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NEW YORK EDITION

The South Asian Times


Excellence In Journalism
TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Vol. 3 | No.50 | April 2-8, 2011 | 60 Cents

Poonam Alaigh quits as NY health chief


Tristate Community, Page 5

India Business Conference at Columbia


India Business Conference 2011, page 10

Harvard India Conference Opens Minds


India Conference Special, page 16

Managing hypertension, a silent killer


Health, page 26

US bats for India-Pakistan cricket diplomacy

India favorites to lift World Cup


Mumbai: The underground betting syndicate was in a frenzy over the India-Sri Lanka cricket World Cup final here Saturday. A mindboggling sum of Rs.50,000 crore (over $11 billion) is at stake on the Indian skipper MS Dhoni and his Sri Lankan counterpart final showdown, Kumar Sangakkara posing with the coveted Cricket World Cup. sources said. If the punters are to be believed, India are a clear fa- considered the best bet for hitting a half century at vorites at 46 paise against Sri Lankas Rs. 1.38. 90 paise, but a whopping Rs. 5 for a century. In simple parlance, if one bets Re.1 on India Virender Sehwag is next on the list for scoring a and it wins, the better gets his rupee back plus century at Rs.5.50 and Rs.1.05 for a half century. 46 paise. For a rupee bet on Sri Lanka, and it Similarly, Gautam Gambhirs chances of hitting wins, the return would be a whopping Rs.2.38. a century are pegged at Rs.6.00, but Rs.1.10 for Reliable sources said that betting reached a half century. Next on the punters list is Yuvraj a feverish pitch when India beat Pakistan in Singh who stands at Rs.6.20 for a century and the semifinal at Mohali Wednesday to book Rs.1.25 for a half century. The sources said that seat in the finals. this time, all betting is done through Goa and GuThe amount could go up substan- jarat using high-end laptops and mobiles. tially depending on who wins the toss This time, Mumbai and rest of Maharashtra and elects to bat or bowl, sources said. is out of the circuit for operating the business The bookies have also bet on players hitting because of so many VVIPs, foreign dignitaries a century at the final. The chance that an In- and multi-agencies security on land, in the air dian player hits a ton has been pegged at 78 and at sea, a source said. paise. Among the players, Sachin Tendulkar is More cricket stories on page 22-23.

High stakes final versus Sri Lanka has attracted Rs.50,000 crore in bets

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani just before the start of the Cricket World Cup India-Pak semifinal in Mohali on Wednesday. Indian stars Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag look on.

Despite the tense Indo-Pak semifinal, Sachin Tendulkar and Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi had a moment of bonhomie.

their respective Prime Ministers on their promising cricket diplomacy, he said. The match showcased world-class cricket, sportsmanship, and statesmanship. The expansion of dialogue between India and Pakistan is a welcome and encouraging development for both countries, for the region,

Washington: The United States has welcomed Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Syed Yousaf Raza Gilanis promising cricket diplomacy during Wednesdays Cricket World Cup match between their teams. The expansion of dialogue between India and Pakistan is a welcome and encouraging development for both countries, for the region, and for the world, State department spokesman Mark Toner said in a press statement Thursday. The United States congratulates the people of Pakistan and India on the cricket match between the two nations teams, and

and for the world. It builds on the substantial progress achieved by the Interior and Home Secretaries earlier this week, Toner said. The United States welcomes the ongoing engagement between India and Pakistan. We continue to believe that talks should continue at a pace, time, and scope of the two governments choosing. We applaud both leaders and their citizens for the creative initiative, warm spirit and friendly competition on display during the match, he said. More cricket diplomacy stories on page 12.

Tension mounts in Libya, also confusion


Tripoli: A senior aide to one of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafis sons has held secret talks in London with British authorities, a friend of the aide said on Friday, adding to the confusion and anxiety swirling around the Tripoli regime after the defection of a highranking minister and the departure of another senior figure to Cairo. Mohammed Ismail, a senior aide to Seif al-Islam, one of Colonel Qaddafis sons, traveled to London for talks with British officials in recent days, the friend said in London on Friday. In Benghazi on Friday the rebel leadership issued a set of demands for a cease-fire in its battle with the Qaddafi government. Libya continued on page 4

Tristate Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 2-8, 2011

Nassau county drops suit against fiscal watchdog


Mineola, NY: Nassau County has decided not to pursue a lawsuit against a state panel overseeing its finances. According to a press release from the County office, Nassau attorney John Ciampoli said the county hopes to work together with the Nassau Interim Finance Authority (NIFA) "to correct the errors of the past and to meet the challenges ahead." A judge earlier in March dismissed the county's claims that the takeover was unconstitutional and that NIFA's authority to impose financial controls had expired. Ciampoli defended the county's reasons for challenging the takeover, but told the court earlier this week that it would not pursue further litigation in the case. NIFA took control of county finances after concluding that the county had a $176 million deficit in its 2011 budget. The County Executive (Ed Mangano) and I have had conversations with (NIFA) Chairman Stack which we hope portend a productive and mutually cooperative effort

Intellectuals oppose banning Americans book on Gandhi


New Delhi: Intellectuals and Gandhi kin have criticized the clamor for banning a controversial book on Mahatma Gandhi. The Gujarat government has already banned the book "Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle With India" by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Joseph Lelyveld while Maharashtra is contemplating such an action. Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily had also hinted at such a possibility earlier. The reviews of the book in the US and England had claimed that the book says Gandhi was a bisexual and had a German-Jewish bodybuilder lover in Hermann Kallenbach. Condemning the ban, Lelyveld said, "in a no one has read, including the people who are doing the banning. " Gandhi's great grandson Tushar Gandhi said banning will be a "greater insult" to Bapu than what the book or the author might have intended. "I will challenge the ban," he tweeted. He said he was against the culture of banning books and added "how does it matter if the Mahatma was straight, gay or bisexual? He would still be the man who led India to freedom". Writer Namita Gokhale noted that "every time a book is banned, it saddens me because you simply cannot ban ideas, you cannot ban thoughts."

on behalf of Nassau County. Earlier today I had a very promising discussion with NIFAs counsel regarding review and administration of contracts. We have already begun to mobilize staff to get the job done, Ciampoli was quoted as saying in the March 29 release. The County Executive is aggressively and tirelessly working to address the problems of Nassau County under the circumstances that exist as a result of the Courts decision, and the problems that he inherited, he added.

"Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle With India": the new books reviews claimed that that the book says Gandhi was a bisexual. country (India) that calls itself a democracy, it is shameful to ban a book that

Cricket frenzy grips South Asian fans


New York: One of the most hyped cricket matches of all time, the India-Pakistan clash in the semi finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup at Mohali, India found its huge share of fanbase rooting as far as in Jackson Heights, Queens.Dozens of cabs were parked, end to end, along the curbs in front of several cafes, restaurants and shops in the neighborhood, the heart of New Yorks South Asian diaspora. Inside, the cabbies and scores of their countrymen had gathered with jittery anticipation in front of wide-screen televisions at the crack of dawn Wednesday. The passion seized immigrants from India and Pakistan equally. , too, while most of the New York region was still asleep, South Asians gathered in groups small and large, in private homes and public spaces, to watch the one-day and cheerand sulk when the chips were down. Finally, India held its cool and won the tense match. The Jackson Heights Cinema showed the game live on its big screen, for $30 a ticket. The modest turnouts did not appear to dampen enthusiasm there. Many people had stayed home to watch online. Many Indians and Pakistani said on radio shows that they made it a point to watch the Indian innings at home, and then made it to office where they watched it on their comps.

Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos was the featured speaker at a meeting Thursday of the Rotary ClubHicksville South in Copper Wok restaurant. He is using his years of experience in the financial sector to watch over the countys $2.6 billion budget. He spoke about the state of the countys finances, and efforts led by County Executive Ed Mangano to fix problems. He is seen with the club members and is flanked by Vikas Dhall Singh, President of Hicksville South club, and Kamlesh Mehta, Founding President of the Club and Deputy Director, Nassau County Office of Economic Development.

Ashok Varshney, President of Vintage Vision Inc, was honored by Amb. Prabhu Dayal, Consulate General of India, New York, at Fabrics to Fashion 2011 Gala event last Thursday at the Consulate for his contribution to Indo-US fashion industry.

Libya continued from page 1 Mustapha Abdul Jalil, the head of the rebel National Council, said in a news conference that any cease-fire would have to entail the lifting of the sieges of rebel-held cities like Misurata and Zintan, the removal from those cities of Colonel Qaddafis mercenaries and snipers on the roofs of buildings and a guarantee of the right to peaceful protests for Libyans in the western half of the country. At that point, well see how all the Libyan people want freedom, he said. The Qaddafi government dismissed the rebel offer as a ploy. The rumors surrounding likely defections became ever murkier when another senior official, Ali Abdussalam el-Treki, who had been reported to have defected, denied doing so. In an interview in Cairo on Friday, Mr. Treki said that while his visit to the Egyptian capital was not an authorized mission, he had not turned against the Qaddafi government. There are people who do not want to defect to one side or the other they just dont want to be part of this situation continuing, Mr. Treki said. A lot of Libyans think like me. They think our country should be saved, we have to stop this killing and fighting. All fighting should be stopped. An official familiar with the talks with Mr.

Ismail was emphatic that the British government had not offered any deals, either over the terms for a cease-fire or over possible sanctuary for further defections from the governing elite in Tripoli. Our people are not in the game of making deals, the official said. We tell them quite forcefully that Qaddafi has to go, and that there is a need for regime change. The official said Britain was a natural destination for top Libyan officials, since close contacts between the two governments had developed in recent years as powerful Libyan officials negotiated the rapprochement with the West over the past decade that hinged on Mr. Qaddafis agreement to abandon Libyas secret programs to develop unconventional weapons, including a nuclear arsenal. The Libyans involved in those negotiations included Mr. Ismail and Moussa Koussa, the former foreign minister, who flew to Britain on a British government jet on Wednesday after saying he could no longer represent the Qaddafi government. He remained sequestered on Friday at a safe house outside London where he was being debriefed by officials from the Foreign Office and MI6, Britains secret intelligence agency. Mr. Ismail, who was in Britain for several days, has returned to Libya, officials in London said.

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April 2-8, 2011

Poonam Alaigh quits as New Jersey health chief


New York: New Jerseys Indian American Commissioner of Health and Senior Services has resigned from the cabinet level post after 14 months in office, citing personal reasons. Alaigh was the second Indian-American to be appointed to a cabinet post in New Jersey after Kris Kolluri, former CEO of the states Schools Development Authority and former Commissioner of New Jerseys Department of Transportation. Appointed by Republican Governor Chris Christie in January last year, Alaigh announced she will step down April 1 because of a family emergency. Alaigh was serving as executive medical director of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield when Christie nominated her to the commissioners post.

I have no interest in Indian politics: Chatwal


New York: I have no interest in Indian politics, said Indian American hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal as he again denied a purported WikiLeaks report suggesting that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was trying to win Akali Dal support during the 2008 trust vote through him. I have no interest in Indian politics because I live in this country and spend most of my time here, said Chatwal. The purported WikiLeaks cable from the US embassy said that Captain Satish Sharma considered to be a very close family friend of Sonia Gandhi told the US political counsellor that the Congress party was working hard to ensure that the UPA government wins the July 22 confidence vote on the India-US nuclear deal. Sharma said that PM Singh and others were trying to work on the Akali Dal (8 votes) through financier Sant Chatwal and others, but unfortunately it did not work out, according to the leaked cable. Chatwal said he worked day and night to get the landmark India-US nuclear deal approved by the US Congress, but played no role for its passage in India. India is my passion. My heart is there and this deal is fantastic for India and fan-

Sant Singh Chatwal tastic for America, Chatwal, who is known to be close to the Clintons said. So I had to work hard. I had to be in Washington every week and put up my day and night on the job, he said. Because he knew members of the US Congress, Manmohan Singh asked him to work on that with planning and a proper strategy to get the deal done in the face of lobbying by China, Pakistan and our enemies against the pact, Chatwal said. Initially Hillary Clinton was not helping as she thought it could be a political issue as she was planning a presidential run, he said. But when I put the whole package together, she also came on board.

File photo of Poonam Alaigh South Asians are part of the states fastest-growing AsianAmerican community which comprises 8.2 per cent of New Jerseys nearly nine million population. I am passionate about the work and accomplishments we have been able to deliver for the families of New Jersey during this time of unprecedented budget challenges, Alaigh said in a statement. So, it is with both pride and difficulty that I announce my resignation from the department. Praising Alaighs service to the state, Christie said: Her commitment and passion for the job has been unprecedented, and her stewardship of the department has been world-class through a period of economic difficulty and an increased need among our citizens for quality healthcare services.

Sothebys Indian and South Asian Art sales bring $13.5 million
New York: Sothebys March 2011 Indian and South Asian Art sales have brought a total of $13,459,625, comfortably within the $11.2/17 million estimate. The sales were led by two stunning masterpieces, both of which soared above the high estimate. On 24 March a copper Manjushri figure from the 11th/12th century sold for $2,322,500 in the Indian and South East Asian Works of Art sale (est. $200/300,000) and on 25 March Akbar Padamsees Untitled (Reclining Nude) fetched $1,426,500 in the Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art auction (est. $500/700,000). The Indian and South East Asian Works of Art sale totaled $9,431,375 and was 79% sold. Strong prices were achieved across every area of the sale with bronzes, Tibetan sculpture, Indian miniatures and decorative art all exceeding pre-sale estimates. Among strong prices for Tibetan pieces was a gilt copper alloy sculpture of Chakrasamvara inlaid with silver, polychrome and semiprecious stones which sold for $578,500 several times the $60/80,000 estimate. The group of Indian miniatures in the sale was led by An Illustration to the Gita Govinda: Krishna Adorns his beloved Radha which fetched $422,500 exceeding the $150/250,000 estimate. A Ceremonial dagger, Damascus steel blade with $158,500. The sale also included The Pearl

Sri Sri to kick off meditation movement at Lincoln Center


New York: The Art of Living Foundation will launch I Meditate NY,' a movement to help New Yorkers recharge and do more of the things they love through the powerful benefits of meditation at the at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center on Sunday, April 10. World-renowned humanitarian and thought leader on meditation Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, will kick off the event, guiding 2,700 participants in one of the largest meditations ever to be held in New York City, a press release from the organizers said. I Meditate NY' is an ambitious campaign that aims to increase awareness of the pow- erful benefits of meditation as a practical way to The launch will offer a unique opportunity to experience meditation in a new and powerful way to all New Yorkers, whether new or experienced. It will also feature music by 2011 Grammy nominee Chandrika Tandon and world music band Bhakti. "Meditation is all the more relevant in modern times as we have greater responsibilities and ambitions. It not only pro- vides relief from stress and strain but also enhances our abilities, strengthens our nervous systems and soothes our minds," Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was quoted as saying in the release. For more information on the visit www.artofliving.org

Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar recharge and rejuvenate every day, the release said.

An exquisite silver and copper inlaid Pala bronze from eastern India depicting the bodhisattva Manjushri, one of the most iconic deities in Mahayana Buddhism went for $2.3 million, much higher than the $200/300,000 estimate. Canopy of Baroda, a bejeweled masterpiece which sold for $2,322,500. The Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art brought a total of $4,028,250. The sale was led by Untitled (Reclining Nude) by Akbar Padamsee, one of the great masterpieces of modern Indian art, which sold for $1,426,500 vastly exceeding the $500/700,000 estimate and setting a new record for the artist at auction. Other highlights included a 1956 Untitled Maqbool Fida Husain painting that fetched $602,500, comfortably within the estimate of $500/700,000.

Hindu Students Council awarded


New York: New York Timesowned website About.com announced the winner of its 2011 Readers Choice Award for Best Hindu Organization: Hindu Students Council (HSC). The largest Hindu youth organization in North America edged out four other finalists, all of which were selected by editors from numerous nominations submitted by hundreds of readers. HSC enjoyed a near outright majority with 48% of the votes, and HSC Executive Board member Arjun Pradeep acknowledged the achievement, noting, Receiving the award is a great honor in itself, but knowing that such a great portion of the readers recognized HSCs efforts makes this award even more special! HSC was founded in 1990 by three students and has since grown to over fifty-five chapters in North America and several inspired chapters around the world, evolving into a truly international effort. The non-denominational, non-sectarian organizations mission is threefold: first, it seeks to provide opportunities for college students and young professionals to learn about Hindu heritage and culture; second, it strives to foster awareness of issues affecting Hindus; and third, it provides Seva (service) to the community.

South Asian Youth Group to hold annual career fair


New York: South Asian Youth Action (SAYA) will hold its annual career fair at its center in Elmhurst, N.Y., on April 2. Experts in medicine, law, finance, architecture, entertainment and the arts, including Councilmember Daniel Dromm, actors Reshma Shetty and Deep Katdare and journalists Arun Venugopal and S.Mitra Kalita, will interact with youth, a press release said. Participants can get information about internship opportunities and helpful hints on navigating a career. Admission is free. Resume writing assistance will also be available.

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April 2-8, 2011

Rajat Gupta quits Gates Foundation panel


Washington: Rajat Gupta, a former Indian American director of Goldman Sachs Group accused of leaking insider information to Galleon Group founder Raj Rajaratnam, has resigned as an adviser to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "Rajat Gupta has stepped down from his role on our Global Development advisory panel until these matters are resolved," the Seattle based foundation said in a statement. Gupta, 62, who was chairman of the panel, was brought in after criticism that the foundation was unaccountable beyond Gates, his wife Melinda, and Warren Buffett, their co-trustee, all of who were travelling in India last week. Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein testified in the Galleon case

'Rajaratnam didn't care about Rajiv Goel's tips'


New York: Former Indian American Intel executive Rajiv Goel sparred with the lawyer of Raj Rajaratnam over the value of alleged tips given to the Sri Lankan cofounder of Galleon hedge fund. Testifying in the biggest insider trading trial in the US in a Manhattan court Monday, Goel argued with defence lawyer Terence Lynam over a deal between Sprint and Clearwire, in which Intel, where Goel was employed at the time, made a $1 billion investment. The prosecution alleges that Rajaratnam traded on tips provided by Goel, who has pleaded guilty in the case and is a key prosecution witness. But Lynam argued that Rajaratnam was a sophisticated, accomplished investor, and Goel's tips were barely worth his timehe didn't take any of it into account. Asked about the specific details of what he revealed to Rajaratnam about Intel's quarterly earnings in 2007, Goel said: "I didn't recall exactly what I said to him, but it was about earnings information I'd gotten from Lenke." P. Alexander Lenke, another former Intel executive has also testified about how he gave inside information to Goel. "You can't remember if the information was bad or good information?" Lynam asked."Yes sir, I don't remember specifics of numbers, I just passed on information that I got sir," Goel replied Lynam argued that if anything, given the information on Intel's revenue for the quarter in question, Rajaratnam should have sold or shorted Intel stock. He also argued that after earnings news was released by Intel on April 18, the stock price moved about 1.5 percent and therefore the information "didn't significantly affect the stock price." "You don't know how that information was perceived or analysed or processed," Lynam said to Goel of the information he says he provided to his then-friend. When he pointed to news articles and analyst reports that discussed a potential deal by Sprint and Clearwire, and Intel's potential investment, Goel stressed that those reports were merely speculation.

Rajat Gupta Wednesday that Gupta had leaked confidential information including details of the $5 billion investment in Goldman Sachs in October 2008 by Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, to Rajaratnam.Gupta has not been charged in the Galleon case, but the US Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil complaint against him earlier this month.Gupta, who was managing director of McKinsey for nine years, resigned from Procter & Gamble's board after the SEC complaint.He also has quit the board of American Airlines and its parent AMR, and announced he will step down as head of the Indian School of Business.

The Archer Tagore at Sothebys New York goes for $338,500


New York: Sothebys sale of Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art on 25 March 2011 included Rabindranath Tagores Death Scene, a remarkable painting which was once in the collection of Mildred and William Archer (est. $300/500,000). It went for $ 338,500.The Archer Tagore is the most widely illustrated and exhibited work by the artist ever to appear on the auction market and was included in the artists first ever painting exhibition in India in 1932. The late William and Mildred Archer were two remarkable scholars who played a key role in bringing Indian Art to the fore and raising its profile on the international stage. William George Archer (1907-1979) more commonly known as Bill Archer - and his wife Mildred Agnes Bell more commonly known as Tim Archer - (1911-2005) found inspiration for their life-long studies in India, where they lived for more than a decade before Indian Independence in 1947 while William was working for the Indian Civil Service. They shared a great passion

The painting was included in Tagores first ever painting exhibition in 1932. for the richness of Indian daily life, particularly that in Bihar in central eastern India, where they spent of most of their time and where they discovered the hidden folk painting traditions of Madhubani and also started to explore and write on the culture and literature of the Uraon, Santal and other tribal communities. Together they developed a love affair with Indian art and they assembled an impressive collection of Pahari paintings.

STAR IMA Awards 2011 to air in May


New York: Big Star IMA awards, Indias biggest music awards, in partnership with the Indian Music Academy recognized and honored music maestros across all genres of music through the BIG STAR IMA Awards 2011. The event will air on STAR Plus India in the month of May 2011.After the success of the BIG STAR Entertainment Awards, Indias colossal broadcast media companies - Reliance Broadcast Network Limited, through its Live Entertainment business arm BIG LIVE along with Star India Pvt. Ltd came back with another innovate and integrated property to launch Indias biggest music awards The BIG STAR IMA Awards 2011 is aimed at recognizing music talent from all over the country and across every genre of Indias rich and diverse musical landscape.BIG STAR IMA AWARDS received an overwhelming response from the Indian music fraternity with a record number of over 3,000 entries. Stalwarts of the music industry like Sonu Niigam, Shaan, Mohit Chauhan, Salim Sulaiman, Shankar Ehsaan - Loy, Pritam, Sajid- Wajid, Devaki Pandit, Dr. Jayanti Kumaresh, Ashwini Bhide, Jalabee Cartel, Vishal Bharadwaj, Pt. Ronu Majumdar, Rahul Sharma, Irshad Kamil with many more who participated in full strength.

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April 2-8, 2011

Dandi march II in US against corruption in India


Washington: A 240-mile walk in the U.S against corruption in India was organized by a group of NRIs inspired by the historic Dandi March led by Mahatma Gandhi culminated with events across the U.S. Starting at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, San Diego, California March 12, 'Dandi March II' passed through Los Angeles and ended March 26 at Gandhi Statue, San Francisco. The dates coincide with the dates Gandhi did his historic march in 1930. As many as 45 cities in USA, 40 cities in India and 8 other countries globally joined the movement by organizing supporting events March 26, the organisers of the march led by Jawahar Kambhampati and Srihari British salt monopoly in colonial India, Dandi march II is a campaign against corruption in India,' they said. Indians across the globe, as far as from Nagpur to New Jersey and Sydney to Seattle shouted in one voice to enact 'Jan Lokpal' bill and ratify the UN Convention against Corruption, the group said. Their slogans included 'corruption ko hatana hai.Bharat ko bachana hai' or 'we will end corruption to save India'. The marchers also chanted 'Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram', Gandhiji's favourite prayer. While volunteers stopped at the signals/junctions shouting 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', inspired onlookers in the cars waved and honked to show support. In U.S., on the last day, events were conducted in 14 cities with major gatherings in San Francisco, Seattle, New Jersey, Houston and Carbondale. An open letter addressed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was released globally at every location that they will not be mute spectators while corruption grows boundless back in India and as such system changes should be brought in. Later Kambhampati, who was the initiator of Dandi March II, 'submitted a memorandum to Mahatma Gandhi to save the country from corruption.' Many of the marchers are planning to continue the movement by joining Anna Hazare's fast in Delhi April 5 for the same cause.

Eevents were conducted in 14 cities with major gatherings in San Francisco, Seattle, New Jersey, Houston and Carbondale. Atluri said. 'While Dandi March I was a campaign of nonviolent protest against the

Obama nominates two Indian American women to key posts


Washington, DC: US President Barack Obama has nominated two Indian American women to key posts in his administration, according to a White House statement. Chicagoan Deepa Gupta was nominated as member of National Council on the Arts, while Nisha Desai Biswal has been named as member, CongressionalExecutive Commission on the People's Republic of China, it said. Gupta is a Program Officer for Media, Culture and Special Initiatives at the John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation in Chicago. In this role, she manages the Foundation's grant making in arts and culture in Chicago and the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Gupta,

Nitin Kotak elected to a key research post


Washington: Indian American Nitin Kotak has been elected vice president and chief financial officer of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) engaged in advancing scientific research and education in the US. Kotak, 53, joins the Institute from Bethesda-based Technest Holdings, where he was chief financial officer and treasurer. "Nitin comes to us with great enthusiasm for our mission and significant experience in financial analysis, reporting, and compliance," said Cheryl Moore, HHMI's executive vice president and chief operating officer. At HHMI, Kotak will oversee budget and financial analysis, the controller's office, treasury, internal audit, and procurement. During fiscal 2010, the Institute made disbursements his career in 1981 working as the assistant company secretary for a Tata group enterprise, Tinplate Company of India. He then spent more than 17 years working at ITC Limited where he held a variety of finance-related positions. In 1999 he moved to Indiabased Mattel Toys, a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc., as its chief financial officer. Kotak moved to the US in 2003 to become director of finance and accounting for Able Laboratories, Inc., a publicly traded developer and manufacturer of generic pharmaceuticals. A year later, he became Able's vice president for finance and accounting. Kotak joined Technest in 2005 as vice president for finance and operations and became chief financial officer and treasurer in 2008.

Deepa Gupta with family earned her MBA from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University and an MPA from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, previously served as a senior associate at McKinsey and Company. Gupta is a board member of the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois and an advisory board member of the Cure JM Foundation. Nisha Desai Biswal currently serves as Assistant Administrator for Asia at the US Agency for International Nisha Desai Biswal Development (USAID), which she would continue to hold, the statement said. Prior to this position, Biswal served as the Majority Clerk for the State Department and Foreign Operations Sub-committee on the Committee on Appropriations in the US House of Representatives which has jurisdiction over the State Department, USAID and other aspects of the international affairs budget.

Nitin Kotak of $889 million, including $738 million for scientific research and $89 million in grants to support science education and international research. The Institute's endowment at the close of fiscal 2010 stood at $14.8 billion. A senior member of three major professional institutes in India - the Institute of Chartered Accountants, the Institute of Company Secretaries and the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants, Kotak started

Housing society to pay $110,000 for keeping Indians out


Houston: A Seattle-based housing society will pay over $ 110,000 to settle a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit that alleged the society discriminated against Indians and AfricanAmericans seeking to rent apartments in the complex. According to the lawsuit filed on July 26, 2010, owners and operators of Summerhill Place Apartments, in Renton near Seattle, "steered Indian tenants away from the Summerhill buildings and treated tenants from India less favourably than other tenants." They also discouraged African-Americans, Hispanics and families with children from living at Summerhill. Under the terms of the settlement, apartment owners Summerhill Place LLC , as well as a management company called Gran Inc and the a p a r t m e n t m a n a g e r, R i t a Lovejoy , will pay $ 85,000 to tenants and prospective tenants who were harmed by the discrimination. The group will also pay $ 25,000 to the government as a civil penalty and enact a number of changes to the apartments. The settlement must still be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. The lawsuit was filed after the Fair Housing Council of Washington conducted investigations at Summerhill, and the results were reported to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). After an investigation, the secretary of HUD determined that there was reasonable cause to believe that discriminatory housing practices had occurred, issued a charge of discrimination, and referred the matter to the Department of Justice. Under the terms of the settlement, the defendants also have to provide fair housing training to their employees, and develop and maintain non-discrimination policies at Summerhill.

National Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 2-8, 2011

Stanford announces partnership with Indias Jaslok Hospital


Washington, DC: Stanford Medical Centre, an Ivy League institution in San Francisco, and Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre in Mumbai have signed an MoU to study possibilities of cooperation in medical services and training. In the initial phases Teleconferencing Programs developed by Stanford will provide Jaslok doctors with top class education on hot topics to in turn offer best therapeutic options to Indian patients. There would also be opportunities to participate interactively with Stanford presenting and attending faculties. This could be expanded in later phases with visitations by Jaslok doctors to hospitals and clinics at Stanford and its affiliate hospitals in the US. I firmly believe that Jaslok Hospitals multispeciality doctors will benefit greatly by educational engagement with world renowned faculty from one of US top Ivy league institutions like Stanford Medical Centre, said Dr. Mukesh Hariawala, Boston based Indian American Cardiac Surgeon. At Jaslok, we plan to establish

India's quest for "Evergreen Revolution" tops USIBC's agenda


Mumbai: The U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) launched its third annual Food & Agriculture Executive Mission to India, participating in "Food Forum India", the country's largest food and agribusiness conference. Mission Leader Paul Conway, Senior Vice President of Cargill, Inc., a Director on USIBC's prestigious Board of Directors, will present USIBC's latest publication, entitled "Advancing India's Evergreen Revolution", which highlights recommended policy interventions that will serve to advance India's quest for food and agricultural security. "India has assumed a greater importance in the global food market. It remains amongst the largest producers and largest consumers of most agricultural goods. India and the U.S. have a lot to share and collaborate on in this space, and that can result in a mutual benefit for both of these countries," said Mr. Conway. During a special segment at Food Forum India featuring USIBC, speakers will focus on areas where synergies are abundant: advanced technology collaboration, the means to facilitate investment in the farm-to-market supply chain, and working together to identify interventions that will ensure efficient and sustainable growth of India's food-to-fork agricultural value chain - an outcome that aims to benefit all segments of society. "As India's population and economy grow, demand for high-quality, affordable food will increase exponentially. Sharing global best practices and opening markets will help create an environment that fosters greater collaboration, enabling USIBC member-companies to effectively contribute technology, technical skills, products and experience to help meet India's rising demand for high quality, affordable food," said Anku Nath, USIBC's Senior Trade Policy Director.

To provide Jaslok doctos with top class education on hot topics a Centre for Excellence in cut- conduit to collate monthly feedting edge medical technologies back from all participants at like Angiogenesis and Stem Cells Jaslok and convey to Stanford for Cardiovascular Diseases. management for future content Receiving guidance from and program development with Stanford would be key to suc- suggestions that would be of cessful execution, Hariawala greater value to Jaslok doctors. who leads Jasloks International The initial projects will be Partnerships Development related to cardiovascular mediProgram said. cine and geriatric or age related Leading the Stanford team will medicine and its associated disbe Dr Yann Meunier, Director of eases. Business Development, Stanford The first teleconference session International Medical Services, is planned for May. Initially a who will oversee the complete monthly event it may be expanddevelopment of the teleconfer- ed to bi-monthly in the second encing series of lectures. phase at the time of MoUs Hariawala will be the official renewal after 18 months.

Indian American bridge player wins North American championship


Kansas: Rajeev Bansal of Overland Park, KS couldnt have imagined becoming a US National bridge champion when he first started playing bridge at age 13. I was at after school activities at St. Xaviers in Patna, India and happened to pass the recreation room where the Jesuit priests from Chicago used to play bridge. They needed a fourth and asked me if I wanted to play? I hadnt ever played bridge before but was eager to learn and said,yes. Over the next remaining few years of my high school, I was a regular at the Friday afternoon games with them, he says. Thirty-two years later, Bansal and his partner Michael Hughes from Jefferson City won the Presidents Cup at the North American Bridge Championship in Louisville on Sunday, March 20, 2011. Qualifying rounds to enter the tournament began last July at thousands of bridge clubs across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Only 72 pairs became eligible and qualified for the competition in Kentucky this past weekend. Saturdays session reduced the field to 28 pairs to vie for the title the following day with Hughes and Bansal in sixth place. After playing 13 rounds on Sunday, the pair was one-half point behind the Canadian pair, at the half-way mark. In the second half, with one round to go, they were onequarter point behind the pair from Maryland, who came from behind to be in the lead. In the final round Bansal and Hughes scored 23.5 out of a possible 26

Rajeev Bansal and walked away with it all. I really got into the game while I worked with the Federal Bank in India. After coming to the United States in 1998 on a work transfer, it wasnt until 2001 when I arrived in Kansas City, that I got the opportunity to play bridge at the local bridge studio, said Bansal. In the past 7 years, Bansal has made 5 trips to the Nationals, thrice between 2005-2009 in the Grand National Teams event and twice in 2010 and 2011 in the North American Open Pairs event. Bansal and his teammates have also won the Governors Cup four times in the annual match-up between St. Louis and Kansas City also called the I-70 their August Regional Championships.

USA Affairs TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 2-8, 2011

Pressing Congress to pass Green Card reforms


Washington: From April 4-5 2011, over 175 members of Immigration Voice from around the nation will descend onto the nations capital to ask their congressmen and senators for reforms to the broken Green-Card process. While K-Street, the HiTech industry and Congress is distracted once again by H-1B visas, recycling the same old talking points one more time, our laser-like focus remains on the nearly 500,000 highly skilled immigrants who remain backlogged for 10-15 years waiting for their Green Cards, said Aman Kapoor, president of Immigration Voice, in a press release. There is a huge pool of talent untapped by American employers in the form of highly skilled legal professionals who have been living here on temporary visas as they patiently wait for their Green Cards. These law abiding, tax-paying, highly skilled future Americans, cannot start their own companies and immediately create jobs in America, change employers or accept promotions during the Green Card application process, which now spans 10-15 years. This creates serious quality of life issues and ultimately hurts the U.S. economy, Kapoor said., concluded Kapoor. Immigration Voice has arranged nearly 350 visits to congressional offices April 4-5 in both the House and Senate to insist that Congress focus on the Green Card backlog rather than on H-1B visas. Founded in December 2005, Immigration Voice is a national grassroots, nonprofit organization with 57,000 highly-skilled legal immigrants as members.

Obama calls for oil use cuts, bats for nuclear


Washington: President Obama called on Wednesday for a one-third reduction in oil imports over the next decade, for which the effort has to begin immediately. In a speech at Georgetown University here, the president said that the US cannot go on consuming one- quarter of the worlds oil production while posessing only 2% of global reserves so, a long-term plan has to be begin to reduce its reliance on imported oil, putting to end decades-long political bickering over the issue. The president repeated his assertion that, despite the frightening situation at the Fukushima Daiichi reactor complex in Japan, nuclear power will remain an important source of electricity in the US for decades to come. Yet, the fact remains, that over the last over two years he has been in the White House, President Obama has seen the major elements of his energy and climate-change strategy demolished by a succession of ting new fuel-efficiency standards for vehicles. Congress has been debating similar measures for years. He pointed out that the US has had a tendency, ever since the first Arab oil embargo in 1973, to panic when gasoline prices rise and then fall back into old fuel-guzzling habits when prices recede. Batting for nuclear energy, he said it is clean as it doesnt emit carbon dioxide and he noted that nuclear power already provides about onefifth of domestic electricity supplies. Those of us concerned about climate change know that nuclear power, if its safe, can make a significant contribution to the climate change question. And Im determined to ensure that its safe. He said he had directed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to undertake a comprehensive safety review of the 104 reactors now operating in the country

Indian Point nuclear reactor, that sits on the east bank of Hudson River, 38 nmiles north of New York City. Obama has asked for a safety review of the 104 operational reactors in the country. economic, political, technical and natural disasters like the ones in Japan and Middle East/North Africa. With oil supplies from the Middle East now pinched by political upheaval with calls growing in Congress for expanded domestic oil and gas production, the president referred in his speech a similar runup in energy prices in 2008. Now heres the thing weve been down this road before, Mr. Obama said. Remember, it was just three years ago that gas prices topped $4 a gallon. I remember because I was in the middle of a presidential campaign. Saying there were no quick fixes to the nations oil addiction, Mr. Obama went on to propose a mix of measures, none of them new, to wean the nation off the barrel. He called for a fuel-saving strategy of producing more electric cars, converting trucks to run on natural gas, building new refineries to brew billions of gallons of biofuels and set-

Liz Taylor left $ 1 billion fortune


Los Angeles: Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor has left behind a fortune worthy of a legend, a whopping $ 1 billion. The Oscar-winning star's fortune makes her one of just 14 women in the world to have become selfmade billionaires, reported The Independent online. Taylor became famous for the massive jewels she wore, valued at worth $ 270 million as far back as 2002 and was the first actress to ever get a 1 million pay check in Hollywood. She was paid $ 47 million in todays value terms to star with her fifth husband Richard Burton in 'Cleopatra'. Her joint fragrance venture with cosmetics firm Elizabeth Arden launched in 1991, including the famous scent 'White Diamonds', has since amassed $ 1 billion. Taylor passed away last week at the age of 79 following heart failure.

Taylors joint fragrance venture with Elizabeth Arden, including the famous scent 'White Diamonds', has amassed $ 1 billion.

Looming teacher layoffs to cause turmoil


Washington: School authorities across the nation are warning thousands of teachers that they could lose their jobs in June, raising the possibility that Americas public schools may see the most extensive layoffs of their teaching staffs in decades. Though many of the warnings may not be acted upon school systems, their budget outlook unclear, routinely overstate likely layoffs at this time of year when layoffs do occur, they cause a chaotic annual reshuffling of staff members. Thousands of teachers are forced to change schools, grades or subjects, creating chronic instability. Most districts have not done layoffs for years, so they have no idea how bad this is going to be when it hits, said Timothy Daly, president of the New Teacher Project, a nonprofit group that has studied the effects of teacher layoffs. Much of the public debate over teacher layoffs has concerned how they are decided, with sharp divisions between politicians and union leaders over the seniority-based layoff methods stipulated in union contracts. Many argue that the rules rob schools of the talented young teachers who are the first to be let go. Union officials say that without such protections, more senior teachers would be let go first to save money. School districts from Rhode Island to California have begun notifying teachers of layoffs. State laws or union contracts require notifications in the spring to teachers whose contracts might not be renewed. In New York, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg painted a worst-case outcome of 4,675 teacher layoffs last month. But the city may avoid many of those.

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India Business Conference 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 2-8, 2011

The 7th Annual India Business Conference on Friday at Columbia Business School will provide insight and knowledge about Indias evolving presence in the global economy.
New York: The 7th Annual India Business Conference at Columbia Business School here is scheduled for April 1. The theme of the conference this year is India: An Honest conversation and it is organized by Columbia Business School and the South Asia Business Association (SABA). The day meet packed with speeches, discussion and networking will provide insight and knowledge about Indias evolving presence in the global economy. Each year the conference strives to create an environment for Conference participants and attendees to learn from one another in a professional and academic setting. This year, the focus is on the grand opportunities as well as unseen challenges that business leaders face as India continues its economic transformation into a global powerhouse. Over 30 business leaders and 7 academicians will engage the audience in exploring the numerous opportunities available to leaders in Media, Entrepreneurship, Investing, Private Equity/Venture Capital, Leadership, HealthCare and Corporate Governance. In attendance will be over 500 business professionals, students, faculty & many others interested in Indias story. Keynote addresses will be delivered by Charles Kaye, Co-President Warburg Pincus (Global), Ron Somers, President, US-India Business Council, Deven Sharma, President S&P and Chairman CRISIL, Bhavdeep Singh, Former CEO, Fortis Healthcare. Sponsors of the conference include Ministry of Tourism, India, US-India Business Council, Fidelity Investments, Bihar Society, Deloitte, Etihad, and The South Asian Times.

Keynote Speakers
Charles 'Chip' R. Kaye Co-President, Warburg Pincus (Global) Deven Sharma President, Standard & Poors sales and marketing. He is a Board member of the Asia Society Business Council. Ron Somers President, U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) Fulbright and Humphrey scholarship programs. He is currently on the International Leadership Council of the Monterey Institute of International Studies, a professional graduate school preparing students for careers in cross-cultural, multilingual environments. He travels to India frequently. Somers holds an M.A. from the Bread Loaf School of English, where he studied at Lincoln College, Oxford University. He graduated with a B.A. (Honors) from Middlebury College in Vermont. Somers and his wife, Rebecca, live in Washington, D.C. Bhavdeep Singh Former CEO, Fortis HealthCare Ron Somers is president of the U.S.India Business Council (USIBC), the premier business advocacy organization committed to strengthening U.S.India commercial ties and deepening two- way trade between these two dynamic economies. Previously, Somers was Unocal Corporations chief executive in India, developing commercial opportunities in Indias emerging energy market. Before that, he was managing director for India on behalf of Cogentrix Energy, tasked with setting up a 1000 MW electric power project in the Indian state of Karnataka. During Somers residency in India, he served on the board of directors of Hindustan Oil Exploration Company, Indias first private sector oil exploration company, as well as on the board of the U.S. Educational Foundation in India, which oversees the countrys 2006, Mr. Singh joined Spencers Retail Limited (RPG Group) in India as its Chief Executive of Operations and Food Merchandizing and subsequently joined Reliance Retail Limited as the Chief Executive of Reliance Fresh. WELCOME SPEAKER: Prof. Sudhakar V. Balachandran Assistant Dean for Teaching Excellence, Samberg Institute for Teaching Excellence Professor Balachandran is interested

Charles R. Kaye is Co-President of Warburg Pincus LLC, which he joined in 1986. During his 22 years at the firm, Mr. Kaye has worked across a variety of industry sector groups and lived in Hong Kong from 1994 to 1999. During that time he established Warburg Pincus operations in Asia, where the firm today is recognized as one of the leading private equity investors in the region. Mr. Kaye is a graduate of the University of Texas, a member of the Trilateral Commission and the Council on Foreign Relations; former Chairman of the U.S.-India Business Council and Chairman of The Asia Society. Mr. Kaye also sits on the International Advisory Board of the Center for The Advanced Study of India (CASI) at the University of Pennsylvania and serves on the Board of Directors for the Partnership for New York City.

Mr. Deven Sharma is President of Standard & Poors, a division of the McGraw-Hill Companies, and the worlds foremost source of financial market intelligence, providing independent credit ratings, indices, risk evaluation, investment research and data. Mr. Sharma joined S&P in 2007 as executive vice president, Investment Service and Global Sales. Prior to joining S&P, Mr. Sharma was executive vice president, Global Strategy at The McGraw-Hill Companies for five years. Deven joined The McGraw-Hill Companies in January 2002 from Booz Allen & Hamilton, a global management consulting company, where he was a partner. Deven holds a bachelors degree from the Birla Institute of Technology in India, a masters degree from the University of Wisconsin and a doctoral degree in Business Management from Ohio State University. Deven has authored several publications on competitive strategy, customer solutions,

Mr. Singh served as the Chief Executive Officer of Fortis Healthcare Limited since February 2009 until February 2011. Mr. Singh has over 30 years of diverse experience with the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company in the United States, where he worked for over 20 years in many different roles including merchandising, marketing, operations, finance, supply chain and logistics, human resources, asset protection, productivity and other support functions. In

in performance measurement, corporate governance and valuation. These three subjects are sometimes referred to collectively as shareholder value management. Specifically, he studies how firms use performance measures to align the interests of managers and shareholders and create shareholder value. Prof. Balachandran, who has more than 10 years of business experience, is a former management consultant at Ernst & Young and manager at Baxter Healthcare Corporation. He teaches the core course on managerial accounting, for which he was given the Deans Award For Teaching Excellence in 2006.

Healthcare and pharma: Deconstructing healthcare in India


he Indian healthcare sector is expected to become a $ 280 billion industry by 2020 with spending on health estimated to grow 14 per cent annually. The drugs and pharmaceuticals sector

has attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) worth $ 1.82 billion between April 2000 and September 2010, while hospitals and diagnostic centers have received FDI worth $ 955.10 million in the same

period. Discussion will center on whether Healthcare Industry will be the next big thing after Indian IT industry. MODERATOR: Debjit Ghosh

Managing Director, Analysis Group SPEAKERS Amit R. Patel Senior Vice President & Head North America Generics, Dr.

Reddys Laboratories KG Ananthakrishnan Managing Director, MSD India Dipali Talwar Former Chief Legal Counsel, Pfizer India

India Business Conference 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info

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April 2-8, 2011

Private equity and venture capital: too much capital chasing too few deals?
hile significant macroeconomic trends may position the India as an attractive destination for private equity funds, substantial risks remain. This panel focuses on exploring the idea of what success in emerging markets looks like, both in the short and long term. Is

W I

a different skill set required to succeed in closing deals in India? More importantly, what goes into completing a successful exit? Are global firms with offices in local hubs in emerging markets doing as well (or better or worse) than local PE firms? This panel will bring together the foremost

experts from to answer these questions, in addition to highlighting key success factors and likely future trends in PE in India. MODERATOR: Prof. Roger Leeds Chairman of Board of Directors, Emerging Markets Private Equity Association

(EMPEA) SPEAKERS Sid Khanna Chairman & MD, India Equity Partners, ex-CEO Accenture India Sridar Iyengar Operating partner in Bessemers Menlo Park, California Ashu Atwal

Partner & Senior investment team member, New Vernon Capital Rahul Raisurana Managing Director, Standard Chartered Private Equity, India Mukul Gulati Managing Director, Zephyr Peacock India Management

Investing: Finding value in India


n the midst of an inflationary environment with high volatility and stretched valuations in the Indian equity markets, how does one still find value? Does value investing work in a growth economy? How does India compare to other emerging markets in Asia such as China, Korea and Indonesia? Using best investment ideas from the panelist, the panel would discuss issues facing investors in India-choosing the right investment horizon and the right businesses, currency exposure and incorporating uncertainty and volatility in discount rates. MODERATOR: Prof. Bruce Greenwald Author of Value Investing: Graham to Buffet & Beyond SPEAKERS Ramdeo Agrawal Co-Founder and Managing Director, Motilal Oswal Nilesh Shah Founder, Managing Director & CEO, Envision Capital Nitin Bajaj Fund Manager- Fidelity India Value Fund and Fidelity Global Special Situations Fund Amitabh Singhi MD, Surefin Investments

Entrepreneurship: Ideas in action


MODERATOR: Prof. Bruce Kogut Director, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Center for Leadership and Ethics Mukul Somany Vice Chairman and Managing Director Hindustan National Glass Sanjay Gupta President, HealthMedia Digital Health Coaching, J&J Dr. Amol Sarva Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Peek Inc

Indians going global: Success beyond boundaries


MODERATOR: Prof. Valrie Demont Partner, Corporate and Securities Practice Group SPEAKERS Rajiv Khanna Partner, K&L Gates LLP Ravilochan Pola President & CEO, Kotak Mahindra Inc., US Georges Ugeux CEO, Galileo Global Advisors Jack Story Chief Technology Officer Infrastructure Services Wipro Technologies

Media: Setting stage for an honest conversation


group of veteran US journalists discusses how the media views Indias growth as well as its challenges. What does the future hold for Incredible India? Has Indias image changed from the land of naked sadhus and snake charmers to the lively, genuine and stable parliamentary democracy? What are the opportunities and pitfalls for India? This plenary session is also a great opportunity to ask questions about how the press chooses what kind of stories to cover and other critical issues.

housing and real estate for the Wall Street Journal. She is founding deputy editor of WSJs Greater New York section and cofounder of LiveMint.com, a business daily in Delhi. Bobby Ghosh World Editor of Time Aparisim Bobby Ghosh is TIMEs deputy international editor, responsible for the magazines Asian and European editions, and for foreign coverage in the U.S. edition. He is also a frequent writer for the magazine. His previous assignments at TIME have included stints in Hong Kong, London, Baghdad and Washington D.C. Ghosh began in journalism career in India, working in daily newspapers in Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Kolkata, before switching to magazines in Mumbai and New Delhi. He then moved to Hong Kong with the (late and lamented) Far Eastern Economic Review, before joining TIME. Tunku Varadarajan Editor, Newsweek International He is the Editor of N e w s w e e k International. He is also Virginia Hobbs Carpenter Fellow in Journalism at Hoover Institution, Stanford University. Stephanie Mehta Executive Editor, FORTUNE Stephanie N. Mehta is executive editor at Fortune, where she directs technology and Washington coverage for the magazine and Fortune.com, and con-

tributes to the overall editorial direction of the magazine. Mehta is a key contributor to the magazines live events, and serves as co-chair of the annual Fortune Brainstorm:TECH conference. Previously, Mehta was an assistant

managing editor and global editor of the magazine. Prior to this position, she covered the telecommunications and media industries for the magazine. Mehta joined Fortune from The Wall Street Journal.

MODERATOR: Prof. Sree Sreenivasan Dean (Student Affairs), School of Journalism Columbia University Sree Sreenivasan is a journalism educator and freelance journalist. He is Dean of Student Affairs at Columbia Universitys journalism school, where he runs the new media program. He also serves as a technology reporter and commentator for a variety of news outlets. Most recently, he spent two years as the tech reporter for WNBC-TV in NYC and various NBC News programs (he previously spent six years as WABCs Tech Guru). His work explaining technology has appeared in The New York Times, BusinessWeek, Rolling Stone and Popular Science. He is co-founder of SAJA, the South Asian Journalists Association, a group of 1,000+ journalists across the US and Canada. In March 2004, Newsweek magazine named him one of the 20 most influential South Asians in the nation. In July 2007, and India Abroad named him one of the 50 most influential Indians in America and in 2009. SPEAKERS S. Mitra Kalita C o - f o u n d e r, LiveMint.com S. Mitra Kalita is correspondent covering

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India Newswire TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 2-8, 2011

India-Pak cricket diplomacy at Mohali


Mohali: Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Yousuf Raza Gilani chose an explosive India-Pakistan cricket clash here to discuss the prospects of healing wounds and restoring peaceful relations between their two countries. "Indeed, this meeting today once again reaffirmed the intention of both governments to take forward the process of dialogue," Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said after the prime ministers ended their dinner at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium here. "It would be appropriate to say that today there was a Mohali spirit. This is encouraging and positive spirit," Rao told reporters coming from the dinner meeting venue on the sidelines of the World Cup cricket semifinal match. Explaining that "dialogue is a process with which you can understand each other better", Rao revealed to the media what Gilani and Manmohan Singh really desired: "The goal is normalization of relations." Rao did not say what all the two leaders discussed, underlining that these were not formal talks but "a wideranging conversation in which they touched upon a number of issues of relevance to the relationship". To a question, Rao asserted that India "had not forgotten" the 26/11 attacks. "I want to emphasis that in the course of the dialogue, prime minister reiterated the need for an atmosphere free of violence and terror in order to enable the true normalization of relations between India and Pakistan. And let me also add that prime minister Gilani shared the sentiment," she said. "Every such meeting between the two countries generates an extremely positive momentum. "This is re-engagement... the understanding generated as a result has a very positive impact on the relationship. "It's about peace, it's about healing wounds, it's about reconciliation." Manmohan Singh, who has made building friendship with Pakistan a top priority, told Gilani that it was important to have "such exchanges" - and suggested meetings between parliamentarians of both countries. The foreign secretary made it a point to describe Pakistan as a democracy, and said it was important to promote people-to-people contacts. The Gilani-Manmohan Singh engagement tries".With sports being in the air, the Pakistani prime minister hoped that the Indian cricket team would also be playing on Pakistani soil against their Pakistani counterpart soon. Among other issues, the two leaders also spoke about the current unrest sweeping the Middle-East, where both countries have large diaspora. It was their third meeting in three years, but the first time that the venue is one of their own countries, rather than in a third nation on the sidelines of a multilateral summit. The last time the two prime ministers met to try and resolve the fraught relationship was in April 2010 in the Bhutanese capital of Thimphu on the sidelines of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit. Before that, the two met on July 16, 2009 at the Egyptian resort town of Sharm-elSheikh on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement summit. This was five months after the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack. With sports being in the air, the Pakistani prime minister hoped that the Indian cricket team would also be playing on Pakistani soil against their Pakistani counterpart soon. And, a day ahead of both the prime ministers joining their citizens to cheer their teams in Mohali, the home secretaries met in New Delhi Tuesday. They agreed to set up a hotline for real-time information sharing on terrorist threats, even as Indian investigators were allowed to quiz the 2008 Mumbai attack suspects prosecuted in Pakistan.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani cheer at the Indo-Pak World Cup semi-final in Mohali on March 30. followed the Indian leader's dramatic decision to invite his Pakistani counterpart after India defeated Australia last week to set up a semifinal clash against Pakistan. Manmohan Singh invited both Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari to Mohali to watch the India-Pakistan match. Zardari expressed his inability to come but Gilani agreed. Rao said India and Pakistan -- whose relations touched an all-time low after the terrorist attack on Mumbai in November 2008 -had set in motion the dialogue process after a certain gap. "We have begun this year with a very positive agenda of contact and exchanges between India and Pakistan. It is a good augury for the future." Gilani, along with his 45-member entourage of senior Pakistani politicians, was greeted by Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Sachin Pilot, and then met Manmohan Singh at the stadium, which was packed with thousands of Indian and Pakistani spectators, as well as the political and business elite of the country. After the national anthems rang around the stadium, both leaders walked down the green, where they shook hands with all the players. They watched the cricket for some hours, the two leaders went to their bases in Chandigarh, before meeting again for dinner at the PCA clubhouse. The two prime ministers returned to their box, clapping, as the stadium roared around them as the last Pakistani wickets began to fall. There was no mention of the Kashmir dispute at the briefing, with Rao stating that the "focus was on development, economic growth, on trade, on access to technology, on health on education - all the issues that concern the future of people in both the coun-

It's a win-win situation: Gilani


Islamabad: Pakistan has described the Mohali round of cricket diplomacy as a win-win situation for the India-Pakistan process of engagement and maintained that third-party intervention was not needed. Striking a note of guarded optimism over the bonhomie between the two countries over the past week, Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua said, We do not underestimate the difficulties but have faith and confidence in a bright future for the peoples of our region. Briefing reporters a day after the Indian and Pakistan Prime Ministers spent several hours together in the informal setting of the Mohali cricket ground, Ms. Janjua said, Prime Minister Gilani said both Pakistan and India, as two important states in South Asia, must endeavour to take ownership for their affairs. Asked if the U.S. Embassy's congratulatory message to the two countries on Wednesday night for cricket diplomacy was an indication of a Washington-push for bilateral talks between the two nations, the spokesperson drew attention to the Prime Minister's stress on India and Pakistan taking ownership of their affairs. We do not need a third country for us to take ownership of our own affairs, she said.

Patil, Rajapaksa to watch World Cup final


New Delhi/Colombo: India's President Pratibha Patil and her Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa were expected to watch the cricket World Cup final between the two countries in Mumbai. Patil will fly to Mumbai, where Rajapaksa will reach from Colombo, a Rashtrapati Bhavan official said. Rajapaksa will arrive in Mumbai Saturday morning, a Sri Lankan diplomat said in New Delhi. "The president's main engagement is the cricket match. He will be returning to Colombo Sunday morning," the Sri Lankan high commission official said. Rajapaksa will be accompanied by Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and some senior officials. "The composition of his team will be known by Friday," he added. Rajapaksa's spokesman Bandula Jayasekera said in Colombo that the president wants Sri Lanka to win the World Cup as a tribute to Muttiah Muralitharan, who retires from international cricket after the event. The Sri Lankan president and his three sons had watched Sri Lanka defeat New Zealand to earn a place in the Cup final, while Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani, viewed the semifinal between their countries' teams in Mohali.

President Pratibha Patil and her Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa.

India Newswire TheSouthAsianTimes.info

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April 2-8, 2011

India's population at 1.21 bn


India's population is now bigger than the combined population of the US, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
New Delhi: India's population has risen to 1.21 billion - an increase of over 181 million in the last decade - but the gender imbalance is the worst since independence, indicating a persisting preference for male children, according to the latest census data. China is the world's most populous country with 1.341 billion people. Even as India's population continues to witness a double digit jump, the growth rate has actually slowed down, census officials said. The 17.6-percent increase is down from 21.5 in the 2001 headcount, Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner C. Chandramouli told reporters here, releasing the figures collected during a year-long exercise done after every 10 years. "The percentage decadal growth during 2001-2011 has registered the sharpest decline since independence - a decrease of 3.90 percentage points," Chandramouli said. In 1981-91, the population growth rate was 23.87 percent. These, however, are only preliminary figures and the final population count will be released next year. According to the figures, 2001 was 927 females per 1,000 males born, which has declined to 914 females per 1,000 males. This indicates a continued trend of preference for male children over females. India is a country where female infanticide is still common and the government has banned doctors from revealing the sex of the unborn child. "This is a matter of grave concern," Chandramouli said. The gender imbalance is there despite a ban on sex determination tests based on ultrasound scans and sex selective abortion. Girl child campaigners say the imbalance is there because parents continue to view daughters as financial liabilities and male children as wage earners. "It (the census figures) was expected but it is a warning signal for the nation to wake up," equality campaigner Ranjana Kumari, director of Centre for Social Research, said. Home Secretary G.K. Pillai, who was present when the data was released, said the government's policies to curb the declining child sex ratio needed a "complete review". "Whatever measures that have been put in over the last 40 years have not had any impact on the child sex ratio." However, the overall sex ratio showed a marginal improvement, with 940 women counted for every 1,000 men compared to 933 in the 2001 census. The census 2011 was done in in two phases -- house-listing and housing census and then population enumeration.

Highlights
* Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state with more people than Brazil -- the country with the fifth largest population in the world. * The female population has risen by 18.12 percent to reach 586.5 million (58 crore). * The literacy rate has gone up to 74 percent nationwide for people aged 7 and older, from about 65 percent in the last census. Kerala has the highest literacy rate of 93.91 and Bihar the lowest at 63.82. * Population density has increased by 17.5 percent, touching 382 people per sq km from 325 in the 2001 census.

Population density has increased by 17.5 percent, touching 382 people per sq km from 325 in the 2001 census. there has been a decline in the number of children under the age of 6, down five million since 2001 to 158.8 million. Chandramouli said the child sex ratio in

N-plants safety top on agenda: PM

DMK open to coalition: Karunanidhi


Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M. Karunanidhi said he was open to forming a coalition government in the event of a hung house, and reiterated that his son and Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was his political heir. In an interview to a news channel, he said if there was a change in the voting pattern making a coalition imperative for political stability, the DMK will discuss the issue with its allies. The DMK, which has ruled Tamil Nadu since 2006, has allied with the Congress, the PMK and a string of smaller parties in the April 13 assembly elections. Karunanidhi made it clear that Stalin, his younger son, would succeed him as the DMK chief and added that seniors in the party and the rank and file who trusted him also trusted Stalin. Karunanidhi said he had no direct links with Kalaignar TV, which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has raided in search of bribe money linked to the spectrum corruption scandal. He said his wife M.K. Dayalu and daughter Kanimozhi held 60 and 20 percent equity stakes respectively in the channel. "I have no rights or stakes other than this. I do not own the channel. It is unfair to link the channel to the 2G scam," he said.

The DMK is fielding candidates in 119 of the 234 constituencies, while its ally Congress is contesting 63 seats. The chief minister also said that until the Supreme Court decided on the issue, it would be unfair to claim irregularities in the spectrum saga that has landed former DMK central minister A. Raja in jail. The DMK is fielding candidates in 119 of the 234 constituencies, while its ally Congress is contesting 63 seats.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for "accountability and transparency" in the functioning of nuclear plants. New Delhi: Against the backdrop of the Fukushima nuclear power plant tragedy in Japan due to an earthquake and tsunami, India has embarked upon a technical review of all safety systems of its nuclear plants, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said. At a function to present the Department of Atomic Energy's lifetime achievement award for 2009, Manmohan Singh said the tragedy at the Fukushima plant in Japan had raised worldwide concerns about the safety of nuclear energy as a source of power and it was vitally important to address these concerns. "The government will take all the necessary measures to ensure the safety of our plants. I have already directed a technical review of all safety systems of our nuclear power plants using the best expertise available in our country," he said. Noting that the government would strengthen the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and make it a truly autonomous and independent regulatory authority of the highest and the best international standards, the prime minister said: "The future reactors that will be built in India will have to be certified by the Indian regulatory authority and meet its safety standards. This will apply equally to reactors and technologies that are imported from abroad." Calling for "accountability and transparency" in the functioning of nuclear plants, he said the people of India would have to be convinced about the safety and security of the plants.

Pawar flew with Balwa: Opposition


Mumbai: The leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly, Eknath Khadse, alleged that agriculture minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar traveled with DB Realty's Shahid Balwa to Dubai on a plane owned by the latter's company on February 8, 2010. Pawar was accompanied by his wife Pratibha, he charged. The allegations were made in the House during a budgetary debate. Khadse said that the plane used for the flight was owned by Eon Aviation, a subsidiary of DB Realty Group. The BJP leader said he has ATC records to prove his accusations. He claimed that DB chairman Vinod Goenka, ICC CEO dence of Pawar flying on an Eon Aviation plane on many other occasions. Adding that there was no harm in renting out chartered planes, Khadse sought clarification on the nature of travel. He also sought explanation on flights in which Balwa accompanied other NCP leaders. The NCP, however, rubbished the claims saying the planes were owned by the firm and not Balwa alone. The party filed a countercharge claiming that BJP leader Nitin Gadkari and Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray had also flown on Eon planes. BJP dared NCP to produce evidence.

DB Realty's Shahid Balwa is in jail for his alleged involvement in the 2G spectrum scam. Haroon Lorgat, BCCI president Shashank Manohar and his wife Varsha, and cricket administrator I S Bindra were also on the plane. Khadse claimed he also has evi-

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Diaspora TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 2-8, 2011

For ethnic Indians, Malaysia makes changes to textbook


Kuala Lumpur: References to the Hindu caste system have been removed from a novel prescribed for school students that offended sections of Malaysia's ethnic Indian community, says Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. Yassin told parliament Thursday that the government had agreed to make 19 amendments to the textbook, "Interlok", replacing phrases and words deemed sensitive to the Indian community. Of particular concern was the contentious phrase "kasta pariah" (pariah caste) which would be replaced with "golongan yang sama" (the same group). The term "orang berkulit hitam" (a dark-skinned race) would be dropped and the word "tuhan" (god) would be replaced with "dewa" (deity). The amendments were agreed upon by the independent panel set up by the cabinet in January to look into the matter. The panel included representatives of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), the country's largest Indian-based party that is also a constituent of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN). Yassin, who is also the education minister, said the other 87 proposed amendments reviewed by the panel were found to be irrelevant to the core issue. This included putting the name of the author on the cover and altering the spelling of a word. He said all members of the panel, including representatives of the Indian community, had agreed to insert "errata" in the textbook to correct or drop phrases that the Indian community found culturally or religiously offensive. The minister also said the panel had agreed that Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, as the publisher, would edit the novel accordingly for the new edition. At the same time, he said the ministry would prepare a glossary to explain phrases and concepts contained in the novel. The minister said with the amendments, the "Interlok" issue had been resolved. This showed "the spirit of unity, acceptance and mutual respect of Malaysians, who were willing to come to a compromise," he added. He said "Interlok" was a creative work which attempted to depict a harmonious life in multi-racial Malaya before it gained independence. He thanked the novel's author Abdullah Hussein for allowing parts of his book to be amended, the New Straits Times reported. "Interlok" was written in 1971 in Bahasa Malaysia, the language of the majority Malays, and focused on the challenges faced by three deprived families - Malay, Chinese and Indian - in eking out a living.

Temple attacked in Australia


Sydney: One of Australia's oldest Hindu temples located here was attacked by two men in balaclavas who fired eight bullets, a media report said Wednesday. Sydney Morning Herald reported that bullet holes could be seen on the wall of Auburn's Sri Mandir temple, which it said is Australia's first Hindu temple. CCTV cameras showed that two men in balaclavas fired the shots on the night of March 19. There were no worshippers when the attack took place. A police spokeswoman said they were working with the community as part of the probe. Yadu Singh, president of the Council of Indian Australians, said the shooting was a sign that the attacks on the temple were turning serious. 'The bottom line is that something needs to be done, because it is not a one-off,' he was quoted as saying. 'We have a right to exist; we have a right to practise our religion.' Temple priest Jatinkumar Bhatt said: 'Throwing eggs and bottles is an ongoing process, but this bullet really put us in a panic.'

Punjab man gets life term for killing wife in Vancouver


Vancouver: A Punjab man who killed his pregnant wife five years ago here was jailed for life on Friday. A former school teacher, Mukhtiar Singh Panghali, 39, was convicted in December for second-degree murder of his wife, Manjit Panghali, and then burning her body in the Vancouver suburb of Surrey in October 2006. Manjit Panghali, who married Mukhtiar in 1996, was four-month pregnant with her second child when she went missing on October 18, 2006. The couple were reportedly having problems in their marital relationship. The victim, 30 at the time of her murder, had gone for her pre-natal yoga class and was never seen again, though her car was found abandoned. A week later, her charred body was located at a place frequented by revelers for drinking and making bonfires. The suspicion immediately fell on her husband and

Mukhtiar Panghali, and the victim Manjit brother-in-law Sukhwinder who lived with the couple. During the trial, the prosecution established that Mukhtiar killed his wife when she returned from her yoga class, burnt her body at the said place, and delayed reporting the murder to police by as many as 26 hours after she reportedly went missing. Calling his crime "repugnant", the judge asked Panghali if he has anything say about his crime. But the 39-year-old Punjab man said nothing as he sat motionless in the prisoner's box. Panghali was also given another jail sentence of three and a half years for "interfering'' with his wife's body. This term will run concurrently with his life sentence. He will not be eligible for parole until 2022. A teacher at a local school, Manjit left behind a threeyear-old daughter Maya, now eight. Her killing is one of quite a few cases of murders of their wives by IndoCanadian men in recent years.

4/30/2011

India to woo businesses at Toronto mini-Pravasi Bharatiya Divas


Toronto: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) will hold a roundtable on business opportunities in India during the miniPravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) here in June. "To boost India's emerging strategic and business relationship, we will hold a roundtable in which the CII and ASSOCHAM will participate. There will also be a smaller session on cooperation in small and medium industries between the two countries," said Didar Singh, secretary in the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. Singh, who was here to outline the program for the two-day event from June 9, said the theme of this year's mini-Parvasi Bharatiya Divas is 'Building Bridges: Positioning Strategies for the Indian Diaspora'. Vayalar Ravi, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, will open the mini-Parvasi Bharatiya Divas. "Through this event, we aim to build bridges between the diaspora and India, between Canada and India, and between the diasporas in North America and the Caribbean," he said. Singh said it would be the biggest gathering of the diaspora in North America. "We expect 700 to 1,000 delegates. There will also be entrepreneurs and business people from Canada and India," the Indian official said. Besides the diaspora, he said, the focus of the Toronto event will be on youth. "There will be a special session on the diaspora youth which is of special interest to us in India. We want to connect the second- and thirdgeneration diaspora youth with India." The government of Ontario province has agreed to support the event, he added.

4/30/2011

Tristate Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

15

April 2-8, 2011

The week that was.


SATimes brings you a pictorial round up of major events in New Jersey
1 2 3

1. TV Asia's Chairman H.R. Shah (left) hosted two receptions in honor of the Chairman of Sahara India Pariwar, Subrata Roy Sahara (third from left). Roy, who was in the US to deliver a speech at Harvard India Conference, was felicitated at Nasdaq, and at the TV Asia studios in Edison. 2. Comedian Raju Srivastav had the audience in splits at the Union County Arts Center in Rahway, NJ 3. Dr Sudhansu Prasad with other committee members at the re-election of new council committee for Edison Township in NJ 4. SaReGaMaPa Singing Superstars enthralled audiences with a captivating show at Atlantic city, NJ. Seen in the picture: (L to R): Ranjeet Rajwada, Abhilasha Chellum, Rini Chandra, Shreyasi Chakraborty, Bishakh Jyoti. (Photos: Gunjesh Desai/masalajunction.com)

GSNY celebrates Sneh Sammelan


New York:The Gujarati Samaj of New York Senior Wing celebrated Sneh Sammelan on March 26th, 2011.It was organized by Shashikantbhai Patel, president of GSNY's senior wing. The event was successfully hosted by Mrs. Gopi Udeshi and Mitesh Kapadia. Chief Guest Arvind Dharia, CFO of Steven Madden Corp., attended the event. Deputy Consulate of New York, Pramodkumar Bajaj, and Padmabhushan Mrs. Kamala Laxmi Narayan also attended the event. There was a dance performance by the classically-trained Noopoor Akruwala, current runner up for Miss India in New York, to the song "Kahe Chhed Mohe" from the movie Devdas. Mystic Dance Academy, under the direction of Mrs. Shilpa Mithaiwala and Sudha Kapadia, presented various dance performances exhibiting students from age to 5 to 17.Shikshayatan Culture Center, under the direction of Purnima Desai, presented three vocal performances along with KamlaPrasad Mishra and a dance on Lord Shiva and Parvati by Amrita and Swatika. The choreography and the accompanying dancers were extraordinarily superb. TSAT contributor, Nupur Joshi, performed a classical dance to "Aami Je Tomaar" from the movie "Bhool Bhulaiyaa". A self-trained dancer, she also performed a song, "Saiyyan", which was originally sung by Kailash Kher. Gayatri Pariwar of Deer Park performed a well-organized garba. Krishna Parikh, a very talented young man, sang "Suno Na" from the movie "Chalte Chalte".

Padma Bhushan Kamala Laxmi Narayan and Parmod Kumar Bajaj, Consul with Indian Consulate of New York, lighting the lamp for the opening ceremony

Gayatri Pariwar of Deer Park presented garba (Photos: Xitij Photography)

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India Conference 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 2-8, 2011

Harvard India Conference opens minds


Titled March of a Billion Aspirations, the conference in Boston March 26-27 attracted eminent business leaders and academics who underscored Indias growth story and explained the reasons thereof. They also pointed out the challenges--the much vaunted Demographic Dividend if not managed well can also become Demographic Disaster.

Ajay Banga, President & CEO, Mastercard, was the most anticipated Keynote speaker at the conference. He was presented in conversation with Nitin Nohria, Dean & Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School. The session concluded with a series of rapid fire questions for Banga.

Tarun Khanna, Professor, Harvard Business School, who had initiated India Conference at Harvard, said in his Keynote Address that India was high on innovating--doing things in a cost-effective manner and yet eficiently.

Anand Giridharadas, Writer and Columnist for The New York Times, has just published his bestselling book India Calling: An Intimate Portrait of a Nations Remaking. He said the change in peoples minds in India was more significant than indicators like GDP growth.

Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon (right), Minister for Food & Civil Supplies and IT, Punjab, gave a Keynote Speech. In the picture he is seen with Kamlesh Mehta, Chairman of The South Asian Times, and Amit Kanodia, Managing Partner, Lincoln Ventures.

The Future of Management Education in India was discussed by Srikant Datar (Moderator, middle), Professor of Accounting, Harvard University, Nitin Nohria, Dean & Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School (right), and Sunil Kumar, Dean and Professor of Operations Management, Chicago Booth Business School.

The conference attracted over 500 delegates, including students and professionals interested in Indias growth story.

India Conference 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info

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April 2-8, 2011

Speaking at the India Leadership Forum were (from right) Naveen Jindal, MP and Executive Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Jindal Steel & Power Limited, Tarun Khanna, Professor, Harvard Business School, Brij Singh, Founder & CEO, Baer Capital, and Vishal Bali, CEO, Fortis Global Healthcare.

The final Keynote Address came from Subrata Roy Sahara, Chairman of the Sahara Group of companies, who talked about self-motivation and what matters in life the most.

De-Stressing Indias Urban Infrastructure panelists were (from right) K. Venkatesh Chief Executive, L&T Infrastructure Development Projects Ltd., Arun Nanda, Director, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, Managing Director, Punjab Infrastructure Development Board, and Shahana Basu Kanodia (Moderator), Partner & Chair of the South Asia Practice Group, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP.

The popular MP and young business leader, Naveen Jindal, posing for a picture with Harry Aurora, New York based CEO of Wall Street Commercial Capital, New York.

Panelists for US-India Relations: Outlook for the next decade included (from right) Manoj Singh, Global Managing Director, Deloitte Operations, Ranjana Khanna (Moderator), Dy. Secretary General, FICCI USA, Shahana Basu Kanodia, Partner & Chair of the South Asia Practice Group, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP,

Lant Pritchett, Professor at Harvard Kennedy School of Government, spoke about his research in two backward districts of central India, which showed that though unheralded, social churn was taking BC ilan_ing 10x2inch.pdf 1 03.03.2011 14:39 place in rural areas.

Arjit Mehta, (left) President, The South Asian Times, which was Print Media Partner for the Conference, was felicitated by the organizers.

Dan Tennebaum, MD, India Capital Research, who has lived and worked in India since 1999, discussed the pros and cons of relocating to India.

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18

Travel TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 2-8, 2011

Secret lives of Brok-Pa Aryans in Kargil


There are about 1,000 descendants of these pure Aryans, who live scattered around Gilgit, Hunza, Kargil and Leh. They are nature worshippers and believe in Brog-Pa traditions and celebrate the Bononah (Nature) festival and are strict vegans.
By Murli Menon spent one week to study the secret lives of these pure Aryans living at Kargil in October 2004. I maintained a detailed diary of my visit and would like to share the experience I had with one of the most fascinating tribes of India. My destinations were the villages of Dah and Beema (pronounced Beama) in Leh district and the villages of Garkun and Darchik in Kargil district. I planned to trek and visit the most inaccessible pockets of these villages and spend quality time with this historic tribe. Being a strict vegan and practitioner of ZeNLP meditations, I decided to meditate and chant regularly during my uphill sojourn. We rose early and started our jeep safari at 7:00 a.m. The journey was as pleasurable as the destination. The 130 km drive along the Indus took us through the villages of Khalatse (pronounced Khalsi), Dumkhar, Skurbuchan, Achinathang and Hanuthang. We crossed several high peaks before reaching Beema (14,350 feet). Every photograph we clicked en route resembled a picture postcard. We played soothing music for relaxation throughout this seven hour drive over rugged terrain. The first glimpse of the Indus from miles away was a divine and spiritual experience. A speck of light blue amidst sand dunes, rocks and stone. It resembled a stream nestling in the palm of Nature's hand. The closer we got to the river, the more beautiful it looked. We finally arrived at Beema. The ice cold bath on the turbulent waters of this river steeped in history, calmed my body, mind and soul. The tranquility experienced while meditating on its banks, on a bed of round pebbles resembling marbles was indescribable. There is a self-imposed prohibition in these Brok-Pa (Ladakhi word for Aryan or white skin) villages. The sarpanch had empowered the women to ensure that no alcohol was brought from Leh by locals, tourists or outsiders. After a thorough frisking of my bag by three women resembling Greek goddesses, they let me enter the PWD guest house. Here I met my first Aryan, the chowkidar named Sonam Thondup. He knew a smattering of Hindi and

The author with one of the Aryans, and his photographs of others. through a combination of sign language, body language, eye movements and facial expressions, I tried to create rapport with this hostile Aryan, who told me that my visit to Dah in September was not welcome. I was the only occupant of the guest house and I handed over my inner line permit and letter from the collector Mr. Satish Nehru to Thondup. After settling in my room, I went out but found few shops. The view from my room was picturesque and the gurgle of the Indus like music. The next morning, I was summoned to the sarpanch's house for a purification ritual. I had to trek 10 km over mountain streams, rock and stone to reach his house in Laisthiang village. Thondup had sent two tough looking escorts who accompanied me to the top. It took us almost two hours to reach. The landscape began to change and a canopy of green could be seen. Walnut and apricot trees stretched across the horizon and the fields were full of grain, ready to be harvested. I found out later that the staple food of these Aryans was barley, grown in these terraced fields and irrigated by the mountain streams that rush to meet the Indus flowing below. The ascent was rather steep and the altitude nearly 17,000 feet. I kept replenishing my body fluids by drinking lots of natural mineral water from the countless streams that crossed on our way. Presently there are about 1000 descendants of these pure Aryans, who live scattered around Gilgit, Hunza, Kargil and Leh. They are nature worshippers and believe in Brog- pa traditions and celebrate the Bononah (Nature) festival and are strict vegans. These pure Aryans observe taboos against cows and hens and do not eat their flesh, eggs or consume milk or milk products. Hens and cows are not kept. This minuscule community bars both their men and women from marrying non-Aryans and polygamy and polyandry are common. Couples who do not conceive are free to choose other partners. 80% Aryans marry in their own villages, while 20% marry in neighboring villages. They worship the Juniper tree (Cilgi Deuha). Two 500 years old Juniper trees crown the village of Dah, where the tri-annual Bononah festival is held on a full moon night during October. They symbolically draw energy from these ancient Juniper trees by hugging them after a ceremonial dance. They also respect the swastika symbol (clockwise) and Om. The trek to Dah from Beema to visit the sacred juniper groves took us three hours. It was a dangerous trek, as we crossed several craggy peaks, holding on to tiny crevices to haul ourselves up. We could hear gunfire across the Indo-POK border. My inner line permit was checked at the army post. I hugged the ancient juniper trees to soak in their energy. The energy aura of these trees was phenomenal giving you a new vigour in each and every cell of your body. I then visited a few of the elderly Aryans. They still observe their taboos of intoxicating substances, milk, eggs and meat. I shared a meal with them consisting of barley rotis, lettuce, roasted potatoes, spring onions, boiled cauliflower and wild mint. Women cooked in an open hearth. The next week, I trekked to the other Aryan villages including Baldes, Samit, Garkun, Darchik and Hanu. The population of these Brok-pa Aryans could not be more than a few thousand. Surprisingly, they have maintained their racial purity over 5000 years and continue to practise nature worship in one of the most hostile terrains at altitudes above 15000 feet, subsisting on a vegan diet. Music and dance are a way of life for these Aryans. Both men and women wear colorful traditional costumes, decorating their hair with colorful flowers and are full of joie de vivre. They live in harmony with nature, are cheerful and stress free in spite of living in small rock shelters. Both men and women trek long distances. Almonds, apricots and walnuts are part of their diet along with endless cups of black tea fortified with barley flour. The weather in September is pleasantly cold, though temperatures in January can plummet to minus 20 degrees C. There are an unusually large number of Aryans above the age of 70. Many of them are active even at 90. Their most striking feature is their looks. Their blue eyes, aristrocratic noses, round eyes, fair complexion and flawless skin, made them ethnically distinct from Ladakhis or Kashmiris. They restrict their contact with the outside world and are happy in their isolated existence. Married women braid their hair, which makes them resemble Greeks. Some of the families I stayed with include Misken Soman, Shirin Konshkit, Tsering Dolma, Sonam Dolma, Sonam Lamo, Tashi Panma, Tsering Chospel, Chewen Dolma, Tsering Nurbu and Tsering Jorphel. One of the ladies I photographed at Dah could be mistaken for a German tourist. She was blonde, had blonde eyebrows, high cheek bones, rotund face and unmistakable German features. One of the most fascinating aspects of the lives of these Aryans is a belief in prophecies and the recording of dreams. Most elderly Aryans, meet in the morning at the Juniper grove and discuss their dreams as if nature was communicating to them through the language of dreams. The fresh mountain air, the crystal clear water of the mountain streams, the nutritious vegan diet, trance music, chanting, dream ceremonies and tree worship could be responsible for the survival of this miniscule community, living in an Himalayan Shangri-La. One of the Aryan folk songs (creation myths) sung at the Bononah festival is translated as follows: In the beginning there was water all over the earth and some of it froze. Dust settled on this patch of ice. Later, a small patch of grass appeared on the frozen patch and soon, a juniper tree sprouted from the earth. The whole universe was created by Chag (Fire), Ser (Water) and Yun (Earth). Murli Menon is a stress management consultant based in Ahmedabad. He is the author of "ZeNLP-the power to succeed" published by Sage publications. He can be reached at ceo@tips4ceos.com.

India Conference 2011 TheSouthAsianTimes.info

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April 2-8, 2011

Life Lessons and Success Mantras


By Parveen Chopra

nbeknown to many, Subrata Roy Sahara, Chairman and Managing Worker of the Sahara group, which famously has been the sponsor of the Indian cricket team for quite a few years, is not only a doer but also a thinker. Speaking at the Harvard India Conference last weekend, the Lucknow based tycoon who is author of a couple of books in Hindi, said he was finishing a book in English titled Life is Beautiful: Learn it and Love it. In no need to impress his audience of the worlds most brilliant students with outr business strategies, he chose to dwell on simple but key things in like. Professional and personal aspects of life need not be at loggerheads, he professed. His view is that it depends on you entirely to attain continuous progress in your career and (yet) to remain continuously happy in your personal life too. But that depends on knowledge of life, of the psychological and emotional aspects of life. This knowledge can also be called spirituality. Moving on to his success mantra,

Subrata Roy Sahara addressing the Harvard India Conference Roy said, We have to understand that in business the deep study of Human Management is much more important than the study of Business Management. This is because in any business, any product is devised by, serviced by, and purchased by human beings. Then he held out the limits of money or position as a motivator. Best is the motivation that a mother feels

while caring for her child. The Sahara group founder said that in his organization, he has always tried to generate self-motivation in the workers (the number grew from 2 to almost a million)sharing in their happiness and sorrows, teaching them about life and genuinely feeling as their guardian. He started and has continued the practice of giving regular lectures to senior and junior workers90 percent talk on human aspect and only 10 percent on business. Not to say, it has worked like magic in our organization. This is because when workers are self-motivated to a very high degree, productivity multiplies manifold, Roy says from experience. He now believes that the chief of any organization, or of a major division or department, should be a good teacher of human life who can show the right path, never do injustice, no discrimination at all. He has also concluded from experience that 98-99 percent of human beings want to live with the domination of positive characteristics of their nature and they always push down their negative characteristics provided they get to live in a positive human environment

Global biz whiz, Indian at heart

Ajay Banga, Mastercard CEO, answered some quickfire questions from Dean Nitin Nohria at the Harvard India Conference. jay Banga, President and transformed Bihar as chief minister. CEO of Mastercard, has Institutions like Pratham are also given good credit rating to doing yeoman service at the grassIndia while speaking at the Harvard roots level, he said. India grows India Conference last weekend. Yet, despite its politics, he said amid he stressed that we need to apply laughter. our mind to improving quality of During the quickfire QA session, life in India and not just stay the top global executive showed focused on rising GDP. how he remains Indian at heart. He Employment for those entering the chose Aishwarya Rai over Angelina work force has to be created, wages Jolie, gilli-danda over other sports raised before inflations hits to avoid and India-China rivalry over Cokesocial unrest. Pepsi rivalry, and batted for Indian Banga said even one person can companies like Tata and Infosys change a lot, like Nitish Kumar has and Indian institutions like IIMs.

20

Art & Culture TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 2 - 8, 2011

New York film society to celebrate Satyajit Ray's work


New York: The Film Society of Lincoln Center will celebrate India's greatest filmmaker and one of cinema's greatest auteurs Satyajit Ray with "Long Shadows: The Late Work of Satyajit Ray." Unspooling at the Walter Reade Theater here from April 19 through April 26, the promised follow-up to the 2009 Satyajit Ray tribute, Long Shadows includes all the films made by Ray in the autumnal years of his career. Already an acknowledged giant of world cinema, Ray in these later works reveals a more meditative side: his brilliant powers of observation lead him to pare down his style, allowing his characters and the world to reveal themselves. Of special interest is "The Home and the World", his final, wonderful adaptation of a work by his mentor, Rabindranath Tagore, as well as his final, luminous work, "The Stranger", an extraordinary summing up of so much of Ray's worldview graced with a sensational lead performance by Utpal Dutt. "Long Shadows: The Late Work of Satyajit Ray" is presented in collaboration with Columbia University. Featured films include: The Branches of a Tree, The Chess Players, Deliverance (Sadgati), Pikoo's Diary, The Inner Eye, Distant Thunder, The Elephant God, An Enemy of the People, The Golden Fortress, The Home and the World, The Kingdom of Diamonds, Sikkim, Bala and The Stranger. Screenings will be held at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theatre. Tickets range from $5 to $12 and are now on sale both at the box office and online. On March 30, 1992, Satyajit Ray was awarded the Honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement. Due to ill health, he could not attend the ceremony and his acceptance speech was prerecorded in Calcutta. He died on April 23 that year.

Satyajit Ray: One of cinemas greatest auteur

Urban ecology art comes to town


New Delhi: Beatles, bats and mosquitoes have suddenly found a place in the realm of public art in the Indian capital.Opening up points of intersection between art, ecology, science and urban landscape is the public art residency programme, "In Context: Public. Art.Ecology" with its nerve centre in Saket and fanning out across the city. For instance, British artists Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey have turned a sliver of urban space near Saket - home to three mega shopping malls in south Delhi - into a green breather. The project, Khoj Court, uses planted barley stalks and the plant pigment chlorophyll to drive home the message that art exists in synergy with the green ecological cover. Controlled production of the pigment, chlorophyll, serve as a colouring and chemical medium for photographs. "Our project is a breathing space in this hot and polluted city," artist Ackroyd says. American artist and biologist Brandon Ballengee is working with the Canada-based Ecohaven Project to create a micro habitat installation for insects at the Select City Mall. The project is called "Econnect + Love Motel for Insects". During the day, the native plants of Delhi offer a habitat and food source for butterflies. And at night, the surface of the Econnect lotus becomes a "motel attracting urban insects like beatles, moths and a variety of anthropods by using ultra-violet light. "We are at a pivotal moment in human history when human habitats are impacting environment. I am trying to create works that hopefully offer solutions. If you can create micro-habitats to help animals, birds, insects and plants which are disappearing in the city

An urban art project, Sprouting Barley in Khoj Court that uses sprouting barley to create a green tract in Saket by British artists Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey and in highrises, it can cool cities, bring more rain and allow the city to function better," Ballengee told IANS. He has collaborated with Navin Thomas and Pratik Sagar. The biologist and Ecohaven have implemented similar urban ecology art projects in Asia, Europe and America (north and south). He says, "Insects are one of the least understood and appreciated groups of animals in the world." This is Ballengee's first project in India. Artist Pratik Sagar, a resident of the capital, is building opinion about the urban avifauna under siege through his stand-alone public art intervention, "Unpacking Social Networks", in different locations around the capital. "My installation creates a space where groups of people - across religion and social mores - can feed birds and create new social networks between birds and life," Sagar said.

International TheSouthAsianTimes.info

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April 2-8, 2011

18 die in Pak blasts, Rehman attacked


Islamabad: At least 12 people were killed in a bombing in northwest Pakistan that targeted Jamiat Ulema-e-IslamFazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, while six people died when their car hit a remote-controlled bomb planted by the roadside in the country's southwest, police said. Rehman was exposed last week by whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks for his offer to the US to mediate with the Taliban. It was the second attack on him in two days. At least 30 people were injured in the first bombing that took place in Charsadda district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when Rehman was passing through Balochistan at about 5.30 p.m. when a car hit a remotecontrolled bomb planted by the roadside, Xinhua reported citing Urdu TV channel Samaa. Rehman was unhurt but some of his bodyguards were injured, said Nisar Ali Marwat, the district police chief. "Until now 12 people are confirmed dead while 30 more are injured," DPA quoted Marwat as saying. "Eight to nine kilograms of explosives were used in the vest which was packed with ballbearings," he said. Eyewitnesses said a man blew himself up while the convoy carrying Rehman passed by. Rehman's car was damaged, but he himself remained unhurt in the attack.

Bill in US to halt US operation in Libya


Washington: Two Republicans in US House of Representatives have introduced a bill which seeks to put an end to US military involvement in Libya unless explicitly authorized by Congress. The bill was sponsored by Republicans Timothy Johnson and Justin Amash. It would cut off all funding related to the Pentagon intervention in Libya, Xinhua reported. The Congressmen contend the administration's role in the military campaign in Libya is unconstitutional without the blessing of the Congress. Under the constitution, the legislative branch has the exclusive right to declare war. "Constitutionally, it is indisputable that Congress must be consulted prior to an act of war unless there is an imminent threat against this country. The President has not done so," Johnson said. Secretary of Defense

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. a busy street in a motor convoy. Charsadda is located some 30 km northeast of Peshawar, the provincial capital. The second explosion took place in Turbet district in the southwest province of

According to the Pentagon, Libyan intervention has cost US taxpayers about $550 million to date. Robert Gates conceded in a Sunday talkshow that Libya did not pose "an actual or imminent threat" to the US before the military campaign against it began. President Barack Obama said Monday in a speech on Libya that he consulted with "bipartisan leadership of Congress" before ordering military action. According to the Pentagon, Libyan intervention has cost US taxpayers about $550 million to date, and the costs should hold steady at around $40 million per month from here on. Around 60 percent of the cost is from munitions, such as the 192 Tomahawk missiles US military fired at $1 to 1.5 million apiece. The rest were used to troops deployment and other combat costs, including additional fuel.

Japan radioactive material found in US


New York: Trace amounts of radiation from Japan have been detected in New York State, State health officials were quoted as saying in a media report. "There are very small amounts of radioactive material from Japan in the air over the US," Xinhua quoted New York State Health Department spokeswoman Claudia Hutton saying on CBS 6. "When it rains or snows, the material is washed to the ground and onto surface waters, such as lakes, rivers and reservoirs. Water quality is being monitored, and the drinking water throughout New York is safe," she added. Hutton said the state does not expect the amounts to be near a level that would pose a public health concern and there is no need for New Yorkers to take potassium iodide. The Environmental Protection Agency

Japan is mulling over to shut down the Fukushima nuclear plant owing to the radiation scare. announced that slightly elevated levels of radiation have been detected in eight US states including Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Massachusetts, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Washington.

US to send radiation experts to Japan


Tokyo: The US military was to dispatch a 140member radiation control team to Japan, a news report said. The team would help deal with the ongoing crisis at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Kyodo News reported citing Japanese Self-Defense Forces chief General Ryoichi Oriki. The specialists would travel to Japan "soon", the general said. Japanese authorities and the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), has been struggling to contain the plant which was crippled by the March 11 earthquake and resulting tsunami. Its power was knocked out and the cooling functions failed, leading to fires, explosions and radiation leaks.

Egypt army unveils transitional constitution


Cairo: Egypt's military unveiled an interim constitution in the wake of the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak, outlining the government's powers and replacing the country's 1971 constitution. The declaration from the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces asserts that Egypt is a democratic country and ensures freedom of religion and opinion, spokesperson Mamdouh Shahin said in a press conference. Parliamentary elections will be held within six months of the announcement of the constitutional referendum's results, which took place March 20, Shahin said. Parliament will then create an entirely new constitution, he said.

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ICC Cricket World Cup TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 2-8, 2011

ICC Cricket World Cup TheSouthAsianTimes.info

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April 2-8, 2011

WC final: Sachin, Murali raise the stakes


New Delhi: The World Cup final in Mumbai was going to be the perfect backdrop for the greatest batsman and the greatest bowler of this era to raise the stakes and excel one last time. Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan, the highest wicket-taker in both Tests and One-dayers, has already announced that he is quitting international cricket after the Mumbai game and likewise India's batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, the highest run-getter in both forms of the game, may in all likelihood end his ODI career if not quit international cricket altogether. Muralitharan,38, is the lone member of the present Sri Lankan squad from the 1996 World Cup winning team, apart from veteran Chaminda Vaas, who was drafted into the squad as an injury stand-by for the final. Muralitharan would hope to end his illustrious career with a second World Cup and Tendulkar his first and India's second to cap his glittering career. Tendulkar, who played in only one World Cup final which India lost to Australia in 2003, would also like to end his exceptional career of over two decades, adding the elusive cup to his inumerable trophies, accolades and records. Tendulkar looks determined to make this World Cup his own. He is tournament's second leading scorer with 464 runs in eight the last time the off-spinners was playing on his home turf. Muralitharan has endured pain to play matches. He has battled a series of injuries, but has emerged as the highest wicket-taker for his team with 15 scalps. "What Murali has achieved on the field is for everyone to see," Mahela Jayawardene said after the practice session in Wankhede Stadium.. "Over the years I have seen him as a person. When I joined the team he was the first person to take us out for a meal. Till then I had not played with or against him. He has done that for all young cricketers coming into the Sri Lanka dressing room. He would always have a chat with them, he is one of the friendliest guys around. And he is very friendly with the opponents as well. For us at times it was annoying, but that's what Murali is," he says. Jayawardene gives a peek into Muralitharan's "remarkable" personality. "He is an amazing character. We will be truly missing him in the dressing room. He keeps every one laughing and in good humour." Muralitharan has developed the knack of scripting fairytale ending. He took a wicket with the last ball he bowled in Test cricket, claiming Pragyan Ojha as his 800th victim, and Tuesday took the wicket of Scott Styris with the last ball he bowled at home in the ODIs.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kumara Sangakkara with the ICC Cricket World Cup Trophy at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. matches, three runs behind Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan. He hit centuries against South Africa and England. Winning the World Cup and getting his 100th international century in the final will be the icing on cake. Both the teams are aware of the magnitude of the occasion for the two champion players. "Going back to Mumbai for this event, is going to be a wonderful occasion. We have got to be calm and focussed. This has been memorable, and something I will cherish all through my life. I am proud to play the final in Mumbai," said Tendulkar after the victory against Pakistan. Sri Lankan players turned emotional when Muralitharan took the lap of the R.Premadasa stadium after their semi-final match Tuesday,

Power shift not real yet: Jayawardene


Mumbai: Sri Lanka vice captain Mahela Jayawardene wants the sub-continental teams to wait till the next edition of the World Cup before claiming that there is a power shift in cricket. He said India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka may have dominated the 2011 World Cup by entering the semifinals, but it is too early to think their dominance is real. Jayawardene said if the teams can repeat their performance in the next World Cup in Australia-New Zealand, they can then say the sub-continent teams have truly taken a quantum leap. "We are playing in the subcontinent. I would have been very disappointed if we had not done well on familiar conditions. It's true there was a lot of pressure on the sub-continental teams, but they did well," Jayawardene told mediapersons

UDRS has to be foolproof: Umpires


Mumbai: Some international cricket umpires feel that the technology has to be fool-proof if the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) is to inspire confidence among the players. The umpires, who officiated in the 2011 World Cup in the subcontinent, say one way to tighten the system is to use hot-spot cameras to make the system near-perfect. The International Cricket Council (ICC) maintains that the UDRS has helped to improve the accuracy of the decisions by more than seven percent in the World Cup. An ICC Elite Panel umpire, not wanting to be named, told IANS that the UDRS has to be foolproof if the players have to accept its decision without any reservations. "We are still not convinced about the system. It is not a foolproof review system. We feel the introduction of hot-spot cameras would make the system a lot better," said the umpire. Some teams, including India, have been at the receiving end of the review system, but at the same time, others have benefited. Much depended on the judicious use of the technology by the teams. Another umpire agreed with his colleague. "It is like a lottery. If you are lucky it will go your way, but if you are not lucky then you are done in by the system. It is not possible for the UDRS to take the actual ground factors into consideration and predict if the ball is going on to hit the stumps in case of an lbw," said the umpire, also on condition of

Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara, left, with Mahela Jayawardene.

MS Dhoni has termed UDRS "adulteration of technology with human thinking". anonymity. MS Dhoni has termed UDRS "adulteration of technology with human thinking". The comment came after England batsman Ian Bell survived an lbw and was declared not out because the distance between the wicket and point of impact was more than 2.5 metres. On-field umpire Billy Bowden stood by his original decision. As per the rule, the on-field umpire had the final word in the case. However, there were a couple instances where the umpires stuck to their decisions even after the UDRS pointed to the distance factor.

here. "Looking ahead, the next World Cup will be played somewhere else. If in the next World Cup we can get two or three sub-continental teams into the semifinals, then you might say power has changed. "It's good that we are playing some good cricket, but difficult to say that when you are playing at home," he added.

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Business TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 2-8, 2011

AT&T, T-Mobile merger to benefit India


Bangalore: The telecom world is buzzing with the news of AT&T planning to buy T-Mobile and the talk of the town is that the deal will benefit the Indian IT Industry to a large extent especially the biggies like Infosys, Cognizant and Tech Mahindra. With the two telecom companies coming together they bring a bag full of goodies which are hundreds of millions worth projects. The projects are the future prospects of the two companies integrating their systems and to lower their operational costs. AT&T is the key client of IT giants like Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Wipro and Tech Mahindra and they have high hopes on bagging projects from the company whereas Cognizant is vouching for both AT&T and TMobile. If the deal clicks between the two telcos then the outsourcing projects will demand regulatory approvals that could include integration of billing and customer systems apart from consolidation of other operational support systems. But the market for outsourcing projects from telecom companies have gradually reduced as they have

Indian firms creating jobs in US


Washington: Quite contrary to the general impression that India was taking away American jobs through outsourcing, Indian businesses which have invested widely in the US economy in diverse sectors in services and manufacturing have created thousands of jobs in this country in recent years, according to a new study. India-based companies have also continued to hire locally wherever they have put down roots, said the study by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), "Indian Roots, American Soil: A Look at Indian Companies in the US Economy" released on Capitol Hill. The study, based on a survey of 35 CII-India Business Forum member companies, concluded: * Since 2005, nearly two-thirds of Indian companies have added jobs to their US operations; * Together, these 35 companies employ more than 60,000 people across 40 states and the District of Columbia; * More than four-fifths of workers at these companies are hired locally; * An overwhelming majority of workers who are employed at these companies are American citizens; * India-based companies that have operations in the US have saved 2,585 jobs from being eliminated due to their acquisition of US firms; * The value of these acquisitions since 2005 is $5.9 billion; The companies represent sectors including pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, health care, energy, iron and steel and information technology. "Indian businesses have invested widely in the US economy in diverse sectors in the fields of services and manufacturing," said Indian ambassador to the US Meera Shankar said at the CII event highlighting the jobs and investments created by Indian companies in

AT&T is the key client of IT giants like Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Wipro and Tech Mahindra. trimmed their budgets and have planned to work with other vendors at lower rates. BT, which once was Infosys' top customer contributing some $300 million every year in revenues is now down to almost $100 million a year. Tech Mahindra which does huge amount of business with AT&T is said to benefit the most as they have also plans to enter T-Mobile also. TechM have geared up their mobile technology area across the globe and they are racing fast among others to bag the deals by leveraging their AT&T relationship. Infosys and Cognizant are the only other two companies who are planning an aggressive approach to gain entry into AT&T.

India-based companies have also continued to hire locally wherever they have put down roots, said the study by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).. the US. "They have generated and sustained thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the US economy and have contributed to the global competitiveness of US companies," she said. "This is CII's first major attempt in bringing together Indian companies with operations in the US, as a group, to interact with members of the US Congress," said CII Deputy Director General Kiran Pasricha. "What we want to do is highlight the range and depth of the US-India business relationship and to dispel some of the misconceptions attached to Indian companies." "We want the Congress to understand and appreciate the growing contributions of Indian companies to the US economy, and to US society," she said.

Record 5.2 mn iPhones activated in US


San Francisco: A record 5.2 million iPhones were activated in the last quarter by AT&T, which holds exclusive rights to the hit device in the US, the telecom giant has said. The record-setting sales mark beat the previous record of 3.2 million iPhones that AT&T sold in the prior quarter, when Apple's iPhone 4 first hit the market. Apple announced record revenue and profits thanks largely to the huge demand for its smartphone, as it sold 14.1 million units around the world in its third quarter. The strong iPhone sales helped AT&T achieve record revenue of $31.58 billion and profit of $12.34 billion, the company said. With rumors swirling that Apple could soon launch the iPhone on the largest US mobile network Verizon, AT&T appeared to confirm speculation that its days of iPhone exclusivity may be numbered as it heavily promoted competing smartphones in its financial presentation.

India to create 1.6 mn jobs in 2011: Survey


Chennai: For the second successive year, more than one million new jobs will be created in India's organized sector in 2011, led by the health care sector, but there will be no attractive pay hikes for those in harness, states a survey on employment opportunities. Another dampening factor is that there will not be any attractive compensation package for freshers as the wage bill hike across jobs will be created in 2011 on the back of capacity expansion by companies. As per the survey conducted amongst 650 companies across 13 industry sectors in eight major cities, the health care sector is expected to create 248,500 new jobs. Sectors like real estate, hospitality and manufacturing of non-machinery products together would create 223,400 new jobs.

sectors for 2011 is pegged between 8.82 percent and 12 percent, says the Ma Foi Randstad Employment Survey According to the survey, around 1.6 million new

Kansas City first for high-speed lines


Media Supporter

San Francisco: Google has chosen Kansas City, Kansas as the location for its experimental citywide high-speed Internet project, bringing broadband at 1GB a second - 100 times faster than the typical US Internet connection, the company announced. Google announced plans for the experimental fiber optic last year, prompting a

flood of interest from more than 1,000 localities keen to be on the cutting edge of US networks. Google said it chose the city of 143,000 because it was a location "where we could build efficiently, make an impact on the community and develop relationships with local government and community organizations".

Comment TheSouthAsianTimes.info
By Robert Golomb of union households, are against LIFO, according to polls. You begin to conclude all of this could turn out to benefit your child when he begins his teaching career in two years. As a new teacher, he will benefit from the elimination of LIFO. Furthermore, new teachers always seem to have more energy and enthusiasm than the older ones. So, you conclude, putting an end to teacher tenure and the system of LIFO that is tied to it is good for the new teachers, who everyone seems to love nowadays, and good for the children. A smile comes to your face as you think of your son receiving his first paycheck in two years as a member of the new crop of teachers that every one seems to be just waiting to hire as replacements for the older ones. But first two disturbing facts are worth considering. The first, a simple fact of reality, your son will not for many the culmination of their lifetime dreams to voluntarily flee the teaching profession? The sad answer is, for a seeming majority of new teachers the decision was often not voluntary at all. Rather, Principals and Assistant Principals labeled them as the primary scapegoats for the ills of their schools. Using harassment and intimidation, they drove them out. Allow me to introduce you to three former teachers out of that 50percent of newly hired teachers who met that fate. First, meet Emily, an overachieving honor student from a prestigious college whose lifetime dream of being a first grade teacher turned within the first six months of the school year into a nightmare when the Principal and Assistant Principal started to build a paper trail against her. This 23-year-old girl had taught every lesson meticulously following principal who had been her direct supervisor during her two years at the inner city middle school, he was overruled by the Principal who had informed her inner circle, We dont need this pretty, spoiled girl teaching our children. She tendered her resignation on the final day of school in late June, putting an end to her two-year-old career as a teacher. Finally, meet Tom, who, unlike Emily and Andrea, entered the teaching profession in his middle forties as a second career. Tom belonged to a relatively new category of nascent teachers known as Fellows. Recruited by the department of education (DOE), Fellows come from a variety of professions (including lawyers, accountants, business executives) and needed to have a minimum of B+ college grade average and never having held a teaching job. Tom met both those criterionand more. In high school

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April 2-8, 2011


Emily, Andrea and Tom are real people. There are tens of thousands of beginning teachers across America who have suffered similar fates. Now, some readers will think that I was writing about them, their friends or their children and may want to know how I obtained this information. So I assume it should now be clear to you and you will tell your son that the attacks on LIFO were never really designed to help new teachers. When do scapegoaters ever help their scapegoats? Rather the attacks were designed as a secondary series of assaults on the 50 percent of those teachers who somehow survived and achieved tenure and seniority. Some of them, however, did not survive as well as others, for many of these senior tenured teachers are the current prey of principals and assistant principals who are developing the ominous paper

itting at home reading the book you have wanted to finish for a while, the ringing of the telephone interrupts you. It is your son, who has just entered his junior year in the out of state college that you and your spouse have devoted much of your working lives to pay for, calling to inform you that he wants to be a teacher in the public education system, so he will choose education as his major. A loving and supportive parent, you give him your approval, wish him the best of luck and assure him that the various checks associated with paying for his college education will soon be in the mail. And, because now you are talking about your kids future, you begin thinking about the teaching profession and teachers in a more serious way than you had

Do You Really Want Your Child To Become A Teacher?


There is a high attrition rate among new teachers. In most cases, the decision to quit is often not voluntary. Rather,Principals and Assistant Principals labeled them as the primary scapegoats for the ills of their schools. Using harassment and intimidation, they drove them out.
ever done before. Searching back to your childhood memories, you think of teaching as being a proud and an honorable profession. But then you begin to think of what you have been reading in the newspapers and hearing on television lately. You think about all the articles and commentaries about lousy city school teachers who cant be fired, and the debate centering around Last In First Out (LIFO), the seniority system that, its detractors argue, protects the jobs of incompetent tenured senior teachers and thus, in times of layoffs, cost the jobs of the putatively superior newly hired teachers, making the children the real losers in the end. For the moment, this argument denouncing teacher tenure, calling for accountability and ending LIFO resonates with you. You recall hearing it voiced by both the liberal and conservative commentators and argued by an overwhelming consensus of Republican and Democrat Congressmen, Senators, Governors and Mayors from within all 50 states. It is an issue about which, you have learned, both President Obama and former President George W. Bush are in fundamental agreement. How can so many important, powerful and wise people all be wrong? You ask yourself. More, the overwhelming majority of American voters, even those who are members be a new beloved and coveted teacher forever because he will not be young forever. So, what will prevent the same people who are now calling for the scalps of those lazy and incompetent senior tenured teachers from clamoring to fire your son in 20 years? The second, a fact known within the teaching profession but essentially unknown to the general public, new teachers, despite claims made primarily by critics of senior tenured teachers and LIFO to the contrary, are not a beloved and respected group at all. Rather, they have been the public education systems primary scapegoats. Doing some research, you will discover a statistic that is as startling as it is alarming: 50percent of teachers leave the profession within their first five years. While some have told you that a teacher is a professional like a doctor, dentist, lawyer or accountant, you cannot think of even one friend or child of any friend who ever left those given professions, let alone departed within five years. So what is the true reason behind this high attrition rate among new teachers. What could be the reason that so many young people who had just invested so much time and money earning bachelors and masters degrees, took and passed a series of licensing examinations and finally secured a position that was the schools mandated curriculum, arrived at her school by 7:30 a.m. and stayed up through midnight in her studio apartment grading papers and writing lesson plans. Yet, she was warned by her superiors to resign within two weeks or get an Unsatisfactory rating in June. After speaking to former teachers who had suffered through the same ordeal, Emily discovered that regardless of the merits or lack of merits of the case the principal would make against her, as a probationary teacher she stood no chance in the Department of Educations Appeals Hearing of beating the Unsatisfactory rating that would result in her being fired. She had started her job in September. By April, she had resigned. Now, if you will, meet Andrea, a beautiful 24-year-old young lady whose dream of becoming a mathematics teacher did not come easily to her. Without any help from her family, she paid for her college tuition by working as a waitress in the evenings and on weekends and taking out big government loans. She earned B.S. in mathematics with honors, cleared the requisite licensing exam, and was proud to secure a position as a middle school maths teacher. While her professional growth and exemplary work ethic had been recognized and documented by the mathematics assistant he had been co-captain of the wrestling and swim teams and an assistant editor of the school newspaper. In college and advanced studies he had achieved the highest honors in every field. Along the way, he had also performed thousands of hours of volunteer work. His 20year professional career had been equally impressive. Working for a huge organization in inner city communities, he had received stellar evaluations and reviews. Toms work ethic and commitment in his new career too came naturally because he loved teaching and loved the children whom he taught. Only now the reviews and evaluations were no longer stellar. The Principal and the Assistant Principal were alarmed that Tom could not control three students who created chaos in his class. When Toms efforts to improve their behavior by modifying their instruction did not work, and his phone calls and letters to their parents proved to be in vain, his two supervisors began writing letters of discipline for his file. Warned that these letters were the paper trail that inexorably would lead to his dismissal in June, Tom quite in March, just seven months after he started his second career. Oh, yes, you probably want to know what he did in his first career. He was a Roman Catholic Priest. trail against them. Many of these principals, a substantial and growing number of whom incredibly, far from having ever been master teachers have minimal teaching experience themselves, will admit, that the goal of developing these contrived typically highly subjectively based paper trails against senior teachers, who they are aware will be difficult to fire, is to use harassment to turn those teachers lives into a living hell.Senior teachers have no safeguards against such harassment. They do, however, possess basic due process and seniority rights that provide them with elemental protections from suffering the identical ultimate fates of Emily, Andrea, Tom and the countless thousands of new teachers who have been unfairly and inhumanely driven out of the teaching profession. Seeing the blood of teachers and the teaching profession, opponents of LIFO seek to deprive senior teachers of even that. Robert Golomb is currently an adjunct professor of graduate writing, education and school administration. Before his retirement, he had served 20 years as an assistant principal and ten years as an English teacher in New York City middle schools. His published articles have covered a range of educational, political and cultural topics. MrBob347@aol.com

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Health TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 2-8, 2011

Hypertension, a silent killer

igh blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a serious condition that can lead to heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure if left untreate d o r p o o r l y c o n t ro l l e d . High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, especially

in the earlier stages. One in three adults in the United States has high blood pressure. In places like India, the occurrence of high blood p re s s u re i s i n c re a s i n g a s We s t e r n i z a t i o n l e a d s t o i n c re a s i n g o b e s i t y a n d changes in the diet.
pressure in order to maintain blood flow to the vital organs. The blood pressure varies widely, even under normal conditions. The blood pressure normally rises during vigorous exercise and declines during sleep. The blood pressure test measures the amount of pressure in the

What is blood pressure, and how is blood pressure measured?


Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood. Everyone needs some blood

artery. The measurement is made using a device called a sphygmomanometer. A blood pressure cuff is placed around the upper arm and inflated with air until the circulation in the artery is temporarily cut off. A valve in this instrument is opened and air is gradually released from the cuff. The person who is measuring can determine the blood pressure by listening for the flow of blood using a stethoscope. Blood pressure can also be measured using digital machines that operate under similar principles. The blood pressure measurement is usually stated as two numbers measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). The numbers are usually expressed

as 120 over 80, which means that the systolic pressure is 120 mm Hg

and the diastolic pressure is 80 mm Hg.

What Is Normal Blood Pressure?


o-called normal blood pressure may be as low as 70/50 mm Hg in infants, or as high as about 120/80 mm Hg in adults. Normal blood pressure for adults is below 120/80 mm Hg. A diastolic (lower number) reading between 8089 mm Hg is considered prehypertension. A systolic (upper number) reading of 120139 mm Hg is also considered prehypertension. If an

adults blood pressure is consistently 140/90 mm Hg or higher, he or she has high blood pressure or hypertension. In 9 out of 10 cases, there is no specific cause for high blood pressureso called essential hypertension. The risk of heart or blood vessel problems increases as blood pressure rises above normal levels, regardless of age. The higher the pressure, the greater the risk. Any reading

Systolic (top number)


Normal
Prehypertension Hypertension

Diastolic (bottom number)


Less than 80 mmHg
80-89 mmHg More than 90 mmHg left untreated, even higher levels of blood pressure may develop and the risk of kidney failure, a heart attack, or stroke is increased.

Less than 120 mmHg


Less than 120 mmHg More than 140 mmHg

above the normal level requires follow up and possible treatment. One or two elevated blood pressure readings, even just to levels

of 140145/9095 mm Hg, may indicate some risk. These numbers cannot be ignored. If high blood pressure is

My blood pressure is higher than normal. What should I do?

f you are one of those people with a blood pressure that is even occasionally high, you should have it rechecked periodically. If the measurements remain at or above 140/90 mm Hg, your doctor will probably suggest a change in diet or an exercise program; in many cases you will have to take medication. If you have diabetes in addition to high blood pressure, it is critically important that you control your blood pressure to reduce risk to you heart, eyes, kidneys, and brain. The following Lifestyle Modifications have been shown to significantly improve blood pressure.

Weight reduction DASH diet Dietary sodium restriction Aerobic exercise Reduced alcohol consumption

The goal weight should usually be Body Mass Index (BMI) 18.5-24.9 kg/m2, but speak to your doctor for individualized recommendations. Regular aerobic physical activity (e.g., brisk walking) at least 30 minutes per day (or as directed by your physician), most days of the week can help you to reach goal weight, and can also reduce blood pressure. Dietary changes are key to achieving your goal blood pressure. DASH diet is a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy products and low content of saturated and total fat. More information is available at www.dashdiet.org. Salt consumed in the diet is also associated with the development of hypertension. For people with high blood pressure, reducing salt in the diet can reduce blood pressure. For most individuals with high blood pressure, fewer than 2,000 mg of sodium (salt) should be consumed per day. Beware of prepared or fast foods, which often have high quantities of hidden sodium. Your doc-

tor can give you specific recommendations about sodium intake. Frequently, lifestyle modifications alone do not control the blood pressure adequately, and prescription medications are needed. Together, you and your doctor can establish a treatment plan that incorporated medications as well as lifestyle changes. Although generally welltolerated, high blood pressure medicines can cause side-effects. Also keep in mind that some people respond well to one drug but not to another. If you have other medical conditions, particularly diabetes, it is even more important to control blood pressure and recommendations for your best diet and medications will be different. Keep in mind that medical studies have shown that achieving normal blood pressure has major beneficial effects on your health. By working with your doctor you can devise and stick to a plan to keep your blood pressure in the healthy range.

The author of this article, Dr. Premila Bhat is a Board Certified Nephrologist practicing in Brooklyn, NY and acts as Director of Home Hemodialysis Services at Atlantic Dialysis Management Services. A noted author and speaker, she has recently focused on examining the impact of the Medicare prospective payment system on the clinical and financial endpoints, and on evaluation of new anemia and bone-mineral disease management programs implemented at ADMS.

Atlantic Dialysis Management Services, LLC (ADMS) provides new dialysis site development, day to day administration and management of dialysis services and related business development activities. Its business strategy is to produce economies of scale and maximize individual site results through consolidated activities. Central to the ADMS approach is the long term control of clinical services by nephrologists. In 2010, ADMS affiliates provided over 225,000 dialysis treatments to over 2,500 patients in New York City and Long Island.
Disclaimer: Information provided in this article is only for educational purposes. Please consult your personal physician for specific advice on these and any other health related matters.

Ultimate Bollywood TheSouthAsianTimes.info

27

April 2-8, 2011

'Game' breaks the dry spell

ig movies are back in business with "Game". The action thriller, releasing on April 1, is the first big-budget and big starrer to hit the screens after a dry spell of more than a month, thanks to the cricket World Cup matches and the board exams. If the film is important for actor Abhishek Bachchan as two of his highly anticipated films "Raavan" and "Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey" bombed at the box-office, it is an acid test for first time director Abhiney Deo. "I don't think there has been a release since six weeks now. So I would like to believe that the audience is hungry to get back to the theater. And it's nice that 'Game' is going to be the first release after a long time. I hope they like the film. I enjoyed it. When I saw the first print, I was very happy with it. We made what we set out to make. Now it is upto the audience," said Abhishek. Another high point of the movie is that it is launching former beauty queen Sarah Jane-Dias in Hindi movies. The drama starts when four strangers Neil Menon (Abhishek), O.P. Ramsay (Boman

A still from 'Game'. Irani), Tisha Khanna (Shahana Goswami) and Vikram Kapoor (Jimmy Shergill) are invited by Kabir Malhotra (Anupam Kher) to his private island in Samos, Greece. The

meeting leads to a thrilling journey of love, revenge, retribution and a murder, where everyone is a suspect and every suspect has a motive behind whatever he or she does. In the film, Abhishek is a casino owner from Turkey, who has invested in various businesses, some legal, some not. His involvement in crime is likely to threaten his existence. Shahana is a crime journalist from London, with a career that is going nowhere. But her life turns around when she is offered a scoop. Boman is a politician from Thailand and Jimmy has been cast as a superstar from Bollywood. The film also stars Kangana Ranaut as detective Sia Agnihotri from London who stumbles upon the case of her lifetime. The slick and edgy crime thriller, co-produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, will see former Miss IndiaWorld Sarah as Maya, who is the only connection between four strangers. This is Abhishek's first film with Farhan, who has penned the dialogues for the film, and the actor is quite excited himself.

'Dum Maro Dum' hits Goa


ilmmaker Rohan Sippy denies he chose Goa to shoot his forthcoming "Dum Maro Dum" which delves into the narcotics mafia and sex trade - to show the pretty coastal state in bad light. Goa is brought in "as a fictional character", he says. "It could have been any place...It could have been Mumbai. Goa has been brought in just as a fictional character. Goa has not been chosen to show it in a bad light," Sippy said. When "Dum Maro Dum" promos hit the screens two A still from 'Dum Maro Dum'. months ago, Travel and Tourism explored Mumbai, so I choose Association of Goa (TTAG) was Goa because I wanted to explore unhappy as it felt that the film the scenic beauty of the place could have bad repercussion for which is world-known. It's the tourism in the state. best place, it's a paradise on Rohan, who has directed two earth and with its beauty, I wantfilms in the past, "Kuch Na ed to bring some thrill. Kaho" (2003) and "Bluffmaster" I found scope of creating (2005), says after exploring drama and it has left a stunning Mumbai in his last film he want- visual effect on me and will on ed to explore a new place. my audience too," he said. "The film doesn't imply that Releasing April 22, the film Goa is the worst place to visit or stars Abhishek Bachchan, anything negative; it is just a Bipasha Basu, Rana Daggubati character of my film. and Prateik Babbar among "In 'Bluffmaster', I had already others.

I've had enough: Ranbir

onstant link ups with actresses like Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma and Nargis Fakhri are irking Ranbir Kapoor. He is no longer amused at being painted a womanizer and neither are his parents. So self-conscious has Ranbir become of his image of the wild lover-boy that he has decided to now gravitate to the other end. "That isn't me that's being written about. I've had enough. I just want to withdraw from the limelight completely for sometime," said Ranbir, 28. The actor is currently busy shooting for Imtiaz Ali's "Rockstar" with half Czech-half Pakistani model Nargis Fakhri. "More than himself Ranbir is embarrassed because of his parents. He can take any kind of flak or rumor. But if his parents get affected, he reacts. And now Ranbir has had enough. He won't take the Casanova image lying down," said Ranbir's friend.

Ranbir Kapoor.

'RA.One' to change genre: SRK

ollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan says his upcoming sci-fi superhero film "RA.One" is an attempt to create something that will change the genre of Indian films. "It's an indigenously made film and it's made in VFX studios in India and is trying to create something which will change the genre of films. If Indian filmmakers would like to make something alike, they have the access to the technology," King Khan told reporters recently. He also said that the film would be his first step in paying back to the audiences the love and honor he has received in the last 20 years of his career. "I have made one promise to every one in India. I have been working for 20 years and I have been given too much; much more than I deserve as an actor, as a

Shah Rukh Khan in "RA.One".

star, and I think it's time to give back some," the superstar said. "RA.One" is scheduled to release at Diwali time but the star

has already started its marketing so that the superhero character sinks into the psyche of his audience.

28

Humor TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 2 - 8, 2011

Humor with Melvin Durai

Fighting for men's rights -- and wrongs

he annual meeting of the National Organization for Men (NOM) is usually held at Bubbas Sports Bar in Pineville, Tennessee, but with almost three dozen men attending this year, it had to be moved to a more spacious location down the road: Earls Tire Emporium. Luther Bramley, president of NOM, was about to address the gathering when a bearded man wearing a John Deere cap stood up. How many women does it take to change a light bulb? he asked. Four. The first to read the instructions, the second to hold the step ladder, the third to screw the light bulb in, and the fourth to send out the press release. Everyone laughed, except a middle-aged man with long sideburns. Whats a press release? he asked. Im not sure, Billy Bob, the man next to him whispered, but I think its when those reporters in the Middle East get freed from captivity. Bramley peered over the large podium, consisting of four Goodyear tires. Youll be surprised to know, Earl, that my wife changes light bulbs all by herself, he said. She doesnt even need a step ladder - just wears a pair of her high-heeled shoes. Women are learning to do all kinds of things these days, even parallel park. Thats why we need this organization - to protect our rights, to make sure women dont take over the world. If they start making all

the laws, the next thing you know, beer and football will be illegal. And well be put in prison just for leaving the toilet seat up. We need this organization to protect our rights - and also our wrongs. Were not as big as the National Organization for Women, but were growing so fast, we may need to hire someone to handle our public relations. Whats public relations? Billy Bob asked. Im not sure, the man next to him whispered, but I think its when you have relations with the public. You mean like Tiger Woods? Sort of, but with men too. It may surprise you to know that a dozen countries around the world are being ruled by women,

Bramley continued. Germany, Ireland, the Philippines, Argentina, Bangladesh and Liberia all have women on top. Its that darn Cosmopolitan magazine, Earl said. Ever since my wife started reading it, she wants to be on top too. We managed to dodge a Hillary Clinton presidency, Bramley said, but who do you think is second in line to succeed Obama? Yes, you guessed it: Nancy Pelosi. Shes right behind 67-year-old Joe Biden. What do you guys have to say about that? Long live Obama! Long live Obama! the men chanted. Women have been moving up in the business world too, Bramley said. You wanna know how many Fortune 1000 companies have women at the top? Almost 30 of them. For example, Indra Nooyi is CEO of PepsiCo. Thats it, Earl shouted. Im not paying for any more Pepsi. Ilene Gordon is CEO of Corn Products International. Thats it, Earl shouted. Im not paying for any more corn products. Laura Sen is CEO of BJs Wholesale Club. Thats it, Earl shouted. Im not paying for any more ... uh, never mind. Women are also moving up in the military, Bramley said. Theyve become generals, admirals and rear admirals. Whats a rear admiral? Billy

Bob asked. Im not sure, the man next to him whispered, but I think its someone who admires you from the rear. Women are trying to take over the world and we just cant let them, Bramley said. Thats why this meeting is so important. In a little while, well be splitting up into three sessions. The first session is called How to Assert Your Manhood. The second session is called How to Show a Woman Whos Boss. And the third session

is called How to Find a Good Hiding Place During That Time of the Month Im attending the third session, Earl said, And after that, Billy Bob and I are going to hit the town. Beer and wings are half-price at Bubbas tonight, and were going to watch some great fights from the WBF: Womens Boxing Federation. Whos going to join us? Id love to join you, Bramley said, but my wife wants me home by 9.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

by Mahendra Shah
Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist, cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrant Indians for the past many years in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Tech Life

More than half of US adults use Facebook: Study


SAN FRANCISCO: More than half of US adults use online social networking service Facebook, according to an upcoming study. A report by Edison Research and Arbitron Inc. to be released on April 5 includes the finding that 51 per cent of US residents age 12 or older have profiles set up at Facebook. Facebook terms of service require people to be at least 13 years old to be members of the online community, which boasts more than a half-billion users. "We have been tracking the growth of Facebook since 2008, and have watched it go from eight percent usage just three years ago, to 51 per cent today," New Jersey-based Edison said in a release. The market tracking firms based the findings on a January survey of 2,020 people. Study findings presented in a webcast will include the popularity of accessing social networks using mobile phones, according to Edison.

Apple to unveil new iOS in June


WASHINGTON: Apple said that it will unveil the next generation operating systems for the iPhone and the Macintosh computer at its Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco in June. The Cupertino, California-based tech giant said the annual event will be held June 6-10 at San Francisco's Moscone West. "At this year's conference we are going to unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS," Apple senior vice president of worldwide product marketing Philip Schiller said in a statement. "If you are an iOS or Mac OS X software developer, this is the event that you do not want to miss," Schiller said. Originally developed for the iPhone, iOS also now powers Apple's iPad tablet computer and the iPod Touch. Apple said its engineers will host 100 technical sessions during the conference, which typically draws thousands of developers of programs for Macintosh computers, the iPhone, the iPod and the iPad.

Astrology
TheSouthAsianTimes.info

29

April 2-8, 2011


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

By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma

Stars Foretell: April 2-8, 2011


Aries: Stabilization in your relationship with your family members seems certain if you are willing to compromise on certain fronts. Professional gains for some bring gains and prosperity. Your new ideas and technical knowledge will make a good impression on others. Residential moves and renovation during this period will prove auspicious. Outdoor sports events and entertainment programme will help you keep relaxed. Taurus: This is a period to invest with extreme precaution and care. Past investments need another reexamination. If you're planning on investing in a new venture then you better take small factors into consideration. Your ability to charm others will put you in the limelight. Property or vehicle transactions seem quite likely. Children will cause some dissatisfaction but spouse remains quite cooperative. Gemini: Your optimism will push your career to new heights. Put some of your innovative ideas into your work to reap long-term benefits. The next few days will see pressure on your work front arise giving you little time for recreational and other activities. Gifts and presents will be plenty from visiting guests. Avoid standing for surety of any one to avoid unnecessary complications in the coming period. Family members will be supportive and caring. Cancer:This is an excellent time for professional advancements, promotions and recognition. At work you will be in the good books of your seniors and you will also benefit monetarily. Romance is in the air, so make the best of it and avoid any arguments with your lover. Opportunities to go out with friends will be informative and pleasurable. You need to do more things that you enjoy in order to relax. Foreign transaction or overseas journey will prove to be highly beneficial. Leo:You will be in a commanding position as your confidence and enthusiasm will be high. Important messages should be attended to immediately. You will make financial gains if you get involved in speculation. A spiritual persons blessings give comfort and relief. New relations and attachments will develop as a result of vacation and other recreational activities. Get involved in activities that will help you keep in perfect shape. Virgo: Financial matters demand more attention. You should cut down your expenses on entertainment and shopping. Financial difficulty will even effect your health. Stay focused on your goals, but take necessary precautions. For some, a change of residence or a new construction will prove highly auspicious. Your erratic behaviour will raise emotions at home. Dont take criticism too seriously. Travel will be highly exciting but expensive. Libra: Some challenging project will see you express your skills in a very different way. New approach will give you new confidence on which you will build future hopes and dreams. Businessmen and investors will see past investments reaping profits. Relations with somebody close might get strained over petty issues. Good week to call important people over to your place. Spouse will be highly supportive and shower you with love and affection. Legal affairs will create a state of nervousness. Scorpio: Your present health condition will be primarily because of the work pressure that you carry on your mind. You need to take time out with your friends will help you relax and regain your energy. Relationships with your clients will strengthen and you can accomplish a lot through smart negotiation and diplomacy. This week you should meet people who can further improve your career goals. Take care while driving, especially during the nights. Sagittarius: This week you will focus on domestic issues and should think about the immediate needs of your family members. Spouse and children will be a source of immense happiness. Guests and visitors bring you gifts in cash and kind. Going out with friends will be exciting and you will learn new and different skills. A good diet, coupled with fitness program will make you feel better. Capricorn: Work will suffer this week as romance clouds your mind. You will find it difficult in concentrating on your jobs and getting favors from others. Keep your focus clear on your goals to reap professional benefits. Pleasure trips for some will be educating. Little time for meditation and yoga will be important for mental as well as physical gains. Group involvement will entertertaining, but expensive if you dont learn to say no. Aquarius: You will meet interesting people at social functions that you attend this week. Your ability to stand out in the crowd will bring you popularity and recognition. Your creative ability will surface, bringing you good ideas to make extra money. Great period to go out shopping for expensive items and jewelry. Spend some time with the one you love. Travel will be highly educating. Pisces: Money making efforts will be profitable provided you work on new ideas and plans. This seems to be an excellent time for you to do things that will keep you relaxed and entertained. This period seems exceptionally good to take time out for hobbies, or take an adventure trip or go out on a short vacation. Friends and family members will seek your advice. Wonderful week to look into new courses that interest you.

Annual Predictions: For those born in this week


April: 2 Governed by the number 2, you are also governed by the Moon and dominated by the planet mercury. Full of imagination, you appear to be dreamy, sometimes. A perfect executor of plans, your Bosses will rely on you for completing big projects. In the coming year, your ability to complete big plans and projects to perfect will bring you success in your related fields. Honor and prestige will be yours in the coming year. You will travel a lot. This will mainly be related to your work. You are able to draw friends towards you. They enjoy your warmth and friendly nature. You are sympathetic towards those who need help. They always look to you for advice and help. You have an inborn ability to judge the good from the bad. This helps you to make good friends, and take wise decisions. Abiding by the law is of utmost importance to you. The months of May, September, December and February will be result oriented. April: 3 You are governed by the number 3 and by the planet Jupiter. You are also dominated by the planet Mercury. Studious by nature, you are fond of reading and like to acquire knowledge. Your ambitious nature, coupled with your confidence, will help you to achieve success in your professional field, in the year ahead of you. Philosophy and religion will draw your attention, in the coming year, but you will maintain an objective outlook in whatever you undertake. You will go out of your way to help those who need you. Friends and relatives will look to you for advice and comfort. You will leave no stone unturned, to help your friends. Although, proud by nature you are sympathetic towards your friends and your colleagues at work. You will be able to charm, those around you, with your communication skills. In love matters, you will be hesitant to take the first step, till you are sure of a positive response. The months of July, October, September and November would prove to be highly significant. April: 4 Governed by the number 4, you are also governed by the planet Uranus, and dominated by the planet Mercury. You are courageous by nature and can face any eventuality, which may come your way. The ability to handle any difficult situation, with ease, comes naturally to you. Your sharp memory and a practical approach, will make those of you in business achieve success, in the year ahead of you. You will reach newer heights of excellence. Advance planning, coupled with enthusiasm and dynamism, will bring success to you from all corners. Travel will also form an important part of your career. Travel to distance places, is foreseen. This will be both, for pleasure as well as for work. The coming year, will be financially a good one, for most of you. But you will have to control your obstinate nature. At times you tend to get too obstinate and impetuous. The month of May, August, November and January will be highly eventful. April: 5 You are governed by the number 5 and dominated by the planet Mercury. You are shrewd in your day to day dealing in life. Your sharp mind and shrewd attitude will bring success to you in your business field, in the year ahead of you. You will be able to impress your clients with your impressing personality and conversations skills. Coupled with your intelligent views and ideas, you can expect to reach newer heights of excellence, in whatever new venture you undertake in the coming year. But you will have to keep a little control on expressing your views. Sometimes you are in a hurry to share your ideas and thoughts, and this could lead to your opponents taking away your new ideas. Social life will be full of fun and happiness, in the coming year. You can expect to have many friends around you. Philosophy and religion will interest you. The months of May, June, September and February would be highly significant and productive. April: 6 You are governed by the number 6 and the planet Venus. You are also dominated by the planet Mercury. Art and beauty are a part of your life. Any expression of art fascinates you. You take it to an extent of making it your business as well Music, art, love and fun all these will surround you in the year ahead of you. Your personality will draw friends towards you. Your confidence and communication skills will lead you to the pivotal of success in your professional front. Your positive outlook to life will not only bring happiness to you and your family, but it will also make your friends around you, happy in your company. You are a faithful friend, and those in need of help, look to you for advice and solace. The coming year, will be a good one financially. You will earn a lot of money, and will be able to afford to buy the luxuries of life. The month of April, June, October, February will be eventful months. April: 7 You are dominated by the planet Neptune and governed by the planet Mercury. You are also dominated by the number 7. High ideals and lofty ambitions, are traits of your character. Your in depth study of subjects and your vast knowledge, will bring success to you in your professional field, in the year ahead of you. You are reserved by nature and like to spend time alone. You would rather read books, alone at home, than socialize with friends. Your shrewd nature will allow you to success in business. You will not follow customs and traditions, in the coming year. You like to fly free, and that is just what you are going to do be free of customs and orthodox views. Your high ideals and enthusiasm will be an inspiration for your friends and relatives, around you. But you will have to keep a check on your skeptical nature. You tend to become suspicious about small matters. The months of May, September, November and January will be very significant. April: 8 You are governed by the number 8 and the planet Saturn. You are also dominated by the planet Mercury. You are ambitious by nature, and will go to any length to achieve what you desire. Your methodical approach to your work, coupled with your sense of duty, will take you to newer heights of excellence, in the year ahead of you. The ability to study and judge, both sides of an issue, will be an added asset to you at work. You will be full of energy and new ideas, to successfully implant new projects and plans, in the year ahead of you. But you tend to get a little dominating at times. You are advised to control this dominating trait in your character. This leads to people misjudging you on many issues. You will not be able to tolerate those who are not regular or punctual in their approach to work. The months of September, November and February will be very significant.

Before you consult...


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

Free Consultation Learn about the fair value of diamonds & precious stones. To the readers of The South Asian Times by an expert gems dealer.
For appointment, please call 516 390 7847 or email consult.gems@gmail.com

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Spiritual Awareness TheSouthAsianTimes.info

April 2-8, 2011

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