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.11 No. 22 Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018 80 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info

PM Modi launches world’s largest

public healthcare program
At UN, Trump
Ranchi, Jharkhand: Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on
Sunday launched the
'Ayushman Bharat ‑Pradhan
Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana
demands changes
(AB‑PMJAY)' in Ranchi. The
scheme, touted as the
"worldʼs largest government
funded healthcare program",
targets more than 500 mil‑
in global trade
United Nations: President Donald
lion beneficiaries. Trump in his address to the United Defends tariff war
The scheme will provide a Nat ions General Assembly
8 with China, slams
Iran and OPEC
cover of up to Rs 500,000 Tuesday demanded that changes
per family per year, for sec‑
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the launch in Ranchi be urgently made to the "world Lauds India for
of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya 8 lifting millions
ondary and tertiary care hos‑ trading system" and defended his
Yojana that targets giving health cover out of poverty
pitalization through a net‑ trade war with China, saying that
to half a billion beneficiaries.
work of Empanelled Health the US trade deficit with the Asian
Care Providers (EHCP). Modi elaborated The number of beneficiaries of the giant is "not acceptable".
on the Ayushaman Bharat scheme in his scheme equals the population of North "Last month, we announced a
address: "It will cover the treatment of America or of EU. “No other country in the groundbreaking US‑Mexico trade
more than 1,300 illnesses including can‑ world is going to have such a big plan with agreement. Yesterday, I stood with
cer, heart disease, kidney and liver disease, the government's money", said PM Modi. (South Korean) President Moon
diabetes. Treating serious diseases will not He added that "the person standing in the (Jae‑in) to announce the success‑
only be carried out in government but in last line of the society, the poorest of the ful completion of the brand‑new
many private hospitals also. More than poor would now receive treatment at bet‑ US‑Korea trade deal," said the US
13,000 hospitals have been associated ter health facilities.” Modi also said that leader, Efe reported.
with the Ayushman Bharat scheme." 2,500 modern Continued on page 4
Continued on page 4

'I love India, give my AIA honors excellence at Benefits Gala

regards to my friend PM Great Neck, NY: The Association of
Indians in America (AIA)‑NY held

Modi,' Trump told Sushma its Bene fit Gala at Leonardʼs

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met representatives of
GOPIO Sept 23 on the sidelines of her UNGA visit to New York.
United Nations: "I love India, give
my reg ards to my friend PM
(Narendra) Mo di," President
Donald Trump told External
Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as
they exchanged pleasantries dur‑
ing a high‑level event on counter‑
narcotics on Monday. As Trump
left the podium at the conclusion
Continued on page 4
Palazzo here on September 22 in
support of its 31st Annual
Deepavali Festival to be held at the
South Street Seaport on October
7th.
The Gala was attended by many
accomplished Indian Americans,
community leaders and dignitaries
as well as sponsors – all who have
been committed to continued sup‑
port for the Deepavali Festival.
Among them were Suffolk County
Executive Steve Bellone, Padma Honorees Dr Nilesh Mehta, Bharat Patel, Kalpana Patel,
Dr Preeti Mehta and Dr Jagat Narula, posing with AIA President
Shri Dr Sudhir Parekh, Chintu
Gobind Munjal and Suman Munjal standing behind.
Pate l, Co‑Chairman of Amneal
Pharmaceuticals, and Regional CEO of Sun Deve lopment and of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Dr.
Manager Air India Vandana Management Corp, Bharat Patel; Jagat Narula; President and CEO of
Sharma. Cardiolog ist, Professor and Unique Comp Inc. Kalpana Patel;
Honorees at the Gala included Associate Dean at the Icahn School Continued on page 4

OP ED 14 RELIGION 15 BOOKS 24 SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 30 excellence in journalism

TheSouthAsianTimes.info Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
CM Naidu hopes Andhra will become $1tn economy
Special to The South
Asian Times
New York: Chie f Minister N.
Chandrababu Naidu is sanguine
about Andhra Pradesh becoming a
trillion dollar economy by 2029,
and appealed to NRI Telugus to
help reach that milestone.
Naidu addressed a meeting on
September 23 at the New Jersey
Institute of Technology, Newark,
organized by his party Telugu
Desamʼs NRI wing. “Telugus are
known the world over for their
prowess in IT. But in other areas
also we should progress,” he told
the 4,000 strong audience.
Naidu is here to give a presenta‑
t ion at United Nat ions
Environment Program on farming
using natural manures to ensure a
clean environment. And hra is
ahead of other Indian states in the
Padma Lakshmi opens up
about being raped at age 16
New York: In an op‑ed in the
New York Times published
Tuesday, the Top Chef host, 48,
wrote that she dated a 23‑year‑
old college student when she was
16 because he was “charming
and handsome” and would “flirt”
with her at her part‑time retail
job at a mall in Los Angeles. But
just a few months into the rela‑
tionship, Padma Lakshmi says he
sexually assaulted her while she
was sleeping.
The mom of one shared details
of the encounter, explaining that
she was neither drinking nor
wearing anything revealing ̶
though “it doesnʼt matter,” she
asserted ̶ and that she went
home with him, fell asleep, and
woke up with him on top of her.
“I asked, ʻWhat are you doing?ʼ
” Lakshmi recalled. “He said, ʻIt
will only hurt for a while.ʼ ʻPlease
donʼt do this,ʼ I screamed.”
Lakshmi says she felt it was her
fault at the time. “We had no lan‑
guage in the 1980s for date
rape,” she wrote.
The model and actress also ref‑
erenced an earlier experience
with sexual abuse, this time
allegedly by her stepfatherʼs rela‑
tive when she was only 7. She
said her parents sent her away
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
field.
During his first tenure at CM at
the turn of the century, Naidu set
up a high‑tech city in Hyderabad
and helped establish close to 200
engineering colleges.
“While making an all‑out ef fort
to ensure our edge in the IT, we
should not neglect our farm sec‑
tor,” emphasized Naidu, who is the
son of an agriculturist.
The Andhra leader was happy to
note that Telugus have assimilated
well in America while protecting
their cultural values. A cultural
prog ram including Kuchipudi
dance preceded his address.
Naidu, who has visited Israel as
CM, said that like the Jewish peo‑
ple in the US, Telugus ‑‑ who are
already in the high‑income bracket
‑‑ should accumulate clout too.
Out of the estimated Indian pop‑
ulation of 5 million in US, at least 1
Model, actress, Top Chef host
and now MIT visiting scholar
Padma Lakshmi
after she told them. “The lesson
was: If you speak up, you will be
cast out,” Lakshmi said. She told
this story on Twitter last Friday.
In the Times op‑ed, Lakshmi,
who is a womenʼs health advo‑
cate and has just been appointed
by MIT as a visiting scholar at its
Center for Gynepathology
Research, drew connections
between her story and current
events, namely the allegations
against Justice Kavanaugh and
President Donald Trumpʼs com‑
ments questioning why Dr. Ford
didnʼt file a police report at the
time̶which caused the hashtag
#WhyIDidntReport to trend on
Twitter.
Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018 3
million are Telugus.
“And hrites should not just
become jobholders, but become
job creators both here in the US
and back home,” Naidu said. “You
should become a part of the knowl‑
edge economy.”
He cited his state economyʼs
growth rate of 10.5%, which is
higher than the national rate of
7.3%. “We are among the top
states in the Ease of Doing
Business Index, Happiness Index
and other parameters,” he added.
Naidu urged NRI businessper‑
sons to invest in his state and
assured all facilities to them.
Naidu, who also heads his party,
solicited NRIsʼ help in elections
due in Andhra Pradesh in April‑
May next year. NRIs, who hold
Indian passports, have been Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu speaking at an event
allowed to vote by proxy in Indian welcoming him to the tristate area. The poster in front says, “Again,
elections. only you should be back (to power)” (Photo: Prashanth Gorantala)
Multilateralism is under fire when
world needs it most: UN chief
United Nations: UN Secretary‑
General Antonio Guterres warned
on Tuesday that multilateralism is
under fire at a time when the world
needs it most.
"Our world is suf fering from a
bad case of trust deficit disorder,"
Guterres told world leaders attend‑
ing this year's high‑level General
Debate of the UN General Assembly.
"And multilateralism is under fire
precisely when we need it most."
Trust is at a breaking point ‑‑ trust
in national institutions, trust among
states, trust in the rules‑based glob‑
al order, he said. "Within countries, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, President Trump and U.S.
people are losing faith in political Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley during the "Global Call to Action
establishments, polarization is on
on the World Drug Problem" on Sept. 24. (Photo courtesy AP)
the rise and populism is on the Individual leaders have the duty human rights and driving economic
march." to advance the well‑being of their and social progress for women and
Among countries, cooperation is people. But it runs deeper. Together, men everywhere."
less certain and more difficult. And as guardians of the common good, In the face of massive, existential
divisions in the Security Council are leaders also have a duty to promote threats to people and the planet,
stark. Trust in global governance is and support a reformed, reinvigo‑ there is no way forward but collec‑
also fragile, as 21st‑century chal‑ rated and strengthened multilateral tive, common‑sense action for the
lenges outpace 20th‑century insti‑ system, he said. common good, he said. "This is how
tutions and mindsets, said the UN "We need commitments to a rules‑ we can rebuild trust."
chief. based order, with the United Mr. Guterres is visiting India from
"We have never had a true system Nations at its center and with the October 1‑4 at the invitation of
of global governance, and much less dif ferent institutions and treaties External Affairs Minister Sushma
a fully democratic one," said that bring the (UN) Charter to life. Swaraj to take part in event ssuch
Guterres in his "state‑of‑the‑world" And we need to show the added as the launch of Mahatma Gandhi's
speech that preceded those of world value of international cooperation 150th Birth Anniversary celebra‑
leaders at the General Debate. by delivering peace, defending tions.
 4 Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018 TURN PAGE TheSouthAsianTimes.info

At UN, Trump demands er, humanity is better because of this formances and activities for the whole
HSBC Cares honors changes in global trade
Continued from page 1
beautiful constellation of nations." family including a live grand display
of fireworks.

IBAʼs Mahesh Shah "This is just the beginning. Many

nations in this hall will agree that the
PM Modi launches worldʼs
largest public healthcare
The highlights of the 31st Deepavali
will include Naach Inferno returning
New York: HSBC Cares, world trading system is in dire need program with college and university teams
a program by HSBC of change," he declared. Continued from page 1 from around the tristate area as they
Bank that recognizes Trump warned that the US "will no hospitals would come up in tier‑II and showcase East‑West fusion dances.
community heroes, has longer tolerate it and we will not tier‑III cities and would generate Presented by Star Bharat TV channel,
honored Mahesh Shah allow our workers to be victimized, employment opportunities. the competition will be shown global‑
with its Customer of the our companies to be cheated, and our Reiterating the slogan "Sabka saath, ly. , Young Ce lebrity Singers Jaz
Year Diversity Award at wealth to be plundered and trans‑ sabka vikas" (together for all, develop‑ Dhami and Shilpi Paul will also rock
a ceremony held at ferred." ment for all), Modi said the Ayushman the stage. AIA is the oldest nonprofit
Gotham Hall in NYC. "T he United States has just scheme is not based on any commu‑ of Asian Indians in America founded
Shah is a founding announced tarif fs on another $200 nal or caste lines. in 1967. It represents the hopes and
Mahesh Shah is on the right "The government is working in a aspirations of the community united
member of the New billion in Chinese‑made goods. The
Jersey based Indian Business and Senior Branch Manager for total so far of $250 billion," he said, holistic way to improve the country's by their common bond of Indian
Association (IBA), which hosts HSBC. Shah was one of four adding "We reject the ideology of health sector: concentrating on Heritage and American Commitment.
the annual New Jersey India honorees. The event, which globalism and accept the ideology of affordable healthcare as well as For more info, www.theaiany.org.
Day Parade. A two‑term mem‑ recognized HSBC customers patriotism." stressing on preventive healthcare",
ber of the New Jersey Board of who are giving back to the He accused Iranian leaders of sow‑ he explained. The EHCP network will 'I love India, give my regards
Pharmacy, Shah also co‑chairs community, included a live per‑ ing "chaos, death, and destruction," provide cashless and paperless access to my friend PM Modi,' Trump
the IBA Healthcare Policy formance by Grammy award calling Iran's government a "brutal to services for the beneficiaries at told Sushma
team. winner Thelma Houston. A regime" that is working to "spread both public and private hospitals. The Continued from page 1
mayhem across the Middle East and services will include 1,350 proce‑ of the event hosted by him at the
HSBC Bank serves as a com‑ $10,000 contribution to a local
far beyond." He called on other dures covering pre‑ and post‑hospital‑ United Nations, US Ambassador to the
munity partner with the IBA. charity was made in IBA and
nations "to isolate Iran's regime as ization, diagnostics, medicines, etc. UN Nikki Haley warmly hugged
“HSBC Bank is proud to sup‑ Mr. Shahʼs name. “Tonightʼs
long as its aggression continues." Ayushman Bharat has two compo‑ Swaraj and introduced her to the
port these community initia‑ award was a recognition of all
nents ‑ the creation of 150,000 health President. When Swaraj told Trump
tives. As an organization we the great work being done by He also drew OPEC into his line of
and wellness centers, which will pro‑ that she has brought greetings from
are committed to the Indian IBA on behalf of the Indian fire, criticizing the oil‑producing coali‑
vide Comprehensive Primary Health Prime Minister Narendra Mo di,
American community,” said American community,” said t ion and accusing part icipat ing
Care (CPHC) and the PMJAY, which Trump responded: "I love India, give
Raja M Qasim, Vice President Shah. nations of "ripping off the rest of the
my regards to my friend PM Modi,”
world." He said the U.S. defends provides health protection cover to
Indian diplomatic sources told PTI.
"many of these nations for nothing, poor and vulnerable families for sec‑
Afghanistan pull off thrilling and then they take advantage of us by ondary and tertiary care.
Pilot launch of the scheme has
Swaraj attended the Global Call to
Action on the World Drug Problem
giving us high oil prices. Not good."
last-ball tie with India But Trump he ld up India as an
example to the world of a country
already started in around 22 states
and Union Territories and so far 30
chaired by Trump as the high‑level
week of the 73rd Session of the UN
Dubai: Mahendra Singh Dhoni's tie. Needing 7 off the final over, General Assembly began.
that has successfully lifted millions states and union territories have
comeback as skipper, albiet for Ravindra Jadeja (25 of f 34; Sushma Swaraj will address the UN
out of poverty while upholding free‑ signed an MoU and started working
one game, ended in a thrilling 4X1) struck a boundary on the General Assembly on September 29
doms. on implementation of the mission.
tie against a resurgent second ball of f leg‑spinner morning. According to an IANS report,
He said India was part of a "beauti‑ shge has a “grueling” schedule that
Afghanistan in their final Super Rashid Khan before taking two AIA honors excellence at
ful constellation" of countries work‑ includes meetings with top UN and
Four match of the Asia Cup singles with last man Khaleel Benefits Gala
ing for a common future. "There is WHO of ficials, many bilaterals, and
here on Tuesday. Chasing a Ahmed in company. With 1 Continued from page 1
India, a free society (of) over a billion meet ings of SAARC, the
competitive 253, the defending needed off the final two balls, and Gastroenterologists and President
people, successfully lifting countless Commonwealth and G77 group of
champions got of f to a flier Jadeja pulled the fifth delivery ‑ & CEO of Digestive Disease Care Drs.
millions out of poverty and into mid‑ developing countries.
from the new opening pair of ‑ a shorter one towards mid‑ Nilesh and Preeti Mehta.
dle class." At her GOPIO community meeting
Lokesh Rahul (60 off 66 balls; wicket only to find Najibullah AIAʼs Deepavali Festival is one of
"Many countries are pursuing their those present included T homas
4X5, 6X1) and Ambati Rayudu running in from deep to grab it the largest in the tri‑state area attract‑
own unique visions, building their Abraham, Dr Sudhir Parikh, Ram
(57 off 49; 4X4, 6X4) before a with both hands and help ing close to 100,000 people. It is a
own hopeful futures and chasing their Gad havi, Dr. Rajeev Mehta, Lal
mini collapse, coupled with a Afghanistan bow out of the full day celebration with corporate
own dreams of destiny, of legacy and Motwani and Dr. Asha Samant, and
few run‑outs and umpiring tournament with their head booths, food & clothing vendors, per‑
of a home," he said. "The world is rich‑ TV Asiaʼs Rohit Vyas.
errors, eventually resulted in a held high.

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TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018 5

Kamala Harris ranked No. 2 Dem Sheriff resigns after comments

to challenge Trump in 2020
Washington, DC: In less than two months, as the mid‑
term elections come to a close, the official launch of
the 2020 Democratic presidential primary season will
begin. Over a dozen prospective candidates will start
making moves or even launching campaigns to chal‑
lenge President Trump.
According to a recent CNN report, Kamala Harris, the
Senator from California ranks 2nd among the 10
potential aspirants to the White House among the
Democrats. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of MA tops the list of
10 ranked by CNN. In June this year, The Washington
Post ranked the Indian American Senator from the
Golden State 3rd after Sen. Warren and Sen. Bernie
Sanders of Vermont.
The popular FiveThirtyEight.com wrote recently,
“Sen. Kamala Harris has not officially said she is run‑
ning in 2020, but she hasnʼt denied it either, and sheʼs
showing many of the signs of someone who is prepar‑
ing for a run, including campaigning for her
Democratic colleagues in key races and signing a deal
to write a book.”
Harris recently told MSNBCʼs Kasie Hunt that sheʼs
“not ruling out” a 2020 presidential run. But her
actions may speak louder than her words. She was the
first lawmaker to call for Homeland Security Secretary
Kirstjen Nielsen to resign over the Trump administra‑
tionʼs family‑separation policy. She has also somewhat
US Senator Kamala Harris
recently written off accepting money from corporate
PACs.
In 2017, Kamala D. Harris was sworn in as a US
Senator for California, the second African‑American
woman and first South Asian‑American senator in his‑
tory. She serves on the Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee, the Select Committee
on Intelligence, the Committee on the Judiciary, and
the Committee on the Budget.
on AG Grewal and others
Trenton, NJ: Bergen County
Sherif f Michae l Saudino has
resigned after audio recordings
were leaked last week in which he
made racial and xenophobic com‑
ments towards Indian American
Attorney General Gurbir Grewal
and African American Lt.
Governor Sheila Oliver.
In the recording, which was
published by WNYC, an af filiate
of the National Public Radio,
Saudino can be heard talking to
his colleagues and making nasty
comments about New Jersey Gov.
Phil Murphyʼs inaugural speech in
January, according to a
Washington Post report.
In the recording, Saudino
attacks Murphy saying that he
appointed Grewal as the first Sikh
attorney general in the country,
only because of his religion.
“He didnʼt do that to he lp
Bergen County, he did that
because of the turban,” Saudino
says in the recording. Saudino
also said that he isnʼt sure of
Oliverʼs sexuality as she is still
unmarried.
In addition, Saudino attacked
Murphy on the issue of marijuana
in the state say ing, “Christ
almighty, in other words let the
blacks come in, do whatever …
they want, smoke their marijuana,
do this, do that, and donʼt worry
about it. You know, weʼll tie the
hands of cops.”
Saudino was first elected as a
Republican before he switched
parties and won a re‑election in
2016 as a Democrat.
In his resignation Saudino apol‑
ogized to the “people of Bergen
County for the insensitive record‑
ed remarks.”
In a statement posted on
Twitter, Grewal said, “Sherif f
Saudinoʼs resignation is an impor‑
tant first step in repairing the
relationship between the Bergen
County Sherif fʼs Of fice and the
diverse communities it serves.”

Indian American diplomat Parmar claims he is a

quits citing lack of diversity victim in Constellation
Healthcare case
Washington, DC: Uzra Zeya,
an Indian American, decided
to walk out from her job as a
U.S. diplomat in the Edison, NJ: Paul Parmar, the beleaguered ex‑
Department of State after CEO of bankrupt Constellation Healthcare
serving the country for the Technologies Inc, alleges he has been the
last 27 years. victim of a sophisticated investorʼs takeover
Zeya told Polit ico that scheme that has roots in profiting from a
since joining the U.S. Foreign “fraudulent” bankruptcy.
Service in 1990, she saw Parmar of Colts Neck, NJ, along with for‑
much growth in diversity mer Constellation CFO Sotirios Zaharis and
within her department, espe‑ Ravi Chivukula, a former executive director
cially during the presiden‑ of the company, was charged in May by the
cies of George W. Bush and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Barack Obama. However, with conspiracy to commit securities fraud
with the entry of President and securities fraud. Parmarʼs charges
Trump, diversity in the included the scheme to false ly inflate
department has been Constellationʼs value to induce an invest‑
Uzra Zeya served in the Department of State
decreasing. for 27 years. ment firm to buy his company.
As of June 2018, 6.8 percent Chinh Chu, a former Blackstone senior Parmjit "Paul” Parmar, the former CEO of
of Foreign Service generalists were of Asian For Zeya, it started w ith planning executive, purchased Constellation last year, Constellation Healthcare Technologies
descent, which is a little above the actual President Trumpʼs Bastille Day visit while through his investment firm CC Capital. winked by Chu into bringing these specious
percentage of the Asian‑American popula‑ she was working at the U.S. Embassy in Constellation filed for bankruptcy in March claims against Mr. Parmar.”
tion in the 2010 U.S. Census. The percent‑ Paris, France. 2018, claiming that some of the businesses Parlatore also pointed out that while
age of Hispanics in the Foreign Service was Upon returning to Washington, she was it had purchased while Parmar was in Parmar was arrested on May 16, 2018,
six while 5.4 percent were African‑ blocked from a series of senior‑level jobs, charge were fictitious. there had been no progress in the ensuing
Americans and 0.3 percent Nat ive with no explanation. Parmar alleges in court documents that four months and that the Government had
Americans. “In two separate incidents, however, col‑ Chu pushed Constellation into bankruptcy not yet obtained an indictment of Parmar.
Zeya further mentions in the Politico leagues told me that a senior State official and then rigged the subsequent auction of Although the time to file an indictment had
report that within the first five months of opposed candidates for leadership posi‑ assets to his benefit, so he could purchase been extended twice, no discussions have
Trumpʼs administration, three of the most tions̶myself and an African‑American Constellation after bankruptcy proceedings occurred, and the Government had made no
senior African‑American career officials as female officer̶on the basis that we would at a fraction of the actual value. offers to settle the case.
well as the top‑ranking Latino career officer not pass the ʻBreitbart test.ʼ One year into an The SEC has launched a parallel civil Parlatore said he is also seeking to dismiss
in the department were either removed or administration that repudiated the very action into Parmar and his associates. the federal forfeiture claim against Parmar,
resigned. notion of America I had defended abroad for Separately, feds have filed a civil complaint and that Parmarʼs bankruptcy counsel is
This trend continued through the next few 27 years, I knew I could no longer be a part seeking forfeiture of four properties that working to dismiss adversary claims against
months as Zeya noticed that many top‑per‑ of it, and I left government earlier this year,” Parmar owns or controls. him in bankruptcy court over the merger
forming minority diplomats were not invited Zeya told Politico. Parmarʼs attorney Timothy Parlatore says and the alleged fraud.
to various government activities, though the During her 27 year tenure, Zeya served at in court documents that “rather than con‑ At press time, representatives of CC
Department of State says that it is working U.S. embassies in Jamaica, Egypt, Syria, ducting a full, complete and independent Capital, and Chinh Chu did not immediately
towards fixing all of this. Oman and India. investigation, the DOJ and SEC were hood‑ respond to requests for comments.
6 Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018
Important notice from Indian
Consulate in New York
D
ue to technical issues in its serv‑
er, NO Consular Services (i.e.
Visa and Passport) will be pro‑
vided by the Consulate General of India,
New York, until further notice.
During this period, only Emergency
(Visa and Passport) consular services (in
case of death or medical emergencies)
will be provided through the Embassy of
India, Washington DC. Applicants hav‑
ing genuine emergencies should visit
CKGS New York Office, with documents
including proof of emergency, for
assistance.
Grand Navratri Garba in
South Brunswick
I
ndo‑American Cultural Foundation of
Central Jersey ‑ IACFNJ will hold their
Grand Navratri Garba celebration in
South Brunswick on October 12, 13, 19
and 20, 2018, from 8:30 p.m. to 1:30
a.m. at South Brunswick High School, 750
Ridge Road in Monmouth Junction, New
Jersey. The Navratri celebration marks
the festival of nine nights during which
will officially begin on October 10th
when Hindus worship Goddess of Shakti
Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati.
IACFNJ will hold this yearʼs Garba in a
state‑of‑the‑art gymnasium at their big‑
ger venue in South Brunswick High
School in a highly secured environment
with a capacity of more than 2,500
guests. South Brunswick and surrounding
Anupam Kher's new TV drama NEW
AMSTERDAM premieres on NBC.
I
ndia's finest
actor,
author,
motivational
speaker, edu‑
cationist
Anupam Kher
after acting in
more than 500
films is now
ready to make
his mark on
this side of the
world. The
prolific actor is
known to the western outside audiences
for his roles in Golden Globe‑nominated
Bend it like Beckham, Oscar Nominated
Silver Linings Playbook and the highly
acclaimed The Big Sick.
The BAFTA and the SAG nominee will
now be part of our lives in America. He
is acting in NBC's highly anticipated
medical drama NEW AMSTERDAM. He
plays an Indian doctor, Dr Vijay Kapoor,
a neurologist in it. The series premiered
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
IN BRIEF
Please do not call our Contact Center
as our staff will not be having any addi‑
tional information about the timelines.
Kindly refer to
https://www.in.ckgs.us/(CKGS US Visa
Website) for latest updates.
Please Note:‑ As per instructions
received from Government of India, due
to technical upgrades in the government
system, processing of OCI applications
at all CKGS Visa Application Centers and
Embassy/Consulates may take longer
than usual. Applicants are requested to
please bear with the inconvenience.
areas are a culturally diverse neighbor‑
hood where South Asians are highly pop‑
ulated in surrounding towns of North
Brunswick, Franklin Park, Princeton,
Hightstown, Princeton Junction, Monroe,
East Brunswick, Robbinsville and East
and West Windsor. More than 2000 peo‑
ple are expected to attend each day to
celebrate Hinduʼs religious and cultural
festival. Once again, the famous group of
Mahesh Mehta and his talented artists
from Bollywood and local singers and
musicians of Entertainment Unlimited
will rock the stage with famous old and
new live singing of traditional garbas,
dandiya, famous sanedo and bhangaras
with live entertainment for more than
five hours on all four days.
on NBC on September 25th at 10pm.
When asked what does he feel being
part of the American series his response
was, "It is a great feeling to be part of a
mainstream American series.
I represent my country, my India and I
want every Indian to feel proud of me
when they watch NEW AMSTERDAM. Let
my countrymen continue to love and
bless me and I will try to never disap‑
point them."
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Book release of Sunil Guptaʼs ʻMake in Indiaʼ by vice president Shyam Jhajhooji in
New York. In the picture, Dr Sonu Kakar, Raj Boveja, Shyam Jhajhooji,
Sunil Gupta , Jagdish Sewhani and M Verma.
Free lecture series on
ʻSuccess without stressʼ
A
fascinating lecture series on the explains the art of making your actions
theme of ancient wisdom and its more dynamic, focused and productive
role in everyday life ʻSuccess while remaining mentally peaceful and
without stressʼ will be held on Sept 28‑ stress‑free.
30 6.30 pm to 8.00 pm at Trayes Hall at This series is organized as a service to
Rutgers University. Eminent philosopher the community and is free to the public.
from India Sunandaji, daughter‑disciple Everyone is invited to take advantage of
of world‑renowned Guru and author this wonderful opportunity to benefit
Swami Parthasarathy will be the speak‑ from this timeless wisdom.
er. The topic is “The Perfect Action” from More information and RSVP:
Chapter 3 of the Bhagavad Gita, which www.vedantausa.org
Documentary on Sikh racism
nominated at NJ film festival
F
ilmed in NYC, Monisha Deyʼs
short documentary Turban Fever
a 7 min film highlights the wide‑
spread ignorance about Sikhism in the
USA and explores how the Sikh commu‑
nity tackles racism ‑ through love, peace
and compassion.
Turban Fever
nominated
Turban Fever has screened at two film
festivals in New York and has also had a
at Westfield
International
screening at Harvard earlier this year. It Film Fest
will be screening this weekend at the
Westfield International Film Festival, NJ
where it has been nominated for two
awards ‑ Best Short Documentary and
Best Female Filmmaker.
Mercedes to export
GLC from India
M
ercedes‑Benz will begin import‑ base, has converted its Indian automak‑
ing its best‑selling vehicle, the ing capacity to an export base, but it has
GLC compact crossover, into given no indication that it would export
the U.S. from its plant in western India, to the U.S. Deliveries of the Mercedes
Automotive News reported. GLC, built at the automaker's plant in
The German luxury automaker joins Pune, will arrive in the U.S. next month,
Ford Motor in tapping India as a source Mercedes‑Benz USA spokesman Rob
for U.S. vehicles, underscoring the sub‑ Moran confirmed last week.
continent's rapid ascent as an auto Mercedes has informed NHTSA of its
export hub. Ford last year began import‑ import plans.
ing its EcoSport subcompact crossover The GLC is the highest‑selling luxury
from Chennai. compact crossover in the U.S. and the
General Motors, meanwhile, thwarted top‑selling model across Mercedes'
in its efforts to develop an Indian sales brand lineup.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018 7

Republican Party apologizes for Work permits to H4

“offensive” ad featuring Lord Ganesha visa holders may be
Houston: The ruling
Republican party in
the US has apologized
regarding the worship of animals as
gods was also disheartening to the
HAF leaders, as that is a common
revoked in 3 months
to the Hindu commu‑ misconception taught in US schools, Washington, DC: The Trump administration expects
nity, after a newspa‑ which frequently ends up becoming to revoke in three months a rule allowing spouses
per advert isement a taunt used to bully Hindu stu‑ of certain H‑1B visa holders to work in the US, most
featuring Lord dents," the HAF said. of whom are from India.
Ganesha, intended to The Fort Bend Republican party The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told
win their support in responded and said: "The ad was not a federal court on Friday that its intention to cancel
Texas ended up meant to disparage Hindu customs the rule remains in place and that it “anticipates
"offending" them. or traditions in any way. We of fer that the rule (revoking work authorization for H‑4
The advert, on the our sincerest apologies to anyone visa holders) will be submitted to OMB within three
o ccasion of the that was of fended by the ad. months.” OMB, the office of management and
'Ganesh Chaturthi' Obviously, that was not the intent." budget, oversees US federal budget and perform‑
festival, included the In a letter, chairman Jacey Jetton, ance of federal agencies.
image of Lord the first Korean‑American to lead the The DHS said it had made “solid and swift
The ad featuring Lord Ganesha created
Ganesha with the text, Fort Bend County Republican Party progress in proposing to remove from its regula‑
controversy with Hindus objecting and
tions certain H‑4 spouses of H‑1B non‑immigrants
"Would you worship a seeking an apology from the party said: "The ad was meant to be part of
donkey or an e le‑ the celebration to acknowledge the as a class of aliens eligible for employment authori‑
phant? The choice is yours." The ele‑ gize for the advert about the celebra‑ 'Ganesh Chaturthi' fest ival of zation.”
phant is the party symbol of the tion of the 'Ganesh Chaturthi' festi‑ September 13." The court filing came in a case brought by Save
Republicans. val. "While we appreciate the Fort "This ad was created with input Jobs USA, a group of people who claim to have
The Indian‑American community Bend County GOP's attempt to reach from those of Hindu faith so that we been displaced by H‑1B workers. The case was filed
has described the political advertise‑ out to Hindus on an important Hindu could properly pay respect to the before President Donald Trump took office.
ment of the Grand Old Party as festival, its ad ‑ equating Hindus' ven‑ sacred festival. This highlights the H‑4 EAD (employment authorization document)
"offensive." The party's county unit, eration of the Lord Ganesha with dif ficulty in outreach that can be allows spouses of H‑1B visa holders who have been
Fort Bend County Republican Party choosing a political party based on positive for one group but not for cleared for Green Cards but have not received them
which published the ad, apologized its animal symbol ‑ is problematic another in the same community. yet, to work, by a rule issued by the Obama admin‑
and clarified that it "was not meant and of fensive," said Rishi Bhutada, "We of fer our sincerest apologies istration in 2015.
to disparage Hindu customs or tradi‑ HAF Board Member and Fort Bend to anyone that was offended by the The main beneficiaries of the rule have been
tions in any way." County resident. ad. Obviously, that was not the spouses of H‑1B visa holders from India ̶ 93% of
An advocacy group, the Hindu‑ Using religious imagery in order to intent. The ad was not meant to dis‑ the 126,853 H‑4 applications approved till
American Foundat ion (HAF) of explicitly appeal for political support parage Hindu customs or traditions December 2017, according to a study by the
Houston, called on the Fort Bend should best be avoided by any politi‑ in any way," Jetton said. Congressional Research Service.
County Republican Party to apolo‑ cal party, he said. "The implication (PTI)

Indian American federal worker ‘stung’ for anti-Trump agenda

Washington, DC: The Government
Accountability Office (GAO) is
investigating a video from conser‑
vative activist group Project
Veritas that depicts an employee
acknowledging he contributes to
the local Democratic Socialists of
America (DSA) chapter during
work hours.
"We are aware of the video and
investigating the serious issues it
raises, and we have also communi‑
cated with the GAO Inspector
General," the GAO said in a state‑
ment.
The office was responding to a
video posted Thursday that pur‑
ports to show GAO auditor
Natarajan Subramanian detailing
his involvement in the
Washington, D.C., chapter of DSA.
Natarajan Subramanian (Image courtesy: breitbart.com)
Subramanian explained in the
video that he does social media
work for DSA and contributes to
the organization for an estimated
20 hours a week.
"Technically, everything Iʼm
doing for DSA is stuff that I am
not supposed to be doing for
work," Subramanian said in the
video, adding that he knows a
number of DSA members who
hold government or political jobs.
The Project Veritas video
appears to have been filmed sur‑
reptitiously and edited selectively.
The individual speaking with
Subramanian does not appear on
camera and Subramanian's
responses come from multiple
recordings.
The Washington, D.C., chapter of
DSA pushed back against the
Project Veritas video, calling the
organization "wildly unethical."
The GAO response to the video
comes one day after the
Department of Justice (DOJ) said
it was looking into a separate
Project Veritas video that depicted
DOJ employee and DSA member
Allison Hrabar talking about
efforts to resist certain Trump
administration policies.
Wednesday's video, which also
featured a former Department of
Health and Human Services
employee who spoke about how a
current government employee
had leaked a policy document,
also appeared to be secretly
recorded and selectively edited.
The videos are the latest in a
series of efforts by Project Veritas
to highlight alleged bias within
the federal government, the media
and at technology companies
through secretly recorded videos.
(Source: thehill.com)
 8 Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018
Indian official at UN Women sacked
over alleged sexual misconduct
United Nations: In the strongest discipli‑
nary measure available within staff rules in
the United Nations, an Indian national
employed in the UN agency for gender
equality and women empowerment has
been dismissed after an investigation deter‑
mined he engaged in sexual misconduct.
UN Women had said last month that the
Office of Audit and Investigation of UNDP
had completed its investigation into the
sexual misconduct allegations involving the
UN Women staff member.
While the staf f member has not been
named throughout the process of investiga‑
tion, sexual misconduct allegations were
leve led ag ainst Indian nat ional Ravi
Karkara, who had served as Senior Advisor
on Strategic Partnerships and Advocacy to
the Assistant Secretary General and Deputy
Executive Director at UN Women.
In a statement issued at the United
Nations on Tuesday, Executive Director of
UN Women Phumzile Mlambo‑Ngcuka said
the investigative and disciplinary processes
into allegations involving a UN Women
staff member have "concluded that sexual
misconduct occurred."
"As a result, I have dismissed the staf f
member; this is the strongest disciplinary
Florida lad Parth Madabhushi
performs Arangetram
New York: More than 600
people attended the 150th
Bharatanatyam Arangetram
of Nritya Academy under the
guidance of Guru Smt.
Geetha Raaj on September
16th at the India Cultural
Center. The Alagappa Arts
Academy of Karaikudi, Tamil
Nadu bestowed the title of
Natya Kala Ratna to Guru
Geetha in recognition of out‑
standing accomplishments in
propagating the enriched art
form of Bharatnatyam. Parth Iyyangar
Madabhushi, a sophomore at
Carrollwood Day School and the Guruʼs
grandson, is the first boy in Florida to
complete this classical dance debut
under her banner. After Guru Geetha
Raaj and her daughter Dr. Sabrina
Madabhushi, Parth is the third genera‑
tion Bharatanatyam dancer in the family.
An Arangetram classical dance recital
signifies the debut recital of a classical
dancer who also learns about Indian his‑
tory, mythology, religion, customs, and
culture.
Guru Geetha is a senior student of the
Shri Raja Rajeshwari Bharathanatya Kala
Mandir and one of the senior disciples of
Guru Shri Mahalingam Pillai, Guru Shri
Govindaraja Pillai and Guru Smt.
Karunambal.
Parth Madabhushi is the son of
Prahlad and Sabrina Madabhushi. Parth
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
Ravi Karkara
(Image courtesy: theguardian.com)
measure available w ithin the Staf f
Regulat ions and Rules of the United
Nations (UN). Consequently, the staff mem‑
ber is prohibited from employment within
the UN system," she said.
Ravi Karkara is not named in the state‑
ment. However, he was under investigation
for sexual misconduct after at least eight
men had accused him of using his prestige
and position to sexually harass them, five
sources with knowledge of the investiga‑
tion had told Newsweek.
Parth
Madabhushi is
third generation
Bharatnatyam
dancer
has completed his certification course in
Bharatanatyam and is currently pursu‑
ing his Associate Arts Degree through
Alagappa University. Along with Parth,
eight other students were recognized on
stage for completing their coursework
through the university. Parth also holds
a third degree Black belt in the Shito‑
Ryu martial arts field and will represent
Team USA at the World Karate
Championships for the fourth time in
Dublin, Ireland this year.
Among the chief guests were Senator
Dana Young, Commissioner Luis Vera,
Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana lead
volunteer Shri V.V. Sundaram, Indian
Percussion Maestro Shri TS
Nandakumar. Alagappa University chief
Dr. Ram Vairavan, New Tampa Karate
instructor Sensei Eddie Aranzazu, and
Head of Carrollwood day School Dr.
Ryan Kelly.
Mlambo‑Ngcuka further confirmed
"emphatically" that the former staff mem‑
ber "cannot be protected by diplomatic
immunity." She said although UN Women
does not have the authority to prosecute,
the UN is guided by its obligation to bring
credible allegations of criminal conduct to
the attention of relevant national authori‑
ties.
"UN Women stands ready to cooperate
with any national authority that decides to
investigate this matter," she said, adding
that UN Women has made every effort to
offer victim support throughout the investi‑
gation.
"We hold ourselves accountable to ensure
a victim‑centered approach in fulfillment of
our mandate to advance and protect gender
equality as a fundamental human right,"
she said.
The Executive Director had appointed
earlier this year Purna Sen as Executive
Coordinator on Sexual Harassment to
engage with survivors so that they are sup‑
ported in a range of areas.
Purna Sen had told news agency PTI ear‑
lier that zero tolerance to sexual exploita‑
tion and abuse must be strictly followed
and practiced and that those who show the
Nepali woman among
Maryland shooting victims
New York: Brindra Giri, a 41‑year‑old mother of
two who had moved to Baltimore County from
Nepal only “three or four months ago" was one
of three people killed in a shooting at an
Aberdeen Rite Aid warehouse on Thursday.
Harry Bhandari, a Democratic candidate for
state delegate from District 8 and a teacher
with Baltimore City Schools, said he has known
Giriʼs family for about 10 years.
Several of Giriʼs relatives, including at least
two brothers, and friends live in the area, said
Bhandari. Bhandari said Giriʼs husband, who
has lived in Baltimore County for several years,
sponsored her move to the United States, and
that Giriʼs family, which speaks only “limited
Tharoor launches 2 books
at DIAC literary event
Dallas, TX: Dallas Indian Arts Collective (DIAC),
in partnership with Teamwork Arts presented a
Fireside Chat with Indian politician, diplomat
and author, Dr. Shashi Tharoor, on September
18 at Center Stage, located at 111 Oak Lawn
Avenue in the Design District. The conversation
was moderated by Sanjoy Roy, founder, and pro‑
ducer of the world‑renowned Jaipur Literature
Festival. In a re‑examination of Hinduism, one of
the worldʼs oldest and greatest religious tradi‑
tions, Indiaʼs leading public intellectual, Shashi
Tharoor, lays out Hinduismʼs origins and its key
philosophical concepts, major texts and every‑
day Hindu beliefs and practices, from worship to
pilgrimage to caste in his book 'Why I Am A
Hindu.' n the eighteenth century, Indiaʼs share of
the world economy was as large as Europeʼs. By
1947, after two centuries of British rule, it had
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
courage to speak out against abuses should
not feel judged.
A UN spokesperson had previously con‑
firmed to news agency PTI that the individ‑
ual under investigation was Ravi Karkara.
Reports of the allegations against Ravi
Karkara surfaced early last month. UN
Women had said back in December 2017
that it received allegations of sexual mis‑
conduct involving one of its staff members,
again not naming Ravi Karkara. According
to Newsweek, Steve Lee, a 25‑year‑old poli‑
cy activist, who has addressed the United
Nations and was a member of the Major
Group for Children and Youth, is among the
men accusing Ravi Karkara of misconduct.
According to his profile, Ravi Karkara has
worked with UN Women, UNICEF, Save the
Children among others. He serves as Global
Advisor on Youth with UN‑HABITAT and
had represented UN‑HABITAT as the co‑
chair of the UN Interagency Network on
Youth Development. He also co‑chaired the
Policy Strategy Group for World We Want
2015 ‑ largest UN & civil society post‑2015
data‑curation‑visualization Big Data plat‑
form. It said he has written more than 80
publications and has given keynote and
panel addresses.
English,” is “disconsolate” and has been “crying
constantly” since receiving the news. Giriʼs two
children are both school age, he said. Bhandari
said he took the day off to begin helping the
family making funeral arrangements, and
hopes to ask whether Rite Aid can contribute to
the costs. At a news conference on Friday,
Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said the
suspected shooter, Snochia Moseley, had a
mental illness.
“If [the shooter] had a mental illness, how did
she get the gun? T hatʼs a conundrum,”
Bhandari said. “As a nation, as a state, we have
to figure that out. We have to do better
than this.”
decreased six‑fold. Beyond conquest and decep‑
tion, the Empire blew rebels from cannon, mas‑
sacred unarmed protesters, entrenched institu‑
tionalized racism, and caused millions to die
from starvation.
British imperialism justified itself as enlight‑
ened despotism for the benefit of the governed,
but Shashi Tharoor takes on and demolishes this
position, demonstrating how every supposed
imperial “gift”̶ from the railways to the rule of
law̶was designed in Britainʼs interests alone in
his book 'Inglorious Empire'. He goes on to show
how Britainʼs Industrial Revolution was founded
on Indiaʼs deindustrialization, and the destruc‑
tion of its textile industry. In this bold and inci‑
sive reassessment of colonialism, Tharoor expos‑
es to devastating effect the inglorious reality of
Britainʼs stained Indian legacy.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info DIASPORA Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018 9

UK businessman Raj Aggarwal

gets top Royal Navy post
London: A prominent
Wales‑based business‑
man has become the first
Indian‑origin person to
be appointed Honorary
Lieutenant Commander
in the UK's Royal Navy.
Raj Aggarwal, who is
India's Honorary Consul
in Wales, was appointed
to his naval post by
Admiral Sir Philip Jones
follow ing the formal
approval of Britain's Raj Aggarwal, who is India's Honorary Consul in Wales, has
been given a rank equivalent to that of an army major.
Queen Elizabeth II.
Aggarwal (second from right) at an event to celebrate
The move will see the
his appointment to the Royal Navy.
pharmacist and health‑
care expert take on the rank of honorary breadth of experience and make a contribu‑
lieutenant commander in the Royal Navy, tion in their own distinct way to the Royal
which is equivalent to the rank of an army Navy. The of ficial inauguration ceremony,
major, and he will be affiliated to the Royal which took place on Sunday on 'HMS
Navy ship 'HMS Dragon' in his new role. Cambria' ‑ the only Royal Navy base in
"Raj is a great friend and advocate of the Wales, was dubbed the Royal Naval Mela in
Naval service and his appointment will honor of Aggarwal's Indian roots.
deepen the relationship between the com‑ Aggarwal said, "It is my great honor to
munity and the Royal Navy," Royal Marine accept this position in the Royal Navy as one
Brigadier Graeme Fraser told the 'Wales of the 'special' honoraries. I want to use this
Online' newspaper. position to create greater diversity in the
"Our Armed Forces are inclusive employ‑ Navy, to show the community that the Navy
ers; we recognize the value of diversity and will be supportive and that there are amaz‑
proudly serve all members of our communi‑ ing careers on of fer, with first‑rate skills‑
ties at home and overseas. As the only training and opportunities to see the world."
Honorary Royal Navy officer in Wales, it is Raj Aggarwal, chairman of pharma firm RK
fitting that we celebrate his appointment. Aggarwal Ltd, migrated from Kenya to
He will wear his Naval officer's uniform at Wales in 1967 and studied pharmacy at
the ceremony with pride," Fraser said. Each Cardif f University before settling down in
honorary of ficer is expected to bring a Cardiff. (PTI)

Indian‑origin man arrested

for racially abusing South
African President
Johannesburg: A former Indian‑origin city life or take a bullet, I just want to say that
councilor in South Africa has been arrest‑ the truth will hurt."
ed for making derogatory racist comments In 2005, he was sentenced to six years
against President Cyril Ramaphosa in a in prison for fraud. He said that it took 13
video posted on Facebook. years of introspection to release the video,
In the viral video, former News24 reported. "Nobody
Durban councilor Kessie Nair, wakes up one morning and
who was earlier sentenced to makes a statement and a
six years in prison for fraud in video like that on so cial
2005, called Ramaphosa a "kaf‑ media," Kessie Nair had told
fir" ‑‑ a derogatory term used News24. He was arrested on
against black people during the Wednesday in Durban and
racist apartheid era. was charged with incitement
In the video, Kessie Nair said of public violence and crimen
that he is prepared to take a injuria or injuring a person's
bullet or go to prison for the dignity.
rest of his life. Nair‚ the nephew of late
In the video, Kessie Nair
"I... do hereby call for that struggle stalwart Billy Nair‚
called Cyril Ramaphosa
kaf fir state president Cyril
a "kaffir" ‑‑ a derogatory has received widespread con‑
Ramaphosa, yes I mean the term used against black demnat ion from various
kaf fir state president Cyril people during the quarters‚ including the
Ramaphosa, to be charged for racist apartheid era. provincial ANC‚ community
frauding [sic] this nation, for and religious organizations ‚
oppressing this nation, for high treason, as well as the presidency.
for failing and he's the source of all crime His family has distanced themselves
violence poor healthcare, poverty that pre‑ from his utterances. They issued a state‑
vails in a so‑called true democracy," he ment urging South Africans to forgive him
said in the nearly five minute‑long rant. and promising to do their best to "make
"I'm ready to go to jail for the rest of my amends." (Source: ndtv.com)
 10 Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018 US AFFAIRS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Kavanaugh's accuser agrees to Green cards to be

speak to Senate Committee
Washington: The woman who has
accused Supreme Court nominee
Brett Kavanaugh of a past sexual
assault, accepted a request to
speak to a Senate Committee on
Thursday about the alleged inci‑
dent, her lawyers said on Saturday.
Christine Blasey Ford "accepts
the Committee's request to provide
her first‑hand knowledge of Brett
Kavanaugh's sexual misconduct
next week", her attorneys wrote in
a message to the committee on
Saturday.
But the message did not specify a
date and time for Ford to speak,
saying that "many aspects" of an
earlier proposal by the Committee
were "fundamentally inconsistent
with its promise of a fair, impartial
investigation into her allegations",
CNN reported.
Kavanaug h's allies quickly
pushed back on the latest response
from Ford, arguing that it does not
actually amount to accepting the
committee's invitation to testify.
"This is not an 'acceptance' of
anything at all. The email doesn't
even say she will testify. It says she
will 'provide her firsthand knowl‑
edge' but it doesn't say how. It says
President Trump made things difficult for his Supreme court
nominee Brett Kavanaugh by saying that if Dr Fordʼs allegation was so
serious she should have gone to FBI when it happened.
she will do so 'next week' but does‑
n't say when. And it says the rest of
the terms are still up for negotia‑
tion. It 'accepts' nothing at all, but
the language is very carefully cal‑
culated to give her credit for hav‑
ing accepted," an informed source
told CNN. The White House also
responded to the development.
"Brett Kavanaugh has been clear
from the beginning... He categori‑
cally and unequivocally denies this
allegation and is eager to testify
publicly to defend his integrity and
clear his good name," White House
spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said
late Saturday.
"Brett Kavanaugh remains ready,
willing and eager to testify as soon
as possible."
Kavanaugh has denied the sexual
assault allegation.
blocked for those
using public benefits
Washington: The Trump
administration has revealed
a plan to block visas and
green cards for immigrants
to come to or stay in the
country if they or their fami‑
ly use certain public bene‑
fits. The proposed rule
announced by the
Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) on Saturday
could make immigrants
seeking to enter the US ineli‑
gible for visas or green cards
if they are deemed likely to
receive certain public bene‑
fits once they come to the
country, reports CNN.
Immigrants could also be
denied a change in legal sta‑
tus once in the US if they
received or are likely in the
future to use public benefits,
such as public housing and
food stamps equivalent to a
certain monetary threshold.
The rule is a vast expan‑
sion of existing interpreta‑
tions of what is considered a
“public charge”, or someone
dependent or likely to
become dependent on gov‑
ernment.
If the rule survives widely
expected legal changes, it
could mark a sea change
that allows far more immi‑
grants to be rejected from
the US or force them to
choose to forgo benefits that
they or family members
would otherwise be eligible
to receive.
“Under long‑standing fed‑
eral law, those seeking to
immigrate to the US must
show they can support
themselves financially,” DHS
Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen
said.
“This proposed rule will
implement a law passed by
Congress intended to pro‑
mote immigrant self‑suffi‑
ciency and protect finite
resources by ensuring that
they are not likely to
become burdens on
American taxpayers,”
Nielsen said.

Resistance within Fox News poll: Democrats

Trump admin reported
PRESIDENT BLAMES
SESSIONS FOR ROSENSTEIN
CONTROVERSY
Washington: President Trump's
Republican allies have advised him not
to fire the deputy attorney general, at
least before the Kavanaugh confirma‑
tion. And so far he is listening.
He appeared to blame Attorney
General Jeff Sessions for the latest con‑
troversy surrounding Deputy Attorney
General Rod Rosenstein Sunday, saying
that Sessions had "hired" Rosenstein to
be his second‑in‑command.
"He was hired by Je f f Sessions,"
Trump said in an interview with "The
Geraldo Show" on WTAM radio. "I was
not involved in that process because,
you know, they go out and get their own
deputies and the people that work in the
department."
The New York Times reported last
Friday that Rosenstein had discussed
secretly recording the president and
enlisting Cabinet members to invoke the
25th Amendment to remove Trump
from of fice. Rosenstein has denied the
report, and one person who was present
at the time told Fox News the deputy
attorney general was being "sarcastic"
when he made the suggestion.
Trump told Geraldo Rivera on Sunday
that the report was "a very sad story"
and promised "we will make a determi‑
Deputy Attorney General Rod
Rosenstein alleged to have
volunteered to wear a wire and talked
of dislodging Trump as President.
nation" about what to do next. At a rally
in Missouri on Friday night, the presi‑
dent said there was a "lingering stench"
at the Justice Department that "we're
going to get rid of."
Rosenstein made the comment about
possibly recording Trump during a May
2017 meeting with Andrew McCabe,
who had temporarily been elevated to
FBI director following James Comey's
firing. McCabe himself was fired in
March of this year amid an internal
Justice Department investigation that
concluded he repeatedly lied about his
involvement in a news media disclosure.
hold 7 point advantage
going into midterms
Washington: There is a deluge of bad news for
Republicans in the latest Fox News poll.
Most voters are unhappy with the direction
the country is taking. Majorities disagree with
President Trump on the border wall, and extra
tax‑cut cash is nowhere to be seen. And, by a
wide margin, Democrats are considered the
party that would better handle health care ‑‑ at
a time when most prioritize health care in
deciding their vote for Congress.
With only 44 days until Election Day, maybe
the thing that passes for good news for the
GOP is that Democrats lead by only seven
points in the generic congressional ballot
among likely voters. That suggests the battle
for control of the House of Representatives
could still go either way.
The poll, released Sunday, shows how much
Americans have warmed to Obamacare. Four
years ago, 48 percent thought the law “went
too far” (September 2014). Thatʼs down to 36
percent today. And a majority be lieves
Obamacare is “about right” (21 percent) or
“didnʼt go far enough” (30 percent).
Plus, 64 percent want more people insured,
even if it costs the government more money.
Republican campaigning on the new tax law
will have limited appeal, as 6 voters in 10
arenʼt seeing additional money in their pay‑
check since Trump signed the law, and only 32
percent think the law has helped the economy.
Voters also disagree with the president on
building a U.S.‑Mexico border wall (more
oppose by 12 points) and increasing tarif fs
(more say they will hurt than help the econo‑
my by 6 points).
And while a record number are “enthusias‑
tic” about how the government is working ‑‑
that record is a whopping 7 percent. Another
25 percent are “satisfied.” A majority of 62
percent is “dissatisfied” (37 percent) or
“angry” (25 percent) with Washington.
Overall, when asked who they would back if
the Congressional election were today, 49 per‑
cent of likely voters say the Democratic candi‑
date in their district and 42 percent the
Republican. Among the larger group of regis‑
tered voters, the Democrat is up by 46‑40 per‑
cent.
“Usually we see Republicans do better when
we go from registered voters to likely voters,”
says Democratic pollster Chris Anderson, who
conducts the poll with Republican Daron
Shaw. “T hat isnʼt the case rig ht now,
Democrats actually have a larger advantage
when we look just at likely voters.”
The gender gap remains, as women are more
inclined to back the Democratic candidate by a
17‑point marg in, while men pick the
Republican candidate by 4 points.
Rural whites back the Republican by 22
points, while suburban women back the
Democrat by 23. Voters “angry” about how
the government is working are four times
more like ly to support the Demo crat ic
candidate.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
44 dead as Carolinas face more Trump blasts spending
flooding and rising rivers bill, threatens
Washington: After an agonizing
week of ravaging floods, rising
shutdown over Wall
rivers, power outages and dozens of
deaths, the Florence‑weary
Carolinas are facing the possibility
of more flooding over the weekend,
CNN reported.
At least 44 people have died since
the hurricane slammed the coast
last week. While the rain has sub‑
sided, some rivers are still rising,
and North and South Carolina offi‑
cials warn the flooding danger is far
from over.
Flooding is sending unheard
amounts of water through the
Carolinas
"The Cape Fear River will crest
again this weekend, along with the
Lumber River," the North Carolina
Department of Transportation
tweeted Friday, adding that the
Neuse will rise Monday.
"Additionally, new areas are flood‑
ing with little warning. Due to this,
travel isn't recommended south of
US 64," it said.
In South Carolina, emergency offi‑
cials issued a stern warning on
avoiding the roads: "I know we
sound redundant, but it bears
repeating: Turn around, don't
Residential streets have turned into rivers, and freeways have morphed
into waterways in the Carolinas. (Photo courtesy AP)
drown!" the state's emergency man‑
agement department tweeted.
A week after Hurricane Florence
made landfall, the trillions of gal‑
lons of water it dumped over the
Carolinas are slowly moving toward
the sea, leaving a path of destruc‑
tion. Residential streets have turned
into rivers, and freeways have mor‑
phed into waterways.
In North Carolina, flooded rivers
have left thousands of evacuees liv‑
ing in shelters and hundreds of
roads underwater.
The water has receded in some
places, but as it moves downstream,
of ficials say, thousands of people
could be in danger through next
US AFFAIRS
week.
A number of South Carolina rivers
‑‑ the Waccamaw, Lynches, Little
Pee Dee and Big Pee Dee ‑‑ are fore‑
cast to crest east of Interstate 95,
the state's Emergency Management
Division said Friday.
In all, 23 of 46 counties in South
Carolina could potentially be
impacted by flooding, authorities
have said.
Of ficials are also worried about
contamination and environmental
hazards, including the potential
ef fects of coal ash, an industrial
waste created by coal‑burning
power plants that can carry health
risks.
Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018
Washington: President Donald
Trump last Thursday boosted the
chances of a US government shut‑
down when he savaged a "ridicu‑
lous" spending bill that lawmak‑
ers from both parties had hoped
would avert a standoff. "I want to
know, where is the money for
Border Security and the WALL in
this ridiculous Spending Bill, and
where will it come from after the
Midterms?" Trump tweeted.
The president's remarks upend‑
ed what congressional leaders
thought would be a smooth
process for approving a massive
spending package before the cur‑
rent fiscal year ends on
September 30, and in advance of
November's midterm elections.
The bill, which easily passed the
Senate 97‑3 on Tuesday and
heads to the House of
Representatives, includes $674.4
billion in fiscal year 2019 defense
funding, about $20 billion more
than 2018, and funds other gov‑
ernment departments including
11
education, labor and health.
But other departments, includ‑
ing homeland security, would be
funded on autopilot through
December 7, postponing debate
over funding a US‑Mexico border
wall as Republicans were eager to
avoid a nasty fight over a top
Trump priority until after the
election. Trump's comments, with
just four legislative days before
the end of the fiscal year, put a
new wrinkle into the proceedings.
"Dems are obstructing Law
Enforcement and Border Security.
REPUBLICANS MUST FINALLY
GET TOUGH!" he said. Trump's
threats may serve to rally his con‑
servative base, whose voters are
adamant that the president be
provided suf ficient funding to
build a border wall. But GOP lead‑
ers and rank‑and‑file members in
Congress are concerned about
highlighting the fight in the run
up to midterm elections that are
predicted to go we ll for
Democrats, AFP reported.
 12 Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018
Congress throwing muck, conspiring to topple me: Modi
Bhopal: Amid a raging row over
Rafale, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on Tuesday accused the
Congress of throwing muck and
indulging in a campaign of slan‑
der and lies against him and of
trying to form an "international
alliance" to oust him.
He also slammed the main
opposition party saying it has
become so weak that it has to
beg small part ies to forge
alliance in the coming elections.
"What has happened to the
125‑year‑old Congress? We have
decided to fight elections on the
issue of development, but they
want to fight the election by
breaking the society. They want
to capture power through mis‑
chief. They want to use a handful
of people to spread falsehood
and storm of lies to capture
power," he said, without refer‑
ring directly to the Rafale jets
SC wants law against Rafale deal better than one
criminals entering negotiated earlier: Air Force official
legislatures
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on
Tuesday declined to disqualify
candidates against whom cogni‑
sance of chargesheet have been
taken by courts, saying no further
disqualification under the law
could be added but urged
Parliament to enact a law to
address the malaise of criminals
entering legislatures.
At the same time, the apex Court
directed political parties to post
on their websites and widely pub‑
licise in the media, both print and
electronic, full details of the crimi‑
nal charges against the candidates
they would be fielding in elec‑
tions. Pronouncing the judgment,
a five‑judge Constitution Bench
headed by Chief Justice Dipak
Misra also said that the law on
criminals entering politics should
also address fake cases being
instituted against political oppo‑
nents. The court said that the time
The Supreme Court urged Parliament to enact a law to address the
malaise of criminals entering legislatures.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses during 'Karyakarta
Mahakumbh' in Bhopal. (Photo: IANS/BJP)
deal on which the Congress has
raised several questions.
"Best wishes for their new path.
But we are following the path of
had come for Parliament to enact
a law to "cleanse the polluted
stream of politics" by prohibiting
people with criminal antecedents
in the political system. "The nation
eagerly waits for such legislation
... and the sooner the better,
before it becomes fatal to democ‑
racy," the court added.
The court directed that the can‑
didate as well as the concerned
political party "shall issue a decla‑
ration in the widely circulated
newspapers in the locality about
the antecedents of the candidate
and also give wide publicity in the
e lectronic media", said Chie f
Justice Misra, speaking for the
five‑judge Constitution Bench.
The apex court called for "sub‑
stantial efforts" to prohibit people
with criminal antecedents so that
they do not even "conceive of the
idea of entering into politics" and
should be "kept at bay".
INDIA NEWS
strong organisation," Modi said,
addressing the 'Karyakarta
Mahakumbh' in poll‑bound
Madhya Pradesh.
New Delhi: Air Force Deputy
Chief Air Marshal R. Nambiar on
Tuesday asserted that the deal
for 36 Rafale aircraft by the
Modi government was "much
better" than the one negotiated
earlier for 126 planes, contend‑
ing that "people are misin‑
formed" about the issue.
The remarks came in the back‑
drop of a mount ing mult i‑
pronged attack on the Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) government
by the Congress, with the party
on Monday moving the Central
Vigilance Commissioner seeking
an FIR and seizure of documents
pertaining to the Rafale deal.
Asked about the row over the
of fset partners chosen by
Dassault Aviation, he said: "I
believe people are misinformed.
There is nothing like Rs 30,000
INDIAN ECONOMY TO
GROW AT 8%: JAITLEY
New Delhi: Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley on Tuesday said the
new insolvency law, indirect tax
regime and demonetization will
help drive India's growth rate
and sustain it at 8 per cent.
He added that there was a
need to trust the banking sys‑
tem for meeting the needs of
the economy and asked banks
to, in turn, ensure clean lending
to justify the trust reposed in
them. "Banks must strive to be
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
The Prime Minister said the
Congress was not succeeding in
getting allies and even if they get
one, "I don't see them succeed‑
ing".
"So they are trying to forge an
alliance internationally. Now will
a foreign country decide who will
be the country's Prime Minister?
After losing power, you have lost
your balance," he said.
Modi said that there should
have been something left in the
grand old party "but nothing is
left there. Now Congress has
become a burden. And saving the
country from the Congress is the
democratic duty of the people."
He said it was time for the
opposition to change itself.
"I came to politics in 2001.
Before that I was a working for
the Sangh (RSS). But since then
you used all your power to abuse
me. You left no stone unturned to
crore to any one party. Dassault
alone has of fsets to the tune of
over Rs 6,500 crore. Nothing
more than that.
"We have evaluated all the air‑
craft available to us in the past,"
Nambiar, who recently flew the
Rafale in France, told the media
here.
"All and all it was a very good
deal, much better than what was
obtained in 2008," the Deputy
Chief Air Marshal said.
"We have looked at six plat‑
seen always as institutions of
clean and prudent lending," he
said at the annual review meet‑
ing of the public sector banks
here. Jaitley said the Insolvency
and Bankruptcy Code (IBC),
Goods and Services Tax (GST),
demonetization and digital pay‑
ments had enabled better
assessment of financial capacity
and risks which, coupled with
inclusive growth, had unlocked
the purchasing power which
defame me. But the more you
threw muck on me, the lotus
blossomed more and more. And
the people have rejected your
claims repeatedly.
"T he more muck they
(Congress) throw, more lotuses
will bloom, in every booth, every
block, every village, every city
and every corner of the country."
The Prime Minister's stinging
attack comes in the wake of
Cong ress President Rahul
Gandhi's sharp offensive against
Modi, calling him a thief over the
Rafale fighter deal after the for‑
mer French President Francois
Hollande's comment that the
Indian government had pushed a
private firm as the offset partner
for Dassault Aviation.
Modi echoed his ministers and
party leaders to allege that Rahul
Gandhi was in conspiracy with
Pakistan to topple him.
forms and Rafale has met all our
requirements. It has been found
the most technically capable as
well as commercially viable from
our point of view. That is how it
has been selected."
Asked about a French media
report that there was a push by
the Indian government to include
Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence
in the deal, Nambiar said: "The
commercial negotiations were
headed by the Deputy Chief of
Air Staff and he was responsible
for completing the negotiations."
The of ficial said the negotia‑
tions continued for "almost 14
months". "We believe we met all
the directions of our leadership ‑‑
that was to get a better price, bet‑
ter maintenance terms, better
delivery schedule and better per‑
formance logistic package."
would drive India's growth.
He said this should help India
sustain a growth rate of around
8 per cent, an official statement
said.
"A growing economy will also
help banks grow in strength," he
said.
Jaitley underscored the need
to have trust and confidence in
the banking system as a neces‑
sary precondition for meeting
the needs of the economy.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018 13

Sushma discusses strategic cooperation, trade at UN

United Nations: External Af fairs
Minister Sushma Swaraj met nine
leaders from across the globe in a
whirlwind of bilateral interactions
and spoke at the Nelson Mandela
Peace Summit.
She began her day on Monday by
attending the high‑level event on
counter‑narcotics convened by US
President Donald Trump, where she
was seated at the front row.
India is one of 129 countries that
have signed the pledge drafted by
Trump on commitment towards
international fight against drugs.
Although it was not a formal
meeting, she greeted Bangladesh
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina when
she came to the UN, India's
Permanent Representative Syed
Akbaruddin tweeted.
Sushma Swaraj met the Foreign
Ministers of Australia, Spain,
Ecuador, Colombia, Mongolia,
Nepal, Morocco, Lichtenstein and
Federica Mogherini, the European
Union (EU) High Representative for
Foreign Affairs.
The topics discussed during the
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj with Australian Foreign
Minister Marise Payne at the United Nations.
meetings with the foreign ministers
depended on the relations with
those countries and ranged from
strategic cooperation to trade and
investment.
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary
Vijay Gokhale participated in the
Special Meeting of the Conference
on Interaction and Confidence
Building Measures in Asia (CICA) ‑‑
a 26‑member forum for cooperation
in promoting peace, security and
stability in Asia. Ruchi Ghanashyam,
the Secretary (West), spoke at the
Africa Adaptation Initiative High‑
Level Roundtable. The organisation
aims at facilitating finance and
cooperation for the continent's
development.
After Sushma Swaraj's meeting
with Australian Foreign Minister
Marise Payne, External Af fairs
Ministry spokesman Raveesh
Kumar tweeted: "Strategic partner‑
ship gaining momentum!"
The two countries have been
building up their strategic relations
reinforced by the Quadrilateral
Security Dialogue that includes the
US and Japan.
Closer to home was the meeting
with Nepal's Foreign Minister
Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, which
"took stock of our bilateral relation‑
ship", Kumar tweeted.
At the meeting with Ecuador
Foreign Minister Jose Valencia
Amores, there were "good discus‑
sion on ways to further consolidate
bilateral relationship in the areas of
trade, agriculture, pharma, IT and
capacity building", according to
Kumar.
Also from Latin America,
Colombia's Foreign Minister, the
discussions centred on cooperation
on trade investment, pharma, min‑
ing, petroleum and capacity build‑
ing, he tweeted.
With Spanish Foreign Minister
Josep Borre ll, Sushma Swaraj
"explored ways to intensify ties in
investment, renewable energy,
water treatment, tourism and their
contribution to our flagship initia‑
tives", according to Kumar.
Mogherini and Sushma Swaraj
"discussed issues related to trade
and investment and exchanged
views on the regional and global
issues," Kumar said in a tweet.
She also met with Mongolian
Foreign Minister Damdin
Tsogtbaatar. On the sidelines, she
was to meet Fiji Prime Minister J.V.
Bainimarama and the Foreign
Ministers of Iraq, Cyprus, Moldova
and Estonia.

Kohli, Chanu conferred Khel Ratna

New Delhi: Indian cricket cap‑
tain Virat Kohli and world
champion weightlifter
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu were
conferred with the country's
highest sporting honour ‑‑
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award
‑‑ by President Ram Nath
Kovind at the annual National
Sports Awards ceremony here
on Tuesday.
This year's award ceremony
was postponed to September
World champion
25 from the usual August 29 weightlifter Saikhom
National Sports Day event due
Mirabai Chanu.
to the clash of dates with the
Asian Games in Indonesia.
The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award is given
for a 'spectacular and most outstanding per‑
formance in the field of sports by a sportsper‑ Dronacharya awards to C.A. Kuttappa
son over a period of four years'. Both Kohli
and Chanu received a medal, a citation and a
cash prize of Rs 7 lakh.
Besides the Khel Ratna, star javelin thrower
Neeraj Chopra, sprinter Hima Das, table ten‑
nis star Manika Batra were among the 20
recipients of the prestigious Arjuna award.
The other Arjuna awardees were long dis‑
tance runner Jinson Johnson, shuttler N.Sikki
Reddy, boxer Satish Kumar,
woman cricketer Smriti
Mandhana, golfer
Shubhankar Sharma, hockey
stars Manpreet Singh and
Savita Punia, Col. Ravi
Rathore (Polo), shooters Rahi
Sarnobat, Ankur Mittal,
Shreyasi Singh, paddler G.
Sathiyan, tennis player Rohan
Bopanna, wrester Sumit,
Pooja Kadian (Wushu).
Para athlete Ankur Dhama
and para shuttler Manoj
Sarkar were also conferred Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicates Pakyong Airport to the nation in Sikkim.
The Pakyong Airport is Sikkim's first airport, located at a height of
with the Arjuna award, that
4,500 ft above sea level. As of now, the nearest airport for Sikkim
included statuettes, certificates and a cash
is at a distance of 150‑kilometres in West Bengal's Bagdogra.
prize of Rs 5 lakh each.
The President also gave away the
(Boxing), Vijay Sharma (Weightlifting), A.
Srinivasa Rao (Table Tennis), Sukhdev Singh
30 Jet flight passengers 'bleed',
Pannu (Athletics).
The Dhyan Chand award, that also includes
statuettes, certificates and a cash prize of Rs 5
government orders probe
lakh each were given to Satyadev Prasad Mumbai: At least 30 passengers of a Jet worse, were taken to the Nanavati Hospital
(Archery), Bharat Kumar Chetri (Hockey), Airways flight suffered ear and nose bleeding and kept under observation after undergoing
Bobby Aloysius (Athletics) and Chougale due to low cabin pressure during the aircraft's various tests. Hospital COO Rajendra Patankar
Dadu Dattatray (Wrestling). ascent here last week, following which the gov‑ told mediapersons that they were suffering
ernment ordered a safety audit plan for air‑ from "mild conductive deafness", a temporary
lines, officials said. condition which would be cured within a week

BJP committed to deport Jet Airways later said it has derostered the
cockpit crew concerned, who will remain off
duties pending investigation.
or so, and they were advised to refrain from
flying till recovery.
Airport sources said the incident could be a

illegal migrants: Amit Shah Several passengers on the Mumbai‑Jaipur

Bhopal: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is
committed to rid the country of illegal
migrants, party President Amit Shah said
on Tuesday.
Speaking here at the party's 'Karyakarta
Mahakumbh' ahead of Assembly election,
Shah mentioned the National Register of
Citizens in Assam in which over 40 lakh
individuals were found to be "illegal".
flight 9W‑697 ‑‑ carrying 166 persons and five
crew on board ‑‑ complained of severe
result of the crew's alleged failure to activate
what is called a "bleed switch" before the take‑
off, leading to disturbance in the cabin pres‑
He said the Congress raised a lot of noise
headache and pain in the ears after the take‑ sure and forcing use of oxygen masks.
on the possible deportat ion of the
off around 6 a.m from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Taking a serious note of the incident, Civil
migrants but "the BJP has decided that it
Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu ordered the
will force them out".
The flight was forced to return soon after, a Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to
Shah urged the party members to create
Jet Airways spokesperson said. prepare a comprehensive safety audit plan
"strong winds" in favour of the BJP in
The ailing passengers were deboarded and involving safety parameters on all airlines, air‑
Madhya Pradesh which can eventually
rushed to the terminal building where they ports, flying training schools, and mainte‑
turn into a "tsunami" in the general elec‑
were administered first aid by doctors. At least nance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility
tions next year.
five male passengers, whose condition was immediately.
 14 Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018
By Amulya Ganguli
I
n two intriguing exercises in U‑
turn, while Rahul Gandhi is try‑
ing to rid the Congress of its
pro‑Muslim image, RSS chief
Mohan Bhagwat is claiming that a
Hindu "rashtra" will include
Muslims as well.
Although Bhagwat did not specif‑
ically say so, it was obvious that
the Muslims would not be treated
as second‑class citizens in a nation
of Hindus as was decreed by M.S.
Golwalkar, the second head of the
RSS.
So, are both the Congress and the
RSS turning over a new leaf?
The change in the RSS ad its
impact on the social and political
scene will be on the scale of
Gorbachev's perestroika (restruc‑
turing) and glasnost (openness) in
the Soviet Union. Will the RSS simi‑
larly break out of its earlier Hindu‑
centric mold for which it was
accused by several judicial commis‑
sions of instigating communal riots
and become secular?
However, the problem is that RSS
is not alone. Sangh Parivar includes
BJP, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad
(VHP), the Bajrang Dal, the Akhil
Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
(ABVP) and others.
Although the RSS is their mentor,
it is not known whether it will be
able to bring their thinking in line
with its new, accommodative mode.
The task is bound to be difficult
considering that the saffron broth‑
INDIAN INFRASTRUCTURE: LEARNINGS,
CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES
By Taponeel Mukherjee
I
ssues around infrastructure cre‑
ation in India bring to the fore
some core themes that are worth
analyzing. The structure of infra‑
structure companies, cost over‑
runs, retail investor exposure to
credit funds, and the need to recycle
assets to real‑money balance sheets
are once again in focus given the
problems that IL&FS is facing cur‑
rently.
Firstly, one must assess whether it
makes economic sense for infra‑
structure companies to be publicly
listed. Being publicly listed has its
advantages in terms of greater
scrutiny of financial information
and the liquidity available to the
company through share sale.
Additionally, listed companies have
their own stocks which are a "cur‑
rency" of sorts to attract and retain
top talent.
But public listings also mean
implicit pressure from the markets
for quarterly performance, some‑
thing an infrastructure business,
which is long‑dated by its very
Makeover gambits by RSS,
Congress: Are they for real?
If the RSS dons the cloak of inclusiveness, where does that leave the BJP?
erhood has nurtured an anti‑minor‑
ity outlook for decades, regarding
Muslims as "internal enemies No.
1" and Christians as "internal ene‑
mies No. 2", according to
Golwalkar.
Although the RSS and the BJP
have now distanced themselves
from this section of Golwalkar's
catechism, the Ram Janmabhoomi
agitation of the 1990s showed how
the Hindutva brigade continues to
hold the two communities as
responsible for all of India's woes,
starting from the destruction of
temples in medieval times to the
The infrastructure sector in India would require about $778 billion by 2022 as a key growth driver
across the country. It will require the private sector to work together with the government.
nature, is not particularly well suit‑
ed to handle. For all the advantages
of being publicly listed, it is worth
pondering whether in an Indian
context quarterly pressure of
results can hinder infrastructure
businesses from making the correct
decisions keeping the long‑term
goals in mind. While scrutiny of
financial results is crucial, so is the
capacity of the infrastructure busi‑
ness to focus on the aim of creating
long‑dated assets.
A better level of corporate gover‑
nance is essential for infrastructure
businesses, given the scale of
investments, the lack of alternative
uses of assets once created, and the
urgent need to develop such assets.
Whether publicly listed or not, over‑
all corporate governance standards
need to improve to create a more
robust ecosystem.
Secondly, there is the constant
debate on the public versus private
aspect regarding infrastructure cre‑
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
OP-ED
country's partition in the modern
period to the conversion of Hindus
to "alien" religions.
Another fear of the saffronities is
that the Muslims would outnumber
the Hindus by breeding exponen‑
tially with their four wives ‑‑ hum
panch, hamare pachis, as Narendra
Modi once said ‑‑ while the
Christian missionaries will contin‑
ue to "harvest" gullible Hindu
souls. Skepticism as to what extent
Bhagwat's words of wisdom will
lead to a dramatic rethinking in the
Hindutva ranks apparently made
the opposition parties at the
ation and asset management. The
truth is that both are essential. The
way forward for India to create the
requisite infrastructure both in
respect of quantity and quality will
require the private sector to work
together with the government.
There are issues that a public‑sec‑
tor project or a private sector com‑
pany face, but this does not neces‑
sarily mean that there is a funda‑
mental issue with all such projects
and companies. Transparency and
effective policies will be crucial.
Project‑wise analysis is required to
determine as to who is better
placed to take care of the three
essential components of each proj‑
ect, i.e., Build, Operate and Finance.
Given the complexity of infra‑
structure assets, a "one size fits all"
solution will not work. While issues
around land acquisition and the
time required for approvals have
seen improvement over the years,
India needs to ensure that such
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
national level stay away from the
3‑day conclave which Bhagwat
addressed in New Delhi.
However, the proof of the pud‑
ding will be in the eating. If there
are no more lynchings of suspected
beef‑eaters, no more campaigns in
favur of "ghar wapsi" or the recon‑
version of Muslims, and no more
instances of love jihad resulting in
the harassment of inter‑faith cou‑
ples, then it will be presumed that
the RSS chief's counsel of restraint
is having a sobering effect on the
saffron storm‑troopers.
How about ending cold‑blooded
killings of rationalists or scientists
or journalists, which have evidently
been carried out by those indoctri‑
nated by the philosophy of hate
directed against Left‑Liberal mem‑
bers of the intelligentsia.
It is possible that the RSS realized
that notwithstanding the enormous
material and political clout it has
acquired because of the BJP's polit‑
ical success, its social standing has‑
n't improved. The anglicized, dera‑
cinated "urban Naxalites" in the
cocktail circuits continue to regard
the Hindu Right as usurpers in the
corridors of power.
problems continue to receive con‑
stant attention. The issues above
are generic to the infrastructure
sector regardless of the ownership
of the asset.
Thirdly, to boost infrastructure
creation and credit flow one needs
to have a more efficient process
with regards to credit risk pricing.
Credit ratings must reflect the
embedded credit risk to enable the
higher flow of credit into the sector.
A jump in credit rating indenta‑
tion over multiple notches over a
short span of time tends to imply
that the credit risk in the system
isn't being priced at the right pace.
To further enable efficient and con‑
stant re‑pricing of ratings to reflect
credit risk a secondary market in
credit products must develop. Only
with a secondary market for credit
products can credit genuinely be
priced and assessed by the markets.
Fourthly, the investor base for the
financing of infrastructure assets
But if the RSS dons the cloak of
inclusiveness, where does that
leave the BJP? Already, Bhagwat's
praise of the Congress's role in the
freedom struggle and his observa‑
tion that he does not believe in the
idea of the country being made
"mukt" (free) of any party has
poured cold water over the BJP's
plan of ushering in a Congress‑free
Bharat.
This is the first sign that the RSS
and the BJP do not see eye to eye
on at least one matter. The place of
honor for Muslims in a Hindu rash‑
tra will also focus attention on the
BJP's reluctance to choose Muslims
(and Christians) as the party's elec‑
tion candidates.
The branding by some BJP lead‑
ers of their opponents as anti‑
nationals also goes against
Bhagwat's moderate tone. If the
RSS chief's discourse robs the BJP
of its divisive plank, its election
campaign is bound to lose its sting.
The "chelas" (ideological followers),
therefore, will have to harmonize
their political line with the guru's
latest views.
Amulya Ganguli is a political
analyst.
deserves attention. On the retail
mutual fund side, the credit funds
that have invested in infrastructure
have provided the sector with
much‑needed capital and retail
investors with an opportunity to
earn attractive returns. But till a
secondary market for credit prod‑
ucts develops in India to aid credit
risk pricing, retail investors will
need greater education on what
returns and risks infrastructure
assets present. Short‑term liquidity
in a fundamentally illiquid invest‑
ment may not always be easy to
come by.
On the institutional investor side,
the need for more "real money"
(pension funds and insurance com‑
panies) investors cannot be over‑
emphasized. A greater share of
infrastructure assets in India must
be on balance sheets that hold the
assets to generate returns to match
liabilities, and not from a pure
financial return perspective.
Taponeel Mukherjee heads
Development Tracks, an infrastruc‑
ture advisory firm.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
By Sushma Swaraj
External Affairs Minister
I
t is said about the founder of
Sikh faith, “When Satguru Nanak
appeared, the fog of ignorance
gave way to light of knowledge.”
Indeed, we celebrate Guru Nanakʼs
birth anniversary as Prakashotsav.
We know that he appeared 550
years ago. I am pleased to
announce the External Af fairs
Ministry as well as Indian Council
of Cultural Relations (ICCR) will cel‑
ebrate his 550th anniversary year
(2019) all over the world.
In this turbulent world, where vio‑
lence and killings are prevalent,
where people are being massacred
in the name of religion, we want to
spread the message of Guru Nanak
and other Sikh gurus. We want to
te ll the world that the core of
Sikhism is Ik Onkar (God is One). Its
India to take
Guru Nanakʼs
message
to the world
teachings include nuggets such as:
We are the children of one and
same Father. First, God created the
Light; then, by His Creative Power,
He made all beings. Recognize all of
mankind as a sing le caste of
humanity. Sikhism even had a very
modern message about women:
How can you malign the one who
gives birth to kings.
We want to tell the world that the
Indian tradition and scriptures have
always pronounced ‑ Ekam Sat –
Truth is One. Guru Granth Sahib is
proof of that: the only religious
scripture in the world which
includes the writings of saints and
mahatmas other than its own
RELIGION
founders, irrespective of their caste
or religion. Baba Farid is there as is
Ravidas.
The Sikh gurus left their teaching
for posterity in the form of their
holy book, Guru Granth Sahib, and
said, follow it as your guru. This
meeting today opened with singing
of the verse ʻKoi bole Ram Ram, koi
Khudayeʼ. God is remembered by
different names by different people.
So if God is one, and we all are his
children then where is the scope for
any feud? This message of Guru
Nanak that we humans are all
brothers and sisters needs to be
spread in the world.
There are three practical teach‑
Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018
The Indian government
will celebrate
Guru Nanak’s 550th
anniversary year in 2019
by taking his teachings of
peace and goodwill to the
world. Transcribed from a
speech Sushma Swaraj
gave in Hindi on August
12 at the Pravasi
Bharatiya Kendra in New
Delhi eulogizing the
founder of Sikhism
ings of Guru Nanak: ʻKirat karo,
vand chhako and naam japoʼ. The
first means, donʼt just vegetate,
work to earn a living. This is also
the inspirational message of Lord
Krishna in the Gita: do your karma.
The second says, share the fruits of
15
what you have justly earned with
the poor and needy. T his is an
important message in this era of
protectionism, of I, me, myself. I am
proud to say that if there is a gurd‑
wara in a neighborhood, people
there never starve. I am reminded of
meeting some visiting Indian stu‑
dents from Toronto. They told me,
they get a fulfilling meal only once
a week on Sundays at the gurd‑
wara. Not only that, they said, “At
the gurdwara we are told, bring
your tiffin, and carry home food for
dinner too.”
The third teaching is, pray to God.
If we are the children of God, then
donʼt forget him. Contemplate on
him. Meditate.
So we in the Indian government
have decided that utilizing the occa‑
sion of the 550th anniversary year
of Guru Nanak, we want to spread
the teachings of Sikhism in the
entire world through gurbani/kir‑
tan, seminars, and conferences.
The Ministry of External Af fairs
will do its work, as will the ICCR.
But this noble cause needs the help
of everybody like the World Punjabi
Organisation. Join hands with us.
Let us reach out to all countries, big
or small, even if there is no Sikh
diaspora somewhere. We want to
tell the world that Sikhism is one
religion which has a timely message
of peace, goodwill and harmonious
co‑existence.
 16 Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018
'Village Rockstars' is India's Want to be part of diversity
official entry to Oscars 2019 wave in Hollywood: Ali Fazal
V
illage
Rockstars"
was selected
as Indias official
entry to the 91st
Academy Awards,
following which
members of the Film
Federation of India
(FFI) urged the
Indian film industry
and the government
to promote the
Assamese film for
the final round.
The chairman of
the committee S.V.
Rajendra Singh
Babu, also a veteran
film producer, made
the announcement.
Talking about the
selection of the film, 'Village Rockstars' is a coming‑of‑age film set
Anant Mahadevan,
one of the members of the committee,
said: "One of the criteria is that the film
has to be rooted in India with a universal
message. The film has to be professionally
and technically well made with hardly any directors G Neelakanta Reddy and
flaws to capture and a well‑performed
film.
"It was absolutely a unanimous decision. Sanjay Sankla, among others.
The film 'Village Rockstars' got votes of
all the jury members unanimously. We
are very proud of this film."
As many as 28 films were shortlisted for
India's official entry to the Oscars. Some
of the big budget Bollywood films like
"Padmaavat", "Raazi", "Hichki" and
"PadMan" along with some of the critical‑
Filmmaker Kalpana
Lajmi dead at 64
F
ilmmaker and screenwriter
Kalpana Lajmi, noted for
films like "Rudaali",
"Darmiyaan" and "Daman", died in
Mumbai following a multiple organ
failure, said her spokesperson. She
was 64. "Extremely sorry to inform
you that Kalpana Lajmi passed
away this morning at 4.30 a.m.,"
the filmmaker's spokesperson
Parul Chawla said.
Lajmi breathed her last at a hos‑
pital, where she was admitted in
the intensive care unit due to kid‑
ney‑related issues, the spokesper‑
son added.
The cremation will take place at
12.30 p.m. at the Oshiwara crema‑
torium.
She debuted as a feature film
director with "Ek Pal". Her last
directorial was "Chingaari", based
on the novel "The Prostitute and
the Postman" by the late Bhupen
Lajmi debuted as a feature film director with ʻEk Palʼ.
Hazarika, her long‑time companion.
Her memoir "Bhupen Hazarika: As I
Knew Him" was launched earlier this
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
in Assamʼs Chhaygaon village.
ly acclaimed movies like "Love Sonia",
"Manto", "Kadvi Hawa" and "Gali
Guleiyan" were also part of the list.
The selection committee also comprised
Shiboprosad Mukherjee, cinematographer
Ajayan Joseph Vincent and film editor
"Village Rockstars", directed by Rima
Das, won the National Film Award for Best
Feature Film this year.
Das is simply thrilled with the news.
"With tears of joy and a feeling of pride, I
humbly accept this news. 'Village
Rockstars' is India's official entry to the
Oscars! Let that sink in," she tweeted.
month. The filmmaker is survived by her
brother and mother, painter Lalita Lajmi.
New Delhi: "Furious 7" and "Victoria
& Abdul" gave Ali Fazal a thrust into
the world of international cinema. The
actor, who had first starred in
American TV series "Bollywood Hero"
in 2009, says he wants to be a part of
the diversity wave that is now taking
Hollywood by storm.
"Furious 7" saw him in a bit role, but
the British drama "Victoria & Abdul"
saw him play the lead one with veter‑
an actor Judi Dench. What next?
"I can't talk about what is exactly
next, but there are two projects that I
am on board for. One is a biopic, a
true story again," Ali said, adding that
"Victoria & Abdul" has not just opened
up doors for him internationally, but
in India too.
It's weird how that works, but we
have always looked up to Hollywood,
so one person goes and suddenly
they... Anyway," the actor, stopping
abruptly only to add: "I am very hope‑
ful. I am very happy with the deci‑
sions I have made."
"I have given up some big network
TV shows very recently because even
if it is Hollywood, it has to be the right
stuff. As an Indian going there, you're
always scared of getting stereotyped. I
'Manto': A moving
biopic, astutely told
By Troy Ribeiro
D
irector Nandita Das' "Manto" is a
poignant and hard‑hitting biopic
about the controversial, Indo‑
Pakistani, Urdu short‑story writer
Sadat Hassan Manto. The film
opens in Mumbai where a young
and raring‑to‑go Manto is slowly but surely
REVIEW
making his presence felt in the Indian film
Industry. With the Partition breaking out, cir‑
cumstances compel Manto to move to
Pakistan and his life changes.
The film portrays how circumstances can
break a straightforward and talented man
who depicted the society through his
unapologetic writing. The director succeeds
in allowing the audience to be privy to the
life of this author who lives in Lahore but has
his heart belonging
to Mumbai. The nar‑
rative flows smooth‑
ly and the origina‑
tion of some of his
short stories like
"Toba Tek Singh",
"Khol Do" and
"Thanda Gosht" are
successfully depict‑
ed.
Like every charac‑
ter‑driven film, this
film too moves at a
slow pace, but man‑
ages to keep you
engrossed. The Actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Rasika Duggal in a still from the movie.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
have seen that happen before," he
said during a recent chat in
Melbourne during a film festival.
He believes the castings are
opening up now. "The diversity is
happening in Hollywood and
I want to be a part of it.
It's a really exciting
time for everybody, not
just actors," added Ali,
who is optimistic
about the kind of con‑
tent the web series
space has brought
along.
He will himself be
seen in Amazon
Prime Video's
original series,
the gritty drama
"Mirzapur".
"It's not
Amazon's answer
to (Netflix's)
'Sacred Games'... It
has to be the
answer...The people will decide," Actor Ali Fazal
Ali said of the show, which he played a pivotal
feels will stand out due to its out‑ role in British
standing cast and gripping story. drama ʻVictoria &
Abdulʼ.
drama is in the inner turmoil within the char‑
acter. You can feel Manto's frustrations as he
feels incapacitated when in Lahore and this is
enhanced by the circumstances and times he
lives in. Nawazuddin Siddiqui plays Manto
with ease in an author‑backed role.
The character of Manto ‑ a fragile
man with a strong voice which he
expresses through his writings ‑ is palpable.
Manto is every inch the person who spoke
his mind through his writings, without fear.
The humane side of the writer comes across
strongly too, as he is loaded with shortcom‑
ings. Rasika Duggal as Safia, his wife, is
earnest and real. She essays her character
effortlessly with restraint and conviction.
Unfortunately, her performance is restricted
by the sketchy script that limits her
character.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Nationality: Indian, Religion: Richa Chadha faces
Music, God: Lata Mangeshkar racism in Tbilisi, Georgia
By Subhash K. Jha
E
ver since I turned 5 or
maybe 6, I have believed
God lives in THAT voice.
Many, many years later, it hasn't
changed. To hear Lata
Mangeshkar sing is to have
known God. To have known her
personally is to have found mok‑
sha, far beyond what any
acknowledged religion can teach
you.
I got to know her very late. For
decades I hero‑worshipped her
from very far away, like one does
the Gods. If asked why I didn't
meet her personally, I'd reason Legendary singer Lata
ridiculously: "You worship God,
you don't shake hands with Her."
Lata Didi turned out to be as beautiful in She was unwell. She sent a message for me
person as she was in voice... Okay, maybe
that's an exaggeration. No personality can
ever match that voice. Not even Lata
Mangeshkar herself.
It was my friend Sanjeev Kohli, the son of I won't. Because there are no words to
the illustrious composer Madan Mohan,
who arranged my first meeting with her, an chest.
encounter that turned into a kinship that
has lasted for 28 years now.
I vividly remember my first meeting with
her at the Shiv Sena Bhavan in Mumbai.
She was supposed to reach in the evening
at an appointed hour to rehearse for a con‑
cert that was being hosted by Anupam
Kher. I met Anupam. But I didn't meet her.
'Sacred Games' gets the green
light for second season
A
ctor Saif Ali Khan will be back as
police officer Sartaj Singh in the
second season of crime drama
series "Sacred Games", streaming platform
Netflix announced.
The announcement that "Sacred Games
2" is in the pipeline was made with a teaser
video, read a statement.
"The worst is yet to come. 'Sacred Games'
will be back for Season 2," read a post from
the official Netflix India Twitter account.
Based on author Vikram Chandra's best‑
selling novel, the first season of the series ‑
‑ produced by the Anil Ambani‑led Reliance
Entertainment's
Phantom Films
joint venture ‑‑
received viewer
appreciation
and critical
acclaim world‑
wide for its grit‑
ty plot and
power‑packed
performances.
Season 2 will
be back with a
new trail of
betrayal, crime,
passion, and a
thrilling chase ʻSacred Games 2ʼ will be back with a new trail of
through Mumbai's
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
Mangeshkarʼs birthday
nth.
falls on 28th this mo
of
to meet her the next day at the same
venue. The next day I trooped down to Shiv
Sena Bhawan with a friend. How do I
describe the moment when I first met her?
replicate the way my heart waltzed in my
The magic has remained for 28 years. I
consider myself hugely privileged to have
known her.
Thank you, Didi, for taking me where
very few have the honor of going. Thank
you for those hundreds of songs which
have lit up the darkest of my days ‑‑ and of
innumerable others across the world.
underbelly.
The second season picks up from Sartaj
pursuing his relentless battle of saving the
city and Ganesh Gaitonde (Nawazuddin
Siddiqui) facing bigger challenges to retain
his position as the legendary kingpin of
Mumbai.
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap will continue
directing Gaitonde's track, while Neeraj
Ghaywan will take over Sartaj's plot.
Vikramaditya Motwane and Varun Grover
will continue their roles of being the
showrunner and the lead writer
respectively.
betrayal, crime and passion.
Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018 17
I
ndian actress Richa Chadha
took to Twitter to share her
experience of meeting a
"racist officer" at passport con‑
trol while exiting Tbilisi, capital
of Georgia.
"Met a racist AF officer at the
passport control, while exiting
Georgia. Slammed my passport
on the desk, twice...muttered
under her breath in Georgian,
yelled and asked me to hurry.
Sad that people like her are the
last ones we perhaps see on
exiting the country," Richa
wrote.
She also mentioned meeting
"the gentlest cabbie" here.
"He was so sweet, he changed
my experience of the city,
refused a tip, smiled throughout.
We communicated only through
gestures but I could feel his
heart," she tweeted.
Richa visited Georgia to shoot
for the second instalment of
Excel Entertainments "Inside
Edge". She will reprise her role
as Mumbai Maverick team
owner Zarina Malik. Actor Richa Chadha visited Georgia for a film shoot.
A large part of my struggle was
because I was a girl: Hard Kaur
R
apper Hard Kaur says that ever
since she was a child, she faced a
lot of negativity and a large part of
her struggle was because she was a girl, Rapper Hard
especially an Indian. Kaurʼs first
Kaur is one of the seven influences who album
is part of the fourth edition of Levi's ʻSupawoman
#IshapeMyWorld movement that cele‑ ʼ was
brates unstoppable women who have released in
shaped their lives on their own terms. 2007.
In the video, the rapper can be seen
expressing how she had to face struggle
while making her way in the rap scene,
more so because of her gender.
Asked about it, Kaur said over an e‑mail:
"A large part of my struggle was because I
was a girl, an Indian girl to be more pre‑
cise. People couldn't believe I could be a
rapper and I was asked to prove myself
time and again just because it was a
male dominated industry."
"Ever since I was a child I faced a
lot of negativity. From being bullied,
to having no friends, to growing up
in a world full of stereotypes, I've
faced it all. But I'm honest and I've
always felt itʼs either my way or no way
at all and I'd rather do it the Hard Kaur
way. Glassy" that topped the UK charts in
"I have always been working on breaking 2007. Since then she has sung in movies
away from all the stereotypes, I worked like "Ugly Aur Pagli" ("Talli"), "Singh Is
hard, honed my skills, and used them to Kinng", "Kismat Konnection", "Bachna Ae
prove people wrong. I want to give power Haseeno", "Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag",
to other people to turn negatives into posi‑ "Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani" and
tives," she added. "Prince". Her first solo album
Some of her works include song "Ek "Supawoman" was released in 2007.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018
TheSouthAsianTimes.info FEATURES Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018 19

The real ʻfakeʼ news and what to do about it

The Interfaith Institute of the Islamic Center of Long Island in Westbury held
a seminar on ‘What’s at Stake If News Is Fake’ recently. A report.
By Robert Keeler

Westbury, NY: The reality of “fake

news” is that we live in a news‑
drenched world. Even as newspa‑
pers are struggling with a loss of
key sources of revenue to the
Internet, we cannot escape an
overwhe lming daily stream of
news and pseudo‑news, pouring
through our smartphones and
computers and inundating our
brains with all the intensity of a
fire hose on full force. It comes to
us from newspapers, magazines,
television, radio, online publica‑
tions of varying levels of credibili‑
ty, Twitter, Facebook, and many
other sources including tricksters
in Russia.
The challenge for all of us is to
examine the sources of our news
analytically and intelligently. So
the Interfaith Institute invited
community leaders to a gathering
on September 16 at the Islamic
Center of Long Island in Westbury.
T he theme of the event was:
“Whatʼs at Stake If News Is Fake.”
T he keynote speaker was
Howard Schneider, the founding
Dean of the Stony Brook University
School of Journalism. Long before
the phrase “fake news” became
part of our daily discourse,
Schneider was concerned that
young people should learn to be
intelligent consumers of news. So
he pioneered at Stony Brook the
Center for News Literacy. (You can
read more about it at
http://www.centerfornewslitera‑
cy.org.) The news literacy curricu‑
lum has educated thousands of
Stony Brook students, helping
them to discern whatʼs real in the
news and whatʼs not. The center
has also shared the news literacy
The false story of Pope Francis endorsing presidential candidate
Daisy Khan, of Women's Islamic Initiative in Spirituality, Donald Trump in 2016 garnered close to a million Facebook
Werner Reich, a Holocaust survivor, and Howard Schneider, shares. But the denial from the Vatican got only 33,000 Facebook
who has pioneered at Stony Brook the Center for News
shares. This epitomizes the difficulty of getting truth to
Literacy. (Photo: Parveen Chopra) catch up to fictitious rumor.
curriculum with 22 universities information and think critically. He Muslims going to great trouble to focused on the impact of state‑run
and taught academics in 10 coun‑ reinforced his point with a quote denounce terror, only to discover media under both Nazism in
tries. from Richard Hornik of The Center that their efforts got no coverage Germany and communism in post‑
In an energetic lecture enhanced for News Literacy: “Just as it is said or minimal coverage in the main‑ war Yugoslavia. He also discussed
by a graphic presentation of what that in a democracy citizens get stream media. To dispel that myth the wicked fake news of Holocaust
fake news can look like, Schneider the government they deserve, in and others, she edited a research‑ denial. Over the years, many thou‑
pointed to a false story claiming the 21st century newly empow‑ and evidence‑based 375‑page sands of people have heard him
that Pope Francis had endorsed ered consumers will get the infor‑ book called Wise Up: Knowledge speak of his experiences in the
presidential candidate Donald mation they demand.” At the end Ends Extremism, available through concentration camps of Auschwitz,
Trump. That original false story of his lecture, Schneider proposed the WISE we bsite, Birkenau, T heresienstadt, and
g arnered more than 868,000 a series of action items, including a https://www.wisemuslimwomen.or Mauthausen.
Facebook shares. The denial from request that those in the audience g. She also talked about the effort Theyʼve listened to his descrip‑
the Vat ican, pro claiming the contact their local school districts by her husband, Imam Feisal Abdul tion of the death march through
endorsement to be untrue, got only and suggest a news literacy pro‑ Rauf, to establish a Muslim com‑ the snow and his exposure to the
33,000 Facebook shares. Those gram for their students, like the munity center in lower Manhattan, infamous Nazi do ctor, Jose f
numbers summarized powerfully one at a middle school in the in the aftermath of the 9/11 Mengele. Those thousands who
the dif ficulty of getting truth to Coney Island section of Brooklyn, attacks. In the New York City have heard him will serve as wit‑
catch up to fictitious rumor. New York. tabloid press, it became known as nesses ag ainst the Holo caust
Schneider of fered some advice The event also focused on fake “the 9/11 mosque,” a false and deniers. And his account of the
on how to assess news and make news stories that have plagued the hurtful narrative that provided evils of state‑run news media will
considered judgments on it. To be Jewish and Muslim communities. new focus for Islamophobia. Khan serve us well today.
responsible consumers and shar‑ Daisy Khan, the founder and is also the author of a new memoir, The Interfaith Institute is chaired
ers of news, he said, we have to executive director of the Women's Born with Wings: The Spiritual by Faroque Ahmed Khan.
interrog ate informat ion as it Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Journey of a Mo dern Muslim
comes to us. We have to avoid Equality (WISE), spoke about a Woman. Robert Keeler is a Pulitzer award
sharing it until we verify its relia‑ persistent and pervasive piece of Werner Reich, a Holocaust sur‑ winner who worked at Newsday
bility and accuracy. And to do fake news: that Muslims do not vivor who talks to more than for over 40 years. He moderated
those things, we have to slow condemn terrorism. She cited sev‑ 10,000 students a year about his the session on ʻWhatʼs at Stake
down in this fast‑moving world of eral frustrat ing examples of experience during the Holocaust, when News is Fakeʼ.

Last 20 years has seen very positive curve in

India‑US ties: Ambassador Sarna at JLF
New York: The relationship between India
and the US has grown over the past two
decades and there is a "very positive curve"
in bilateral ties, Indiaʼs Ambassador to the US
Navtej Sarna has said.
Sarna, addressing the Jaipur Literature
Festival hosted at Asia Society here last
Thursday, emphasized that in defense, poli‑
tics, counter‑terrorism, Indiaʼs economic
story and the diaspora play a crucial role in
bilateral ties. "What we miss sometimes is
the one unchanging factor that is the com‑
monalities of culture, of open system and of
debate" in the two nations.
“Twenty years ago, we were just coming
out of (an) estranged democracies stage.
Since then, the last 20 years you see a very
positive curve in India‑US relations,” he said.
Ambassador Sarna has published a pas‑
sionate biography, The Exile: A Novel Based
on Life of Maharaja Duleep Singh, about the
younger son of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh of
Punjab, who signed away the Kohinoor to
Queen Victoria when he was only 11.
Namita Gokhale, William Dalrymple, and
Sanjoy K. Roy also addressed the JLF New
York. In addition, Long Island based famous
cardiologist Sandeep Jauhar, author of the
new Heart: A History, was in conversation
with Sharad Paul, also a medical doctor and
author. In a celebration of India, the promi‑
nent arts organization Asia Society has been
hosting a series of events, including art exhi‑
bitions, highlighting the countryʼs “multidi‑
mensional aspects” through the lens of cul‑
ture, business and policy.
The ʻSeason of Indiaʼ is a series of pro‑
grams and special events on Indiaʼs arts and
culture that is being held in conjunction with
the exhibition The Progressive Revolution:
Modern Art for a New India, on view at Asia
Society Museum from September 14 through
January 20, 2019.
As part of the ʻSeason of Indiaʼ, the Jaipur
Literature Festival returned to New York, Ambassador Sarna, author of The Exile:
presenting a series of conversations by some A Novel Based on Life of Maharaja
of the worldʼs leading authors, thinkers, and Duleep Singh, at the Jaipur
performers. PTI Literature Festival ‑ New York.
 20 Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018 SUBCONTINENT TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Sushma‑Qureshi meet Solih wins Maldivian

cancelled, Pak disappointed presidential election
Islamabad: Pakistan expressed
deep disappointment at India's
decision to cance l a meet ing
between Indian External Af fairs
Minister Sushma Swaraj and
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah
Mehmood Qureshi that was sched‑
uled to be held on the sidelines of
the UN General Assembly (UNGA)
session next week.
"The government of Pakistan is
deeply disappointed at the
announcement made by the Indian
Ministry of External Affairs in New
Delhi about the cancellation of the
meeting of the Foreign Ministers
of India and Pakistan, which was to
be held on the sidelines of UNGA
in New York," the Pakistan Foreign
Office said in a statement.
"The reasons cited by the Indian
side for the decision to cancel the
Foreign Ministers' meeting, within
24 hours of its public confirma‑
tion, are entirely unconvincing," it
said.
"The so‑called 'disturbing devel‑
opments' alluded to in the Indian
statement predated the Indian
agreement to hold the bilateral
meeting in New York."
Blaming Pakistan for the killing
of security personnel in Jammu
and Kashmir and accusing it of
glorifying terrorism, in terms of
releasing a postage stamp featur‑
ing Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist
Burhan Wani who was killed by
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and
his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj.
Indian security forces, India called
off talks between the two foreign
ministers in New York.
The Indian government said in a
strongly‑worded statement that
since the announcement of the
talks, two "deeply disturbing"
developments had taken place that
led to Islamabad's "evil agenda"
being exposed.
"The latest brutal killings of our
security personnel by Pakistan‑
based ent it ies and the recent
release of a series of 20 postage
stamps by Pakistan glorifying a
terrorist and terrorism confirmed
that Pakistan will not mend its
ways," Indian External Af fairs
Ministry spokesperson Raveesh
Kumar said.
Male: The Election Commission Abdulla Yameen in the contro‑
of Maldives declared opposition versial election that took place
candidate Ibrahim Mohamed on September 23.
Solih of the Maldivian He called on Yameen to
Democratic Party as the winner "accept the will of the people",
of the presidential election in the BBC reported.
the country that has "T he message is loud and
been g ripped by polit ical clear. The people of Maldives
upheaval. want change, peace and justice,"
The Commission spokesman Solih, told the media here
Ahmed Akram said that Solih be fore the Elect ion
obtained 134,616 or 58.3 per Commission's announcement.
cent of the votes polled, as per Yameen, who had been widely
the provisional data of the elec‑ expected to win another term in
tion commission, reports Efe of fice, has not yet commented
news. publicly.
Solih's supporters took to the His government stands
In its statement, the Pakistan streets of capital Male in cele‑ accused of crushing dissent and
Foreign Office did not allude to the brations after he claimed victo‑ observers had believed the elec‑
killing of the police of ficers in ry over incumbent President tion was rigged in his favor.
Jammu and Kashmir but said that
the "alleged" killing of the BSF sol‑
dier took place two days prior to
the Indian announcement of its
agreement to hold the bilateral
meeting.
As for the Burhan Wani postage
stamp mentioned, the statement
said that it was issued before the
July 25 general e lect ions in
Pakistan "as a result of which the
government of Prime Minister
Imran Khan assumed office".
T he Pakistan Foreign Of fice
statement termed as "most unfor‑
tunate" India's reference about
Imran Khan. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of the Maldivian Democratic Party.

Why Pakistan wonʼt cooperate with US

By Husain Haqqani bypass Pakistan and directly negotiate
with the Afghan Taliban. Pompeo has

I
n case there were any doubt, Pakistan
seems to have indicated that it wonʼt
fulfill US expectations for the reset in
US‑Pakistan relations offered by Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo during his recent
stopover in Islamabad. Prime Minister
Imran Khan set the tone ahead of
Pompeoʼs visit, pledging not to give in to
any “one‑sided demands.” Other promi‑
nent politicians are delivering the same
message, explicitly rejecting Pompeoʼs
urge to “do more” to rein in terror groups.
And Pakistani leadersʼ view of their coun‑
tryʼs interests in Afghanistan, which differ
vastly from those of the United States, lim‑
its the prospects of cooperation in ending
the Afghan war.
Part of the problem is definitional:
Pakistanʼs leadership defines terrorism
dif ferently than the US government and
thus is unlikely to act against all terrorist
groups, as Pompeo demanded. US diplo‑
mats have spent almost three decades try‑
ing to lure Pakistanʼs decision‑makers into
seeing things their way. This has led to
what President Trump recently described
as Pakistanʼs “lies and deceit” regarding
the $33 billion in economic and security
assistance it has accepted from the US
government since 9/11.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with Pak PM Imran Khan.
Pakistan refused to align its Afghan poli‑
cy with Americaʼs even after US of ficials
publicly started criticizing its relationship
with the Taliban, accompanied with peri‑
odic threats of cutting off aid.
It is unlikely that Pakistan or the Afghan
Taliban will change their calculus at a
time when they believe that the US mili‑
tary is eager to leave Afghanistan. The
United States has now become closer to
India than to Pakistan, and China, not the
United States, is viewed in Islamabad as
the countryʼs principal benefactor.
The Pakistani military has operated
under the assumption that it can wait the
Americans out in Afghanistan. Why would
it give in and make compromises at a time
when it feels its dream of American with‑
drawal is about to materialize?
Instead of continuing efforts to change
Pakistanʼs calculus, the Trump
Administrat ion now seems ready to
already announced that legendary
Afg han‑American diplomat Zalmay
Khalilzad w ill now be “the State
Departmentʼs lead person” for reconcilia‑
tion efforts in Afghanistan.
Within a wee k of Pompeoʼs short
stopover in Islamabad, Pakistanʼs
Supreme Court overruled restrictions
imposed by the previous government on
Jamaat‑ud‑Dawa (JuD), a front for the ter‑
rorist Lashkar‑e‑Taiba (LeT), and its chari‑
ty arm, Falahi Insaniyat Foundation (FIF).
The restrictions on JuD and FIF reflected
the US designation of both organizations
as terrorist fronts.
The time may have come when the cycle
of Americans warnings and Pakistani
denials gives way to recognition on both
sides that their interests simply do not
converge. The United States might have to
increasingly assume that its admonish‑
ments will not change Pakistani behavior,
while Pakistan will have to learn to live
without expecting American support.
Husain Haqqani, director for South and
Central Asia at the Hudson Institute in
Washington D.C., was Pakistanʼs ambassa‑
dor to the US from 2008‑11. Excerpted
article, courtesy: The American Interest
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INTERNATIONAL Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018 21

US sanctions Chinese military N. Korea wants

for buying Russian weapons summit with US: Moon
Washington/Beijing/Moscow: The
US has imposed sanctions against
China's military for its purchases
of Russian military equipment in a
move US officials said is meant to
punish Moscow for its "malign
activities", prompting stern warn‑
ings from Beijing and Moscow.
"Today's actions are not intend‑
ed to undermine the military capa‑
bilities or combat readiness of any
country... but rather to impose
costs on Russia in response to its
interference in the US election
process, its unacceptable behavior
in eastern Ukraine, and other
malign activities," the US State
Department said.
T he penalt ies were applied
under a law that requires the US to
sanction anyone undertaking sig‑
nificant transactions with certain
people af filiated with Russian
intelligence and military services,
including arms manufacturers,
reported CNN.
US State Secretary Mike Pompeo
also expanded that blacklist,
adding the names of 33 of Russia's
most high‑profile citizens, bringing
the total roster to 72 people.
In response, Beijing asked the US
The Su‑35 combat
aircraft from Russia.
to lift the sanctions on the Chinese
military or "bear the conse‑
quences".
"China expressed strong indigna‑
tion towards the unreasonable
move by the US and has made
solemn representation," Chinese
Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Geng Shuang said.
He added that Washington had
violated the basic norms of inter‑
national relations and disturbed
ties with China. "We strongly call
on the US to remedy the mistake
and cance l the sanct ions.
Otherwise, it has to bear the conse‑
quences."
The US slapped the sanctions on
the Chinese military's Equipment
Russia: US
playing with fire
Moscow: The US' latest batch
of sanctions targeting Russian
businesses and China under‑
mine global stability and are
akin to playing with fire, offi‑
cials here said. Deputy
Foreign Minister Sergei
Ryabkov said the sanctions
were aimed at Russian
defense organizations, politi‑
cians and businessmen. "It
would be good for them to
recall the notion of global sta‑
bility, which they recklessly
upset by whipping up ten‑
sions in Russian‑US relations,"
Ryabkov said in a statement
cited by TASS news agency.
"It's foolish to play with fire,
because things could get
dangerous."
Development Department and its
Director Li Shangfu for buying Su‑
35 combat aircraft and S‑400 sur‑
face‑to‑air missile system from
Russia.
Seoul: North Korean
leader Kim Jong‑un is
ready to accelerate denu‑
clearization in exchange
for security guarantees
from Washington and
wants to hold a second
summit with US
President Donald Trump
at an early date, South
Korean President Moon
Jae‑in said.
"Chairman Kim
expressed his wish to fin‑
South Korean President Moon Jae‑in
ish complete denu‑
has recently visited North Korea.
clearization at an early
date and focus on economic Moon said he also had an
development," Moon said of his additional message from Kim
meeting with Kim in Pyongyang. for Trump. "Among what we dis‑
Moon, who returned to South cussed, there are items that we
Korea after a three‑day bilateral did not include in the joint dec‑
summit with Kim, said laration," he said, referring to
Pyongyang also wanted US his joint declaration with Kim
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued on Wednesday in
to visit again, Yonhap news Pyongyang.
agency reported. The South Korean leader's trip
Moon said his government to Pyongyang was aimed at
seeks to declare a formal end to breaking a deadlock in denu‑
the Korean War before the year clearization talks between the
ends and that he will bring up US and North Korea that came
the issue when he meets Trump after Trump called off a North
in New York next week. Korea trip by Pompeo.

Gunmen open fire Amnesty urges China to end

on Iranian military
parade; 24 dead
Tehran: At least 24
people, including civil‑
ians were killed and
over 50 injured when
gunmen disguised as
soldiers opened fire on
an elite military
parade in the Iranian
city of Ahvaz.
The dead and
wounded were both
military personnel and
An injured soldier being carried after a
civilians, including a
journalist watching
the parade, IRNA news agency
reported. The attackers opened fire
on the parade at 9 am from a nearby Ahwaz claimed responsibility for
park in an assault that lasted around
10 minutes. The parade was part of
nationwide celebrations in Iran to
mark the 30th anniversary since the
end of the eight‑year war with Iraq
that started in September 1980 and
ended in August 1988.
"The terrorists disguised as Islamic the attack. "Terrorists recruited,
Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and
Basiji (volunteer) forces opened fire
to the authority and people from
behind the stand during the parade,"
said Governor of Khuzestan Gholam‑
Reza Shariati, according to IRNA.
terror attack in Ahvaz.
The separatist group the Patriotic
Arab Democratic Movement in
this attack. Three of the attackers
were gunned down during clashes
with the security forces and one
other arrested, news agencies
reported. Iranian Foreign Minister
Mohammad Javad Zarif blamed "a
foreign regime" backed by the US for
trained, armed and paid by a foreign
regime have attacked Ahvaz," he said
in a tweet, adding: "Iran holds
regional terror sponsors and their
US masters accountable for
such attacks."
'brainwashing' Muslims in Xinjiang
Beijing: Amnesty
International (AI) in a
report urged the
Chinese government to
end the "brainwashing"
of nearly one million
Muslims held in "re‑edu‑
cat ion" camps in the
Xinjiang Uighur region.
In the past year, the
government has intensi‑
fied its campaign of
mass internment, intru‑
sive surveillance, politi‑
cal indoctrination and
forced cultural assimila‑
tion against the region's
It is estimated that in China there are some 23 million Muslims.
Uighurs, Kazakhs and
other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups, ple act of messaging your family abroad can
according to the report. get you detained highlights how ludicrous,
The campaign prohibits any display of reli‑ unjustified and completely arbitrary the
gious and cultural affiliation, including grow‑ Chinese authorities' actions are," said Nicholas
ing an "abnormal" beard, wearing a veil or Bequelin, Amnesty International's East Asia
head scarf, regular prayer, fasting or avoidance Director.
of alcohol, or possessing books or articles AI called on the government of President Xi
about Islam or Uighur culture as Chinese Jinping to put an end to this campaign of "sys‑
authorities consider them "extremist" behavior, tematic repression" against Muslims, a call
reports Efe news. raised on numerous occasions by many inter‑
It is estimated that currently nearly one mil‑ national organisations.
lion Muslims are being held by the authorities It is estimated that in China there are some
in re‑education camps, without the right to 23 million Muslims or approximately 1.7 per
trial, access to lawyers or contact with family cent of the population, among which are ethnic
members, the report said. minorities such as Hui or others whose origins
"The mass detention camps are places of are linked to Uighur, Kazakh, Uzbek, Kyrgyz or
brainwashing, torture and punishment. A sim‑ Tajik people in Central Asia.
 22 Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018
US-China trade war escalates with biggest sets of tariffs
Washington: The ongoing trade
war between the US and China
further escalated on Monday as
the two economic powerhouses
slapped each other w ith the
largest rounds of tarif fs yet,
unleashing punitive duties now
on roughly half of their traded
goods.
President Donald Trump's new
10 per cent tariff on $200 billion
of Chinese goods went into effect
on Monday, spanning thousands
of products, including food sea‑
sonings, baseball gloves, network
routers and industrial machinery
parts. It immediately prompted
Beijing to respond with tariffs on
$60 billion in American goods,
approaching the point of running
out of American products to tar‑
get, The Washington Post report‑
ed.
The latest levies from Beijing
Congress‑BJP dogfight over
Rafale purchase intensifies
New DelhiL The political dogfight
over the Rafale deal peaked with
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley seek‑
ing to discredit former France
President Francois Hollande's reve‑
lation about choice of the of fset
partner and even found a link to his
claim to Congress President Rahul
Gandhi. Hitting back, the Congress
accused Prime Minister Narendra
Modi of violating the oath of secre‑
cy by revealing details of the pact to
his industrialist crony and reiterat‑
ed its demand for a Joint
Parliamentary Committee ( JPC)
probe into the intergovernmental
deal with France to purchase 36
Rafale jets.
A day after Gandhi and the
Congress came out all guns blazing
against Modi, Jaitley cited conflict‑
ing media reports on Hollande's
claims and questioned the veracity
of the former French President's
remarks that the Modi government
had asked them to chose a private
firm as the of fset partner in the
Rafale deal. "Truth cannot have two
Infosys hiring 1,000 American techies in Arizona
Bengaluru: Indian software major
Infosys announced hiring 1,000
Americans in the Arizona state as
part of its commitment to employ
10,000 Americans to bridge the
IT skill gap in the US by 2023.
"We are hiring 1,000 American
workers and opening our next
technology‑cum‑innovation hub
in the state of Arizona," said the
city‑based IT firm in a statement
here.
The announcement reinforces
The Ministry of Commerce in Beijing. (Xinhua/Li He/IANS)
affect more than 5,200 kinds of
American imports, including
chemicals, industrial wares and
medical instruments.
Neither of the world's two
largest economies showed signs
of backing down and there are
The deal to purchase 36 Rafale
fighter jets from France was
announced by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi in 2015 and
signed in 2016.
versions," wrote Jaitley in his blog‑
post citing Hollande's initial claim
to a French website that "Reliance
Defence partnership with Dassault
Aviation was entered at the sugges‑
tion of the Indian Government" and
his subsequent statement to news
agency AFP that "he is not aware if
government ever lobbied for
Reliance Defence".
"The accuracy of the statements
made by the individuals may be
questioned but circumstances never
lie," said Jaitley, adding that "there
the IT major's May 2, 2017 com‑
mitment to hire 10,000
Americans and open 4‑5 technol‑
ogy‑cum‑innovation hubs across
the US by 2023.
"We have hired 5,874 American
workers till date as part of the
commitment," said the statement.
"Investment in Arizona is part
of our commitment to accelerate
innovation for American enter‑
prise by tapping local talent and
shrinking the IT skills gap in the
BUSINESS
no further trade talks scheduled
to resolve the dispute.
As the new tarif fs hit, the
Chinese government released a
report accusing the Trump
administration of a foreign policy
based on "trade bullying" and
is no 'partnership', as suggested by
the former President.
"His (Hollande) second statement
in Montreal, Canada, to AFP makes
the veracity of his first statement
even more questionable," said
Jaitley maintaining that it was
"erroneous for anybody to suggest
that there is a partnership in the
supply of the 36 Rafale aircraft".
Jaitley also pointed to a link
between Hollande's claim and a
tweet by Gandhi on April 30 saying
"It's (Rafale) also going to drop
some big bunker buster bombs in
the next couple of weeks."
"The former French President's
first statement rhymes with Rahul
Gandhi's prediction," wrote Jaitley
asserting Gandhi's tweet was "no
coincidence".
The Congress which has been
gunning for the Modi regime, lost
no time in dismissing Jaitley's asser‑
tions as "lies" and demanded the
Prime Minister to answer its ques‑
tions rather than hiding behind his
ministers' defences.
marketplace," the statement
added.
The Arizona hub will focus on
autonomous technolog ies,
Internet of Things (IoT), full‑stack
engineering, data science and
cyber security.
"We will hire graduates from
the state's colleges, universities
and local techies for the Arizona
hub and train them through our
curriculum for upskilling," said
the statement.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
"attempting to impose its own
interests on China throug h
extreme pressure".
"The new administration of the
US government has trumpeted
'America First' since taking office
in 2017, and has abandoned the
fundamental norms of mutual
respect and equal consultation
that guide international rela‑
tions," Xinhua news agency quot‑
ed the report as saying.
"Rather, it has brazenly
preached unilateralism, protec‑
tionism and economic hegemony,
making false accusations against
many countries and regions, par‑
ticularly China."
Thousands of goods now face
border taxes of up to 10 per cent,
including grocery store staples,
household objects and industrial
equipment. Economists expect
the cost of food, clothing, furni‑
RBI relaxes ECB norms
to prop up rupee
Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) has liberalized some
aspects of the external com‑
mercial borrowings (ECBs) poli‑
cy including those
related to rupee‑
denominated
bonds to help
check rupee depre‑
ciation.
"It has been
decided to allow
eligible ECB bor‑
rowers who are
into manufactur‑
ing sector to raise ECB up to
$50 million or its equivalent
with minimum average maturi‑
ty period of 1 year," the RBI
said in a notification.
Till date, ECB up to $50 mil‑
lion or its equivalent could be
raised by eligible borrowers
with minimum average maturi‑
ty period of three years.
The decision to revise the
minimum average maturity
Lauding Infosys for choosing
Arizona as one of its tech‑cum‑
innovation hubs across the US,
state Governor Doug Ducey said
the IT behemoth would enhance
the state's efforts to prepare the
workforce through training and
education in technology.
Infosys President Ravi Kumar
said the investment would
strengthen the company's ability
to deliver IT services to its clients
in Arizona and the southwest
ture, toys and cars to swell, trig‑
gering layof fs across industries
in both countries.
Earlier this month, Trump had
warned that retaliation from
Beijing would spark another set
of tarif fs on $267 billion in
Chinese goods, erecting financial
barriers on virtually everything
the US buys from the nation. In
2017, that order reached $505
billion. The Asian giant imported
$130 billion in US goods last
year but officials have said China
will keep fighting back with
"qualitative" measures.
The US tarif fs are meant to
punish China for what the Trump
administration says are unfair
trade practices, such as intellec‑
tual property theft.
Beijing has rejected the US
assertions, accusing Washington
of protectionism and bullying.
period of three years to one
year was part of the five meas‑
ures announced by the govern‑
ment last week after Prime
Minister
Narendra Modi
held an economic
review meeting.
Presently,
Indian banks can
act as arranger
and underwriter
for rupee denomi‑
nated bonds
(RDBs), also called
masala bonds, issued overseas,
and their holding cannot be
more than five per cent of the
issue size after six months of
issue as an underwriter.
"It has now been decided to
permit Indian banks to partici‑
pate as arrangers/underwrit‑
ers/market makers/traders in
RDBs issued overseas subject to
applicable prudential norms,"
the central bank said.
region.
Arizona Commerce Authority
Chief Executive Sandra Watson
said on the occasion that selec‑
tion of Arizona by the IT firm
would enhance the southwest
state's reputation as a tech indus‑
try leader.
The $10.9‑billion firm's other
hubs are at Indianapolis in
Indiana, Raleig h in North
Carolina, Hartford in Connecticut
and Providence in Rhode island.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info SPORTS Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018 23

Asia Cup: Rohit, Dhawan brush aside Pak

Dubai: Continuing their winning run, India
handed out an another humiliating nine‑
wicket defeat to arch‑rivals Pakistan in the
ongoing Asia Cup tournament here.
Chasing an average 238‑run target,
Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar
Dhawan single‑handedly dominated the
Pakistani bowling attack to add another
defeat to the Sarfraz Ahmed‑led side in the
tournament.
Pakistan, looking for wickets, got a
respite too late, as a run out by Hasan Ali
packed back Dhawan when India was 28
runs away from a comfortable win.
It was a cake walk for incoming batsman
Ambati Rayudu (12 off 18) to lead his side
to an another convincing victory in the
tournament.
Earlier, Shoaib Malik's disciplined innings
along with useful contribution from Sarfraz
helped Pakistan post 237/7 against India.
Malik scored 78 runs in 90 balls and
Sarfraz made 44 runs in 66 balls to forge a
crucial 107‑run fourth wicket partnership
to guide their team to a respectable total.
Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudu after winning the match against Pakistan at Dubai
International Cricket Stadium. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)
Electing to bat, Pakistan began on a
decent note, forging a 24 run partnership
for the first wicket before opener Imam‑ul‑
Haq (10) was dismissed by Yuzvendra
Chahal in the eighth over via Decision
Review System (DRS). Fakhar Zaman (31),
who looked good in the middle, was the
next to go. He was adjudged leg before
wicket off Kuldeep Yadav in the 15th over.
Soon, Babar Azam was run out while trying
to steal a single off Ravindra Jadeja.
With three wickets down at just 58 runs,
experienced duo Malik and Sarfraz joined
hands and took Pakistan out of troubled
waters.
The duo stitched a brilliant partnership,
hitting some glorious boundaries and sixes.
Just when things were going smooth for
Pakistan, Kuldeep broke the partnership,
taking Sarfraz's wicket in the 40th over.
Unperturbed, Malik kept on playing his
shots and maintained a good run rate. But
while trying to increase the run rate, Malik
gifted a simple catch to Mahendra Singh
Dhoni off Jasprit Bumrah. He slammed four
boundaries and two sixes.
Towards the end, Asif Ali (30) also con‑
tributed handsomely along with Shadab
Khan (10) Mohammad Nawaz (15) to com‑
plete the innings at 237/7 in their allotted
50 overs.

Vaishali India's first National Sports Awards needlessly

blind chess player getting controversial
at World Olympiad By Veturi Srivatsa

Vaishali Narendra Salavkar.
By Venkatachari She is am eight‑time national
Jagannathan champion," AICFB Treasurer
Swapnil Shah told IANS.
Chennai: Blind chess player Vaishali has an Elo rating of
Vaishali Narendra Salavkar will 1,357 points. Shah said two
become the first Indian female to Spanish women chess players
be part of the International Braille were not able to play in the
Chess Association (IBCA) team at Olympiad and hence the chance
the world chess Olympiad, start‑ came to Vaishali.
ing September 23 at Batumi in As per the Olympiad official
Georgia, a top IBCA official said. website, the other Indian female
The IBCA, affiliated to FIDE, chess player who will be playing
sends its teams ‑ open and women in the Olympiad is Malika Handa
‑ to compete at the chess (ELO rating 1,334) as part of the
Olympiad. "Vaishali will be the International Chess Committee of
first Indian blind chess player to Deaf (ICCD) team. With these two
participate in the World Chess players, the total number of
Olympiad," IBCA President Jadhav Indian women chess players
Charudatta told IANS on phone including the normal women's
from London. Charudatta is also team at the Batumi Olympiad will
the President of All India Chess be seven. The Indian women's
Federation for the Blind (AICFB). chess Olympiad team consists of
"Forty‑five year old Vaishali Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli,
from Maharashtra has been play‑ Tania Sachdev, Karavade Esha and
ing chess for the past 20‑25 years. Padmini Rout.
T
he monsoon months are
considered a silly season
when nothing happens in
Indian sport. Its no longer. Ever
since the birth anniversary of hock‑
ey wizard Dhyan Chand is com‑
memorated as the National Sports
Day there is a lot of excitement as
August 29 is also the day to receive
national sports awards.
Also, a rare clash between India
and Pakistan in the Asia Cup in the
Gulf has added fizz to the sporting
calendar this year. As the two
countries have no bilateral sport‑
ing ties and they only meet in the
International Cricket Council tour‑
naments or in the regional compe‑
titions and so it's the match to fol‑
low in the subcontinent. The two
have already met once and India
won it easily as they did against
Bangladesh. The tournament has
been formatted in such a way that
the two giants can meet not once,
not twice but thrice!
The National Sports Awards are
to be celebrated. Yet, for quite
some years now, they have been
leaving a bad taste in mouth with
someone or the other going to
court challenging the selection.
They are needlessly getting contro‑
versial.
This year, wrestler Bajrang Punia
threatened to go to court for not
getting the Rajiv Khel Ratna but he
is being talked out of it by his men‑
tor Yogeshwar Dutt who apparent‑
ly is keen that his ward uses his
energies to prepare for the world
Virat Kohli obtained 'zero' points while reigning world champion
weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu earned 44 points to be
named for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna.
championships next month. The should have known that Aibara
selection of sportspersons for the established the cricket faculty at
award can be subjective, but that the Netaji National Institute of
should not take away or diminish Sports, Patiala. Ironically, his
the glory of others. trainees at Patiala got the award!
The present selection policy is Somebody blindly followed the
far better than the one followed rulebook without considering the
years ago, involving the federa‑ great man's credentials.
tions to nominate. There had been That's precisely what had hap‑
instances of an influent ial pened this year, too, the points sys‑
sportsperson going over them to tem became a bone of contention
get recommended by a powerful as Virat Kohli could not have been
Chief Minister or a Union Minister. judged by the criteria laid down for
When the Dronacharya award for the Khel Ratna as cricket is not a
coaches was instituted, the man discipline at the Olympics, Asian
who should have got the award in Games or Commonwealth Games.
the inaugural year did not get it They could now think of awarding
because of the thoughtless criteria points for the ICC tournaments and
fixed by the rule makers. Eddie Asia Cup.
Aibara, a technically perfect bats‑ Ask any sportsperson, she will
man who played for Hyderabad grudge a cricketer being clubbed
and coached some great cricketers, with others, though they might
was overlooked because his record publicly say that they have no com‑
did not show anything in the pre‑ plaint against a cricket player get‑
ceding three years. Somebody ting the award.
 24 Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018
Beyond romance and roses: Writing
and living the modern marriage
By Saket Suman
T
here is a temple in
Thiruvidanthai in Tamil
Nadu where Hindu deity
Vishnu is reg arded as
"Nithyakalyana Perumal", or the
eternal bridegroom. The temple
is the "ult imate failsafe" for
Hindu Tamils seeking matrimony
as people of all genders and ages
participate in the ritual that is
said to expedite the same.
Like her parents would have it,
columnist and short story writer
Sharanya Manivannan bought
two garlands and passed them on
to the priest at the sanctum sanc‑
torum.
One garland was offered to the
Lord while the other one adored
her neck. She was asked to circle
the temple nine times. The gar‑
land on her neck was supposed
to be "stored safely" at her home,
and she would bring it back to
the temple with her partner once
their marriage would be solem‑
nized.
T he problem? It never hap‑
pened. But she wanted to marry,
"...despite caut ionary tales,
despite intelligence, despite defi‑
ance... You fall in love and don't
realize how unthinkably, how art‑
A riveting tale of an extraordinary Indian
By M.R. Narayan
Swamy
W
ith his passion for
meticulous research,
Philip Goldberg has
authored a brilliant account of
Paramahansa Yogananda, delving
in particular into his life in the US
that have large ly remained
shrouded in mystery. The result is
this profound biography.
Goldberg makes it clear that he
is not a disciple of Yogananda,
which makes the book all the
more enriching. Yogananda (born
Mukund Lal Ghosh in Gorakhpur)
achieved global fame with his
1946 masterpiece
"Autobiography of a Yogi". A pro‑
fessional writer for more than 40
years, Goldberg decided to essay
Yogananda's life because although
the yoga guru spent almost all his
adult years in America, less than
10 per cent of the
"Autobiography..." is about that
period.
Goldberg's research led him to
conclude that Yogananda, his
quirks and idiosyncrasies notwith‑
standing, was an extraordinary
Knot for Keeps:
Writing The
Modern Marriage;
Edited by
Sathya Saran;
Publisher:
HarperCollins
lessly, you also fall in step with
that trajectory, the idea that mar‑
riage follows love as hour follows
hour," Manivannan notes in her
essay titled "Apportionments of
Love", published in a recent
anthology of the modern mar‑
riage "Knot for Keeps".
T he book edited by Sathya
The Life and Times of Yogananda
by Philip Goldberg
(Hay House India) is about the
yogiʼs years in America.
human being, a spiritual prodigy,
psychically gifted with exception‑
al inner powers and w ithout
doubt a self‑realized yogic master.
From a young age, he stalked God
the way "Sherlock Holmes stalked
criminals".
But for one who moved to the
US in 1920 unsure of his English,
BOOKS
Saran, who has previously
authored bestselling biographies
on Guru Dutt, S.D. Burman and
Jagjit Singh, among other books,
chronicles stories ‑‑ of success
and utter chaos ‑‑ that revolve
around the lives two people
chose to live together ‑‑ in mar‑
riage.
In well‑assembled essays, it
attempts to answer some perti‑
nent questions: What holds two
people together for life, some‑
times across continents? What
drives them apart even as they
share their lives under the same
roof? What makes marriage the
only socially acceptable goal of a
relationship? Are women, and
men, preferring other options to
marriage these days? Why are
life wasn't easy.
With his ochre robes and long
hair, his mere appearance could
invite ridicule, torment and even
abuse. He endured sneers, glares,
name‑calling and even stone‑
throwing, but maintained his dig‑
nity. Worse, there were times
when Yogananda and his close
group didn't have enough to buy
food, so they would simply fast
for a few days, says Goldberg.
Building the network he eventual‑
ly did in the US was no joke
because it was a time of coin‑
operated phone booths, long‑dis‑
tance operators, telegrams and
letter writing.
Only a handful of people came
to his earlier "satsangs". The num‑
bers grew slowly, through word of
mouth, as Yogananda began wan‑
dering across the length and
breadth of America: Miami,
Seattle, Oregon, Los Angeles, New
York, Cleveland, Colorado, Boston,
Utah.
Yogananda's very name played a
role in popularizing yoga, then an
unknown subject in the West. His
gatherings ‑‑ where he spoke
about God, yoga, meditation, the
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
more and more marriages fail‑
ing? Is it to do with changing
social norms or individual expec‑
tations?
There are tough choices to be
made if one wishes to tie the
knot, and more often than not,
couples in relationship tend to
find marriage as their ultimate
recourse. But marriage is only
the beginning of a lifelong series
of knowing one's partner and
then "adjusting" to him/her, the
family and the societal norms, as
Modhurima Sinha, points out in
"The Thin Red Line".
But sorting out the problems,
getting on with life and calming
oneself to think of the other's
point of view is the trick, or so
had been the experience of Rita
oneness of humankind ‑‑ began to
attract 5,000‑6,000 people. The
LA Times would one day call him
"the 20th century's first superstar
guru".
How did Yogananda succeed?
Besides the Indian tradition he
was steeped in, the combination
of scient ific rat ionality and
respect for the Judeo‑Christian
tradition would become hallmarks
of Yogananda's teaching. He even
produced a massive volume of
written and spoken commentary
on Jesus and his teachings. This
triggered problems too. He was
accused of selling out to attract
Christian followers and also of
"Chritistianizing" Hinduism. His
introduction of kirtan to America
has been largely under‑appreciat‑
ed, the author says.
Yogananda was even welcomed
to the White House by President
Calvin Coolidge. Indeed, he had
genuine love for America. He said
the US was the most spiritual
country, next only to his own
India.
But a t ime came when
Yogananda had to face the worst
of America: Media sensationalism,
Mukherjee, who passed away in
2017. She had been diagnosed
with idiopathic interstitial pul‑
monary fibrosis (IIPF), a scarring
of the lung tissue that causes an
ever worsening shortness of
breath and a progressive decline
in lung function.
"But for some strange reason
as we drove home in that
silence...I wasn't thinking of what
lay ahead for me...Instead my
mind went into rewind mode, try‑
ing to capture and hold close all
the good times we'd had together
over three decades," she wrote
describing marriage as "A Life
Sentence," also the title of her
essay in the book.
Altogether, the book features
17 essays, or personal experi‑
ences, covering the good, bad
and the ugly that arises in mar‑
riages and may make for a handy
reading for those scared by the
idea of marriage, or those look‑
ing for advice on how to put a
troubled marriage back on track.
The personal experiences of the
respective writers keep the book
moving sing le‑handedly,
although the offering could have
done w ith a more insig htful
Introduction, than the one‑and‑a‑
half page text by the editor.
religious bigotry, ethnic stereotyp‑
ing, sexual allegations and brazen
racism.
Life became difficult during the
World War years as it af fected
revenue from class fees, books
and magazine sales. Donations
plunged. Worse, people he
thought were his soulmates sud‑
denly ditched him and took him to
court, causing him immense pain.
On one occasion, he begged the
Divine Mother: "Free me. Let me
go back to India to serve you
there." It was not to happen.
In 1949, Yogananda became a
naturalized US citizen. It was the
year he met Jawaharlal Nehru in
San Francisco. And when he died,
Yogananda was speaking about
India.
Yogananda's crowning achieve‑
ment was, of course, the
"Autobiography of a Yogi". It has
sold millions of copies and contin‑
ues to be a best‑seller. But in
1946, many publishers rejected it
before Philosophical Library went
for it.
Goldberg says, no single person
has contributed more to East‑
West current than Yogananda.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info HEALTH Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018 25

Insurance coverage TEEN VAPING EPIDEMIC:

to further boost FDA considers fast‑tracking
Ayurveda, says expert review of e‑cigarettes
Hyderabad: Thursday.

The insurance
coverage for
Ayurveda
treatment is
expected to
give a further
boost to the
ancient Indian form of medicine,
says a leading Ayurvedic special‑
ist.
Saji D'Souza believes that the
insurance coverage coupled with
the other initiatives of the Central
and state governments would
help encourage Ayurveda.
The Ministry of AYUSH has
published the guidelines for
insurance coverage for Ayurvedic
treatment and settlement of
claims on the basis of benchmark
rates for various interventions.
Following this, the Insurance
Regulatory Development
Authority (IRDA) issued clarifica‑
He told
reporters
here
Ayurveda has
emerged into
a strong
means of
healthcare globally and is playing
a key role in improving the
healthcare indices worldwide.
Ministry of AYUSH was instru‑
mental in signing the agreement
with WHO in 2016 to promote
research and bring recognition to
Ayurveda besides making efforts
to sign the pacts with countries
like Singapore and Mauritius.
AYUSH organized the first‑ever
international conference and
exhibition in Dubai in 2017 to
globalize Ayurvedic research,
education and practice to unravel
the horizons of integrated medi‑
cine.
A
s teen vaping rates continue to climb to epi‑
demic levels, the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) continues to demand
action from e‑cigarette companies, such as Juul,
that sell flavored tobacco pods for e‑cigs. Earlier
this week, the FDA unveiled a new phase of its edu‑
cational campaign, “The Real Cost,” devoting $60
million to in‑school and online vaping prevention
ads. That news came after reports that the FDA
would take “historic action” against e‑cigarette
companies, giving the e‑cig makers 60 days to
come up with a plan to curb vaping among teens
and kids.
The agency has announced it would consider tak‑
ing an additional step toward preventing products
from hitting the market that tempts minors. FDA
commissioner Scott Gottlieb says the agency is con‑ (Image courtesy: washingtonexaminer.com)
sidering fast‑tracking the review process on e‑ciga‑
rette products that would include features to make As youth access to e‑cigs and vape pens has multi‑
them less likely to be used by children and teenagers. plied, it has created another problem in addition to
For example, electronic cigarettes could have a heightened tobacco use. One in 11 teens has vaped
Bluetooth feature installed that would shut off the marijuana using e‑cigarettes, according to a recent
devices near schools. study. (Source: fortune.com)

TB remains worldʼs deadliest

tions to general and health insur‑ "Both union and state govern‑
ance companies and Third Party ment agencies are encouraging
Administrators (TPAs) to provide government employees to avail

infectious disease: WHO

coverage to Ayurveda and other
systems of medicines under
AYUSH. Since then, insurance
companies like ICICI,
Cholamandalam, Apollo Munich,
HDFC, Star Health, and all public‑
owned service providers have
started embracing the change
while extending coverage for
Ayurveda and other alternative
systems through both reimburse‑
ment claims and cashless claims,
said D'Souza, hairman&Managing
Director, KSAC Hospital on
Ayurvedic treatments at govern‑
ment empanelled Ayurvedic hos‑
pitals and such medical expenses
are reimbursed like any other
modern scientific systems of
medical treatments through ESHS
and CGHS schemes," he said.
Given the stringent standards and
investment barriers, there are not
more than 50 Ayurvedic hospi‑
tals accredited by National
Accreditation Board for Hospitals
and Healthcare Providers (NABH)
in the country. (IANS)
Geneva: Tuberculosis (TB) remains
the worldʼs deadliest infectious dis‑
ease although global efforts have
averted an estimated 54 million
tuberculosis (TB) deaths since
2000, the World Health
Organization (WHO) warned on
Tuesday.
WHO, in its latest 2018 Global
TB Report, says countries are still
not doing enough to end TB by
(Image courtesy: indiatimes.com)
2030 and calls for an unprece‑
dented mobilization of national ing among 300,000 HIV‑positive of the estimated one million chil‑

Need to ban the sale of energy and international commitments. It

urges for decisive action from
people, in 2017. The number of
new cases is falling by two percent
dren with TB were reported in
2017, making it a much higher

drinks to kids: Expert nearly 50 heads of state and gov‑

ernment who are expected to gath‑
per year.
However, underreporting and
gap in detection than that in
adults. The WHO strongly recom‑
London: There here is a need to ban the sale of caffeinated energy drinks er next week for the first‑ever UN under‑diagnosis of TB cases mends preventive treatment for
to children and young people to tackle obesity and mental health problems, High‑level Meeting on TB, Xinhua remains a major challenge. Of the people living with HIV, and chil‑
says an expert. news agency reported. 10 million people who fell ill with dren under five years living in
Caffeine is probably the most The report finds that overall, TB TB in 2017, only 6.4 million were households with TB and has issued
commonly used psychoactive deaths have decreased over the officially recorded by national related new guidance this year to
drug across the world as it past year, with an estimated 10 reporting systems, leaving 3.6 mil‑ facilitate greater access to preven‑
increases activity and heightens million people having developed lion people undiagnosed, or detect‑ tive services for those who need it.
attention and awareness. TB and 1.6 million deaths, includ‑ ed but not reported. Less than half (IANS)
But caffeine also increases
anxiety, reduces sleep and is
linked with behavioral prob‑
lems in children, said Russell Viner, Professor from the UK's Royal College
of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).
Recent studies have also shown that it may have concerning effects on
the developing brain.
This is alarming because psychological distress can lead to risky behav‑
iors like drug use and poorer academic attainment, Viner said.
Children and young people in high‑income countries consume more
sugar and calories than required and are therefore unlikely to need addi‑
tional energy.
This combined with regular caffeine consumption is causing concern as
there is little evidence of the effect caffeine could potentially have on the
developing body, Viner said.
Instead of binging on energy drinks, humans can get energy naturally
from a "good diet, refreshing sleep, exercise and, most importantly, interac‑
tion with other people." (IANS)
 26 Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018
By Shaker Nelanuthala
I
n the 1980s and all the way
through mid‑1990s, anyone
that had an education in USA,
was able to get the coveted work
visa H‑1B, if the person had a job
offer. There were no quotas and if
one was qualified, he or she
would get the approval within 30
days. Once on H‑1B visa, one
could apply for a Green card and
the quota was generally available
for most countries including India
and the process would take
between 1 to 2 years. Those were
the golden days and many people
like me were able to achieve the
dream of becoming an American
5 years later. Now this is a distant
dream!
Statistics
Since the late 1990s to present
time the number of H‑1B visas
issued have grown exponentially.
The current law issues 85,000
visas a year (20,000 of those for
students with advanced degrees
from schools in USA). A signifi‑
cant number of these visas are
issued to Indian Systems
Integrators (SI) and these are the
big 5 Indian IT behemoths.
Here are mind numbing num‑
bers on these Visas (Source: Cato
institute)
Current Indian H‑1B visa hold‑
ers in USA – 630,000
Current Indian H‑1B & H4 visa
holders with approved Green card
petitions – 433,000
Current visa allocation for H‑1B
(EB2 & EB3 category combined)
(2017) 5,700
If the current rate of visa
issuance holds good, it will take
Extension & expansion on suspension
of Premium Processing for H‑1B
By Dev Banad Viswanath,
Esq.
& Michael Phulwani, Esq.
U TALK
.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services
(USCIS) had previously
suspended premium processing
for certain H‑1B petitions to
reduce delay in processing time
was supposed to last until
September 10, 2018. But not
only will the suspension not end,
starting September 11, 2018 the
suspension will also be temporal‑
ly expanded to include certain
additional H‑1B petitions. The
temporary suspension of premi‑
um processing may last all the
way until February 19, 2019.
The expansion of the tempo‑
rary suspension on premium pro‑
cessing for certain H‑1B petitions
will apply to all H‑1B petitions
filed at the Vermont and
Becoming an American turning
into a distant dream
Misery of Indian H‐1B/H4 Visa holders
Current Indian H‑1B & H4 visa holders with approved
Green card petitions – 433,000. Current visa allocation for
H‑1B (EB2 & EB3 category combined) (2017) 5,700.
75 years (Cato study says 151
years) for a petitioner from India
to get a Green card. This is more
than a lifetime and probably very
few would survive to see the
dream of getting residency and
becoming Americans.
H‑1B visa process, the hardships,
the exploitation and more: The
Good, The Bad and The Ugly!
In the case of “The Good”, these
are large US conglomerates that
always have a shortage of skilled
workers. This would include the
likes of companies like Microsoft,
Google, Facebook and others.
VISA
California Service Centers. If a
petitioner filed the Form I‑907
for an H‑1B petition before
September 11, 2018 and USCIS
did not take any adjudicative
action on the case within a 15
calendar processing time, USCIS
will refund the petitionerʼs pre‑
mium processing fee.
Who will not be
effected by the
suspension?
The suspension will not apply
to the following petitions:
4 Cap‑exempt petitions that
IMMIGRATION
They hire excellent talent and pay
top salaries. It is a good life for
employees. But these employees
also wait forever for a permanent
residency.
In the case of “The Bad”, these
are mostly systems integrators
like the big 5 IT companies from
India and a handful from USA
(You can always Google and get a
list). Historically they got away
paying minimum wages to
employees based on location of a
job in USA (DHS might state a
wage level of $65,000 for Kansas
state and $80,000 for NY state
for a position and typically these
are filed entirely at the California
Service Center because the
employer is cap exempt or
because the beneficiary will be
employed at a qualifying cap
exempt institution, entity, or
organization; or
4 Those petitions filed entire‑
ly at the Nebraska Service Center
by an employer requesting a
“Continuation of previously
approved employment without
change with the same employer”
(Box b. on Part 2, Question 2,
Page 2 of the current Form I‑
129) with a concurrent request
to:
4 Notify the office in Part 4 so
each beneficiary can obtain a
visa or be admitted. (Box on Part
2, Question 4, Page 2 of the cur‑
rent Form I‑129); or
4 Extend the stay of each ben‑
eficiary because the beneficiary
now holds this status. (Box c. on
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
employees are brought into USA maintain payroll records for a
at the lowest of prevailing wages). DHS audit, they would pay these
The general feeling is that these employees a check and take the
employees have a low morale, money back in cash for the bench
always morose with no real time, an unconscionable and non‑
future in USA. chalant act. These employees live
“The Ugly” is bad. These are in penury and have the lowest
hundreds of Indian companies morale and desire of living in USA
that are called body‑shops or and more recently several of
sweat‑shops and are nefarious. As these are returning to homeland.
H‑1B visas are limited to 85,000 a
year and they are over‑subscribed Continued in the next issue: H4
every year (average number of dependents curse, and solutions
applications 250,000+), these
companies apply an untold num‑
ber of petitions. These companies
generally do not have any direct
customers where they would uti‑
lize their visas allocated to them.
On an average they would put up
60 H‑1B petitions and they get at
least 20 of them approved. Once
these petitions are approved, they
would bring in approved people
from India (could also be Indian
students in USA) and trade these
employees through multiple lay‑ Shaker Nelanuthala,
ers to an end customer. Most first generation Indian‑
employees working for these
American, is an IT consult‑
body shops are gullible and are
ant. A proud member of the
exploited to the core. They typi‑
Indian community on Long
cally would get paid only if there
Island, he was a candidate
is a contract in existence and they
do not get paid for the so‑called for Councilman ‑ Town of
bench time (in between con‑ Oyster Bay in 2013.
tracts). In several instances to
Part 2, Question 4, Page 2 of the cessing requests over the last few
current Form I‑129).
The purpose of the temporary
suspension is to help decrease
months. USCIS will also be more
responsive to petitions that have
time sensitive start dates and
the processing times of H‑1B adjudicate H‑1B extension cases
petitions. that are approaching their 240‑
Without premium processing day mark.
USCIS will be able to process The temporary suspension of
petitions that have been awaiting premium processing will not
adjudication for a long time and affect any other nonimmigrant
have not been processed because class using Form I‑129 to file for
of the increase of premium pro‑ a nonimmigrant visa.
Dev Banad Viswanath is the Principal Attorney of
The Banad Law Offices PC in the United States, and
Banad Immigration in India for which Attorney
Michael Phulwani is also affiliated as Of Counsel.
With Offices in Manhattan, Queens, Bangalore, and
Mumbai, the firm is able to assist clients with all
facets of the immigration process, including
Employment Visas, Consular Visa Assistance,
Student Visas, Removal & Deportation, US
Citizenship and Green Card Applications based on
Family or Employment. Dev B. Viswanath can be
reached at Dev@Banadlaw.com and 718‑361‑5999.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
By Stephen P. Katz
W
hile not necessarily the
first item on the agenda
of an executive teamʼs
hectic schedule, the failure to per‑
form simple corporate housekeep‑
ing and follow certain corporate
formalities can have a serious nega‑
tive impact on the ability of a cor‑
poration to shield its shareholders
from liabilities. Creditors can use
the failure to follow corporate for‑
malities as grounds to “pierce the
corporate veil” and look to the
assets of the shareholders of the
corporation to satisfy the debts of
the corporation.
To avoid this negative outcome
and to better maintain the limited
liability of the shareholders of cor‑
porations, here are some corporate
housekeeping tips that can help
avoid having your corporate veil
pierced:
Director and
Shareholder Meetings
The Corporation should have
annual director and shareholder
meetings, and keep minutes of
those meetings in an official
minute book. Moreover, decisions
made outside of the ordinary
course of business, should be
approved by the Board (and in cer‑
tain cases, the shareholders), and
records of meetings or written con‑
A Little Corporate Housekeeping
Can Help Avoid a Big Mess
sents approving those decisions
should also be kept with the min‑
utes.
Organize Company
Records
The minute books of the corpora‑
tion should be updated frequently
and contain minutes of all director
and shareholder meetings.
Review the Bylaws
The directors should review the
bylaws of the corporation to ensure
that it is operating in compliance. A
review of the bylaws will also be
helpful to determine if changes to
the bylaws are necessary in light of
new facts and circumstances.
Elect New Officers and
Directors and Remove
Inactive Ones
Directors and officers who do not
contribute nor are involved in the
corporation should be removed and
replaced with individuals who will
be actively participating in the
affairs of the corporation.
DISPLAY CLASSIFIEDS
CORPORATE LAW
Resolutions to that effect should be
prepared and filed in the corporate
minute book.
Review Capitalization
The corporation should be capi‑
talized in a sufficient manner to
keep it running. Courts will consid‑
er whether a corporation is under‑
capitalized when making a determi‑
nation to pierce the corporate veil.
Make Sure Agreements
are ʻArmʼs Lengthʼ and
Documented
If the corporation has any agree‑
ments, especially with affiliates,
those agreements should be at
armʼs length and reduced to writ‑
ing. For example, if a shareholder is
providing services or assets to the
corporation, the services or assets
should be provided for armʼs length
consideration and pursuant to a
written agreement. The absence of
such documentation may point
toward a commingling of assets
and/or an alter ego status of the
corporation, both of which the
Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018 27
courts consider when making a of excessive dividends, functioning
determination to pierce he corpo‑ as a facade or an alter ego of the
rate veil. shareholders and improper use of
corporate assets); however, these
Review Banking and
tips offer an overview of the basic
Accounting Records
steps you can take to help maintain
It is very important that a corpo‑ protection from the liability that
rationʼs funds are not commingled corporate entities provide to their
with funds of shareholders or affili‑ shareholders.
ated entities. A review of banking
and accounting records should be
performed to ensure there is no
commingling of this sort.
Furthermore, where funds are
transferred between affiliates and
shareholders, a legitimate business
reason for such a transfer should
be documented.
The corporate housekeeping tips
provided above are not intended to
be an exhaustive list of actions you
should take to avoid piercing the Please feel free to contact
corporate veil. Courts will consider Stephen Katz, Chairman of
Peckar & Abramsonʼs Corporate
many other factors in making a
Law Services Group if you
determination to pierce a corporate
would like to discuss how they
veil (including, for example, the
can help you with your
presence or absence of fraud, insol‑
corporate housekeeping.
vency at the time a debt is incurred,
Visit www.pecklaw.com
lack of corporate assets, payment
 28 Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018 HUMOR TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Funny Side by Nury Vittachi

The safest places in the world

F
ive years ago I lived in a housing
estate that was so safe that I didn't
even own a front door key. Our
only line of defense against evil was a
deeply confused dog which barked at fam‑
ily members and gave strangers a friendly
licking.
(My wife tells me to be kind since dogs
have brains the size of walnuts, but I
argue that a walnut would be cheaper and
more effective since you can throw it at
people and it never needs its poop picked
up. But whatever.)
Safe places to live were on my mind
after a reader sent in a news report about
what is being called "the safest place in
the world". Eibenthal is a village with a lit‑
tle church in the mountains of Romania.
Inhabitants hang money in bags on lamp‑
posts. The baker passes by takes the
money and leaves food behind.
But there are super‑safe places every‑
where if you know where to look. India
has Shani Shingnapur, a famously low‑
crime town of 3,000 people in
Maharashtra where most houses don't
even have doors, let alone locks.
This columnist wrote about it a few
years ago when a bank was built there.
Townsfolk ordered executives at UCO
Bank to follow tradition and have no locks
on its doors. The bankers thought this
was a bit unusual for a bank but were
willing to cooperate. You could imagine
the discussion:
Townsfolk: "You must follow our tradi‑
tion and not lock the doors of your bank."
Bankers: "Well, okay. It's your money."
Townsfolk: "Wait. Maybe we need to
talk about this a bit more."
T he only grumble came from local
police, but they could have taken inspira‑
tion from Sark, an island near England
which maintained a tiny security pres‑
ence.
970s it was invaded by France. The
invasion fleet consisted of one
Frenchman. The defending army consist‑
ed of a part‑time policeman, who arrested
the Frenchman without harming him. As
wars go, it was rather sweet. (You can't
say that about a lot of wars.)
Even the United States, which the media
paints as a land of guns, has super‑safe
places. Wikipedia says the top of the list is
Irvine, California, which had 0.8 of a mur‑
der in the most recent year counted. How
can you have 0.8 of a murder? Did the
guy's hair survive or something?
Now here's the thing: You can create
individual safe spots. Over the years, this
column has received dozens of news
reports about armed robbers who failed
because their would‑be crimes didn't fit
the ambiance.
Example: In 2012, a masked man
entered a bar in the Netherlands and lev‑
eled a gun at people inside. Lost in the
usual fog of drink and chatter you find in
European bars, they ignored him. The
whole thing is on YouTube, including the
deflated robber's sad exit.
At a bank in Kowloon, Hong Kong, staff
told a raider than they were far too busy
to be robbed. He nodded and left the
counter. The whole thing was marvelous‑
ly civil. Now I am not saying that our gen‑
eration is creating a crime‑free world.
Given the propensity of snacks to disap‑
pear in this columnist's house, I can't even
create a crime‑free apartment. Who took
my walnut?

Laughter is the Best Medicine

BEST
RATE
FOR
INDIA
AND
PAKISTAN
New York Head Quarter
422‑S Broadway
HICKSVILLE
By Mahendra Shah
NY 11801

516‑827‑1010 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.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info ASTROLOGY Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018 29

Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874

By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899
psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com

SEPTEMBER 29‑OCTOBER 5, 2018

ARIES: The business meeting will be pro‑
ductive and could set the ground for
new ventures in the long run. Hold your
ground and donʼt let anyone take you for
granted, be it office or home. The way you
think and speak may have a direct bearing on
your performance. There is more to what
someone is trying to convey, so pay attention!
Do not trust the female friends with any
secrets. Avoid lending money this week as the
chances are bleak that it will ever come back.
TAURUS: This week brings several chal‑
lenges on your way. So roll up your
sleeves and invest extra time and ener‑
gy to prove your mettle. Clarity of thought and
focus on your goals are your best assets this
week. Work pressure will not be successful in
deterring you from following your agenda.
Romantic relationships would require some
concern.
Keep important documents handy while trav‑
elling. Joining aerobics or a dance class would
be a good idea to stay fit.
GEMINI: Take a break from your busy
schedule to spend some quality time
with your beloved. Though financially
wise, your innate aggression can still invite
some tensions in speculation. Your positive
outlook can help you pursue your creative
dreams. Look for ways to eliminate unimpor‑
tant and unrealistic issues from your life.
Efforts at work place will be appreciated and
will help you get the attention from the senior
members on board. A short leisure trip is on
the cards.
CANCER: It is likely to be a busy but
productive time and career enhancing
responsibilities are on the anvil for
some. You might feel irritated and need to
guard against losing your temper over trivial
issues. Relationships with people of repute are
set to improve. Your proactive attitude will
result in greater financial security thereby eas‑
ing some of your worries. Businessmen espe‑
cially will enjoy an easy cash flow. Travel
plans are highlighted. Health enhancing meas‑
ures will be beneficial in the long run.
LEO: You may unnecessarily be wor‑
ried about an issue this week. The
rebellious nature of a family member
could alarm you; the situation should be han‑
dled with some more patience. Discussing
things with family members will help you real‑
ize that the situation is not as bad as you are
making it out to be. Do not shun away for ask‑
ing help from colleagues to meet the project
deadlines. Love sector of your chart promises
good results for those still single.
VIRGO: Insights from spiritual people
will help you make headway on per‑
sonal issues that have been on your
mind recently. T here are chances of an
increase in the workload due to hectic activi‑
ties and pressing deadlines. Be discreet with
your views till you can get an overview of situ‑
ations at work. Stars support your intentions
for renovating your house. Dedication will
help you sail through such situations. Avoid
lending money to anyone as it might get
blocked.
LIBRA: Paying an ear to gossips at work
and jumping to conclusions will only
complicate matters, so look before you
leap. Be open to suggestions from colleagues at
work but do not feel bound to take their advice
unless it really serves your purpose. Donʼt be
emotionally swayed when making decisions
about your finances. A new relationship provides
comfort and security. Some of you may want to
move home and will start working towards mak‑
ing it happen. A short trip is on the cards.
SCORPIO: Work and personal commit‑
ments will leave you with little free time.
Do not allow yourself to be distracted.
Make sure you have a proper analysis of the rel‑
evant facts before presenting them with confi‑
dence as there is a possibility that you may miss
out on some detail. The week will be full of sur‑
prises, but to keep up the momentum you need
to learn to strike the right balance between
your personal and professional life. Patience is
all that you require while dealing with such situ‑
ations. Donʼt get lax with your diet regime.
SAGITTARIUS: Unanticipated delays
may catch you of f guard and create
some stressful moments. Issues regard‑
ing ancestral property should be given a lot of
attention. You should probably take more time
to think about things before acting on the same.
Networking and creating win‑win situations will
ensure the support of subordinates when you
need it the most. Your love life could go through
some twists and turns but objectively analyzing
issues and letting go of your impractical expec‑
tations will prove to be beneficial.
CAPRICORN: Your honesty will be
appreciated professionally. Work dili‑
gently to march ahead with your plans.
Feel free to turn to close friends for an advice if
you are caught in the midst of a hectic activity.
Their timely help allows you to take calculated
risks that could bring the desired results. You
may feel the need for space and independence;
go ahead and ask for it. Love life could go
through some twists and turns; handle the situa‑
tions tactfully. Donʼt get complacent about your
health, proactive measures will show results.
AQUARIUS: A pleasant surprise from a
close friend will brighten your week‑
end. Do not share any personal details
with people you donʼt trust completely. You
may be in a contemplative mood about going in
for a career change. Make it a point to give
healthy inputs in the important discussions at
work as seniors may be gauging your abilities
before adding more responsibilities to your
shoulders. Problems of children need to be han‑
dled diplomatically.
PISCES: Impulsive remarks could create
tensions at home while an objective
approach will help resolve differences.
You need to learn to balance your idealism with
practicality. Health may need attention, make it
a priority to rest and de‑stress. Businessmen
will be able to clinch profitable deals. Your posi‑
tive mood can help you eliminate unimportant
and unproductive issues from your life. Loved
ones will extend their support in your invest‑
ment plans. Buying your dream property is
favoured by the stars now.

29th September, 2018
Traits in you: You possess all the char‑
acteristics of a perfect personality as you
are highly energetic, dependable, disci‑
plined, inventive, honest and warm‑heart‑
ed. You believe in helping others and you
do not show reluctance in spending your
time and money for others. Being highly
social, you love making new friends and
new relationships.
Health this year: Your parents may suf‑
fer few health related issues. That may
increase your medical expenses and ten‑
sions.
Finance this year: You may find it very
rewarding to invest your money in real
estate business. You should research on
the market vividly before investing on
anything. The legal disputes that have
been disturbing you for a long time may
get solved this year and you will find it
satisfactory enough.
Career this year: You will get your
expected rewards and awards in your
professional career this year for your
efficiency and achievements. Promotion
may be round the corner.
Romance this year: You will share a
very good relationship with your spouse
this year.
30th September, 2018
Traits in you: Your ruling planet
Jupiter makes you creative, humble, dar‑
ing, honorable and unique. Your powerful
characteristics make you very helpful,
energetic and enthusiastic. You are a
vivid follower of love, peace and harmo‑
ny. However, you should not behave
according to your mood swings. You
should learn to control your attitude
towards others.
Health this year: You would not suffer
from any major health issues. However,
some of your family members may fall
sick for a long time.
Finance this year: If you have past
investments at place, you will be finan‑
cially benefited from those. However, you
should not try to invest on uncertain
investment plans. You may carry out con‑
struction or renovation work in your
property towards the end of the year.
ANNUAL PREDICTIONS: FOR THOSE BORN IN THIS WEEK
Career this year: You need to be a bit
proactive if you want to improve as a
professional. Your quick decision making
capability will help you receive apprecia‑
tions from your seniors and colleagues
this year. You will have a positive and
practical approach towards every work
to take on. You should embrace every
new idea coming across you as that
would help you perform better in your
profession.
Romance this year: You will be deeply
involved with your romantic interest this
year and may think to convert your rela‑
tionship to marriage
1st October, 2018
Traits in you: Being number 1, you are
a person who loves originality in whatev‑
er work you do. By nature you are an
authoritative 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 fin‑
ish it. You are very soft spoken and kind
hearted person.
Health this year: Happiness is a mantra
for healthy body too. Living a great social
life and enjoying all pleasures of life in
the coming year will keep you strong
both physically and mentally.
Finance this year: This year you will be
able to save money for the future, which
will give you a sense of security and sat‑
isfaction. You might also purchase some
artefacts for your home, which will bring
beauty and a sense of well being around
you.
Career this year: In career, success and
prosperity will be yours, in the year
ahead of you. You will handle challenging
projects, with determination and sinceri‑
ty. This will bring you fame and recogni‑
tion. Your ideas will draw the attention of
your seniors. Your work will be appreci‑
ated by your colleagues and seniors.
Romance this year: You are a person
with strong personality, so itʼs for you to
attract the attention of opposite sex.
However it would be in your interest if
you don't make false promises. Better to
channelise your efforts to develop friend‑
ly relations to bring love in your life.
2nd October, 2018
Traits in you: Being number 2, you are
a person who is highly ambitious and
always look upwards towards progress
and prosperity. You need to control your
dominating nature, to keep those around
you happy. You are a born leader, and
expect your colleagues and friends to fol‑
low whatever you order them to. This
sometimes, leads to misunderstandings.
Health this year: Nature and natural
surroundings will draw your attention in
the coming year. You will be able to
enjoy the seas, flowers and on the whole,
nature, which will give you a sense of sat‑
isfaction. Being closer to nature gives
both mental and physical peace.
Finance this year: Investment related
to your house can be profitable as you
will decide to purchase a new plot. It will
improve your financial position by bring‑
ing long term gains for you.
Career this year: In the coming year,
your superiors will notice your sincerity
and loyalty, and they will entrust a lot of
responsibility on your shoulders. You will
be able to fulfill these duties to the
utmost.
Romance this year: If you are in love,
then your affair will have to face some
testing times as it might get disclosed
this year. However, it will be in your
interest to face it courageously, so that
you can enjoy your life with the person
you love.
3rd October, 2018
Traits in you: Being number 3, you are
confident, ambitious and independent
person who loves to work with optimistic
attitude. 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 thatʼs why
you balance your personal and profes‑
sional life very smoothly.
Health this year: This year you will
make efforts to enjoy the true happi‑
ness. You need to keep in mind that phys‑
ical happiness is attained by self‑
restraint, eating simple but balanced &
nourishing food and daily exercise. You
will start participating in any sports or
outdoor activities to keep yourself in
good health.
Finance this year: As far as finances
are concerned, you need to invest your
hard‑earned money wisely. Look at all
the aspects of business before putting
your money, then only it would enable
you to fetch good returns.
Career this year: Your ability to
express your views and ideas, will take
you to the top of hierarchy, in the year
ahead of you. Your superiors will notice
your sincerity and loyalty. They will
entrust a lot of responsibility on your
shoulders. You will be able to fulfill all
these duties to the utmost, making every‑
one happy.
Romance this year: This year, you
might meet the sweetest dream of your
life, means a person of your dream,
whose thoughts have kept your memory
radiant. It is now upto you to take initia‑
tives to develop friendly relations with
him/her.
4th October, 2018
Traits in you: Being number 4, you are
a person who likes to take responsibilty
and do your work with full dedication
and honesty. For the coming year, we
would advice that try to take all precau‑
tions while signing any legal documents.
Health this year: You can enjoy a
sound health only by keeping yourself
stress‑free. This is a year for you to
realise that even short intense periods of
stress may have long term consequences
on the functioning of the brain.
Therefore better to make it a habit to
remain tension‑free to enjoy the life to
the fullest.
Finance this year: This year your finan‑
cial position will improve, as you might
get some unexpected monetary gains
either from foreign transaction or major
government contract. At the same time if
you are planning to go for some invest‑
ments, invest after a careful thinking.
Career this year: The coming year will
bring changes, which will be beneficial to
you. A change in job is likely for some.
This year your hard work will bring you
success and recognition. Partnership in
business will be fruitful.
Romance this year: This whole year you
will be enjoying your personal life, as you
and your partner will share some most
cherishing moments of your life. To enjoy
your romance, understand each other's
requirement and try to fulfill them. You
can plan to go on a vacation too.
5th October, 2018
Traits in you: Being number 5, you are
very strong headed person with friendly
nature and practical thoughts. You
inspire others to do their work with full
dedication and perfection. You have an
ability to make many friends and the best
is that you are known as a very loyal
friend to all your friends. This year keep
control over your moody nature, which
can put you in trouble.
Health this year: There is this phrase‑
'Donate blood to reap happiness'. Its true
that when we donate our blood, it brings
unlimited happpiness to you. This year
make this a habit to donate blood every
two‑three months. Overall your health
will be fine.
Finance this year: Travel will bring you
both prosperity and pleasure. You will
travel to distant lands in the coming year.
This will allow you to make the most of
newer opportunities and will also be a
source of good income, relaxation and
enjoyment.
Career this year: Your planning and
methodical approach to work, will catch
the attention of your seniors. You will be
handsomely rewarded for you efficient
and honest approach to your profession‑
al career.
Romance this year: Though it will be
short‑lived but this year you will have a
happy romance. The relationship would
give you sweet memories, which you can
cherish for the whole of your life. Keep in
mind that we should enjoy the life as it
comes to us.
30 Sept 28-Oct 5, 2018 SPIRITUAL AWARENESS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

HEALING THE BODY

THROUGH MEDITATION
Recent medical studies are
drawing a correlation between
By Sant Rajinder Singh
patients who pray and meditate
Ji Maharaj before and after surgery and

D
octors and scientists have those who do not. Early studies
been studying the body‑
mind connection and its
find that patients heal and recov‐
relationship to physical health.
Medical researchers have linked
er more quickly from surgery
certain illnesses to our state of when they pray or meditate
mind and to our emotional condi‑
tion. They have found that when before surgery or after surgery..
we undergo mental stress or emo‑
tional pain or depression, our phys‑
to seem to snap̶they become irri‑ ef fect. We can maintain more pain. Early studies find that patients heal
ical resistance to disease drops. We
table, of f‑balance, and “stressed‑ peace of mind as we continue our Although at times we may get and recover more quickly from sur‑
become more susceptible to con‑
out.” They begin to act in ways that activities throughout the day. As sick because we break natural laws, gery when they pray or meditate
tracting a disease because our abili‑
are not “themselves.” Sometimes we perfect our meditations, we can meditation can help us rise above before surgery or after surgery.
ty to keep our immune system in
they take out their frustrations on maintain that calm state of mind the discomfort and find solace and Spending regular, accurate time
top working order decreases.
their loved ones and hurt those even in the midst of turmoil and peace above the consciousness of in meditation has been shown to
Science has pinpointed certain
they should love the most. strife. We would be more in control bodily pain. We have only to look reduce stress. Many medical cen‑
diseases such as digestive prob‑
Meditation is a way to eliminate of our reactions and would main‑ at near‑death experiences to see ters and hospitals offer classes in
lems, breathing problems, heart
the lack of balance caused by the tain an even keel in the face of how people who undergo excruciat‑ meditation as a way to reduce
disease, and migraine headaches, to
mental stresses of life. By spending other people's conflicts. Reducing ingly painful accidents were lifted stress and eliminate certain illness‑
name a few, that are sometimes
time in meditation, we create a our stress throughout the day can above their pain when they tem‑ es. Many people have requested to
stress‑related.
calm haven in which we restore reduce the risk of becoming victim porarily left their body. They could learn our introductory meditation,
Meditation can help us in several
equilibrium and peace to our men‑ to stress‑related ailments. see their body with injuries and called Jyoti meditation, taught at
ways. First, it can lessen our stress,
tal functioning. Researchers have Second, meditation can lift our trauma lying below them, but they our Science of Spirituality centers
and in turn, reduce our chances of
recorded that the brain activity in attention to a higher level of con‑ no longer experienced any physical throughout the world as a way to
developing a stress‑related illness.
people who meditate reflects a sciousness so that we do not feel pain until they returned to the reduce stress.
In this hectic world, our mind is
state of deep relaxation. Their mind the pinching effects of any illness body. This is one analogous situa‑ As you continue to meditate, you
often agitated by stress and pres‑
becomes calmer. Meditation also we do develop. Through medita‑ tion to give us an idea of the power will experience the inner peace and
sures. Life has become so compli‑
calms the body. If we could spend tion, we come in contact with a of protection from pain afforded to bliss. As you do this, you will expe‑
cated that people seem to have too
some time each day in meditation, stream of bliss and joy within that us when we perfect our medita‑ rience a reduction in stress.
much to do and not enough time to
we would find our stress levels takes our attention away from the tions. Meditation is an effective means to
do it. Some people hold jobs that
would be reduced and our health pains of the world. Through mas‑ Recent medical studies are draw‑ help us reduce stress and increase
require long hours and too much
would reach a more optimum level. tery of meditation, we have a ing a correlation between patients a sense of calm and peace, which
responsibility. Other people work
Besides reducing stress during refuge of bliss and peace within, who pray and meditate before and can help us heal our physical body.
two jobs and raise a family. Too
meditation, there is a carry‑over safe from the ravages of physical after surgery and those who do not. (For more visit www.sos.org)
much pressure often causes people

Finding a True Friend

all this meant when the girl asked,
By Sant Rajinder Singh “Father, can you kindly unbind the
Ji Maharaj king over there?”

T
rue friends are those who
stand by you always. They
will sacrifice themselves for
you, and are people on whom you
can always rely. True friends listen
to your problems and share your
burdens. Truly, if we have even one
real friend in life, we are lucky.
If we think about our childhood
friends, how many are still with us
now? Have we parted ways
already? Perhaps they have moved
away, or we have lost contact with
them. Let us consider our close
friends today. Can we imagine that
they, too, will one day be parted
from us just as those friends from
our childhood are gone?
Even if we have one close friend,
or even a few, they can only be with
us up to our last breath, or their
last breath. They can only remain
with us in this life and cannot help
us in the moment of our greatest
need̶the time of death.
In this connection, there is an
interesting story from the Hindu
scriptures. There was a learned
pundit who was the personal minis‑
ter of King Prikshat. Each day the
minister would read out the scrip‑
tures to the king. The particular
scripture said that whoever hears
the scriptures will receive spiritual
liberation and enlightenment.
Month after month, the king lis‑
tened to the scriptures read by the
minister. However, he did not attain
liberation. One day, the king sat
down and thought, “Here I am̶lis‑
tening to these scriptures every
day, and I am not yet spiritually lib‑
erated. The scriptures say that
whoever listens to these holy writ‑
ings will receive salvation once and
for all, but I have not.”
Therefore, the king called the
minister and said, “Look here. I
have heard these scriptures so
many times and have not attained
liberation. I will give you one more
chance to read these scriptures to
me from end to end. If I am not lib‑
erated after that, you will be put to
death.” Trembling in his shoes, the
minister began the task of re‑read‑
ing the scriptures to the king. By
the sixth day he was nearing the
end of the scriptures, and the king
was not satisfied. Fearing that on
the seventh day he would be put to
death, the minister sat down in his
home and started to cry.
“Why are you so sad?” asked his
daughter when she saw him.
The ministered explained the sit‑
uation to her, “The scriptures say
that whoever reads them will be lib‑
erated. However, I know that the
king is not liberated, nor am I liber‑
ated. Therefore, tomorrow, I will be
put to death.” The daughter was
wise and had an idea. “Do not
worry,” she said. “Tomorrow I will
speak to the king.” On the following
day, the ministerʼs daughter asked
for an audience with the king.
“Why have you come?” he ques‑
tioned her.
She told him, “I have come to
reply to the question that you have
asked of my father. But to do this,
you and I must go together to the
wilderness.” The king was per‑
plexed, but agreed to go along with
her plan. The girl then sent for her
father. She brought along two
ropes and when they reached the
wilderness she tied the king to one
tree and her father to another tree.
Both were then bound, hand and
foot. The king was wondering what
The minister replied, “I am
already bound! How can I free
him?”The girl asked, “Your Majesty,
will you kindly unbind my father?”
The king replied, “Foolish girl,
donʼt you see that I am bound?
How can a bound man unbind
another?”
That is all she wanted to hear and
said, “Then how can you expect my
father, who is not free himself, to
liberate you spiritually?” The king
himself had answered the dilemma
in which he had placed the minis‑
ter. With that understanding, the
king spared the life of the minister.
At the time of death, we all depart
by ourselves. No friends of this
world can help us. They can sit by
our bedside and hold our hand, but
they can neither protect us from
death nor accompany us. Knowing
this, we still put our reliance on
people of this world.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018
TheSouthAsianTimes.info Sept 29-Oct 5, 2018

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O U R LLOCAL
OCA L R
RETAILER
E TA I L E R - W
WEE S
SPEAK
P E A K HINDI!
HINDI!

SUN WIRELESS UNIVERSAL DOLLAR

888-444-3516 888-990-6310
114-11 101 AVE, SOUTH RICHMOND HILL, NY 3908 KENSINGTON AVE, PHILADELPHIA,PA

Allll offers
A of fers require
re quire c
credit
redit qqualification,
uali fi c ation, 2 24-month
4 - month c commitment
ommitment w with
ith eearly
arly ttermination
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ee aandnd e eAutoPay.
Auto Pay. $240
$24 0 SavingsS avings Offer:
O f fe r: V
Valid
alid ffor
or a
activation
ctivation and
and iinstallation
nstallation of of q
qualifying
ualif ying new
n ew DDISH
IS H service.
ser vice. Requires
Requiress subscription
subscription ttooaq qualifying
ualif ying A
American
meric an o orr D
DishLATINO
ish L ATI N O package
package in in addition
addition to to Hindi
H indi
Elite Pack.
Elite Pack. Receive
Receive a monthly
monthly credit
credit of of $10
$10 ffor
or tthe
he fifirst
rst 2
244m onths. Important
months. Impor t ant Terms
Terms and
and Conditions:
C on
o dit ions: Promotional
Promot ional O f fers: International
Offers: International programming
programming requires
requires America’s
A meric a’s Top
Top 120
12 0 or
or h igher. Upfront
higher. U pfront activation
activation and/or
and /or receiver
receiver upgrade
upgrade feesfees may
may apply
apply based
base ed on
on credit
credit qualification.
quali fi c ation. After A f te r
24 -month promotional
24-month promotional period,
period, then-current
then- current monthly monthly price
price applies
applies and and is is subject
subject to
to change.
change. OfferO f fer ends
ends 10/24/18.
10/24/18. 2 Year Year Commitment:
C ommitment: Early E arly termination
termination feefee of
of $20/mo.
$20/mo. remaining
remaining applies
applies if if you
you cancel
cancel early.
early. Hopper:
Hopper: Monthly
Monthly ffees:
e e s: H opper, $
Hopper, 15; JJoey,
$15; oey, $ 7; S
$7; uper JJoey,
Super oey, $ 10. W
$10. i th P
With rimeTime
PrimeTime
A ny time record
Anytime record ABC,
A B C, CBS,
C B S, FOXFOX and and NBC N B C plus
plus two
t wo channels.
channels. With W ith addition
addition of of Super
S uper Joey
Joey record
record two
t wo additional
additional channels.
channels. Watching
Watching live live and
and recorded
recorded TV T V anywhere
any where requires
requires an
an Internet-connected,
Internet- connected, Sling-enabled
S ling - enabled DVR
DV R and
and compatible
compatible mobile
mobile device.
device. Premium
Premium Channels:
Channels: Subject S ubject to to
credit qualification.
credit quali fi c ation. After
A f te r 3 m os., yyou
mos., ou w ill b
will beeb illed $
billed 6 0/mo. ffor
$60/mo. or H B O, C
HBO, inema x, S
Cinemax, h ow t i m e , S
Showtime, tarz a
Starz nd D
and DISH IS H M ov i e P
Movie ac k u
Pack nless yyou
unless ou call
c all tto
oc ancel. Installation/Equipment
cancel. Ins t allat ion/Equipment Requirements:
Requirement s: A secondsecond dish
d sh antenna
di antenna may
may bebe required
required toto view
view both
both International
International and
and American
A meric an p ro g rammin g.
programming.
Free Standard
Free S t and ard P rofessional Installation
Professional Installation only. only. L eased equipment
Leased equipment must must be be returned
returned ttooD IS H u
DISH pon cancellation
upon cancellation or or unreturned
unreturn e d e quipment fees
equipment fees apply.
apply. Other:
O ther: All
A ll prices,
prices, fees,
fees, charges,
charges, packages,
packages, programming,
programming, features,
features, functionality
functionalit y a nd o
and f fers ssubject
offers ubject toto change
chang ge without
without n o t i c e. A
notice. f ter 6 mos.,
After mos.,
you will
you will be
be billed
billed $8/mo
$ 8/mo fforor P r o te c t i o n P
Protection lan u
Plan nless yyou
unless ou c all tto
call oc a n c e l. F
cancel. ree sstandard
Free t and ard p rofessional iinstallation
professional ns t a l l at i o n o nly. Taxes
only. Ta xes oror reimbursement
reimbursement chargescharges forfor state
state gross
gross earnings
earnings taxes
ta xes may
may apply.
apply. Additional
Additional restrictions
restrictions and
and taxes
ta xes may
may apply.
apply. © 2018
2 018 DISH
D IS H Network
N et work L.L.C.
L . L .C. All
A ll rights
rights reserved.
r e s e r ve d .
H B O ®, Cinemax®
HBO®, Cinema x ® and
and related
related channels
channels and and service
ser vice marks
marks areare the
the property
proper t y ofof Home
H ome Box B ox Office,
O f fi ce, Inc.
Inc. SHOWTIME
S H OW TI M E is is a registered
registered trademark
trademark of of Showtime
S how time Networks
N et works Inc.,
Inc., a CBS
C B S Company.
C ompany. STARZ
STA R Z and
and related
related channels
channels andand service
ser vice marks
marks areare property
proper t y of
of Starz
S tarz Entertainment,
Enter tainment, LLC. LLC.