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e x c e l l e n c e i n j o u r n a l i s m
Vol.10 No. 4 May 27-June 2, 2017 80 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Manchester bomber NATO to join

likely had ISIS training
Manchester, England: Manchester
suicide bomber Salman Abedi
probably received some ISIS
training by traveling to Syria in
anti-ISIS
the months before the attack,
according to information gath
ered in the preliminary investiga
tion, a US official told CNN on
Thursday.
The US believes ISIS, through
coalition
Trump pressure bore on NATO,
that training, set the stage for the
22yearold to carry out his dead
ly attack at the Manchester Arena
and in Riyadh he asked Muslim
on Monday night. Other members world to root out terrorism
of Abedi's family are believed to
have been radicalized as well, the
official said. Suicide bomber Salman Abedi; (right) US pop singer Ariana Grande has
In one of the worst terror halted her gigs after the attack during her concert (Photo : Reuters)
attacks in Britain, 23 persons
were killed and dozens injured at and evoked strong reactions "appalling sickening cowardice".
the Ariana Grande concert. The across the world. Prime Minister Among the victims, many were
Islamic State claimed the attack Theresa May termed it an act of Continued on page 4

TRUMPS TRAVAILS: US slashes

Community Comments aid to Pak
from $255 m (From left): Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed

to $100 m alNahyan, US President Donald Trump, Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin
Abdulaziz Al Saud and Jordan's King Abdullah II during ArabIslamic
American Summit in Riyadh on May 21. (Photo courtesy: Reuters)

Berlin: The North Atlantic Treaty War is responding to today's secu

Washington: The Trump adminis
tration has slashed its foreign mili
tary financing (FMF) to Pakistan
from $255 million to $100 million
New York: Democrats and the mainstream media have determinedly for the 2018 financial year, but has
opposed Donald Trump at every step since the election. They have also kept its options open whether it
hurled various accusations at the 45th President. But after his sum would be a grant or should be con
mary dismissal of FBI chief Comey and the Continued on page 4 verted into a loan, according to a US
official. "While we may use FMF to
SEE PAGE 811 FOR THEIR COMMENTS. Continued on page 4
Organization (NATO) will formally
join the USled coalition against
the Islamic State terror group,
media reports said. Affirming it
Thursday, NATO chief, however,
said that they will not wage direct
war against the extremists.
The announcement was timed
for President Donald Trump's first
appearance at a summit of NATO
leaders here and reportedly under
pressure from him..
In the wake of this week's sui
cide bomb attack in Manchester,
NATO leaders are keen to show
that the alliance born in the Cold
rity threats as they meet in
Brussels. Trump has questioned its
relevance and pushed members to
do more to defend themselves.
SecretaryGeneral Jens
Stoltenberg said that joining the
antiISIS coalition "will send a
strong political message of NATO's
commitment to the fight against
terrorism and also improve our
coordination within the coalition."
Earlier, in Riyadh, President
Trump called on West Asian
Continued on page 4
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TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY May 27-June 2, 2017 3

BJP to celebrate 'Modifest' in 900 Indian cities

New Delhi: The ruling BJP party
has planned a grand 'Modifest', a
festival celebrating the govern
ment's achievements, across the
country to mark the NDA's three
years in power at the Centre. The
imposing gala, spread across 900
cities, will be held between 26
May and 15 June and will see the
Narendra Modi government cele
brate its achievements since
2014.
Addressing a press conference
on Monday, Union textile minister
Smriti Irani said, "The government
is going to celebrate the three
years of the historic mandate it
got in 2014."
"In order to highlight the gov
ernment's achievements under
3
YEARS OF MODI RULE
the leadership of prime minister
Modi, a series of dialogue pro
grams would be held in 900 cities
across the country," the BJP
leader said.
She said the programme, which
has been named 'Making of
Developed India' or 'Modifest',
would be kicked off by the prime
minister from Guwahati in Assam
on Friday. The Modi government
will complete its third year in
office on 26 May. According to
the BJP, events across the country
would be addressed by several
Union ministers, parliamentari
ans, chief ministers and leaders
from BJPruled states, and several
senior party leaders.
Irani said a 'Jan Ki Baat' pro
gram has also been arranged so
that the people can share their
messages with the prime minister
directly. "The party has also
organized intellectual summits in
the cities in which the party's min
isters would participate and inter
act with the people," senior BJP
leader Arun Singh said. Party
president Amit Shah is scheduled
to attend the events in Kerala bn
Port Blair, Chhattisgarh and
Arunachal Pradesh.
Union home minister Rajnath
Singh will attend the Jaipur and
Mumbai fests, while external
affairs minister Sushma Swaraj
would attend the programs in
Delhi and Lucknow.
Union finance minister Arun
Jaitley would attend the 'Modifest'
in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi
Adityanath and other prominent
leaders and MPs from his state
will visit Bihar to showcase the
achievements of the Modi govern
ment.

Dilip Chauhan honored Priyanka Chopra lone

with Kings of Long
Island award
New York: The ubiqui
tous community activist
Dilip Chauhan was hon
ored with Kings of Long
Island award at the
annual Star Network
Kings of Long Island
Awards and Networking
Event in Great Neck here
on April 6.
Around 500 people
from all walks of life
gathered at Leonards
Palazzo to recognize 45
individuals from Nassau
and Suffolk Counties for
their exemplary work in
business and the com
munity.
Nassau County Dilip Chauhan with his award and Nassau
Comptroller George
Maragos offered his con
gratulations to all honorees:
Each one of you is incredibly
accomplished, and I know you
have a lot more to give.
Chauhan was recognized as
one of the most prominent and
dedicated advocates for the
South AsianAmerican commu
nity. Through his Gateway to
South Asian American
Community Presentation, he
has connected countless corpo
rate, nonprofit, academic, faith
County Comptroller George Maragos
based, and government leaders
to the South AsianAmerican
community.
Chauhan currently serves as a
Senior Advisor to the Nassau
County Comptroller George
Maragos. In his previous role as
the Director of Southeast Asian
Affairs for the Nassau County
Comptrollers office, he educat
ed small business owners about
government business opportu
nity available for MWBE.
bright spot in Baywatch
New York: Just released, Baywatch is getting terrible reviews all
around and doing poorly at the box office. Yet, Priyanka Chopra
gets as much appreciation as the film has got brickbats. And it is
the movie critics who are saying it.
Chopra has fun as the baddie. The showdown is the best
moment in the film, one which cleverly shows its female villain no
genderbased charity. I wish more movies had female super vil
lains, said Forbes magazine. IGN found Priyanka a highlight as
the nefarious entrepreneur Victoria Leeds, who outshines pretty
much anyone shes in a scene with.
Independent said Priyanka was underused in the film and
Collider gave her the ultimate compliment: She should be the next
James Bond baddie.
HR Shah felicitated on receiving Padma Shri
Fords, NJ: FIA (Federation of ferred the Padma Shri award by Delhi. The dinner reception for
Indian Associations) in collabora the government of India. A com Mr Shah was graced by
tion with the Indian American munity leader, philanthropist and Ambassador Riva Ganguly Das,
community of New YorkNew entrepreneur, septuagenarian HR Consul General of India in New
JerseyConnecticut felicitated TV Shah received the prestigious York, and many prominent com
Asia chairman and CEO HR Shah award on April 13 from the munity leaders who all praised
on May 23 at the Royal Alberts President of India at a ceremony Mr Shahs services to the South
Palace here after he was con in the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Asian community in America.
 4 May 27-June 2, 2017
Now, Trumps soninlaw
under FBI scrutiny
Washington: President Donald
Trump's senior adviser and
soninlaw Jared Kushner has
come under the Federal Bureau
of Investigation's (FBI) scrutiny
in its ongoing probe over
alleged Russian interference in
the 2016 election, the media
reported.
Investigators believe
Kushner, who is married to the
President's eldest daughter
Ivanka, has significant informa
tion relevant to their inquiry.
However, it does not mean that
they suspect him of a crime or
intend to charge him, US offi
cials briefed on the probe told
NBC News on Thursday night.
Points of focus that pertain
to Kushner include: the Trump
campaign's 2016 data analyt
ics operation; his relationship
with former national security
adviser Michael Flynn; and
Kushner's own contacts with
Russians, according to the offi
cials.
Kushner met at least once in
December with the Russian
ambassador, Sergey Kislyak,
Stem cell drive for South
Asians held in California
New York: Health fair organized
by the North Bay Association of
Indians based out of Santa
Rosa, California saw a good
turnout of the Indian Diaspora
of California.
Stem cell drive by the Asian
American Donor Program
(AADP) was a great hit, Dr.
Akshat Jain, a pediatric
Hematologist oncologist and
Chairman and Co-Founder
Kamlesh C. Mehta
Co-Founder: Saroosh Gull
President: Arjit Mehta
Chief Operating Officer:
Ginsmon P. Zacharia
P: 516 776 7061
ginsmon@hotmail.com
Managing Editor: Parveen Chopra
P : 516.710.0508
Editor@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Jared Kushner
and he also met last year with
Sergey Gorkov, chairman of
VneshEconomBank, a Russian
governmentowned institution
that has been under US sanc
tions since July 2014.
It remains unclear if the FBI
plans to talk to Kushner.
"Kushner previously volun
teered to share with Congress
what he knows about these
meetings," Kushner's lawyer,
Jamie Gorelick, told NBC News.
"He will do the same if he is
stem cell specialist organizing
the drive with AADP and
NBIAA, informed the volunteers
and participants the impor
tance of Being the Donor , as
only a few stem cells collected
from a donors blood or bone
marrow, could potentially be
life saving for a child or adult
suffering from life threatening
blood disorder or cancer.
Associate Editors:
Hiral Dholakia-Dave
Contributing Editors: Meenakshi Iyer,
Nilima Madan, Melvin Durai,
Dr Prem Kumar Sharma, Ashok Vyas,
Dr Akshat Jain, Ashok Ojha
West Coast Correspondent
Pooja Jain,
Pooja@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
New Delhi Bureau
Meenakshi Iyer
Delhi@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
TURN PAGE TheSouthAsianTimes.info
NATO to join antiISIS of $100 million in foreign military fund
coalition
Continued from page 1
ing to Pakistan.
Last year, the US assistance to
Pakistan under the state department
leaders to combat a crisis of Islamic
extremism emanating from the region,
casting the fight against terrorism as a
battle between good and evil, not a
budget was $534 million, which includ
ed $225 million towards foreign mili
tary funding.
In all, the state department has pro
clash between the West and Islam.
posed a massive $190 million reduction
Trumps address on Sunday was the
in its financial aid to Pakistan as com
centerpiece of his twoday visit to Saudi
pared to the 2016 financial year. The
Arabia, his first stop overseas as presi
current 2017 financial year ends on
dent. During a meeting of more than 50
September 30.
Arab and Muslim leaders, he sought to
On Monday, the White House said
chart a new course for Americas role in
that FMF to Israel and Egypt would con
the region, one aimed squarely on root
tinue to be in the form of grant while
ing out terrorism, with less focus on
for Pakistan it would be a loan but a
promoting human rights and democrat
final decision would be taken by the
ic reforms.
state department.
We are not here to lecture we are
"The Foreign Military Funding for
not here to tell other people how to live,
Pakistan would be provided in the form
what to do, who to be, or how to wor
of a loan guarantee," said Mick
ship, Trump said, speaking in an
Mulvaney, Director of the Office of
ornate, multichandeliered room.
Management of Budget in the White
Instead, we are here to offer partner
contacted in connection with House.
ship based on shared interests and
any other inquiry." Responding to questions, Mulvaney
values.
The FBI is investigating pos said the Trump administration has pro
sible collusion between Trump posed to convert its FMF programme to
Manchester bomber
campaign associates and many countries from aid to financial
likely had ISIS training
Russia in connection with loan. Pakistan is one of those countries.
Continued from page 1
Moscow's alleged interference The state department said the $100
children. The police raids were continu
in the 2016 election, reports million in FMF to Pakistan will be used
ing, "specially trained firearms officers"
USA Today. to advance US national security inter
were assigned patrol duty on trains for
Flynn, along with former ests in that country by supporting
the first time, and Britain temporarily
Trump campaign associates Pakistan's capacity to improve stability
halted intelligence sharing on the attack
Paul Manafort, Roger Stone and security and fight terrorism, includ
with the US after American officials
and Carter Page, are active sub ing through the elimination of safe
allegedly leaked information to the
jects of the investigation. havens for terrorist and militant organi
media. Late Thursday, however, the
zations.
National Police Chiefs' Council said in a
statement that it had resumed intelli
gence sharing.
Trumps travails:
US officials released the bomber's
Community Comments
name and other details of the investiga
tion into the deadly attack, irking British
Continued from page 1
Justice Department appointing Special
Counsel to investigate Russian meddling
investigators scrambling to keep details
of the probe confidential. in our election and related matters
(such as collusion between Trump cam
US slashes aid to Pak from paign and the Kremlin), trouble for the
$255 m to $100 m Trump White House seems to be mount
Continued from page 1 ing. Will it hamper the Presidents
leverage loans for some countries, we agenda, and bog down Congress? Will
Akshat Jain, a pediatric will still maintain the flexibility to use it Trump manage to weather this storm
Hematologist oncologist and as grant assistance where needed," a too? The South Asian Times invited sev
stem cell specialist state department spokesman told PTI eral prominent Indian Americans to
organized the drive. when asked about the budget proposal dwell on such questions.
Jaipur (India) Bureau IANS Newswire Services
Prakash Bhandari IANS Washington Bureau
Prakash@TheSouthAsianTimes.info Arun Kumar
arun.kumar@ians,in
Photographs: Gunjesh Desai/
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TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY May 27-June 2, 2017 5

Acharya Lokesh to visit USA as part of World

Peace Harmony and Yoga Tour
New Delhi: Peace Ambassador Acharya Dr.
Lokesh Muni and Acharya Vikramaditya with
a delegation in a meeting with Environment
and Science & Technology Minister of India
Dr. Harsh Vardhan at his residence informed
him about the Acharya Lokeshs World Peace
Harmony and Yoga Tour and elaborate pro
gram organized on his departure at
Talkatora Park. Basant Gupta from USA and
Manoj Jain from Delhi were part of the dele
gation.
Cabinet Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan
extended his good wishes for the tour and
said that the world population will be bene
fited by this. Acharya Lokesh Muni has been
giving the message of peace, harmony and
nonviolence from the prestigious platforms
in India and different parts of world to estab
lish world peace from last 33 years. He
expressed hope that Acharya Lokesh will
take the ancient Indian culture to different
parts of the world. Central Minister gave
consent to participate in the program orga
Acharya Lokesh Muni ji (center) with Dr Harsh Vardhan,
Minister of Environment & Technology in New Delhi
nizsed at departure of Acharya Lokesh for Nations with support of more than 177
the tour on the eve of Environment Day at nations recognizing ancient Indian Yoga
Talkatora Stadium. Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni declared June 21 as International Yoga day.
on the occasion said that by the efforts of Acharya Lokesh said that people of the world
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, United have to unite and make efforts towards
establishing world peace and harmony for
the welfare of humanity.
Acharya Vikramaditya said that Acharya
Lokesh will leave for World Peace Harmony
and Yoga Tour to United States of America
from New Delhi on June 6th. On arriving in
New York Acharya Lokesh will be first hon
ored at UN Headquarters on June 9th morn
ing. He will participate in JAINA Convention
2017 organized on the theme Jainism and
Science at New Jersey from June 30 to July
4. Jain representatives from different parts
of the world will express their views in
JAINA Convention on this very relevant sub
ject. Acharya Lokesh will participate in dif
ferent International Yoga Day function from
June 16 25 in New York, New Jersey,
Chicago various cities of USA. He will partici
pate in International Conference organized
in Atlantic city on June 24th with Yogrishi
Baba Ramdev and Bhramakumari Shivani. He
will also address Annual function of Chicago
Jain Center on June 25th.

TANA convention set to Arrest warrant issued

open in St. Louis
Special to
The South Asian Times
New York: Dignitaries from India
and the United States are scheduled
to attend the 40th anniversary cele
brations of the Telugu Association
of North America (TANA) being
held this weekend in St Louis,
Missouri.
The VIPs are mostly from the
states of Andhra and Telangana as
well as some from Missouri and
other US states, according to Dr
Chowdary Jampala, president of
TANA whose organization is hold
ings its 21st biennial convention
during the long Memorial Day
weekend. Deputy Chief Minister of
Andhra K.E. Krishnamurthy, the
state Health Minister Kamineni
Srinivas, member of parliament
(Lok Sabha) Maganti Murali Mohan
are among the VIPs to be present
on the occasion, he said in a tele
phone interview. Among the
expected dignitaries are Telangana
Information Technology Minister
Kalvakuntla Tarakarama Rao and
Sujana Chowdary (MP, Rajya
Sabha). Congressman Raja
Krishnamoorthi (from llinois),
Dr. Chowdary
Jampala,
president,
Telugu
Association of
North America
Maryland state lawmaker Aruna
Miller and Secretary of State for
Missouri John R Jay Ashcroft are
among the US luminaries to be
present on the occasion. Among the
galaxy of lm stars to be present at
the threeday convention beginning
on May 26 are Kajal, Nitin and
Arjun. One of the honorees will be
Ian Grillot, who tried to save the
two Indians in Kansas when they
were shot in March. The convention
begins with a banquet, where
recognition awards will be given.
The ceremony will be followed by a
music concert. All the programs will
be covered by print and electronic
media. Aside from the presence of
USbased IndianAmerican news
organizations, some media outlets
representatives are arriving from
Hyderabad. There are a number of
sessions on various issues, aspects,
regions and cultures. Among such
things are singing contests; busi
ness, womens, spiritual and med
ical matters; a shortlm festival;
immigration issues; tholubom
malaata (puppet show); alumni
meetings; mimicry; star perform
ances and agricultural issues. Food
is one thing the organization is tak
ing the utmost care. According to
Jampala, a local restaurant group is
ensuring that food of the three
major regions of the Telugu land
will be available at the convention
all the time for breakfast, lunch and
dinner as well as snacks.
Separate gatherings are held for
second and thirdgeneration
Telugus. TANA was founded at a
gathering in New York in 1977. Its
website says that it is not only the
oldest and largest Telugu organiza
tion in North America, but also one
of the largest and oldest Indian
community bodies on the continent.
The organization is growing further
and cooperating with other like
minded outts. Jampala said, Our
theme for this convention is
Ellaluleni Telugu; Eppatiki Velugu
(Borderless Telugu; Forever Shines),
and our community will make sure
that we will achieve it.
for hot yoga founder
Bikram Choudhury
New York: A US court
has issued an arrest
warrant for Bikram
Choudhury, the
IndianAmerican hot
yoga guru who was
ordered in 2016 to
pay over $7 million in
connection with a sex
Bikram Choudhary
ual harassment case, a
(Image : dnaindia.com)
media report said.
Choudhury, the millionaire
founder of global fitness business,
has not paid the amount and last
year claimed he was nearly bank
rupt. Authorities believe the 69
yearold has hid his assets and left to obscene comments about
the country, the ABC News report
ed. According to the report, the
warrant allows authorities to
arrest him if he returns to the US
or, possibly, in Mexico. In January
last year, a jury determined that
Choudhury had sexually harassed
and then unfairly fired Minakshi
Miki JafaBodden, his onetime
lawyer. He was ordered to pay
nearly $ 6.5 million in punitive
damages in addition to $924,000
in compensatory dam
ages.
JafaBodden was gen
eral counsel to
Bikrams Yoga College
of India but was fired
after refusing to cover
up allegations that
Bikram had raped and
sexually assaulted a
yoga student. I feel
vindicated, she told ABC News in
2016. Im elated.
She convinced the jury that
Choudhury had repeatedly sexual
ly harassed her and subjected her
women. She also claimed she was
fired after she tried to investigate
another womans sexual harass
ment and rape allegations against
him. During the trial over Jafa
Boddens allegations, Bikram
strongly denied sexually assault
ing any women. He also denied to
ABC News ever having any sexual
contact with his students or fol
lowers. Bail was set at $8 million,
the report said. (PTI)
 6 May 27-June 2, 2017
Missing Cornell student IndianAmerican
Aalaap Narasipura found dead jailed for $33 million
New York: An Indianorigin stu
dent was found dead here after he
went missing earlier this week, po
lice said. Aalaap Narasipura, 20,
was an electrical engineering stu
dent at Cornell University and was
missing from Wednesday, ABC
News reported.
Cornell University Police said
Narasipura's body was recovered
on Friday from Fall Creek, a gorge
located near Ithaca Falls.
The circumstances of Narasipu
ra's death remain under investiga
tion, but police said they don't sus
pect any foul play.
State and local authorities from
multiple agencies searched
Narasipura's residence, academic
spaces and regular routes of travel
as well as adjacent natural areas
Ama Yawson declares Democratic
candidacy for Nassau County Comptroller
Mineola, NY: Ama Yawson
announced her candidacy for
Nassau County Comptroller, a
remarkably accomplished woman
with extraordinary credentials not
seen in Nassau County Government.
Yawson is a graduate of Harvard
University, Cum Laude, and holds a
Juris Doctor and a Masters in
Business Administration from The
University of Pennsylvania Law
School and the prestigious Wharton
School, respectively. Yawson has
held positions as senior counsel and
as a nancial analyst at leading
nancial institutions such as
Rapper Nicki Minaj funds Indian
village for development
New York: American rapper Nicki
Minaj has been sending money to a
village in India for the
last couple of years
for clean water,
places where they
can worship, learn
technology and
more. On Saturday,
Minaj posted a video
on Instagram where an Indian man,
surrounded by villagers, can be seen
showing a newly installed hand
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
Aalaap Narasipura
and gorges around the Ivy League
university. They did not find any
evidence of his whereabouts until
coming across his body in Fall
Creek, police said. Earlier in the
week, police had released a photo
Citibank and Bank of America. She
will join with County Executive
Candidate George Maragos for the
pump. Minaj wrote: This is the kind
of thing that makes me feel the most
proud. The money Ive sent to this
village in India for the last couple
years (via my Pastor Lydia Sloley),
has gotten them a computer center,
a tailoring institute, a reading pro
gram and two water wells.
We complain about the most
ridiculous little things when some
people dont even have clean water.
Blessings to India. Our work is far
from done. Ill tell you guys more
and description of Narasipura
seeking more information in the
case.
Narasipura was set to graduate
this December, according to the
report. "He was an active member
of the Ultimate Frisbee team, en
joyed taking photos and planned
on continuing at Cornell to pursue
a Masters of Engineering Degree,"
said Ryan Lombardi, Vice Presi
dent for student and campus life
at Cornell.
"On behalf of the Cornell Univer
sity community, I extend our deep
est condolences to Aalaap's family
and friends as they grieve this
tragedy," Lombardi said.
"They are in our thoughts as we
all come to grips with the enormi
ty of this loss," he said.
Current Nassau
County
Comptroller
George Maragos,
who is running for
County Executive,
introduced Ama
Yawson as the
candidate for
Comptroller.
Democratic Party nomination to
restore trust in government and end
corruption.
about my charity work in the near
future in case youd like to be a part
of it. Love. The Anaconda hitmak SAYA alumni. These scholarships
er also shared photos of a few Indian
women. She captioned the images:
Im so proud of our sisters in India.
God is so good. Their desire was to
have water wells and places where
they can worship, places where they
can learn technology, computers,
reading, etc. Were just getting start
ed. These women are us and we are
them.
fraud in US
Washington, DC: An Indian
American businessman has been
sentenced to 15 years in prison
for fraud schemes that cost
investors over $33 million.
Navin Shankar Subramanian
Xavier, of Miramar, Florida, oper
ated Miami Gardensbased Essex
Holdings from 2010 to 2014
through which he carried out two
fraud schemes, according to the
court documents.
He was sentenced earlier this
week by US District Judge Darrin
Gayles in Miami, Florida, the
American Bazaar Online reported
on Friday. Xavier pleaded guilty
in January to two counts of wire
fraud. A restitution hearing is
scheduled for July 14.
The rst scheme involved near
ly 100 investors who purportedly
invested in sugar transportation,
shipping as well as iron ore min
ing in Chile. According to prose
cutors, the company raised more
SAYA AWARDS 14
COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS
Elmhurst, NY: South Asian Youth
Action (SAYA) awards scholar
ships to 14 high school seniors,
nine young women and ve young
men, starting college this fall. The
total awarded amount equals
$146,000, with individual awards
ranging from $1,000 to $5,000
per year for four years. With the
announcement of this years recip
ients, 29 youth have now received
multiyear scholarships from
SAYA to help cover the cost of col
lege. The SAYA Scholarship Fund,
established in 2014, has awarded
a total of $283,000 to date to
are part of SAYAs college access
and success programming, and
complement the organizations
efforts to support our alumni
through their higher education
journeys. SAYAs college access
programming provides youth with
oneonone and small group col
lege advisement, free SAT prep
classes and visits to public and
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
than $30 million using the rst
scheme. Xavier allegedly spent
investor money on jewellery, lux
ury vehicles, cosmetic surgery,
wedding expenses and more.
In a second scheme, Xavier
secured $1.2 million in funds and
about $1.5 million in commercial
real estate from the South
Carolina Coordinating Council for
Economic Development to turn an
older industrial property into a
diaper plant and rice packaging
facility, according to the report.
Xavier provided false nancial
documentation to entice investors
to put money in Essex Holdings.
He also provided fake contractor
invoices and spurious bank state
ments in order to get paid under
the contract.
Xavier spent the money for his
personal living expenses, and
wired some of it to the same over
seas accounts used in the invest
ment fraud, said ofcials.
private colleges. Youth also
receive help with completing col
lege applications, personal state
ments, nancial aid forms and
scholarship applications. The
goals of SAYAs college success
programing are to help alumni
access all the opportunities they
need to receive their undergradu
ate degrees and successfully pur
sue their future professional and
personal goals.
A large number of this years
scholarship recipients are stu
dents at Richmond Hill High
School, where SAYA operates a
community school. The remainder
of the recipients are SAYA pro
gram participants at Newcomers
High School, Thomas A. Edison
Career and Technical High School
and the organizations community
center in Elmhurst, Queens. Youth
who attend programming at the
SAYA community center come
from a diverse range of high
schools across NYC.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY May 27-June 2, 2017 7

Indian-Americans unhappy over portrayal of

Hinduism in proposed California school textbooks
Washington, DC: Indian
Americans have expressed
anguish over the negative por
trayal of Hinduism and India in
the proposed California school
textbooks. "It is disappointing to
see that even after a decade of
building awareness by the Hindu
American community, textbooks
especially by Houghton Mifin
Harcourt (HMH), McGrawHill,
Discovery and National
Geographic continue to use ori
entalist narratives to portray
Indian civilization," said
Shantharam Nekkar, director of
Hindu Education Foundation USA
(HEF).
Nekkar's remarks came at a
public hearing conducted by the
California Department of
Education (CDE) at Sacramento
on Thursday.
For the past several years, the
IndianAmerican community has
been battling to remove several
inaccuracies and myths about
Hinduism from the textbooks.
The State of California mandates
that the textbooks to be based on
the framework laid down by the
Department of Education. The
framework was revised last year
amidst many controversies,
including attempts by a few aca
demics and groups to replace
'India' with 'South Asia.'
Over the past two years, the
Department has made several
updates to the framework based
on inputs by scholars, students
and the community members,
mentioning Hindu concepts like
Yoga and Dharma, Sages Vyasa
and Valmiki and Indian achieve
ments in science and technology.
Hindu groups pointed out that
many of these changes have not
reected in the textbook drafts.
"Some publishers continue to
single out and denigrate
Hinduism while ignoring new
additions to the framework that
can help present Indian civiliza
tion on par with other civiliza
tions and cultures," said Sharat
Joshi, a parent from San Jose.
"Negative portrayal of
Hinduism has led to several
instances of bullying of Hindu
children in classrooms," he
added.
The Department of Education
will send its recommendations to
the State Board of Education
(SBE) later this year for its
approval. The textbooks recom
mended by the board are expect
ed to be adopted by schools start
ing early next year. (PTI)

IndianAmericans shine at Over 30,000 Indians

Intel science fair in the US overstayed in America last
Washington, DC: While four Indian
Americans received top awards in
various categories, an Indian boy
year: Homeland Security
has won the world's largest precol Washington, DC: A total of 1.4 million
lege science competition in the US Indians travelled to the US on various
in environmental engineering cate visas last year, out of which over 30,000
gory for his project on biodegrada overstayed in the country, according to an
tion of pesticides. annual ofcial report on departures and
Prashant Ranganathan, a 12th overstays. The Department of Homeland
grader from Jamshedpur, alongwith Security (DHS) submitted the report to the
over 20 high school students from Congress on foreign visitors who entered
various parts of India, participated the US on various visas, including busi
in the Intel International Science ness, tourists, students and visitors
and Engineering Fair. "My project More than 1,700 young scientists, engineers, entrepre exchange, as nonimmigrant visitors. The
neurs and makers from 78 countries, regions and territo (Image courtesy: resumeplace.com)
will actually help farmers in biode report covers about 96 per cent of the
grading the pesticide which is ries convened at the Intel International Science and total nonimmigrant visitors. the country, it said.
plaguing the country," Prashant Engineering Fair in LA, May 1419. ( As per the report, more than 50 million Among the overstayed are 2,040
Photo : The Society for Science & the Public/Chris Ayers) nonimmigrants were expected to depart Indians who departed the US only after
told PTI after he was declared win
ner in the environmental engineer Maya Ajmera president and CEO of Society for from the US in 2016. Of these, 739,478 the expiry of their visas. Similarly, in
ing category at this years' competition. In all, Science and Public, told PTI in an interview. overstayed their admission, resulting in a 2016, as many as 9,897 Indian students
more than 1,700 students from across the In fact, every section the award ceremony total overstay rate of 1.47 per cent. Of the or exchange scholars were expected to
world participated in the weeklong event had the budding Indian scientists on the stage. more than 739,000 overstays, DHS said depart by the end of the year and of
which concluded here on Friday. So were the Indian American high schoolers, 628,799 were suspected "incountry" which, 4,575 overstayed their legal peri
Student of Carmel Junior College in prompting one of the Intel ofcial to say overstays, meaning there is no record of od. As per available records, 1,561 Indian
Jamshedpur, Prashant's project 'Biodegradation "Indians and Indian Americans rock today" as these foreign nationals leaving the US. students and exchange visitors left the
of Chlorpyrifos using native bacteria' said that the awards ceremony concluded at the Los The rest left the country after the expiry country after their visas expired, while
farmers should not use pesticides. Angeles Convention Center in downtown Los of their lawful admission period, which is 3,014 of them have overstayed in the
Prashant who bagged the coveted award for Angeles. called outofcountry overstay. According country, the report said.
his innovation for ghting against pesticide IndianAmerican Pratik Naidu from Virginia to the gures, more than 1.4 million There were also 339,076 Indians in var
and getting rid of its side effects through bagged an award in the category of computa Indians who entered the US were expect ious other categories who were expected
biodegradable use. tional biology and bioinformatics, Adam Nayak ed to leave the country in 2016, but more to leave the country in 2016. Of these,
While the topmost Gordon E Moore Award of from Oregon was declared the winner in earth than 30,000 overstayed. 8,061 overstayed, including 2,402 Indians
$75,000 went to Ivo Zell, 18, of Germany for and environmental sciences, Karthik Yegnesh Of these 30,000, a little over 6,000 who left the US after their visas expired.
designing and constructing a remotecontrol from Pennsylvania in Mathematics and Rahul Indian nationals left the US after the According to the report, more than
prototype of a new "ying wing", almost every Subramaniam from Connecticut in the microbi expiry of their visas, the report said. In 881,000 Indians on business or pleasure
participant of the Indian delegation returned ology category. 2016, more than one million Indians who were expected to leave the country in
from the annual competition with one award or As a result, Indians and Indian Americans came to the US on business, tourist or 2015. Of these 14,348 Indians over
the other. "India really boasts really extraordi accounted for nearly onefth of the top cate pleasure were expected to leave the coun stayed, including 1,463 who left the US
nary mathematics, science, physics, education," gories of the awards. try. Of these, 17,763 have overstayed in after the expiry of their visas.
 8 May 27-June 2, 2017
I
n Georgias 6th congressional
district, the June 20 runoff
between Democrat Jon Ossoff
and Republican Karen Handel is in
the national spotlight as a referen
dum on Trump. In the swamped
April 18 special primary election to
replace Health Secretary Tom Price,
Ossoff received 48.1% of the votes
against Handels 19.8%.
Will the outcome of this election
be a gauge of Trumps troubles? A
poll, conducted by SurveyUSA for
Atlanta TV station WXIA this week,
shows a 5144% advantage for
Ossoff in a traditionally red district.
The poll also showed that Trumps
disapproval rating in the district is
51% (with a 4.3% margin of error).
In increasingly diverse suburbs of
this district, IndianAmericans are
among those waking up to political
activism. Even hitherto politically
indifferent constituents are actively
canvassing for Ossoff. However, a
Hindu group of Trump supporters
held a fundraiser for rival Handel
last week. Their reasoning? To
make lemonade of the current polit
ical climate. Aside from his I love
W
hen we look Trump has
made humongous
achievements: He had
the healthcare bill repealed and
replaced in the House, had Neil
Gorsuch installed as Supreme
Court Justice, reversed 30 of
Obamas arbitrary executive
orders, cut illegal immigration by
almost threequarters, and met
with many heads of state. The
economy is growing at the
fastest rate in almost 10 years.
The stock market is reaching his
torical highs. Americans feel
most optimistic. Globally, he is
reestablishing Americas leader
ship all over, but especially in the
difficult areas such as the Syria
conflict, North Korea, the Islamic
world, and the IsraeliPalestinian
conflict.
Then, why such an uproar in
the media as if the White House
is in great turmoil to a point that
foreign media, European includ
ed, believes Trump presidency is
going to collapse? While nothing
has been leaked out to show
any linkage of Trump with
Russia, then why the media is
casting a long dark shadow on
Trumps infant presidency? Why
creating an unreal image of
American stability?
The South Asian Times invited prominent Indian Americans
to deliberate on how serious are President Trumps growing
troubles in the past two weeks, especially since the
appointment of a Special Counsel to investigate Russian
meddling in our election and related matters, and what
affect it will have on the presidency and the country.
Trump facing serious accusations
Hindu campaign overtures, and a
handful of IndianAmerican
appointments in his administration,
Trump has done nothing to endear
himself to the community.
Uncertainty hangs over the H1B
program, popular with the Indian
tech force following Trumps execu
tive order. Hate crimes targeting
Indians are on the rise the out
come of a campaign rhetoric that
capitalized on fear and mistrust.
The administrations recent $460
billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia,
the worlds largest sponsor of the
Wahhabi ideology that fuels terror
ist groups like ISIS and alQaeda
ought to have served as an eye
opener.
Hindu interests cannot be above
national interests. We Americans
have been waking up to news that is
getting progressively more shock
ing each morning. Trumps prob
lems are not just headlines, they are
Media makes up White House turmoil
Take, for example, a study con
ducted by the Shorenstein Center
of the Kennedy School at
Harvard University. According to
it, the tone of Trumps news cov
erage during the First 100 Days
by the media is the most negative
of the last four American
Presidents, almost double of
Obamas, and one third more
than Bill Clintons, who had
cheated and openly perjured.
Excluding the European media
that collectively is more negative
on Trump than its American
counterpart, CNN and NBC have
the most negative coverage on
Trump (93% negative, each). Of
the newspapers, The New York
Times has the highest negative
coverage (87%; while, the
Washington Post has 83% nega
tive coverage). Even the Wall
Street Journal and Fox News
have more negative than positive
Trump coverage.
While the firing of Comey gave
the media and the Democrats the
best fodder to keep piling on
Trump, it was only a switch of
the means. Their condemnation
US AFFAIRS
arate appeals to the Director of
VEENA RAO
serious accusations asking FBI
director James Comey to shut down
the investigation into possible ties
DR A.D. AMAR
of the President would have con
tinued no matter what. It expedit
ed the appointment of the
Special Counsel, for which some
Democrats had been asking since
days after Trumps inauguration.
While it presents bad optics,
Trump opponents would not
have stopped until this hap
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Coordinated by Parveen Chopra
between the administration and
Russian espionage officials, later
firing Comey, telling Russian diplo
mats in the Oval office that he fired
Comey to relieve pressure over the
Russia probe, spilling sensitive
intelligence to the Russian foreign
minister and ambassador. The latest
in Trump news is that he made sep
develop a spine and stand up for
National Intelligence Daniel Coats
and to Admiral Michael S. Rogers,
Director of the National Security
Agency, urging them to publicly
deny the existence of any evidence
of collusion with Russia during the
2016 election.
Will he survive Russiagate? With
the Department of Justices appoint
ment of Robert Mueller as inde
pendent Special Counsel to oversee
the ongoing federal investigation,
we could be waking up to answers
that are irretrievably damaging to
the President. Talk about impeach
pened. In the end, they wouldnt
be able to hurt Trump because
there is nothing there to do it
and they know it. Now, the facts
that will set Trump free will
come out sooner than later.
There would have been basical
ly nothing if Hillary Clinton had
won the presidency. The Russia
connection would not have been
an issue, because it was not
taken to be an issue while all that
Russia did to interfere with the
election was happening and the
media and others were in the
know. The Democrats want to
hang on to this for having Trump
not enact legislation that he
promised during his campaign,
as achieving that would be the
theme enough for them to win
back the White House in 2020.
The answer lies in the unex
pected win of Trump. Nothing
concerns a big part of American
population, especially in the East
and the West, than the Trumps
immigration policy. Directly or
indirectly, it negatively rubs
almost 55 million people in
America. It is existential for a
ment is still only a murmur, but
could grow louder if Republicans
think Trump is a liability in their
constituency. If it is proved that
Russian espionage penetrated the
highest public office in the country,
that is a matter of utmost concern
which overrides all other issues.
Either way, Republicans need to
whats right and soon! It would do
the party and its supporters good if
theyd distance themselves from
Trump, and get some legislative
work done on Capitol Hill.
And, while it is a positive sign that
IndianAmericans are mobilizing to
have their voices heard, proTrump
Hindu groups might find their
lemonade tasting bitter in the days
to come.
Veena Rao is the editor of the
Atlanta based NRI Pulse Newspaper.
She can be reached at
editor@nripulse.com.
very large number of them. That
is why everything is being done
to keep Trump away from exe
cuting his immigration policy.
This group is so active and
aggressive that it wont allow
Democrats or any other power in
America to take the attention off
this issue. They want all illegals
to be legalized and no change
made at the border to stop the
inflow of immigrants.
I believe there is going to be no
peace at least until the midterm
Congressional elections of 2018.
If Republicans add to their
strength in the House and the
Senate, Democrats will be forced
to change their strategy; peace
and stability will come to
America. If Republicans lose
seats, they will abandon Trump
and become submissive to the
wishes of the Democrats.
However, no matter what, Trump
will remain the President.
Dr. Amar Dev Amar, business
professor at Seton Hall
University, founded a PAC to pro
mote Trumps candidacy for
President.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info US AFFAIRS May 27-June 2, 2017 9

Brewing Constitutional crisis

talk or an audit trail. Manchurian President remote ning the coveted UN Security
I also admit that I didnt like Preet controlled by Russia? Council seat, Amb. Abdallah Y. Al
Bharara being fired by President If Donalds answer is YES to (1) Mouallimi made history by declin
Trump after he was rehired, as that and NO to (2), then he is like Nixon ing the seat and Riyadh considered
hurt everyday New Yorkers from in 1968 delivering his famous setting up an alternative multilater
getting a government Lincoln China Speech at the Council on al system of government, given the
decreed, while making those in Foreign Relations, later to open up void of American leadership in face
power feel abovethelaw again. the world to China in 1971 and of heart wrenching suffering
Now, I turn to the issues at hand. switch Taiwans United Nations caused by Syria and ISIS.
Here is what we know, based upon Security Council seat from ROC However, there is a unique weak
the fast and furious reportage by (Republic of China) to PRC (Peoples ness that President Trump faces,
The Washington Post, of Watergate Republic of China). Its all legal, that neither Nixon nor Reagan

T
he cascading events generally
are layered and rarely, as
now, erupt into a crescendo
from an approaching constitutional
crisis.
Initially, let me disclose that I am
a registered Democrat, and seeing
how Hillarys team, including DNC,
illegally mistreated Sen. Bernie
Sanders, and how Huma Abedin
profited by quitting as Hillarys
deputy chief of staff and was imme
diately rehired as a special govern
ment employee and simultaneous
ly got paid to work for the Clinton
Foundation and Teneo Holdings
unethical and corrupt I voted for
Donald Trump to shake up the
Establishment who, like Marie
Antoinette, wanted Americans to
eat cake when they couldnt
afford to buy bread. Leave aside
Bill Clintons famous Tarmac
Meeting with AG Lynch, forcing her
recusal, and causing Comey to act
as he did in 2016, where he,
Comey, cut Hillary a huge break by
not indicting her for her planned
private email server, her house
keeper printing classified emails for
Hillarys review, and with full
access to Bill to know all confiden
tial matters without any pillow
fame, The New York Times and
CNN, etc.
President Trump likes General
Flynn; even, after terminating him
for lying to the Vice President.
Perhaps, he likes Flynn too much.
We know that Obama administra
tion was told about FlynnRussia
contacts by our Special Allies in
Europe. We know Obama warned
thenpresidentelect Trump about
Flynn. Yet, Trump as President
appointed Flynn as NSA, only to fire
him 18 days after he knew Flynn
lied to Vice President Pence, with a
termination oddly soaked with
Flynnlove. The bizarre Comeyter
mination, after a prior failed
LoyaltyPledge Request, was fol
lowed by the incredulous Lavrov
Kislyak Oval Office visit with
American media barred, and POTUS
later admitting to NBCs Lester Holt
that he, DJT, was thinking of the
Russia probe when he fired Comey,
hence, admitting his invisible state
ofmind worthy of selfimmolation.
If I was personal counsel to
Donald J. Trump, not White House
Counsel, which requires the fiduci
ary duties to protect the Office of
the President and not necessarily
RAVI BATRA
the man who is President, I would
want to know the answer to one
critical bifurcated question, to wit:
Donald, did you create or approve
of a plan, during your presidential
campaign, that a reachout to
Russia ought occur because you
want to: (1) Restart USRussia
relations so as to defuse the ever
warming resurgence of the Cold
War, as a matter of future US policy
to cause Crimeas return to Ukraine,
NATO to refocus on defeating ter
ror, and Russian nucleararmed
submarines, ships and planes to
join United States and NATO to
enforce global peace and security?
Or, (2) Win the 2016 election with
help from a foreign power that is
hostile to the United States, in viola
tion of American democracy and
rule of law and become the
even as history judges China the
winner over Nixon, as China,
instead of being a counterbalance
to the thenSoviets, pulled a Veto
along with Russia in 2013 in UNSC
after Syrias chemical war crimes.
If Donalds answer is NO to (1)
and YES to (2), then he is in worse
shape than Nixons Watergate
CoverUp, as here, it would be
Trumps Crime with Trumps Cover to start out of righteous indigna
Up.
Assuming DJTs answers are YES
and NO, not NO and YES, then I
would advise him to cut loose
everybody as President Reagan did
in the IranContra Affair, and let
everybody, especially those who
sought to make individual side
profits from such Russian engage Pence already knew about Flynn
ments to face the music,
Congressional and Special Counsel
Robert Mueller. For saving the
Trump Presidency may be valuable
to America and everyday
Americans. Just look at what he has
accomplished in his first foreign
trip with the mature and uniquely
capable Rex Tillerson by his side in
Riyadh. Just a few years ago, Saudi
Arabia was so sick of our non
action against Syria that after win
faced, in this early onset of the
Impeachment Season: Both Houses
of Congress are in Republican con
trol. This is not so much a strength
for the disruptive president as it is
a weakness. The Republicans want
more than anything to retain both
Houses in the 2018 midterm elec
tions. So, after getting the Tax Cut,
they prefer to cause Impeachment
tion, as then they get the normal
Establishment Mike Pence to be
President assuming he is not taint
ed and alreadyresigned by know
ing about Flynn as Chair of Trump
Transition Committee (for how
could Flynn have lied to the Vice
President in 2017 when Mike
Russia and FlynnTurkey in 2016)
well, then Speaker Paul Ryan is
President. So, Mr. President,
beware the Ides of March as
Brutus lurks. Julius Caesar Act 1
Scene 2.
An attorney, Ravi Batra is former
NYS Commissioner, Joint
Commission on Public Ethics, and
Chair, National Advisory Council
for South Asian Affairs.

P
resident Trump is a new kind of nation
al leader, who is using commonsense as
a tool to govern rather than party poli
cies and agenda created by some writers and
thinkers.
Take Islamic terror by one group or the
other, by one Islamic nation or the other.
Today every free nation is suffering from
Islamic terror and the dishonest leftist media
is cooperating with them. As candidate and
President, Trump has been able to awaken all
about Islamic evils and order to close bor
ders and stop immigration of Islamic follow
ers.
Russia is a strong nation which is never
aping the West or Europe, which want it
destroyed. Russia is hated by the media and
Democratic leaders. While Islamic nations are
Trump can
root out
Islamic evils
ARISH SAHANI
planning to destroy the West and the free
world, why are FBI , CIA or Democrats not
talking about them. Everyone should be ask
ing these questions to Democrats and leftist
media. Looks like they are well funded, sup
ported by Islamic nations and not by Russia.
American citizens should question the abili
ty of our CIA and FBI, which even after 12
months of investigation have not found any
evidence of collusion between Trump and
Russia or how Russians affected our elec
tions. Their ability or their loyalty should be
questioned by common citizens.
No one is talking about Americas interven
tions in other nations and their elections.
Our leftist media has no will to give the
truth about Islam. They mislead and confuse
the masses by distorting information by
bringing in many so called experts who are
not loyal to nation or humanity, but loyal to a
party or ideology.
President Trumps agenda is to make
America great again is very appealing and
meaningful for all Americans. But not for
those who are antinationals like Islamic fol
lowers and their supporters (most Muslims
have no love for any nation look how the
Middle East is now destroyed by them and
people are fleeing their own lands to now
destroy other nations).
President Trump is a good businessman
and now a world leader who will bring peace
and prosperity for all, even Muslims if they
have some commonsense and love for life like
we in the West have love for life and believe
in equality and progress.
I wish President Trump long life as he is the
first elected president and leader who if given
time and freedom can bring new thinking in
the minds of Islamic followers who love death
and not life.
Arish Sahani is a Hindu activist. He found
success in the insurance business.
 10 May 27-June 2, 2017
T
rumps ascendence to the
presidency has started on a
rather despondent and
stormy note, unprecedented in
the history of the celebrated
American democracy. Despite
the antiTrump sentiment world
wide in the social, electronic,
print media, and Hillarys 2.86
million higher popular votes, his
election raised eyebrows. The
faulty Electoral College system
came to fore and hence seen as
the wrong candidates victory.
Winning an election is no guar
antee of a successful tenure,
which is based on higher compe
tence.
The ideological divisiveness
Trump can overcome to save America!
I
n a divided America, Donald
Trump can do no wrong to
his supporters, and to his
detractors, he can do nothing
right. The socalled crisis in
White House is largely a media
creation, but it can blow up into
something serious if not man
aged in time.
I would rate FBI director
James Comeys firing as poten
tially the most damaging nega
tive news. Its likely to linger
whereas others are short term
distractions with more of the
same sure to follow.
But Trump could have
stemmed it, by firing Comey
with all other Obama
appointees on January 20 to
start with a clean slate. He
should have also set a deadline
for completing the Russia
probe on Day one.
Former CBI chief Robert
Impeach, no; Damocles sword, yes
was far too wide and too well
defined long before the election
results last November. Astute
political analysts would have
predicted a turbulent and
volatile tenure that lies ahead for
Donald Trump as thousands of
protestors marched right across
the country from Boston to Los
Angeles soon after his inugura
tion. Trumps election was seen
to represent big business inter
ests and the anticipated budget
ary cuts in health care, education
etc resulted in widespread disap
pointment. In the words of
Justice Louis Brandeis, We can
either have Democracy in this
country or we can have great
wealth concentrated in the hands
of few, we cannot have both.
The bumpy start to the presi
dency was hit by flak from the
Judiciary which blocked his trav
el ban order, as a policy causing
baseless prejudice. The Russian
involvement revelations in the
Trump campaign will have far
reaching consequences. The alle
gations, if true, are totally unac
ceptable to the American people,
Muellers appointment as
Special Counsel may not be a
witch hunt, But with four other
probes going on it may end up
as a another wild goose chase.
An open ended inquiry with
out a deadline indeed shows
the country in a bad light. It
hurts the Presidents ability to
get on with the business of gov
erning at home and weakens
him abroad.
But Muellers appointment
also gives the Trump adminis
tration an opportunity to put
the lid on the daily drip drip of
half truths and innuendos.
Looking at the way the FBI
probe of Hillary Clintons email
scandal ended, Mueller is also
unlikely to find any prose
cutable offence against Trump
or any of his associates, includ
ing Michael Flynn.
Trumps highly successful
US AFFAIRS
G. VENKATESH
RAO
and viewed as compromising
national security/interest.
Michael T. Flynns resignation
as National Security Advisor
amidst widespread allegations
followed by 10 resignations from
the Presidents Advisory
Commission on Asian Americans
and Pacific Islanders, diminished
ARUN
KUMAR
visit to Saudi Arabia specially
his call to Muslim nations to
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Trumps acceptability. The entire
senior management team of the
US State Department quitting on
the appointment of Secretary
Rex Tillerson was also a clear
sign of rejection by a demoral
ized Civil Service and policy
experts.
The words of Sen. John McCain
who warned that President
Trumps mounting scandals were
reaching Watergate size and
scale cannot be far from true.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions
also seen as embroiled in the
Russian collusion matter, along
with the firing of 46 Attorneys
allegedly to cover up other
possible investigations, severely
undermined the credibility of the
President. Thereafter, firing
James Comey, the FBI Director,
seen as an independent and dis
passionate by many for ordering
investigation into the Hillarys
email controversy, brings dismay
and is likely to seriously
boomerang. Robert Muellers
appointment to head the investi
gation into the Russian cam
paign collusion is again seen as
step up to combat Islamist ter
rorism has certainly bolstered
his image. But with the liberal
media and the Democrats
focused on Russia, its unlikely
to help him much at home.
I dont see much of a contra
diction between his anti
Muslim rhetoric as a candidate
and his clear call to the Islamic
world as US President. Its
essentially the same message
couched in diplomatic terms.
Given his unshaken grass
roots support, I think he would
be able to weather all the
storms and crises. Those
dreaming of impeachment are
living in a fools paradise. I
would even venture to suggest
that he would most likely be re
elected in 2020 barring a
major disaster.
All the shenanigans in
Washington have certainly
unreliable, due to the alleged
conflict of interest (law firm he
worked for represents people in
Trumps circle).
The turn of events reminds us
of the dictum of Aristotle,
Republics decline into democra
cies and democracies degenerate
into despotisms.
The Trump controversies may
lead to an uncompromising and
alienated Congress, a dismayed
electorate, and a struggling
Presidency. His undiplomatic
SaudiArabia antiterrorists
stance may not enhance his
popularity ratings to desirable
levels.
The question of impeachment
in these circumstances is a
Damocles sword on the head of
the Trump Administration. In
reality it could be a far cry both
politically and legally speaking.
G. Venkatesh Rao
(gvr@gvrao.in) is advocate,
Supreme Court of India and
exExecutive Member,
Indian Society of International
Law.
weakened the presidency. But
Trump is not the only one to
blame. By beating the Russia
horse day in and day out, the
liberal media and the
entrenched establishment are
giving Vladimir Putin on a plat
ter what he wants: a weakened
US. Its time Democrats and
Republicans realise that Trump
is not going anywhere. And if
they want the country to get
somewhere they must bury the
hatchet. Trump too needs to
give up his insulting ways and
try to win friends at home with
the same charm that he has
unleashed abroad. He must also
learn what may be a tall order
for him that sometimes silence
is golden!
Arun Kumar is Washington
correspondent of IndoAsian
New Service.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
I
am concerned about the long
term damage being inflicted
on American people and
America. Since the day Donald
Trump was elected, the opposi
tion has been trying to bring
down his presidency. As
President, he had limited choices
to nominate people of his own in
the administration. The
holdovers from Obama days
have colluded with the main
stream media hoping to discredit
Trump to take revenge for
Hillarys defeat. However, the
trouble they are creating is going
to make Trump stronger than
ever before. America is going to
be supportive of his programs
and he will turn out to be better
Least effective POTUS in 100 days
enerally we say in the East
G that one should start with
the positive attributes of a
subject or person of controversy.
This is to keep the debate at the
level of samvada or respectful
dialogue rather than degenerate
into acrimonious polemic.
So in the case of POTUS Trump,
I think nearly everyone is agreed
that during his Presidential cam
paign he showed himself to be
perhaps the greatest communica
tor and marketer in the entire
history of US presidential elec
toral campaigns. No one
Republican or Democrat expect
ed him to win. Yet he did! This
after eliminating some two dozen
or so fellow Republican
wannabes.
Trump was never a statesman
like the orator like Obama, his
attention span was obviously lim
ited, his penchant for halftruths
and outright lies was endemic
and legendary, his exceptionally
demeaning way of referring to
women as mere sex objects
revolting and unacceptable, his
policy positions on nearly any
subject of consequence ranging
from nonexistent through
unsustainable to what can only
be called almost phantasmagori
cal, his lack of any feeling at all
for the poor or unprivileged are
Media & Dems blocking Trump
than other recent presidents.
I admit that White House is in
some turmoil now but I would
not call it a crisis. The media and
Democrats are hyping every
event by misinterpretation. Even
in the run up to the 2016 elec
tion, they engaged in the same
rhetoric and yet Trump came out
winning. The same story will be
repeated soon.
Media reports are almost never
accurate. Note CNN headline on
the budget unveiled by White
House this week: "Lawmakers
declare Presidents budget pro
posal Dead on Arrival, adding
that almost all presidents budg
ets are DOA including of
President Obama." Another
example: Testimony of former
John Brennan gets such head
lines: "Brennan warned Russia
not to interfere". Yet, the same
news report says, "Brennan who
was President Obama's CIA
director said he could not say
whether there was collusion
between Russia and Trump cam
paign." As we have witnessed in
past in case of Trumps executive
damning. On top of that the alle
gations of corporate sleaze and
nepotism on the part of Trump
and his senior advisers was both
noisome and sustained.
Despite these lacunae, The
Donald had almost a magical
quality and won. Unfortunately
now POTUS Trump finds that
running a country, especially the
richest and most powerful in the
world, is very different from run
ning a mere company.
The US is a mature democracy
with an exceptionally robust and
enduring system of checks and
balances. Its leader must be able
to command respect and not
merely demand it. With a
Republican majority in both
houses of Congress, Republican
POTUS Trump at the end of his
maiden 100 days has been the
least effective and lowest rated
of any President in US history.
The Judicial branch has rou
tinely deemed his policy posi
tions ultra vires of the law. As for
the Legislative branch, even
staunch Republicans have openly
dissented from his ultra extreme
positions, the Executive branch
with a raft of seamy corporate
and military high flyers with
severe lack of professional and
personal integrity, and even
more severe lack of governmen
US AFFAIRS
were fired may be for the same
BANSI
SHAH
orders like on illegal immigra
tion and temporarily halting visi
tors from select countries, anti
Trumpians are determined to
oppose any and all initiative no
matter how important they are
for safety, security or betterment
of America or Americans. No
NAGENDRA
RAO
tal experience is at war with
itself.
This scenario is bringing
severe and long lasting damage
to the prestige and authority of
the US as leader of the free
world, whatever that means.
There is serious talk now of
impeachment for Trumps lies
and halftruths in relation to
interaction with Russia, his sum
mary firing of FBI director
Comey and a covey of related
May 27-June 2, 2017
matter, Mr. Trump has majority
support of public. The President
has legal authority to meet and
discuss with world leaders or
their representative any matter
for national interest and security.
The appointment of Special
Counsel was not warranted. But
this may be a blessing in disguise
as it will exonerate President
Trump provided Robert Mueller
does not show allegiance to his
friends who surely sill try to
influence the investigation.
Michael Flynn and the FBI chief
reason by Trump. Nonetheless, I
feel that it does set back the
President a bit for his naivete.
And yes, the Russian probe tur
bulence, artificially created by
the media and opposition, will
affect the presidency.
President was welcomed with
great hospitality and open arms
in Saudi Arabia. He gave a great
speech and was forceful in let
ting the Muslim world know that
they too have great responsibili
ty in eradicating terrorism,
which originates in their part of
issues. An extremely tough
Special Counsel of sweeping
bipartisan approval has been
appointed to examine charges
against Trump and the Executive
Branch. Trump has even
retained a lawyer to represent
him before the Special Counsel.
This is unprecedented for a
President who has been barely
100 days in office.
The major cause of all this is
Trump's inability to control his
speaking first and reactively,
with little and often no thought,
and almost never sticking to a
painfully crafted playbook. This
is the single major factor likely
to bring Trump down.
There is a famous Sanskrit sub
hasita, which when translated
says:
At the tip of our tongue
Lakshmi resides, at the tip of the
tongue are friends and kin, tip of
the tongue can cause imprison
ment, certainly the tip of the
tongue can bring death.
This certainly applies to
Trump's exceptionally loose and
casual way of speaking for the
leader of the free world.
What are the remedies one
hopes can still be applied at this
late stage to the Trump presiden
cy, to salvage and gain some lost
ground?
11
the world. It is shameful that
mainstream media suppresses all
the good news about his first for
eign trip.
Mr. Trump speaks from his
heart, he means what he says
and tries to deliver on his prom
ises. He has been very up front
with Israel and Palestine too
about the peace process. Id say
as long as the mainstream media
and Democrats do not put road
blocks in every move he makes,
the world and America are
poised to become a better place
in the coming time.
Trump will prevail, I think, by
stopping to tweet, and learning
to be more precise. All barking
dogs will be tired and silenced
sooner than later. Many presi
dents in the past too have gone
through ugly experiences.
Partisanship in Washington and
politics is not going away. Trump
has to be brave and fight it out.
He is not as bad Bill Clinton.
An engineer, Bansi Shah
found success in construction
industry.
Be discreet in speech in future,
stick to the playbook painstak
ingly developed by experienced
senior career government
employees, eat humble pie
through an open Presidential
address to the nation admitting
to the more egregious errors and
untruths in a manner that he
cannot be impeached for them,
reach for bipartisan support (and
really mean it). Be prepared to
admit that many of the earlier
policy positions were unrealistic
and unworkable and discard
them.
America and Americans for all
their faults are a generous and
forgiving nation and people. If
Trump TRULY reaches out he
may be surprised at the response
of people. On the other hand, if
he obdurately sticks to his posi
tions, as seems likely from his
persona, his term will be short or
at best one term and end in
ignominy, likely through
impeachment.
Nagendra Rao , a Wharton
alumnus, worked for one of the
world's largest technology
giants. He was a cofounder of
the Hindu American Foundation.
He is also a respected spiritual
counselor and teacher of Advaita
Vedanta for many years.
 12 May 27-June 2, 2017
SNAPS FROM PRESIDENT TRUMPS FIRST FOREIGN VISIT
In a statement to NATO in
Brussels, President Trump
asked members of the alliance
to "finally contribute" their fair
share to defense spending.
President Donald Trump
visited the Western Wall
in Jerusalem, May 22.
In Riyadh, Trump calls
for rooting out terrorism
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: US President
Donald Trump called on West
Asian leaders to combat a crisis of
Islamic extremism emanating
from the region, casting the fight
against terrorism as a battle
between good and evil, not a clash
between the West and Islam.
Trumps address last Sunday was
the centerpiece of his twoday visit
to Saudi Arabia, his first stop over
seas as president.
During a meeting of more than
50 Arab and Muslim leaders, he
Trump has not decided
on Paris Climate
Agreement: Official
Washington: Senate Democrats
have urged President Donald
Trump to remain a part of the
Paris Climate Agreement. The
White House has said that the
President is yet to make up his
mind. During a press conference
on Wednesday, the White House
said Trump was still deciding even
as 40 Senate Democrats signed
and sent a letter to him to not
back out of the international cli
mate change pact. This was in
anticipation of the G7 conference
in Sicily this week, which would
sought to chart a new course for
Americas role in the region, one
aimed squarely on rooting out ter
rorism, with less focus on promot
ing human rights and democratic
reforms.
We are not here to lecture we
are not here to tell other people
how to live, what to do, who to be,
or how to worship, Trump said,
speaking in an ornate, multichan
deliered room. Instead, we are
here to offer partnership based
on shared interests and values."
be Trump's first appearance at an
international summit, CBSNews
reported. However, Senate
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer
warned that the Trump adminis
tration was "leaning towards with
drawing the US from the pact.
T he climate agreement was
signed in 2016, during Barack
Obama's presidency at the COP21
conference in Paris, where nations
committed to slowing the effects
of climate change through cutting
down on greenhouse gas emis
sions.
US AFFAIRS
Trump seeks to slash $3.6 trn
of spending over a decade
Washington: President Donald
Trump asked lawmakers on
Tuesday to cut $3.6 trillion in gov
ernment spending over the next
decade, taking aim at healthcare
and food assistance programs for
the poor in an austere budget that
also boosts the military.
Republicans who control the US
Congress and the federal purse
strings will decide whether to
make politically sensitive cuts, and
the proposal is unlike ly to be
approved in its current form.
Although it is not expected to sur
vive on Capitol Hill, the proposal
puts numbers on Trump's vision of
a government that radically cuts
assistance to lowerincome
Americans. The biggest savings
would come from cuts to the
US appeals court upholds block on Trump's visa ban
Washington: A US federal appellate
court upheld an injunction issued
by a lower court blocking enforce
ment of President Donald Trump's
executive order barring issuance of
visas to residents of six Muslim
majority countries.
The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals,
based in Virginia, voted 103 on
Thursday to uphold a ruling by a
federal judge in Maryland who
declared in March that the
President's revised travel order
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Putting their past rocky relationship behind, President Trump and
Pope Francis had a cordial meeting in the Vatican.
Medicaid healthcare program for
the poor, which are embedded in a
Republican healthcare bill passed
by the House of Representatives.
Trump wants lawmakers to cut at
least $610 billion from Medicaid
and more than $192 billion from
food stamps over a decade. He
seeks to balance the budget within
10 years.
The Committee for a Responsible
Federal Budget, a nonpartisan poli
cy organization, said the plan relied
on gimmicks, unrealistic cuts and
"rosy assumptions" of economic
growth that would reach 3 per cent
annually by the end of Trump's first
term. The Congressional Budget
Of fice projects the economy to
grow at an annual pace of 1.9 per
cent over that period. The White
amounted to unconstitutional reli
gious discrimination, NBC news
reported. "Congress granted the
president broad power to deny
entry to aliens, but that power is
not absolute. It cannot go
unchecked when, as here, the presi
dent wields it through an executive
edict that stands to cause irrepara
ble harm to individuals across this
nation," said Chief Judge Roger L.
Gregory. The Justice Department
urged the court to lift the ban on
Egyptian
President
Abdel Fattah
elSisi, King
Salman of
Saudi Arabia
and President
Donald Trump
at the opening
of a new
counter
terrorism
center in
Riyadh.
House said its proposed tax cuts
would help fuel higher growth and
pay for themselves by generating
an additional $2 trillion in revenue
over 10 years. Mick Mulvaney,
Trump's budget office director, said
his office made other assumptions
that were probably too conserva
tive. "We stand by the numbers," he
said. Federal aid to states would
shrink by 3 per cent, though the
cuts would fall most heavily on
states that backed Trump's
Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in
the 2016 election. The Pentagon
would get a spending hike, and
there would be a $1.6 billion down
payment to begin building a wall
along the border with Mexico,
which was a central promise of
Trump's presidential campaign.
enforcement. It said the executive
order had a legitimate national
security purpose, allowing the gov
ernment to assess the reliability of
background information on visa
applicants from six countries asso
ciated with terrorism.
But that argument, the court said,
"is belied by evidence in the record
that President Trump issued the
first executive order without con
sulting with the relevant security
agencies."
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
BJP expanding across the
country: Amit Shah
BJP chief Amit Shah with party leaders Venkaiah Naidu and Bandaru Dattatreya
during a party meeting in Hyderabad.
Hyderabad: BJP national President Amit
Shah has said the party was expanding
across the country but felt that it has to
become strong in south India.
Addressing a meeting of party workers
here to wind up his threeday visit to
Telangana, he exuded confidence that the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will form the
government in Telangana in the same way
as it has done in many states during the last
three years.
Stating that BJP is expanding under the
leadership of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, he said while the party was not
against anybody, it had every right to
expand. Noting BJP formed governments in
Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand, Jammu
and Kashmir, Assam, Uttarakhand, Uttar
Pradesh, Goa and Manipur and increased its
vote share in Bihar, Delhi Kerala, West
Bengal, Odisha and Tripura, he asked the
party workers to work hard to reach every
household in the state to inform people
INDIA
about the achievements of Modi government
and to spread his message. Shah said his
Telangana visit was part of the nationwide
campaign launched by BJP for expansion.
Under this yearlong campaign, four lakh
BJP workers will run doortodoor campaign
in 8.5 lakh booths to tell them about the
achievements of Modi government. The BJP
chief said this 'yatra' was for expansion of
the ideology for which Jan Sangh was
formed and later BJP came into existence.
He said that Jan Sangh made a beginning
with just 10 members and today BJP has
become the world's biggest party with 11
crore members. Shah said BJP has 1,387
legislators in the country, governments in
13 states and with 330 MPs is the biggest
party in Parliament. Claiming that Modi gov
ernment did in three years what the previ
ous governments could not in 70 years, he
said: "Today we can proudly that under
Modi's leadership India has emerged as the
fastest growing economy in the world."
May 27-June 2, 2017 13
Maharashtra CM, 5 others
survive chopper crash
Latur (Maharashtra): Maharashtra
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis
and five others had a providential
escape when their chopper crash
landed after it got entangled in over
head electric cables in Latur district,
officials said.
The state government's Sikorsky
helicopter VTCMM took of f from
Nilanga town, near Latur, around
noon with six persons, including
Fadnavis, two crew members and
three other officials.
However, shortly after takeoff, the
pilot noticed variable wind patterns The chopper carrying Maharashtra CM Devendra
and decided to return to the helipad, Fadnavis and his team crash landed in Latur.
a Director General of Civil Aviation
(DGCA) official said. But during the attempted the copassengers and crew on board.
landing, the chopper got entangled in some He expressed happiness that all were safe
overhead electrical cables running near the and sound after the tragic incident. Later,
helipad and crashlanded from a height of Bharatiya Janata Party's ally and Shiv Sena
nearly 80 feet there a tenstoried building President Uddhav Thackeray also spoke to
height even as hundreds of onlookers, Fadnavis and enquired about the accident
police and security officials rushed to the site. and expressed happiness that nothing unto
All the persons on board, including ward had happened.
Fadnavis, Principal Secretary Pravin Pardeshi, Though shaken, Fadnavis himself made a
personal assistant Abhimanyu Pawar and quick reassuring tweet: "Our helicopter did
PRO Ketan Pathak, besides the pilot and co meet with an accident in Latur, but me and
pilot, came out safely from the chopper which my team are absolutely safe and ok. Nothing
suffered extensive damage. to worry." Fadnavis said "a highlevel probe
An anxious Maharashtra Governor C.V. Rao would be conducted into the incident" to
called up Fadnavis soon afterwards and ascertain whether there were any security
enquired about his wellbeing as also that of lapses leading to the tragedy.
 14 May 27-June 2, 2017 INDIA TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Cabinet decides to abolish Foreign UN denies its

Investment Promotion Board observers attacked by
New Delhi: In a major decision

Indians in Kashmir
aimed at further easing doing busi
ness in India, the Union Cabinet has
abolished the 25yearold Foreign
Investment Promotion Board (FIPB),
obviating the need for prior clear
ance for Foreign Direct Investment
in more than 90 per cent cases.
Industry lauded the move as a
"bold" step that would add to the
healthy inflow of foreign invest
ment. Announcing the decision,
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told
reporters here that only 11 sectors
would require prior approval for
Foreign Direct Investments (FDI).
"The cabinet took the important
decision of abolishing the FIPB,"
Jaitley told reporters after the cabi
net meeting. He said this was done
to further ease doing of business in
the country. Explaining the ration
ale behind the decision, the Minister
said that after the liberalisation of
FDI rules, 9195 per cent of FDI was
coming in anyway through the
"automatic" route, without needing
FIPB clearance. The Union Budget
201718 presented in February had
announced the proposal for aboli
tion of FIPB.
He also said that in the case of the
11 sectors that need prior approval
United Nations: T he UN has
denied that its observers in
Kashmir came under attack from
Indian army in Kashmir, refuting
the Pakistani allegations.
Stephane Dujarric, the
spokesperson for Secretary
General Antonio Guterres, told
reporters that there
was no evidence
of an attack on
UN Military
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Observers
Group in India
for FDI, these would now be given ing FDIs that need government and Pakistan
by the ministries concerned. approval. The government relaxed (UNMOGIP).
Wherever there are security consid FDI norms in June 2016 in single Pakistan's
erations, the Home Minister's brand retail, civil aviation, airports, InterServices
approval would also be taken, he pharmaceuticals, animal husbandry Public Re lat ions
added. and food products, whereby (ISPR) had alleged that a vehi
Asked about how long the process investors in these sectors do not cle carrying UNMOGIP Majors
of abolition would take, Jaitley said need to seek approval from the Emmanual of the Philippines and
this would be done expeditiously. FIPB. The Confederation of Indian Mirko of Croatia came under
Cases pending for approval with the Industry (CII) welcomed the deci attack from India while on a visit
FIPB would now be taken up by the sion as a "bold step" that "would to the Line of Control (LoC) in
respective ministries, the Finance streamline the process of FDI Pakistaniadministered Kashmir.
Minister clarified. The FIPB was set approvals and thereby boost FDI "T his afternoon in Bhimber
up in the early 1990s as an inter flows into the country, adding to District in Pakistanadministered
ministerial singlewindow for allow growth and employment." Kashmir, UNMOGIP military
observers accompanied by
Pakistani army escorts heard
gunshots," Dujarric said. "There
is no evidence that the UNMOGIP
military observers were targeted
by the gunfire."
"No UN military observer was
injured," he added.
The Pakistan Army
on Wednesday
claimed that
t w o
UNMOGIP
of ficials nar
r o w l y
escaped after
Indian troops
fired at their vehi
cle while they were
visiting areas along the Line
of Control.
A ISPR statement said: "Indian
troops committed unprovoked
ceasefire violation" and "targeted
the UNMOGIP vehicle along LOC
in Khanjar sector, despite the
UNMOGIP's blue flag being hoist
ed on the vehicle as per proce
dure.

Tensions escalate as Sonia to host luncheon meet

Pakistan flexes its
muscles in Siachen
New Delhi/Islamabad: Tensions escalat
ed with Pakistan Air Force Chief Suhail
Aman activating all forward bases in
response to purported India "threats"
and fighter jets flying over the Siachen
glacier violating the Indian air space, a
claim New Delhi has dismissed.
The fresh Pakistani provocation came
a day after the Indian Army said it had
"proactively" dominated the Line of
Control (LoC) with "punitive fire
assaults" against military posts and ter
ror launch pads. According to media
reports in Islamabad, Air Chief Marshal
Sohail Aman along with senior PAF offi
cers visited the Qadri Airbase in Skardu
part of Pakistanadministered Kashmir
where war exercises by fighter jet
squadrons are being held at present.The
air chief also took part in the exercises,
flying a Pakistan Air Force Mirage fight
er jet and reviewed the exercises and
operational preparedness of the PAF.
In an apparent response to India's
aggressive LoC posture and recent
reports of Indian Air Force Chief B S
Dhanoa's missive to the force to be "pre
pared" for action at short notice, Air
Chief Marshal Aman told reporters at
the Skardu base that Pakistan would
give a "befitting response to any misad
venture by the enemy".
"Pakistan has and must have zero con
cern over the statements of the enemy.
Our response to any aggression by the
enemy will be such that their future
generations will also remember it," he
said according to a Radio Pakistan
report. The reports said he also ordered
the "operation activation" of the for
ward posts on the nearly 780km LoC
the de facto border that divides Jammu
and Kashmir between the two countries.
Aman's visit to the Skardu base coin
cided with other reports in the Pakistani
media that the PAF on Wednesday flew
fighter jets near the Siachen Glacier
the world's highest battleground in the
northern part of Kashmir where the LoC
ends. Skardu is around 140 kilometers
from Siachen. Samaa TV citing unnamed
sources said Pakistani fighter jets "made
flights near Siachen Glacier on
Wednesday morning". But the Indian Air
Force denied any violation of India's air
space.
"There is no reported airspace viola
tion," said an Indian Air Force official,
who did not want to be identified.
The strategically important Siachen
Glacier and all its major passes are
under Indian military control since
1984 when the two armies fought a bit
ter military conflict in the mountains
above the unpopulated territory in the
Karakoram range.
over presidential candidate
New Delhi: Cong ress
President Sonia Gandhi
Kumar. Banerjee met
Congress President Sonia
invited prominent oppo Gandhi last week and con
sit ion leaders for a veyed that her party was
luncheon meet at her in favour of a consensus
residence on Friday, candidate for the presi
when the issue of select dential election.
ing a consensus candi The term of President
date for the presidential Pranab Mukherjee ends
e lect ion is to be dis in July. The ruling BJPled
cussed. Nat ional Demo crat ic
According to senior Alliance, which has clear
leaders there will also be edge in the presidential
an informal meet ing election, has not given
before the lunch. CPI any inkling so far on its
leader D. Raja confirmed choice of candidate.
he would attend, while Gandhi has been con
JDU leader K.C. Tyagi tacting leaders opposed
said senior leaders of the to the ruling BJP to
party will be present. evolve a consensus.
Opposition party lead She has spoken to
ers, including Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Samajwadi Party leader
Communist Party of Mulayam Singh Yadav
IndiaMarxist leader Sitaram Yechury, are expect and RJD chief Lalu Prasad and met JDU leader
ed to attend. and Bihar Chie f Minister Nit ish Kumar,
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar,
Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee CPIM leader Sitaram Yechury and National
is also coming to Delhi and will be meeting Prime Conference leader Omar Abdullah.
Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. The Congress chief is also expected to meet
Banerjee will also meet leaders of all major par Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati.
ties to build a consensus on the joint candidate DMK leader Kanimozhi had invited Sonia
for the presidential election. Among the names Gand hi for her father and DMK chie f M.
doing the rounds as the opposition's consensus Karunanidhi's 94th birthday celebrations in
candidates are of former Governor Gopalkrishna Chennai on June 3, when another meeting of
Gandhi and former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira opposition leaders is likely to take place.
 His Excellency Amin Mahmoud, former Deputy Prime Minister of Jordan
(left). who is a Xavier Trustee, President Bhooplapur and Chancellor Dr. J. G. Bhat.
 16 May 27-June 3, 2017 BOLLYwOOD

25 days of , Baahubali 2 Ariana

film continues its golden run
I ts been 25 days since the release of S.S.
Rajamoulis magnum opus Baahubali 2:
The Conclusion, and the film is continuing its
phenomenal run in cinemas across the coun-
try, feel trade pundits. Having amassed over
Rs 1500 crore and still counting, Baahubali
2 has crushed all existing box office records.
The film in unstoppable in Tamil Nadu,
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. In the
three states, it has done record business,
surpassing all previous records. In Tamil
Nadu, it has even beaten the record of Ra-
jinikanths Enthiran, which was the sole
Tamil film to have grossed over Rs 100
crore, trade analyst Trinath told IANS.
In the Telugu states, the film has grossed
over Rs 200 crore. Its the biggest Telugu
hit and its got no competition until the
next major Telugu release which is easily
a month away. While the recent Telugu
release has opened well at the box office,
its impact will have very little effect on the
run of Baahubali 2, a leading distributor
told IANS on the condition of anonymity.
He added: The film so far has grossed a
whopping Rs 281 crore from Andhra and
Telangana. Its going to be nearly impos-
sible for any Telugu film to even think of
breaking this record. In Kerala, where the
film is inching close to breaking the record
of Mohanlals Pulimurugan, it is going
strong at the ticket window. According to
Global United Media, the films Kerala dis-
tributor, the film has so far grossed over
Rs 60 crore. In the US, Baahubali 2 is the
first Indian film to mint over $20 million
at the ticket window, according to its dis-
tributor Great India Films.
With Rs 1500 crore
and still counting,
Baahubali 2 has
crushed all existing
box office records.
broken
after
Manchester
blast,
suspends
world tour
American singer Ariana Grande
A merican singer Ariana Grande said
she is broken after a suicide terror
attack hit a stadium in Manchester just as
her concert ended, killing 22 persons in-
cluding children, and has suspended her
world tour in its wake.
Tmz.com quoted sources as saying that
Grande will not perform at her scheduled per-
formance at The O2 here and has decided for
now to put the entire European tour on hold.
She was scheduled to perform in England,
Belgium, Poland, Germany and Switzerland.
Broken from the bottom of my heart. I
am so sorry. I dont have words, tweeted
the 23-year-old Grammy nominated singer,
known mostly for her pop music.
According to the website, Grande is in
hysterics after the bombing. Grande is in-
capable of performing for anyone. She and
her team, were told, are also deeply con-
cerned about security, said a source.
The singers manager Scooter Braun said
in a statement posted on social media: To-
not express our sorrow for the victims and
families harmed in this senseless attack.
We mourn the lives of children and loved
ones taken by this cowardly act. We ask all
of you to hold the victims, their families, and
all those affected in your hearts and prayers.
The explosion, the second in the city in
21 years, took place around 10.35 p.m.
(local time) on Monday at the Manchester
Arena where around 20,000 fans, mostly
youngsters, had gathered.
The fans were streaming out of the are-
na, shortly after Grande had left the stage,
as the explosion occurred.
At least 60 ambulances attended the
scene of the blast, the UK North West Am-
bulance Service tweeted. The Manchester
Royal Infirmary Hospital was blocked off to
all but essential staff after the attack.
No group or individual has so far claimed
responsibility for the attack, but supporters
of the Islamic State (IS) terror group were
seen celebrating the blast on social media,

Protests near Rajinikanths

night our hearts are broken. Words can- the British media reported.

house, security beefed up GST rate of 28 per cent huge

S setback for film industry ecurity was stepped up at superstar Ra-
The veteran actor could make
his political debut.
jinikanths residence here amid protests
by a fringe group over indications the vet-
eran actor could make his political debut.
Members of the Tamil Munnetra Padai
protested around his house in the local-
ity of Poes Garden. Following reports that
members of a fringe group were planning
to protest in front of Rajinikanths house,
we requested for police protection. Every-
thing is under control as of now, a source
close to Rajinikanth told IANS.
The protest comes after Rajinikanth, 67,
expressed disappointment over some Tam-
ilians spreading hatred on social media.
I feel sorry for some Tamil people spread-
ing hatred on social media. Never thought
they will stoop so low, Rajinikanth had said
on the last day of his interaction with his fans.
His comment last week irked members of
Tamil Munnetra Padai, who demand an apol-
ogy. Rajinikanth has been in the news for
hinting on a political journey. He was criti-
cised over it as he was not a Tamil, but the
actor insisted that he was very much a Tamil.
I lived in Karnataka for 23 years and in
Tamil Nadu for 43 years. Although I came as
a Marathi from Karnataka, you people nur-
tured me, made me a true Tamilian, he said.
He has said he would take a decision on
joining politics when the time comes.
T he governments decision to put cinema
tickets under the 28 per cent tax bracket
in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime
to avoid any exchequer loss, Kapur said.
He termed it as disheartening on be-
half of the central government.
is a major setback for the film industry, feels The government does not see the im-
Siddharth Roy Kapur, President of The Film mense contribution that a vibrant Make In
and Television Producers Guild of India. India film production sector can have in en-
The GST rate of 28 per cent announced hancing the soft power of the country.
on cinema tickets is a huge setback for the We are one of the only local film indus-
film industry. The industry had proposed tries in the world to have thus far withstood
a rate of 5 per cent in our representations the onslaught of Hollywood, Kapur said.
to the government, in order to revive a He added that such a decision has landed
business which has been struggling from the entertainment industry in real danger.
lack of fresh investments in new cinema
screens and a significant increase in online
piracy, Kapur said in a statement.
The GST Council decided a four-slab tax
rate for services. The GST regime will roll
out from July 1. In the existing tax regime,
the cinema exhibition sector was exempted
from service tax and state VAT (value add-
ed tax), and entertainment tax was the only
tax imposed on cinema tickets by states
and local bodies, he added.
The average entertainment tax collect-
ed nationally by the government across all
states and languages was in the range of
8-10 per cent of gross box office revenue. Siddharth
Hence, logically the GST rate should not Roy Kapur
have been more than 12 per cent, in order
 bollywood May 27-June 3, 2017 17

Im sure Tiger will put Xavier graduates of the Class of 2017 are :

soul into Rambo Abdulmuttaleb Al Soufi

Aditi Sarker
* Ingrid Martinez
Jessica Kainth

remake: Stallone
Ahmad Faour Jude Akpede
*

Continued from page 15

Alimohamad Manji
Amar Gokli
* Julian Ang Keng Hao
Kaycee Umeoji
bo in India! Great character. Hope they dont
wreck it.
Angitha Alex Kishan Patel
*
But he clarified his stance, and has wished Bobak Sharifi Konstantin Urazov
*
Tiger best of luck.
Some people like to read into words and
twist them... Good luck Tiger, go fight the
Chidelu Onyeani Nwosu
Christophe Jerjian
Majd Jazaerly
Maria Belaev *
good fight, keep punching. Oh, for the record, Dale Adebayo Michael Arroyo
I love it when young artists get an opportu-
nity to go for their dreams, Stallone posted
on his Instagram page.
Deepti Kalani
Durga Pemmaraju
* Mina Thomas
Mohammad Ahmad
I actually get excited in my heart when-
ever young artists get a rare opportunity to
reach for the stars! Eye of the Tiger! I am
Eesha Khan
Grishma Jalemu
* Mohammed Hnoosh
Mohsin Altafa
sure he will put his heart and soul into it, he Hajira Khan Mousa Sawaged
added with a snapshot of the poster of the Hesham Tayel Natasha Dyal
*
*
Indian Rambo.
Hussam Tayel Naval Walia
Tiger was excited about the post, and re-
sponded: There will always and only be one Neamul Huq Sean Arora
Eye of the Tiger for us cubs. You rule the
jungle! Thank you so much sir!
The Rambo franchise first came to life in
Niraj Patel
Paola Castro Zayas
* Shannon Arora
Shivan Patel
1982 with First Blood, which minted over
$125 million worldwide. It was followed by a
Phillip Yohannan
Pooja Solanki
Tatyana Beaubrun
Terence Riley
*
number of successful remakes, including the
Actor Tiger Shroff Pratick Patel Varun Goswami
latest one in 2008, which earned $113 mil-

A fter hoping that India doesnt wreck a lion globally. Robert Statz VJ_Amit Sieruaj
remake of his iconic film Rambo, Hol-
lywood star Sylvester Stallone has expressed
The Hindi remake of the movie was an-
nounced at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival
Roopak Sekhon
Sasha Sharifi
* Zain Nagaria

*
confidence that the Indian movies actor Tiger
Shroff will give his best shot to the project.
Earlier, Stallone had posted on social me-
earlier this week. It is to be directed by Sid-
dharth Anand and co-produced by M! Capi-
tal Ventures, Original Entertainment, Impact
Students with Honors

Neerja Bhanots family

dia: I read recently they are remaking Ram- Films and Siddharth Anand Pictures.

Indias All I Want wins at to sue filmmakers

short film fest in Cannes stage. All I can tell you is that we will not
tolerate injustice, Aneesh Bhanot, brother

All I Want, an Indian film directed by
Venika Mitra, has won two awards at
Beyond Borders Diversity of Cannes Short
Film Showcase -- an event independent of
the ongoing 70th Cannes Film Festival here.
Venika Mitras short film All I Want wins
two awards at Cannes. In Diversity of Cannes
Short Film showcase, first Indian film to re-
ceive this honour, Resul Pookutty, who has
worked on the films sound, tweeted.
Mitra told IANS: I won Audience Choice
Award in the General Showcase category
and its also the winning film of General
Showcase category. Its an independent
film festival, Mitra told IANS in an email.
The fest saw 231 entries from 30 coun- of Neerja Bhanot, told IANS here.
tries across six continents participating. Aneesh refused to give any details about
Out of these, only six films were selected the legal case, saying that the family law-
in General Showcase category. It included yer will be able to give the exact status.
projects from India, Greece, China, Canada Sources, however, said that the family is
and the US, and aimed at celebrating the moving the Punjab and Haryana High Court
work of talented filmmakers who give life in this regard and a legal notice has already
to globally diverse characters, with sto- been served on the makers of Neerja.
ries that transcend boundaries. The story Starring actress Sonam Kapoor, who played
of All I Want talks about a purposeful, the lead role of Neerja Bhanot and even got
single minded and unwavering pursuit of a special mention by the jury of the National
a street urchin Ratan to buy one mango. Film awards for her acting, the film bagged
Asked about what urged her to make this the Best Feature Film in Hindi award at the
film, Mitra said: My motivation for this 64th National Film Awards in April this year.
story is my love for mangoes. Produced by Fox Star Studios and Bling
Unplugged, the film was co-produced by
leading fashion photographer Atul Kasbek-
ar. It was directed by Ram Madhvani.
The real Neerja Bhanot
Neerja Bhanot gave up her life, two days

B ollywood movie Neerja, which grossed

an estimated Rs 125 crore in worldwide
earnings and bagged the National Award for
Best Hindi Feature Film, among several other
film awards, could be headed for a legal bat-
tle with the family of braveheart flight purser
Neerja Bhanot all set to take the producers of
the box office hit film to court.
The main contention of the Bhanot family
is that the makers of the successful film did
not honour their commitment to share 10
A scene from per cent of the box office collections with
All I Want the Neerja Bhanot Trust and the family.
I will not comment on this issue at this
before she would have turned 23, to save
travellers during a terrorist-hijack of a Pan-
Am flight at Karachi international airport
in Pakistan on September 5, 1986.
Neerja, who was the senior flight purser of
Pan-Am 73 (Bombay-Karachi-Frankfurt-New
York) flight, was killed in the shootout fol-
lowing the hijack. Palestinian terrorists from
the Abu Nidal terrorist group had entered the
aircraft posing as Pakistani Police personnel,
carrying arms and hand grenades.
The hijack had left 20 people dead and
150 others injured after a bloodbath at the
Karachi airport.
 18 May 27-June 3, 2017 Travel

by Apara jita Gupta Fun, frolic & gaming are all-consuming in this enchanting la la land.

Sleepless
Las Vegas: In the heart of the Nevada des-
ert lies a city with over a million lights, burning
bright in the night like a shining diamond against
an otherwise dark background. It is Sin City -- one
that never sleeps. Propitiating a hedonistic God,
Las Vegas has just one goal -- to let you have fun,

in Sin City
whatever may be your idea of fun. Music, dance,
drama, fashion and sex are offered round the
clock to those who seek it. And, of course, theres
gambling -- its lifeblood and raison detre.
According to the Las Vegas Convention and
Visitors Authority, around 43 million people vis-
ited the place in 2016, bringing in some $6.3 bil-
lion of revenue for just the casinos on the Strip,
which houses most of the well-known gambling
joints. Compare this with another of the worlds
top tourist destinations, London, which attracted
around 20 million tourists last year.
Surrounded by mountain ranges on all sides,
the area was named Las Vegas, which in Span-
ish means the meadows. The iconic Welcome
to Las Vegas sign was created in 1959 by Betty
Willis, who never copyrighted it.
Las Vegas thrives on glitter and glam. There
are always top-level musicals or sport shows hap-
pening here. Whether its Celine Dion or Jennifer
Lopez, Britney Spears or Ricky Martin, or top
names in boxing, they have all been there and
done that. And these are really the side-shows.
The main activity, of course, is inside the ca-
sinos -- on the green felt tables where you can Neon lights give the Strip, the heart of Las Vegas, a fairy land look.
bet from $1 or less to a thousand dollars (or a
million if thats your style) in the hope of making
more. Of course, mathematically speaking, many men and women with a drink in hand completely engrossed in Paris Las Vegas and an entire stretch designed like Venice en-
would have to lose for some to win, even as casi- trying to beat the odds. tices you with a gondola ride at the Venetian. The Pyramids and
nos keep on raking in the moolah. The casino capital of the world makes people feel at ease. Sphinx at the Luxor remind you of a different era and country.
Dancing fountains, colorful, well-lit streets, live songs and mu- Much thought -- and money -- has gone into these attractions to
sic at every corner of the Strip vie to make it a dream destina- just say, come hither.
tion -- an enchanting la la land which seeks to cast its spell on The city also attracts hundreds of conventions and cele-
every visitor. brations, since it has the ability to cater to tens of thousands
If there are sinners here, so are the redeemers. Dozens of of officials from multinationals. Every year, hundreds of such
Christian Firsters carry around signs trying to dissuade the punt- gatherings are held here, with the gambling tables and tourist
ers from the life they have chosen. Jesus Christ will punish you, places adding a touch of fun to serious business.
is a theme which emanates from the loudspeakers they carry. If you get tired of the gaming tables or machines, you can
The attraction of the city is such that many visitors come always imbibe other attractions in the city -- wax museum of Ma-
here again and again. Me and my husband have been coming dame Tussauds at the Venetian with statues of famous and the
here for the last 25 years. We have seen Frank Sinatra per- notorious, the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay or the High Roller -- a
form in this city, septuagenarian Suzanne from Boston said giant ferris wheel at The LinQ. For those who want an extra high,
striking up a conversation. not necessarily from the flowing liquor, theres the Stratosphere
She still loves to roam around the city and enjoys standing -- the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States.
Many amateurs hang around the slot machines, by the dancing fountains, shooting video for the times when If you dont end up spending all your money in casinos, you can
hoping to hit the jackpots which may range from a shes not here. also visit the premium outlets at either end of the Strip. The shop-
lowly $100 to $12 million in mega prize machines, The gigantic Bellagio Hotel and Casino is one of the more ping centers offer discounts, yet prices can be steep. But if you love
often shared by several casinos. Most profession- attractive places on the strip, made famous by George Cloo- branded stuff, finding many brands in one place can be tempting.
als, though, are seen at the tables -- Black Jack, ney, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts through their iconic roles in Las Vegas may be fun, but its expensive fun. Go there with
Poker, Baccarat, Roulette, Craps and others games. the Hollywood movie Oceans Eleven. your wallet full and with money you can lose. Or just visit the
The gambling arena in some of the casinos Many of the hotels are made on themes to attract punters Grand Canyon -- four hours away -- and avoid the epicurean
reminds one of James Bond movies. Well-dressed and tourists. The large-sized Eiffel Tower catches your eye at and libertine centre of the world.

Many amateurs hang around the slot machines, hoping to hit In Insanity the Ride, a massive mechanical arm extending out
a jackpot, but most professionals are seen at the tables -- 64 feet over the edge of the Stratosphere Tower at a height
Black Jack, Poker, Roulette, Craps and others games. of over 900 feet will spin you at super speeds.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Three years of Modi: Possibility of
second innings looms large
By Amulya Ganguli
C
onsidering that the score
line in the last round of
assembly elections before
Narendra Modi's third anniver
sary of the assumption of power
was 32 in the Congress's favor,
one can only say that his approval
rating has been average.
True, the final lineup of win
ners became 41 because the
prime minister's factotums were
able to dislodge the Congress
from its No 1 position in Goa and
Manipur with some nimble poli
ticking.
But the fact remains that the
supposedly moribund Congress
won a handsome victory in
Punjab over the Akali Dal
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) com
bine and was initially the largest
party in the Goa and Manipur leg
islatures.
It was the BJP's overwhelming
success in Uttar Pradesh which
reinforced Modi's largerthanlife
image. But the reality is more
mundane even if the country has
been able to emerge from the pol
icy paralysis of the twilight years
of the Manmohan Singh govern
ment by achieving a more than
By Shreya Shah
ndia's unemployment rate has
I registered a slight increase
since the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) government began its
term in May 2014, despite the
governments professed emphasis
on jobcreation, according to an
analysis of government data.
The unemployment rate in
201516 was five per cent of the
labor force, up from 4.9 per cent
in 201314, the year before the
BJP assumed power.
"The country has been dragged
through 10 years of jobless
growth by the Congressled UPA
(United Progressive Alliance)
government," the BJP had said in
its manifesto for the 2014 gener
al election. "Under the broader
economic revival, BJP will accord
high priority to jobcreation and
opportunities for entrepreneur
ship."
At a rally in Agra in 2013,
Narendra Modi, then campaign
ing for the position of Prime
Minister, had said the BJP would
create 10 million jobs: "If BJP
comes to power, it will provide
one crore jobs which the UPA
government could not do despite
announcing it before the last Lok
Sabha polls," Modi was quoted as
His success is based on the image of being a man of development
which has remained untainted by the depredations of the gau
rakshaks and other Hindu fundamentalists.
seven per cent growth rate, up
from 5.6 per cent in 201213 and
6.6 per cent in 201314. If a
recent study nevertheless showed
that 60 per cent of the respon
dents thought well of Modi, it
meant that a large section of the
people have retained their faith in
his ability to take the country in
the right economic direction.
There may be misgivings about
the activities of the saffron mili
tants. But these are probably seen
as being isolated incidents which
3 YEARS INTO BJP GOVERNMENT,
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE SLIGHTLY UP
The unemployment rate in 201516 was five per cent of the labor
force, up from 4.9 per cent in 201314.
saying in news reports. Yet, the
201617 Economic Survey, based
on data from the Labour
Ministry, stated: "Employment
growth has been sluggish."
Based on the "Usual Principal
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
OP-ED
are highlighted by the media and
do not affect the average people
who are more concerned about
the continuing unemployment
rate, which has been noted by 63
per cent of those surveyed, and
inflation (66 per cent).
But what has apparently
impressed the people the most is
the absence of corruption in the
higher levels, which was the sin
gle most important factor for the
Manmohan Singh government's
downfall. However, as the disqui
Status" according to which
those who have spent a major
part (183 days or more) of the
preceding 365 days before a sur
vey on economic activity are
counted as having been part of
May 27-June 2, 2017
et about unemployment and high
prices show, Modi is still basically
on shaky ground which has been
camouflaged by his rhetoric and
the TINA (There Is No
Alternative) factor at the national
level although he has faced stiff
resistance in several states.
The results in Punjab, in the
Karnataka byelections and West
Bengal local body polls have
shown that it will take a long
time, if ever, for the BJP's dream
of a Congressmukt (free) Bharat
to be fulfilled.
At the allIndia level, however,
Modi holds almost complete
sway, for none of the other par
ties has measured up to popular
expectations.
The Congress has had to
depend on Sonia Gandhi again
despite her indifferent health
because of Rahul Gandhi's palpa
ble inadequacies; Nitish Kumar
has become even more deeply
entangled in Bihar's scamtainted
politics; Mulayam Singh Yadav's
main battle is still with his son,
Akhilesh; Mamata Banerjee has
remained essentially a statelevel
politician in ideas and personal
appeal and Naveen Patnaik
appears uninterested in the world
the labour force the Labour
Ministry's report on the Fifth
Annual Employment
Unemployment Survey (2015
16) said unemployment was five
per cent.
The figure for 201314 was
marginally lower, at 4.9 per cent,
according to the ministry's data.
The survey includes workers in
both the formal and informal
parts of the economy, as well as
those working as casual workers
in public works programmes.
Between July 2014 and
December 2016, the eight major
sectors of manufacturing, trade,
construction, education, health,
information technology, trans
port, and accommodation and
restaurants, created 641,000
jobs, data show, not including
jobs created between January
2016 and March 2016, for which
data are unavailable. In compari
son, these sectors had added
1.28 million jobs between July
2011 and December 2013,
19
outside Odisha.
The forthcoming presidential
election will be yet another test of
the respective strengths of the
BJP and its opponents. As of now,
the former appears to have its
nose ahead in the race, especially
because of the expected support
from the Telangana Rashtra
Samithi and the YSR Congress.
But much will depend on who
the BJP chooses as its candidate,
for it will show whether the party
has risen to its stature after three
years in power at the Centre to be
a genuine national party or is still
beholden to its friend, philoso
pher and guide the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for
seeing a multicultural nation
through saffrontinted glasses.
But irrespective of who
becomes the President whether
a deeplyhued saffronite or some
one perceived as neutral the
possibility of a second innings for
Modi looms large at the end of his
three years in office.
His success is based on the
image of being a man of develop
ment which has remained
untainted by the depredations of
the gau rakshaks and other Hindu
fundamentalists.
according to Labour Ministry
data. This is based on data col
lected by the government from
nonfarm industrial units that
have 10 or more workers in
these eight sectors. "These sur
veys are being conducted in
selected sectors of the economy
which are sensitive to the global
factors and employment inten
sive," a 2016 Labour Ministry
report said.
The number of beneficiaries of
one government assistance pro
gramme, the Prime Minister's
Employment Generation
Programme (PMEGP) which
aims to generate employment in
rural and urban areas by starting
new microenterprises and small
projects has fallen 24.4 per
cent from 428,000 in 201213
to 323,362 in 201516, accord
ing to government data. Until
October 2016, the programme
had created an additional
187,252 jobs, according to the
latest data available.
 20 May 27-June 2, 2017
Over 1,000 people take part
in Yoga event in China
Beijing: Over a thousand people
took part in a yoga event in eastern
China as a prelude to the third
International Day of Yoga celebra
tions to be he ld next month. A
grand curtain raiser event to launch
the celebration of IDY in Wuyi in
China's Zhejiang province was joint
ly organised by Consulate General
of India (CGI), Shanghai along with
People's Government of Wuyi
County, a Consulate press release
said. The event was launched at the
scenic Wuyi Big Red Rock Hot
springs area and nearly 1,000 yoga
lovers from Wuyi participated in
the yoga celebrations, it said.
Mayor of Wuyi Zhang Xusheng, in
his inaugural address at IDY launch,
said just like Buddhism had bound
two great Indian and Chinese civili
sations together, yoga also had the
potential to promote values of har
mony and peace between India and
China.
He said just as tourism was a call
ing card for Wuyi, yoga would
become the new name card for this
beautiful county of Wuyi.
Indian cabbie
'racially abused',
assaulted in Australia
Canberra: An Indian cab driver
was assaulted and beaten
unconscious in the Australian
state of Tasmania by two pas
sengers who yelled racial slurs
at him. Pardeep Singh, 25, was
beaten by two passengers at the
Sandy Bay McDonald's drive
through on Saturday night.
Sing h said he was attacked
when he asked the woman pas
senger to step outside the cab
as she was going to throw up,
Mercury newspaper reported
on Monday.
"Please get out of the car... If
you mess up the car you have to
pay a cleaning fee," Singh told
the woman.
Singh said the passengers
started abusing him and the
woman told him in an expletive
It was a prelude to the third International Day of Yoga
celebrations to be held next month.
The Consulate had arranged a
Chinesespeaking Indian yoga
teacher who conducted the yoga
session to the big gathering based
on the common yoga protocol sent
by the department of Ayurveda,
Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani,
Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH).
The event was extremely well
received by a large number of yoga
followers in Wuyi, it said.
The Consulate is organizing IDY
ce lebrations from June 1725
which will be held in 10 cities and
filled rant that she wouldn't pay
the fare or cleaning fee.
"They punched me too many
times and kicked me," Singh
said. "( T hey said) 'You f.....g
Indians deserve this'."
Singh was admitted overnight
to the Royal Hobart Hospital.
The passengers a 21year
old Sandy Bay woman and a 25
yearold Kingston man were izing in sports injuries and
charged with assault and injur
ing property and will appear in
the Hobart Magistrates Court
on June 26.
Singh, who is studying hospi
tality, said he will not drive
taxis again "because it's so dan
gerous."
T he bashing is the third
attack on Indian taxi drivers in
less than a year. (IANS)
DIASPORA
will bring together 15,000 yoga
lovers closer to India promoting
healthy and harmonious lifestyles.
The grand finale will be held on
June 25, 2017 in Wuxi at the
foothills of the scenic Lingshan
Temple, where nearly 10,000 yoga
lovers are expected to participate in
a record setting event in mainland
China.
T he United Nations General
Assembly had made a declaration in
December 2014 to observe June 21
as IDY. (PTI)
British Indian surgeon leads
cricket bat design research
London: A British Indian sur
geon's research on design of
a cricket bat aimed at miti
gating its dominance over a
ball and maintaining balance
between the two has been
incorporated into the game's
of ficial laws and will be
enforced from October 1 this
year.
Chinmay Gupte, an
orthopaedic surgeon special
senior lecturer at Imperial
College London, coled a
team at the college to assess cricket
bat performance.
T he Marylebone Cricket Club
(MCC), the sport's governing body,
has incorporated his team's findings
to ensure that both the cricket bat
and ball are treated equally in terms
of the laws. "The number of sixes
scored has increased exponentially
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Businessman who inspired
Akshay Kumarstarrer
'Airlift' dies in Kuwait
Thiruvananthapuram: Prominent
Indian businessman in Kuwait,
Mathunny Mathews, who was
instrumental in the safe evacuation
of stranded Indians during the
Iraqi invasion in 1990, died on
Saturday.
81yearold Mr Mathews, who
hailed from Kumbanad in
Pathnamthitta district, was ailing
for some time, media reports here
said.
Expressing his condolence,
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi
Vijayan said that during the 1990
Gulf war Mathews had helped
thousands of Indians to flee the
gulf nation and his services would
always be remembered.
By not taking efforts to save his
own life and property, Mr Mathews
had done yeoman service to bring
his countrymen, who had lost
everything in the war, safely back,
Vijayan said.
"He provided food and drinking
water to the stranded Indians and
we remember it with gratitude,"
Vijayan said.
Chinmay Gupte
over the last 30 years. This has
many factors including higher bat
speeds, smaller boundaries and
stronger players. There is also no
doubt that bat design has enabled
far more mishits to go for six
rather than be out caught," Dr
Gupte said.
"It was important to mitigate
Mathunny Mathews
The V P Singh government had in
1990 carried out the biggest evac
uation during the gulf war when
over 1.50 lakh standard Indians
had been safely brought back by
flight. At that time Mr Mathews
had functioned as the Central
Government's "unofficial represen
tative" in Kuwait to coordinate the
evacuation process, the Chief
Minister said.
Popularly known as 'Toyota
Sunny', Mathunny Mathews was
said to be the inspiration of Akshay
Kumar's character in Bollywood
film 'Airlift.'
these developments to avoid
a very onesided contest
between bat and ball," he
said. Under the new laws,
the maximum thickness of
the edge of the bat needs to
be less than 40 mm and the
overall depth of the bat can
not exceed 67mm.
It follows research con
ducted by Dr Gupte's team
alongside colleague
Professor Anthony Bull,
head of the Imperial's
Department of Engineering,
to assess cricket bat performance.
Puneborn Chinmay Gupte is the
son of Maharashtra cricketer
Madhukar Shankar and is a profes
sional cricketer who has played for
Middlesex and Gloucester County
Cricket clubs and also captained the
team for the University of Oxford in
his student days.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info SUBCONTINENT May 27-June 2, 2017 21

US cautions nationals
on travel to Pakistan
Washington: The US has issued a travel advisory
for its citizens asking them to postpone all non
essential travel to Pakistan due to increased
"terrorist violence" in the country.
T he advisory, the second travel warning
issued by the US State Department in less than
45 days, said Pakistan continues to experience
significant terrorist violence, including sectarian
attacks.
"Targeted attacks against government of fi
cials, humanitarian and nongovernmental
organization employees and law enforcement
personnel are common," said the advisory
issued on Monday.
"Throughout Pakistan, foreign and indigenous
terrorist groups continue to pose a danger to US
citizens. Evidence suggests that some victims of
terrorist activity have been targeted because
they are US citizens. Terrorists and criminal
groups have resorted to kidnapping for ran
som," it said.
The US State Department referred to a note of
the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) which
asked commercial airline pilots to exercise cau
tion while flying in Pakistan, particularly at low
altitude, during the arrival and departure of
flights, and when on the ground, due to terror
threat. The FAA said there have been several
instances of militant activity that targeted air
ports and aircraft at low altitudes in Pakistan. In
Nepal PM Prachanda
steps down, Deuba may
assume office
Kathmandu: Nepal Prime Minister
June 2014, militants attacked Jinnah
Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has
International Airport in Karachi killing 30 peo
announced his resignation, in keeping
ple.
with his agreement with the Nepali
It referred to another incident in 2014 when
Congress, which had propped up his
an aircraft on approach into Peshawar's Bacha
coalition government since last August.
Khan International Airport was fired on by small
Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur
arms, which resulted in one fatality.
Deuba, who has also been the Prime
"Consular services provided by the American
Minister earlier, is likely to succeed
Embassy in Islamabad, the Consulate General in
him. Prachanda, who made the
Karachi, and the Consulate General in Lahore
announcement of his resignation in a
are often limited due to the security environ
televised address to the nation from
ment. At this time, the Consulate General in Nepal Prime Minister
his of fice, said it would end "a long
Peshawar is not providing consular services," Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'.
drought of trust in Nepali politics".
the advisory said. parties in the local polls scheduled to
T here were several examples in
It said that if any American citizen chooses to take place in June 14.
Nepal's politics that leaders made com
live or travel in Pakistan despite this warning, It is likely that Deuba will contest for
mitments but never honoured them, he
then he/she should vary travel routes and tim the Prime Minister's post on the basis
said. "But today I am going to set an
ing, especially for routine trips and minimise the of majority votes on the support of
example and as per the accord reached
duration of trips to markets, restaurants, gov Prachanda's Communist Party of
with Nepali Congress, I am going to
ernment and military installations. NepalMaoist Centre and take over
announce my resignation," he said.
American citizens in Pakistan must minimize probably by the end of next week.
Prachanda had earlier decided to
the number of US/western nationals congregat He is likely to hold the second round
announce his resignation in Parliament
ing in any one location at any time and avoid of local polls on June 14 and will stay
but changed his mind after the main
hotels that do not apply stringent security meas in power in February until periodic
opposition Communist Party of Nepal
ures, it said. elections take place. In his second
UnifiedMarxistLeninist obstructed
"Take a photo of your passport, entry stamp stint in power, Prachanda was elected
the house proceeding against the gov
and Pakistani visa, and keep it with you at all the 39th Prime Minister after forging
ernment decision to increase local
times. Keep digital copies of these documents in alliance with the Nepali Congress on
units in various Tarai/Madhes districts.
a secure, electronically accessible place," the August 3, 2016.
That would bring the Madhesbased
advisory said.

China to block Pakistan AG takes parliament

India's NSG bid again
Beijing: China said it has not
changed its position on India's
membership of the Nuclear
Suppliers Group (NSG), indicating
it will again block New Delhi's
plea at the plenary session in
Bern next month.
"China's position on the non
NPT members' participation in
the NSG has not changed,"
Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Hua Chunying said
on Monday. "We support the NSG
group following the mandate of
the 2016 plenary session and fol
lowing building consensus as well
as the intergovernmental process
that is open and transparent to
deal with the relevant issues in a
twostep approach," she added.
At the NSG's plenary session in
Seoul in June 2016, China
opposed India's application. It
again scuttled India's bid in the
November consultative group
meeting. The plenary meet of the
48member elite grouping, which
regulates global nuclear trade, is
likely to take place at Bern in
Switzerland in June.
India has been backed by the US
and other members in the group,
but China opposes its entry, citing
its nonsignatory status to the
Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty.
Beijing argues that if India can
be let in why not Pakistan, which
is also not an NPT member.
India finds the NPT discrimina
tory in nature. T he US,
Switzerland, Mexico, Italy, Russia
and Britain have backed New
Delhi's NSG bid. In January this
year, China had said that admis
sion of nonNPT signatories in
NSG cannot be a "farewell gift" for
countries to give to each other
after the outgoing Obama admin
istration remarked that Beijing
was an "outlier" in the efforts to
make India a member of the elite
nuclear club. China's opposition is
likely to increase tensions with
India, which recently boycotted
Beijing's ambitious Belt and Road
Initiative in opposition to the
ChinaPakistan Economic
Corridor (CPEC). CPEC passes
through Pakistanadministered
Kashmir, which is claimed by
India as its own. The issue of the
Dalai Lama visiting Arunachal
Pradesh has added to the cold
vibes between the two. Beijing
accuses the Dalai Lama of foment
ing secessionist activities in Tibet
and claims Arunachal Pradesh as
its own.
into confidence in Jadhav case
Islamabad: Pakistan's Attorney
General Ashtar Ausaf Ali has Kulbhushan
briefed the country's parliament Jadhav.
and took the members into confi
dence in the Kulbhushan Jadhav
case. "The Attorney General was
invited to brief the MPs through
the Parliamentary Committee for
National Security on the ef forts
the government has so far made,"
Dawn online quoted National
Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz
Sadiq as saying.
Sadiq said the Attorney General
also brie fed the Nat ional
Assembly about the "next likely Jadhav until the final order is against Islamabad. Jadhav, whose
steps regarding the Kulbhushan announced. Ali would now repre family in based in Mumbai, was
Jadhav case so that parliament sent Pakistan in the Jadhav case reportedly arrested from
may be taken into confidence in at the ICJ. Earlier, Britainbased Balochistan. India has approached
this regard". The Speaker lament lawyer Khawar Qureshi represent the Haguebased court to secure
ed that the country's opposition ed the country. Jadhav has been freedom of Jad hav, who New
criticised the legal team because awarded death sentence by a mili Delhi says was abducted from
the International Court of Justice tary court in Pakistan for "spon Tehran. The top court on May 18
(ICJ ) had stayed hang ing of soring terrorism and waging war" halted the execution of Jadhav.
 22 May 27-June 2, 2017 INTERNATIONAL TheSouthAsianTimes.info

22 killed in Britain concert bombing, IS behind

Manchester: In one of the worst terror
attacks in Britain, 22 persons were killed
in a suicide blast at a concert in
Manchester city. The Islamic State claimed
the attack and evoked strong reactions
across the world.
Prime Minister Theresa May termed it
an act of "appalling sickening cowardice".
T he blast tore through fans leaving
American singer Ariana Grande's pop con
cert in the Manchester Arena. It left 59
persons injured, among them many chil
dren.
A 23yearold man be lieved to be
involved in the dastardly attack was
arrested from southern Manchester, the
Greater Manchester Police said.
The blast ripped of f after the attacker
detonated an IED, shortly after Ariana
Grande had finished her performance. The
lone male attacker died in the blast, the
police said.
The explosion took place in the foyer of
the Arena building as 20,000 fans were
streaming towards the exit doors.
Eightyearold girl, Saffie Rose Roussos,
was among two victims identified by the
police.
Prime Minister Theresa May said the
bombing had been a "callous terrorist
attack" that targeted "defenceless young
people". She said the suicide attack attend
ed by children showed "appalling sicken
ing cowardice" and was one of the worst
Britain had suffered.
Following the attack, all campaigning for
the June 8 general election was suspend
ed. The Prime Minister chaired an emer
Islamic State took the responsibility of the attack.
gency Cobra committee meeting and said
police have identified the attacker but it
was too early in the investigation to
release his name. However, media reports
citing sources claimed the suicide bomber
was identified as Salman Abedi.
Director SITE Intelligence Rita Katz
tweeted a message posted by the IS on
Telegram claiming it carried out the bomb
ing and warned of "more severe" attacks.
"With Allah's Grace and support, a soldier
of the Caliphate managed to place explo
sive devices in the midst of the gatherings
of the crusaders in the British city of
Manchester," read the statement.
Greater Manchester Police chief consta
ble Ian Hopkins said the "fastmoving
investigation" was now working to estab
lish if the attacker "was acting alone or as
part of a network".
Police carried out raids at two proper
ties, one in Whalley Range and the other
in Fallowfield, where a controlled explo
sion was carried out.
Ariana Grande, who had finished the first
of three scheduled UK performances when
the blast hit, was not injured.
She tweeted later: "Broken. From the bot
tom of my heart, I am so so sorry. I don't
have words."
Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn
tweeted: "Terrible incident in Manchester.
Trump vows resolve
against terrorism
Washington: US President Donald Trump
reassured British Prime Minister Theresa
May that the resolve will "never waiver"
in the face of terrorism, following a mul
tipledeath bomb attack in Manchester.
Trump spoke with May via phone dur
ing his visit in Jerusalem, Israel, and
offered US aid in the investigation into
the attack, which the two leaders called
"wanton and depraved.
Trump said he looked forward to see
ing May in person this week and dis
cussing Americas "unbreakable commit
ment" to Britain and the ways both coun
tries can work with allies and partners
around the world to defeat terrorism.
My thoughts are with all those af fected
and our brilliant emergency services."
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
while condemning the attack said: "Our
thoughts are with the families of the
deceased and prayers with the injured".
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon,
condemning the attack, said she would
convene the Scott ish government's
Resilience Committee on Tuesday morning
to "consider any implicat ions for
Scotland".
French President Emmanuel Macron and
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud
Abbas also expressed outrage over the
attack.

Iranians vote moderate, TRUMP MEETS PALESTINE

retain Rouhani as President
Tehran: Iranian President Hassan
Rouhani won a resounding victory in the
12th Presidential polls as voters yearning
for more freedom at home and less isola
tion abroad have emphatically backed the
moderate cleric.
With a huge turnout, polling stations
stayed open until midnight in parts of the
country, defying concerns that moderates
disillusioned by the weak economy or
slow pace of change would not vote.
Iran's interior minister, Abdolreza
Rahmani Fazli, announced live on state
te levision that Rouhani received
23,549,616 votes (57 per cent), com
pared with his conservative rival Ebrahim
Raisi, who won 15,786,449 votes (38.5
per cent).
More than 41.2 million people voted
out of 56 million who were eligible to do
so. The two other lesser known candi
dates, Mostafa AqaMirsalim and Mostafa
HashemiTaba, got 478,215 and 215,450
votes respectively.
No sitting president in Iran has failed to
win a second term since 1981.
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the top
leader of the country, commended the
Iranian people for their "massive and
epic" turnout in the country's twin elec
tions. "The winner of yesterday's elec
tions, is you (the Iranian people), and the
Islamic establishment, which has man
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
aged to win the increasing trust of this
big nation despite the enemies' plot and
effort," Khamenei said.
Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri said: "I
congratulate the great victory of the
Iranian nation in creating a huge and
memorable epic in the continuation of the
path of 'wisdom and hope'," referring to
the government's slogan.
The European Union foreign policy
chief Federica Mogherini congratulated
Rouhani on his reelection.
Mogherini said: "Iranians took passion
ately part to political life of their country.
I congratulate President Hassan Rouhani
for strong mandate received."
Despite the healthy margin of victory,
Rouhan, 68, will face considerable hur
dles, both at home and abroad, as he
needs to demonstrate progress on over
hauling the fragile economy.
PRESIDENT, URGES
RESUMPTION OF PEACE TALKS
Bethlehem: US President
Donald Trump met
Palest inian President
Mahmoud Abbas in
Bethlehem, a day after
promising to make a
renewed ef fort at peace
between the Palestinians
and Israelis.
"I am truly hopeful that
America can help Israel
and the Palestinians forge
peace and bring new
President Donald Trump is welcomed by
hope to the region and its Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
people," Trump said dur
ing a joint appearance with Abbas. "I also between the Israelis and Palestinians.
firmly be lieve that if Israe l and the After meeting Israeli Prime Minister
Palestinians can make peace, it will begin a Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, the
process of peace all throughout the Middle President said "we can truly achieve a more
East, and that would be an amazing accom peaceful future for this region and for peo
plishment," the US President said on the last ple of all faiths and all beliefs and frankly
day of his Middle East visit. all over the world."
Trump arrived in Bethlehem in a motor Israel and the Palestinians have not held
cade, crossing a checkpoint at Israel's con direct talks for more than three years and
troversial separation wall, and was greeted Trump acknowledged it was "one of the
by Abbas and other dignitaries outside the toughest deals of all".
president ial palace, T he Washington Palestinians held angry protests against
Examiner reported. the visit in both West Bank and Gaza,
Trump labelled Bethlehem, "a precious according to a BBC report.
city" and said he intended "to do everything Abbas said he welcomed Trump's "noble
he could" to achieve a peace agreement and possible mission".
TheSouthAsianTimes.info BUSINESS May 27-June 2, 2017 23

Modi pitches for AsiaAfrica growth corridor

Gandhinagar: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi said that Africa was
a top priority for his government's
foreign and economic policy and
pitched for an AsiaAfrica Growth
Corridor with the support of Japan.
Modi, who officially inaugurated
the 52nd Annual Meetings of the
African Development bank (AfDB)
at Mahatma Mandir here, said
India's partnership with African
countries was free of any condi
tions and will remain demanddriv
en.
"After assuming office in 2014, I
have made Africa a top priority for
India's foreign and economic poli
cy," he said.
The fiveday annual meeting of
AfDB, being held in India for the
first time, is being attended by 54
African regional members and 27
nonregional member countries of
the organisation.
Around 3,000 delegates are tak
ing part in the event with the
theme 'Transforming Agriculture
for wealth creation in Africa'.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley with foreign delegates at the 52nd African
Development Bank Annual meetings, in Gandhinagar. (Photo: IANS/PIB)
his remarks, said there was possi
bility of disruption in global econo
my due to inward looking policies
of some advanced countries and
this has danger of frittering away
gains of globalization.
He said African economies were
growing at a faster pace and noted
that "21st century would not be
Asia's alone but would be long
equally to both Asia and Africa".
Jaitley said India leaves it to its
partners to decide their priorities
and believes this is the most endur
ing model of taking the relation
ship forward.
Referring to "High 5s" priority
areas of AfDB that cover energy,
healthcare and pharma, agricul
ture, Industrializat ion and e
Governance, Jaitley said these were
similar to agendas of the govern
ment.
He said there was huge possibili
ty of the agriculture sector in
Africa benefiting from the Indian
experience.
Modi, in his speech, said that
India was working with the United
States and Japan to support devel
opment in Africa.
Modi's remarks comes days after
China launched its One Belt One
Road (OBOR) initiative that seeks
to connect China with major mar
kets including those in Africa,
Middle East and Central Asia. India
has not joined OBOR.
Modi recalled his conversation
with Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe during his visit to
Tokyo last year and said they dis
cussed commitment for enhancing
growth prospects.

GST may not raise revenues Indian techies forming

'significantly': Fitch Ratings
New Delhi: The Goods and
Services Tax (GST) reform,
being touted as India's
biggest reform that will come
into ef fect from July 1, may
not boost revenues "signifi
cantly" in the next few years,
but can work in the medium
term, said g lobal rat ing
agency Fitch Ratings.
"We do not expect it will
lead to significantly higher
government revenues in the
coming few years," Thomas
Rookmaaker, Director,
Sovereigns and
Supranationals Group, Fitch
Ratings, told IANS.
He, however, pointed out
that it may indirectly boost
revenues in the medium term
through higher GDP growth
and more transparency.
Acknowledging GST as "an
important re form being
implemented", Rookmaaker
said it will facilitate trade
w ithin India and reduce
transaction costs.
Revenue Secretary
Hasmukh Adhia also had said
earlier that the tax buoyancy
under GST is likely to take a
hit immediately.
Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley had also said that the
revenues under GST may see
an indirect increase with the
widening of the tax net and
less tax evasion.
Along w ith GST, Fitch
Rat ings has recognised
demonetisation as a "bold
step aimed at curbing the use
of black money" and
Insolvency and Bankruptcy
Code, Aadhaar, Make in India,
FDIre lated measures and
labour market laws as other
strong reforms.
It, however, noted that
Indian governance standards
were still weak as far as voice
and accountability, govern
ment ef fectiveness, rule of
law and control of corruption
union to protect jobs
were concerned.
"T he minister explicitly
amid layoffs
recognised the low number of
Bengaluru: Hundreds of Indian were no longer what they were in
direct taxpayers in his Budget
techies working as software engi the past, as they have started to fire
speech, stating that India is
neers or providing back office serv more than hire.
'largely a tax noncompliant
ices to global firms are setting up a "The need for a common platform
society'," Rookmaaker told
panIndia trade union to protect is not just to protect our jobs, but
IANS.
their jobs amid layof fs by many IT guard our rights as citizens under
"The (Indian) government
firms, including Infosys, Wipro, Tech the law of the land. For various rea
has been consistently rolling
Mahindra and Cognizant, said a sons, including the nature of the
out its ambit ious re form
functionary of a employees forum. industry, which provides more serv
agenda for some three years
"We have already filed an applica ices than goods, even employees
now.
tion with the Tamil Nadu Labour within a company could not come
We believe it will remain
Department to register our Forum together to raise their voice or
committed to reforms in the
as an allIndia trade union to protect protest exploitation by profitdriven
coming years as well. In its
our interests, especially jobs, as employers, promoters, founders and
latest Budget, the government
many IT firms are terminat ing managements," she said.
hinted at further reforms to
employees at a short notice without Expressing concern over the man
support foreign direct invest
adequate compensation," Forum for ner in which many IT and ITenabled
ment (FDI) inflows and to
IT Employees (FITE) Joint Secretary services (ITeS) firms were giving
simplify labour laws.
Aruna Giri told IANS from Chennai pink slips to even lateral employees
"Reform implementation
on phone. owing to disruptive technologies
implies a gradual improve
Admitting that thousands of IT and sluggish business growth, Giri
ment in the business environ
employees across the country bene said the employers should think
ment, but it is important to
fitted from wellpaid jobs and perks twice before asking their employees
highlight that these improve
over the years when the going was to either resign or face termination
ments start from a low base,"
good, Giri alleged that the IT firms at a short period.
he said.
 24 May 27-June 2, 2017
Hyderabad: Mumbai Indians defeat
ed Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) in
a lowscoring final to w in the
Indian Premier League (IPL) title
here.
In a match that went right down
to the last ball, Mumbai registered
a onerun victory in front of packed
stands at the Rajiv Gand hi
International stadium.
This is Mumbai's third IPL title.
Chasing a target of 130 runs, Pune
could only manage to post 128/6 in
their 20 overs.
Australian fast bowler Mitchel
Johnson was the most successful
for Mumbai with figures of 3/26,
while young pacer Jasprit Bumrah
also played a crucial role, returning
figures of 26/2 in four excellent
overs.
Veteran Sri Lankan pacer Lasith
Malinga also bowled well and was
unlucky not to manage a wicket. He
conceeded just 21 runs in his four
overs.
Pune skipper Steven Smith led
from the front scoring a fighting
halfcentury in a losing cause.
He notched up 51 runs of f 50
deliveries with two boundaries and
an equal number of sixes before
falling in the last over.
Pune started off on a shaky note
Want to give my kids
freedom: Sachin Tendulkar
New Delhi: Master blaster Sachin
Tendulkar says through his docu
mentary drama "Sachin: A Billion
Dreams", he wants to share a very
pertinent message that his parents
taught him of giving children the
freedom to pursue their dreams.
Sachin is a father of two son
Arjun and daughter Sara.
Sachin recounted: "My father gave
me the freedom to play whichever
sport I was fond of... And that free
dom came without expectations. The
only expectation he had from me
was, 'When you play or whatever
profession you decide to choose,
don't find shortcuts, and give your
best... Results will follow.'
"He said these things (success) will
not last long with shortcuts, but if
you've taken the correct path to get
to your destination, then it's a differ
ent kind of satisfaction and that
stays with you permanently."
It's something he realized when he
announced his retirement from com
petitive cricket.
"The kind of retirement I got... That
experience is going to stay with me
permanently. That experience was a
special one... You can't get people to
do all those things for you," Sachin
said. Now, he wants to pass the
learning not only to his children but
fans too. "I want to give my children
the freedom of what they want to be
in life. I just have to guide them,
encourage them and support them...
Exactly what my parents did for me. I
Mumbai beat Pune to win IPL
Mumbai Indians with IPL 2017 trophy at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. (Photo: IANS)
when Bumrah trapped Rahul
Tripathi leg before.
Ajinkya Rahane and Smith tried
to rebuild the innings with a 54run
partnership before Kieron Pollard
pulled off a superb catch at long on
to send the captain back to the
pavilion.
With the Mumbai bowlers main
Former Indian cricket player Sachin Tendulkar with his wife Anjali
Tendulkar during the premiere of film 'Sachin: A Billion Dreams' in
Mumbai. (Photo: IANS)
am not old enough to give advice but
I can share this message... With this
film, I am indirectly sharing that
message," he added.
"Sachin: A Billion Dreams", a movie
which tells the tale of the highs and
lows in Sachin's personal and profes
sional life, is releasing on Friday. A
grand premiere for the film was
organised in Mumbai on Wednesday
night with celebrities like Amitabh
Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan,
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Shah Rukh
Khan, Aamir Khan, A.R. Rahman,
SPORTS
taining a tight line, Mahendra Singh
Dhoni and Smith found the going
tough and could only add 27 runs
between them in as many balls.
Dhoni scored 10 runs in 13 balls
before falling to a poor shot in the
17th over, slashing a Bumrah deliv
ery which was slightly outside off
stump but only managed an easy
Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma,
Virat Kohli, Arshad Warsi, Maria
Goretti and Shreya Ghoshal in atten
dance.
Earlier in the day, members of the
Indian cricket team also attended the
special screening of the film.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Ajinkya
Rahane, Hardik Pandya,
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ravichandran
Ashwin, Shami Ahmed, Yuvraj Singh,
Dinesh Karthik, Jasprit Bumrah,
Shikhar Dhawan, Umesh Yadav and
KL Rahul were seen in attendance.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
top edge to wicketkeeper Parthiv
Patel. His departure seemed to put
the pressure on the Pune batsmen.
Malinga conceded just five runs
in the 18th over and Bumrah
bowled another miserly over in the
19th to put pressure. With 11 runs
needed of f the final over, Manoj
Tiwary started with a boundary to
IndiaPak match
same as any other
game: Kohli
India skipper Virat Kohli.
Mumbai: Ahead of the high
octane ICC Champions Trophy
clash against Pakistan at
Edgbaston on June 4, India skip
per Virat Kohli said the hype
around the match is beyond the
control of the players but they
will treat it as any other match.
Defending champions India will
open their campaign in the eight
team International Cricket
Council (ICC) tournament by tak
ing on archrivals Pakistan in the
high pressure game, which Kohli
acknowledged as a "big match".
"As a cricketer we can't control
things outside the stadium. It is a
big match we understand but in
our heads there is no difference,"
Kohli told reporters ahead of the
team's departure here.
"The hype and atmosphere
around the IndiaPakistan match
is beyond our control, but for us
it is the same as any other
match," he added. The 28year
square leg of f Johnson but an
attempted smash into the stands
of f the very next ball saw him
caught at long on by Pollard.
Smith fell on third ball, caught by
Ambati Rayudu at the cover bound
ary. Two runs came of f the next
ball but with four needed of f the
last ball, Daniel Christian was run
out sending the Mumbai players
into wild celebrations.
Earlier, braces by bowlers Jaydev
Unadkat, Adam Zampa and
Christian enabled Pune to restrict
Mumbai to 129 for eight.
Mumbai's top and middle order
batsmen put up a horrific show
against the disciplined bowling
from Pune and the former were left
reeling at 79/7 in the 15th over.
Allrounder Krunal Pandya's 47 off
38 deliveries pulled Mumbai out of
the hole.
Opting to bat, Mumbai had a dis
astrous start as leftarm medium
pacer Unadkat (2/19) removed
Parthiv Pate l (4) and Lendl
Simmons (3) in the third over,
reducing them to 8/2.
old batsman felt that the tourna
ment will be more competitive
this time around with the top
eight teams in action but also
asserted that the meninblue are
up to the challenge.
"I think because the tourna
ment is shorter and involves all
the top teams, the Champions
Trophy is far more competitive
than other big tournaments. It
will grab a lot of eye balls. So we
are up for the challenge," he said.
"Last time also we went there
to enjoy and that is what we will
look to do this time too. We have
done well in Test cricket and
T20s and we want to make that
success constant in all three for
mats."
Kohli, however warned his
team against any sort of compla
cency.
"Biggest challenge is not to
think that we are the defending
champions," he said.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Intermarriage in US increases
fivefold in 50 years
Washington: One in six
newlyweds in the US
were married to some
one of a different race
or ethnicity in 2015, a
fivefold increase over
the past 50 years, a Pew
Research Centre analy
sis has found.
In 2015, 17 per cent
of US newlyweds had a
spouse of a different
race or ethnicity, com
pared to 3 per cent in
1967, according to the Pew
Research Centre's analysis of US
Census Bureau data.
In 1967, the US Supreme Court in
the Loving v. Virginia case ruled
that marriage across racial lines
was legal throughout the country.
Before that, interracial marriages
were banned in many US states,
Xinhua reported. One in 10 married
people in 2015 had a spouse of a
different race or ethnicity, meaning
that there were 11 million people
who were intermarried.
The most dramatic increases in
intermarriage have occurred among
black newlyweds. Since 1980, the
Hypertension in
young adults ups
stroke risk later: Study
New York: Your
teenaged son or
daughter with a com
mon type of high blood
pressure may be at
greater risk for stroke
as well as damage to
the kidneys and brain
in adulthood, new
research shows.
Individuals with iso
lated systolic hyperten
sion exhibit systolic
blood pressure of 140
or higher, but a normal
diastolic pressure (lower reading)
of around 80. The condition stiff
ens a section of the aorta the
major artery that carries oxy
genated blood from the heart to
the body that leads directly from
the heart, called the proximal
aorta. This can increase the risk of
stroke, as well as cause harm to
brain and kidney, the researchers
said.
"I think we should consider
treating these patients sooner
rather than later...not treating
these individuals now will lead to
more brain and kidney damage in
the future," said lead author
Wanpen Vongpatanasin, Professor
at the University of Texas
percentage of intermarried black
couples has more than tripled from
5 per cent to 18 per cent. White
newlyweds have also experienced a
rapid increase in intermarriage, ris
ing from 4 per cent to 11 per cent.
However, despite this increase, they
remain the least likely of all major
racial or ethnic groups to accept
intermarriage, according to the
analysis.
Asian and Hispanic newlyweds
are by far the most likely to inter
marry in the US, as 29 per cent of
Asian newlyweds were intermarried
in 2015, compared to 27 per cent
of Hispanic newlyweds.
Southwestern Medical Center in
the US.
The condition, which primarily
affects young adults aged between
18 to 49 is commonly treated in
elderly patients.
Physicians avoid treating it in
younger patients, thinking that
the higher systolic reading was an
anomaly related to youth that
would selfcorrect, or perhaps
even a sign of a stronger heart
since it sometimes showed up in
high school athletes.
"This study suggests the com
mon approach of ignoring higher
systolic blood pressure levels in
younger adults may be wrong,"
Vongpatanasin added.
LIFESTYLE
For blacks and Asians,
there are stark gender dif
ferences in intermarriage,
finds the analysis.
Among blacks, intermar
riage is twice as prevalent
for male newlyweds as it is
for their female counter
parts. While 24 per cent of
recently married black
men are married to a
spouse of a different race
or ethnicity, this share is
12 per cent among recent
ly married black women.
Asian women are far more likely
to intermarry than their male coun
terparts, the poll shows.
In 2015, 36 per cent of newlywed
Asian women had a spouse of a dif
ferent race or ethnicity, compared
with 21 per cent of newlywed Asian
men.
The most common racial or eth
nic pairing among newlywed inter
married US couples is one Hispanic
and one white spouse, followed by
one white and one Asian spouse (15
per cent) and one white and one
multiracial spouse (12 per cent),
according to the analysis.
Australian children
believe their fathers
work 'too much'
Canberra: One third of Australian
children aged between 11 and 13
believe their fathers work too much,
according to the results of a study
released on Friday.
The study by the Australian
National University (ANU), under
taken as part of a wider project
called "Growing Up in Australia",
took accounts from 3,000 fathers
and their children, and discovered
that nearly half of all fathers
worked more than 44 hours a week,
Xinhua news agency reported.
The study's lead researcher, pro
May 27-June 2, 2017
Just one alcoholic
drink a day ups breast
cancer risk: Study
Washington: Drinking just one
glass of wine or other alcoholic
drink a day can increase breast
cancer risk, reveals a major new
report that analysed data on 12
million women.
But vigorous exercise such as
running or fast bicycling can
help decreases the risk of both
pre and postmenopausal breast
cancers, said the report by the
American Institute for Cancer
Research (AICR) and the World
Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).
"With this comprehensive and
uptodate report the evidence is
clear: Having a physically active
lifestyle, maintaining a healthy
weight throughout life and limit
ing alcohol these are all steps
women can take to lower their
risk," said Anne McTiernan, lead
author of the report and a can
cer prevention expert at the Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research
Centre in Seattle, Washington.
The report found strong evi
dence that drinking the equiva
lent of a small glass of wine or
beer a day (about 10 grams alco
fessor Lyndall Strazdins, said those
long hours, as well as "regular"
night and weekend work, con
tributed to their children's percep
tions that fathers were working too
much.
"Australia's work culture and
social norms are making it hard for
dads to be the fathers they want to
be," Strazdins said.
The study also showed that, on
average, Australian fathers spent
more time at paid work than moth
ers, who still undertake more
domestic and home duties than
25
hol content) increases pre
menopausal breast cancer risk
by five per cent and post
menopausal breast cancer risk
by nine per cent.
For vigorous exercise, pre
menopausal women who were
the most active had a 17 per
cent lower risk and post
menopausal women had a 10
per cent lower risk of developing
breast cancer compared to those
who were the least active.
While there are many factors
that women cannot control, the
good news from this report is
that all women can take steps to
lower their breast cancer risk,
said Alice Bender from American
Institute for Cancer Research.
"Wherever you are with physi
cal activity, try to nudge it up a
bit, either a little longer or a lit
tle harder. Make simple food
shifts to boost protection sub
stitute veggies like carrots, bell
peppers or green salad for chips
and crackers and if you drink
alcohol, stick to a single drink or
less," Bender said.
fathers. Strazdins said longer work
hours were also a contributor to
health risks among dads in
Australia.
"Our research has shown that
people who work more than 39
hours per week are putting their
health at risk, and we have also
shown that expectations to work
long hours are a problem for gen
der equality," she said.
Despite children wishing their
fathers worked fewer hours per
week, most understood that their
dad "needs to work."
 26 May 27-June 2, 2017 SCI-TECH TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Qualified humans must not fear bots:

Adobe on Artificial Intelligence
s artificial intelligence (AI) with it as well," the executive said. work and set of intelligent servic

A powered smart devices and

solutions gather momen
tum globally amid fears of "bots"
taking over jobs soon, a top
Adobe executive has allayed such
fears, saying AI will actually assist
people intelligently.
"Saying AI will take over the
creativity of humans is not right.
It will take away a lot of stuff that
you have to do in a mundane way.
A human mind is a lot more cre
ative than a machine," Shanmugh
Natarajan, Executive Director and
Vice President (Products) at
Adobe in Delhi, told IANS in an
interview.
"With AI, we are trying to make
the work easier. It is not like self
driving cars where your driver is
getting replaced. I think creativity
is going to stay for a long time,"
Natarajan added.
Market research firm Gartner
recently said that CIOs will have a
major role to play in preparing
businesses for the impact that AI
will have on business strategy
and human employment.
The worlds first robocop has officially joined Dubais police force.
Global enterprises like Adobe
are now betting on India to boost
AI in diverse sectors across the
country.
The company has a massive set
up in India, with over 5,200
employees spread across four
campuses in Noida and Bengaluru
and its R&D labs claim a signifi
cant share of global innovations.
According to Natarajan, a lot of
work related to AI, machine learn
ing and Internet of Things (IoT) is
being done in Adobe's India R&D
Labs.
"The way we have structured
our India labs is very similar to
how larger companies have struc
tured it. There are separate lab
initiatives and areas, including
digital media, creative lab, Big
Data and marketingrelated labs
and, obviously, document is a big
part and we have labs associated
"With the Cloud platform, we
are trying to provide a framework
where people with the domain
expertise can come and set their
data and machine learning algo
rithms in play and then train the
systems and let the systems
learn," Natarajan explained.
Speaking on the significance of
India R&D labs, Natarajan said
earlier the R&D labs were focused
on North America where scien
tists used to come in from
esteemed universities.
With India becoming a crucial
market for research and develop
ment, Adobe started its data labs
in Bengaluru under the leader
ship of Shriram Revankar.
"Nearly 30 per cent of our total
R&D staff is here. Apart from
other works, we file patents.
Every year, Adobe India has been
filing nearly 100 patents from a
global perspective. We have eight
patents coming in soon,"
Natarajan told IANS.
Interestingly, a big part of
"Adobe Sensei" a new frame
es that use deep learning and AI
to tackle complex experience
challenges was developed in
India.
On why there is a technology
gap between India and other
developed economies in terms of
use of concepts like AI, machine
learning and IoT, Natarajan said
that people underestimate the
country.
"The transitions and genera
tional things might not be at the
same level and sophistication, or
the pace as compared to other
countries, but here, the changes
are dramatic," Natarajan told
IANS.
"Everyone has a smartphone
now and people have figured out
that they can speak to their
smartphones and retrieve data.
The data may be small as com
pared to 100 trillion that Adobe
gets, but it is a Cloud and IoT
device. People are interacting
with them and machine is learn
ing from this," the executive
noted.

Twitter co-founder sorry for SOON, A WEARABLE DEVICE TO

'helping make Trump president' MONITOR AND MANAGE ASTHMA
I
n a major step towards a Fitbitlike
wearable device to monitor and manage
asthma, researchers have created a
graphenebased sensor that can detect
inflammation in lungs.
The researchers believe that the sensor
could lead to earlier detection of looming
asthma attacks and improve the manage
ment of asthma and other respiratory dis
eases, preventing hospitalisation and
death.
Our vision is to develop a device that
someone with asthma or another respirato
ry disease can wear around their neck or
on their wrist and blow into it periodically
to predict the onset of an asthma attack or
"I think that maybe I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Twitter, other problems, said Mehdi Javanmard,
Trump said after being elected President. assistant professor at Rutgers University
New Brunswick in New Jersey, US. It
van Williams, former CEO and co the Independent reported on Saturday.
Microsystems & Nanoengineering
said.
Measuring biomarkers in exhaled breath
condensate tiny liquid droplets dis
charged during breathing can contribute
to understanding asthma at the molecular
level and lead to targeted treatment and
better disease management.
The researchers miniaturised electro
chemical sensor accurately measures
nitrite in exhaled breath condensate using
reduced graphene oxide. Reduced
graphene oxide resists corrosion, has supe
rior electrical properties and is very accu
rate in detecting biomarkers.
Nitrite level in breath condensate is a
promising biomarker for inflammation in
the respiratory tract. Having a rapid, easy
method to measure it can help an asthmat

E founder of Twitter, has publicly apolo

gised for the role the micro blogging
site might have played in the election of
Donald Trump as US president, media
reported.
Trump indicated in March that Twitter
played an important role in his election.
When asked about that remark, Williams in
an interview told the New York Times, "It's a
very bad thing, Twitter's role in that."
"If it's true that he wouldn't be President if
it weren't for Twitter, then yeah, I'm sorry,"
Williams said. Trump has 30 million follow
ers on his personal account on the platform
and was known as a prolific tweeter well
before he announced his intention to seek
the Republican nomination for presidency,
Since entering the White House and tak
ing control of the @POTUS (President of the
United States) Twitter handle, he has 17 mil
advances the field of personalised and pre
cision medicine, Javanmard said.
Asthma, which causes inflammation of
ic determine if air pollutants are affecting
them so they can better manage use of
medication and physical activity, said
the airway and obstructs air flow, affects Clifford Weisel, study coauthor and pro
lion followers of that account.
about 300 million people worldwide. The fessor at Rutgers University.
The platform was used extensively by his
symptoms include coughing, wheezing, Just looking at coughing, wheezing and
supporters during the presidential poll to
shortness of breath and chest tightness. other outward symptoms, diagnosis accu
advocate him and to denounce Hillary
Todays noninvasive methods for diag racy is often poor, so thats why this idea of
Clinton.
nosing and monitoring asthma are limited monitoring biomarkers continuously can
His detractors also well utilized the plat
in characterising the nature and degree of result in a paradigm shift, Javanmard said.
form.
airway inflammation, and require costly, The next step is to develop a portable,
"I think that maybe I wouldn't be here if it
bulky equipment that patients cannot easi wearable system, which could be commer
wasn't for Twitter, because I get such a fake
ly keep with them. cially available within five years, he added.
press, such a dishonest press. I mean, if you
There is an urgent need for improved, The researchers said they also envision
look at and I'm not including Fox, because
minimally invasive methods for the molec expanding the number of inflammation
I think Fox has been fair to me, but if you
ular diagnosis and monitoring of asthma, biomarkers a device could detect and
look at CNN and if you look at these other
the study published online in the journal measure.
networks," Trump told Fox News in March.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info May 27-June 2, 2017
 28 May 27-June 2, 2017 HUMOR TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Funny Side by Nury Vittachi

Cunning lifehacks to help you

survive these difficult days
always say "please" and "thank
I you, Miss" when talking to Siri so
that when the machines take over
she won't kill me. "Spare the puny
one. He was always polite."
You have to be cunning to make
the best of life these days.
Another ingenious lifehack. My
wife bought an avocado last week I
carried it around for a week so that
I could eat it in the 10minute peri
od between "not ripe yet" and "hor
ribly rotten." That was the plan,
anyway, and one day it will work.
But perhaps the biggest mass out
break of cunning this year so far
has been in India. Like everywhere
else, hotels and other food and
drink venues are conveniently locat
ed near major highways there, but
Indian judges passed a law making
it illegal for any alcoholselling
venue to be within 500 metres (in
some places, 220 metres) of a high
way.
Since it's tricky to pick up a hotel
and move it, residents responded
with a mass outbreak of ingenuity.
One barowner built a long, wind
ing maze in front of his roadside
bar, so it became quite literally a
long walk from the street.
Some hoteliers attached signs to
their back gates saying: "This is
Now The Front Gate".
Other restaurateurs got friends in
government departments to
"demote" hundreds of kilometres of
major highways, relisting them as
humble "regular" roads, and thus
exempt.
Of course, ingenuity can also be
used in the name of evil, I hear from
my friends at Shanghaiist, a news
website. Chinese companies are sell
ing portable engines on long poles
designed to thump walls and ceil
ings pure ly for the purpose of
One barowner built a long, winding maze in front of his roadside
bar, so it became quite literally a long walk from the street.
annoying neighbors. One particular freeofcharge apartmentshaking
ly irritating man turned on such a devices in our homes, but we call
machine, called an Apartment them "children".
Shaker, and then A British correspondent sent me
went away for an example of evil ingenuity from
the weekend. Of the UK. A thief stole a car. Instead of
course, many of making a fake number plate, he
us already have found a car of the same make, age
and color, and copied its number
plate. Thus any police officer who
ran a computerized check would
find that everything seemed to be in
order.
T he only chance of exposure
would be if both cars just happened
to be parked in the same car park at
the same time, and what were the
chances of that in a country with a
population of 60 million? T he
answer turned out to be not zero. A
woman in the town of Coleshill
phoned police to say that she was in
a shop's parking lot and noticed a
car exactly like hers, same brand,
same color, same licence number.
Gotcha. Room for one last lifehack.
As you turn off the oven to go out,
tell the oven what you are doing in
a Mickey Mouse voice. It's such a
weird thing to do that there's no
way you'll later forget that you
turned it off.
Yes, people will think you are
crazy, but who cares? Siri is still
nice to me, and that's the relation
ship that counts in the long term,
right?

Laughter is the Best Medicine

by
Mahendra
Shah

Mahendra Shah is
an architect by
BEST education,
entrepreneur by
RATE profession, artist
and humorist,
FOR cartoonist and
writer by hobby.

INDIA He has been

recording the
plight of the
AND immigrant
Indians for the
PAKISTAN past many years in
his cartoons.
Hailing from
Gujarat,
he lives in
New York Head Quarter
Pittsburgh,
422S Broadway Pennsylvania.
HICKSVILLE
NY 11801

5168271010
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma
MAY 27JUNE 2, 2017
ARIES: Time to be a good communicator &
natural negotiator to enable yourself to
tackle the pressure of a highly responsible
position. Distant re latives are like ly to
contact/visit you during this week. It would be in
your interest to avoid investment of any kind
today. Make sure you dont surrender yourself
under physical passions to save romantic bond. A
pleasure trip gives the muchneeded tonic to
health. Its time to invest in property and get
most profitable method to maximize your bank
balance. A wonderful week to contact persons
with whom you can share your dreams/aims.
TAURUS: This week it is in your hand to
make or mar your professional life. Some
changes made at home will make you
sentimental. Avoid overspending and invest
ments in dubious financial schemes. Romance
touches new heights, as partner positively
responds. A continuous positive thinking gets
rewarded as you succeed in whatever you do this
week. Romance is in full bloom, a journey full of
pleasure is your crave. Have you realize that your
financial conditions do not allow you to invest on
property? Indulging in something deceitful
would harm your personal interests.
GEMINI: To take business to newer
heights you will have to induct highly
motivated persons with excellent inter
personal skills in your team. Pending household
jobs will require your immediate attention. All
financial commitments & transactions need to be
handled carefully. You need to make a proper
planning before embarking on love journey.
Cultivate a harmonious nature to kill your hatred
because it is more powerful than love besides
adversely affecting body. Before you embark on
your adventure trip plan and prepare each and
every thing. Location is the key to any property
you purchase, so go through it very well. Make
sure you avoid picking up an argument especial
ly on petty issues.
CANCER: Lack of confidence could slip
promising career enhancement opportu
nities from your hands. You receive care
and affection from family members. A new source
of income will generate through influential con
tacts. You are likely to find someone with whom
you will enjoy the ecstasies of love. Creative hob
bies are likely to keep you relaxed. Traveling
alone could be depressing for you. It is better to
try for your of fice accommodation as soon as
possible. Ability to take calculated risks impresses
the people who are closely monitoring you.
LEO: New ventures start on a positive
note. Matrimonial alliance for eligible
bachelor in family brings joy to all.
Investment made this week would enhance pros
perity and financial security. Love comes your
way as friendship turns into romance. With a
positive outlook & confidence, you succeed in
impressing people around you. Its time to travel
with innovative imagination. Dont deal in a
property which is crime ridden. You might be
stranded and could find yourself unable to
decide what is to be done.
VIRGO: Negligence at professional front
would backfire. An impulsive behavior
brings disappointment at family front.
Better to control it to save all. An improvement in
financial position would enable to make impor
tant purchases. You are likely find comfort in the
arms of romantic partner. Mental alertness
would enable to solve a tricky problem. Traveling
regularly might be injurious for your well
being. Time to think about your investment
plans, as investing residentially might be prof
itable. If possible, make efforts to interact with
strangers and if needed lend a helping hand to
them.
ASTROLOGY
LIBRA: If possible, take the help of emo
tional intelligence to succeed at profes
sional front. You need to put intelligence
and influence to sort sensitive issues at family
front. You should look twice at investment
schemes that are presented to you. Love and
romantic encounter will keep you in a cheerful
state. A cheerful state of mind brings mental
peace. Are you longing to go on a vacation then
be ready for it? Your investment can be done on a
cheap or smaller piece of land. By merely observ
ing others you are likely to learn a lot this week.
SCORPIO : Make sure you dont neglect
subordinates by giving an ear to them to
enable yourself to find valuable sugges
tions. A new outlook will be the source of laughter
at family front this week. You are likely to earn
monetary profits through most unexpected
sources. Sudden romantic encounter is foreseen
this week. Control your excitement otherwise it
might cause some problem. Be ready to hang out
with your friends. Family can be helpful on acquir
ing your property or plot. Your involvement in vol
untary work will enable to bring fame to you.
SAGITTARIUS: Journey undertaken for
business purpose might fail to bring
expected results. Enjoying a picnic with
family will not only bring joy but also help in
clearing misunderstandings. Better to ignore
those who come for temporary loans to you.
Overindulgence in trifles might bring a strain in
romantic relations. Overstraining yourself would
only lead to stress & exhaustion. Better to avoid
this to enjoy a sound health. The idea of a holi
day seems to be tired and rushed. Property dis
putes can be there. Hidden enemies are likely to
spread rumors about you.
CAPRICORN: You succeed in completing
projects efficiently provided you put in
all your ef forts. Charming nature and
pleasant personality would make you the attrac
tion of family function this week. A sudden
inflow of funds will take care of your bills and
immediate expenses. If possible avoid wearing
clothes, which could offend love partner. A bene
ficial week to work on things that will improve
your health. By traveling you will learn about
new places, ultimately its a great deal for your
self. Selling your plot might increase your bank
balance. You would find things moving the way
you want them.
AQUARIUS: Before refusing a promo
tion of fer, look the things from long
term perspective. Make sure you avoid
controversial issues otherwise these could cause
arguments with loved ones. Be secretive about
your investments and future goals. Avoid raising
controversial issues in love rather enjoy the com
pany. Good time to divert attention to spirituality
to enhance mental toughness. Although traveling
can be very rewarding, it can also be a strain on
the check book. You have to very patient while
dealing with your estate agent. You need to
assess the situations before doing anything.
PISCES: Promotion is likely to make you
vulnerable, as everyone is watching you
closely and failure could be embarrass
ing and expensive. Some changes that you might
make to your looks could annoy family members.
Better to do things that would please them. It is
not a very beneficial week as far as financial mat
ters are concerned. A unilateral decision in love
could annoy partner. Cutting down the number
of parties and pleasure jaunts would help in
keeping in good mood. Nothing better for you
then camping or hiking trip, but sitting by a well
might be dangerous. Investing overseas can pro
vide you new business opportunities. Joining
hands with humanitarian group in social work
would benefit you.
Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874
Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899
psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com
ANNUAL PREDICTIONS: FOR THOSE BORN IN THIS WEEK
27th May, 2017
Powered by number 9 and planet Mars, you like
the company of healthy and sound thinking per
son. You are brave enough to deal with any kind
of situation. Your creativity and newly designed
structures will catch everybodys attention which
makes you a big civil contractor. Ill humored and
chippy nature may take you away from the social
parties. Potentate nature might make you to lose
your credibility. Soon you will take the marriage
oath. Have patience as your disputes related to
law and order will take some more time to reach
to any verdict. Your young ones stars will take
them to the new height of excellence. You will be
satiate both from domestic and professional front.
You will get lot of opportunities to raise your bar
at your workplace, but be careful to avail all the
chances. Effective and meaningful time for you
would be November, March and June.
28th May, 2017
Controlled by number 1 and the planet Sun,
affectionate, earnest and industrious are your
characteristics. People will look at you with
respect and deference. You will not only enthrall
the audience but make them spellbound. Loyal to
your work and audacious attempt is what makes
you to hit the new frontiers. Be mindful towards
your hasteness and capricious attribute. Be proac
tive and change the ambience of the professional
life as per your requirement to increase your over
all productivity. Meetings with world renowned
delegates will be on your hit list. Now you will be
in position to save for your future also. You will
enjoy to be in the company of your spouse.
Romance will take you to seventh heaven and you
will forget all your worries. You strongly believe in
God and might soon experience a visit to many
sacred places. Interior designing and buildings
will attract your attention. Full of events and hap
piness would be the month of September,
December and May.
29th May, 2017
You are manipulated by moon and number 2
and that is the reason why you are so energetic,
impressive and full of life. Always remember that
success comes to those who dare to dream and
think different. Thus be confident, believe in your
self and do what you want to do in life, success
will be definitely yours. A good shift and place
ment of stars in your sunsign will also cater you
great heights in all areas of life. Business trips will
be resultoriented but may become a reason of
some health problems. An appropriate and
healthy diet and fitness regime will be high on
your agenda. Flow of money may be inconsistent
but you will not lack of it when you need the most.
This time you need to believe on your romantic
partners instinct. Some family issues may take
your precious time and energy but these issues
are also important to get resolved as soon as pos
sible. Dont make a mountain out of a mole hill in
love af fairs. Marital bliss is foreseen for many
youngsters. You would grow and see new heights
in the months of September, Nov. and February.
30th May, 2017
Planet Jupiter and number 3 infuse numerous
ideas and a great philosophy in you. You are guid
ed by good communication skills and leadership
qualities. You can manage a huge team very easily.
In the upcoming year, you would do exceptionally
good job and would obtain incredible accolades
and rewards. But at times you become an enigma
for your known people as you behave sarcastically
and strangely. You must control or hide your
capricious nature at professional front. No doubt
you will augment your savings this year but you
would also spend lavishly, but think wisely while
making a budget. Short but exciting would be
planned for a change. Family front will make you
lively and full of life. People in love will discover a
relief in the company of their partner and that will
May 27-June 2, 2017 29
also help you to stay away from worldly tensions
for a while. Wedding bells at the doorstep of love
birds are also possible. Financial and legal trans
actions may be tiring and may extend but will end
up in your favor. October, December and June
will provide expected consequences.
31st May, 2017
Persuasion of number 4 and planet Uranus
composes a great amount of vigor and passion in
you. You have a good gusto and positive attitude
towards life. You always crave for a reputable and
affluent lifestyle and want to set a niche for your
self in the society as well as at your workplace. As
Rome was not build in a day, you also have to do
uninterrupted hardwork to fulfill all your dreams
and ambitions in life. The coming year will be
lucky in terms of money and property matters.
You would increase your goods and chattels as
another source of income or a family member will
be there to support you. You will be placed on a
higher designation and will also get a handsome
salary package. Good networking power will be
helping to resolve long pending legal issues.
Though your kids and spouse would encourage
you in all your professional endeavors, they would
also demand a quality time of yours, so try to
maintain equilibrium between your personal and
professional life. It is impossible to love and be
wise, so show a little craziness to your romantic
date or lover to impress more and more. Bachelors
may taste the fruit of marriage but listen to your
heart while selecting a life partner. December,
January, March and April will bring fertile and
desirous results.
1st June, 2017
Ruled by number 1 and the planet Sun. You are
confident, intelligent, original, enthusiastic, and
possess a very creative and artistic mind. You are
a good host and love moving about in good socie
ty, but you need to control your tendencies
towards extravagance and stubbornness at times.
This year you will see a remarkable improvement
in your ability to take quick and correct decisions.
Your selfconfidence and dedication would help
you accomplish difficult tasks and assignments
before the stipulated time. Monetary rewards and
benefits for those employed. Favours from govt.
officers and prominent persons likely later in the
year. Your health would be perfect, but the health
of your parents would bring some moments of
stress and anxiety. New romance for some
through social gathering and entertainment activi
ties. Matrimonial alliances for those eligible.
Renovation or new construction activities towards
the yearend. The months of July, September,
January and March would prove to be important
and significant.
2nd June, 2017
Influenced by number 2 and the Moon. You are
imaginative, emotional, trustworthy, simple and
possess a sharp memory. Your command over
your work can do wonders for you in your career
and profession, but you need to check your ten
dency to behave fickleminded and introvert at
times. This coming year will require you to be
highly cautious of your moves. During this period
you are likely to face several ups and down in
your career. Your financial position also seems to
be moderate, therefore make new investments
with extreme precautions. Only secure invest
ments like banks fixed deposits and tax saving
schemes should be encouraged. Domestic front
however would bring enormous happiness. Your
spouse and children would be supportive and
helpful to your concerns. A sudden influence of an
important and eminent spiritual person would
provide you solace and mental comfort and bring
a new twist into your life. Distant journeys proba
bly for pilgrimage would be undertaken later in
the year. The months of July, October, January
and February would prove to be highly significant.
30 May 27-June 2, 2017
This article has been selected and reprinted from Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharajs
book, Spiritual Pearls for Enlightened Living, an inspirational collection of stories
from the worlds great wisdom traditions.
By Sant Rajinder
Singh Ji Maharaj
O
nce upon a time, there was a
man who lived alone. He
kept his money in a special
jar so that no one could steal it.
One day, while the man was out
farming his land, a thief broke into
his house. Looking for something
to steal, he came across a heavy
stone jar. He could barely jiggle it
to hear the coins inside. He could
not lift the jar. So the man stuck his
hand in the jar to take out the
money. His hand fit perfectly into
the jar.
The man grabbed as much
money as he could, holding it in his
fist. But when he tried to pull out
his hand, it would not come out. He
tried his hardest to pull out his
hand, but the fist made his hand
wider. While holding the money, he
could not get it through the neck of
the jar. He let go of the money and
his hand was freed to come out of
the jar. But he was intent upon hav
ing the money, so he tried again
and again. Each time he enclosed
the coins in his fist, his hand was
too wide to be removed from the
jar. Suddenly, he heard the owner
coming home. He knew that if he
did not get his hand out of the jar,
he would be caught. But he was so
intent upon trying to get the
money out that he would not give
up. The result was that the man
came in, caught him, and had him
arrested.
We too are like the thief in the
story. Desires cause us to be caught
with our hand in the jar. Desires
keep us bound to this world. It is
only by letting go of the things of
this world that we can be free. We
need to stop clutching for whatever
binds us as prisoners of our desires
so we can enjoy true freedom. We
need to stop clutching and let go.
Then we will find the joy of free
dom.
What kind of joy did the thief
have in his pursuit of the money?
Instead he ended up a prisoner in
the jail. We too are like prisoners in
the jail of this physical world. We
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Learn to let go and be free
spend all our time going after
things that will not give us happi How can we end our
ness. Whatever material gains we
have in the world can lead us to
bondage? We need to let
more bondage if we are attached to go and be free. When we
them. For example, if we want a big
house, we have to work longer can let go of our desires
hours to pay for its mortgage. Then
we need to fill it up with more and for impermanent gains,
more furniture. That will take more
time to work to pay for it, shop to
we can be free.
buy it, and then to clean and repair
everything. Before we know it, the
house that was supposed to bring
us pleasure has made us a slave to
it. We no longer have time for our
family, our children, or pursuits
that will give us more fulfillment.
We spend all our time going after
things that may not give us true
and lasting happiness. our soul and God. To do so, we shining within us. By turning our our hand stuck in the jar. By letting
Similarly, we may want to buy a must turn our attention from the attention from the world, we are go, we are gaining eternal freedom.
computer to keep up with the latest worldly enticements and listen to releasing our hold on the coins that By sitting in meditation, free
technology. We then find ourselves our soul. Beautiful melodies of keep from all worldly desires and attach
God are playing within be ments, we can let go and find our
working harder to buy all the right
us all the time. put to death, the selves free to soar back to
software and equipment to make it
T
Light and rue friends are those minister sat down in his God.
work. Soon we realize that we are
love who stand by you home and started to cry.
not happy with a simple computer.
are always. They will sac Why are you so sad? asked his
We want to upgrade to a faster and
rifice themselves for you, and are people daughter when she saw him.
more elaborate computer. Next, we
on whom you can always rely. True friends lis The ministered explained the situation to
find the computer that was sup
ten to your problems and share your burdens. her, The scriptures say that whoever reads them
posed to save us time is taking
Truly, if we have even one real friend in life, we are will be liberated. However, I know that the king is
up all our time. We end up
lucky. If we think about our childhood friends, how not liberated, nor am I liberated. Therefore, tomorrow, I
spending hours learning to
many are still with us now? Have we parted ways will be put to death. The daughter was wise and had an
use the computer. We
already? Perhaps they have moved away, or we have lost idea. Do not worry, she said. Tomorrow I will speak to the
spend hours exploring
contact with them. Let us consider our close friends today. king. On the following day, the ministers daughter asked for
the Internet. The e
Can we imagine that they, too, will one day be parted from us an audience with the king.
mail system that was
just as those friends from our childhood are gone? Why have you come? he questioned her.
supposed to make
Even if we have one close friend, or even a few, they can only She told him, I have come to reply to the question that you
communications
be with us up to our last breath, or their last breath. They can only have asked of my father. But to do this, you and I must go together
faster is taking
remain with us in this life and cannot help us to the wilderness. The king was per
more and more of
in the moment of our greatest needthe plexed, but agreed to go along with her
Finding a
our time.
time of death. plan. The girl then sent for her father.
Suddenly, we
In this connection, there is an interesting She brought along two ropes and when
find fifty people
story from the Hindu scriptures. There was a they reached the wilderness she tied the
emailing us
daily and they
expect an
learned pundit who was the personal minister
of King Prikshat. Each day the minister would
true friend king to one tree and her father to another
tree. Both were then bound, hand and
read out the scriptures to the king. The partic foot. The king was wondering what all this
instantaneous
ular scripture said that whoever hears the scriptures will receive meant when the girl asked, Father, can you kindly unbind the king
response. If we
spiritual liberation and enlightenment. Month after month, the king over there?
do not respond
listened to the scriptures read by the minister. However, he did not The minister replied, I am already bound! How can I free him?
right away they
attain liberation. The girl asked, Your Majesty, will you kindly unbind my
accuse us of being
One day, the king sat down and thought, Here I amlistening father?
nonresponsive and
to these scriptures every day, and I am not yet spiritually liberat The king replied, Foolish girl, dont you see that I am bound?
indifferent. Soon, we
ed. The scriptures say that whoever listens to these holy writ How can a bound man unbind another?
are spending hours on
ings will receive salvation once and for all, but I have not. That is all she wanted to hear and said, Then how can you
the computer. We have
Therefore, the king called the minister and said, Look here. expect my father, who is not free himself, to liberate you
become slaves to our
I have heard these scriptures so many times and have not spiritually? The king himself had answered the dilemma
possessions.
attained liberation. I will give you one more chance to in which he had placed the minister. With that under
How can we end our
read these scriptures to me from end to end. If I am standing, the king spared the life of the minister. At
bondage? We need to let go
not liberated after that, you will be put to death. the time of death, we all depart by ourselves. No
and be free. When we can let go
Trembling in his shoes, the minister began the friends of this world can help us. They can sit
of our desires for impermanent
task of rereading the scriptures to the king. by our bedside and hold our hand, but they
gains, we can be free. Then, our
By the sixth day he was nearing the end can neither protect us from death nor
soul can experience the love and
of the scriptures, and the king was accompany us. Knowing this, we
beauty that God has to offer. True
not satisfied. Fearing that on still put our reliance on
happiness comes when we connect
the seventh day he people of this
with the source of joy within us (For more visit www.sos.org)
would world.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info May 27-June 2, 2017
TheSouthAsianTimes.info May 27-June 2, 2017