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Vol.4 No.45 March 3-9, 2012 60 Cents
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Rimli Roy dreams of taking Indian dance to Broadway Culture, Page 15

Despite sanctions, India to ramp up ties with Iran

Israel striking Iran chances more than 50:50 now
New Delhi/Washington: The US may be satisfied that India is "making steps in the right direction" to impose sanctions on Iran, but New Delhi has made it clear that it has no intention to stop oil imports from Iran or scale down business ties with Tehran. "With respect to India, they are making steps that are heading in the right direction," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a House panel in Washington Wednesday. But "I think that we have made progress." Reacting to Clinton's statement, officials in New Delhi Thursday, however, maintained that India Continued on page 4

Pakistan lifts restrictions on free trade with India from Dec

Islamabad: The Pakistan cabinet on Wednesday flung open the doors for trade with India by raising the number of items that can be imported from the country from 1,946 to almost 5,600. The decision overruled reservations of the ministries of textile and industries which had been pushing for restricted trade with India to protect domestic manufacturers. The cabinets decision will allow the import of about 90 per cent of all the items that India normally exports. Before this decision, the positive list allowed only 17 per cent Indian export items. From Jan 1 next year, India will be able to export all its products to

Pakistan without restrictions. The cabinet also decided to do away with the negative list of 1,209 items by the end of this year. The ministries of textile and industries wanted the restrictions to continue for five years. Pakistan Information Minister Dr Continued on page 4

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: War clouds gathering

Dr. Kohli proud of co-producing Oscar winner

By Vikas Girdhar New York: For the accomplished Boston based Dr. Neeraj Kohli, producing Undefeated, which won Best Documentary Feature at the 84th Oscars, is one of the greatest accomplishments of his life, he told SATimes. Dr Kohli, one of seven executive producers of the film, is a practicing physician-surgeon at Brigham and Womens Hospital, a Medical Director at The New England Center for Urugynecology and a professor of OB/GYN at Harvard. On being present at Hollywoods grandest stage and receiving national acclaim, he says, Its surreal. I cherish this experience and Im truly honored to be part of the team receiving such a prestigious award. Undefeated follows the story of the Manassas Tigers, an underfunded and underprivileged football team and its fight for relevance and triumph. Says Dr. Kohli, I encourage everyone to go see the film and to take their kids as well. It really is an incredibly uplifting and spirited story of perseverance. Dr. Kohli also hopes that the film will be a harbinger for more talents of South Asian origin to be uncovered.

EXCLUSIVE

US court dismisses case against Rajapaksha

Washington: A fedFein, an attorney who eral US court has has been accused of dismissed a lawsuit working closely with filed against the Sri the pro-LTTE groups Lankan President in the United States. Mahinda Rajapaksa, Rajapaksa was sued noting he is immune by families of the from lawsuits as a alleged torture victims sitting Head of under the Torture State. ictim Protection Act Dismissing the passed by Congress in case on Wednesday, 1992. the US District "This court is not in Sri Lankan President Judge, Colleen Mahinda Rajapaksa a position to secondKollar-Kotelly, said guess the executive's that Rajapaksa has immunity as determination that in this case, head of the State. the nation's foreign policy interThe US State Department had ests will be best served by grantientered a motion asking the case ng defendant Rajapaksa head of be dismissed because of the state immunity while he is in immunity precedent. office," Kollar-Kotelly wrote. The case was brought by Bruce Continued on page 4

Dr. Neeraj Kohli displaying the Oscar for Undefeated, the docu feature he co-produced.
More Oscar stories on pages 16-17.

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March 3-9, 2012

Maid case: India awaits final verdict

New Delhi/New York: Indian government said Friday it will await the final verdict on the recommendation of a US judge that an Indian housemaid be paid nearly $1.5 million for the "barbaric treatment" she received at the hands of an Indian diplomat and her husband in New York. Government sources in New Delhi said that it was "premature" to comment on the issue and pointed out that the compensation was recommendatory in nature. The sources added that it will await the final verdict in the case before commenting on it. A New York judge has proposed $500,000 for the "emotional distress" inflicted on Shanti Gurung by Neena Malhotra, who then served as the press counselor at the Indian consulate in New York, and her husband, Jogesh Malhotra, according to the New York Post. The Malhotras clearly induced their exmaid to "work without pay by seizing her passport and visa, restricting her ability to leave their apartment, and constantly warning her that if she travelled on her own without their permission, she would be arrested, beaten, raped and sent back to India as 'cargo,' " Manhattan federal Magistrate Judge Frank Maas wrote. His recommendations are subject to approval by Judge Victor Marrero, who is overseeing the case, the Post said. conditions from June 2006 onwards, Gurung was required to "perform substantially more duties than had been represented at the time of recruitment." This included cooking and cleaning, daily massages for Malhotra, grocery shopping and laundry, and waiting upon guests for dinner parties that the Malhotras regularly held, which often went on until 3 a.m., the lawsuit alleged. The Malhotra maid case is one among a few embarrassing claims of abuse and indecent conduct by Indian diplomats working abroad in the last year. A former housekeeper, Santosh Bhardwaj, for Indian Consul General in New York, Amb. Prabhu Dayal filed a lawsuit in June 2011 saying he took her passport and intimidated her into a year of forced labor. One official at Indias High Commission in London was recalled following allegations that he had punched his wife in the face in a row s and another at its UN mission in New York was accused of sexually harassing women on an airliner. The countrys then foreign secretary Nirupama Rao warned her officials there would be zero tolerance for any future incidents.

Neena Malhotra, diplomat formerly posted at the Indian consulate in New York. A US judge has recommended her housemaid be paid $1.5 million for "barbaric treatment". In December 2010, Marrero granted Gurung a default judgment against the Malhotras, who returned to India before they could be served with their ex-maid's shocking suit. Neena Malhotra continues to work for the Ministry of External Affairs In her lawsuit Gurung alleged that in bringing her over to the US in 2006 on an A-3 visa, Malhotra instructed Gurung to tell the US embassy in New Delhi that she would be paid $7 per hour. She also "asked Gurung to lie about her birth date, so that she would appear to US officials be 18, not her actual age of 17", according to the filing. With a steady deterioration in her living

Malhotras default in court helped plaintiffs case: Attorney Ravi Batra

The well reasoned report and recommendations by Magistrate Judge Frank Maas highlight the absolute need to defend oneself in court, for to ignore a summons causes un-tested inflammatory allegations to be "deemed" true as a matter of law, and the resulting win by any plaintiff is no surprise; indeed, it is so ordained. The recommendations have to be reviewed by the Article III constitutional judge Marrero, who has to power to affirm or modify same, in whole or in part, and then a judgment gets docketed against the defendants. Thereafter, the plaintiff, is a judgment creditor, and pursuant to relevant bilateral treaties and international conventions that both the United States and India are signatory to, the Malhotras will not enjoy the fruits of their default in court. Finally, in a google-able world the utter destruction of reputational capital is an added injury, on a perpetual basis, suffered by those who ignore the rule of law in a nation of laws.

John Lius campaign treasurer held on fraud charges

New York: The campaign treasurer for NYC Comptroller John C. Liu was charged with fraud and obstruction of justice on Tuesday as the federal probe of Lius fund-raising escalated to his inner circle for the first time. It may also put paid to Lius ambition to run for city mayor later this year. The treasurer, Jia Hou, 25, is accused of helping to funnel illegal campaign money to her boss using straw donors and impeding investigators efforts to gather information about the fund-raising. And, in a troubling development for Liu, the charges filed on Tuesday suggested that Hou was taking instructions from him as she was carrying out the fraudulent fund-raising scheme. Liu responded saying he was stunned by Hous arrest. These allegations against Jia Hou are uncharacteristic and unexpected of this intelligent, hardworking person that Ive come to know and depend upon, Mr. Liu told reporters. And I sincerely hope she will be treated fairly.

CBI charges sacked Rajasthan minister in nurse murder

By Prakash Bhandari/SATimes Jaipur: After grueling probe lasting over four months, CBI has found that the former Rajasthan water resources minister Mahipal Maderna and the Congress MLA Malkhan Singh Bishnoi together plotted the abduction and murder of the nurse Bhanwari Devi , and has charged both men with murder, abduction, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence. Bhanwari's husband Amarchand has been charged with criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence and abduction. This case had rocked the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan. Both Maderna and Bihsnoi are in custody. The CBI filed a supplementary chargesheet against 13 accused including sacked minister Maderna and Bishnoi in a Jodhpur court. Investigation was kept pending against four accused including Malkhans sister Indra Bishnoi, who is evading arrest for the past three months. The preliminary chargesheet was filed against three accused Shahabuddin, Sohan Lal and Balia on December 2. Maderna, Malkhan and Indra have emerged as the main accused in the nurses murder on September 1 after a CD showing the politician in a compromising position with Bhanwari was prepared. Bhanwari was given the idea of making the CD by Indra who was peeved at the fact that her brother Malkhan Singh was not given a ministerial birth in the cabinet after Congress came to power in the state in 2008. Indra wanted to malign Maderna publicly and force him to resign using the sex CD. Maderna was shot in a compromising position at his own farmhouse in Jodhpur. As per the chargesheet, Bhanwari started blackmailing Maderna and Malkhan Singh. She later claimed that one of his daughters was fathered by Malkhan. After making the CD of Maderna, she demanded Rs 50 lakh from him. On June 20, 2011 Maderna paid Sahi Ram Bishnoi Rs 8 lakh to give to Bhanwari and assured that he will pay rest of the amount after some time. Sahi Ram never gave the money to Bhanwari. On July 25, Maderna spoke with Malkhan over phone and discussed a strategy to kill Bhanwari. Maderna gave Rs 10 lakh to Sohan Lal Bishnoi and Shahabuddin to give it to Bhanwari for not making the CD public. Sohan Lal offered Rs 10 lakh and a cheque of Rs 40 lakh to Bhanwari and asked for her written assurance to not publicize the CD. She wanted all the money in cash and the deal was not settled. Indra Bishnoi, sister of Malkhan Singh, had played a crucial role in the abduction and subsequent murder of Bhanwari Devi. After her introduction to Bhanwari through Malkhan Singh, she consoled her on every occasion. Indra was roped in by Malkhan and Paras Ram, his brother and it was she who first Continued on page 4

Jia Hou, Lius campaign treasurer He added that he would review the charges and well figure out how to move forward from here. The arrest came two weeks after Xing Wu Pan, a top fund-raiser for Mr. Liu, a popular Democrat from Flushing, Queens, was indicted on similar charges after organizing a fund-raiser in August. Prosecutors said straw donors were promised reimbursement for their contributions by a donor who wished to exceed the legal limit of $4,950 for individual donations. Hous arrest appeared to be more problematic and potentially damaging for Liu than Pans.

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come from a variety of intelligence and national security backgrounds. But the officials warn that, if intelligence indicated that Iran was on the verge of building a nuclear weapon, the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would almost certainly consider a military strike. And if it decided to launch one, the U.S. would likely receive very little advance notice, they say. Pak lifts restrictions Story Continued from page 1 Firdous Ashiq Awan said the products from negative list will be completely phased out by Dec 31. She said the move would pave way for complete liberalization of trade by the end of the year to culminate in an MFN (most favored nation) status to India. The cabinets decision is in line with an assurance given to Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma during his recent visit to Pakistan. The information minister said normalization of trade with India was in the interest of Pakistan because it would help strengthen national economy and boost economic activities in the region. India exported goods worth $2.33 billion to Pakistan last year, while Pakistans exports amounted to $330 million. The volume of bilateral trade is expected to reach $6 billion by 2014, mostly to the benefit of Indian exporters. However, the information minister said there would be no compromise on any core issue, like the Kashmir dispute. Welcoming the decision, the Indian commerce minister said the development reaffirmed the commitment of both governments for trade normalization. I am happy that this has been achieved. We believe that strengthening economic engagement between India and Pakistan lies at the heart of building enduring peace and stability in this region. Flourishing trade is the biggest confidence-building measure between any two nations, he said.. Rajapaksha Story Continued from page 1 "Two centuries of case law and basic constitutional and statutory principles prevent this Court from allowing Plaintiffs' Complaint to move forward at this time," the judge said. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Vathsala Devi as the widow of Colonel Ramesh for his alleged wrongful death by the Sri Lankan Army. However, the Sri Lankan government has vehemently denied violating human rights laws during the prolonged conflict against terrorism Rajasthan minister Story Continued from page 3 expressed the idea to kill Bhanwari Devi. It was Indra, who first conceived the idea of making a sleaze CD of Maderna sensing the devotion of Bhanwari towards Malkhan and later stole this CD from her house with the help of Sohan Lal Bishnoi. She had destroyed similar CDs of Malkhan but kept Madernas with a view to extract financial as well political benefits. Without keeping Bhanwari updated about their efforts to settle the deal with Maderna, Indra along with cousin Sohan Lal, attempted to bring the existence of this CD to the notice of Maderna and strike a deal with him. She even approached a family astrologer of Maderna, Sonia Sharma, along with one Sunil Gujjar, a Congress worker, to make this CD known to Maderna. It was Sohan Lal who first provided Maderna with the sleaze CD to give him the impression that no copy

March 3-9, 2012

India to ramp up ties with Iran Story Continued from page 1 abides by the UN sanctions and not unilateral sanctions by individual countries or groupings. In fact, India is understood to have used the New Delhi-aided Chabahar Port in Iran recently for the first time to transport 100,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan as part of its humanitarian aid to the war-torn country. A delegation from India's commerce ministry will be heading to Tehran later this month to explore new business opportunities. Not just oil, India is also stepping up the refurbishing of the Chabahar Port in Iran and a strategic railway link that will offer it direct access to Afghanistan and the energy-rich Central Asia. Meanwhile, concerns that Israel will attack Iran to try to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons escalated Thursday when the Washington Post reported that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta believes there is a strong likelihood that Tel Aviv will launch such an offensive in April, May or June. Panetta was attending a NATO meeting in Brussels. His view got echoed in recent interviews by NBC News with current and former U.S. and Israeli officials who have access to their countries intelligence. Those officials estimated the odds of an Israeli attack on Iran as better than 50-50. Most of the officials said it is highly unlikely that the war-weary U.S. would mount a military attack on Iran, instead relying on financial sanctions and diplomatic pressure to squeeze Tehran. But Israel, which has an openly hostile relationship with Iran and much more at stake if its neighbor becomes a nuclear power, is more of a wild card, say the officials, who

of CD existed. But in actuality, he had a copy of this CD, which he later disclosed to the minister feigning it to be in Bhanwaris possession with a view to extract money from him. Maderna gave him Rs 8 lakh. Taking a step ahead, he also made this CD available to the media. Bhanwari, meanwhile, created a ruckus at Madneras residence. Here again Sohan and Indra pacified her. By this time, she had become a threat to Maderna and Malkhan. Sohan Lal and Indra were trying hard to keep Bhanwari cool. In this matter, Sahi Ram was constantly in touch with Maderna and was updating him with every movement. He also contacted Malkhan at his residence and discussed the issue growing out of proportion, where

Malkhan admitted to have roped in Sohan Lal for this task with a direction to shell out Rs 10-15 lakh any time for the purpose. Bhanwari was also expecting a promise from Malkhan to spend Rs 50 lakh on the marriage of daughter Gungun. She claimed that Gungun was fathered by Malkhan.With the first flashing of the CD on a news channel, Indra again held a meeting with Sahi Ram at her residence and expressed concern that Bhanwari wanted to defame and malign the image of both Maderna and Malkhans families and disclosed that she was working on a plan to eliminate her with the help of Sohan Lal. Bhanwari was finally eliminated and was strangulated in a car and later her body was burnt and thrown in a canal.

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PakistaniAmerican pleads guilty to terror charges

Washington,DC: A PakistaniAmerican suspect, who is a legal US resident being held at Guantanamo Bay, has pleaded guilty to all charges as part of a deal that requires him to testify against other detainees. The first high-value detainee to plead guilty to charges of helping terrorists plot and carry out attacks, Majid Shoukat Khan is expected to spend up to 19 years behind bars in exchange for the agreement, according to Col James Pohl, the presiding military commission judge. Pohl pronounced Khan guilty Wednesday and said the sentencing is expected to take place in four years. The defendant will be required to provide testimony against his fellow detainees during those years leading up to the sentencing. He'll then receive credit for time served, leaving up to 15 years on his sentence, Pohl said. The US military said Khan traveled from Baltimore to Karachi in 2002 to help Al Qaeda plan attacks in the United States and elsewhere. The military said Khan conspired with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused Pakistani mastermind of the Sep 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, to blow up underground storage tanks in the United States. The government said Khan had also recorded a "martyr video" and donned an explosive vest and waited in a mosque where then-Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was expected. The plan failed when Musharraf did not show up. He also was accused of giving $50,000 in Al Qaeda funds to a Southeast Asia-based Al Qaeda affiliate, which then gave the money to Jemaah Islamiyah to fund the August 2003 bombing of the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia. That incident killed 11 people and wounded at least 181 others.

Witness testified against Dharun Ravi to escape charges: Defence

New York: Indian American Dharun Ravi urged other students to spy on his roommate's gay date, a New Jersey court was told as defence suggested a key witness agreed to testify to have criminal charges against her dropped. Ravi is on trial for spying on his roommate Tyler Clementi during a date with another man. Days later Clementi jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge. Alissa Agarwal, a Rutgers New Jersey State university student who was friends with Ravi, and Molly Wei, who was originally charged along with Ravi, testified for the prosecution Monday. Agarwal told the court that she tweet from Ravi on Sep 21 supposedly alerting his friends that Clementi was going to have another date and suggesting they watch by contacting his webcam. "Anyone with ichat, I dare you to ichat me from the hours of 930 and midnight. Yes, it is happening again," Ravi tweeted. Agarwal said that on the evening of Sep 21 Ravi explained to her in the presence of other students that his webcam was set on auto accept "in order for multiple people to be able to view Tyler's side of the room." He also demonstrated for her by opening up her iChat program and it showed Clementi's side of the dorm room. Wei told the court that after she was initially interviewed by police, she contacted them again on Sep 27 because she wanted to give them more information. Ravi's lawyer Steven Altman asked Wei that when she voluntarily went to the police a second time, "Did you think you had committed a crime?" "I personally felt like I had did something wrong, but I didn't understand the law...I didn't understand what I did to get these charges," Wei replied. "Is it true you didn't want to go to jail?" Altman asked. "Yes," she replied.

Dharun Ravi
received a tweet from Ravi Sep 19 that read, "roommate asked for room for the night. I went to molly's room and turned on my webcam and he was making out with a dude. Yay." She said she received another

Indians convicted of sexually abusing daughter-in-law

New York: A US court has convicted three members of an Indian family here on charges of sexually abusing their daughter-in-law who came to America after an arranged marriage and was threatened to work as a slave. Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said Vishal Jagota, 34, his mother Parveen Jagota, 57 and sister Rajani Jagota, 31 were found guilty after a bench trial of labor trafficking and assault charges for using intimidation, threats and physical violence to force the young woman into a life of "servitude and sexual abuse". Parveen Jagota and Rajani Jagota face up to seven years in state prison when sentenced on May 22, 2012 before Judge William Nelson, while Vishal Jagota faces up to one year in the Rockland County jail. Assistant District Attorney Arthur Ferraro said the case marked the first indictments, trial and convictions under New York State's new Labor Trafficking Law. "These convictions underscore our serious commitment to prosecuting those defendants who would prey on vulnerable - and in many cases young - victims," Zugibe said. "Human trafficking is a violent and degrading crime that will not be tolerated." The family used intimidation, physical and sexual abuse and manipulation to force the victim to work as a "round-the-clock servant, performing a variety of household chores, cooking, child care and other tasks under threats of violence," according to court documents. When the victim, whose name was not

Indian shot dead in Atlantic City

Washington, DC: An Indian was gunned down in Atlanta City when he was closing his store at the end of the day, a media report said Feb 24. Suhrid Das, 48, was fatally shot in an Atlanta neighborhood after 10 p.m. Feb 22 at Banna Grocer, reported The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta police spokeswoman Kim Jones said they found the store owner suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The victim Suhrid Das was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he later died. "Witnesses stated that the victim was closing up the store when he was confronted by an unknown assailant and shot one time," Jones was quoted as saying. Das was shot during an apparent robbery, said investigators.

Parveen Jagota and son Vishal revealed, threatened to contact authorities, the Jagotas vowed to concoct "wild stories", accusing her of committing various types of crime. On one occasion, the woman's mother-inlaw and sister-in-law burned her hand with a hot iron in order to "teach her a lesson" for not washing the clothes properly. The victim was not allowed to receive medical treatment for the serious burns and was told to treat the open wound with "toothpaste." Vishal Jagota is also accused of biting the victim, causing permanent scarring on her cheek. The woman was forced to face her captors for nearly three years, from her arrival in the US in 2008 until September 2010, Zugibe added. The woman's father-in-law was accused of touching her sexually but was later acquitted. The Jagotas had also hidden the woman's green card, passport and other documents that restricted her movement and forced her to comply with her in-laws' demands, the documents said.

Suhrid Das

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Sikh business forum formed to bring together professionals and businesses

New Jersey: The Sikh American Chamber of Commerce (SACC), established in 2011, at a kick-off gala on February 23, 2012 has declared their stated objective of bringing together Sikh American businesses and professionals in the spirit of enterprise. It aims to provide a forum for effective business networking to promote entrepreneurship within the community and help other Sikh American professionals in their business growth. The high profile event was attended by about 200 community business persons and professionals and held at Guru Palace banquet in North Brunswick in New Jersey. The SACC is a non-profit organization consisting of a cross section of Sikh American members includthe SACC can serve as a key platform in the development of the Sikh American business community.Sunny Kaila, President and Founder of SACC, and founder of top IT firm said, With the SACC we are bridging the gap that existed within the Sikh business community. We now have a forum for our entrepreneurs and young people to come together and help promote, support and encourage our business initiatives within our community. Our goal is to elevate the Sikh community to the top of the hierarchy of American business communities. Your community is only as strong as your business community, and our goal is to make the Sikh Community one of strongest in North America.

Gary Pasricha presents SACC with Sunny Kaila ing many business leaders ranging leaders, thus, offering a guiding from sole proprietors to large cor- hand to the new generation of porations and conglomerates. entrepreneurs from the community. The fledgling business forum Through meaningful networking, wants to capitalize on the experi- targeted skills training, funding inience of successful Sikh business tiatives and experienced guidance,

First Lady Michelle Obama seen in Indian American designer Naeem Khan's creation at the Governors' Dinner in Washington

Holy Gita intended for all humans: Hare Krishna preacher

New York: All human beings must follow the principles laid out in the Bhagavad-Gita in order to make the world a really peaceful, happy and prosperous place, a young IndianAmerican preacher has said. It (the holy book) is intended not only for the Hindus but also to followers of other religions. The message is universal, noted Gaur Natraj Das, a preacher in the Hare Krishna movement known formally as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. It is the supreme absolute truth. ISKCON, as the society is generally known, was established in the US in the 1960s by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who was of the opinion if America followed the Gita principles, the rest of the world would follow. If everybody follows this book, there won't be any conflicts in the world, Das said in an interview with this newspaper, quoting Prabhupada. Das, based in Moundsville, West Virginia, where the ISKCON was established, travels across the country and addresses congregations and delivers discourses, sponsored mainly by temples like the ones in the Flushing section of Queens in New York where he addressed a series of gatherings and explained the Gita tenets with slides and modern-day examples.

Annual Erasing Borders Exhibition to showcase exemplary art from diaspora

New York: The Indo-American Arts Councils 9th Annual Erasing Borders Exhibition of Contemporary Indian Art of the Diaspora features work by 41 artists who confront issues like sexuality, terror, disease, the environment and racial politics through various artistic mediums like paintings, prints, installations, video and sculpture. This eclectic mix of artists is chosen by curator Vijay Kumar and is free and open to the public. The resulting works often meld Indian and Western ideas about color, form and subject. The opening reception will take place at Crossing Art Queens on March 17 from 3pm to 6pm. I am very pleased that this years Erasing Borders exhibition is able to include work by 41 artists working in a wide variety of media, says curator Vijay Kumar. We are able to showcase work by established artists, as well as introduce work by new young talent to a wider audience. It has been my great privilege to be part of this ever-widening community of artists from the Diaspora. The exhibition features work by Debangana Banerjee, Raazia H. Chandoo, Shanthi Chandrasekar, Bivas Chaudhuri, Pritika Chowdhry, Nandini Chrirmar, Delna Dastur, Minakshi De, Uday Dhar, Claudia Dias, Anujan Ezhikode, Mustafa Faruki, Ruee V. Gawarikar, Reeta Gidwani Karmarkar, Abhijit Goswami, Shivina Harjani, Mansoora Hassan, Samina Iqbal, Ina Kaur, Kulvinder Kaur Dhew, Reet Kunal Das, Rahul Mehra, Shobha Menon, Rahul Mitra, Jayanthi Moorthy, Alkananda Mukerji, George Oommen, Jigar A. Patel, Avani Patel, Nirmal Raja, Ali Raza, Rasika Reddy, Sangeeta Reddy, Tara Sabharwal, Aparajita Sen, Ela Shah, M. Tasneem Shahzad, Madhvi Subrahmanian, Sarah Suleman, Anu Thadani, MD Tokon.

(Above) Gaur (washing the feet of his guru), (left), Gaur delivering discourse at the Baba temple in Flushing, Queens I can't teach a dumb man (the Gita); I have to first bring him to a certain level, the 32-year-old said, when asked whether anybody could be taught about Krishna and his Gita teachings. He added that the holy book is the highest form of religion. Asked about attempts being made in certain quarters in countries like Russia to ban the Bhagavad-Gita as it reportedly promotes extremist views, Gaur said they were not doing the right thing. Such people are trying to spoil human relationships and damage the relationship between India and Russia, he pointed out. The simplest way to solving all the problems in the world is chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. What made him give up at a very young age the worldly pleasures and take to the religious-preaching work? I was searching for my ultimate truth of my life at the age of 21-22 and tried all methods, Gaur recalled and observed that a six-day Bhagavad-Gita course showed him the way forward. This will avoid the cycle of birth and death and take the soul to be part of the lotus feet of god Krishna. The course was conducted by Bhakti Raghava Swami, who is now based near Udupi, Karnataka, doing religious and social service. Known earlier as Nithin Bhat Kalya, Gaur was introduced to the Hare Krishna movement in 1999. He was formally initiated in 2002. Gaur, who studied mechanical engineering in a Mangalore University-affiliated college, wrote a book titled Krishna Yoga.

Exhibition venues
Crossing Art Queens, 136-17 9th Avenue (at Main Street) Ground Floor, Flushing, NY 11354. Exhibition dates: March 17 - April 20, 2012 Bronx Charter School of the Arts, 950, Longfellow Avenue, Bronx, NY 10474. Exhibition dates: April 30-May 30, 2012 art6, 6 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, Exhibition dates: August 16September 3, 2011. Gallery Hours: Saturdays, 11am-4pm and by appointment.

National Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

March 3-9, 2012

'80% NRIs to vote for Obama'

Washington, DC: An overwhelming Indian-Americans would vote for US President Barack Obama in the November presidential elections, while Mitt Romney has been named as favorite among the Republican presidential candidates, a latest opinion poll has said. "Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney leads his nearest rivals Ron Paul by 24.1 percentage points and former Senator Rick Santorum by 33.4 percentage points," said the latest national opinion poll among Indian-Americans. "But if the presidential elections Richard Kurin, Undersecretary for History, Art and Culture, Smithsonian Institution speaking at a public event hosted by the Indian Embassy on February 23, 2012 on the theme of role and contribution of India-Americans to the ongoing consolidation of India-US relations. It included a presentation on "Homespun: - an initiative of the Asian Pacific American Program of the Smithsonian Institution to put together an exhibition, chronicling the story of immigrants from India and their descendants in America. were held today, an overwhelming 80% of Asian Indians would vote for President Barack Obama," said the first of its kind survey among Indian-Americans conducted by Boston-based INE Media Inc.. The online survey was conducted on February 22-26 with respondents coming from across the country. In the survey, Romney got the maximum support among the Republican candidates from the participants with 51.9%. However, Obama got the commanding lead with 80% when pitted against the Republican candidates with Romney securing 14.7% support from the participants.

Smithsonian to chronicle the story of Indian Americans

Washington, DC: The Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum and research complex is putting together an exhibition chronicling the story of immigrants from India and their descendants in America. "HomeSpun: Smithsonian Indian American Heritage Project", the first Smithsonian initiative focused on the Indian American experience, will convey the history, contributions and challenges of nearly three million Indian Americans and signal their place in America. The initial goal is to raise $2 million dollars for the project so that the exhibition can open this year and travel the country for three years. The Smithsonian is looking for an additional endowment of at least $1 million to generate interest needed to continue Smithsonian projects focusing on Indian Americans in perpetuity. At a presentation briefing on the project, the Indian ambassador Nirupama Rao highlighted the 'people centric' dimension of the India-US partnership and how it has, over the years, particularly strengthened the 'mutually beneficial' character of cooperation between India and the US. "India takes pride in achievements of the three million strong India-origin community in the United States," she said. Rao described "HomeSpun" as a celebration of the accomplishments and success of the Indian-origin community in the US and expressed confidence that it would be an effective public demonstration of the potential and capabilities of Indian Americans in contributing to the American society and economy and

Pawan Dhingra, Curator of Homespun exhibition project making a presentation on Homespun at the event also to the India-US partnership. Curated by Dr. Pawan Dhingra, HomeSpun sets out to answer questions like how did this community come to such prominence yet in other respects remains a community in formation, how does this story reveal America's unique history of immigration and how can learning about Indian Americans inform the experiences of other groups and the nation (and India) overall.HomeSpun will consist of exhibits, public programs, a middle school curriculum, and a cutting-edge website. As such it will establish a permanent presence - through research, collections, and public programs within the Smithsonian complex. HomeSpun also will be visible in key cities as the exhibition travels the country and public programs are held in various venues in cooperation with local communities.

California government honors attorney Anu Peshawaria

Washington, DC: Eminent Consulate. Indian-American lawyer Anu "She (Peshawaria) is a legal Peshawaria has been felicitated expert in Immigration and by the US state of California Women's issues and after seeing with the "Award of Excellence" the plight of those affected by for upholding immigration physical and emotional abuse rights, in particular those of decided to stay back in United women, and spreading social States to dedicate her life to their awareness. service," the Consul General Peshawaria, who is the said. younger sister of Kiran Bedi, In her remarks, Peshawaria, was felicitated at an awards cerAttorney at law in California, emony, where Anna M said that domestic violence in Caballero, California's Secretary South Asian community is seriof State and Consumer Affairs, ously under reported. Book cover of Anu said the state was "honored" to "We Indian women are inculPeshawarias Lives have her live and work in it. cated to keep such matters to on the brink "Our diverse state welcomes ourselves. It is extremely diffiimmigrants from countries all over the world cult to overcome this tendency, especially who bring with them their customs and tradi- when you find yourself in a strange land with tions," said Caballero. unfamiliar people. It is extremely crucial for Peshawaria, as a legal adviser has studied, both India and US to look into 'International talked to and represented women from India Laws' on this subject and wake up to this call who have immigrated to the United States before it's too late," Peshawaria said. with their husbands, Caballero said. According to a recent survey in the Boston "Through her work she has documented area, 40.8 per cent of South Asian women their isolation, dependence and mental and reported having been physically or sexually physical abuse so far from home, family and abused by a male partner in their lifetime. support systems," the California Secretary of A rate of over two out of five South Asian State said, referring to the book authored by women report being victims of domestic vioPeshawaria 'Lives on the Brink: Bridging the lence, Peshawaria said. Chasm between two great nations, India and The book offers preventative measures a United States'. bride-to-be should take and what immigrant The book, she said, is a revelation and a call women should expect when they come to the to action. "One we must heed if we truly want US. "Difficulties encountered by immigrant to be the land of equal opportunity for all," women who marry US citizens -- foreign or Caballero said. US born, without knowledge of their spouse's The book was released by N Parthasarathi, criminal or fraudulent behavior can be overConsul General of India, San Francisco whelming," she said.

National Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

March 3-9, 2012

Hindu center warns Indian-Americans about burglaries

New York : A Hindu cultural center in the Capital Region is calling attention to a crime spree seemingly singling out members of the community from India. Community members are working hand in hand with police now. Two breakins at Latham-area homes belonging to IndianAmerican families and similar incidents in Clifton Park and Delmar leads the community to believe that they are being targeted. Ram Lalukota thinks that gold reaching record high prices this year could be one of the causes of Indian homes being targeted for their expensive jewelry. Greg Jensen of the Colonie Police Department says they have no information yet that shows the local Indian-American population is at a particularly higher risk than others. He says there have been several other burglaries in Colonie where the victims were not Indian.

Nikki Haley skips White House dinner to meet friends

Washington, DC: South stressed the importance of Carolina's Indian-American education policy. Republican Governor Nikki Haley later joined fellow Haley criticized President Republican governors, Barack Obama's "failure to Indian-American Bobby handle America" but said Jindal of Louisiana and Bob "personal plans" kept her McDonnell of Virginia, at and husband Michael from the RGA press conference to attending Sunday's White blast Obama's policies and South Carolina Governor House dinner. urge the election of a Nikki Haley Obama and First Lady Republican president. Michelle Obama host the dinner annually for In addition to stressing the Republican mesthe governors to coincide with the National sage on business and education issues, Haley, Governors Association conference in who has endorsed Republican Mitt Romney, Washington. said Obama was coming in the way of devel"We were meeting with friends," Haley told opment in her state. reporters Monday, following a press confer"In South Carolina, we can't even pass our ence organized by the Republican Governors own bills without him getting in the way," she Association (RGA). said. "We pass illegal immigration reform, he Haley said she and her husband "were hon- stops it. We pass voter ID, he stops it. We get ored" to attend the White House dinner last Boeing, he stops it." year -- her first as governor -- but wanted to "I mean, I'd just like to be a governor and be see friends Sunday night.Haley attended able to take care of my state. The president's Monday morning's meeting with Obama and trying to handle the entire country and he's Vice President Joe Biden, where the president failing," Haley said.

India, US to put women's issues in strategic dialogue

New York: India and the US have agreed that issues related to women's empowerment should be integrated into all aspects of the India-US Strategic Dialogue. The agreement was reached at the third meeting of the India-US Women's Empowerment Dialogue (WED) held Monday in New York, according to US State Department. The Dialogue was co-chaired by Neela Gangadharan, Secretary of India's Ministry of Women and Child Development, and Ambassador Melanne Verveer, Ambassador at Large for Global Women's Issues in the State Department. They attended the 56th session of the UN Commission on Status of Women in New York. The two discussed issues related to women's social and economic empowerment, political participation of women, early childhood education, skill development of women and girls and strengthening of institutional linkages and exchanges, the State department said. "They reviewed the progress that institutions in the US and India have already achieved and discussed new ideas to take the dialogue forward," it said. "The two co-chairs agreed that issues related to women's empowerment should be integrated into all aspects of the India-US Strategic Dialogue," it added.

The man in the pink turban sets twitter ablaze

and nihari cooking enthusiast, responded on Twitter. Mitter, who counts himself as an independent who admires what Obama is doing under difficult circumstances, expected to be herded to the back of the room and joked to his family and friends that they may be able to catch a glimpse of him if the camera pans. But when Mitter walked into the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House, he was propelled to the front lines. ''I had no idea I would be standing right behind the President and the vicepresident,'' said Mitter, who is not an everyday pink kind of guy. He wore the pink turban that day simply because it matched his tie and also because he hoped it would help him stand out. And it worked. Mitter, whose parents immigrated from India to Canada, where he was born, and moved to the US, has degrees in religion and bio-medical engineering from Boston University. He says he's pleased with the White House outreach towards the Sikh community that will see it following up Obama's hosting of Guru Nanak birth anniversary in 2009 with a possible White House celebration of Baisakhi this year.

Ambassador Nirupama Rao visits Boston

At the Harvard University, Rao addressed the Kennedy School of Government on the 'people centric' dimension of India-U.S. Partnership and how this extraordinary people to people connectivity was helping the India-U.S. Global Strategic Partnership to grow from strength to strength. Rao began her visit to the MIT on February 16 with her meeting with the President of the MIT, Prof Susan Hockfield, who recalled MIT's long standing commitment and partnership with India beginning with the setting up of IIT Kanpur and IIM Kolkata, and a number of ongoing programs at the MIT to strengthen institutional and educational linkages with India. Prof Hockfield briefed her on the initiative taken by the MIT of providing access to numerous MIT courses online and how students across the world were benefiting from this unique enterprise. Recalling the Singh-Obama 21st Century Knowledge Initiative announced in 2009, Rao outlined a number of bilateral initiatives taken recently to deepen university linkages, junior faculty development and encouraging partnerships in the area of S&T, innovation and skill development, and hoped that MIT would continue to expand its collaborative ventures with India. Prof Hockfield reiterated MIT's commitment in deepening linkages with India in diverse disciplines. Rao also met with a number of students, interns, faculty members and scholars associated with MIT's India Initiative and MIT's Center for International Studies and exchanged views with them on their ongoing projects and research activities in India. On 17 February, the Indian Association of Greater Boston hosted a community reception to welcome Rao in the Boston area on her first visit as the Ambassador of India to the US.

Navroop Mitter stood right behind US President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. Washington, DC: Till last week he was a virtual unknown. But now everyone is tweeting about the "Man in the pink turban" who nearly overshadowed world's two most powerful men - President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. What launched a thousand tweets was the striking pink turban and a matching pink tie that Navroop Mitter chose to wear to a White House function last Tuesday and as luck would have it he found himself standing between Obama and Biden. The picture on the White House site sent newsmen hunting for the man who had been invited to give a "real people" feel about Obama's announcement on the payroll tax cut extension. ABC News' Byron Wolf was the first to find Mitter through Twitter. Tweets haven't stopped since. And the traffic on the technology start-up GryphCo, co-founded by him has spiked many fold. "If anything this (sudden fame) would give us a platform to keep talking about the same issues we have always talked about - like changing the things we bother about, changing the things we care about," Mitter said. Mitter got the invitation from White House after he responded to a tweet from Obama's Office of Social Engagement last week asking how an extension of the payroll tax cut -- about $40 per paycheck -- would help the salaried. ''@whitehouse #40dollars pays for the coffee an entrepreneur needs to keep going so he/she can deliver those jobs we need!'' Mitter, a motorcycle riding

Nirupama Rao visited the Harvard University, MIT, the Emmanuel College and met with Indian American community in the Greater Boston area. Washington, DC: In her first visit to Boston/Cambridge after assuming responsibility as the Ambassador of India to the U.S., Nirupama Rao visited the Harvard University, MIT, the Emmanuel College and met with a section of the Indian American community in the Greater Boston area. At the Emmanuel College on February 15, Rao delivered the prestigious Wyant Lecture on "India's role in a changing landscape in the 21st Century," which was attended by a large number of students, faculty members and scholars at the College. On February 16, Rao met with the President of the Harvard University Prof. Drew Gilpin Faust, who had returned from India after a successful visit. Ambassador outlined the initiatives being taken by the Indian government to strengthen education infrastructure in India and opportunities thus generated for enhancing collaboration between India and the U.S.

National Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

March 3-9, 2012

Freida Pinto strips for sexiest photoshoot ever

Mormon church baptizes Gandhi

Washington, DC: Mahatma Gandhi has been baptized in proxy by a US church. Gandhi was baptized by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints (LDS) popularly known as Mormon Church and headquartered in Salt Lake City in Utah on March 27, 1996. The confirmation was completed on November 17, 2007 atSao Paulo Brazil Temple, according to researcher Helen Radkey. Radkey, who has been excommunicated by the Mormons, made the revelation in an email to Nevada-based Hindu activist, Rajan Zed. Radkey said she viewed the record on Gandhi's baptism on February 16 but it had since disappeared and was no longer availChurch, one of the fastest growing churches in the US. My copies of the Gandhi record are dated February 16, 2012. The record disappeared shortly after that date. I assume Mormons did not want others to know about Gandhi's baptism, she told. Arun Gandhi, a grandson of Gandhi who lives in New York, told The Huffington Post he was surprised to hear about the posthumous baptism. It bothers me in the sense that people are doing something when a person is dead and gone and there is nobody to answer for that person, he said. This is deeply offensive, said Suhag Shukla of the Washingtonbased Hindu America Foundation, adding that Gandhi was against proselytizing.

Freida Pinto Los Angeles: Since catapulting to fame with 'Slumdog Millionaire' four years ago, Freida Pinto is lauded as one of the best dressed and often features on the 'most beautiful women in the world' lists. But in a glossy new photoshoot, the 27-year-old Indian actress has revealed her rarely seen sexy side as she posed suggestively in a vest and panties for the April issue of men's magazine 'Esquire'. Pinto talks frankly about her nude scenes in her latest film Trishna - an Indian-set reworking of Tess Of The d'Urbervilles - in a raunchy new interview. She briefly appears naked in a sex scene in the Michael Winterbottom-directed film, but recently admitted she enlisted a butt double for the sequence. "It was hard but it was a small crew, and they were good at not making their presence felt," the Daily Mail quoted her as telling Esquire magazine. "They didn't go, "Quick! She's nearly naked! Get your camera out!" she said. And although the Indian actress did strip off for this film, nude scenes wouldn't become a regular occurrence, as she insists that the script would have to justify them. "If you're just doing a nude scene in order for everyone to, like, w*** off or something, then that's not my thing at all," she added.

Mormon Church headquartered in Salt Lake City able in the churchs database. Radkey has been in news because of bringing out in public unknown facts of the Mormon

India making right steps on Iran sanctions: Clinton

Washington, DC: India is making steps in the right direction to impose sanctions on Iran but not enough progress has been made in persuading China to do so, according to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "With respect to India, they are making steps that are heading in the right direction," she told a House panel Wednesday. But "I think that we have made progress - not enough, in my view - with respect to China." "They (China) have actually worked with us to prevent certain businesses within China from continuing their trade," Clinton said. "They have reached out to the Saudis and others to determine ways to make up their loss of oil if they cut what they receive from Iran." "In fact, I think in a number of instances the actions of countries and their banks are better than the public statements that we sometimes hear them making," America's top diplomat said. Besides India and China, "we're having very candid conversations with a number of countries to try to impress on them our seriousness about enforcing sanctions which will have very difficult consequences for them," she said.

Creating a global cookstove alliance beyond headlines

Washington, DC: An IndiaUS project to help create a market for cleaner-burning cookstoves in developing countries is having a "tremendous payoff" beyond the headlines, according to Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. "It's one of those, you know, long-term projects that I think has tremendous payoff. But it's not in the headlines," she told a Senate panel Tuesday when asked about the initiative's impact in India. "We are actively driving an initiative we helped to put together called the global cookstove alliance - or the alliance for global cookstoves," Clinton said. "We are working with dozens of other countries, with the United Nations and organizations to help create a market for cleaner- burning cookstoves in developing countries, because this has tremendous benefits," she said. The US, Clinton said, was also "working with some Indian universities that are actually taking measurements of the pollution that goes into women and children's lungs and also up into the atmosphere." This is part of an initiative the United States has joined with five other countries in setting up a new coalition to fight the climate forcers, the short-term climate forcers: methane, soot, black carbon, she said. "And cookstoves, obviously, are part of that." Describing it as "the kind of initiative that I think is worth investing in," Clinton said: "It'll pay dividends down the road. It's not a quick fix, but it's something that we're able to do with public- private partnerships."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton In response to a question from a lawmaker, Clinton said as the proposed Pakistan-Iran pipeline could raise serious concerns under the Iran Sanctions Act, US has supported an alternative the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-PakistanIndia pipeline.The United States recognize that Pakistan has significant energy requirements under the Iran Sanctions Act, she said. "We have made that absolutely clear. We have raised this issue with the government of Pakistan." "We are encouraging it to seek alternatives," Clinton added. "And there is an alternative that we do strongly support, the Turkmenistan-AfghanistanPakistan-India pipeline.

South Indian bronze Somaskanda group to lead Sothebys sale

New York : Sothebys Indian and Southeast Asian Works of Art sale on 21 March 2012 will be led by one of the most impressive South Indian bronze sculptures to be offered at auction in recent times. The 13th century pair of Shiva with his consort Uma (Somaskanda) boasts an exceptional provenance, having been in a number of distinguished collections since the 1950s and is estimated to fetch $600,000/800,000. Between the ninth and thirteenth centuries much of South India was ruled by the Chola dynasty. This period is recognized for unparalleled cultural and artisticachievements, with the building of numerous temples and the production of large numbers of stone and metal sculptures for worship in these edifices. In particular, bronze sculptures from this period such as the present Somaskanda group, creatThe Somaskanda sculpture depicts Shiva, one of the principal deities in the Hindu religion, with his consort Uma beside him. Shiva is the Great Ascetic Godwhose infinite power remains concealed. His grace is revealed only when he is inthe company of his consort Uma. This sculpture embodies the essential qualities of both Shiva and Uma; Shivas expansive, powerful chest is inflated with breath with his face radiating a calm divinity whilst Uma embodies the qualities of beauty and perfection with her body turned slightly towards her lord Shiva binding the two together in an everlasting image of benevolence and transcendence. The sculpture carries a storied provenance having been part of three eminent collections of Indian and Southeast Asian Art throughout the second half of the 20th Century. It was acquired by the visionary European collector Dr. J.R. Belmont before the 1950s, staying in his collection for over a decade, before moving into Christian Humanns Pan Asian Collection, one of the largest and finest holdings of South Asian Art ever assembled. In 1982 part of this collection including the Somaskanda was acquired by the legendary connoisseur Robert Hatfield Ellsworth in whose collection it remained until 1999. The sale also includes an excellent selection of Hindu and Buddhist art from Nepal including a large gilt copper sculpture of Vishnu (est. $200/300,000, right) dated by inscription to 1105 CE and gifted to the original owner by the King of Nepal in the 1950s, and an elegant 9th/10th century image of Avalokiteshvara (est. $80/120,000) with a provenance dating back to the early 1970s.

13th century pair of Shiva and Uma (Somaskanda) ed for the purpose of processional worship, are widely hailed asmasterpieces of world art.

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National Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

March 3-9, 2012

Indians in US complain of rude consular staff: Survey

Washington: A majority of Indian-Americans visiting the five Indian diplomatic missions in the US come back with a bitter experience, and report un-professional, rude behavior from consular staff, a survey has claimed. According to the survey, conducted by the Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP), as many as 76 per cent of the respondents said that they experienced either un-professional or rude behavior from employees of the consulate, while 56 per cent of them rated their overall experience as "very bad". Some 2,000 Indian-Americans participated in the survey conducted by OFBJP before the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Jaipur in January. A delegation led by Vijay Jolly, Coordinator of OFBJP and overseas affairs, handed over a memorandum containing the survey findings to the Minister of External Affairs, S.M. Krishna on Jan 12th, 2012. OFBJP-USA had initiated the online survey after a series of protests from Indian American community alleging ill treatment and hardships at the hands of con-

In the survey question How do you rate your overall experience of getting consular services", 56% said very bad, 31% calling it fair.
The Indian Embassy in Washington did not respond to the contents of the survey. Tampa-based industrialist, Chandrakant Patel, who is president-elect of OFBJP, asked the Indian Ambassador to ensure that the employees of the Consulates and Embassy who deal with the visitors are properly trained. "Such a rude behavior and bitter experience sends a very wrong impression about our country, which is not the case," Patel said. "These consulates do not match with the status of an emerging, vibrant and proud India. The behavior of the staff members is rude, and un-courteous," Patel said. Here are key suggestions from BJP leadership to improve the conditions of the Indian consulates all over the world. 1. Train the staff in dealing the customer in a courteous and civilized manner. If performance of any staff manner is not satisfactory, suitable actions must be taken. 2. Consular officers should show professionalism and service oriented mentality. Generally, higher ranked officers are really good and help the public. But the lower ranking staff is invariably rude. The worst behavior is exhibited by the staff attending the public counters. They even use uncivilized language and sometime threaten people. 3. Improve the decor of the general public sitting area and provide full civic amenities matching with American standards. 4. Cancel the contract with TraVisa the 3rd party Visa service provider. They lose passports and generally are indifferent to the customer requirements 5. Overall visa processing should be improved further and made quicker.

Line at the entrance to the basement visitors area of the Indian consulate in New York sular staff and of the outsourced Most responders were from visa services provider, TraVisa Houston area (900, 45%) and the which handles the least from Bay area (150, 7.5%). Visa/PIO/OCI/Other services. The Going by their responses, survey covered all regions of the Houston consulate came out the nation that are served by five worst and New York second Indian Consulates (New York, worst. Washington DC, Houston, OFBJP released the contents of Chicago, and San Francisco). the survey in the US last week.

Confusing rules and regulations hassle Indian consular services seekers

The Indian embassy and the four consulates in the US have different sets of rules and regulations and interpret them in different ways. Even the application forms required to be filled by Indian-Americans for various services are different as is the fees. GOPIO has submitted a memorandum to the Indian government pleading for uniform policies and making this information identical on consular websites. their case in the future. The Indian Embassy in Washington DC did not respond to the questions sent regarding what rules govern these consular services and why there were different set of rules and conditions for same services by its different diplomatic posts. A study of the guidelines posted on the websites of the Indian Embassy and its four Consulates in New York, Chicago, Houston and San Francisco gives a confusing picture, which very often results in undue inconvenience and harassment to Indian-Americans here, said Inder Singh. Whereas the San Francisco Consulate encourages applicants to have their affidavits and other documents attested and apostilled, the embassy website says: "Embassy of India will not re-authenticate a public document that has been apostilled by the authorities of the country of origin." New York consulate offers a middle path. Incidentally, all of them refer to the Hague convention. "Apostille Convention: the Hague Convention, to which India and USA are signatories, abolishes the requirement of legalisation for Foreign Public Documents. However in many places in India, they would easily recognize the attestation by the Indian Embassy/Consulate and hence may ask for attested copy despite the document already being apostilled. Indians in US face problems in consular services"Hence, to avoid any inconvenience, if you wish to have the apostilled document also attested by the Consulate, you may apply to the Consulate," says the website of the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. "All consulates and embassies should implement uniform policies regarding passport surrender and visa issuance and this information should be identical on consular websites," GOPIO said in a recent memorandum submitted to the government. Even the application form required to be filled by Indian-Americans for these services are different; so is the case with the fees associated with these services. Indians in US face problems in consular servicesWhile the Indian Consulate in San Francisco accepts debit cards, besides money order and cashier's cheque, the Chicago Consulate and the embassy says it will not accept payments through debit cards. While the embassy says it will read the content of the affidavits and power of attorneys before attesting it, other consulates say their role is simply to attest the signature. "Role of the Consulate is restricted to the attestation of applicant's signature with no responsibility of contents," says the Chicago Consulate website. "Please note that POA or another document that has monetary implication will not be accepted at counter unless the applicant is himself/herself present and no family member is allowed to submit on behalf of others," says the embassy website in capitals and bold letters. "The Consulate reserves the right to reject attestation of documents the contents of which are objectionable or contrary to the Rules," says the San Francisco Consulate. The Chicago Consulate requires presence of the applicant at the Consulate for attestation of the POA; whereas this provision is waived off by the Indian Embassy in Washington, which has a different set of rules. "For attestation of the POA the applicant has to come in person in the Consulate and has to sign in front of the Consular Officer. Hence POA attestation application by mail will not (repeat NOT) be accepted/entertained by the Consulate. POA document(s) is/are attested by the Consulate only if these are to be produced in India only," the Chicago Consulate says. "If the application is submitted in person by the applicant at the counter, notarization is not necessary but the applicant has to sign the document at the counter," says the embassy. The Indian Consulate in New York did not respond till press time to the two stories on this page.

uffering from an advanced stage of Alzheimers and living in the US, 82year-old Maitri Singh can't withdraw her pension from a bank in India where she was a physician before retiring. This is because the Indian Embassy here has refused to attest Singh's (name changed) duly notarized affidavit, which authorises her only son to sign necessary documents on her behalf, because due to medical reasons she can't sign the application form, which, Indian officials argue, is a must according to rules of the Indian government. Had Singh been a resident of any of the States -- Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin -- falling under the jurisdiction of the Indian Consulate in Chicago, this would not have been a problem as even a thumb impression of her would have met the criteria for the Consulate to attest the necessary affidavit. "In case of those who cannot sign, thumb impression," say the website of the Indian Consulate in Chicago in its rules for miscellaneous services including power of attorney. Had Singh been a resident of American states like California falling under the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, there would have been a different set of rules. San Francisco Consulate rules stipulate that her power of attorney should have been first notarized and then "apostilled" by the Secretary of State of California, before the documents were considered for attestation.

Indian Embassy in Washington DC.

"All consulates have different versions of rules and regulations and interpret them in their own way," Inder Singh, chairman of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), said. "When people go to the website of one consulate to another, they get more confused when they read the same rules differently interpreted," Singh said. Indians in US face problems in consular servicesAccording to the latest census figures there are about three million Indian Americans living here. "This causes a lot of inconvenience to Indian-Americans," Singh said. Speaking to a dozen Indian-Americans, whose applications for attesting affidavits or other services were turned down either by the Indian Embassy or the four Consulates, in all these cases they would have got their documents attested had they been resident in a different State. All of them requested that their names not be published, fearing that this might jeopardize

US Affairs TheSouthAsianTimes.info

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March 3-9, 2012

Santorum splits delegates with Romney, calls Michigan a tie

Detroit: Despite Mitt Romney's overall victory in Michigan on Tuesday, he will split the state's 30 GOP delegates evenly with his chief rival, Rick Santorum. Once the final votes are counted, the two White House hopefuls will each walk away with seven congressional districts, giving each of them 14 delegates. The final two Michigan delegates, which are tied to the overall statewide tallies, will also be split between the two candidates because Romney's margin of victory was so narrow. The way Santorum's camp sees things, an even delegate split would mean their candidate fought Romney to a tie in the state where he was born and raised, which in turn would represent a loss for the current front-runner. "Its highly likely this is going to rival vowed an aggressive, nationwide fight for the Republican nomination in the weeks ahead. At a rally in Toledo,. Romney hammered President Obamas leadership and argued that the Republican Party must nominate someone with the experience and the economic know-how to turn around a nation at risk of losing its way. In radio interviews on Wednesday morning, Santorum said he felt very good about what his campaign accomplished and promised a vigorous campaign in the Super Tuesday states. He complained that Romney and his allies outspent him 6 or 12 to one in the Michigan contest. But he predicted a more fair fight in the Super Tuesday states thanks to a surge in recent contributions to his campaign in February.

Clinton, Wikileaker Manning among Peace Nobel nominees

Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum: a close race end up being a tie, based on the data that we have," Santorum adviser John Brabender told the Washington Post. "I dont know how you look at that as anything besides this being a strong showing for Rick Santorum and anything short of a disaster for Mitt Romney." Brabender added: "If we can do this well in Romneys home state, this bodes well for Super Tuesday." With 99% precincts reporting, Mitt Romney got 41.1% vote, and Santorum 37.9 %. In Arizona, however, Romney earned all 29 of Arizona's GOP delegates, in a winner takes all. Meanwhile, the GOP race for nomination moved to Super Tuesday (March 6). Romney quickly shifted his attention to Ohio on Wednesday morning as his chief

Bill Clinton New York: Former president Bill Clinton and jailed WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning have been nominated for this years Nobel Peace Prize, reports Agence France-Presse. Those revelations came Monday after the Nobel Peace Prize jury announced that it had received a total of 231 nominations for this year's award. Though the Norwegian institute didnt announce the nominees outrightit keeps those secret for 50 yearsthe names are sometimes revealed by nominating institutions. In the case of Clinton and Manning, however, the AFP makes no mention of who did the nominating. Manning is the 24-year-old US soldier accused of the biggest leak of U.S. classified information in history. Along with 250,000 diplomatic cables, Manning is also accused of leaking footage of U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan and Baghdad. Others reportedly on the list include ex-German chancellor Helmut Kohl, who led his countrys reunification process, Ukraines ex-premier and jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko and Tunisian President Moncef Marzouk. But the award isn't only limited to people, with 43 of this round's nominations going to organizations: the Qatar-based news channel Al-Jazeera, for example, has reportedly been nominated for its reporting, along with GAVI, a vaccination program partially funded by Bill Gates, notes Reuters. The director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo also offered his own prediction Monday on who will win the icon year this October: Gene Sharp, an American non-violence advocate credited as inspiration for the Arab Spring. Last year s prize went to Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian womens rights advocate Leymah Gbowee and Yemen's Tawakkul Karman. This year's winner will be announced in October.

Parents of Ohio school shooting victim forgive the suspect

Chardon, Ohio: The a broken family and parents of Ohio school did poorly in school, shooting victim then appeared to turn Demetrius Hewlin said himself around once they have forgiven sushe was taken in by pected gunman T.J. grandparents and Lane for shooting their began to attend an son, noting sadly that alternative school, Demetrius was often longtime neighbors late for school but not and friends said late enough that day. Wednesday. "I don't know what To a person, they [his] final moments expressed disbelief at were like, but I can't how the quiet but worry about it," friendly boy could Shooting suspect Demetrius' mother now be a suspect in a T.J. Lane. Phyllis Ferguson told shooting that left three ABC News. "You have to accept people dead and appears to have things done and move on." involved a gun that disappeared When asked what she would from his grandfather's barn. say to the suspected shooter, "T.J. was a very fine person," Ferguson said, "I would tell him Carl Henderson, a longtime I forgive him because, a lot of neighbor of the suspect's grandtimes, they don't know what parents, Thomas and Michelle they're doing. That's all I'd say." Lane, said Wednesday. "NiceHewlin was one of three teens looking man, very friendly, killed following a deadly shoot- spoke to you, carried a conversaing rampage at Chardon High tion with you." School on Monday. The gun, a .22 caliber revolver, Ferguson said her son as a was noticed as missing after "huggy, kissy boy" who was a Monday's shootings and fits the "computer nerd," liked to read description of the pistol that and did not like getting up early. reportedly was used to kill three Hewlin was good friends with students and wound two others at Russell King Jr., 17, and Daniel Chardon High School, said Parmertor, 16, the other two Henderson, a retired police offiteens who died after the shooting cer and former Geauga County spree. sheriff. He said he has spoken to Hundreds of people attended a the grandfather, Thomas Lane, candlelight vigil in the tight-knit about the gun. town of Chardon on Wednesday The suspect's grandfather night to remember the three believes the gun is the same, teenagers who died and to pray "because the gun was there the for the other two students who day before, in the barn," said were injured. Henderson, 74, who says he's The teenager suspected in the been friends with the boy's famishooting T.J. Lane struggled with ly for nearly 50 years.

Mosques in America double since 9/11

New York: The number of American mosques has nearly doubled over the past decade, jumping from 1,209 in 2000 to more than 2,100 in 2010, according to a new study out Muslim families in front of the Mother Mosque of Wednesday. America, Cedar Rapids, IA. The building boom came during a time when the leaders said that Muslims should be building of several new Islamic cen- involved in American institutions. ters sparked protests and controversy, Ninety-one percent believe Muslims particularly plans to build one in should be involved in politics. The percentage of mosque leaders downtown New York City that opponents have dubbed the Ground Zero who believe America is hostile to Mosque. But the numbers suggest that Muslims has dropped since 9/11: many of the new mosques went up Twenty-five percent of leaders with little attention being paid by believed Americans were hostile to Islam in 2011, while 54 percent many local residents. The study found the most mosques believed the same thing in 2000. The study promotes one controverin New York stater, 257, followed by California with 246 and Texas with sial finding: Its estimate of the 166. The report is generating interest Muslim population in the U.S. appears in part because relatively little study inflated, at least compared to other on Muslims in the US has been con- comprehensive studies of Muslim ducted. The Census, for example, is affiliation. Although there is no preforbidden from asking mandatory cise count of Americans by religion, a recent Pew survey on Muslims in the questions about religious affiliation. Researchers, working as part of a U.S. estimated the population to be study on American congregations about 2.6 million in 2010. In general, called Faith Communities Today, studies show that the Muslim populacounted mosques in the U.S. and then tion is under 3 million, somewhere interviewed a sample of Imams or between 1 and 2 percent of the U.S. other designated congregation leaders population. By contrast, the new study's lead author Ishan Bagby says to reach their tallies. the findings indicate that the Muslim Some other nuggets from the study: While most mosques are still American population is as high as 7 located in cities, the numbers of million, based on the figures tracking Islamic centers are increasing in the attendance at Friday prayers. The study was sponsored by suburbs, from 16 percent in 2000 to Hartford Seminary, Council on 28 in 2011. Just 3 percent of mosques are eth- American-Islamic Relation, and a handful of other prominent American nically homogeneous. Ninety-eight percent of mosque Muslim organizations.

12

India-State Elections TheSouthAsianTimes.info

March 3-9, 2012

UP elections: 60% turnout in sixth round

Lucknow/New Delhi: The high stakes battle for power in Uttar Pradesh entered the last lap with 60 percent peaceful voting in the sixth and penultimate round of the assembly elections that end next week. The turnout among the 2.11 crore voters was in keeping with the high percentage in the last five rounds. Polling in 68 constituencies across 13 districts in western Uttar Pradesh had begun at 7 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m. "Today appears to be more like the first phase when polling crossed the 60 per cent mark", state chief electoral officer Umesh Sinha said in Lucknow at the close of balloting. The Election Commission said in New Delhi that polling percentage till 5 pm was 59.30 percent but could change once the poll data was received. Deputy cash during the entire period of sixth phase election. In Lucknow, Sinha said that that the turnout varied across the districts. "The highest turnout was reported from Saharanpur district, where it touched nearly 65 per cent, while the lowest was reported from Gautam Budh Nagar (Noida) at about 56 per cent," he said. In Agra too, there was high voting with the polling percentage crossing 51 percent at 3 p.m., two hours before polling ended. The fate of 1,103 candidates was sealed in some 30,000 electronic voting machines installed at 21,317 polling stations across the districts of Saharanpur, Prabudh Nagar, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Baghpat. Ghaziabad, Gautam Buidh Nagar, Panchseel Nagar, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mahamaya Nagar, Mathura and Agra.

Postal votes valid if received till counting: Poll panel

New Delhi: The Election Commission has clarified that postal ballots received till counting of votes commences will be taken into account. "It is clarified that as per the provisions of Rules 51 and 54 A of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, read with sub-rules (1) and (2) of Rule 27 of Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, postal ballot papers received by the Returning Officers up to the time fixed for commencement of counting shall be taken into account for counting," said a statement from the poll panel. The statement came in response to media reports that polled postal ballots received after the date of election will not to be counted. Counting of votes for elections to the legislative assemblies of Manipur, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Goa will be held on March 6.

The turnout among the 2.11 crore voters was in keeping with the high percentage in the last five rounds. Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi told reporters that the polling had been totally peaceful." He said the 13 districts that went to the polls in the sixth phase of elections had recorded 46.58 percent polling in 2007. The Election Commission seized Rs 17.7 crore

Alliance with Congress Congress probes audio glitch in PM's rally Panaji: The Congress in Goa has launched a probe into the sound not possible: SP system failure during Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh's election rally the day before. State Congress president Subhash Shirodkar told reporters that the audio mixer used by the sound contractor had failed. "We have launched an enquiry. The mixer used in the sound equipment had failed. The back up was also not working," Shirodkar said, refuting allegations of sabotage. Manmohan Singh, who was addressing an election rally in Sanquelim, 40 km from here, had to face half an hour of embarrassment after the sound system failed. The prime minister was just two minutes into the speech when the glitch occurred. The audio glitch resulted in chaos with Congress

Manmohan Singh had to face half an hour of embarrassment after the sound system failed. leaders scurrying around to get the sound system fixed, as Manmohan Singh sat watching the fracas. Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, former chief ministers Francisco Sardinha and Pratapsing Rane, All India Congress Committee (AICC) functionaries B.K. Hariprasad and Sudhakar Reddy, parliamentarians Shantaram Naik and Sanjay Nirupam and several other dignitaries were present during the rally.

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav. New Delhi: Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav denied the possibility of a post-poll alliance with the Congress and expressed confidence that his party will get full majority in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. In an interview with CNN-IBN's editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai, Akhilesh said the Congress was fighting the polls not to defeat the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) but to deter the Samajwadi Party (SP). Akhilesh, the son of party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, also said that if his party comes to power, it will not demolish statues built by Mayawati and the land will be used for building services for the poor. "An alliance with the Congress is not possible because the party does not want the Samajwadi Party to grow. The Congress has worked to the detriment of the Samajwadi Party. Even the ticket distribution has been done to deter the Samajwadi Party, not to defeat the BSP," he said. Asked about the possibility of president's rule in the state, Akhilesh said he was confident that his party will get full majority. On the SP supporting the the first United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in the wake of the Left parties withdrawing support over the Indo-US nuclear deal, he said Mulayam Singh had already termed it as a mistake. "The alliance didn't prove to be good for us. We don't expect any alliance with the Congress to be good for the SP in the future as well," Akhilesh said, adding that the party will not do anything to save the present Congress-led government from falling. On differences with Rahul Gandhi, he said it was "not good" for the Congress leader to tear the SP's manifesto at a public rally. "He does what his advisors tell him. Rahul Gandhi does not see the weaknesses of his party. His hands are tied within his party. Despite being in power, he is not able to do much."

Kejriwal, thousands sent back without voting

the state assembly polls as their names were missing from the electoral rolls. Although the administration claimed to have no such figure of missing voters, figures gathered from various sources revealed the number of such missing names of voters to be between 7,000 and 8,000. In Sector-11 of Raj Nagar area, more than 150 permanent residents found their names missing from the rolls. "I came here especially for voting from Dubai. But I returned without casting any. I have voted in all the elections so far," said 33-year-old NRI voter Pradeep Yadav. In Suncity Indirapuram, Kavi Nagar, Vasundhara, Vaishali, Brij Vihar and Chander Nagar, many residents found their names absent altogether from the voters' lists. Among them was Kejriwal. Kejriwal, who was on his way to Goa for campaigning, returned from the airport to cast his vote. On reaching the designated polling station in Kaushambi, he saw his name missing from the list, though he was carrying his valid voter identity card.A few cases were also reported in which the servants' names were on the rolls but the names of their employers were missing.

Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal. Ghaziabad: Thousands of people, including Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal, were turned away from polling booths in Ghaziabad and could not vote in

India TheSouthAsianTimes.info

13 March 3-9, 2012

Sonia in US for 'routine check-up'

New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi has gone abroad for a "routine checkup", nearly six months after surgery in the US, and is expected to return in four-five days, a senior party leader said here. "Congress president Sonia Gandhi has travelled abroad for a routine check-up after six months of earlier treatment. She will return in four-five days," party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi Dwivedi said here. Sonia Gandhi has addressed a series of meetings in the poll-bound states and had Sunday spoken at a party rally at Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Her son and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi is guiding the party's high-pitched poll effort in Uttar Pradesh. Sonia Gandhi had undergone surgery in the US for an undis-

After no polio, India aims to eradicate measles: Azad

New Delhi: After registering a zero-polio period in the last one year, India will now be aiming at eradicating measles, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said. "India still accounts for twothirds of measles deaths across the world. We have to address all concerns associated with the measles now," Azad said at the two-day polio summit here. The minister emphasized on strengthening routine immunization that can help control the infectious diseases in India's remote districts. The contagious disease is spread due to a virus that shows symptoms after 8 to 12 days of infection. "We have learned lessons from our journey against polio. The National Rural Health Mission will help prevent measles with improved coverage of remote regions," Azad added. India was taken off the list of polio endemic countries by the global health body World Health Organisation

India has been taken off the list of polio-endemic countries by the WHO. (WHO). The last new polio case in India was reported Jan 13, 2011, involving a two-year-old girl in West Bengal.

India pushes for early elections in Maldives

Sonia Gandhi had undergone surgery in the US for an undisclosed ailment.

closed ailment last August and had returned to the country after almost a month. Some media reports had said Gandhi had been admitted to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York but the party did not confirm this.

Male/New Delhi: On his second visit to the Maldives in nearly a fortnight, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai held wide-ranging discussions in the capital Male that culminated in a broad consensus for early elections in a "quick time frame" and a growing recognition of India's role as a facilitator in resolving the political crisis in the Indian Ocean island nation. India has also denied allegations of meddling in the internal affairs of the island nation and stressed that it was only playing the role of the facilitator as asked by the Maldives president. During his three-day visit to Male that ended Wednesday, Mathai met President Mohammed Waheed Hassan, his predecessor Mohamed Nasheed who was ousted Feb 7 in questionable circumstances and leaders

of small parties both individually and collectively. "All parties expressed the view that India had played a very useful role in taking the process forward as a facilitator and friend of the Maldivian people," the external affairs ministry said in New Delhi. From the crack of dawn, huge crowds visited temples big and small all over the country. The biggest and better known Shiv temples naturally attracted more people. There were mammoth crowds at the 12 Jyotrilinga temples spread across the country including in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Over one lakh devotees visited the 11th century ancient Lingaraj temple at Bhubaneswar.

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14

India TheSouthAsianTimes.info

March 3-9, 2012

N-row: Deported German dabbled in semi-political protests

New Delhi: India justified the deportation of a German national for raising funds for the antiKundankulam nuclear plant protests in Tamil Nadu, with Home Minister P. Chidambaram stating that he was associated with "semipolitical protest" here. Chidambaram also supported the two 1,000 MW nuclear reactors going operational soon, saying the will of a majority of the people of Tamil Nadu, which is reeling under power shortage, should prevail. India and Russia had this week discussed the operationalization of the Kudankulam plant, as announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to Moscow in December last year. At a monthly press conference to present his ministry's report card, Chidambaram said the German national had been issued a tourist visa and "a tourist cannot associate with activities such as a semi-political protests". The German national, Sonnteg Reiner Hermann, 49, had visited India on several occasions earlier too on a tourist visa. After he was Hermann was deported from India on grounds of raising funds for protests against the Kudankulam project. On the cases against the NGOs organising the agitation against the Kudankulam plant, Chidambaram said the Central Bureau of Investigation and the state police were asked to file cases against two NGOs each after preliminary probe revealed that they had diverted some funds from purposes for which they were originally meant under the Foreign Contribution Regulation (FCR) Act.

Jayalalithaa back in picture

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa has assured a delegation of antiKudankalam protesters that she would study their report on the risks from the power plant and did not ask them to stop their stir, said an activist present at their meeting. In their memorandum submitted to Jayalalithaa, the activists have demanded setting up of another committee comprising of independent experts from the fields of geology, oceanography and hydrology to hear the other side. "Madam (Jayalalithaa) was very cordial and listened intently to our submissions. The meeting lasted around 20 minutes. She did not ask us to withdraw the agitation against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP)," R. Ramesh, part of the four-member People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) team that met the chief minister here, said. India's nuclear power plant operator NPCIL is building two 1,000 MW atomic power reactors with Russian collaboration at Kudankulam in Tirunelveli, around 650 km from Chennai.

The German national, Sonnteg Reiner Hermann, 49, had visited India on several occasions earlier too. "identified and found staying in the area" of the Kudankulam protests, he was "therefore asked to leave the country", Chidambaram said. He also noted that Hermann had a look-out notice issued for him by the central government for participating in the anti-Kudankulam protests after coming to India on a tourist visa. Despite the notice, Hermann entered India this time as there was some information missing at the immigration department. In view of this lapse, the immigration has been asked to inquire into how he got into the country. Chidambaram, however, said there had been no security breach in the German entering India when a look-out notice was issued for him, saying "he is not a terrorist".

Space department declined my RTI plea: Nair Bengal turns rape state, department of technocrats. Mamata says all cooked up Bangalore: The to provide docuspace has declined "Though it is mandatory to furnish
ments on the basis of which the government debarred former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman G. Madhavan Nair and three other retired space scientists from holding official posts, Nair said. "Taking shelter under a clause of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the department withheld vital information on the reports of the two committees that probed the $300million Antrix-Devas deal and resulted in action against me and three other colleagues," Nair said. A week after the government Jan the documents I have asked for within 30 days of my application, I received a reply from the department's RTI officer Tuesday repeating all that is already in the public domain but not the specific information, including documents and notings pertaining to the recommendation for action against us," Nair asserted. The three other retired scientists are former scientific secretary A. Bhaskarnarayana, ISRO's former satellite centre director K.N. Shankara and former Antrix Corporation executive director K.R. Sridharamurthi.

Former ISRO chairman G. Madhavan Nair. 13 blacklisted the four noted scientists, Nair filed an application under the RTI Act, seeking details of the high level team that recommended action against him and three other

Mamata Banerjee-led government has been facing flak over rising rape cases in the state. Bankura (West Bengal): In another incident of rape in West Bengal, a physically challenged woman was allegedly raped by a junior doctor in a government hospital in Bankura district, police said. The national women's panel has taken cognizance of the case. "We have received a complaint that a deaf and mute woman was raped by a junior doctor of Bankura Sammilani Medical College. The victim was medical examined locally and we are taking her to Kolkata for another medical test," Bankura Superintendent of Police Pranav Kumar said. The clothes of the victim and the bed sheets have also been sent for examination. The 19-year-old girl was found lying naked in an unconscious state in the medicine department of the hospital in Bankura, about 150 km from Kolkata, where she was admitted Monday night for chest pain. The incident comes at a time when the Mamata Banerjee-led government has been facing flak over rising rape cases in the state. While an Anglo-Indian woman was raped in the heart of KolkataPark Street earlier this month, a ragpicker was Feb 24 allegedly gangraped and then murdered by a truck driver and his helper in North 24 Parganas' Baranagar. The allegations of rape continued when a woman commuter complained that she was raped by a gang of robbers after she tried to confront them during a robbery attempt in a suburban train near Katwa in Burdwan district. In another incident, two people were lynched after they were caught raping a woman in East Midnapore Feb 26.

Supreme Court assails state's neutrality on gay sex

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has assailed the "new phenomenon" of the government not taking any position on the Delhi High Court verdict decriminalizing consensual gay sex. A bench of Justice G.S.Singhvi and Justice S.J.Mukhopadhaya said: "It is a new phenomenon. The state says we are neutral. He (Additional Solicitor General Mohan Jain) says that he has instruction from the attorney general to assist the court." The court's remark came when counsel Huzefa Ahmedi, appearing for the Muslim Personal Law Board, submitted that "so long law remains on the statute book, it is the constitutional responsibility of the State to uphold it". Ahmedi said the government cannot say that it would not defend the provision of the statute. It has a constitutional obligation to uphold a law and it could not abstain from it, he added. The court was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the July 2, 2009, Delhi High Court verdict which held that Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), insofar as it criminalizes the consensual sexual act between adult males in private, is violative of Articles 21, 14 and 15 of the Constitution. Earlier, appearing for the petitioner Apostolic Churches Alliance, senior counsel V. Giri said that there was inherent contradiction between the purpose for which Naz Foundation was working and their stand on gay sex. While the Naz Foundation was working amongst the HIV affected people and wanted to bring them back in the mainstream, on the other hand, it wanted to legitimize the gay sex that was admittedly contributing to the spread of AIDS, he said.

Culture TheSouthAsianTimes.info

15

March 3-9, 2012

Rimli Roy dreams to take Indian dances to Broadway

New Jersey based Rimli Roy founded Surati performing arts academy in 2002. She teaches Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Manipuri, folk, contemporary and other creative dance forms and is committed to promoting Indian art and culture through dance, music, drama, arts and crafts. She is organizing Holi festival is on March 10.
By Ashok Ojha/SATimes imli Roy, an artist with expertise in various classical and folk dance forms of India, easily charms her audience. She demonstrates a delicate balance between her movements and expressions when she performs Odissi, a celebrated form that evolved in the temples of Orissa. With her attractive gestures she often receives loud applauses from her audience. Her performance is fresh breath of air that is free from gimmicks of Bollywood dances. Her shows depict literary works of Ravindra Nath Tagore and various classical dance dramas. Based in New Jersey, Rimli has established her cultural institution in Jersey City where she teaches and prepares her troupe for performances. A gifted dancer, she is very passionate about bringing authentic Indian culture on stage in USA. She has inherited musical and Bharatanatyam and Manipuri also but my shows integrate songs and dances to tell a story. I must say that our culture is very rich with a variety of graceful stories that can be transformed into spectacular shows on stage. Q. How difficult it was for you to establish your institute in New Jersey? Rimli: I am a teacher and a performer. I like to train learners of Indian classical and semi classical dance forms with focus and hard work. One has to be passionate about learning Indian dances. It took a long time to establish Surati, where young students enjoy learning and performing. I train them to bring quality and grace in their performance. I received support from my family, friends and officials who appreciate Indian culture. People by Mona Sen and Bill LaRosa of Hudson Cultural Council were very kind to support my efforts. Q. How do you compete with other dance groups, which prefer to bank upon the popularity of Bollywood movies? Rimli: Bollywood movies dont represent the Indian culture. However, popular movies leave deep imprints on the minds of viewers who develop fancy for songs and dances they watch in movies. So the audience seems to enjoy Bollywood dances. It doesnt mean that they will not like traditional dances which inspired most Bollywood dances. A good Bollywood choreographer is most likely a good classical dancer also. Indian dance traditions are a treasure of interesting dance forms that were performed in temples, during festivals, village fairs or social occasions. One doesnt need to copy Bollywood to create an entertaining stage performance. Dance operas like Kalidasas Shakuntalam is immortal and an example of a popular classical dance drama. Some day I would like to create such a show and perform on Broadway. Q. What has been the response of the Indian community toward your shows? Rimli: Indian American community has been very responsive to my programs. We organize cultural events on the occasions of important festivals like Holi and Diwali. These programs have grown into popular events that young students and family members like to attend and enjoy. These shows are our tribute to Indiantradition and culture.

the age of six and soon became part of her fathers cultural troupe. In addition to learning dance and music she continued her education and graduated as an Information Technology professional. As an employee of an Indian IT firm she moved to the US in the 1990s. She settled with her husband Rajesh Roy in the waterfront district of

cultural event to celebrate India through the festival of Holi. The event was a great success and was well received. It is now an annual feature aimed at bringing the community and artists together. Recently The South Asian Times representative Ashok Ojha met Rimli and asked some candid questions. Here are excerpts from the interview: Q. Which dance form you feel most comfortable with? Rimli Roy: Odissi is my favorite and it demands gentle movement and gesture through various parts of the performers body. I like to do

dancing talents from her parents who were involved in teaching and performing Hindustani vocal music and classical dances. Born and brought up in Calcutta, Rimli began to take her formal lessons in Indian classical dancing at the age of four. She performed for the first time on stage at

Newport in Jersey City. Her creativity found f i n a l expression in Surati, a performing arts academy that she founded in 2002. As director and instructor, she t e a c h e s Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Manipuri, folk, contemporary and other creative dance forms and is committed to promoting Indian art and culture through dance, music, drama, arts and crafts. Last year she organized a

Bollywood movies dont represent Indian culture. However, popular movies leave deep imprints on the minds of viewers who develop fancy for songs and dances they watch. So the audience seems to enjoy Bollywood dances. But it doesnt mean that they will not like traditional dances which inspired most Bollywood dances.

16

84th Academy Awards 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.info

March 3-9, 2012

'The Artist', 'Hugo' share honors at Oscars

rench silent film The Artist and period film Hugo became the big winners at the star-studded 84th Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles as they walked away with five honors each. The Artist was named the best picture and also won the best actor and best director's trophy for Jean Dujardin and Michel Hazanavicius, respectively. The Artist, a black and white film about a silent movie star who fears his downfall after the arrival of talkies, also won in the best costume and best original score categories. The movie is said to be the second silent film to have ever won an Oscar -- the first being 1927 film "Wings", which was awarded at the first Academy Awards in 1929. "Hugo", directed by Martin Scorsese, won more in the technical categories. Set in 1930s Paris, it is a 3D adventure drama about a boy embroiled in the mystery of his father's death and an automaton. The film took away the honors in best cinematography, best art direction, best sound editing, best sound mixing and visual effects categories. Veteran actress Meryl Streep received her third Oscar at the glittering ceremony at the Kodak Theatre here Sunday night. She

The Artists team with their Oscars. Dont miss Uggie the Dog! won the best actress award for her portrayal of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady", which won the best makeup award too. American actress Octavia Spencer was left in tears as she was awarded the best supporting actress trophy for Reliance DreamWorks' "The Help", in which she essayed the role of a big-mouthed maid named Minny. The best actor in a supporting role award went to Christopher Plummer for "Beginners". At at 82, he is said to be the oldest winner of the golden statuette. Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash were awarded for the best adapted screenplay of "The Descendants", which has

Sarkozy congratulates 'The Artist' team

rench President Nicolas Sarkozy has congratulated the team of black and white silent film "The Artist" for winning five Oscars. "It is a tremendous success for French

been translated to screen from Kaui Hart Hemmings' eponymous novel, while Woody Allen won the best original screenplay for romantic comedy "Midnight in Paris". "Rango", a movie about a chameleon, was named the best animated feature film, and "The Fantastic Flying Books of

Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty with their Oscar in Sound Editing for Hugo. even failed to make it to the top nine shortlist. Pakistani documentary film "Saving Face", which uncovers the story of hundreds of people, cinema and quality cinema. We mostly women who become acid have to defend cinema, defend attack victims, received the best auteurs. Films must be paid for, documentary (short) title, while we can't pirate them," contact"Undefeated" won the award in music.com quoted Sarkozy as the best documentary (feature) catsaying. egory. Mr.Morris Lessmore" took away The Oscar for original song went the best animated short trophy at to "Man and Muppets" from "The the awards gala. Muppets". The number was comThe best foreign film award was posed by Bret McKenzie. given to Iranian film "A The best film editing award was Separation", which also won the bagged by Kirk Baxter and Angus Golden Globe trophy in the same Wall for David Fincher's "The Girl category this year. India's official with the Dragon Tattoo", and the entry in the category -- Malayalam best live action short film went to film "Adaminte Makan Abu", had "The Shore".

Few filmmakers interested in women leaders: Meryl

'My films create a show, not reality'

is black and white silent film "The Artist" swept the Oscars this year. French director Michel Hazanavicius says he doesn't make movies to reproduce reality but loves to create a show. "I'm not a naturalistic director. What I love is to create a show and for people to enjoy it...I am interested in stylization of reality, possibility of playing with codes. That's how this idea of a film set in the Hollywood of the late 1920s and early 1930s, in black and white, was formed," Hazanavicius said. Hazanavicius conceived the idea seven or eight years ago and "fantasized about making a silent film...because as a director it makes you face your responsibilities, it

eryl Streep, the Oscars best actress winner for The Iron Lady, says she instantly said yes for the movie on former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher because there aren't many filmmakers who are interested in what it means to be a woman leader. "When director Phyllida Lloyd told me she had a film that circles Margaret Thatcher's life and the issues around a woman leader, I was immediately interested. There aren't many Meryl Streep, the Oscars best actress winner for The Iron Lady. women leaders; there aren't many filmmakers who are 62-year-old. Applauding Thatcher's grit and interested in what it means to be a determination, Streep said that in woman leader," she said. "To think about the barriers that real sense she broke grounds. "I've watched women directors Margaret Thatcher broke through to become the leader of the United struggle with trying to be the comKingdom was to put yourself in the mander. And women leaders too. We're not head of a woman in the late 1970s, when she really emerged as the quite comfortable yet with this idea. leader of her party. It was interesting Margaret Thatcher really did break to follow someone who happened to ground in that she showed a way in be a woman solving big world prob- which a woman could be a leader," lems, in a way that women were not said the multiple-award winning expected to do in that time," said the actress.

French director Michel Hazanavicius. makes you tell the story in a very special way. "In this genre, everything is in image, organization of signals you're sending to the audience. And it's an emotional cinema, it's sensorial...It's a fascinating way to work. I thought it would be a magnificent challenge." The director initially got an

"amused reaction" from producers when he told them that he wants to make a silent film. "But producer Thomas Langmann is not like others. He didn't just take what I said seriously, he believed in it. I told him I would look for a story and as soon as I'd found it, I'd come back and see him..," he said. The Hollywood community was "curious and touched". "First, because they have a slightly schizophrenic relationship with French cinema and because in this famous debate between art and industry, France holds a unique place. "Then because this project was very different - a silent film, in black and white, about Hollywood...We had lots of visitors, tons of phone calls..." he added.

Lopez's wardrobe malfunction dominates Twitter

ngelina Jolie's exposed leg and Jennifer Lopez's left nipple took to Twitter after being exposed at the 84th Academy Awards, and unsurprisingly were generating strong online interest. Jolie raised eyebrows, and probably temperatures, by exposing a thigh in a gown with a full-length slit while presenting one of the award's at the Oscars show in Hollywood. Within less than an hour someone had created a Twitter account named @AngiesRightLeg - subhead: "I am Angelina Jolie's right leg" - and soon after the Twitter feed had more than 15,500 followers. J Lo's nipple took to Twitter even more quickly than Jolie's leg: according to time stamps on @JLosNipple - subhead: "Did you see me?" - and the Oscars running order, the nipple tweeted within minutes of being allegedly exposed.

Actors Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Lopez at the Oscars.

84th Academy Awards 2012 Thesouthasiantimes.info

17

March 3-9, 2012

Dr. Kohli calls Undefeated Oscar his lifes biggest accomplishment

By Vikas Girdhar

r. Neeraj Kohlis voice on Wednesday still seemed to harbor some remnants of the shock and joy that had overwhelmed him just three days earlier. Thats when his film, Undefeated, won Best Documentary Feature at the 84th Oscars. Dr Kohli, one of seven executive producers of the film, is a practicing physician-surgeon at Brigham and Womens Hospital, a Medical Director at The New England Center for Urugynecology and a professor of OB/GYN at Harvard University. He sounded every bit thankful and humbled by national acclaim he, his co-producers and directors Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin received on Hollywoods grandest stage. Its surreal. I cherish this experience and Im truly honored to be part of the team receiving such a prestigious award, said Dr. Kohli when contacted by SATimes. I couldnt believe it. I must say, this is one of the greatest accomplishments that Ive ever been a part of in my life. My wife thought we might win and I

(Left) A beaming Dr. Neeraj Kohli holding the Oscar for Undefeated that he co-produced, and a still from the documentary.

EXCLUSIVE
thought we probably wont; no one knew whether we were actually going to. Then were sitting there and the film gets announced and the whole place just went nuts. The 2011 film, which Dr. Kohli describes as being like a real version of the 2009 film, The Blind Side, follows the story of the Manassas Tigers, an underfunded and underprivileged football team and its fight for relevance and triumph. Unlike The Blind Side, however, this is a documentary about the heart and dedication of an entire team of players and their coach, Bill Courtney, as opposed to the story of just one individual. This is a high school team that was even slated to be a practice team for other top schools so that they could improve. In its 110-year history, the Tigers have not been to the playoffs once. Coach Courtney hopes to change that and believes the film can teach a variety of lessons en route to capturing the audience. The bedrock of the movie is football, says Coach Courtney. But what you find out when you

watch the movie is its really about relationships and what can be accomplished when people put aside preconceived notions and selfishness, and just work together for one common goal. Dr. Kohli agrees that this film touches on many intangible factors that are essential to growing up. I encourage everyone to go see the film and to take their kids as well. It really is an incredibly uplifting and spirited story of perseverance. Ultimately, Dr. Kohli hopes that the film will be a harbinger for more talents of South Asians to be uncovered. Only four Indians have ever

won an Oscar before. This film was an underdog; it was playing in only five theaters. In terms of the South Asian community, I can only hope that the films success will shed light on the talents of fellow South Asians in the future. We know that many talents and successes for South Asians are sometimes hidden and not all are recognized or result in an Academy Award, but I hope this Oscar speaks on behalf of their skills as well. The film was released theatrically by Weinstein Company on February 17 in select theatres and will continue to expand into more markets in the coming weeks.

After Oscar for Saving Face, anti-acid campaign in Pakistan

By Jinal Shah akistans first Oscar winner, Karachi born Sharmeen ObaidChinoy on Tuesday launched a nationwide anti-acid attack campaign in Pakistan. Her crusade comes after her documentary film Saving Face won the highest regarded award in the world. According to the official website of the film, Saving Face documents stories of two survivors of acid attacks by their husbands - Zakia, 39, and Rukhsana, 23, their battle for justice and their journey of healing. The film also features a British Pakistani plastic surgeon Dr Mohammad Jawad who performs reconstructive surgery on their disfigured faces. The movie, that won many accolades in Pakistan, goes beyond the immediate horrors of acid violence into its prolonged effects. On receiving the Oscar, Sharmeen saluted the women of Pakistan who are doing extraordinary work in their fields. Daniel and I want to dedicate this award to all the heroes working on the ground in Pakistan including Dr. Mohammad Jawad who's here with us today, the plastic surgeon working on rehabilitating all these women, Rukhsana and Zakia who are our main subjects of the film whose resilience and bravery in the face of such adversity is admirable, and to all the women in Pakistan who are work-

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy after her Oscar win

ing for change, don't give up on your dreams. This is for you, she said. Sharmeens campaign, launched in partnership with Acid Survivors Pakistan, will help those who are victims of such atrocities. Her website mentions the ongoing effort of consulting with surgeons, scholars, journalists, activists and other experts to maximize the impact of the outreach work.Acid attacks are not new to South Asia, especially Afghanistan, Pakistan and even India. While Pakistans parliament adopted tougher penalties for the crime last year by increasing punishment between 14 years to life and a minimum fine of $2000, India still doesnt have a stringent law in place. And with recent case of acid attack

on Aarti Thakur, 22, at Mumbais suburban station, the issue has resurfaced in India. While, statistics on such attacks are scarce, victims are significantly women followed by children and men. The causes can range from rejection to love or marriage proposals, dowry demands and property disputes, among others. The Law Commission had, way back in 2008, recommended to the Supreme Court that a new provision be added to the Indian Penal Code to specifically tackle acid attacks. The National Commission of Women too underlined the need for compensation to victims as well as banning the open sale of acid. Who is Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy? Obaid-Chinoy is a noted documentarian, journalist and faculty member in a Karachi based college. Her films include Pakistans Taliban Generation, which aired on PBS, Channel 4, CBC and SBS. Prior to Oscars, she has many awards to her name including the reputed Emmy award for her documentary films and broadcast journalist of the year in UK by One World Media for her work in a series of documentary films for Channel 4, which included one about xenophobia in South Africa The New Apartheid. She was also the first nonAmerican to be awarded the Livingstone Award for her best international reporting.

R Rahman, winner of two Oscars in 2009 for best original score and best original song ("Jai ho") for the movie "Slumdog Millionaire, performing at the 84th Academy Awards as part of the Oscar band in his third performance at the prestigious awards ceremony. He is seen in picture with members of the Oscar Superband.

Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani with his DreamWorks Studios partners Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider at the Oscar red carpet in Los Angeles. Their three films were nominated for 11 Oscars, but fetched only one: Octavia Spencer won best supporting actress award for her performance in "The Help".

18

Ultimate Bollywood TheSouthAsianTimes.info

March 3-9, 2012

ich attractive girls have a tendency to run away from home in masala Bollywood. We all know that. We also know that they invariably meet up with decent guys who become their knight in shining armour. So it is no surprise when Mini ( Genelia D'Souza), a rich, thrill-seeking girl, encourages Viren ( Riteish Deshmukh), an autorickshaw driver, to kidnap her. We immediately know where the movie is headed for. For her, it is the beginning of all the rush she was looking for. And willy-nilly, Viren becomes her partner. Together they break into homes and get drunk. And she even makes ransom calls to her own father. The twist comes when she discovers that Viren is no autorickshaw driver.

'Tere Naal...' a breezy romantic movie

Review
hilarious moment in the film comes when Viren shouts at a foreigner, "Simon go back," a reference to the famous anti-Simon agitation of 1927. The stupefied foreigner mutters, "How did he know my name is Simon?" Post-marriage, TNLHG is Retiesh and Genelia's first film together. And they look good as a pair. The movie could have been to Genelia what Jab We Met is to Kareena Kapoor. But she often goes over the top. At other times, she is too besotted by her own cuteness to become the girl she is meant to be. In contrast, Riteish looks much more in control. TNLHG is one of those movies that you like for 10 minutes and

A scene from 'Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya.' Breezy romantic comedies generally thrive on witty dialogues and the chemistry of the lead pair. And Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya does have some crackling gags and one-liners. Director Mandeep Kumar uses the famed Haryanvi wit to good effect although the narrative stereotypically links big biceps with peapod brains. One

then don't for the next 10. The cycle continues for long. But the climax is fairly engaging and the man who makes it happen is Om Puri. His rousing speech is what gives the movie its last burst of vitality. The movie also has some of the most hummable tracks of 2012. Whenever the narrative falters, Sachin-Jigar's music comes to the rescue. Piya o re piya, Pee pa pee pa and Mai vaari jawan are three gems of 2012. And there's Veena Malik once again doing an item number. Midway the lyrics go something like this: Chhalke chhalke ras ka kuwan, koi bhi pee jaye as the camera focuses on her cleavage. Even without Ms Malik's openheart display, TNLHG is passable popcorn fare.

Dabangg 2: Kareena replaces Malaika as Munni!

would dance with he sequel of Dabangg is getting bigger by Salman Khan. However the day. If the buzz is the only thing that would be common to the to be believed, Kareena sequel's item number Kapoor will be replacing seems to be Salman Malaika Arora Khan from the original for an item Khan. number in Dabangg 2. Industry insiders insist Apparently the makers that the Salman Khan Kareena Kapoor pairing want to have another item in Bodyguard was number in the sequel and having Kareena Kapoor much-liked and so the actress was the right would only make it bigger. Malaika Arora Khan, in choice. Also Kareena Kapoor hasn't done an most probability, would be item song since Don. So restricted to only being the there would be fresh producer. When the appeal to the item numDabangg sequel was newly announced, post the success ber. Either of the comKareena Kapoor. of the original, there were posers from the original, multiple speculations including one that said Lalit Pandit or Sajid-Wajid would be comAmrita Arora would join Malaika Arora for posing the song. Dabangg 2 is expected to go the item song in sequel. Together the sisters on floors in early March.

Big B comes out to greet well-wishers

t's been tradition for Amitabh Bachchan to greet his fans at his doorstep almost every Sunday morning, and this Sunday was no different. Despite doctor's instructions in view of his frail condition following his 12-day hospital stay, the megastar came out to meet his fans. "The Sunday well wishers! Constant and so regular... touched... walked down to greet them," Amitabh posted on Twitter Sunday night. "Thank you people of love. I have no other expression but this for gratitude... Walking out for the first time after hospital... not rec-

Amitabh Bachchan outside his residence in Mumbai. ommended, but for well wishers, a must," added the actor, who refers to his

social networking mates as his "extended family". Clad in a white kurtapyjama and a cream shawl, the 69-year-old waved out to his fans. Among them was a man, who imitated Big B's "Kaun Banega Crorepati" style, to which Amitabh wrote: "...and imitations abound ... not too far away from the real i should say... ha ha." The veteran actor returned to his home from hospital Feb 23. He was admitted to the Seven Hills Hospital Feb 11 and underwent two abdominal surgeries, following which he complained of acute pain and was kept under observation.

I am not supposed to please everyone: Veena

akistani actress Veena Malik, who has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, says she is not bothered about what people think of her as she is not here to please everyone. "Pakistan is my country and there are so many people out there who follow me. There are young boys and girls who look up to me, follow me, love me. But yes, it is not necessary that every single person should love me and I am not supposed to please everybody," the controversial actress said here at her birthday celebration. Veena was recently in the news for her supposedly nude photoshoot and then for her sudden dis-

Dev isn't comfortable with big roles

ctor Dev Patel isn't comfortable playing a lead in a bigbudget movie and would prefer be a part of an ensemble cast in a smaller production. The "Slumdog Millionaire" star describes his time on M. Night Shyamalan's movie "The Last Airbender" horrendous and admits he prefers working as part of an ensemble i n smaller movies,

reports contactmusic.com. "Working on something that big and trying to get heard as an actor is tricky. You feel so diluted and worthless," he told Empire magazine. "I would happily shape my career doing great low-budget indies like that. I'm not that herotype dude, so I'm never going to be playing the handsome lead character," he added.

Veena Malik. appearance from a film set. Her dare bare act didn't go down well with her countrymen, but she is unperturbed.

Dev Patel

Op Ed TheSouthAsianTimes.info

19

March 3-9, 2012

NCTC controversy: Playing politics with terrorism

By Amulya Ganguli

Mayawati:
cracks in her statues
By Varghese K George he BSP's formidable organizational structure and the unmistakable assertiveness of its core Dalit base make Mayawati a serious contender for another term as Uttar Pradesh chief minister. The huge rallies that she addresses should restrain those who may be tempted to predict her downfall. It is not uncommon for chief ministers to win consecutive terms in office. Narendra Modi in Gujarat, Nitish Kumar in Bihar, Raman Singh in Chhattisgarh, Sheila Dikshit in Delhi, Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Madhya Pradesh and the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy in Andhra Pradesh are examples that come to mind. Certain common attributes suggest that there is a formula for beating anti-incumbency. One way of understanding Mayawati's prospects in UP is by comparing her with persistent winners. All of them cultivated a personality that outshines their peers and their respective parties. All were perceived as efficient (often 'brutally' so), especially in the delivery of public services. This image of efficiency helped them deflect occasional allegations of corruption. All of them used their years in power to nurture the social base that originally brought them to power. And as a final ingredient to beating anti-incumbency, they all denied tickets to a substantial number of sitting MLAs. Mayawati's personality and her success in converting the BSP into an army of personal loyalists make her formation battle-ready. But her track record in governance is a mixed bag. While most in UP acknowledge the relative effectiveness of policing under her government, Mayawati's failure to smoothen the delivery of public services is rather stark in poverty-stricken UP. She has

onsidering that P. Chidambaram, according to Wikileaks, told FBI director Robert Mueller that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) could supersede the states in its probes and trials and that the full use of its powers would entail violation of the constitution, the home minister should have held more purposeful consultations with the states before notifying the date for setting up the National CounterTerrorism Center (NCTC). Had he done so, the present controversy could have been avoided. However, a penchant for secrecy and an innate arrogance seem to be responsible for the center springing a surprise on the states with its decision to push ahead with the NCTC. Hence the gang-up of non-Congress chief ministers against the center, forcing it to backtrack by keeping on hold its illadvised move. But what its clumsiness has done is to breathe new life into the so-called Third Front which had died an unlamented death in 2009. There are, however, a number of differences between the earlier gathering of anti-Congress parties and the present one. For one, the Left has decided to play a low-key role because, as Prakash Karat, general secretary of the Communist Party of IndiaMarxist (CPI-M), acknowledged, his party is too "weak" to be energetically involved in the enterprise as on the last occasion. For another, the Third Front idea has undergone a major change. Earlier, it was envisaged as a group of non-Congress and non-BJP parties. But

The National Counter-Terrorism Center (NCTC) can come into being at a time when a nodal agency is required to coordinate the various intelligence inputs on terrorism. the BJP is a member this time which makes the front replicate the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) of the late 1990s since it includes "secular" leaders like Naveen Patnaik, Mamata Banerjee, J. Jayalalitha and N. Chandrababu Naidu. Since all these leaders have been the BJP's allies in the past, the saffron outfit is likely to nurture the front with care with 2014 in mind. This tactic can have two effects. One is to make the Left continue to keep its distance from the front and the other is to compel the BJP to downplay its Hindutva plank, such as the Karnataka education minister's recent advice to those who do not want the Bhagavad Gita to be taught in schools to leave the country. However, such political calculations may be overshadowed by the issue which has brought these parties together. Since NCTC involves national security, the parties will have to tread carefully lest they give the impression that they are hampering the anti-terrorist drive. This will be a particularly touchy point for the BJP since it has always given the impression that it follows a hardline on terror while the Congress is supposedly soft. For the BJP now to face the accusation that it is playing political games on the plea of protecting federalism will be disconcerting. Such allegations may not be without basis for, as former union home secretary G.K. Pillai said during a TV debate, the fear of the states that the center will undermine their constitutional mandate to be in charge of law and order is "exaggerated". The consensus which emerged, therefore, during the discussion was that the main problem was the lack of trust in the center's bonafides. The states can appear to be overstating their case, especially when terrorism remains an omnipresent threat. They seem to have seized the NCTC stick to beat the center with while buttressing their own position just as the Left, the BJP and others tried to exploit antiAmerican sentiments to scuttle the nuclear deal in 2008. If the central government is more accommodative in addressing the misgivings of the states, a modified form of the NCTC can come into being at a time when a nodal agency is required to coordinate the various intelligence inputs on terrorism.

failed to reduce corruption at the bottom end of the government-public interface. Equally damagingly, allegations of personal corruption against the CM have stuck. While most of the 'super CMs' mentioned used streaks of narcissism to their electoral advantage, Mayawati stretched the limits. Criticism against her on account of building her own statues has had a deeply polarising effect. While Dalit support was consolidated, others in her winning social coalition of 2007 have been bitter. In this sense, the most suitable yardstick to assess Mayawati is Nitish Kumar, chief minister of neighbouring Bihar, a state that shares an identical political trajectory as UP. Kumar and Mayawati came to power in Bihar and UP within a span of two years, leading broadly the same social coalition non-Yadav backwards, upper castes and Dalits. Kumar has been sensitive to the fragility of this coalition and acted accordingly, balancing with great skills the conflicting demands by them. Mayawati, far from managing these contradictions, has strained her own base with her administrative measures. The anti-incumbency in UP can play out in several ways. If anti-incumbency converges on a single platform, Mayawati will take a severe beating and the SP will surprise itself. This phenomenon had contributed to Mayawati's victory in 2007. If the anti-Maya voters tactically choose among her three opponents in individual constituencies, she still loses badly, but the Congress and the BJP too will get a share of the spoils. The best-case scenario for Mayawati is her opponents cutting into each other in individual constituencies. In such a case, her base will stay intact, while the opposition will be scattered among three parties.

The best-case scenario for Mayawati is her opponents cutting into each other in individual constituencies.

The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.

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Diaspora TheSouthAsianTimes.info

March 3-9, 2012

Medical student found guilty of burning Indian-origin man to death

London: A medical student in Britain has been found guilty for her role in the killing of an Indian-origin Sikh who liked her. Gagandip Singh, whom Mundill Mahil claimed had attempted to rape her, was lured to her home. He was beaten unconscious before being left to die in a burning car, the Daily Mail reported. The 20-year-old woman decided to 'play God' when she recruited two men to carry out the fatal attack on Singh, who she claimed had attacked her six months ago. She told Singh that she wanted "closure" and even reassured the wary businessman following a text from him asking: "Are we going to talk civil or do you want me dead?" After inviting Singh to her student home, he was kicked, punched and struck with a camera tripod. He was then put into the boot of his car. The car was then driven to a quiet London side street and set alight. According to Singh's post-mortem examination, he was alive when the fire started. Mahil was found guilty of causing grievous bodily

Uncle may get custody of Indian kids in Norway: Report

Oslo: Norway's child welfare service said Tuesday that two children of Indian parents taken into its care will be handed over to their uncle pending a court ruling, a media report here said. "It has been concluded that care of the two children should be awarded to the brother of the children's father, enabling him to take the children back to India," Norway's thelocal.no website quoted the child welfare service in Stavanger city as saying in a statement. Three-year-old Abhigyan and one-year-old Aishwarya -- children of Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya, an NRI couple living in Stavanger -- were taken under protective care by Barnevarne (Norwegian child welfare services) in May last year on the ground that they were not being looked after properly by their parents. Over a month ago, India and Norway struck an agreement under which the parents named Anurup's brother Arunabhash Bhattacharya as the primary caretaker of the two children. Arunabhash Bhattacharya is currently in Norway.

Mundill Mahil, Gagandip Singh harm for her role in the attack. The judge warned her that it was 'virtually inevitable' that she would be given a long jail sentence. Her two conspirators were also convicted of murder and manslaughter, respectively.

Record 300,000 Indians visit Paris

Was treated as a slave in Britain: Indian housekeeper

London: An Indian housekeeper has accused a British government lawyer of keeping her as a "slave" and feeding her with scraps for over four years. Counsel for Pratima Das said the 43-year old Indian widow was forced to work 15 hours a day while employed as a nanny and cleaner for Shibani Rahulan, the principle legal officer at the Department of Health, the Sun reported Friday. Lawyer Ian Wheaton told the Court of Appeal in London that Das also claimed her passport was confiscated and she was unpaid for the work she carried out for employer Rahulan, 40, and her family. He went on to allege she was "a victim of human trafficking... she has been treated as a slave." On Thursday Das, however, lost her case before Lord Justice Mummery. She wanted a full employment tribunal. But the court ruled her claim had not been lodged within the lawful time restrictions. Lord Justice Mummery said Das could still pursue her claim through the civil courts. Wheaton told the court that Das was "required to work 15 hours a day unpaid, living as a servant or slave for the family carrying out all their chores" in Harrow, north London. "She was required to eat sitting on the floor eating the family's leftovers. Effectively held in captivity, not allowed out for four years, except on trips to collect the children from the nanny and threatened

Pratima Das with violence if she spoke to anyone." The Indian woman, now living in Southampton city, has applied for asylum in Britain which is still being considered.

Paris: The French capital is charming its way to Indian hearts. Paris breached the landmark figure of 300,000 in Indian tourist arrivals in 2011, recording a growth of over 200 percent in the last decade. This was revealed by Paul Roll, managing director of the Paris Visitors and Convention Board, who expects the growth in the number of Indian tourists visiting Paris to continue at the same pace of about 12-15 percent in 2012 as well. "We normally believe that tourism as a sector grows about twice as fast as the local economy and as India is averaging around seven percent growth, we could have a 12-15 percent growth in the arrivals from India," said Roll. Accompanied by over 20 players of the private sector of the tourism industry in Paris, he is currently in India for the annual roadshow. Incidentally, this is the 10th consecutive year that Paris is mounting its roadshow in the country, where the players meet the tour operators and travel agents. In order to make Indians feel more at home in Paris, Roll says, a

number of initiatives have been taken. "We have been sensitizing our private sector players like hotels and restaurants about the specific requirements of Indian visitors like vegetarian food and use of English language. We have seen a lot of improvement in the way our professionals handle the Indian clients," Roll says. On the big event in Europe this year, the London Olympics, Roll says even though Paris lost the Olympic host bid to London, it might finally be the winner in a rather different context. "With Olympics, everything in London will be very expensive and there will be too much of security and other practical problems for the tourists. For us in Paris, August is a traditionally slow month, which means we have even more attractive rates than in other months of the year; so that would definitely make us very attractive for any tourists wanting to visit Europe, but without the hassles of a city that is hosting the Olympics. So I believe this is a real opportunity," Roll says.

UK immigration rule: Indians will need to apply for biometric residence permit
London: Indian citizens with permission to settle in the UK permanently will need to apply for a biometric residence permit (BRP) as part of changes in immigration rules intended to make it harder for non-EU nationals to work illegally and abuse the benefit system. Many Indian citizens who migrated to the UK years ago and gained the right to settle here permanently did not opt for UK citizenship and retained their Indian citizenship. Such individuals will be covered in the latest changes announced today. A BRP is a card which holds an immigrant's biographic details (name, date and place of birth); and 'biometric information' (fingerprints and facial image). It also shows immigration status and entitlements while in the UK. Most categories of immigrants are required to apply and obtain BRPs. Immigration Minister have the right to work in the UK being arrested. The widening of the requirement to include refugees and those given the right to live here permanently will mean that all non-EU nationals applying to remain in the UK for more than six months will now be covered by the compulsory permits. Green said: "This will help ensure only those with the right to be here can take a job legally in the UK and enjoy the services to which they are entitled. "The new measures are a deterrent to all foreign nationals who are looking to exploit the UK for personal gain by breaking the law." From June, an online employers checking service for BRPs will enable employers, and later in the year public authorities, to run realtime checks on whether individuals are eligible to work or access services in the UK.

Damian Green has now extended the requirement to include refugees and those with right to live in the UK permanently (called 'indefinite leave to remain'). The widening of BRP requirements to almost all categories of immigrants is intended to tackle immigration abuse by proving a person's right to work or access services in the UK, official sources said, adding that the number of foreign nationals issued with a BRP will double to 400,000 a year. Since the BRP holds a person's fingerprints and photograph on a secure chip, it enables a "simple and quick check" about an immigrant's work and benefits entitlements. There have been several instances of immigrants who do not

Subcontinent TheSouthAsianTimes.info

21

March 3-9, 2012

ISI, Pak Army knew about Osama hideout: WikiLeaks

Islamabad: Officials of the Pakistan Army and spy agency ISI knew about Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden's hideout in Abbottabad, according to a report by whistleblowing website WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks published more than five million emails from US-based global security analysis firm Stratfor. The messages were reportedly stolen by hacker group Anonymous. "Mid to senior level ISI and Pak military, with one retired Pak military General, had knowledge of the OBL (Osama bin laden) arrangements and safe house," Online news agency quoted Fred Burton, Stratfor vice-president for intelligence, as writing in an email. The email was reportedly written May 13 to one of the company's regional directors for South Asia soon after the killing of the Al Qaeda chief. Bin Laden was killed on May 2 in a unilateral operation launched by US special forces at his mansion in Abbottabad near the Pakistani capital. However, Burton - considered one of the world's foremost experts on security, terrorism and terrorist organisations -- did not reveal his source, saying only that the source was in Pakistan. He also wrote that less than a dozen people within the InterServices Intelligence (ISI) and Pakistani military had information on bin Laden. In the May 13 email, he wrote that the source did not provide him with names. At the same time, he asserted that the US intelligence knew about it. According to Online news agency, Wikileaks has alleged that Stratfor gave a complimentary membership to former ISI chief Hamid Gul. Hackers linked to the Anonymous group said they had stolen the emails of around 100 Stratfor employees in December last year. The group said it planned to publish the data so people would know the "truth" about Stratfor's operations.WikiLeaks in 2010 released secret video battle footage and thousands of US diplomatic cables about wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WikiLeaks published more than five million emails from US-based global security analysis firm Stratfor.

Bangladesh-India ties on right track: Minister

Dhaka: The relationship between Bangladesh and India is on the right track, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni has said. "We have good report card for the last three years," she said at the two-day India-Bangladesh Dialogue here. However, she admitted that "not all has been achieved", bdnews24.com reported. "But we have to work together and should not be discouraged over what we have not been able to achieve," she said. Former Indian high commissioner to Dhaka and special secretary of Indian foreign ministry Pinak Chakravarty said one should not be pessimistic due to some setbacks. "We (Indians) are determined not to deter due to the setbacks," he said. The Bangladeshi minister said the relationship between the two countries is in a transformational phase due to political will of the top leadership. "Earlier there was no political will but now we have political will, courage and vision to boost the relationship," she said. Chakravarty said: "This has been possible due to visionary leadership of the two countries." On border killings, he said BSF (India's Broder Security Force) has been strictly instructed not to open fire and they are trying to obey the order. "You may not be surprised to know that since the order, there have been 153 attacks on BSF and one soldier was dead," he said. The minister said foreign investment is welcome but some measures must be taken for that. "Investing in other countries is a manifestation of sovereignty and some mechanism will be developed to allow Bangladeshi businessmen to invest abroad," she said.

Pak diverting aid money for other purposes: US

SC notices to former ISI chief, defense ministry

Islamabad: Pakistan's Supreme Court issued notices to former ISI chief Asad Durrani and the defense ministry as it resumed hearing a petition against the funding of politicians by the spy agency after a gap of over 12 years. A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry also sought records related to the case filed in 1996 by former air force chief Asghar Khan. Among the documents sought by the bench were in-camera statements recorded in the past by Durrani, late Maj Gen Naseerullah Khan Babar and former army chief Gen (retired) Mirza Aslam Beg, and a report on the functioning of the ISI that was originally submitted to the apex court in 1998. The bench said all these docuImran Khan's Tehrik-e-Insaaf party, had filed the petition against Beg, Durrani and Yunus Habib, the former head of Mehran Bank. The last hearing of the case was held 12 years and four months ago. During the hearing, the bench said it was necessary to go through the records as considerable time had passed since the last hearing. The bench further said the matter could not be put off for long and decided to schedule the next hearing for March 2. At this point, a defense lawyer pointed out that former ISI chief Durrani was abroad on a private visit and would not return till March 6. At the suggestion of Attorney General Anwar-ul-Haq, the court adjourned the matter till March 8.

US secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

Former ISI chief Asad Durrani. ments should be presented in court in sealed envelopes. Asghar Khan, who recently announced he would merge his Tehrik-e-Istaqlal party with

Washington: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and lawmakers have expressed concern over diversion of its aide money by Pakistan for other purposes, even as the United States has tried to build a fire wall in this regard. "Well, we certainly have constructed one," Clinton told lawmakers at a Congressional hearing when Senator Jim Webb asked if the United States has developed a firewall in the financial aid going into Pakistan, so that they do not directly or indirectly assist in expansion of their nuclear program. "I think the fair question is: Even with a firewall, if you provide aid for other purposes, does that permit the government then to divert funds that should be spent for health, education, energy, etc to that program? And it remains a serious concern of mine, Senator," Clinton said. She said that part of the ongoing dialogue with Pakistan is around the reforms they need to make for their own people, she said, adding that the latter over the years has invested a great

deal in its military. "They have invested the great bulk of their revenues into their military establishment, including their nuclear program, to the great cost of providing basic education, health care, electricity -- the kinds of things that would demonstrate to the people of Pakistan they had a government that number one, cared about them; and number two, produced for them," she said. "So I can answer the direct question: Yes, we have a firewall, but that isn't the end of the dialogue -- as you know very well. And we're going to keep pressing hard to make sure that, you know, the IMF and the World Bank and we and others are working toward the kind of reforms that are going to stabilise Pakistan for the long term," Clinton said. Meanwhile, Senator Webb said that the Obama administration has increased its financial aid to Pakistan in the fiscal 2013. Financial aid of USD 2.4 billion into the country actually reflects an increase in funding for its military as compared to last year.

22

International TheSouthAsianTimes.info

March 3-9, 2012

Stop Iran oil: US tells India, China

Washington: The United States is having "very intense and very blunt" conversations with India, China and Turkey on reducing their dependence on Iranian oil, secretary of state Hillary Clinton has told lawmakers. Clinton, testifying before a congressional committee, said the US is asking these countries to take specific measures that would reduce their dependence on Iranian oil adding. But, without naming one, she did acknowledge that this would be a bit tough for some countries. "With respect to China and Turkey and India, we've had very intense and very blunt conversations with each of those countries. I think that there are a number of steps that we are pointing out to them that we believe they can and should make," Clinton said while responding to questions from Senator Robert Menendez. "In a number of cases, both on their government side and on their business side, they are taking actions that go further and deeper than perhaps their public statements might lead you to believe," Clinton said. "We are going to continue to keep an absolute foot on the pedal in terms of our accelerated, aggressive outreach to them. And they are looking for ways to make up the lost revenues, the lost crude oil," she said. Claiming that oil deficit is a difficulty for several other countries, Clinton said US has

Google doodle celebrates leap year

New Delhi: Google's latest doodle celebrates the leap year and Italian composer Gioachino Antonio Rossini's 220th birthday. The doodle showcases four frogs, each closely associated to one of Rossini's bestknown comic-opera "The Barber of Seville'. In the doodle, while one of the frogs seems to be playing piano, another one looks like a leaping soprano. The third frog is the barber, Figaro, and the frog getting a shave is Almaviva. Interestingly, frogs, from a very long time, are associated with 'leap year'. Born on February 29, 1792, in Itlay, Rossini wrote 39 operas as well as sacred music, chamber music, songs and several instrumental and piano pieces. Nicknamed "The Italian Mozart," he joined Bologna's

Italian composer Gioachino Antonio. Philharmonic School (now GB Martini State Conservatory of Music) when he was just 14. There he composed his first opera seria Demetrio e Polibio. During his teens, he learnt violin, horn, and harpsichord and often sung in public to earn money. Between 1815 and 1823 Rossini produced as many as 20 operas.

A broad range of countries are making decisions to reduce their dependence on Iranian crude, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said. come up with lots of suggestions that would help these countries in resolving the crisis. "Our expectation and the direction we are giving to countries is that we do expect to see significant reductions. I am pleased to report, Senator, that we've been aggressively reaching out to and working with countries to assist them in being able to make such significant reductions," Clinton said. Meanwhile, a broad range of countries are making decisions to reduce their dependence on Iranian crude, unwind their dealings with the central bank of Iran, she said.

Creating a global cookstove alliance: Hillary

Washington: An India-US project to help create a market for cleaner-burning cookstoves in developing countries is having a "tremendous payoff" beyond the headlines, according to Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. "It's one of those, you know, long-term projects that I think has tremendous payoff. But it's not in the headlines," she told a Senate panel Tuesday when asked about the initiative's impact in India. "We are actively driving an initiative we helped to put together called the global cookstove alliance - or the alliance for global cookstoves," Clinton said. "We are working with dozens of other countries, with the United Nations and organizations to help create a market for cleaner- burning cookstoves in developing countries, because this has tremendous benefits," she said. The US, Clinton said, was also "working with some Indian universities that are actually taking measurements of the pollution that goes into women and children's lungs and also up into the atmosphere."

25 die in Syria as UN drafts new resolution

Amman: Syrian forces shelled opposition strongholds, killing at least 25 people. France said the UN Security Council was starting work on a draft resolution on the violence in Syria and the need to gain humanitarian access to Homs and other embattled areas. "We hope Russia and China will not oppose the proposed resolution," French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said. "Given the emergency, it's time that all the council members, without exception, put a stop to this barbarity." Russia and China vetoed a draft resolution a month ago that would have demanded an end to the bloodshed and backed an Arab League call for Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to step down.

Eviction of Occupy London protesters underway

London: Police and bailiffs on Tuesday moved to dismantle the anti-capitalist camp which sprang up outside London's St Paul's Cathedral in October last year, according to the City's local authority. Occupy the London Stock Exchange protesters hastily erected barricades out of wooden palettes and let off smoke bombs as they attempted to delay efforts to remove tents, but bailiffs made rapid progress in clearing the site. A handful of demonstrators were reported to have handcuffed themselves to a makeshift wooden structure on the edge of the camp, but the rest of the site was reduced to a pile of old mattresses and tents within two hours. "The City of London Corporation has begun to enforce the high court orders for the removal of the tents and equipment outside St Paul's," the corporation said in a statement.

Putin says he doesn't fear enemies

Moscow: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin declared he doesn't fear assassination attempts, a day after state television reported that security forces had foiled a plot to kill him. Russia's Channel One reported that plotters linked to a Chechen rebel warlord were planning to assassinate Putin with powerful explosives after Sunday's presidential election. Some of Putin's intended to boost support for Putin's bid to regain the presidency. Putin said in his first comment on the plot that he had been informed about it but wasn't intimidated. "People in my position have to live with it," he said on a trip to the southern city of Astrakhan. "It would be impossible to carry on if you fear that. Let them fear us."

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. rivals in the vote dismissed the report as a campaign trick

Business TheSouthAsianTimes.info

23

March 3-9, 2012

India's GDP logs slowest quarterly growth in 3 years

corresponding period, according to data released by the ministry of statistics and program implementation. Mining was another sector hit badly and contracted by 3.1 percent. It had registered a growth of 6.1 percent in the OctoberDecember quarter of 2010-11. Agriculture also saw a sharp decline at 2.7 percent but that was mostly because of a high base as the sector had grown 11 percent in the year-ago period. Financial services grew at 9 percent in the quarter, while social and personal services logged a 7.9 percent growth. The latest figures will come as a disappointment to policy-makers in the run up to the budget. The scenario is not likely to change much in the current quarter as well since, according to the advanced estimates given by the government, the GDP is expected to increase by only 6.9 percent for the whole year. "With fourth-quarter estimates also being weak, it is virtually certain that the GDP numbers for the current fiscal will stand below 7 percent," said Anis Chakravarty, Director & Senior Economist, Deloitte Haskins & Sells.

India to auction 4G spectrum by year end: Sibal

The latest figures will come as a disappointment to policy-makers in the run up to the budget. New Delhi: India's economy has logged its slowest pace of quarterly expansion in three years with gross domestic product (GDP) rising by a mere 6.1 percent in the quarter ended December, official data showed. The economy had grown 8.3 percent in the previous corresponding period. Higher interest rates, rising inflation, the global economic turmoil rubbing off on the country and a slew of policy issues curbing investment sentiment has contributed to the economy's dismal performance. This is the seventh consecutive time that quarterly growth has slipped. It had risen by 6.9 percent in the quarter ending September and 7.7 percent in the three-month period before that. Manufacturing was hit hard, logging a meager 0.4 percent growth in the quarter under review, compared to 7.8 percent in the previous

Barcelona: India is looking at holding spectrum auctions for the fourth generation (4G) mobile services by the end of this year, besides finalizing plans to sell off radio waves for the 2G services, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal has said. "By the end of the year, we are actually going to auction 4G (spectrum). That is what our intent is. We have enough spectrum now to share with everybody," he said at the India Day function organised by his ministry at the Mobile World Congress here. Sibal said the government will have enough radio waves for all operators after it is released

from the defense services as well as the cancellation of 122 2G new licences by the Supreme Court in the 2G spectrum allocation case. Sibal added, however, that the government does not want to put all the spectrum for auction at one go but the final decision will depend a lot on the recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). "In fact, we don't think that we are going to put all the spectrum for auction. But that depends on what Mr Sarma (Trai Chairman) does for us. The idea being that we should come up with enough spectrum to get reasonable price for ourselves," he said.

In Brief

US stocks flat as Europe debt fears linger

New York: US stocks ended flat as positive US housing sales data offset the lingering European debt concerns, Xinhua reported. The Dow Jones industrial average was trading in positive territory for most of the session after rebounding from a 100point drop at the market open, but it turned lower in the last minutes and failed to settle above the key psychological level of 13,000. The blue-chip index dipped 1.44 points, or 0.01 percent, at 12,981.51. Since this year's beginning, New York crude benchmark WTI and London Brent crude have risen over 10 percent. On the economic front, the National Association of Realtors said that pending US house sales rose 2.0 percent in January, reaching a nearly 2year high and indicating a strengthening recovery in the US housing market. This lifted the Dow Jones home construction index and the Nasdaq's housing sector.

Kingfisher fails to pay AAI dues

New Delhi: Kingfisher Airline is now unable to pay the daily cashand-carry amount to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and has accumulated dues of Rs 5 crore in past week, government officials said. But, with the civil aviation ministry making clear that it won't pull the plug on Kingfisher, AAI cannot take any action against the airline. Kingfisher did not comment on the matter. AAI had put Kingfisher on cash-and-carry about two months back after it accumulated dues of Rs 250 crore and since then it was paying about Rs 80 lakh everyday to operate flights from AAI airports under the original winter schedule where it was operating about 240 flights a day. This daily payment fell to Rs 60-65 lakh after the airline cut

Scientists cite 15 'near-misses' at US N-plants

Washington: The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) carried out 15 special inspections last year spurred by potentially serious incidents at power plants, the Union of Concerned Scientists said in a report released. A large number of those "near-misses" occurred because plant operators and regulators "either tolerated known problems or failed to address them adequately", the UCS said in "The NRC and Nuclear Power Plant Safety in 2011: Living on Borrowed Time." The report, however, also praises the NRC for instances where regulators "did an outstanding job addressing safety problems before they could lead to a potentially dangerous situation". "Last year's record shows that the NRC is quite capable of being an effective watchdog that protects the public and saves the nuclear industry from its worst tendencies," report author Dave Lochbaum, director of UCS's Nuclear Safety Project, said. "But the agency too often does not live up to its potential, and we are still finding significant problems at nuclear plants that could too easily trigger a serious accident," the veteran nuclear engineer added.

In the dock: Kingfisher airlines is facing financial turmoil. flights recently, said an official. "Kingfisher has been complaining that it has been left high and dry by seizure of bank accounts by tax authorities and has stopped paying for some days now. They have gone to the extent of saying that the only option for them - if we press for payment - is to close down. We have asked them to at least clear the cashand-carry dues by Wednesday," said a senior AAI official.

SEBI chairman meets USIBC member firms

New York: The US-India Business Council (USIBC) financial services member companies met with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairman, U.K. Sinha, to discuss cross-border cooperation and a commitment to two-way investment. The interaction is part of a weeklong Financial Services Executive Mission to India which will convene select meetings with key government officials in New Delhi and Mumbai. They will explore ways to develop strategies on next steps in capital markets development and financial inclusion. The mission will also participate in round-table discussions on key policy issues with Indian stakeholders, including FICCI and CII. "Global financial institutions remain committed to India and stand ready to provide long-term resources, including capital and expertise, toward India's stated goals of financial stability, economic growth, and financial inclusion," stated executives from MasterCard and VISA.

SEBI Chairman, U.K. Sinha.

24

Sports TheSouthAsianTimes.info

March 3-9, 2012

Sahara India to award Rs.1.29 cr for hockey team

Kohli fashions a miracle 300-plus chase for India

Hobart: Virat Kohli produced a career-best unbeaten 133 to fashion India's miracle chase of getting 321 in just 36.4 overs against Sri Lanka in the 11th ODI here and kept alive their hopes of qualifying for the finals of CB Series. India needed to achieve the target in 40 overs to gain a bonus point. But Man of the Match Kohli's 86-ball knock, which was studded with 16 fours and two sixes, ensured India achieved the target with ridiculous ease at the Bellerive Oval. Kohli put on 115 with Gautam Gambhir (63 off 64) and 120 with Suresh Raina (40 off 24 balls) to blow apart the Sri Lankan attack. All eyes will now be on Friday's last pool match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and Indians will hope Australia beat the Sri Lankans so they can progress to play the home side in the best-of-three final series. India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to put Sri Lanka in to bat first looked a disaster. Sri Lanka, riding on twin centuries from former captains Tillekaratne Dilshan (160 not out) and Kumar Sangakkara (105 from 87 balls), made things tough for India. But the script changed when the Indians came out to bat. Virender Sehwag (30 off 16 balls) and Sachin Tendulkar (39) kept India ahead of the required run rate. Shewag departed in his attempt to heave a short ball from Farveez Maharoof and Dilshan took a good low catch. And when Tendulkar was trapped India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to put Sri Lanka in to bat back-fired as Dilshan and Sangakkara piled on the runs with ease on a batsman-friendly wicket in cool conditions. Dilshan smacked 11 fours and three sixes, while Sangakkara came back in form with a sublime knock that included eight fours and two sixes.

India needed to achieve the target in 40 overs to gain a bonus point. Virat Kohli ensured India achieved the target.
lbw by Lasith Malinga, India were 86 for two in 9.2 overs. Malinga, however, had a forgetful night as his 24-run over in the 35th over changed the course of the match. Kohli got two off the first ball, that got him his ninth century, and then smashed a six and four consecutive fours as India jumped from 279 to 303 in just six balls. Malinga finished with one for 96. Earlier in the day, Dilshan (160 not out) and Sangakkara (105 from 87 balls) put on a record second-wicket partnership of 200 runs for Sri Lanka. Their century-double was also the biggest ODI partnership at the Bellerive. Dilshan's 160 is also the second highest at the venue after Adam Gilchrist's 172. India now have to hope that Australia beat Sri Lanka in the last match before the finals at the Melbourne Cricket Ground Friday.

Asia Cup: Sehwag rested, Sachin retained

Mumbai: Virender Sehwag was "rested" while Sachin Tendulkar was retained in the 15-member India squad for the Asia Cup in Bangladesh beginning March 11. Virat Kohli was named vice captain. Fast bowlers Zaheer Khan and Umesh Yadav were also given a break. Bengal pacer Ashok Dinda and explosive batsman Yusuf Pathan made a comeback into the national side. The squad was announced after a meeting of the selection committee here Wednesday. In-form batsman Kohli was named Mahendra Singh Dhoni's deputy for the tournament involving Pakistan, Sri Lanka and hosts Bangladesh.

The Indian men's national team has qualified for the 2012 London Games. New Delhi: Hockey India's (HI) chief sponsor Sahara India announced a cash award of Rs.1.29 crore for the Indian men's national team after the eight-time Olympic champions qualified for the 2012 London Games. Sahara will be giving Rs.11 lakh each to Sardar Singh, captain in the final against France, and Sandeep Singh, who was the top scorer with 16 goals. India had missed the 2008 Beijing Games for the first time in 80 years. The rest of the team members will get Rs.5 lakh each while the support staff will get an incentive of Rs.1 lakh each. Sahara chairman Subrata Roy said: "We are very proud that India performed so well in this tournament. Hockey is our national game and we are proud of being associated with it. This reward is a small token of appreciation from us to encourage the sportsmen and the support staff to achieve greater success and bring laurels to our beloved nation through our national sport."

Politics TheSouthAsianTimes.info

25

March 3-9, 2012

Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos is the only Republican to date to announce his candidacy to challenge incumbent Democrat Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in the November 2012 election. Polls do not favor him, but he is confident of unseating Gillibrand in an upset victory.
By Robert Golomb blame for what he refers to as failed policies solely on Obama but says that the blame must be also shared with the Democrats in the House and Senate who support those polices. Yet the Senator whom Maragos presumably has most in mind as he lays out that blame, Kirsten Gillibrand, still continues to command that three to one lead over him in the polls. When I reminded him of this, Maragos said that such polls do not worry him. Pointing to his upset victory for Comptroller in 2009, when in his first run for political office, he unseated heavily favored two term Democrat incumbent Howard Weitzman in an election settled by a mere 500 votes, Maragos retorted, I won an upset victory which no one in the political class thought possible then [in 2009], and I believe that I will unseat Senator Gillibrand in another upset victory in November [of 2012]. Maragos told me that a major part of the plan to achieve that upset victory is to challenge Senator Gillibrand to a series of debates where he explained he will first contrast their backgrounds Working in the private sector for 35 years I was a job creator Ms. Gillibrands votes first in the House and currently in the Senate have been job killers then contrast their records As Comptroller [of Nassau County] I balanced the budget my first year in office Ms. Gillibrand supported bills that have added five trillion dollars to Americas national debt and lastly contrast their policies- She has strongly supported, and I have strongly opposed President Obamas disastrous domestic and foreign relations policies. Even if Maragos handily wins these proposed debates, he still faces heavy odds against defeating a heavily financed, party establishment backed incumbent running in a state in which Democrats have bested Republicans in all but one of the past 13 state elections. Yet, based upon his past accomplishments, I do not plan to bet against him. Robert Golomb is a nationally published columnist. He writes on a range of educational, cultural, political and international topics. MrBob347@aol.com

f Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos had possessed any doubts that some political reporters are out to derail his current long shot campaign for Senate, those doubts should have been dispelled six months ago in the aftermath of the Octobers Columbus Day Parade. Maragos, the only Republican to date to announce his candidacy to challenge incumbent Democrat Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in the November 2012 election, had planned at that time to join Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Cuomo and a host of city and state elected officials and prospective candidates as they departed from the Fifth Avenue and 44th Street starting line to lead the parade. The problem though was that Maragos, who as the Nassau County Comptroller and as a candidate for the United States Senate, had been assigned a prominent spot on the starting line, was for several minutes nowhere to be found. Enter his media foes who were quick to later portray Maragos as a political neophyte, looking bewildered and standing alone as a mere spectator at the parade. For a candidate facing an uphill battle against an incumbent, who, according to a recent Sierra College poll of registered voters, continues to lead him by nearly a three to one margin, such a mirthful portrayal just as his campaign was beginning to get off the ground could have doomed from the start whatever chance he possessed of scoring an upset victory over Gillibrand. Yet there was an easily verifiable alternative version to the story not reported by the press: Unlike Cuomo and Bloomberg, who stood at the starting line surrounded by a large contingent of police bodyguards shielding them from any contact with the public, Maragos had ventured into the crowds to meet the parade watchers - which is what resulted in the brief delay in his arrival. When I interviewed Comptroller Maragos in his office last week I asked him if he was concerned that the journalists coverage of him at the Columbus Day Parade might portend to the hostility he will face in his uphill battle to unseat

Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos

Jay LaValle, Suffolk County Republican Chairman endorsing George Maragos Feb 16.

Comptroller Maragos: A confident underdog

a well funded media favorite incumbent. Maragos put his hand to his chin, seeming to give serious thought to my question, and then answered, No, in truth I am not concerned at all I have never allowed things over which I have no control to get in the way of achieving my goals - whether in business or politics I focus rather on what I can control which is and throughout the long [Senatorial] campaign will continue to be my ability to get my message out to the people. Maragos, who was quick to tell me that his Senate run does not interfere with performing his normal workweek responsibilities as Comptroller, has devoted almost every one of his weekends the past three months trying to get this message out to the public as he flies to campaign stops throughout New York State from Putnam County to Buffalo. Included in his message, he informed me, is an explicit condemnation of the Obama Administrations domestic policies: On the crisis of our national debt: The Obama Administration must stop the unnecessary spending we cannot afford Just like a family must live within its means, so must government. On our energy policy: Nothing speaks louder about the failure of Obamas energy policy than the high gas prices Americans pay at the pump. On unemployment: The fact that 25 million Americans are either unemployed or under employed is a consequence of Obamas ignorance of how a free market economy works. Maragos condemnation of the Obama Administrations foreign policy is equally explicit: On the Middle East: The Obama Administration has got its policies backward in the Middle East often criticizing Israel, our only true ally and friend in the region, while making nice to regimes that are planning to destroy both Israel and America. On our military readiness: Obamas plan to reduce our nuclear arsenal by 80%... to cut one million service men and women from our military threatens our national security. On the growing threat of a nuclear armed Iran: The Obama Administration has, despite some useless rhetoric, done nothing to stop Iran If the question is, should we allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon, the answer is never. Maragos, however, doesnt place the

26

Health TheSouthAsianTimes.info

March 3-9, 2012

Vegans have the lowest levels of cholesterol, lipids and toxins in their blood. Life expectancy of vegans is considerably higher than non-vegetarians and even vegetarians.

Vegetarian good, vegan better

By Murli Menon, tips4ceos.com CEO,

mong the mammalian species, three animals are feared by carnivores. Lions, tigers, and panthers or leopards know the unwritten law of the jungle; don't mess with elephants, rhinos and gorillas. The kings of the jungle perilously avoid even the cubs of these three species. Tigers and lions are known to hunt foxes, jackals, hyeanas or even wild dogs but never take on elephants, gorillas or rhinos in one to one combats as they have seen their kind being badly mauled in encounters with these powerful rivals. There is a common link that binds elephants, gorillas or rhinos and this link is the bond of pure vegetarianism. These three species totally subsist on a diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, grass, bamboo leaves and plants. But in terms of size, flexibility, power and ferociousness they are second to none. So much so that ivory commands a significant premium to tigers claws in the international market and poachers are more scared to shoot elephant rather than a tiger. The tiger population is nearly decreasing, whereas the elephant population is showing a slow yet steady increase in numbers. The more important fact about these three animals is that they do not consume milk from other species. An elephant cub will never drink cow or buffalo milk naturally. Similarly, cubs of rhinos and gorillas too live entirely

on mother's milk. In doing so, they follow nature's unwritten rule, "Mother's milk is the only milk that suits babies." The main reason for this rule is the fact that the digestive system of the cub is designed for milk of his own species. Whenever we drink milk from another species, we go against nature. The human being is a rational mammal and consumption of cows' milk or buffalo milk is against natural laws which prohibit inter-species milk consumption. Imagine a situation where a newly born calf approaches a lady who has just given birth requesting her to breast feed him. The natural reaction of the lady would be to shoo the calf away to his own mother (the cow) as the calf was designed to digest cow's milk. A new born calf weighs at least ten to twenty times a newly born baby. The calf's nutritional requirements, amount of nutrition needed and enzymes needed to

break down the nutrients present in his mothers' milk are far different from the requirements of a human new born. Cow's milk contains a protein called casein which needs to be broken down in the digestive system into amino acids for facilitation of absorption by the blood stream. Caseinase is the enzyme responsible for this process. However, the human digestive system lacks the natural ability to produce caesinase. Thus most of the casein present in milk remains undigested and is excreted as waste. Moreover, the consumption of milk puts an enormous amount of unnecessary stress on the human digestive tract. The intestinal tracts of cows are entirely different from humans, as humans are bipedal while cows are four -legged. Thus consumption of milk chokes up the intestinal tract in humans. The most important argument against milk consumption comes from the low absorption levels of

calcium. As most of the calcium present in the milk is attached to caesin and other proteins through globule type attachments, the calcium absorption from milk among humans is negligible. The calcium absorbed from drinking 1000 ml of milk can be obtained by eating 100 gms of boiled spinach. Scientific studies conducted by American scientists on women from Denmark and USA show interesting results. USA and Denmark are two countries where consumption of milk and dairy products is the highest. By coincidence, women in Denmark and USA also have the highest incidence of osteoporosis. Contrast this with research studies conducted by German scientists in Orissa. This research shows that tribal women in the forests of Similipal in interior Orissa have the lowest incidence of osteoporosis in the world. Coincidently these women also have the lowest consumption of dairy milk due to their existence in dense forests where their diet is mostly vegan (vegetarian and excluding dairy milk or milk products). These research studies prove that the balanced vegan diet is an ideal source of nourishment for humans and other herbivorous mammals. Many nutritionists argue that strict vegans have vitamin deficiencies, micronutrient deficiencies and protein deficiency syndromes. However I would like to question these experts. Have you ever seen an elephant with protein deficiency? The human body contains an infinite

intelligence and is perfectly capable of synthesizing all vitamins and enzymes needed for the normal functioning of the body. However, these so called nutritionists will not tell you vegans have the lowest levels of cholesterol, lipids and toxins in their blood. Life expectancy of vegans is considerably higher than both non-vegetarians or even vegetarians. Every year a million Americans are converting to vegetarianism and about 100,000 Americans are becoming vegans each year. These include teenagers, graduate, students, executives and middle aged men. Being vegan in America is considered chic. Vegans have gained snob value. There is a diet revolution in progress in USA. The reason: increasing number of Americans have realized that the teeth of human beings are designed more like a cow and less like a tiger. Human beings are designed to be vegetarian. A vegetarian diet is ideal for the body, mind and spirit. We have studied diet patterns of the inhabitants of regions where the average age is around seventy. Incidence of cancer, gout, osteoporosis and other modern ailments are almost non-existent. Ahemedabad based Murli Menon, President, phenoMenon consultants inc, is the bestselling author of "ZeNLP-the power to succeed" (Sage Publications'2004) and "ZeNLPthe power to relax" (New Dawn Press'2005) and Learning through stories (to be launched in March 2012).

India, the largest polio endemic country, has been taken off the WHO list.

Getting rid of polio can save the world $2 trillion: Kalyan Banerjee
Delhi: Getting rid of polio will give a huge boost to the world economy, saving $2 trillion spent on vaccination every year, Rotary International president Kalyan Banerjee said here Sunday. "Once polio is wiped off the face of earth, more than $2 trillion can be saved," Banerjee said on the sidelines of the Polio Summit, jointly organized by the health ministry and Rotary. "A large amount spent in vaccination rounds will be saved. In addition, the millions saved from getting paralyzed due to the virus, will also contribute to the economy," he said. India, the largest polio endemic country, was taken off the World Health Organization list, after completing a year without reporting a single polio case. The announcement was made here at the summit Saturday. According to health ministry officials, India still has a budget of around Rs.1,100 crore per annum for carrying out vaccination rounds. The amount sought for polio in 12th plan is slightly lower than the 11th plan, at the tune of Rs.4,400 crore. Rotary International, the spearheading member of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and the largest private sector donor till date, has contributed nearly 1 billion dollars (Rs.5,000 crores) worldwide to end Polio. In India alone, Rotary has contributed $148.8 million (Rs.744 crores) to fund eradication activities. Talking about the Indian success story, the Rotary president said that besides government efforts and investment of a huge amount of resource, the credit largely goes to the volunteers and health workers, who worked as foot soldiers in the war against polio. "It is important to keep the volunteers highly motivated. They played the key role," he said. Follow ups of vaccination was also an important task -- Rotary distributed cell phones to thousands of workers to send updates of the immunization status to the authorities. Maintaining the status will be a challenge and regular immunization with same vigor is need of the moment, said Banerjee.

Rotary International president Kalyan Banerjee

Lifestyle TheSouthAsianTimes.info

27

March 3-9, 2012

Lifestyle factors behind most cancers

Sydney: Lifestyle factors, not exposure to chemicals in food and consumer products, are the most significant causes of cancer, according to the latest evidence. Bernard Stewart, professor of oncology at the University of New South Wales, said: "Measures known to prevent cancer include smoking cessation, reducing alcohol intake, curbing obesity and avoiding deliberate sun exposure." "Diverting attention from these messages threatens to undermine their efficacy to deliver proven benefits," added Stewart, who systematically reviewed medical literature on known and suspected cancer hazards, the journal The Lancet Oncology reported. "Cancer is arguably the mostfeared disease in the western world, and media attention focuses on any inference of causation," he said. "Most people are aware of a multitude of possible cancer causes." While there is evidence that air

Things you may wish to have done differently

London: Failure to see more of the world, not having worked harder at school, starting smoking and not exercising enough are some of the biggest things people regret about later in life, a British survey has revealed. According to the survey, not working harder at school is one of the biggest regrets in life, and wishing we had put more effort in the classroom is the second biggest regret after not saving more money, the Daily Express reported. The survey also found that having started smoking, not exercising enough and not seeing more of the world were among the top five regrets of people. But three-fourths of the 2,000 people quizzed by "electronic" cigarette firm Electric Zebra said they did not believe it was possible to live a life without regrets. On an average, Britons spend 44 minutes every week thinking about things they should have done differently. The biggest area of regret is love lives (20 percent), family (18 percent), career (16 percent), health and finance (both 14 percent). But two-thirds said their regrets led them to think more positively

pollution contributes to cancer risk, "the risk is at least 10 times less than it is for smoking", a university statement quoted Stewart as saying. "Though exposure to very small amounts of carcinogenic (cancer-causing) chemicals occurs as a result of food contamination and by using certain consumer products, these circumstances have never been shown to cause cancer in developed countries," he said. "Cancer has not been shown to have arisen because regulatory authorities overseeing food standards or consumer product safety overlooked the evidence, with the possible exception of quicker action to ban tanning devices," Stewart said.

and they learned from their mistakes, the survey found.

Men prefer taking smartphones to newspapers in loo

London: Taking a newspaper to the toilet has long been a male preserve. But with the tech-age influencing nearly every aspect of life, even this most established of masculine habits seems to have been affected. New British research shows men are far more likely to be scrolling through their phone screens than browsing the paper, the Daily Mail reported. One in two men routinely takes his mobile phone into the toilet to surf the internet, compared to just a third taking a newspaper to the loo. The new survey, carried out by shampoo brand Head & Shoulders, found that men spend longer in the bathroom than women -- 19 minutes compared to 18 minutes on a typical week day. More than twice as many men as women take two or more showers a day - 19 percent compared to nine percent.

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Humor TheSouthAsianTimes.info

March 3-9, 2012

Humor with Melvin Durai

ou've got to feel bad for the Republican Party. They've had a number of primaries and caucuses, almost two dozen debates and countless other campaign events but still haven't found a presidential candidate who can sing as well as Barack Obama. Mitt Romney has tried, treating supporters to his rendition of "America the Beautiful." And much to his credit, when he was done singing, a large portion of the audience applauded, and the rest were quickly revived. His supporters were quick to focus on the positives of his voice. "We'll save a lot of money if we elect Romney," one supporter said. "The White House won't need an exterminator." "We can get rid of a lot of pests," another supporter agreed. "Just picture President Romney singing at a special State Dinner for Robert Mugabe and Bashar alAssad." Romney has been criticized for putting his dog, Seamus, in a crate on the roof of his car during a family trip from Massachusetts to Ontario in 1983. But as a Romney supporter said, "He likes to sing while he drives, so he was just being kind to the dog." That might be true, but what about his poor wife and kids? Shouldn't he have put them on the roof, too?

Obama's ready to serenade America again

"Hey, how come I don't have a job?" Singing may even be part of a presidential debate this fall, perhaps a debate moderated by Jim Lehrer of PBS. Lehrer: "President Obama, we've done a lot of talking tonight, so I thought we could take a short break and ask you to sing something for us." Obama: "Thanks for the opportunity, Jim. I'd like to sing 'Second Chance' by Justin Bieber. ... Give me a second chance, girl, a second chance. Give me a second chance, Ima be a better man." Lehrer: "That was great, President Obama, but I'm a little confused. Who's Ima?"

Better yet, if had strapped himself to the roof, he could have sung to his heart's content. Eight-year-old Josh Romney: "Mom, turn the radio up! I can still hear Dad singing." Ann Romney: "That's not Dad singing, Josh. We just passed the Niagara Falls." Romney's voice may seem like a minor flaw for a presidential candidate but many voters want a president who can occasionally entertain them. Just look at Obama's approval ratings -they've soared every time he has sung a few notes in public, every time he has shown, with his silky smooth voice, that he's not merely a man of substance. This is, after all, the YouTube generation and when people are busy hitting the 'like' and 'share' buttons on your singing video, they have no time for negative thoughts such as,

Obama: "I'm not sure. Hold on a second while I tweet Justin." Lehrer: "Okay, while you're doing that, let's turn to Governor Romney. Would you ... uh ... like to sing something for us?" Romney: "Sure, I'd ..." Lehrer: "Hold on, Governor Romney. ... Members of the studio audience, please be advised that Governor Romney is about to sing. If you look toward the rear, on the right side, you will see a staircase that will take you to the roof. Please don't rush. There's enough room up there for everyone."

Laughter is the Best Medicine

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

Tech Life

Facebook, Yahoo phone apps spy on users' info: Report

London: Top internet firms like Facebook, Yahoo and Flickr are able to read personal text messages and photographs sent via smartphones because many mobile phone apps give their developers the right to go through such content. Many phone users do not know that when they agree to the terms and conditions, they are actually giving developers the right to inspect their personal information, the Daily Mail reported. In some cases, the apps also get the right to collect whatever images the phone camera happens to be seeing. Facebook, Yahoo, Flickr and Badoo have all admitted to reading users' text messages through their Android smartphone apps, according to the Sunday Times. Many other apps -- some of them available for free -- also include in their terms and conditions the rights to access users' personal data. Daniel Rosenfield, director of a successful app business whose products are downloaded at a rate of 5,000 a day, said the

information was requested by advertisers. "You can sell your app but the revenue you get from selling your apps doesn't touch the revenue you get from giving your apps away for free and just loading them with advertisements," he was quoted as saying. The report said Twitter has also admitted that it copied lists of email addresses and phone numbers from people who used its smartphone application and stored them on its servers without taking users' permission. In 2007, late Apple founder Steve Jobs spoke of the dangers of intrusive apps. He warned that many "want to take a lot of your personal data and suck it up".

Astrology
TheSouthAsianTimes.info

29

March 3-9, 2012

Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874 Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899 psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com

By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma

Stars Foretell: March 3-9, 2012
ARIES: This week businessmen will explore new and more profitable avenues. New partnerships and contacts will prove to be beneficial. Sudden gains from old artifacts and belongings cannot be ruled out. Your spouse and children will be supportive and provide you with love and affection. Confiding your problems in your friends will be beneficial, as they will go out of the way to help you out. New investments, work related travel and new alliances will dominate the coming week. TAURUS: Speculation will yield profits provided you are confident where to put your money. Your determination at work will please your seniors and win you lot of appreciation from home. Overseas travel or benefits from foreign land for some. Romance, however, will suffer due to your over indulgence in work. Later in the week, some of you will go out for a vacation or pilgrimage to take a break from your daily monotonous schedule. GEMINI: This week provides hope, health and happiness. Your financial position also stabilizes as past investments start raking profits. For those at job, the coming days will be highly beneficial as they can look forward to transfers or promotions. Increase in responsibility will definitely improve your monetary benefits. Lovebirds will have a fabulous time and some will commit themselves to a matrimonial alliance. Health of your parents might suffer, causing stress, anxiety and increase in medical expenses. CANCER: This week starts with a thrust forward for those of you in the creative profession. Though you will not find money coming your way very easily, but you will receive immense recognition and appreciation for your efforts. Businessmen can expect financial benefits through speculation during this period. There will be an increase in your income, but pending debts will make it impossible for you to save. Home front will be pleasurable. Children and youngsters will demand more attention, but at the same time provide you with necessary affection and respect. LEO: This week starts with an opportunity for you to excel in your profession. Some of you will see a change in their career for the better and others will gain monetarily. Be cautious on the professional front because seniors or business partners may become unfair and try to take undue advantage of you. People in creative professions like advertising, artists and writers will receive laurels for their contributions and efforts. All those preparing to tie a knot can look forward to a happy relationship. VIRGO: Seniors, colleagues and subordinates will be very helpful. Business negotiation will work to your advantage bringing you handsome monetary benefits. Investment made in the past is likely to yield good returns. This week your spouse will be in a supportive mood and cherish moments spend with you. Children will do exceptionally well in academics and some will even win medals for their achievements in sports or social activities. Be careful of et and make it a point to adhere by the advice of your elders. LIBRA: You start this week with new energy and excitement. Professionally and financially things look much brighter, but exercise selfcontrol, restraint and abstinence to emerge a winner on all fronts. Long pending issues will get resolved and any disputes or disagreements with partners will ease out. Children, family members and relatives will be highly supportive to you and help you achieve your goals. An old friend will make an unscheduled but pleasant visit, sharing with you lots of delightful and memorable moments. SCORPIO: Significant week when you take major decisions about the future. Rethinking about your past investments and future business alliances will keep you in office overtime. Though a hectic and stressful week, it will prove to be beneficial and rewarding in the long run. This period is also good for builders and those related to construction industry. Highly memorable time for those taking a vacation as they will find themselves getting attracted into a romantic alliances. SAGITTARIUS: This week you should be prepared for some unexpected obstacles on your personal front. Love and romance alone will not succeed in cheering you up, because of your increasing dependence on those you love. Professionally this seems to be a mild period, as romantic disturbances seem to cloud your mind. Try a few outings and short trips to cheer yourself up and boost your spirits. Meditation and yoga will be ideal for spiritual as well as physical benefits. CAPRICORN: This week business related journey will prove to be highly rewarding. The likelihood of a change of job or an improvement in your work environment is quite strong. You will have tremendous confidence in your capabilities. Your creativity will win you appreciation and rewards. Your domestic front however will not be all that smooth as disagreements and arguments will buildup over non-issues. Stress related ailments like backache, headache, sleeplessness cannot be ruled out. For some, a change of residence or renovation of the house will prove highly lucky. AQUARIUS: This week you will find yourself bothered about the sudden rise in your expenses. Financial help will be rendered by your family members and friends, but that will only suffice your immediate needs. For those at job, will have to put in extra hours to wind-up pending work. Although you will please your seniors and win their appreciation, but immediate monetary gains seem unlikely. Your workaholism will be bane for your spirits as romance might take a backseat. Invest wisely. PISCES: This week you will experience some hindrances over your new projects, but you wont have trouble in overcoming them. Maintain a low profile because there will be strong forces trying to work against your interests. Clear thinking with a bit of diplomacy will ensure that you immerge a clear winner. Businessmen who will be travelling for new contracts will achieve their goals. Unexpected gains in cash and kind for some. Highly beneficial time for career women and those in the fields of art, media and garments will do extremely well.

Annual Predictions: For those born in this week

March 3 Moon is a cognitive factor that tends to have an effect on what you do. You are commanded by number 3 and a planet Jupiter. You love to live life on your own terms and dont want others to have a command on your life. Your effective communication skills and your professional expertise will take you to the heights in your career. Your superiors will have faith in your capability and they will delegate some important responsibility to you. You are able to execute your work within your deadline. Your helpful and jolly nature will attract others toward you and you are given regard for that. You keep yourself physically fit by indulging yourself in sports and other physical activities. You will go on trips frequently this year to the nearby places and or far away places which normal people only dreamt of. You love to be a part of your country and will never give a thought of staying in foreign. Months of June, November, February and March are significant to you. March 4 Planet Uranus, number 4 and the Moon, the threesome will take a toll on you and gives direction to your life. The once again concept of good events will be continued. You need not have to reject any alteration caused by the upcoming time frame. Negotiation time has approached which might put you under the top most brackets of elite people. Some other intervention will unlock your ties. You always fight for your honor and firmly believe equal rules and regulations for all. To escape from the major embarrassment if possible either takes the back foot for any conduct or knocks the door of your mind before signing it. Do not put any compromising terms nor gives other one space to include it while going for any business contract. A formula needs to be formulated before delving into the major assignment to conquer all the potholes which you meet on the way. Trading or guess work will totally be avoided. May, October, December and March will be consequential. March 5 The Moon, number 5 and planet Mercury will control you at crucial instances. A dulcet, vigorous and animated outlook which other people find very hard to avoid. Long-festering deals needs your systematic approach for which you are known for among your elders at work. You will acts as the main trouble shooter for your livelihood means. The way of working is highly trustworthy and productive. You have the ability to put some water over the simmering face which always tries to increase your temperament. Jaunting to domestic or international platform would increase the charm of life. An isolated and vibrant piece of earth will be waiting for you. Each time this quest will brings new avenues for you to explore coupled with highly complacent ambience. Kind and sensible style of talking will catch everybodys attention and increase the count of your social circle. You will learn a lot in the troupe of highly cerebral and witted people. April, August, November and February will be good time period. March 6 Planet Venus will order you, the Moon will command you and number 6 will overpower you. People revisit to you for continuous divine guidance. You always ready to charge up the atmosphere and masses around you. The air will be filled with zip at that moment. Art and music are the two major gemstone of your life. Field of choreography and verse will bring remarkable progress to your career in the time ahead. It is not easy but you did all the time of living up to the expectation of all. You provide them provision to delete all of their worries and move ahead without any fear. Not so spiritualistic and god fearing person. Without accepting any amendments in your charisma you tend to appeal people. The hard work of maintain the relation will be felt by the presence of your kins around you all the time. The spendthrift and earning money both of the activity will go hand in hand striking a balance always. July, November and March will bring the desired ensue. March 7 Number 7, planet Neptune and the Moon all put the necessary force which will help you to grow further. A man of sound thinking whom can create the high-voltage and electrify the ambience. All your work ends up in zip proving highly promoting for you. Your appearance at one place or the other is just like flash of light which reach where at what time nobody knows. The gong has rung for you at brisk pace which takes you to over the seas for elevating your bulletin board. You never stuck into the dramatic deadlock of irrational thoughts instead believe in god and highly optimistic in nature. Apparitional views do not have any impact on you instead you thoroughly study the concepts. You plunge into the work so sternly that the same promises to have profound impact on your business or professional equations. But during this activity you need to maintain the decorum of the coalition. You should look out for your divisive rule over others. August, November, December and April will be electrifying for you. March 8 Number 8 for channelizing the energy, planet Saturn for determination and the Moon for the major temptation. Your belief in life is Actions speaks louder than words. You strictly abhor putting the things on paper and just babbling about the plans. What you need is the implementation for which you are renowned for in the time ahead. Your skillfulness and earnestness will help you to rewire in a bid to set an upward trajectory to your career. It marks the difference between the normal Vs productive employee of the organization. It will act as the life line for you. Quickening perception with some radical mind will pose a great deal in your result oriented work. You never fade on the expectations of your relatives and in fact shine like the whiteness of Nirmal. The calmness and tranquility at abode will boost you up at the crucial juncture of life. Your altered schemes for your pecuniary related matters will promises to cast a shadow on the year ahead. Everyone wants to join your game and wants to make their fortune like yours. July, September and February are fruitful for you. March: 9 The written destiny will be maneuvered by number 9, planet Mars and the Moon. These three will have major impact in designing the fabric of your life. Situations demand great skills which you always tend to fulfill. You manage to attract a significant chunk of people to help you to make the right choices. You need to carefully pick the candidate who can play a key role in the formation of your enterprises. Quality mill of yours are abuzz with solemn and committed thoughts. Business circle speculate powerful regional as well as international players to join your firm. This will knit the stronger alliance and you will always have upper hand on your rivals. Your juniors are the ultimate source of delectation and help you to restore your lost liveliness amid the feverishness of the work. Sometimes you might find yourself at the crossroads where you got baffled where to head and nobody seems to help you because of your hard headedness and adamant instinct. June, September, December and March will be meaningful.

Before you consult...

i) Accurate Data: Please make sure Date, Time and Place of birth is accurate. ii) Careful: Did you check background of the astrologer before disclosing your secrets. iii) Fee: Discuss the charges before, dont feel shy. Its his business. iv) Expectation: Expect the best, if the outcome is not as desired, never give up. v) Consult: Take second opinion before spending thousands on cure/remedies.

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30

Spiritual Awareness TheSouthAsianTimes.info

March 3-9, 2012

Part two of three part series of Maharajis discourse Sharing the Divine Honey

Lead a life of honesty and truthfulness

said we could find God by being selfish. It is true that saints came for the sinners and said that everyone has an equal opportunity to find God, but they would need to change their lives and develop ethical virtues. Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj has said, Every saint has a past and every sinner a future. He explained that the kingdom of God is open to saints and sinners alike. Whatever we did in the past, we still have a chance to alter our ways by developing ethical virtues so we can enter the kingdom of God. The saints shared their spiritual wealth no matter what someones past was, but then they expected them to develop the ethical virtues if they truly wanted admittance to the home of the Lord. When people see we are nonviolent, they are inspired to also develop that virtue. For example, if in the workplace a co-worker calls us insulting names or even hits us, but instead of retaliating with violence we show them compassion and understanding, our action makes a statement to others. People will say, Look how kind they are, even when people are unkind to them. When they see that we act with love and kindness to all people, others take notice of that. They see there is something special in the way we are behaving. When most people succumb to their baser nature and want to retaliate, violence becomes the norm. But when someone is responding nonviolently, it is so unusual that others notice it. They see that we remain calm, cool, and collected in the face of the day-to-day quarrels in which people are engaged and realize we have some special quality. This often leads them to ask us how we can be so calm in the face of other peoples violence. We can then take the opportunity to tell them that we are leading a life of meditation and ethical living which is resulting in inner spiritual experiences. We are able to explain to them the benefits of a nonviolent way of life in keeping our mind and emotions calm and explain how it has a beneficial effect on our health. We can talk about how we experience less tension resulting in less stress-related ailments. We can talk about how such a way of life helps us get along better with people in our family, in our neighborhood, and at our jobs. We can explain that when we do not take revenge, the person who attacked us eventually comes around and befriends us. Such an example is powerful. One by one, others will see the benefit of leading a nonviolent way of life. Similarly, we can be a model of truthfulness. It has become all too common for people to be dishonest. Dishonesty takes many forms. Some people think their dishonesty is harmless, such as stealing from their boss or company at work, borrowing money from their friends or family on the pretense of paying it back but never paying it back, telling a who returned money they found that was not rightfully theirs. That person has guts! That person has strong morals and convictions! The result is that others respect the honest person and say, I wish I could have such bravery to own up to my mistakes. This alone may make others ask us how we have such moral fortitude. At that point we can explain what is giving us the strength to be honest. We can explain how we meditate and see and requested us to do no more? Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj used to tell people that they are forgiven if they do no more. We are all human. We are bound to make mistakes. The key is that having made a mistake and acknowledging it, we make amends so that we do not repeat that mistake. If we are honest, we will earn the respect of others. Then, when we talk about the value of a spiritual life, others will see that we are leading such a life and they will be more inclined to want to do the same. Many are egotistical. They think too much of themselves. They boost themselves up at the expense of others. They brag about how great they are. They present themselves as being better than others. It is noticeable when someone is humble. When we see others who are realistic about themselves, accepting their talents as well as their faults in an honest way, it is noticeable. When we find that someone treats others with equality and respect, it is noticeable. In a world where there is so much bigotry and prejudice, it is refreshing to find someone who loves all people as equals. When we see someone who gets along with many people, we, in turn, have great regard for such a person, and we want to find out his or her secret. We ask how is it that that person is accepted by people of all nationalities, religions, countries, or walks of life in such a positive way. When that person explains that through meditation he or she sees the Light of God shining in all people and sees all as one family of God, others are impressed. Others see that we have a life with less turmoil and more friends. They see that we are even-keeled and calm wherever we go and are not afraid to be with people who are different from us. They, too, want to lead a life with a wider range of tolerance and friendship, and they are inspired to be like us. To be continued...

By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj

here are several ways in which we can be the change we want others to undergo. It is a process of three steps: step one is meditation; step two is ethical living; and step three is leading a life of intoxication, joy, and bliss. If we can stop telling others how to live, but start leading a life of ethical living, meditation, and bliss ourselves, then others, on their own, will want to follow our lead. There are many people who preach leading an ethical life. But on closer examination, many of them are hypocrites who profess one way of living but do not follow it themselves. The end result is that when others see the mismatch between what the hypocrites say and what they do, others feel the hypocrites are not honest. Others see through them. This gives a bad name to leading an ethical life because others see such people teaching it but not living it. If we want to inspire others to lead an ethical life then we need to first do so ourselves. What is the value of an ethical life? Although ethical life alone does not lead to drinking the divine Nectar of God, it is a stepping-stone. Ethical life includes nonviolence, truthfulness, chastity, humility, and selfless service. It means living on a vegetarian diet in which we do not eat fish, fowl, meat, or eggs. It means raising our consciousness and not lowering our consciousness by using hallucinogenic or intoxicating drugs or alcohol. In each religion, the saints, Masters, prophets, and enlightened beings who have found God laid out the prerequisites for entry into Gods kingdom. Not one of them said we can find God by being violent. Not one of them said we could find God by being thieves, liars, and hypocrites. Not one of them said we could find God by being egotistic. Not one of them

Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj used to tell people that they are forgiven if they do no more. We are all human. We are bound to make mistakes. The key is that having made a mistake and acknowledging it, we make amends so that we do not repeat that mistake.

small lie, or being deceitful. It is rare in this day and age to find someone who is truthful and honest. When people see someone being honest, it is so rare that others take notice of it. They say, Wow, look at that person who admitted to making a mistake, or

the Light of God within. We can explain how we realize that God within knows whatever we do. If God sees everything, there is nowhere we can hide from God. Thus, how can we fear the judgment of other people, when God, the Source of all, knows what we have done and has forgiven us

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj is an internationally recognized spiritual leader and Master of Jyoti Meditation who affirms the transcendent oneness at the heart of all religions and mystic traditions, emphasizing ethical living and meditation as building blocks for achieving inner and outer peace. www.sos.org.