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Day dedicated to Lord Shiva Celebrated by Hindu devotees all over the world, Shivaratri is dedicated to Lord Shiva, and holy men mark the occasion by praying. Pictured is one of the sadhus from Nepal and India who gathered at the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu to take part in the Shivaratri festival, which fell on Feb 27.

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75% Indians want BJP to lead India: US survey

Russian war games heighten tensions in Ukraine crisis Simferopol, Ukraine: Masked gunmen stormed the parliament of Ukraine's strategic Crimea region as Russian fighter jets scrambled to patrol borders, while Ukraine's newly formed government pledged to prevent a national breakup with the strong backing of the West — the stirrings of a potentially dangerous confrontation reminiscent of Cold War brinksmanship. Meanwhile, Moscow granted shelter to fugitive Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, state media said. As gunmen wearing unmarked camouflage uniforms erected a sign reading "Crimea is Russia" in the provincial capital, Ukraine's

Pro-Russian demonstrators wave Russian flags during a protest in Simferopol, Crimea, Ukraine, Feb 26.

interim prime minister declared that the Black Sea territory "has been and will be a part of Ukraine." The escalating conflict sent Ukraine's finances plummet-

ing further, prompting Western leaders to prepare an emergency financial package. Yanukovych, whose approach to Moscow set off Continued on page 4

UK spy agency snooped on Yahoo webcam chats London: Britain's communications spy agency intercepted and stored screenshots from hundreds of thousands of webcams, and the multiyear operation yielded a huge trove of intimate photographs of unsuspecting users, media reports say. The Guardian says GCHQ intercepted video chats of 1.8 million users in a six-month period of 2008, and that the program was still active in 2012. The project,

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Yahoo called it a whole new level of violation of the users' privacy. code-named "optic nerve," targeted video chats such as those offered by the Yahoo Messenger service. The Guardian report is based on

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data leaked by former US National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. Yahoo said Continued on page 4

Smithsonian exhibition 16

And 8 in 10 Indians have a favorable view of Modi. Washington: A survey by a leading US think tank has found that Indians expect the BJP to do a better job in facing the various challenges faced by India. By a margin of more than three-to-one, Indians would prefer the BJP to lead the next Indian government rather than the Congress, according a survey by Pew Research Centre of America. The survey also suggests that BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Modi is more popular than Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Roughly eight-in-ten

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Indians (78 percent) have a favorable view of Modi, compared with 16 percent who hold an unfavorable view. Rahul Gandhi is seen favorably by 50 percent of those surveyed and unfavorably by 43 percent, the survey said. Seven-in-ten Indians are dissatisfied with the way things are going in India today. And by a margin of better than two-to-one, the public says the BJP would do a better job on each of a half dozen challenges facing the nation -- from combating corrupContinued on page 4

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Leena Doshi’s diagnostic firm to pay Congressmen want Diwali holiday $15 mn for false claims in New York schools

New York: A diagnostic firm founded by an Indian-American physician has agreed to pay $15.5 million to settle charges that it falsely billed federal and state health care programs and paid kickbacks to physicians. The Diagnostic Imaging Group (DIG), founded in 1985 by Mumbai native Leena Doshi, would pay $13.65 million to the federal government and an additional $1.85 million to New York and New Jersey under a settlement announced by officials of the two states. Doshi herself has not been charged or accused of any wrongdoing. The DIG, which operates a chain of diagnostic testing facilities through its subsidiary Doshi Diagnostic Imaging Services, headquartered in Hicksville, New York, was charged with billing for tests that were not performed or not medically necessary. The DIG previously operated chains in New Jersey and Florida through subsidiaries Doshi Diagnostic Imaging Services of New Jersey and Signet Diagnostic Imaging

Doshi has not been charged or accused of any wrongdoing.

Services, officials said. The settlement resolves allegations that the DIG submitted claims to Medicare, as well as the New Jersey and New York Medicaid Programs, for 3D reconstructions of CT scans that were never performed or interpreted. Additionally, the DIG allegedly bundled certain tests on its order forms so that physicians could not order other tests without ordering the additional bundled tests, which were not medically necessary. The settlement also resolves allegations that the DIG paid kickbacks to physicians for the referral of diagnostic tests. According to the govern-

ment, the kickbacks were in the form of payments that the DIG made to physicians ostensibly to supervise patients who underwent nuclear stress testing. These payments allegedly exceeded fair market value and were, in fact, intended to reward physicians for their referrals. "Paying physicians for their referrals and submitting false claims to increase Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements simply cannot be tolerated," said Daniel R. Levinson, inspector general of the US Department of Health and Human Services. "Besides levying a hefty penalty, the settlement requires an independent organization to review Diagnostic Imaging Group's claims for five years and to send reports to the government." The allegations resolved under the settlement were raised in three lawsuits filed in 2009 and 2010 in federal courts under whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. The three whistleblowers will receive a total of $2.77 million as part of the settlement.

Washington: Noting that Diwali has been gaining increasing recognition in the US, six US lawmakers have urged New York City's education department to include the Indian festival of lights among new public school holidays. The plea was made in a letter last week by Joe Crowley, Democratic cochair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, along with House members Charles B. Rangel, Grace Meng, Gregory W. Meeks, Yvette D. Clarke, and Carolyn B. Maloney "We appreciate your consideration of school holidays that reflect our diverse city and ensure that students aren't forced to choose between attending school and observing important holidays with their families," wrote the lawmakers in the letter to schools chancellor Carmen Fariña.

Curbs on US author's book on Hinduism ignites row Washington: Penguin latest assault on free India's decision to withspeech in India", the draw from publication Times said in an editorial and pulp copies of an last week. American professor's "The publisher's move is book on Hinduism in an likely to encourage more out of court settlement demands for censorship," has ignited a fiery debate it said, suggesting "the in the US on freedom of wanton abuse of laws the speech in India. restricting speech is creatThe reactions have ing a climate of fear" and ranged from anger to sad"enemies of free speech ness to jubilation dependhave pledged to get even ing on which side of the The controversy more books banned". has sent the "The debate one is on. Alyssa Ayres, a senior Hindus: An If the New York Times fellow for India, Pakistan Alternative branded it "Muzzling and South Asia at the History" book Speech in India", an Council on Foreign author and activist called shooting toward Relations (CFR), was the top of it a "moral victory" for more circumspect. Amazon's bestHindus. Saddened, he wrote, "One seller ranks. Pulping of "The of the great things about Hindus: An Alternative History" by India is the wonderful acceptance of Wendy Doniger, who teaches vigorous disagreement." Hinduism at the University of But now "it is getting harder to recChicago Divinity School, "is only the oncile the India that symbolizes

robust democracy, pluralism on a grand scale, and the lessons of tolerance, with another India tiptoeing to avert hurt feelings", she wrote. Doniger told the Times that she expected the book to meet trouble in India. Noting that "she wasn't the only author to face scrutiny by Hindu fundamentalist groups", Doniger said that "right now people are really worried about what's happening in India" and that has spurred "this tremendous outpouring of indignation" about the fate of her book. In her book, Doniger said she wanted "to tell a story of Hinduism that's been suppressed and was increasingly hard to find in the media and textbooks". The author told the Times she "had no plans officially to protest the decision in India" and expressed gratitude for the good run the book had there. In the US too, the controversy has sent the book shooting toward the top of Amazon's bestseller ranks.

Diwali is a festival of great significance to millions of Indians and is widely celebrated amongst the three million-plus Indian-American community, as well as others, noted a media release from Crowley's office. Crowley, who represents Queens, led his colleagues in creating the first-ever Congressional celebration in October 2013. The lawmakers representing New York City said they supported a potential

move to recognize Eid alFitr, Eid al-Adha and Lunar New Year as New York City public school holidays and urged the chancellor to include Diwali on the list. "In fact, this year the Congressional Caucus on India and IndianAmericans celebrated the first-ever Congressional Diwali, and the White House has recognized the festival under successive administrations," the lawmakers noted.

Blakeman runs for Carolyn McCarthy’s seat in Congress New York: Republican Bruce Blakeman launched his campaign to succeed retiring Rep. Carolyn McCarthy Thursday, attacking President Obama and House Democrats on the economy and the health care law. Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) endorsed candidacy of Blakeman, the Nassau County Legislature's former presiding officer, at a meeting in Valley Stream. But King predicted a "rough" campaign to succeed McCarthy (D-Mineola): "I know of no one more qualified to run in this district than Bruce Blakeman." The National Republican Congressional Committee first wooed Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray for the 4th District, but King said the committee is now

Bruce Blakeman has been endorsed by Rep Peter King (right). On the Democratic side, Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice is in the race.

"very interested" in Blakeman. Blakeman, 58, of Long Beach, has run unsuccessfully for state comptroller and U.S. Senate. On the Democratic side, Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice is running.

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INOC apprises CG of issues with consular services New York: A delegation of the Indian National Overseas Congress (I) USA led by its national President Shudh Parkash Singh presented a memorandum to Consul General Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay on Feb 26, described the problems Indian community is facing across America for poor passport and visa services. Last year INOC had suggested to the Prime Minister to overhaul the systems at Indian consulates and grant more funds for improving the infrastructure. The consul general confirmed that the outsourcing company for visa services is being changed. and hoped the services will dramatically improve once the new company takes over. He showed the delegation the improvements already made in the visitors area of the consulate. The passport/visa section is being renovated. INOC press release also mentions some of the changes CG Mulay is implementing: CCTV cameras have been put

NYIT student missing Jasmine Joseph, 22, a nursing student, has been missing since 24th Feb from New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), Old Westbury campus. Her father, Soni Joseph, hailing from Kerala, resident of Syosset in Long Island, is requesting anybody with any clue about the girl to call him at 516-364-4813.

Accompanied by INOC leaders, Shudh Prakash Singh presented a memorandum to Consul General Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay.

in the consulate basement for safety and security.  CG reviews daily reports on number of visas/passports issued and not issued. The consulate records are being digitized. The first floor of the consulate will soon be cleared and decorated for use of the community. The main hall will be open to the community for hosting events. INOC demands and suggestions in the memorandum included:

There should be transparency in selection of the new outsourcing company.  The consulate services area should be moved out of the basement to the first floor. The visa passport services area for public should be made upscale. The rules for issuing visas to Sikhs on political asylum should be changed.. Consulate should do Town hall type public meetings all over its territory outside Manhattan.

NJ Sikhs demand action against hate crimes By Jinal Shah Jersey City, NJ: Agitated by two hate crime incidents in two months, the Sikh community here is demanding greater representation in the city’s administration to tackle the problem. On Wednesday, about 40 members of Jersey City’s Sikh community met with City Council members Joyce Watterman, Daniel Rivera, Richard Boggiano and Khemraj Ramchal and police officials to raise the issue. Sunny Kumar, of Nanak Naam Jahaj Gurdwara of NJ, recounted an assault on Indrajit Singh, 34 on Feb 15 on Liberty Avenue off Carlton Avenue during a dispute over snow shoveling.

Indrajit was told, "Osama go back home. You don't belong here." The man's beard was torn out and he was beaten with a shovel. He had to be taken to Jersey City Medical Centre. In January, two Sikhs – K.D. Singh, 35 and Prabajoti Singh, 37 -- were punched and kicked because of "the way they looked", Kumar said. One of them suffered a broken wrist and the other facial bruises. In both the cases a police complaint was lodged and arrest was made in Indrajit’s case. The Sikhs said they would like to participate in more cross-cultural events to increase awareness of their culture. “Awareness and understanding of Sikh culture and traditions is key.

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TheSouthAsianTimes.info 75% Indians want BJP to lead ... Continued from page 1 tion to fighting terrorism. The Pew survey results are based on face-toface interviews with 2,464 randomly selected adults across India between Dec 7 and Jan 12. The margin of error is 3.8 percent. Dissatisfaction with recent developments in India is remarkably widespread among both BJP supporters and Congress backers, young and old, rich and poor, city dwellers and ruralites, the survey says. But views of the major parties vary across the country, with support for a BJP-led government strongest in north India. However, backing for the BJP is roughly equal in both rural and urban areas despite Congress's deep roots in rural India and its efforts to cement rural political support through employment and food security programs.Pew Research centre said its survey did not directly ask about vote choice or the likelihood that a respondent would vote, and it could not gauge the level of support for either the BJP or Congress in particular constituencies. But it reveals a widespread desire among Indians for a change in leadership. After Modi, Anna Hazare, is the second most popular of the national figures tested in the survey. Russian war games heighten... Continued from page 1 three months of pro-Europe protests, finally fled by helicopter last weekend as his allies deserted him. The humiliating exit was a severe blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had been celebrating his signature Olympics even as Ukraine's drama came to a head. Putin had dreamt of pulling Ukraine — a huge country of 46 million people considered the cradle of Russian civilization — closer into Moscow's orbit. For Ukraine's neighbors, the specter of Ukraine breaking up evoked memories of centuries of

bloody conflict. "Regional conflicts begin this way," said Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski, calling the confrontation "a very dangerous game." Russia has pledged to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity. But the dispatch of Russian fighter jets Thursday to patrol borders and drills by some 150,000 Russian signaled strong determination not to lose Ukraine to the West. In the capital, Kiev, the new PM said Ukraine's future lies in the European Union, but with friendly relations with Russia. Western leaders lined up to support the new Ukrainian leadership, with the German and British leaders warning Russia not to interfere. On Thursday, the White House said welcomed the Ukrainian parliament's efforts to stabilize the country. UK spy agency snooped on Yahoo... Continued from page 1 Thursday the report represents "a whole new level of violation of our users' privacy." The Californiabased company also said it was not aware of the snooping and would never condone it. The newspaper said the spy agency refused to answer a series of questions about the reported program. It said the snooping was at least in part aimed at identifying targets using automatic facial recognition software. The report also said the British agency eventually excluded images in which software had not detected any faces from search results, as part of an effort to prevent staff from viewing explicit images. Previous disclosures from Snowden, who faces criminal charges in the United States and lives in exile in Russia, show the NSA was actively exploring the surveillance potential of video game consoles. NSA analysts also are thought to have infiltrated virtual games like "World of Warcraft" to spy on targets.

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Indian-Americans gear up to campaign for Lok Sabha polls Washington, DC: Taking advantage of the latest info tech revolution, an unprecedented number of Indian-Americans are gearing up for active participation in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. A few of the Indian-Americans have already started campaigning to get a Lok Sabha ticket from various political parties - the BJP, the Congress and the Aam Admi Party. Given the initial response so far, there seems to be greater enthusiasm among the supporters of the BJP and AAP in the US. The American chapters of both the political parties have already created an army of volunteers.While hundreds of them would travel to India during the election campaign period, several thousands of supporters of both these parties would call their friends and relatives back home to vote in favor of their candidates. In an effort to boost their party base, both the Overseas Friends of BJP-USA and AAPUSA over the past one month have been holding a series of Google hangouts with their top leaders urging them expand their party base in the US, but also donate funds for election and launch phone campaigning. "This is a historic election. We Indian Americans need to actively participate in the general elections," said Chandrakant Patel, president of OFBJP-USA."Indian-Americans supporters of BJP and Narendra Modi would be campaigning through social media and phone calls, for which several thousand volunteers have come forward and their number is swelling every day," he said, adding hundreds of BJP supporters are planning to travel to India for the campaign. "The voice of NRIs have a greater impact on the people," he said. AAP-USA leader Pran Kurup said his party was doing frequent Google hangouts with NRIs. AAP has in fact launched a dedicated website for the Indian diaspora. Encouraged by the success in Delhi assembly polls, the AAP supporters are planning to adopt Lok Sabha constituencies. "Several volunteers' teams have been formed all across the world, including many cities in the US. These teams are self-running for the most part similar to AAP's Swaraj concept while they are still sufficiently coordinated to share the do's and don'ts from each other," he said. The party is also using Google hangouts for fund raising campaigns. For instance in one hangout last month, it generated donations of over Rs 20 lakhs.

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INOC urges foreign ministry for proper vetting of BLS replacement BLS International is the visa processing agency in America that people had problems with. New York: INOC leaders met Ministers of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed and Preneet Kaur last week in Delhi and urged transparency and community input into selec ing a replacement for BLS International, the current vendor who has done a disservice to the community and the nation, their press release said. The team comprised George Abraham (Chairman), Mohinder Singh Gilzian, Harbachan Singh, Sawaran Singh and Juned Qazi apprised them about the grievances of the Indian community in dealing with BLS, the visa processing agency that replaced Travisa. They also made a submission to External

Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid who is said to have terminated the contract with BLS. Said George Abraham: “We cautioned the ministry about a re-packaged BLS under another name as this group seems to have quite a bit of political clout dealing with the Government.” The leaders also expressed their appreciation and support to the efforts of New York Consul General D.M. Mulay who has sent in his recommendations on the issue. INOC has requested the foreign ministry to probe the termination of the BLS contract and ask for new

George Abraham (second from left) and INOC leaders meeting Preneet Kaur, Minister of State for External Affairs.

bids in New York and make the selection after proper vetting by a board which should perhaps have a representative from the local Indian Community as well. According to some reports, passport and visa applications wait in the BLS office for many weeks,

upsetting tourists and businessmen in their planning of trips to India. There are also allegations of corruption targeting the unsuspected visa seekers. The Ministry has not denied the reports that of the issuance of visas to people who may have received political asylum.

Vikram Pandit launching new consulting firm

Prof Abraham Verghese was awarded for his authorship

Sanjeev Arora received it for using technology for community healthcare

Abraham Verghese and Sanjeev Arora conferred prestigious Heinz awards New York: Two Indian-origin men are among this year's prestigious Heinz Awards recipients. Abraham Verghese, a professor at Stanford University Medical School, and Dr Sanjeev Arora of Albuquerque in New Mexico will be honored in Pittsburgh April 3, the Heinz Family Foundation announced on its website Tuesday. The five recipients will receive a cash award of $250,000 each as well as a medallion inscribed with an image of late Senator John Heinz. Abraham Verghese, who was born to parents from Kerala in Ethiopia, was given the award in recognition of his best-selling authorship. In his first book, 'My Own Coun-

try', he wrote extensively about AIDS in rural areas of Tennessee. Verghese did his MBBS degree from Madras University in 1979. Albuquerque physician Dr. Sanjeev Arora has been named the winner of the Heinz Family Foundation’s 2014 Public Policy award for his work on Project ECHO, an effort to use telemedicine to bring health care to rural New Mexicans. The awards recognize outstanding individuals for their contributions in the fields of arts, humanities, environment, human Condition, public policy, technology, economy and employment. The awards are conferred annually by the Heinz Family Foundation and were instituted in 1993.

New York: Citigroup's former Indian-American CEO Vikram Pandit is partnering with the co-author of the popular "Freakonomics" book series to launch a new consulting business, according to a media report. Aimed at helping companies improve their cultures and use of technology, Pandit's new firm called TGG, is promoting "a novel approach to address the challenges that large complex organizations face in compliance, fraud, corruption, and culture and reputation," according to the Wall Street Journal. "We think the results are transformative for companies looking to create a culture of performance and integrity," Hamid Biglari, one of Pandit's former Citigroup lieutenants and a managing partner of the new venture, was quoted as saying in an email to top executives at Deutsche Bank. Another plus, according to the email cited by the Journal: Pandit and Biglari's "domain expertise" from their time running Citigroup. Biglari's email says TGG's partners include Steven Levitt, co-author of the "Freakonomics" series that combines economics with everyday decision-making, and Daniel Kahneman, a winner of the Nobel Prize in economics. Levitt and Kahneman already helped create a Chicago-based con-

Vikram Pandit

sulting firm called The Greatest Good. The venture is the latest effort by the 57-year-old Pandit to bounce back after leaving Citigroup two years ago. TGG's aim is to use insights into human behavior, economics and socalled big data-the crunching of evergreater volumes of information more quickly and deeply-to help large, complex companies analyze employee behavior, management decisionmaking, business models and strategy, the Journal said. The new company doesn't have any clients yet, but Pandit and Biglari plan to use their networks of CEO contacts around the world to identify prospective customers in the banking industry and beyond, it said citing a person with knowledge of their plans.

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Free ‘Chronic Disease Self Management Program’ from April 13-May 28 he Chronic Disease Self-Management Program was created by Stanford University and is being sponsored by the NJ Department of Health and Human Services. It consists of workshops given 2 ½ hours weekly for six weeks in community settings. The program focuses on challenges that are common to individuals living with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, chronic pain, anxiety, etc. The target audience includes those with chronic diseases and their caregivers. The goal of this program is to empower attendees with the skills they need to effectively and optimally manage their conditions. The workshops are facilitated by two trained leaders. Topics covered include: managing your symptoms, getting started with healthy eating and exercise, communicating effectively with your physician, managing fear, anger and frustration, and making daily

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tasks easier. Studies indicate that those who have taken the program demonstrated significant improvement in overall health and quality of life. South Brunswick Health Department in partnership with the Middlesex County Office of Health Services and Indian Health Camp of NJ – IHCNJ will be offering this free program at the South Brunswick Municipal Building beginning April 23, 2014, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Participants are expected to make a commitment to all six sessions. They will receive a copy of “Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions.” To learn more about this workshop and to register contact Nancy MacKay at 732-3294000 ext. 7258 (South Brunswick Health Department) or Dr. Tushar Patel at 848-391-0499 or e-mail [email protected]. Class size is limited and enrollment will be on first come first serve basis and is open to all residents.

Nina Davuluri to be chief guest at TANA gala in NJ Event will recognize prominent Telugu women he Telugu Association of North America (TANA) will host a gala event in celebration of Women and Youth Day on March 8 at the Royal Albert’s Palace in Edison, New Jersey. Miss America Davuluri, whose parents hail from Andhra Pradesh, will serve as Chief Guest of the event. She is the first woman of Asian descent to win the renowned pageant. She will be joined at the TANA event by several other prominent Telugu and Telugu Americans: Aruna Miller, the first Telugu woman ever elected to a state legislature (Maryland), will be a guest of honor; Arvind Mahankali, the defending champion of the Scripps National Spelling Bee; Subha Vedula, a semifinalist in the 2012 season of “American Idol;”

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Ramya Ramana, the youth-laureate poet who performed at the inaugural ceremony of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio; and many more. The event will also recognize prominent Telugu women who have made significant contributions to their communities and fields of work. According to the press release issued by TANA, the honorees will be “Telugu Woman STARs from the Mid-Atlantic region, including Dr. Tulasi Polavarapu, Dr. Sunitha Kanumury, Dr. Meera Boppana, Dr. Shalini Patcha, Dr. Janani Krishna, Janaki Rao, Jayaprada Vallurupalli, Saroja Sagaram and Shobha Tummala will be recognized for their achievements and many contributions to the community.”

Town of Hempstead celebrates India Republic Day hough winter weather prompted the postponement of Hempstead Town’s India Republic Day ceremony in January, snow didn’t get in the way Feb 21 as Supervisor Kate Murray and Senior Councilman Anthony J. Santino led the annual celebration of Indian American culture at Town Hall. Hempstead Town’s 11th annual celebration, co-sponsored by the India American Forum, is Long Island’s only India Republic Day ceremony. India Republic Day, observed on January 26th, marks the establishment of India as a republic and its liberation from British rule. The event featured an impressive display of cultural dances and musical performances, appearances and speeches by distinguished guests and a cultural food reception provided through the generosity of Akbar Restaurant of Garden City. The event was capped off by Hempstead Town’s presentation of the 2014 India Republic Day Awards. This year’s honorees were Narendra Hadpawat, M.D., and Bina Sabapathy. Hadpawat, a Five Towns resident, is a founder of one of the most successful cardiology practices on the south shore of Long Island and has been the director of Medicine and Cardiology at Peninsula Hospital for over 20 years. Bina Sabapathy, an active member of Vedic Heritage, a religious organization located in Hempstead, is Vice President of the India Association of Long Island. Indu Jaiswal, Chairperson of Indian American Forum welcomed every one and thanked the Town of Hempstead and Supervisor Murray for continuing the traditions of India Republic Day Celebrations. Also a warm welcome was given to Nasreen Ahmed, who made

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Community members at the flag hoisting ceremony

history by getting elected to the Town Clerk Position. Key note speaker Thomas S Gulotta , in his remarks praised the efforts and achievements of Indian American community in USA. Mr. Gulotta was also honored by the Town of Hempstead and Board of Trustees and Board Members of Indian American Forum. Several community leader and dignitaries were present, Members from Martin Luther King Group, Reverend Elliott, Dr Ajay Lodha, President of AAPIQLI, Animesh Goenka, Satnam Prahar, President of India Association of Long Island, Zahid Syed, Chairman of Human rights commission in Nassau County, Deputy Commissioners in Nassau County Ratna Bhalla, Sunita Manjarekar. Jaya Bhooplapur, Sunita Sadhnani and many Rotary Club members, Dr Anila Midha, President of South Asian Womens Alliance, Giri and Indu Chhabra from Hindu Center, members from Vedic Heritage in Hempstead, and NY Kali Mandir in Baldwin and several other community leader graced the evening. Cultural programs were choreographed by Satya Pradeep and Sangeeta Pandit and vocal performances were Parth Merai, Mayuri Gowda and Rhea Manjrekar.

$1.5 million Hindu temple planned in Tampa $1.5 million and 10,600 square feet Hindu temple has been planned in Tampa, Florida, which hopes to complete construction in 24 months. Existing Sanatan Mandir in about 4,000 square feet, whose history goes back to 1989 and which has been a Jewish synagogue, will

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be reportedly remodeled into a Community Hall when the new temple starts functioning. According to reports, a permit has been obtained to build this new temple which will have five shikhars visible from Interstate 275 and a state-of-the-art audiovisual system, reports suggest.

Indian youth must work to end inequality: Jesse Jackson xhorting India's youth to "care" and rise to the challenge of eradicating inequality and poverty, American civil rights activist Jesse Jackson Wednesday highlighted the issue of brain drain from India. "Some of the best minds today are from India...many Persian Gulf nations export oil...others export timber and some export cocoa, some export diamonds. There is a brain drain and India is exporting brains," he said while addressing students at the Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta (IIM-C). "Your generation doesn't have the burden of...liberation of the country....It is your challenge to move us from freedom to equality," he said.

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D.R. Mehta, the founder of Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), known the world over for devising the Jaipur Foot, was felicitated at a dinner at the Indian Consulate in New York in the presence of Amb. Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay, the Consul General of India last week. He is seen here explaining the working of the Jaipur Foot to the alumni of Harvard Business School during the latter's visit to Jaipur Foot center. The Jaipur Knee was designed at the Stanford University. Mehta and Lynda Applegate professor at the Harvard Business School help a handicap try his hands on the tricycle.

Jackson, who ran for the US Presidency, urged students to think about the country and overcome odds to bring about change. Highlighting the growing importance and contributions of Indians globally, he said: "Some of the best minds in the world are Indians. The driving force in the Silicon Valley in America are Indians." "Across the board, we see a growing body of Indian brains being put at work to change the world. How do you reconcile this level of technological science and capital concentration with a third of the population being trapped in poverty," he questioned. "This generation must end poverty," Jackson said.

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March 1-7, 2014

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Jindal slams Obama for waving 'white flag of surrender' on job growth Washington, DC: Louisiana's Indian-American governor, a potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate, has accused President Barack Obama of "waving the white flag of surrender" on the economy by focusing on a limited set of executive actions. "I think there are things we can do instead of waving the white flag of surrender, instead of declaring this economy to be a minimum wage economy," he said emerging with a group of governors from a meeting Monday with Obama that stressed bipartisan cooperation. “I think our economy, I think America can do better," said Jindal, who is term-limited and is considering a White House run in 2016. Slamming Obama for his executive order raising the minimum wage for federal contractors to $10.10 per hour, he said that's the wrong place for the White House to be focusing its energies. "The Obama economy is now the minimum wage economy. I think we can do better than that, I think America can do better than that," Jindal

frankly," Malloy was quoted as saying. Jindal cut in with a response. If his earlier statements were the most partisan thing Malloy heard all weekend, "I want to make sure he hears a more partisan statement: that if Oba-

Jindal least popular Governor? f home state approval ratings are any indication, the Daily Beast reported, it is likely that presidential candidate Governor Jindal doesn’t stand a chance. Past performance is supposed to predict future results in politics as well. For instance George W. Bush boasted of a 76 percent approval rating two years before he began running for president. And the previous two governors to win their party’s nominations—Bill Clinton and Michael Dukakis—similarly boasted high approvals back home. As far as the 2016 presidential contest is concerned there seems to be a close call between Indiana’s

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Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is 2016 Republican presidential candidate hopeful

said suggesting that the president rein in regulations and expand drilling on federal lands to boost economic growth. Connecticut's Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy said Jindal's comments strayed from the civil discourse that dominated the weekend meeting of the National Governors' Association, according to Politico, a

media site focusing on politics. "There are differences here and you just heard what I think ended up being the most partisan statement that we had all weekend," he said. "I don't know what the heck was a reference to white flag when it comes to people making $404 a week. I mean, that's the most insane statement I've ever heard, quite

Afghanistan, Monday. "We have active duty but the active duty hasn't felt the pain that the National Guard has felt and this is not how you show your thanks," she was quoted as saying by CNN. Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel unveiled the department's spending plan for 2015 and beyond, which reduces the size of the Army to its preWorld War II size. All military forces, both active and reserve, would be cut under the budget plan. Speaking at a press conference by the Re-

Mike Pence and Arkansas’ Mike Beebe. Pence boasts a 63 percent approval rating, higher than any of his fellow Republican governors, according to a polling average analysis by The Daily Beast. And the Arkansas Democrat, despite presiding over a state that is trending Republican, gets the nod of approval from 66 percent of Arkansas voters, the highest among any of his fellow Democrats. Jindal has a 35/53 approval/disapproval number, putting him 18 points under water, a figure only better than Illinois’ Pat Quinn and Rhode Island’s Lincoln Chafee, who are not seeking re-election.

Organizers run out of words as IndianAmerican boy locked in epic Spelling Bee tie

Nikki Haley calls military budget cuts a 'slap in the face' Washington, DC: South Carolina's Indian American governor Nikki Haley has blasted the Obama administration's plan to make cuts to the reserve military force while reducing the size of the army to its pre-World War II size. "It really is a slap in the face to anyone who has served over this past decade multiple times and left their life to do this," said the Republican governor, whose husband is in the National Guard and recently returned from a oneyear deployment to

ma really wants to grow the economy, he should delay the Affordable Care Act mandates.” "We think we can grow the economy. We think we can do better than the minimum wage economy," he said, wrapping up his rebuttal.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, with her husband Michael - a member of the National Guard, slammed President Obama for being cavalier about cutting the defense budget.

publican Governors Association following a bipartisan meeting of governors at the White House, Haley said Monday's conclave largely had a respectful tone until the discussion turned toward military cuts at the end.

Washington, DC: An epic duel running into an astounding 66 rounds between a 13-year-old Indian-American boy and an 11-year-old girl in Missouri ended in a tie as the Spelling Bee organizers actually ran out of words. The battle at a branch of the Kansas City Public Library Sunday was between Kush Sharma, a seventh-grader at Frontier School of Innovation, and Sophia Hoffman, a fifthgrader at Highland Park Elementary, CNN reported. The original pool of 25 students was quickly whittled to just Kush and Sophia. The two

will go head-to-head again March 8 for a spot in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington. Indian-Americans have dominated the contest over the years. New York student Arvind Mahankali won the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee, breaking a personal fouryear losing streak. Kush and Sophia burned through that list, as well as 20 other words organizers picked from the dictionary when they realized it was possible they might need more words, Mary Olive Thompson, outreach coordinator for Kansas City Pub-

Kush Sharma (right) and Sophia Hoffman

lic Library, said. "The officials were fatigued. The kids weren't tired. They had endless energy and were doing an amazing job," she was quoted as saying. He told CNN he would work hard for the rematch and would study every free minute of the day if he scores a place in the national bee. "I'm looking forward to seeing how far Sophia can push me and how far my skills can go," he was quoted as saying.

Infogroup sues Clinton-backer Vinod Gupta Washington, DC: After agreeing to pay $13 million to resolve investors' claims that directors sold Infogroup on the cheap to bail out founder Vinod Gupta, a former financial backer of Bill Clinton, the company's new owners have sued Gupta. Papillion, Nebraska-based Infogroup has alleged that Gupta's Omaha-based rival company called Database 101 has improperly recruited InfoGroup employees and accessed InfoGroup computer secrets. Accusing Gupta of copying the look of Infogroup's websites, the new Infogroup suit also claims that it "recently has uncovered evidence that DB101 has obtained access to InfoGroup-protected computer systems or information stored on such

systems on or about June 2013". Gupta said the suit was without merit and that he has only hired former Infogroup employees who were let go as part of job cuts at the rival company, according to Omaha World-Herald. InfoGroup declined to comment, citing a policy on pending and past litigation, the World-Herald said. The suit alleges deceptive trade practices, breach of contract, computer fraud, false advertising and other behavior. InfoGroup is seeking a jury trial, injunctions against what it calls misconduct, and unspecified damages. In the previous Feb 5 deal, InfoGroup agreed to pay over $13 million from insurance to settle the class-action lawsuit brought by the

New Jersey Carpenters Pension Fund, according to a Delaware Chancery Court filing. Gupta browbeat InfoGroup's board into selling the company to CCMP Capital Advisors LLC for $463 million, shortchanging investors, the fund said. Gupta was described in the suit as favoring a quick sale after spending lavishly on luxury goods and travel and consulting fees for former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. Gupta, according to the WorldHerald, said that his relationship with the Clintons earned huge dividends for Infogroup and that the company was fortunate to attract the buyout offer it did get. Gupta also used company money

to support favored Clinton charities and for luxury cars used for personal and family transportation, the shareholder suit alleged. Gupta said his relationship with the Clintons, including money spent in their direction, was repaid to Infogroup many times over, leading to business with the Democratic National Committee and other organizations. "Through the Clintons, we got to know new potential customers 'and big ones'," Gupta said. "Companies like Google and Yahoo." Meanwhile, pursuant to the Delaware court order, lawyers have issued a notice to all holders of Infogroup stock between Aug 20, 2008 and July 1, 2010 of pendency and proposed settlement of

Vinod Gupta, former CEO of Infogroup

class action. The Delaware court is scheduled to hold a settlement hearing April 30 to determine whether it should grant final approval and certification of the proposed settlement.

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NATIONAL COMMUNITY

March 1-7, 2014

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

10 Indian-Americans in fray for high political offices Washington, DC: As many as 10 Indian-Americans are eyeing high political office from governor to attorney general to membership of the House of Representatives in the November 2014 Congressional and state elections. With two Indian-Americans, Bobby Jindal and Nikki Haley, already holding the governor's jobs in Louisiana and South Carolina respectively, a third one, Neel Kashkari, a former top treasury department official, has entered the fray in California. Another Indian-American, Kamala Harris is seeking re-election for attorney general in California, America's largest state in terms of population which is home to thousands of Indian-American techies. Ami Bera, the only Indian-Ameri-

can Congressman and the third ever, is seeking re-election from the Seventh Congressional District of California, while Ro Khanna, a former top Obama administration official, is challenging sitting Democrat Mike Honda in the 17th District. Challenging Democrat Khanna, former deputy assistant secretary of commerce, is yet another IndianAmerican, Vanila Mathur Singh. An associate professor at Stanford University's School of Medicine, she has entered the fray from the Republican Party. Democrat Upendra Chivukula, the first Indian-American lawmaker in New Jersey state assembly, now plans to run for the US House of Representatives from the state's 12th Congressional District with party colleague Rush Holt retiring.

Top (L to R): Neel Kashkari, Kamala Harris, Ami Bera, Ro Khanna, Vanila Mathur Singh

Bottom (L to R): Upendra Chivukula, Manan Trivedi, Amardeep Kaleka, Swati Dandekar, Manju Goel

After losing twice, Democrat Manan Trivedi plans to run for the House of Representatives for the third time in Pennsylvania. Indian-American film maker Amardeep Kaleka is challenging 2012 Republican vice presidential

candidate Paul Ryan in the first Congressional District of Wisconsin. He is the son of the Wisconsin Sikh Temple (gurdwara) president Satwant Kaleka, one of the six victims of the August 2012 Oak Creek gurdwara shootout. Swati Dandekar, the

first Indian-American to be elected to Iowa House of Representatives in 2002, is now seeking to enter the US Congress. Indian-American Manju Goel is seeking election on a Republican ticket from the Eighth Congressional District of Illinois.

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj featured Sikh American drives away Pentagon's Vikram Singh guest editor in The Times of India with victory in Minnesota joining Washington think tank Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, head of Science of Spirituality

Delhi, India: Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj was invited to be guest editor of the Times of India Speaking Tree, an 8-page special edition, published on February 2 in Delhi. His featured article, “Dealing with Stress and Anger,” (p. 1), gave readers practical tips for daily life and how meditation can keep them calm and balanced. The issue also included other articles focused on meditation. Dr. Louis A. Ritz, professor of neurosurgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, wrote “Meditate!,” explaining how meditation can bring positive changes to the brain. The article “Boost Performance; Banish Pain,” by Kunwarjit Singh Duggal M.D. from the Chicago area in Illinois, detailed how meditation can improve performance at work, in sports, and in school as well as reduce pain. Dr. Rimjhim Duggal Stephens, who combines alternative medicine and wellness techniques in her practice in Vancouver where she teaches pathology, contributed “Take Time Out.” She describes how taking time to meditate

actually saves time by making a person more productive. Published in India and sold throughout the world, the special Times of India Speaking Tree edition reaches millions of people. It is raising awareness of the value of meditation on the inner Light and Sound as taught by Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj. Head of Science of Spirituality/Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission and president of the Human Unity Conference, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji is also author of many best-selling books, such as Meditation as Medication for the Soul, Spark of the Divine, Inner and Outer Peace through Meditation, and Empowering Your Soul through Meditation, all available through Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com in both book and Kindle eBook format. He recently presided over the 27th International Conference on Human Integration in Delhi, India earlier this month. For more information about Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, his program schedule, and meditation, please visit www.sos.org.

Washington, DC: A Sikh American in Minnesota drove away with a victory when he won the right for the community in the US state to wear their turbans in driver's licence photos. Last month when Blaine resident Jatinder Singh went to the local Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) office to get Jatinder Singh proudly his licence re- flashes his driving permit newed, he was told his turban was not allowed in his driver's license photo. He then went to the Sikh American Legal Defence and Educational Fund (SALDEF), a community organization, which pointed DVS officials to the department's explicit policy on religious accommodation. In fact, the department's own guidance material shows examples of compliant photographs, including a full-face photo of a Sikh American man wearing a turban. Following SALDEF's intervention, Singh was able to get his licence with his articles of faith intact. Apologizing for the incident, DVS director, Patricia McCormick, pledged to work with SALDEF on religious accommodation training of DVS staff "specifically, related to accommodating the Sikh turban" as needed. Jasjit Singh, executive director of SALDEF commended "Jatinder Singh for identifying an opportunity to make change, for the benefit of Sikh Americans in Minnesota and elsewhere, who now see a shining example of a fair policy properly enforced." North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) chairman Dalwinder Singh Dhoot also expressed the Indian American community's "satisfaction and happiness on the significant victory" of Jatinder Singh.

Washington, DC: Vikram Singh, a leading IndianAmerican security expert at the Pentagon, is joining a Washington think tank to oversee its work on national security around the globe, while continuing his focus on Asia. Vikram Singh will join Center As deputy asfor American Progress sistant secretary of defence for South and Southeast Asia, Singh is currently the highest-ranking IndianAmerican at the Pentagon. He will be officially joining the Centre for American Progress (CAP) as the new Vice President for National Security and International Policy in March. "We're thrilled to have Vikram Singh lead our national security and international policy team," said CAP President Neera Tanden in a statement. "Vikram is a leading foreign policy thinker of his generation and has tackled the country's greatest foreign policy challenges during his time at the State Department and the Pentagon. "As we continue to shape a pragmatic foreign policy strategy over the next decade, Vikram's insights, sharp strategic mind, and experience will guide our work." Before his current appointment at the Pentagon, Singh was the deputy special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the State Department. He has also served in the Department of Defence as a senior advisor, representing the department in National Security Council policy reviews of Pakistan and the war in Afghanistan. He later led the development of Pentagon's post2014 strategic approach to South and Central Asia.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

US AFFAIRS

March 1-7, 2014

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Leading fight against Common Core Curriculum “Locate the area known as Mesopotamia on a world map.” This is the first of 80 tough questions that first grade students have to answer in ELA as per the Common Core Curriculum, NYS assemblyman Alfred Graf says. By Robert Golomb hen I interviewed New York State Assemblyman Alfred Graf (RCI, 5th AD, Suffolk County) in his Holbrook District Office last Thursday, I planned as my first question to ask him about the controversial Common Core Curriculum, because, Graf, who serves in the Assembly’s Education Committee has become known as one of its harshest and most visible critics. But the two-term, 56-year-old Assemblyman - whose district spans the townships of Brookhaven and Islip - beat me to the punch. “Can you locate the area known as Mesopotamia on a world map or globe and identify it as part of Asia?” he asked me with the sound of total seriousness in his voice. And then he quickly followed up with a series of additional questions: “Do you know that this is the first question, and the next 80 are much tougher, that students in the first grade, yes the first grade, have to answer in English Language Arts as part of a so-called listening and learning strand following the guidelines of the New York State Common Core Curriculum? Does this make sense to you? Do you think that these questions are age appropriate? Should a student’s promotion from one grade to the next be based on the ability to answer questions that are so age inappropriate? Should teachers face disciplinary actions if their students are unable to correctly answer such questions?” I left every one - from the first to the last of Graf’s questions unanswered. But such and similar questions have been at the center of the debate surrounding the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in NYS and across the nation. Serving as an extension of the Obama Education Department’s Race to the Top program and developed and authored under the close guidance of the Obama White House by a committee composed of several state governors and state education officials throughout the country, CCSS establishes a set curriculum and ironclad benchmarks for the performance of students in grades K-12 on nationally standardized English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics examinations. NYS is among one of the 45 states that has adopted CCSS which, now in its transition phase across the country, was originally planned by the Obama Administration to be fully implemented in the 2014-2015 school year. That plan, however, has now been put on a temporary hold in many states as CCSS has met with resistance from growing numbers of parents, educators and elected officials. To these critics, CCSS’ emphasis on high stakes nationalized standardized examinations and its institution of a set in stone, single per grade curriculum for students from their first to their final year in every public school is, in a theoretical pedagogical sense, totally unsound, and in a practical sense, totally unrealistic. To its proponents, however, CCSS is an innovative future oriented program that will strengthen students’ critical thinking, writing and computer skills, enabling them, say these proponents, to compete in an ever increasing competitive global market.

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Here in New York State, Graf fails to attach any such positives to CCSS. “This claim”, he asserted, “about placing a new emphasis on the teaching and learning of computers, higher order thinking and writing is laughable. This is exactly what’s been taught as part of {New York State} curriculum over the past 30 years. Who do they think they are fooling by suggesting that they are presenting new and revolutionary goals?” According to Graf, CCSS, unless stopped, will do irreparable harm to students in NYS and across the nation. “This {CCSS} is state sponsored child abuse”, he stated. “It’s predicated on the one fits all curriculum and testing practice, which all research has found inhibits rather than enhances the ability of students to grow socially, emotionally and cognitively. And, as if to add injury to insult, if you take a look at the {CCSS} curriculum, you will find a host of grammatical errors…. What a horrible example for the students, whose education they claim to care so much about.” Rather than being encouraged by a recent decision of Governor Andrew Cuomo to establish a committee to further study CCSS and delay its full implementation in NYS for two years, Graf believes that the governor is simply trying to fool the voters. “Governor Cuomo will not oppose the President {on CCSS}. It would be against his long-term political interests if he did. All that he is doing by forming a committee and putting in a delay is temporarily kicking the can down the road, hoping the voters will forget before election day….The most onerous parts of CCSS still remain, including tying teacher evaluations to the performance of their students on standardized exams. This will turn schools from the places of learning they should be into test taking warehouses.” Referring to a bill he introduced last week which calls for NYS to withdraw from Common Core and the related Race to the Top programs and replace it with a program that includes ending the emphasis placed on high stakes testing and replacing it with an emphasis put on the use of best teaching practices, Graf added, “If the Governor really were the advocate for our children that he claims to be, he would throw his full support behind this bill. He has absolutely no intention of doing so, and without that support, he knows that the bill will have little chance of becoming law.” Graf is sometimes referred by his supporters in the anti-CCSS fight as the only member of the Assembly who is a former teacher. Such a description is technically true, but very much incomplete. Graf’s career line includes two years of service in his late teens in the US Navy and 19 subsequent years of service as a NYC Police Officer - until an on the job injury forced him to retire. It wasn’t until then that Graf returned to college, earned a BA in Elementary Education and began teaching in an alternative education program, which he left several years later to attend and graduate from Touro Law School, then starting his own law firm. Graf told me that he is proud to have the title “ teacher” associated with his name and

believes whatever the job has had, he was, in a way, a teacher. “Based upon my experience as an educator, I truly see teaching as a noble profession…. But other jobs require that you be a teacher also…. Whether as a police officer talking to troubled teens, or as an attorney representing victims of family violence, I always saw and continue to see myself as a teacher.” Graf, the married father of a 29-year-old son who works in private industry, and two

girls in their 20’s, one an artist, the other, following in her father’s footsteps, a member of the NYPD, said his goal as a legislator is to help build a state where all young adults including his own children will want to live and raise their own eventual families. “Sometime in the near future I visualize my children with their future spouses and children sitting at the dinner table with my wife and me at our house enjoying a Sunday dinner”, he told me. “Such is a common hope, I believe, for all parents throughout the state. But because of New York State’s high tax rate, high unemployment rate and high cost of living, people in their 20’s and 30’s, particularly, are fleeing {NYS} to low tax, employer and employee friendly and low energy costs states like Florida, Texas and the Carolinas. I am working together with members of both parties to change policies to reverse this trend…. Why the governor is wasting his time with this Common Core nonsense while doing nothing constructive to try to solve the real problems facing New Yorkers is a question I would like to ask him.” You bet he would. Robert Golomb is a nationally published columnist. [email protected]

Corporate Office: 385 Seneca Avenue, Ridgewood NY 11385 718.821.3182, www.AtlanticDialysis.Com

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US AFFAIRS

March 1-7, 2014

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Hagel's military budget focuses on changing threats Washington: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is proposing a new budget plan designed to turn the military's attention from the long ground war in Afghanistan toward emerging cyberthreats from China and increasing challenges from al Qaeda-affiliated groups in Africa. The Pentagon road map, sure to face fierce resistance from across the political spectrum, calls for reducing the military's reliance on manpowerheavy troop buildups, investing instead in more agile special forces and cyberwarriors. In unveiling the first Pentagon budget to bear his imprint, Hagel is calling for cutting back the size of the Army to a level opposed by some top generals, curtailing construction of a new class of Navy ships cherished by top admirals and scrapping an Air Force plane used to protect U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead, Hagel proposes injecting more money into changes defense officials say will make for a more adaptable and innovative military that is better ready to respond to changing threats. Hagel wants to pare back the size of the active-duty military by 13% and the reserve force by 5%. But he is looking to boost the size of U.S. Special Forces by nearly 6% by adding about 3,000 personnel to the kinds of teams that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, rescued an American aid worker in Somalia and freed U.S. commercial sailors captured by pirates off the coast of East Africa. "This is a time for reality," Hagel said Monday in unveiling the $496 billion budget plan. "This is a budg-

More Americans feel Afghanistan war a mistake: Poll

Defense Secretary cuts back on traditional troops, boosts special forces and cybersecurity. et that recognizes the reality of the magnitude of our fiscal challenges, the dangerous world we live in, and the American military's unique and indispensable role in the security of this country and in today's volatile world." Congress has the final say on the Pentagon budget, and must approve most of the recommendations in it. The full details of the proposed budget will be included in President Barack Obama's budget plan to be unveiled next week. The proposal will be submitted to Congress, which will weigh the Pentagon's proposals over the course of the year. Hagel's proposals attempt to establish new priorities for a pared back military that is preparing for years of declining financial support. Doing so won't be easy. Every major element of the spending plan is certain to face opposition from pow-

erful groups, governors and lawmakers who have different ideas for how the Pentagon should spend its money. Veterans groups and their congressional supporters are preparing to battle Hagel's call to curtail spending on military benefits that consume a significant portion of the Pentagon budget. Influential lawmakers are expected to oppose Hagel's proposal to eliminate the entire military fleet of about 300 A-10 "Warthog" jets, widely admired as a plane key to helping U.S. ground forces in battle. And Congress is likely to reject Hagel's call for creating a commission to examine the closure of military bases across the country. But Pentagon officials said Monday if Congress doesn't make those cuts, other spending would have to be curtailed.

Washington: For the first time since the US military got involved in Afghanistan in 2001, US public opinion about the war is now more negative than positive, showed a poll. Americans' views are now split down the middle, with 49 percent saying the involvement there was a mistake and 48 percent saying it was not, Xinhua cited from Gallup's Feb 6-9 World Affairs survey. Gallup first asked Americans about US intervention in Afghanistan in November 2001, just after the US sent its military into the country after the Sep 11 terror attacks on New York and Washington DC that killed nearly 3,000 people. The US invaded Afghanistan to punish the Taliban for harboring Al Qaeda terrorists responsible for the attacks. At that point, fewer than one in 10 Americans said US involvement there was a mistake -- the most of any war since Gallup first asked the question during the Korean War in 1950. "Clearly, in the turbulent atmosphere and general 'rally effect' environment that followed 9/11, Americans were overwhelmingly supportive of the decision to send

the US military to Afghanistan," Gallup said in a report that accompanied the survey. Americans' perceptions that US involvement in Afghanistan was a mistake rose as the war continued, although there were some ups and downs over the years. Those believing the war was a mistake reached 25 percent in 2004, and surpassed 30 percent for the first time in 2008, and 40 percent in 2010, according to Gallup. Still, the more than 12-year span during which less than half of Americans thought the US made a mistake in entering Afghanistan has been remarkably long, relative to past US interventions, Gallup found. Afghanistan has become America's longest war, stretching over 12 years since US military forces were first sent in 2001, with well over 35,000 troops still there. The Obama administration plans to draw down the number of troops in Afghanistan significantly by the end of this year. Once that happens, Americans' assessment of whether the intervention was a mistake will largely depend on the political course Afghanistan takes, including whether terrorist cells are able to regroup there, Gallup said.

Piers Morgan Live cancelled by CNN Split California into 6: Man behind Hotmail has a pipedream New York: Piers Morgan is out of a job. Three years after the journalist and TV personality took over for Larry King with his own nightly primetime show, CNN has decided to cancel Piers Morgan Live, the New York Times confirmed Feb. 23. Highly opinionated and, well, British, Morgan, 48, struck many as an odd choice to headline an American news program, and the show struggled mightily in its ratings, losing to rivals Fox News and MSNBC. "It's been a painful period and lately we have taken a bath in the ratings," Morgan admitted to the Times' David Carr. The decision to cancel the show was ultimately made by CNN's president Jeff Zucker, who has slowly been remaking the news networking. "Look, I am a British guy debating American cultural issues, including guns, which has been very polarizing, and there is no doubt that there are many in the audience who are tired of me banging on about it," Morgan admitted freely. Plans for a 9pm replacement are currently underway, and Morgan

Piers Morgan admits that he went hammer and tongs against the polarizing issue of gun violence in America.

added that he'll still have a role at CNN -- one which is still to be determined. "I have been talking for some time about different ways of using me." “I'm in danger of being the guy down at the end of the bar who is always going on about the same thing," continued the gun control advocate, admitting that many American midwesterners were likely upset about "this British guy telling them how to lead their lives and what they should do with their guns."

Washington: It isn't India alone that faces moves to split big states for one reason or another. If a venture capitalist has his way California, America's largest state, would be split into six separate states with Silicon Valley, home to many Indian techies, turned into its very own state. Last week tech Investor Tim Draper, a VC behind such brands as Skype and Hotmail, gained some traction for his libertarian pipe dream of "Six Californias" with the state approving his initiative to begin collecting petition signatures to put it on ballot. The proposal needs the signatures of 807,615 registered voters by July 14 to qualify as a ballot measure in November's elections, according to California Secretary of State Debra Bowen. The ballot may even be delayed until 2016. Facing a tight deadline to gather signatures and build political momentum Draper, founder of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, wants "to make sure there is enough time." But experts see little chance of success for Draper's move. "Even after a successful referendum, the state legislature and Congress still have to approve it. And that is, well, not going to happen," as the Washington Post put it. Though Draper hasn't revealed how much he would spend to bankroll 'Six Californias', he previously shelled out $20 million for a failed 2000 initiative to create a state-funded private-school voucher system. Under Draper's plan besides Silicon Valley, the other five new states would be called Jefferson, North California, Central California, West California and

Silicon Valley, home to many Indians, proposed as one of 6 states.

South California. Los Angeles and Santa Barbara would be part of "West California," while San Francisco and San Jose would be in "Silicon Valley." "California, as it is, is ungovernable," Draper said in a statement. "It is more and more difficult for Sacramento (State Capital) to keep up with the social issues from the various regions of California." "With six Californias, people will be closer to their state governments and states can get a refresh," he said. It isn't the first time that a split has been proposed. Since its founding in 1850, proposals have come to break California, home to 38 million people, into two states, or three, or four.

INDIA

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Trooper guns down five colleagues, kills self Srinagar: A trooper fatally shot dead five of his colleagues and then turned the gun on himself following a heated argument in north's Kashmir Ganderbal district, officials said. A police officer said that an angry trooper of the Rashtriya Rifles went berserk inside the Safapora (Manasbal) camp in the district, 35 km from here, following a heated exchange

of words with his colleagues. "He resorted to indiscriminate firing resulting in the death of five Rashtriya Rifles troopers. After the firing, the irate trooper shot and killed himself," the police officer said. Lt. Col. N.N. Joshi, public relations officer at the Indian Army's Srinagarbased 15 Corps, said that a court of inquiry has been ordered.

Incidents of fratricidal firing have been occurring in security forces deployed in Jammu and Kashmir during the last two decades. The incidents are attributed to tensions among soldiers and troopers deployed in extremely hostile conditions, long periods of separation from families, lack of recreational facilities and poor command and control structure.

Tip off led to Tejpal prison raid Panaji: Tip-offs from "good" journalists in the national capital led to the surprise raid on Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal's prison cell, according to Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. Parrikar, speaking at a public function here, alleged that Tejpal from whom a mobile phone was allegedly recovered during a raid Feb 23, was speaking to Delhi-based journalists every morning. "There are journalists in Delhi who reported to us that he was speaking to reporters from Delhi every morning," Parrikar said. "The intelligence (for the raid) came from the Delhi press," he said. Nine mobile phones were allegedly found in the Sada prison complex housing Tejpal during a sudden raid Feb 23.

Tarun Tejpal was using a mobile phone inside the jail

Prison officials claim that a SIM card was also found in the editor's shirt collar. Tejpal, however told the raiding team that the phone could belong to another inmate living in his cell.

March 1-7, 2014

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Accidents sink Indian navy chief New Delhi: Indian Navy chief Admiral D.K. Joshi has resigned, a day when seven sailors were injured after smoke filled up a compartment of a submarine. The government has accepted his resignation with immediate effect, a defense ministry release said. The resignation came barely hours after seven Indian Navy personnel were injured and at least two went missing when smoke spread through a compartment in the INS Sindhuratna submarine that was underwater off Mumbai, about 50 nautical miles (80 km) in the Arabian Sea. There were 94 sailors on board the submarine when smoke was reported in the sailors' accommodation. The seven injured sailors were airlifted by helicopter and shifted in an unconscious state to the naval hospital, INS Asvini, in south Mumbai early Wednesday. Two more sailors who were on board the submarine, remain "unaccounted for" or are missing and a search for them has been launched. Officials suspect that the two "unaccounted for" offi-

In latest INS Sindhuratna accident, TV reports say two Navy personnel were dead while five got injured.

cials may have been trapped in one of the sealed compartments of the vessel. "Taking moral responsibility for the accidents and incidents which have taken place during the past few months, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi today resigned from the post of CNS," the release said. It said that the Vice Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral R.K. Dhowan will be discharging the duties of officiating CNS, pending appointment of regular CNS. The navy has been hit by a spate of accidents over the past seven months, causing concern. The biggest accident

involved fire on the INS Sindhurakshak and the subsequent sinking of the submarine in the Mumbai harbour Aug 14 last year, killing all 18 personnel aboard. Defence Minister A.K. Antony had earlier this month expressed concern over the accidents suffered by the navy over the past few months. INS Talwar, a frigate, collided with a fishing vessel last year. A fire broke out on INS Konkan at the dry dock in Visakhapatnam in December 2013 when it was in the dry dock for maintenance. And INS Betwa, also a frigate, suffered damage in January.

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INDIA

March 1-7, 2014

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Rajiv assassination case: SC stays release of 4 convicts Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi

Don't appreciate such language: Rahul on 'impotent' remark New Delhi: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said that he does not "appreciate" External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid's "impotent" remark on BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. Khurshid at a rally Feb 25 in his Farrukhabad constituency in Uttar Pradesh, called Modi "impotent" in failing to protect the people during the 2002 Gujarat riots. "I do not appreciate this kind of language," Gandhi told the media here.

Other Congress leaders also said that the party does not support the use of such language. "Congress party does not support the use of such language. Congress leaders should not use such language as this is the language of BJP. What Rahul Gandhi said is right," said Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla.Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari said: "Congress will only use the language that is appreciated by the people."

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has stayed the release of four convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, ordering status quo on a plea by the Centre challenging the Tamil Nadu government's proposal to release them. The court bench headed by Justice P. Sathasivam directed that the central government's plea would be heard on March 6. The court also issued notice to the state government and the four prisoners on the Centre's plea against their release. The Centre had moved the apex court to prevent Tamil Nadu government to set free four other convicts serving life imprisonment in the case. The apex court had on February 20 stayed the release of three convicts — Murugan, Santhan and Arivu — whose death sentence was commuted to life term by it on February 18 in the case, saying there had been procedural lapses on the part of the state government on the decision to release them. The Centre's move came after the apex court had said it could file a

US survey suggests crushing loss for Congress New Delhi: Two months before the general elections, a new US poll suggests that the ruling party Congress may suffer one of their worst defeats in the country's 67year history. Seventy per cent of Indians say they are dissatisfied with the way things are going in India today, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. And 63 per cent of those polled said they would prefer that the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party lead the next government, compared with just 19 per cent who picked the governing Congress party led by Sonia Gandhi. "This poll affirms what most of us suspected," said Shekhar Gupta, editor in chief of Indian Express. "But what it doesn't tell us is who will lead the next government." The pollsters interviewed 2,464 randomly selected adults at their homes between December 7 and January 12 in states and territories that are home to roughly 91 per cent of the Indian population. The poll has a margin of sampling error of four percentage points. Perhaps the most important finding was the popularity of Narendra Modi, the official prime ministerial candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Pew found that 78 per cent of those polled had a favorable view of Modi, with just 16 per cent holding an unfavorable view. Modi, who is currently the chief minister of Gujarat, is considered by

Pew found that 78 percent of those polled had a favorable view of Narendra Modi, with just 16 percent holding an unfavorable view.

many to be the most controversial national political figure in India's history. He led the state during the 2002 riots which cost the lives of more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims. He has been linked with a secret police assassination squad and with surveillance efforts concerning a woman he admired. But Modi has softened his image in recent months, and the Bharatiya Janata Party has undertaken an outreach to Muslims, who make up about 14 per cent of the India's population. Modi has presided over an economy in Gujarat that is among the strongest in India, and he has promised to bring to the rest of the country his economic expertise and ability to build good roads.

Modi's brand of aspirational nationalism and barbed criticism of the governing coalition has attracted huge crowds to his speeches, but the fact that so few had a negative view of him in Pew's poll, given his controversial past, was somewhat surprising. "I think the BJP will do very well," Hartosh Singh Bal, the political editor of Caravan magazine. "That's clear from this poll. But whether Modi becomes the next prime minister will come down to 10 to 20 seats in Parliament." BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said the Pew poll was similar to many others that showed his party far ahead of the Congress party.

The Centre had moved the apex court to prevent Tamil Nadu government to set free four other convicts serving life imprisonment in the case.

fresh petition regarding the other four prisoners whose sentence has also been remitted by the Tamil Nadu government. It has sought stay on the release of convicts Nalini, Robert Pious, Jayakumar and Ravichandran. The Jayalalithaa government had on February 19 decided to set free all the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. Santhan, Murugan and Arivu are

currently lodged in the Central Prison, Vellore, in Tamil Nadu and they are in jail since 1991. The other four are undergoing life sentence for their role in Gandhi's assassination on May 21, 1991 in Sriperumbudur. Rajiv Gandhi was killed by a suicide bomber at an election rally in Sriperumbedur on May 21, 1991. Fourteen other people also lost their lives in the blast.

Don't run away from global challenges: Modi to traders New Delhi: Narendra Modi has asked the trading community not to run away from global challenges but face them and promised to scrap unnecessary laws as it appears that government believes "all are thieves". He also batted for complete overhaul of governance, saying the fashion of running the affairs of country from Delhi should stop and states must be trusted to govern. "I don't know if it will benefit me politically... Trading community should not run away from global challenges. They should not think they will die if businesses go online... You demand from government to help build your capacity to meet challenges... "A small town buyer is also looking for branded products.

We should not meet to decide how to escape from this but how to take it on. You should enhance your quality and filter out those whose quality is suspect," he said addressing the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT). The BJP's prime ministerial candidate said there are too many laws in the country and the government seems to believe that all are "thieves". "The country cannot run like this and whether it is government or society, they should have trust in each other and law should come in force only when this trust is broken," he said. Modi said the trading community should focus on capacity-building and quality to take on the global challenges.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

BATTLEGROUND 2014

March 1-7, 2014

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11 parties to jointly contest Lok Sabha polls

Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ramvilas Paswan with LJP leader Chirag Paswan during a press conference in New Delhi

LJP says option of alliance with BJP is open New Delhi: The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) has said it is looking for options for an alliance and the "option of BJP is open". "We are looking for alternate alliance partners as there is a deadlock with existing allies," LJP leader Chirag Paswan said after a meeting of the party's parliamentary board. LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan, Chirag's father, added: "We have kept the option of BJP open." Ramvilas Paswan said his

party has had grievances with the Lalu-Prasad led Rashtriya Janata Dal since long, and the talks for an alliance with the Congress did not show much progress. "Elections are at the door, and they (Congress and RJD) have not taken any decision, what can we do," he said. BJP sources, however, indicated an alliance with the LJP is almost final and an announcement will be made soon.

New Delhi: The grouping of 11 non-UPA, non-NDA parties will contest the coming Lok Sabha elections and ensure defeat of the Congress and the BJP, CPI-M leader Prakash Karat said here. Briefing reporters after meeting of 11 parties, which include the Samajwadi Party, AIADMK, Janata Dal-United (JD-U), Janata DalSecular (JD-S) and four Left parties, Karat said the parties will work to provide an alternative to the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party at the centre. "Leaders of 11 parties have resolved to fight upcoming Lok Sabha elections together," he said. The meeting was not attended by Asom Gana Parishad and Biju Janata Dal but Karat said the leaders of these parties had conveyed in advance their reasons for not being able to attend. "Keeping in mind Lok Sabha elections, we decided that leaders of 11 parties should meet and decide on cooperation and working together," he said. Contending the "misrule" of Congress-led United Progressive Alliance has been marked by "massive corruption, unprecedented price rise, acute distress of farmers and glaring inequalities", Karat said: "We do not want Congress and UPA to continue in power. We will work for defeat of Congress and UPA." The BJP's basic policies were "no

Congress mired in corruption, says Modi Jagraon (Punjab): Accusing the Congress of being involved in umpteen corruption scandals, BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi said that it was strange that the party was now showing concern about something it had failed to control in the past 10 years. "I am surprised that Congress leaders are accusing others of corruption. How can they point fingers at others when their own government has seen so many scams?" Modi asked, addressing a the 'Fateh' rally in this Punjab town, 145 km from Chandigarh. "They (Congress) have changed the nomenclature of ABCD. It is now A for Adarsh (scam), B for Bofors, C for Coal scam," he said, listing the various scandals. Modi asserted that he would not allow anyone to loot the treasury. In a reference to the Congress election symbol, Modi said that if he became the prime minister, "I assure you I will sit like a 'chowkidar' and ensure that the 'panja' (hand) is kept away from the coffers". "When Rajiv Gandhi was prime minister, he said that out of every rupee sanctioned from Delhi, only 15 paise reach villages. I want to know which 'panja' is robbing the rupee," Modi asked. The Bharatiya Janata Party leader, who has been accused by Finance

BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi during a rally in Punjab

Minister P. Chidambaram of not spelling out his stand on the country's economy, said agriculture, manufacturing and service sectors needed to be promoted to help the economy grow. "We need industry to take India forward. We need agriculture so that no one goes hungry. The service sector requires least investment... We have not paid adequate attention

to this sector," Modi said. "Land is not going to increase and land holdings are getting smaller. We have to increase agricultural production by bringing new technology and scientific research." Referring to the 'one-rank, onepension' announcement made by the UPA government, Modi said that it had failed to address the issue in the last 10 years.

Nitish Kumar, H.D. Deve Gowda, Prakash Karat, Sharad Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav in New Delhi.

different" from those of the Congress, he said, claiming that on the issue of corruption, the record of BJP-ruled states and that of the National Democratic Alliance government was "as bad or worse as (of) Congress and UPA". "Today, the challenge before us by the BJP and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is the challenge to the very edifice of secular society," Karat said. He accused the BJP and "its mentor RSS" of communal agenda and said the grouping will "ensure that BJP and its allies are not able to come to power at the centre." "We need alternative to BJP and Congress. Leaders of 11 parties resolved today to work together to present an alternative before the country," he said.

The leaders also issued a joint declaration which said they will present an alternative which will have "democratic, secular, federal and pro people" agenda. Answering queries, JD-U president Sharad Yadav said the grouping "was the first front". He said its prime ministerial candidate will be decided after the Lok Sabha elections expected AprilMay. On seat sharing, Karat said each party will ensure success in their states, while they will "pool resources at all-India level". Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ruled out any truck of his JD-U and the alliance led by the BJP after the elections, while Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said that more parties will be included in the new front.

BJP would apologize for any mistake: Rajnath New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh said it has been fed to people that his party was anti-Muslim, and added that the BJP would "apologize" if it had made any mistake. "If we have made any mistakes, we will bow our head and apologize," Rajnath Singh said at a program of the BJP's minority cell. Speaking at the "Narendra Modi's Mission 272+: Role of Muslims" summit, attended by members of the party's minority cell, Rajnath Singh urged Muslims to give the BJP a chance in the Lok Sabha elections. "Give us a chance, there will be elections again after five years. If we fail in meeting your expectations, don't vote for us again," he said. The BJP president hit out at the Congress for propagating that the BJP was "anti-Muslim", and accused it of using the "divide and rule policy". "It has been fed to people that the BJP is anti-Muslim. Did we get India divided on basis of religion? Those who divided the nation on basis of religion are communal... they use the policy of divide and

Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh

rule," he said, referring to the Congress. Defending his party and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Rajnath Singh said Muslims in Gujarat, where Modi is the chief minister, have the highest per capita income. "Hundreds of Muslims are elected representatives in local bodies in Gujarat from the BJP. Per capita income of Muslims is highest in Gujarat. Modi ruled for 10 years and created such a situation," he said. "They (Congress) malign Modi so that Muslims remain distant from the BJP," he said.

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OP-ED

March 1-7, 2014

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A jaded diplomatic dance in Obama-Dalai Lama meet Diplomacy By Mayank Chhaya hen President Barack Obama meets the Dalai Lama in the White House on Friday morning, a jaded diplomatic dance will play out. The meeting is being hosted in the Map Room of the White House instead of the Oval Office in a somewhat laughably symbolic scaling down of its perceived importance. It is a meaningless gesture of accommodation that successive US presidents have made keeping in view Chinese sensitivities. Normally, only visiting heads of states and other important dignitaries are met with in the Oval Office. The Dalai Lama has traditionally been received in the Map Room, which in the diplomatic scheme of things is just another room in the White House as opposed to the Oval Office which is in the West Wing and the center of everything in Washington. The Map Room is on the ground floor where maps were consulted by President Franklin Roosevelt during the Second World War. Many other events have taken place there. This will be the Dalai Lama's

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China is expected to react to the meeting like it always does - with unconcealed contempt and almost contrived anger

third meeting with President Obama, the first two having taken place in February, 2010 and July, 2011. Like the previous two meetings, this too is expected to be high on the optics and rather inconsequential in terms of making any impression on Beijing to directly engage the Dalai Lama. The traditional wisdom of such a meeting is to read a possible US rebuke of China for its human rights record and other contentious issues. Entering the mix this time are territorial tensions in the East China Sea. As the Obama administration continues to strengthen its strategic presence in the region, the meeting

with the Dalai Lama might come in handy, albeit purely for its optics. There has been no change in the US position that Tibet is part of China. National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden, who announced the meeting, said Washington supported the Dalai Lama's approach but recognized Tibet to be "a part of the People's Republic of China”. "We do not support Tibetan independence," Hayden said. "The president will meet the Dalai Lama in his capacity as an internationally respected religious and cultural leader," she

It makes no sense for the US president not to receive the Dalai Lama in the Oval Office because in the overall scheme of things it would make no material difference to China where the Tibetan leader is actually hosted. said. "The United States strongly supports human rights and religious freedom in China. We are concerned about continuing tensions and the deteriorating human rights situation in Tibetan areas of China." The Obama administration is expected to lay fresh emphasis on the need for Beijing to hold direct talks with the Dalai Lama with-

out conditions. While all this sounds encouraging to someone just becoming familiar with the issues, those who follow the Sino-Tibetan dispute and the US position on it, all this is almost comically routine and so far without any consequence at all. China is expected to react to the meeting like it always does - with unconcealed contempt and almost contrived anger. A senior Chinese official was quoted by Reuters as saying that foreign leaders who meet the Dalai Lama should "pay a price for it." These are words which are repackaged every time Beijing thinks Washington is engaging the Dalai Lama in ways it disapproves of. They do not really lead to any identifiable consequences in USChina relations. It makes no sense for the US president not to receive the Dalai Lama in the Oval Office because in the overall scheme of things it would make no material difference to China where the Tibetan leader is actually hosted. Meeting him in the Map Room is neither fooling the Chinese nor making them appreciative of America's gesture in being mindful of their sensitivities. No matter how one looks at it this is nothing more than vestigial diplomatic thinking which no one is willing to give up.

How to make our parliament more accountable Politics By M.R. Madhavan he last session of the 15th Lok Sabha brings to an end one of the most disappointing periods in the short parliamentary history of India. The numbers tell part of the story: this Lok Sabha saw over 800 hours, or almost 40 percent of its scheduled time lost to disruptions; the least number of bills were passed in a full term, and some important ones without any discussion; the budget was passed last year without discussing the expenditure allocation for ministries; over 40 percent of Question Hour was lost to disruptions, implying that ministers were not held accountable for their actions. The images include that of pepper spray, blackout of proceedings, and an important bill on creating a new state passed through a voice vote. What is of even greater concern is that parliament continued to slide in

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the performance of some of its core roles. In a parliamentary democracy (and indeed, as per our constitution), the government is formed by the group of people (party or coalition of parties) who have the confidence of the majority of the members (in our case, the Lok Sabha). This majority can be tested from time to time, by any group of MPs. Indeed, this is one of the fundamental roles of parliament - to confer legitimacy to the government. The last session of parliament saw an event when the legitimacy of the government was challenged but was not tested. A number of MPs brought a notice for a no-confidence motion against the government. The rules of procedure state that a minimum of 50 MPs are required to move a no-confidence motion -- this will ensure that frivolous attempts are thwarted. Another important role of parliament is as a body that holds the government accountable for its actions. This is done in three main ways: asking questions in the Question

Parliament must start reasserting its position as that of the body that holds the executive accountable, and not be subservient to the wishes of the executive

Hour, through parliamentary committees, and through debate on key issues on the floor of the house. On all three counts, there could have been a much better performance. Over 40 percent of the time of Question Hour was lost to disruptions. Rajya Sabha experimented for one session with a change in the time of Question Hour to the after-

noon but was not successful in reducing disruptions. Parliament is the only body that can make national laws. This parliament did pass some laws with far- reaching implications. These include the Right to Education Act, the new Companies Act, the Sexual Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act, amendments to the IPC and CrPC to

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

protect women against sexual violence, the Pension Act, the Land Acquisition Act, the Food Safety Act, the Lokpal Bill, and the Whistleblower Act. However, several important bills were not passed and will either lapse or will be in the pending list of the next parliament. These include the women's reservation bill, the mining bill, a set of bills related to higher education, another set related to corruption, the insurance bill, the forward contracts amendment bill, the micro-finance bill and the seeds bill. Are there any lessons to be learnt and corrective action taken? Parliament must start reasserting its position as that of the body that holds the executive accountable, and not be subservient to the wishes of the executive. Perhaps, the most important step that needs to be taken is to repeal the anti-defection law. Though the original purpose of the law was to reduce the instability of governments, it has ended up being a tool for party bosses to determine the way MPs vote on each issue.

FASHION

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By Shilpa Raina Karachi: There wasn't a color that didn't make an appearance at the ramp on the last day of the Fashion Pakistan Week in Karachi. A pop of neon, a dash of gold, ash-white or saffron, with digital prints in company, brought down the curtains on the fashion extravaganza on Feb 21. Pakistan's color sentiments have always drawn towards subtle pastel tones. But Friday

evening at the Fashion Pakistan Week, there was a definitive change in exploring more sunny and summery options for a bright spring/summer ahead. The color burst came from the bad boy of Pakistani fashion, Ali Xeeshan. The moment popular Bollywood number "Jumma Chumma" started playing; one knew drama would unfold. Models in robes, long dresses accentuated at the waist, kimono-sleeve dresses and a head gear, started sashaying down the ramp, with dashes of neon green, feisty orange, and shocking pink staying with the eye on an ash-white base of the fabric. Welcoming the spring in its fullest was Maleena C. Nasir of label Daaman. Using prints of leaves, roses, trees and petals, this young designer presented a wearable collection -- cigarette pants teamed with long kurtas, smart shirts with trousers and a few chic jumpsuits. The color palette ranged from cherry yellow to blossoming pink, morning orange sun to pure white -- it was easy on eyes, and comfortable wear. It is always pleasing to see a sari on the Pakistani ramp, and a delight to see a welldraped sari. This was what label Kayseria delivered at the ramp with its finest prints transformed into saris and high-slit suits. The entire show had a rustic feel to it and resembled women from bucolic Gujarat and Rajasthan -from the Indian side. Perhaps, this collection showcased how similar the culture is in these regions that border Pakistan. Digital prints dominated the collection of designer Wardha Saleem and Tapulicious by Tapu Javeri. Javeri's brand features Pakistani designers Kamiar Rokni, Hassan Sheheryar Yasin and Mohsin Ali. He presented three capsule collections and all of them had a heavy dosage of graphic printing. From geisha to photographs of Karachi, from monochromatic zebra and tiger prints to psychedelic busy prints --

Alpana Gujral revives Mughal era style jewels New Delhi: Jewelry designer Alpana Gujral's new collection titled Spring 2014, a revival of the Mughal era with a contemporary touch, was scheduled to be exhibited here for two days from March 3. Spring 2014 will be presented at her store

in Lajpat Nagar here. The line offers necklaces, cuffs and earrings made of pearls, ruby, gold, tourmaline, black onyx and diamond, and Gujral believes the designs will offer spiritual depth for the wearer.

Spring 2014 collection by Alpana Gujral

March 1-7, 2014

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the edgy, western silhouettes were heavy on busy prints. Nevertheless the audience cheered and the show went on.

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Old guards take centre stage Earlier, fashion veterans Maheen Khan and Shamaeel Ansari presented cohesive collections, blending western aesthetics with Pakistani sensibilities and translating them into wearable everyday fashion. Considering Pakistan's conservative attitude towards bold fashion, designers showcasing shift dresses, backless gowns, and shorts on the ramp during the sixth Fashion Pakistan Week left buyers and foreign journalists wondering about the buyers and audience for such garments. "These are worn at private balls and parties," a fashion designer pointed out, flashing pictures of a recent party she attended. Of course, there were pretty, young women wearing clothes that need a chauffeur-driven car. And they have to be rich in the volatile Karachi city to enjoy freedom of wearing what they like. But aren't fashion weeks supposed to generate business and reach out to mass consumers? These questions were answered Thursday by Khan's brainchild "Gulabo" a street couture brand and Ansari's "Shamaeel" who is an authority in couture, and her pret line resonated with Pakistan's cultural potpourri. Printing architectural landscape of Pakistan - trucks, autos and trees - and Google maps on black and white fabric with a dash of pink, gold and psychedelics prints, the free flowing long kurtas with different cuts, teamed with capris and cigarette trousers were very much wearable and resonated a strong sense of Pakistan's street culture. Gulabo was a young, dynamic and vibrant collection. Having over two decades of experience in the industry, Ansari's "affordable" and

(1) Designer Maleeha C. Nasir's collection for label Daaman. (2) Maheen Khan’s Gulabo was a young, dynamic and vibrant collection. (3) Kayseria brings sari on Pakistani ramp. (4) A model presents a creation by apu Javeri.

wearable pret range made a statement that got her standing ovation. Jewel-toned jackets, richly worked monochromatic long coats, shift-dresses, kaftan dresses with constellations of threads, appliques, sequins and in-house prints stood out. Unlike India, where designers take a few months to stock their ramp collection in their stores, Ansari's collection will be available at multi-retail store Labels from Feb 25.

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March 1-7, 2014

By Jinal Shah ime and again, Indian Americans have been lauded as a model minority - for being the best educated ethnic group to earners of the highest per capita income, nearly twice the national average. They have been celebrated for their achievements in different fields including politics and arts and are feted for their contribution to American society. But their history in the United States going back two centuries has been a spottily-recorded mystery, although the first Indians arrived on these shores in 1790, a decade after the Declaration of Independence in 1776. On Feb 27, the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC along with the Asian Pacific American Center plugged this gap significantly by rolling out the first ever exhibition, titled “Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation,” chronicling the heritage of Indian immigrants and Indian Americans and the contribution they have made to the American melting pot. The exhibition comes at a time when the nation is debating comprehensive immigration reform. Approximately 3.3 million people in the US are of Asian Indian descent, that is one in every 100 Americans. “The vibrant life, culture and history of immigrants from India and Indian Americans is the story of America,” said Konrad Ng, director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. “This wonderful exhibition deepens our understanding of the American experience as lived by the Asian Pacific American communities who have journeyed from being exotic outsiders to being the faces and voices of the future. We are excited to present an exhibition that we hope will excite and inspire generations.” The 5,000 sq ft exhibition documents tales of discrimination, resistance, and achievement with dozens of historical and contemporary images, films and artifacts. Curator Masum Momaya said her team used Indian-American stereotypes as an entry point for visitors to learn more. “We want to take people beyond some of the things they know and have seen in popular culture to the deeper and more nuanced history,” she said explaining how important the exhibition is in the larger political climate. “As a curator, I think it’s important for museums and cultural institutions to share history associated with current political and public policy debates, to add context. So, I believe that understanding the history of Indians in America will help us understand immigration today” she added. The free exhibit illuminates the answers, and provides the intriguing historical narrative of Indian Americans. The opening section has photographs of early Indian immigrants to the U.S., and a poem "Bright Passages" by Indian American Meena Alexander. It ends with "...why have

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NATIONAL COMMUNITY

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NATIONAL COMMUNITY

March 1-7, 2014

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Indian Youth Against you brought us here?" ‘Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation’ is a major exhibition at the Smithsonian The 5,000 sq ft exhibition Racism, a group from It's a story that dates to the first IndiColumbia University, documents tales of disMuseum in Washington DC that chronicles the history of Indian Americans from the 1700s ans arriving in 1790, those who helped documented crimination, resistance, build the nation's railroads and farms. to the present and how much they have influenced their adopted land. violence against Indians Since then, Indian Americans have in New and achievement with played crucial roles not just in farmJersey and dozens of historical and ing, the building of railroads, but also implemented the military. And more recently, their contemporary images, educational programs on impact has been felt in the fields of enSouth Asian cultures in films and artifacts. Curator gineering, medicine, and motel ownJersey City schools. The Masum Momaya thinks ership, all of which have their own group also helped pass a bill in the New Jersey panels illustrating their respective im“it’s important for museums legislature raising portance. and cultural institutions to mandatory penalties for The historical narrative is inter"bias” crimes. spersed with artifacts and artworks. share history associated (Photo by Corky Lee.) Art illustrating these stereotypes inwith current political and cludes posters of one of the public policy debates to best-known Indian Americans, Apu, owner of the add context.” Kwik-E-Mart in "The SimpBollywood,” to mirsons"; a touring magician ror the fronts of many doing an Indian rope trick; Indian-origin homes. and Rudolf Valentino as “The At a media preview, Young Rajah” in brown-face. Momaya explained One of the most effective of that the title and the all the stereotype-busting theme "Beyond Bolartworks is a three-photo lywood" was chosen series “UnSuitable Girls” intentionally “to at- "Most Reluctant Housetract visitors and keeper", "Least Dutiful suggest that we inWife", and "Most Appretended to go behensive Fiancée" – by Anyond stereotypes. jali Bhargava and Swati When we surveyed Khurana. the public as to the In another striking phofirst word that Indian contributions to the American religious landscape are showtography series, “An Incame up when cased as part of Beyond Bollywood. Here, Swami Vivekananda and dian from India”, Annu guests at Green Acre School, Eliot, Maine, ca. 1894. This school, a they thought of Palakunnathu Matthew meeting-place for the study of world religions, was just one stop on a Indians, India or frames her photographic Indians in Amer- tour in which Vivekananda introduced the West to Hinduism & yoga. self-portraits with similar ica, “Bolly- (Photo courtesy of Eliot Baha’i Archives and Maine Memory Network / Smithones of Native Americans sonian Institution Asian Pacific American Program.) wood” emerged -- before and after being most frequently. assimilated. Family photographs collected from around the US are featured in Beyond Bollywood. Here, Pandit Shankar Ghosh, CongressWhile the exhiSpecific items are also Shrimati Sanjukta Ghosh, with Vikram (Boomba) Ghosh at Samuel P. Taylor State Park, Lagunitas, Calif., ca. 1970. man Dalip bition takes very powerful in dis(Photo courtesy of the Ali Akbar Khan Foundation / Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program) Singh Bollywood as a pelling stereotypes and Saund, with point of deparracial profiling that have drivers. Individuals singled out for Senators ture for the stosparked violence. Two their accomplishments include AcadJohn F. ries we’re most important items are emy Award-nominated writer/director Kennedy telling, we - the royal blue Sikh turM. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth and Lyndon paired it with ban worn by Balbir Sense), reigning Miss America Nina B. Johnson, the word “BeSingh Sodhi, the first Davuluri, as well as athletes such as 1958. . yond” to South Asian person 83 19 former Green Bay Packer Brandon (Photo o, sc ci ily in San Fran show that murdered in retaliation The Naeem Khan dress for First Lady Michelle courtesy of Chillar and Olympic silver medalist Sharma fam e a) Th m ar o: Prithvi Sh ot Eric Saund.) Ph ( we’re a lot for September 11, 2001. Obama that she wore at the 2012 Governors Mohini Bhardwaj. Dinner. more than you think we are, to show He was shot to death in Documenting Indian American her(Photo: John Gibbons, Smithsonian.) Mesa, Ariz., a few days itage would be incomplete without facts include a dress worn by Michelle the fingerprints and footprints that Inafter the terrorist attack mentioning the great Indian export - Obama designed by Indian American dian Americans have left and are leavbeen funded in large part by donations Institution Traveling Exhibition Servand a copy of a newspa‘Yoga’. Hence as a tribute to the his- Naeem Khan, which was a challenge ing on this country,” said Momaya from philanthropists and corporations ice beginning May 2015 for five years. to get for the exhibit. “We spent more adding, “As with any group, we are a per story about "Dottory of yoga in America a "lotus from across the country especially “It was planned that after the exhibit than a year pursuing—and eventually lot more than popular stereotypes sugbusters", a New Jersey room" is reconstructed from one in shows at the Smithsonian, it will then members of the Indian American comhate group named for Centreville, Virginia -- the country's were able to borrow—a dress de- gest and my intention as a curator has travel around the country from 2015 munity, including Asian American the dot or "bindhi" first yoga studio to teach the philoso- signed by Naeem Khan and worn by been to focus on cultural, political and through 2020 because part of the Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA). First Lady Michelle Obama at the professional contributions that Indian some Indian women phy as well as the practice of yoga. Smithsonian’s commitment is to takSome other highlights are the public 2012 Governors Dinner. Aside from immigrants and Indian Americans wear on their forehead. The exhibit also covers the many reIndian immigrants work on the construction of the Pacific and programs, which include perform- ing itself beyond its walls. This will be the Inaugural Ball gowns that are have made to shaping U.S. history.” A "Dotbusters" leader ligions practiced by Indians in the US Eastern Railroad in Oregon, ca. 1906. ances featuring Indian American art, key to initiating conversations in areas tells the newspaper, – a total of nine, which includes shown in the National Museum of “We think many visitors will be sur(Photo courtesy of Southern Oregon Historical Society (#1603) / Smithcomedy, cuisine, dance, film, televi- with and without Indian American American History, it’s rare to be able prised to learn that the first big wave "We will go to any exBaha’i and Zoroastrianism, in addition sonian Asian Pacific American Program) sion, literature and music. The Center communities,” said Momaya. treme to get Indians to to Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Bud- to show a dress of a First Lady, let of Indian American immigrants arChinese Exclusion Act restricted imever, only in 1980 did the census begin As a curator what does she hope will also offer online education curmove out of Jersey dhism, and Jainism – as well as the alone a sitting First Lady,” noted Mo- rived in the U.S. in the late 1800s. migration from "Asiatic nations", a using the category "Asian Indian". people will take away from the exhibiriculum and an opportunity for indimaya, adding, “Khan comes from a They worked in lumber mills and on City...We will never be DJ, producer, and An Indian immigrant practice of yoga. mob of almost 500 men attacked PunToday, one in every 100 Americans is tion? “I want visitors to walk away viduals to share their family stories long line of embroiderers and designrailroads alongside Chinese immistopped." The curator worker harvests beets in activist Rekha Indian American musicians, such as jabi lumber mill workers in Belling- of Indian heritage. (Their prior census with an understanding of the vast and through a digital portal. ers, dating back to the Mughal Courts Malhotra, popugrants. The exhibition talks about a pointed out, "It was re- Hamilton City, California DJ Rekha and Raje Shwari, are also ‘Beyond Bollywood’ is the Smith- deep contributions of Indian immilarly known as DJ ham, Wash. Within two weeks, all categories included "foreigner", and featured. An entire wall is dedicated to in India and this particular gown in- number of Indian immigrants who for the Sacramento ally important to put the Indian people left the city. And within later "Hindu" -regardless of their resonian Asian Pacific American Cen- grants and Indian Americans in shapRekha, is credited violence section close Valley Sugar Company, the discrimination Indian Americans corporates embroidery techniques fought for U.S. citizenship and still months, additional attacks occurred ligion.) ter’s largest exhibition and will be on ing US history,” said Momaya, adding with popularizing c. 1907-1915. to the front because it have faced throughout the years, par- passed down to him on a classic combat stereotypes today. It’s a very elsewhere in that state, and also in Other important facets of the Indian display on the second floor of the Na- that although the exhibition highlights bhangra in ( Photo courtesy of the was and is an important ticularly the “dotbuster” movement of American silhouette. It’s literally an important story to tell, which is why California, and Vancouver, B.C. American experience that are included America. California State University, tional Museum of Natural History for certain individual achievements of example of Indian American being immigration is one of the seven part of Indian American the 1980s. A large, long table is set Chico, Meriam Library (Photo courtesy of Almost 40 years later, the Lancein the exhibit are the Indian domiat least one year. It will then travel prominent desis, it is first and forewoven into the fabric of the garment.” themes in the exhibition. I hope readhistory." A large portion with traditional Indian foods and Special Collections) Eco Magazine.) Cellar Act of 1946 extended the right nance of the Scripps National Spelling around the country to libraries, muse- most meant to honor the overall imIn a nice touch, shoes sent in from ing these stories will add context to of the show focuses on spices, "an important part of America's of naturalized citizenship "to persons Bee and the prevalence of Indian ums, universities and community cen- pact of the Indian American the difficulties Indian cultural landscape," noted curator Mo- desi families across the country are what is being debated today,” Mocitizenship, and even being counted in or races indigenous to India." HowAmerican (specifically, Punjabi) cab ters as a part of the Smithsonian community. immigrants have had in attaining U.S. the census. In 1907, soon after the maya. Among other highlighted arti- kept at both entrances to “Beyond maya elucidated. The exhibition has

Showcasing Indian Americans’ contributions to the melting pot

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March 1-7, 2014

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Salman's fresh trial in hit- Sanjay Dutt's repeated parole and-run case from March 26 under central scanner Mumbai sessions court has fixed March 26 as the date for the fresh trial of Bollywood actor Salman Khan in the hit-and-run case. The ruling came at a hearing of the case when the prosecution submitted a list of 17 witnesses who will be examined and cross-examined again. Last year, July 24, the sessions court framed charges against Salman for the more serious charge of

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culpable homicide not amounting to murder, which entails a 10-year prison term. Earlier, the 48-year-old actor was tried for the less stringent charge of rash and negligent driving, which attracts a twoyear sentence. Later, in November 2013 Salman moved the sessions court seeking a fresh trial in the case since the magistrate's court had not given him an opportunity to crossexamine witnesses in the context of the new charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Salman was previously charged and tried by a Bandra magistrate's court under the Indian Penal Code Section 304(A) (rash and negligent driving). After nearly 10 years, the magistrate had held that a case under IPC 304 (2) was made out against Salman and sent the case to a sessions court for trial, which he challenged. Besides IPC Section 304(2), Salman also faces charges of causing death by negligence, causing hurt by an act, causing grievous hurt and damage or mischief to property, and charges under the Motor Vehicles Act and the Bombay Prohibition Act. On Sep 28, 2002, an allegedly inebriated Salman Khan, while driving his Toyota Land Cruiser SUV, ran over some pavement dwellers near a bakery in Bandra (West). While one person was killed, four others were injured in the incident.

he union home ministry has sought a report from the Maharashtra government on the repeated parole granted to Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, an official said. Last week, in a communication, the centre asked the state government to clarify whether Dutt was accorded any special privileges while accepting his parole request thrice within eight months since he was lodged in the Yerawada Central Jail in Pune. Confirming the development, state Home Minister R.R. Patil said the state government would send its reply to the central government soon. "We shall inform the centre under what circumstances the parole has been granted," Patil told media persons here. Asked whether convicts took advantage of the parole system, Patil said it pertains to certain legal issues and he has sought details on this from the additional chief secretary in the home ministry. Dutt, 54, has been sentenced to serve the remaining 42 months of his five-year prison term after he was found guilty in the March 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts. He returned to the Pune jail May 18, 2013, and subsequently was granted parole on several occasions, creating a controversy. Currently, Dutt is out on parole since Dec 21 and will remain outside jail till March 21. Prior to this, he was released on a fortnight-long furlough, which was extended by another fortnight in October 2013.

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Aamir visits Mountain Man for 'Satyamev Jayate 2' Shakira to don Indian designer's outfit nternational superstar Shakira, who returns as a coach on “The Voice”, will be seen in Indian designer Khushali Kumar's outfit in the premier episode of the season six of the TV show. She has zeroed on a gunmetal short dress from Kumar's label Reve for the premiere episode. “After privately viewing the collection, well-known styling duo Rob Zangardi & Mariel Haenn immediately knew that the Singer Shakira intricate Indian line, Reve by Khushali Kumar was a great fit for new mother, Shakira,” Kate, US media and celebrity liaison for Reve by Khushali Kumar, said in a statement. It seems Khushali has got a firm foothold in Hollywood as she has just finished styling for Justin Beiber's new video “Wait For a Minute”.

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ollywood actor Aamir Khan visited Gahlaur village and met family members of Dasrath Manjhi, who single-handedly carved out a road by cutting through a hill in Bihar, for his TV show "Satyamev Jayate 2". Amid tight security, Aamir spent nearly half an hour and interacted with Bhagirath Manjhi and Basanti Devi, the son and daughter-in-law of Dasrath Manjhi and other members of his family. "I am really happy to be here to touch the soil of this land, where a man has created a rare example of making difference with his dedication and commitment of years for selfless cause," Aamir told media persons here. The actor-producer said that he has fulfilled his wish to visit the place associated with Dasrath Manjhi. Both Bhagirath and Basanti, who are disabled and live in penury at Dasrathnagar Dalit tola near Gahlaur in Gaya district, about 100

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km from state capital Patna, told Aamir in Magahi, a local dialect, that they are living in abject poverty and sought his help to improve their condition. Dasrath Manjhi, popularly known as "Mountain Man", using nothing more than a hammer and a chisel and working day and night, single-handedly cut a 360 feet long, 30 feet high and 30 feet wide passage through a hill near

Gahlaur. He died in 2007, battling with cancer.

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March 1-7, 2014

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'Highway,' elegiac excursion into know-man's land eing in the world this enchanting film inhabits is like being in the state of a waking dream. The world is fatally flawed. But it's also beautiful in spite of the deep flaws, or maybe because of them? Imtiaz Ali's new intriguing work takes us into the heartland of India, much in the same way that "Jab We Met" and to a lesser extent "Rockstar" did. Imtiaz loves his India. With all its gigantic contradictions, anomalies and aberrations. And Veera, the arresting protagonist of "Highway", is an anomaly herself. Alia's performance nails Veera with a persuasiveness that belies her two-film old history. Veera is a girl ridden with complexities and contradictions. Wealthy and spoilt, in a superbly staged highway drama, she is kidnapped on the eve of her wedding by a hood, played by Hooda with his habitual clenched intensity. The rest of the narrative is pretty much in character with what we expect in a film that constructs its wistful fable out of the harsh reality of the ailment known as the Stockholm Syndrome. Going by the book of "How To Fall In Love With Your Kidnapper", Veera promptly falls for her scowling kidnapper whose associates

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REVIEW (played effectively) conveniently fall off the plot's radar to leave the lovers alone. Whether Veera genuinely feels a love or whether that love is born out of defiant rejection of the life of luxury and affluence, we will never know. As played majestically by Alia, Veera appears to be a bundle of snarled contradictions, some compelling, others purely annoying. Randeep Hooda is in fine, if somewhat typecast, shape. Though his accent is distracted from his performance, the character's pain made itself apparent through its mawkish mother-fixated past-history. In some vital ways, "Highway" resembles Gyan Correa's Gujarati masterpiece "The Good Road". One sequence where the kidnap victim helps her kidnappers to escape detection by the police at a check-point on the highway is almost inter-changeable in the two films. Is this really a film? Or is it a poem that spills out metres of magnificence in a road journey where you measure life's worth not in years, but in kilometers.

Actor Alia Bhatt in 'Highway'

Gere enjoys local food in Udaipur Rahul wins International Woolmark Prize in Milan I

ndian actor Lilette Dubey is helping her "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 2" co-star Richard Gere develop a taste for Rajasthani dishes, and he is said to be trying them with fervour. Gere, who has visited India several times as a goodwill ambassador for AIDS campaigns and for his Buddhist activities, is in Udaipur to shoot for the Hollywood film. "Richard loves the local cuisine. But he is wary of the spices and mirchi (chilli). Lilette and her two daughters Neha and Ira helped him pick the dishes with the minimum masala. The three ladies have also taken Gere sightseeing in Udaipur," said a source from the unit. The cast of the sequel, directed by John Madden, comprises a distinguished bouquet of British and Indian troupers both old and young, including Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Maggie Smith, Dev

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Richard Gere is in India for 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 2' shoot

Patel, Tina Desae and Lilette. Gere is eager to learn more about Bollywood. He is even said to have

asked for a Bollywood-styled romantic song to be incorporated in the screen romance with Lilette.

'The Hunger Games...' highest grosser of 2013 in US ennifer Lawrence-starrer "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" has eclipsed "Iron Man 3" to become the highest-grossing film released at the US box office in 2013. Lionsgate Entertainment announced that the movie has grossed $423.6 million to date, now stepping into the top 10

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ahul Mishra has emerged as the first Indian fashion designer to win the International Woolmark Prize (IWP), past recipients of which include icons like Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld. Mishra, a young and creative designer, was announced the winner of the 2013-14 IWP during the final awards event held at the Triennale Museum. Mishra's Merino wool collection was based on craftsmanship and his knowledge of techniques and embroidery. Designer Rahul Mishra with the He is over the moon and emotional about his vic- International Woolmark Prize (IWP) tory. selected Mishra, who was repre"I feel like this is a dream and senting India and the Middle this is giving me new hopes for East at the platform. my future career. This award "For me, Rahul has won will change the perception of because of his ability to apply global fashion in regards to his knowledge of embroideries Indian fashion and this is all through wool, one of the most because of wool - an amazing versatile fibres with originality fibre, the fibre of possibilities," in an unexpected way,"said he said in a statement. Giannini, who is creative direcA judging panel including tor of luxury label Gucci. Frida Giannini, Franca Sozzani, Mishra was among the five Tim Blanks, Colette Garnsey, talents that competed for the Angelica Cheung, Alexa Chung prize. The top five were chose and representatives from the from 20 countries and out of global IWP retail partners, over 48 designers.

highest-grossing films of all time domestically, reports deadline.com. Globally, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire", which released in the US Nov 22, 2013, now enjoys a worldwide box office total of $838.2 million after seven weeks in theaters. That eclipses the $691

million the first "Hunger Games" made during its entire theatrical run. "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I" and "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2" are in production for release Nov 21, 2014 and Nov 20, 2015, respectively. **************

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DIASPORA

March 1-7, 2014

Probe Britain's role in Bluestar, say Sikh groups London: Two Sikh groups in Britain have demanded a full inquiry into the extent of Britain's involvement in the Indian military operation in the Golden Temple in Amritsar in 1984. The Sikh Federation UK and the British Sikh Council said in an open letter that there were "too many serious questions that remain unanswered", BBC reported Thursday. Sikh Federation UK's spokesperson Dabinderjit Singh said Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague had misled parliament about the army assault on terrorists holed up in the shrine. Citing a report by the British cabinet secretary, Hague had confirmed to parliament earlier this month that the Indian government had sought advice from Britain prior to the operation. In his report, Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Heywood had said that Britain advised India that a military operation in Sikh's holiest shrine should only be a last resort and suggested that helicopters could be used as part of a strategy to minimize casualties. Hague told Britain's members of parliament this month that the Indian government's campaign had "differed from the approach recommended" and there had been no "helicopter-borne element." "Every single book (on the subject) says that actually helicopter gunships were used. They were used on June 4,5 and 6, 1984,” Singh was quoted as saying. "So that starts to put a different level of complicity in terms of what parliament was told," he said.

Declassified documents suggested involvement of Margaret Thatcher government in planning the Bluestar military operation.

"So not only was the foreign secretary and the report that has been produced misleading, it was not truthful." Earlier, declassified documents suggested that the Margaret Thatcher government was involved in planning the military operation in the temple. Official figures put the death toll in Operation Bluestar at 575. Hague said Britain's involvement had only a "limited impact" on the events. The British Sikh Council's Gurmukh Singh said: "Unless there is admission of the truth, and the whole truth is revealed, and then there is reconciliation, you cannot draw a line under 1984."

Indian couple in New Zealand seeks help to avoid deportation Wellington: An Indian couple in New Zealand facing deportation has approached a local Member of Parliament (MP) for help. Bhuvnesh Mehta and Jaswinder Kaur, of Hastings in Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand's North Island, are facing deportation after various visa applications submitted by them were declined by Immigration New Zealand last year. The couple claimed that they were facing the ordeal because of a series of mistakes made by law firm Luscombe Legal, the New Zealand Herald reported Thursday. The two had also submitted an official complaint with the New Zealand Law Society regarding the matter. They claim that Luscombe Legal gave them inadequate advice when documentation and applications were sent to Immigration New Zealand. The law firm has, however, declined to comment as it is the subject of a complaint. The country's immigration ministry earlier this month said the complaint would not affect the couple's status as overstayers and advised them to leave the country im-

Bhuvnesh Mehta and Jaswinder Kaur

mediately. The couple, however, is determined to stay in the country and have appealed to Tukituki MP Craig Foss to assist them in approaching Minister of Immigration Nikki Kaye. An Auckland-based lawyer, acting on behalf of the pair, states that the justification for Kaye to intervene would be on "moral grounds." Mehta and Kaur also enclosed a copy of the complaint to the Law Society with the submission. The couple said they had not heard from Foss yet and had no idea what Foss was going to say about this matter. The duo are hoping that the MP will contact them soon.

Dedicated wing in UAE's Indian missions to address grievances New Delhi: The government said Tuesday it has set up a dedicated “community affairs wing” in Indian missions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to deal with the redressal of grievances of Indian nationals. The community affairs wing also resolves matters related to irregular residence status of Indian nationals in UAE, followed by repatriation of the concerned individuals, the ministry of overseas Indian affairs said in a statement here.In addition to this, there is one Indian Workers Resource Centre (IWRC) at Dubai addressing grievances of Indian workers which also offers free legal, psychological and financial counseling to distressed Indians and also organizes awareness campaigns at prominent labor camps to educate the Indian workers, it said. “Government has made robust arrangements to deal with the problems of Indian workers in Emigration Check Required (ECR) countries which include Indian Workers Resource Centre, helpline for providing counseling and other assistance and Indian Community Welfare Fund for need based and on-site welfare of distressed emigrants,” it said.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Lobby behind Indian deaths report: Qatar Dubai: Ali bin Sumaikh Al Marri, chairman of Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee, has said that given the large number of Indians who live in Qatar, one cannot say the mortality rate among Indian expatriates in the country during the past two years is alarming. Al Marri said a “vested interest lobby” was behind a sustained media campaign against Qatar in the run-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, The Peninsula reported Wednesday. Most of the construction projects related to the event employ foreign workers. Those publicizing the mortality rates must explain the circumstances behind the deaths, the

report quoted Al Marri as saying. Indians constitute the largest expatriate group in Qatar and their number is almost double that of Qataris. Al Marri said that if one looked at the mortality rates of Qataris during the last two years, one would find that the death rate of Indian expatriates was “natural.” The newspaper, citing India’s external affairs ministry, said that of the 241 Indian deaths in Qatar in 2013, only 14 were reported from construction sites. Of the 237 deaths in 2012, 13 were reported from work sites. Western media reports had alleged that there was a high death rate among Indian migrant workers in the country.

Indian not allowed Buckingham Palace visit after scandal London: An Indian-origin tycoon in the UK will not be allowed to visit the Buckingham Palace despite winning an auction to take part in a celebrity tennis match there after getting embroiled in a bribery scandal, a media report said on Sunday. Bhanu Choudhrie, whose family is one of the biggest donors to deputy prime minister Nick Clegg's Liberal Democrat party, bid 75,000 pounds for the privilege of playing against Boris Becker and Novak Djokovic, The Sunday Times reported. However, a week after the auction, Choudhrie, 35, and his father, Sudhir, 64, were arrested in dawn raids in London carried out by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). They were questioned for several hours over allegations of bribery and corruption involving defence contracts won by Rolls-Royce in Asia. They both have denied any wrongdoing. The tennis prize was the most prestigious lot to go under the hammer at a fund-raising dinner attended by Prince Charles at the Victoria and Albert Museum earlier this month. The event was organized by the British Asian Trust (BAT), a charity set up at Charles's behest to raise money for causes in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. A source close to the event was quoted by the daily as saying that no money had been received yet from Choudhrie and his gift would not be

accepted. It means the tycoon, whose business interests have included care homes, hospitals, luxury hotels and restaurants, will no longer be invited to Buckingham Palace. Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, visited some of the projects backed by the charity during an official trip to India last November.

Surjan Singh

Sikh honored in Singapore for voluntary service Singapore: An elderly Sikh in Singapore has been honored for his outstanding volunteer services. Surjan Singh, 82, received the Ministry of Social and Family Development Volunteers Award for helping some 60 boys, mostly involved in petty crimes such as theft, the Straits Times reported. Singh, a retired teacher, worked for Community Probation Service, a voluntary service, for 42 years.

SUBCONTINENT

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Pak Taliban rejects call for unconditional ceasefire Islamabad: The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has rejected the Nawaz Sharif government’s call for an unconditional ceasefire, a media report said. “If this is what we have to do, we would have done it 10 years ago,” the Dawn Wednesday quoted TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid as saying. “It is the government which has waged a war against us and it is for the government to end it now. Let the government hold fire and we shall follow suit,” he told the newspaper. Shahidullah also blamed intelligence agencies for Monday's killing of TTP's senior commander Asmatullah Shaheen Bhittani. He said Shaheen Bhittani had been on the hit list of Pakistani intelligence agencies. The TTP spokesman added that there had been a few other incidents of killing of its commanders and his organisation suspected them to be the handiwork of Pakistani intelligence agencies. “This is a drone’s alternative. Now we are being hunted through ground drones,” he said.

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No troops in Afghanistan post-2014: Obama and ambition." Row over the pact is just one irritant in Washington-Kabul ties, as Karzai had set new conditions for his signing of the deal, including a promise by Washington not to allow its forces to conduct counterterrorism raids on Afghan homes, and US agreement to free Afghan prisoners held at its Guantanamo prison. US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel said that his department will move ahead with "additional contingency planning" to ensure adequate plans are in place for an orderly withdrawal by the end of Hamid Karzai has refused to sign a bilateral security agreement (BSA) that allows legal immunity to residual American troops.

Washington: US President Barack Obama, in a phone conversation with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, raised the possibility of no American troops left in Afghanistan beyond 2014. "Specifically, President Obama has asked the Pentagon to ensure that it has adequate plans in place to accomplish an orderly withdrawal by the end of the year should the United States not keep any troops in Afghanistan after 2014," Xinhua quoted the White House as saying. Karzai has refused to sign a bilateral security agreement (BSA) that allows legal immunity to residual American troops, who will be tasked with training and

assisting Afghan forces as well as conducting counterterrorism operations beyond 2014 after most American and NATO combat troops exit. Obama left open the possibility of concluding the security pact with Afghanistan later this year, as a new Afghan president will emerge in elections slated for April. "However, the longer we go without a BSA, the more challenging it will be to plan and execute any US mission," the White House warned. "Furthermore, the longer we go without a BSA, the more likely it will be that any post-2014 US mission will be smaller in scale

Sri Lanka rejects UN report ahead of resolution Colombo: Sri Lanka's government has rejected a call by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanetham Pillay to establish an international inquiry to investigate alleged war crimes as the country prepares to face a fresh resolution in Geneva next week, a statement said. In response to a report compiled by Pillay after a visit to Sri Lanka in 2013 on alleged violations of international humanitarian laws including killing of civilians during the last phase of a three-decade conflict in 2009, the Sri Lankan government insisted "conclusions and recommendations contained in her report reflect bias and are tantamount to unwanted interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state", Xinhua reported.

March 1-7, 2014

The permanent mission of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva said in a statement that "a trajectory that has emerged with regard to the recommendation of the high commissioner for the establishment of an international inquiry mechanism reflects the preconceived, politicised and prejudicial agenda which she has relentlessly pursued with regard to Sri Lanka". Recalling that the high commissioner has called for an "independent, international inquiry" just weeks after the end of the war May 26, 2009, at the 11th Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Sri Lanka and in three other subsequent sessions and in a report, the government said the reference in the current report that "the high commissioner

remains convinced" demonstrates her persistent efforts against Sri Lanka. "It is pertinent to question the factual basis for the high commissioner's initial formal call for an independent, international investigation in May 2009 and its continuation in order that the international community not be misled," the statement further said. The government has defended its position by insisting that sustained and significant progress is being made on the reconciliation process in Sri Lanka. The extensive report came as the Sri Lankan government faces a USled resolution before the UNHRC next month for failing to implement adequate reconciliation measures and investigate allegations of war crimes.

the year. In a statement, the Pentagon chief called the potential "zero option", in which no American troops will be left behind in Afghanistan after 2014, "a prudent step" in face of Karzai's unwillingness to sign the security deal. "As the United States military continues to move people and equipment out of the Afghan theater, our force posture over the next several months will provide various options for political leaders in the Untied States and NATO," Hagel said.

Pak assures UN envoy of support in Afghan peace Islamabad: Pakistan assured the visiting Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Afghanistan, Jan Kubis, of its support to peace and reconciliation in the embattled country, officials said. The UN envoy met Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, and discussed matters related to Afghanistan and Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, Xinhua reported citing the Pakistan foreign ministry. "The adviser underscored the

importance Pakistan attached to a stable, peaceful and united Afghanistan and wished the Afghan people well during the security, political and economic transitions in 2014 and beyond," a statement said. The adviser underscored Pakistan's resolve to support the international community's efforts for stability in Afghanistan. He reaffirmed Pakistan's steadfast support for an inclusive Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process.

Nepal, China sign new air services pact Kathmandu: In what could be termed as increasing Chinese engagement in this country, Nepal and China revised their bilateral air service agreement (ASA) by increasing flight frequencies four-fold from 14 to 56 a week. Under the revised pact, an additional seven flights per week will be added annually to 70 flights per week by 2016. This pact is almost a unilateral one as no Nepali airline operates services to its northern neighbour. All these flights will be operated by the Chinese side. The new ASA has also permitted both sides unlimited traffic rights for cargoonly flights with any type of aircraft and permitted bilateral and third-party codesharing by carriers of the two countries. According to Nepal's min-

The opening of this airspace will allow international airlines to fly in Nepali airspace

istry of culture, tourism and civil aviation, Nepali and Chinese carriers can operate from seven Chinese cities Chengdu, Lhasa, Beijing, Kunming, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xian. China has also agreed to open the route from Kathmandu to Lhasa, the nearest city from Nepal and with which Nepal has historical trade ties.

The Kathmandu-Lhasa route would be one of the most expensive in the world as a one-way ticket would cost $450. The opening of this airspace will allow international airlines to fly in Nepali airspace, which means savings in fuel and distance for carriers and revenue for Nepal.

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INTERNATIONAL

March 1-7, 2014

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Ukraine in power vacuum after president ousted Kiev: Dramatic changes were witnessed in Ukraine as parliament ousted President Viktor Yanukovich after more than three months of violent protests and released his arch rival Yulia Tymoshenko. Yanukovich, who insisted he would not step down, has left Kiev for his support base in the country's pro-Russian east, resulting in a political vacuum in the government. Former prime minister Tymoshenko came to the spotlight as she turned up at the Independence Square and addressed anti-government protestors in central Kiev soon after she was freed from jail. Yanukovich had warned that he would not accept any parliament decisions as opposition leaders behaved as "gangsters who terrorize Ukrainian people". "The events witnessed by our country and the whole world are an example of a coup d'etat," he said, comparing it to the rise of the Nazis to power in Germany in the 1930s. It was unclear who would fill the vacuum left by Yanukovich as parliament voted to set early elec-

Ousted Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich and former president Yulia Tymoshenko.

tions for May 25. Opposition lawmaker Arsen Avakov, one of the leaders of the anti-government protests, was elected Saturday as the acting interior minister by parliament until a new government is formed. Parliament also elected Alexandr Turchinov, an ally of Tymoshenko, as the new speaker after his predecessor Volodymyr Rybak resigned due to health reasons. Opposition web site Ukrainska Pravda said Tymoshenko intends to run for president in May. Turchinov said the protests have reached their goals and urged the

activists to end their demonstration. However, Tymoshenko called on protestors to continue their encampment at the Independence Square. The Independence Square, where a sprawling protest tent camp was set up in December, has been the centre stage for the past three months of anti-government demonstrations in Ukraine that has claimed dozens of lives. Disturbances in Kiev this week left 80 people dead, according to the latest official figures, although opposition groups say that nearly 100 people were killed Thursday alone.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra

Gunshots rattle Thai capital as PM flies out Bangkok: Gunmen opened fire near several opposition protest sites in Bangkok, stoking tensions in the capital as Thailand's embattled prime minister flew to her political stronghold in the north. Street violence, often targeting protesters, has become a near-daily feature of the almost four-month-long crisis gripping Thailand, with the toll standing at 22 dead and hundreds wounded. Police said unknown gunmen fired sporadically for around an hour in three areas of Bangkok where demonstrators are camped out alongside upscale shopping malls and luxury hotels. Nobody was wounded. "We don't know which side fired the shots, but the aim of the gunmen is to intimidate," deputy national police spokesman Anucha Romyanan said. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is under intense pressure to step down with the protesters calling for an unelected "people's council" to tackle

corruption and a culture of money politics. Her supporters say they will not accept the removal of an elected government by the protesters, military or the courts, raising fears of a protracted standoff. Yingluck has been summoned by an anti-graft panel on Thursday to hear charges of neglect of duty in connection with a rice subsidy scheme that the opposition says is rife with corruption. If found guilty she could be removed from office and face a five-year ban from politics.Yingluck flew to the northern city of Chiang Rai on Wednesday to inspect government-backed projects, saying she might not attend the National Anti-Corruption Commission hearing. "I have not yet made up my mind," Yingluck told reporters when asked if she would face the panel. "She is not avoiding the political situation in Bangkok," said Transport Minister Chadchart Sittipunt.

US ready to give Ukraine financial aid Washington: The US is ready to provide financial support to Ukraine to complement the International Monetary Fund (IMF) aid in a bid to improve the East European country's economy, White House said. "The United States, working with partners around the world, stands ready to provide support for Ukraine as it takes the reforms it needs to get back to

UN officials reiterate call for political solution in Syria United Nations: As the conflict in Syria enters its fourth year, UN officials have again stressed the need for a political solution to end the crisis, as well as greater efforts to protect civilians and ensure they receive the assistance they desperately need. "We are in a race against time. More people are slipping out of our reach as the conflict intensifies and armed groups fragment and more battle lines are drawn," Kang Kyung-wha, assistant secretarygeneral for humanitarian affairs and deputy emergency relief coordinator, said. Kang, one of several senior UN officials who briefed the General Assembly on the humanitarian situation in Syria, cited the need to ensure that civilians were protected and able to receive the assistance they need. The conflict has also been marked by growing evidence of war crimes, crimes against humanity and gross human rights violations by Government forces and armed opposition groups, High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay told the 193-member body in a video briefing.

economic stability," Xinhua quoted White House spokesperson Jay Carney as saying. The support can complement an IMF programme by helping to make reforms easier and by putting Ukraine in a position to invest more in health and education to help develop Ukraine's human capital and strengthen its social safety net, Carney said.

Now, superfast UK citizenship for £2.5 million London: Wealthy foreigners may soon be able to gain fast track citizenship and the right to settle in Britain. Britain's Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has now recommended to the government that foreign millionaires should be allowed to submit sealed bids to win residence visas for Britain. They would have to pay a minimum of £2.5 million each to enter an auction for one of 100 elite investor visas. At present, about 500 migrants a year are given residence visas in return for investing a minimum of £1million. But the MAC says there is little or no gain to UK residents from the investor route and hence has recommended raising the amount to £2 million. The MAC said, "A further reform might involve auctioning some slots. At present it is not possible to determine the optimal price - investment threshold - for a visa under the Tier 1 (Investor) route. One approach to determining the price would be to auction a

certain number of slots, say 100, with a reserve price a little above the investment threshold (recommended to be £2 million), perhaps £2.5 million. The government would receive the excess over the £2 million. This surplus could go to good causes." It added, "In order to encourage investors to enter the auction, the MAC recommends two incentives be provided. First, the investors who gain an auction slot should receive accelerated settlement after two years. Second, the residence requirements for such investors should be relaxed." Britain's home secretary Theresa May has asked the committee to look at whether auctioning visas or making it available in exchange of a hefty donation can be a plausible option. UK says though a screening process will ensure criminals aren't let in. In the year to 2013 Q3, there were 560 main applicant visas issued under the Tier 1 (Investor) route.

BUSINESS

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March 1-7, 2014

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India's economy to grow Wipro wins 10-year deal from British IT firm at 5.5 percent: Moody's New Delhi: India's economic growth is expected to remain sluggish at 5.5 percent in the financial year beginning April 1, 2014, as the general elections will delay reforms, international ratings agency Moody's said. Moody's said in a report that India's gross domestic product (GDP) “growth should remain weak, at 5.5 percent in the fiscal year ending March 2015, as elections due in the next three months will delay reforms needed to revive growth.”

"In addition, the rupee will remain volatile, making the operating environment more challenging for importers and exporters,” it said. "In terms of specific sectors, our outlook is negative for the refining and marketing sector. We expect refining margins to stay weak and for companies to suffer delays in subsidy reimbursements due to the upcoming elections,” Vikas Halan, a Moody's vice president and senior analyst, said in the report.

Bangalore: Indian IT bellwether Wipro Ltd has announced it had won a 10-year multi-million dollar contract from the Britain-based leading integrated support services firm Carillion Plc. As a global strategic partner, Wipro will provide integrated IT and back-office services to Carillion, which operates across industry verticals in Britain, West Asia and Canada, providing a range of solutions, including project finance, design, construction and support services. Carillion also handles public-private partnership projects "We will deliver operational and cost efficiency to Carillion through its outsourcing and transformation services as our engagement covers its IT infrastructure and applications, human resources) and finance and accounting) business process outsourcing (BPO) services," Wipro vice-president for engineering and construction Arjun Ramaraju said in a statement here. Leveraging its domain expertise in platform-driven integrated delivery of IT and BPO services, the global software major will partner with Carillion for joint business and technology transformation projects the world

Warrant against

Sahara chief Subrata Roy New Delhi: The Supreme Court has issued a non-bailable warrant against Sahara group chief Subrata Roy for failing to appear before it in person as directed at the court's last hearing. Roy was also given till March 4 to comply with the court's order. An apex court bench of Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice J.S. Khehar, while noting that a plea was made Tuesday seeking exemption from personal appearance, said this was reiterated Wednesday but would not be accepted. The case relates to the non-refund of money to investors. The court then issued the non-bailable warrant against Roy and directed him to be present in the court March 4. As the court commenced, it enquired whether Subrata Roy and three other directors of two Sahara companies were present in court. The Supreme Court Feb 20 had asked Roy and three directors of Sahara India Real Estate Corporation Limited

The Supreme Court has issued a non-bailable warrant against Sahara group chief Subrata Roy for failing to appear before it

(SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corporation Limited (SHICL) Ashok Roy Choudhary, Ravi Shankar Dubey and Vandana Barghava - to be present in the court Feb 26. The court was told that the directors of SIRECL and SHICL were present, but Roy could not come as he had to rush to Lucknow to see his ailing mother. Apparently displeased, Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan said: "The arm of this court is

very long. We will issue warrants. This is the Supreme Court of the land. When other directors are here, why cannot he be here?" Roy and the directors were asked to be present in person for the failure of the Sahara companies to deposit with market regulator SEBI securities worth Rs.19,000 crore as guarantee to return investors money that it had collected. Sahara deposited Rs. 5,120 crore with SEBI in December 2012.

Wipro will provide integrated IT and backoffice services to Carillion

over. "We will work with Wipro to develop this strategic partnership for delivering IT services to our global customers and explore new opportunities for both of us," Carillion group finance director Richard Adam said in the statement.

Ranbaxy halts operations at two key facilities Mumbai: Ranbaxy Laboratories said it has halted production of key drug ingredients at its two key domestic facilities, as a "precautionary measure". This comes close on the heels of the US Food and Drug Administration imposing an import alert on shipments from its Toansa plant to the US, due to poor manufacturing standards. The company, in a notice to the Bombay Stock Exchange, said it is temporarily putting on hold shipments of pharmaceutical ingredients from its two API manufacturing plants, Toansa (Punjab) and Dewas (Madhya Pradesh). The Ranbaxy scrip bounced back after an initial fall to close nearly 1% higher at Rs 367 on the BSE. Supplies of API (active pharmaceutical ingredients) to all key markets in Europe and India may be affected, till the company rectifies the issues at these plants. It may decide to fill in the shortfall by importing APIs from China and other countries, analysts say.

When contacted, Ranbaxy declined to comment on the issue. The company's API business contributes around 8-10% of the overall revenue, and with shipments from both plants suspended, around 3% of revenues may be impacted in the short term, analysts added. Already, the FDA action would lead to drug delays, threatening new drug launches and jeopardizing lucrative revenues from the US. With the latest company decision to suspend all shipments from these plants, it makes matters worse. The company said it is examining processes and controls at all the company's API manufacturing and quality units. This voluntary decision was taken as a precautionary measure, and out of abundant caution to better allow the company to assess and review processes and controls, it

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SPORTS

March 1-7, 2014

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Asia Cup: India beat Bangladesh Shuttler Prannoy overcomes Kashyap in German Open by six wickets Fatullah (Bangladesh): $175,000, while the side that finishIndia romped home to a es second will receive $75,000. comfortable six-wicket win India held the number-one rank over Bangladesh in the from January 2013, but ceded the second One-Day top position to Australia after losing International (ODI) of the recent ODI series against New the Asia Cup at the Zealand 0-4. Even if India were to Khan Shaheb Osman win all their matches in the Asia Ali Stadium here. Cup, including the final, they would Chasing 280, the gain only two ratings points to move visitors achieved the to 117, on par with Australia. But target with one when ratings are calculated beyond over to spare. the decimal point, Michael Clarke’s India captain side will be ranked higher. Virat Kohli Therefore, India can at best hope to scored a retain the number-two match-winning position at the end knock of 136, of the Asia Cup, his 19th cenbut their position tury in the will be chalf o r m a t . lenged by A j i n k y a fourth-ranked Rahane supported Sri Lanka. him well with his 73. Earlier, Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim scored his second century, making 117. India started their campaign in the Asia Cup with an aim to retaining the number-two spot on the Reliance ICC ODI Team Rankings at the April 1 cut-off date. At number two, India will be the highest ranked side in the five-team tournament, with 115 ratings points, and will contest the tournament that also features fourth-ranked Sri Lanka, sixth-placed Pakistan, ninth-placed Bangladesh and unranked Afghanistan. The side that finishes top of the ODI rankings table at the India captain Virat Kohli scored a April 1 cut-off date will receive match-winning knock of 136, his 19th century in the format. a shield and a cheque of

Mulheim an der Ruhr (Germany): On a good day for Indians, rising shuttler H.S. Prannoy pulled off one of the biggest upsets of his career by beating fellow countryman and friend Parupalli Kashyap at the $120,000 German Open Grand Prix Gold here. This was the 21-year-old's first win over academy mate and ninth seed Kashyap in two meetings. Prannoy won the men's singles second round 21-19, 21-18 in 47 minutes at the RWE-Sporthalle. The Kerala shuttler will next face South Korean sixth seed Wan Ho Son for a place in the quarter-finals. Earlier, Anand Pawar and Arvind Bhat also progressed to the third round by beating their respective opponents. While World No.34 Pawar of Mumbai expectedly beat Slovenian Iztok Utrosa 21-16, 21-12 in 28 minutes, former national champion Bhat also caused a big upset by overcoming Hong Kong third seed and World No.10 Yun Hu 21-17, 16-21, 21-11 in 59 minutes. P.C. Thulasi and Arundhati Pantawane also tasted first round success in women's singles.As Arundhati overcame Danish Line Kjaersfeldt 17-21, 22-20, 21-19 in 51 minutes, Thulasi made a remarkable recovery to beat Canadian Li Michelle 7-21, 21-19, 21-17 in one hour and two minutes to progress to Round 2.

Indian shuttler H.S. Prannoy

Nadal set to earn $1 mn a night in Bhupathi's league World No.1 tennis player Rafael Nadal

London: World No.1 Rafael Nadal is expected to earn $1 million a night in the International Tennis Premier League (ITPL) to be held later this year. The tournament, modeled on the lines of cricket's Indian Premier League, is the brainchild of Indian tennis veteran Mahesh Bhupathi and its players' auction will take place in Dubai over the weekend. The Telegraph has reported that Nadal is committed to play as a marquee player in the citybased ITPL scheduled from Nov 28 to Dec 20 across Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Singapore and Hong Kong. The other top players who have shown in interest are reigning Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka, Tomas Berdych, Richard Gasquet, Agnieszka Radwanska, Victoria Azarenka, Caroline Wozniacki. The report added that Swiss great Roger Federer, 32, is not keen on taking part in the event in a already crammed calendar while Andy Murray is still in talks with Bhupathi, who was part of the Scot's commercial team briefly.

Sochi closes Olympics in the glow of success Sochi: Russia has delivered a "spectacular" Olympics as the Sochi Winter Games closed with the whole country basking in athletic achievements and compliments from the Olympic chief. In a fitting end to the Sochi Olympics, Alexander Legkov led Russia's podium sweep at the men's 50km cross country skiing and the host four-man bobsled team won a second gold, consolidating Russia's top place on the medal table - an ending few would have imagined after it finished only 11th in the 2010 Games. Despite a few glitches including an unopened Olympic ring that marred the otherwise perfect opening ceremony, the Games was generally well-run. International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach congratulated Russia in the closing ceremony for delivering "all what it had promised" and thanked

President Vladimir Putin for his role ensuring their "extraordinary success". Bach said the Games showed "the face of a new Russia, efficient and friendly, patriotic and open to the world", hailing the Olympics as "the athletes' Games". Earlier in the day, Bach rated the Sochi Olympics as a "great" Games without a single complaint from athletes. Bach said all participants had "overwhelmingly positive" response to the Games and they "loved" the venues and facilities. "Whether you speak with the athletes, national Olympic committee, international federations, sponsors or broadcasters you hear a lot of praise for these Games," he said. Bach's recognition was music to ears to the hosts who spent more than $50 billion on a world-class resort, six stadiums and long-term infrastructure improvements for the Sochi region. Russia, according to

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, has fulfilled every pledge made by President Putin when he successfully bid for the Olympics in 2007 and promised a "really spectacular event". Russia, shut out of top 10 with only three golds at last Games, proudly perched atop this time, having garnered 33 medals including 13 golds. About one fourth of Russia's golds came from former South Korean Victor An, who won Russian hearts by sweeping three golds and one bronze to be the most successful athlete in Sochi. An now has eight Olympic medals in total after also winning three golds and a bronze for South Korea in 2006. Norway, spearheaded by Marit Bjergen and Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, came second overall with a 11-5-10 haul. Canada ranked third overall on its 10th gold from the 3-0 ice hockey victory over Sweden. It also

Host Russia finished the Winter Games with 32 medals - 13 gold, 11 silver and nine bronze

swept two curling titles. The US was fourth with eight golds from snow and one from ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White, followed by the Netherlands with eight golds, all from speed skaters who won 23 of the 36 medals on offer and taking a medal in all 12 events. China finished 12th with nine medals including three golds, two

golds less than in last Games, and remained the highest ranked Asian delegation, with South Korea placed 13th (3-3-2) and Japan 17th (1-4-3). Apart from European and North American countries, only China, Japan, South Korea and Australia have struck gold in the winter Olympic history. Next Winter Olympics will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

PERSONAL FINANCE

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March 1-7, 2014

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Tax savings if you are self-employed Introducing a regular column by an eminent CPA with over 25 years of experience and having 25 offices in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens counties. Generally, you employed if you:

are

self

 Operate as an independent contractor Are the sole proprietor of a business or you practice a trade In some way or another are in business for yourself

Things to know if you are self-employed: If you and your spouse operate a business together and file a joint return, both of you may be able to be treated as sole proprietors instead of as a partnership. Each spouse would report their share of income and expenses as a selfemployed individual on the appropriate form (for example, Schedule C or Schedule F). Up to 100% of medical insurance costs you pay for yourself, your spouse, and your dependents may be deductible as an adjustment to income on Form 1040, US Individual Income Tax Return. The deduction is subtracted directly from your total income and applies whether or not you itemize. If you use your vehicle for business purposes, you may be able to deduct expenses associated with such use. You may choose the actual expense method or use the standard mileage rate. If you choose the actual expense method, you must also keep track of your vehicle-related expenses for the year. Vehicle related expenses include gas, oil, insurance, repairs, cleaning, registration, etc. The business portion of your personal property taxes and vehicle loan interest is also deductible. Whichever method you choose, you must keep track of the mileage on your car from the first day of the year or the first day you use your car for business through the end of the year.

You may be entitled to a tax break if you are operating a business from your home. The following questions will help you determine whether you can deduct the business use of your home: Is this part of your home used regularly and exclusively in conjunction with your business or work? Is this your primary place of business? Is this where customers and clients meet with you? Is this where you store prodsamples? uct Is this where you administer or manage your trade or business? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be able to deduct certain depreciation and

The tax implications of a self-employed individual are different from those of an ordinary wage earner.

operating expenses for the business use of your home. The same might apply if you use a separate structure, such as a shed. You may recover your investment in certain business-related properties (such as equipment, a vehicle, or a building) through the use of depreciation. In this manner, you deduct some of your cost on each year’s return. If you do not claim the depreciation, and later sell the property, the IRS calculates the basis as though you had taken the deduction each year. If you have unclaimed or have under claimed depreciation deduc-

A 'volatility' index in India adapting Chicago model By Vatsal Srivastava he Oracle of Omaha Warren Buffet once said participants should treat market fluctuations as a friend rather than an enemy. Indian investors will now have a product to do just that.

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tions on property placed in service in prior years, you may be able to fully recover all allowable depreciation in the current year. Up to $500,000 of certain tangible business property may be deducted in the year it was put in service as a section 179 expense rather than using the depreciation method. Your employees’ wages and salaries are deductible if they are paid during the tax year for work directly related to your business and the pay is reasonable. You must be able to verify that the payments were made for duties actually performed. There are various types of withholding for different types of employees. Specific forms must be used for reporting payments made to employees.

You may be able to deduct expenses for a leased asset (such as a car or computer) used in your business. If it is not used solely for business purposes, you may deduct only the percentage of use that applies to your business or work. Business tax credits can reduce your tax liability. There is a credit for providing access to the disabled and a work opportunity credit for providing work for members of groups with special employment needs or higher unemployment rates. If you are a freelancer writer,

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) is introducing the VIX futures (volatility index with contract symbol of IndiaViX) Feb 26. This derivative can be used by both hedgers who can protect the risks of their equity portfolios and speculators who can take outright directional bets on the expected near-term volatility. The volatility index is also known as the "fear index" in the Western markets. It was first launched by the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) in 1993. Although the pricing of VIX is relatively complex and involves a deep understanding of implied volatility and the options market, the underlying trading idea is quite basic. The VIX shows the markets expectation of the next 30-day volatility. Higher the India

photographer, etc., you may qualify to use Schedule C, Profit or Loss from Business, as a selfemployed individual and report your deductible business expenses on that form. If you were an employee you would add these expenses to other miscellaneous deductions on Schedule A and you would be limited to only the remaining expenses after subtracting 2% of your adjusted gross income from the total. Costs that you have when setting up an active trade or business, investigating the possibility of creating or acquiring a business, and some legal fees are business start-up costs. You can choose to deduct up to $5,000 of business start-up costs with the remainder amortized over 15 years. Franchise fees, goodwill, and customer-based intangibles are also amortizable. If you use an accrual-basis method of accounting and you have been unable to collect money owed to your trade or business, you may be able to deduct that debt. You must have previously included the money owed as income so that you have a basis in the debt. A cash-basis taxpayer normally does not report income until they receive payment so they cannot deduct a bad debt. The tax implications of a selfemployed individual are different from those of an ordinary wage earner. Each situation may present a number of complex tax questions. Certain individuals who are covered by a high deductible health insurance plan may be able to contribute to a health savings account (HAS). An HAS is a taxexempt trust or custodial account that you set up with a U.S. financial institution (such as a bank or an insurance company) in which you save money exclusively for future medical expenses. The dis-

VIX reading, the more volatility market participants are expecting and vice-versa. If investors are expecting large sideways movement in equity indexes, such as the S&P 500 or the Nifty, one trading strategy could be to go long on VIX futures. VIX values of greater than 30 are generally associated with large amount of volatility as a result of investor fear and uncertainty in the markets, while readings below 20 signify calmer or less-stressful times in the market, going forward. However, these levels should not be used as a rule of thumb while trading. At the peak of the turmoil during the financial crisis of 2008, the US VIX had hit an all time high of 80. However, during the debt ceiling (fiscal cliff) debate over two years ago, the US VIX stood below 20.

By Kanwal S. Sra CPA tributions from HSAs are tax free if they are used for qualified medical expenses. Contributions are deducted from your gross income when calculating adjusted gross income, which means you do not need to itemize deductions to claim your contributions. You should also consider the following questions before you begin preparing your tax return: Will you have to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, FUTA taxes, and workers' compensation insurance? Will you have more than one trade or business? What if your attempt to operate a business fails? Should your financial calculations be based on a calendar year or a fiscal year? Here are some additional credits and deductions for small business owners: Qualified leasehold property placed in service before January 1, 2014 is eligible for up to $250,000 of section 179 deduction. This includes improvements to rented business property necessary for your business. There is a Small Business Health Care Tax credit for employers who pay 50% or more of the qualified cost of health insurance. The special bonus depreciation rate is 50% (down from 100%) of the qualified new property purchased and placed in service in the business after December 31, 2011. There is a 2% adjustment for the Social Security taxes paid with Schedule SE for 2012. To contact the author, email: [email protected].

The success of VIX futures in India would be determined by its liquidity. Over time, efforts must be made by the NSE and other exchanges that wish to launch the product in the future, to educate the retail investor about the advantages of trading on this product and shore up the trading volumes. Further, NSE should also look to introduce a VIX options contract soon. Most fund managers in US and Europe do not take positions in outright VIX futures to hedge their portfolios but prefer buying VIX puts or calls as per their strategy. Option contracts, limit an investors downside after having paid a premium. Vatsal Srivastava market analyst.

is

a

senior

SELF HELP

March 1-7, 2014

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TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Indian docs develop 'painless' What you should know about acute heart failure treatment to repair teeth I novel "regenerative" technique to repair infected teeth -- claimed to be painless and cheaper than the traditional root canal treatment -has been developed by doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. Termed as "SealBio", the technique uses body's own stem cells and eliminates the need for cumbersome root canal fillings. Developed by doctors Naseem Shah and Ajay Logani at the Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, it has obtained an Australian patent, while an application with the US Patents office is under process. Root canal treatment demands rigorous training, clinical skills and several cumbersome sittings with dentist. It involves thorough cleaning and shaping followed by filling of the entire root canal with one of several sealer cements. The AIIMS technique is claimed to be the first that dispenses with the need for root canal filling. Instead of filling the root canal with artificial materials that may pose bio-compatibility problems,

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it makes use of regenerative potential of stem cells and growth factors available at the root of the teeth. Stem cells act as a repair system for the body capable of replenishing adult tissues. In case of this technique, the stem cells at the root of the decayed teeth are stimulated to induce regeneration and deposition of a natural tissue barrier (seal) to fill up the root canal in just one sitting. In other words, a "biological seal" is achieved at the root canal rather than attempting to seal it with artificial filling materials with all its drawbacks, the doctors say. The root canal is restored to health by gradual build up of tissue by stem cells over a period, extending from a few weeks to some months. The AIIMS doctors say that this treatment simplifies the whole procedure with minimal use of equipment, less time and cost of treatment. The success achieved by AIIMS doctors could trigger research in regenerative techniques in other clinical situations in dental science.

t’s easy to be misled by the many misconceptions about heart disease -- for example, that it only affects the elderly or those with unhealthy diets. But in reality, every 40 seconds someone in America dies from heart disease, making it a leading cause of death in the country. One of the most impactful heart diseases affecting millions of Americans is acute heart failure (AHF), which significantly reduces life expectancy and impacts quality of life. Although HF sounds final, it does not mean the heart has actually "failed" or stopped. Rather, it occurs when the heart is unable or “fails” to pump enough oxygen-rich blood through the body. AHF can occur in people who have never had heart failure (HF) before or when people with chronic HF suffer critical episodes where symptoms become worse and urgent hospital treatment is required. AHF is not the same as a heart attack, cardiac arrest, or a heart rhythm abnormality, although those conditions and others may contribute to the AHF episode. The most common symptoms of AHF include shortness of breath, known as dyspnea, which can substantially incapacitate a person. Fluid build-up in the lungs and throughout the body is another common symptom and is often

Tips to prepare for your new baby

described by patients as a sensation that feels close to drowning. “Every episode of AHF results in a downward spiral of worsening health and damage to vital organs such as the heart and kidneys which decreases the patient’s chance of surviving another episode,” says Dr. Hal Skopicki a cardiologist at Stony Brook Medical Center in New York. “Anyone experiencing AHF symptoms should seek immediate med-

ical attention.” Patients at-risk of AHF should understand that seeking prompt, accurate diagnosis and treatment is critical to long-term survival. Then, once discharged from the hospital, education and support are keys to making the necessary lifestyle changes that can help avoid another episode. The American College of Cardiology has more information about AHF at cardiosmart.org.

Four things that may help you maintain digestive balance round this time each year, New Year’s resolutions get lost amidst busy schedules and unexpected obligations. Even if your resolutions are a thing of the past, it’s possible to get back on track by identifying easy to follow changes that don’t require huge alterations in lifestyle. Sherri Shepherd knows a thing or two about busy schedules and how they can complicate healthy intentions. Shepherd, actress, comedienne, Emmy award winning co-host of "The View” and Align spokeswoman, is constantly on-the-go and has developed a few health resolutions that fit into her already packed life. Hydrate Hydration is key to overall health and wellness and is a simple substitute for any unhealthy beverages already being consumed. Water can help your body fight constipation and is great for your skin. Next time you have a soda craving, try water with lemon added for a healthy, flavorful hydrator. Stay Healthy On-The-Go Staying healthy when you are constantly away from home or running around town can prove to be challenging and stressful. After a long day, unhealthy options can seem more appealing and derail our healthy intentions. Preparation is the key to avoiding diet pitfalls. Carry a healthy snack with you or pencil in a stop at a healthy restaurant before you leave the house for the day. Fortify Your System Probiotics, the healthy bacteria found naturally in our bodies, are essential for many vital body functions and can help to build a healthy digestive system as well as maintain

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hile pregnancy can be a joyful time, there can be a lot to think about. Whether you’re a first time parent or you have a growing brood, welcoming your newest family member is a big task.

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Here are some tips for staying organized throughout the process: Do your research. While certain parenting skills are intuitive, some knowledge must be acquired. Gather as much information as you can from other parents, your obstetrician, and pregnancy and child development books, magazines and blogs. Check-up. Maintain a special calendar for your pregnancy that can help you stay on top of doctor’s appointments and other important health reminders.  Think ahead. Even at a baby store designed for parents’ convenience, shopping will become more difficult once the baby arrives. So think beyond infancy and consider your baby's future needs now, like different clothing sizes, convertible car seats, safety gates, feeding accessories and developmental toys. Register. Who knew such a tiny bundle of love could need so much stuff? The best way to ensure your baby will have everything he or she needs upon arrival is to create a registry and make requests. Friends and family want to get you the things you want -- from bibs to bouncers to strollers. Include a range of price points to provide choices. Early on, use announcement cards and email announcements to keep friends and family in the know.

AHF is not the same as a heart attack or cardiac arrest, although those conditions may contribute to the AHF episode. Common symptoms of AHF include shortness of breath, and fluid build-up in the lungs and throughout the body which feels close to drowning.

Even at a baby store designed for parents’ convenience, shopping will become more difficult once the baby arrives. So think beyond infancy and consider your baby's future needs now, like different clothing sizes, convertible car seats, safety gates, feeding accessories and developmental toys. Stay organized. Be advised that even with a registry, you could still get gift duplicates. So opt for a retailer that offers hasslefree returns and exchanges, such as Buy Buy Baby, which also offers other conveniences such as personalized customer service from expert registry consultants, a huge product selection, and a mobile app. Get started. From painting and furnishing the baby’s room to stocking up on diapers, start early so you can relax, take your time and have fun. Starting early gives you time to consider your choices and enough lead time on furniture special orders. You'll also be quite thankful if your baby decides to arrive before expected!

natural balance. But these bacteria are fragile and common issues such as changes in diet and schedule, stress, and travel can disrupt them. “Juggling my busy schedule and the stress that sometimes comes with it can throw my body out-of-sync. Taking a probiotic supplement regularly is an easy way to maintain my digestive balance and keep me in my groove,” says Shepherd. To learn more about how to naturally help build and support digestive health with probiotics, visit www.AlignGI.com. Get Active With life constantly throwing us curve balls and unexpected turns, it’s important to recognize the need for balance in life. Take time to relax and adopt healthy hobbies like meditation and exercise. Get gutsy and try something you’ve wanted to do, but never had the confidence to try -- then bask in the sense of accomplishment you feel. These steps, combined with small lifestyle changes, like staying hydrated and adding a probiotic supplement to your diet, can help contribute to overall health and well-being and keep your healthy goals attainable. (StatePoint)

LIFESTYLE

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

March 1-7, 2014

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People in power aren't that lonely Men healthier, happier than women: Survey New York: It’s widely perceived that people in the position of power are often lonely. But that can’t be completely true, claims new study. On the contrary, powerful people feel closer to others even though the sentiment is not necessarily reciprocated. This sense of closeness also explains some of powerful people's confidence, the study found. Emily Rutter, a graduate student in psychology at Harvard University, was interested in how power influences interpersonal relationships. There are two main theories of power. The behavioral approach theory holds that powerful people are aggressive risk-takers who tend to assume others share their goals. The social distance theory, on the other hand, suggests that highpower individuals should actually feel more distant from other people. Rutter and her colleagues first measured the participants' trait power, meaning how powerful they feel on a day-to-day basis by asking questions about their feelings

of control in life and influence over others. In the first study, volunteers were asked how close they felt to various people in their lives, such as neighbors, parents, bosses and friends. In the second study, the participants were assigned to actually interact online with another person. Both studies found that the more powerful people felt, the closer they felt to others. The powerful people also felt less stressed about getting their cover letters evaluated. "If you feel similar to the person who is evaluating you, you feel less stressed," Rutter was quoted as saying. "What I found coolest is people who have a high sense of power are feeling closer to others and if you think about the reverse, the lower-power people are feeling farther away," she added. The study was recently presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology in Austin, Texas.

Home decor spring trends to watch out for

New York: The warm season is ready to arrive, so you should prepare your house for it. Here are a few of home design trends you'll be seeing in the upcoming months, reports huffingtonpost.com: Muted colors: Looking to add a touch of color but not a fan of bold hues? This is your season. Muted colors and over-dyed fabrics are where it's at with this year's spring trends. With washed out patterns, tie dye, ombres, and dip-dyes everywhere, it's easy to incorporate this

spring trend into your interiors.  Natural wood: We've been seeing a lot of natural wood the past few seasons, and this spring we'll see even more. Natural wood furniture with a smooth and matte finish is the hottest trend in furniture and home decor. Gold: To glam up your home decor, add some glitzy and super shiny metals. If you're really bold, you can go all out with gold metal furniture or keep it a bit more subdue with a few gold decorative accessories

London: Men are healthier and happier about their appearance than women in general, according to a new survey. Health and Happiness, a nationwide study of 2,000 men and women found that men reported a higher rate of happiness when it came to their weight, shape, appearance and the way they are perceived by others. Women, on the other hand, were found to be more self-conscious and slightly less satisfied with their happiness levels at around 49 percent. Women are also much more likely to try dieting compared to men, reports femalefirst.co.uk. Men don’t feel stressed as often either. Almost 60 percent of male respondents said they only felt stressed once a month, whereas 60 percent of women said they felt anxious once a week or more. Over 70 percent of men also claim they rarely felt depressed or had mood swings, compared to half of women who admitted to feeling low or unhappy at least once a month, if not more. Headaches, bloating or

poor digestion were less of a problem among men. Almost half of them said they rarely got headaches, compared to 64 percent women who said they experienced them at least once a month or more. For 70 percent of men, bloating and poor digestion would only occur once a month or less, but almost half of women said it was a weekly or daily problem. “The general perception is that women are more health conscious, but what this survey shows is that women do actually have more

health issues to deal with, especially relating to digestion, mood, anxiety and sleep,” said leading nutrition expert, Patrick Holford, who conducted the research. “The results also show that respondents, regardless of their gender, considered the absence of disease to be an indicator of good health. But being healthy means more than that - it’s abundance of well-being indicated by good energy levels, a stable mood and a sharp mind, all of which achieve optimum health,” added Holford.

Shun late night cravings to stay on dieting route London: Are you dieting to lose extra weight? Avoid friends who take you to midnight parties as late night cravings or that temptation for alcohol can simply be too strong to resist. There’s more to dieting than just sheer willpower and self-control, shows research. “In the fight against obesity, we need to help people become more aware of the various personal, situational and environmental factors that expose them to dietary temptations,” explained Heather McKee of the University of Birmingham in Britain. In doing this, we can help them to develop the necessary skills to cope successfully with dietary temptations and prevent lapses, he added. Researchers monitored the social and environmental factors that make people, who are following weight management programs, cheat. Eighty people who were either part of a weight-loss group or were dieting on their own participated in the one-week study. They were given cell phones on

which they kept an electronic diary of all the temptations that came their way and the situations during which they gave in to these temptations. This helped the researchers to make a complete real-time record, known as ‘ecological momentary assessment’, of participants’ dietary temptations and lapses. Participants lapsed just over 50 percent of the time when tempted, and were especially vulnerable at night. They were more likely to give in to alcoholic temptations than to eat a sugary snack or to overindulge. The stronger the dietary temptation, the more likely a participant was to lapse. The findings could be valuable for dietary relapse and weight maintenance programs, noted the study published in the journal Annals of Behavioral Medicine. “This helps piece together the complex jigsaw surrounding the daily predictors of dietary temptations and help us to better understand how dietary temptations and lapses operate,” said McKee.

Chokers make a stylish comeback London: A number of trends from the 1980s and 1990s are slowly returning to high street fashion. Choker necklaces, for instance, are doing the rounds not only on fashion runways but are also being flaunted by many celebrities. A choker is a close-fitting necklace, worn high on the neck. This type of jewelry can consist of one or more bands circling the neck. The last high-fashion choker necklace that grabbed attention was the luxury label Dolce & Gabbana's "Love" piece that singer-turned- fashion designer Victoria Beckham wore. They’ve been reinvented once again and designers all over the fashion circuit are using them to accessorize their collections, reports femalefirst.co.uk. Holly Fulton, Balmain and Saint Laurent are just some of the designers to focus on the choker and ensure all eyes are drawn to the neck. But one should be very careful while trying out such accessories. Avoid wearing them with fussy necklines but other than that you’re good to go.

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March 1-7, 2014

HUMOR

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Funny Bone by Nury Vittachi

You can fight chemical warfare with durians ear is rising. Many people in the West are terrified that activist cells from Asia could cause chaos in urban areas using small, portable weapons of mass destruction. Yes, I am talking about durians. Recent events suggest the fears are justified. Consider this true story. A homesick Asian student living in Britain went to a Chinatown supermarket recently and spent the equivalent of $30 on the above mentioned smelly, spiky fruit. Then he decided to walk home. Everyone he passed turned to glare at him. He leapt on a bus. After one minute, passengers were staring and sniffing. After two, they moved to the far end of the vehicle. After three, they ran from the bus and the driver phoned the police. The Asian student leapt off and ran to his bedsit, where he deposited the durian and went to a lecture. That's when the real trouble began. Neighbors called building managers to report a poison gas attack. Building managers called the police. The police called the army. An army hazardous materials team evacuated the building and sealed

F

Smelly durians are even banned in some airports of the world

off the area. Within hours, the US military budget had doubled and global war

had broken out. Okay, it's all true except that last sentence, so why didn't I include the guy's name? Because this scenario happens regularly. On the day of writing this, a durian purchase closed down part of Plymouth. It's not just durian, either. At regular intervals, the Office of Emergency Management in New York receives panicked calls about clouds of "deadly caramel gas" sweeping through the city. Again, it's just Asian food. A

New York factory processes methi, a wonderfully tasty sweet Indian vegetable. I read in a newspaper that security experts are worried that bad guys could bypass airport security by inserting chemical weapons into their bodies. But surely this already happens? My aunt's baked lentil-cumin dish is the scariest chemical weapon on the planet. Simply sneak it onto the recipe list of an airline caterer and you could fill an entire plane with noxious gas in minutes. It would be a scene of indescribable horror and misery, just like her dinner parties. I discussed this with readers, and a French one said Asians could fight an entire war using smelly foods, such as Japan's natto, China's stinky tofu, Korea's doenjang and so on. This was a bit cheeky, coming from the nation which invented camembert, a dangerous chemical weapon if ever I smelt one. But here's a two-part trick to cultivate harmony for any Asians living in or visiting Western countries. First, remove all cumin from your curry recipes. (That's the ingredient that goes out through your pores.) Second, eat a large dish of stirfried methi every other day. This makes your sweat smell to Western nostrils like maple syrup waffles. This is not a joke; I've tried it. Look it up on the Internet. You can save a fortune on after-shave. It's long been known that if you eat lots of methi and stroll around airports, you soon find yourself followed by dozens of Canadians with their tongues hanging out. Now that's scary.

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.

ASTROLOGY

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma Stars Foretell: March 1-7, 2014 ARIES: A very good week to apply for overseas job. Time spent with relatives will be to your advantage. Certain important plans will be executed, bringing fresh financial gains. You are likely to enjoy a pleasure trip that will rejuvenate your passions. You attain a bloom in health on sharing happiness with others. A short trip with lavishing experiences is the right thing for you. Getting your dream home will be the greatest pleasure for you. Hard work is likely to be supplemented by your lucky stars. TAURUS : Promotions and monetary benefits for dedicated professionals. Family members will be very positive & supportive to your plans. Speculations are likely to bring monetary profits. Romantic entanglement would add spice to your happiness. A cheerful state of mind would allow enjoying the perfect health. Pack your bags and be ready for an amazing holiday. Selling a plot might be profitable as property rates tend to rise sooner. Previous days unsuccessful efforts would prove fruitful during this week. GEMINI: Pending proposals will get implemented with the help of seniors. Relatives will be willing to lend a helping hand at the time of need. Monetary position is likely to improve later in the week. Chances of your love life turning into lifelong bond are high on the card. Divine knowledge from a saintly person provides solace & comfort. Traveling with kids can be a challenge, try to reduce the stress and nerves. Lifestyle home is what you are looking for? You will be highly benefited by making independent arrangements rather than depending on others assurances. CANCER: Good week for implementing new plans and ventures. A week for renewal of bonds and family ties. Hard work of previous days brings good fortune enabling to fulfill monetary promises. Exciting week as your long pending wait for affirmation is going to materialize. Meditation and yoga prove beneficial for spiritual as well as physical gains. Excitement for a vacation is not enough, planning is also required. Deals on commercial property can tend to be at full boom. You get enjoyment from music and creative work. LEO: Subordinates/co-workers would be very helpful. New relationship at family front will be long lasting & highly beneficial. You succeed in making some extra cash on playing your cards well. Enjoying the company of partner in a lively restaurant would bring immense romantic pleasure. A very healthy week when your cheerfulness gives the desired tonic and confidence. Just take a walk in the countryside and experience new things. Investing residentially is one thing you can rely on. You find developing an interest in literature as you come in contact with philosophers/intellectuals. VIRGO: Traveling brings new overseas business opportunities. Guests visit would make it a pleasant & wonderful week. An auspicious week to invest money on items that would grow in value. The presence of love would make you feel life meaningful. You are likely to maintain good health that would also give you success. Time to go for a memorable trip. Investment on overseas property has to be considered seriously. This week you will be successful in increasing your influence & fame.

LIBRA: Auspicious week to start a new venture. You will be in the mood to celebrate with family and friends in this week. Investment on long-term plans would pave the way for earning financial gains. Love life brings some memorable moments that you could cherish rest of your life. A continuous positive thinking gets rewarded as you succeed in whatever you do during this week. Time to spend money on not a vacation but a luxury vacation. Time to spend money on your homely accommodations. You find someone to let your emotions flood out. SCORPIO: Professional attitude at work brings success. Good advice from family members brings gains. Extra caution & care seems to be the need of the hour especially in financial matters. Your flashing smile would work as the best antidote for romantic partners unhappiness. Creative hobbies are likely to keep you relaxed. If adventure is your style of holidaying, then plan it and move around. A good week to make some investment on kitchen items. A week when you will excel in the art of life with your expertise in facing challenges. SAGITTARIUS: Seniors colleagues are likely to lend a helping hand. The company of family friends will keep you in a happy & relaxed mood. Improvement in finances makes it convenient in clearing long pending dues & bills. Sharing candyfloss and toffees with lover/beloved would bring unlimited joy. With a positive outlook & confidence, you succeed in impressing people around you. A beautiful vacation you awaited for is on your cards. You might be purchasing a refrigerator or any other gadget for your house. Political and social reputation is likely to increase. CAPRICORN: A hectic schedule awaits at professional front. Parental guidance in your decision would immensely help. Successful execution of brilliant ideas would help in earning financial profits. Company of love partner would inspire to take initiatives in this week. Mental alertness would enable to solve a tricky problem. Destination with a great deal is on your way, be ready for traveling. Purchasing of electrical appliances can be done. You find developing an interest in social servicing. AQUARIUS: Handling subordinates might be a little tough. A week when misunderstandings at family front are sorted out with ease. A very successful week as far as monetary position is concerned. Love works like a panacea as you find sanity. A cheerful state of mind brings mental peace. Be ready to travel with a challenge, new connections will help you. A good deal for residential property is ahead. A week when your actions will be backed by your luck. PISCES: Hard work & dedication would win the trust of seniors at work. Believe it or not someone in the family is watching you closely and considers you a role model. Indications of earning financial profits through commissions, dividends or royalties. Love partner touches soul that would take imagination to unlimited heights. Good time to divert attention to spirituality to enhance mental toughness. Traveling abroad can be exciting adventure that will be remembered forever. Time to make investments on farmlands. You successfully solve your old disputes and land-related problems.

March 1-7, 2014

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Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874 Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899 [email protected]; www.premastrologer.com

Annual Predictions: For those born in this week 1st March, 2014 Ruled planet: Sun Ruled by no: 1 Traits in you: Due to the positive effects of your ruling planet Sun, you will have the characteristics of a good human being. By nature, you are accountable, unique, courageous, committed, competitive, coordinated and intelligent. You should work on your negative personality traits such as selfishness, dependency and pessimism. Health this year: You need to take an appropriate care of your health. You may fall sick in the middle months of the year though those will not be serious. If you are a sportsperson, you need to be very careful for your diet and nutrition to perform better in your sporting events. Finance this year: If you have planned to invest in the stock markets, better to go for it this year as you will be hugely benefited. You will gain ample amount of money from your decisions regarding finances this year. Career this year: You may get the chance to complete all your previous assignments and this will enhance your respect as a brilliant performer in your professional circuit. If you are into a profession that demands creativity, then you will be very successful this year as far as your career is concerned. Romance this year: You will share a better relationship with your spouse or partner this year as compared to the previous year. You will find your partner supportive enough in every challenge you face. If you are not married yet, this year may prove to be the ideal year for you to get married. Lucky month: April, July and December 2nd March, 2014 Ruled planet: Moon Ruled by no: 2 Traits in you: Your ruler, the Moon makes you a very friendly individual. You are simple, confident, realistic, sincere, and optimistic. You are very innovative and try to perform your work in a different and efficient way. You need to work hard on your characteristics of being jealous and insensitive at times. Health this year: You will enjoy a normal health this year. However, you need to be in regular contact with your doctor to remain healthy. If you face some minor health issues, you should take prescribed medication without neglecting. Finance this year: You will be able to stabilize your financial condition by reaping profits from your past investments. You may also plan for new investments this year. You will find enough new opportunities to start up a new business that would yield money for you. You should invest in real estate or stock market for better returns. Career this year: You will reach new heights in your profession as you would be appreciated by your colleagues and seniors for better productivity. Your decision making capabilities would make you popular among your co-workers. Your profession related trips would become more successful than Romance this year: You may find yourself among the wedding bells if you are eligible. Your love life with your partner will flourish with the love, care, and support of your partner. Lucky month: May, August, October and November 3rd March, 2014 Ruled planet: Jupiter Ruled by no: 3 Traits in you: Being ruled by Jupiter, you are courteous, courageous, decisive, ambitious, disciplined, and realistic. You are gifted with high imagination power, optimism, and enthusiasm. However, behaving restless and dominating may hamper your characteristics at times. You need to work on your personality to make yourself better as an individual. Health this year: You may go through few minor health issues, which will create unwanted tensions for you throughout the year. To avoid falling sick frequently, you need to get your medical checkup done periodically. Finance this year: You will be fortunate enough this year to be among financial gains. All you need to do is to grab opportunities to earn money. You will find plenty of earning opportunities around you. However, you have to work hard to gain that money. Overall, this year will give you financial stability and security. Career this year: As far as your professional life is concerned you may find your job a bit monotonous. You need to go for innovative ideas to get better in your profession. Your decision making capacity may make you the favorite to win an award in your professional circuit. Romance this year: You may get engaged to your love this year. You will enjoy a great marital life with your beloved. You will find your partner supportive enough in every situation. You should try and maintain a better relationship with your partner to enjoy a better family life. Lucky month: June, August, September and January 4th March, 2014 Ruled planet: Uranus Ruled by no: 4 Traits in you: Uranus, being your dominating planet helps you become dynamic and creative. You are positive, realistic, responsive, and sincere. You need to work and overcome the weaknesses in your personality to attract more people towards you. Health this year: As far your health is concerned, you will be lucky enough to enjoy a good health. However, you need to take proper medication to retain your health. You should leave bad habits of smoking and alcohol to get a good health this year. Finance this year: You may get your pending works done, which will yield enough financial benefits for you. You should invest in share market or real estate to get better benefits. You need not borrow or lend money as it may create

disturbances in your personal life. Career this year: You may get your expected promotion this year. You will get a better performance appraisal as compared to the previous year and it will encourage you to work hard. You may touch new heights in your profession. Try and help your colleagues as it will earn you enough respect. Romance this year: If you are unmarried, you may get married towards the end months of the year. You will enjoy a better relationship with your partner throughout this year. You should not involve yourself in any kind of argument with your beloved as it may disturb your relationship. Lucky month: July, October, December and February 5th March, 2014 Ruled planet: Mercury Ruled by no: 5 Traits in you: Your ruling planet Mercury makes you realistic, reliable, sincere, and optimistic. You are the master of an excellent memory power and charismatic characteristics. You need not get nervous at tough time as it may create a question mark on your capabilities. Health this year: You will go through minor health issues this year. You have to take regular advice from the doctor and practice healthy nutrition and diet to remain healthy. Meditation and yoga may help you in retaining a perfect health throughout the year. Finance this year: You should invest in real estate to get better benefits. Your legal matters will settle down and provide you with the flow of the blocked money. You need to decisive enough before investing on something else but real estate as there are chances of loss. Career this year: Being an efficient professional, you are highly respected in your professional circuit. Your ordinates and seniors may take advice from you. You may get your long expected promotion this year. Salary hike is also likely to happen. Romance this year: The emotional attachment with your spouse or partner may blossom this year with lot of love, care, and concern. If you are not married, then you may go for a romantic relationship. You will enjoy a very blissful time with your beloved. Lucky month: May, April, August and December 6th March, 2014 Ruled planet: Venus Ruled by no: 6 Traits in you: Your ruling planet Venus makes optimistic, ambitious, caring, aspiring, and determined. You are very social and love to make new friends and get into new relationships. You are a huge follower of intelligence and education. Health this year: You will enjoy a better health this year as compared to last year. However, the health of an aged family member may deteriorate and that will make you bothered. You may end up spending lot of money for the health issues of your family members. Finance this year: You will get financial benefits if you have invested in past. For future financial gains, you may invest on real estate and stock market. You should study the market well before investing on anything. Do not be in a hurry to invest as it may go in loss. Career this year: You will get enough opportunities in your professional life to prove yourself. You will create a better impression on your seniors or higher management, which may result in promotion. You should work efficiently to maintain your respect at your workspace. Romance this year: As far as your relationships are concerned, you will enjoy a good time this year. You will find your spouse or partner supportive enough in your difficult time. You will be able to solve any problem that comes in your way to achieve something. If you are unmarried, there is a healthy chance for you getting married this year. Lucky month: June, August, October and November 7th March, 2014 Ruled planet: Neptune Ruled by no:7 Traits in you: As you are governed by planet Neptune, you are blessed with various positive characters. You are confident, decisive, generous, humorous, honest, modest and optimistic. You are not an admirer of arguments or silly fights. You should work on your nature of being selfish, pessimistic, and arrogant. Health this year: You may suffer some minor injuries due to vehicle accidents. However, it will not be critical. You may go through minor health issues during the initial months of the year. Moreover, you will enjoy a sound health throughout the year with proper medical checkups and medications. Finance this year: This year may bring you huge financial benefits. You will enjoy the returns of your investments. If you want to gain financial profits, you have to work hard. You may invest in various profitable businesses. However, you should not start new partnerships or trust new friends. Career this year: Being friendly and quick in decision making, you will create many admirers for yourself in your professional circuit. Your juniors may seek your advice in critical times to deliver efficient work. It is advisable for you not to get involved in office politics. You should handle official matters diplomatically. Romance this year: You need to spend more time with your partner for the betterment of your marital relationship. If you are not married, you may need to take care of the emotional outburst of your beloved. You may get involved in a marital life later this year. Moreover, you will enjoy a healthy romantic life this year. Lucky month: July, October, December and January

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March 1-7, 2014

SPIRITUAL AWARENESS

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Part three of the discourse 'Olympics of meditation'

Sant Kirpalji was the model of selfless service By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj

Time Commitment to Meditation and Spirituality When we observe the life of Sant Kirpal Singh Ji we find that he made a time commitment to meditation and spirituality far beyond that made by many others, This was a key component in his success in finding God. When he asked Hazur about how much time he should put in for meditation, Hazur told him to mediate six to eight hours a day. This was the schedule he was told to keep even while holding a fulltime job and having a wife and children to support. He also put in time for selfless service, helping the sick and needy at their homes or in hospitals. It is hard to believe as we try to meditate even two and a half hours a day, as a minimum, in our own lives, while working fulltime and raising our own family, what an amazing feat this was. He made the commitment and stuck to it no matter what. Sant Kirpal Singh Ji often told the story of a wrestler who would go out every night in the cold weather to practice. It was this nightly practice that made the wrestler successful. Similarly, Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj would sometimes meditate on the banks of a river to help him stay awake. When Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj began his mission, he started by spending time in Rishikesh. He would put those with him into meditation for six to eight hours a day. He lived that example in his own life and encouraged others to do the same. Through his time commitment to meditation and spirituality he was able to achieve union of his soul with God in his lifetime.

The Discipline to Do What It Took to Be Successful in Achieving His Spiritual Goals Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj exemplified discipline. He did whatever was necessary to be successful in achieving his spiritual goal of union with God. This success depends on meditation, which

he did daily for the longest possible time. He meditated six to eight hours daily as instructed by Hazur. Along with this, he lived up to the ethical virtues prescribed by the spiritual teachings. This involved leading a life of nonviolence, truthfulness, purity, humility, and selfless service. He was the epitome of nonviolence to the point that he would not even unnecessarily harm plants or trees. We could see how in his house at his ashram he did not want a tree that grew through the ceiling of the rooms to be moved. As an infant I was brought by my parents to be

were the norm in the field of business, he himself refused bribes and told his son, Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj, to also refuse bribes. He was the model of selfless service. He served the sick and needy all through his life. Even before he was initiated, when the great world influenza epidemic broke out the disease killed millions globally. The disease was so infectious that people feared touching the dead bodies of those in their families to give them a proper burial. But Sant Kirpal Singh Ji organized a team and helped with the burial of the family

stuck to the vegetarian diet even as a young boy. He also observed obedience to the Master no matter what. He often spoke of following the Master’s commandments in spirit and letter. He did this himself, and this helped him achieve the ultimate goal of union with God. When his Master told him to give satsang in his town, he did so regularly. One time when Hazur happened to visit that town, Sant Kirpal Singh Ji got word that his Master was nearby. He was in a dilemma whether to run to see his Master or give satsang. He ulti-

Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj exemplified discipline. He did whatever was necessary to be successful in achieving his spiritual goal of union with God. with Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj in Rishikesh at the start of his mission. When Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj was collecting banana leaves from which the food would be served for a meal, he brought nine leaves. When Sant Kirpal Singh Ji asked him how many people were eating, and he replied seven, Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj told him he should have only brought seven banana leaves and we should not unnecessarily take the lives of any more plants than were necessary. Just look at the extent of his nonviolence to even think like that! Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj made a rule in the house when he was raising his family that people should only talk good of others and not engage in gossip, slander, or criticism. He practiced this virtue himself and was a model for others. He was an embodiment of truthfulness. At a time when bribes

members of the community who had died from the disease. As part of his daily routine, he would visit the sick and needy in their homes or visit them in hospitals. He also did a tremendous amount of selfless service for Hazur and the mission, from physical seva in building the ashram, to helping in publications, writing books, and holding satsang. He was the only one Hazur allowed to convey the initiation instructions during Hazur’s lifetime. His ethical life also involved living on a strict vegetarian diet, avoiding all meat, fish, fowl, and eggs, with no alcohol or hallucinogenic drugs. You can imagine how much discipline would be involved for a child to tell his nonvegetarian parents that he did not want to eat meat. When told by his father that meat was good for him, he told his father that he did not want to make a graveyard of his body. He then

mately decided that since Hazur had told him to give satsang he should do so. Then, when satsang was over, he went to the place where Hazur had been, only to learn that Hazur had already left to return to his own ashram. Sant Kirpal Singh Ji was heartbroken that he had missed the darshan of his Master. He then went to see Hazur later that evening. When he had a chance to meet with Hazur he asked whether he had done the right thing in giving satsang instead of going for darshan. Hazur reassured him that he had done the right thing in doing his duty and giving the satsang. Time and again, Sant Kirpal Singh Ji had choices, and he always chose to do what the Master wanted him to do. It was no wonder that Hazur commissioned him to carry on the spiritual work since he was the most obedient of

Hazur’s disciples. Focused on His Own Spiritual Goals Instead of What Others Were Doing Sant Kirpal Singh Ji always focused on his own spiritual goals instead of what others were doing. He stuck to his schedule of meditation, his ethical virtues, and his discipline no matter what. Sant Kirpal Singh Ji was not concerned with what others were doing. He kept his attention on what he had to do. He never got involved in criticism or backbiting even though others may have done so. This focus on his own spiritual progress kept him from falling into the traps that many others do of wasting time on focusing on what others are doing. This quality helped him use his precious breaths of life to attain union with God.

Not Letting Obstacles in Way of His Spiritual Goals Sant Kirpal Singh Ji did not let any obstacle stand in the way of achieving his spiritual goals. Neither physical pain, negativity of others, or setbacks stopped him from his chosen path. Think of the stamina needed to meditate for long hours, yet he did so no matter what. Think of the grueling schedule of work, career, family, and meditation he observed, yet he never became sidetracked. Think of the labor he put in to do seva. After a long day’s work he would engage in physical or intellectual seva to help others. Although he may have been tired, he would go out and serve others after work. He would stay up late doing seva for his Master, often working the whole night through. As tired as his body may have been, he attended to meditation and seva. Think of the criticism he received from others as he made progress on the spiritual path. When he had the love and attention of Hazur others became jealous and tried to make things difficult for him. Yet, he never let any of these difficulties stop him from doing what was right.

Never Letting Failures Sidetrack Him Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj never let failures sidetrack him. He experienced the same ups and downs of life that every disciple goes through, but he never let that stop him from meditating no matter what. (To be continued....)

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

March 1-7, 2014

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

March 1-7, 2014

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