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. 28 November 10-16, 2018 80 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info

President Kovind, PM Modi Democrats wrest House,

greet nation on Diwali
President Ram Nath Kovind
New Delhi: President Ram Nath
Kovind, Vice President M.
Venkaiah Naidu and Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on
Wednesday greeted the nation on
the occasion of Diwali, the festival
of lights.
"Wishing all fellow citizens a
happy and prosperous Diwali.
May the festival of lights illumi‑
nate every home and every family,
in our country and across our
shared planet," the President said
in a tweet. Naidu in a series of
tweets said that Diwali signifies
State Department celebrates Diwali
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
the victory of good over evil.
"I extend my warm greetings
and good wishes to the people of
our country on the auspicious
occasion of Diwali, the festival of
Continued on page 4
Wishing our readers
Happy Diwali &
Prosperous New Year.
Enclosed with this issue is
the auspicious Goddess
Lakshmi Ji calendar.
Republicans hold Senate
Split verdict means more
deadlocks & roadblocks for
Trump’s agenda from resurgent
Dems led by the likely Speaker
Nancy Pelosi.
Washington: Democrats were on govern‑
track to capture control of the ment's efforts to sow misinforma‑
House of Representatives, while tion and pro‑Trump messages.
Republicans would retain control Meanwhile, the Republicans
of the Senate and may even snuf fed out Democrats' hopes of
increase their majority, according winning the Senate. T he party
to projections based on exit polls seemed like ly to increase its
and early returns from Tuesdayʼs majority, by holding on to key
midterm elections. seats in Florida, Texas and
Demo crats captured 13 Tennessee and winning Democrat‑
Republican‑held seats early, eject‑ held seats in North Dakota and
ing incumbents in the suburbs of Indiana.
Kansas City, Philade lphia, In Florida, Republican
By press time, Democrats
Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Miami Representat ive Ron De Sant is
had already won 203 seats to defeated Tallahasee Democrat
and Washington D.C., reports The
GOPʼs 189 in the House of
Washington Post. Mayor Andrew Gillum in the race
Representatives, and were only
The wins moved them closer to for governor.
15 short of majority with 43
taking the House majority for the The two parties each won impor‑
results yet to come in.
first time since 2011, when the tant governorships, reports The
"tea party" wave swamped istration, his personal finances, New York Times.
Democrats in President Barack and the hotels, golf courses and In Michig an, a historic
Obama's first midterm elections. other businesses he still owns. Democratic stronghold that the
By w inning the House, They were also likely to press for President carried narrowly in
Democrats will gain a powerful details about the 2016 election, 2016, voters chose Gretchen
new pedestal to invest ig ate asking whether Trump or his cam‑ Whitmer, a former Democratic
President Donald Trump's admin‑ paign colluded with the Russian Continued on page 4

US exempts India from Iran oil sanctions

New York: US Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo announced on
Monday that Washington was
exempting India from the sanc‑
tions on importing oil from Iran.
He said the US will continue to
negotiate with India and the seven
other countries receiving the six‑
Indian Ambassador Navtej Sarna and Deputy Secretary of State month exemption to get them to
John J Sullivan lighting the ceremonial lamp at the first ever Diwali cut their Iranian imports to zero.
celebration at US State Department in Washington DC on Monday.
India imported from Iran nearly
(Report on page 3.)
10 per cent of the total of 220 mil‑
lion metric tonnes of crude oil it
imported during 2017‑18.
Since the reimposition of sanc‑
tions were announced, India has
been cutting back on the Iranian
imports.
The other countries receiving
the exempt ions Pompeo
announced at a news conference
with foreign correspondents in
Washington were China, Greece,
Italy, Turkey, South Korea, Taiwan
and Japan. Treasury Secretary
Steve Mnuchin said that his
department was imposing sanc‑
tions on 700 individuals, entities,
aircraft and ships.
In July, President Donald Trump
announced he was pulling out of
the nuclear deal signed in 2015 by
the five permanent members of
the United Nat ions Security
Council, Germany and the
Continued on page 4

OP ED 14 BOLLYWOOD 18 EDUCATION 26 SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 30 excellence in journalism

TheSouthAsianTimes.info November 10-16, 2018

Happy Diwali

Speak the language of togetherness

with the free Chaimojis keyboard.

www.chaimojis.com
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Indian music & food at State Dept's first‑ever Diwali
Washington, DC: For the first time, the
United States Department of State organ‑
ized Diwali celebrations at its premises
together with the Embassy of India here on
Monday.
Deputy Secretary of State John J Sullivan
and Ambassador of India to the US Navtej
Sarna were the chief guests. Over 200
guests including officials of the State
Department and the Indian Embassy attend‑
ed the celebrations. Ambassador Sarna and
Sullivan jointly lit the ceremonial lamp and
addressed the gathering.
The Deputy Secretary of State conveyed
his greetings to all Indians on the occasion
of Diwali and thanked the Embassy of India
and the South Asian American Employee
Association (SAAEA) for organizing the
event.
Sullivan mentioned that the uniting
theme in the celebration of Diwali is the
US embargo stopped
Indian firms from sending
medicine to Cuba: UN
United Nations: The US embargo on Cuba
is preventing Indian companies from
sending medicines and development‑
related equipment to the Caribbean
island nation, according to Secretary‑
General Antonio Guterres.
In his annual report to the General
Assembly on the US embargo on Cuba, he
said that the State Bank of India (SBI) and
at least four other banks have refused to
carry out transactions to enable the com‑
panies to export to that country.
T he report figured in last wee k's
General Assembly discussions on US
sanctions against Cuba.
By an overwhelming majority of 189 to
two, the General Assembly November 1
passed a resolution criticizing the embar‑
go and asking Washington to lift it.
In his report Guterres said that the
Indian company Aculife had refused to
ship levofloxacin directly to Cuba because
its bank "would not authorize the pay‑
ments made by Cuba since the shipping
documents supporting the payment had a
country under embargo as the final desti‑
nation".
Levofloxacin is a drug used to treat
pneumonia, bacterial skin infections,
bronchitis and other diseases, according
to the report.
The Ahmedabad‑based Aculife said on
its website that it manufactures "intra‑
venous antibiotics including general and
advanced molecules" like levofloxacin.
TRISTATE COMMUNITY November 10-16, 2018 3
dom, and justice.
Ambassador Sarna expressed his appreci‑
ation for the initiative taken by the SAAEA
for celebrating Diwali at the State
Department. He said that the celebration of
Diwali at the State Department symbolized
the growing people‑to‑people connect
between India and the US.
The Indian envoy also highlighted the ris‑
ing profile and growing recognition of the
contribution of the US citizens of Indian ori‑
gin, including within the US State
Department. He also made a reference to
release of Diwali stamp by the US Postal
Deputy Secretary of State John J Sullivan and Indian Ambassador Navtej Sarna Service in 2016 in recognition of the close
listen on to a presentation at the Diwali celebration at the US State cultural ties and commonalities between
Department on November 5. the two democracies.
thread of triumph ‑ good over evil, light one of hope and that the celebration at the The celebrations included a recital of
over darkness and knowledge over igno‑ State Department reflected the great Hindustani classical music played on tabla
rance. strength of partnership with India and and sitar. The function ended with the serv‑
He added that the message of Diwali is shared values of tolerance, diversity, free‑ ing of vegetarian Indian food.
Q for Queens in Amazonʼs HQ2
New York: Amazonʼs search for second head‑
quarters is almost over. Media reports early this
week said that the e‑commerce giant has decid‑
ed on splitting HQ2 to two cities, both in the
north east. And the two places getting the amaz‑
The reluctance of banks to handle pay‑
ing lottery of incoming business are the Long
ments related to Cuba has also affected a
Island City neighborhood of Queens and Crystal
deve lopment project with a climate
City in northern Virginia.
change dimension, Guterres said in the
The idea in splitting up HQ2 was that it will
report.
reduce pressure on the host city, which would
It was reported in March that Ankur
have been expected to absorb up to 50,000 new
Scientific Energy Technologies had said it
high paying employees over the next 10 to 15 In its Seattle campus, Amazon is building
could not export to Cuba equipment for a
years. The new facilities will cost at least $5 bil‑ these "Spheres" as a nature complex
gasification plant that uses rice husks
lion. Employees at Amazon's main campus in and workspace.
because five Indian banks had refused to
Seattle will be offered a chance to relocate. it grows into the biggest U.S. behemoth.
carry out a transfer from the office of the
The decision to break for Queens and Crystal As for Long Island City itʼs right across the
UN Development Programme (UNDP) in
City caps nearly a year of speculation about East River from Manhattan, and New York City
Cuba to it, he said.
where the HQ would land. recently committed to a plethora of infrastruc‑
T he Vadodara‑based company had
Crystal City was chosen maybe because it is ture improvements for the neighborhood. Plus,
reported that the SBI refused to receive
just across the Potomac River from Amazon New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently
the UNDP payment "because the transac‑
chief Jeff Bezosʼ home and from a national capi‑ said heʼd do just about anything to lure Amazon
tion is related to a project implemented
tal the company will likely lobby for decades as to his state.
in Cuba", the report said.
"It has been impossible to fulfill the
payment to the supplier and the imple‑
mentat ion of the project has been
Patel anniversary celebrated at Indian embassy
delayed."
It is "an ongoing development project Deputy Chief of Mission Santosh
that aims to implement measures to Jha paying floral tributes to
adapt to climate change in food produc‑ Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel during
tion, a gasification plant that uses rice the celebration of his 143rd
birth anniversary at the
husks", the UN chief said.
Embassy of India on November
Ankur Scientific says on its website that
2. He lauded Sardar Patel's role
its technology converts various waste
in the integration of Indian
products into combustible gas that can states post‑independence as
be burned to produce energy for differ‑ India's first Home Minister. Last
ent uses. week, PM Modi unveiled in
India has opposed the US embargo on Gujarat, Patelʼs ʻStatue of Unityʼ,
Cuba enacted after communists under the tallest in the world.
Fidel Castro came to power in 1961.
 4 November 10-16, 2018 TURN PAGE TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Democrats wrest House, President Kovind,

White House breaks tradition of Republicans hold Senate
Continued from page 1
PM Modi greet nation
on Diwali
leader in the State Senate. Illinois Continued from page 1

Diwali celebrations amid midterms voters elected J.B. Pritzker, a

SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO
ISSUES DIWALI GREETING
Washington: President Donald Of fice, where he lit a traditional
Trump broke a 15‑year tradition of lamp last year.
holding formal Diwali celebrations This year, however, he is caught
at the White House this year with up in the elections, which took place
the festival falling amid the crucial on Tuesday after a whirlwind of
midterm polls. campaigning that ended on Monday.
The Diwali celebration was started On Wednesday, he will be tied up
by former President George W. Bush dealing with the aftermath of the
in 2003 and was carried on by his elections, which saw his Republican
successor Barack Obama. Party lose control of the House of
Continuing the tradition, Trump Representatives, the lower chamber
held the celebration at the Oval of Congress.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in
his Diwali greeting issued on
Wednesday hailed the contributions
of Indian Americans.
"As those celebrating decorate
their homes with vibrant lights, I
would also like to recognize the
achievements of our friends in the
United States observing Diwali who
make important contributions to
our country on a daily basis," said in
his message.
Democrat and Hyatt hotel heir,
over the embattled governor,
Bruce Rauner.
In other Senate races,
Democrats won ree lection in
Ohio, Wisconsin and
Pennsylvania, all states that
Trump carried in 2016 on his
way to a surprise election victory.
However, major Senate races
remain undecided in Arizona,
Nevada and Montana.
All 50 states and Washington
D.C. went to the polls on Tuesday
as Republicans and Democrats
battle for control of the two hous‑
es of Congress, with experts say‑
ing that voter turnout could be
the highest for a midterm elec‑
tion in 50 years, CNN reported.
Americans were voting for all
435 seats in the House of
Representatives and 35 of 100
lights. Diwali signifies the victory
of good over evil and reaffirms
our faith in the noble qualities
that Lord Ram embodied.
"Also associated with Goddess
Lakshmi ‑ the harbinger of
wealth, grace and prosperity ‑
Diwali is celebrated not only in
India but all over the world by
the people of Indian origin. May
this festival bring illumination,
peace, prosperity and happiness
in our lives," Naidu said.
The Prime Minister also took
to Twitter and said: "Happy
Diwali! May this festival bring
happiness, good health and pros‑
perity in everyone's lives. May
the power of good and bright‑
ness always prevail."
Diwali is one of the biggest
festivals of India which is cele‑
brated with great enthusiasm
and happiness across the

Key seats in the Senate ‑ the two bod‑

ies that make up Cong ress.
Governors are also being chosen
country.

US exempts India from

Winners in 36 out of 50 states.

Ted Cruz managed to defeat
Democratic challenger Beto
OʼRourke to retain Senate seat
from Texas.
Rep. Steve King was reelected to a
ninth term from Iowa overcoming
Democrat J.D. Scholtenʼs challenge
and some criticism from within his
own party for racism.
To win congressional majori‑
ties, Democrats needed a net gain
of 23 seats in the House and two
seats in the Senate.
Trump's approval rating stood
at 39 per cent in the latest CNN
poll.
Trump, who will complete his
second year in the White House
in January 2019, has campaigned
non‑stop in the midterm elec‑
Iran oil sanctions
Continued from page 1
European Union with Iran to end
its nuclear weapons program.
Trump said the sanctions that
had been lifted after the agree‑
ment would be reimposed and
the oil trade would be targeted
starting Monday.
Pompeo said that an important
reason for the reimposition of
the sanctions was Iran's promo‑

Key tions, focusing on states where

his Republican Party has a chance
tion of terrorism and that it was
aimed at curbing its "revolution‑
to pick up seats, especially in the ary" policies.

Losers
Andrew Gillum would have
become the first black Governor
of Florida, but fell short, conced‑
ing to Republican Ron DeSantis.
Incumbent Bill Nelson lost the
close Florida race for Senate to
former Governor Rick Scott,
adding to GOP's Senate tally.
US Senate.
The President has touted his
administration's economic poli‑
cies, which have resulted in
strong economic growth, record
job creation and low unemploy‑
ment.
Pompeo said the payments
made by the oil importers under
the exemptions would be put in a
special account from which Iran
could only make payments for
purchases for humanitarian pro‑
grams.

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TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE November 10-16, 2018 5

Neeta Jain (2nd from right, Consul General Sandeep Chakraborty (2nd from left)
and Council Member Rory Lancman (center) at the event Honoree Sunil Mehra Dancer Nandini Chakravorty

Lancman and City Council host Diwali celebration at City Hall

New York: Council Member Rory I.
Lancman, Council Speaker Corey
Johnson, and 18 Council Members
hosted a celebration of Diwali at
City Hall Nov 5 that featured a
lamp lighting ceremony, dance per‑
formances, and the presentation of
proclamations to distinguished
South Asian leaders. Several digni‑
taries delivered remarks during the
prog ram, including Sandeep
Chakravorty, the Consul General of
India; Puspa R. Bhattarai, the
Consul General of Nepal; and
Pankaja Munde, Minister of Rural
Development & Women & Children
Development for the Government
of the State of Maharashtra.
“Diwali is a special time when
millions of South Asians all across
the world rejoice and fill the world
with light and love,” said Council
Member Rory I. Lancman.
“I am honored to join the many
Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists
in our city who ce le brate this
important holiday.”
"Let's celebrate this Diwali with
lights of Love and Peace, removing
darkness of hatred,” said Dr. Neeta
Jain District Leader from Queens.
“Happy Diwali to all of you!"
Three prominent South Asian
leaders were recognized for signifi‑
cant contributions to their commu‑
nity: Richard David, who was hon‑
ored with a proclamation from
Council Member Adrienne Adams;
Dr. Sunil Mehra, pulmonologist at
Mount Sinai, who was honored with
a pro clamat ion from Council
Member Lancman; and Mohan
Gyawali Chhetri, who was honored
with a proclamation from Council
Member Barry Grodenchik.

Diwali holiday for students ZEE TV America’s new business competition series
attracts big-name sponsors in USA, Canada & Caribbean
in 27 NJ school districts
Edison: Over 27 school districts in
New Jersey will reportedly stay
closed for students on November 7,
the day of most popular Hindu festi‑
val Diwali. In addition, there will
reportedly be early dismissal for stu‑
dents in other over 15 New Jersey
school districts on the Diwali day.
The New Jersey school districts
with no classes for students on
Diwali include Chesterfield
Township School District, Clifton
Public Schools, Glen Rock Public
Schools, Jersey City Public Schools,
Passaic Public Schools, Piscataway
Township Schools, South Brunswick
School District, etc. In addition, there
will be reportedly no school for stu‑
dents for Diwali on November 6 in
Edison Township Public Schools.
Bernards Township School District
announced sometime back to close
schools for students on Diwali when
Diwali falls on a weekday starting
with the 2021‑2022 school year,
reports suggest. Hindu statesman
Rajan Zed, who has been actively
backing inclusion of Diwali holiday
in New Jersey schools, in a statement
in Nevada, called it “a step in the
positive direction”, and of fered
thanks to these school districts for
understanding the feelings of Hindu
community and displaying respect
and accommodation to their faith.
Although many of these school dis‑
tricts had given reasons other than
Diwali of closing schools for students
or their early dismissal on November
7 it provided a wonderful opportuni‑
ty for Hindu families residing in
these districts to celebrate Diwali
day together at home with their chil‑
dren.
Rajan Zed suggested that all New
Jersey schools, public‑private‑char‑
ter‑independent, to seriously look
into declaring Diwali as an official
holiday in view of presence of a sub‑
stantial number of Hindu students in
New Jersey, thus recognizing the
intersection of spirituality and edu‑
cation and meeting the religious and
spiritual needs of the pupils.
Rajan Zed urged New Jersey
Governor Philip D. Murphy, New
Jersey Education Commissioner Dr.
Lamont Repollet and New Jersey
State Board of Education President
Arcelio Aponte; to work towards
adding Diwali as an official holiday
in all the stateʼs public schools, and
persuading the private‑charter‑inde‑
pendent schools to follow.
New York: On Sunday, October 14,
media and entertainment mega‑
giant ZEE Entertainment debuted
the first episode of Break Through
The Crowd ‑ a new series that will
give a handful of lucky contestants a
once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity to
turn their entrepreneurial dreams
into a reality by pitching their ideas
to some of the sharpest minds in
business. Last weekʼs highly‑antici‑
pated debut showcased the showʼs
A‑list sponsorship line‑up, featuring
some of the worldʼs biggest brands.
In the United States, “Break
Through The Crowd” earned spon‑
sorships from top‑presenter Hotstar
‑ Indiaʼs largest premium streaming
platform. The show also garnered a tory include luxury car brand BMW;
powered sponsorship from Remitly ‑ mobile network mega‑giant Telus;
a highly‑successful Seattle‑based fan‑favorite soft drink Canada Dry
startup that provides mobile trans‑ (Canada dry ginger ale) as well the
fers at low fees. Other sponsors in worldʼs largest food and beverage
ZEE TVʼs U.S. market include Biz 2 company, Nestlé. Additionally,
Credit; high‑end make‑up brand Remitly is also a sponsor in Canada.
SEVA; and luxury automaker Lexus. In the Caribbean, “Break Through
In Canada, “Break Through The The Crowd” earned sponsorships
Crowd” earned presenting sponsor‑ from Chief Brand Products, the
ship from the nationally‑recognized largest manufacturer and exporter
Canadian Imperial Bank of of spices, seasonings and condi‑
Commerce (CIBC Global Money ments in the Caribbean region;
Transfer: send money around the Trinidadʼs largest supplier of cos‑
world with $0 transfer fee) and co‑ metics, Pennywise Cosmetics and
presenters from Hotstar, which is Enigma Events, which provides a
also a top presenter in the U.S. Other complete range of event production
sponsors in ZEE TVʼs Canadian terri‑ services.
Glen Rock Indian Community celebrates
Diwali : The Glen Rock Indian Community came
together on November 2nd at The Excelsior,
Saddle Brook, NJ. Ani Messikian of Coldwell
Banker Residential Brokerage who serves the
community for all real estate needs, and Pooja
Goyal of World Financial Group who serves the
community for all financial flexibility and sta‑
bility needs, were the generous sponsors of this
event. Sanjiv Ohri, the first Indian elected to
the NJ school board in Bergen County, which
consists of over 50 school districts presented an
appreciation plaque to Ani. Mr. Ohri has been
instrumental in getting Diwali off for Glen Rock
School district 4 years ago.
6 November 10-16, 2018
Flushing Town Hall Presents 4th
Annual Diwali Festival on Nov 10
Event features Basement Bhangra’s
DJ Rekha, cooking workshops, dance
lessons, Indian handicrafts
O
n Saturday, November 10,
Flushing Town Hall will cele‑
brate the Festival of Lights with
its fourth annual Diwali Festival, this time
as a Diwali Dance Party, featuring DJ
Rekha and Abha Roy in a mash‑up of
Bhangra and Kathak music and dance
styles, with cooking workshops, dance
lessons, traditional foods, and family‑
friendly activities such as a jewelry work‑
shop and henna painting. The event will
provide a rare opportunity to see DJ
Rekha perform in New York City.
“Diwali is a festive time of gift‑giving,
charity and sharing in feasts with loved
ones,” said Ellen Kodadek, Executive and
Artistic Director of Flushing Town Hall.
“We are excited to continue this tradition
at Flushing Town Hall and to provide an
experience that fills all senses.”
Historic Flushing Town Hall (circa
1862) features year‑round arts and cul‑
tural programming from all over the
globe as a way to bring people together.
Celebrating and educating the global
communities of Queens and New York
City, their tagline is: Global Arts for a
Global Community. Flushing Town Hall is
a member of New York Cityʼs prestigious
Cultural Institutions Group, and a
Smithsonian Affiliate. They support local,
immigrant, national, and international
October is always a busy month for our TSAT
cartoonist Mahendra Shah. During Navratri Garba
nite in Pittsburgh, Mr. Shah performed live painting
of Amba Maa while arti was recited and before even
the end of Arti, painting was finished in less than 15
minutes. On Oct. 21st at Hindu Jain Temple,
Pittsburgh, Ravan Dahan was celebrated. Center of
attraction was a 15ʼ tall Ravan prepared by
Mahendra Shah and his team.
15th annual Boston Bhangra
Competition on Nov 17th
T
he 15th annual Boston Bhangra
Competition will take place on
November 17th, 2018 at the
world‑renowned Orpheum Theatre.
Boston Bhangra will host the best
bhangra teams from North America
who will compete to be crowned the
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
IN BRIEF
artists, developing partnerships and col‑
laborations that enhance their efforts.
The Diwali Festival is supported by
New York State Council on the Arts with
the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo
and the New York State Legislature; New
York City Department of Cultural Affairs,
Mayor Bill de Blasio; The National
Endowment of the Arts; The Fan Fox and
Leslie R. Samuels Foundation; Con
Edison; The New York Community Bank
Foundation; and Affinity Health Plan.
The three‑hour celebration features DJ
Rekha, who returns to the stage for a
Bhangra dance party, and master Indian
dancer Abha B. Roy and the Srijan Dance
Center, who will present “Parvati‑Putra
(Parvatiʼs Child),” a dance drama re‑
telling of the story of the birth of Ganesha
from Parvatiʼs (his mother) point of view.
Children will be invited to make a
Ganesha mask before the performance.
The role of Ganesha will be performed
by a 7th grader from Queens, Puja Singh.
Prior to the performance, each artist will
introduce you to her form and invite you
to learn traditional Kathak dance moves
and bhangra folk dances mixed with hip‑
hop. Then hit the dance floor.
For more info visit www.flushingtown‑
hall.org.
Boston Bhangra Champions.
US states include California,
Washington, Virginia, New York, Boston
and more.
The event will also include a special
guest performance by Bhangra super‑
star G Sidhu.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
GOPIO honors Ashook
Ramsaran at NY event
A
t a special ceremony held
on Saturday, October 27,
2018 at the Indian
Consulate in New York,
Guyanese‑born Ashook
Ramsaran was honored by the
Global Organization of People of
Indian Origin (GOPIO
International) for his services to
GOPIO. The event was attended
by GOPIO officials and Amb
Sandeep Chakravorty, Consul of
General of Indian in New York,
as well as several family mem‑
bers of Ashook Ramsaran,
friends, associates and well‑
wishers.
Ramsaran is currently
President of Indian Diaspora Ashook Ramasaran receiving the
Council International; Chair of plaque from Amb Chakravorty
New York Presbyterian Queens
Hospital Community Advisory Council; Vice tives to “engage, embrace and enhance” the
President of Queens Civic Congress; Board global Indian Diaspora on the basis of
Member of St. Johnʼs University Center for shared history and heritage, common inter‑
the Caribbean and Latin American Studies; ests, inter‑ethnic relations, education and
and Board Member of Fresh Meadows Civic benefits of collaboration, economic engage‑
Association. Working with various regional ment and issues of concern; to link diverse
and international organizations spanning communities of Indian Diaspora, strength‑
many years, Ramsaran actively engages en the bonds and explore the benefits of
several series of regional and global initia‑ collaboration.
Paritosh Kumar named ʻArchitect
of the Yearʼ in New Jersey
P
K Architecture
LLC Oct. 23 Paritosh Kumar
announced that
its principal and owner
Paritosh Kumar was
named Architect of the
Year at the Edison
Chamber of Commerce
19th annual awards
reception.
Kumar was hand‑
picked from more than
7,000 businesses by
chamber president
Joseph Coyle for his
stellar portfolio of
sents the best, working hard daily to
medical, residential and commercial
projects completed in and around provide greatness to his clientele and
Greater Edison, according to the compa‑ the construction industry as a whole.
nyʼs news release. His resume is impeccable but what truly
“Our sincere thanks to the Edison sets him apart is his personal touch,
Chamber of Commerce and Joseph dedication and commitment to the com‑
Coyle for this tremendous honor as well munity he serves.” Coyle said in a state‑
as your professionalism and friendship
through the years. We are truly grateful
ment. Kumar launched PK Architecture
LLC in 2001, after more than a decade
and humbled for the recognition and working for several prestigious firms in
look forward to our continued partner‑
ship as we expand our design and build
New York and New Jersey. Since open‑
ing his firm, the Indian American has
services and complete more projects completed over $100 million in projects
within Greater Edison,” Kumar said. for international corporations, city gov‑
He was also nominated for his gener‑ ernments, national franchises, develop‑
ous contributions to the community, ers and the healthcare sector swelling
numerous honors and high‑profile news his popularity in the area, leading to
features on local, national and interna‑ industry awards and recognition for his
tional media, it said. “Paritosh repre‑ exemplary work, the release said.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
New Delhi: Tata Consultancy
Services Ltd is facing a US jury
asking why engineers hired at its
American outposts are 13 times
as likely to be fired if theyʼre not
South Asian, according to a
report by Bloomberg.
The Indian IT outsourcing com‑
pany will be going on trial in
California over racial discrimina‑
tion claims by American workers
who lost their jobs at TCS offices
in the US because they hadnʼt
been assigned to any of its
clients.
The trial will also affect work‑
visa programs companies use to
bring overseas workers to the
states, a practice US President
Donald Trump has criticized in
his protectionist push. TCS, Asiaʼs
largest outsourcer, and rival
Indian information technology
staffing firms Infosys and Wipro
have all been squeezed by the
Trump administration to hire
more Americans on US soil.
TCS denies any unlawful bias in
its US operations and says in
NEW US RULES MAKE
HIRING TOUGHER
UNDER H‑1B VISA
Washington, DC: The Trump adminis‑
tration has introduced a set of strin‑
gent provisions to the H‑1B visa appli‑
cation process under which American
employers must disclose the total
number of foreigners already
employed by them, making it tougher
to sponsor fresh foreign workers.
The H‑1B visa, popular among
Indian tech professionals, is a non‑
immigrant visa that allows US compa‑
nies to employ foreign workers in spe‑
ciality occupations that require theo‑
retical or technical expertise.
The new information required by
the Department of Labour is signifi‑
cant because before sponsoring a for‑
eign worker for the H‑1B visa, the
company needs to get its labor appli‑
cation approved by it.
The department certifies that there
are no domestic workers for that par‑
ticular position and as such the com‑
pany can hire a foreign guest worker
under the H‑1B visa category.
The Labour Condition Application
form updates will now require
employers to provide more detailed
information about H‑1B worker
employment conditions, including dis‑
closing all places of employment, the
duration and the estimated number of
H‑1B workers at each office. It also
requires employers, who are seeking
exemption on the basis of education,
such as a Master's degree, to provide
educational documents of the H‑1B
workers.
Under the new forms, employers
also need to give an estimate of the
total number of foreign nationals
NATIONAL COMMUNITY November 10-16, 2018 7
TCS faces US jury over firing of
American employees: Report
ture. The case was brought as a
The jury is expected to be shown statistical evidence that the odds of race and class action on behalf of about
national origin not being a factor in TCS’s termination decisions are less than 1,000 non‑South Asians ̶ most
of them US citizens ̶ who were
one in a billion. That’s because, since 2011, the company fired 12.6 percent of
fired by TCS while on “benched”
its non-South Asian workers in the US, compared with less than 1 percent of its status, meaning they were laid
South Asian employees, according to the complaint. of f by the company while they
were between job assignments.
court filings that the Caucasian globally, based purely on the gin not being a factor in TCSʼs The plaintiffs allege TCS has
American leading the lawsuit was individualʼs specialized experi‑ termination decisions are less engaged in a “systematic pattern
removed from one of its projects ence, skills and fit for each than one in a billion. T hatʼs and practice of discrimination”
and ultimately terminated over clientʼs specific needs,” the report because, since 2011, the compa‑ by favoring Indian ex‑pats and
“performance concerns.” TCS told quoted a company spokesperson. ny fired 12.6 percent of its non‑ visa‑ready workers from India for
Bloomberg it canʼt comment “TCS also strictly adheres to all South Asian workers in the US, US positions. That has resulted in
specifically on the pending litiga‑ federal and state equal employ‑ compared with less than 1 per‑ a workforce thatʼs almost 80 per‑
tion, but believes it has a strong ment opportunity laws and regu‑ cent of its South Asian employ‑ cent South Asian, far greater than
case and will prevail at trial. lations.” ees, according to the complaint. the 12 percent representation of
“Our success is based on our T he jury is expected to be While TCS has won awards as a South Asians in the US IT work‑
ability to provide the best talent shown statistical evidence that top employer in North America, force, according to the complaint.
available, both in the US and the odds of race and national ori‑ the lawsuit paints a different pic‑ (Source: news18.com)
Trump to appoint Suresh
Garimella to National
Science Board
Washington, DC: President Donald
Trump announced his intent to
appoint a leading Indian‑American
engineering professor from Indiana,
as a member of the National Science
Board.
Suresh Garimella, the executive vice
president for research and partner‑
ships at Purdue University, was in the
list of 7 board members announced
by the White House Nov. 5.
Garimella is a graduate from the
already working at each location listed
1985 batch of the Indian Institute of
in the application. Further revisions to
Technology, Madras. He is currently
the worker‑complaint form include
in Indiana as Purdue Universityʼs
added data fields designed to better
inaugural executive vice president for
describe the nature of an alleged pro‑
research and partnerships and the
gramme violation, the department
Goodson Distinguished Professor of
said in a statement.
Mechanical Engineering.
To allow enough time for the transi‑
He also continues to direct the
tion, the new forms will be made avail‑
National Science Foundation Cooling
able in the coming weeks. An
Technologies Research Center, which
announcement will be made on the
he founded in 1999, according to his biog‑ Purdueʼs international programs and its
Office of Foreign Labour
raphy available on the Purdue website. global and corporate partnerships endeav‑
Certification's website, identifying the
Prior to his current position, Garimella ors, focused on strengthening relation‑
date when they will be made available,
served as Purdueʼs chief global affairs offi‑ ships to advance innovation, research, edu‑
it said.
cer (2013‑2014) and associate vice presi‑ cat ion, and commercializat ion, the
According to the Society for Human
dent for engagement (2011‑2013) at University said.
Resource Management, the form
Purdue. The Indian‑American professor is said to
changes are the latest in a series tar‑
His responsibilities have included direct‑ have conceived and implemented an ambi‑
geting employers who place foreign
ing Purdueʼs diverse research enterprise, tious Pillars of Excellence in the Life
nationals at third‑party worksites.
which expends more than $660 million Sciences Initiative, establishing two new
In a February policy memo, US
annually to support world‑chang ing institutes that bring together faculty from
Citizenship and Immigration Services
research, the University said. dozens of disciplines to study integrative
(USCIS) required employers to provide
Garime lla oversees Discovery Park, neuroscience and inflammation, immunol‑
detailed work itineraries for the entire
which includes diverse facilities and insti‑ ogy and infectious disease, to complement
duration of H‑1B petitions involving
tutes that enable disciplines to converge in signature efforts in the plant sciences and
offsite employment. An advocacy
the effort to find solutions to global chal‑ drug discovery.
group representing small and medi‑
lenges related to health and life sciences, He has a Ph.D. from the University of
um‑size IT companies have filed a law‑
sustainability, food, energy, and defense California at Berkeley, and an M.S. from
suit against USCIS on this issue.
and security. He is also responsible for The Ohio State University.
(PTI)
 8 November 10-16, 2018 NATIONAL COMMUNITY TheSouthAsianTimes.info

INDIAN STUDENT USES BIG

DATA ANALYTICS TO TACKLE
PARKING PROBLEM
Houston: An Indian student way to identify empty spaces
in the US has created a and then direct the driver to
space‑detecting algorithm the location. But unlike other
that can he lp tackle the parking apps in the market,
problem of finding a parking he wanted to develop one
spot by using big data ana‑ that didn't rely on the pur‑ Sikhs from Denver, Cleveland, Phoenix, Richmond, and many other cities
lytics and save a person's chase, installation, and main‑ come together in support of the Jewish community in wake of the
time and money. tenance of expensive in‑ Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting.
Sai Nikhil Reddy ground sensors.
Mettupally, who is studying To he lp put his plan in
at The University of Alabama
in Huntsville (UAH), has also
act ion, Sai turned to
Vineetha Menon, an
Sikh‑American body seeks
won second prize at the
2018 Science and
Sai Nikhil Reddy Mettupally
studying at The University of
Assistant Professor of
Computer Science. As the PM Modi's help to open
Technolog y Open House Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) has director of UAH's Big Data
competition for his creation.
According to a university
also won second prize at the
2018 Science and Technology
Analytics Lab, Menon also
had access to the high‑per‑
Kartarpur Sahib corridor
Open House competition Washington: A Sikh American body has
press release, Sai's creation formance computing power
for his creation. sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's A delegation of Sikhs from
relies on big data analytics that Sai needed to create and
help in opening the Kartarpur Sahib corri‑ various parts of the US under the
and deep‑learning techniques to lead drivers train his machine‑learning model, which relies
dor, which would give the community
directly to an empty parking spot. on a robust parking‑lot data set provided by
members unhindered access to the his‑
banner of California-based United
Big data analytics is a complex process of the Federal University of Parana in Brazil. Sikh Mission submitted a memo-
toric place in Pakistan where Guru Nanak
examining large and varied data sets to uncov‑ "The goal of the Big Data Analytics Lab is to
er information including hidden patterns, establish Big Data Analytics and Data Science
Dev spent last 18 years of his life. randum addressed to PM Modi.
Kartarpur is situated in Narowal district
unknown correlations, market trends, and as mainstream research areas of the universi‑ of Pakistan's Punjab province, close to into Pakistan," the memorandum suggest‑
customer preferences. ty, so it can accommodate the high computa‑ India's border with the neighboring coun‑ ed. "Pilgrims from India will be able to go
Sai conceived the idea shortly after the uni‑ tional and memory demands of Big Data gen‑ try. A delegation of Sikhs from various to Gurdwara with an of ficial Indian ID
versity transitioned to zone parking last fall. eration and processing," Menon says. parts of the US under the banner of without having a visa from Pakistan or
"The data show that, on a typical day, there Sai, who graduated in electronics and com‑ California‑based United Sikh Mission sub‑ any other complicated formalities hurting
is a high chance that students or faculty mem‑ munications engineering from the Birla mitted a memorandum addressed to the the pilgrims that are not that technology
bers will have difficulty getting a parking spot Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani, Prime Minister at the Indian Embassy in savvy. Pilgrims must return to India the
between 11 am and 1 pm, leading to the hopes to develop a parking‑support mobile Washington. same day after attending the services," the
wastage of time and fuel, and adding to the app‑dubbed InstaPark‑that can display the The Punjab State Assembly has already memorandum said. Several members of
pollution," he says. "Hence, finding a parking real‑time grid layout of empty and occupied passed twice a resolution in this regard, the Hindu community from in and around
spot as soon as a person enters the parking lot parking spots using the phone's GPS. the memorandum noted. the Washington DC joined the Sikh dele‑
"T he distance from the border to gation to the Indian Embassy to submit
is essential." What he needed was to find a (PTI)
Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib is three km the memorandum. (PTI)

Indian-American CEO arrested #Metoo: US‑based journalist Pallavi

over H-1B visa fraud Gogoi accuses MJ Akbar of rape
Washington, DC: An Indian‑origin man
has been charged in the US with H‑1B
visa and mail fraud, US officials said.
Kishore Kumar Kavuru, 46, was
arrested on Friday and was presented
before US Magistrate Judge Susan van
Keulen, the US Department of Justice
said in a press release.
He was charged with 10 counts of
visa fraud and 10 counts of mail fraud
in connection with a scheme to main‑
tain a pool of foreign workers for the
clients of Kavuru's consulting compa‑
nies. If convicted, Kavuru faces the sen‑
tence of 10 years in prison and a maxi‑
mum fine of $250,000 for each count of
visa fraud. The defendant also faces up
to 20 years in jail and $250,000 for
each count of mail fraud, the federal
prosecutors said.
According to the indictment, Kavuru,
a resident of Sunnyvale, California, held
himself out as a staffing specialist for
technology firms based in Santa Clara
County and elsewhere seeking to fill
temporary positions with foreign work‑
ers. Since at least as early as 2007,
Kavuru was the owner and Chief
Executive Of ficer of four consulting
companies ‑‑ Scopus Consulting Group,
Inc.; ITECH Analyst Corp; Infinity
Methods Corp; and Orian Engineers
Incorporated.
The indictment described how Kavuru
used the consulting companies to
process and submit fraudulent applica‑
tions for foreign workers to obtain per‑
mission to work in the US under the H‑
1B visa program.
He was accused of submitting fraudu‑
lent documents to both the Department
of Labour and the Department of
Homeland Security, containing details
of bogus work projects awaiting the for‑
eign workers. Because many of the
applications were ultimately approved,
Kavuru had a pool of unemployed H‑1B
beneficiaries that were immediately
available for legitimate work projects,
giving him a competitive advantage
over other law‑abiding staffing compa‑
nies that followed the sometimes
lengthy visa application process for
petitioning foreign workers, according
to federal prosecutors. As part of the
scheme, Kavuru required some prospec‑
tive workers to pay thousands of dollars
in cash before he would prepare and
submit the visa applications. Kavuru
also required some workers to wait
unpaid, sometimes for months, to be
placed at an end‑client's workplace.
New Delhi: The US‑based jour‑
nalist, who has accused MJ
Akbar of raping her 23 years
ago, corrected her former boss
that a relationship based on
coercion and abuse of power
can't be consensual. "I stand by
every word in my published
account," she said about her
allegation on the former editor‑
in‑chief of The Asian Age.
Pallavi Gogoi wrote in The
Washington Post about her
"painful memories", the alleged
assault at a Jaipur hotel and
how he "continued to defile her
sexually, verbally and emotion‑
ally." T he journalist‑turned‑
politician had to quit as minis‑
ter after over 20 women
accused him of sexual miscon‑
duct when they worked with
him at several newspapers. But
on Friday MJ Akbar rejected
Pallavi Gogoi's charge saying
the two were in a "consensual
relationship."
"Somewhere around 1994, Ms
Pallavi Gogoi and I entered into
a consensual relationship that
"Just like serial abusers":
Pallavi Gogoi responded to MJ
Akbar's "consensual" remark
spanned several months. This
relationship gave rise to talk
and would later cause strife in
my home life as well. This con‑
sensual relationship ended, per‑
haps not on best note," the jour‑
nalist‑turned‑politician told ANI.
T he former junior foreign
minister's wife supported him
and blamed the journalist for
causing "unhappiness and dis‑
cord in our home" over 20
years ago.
An editor at the Nat ional
Public Radio (NPR), Gogoi said
she decided to write the piece
for her teenage daughter and
son. "So they know to fight back
when anyone victimizes them.
So they know never to victimize
anyone."
She also believed that her
account would encourage oth‑
ers "who have been sexually
assaulted by him" to come for‑
ward and speak their truth too.
But when her alleged sexual
assault was labeled as "consen‑
sual relationship" by MJ Akbar,
she tweeted, "Rather than take
responsibility for his abuse of
me and his serial predation of
other young women who have
courageously come forward,
Akbar has insisted ‑ just like
other infamous serial sexual
abusers of women ‑ that the
relationship was consensual. It
was not."
MJ Akbar had earlier dis‑
missed versions by other accus‑
ers and sued one of them for
defamation.
(Source: ndtv.com)
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Indians, Commonwealth
nationals can now join
UK armed forces
London: The UK government on Monday
announced a relaxation of recruitment crite‑
ria to allow Commonwealth nationals to
apply for jobs in its armed forces to meet a
shortage in its ranks, a move that could also
benefit Indians.
The decision announced by the Ministry of
Defence (MoD) means that people from
Commonwealth countries ‑ including India,
Australia, Kenya, Fiji, and Sri Lanka ‑ will be
considered for roles, even if they have never
lived in Britain.
The Commonwealth is an association of
53 independent states that are mostly for‑
mer territories of the British Empire.
The MoD laid out the proposals in a writ‑
ten ministerial statement (WMS) before
Parliament, which involves a waiver of the
current requirement of a minimum of five‑
year residency in the UK for applying to join
the country's Army, Navy or Air Force.
"We have now decided to remove the five‑
year UK residency criterion for
Commonwealth cit izens and increase
recruitment to 1,350 across the Royal Navy,
Kolkata‑born research
scientist wins ʻBreak
British Bake Offʼ
London: An Indian
research scientist born in
Kolkata has been crowned
the winner of a popular
baking show on British
television after winning
over the judges with his
intricately‑designed cakes
and pastries.
Rahul Mandal was
announced as the winner
of Channel 4's 'Great
British Bake Off' on
Tuesday night after
impressing the judges
with his "East meets West" Rahul Mandal with the show's judges
style of baking.
"I don't know whether to
laugh or to cry. I just feel I need to talk with
my mum," he said as the winning name was
revealed. The 30‑year‑old from Rotherham
in northern England battled with disasters
during the show's finale when his icing bag
exploded during a doughnut challenge. Soon
after, his mixing bowl smashed while he was cooking and baking as a hobby only after he
creating his rock garden, inspired by
Victorian explorers bringing back exciting
plants from around the world, for the
"Edible Landscape" show‑stopper challenge.
Despite the accidents, the taste and com‑
plexity of Mandal's baking saw him win over ies," he said.
the judges as he beat fellow British Indian
contestant Ruby Bhogal and Kim‑Joy
Hewlett in the grand finale of the long‑run‑
ning TV show. "He is one of those characters visited the UK for the first time," he added.
DIASPORA November 10-16, 2018 9
British Army and Royal Air Force (RAF)," the
MoD statement reads.
A limited waiver to the residency require‑
ment was introduced in May 2016 to recruit
up to 200 Commonwealth personnel per
year to fill skill shortage posts.
T his limited waiver has now been
widened, with the RAF and Navy beginning
recruitment of Commonwealth applicants
right away and the Army to accept such
applications from early 2019. "Citizens from
the Commonwealth have a long tradition of
serving with distinction in the Armed
Forces," the MoD said.
A National Audit Office (NAO) report had
revealed in April this year that the UK's
armed forces are short of around 8,200 sol‑
diers, sailors, and air personnel. Among
measures to meet this shortage, women are
now allowed to apply for all roles in the
British military for the first time in history.
Britain currently employs 4,500
Commonwealth citizens in the armed forces,
with 3,940 in the Army, 480 in the Royal
Navy and 80 serving in the RAF. (PTI)
(Image courtesy: telegraph.co.uk)
that you will miss when you are not with
him. I don't think he realizes still how good
he actually is and I think that's what's magic
about Rahul," said celebrity chef Paul
Hollywood, one of the judges.
Mandal, who grew up in Kolkata, started
moved to the UK as a student.
"I never baked when I was in India. My
baking journey began in the UK about five
years ago when I was feeling lonely, and
needed to do something along with my stud‑
"At that time, it was limited to making
bread and biscuits. The first cake I made
was about two years ago when my parents
 10 November 10-16, 2018
Trump campaigned in
2018 with eye on 2020
President Trump has been enjoying addressing rallies in support
of his partyʼs candidates, where he is hero‑worshiped.
Washington: Trump ended the
campaign with a cross‑country
blitz, holding 10 rallies in five
days. One goal: to he lp
Republicans in close Senate races.
But he also had his eye on 2020,
CNN reports. Look at the campaign
posters. There have been very few
signs for Senate candidates. All
Trump posters. That's by design.
It's 'The Trump Show', CNN com‑
mented. It's going to go on directly
into 2020 without much stop at
all. The worry on Team Trump is
New Yorker Latina youngest
woman ever elected to Congress
New York: New York Democratic
congressional nominee Alexandria
Ocasio‑Cortez has won her general
election race easily and become the
youngest woman ever in Congress,
CNN has projected.
Having turned 29 last month,
Ocasio‑Cortez will inch out the pre‑
vious holder of the distinction, New
York Democratic Rep. Elise Stefanik,
who was elected to Congress at age
30. Ocasio‑Cortez defeated New
York Democratic Rep. Joe Crowley
in the primary election earlier this
Colorado elects nation's first
openly gay governor, CNN projects
C
olorado Democratic US Rep.
Jared Polis will be his
state's next governor,
becoming the nation's first openly
gay man elected to a governor's
mansion, CNN has projected.
Polis will succeed Democratic
Gov. John Hickenlooper, who is
term‑limited from seeking the office
again, and will defeat Republican
gubernatorial nominee Walker
Stapleton.
Oregon Democratic Gov. Kate
Brown, who identifies as bisexual, is
already the first openly LGBT per‑
son to be elected governor. Former
New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey
came out as gay before he stepped
down from office in the early
2000s. Polis was one of several
negative headlines coming at a
time that is already pressure‑
packed. Democrats have captured
the House. A wave of administra‑
tion personnel turnover is about to
unfold. And there are year‑end
pressures as Congress returns
with big post‑election spending
issues and the President heads
overseas.Then there is expected
report of Mue ller probe into
Trump campaignʼs possible Russia
collusion. That puts the President
on edge.
year. The victory was considered a
stunner and helped make Ocasio‑
Cortez a national political figure.
Crowley was the No. 4 Democrat
in the House and seen as a potential
speaker one day. His loss effectively
handed the seat to Ocasio‑Cortez, a
Latina who has become a key left‑
wing voice. Ocasio‑Cortez ran
unabashedly to Crowley's left in the
New York City district and previous‑
ly worked as an organizer on
Vermont independent Sen. Bernie
Sanders' presidential campaign.
LGBT candidates who ran for gover‑
nor this cycle, along with Brown in
Oregon, Vermont Democrat
Christine Hallquist and Texas
Democrat Lupe Valdez.
The historic first for Polis means
Democrats will retain the gover‑
nor's mansion in Colorado and the
LGBT community will secure rare
representation at the statewide
level.
Polis is no stranger to the distinc‑
tion, having become the first openly
gay man elected to the House as a
freshman in 2008.
During his gubernatorial bid, Polis
has pushed for universal health
care, free early childhood education
and progressing Colorado to a
100% renewable energy state.
US AFFAIRS TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Trump Cabinet exodus
likely after midterms
Washington: President Donald
Trump could see up to six
Cabinet officials depart in the
wee ks after this Tuesdayʼs
midterm elections, according to
media reports.
For a president who has
already shed or shuffled eight
Cabinet officials, that would
make for the highest turnover
rate in recent history.
The list includes Ambassador
to the United Nat ions Nikki
Haley, who announced last
month that she will depart by the
end of the year.
Trump is widely expected to
oust Attorney General Je f f
Sessions, whom he has criticized
Jeff Sessions, Attorney General, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis:
for months. Others who appear
has been a butt of Trump Trump has called him a ʻkind of
most likely to depart, according criticism for long Democratʼ
to administration sources and
White House advisers, include ing replacements the president paign,” said one Republican close
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, will have a particular focus on to the W hite House. “Trump
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, how potential Cabinet members wants the strongest possible A‑
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross might benefit him politically. team going into 2020.”
and Homeland Security Secretary “The president is looking to get Now that GOP retained control
Kirstjen Nielsen, a close ally of better performers ̶ all of these of the Senate, getting his nomi‑
chief of staff John Kelly. decisions are being made in the nees through should not be prob‑
Trump allies said that in choos‑ context of the reelection cam‑ lem.
First two Muslim women in
Congress, both Democrats
Washington: A pair of districts
in the Midwest have added
Muslim women to the ranks of
the US Congress for the first
time. Democrat Rashida Tlaib
was elected to represent
Michigan's 13th House District,
defeating three other candi‑
dates. No Republican was on the
ballot in the heavily Democratic
district, which represents parts
Rashida Tlaib, Palestinian‑ Ilhan Omar, a Somali‑American,
of Detroit and some suburbs.
American, won from Michigan won from Minnesota
The 42‑year‑old Tlaib is a
Palestinian‑American.
Ilhan Omar, a Somali‑
decades ago as a refugee ney general.
American Democrat who ran for
the House from Minnesota, will
Democratic Minnesota
Congressman Keith Ellison was
Only two other Muslims have
been elected to Congress, and
the first Muslim elected to both are men currently in office:
join Tlaib in Congress. She came Congress. He was running Ellison and Indiana Democratic
to the US more than two Tuesday to be Minnesota attor‑ Rep. Andre Carson.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Frenzy in US ahead of polls,
a referendum on Trump
Washington: Republicans and
Democrats were making frenzied,
final pushe Sunday to motivate
their voters ahead of midterm elec‑
tions seen as a referendum on
President Donald Trump's divisive
first two years in office.
With Trump continuing a hectic
schedule of campaign appearances
and former president Barack
Obama making a last appeal for a
Democratic candidate in Chicago,
both sides say voter turnout will be
key. With political passions at a
rare peak, early voting in some
states was already running far
ahead of normal levels. "It's all
about turnout," said Senator Chris
Van Hollen, as Democrats wage
what polls say is an uphill battle to
win control of the Senate.
He appeared on "Fox News
Sunday". And w ith Demo crats
favored to retake the House of
Representat ives, Republican
National Committee chair Ronna
McDanie l concurred that: "It's
going to depend on voter turnout
on Election Day." But in the first
mid‑term under Trump ‑‑ an utterly
There are many unknowns in
this election, above all the
bottom‑line impact of a
president who has driven both
supporters and foes to a rare
fever pitch of emotion.
(Photo courtesy Reuters)
unconventional president ‑‑ there
are many unknowns, above all the
bottom‑line impact of a president
who has driven both supporters
and foes to a rare fever pitch of
emotion.
The party of a first‑term presi‑
dent tends to lose congressional
seats in his first midterm. But a
healthy economy tends to favor the
US AFFAIRS
incumbent ‑‑ and the US economy
has been growing with rare vigor.
A new Washington Post‑ABC
News poll on Sunday suggested
that while Democrats retain an
edge in their battle for the House,
Republicans could profit from
increasingly positive assessments
of the economy and by Trump's
harsh focus on border security. It
found registered voters preferred
Democratic candidates for the
House over Republicans by 50 per‑
cent to 43 percent; but that was
down from a 14‑point advantage in
August.
Another wild card: T he cam‑
paign's closing days come just a
week after a gunman, who alleged‑
ly hated immigrants and Jews,
killed 11 people at a Pittsburgh
synagogue, and after a fanatical
Trump supporter was arrested in
Florida on charges of mailing pipe
bombs to prominent Trump oppo‑
nents, including Obama.
The president's critics say the
highly charged atmosphere he has
helped create made the two attack‑
ers feel comfortable to carry out
November 10-16, 2018
their crimes. Republicans, trying to
move past that, have been enthusi‑
astically pressing the economic
argument.
American voters have watched
the economy grow for two years
under Trump, McDaniel said on
ABC. "They're making more money.
More jobs are coming back. That's
a great closing argument."
But the president ‑‑ to the unease
of some in the party ‑‑ has instead
used his nearly nonstop schedule
of campaign rallies to keep the
spotlight on what he calls the secu‑
rity threat from migrants seeking
to enter the US through Mexico.
Democrats meanwhile insist that
only they will protect the health‑
care gains made under President
Barack Obama, that Trump has
employed inhumane measures to
keep migrants out, and that the
divisiveness he has fostered must
end.
"The Republican ef fort to take
away important healthcare protec‑
tions is one that Senate Republican
candidates have been running
away from," Van Hollen, who heads
the Demo crat ic Senatorial
Campaign Committee, said on ABC.
But he was caut ious about
prospects for his chamber on
Tuesday, say ing, "Senate
Democrats really face the toughest
political map in 60 years.
PTI News
11
FOX AND
NBC PULL OUT
TRUMPʼS
RACIST AD
Washington: Fox and NBC
said in separate statements
on Monday that their net‑
works will no longer air the
Trump campaign's racist
anti‑immigrant advertise‑
ment.
But before being pulled the
ad ran on NBC during a foot‑
ball game and a dozen times
on Fox News/Fox Business
combined.
Facebook also came under
scrut iny for lett ing the
Trump campaign run the ad
on its platform.
The ad was released by the
Trump campaign late last
week. It vilified the thou‑
sands of migrants walking
toward the US southern bor‑
der, wrong ly portray ing
them as invaders and crimi‑
nals. It seemed designed to
stoke fear ahead of the
midterm e lect ions and
increase Republican turnout,
reported CNN while effusing
to run the ad.
 12 November 10-16, 2018 INDIA NEWS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

India completes N‑triad; Pushing for ordinance on Ram

Modi warns 'N‑blackmailers'
New Delhi: With nuclear‑capable
submarine INS Arihant successfully
returning from deterrence patrol,
India completed its nuclear triad
achieving strike capabilities in air,
land and sea, a feat Prime Minister
Narendra Modi said is a "fitting
response to those who indulge in
nuclear blackmail".
Cong ratulat ing the crew of
Strategic Strike Nuclear Submarine
(SSBN) INS Arihant, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi said, "Today is his‑
toric because it marks the complet‑
ing of the successful establishment
of the nuclear triad. India's nuclear
triad will be an important pillar of
global peace and stability."
"T he success of INS Arihant
enhances India's security needs. In
an era such as this, a credible
nuclear deterrence is the need of
the hour It is an open warning to
the enemies of India and of peace
that they better not indulge in any
misadventure against India," Modi
said. The 6,000‑ton Arihant was
built under the Advanced
Technology Vessel (ATV) project at
the Ship Building Centre at
Visakhapatnam.
Launched on July 26, 2009 by
then Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh, the submarine was commis‑
sioned in August 2016 after a
The nuclear‑capable submarine INS Arihant.
series of extensive sea trials.
Modi said the successful comple‑
tion of its deterrence patrol "gives a
fitt ing response to those who
indulge in nuclear blackmail", and
stressed that although India was a
peaceful nation but it would not
spare anyone who dares to provoke
it. He said with the nation achieving
N‑strike capabilities in deep sea
along with air and land, it has
established a credible deterrence
and Arihant will contribute to the
atmosphere of peace in the region.
"India is a land of peace. Values of
togetherness are enshrined in our
culture. Peace is our strength, not
our weakness. Our nuclear pro‑
gramme must be seen with regard
to India's ef forts to further world
peace and stability. Our atomic
weapons are not part of any attack
temple incorrect: Minister
Kolkata: Union Minister of State
for Social Justice Ramdas
Athawale said bringing ordi‑
nance for the construction of
Ram temple in Ayodhya will not
be right as the matter is sub
judice.
Acknowledging the demand of
the Hindu community to build a
Ram temple in his birthplace, the
minister said the construction of
the temple should be done after
taking the local Muslim commu‑
nity into confidence. Union Minister of State
"I do not think bringing ordi‑ for Social Justice
policy. The achievement is very
nance on the temple will be the Ramdas Athawale.
important for peace, security and
right decision. We sould wait for A congregation of Hindu seers
stability in Indo‑Pacific region,"
the Supreme Court's verdict. on Sunday demanded the gov‑
Modi said.
People should accept the apex ernment bring an ordinance or a
Congratulating the armed forces,
court judgement," said Athawale, law for construction of Ram tem‑
De fence Minister Nirmala
the president of Republican ple at Ayodhya, and vowed to
Sitharaman pointed out that the
Party of India. hold meetings across the coun‑
feat paced India in the league of the
"The demand of the Hindu try to rally public sentiments in
"few countries that can design, con‑
society to build a temple of Lord the matter.
struct and operate Strategic Strike
Ram in Ayodhya is legitimate A number of Bharatiya Janata
Nuclear Submarines (SSBN)".
and that should be accepted. But Party ministers, including Uttar
"Congratulations to the Indian
the Muslim community living Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi
armed forces, the entire scientific
there should also be taken into Adityanath, seconded the
community and all involved in this
confidence. The government demand.
tremendous achievement, under
should look for a solution Taking a dig at Congress of not
the leadership of Prime Minister
through meaningful discussion taking a clear stand on issues
Modi," she tweeted.
with the Muslims living there," such as construction of Ram
Home Minister Rajnath Singh
he said. temple or the Sabarimala temple,
said that the newly‑acquired capa‑
"Any attempt to build the tem‑ Athawale said Rahul Gandhi is
bility would "go a long way in safe‑
ple by taking law in one's own busy in blaming the Centre on
guarding our strategic and security
hand is not permissible," he said. the Rafale fighter jet deal.
interests".

PNB fraud: ED Karnataka by‑elections:

arrests Choksi's
firm director
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate
said that it has arrested from Kolkata a
director of a shell company of fugitive dia‑
mentaire Mehul Choksi in the Rs 13,500
crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud
case. "We have arrested Deepak Krishna
Rao Kulkarni from Kolkata Airport on the
basis of a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued
against him late on Monday," a senior ED
official told IANS.
Kulkarni, who was coming from Hong
Kong was detained at the airport by the ED
officials in Kolkata who then took him to
their office.
They would seek a transit remand of
Kulkarni as the PNB fraud case is registered
in Mumbai.
Kulkarni was director of one of the
dummy companies of the Gitanjali Group
owner in Hong Kong, the financial‑probe
agency official said. He was also made an
accused in the charge sheet filed against
Choksi and a non‑bailable warrant was
issued against him.
Choksi and Nirav Modi are under probe
by both the Central Bureau of Investigation
and the ED. The ED filed money laundering
cases against them and others on February
15 on the basis of an FIR registered by the
CBI. The ED had on May 24 and May 26
filed charge sheets against the two.
JD‑S‑CONGRESS SET FOR VICTORY
Bengaluru: The ruling JD‑S‑Congress coali‑
tion in Karnataka was well on its way to
trouncing the BJP in the Lok Sabha and
Assembly by‑elections on Tuesday, leading
in two parliamentary and winning in two
assembly seats including the Ramnagara
seat where Chie f Minister H.D.
Kumaraswamy's wife Anitha won on the
JD‑S ticket by a huge margin of 1,09,137
votes.
The BJP, which has run government only
in Karnataka in the entire south, could
console itself with managing a lead in
Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency where
former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa's
son B.Y. Raghavendra has put a lead of
52,146 votes over JD‑S nominee Madhu
Bangarappa, the son of former Chief
Minister S. Bangarappa.
T he Shimog a seat was vacated by
Yeddyurappa on his election to the assem‑
JD‑S candidate from Shimoga, S. Madhu Bangarappa (left) after
bly seat in the June elections.
casting the vote during Karnataka bye elections.
In the Bellary (reserved) Lok Sabha seat,
Congress candidate V.S. Ugrappa was lead‑ BJP's L. Chandrashekar. Chandrashekar Workers and supporters of the ruling
ing over BJP's J. Shantha by a huge mar‑ had quit the BJP to rejoin the Congress alliance ‑‑ JD‑S and Congress ‑‑ who con‑
gin of 2,14,826 votes. ahead of the November 3 bypolls. His tested the bye‑elections together, broke
While, in the Mandya Lok Sabha seat, L. nomination, however, remained since the into celebrations across the party's offices
Shivarame Gowda of the JD‑S was leading final date of withdrawal had passed. in Ramanagara and Jamkhandi district, as
over BJP's Siddaramaiah by a margin of In the Jamkhandi assembly seat, well as in Bengaluru.
3,24,925 votes. Cong ress candidate Anand Siddu Around 66 per cent of the 54.5 lakh
In the Ramanagara assembly, the 55‑ Nyamagouda from defeated BJP's Shrikant electorate voted in the five bypolls on
year‑old Anitha Kumaraswamy defeated Kulkarni by 39,480 votes. Saturday.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA November 10-16, 2018 13

Ahead of Diwali, Delhi‑NCR turns into gas chamber

New Delhi: The national capital and
the areas around experienced the
first smog episode of this season as TAMIL NADU
the city turned into gas chamber a
day before Diwali with air quality
placed in "emergency" or "beyond‑
CELEBRATES DIWALI
severe" category. Chennai: People in Tamil Nadu your bath with the holy water of
Under severe‑plus or emergency celebrated Diwali with tradition‑ Ganga river?, was replaced with
category, which impacts even al fervor starting of with special whether you had burst fire
healthy people by letting the parti‑ sesame oil bath, wearing new crackers?!! "We got up early had
cle pollutant into the bloodstream, clothes and bursting fire crack‑ our oil bath. The morning round
the normal dust masks fail, and ers. Unlike previous years of fire cracker bursting got
even walks are advisable against. In though the sound of the bursting over," J.Muralidharan, a public
2016 and 2017, schools were shut of fire crackers was rather sub‑ sector employee told IANS.
down for a few days under similar dued following the he Supreme Neighbors exchanged sweets,
conditions. Court‑imposed restrictions. savouries and the special Diwali
The overnight change in weather So, the customary greetings Leghium – a herbal jam.
The overnight change in weather condition, change in wind
condition, change in wind direc‑ directions and impact of stubble burning in neighboring and queries that usually among There was a large number of
tions and impact of stubble burning Punjab and Haryana led to higher pollution levels. friends and relatives had been ‑‑ devotees at the temples offering
in neighboring Punjab and Haryana Ganga Sthanam Aachha?? ‑‑ had prayers on this special day.
fee hike, odd‑even vehicle rationing tants will not be possible, resulting
led to higher pollution levels.
scheme and ban on entry of trucks in increase levels of PM2.5 and as per national standards. T he across 35 areas of Delhi at 7 p.m
The Air Quality Index (AQI) of
into De lhi. T he measures are PM10 pollution, in case of fire‑ international standards are 25 were 364 and 504 units, respec‑
Delhi was 426 at 4 p.m. The AQI,
imposed by the Environment crackers. units for PM2.5 and 50 units for tively. Across NCR, the same were
however, dropped to 435 by 7 a.m
Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) On Monday, the air quality of PM10. "T his is the first smog 358 and 494 units.
on a scale of 0 to 500.
if severe‑plus or emergency condi‑ Delhi and most of the NCR fell from episode of Delhi for this season. It In NCR, at 4 a.m, the AQI was 435
The condition is expected to pre‑
tion prevails for 48 hours. moderate on Sunday to severe on is supposed to remain for a few in Ghaziabad, 425 in Greater Noida,
vail till Diwali, however, it may
"Even if 50 per cent of the total Monday. By 11 a.m on Monday, days around Diwali. Unlike in 2017 433 in Noida, and 421 in
improve if no additional emission
load of toxic firecrackers, as com‑ Delhi's air became severe‑plus, and 2016, the EPCA has already Faridabad, with 401 to 500 consid‑
from firecracker adds to the Delhi's
pared to Diwali‑2017, is added, the which o ccurs when PM2.5 or issued direct ions. However, if ered "severe". The AQI in Gurugram
air, said the System of Air Quality
prevailing weather conditions will PM10, particles with diameter less severe‑plus situation prevails, more and Bhiwadi in Rajasthan were
and Weather Forecast ing and
aggravate the high smoke level and than 2.5mm and 10mm, are over restrictions may come in force a very‑poor at 325 and 324, respec‑
Research (SAFAR).
make air quality to persist in severe 300 and 500 microgrammes per day after Diwali," Shambhavi tively, as the polluted air coming
De lhi may also see pollution
range for at least up to November cubic meters, respectively. Shukla, of the Centre for Science from north‑western regions got
response measure under "severe‑
8‑9," said SAFAR. The safe limit, PM2.5 and PM10 and Environment (CSE) told IANS. trapped in Delhi's high moisture
plus" category that include parking
It added that dispersion of pollu‑ has been under‑60 and 100 units, T he average PM2.5 and PM10 air.

Modi to visit Kedarnath on Diwali Don't play with India's

Narendra Modi was also likely to meet ITBP personnel guarding the border with China
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
was likely to visit Kedarnath on Diwali and
offer prayers at the Kedarnath temple.
Sources said Modi was also expected to
review the progress of development proj‑
ects including construction of main
approach to Kedarnath temple and devel‑
opment of Shankaracharya Kutir and
Shankaracharya Museum.
During his visit to the shrine last year,
the Prime Minister had laid the founda‑
tion stone for five infrastructure develop‑
ment projects. These included develop‑
ment of the retaining wall and ghat on the
Mandakini and Saraswati and also houses
for temple priests.
The shrine was struck by calamitous
floods in 2013. Sources said Modi was
also likely to meet ITBP personnel guard‑
ing the border with China.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
was to arrive in Itanagar on Tuesday to
economic sovereignty:
Congress to Modi
New Delhi: T he Congress on Tuesday reflected the government's bid to demolish
accused the Narendra Modi government of the central bank's autonomy.
playing with India's economic sovereignty "This is going to have a profound impli‑
by trying to demolish the Reserve Bank of cation on the macroeconomic stability of
India (RBI) and seeking transfer of Rs 3.6 India as it is the RBI's autonomy which pro‑
lakh crore or one‑third of the central vides confidence to foreign and Indian
bank's reserves. investors with regard to the stability of the
The Congress said if the "unprecedented" Indian economy.
demand by the Modi government was "The Modi government wants to demol‑
allowed to materialise it would tantamount ish that confidence and demolish the RBI in
celebrate Diwali with troops in Arunachal
to the "great Indian bank robbery". the pro cess," said the former Union
Pradesh's Upper Dibang Valley district, a
"Rs 36,00,00,00,00,000, that's how much Minister asserting that the Congress would
defence official said.
the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) needs strongly resist the government's move to
The Defence Ministry confirmed her
from the RBI to fix the mess his genius eco‑ demolish the RBI autonomy.
visit in a tweet: "Continuing the tradition
nomic theories have created. Stand up to Tewari alleged that the Modi government
of celebrating Diwali with the families of
him Mr. Pate l. Protect the nat ion," was seeking the money to dole out freebies
our soldiers, Smt @nsitharaman will cele‑
Congress President Rahul Gandhi tweeted ahead of the 2019 general elections.
brate Diwali this year at Dinjan (Assam),
ridiculing Modi's economic policies that "The Modi government is prepared to
Andra La‑Omkar and Anini (Arunachal
have messed up the Indian economy, urg‑ play with the economic sovereignty of
Pradesh)."
ing the RBI Governor Urjit Patel to resist India and the reasons for it are the mount‑
During her visit, Sitharaman, accompa‑
the Centre's demand at all cost. ing fiscal and current account deficits.
nied by Eastern Army Commander and
Later addressing the media, Congress "The government revenues are not grow‑
other senior officials, will be briefed about
spokesperson Manish Tewari said: "The ing because the economy has shrunk
the defence preparedness and infrastruc‑
RBI has been strong ly resist ing the because of their policies.
ture improvements by the Army in the
unprecedented demand by the govern‑ In order to bridge the fiscal deficit, the
region, the official said on Tuesday morn‑
ment. But if this demand were to fructify, government has started eyeing the RBI
ing. "She is expected to conduct an aerial
this would tantamount to great Indian rob‑ reserve.
survey of the region and will meet troops
bery." "What is even more disturbing is they
in Andra La‑Omkar and Anini on
Citing reports that the Modi government want to use the money to give out freebies
Wednesday," he said.
"may have invoked" section 7 of the RBI before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections," said
Sitharaman was also slated to meet fam‑
Act to get its wish fulfilled, Tewari said Tewari accusing the Modi government of
ilies of fallen soldiers.
such a move was unprecedented and playing with India's national interest.
 14 November 10-16, 2018 OP-ED TheSouthAsianTimes.info

By Frank F Islam

T
here is no trade war today between
India and the United States. On the
other hand, there is not exactly
US‑India trade relations:
peace.
In early October, President Donald
Trump called India “the tariff king, bring‑
ing to the fore bilateral trade frictions that
INDIA SHOULD KEEP COOL
sion is foremost among them. An improve‑
have been simmering beneath the surface
ment in bilateral relations in the post‑Cold
for a while. Theyʼve already called us to
War era is another factor.
make a deal,” he said. “We didnʼt even call
A big reason, in addition, is the fact that
them. They called us to make a deal, which
neither nation has allowed their differ‑
is, like, shocking to people.”
ences to come in the way of trade. There
The point the US president was making
have been frictions all along, as is evident
in his comments ̶ primarily for the con‑
from the number of complaints each coun‑
sumption of the US domestic audience ̶ is
try has filed against the other through the
that he is “winning” in the tussle in trade
years with the World Trade Organization
relations with India. Winning in the public
over unfair trade practices and protection‑
spotlight matters more than anything else
ism.
to this president.
Over the decades, the United States has
Recognizing this, India should ignore the
complained about Indiaʼs patent laws,
presidentʼs rhetoric. It should continue to
which, according to Washington, cost
stay the course in its current approach to
American companies billions of dollars. In
trade negotiations with the US.
recent years, India has protested the tight‑
To date, New Delhi has been quite patient
ening of H‑1B visa rules, specifically target‑
with the Trump administration. It under‑
ing Indian companies, by successive US
stands that the prevailing weltanschauung
President Donald Trump with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (File photo: IANS) administrations.
in Washington is more protectionist than it
There are numerous examples of other
has been for decades. Unlike China, which This perspective is a solid one because of Last year, the India‑US bilateral trade vol‑ points of disagreement. Despite these dif‑
has announced targeted tit‑for‑tat tariffs the economics involved. Thatʼs so because ume was more than $74 billion. Adjusting ferences, the governmental leadership and
on US goods, New Delhi has largely worked the opportunity and need for India is to for inflation, $5.2 billion in 1991 is $9.2 business communities in both countries
behind the scenes with US officials, thus maintain the growth trajectory of bilateral billion in todayʼs dollars. This means that have been able to achieve a rapprochement
preventing any escalation. trade with the US, which has been consis‑ the bilateral trade has grown eightfold in and engage in meaningful and constructive
India recognises that, in dealing with tently growing at an impressive rate since this time period. dialogue that has been mutually beneficial
Trump, one is more likely to succeed by 1991.The countryʼs bilateral trade in There are several reasons that the trade India must stay the course in its trade
adopting the tactics of Mexico and Canada, goods with the United States in that year between the two nations has registered relations with the US. It must keep cool,
which have already renegotiated the North stood at $5.2 billion with exports of nearly such substantial growth over the past keep calm, and carry on. By doing so, it will
American Free Trade Agreement, rather $3.2 billion and imports amounting to quarter century. The liberalisation of the make itself a winner and bring the US
than that of China. roughly $2 billion. Indian economy and its subsequent expan‑ along with it.

A new chapter in the saga of Ram temple

By Amulya Ganguli But it also cannot be unaware that long while of building a temple of
it is playing a dangerous game, for their dreams because the BJP may

T
he Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh (RSS) and the Vishwa
Hindu Parishad (VHP), the
two "non‑electables", to use Finance
Minister Arun Jaitley's term, are
among the Hindutva groups which
are pushing for immediately start‑
ing the construction of the Ram
temple in Ayodhya.
While the RSS chief, Mohan
Bhagwat, has called upon the gov‑
ernment to bring an ordinance to
facilitate the work, a Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) MP is introduc‑
ing a private member's bill in the
Rajya Sabha on the subject, presum‑
ably to test the faith of all the
Hindus, especially those who claim
to be secular ‑‑ such as those in the
Congress. The test will probably
encompass the "nationalists" as
well, including Muslims, Sikhs,
Christians and other minorities, in
the House.
Since the Narendra Modi govern‑
ment itself has not been noticeably
proactive on the matter, the efforts
of the RSS and others are apparent‑
ly intended to create an atmosphere
about the inevitability of the temple
being built, which is expected to be
electorally helpful to the BJP.
The RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has called upon the government to
bring an ordinance to facilitate the work.
However, the government's reti‑
cence does not mean that the RSS
and the others do not enjoy the rul‑
ing party's tacit support. But the
government cannot but lie low
because the matter is sub judice. If
it joins the clamour for the temple,
it may fall foul of the law.
At the same time, the government
probably secretly welcomes the
upping of the ante on the temple
because it will divert attention from
its inadequacies on the economic
front, especially where the availabil‑
ity of jobs is concerned.
The government will also hope
that if the cry for the temple
becomes louder, it will push the
controversies relating to the Central
Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and
the Reserve Bank of India, which
haven't shown the government in a
favourable light, out of the front
pages of newspapers.
any raising of the communal tem‑
perature carries the possibility of
riots or create a tension‑ridden
atmosphere which will deter
investors despite the improvement
in the ease of doing business index
from 100 to 77.
What is more, the risks of raising
the temple pitch may not be as elec‑
torally effective as the Sangh pari‑
var believes because it is now wide‑
ly recognised that religiosity does
not have as much to do with the
issue as politics.
It is for this reason that the tem‑
ple did not figure in the BJP's elec‑
toral campaign in 2014. Moreover,
the party's success was based on
the secular plank of development
for all enunciated by the "sabka
saath, sabka vikas" slogan. A return
to the temple, therefore, is a virtual
admission that the "sabka saath"
endeavours have not worked.
However, for the RSS and the
VHP, who do not have to contest
elections, and have a single‑minded
focus on ushering in a Hindu rash‑
tra ‑‑ a nation of, by and for Hindus
‑‑ it is apparently now or never.
They appear to have realised that
this will be their last chance in a
not secure a majority of its own in
the Lok Sabha in 2019 although the
alliance led by it may do so. If that
happens, as seems likely, it will be
extremely difficult to enact a law
for constructing the temple because
not all of the BJP's allies ‑‑ the
Janata Dal‑United, for instance ‑‑
will not be eager to support it for
fear of alienating the Muslims. The
BJP's weakened position will also
prevent it from asserting itself. It
has been argued that the BJP raises
the temple issue ‑‑ or allows it to be
raised ‑‑ before every major election
to consolidate the Hindu vote. Since
the party has never been as politi‑
cally strong as at present, the belief
in the saffron brotherhood appar‑
ently was that all that was needed
was one final concerted effort. It is
a tightrope walk for the BJP
between constitutionalism repre‑
sented by the judiciary and its belief
that the Ram temple is the "soul" of
India. Since the BJP has been
engaged in this balancing act ever
since the temple issue was raised in
the party's Palanpur resolution in
Gujarat in 1989, the latest initia‑
tives are probably no more than a
new chapter in an ongoing saga.

The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info November 10-16, 2018
 18 November 10-16, 2018 ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD TheSouthAsianTimes.info

A season of pre‑wedding celebrations in Bollywood

T
he pre‑wedding celebrations of
Bollywood actresses Deepika
Padukone and Priyanka Chopra,
who are set to tie the knot by the end of
this year, began with great fervor.
Deepika Padukone, who is set to get
married on November 14‑15 to fellow
actor Ranveer Singh, kickstarted her wed‑
ding preparations with a puja in
Bangalore.
Dressed in an orange traditional suit by
designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Deepika
matched her look perfectly with gold ear‑
rings, neatly tied hair and subtle make‑up,
exuding radiance, elegance and happiness.
"A new and exciting journey has just
begun for you and all of us at Sabyasachi
wish you the very best. Always. Deepika
Padukone in Sabyasachi for her pre‑wed‑
ding functions," Mukherjee posted on
Instagram.
Priyanka Chopra's friends and family Celebrations galore for actors Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra.
hosted a bridal shower in New York ahead
of the actorʼs wedding with pop singer Cuttrell, who styled Priyanka for the bridal tion. She captioned it: "My girls are in ing from ear‑to‑ear while wearing a fuzzy
Nick Jonas in December. shower and captioned it: "The bride... The town! Any reason to party. Pre‑wedding white off‑the‑shoulder sweater, which she
Priyanka looked ravishing in an ivory brighter version for everyone. "Priyanka celebrations." captioned" "#BacheloretteVibes".
Marchesa dress paired with nude colored Chopra... (Sorry I was too excited when I Priyanka and Nick are reportedly getting "Be good," Jonas' mother Denise com‑
stilettos and a Tiffany & Co. choker. She posted the first picture). married at Rajasthan's Mehrangarh Fort. mented, adding a red heart emoji.
was seen standing next to silver coloured The actress, 36 shared a photograph of After the bridal shower, Priyanka also The location of the party was kept under
balloons which read: "Bride". herself on her Instagram stories while get‑ sizzled in a bachelorette party. The bride‑ wraps, though Priyanka shared a few
The photograph was shared by Mimi ting her hair and make‑up for the celebra‑ to‑be shared a photograph of herself smil‑ glimpses from the party.

NEARLY RS 600 CRORE SPENT Chris Hemsworth shares

ON '2.0': RAJINIKANTH glimpses of his India trip
H
ollywood

T
he trailer of superstar
Rajinikanth's forthcoming
multilingual science‑fiction
action drama "2.0" was unveiled
recently at a grand event in Chennai.
A sequel to Shankar's 2010 block‑
buster "Enthiran", the film has
been produced by Lyca
Productions and is gearing for
release on November 29.
"2.0" also stars Akshay Kumar,
Kumar at the
Amy Jackson, Adil Hussain and
trailer launch
Sudhanshu Pandey in important
roles.
Speaking at the trailer launch,
Rajinikanth said the film has been
made on a lavish budget of nearly Rs.
600 crore.
"Mark my words, the film will be a
super hit. Advance wishes to Shankar
and Lyca Productions. Nearly Rs. 600
crore has been spent on the film. The
film wouldn't have been possible
without the support of Lyca,"
Rajinikanth said.
He said that the makers spent lav‑
ishly on the film for the vision of
Shankar.
"This is not a Rajinikanth film. The
money has been spent on one man
Shankar, who has never failed to
entertain audiences. This is his vision
and I laud Lyca Productions for back‑
ing him," he added.
In the film, Rajinikanth plays a sci‑
entist and a robot.
Speaking on the occasion, Shankar
said audience will see Rajinikanth in
multiple avatars and it'll be a treat to
Actors
Rajinikanth
and Akshay
of ʻ2.0ʼ.
The '2: 0' trailer is nonsensical
Subhash K Jha
Would you believe it if I told you
Akshay Kumar is a cell‑phone‑hat‑
ing monster (at least he is dis‑
guised to look disgusting) who
vows to get rid of the cellphone
from the face of the earth. Wait.
There is more. Cellphones start
flapping and flying in the air like
bats. Girls gasp, guys shout. And
Chitti, the robotic hero from the
first Robot film, is back. That
Rajinikant plays Chitti makes it
okay for him to grab Amy Jackson
and exclaim,ʻWow!' Not quite our
watch. "Audiences will see him as sci‑
entist Vaseegaran, robot Chitti and
2.0 version of Chitti. There will also
be a giant version of Chitti in the cli‑
max. We also have another version
response to what we see in the
trailer. At the end of the trailer
Rajinikanth promises, "I'll set your
screen on fire." I am not too sure of
that. The emphasis is on amateur‑
ish special effects rather than on
telling a story. The repetitive shots
of scampering humanity and
crushed cars would make the archi‑
tects of the Avengers series giggle
in amusement.
I sincerely hope there is more to
the film than seen in the trailer.
For, what we see in the trailer is a
hysterical attempt to grab eyeballs.
but we'd like to keep that as a sur‑
prise," he said.
"2.0", which will release in Tamil,
Telugu and Hindi, has music by AR
Rahman.
star Chris
Hemsworth,
who is in Ahmedabad
to shoot Netflix
thriller "Dhaka", has
shared some behind‑
the‑scenes glimpses
from on and off the
sets.
The ʻAvengersʼ star,
popular for his por‑
trayal of Thor, shared
three Instagram
Stories showcasing
tidbits from his India
diaries. He landed in
India a week ago.
On Day 1 of the
shoot of "Dhaka", the
actor, whose daughter
sworth
is named India Rose, Hollywood star Chris Hem
took to the social media is in India for a film shoot.
platform to his team as
he was busy getting his third video takes the 'choco‑
make‑up done. late' literally. Hemsworth
"Day 1, we are in India," shows off a "welcome pack‑
Hemsworth says as he pans age" from his hotel room.
the smartphone camera Hemsworth is likely to also
towards his stuntman Bobby shoot in Mumbai for
Holland Hanton, and his "Dhaka", which is reportedly
make‑up man and "other leg‑ an action film in which the
ends". actor plays a character that
In another video snippet, has to liberate a kidnapped
he showcases his rugged get‑ Indian boy.
up from a location where the Physically brave but an
shoot seems to be underway. emotional coward, the man
Music plays on in the back‑ has to come to terms with
drop as Hemsworth looks his identity and sense of
upbeat and excited. The self.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD November 10-16, 2018 19

THE IMPORTANCE OF I always feel I am not

BEING DHANUSH good enough: Shah Rukh
By Subhash K Jha

A
ctor Shah Rukh Khan, who is gearing (his son) to sit with me, but he didn't and

T
here is nothing more self‑indul‑
gent than a superstar at the pin‑
nacle of his stardom trying to
show the world that he isnʼt self‑indul‑
gent.
It reminds me of that superstar
named Rajinikanth who "allows" other
actors to take centrestage, knowing that
even if he stands grinning in the corner
of a frame, the audience will be looking
at no one but him.
Dhanush has the Tamil audiences eat‑
ing out of his hands. He can do anything,
almost anything, he likes, and the fans
would be with him. The slobbering raves
for his new film are proof enough. In "Vada
Chennai" he plays Anbu, a carrom player (like Dhanush's changing hairstyle over the
Siddharth in Chandan Arora's "Striker") who
repeatedly ends up in jail where he befriends
dons, gangsters and their cronies.
The brutality is kept at bay. The director
Vetrimaan has had enough of it in his last
film.
To give the very routine gangster drama an
epic feel, the director (who earlier helmed
that raw but flawed film "Vissaranai" about
police atrocities) spreads the narrative and
the characters into a stretched‑out sprawl
which takes us nowhere. At the end of the
cumbersome three‑hour film, I realised I was
standing at the same place where the film
had begun.
This isn't to say that the cycle of life is com‑
pleted. It's just depleted and dismantled
scene by scene until we are left staring at a
film that equates dark exteriors and slimy
roads with the shadowy glances thrown at a
soul that's gone completely corrupt. The
up for the release of his forthcoming walked away, then I felt, am I not a good
film 'Zero', has said he always feels father who is not spending enough time
he is not good enough and therefore, he with his kids." "So that day I felt like a loser,
puts in more efforts in his work. but then, my wife told me that it's not the
Shah Rukh Khan was interacting with way you are thinking because your other
media at the trailer launch of 'Zero' along two kids also do the same with you."
with his co‑actors Anushka Sharma, Katrina Khan said it's important to have lack of
Kaif and director Anand L. Rai in Mumbai. over‑confidence in your personality to grow.
When asked if he ever felt like a zero in "I think it's always important to have lack of
his life like the title of his film suggests, he over‑confidence. Over‑confidence is a worse
said: "There are moments when we all feel thing than feeling like a loser."
we are zero. A few days back, I asked Abram 'Zero' is set to release on December 21.
Bollywood film
ʻRaanjhanaʼ is the only
anush.
starring Tamil actor Dh
mounting is impressive, though. So is
decades. He is lanky enough to carry off the
role of a teenager in the first flush of love.
Dhanush is the Common Man with an axe
to grind. He gets to grind it in grating leisure.
We are often invited to participate in the
wages of lawlessness. But the recurrent
prison scenes are never compelling enough.
If Dhanush wants to play characters contrary
to the ones played by his illustrious father‑in‑
law, he must ensure that the projects are
credible and authentic, not merely to impress
audiences. His obsession with establishing an
iconic reputation at odds with Rajinikanth's is
quite obvious. In "Vada Chennai", a
Rajinikanth potboiler is played out for jail
inmates as Dhanush hobnobs with his prison
pals.
The message is clear. Dhanush doesn't want
to be Rajinikant, The Entertainer. He wants to
be the reverse of that entity. Which in this
case is not "non‑entertainer". Actor Shah Rukh Khan at the launch of the trailer of his upcoming film ʻZeroʼ.

ʻCalling an adult film star a AMITABH BACHCHAN

porn star a sign of patriarchyʼ TO INAUGURATE KIFF
A A
ustralia would be the
ctress Richa Chadha, who essays south Indian focus country of the
film actress Shakeela in a biopic of that name, 24th Kolkata
says being disrespectful towards any success‑ International Film Festival, slat‑
ful adult film star and tagging her as a "porn star" is a ed to be inaugurated by
sign of a hypocritical and patriarchal society. Bollywood's living legend
"Calling an adult (film) star a porn star is a sign of Amitabh Bachchan in the pres‑
patriarchy. You are disrespecting an actress (Shakeela ence of a galaxy of superstars
in this case) who is part of films that are adult in of Indian cinema including
theme. And then you are watching them so much that Shah Rukh Khan, on November
those films are making huge money. What kind of 10, the organizers announced.
hypocrisy is that," Richa told IANS in an interview. A carousal of 171 feature
Highlighting the "duplicity of the morality of our films, 150 shorts and documen‑
society", she said: "Adult films are made because taries from 70 countries would
there is a market for them... It is really easy to call be on show at 16 auditoria in
successful, self‑made woman names in a patriarchal the city and Howrah with the
society." 1967 Bengali classic 'Antony
Directed by Indrajit Lankesh, the logo of "Shakeela" Firingee' being the inaugural
was launched a few days ago. The film's tagline reads movie of the eight‑day festival.
'Not A Porn Star'. So, is it a way of conveying to the Besides Bachchan, venerable
audience a perspective on the story of Shakeela? Iranian director Majid Majidi,
"See, there is no point of fighting about what people and Australian directors Simon
said about her at the peak of her career. People Baker, Jill Bilcock and Philip
watched her films and called her a porn star, which Noyce would grace the opening Bollywood's living legend
Actress Richa Amitabh Bachchan.
she was not. In the film, we are unveiling the story of Chadhaʼs first ceremony, to be presided over
an actress and the unexplored side of her journey. look from the by West Bengal Chief Minister from Australia would be on show,
Then let the people decide if she really deserved the film Mamata Banerjee at the Netaji with Philip Noyce being honored
tag she had to bear," Richa said. ʻShakeelaʼ. Indoor Stadium. Twenty six films with a retrospective.
 20 November 10-16, 2018 SUBCONTINENT TheSouthAsianTimes.info

China pats Pakistan for 'efforts' Sri Lanka’s sacked PM

'confident' of Parliament support
to have peace with India Colombo: Sri Lanka's
sacked Prime Minister
Beijing: China patted Pakistan for
Ranil
its "ef forts" to have peace talks
Wickremesinghe said
with India to resolve the "outstand‑
he had the support of
ing" Kashmir dispute.
Parliament as the
During the ongoing China visit by
island nation grappled
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran
with an unprecedent‑
Khan, Beijing and Islamabad issued
ed constitutional cri‑
a joint statement which had some
sis following his
references to India and the issues
ouster by President
where it is involved.
Maithripala Sirisena.
"China appreciates Pakistan's
"I still remain the
quest for peace through dialogue,
Prime Minister and I
cooperation and negotiation, on the
have the confidence of
basis of mutual respect and equali‑
Pakistan PM Imran Khan welcomed in Shanghai, east China. the majority of mem‑
ty, and supports Pakistan's efforts
bers of the House,"
for improvement of Pakistan‑India
Wickremesinghe told
relations and for settlement of out‑
standing disputes between the two
countries," the statement said.
China likely to give $6 bn the BBC from his offi‑
cial residence Temple

After taking to power in August,

Khan had sought to resume dia‑
aid to Pak Trees. The President
removed

logue with India after almost two
years of chill in bilateral ties follow‑
ing a deadly attack by Pakistani ter‑
rorists at an Indian army base in
2016.
India ag reed for a meet ing
between its External Af fairs
Minister Sushma Swaraj and her
Pakistani counterpart on the side‑
lines of the UN General Assembly
meeting in September, only to can‑
ce l it after another attack by
Pakistani terrorists.
China says it has a neutral stance
on the Kashmir dispute between
Indian and Pakistan, but its officials
have hinted that Beijing can try to
broker peace between them, an
idea junked by New Delhi.
P
akistan Prime Minister
Imran Khan he ld talks
with Chinese President Xi
Jinping in Beijing amid reports
that Beijing was likely to give $6
billion economic aid to Islamabad
to manage its financial crisis.
There was no of ficial version
from either side about what tran‑
spired at the meet, but a report by
Pakistan's Geo TV said that
Beijing was expected to give $6
billion in economic aid to
The artery of Beijing's Belt and
Road project, China‑Pakistan
Economic Corridor is planned
through a part of Kashmir held by
Pakistan and claimed by India.
Wickremesinghe,
Islamabad.
sacked the Cabinet
A loan of $1.5 billion was also
and suspended
expected to be offered, along with
Parliament last week
an additional package of $3 bil‑
and appointed former
lion for the China‑Pakistan Sri Lanka's ʻoustedʼ Prime Minister
President Mahinda
Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Rajapaksa as the new
report added.
Prime Minister. Parliament and I am the person
Pakistan is in excessive foreign
However, Wickremesinghe has who has that. We have asked for
debt and to stave‑off the crisis it
refused to leave office, calling the the summoning of Parliament so I
has already secured $6 billion
move illegal. The crisis sparked can prove my majority in the
from Saudi Arabia and reached
protests and violence in the coun‑ House," Wickremesinghe said.
out to the International Monetary
try that is facing an extraordinary Wickremesinghe's supporters
Fund for the bailout.
situation where two people are had been gathering at Temple
claiming to run the government. Trees since the day he was sacked.
The statement also said that "neg‑
"The Constitution states that the The BBC cited his aides as saying
at ive propag anda" was being
President must appoint as Prime that it was a way to prevent any
spread about the CPEC, in a clear
Minister the person who com‑ use of force to remove the ousted
reference to India which opposes
mands the confidence of Prime Minister from the house.
the project.

Former Maldives President 'Father of Taliban'

Nasheed returns from exile assassinated in Pakistan
Islamabad: Maulana Samiul Haq, a for‑ According to Hamidul, Maulana Sami, a
Male: Maldives' former President Mohamed mer Pakistani close ally of Prime
Nasheed, who was in self‑imposed exile in Senator more widely Minister Imran Khan,
London for two years, returned to the atoll known as the "Father was unable to take
nation and was welcomed by hundreds of of Taliban", was part in the protest
supporters and political leaders. stabbed to death against the woman's
After the Supreme Court ordered a stay while resting in his acquittal due to road
on his arrest and a 13‑year prison sentence room in Rawalpindi blo ckades and had
handed down in 2015, the chief of the city, his family said. returned home. "He
Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) arrived The influential reli‑ was stabbed multiple
at Velana International Airport at 2.30 p.m. g ious leader's son t imes," he said.
from Colombo with his wife Laila Ali and Maulana Hamidul Maulana Sami, said to
fellow MDP member and President‑elect Haq told Geo News be around 83 years
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. that his father's driv‑ old, headed the Darul
Dressed in his trademark yellow tie, er had gone out. On Uloom Haqqania sem‑
marking the MDP colour, Nasheed was his return, he saw inary in Khyber‑
received by his mother Aabidhaa, party that Maulana Sami Pakhtunkhwa's Akora
number two Shifaz Mohamed and many was sprawled on his Khattak area.
lawmakers and politicians, Efe news report‑ bed in a pool of He was a Senator
ed. Nasheed was set to travel on a speed‑ Mohamed Nasheed was the first bloo d. "He was no between March 1991
boat from the airport island of Hulhule to democratically‑elected longer alive." and March 1994. He
President of Maldives. T he news of was e lected on an
the capital, along with a fleet of boats with Former Pak Senator
dozens of supporters. of the country was forced to resign in Maulana Sami's Maulana Samiul Haq. Islami Jamhoori
He will then head to the MDP campaign 2012, and three years later in a widely‑crit‑ death comes at a Itehad ticket.
hall to address his supporters before hold‑ icized trial, was sentenced to 13 years in time when religio‑political parties are He was aligned with the now ruling
ing a press conference. jail for the illegal detention of a judge dur‑ protesting the Supreme Court's acquittal Pakistan Tehreek‑e‑Insaf (PTI) of Imran
The first democratically‑elected President ing his term. of a Christian woman in a blasphemy Khan in the July 25 parliamentary elec‑
case. tion.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INTERNATIONAL November 10-16, 2018 21

ʻKHASHOGGI'S BODY WAS US unleashes 'toughest

DISSOLVED IN ACIDʼ
Istanbul: The body of Saudi jour‑
nalist Jamal Khashoggi was "dis‑
solved" in acid after it was dis‑
membered at the kingdom's con‑
sulate in Istanbul, an adviser to
Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan said.
"We now see that it wasn't just
cut up; (the Saudi suspects) got rid
of the bo dy by dissolving it,"
Erdogan's adviser Yasin Aktay told
Hurriyet Daily News.
"According to the latest informa‑
tion we have, the reason they cut
up the body is it was easier to dis‑
solve it. They aimed to ensure no
sign of the body was left," said
Aktay, who was a friend of the dis‑
sident Saudi writer.
"Killing an innocent person is
one crime, the treatment and
extent of what was done to the
body is another crime and dishon‑
or."
Khashoggi, a Washington Post
columnist and a supporter‑turned‑
crit ic of Saudi Crown Prince
Mohammad Bin Salman, was killed
inside the consulate after he went
there on October 2 to get docu‑
ments for his forthcoming mar‑
riage. The remarks represented the
first of ficial statement from a
Turkish authority about what
Khashoggi was
dangerous
Islamist: Saudi
Crown Prince
Riyadh: Saudi Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman described
murdered journalist Jamal
Khashoggi as a "dangerous
Islamist" in a phone call with
President Donald Trump's son‑in‑
law Jared Kushner and National
Jamal Khashoggi was a
Security Adviser John Bolton, The
Washington Post columnist.
Washington Post reported.
In the call, which occurred
allegedly happened to Khashoggi's
before the Kingdom publicly
body. Istanbul's prosecutor con‑
acknowledged Khashoggi's death,
firmed that the writer was stran‑
the Crown Prince urged Kushner
gled. Turkish investigators had
and Bolton to preserve the US‑
been trying to determine whether
Saudi alliance and said the jour‑
Khashoggi's remains could have
nalist was a member of the
been dissolved in acid at the near‑
Muslim Brotherhood, a group
by consul general's house.
long opposed by Bolton and other
An unnamed official also told the
senior Trump officials, informed
Washington Post that "biological
sources told The Post. The
evidence" in the consulate's gar‑
attempt to criticize Khashoggi in
den suggested that because of acid
private stands in contrast to the
"Khashoggi's body was not in need
Saudi government's later public
of burying". However, no forensic
statements decrying his death as
evidence has been provided yet to
a "terrible mistake" and "terrible
support the claim that the body
tragedy", the sources said.
was dissolved, the BBC reported.
ever' sanctions on Iran
Washington: The
US unleashed its
"toughest ever"
sanctions against
Iran, a move that
has already
sparked mass
protests in the oil‑
rich nation.
US President
Donald Trump's
administration
reinstated all sanc‑
tions removed
under the 2015
nuclear deal, tar‑
geting both Iran
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has
and states that
vowed to break the sanctions.
trade with it,
reports the BBC. exemptions to eight countries
More than 700 individuals, to continue importing Iranian
entities, vessels and aircraft oil, without naming them. They
were now on the sanctions list, are reported to include US allies
including major banks, oil India, Italy, Japan and South
exporters and shipping compa‑ Korea.
nies. Iranian President Hassan
Washington has also said that Rouhani has vowed to sell his
it wanted to stop what it calls country's oil and break the
Tehran's "malign" activities sanctions.
including cyber attacks, ballis‑ The UK, Germany and France
tic missile tests, and support for ‑ which are among the five
terror groups and militias in countries still committed to the
the Middle East. The Trump nuclear pact ‑ have all objected
administration has granted to the sanctions, the BBC said.

FRENCH TERRITORY Crashed Indonesian plane's

REJECTS INDEPENDENCE fuselage found
Noumea (New Caledonia):
Jakarta: Divers searching for sound from the second black box, spoke at the do ckside where
Voters in the French Pacific
wreckage belonging to Lion Air Efe news reported. "Although the Indonesian Navy officers could be
territory here have rejected
flight have found the fuselage of sound is quite weak, it came from seen lifting some heavy parts of
a bid for independence
the crashed airliner and said they a spot not far from the ship the aircraft, such as its undercar‑
prompting President
heard a signal from its missing 'Victory,'" he said, referring to a riage. "I haven't seen it myself but
Emmanuel Macron to say
cockpit voice recorder, the head rescue vessel deployed to the I got informat ion from some
that it showed "confidence
of Indonesia's National Search and area. divers that they have seen the
in the French republic".
Rescue Agency said on Saturday. The brand new Boeing 737's fuselage," Syaugi said.
"I have to tell you how
Muhammad Syaugi, head of the other black box, or flight data Flight JT‑610 crashed into the
proud I am that we have
agency which is also known as recorder, had been found, but so Java Sea 13 minutes after taking
finally passed this historic
Basarnas, told reporters at the far investigators have not been off from Jakarta to fly to a neigh‑
step together," Macron
port of Jakarta that divers had able to recover any information boring island. All 189 people on
added.
detected a characteristic "ping" from it, of ficials said. Syaugi board were killed.
Final results showed that
56.4 per cent chose to
remain part of France
while 43.6 per cent voted
to leave ‑‑ a tighter result
than some polls had pre‑
dicted.
Turnout was about 81
per cent in this island that
is one of UN's 17 "non‑self
French President
Emmanuel Macron.
governing territories"
where the process of decol‑ ablaze in the capital, Noumea,
onization has not been complet‑ media reports said. The high
ed. The vote was promised in a commissioner's office said some
1988 deal that put an end to a roads were closed by protesters.
violent campaign for independ‑ New Caledonia has large
ence, the BBC reported. deposits of nickel, a vital compo‑
Although the referendum nent in manufacturing electron‑
passed peacefully but some ics, and is seen by France as a
unrest was reported post polls strategic political and economic
closed. Cars and a shop were set asset in the region. Investigators check debris of Lion Air JT 610 in Jakarta.
 22 November 10-16, 2018
Lowe's is closing 51 stores
in the US and Canada
New York : In another sign of the
times for retail, Lowe's is closing 51
North American stores.
Lowe's said Monday that those
locations are underperforming and
the decision will help the hardware
chain focus on its most profitable
stores.
"The store closures are a neces‑
sary step in our strategic reassess‑
ment as we focus on building a
stronger business," said CEO
Marvin Ellison, in a statement.
Retail stores are struggling to
adjust to the rapid rise of online
shopping, particularly from Amazon
(AMZN). Many successful retailers
with big stores have adjusted their
business strategies to make better
use of their physical spaces. Others,
including Sears, Kmart and Toys "R"
Us, failed.
Lowe's and its rival Home Depot
have proven to be largely Amazon‑
proof, because Amazon does not
sell lumber or other heavy, bulky
home improvement products.
But Lowe's is struggling to keep
up with Home Depot. Last year,
Home Depot's revenue hit more
than $100 billion, while Lowe's
sales were be low $70 billion.
CHINA'S POLICIES TO Gold sales average on 'dhanteras'
OPEN UP ECONOMY
WILL BOOST TRADE: IMF
Shanghai: Christine Lagarde,
the Managing Director of the
International Monetary Fund
(IMF), praised China for facili‑
tat ing economic and trade
cooperation at a time of grow‑
ing protectionism and an ongo‑
ing trade war between Beijing
and Washington.
Lagarde also spoke about
China's growing importance in
global trade during the inaugu‑
rat ion of the first China
Internat ional Import Expo,
which began here on Monday,
reports Efe news.
She said China had built a
"bridge" 40 years ago when it
started opening up its econo‑
my, and was building one again
now with its structural reforms,
Lowe's stock price has also lagged
behind its rival, leading to pressure
from activist investors.
Earlier this year, Lowe's gave the
reins to a home improvement veter‑
an to turn around the company.
Ellison was a top executive Home
Depot for more than a decade, and
most recently served as JCPenney's
(JCP) CEO.
Ellison has already made some
big strategic decisions, including
closing all of its Orchard Supply
Hardware stores and slashing
inventory at its Lowe's stores.
He believes targeting professional
home builders and construction
companies with higher‑quality tools
seeking to move away from an
exports‑based model to one
based on domestic consump‑
tion.
Lagarde also called for efforts
to alleviate current trade dis‑
putes, in a reference to the US‑
China trade war, and urged
countries to work toward
repairing the economic system
instead of destroying it.
A better business environ‑
ment would lead to a better
internat ional environment,
added Lagarde.
The World Bank President
Jim Yong Kim, called China's
opening up of its economy a
lesson for everyone and said
trade led to inclusive economic
growth as it created jobs.
BUSINESS TheSouthAsianTimes.info
LOAN UNDER 59
MINUTES AMONG
MODI'S MAJOR SOPS
New Delhi: Prime Minister sector that has been reeling
Narendra Modi has announced under the impact of demoneti‑
a host of sops for the ailing zation and the new tax regime,
Micro, Small and Medium Modi said he would personally
Enterprises (MSME) sector monitor the implementation of
including approval for loans this support and outreach pro‑
up to Rs 1 crore within 59 gram in 100 districts over the
minutes with 2 per cent inter‑ next 100 days.
est subvention. He said despite being the
Making 12 major announce‑ second largest employer in the
ments ahead of the upcoming country after agriculture,
Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, MSMEs faced challenges in
and equipment, additional dis‑
he also promised them free‑ terms of credit, market linkage,
counts, and better customer service
dom from harassment by gov‑ technological advancements,
will improve Lowe's. Sales to home
ernment of ficials ‑ be it in government interference and
building pros make up around 45%
terms of inspections, getting security.
of Home Depot's sales, but only
clearances for businesses or The 12 decisions announced
around 30% of Lowe's sales, accord‑
minor violations under the by the Prime Minister not only
ing to analysts at Wedbush
Companies Act. promised quick and cheap
Securities.
He said now the establish‑ credit to small businesses, but
Lowe's (LOW) will shut down 20
ments to be visited by an also a strong market linkage,
stores in the United States and 31
inspector would be decided boost to women entrepreneurs
in Canada. The company said that a
through a computerized ran‑ and small pharmaceutical
"majority" of the shuttered stores
dom allotment and that an units, freedom from inspector
are within 10 miles of another
entrepreneur would no longer raj, simplification in regulatory
Lowe's location.
have to approach the court for filings, decriminalisation of
The stores will be closed before
minor violations as the govern‑ small mistakes and self‑certifi‑
Feb. 1, 2019. The company will try
ment had issued an ordinance cation for environment clear‑
to find jobs at nearby stores for its
to that ef fect. To prop up the ances.
employees affected by the closings.
Mumbai: Keeping in tune with
expectations, gold sales have
notched a sharp fall of 40 per cent
this year compared to 2017 Diwali
owing to high prices and overall
negative market sentiments, a lead‑
ing retailers body said.
"Though there are crowds, people
are not buying as per the expecta‑
tions, but merely making token pur‑
chases of 5‑10‑20 gm to mark the
auspicious day. Mostly gold
coins/guineas are moving while
small, medium or big articles of jew‑
People buying jewelry at a jewelry store on the occasion of
ellery are virtually ignored," said
Dhanteras in Nagpur, on November 5. (Photo: IANS)
Mumbai Jewe lers Federation
President Rakesh Shetty. Since two months, till last Saturday, future given the current interna‑
However, another industry body, the market situation was extremely tional scenario. Along with that,
the All India Gem & Jewe lery gloomy," said GJC President Nitin gold itself would shoot up to Rs
Domestic Council (GJC), said that Khandelwal. 45,000 per tola (10 gm). Plus, the
contrary to expectations, gold and However, this time the purchases upcoming winter marriage season
jewellery sales have zoomed during ‑ mostly in small jewelleries of 10 is also driving up the sales,"
'dhanteras' and the positive trend gm (1 tola) or multiples ‑ is for end‑ Khandelwal told IANS.
was expected to continue till the user purposes and not as invest‑ The market sentiments are posi‑
upcoming winter wedding season. ments, with the prospects of gold tive despite the gold rates going up
"The past three days have sur‑ prices shooting up with the likely from Rs 30,000/tola in 'dhanteras'
prised even the industry. People are increase in US dollar rates soon. 2017 to around Rs 31,500/tola this
literally out in droves in shops and "Our expectation is that USD may year, which portends good for the
showrooms to make gold purchases. touch around Rs 85 in the near industry.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
India thrash West Indies, clinch ODI series 3‑1
Team India with the trophy in Thiruvananthapuram. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)
Thiruvananthapuram: India
thrashed the West Indies by nine
wickets in the fifth and final One‑
Day International to clinch the
series 3‑1 here.
India had won the first and
fourth matches. The second match
ended in an exciting draw while
the visitors outplayed India in the
third ODI to claim their first and
only victory of the tour.
India played brilliantly in this
match as both bowlers and bats‑
men did their job.
First the bowlers restricted the
visitors to a paltry 104 then the
top‑order batsmen played hand‑
somely to wrap up the issue in
just 15 overs.
Chasing 105, India lost Shikhar
Dhawan (6) in the second over.
Kenya's Keitany wins NY
Marathon for 4th time
New York: Kenya's Mary Keitany
has won the New York
Marathon for the fourth time,
having triumphed in the gruel‑
ing race in 2014, 2015 and
2016, while Ethiopia's Lelisa
Desisa won the men's race.
Keitany, 36, dominated the
42.2‑kilometer (26.22 miles)
race on Sunday to earn her
fourth gold medal with a time of
2:22:48, the second‑best
women's time in the history of
the race.
She crossed the finish line 3
minutes and 13 seconds ahead
of fellow Kenyan Vivian
Cheruiyot, 35, who recorded a
time of 2:26:02 and was 20 sec‑
onds in front of defending
champion Shalane Flanagan,
reports Efe news.
The 37‑year‑old Flanagan
moved up from fifth place in the
final kilometers until she man‑
aged to make it into the third
spot, the fast American in the
race with a time of 2:26:22.
In the men's competition,
Ethiopia's Lelisa Desis, 28, won
the race for the first time with a
time of 2:05:59, the second‑best
time ever recorded for the men's
Pacer Oshane T homas clean
bowled the Delhi batsman with
just six runs on the board.
Unperturbed by the fall of
Dhawan's wicket, Rohit Sharma
(63 not out) and skipper Virat
Kohli (33 not out) played sensibly
and guided India to a comfortable
victory. Rohit also completed his
37th half‑century.
Rohit slammed five boundaries
and four sixes in his 56‑ball
innings while Kohli played 29
balls and hammered six bound‑
aries.
Earlier, a brilliant bowling effort
saw India bundle out West Indies
for 104.
The Indian bowlers were on the
mark right from the start. Some
good line and maximum use of the
Mary Keitany.
(File Photo: IANS)
side of the New York Marathon.
It was a tight final, with 22‑
year‑old Shura Kitata, also from
Ethiopia, coming in just 2 sec‑
onds back, and with favourite
and title defender Geoffrey
Kamworor, a 25‑year‑old
Kenyan, crossing the finish line
26 seconds afterwards.
In the wheelchair competition,
Switzerland's Manuela Schar
won her second consecutive
race for the women with a time
of 1:50:27, while US athlete
Daniel Romanchuk also won his
second Marathon, defeating
2017 champ Marcel Hug with a
time of 1:36:21.
SPORTS
condit ions at the Greenfie ld
International Stadium combined
with some poor judgement by the
West Indies batsmen helped the
hosts create havoc in the visitors
batting line‑up.
Apart from skipper Jason
Holder (25) and experienced all‑
rounder Marlon Samuels (24) no
other West Indies batsmen
applied themselves and went back
cheaply.
For India, Ravindra Jade ja
picked up four wickets while
Jasprit Bumrah and Khalee l
Ahmed took two wickets each.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Kuldeep
Yadav scalped one wicket each.
Opting to bat, the visitors suf‑
fered their first setback in the
opening over when Bhuvneshwar
India spin out West Indies by 5 wickets
Kolkata: India pipped a fighting
West Indies by five wickets rid‑
ing on chinaman bowler Kuldeep
Yadav's venomous stuf f backed
up by some responsible middle
order batting display after early
hiccups in the first of the three
T20 Internationals here.
Yadav (3/13) and debutant left
arm orthodox spinner Krunal
Pandya (1/15) spun a we b
around the West Indies batsmen
in a joint spell of eight overs as
the visitors were restricted to
109/8 after Indian stand‑in skip‑
per Rohit Sharma opted to field
at the Eden Gardens.
The Indians lost early wickets,
but Dinesh Karthik (31 not out;
34 b, 3x4, 1x6), Pandya (21 not
out; 9b, 3x4) saw the home side
through with 13 balls to spare in
the low scoring tie.
It was a memorable night for
Yadav, who was not only
adjudged man of the match, but
also reached the landmark of
100 wickets in the T20 format
when he got his third victim by
gett ing West Indies skipper
Carlos Brathwaite leg before.
The Indian reply began on a
wrong note, with the big wicket
of stand‑in skipper Rohit Sharma
(6) falling, only six balls into the
innings.
November 10-16, 2018
India have a good chance
to win in Australia: Azhar
Kolkata: Former India captain
Mohammad Azharuddin said
India have a good chance to win
in Australia although they will
have to push hard for every inch
as it won't be easy Down Under.
"India have a good chance
Down Under. They are a good
side and I fancy them winning
there. Of course it won't be easy.
It never is in Australia. But this
team can do it," Azharuddin said
on the sidelines of Jagmohan
Dalmiya Annual Conclave at the
Eden Gardens here.
Azharuddin's comments
echoed Sachin Tendulkar and
Harbhajan Singh, who also said
recently that this is India's best
chance to win in Australia.
The Australians will be with‑
Kumar pro duced a fine
outswinger to claim his 99th ODI
w icket in the form of Kieron
Powell (0). Jasprit Bumrah struck
in the very next over when Shai
Hope (16) misread the line of a
delivery which came in sharply
after pitching.
Krunal Pandya and Dinesh Karthik celebrates win in the first T20
International against West Indies. (Photo: Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS)
De butant pacer Oshane
T homas (2/21) sent down a
de lectable stuf f and took
Sharma's inside edge. Dinesh
Ramdin took the diving catch to
his left behind the stumps, much
to the dismay of the 40 thousand
plus spectators, who had hoped
to see another cracker of a knock
from the Mumbaikar on his
favourite ground.
There was high drama as the
umpire init ially remained
23
out regular captain Steve Smith
and experienced opener David
Warner as the pair are serving a
one‑year ban due to their roles
in the ball tampering scandal in
March this year.
Along with Azharuddin, West
Indies batting legend Brian Lara,
former India captain Sourav
Ganguly and former skipper
Carl Hooper were present and
took part in a panel discussion
celebrating the silver jubilee of
the 1993 CAB Jubilee
Tournament: the Hero Cup.
Former South Africa captain
Graeme Smith, who delivered a
lecture on Dalmiya, was also
part of the discussion, during
which all of them went down
memory lane.
With the scoreboard reading
2/2, all eyes were on Samuels and
the in form Shimron Hetmyer (9).
But after adding 34 runs for the
third wicket, Samuels, who was
looking good at the crease, was
caught by skipper Virat Kohli off
Jadeja in the 12th over.
unmoved by the vo ciferous
appeal from the Caribbeans, but
changed his decision after
Brathwaite went for a review,
that confirmed an inside edge.
The Windies were reduced to
34/3 in seven overs when
Pandya ‑‑ who had misfielded in
only the second ball of the
innings ‑‑ was brought in.
After 15 overs, the tourists had
managed just 63 runs, losing 7
wickets.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info November 10-16, 2018
TheSouthAsianTimes.info FESTIVAL November 10-16, 2018 25

Amritsar:
School students
participate in an
i Girls Hostel here. (Image: PTI)
awareness rally urging ti: Girls light earthen lamps during Diwali at Nalini Bala Dev
Guwaha
people to refrain from
bursting crackers ahead
of Diwali on Nov 5.
Jaipur: (Photos IANS)
A view of an
illuminated Jaipur
street on the eve of
Diwali
on Nov 6.

lamps as they celebrate

Guwahati: Elderly women light oil
Diwali at an old age hom e here on Nov 6.

Nagpur:
Colorful
lanterns on
sale at a
street‑side
market ahead
of Diwali in
Nagpur on
Nov 5.

Amritsar:
Sikh devotees
lighting diyas on the
occasion of Diwali at the
beautifully lit Golden
Temple.

erns during Kali Puja celebrations

Kolkata: People release sky lant 6.
at Bholanath Dham temple on Nov
 26 November 10-16, 2018
Understanding the SAT Subject Tests
SHINE ON, STUDENTS
By Kristen Moon
T
he SAT is one of the most
well‑known, and perhaps
one of the most dreaded,
college admissions tests. A little
less infamous are the SAT
Subject Tests, previously called
the “Scholast ic Achievement
Tests” or SAT II. Some colleges,
especially Ivy League and other
selective institutes, require or
recommend that you take SAT
Subject tests, especially if you are
applying for particular courses
or programs.
The SAT Subject Tests are 20
subjects in 5 general subject
areas, 1‑hour‑long, and multiple‑
choice. They focus on individual
subjects and will test the appli‑
cantʼs understanding of the over‑
all subject material learned
throug hout their academic
career. They are scored between
200 and 800 and the five main
disciplines are English, History,
Languages, Mathematics, and
5 tips for Indian students wanting to study abroad
By Amit Dasgupta
A
mong the more impor‑
tant things we do in life
is to take decisions. At a
time of information overload,
this can be particularly challeng‑
ing. And yet, this is the time of
year when students have to
make up their minds on their
future course of study. It is one
of the most difficult and impor‑
tant decisions they would need
to take and would, most certain‑
ly, impact them for the rest of
their lives.
Trends suggest that there
would be an increasing number
of Indian students who would be
opting for higher studies, partic‑
ularly in Australia.
What are some of the key
things to keep in mind?
Do your homework, but don't
get bogged down: Doing your
homework and basic research
are important, but too much
information can make decision‑
making dif ficult and even con‑
fusing. It is important to decide
what subject you would like to
Sciences. Each of these cate‑
gories has at least one subcatego‑
ry underneath it.
SAT Subject Tests can be an
essential piece in your college
application. SAT Subject Tests
will measure a studentʼs readi‑
ness for college‑level courses.
The tests are designed to meas‑
ure knowledge in specific areas,
so colleges can decide if the
applicant can be exempt from
college requirements. However,
no matter how well you do you
are not able to earn college cred‑
its.
The subcategories within each
subject are as follows:
8 English: Literature
8 History: U.S. History, World
History
8 Languages: Spanish, French,
Italian, German, Latin, Hebrew,
Chinese, Korean, and Japanese
(Some will have an option to test
listening comprehension and
might require additional equip‑
ment)
8 Mathematics: Level 1‑ col‑
lege preparatory including one
year each of algebra and geome‑
try. Level 2 ‑ all subjects from
Level 1, plus trigonometry and
pre‑calculus
8 Science: Biology ‑ either
Ecological or Microbiological,
Chemistry, Physics.
The registration and test dates
pursue, where you would like to
study, whether you meet the
entry and eligibility criteria and,
finally, do you have the required
funds to pay for it. Given the
Indian Rupee‑Australian Dollar
exchange rate, study ing in
Australia is significantly cheaper
than opting for the US and the
UK, which pose additional and
new challenges.
Know how to apply: If you are
going throug h an educat ion
agent, first find out which educa‑
tion agents have been empan‑
elled by the university of choice.
EDUCATION
vary year to year, so it is essen‑
tial that you check the website
early to make sure you do not
miss the deadline. T hey are
offered six times a year and will
correspond with the dates of the
SAT, with one exception as the
Subject Tests arenʼt available in
March. Not every discipline and
their sub‑category are available
each testing date. Fees are also
applicable and in some cases, can
be waived for students from low‑
income families.
The SAT Subject Tests are not
tied to any particular course on
your transcript; they can be used
instead to emphasize your abili‑
ties that are most relevant to
your experiences and what you
plan on studying in college. For
example, if you already have a
major or program in mind, tak‑
ing a Subject Test in that subject
matter can help showcase your
For instance, the internationally‑
ranked University of New South
Wales (UNSW), Sydney, has only
12 registered India‑based educa‑
tion partners. No one else is
authorized to process student
applications. The list is available
on the university's we bsite.
Furthermore, empanelled agents
are not authorized to charge stu‑
dents for services they render.
Such payments, or commissions,
are paid by the university.
Know why you are pursuing
higher studies: Simon Sinek, in
his ground‑breaking book, "The
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
qualificat ions or he lp w ith
course placement.
Be fore preparing for the
Subject Tests, check the require‑
ments of each school you are
applying to, and then choose the
test you think will best demon‑
strate your talents and interests.
Even if your perspective schools
do not require them, you might
want to consider taking the two
to three tests. It can show your
willingness to advance in your
intended field and can help you
stand out from the crowded play‑
ing field of applications.
Some students might benefit
from taking the Subject Tests like
international students, multilin‑
gual or ESL students, and home‑
schooled students. It can help
validate your experiences or
ensure that you are have learned
the same material as other peo‑
ple your age who attended a
Power of Why", emphasized the
misplaced emphasis that so
many place on "what" and "how"
without ever knowing "why". If
we know "why" we are planning
on a particular course of action,
other things fall in place. ʻWhyʼ
is where we first start. You can
decide, for instance, to pursue an
underg raduate course in
Finance and Accounting if you
are clear in your mind as to why
you would like to do so. Once
you know your "why", the
"where" is easy.
Embrace Change: Often our
parents, in particular, and some‑
times even we, fear the uncer‑
tain. Living abroad, especially if
it is the first time, can be chal‑
lenging. Is it safe? What is the
culture like? Would my son or
daughter make friends? Would
the studying and living culture
cause problems? These are all
legitimate questions and anxi‑
eties. At the same time, if the
decision is to study abroad, it is
important to be open to change.
Some things might be similar to
what we are used to but there
more traditional U.S. high school.
Donʼt confuse the SAT Subject
Tests with Advanced Placement
(AP) tests as they are very differ‑
ent tests. SAT Subject Tests are
used as a baseline for a studentʼs
understanding of the subject
material from high school and do
not count towards college credit.
AP tests will cover college‑level
material and may count towards
college credit.
Work the SAT Subject Tests to
your advantage. Whether they
are required or not, they can be a
great asset on your transcript. Be
selective in showcasing your
skills, experiences, and interests
so you can use them to help your
college application stand out as
much as possible.
Kristen Moon is an
independent college
counselor and founder
of MoonPrep.com.
would be big differences in sev‑
eral other aspects. What is par‑
t icularly fascinat ing is that
"other cultures" open up the
mind to new ways of seeing and
thinking ‑‑ and even behaving.
Learn with Passion: We can
learn every single day but only if
we are open to it. "Smell the
roses" we are told and yet, we
rarely do. Employability is not a
quotient of how many books we
have read or quotat ions we
know by heart but how we are
able to relate with our external
environment. T his is what
employers look for because
what they want are persons who
can work in a team, who can
take decisions and, consequent‑
ly, who anticipate and solve
problems without compromising
on integrity and values. Great
educational institutions recog‑
nise this and embed it into their
pedagogy. It is what makes them
stand out.
Amit Dasgupta, a former diplo‑
mat, is the inaugural India coun‑
try director for UNSW Sydney.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info IMMIGRATION November 10-16, 2018 27

By Dev Banad Viswanath,

THE BLACK HOLE OF

Esq.
& Michael Phulwani, Esq.

W
hen an individual

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSING
applies for a visa their
application may be
required to go through further
administrative processing. This
occurs after the individualʼs hole for visa applicants because and need to investigate further sometimes be done.

VISA
interview by a consular officer, the reason for administrative During administrative process‑ If an application is denied after
and the timing of how long their processing is concealed and the ing a consular officer may administrative processing, the
length of time is uncertain. Some request for a Security Advisory applicant cannot appeal the

TALK
application will go through
administrative processing varies applicants believe this delay will Opinion (SAO) to determine if the denial. But, an applicant may be
by each case. 90% of cases that eventually result in a denial. But applicant poses a risk to the able to request an advisory opin‑
fall into administrative process‑ that is not always true. If an United States. If an SAO is ion from the Visa Office in
ing under 221(g) will be resolved need to wait at least sixty days applicant is placed in administra‑ requested, consular officers are Washington D.C. Since adminis‑
within the few 2 to 4 weeks. from the date of interview or tive processing, the consular offi‑ told not to reveal that informa‑ trative processing may at times
However, another 8% may take submission of addition docu‑ cer issues a written notice stat‑ tion to applicants. Once a visa take a very long time it is some‑
longer than one month, and ments, whichever is later, before ing that under Section 221(g) of application is put into adminis‑ times better to apply for a visa
about 2% of cases will take much making any inquiries about their the Immigration and Nationality trative processing it may be very all over again rather then appeal‑
longer than a month. case. Acts (INA) no visa can be issued difficult to move it along in the ing a denial. The decision should
An individual who is placed in Being placed in administrative until additional administrative consular posts but with a persist‑ be made only after consulting a
administrative processing will processing can seem like a black processing has been completed. ent and respectful manner it can legal professional.
An applicant may be put into
administrative processing for
Need an accountant / manager several reasons such as:
Dev Banad Viswanath is the Principal Attorney of
The Banad Law Offices PC in the United States,
and Banad Immigration in India for which
For Temple / Jain Center of America in Elmhurst, Queens NY.
8 The need to review their Attorney Michael Phulwani is also affiliated as Of
Requirements: 100% vegetarian, detail oriented, case more thoroughly Counsel. With Offices in Manhattan, Queens,
Proficiency in QB, Good knowledge of payable, receivable, 8 The need to review their Bangalore, and Mumbai, the firm is able to assist
bank reconciliation, preparing and filing payroll taxes. We answers from the interview clients with all facets of the immigration process,
will train. 8 To do a background check including Employment Visas, Consular Visa
Any 4 days a week plus and name check Assistance, Student Visas, Removal &
Sunday is a must. 8 Requesting additional infor‑ Deportation, US Citizenship and Green Card
Please reply with your resume to: mation to support applicantʼs Applications based on Family or Employment.
Anu Jain, jainanu2005@gmail.com & Dev B. Viswanath can be reached at
petition
Kalpana Gandhi kalinuc@yahoo.com Dev@Banadlaw.com and 718‑361‑5999.
8 A suspicion of visa fraud

DISPLAY CLASSIFIEDS
28 November 10-16, 2018 HUMOR TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Funny Side by Nury Vittachi

The safest places in

the world

BEST
RATE
FOR
INDIA
F
ive years ago I lived in a housing estate if you know where to look. India has Shani
that was so safe that I didn't even own Shingnapur, a famously low‑crime town of
AND a front door key. Our only line of
defense against evil was a deeply confused
3,000 people in Maharashtra where most
houses don't even have doors, let alone locks.
PAKISTAN dog which barked at family members and
gave strangers a friendly licking.
This columnist wrote about it a few years
ago when a bank was built there. Townsfolk
(My wife tells me to be kind since dogs have ordered executives at UCO Bank to follow tra‑
brains the size of walnuts, but I argue that a dition and have no locks on its doors. The
New York Head Quarter walnut would be cheaper and more effective bankers thought this was a bit unusual for a
422‑S Broadway since you can throw it at people and it never bank but were willing to cooperate. You could
needs its poop picked up. But whatever.) imagine the discussion:
HICKSVILLE
Safe places to live were on my mind after a Townsfolk: "You must follow our tradition
NY 11801 reader sent in a news report about what is and not lock the doors of your bank."
being called "the safest place in the world". Bankers: "Well, okay. It's your money."
516‑827‑1010 Eibenthal is a village with a little church in Townsfolk: "Wait. Maybe we need to talk
the mountains of Romania. Inhabitants hang about this a bit more."
money in bags on lampposts. The baker pass‑ The only grumble came from local police,
es by takes the money and leaves food but they could have taken inspiration from
behind. Sark, an island near England which main‑
But there are super‑safe places everywhere tained a tiny security presence.
In the 1970s it was invaded by France. The
invasion fleet consisted of one Frenchman.
Laughter is the Best Medicine The defending army consisted of a part‑time
policeman, who arrested the Frenchman with‑
out 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
By paints as a land of guns, has super‑safe
Mahendra places. Wikipedia says the top of the list is
Shah Irvine, California, which had 0.8 of a murder
in the most recent year counted. How can you
have 0.8 of a murder? Did the guy's hair sur‑
Mahendra Shah vive or something?
is an architect by Now here's the thing: You can create indi‑
education, vidual safe spots. Over the years, this column
entrepreneur by has received dozens of news reports about
profession, artist armed robbers who failed because their
and humorist, would‑be crimes didn't fit the ambiance.
cartoonist and Example: In 2012, a masked man entered a
writer by hobby. bar in the Netherlands and leveled a gun at
He has been people inside. Lost in the usual fog of drink
recording the and chatter you find in European bars, they
plight of the ignored him. The whole thing is on YouTube,
immigrant including the deflated robber's sad exit.
Indians for At a bank in Kowloon, Hong Kong, staff told
the past many a raider than they were far too busy to be
year in his robbed. He nodded and left the counter. The
cartoons. Hailing whole thing was marvelously civil.
from Gujarat, he Now I am not saying that our generation is
lives in creating a crime‑free world. Given the
Pittsburgh, propensity of snacks to disappear in this
Pennsylvania. columnist's house, I can't even create a crime‑
free apartment. Who took my walnut?
TheSouthAsianTimes.info ASTROLOGY November 10-16, 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

NOVEMBER 10‑16, 2018

ARIES: You will get lucky in finding
someone, who helps you out in an
important matter. Getting a position
of authority at work is foretold. Your
shrewd moves on the social front are likely
to draw many into your camp. Those seek‑
ing love may feel blessed, as they are about
to realise their dreams! Some previous
investments are likely to mature to make
your bank balance healthy. Renovation or
changes on the home front may be given
the go ahead.
TAURUS: You may be roped in by
someone close for a job that may not
be to your liking, but little you can do
about it. There is nothing that can go wrong
this week, except things involving property.
You are likely to achieve a breakthrough on
the professional front. Students wanting a
scholarship are likely to get lucky. A func‑
tion at home can keep you busy and enter‑
tained. Love may knock at your door of
those looking for it.
GEMINI: You may be called upon to
undertake something prestigious. A
good time is foreseen at work, as the
workload seems to be minimal. You will be
able to pacify a family elder, who is upset
on someone. A most wonderful time can be
expected in the company of lover. Earning
remains good and so does splurging! Steps
taken to come back in shape are likely to
prove most beneficial. Performance on the
academic front will be good.
CANCER: It is best not to meddle in
anyoneʼs personal life. Spouse or a
family member can irritate you no
end. Loverʼs insistence on something that
you are not prepared for can be upsetting.
Check the mechanical condition of your
vehicle to avoid problems en route.
Business persons are likely to bag a few
new clients. Your financial condition is set
to improve as money from an unexpected
source comes to you. Keep a sharp eye on a
family youngster.
LEO: This is the time to do your bit
on the family front to win apprecia‑
tion. You can feel both proud and
anxious about the profession of a family
youngster. Money comes in a steady stream
and is set to improve soon. Homemakers
may feel tied to the home and yearn for a
change. Concern of lover is likely to warm
your heart. You may have to help out some‑
one in need by extending your resources.
VIRGO: You may be able to motivate
someone to do what you had desired
for long. Closeness to someone is
likely to put ideas of the romantic kind in
your head! You will be thorough in whatev‑
er you undertake and impress all with your
performance.
A hobby will help some spend their time
constructively. A new venture may find sup‑
port from most unexpected quarters.
Travelling with family on a vacation is on
the cards. Health remains good.
LIBRA: Despite your reservations,
you will have to call a spade a spade
at work. You may take it upon your‑
self to bring someone in shape on the fit‑
ness front. Accompanying someone you
click with is likely to make your journey
entertaining. You may have to make some
allowance for a greenhorn struggling to
complete something complex. Someoneʼs
unkind comments may leave a bad taste in
your mouth, but expect him or her to apolo‑
gise for the same.
SCORPIO: You will be more than will‑
ing to participate in something on the
social front and you will get your
chance. An outing with lover is on the anvil
and will be most enjoyable. Taking a lift in
somebody elseʼs vehicle may become neces‑
sary this week. You may make up your mind
to sell a property you own. Your actions on
the home front will be much appreciated. A
salary hike is possible, but not immediately.
Health remains satisfactory.
SAGITTARIUS: You may need to keep
some options handy on the profes‑
sional front to avoid getting stuck. A
new venture started by you will show prom‑
ising results. Businesspersons will be able
to net well‑heeled clients by promoting
their business in niche segments. Gains are
indicated for those playing the stocks.
Money loaned by a friend can become a life
saver for some. You may be invited to par‑
ticipate in a social event.
CAPRICORN: Focus may be lacking
in something new that you have
started, but you will regain it soon.
You are likely to omit something important
in a task given to you and pay for it, if you
are not careful. A slanging match with
spouse or a family member is a possibility.
Initial excitement of falling in love is likely
to take you to seventh heaven! You will
need to give up a vice, before it plays with
your health.
AQUARIUS: Travelling is likely to
open many new opportunities on
the professional front. Some of you
are likely to get the courage to blow the lid
of f your romantic af fair and come out in
the open. Those apprehensive about travel
documents can rest easy as they will man‑
age to undertake the journey overseas. A
landed property is likely to give good
returns. Road users need to guard against
road rage.
PISCES: You may change your
stance on a matter at work and it
will be the right move. Chances of
getting shortchanged cannot be ruled out
for some.
You are likely to squander a good opportu‑
nity on the professional front, if you are not
careful. Need is to focus on priorities, but
your heart may pull you in a dif ferent
direction. Boredom is likely to set in on the
romantic front, if excitement is not infused
soon!

10th November, 2018
Traits in you: Being under the
guidance of Sun, you are active,
dynamic, authoritative, brilliant and
talented. You have the ability to ini‑
tiate new ideas and work on them.
However, you need to work on your
stubbornness to become a better
individual.
Health this year: You may suffer
from joint pain or high blood pres‑
sure this year. Gowever, proper
medication would help you main‑
tain a good health.
Finance this year: You will find new
ways to enhance your confidence to
earn and improve your financial con‑
dition. Your professional journeys
will pay off and you will be success‑
ful in your deals this year. You
should invest in a house or selected
socks to get better benefits. If you
schedule business trips abroad, you
may find a chance to meet old friends
and get new opportunit ies to
improve your business. You may end
up spending a lot of money in your
legal issues as they will be stretched
more than expected.
Career this year: The following
year will bring you lot of promises
and surprises to cherish in your
career. You may get rewards for
your work. Your long cherished
dreams may get fulfilled this year.
Romance this year: You will find
your spouse or partner supportive
and understanding enough to help
you in critical situations this year.
11th November, 2018
Traits in you: As you are ruled by
Moon, you are simple, honest, and
cooperative. You are fond of peace
and harmony.
Health this year: You may get wor‑
ried for your parentʼs health and
increasing household expenditure.
Finance this year: You may estab‑
ANNUAL PREDICTIONS: FOR THOSE BORN IN THIS WEEK
lish new contacts and partnerships
this year. You will get benefitted
from your previous investments.
You may gain unexpectedly, which
will improve your financial position
much better than expected.
Career this year: You have ample
new and innovative ideas. You are a
perfectionist in whatever you do.
However, you have to control your
whim and jealousy to succeed in
your life. This year will fulfill all of
your dreams by providing you with
lot of opportunities.
Romance this year: You will find
your spouse supportive enough to
your concerns and provide you with
love and affection.
12th November, 2018
Traits in you: Jupiter signifies
ambition, dignity, and independ‑
ence. You are blessed with all these
characteristics and you are kind
hearted as well.
Health this year: You may plan for
a pilgrimage or a distant journey to
find mental peace and take rest
from your busy schedule, which
makes you weak physically.
Finance this year: This year will
be very fruitful for you in terms of
investments. If you want to invest in
the stock market, you will be bene‑
fited hugely. This year is the best
time to go for property.
Career this year: You w ill be
enjoy ing a goo d posit ion and
respect in your professional life.
However, you should not behave
dominant this year. It may af fect
your life negatively. If you are in
creativity field, you may gain lot of
recognition and of course money
will follow. You will find help from
your near ones when required. This
will be a major boost to your profes‑
sional life.
Romance this year: You may plan
for a romantic trip with your part‑
ner to a distant place.
13th November, 2018
Traits in you: Being an active, sen‑
sible, enthusiastic, authoritative, and
energetic person, you have enough
capability to perform very well in
your professional career.
Health this year: You will find
improvements in your health
though working long at office.
Finance this year: Some of you
may visit abroad for business trips
as you areplanning to enhance your
business territory. You will get suc‑
cess in you new ventures and this
will make you financially stable.
Career this year: Your intelligence
will enable you create wonders in
your profession. However, you
should work on your impatience,
whim and stubbornness. You should
plan something to execute your
plans in this year. You will find luck
and success easily this year if you
grab the opportunities at right
times. You will find good opportuni‑
ties by developing new relation‑
ships and attachments.
Romance this year: Some of you
may get married to your desired
partners this year.
14th November, 2018
Traits in you: Your guiding star,
Mercury makes you practical, intel‑
ligent, distinguished, responsive,
unique and dashing individual. You
possess friendly and cooperative.
However, you should control your
being impatient and short‑tem‑
peredness.
Health this year: You may remain
tensed for the health of your
spouse.
Finance this year: You will be in
financial gain this year as your busi‑
ness will grow. This will enhance
your confidence. You will be able to
settle down your legal matters this
year and find peace from the
results.
Career this year: You will find new
proposals and work assignments
this year. Some of you may get good
increments and promotions as well
in your professional life. If you are a
sportsman or an artist, you can
expect fame towards the end of the
year.
Romance this year: Your relation‑
ship with your partner might get
ruined due to minor issues. If you
have never been in a relationship,
this year may be lucky for you as
you will have an emotional and
romantic attachment.
15th November, 2018
Traits in you: Venus being your
ruling planet of fers you with a
charismatic personality and intelli‑
gence. You will always find peace of
mind.
Health this year: You may find
blessings of a sacred person to
remain physically and mentally
healthy.
Finance this year: You may find
your friends helpful enough to sup‑
port you financially. You may get
influence from one of your female
friends, which will bring new dimen‑
sions to your life. You have to
ignore them who approach you for
loans and financial assistance.
Career this year: As a vivid learn‑
er, you will get the chance to move
ahead of others when it comes to
new technology. However, you have
to work on your nature of being
lazy, moody. You should control
yourself from interfering in the
affairs of others.
Romance this year: Your partner
will be with you in every situation
you are in. You will be relieved with
the helping hand of your partner.
16th November, 2018
Traits in you: Your ruling planet
Neptune makes you full of energy,
ambition, and honesty. You like to
enjoy independence in your life to
the maximum. You have a sharp
memory to memorize whatever you
study. Being innovative and born
talented, you have all the capabili‑
ties to impress others. However, you
need work on your nature of behav‑
ing impatient and unpredictable.
Health this year: You may need to
take extra care of your health as the
movement of your planet may make
you fall sick throughout this year. It
is advised to practice yoga and med‑
itation in a regular basis. It will not
only improve your mental health
but also make you physically fit.
Finance this year: If you are into
business, this year will prove to be
very lucky for you as you w ill
expand your business by launching
new and profitable ideas. You will
gain enough money if you invest in
stocks.
Career this year: You have the
best time to take important deci‑
sions for your professional life this
year. It is advisable for you to gath‑
er knowledge and information on
various topics. You need to make
new and long lasting contacts to get
help in future. You will try your
level best to achieve your desired
goals.
Romance this year: Your romantic
affiliation with your partner may
make your bond more stronger. You
may plan to get married this year.
30 November 10-16, 2018 SPIRITUAL AWARENESS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Mysticism, the science that

injects life with peace and joy
pursuit deals with realms of expe‑ The method is simple. As we
rience that ultimately transcend gaze within, we transcend aware‑
that which is physical and mental, ness of body‑consciousness into
it seems mysterious. That is why realms of Light and Sound within.
this approach came to be known As we continue this process we
as mysticism. will prove to ourselves that there
By Sant Rajinder Singh Mysticism, however, is a science is Light and Sound beyond, that
Ji Maharaj that injects life with understand‑ we can exist separately from the
ing, joy, peace, and love. It is a physical body, and that there are

M
ysticism, rightly under‑
stood, is the most univer‑
sal and fundamental
approach to achieving an integrat‑
ed and fulfilling life. In a world
that has made such remarkable
scientific and material progress,
the challenge before us, individu‑
ally and collectively, is to make
similarly spectacular progress in
the spiritual sphere.
Each of us is allotted a limited
amount of time on earth. During
this time we have a unique oppor‑
tunity to investigate the purpose
for which we were born and try to
understand the meaning of life
itself.
The desire to know and under‑
stand things seems to be innate in
human beings. Scientists are
engaged in this pursuit, but the
tools they use are limited to those
that are physical and intellectual.
Over the years, saints and mystics
have unraveled the mysteries of
life and death and have discov‑
ered that complete understanding
could only be gained at the spiri‑
tual level. Because the spiritual
practical approach to living that
enriches our inner life and enrich‑
es our relationships with others.
The basic premise of mysticism is
that each of us, in reality, is a soul
inhabiting a physical body for a
rather short period of time. It may
be twenty, forty, sixty, eighty, or
even a hundred years, but in the
not too distant future, each of us
will die and leave this world.
Where did our soul come from
before we entered this world?
Where will it go after we leave
here? What is the purpose of this
world, and of life itself? These
questions are fundamental to
understanding our human exis‑
tence.
The mystics are those enlight‑
ened individuals who have
searched and found the answers
to these questions. They tell us
that the purpose of our life is to
reunite our soul with its Creator,
and they offer to teach us a
method by which we can do so.
Throughout the ages many meth‑
ods have been taught to achieve
this union, but in our contempo‑
rary world, we need an approach
that takes into account the reali‑
ties of modern life. Such an
approach to mysticism offers
unlimited opportunities for
improving our lives and improv‑
ing the lives of people throughout
the globe.
The beginning of our soulʼs jour‑
ney is the contact with the Light
and Sound of God. The Light and
Sound current flows out from God,
higher realms of divine conscious‑
ness. The test is to prove it to our‑
selves. Those who spend time
daily in this process have had suc‑
cess in proving the hypothesis
that there is an existence beyond
this world.
Through meditation on the
inner Light and Sound we can
achieve the peace, harmony, love,
and bliss that we so desperately
seek, and we can be a part of an
ever‑increasing group of people
who are spreading peace and
human unity throughout the
world.
Sant Rajinder Singh Ji
but it also flows back to God. We
Maharaj is an internationally
can catch this current at the point
recognized spiritual leader
of the third or single eye. That is
and Master of Jyoti
the connecting point between our
Meditation who affirms the
soul in the body and the Light and
transcendent oneness at the
Sound current emanating from
heart of all religions and
the Creator. If we can concentrate
mystic traditions, emphasizing
our attention at that point, we can ethical living and meditation
soar on it back through the higher as building blocks for
regions of existence. The current achieving inner and outer
will ultimately lead us to our pri‑ peace. www.sos.org.
mary Source, back to the Lord.

Theory vs. Practice

better idea. Rather than go to Mount
By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji
Sinai where Moses was given the Ten
Maharaj
Commandments, why donʼt you just stay
The true heart of the spiritual teachings is in the
practice. It is not enough to know what others have
said about it. It is essential that we have our own
firsthand experience of spirituality. That can be
accomplished when we sit in meditation.
not enough to read the books or scrip‑ and accomplish spiritual progress, we
tures and know the theory. We need to are being unrealistic. We need to practice
live up to them in our own lives. If we daily.
learn a method of meditation and in‑ It is said that if we take one step to‑
structions for progress, that is not ward God, God will take a hundred steps

O
nce the great writer Mark Twain
was having a discussion with a
businessman who was known for
being aggressive and ruthless in his deal‑
ings with others.
The businessman said to the writer,
"Before I die I would like to make a pil‑
grimage to the Holy Land and climb to
the top of Mount Sinai to read the Ten
Commandments aloud at the top."
Mark Twain quickly replied, "I have a
home here in Boston and practice the
Ten Commandments in your life!"
This humorous comment carries a sig‑
nificant meaning. Many of us read the
Commandments or advice given by the
great saints in the scriptures. Many of us
are happy even to preach what our holy
books say. But how many of us live up to
the teachings we follow?
There is a big difference between
knowing the theory and practicing it. It is
enough; we have to actually practice it.
The true heart of the spiritual teach‑
ings is in the practice. It is not enough to
know what others have said about it. It is
essential that we have our own firsthand
experience of spirituality. That can be ac‑
complished when we sit in meditation.
Progress is a matter of accuracy. We
can become accurate only by practice.
Practice makes perfect. If we expect to sit
in meditation once or twice in our life
toward us. The time we spend in medita‑
tion will be richly rewarded.
Instead of merely reading the Ten Com‑
mandments, live them.
If we do our meditations and lead ethi‑
cal lives, observing the virtues of nonvio‑
lence, truthfulness, purity, humility, self‑
less service, and love for all, we will be
blessed with inner vision. We will have
the proof for ourselves of the existence
of our soul and God.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info November 10-16, 2018