullanpur, Mohali and Panchkula.
Tourism officials say that they want to
change the image of Chandigarh being just
a transit getaway for visitors.
"They should come here and enjoy the
city during the day and night. Chandigarh
offers so much with the Sukhna Lake, Rock
Garden and Rose Garden, the beautifully
landscaped parks and green belts, main-
tained roads, Panjab University campus and
much more," a tourism official said.
The administration has also decided to
enhance the ambience of the Rock Garden,
a unique place created by Nek Chand from
waste materials like broken bangles, ceram-
ic items, broken lights and switches and
other discarded material, with a plan for
lighting up of the famous attraction.
The Open Hand monument of
Chandigarh illuminated at the Capitol
Complex in Sector 1.
The illumination of the Punjab and Haryana Civil secretariat building at the
Capitol Complex in Sector 1.
The illuminated structures at Chandigarh's famous Rock Garden.
Chandigarh to shine
bright at night
S
ix decades since India's in-
dependence, does the nation
know this city beyond Gate-
way of India and CST Station?
Still present in its many lanes, and
lost among the many skyscrapers
and bursting population, is a bit of
history, hoping to be discovered
some day. While others may be
demolished or lost forever due to
lack of care or general wear and
tear, these edices continue to tell
stories of the city's past.
Now, Varsha Shirgaonkar, pro-
fessor and head, department of
history, SNDT Women's Universi-
ty and Rahul Chemburkar, conser-
vation architect, both advisory
members to the department of ar-
chaeology and museums, Maha-
rashtra, take Mumbaikars back in
time to help them nd some hid-
den gems within a busy and teem-
ing metropolis.
1. Kala Ghoda statue is not lo-
cated at Kala Ghoda
*
This statue was erected some-
time in 1870s in the Fort area. It
was moved to its present location
inside Jijamata Udyan, Byculla in
1865.
*
Made of black granite stone, it
shows a king mounted on a horse.
*
The king, who is depicted in
the statue, was King Edward VII,
also known as Prince of Wales.
Edward VII was King of the UK
and the British Dominions and
Emperor of India from January 22,
1901 until his death on May 6,
1910.
*
The popular annual Kala Gho-
da festival of Mumbai is held in
the art district named after this
statue.
2. Reay Road is named after a
man who was the Governor of
Bombay between 1885 and 1890
*
This statue of Lord Raey at the
JJ School of Arts compound is
dedicated to a man after whom an
area in South Mumbai and a rail-
way station are named.
*
It shows a man in the attire of
a knight, reading a book while
seated on a chair.
*
The entire structure is made in
bronze and was made by Sir Al-
fred Gilbert in 1895. The height of
the statue is 2.4 meters. There is
no plaque but the visible letters
say 'Broad and Son, Founders-
London, England'.
*
The original statue was erect-
ed at the corner of the Oval (Veer
Nariman Road) before being
moved to its present location.
3. This fountain that sits inside
a church was imported from
England
*
Sir Cowasji Jehangir's Foun-
tain is located inside St Thomas
Cathedral's compound at Veer Na-
riman Road and has a Gothic style
two-tier structure in Portland
stone with a pinnacle.
*
The fountain was constructed
in England and sent through ship-
ment on board the ship called Ba-
yard.
*
It was donated by Parsi phi-
lanthropist Sir Cowasji Jehangir,
who also gifted 40 fountains to the
city, to be placed inside a church
premise.
*
The fountain was placed with-
in the church at a cost of Rs
13,777 on May 22, 1866. The
fountain's upper tier has four dec-
orative bowls supported on circu-
lar pillars. The lower tier has a cir-
cular pattern, which intersect at in-
tervals
4. A mini Gateway of India
that is not at the Gateway
*
The Gateway of India replica
is located at Gamdevi and is a part
of a whole stone model of Gate-
way of India
*
Yashwantrao Harishchandra
Desai, who also worked on the
original monument and was a con-
tractor, built it. He was an alum-
nus of JJ School of Arts and
worked on several other projects
like The General Post Ofce and
The Prince of Wales Museum. The
stone used in both the monuments
is the same.
*
The structure today stands for-
gotten and deled near Desai's
home in memory of the man who
built the iconic gateway on the
shores of the port city.
5. These memorial stones tell
stories of ancient warriors
*
These six paliyas or memorial
stones seem to have been set in
front of a temple, which stood on
the top of the pond bank in the Ek-
sar Village of Borivli, a site after-
wards taken over by a Portuguese
granary.
*
All, except one, which is bro-
ken, have their tops carved into
large funereal urns, with long
heavy ears and hanging bows of
ribbon, and oating gures bring-
ing chaplets and wreaths. The
faces of the slabs are richly cut in
from two to eight level belts of
carving; the gures in bold relief
chiselled with much skill.
*
Each stone records the
prowess of warriors.
*
In each case the story begins
with the lowest belt and works to
the top.
So you've got your backpack
ready, your visa done, numbers
and addresses all in a book and
ready to catch that ight for the all
Euro trip but do you have a good
plan for a small thing known as
Forex?
I
f you are anything like me,
clumsy and horribly bad with
money... here are a couple of
things you should know and take
care of before you depart for your
journey.
Non-Euro using countries:
While most of Europe has
switched to single currency 'Euro',
there are still some countries like
Switzerland, Scandinavia and
Eastern European countries, which
are still operating with their former
currencies.
Traveler checks: Okay, they
maybe touted as an easy and safe
way to carry money however prac-
tically they do not make much
sense as nding a bank to ex-
change checks for money can be
quite a harrowing experience. Re-
member banks have a closing time.
Usage of cards: Debit and cred-
it cards are a better way of spend-
ing in Europe primarily because of
two reasons. One, the rates offered
while using a debit card are mar-
ginally better, second, you can
withdraw money anytime and any-
where from an ATM.
Preferred cards: Widely accept-
ed in Europe are Visa cards, fol-
lowed by MasterCard and Maes-
tro. If you have an American Ex-
press card, leave it at home, be-
cause majority of places do not ac-
cept them.
Cash Transactions work better:
Paying by cash will help you avoid
charges your bank will slap you
with for each transaction you do us-
ing their debit or credit card. Ex-
penses from travel, stay, food and
leisure activities are all xed so you
can always pay for them by cash.
Where to get the best deal:
Avoid buying currency from the
airport, train or bus stations. You
will get the worst of exchange rates
from here. The sure shot place to
get the best of currency deals are
the local post ofces, especially in
the UK. They do not charge any
commission. However, if a PO is
not available it is best to rely on
ATMs over currency kiosks as the
banks will give you better rates.
Avoid touts: Do not get tempted
by the oh-so-lovely rates they of-
fer, more than not, it is a way to
dupe you.
Pick pocketing nightmare: As
unfortunate as it is, you do not
want to be stranded in a foreign
country without your things, one,
your verication details and two,
money. Pick pocketing is seen in
countries like Spain, Italy and
Greece so keep your wallet safe.
Do not carry too much cash and if
you have to split the money keep it
in different places.
Travel 19
Kala Ghoda, at Jijamata Udyan,Byculla in Mumbai.
Sir Cowasji Jehangir's Fountain
is located inside St Thomas
Cathedral's compound at Veer
Nariman Road.
Mumbai beyond Gateway of India
Money Matters while visiting Europe
Ready to catch that flight for the all Euro trip? Here are a couple of things you should know
and take care of before you depart for your journey.
Historical places lie undiscovered in this city, beyond the usual tourist traps.
Learn the stories behind these lesser-known spots.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info August 6-12, 2011
20 Subcontinent
August 6-12, 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Beijing: China will step up its anti-terrorism
cooperation with Pakistan to ensure regional
peace and stability, Xinhua reported.
China and Pakistan have forged excellent
cooperation in anti-terrorism," Foreign ministry
spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a press release,
whi l e vowi ng t hat Chi na wi l l cont i nue t o
strengthen its cooperation with Pakistan and
jointly crack down on the "three evil forces" of
terrorism, separatism and extremism.
Praising the achievements that Pakistan has
made in fighting terrorism thus far, the foreign
mi ni st ry spokesman sai d t he count ry i s an
important frontline state in the international
fight against terrorism and has made outstand-
ing contributions in the area.
Chi na had bl amed t er r or i st s t r ai ned i n
Paki st an f or an at t ack i n i t s f ar- west er n
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region that left
six people dead and 15 injured.
State-run Xinhua news agency stated a group
of religious extremists led by "culprits trained
in overseas terrorist camps" were behind the
weekend attack on civilians in the Xinjiang
region.
The initial probe has shown that the heads of
the group had learned skills of making explo-
sives and firearms in overseas camps of the ter-
rorist group "East Turkistan Islamic Movement"
(ETIM) in Pakistan before entering Xinjiang to
organize terrorist activities, the government of
Kashgar city said in an online statement.
China to up anti-terrorism
cooperation with Pak
China had blamed Pak- trained terrorists for an
attack in Xinjiang that left six people dead.
New Delhi: A week after talks
with Pakistan, India said it wanted
to have "constructive relations"
with its neighbor, but Islamabad
must ensure "an environment free
from terror" and take "credible"
action against 26/11 terrorists and
Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz
Saeed. In a statement to the Lok
Sabha on talks with Pakistani
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani
Khar last week, External Affairs
Minister S.M. Krishna sought to
dispel the impression that during
the talks India had gone soft on
26/11 terror trial in Pakistan.
Krishna stressed that he had
asked Pakistan "to investigate the
linkages with some elements in the
Pakistani security agencies that
had emerged from the evidence
presented in the Tahawwur Rana
trial in the United States".
"I called for credible and effec-
tive action against jihadi leaders
such as Hafiz Saeed and terrorist
groups such as Jamaat-ud-Daawa
and Lashkar-e-Taiba, who contin-
ue to incite violence and hatred
against India," said Krishna.
He told parliament that
Pakistan's foreign minister had
requested India to "have patience,
trust and confidence in the
process" of the Mumbai terrorist
attacks trial.
India asks Pak to act
against Saeed, LeT
Islamabad: The terms of engagement between the
US and Pakistan in the war against terror should be
clearly defined so that conflicting positions and uni-
lateral actions do not adversely impact ties, President
Asif Ali Zardari has said.
The president made the remark during his meeting
with US Special Representative for Pakistan and
Afghanistan, Ambassador Marc Grossman.
President's spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said
Pakistan-US bilateral relations, the war against mili-
tants and the regional situation with special reference
to Afghanistan were discussed during the meeting.
Ties between Islamabad and Washington were con-
siderably strained following the May 2 killing of
Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad city. The daring raid
by US commandos had been carried out without
informing Pakistan, which left the establishment red-
faced.
Babar quoted Zardari as saying that in the absence
of well-defined and documented terms of engage-
ments, wrong plugs may be pulled at the wrong times
by any side that could undermine the bilateral rela-
tions, Associated Press of Pakistan reported.
The president said that terms of engagement should
be clearly defined and specified so that any dispute
could be settled amicably through the available insti-
tutions.
Babar said the president also emphasised that a
long-term, sustainable and multi-dimensional rela-
tionship with the US should be based on mutual inter-
est, trust and mutual respect.
He said Pakistan had rendered unparalleled sacri-
fices in its struggle against terror and was determined
to continue this fight till its logical conclusion.
Zardari to US: Need clear terms
of engagement
Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed.
Aug 13 to decide Nepal
PM's fate
Kathmandu: Though he survived a
threat by his largest ally, the
Maoists, to withdraw support to his
five-month-old government,
reprieved Nepal Prime Minister
Jhala Nath Khanal now faces a new
acid test 11 days later when he says
it will be his "moral duty" to quit.
The communist leader, who paci-
fied the Maoists by inducting nine
new ministers named by them
despite stiff resistance by his own
party and the opposition, now says
if his government fails to create an
environment of trust by Aug 13, he
will step down as prime minister.
"This government will fail to
prove its necessity if by Aug 31 it
fails to execute the main tasks of the
peace process and create national
consensus in an environment of
trust," Khanal said in a "special
appeal" after swearing in new minis-
ters. "If by Aug 13 we fail to exe-
cute the main tasks of the peace
process and create an environment
of trust, then I shall ... take new
steps ... and step down as my politi-
cal and moral duty."
However, with another crisis
looming close Aug 31, the declara-
tion is more a ploy to win over the
opposition Nepali Congress than
expressing real commitment to
resign. The Nepali Congress began a
blockade of parliament last month,
vowing to keep it up till Khanal
resigns.
By saying he will resign after Aug
13 and not now, Khanal is taking a
calculated risk: that none of the
major parties would like to be held
responsible for the fall of the gov-
ernment days ahead of a crisis and
he will be able to survive once
more. The government has to unveil
a new constitution Aug 31 or lose
legitimacy. Nepal's parties failed
two earlier deadlines to get the
statute ready and now the Supreme
Court has warned the government
that it cannot go on extending the
constitutional deadline endlessly.
With the parties frittering away
more than three years fighting for
power, Khanal is now saying that
the preliminary draft of the constitu-
tion can be ready by Aug 31.
Nepal Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal.
India warns US of
funds misuse by Pak
New Delhi: India said it has
urged the US to devise proper
benchmarks to prevent the diver-
sion of funds provided to
Pakistan for military build-up
targeting its interests.
"The government has consis-
tently drawn the attention of the
US and other countries to the
need for proper benchmarks and
accountability to prevent the
diversion of assistance provided
to Pakistan for use in its military
build-up against India," Minister
of State for External Affairs
Preneet Kaur told the Lok Sabha.
"Government has also stressed
the need for constant vigilance as
also close monitoring of such
assistance being provided," Kaur
added.
The US has conveyed that it
will seek to ensure that its securi-
ty assistance to Pakistan is used
to counter terrorism and is not
utilized against India, said Kaur.
Last month, the White House
announced that it would with-
hold some $800 million in assis-
tance to Pakistan's armed forces,
indicating a fraying of ties
between Washington and
Islamabad following the killing
of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin
Laden.
However, India thinks the cut
will not substantially affect funds
at the disposal of the US and will
not constrain Pakistan's capacity
to indulge in anti-India activities.
The US will provide $1.2 bil-
lion to Pakistan under the
Pakistan Counter-insurgency
Capability Fund, while the reim-
bursements under the Coalition
Support Fund are likely to con-
tinue at the level of approximate-
ly $800 million to $1 billion per
annum, Kaur informed the Lok
Sabha.
International 21
TheSouthAsianTimes.info August 6-12, 2011
Cairo: Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak has
denied charges of corruption and complicity in the
killing of protesters at the start of his historic trial in
Cairo.
"I categorically deny all the charges," Mubarak said
at his first court appearance. The ousted president
spoke from a hospital stretcher where he lay inside a
cage for defendants in the court.
The spectacle, in a temporary court at the police
academy in the capital, aired live on state television.
Presiding judge Ahmed Refaat later adjourned the
trial, announcing that proceedings would resume on
August 15.
It was the biggest humiliation for Egypt's former
president since his ouster nearly six months ago after
an 18-day uprising. But it went a long way to satisfy
one of the key demands that has united protesters
since February 11, the day he was toppled. Mubarak
faces charges including premeditated murder, the
killing of protesters, the failure to use his power to
stop abuses against civilians, and his collusion with
other individuals in the misuse state funds. Mubarak's
two sons, Gamal and Alaa, who are also on trial for
corruption, denied the charges against them as well.
They accompanied their father inside the metal defen-
dants cage, both wearing white prison uniforms.
Mubarak pleads 'not guilty'
Cairo: More than a billion
Muslims across the world begin
observing this week the holy
month of Ramadan, a time of
fasting and prayer which this year
coincides with deadly turmoil in
the Middle East.
Arab governments are bracing
for increased tensions in the
region which has been rocked by
unprecedented pro-democracy
uprisings that have brought down
autocratic regimes in Tunisia and
Egypt.
In Syria, where a bloody crack-
down on dissent nears its fifth
month, authorities fear that pro-
testers will rally against the
regime when they emerge from
mosques after nightly "taraweeh"
prayers.
Facebook group The Syrian
Revolution 2011, a driving force
of the protest movement wrote:
"The regime is afraid of Ramadan
and the taraweeh prayers," and
has called for "retaliation
protests".
In Libya, rebel fighters locked
for months in deadly battles with
strongman Moamer Kadhafi' s
regime, told AFP there was no
question of stopping what they
see as their march on Tripoli.
"If it's war and we're tired, we'll
eat. But if we remain in a defen-
sive position, we will fast. God is
with us," said Hatem al-Jadi, a
24-year-old fighter in the western
desert hamlet of Gualish, south of
Tripoli.
But in Cairo, where massive
streets protests overthrew the 30-
year rule of president Hosni
Mubarak in February, demonstra-
tors camped out at the emblemat-
ic Tahrir Square suspended their
sit-in for Ramadan.
Ramadan is the ninth month of
the lunar Islamic calendar when
Archangel Gabriel revealed the
Koran -- Islam's holy book - to
the Prophet Mohammed in
610 AD.
Ramzan begins amid troubled
Middle-East
Meet the real Anders Behring Breivik
Hosni Mubarak faces charges including
premeditated murder, the killing of protesters, the
failure to use his power to stop abuses against
civilians, and his collusion with other individuals in
the misuse state funds.
Oslo: Even as he languishes in
solitary confinement in a prison
that fittingly was once a Nazi con-
centration camp, Anders Behring
Breivik continues to wage his
demented war against Islam.
Having murdered 77 innocent
victims, he is now entering the
propaganda phase of his 21st-cen-
tury crusade. Confined to his cell,
The Sunday Telegraph has learnt
that he spends his waking hours
writing speeches or making
bizarre requests to the authorities.
A narcissist and a fantasist,
Breivik, 32, refuses to have his
prison mugshot taken to ensure
that the carefully stage-managed
photographs he took of himself
in full Masonic regalia or clutch-
ing his rifle are not replaced by
more humbling images.
Having been refused permission
to wear a combat uniform, he has
demanded to wear a red Lacoste
sweater for his public outings to
court or to the police station. He
will not wear anything else.
Eight days after the attacks,
clothes and looks remain as
important as ever to Breivik, prin-
ciples of dress code laid down in
the 1,516-page manifesto emailed
to alleged followers in the hours
before he struck. Nothing over
the years I knew him, or what I
have since read in his so-called
manifesto, suggests that he is
crazy or disturbed, says Peter
Svaar, a former schoolfriend, jour-
nalist and one-time press officer
for the Eurovision song contest.
Everything that happened after
the bomb went off at 3.26 on
Friday afternoon has followed his
plan. My biggest fear now is that
he is still playing us the media,
public opinion like a piano.
He wanted to get caught. He
has admitted everything. He wrote
[in the manifesto] that the propa-
ganda phase starts at the arrest.
Another former schoolfriend
was quoted as saying that
Breiviks attention-seeking was
evident a decade ago. I remem-
ber we were at a party, recalls the
former friend, and he told me he
had had his nose and chin operat-
ed on by a plastic surgeon in
America. It was a bit weird, but he
was hanging around at that time
with a group of people obsessed
by their bodies.
For Breivik even at the age of
21 a nose job was the logical
next step in his desire for physical
perfection. He had a drastic solu-
tion, too, for curing what he saw
as the ills of multicultural
Norway. He would slaughter gov-
ernment workers and the children
of the Norwegian socialist elite as
the opening salvo in a new cru-
sade against what he perceived as
the creeping Islamification of
Western Europe. His plan was laid
down in his manifesto, 2083: A
European Declaration of
Independence. The year 2083 sig-
nals when Breivik was convinced
the civil war he hoped to start
would be over.
In his manifesto, Breivik says
several of his friends were
Muslims, including a boy called
Faizal Rafique, and that he had
spent his time with a gang of
Pakistani boys, whom he later
accused of robbing and intimidat-
ing white children.
Tracked down by The Sunday
Telegraph, Mohammad Rafique,
Faizals father, who still lives on
the estate, paints a different pic-
ture. His son was younger than
Breivik and barely knew him. He
has tried to turn opinion against
Muslims by killing his own
[Norwegian] kids, says Mr
Rafique, recipient of a medal from
the Norwegian royal family for
service to the car industry. Why
would he do that to innocent chil-
dren? There was never any ten-
sion here. When he was growing
up he had no problems.
His father, a wealthy doctor, was
too upset to talk last week about
him. The family is terrified of
being dragged into the mire.
US "parasite" on global
economy: Putin
Moscow: Russian Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin accused the United
States of living beyond its means
"like a parasite" on the global
economy and said dollar domi-
nance was a threat to the financial
markets.
"They are living beyond their
means and shifting a part of the
weight of their problems to the
world economy," Putin told the
pro-Kremlin youth group Nashi
while touring its lakeside summer
camp some five hours drive north
of Moscow.
"They are living like parasites
off the global economy and their
monopoly of the dollar," Putin
said at the open-air meeting with
admiring young Russians in what
looked like early campaigning
before parliamentary and presi-
dential polls. US President Barack
Obama earlier announced a last-
ditch deal to cut about $2.4 trillion
from the U. S. deficit over a
decade, avoid a crushing debt
default and stave off the risk that
the nation' s AAA credit rating
would be downgraded.
The deal initially soothed anxi-
eties and led Russian stocks to
jump to three-month highs, but jit-
ters remained over the possibility
of a credit downgrade.
"Thank god," Putin said, "that
they had enough common sense
and responsibility to make a bal-
anced decision."
But Putin, who has often criti-
cized the United States' foreign
exchange policy, noted that Russia
holds a large amount of U. S.
bonds and treasuries.
"If over there (in America) there
is a systemic malfunction, this
will affect everyone," Putin told
the young Russians.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
A narcissist and a fantasist, Anders Behring Breivik, 32,
refuses to have his prison mugshot taken to ensure that the
carefully stage-managed photographs he took of himself.
22 Business
August 6-12, 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
London: The HSBC bank will cut
about 25,000 jobs globally by
2013 despite its good performance
in the first half of this year, reports
said.
The bank reported a pre-tax prof-
it of $11.5 billion for the first six
months of 2011, up three percent
year-on-year, and 45 percent high-
er than the second half of 2010.
HSBC said earlier this year that
it would cut 5,000 jobs in Latin
America, the US, Britain, France
and the Middle East. "There will
be further job cuts," HSBC CEO
Stuart Gulliver said. He estimated
that around 25,000 staff would
leave by the end of 2013.
The total cuts took up about 10
percent of HSBC'S overall work force around the world. The cuts form part of Gulliver' s plan to
slash costs and focus on Asian
operation. The bank said it will sell
$195 US branches to First Niagara
Financial for about $1 billion in
cash, and would shut down 13
more. It also intends to sell its US
credit card portfolio, which has
over $30 billion in asset.
HSBC said it will close its retail
banking operations in Russia and
Poland as well as sell three insur-
ance businesses so as to free up
$2.5 billion to $3.5 billion by
2013.
HSBC to cut 25,000 jobs by 2013
BSE Sensex slips on
US debt crisis
Mumbai: A benchmark index for
Indian equities markets fell to a
six-week low, below the 18,000-
mark, and a bearish trend gripped
broader markets as the crisis in
the US over its high debt levels
spooked global bourses.
The 30-scrip sensitive index
(Sensex) of the Bombay Stock
Exchange (BSE), which opened at
17,970. 19 points, closed at
17,940.55 points, down 169.34
points or 0.94 percent from its
previous close at 18,109.89
points.
The 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty
of the National Stock Exchange
also ended in the red at 5,404.8
points, down 0.95 percent.
According to data available with
the Securities and Exchange
Board of India (SEBI), foreign
institutional investors sold stocks
worth $18.7 million.
After the US Senate approved
an increase in the US debt ceiling,
which will also require the gov-
ernment to reduce public spend-
ing, credit rating agencies down-
graded or assumed a negative out-
look on the country's sovereign
debt.
China, which is the largest hold-
er of US bonds, saw one of its
major credit rating agencies
Dagong Global Credit Rating Co.,
Wednesday downgrade US sover-
eign debt and warn of further such
moves. The repercussions were
felt in Asia.
HSBC said the impact on India will not be of a big scale.
The Bombay Stock Exchange.
India to grow at 8.2 percent: PM panel
New Delhi: Inflation will ease to
around 6.5 percent by the end of
this fiscal, the Prime Minister's
Economic Advisory Council said,
projecting the country's growth at
8.2 percent for 2011-12.
Headed by former Reserve Bank
of India governor C. Rangarajan,
the council said while agriculture
and industry will grow at a lower
rate compared with the previous
year, services will expand faster in
the current fiscal."The inflationary
situation and investment slowdown
have necessitated a downward
revision. The projected growth rate
of 8.2 percent, though lower than
the previous year, must be treated
as high and respectable, given the
world situation," the council said
in its economic outlook for 2011-
12.
India's GDP had expanded by 8.5
percent in 2010-11 and 8 percent
the year before. For agriculture,
industry and services, the council
projected a growth of 3, 7.1 and 10
percent for this fiscal respectively.
The panel said as overall infla-
tion would continue to be high, at
9 percent in the July-October quar-
ter, the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) would have to continue with
monetary tightening measures.
"RBI will have to continue to
follow a tight monetary policy till
inflation shows definite signs of
decline," it said, adding that infla-
tion would start to taper only from
November.
It also said that achieving the fis-
cal deficit target of 4.7 percent, as
set out in the budget for 2011-12,
would be difficult.The government
needed to "redouble efforts to col-
lect larger revenue, resolve cases
to reduce tax arrears. "The high
subsidy outgo, especially on
account of petroleum products, is
placing a serious stress on the cen-
tre's budgeted fiscal position."
NRI IT professionals move back to India
New Delhi: With declining wages abroad, an increasing
number of non-resident Indian IT professionals are
moving back to their home country, says a survey.
IT and IT-enabled firms in India hired 28 percent more
non-resident Indian (NRI) professionals in the first
quarter of 2011-12, according to the survey conduced by
recruitment consulting firm MyHiringClub.com.
Among 11 surveyed industries, IT and IT-enabled
services registered highest growth, with 28 percent
increase year-on-year in the first quarter of the current
fiscal. It is followed by pharma and healthcare, up by 20
percent, automobile and manufacturing, up by 18 per-
cent, telecom, up by 14 percent, banking and financial
services, up by 10 percent and FMCG, up by six percent.
"The high economic growth in India with many good
opportunities has fuelled the NRI thought process to
head back. In addition to that, many US companies are
opening their offices in India and hiring more to target
the growing market in Asia," Rajesh Kumar, CEO of
MyHiringClub.com, said in the survey report.
He said an increasing number of high value NRI pro-
fessional recruitment is likely to take place in the com-
ing years as wage gaps have declined sharply.
"Increasing number of people are now returning because
now the advantages of returning back to India outweigh
the disadvantages by far," said Kumar. The highest num-
ber of NRIs who returned home found jobs in
Bangalore, followed by Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad.
Barclays to cut 3,000 jobs
London: British bank Barclays
warned it could cut a total of
3,000 jobs in 2011 as part of an
ongoing drive to reduce costs.
Chi ef Execut i ve Bob
Diamond told reporters on a
conference call that there had
been a net reduction in head-
count of 1,400 during the first
half.
He added t hat al t hough
Barclays did not have a precise
overall job cuts figure in mind,
the first-half trend was likely to
accelerate in the second half.
"You should assume this trend
to continue and increase some-
what," said Diamond.
IT and IT-enabled firms in India hired 28 percent
more non-resident Indian (NRI) professionals in the
first quarter of 2011-12.
Sports 23
TheSouthAsianTimes.info August 6-12, 2011
Akram defends
Dhoni
London: Bowling legend Wasim
Akram feels it is too early to
write off the captaincy skills of
M.S. Dhoni, who is at the receiv-
ing end after India's two consecu-
tive losses in the Test series
against England.
Akram said India have done
well under Dhoni in most parts of
the world and judging him after
two losses is like jumping the
gun.
Under Dhoni, India have won
the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup,
achieved the No.1 Test status and
won the World Cup earlier this
year after 28 years.
"You cannot write him off on
the basis of two losses. He has
won the World Cup for India and
has also done well in most parts
of the world.
"Yes, one thing that Dhoni
needs to take care are his keeping
skills. We can't say that he has
failed, rather we can just say that
it is a wake up call for him,"
Akram was quoted as saying.
Sachin's intervention led to Bell's recall
London: Sachin Tendulkar played a significant role in
the Indian decision to recall Ian Bell after he got run out
in a bizarre fashion in the second cricket Test at Trent
Bridge, it is learnt. A report in Daily Mail revealed that
it was Tendulkar's intervention that led to the reinstate-
ment of Bell, who was adjudged run out after he started
walking towards the dressing room thinking that the
umpires had called for the tea break.
That prompted England captain Andrew Strauss and
coach Andy Flower to go to the Indian team's dressing
room where they urged the opposition captain
Mahendra Singh Dhoni to withdraw the appeal.
But the report said that it was Tendulkar who was
keen on getting Bell back on the ground. "Dhoni was
asked three times on the field whether he was appealing
and each time he said yes," the source close to the
England team was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.
"Then when Flower and Strauss went to see Dhoni
and Fletcher they said their captain insisted the decision
would stand. Tendulkar was the voice in the dressing
room that got Bell reinstated."
Subsequently, the Indian team received a standing
ovation from the Nottingham crowd for upholding the
spirit of the game.
England Test series: Yuvi, Bhajji out
London: Injuries to Harbhajan Singh and
Yuvraj Singh ruled them out of the remain-
ing two cricket Tests against England and in
their place batsman Virat Kohli and left-arm
spinner Pragyan Ojha will be joining the
India squad.
Yuvraj fractured his left index finger while
Harbhajan, who is struggling with form, sus-
tained an abdominal strain during the second
Test match at Nottingham that India lost by
319 runs. India are 0-2 down in the four
match series and are struggling with injuries
and form.
Harbhajan Singh has a grade-I abdominal
muscle strain. Yuvraj will take around four
weeks to recover and Harbhajan is likely to
recover in three weeks. Both Kohli and Ojha
will join the Indian team at the earliest," N.
Srinivasan, secretary of the Indian cricket
board, said in a statement.
Yuvraj, who made a Test comeback and
scored a gritty half-century in the first
innings of the Trent Bridge Test, was injured
Monday by a short pitched delivery of Tim
Bresnan in the second innings.
The southpaw immediately went to a hos-
pital in the neighboring county of Derby,
where doctors referred him to a specialist in
London.
Harbhajan bowled just 13.4 overs in the
second Test and grabbed one wicket for 69
runs. He returned with figures of one for 218
in the first Test at Lord's.
Kohli was dropped from the England
squad following poor performance on his
debut Test series in the West Indies.
Kohli scored only 76 runs in the three
Tests in the Caribbean.
The Delhi boy, who has carved out a regu-
lar place for himself in the One-dayers with
consistent performance, will be looking to
make the most of the opportunity. Ojha last
played in a Test against New Zealand at
Nagpur last year. In 11 Tests he has taken 42
wickets.
He was set to join Surrey for the County
Championship and the CB40 one-day com-
petition, but will join the Indian side.
The good news for India is that Virender
Sehwag arrived here Wednesday morning
and went straight to Northampton where the
team will play a two-day warm-up game
against Northants starting Friday.
Sehwag missed the first two Tests and the
West Indies tour since he was recuperating
from a shoulder surgery.
Opener Gautam Gambhir and pace spear-
head Zaheer Khan, who missed the second
Test, are also expected to be fit for the third
Test at Edgbaston starting Aug 10.
Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh.
FIA to inspect Indian Grand Prix track
New Delhi: The International Automobile
Federation (FIA) will inspect the Formula
One Indian Grand Prix race track on Sept
1.
The organizers Jaypee Sports
International (JPSI) claimed that work is in
full swing and the track will be completed
by the second week of September for the
inaugural race scheduled for Oct 28-30.
The FIA team led by race director
Charlie Whiting will have to clear the 5.14
km Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in
Greater Noida near here.
The homologation was earlier expected
to take place in the first week of August
but the FIA, organisers JPSI and the
Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India
(FMSCI) agreed to have it done in
September.
FMSCI president Vicky Chandhok said
the FIA team will first visit the circuit for
Korean Grand Prix and then come to India.
The race in Korea (Oct 14-16) will take
place two weeks before the Indian GP.
"The FIA have decided to go with the
September date. Mr. Whiting and his team
will first visit the Korea circuit in Yeongam
and then head to India via Europe, "
Chandhok, who is here to oversee the race
preparations, said.
The work at the circuit is still in progress
with a little over two months left for the
country' s biggest event since the
Commonwealth Games last year.
While Chandhok was quick to deny that
homologation was moved to September
due to the pending work around the circuit,
a source in JPSI told IANS the FIA
changed the date as they wanted to inspect
the track in dry weather.
"There are finishing touches to be given
to the track and the FIA people wanted to
visit the area in dry weather. So, we jointly
went with a later date (Sep 1)," the source
said.
The JPSI official claimed that the all the
work around the circuit will be completed
by the second week of next month.
"The track should be done by the first
week (September) and the infrastructural
work including the pit building, team
building, grandstands and temporary spec-
tator stands will be completed by the sec-
ond week." An artistic impression of F1 circuit in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Ian Bell.
By Amulya Ganguli
E
very new initiative to improve India-
Pakistan relations generates a faint stir-
ring of hope. If anything, it underlines
the deep desire for peace between the people of
the two countries. If the expectations are high-
er this time, the reason cannot but be what has
been described as the glam quotient of the pho-
togenic new Pakistani foreign minister, Hina
Rabbani Khar.
That the Indian media had been bowled over
by her was evident from headlines like "young
Hina bewitches India" or "Pakistan casts Hina
spell on India". There was a similar reaction
across the border. "HRK conquers India"
gushed the newspaper The Nation. Khar's ap-
pointment itself was intended to present a "soft
image" of the country, as stated by President
Asif Ali Zardari.
The compulsion to change the image from
that of a country in the grip of bearded, Kalash-
nikov-wielding, brainwashed killers to an
alumnus of Massachusetts University as its for-
eign minister is understandable. It is also in the
tness of things that her rst major foreign trip
should have been to India for, unless there is an
improvement in mutual ties, there will be no
end to the depredations of the jehadis.
Aware of the favorable impression she has
created in India, Khar said, "I think I drew at-
tention not because of my personal prole but
because of the country I came from, Pakistan."
In all probability a diplomatic rst, the Indi-
an external affairs minister, S.M. Krishna, paid
a compliment to her "personal prole" by say-
ing that "half of India, which is your age, looks
towards you not just for your good looks but
also dynamism and the fresh approach that you
have brought".
Time will show the reality of the new ap-
proach, but words are currently the only sign of
a changed scenario. Following up on Indian
foreign secretary Nirupama Rao's perception of
a changed attitude in Pakistan towards terror,
Khar said in New Delhi that she had brought
the "message of a mindset change in Pakistan".
If the belief that her appointment has the
blessings of the Pakistan Army is true, the im-
portance of her observation is undeniable if
only because the last ministerial meeting be-
tween Krishna and the then Pakistani foreign
minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, in Islam-
abad had a disastrous ending apparently be-
cause of the army's intervention.
Her observation in Islamabad after a meeting
with Yasin Malik that the Kashmir problem had
to be solved in accordance with the wishes of
the Kashmiri people and the UN resolutions in-
dicated a traditional rather than a changed
mindset.
It is evident, therefore, that the road to peace
will be bumpy. It is perhaps a realization of this
ground reality which made the two sides to fo-
cus on relatively non-controversial issues like
augmenting trade and facilitating cross-border
trafc in Kashmir during the New Delhi talks.
For any improvement to take place, it is not
the "soft image" projected by Pakistan's new
foreign minister which will be of any help, but
its determination, and especially that of its
army and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), to
eliminate the terrorist groups which they have
been nurturing for years as a second line of of-
fence and defense against India.
By Rajdeep Sardesai
I
n this monsoon of political tur-
bulence, when should a minis-
ter resign from public ofce?
A few years ago, I posed the ques-
tion to former railway minister
Lalu Prasad in a TV debate. There
had been a terrible rail accident
and it was suggested that Lalu fol-
low the example of a distin-
guished predecessor Lal Bahadur
Shastri and step down as rail min-
ister. Lalu, never at a loss for
words, shot back: People have
elected us to take responsibility as
ministers, not to run away from
it! Sure enough, Lalu stuck to the
chair.
In hindsight, Shastris resigna-
tion as railway minister in 1956
after an accident was an extreme
step, but it was, as Pandit Nehru
reminded Parliament, a tribute to a
man of the highest integrity.
That, of course, was a different
age: a period when the notion of
integrity had genuine meaning,
and was not the self-righteous
proclamation its been reduced to
today.
The new political morality sug-
gests that even prima facie evi-
dence is not enough; a minister
will only resign when he or she is
convicted by a court of law. Since
the process of prosecution and
conviction is long and cumber-
some, most politicians continue in
their ministerial ofce even while
the case drags on for years in
courts. Which is also why most of
them get away by simply saying,
the law will take its course.
The battle is now being fought
in the peoples court where per-
ception matters more than legal
niceties, a perception magnied
by the Sab neta chor hai slogan.
In normal times, an A Raja would
not have had to step down on the
basis of a Comptroller and Auditor
Generals (CAG) report. After all,
CAG reports often indict minis-
ters and ofcials. But in the case
of Raja, the report only conrmed
the widespread suspicion of a de-
liberate misuse of the telecom
ministry for personal benet.
Similarly, former Common-
wealth Games chief Suresh
Kalmadi was deemed guilty even
before a chargesheet in the case
because there was a general per-
ception that he had manipulated
Games contracts. By contrast,
Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit stays on
in ofce even after the Shunglu
panel probing the Commonwealth
Games scam indicted her govern-
ment because she is perceived to
be an honest, hard working chief
minister.
The perception factor in public
life is a double-edged sword. On
the one hand, it can be a rough
check of the system, forcing nor-
mally brazen politicians to resign
under the sheer weight of public
opinion. A Yeddyurappa may seek
a Nobel prize for ghting illegal
mining, but once a crusading
lokayukta has charged him with
corruption, he loses credibility. An
Ashok Chavan could argue that he
was forced to quit as Maharashtra
CM over the Adarsh housing scam
even before an FIR could be led
in the case, but the emotional quo-
tient attached to Kargil war wid-
ows made him a political liability.
On the other hand, an uncon-
trolled war of words can lead to
instant character assassination
where lines get blurred between
fact and allegation, truth and hype.
Take the case of former Union
minister Shashi Tharoor. There
was no legal charge against him,
and yet, he was summarily re-
moved on grounds of perceived
impropriety. That he had no real
political base perhaps made him
an even softer target. Contrast his
situation with that of a Vilasrao
Deshmukh who remains a Cabinet
minister even after having stric-
tures passed against him in the
Supreme Court. A Tharoor was
dispensable, a Deshmukh is a
political heavyweight.
Which brings us back to our
original question: when should a
minister resign? Systemic credi-
bility demands that the bar for
someone in public life must be
legally and morally much higher
than that of a private citizen. An
ordinary citizen will never be sub-
ject to the microscopic examina-
tion that those in power will be
confronted with.
The guilty till proven innocent
mantra is a hazard that the power
elite will have to live with. Yes,
we must guard against becoming a
lynch mob that delivers verdicts
without offering a fair hearing.
But lets not allow the lynch mob
argument to prevent us from en-
forcing more rigorous standards of
accountability.
24 Op Ed
India-Pak ties: Good looks insufficient
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
For any improvement to take place, it is not
the "soft image" projected by Pakistan's new
foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar that
will be of any help, but its determination.
The guilty till proven innocent mantra is a hazard that the power
elite will have to live with. Yes, we must guard against becoming a
lynch mob that delivers verdicts without offering a fair hearing, like
in the case of former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa.
Corruption battle in peoples court
August 6-12, 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Eye Witness 25
TheSouthAsianTimes.info August 6-12, 2011
First person account of
Norway massacre by Sikh girl
Prableen Kaur, 23, is deputy leader of the youth wing of Norway's Labor
Party. She was caught in the shooting on Utoya island by the 32-year-old
White Supremacist Anders Behring Breivik which claimed over 90 lives.
She escaped by playing dead and eventually swam to safety. This blog
entry is dated July 26, 3 days after the terrible tragedy.
Norway: I woke up. I cannot sleep
any more. Im sitting in the living
room. Feeling grief, anger, happi-
ness, God, I do not know what.
There are too many emotions.
There are too many thoughts. Im
afraid. I react to the slightest
sound. I will write about what hap-
pened on Utya.
What my eyes saw, what I felt,
and what I did. The words come
straight from the gut, but I will
anonymize many names out of
respect for my friends.
We had a crisis meeting in the
main building after the explosions
in Oslo. After that there was a
meeting for members of Akershus
[a county bordering the capital]
and Oslo. After the meetings there
were many, many people around
and inside the main building. We
consoled ourselves that we were
safe on an island. No one knew
that hell would break out with us
too.
I was standing in the main street
[of the island] when panic broke
out. I heard shots. I saw him shoot.
Everyone started to run.
The first thought was: Why are
the police shooting us? What the
hell? I ran into a little room.
Everyone ran. Screamed. I was
scared. I managed to get into one
of the rooms at the back of the
building. There were many of us in
there. We all lay on the floor
together. We heard several shots.
We became more afraid. I cried. I
knew nothing.
I saw my best friend through the
window and wondered if I should
go outside and bring him to me. I
did not. I saw fear in his eyes. We
were lying on the floor inside the
room for a few minutes. We agreed
not to move out in case the killer
came.
We heard several shots and
decided to jump out the window.
Panic broke out among us.
Everyone in the room rushed to the
window and tried to jump out. I
was the last and thought: I am the
last to jump out the window. Now
Im going to die. Im sure, but it
might be okay and then I will
know that the others are safe.
I tried to climb down, but lost
my grip. I landed hard on the left
side of my body. A boy helped me
up. We ran into the woods. I
looked around. Is he here? Is he
shooting me? Can he see me?
I went down to the water. I
sought cover behind a sort of brick
wall. There were many of us. I
prayed, prayed, prayed. I hope that
God saw me. I called Mum and
said that it was not certain we
would meet again, but that I would
do anything to stay safe. I said sev-
eral times that I loved her. I heard
fear in her voice. She cried. It hurt.
I sent a text message to my dad
telling him I loved him. I sent a
text message to my best friend. He
did not answer. We heard several
shots.
We were snuggled together. We
did everything we could to keep
warm. There were so many
thoughts. I was so scared. My dad
called and said he and my brother
would welcome me when I
reached the mainland, or they
would come to the island. We
switched to texting for fear that the
killer would hear us.
I updated Twitter and Facebook
to say I was still alive and that I
was safe. I wrote that I was wait-
ing for the police. People jumped
into the water and started swim-
ming. I was lying down. I decided
that if he came, I would play dead.
I would not run or swim. I cannot
describe the fear that took over my
mind, what I felt.
A man came. Im from the
police. I was lying there. Some
shouted back that he had to prove
it. I do not remember exactly what
he said, but the killer started shoot-
ing. He charged. He shot those
around me. I was still lying there. I
thought: Now its over. Hes here.
Hes going to shoot me. Im going
to die.
People screamed. I heard that
others were shot. Others jumped
into the water. I was there. Holding
the mobile phone in my hand, I lay
on top of a girls legs. Two others
lay on my feet. I was still lying
there. The mobile phone rang sev-
eral times. I was still lying. I
played dead. I lay there for at least
an hour. It was completely quiet. I
gently turned my head to see if I
could see someone alive. I looked
around. I saw blood. Fear. I decid-
ed to get up. I had been lying on
top of a dead body. Two dead bod-
ies lay on me. I had a guardian
angel.
I did not know if he would come
back again. I hurried down to the
water. I took off my large sweater.
I thought it would be difficult to
swim with it. I considered whether
I should bring my mobile phone or
leave it again. I put it in my back
pocket and jumped into the water. I
saw several others in the water.
They had swum far. I saw that
someone had gathered around a
floating lifeboat or something like
that.
There were many who followed
those who swam out. I swam,
swam, and swam towards the
inflatable boat. I screamed. I
thought of when I would drown. It
became harder and harder but I
kept swimming.
My arms were tired. I decided
just to use my legs to swim. I sank.
I started to swim normally again.
After a while I thought the group
who were clinging on to the
dinghy were moving away from
me. I screamed. Begged them to
wait for me. I must have seen
visions. I swam at least a few hun-
dred meters before I reached them.
We talked a little together. Who
we were, where we came from.
When the boats passed us we start-
ed shouting for help, but they
picked up the others who were still
swimming.
A man in a boat came to us. He
threw out several life jackets. I got
hold of one. Got it on me. I held on
to the dinghy for a long time, until
the same man came back to pick us
up. We all got into it. He began to
head towards the shore. After a lit-
tle while his boat started to take in
water. I did everything I could to
get as much water out as possible.
I used a bucket. I was exhausted.
Another girl in the boat took over.
We reached the shore.
We were given blankets. The
tears would not stop. I cried more.
A woman hugged me. It was so
good. I sobbed. A man lent me his
phone. I called my dad, Im alive.
I made it. Now I am safe.
We had to walk a bit.
Completely unknown people took
us into their cars and drove us to
the Sundvollen hotel. I ran in to
see if I could see my best friend. I
could not find him anywhere.
I walked around, looking for
friends. My heart pounded. I cried
more. I gave my details to the
police, then looked through all the
lists. I did not know if my best
friend was alive. I looked through
all the lists. I could not find his
name anywhere. I was scared.
I got a duvet. I took off my wet
socks. I was half naked. Got a
jacket. Contacted my parents
again. My dad and brother were on
their way to fetch me. I drank
some cocoa. Thought. Wept. So
many friends.
I borrowed a computer. Updated
Facebook and Twitter again to say
that I was safe. I was at the hotel
for several hours before my family
came.
I looked for familiar sights. I
talked to a priest. I told them
everything I had seen. It was a
good conversation. A man from the
Red Cross saw all my wounds.
Cleaned them.
Time passed. I was with some of
my friends. We all talked about the
same things: how we survived and
what had happened. I asked sever-
al if they had seen my best friend.
No one had seen him. I was scared.
I thought that it was my fault
because we had not managed to
stay together. A friend got the key
to a hotel room. We sat there,
looked at the news. There was
anger, sorrow, so many emotions.
My dad called, they had come. I
took the elevator down. Ran out to
them. Hugged my brother and my
dad a long time. I wept aloud. My
brother was crying too.
I saw a boy who looked like my
best friend. I shouted his name. He
turned around. It was him. We
hugged each other for a long time .
Both crying, we asked each other
how we had managed.
After a while, I spoke again to
the police and we drove home.
Several people had gathered at
my home. They would not leave
until they had seen that I was fine.
We talked a little bit. I drank juice.
Ate a yogurt. Talked some more
with my mum and my family. She
said: I was not sure if I would
ever get this phone call. Tears
started again. It was 3am. Mum
refused to let me sleep alone, so
we slept together.
It has now been several hours
since all this happened. Im still in
shock. Everything has not fallen
into place.
I have seen the corpses of my
friends. Several of my friends are
missing. I am glad that I can swim.
I am glad that I am alive. God
watched over me. There are so
many emotions, so many thoughts.
I think of all my family. Of all I
lost. Of the hell that is and was
on the island.
This summers most beautiful
fairy tale is transformed into
Norways worst nightmare.
Source: Sikhnet & Prableen
Kaur
I have seen the corpses of my friends. Several of my friends are miss-
ing. I am glad that I can swim. I am glad that I am alive. God watched
over me. There are so many emotions, so many thoughts. I think of all
my family. Of all I lost. Of the hell that is and was on the island.
Prableen Kaur
26 Lifestyle
August 6-12, 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
A
new survey reveals that the fringe
benefits of working from home may
override the desire for more money,
with workers saying theyd opt for a pay cut
to stay at home. In addition, telecommuters
reported feeling happier, healthier, and more
balanced with their lives.
According to a new small-scale survey by
Staples Advantage, the business-to-business
division of the international office supply
company, of some 140 telecommuters from
different industries, 40 percent of employees
said they would take a pay cut to work from
home, with 20 percent offering up 10 percent
of their salary.
Reported in BusinessNewsDaily, at-home
workers say they also feel more productive
and better about their jobs. Telecommuters
reported that the ultimate benefit of working
from home was freedom, with survey respon-
dents saying theyd swear off their favorite
food (40 percent) and forgo an extra hour of
sleep (54 percent) rather than go back to an
office.
A US study published last year also suggests
that telecommuting can not only increase effi-
ciency of workers but boost their job satisfac-
tion. While personal interaction with co-work-
ers is a social benefit, the researchers noted
that office politics can stress workers and
reduce their performance.
[but] I am a little part of the green club, she
quipped.
My dad was like, I know what youre
doing. Just so you know, I did it, and I lost
every friend, and everything I ever had while I
did it, she said. He shared with me his life
story and his struggle, so that was what ulti-
mately changed my life.
Honestly, it was the best thing that ever
happened to me [because] I never went back.
Home: it's the
better office
L
ady Gaga served as co-host
and performer on The View
on Monday morning, and sat
comfortably, in a houndstooth pat-
terned dress, next to Joy Behar and
Elizabeth Hasselbeck.
The days hot topics included
Amy Winehouses death, which
prompted Barbara Walters to ask the
25-year-old about her own past
addictions.
Im just so devastated and so
sad, she said of Winehouses death.
I really couldnt speak for48
hours straight. I was in such shock.
The most unfortunate thing about
it all is the way that the media spins
things, like we can learn things from
Amys death, she continued. I
dont feel that Amy needed to learn
any lessons. I felt that the lesson
was for the world to be kinder to the
superstar.
Everyone was so hard on her, and
everything I knew about her is that
she was the most lovely, and nice,
and kind woman," she added.
Winehouse, who struggled with
addiction to drugs and alcohol, had
two things in common with Gaga:
huge success and addiction. Lady
Gaga, however, is handling her fame
with composure, and she credits her
father for helping her beat her addic-
tions to hard drugs.
I did hard drugs, she said. I
was so embarrassed. My dad sort of
called me out about it one day. I
dont do any hard drugs anymore,
Lady Gagas dad helped her
overcome hard drugs
Lady Gaga (left) discussed Amy Winehouses death on The View
M
y wife, Malathi, loves
dogs. She calls them
"Sweetie." She also calls
me "Sweetie." I don't know whether
to smile or wag my tail.
It's really confusing. The other
day, Malathi said, "Dinner is ready,
Sweetie." I rushed to the kitchen,
along with the dogs. "Silly dogs,"
I thought. "You're not getting any
of my dinner."
The meal looked delicious, and I
would have complimented my wife,
had she not placed it on the floor.
The two dogs got to the food
before I could.
Their heads, unfortunately, are
closer to the floor. That allows them
to quickly slurp food and anything
else that looks remotely like food,
such as dirty socks or tofu. If you
own a dog, you may not need a vac-
uum cleaner.
Within a minute, the dogs -- a
Labrador and Golden Retriever --
had licked their bowls clean and
were looking up at us with expres-
sions that said, "Come on, folks.
When are you going to feed us?"
Even if they' ve just eaten a big
meal, they want to keep eating.
They're a lot like me. Except that
I' m too proud to beg. When the
dogs are wolfing their food, I try
not to sit in front of them and drool.
Unfortunately, they never extend
the same courtesy to me. I can't eat
anything without enduring their
sad-eyed expressions that say, "Oh
please, we haven't eaten any food
since last summer, when we ate all
your tennis balls. If you don't feed
us, we'll fill your entire home with
drool."
The dogs aren't ours. We're just
dog-sitting, until their owners return
from vacation.
Dog-sitting is a lot like baby-sit-
ting, except for three major differ-
ences: (1) babies have trouble
catching food with their mouths; (2)
babies are usually uglier; and (3)
babies are nicer to trees.
Most dogs in America are so
lucky. They're fed and treated better
than many children around the
world. And they never have to do
the dishes. You can't even get them
to take the trash out. They must
have a powerful union.
My wife knows a lot about dogs.
She's a veterinarian specializing in
epidemiology. It took me three
weeks to learn how to spell "epi-
demiology" and another three
weeks to learn how to pronounce it.
I still don't know what it means. All
I know is that Malathi loves ani-
mals, especially dogs. She kisses
them and pets them and talks to
them, making me wish I had four
legs.
I think she likes dogs partly
because they're better listeners than
men. When she's telling one of her
long stories -- usually about some-
thing amazing she heard on NPR
(National Public Radio) -- the dogs
will just sit there and listen atten-
tively. I know what they're thinking:
"If we sit still and act interested,
maybe she'll feed us." Dogs are
smarter than they look.
I don't mind Malathi babying the
dogs, but I wish it weren't so con-
fusing. The other night, she said,
"Are you coming to bed, Sweetie?"
I rushed to the bedroom, along
with the dogs.
"Silly dogs," I thought. "You're
not snuggling in bed with us. Not
until you learn to use mouthwash."
The Labrador jumped on the bed
before I could. I looked at my wife.
She looked at me with a puzzled
expression that said, "Did someone
call YOU to bed?" Then she petted
the dog.
"He's going to be with us for only
a short time," she said.
"OK, Sweetie," I said. "I love
you."
"I love you, too," she said.
"I was talking to the dog," I said.
28 Humor
August 6-12, 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Dogs are enjoying the good life
Tech Life
Humor with Melvin Durai
by Mahendra Shah
Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession,
artist and humorist, cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording
the plight of the immigrant Indians for the past many years in his cartoons.
Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Laughter is the Best Medicine
WASHINGTON: A new study by
University of Maryland School of
Medicine researchers has indicated that
an interactive computer software pro-
gram appears to be effective in helping
patients manage their Type 2 diabetes
using their mobile phones.
The study, one of the first to scientifi-
cally examine mobile health technology,
found that a key measure of blood sugar
control - the amount of hemoglobin A1c
in a person's blood - was lowered by an
average of 1.9 per cent over a period of
one year in patients using the mobile
health software. The findings support
the further exploration of mobile health
approaches to manage many chronic
conditions, including diabetes.
"These results are very encouraging,"
said Charlene C. Quinn, Ph.D., R.N., an
assistant professor of epidemiology and
public health at the University of
Maryland School of Medicine and the
principal investigator.
"The 1.9 per cent decrease in A1c that
we saw in this research is significant.
Previous randomized clinical trials have
suggested that just a 1 per cent decrease
in A1c will prevent complications of
diabetes, including heart disease, stroke,
blindness and kidney failure," added C.
Quinn.
The study indicates that using mobile
phones, the Internet and other mobile
communications technology to keep
patients healthy may have broad appli-
cations to help patients and their physi-
cians manage many health conditions.
"Mobile health has the potential to
help patients better self-manage any
chronic disease, not just diabetes,"
explained Quinn.
People with Type 2 diabetes either do
not produce enough insulin to convert
sugar into energy or their cells ignore
the insulin. A key measure of blood
sugar control is the amount of hemoglo-
bin A1c in a person's blood. A1c is a
molecule in red blood cells that binds
itself to blood sugar. The higher the
level of sugar in the blood, the higher
the level of A1c. The study is detailed in
the journal Diabetes Care.
WASHINGTON: An aquatic
micro robot can walk or run
on water, mimicking the
amazing abilities of the 'wa-
ter strider' -- a long legged
insect that effortlessly skims
across pond and lakes sur-
faces. The bionic bot is a
vast improvement over previ-
ous devices of this kind that
position it as a prime candi-
date for military spy mis-
sions, water pollution moni-
toring and other applications,
the scientists say.
Even though the micro
robot weighs as much as 390
water striders, it does not sink
when placed on water but
stands, walks and runs effort-
lessly on its surface, the jour-
nal Applied Materials &
Interfaces reports.
"Walking on the water sur-
face is a dream of humans but
it is exactly the way of life
for some aquatic insects,"
says Zhejiang University
associate professor of chemi-
cal engineering Qinmin Pan,
who has achieved this rare
feat.
Other scientists have made
tiny aquatic devices based on
the water strider. But until
now, no one has found a way
to make water-walking robots
that are practical, agile and
inexpensive, according to a
Zhejiang statement.
The new robot has a body
about the size of a quarter; 10
water-repellent, wire legs;
and two movable, oar-like
legs - propelled by two
miniature motors.
Your mobile can help you manage diabetes
This robot can walk on water
Aries: This week do not spend on others
just to impress them. Your expenses would
rise and it would be difficult for you to save. Avoid
spending on things that are not necessary. You
would have plenty of social gatherings to attend
to, and you would make new and important con-
tacts. You would easily impress members of the
opposite sex and win approval and confidence of
your clients. Do not let others make investment
decisions for you or losses are almost certain.
Taurus: Maintain a positive outlook to
grab the best of this week. Travelling
would help establish important and long lasting
relationships. Financial gains would pick up later
in the week, which would take care of pending
bills, jobs and proposals. This period also seems
good for taking a break from your recent hectic
schedule and relax and spend loving moments
with family members. Dont be harsh in your
speech if minor differences may arise.
Gemini: This week if you mix business
with pleasure, and socialize with col-
leagues and important clients, then you would cer-
tainly stand to gain. Your expenses are likely to
rise and you would find that money slips through
your fingers rather easily, but rapport and trust that
you would build now would go a long way in
improvement of your career. Transfers and promo-
tions for some. Residential moves and renovation
during this period will prove auspicious. Keep an
eye on your weight, avoid overeating and be regu-
lar towards your exercise.
Cancer:Domestically this period would
be sensitive therefore be careful how you
handle your family members. Difference of opin-
ion would create an uneasy atmosphere at home
making you tensed most of the time. Avoid con-
frontations and arguments, as it would lead to
nowhere. Contacts that you make during this week
would teach you new things, some of which you
can put to use to your benefit. Property or vehicle
transactions seem quite likely for some. Keep
away expensive and injurious tools and equipment
from the reach of children.
Leo: Insincere gestures of friendliness are
likely to occur. Try to stay away from indi-
viduals whom you find difficult to get along with.
Obstacles that have been pulling your morale
down recently seem to get over. Try not to over-
spend on visitors and guests, although gifts and
presents during this period would be plenty.
Family members will be supportive and caring. Do
not sign any legal documents or papers without
consulting a lawyer.
Virgo: This week travel would entice you,
however your tendency to overspend
would create problems at home. Fresh business
opportunities would come through most unexpect-
ed sources. Making decisions after discussing mat-
ters would help you build a better rapport with col-
leagues, co-workers and partners. Opportunities to
go out with friends will be informative and pleas-
urable. Its time to look after the needs of your chil-
dren as they will look forward to you for knowl-
edge and assistance.
Libra:This week your professional
approach to your work is going to enhance
your position and bring you immediate gains. Past
efforts will result in unexpected gains, add to your
new income, and keep you financially comfort-
able. Your ability to come up with quick solutions
will keep you in the forefront. A relatively good
period to enter into new business alliance or to
finalize a real estate deal. New relations and
attachments will develop as a result of vacation
and other recreational activities.
Scorpio: This week dont expect people to
perform miracle for you rather make you
own plans and decisions and you shall never
regret. Empty promises are certain from people
whom you trust the most, but dont let this effect
your moral and lower your work performance. Set
yourself new goals, and rewards will come with
time. Overseas news and business offers for some.
You will find travelling benefiting and highly
motivating.
Sagittarius: This week take care of any
medical problems that you or one of your
family members may have been ignoring for some
time. You would have sufficient time for yourself
therefore you should not ignore your health and
looks at any costs. You can always fall back on
your family members for some advice. Do not take
any hasty decision and stay away from any form
of gambling and speculation. Yoga and meditation
will improve physical as well as mental health.
Foreign related matters would take shape.
Capricorn: This week concentrate on
your work as someone at a higher position
is keeping an eye on you. Your morale and spirits
seem to be high and if you show results as expect-
ed monetary gains and other, benefits cannot be
ruled out. Expand your circle of friends by joining
new clubs and participating in social activities. A
visit to a religious place or a religious person is
high on the cards for some of you. Take extra care
while driving.
Aquarius: This week meeting people in
your trade would be beneficial. Children
and spouse would provide care and love.
Guests and visitors will bring you gifts in cash and
kind. Going out with friends will be exciting and
you will learn new and different skills. Your enthu-
siasm and energy will make you a star at social
gatherings. Avoid committing yourself into any
new joint ventures
Pisces: This week expenses rise but help
from others will take care of your needs.
Romance clouds your mind and you will find it
extremely difficult to concentrate on important
work. Pleasure trips for some will be educating.
Little time for meditation and yoga will be impor-
tant for mental as well as physical gains. Investment
needs to be handled with care. Someone close to
you will get easily upset if behave insensitive to
their needs. Do not overspend just to impress others.
Aug 06:
Influenced by number 6 and the planet Venus. You are
independent, ambitious, charming and love peace and
harmony. You possess a remarkable personality and
you can easily make friends with your helpful nature,
but you need to check your tendency to behave moody,
spendthrift and careless at times. The year ahead prom-
ises to be a blend of both the good and the bad. Some
exciting changes would take place in the organization
that you work for. Your colleagues would be a support
and a source of enjoyment, but seniors would be de-
manding and their erratic behaviour would add pres-
sure to your mind. Financial gains are likely from more
than one source. You would also gain if you invest in
property and bonds. New friendships might seem
promising but would ultimately live short of expecta-
tions. You are likely to be more inclined towards reli-
gious as well as spiritual activities. The months of Oc-
tober, January, February and April will be highly event-
ful.
Aug 07:
Governed by number 7 and the planet Neptune. You are
brilliant, quick, confident, vigilant and shrewd. You are
blessed with remarkable imagination and can easily
win over your rivals, but you need to check your ten-
dency to behave stubborn, jealous and unreliable at
times. An excellent period which would improve your
name and bring you enormous fame. Investments will
reach new heights and improved finances would make
you spend more on luxuries and other comforts. Ro-
mantic entanglement would be pleasant and chances to
enter into a matrimonial alliance would be strong. Re-
ligious feeling would arise making you seek blessing
of a spiritual person or embark on a pilgrimage later in
the year. Expect gifts and goodies both in cash and
kind. The months of August, November, February and
May will especially improve prosperity.
Aug 08:
Influenced by number 8 and the planet Saturn, you are
practical, disciplined, systematic, original, and author-
itative person. You are of very charitable nature and
you like to spend your money and time for noble cause,
but you need to control your tendency to behave pes-
simist, adamant and nervous at times. This year new
sources of income would generate for you. You are
likely to be unsatisfied with your present employer and
would prefer to go for a change of job. Chances for a
new job would brighten around the month of May.
Your new job, although very different from your pres-
ent one, would give you job satisfaction and a better
growth prospective. Family members would be sup-
portive but at the same time your opinions and actions
might be faced with strong resistance and criticism,
leading to arguments and confrontations. Your spouse
would be your major support and the two of you would
enjoy many exciting social events together. Fresh in-
vestment needs to be made with extreme care. The
months of August, September, March and May would
be result oriented.
Aug 09:
Ruled by number 9 and the planet Mars, you are active,
aggressive, dashing and enthusiastic and trustworthy
person. You are fond of reading and acquiring new
skills and techniques, which you ultimately use to your
benefit. You possess a charming and charismatic per-
sonality, but you loose many great opportunities due to
your erratic and impatient behaviour. You could be
very dissatisfied with your employer, but do not leave
your present job till you have another one in hand. You
need to remain very conservative, especially this year
and try to save as much as possible. This year your ro-
mantic relationship would suffer because of your pre-
occupation with other important work. Although you
would spend little time with each other, but your un-
derstanding would strengthen and you would appreci-
ate each others concerns. Frequent travel would be un-
dertaken by most of you, which would bring desired re-
sults. Good period for investment in real estate and se-
lected stocks. The months of Aug, October and Febru-
ary would be highly eventful.
Aug 10:
Ruled by number 1 and the Sun. You are independent,
confident, intelligent and highly enthusiastic person.
You have a knack for negotiating things to your ad-
vantage. People in your group consider you an asset,
but you need to check your tendencies to behave,
moody, extravagant and reckless at times. This year
you would be opposing many of your employers poli-
cies and methods. It would be extremely difficult for
you to keep your thoughts to yourself, which would
create problems for you at times. You need to behave
in a very tactful manner to avoid arguments and con-
frontations. Your earnings would increase but you need
to control your spending. You and your beloved would
reach a new level of understanding. You would also ac-
complish a lot together which would bring happiness
and peaceful atmosphere at home. Health of someone
close in the family would be a matter of serious con-
cern. The months of September, December, March and
May would be productive.
Aug 11:
Ruled by number 2 and the Moon, you are imaginative,
warm-hearted, friendly and hard working person. You
are of very fond of arts and artistic things and your tal-
ents usually bring you lot of appreciation and rewards,
but you lose out the good opportunities because of your
introvert and arrogant behavior at times. Businessmen
would get new opportunities but they need to be ex-
tremely judicious while lending credit. New job op-
portunities for professionals would bring higher earn-
ings and better working environment. Religious cere-
monies and functions would be performed quite fre-
quently. A sudden influence of a person from the op-
posite sex will give a new and interesting twist to your
life. Do not share your business secrets with your col-
leagues or casual friends. Avoid lending and borrowing
money. The months of August, September, January and
April will prove to be highly significant.
Aug 12:
Ruled by number 3, and the planet Jupiter, you are am-
bitious, dignified, philosophical, methodical and sys-
tematic person. You are very devoted to the one you
love and you go out of your way to please and keep the
person happy. You are smart and talented, but you need
to check your tendency to behave jealous, extravagant
and moody at times. Bad phase of your career seems to
be getting over, but you are advised to take every step
with extreme precaution. Some of you could also con-
sider a change in job, later in the year. Financially this
seems to be a very rewarding period and most of your
investments would multiply and yield good profits. Ro-
mantic relationship would strengthen and matrimonial
alliances for some lovebirds seem certain towards the
yearend. Businessmen would benefit from new con-
tacts. Garment, hardware, provisions traders and sup-
pliers would prosper. The months of October, Novem-
ber March and June will prove highly significant.
Astrology 29
TheSouthAsianTimes.info August 6-12, 2011
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: August 6-12, 2011 Annual Predictions: For those born in this week
i) Accurate Data: Please make sure Date,
Time and Place of birth is accurate.
ii) Careful: Did you check background of the
astrologer before disclosing your secrets.
iii) Fee: Discuss the charges before, dont feel
shy. Its his business.
iv) Expectation: Expect the best, if the out-
come is not as desired, never give up.
v) Consult: Take second opinion before
spending thousands on cure/remedies.
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August 6-12, 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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