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Follow us on Vol.5 No. 38 January 12-18, 2013 60 Cents New York Edition TheSouthAsianTimes.info

NRA blasts Biden for assault on 2nd Amendment INDIA-PAK TENSIONS

Washington: Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on Thursday cited efforts to curb access to highcapacity magazines and the need for what he called near universal background checks. But the National Rifle Association (NRA) emerged from a meeting with him and accused his gun violence task force of leading an "attack" on the Second Amendment. Biden had earlier revealed that the White House might use "executive orders" to implement some policies on gun control. He said he plans to have the recommendations, being finalized, to President Obama by as early as next week. But the NRA, after sitting down with Biden and NRA executive vice president other firearms groups, blasted the effort as primaWayne LaPierre rily focused on restricting Continued on page 4

RE-IGNITED OVER INDIAN JAWANS SLAYING

India rebuffs probe by UN, Pakistan says MFN status to India not in jeopardy

Vice President Joe Biden

Delhi gang-rape accused get defense lawyers

New Delhi: The five accused in the Dec 16 gang-rape who were presented in a Delhi court Thursday have got lawyers to defend them. Magistrate Namrita Aggarwal, conducting the proceedings incamera, fixed Jan 14 for scrutiny of documents filed with the chargesheet in the case. The court had earlier passed an order for in-camera proceedings and curbed media from attending and reporting proceedings. The five accused in the case are bus driver Ram Singh, his brother Mukesh, fruit seller Pawan Gupta, gym instructor Vinay Sharma and Continued on page 4

By Vikas Girdhar he tensions between India and Pakistan have heightened again after two Indian soldiers were brutally shot and beheaded allegedly by Pakistani troops on Tuesday. The incident threatens to derail the bilateral talks that had only resumed last year after a hiatus since 2008, when an attack by Pakistani militants terrorized Mumbai. Ironically, Pakistan cricket team had just returned from India a tour that marked resumption of sporting ties between the neighbors. Now, India wants answers and protests are snowballing in the country. What exactly took place on the

AAPI President receives PBD award

AAPI President Dr. Narendra Kumar, receiving the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, India's highest civil honor for NRIs, from President Pranab Mukherjee, during the 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Kochi, on January 9, 2013. Dr. Kumar received the award for his achievements in the field of medicine, community service, global leadership and contributions to building bridges between India and the US.

LOC (line of control) in Jammu and Kashmir that led to the slaying of Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh and Lance Naik Hemraj depends on who is being asked. Pakistan claims that the LOC was crossed by India first. India counters that unprovoked fire was opened by Pakistan first. Indian leaders, it seems, privately believe that this incident reeks of Pakistans insincerity in improving bilateral relations. The US has asked the two nuclear nations to talk to each other. "We're urging both sides to take steps to end the violence," State Department's Victoria Nuland said in Washington. Continued on page 4

AAPI Global Health Summit, Kochi 14

11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 16

Real Estate 27

Spiritual Awareness 30

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January 12-18, 2013

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January 12-18, 2013

Indian American hoteliers keen to invest big in India

Kochi (Kerala): Hoteliers of Indian origin, who own over 8,000 properties in America valued at around $54 billion, are looking to invest in various sectors in India including hospitality, healthcare and education. "Hospitality is where our members see the biggest value when making investments in India. For us, it will be easy to replicate the business model that we have followed successfully in America for so many years. There is a huge requirement of rooms in India and the budget hotel model that we are looking at is different from the ones already there in India. For us budget properties means quality hotels which are safe, secure and clean and the opportunity in India, specially smaller cities, is huge," Alkesh Patel, Chairman of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), told a newspaper at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) convention in Kochi. Alkesh Patel is president of the familyowned, Washignton based Trupadi Inc, which manages branded and boutique properties. He believes this is a good time for Indian hoteliers in America to diversify their portfolio and enter the Indian market. In fact, it's also a good time for business persons in India to tap opportunities in the US in the hospitality sector for a good return on investment through partnerships with us," he added. Indian American hoteliers are looking at entering the Indian hospitality market through five-star management deals, new builds and conversions of old properties, both in metros and smaller cities. "Some of our members, such as the Lords Hotels group, have already made significant investments in India over the last couple of years. We are looking at more investments running into millions of dollars in the coming months. We run thousands of properties in America and have also been promoting the larger theme of tourism in India at our hotels to our guests in America," AAHOA chief said. While many of the AAHOA members, who have their roots in Gujarat, have already started ventures in their home state, they are looking at investment opportunities all across India.

Alkesh Patel, Chairman of AAHOA, believes it is right time to enter Indian market

India-US economic ties not realized: Think tank

Washington: The full potential of India-US economic relationship is far from being realized, chiefly due to the actions and inactions of the two governments, according to a US think tank. "Progress will be faster and broader if the focus on government-to-government negotiations is replaced with an emphasis on cooperation at the level of individual companies and states," suggests the report by the Asian Studies Centre of The Heritage Foundation. Much of the hope for progress on India-US economic issues has been put on the prospects and scope of a bilateral investment treaty (BIT), it says in the first part of the report on "Unleashing the Market in the India-US Economic Relationship". "A BIT may be useful," the report said. "But only a high-quality BIT--which includes sensitive topics, such as mining and intellectual property rights--can achieve the necessary progress on these and other critical bilateral economic issues." Current government-to-government talks are nowhere close to realizing such a BIT and the historical record indicates that a high-quality BIT is unlikely in the near future, the Heritage report said. "Even if a sound BIT is eventually achieved, progress should not wait. There is much to be gained for India and the US in the interim," it said. In investment, individual US states should be more active in marketing to Indian companies, the report said and suggested the Indian government should remove various restrictions on MNCs. "Even if that does not occur, Indian states can greatly improve their local investment climates," it said. As mining in particular is largely a state matter in India, American companies can assist the process by demonstrating their record in environmental protection and social remediation of mined areas, it said.

Cuomo bats for gun control, higher minimum wages

Albany, NY: Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday used his third State of the State address to lay out plans to bolster New York's gun laws, increase the minimum wage and bring Las Vegas-style casinos upstate. Cuomo's 80-minute address shed light on a 2013 agenda focused on marketing the upstate economy and making New York a "progressive leader," in part by instituting stricter gun laws and chipping away at issues like gender inequality. "This is New York, the progressive capital," Cuomo said to a crowd filled primarily with lawmakers, lobbyists and local officials. "You show them how we lead. We can do it." Cuomo's speech included a mix of measures new and old, including several he was unable to shepherd through the Legislature during his first two years in office. The state's minimum wage, he said, should be increased to $8.75 an hour from the current $7.25, the federal rate. The penalty for possess-

Worst flu season in a decade feared in US

Boston: Emergency rooms across the country are struggling to keep up with a flood of flu patients as 41 states try to wage a battle against widespread influenza outbreaks, reports ABC News. The proportion of people seeing health care providers for flu-like symptoms jumped to 5.6 percent from 2.8 percent over the past month, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last year, the peak was 2.2 percent, notes Bloomberg. So far, at least 18 children across the country have died in what will likely be the worst flu season in a decade, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, tells WTOP radio. "We are in for what looks like it's going to be one of the worst flu seasons in nine or 10 years," Fauci said, adding that the last time flu rates were this high was in the 2003-2004 season. Should you be concerned? Well, lets put it this way, the last time the seasonal flu circulated like this, there were 70,000 deaths in the United States, one expert tells USA Today. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino declared a public health emergency Wednesday as 18 people have been killed across Massachusetts by the flu. Boston has 700 confirmed cases of the flu so far this season- a whopping 900 percent increase from the cases last year. Health care centers in the city will be offering free vaccines. In Canada, the government is drawing on the national stockpile of the flu drug Tamiflu to relieve a shortage in the country. No such shortage is expected in the US.

Governor Andrew Cuomo giving his state of the state address 2013

ing fewer than 15 grams of marijuana would be dropped from a misdemeanor to a violation under Cuomo's plan. The idea comes as a response to New York City's stop-andfrisk policy, which results in marijuana arrests that unfairly targets young minorities, Cuomo said. Both measures will likely face continued resistance from Republicans in the state Senate, who will share control of the chamber with the breakaway Independent Democratic Conference this year.

Cuomo's minimum-wage proposal was met with approval from various labor leaders, though some had been advocating for tying future increases to the rate of inflation. His attempt to boost the slumping upstate economy includes what he called "phase one" of a plan to legalize a limited number of privately owned casinos. Under Cuomo's proposal, up to three casinos would be allowed upstate with none in New York City, with the idea of attracting downstate visitors north.

January 12-18, 2013

TURN PAGE

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Mineola: Kishore Kuncham, newly elected President of India Association of Long Island (IALI), will be given the oath of office by the County Executive Ed Mangano on Jan 13 at the office of the County Executive here. The Executive Council of IALI 2013 will also take the oath of office alongwith Kuncham. Kuncham, who serves currently as Supervisor of Freeport School District, takes charge from Sukhwinder Ranu.

Kishore Kuncham to be sworn in IALI President by Hon. Mangano T

Letter to the Editor

The rape victims unending agony

the worst perpetuator in the crime, a minor by 4 months, be tried like an adult? How appalling! The ageing prime minister performed a scripted ritual on national TV. The mind numbing crime could not move the rusted conscience of the bureaucracy, which began the blame game instead of devising ways to stop such crimes from happening . Nirbhayas medically dead body was flown to Singapore to pre-empt the uprising had she officially been declared dead in the Delhi hospital. The agony continues in the mind of millions of Indians sickened by the lawlessness that allows one rape every 20 minutes in the country. Dr Akshat Jain New York

he shooting of innocent kids in Connecticut shook my soul. I brought that pain with me on my flight to Delhi, only to find a nation horrified and outraged by the gangrape. A paramedical student was violated, her intestines ripped open and then she was left unattended for two hours on the streets of Delhi in the wintery night. The tragedy continued should

Kishore Kuncham

Tendulkars son in under 14 squad for BCCI matches

Mumbai: Sachin Tendulkar's son Arjun has been selected to play for Mumbai U-14 in the West Zone leg matches of the BCCI tournament, which will be held in Ahmedabad from January 20 to February 1. Arjun, 13, bats left-handed and scored his maiden century at the U14 level for Khar Gymkhana against Goregaon Centre. This century helped him break into the Mumbai U-14 probables for an off-season training. The teenager has been in the news in junior cricket circle in Mumbai for his all-round abilities as he once scalped eight for 22 bowling leftarm pace for Dhirubhai Ambani International School against Jamnabai Narsee School in 2011.

Arjun Tendulkar

India- Pak tensions story Continued from page 1 A senior Pakistani official believes that, while this incident is unfortunate, it should not stop efforts to keep the bilateral movement going. "We believe that these kinds of incidents should not be allowed to sabotage bilateral reconciliation and I think both countries are trying to reconcile things so this process should go on," Naeem Anwar, Minister of the (Trade) High Commission of Pakistan in India, said. When asked about the possibility of India considering suspending trade with Pakistan, Anwar said, "That should not be an option as there has been substantial growth in trade and commerce between the nations. While trade between India and Pakistan at the moment is normal, it too is in danger of being affected down the line. The annual bilateral trade can reach $10 billion within the next three years from $2.7 billion in 2010-11, provided there is a willingness to deal directly and not through a third country, and no accidents like the current incident to jeopardize the progress. On Thursday, Pakistan reiterated that it was committed to giving India its MFN (Most Favored Nation) status and rubbished reports of anything to the contrary.

On its part, India has rejected Islamabads call for a UN probe of the incident because it neither wants to involve the world organization nor internationalize the dispute. Meanwhile, hotheads like Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena executive president, demanded that India should "take revenge" from Pakistan for the brutal killing of its two soldiers. NRA blasts Biden story Continued from page 1 gun rights. "We were disappointed with how little this meeting had to do with keeping our children safe and how much it had to do with an agenda to attack the Second Amendment," the group said in a written statement. "While claiming that no policy proposals would be 'prejudged,' this Task Force spent most of its time on proposed restrictions on lawful firearms owners -- honest, taxpaying, hardworking Americans. Besides the NRA, Biden has also met anti-gun and sports groups like the Outdoor Industry Association. Attorney General Eric Holder and other Obama Cabinet secretaries were meeting as well with Walmart and other sports retailers. Delhi gang rape story Continued from page 1 bus cleaner Akshay Thakur. All of

them are now in Delhi's Tihar Central Jail. The case against the sixth accused, said to be a minor, is being heard by the Juvenile Justice Board. Meanwhile, the court issued notice to the Delhi Police and asked it to file its response on an allegation by an advocate that police and the Safdarjung Hospital were negligent in dealing with the case and the victims. Police Jan 3 had filed the chargesheet against five out of six accused in the brutal gang-rape of the 23year-old physiotherapy intern in a moving bus, leading to multipleorgan failure and her death. All the accused also assaulted her 28-year-old male friend. Both were thrown out of the bus after around 40 minutes, naked, bleeding and shivering. The friend will be the main witness in the case. The police have charged the five under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 376 (2)(g) (gang-rape), 377 (unnatural offences), 395 (dacoity), 396 (murder in dacoity), 365 (kidnapping or abduction with intent to secretly or wrongfully confine a person), 394 (hurting in dacoity), 201 (destruction of evidence), 120B (conspiracy), 34 (common intention), 412 (dishonestly receiving stolen property), and 397 (robbery or dacoity with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) of the Indian Penal Code.

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Dharma Bee to spread Swami Vivekanandas message

Chicago: A broad five-point yearlong action plan to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda to spread his message has been chalked out by Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh-USA in 150 cities of the country. The theme of the celebration is Universal peace through Dharma and Yoga. The plan would be kicked off on January 12, 2013, which would mark the 150th birth anniversary of Vivekananda. The celebration would be held in 150 cities. The five-point action would include a national contest called Dharma Bee on the lines of Spelling Bee for children on the stories of Swami Vivekananda and Lord Sri Krishna, field trips, adventure activities and sewa or service activities for the youth; a nationwide mobile exhibimemorate Swamijis 1893 historic Sisters and Brothers of America address (at Worlds Parliament of Religions) to be held on September 11, 2013. The celebration would include screening of a documentary film on Swami Vivekananda; volunteers taking a oath or sankalp to do sewa or service; collective participation in Suryanamaskar and yoga to spread the message of Swamiji; competition for children in 200 centers. 10,000 children in the age group of 5-13 years are expected to participate in Dharma Bee, in 200 centers. The winners in the initial contest will participate in regional level contests to be held in 30 centers in April. The winners numbering 120 children of regional level contest will participate in the final one-day contest to be held in Chicago in the third weekend of June. The children are also expected to visit any one of the Vedanta centers and talk about Swami Vivekanandas philosophy and his Vedanta message. A visit for them to Fullerton Hall of Art Institute of Chicago would also be arranged. Awards worth $50,000 would be given to the children participating at various levels in the Dharma Bee. The three finalists would get $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 respectively in each of four categories. All participants would be given certificates. The final Dharma Bee awards ceremony to be held in Chicago in June would be marked by a one-hour play on life and message of Swami Vivekananda, in which 80 children would be participating.

Indian Americans celebrate US Congress entry

Washington, DC: The Indian American communitys coming out party began Thursday with celebrations following the swearing in of two of its own as members of the US Congress. One of them, Ami Bera, is a first generation Indian American physician family came here from Gujarat elected to the US House of Representatives from California. The second, Tulsi Gabbard, is an American Hindu elected to the House from Hawaii. Celebrations will end with Indiaspora Ball on January 19, one of DCs many parties marking the inauguration of President Barack Obamas second term on January 21. But it will be special for Indian Americans. That will be the Indian American communitys coming out party, said Shekar Narasimhan, ball organizer. Indian Americans have never hosted an inaugural ball, often meant to demonstrate the organizers political clout, and this is their first. The president is not attending, but thats okay. May be the next president will, said Narasimhan. But Bera and Gabbard will, as members of the host committee. Bera and Gabbard are manifestations of the growing clout of the Indian American community three million at last count in US politics. Indian Americans queued up to greet Gabbard at an event just a short distance away from the Capitol, where she took the oath with a copy of the Bhagwad Gita in her hand. Most of the greeters were earlier at a similar event to celebrate Beras election and there was clearly an air about them that said: we have arrived, make way.

Swami Vivekanandas 150th birth anniversary to be celebrated elaborately across the US

tion on life and message of Swami Vivekananda; lecture series on Hinduism in universities during the spring and fall semesters of 2013; and a dharma and yoga fest to com-

Indian scientist missing in US, says mother

Hyderabad: A woman in Andhra Pradesh has written to the Ministry of External Affairs for help in tracing her scientist son in the US who has not contacted her for nine years. Orre Ramaswamy from Karimnagar district in Andhra Pradesh had gone to the US about 30 years ago. According to Mallavya, her son has not contacted her for the last nine years. The old woman also said that unable to bear the shock, her husband Rajaiah died a couple of years ago. Hailing from Morapalli village of Jagityal 'mandal' (block), Ramaswamy visited his native village only thrice in three decades. During his last visit, Ramaswamy had reportedly shown the photograph of a woman from Chennai to his mother, stating that he was in love with her and was going to marry. After doing his masters in science in 1971, Ramaswamy worked as scientist in various organizations at Chennai, Bangalore and Delhi. The scientist's address in the US and other details were not available with the mother.

India's UNSC term set to end, confident of returning soon

United Nations: The end of 2012 saw India complete an eventful two-year term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, leaving the high-table of the world body with confidence of returning "very" soon, having established its credentials as a dominant global power. India joined the 15-nation Council in January 2011, after a gap of 19 years, winning an overwhelmingly high number of votes, which its Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri described as a "resounding endorsement" from the international community. It introduced "zero tolerance" towards terrorism in the UN lexicon during its term. It also presided over the Security Council Committee concerning Somalia and Eritrea sanctions. From being embroiled in a bitter war of words with Pakistan, which also sits on the Security Council as a non-permanent member, on the issue of Kashmir to unveiling the low cost Aakash tablet at the world body amid a controversy over its made-in-China components, India's year at the UN was eventful and closely watched. Sources in the Indian mission here have voiced concern that "hurdles" are being placed in the 193member Assembly for Security Council reform but added that India hopes to come back to the Council "very, very quickly." Puri also expressed confidence that it will not be long before India returns to the Council. "When India joined the Council last year, I had made an assessment that we have no intention to leave the Council. We have every intention to stay on. This can be done in two waysseek re-election quickly and through Security Council reform. We will do both," Puri said. "Once you have been able to demonstrate that you have the wherewithal to be a Council member, you must make sure that you are on the Council," he said.

UN Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri

"India did not behave like a country which came on the Council after 19 years. It behaved as if it belongs to the Council," he added. During its tenure, India made a strong push for expansion in permanent and non-permanent categories of the Security Council "to make it reflect contemporary realities," saying that the Security Council in its present structure "serves no one's purpose." India has proposed that an expanded council should have a total of 25-26 members. Puri asserted that India has demonstrated through its "maturity and constructive contribution" that it rightly deserves a permanent seat at the council and offers a promise that it will not take another 19 years for India to return to the council. "The struggle for Security Council expansion is uphill but this peak can be scaled and will be scaled," he said. Puri said while membership of the Security Council gave India an opportunity to "establish our credentials, show our maturity and constructive contribution," action for reform of the UN body will come from traction in the General Assembly.

January 12-18, 2013

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Arsha Vidya Gurukulam brings in 2013 in unique Hindu style

By Nupur Joshi/SATimes New York: On Jan 1, 2013, as every year before it, Arsha Vidya Gurukulam (AVG) in Saylorsburg, PA held its annual Maharudrabhishekam and Pushparchana followed by talks by Swami Tattvavidananda and Swamini Svatmavidyananda. Despite significant snowfall and the impending threat of yet another storm, people from all across the United States and Canada paid a visit to the eminent Dakshinamurti temple to begin the year with the Lords blessings. The New Years celebration was preceded by an eight-day-long Year End Family Retreat, an event popular amongst both children and adults. Over the course of the eight days, adults had the privilege of attending lectures and satsangs conducted by Swami Tattvavidananda and Swamini Svatmavidyananda as well as Chanting classes led by Suddhatma ji, Sanskrit classes led by teachers from Samskrita Bharati and Yoga sessions led by AVGs very own Mark Hertel. Both Swamiji and Swaminiji held classes on Vedanta while Swamijis classes had an additional focus on the Ramayana. Meanwhile, children attended a variety of classes throughout the day including, but not limited to, Drama, Vedanta, Sanskrit, and Yoga. As is the tradition, at the culmination of the retreat, Savithri Mani, the Youth Drama teacher, organized a well-rehearsed cultural program featuring the children from all the various age groups. The cultural program included skits pertaining to the Ramayana as well as dance and Bharatanatyam, Garba, Carnatic Vocal, Western Vocal, and instrumental performances put together by the youth members themselves. Earlier, December 31st, 2012, visitors had the opportunity to take part in the annual Dakshinamurti Mulamantra Japa as an auspicious end to the year and hopeful outlook for the next. Following the Talent Show program, much to the delight of everyone present, Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati spoke to the attendees via a Skype call from India right before midnight. Full of enthusiasm and humor, he wished all a very Happy New Year and led the crowd into 2013 by chanting OM Namah Shivay. All in all, the New Years events at Arsha Vidya were, as usual, met with great success and joy.

Swami Tattvavidananda offering flowers to Lord Dakshinamurti on Jan 1. Photo credit: Xitij Photography/www.xitijphoto.com.

musical performances. The event was met with great welcome by proud parents. The pride evident on their faces continued to glow as the

youth members ascended to the stage yet again the following night for the long-awaited Talent Show which showcased a range of acts including

IN BRIEF

Levi Strauss & Co. appoints Harmit Singh as Global CFO

evi Strauss & Co. anas a financial leader within the nounced Dec. 13 that hospitality, restaurant and travel Harmit Singh will join industries. Most recently, the Indian American executive was chief the company as executive vice financial officer of Hyatt Hotels president and chief financial officer on Jan. 16, reporting to Corporation, where he successfulcompany president and chief ly led the financial planning and executive officer Chip Bergh. operations for an organization with about 500 hotels across 45 In this role, he will be responcountries. In addition to his four sible for the companys global information technology and fiyears at Hyatt Hotels Corporation Harmit Singh nance functions, including fiand 14 years of various global nancial planning and analysis, accounting and leadership roles at Yum! Brands, the worlds controls, tax, treasury, risk management, in- largest restaurant company, (including CFO of ternal audit and investor relations. Pizza Hut), Singh also worked at American Singh brings almost 30 years of experience Express India and Price Waterhouse in India.

Rice University scientist developing plant dye-based battery to charge cellphones

cientists, including Indian American researcher Arava Leela Mohana Reddy, are developing an eco-friendly, lithium-ion battery from an ancient natural red plant dye that can power your cellphone. The dye the researchers are investigating for use in batteries comes from the roots of a climbing herb known as the madder plant. Civilizations in Asia and the Middle East first boiled madder roots more than 3,500 years ago to extract purpurin, a nontoxic dye they used to color fabrics vivid oranges, reds and pinks, TechNewsDaily reported. "This is a paradigm shift. For the last 3,000 years, we've used purpurin as a dye materialwe never thought this could be used in energy storage," said researcher George John, an organic chemist at the City College of New York. Most lithium-ion batteries rely on cobalt as a key ingredient in the electrodes that electric current flows through. "Thirty percent of globally produced cobalt is fed into battery technology," said Reddy, a materials scientist

Arava Leela Mohana Reddy

Student Ashok Poozhikunnel on a winning spree on Jeopardy

20-year-old student bana-Champaign, and works as from Wheaton, Ill., an underwriting benefits consulthas been on a winant at Gallagher Benefit Services ning spree on Jeopardy! in Itasca, Ill. for three consecutive days. All of the contestants got the Ashok Poozhikunnel, who Final Jeopardy answer Babe Ruth right and having bet first appeared on the show Jan. 3, has so far earned $7,201, Poozhikunnel won Ashok seen here with $65,602. According to his with a total of $26,001, putting Facebook page, Poozhikun- Alex Trebek of Jeopardy him on Jeopardys Top 12 list nel attends the University of Illinois at Ur- of highest prize money winners.

at Rice University. However, mining cobalt is expensive, and supplies are finite. Fabricating and recycling lithium-ion batteries made with cobalt also demands high temperatures and lots of energy. After investigating a number of molecules from nature, the researchers found that purpurin and its relatives seem ideal as electrode materials. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Hindi to be introduced in a Texas School District

Indian doctor couple plead guilty to $5m tax evasion

n Indian doctor and his wife have pleaded guilty to charges of federal tax evasion and to illegally distributing weight loss medicines to patients, agreeing to pay nearly $5.2 million in restitution. Rakesh Anand, 57, a licenced physician in Indiana and Illinois and Meena Anand, 53, entered their guilty pleas on Tuesday before US district judge Joseph Van Bokkelen in federal court in Hammond. The couple would remain free on bond while awaiting sentencing, which was scheduled for March 20, but the judge ordered electronic monitoring for Anand.

According to the plea agreement, Anand, who owned weight loss clinics in northwest Indiana and south suburban Chicago, could serve over four years in prison while his wife could face a jail term of three years. The tax evasion charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Anand also faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $500,000 fine for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. The Anands have agreed to pay restitution of over $740,000 to the Internal Revenue Service for taxes they owed on nearly $2 million of unreported income between 2005 and 2008.

school in Texas has announced plans to introduce teaching of Hindi language in its curriculum and they hope that this serves as a model example for many other schools in the country to follow. Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District (HEBISD) headquartered in Bedford (Texas, USA) is introducing Hindi, official language of India, for its students. Seventh, eighth and ninth graders will be in a position to take Hindi classes. These courses are part of the districts International Business Initiative, which will set students on a course to success in college and in the workforce, HEBISD states. Welcoming the news, Nand Kapoor, a former president of Association of Indian Americans, said that the next step should be to offer other languages of India languages like Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Gu-

jarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi, etc.,to the aspiring students as that would improve the understanding to multicultural and multi-linguist Indian society to the bastion of Western world. Rajan Zed, the Chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation, commended HEBISD for offering Hindi and observed besides learning the rich languages and culture of India, it would also make a good business sense to open-up the American children to India which is on a track to become a global power. Moreover, USA being a culturally diverse society, introducing languages of India would bring more cohesiveness and harmony in the communities. In addition, American children of India-descent would be able to keep their languages, traditions and culture alive and intact, Rajan added.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

NATIONAL COMMUNITY

January 12-18, 2013

Authorities to exhume Indian-American lottery winner's body

Chicago: Authorities investigating the sudden death of an Indian immigrant businessman in Chicago who had won a $1 million lottery jackpot want to exhume his body to know if he was murdered. Cook County Medical Examiner Stephen J. Cina has sent a sworn statement to prosecutors laying out why he wanted the body of Hyderabad-born Urooj Khan, 46, exhumed, according to the Chicago Tribune. The state attorney's office is planning to file papers in civil court asking a judge to approve the exhumation of Khan's remains, the newspaper said citing spokesperson Sally Daly. Khan, who owned a drycleaning business on Chicago's North Side, died suddenly in July 2012 just weeks after winning a million-dollar prize at a 7-Eleven store near his home. Finding no trauma to his body and no unusual substances in his blood, the medical examiner's office declared his death to be from natural causes and he was buried at Rosehill Cemetery without an autopsy. About a week later, a relative told

Businessman Sethi found guilty of hiding millions in secret a/c

To face upto 5 years in jail and to pay $2.4 million penalty
New York: An Indian-American entrepreneur has pleaded guilty to charges that he concealed from US tax authorities nearly $7.9 million which he held in secret bank accounts in India and Switzerland and has agreed to pay $2.4 million penalty for not disclosing them. Sanjay Sethi, 52, of New Jersey pleaded guilty before US District Judge Jose Linares in Newark federal court to an information charging him with conspiracy to conceal assets in undeclared bank accounts from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Sethi used corporations in the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands to conceal his assets and income he held in secret bank accounts in Switzerland and India, US Attorney Paul Fishman said. "Our criminal laws do not tolerate those who use foreign accounts to conceal their assets," Fishman said. "Cheating the government out of tax dollars hurts all honest taxpayers." Sethi faces a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $ 250,000 when he is sentenced on April 18. He has agreed to file true and accurate tax returns and to pay to the IRS all taxes and penalties owed, in addition to the $2.4 million penalty. The criminal information says that Sethi opened secret accounts with "one of the largest international banks" headquartered in England with offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, India and the US. While the information has not named the bank, media reports said the bank is HSBC. The bank operated a division in the US called NRI Services through which it encouraged US citizens to open undeclared bank accounts in India, the 12-page criminal information said. According to documents filed in the case, Sethi schemed with bankers from the US, UK and Switzerland to conceal his assets and income derived from those assets.

Urooj Khan died just weeks after winning $1 million lottery jackpot

the medical examiner's office to take a closer look at Khan's death. By early December, comprehensive toxicology tests showed that Khan had died of a lethal amount of cyanide, prompting Chicago police and county prosecutors to investigate his death as murder. While a motive has not been determined yet, police haven't ruled out that Khan was killed because of

his big lottery win, according to a law enforcement source cited by the Tribune. He died before he could collect the winnings - about $425,000 after taxes. Both Khan and his wife Shabana Ansari, 32, were born in Hyderabad. Ansari moved to the US from India after marrying Khan 12 years ago. Their daughter, Jasmeen, now 17, is a student here.

Goldman Sachs seeks $7mn in 'legal costs' from Rajat Gupta

London: Goldman Sachs is seeking nearly seven million dollars former IndianAmerican board member Rajat Gupta, who was convicted of insider trading. The firm is seeking the fine to cover its legal fees and expenses, following a judge's description of the bank as a "victim" of the crime. According to a report by the Financial Times, Goldman said it had spent 6.9million dollars investigating allegations that Rajat Gupta, a director on the board from 2006 until 2009, had shared confidential financial information about the bank with Raj Rajaratnam, founder of the Galleon Group hedge fund. Gupta and Rajaratnam were both subsequently convicted of insider trading. Goldman said its law firm, Sullivan and Cromwell, produced more than 400,000 documents to respond to government inquiries about the trading and prepared 18 witnesses to testify, the Telegraph reports. According to the paper, Gupta's lawyers are believed to be defending Goldman's restitution claim, arguing that it should be limited.

Srikanth Srinivasan renominated as federal judge

Washington, DC: IndianAmerican Srikanth Srinivasan is among the 33 federal judges renominated by the US President Barack Obama for the US Court of Appeals. Srinivasan is the only Indian American re-nominated by Obama for the District of Columbia Circuit. "Today, I am re-nominating thirty-three highly qualified candidates for the federal bench, including many who could have and should "Several have been awaiting a vote for more than six months, even though they all enjoy bipartisan support. I continue to be grateful for their willingness to serve and remain confident that they will apply the law with the utmost impartiality and integrity," he said. "I urge the Senate to consider and confirm these nominees without delay, so all Americans can have equal and timely access to justice," Obama said in a statement.

Srikanth Srinivasan

have been confirmed before the Senate adjourned," Obama said.

January 12-18, 2013

NATIONAL COMMUNITY

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Ami Bera named to US House panel on foreign affairs

Washington, DC: California physician Ami Bera, who has become the third Indian-American member of the US House of Representatives, has been named on three prestigious committees on foreign affairs, science, space and technology. I am honored to have been named to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he said in a statement after he was named to the committee following his swearing-in Jan 3. In an increasingly complex global landscape, relationships with other nations have tangible effects here at home and we need strategic thinking to guide our foreign policy in the 21st century. The Sacramento region, which Bera represents, he said is uniquely situated to benefit from opening up new markets for our goods and services around the world. That would help create jobs here at home. Through my new role on the Science, Space and Technology, Ill also work to foster innovative industries that can bring good jobs to the 7th district, he said. I am incredibly honored humbled that the people of Sacramento County have placed their trust in me to represent them in the US House of Representatives, he said Now begins the hard work of addressing the many challenges facing our region and our country. I look forward to working with my new colleagues from both parties to find common ground and to rebuild an economy that works for the middle class, he said.

Kamala Harris makes move to change California law on rape

California: Indian-American Attorney General of California Kamala Harris and State lawmakers have joined hands to overturn a 140-year-old law under which a rape would be considered only if the victim is married. The move comes after a three-year-old rape conviction was overturned by a Los Angeles court last week because California's law would have only considered the woman a victim if she had been married. "This law is arcane and I will work with the Legislature to fix it," said Harris, the first Indian-American and a woman to have become the Attorney General of California. "The evidence is clear that this case involved a nonconsensual assault that fits within the general understanding of what constitutes rape," she said. Appearing on the CNN, Harris said the lawmakers so far had been resisting any move to change this 1872 law -- passed seven years after civil war simply because this would increase the already overcrowded prison population of California.

California Attorney General Kamala Harris

"We will fix the problem. This is about a women who is raped and deserves justice," Harris said. Existence of such an outdated law is quite contrary to the modern law of the State. California was the first American State to specify the use of chemical castration as a punishment for child molestation. Kamla Harris is now joined by the State lawmakers.

'Beyond Bollywood' to showcase Indian American experience

The exhibition will occupy 5000 sq feet of space at Smithsonians National Museum of Natural History for two years Washington, DC: The rich history of immigrants from India and Indian Americans and their many contributions to the US will be brought to life here through an upcoming exhibition, "Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation." Scheduled to open in late 2013, the exhibition will showcase the Indian American experience and the many dynamic roles they have played in shaping American society and culture through a collection of photographs, artefacts, videos, interactive stations and stories. "The Indian American story has yet to be fully told," said Konrad Ng, director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Centre, which is mounting the exhibition with New Jersey-based TV Asia network serving South Asians across the US and Canada as the media sponsor. "Visitors of all ages will leave the exhibition with a deeper understanding of this vibrant community as they strive to realize life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in America. This exhibition is about celebrating a community that embodies the American spirit." "Beyond Bollywood" will occupy more than 5,000 square feet of space at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. Over a two-year period the exhibition is expected to draw more than seven million visitors before embarking on a national tour in 2015. The largest project undertaken by the Smithsonian Centre in its 15-year history, it is the first to focus on Indian American culture. "The success of this initiative relies greatly on our ability to engage the public in the months leading up to the exhibition opening," said Ng. "By partnering with TV Asia, we have taken an important step in increasing the public's knowledge and understanding of this exhibition." "'Beyond Bollywood' is a project of monumental significance to our community and TV Asia," said H.R. Shah, chairman and CEO of TV Asia, as it supplements TV Asia's mission to promote and celebrate the community and its achievements in the US. "There is still some public perception that we as Indian Americans are foreigners or outsiders in the US," said Masum Momaya, curator of the exhibition. "But history shows the opposite is true. We've been here since the earliest days of the nation and had our hands in building it to what it is today-politically, professionally and culturally."

Mathew Martoma pleads not guilty

Sunita Williams condemns Delhi gang-rape

Pune: American astronaut of Indian origin Sunita Williams has condemned the recent Delhi gang-rape case, and cited it as a case of lack of respect for women in the country. Interacting with students through a videoconference in Pune on Jan 3 from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Williams denounced the behavior of men towards women in India. "I guess my bottom line thoughts on this is, I think it is irresponsible not to honor women as equal as men in all fields. Why not? I don't even see a reason why anybody would think any differently," said Williams. Williams further illustrated her own example saying that she herself has strived to excel in such a field, which is male dominated and get the respect she deserved. "I think I have also tried to be as equal as possible. Of course physical size and shape is a little bit different. Women are generally little bit smaller than men. So that is something you can't overcome. But as best as I could, I tried to do as equal a job as any of the gentlemen that were around me," she said.

athew Martoma, an Indian-origin hedge court records, he would continue to remain free on fund portfolio manager has pleaded not bond. guilty to charges that he participated in His next court appearance has been set for March one of the "most lucrative" insider trading 5. His lawyer said he is not discussing any plea schemes totaling $276 million involving informadeal with the government and maintained that his tion about clinical trials for an Alzheimer's drug. client is innocent. Martoma, 38, was arraigned at Manhattan fedProsecutors told the judge that they would be eral court here Jan 3 before Judge Paul Gardephe presenting evidence in the form of trading and teleand entered a not guilty plea to one count of conphone records and e-mails but do not plan to use spiracy to commit securities fraud and two counts any wiretap evidence. Assistant US attorney Arlo Hedge fund manager Devlin-Brown said the government has collected a of securities fraud. "I plead not guilty, your honor," Martoma, who Mathew Martoma 'voluminous' amount of evidence in the case. A was indicted last month, said for all the three counts he is Stanford graduate, Martoma joined SAC Capital Advisors in charged with. Martoma is the son of Indian immigrants and was 2006 and had worked with the firm's affiliate CR Intrinsic Inaccompanied by his wife and parents during his hearing. He vestors. Federal prosecutors have accused Martoma of using faces as many as 20 years in prison on the securities fraud material, non-public information that he received from a doctor charges and five years on the conspiracy charge if convicted. He in 2008 on the clinical trial of an Alzheimer's disease drug to was arrested in November from his home in Boca Raton, Flori- make profits and avoid losses for SAC in an amount totaling apda and has been free on a five million dollar bail. According to proximately $276 million.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

US AFFAIRS

January 12-18, 2013

Obama picks Chief of CIA and Secretary of Defense, Lew in as Treasury Secretary
Washington: Assembling his second term national security team, US President Barack Obama courted controversy as he named former Republican senator Chuck Hagel to head the Pentagon and his counterterrorism adviser John Brennan to lead the CIA. "My No.1 criteria in making these decisions was simple - who is going to do the best job in securing America," Obama said Monday nominating Hagel, seen as a maverick politician, to replace Leon Panetta as Defense Secretary and Brennan, a key architect of America's drone strategy, to head the Central Intelligence Agency. In making the two controversial picks, especially that of Hagel, Obama signaled his readiness to join battle with Senate Republicans for their confirmation unlike his decision to go for Senator John Kerry as the Secretary of State instead of controversial US ambassador to UN, Susan Rice, who was said to be his first choice. Hagel, 66, who may become the first Vietnam veteran and first enlisted soldier to serve as US defense secretary, has advocated deep cuts to the Pentagon budget and bucked his fellow Republicans in opposing troop surges in Iraq and Afghanistan, telling his biographer: "I will do all I can to prevent war." Hagel has also come under fire over comments about Israel and Iran and gays. He has supported Carney declined to comment on news reports of Lew's prospective move, but praised him as "a remarkably capable chief of staff" and an "exceptional public servant". As with so many presidential aides, the Treasury Secretary's primary goals are "economic growth and job creation", he said. A former investment banker and Capitol Hill aide, Lew was instrumental in crafting the August 2011 debt deal that created the $600 billion automatic tax increases and spending cuts narrowly avoided in the New Year's "fiscal cliff" agreement. A 57-year-old native of New York City, Lew's long familiarity with Capitol Hill began when he took a job as a legislative aide in 1973. He went on to serve for nine years as chief domestic policy adviser to House Speaker Tip O'Neill. While Lew's announcement could come as soon as Thursday, it was not clear that the president has settled on his new choice for chief of staff, according to CNBC. Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough and Ron Klain, former chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden are both seen as potential Lew replacements. News of Lew's appointment came as Labor Secretary Hilda Solis announced she would not return for Obama's second term that starts Jan 20.

The controversial Chuck Hagel is set to become the next US Secretary of Defense

CIA Chief to-be John Brennan has worked for Obama since 2009

White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew will replace Timothy Geithner as Secretary of the Treasury.

Israel entering negotiations with Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules the Gaza strip and is considered a terrorist organization by the US. Hagel has also called for talks with Iran and spoken out against certain sanctions -- a cornerstone of Obama's foreign policy aimed at pressuring Tehran over its nuclear program. Some also are bothered by a comment he made in 1998 about an ambassadorial candidate James Hormel being "openly, aggressively gay" -- which he apologized for in December, 14 years later. Obama, a Democrat, praised Hagel as a "patriot" who knows what it is like being on the frontline and said his selection "represents the bipartisan tradition that we need

more of in Washington". But many in the Republican establishment opposed the choice with Senator Lindsey Graham saying, "He has long severed his ties with the Republican Party". But Democrat Chris Murphy countered that he believes "Republicans are spoiling for a fight". Compared to Hagel, the reaction was somewhat muted to the nomination of Brennan to replace retired Gen. David Petraeus, who stepped down from his job as CIA director in November amid revelations that he had engaged in an extramarital affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell. Brennan, 57, worked for the CIA for more than two decades and has been Obama's assistant for coun-

terterrorism and homeland security since 2009. He is said to have shaped the White House's strategy to aggressively pursue suspected terrorists in Pakistan and in Yemen, dramatically escalating the use of armed unmanned aircraft or drones to kill them. Obama is also expected to name current White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew as the next Secretary of the Treasury in place of Timothy Geithner. Lew, who previously served as budget director under Obama and former president Bill Clinton, has long been considered the frontrunner to replace Geithner, the last remaining member of Obama's first-term economic team. White House spokesman Jay

As Biden intensifies gun control efforts, Giffords launches campaign GM recalls 68,000 vehicles over parking glitch
Washington: In the weeks that have followed the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Connecticut, Vice President Joe Biden has actively increased his efforts to advocate stricter gun control laws and awareness. Biden referred to the effort as a moral issue that needs immediate attention. "When I think of all the tragedies that we have endured, I don't think anything has touched the heart of the American people so profoundly as seeing those and learning of those young children not only being shot but riddled with bullets," he said. Former US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was injured in a mass shooting, has launched a high-profile campaign against gun violence in America. Giffords launched her campaign Tuesday on the second anniversary of the shooting in Tucson in Arizona that left six people dead and critically injured her. "In response to a horrific series of shootings that has sown terror in our communities, victimized tens of thousands of Americans, and left one of its own bleeding and near death in a Tucson parking lot, Congress has done something quite extraordinary - nothing at all,"

The 2013 Escalade is one of the vehicles being recalled by GM.

Vice President Joe Biden recently called the gun control effort a 'moral issue'.

Gabrielle Giffords's gun control campaign is a significant step in the gun control movement.

Giffords and her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, said in an op-ed published in USA Today. "Special interests purporting to represent gun owners but really advancing the interests of an ideological fringe have used big money and influence to cow Congress into submission. As a result, we are more vulnerable to gun violence," they added. The husband-wife team announced their new "Americans for Responsible Solutions" initiative, which aims to raise money to balance the influence of the powerful pro-gun lobbying group the

National Rifle Association and others in the gun industry. Giffords and Kelly had an emotional meeting with family members of those killed in the December shooting. Twenty children and six adults were shot dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. "We can't just hope that the last shooting tragedy will prevent the next," they said. "Achieving reforms to reduce gun violence and prevent mass shootings will mean matching gun lobbyists in their reach and resources."

Washington: American automobile giant General Motors (GM) said it is recalling more than 68,000 new sports utility vehicles, pickups and vans that could roll away after being parked, a media report said. GM would recall the 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV and Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Express, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban and Tahoe, and GMC Savana, Sierra HD, Sierra LD, Yukon and Yukon XL because they may not meet a federal requirement requiring transmission shift interlocks, Xinhua reported citing Detroit News. The recall includes 54,686 vehicles in the US and 6,310 in Canada, 710 in Mexico and 7,038 trucks from oversees markets, primarily in the Middle East, GM spokesman Alan Adler was quoted as saying. No crashes or injuries have been

reported thus far. GM said the vehicles may have been built with a fractured park lock cable and malformed steering column lock park in the lock module assembly. The key may be rotated to the off position and removed while the shifter is not in the park position, and the vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible crash without prior warning. The transmission can also be shifted out of park without application of the brake pedal while the key is in the off position, the company said. Most of the affected vehicles are believed to be still on dealer lots or in transit to dealers. The condition was discovered at GM's Arlington Assembly plant Dec 14. All of the recalled vehicles were built between November and December 2012.

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January 12-18, 2013

INDIA

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Jawan killings: Nation outraged

Angry India protests over Pakistani beheading of Indian soldiers; Islamabad suggests a third party probe by the UN, New Delhi rejects
New Delhi: India has lodged a "strong protest" with Pakistan after Pakistani troops shot dead and beheaded two of its soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir in a gory replay of the 1999 Kargil killings. The Indian Army said the head of one of the soldiers, Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh, was taken away by the intruders dressed in black who officials said could be from the 29 Baloch Regiment. The other dead soldier was identified as Lance Naik Hemraj. In a strongly worded statement, India said the two "were killed ... and their bodies subjected to barbaric and inhuman mutilation". New Delhi asked Islamabad to immediately probe the killings, which it said violated "all norms of international conduct". Pakistan has rejected as "baseless and unfounded" the charges and suggested a third party probe by the UN. Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar told CNN-IBN television channel that Pakistan "absolutely rejects that any such incident took place" in Poonch district. "We are saying that an incident like

Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh and Lance Naik Hemraj were killed by Pakistani troops, who could be from the 29 Baloch Regiment this did not take place, but if our enquiry is not good enough, we can ask the UN to do the enquiry," she said. The government, meanwhile, rejected Pakistan's suggestion that the UN should be asked to probe allegations that Pakistani troops killed and beheaded two Indian soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir. "That demand is rejected out of hand. We will not internationalize the issue nor go to the United Nations," Finance Minister P. Chidambaram told reporters after a cabinet meeting. Indian leaders made no efforts to hide their disgust. Defense Minister A.K. Antony called the Tuesday killings in the border district of Poonch "highly provocative. The way they have treated the body of the Indian soldiers, it is inhuman". External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said the mutilation of the soldiers was "an extremely sensitive matter". Khurshid spoke after Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai summoned Pakistani High Commissioner Salman Bashir and lodged a strong protest. Bashir was "spoken to in very strong terms", Khurshid said. The matter was also taken up by the Director General of Military Operations, Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia, with his Pakistani counterpart, Lt Gen Ashfaq Nadeem Ahmed. They spoke on their hotline at around 10 a.m. An army spokesperson said a "strong protest" has been lodged. "We also conveyed to him that this action has been carried out by regular troops of Pakistan army. Strong protest is also lodged against mutilation of body which is a grave violation of rules of engagement by any civilized, professional army." The killings appeared to be a repeat of the killings and torture of Indian soldiers by the Pakistani military during the Kargil conflict in Kashmir almost 14 years ago. The Congress party warned Pakistan not to test India's patience. "The way they have beheaded our soldiers is brutal and barbaric," its spokesman Rashid Alvi said. "We want good relationship with our neighbour, but whether Pakistan wants peaceful relationship is doubtful." Indian officials said the Pakistani soldiers sneaked some 600 meters into a forested part of Sona Gali under the cover of a thick fog and killed the two soldiers who were leading an Indian patrol. Brigadier J.K. Tiwari, deputy general officer commanding of the 25 Division headquartered in Rajouri, about 180 km from Jammu, explained how the killings took place. Speaking after a guard of honor for the dead men, he said the two soldiers were ambushed amid a thick fog that greatly reduced visibility in the area. He said the patrol spotted some movement ahead, sparking a gun battle that lasted about 25 minutes. When the patrol reached the two scouts, they found them beheaded. The Bharatiya Janata Party asked the government to "clearly define the red lines" for Pakistan. New Delhi "will have to be very firm, very cautious and very clear on how to deal with Pakistan", its leader Arun Jaitley said. "The government must be very firm while dealing with Pakistan." But in significant comments, Khurshid emphasized that "it is very important that we make sure that such incidents should not be escalated". Even Jaitley said the brutal killings were obviously "intended to disturb the environment" of improved relations between the two countries. The LoC was calm after separate overnight clashes between Indian and Pakistan troops. After the Tuesday killings, Pakistani troops shelled an Indian post in Krishnaghati sector also in Poonch district, triggering counter firing by the Indian Army.

Take revenge from Pak: Uddhav Thackeray

Mumbai: Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray demanded that India should "take revenge" from Pakistan for the brutal killing of its two soldiers near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir two days ago. In a statement here, Thackeray said that mere condemnation of the incident will no longer be of any use. "Send the Indian military inside Pakistan and take revenge for this horrific incident. Only then will it be a tribute to the martyrdom of our soldiers," Thackeray demanded in the front page statement in Thursday morning's edition of Saamana, the party mouthpiece of which he is the editor. Thackeray also said that there is no point in continuing any peace talks with Pakistan as it is bearing no results. "Pakistan is beheading our soldiers and here we are playing cricket (with them), forgetting all brutalities," Thackeray said. Not only cricket ties, it is imperative to break all kinds of relations with Pakistan, he exhorted.

US asks India, Pak to cool off and talk

Washington: The US has asked India and Pakistan to cool down tensions over the killing of two Indian soldiers along the Line of Control in (LoC) Jammu and Kashmir and talk to each other to improve relations. "We're urging both sides to take steps to end the violence. We continue to strongly support any efforts to improve relations between the two countries," State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters. "We've also discussed these latest incidents with both governments, urged them to talk to each other, and urged calm," she said in response to a question about the incident. "We are concerned about reports of violence along the Line of Control in Kashmir. It's our understanding that the governments of India and Pakistan are now talking and trying to work through these issues at a high level," Nuland said. Asked if the US was worried about possible escalation of the incident, the spokesperson said: "Violence is not the answer for either country." Washington, she said, has through calls at the ambassadorial level in both countries been "counselling both governments to de-escalate, to work through this issue, to continue the consultations between them at a high level that we understand are ongoing now". Asked if the US supported a Pakistani move for a third party or UN investigation into the incident, Nuland said it would be best if the two countries could work it out themselves, but if both sides wanted UN support, Washington would back that too. "India and Pakistan have made pretty good progress in recent years in working through a number of difficult issues, including opening of trade relations," she noted. "They are now engaged at a high level on these recent incidents. If they can work it out themselves, that's obviously best," she said. But "If both parties were interested in support from the UN, et cetera, we'd obviously support that as well. "But at the moment, we're urging them to talk to each other," Nuland said. The spokesperson declined

US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland comment into the alleged beheading of two Indian soldiers saying, "I'm not going to get into the specifics here. I think we've spoken to the general principles we want to see here." Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was aware of the tension between India and Pakistan on this issue and "instructed our ambassadors to work with both governments, which they are doing", Nuland said.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

INDIA

January 12-18, 2013

11

Owaisi jailed for 14 days, judge pulls him up

Hyderabad: MIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi was sent to jail for 14 days for delivering a hate speech and accused of sedition and waging war against the nation even the the Andhra Pradesh High Court reprimanded the legislator. After questioning Owaisi through the night, police presented him before a magistrate in Nirmal town in Adilabad district, around 200 km from here. In Hyderabad, the high court admitted the MIM leader's petition, seeking orders to quash cases booked against him in various police stations in the state. Justice Narasimha Reddy adjourned the hearing by four weeks. But he pulled up the legislator, finding fault with his provocative remarks. Judge Reddy said that a person holding a responsible position should not make such comments. "Is this what you are giving back to the people of the country for electing you as their representative?" he asked. He also pointed out that secularism was an integral part of Indian democracy and reminded Owaisi that his late father, Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, had been a MP He faces similar charges in Nizamabad town. Police in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy and other districts also booked cases against him on complaints by activists of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its frontal organisations. In another development, a court in Warangal district Wednesday directed police to book the MIM leader on a petition by a lawyer. Meanwhile, the situation in the old city of Hyderabad, an MIM stronghold, remained tense but peaceful. For the second day, most shops and businesses around the historic Charminar and other Muslim-majority areas remained closed. MIM has not called for a shutdown in Hyderabad and its chief Asaduddin Owaisi appealed to people to maintain peace. However, shopkeepers in the main markets in the Old City voluntarily observed a shutdown. Police and paramilitary forces were deployed around Charminar and interior areas which saw communal clashes in November. Asaduddin Owaisi described the arrest of his younger brother as a conspiracy by the Congress and the BJP.

Jingle bells, desert scooters to safeguard border

By Prakash Bhandari Jaipur: It's time for jingle bells to ring on the fenced border separating India and Pakistan in the Rajasthan and Punjab. The jingle bells will send an alarm to the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel about an intrusion from across the border. Hundreds of such bells have been placed at sensitive border areas in Punjab and Rajasthan by the BSF to check intrusion. Apart from this, the BSF will soon begin using desert scooters for patrolling instead of camels. "Jingle bells would be the a costeffective yet simple method to check the intruders. Even if some cattle or camel from the Pakistan side walks near the fence or collides against it, the bells start ringing, keeping the jawans on alert. In fact, the bells are proving to be very helpful to jawans, said BSF Rajasthan frontier Inspector General PC Meena.

MIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi has been booked for delivering a hate speech and accused of sedition and waging war against the nation.

-- and so was his brother Asaduddin now. In another development, a division bench of the high court dismissed a petition filed by a citizen seeking directions to Youtube to remove Akbar Owaisi's speeches from the video-sharing website. The legislator was arrested in Hyderabad after he underwent medical tests through the day. He was booked in Nirmal Jan 3 in connection with a venomous speech by him in Adilabad Dec 22 against the Hindu community. He is facing serious charges,

ranging from sedition to waging war against the government. Police had initially booked the legislator for promoting enmity between different groups and doing acts prejudicial to harmony as well as waging or attempting to wage war against the state. The latter charge carries death sentence or life imprisonment. Owaisi now faces five other charges: criminal conspiracy, sedition, threatening people to give false evidence, doing public mischief and disobeying official orders.

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January 12-18, 2013

DELHI GANG-RAPE

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Gang-rape: Court orders in-camera trial

New Delhi: A Delhi court has ordered in-camera trial of the Dec 16 gang-rape following unruly scenes that prevented the accused from being led in. It also told the media not to report any news related to the case without its permission. Metropolitan Magistrate Namrita Aggarwal said: "An unprecedented situation arises when members of bar and public not connected with the case have started converging in the courtroom..." She said the courtroom was packed and it created a lot of disturbance. Appeals to people to wait outside to let the proceedings go on without disturbance had not been heeded, she added. According to Aggarwal, the crowds were "occupying every inch of space of the courtroom, even next to the space allotted to the readers and stenographer". "It has become impossible to proceed in the case... The lockup in-charge said he is unable to bring (the accused) before the court for the want of safe passage in the courtroom." Invoking the Criminal Procedure Code for in-camera

'Allow media to cover gang-rape case'

New Delhi: After a city court ordered in-camera hearings and curbed media from attending and reporting proceedings of the Dec 16 gang-rape case, journalists urged the Delhi High Court to allow them to cover the case. Pleading before a division bench of Chief Justice D. Murugesan and Justice V.K. Jain, advocate Meenakshi Lekhi told the court that journalists should be allowed to report the case for the "fair and transparent trial". Lekhi, representing legal journalists, said that freedom of speech and expression is a fundamental right and it should not be violated. "Its their (journalists) duty to report the case, as now, its not the gang-rape case. Its a case of murder." She said that from the media has been reporting the case "responsibly" from day one and has not revealed the name of the victim.

The 23-year-old woman was raped and brutally assaulted in a moving bus in New Delhi, leaving the nation outraged

proceedings, the magistrate quoted the public prosecutor as saying that he feared for the safety of the accused. The prosecution also moved an application for an in-camera trial. Aggarwal conceded the request "keeping in view the situation". She added: "The proceedings ... including the inquiry and trial can be held in-camera. Hence, all public persons, and every bar member in the court are directed to vacate the courtroom, except the accused, public prosecutor and investigation officer."

Delhi Police tender 'unconditional apology'

New Delhi: Delhi Police have tendered an "unconditional apology" to the Delhi High Court for defying its order on providing the names of the officials posted on the PCR vans in the areas during the Dec 16 gang-rape incident here. The police apology came a day after it faced the high court's wrath for not disclosing the names of the officials on Police Control Room (PCR) vans on patrolling duty and claiming that it cannot be blamed for any "consequential order". Filing fresh status report before the court, counsel appearing for Delhi Police tendered an "unconditional apology" and also submitted the names of officials deployed in the PCR vans during the incident. A division bench of Chief Justice D. Murugesan and Justice V.K. Jain hearing the case asked the home ministry to increase the number of PCR vans in the city to ensure better safety to people. The court also asked the central government to appraise it from time to time on the commission of inquiry set up by the government to deal with the related case. The 23-year-old woman succumbed to the brutal Dec 16 gang-rape and torture in a moving bus in a Singapore hospital Dec 29, sparking a nation wide outrage.

'Countries should take cue from Indian protests'

New Delhi: Other countries could take a cue from India and follow the manner in which vociferous protests against violence on women have turned into a movement, said Eve Ensler, founder of the One Billion Rising Campaign, here. "I don't think of any country or any time when people have protested in such a manner against crime against women. Why are not people in the US doing what people in Delhi are doing? It is just mind blowing," Ensler said. Citing the recent Delhi gangrape, she recalled an incident in the US recently when a group of men gang-raped a woman and urinated over her. Speaking at a press conference here, Ensler said: "The way Indian men have collaborated in this movement has moved me." Ensler, also a playwright whose "The Vagina Monologues" has been widely acclaimed, pointed out that flesh trade in the world will flourish better than the trade in drugs as women are considered "reusable".

Exclude those above 16 from Juvenile Act: PIL

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court issued notice to the central government on a petition seeking to exclude from the purview of the Juvenile Justice Act those above 16 years committing serious crimes like rape and murder. A division bench of Chief Justice D. Murugesan and Justice V.K. Jain issued the notice through the ministries of parliamentary affairs and law and justice, and asked them to file their response by Feb 14. The public interest litigation (PIL) sought to declare as ultra vires some provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act, alleging that recent incidents showed that those aged 16 years were involved in "serious crimes" and are "quite well developed". "They do not need the care and protection of the society, rather the society needs care and protection against them," read the PIL.

'Rape' remarks: What they said...

"She should have taken God's name and could have held the hand of one of the men and said I consider you as my brother and should have said to the other two 'Brother I am helpless, you are my brother, my religious brother. - Spiritual leader Asaram Bapu "Crimes against women happening in urban India are shameful. It is a dangerous trend. But such crimes won't happen in 'Bharat' or the rural areas of the country. You go to villages and forests of the country and there will be no such incidents of gang-rape or sex crimes." - RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat "Laxman rekha har vyakti ki khinchi gayee hai. Uss rekha ko koi bhi paar karega to Ravan samney baitha hai, woh Sita haran kar le jayega (everyone must stay within Lakshman rekha. Ravan grabs and takes away those who cross the line just as he kidnapped Sita)." - Madhya Pradesh Industries Minister and BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya "Who were the one who did this? Nobody is talking about it. Just register cases against Raj Thackeray when he speaks. And after the rape, no one will talk about all rapists being from Bihar." - Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray "It is becoming fashionable to land up on the streets with candle in hand. Such people are completely disconnected from reality. They go to discotheques. I am very well versed with student activism and I can bet on it that most of the protesters are not students. They are dented and painted women chasing two minutes on fame, giving interviews on TV. The protesters do not fall in the age group of students." - Abhijit Mukherjee, Congress MP and son of President Pranab Mukherjee "Just because India achieved freedom at midnight does not mean that women can venture out after dark. They should ensure that they do not board buses with few passengers." - Andhra Pradesh Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

OP-ED

January 12-18, 2013

13

Delhi Rape: Men need to manage the change

By Ravindra Gaekwad

anagement of change is always a challenging task and change is always resisted in any organization or society. What the country has been witnessing and seized with in the last fortnight after the rape and brutal injury of a Delhi girl has shamed one and all. Why did this happen? An analysis reveals that Indian society, especially many males, have not been able to manage change and transformation that has taken place as regards Indian women. Our culture, traditions, ethics and values have taught us to respect women and treat them equally at our respective homes and among relatives. The moment we see a woman in public and who is not related our attitude changes and we tend to pass sexist and snide comments. Wrong thoughts also build up in the mind. Today, women, apart from doing many other jobs, are commanding space stations, flying passenger as well as military aircraft, captaining ships, participating in all sporting activities, driving cars, buses and trains. They are heading governments, business houses, industrial institutions and are holding senior offices in the police, bureaucracy, military, medicine, judiciary, scientific, educational institutions and any post of responsibility that can be thought of. Not only are they holding

The moment we see a woman in public and who is not related our attitude changes and we tend to pass sexist and snide comments. top posts but are more effective and efficient than their male counterparts. It is this change that needs to be understood by many men. The new mantra that needs to be followed and understood is to treat women equally and with respect not only in their respective homes but in the streets outside all day and especially between sunset and sunrise. These two values need to be ingrained and followed amongst those Indian men folk that have not yet understood them. We are now in an era where we cannot question what women feel, talk, wear or do as they are responsible enough. If they cross the boundaries of the law of the land, then the law agencies would take care of the situation. This applies to men folk too. This equality needs to be understood. There is no need for moral policing by political, educational and religious agencies to tell what a woman needs to wear or how to conduct herself. What is needed is to respect women as they enter new fields of responsibility in Indian society and treat them as equals. It has to now be clearly understood that the consent of the woman is required

before any advancement having a sexual overtone is done by any man. It is her right. It is so with men too. A woman sexual worker cannot force herself unless the man consents. So here again equality comes in. This intricate balance of equality and respect needs to be understood. This applies both ways and whilst women display these two virtues towards men it's some men folk who somehow seem to lose it somewhere down the line. The time is ripe now to understand women, as they move about day and night doing their jobs and take on new responsibilities. They need to be treated with respect and equality. As regards rapists, they need to be punished severely and justice needs to be delivered quickly so that it acts as a deterrent. Stricter laws need to be enacted. In summary, the days of telling women what to do, say, dress or feel is over. They know their responsibilities and if they do anything the law doesn't permit the law agencies are there to handle the situation. It's high time we let them enjoy their new found freedom and allow them to take on higher responsibilities. The faster we manage this change the better. The bottom line is to treat all women with respect and equality at all places and at all times. (Ravindra Gaikwad is a senior serving officer of the Indian Navy)

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

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January 12-18, 2013

AAPI GLOBAL HEALTH SUMMIT 2013

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Diaspora docs discuss ways to improve healthcare in India

The Kochi summit from Jan 1-3, 2013 discussed ways to bring the most innovative, efficient, cost-effective healthcare solutions to India.
Kochi, Kerala: The AAPI Global Healthcare Summit 2013 (GHS) explored the possibilities for greater collaboration and cooperation between the physicians and health care providers in India with those of Indian origin and major health-care providers abroad. GHS 2013, a public-private initiative, was organized by the Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) in collaboration with the Government of India from January 1st to 3rd in Kochi, where over 1,250 delegates were enriched by a variety of seminars, workshops and entertainment. The international convention center at the prestigious Le Mridien in the commercial capital of Kerala wore a festive look as the delegates from around the world filled the Oman Hall for the inaugural ceremony of the sixth annual GHS summit on New Years Day. In his welcome address, Dr. Narendra Kumar, President of AAPI and Chair of GHS 2013, said, Your presence here in large numbers is a testimony to your continued commitment and dedication to devote your time, skills, and resources to serve the needy and the sick, who have fewer opportunities to care for their health needs in India. Dr. Kumar added, This is a forum for innovative opportunities for learning, networking and giving back to our motherland by prominent and talented physicians and surgeons as well as the medical industry leaders and scientists who are very passionate about serving our homeland, and the 1.2 billion people of this great nation. Aimed at advancing the accessibility, affordability and the quality of world-class healthcare, the summit will focus on prevention, diagnosis, treatment options and share ways to truly improve healthcare transcending global boundaries, AAPI USA has been actively engaged in harnessing the power of Indian diaspora. We have successfully gained the support of several leading healthcare experts and professional physician associations,

Vayalar Ravi, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, delivering the inaugural address. including GAPIO and AKMG to collaborate on this summit, designed to bring the best, most efficient and cost effective healthcare solutions to the people of India, Dr. Kumar explained. In his inaugural address, Vayalar Ravi, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, said, Healthcare in India is one of the largest sectors, in terms of revenue and employment. He complimented the Indian doctors who have made tremendous progress in the medical world and are known for their excellent and compassionate services to their patients around the world. Ravi acknowledged the urgent need to create additional health infrastructure, which entails a higher level of investment in the Indian healthcare market in the coming years. He underlined that the government of India is committed to the ever increasing need to invest in the health care system in India. He urged the pharmaceutical companies to keep the prizes of life saving medicines at an affordable level, in order to make them available and accessible to all. No one should be denied medical treatment for want of money, he said. Oommen Chandy, Chief Minister of Kerala, who delivered the keynote address, after inaugurating the summit, highlighted the Kerala model of healthcare which has resulted in the state becoming the healthcare leader in India. He pointed to the highest life expectancy of 75, and the least infant mortality rate among all the states of India as proof of the effectiveness of Keralas healthcare policy over the past decades. India with its 1.2 billion population is expected to have a robust medical sector with a $100 billion industry by 2015 from the current $ 65 billion, growing 20 per cent annually due to increasing demand for specialized and quality healthcare facilities in addition to the growth in the insurance plans seeking to provide reliable health insurance to hundreds of millions of people. The challenge facing the industry is to make healthcare affordable, accessible to all and efficient. Advisor to the Prime Minister of India, T.K.A Nair, lauded the physicians of Indian origin for their achievements and leadership around the world. While focusing on the governments many programs to reach healthcare to all, he urged the private sector to work and collaborate with the government to make healthcare affordable to all of Indias people. Others who addressed the august gathering included Dr. Jeremy Lazarus, President, American Medical Association; Dr. Emmanuel Cassimatis, President & CEO, ECFMG, USA; Dr. Vinay Kumar, President, Indian Medical Association; Dr. Chittaranjan Ranawat, clinical professor of orthopedic surgery, Cornell University; Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, chairman, Apollo Group of Hospitals; and Dr. K.K. Talwar, Chairman, Medical Council of India. The summit was packed with several plenary sessions, interactive roundtables, clinical practice workshops, and meet-the-expert/CEOs sessions, providing an ambience of

Oommen Chandy, Chief Minister of Kerala, lighting the traditional lamp, accompanied by Indian dignitaries and AAPI leaders, to inaugurate the summit. learning and inspiration. It proved to vention, diagnosis, treatment options be significant, especially when India and shared ways to truly improve is increasingly becoming a destina- healthcare transcending global tion for medical tourism. boundaries, Dr. Ajay Lodha, More than 100 opinion leaders and Treasurer of AAPI, added. expert speakers presented cuttingAt the valedictory ceremony held edge scientific findings related to at the IMA House, Kochi, Dr. clinical practice, representing major Narendra Kumar received a symbolic centers of excellence, institutions and Key marking the launch of the professional associations. In a first, Amrita Peripheral Clinic, supported CEO from hospitals, teaching institu- by AAPI and run by AKMG tions and major healthcare sectors, (American Association of Kerala including pharmaceutical, medical Medical Graduates). AAPI supports devices and technology, came 15 clinics around the country. together to explore potential opportu- However, this is the first one in the nities for collaboration. Omar Ishrak, state of Kerala, Dr. Kumar said. Worldwide CEO of Medtronic was What we do here is going to help the keynote speaker. Dr. G.N. Singh, make policies and programs that benDrug Controller General of India efit the people of this great country, with his team was joined by leading Dr. Jayesh Shah, President-Elect of healthcare policy makers and AAPI, said, informing that the next Hospital CEOs. GHS will be held in Ahmedabad This convention has shown how from Jan 3-5, 2014. well the Indian doctors have proved AAPI is the largest ethnic medical to be an effective force in the med- organization in the US and represents ical world in USA, said Dr. Ravi the interests of more than 65,000 Jahagirdar, Vice-President. physicians and about 35,000 medical The summit also focused on pre- students/residents of Indian origin.

A view of some of the 1,200 delegates at the summit.

At the valedictory function, Dr. Narendra Kumar, President of AAPI and Chair of GHS 2013, received the symbolic Key marking the launch of the Amrita Peripheral Clinic, which is supported by AAPI and run by American Association of Kerala Medical Graduates.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

AWARD

January 12-18, 2013

15

Dr. Narendra Kumar, PBD 2013 Awardee

AAPI President Dr. Kumar received the coveted award for his achievements in the field of medicine, community service, global leadership and contributions in building bridges between India and America.
By Ajay Ghosh I am humbled and honored by this great honor bestowed on me today, Dr. Narendra Kumar, President of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), said soon after receiving the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award, the Government of India's highest civilian honor for non-resident Indians, in Kochi, on January 9, 2013 during the 11th annual Parvasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD). I consider this award as the recognition of the achievements and contributions of 100,000 physicians of Indian origin in the US, whom I represent as its sitting president, Dr. Kumar added. Pranab Mukherjee, President of India, conferred this highest honor on Dr. Kumar and other overseas Indians. Dr. Kumar received the award for his achievements in the field of medicine, community service, global leadership and contributions to building bridges between India and the United States. Its been a steady growth to prominence for Dr. Narendra Kumar, who took charge of AAPI in June 2012, during its 30th annual Convention in Long Beach, CA. Soon after assuming office, he told his fellow physicians: We will put all our energy in a positive direction in order to restore AAPIs image, improve financial health, and bring unity, integrity and stability to our organization. Within six months, Dr. Kumar and his committed team have worked hard to fulfill those prophetic words. AAPI today is more united than

AAPI President Dr Narendra Kumar receiving the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award from President Pranab Mukherjee at PBD 2013 in Kochi.

Dr Narendra Kumar addressing the AAPI Global Healthcare Summit 2013 in Kochi.

ever, financially stable, expanding steadily and is on the right path strengthening the organization and its 100,000 members, seeking ways to contribute to their motherland. His leadership qualities and organizational skills came to the fore and have been hailed by one and all during the 9-City Musical Tour by Shreya Ghoshal in the US as well as during the most recent Global Healthcare Summit 2013 in Kochi, India. With over 1,200 delegates from around the world, the Summit was historic for the number of delegates and the quality of discussions led by world renowned physicians, CEOs, and scholars from across the globe, in addition to the many initiatives planned to benefit millions of people in India. It was with his decades of hard work and dedication to AAPI that Dr Kumar became leader of this umbrella organization, which repre-

Dr Kumar posing with his family.

sents over 130 member associations nationwide with a total membership of 100,000 physicians and fellows of Indian origin. As Regional Director of AAPI, he had attended almost all the local AAPI chapter meetings to serve as a liaison between the local chapters and the national organization. Besdies, he has been instrumental in recruiting hundreds of new patron members to AAPI. He credits attending PBD 2007 in New Delhi for giving me a chance to prove my ability to act as political liaison in organizing special interviews with Indias top dignitaries. As AAPI Treasurer, Dr. Kumar was able to fulfill his promise to keep AAPI finances in proper order by maintaining fiscal stability, accountability and enhance financial health. It is important to keep financial matters transparent to the membership, he says. Dr. Kumar sees heading AAPI as an honor, a responsibility he would carry with ever greater commitment. Serving in various capacities in his local Michigan chapter and subsequently the parent AAPI, he has an intimate knowledge of the nuts and bolts of this giant organization. When others were hesitant to commit a million dollars towards star singer Shreya Ghoshals US Tour, especially after he had inherited several hundred thousand dollars of debt from his predecessors, Dr. Kumar showed courage and innovation, encouraging AAPI and its local

chapters around the nation to play an active role that resulted not only in generating over $1.2 million but also brought the chapters and the national organizations together. A man of integrity who has given his best to every enterprise he has undertaken both in his professional, family and social life, Dr. Kumar has won the admiration of everyone. Comments Dr. Jayesh Shah, President-Elect, AAPI, Dr. Kumar is the kind of person you immediately feel as if he is your friend. In three words: he is personable, gogetter and passionate. He can translate any dream into reality by hard work, perseverance, and commitment. An accomplished physician and surgeon in the US, specializing in Otolaryngology- Head & Neck Surgery, Dr. Kumar is a Board Certified Sleep Medicine specialist and founder/Medical Director of Sound aSleep Sleep Diagnostic Labs, which includes four Sleep Labs in Michigan. Dr. Kumar, who graduated from Trivandrum Medical College, Kerala and did his residency from Banaras Hindu University and Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, is committed to giving back to the community and to enhancing opportunities for the professional growth of physicians of Indian origin. Dr. Kumar, who is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, candidly admits, Over the past 10 years, I have become increasingly involved in social, professional and political arenas and have taken active leadership roles in various medical organizations both in USA and abroad. During his tenure in 2004 as the Silver Jubilee President of Association of Kerala Medical Graduates (AKMG), his Executive Committee promoted increased member participation, partnered with global AKMG chapters in India and the Middle East, and furthering its mission to charitable projects. I was instrumental in establishing Electronic Learning Resource Centers in various government medical colleges in Kerala, raising over $500,000 in alumni donations, recalls Dr Kumar. He was also

instrumental in organizing the Heart-Heart program in conjunction with the Lions Club of Kerala, which provided free open heart surgery for 150 indigent patients. In 2004, he helped raise over $150,000 for the charitable wing of AKMG through the AKMG Silver Jubilee convention in Detroit. In 2010, as the Fund Raising Committee Chair Tri-City Hindu Temple of MidMichigan, USA, he helped raise over $2 million to build a Hindu temple in Michigan. In the political realm, Dr Kumar has been organizing Indo-American Political Fund Raising events since 2002 and has made substantial contribution for poll campaigns of state governors, senators, and congressman, thus enhancing the political image of the Indian American community. In May 2005, as co-President of the Indo-Pak Friendship Society Convention in Saginaw, MI, attended by over 1,200, he enabled the people of the subcontinental neighbors to work together for fostering peace and cooperation. Recognizing his leadership and contributions, the American Medical Association (AMA) honored him with the Leadership Award in 2008. In the same year, he was bestowed with the Kerala Ratna Award and the MAPI Presidential Award. In 2004, Dr. Kumar received the Distinguished Leadership award from Michigan State Medical Society. In 2009, he was given the Keraleeyam-Kerala Ratna Leadership Award in New Delhi, presented by the Chief Justice of India, for enhancing the image of Kerala. Dr. Kumar is also the recipient AKMG Purple Heart Award for Philanthropy and Leadership Award from Kerala Center in New York. Dr. Kumar has been married to Meenakshi for 32 years and the couple have two children -- Sarada and Ramesh. Dr. Ramesh Kumar is a graduate of the Amrita Institute of Medicine in Kochi, and is currently a Research Fellow at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Sarada completed her Masters in Healthcare Administration from the University of Michigan and pitches in her husband Dr. Arjun Das medical practice in Toledo, Ohio.

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January 12-18, 2013

11TH PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS 2013

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Over 2,000 participants from 70 countries participated in the 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Kochi, Kerala. President of Mauritius Rajkeswur Purryag, who was the chief guest, led the list of 15 pre-eminent overseas Indians who were honored with Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards at the annual event.

Diaspora should help build knowledge society: President

Promoting America's ethnic heritage
ubash Razdan, a well-known community activist and the acting chairman of the Gandhi Foundation of USA, has been a receipient of prestigious Ellis Medal of Honor for the year 2003 for his contributions towards preserving and promoting Americas magSubash Razdan, acting chairman, nificent ethnic herGandhi Foundation of USA itage. Born in recognition of the Association Ahmedabad, he graduated from as a premier social entity with a the Indian Institute of National recognition. As the Technology (IIT), New Delhi President, he was responsible and received his MBA degree for the redesigning and refurfrom Georgia State University, bishing of the Gandhi Room at Atlanta, Georgia in 1976. the Freedom Hall of the King Razdan has also served as a lec- Center. In 1990, he served as the turer at the School of Business chairperson of Economic and at the Georgia State University. Employment Commission of the In 1987, Subash was elected Cobb County Community as the President of the India Relations Council in Georgia. American Cultural Association, Subash also owns Asia Pacific (IACA), Atlanta where he Broadcasting Network (APBN). served as Chairman of the He was the producer of highlyBoard in 1990. During this peri- popular weekly television show, od his contributions led to the 'Namaste Bombay'.

President Pranab Mukherjee with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awardees in Kochi, Kerala

Kochi: President Pranab Mukherjee said India sees its vast diaspora as a valuable contributor to its growth and is keen to expand the bonds further in building an inclusive and knowledge society. The president said the record remittance of $67 billion from overseas Indians was a testimony to both the emotional attachment and the fulfillment in investing in India's strong economy. "We should explore ways and means to encourage further participation by the diaspora to give additional impetus to India's growth story," Mukherjee said at the 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here. "I also wish to see the Indian diaspora as a stronger partner, not only in India's economic growth, but also in building India's knowledge society, while continuing to engage culturally and emotionally, and serving as the effective ambassadors that they have been for this country," the president said. He said India was the world's third-largest economy on the basis of purchasing power parity and the second fastest growing economy after China.

"In six out of nine years, our country managed to grow at a rate above eight percent. Due to the slowdown in the global economy and other factors, the growth rates have declined -- from 8.4 percent in 2010-11 to 6.5 percent in 201112, and further to 5.4 percent in the first half of 2012-13," he said. He said the diaspora could become partners in India's progress. "For accelerated growth, investment level has to increase. You all can help in the process by investing in Indian companies and establishing new ventures. The yield of Indian equity markets is amongst the highest in the world and many of the most famous companies have established business here or seeking to do so," he said. Mukherjee said that during his tenure as finance minister, he opened up the Indian capital market for qualified foreign investors (QFIs). "Initially, we permitted QFIs to invest in Indian mutual funds and on January 1, 2012, in a far-reaching decision, we opened the doors for them to directly invest in Indian equities.

"Soon, the corporate bond market was opened to QFIs. You may, therefore, also like to look at the opportunity that India offers in this regard and take advantage of the high yield that you are likely to get by investing in the Indian capital markets," he said. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas -India's annual exposition to connect with its 130-million diaspora in 130 countries -- also saw the president confer the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards on 15 pre-eminent overseas Indians for their contributions. In his address, the president lauded the contributions of the Indian diaspora in areas ranging from social service and polity to economy, science and culture. "It is a matter of pride for every Indian that there are at least five heads of state or government, and over 70 senior political leaders such as deputy heads of state, speakers, ministers in various countries, who can trace their roots to India," Mukherjee said. The chief guest at the event was Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag, who was also among the recipients of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman.

The awardees' list

Professor Gurusharan Singh Chatwal, Germany (Science); Ashok S. Vaswani, Guinea (community service); T.S. Ravindra Menon, Malaysia (Community service); Dr. Rasik V.Joshi, Mexico (Literature); Dr. Satendra K. Singh, New Zealand (Community service); Gilbert. C. Moutien, Reunion Island (Business); Mohammed R. Karuvanthodi, Saudi Arabia (Business); Ismail E. Ebrahim, South Africa (Business); Bava Pandalingal, UAE, (Community service); Dr. N.R.Kumar, US (Health care); and Subhash Razdan, US, (Public service).

One woman, two organizations among awardees

Kochi: The lone woman in the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Divas awards' list is Patricia Maria Rozario, who is settled in the UK. She has won the award for contributions in the field of music. Australian Indian Society of Victoria and Indian Doctors Forum in Kuwait are the two organizations that have been named for the award, and both get the award for community service. President of Mauritius Rajkeswur Purryag, who was the chief guest at the opening session of the 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, led the list of other awardees, winning it for public service. Vice President Hamid Ansari was the chairman of the jury that decided the awards. The five-member jury was appointed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. "I know that in the list of awardees there is only one lady. See, the nominations come from Indian embassies and former winners of these awards can also recommend one person. Then it is the decision of the jury," said Ravi, explaining the predominance of men among awardees. The award carries a gold medal.
President of Mauritius Rajkeswur Purryag being honored by President Pranab Mukherjee with PBD award

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

11TH PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS 2013

January 12-18, 2013

17

India committed to interests of overseas Indians: PM

assure you of our continuing effort to support your endeavors, he said. He also assured that the government was deeply concerned about the safety and security of the overseas Indians. When needed, the Prime Minister said, the government of India would provide prompt and necessary assistance. Apart from physical safety, we are also concerned with the social and emotional well-being of our overseas brethren. We have therefore launched an insurance scheme for workers, established welfare funds in our embassies for distressed Indians, and created mechanisms to help vulnerable women abroad, he said. The prime minister also released a special postage stamp to celebrate the centenary of the Gadar Movement.

PM chairs meeting of advisory council of overseas Indians

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressing the gathering at PBD 2013

Kochi: Applauding the overseas Indians for serving as a bridge of friendship and cooperation between India and their adopted homes abroad, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said India was committed to deepen their connection with India and advance their interests. While honoring their achievements, we will also seek to facilitate their travel, business and education and make it easier for them

to be a part of life in India, enjoy due rights and participate in Indias economic development, the Prime Minister said in his address at the 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas at Kochi, Kerala. Highlighting the recent steps that the government has taken to boost domestic and foreign investments in India, the Prime Minister said India's strong economic fundamentals, backed by sound policies,

would help the country return to a higher growth path. Prime Minister Singh said that the overseas Indian community should be a vital partner and participant in Indias social and economic development. Whether you wish to invest or share your knowledge, technology and skills, whether your enterprise takes you to the cities or your compassion brings you to a remote village, I

Kochi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh chaired the fourth meeting of Global Advisory Council of Overseas Indians which exchanged views on key international issues and their implications for India, including the global economic situation, developments in west Asia and energy security. The meeting was attended by 13 eminent Overseas Indians who gave their perspectives on strengthening engagement between India and the Overseas Indians as well as between India and various countries in the bilateral sphere, according to an official release.

They included Karan F.Bilimoria, Swadesh Chatterjee, Ela Gandhi, Lord Khalid Hameed, Renu Khator, Kishore Mahbubani, L.N.Mittal, Lord Bhiku Chotalal Parekh, Tan Sri Dato' Ajit Singh, Neville Joseph Roach, Srinivasa S.R. Varadhan and Yusuffali M.A. "During the meeting, the participants exchanged views on key international issues and their implications for India, including the global economic situation, developments in West Asia and the Gulf region, energy security; and trends in the Asia Pacific region," the release said.

Ravi asks cash-rich NRIs to invest in Kerala

Kochi: Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi made a fervent plea to the cash-rich non-resident Indians (NRIs) to seriously apply their mind to investing in Kerala. "Today Kerala is one state where there are no industrial disputes at all and I call upon you to seriously apply your mind to invest in Kerala," said Ravi. Ravi made his appeal in an address to the gathering of cashrich investors at the Kerala Session at the 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD). "I request all of you who have plans to invest in the state to begin a dialogue with Chandy, who has a special team where projects are being drawn up," added Ravi. Ravi was speaking soon after Sam Pitorda, who heads the Prime Minister's National Innovation Council, listed out a series of projects that has been analyzed by his team which would change Kerala's face. "We have listed out a few projects like setting up of two knowledge cities,...a waterway in the state to transport goods, to establish clusters for traditional industries besides pooling the Ayurveda promotion efforts and also setting up of skill development centres. All these require investment...," said Pitroda.

Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi and Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy inaugurating the exhibition of 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on January 7.

Students at Pravasi Divas love India

Kochi: Some students of Indian descent from nine countries who were in Kochi to attend the Know India programme for the 11th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas were now reluctant to return home. The 34 students were from countries like Israel, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and the US. "I don't know which state my parents were born in this great country, but that will be the first question I'll ask them when I get back," said Kirti Singh, who is from South Africa. Aaron Tiferet is the only one of the chosen 34 whose parents were born in Kerala. "I am a Jew and an engineering student in Israel. My father was born in Kochi and I went to see where he was born, but the house has been demolished. I am happy and delighted to be here and I will come back more often," Tiferet said. Shaestra P. Nand comes from New Zealand but her parents were from West Bengal. "India is great and I am amazed by the culture and the traditions here. If I did not use this opportunity to come here, it would have been my biggest miss. Am so happy," said Nand, a psychology student. Poonam Mithal studies psychology in Durban in South Africa. She was not sure from which state her parents were, but she said: "I think from Gujarat". "I'll come back to this great country where my roots are. This is an amazing great country and I am really enjoying being here," said Mithal. The Know India programme is organized by the Ministry of Overseas Indians for the children of the Indian diaspora to familiarize them with India.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh releasing a hand-book for emigrants at the inauguration of the 11th PBD.

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January 12-18, 2013

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Life Of Pi's Suraj nominated for BAFTA award

L
ife of Pi lead star Suraj Sharma is the only male actor nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star award this year. The Indian actor is nominated alongside British actresses Juno Temple, Andrea Riseborough, Elizabeth Olsen and Alicia Vikander in the running for the award recognising new talent in the film industry. Suraj, 19, is the only male nominee on the shortlist, selected by a judging panel including Sherlock Holmes actor Benedict Cumberbatch and director Kevin Macdonald. "To even be counted among this and the last seven years' rising star nominees feels utterly phenomenal! Bafta nurtures new talent throughout the international film community so I am so very grateful to be given this fantastic opportunity, and look forward to us celebrating the kind recognition together," Riseborough said. The Dark Knight Rises actress Temple, 23, was at the nominations launch at Bafta (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) headquarters in London. "I'm so honored, truly down to my toes. And I think it's so exciting to be up there with these amazing, amazing young talented actors that are doing such beautiful work. And it's so good to be part of a British Bafta thing," said Temple. Previous winners include James McAvoy, Tom Hardy, Eva Green, Shia LaBeouf and Kristen Stewart. The award is voted for by the public and the winner will be announced February 10.

Suraj Sharma is the only male actor nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star award this year

'Aashiqui 2' music retains original flavor: Suri

"

Aashiqui 2" has 10 love songs, says director Mohit Suri and adds he has given the compositions a contemporary feel while retaining the flavor of the original movie's music. Mahesh Bhatt had directed 1990 romantic musical hit "Aashiqui", with two new faces Rahul Roy and Anu Agarwal in the lead roles. The film had 11

songs, including "Tu meri zindagi hai", "Ab tere bin" and "Nazar ke samne", and all were very popular with the masses. "The film ('Aashiqui 2') has 10 love songs and we have tried to retain the feel of the previous film as well. But of course that film came out 21 years ago, so it can't be exactly the same," Suri, who is making the film with

Aditya Roy Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor in the cast, said. Although "Aashqui 2" is in its last leg of shooting, its release date has not been confirmed yet. When asked, Suri said: "(Producer) Mukesh Bhatt will be able to give you a better answer on the release date. I only make the film."

Australian actor learns Hindi for 'Yamla Pagla...'

Sit up and take notice of women: Big B

mitabh Bachchan says Sunmeet Kaur Sawhney, who has won Rs.5 crore in a sixth season game of "Kaun Banega Crorepati" (KBC) and become the first female contestant to take home the mega prize, has proved that women are strong and no less than men. "Sunmeet Kaur of Mumbai, Maharashtra, a housewife that gave tuitions... was impeccable in the HotSeat. She never hesitated on any question, or did any kind of guesswork. At the Rs.1 crore mark, she had the option of two life lines, but refused them because she said she was somewhat sure of the answer," Amitabh wrote on his blog srbachchan.tumblr.com. "Sunmeet chose to make quiet celebration, a Bhangra dance with her husband, the very affable Manmeet Singh, who we often see

Sunmeet Kaur Sawhney, winner of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), with Amitabh Bachchan

in ads and films...," he added. A mother of two daughters,

Sawhney hails from Chandigarh and has been staying in Mumbai since a few years back now. Amitabh also mentioned the Delhi gang-rape incident that has shocked the nation. "In the days that have gone by, where the dignity of a young girl has been maligned and brought to shame through the most heinous and disgusting acts of a bunch of animals, it gave me great pleasure to see a woman in a man's world, taking on the many painful experiences, and coming out victorious." "Her (Sawhney) status as a woman was never compromised, and given an opportunity, she has proved to an entire nation, which hangs its head in shame for the gang-rape victim, that women are strong and no less than men that they do occupy an equal measure of importance and presence in a civilised world."

Kristina Akheeva

ustralian model-turnedactress Kristina Akheeva, who is making her Bollywood debut with "Yamla Pagla Deewana 2", brushed up her Hindi-speaking skills during the film's shooting. She feels it will help her in the long run. "I am indeed taking my career in Bollywood very seriously and I think that the language plays a very important role. Hence, I am brushing up my Hindi skills," Kristina said in a statement. Kristina, who has been paired with Sunny Deol in the film, recently wrapped up a threemonth-long schedule for

the movie. According to sources, the cast and crew of "Yamla Pagla Deewana 2" helped Kristina brush up her skills too. The romantic comedy, a sequel to the 2011 film "Yamla Pagla Deewana", has been directed by Sangeeth Sivan. Kristina had a very rewarding experience shooting in London with the Deols - Dharmendra, Sunny and Bobby - and now she is considering new projects that are coming her way. In "Yamla Pagla Deewana", Australian actress Emma Brown Garrett had featured opposite Sunny.

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ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD

January 12-18, 2013

19

'Table No.21' - surprisingly taut thriller

T
he last 30 minutes of this gripping thriller has a life of its own. In fact, the end-game is so stunning and so overpowering in its message, that it makes us overlook the ingrained improbability of the rest of the film. Not that "Table No.21" (and wait till you figure out why and how the film gets its title!) doesn't work in its totality. It does. It's a surprisingly good, almost-kickass way to start your movie-going in 2013. A goodlooking original thriller shot in eye-catching Fiji, "Table No.21" opens with a rather ambitious starry-eyed couple landing in Fiji to spend a prize holiday in the lap of luxury. Director Aditya Dutta gets the tonality of the 'good life' right. The narrative then weaves itself into a rather bewildering and bizarre labyrinth, that is partly a tongue-incheek tribute to the preposterous aspirations of reality game-shows where ludicrous thresholds of morality are crossed for high-end rewards, and partly a comment on what lengths young people would go to for

Review
internet that keeps him and the narration drooling till the end. The film draws its reasonable power and energy from its mix of the playful and the somber. The two moods co-mingle in rewarding waves of episodic overtures where one by one, and the holidaying couple are swept into a vortex of horrific self-exploration. Rajeev Khandelwal is an actor who chooses unusual projects. His repertoire from "Aamir" to "Soundtrack" to "Shaitaan" and now "Table No.21" shows the mind of an actor in pursuit of excellence. Paresh Rawal's dependability as a performer of unpredictable skills never lets a script down. Here he is partly a slime-ball, party a screwball and finally a grieving angry father. Watch out for the innocent young Druv Ganesh as Rawal's son. As a victim of college ragging, his eyes will haunt your for a long time after the film is over.

A scene from Table No. 21

their designer dreams. Almost all through the game, we sense

there's more to millionaire Paresh Rawal's game plan than just millions of hits on the

Imran finds it scary to work Zeta-Jones keen to attend Kumbh Mela in India with Pankaj Kapur H
ollywood star Catherine Zeta-Jones says she is planning to visit India to attend the Kumbh Mela in search of "peace and tranquility". She is also sure she can fit into a Bollywood film if she gets a "good opportunity". She is planning the trip with her husband Michael Douglas, and her children. "Personally, I've been going through a tough period in my life. What I require for my mental health and well-being is some peace and tranquillity. I swear by yoga, which I believe has its roots in India. So I really want to visit India again specifically during the Kumbh Mela pilgrimage and I am told it is a sight to behold for the eyes and soul," said the actress in a statement. "I'm hoping to find what I'm looking for here. I'm trying to make this happen with my family. If that doesn't work out I'm definitely coming on my own," added the 43-year-old. If it materializes, this will be the actress's second trip to the country. She had last visited in 2008, and was smitten by the beauty of Rajasthan and even visited Mumbai. As far as Bollywood is concerned, she s a i d : "Considering my musical experience, I think, I fit into Indian movies perfectly. I am not very familiar with actors but would love to work with some if a good opportunity comes."

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Imran Khan, Anushka Sharma and Pankaj Kapur in Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola

ctor Imran Khan, who is sharing celluloid space with Pankaj Kapoor for the first time in "Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola", says working with the veteran actor can be unnerving. "Pankaj-ji is a fantastic actor, but working with him is very scary," Imran said here Saturday during a promotional event for his film. "As soon as the director says 'action', he explodes as a bomb and the actor who is standing in front of him has to be ready to take whatever he is going to do, because if you are not ready, then the whole scene may get spoilt. So, you have to be alert and have to be on your toes. It is scary," he added. In "Matru...", Imran and Pankaj

will be seen playing the characters Matru and Mandola, respectively. The film, releasing Jan 11, also features actress Anushka Sharma. Many relate Imran with the romantic avatar he has displayed on screen through films like "Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na", "I Hate Luv Storys" and "Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu", but he says in real life, he isn't so at all. "I am not romantic at all. I can't do this - buying gifts, giving roses and all that. I feel that if you are serious about a relationship, it is more than just that and all these things (gifting) is just for showing off," said Imran. Post "Matru...", Imran will be seen in "Mumbai Talkies" and "Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai Again".

Leone starts rehearsing for Ragini MMS 2

orn star-cum-actress Sunny Leone has started rehearsing for her second Hindi movie, Ragini MMS 2. She says she was nervous during the first few rehearsals. "Ragini MMS 2 workshops were 360 degrees different model of working. I was nervous because I was going through several emotions when going through the scenes. It (the character) has different layers of emotions," Sunny said. "The workshops were very well organized," she added. The Indo-Canadian made her Bollywood debut with Pooja Bhatt's Jism 2, and says she never underwent a workshop for that movie.

Sunny Leone Directed by Bhushan Patel and produced by Ekta Kapoor, Ragini MMS 2 is a sequel to 2011 horrorthriller Ragini MMS.

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January 12-18, 2013

DIASPORA

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Mauritius president turns emotional on visiting ancestral village

Wajidpur (Bihar): Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag turned emotional January 7 as he set foot in his ancestral village in Bihars Patna district, over a century and a half after his great-grandfather emigrated from it. I am visiting this village, the land of my great-grandfather about 150 years after he left it for Mauritius. I am really emotional at the moment, Purryag said a choked voice at a public function in his honor at Wajidpur village, 20 km from Patna. Purryags great-grandfather, named Prayag, lived in Wajidpur village now under Punpun block of Patna district before he migrated to Mauritius, then a British colony, in Thousands of people, including the entire village, as well as hundreds from neighboring areas gathered for a glimpse of the Mitti Ke Lal (Son of the soil) when Purryag along with his wife Aneetah Purryag and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar reached the village. Speaking in not-so-fluent Hindi, Purryag addressed the villagers as gaon ke bhai-bahen and jawan (brothers, sisters and young of the village) drawing a roar of applause from the waiting crowds for the rashtrapati beta (president son). I greet you all and I also greet this land. I am very emotional and very happy to visit the village, he said. Purryag also said that the relationship between India and Mauritius is like that between two brothers. Hamara sambandh bhai-bhai ka hai, do desh ka nahin (our relationship is like brothers, not like two countries) he said. Purryag was welcomed by villagers in traditional style and met his distant relatives Ganesh and Mahesh Mahto. The two were invited on to the dais and Purryag chatted with them and inquired about them. The Mahtos gifted some soil and a bushel of freshly-harvested paddy to Purryag. Some villagers also presented him a silver memento. Purryag is in India to attend the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas diaspora meet. In January last year, Kamla PersadBissessar, the first woman prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, visited her ancestral village Bhelupur in Bihars Buxar district. Her great-grandfather Ram Lakhan Mishra reportedly left Bhelupur in 1889 to work as indentured laborer in the West Indies. Nearly five years ago, Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam had visited his ancestral village in the states Bhojpur district. A large number of people from Bihar had migrated to Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad, Suriname, South Africa and other places in the 19th century to serve as indentured laborers on sugarcane and rubber plantations.

Mauritius President Rajkeswur Purryag's eyes turned moist while addressing people of Wajidpur, Bihar

the 19th century, to work as an indentured laborer.

Four Indian-origin people among worst tax cheats in UK Indian flooded with pesky calls;
London: Eleven people of Asian-origin, including four of Indian descent, are among 32 persons figuring in the rogues' gallery of Britain's top tax criminals of 2012. Among the 11 people of Asian-origin, four of Indian descent are Davinder Singh Dhaliwal, Sandeep Singh Dosanjh, Navdeep Singh Gill and Ranjot Singh Chahal, according to a report in the Guardian. The tax office posted pictures of 32 tax cheats - A rogues' gallery of Britain's top tax criminals of 2012, ranging from cigarette and alcohol smugglers to professionals who set up complex avoidance schemes for the rich, the daily said. This is the first time such a list has been published online by HM Revenue and Customs. The 32 tax cheats were last year sentenced to a total of 155 years and 10 months behind bars. They include four men jailed for a total of 21 years and three months for one of the biggest alcohol smuggling frauds uncovered in the UK, worth 50 million pounds a year. Among the four is Davinder Singh Dhaliwal. In another case, a gang of three - Sandeep Singh Dosanjh, Navdeep Singh Gill and Ranjot Singh Chahal, set up a chain of bogus companies to trade fraudulently in EU emissions allowances - known as carbon credits and cheated the HMRC to the tune of 38 million pounds in VAT. Dosanjh received 15 years imprisonment, Gill 11 years and Chahal 9 years. Six people of Pakistani-origin figuring in the rogues' gallery are Mohammed Shabir Karim, Imran Bhatti and Kamran Bhatt. Another Asian involved was Murugasan Natarajan of Sri Lankan descent.

UK's Ofcom assessing complaint

London: Close on the heels of an Indian-origin picture researcher receiving annoying calls and SMSs after his cell number was inadvertently broadcast on a Channel 4 show, the UK's broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has said it was "assessing" over 160 complaints made in reference to the program. 27-year-old Rakesh Sagar has complained to Ofcom, and is also seeking legal advice after he received around 300 calls and text messages, some abusive in nature. Ofcom said that it was "assessing" over 160 complaints made in reference to Channel 4's Big Fat Quiz of the Year, telecast on December 30, and a decision on launching a further investigation would be taken following the assessment process. "Ofcom cannot comment further on this matter as complaints of this type fall under the category of fairness and privacy," its spokesperson told. Well-known British comedian Jack Whitehall wrote down the number for TV audiences on the pre-recorded show, claiming it belonged to fellow panelist and controversial UK media personality Jonathan Ross, and invited viewers to "call him whenever you want. Sagar did not watch the program and was perplexed when he started receiving phone calls from people who thought he was Ross. He said: "On the night it was shown I started getting calls with

Rakesh Sagars number was erroneously announced during Channel 4s Big Fat Quiz of the Year

Indians detained for drug smuggling in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur: Four Indian nationals have been detained by Malaysian authorities in two separate cases on charges of smuggling drugs at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport here. Police said that they had seized a total of 33 kgs of drugs so far in the past 12 days at the airport. Federal Narcotics director Rashid Ibrahim said an Indian national was detained at the airport on Monday after he was found with 24.9 kgs of drugs which were kept in food containers. On December 26, three Indian nationals flew in and were detained after federal narcotics officers found 13 packets of drugs weighing 8.4 kgs hidden in their luggage and underneath their clothing. Also on December 30, a Thai woman was detained for transporting 1.8 kgs of cocaine hidden in hair oil bottles and inside deodorant sprays after she flew in from Dubai. Rashid said all the five suspects, aged between 25 and 41, had been remanded under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

Customs officials displaying the drugs seized in a press conference

He said that last year, 171,649 people were arrested for various drug-related offences in the country. In 2011, 167,001 people were detained. He also said 2,872 foreigners were arrested last year compared to 1,162 people in 2011.

abuse from people who hate Jonathan Ross... Ofcom said they would look into it and suggested I change my number, but I paid a lot of money for it because it is a very easy number to remember so I'm not doing that". Channel 4 has apologized to him for the calls but insists viewers must have "guessed" his number because it was partially obscured onscreen. A Channel 4 spokesman said: "An illegible and non-functional number which contained more digits than a standard mobile number was shown very briefly on the contestant's panel on Big Fat Quiz of the Year." "We have apologized and have further obscured the digits on repeats of the show." The comic quiz show had already attracted complaints because of "disgraceful" jokes made about the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and US President Barack Obama.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

SUBCONTINENT

January 12-18, 2013

21

Obama, Karzai meet to talk Afghan peace

Islamabad: US President Barack Obama and his Afghan counterpar Hamid Karzai will discuss matters of war, including future American troop levels and Afghanistan's army, when they meet on Friday, but matters of peace may be the most delicate item on their long agenda. After nearly 10 months in limbo, tentative reconciliation efforts involving Taliban insurgents, the Karzai government and other major Afghan factions have shown new signs of life, resurrecting tantalizing hopes for a negotiated end to decades of war. Pakistan, which American and Afghan officials have long accused of backing the insurgents and meddling in Afghanistan, has recently signaled an apparent policy shift toward promoting its neighbour's stability as most US combat troops prepare to depart, top Pakistani and Afghan officials said. In another potentially significant development, Taliban representatives met outside Paris last month

Myanmar's ties with India concern China

Beijing: Myanmar's growing rapport with Japan, western nations and India could influence SinoMyanmar relations and put pressure on China's "strategic space" in the southeast Asian nation, Chinese state media said. "The growing rapport between Myanmar and the west could influence Sino-Myanmar relations and put pressure on China's strategic space", a write-up in the official daily Global Times said. It noted that Japanese deputy prime minister Taro Aso pledged debt relief of USD 5.74 billion and a fresh loan of 50 billion yen during his ongoing Myanmar visit, an attempt interpreted as targeting China, the article said. "In addition, the Indian defense minister AK Antony will head for Naypyitaw later this month to "boost bilateral military cooperation and counter China's deep strategic inroads there," the article said. "Myanmar is certainly undergoing changes. Some analysts hold that China's backyard is on fire and an anti-China front is gradually being shaped in Myanmar. This exaggerates the impact of these changes and underestimates the strength of the Sino-Myanmar relationship", it said. "China is now Myanmar's biggest investor and second biggest trading partner, the two have considerable common strategic and economic interests," it said.

US President Barack Obama with Hamid Karzai

with members of the Afghan High Peace Council although not directly with members of the Karzai government, which they have long shunned.

Pakistan is not a failed state: PM

Lahore: Pakistan is not a failed state, Prime Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf has said. Speaking at the Governor's House, Ashraf said it was unfortunate "that some adversaries" dub Pakistan as a "failed state". But "we will prove them wrong as we are combating terrorism of all forms with full force and vigour", the prime minister said. He said Pakistan had suffered a "colossal loss in its fight against terrorism" and reiterated his government's commitment to battle terror. Ashraf urged the political leadership in South Asia to show courage, flexibility and statesmanship to "dismantle political barriers". "This would help in resolving all inter-state conflicts and usher in an era of peace and progress in the region," he said. The prime minister said the ruling Pakistan People's Party followed a policy of reconciliation. "When minds are open, borders don't matter," he said. Responding to mediapersons' demand for visa free access in the SAARC region, he said the Pakistan government was ready to consider the request. This would enable journalists in the region to visit any SAARC country without visa hassles. He said the South Asia region had many challenges, which could be

Kargil derailed India-Pak ties: Nawaz Sharif

Lahore: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif obliquely blasted then army chief Pervez Musharraf for derailing the India-Pakistan peace process by indulging in the "Kargil misadventure". Without naming Musharraf, Sharif said that his efforts to normalize relations with India were sabotaged. The Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) leader was addressing a special session of the South Asia Free Media Conference here. Sharif said when he and then Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee signed the Lahore declaration in 1999, both governments agreed to resolve all their differences peacefully. But soon these efforts came to naught as they were sabotaged, he said. The reference was to the intrusion by Pakistani soldiers into Kargil region in Jammu and Kashmir in 1999 that led to a major military showdown. Islamabad was finally forced to pull out. The Lahore meeting also discussed ways and means to remove bottlenecks in enhancing trade between India and Pakistan.

Britain holds man for torture during Nepal insurgency

London: A 46-year-old man living in Britain and "linked to the former government in Nepal" was arrested on suspicion of committing acts of torture during the period of insurgency in the Himalayan country between 1996 and 2006, British media reports said. The man, who was not named, was arrested from St Leonards-on-Sea in East Sussex by the Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorist officers, the Guardian reported. The man was arrested in relation to allegations of torture committed in Nepal in 2005, a year before the armed conflict between Maoist extremists and the government ended.He was taken to a police station in East Sussex where he was put in custody while detectives searched a residential address in the seaside town. BBC said the suspect was linked to the former government in Nepal and that police were acting on a complaint made in Britain.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf

Mutilated body of abducted Sikh found

Islamabad: The mutilated body of a Sikh man who was abducted in November from Pakistan's northwest tribal region has been found, a media report said. Mohinder Singh, who ran a shop of herbal medicines in Tabia area in Khyber Agency, was kidnapped by unidentified armed people from his shop Nov 20 last year, The News International reported. The body was found in Chora area, officials said. His brother Daswant Singh said that after the abduction, the family approached the pro-government Zakhakhel tribal militia for rescuing Mohinder but they did not help.

Former Pakistan's prime minister Nawaz Sharif

Malala's friends jubilant at her recovery

Islamabad: Kainat Riaz and Shazia Ramzan, the two fellow students who were injured when Taliban shot at teenaged rights activist Malala Yousafzai, are overwhelmed with the news of the rapid recovery of their 15-year-old friend in Britain. Malala was shot by a Taliban assassin as she took a bus home from school in Pakistan's northwest Swat region in October 2012. She was flown to Britain shortly after the attack and was treated at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital. A student of Class 10, the 15-year-old Kainat said she had spoken to Malala's mother by telephone and enquired about her friend's health. "I will personally speak with Malala in a couple of days to invite her to come to Swat after her complete recovery," a jubilant Kainat told Dawn News. She said the news that Malala has been sent home after her recovery was received well by people of the region. "We desperately need people like Malala to come and guide us in these trying times. Doctors are focusing on her physical therapy for her rapid rehabilitation," Kainat said. Shazia, the other 14-year-old girl who was injured in the attack, said: "God protects brave people and it is exactly what has happened to Malala." Kainat told Dawn from her home in Makan Bagh, Swat, that Malala was very courageous and they wished her good health. "Her fast recovery from critical injuries is a clear sign that our prayers have been answered by Allah and soon she will be able to live normally," she said.

Malala Yousafzai was shot by a Taliban assassin as she took a bus home from school in Pakistan's northwest Swat region.

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January 12-18, 2013

INTERNATIONAL

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Crisis deepens, Chavez's inauguration delayed

Caracas: Venezuela heads into uncharted political waters without ailing President Hugo Chavez amid calls for the Supreme Court to decide if his government's postponing his inauguration is constitutional. After days of suspense, the government confirmed that Chavez, recovering in Cuba from cancer surgery, was still too sick to return for his re-inauguration and would take the oath of office at a later date before the Supreme Court. Leaders of the leftist government insist that, under the circumstances, the president's current term can be extended beyond the January 10 inauguration date until he is well enough to be sworn in to another six-year term. announced. "We don't have any doubts about what we have to do and what is (stated) here in the constitution," he said. The Supreme Court, which is controlled by pro-Chavez magistrates, called a news conference amid opposition demands for it to rule on the constitutionality of the government's decision. It rejected as inadmissible on technical grounds a challenge brought against Cabello's role, as the crisis deepened in this OPEC member which sits atop the world's largest proven oil reserves. "I do not know what the judges of the Supreme Court are waiting for. Right now in Venezuela, without any doubt whatsoever, a constitutional conflict has arisen," opposition leader and former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles said. Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said late Monday that Chavez's medical condition was unchanged since the latest complication from surgery was reported four days ago. Chavez, who has not been seen in public for nearly a month, the longest stretch of his 14 years in power, is suffering from a severe pulmonary infection that has resulted in a "respiratory insufficiency," officials have said. The announcement confirming that Chavez, 58, is too sick to be sworn in on the January 10 inauguration day came in a letter to the National Assembly from Vice President Nicolas Maduro.

President Hugo Chavez, who has not been seen in public for nearly a month, is suffering from a severe pulmonary infection

"If anyone has doubts, then go to the Supreme Court, go ahead to the Supreme Court, explain what your

doubts are," Diosdado Cabello, the National Assembly speaker, said in a stormy debate after the delay was

'Scribes at censored China paper strike deal'

Assad not committed to peace, says EU

The EU foreign policy chief has Brussels: Catherine Ashton, the European Union (EU) high representative repeatedly stated that Assad must step for foreign affairs, has expressed regret down in order to bring about a political solution to the war in his country. over Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's Assad addressed the Syrian people failure to undertake credible steps to find proposing a plan to resolve the country's a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis. "The high representative regrets that crisis which includes holding a national the Syrian regime is not willing to comreconciliation conference, drafting a new constitution, forming a new governmit to a credible political solution to the ment and declaring a general amnesty. Syrian crisis which, according to the UN, In a rare televised speech that was met has caused the death of 60,000 people since the beginning of the uprising in with cheering applause by his supportSyrian President ers, Assad denounced the opposition as March 2011," a spokesman for Ashton Bashar al-Assad's peace said. initiative has already "puppets of the West" and said Syria Ashton also reiterated her call to the been criticized by UN wanted to negotiate with the "master not National Coalition for Syrian Secretary-General Ban the servants". He said the reconciliation conference would exclude "those who Revolutionary and Opposition Forces to Ki-moon have betrayed Syria". engage with the UN and Arab League Joint Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi and his Assad's peace initiative has already been criticized mission "to find a peaceful solution through an inclu- by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and dismissed sive and democratic transition". by the US and the Syrian National Coalition.

Under the deal, journalists involved in the protests would not be punished

Beijing: Journalists at a Chinese newspaper embroiled in a row over censorship have struck a deal to return to work, reports said as protesters demanding press freedom gathered for a fourth day. Demonstrators have this week massed outside the Guangzhou offices of the Southern Weekly, a popular liberal paper which had an article urging greater rights protection replaced with one praising the ruling party. Reports said that negotiations between government officials and the newspaper had reached an agreement that would see the journalists produce the next edition. The South China Morning Post said the province's Communist chief, a rising star in the party, had stepped in to mediate in the rare public dispute which is testing the new party leadership under Xi Jinping, installed in November. "There's a verbal agreement in place. Basically it's back to normal, but we'll see how the two sides react to each other in the future," Dow Jones Newswires quoted a

Southern Weekly editor as saying. Under the deal, journalists involved in the protests would not be punished and propaganda authorities would no longer directly interfere in content before publication, Dow Jones said. A handful of protesters gathered outside the Southern Weekly's offices, one of them in a wheelchair, holding banners calling for press freedom which police tried but failed to seize. At their peak on Monday the demonstrations drew hundreds of demonstrators, in a rare public challenge to the authorities on rights issues. As the campaign swelled, backed by support from the blogosphere and celebrities on social media, the state-run Global Times produced a hard-hitting editorial Wednesday called for limits on media liberties. "Freedom of the press must have limits. It should correspond to social demands, but also provide more than that," said the daily which is known for its outspoken nationalistic views.

Cooler weather brings relief for blazing Oz

Nowra: Cooler conditions helped firefighters douse fierce blazes across Australia but up to 30 still raged out of control, destroying a handful of homes and killing thousands of livestock. After facing one of the highestrisk fire days in its history, shifting winds in hard-hit New South Wales state caused temperatures to drop significantly. The ratings on many bushfires were downgraded with none now at the "catastrophic" level which signifies fires will be uncontrollable, unpredictable and fast-moving, with evacuation the only safe option. But NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons warned against complacency, with new fronts breaking out despite the colder weather and a total fire ban still in place. "It is far from over when it comes to the threat to New South Wales," he told reporters in Bookham, a

Wildfires are a fact of life in arid Australia, where 173 people perished in the 2009 Black Saturday firestorm

small village in Yass Shire west of Canberra where a fire has so far burnt out 16,000 hectares (40,000 acres). More than 2,000 firefighters worked through the day tackling some 140 blazes across New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, with 30 of those uncontained.

New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell said an estimated 10,000 sheep had perished in the Yass area alone. Wildfires are a fact of life in arid Australia, where 173 people perished in the 2009 Black Saturday firestorm, the nation's worst natural disaster of modern times.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

BUSINESS

January 12-18, 2013

23

India's business confidence Fitch issues fresh ratings warning to India worsened in Q3
New Delhi: Business confidence in India worsened during the OctoberDecember quarter, due to high interest rates and infrastructure bottlenecks, a survey by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has revealed. The CII's quarterly Business Confidence Index dropped below the 50-point-mark during the third quarter of the current financial year, reflecting a continuing deterioration in the macro economic scenario. The index dropped to 49.9 points for the October-December period as compared to 51.3 points recorded in the previous quarter and much below 55 points recorded in the first quarter of 2012-13. "Majority of respondents rated domestic economic developments, high interest rates, infrastructure bottlenecks and institutional issues among the key concerns," CII said in the survey report. The business confidence has worsened despite a series of economic reform measures taken by the government. India Inc gave "thumbs up" to the economic reform measures but feel that it was not enough to lift the confidence. "While reform measures undertaken by the government in the recent months will surely start yielding results, it is important that the momentum on reforms is not lost," said CII director general Chandrajit Banerjee. New Delhi: Ratings agency Fitch maintained its "negative" outlook on India's sovereign rating, citing concerns over slowing economic growth, inflationary pressures and an uncertain fiscal outlook, but that did not appear to jolt the government which said that the economy is on the right track. "We are not worried. We have been saying we are on right track. But people still distrust us and ask whether we will able to achieve fiscal deficit target... We will adhere to fiscal consolidation roadmap," economic affairs secretary Arvind Mayaram told a new agency. Fitch, along with Standard & Poor and Moody's have put India's sovereign rating outlook in negative category, raising the prospect of putting it in the junk grade if the economic fundamentals do not improve over the next few months. Fitch sovereign analyst Art Woo
Fitch, along with Standard & Poor and Moody's have put India's sovereign rating outlook in negative category

reiterated the agency's earlier warning. Although Woo described India's fiscal and economic reforms last year as a "step in the right direction", he also expressed concern that the government would miss its fiscal deficit target for the year, while suggesting that structural reform process were "sluggish".

During a conference call, Woo called growth "a bit disappointing" at a time of elevated wholesale price inflation, despite acknowledging signs of stabilization in the near-term for both indicators. The Fitch analyst also expressed concern about India's record current account deficit of 5.4% in the September quarter. India is staring at sub-6% expansion of its gross domestic product, the lowest in a decade as sluggish domestic and overseas demand have take a toll on manufacturing activity and has also affected the services sector. The farm sector, too, is expected to log in weaker rise in production on account of deficient rains. On the fiscal front, the government has been forced to revise its estimate from 5.1% of GDP to 5.3% on account of higher-thanbudgeted subsidies and lower-thatprojected revenue mop up.

India adds spice to US life, keeps it healthy

Washington: India is the second largest drug exporter and the seventh largest food exporter to the US with nearly one quarter of the spices, oils and food colorings used in America coming from India. As such, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) works hard to make sure that these India-produced foods and drugs are safe, effective and of good quality, the US watchdog agency said in a consumer update. With offices in New Delhi and Mumbai staffed by technical experts and experienced investigators in food and medical products, FDA maintains close contact with the Indian government, industries, trade associations, and scientific and academic communities. Consequently, Indian officials are better informed about FDA's import requirements and the agency is able to share best practices involving the production of FDA-regulated products, it said. Such contacts have been especially helpful when unexpected issues arise. "We know who the decision makers are and who to contact to mobilize a response when problems arise that could affect people at home," Bruce Ross, FDA's country director in India based in New Delhi, was
FDA's India office is a portal through which safety information on food and drugs flows back and forth

quoted as saying. Ross describes FDA's India office as a

portal through which safety information on food and drugs flows back and forth among FDA, the Indian government and industry. "Either we provide answers to their questions or we link them to the right people who can," he said. FDA's India office also shares information gleaned from facility inspections with Indian officials so they can take action to improve product safety and quality. FDA responds to requests from the Indian government to train representatives from industry, agriculture and commerce in agricultural and manufacturing standards and practices used in the US.

China economy to overtake India's foreign reserves up by near $40 mn US by 2019: research
Beijing: China will overtake the United States economically within six years, an official research institute predicts, and go on to become the world's most important country in three decades more, state media said Wednesday. The findings came from the Nation's Health Report issued by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Global Times said, without giving details of the criteria used for the prediction. China's economy would be larger than that of the US by 2019, it cited the document as saying, and China's "international status" would exceed that of the US by 2049, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic. "National health" was defined as a country's "overall conditions... using resource sufficiency and wealth distribution as the major criteria", the Global Times said, but did not go into specifics. China ranked as the 11th "healthiest" country out of some 100 nations, it said, just behind Costa Rica, with Sweden in top position. The official Xinhua news agency said China was given a national health status of "up to standard", though the US, Japan and Britain were deemed "health deficient". The report could not immediately be independently obtained from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. China's stunning economic growth rates, increases in military spending and overlapping security interests in the AsiaPacific region with the US have sparked concerns the countries could find themselves increasingly at odds in coming decades as they jockey for global influence.

Mumbai: India's foreign exchange (forex) reserves increased by $39.6 million to $296.57 billion for the week ended Dec 28, 2012, data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) showed. The reserves had gone down by $92.8 million to $296.53 billion for the week ended Dec 21, 2012. The foreign currency assets

(FCA) - the biggest component of the forex reserves - went up by $63.9 million at $262.01 billion, according to the weekly statistical supplement released by the RBI. The FCA decreased by $169.9 million at $261.94 billion in the previous week. The central bank said FCA in US dollar terms included the effect of appreciation or depreciation of non-US

currencies held in reserve, such as the pound sterling, euro and yen. Gold reserves value remained the same at $27.80 billion. The value had dipped by $386.2 million in the week ended Nov 30. The value had remained unchanged at $28.18 billion since the week ended Nov 2, when the value of gold reserves rose by $56.4 million.

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excellence in journalism

24

January 12-18, 2013

SPORTS

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

India can regain No.1 spot in ODIs

will play New Zealand in a threematch series starting Jan 19 in Paarl. But India, who are ranked world No.3, will be keeping a close watch on South Africa's series against New Zealand. Second-ranked South Africa will jump to the top position if they win all their three matches against New Zealand. England will be aiming to carry their Test form into the ODIs and win their first series in India in 28 years and cement their status as the No.1 side. England currently lead secondranked South Africa by a fraction of a point, but will take an outright lead on the championship table if they win the series, irrespective of the results of the South AfricaNew Zealand and Australia-Sri Lanka series (starting Friday in Melbourne). However, England's failure to win the series will give both India and South Africa opportunities to reclaim the top spot. The tussle for the top spot on the ICC ODI Championship Table is also a build-up for the ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held from June 6 to 23 in England and Wales. Group A includes defending champion Australia, 2000 winner New Zealand and 2002 champion Sri Lanka, along with host England, which reached the final when they last staged the event in 2004. Australia and Sri Lanka face-off on June 17 at The Oval in a daynight match during what will be the final edition of the ICC Champions Trophy. While Australia and Sri Lanka may not be in the race for the No.1 position on the Championship Table, the five-match series will provide both sides an opportunity to size each other up. Sides in Group B of the ICC Champions Trophy are 1998 winner South Africa, 2004 champion West Indies, 2002 winner India, and Pakistan.

If India whitewash England in the five-match ODI series, it can reach top position

Dubai: World champions India can regain their No.1 spot in the International Cricket Council (ICC) ODI Championship table if they can whitewash England in the

five-match One-day International (ODI) series starting January 11 in Rajkot. While India play Pakistan in the five-match series, South Africa

Pak cricketers return home to warm welcome

Islamabad: The Pakistani cricket team returned home after completing a successful Indian tour as enthusiastic fans and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials accorded them a hero's welcome at the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore. Pakistan squared the two-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series 1-1 and won the threematch One-Day International (ODI) series 2-1 against the World Champions during their first tour to India in five years. This is the first time since 2005 that Pakistan has defeated India on their homeground. Dancing and chanting slogans gave credit to the performing youngsters and said he was happy with the team's overall show. T20I skipper Mohammad Hafeez, who achieved top position in the ICC ODI rankings for all-rounders, said he was proud of his achievement and dedicated the victory to the nation. PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf was the center of attraction at the airport as he not only showered praise on his cricketers but also introduced the future of cricket diplomacy with India. He said that Bangladesh Cricket Board has not refused to send its team to Pakistan.

9 mn thanks, Sachin tells FB fans

New Delhi: Undoubtedly one of the most widely followed Indian celebrities on Facebook, Sachin Tendulkar's fan following on the social networking site has crossed nine million and it's still counting. "9 million thanks!!! Thankyou for making me feel so special," Tendulkar posted on his Facebook account. Tendulkar had joined Facebook last September and within hours, had a staggering four lakh likes to his name. The cricketer started his Facebook innings with a video message welcoming everyone to his official page.

Pakistan squared the two-match T20I series 1-1 and won the three-match ODI series 2-1 against India

in favor of national cricketers, fans showered rose-petals on the team as soon as they appeared

outside the airport lounge. Speaking to media at the airport, skipper Misbah-ul-Haq

US-based Amritraj can't play for India

New Delhi: AITA's efforts to rope in USbased Prakash Amritraj in the Davis Cup squad to negate a boycott threat from the top players came to a nought with An in-form Prakash Amritraj the sports ministry sticking to its policy that only decided that only Indian citizens Indian passport holders can repre- were eligible to represent the country. That policy had rendered three sent the country. In the wake of revolt by eight top Indian tennis players - Amritraj, players, including Somdev Sunitha Rao and Neha Uberoi -Devvarman, Mahesh Bhupathi and ineligible for national selection. Prakash, who is coming back to Rohan Bopanna, the AITA was trying to bolster its line-up by includ- competitive tennis after an injury, is ing an in-form Amritraj in the squad in good form as he won four matchfor the South Korea tie, beginning es at the just-concluded Chennai Open. His inclusion could have February 1. In December 2008, the ministry helped a beleaguered AITA, who had formulated a policy on the par- will now be forced to field a depletticipation of sportsperson in interna- ed side if the eight players stuck its tional events under which it had stand and remains unavailable.

High hopes from Hockey India League

New Delhi: With a young team led by the enigmatic Sardar Singh showing glimpses of India's past prowess, there are now hopes an upcoming professional league likened to the money-rich Indian Premier League will help resurrect the sport's former glory. Indians were long considered the kings of field hockey -- winning eight Olympic gold medals -- but that dominance has dwindled since the introduction of synthetic turf pitches in the 1970s. India's fourth-place finish at last year's Champions Trophy with a young squad led by versatile player Sardar Singh offered hope for the future, just in time for the proposed league to find some new backers. The Hockey India League, which has the sanction of world body FIH and is organized by Hockey India, will be held at a range of venues from January 14February 10 featuring five city-based franchise teams -- Delhi Waveriders, Jaypee Punjab Warriors, Uttar Pradesh Wizards, Mumbai Magicians and Ranchi Rhinos. Though announced with much fanfare, a sixth franchise - Bangalore - remained unsold and there had also been doubts over the Delhi franchise after its coowner Ponty Chadha died in a shootout over an alleged property dispute with his brother, but the sponsor remained on board. Former Australia coach and Olympian Ric Charlesworth, who will coach the Mumbai side, is bullish about the league, which he believes will benefit not

Experts are bullish about the league that it will benefit not just India but the global field hockey fraternity

just India but the global field hockey fraternity. In an auction last month that was held along similar lines to the IPL, star player Sardar was the costliest player, selling for $78,000 to Delhi. Ace drag-flicker V.R. Raghunath was bought by Uttar Pradesh for $76,000, Australian star Jamie Dwyer went to Punjab for $60,000, German player Mortiz Fuertse was taken by Ranchi for $75,500 and Dutch great Nooijer sold to Uttar Pradesh Wizards for $66,000. Charlesworth, who has been associated with Indian teams in the past, thinks the league will offer budding Indian players a chance to compete with the best. India's national coach Michael Nobbs has previously expressed the hope that said the league will help identify future stars.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

FEATURES

January12-18, 2013

25

Multicultural India to boost faith tourism

By Saroj Mohanty New Delhi: Multicultural India is planning to pitch faith tourism by developing more religious tourist circuits to attract foreign footfalls and encourage greater domestic traveling that has seen double digit growth in recent years benefiting the local economy. Faith tourism is "recessionproof", so the government is making efforts to promote pilgrimage tourism from ASEAN countries to Buddhist centers and opening a Jewish center in Kochi. "We have to have a proactive approach for developing these centers," said Tourism Secretary Parvez Dewan. Other circuits could be the many Sufi centers and the British-era war cemeteries in the country. There are also plans to connect pilgrimage centers in the North with those in the South. The government has appointed a national level consultant to identify the spiritual tourism circuits. Tourism minister K. Cheeranjeevi told Parliament last month that while identifying and developing the circuits, efforts would be made to plug infrastructure gaps and provide necessary amenities to tourists.

Interior of the synagogue in Kochi.

The magnificent Jain temples of Palitana, Gujarat.

After the downturn following the world financial crisis and Mumbai terror attack, foreign tourist arrivals have been on the rise. According to the Planning Commission Working Group on Tourism, India is targeting one percent of world tourist arrivals by 2017. India's share in international tourist arrivals in 2011 was 0.64 percent. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), nearly 40 million Indians are employed in tourism and the country has the highest growth potential

in this decade. And yet, growth in the sector has been inadequate -- a growth rate of 2.04 percent over six years 2005-11. Seized of these facts, the government last month relaxed tourist visa rules by lifting restrictions imposed on foreign visitors, barring those from a few selected countries. According to the tourism ministry, 6.29 million foreign tourists arrived in 2011, earning the country $16.5 billion. In the first 11 months of 2012, 5.89 million tourists came to India against 5.57 million in 2011, earn-

ing the nation $16.78 billion, a growth of 22.1 per cent over a similar period in 2011. And as more business is taking place in the digital space, the ministry would soon come out with a website listing important tourist destinations in the country and facilities available there. "This will serve as a comprehensive catalogue for the foreign and domestic tourists, including those who travel in the pilgrimage routes," said Dewan. A 2002 policy paper said "due importance should be given to

domestic tourism, particularly pilgrimage related". A host of factors like rising disposable income, popularity of weekend getaways, good marketing by states and a depreciating rupee curbing foreign travels have contributed to the growth of domestic tourism. Around 851 million domestic tourists travelled within the country in the January-October period in 2012, up from 748 million in 2011. India is targeting domestic tourism growth of about 12 percent by the end of year 2017.

A vegetable seller, fisherman, a priestall crafted in Krishnanagar style.

Contemporary artist helps revive traditional Krishnanagar clay dolls

By Sahana Ghosh Kolkata: Hoping to inspire the potters of Krishnanagar in West Bengal to revive their dying traditional craft of clay doll making, Kaushik Biswas, a contemporary artist, has taken it upon himself to sculpt and showcase the lost grandeur of the exquisite forms to the masses. I am not related to the potters in any way. I live in Krishnanagar surrounded by generations of artists and seeing them make the clay dolls from scratch is like magic. That inspired me to watch and learn the process. "Now it is a dying art form and I feel that I can make some difference by promoting it in my own way," Biswas, 41, said. The clay dolls of Krishnanagar (in Nadia district) are famed for their realistic depiction of everyday village life - fishing, farming, rag picking, basket making, cooking, cleaning and worshipping, among others - and subjects like fruits, vegetables, birds and animals. They have been a part of the legacy of the native potters for over five generations. The art received international recognition and saw its golden days during the reign of 18th century king of Krishnanagar Raja Krishna Chandra Ray, who was well known for his fondness of art and literature. "During his reign, the figures were exported and the artists were even sent abroad to promote and teach the art. The dolls can be found in many international museums," said Biswas, who is a graduate from the Rabindra Bharati University. Post-independence, with the 'zamindari' (landlord) system abolished, the art further lost its patrons and appeal. "This is a grand treasure and to us artists it is a learning ground. If we can generate public awareness through exhibitions and workshops, it might inspire the Krishnanagar doll makers to afford a second chance to their heritage," said a hopeful Biswas of his effort. According to Biswas, the realistic depiction of rural life - the calling card of the clay figures - is a painstaking and multi-layered process. Seconding Biswas, city-based interior designer Urvashi Basu, who showcases Biswas's work at her The Design Studio, shed further light on the issue. "Besides the financial dilemma, the potters receive no support from the government. No one wants to invest in them. This reflects in their workmanship. Nowadays, the figures lack that characteristic intricacy and attention to detail," said Basu. Add to that the slew of inexpensive, duplicates cast in Plasterof-Paris and other raw material further threatens the artists. "People are buying the inexpensive duplicates without realizing that they lack the exquisite details of the original," Biswas said. Despite limited means and a fulltime career, Biswas hopes his efforts will do a lot to boost the confidence of the potters in themselves and their "treasure".

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January 12-18, 2013

LIFESTYLE

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Jaipur based designer makes worlds tallest gold sports trophy

By Prakash Bhandari Jaipur: World's tallest gold sports trophy designed by famous trophy designer of Jaipur Amit Pabuwal will be presented to the winner of a unique golf event featuring the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of 2000 companies based in North America. The iGate CEO Cup Golf to be co-hosted by golf legend Gary Player will be played in TPC Sawgrass Marriot, Florida on Jan 12-13.The organizers have invited CEOs to compete for a $100,000 purse entirely donated to the charities chosen by them. Amit Pabuwal and his wife Kiran Pabuwal have designed the 21 inch tall trophy that weighs 8.6 kg and is embellished with diamonds and rubies. "Its larger than the iconic FIFA World Cup trophy. The FIFA World Cup trophy is 14.4 inches tall, weighing five kg gold is currently the largest gold trophy. Thus the iGate Golf Cup will not only be larger than the FIFA World Cup but will be 3.6 kilo heavier that the FIFA trophy in pure gold," claimed Pabuwal. Pabuwal said the golf trophy will also be unique as its studded with 50 carats of diamonds all of equal sizes and 40 carats of Thailand sourced rubies. The trophy is unique blend of modern format with Victorian effect. 200 designs were prepared out of which 40 were shortlisted and the number was further pruned to 18 designs. The letters and the name of the company hosting the tournament has been hand crafted with the famous Jaipur enamel which is called Kundan Meena work. The diamond content of the exclusive trophy is in the form of a golf ball which forms the top end of the trophy. Six golfers have been depicted in the trophy in an embossed form on the main trophy along with a golf case, a hole, a Tee. The inside part of the trophy shows the green turf which has been done in green enamel to give it a colorful and vibrant look. The two sides of the trophy-front and back - look totally different. The trophy's central part has a pedestal where stands the diamond golf ball at the top. At the bottom, there is a map of United States and the company's logo that has been done in rubies. Pabuwal comes from a family of trophy and cutlery makers. The family has created a number of cricket trophies like the Reliance World Cup, Wills World Cup, Independence Cup, Hero Cup, MRF World Series Cup, T 20 World Cup, Friendship Cup of Abu Dhabi, Future Cup and F1 Formula trophy. Pabuwal was selected by iGate after receiving designs from some of the famous trophy makers of US and Europe. The trophy was made in 14 days and was delivered to iGate on January 2. Pabuwal was listed by the Guinness Book of World record for creating the world's largest silver trophy weighing 92 kilos of silver and 20,000 carats of precious and semiOutcomes-based solutions, in association with Forbes, publisher of Forbes magazine and forbes.com, will host the first-ever twoday iGATE CEO Cup Golf tournament, awarding $100,000 to the winners favorite charities. CEOs of top companies based in North America will be invited to participate in this first-class Championship-style golf tournament. Golf is such a popular sport with CEOs, we felt it presented the best platform for leaders to compete and network among their peers while having some fun along the way, said Murthy. We take great pride in working with Forbes a media organization with an unparalleled stature and respect throughout the business community to put on this exciting event. From our experience, CEOs like a challenge and they enjoy participating in events that bring together leaders in their field while supporting a charitable cause, said Robert Forbes, Vice President of Forbes. When iGATE came to us with the idea of hosting a charity golf tournament for CEOs, we saw very quickly that the company is innovative in its thought processes. We look forward to working with iGATE to put on an event that will be memorable for all involved." CEOs will compete in the Championshipformat tournament with trophies and prizes being awarded in different formats including low individual scores.

The trophy designed for iGate CEO Cup Golf is 21 inch tall, weighs 8.6 kgs and is embellished with diamonds and rubies. precious stones. "This was the first trophy that Guinness listed as the world's tallest and heaviest trophy and is called Trilok Rachna trophy owned by the marble company RK Marbles which displays it at Kishangarh in Ajmer district of Rajasthan. It is a premier event and we should have a trophy a CEO will be proud to lift. Pabuwal is distinguished for his work creating one-ofa-kind trophies. He holds the worlds highest credentials in trophy making while crafting several world cups, acclaimed for design and workmanship. He designed the worlds first Guinness world-record trophy Trilok Rachna, said Phaneesh Murthy, CEO, iGATE. iGATE, the first integrated technology and operations company providing Business

Remembering 2012 in tweets and posts

SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act): In a mere four hours Twitter was abuzz with 2.4 + million SOPA- related tweets with terms: SOPA, stop SOPA, PIPA, tell Congress, Internet 1 Congress 0. Kony video: A 30-minute video, advocacy campaign, exposing Ugandan chieftain Joseph Kony got viral last year on the web reaching 17 million views on Vimeo and about 80 million views onYouTube. Diamond Jubilee: Fans of the royal family celebrated Queen Elizabeths 60 years on the throne. Singer Whitney Houstons death: Twitter broke news of Whitney Houstons death 27 minutes before press. The story was on Twitter, reported by a man who tweeted the news out to his 14 followers. Russian Elections: Putins victory in 2012 presidential elections trended both on Twitter as well as Facebook. James Camerons deepest plunge: James Cameron reaching bottom of Mariana Trench after 35,756 foot descent was a huge sensation on the internet, especially Facebook. Facebook buying Instagram: Fans of Instagram were delighted as it allowed Instagram users to post on other social media sites. Facebook IPO: Social media covered it all from the initial fanfare to the debacle of the IPO. Historic Egyptian voting: After 40 years of silence, Libyans voted and armchair activists around the world commented on the event. Mass shooting in Colorado, Connecticut and Wisconsin: Anger, grief, pain was felt not just in these three places but also in the social media lanes over the mass shooting. Protests were organized, petitions were filed

Heres a list of news and comments that streamed onto our desktops and smartphones, 140 characters at a time.

President Obama's tweet declaring reelection victory with this photo was the one most retweeted in the history of Twitter online to gather solidarity to ban the use of automatic weapons. Apple- Samsung trial verdict: Samsungs patent infringement was widely discussed topic on twitter. Curiosity Mars Rovers landing: NASA's Curiosity Rover had a significant social presence across networks like Twitter and Foursquare. The Rover also has an official Twitter account. Social media users, especially Facebok, Pinterest and Twitter cheered as the rover Curiosity survived "seven minutes of terror" to land on the surface of Mars, and shared the first tiny photographs it sent. Neil Armstrongs and Sally Rides death: Twitter users mourned the death of both astronauts. Pakistani young activist Malala Yousafzai shot for advocating education for girls: Anger raged like a wild fire on social media circles after 14 year old peace activist, Malala Yousafzai was shot twice in Swat valley,

Felix Baumgartner standing in his capsule about to dive. His jump from the edge of space was the most watched and shared video. Pakistan. tweets on voting day numbered 31-million. Felix, first skydiver to break the speed of Debate-watchers real-time reactions gave sound: Video of Felix Baumgartner jumping birth to a new mainstream meme with each from the very edge of space became the most session. watched and shared video. Presidents tweet announcing his victory: London Olympics: The unprecedented Obamas three word tweet and photo shared real-time gathering, which produced 150 mil- just after his victory had become the most lion tweets in just 16 days, gave people retweeted tweet in history, with more than 817 around the globe an inside view into the 000 users retweeting the post. On the day the games but also caused plenty of tension in the results came out, his Twitter handle was menU.S., as results were typically broadcast tioned over 3.2-million times and while the through social channels before NBC showed votes were being tallied, Twitter pulsed at them on television. over 327 000 tweets per minute. Race to Presidential elections: Both camBenedict XVI on Twitter: The Pope made paigns were eager to capitalize on social dis- his Twitter debut in eight languages. He realtribution channels to reach citizens. Twitter ized the importance of social media to connect became a virtual hub for conversations about with the youth.Superstorm Sandy: Superstorm the US Presidential election from the early Sandys devastating trail of destruction was debates to the day Barack Obama found out he captured most poignantly by those who expehad been re-elected. The first presidential rienced her first-hand. On October 29, debate generated 10-million tweets, the final Instagram users shared their Sandy images at one garnered 6.5-million and election-themed a rate of nearly 10 per second.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

REAL ESTATE

January 12-18, 2013

27

This is the second and final part of Intelligent Investing in India by Hema Virani, who last week discussed the perks of investing and here outlines the risks involved and how to minimize their dangers.

Investing in India: 6 pitfalls and solutions

By Hema Virani

lthough you can never make your real estate investments risk-free, you can decrease the risks. Always check the credentials and track record of a developer before investing in his or her project. Talk to the projects customers and verify the status of their past projects. Never base your decisions on ads.

Pitfall No 1: PROPOSED INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN will never see the light of day (or will be delayed). Then the value of the property may remain stagnant or even fall. Solution: VERIFY CLAIMS made by the builder. All infrastructure proposals are in public domain; however, accessing this information is difficult. You can find some proposed infrastructure such as roads in the approved building plan, which should be available at the builder's site office," says Manish Sinha, CEO, Favista.com. "Proposed highways, railroad links, etc, can be found in the city master plan that is available with the district town planner," he adds. Pitfall No 2: DELAYED PROJECTS - Delay in getting possession is common at several loca-

tions, especially the DelhiNational Capital Region (NCR), Mumbai and Chennai. The risk of delay is high in prelaunch and launch stages and decreases as construction nears completion (but then your investment return will be less also). Solution: You can reduce this risk by choosing a developer with a good record of timely delivery. Check that all the clearances are in place and purchase further along in the development. Pitfall No 3: VALUATION RISK - Investors will have to look at the current market value and if it will be a profitable investment for the future. In India, there is a lack of qualified professional valuers and ignorance about valuation

services which can be availed through various companies, financial institutions and independent valuers. Solution: To be sure, you MUST get the property valued by QUALIFIED professionals. Pitfall No 4: HOME LOAN Banks usually limit installments at 40-50 per cent of the borrower's salary. The loan amount is capped at 70-80 per cent value of the property. However, this does not eliminate the risks. i) If interest rates rise, the risk of default is high, ii) If construction is delayed or the value of the property does not rise fast enough to yield a return that can cover the cost of funds, you will end up losing money. iii) Also, if the price of the

property falls to less than the loan amount, your equity in the house will turn negative. Solution: Tax-saving should not be the sole criterion for buying a property. If the interest rate on the loan is less than the return, it makes sense to take a home loan for investment. Today, the real estate sector is giving much better returns than the home loan rates and banks are also more comfortable lending to individuals rather than real estate projects. Pitfall No 5: CIRCUMVENTING RULES Property sales are often carried out through power of attorney (PoA), a contract where the seller passes on the right to maintain, rent, lease, mortgage or sell the property to the buyer. A PoA does not transfer ownership rights. Solution: Transaction of immovable properties through PoA has no legal sanctity. According to a Supreme Court ruling in October 2011, immovable properties can be sold or transferred only through REGISTERED DEEDS. Buying on PoA is risky even when the agreement can be registered. "There are so many cases where the person selling the property does not hold the power of attorney in the right manner," says Sinha of

Favista.com. Pitfall No 6: Title disputes - All land-sale transactions are registered. However, land title records in India are in very bad shape and not digitized. Several land-related transactions such as partition, mortgage, agreement to sell, court order and acquisition are not required to be registered. Even when a sale is registered, the history of the title is not verified. "What we have is presumed ownership, which is questionable and can be challenged on multiple fronts - ownership, extent of boundary, financial encumbrances and inheritance sub-divisions," says Swati Ramanathan, cofounder of Janaagraha. Solution: Verify that the seller is AUTHURIZED TO SELL the land, the title is clear, there are no pending taxes/dues, clearances for further development are in place, and the plot is approved by the city development corporation and other local authorities. Hema Virani is a Certified Commercial Investment Management Designee as well as an investor. She also holds an Associate Brokers license for over 10 years in the New York area. For a free compilation of India Government resources, ask her at hema@hemavirani.com.

Self Help

This New Year, resolve to get more sleep

here are many popular New Year s resolutions that quickly come and go: eating healthy, losing weight, managing stress and saving money. In 2013, why not focus on one health change youll enjoy sticking to... getting more sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the average American sleeps about six hours and 55 minutes per night during the week, and 15 percent of adults sleep less than six hours per night. Lack of sleep can take a significant toll on your overall health and interfere with some of your daily activities, said Dr. Michael Thorpy, director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York. Almost everybody has trouble sleeping now and then, but many Americans experience significant problems getting to sleep or continually wake up in the middle of the night and cant fall back asleep. Such problems may be clinical symptoms of insomnia. According to the National Sleep Foundation, if you have trouble falling asleep at night or staying asleep, or you wake up in the morning feeling unre-

Take a bite out of your familys food bills in the new year
f it seems like your grocery store bills are getting bigger, youre not imagining it: food prices are on the rise, and poised to go higher. Scarce rainfall plus last summer s record-breaking heat wave resulted in scorched crops in many of the nations grainproducing regions. The reduced fall harvest has created higher prices at the supermarket now, for products ranging from boxes of cereal to bottles of soda, and from bacon to beef. The World Bank has even warned that high and volatile food prices may be the new normal. Luckily, shoppers can take a few easy steps to help ease the bite on food budgets. Buy fewer processed food products. That means buying fresh fruit instead of processed packaged fruit snacks, or peanuts in the shell rather than shelled, roasted and salted peanuts in a can. Less processing equals greater value, explains Kara Newman, author of The Secret Financial Life of Food: From Commodities Markets to Supermarkets. When you buy packaged food, only 15 to 20 cents of every dollar goes toward the raw commodities used in that product, Newman says, citing a USDA study that focused on price inputs

for a typical box of corn flakes. In that box, 15 percent to 20 percent of the price goes toward the raw corn, she explains -- the rest goes toward processing, transportation and fuel, advertising, and other expenses related to getting a box on a retail shelf. In the end, you pay more for the packaging than you do for the corn in your corn flakes! Try out Meatless Mondays. Consider preparing vegetarian meals at least once a week. In 2012, the steepest food price increases were among beef and veal, and poultry products, according to USDA figures -- and those products are expected to trend higher still in 2013. By comparison, fresh vegetables were the only category that saw a decline in prices last year. Cant bear to go completely veggie? Try subbing eggs, dairy and fish for beef and poultry -those products have had slightly gentler price increases. Cut out the middleman. One of the secrets nobody tells you is that you can opt out of buying commodity products if you want, Newman notes. To do that, shop at greenmarkets where you can buy direct from farmers and other food producers.

freshed, you may be suffering from insomnia. To help you get better sleep this year, Dr. Thorpy suggests these simple tips: Set and stick to a sleep schedule. Establish a regular bedtime and wake time. Set aside time at night to wind down. Spend some quiet time before bedtime. Such activities as watching TV, using the computer or working right before bedtime, or in the bedroom, can make it harder to fall asleep. Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed. Exercise regularly. Just dont exercise rigorously near bedtime and check with your doctor before starting an exercise regimen. Dont clock-watch. If you awaken in the middle of the night and stay in bed, dont lie there staring at the clock. And dont watch TV or use your laptop or cell phone, because these technologies stimulate the brain, making it tougher to fall back to sleep. If these tips dont help, speak with your healthcare professional to help determine if you are suffering from insomnia and require treatment.

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January 12-18, 2013

HUMOR

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Humor with Melvin Durai

Ingenious strategy to protect our schools

t was Christmas Eve, ten days after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, and Thurston Johnson Jr. was still seething. People need to wise up! Theyve got their heads in the sand, he shouted, as a wide-screen TV inside Raging Bull Tavern showed somber scenes from Newtown, Conn., where a 20-year-old man had gone on a shooting spree. Johnson was speaking to no one in particular, but Milton Finkelberger, the only other patron in the bar, was just whiling away his time before he needed to pick up his wife, Edna, from the bingo hall, so he decided to engage the burly stranger in a conversation. Whacha mean? Johnson took a gulp from his mug, wiped the froth from his beard, sat still for a minute. He was gathering his thoughts. So many school shootings and theyre doing diddly about it! Just sitting back and waiting for another one to happen. I hear ya. We need more gun control.

Too many idiots running around with guns. Gun control? Are you crazy? We dont need gun control. We need people control. Whacha mean? Guns dont kill people. People kill people. Dont know where I heard that, but it makes sense to me. So how ya gonna control people? Thats easy. With guns. Whacha mean? If idiots are running into schools with guns, other people need to use guns to stop them. This isnt rocket science, you know. Wouldnt it be easier to keep guns away from idiots? No way, man. Keeping guns away from idiots would be like keeping pasta away from Italians. Youd have the mafia after you. But shouldnt we at least make an effort to keep guns away from idiots? No way, man. Just because youre an idiot doesnt mean you cant own a gun. Thats whats great about America. We

have the Second Amendment, which gives everyone, even idiots, the right to bear arms. And if theres one right that idiots value, its the right to bear arms. Take my cousin Clayton. He owns eight guns, including three semi-automatic rifles. I asked him if he values the right to bear arms and he said, Yeah, why dya think Im always wearing a tank top? I want people to see my guns. And then he flexed his biceps. Sounds like a real genius. Oh, hes a genius all right. He dropped out of school after eighth grade, has never held a job for more than six weeks. They fired him at the gas station cause he kept sniffing the gas and they fired him at the fish market cause he kept sniffing the bass. Why does he need eight guns? Thats what I keep asking myself. Why would anybody need eight guns? Im quite happy with just five. But Clayton, hes a little strange. He even ordered himself an M203 grenade launcher, like they use in the Army. I asked him why he needed one, and he said, Dont ask me, bro. Ask the voices in my head.

Arent you afraid he might do something crazy, like attack a school? No way, man. Clayton is harmless. Hed never go near a school. Hes too scared of education. But other people out there, you never know. Thats why we need to protect our schools better. Whatcha mean? All principals need to have guns in their offices. Secretaries and teachers too and lets not forget about the janitors. Janitors too? You gotta be kidding? Yeah, the janitors should have a special gun with a barrel on one end and a mop head on the other. Isnt that what a janitor is for anyway keeping the scum out of our schools? So you want the entire staff to have guns? Yes, but theres more to my plan. Just imagine if every desk has a secret compartment under it. Whenever theres an intruder in school, the principal would push a button, unlock the compartment and a gun would fall out. Id love to see the intruders face when he walks into a classroom and sees 30 guns pointed at him! So you want the entire staff to be armed and students to have access to guns in an emergency? Bingo! Hearing that word, Finkelberger looked at his watch. Oh no, he said. Im late. Edna will kill me. Then youd better get Yeah, I know. Get a gun. No, I was gonna say, get going. What do you take me for an idiot? Finkelberger didnt answer. He just waved and hurried to the door.

Photo of the week

Indian Bindis are hot trend in winter bling in the US. Instagram posts from (clockwise L-R) Imogen Searra, Lizzy X Bradley, Bum-blebeez, Jessie Rose Indie, Maile Shantii, Rebel Diamond. (Instagram)

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

ASTROLOGY

January 12-18, 2013

29

By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma

Stars Foretell: January 12-18, 2013
Aries: This week meeting an old associate would bring happiness and revive pleasant memories. This period is also good for activities that would secure your future and help you improve your lifestyle. Your sense of responsibility and ability to accept challenges would put you into the forefront. New romance will be exciting, so make the most of it. Look into projects that will help you earn some extra money in your spare time. Taurus: This week your beloved would be a major source of happiness and would help you in completing pending jobs. Participation in family functions and social activities would be fun and a good opportunity to revive old contacts. Funds for businessmen would easily generate through loans or some other sources. Matrimonial alliance for some, while others would find romance to keep them in the right spirit. You will achieve outstanding results in your career provided you focus towards your goals. Gemini: Emotionally things would not be good for you this week. Confrontations and arguments could arise, ruining your peace of mind. Your present situation is a good test of your power and endurance. Do not loose your patience and keep yourself busy with activities that will help you relax. Social activities will provide you with knowledge and amusement. Partnerships if any, should be avoided till the weekend. Cancer: Some delay in results would lead to frustration. Take some time to analyze what might have gone wrong and gather more information from experienced people. You should remember that knowledge is power and the more you have the better it would be for you in the times to come. Spend enjoyable time with youngsters. Attending seminars and exhibitions will bring you in contact with important people. Leo: Your people at home would be demanding which would lead to some mental pressure. Strong romantic feelings from a member of the opposite sex would bring about new excitement in your life. You would be in a commanding position at work, and lots would depend on your shoulders. Social activities would prove to be lively and exciting. Your personality will have a magnetic appeal that will bring you new opportunities. Exercise will be important to stay in shape. Virgo: This week you would benefit from your creativity. People would appreciate your efforts and would crowd you for advice. You need to take advantage of the new moneymaking opportunities that come your way. Support from friends and associates would be immense and you are likely to hit the jackpot by associating yourself with the right people. Your beloved would be caring but highly possessive. Libra: This week your personality and confidence would make you popular with your seniors. You would be asked to handle new responsibilities that would bring remarkable results to your career. Your financial condition would also improve, but you should not invest into any risky business ventures or schemes during this period. Family members will bring you happiness and look after you well. Do not be lavish in your spending; try to save extra money for the not so good days. Scorpio: Some unexpected news might create unnecessary tensions. Things would not be as bad as they might appear, but still you need to move very cautiously. Take care of your dealings with influential people. Saying wrong things at the wrong time would bring criticism from people around you. Social activities would bring about a new romantic relationship. Travelling will be highly exciting. Good week for planning long-term investments. Sagittarius: This week you would be in a position to raise fresh funds and collect outstanding payments. Your technical knowledge and skills would bring you immediate gains, but irresponsible action during this period would ensure losses. Handle the jobs boldly and tactfully to get the rewards. Any contribution that you make towards social cause would enhance your public image and bring you mental peace. You will be very inclined towards religious activities. Pilgrimage to a distant place cannot be ruled out. Capricorn: This week people seek advice from you and give you responsibilities that you need to handle with care. Work pressure would increase but you need to be certain that added stress doesnt upset your mind and disrupt your health. Changing position of stars would bring favorable results in your life eventually, till then you need to avoid letting stress prove disastrous for your health. Pilgrimage is on the cards for some of you. Aquarius: Lady luck definitely seems to be on your side as you receive financial benefits from unexpected sources. You'll find it easy to achieve your goals and live up to others expectations. Your tremendous enthusiasm would especially be very attractive and it would draw many people to your side. Work on your new projects with a long term prospective. Close friends and relatives will try to keep you happy. New alliances and contacts will develop through social activities. Pisces: This week some unexpected good news would sweep you off your feet. But you need to be extra careful when handling finances, as you are likely to incur losses due to bad investment or theft. Stress would be easier to handle if you act upon the advice of your elders or seniors. You would be in the mood to relax and spend extra time with friends. Take care of your health, take proper diet, and adopt an exercise regimen that will protect your vital energy. A spiritual person provides guidance.

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

Annual Predictions: For those born in this week

January 12 You are governed by the number 3 and by the planet Jupiter. You are also influenced by the Moon. You are able to impress people with your lofty ideas. With your creative ideas and hard work, you will be able to achieve honour and position in the year ahead of you. You will be able to maintain a harmonious atmosphere around you at work and at home. People will depend on you to sort out minor differences between colleagues. But, you have a tendency of being proud and arrogant. You will have to control this trait of your character. Your pleasing personality will catch the attraction of the opposite sex. Some of you may make a special relationship, in the year ahead of you. The months of February, May, August, September, November will be highly significant. January 13 You are governed by the number 4 and the planet Uranus. You are also influenced by the Moon. You are born intelligent and with a methodical approach to life, you are able to reach high positions in your career. The coming year will bring you success and prosperity in your respective fields. You will not only attain fame and recognition, but also be able to earn a lot of money. The year ahead, will be full of activity and you will keep a busy schedule but professionally and socially. In matters of love, you will not express your feelings, till you are sure of what response you will receive from the other end. Sometimes you tend to get obstinate and this creates a rift between you and your loved ones. Try to be more flexible in your approach to life. This will do wonders for you. The months of April, June, October, January and April will be result oriented. January 14 You re governed by the number 5 and the planet Mercury. You are also dominated by the Moon. You are blessed with intelligence and shrewdness. Those of you in business, will attain success in your new projects and plans, which you undertake, in the year ahead of you. You will be firm in your word and deeds. You will find the cooperation of your colleagues and loved ones. On your part, you will be honest and sincere to your loved ones and will go out of your way to see that they are happy. You will donate generously towards charity, in the year ahead of you. This will give you a sense of satisfaction. Your charming personality, will draw many friends towards you. You will be the centre of attraction at many social gatherings. In matters of love, you will have to be careful that you choose the right life partner. The months of July, August, September, November will be highly important. January 15 You are governed by the planet Venus and dominated by the Moon. You are also influenced by the number 6. You are blessed with art and music. Anything, which is beautiful, is a passion for you. Your intelligence and sharp memory, will bring you success in your professional pursuits, in the year ahead of you. You will gain high positions and earn lots of money too. But you sometimes, tend to become proud and boastful. This could lead to friends, drifting away from you. You will also have to control your urge to take hasty decisions. Your family will be of utmost importance to you, in the coming year. You can expect to receive love and affection from them at all times. On your part, you will do your best, to give them the luxuries of life. Your communication skills will be an asset for you, in the coming year. February, April, July, September and November will be highly eventful. January 16 You are governed by the number 7 and dominated by the planet Neptune. Moon also has an influence on you. You are cautious and alert in taking decisions. In the coming year, you will be able to take wise decisions, both in your professional as well as your domestic front. Your children will be a source of joy for you. They will live up to your expectations and bring you happiness. Your goodhumoured nature, will draw many friends towards you, and you will have a good social life in the year ahead of you. Your generous nature, will draw you towards those who are needy and oppressed. You tend to get depressed, when you get too engrossed in one subject. So, try to keep yourself busy, with various activities, instead of concentrating on one subject or work. April, June, September, December and March will be highly important. January 17 You are governed by the number 8 and by the planet Saturn. You are also influenced by the Moon. You are blessed with wisdom and intelligence. Coupled with your organizing capacity, you will be able to achieve success in your professional field, in the year ahead of you. Your inborn urge for knowledge, will allow you to go deep into the study of different subjects. Research and studies, will occupy a lot of your time, in the coming year. Your personality will draw people towards you. But, sometimes, you tend to get dominating. This may lead to your friends drifting away from you. You will put tremendous efforts in fulfilling whatever you strive to undertake, in the year ahead of you. You will leave no stone unturned to achieve success in whatever project you undertake. March, April, August, December and February may prove to be highly significant. January18 You are governed by the number 9 and dominated by the planet Mars. You are also influenced by the Moon. You are fearless and courageous by nature. In the coming year, you are likely to inherit property from ancestors, especially from your fathers side. Hard work and the ability to take right decisions, will bring success to you in the year ahead of you. For those of you in business, it will be a good year. You can expect to sign and negotiate big deals. You like to help others and those in need, will look to you for advice and solace. But, sometimes, you tend to get dominating. You try to impose your ideas on others. You will have to learn to control this trait in your character. January, July, October and December will prove to be very significant.

Before you consult...

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

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January 12-18, 2013

SPIRITUAL AWARENESS

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

God can be found in stillness of our soul

By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj
eople are searching for God. They pray to have a mystic experience of God. Through the ages, people have speculated about God, formed religions to worship God, and done countless rites and rituals to find God. Yet, the simple truth is that the only thing that stands between us and God is the ability to be still. We are so used to speaking rather than listening. In this connection, there is a humorous anecdote. A young man went to the great Greek philosopher, Socrates. The young man wanted Socrates to teach him how to be a great speaker. When Socrates greeted the young man, the young man proceeded to talk nonstop about himself for a long time. Finally, Socrates had to interrupt him and said, "To teach you, I need to double my fees." The young man was shocked and asked why. Socrates said, "Because it appears I must teach you two skills. One is to hold your tongue, and the other is to learn how to speak." It is hard for us to remain silent. How can we find God if we do not stay still physically, verbally, or mentally long enough to allow God to communicate with us? There are many ways in which we are able to stay still for worldly tasks. When we go to a dentist and are about to get an injection to numb our gums, the dentist says, "Stay still." We are certainly able to do so, lest he misses. When we go for a medical procedure in which the doctor has to give us an injection and he says, "Hold still," we definitely sit as still as we can. We know that any movement can be painful. If we ever went for a CT scan, we know we must lie still for a long time. If we move, the film or images they are taking of our body will not come out clearly. Not only does it cost several thousand dollars to have to do it over, which would be a waste of money and time, but the dye they inject which only lasts a short time would have to be done over and would expose us to more needless radiation. Therefore, to get it right the first time, we find a way to remain still even if it is uncomfortable to do so when we undergo these tests. Some people who have to undergo radiation therapy for certain diseases must lie still. The radiation is targeting a certain area of the body, and if they move, the wrong place will be radiated causing the body unnecessary damage and harm and missing the area that needs the radiation. It is amazing how still we can be when undergoing that type of treatment. If a mouse or insect gets into our house, and we want to catch it so we can escort it outdoors safely where it belongs, we remain quiet. We may hold a cup or a bucket as the creature lies still on our floor, and we are very silent as we creep up on it from behind to catch it in the bucket so we can take it outdoors. These examples show that we can be still and quiet when we choose to be. Those who are parents know the importance of being quiet when the baby finally falls asleep. When the baby is sleeping and we do not want noise to awaken him or her we are still. We know how long it took us to get the baby to sleep and we want to get our own rest. So, we tiptoe around and remain still so as to let the baby keep sleeping. When we throw a surprise party for someones birthday, we may have a room filled with many people trying to keep still until the person enters. We remain quiet until everyone yells out, "Surprise." If the person takes a long time entering the room, we remain quiet and no one wants to speak and spoil the surprise. When people are playing golf, and the golfer is on the tee box, the custom is that no one watching is allowed to speak. There may be thousands of people watching a golf tournament, and they all are able to keep silent long enough for the golfer to take a swing. Those who have a full eye exam from an eye doctor are told to look into the light without blinking for as long as they can. The doctors light is bright and it hurts the eyes to stare into, but we still do it because we know it is part of the exam. We are told to keep looking at the light, do not move, and do not blink. There are so many instances in worldly life, when we are able to stay silent. Yet, somehow, when it comes to meditation, we can neither stay still physically nor mentally. If we can stare into the eye doctors painful light for many minutes without moving or blinking, then how is it that we cannot gaze continually into the inner Light, which is not painful, but loving and warm, without mentally moving or blinking? Why is silence and stillness so important in meditation? We say we want to find God. But God can only be found in the stillness of our soul. We need to shut down the chatter of the world to hear God within. God comes to us within in the form of a divine Current. This Current is both radiant Light and celestial Sound. To see and hear it within, we need to silence the outer world and silence our thoughts. We need to sit physically still without any part of our body moving. We need to close our eyes. Then, we need to keep mentally still so no thoughts disrupt the silence needed to focus our even sit on a rock as a way to stay awake all night in meditation.We can see the efforts put in by spiritual Masters to perfect the art of stillness required for meditation progress. Can we expect to achieve the results we want when we can barely be still for a few minutes? Physical stillness requires control of our body. It is remarkable how much control we exercise over our body when it comes to worldly pursuits. For example, look at how many tasks we do to get our body in shape. We force ourselves to do aerobic exercises by spending twenty to thirty minutes a day on a treadmill or taking a brisk walk. We find time to do this to keep up our cardiovascular system. We spend time daily when we feel the need to lift weights or do workthe ingredients we want, time to prepare the dishes, time to eat them, and then time to clean the pots and dishes. We spend time daily showering or bathing to keep our bodies clean, washing our hair, brushing our teeth, flossing, cleaning our nails, and all the other tasks involved in maintaining our bodies. We do all these repetitive tasks until our goal is achieved. Similarly, we are able to maintain mental stillness and concentration for worldly tasks without much problem. Look at how we concentrate mentally on different tasks in our everyday lives. For example, if we are going to school, we study for hours. When we want to pass a course or test, we find a way to tune out everything else and mentally focus on studying. We spend hours memorizing facts and figures. We train ourselves to turn off the television and take time away from our video games and friends to concentrate. Those who are in the computer field learn how to concentrate on the detailed task of writing computer code. They must concentrate with intensity lest they mess up the code! If we want to play a video game or a challenging game like chess, we find no trouble tuning out all distractions to concentrate on what we are doing. Millions of people read books and can do so in a crowded airport or train, at home with children running around the house, or even while the television is playing. When we want to concentrate on reading, we are able to train our mind to tune out all other noises and focus only on the words on a page. Millions of people go to the movies. A movie may last two or three hours. People have no trouble shutting out the rest of their worldly responsibilities, including their children at home with the babysitter, or even their Blackberry or text messages, during the movie, without any problems. Yet, how is it that when it comes to sitting still to concentrate within in meditation, we cannot concentrate for more than a few minutes? Staying silent for any reason begins with desire and passion. Whatever we want to do we can achieve. If we have a desire to improve our body, we learn how to silence any distractions to accomplish our goal. If we desire to improve our mind or entertain our mind, we have no trouble silencing any interruptions to achieve our desired outcome. (To be continued...)

Staying silent for any reason begins with desire and passion. Whatever we want to do we can achieve. If we have a desire to improve our body, we learn how to silence any distractions to accomplish our goal. If we desire to improve our mind or entertain our mind, we have no trouble silencing any interruptions to achieve our desired outcome.
attention into gazing within. All great saints practiced and perfected sitting in silence. For example, when Baba Jaimal Singh Ji Maharaj moved to Beas, he moved into a small hut made of straw and branches. The hut was eight feet long by eight feet wide. It was then plastered with mud and a small cave was dug out. He would go into the cave and meditate in there for days. Sometimes he would stay in meditation there for two weeks, going without any food, as he was absorbed in the inner spiritual journey. Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj used to meditate up to eight hours a day, even when he held a full time job, raised a family, and did selfless service. He would sometimes meditate by the river and outs to keep fit and build our muscles. We snatch away time from our other pursuits when we feel something is important. We spend time daily preparing food that we feel will be delicious, nutritious, or weight-reducing. This reminds me of a humorous story. A family had decided to all go on a diet. The husband was on a diet, the wife was on a diet, and the kids were on a diet. After many months, the husband remarked, "This does not seem fair. We have been on a diet for months and we are not losing weight. The only thing losing weight is the refrigerator." Whether we are eating food for taste, nutrition, or weight loss, we are still spending a considerable amount of time on feeding our body. It takes time to shop, to buy

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January 12-18, 2013

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

January 12-18, 2013