The South Asian Times

e x c e l l e n c e i n j o u r n a l i s m
Vol.7 No. 26 October 25-31, 2014 60 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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e x c e l l e n c e i n j o u r n a l i s m
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OP ED 16 DIWALI DIARIES 36 UPBEAT DIWALI MOOD 48
Vol.7 No. 26 October 25-31, 2014 60 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 44
New Delhi: Diwali was celebrated
with traditional fervor across the
country with people exchanging
sweets and gifts with friends and
relatives, decking up their houses
with earthen diyas and tiny lights
and illuminating the evening sky
with fireworks.
Children and youths burst crack-
ers and lit sparklers while families,
dressed up in their best outfits, vis-
ited their neighbors, exchanged
' Happy Diwali' greetings and
sweets. People also took the route
of SMS and social networking
websites to wish each other.
Diwali is celebrated to mark the
return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya
from his exile after vanquishing
demon-king Ravana.
In the national capital, people
decorated their homes and shops
with colorful 'rangolis' and flowers
and lit diyas.
People also celebrated Diwali in
other parts of the country with tra-
ditional fervor and gaiety.
Devotees thronged temples and
offered prayers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
greeted the people on the occasion
saying, "Lets share happiness and
joy during this festive season.
Share Diwali e-greetings with your
family and friends."
PM Modi on Thursday visited
Jammu & Kashmir and spent some
time with soldiers posted on the
Continued on page 6
India celebrates
Diwali with
traditional fervor
City after city was lit up and fireworks filled the sky on Diwali night as in this photo from Surat.
Obama, Kerry, top
lawmakers greet Indian
Americans on Diwali
Washington: President Obama,
Secretary of State John Kerry and
top US lawmakers, cutting across
party lines, have greeted the influ-
ential Indian American communi-
ty on Diwali and wished them an
auspicious and successful year
ahead.
In a video message released Oct
22, Obama said, "To all the fami-
lies gathering together this Diwali
to reflect on all the blessings of
the past year, I wish you a joyous
celebration and Saal Mubarak.
For Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and
Buddhists, lighting the lamp - the
diya -- is a chance to remember,
even in the midst of darkness, that
light will ultimately prevail.
Secretary Kerry hosted Diwali
celebrations at the State
Department for the first time, say-
ing Prime Minister Narendra
Modis recent visit to the US pro-
vided an unforgettable chance to
build on the already deep ties
between America and India. He
also hailed the accomplishments
of Indian Americans as a pillar of
every aspect of American society.
Diwali would be celebrated at
Secretary of State John Kerry is joined by Indian
Ambassador S. Jaishankar at the first Diwali celebration at
the State Department in Washington DC.
Special
Diwali Section
Pages >> 19-61
Continued on page 6
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6 October 25-31 , 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info TURN PAGE
India celebrates Diwali with ...
Continued from page 3
heights of Siachen Glacier to
send the message that all
Indians stand shoulder-to-shoul-
der with them. He told the
jawans, India can celebrate
Diwali because of you. Modi
then travelled to Srinagar to
meet the flood victims in
Jammu and Kashmir. In the
wake of repeated ceasefire vio-
lations by Pakistan along the
LoC, there was no exchange of
sweets this time between BSF
personnel and Pakistan Rangers
unlike previous years.
Police and fire personnel were
on their toes to meet any exi-
gencies.
With the environmentalists
and government emphasising on
celebrating a crackers-free
Diwali, some celebrities urged
their fans to have fireworks free
Diwali.
In West Bengal, people cele-
brated Kali puja and Diwali,
with fun and frolic.
Large crowd of devotees
thronged Kali temples, includ-
ing the famous ones at Kalighat,
Dakshineswar and Tarapith,
since early morning. People in
large numbers were also seen
visiting Kali puja pandals, illu-
minated with dazzling lights in
the evening.
In Amritsar in Punjab, there
was a large rush of devotees at
the Golden Temple. They took a
dip in the 'sarovar' (holy tank)
and offered prayers at the
Golden temple, the sanctum
sanctorum, which was brightly
illuminated with lights and the
traditional 'diyas'.
On another front, growing
consumer confidence drove up
Diwali spending in the country.
Obama, Kerry, top lawmakers...
Continued from page 3
the Capitol Hill Nov 19 when
lawmakers return to the city
after the mid-term elections on
November 4.
"Diwali's message of toler-
ance and compassion is one that
all Americans can appreciate.
As our friends in the Indian
community here in Texas and
around the world come together
to mark the Festival of Lights, I
send my sincere wishes for a
joyous and prosperous new
year," said Senator John
Cornyn, co-chair of the Senate
India Caucus.
"This meaningful festival is
about the pursuit of light over
darkness, good over evil. It is a
time for reflection and renewal,
and it is a time for peace," said
Congressman Joe Crowley,
vice-chair of the House
Democratic Caucus.
Last year, Crowley and his
Congressional colleagues,
prominent Indian-American
leaders, celebrated Diwali for
the first time.
Extending his warmest wishes
to those celebrating Diwali, NJ
Senator Robert Menendez said
Diwali symbolizes the triumph
of good over evil, and is a time
when millions of people pray
for an auspicious and successful
year to come.
"To the millions who are cele-
brating around the globe, I wish
you a happy Diwali, " said
Congressman Ami Bera, the
only Indian American
Congressman currently.
"As we light our lamps on the
first day of Diwali, it is a time
for us to reflect on the true
meaning of Diwali, in our own
lives.
This holiday is a joyous occa-
sion for many of us as we reflect
on the year behind us and renew
our spirits for the year to come,"
said Congresswoman Tulsi
Gabbard, the first Hindu elected
to the US Congress.
New York: A healthcare worker in
New York, who had returned from
Guinea last week, has tested positive
for Ebola, media reports said. Craig
Spencer, 33, was treating Ebola
patients in Guinea with Doctors
Without Borders, Xinhua reported. He
has become the fourth person diag-
nosed with Ebola in the US -- and the
first to be diagnosed outside Texas. He
had a fever and showed gastrointesti-
nal symptoms and was rushed to
Bellevue Hospital Center on
Thursday. Dr Spencer's travel history
and the timing of the onset of his
symptoms led health officials to dis-
patch a team who immediately began
to actively trace all of the patient's
contacts to identify anyone who may
be at potential risk.
Meanwhile, both nurses who con-
tracted Ebola while caring for a
patient from Liberia in Dallas have
recovered from the potentially deadly
disease. "Our patient, Nina Pham, is
free of Ebola virus," Anthony Fauci,
Director of the National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part
of the NIH, told reporters, citing five
consecutive negative PCR tests that
determine if a patient has the virus.
And Emory University Hospital in
Atlanta, where Amber Vinson, the
second nurse diagnosed with the dis-
ease, has been undergoing treatment
since Oct. 15, said, "Tests no longer
detect the virus in her blood. But we
do not have a discharge date at this
time."
Doc in NYC tests positive;
2 Texas nurses free of Ebola
Mrs Neha Dalal of Bethpage celebrating Diwali &
Gujarati New Year with her in-laws by taking them out
for South Indian lunch at Chennai Dosa, Hicksville.
Seen in the photo Mrs Neha Dalal
with Mrs Nirmala Dalal (86) and
Shri Jayanti Lal Dalal (90) from Mumbai.
Mangano invites residents to
join anti-domestic violence walk
Mineola, NY: Nassau County Executive
Edward P. Mangano has encouraged resi-
dents to join Domestic Harmony
Foundation (DHF) at their 3rd Annual
Walk to End Domestic Violence on
October 26 at Eisenhower Park.
In recognition of National Domestic
Awareness Month, for the past few years
Domestic Harmony Foundation has
raised awareness on this significant com-
munity health issue by organizing suc-
cessful Walk-a-Thons at Eisenhower
Park during the month of October. This
year' s 1.5K walk will take place at
Eisenhower Park, in Cherry Picnic area,
adjacent to Parking Field 5, on Sunday at
11:00 AM. Registration begins at 9:30
AM. Co-sponsors include Macy's, HAB
bank, Whole Foods Jericho, and Student
Leadership Activities Center at Hofstra
University, The Safe Center of Long
Island. DHF is a not-for-profit organiza-
tion in Long Island, working to empower
victims of domestic violence through
support services. For details:
www.dhfny.org.
Washington: Indian American Anita
M. Singh has been appointed to a key
post in the Justice Department' s
Na t i o n a l
S e c u r i t y
Di v i s i o n
(NSD) as
part of a
restructur-
ing to
c o u n t e r
state-spon-
sored eco-
nomic espi-
onage and
proliferation, including through cyber-
space.
The strategic changes are designed
to put additional focus on the protec-
tion of national assets from such
threats and to empower US attorneys
as they conduct outreach on these
issues, assistant attorney general for
National Security John P. Carlin
announced.
Singh, who has been appointed Chief
of Staff and Counsellor after serving in
an acting capacity for over a year
"focuses on strategic management
issues, including the design of struc-
tural changes to support work in
emerging threat areas".
Singh joined NSD as Deputy Chief
of Staff in 2011 after serving as
director for intelligence programs
and reform at the White House
on the National Security Council staff,
where she focused on cyber-related
issues.
Singh began her legal career through
the justice department's honors pro-
gram, serving in the criminal division's
computer crime and intellectual prop-
erty section, and later as a counsel,
focused on cybersecurity, to several
assistant attorneys general.
Prior to entering government service,
Singh was a management strategy con-
sultant with the Boston Consulting
Group. She graduated with her JD and
AM from the University of
Pennsylvania Law School.
Washington: President Barack Obama has
nominated Indian-American investment banker
and philanthropist Azita Raji to the coveted
diplomatic post of US ambassador to Sweden.
Raji, a top bundler for Obama who raised
more than $3 million for his 2012 re-election
campaign, was earlier appointed to the
President's Commission on White House
Fellowship last year. She previously worked
as a vice president of JPMorgan, where she
focused on fixed-income investments.
Significantly, Rajis appointment comes on
the heels of another Indian American , Richard
Rahul Verma being appointed US envoy to
India.
"These fine public servants bring a depth of
experience and tremendous dedication to their
important roles. I look forward to working
with them in the months and years to come,"
Obama said in a White House statement
announcing Raji's nomination with several
other key posts.
California-based Raji is engaged in various
leadership roles with several civic and non-
profit institutions in New York and the District
of Columbia.
She has also served as a Commissioner of
the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.
Since 2013, Raji has served as a Director of
the National Partnership for Women and
Families, a Member of the Bretton Woods
Committee, and an Advisory Board Member of
the Economic Advisory Council at the Centre
for American Progress.
In addition, she has been an Advisory Board
Member of the Columbia Business School
Social Enterprise Program since 2011, and a
Trustee and Executive Committee Member of
Barnard College at Columbia University since
2010.
A Member of the Institute for Chartered
Financial Analysts since 1991, she held senior
positions at several firms, including JP Morgan
Securities. She was National Finance Vice-
Chair for Obama for America in 2012. Raji
received a BA from Barnard College,
Columbia University, and an MBA from
Columbia Business School.
7 October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY
Azita Raji
Anita Singh appointed
to key counter
spying job
Anita Singh
Obama names Indian American ambassador to Sweden
8 October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY
New York: An Indo Caribbean foundry
owner, who claimed that he had been
invited to participate in building the
world' s largest statue of Sardar
Vallabhai Patel in Gujarat, has been sen-
tenced to prison for selling fake bronze
sculptures for millions of dollars in the
U.S.
Brian Ramnarine, 60, of Queens was
sentenced in Manhattan federal court to
30 months in prison for fraudulently
selling and attempting to sell, for more
than $ 11 million, bronze sculptures that
he falsely represented to be works of art
by prominent artists Jasper Johns,
Robert Indiana and Saint Clair Cemin,
federal prosecutor Preet Bharara said in
a statement.
Ramnarine, who was arrested in
November 2012 and had pled guilty in
January this year, was also sentenced by
U.S. District Judge John Koeltl to three
years of supervised release and ordered
to forfeit the fake sculptures and pay
about $ 70,000 to his victims and as for-
feiture. Described by Bharara as a "con
artist", he was given special permission
by Koeltl to attend the September 28
grand reception hosted by the Indian-
American community at Madison
Square Garden here in honor of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
The Indian leader was also allegedly
presented with a 'Peace Warrior' statue
that Ramnarine had cast, according to a
report in the Courthouse News Service.
Ramnarine's lawyer Troy Smith said
in a New York Daily News report the
prison time would cost his client a big
opportunity as he had been invited to
participate in the building of Patel's stat-
ue, touted as the world's largest once
completed.
Ramnarine admitted to the charges
five days into his trial early this year and
during his sentencing he told the judge
that he is "sorry to bring shame on my
family." The prison term is well below
the eight to 10 years Ramnarine faced.
He has to report to prison in January
next year. Smith had sought a lenient
sentence citing Ramnarine's "serious
health issues." Bharara said Ramnarine's
"only art was as a con artist" who con-
cocted and carried out three separate
schemes to peddle fake sculptures to
unsuspecting buyers for millions of dol-
lars, pretending that they had been made
by well-known artists.
New York: The Consulate General of India,
New York, hosted its Eighth Media-India
Lecture Series 2014 - 2015 on the
Civilizational Message of Indian Art by art
historian, photographer and film-maker
Benoy K Behl on October 17 at the
Consulate Ballroom. The lecture series is a
monthly event where the Consulate invites
prominent Indian experts to inform and
spread awareness about issues related to
India, its global image, aspirations and
emerging role in the contemporary affairs.
Behl spoke extensively about the intricate
details of the paintings in the Ajanta caves
in Maharashtra, and the historical signifi-
cance of the level of skill in Indian art.
Furthermore, he elaborated on the cultural
role of the individual and how it reflected in
ancient Indian art and architecture. The
Limca Book of Records, which records
achievements in India, has estimated that in
filming over 100 documentaries about
Indian art history and sculpture, Behl has
covered over 160,000 km in India. Behl is
also recognized as the most traveled photog-
rapher to document Indian art influences
across the world in 2012.
The lecture was attended by university
students, members of the Indian-American
media, scholars, academics and those inter-
ested in expanding their horizons on Indian
art history, architecture and sculpture.
Following his address on the Ajanta Caves,
Behl continued this discussion on Indian art
and culture with Aroon Shivdasani, the
executive director of the Indo-American
Arts Culture. Behl showcased a small selec-
tion of his work of his work, which amasses
to photography and filming of over 46,000
Indian artifacts.
Chicago: Dr. Chad P. Gehani,
D.D.S., a Jackson Heights, New
York-based endodontist, was
recently installed as a trustee of
the American Dental Association
(ADA). Dr. Gehanis installation
took place in San Antonio at the
ADAs 155th Annual Meeting.
Dr. Gehani will serve on the
ADA Board of Trustees as the
trustee from the Second District,
which encompasses New York
State. The ADA Board formulates
and reviews policies and programs and
makes recommendations to the members of
the ADAs governing body, the
House of Delegates. As a mem-
ber of the ADA Board, Dr.
Gehani will play a major role in
the organizations objective of
being Americas leading advo-
cate for oral health.
Dr. Gehani has served as
President of the New York State
Dental Association (2011-2012),
the Queens County Dental
Society (2003), the International
College of Dentists New York
Section (2012) and the Indian Dental
Association, U.S.A. (1985-1986).
India re-elected to UN
Human Rights Council
with highest votes
United Nations: India was re-elected to the United
Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) for the term
2015-2017 in a keenly contested election held on
October 21 in the UN General Assembly in New
York. Other countries in the fray were Bangladesh,
Indonesia, Thailand and Qatar for 4 seats in the
Asia-Pacific Group. India secured the highest
number of votes (162).
India is a committed supporter of the UN Human
Rights system and will continue to work towards
further strengthening of the UN Human Rights
Council. The promotion and protection of the
human rights is ingrained in India's domestic and
foreign policies, the Permanent Mission of India
said in a press statement. The PMI took this oppor-
tunity to convey Government of Indias deep
appreciation and gratitude for the valued support
extended by the esteemed Members States of the
United Nations.
Brian Ramnarine
Indo Caribbean man jailed for selling fake sculptures
George Abraham, Chairman of
the Indian National Overseas
Congress, USA met with Rahul
Gandhi, Vice-President of the
All India Congress Committee
and briefed him on the per-
spectives from the Diaspora on
the recent election reversals.
Gandhi credited NRIs for their
contributions over the years
with ideas, skills and resources
that has transformed India to a
large extent and made it a
respected member of the global
family. Gandhi also promised
further efforts to reconnect the
Congress party with the
Diaspora and to fight the
forces of regressive policies
and division that might erase
the years of progress achieved
under the successive Congress-
led governments.
NY Consulate hosts Benoy Behl's
talk on Indian Art
Art historian, filmmaker and
photographer Benoy Behl with Aroon
Shivdasani, exe director,
IAAC at the event
New York dentist chosen ADA Trustee
Dr Chad Gehani
10 October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Washington, DC: Sahil Doshi
from Pittsburgh, a ninth-grader at
Upper St. Clair High School won
a grand prize of $25000 for his
creation. He was named this year's
'Top Young Scientist' by Discov-
ery Education 3M Young Scientist
Challenge for developing a proto-
type PolluCell, an eco-friendly en-
ergy storage device that harnesses
carbon dioxide to generate elec-
tricity. His invention could help
reduce greenhouse gases in the at-
mosphere and be a low-cost alter-
native for electricity in develop-
ing countries.
Good karma earns
Satya Nadella $11.6 mn in 2014
Washington, DC: Microsoft's Indian-American CEO Satya Nadella, who stirred a contro-
versy by his remarks that women should trust their karma for pay raise, himself earned $11.6
million in fiscal 2014, not counting $79.78 million in stock awards.
Nadella's earnings include compensation as head of Microsoft's cloud and enterprise divi-
sion before he became CEO in February, the Seattle Times reported citing company's proxy
statement filed Monday with the US Security and Exchange Commission.
Microsoft's fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30. Nadella's salary for that time period includes
$918,917 in base pay along with a $3.6 million cash award and a $7.09 million annual stock
award. In addition, he was also granted stock awards worth $79.78 million, including the $7.09
million he actually received in fiscal year 2014.
Nadella's compensation package in fiscal year 2013 was $7.67 million. His compensation
package for fiscal year 2015, his first full year as CEO, could have him earning up to $18 mil-
lion, the Times said.
14 year old named 'top young scientist'
for developing low cost battery
New Delhi: With Prime Minister
Narendra Modi set to visit Australia
for the G-20 summit in Brisbane in
mid-November, efforts are on to
ensure his charisma overwhelms the
Indian diaspora there like at New
York's Madison Square event.
Expected to be participated in by
over 15,000 people, the Sydney
event is being hosted by the Indian
Australian Community Foundation
(IACF), a coalition of diverse
Indian-Australian organizations, to
welcome the Indian prime minister.
"The Sydney event is the only
community address that Prime
Minister Modi will be delivering
during his Australian tour. It holds
significance as it is occurring when
an Indian prime minister is visiting
Australia after 28 years, " said
Ramyavaran Ramaswamy, one of
the main organizers from IACF.
"Within three days of opening reg-
istration, over 250 community
organizations have registered to be a
'Reception Partner' for the event. In
many other senses, it will be bigger
than the Madison Square event of
the US," he added.
Modi would be participating in a
two-day G20 Summit starting Nov
15. It will be followed by the com-
munity reception in Sydney Nov 17
during which Modi will address the
Indian Diaspora. He will address a
joint parliamentary session in
Canberra the next day.
"The huge enthusiasm of Indians
living in Australia for Prime
Minister Modi and the much talked
about Modi Wave in elections has
encouraged us to organize such an
event in a short period of time," he
added. The event will be participat-
ed in by members of the Indian dias-
pora, top members of the Australian
polity and eminent personalities
from different areas like academics,
business and sports, said IACF
chairperson Nihal Agar.
"Though we have got less than a
month' s time to prepare, we are
working hard across many areas in
seeking sponsorship to ensure a suc-
cessful event. The Madisan Square
organizers are believed to have got
over two month time for their
arrangements."
Then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi
had visited Australia in 1986.
Modi's visit follows Australian
Prime Minister Tony Abbott's Indian
tour in September when the two
sides sealed the historic deal to sell
uranium to India.
Washington, DC: Chennai
born Indian-American engineer
and scientist Subra Suresh is
set to be inducted into the
Institute of Medicine (IOM),
making him the only university
president to be elected to all
three national academies.
Suresh the current president
of Carnegie Mellon University
is one of only 16 living
Americans to be elected to the
Institute of Medicine, the
National Academy of Sciences
and the National Academy of
Engineering.
An alumnus of the Indian
Institute of Technology
Madras, Iowa State University
and Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Suresh also served
as Director of the National
Science Foundation from 2010
to 2013
The Foundation is a $7-billion
independent government science
agency charged with advancing
all fields of fundamental science,
engineering research and educa-
tion. The IOM is recognizing
Suresh for advancing health and
medicine through his research
into cell mechanics related to
malaria, blood diseases and cer-
tain types of cancer, the
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania based
university announced.
Suresh's work reflects the inter-
disciplinary nature and collab-
orative spirit of the CMU
known for bringing together
faculty, students and staff
from its various colleges and
schools to solve real-world
problems, it said.
In addition to the three U.S.
National Academies, Suresh
has been elected to the Indian
National Academy of
Engineering, Indian National
Science Academy and Indian
Academy of Sciences and var-
ious science academies in
Spain, Germany, Sweden and
the U.S.
He has also been elected a
fellow or honorary member of
all the major materials
research societies in the U.S.
and India. Election to a
National Academy is among
the highest professional distinc-
tions accorded to engineers, scien-
tists and medical and health pro-
fessionals.
Academy membership honors
those who have made outstanding
contributions to their fields.
Madison Square like event
planned for Modi in Sydney
Currently Subra Suresh is president
of Carnegie Mellon University
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
After National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of
Engineering to be inducted into Institute of Medicine
Scientist Subra Suresh to get rare honor
Sahil Doshi
October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
HAPPY DIWALI
12 October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA
Mumbai/Chandigarh: The BJP
created history in Haryana by get-
ting a clear majority on its own
for the first time and said that it
would form the government in
Maharashtra too where it finished
the single largest group in a hung
assembly but has been offered
support by the NCP.
The Congress was humiliated in
both Haryana and Maharashtra
which it had been ruling for two
and three consecutive terms
respectively.
For the first time, the Bharatiya
Janata Party got a clear mandate
in Haryana, winning 47 seats in
the 90-member assembly with a
33.2 percent vote share.
In Maharashtra, the BJP won
122 seats in the 288-member
assembly, falling well short of the
145 seats required for a simple
majority. Its ally Rashtriya Samaj
Paksha won one.
With the NCP, which won 41
seats, offering BJP "outside sup-
port", leaving the runner up and
former ally Shiv Sena high and
dry, BJP president Amit Shah said
in New Delhi that his party would
"form the next government" in the
state.
NCP leader Praful Patel said
Maharashtra needed stability and
so his party was ready to prop up
a BJP government.
The Shiv Sena, which ended up
with 63 seats, had earlier said it
was ready to make up with the
BJP, a sentiment shared by some
of the latter's leaders, including
L.K. Advani, one of those who
was not happy with the decision
to dump its ally of 25 long years
after a row over seat sharing
ahead of elections.
The Congress, which, with the
NCP, ruled Maharashtra for 15
years until their alliance collapsed
before the elections, finished third
with 42 seats.
Shiv Sena chief Udhav
Thackeray said that nobody from
the BJP has approached his party
for support, and his party would
not approach it with any proposal.
"If (the BJP) they make any pro-
posal, we shall consider it," he
said.
Earlier, Maharashtra BJP leader
Devendra Fadnavis said that while
no discussions had taken place
with the Sena, "if the need arises,
we expect our friends to support
us", while Sena leader Anil Desai
added that the acrimony between
the parties was history.
Amit Shah said the victory in
Haryana and the near victory in
Maharashtra proved that the
"Modi wave" which catapulted
the BJP to power in the Lok Sabha
battle was still intact.
Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra
Navnirman Sena cut a sorry figure
and is likely to end up with just
three seats. Independents and
smaller parties could have 19
members. The Majlis-e-Ittehadul
Muslimeen (MIM) made an
impressive debut winning two
seats while losing three by narrow
margins in its first attempt to
expand its base outside
Hyderabad.
The NCP blamed the Congress
for the Maharashtra verdict.
Former chief minister Prithviraj
Chavan accepted responsibility
for the Congress rout.
Outgoing Haryana Chief
Minister Bhupinder Hooda also
accepted defeat and submitted his
resignation to Governor Kaptan
Singh Solanki to pave way for
formation of the new government.
Mumbai: The Bharatiya
Janata Party appears in no
hurry to form the next gov-
ernment in Maharashtra and
the process may be initiated
only early next week after the
Diwali festival is over, party
sources said here.
Home Minister Rajnath
Singh, who as and party
observer was expected to
arrive in Mumbai along with
senior colleague J.P. Nadda
to crown the next
Maharashtra chief minister,
postponed his visit Tuesday
for the second time in a row
and will now come down
next week. "I am not going
today. I may go to Mumbai
after Diwali," Rajnath Singh
told media persons in New Delhi, extending
the nail-biting suspense in the state since the
BJP emerged as the single-largest party in the
13th assembly elections but fell short of sim-
ple majority.
The state BJP - already assured of uncondi-
tional external support from the Nationalist
Congress Party - has decided to continue its
independent efforts to cobble up at least a
minority government.
It has contacted over a dozen of the 18
Independents or newly-elected legislators
from small and regional parties who have got
single-digit representation in the new house.
Senior party leaders are claiming that with
the support of these Independents and smaller
or regional parties, the BJP could stake claim
to form a minority government.
BJP defers government
formation in Maharashtra
BJP wins Haryana, to rule Maharashtra
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray
Modi and Amit Shah's magic continues to charm voters.
Chandigarh: Haryana is all set for a BJP
rule for the first time, with Chief Minister-
designate Manohar Lal Khattar scheduled
to be sworn in on October 25.
Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh
Solanki Tuesday invited Khattar, who ear-
lier in the day was elected leader of the
Haryana BJP Legislative Party, to form
the new government in the state.
The oath-taking ceremony will take
place at the Tau Devi Lal Sports Stadium
in Panchkula, near here, instead of the
Haryana Raj Bhavan.
Khattar, 60, will be the first Bharatiya
Janata Party chief minister of the state,
which was formed Nov 1, 1966.
The former Rashtriya Swayamsewak
Sangh (RSS) 'pracharak' was chosen by
the newly elected BJP legislators as their
leader at a meeting here.
The BJP, which created political history
Sunday by winning 47 seats in the
Haryana assembly polls, Tuesday staked
its claim to form the next government in
the state. The BJP, till now, used to play
second fiddle to other regional parties in
the state.
A letter from the party was submitted to
the Haryana governor by Khattar after he
was unanimously elected leader of the
BJP legislative group.
Khattar was accompanied to Raj Bhavan
by union minister Venkaiah Naidu, BJP
national vice president Dinesh Sharma,
state BJP president Ram Bilas Sharma,
union minister Krishan Pal Gurjar and
other BJP leaders. "I have been chosen by
the party legislators and the BJP leader-
ship for this responsibility. I can assure
you that we will work for the welfare of
the people of Haryana," Khattar said.
Khattar is seen as a "no-nonsense man"
with organizational skills.
Chief Minister-designate
Manohar Lal Khattar
Khattar to be Haryana CM
TheSouthAsianTimes.info October 25-31, 2014 HAPPY DIWALI
14 October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA
New Delhi: The Congress
attacked Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley over his remarks that dis-
closure of names of those holding
illicit foreign accounts will
embarrass the party and said the
Modi government should not
indulge in any blackmail and
come out with full information
instead of "selective leakage".
Party general secretary Ajay
Maken said the Modi Government
should not indulge in selective or
vindictive leaking of names.
If Jaitley was trying to black-
mail the Congress party by such
petty games, he should desist
from the same, Maken added.
Maken's response came after
Jaitley's interview to NDTV news
channel in which he said that the
Congress will face some embar-
rassment when the names of those
holding illicit foreign accounts
come out.
Jaitley gave another interview to
Times Now news channel and
said the government cannot reveal
all names in the list of those who
have accounts in banks abroad as
some of them have legitimate
accounts and cannot be maligned.
"We have got some names.
Under the treaty, we cannot reveal
it for political purposes," he said.
"Some people have legitimate
accounts. We cannot disclose the
names who have legal accounts,"
the minister said, adding that for
this reason the government has
also requested the Supreme Court
not to reveal all the names in the
list.
Jaitley refused to give more
details.
Asked if there were politicians
in the list from opposition party
Congress, the minister said he will
"neither confirm, nor deny any-
thing".
He, however, said he will be
"enthusiastic" in sharing the
names if any opponent's name is
there.
Reacting strongly to Jaitley's
remarks, Maken said the party
was above any individual and the
government of the day should pro-
ceed against and investigate those
whose names are there in the list
without being selective or vindic-
tive.
It had all the state machinery at
its disposal and not try to subvert
issues by getting into pointless fil-
ibuster, Maken said.
Maken also attacked the
Bharatiya Janata Party over its
promise of bringing back black
money, claiming that its leaders
had said that each citizen could
get Rs 15 lakh if the black money
was brought back.
It is a worrying development if
the BJP is trying to avoid deliver-
ing upon the promise, a major pil-
lar of the BJP campaign in the
hope of which the people of India
had voted them to power, Maken
said.
The Congress leader said that
the BJP government filed an affi-
davit before the Supreme Court
seeking modification of the July,
2011 order of the court wherein
the Court had expressly directed
the government to reveal the
names of black money account
holders.
He said the court had had said in
July, 2011 that the Double
Taxation Avoidance Agreements
(DTAA) dont deter the govern-
ment from disclosing the names of
account holders who have stashed
black money abroad.
Referring to suggestions that the
government will only disclose 136
out of the 800 names, Maken
called for full and complete dis-
closure of details of such account
holders.
Congress spokesperson
Abhishek Singhvi also said that
the government should reveal all
the names.
"The government said it will
reveal 136 names out of a list of
800. Why is the government being
selective... in revealing the
names," Singhvi said.
"Threatening Congress over
black money will not help. The
people want the black money to
be brought back, have they got
even Rs.500 back?".
Lucknow: Stung by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's grow-
ing criticism by UP chief minister
Akhilesh Yadav, BJP has chal-
lenged him to show his 31-
month's report card before ques-
tioning the track record of the
BJP-led NDA government.
State spokesman Vijay Bahadur
Pathak said that the Samajwadi
Party (SP) government had very
little to show in its tenure so far
and it was hence a joke that it was
ridiculing the Modi government.
Referring to the statement of
Akhilesh Yadav at Bateshwar ear-
lier this week that the prime min-
ister must explain why despite a
majority he has done nothing to
fulfill his poll promises, Pathak
said the chief minister must first
come clean on his dismal gover-
nance before pointing fingers at
others.
"He owes an explanation on
why despite being handed a
majority 2012 state assembly
polls, his government has went
back on poll promises like with-
drawing the free laptop scheme,
the free tablet PC scheme never
seeing the light of the day and
why despite loan waiver, farmers
were resorting to suicides," the
BJP leader mused.
He also charged the UP chief
minister of being hostile to the
'Swach Bharat Yojna' initiated by
Prime Minister Modi and added
that on several occasions Yadav
had made a mockery of the initia-
tive.
"Cleanliness is a nation move-
ment not a BJP-centric drive and
the young chief minister should
understand that before making
unsavoury remarks on the PM',
Pathak further added. Unnerved
by the support the mission is
drawing from the people and the
celebrities, Yadav is unnerved
and giving statements like "PM
has forgotten his dreams and is
now weilding the broom".
The BJP spokesman also point-
ed out that senior SP leader and
uncle of the chief minister had
raised questions on the law and
order in the state.
"Ram Gopal Yadav who is the
think tank of the party recently
told a gatthering in Etawah that
crime was spiralling and needed
strict intervention, what does the
CM have to say about his own
uncles observations," the BJP has
asked.
After winning 9 of the 12 state
assembly seats in two rounds of
bypolls, UP chief minister,
buoyed by the success has been
targeting the prime minister
and the BJP more than often,
raising the hackled of the saffron
camp.
Akhilesh should explain his dismal tenure: BJP
Reveal all names on black money: Congress
UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav
The Congress attacked Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over his
remarks that disclosure of names of those holding illicit foreign
accounts will embarrass the party.
Greater Noida: India has never vio-
lated the 2003 ceasefire with Pakistan
on the Jammu and Kashmir border,
Home Minister Rajnath Singh said.
"India never violates the ceasefire. It
is a country which believes in peace,"
t he mi ni st er sai d i n response t o
Pakistani allegations.
"In the last two days, it is Pakistan
which has violated the ceasefire. They
did not even spare a day like Diwali,"
he added.
The latest ceasefire violation by
Pakistani forces occurred Thursday,
t he day of Di wal i , when Pri me
Minister Narendra Modi was visiting
Kashmir.
The minister was speaking at an
event to mark the 53rd Raising Day of
t he Indo-Ti bet an Border Pol i ce
(ITBP) at Soorajpur here.
India never
violates ceasefire:
Rajnath
16 October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info OP-ED
By Ravindra Godse
I
ndias current population is estimated to
be 1.25 billion people and the NRI popu-
lation is approximately 25 million. So for
every 5 people living in India, there is 1 per-
son of Indian origin residing outside India.
India is the largest democracy in the world.
It is a parliamentary democracy similar to
the United Kingdom, where each Member of
Parliament is responsible for his specific dis-
trict. But, it is not like South Africa where a
party fights the elections and then nominates
MPs in a listing system.
Tip ONeill, the former Speaker of the
House in the USA, used to say, All politics
is local. In most cases, this is true. Local
people have local needs and local issues, and
vote for a local candidate. There may, how-
ever, be national waves that submerge local
concerns, in Indian National Parliamentary
elections, for instance.
Let us take the example of Indians staying
in the United States. For arguments sake, let
us only consider the Indians who have still
retained their Indian citizenship and voting
rights. Efforts are already underway to help
these people vote in Indian elections without
having to go to home country. For better or
for worse, they are likely to stay in the
United States. Now, why would these people
care about the electricity supply in the town
that they grew up, or about transportation
networks in their previous home town?
Yet, Indians abroad send money back
home, travel frequently to India, champion
India in their daily lives, subscribe to Indian
TV, watch Indian language movies, often
pirated. They are citizens of India and they
have local needs in United States that pertain
to the Government of India. They may want
help with travel needs of their foreign citizen
children. They may have issues with bank-
ing. They may want the Indian government
to help secure their property in India without
encroachment. They may want Air India to
add a direct flight to their hometown from
where they are living in the US. While these
global citizens are broadly aligned with
Indias needs and aspirations, they have
some issues that are uniquely their own,
influenced by where they live.
Why not use the clear majority of the cur-
rent BJP government and call for a constitu-
tional amendment regarding Members of
Parliament? Then, the Government of India
can devise, say, 5-10 MPS to represent
Indians in the USA. Maybe an additional 5
members to represent Indians in the UK.
These MPs would be elected locally in dis-
tricts drawn by the Election Commission of
India. After elections, these members could
either choose to attend the parliamentary
sessions in India in person or via Skype.
These members would be responsible for the
local people and their local issues.
Therefore, the non-resident Indians would
not be disenfranchised of their basic voting
rights. They would also have a lobby that,
with time, would have sufficient clout to tilt
the national opinion in favor of the issues
they feel strongly about. Now, would offer-
ing the Members of Parliament only in the
USA and UK disenfranchise Indians in
Eritrea or Albania? Sure it might. But it
could also be a pilot program capable of
being extended in future, and, whether they
like it or not, Eritrea and Albania are not the
USA and UK!
In a world where we envisage shrinking
boundaries, these NRIs will be true global
citizens. In time, the voting franchise can be
even extended to people who have given up
their Indian citizenship, provided the laws of
the sovereign nation where they reside allow
it. Most of these people, despite having
given up their Indian citizenship, look like
Indians, talk like Indians, eat like Indians,
think like Indians, and cross streets like
Indians. Then why should the color of their
passport prevent them from voting like
Indians?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a clear
mandate and a clear majority. He also has a
very clean image so he cannot be accused of
Gerrymandering, carving up congressional
districts to suit a partys future ambitions.
Considering the robust economic growth
that is predicted for India, harnessing the
existing economic power of the NRIs could
get the Indian economy sprinting out of the
gate in an unprecedented gallop. The double
taxation avoidance treaty allows Indians
residing abroad not to pay taxes in India.
Taxation without representation is Divine
Comedy. Taxation with representation is
Utopia. No taxation and full representation
is Animal Farm where you are Comrade
Napoleon!
A unique proposal to extend Indias parliamentary districts to overseas
Mike Honda
M
ike Honda is a down to
earth "great guy," who is
a principled person and a
principled leader, and our Republic
needs him returned to Congress.
While Ro Khanna may prove over
time to also be a great guy, Mike
already is and has seniority - some-
thing quite valuable in Congress.
Ranju and I met Mike and found
in him what a Great American is.
He is a third generation Japanese-
American and was a one-year old
baby when our nation committed a
gross sin with the internment of
Japanese Americans in 1942 - Mike
was in the Camp with his parents.
(Thank heaven there was no FDR
EO 9066 for German or Italian
Americans to be sent to camps.)
After Jimmy Carter's Commission,
Ronald Reagan signed the law in
1988 to apologize and pay $20,000
to each living survivor of the
Camps for Japanese-Americans.
During the Camps, young
Japanese-American men volun-
teered to serve in America's armed
forces to defend America - and they
served in the 442 Regiment. There
were those who felt that their nation
of birth, America, had grossly vio-
lated their constitutional rights as
Americans and disregarded their
patriotism and wanted legal redress.
This group was known as the "No
No" boys. Mike has been an honest
representative of both legacies
while protecting America from ene-
mies foreign and domestic.
What's truly remarkable is that
Mike led the Congress in 2007 to
pass HR121 to redress the injustice
to the so-called "comfort women,"
mostly Korean, who were "used"
by the Japanese Imperial Army dur-
ing WWII. This level of principled
leadership is valuable, as it sets a
baseline of what honor, integrity,
patriotism and wisdom is for others
to seek to emulate.
Mike's tempered and wise service
to our nation in Congress and his
national leadership is sorely need-
ed, as is his service a national asset
in our nation's foreign relations.
Mike Honda - a man who makes
America win and brings the best
out of each American. Ranju and I
are proud to endorse Mike Honda
for Congress.
Ami Bera
A
mi Bera is a soft-spoken
American, with great bed-
side manners in Congress
across the aisle, and has a steel-
back of his principles. Indeed, his
firs re-election, a traditional soft
target, has become a primary target
with $10 million being spent
against him. That he is not only in
the race but standing tall speaks to
his courage and convictions. His
constituents know that their
Congressman Ami Bera is a worka-
holic on their behalf and honors his
high fiduciary duty to do right by
them and revive the American
Dream for all Americans. Ranju
and I have dealt with him on many
occasions, and he has been support-
ive of Ranju's pet project - to get
USPS to issue a Diwali Stamp - an
effort she leads as chair of Diwali
Stamp Project, along with the
national leadership of our dear
friend Congresswoman Carolyn B.
Maloney. Ami has been supportive
at all levels.
Ami is a man for all seasons, as
he honors and defends America,
while seeking for every American
their just share of the American
Dream. His youth, vitality, vision
and passion set him apart and earn
him his first re-election. Ami Bera
is an Indian-American, who exem-
plifies some of the finest attributes
of a leader, and will continue to
grow in power and responsibilities
as his service to constituent and
nation warrants. Ranju and I are
proud to endorse Ami Bera for
Congress.
Re-elect Mike Honda and Ami Bera to Congress
Besides practicing medicine in
Pittsburgh, PA, Dr. Ravi has also direct-
ed three movies:
Dr. Ravi and Mr.
Hyde, I Am a
Schizophrenic and
So Am I, and
Help Me, Help
You (featuring
notable Hollywood
stars like Steve
Guttenberg and Richard Kind). He is
currently working on a World War II
drama called Honey, I Changed the
Past, where Mahatma Gandhi and
Israels David Ben-Gurion get
exchanged with each other in 1942 with
interesting results.
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
Mike Honda, Ravi Batra, Sudip Datta,
Mike's Finance Director.
Ravi Batra, Ranju Batra (chair, Diwali Stamp Project), Ami Bera,
Carolyn Maloney, and Ron Stroman (Deputy Postmaster General).
By Ravi Batra
October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info HAPPY DIWALI
October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
HAPPY DIWALI
Happy Diwali
Best Wishes for a Happy, Healthy,
& Prosperous New Year.
20
By Rishikant Singh
D
iwali, the festival of festi-
vals, is being celebrated
this week with gusto
among all Indians and their friends
and well-wishers residing all over
the world. I convey good wishes to
all our friends and family beyond
Air Indians.
The festival week signicance
spans major religions of India,
namely Hinduism, Buddhism,
Jainism and Sikhism.
Here is a compilation of the
events that are celebrated:
Lord Rama's return to Ayodhya
from 14 years exile along with wife
Sita, brother Lakshman, and devout
Hanuman brought immense joy to
the people who lighted lamps to
illuminate the captial city.
Lord Vishnu as Vaman avatar
rescued Lakshmi from the prison of
King Bali who was banished to the
underworld on this day.
The Pandavas returned to
Hastinapur after 12 years of banish-
ment. Happy citizens lit earthen
lamps in celebration.
Bandi Chhorr Divas, festival of
Sikhs, celebrates the release of their
sixth guru - Guru HarGobind Singh
from the Gwalior Fort along with
52 other Hindu princes in 1619.
Foundation stone of the
Golden Temple in Amritsar was
laid on the day of Diwali in 1577.
Ashok Vijaydashmi celebrates
the conversion of emperor Ashoka
to Buddhism on this day with
prayers and decoration of the
monasteries.
Diwali in Nepal is known as
Tihar and celebrated with splendor.
Lord Mahavira, the last of the
Jain Tirthankar of the era, attained
eternal bliss of Nirvana or Moksha
on this day at Pavapuri on lunar
Chaturdashi of Kartika on 15
October 527 BC. According to the
Kalpasutra by Archarya
Bhadrabahu, 3rd century BC, many
Gods were present there, illuminat-
ing the darkness with their divine
light
Diwali marks the end of har-
vest season in most of India.
Farmers pray for a good harvest for
the year to come.
Hindus pray for removal of all the
darkness and poverty from every-
one's lives, and to ll all hearts with
the sparkling golden light of peace,
love, truth, and spiritual joy.
The illumination of homes with
lights, and the skies with recrack-
ers, is an expression of obeisance to
the heavens for the attainment of
health, wealth, knowledge, peace
and prosperity.
Deepavali delivers us from
Darkness unto Light, to commit
ourselves to good deeds, and thus
approach divinity.
There are many more reasons and
auspicious events associated with
this very popular festival of India.
Hindi Greetings
Diwali ka ye paawan tyohaar,
Jeevan mein laye khushiyan
apaar,
Laxmiji viraje aapke dwaar,
Shubhkamnayen hamari kare
sweekar,
Aapko aur aapke pariwar ko
Diwali ki shubhkamnaye.
By Parveen Chopra
T
he festival of festivals in
India and for Indians, Diwali
in America is in no way in
the league of Christmas,
Thanksgiving or even Halloween.
But it is getting an airing, a hearing
and more than a glance.
Firstly, the Indian community
itself, growing in numbers, con-
dence and clout, is becoming more
and more open and vocal about its
mores, beliefs and festivals. Diwali
and Holi events, garbas and
Bollywood extravaganzas keep
mushrooming and dot the land-
scape. Temples adhering to differ-
ent faiths originating in India mul-
tiply in neighborhoods where
Indians have settled, and that is
now in almost all states.
Secondly, at a time of the
Browning of America, and multi-
culturalism set to be the mantra of
future, the mainstream is looking at
and looking up in admiration at the
community that is dominating IT,
hoteliering, the medical profession,
and much else.
Diwali celebration is now on the
annual calendar of the White
House, Secretary of State and the
US Congress. Lawmakers and gov-
ernment ofcials readily attend
Diwali melas organized by the
local communities. Who can resist
getting introduced to an audience
of tens of thousands -- that is the
number of people who attend the
Deepavali celebration at South
Street Seaport in New York or
Diwali San Antonio, an ofcial
event of the Texan city?
In some school districts Diwali is
already a holiday, and demand for
the same erupting in many other
places. There is a bill in Congress
to get USPS to release a Diwali
stamp. Presiding over the State
Departments rst Diwali celebra-
tion this week, Secretary John
Kerry hailed the accomplishments
of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, and Jain
Americans spread across the
nation. Today, the South Asian
diaspora is a pillar of every aspect
of American society, he said. not-
ing South Asians sit in the execu-
tive suites of some of our countrys
most successful companies, or at
the very helm of all of them. They
are a driving force behind
American leadership and science
and innovation, and in the history
of our nation. At the rst
Congressional Diwali event last
year, House Minority Leader
Nancy Pelosi expressed the coun-
trys gratitude to Indian Americans
and to India itself: "United States
owes a great debt of gratitude to
India. Because our civil rights
movement was built on the non-
violent movement in India. Martin
Luther King studied there, spoke
there. We are blessed not only by
that legacy, but also by the pres-
ence of so many Indo-Americans in
our country."
Mainstreaming of Diwali gains ground
For long a myth prevailed that Indian philosophy is other-worldly that inspires renunciation. Worship of Goddess Lakshmi
notwithstanding! ((right) The legend of Lord Ram moves the masses, so, many trace Diwali to his return from exile
celebrated in Ayodhya by wall-to-wall illumination.
Five days of
Diwali celebration
Day 1 - Dhanteras /
Dhanvantari Trayodashi
Goddess Lakshmi is worshiped
to provide prosperity and well-
being. Dhanvantri, physician of
the gods, is remembered for
health and hygiene.
Day 2 - Choti Deepavali /
Naraka Chaturdashi
Naraka Chaturdasi marks the
vanquishing of the demon
Narakasur by Lord Krishna and
his wife Satyabhama.
Narakasur and his mother
Bhudevi or Mother Earth
wished his death to be occasion
for rejoicing, rather than
mourning.
Day 3 - Main Deepavali /
Lakshmi Puja
Amavasya or new moon night
marks the worship of Lakshmi,
the goddess of wealth in her
most benevolent mood, fulll-
ing the wishes of her devotees.
Lord Vishnu, in his dwarf s
incarnation, vanquished the
tyrant Bali to rescue her. Bali
was allowed to return to earth
once a year, on this day to light
millions of lamps to dispel
darkness and ignorance, and
spread the radiance of love and
wisdom.
Day 4 - Pratipat / Padwa Puja /
Govardhan Puja / Annakoot
Mount Govardhan lifted by
Lord Krishna on one nger
formed an umbrella to protect
people of Gokul from a deluge
sent by Lord Indra. Annakoot
means mountain of food.
Prayers for plentiful are offered
with obeisance to Lord Krishna
on this day.
Day 5 - Yama Dvitiya / Bhai
Dooj
Yamraj, the Lord of death visit-
ed and gave his sister Yamuna a
boon that whosoever visits her
on this day shall be liberated
from all sins. Traditionally,
brothers visit their sisters.
Lord Mahavir, the founder of
Jainism had attained nirvana, or
heaven. His brother King
Nandivardhan was very dis-
tressed, and was comforted by
their sister Sudarshana. Sisters
have been revered since, sym-
bolized by Bhai Dooj.
In India, respect for women is
seen in every aspect of festivals
and celebrations. The creator is
shown as sublime, divine, femi-
nine force of Shakti, venerated
in several goddess forms like
Durga on a lioness, or Kali, the
ery dark goddess of power.
(The author is Regional
Manager Americas, Air India,
New York.)
22
Lighting at
a Kali Puja
Pandal on
Kali Puja
in North
24
Parganas
district of
West
Bengal on
Oct. 23,
2014.
The Dev
Deepavali
(Festival of
Lights of the
Gods) is the
festival of
Kartik Poornima
celebrated in
Varanasi, India.
It takes place 15
days after Diwali
and there is a
big Ganga Aarti.
Widows
light
crackers
as they
celebrate
Diwali at
an Ashram
in
Vrindavan,
India,
last year.
For Diwali, IIT Kharagpur in West Bengal holds an illumination contest between hostels.
Diyas arranged on tall bamboo structures (called chatais) form outlines of people, monuments, or an event.
Diwali
illumina-
tion and
fireworks
at BAPS
Swaminara
yan Temple
in Atlanta.
A Many-Splendored Festival
Diwali motifs
Swastika is the symbol of divinity in
Hinduism, therefore it is a funda-
mental part of all religious cere-
monies. If this beautiful form is
rotated clockwise or anti-clockwise,
it does not make any geometrical or
physical changes, and symbolizes
the unchanging, all directional and
endless nature of God.
In Hinduism the Peacock is
associated with Lakshmi, the
goddess representing benevolence,
patience, kindness, compassion and
good luck. Accrodingly, peacock is a
common motif in rangoli and other
Diwali decorations.
Srinagar: Wrapped in thick wool-
lens, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi flew to the icy heights of
Siachen Glacier in Jammu and
Kashmir where he lauded the
armed forces and promised a
national memorial for Indian sol-
diers. He later announced an addi-
tional relief package of Rs.745
crore for the flood-ravaged state.
The Siachen halt marked the start
of a visit on Diwali day to the state
where he later met victims of the
recent floods - the most destructive
in 50 years - at Raj Bhavan, an
event boycotted by Chief Minister
Omar Abdullah.
"I am fortunate that as a servant
of the nation, I got to see in what
circumstances the soldiers have to
live here," Modi said, addressing
troops in Hindi in freezing tempera-
ture at the world's highest battle-
field.
Dressed in battle fatigue woollen
jackets, a red scarf and goggles to
protect the eyes from blizzards,
Modi promised to enforce a one-
rank-one-pension scheme for the
armed forces during his tenure.
"It is my duty to see that you and
your family live in pride."
The Siachen conflict between
India and Pakistan has reportedly
claimed more than 2,000 lives on
both sides since 1984, with most
soldiers falling victim to inhos-
pitable weather and altitude prob-
lems.
"Everyone is aware of the
extreme conditions at Siachen.
Overcoming every challenge our
soldiers stand firm, protecting our
motherland," Modi earlier tweeted.
"Be it the altitude or bitter cold,
nothing deters our soldiers. They
stand there, serving our nation.
They make us truly proud."
He said he had "a message from
each and every Indian to our sol-
diers: that we stand shoulder to
shoulder with you...
"We realize how and in what dif-
ficult conditions you are deployed
here."
From Siachen, Modi extended
Diwali greetings to everyone --
including President Pranab
Mukherjee, the commander in chief
of the armed forces.
"Perhaps this is the first time a
prime minister has got the wonder-
ful opportunity of spending time
with our jawans on this auspicious
day... Am sure this would be among
the most unique greetings Pranab-
da received."
As Modi flew to Siachen,
Pakistan Rangers fired at Indian
paramilitary positions on the inter-
national border in Jammu, 365 km
away while a strike called by sepa-
ratists hit life in Srinagar.
Modi also said he wanted to build
a national war memorial for the
military.
Meanwhile, buses went off the
roads in Srinagar but some private
vehicles and auto-rickshaws plied
during a shutdown called by sepa-
ratist groups opposed to Modi's
visit. Most shops were shut, and
police and paramilitary personnel
were deployed in large numbers all
across the city.
Separatist leader Syed Ali
Geelani accused Modi of rubbing
"salt on our wounds" by visiting
Kashmir on Diwali but not extend-
ing Eid greetings to Kashmiri
Muslims.
Jammu and Kashmir Liberation
Front leader Yasin Malik said Modi
was "politicising a human tragedy"
-- a reference to Modi's meetings
with the flood victims.
Modi later announced an addi-
tional relief package of Rs.745
crore for rebuilding of damaged
homes and hospitals in the flood-
affected state.
"I had come here immediately
after the floods last month and
announced a relief package of
Rs.1,000 crore. The purpose of my
today's visit has been to meet the
people and get a better idea about
what needs to be done for the peo-
ple who suffered during the
floods," Modi told media persons at
Raj Bhavan.
He said the loss memo of
Rs.44,000 crore submitted to the
Centre by the state government was
being examined, and announced an
immediate relief of Rs.570 crore for
rebuilding of damaged homes and
Rs.175 crore for similarly affected
hospitals in the state.
Meanwhile, many flood-affected
people who came to meet Modi
returned disappointed as they were
not allowed to enter Raj Bhavan.
24
Amritsar: The Border Security
Force (BSF) did not exchange
sweets and greetings with their
counterparts Pakistan Rangers on
the occasion of Diwali.
This is the second time within
this month that the border guards
of both the countries have not
exchanged sweets during their fes-
tivals. Both sides broke the tradi-
tion and did not exchange sweets
and greetings on the occasion of
Eid earlier this month.
BSF officials here said that no
effort was made to work out the
protocol for exchange of sweets.
The tradition of exchanging
sweets between both the sides is
being followed for the past many
years on major religious festivals
in both countries and also during
their Independence Day celebra-
tions.
The move for shunning
exchange of sweets and greetings
is being attributed to repeated
ceasefire violations by Pakistan in
Jammu and Kashmir for the last
one month.
The Attari-Wagah international
land border between both the
countries, 30 km from Amritsar,
has a joint check post. It is mainly
used for trading activity and allow-
ing people from both sides to cross
over. Punjab has a 553-km barbed
wire fenced international border
with Pakistan.
No Diwali sweets exchange at Attari border
Kolkata: Amid prayers and a
plethora of glimmering fire-
works, West Bengal celebrated
Diwali and Kali Puja with enthu-
siasm and fervor.
As the sun set, clay lamps
(diyas) and streams of tiny lights
lit up the eastern metropolis
while pyrotechnics provided a
stunning backdrop.
With Diwali and Kali Puja
falling on the same day, it was
double celebrations for people
here who were still in the mood
of a post-Durga Puja hangover.
Durga Puja is the biggest festi-
val in West Bengal. However,
Kali Puja celebrations are in no
way low-key.
People across the state
exchanged sweets and savories
with friends, neighbors and rela-
tives. The festival saw the min-
gling of a sizeable population of
non-Bengali communities
(Marwari, Gujarati, Bihari) and
Bengalis across the state to cele-
brate Diwali.
Thousands of people visited
Kalighat and Dakshineswar Kali
temples since morning to offer
prayers to the goddess on this
auspicious day.
Long queues were seen at
Tarapith temple near Rampurhat
in Birbhum district, where lakhs
of pilgrims converged to seek
blessings of the goddess.
Children helped their parents
put up glittery decorations in
their homes. An array of crackers
- torches, sparklers, flowerpots,
rockets - spread cheer among rev-
elers as they burst into colorful
sparks against the night sky.
To prevent firecracker-related
injuries and health hazards, alert
citizens followed tips and advice
issued by doctors.
Anupam Golash, senior con-
sultant for plastic surgery at
CMRI Hospital, advised against
wearing synthetic garments, and
keeping a bucket of water handy.
Girls and women showcased
their artistic skills through variety
of colorful Rangolis (folk art pat-
terns created on the floor using
coloured rice, flour, colored sand
and flower petals).
Cultural programs were organ-
ized, and people thronged com-
munity pandals (marquees)
dressed in their best ethnic wear.
Apart from community pan-
dals, Kali Puja is also performed
at houses. Family members
pitched in to arrange items for the
rituals and the Prasad (food offer-
ing to the deity).
The festivities have kept the
city administration on its toes.
Authorities have banned crackers
emitting over 90 decibel of sound
to control noise pollution.
The West Bengal Pollution
Control Board has urged the resi-
dents to observe the norms for a
safe Diwali.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the officers and jawans of
the Indian Army at Siachen Base Camp.
Modi celebrates Diwali at Siachen Glacier
Bengal celebrates Kali Puja, Diwali with reworks
The move is being attributed to repeated ceasefire
violations by Pakistan.
With Diwali and Kali Puja
falling on the same day, it
was double celebrations
for people.
October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
HAPPY DIWALI
Mumbai: Samvat 2071, marking
the start of the New Year, began on
a positive note for Indian equities
at a special trading session on
Diwali day with a key index gain-
ing some 63 points, or 0.24 per-
cent. The markets had closed with
the sensitive index (Sensex) of the
Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)
logging the best annual gain in five
years of 26.1 percent.
Thursday saw this bellwether
index of 30 shares close at
26,851.05 points, as against the
day's opening at 26,889.51 points
and previous close at 26,787.23
points, data with the BSE after the
one-hour special "muhurat" ses-
sion showed. Another closely-
watched index, the 50-share Nifty
of the National Stock Exchange
also gained 0.23 percent Thursday,
ending the day at 8,014.55 points
during a similar session.
During the past year, the Sensex
had touched a record high of
27,254.99 points Sep 8, mainly on
the back of the positive sentiments
generated by the clear mandate for
the perceived business-friendly
Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the
national elections earlier this year.
The mid-cap and small-cap
stocks, too, had performed well.
Investments by foreign funds in
Indian equities amounted to nearly
$17 billion in Samvat 2070.
During the special trading session,
all the 12 sector-specific indices of
the BSE ended higher, so did the
small-cap and mid-cap indices.
26
Indian equities markets start
'New Year' on positive note
Amritsar: The holi-
est of Sikh shrines,
Harmandir Sahib,
popularly known as
Golden Temple, was
lighted up in festive
spirit in this Sikh
holy city in Punjab.
Fireworks display
and millions of
lights around the
whole complex saw
thousands of devo-
tees turning up for
the occasion.
The day is celebrated in the Sikh
religion as 'Bandi Chhor Diwas'
(prisoner liberation day). On this
day, the sixth guru of the Sikhs,
Guru Hargobind, returned to
Amritsar after being released
along with 52 princes from impris-
onment by Mughal emperor
Jahangir from Gwalior prison in
1619.
The guru and the princes arrived
in Amritsar during Diwali festivi-
ties. Since then, the Bandi Chhor
Diwas and Diwali celebrations
coincide at the Golden Temple
complex. Hundreds of devotees
could be seen lined up since
Thursday morning to offer prayers
at the shrine.
The renovated plaza around the
famous Sikh shrine was thrown
open for the public Wednesday.
Elsewhere in Punjab, markets
wore a festive look on the occasion
of Diwali. Hundreds of people
thronged various markets in
Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar,
Patiala and other towns.
The festival spirit for Diwali
could also be seen in Chandigarh
and towns and cities in Haryana.
Fireworks, lighting at Golden Temple Delhi celebrates
festival of lights
New Delhi: Dressed up in traditional
fineries, residents of the national
capital celebrated Diwali by decorat-
ing the forecourts of their houses
with colorful rangolis, visiting tem-
ples, and exchanging sweets and
gifts with friends and families.
Temples around the city were
decked up and were thronged by
devotees throughout the day while
many visited their near and dear
ones on the festival of lights.
"I began my day by praying at a
temple near my home and then visit-
ed some relatives alongwith my par-
ents," said Aniket Mishra, a resident
of central Delhis Karol Bagh who
created vivid designs in his verandah
using marigold flower petals and
powdered colour.
Many others displayed their cre-
ativity using diyas (earthen lamps)
and floating candles as well.
Twenty-six-year-old Geeta Chouhan
created a Rangoli depicting Lord
Ganesha, using diyas and floating
candles.
Investments by foreign funds
in Indian equities amounted
to nearly $17 billion in
Samvat 2070.
Fireworks light up the sky above the
Golden Temple in Amritsar.
President Pranab Mukherjee meets children on Diwali at
Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.
People celebrate the festival of lights at the Lord Jagannath temple
in Puri, Odisha.
October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info HAPPY DIWALI
By SAT Bureau
A
s Diwali approached, the corporate
office of India's largest online retailer
Flipkart at Koramangala in
Bangalore was abuzz with activity, with mar-
keting teams putting together a strategy that
will continue to increase sales this festival
season.
Filpkart is not the only player that has bol-
stered its efforts to gain maximum this festive
season. Amazon and Snapdeal are also push-
ing the envelope to join the massive online
party. The shopping season from September-
end to Diwali in late October is the top sales
period in India, accounting for about 40 per-
cent of the total for most brands.
While advertising will be key, e-tailers are
ensuring that the deals and offers match the
campaigns.Snapdeal is focusing on two big
themes this Diwali exclusive launches and
deep discounts across categories.
Snapdeal has been taking pre-bookings for
the new-look Mahindra Scorpio on its site.
The company is also offering freebies across
categories.
Amazon is not lagging behind. "We will be
very visible and very aggressive with our
marketing campaign across all media," Amit
Agarwal, Amazon India's country head, was
qyoted as saying.
As per estimates by research firm
Counterpoint Research, e-commerce current-
ly accounts for 10 percent of smartphone
sales in India. This could go up to 15 percent
this Diwali. Snapdeal has crossed $1 billion
(over Rs 6,100 crore) in sales this fiscal.
Amazon has already unveiled a gift store
offering a number of deals every day.
"We are offering a month of deals to our
customers; they don't have to mark a single
day," said Agarwal in an obvious reference to
Flipkart's October 6 mega-sale.
Flipkart's 'Big Billion Day' sale on October
6 resulted in $100 million sale in just one
day. Although there were consumers com-
plaints, the one-day flash sale showed that
the Indian consumers are now ready for the
online shopping experience in a big way.
Flipkart said that the company has
increased its marketshare in the last six
months against Amazon. The push from
Indian e-tailers assumes new importance this
year with Amazon founder and CEO Jeff
Bezos making his maiden visit to Bangalore.
Other e-tailers like American Swan also
have lined up similar plans to take on
Amazon. Online fashion reatiler Fashionara,
co-founded by former Reliance Trends CEO
will increase its push towards an online mar-
ketplace that brings together products from
select sellers and boutiques from across the
country.
Get ready for an online shopping experi-
ence like never before.
28
O
nline shopping in India is
set for a big Diwali boost.
A survey by industry body
Assocham estimates that the total
value of online shopping is likely
to jump 350 percent to over Rs.
10,000 crore during this Diwali
festive season, driven by huge
price discounts by e-tailers and
better accessibility of Internet, par-
ticularly through smartphones.
The growing popularity of online
shopping however could result in
50-55 percent lower footfalls in
shopping malls this festive season,
said the survey titled ' Indian
Online Retail Sales Surge in
Festive Season'.
The survey was conducted in 10
cities - Delhi-NCR, Mumbai,
Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata,
Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore,
Chandigarh and Dehradun.
According to Assocham estimates,
Delhi-NCR (49.5 per cent) has
recorded the highest decline in
footfalls at city malls, followed by
Ahmedabad (48.2 per cent),
Chennai (46 per cent), Mumbai (42
per cent) and Hyderabad (39 per
cent).
"Apart from convenience, rising
fuel prices, security concerns,
online discounts and abundance of
choices are keeping the consumers
indoors." said Assocham secretary
general DS Rawat.
There has been nearly a five-fold
increase in revenue generated
through e-commerce as compared
to last year, as branded apparels,
accessories, jewellery, gifts and
footwears are available at
cheaper rates and are delivered
at the doorstep within 2-3 days,
the report said.
Online retailers have launched
many promotional schemes to
lure shoppers during the festive
season. Although there were cus-
tomer complaints of technical
glitches, the e-tailer claimed it
sold products worth $100 million
(over Rs. 600 crore) within 10
hours on the sale day.
Snapdeal and Amazon have
also introduced promotional
Online shopping to cross Rs 10,000 Crore: Survey
Amazon CEO
Jeff Bezos in Bangalore.
With the big bang entry of e-tailers
into the Indian online shopping space,
this Diwali is witnessing a boom in
online sales like never before and it
may cross Rs 10,000 crore by the time
Diwali fever is over. This has left tradi-
tional retailers gasping for fresh air
as online shopping has made a huge
dent in their profits. A sneak peak
Crackling Diwali for e-tailers
T
he growing ethnic and cul-
tural diversity of Hindu reli-
gion throughout the world
provides the opportunity to par-
ticipate in the celebrations and
ri tual s of Di wal i festi val that
enhances the feelings of being
part of a cl ose-kni t group of
I ndi ans. The publ i c events
around Diwali time compensate
for being away from India, which
is suffused with the festive mood
for days on end. The design and
decorat i ons at t hese publ i c
events have their distinct color
and flavor, nowhere seen in India
as seen in the photographs on
this page.
30
Diwali decorations on Serangoon Road in
Singapores Little India.
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, London hosts the largest Diwali and Hindu New
Year celebrations in England. Seen in the picture are women doing an
elaborate rangoli in the sanctum sanctorum.
Light decorations
around Diwali
time in Kuala
Lumpur,
Malaysia, where
the Hindu
community
consists of 8% of
the country
26 million
population..
A Diwali event every year in London hosted by the City Mayor
at the Trafalgar Square in collaboration with community
organizations presents stage shows, garba and cultural
programs. And floating lanterns as decoration.
Diwali decorations around the world
A
round t hi s t i me
your mail box is
bound t o get
choked as graphi c
designers and ordinary
folks like you and me
have a go at designing
e-greetings for Diwali.
Pinterest has many of
them. But Googling we
also found some Diwali
paintings folk style as
well as modern.
Artful depictions of Diwali
By an artist named K. Narayan,
a painting inspired by the
works of Kandinsky and
abstract expressionism.
Artist unknown.
We found this
on Pinterest.
Diwali as depicted in Warli art
and (right) in folk art.
October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
HAPPY DIWALI
Washington: In a video mes-
sage released Oct 22,
President Obama has wished a
Happy Diwali and "Saal
Mubarak" to all those who cel-
ebrate the festival of lights,
saying it was a reminder that
light will ultimately prevail.
Obama, who in 2009 became
the first US president to cele-
brate Diwali at the White
House, recalled the "wonder-
ful time" he and First Lady
Michelle Obama had celebrat-
ing the festival in Mumbai
during his 2010 visit to India.
"I was proud to host the first
Diwali celebration at the
White House back in 2009.
Since then, we've continued to
mark this holiday to honor the
rich traditions that define the
American family," he said.
"So, to all the families gath-
ering together this Diwali to
reflect on all the blessings of
the past year, I wish you a joy-
ous celebration and Saal
Mubarak, " he said. For
Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and
Buddhists, lighting the lamp -
the diya -- is a chance to
remember, even in the midst
of darkness, that light will ulti-
mately prevail, he said.
"Knowledge will defeat
ignorance, and compassion
will triumph over despair.
Diwali is also a reminder that
we must each do our part to
achieve that victory, by dedi-
cating ourselves to service to
others.
If we affirm our commit-
ments to one another and
strive to lift each other up,
then together, we will continue
moving closer to that brighter
future we all seek."
Meanwhile, secretary of
state John Kerry will host the
Obama administration's annual
Diwali celebration Thursday at
the state department.
32
Association of Indians in America-NY hosted its 27th Annual Deepavali Festival at the South Street Seaport Oct 5. It was a
fun-filled event for the entire family that concluded with a grand display of live fireworks on the East River. In attendance
were Mayor Bill de Blasio, Reps Carolyn Maloney and Grace Meng and, NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer and Manhattan
Borough president Gail Brewer.
The Obamas celebrated Diwali 2010 in Mumbai.
President Obama sends Diwali greetings No Diwali holiday
for Millburn, NJ
By Jinal Shah
New Jersey: This year, Diwali may
not be as joyful for the Hindu families
living in Millburn-Short Hills area of
New Jersey, for their efforts to add the
festival of lights to the list of district-
approved school holidays went in vain.
Many Indian families living in the
Millburn school district have been try-
ing hard for past 10 months to push for
Diwali holiday.
Besides Millburn, at least three other
school districts in NJ and in New York
are pushing for Diwali holiday.
Although Passaic schools have recog-
nized the holiday for almost a decade,
the push from parents in the states
Asian-Indian immigration strongholds
has gained momentum since South
Brunswick decided in 2010 to recog-
nize the first of Diwalis five days.
Millburn has experienced a growth
in its Indian population in the last 2-3
years and now many residents would
like the schools to close for one day.
Residents like Tithi Majumdar, one of
the parents living in Millburn, believe
that by joining the celebrations their
children will get a sense of identity
and help them connect with their roots
better which is harder when schools
are open. The idea behind Diwali hol-
iday is not just giving identity to our
kids and making them feel proud about
their religion but it would benefit all
the kids. My children know a lot about
Rosh Hashanah, other kids should also
know about our culture and religion.
Recognizing Diwali validates for our
children that their culture has rele-
vance too, said Majumdar who along
with other parents is actively working
on this issue.
Last year, they started a petition on
Moveon.org and collected about 300
signatures and presented it to the
board. Since then, the board has adopt-
ed a process for processing school hol-
iday requests. It begins with a petition
and then voting on an online ballot.
Said Majumdar We had to collect 500
signatures and we managed to get 800
signatures in favor of Diwali holiday.
However the hitch is the online ballot.
If the results of the ballot demonstrate
that the percentage of anticipated stu-
dent absences on a specified day is
expected to exceed 15 percent, the
Board of Education and
Administration will take this outcome
into consideration when creating the
school calendar. Although we have a
large presence in the township, it does
not mean that from every family chil-
dren are going to school. It is difficult
to reach the threshold of 15 percent at
any point.
Thousands attend Diwali at Times Square on Sept 20
Queens Borough President Melinda Katz lit a Diwali lamp
during the celebration of the festival she sponsored in
Queens Borough Hall Oct 14. She said she was honored to
host the first such event in the Borough Hall and
applauded the members of the Diwali Celebration
Committee for their efforts.
Parineeti Chopra and Aditya Kapoor entertained the crowd.
AIA Deepavali at South Street Seaport
T
his Diwali there is something
for everyone from music con-
cert to DJ night, from gather-
ings to comedy night. Here are some
of the events in the tri state area you
can pick from.
Biggest Bollywood Party in NYC
with DJ Notorious
Where: Suite 36, 16 W 36th St,
New York
When: Friday, OCT 24, 10:00PM
If quite family dinner is not your
thing for this Diwali, head to New
York City for the biggest Bollywood
party in NYC. Celebrate the festival
of lights with DJ Notorious who
will be playing Bollywood, top 40,
House, EDM.
Diwali mela
Where: Skylark on the Hudson,
25 River Dr S, Jersey City, NJ
When: Saturday, October 25
Introduce festival of lights to your
children at the Diwali mela cus-
tomized for your kids. Organized by
Newportmommy.com and sparkles,
the event include kids performance,
five hour DJ, three course Indian
buffet, non-alcoholic beverages,
cash bar and more.
Diwali laughs: Indian standup
comedy night
Where: Gotham Comedy Club,
208 W 23rd St, New York
When: Saturday, October 25
Indulge in some rib tickling come-
dy this Diwali. Forget about
Obamacare, Minimum Wage
increase and immigration reform for
a moment. Bigger issue is lack of
Desi representation in Hollywood
and what can be done about it!
Presented by DesiKnots, the show-
case includes performances by Rajiv
Satyal, Saurin Choksi, Gibraan
Saleem, Subhah Aggarwal, Nitin
Mirani and Akaash Singh
Diwali Celebrations 2014 by
Gujarati Samaj
Where: Suffolk Y Jewish
Community Center, 74 Hauppauge
Rd, Commack, NY
Long Island Gujarati Cultural
Society
When: Saturday, November 1,
2014, 5:00PM
This years celebrations will be
the biggest with about 15 perform-
ances and skit, 20 raffle drawings
with prizes including Big Screen
TVs, iPad, Samsung Tablets, Wine
Basket, gift certificates,
Memberships to LIGCS etc.
Mega Tamil Musical
Extravaganza and Deepavali
Celebrations!
Where: Harrington Middle
School Theater - South Jersey, NJ,
514 Mt Laurel Rd, Mt Laurel, NJ
08054
When: Saturday, NOV 1,
4:00PM
Contact- 856-our-sjta
Celebrate Diwali with South
Jersey Tamil Associations grand
Tamil light music show, drama and
dance. The Association is also cele-
brating its 10th anniversary.
Mika Singh Live in Concert
Where: Arena Theatre, 7326
Southwest Fwy, Houston, TX
When: Friday, November 7, 9:00
PM
Where: Ford Community and
Performing Arts Center, 15801
Michigan Ave, Dearborn, MI
When: Saturday November 8,
7:00 PM
Where: RITZ Theater, 1148 East
Jersey Street, Elizabeth, NJ
When: Sunday, November 9, 6:00
PM
This Diwali two lucky winners
will get a chance to sing alongside
Bollywoods leading crooner Mika
Singh at a live concert in Ritz
Theater NJ. Those interested can
send in their video on Youtube or
email to arizevents@gmail.com and
two lucky will share stage with
Mika Singh. Last date for entry is
October 28. Singh is best known as
the younger brother of singing leg-
end Daler Mehndi, but has trans-
formed into an accomplished singer
in his own right. After making a big
debut with the song Mauja Hi
Mauja in 2005s Jab We Met, he
has sung hit songs like Subha Hone
Na De (Desi Boyz), Pungi
(Agent Vinod), Chinta Ta Chita
Chita (Rowdy Rathore), and, most
recently, the smash hit Gandi Baat
(R Rajkumar).
Compiled by Jinal Shah
33
New York: Tom DiNapoli, New
York State Comptroller seeking re-
election this Nov 4, has greeted the
Indian community. In a message
sent to The South Asian Times, he
said, Today marks the most
important day of Diwali, the
Festival of Lights, celebrated by
many of the Hindu, Jain and Sikh
faiths. This week long celebration
recognizes the triumph of good over
evil, knowledge over ignorance
and, ultimately, light over darkness.
To mark this occasion, I would
like to extend my wishes for a
happy Diwali to all those celebrat-
ing. May you find joy and happi-
ness in the festival of lights for you
and your loved ones.
DiNapoli greets
'Happy Diwali'
Sydney: To celebrate Diwali, The
Australian icon Sydney Opera
House was lit up Tuesday in Indian
flag colors vibrant orange, white
and green.
The Community Relations
Commission for a Multicultural
New South Wales said the Opera
House was lit Tuesday night.
The lighting was done on the
sidelines of a Diwali event hosted
by NSW Premier Mike Baird and
Minister for Citizenship and
Communities Victor Dominello.
Baird and Dominello were joined
by Multicultural NSW Chair and
prominent member of the Indian
community, Hari Harinath, on the
occasion. "This is the first time the
Opera House has been lit up in cel-
ebration of Diwali, the festival of
light celebrated by the global
Hindu community," Baird said.
"This special event has been held
for the Hindu community of NSW,
which makes a valuable contribu-
tion to our multicultural society,"
Baird added.
Dominello said the state's South
Asian community was made up of
over 200,000 people who now call
Australia home.
The NSW Parliament House was
lit up simultaneously and will
remain lit each night until Nov 5,
when the Premier hosts a Diwali
event at Parliament House.
Diwali lights up Sydney Opera House
Upcoming Diwali Events
London: Prominent figures
from the Indian community in
Britain celebrated Diwali with
Prime Minister David Cameron
at 10, Downing Street here. The
reception was held on October
20 and celebrated the contribu-
tion the Indian diaspora makes
to the UK and the strong links
between the UK and India.
In his remarks at the event,
Cameron said, A very happy
Diwali shubh Diwali to
everybody. It is the time, the
Festival of Lights, the time
when we think of the triumph
of good over evil, of light over
dark. But also a time when
British Hindus and Jains think
of the importance of family and
the importance of community.
And those are values that you
bring to Britain, values we need
more of in our country, and you
have made a huge contribution
to our nation.
And it was three things I
wanted to mention tonight, first
of all it is the contribution that
British Hindus and Jains make
to our country, over 800,000
British Hindus, perhaps 20,000
Jains. And when I look around,
whether it is politics, whether
its business, whether its arts,
the sports in our country, you
can see the scale of the contri-
bution, the prime minister
continued.
UK-India Diaspora champion
Priti Patel Priti Patel felt that
the reception at Number Ten
reinforces the proactive way
the Government is engaging
with the Indian diaspora in this
country. Diwali is now a festi-
val which transcends religion
and culture and is celebrated by
many across Britain. " The
Prime Minister thanked the role
of BAPS Swaminarayan
Neasden temple in holding the
event. On Oct 22 he sent his
best wishes to all those in the
UK and across the world cele-
brating Diwali.
34
O
n October 13, a Diwali Bazaar was
organized by the Indian Ladies Club,
Frankfurt, supported by the Consulate
General of India, Frankfurt, India Tourism, State
Bank of India and The English Theatre. Some of
the highlights of the day-long Bazaar were a the-
atre workshop for school-children, a photogra-
phy exhibition, fashion show promoting ethnic
Indian wear, music and dance performances, as
well as stalls exhibiting Indian handicrafts, jew-
elry and those selling Indian street-food.
British PM David Cameron lighting a diya at the Diwali event
Diwali at 10, Downing street
with David Cameron
Jakarta: The Jakarta admin-
istration granted a one-day
holiday to all Indian nationals
and Indonesians of Indian
descent on Wednesday so that
they could celebrate
Deepavali or the festival of
lights.
In a statement, the adminis-
tration explained that it had
met with a representative of
the Indian community in
order to secure the day-off
for those observing the holi-
day, the Jakarta Post report-
ed. "The Jakarta Manpower
and Transmigration Agency
calls for businesses who
employ Indian nationals and
Indonesians of Indian descent
to allow them to celebrate
Deepavali Oct 22 by granting
them a day-off in accordance
with their work rights," the
statement said.
According to the website of
the Indian embassy in
Jakarta, there are around
100,000 Indonesians of
Indian origin and 10,000
Indian nationals living in
Indonesia.
When Ethiopians joined
hands with Indians to
celebrate Diwali
Addis Ababa: This year in Ethiopia, the
celebration of Diwali, the Indian festival
of lights, started early in a unique way
with many new participants, both Indian
and Ethiopian.
People like Muluken Belay, 35, an
accountant at a private company, who
have never been to an Indian function
used to wonder how the festival looked
like in reality after he saw it in movies.
His dream would not have come true had
it not been for Raju Kumar Kevelray
Pandit, a fourth-generation Indian in
Ethiopia who took the initiative to cele-
brate Diwali with his Ethiopian friends.
"The Indian community in Ethiopia
with their deep-rooted presence since the
times of the emperors in many aspects
made the locals feel like they are part of
its family", Raju told IANS.
"My grandfather was the advisor for
King Hailesellasie, my father used to
work for the United Nations Economic
Commission for Africa (UNECA) and I
work at a private Indian company serv-
ing Indian and Ethiopian community."
He wanted to organize an event where
Indians could mix with Ethiopians to
share and explore more about each
other's cultures. With the support of his
friend they picked a restaurant known
for its unique ambiance, Addis Down
Town Capri Restaurant and Lounge, for
this special event.
"When he came to our place proposing
the idea we embraced it because we
knew it was going to be special," said
Demelie Arega, managing director of the
restaurant. "This is the first time we col-
laborated with any community and India
is rich with its music and colorful with
its presence. Indeed it is a great experi-
ence". The restaurant prepared a special
menu specifically for the celebration for
everyone to enjoy. The place was deco-
rated with costumes, flowers and other
items to reflect Bollywood-themed
night. The Indian flag that was hung on
the wall behind the DJs was hard to
miss.
Participants like Muluken and his
friends were happy to pay the 100 birr
($5) entrance fee for it was not some-
thing they would get all the time.
The excitement shown on the faces of
Indians while dancing with songs from
Ethiopia and the locals trying to mix the
traditional dance moves with Hindi
songs was mesmerizing. The Ethiopians
were dressed in saree and kurtas to be at
home in an Indian function.
The function was attended by Indian
Ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti,
Sanjay Verma, and members of the
Indian Business Forum (IBF) among
others.
Indonesia grants Diwali
holiday to Indians
Lighting of the ceremonial lamp by (from l-r) Consul General
Raveesh Kumar, Daniel Nicolai, Artistic and Exec. Director,
English Theatre, Roma Singh, Regional Director, India
Tourism Frankfurt and Mrs. Ranjana Raveesh, President,
Indian Ladies Club, Frankfurt.
Diwali Bazaar in Frankfurt
Fashion show promoted ethnic Indian wear
By Vandana Gambhir
Advertising & Marketing Professional
Washington, DC
I
love to hear the story of my birthday
from my father. He proudly tells me that
I was born bright and early in the morn-
ing on Deepavali, in the town of Panipat in
India. The nurse at the hospital cheerfully
announced in Punjabi to my parents,
"Goddess Laxmi has come to your home."
So, I should have a special inherent connec-
tion to this holiday and for a short time, I
did. During my childhood years in India, I
did feel like it was a magical day, as we cel-
ebrated with family and neighbors. The
glow of candles, diyas, stringed lights in the
streets, markets and homes combined with
the crowds of shoppers and loud fireworks
transported me
to a different
world. I
joined my
friends to
make designs
in the air with
sparklers and
watch tiny
rockets shoot
into the sky.
To top it all,
the boxes of
sweets, new
clothes and
presents made it the best day of the year.
The importance of Diwali becomes faded
and my memories distant after our move to
Virginia, USA in the 80's. My mind was pre-
occupied; adjusting to a different school,
learning English and making friends. My
teen years and early twenties were typical of
the hectic pace of American life - studying
and working. I was so busy trying to get
ahead that I didn't have time to look back
and understand my roots. Fortunately, I
began to host a weekly South Asian TV
show. This gave me the opportunity to
attend and participate in many desi events. I
realized how much I loved all things Indian.
Once I got married and had children, my
interest and pride in my culture flourished
even more. Since my husband is from south
India, there was a lot for me to learn too. I
saw our traditions in a whole new light and
wanted our three children to understand and
appreciate their heritage. While I struggled
to teach them about Holi, Dushahra, and
Diwali, they were automatically more excit-
ed about Halloween, Christmas and
Thanksgiving. Thankfully, family, friends
and neighbors have been great supporters in
this effort. My mother-in-law has told
numerous stories from Hindu mythology to
her grandkids. We are a part of annual tradi-
tions of celebrating Raksha Bandhan with
cousins, Diwali with good neighborhood
friends, Sankranti and Christmas with
extended family members. The kids love
eating all the sweets and savories. They love
to plan special dances or songs to perform.
Most of all they understand that everything
is more fun and more memorable when
shared with others. They have helped me to
renew my special connection with Diwali.
Hope the magic of Diwali lights up the year
ahead for everyone!
36
By Pooja Shah
Homemaker, Indianapolis
F
or someone whos lived in the
US for more than 30 years,
Diwali, the festival of lights,
has become much more than just an
Indian festival. The festivities are
not just enjoyed by Hindus but also
by people of all nationalities.
When we first moved to the US,
Diwali was an alien concept in our
neighborhood where even Indians
were scarce to find. Today, newly
arrived Indians do not feel as much
homesick during Diwali or in any
other Indian festival.
Back then, when we threw Diwali
parties, it was a low key affair for
two reasons. Firstly, we could hard-
ly find any traditional items such as
diyas, Indian wear, jewelry and
Diwali special snacks, so we had to
either source it from India or pre-
pare at home and secondly, we were
concerned about what our neigh-
bors would say.
But, over the years, with the
growth of Indian Americans as one
of the most diverse and well-recog-
nized communities in the United
States, Diwali has become more of
a mainstream religious holiday and
in fact this festival has lit many new
homes in our localities year after
year. In our house, the festival has
evolved and it has incorporated
many of the American elements
making it a truly unique tradition,
different from that in India, yet very
traditional at core. To start with, our
festive gatherings now include
Indian Americans of first and sec-
ond generation and also Americans.
Our traditional desi ghee recipes
have changed to Asian American
fusion and Bollywood music! We
even lit phooljharis (sparklers) in
our backyard, a feast for young rev-
elers. And yes, sometimes we even
blend Halloween into Diwali and
call it Diwaleen. Our elaborate
Diwali get-togethers even run up to
Thanksgiving and Black Friday
making it an extended Diwali party
followed by shopping!
It is amazing how cultures blend
with each other to form a new one.
I am glad I get to create my own
version of Diwali.
My own American Diwali
By Linda Ainouche
Filmmaker, NYC
T
here was a time, I was living in Mumbai and
wanted a different experience. I was undecided
about where to go and when to celebrate Diwali.
I finally left it to destiny to ordain my escapade. I went
to the railway station and boarded one of the last avail-
able hard seats to Chennai in a slow, crowded and
steaming hot train. The journey was in itself an adven-
ture!
Before leaving home, Id looked for a place where I
could ground myself for a few days in Tamil Nadu. The
hub of Pondicherry beckoned. So, I called a friend to
announce my imminent visit. Until today, I remember
her joy about my participation in 'the competition night
of rangoli designs'.
I reached Chennai two days before Diwali day,
known as Naraka Chaturdasi in southeast India. People
flooded the streets. Buildings were brightly lit. But for
the warm breeze, I could have been in a Western
metropolis at Christmas eve rather than in a sprawling
Indian city.
I arrived in Pondicherry a few hours later. I had bare-
ly time to put down my luggage that my friend's family
took me out for a casual walk. Rangoli designs - beau-
tiful patterns of colored powder were drawn on the
doorstep of every home. Colorful lanterns hung all
around. In no time, I myself was crouching on the
floor, drawing rangoli graphics such as I was able to
make. I had a lot of fun doing so, whilst a huge group
was watching me. I still do not know if they were
admiring my art or staring at me as an insolent intruder.
Both, probably. I was doing my utmost to outline deco-
rative and creative designs on the advice of a mischie-
vous and smart little boy who told me: Remember, the
simpler the better!
The fact remains that at the end of a couple of hours,
I won the Best Western Rangoli Designer prize,
which was great to receive while celebrating Diwali.
Until today, I dare to believe that they introduced this
prize because I was there. And by the way, I was the
only western venturing into this part of the town.
The next day, children looked out for me to continue
my rangoli artwork while my plan was to spend the
day with my friend visiting her family and friends. The
kids insisted so much that I played and drew with them
skipping the outing. At the end of the day, I had gath-
ered scores of children around me making beautiful
rangoli designs. Some were truly eye-catching. The
combination of pink, green, red and violet color bright-
ened the designs and made them look appealing. Those
little artists deserved an award, clearly more than I.
Day three again was spent having fun with the chil-
dren, drawing rangoli and playing in the streets in com-
plete candor and joy. As if, the lights were secondary
during Diwali. Then it was time to go home.
-Compiled by Parveen Chopra & Jinal Shah
The day I won a prize for best rangoli
The South Asian Times solicited first person accounts of celebrating Diwali away from India from our readers. Here they
relive their memorable memories and how they have adapted the festival to the conditions here in the US.
Born on Diwali day, now reconnecting
Sometimes we even blend
Halloween into Diwali and
call it Diwaleen. Our elab-
orate get-togethers even
run up to Thanksgiving and
Black Friday making it an
extended Diwali party
followed by shopping!
Linda Ainouche in Central Park, and (right)
Photo she took of children doing rangoli
in Pondicherry.
By Sharon Goel
Co-founder, Brainlink, New
York
R
aj & I met at my college in
1990, and fell in love. Our
parents, families and
friends joined forces to host a phe-
nomenal wedding in 1997 at the
Huntington Hilton where we cele-
brated both Hindu and Jewish ritu-
als. One of the challenges we tack-
led early on, as a couple, and as
families, is how we would merge
our respective cultures and contin-
ue to celebrate our holidays in rel-
evant and meaningful ways? The
other vital challenge we tackled
was how to raise the kids we soon
had to respect and love both cul-
tures and traditions as well? We
decided that the children would
celebrate holidays and rituals
important to both grandmothers.
Since 1997, our families have cel-
ebrated Diwali and Chanukah
our two Festivals of Light - jointly
over the years and our kids are
being raised as Hindu-Jews (or
hinjews).For my In-Laws, and
myself as well, Diwali has always
been a time to celebrate as a fami-
ly, but also share the experience
with close friends as well. To pre-
pare, we spend a day or more
cleaning, cooking, and decorating
the Prayer space. The evening is
spent in shared prayers, love,
friendship, and delicious food
while wearing traditional clothes
such as saris.
We are blessed with the light of
the oil lamp that burns throughout
the evening, spreading warmth,
light, and hopefulness for the
future. No one is allowed to leave
without a small gift of sweets and
trinkets as a reminder of the
sweetness and hopeful prosperity
of this New Year.
I have been blessed to have suc-
cessfully celebrated 17 Diwalis
with our combined families, and
look forward to celebrating many,
many more in the years to come.
37
By Bryon Morrigan
Author, blogger, Florida
H
ere in the USA, Diwali is cele-
brated quite differently than it is
in India. The Hindu population of
the entire US,
even including
Sikhs and
Jains, amounts
to less than 1%
of the total, so
there are no
mass rituals,
fireworks, or
huge celebra-
tions as one is
apt to find in Bharat. In fact, many of
these American Diwali celebrations can
only be found if one knows where to
look. If you dont go to a temple, then
chances are the best place to find a notice
of such an event is at an Indian restau-
rant! Even temples here are very different
than in India. In some areas where there
is a larger Indian population, you might
see smaller temples to individual deities,
but the one that I go (in Florida) to has
three main deities: Maha Ganesh, Balaji,
and Siva. It also has other gods and god-
desses, and even a Mahavir murti for the
Jains. Its also not called a temple or
mandir. Instead, it sits behind the unob-
trusive name of a Hindu Society. In a
country where the Hindu Miss America
pageant winner is derided as a Muslim
terrorist, and Sikhs have been gunned
down in public by people who cant tell
the difference between a Sikh and Osama
bin Laden, Hindus often keep a lower
profile.
On Oct 23 Diwali day, I will be going
to the temple for their Diwali celebration,
but the notice says that it will consist of
bhajans, arati, and prasad, but absolutely
no fireworks on the premises! It does
not explain why, but it might be that they
are afraid of upsetting the monotheists
with the noise Oops. I mean, perhaps it
is a part of the aforementioned low pro-
file. Ha! The Indian Cultural Society
here is doing some kind of Diwali cele-
bration, but incongruously it isnt until
November 9? In any case, I plan on wak-
ing up everybody in town with some fire-
works of my own on Diwali day. One
thing that is available in the US is con-
sumer access to ridiculously-powerful
commercial-grade fireworks. Hopefully, I
wont blow anything up.
Stay tuned.
P.S.: If anyone knows of a company
that ships Modi Kurtas to the USA, let me
know, as Im still trying to make that
dream a reality. Have a happy and blessed
Diwali!
Courtesy: NitiCentral.com
Bryon Morrigan is a lawyer living in
Florida. His horror novels Acheron and
The Desert are available at most online
An American tries to have a
Happy Diwali!
H
indu statesman Rajan Zed, sending
Diwali greetings to one billion
Hindus of the world, has urged
them each to take a vow of selfless serv-
ice on this sacred occasion.
Zed, who is President of Universal
Society of Hinduism, wishes joy and light
in every heart
to all Hindus on
Diwali.
Rajan Zed
quotes ancient
Hindu scripture
Bhagavad-Gita:
Selfish action
i mp r i s o n s
the world.
Act selfless-
ly, without
any consider-
ation of per-
sonal gainby dedication to selfless
work one achieves the highest goal. Do
your work with the well-being of others
always in focus Ignorant work for
their own profit, enlightened act for the
welfare of the world without any
attachment.
Zed also advises Hindus to focus on
inner search, stay pure, explore the vast
wisdom of scriptures, make spirituality
more attractive to youth and children,
stay away from the greed, and always
keep God in your life.
Most popular of Hindu festivals,
Diwali, the festival of lights, aims at
dispelling the darkness and lighting up
the lives and symbolizes the victory of
good over evil. Hinduism is the oldest
and third largest religion of the world
and moksh (liberation) is its
ultimate goal.
Sharon Goel (middle) with her in-laws, her parents, family and
friends at the Diwali pooja.
Diwali and Chanukah at a Hindu-Jew household
The Goels children Arianna &
Arthur doing Diwali pooja.
Rajan Zed urges Hindus to take vow of
seless service on Diwali
Rajan Zed, Nevada
based Hindu leader
Poem in Hindi penned
for this Diwali
By Chander Gambhir
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Washington: As Diwali becomes
an important marker in the
American festival calendar,
Secretary of State John Kerry
hosted Diwali celebrations at the
State Department for the first time,
saying Prime Minister Narendra
Modis recent visit to the US pro-
vided an unforgettable chance to
build on the already deep ties
between America and India.
The prime ministers visit was
a moment when Indians and
Americans could get a real sense
of what our two nations are able to
accomplish together by working
together, he said at the event
Thursday.
Kerry and the Indian
Ambassador to the US, S.
Jaishankar, together lighted a tra-
ditional Diwali oil lamp. Local
Hindu Priest Narayanachar L.
Digalakote from the Sri Siva
Vishnu temple presided over the
ceremonial lighting and draped
Kerry with a traditional shawl.
Describing India as a country
of enormous energy and power,
Kerry said the two countries were
working together in from fighting
against terrorism to achieving
greater progress by pushing back
the boundaries of science and
technology.
India and the US had worked
hard to prove that we were, in fact,
natural partners, he said. We are
two optimistic nations who believe
that history doesnt shape us, but
that we have the power to shape
history.
And that spirit of hope and
optimism is really at the centre of
the Diwali celebration, Kerry
said.
It is an opportunity for us all,
regardless of our own traditions, to
renew a shared commitment to
human dignity, compassion, and
service, he said.
Special celebrations of varied
faiths are celebrated in communi-
ties all across America and in
India and in other countries, he
noted. Its an indication of how
our mutual commitment to helps
to define and to strengthen our two
democracies.
President Barack Obama and
Modi had a chance to celebrate
the shared values of religious tol-
erance and pluralism, he said,
when they together went to visit
the memorial of Black American
civil rights leader Martin Luther
King Memorial, who was greatly
influenced by Mahatma Gandhi.
Kerry also hailed the accom-
plishments of the many hundreds
of thousands of Hindu, Sikh,
Buddhist, and Jain Americans who
live now all across our country in
every community.
Today, the South Asian diaspo-
ra is a pillar of every aspect of
American society, he said noting
South Asians sit in the executive
suites of some of our countrys
most successful companies, or at
the very helm of all of them.
They are a driving force behind
American leadership and science
and innovation, and in the history
of our nation, Kerry said.
It is hard to find any group of
Americans who have achieved
more in such a relatively short
period of time, he said amid
applause.
In New York, Joe Crowley,
Democratic co-chair of the
Congressional Caucus on India
and Indian-Americans, sent his
best wishes to all those celebrat-
ing Diwali, both here in the US
and around the globe.
He also announced that the sec-
ond annual Congressional Diwali
celebration will be held Nov 19.
38
US Secretary of State John Kerry and Ambassador S. Jaishankar
(left) at the State Department Diwali event Thursday.
Kerry hosts first Diwali celebrations, hails diaspora
August 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info HAPPY DIWALI
Balu Shahi
Ingredients:
Pastry
2 cups flour
teaspoon soda bi carb
6 tablespoons ghee
6 tablespoons yoghurt, whisked
500g sugar
2 tablespoons milk
3 cups ghee, for frying
Filling:
200g khoya
cup sugar
cup mixed dry fruits
Method:
Sift the flour and the soda bi carb together
into a bowl. Add 6 tablespoons of ghee and
rub it in with your fingertips till the mixture
resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the whisked yoghurt and knead into a
smooth dough. Cover and set the dough
aside for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into 8 portions and
shape into smooth balls. Do not overwork
the dough. Make a deep and wide hollow in
the center of each ball with your thumb.
Keep the balls covered so they do not dry
out.
Heat the ghee in a kadai. Lower the heat
and slide in half the balushahis and cook in
the hot ghee. Make sure that the ghee does
not get too hot at any time. If necessary
place a tawa under the kadai.
When the balushahi float to the top, turn
them gently and cook on the other side as
well till light golden brown. The whole
process will take no less than 30- 45 min-
utes.
Remove from the ghee, place on
absorbent paper to cool completely.
For the sugar syrup, place the sugar with 1
cup of water in a heavy-bottomed pan, and
cook, stirring occasionally, till the sugar dis-
solves. Bring to a boil and add the milk.
Carefully remove the scum that will rise to
the surface. Continue to cook till the syrup
thickens to a two-string consistency.
Remove from the heat and add the cooled
balushahi. Soak them in the syrup for at
least 2 hours.
Carefully remove the balushahi from the
syrup and set aside on a plate for 2-3 hours
till the syrup hardens into a thin white crust.
For the filling, crumble the khoya with
your fingers. Place in a pan and cook over a
medium heat till soft. Add the sugar and the
nuts and mix well. Cook, stirring, for 2 min-
utes, till the sugar dissolves. Remove from
heat
Spoon the stuffing into the hollows in the
balushahi.
Shahi tukda
Ingredients
Bread 4 pieces
Milk 500 ml
Sugar 1/3 cup
Ghee / oil For deep frying
Chopped nuts 2 tblsp
Corn flour 1 tsp
Saffron A pinch
Rose essence 2-3 drops
Method:
Boil milk and add saffron soaked in 3
tblsp of warm milk and the corn flour mixed
in 2-3 tblsp of milk to it and simmer the
milk until its reduces to a thick but poring
consistency. This is called Rabri. Add rose
essence at last. If you want you can add the
chopped nuts in this stage.
Remove the brown sides of the bread and
cut diagonally. Fry the bread pieces till
golden brown and crisp evenly.
Deep frying in low or medium low flame
is necessary to get crisp and golden brown
color, otherwise will end up in uneven
cooking. Prepare a thick sugar syrup by
boiling the sugar with little water just to
immerse the sugar.
Soak the bread pieces as you fry them,
just for a minute or until you take the next
batch. Arrange the soaked pieces in a plate.
Fry the chopped nuts in ghee and add it
over the bread pieces. Pour the rabri over
the arranged bread. Serve chilled or warm,
as per your wish. But make sure you give
some time for the bread to absorb the rabri.
Wheat flour chakri
Ingredients
Wheat flour 1 cup
Red chilli powder 3/4 tsp
Jeera/ ajwain 1 & 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida (hing) 1/8 tsp
Salt as needed
Oil For deep frying
Method
Steam cook atta in a clean white cloth,
tied into a bag. You can use your idli pot
and place this bag over the idli plate. You
can use pressure cooker also for steaming.
Keep the bag in a container and cover and
cook without pressure value (pressure regu-
lator). Steam cook for 15-20 mins.
Untie and when it is warm enough to han-
dle, break it roughly.
Sieve it and use your hands to break, if
there are any small lumps.
Heat oil in kadai meanwhile you prepare
the dough. Add red chilli powder, asafoeti-
da, salt and jeera. Add a tsp of oil (prefer-
ably hot oil) too. Make dough with water. It
should be a stiff yet smooth and non-sticky.
Press into coil shape or whatever comfort-
able shape you prefer.
Deep fry in hot oil, cook both sides until
crisp and golden brown. Never let oil fume
at any point, regulate the heat now and then
and ensure even cooking of the chakri.
Drain in paper towel. Store in an airtight
container and enjoy!
43
For a scrumptious touch to Diwali 2014
Dcor ideas to
sparkle up Deepavali
LED lights
These electric lights add contemporary look
to the Diwali decorations. They are avail-
able in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes.
These can be hung on window panes and
can even be highlighted in your pooja room.
Grab your string of LED lights for sure this
festive season.
Flowers
Flowers form an integral part of our lives
for they are used for all occasion irrespec-
tive of the magnitude of celebrations. This
Diwali, you can try your hands at some-
thing new. Take an earthen or a brass bowl
which is big enough to place it in the center
of your drawing room. Arrange different
colors and varieties of flower and make cre-
ative designs out of it. Flowers make the
ambiance of the room serene and calm.
Candles
Colorful candles and earthen wax diyas are
hugely popular during Diwali. Candles with
dried flower petals that have an exotic
aroma make a perfect item for Diwali deco-
ration. You can also buy floating candles
and put them in a glass bowl full of water to
add that magical touch. Use of earthen
bowls is also a good idea. Add different
flower petals to this arrangement. The sight
of ignited aromatic candles afloat with flower
petals adds great charm to the festive season.
Recylable Rangolis
It is relatively easy to make rangoli as
stencils are easily available nowadays.
However, you can paint a beautiful rangoli
design on cardboard itself and cut in out
in the desired shape. It is easily portable
and can be used again and again.
T
he festival of Diwali, or The Festival of Lights, is a holiday when families light lamps, illuminating the night. It cel-
ebrates the return of Lord Rama and his queen, Sita, to Ayodhya, the capital of his ancient kingdom. They had
been in exile for 14 years. In India, people celebrate by cleaning and redecorating their homes, and shopkeepers
use it as the beginning of their fiscal year. It is also the start of Indias winter season. This is a happy festival when peo-
ple gather and enjoy the beautiful candles that line the roads.
Diwali and other festivals in different traditions often use the ritual of lighting candles and lamps. Lighting these also
has a spiritual meaning. It illustrates the importance of lighting the lamp within usand celebrating the festival of the
light of the soul.
It is the birthright of every human being to find the festival of lights of his or her soul and return to God. All it takes
is the desire to do so. While God has sent us to this earth, God has also made a pathway back Home. However, God
has given human beings free will. We are the ones who must ask God to take us back Home. It will not be forced upon
any of us. We must ask. Once we ask, God will give.
It is like a rich man who announces that he will share part of his wealth. He is not going to hand it out to everyone,
whether they want it or not; he waits for those who want it to make a request. Then, he gives. A doctor who finds the
cure for a disease will not go out and administer it to unwilling subjects. He announces that he has the cure, and those
who wish can come to him for it. Similarly, God has spiritual riches available for each of us. If these riches were dis-
bursed to someone without his or her asking, the receiver might reject it because he or she did not ask for it, or did not
value it. God waits until we ask. Once we truly desire knowledge of the soul and the bliss and love within, God will
help us find it.
We all have the opportunity to attain the bliss of union with the Lord.
Yet, how few take advantage of that opportunity! Many are born, but
few turn within. We can all attain this happiness. Let us not be one who
misses the golden opportunity to experience union with God. Rather
than just engage in lighting candles on Diwali, let us sit in meditation to
light the candle within us.
The process of meditation is easy. It is a matter of closing our eyes,
looking within the veil of darkness in front of us, and stilling our
thoughts for awhile. In that stillness, the Diwali lamps within will shine
forth. Concentration on that inner light will pull our soul into the spiritual
realms beyond. It will help us turn our attention to the soul and the inner
spiritual realms.
Let us not only enjoy the outer lights of Diwali festivals. Let us spend
time in meditation every day so that we can experience the inner lights.
That is the true celebration of Diwali, so we can experience eternal
ecstasy, peace, and joy.
44
Diwali and other festivals in different traditions often use the
ritual of lighting candles and lamps. This also has a spiritual
meaning. It illustrates the importance of lighting the lamp
within usand celebrating the festival of the light of the soul.
The Spiritual Meaning of
By Sant Rajinder Singh
Ji Maharaj
DIWALI
T
he tradition of spring-cleaning and
de-cluttering your house on Diwali
to make space for Goddess Lakshmi
to visit your abode finds a resonance in
feng shui, which is also a strong advocate
of de-cluttering your living spaces and
keeping them tidy to facilitate flow of good
energy.
Feng shui, the Chinese equivalent of
Indian Vastu Shastra, is an ancient art
which believes in the total harmony of five
elements: fire, earth, metal, water and air. It
believes in complete harmony between a
person and his surroundings.
Here are some feng shui tips for Diwali:
Identify Clutter: Jami Lin, a famous
feng shui expert, recommends that you
should examine each object lying around
and ask: does it have a functional purpose,
is it beautiful? If nyet on both, you should
simply throw it away. Also, if a particular
thing remains in the same place for long, it
starts draining the energy from that place.
So rearrange your furniture a little, bring in
new curtains, cushions and may be a carpet
and see how your house looks refreshingly
different.
Cleanse Yo ur Home: You can cleanse
the energy of your home by burning sage
or sandalwood. Make sure to walk slowly
around your home and allow the burning
aroma to seep into each corner and crevice.
Color: Diwali is a time to strengthen
social and familial bonds, you can use
color strategically to enhance the appropri-
ate atmosphere of each room in your house
so that it is conducive to healthy relation-
ships. In feng shui, colors like red and yel-
low are energizing and could be suitable
for a kitchen where you start your morn-
ings or for a home office. Orange helps
with harmony and bringing people together
so it could be suitable for common areas
like the living room. Blue is a soothing
color and would be perfect for a bedroom
or bathroom.
Working with five elements
Fire : Light symbolizes yin-yang in
synchrony which brings happiness and
good fortune. Diwali diyas and candles are
harnessing the power of fire in any case. In
addition, ditch the artificial lights.
Earth : Sweet smelling flowers and
fruits are considered to be symbols of earth
and you should use them all around your
house. Get rid of the tacky plastic flowers
and make way for fresh blossoms. Small
herb plants in your kitchen will add a won-
derful aroma. Similarly, in the bathroom
use herbs and plants and not chemical
deodorants. Plants add a green touch to
your house and in feng shui, green color
diffuses stress and brings in peace and
quiet.
Water : Rangolis and floating candles
not only look pretty, but also introduce the
element of water in your home. Using an
indoor water fountain is also a good idea.
Also ensure that water is not leaking any-
where as it creates disharmony. So ask a
plumber to check all your taps and faucets
around Diwali time.
Metal : Metal dcor items are in
vogue these and days and you must defi-
nitely invest in some pretty candle stands,
engraved vases, cutlery and even furniture.
However, skip anything with pointed
edges. Sharp edges and corners obstruct
the flow of energy and hence circular and
oval shapes are to be preferred.
Air : Your house should always smell
fresh and clean air should circulate through
your house. Open all the windows and
doors and turn off your air conditioner this
Diwali. Let natural air and breeze waft into
your house and bring in good energy.
46
V
astu Shastra is the Indian
art and science of build-
ings and interiors. Diwali
marks the beginning of the Hindu
New Year as well as new cycles,
where you should shed old things
and make way for new opportuni-
ties. Here are a few suggestions to
help make your life better in com-
ing days as per Vastu.
An image of Lakshmi and
Ganesh placed on the front door
enhances positive energy and dis-
pels negativity.
Make rangoli at the entrance,
with colored powder mixed with
rock salt, to invite Lakshmi.
A string of marigold flowers
and mango leaves tied to the frame
of the main door represents
nature's abundance and attracts
good luck.
In vaastu, north is known as
Kuberasthana and bestows wealth
and power. It is the best place for a
safe box. To retain wealth, place a
statuette of Lakshmi in the safe
with your valuables.
In Vastu Shastra, objects are
not given much importance as in
feng shui, but different angles or
areas in the house or the 'Konas' as
they are known, are very impor-
tant.
For example, the idols of Ganesh
and Lakshmi should always be
placed at the Ishan Kona (north-
eastern part of the house). The
diyas should be lit at all ten konas
of the house as a diya is symbol of
'Shri' or abundance.
Vastu tips for a Happy Diwali
A string of marigold flowers
and mango leaves tied to the
frame of the main door, seen
around Diwali, represents
nature's abundance and
attracts good luck.
A good room arrangement as per feng shui.
Using the Lucky
Bamboo
I
n traditional feng shui, the lucky
bamboo is used to attract health,
happiness, love and abundance. It
can be used in both home and office.
Bamboo is an amazing plant that
brings a peaceful
and wise energy
into your home. It
teaches the
ultimate wisdom:
how to be flex-
ible and hollow
(open) on the
inside, so that
the spirit can
freely flow
and heal your
being.
A little indoor
bamboo plant is
considered
lucky in feng shui
when it
combines/represents all five feng shui
elements: Wood - the bamboo plant
itself; Earth - the rocks the bamboo
grows in; Water - the water in the pot;
Fire - most pots plants usually have a
red ribbon tied to them; Metal - the
glass pots belong to the feng shui metal
element. If the Lucky Bamboo is in a
pot other than glass, such as clay or
ceramics, it will usually have either a
metal coin, or a metal figurine with it.
The specific number of bamboo
stalks can be 3 for Happiness, 5 for
Health, 2 for Love & Marriage, 8 for
Wealth and Abundance, and 9 for Good
Fortune.
Feng Shui aids in Diwali
TheSouthAsianTimes.info October 25-31, 2014
HAPPY DIWALI
By SAT Team
T
aking Prime Minister Narendra Modis
word millions cast their precious vote
this year in hope of achhe din. And
living up to his promises, in just six months,
the Sensex is soaring, the defense forces are
finally allowed to give it back lock, stock and
barrel to Indias aggressive neighbors and
aam aadmi (literally speaking) is happy he
will have to shell out much less for food and
petrol, to say the least.
Ruling Bharatiya Janata Partys spectacular
show in Haryana and Maharashtra elections
is a clear reflection of the confidence the new
government has gained.
Every year during Oct-Dec, the environ-
ment in the real estate market is upbeat. It
begins from Navratras followed by Durga
Puja, Dussehra, Diwali and continues till the
end of the year.
After the formation of the BJP government
at the Center, positivity has been infused
among the real estate buyers of India.
Developers across India are leaving no stones
unturned to capitalize on it.
Developers have launched many discounts,
schemes and freebies to push up the sales.
These offers include gold coins, a free car
park and club membership, special cash dis-
counts, a free commercial space along with
the luxury flats, cars, LEDs to foreign trips.
This is one time of the year when employ-
ees across the country look forward to receiv-
ing bonus. So when a Surat-based diamond
merchant gifted cars, apartments and jewelry
to his 1000+ employees for Diwali this year
it surely made headlines all over.
Savji Dholakia, who runs a diamond export
company in Surat, gave away 491 cars, 525
pieces of diamond jewelry and 200 apart-
ments to mark Diwali.
More than 1,200 of his 7,500 employees
worldwide benefited from his largesse.
Surat is the hub of India's thriving diamond
trade where rough diamonds are polished and
exported. Dholakia has been rewarding his
employees lavishly since 2012, when he gave
away cars to three employees. Last year, he
gifted cars to 72 employees.
His company is one of the most prominent
diamond exporters in Surat and has offices in
the US, Belgium and China. This company is
making profits because of you. If you are
happy, then we will progress further. You
should enjoy my profits, Dholakia told his
employees at a special function.
Jewelers too have stocked up on Indians
favorite metal - Gold for the festive season.
The imports were 95 tonne during
September, mainly on account of decline in
international prices and due to the ongoing
festive season, according to an industry
expert.
The September imports is a very normal
phenomenon as jewelers require stocks to
manufacture for the festive season, All India
Gems and Jewelry Trade Federation Director
Bachhraj Bamalwa said.
In September 2013, gold imports stood at
around 15-20 tonne, he said. There were
hardly any imports during September last
year due to several restrictions by the govern-
ment in order to control Current Account
Deficit (CAD). That caused a severe stock
crunch for the festivals last year, he said.
According to government data, gold
imports were at $3.75 billion in September
this year compared to $682.5 million in the
same month last year.
Bamalwa said the September imports have
increased the availability of stocks in the
market and this has helped in reducing smug-
gling. The smuggling has gone down to a
great extent due to the availability of gold, he
said. Going forward, he said, the last quarter
is the most important period for gold imports.
The jewelers have already manufactured
jewelries of the gold imported during
September for the festivals. The money from
the sales of these jewelries will make them
buy more gold. So most of the purchase will
take place in October and November, which
will decline in December. So together in
October and November we are expecting
gold import of around 150 tonne, he
explained.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitleys announce-
ment of deregulating diesel prices resulted in
a price cut of Rs 3.37 a liter first in over
five years! Diesel rates were last cut on
January 29, 2009 when they were reduced by
Rs 2 a liter to Rs 30.86.
Retail rates will now reflect international
movement in oil prices.
There couldn't have been more opportune
time for the decision. Oil prices are near a
four-year low and two major state elections
are out of the way. Reserve Bank Governor
Raghuram Rajan has recently called on the
government to seize this moment, while
inflation is the lowest in five years and refin-
ers are selling at a profit for the first time
ever.
48
Women
buying
jewelry on
Dhanteras
in Jaipur.
(Cartoon by Manoj Kureel)
405, Park Avenue, Suite 904, New York, NY 10022
CANARA BANK NEW YORK BRANCH IS LOOKING TO
HIRE SUITABLE CANDIDATES FOR THE POST OF SUPERVI-
SOR, ASSISTANT. The applicants should be well qualified
possessing minimum undergraduate degree and proficient
in computers especially in Microsoft Office. Candidates
having previous Banking experience shall be preferred.
Apply on urgent basis. The candidates with enthusiasm of
making long term career with the Bank should only apply.
Please send the applications by email at
cbny@canarabank.com or maheshmpai@canarabank.com
Interested candidates may please submit the resumes to:
vppna.nyb@statebank.com on or before July 26, 2013.
O
nce upon a time in a far-
away land, a young man
went to the forest and said
to his spiritual master, "I want to
have unlimited wealth, and with
that unlimited wealth, I want to
help and heal the world. Will you
please tell me the secret to creating
affluence?" And the spiritual master
replied, "There are two Goddesses
that reside in the heart of every
human being. Everybody is deeply
in love with these supreme beings.
But there is a certain secret that you
need to know, and I will tell you
what it is.
"Although you love both
Goddesses, you must pay more
attention to one of them. She is the
Goddess of Knowledge, and her
name is Saraswati. Pursue her, love
her, and give her your attention.
The other Goddess, whose name is
Lakshmi, is the Goddess of Wealth.
When you pay more attention to
Saraswati, Lakshmi will become
extremely jealous and pay more
attention to you. The more you seek
the Goddess of Knowledge, the
more the Goddess of Wealth will
seek you. She will follow you
wherever you go and never leave
you. And the wealth you desire will
be yours forever."
There is power in knowledge,
desire, and spirit. And this power
within you is the key to creating
affluence, writes New Age guru
Deepak Chopra. More than before,
we live in a knowledge society, and
education and knowledge pay in
material terms.
But if it money and wealth per se
you are after, there are ways to
acquire it, some age-old and some
contemporary. And there is no
shame in wanting to make money.
After all, all our life we are sure to
need money, then why be so hypo-
critical about it.
The sign of a good beginning
You will see this symbol at the
entrance to all business houses in
India. The Swastik is a symbol of
Lord Ganesha, the Lord of good
beginnings.
Riddhi & Siddhi, his two wives,
are represented by the twovertical
lines on either side. Shubh and
Labh (the two words written in
Devnagari script above the
Swastika) are sons of Lord
Ganesha. Shubh means goodness
and Labh means benefit or profit.
Money Mantras
Working with money mantras can
help you increase your prosperity.
The concept of using mantras origi-
nated from the Vedas and later
influenced the development of
Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and
Jainism.
It seems hard to believe that
merely repeating words can change
your thoughts and your life, but
they can. First of all, mantras help
to focus and quiet the chattering of
the monkey mind, creating space
for you to focus on more important
matterslike creating abundance.
The repetition of a mantra also
works with the Law of Attraction.
By echoing certain words over and
over you create specific energy
vibrations.
These vibrations will then attract
what you seek. Its a case of like
attracts like. Mantras can work as
magnets to align your thoughts and
attract what you want.
Here are some positive affirma-
tions (you may call them non-reli-
gious mantras) you can repeat to
yourself mentally again and
again:
I always have money.
I am making more money
every day.
I am a money magnet.
Abundance is my birthright.
Moneymaking opportunities
always come my way.
Prosperity follows me.
Then there are two traditional
mantras that are known to be effec-
tive.
Om shrim maha lakshmiyei
swaha
Phonetically it is pronounced:
Om shreem ma-ha lahk-shmee-yay
swah-ha
This mantra hail she who brings
every form of abundance. Although
many invoke the Goddess Lakshmi
for assistance with material wealth,
she is also the bringer of spiritual
wealth and abundance.
The second traditional mantra is
known as the Buddhist money
mantra.
Om Vasudhare Svaha
Phonetically it is pronounced Om
Wa Su Dha Rei Swa Ha.
This mantra is basically a prayer
to the earth Goddess Vasudhara. It
is suggested that you repeat this
mantra 108 times to be showered
with abundance.
50
Step 1: See the world as an abun-
dant, providing, friendly place.
When you change the way you look
at things, the things you look at
change. When you see the world as
abundant and friendly, your inten-
tions are genuine possibilities. They
will, in fact, become a certainty,
because your world will be experi-
enced from the higher frequencies.
In this first step, you're receptive to
a world that provides rather than
restricts.
Step 2: Affirm: I attract success
and abundance into my life
because that is who I am.
This puts you into vibratory harmo-
ny with your Source. Your goal is to
eliminate any distance between
what you desire & that from which
you pull it into your life. Abundance
and success aren't out there waiting
to show up for you. You are already
it, and the Source can only provide
you with what it is, and, conse-
quently, what you are already.
Step 3: Stay in an attitude of allow-
ing.
Resistance is disharmony between
your desire for abundance and your
beliefs about your ability or unwor-
thiness. In an attitude of allowing,
all resistance in the form of
thoughts of negativity or doubt are
replaced with simply knowing that
you and your Source are one and the
same.
Step 4: Use your present moments
to activate thoughts that are in har-
mony with the seven faces of inten-
tion [creativity, kindness, love,
beauty, expansion, abundance, and
peaceful receptivity].
The key phrase here is present
moments. Notice right now, in this
moment, if you're thinking that it's
hopeless at this stage of your life to
change the thoughts that comprise
your belief system. Do you defeat
yourself with thoughts of having
had such a long life practicing affir-
mations of scarcity and creating
resistance to your success and abun-
dance that you don't have enough
time left to counterbalance the
thoughts that comprise your belief
system?
Step 5: Initiate actions that support
your feelings of abundance and
success.
Here, the key word is actions. I call
it acting as if or thinking from the
end and acting that way. Put your
body into a gear that pushes you
toward abundance and feeling suc-
cessful. Act on those passionate
emotions as if the abundance and
success you seek is already here.
Step 6: Remember that your pros-
perity and success will benefit oth-
ers, and that no one lacks abun-
dance because you've opted for it.
The supply is unlimited. The more
you partake of the universal gen-
erosity, the more you' ll have to
share with others.
Step 7: Monitor your emotions as a
guidance system for your connection
to the universal mind of intention.
Strong emotions such as passion
and bliss are indications that you're
connected to Spirit, or Inspired.
When you're inspired, you activate
dormant forces, and the abundance
you seek in any form comes stream-
ing into your life.
Step 8: Become as generous to the
world with your abundance as the
field of intention is to you.
Don't stop the flow of abundant
energy by hoarding or owning what
you receive. Keep it moving. Use
your prosperity in the service of
others, and for causes greater than
your ego.
Step 9: Devote the necessary time
to meditate on the Spirit within as
the source of your success and
abundance.
There's no substitute for the practice
of meditation. This is particularly
relevant with abundance. You must
have an understanding that your
consciousness of the presence is
your supply. By repeating the sound
that is in the name of God as a
mantra, you're using a technique for
manifesting as ancient as recorded
history.
Step 10: Develop an attitude of
gratitude for all that manifests into
your life.
Be thankful and filled with awe and
appreciation, even if what you
desire hasn't arrived yet. Even the
darkest days of your life are to be
looked on with gratitude.
Everything coming from Source is
on purpose. Be thankful while
empowering your reconnection to
that form from which you and
everything else originated.
10 steps to attracting abundance
More than earlier generations, we want to make money, to worship at the altar of Goddess
Lakshmi. Heres some advice on how to, culled from sources new and age-old.
Seek and pursue Goddess Saraswati and Goddess Lakshmi,
turning jealous, will pursue you.
Secrets of creating affluence
Extracted from "The Power of
Intention" by Wayne Dyer
(Hay House).
October 25- 31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info HAPPY DIWALI
Chennai: It may not be a cracker
of a Diwali this year for about
500,000 families in Tamil Nadu's
Sivakasi town - India's biggest
firecrackers manufacturing hub -
as they fear getting swamped by
Chinese firecrackers.
"Two years back the illegal
imports of Chinese firecrackers
were sporadic. But this year it was
phenomenal, threatening the
domestic industry' s very exis-
tence," G. Abiruben, president of
the Tamil Nadu Fireworks and
Amorces Manufacturers
Association (TNFAMA), Sivakasi,
said.
"Nearly 35 percent of the prod-
ucts made for this year's Diwali
remain unsold because of clandes-
tine imports of several container
loads of Chinese products," he
said.
Chinese firecrackers pose a
threat to the Rs.6,000 crore Indian
firecracker industry which is gear-
ing up for Diwali Oct 23.
Conservatively, industry experts
estimate that the value of clandes-
tine imports of Chinese firecrack-
ers is around Rs.600 crore for
about 2,000 containers.
The central government has said
that advertisements would be
issued in the dailies warning of
action against illegal imports of
firecrackers, but no such publicity
has been given till date though the
time is running out, industry offi-
cials complain.
K. Mariappan, member of senior
advisory committee, TNFAMA,
said: "Earlier the central govern-
ment used to seize container loads
of Chinese firecrackers. Instead of
destroying the seized products
they were given back to the illegal
importers after levying a fine.
Those products later found their
way into the market."
He said the chief controller of
explosives based in Nagpur has to
give the sanction to destroy the
seized fireworks and no such sanc-
tion has been given till date.
Sivakasi, also known as 'kutti' or
'mini Japan', is one of the oldest
and biggest firecracker manufac-
turing hubs in India. Nearly 90
percent of the country's fireworks
are made in Sivakasi. Also, 80
percent of the safety matches are
made here.
Low rainfall and dry climate
are conducive for this industry to
thrive. Some of the products are
also used by the airports to scare
away birds. According to
Mariappan, imports of firecrack-
ers need license from the central
government. And no import
licence has been issued till now
to anybody.
The Indian industry realized
the seriousness of the Chinese
threat when their order intake
came down drastically around
November-December of 2013.
"Normally orders are placed
around that time by distributors.
Orders for this Diwali came
down drastically as compared to
2012," Mariappan said.
The orders for next Diwali will
be taken during this November-
December and industry officials
feel that only when the central and
state governments start cracking
down on illegal imports would the
domestic industry survive.
The firecracker industry in
China is around Rs.30,000 crore
catering to domestic as well as
export markets.
52
New Delhi: Attractive and pocket-friendly
Made-in-China idols, which flew off the
shelves during Indian religious festivals, are
seeing a dip in sales this time, mainly due to
local artisans giving them tough competi-
tion and appeals to shun Chinese products.
According to the wholesale dealers in
Delhi's Sadar Bazar, one of the oldest shop-
ping hubs in the old quarters, local manu-
facturers are designing better-looking and
long-lasting idols of Lakshmi and Ganesha,
the goddess and god of prosperity and
wealth according to Hindu mythology.
"Of course, the China-made idols of
Indian gods and goddesses have better fin-
ishing and even cost less than Indian ones,"
Tarun Kathuria, owner of Arts and Soul, a
shop that deals with such products, said.
"During Diwali, customers seek idols that
can also be used for decorative purposes.
The Chinese products do not last long," said
Kathura, who belongs to a family that has
been in the business of selling such prod-
ucts for the past 70 years.
He said he would place orders for the
China-made idols at least four months
before Diwali to meet the demand, but the
hassles of dealing with customs and excise
duties forced him to sell local products.
Kathuria also said most of the Chinese
goods enter India illegally through a nefari-
ous network and on many occasions the
quality of the goods would be compro-
mised.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
(RSS)chief Mohan Bhagwat had also called
for banning China-made idols in India.
"We are even buying idols of our gods
and goddesses and other products of daily
use from China which needs to be stopped
completely," Bhagwat said in his annual
address to millions of RSS members at its
headquarters in Nagpur on the 89th
Foundation Day of the organisation.
The fact that Chinese idols are not selling
like before can be seen by a visit to various
Delhi markets.
The traders also stressed that many cus-
tomers would return to them for replacing
bought items.
"We were not in a position to replace the
idols if they were damaged. This created a
problem for us. But it is not so with the
local products," Goyal added.
"In the early days, there was a huge
demand for Chinese products. But it was
soon followed by complaints," Satish
Bhutani, a businessman, whose family has
been in the business of selling antique
pieces and other gift items for the past 120
years, said.
Bhutani said Indian products are well-fin-
ished and more durable.
A set of Ganesha and Lakshmi ranges
from Rs.40 to as high as Rs. 10,000.
Brijesh Parmar, a customer, said: "Even
water resistant idols of gods and goddesses
do not have any value if they do not have
durability. Though Chinese made idols have
good finishing compared to the Indian ones,
the shopkeepers should understand that
idols bought for Diwali are not meant for
immersion but to be kept at home."
Bharati, 23, who is celebrating her first
Diwali after getting married, said: "What's
the point of buying imported items when
Indian artisans make a much better product
that meets our aesthetics and are also eco-
friendly."
Apart from Ganesha and Lakshmi idols,
Chinese-made firecrackers, lights and toys
had also flooded the Indian markets.
Recently, the Indian government put a ban
on Chinese crackers.
"The Chinese manufacturers had entered
the Indian market of toys and crackers too
as they realized that it was a vast consumer
market and they can make a killing.
"But at the end the consumer is the king.
And consumers have realised that our own
local manufacturers were doing much better
jobs. So I am for India-made products,"
Bharti added.
Sales of China-made Indian gods dips
Chinese firecrackers
pose a threat to the
Rs.6,000 crore Indian
firecracker industry. The
Chinese products are
targeted at the Gujarat,
Maharashtra, Punjab
and Delhi markets on
which the Indian
industry is largely
dependent.
Chinese firecrackers spell dark Diwali
Local manufacturers are designing
better-looking and long-lasting
idols of Lakshmi and Ganesha.
October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
HAPPY DIWALI
54
Two original Diwali poems based on the Hindu legend of Rama and Sita
written by Brenda Williams, a UK based children's author and poet.
First published in Scholastics Child Education PLUS magazine.
The First Diwali
The people shed so many tears
When Rama left for fourteen years.
Fourteen years, in a forest deep
Where he and Sita used to sleep.
Until Ravana spoiled his life
By stealing Sita for a wife.
He took her in his chariot high
Over the sea and across the sky.
The Monkey King, called Hanuman
Helped King Rama with a plan.
He built a bridge across the sea
So Rama could set Sita free.
Then, in a battle, erce and long
Rama showed how he was strong.
Ravana killed, and Sita saved
Rama was so bold and brave.
On his return to Ayodhya city
The people made his journey pretty
By lighting lamps along his way
And so it was until this day
That diva lamps, like guiding lights
Remind us all that good is right.
And from the dark of ignorant ways
Grants knowledge for our future days.
By Brenda Williams
The Bridge of Floating Stones
Creeping, creeping, crept Ravana
Into the forest where lived King Rama.
Silently, silently to Sitas door
Pretending he was old and poor.
But, when kind Sita stepped outside
Ravana seized her for a ride
Over the sea in his chariot high
Over the clouds and through the sky.
In the forest for fourteen years
King Rama could not hide his tears.
I fought Ravana, a vulture cried
He wounded me. I almost died.
But, where is Sita? Where is she?
Over the sea, said the bird. Over the sea.
Then Hanuman the Monkey King
Did a most amazing thing.
For King Rama, and him alone
He built a bridge of oating stones.
Then, in the battle, erce and long.
King Rama knew he must be strong.
At last Ravana fell down slain
When Ramas arrow found its aim.
So Sita was saved, the day was done,
And good over evil once more won.
Then, back to their home in Ayodhya city
Where people made their journey pretty
With diva lamps to light their way
And celebrate this special day.
By Brenda Williams
TheSouthAsianTimes.info October 25-31, 2014 HAPPY DIWALI
By Anil Mulchandani
T
amil Nadu has some of the
most important places for
devotees of Lord Rama.
According to Ramayana, Lord
Rama traveled to the southeast coast
of India from where he, with his
monkey army assimilated at Hampi
in Karnataka, crossed over to Sri
Lanka to rescue Sita.
After Hampi, Rama is said to have
spent some time in Tiruchirapalli, a
district with numerous majestic
Vaishava temples. At the head of the
Kaveri Delta, Tiruchirapalli has a
rich history that encompasses the
fortunes of Pallavas, Cholas and
Nayakas before becoming a British
stronghold. The town is dominated
by a rock fort built by the Nayakas while at
its base are churches and colonial buildings
set near the Teppakulam Tank. South west
of the tank you see old colleges built in the
British period and the cantonment.
Among the towns oldest monuments is a
pair of cave temples, built in the 7th and 8th
centuries worth visiting to see wonders of
Pallava dynastic art like the Gangadhara
panel depicting the legend of Lord Shiva
controlling the Ganges as she flowed down
from the heavens in his matted hair. About
9km from the city, Srirangam is an island at
the confluence of Kaveri and Kollidam
rivers which is one of the most sacred
Vaishnavite pilgrimage sites in Tamil Nadu.
The Ranganatha Temple here is one of the
largest and most active religious complexes
in Tamil Nadu. It has shrines from various
periods in its history dating back to the 10th
century mostly during the 14th century
when it was reconstructed after Islamic
invasions and the 17th century when the
Nayakas enlarged most of the complex.
With shrines of various Vishnu avatars like
the Chakkarathazhwar, Narasimha, Rama,
Hayagreeva and Gopala Krishna mandirs,
as also Ranganayaki, Ramanuja and other
saints, this complex is hugely visited during
Vaishnav festivals like Ramanavmi, Diwali,
etc.
From here, traveling to the coast you pass
through vast marshes where prawns and salt
is harvested following the Dandi March,
this area was one of the centers of protests
against the British Salt Act that affected the
livelihood of locals dependent on salt pro-
duction. Vedaranyam is the main salt market
in this area. Just after Vedaranyam you
come to Kodikkarai on a knob of land jut-
ting out to the sea which is called Point
Calimere or Cape Calimere. Rama is said to
have stood on this coastal headland to look
out to Sri Lanka. Ramarpatham, a stone slab
that bears the impressions of two feet in rev-
erence to the place where Rama stood on
the elevation, is a key area for pil-
grimage. The Kodikkarai Bird sanctu-
ary is delightful between November
and March. You can see thousands of
flamingos, pelicans, storks, geese,
ducks and other birds at the marshes.
You can spot blackbuck or Indian
antelope in the sanctuary, and also
feral horses. Dolphins can be sighted
at times from the headland or the jetty
area.
From Point Calimere, you can drive to
Rameshwaram which is sacred as the place
from where Lord Rama built a bridge across
the sea to Sri Lanka in order to rescue his
consort Sita from her abductor, the demon
king Ravana. This sacred island town in the
natural shape of a conch is dominated by the
Ramanathaswamy Temple worshipped by
devotees of Lord Rama and Lord Shiva
because it houses the lingam that Lord
Rama installed and wor-
shipped after returning
from his victory against
Ravana. This massive
temple founded by the
Cholas and expanded by
the Nayakas in the 16th
18h centuries, is set in
high walls with five gate-
houses. The temples
remarkable feature is the
Sokattan Mandapa,
extremely elaborate with
1212 columns. The temple
has 22 tanks, including the
Agni Tirtha in the fore-
court where devotees take
a dip believing the sacred
waters will cleanse them of
their sins.
The next point of focus
for pilgrimage is the Gandamadana Hill
where a mandapa is said to protect Lord
Ramas footprint. Climb to the mandapa for
splendid views of the sea.
At the southern tip of Rameshvaram
island, Dhanushkodi has a beautiful beach
and has a view of limestone shoals, reefs
and sandy banks which forms Ram Sethu,
the bridge said to have been used by Lord
Rama to crossover to Lanka. Hanuman is
believed to have used the boulders called
Adams Bridge, here, for his crossing to
Lanka where he found Sita. The temple
called Kodandarama is where Rama met
Vibhishana, Ravanas brother.
While visiting Rameshvaram for its reli-
gious and architectural importance, do not
miss spending some time enjoying its natu-
ral beauty, watching the flocks of shore
birds that gather at its mud banks and
beaches, and the marine life in the tidal
zone.
56
Beach at Point Calimere (Photos by Dinesh Shukla)
The splendid Vishnu temples
of Srirangam attract
Rama's devotees.
October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
HAPPY DIWALI
By Anil Mulchandani
I
had always wanted to visit
Bidar since the early-90s
when I read a book on
Karnataka authored by a British
travel writer Philip Ward, who
wrote that Bidar rivals Fatehpur
Sikri as a fortified citadel full of
Islamic monuments. The oppor-
tunity came recently when
Dinesh and I visited Pune and
Hyderabad, since Bidar falls
roughly between the two. During
our journey to Bidar, we came to
know that this was also one of
the most sacred Sikh pilgrim-
ages. During his tour called
Udasi, Guru Nanak explored
places like Burhanpur, Nanded
and Golkonda near present day
Hyderabad. During this tour, he
came to Bidar to meet Pir
Jalaluddin and Yakoob Ali. The
first Sikh Guru accompanied by
his companion Mardana stayed
in the outskirts of the Bidar town
near the settlements of Sufis and
Muslim leaders. The Gurpurab
celebrations on Dev Diwali, the
birth anniversary of Guru Nanak
is a major feast at Bidar s
Gurdwara Jhira Saheb.
It was morning when we
arrived at Bidar,
which rises from
an elevation like
a vision from
the Arabian
Nights stories
presenting a
spectacle of
magnificent for-
t i f i c a t i o n s ,
palaces, domes,
minarets and
towers. The cap-
ital of the
B r a h m a n i
Sultans from
1424, Bidar is
now a largely
provincial town dotted with stone
monuments. As we entered the
town we saw the stonework and
calligraphy above the door of the
Khalil Allah Chaukundi, a beau-
tiful octagonal shaped four-sided
mausoleum of a Sufi Saint from
Persia who was the spiritual
advisor of Allauddin Shah.
Continuing to the heart of Bidar
we saw the impressive Madrassa
of Mahmud Gawan, with its
minaret soaring high above the
cityscape. Mahmud Gawan, a
scholar from Persia, was the
Wazir of the Brahmani kingdom
and commanded almost as much
power as the ruler, Muhammed 3
(1463-82). This masterpiece of
Central Asian style architecture
has four arched portals (called
iwans) leading to a courtyard
with a backdrop of domes and
the facade with tile mosaics and
calligraphy, flanked by minarets.
This was once a theological col-
lege, known for its library and
the classrooms reflect the cultur-
al importance that Bidar once
commanded.
Bidar Fort, at the end of the
street running north from the
Madrassa, was built by the
Chalukyas and reinforced by the
Brahmanis in the 15th century. A
trio of arched gateways with
domes and tile work lead into the
former royal enclave where we
first visited the exquisite 16th
century Rangin Mahal, which
contains some of the finest
Islamic art in South India. The
arches are crowned by superb
woodcarving. The hall has ornate
brackets and columns, and to the
rear is a chamber with attractive
tile mosaics and intricate inlaid
mother-of-pearl decorations. We
drove into the fort with its 14th
century Solah Khambha Mosque
which has circular columns, the
walled gar-
dens called
Lal Bagh,
the ruins of
the audi-
ence hall
and the
T a k h t
Mahal. The
royal baths,
c a l l e d
Hammam,
now house
a small museum. From the fort, a
road took us north to the 15th
century tombs of the Brahmani
rulers. The Tomb of Ahmed Shah
has splendid murals. The tombs
are crowned by high and large
domes and some of the walls
bear traces of inlaid tile decora-
tions in intricate patterns. In the
afternoon, we drove to the
impressive Gurdwara Nanak
Jhira Sahib which lies in an area
with Punjabi dhabas, houses
bearing Sikh names and Punjabi-
run guesthouses. A local Sikh
resident told us, ``Guru Nanak
impressed local people with his
preachings.
When approached by his fol-
lowers with their concerns about
the salinity of water in the walled
town, the Guru is said to have
touched the ground with his
wooden sandal and clean sweet
drinking water started gushing
out. This spring is called Nanak
Jhira. From this spring, water is
channeled into the marble pond
called Amrit Sarovar which is
now the center of pilgrimage.
He guided us to the langar, the
free lunch hall of the Gurdvara.
In the afternoon, we went into
the town to find Bidriware, a
metal craft that originated here
under the Brahmani rulers. The
craft was inspired by Abdullah
bin Kaiser, an Iranian craftsman
who enjoyed the patronage of the
Brahmani rulers. The Bidriware
products have brilliant silver
inlay on a black background.
58
The magnificent Bidar Fort Sikh enclave around the Gurdwara (Photos by Dinesh Shukla)
The Gurpurab celebrations on Dev Diwali, the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak is a major feast
at Bidars Gurdwara Jhira Saheb
Bidar Fort, at the end of the
street running north from the
Madrassa, was built by the
Chalukyas and reinforced by
the Brahmanis in the 15th
century. A trio of arched
gateways with domes and tile
work lead into the former
royal enclave where we first
visited the exquisite 16th
century Rangin Mahal, which
contains some of the finest
Islamic art in South India.
October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info HAPPY DIWALI
60
Fireworks explode behind the Eiffel Tower during the
Bastille Day celebrations in Paris, as seen from the
Montparnasse Tower, July 14, 2013.
The largest annual pyrotechnic display in North America is
Thunder Over Louisville which kicks off the Kentucky Derby
Festival in end April.
Sydney is the first in the world to welcome the New Year every time with a grand
fireworks display centered on the Harbor Bridge overlooking the Opera House.
Tourists watch the latest fireworks and fountain extravaganza
Wings of Time at Singapore's Sentosa Siloso
Beach on June 20, 2014.
Dubai during the 2014 New Years celebrations made the
Guinness record for the most fireworks (500,000) ignited
during a single coordinated display lasting 6 minutes.
Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower, was in the
middle of the sound and fury.
W
e have all
enjoyed bursting
crackers around
Diwali time. Here in New
York, we have also enjoyed
the eye-popping AIA
Deepavali reworks from
South Street Seaport van-
tage and Macys mightier
show every July the 4th.
But explosive pyrotechnic
displays are employed
across the world for aes-
thetic, cultural, and reli-
gious purposes, and now
also celebrating big sport-
ing events. The earliest
documentation of reworks
dates back to 7th century
China, where they were
invented. China remains
the biggest producer and
exporter of reworks.
Fireworks
explode at the
end of the
closing
ceremony for
the 22nd
Winter
Olympic
Games in
Sochi, Russia,
Feb. 23, 2014.
By SAT Bureau
D
iwali is here and so is the burden of
explaining the festival to non-
Hindus and the next generation
Hindus born in the Americas. For a large
number of second generation Hindu
Americans, who grew up in the United
States observing Diwali in their homes,
explaining it to their peers was often chal-
lenging because of lack of resources but
now when they are seeking to translate
their roots to the next generation there has
come a much better understanding of how
to articulate the importance of Diwali.
Thanks are due to a number of resources
specially designed to help parents and
community members in general. To feed
this inarticulate sense of identity the Indian
diaspora are increasingly referring to
books, toolkits and templates available
online. One of the widely used toolkit is
the one prepared by Hindu American
Foundation (HAF).
Explaining the need for a toolkit, execu-
tive director of HAF, Suhag Shukla said,
My parents generation celebrated Diwali
and they never had to articulate the reason
behind it. However, throughout the second
or the third generation, Hindu diaspora are
seeking motivating reasons to commemo-
rate the festival of lights.
Keeping in mind the constitutional con-
straints about celebrating religious festivals
in classrooms, the toolkit assists communi-
ty volunteers, parents and educators in
teaching about religion rather than teaching
the religion. The toolkit is for parents and
educators to understand Diwali better with-
in an educational setting, added Shukla. It
has an introduction to the festival, a how to
on celebrating Diwali in classroom, cre-
ative activities for elementary and middle
schoolers, a guide to fashion tradition,
Diwali food and more. Every year around
this time Shukla said the website gets a
record number of hits. Last year we
updated our toolkit with more visuals that
resulted in heavy traffic and our website
crashed temporarily, said Shukla.
For teachers who wish to further explore
understanding of Diwali, there are age
appropriate readings available online as
ebooks and even in print. Adding to the
resources on Diwali is a book prepared by
two California based mommy-preneurs
Shuchi Mehta and Shweta Chopra through
their company named 3 Curious
Monkeys. The book The Diwali Gift is a
part of their overall effort in educating very
young kids about Indian culture through
stories and apps. The Diwali Gift, their first
print and ebook, was released at the begin-
ning of this month both in America and in
India. They have also launched an app
called Dress Up Party that engages
young children in a dress-up activity to
show them the diversity and richness of
Indian attire. Their website:
http://www.3curiousmonkeys.com.
61
By Shweta Lodha
T
he approaching holiday sea-
son is a time for us to reflect
on those things that matter
most to us. As I look back on 2014,
I am most thankful for the valuable
lessons I learned while working
with Mayor Dr. Ratna Jain of Kota,
third largest city of Rajasthan, India,
known for its thriving educational
culture. The Right to Education Act
is a mandate that was institutional-
ized by the Parliament of India in
2009 to provide compulsory educa-
tion to all children in India between
the ages of 6 and 14. In the small
but densely populated city of Kota,
Dr. Jain has provided disadvantaged
children educational opportunities
not only by increasing government
donations to those who cant afford
an education, but also by interacting
with disadvantaged youth on a more
personal level.
This summer, I had the opportuni-
ty to see the positive impact that
personal communication can have
on students from disadvantaged
backgrounds. I got the chance to
visit indigent schools and talk to
children with a girth of hidden
ambition. Upon my first visit to a
local school of Kota, Mayor Jain
and I were cordially welcomed by
the headmaster of the school with
sweets, garlands, and warm smiles.
The principal then took us into a
classroom, where young children
sat on dirt floors in anticipation of
the upcoming lecture. Nervous at
first, I started off by asking the chil-
dren their names and favorite sub-
jects. As discussion began to bloom,
I addressed my favorite subjects,
how the education system in the US
compares to that of India, and most
importantly, why education is a cru-
cial tool in an increasingly fast-
paced world. Acknowledging that
most of the students simply did not
have the means to enhance their
learning, I also informed them about
ways that they could utilize govern-
ment funded resources, such as pub-
lic libraries and computer labs, to
further their education.
Towards the end of my motiva-
tional lecture, I had the chance to
ask students specific questions.
When I asked them what their
future aspirations were, I received
highly ambitious responses that
demonstrated the latent brilliance
within every single one of the stu-
dents. It was especially encouraging
to hear female students talk about
their desires to work in fields cur-
rently dominated by males, such as
science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics. In one of the
schools, I had the chance to have a
conversation with a 14-year-old stu-
dent named Murti. Much to my
delight, I learned that like me she,
too, aspired to be a physician when
she was older. I repeatedly drilled
into her head that she had to work
harder than anyone she knew in
order to make her dreams a reality.
She responded with a beaming and
confident smile that warmed my
heart. All in all, acting as an ambas-
sador for education in the poorest
schools of Kota made me familiar
with the raw power of human con-
nection. Mahatma Gandhi once
said, You must be the change you
wish to see in the world. My expe-
riences in Kota have taught me that
helping out in even small ways is
highly significant because great
leaps are always the sum of small
steps. This holiday season, I will not
only give thanks for a supportive
family and privileged life, but I will
also make a resolution to help those
in need through any way that I can
to give meaning to the powerful
words of Gandhi.
Shweta Lodha is Contributing
Editor (Youth), The South Asian
Times .
Kota in Rajasthan pushes education for the disadvantaged
Articulating the importance of Diwali made easy
Shweta Lodha (standing, second from left) speaking
to students at a school in Kota.
Some easy-to-read books on Diwali
The story of Divaali by Valmiki, Jatinder Verma (Authors),
Nilesh Mistry (Illustrator)
Lighting a Lamp: A Diwali story by Jonny Zuker
The Divali Story by Anita Ganeri
Divali Rose by Vashanti Rahaman
Lights for Gita by
Rachna Gilmore
Holidays Around the
World: Celebrate Diwali
with Sweets, Lights and
Fireworks, by Deborah
Heiligam
Amma, Tell Me About
Diwali by Bhakti Mathur
Diwali by Mia Gardeski
Rama and Sita by David
Weitzman
Rama and Demon King:
An ancient tale from
India
The Diwali Gift is a
resource book prepared by
California based duo Shuchi
Mehta and Shweta Chopra.
A
fter working under his
friend Farah Khan's direc-
tion in "Main Hoon Na",
"Om Shanti Om" and now "Happy
New Year", superstar Shah Rukh
Khan knows what qualities make
her a success in the male-dominat-
ed Hindi film industry.
"Farah has a lot of self-confi-
dence, which is amazing.
Whenever I think that I will direct a
film, I find myself lacking the self-
confidence. Also, unlike her, I don't
have the clarity," Shah Rukh, who
feels he can imbibe the quality from
Farah, told reporters here.
"I genuinely think every world
has a male-dominated area. It
requires intelligence and guts to be
in a man's world and say it like it is.
Farah exudes power. I think women
are respected here, but the kind of
respect she garners, is quite amaz-
ing," Shah Rukh added.
Their forthcoming project also
features Deepika Padukone,
Abhishek Bachchan, Boman Irani,
Sonu Sood and Vivaan Shah.
King Khan, as SRK is fondly
called, has several friends in the
film industry. But he says he does-
n't get ample time to spend with
them.
"I'm working at most times. You
get to make friends during the time
you are working. I have not worked
with Karan (Johar) for the last two
years, so I have not spent time with
him. With Farah, I'm working from
the last one and a half years, but
before that, for two years, I didn't
spend time with her."
'Intelligence, guts
required to be in a
man's world'
P
rime Minister Narendra Modi
appreciated Salman Khan for
wielding the broom, saying the
Bollywood star's cleanliness initia-
tive will "inspire" several people to
join the government' s ambitious
Swachh Bharat Mission. "The effort
by @BeingSalmanKhan is a signifi-
cant one that will inspire several peo-
ple to join Swachh Bharat Mission.
#MyCleanIndia," the Prime Minister
wrote on micro-blogging website
Twitter after Khan posted photos of
his cleanliness drive on Facebook.
Modi retweeted Khan's Facebook
post with the photos of the star hold-
ing the broom and contributing to the
Prime Minister's clean India initia-
tive. "I once again thank
@NarendraModi for taking up the
Swachh Bharat initiative and nomi-
nating me," Khan had tweeted.
Starting his cleanliness challenge
in Karjat in Mumbai, Khan nominat-
ed nine prominent personalities
including Jammu and Kashmir chief
minister Omar Abdullah, Tamil
superstar Rajnikanth and Bollywood
star Aamir Khan to join the cam-
paign. "I started with Karjat yester-
day. Yeh Dekho photos," reads his
message on Facebook. "I nominate
the following for Swachh Bharat
campaign and request them to further
nominate nine more people. First, I
nominate my fans on Facebook and
followers on Twitter." "Each one of
us can make a difference. And I nom-
inate Aamir Khan, Azim Premji,
Chanda Kochhar, Omar Abdullah,
Pradeep Dhoot, Rajat Sharma,
Rajinikanth & Vineet Jain," it said.
B
ollywood celebrities like
Sridevi and Karan Johar
wish for prosperity, luck and
happiness on Diwali.
Heres what the celebrities
tweeted:
Amitabh Bachchan: Many thank
you's first for all those that send me
their wishes for Deepawali... may
there be prosperity, & the brightness
of light.
Sridevi: Wish all of you a Happy
Vappy Diwali. May this day bring
prosperity, luck, and happiness into
your lives.
Karan Johar: Make it about
love...peace and inner
strength...Erase the wrong and
enhance the right! Happy Diwali to
my twitter family!!!
Hrithik Roshan: Happy Diwali 2
all. May d Lights inspire us 2b d
source of all brightness dat v seek,
light up people's lives whrevr v go,n
c d magic unfold.
Arjun Rampal: Happy Diwali to
everyone, love and light, peace and
clarity, success and prosperity. I
wish for you.
Madhur Bhandarkar: May mil-
lions of lamps illuminate ur life
with endless joy, prosperity, health
& wealth forever. Wishing u and ur
family a very "HAPPY DIWALI".
Shekhar Kapur: Lighting a lamp
is a reminder of our inner pursuit.
The light within ourselves must be
kept alight to see us through dark-
ness #HappyDiwali
Anupam Kher: A Happy,
Prosperous and Peaceful Diwali to
All. May you all have wonderful
celebrations today and clean your
streets tomorrow. Love.
Pooja Bhatt: Light... Magical
light... From my world to your's...
Happy Diwali all! Much, much
love!
Dia Mirza: Happy Diwali! Spread
your light and share your love. lots
of love and good wishes to you!
Salman takes up Modi's
Swachh Bharat challenge
Happy Diwali wishes
B-Town
Salman Khan wielding the broom in Mumbai
Celebrities at Amitabh Bachchan's house
to celebrate Diwali last year
A scene from Farah
Khan's film 'Happy
New Year'
62 October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
I
t was family time for Bollywood celebrities like
Ayushmann Khurrana, Kalki Koechlin and
Sushant Singh Rajput this Diwali.
Here's how they and other stars celebrated the festi-
val of lights:
Sushant Singh Rajput: I am with my family in
Delhi for Diwali. Spending time with my niece and
nephew after a long time.
Ayushmann Khurrana: Last year I performed at
the Diwali mela in the US. This time I am lucky
enough to spend Diwali with family and friends.
Kalki Koechlin: My mom has come to Mumbai to
be with me for Diwali. I am planning a small get-
together for her with close friends.
Sooraj Pancholi: I'll be home with my parents tuck-
ing into my mom's most amazing Diwali spread.
Every son thinks his mother is the best cook in the
world. In my case it's actually true.
Armaan Jain: Nothing flamboyant or fancy this
Diwali. We'll have our usual pooja at home. After the
pooja my mom, dad, my brother and I visit our pater-
nal and maternal grandparents. After that I may hang
around with a few friends.
Rajkummar Rao: Will miss Diwali at home since I
am in Cape Town shooting.
Prabhudheva: I am in Chennai to be with my par-
ents and my kids. For me, any time with family is
Diwali.
Taapsee Pannu: Since I shifted to Mumbai this
year, I'll be celebrating my first Diwali in this city. I
want to celebrate it in my new home with no crackers.
Just want beautiful lights and close friends and
How stars celebrated Diwali
October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
HAPPY DIWALI
TheSouthAsianTimes.info October 25-31, 2014 HAPPY DIWALI
66 October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info OP-ED
By Saroj Mohanty
O
ne single international
development that has not
received the kind of play
it deserves in the Indian media but
is keenly watched in policy-mak-
ing and strategic circles is the
falling prices of oil - despite the
geopolitical uncertainties in the
Middle East and Nigeria - whose
impact could be felt in govern-
ment finances, business, trade and
consumer spending, if the trend
continues.
The price of oil has plunged by
more than a quarter since June.
On Friday, it held above $80 a
barrel. Analysts ascribe quite a
few reasons for the slide in prices
-- a threat of recession in Europe,
cooling off of growth in China,
the shale boom in the US and
steady production from OPEC
member states. And all these hold
considerable significance for
India's economy and diplomacy.
Low priced oil was the engine
of growth in post-War world and
as recently as that of 1990s. On
the flip side, the fall in oil prices
in the 1980s battered the Soviet
economy and led ultimately to its
disunion.
The crash in prices now has
enormous implications for hydro-
carbon-dependent economies like
Russia, Iran, Venezuela, and even
countries in the Middle East,
which since the Arab spring have
raised their public spending.
Because the business of oil is not
exactly business alone. Over the
decades, oil has been a highly
political commodity, a critical ele-
ment of cooperation and conflict
in international relations. It has
had a role in important develop-
ments like the oil crises of the
1970s, petrodollar recycling,
Third World indebtedness and the
two Gulf Wars of 1991 and 2003,
the Kyoto Protocol and the
Copenhagen negotiations on cli-
mate change.
In the current scenario, some
analysts see a clear mix of geopol-
itics with the energy business.
Columnist Thomas Friedman goes
to the extent of saying that the low
price of oil has "the feel of war by
other means", a potent US weapon
against Russia, which is not on
good terms with Washington over
Ukraine, and Iran, which is nego-
tiating a deal on its nuclear pro-
gram before the November dead-
line. There is also talk of
President Barack Obama consid-
ering lifting restrictions on crude
exports imposed in the 1970s.
Some other analysts say the
Gulf members of the OPEC cartel
led by Saudi Arabia are driving
down prices to retain market share
and thwart the US move of driv-
ing them out of business with its
shale gas.
However, in this high game of
strategic competition India seems
to be a clear beneficiary as prices
are said to remain depressed for
the remaining months of the year,
despite the approaching winter.
India imports three-quarters of its
oil and high oil prices have fueled
inflation and stunted the develop-
ment of other sectors of the econ-
omy. Now sectors like transport,
airlines and energy-intensive
industries could breathe easy.
The government's subsidies bill
on account of oil and fertilizer
would see a fall, helping the fiscal
situation. The trade gap could also
shrink with the current account
deficit under check. The fall in oil
prices would also boost consumer
spending as lower prices mean
higher disposable income. And a
lower inflation, in turn, could
facilitate an easing of interest
rates earlier than expected. Thus,
the lone international develop-
ment of lower oil prices has made
India's macro-economic scenario
look much better than what it was
a few months ago. Taking advan-
tage of the situation, the govern-
ment on Saturday deregulated the
diesel price. And with success in
the latest round of assembly elec-
tions, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi may now feel emboldened
to push through more reforms to
lift growth.
Falling oil prices may spur Modi for more reforms
By Prashant Sood
T
he results of the Haryana and
Maharashtra assembly polls came as
a shocker for the Congress and made
its revival even more difficult as the party
has been defeated in the states that had
been its traditional strongholds. The
Congress finished third in both the states.
The results once again raised questions
on Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's
leadership with no clarity yet about the
party's roadmap for restructuring. They also
revived demands for giving a more active
role to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, highlighting
the party' s dependence on the Nehru-
Gandhi family.
With the party having received severe
drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, Congress
leaders were not expecting a miracle in the
assembly election in the two states but the
results were below their own assessment.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi
campaigned aggressively in the states
addressing about 35 rallies, Congress presi-
dent Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul
Gandhi participated in fewer rallies.
The defeat came at the hands of Modi and
BJP president Amit Shah, who have been
talking about "Congress-free" India.
A worrying factor for the Congress is the
party's inability to gain ground in the states
where it has lost election to the BJP. The
Congress has lost successive polls to BJP in
Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat.
The results also resulted in Nationalist
Congress Party (NCP) - a key ally of the
Congress in the UPA government - virtually
joining hands with the BJP. The NCP has
offered outside support to the BJP and
ended scope of an early realignment with
the Congress. The NCP had parted ways
with the Congress days before the Lok
Sabha polls. The Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) is not only seeking to displace
Congress from its strongholds, the party is
also seeking to gain opposition space in
states ruled by the regional parties.
Reduced to 44 seats in the Lok Sabha, the
Congress is facing challenge of shrinking
social base. The party also has to contend
with Modi's growing stature as a campaign-
er and a national leader. With polls in
Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand expect-
ed in a few months, the Congress still has
to put its act together.
Both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi
had taken responsibility for the Lok Sabha
debacle but no major revamp of the party
structure has taken place over the past five
months. In their responses to the polls ver-
dict, both Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi
emphasized that the defeat had come after
the party' successive triumphs in
Maharashtra and Haryana.
"The Congress party will work hard on
the ground to once again earn the confi-
dence of the people," Rahul Gandhi said.
Sonia Gandhi sought to boost morale of
workers thanking them for "their tireless
and unstinting commitment to the party and
its ideology". Political commentator and
senior journalist S. Nihal Singh said the
Congress has been facing difficulties as
Rahul Gandhi is not performing the role
expected from him. "The problem is basic.
What do you do if the leader does not per-
form. Where do you go from there. If it is a
dynasty-led party, the person concerned has
to perform," Nihal Singh said.
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
The price of oil has plunged by more than a quarter since
June and are hovering around $80 per barrel.
With polls in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand expected in a few months,
the Congress still has to put its act together.
Election results to impact Congress' revival
October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info HAPPY DIWALI
Islamabad: A Canadian-Pakistani
cleric whose supporters have
camped outside the country's par-
liament building since August,
demanding the government resign,
called off his sit-in protest this
week to take the demonstrations
countrywide.
Tahir-ul-Qadri arrived in
Islamabad in mid-August along
with cricketer-turned-politician
Imran Khan and thousands of their
supporters, with the aim of forcing
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to
step down over alleged rigging in
last year's election.
The protests unnerved the gov-
ernment, shook investor confi-
dence and triggered speculation
that the country's powerful army
would intervene as it had in the
past.
Tension peaked at the end of
August with violent clashes that
saw three protestors killed as they
attempted to storm parliament, but
cooled once it became clear the
military was not prepared to topple
Sharif.
Speaking to reporters in front of
parliament, Qadri said: "This phase
of the Revolution March in
Islamabad is now over and partici-
pants can go back home."
He added the focus of the
protests would now shift to cities
across the country including
Karachi, the main commercial hub.
SUBCONTINENT 68 October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Kathmandu: Nepalese officials
closed a section of a popular
Himalayan trekking route after res-
cuers, overwhelmed with last week's
snowstorms that killed 38 hikers,
had to bring to safety new climbers
who set out on the same mountain
trails where the blizzards struck.
The dead from the blizzards and
avalanches that hit the upper section
of the Annapurna Circuit in northern
Nepal included foreign trekkers,
local guides and villagers. Most
among the hundreds of trekkers who
had been stuck in the snow have
been brought to safety, and govern-
ment official Yama Bahadur
Chokhyal said rescue helicopters
were winding down flights.
As the weather cleared, new
climbers were already making their
way up the same trail despite obvi-
ous dangers, prompting the govern-
ment to close the route, Chokhyal
said. "Our rescuers and helicopters
ended up having to bring down
these new people while we were
still trying to reach the ones who
were stranded by the blizzard," he
said.
"It was burdening and confusing
the rescuers so they had to be
stopped," he said.
The route was deemed unsafe and
invisible in many sections because
of the snow dumped by the blizzard.
So far, 25 of the fatalities have
been identified, including those
from Canada, India, Israel,
Slovakia, Poland and Japan. Eight
of the dead were Nepalese. Thirteen
others have not yet been identified.
Cleric calls off
Pakistan parliament protest
Nepal closes trekking route
after 38 die in storm
So far, 25
of the
fatalities
have been
identified,
including
those from
Canada,
India,
Israel,
Slovakia,
Poland
and
Japan.
JAN. 2015
Canadian-
Pakistani cleric
Tahir-ul-Qadri
EU defends lifting
sanctions on Sri
Lankan rebels
Col ombo: The European
Union (EU) said that lifting
sanct i ons i mposed on Sri
Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels is
not a political decision taken
by the EU but a legal ruling of
a court.
Over the past few days, Sri
Lanka has been accusing the
EU of lifting its sanctions on
the rebels as part of a political
move against the Colombo
government.
The General Court of the EU
annul l ed measures t aken
against the Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) last
week, whi ch l i st ed t he Sri
Lankan rebel group as a terror-
ist organisation and froze its
funds.
However, the court allows
the freezing of Tamil Tiger
funds to be maintained for
three more months.
The court also ruled that the
EU law on the prevention of
terrorism can apply in situa-
tions of armed conflict under
international humanitarian law
thereby rejecting a claim made
by the Tamil Tigers.
BUSINESS October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info 69
New Delhi: The
NDA govern-
ment has started
filing charges
against individu-
als having illicit
accounts in over-
seas banks, clear-
ing the way for
disclosure of
names of those
who have stashed
black money
abroad, and trig-
gering specula-
tion that some prominent politicians
may figure on the much-awaited list.
Sources said that prosecution has
been initiated against one foreign
account holder, and will soon be
extended to another 15-20 who are on
the 'HSBC Geneva list'. Swiss authori-
ties have confirmed the identities of
the persons on the list. Launch of pros-
ecution in these cases will meet the
condition laid down by Swiss authori-
ties that names of account holders can
only be shared with courts after
charges are framed.
Prosecution proceedings by the
income tax department triggered spec-
ulation about the identity of the for-
eign account holders, with political
circles discussing names of a former
Union minister and the son of another,
a former MP with family links to a
leading business house, and the scion
of a political dynasty which is current-
ly passing through a lean patch.
Significantly, finance minister Arun
Jaitley did not deny the possibility of a
former UPA minister being on the list.
"I am neither confirming, nor denying.
I am only smiling," he told Times
Now, attracting a hostile response
from Congress.
When pressed, Jaitley said, "If my
opponent's name is there, I will be
very enthusiastic in declaring it."
Sources also said a fresh list of 19 per-
sons having illegal accounts with
Liechtenstein Bank will be shared
with Supreme Court after Diwali. This
will be followed by another 20-odd
names from the HSBC list.
Bangalore: Indian IT bellwether
Wipro Ltd projected a higher rev-
enue outlook of $1.83 billion
from its global IT services for the
third quarter (Oct-Dec) of this fis-
cal (2014-15).
"We expect revenues from our
IT services business to be in the
range of $1,808-1,842 million or
an average of $1,825 million
($1.83 billion) for this quarter
ending Dec 31," the global soft-
ware major said in a statement
here.
The revenue forecast for the
third quarter is sequentially high-
er than $1,772 million ($1.8 bil-
lion) the IT services business
posted in the second quarter
(July-Sep) of this fiscal (FY
2015) under the International
Financial Reporting Standard
(IFRS).
Earlier, the company reported
net profit of Rs.2,085 crore and
total revenue of Rs.11,684 crore
for the second quarter (Q2), post-
ing a modest eight percent YoY
growth in bottomline and topline,
as per the Indian accounting stan-
dard.
Under IFRS, net income for the
quarter under review was $337
million and total income $1.9 bil-
lion. Revenue from its global IT
services grew 8.6 percent YoY to
$1.8 billion (Rs.10,924 crore),
which is a sequential growth of
1.8 percent. In constant currency,
the sequential growth was three
percent as against 0.3 percent in
the first quarter.
Black money:
NDA moves to make names public
Wipro gives higher
IT revenue outlook for Q3
Sensex gains 26%
since last Diwali
Mumbai: The just-ended Samvat
2070 has turned out to be the best
in the last six years with the sen-
sex gaining 26% and investors'
wealth, measured by BSE's mar-
ket capitalization, going up 37%.
The feel-good rally was backed
largely by the change of govern-
ment at the Centre.
The strong gain has also left
Dalal Street investors an opti-
mistic lot as they look forward to
the benchmark indices scaling
new highs in Samvat 2071, sup-
ported by strong foreign inflows.
To put the Modi factor's contri-
bution to market dynamics in
perspective, the sensex has
gained 12% since May16, 2014 -
the day the Lok Sabha elections'
results were announced with the
BJP winning a majority under
Narendra Modi's leadership.
The market was already in a
buoyant mood since mid-
September 2013, when investors
bet on a BJP win in the general
elections. The index gained 21%
since then and till the poll results.
Besides the Modi factor, the other
reasons for the upward move of
the market include improving
economic fundamentals, a decline
in India's current account deficit
and the stabilization of the rupee.
INTERNATIONAL 70 October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Washington: Air defense forces were put
on high alert and cities across the US
increased security after the deadly shooting
attacks on the Canadian parliament in the
capital city of Ottawa.
Shortly after the attack, President Barack
Obama spoke to Canada's Prime Minister
Stephen Harper on the phone and offered
any assistance Canada needed in respond-
ing to these attacks, the White House said
in a statement.
Condemning the shootings as "outrageous
acts," Obama said, "We're all shaken by it."
As more becomes known about the shoot-
er's motive, that information will be fac-
tored into US security considerations, he
said. "We have to remain vigilant,"
"It's very important, I think, for us to rec-
ognize that when it comes to dealing with
terrorist activity, Canada and the United
States has to be entirely in sync," Obama
told pool reporters in the afternoon.
Secretary of State John Kerry was also
briefed on the shootings, according to State
Department spokesperson Mary Harf.
One soldier who was shot at Canada's
National War memorial, located across
from the Parliament building, has died,
according to CNN. The gunman was shot
and killed on the scene inside Parliament
Hill's Centre Block.
Meanwhile, in the midst of heightened
security, a man jumped over the White
House fence on Wednesday night. But
unlike a previous jumper, he barely made it
onto the lawn before being taken down by
two police dogs and quickly detained by
Secret Service agents.
In mid-September, another man made it
into the White House before being
detained.
North American Aerospace Defense
Command (NORAD), which provides air
defence over North America, is increasing
its alert posture and the number of planes
ready to respond to a problem, CNN report-
ed. The US Embassy in Ottawa, located
near the Ottawa River next to Parliament
Hill, is on lockdown, CNN said citing a
message posted on Twitter. In New York
City, the Police Department has added extra
security to the Canadian consulate as a pre-
caution, CNN reported.
Damascus: The Syrian gov-
ernment has claimed that its
army has destroyed two war-
planes in the hands of the
Islamic State (IS) terrorist
group in the northern Syrian
city of Aleppo, the official
news agency SANA reported.
Syrian Information Minister
Omran al-Zubi said in a tele-
vised interview that the
Syrian Air Force had
destroyed two of the three old
aircraft in the power of the
jihadis, as they landed at an
abandoned air base in Aleppo.
The Syrian army is search-
ing for the third plane
although the IS would not be
able to use it, he added.
The Syrian attack came
after activists revealed last
Friday that the IS was in pos-
session of at least three military
aircraft in Aleppo's al-Jarrah mili-
tary base.
The Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights (SOHR) said the
aircraft were Russian-made Mig
21 and Mig 23 models and the IS
was training its fighters to pilot
them. Al-Zubi affirmed that the IS
takeover of the aircraft was aimed
at giving Turkish President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan a reason to
demand a no-fly zone on the
Syrian-Turkish border.
It is believed the planes fell into
the hands of IS fighters when they
overran military airports in the
provinces of Aleppo and Raqaa
that used to belong to forces loyal
to Syrian President Bashar al-
Assad.
In June, the IS proclaimed a
"caliphate" in the vast areas it con-
trols in Syria and Iraq.
Warplanes seized by IS destroyed: Syria
The Syrian army is searching for the third plane although the IS
would not be able to use it.
The gunman was shot and killed on the scene
inside Parliament Hill's Centre Block.
Washington: Pakistan's Malala
Yousufzai, the youngest ever
Nobel laureate, has been
awarded the US Liberty Medal,
media reports said.
The child rights activist has
pledged her $100,000 award to
education in Pakistan, Geo TV
reported.
The Liberty Medal is
given annually to men
and women of courage
and conviction.
She won the prize
for her "courage and
resilience in the
face of adversity
and for serving as a
powerful voice for
those who have
been denied their
basic human rights and
liberties", said the
National Constitution
Centre (NCC), US.
Malala, who cur-
rently lives in
Britain, rose to prominence in
Pakistan by campaigning for
girls' right to education.
In October 2012, she was
shot in the head by a Taliban
gunman.
Malala
Yousufzai
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra
Modi described the shootout near the
Canadian parliament in Ottawa as
"extremely disturbing".
"News of the attack in Ottawa is
extremely disturbing. I pray for every-
one's safety," he tweeted. Parliament
Hill in Canada's capital Ottawa came
under attack after a gunman shot dead
a soldier standing guard at the National
War Memorial, a day after Canada sent
an air fleet consisting of CF-18 Hornet
fighters in support of the efforts to
fight against the Islamic State (IS) ter-
rorist group in Iraq and Syria.
Modi condemns Canadian
capital shootout
US on alert after attack on Canadian parliament
Nobel laureate Malala gets
US Liberty Medal
TheSouthAsianTimes.info October 25-31, 2014 HAPPY DIWALI
72 October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info SPORTS
Mumbai: The BCCI working
committee has decided to suspend
all bilateral tours to West Indies,
in response to the visitors pulling
out of their India tour. India were
expected to play five series
against West Indies in the next
eight years, including four visits
to the Caribbean.
While a BCCI release made no
specific mention of any claim for
damages, the Indian board will
also initiate legal proceedings
against the West Indies Cricket
Board.
The board statement also did
not mention any action against
West Indies players who partici-
pate in the IPL. The players were
unlikely to be suspended from
participation in the league, with
franchises backing them.
The working committee meet-
ing in Hyderabad was convened
to discuss the aftermath of West
Indies' pullout. The members
unanimously felt that strong
action needed to be taken against
WICB in order to prevent recur-
rence of such an event.
A working committee member
revealed that the BCCI's legal cell
said that the bilateral agreement
"has been breached" and the
BCCI has "every right to claim
damages". This, according to him,
made the decision easy for the
committee. Another member
revealed that the claim amount
and the jurisdiction will be decid-
ed by the legal cell.
It is understood that during the
informal discussions during the
build-up to the meeting in
Hyderabad, some members had
suggested that the BCCI suspend
ties with WICB for a specific
period. However, the committee
was convinced that the abrupt
manner in which the tour was
called off deserved the harshest
possible punishment. As an insid-
er revealed "the manner in which
the WICB put its hands up" dur-
ing the whole standoff with its
players which led to the cancella-
tion of the tour midway made the
BCCI believe that the bilateral
ties should be suspended "indefi-
nitely".
"At the moment, it looks unlike-
ly that the bilateral series would
resume anytime soon. It will be
up to the legal cell now to see if
and when a settlement takes
place," revealed an insider.
Pretoria: South African athlete
Oscar Pistorius arrived at
Pretoria' s Kgosi Mampuru
prison, after he was handed a
five-year jail sentence for killing
his girlfriend, model Reeva
Steenkamp.
The 27-year-old amputee
sprinter, who became the first to
compete in the Paralympic as
well as the Olympics Games, is
expected to remain only 10
months in jail and could be
released after he has served a
sixth of the sentence, legal
experts said.
Pistorius was transferred to jail
in a police van two hours after
judge Thokozile Masipa deliv-
ered a verdict in the High Court
in Pretoria, Efe news agency
reported.
He will undergo a medical
examination before being taken
to his cell, South African news
agency SAPA reported.
Due to his disability, Pistorius
would occupy a single cell in the
hospital section of the prison,
Director of South Africa' s
National Prison Authority, Zach
Modise, said.
Pistorius killed Steenkamp
Feb 14, 2013, when he shot her
through a closed bathroom door
in their Pretoria residence and
later alleged he thought there
was an intruder in the house.
In her Sep 12 verdict, Judge
Masipa ruled out convicting
Pistorius of murder after she
gave credence to his version of
the incident.
New Delhi: A day after Indian
hockey chief coach Terry Walsh
resigned citing difficulty in
dealing with the bureaucracy,
Sports Authority of India (SAI)
director general Jiji Thomson
said the contract of the Asian
Games gold medal-winning
coach will be "renewed" before
Nov 19.
Thomson said Walsh will be
provided more functional auton-
omy in technical matters related
to the running of the sport.
"Walsh has not withdrawn his
resignation. As per the contract,
he has to give one month' s
notice for resignation. Since the
resignation will officially come
into effect from Nov 19, 2014, it
was decided that the contract
will be renewed before 19th
November," Thomson said in a
statement.
Thomson also clarified that
the 60-year-old Walsh, who
receives a monthly salary of
$16,000, has no problems with
the tax deduction or remunera-
tion. Walsh had cited "difficulty
in adjusting to the functioning
of the country's bureaucratic
system" and personal reasons as
the causes for quitting his post.
Indian hockey coach Walsh's contract
to be renewed
Indian hockey chief coach Terry Walsh
West Indian players had decided to pull out of their India tour.
South African athlete
Oscar Pistorius
Paris: Indian shuttlers Saina Nehwal
and Parupalli Kashyap marched into
the second round of the women's and
men's categories of the French Open
Super Series at the Stade Pierre de
Coubertin here.
Saina, World No.7, beat hosts' chal-
lenger and the World No.36 Sashina
Vignes Waran 21-16, 21-9 in a totally
one-sided encounter that took just 37
minutes.
Saina will next face Scottish shuttler
Kirsty Gilmour.
Meanwhile, Continuing his giant-
killing spree, the World No. 28
Kashyap stunned World No.4 Japanese
Kenichi Tago 21-11, 21-18 while
Also reaching the second round were
the Indo-Russian mixed doubles pair
of Ashwini and Vladimir Ivanov, who
beat Japanese pair of Keigo Sonoda
and Shizuka Matsuo 21-16, 21-19.
However, young male shuttlers H.S.
Prannoy and Sourabh Verma exited the
competition following their losses to
Kento Momota and Rajiv Ouseph,
respectively.
While World No.31 Prannoy gave a
valiant fight against World No.16
Momota of Japan, before going down
11-21, 21-15, 20-22 in an hour and
nine minutes, World No.37 Sourabh
was thrashed 10-21, 11-21 in 30 min-
utes by World No.25 Ouseph.
In the match between Kashyap and
Tago, the 2014 Commonwealth Games
champion was in his element from the
beginning, taking a quick 5-1 lead
which increased to 8-2. Kashyap relied
on regal cross-court smashes to pile
further pressure on Tago to snatch
points regularly and then it was an
easy game for Kashyap as the Japanese
failed to get going. Tago lost 11-21.
Continuing the momentum, Kashyap
again rattled the 25-year-old Japanese
to take a 5-1 lead before Tago put up a
much-stronger fight to equalise at 7-7.
BCCI suspends all bilateral tours to West Indies
Saina, Kashyap in second round
of French Open
Pistorius sentenced to
five years in jail
TheSouthAsianTimes.info October 25-31, 2014 HAPPY DIWALI
A
TINY lizard has been clinging to
the wall behind me for TWO
HOURS. I want to change the TV
channel, but I feel I ought to at least ask
him, right?
Yeah, I know its irrational but I' m
human.
A scientist friend tells me that astonish-
ing levels of irrationality has been proven
by experts to be the default state of Homo
sapiens species. Or my family, anyway.
***
On the morning of writing this, a female
of my acquaintance ran screaming from her
room after finding a terrifying intruder
inside. An ant.
So, how big is this ant? I asked, careful
to check before making rash promises to
roll up my sleeves and deal with it.
It turned out to be regular ant-sized, so
99.99999 percent of the room by cubic
capacity was still available for her use.
But she wanted to be alone, so I went in
and firmly escorted it out of the premises.
It went quietly.
***
Humans, I believe, should never kill
bugs. Not for religious reasons, but
because bugs have karma (cosmic justice)
on their side, you see.
Every month or so, there's a report in the
newspaper about some guy who tries to kill
a bug, but instead accidentally destroys his
home (it's always guys, a fact which sur-
prised me but not any of the women in the
office: funny that).
***
The Seattle Fire Department recently sent
out a Twitter report that a man tried to kill
a spider using a spray can and cigarette
lighter, but instead caused US$60,000
damage to his house.
***
This reminded me of an incident in Japan
a few years ago. A man was annoyed by a
mosquito in his car.
He emptied a can of bug spray trying to
get it.
Then he lit a blowtorch.
The car went up in flames.
The garage went up in flames.
His house went up in flames.
The rest of the street was in danger.
Had firefighters not arrived, we could
have lost Japan.
As for the mozzie, I'm sure he flew off
posting pictures of the burning building on
the insect equivalent of the internet with
the words "EPIC FAIL" on them.
***
Meanwhile, the young woman recovering
from the trauma of having her space violat-
ed by an ant told me about a recent incident
in Britain, also involving danger at home.
A man installed a designer crystal door-
knob in his house and it amplified the sun-
shine, starting a blaze.
The moral is clear. If you commit a
HEINOUS SIN such as the attempted mur-
der of an innocent bug, or the shameless
spending of actual money on a designer
crystal doorknob then The Universe will
ensure that you will pay a horrible price for
your misdeeds.
***
It seems harsh, but on reflection, you
can't deny that cosmic justice makes life
fairer, right?
So I am going to wait until the TV cook-
ing show I'm watching ends before chang-
ing the channel.
Unless the contestants are asked to cook
lizards. With MasterChef, thats a real pos-
sibility.
Okay with you, gecko?
74 October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info HUMOR
Funny Bone by Nury Vittachi
by Mahendra Shah
Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist,
cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrant Indians for
the past many years in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Laughter is the Best Medicine
October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
HAPPY DIWALI
By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma
Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874; Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898,
2648 9899; psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com
Stars Foretell: October 25-31, 2014
Traits in you: Being number 7, you are an intelligent, inde-
pendent and kind hearted person. You know how to play with
words. Using your this quality you will easily impress people
around you. Your supportive nature makes you famous in your
group. justice. You love to be a leader in a group and can easily
sense positive and negative energies coming from the people
around you. This year you might go for a foreign trip, which
would be both pleasureable and rewarding.
Health this year: This year try to start your day with jogging
and make it an essential part of your daily routine. It would help
you in being in a very good shape. Moreover in case of any ail-
ment medicines will only effect when you keep yourself physi-
cally fit.
Finance this year: This year your flourishing business would
bring rich dividends. The need of the hour is that you invest in new
business projects individually to regain higher returns. You might
also lend loans to someone, which will be favourable to you.
Career this year: This year you will be able to pursue many
subjects, rather than confine yourself to any one. Your honesty
and loyalty, towards your work, will impress your seniors.
Those of you, who are in a teaching line, will do well, profes-
sionally. Your skills and strong determination will bring applaud
for you.
Romance this year: This year if you are looking for a partner,
then be ready to meet a dazzling beauty/handsome guy who has
the power to mesmerise you. However before taking any initia-
tives make sure that he/she is the right person and you are not
under the spell of infatuation.
Lucky month: August, November, March and April
Traits in you: Being number 8, you are a person who loves
challenges in life and always come out as a winner which ever
task you take in hand. You are very practical, systematic and
friendly person who is always there to help needy people. You
determination and sincerity at work will fetch you both good fi-
nances and respect in society. Although you don't like anyone
assisting you, but when you do any mistakes, you accept them
easily and learn not to repeat it again.
Health this year: This year you will start your day with a pos-
itive attitude and a preventive care, which would bring immense
relief from your ailments. It will be in your interest to continue
to enable yourself to enjoy a healthy life.
Finance this year: This year monetary gains in the form of
shares dividend will definitely improve your financial health.
Investing it for further income would not be a prudent option.
Rather spend it in purchasing a new home appliance, which
would be a better investment.
Career this year: You are full of energy and enthusiasm, and
would like to undertake big projects. In the coming year, you
will have to give up your lethargic tendency, if you have to
achieve success in the projects you have taken in hands. You will
get many opportunities, and it is up to you, how much advan-
tage you can take of these opportunities.
Romance this year: You will go all out to give the best to your
family members. You do not like to reveal your sentiments and
emotions, even to your loved ones. Sometimes, this creates mis-
understandings. Sp, try to express your love and emotions, this
will do wonders for you. You are easily attracted towards the op-
posite sex.
Lucky month: May, November, January and April
Traits in you: Being number 9, you are one of the most ener-
getic, courageous and brilliant person, who successfully com-
pletes the work taken in hand. You can be called cleanliness
freak person. You always help those who need your help. You
love to be in the company of those people who are intellignet
and sophisticated. You are good at evaluating any situation and
work accordingly. For you emotional happiness is more impor-
tant than material happiness. Being focused in life, you climb
the ladder of success.
Health this year: This year make sure you make your mind re-
ceptive to all the good things you will see in your environment.
To motivate yourself join some yoga or aerobics classes. Keep
your smile going which would work like a trouble-shooter
against depression.
Finance this year: This year you need to reinvent your business
strategies to gain new opportunities. Taking advice from friends
would allow you to spend the money on some lucrative projects.
Initiate any action only after making sure that this will be prof-
itable to you.
Career this year: This year your imagination and new ideas
will catch the attention of your seniors, who will be impressed
with your creativity. You might also try to dominate over others,
by imposing your views on your colleagues. This might upset
them, so be careful towards your attitude.
Romance this year: In love matters, you will have to be very
careful this year. Take a step forward, only when you are sure of
a positive response from the other end. A little care for the sen-
timents of your love partner or your spouse, will do wonders to
bring harmony and peace in your married life.
Lucky month: August, December and February
Traits in you: Being number 1, you are a person who loves orig-
inality in whatever work you do. By nature you are an authori-
tative person and so you always take charge of things which also
makes you responsible person. If you take some task in hand,
you are determined to finish it. You are very soft spoken and
kind hearted person.
Health this year: This year your health will generally remain
fine but don't take it for granted. Avoid eating exposed food and
try not to indulgence in negative thinking, as this might hamper
your physical and mental health.
Finance this year: Loan from bank for short-term investment
will prove beneficial. If possible, invest the money in reputed
firms to yield good returns. Carelessness on your part could cost,
so go through all the documents carefully before taking a lone.
Career this year: This year be assured that you will go all out
to achieve, what you want to. You will achieve prosperity in
whatever projects you take in hand. You will be able to complete
these projects with full sincerity and dedication.
Romance this year: You are unable to express your emotions,
and keep your feelings to yourself. But this year don't hesitate
in expressing yourself, else someone else will take your love
away from you. Try to mingle more freely with your special
friend.
Lucky month: May, August, September and December
Traits in you: Being number 2, you are a person with high con-
fidence, imagination and the one who is always ready to help
others. Anyone can trust you blindly as you are very balanced
person in nature. Though you are reserved personality, but when
it comes to do some task, you are independent and complete
your work with full determination and honesty.
Health this year: This is a high time for you to realise that its
useless to unnecessarily magnify the problems. I onlyt takes out
the juice of life and leaves us dry. Try tobe positive in life. You
will have to control your moody nature, to enjoy good mental
and physical health.
Finance this year: You will be blessed with good fortune and
good money this year. Spending money on entertainment would
bring unlimited joy. However it would be in your interest to con-
trol your tendency to live for the day. You will make some seri-
ous efforts to generate extra income to balance budget.
Career this year: Your ability to think deeply and then take any
action, will be an asset for you in the coming year. Leadership
qualities of business managers will come to test. You are likely
to establish yourself a good manager as you have art to manage
people and situation without any problem.
Romance this year: If you are in love then don't forget that you
should spend quality time in understanding each other. Keep in
mind that love is a matter of heart and is a given expression be-
tween two souls. You will see your love flourish this year and
will have maturity in your romance.
Lucky month: August, November and April
Traits in you: Being number 3, you are confident, ambitious
and independent person who loves to work with optimistic atti-
tude. You are a born leader, and you are always appreciated for
your work, whether it is at home or work place. Your efforts are
always sincere and thats why you balance your personal and
professional life very smoothly.
Health this year: This year your great sense of humour would
help you in keeping youeself happy. If possible, make others re-
alise to develop this skill by making them understand that hap-
piness does not lie in possession of thing but is inside of us. See-
ing peole happy, will make you happy.
Finance this year: Financially, it will be a good year, for most
of you. If interested in putting money on stock exchange trans-
actions, discuss the matter with an expert. Their guidance would
help you to make the best investment. However avoid a mid-
dleman in transaction because it could impinge on your profits.
Some of you can expect to inherit property from your ancestors.
Career this year: Your vivid imagination and a huge creative
sense will make you a successful as a writer, actor or a musician.
Those of you in the teaching and the writing line, could expect
to see success, in whatever project you undertake, in the com-
ing year. You will travel to distant lands in the coming year.
Romance this year: This year you will be enjoying your love
life to the fullest. You and your partner will understand each-oth-
er's need and would pay attention to each other's interest. Those
who want to get married, will get hitched this year. If you are
looking for a love partner, then you might find the person of
your dream.
Lucky month: July, December and March
Traits in you: Being number 4, you are a person who likes to
take responsibilty and do your work with full dedication and
honesty. You are a very down to earth person with religious be-
liefs. This year you might plan to go for a piligrimage. Some-
times you become bossy, jealous or stubborn, which you should
avoid to lead a happy life with smiling people around you.
Health this year: Health of a person depends on one's thinking.
Remember that one's thinking has reflection on one's body. If we
think positively we will enjoy a sound health, whereas negative
thinking will only put adverse affects on our body.
Finance this year: The coming year, will be financially good
for most of you. With your will power and practical attitude, you
will be able to make the most of the opportunities which come
your way, giving you monetary gains.
Career this year: Realistic and with a very practical approach
towards life, most of you are successful in your professional
front. The coming year, will see you achieve new heights of ex-
cellence, in whatever new project you take in hand.
Romance this year: This year don't allow your personal prob-
lems creep into your romantic affair. Always remember that love
is a given expression between two partners. So just enjoy each
other's company. If you are already married, then take some time
out from your busy schedule to be with your soulmate.
Lucky month:June, August and May
TAURUS: Lack of communication skills will
force to suffer at workplace. Parental
guidance in your decision would
immensely help. Speculation cou-
pled with some unexpected gains
improves financial health.
Romantic entanglement would add
spice to your happiness.
A very healthy week filled with happiness &
vitality. Your boss may ask you for your company
to a friends party. The plot you were looking for
can be profitable from investment point of view.
You are likely to make serious efforts to bring
changes in behaviour.
ARIES: You are likely to realise that interview-
ing is not an easy job. The company
of family friends will keep you in a
happy & relaxed mood.
Improvement in finances is certain.
You are likely to enjoy a pleasure
trip that will rejuvenate your pas-
sions. Your enormous confidence would help in
enjoying a healthy life.
Small journey with your office colleagues will
be interesting. There are chances of getting good
amount from an older property of yours. Sticking
to beliefs & faith, you can expect things in your
favour.
SAGITTARIUS: Your artistic and creative
ability would attract a lot of appre-
ciation. Shopping with family
members will be highly pleasur-
abl e and exci t i ng. Monet ary
position is likely to improve on
recovering of delayed payments.
Shari ng candyfl oss and t offees wi t h
lover/beloved would bring unlimited joy. A
cheerful state of mind would allow enjoying the
perfect health. Enjoy traveling without going
broke. Selling your plot might increase your
bank balance. Paying heed to others suggestions
would immensely benefit.
CAPRICORN: A long pending decision gets
finalized at professional front. You
will be at the limelight in a social
gathering provided you attend.
Investment in antiques & jewelry
brings monetary gains and
improvement in financial position.
Company of love partner would inspire to take
initiatives in this week. Divine knowledge from a
saintly person provides solace & comfort. An
interesting cruise ship is next place for your vaca-
tion. Buyers will get attracted to your property as
your property value is good. Turning thoughts
towards love and fun would immensely benefit.
AQUARIUS:Plans for new ventures get stream-
lined with the help of seniors. You
will be the star of attraction of
familys get-together in this week.
Long pending arrears and dues
will finally be recovered. Love
works like a panacea as you find san-
ity. Meditation and yoga prove beneficial for
spiritual as well as physical gains. Breathtaking
beautiful site scenes are your lovers desire. If
you wish to achieve a good deal in property then
try at commercial basis. Your highly developed
intuition would act as a guide to lead in a posi-
tive direction.
PISCES: Female colleagues lend a helping hand in
completing important assignments.
Help from family members would
take care of your needs. In this
week investment concerning resi-
dence will be profitable. Love part-
ner touches soul that would take imagi-
nation to unlimited heights. A very healthy week
when your cheerfulness gives the desired tonic and
confidence. Time to relax and enjoy your visit to a
relatives place. Develop an attitude to be successful
on your property investment plans. Changing atti-
tude and prioritising things would help in managing
everything.
CANCER: Professional attitude at work brings suc-
cess. Believe it or not someone in the
family is watching you closely and
considers you a role model. Better to
ignore those who come for tempo-
rary loans to you in this week.
Exciting week as your long pending
wait for affirmation is going to materialize. Yoga and
meditation would help in keeping in shape and men-
tally agile. Small picnic organized by your company
is good to change your mood. Time to think about
your investment plans, as investing residentially
might be profitable. You maintain a distance from
gossip & talking ill about others.
GEMINI:Auspicious week to start a new ven-
ture. A week when misunderstand-
ings at family front are sorted out
with ease. A new source of
income will generate through
influential contacts. Chances of
your love life turning into life-long
bond are high on the card. Pleasure trip would
help in maintaining sound health in this week.
Travel plan with a colleague might lead to a new
relationship. It is better to try for your office
accommodation as soon as possible. Involving
yourself in different kind of activities would
bring enjoyment.
LEO:Seniors colleagues are likely to lend a help-
ing hand. An important develop-
ment at personal front brings jubi-
lation for entire family.
Investment made in this week
would enhance prosperity and
financial security. Enjoying the com-
pany of partner in a lively restaurant would bring
immense romantic pleasure. Blessings of a saint-
ly person give peace of mind. Official journeys
prove to be more fruitful for you. Your invest-
ment can be done on a cheap or smaller piece of
land. You need to keep an eye on hidden enemies
as they try to spread rumors about you.
VIRGO: Hard work & dedication would win
the trust of seniors at work. A happy
time in the company of friends
and relatives as they do many
favours to you. An improvement
in financial position would enable
to make important purchases. The
presence of love would make you feel life mean-
ingful. Chances of recovering from physical ail-
ment are high. Fly away with your dreams, new
business horizons are ready to explore. Family
can be helpful on acquiring your property or plot.
Best period to explore new travel opportunities to
take first-hand-experience.
LIBRA: Mental clarity would remove past busi-
ness confusions. Enjoying the com-
pany of close relatives will bright-
en your evening. You are likely to
earn monetary profits through
most unexpected sources. Love life
brings some memorable moments
that you could cherish rest of your life.
Inexhaustible energy enables to participate in out-
door activities. A fun- filled holiday at an amuse-
ment and theme park with your family is there. Its
time to invest in property and get most profitable
method to maximize your bank balance. You
strive to mould orthodox thinking to benefit you.
SCORPIO: Travel undertaken for establishing new
contacts and business expansion will
be very fruitful. Spend some relaxed
moments with family members. A
sudden inflow of funds will take
care of your bills and immediate
expenses. Your flashing smile would
work as the best antidote for romantic partners
unhappiness. You attain a bloom in health on sharing
happiness with others. Your official trip is must dont
under estimate it; otherwise you will be in trouble.
Investing overseas can provide you new business
opportunities. Giving an ear to what others have to
say about your actions would benefit you.
Annual Predictions: For those born in this week
25th October, 2014
26th October, 2014
27th October, 2014
28th October, 2014
29th October, 2014
31st October, 2014
30th October, 2014
76 October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
ASTROLOGY
October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
HAPPY DIWALI
October 25-31, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info HAPPY DIWALI