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Follow us on Vol.6 No. 18 August 24-30, 2013 60 Cents New York Edition TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Nassau County Indian community to felicitate Anna Hazare

Hicksville, NY: The Nassau County Indian American community is organizing a DinnerReception here to welcome and felicitate Shri Anna Hazare, world famous for his sustained anti-corruption and Jan Lok Pal (ombudsman) movements in India. The gala event will be held on August 27 at Antun's by Minar in Hicksville on Long Island. Consul General of India in New York, Amb Dnyaneshwar Mulay and Nassau County Executive Hon. Ed Mangano are invited Guests of Honor for the by-invitation-only event. The prestigious event is a collaborative effort by Antun's By Continued on page 4
PM meeting Obama in the White House Sept 27 with comprehensive agenda.

Anti-corruption crusader and Gandhian Anna Hazare
Thousands march with Vidya Balan and Anna Hazare in NYC parade
World condemns suspected gas attack in Syria

Beirut: The United Nations demanded Thursday that Syria give its chemical weapons experts immediate access to rebel-held Damascus suburbs where poison gas appears to have killed hundreds just a few miles from the UN team's hotel, even as condemnation for the suspected attack by the Assad regime kept pouring in from the world community, including India. There was no sign, however, that scientists would soon be taking samples at the scene of horrors that have drawn comparison with the gassing of thousands of Iraqi Kurds in 1988 by Saddam Hussein. President Bashar Assad's opponents gave death tolls from 500 to well over 1,000 and said more bodies were being found in the wake of Wednesday's mysterious Continued on page 4
India, US bank on Manmohan Singh visit to boost ties

By Arun Kumar Washington: Amid a perception that India-US relationship has plateaued of late, both Washington and New Delhi are banking on a "very successful" visit by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here next month to take their ties to greater heights. Manmohan Singh will be in the capital September 27 for a short working visit, but National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon, who was here to lay ground for the visit, expressed confidence Tuesday "in terms of substance it's going to be a good visit." The plans include a "very substantive" meeting with President Obama followed by a lunch at the White House, Menon said here after meetings with his counterpart Susan Rice, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns. "When two leaders meet at that Continued on page 4
Bollywood star Vidya Balan (pictured) as Grand Marshal led the NYC India Day Parade along with anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare even as thousands marched in Manhattan in the impressive parade which displayed the country's vibrant culture.
See reports of celebrations of Indias 67th Independence Day on pages 16-17.
US Affairs 8
Op Ed 13
Travel 26
Spiritual Awareness 30
excellence in journalism
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
August 24-30, 2013
August 24-30, 2013
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
August 24-30, 2013
Miss Universe 2013 De Blasio slightly ahead of Christine in NYC mayor race to visit India
New York: The surprising new front-runner in the NYC mayor's race received the bulk of the attacks Wednesday in the penultimate debate with less than three weeks to go until the Democratic primary. Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, who has a slight lead in recent polls, held his own against the attack. "The public advocate is good at telling people what to do but not good at getting things done," City Council Speaker Christine Quinn accused him. "Would the real Bill de Blasio please stand up?" excomptroller Bill Thompson asked. De Blasios supporters released this statement about their candidates performance at the debate: "Bill de Blasio is connecting with New Yorkers because he is the only candidate who will truly break from the Bloomberg years. From calling for a ban on racial profiling and real reform to stop and frisk to proposing a tax on the wealthiest New Yorkers to pay for universal early education and expanded after-school programs, Bill demonstrated tonight (at the debate) that he is the best choice to stand up for middle and working-class New Yorkers. The police stop-and-frisk policy, and other complaints that police unfairly target minorities, repeatedly
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio's biracial family is centerstage in the mayoral race.
(From left) New York based fashion designer Sanjana Jon, Miss Universe Olivia Culpo, Amb. Dnyaneshwar Mulay and Sashi Abraham, mother of fashion designer Anand Jon at the Indian consulate. (Photo: Stephen Shadrach)
By Jinal Shah New York: After winning a million hearts world over, the reigning Miss Universe Olivia Culpo of United States is all set to dazzle India. She will be visiting India Sept 27- Oct 6, wehre she will visit hospitals, orphanages and a few NGOs in Delhi, Mumbai, etc, raising awareness about HIV/Aids and educating children and women as UN goodwill ambassador. Her visit was announced on Wednesday at the Indian consulate by the Consul General, Ambassador Dnyaneshwar Mulay. Calling her visit a bridge between India and Americas youth, he said, A huge chunk of population in India is young and Miss Universes an iconic figure among youth- visit to India will be a great opportunity to connect not just culturally but intellectually too with the younger population. During her 10 day trip, Culpo will raise awareness about girl child issue and women empowerment, an initiative by fashion designer Sanjana Jon. Her visit
will be the sixth of a reigning Miss Universe to the country, an initiative of the Sanjana Jons company, IG International, that deals in celebrity charity events. I am probably one of the youngest title holders than my predecessors (who visited India) so I hope the younger population in India will respond well. I would also like to indulge in open conversation with women and help them raise their voices, said Culpo, 21, who looked ravishing in an ethnic Indian dress designed by Sanjana Jon. Culpo will also do the golden triangle Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. I am really excited to see the Taj Mahal! she said. Asked about foreigners shying away from India after the 2012 Delhi rape case and such cases reported in the western media, Culpo said, There is a lot of progress that needs to be made; a lot of things need to be fixed. It (Delhi rape) was such a tragedy but I am an optimist. She even vouched to share her experience of travelling in India.
NYC mayoral contender Christine Quinn participated in the India Day Parade in Manhattan Aug 18.
emerged as a flashpoint in the 90-minute televised debate, which featured seven Democratic candidates including Comptroller John Liu. De Blasio, widely considered as the most progressive Democratic candidate in the race in a blue city, became the front-runner for the first time just a week ago. Quinn led in the polls most of the year until exCongressman Anthony Weiner took a turn at the top before his support collapsed over the latest sexting scandal. Recent polls suggest it's a three-person race for two run-off spots. In a Quinnipiac poll released last week, de Blasio had slight leads on Quinn and Thompson, but all three were within the margin of error. If no Democratic candidate reaches 40 percent of the vote in the Sept. 10 primary, the top two advance to a run-off three weeks later. The winner of that advances to the November general election. Three major Republican candidates and an independent also are running.
Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano and NY State Senator Carl Marcellino (right) join ITV host Riti Bhalla for celebrating the 66th anniversary of the Independence Day of India. South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley also appeared on the program.
August 24-30, 2013
TURN PAGE
India, US bank on Manmohan... Continued from page 1 level, it has to be substantive because they both have actually taken this relationship forward in difficult times and good," he said. Manmohan Singh and Obama will have a comprehensive agenda as they review the full spectrum of the relationship encompassing agriculture, industry and trade, science and technology, anti-terrorism, security aspects and a whole range of global issues. Menon noted that the two countries had as many as 32 separate dialogues going on across a broad range of relations. Menon also reported "steady progress" on the implementation of the landmark IndiaUS civil nuclear deal which has stalled over India's tough nuclear liability law. Describing it as a "complex project" he suggested there would be a series of agreements leading to the actual construction of a US built nuclear plant. "Right now it was down to a discussion of commercial and technical details" between Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCL) as the buyer and operator and Westinghouse Electric Company as the seller of the nuclear plant, Menon said. Echoing Menon's views, a White House statement said Singhs visit will highlight India's role in regional security and stability and provide an opportunity for the two leaders to chart a course toward enhanced trade, investment, and development cooperation between the US and India." The meeting follows Manmohan Singh's visit to Washington in 2009, and Obama's visit to India in 2010. Nassau County Indian... Continued from page 1 Minar, Harendra Singh, Jagdish Sewhani, Jerry Kohli, Kamlesh Mehta, Nagendra Gupta, Raja Amar, Nitu Singh, and Sushil Goyal. Anna Hazare is on a fortnight long visit to America, during which he led the India Day Parade in New York on Aug 18. An ex-armyman who fought in the 1965 war against Pakistan, Anna Hazare returned to his ancestral village of Ralegan Siddha in Maharashtra in 1978 and transformed it into a sustainable community. A selfless man in the Mahatma Gandhi mould, he has led mass
movements to promote rural development, increase government transparency, and investigate and punish official corruption. World condemns suspected... Continued from page 1 pre-dawn killer fumes, which the Syrian government insists were not its doing. The administration of President Obama said it was "appalled" by the death reports. But the administration response would await confirmation of a chemical attack and its origin. Images, including some by freelance photographers supplied to Reuters, showed scores of bodies laid out on floors with no visible signs of injury. Some had foam at the nose and mouth. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said world powers must respond with force if allegations that Syria's government was responsible for the deadliest chemical attack on civilians in a quarter-century prove true. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his shock over the reported use of chemical weapons in the Damascus suburbs. India said Thursday that it is a matter of grave concern if reports of use of chemical weapons in Syria are confirmed. A foreign ministry spokesperson said: "India has consistently supported the complete destruction and elimination of chemical weapons worldwide. Moscow has said rebels may have released gas to discredit Assad and urged him to agree to a UN inspection.
Police probe rape complaint against Asaram Bapu

Jaipur: Investigators recorded statements of several people at spiritual leader Asaram Bapu's ashram in Rajasthan's Jodhpur over the complaint of sexual assault lodged against him by a 16-year-old girl, police said Thursday. Asaram Bapu has denied the allegation. A girl had given a complaint in a police station in central Delhi Tuesday accusing Asaram Bapu of sexually assaulting her, police said. "He has been booked under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and other sections of the IPC," a police officer said. "We are verifying whether the girl and her parents were at the ashram Aug 15 when the girl says she was sexually assaulted," said the officer. Some followers of the spiritual leader gathered at the office of the Jodhpur police commissioner and said the allegation of sexual assault was a conspiracy.
Spiritual guru Asaram Bapu Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot told media persons here that the investigation will be based on "facts and truth". In 2008, two 10-year-old cousins, Abhishek and Dipesh Vaghela, died in mysterious circumstances at Asaram Bapu ashram Bal Kendra.
Nasdaq suffers reputation hit after trading freeze

New York: The breakdown that halted trading on Nasdaq stocks Thursday afternoon for roughly three hours is yet the latest blow to the exchange widely known as the "high-tech market." The outage caused by what Nasdaq called a "connectivity issue" frustrated traders and investors who couldn't buy or sell stocks due to the freeze. It's the latest in a string of problems with the Nasdaq and other U.S. markets at a time when investors are being urged to come back into stocks. Shares of Nasdaq OMX closed at $30.46, down $1.08. The question is whether this latest issue may cause problems with Nasdaq as it courts traders to use the system and young companies to list their shares at the exchange. Problems have periodically plagued the Nasdaq. Most recently, there were trading problems with the IPO of Facebook in May 2012.
A citizen journalism image which has been authenticated based on content and Associated Press reporting, shows Syrian citizens trying to identify dead bodies after an alleged poison gas attack by government forces.
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TRISTATE COMMUNITY
August 24-30, 2013
Sinha trial begins against two of four defendants BAPS Charities extends help to
New Jersey: The long awaited trial against two of the defendants accused of killing computer scientist Dr.Divyendu Sinha in a brutal attack June 25,2010 finally began Aug 13. Sinha, 49 when he died, was attacked while on a walk with his wife and two sons. He was taken to a hospital and died three days after the attack. Sinha and his sons were attacked by four young men, two Cash Johnson and Christian Tinli who are currently on trial for the fatal beating. Suspect Christopher Conway, 20, pleaded guilty last month to his role in the attack, saying he had not hit Sinha or his sons but did egg on the others as they delivered their brutal blows. Conway is expected to receive a sentence of eight years unmanslaughter for his role in Sinhas death; he is expected to receive 15 years in prison. Steven Contreras, the driver of the vehicle, was acquitted of murder last May, but pleaded guilty later in the year to lesser charges under a plea agreement, in which he provided evidence against the four remaining suspects. Contreras, Daley and Conway will all testify against Tinli and Johnson during the trial, which is expected to continue into mid-September. Jury selection for the Johnson and Tinlis cases began Aug. 7. An exhaustive comb-through of 300 potential jurors took three days until a final jury of five African Americans, 11 Caucasians and Latinos including four alternate jurors was established.
Uttarakhand flood victims

Edison, NJ: In the wake of the tragedy in the northern Indian state of Uttarkhand, BAPS Charities partnered with the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha in India to provide relief to those affected by the floods and landslides. Immediately, food, blankets and other emergency supplies were sent from New Delhi to Uttarakhand for distribution to the victims. BAPS Charities raised awareness about the devastation in Uttarakhand and solicited donations and support. BAPS provided volunteers and dedicated its efforts to ensure that the resources were used in a manner to maximize effectiveness. Rushing to aid those affected by this terrible disaster, over 645 dedicated volunteers packed and distributed over 8,500 kits totaling 60 tons of food including items such as wheat flour, rice, water bottles, etc. Additionally, 50 tons of household supplies including blankets, flashlights, cooking utensils, soap, footwear, cooking utensils, clothes, and much more were also distributed to the disaster victims. Expressing his appreciation, Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji Maharaj, President and Spiritual Head of Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh, India said, We are happy that BAPS and its volunteers are here, working with us for the Uttarakhand relief. By them participating, our organization is benefiting and is being guided by their experience, discipline and efficiency." Despite the difficult terrains and the danger of landslides, volunteers and partners personally visited villages to distribute food rations and household supplies in over 30 villages. In total, 1,200 tarpaulins, 230 tents and 14,252 blankets were provided for the disaster victims. These items helped cover food, shelter and household needs. In addition, the volunteers provided and distributed over 77,685 free medicines and 1,665 first aid materials to needy patients, families and organizations. Volunteer doctors conducted medical camps, offered medical counseling and treated over 200 victims. Further, they distributed 50 medical relief kits to the medical personnel of effected villages and other organizations. Highlighting the efforts by relief volunteers, Mr. Satyendra Ukashi, relief volunteer of Uttarkashis Shri Vishwanath Sanskrit Mahavidyalay, said, "(We were) highly impressed by BAPS volunteers level of detailing in terms of execution, practical decision-making and documentation."
Dr.Divyendu Sinha (May 31, 1961 - June 28, 2010)
der a plea bargain. In February, suspect Julian Daley pleaded guilty also under a plea bargaining agreement to aggravated assault and aggravated
Have a swab, get a drink, save a life!

Washington, DC: Friends of a young Indian-American woman who has been diagnosed with a rare disease have launched a unique drive in a New York bar to get bone marrow donors to save her and others like her. The drive has been organized to help Monica Chopra, resident of a San Francisco suburb, who at 26 was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia, in which the bone marrow stops making enough red blood cells, white cells and platelets for the body. The only cure is a bone marrow donation. Her doctors have been experimenting with immunosuppressive therapy, a way to suppress the white blood cells so her red cells and platelets can grow. To date no one in Chopra's immediate or extended family are a match, including her only brother Neil. As soon as Chopra heard about her rare condition, the first thing she did was reach out to the ones closest to her and asked them to live their life to the fullest, her friends say. The idea behind having a social mixer in the heart of New York City is to find a South Asian donor aged 18 to 44 as similar ethnicities have the highest chances of being matches for one another.Potential donors have been invited to come to the Van Diemens Bar and get registered at Be The Match Registry with a cheek swab with a Q-tip and "enjoy happy hour drink prices and complimentary appetizers." Aplastic anemia affects just 5 in every one million people.
India.com launches in true Bollywood style

New York: India.com, a Zee Entertainment initiative, launched in the United States with a big Bollywood fanfare at the 33rd annual India Day Parade in New York City. The parade which is the largest gathering of the Indian community outside India, had more than 150,000 footfalls. India.com built a 70ft replica of the Red Fort, aka La Qila. The Red Fort is the 255-acre complex in New Delhi built in the 17th century by Mogul emperor Shah Jahan, who also built the Taj Mahal. Every August 15th on Independence Day, the Red Fort is the chosen location where the Prime Minister of India hoists the countrys flag and delivers a national speech from its ramparts to a loud and proud crowd. Inside the fort, a royal red carpet welcomed the enthusiastic crowd and invited them to sign up for a new @india.com email ID. There were more than 40 Macintosh computers laid out on a glass table. The inside walls of the fort were decorated with images that defined India.com. After registration, people went home with fun India.com freebies. India.com is a new online platform for everything Indian in an instant from breaking news, business, and Bollywood to sports, travel and free classifieds. The website combines these one-of-a-kind features with an e-mail
Nearly 200 physicians from across the nation participated in the first ever inspirational symposium titled, Womens Health and Wealth: Leadership in the 21st Century organized by Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the New York County Medical Society , and Pranna Restaurant on Aug 18th . Dr. Juhi Chawla, AAPI New York City Metro Womens Forum Chair (extreme left) and Dr. Ami Shah, AAPIs national Women's Forum Chair (extreme right) with speakers, Monica Mehta, Dr. Poonam Alaigh, Dr. Devyani Khobragade, Padma Lakshmi, and Dr. Devi Nampiaparampil.
portal that will keep you connected. India.com launched in India back in 2011 and has since gained 28 million unique users making it one of the fastest growing portals. Sameer Targe, General Manager of Zee Americas said, The timing of our launch in North America could not have been any better. India Day Parade, which celebrates Indias Independence Day, by any measure, is the biggest, most vibrant South Asian event that happens on the east coast. We had a tremendous response for the site. India.com is customized for the South Asian diaspora and the Indophile segment. It was about time someone catered to the real needs of the Indian-American digital consumer.
August 24-30, 2013
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
Moneydart unveils expansion plan, launches app for instant remittance

By Ashok Ojha/SATimes Woodbridge, NJ: Moneydart Global Services, an NJ based money transfer company, has revealed an ambitious plan to expand its services in the US market. At a press conference Tuesday, Y. Sudhir Kumar Shetty, COO (Global Operations), said Moneydart aims to reach all 50 states of USA by next year. The company is already licensed to operate in 23 states. Launching the new app, he said it can be downloaded on any smart phone and used for a variety of remittance related information and services including prevalent exchange rate. The companys remittance portal money2anywhere.com enables money transfer to a bank account and offers facilities such as cash pick up in any country in a fast, easy and secure manner. Shetty said that his company was hoping to get banking license within a year in India. We want to take the mobile banking concept to rural India and hope to open branches at places where no banking facility was currently available. With its brand FLASHremit, Moneydart implemented a unique instant bank transfer to India, Pakistan, Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Sri Lanka to help customers transfer money within minutes while the beneficiary gets a confirmation through text alert. Taking advantage of its SWIFT membership it plans to launch a new product called Business 2 Business in North America. This service focuses on remittance needs of corporate entities providing wire transfer in all major currencies. Promoth Manghat, Vice-President, Global Operations, said that his company was also working on expanding its operations in Latin America and Caribbean countries in near future. Ajit Paul, Regional HeadAmericas talked about the growth of the companys operations and said that it was committed to community activities and supporting NGOs including UNICEF and UN Food Program. Moneydart is a wholly owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi based UAE Exchange, which has a direct presence in over 30 countries with 700 branches. It handled about $22.5 Billion in remittances in 2012.
Y. Sudhir Kumar Shetty, Chief Operation Officer, Moneydart Global Services (center) sharing a happy moment with the media persons at a press conference on August 19 at company's corporate office in Woodbridge, NJ. Ajit Paul, Regional Head, Americas (left) and Promoth Manghat, VP, Global Operations. (Photo by Ashok Ojha)
60 school kids benefit Sriram Hathwar is 2013 MetLife from Hindi summer South Asian Spelling Bee champ program in Pennsylvania
Dr. Devyani Khobragade, Deputy ConsulGeneral of India spoke as the Chief Guest at the valedictory event of YHS STARTALK Hindi Program 2013 on August 16 at Hatfield, PA.
New York: Yuva Hindi Sansthan, a New Jersey based educational organization concluded a twoweek summer Hindi program in Hatfield, PA on August 16. The program designed under the strict guidelines of STARTALK, a United States funded Foreign Language initiative, targeted 60 elementary and Middle School students, most of whom, born and raised in USA, belonged to Indian American families. Dr. Devyani Khobragade, Deputy Consul-General of India in New York, who attended the camp as the chief guest on August 16, the concluding day of the program, distributed completion certificates to students. She extended her support to such efforts for promoting Hindi. Dr. Khobragade said that the Government of India
was making all efforts to introduce Hindi as a working language of the United Nations. She assured that her office was willing to help Hindi programs. Upendra Chivukula, New Jersey Assemblyman was also present on the occasion. A typical day at the camp started with a 30 minute Yoga session followed by classroom instructions for three hours before breaking for lunch. The students were immersed in a variety of activities in art, culture and technology classes during the post-lunch period of the day which continued until 4.30 pm. We screened interesting Hindi movies during the lunch hour while students enjoyed authentic Indian meal. Each and every minute of the camp was designed for learning Hindi and experiencing the product and practices of Indian culture, says Rashmi Bansal, lead instructor. The program was hosted by North Penn School District which provided classrooms, gym, cafeteria, computer labs and auditorium for facilitating the two week long activities during the program, said Ashok Ojha, program director, YHS STARTALK Hindi 2013 program.
From L to R) Elaine Liu, Director Asian Markets for MetLife with brand icon Snoopy alongside 2013 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee National Champion Sriram Hathwar of Painted Post, NY and Rahul Walia, Founder of the South Asian Spelling Bee. Photo Courtesy: Gunjesh Desai/MasalaJunction.com
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New York: Sriram Hathwar correctly spelled the word phorminx during the 2013 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee Finals to clinch the title of National Champion. During the event on August 16, which was taped live for broadcast on Sony Entertainment Television, Sriram along with 23 other finalists competed for the title. Siblings from Pearland TX Shobha & Shourav Dasari were National Runners-Up. Twenty-four top spellers from 12 regional centers gathered at the Rutgers College auditorium to battle it out for the title of champion and a $10,000 Grand Prize from MetLife. The event was organized by leading South Asian advertising firm, Touchdown Media Inc. and sponsored by MetLife, a leading provider of insurance, employee benefits and other financial services. Sony Entertainment Television is the exclusive rights holder and will be broadcasting the event
across the globe in over 119 countries. Airline major Air-India and education company C2Education have also come on board this year as sponsors for this event. Rahul Walia, CEO, Touchdown Media Inc. and Founder of the South Asian Spelling Bee says, This is a great platform that helps children showcase their talent, hone their skill and inculcate a sense of discipline and discipline that will help in their overall development. I urge parents to take advantage of this unique contest next year. The special guest at the Finals was Syamantak Payra, 2012 South Asian Spelling Bee National Champion, who helped co-host a portion of the event. The champion received a $10,000 grand prize from MetLife along with the South Asian Spelling Bee trophy. The runnersup received tickets to India from Air India.
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
August 24-30, 2013
Boston's India Day canceled Silicon Valley entrepreneur for security reasons launches an app to help India
Boston, MA: Organizers of a Boston celebration of India's independence have canceled this year's event because security measures put in place after the Boston Marathon bombings have made it prohibitively expensive. The annual event that has drawn as many as 20,000 people was scheduled for Aug. 18 on the Esplanade. In a letter posted on the India Association of Greater Boston's website, organizers say it's been canceled until a new location can be found. The letter says the association would lose $20,000, inappropriate for a nonprofit organization. New security measures include bag checks at entrances and more police, meaning tens of thousands of dollars in overtime. A state police spokesman told The Boston Globe he sympathized with organizers but pointed out that the Esplanade was a possible target of the marathon bombing suspects. Washington, DC: An Indian American Silicon Valley entrepreneur has launched a unique initiative designed to get techies to volunteer their time to develop software and applications that will benefit people in India and other developing countries. The initiative dubbed "Code for India" was launched by Silicon Valley technology entrepreneur and venture capitalist Karl Mehta. "As a firm believer in the power of crowd sourced and open sourced technology, we have created Code For India to provide tools to fight day-to-day public service issues," Mehta told reporters. "Code For India's use of technology will promote transparency, participation and efficiency in the way local people can voice their concern and find solutions," he said. "The transformative power of technology will aid India -- and other developing countries facing similar problems," said Mehta at the launch of Code For India, a nonKarl Mehta
profit organization based in Mountain View, California. Though starting small, Mehta has huge ambitions. His audacious goal is to get a million programmers across the globe to donate their time.
US-born Jains make ascetic faith fit modern life

California: The ancient Indian religion of Jainism, a close cousin of Buddhism, has often been a hard sell in the U.S. with a strict adherence to nonviolence that forbids eating meat, encourages days of fasting and places value on even the smallest of insects. Now younger Jains who resist the elaborate rituals of their parents, which include meditating 48 minutes a day and presenting statues of idols with flowers, rice and a saffron-and-sandalwood paste, are trying to reinterpret the traditions of their religion for 21st-century American life reported the Associated Press. They are expanding the definition of nonviolence to encompass environmentalism, animal rights and corporate business ethics, flocking to veganism, volunteering alongside other faiths and learning to lobby through political internships and youth groups. "Youth are a lot more interested in learning the why of things instead of just blindly following it," said Priyal Gandhi, an 18-year-old from northern Virginia. "I don't think we've lost the faith. I think it's about finding new ways to adapt to it." Jains believe, for example, that even microbes in the air and water are sacred life and any action that impacts other living things such as driving or using electricity can add to bad karma. Yet Jains, many of them top doctors, lawyers and businesspeople, use computers and cellphones and drive cars and so they are increasingly seeking a compromise between their faith and practicality, said Whitny Braun, a bioethics and religion professor at Loma Linda University who has studied Jainism. Veganism a step beyond the vegetarianism that the faith requires is also on the rise among young U.S.-born Jains who find it otherwise difficult to follow traditional rituals. Changes in how younger worshippers act out the faith may have a big impact on Jainism's fate here. The faith's Western evolution is being talked about openly and with greater urgency now that the tiny ex-pat community that arrived in the 1960s has established itself with a national umbrella organization, youth groups and more than 100 temples, including an enormous one south of Los Angeles. This weekend, the new Center for Jain Studies at Claremont Lincoln University in Claremont hosts a two-day conference on women and gender issues that will include a presentation on sexism in Jain teachings. Another session on how to apply Jain principles in corporate ethics is planned for next year. New voices can help the faith become more relevant in today's America, said Sulekh C. Jain, of Houston, who for nearly five decades has been a leading force among U.S. Jains. "The Dalai Lama said tradition over time, if it does not change, needs to be scrapped," Jain said. "It's really a part of growing up."
Prof Vijay Singh named for top US environmental award
Bobby Jindal gets 50 percent approval in Republican poll

Washington, DC: Louisiana's Indian American governor Bobby Jindal, seen as a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2016, has an approval rating at 50 percent in his home state, according to an internal party poll. Jindal, who was re-elected governor in 2011 for a second four year term, is term-limited that is he cannot contest for the State's top job again. The Republican survey, conducted last week also found President Barack Obama's approval rating as 37 percent in the state, according to the Politico, an influential Washington news site focused on politics. The poll found that 55 percent Louisianans support Jindal's controversial decision not to expand Medicaid, a US government health program for families and individuals with low income and resources, with 37 percent opposed. Four-fifths of Republicans also favor his Medicaid position. The poll also found that 62 percent of Louisianans oppose Obama's signature healthcare law, nicknamed Obamacare, that aims to increase the quality and affordability of health insurance in US, 53 percent strongly so. Only 33 percent favor the law. OnMessage Inc., Jindal's main consulting firm, surveyed 800 voters from Aug 12 to 15 for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Politico reported. The results were weighted to reflect historic turnout trends. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Prof Vijay Singh
Washington, DC: An Indian American professor of biological and agricultural engineering has been recognized for lifetime achievement by a top US environmental and water resources institute. Vijay Singh, professor and Caroline & William N. Lehrer Distinguished Chair in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at Texas A&M University, has been named as a recipient of the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Society of Civil Engineers Environmental and Water Resources Institute (ASCE-EWRI). Set up in 1999, the Environmental and Water Resources Institute is a civil engineering specialty institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the country's oldest national engineering society. He was born in Agra, India, July 15, 1946. He acquired his master of science degree from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada and then did his Ph.D from the Colorado State University. He also received a D.Sc. from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa.
Louisiana Gov Bobby Jindal
August 24-30, 2013
US AFFAIRS
Chris Christie signs bill banning gay New York City seizes record number of illegal guns conversion therapy for minors
Trenton, NJ: New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie on Monday signed a bill that bans therapists from providing a service to minors that aims to change their sexual orientation. The bill, which passed in the New Jersey Senate and Assembly in June, would restrict licensed therapists from offering what is commonly referred to as conversion therapy. Christie is only the second governor to sign a law banning the practice for youths. California Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown signed a similar law last year, which is currently under review in the federal courts. In signing the bill into law, Christie issued a statement in which he cited the American Psychological Associations report that recommended against the practice. At the outset of this debate, I expressed my concerns about government limiting parental choice on the care and treatment of their own children. I still have those concerns, Christie said in a signing statement. The decision by Christie, who is considered a possible contender to run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, could become a point of debate during the party primary, as it was in the last election. In the run-up to the 2012 Republican primary season, presidential candidate Michele Bachmann came under fire when it was reported that a clinic she owned offered the conversion therapy. New York: At a press conference announcing the seizure of 254 illegal guns, Mayor Michael Bloomberg referenced a wiretap conversation from the investigation showing that one of the gun traffickers' biggest concerns was the city's controversial "stop-and-frisk" policy. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly read aloud the conversation, in which a gun trafficker from South Carolina discussed his plans to bring guns through North Carolina to New York City, taking the Chinatown bus. "Yeah, I'm in Charlotte now, I can't take them to my house, to my side of town in Brownsville (Brooklyn) "We've got like, watch-a-ma-call-it, Stop and Frisk." The gun trafficker and 18 others have been indicted for transporting the firearms from the south, where Kelly said there are weaker gun laws, and then selling them in New York City to an undercover officer. The guns seized are valued at over $160,000. "More than 200 guns is an astonishing number of firearms to be recovered by one undercover officer in a little under one year," said Kelly. As Bloomberg and Kelly addressed the media, most of the weapons seized lay on a table in front of them, illustrating a small victory in the fight against illegal guns. The mayor is also hoping for a victory in his appeal of a ruling by a federal judge just one week ago, that the NYPD's controversial so-called "stop-and-frisk"
Mayor Bloomberg and NYC Police Commissioner Ray Kelly also reiterated their support for stop and frisk at the press conference announcing the seizure.
policy is unconstitutional. Bloomberg has said the tactic, which allows cops to search anyone regardless of whether they believe a crime has been committed, is "an important part of [the NYPD's] record of success." In her ruling, Judge Shira Sheindlin said the policy unfairly targeted blacks and Hispanics. Sheindlin ruled that the policy could continue, but only under strong new restrictions.
Homeless in the 'land of milk and honey'

By Arun Kumar Washington: America is not the "land of milk and honey" it is often thought to be. Crouching behind pillars to shield from the cold or squeezed at the entrance of shuttered shop fronts with their belongings tucked in a bundle and a receptacle kept for alms, over 600,000 people across US cities are homeless and subsist on the streets or in abandoned areas with some states pushing them into camps and others offering them a one-way ticket back "home". According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, there were 633,782 people, or 20 in every 10,000 people, experiencing homelessness on any given night in January 2012, largely unchanged from the year before. About a quarter of them were children, oneeighth military veterans and some four in 10 disabled unable to work, in the richest nation on the planet, according to its latest report on "The State of Homelessness in America 2013". A majority of people identified as homeless were staying in emergency shelters or transitional housing, but 38 percent were unsheltered, living on the streets, or in cars, abandoned buildings, or other places not intended for human habitation, it said. Many sit with outstretched arms outside subway stations or strum away on guitars drawing attention to their plight as sympathetic onlookers drop money into an open guitar cover. More than 48 million people were living in poverty - with a household income of less than $23,550 for a family of four - in 2011, almost 5 percent more than in the previous year, with median household income decreasing nationally by 1.3 percent from $51,144 to $50,502. With job losses after the worst recession in decades increasing the national poverty rate from 15.3 percent to 15.9 percent in 2011, the Obama administration has this year announced grants totalling $1.557 billion for over 7,750 local homeless housing and service programs. These are part of Obama's Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness announced in 2010 to put the country on a path to end chronic homelessness by 2015 and to end homelessness among children, family, and youth by 2020. Meanwhile, in New Jersey, home to a large number of Indian
Tent cities like this one have popped up across New Jersey for the state's homeless
A homeless man on Broadway, New York City
Americans, tent cities have popped up across the state, including Essex County, which has the largest population of homeless people in the state and its poorest city, Camden, according to My9NJ.com. The Camden tent city that has sprung up "under an overpass, through woods and down with a path of trash" says the local channel is "inhabited by an array of people: addicts, people who have fallen on hard times and some with mental illness". Legislators in Hawaii, the state of Obama's birth, last month voted to allocate $100,000 to offer one-way plane tickets to an estimated 17,000
homeless people under a voluntary pilot "return to home" program, according to the Honolulu Civil Beat. Run by the state's Department of Human Services, it will set aside seats on airplanes - and possibly cruise ships for participants who must complete a background check, be mentally sound, and have what the bill calls "sufficient personal hygiene". New York City, Baton Rouge and San Francisco have all tried similar programs, according to Time magazine. New York City implemented its version in 2007, flying more than 550 homeless people back to their families in places like Paris,
Orlando, and San Juan (the most popular destination), it said citing a 2009 article in the New York Times. In June, city council of Baton Rouge, the capital city of IndianAmerican governor Bobby Jindal's home state of Louisiana, approved a plan to provide free bus rides to eligible homeless people, Time said citing Think Progress. Its original name was "Clean Sweep", but to avoid comparing people living on the street to bags of garbage, the program has been renamed "HOPE" for "Homeless Outreach Prevention Efforts", it said citing local newspaper the Advocate.
US AFFAIRS
August 24-30, 2013
NSA collected piles of emails by ordinary Americans

Washington: The nation's top intelligence official declassified three secret U.S. court opinions and other classified documents on Wednesday that reveal how the National Security Agency intercepted thousands of emails from Americans with no connection to terrorism. The documents also shed some light on how the agency revealed the error to the court and how it went about gathering Internet communications as part of its effort to gather intelligence. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper authorized the release Wednesday and the agency published the documents on a newly-created tumblr dubbed IC on the Record. "He's determined that in the current circumstances the harm to national security from release of this information is out weighed by the public interest," said a senior U.S. intelligence official who briefed reporters ahead of the release. The official said the documents reveal "effective self-policing" at the National Security Agency.
Manning of WikiLeaks case gets 35 years in jail, to ask for White House pardon
Washington: A US military judge Wednesday sentenced Bradley Manning, an army private, to 35 years in prison for leaking classified information of the government to whistleblower site WikiLeaks. The judge, Army Col. Denise Lind, handed down the Bradley Manning outside a courthouse in sentence at Fort Fort Meade, Md., Aug. 20. Meade, outside Washington. She also ordered that and US diplomatic missions across the Manning, the army intelligence analyst, be world. WikiLeaks, though, has never confirmed reduced in rank to private and be dishonorably discharged from the army, Xinhua Manning as the source of its information. Manning was arrested months later after reported. Manning, now 25, could face a maximum of 90 years in prison. He was one of the leaked videos appeared on convicted of several charges last month, WikiLeaks in April 2010. It was a gunfire including espionage and theft. But the video of a US attack helicopter firing at a judge found him not guilty of the most seri- group of people in Baghdad in 2007. WikiLeaks, an international organization ous charge, aiding the enemy, which possithat publishes secret information and news bly carried a life term in prison. Manning was accused of delivering to leaks from anonymous sources, continues WikiLeaks three-quarters of a million to publish documents related to the 2010 pages of classified documents and videos, Afghanistan war, the Iraq war Logs and which covered numerous aspects of US diplomatic cables by US State Department military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan officials.
Al Jazeera America goes live, woos viewers

depth, More perspective. Every day." On Facebook, Al-Jazeera America called itself "the new American TV news channel that connects you to the human stories at the heart of the news." The channel reaches more than 40 million households and vastly expands the footprint of Al-Jazeera despite questions about how it will be received by American viewers. Jeff Jarvis, a City University of New York journalism professor, said on Google+ he was skeptical: "They hired people straight out of traditional TV news; they tried hard not to hire foreigners. But what I was hoping for was a new form with new perspectives." Yet Al Jazeera is likely to face a tough sell to US audiences because of its history in the Middle East, where it was the outlet for videos distributed by Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. Some conservatives claim it is still anti-Western. Ehab Al Shihabi, interim chief executive of Al-Jazeera America, said US viewers will come around once they see the programs. He said surveys indicate that "75 percent of people who did not watch Al-Jazeera came on the negative size and 90 percent of those who watch Al-Jazeera came on the positive side." Shihabi said 850 staff have been hired for 12 US bureaus, and will draw on 70 bureaus worldwide to give Al-Jazeera unmatched scale. Since acquiring Current TV, a struggling US cable channel, Al-Jazeera has brought in well-known names in the industry, such as former CNN and CBS journalist Joie Chen, former NBC news anchor John Seigenthaler and David Shuster, a veteran of Fox News and MSNBC.
Washington: Al-Jazeera America went live Tuesday, accompanied by a campaign of traditional and social media for its cable channel launch, as it pledged to outdo its rivals with serious, in-depth journalism. "We're on the air! #AlJazeeraAmerica has just launched, and we're live. Are you ready to take a new look at news?" the channel announced on Twitter at 1900 GMT. Opening the lineup was a preview of the daily schedule, which includes news, magazine and interview programs. One of the first in-depth reports set to air was an investigation for its "Fault Lines" program on Bangladesh. "Fault Lines goes undercover in Bangladesh in a multi-month investigation to expose how US corporations may be putting their profits before the well-being and safety of the workers making their products," the channel promised. The Qatar-based media group took out full-page ads in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today, and kept up a barrage over social media including Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. "Change the way you look at news," the ad in The Wall Street Journal states. "Get more
Wells Fargo eliminates 2,300 mortgage jobs

San Francisco: Wells Fargo is cutting 2,300 jobs from in the mortgage production unit, the company said on Wednesday. San Francisco-based Wells Fargo was the largest employer among U.S. banks at midyear with about 274,000 people. The company expects the pace of mortgage lending to slow for the remainder of the year as higher interest rates cut into the demand for refinancing. Applications for U.S. home loans fell for a second straight week as higher interest rates reduced refinancing activity, an industry group reported Wednesday. The Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally adjusted index of mortgage application activity, which includes both refinancing and home purchase demand, fell 4.6 percent in the week ended Aug. 16. The decline came as 30-year mortgage rates rose 12 basis points to 4.68 percent, matching the year's high first hit in July.
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August 24-30, 2013
INDIA
No poor in India will Don't pass Modi-for-PM remain hungry: Sonia resolutions: Rajnath
New Delhi: Indicating disapproval of the resolution by BJP's Bihar unit seeking Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi be declared the party's prime ministerial candidate, party chief Rajnath Singh told state units not to pass such motions, party sources said. They said that Bharatiya Janata Party president touched the issue during his address at the party's election campaign committee meeting here Sunday and said there was no need for such resolutions. Modi was present at the meeting. The sources said that Rajnath Singh told the gathering, which included state unit chiefs, that the leadership was seized of the question of prime ministerial candidate and "a call will be taken in the interest of the party". "The party president conveyed that states should not force the issue and not pass such resolutions," a party leader said. BJP's Bihar unit had adopted a
Sonia Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit during the launch of Food Security Program in New Delhi
BJP chief Rajnath Singh
New Delhi: The legal right to food security is "unparalleled" and will ensure that no poor in India remains hungry, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi said while launching the ambitious food security program in Delhi. Delhi is among the first states to launch the program that is expected to provide cheap staple food to twothirds of the nation's population. The launch of the program - seen as both a major welfare as well as populist move designed to swing votes for a beleaguered Congress in the upcoming elections - coincided with the 69th birth anniversary of late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi said the right to food security had been conceived so that no poor remains hungry. "We decided to formulate the Food Security Bill so that the poor do not remain hungry, their children do not sleep hungry and they do not suffer malnutrition," Sonia Gandhi
said at Talkatora Stadium here. "The guarantee of food provided by the food security scheme on such a large scale is unparalleled in the world," she declared, adding that states had benefited from welfare schemes of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. The Food Security Bill is yet to be passed by parliament. The Delhi government unveiled the food security program on the basis of an ordinance promulgated in June. The Congress chief handed over food security ration cards to beneficiaries along with a 5 kg rice packet each. Sonia Gandhi said that the Food Security Bill will provide benefits to 75 percent of the rural population and 50 percent of the urban population, totaling about 80 crore. She said the food security program will empower women. "Our duty is to serve the people and this should continue to be our motto," Sonia Gandhi said.
resolution urging the BJP central parliamentary board to make the announcement on Modi as prime ministerial candidate. Modi is the chief of campaign committee for BJP for the 2014 elections. Party sources said that the leadership has apprehensions that such resolutions can create problems as it would amount to forcing a decision on an issue which
is in domain of central leadership. They said that there was even a remote possibility of state units differing in their recommendations of prime ministerial candidate which would present a picture of disunity in the party. The BJP has said that a decision on prime ministerial candidate will be taken by the parliamentary board at an appropriate time.
Missing coalblock files with CBI: Coal Ministry

New Delhi: In a Right to Information (RTI) Act reply early this year, the coal ministry had said that the files relating to all coal block allocations from 1994-2012 were with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The ministry's reply to the RTI query filed by NGO Greenpeace in February is important as the government has been saying that some of the files before 2004 went missing. According to Greenpeace, it had filed two RTIs on the issue and was told that the files were with the CBI, which is investigating the irregularities in the allocation of coal blocks. "We got a response from P.S.S. Reddy, director appellate authority, coal ministry, saying that all the applications of the companies who have been allocated coal blocks along with annexures in original are in the custody of the CBI," said a statement issued by Greenpeace. "Is the coal ministry lying about missing the coalgate files," Greenpeace questioned.
When rioters savaged once-peaceful Kishtwar

Jammu: Separatist slogans were all it took to stoke communal passions, triggering riots that ravaged Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar town, left three dead and led to the resignation of the state's junior home minister who hails from the town. Communities that have lived in perfect harmony for ages attacked one another with shotguns loaded with hatred and junior Home Minister Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo made the startling claim that mobs tried to set him ablaze. The trouble started in the otherwise peaceful town of Kishtwar, over 200 km from here, when a procession of locals from adjacent villages entered the town Aug 9 to join others at the Eidgah grounds to offer Eid prayers. Reports said the procession was shouting pro-azadi (independence) ing which the mobs looted a gunshop and used the looted weapons to target each other. The state government announced a judicial probe headed by a retired hgh court judge to ascertain the facts about what went wrong in Kishtwar and who stoked communal passions there. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by none less than its star campaigner and the likely prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, told a massive gathering in far away Hyderabad: "Kishtwar is burning. A narsamhar (bloodbath) has taken place in Kishtwar. We don't know how many have been killed there." It cannot be accepted that Modi did not know that one Hindu and two Muslim had died in the Kishtwar clashes. Violence and madness had taken an equal toll of both the communities in the town, where Muslims form 55 percent and Hindus 45 percent of the population. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, visibly disturbed by the BJP campaign to focus attention on the Kishtwar riots, said during his Independence Day speech in summer capital Srinagar that the people of Jammu and Kashmir were being treated differently as if they were not part of India. Abdullah cited figures of communal clashes in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka and some other states during 2012 and up to March 2013 to ask: How many big leaders have visited those places to express solidarity with the affected people? How many of them used tweets or how many columns of newspapers were written on those clashes?
Kishtwar town in J&K faced communal violence last week
slogans when some Hindus resented this and started pelting stones at the procession and provoking them. After the news about this reached those already present at the Eidgah grounds they rushed to the spot and joined the riots. Three people were
killed and properties worth millions including over 100 shops were gutted. The district administration had to seek the armys help to bring the situation under control. Eye-witnesses said it was a free for all situation in the town for six hours dur-
INDIA
August 24-30, 2013
11
No need to panic, rupee will stabilize: Chidambaram

New Delhi: Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Thursday called for calm in the currency markets, saying stability will soon return, even as the rupee slipped below the psychological level of 65 against the dollar. "There is no cause of panic...we are confident that the stability will return to the markets, Chidambaram said at a media conference here. The finance minister said volatility in the currency market w a s unacceptable and the governm e n t Finance Minister was taking meas- P. Chidambaram ures to improve the situation. "We are not targeting any particular level for the currency. We want a stable currency...rupee today is undervalued and has overshot, he said.
Anil Ambani denies knowledge about Swan Telecom in 2G case

New Delhi: Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani Thursday deposed before a special court here as a prosecution witness in the 2G spectrum allocation case and said he was not aware of any company named Swan Telecom. "I'm not aware of any company called Swan Telecom," Ambani replied in the special court of CBI, presided over by Judge O.P. Saini, when asked by the prosecution if he knew this firm that was given telecom spectrum and license in 2008. The main allegations of the probe agency, prompting it to call Ambani as a witness, is that Swan Telecom was a shell company of the Anil Ambani Group, ineligible for telecom spectrum and license a matter that has been strongly denied by the defense. The court concluded recording the statement of Anil Ambani over two sessions and then called his wife Tina Ambani Friday at 2 p.m. In fact, Anil Ambani also told the judge that his wife will depose Friday in the court. The markets reacted positively to the day's development, with the probe agency that Swan Telecom was a shell company of his group. "It is wrong to suggest that Swan Telecom was a shell company of my group. It was wrong to suggest that it was in my knowledge that Swan had applied for UAS (telecom) license for Jammu and Kashmir service area in 2007," Ambani said. "I cannot recall if Reliance Telecom had made an investment to the extent of 9.9 percent in the equity shares in Swan Telecom," he said, while denying another claim by the CBI during his visit to its headquarters here. "I visited the CBI office in connection with this case. However, at that time, I did not hand over any note to the CBI officer," Ambani said in his statement. When queried by the judge, Ambani also said he was making his statement voluntarily and as per his own free will. The court had Wednesday said summoning Anil Ambani and and his wife as prosecution witnesses "will not cause any prejudice to the accused facing trial in the case".
Pakistan to release 365 Indian prisoners

Islamabad: Pakistan has decided to release 365 Indian prisoners as a goodwill gesture, the interior ministry announced Thursday. The prisoners include 340 fishermen and 25 crew members of their boats, Xinhua reported quoting the ministry. All the Indian prisoners have completed their jail terms and will be sent back to India through the Wagah border crossing Saturday. Eight juveniles are also among the prisoners to be freed from the Youthful Offenders Industrial School in Karachi, officials said. The announcement to release the Indian prisoners came at a time when tension has increased between the two nuclear-powered neighbors over cross-border shelling. Pakistan and India routinely arrest fishermen as there are no maritime boundaries between the two nations. Both the countries have held series of talks but have not yet reached any agreement. Pakistani authorities have already informed Indian officials about the decision.
Anil Ambani refuted the CBI claim that Swan Telecom was a shell company of his group.
shares of Reliance Communications ending 5.67 percent higher at Rs.121.15. Among the other group companies, Reliance Power ended 3.68 percent higher, while Reliance Capital gained 6.02 percent. While giving his statement, Ambani refuted the claim of the
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August 24-30, 2013
INDIA
India needs alternative policies, not leaders: CPI-M

New Delhi: India does not need alternative political leaders but "alternative propeople policies" to overcome its economic woes, CPI-M said Thursday. Without naming Narendra Modi, CPIM's paper "People's Democracy" said in an editorial titled "Back to Square One" that India Inc had thrown its weight behind the Gujarat chief minister's attempt to become the prime minister. Corporate India, it said, wanted a "strong leader" who could be decisive to take actions that can facilitate their interests even at the expense of forsaking democracy, human rights and civil liberties. "Given the BJP's commitment to international finance capital-led globalization and its neo-liberal economic reforms, sections of corporate India seem to be hoping that their fortunes will improve under the BJP's current poster boy." The editorial said it had warned two years ago that the slowing down of the Indian economy could well lead up to a situation similar to that India found itself in 1991. "Today, two years later, indeed, the Indian economy appears to have come back to square one." The CPI-M demanded to know if the government was preparing the ground for seeking a bailout package again from the IMF, with the accompanying conditions. It pointed out that there was a contraction of domestic demand in the economy. "This is not surprising given the relentless rate of inflation and the substantial cuts in subsidies meant for the poor in the name of fiscal consolidation." Domestically, it said, the purchasing power in the hands of the people was drastically declining, shrinking the domestic demand as a consequence. "By merely making available funds or opening up further avenues for foreign investment without increasing domestic demand will only channel these funds into speculative activities rather than productive investments. "This is evident from the recent experience of astronomically high prices of real estate and gold in our country. "The rich are parking their money in such avenues that are called valuables. Additionally, they expend their monies in obnoxious conspicuous consumption like lavish wedding celebrations. "Such a tendency of parking surpluses in unproductive valuables is also responsible for the surge in the demand for the US dollar and foreign currencies.
Women driven auto-rickshaw service was launched in Patna on August 18, a first for Bihar.
Where's the leader of the country, wonders Mamata

Kolkata: Contending that India was passing through "an intolerable economic disaster", West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday wondered "where is the leader of the country" to save the people from economic onslaught and internal and external security threats. "The country is passing through a nightmarish situation. From petrol to onions, from diesel to dollar, prices are skyrocketing. The economic disaster through which the country is passing is simply intolerable," Banerjee said on her official Facebook page. Observing that the "economic security of the common people is at stake", Banerjee said: "Is it a product of the so-called reforms and activities being pushed by the Government at the centre in view of the ensuing Lok Sabha election? "Is a type of political gimmickry going on to satisfy some political parties at the expense of the common people? The country
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
cannot be run like this," she said. She also sought public opinion and called for public mobilization on the issue. "Public opinion and mobilisation is very much needed at this hour. Let us all make a collective effort to save our country," added Banerjee.
Harvard evinces interest in Jaipur Foot

By Prakash Bhandari Bangladesh. Jaipur: The students of The Jaipur Foot is a the Harvard Business truly inspirational story School from next month with important managewill study how the ment lessons about innofamous artificial limb vation, customer-centriciJaipur Foot has made peoty, technology, leadership, ple walk again. The case and management. study will be part of the Insights into these five premier business schools focus areas, he added, second year students should definitely help study. An Indian American business students underProfessor Srikant Datar, stand how such a low-cost Arthur Lowes Dickinson product could be susProfessor of Accounting at tained. It was thrilling to Prof Srikant Datar will teach Harvard University, would see the smiles on the faces the Jaipur Foot model. be teaching the model to of the patients as they his students. He said it would help the came in, not able to walk, and left on both young B-brains learn to take the point of their feet. It would help my students to view of the customer. learn to always take the point of view of the The artificial limbs cost Rs 2,300 to man- customer and also to believe that with leadufacture but are given free to patients, irre- ership and innovation, anything is possispective of their background. The prosthet- ble. ic, created by a team headed by late orthoThe Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang pedic surgeon Dr P.K. Sethi and a sculptor- Sahayata Samiti, which manufactures the craftsman Ram Chander Sharma, has not Jaipur Foot, was set up in 1975 as a welfare been patented because of their belief in the organization. Named the Jaipur Foot after motivation behind the creation that of the city it was conceived in, the artificial helping the poor, not only in India but in limb has made tens of thousands of 26 countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, amputees in the developing world walk Lebanon, Senegal, Pakistan, Uganda and again.
OP-ED
August 24-30, 2013
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Building a racial justice movement

Americans define racism as individual, overt and intentional. But modern forms of racial discrimination are often unintentional, systemic and hidden. On the eve of the 50th anniversary (on August 28) of the famous March on Washington, the author argues why what is building up is a racial justice movement, one that builds on the legacy of civil rights while bringing crucial new elements to our political and social lives. And that Latinos and Asians and blacks and American Indians must all be working in that single movement.
By Rinku Sen his week, the nation will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom with events in Washington, D.C., and many other cities. A hot summer of race newsMoral Mondays to preserve voting rights in North Carolina, the efforts of the Dream 9 to expose the vagaries of our immigration policy, and those of the Dream Defenders to undo Floridas Stand Your Ground lawhave led many to speculate on whether we are at the start of a new civil rights movement. We are definitely at the brink of something. I hope that it is a racial justice movement, one that builds on the legacy of civil rights while bringing crucial new elements to our political and social lives. We have a chance to explore fundamental questions like the nature of racism, what to do with the variety of racial hierarchies across the country, and how to craft a vision big enough to hold together communities which are constantly pitted against one another. Using the racial justice frame allows us to fight off the seductive, corrupt appeal of colorblindness, which currently makes it difficult to talk about even racial diversity, much less the real prize of racial equity. Such language also allows us to move beyond the current limitations in civil rights law to imagine a host of new policies and practices in public and private spaces, while we also upgrade existing civil rights laws at all levels of government. Finally, the modern movement has to be fully multiracial, as multiracial as the country itself. The number and variety of communities of color will continue to grow. If all of our communities stake out ground on race, rather than on a set of proxies, we will more likely be able to stick together when any one of us is accused of race baiting. case. We can find these kinds of figures. But theres inevitably debate about whether they truly hit the Bull Connor standard, as we can see in popular defenses of Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Gov. Rick Scott. Politicians, employers and public administrators have all learned to use codes for the groups they target. The notion that all racism is intentional and overt is a fundamental building block of the false solution of colorblindness. The obsession with examining the intentions of individual actors in order to legitimize the existence of racism undermines efforts to achieve justice. This is because the discussion of racism in the U.S. is devoid of any mention of history, power or policy. The person who notices racial disparities in health care, for example, is vilified for so-called race baiting, while someone like Rep. Steve King is virtually unchallenged when he puts up a sign referring to the State Childrens Health Insurance Program as Socialized, Clintonesque, Hillary Care for Illegals and Their Children. Hey, he didnt say Latino illegals, so thats not racist. Fifteen years of brain research have revealed that ignoring racial difference is impossible, and that most human beings are unconscious of their biases. Thus getting people to acknowledge and change their biases voluntarily is often very difficult, and if it does happen, is insufficient to address the institutional problem. Even people who dont dismiss the need for race talk entirely often have the wrong end goal in mind. They encourage respect for diversity, or multiculturalism. Those are both good things. But neither one is the same thing as justice. It is entirely possible to have a diverse community, city or workplace that is marked by inequity. In restaurants Ive worked in and observed, the white workers in the dining room get along perfectly well with black and Latino workers confined to the kitchen and dish room, but they are not in an equitable situation. In being explicit about working on racial justice, our modern movement has a chance to push past the diversity goal and define justice. Justice and Rights Arent the Same Justice can include civil rights laws, but civil rights laws dont always include justice. The difference between the two is suggested for me in that old school precursor to jokes, There oughta be a law. There ought to be lots of laws and we wont get them unless we recognize the limits of the laws we have now in relation to justice. Here is NOLO Presss plain language definition of civil rights. Rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, the
The civil rights legend Martin Luther King Jr waves to supporters on the Mall during the 'March on Washington' in 1963, the stage for his famous I have a dream speech.
The Need for Plain Speech We cannot solve a problem that no one is willing to name, and the biggest obstacle facing Americans today is that, in the main, we dont want to talk about race, much less about racism. Our societal silence makes room for inventive new forms of discrimination, while it blocks our efforts to change rules that disadvantage people of color. Unless we say what we mean, we cannot redefine how racism works or drive the debate toward equity. Americans define racism as individual, overt and intentional. But modern forms of racial discrimination are often unintentional, systemic and hidden. The tropes and images of the civil rights era reinforce the old definition. People taking on new forms constantly look for our own Bull Connor to make the
13th and 14th, 15th and 19th Amendments to the Constitution. Civil rights include civil liberties (such as the freedom of speech, press, assembly, and religion), as well as due process, the right to vote, equal and fair treatment by law enforcement and the courts, and the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of a democratic society, such as equal access to public schools, recreation, transportation, public facilities, and housing. Civil refers largely to political rights, but communities of color need change in economics and culture, too, the kind of change that hasnt yet been encoded in the law. People of color should be able to see ourselves on television and in movies as something other than villains far more often than we do now, but there is no law that calls this a right. Food justice would mean that people could get access to fresh produce at reasonable prices within a short distance from their homes, yet no law punishes grocery store chains for abandoning poor neighborhoods of color. But laws and other structures could be crafted to change these arrangements that too many people currently accept as just the way it is. In fact, over time, the kinds of rules and regulations that once supported cultural rights, such as the fairness doctrine in communications law, have been steadily gutted by the same deregulation that created Fox News. People should not be subjected to exploitation on the job, but labor laws, including those against discrimination that are in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, dont get us anywhere near workplace justice. After New York Times labor reporter Steven Greenhouse examined the comment threads from his reporting on the growing fast food workers strikes, he was moved to tweet that hed never seen such lack of sympathy for workers. Research by Topos reveals that most Americans do not think of crappy jobs as exploitive jobs. They think entry level jobs are meant to pay little, and they put all the responsibility for improvement on the workers themselves, in the form of further education to get a better job. That sentiment was borne out again and again in Greenhouses comment thread. The fact that people of color, especially black people, are heavily concentrated in the fast food industry strikes me as the trigger for that kind of easy victim blaming. The language of justice simply gives us more options for articulating what fairness looks like than does the language of civil rights. Only a big, broad vision will be exciting enough to mobilize Americans for the hard thinking and action required to meet our upcoming challenges. The countrys changing demographics are at the top of the challenge list for me.
Going Multiracial When the March on Washington took place in 1963, there was also organizing among Latino, indigenous and Asian communities. These communities were often inspired by and related to the movement against Jim Crow segregation in the South, and they had their own forms of exploitation and discrimination to confront. The exploitive Bracero Program, which recruited Mexican guest workers for farm work, had to be ended, and so did its brutal aftermath, Operation Wetback, which deported those same workers when they dared to overstay. The effects of Japanese American internment had to be addressed, and American Indians were trying to protect families from having their kids stolen right through the 1970s. Connections surely existed between these groups during the 1960s, and they cannot be minimized. I know, however, that those ties were not nearly as strong as they need to be today. My own experience as an immigrant, racial justice organizer has convinced me that building a container that can hold all the experiences different people of color have with racial hierarchy is critically important to prevent further loss of civil rights victories even more so if we are to expand those victories. The vast changes in our national demographics are largely due to one of the benefits of the civil rights era: the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, the policy that enabled my people, Indians, to enter the US in significant numbers. Yet many Indian immigrants and their descendants are all too eager to distance themselves from that very same movement, accepting a role as the solution to the problem of black insurgence. My friend Vijay Prashad has written beautifully about this phenomenon in The Karma of Brown Folk. The racial profiling of South Asians, Arabs and Muslims following September 11 shocked many of us into a new awareness, but it is still possible, for example, for middle class South Asian Americans in particular to resist the profiling of us, while engaging in the profiling of others. I say this as an immigrant who has spent countless hours arguing with other immigrants and refugees who refuse to acknowledge our place in a racial hierarchy, and to take that into account as we fight for our own freedom. Continued on page 25 Rinku Sen is the President and Executive Director of the Applied Research Center (ARC) and Publisher of Colorlines.com. The article submitted by Colorlines.com.
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
14
August 24-30, 2013
OP-ED
Modi vs PM faceoff: More theater than reality

T
Soldiers' killing: Unasked questions

By Karan Thapar he killing of five Indian soldiers on the Line of Control (LoC) is abominable. Its also unforgivable. There can be no contrary view about this. However we should have answered two questions before allowing the Opposition and sections of the media to whip us into an unthinking froth. Sadly, they werent even asked. The first question is straightforward. Did the killings happen out of the blue or were they part of a depressing but continuing chain of action and reaction on the LoC? We responded as if the five murders are inexplicable and without context. But thats not so. The killings happened early on August 6. A week earlier, on July 28, the Pakistani newspaper Express Tribune and our own Firstpost.com claimed that five villagers from the Pakistan side of the LoC were kidnapped by the Indian Army and then, subsequently, mysteriously found dead. A week before the Pakistani government claimed one of its soldiers, Asim Iqbal, had been killed by firing from the Indian side and another seriously injured. I have little doubt this dreadful chain extends backwards not just weeks and months but literally years. Maybe even decades. It also extends forwards. Pakistan claims two of its soldiers were shot and critically injured after August 6. In turn they shot and injured at least one of ours. So the first lesson we should have borne in mind is that dreadful things happen on the LoC and both sides are perpetrators as well as victims. Of course, on each occasion innocent soldiers are killed and their death is unforgiveable. But we cant claim greater moral stature nor condemn the Pakistanis as cold-blooded killers. The second question was less straightforward. But it was an obvious one to ask. Were the killings an attempt to sabotage the proposed talks and the meeting between our prime ministers? Shahryar Khan, a former Pakistani foreign secretary and now Nawaz Sharifs Special Envoy, has little doubt: Our extremists have done it its meant to derail the peace process. This was one comment he didnt retract. Two obvious suspects are the Lashkare-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. But they are not the only ones. Fingers of suspicion could also point at elements of the Pakistan Army and the ISI. In May and June, when Nawaz Sharif began reaching out to India, it was widely reported General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani warned him against making such overtures. So is it just a coincidence that, thereafter, weve seen a spate of aggressive activity on the LoC? Or was this an attempt by the Pakistan Army to thwart its new prime minister? For some this is just outlandish speculation. Not Salman Khurshid. He says its a plausible theory. So, was AK Antony correct when, in his first statement, he blamed the killings on approximately 20 terrorists along with some persons dressed in Pakistani Army uniforms? Possibly. Its just that by stopping there and not going further he seemed to exculpate the Pakistani State. Had he added the following sentence from his second statement few would have disagreed: We all know that nothing happens from the Pakistan side of the LoC without support, assistance, facilitation and, often, direct involvement of the Pakistan Army. Mr Antony must rue the infelicitous brevity of his first statement. It added to our wrath. But we need to ponder over the questions we failed to ask. Their answers could have contained our rage and ensured a more mature response.
Given the uncertain political future, neither Manmohan Singh nor Modi can be sure about being the next PM
By Amulya Ganguli f the surface indicators were considered, it would be obvious that the dice was heavily loaded in Narendra Modi's favor vis-a-vis the prime minister if a comparison of their Independence Day speeches was made. Where Manmohan Singh delivered his speech in a flat monotone, replete with soporific homilies, the Gujarat chief minister was all fire and brimstone. His was the kind of speech, full of rhetorical flourishes tugging at patriotic heart-strings, which would score high on the social network sites, which constitute a large part of his political base. In contrast, the prime minister couldn't but have fared poorly among the excitable netizens because neither his dhobi list of official claims nor his unassertive body language can be deemed inspirational. To be fair, his disadvantages have always been known. Not only is he a poor speaker who makes no eye contact with the audience but he is also burdened with a litany of governmental failures - inflation, economic slump and trouble on the border. Evidently, it would have taken an exceptionally effective orator to be able to rise above these pitfalls and hold the audience in thrall. Otherwise, the reaction of the average person will be that promises such as that of feeding the underprivileged or eradicating corruption have been made before with little effect. From this standpoint, Modi was on a stronger wicket. He could make promises without having to carry the burden of fulfillment. He may have also had a point in his claims on Gujarat, and these have been backed by his electoral successes. But the jury is still out on whether the Gujarat model of development and, even more, his authoritarian style of governance, are suitable for the whole country. It is in this context that the prime minister's warning against the purveyors of sectarianism is relevant. If this comment was virtually
the only occasion when Manmohan Singh deviated from outlining his government's "achievements" to make a political point, Modi's was almost entirely a political speech. It was suitable for an election rally, but not for an occasion to celebrate Independence Day. His targets were predictable - the dynasty and the prime minister's supposed subservience to it - and chest-thumping jingoism, with Italy being roped in for criticism for killing "our fishermen" along with the customary sabre-rattling against Pakistan and China. Surprisingly, there was an acknowledgement by Modi of the need for the prime minister to observe diplomatic niceties when referring to Pakistan. At the same time, he felt that Manmohan Singh's observations would not boost the morale of the Indian soldiers. However, even if sections in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are pleased with a highly effective election speech, it is doubtful if everyone in the party will be amused by the way the chief minister continues to push himself forward as a prime ministerial candidate. Modi's decision, therefore, to pit himself as a "shadow" PM, and call upon the country to compare his speech with the prime minister's, is clearly another attempt to force the BJP to nominate him. It doesn't take much foresight to see that if the chief minister can use such bulldozing tactics against his own party, no one can anticipate what he may do if he rises to a higher position. Apart from his supporters in the cyber world, therefore, it is doubtful if Modi greatly impressed large sections of the others. Given the uncertain political future, neither Manmohan Singh nor Modi can be sure about being the next PM. While the former is hobbled by his administration's "ethical and governance deficits", as finance minister P. Chidambaram once said, Modi is yet to live down the specter of the 2002 riots, as the latest US comment on the denial of visa to him shows. The face-off, therefore, was more
People trying to disrupt Delhi-Lahore bus service in Amritsar over Indian soldiers killing at the LoC
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
LIFESTYLE
August 24-30, 2013
15
Mumbai: Indian elite and travel aficionados shall be introduced to the world of luxury high seas yachting, courtesy Norway's SeaDream Yacht Club, in October, the president of the India chapter of the club said last week. The voyage, christened "Passage to the Far East" will be unveiled in Mumbai Oct 27, before sailing to Goa and Kochi, and then to the Far East, said Sudesh Kishore, president of SeaDream Yacht Club (India). Acclaimed as the world's best, SeaDream will showcase its ultra luxury yachting experiences in the Indian waters for the first time, with 18 unique voyages lasting between seven days and a fortnight, in the Far Eastern region. "With the cruise season just setting, Indians now have the option of sailing the Asian waters to
explore the culture in Sea Dream yachts, which will sail to Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, New Guinea, Hong Kong and North Australia," Kishore said. The voyage will pack in teak decks, luxurious seating and lounging areas with ample room to relax or stroll as the world goes by, pampering service by an international crew of 95, coupled with home comforts. "We have already received overwhelming response from the Indian travel fraternity in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad, besides prospective honeymooners and family vacationers," Kishore said. Gitanjali Balani, who is India representative of the SeaDream Yacht Club, said that strategic alliances have been arrived with luxury brands
Ultra Luxury SeaDream Yacht Club to sail on Indian waters in October 2013
and brand inductions for the travel trade, wedding and events planners to make it a memorable experience for guests. Founded by Norwegian entrepreneur Atle Brynestad in 2001, the SeaDream Yacht Club operates twin
ultra-luxury mega yachts, SeaDream I and SeaDream II, with five 20 night sailings in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Amazon river in South America. The yachts are suited for discerning travel-
ers seeking an unstructured and casual holiday experience, as well as groups and full yacht charters for meetings, incentives and individual private family gatherings with the mantra: "It's yachting, not cruising."
16
August 24-30, 2013
INDEPENDENCE DAY IN USA
INDEPENDENCE DAY IN USA
August 24-30, 2013
17
US, Cairo, Berlin - Indians all over celebrate I-Day with patriotic fervor
FIA-Chicago celebrates I-Day with fanfare
GOPIO founder president Dr Thomas Abraham leads I-Day Parade in New City, NY
Anna Hazare, Vidya Balan lead biggest India Day parade in United States
New York: Anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare and Bollywood actress Vidya Balan led the largest Indian Independence Day celebrations overseas on Monday, with over two lakh people carrying the tricolor witnessing an impressive parade here which displayed the country's vibrant culture. Colorful oats, marching bands and convertibles made their way down Madison Avenue in Manhattan with revelers cheering Hazare and Balan. Anna Hazare zindabad', 'corruption down down' rent the air of Manhattan as the veteran Gandhian rode past over two lakh people, most of them Indian-Americans, in the annual India Day Parade organized by Federation of Indian Associations (FIA). "I've never seen something as wonderful and heartwarming," said Balan, the parade's grand marshal. Hundreds of parade goers wore orange, green and white dress with a Gandhi caps "I am for Anna" to
FIA's India Independence Day parade in Chicago with the starting line-up of [L to R] Consul General Dr. Ausaf Sayeed, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Bollywood actress Soha Ali Khan and FIA's Executive Vice President Keerthi Kumar Ravoori and other guests.
IA-Chicagos magnicent journey of nearly three decades reached a new milestone last weekend as the outsized crowds deluged the streets of Mahatma Gandhi Marg with a sense of nationalism and patriotic fervor as its grand spectacular India Independence Day parade set out its pageant with dazzling fanfare on Saturday August 17, 2013 from the corner of Devon Ave. & Western Ave. in Chicago. Joined by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Parade Grand Marshall & Bollywood actress Soha Ali Khan the colorful parade set out its majestic march with a colorful convoy of artfully-decorated oats marching down with teeming visitors lined up on both side of the streets cheering, applauding and waving tri-color ags thus culminating the 3-day exciting celebrations hosted by FIAChicago in commemoration of the 67th Indian Independence Day. The 3-day festivities not only honored Indias Independence; but celebrated the Indias pluralism, reigning spirit of Indian democracy, enduring cultural heritage and thriving IndoAmerican friendship.
After the ag-hoisting and singing of the national anthem, the parade gently set in motion with a VIP lineup replete with high-ranking elected ofcials that included former White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley, Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown, County Clerk David Orr with newly appointed Consul General of India Dr. Ausaf Sayeed and his wife, Smita Shah, Executive Director Delhi-Chicago Sister City Relations Committee and FIA President Hina Trivedi leading the front line. While the parade was in full progress, Governor Pat Quinn enthusiastically greeted crowds on the street; while Bollywood actress Soha Ali Khan freely greeted and shook-hands with her fans. The drum-beats of Malayalee groups represented by Indian National Congress party oats enthralled the audience, while Bengali songs lled the air with sublime music. The Jesse Whites Tumbler Team took the pride of place with its breath-taking acrobatic jumps providing a grand nale to the colorful India Independence Day parade.
India Day Parade in New City, Rockland County. In the front row (L to R)Alka shah, Nami Kaur, Grand Marshal Dr. Thomas Abraham, India Society President Smriti Sridhara and Ami Sopariwala
Anna Hazare (left) and Vidya Balan (photo on right and she is seen in center) led the India-Day parade in Manhattan
eteran community leader Dr. Thomas Abraham, Founder of many Indian community institutions such as the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) of New York, the National Federation of In-
dian Associations (NFIA) and the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) led the Indian Day parade as Grand Marshal to celebrate Indias Independence Day organized by India Cultural Society of
Rockland County in New City in New York on Saturday, August 17th. The parade was attended by many state and county legislatures as well as a wider cross section of the Indian community.
demonstrate their support to Hazare, whose anti-corruption crusade has inspired thousands at home and abroad. The New York Police Department
(NYPD) had a tough time in controlling the surging unprecedented crowd. Balan drew huge crowds as people
on both sides of the Madison Avenue cheered her when she travelled in the FIA oat along with FIA President Sanjay Amin, New York Consul Gen-
eral Dnyaneshwar Mulay and Gen V K Singh, former Indian Army Chief and leaders of the Indian-American community.
IACFNJ celebrates I-Day in South Brunswick

ndo-American Cultural Foundation of Central New Jersey (IACFNJ), a non-prot organization in central jersey organized a colorful and fun-lled patriotic event to celebrate Indias 67th Independence Day on Sunday, August 18, 2013, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at South Brunswick Family YMCA. Approximately 400 people from all age groups and people of Indian origin from various regions of Central Jersey attended this extravagant outdoor event in South Brunswick. After last three years grand success and overwhelming community support, the organizers of IACFNJ and SB Family YMCA once again showcased live entertainment of cultural, traditional and patriotic dance performances for almost two hours on a stage with tri-color Indian ag and American ag on the sides. The program began with American and Indian National Anthem sung by two young girls followed by remarks from South Brunswick Mayor Frank Gambatese and Deputy Mayor Chris Killmurray. Mayor Gambatese congratulated all Indians on their
Indians abroad celebrate Independence Day

s India celebrated its 67th Independence Day Thursday, Indian expatriates and the diaspora across the globe marked the special day away from their motherland with festive fervor. Indians living in Fiji, which lies closest to the International Date Line in the east, were the first among the expatriates living in a number of nations to mark India's Independence Day celebrations. Hundreds of people of Indian-origin gathered at the Indian high commission in Fiji's capital Suva on this occasion. Unfurling the tricolor, Indian High Commissioner Vinod Kumar said India and Fiji had achieved a lot since the establishment of bilateral relations between the two countries, the Fiji Times reported. In Kuwait, Indians marked the day with Ambassador Satish C. Mehra unfurling the tricolor in the embassy premises. He read out the address to the nation by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee delivered on the Independence Day eve. Describing India-Kuwait relations as historic, close and characterized by mutual respect and understanding, he lauded the contribution of the Indian community in Kuwait's development and to the bilateral relations. Members of the Indian community in Kuwait from all walks of life, in-
Cbazaar, online Indian ethnic wear store presented first live runway fashion show on India Day parade float on Aug 18. Models were dressed in a sample collection of the Cbazaar's 20,000+ designer clothes and accessories for women, men and children.
IACFNJ members on the stage during the event
Independence Day and mentioned that Indians know the meaning of true democracy and never had any revolution against the democracy and appreciated all Indians leaving in this country who brought the desire of stay involved in the democratic process and part of the community. NJ Assemblyman Up-
endra Chivukula, Marie Coreld and Charles Kenny were amongst the other guests who attended the event. The cultural performances based on patriotic theme, poetry reading and Unity in Diversity, a mini drama was the highlights of the event.
cluding representatives of Indian associations, businessmen, doctors, engineers, other professionals, domestic workers and embassy staff with their families participated in the open-air celebrations, an embassy statement said. South Korea joined India in celebrating I-Day. Local artists performed classical Indian dances like Kathak and Odissi as members of both the Indian and Korean communities jointly celebrated their independence days at a unique function. South Korea celebrated its first Liberation Day Aug 15, 1945. To mark the 40th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, the Indian embassy in Seoul organized a joint celebration of India and South Korea's independence days. India's Ambassador Vishnu Prakash hoisted the tricolor. The envoy read out excerpts from President Mukherjee's message to the nation. A cultural program organized by the Indian Cultural Centre at the embassy and the Indian community in Seoul featured Korean artists performing Kathak, Oddisi and yoga. An Indian bazaar displaying handicrafts, traditional decorative "henna", Indian dolls and dresses was also inaugurated by the ambassador. Also, Bollywood movie "Veer Zaara" with Korean sub-titles was screened on this occasion.
Ajit Gupte, Charg d'Affaires, reading out President address to the nation at Embassy of India, Berlin.
Attendees at the I-Day celebration at Embassy of India in Berlin
India Day celebration at Embassy of India in Moscow. Ajai Malhotra, Ambassador of India to the Russian Federation reading out the Presidents message
Flag hosting in progress at India House, Cairo
18
August 24-30, 2013
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
hennai Express" is doing brisk business not only in North India, but at the southern box office and in international markets as well. The romantic comedy's lead actor Shah Rukh Khan feels it's a good sign for the Indian film market. "It's a good sign not only for us, but for the films that came and that will come in the next five-six months... the market of Indian films is so big," Shah Rukh told reporters, where he came with the film's director Rohit Shetty and interacted with media and fans. Also starring Deepika Padukone, the movie is a co-production by Shah Rukh's Red Chillies Entertainment and UTV Motion Pictures. Released on Eid, the romantic comedy is said to have set new records - it has got the highest paid preview collections, highest weekend collections, highest overseas collections for an opening weekend for a Bollywood film and also the fastest film to reach the Rs.200-crore-mark.
The movie has crossed Rs 200 crore mark
'Chennai Express' a typical sambar-and-sandalwood creation

ammit! No outtakes!! Is this really Review a Rohit Shetty film? Every film of the "Gol Maal" director has so far ended with out-takes giving us entertaining glimpses from during the making of the film. Here those trademark Shetty out-takes are replaced by a Honey Singh track which celebrates Rajnikanth and the lungi. The rest of the film resembles those typical sambar-and-sandalwood creations by K. Raghvendra Rao, and worse still, Raj Kanwar's A scene from 'Chennai Express' "Dhai Akshar Prem Ke" where Aishwarya to escape her parental is a Tamil word that sounds like in Tamil Nadu. wrath at her elopement, intro- Angelina Jolie's name. Deepika plays Meena Amma duces to her family a man she has The generous outflow of Tamil with flavorful flourish. She is spejust met as her soul-mate. that seems initially engaging cially delightful in three key Of course, there are the flying (more so, since Shah Rukh shares sequences, two of them comic and cars exploding in the air to make our non-comprehension of the the other unexpectedly sombre. sure we know that all said and rapidfire Tamilian cloudburst that So it's finally here. The film that drummed, this is a Rohit Shetty accompanies Deepika's quicksil- all Shah Rukh Khan fans (which presentation. Packaged with pick- ver character) begins to come in covers half the hemisphere) has led precision, peppered with just the way as the narration grows been waiting for. The good news the right doses of naughty jokes older and runs out of energy. first. "Chennai Express" is a and precocious pranks that go But then there is the sprightly pleasant and likable film in parts. well with Shah Rukh's 40-year- Deepika as the runaway Tamilian The bad news is, it does nothing old brat's act, "Chennai Express" girl who piles on to the North for Shah Rukh Khan's is the kind of non-toxic comic Indian mithaiwala stranger to imdomitable star power except to entertainer where the most dam- escape marrying the boorish tell us he can still play a 40-year aging double-entendres you'd get fiancee back home in her village Rahul without faltering.
Rohit Shetty and Shah Rukh Khan celebrating Independence Day in Chennai
AjayShetty jodi created record with 'Golmaal': SRK

uperstar Shah Rukh Khan says that the director Rohit Shetty-actor Ajay Devgn pair, who have created several hits together, is one of its kind. Shetty and Ajay have delivered hits like "Golmaal" series, "Bol Bachchan" and "Singham". "Rohit and Ajay have a very beautiful jodi. I don't think anything like this can be made. A franchise of three films ('Golmaal series) that too so successful. I think it's a record of sorts, SRK, who worked with Shetty in superhit Chennai Express, said here. The kind of franchise 'Golmaal' is, it is the first of its kind in our country. The best thing is everyone plays different characters. I think that is very, very special," he added.
ctor Sanjay Dutt has applied for a leave of furlough for the first time since his final incarceration. A source said that Dutt applied for a 14-day furlough under the jail manual rules that govern leave granted to a convicted prisoner. His application was made before the jail authorities at Yerwada prison on Monday. The leave manual stipulates such leave to ensure prisoners remain integrated with the society. Earlier, the actor, who has been incarcerated at the Yerawada jail since the last three months, had applied for 30-day parole to avail of medical treatment.
Will Sanjay be out of jail?

Sanjay Dutt has applied for a 14-day furlough
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
August 24-30, 2013
19
A scene from 'Satyagraha'
Is Prakash Jha avoiding Anna Hazare?

hile the cast of 'Satyagraha' is upbeat about promoting their movie in full-swing, they are also leaving no stone unturned to make sure that there are no comparisons drawn between its central character and Anna Hazare. It is for this reason that they cancelled their plan to promote their movie in the famous India's Independence Day parade in New York because the social activist was also present there. Media reports suggest that Prakash Jha was keen to promote the movie in this parade as it is attended Indian diaspora living in USA. He was working out the schedule of the film's cast. Kareena Kapoor was already in the US with her hubbie Saif Ali Khan. However, after learning that Anna Hazare will also be present for the parade, Jha cancelled attending the event. With rumours rife that Amitabh Bachchan's character in Satyagraha is inspired by Anna Hazare, the filmmaker is ensuring that they are not seen with him on the same platform.
All is not well between Ranbir and Katrina?

Rishi Kapoor is quite miffed with the recent rumors floating around about the couple
atrina Kaif and his alleged boy friend Ranbir Kapoor grabbed headlines after their holiday pictures were leaked. However, now it seems that all is not well between the two. According to reports, Rishi Kapoor is quite miffed with the recent rumors
floating around about the couple. This time around when Katrina was visiting Ranbir post his trip to Colombo, she had to face the wrath of Kapoor daddy. The Barbie doll is avoiding Ranbir Kapoor to stay away from controversies. Kat had also written a letter to media express-
ing her displeasure. Now with Katrina's restricted entry in Kapoor family and her conscious decisions to be away from the Kapoor boy is creating issues between the two. Will their relationship hit the rock before they go official about their status?
I won't accept bullying tactics: John

amil Nadu's Naam Tamizar and MDMK may have sought a ban on John Abraham-starrer political-thriller "Madras Cafe", but the actor-producer believes in the right of freedom of speech, and says he won't fall prey to "bullying tactics". "Madras Cafe", said to be fictional story based on real events that took place during Sri Lankan civil war, is only John's second production after the highly appreciated "Vicky Donor". Its vein is much different. "People say I am a new producer, just one-film old... But I believe somebody should bring something different. Somebody should take a stand and take up a subject like this ('Madras Cafe' and project it. These bullying tactics of
groups and parties... I do not accept it," John said. He said: "We will make such films in future as well, and I don't see any problems with such films." Describing the film as gritty and realistic, John also said that since the Central Board of Film Certificaton has granted the movie a U/A certificate, there must not be a problem. The movie releases on August 23.
A scene from John Abraham-starrer political-thriller 'Madras Cafe'
'Madras Cafe' is mired in controversy over Rajiv Gandhi
'Madras Cafe' not based on Rajiv Gandhi'

irector Shoojit Sircar concedes that his movie "Madras Cafe", based on the Sri Lankan civil war, may have certain scenes resembling events related to Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, but he clarifies that the film's story is not a biopic on the former prime minister. Sircar said: "This is not a biopic on him, this is not a story based on him. Yes, you can say that there is a similarity to that incident. There is a similarity in the facial struc-
ture (of the actor who plays the said role)." Rajiv Gandhi died when an LTTE suicide bomber detonated a bomb at an election rally in May 1991. A similar incident has been showcased in the film's trailer. However, the director clarified, "We have taken that incident which we read in the paper. Rest, whatever is around it, has been fictionalized in the scripting. But somewhere you may find some historical references in the fictionalized bit too.
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August 24-30, 2013
DIASPORA
Girl who assaulted elderly Sikh in Britain denied bail

London: A British court has rejected the bail plea of a teenaged girl charged with severely assaulting an elderly Sikh and remanded her to custody till Nov 25. The Coventry Magistrates Court Monday ordered that Coral Millerchip, 19, be remanded to custody till Nov 25 when she will appear before the Coventry Crown Court, according to the Coventry Telegraph. Closed circuit television (CCTV) footage showed the pony-tailed girl, accompanied by three young males, kicking and knocking down the 80year-old Sikh on Trinity Street in Coventry city center around 8.30 p.m. Aug 10. The victim, who suffered a cut nose and swelling, hails from the Canley neighborhood of the city. Millerchip also spat on the victim and verbally abused him. Police in that British Midlands city arrested the girl Friday from another area in the city and produced her in court Monday.
Sports bar fined for racial discrimination against Indo-Canadians

Toronto: A human rights tribunal in Canada has ordered a popular sports bar to pay C$10,000 each to three Indo-Canadians for racially discriminating against them. The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal has found the Shark Club of Langley in the Canadian province of British Columbia guilty of denying Surinderjit Rai, Manjit Gill and Manjinder entry to a graduation party Dec 9, 2011 on the basis of their race and skin color thereby causing injury to their dignity and self-respect. Manjinder Gill claimed before a human rights tribunal that he and a group accompanying him were denied entry to Langley Shark Club Dec 9, 2011, after they arrived 15 minutes late for the 9 p.m. party even as Caucasians were allowed to go in in front of them. According to local media reports, the facts laid out before the tribunal stated that doorman Andrew Schmah stopped the trio after they arrived at the venue 15 minutes late and barred them from joining the rest of the 20person graduation party. Schmah also told them that the restaurant had been reserved for a ticketed party and they could only enter if they purchased a ticket or were on a reservation list for which they were not late. The group then offered to purchase tickets for the event and still, when Schmah did not relent, they asked several Caucasian customers whether they had reservations or not and found that in several cases it was not the case. Rai then asked the doorman his name and when he thought the latter was not truthful in his reply, took his photograph. At this, Schmah assaulted Rai after which the group called the police.
The videoclip showing Coral Millerchip for assaulting an octogenarian Sikh
Defence lawyer Shane Hennigan's plea that the accused be tried in the Coventry Magistrates Court was also turned down and it was ordered that she face the Coventry Crown Court. Meanwhile, there have been angry reactions to the incident in the
social media. India's Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said that the apparent racial attack on an elderly Sikh man in Britain was intolerable and the British government should ensure the strictest punishment to the guilty.
Canadian street named after Mahatma Gandhi

A part of York Avenue has been named Mahatma Gandhi way
RBI relaxes portfolio investment scheme for NRIs

Mumbai: In order to attract inflow of foreign currency, the Reserve Bank on Tuesday simplified rules governing investments by non-resident Indians (NRIs) portfolio investments like equities and debt. Under the porfolio investment schemes (PIS) for NRIs, banks were given unique code for each branches, making it cumbersome for them to administer the scheme. RBI has now dispensed with the unique code for branches and said banks shall be "free to permit its branches to administer the PIS scheme for NRI. The designated branch of the bank will grant one time permission to the NRI applicant for purchase and sale of shares or convertible debentures of an Indian company, RBI said in a notification. "Two distinct permission letters (for repatriation basis and nonrepatriation basis) shall be issued as per the prescribed format," it said. "Designated branch will open a separate sub account of NRE/NRO account (opened and maintained by an NRI in terms of the Foreign Exchange Management (Deposit) Regulations, 2000) for the exclusive purpose of routing the transactions under PIS on behalf of an NRI," it said. "In cases, where an NRI is eligible to make investment in India, his resident Power of Attorney holder can be permitted by AD bank to operate NRE(PIS)/NRO (PIS) account to facilitate investment under the scheme," it added. Shares or debentures purchased will be held and registered in the name of the NRI. It also said shares or debentures acquired by the NRI under the Scheme will not be pledged for giving loan to a third party without prior permission of the RBI. Bank will sensitize the branches administering the PIS scheme to ensure that NRIs are not allowed to invest in any Indian company which is engaged or proposes to engage in the business of chit fund, Nidhi company, agricultural or plantation activities, it said. They cannot invest in real estate business excluding development of townships, construction of residential or commercial premises, roads or bridges, educational institutions, recreational facilities, city and regional level infrastructure, townships, it added.
Toronto: To mark India's 67th independence day, a street in the Canadian city of Winnipeg has been named after Mahatma Gandhi. A portion of York Avenue leading to the Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg, capital of Manitoba province, got the new name Thursday. It is only fitting that Mahatma Gandhi Way leads to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, devoted to promoting respect for others and encouraging reflection and dialogue, Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz was quoted as saying in media reports. Winnipeg councillor Devi Sharma, K. Dakshinamurti, president of the Winnipeg-headquartered Mahatma Gandhi Centre of Canada, and members of the
Indian community in Winnipeg attended the event. Todays event is a great significance to all who seek wisdom and find inspiration in Mahatma Gandhis words, Sharma said. Gandhis deeds and teachings touch people from all walks of life, in all corners of the world. Sharma said the naming was done at the request of the Mahatma Gandhi Centre of Canada. Incorporated in 2007, the Centre is a Canadian national organization with membership spanning the country's entire ethnic and cultural mosaic. Former Manitoba Lt Governor John Harvard and former governor-general of Canada Edward Schreyer are the founding patrons of the Centre.
British Sikh TV channel fined for offensive content

London: Britain's media regulator Ofcom has fined a British Sikh TV channel for broadcasting a program that reportedly incited violence. Ofcom imposed a fine of 30,000 pounds on Regis 1, owners of Sangat TV that broadcast a program Jan 13 that had panelists inciting the Sikh community to carry out attacks on members of the Indian armed forces. The program reportedly supported the attack on Lieutenant General (retd) K.S. Brar, who oversaw the Indian Army's controversial Operation Blue Star at the Golden Temple in Amritsar in June 1984 while he was walking on a London street with his wife Sep 30, 2012. The program reportedly broadcast statements by panelists which were an indirect call to members of the Sikh community to take violent action against Lt. Gen. Brar (and) other members of the Indian armed forces, The Telegraph reported. According to Ofcom, Sangat TV, by broadcasting the program, breached Rule 3.1 of Britain's Broadcasting Code, which states that material likely to encourage or incite the commission of crime or to lead to disorder must not be included in television or radio services. Meanwhile, Regis 1 said that Sangat TV was run by volunteers and anything more than a token fine would be crippling, The Telegraph report said.
SUBCONTINENT
August 24-30, 2013
21
US sanctions Pakistani madrassa for aiding LeT

Washington: The US has sanctioned a top Al Qaeda official and a madrassa in Peshawar, serving as a terrorist training center supporting Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistan-based terrorist group behind the Mumbai attack, and the Taliban. Targetting Jamia TaleemU l - Q u r a n - Wa l - H a d i t h Madrassa, also known as the Ganj Madrassa, the Treasury department said the Peshawar-based religious school "serves as a training center and facilitates funding for Al Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and the Taliban." The action freezes any assets the sanctioned persons or entities may have under US jurisdiction and prohibits US persons from doing business with them. "The activities of the Ganj Madrassa exemplify how terrorist groups, such as Al Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and the Taliban, subvert seemingly legitimate institutions, such as religious schools, to divert charitable donations meant for education to support violent acts," the announcement said.
Musharraf chargesheeted in Benazir's killing

Islamabad: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Pakistan formally chargesheeted former president Pervez Musharraf and six other persons in the 2007 assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, lawyers said. Musharraf, who was president during the murder of Benazir Bhutto, rejected the charges and termed them as politically-motivated. The former president was presented in the court under tight security. Benazir was assassinated in a suicide attack and firing in Rawalpindi Dec 27, 2007, after she addressed an election campaign rally. ATC judge Chaudhry Habib-ur-Rehman also indicted six others accused in the case, including two former police officers. They are former police officers Saud Aziz and Khurram Shahzad, Hasnain Gul, Rafaqat Hussain, Sher Zaman and Abdul Rasheed. The Federal Investigative Agency (FIA), investigating the murder, had submitted a chargesheet against Musharraf in the ATC in the
Pervez Musharraf rejected the charges and termed them as politically-motivated
The religious school serves as a training center for Al Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Taliban.
"Today's action strikes at the heart of the financial and logistical support network that abuses charitable donations and provides essential services for various terrorist groups including Al Qaeda, Lashkar-eTaiba, and the Taliban." "These networks provide the fighters, training, and supplies for these terrorist groups to carry out their acts of violence against coalition forces and civilians alike," said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen. In targeting Umar Siddique Kathio Azmarai,
the announcement noted during his long tenure with Al Qaeda, he has held a number of important positions. "He is Al Qaeda's leader in Sindh and Balochistan provinces, Pakistan, and has been a significant financial facilitator for the group, moving hundreds of thousands of dollars in support of its leadership and operations. "Azmarai has also acted as a courier for Al Qaeda officials and has managed logistics for family members of senior Al Qaeda leadership, including Usama bin Laden."
garrison city of Rawalpindi near Islamabad. The FIA presented a fourpoint chargesheet against Musharraf in the ATC, accusing him of hatching a conspiracy in connection with the killing of Benazir Bhutto. The charge sheet submitted contained the statements of four witnesses, including an American journalist, Mark Siegel, as well as Benazir's own statement. FIA officials said that the chargesheet has been prepared on the basis of Mark Siegel's statement, who had claimed that Musharraf called and threatened Benazir when he was sitting with her.
Mark Siegel, who once served as lobbyist for Benazir Bhutto in the US, had also stated that Benazir had told him that Musharraf would be responsible for any harm to her. He had earlier stated that he was with Benazir Bhutto in London when Musharraf denied the allegations. The chargesheet stated that the statement of the American established Musharraf as the prime accused in Benazir's murder. It also leveled terrorism accusations against the former president. The document stated that Musharraf has failed to prove his innocence in the case.
Nawaz Sharif calls for good links with neighbors
India urges Sri Lanka for early return of fishermen

New Delhi: India urged Sri Lanka for the early return of Indian fishermen held in its jails and also stressed on the need for Colombo to stand by its commitment not to dilute the 13th Amendment on devolution of powers to provinces. This was emphasized during the meeting of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with visiting Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris here. Peiris handed over to the prime minister a letter of invitation from President Mahinda Rajapaksa to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) Summit being held in Colombo in Nov 15-17. He conveyed that the Sri Lankan government looks forward to Manmohan Singh's participation. Manmohan Singh thanked him for the gesture. Tamil Nadu parties, the DMK and AIADMK, have urged India not to participate in the event to protest alleged human rights violations by Colombo against the Tamils. Peiris and the prime minister also discussed issues related to the Northern Provincial Council elections being held Sep 21. Manmohan Singh said he was happy to take note of the elections. He said the election "would pro-
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
Islamabad: Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif invited the militants for dialogue to end the bloodshed in the country, while stressing the desire for cordial relations with all neighboring countries including India. "My government is determined to tackle the problem of terrorism either through dialogues or with full might of the state and all state institutions are on the same page on the issue," Nawaz Sharif told the nation over radio and television networks in his first address to the nation after becoming prime minister for the third time. He said the government has more than one option to tackle the problem but wisdom demands that there is no loss of innocent lives. He invit-
ed those treading the path of terrorism to dialogues to end the vicious cycle of bloodshed. The prime minister expressed the resolve of the government to eliminate the menace of terrorism, improve economy, address power crisis and pursue good neighborly relations with all countries of the region, including India, for regional peace and prosperity. "Pakistan is today facing serious challenges like terrorism endangering the very survival of the country and worst kind of load-shedding that has paralyzed the economy," he said. Talking about relations with India, he said Pakistan and India will have to put their heads together so that they can address common issues like poverty and ignorance.
Over 100 Indian fishermen are under custody in the island nation
mote the cause of reconciliation and he hoped that the elections would be free, fair and credible", said official sources. "Prof. Peiris responded that there was a vigorous election campaign underway. There were 350 candidates from nine political parties contesting. He assured that the elections would be conducted in a free and fair manner. He also mentioned that international observers from the Commonwealth and SAARC have been invited," said the sources. India also took up the issue of the arrest of Indian fishermen with Sri Lanka. On Aug 7, India had summoned
the Sri Lankan high commissioner and lodged a formal protest against the custody of over 100 Indian fishermen in the island nation. Manmohan Singh emphasized "on the need for expeditious return of Indian fishermen as has been the process followed by both sides in the recent past. He emphasized the need to treat this as a humanitarian issue," said the sources. Peiris expressed the necessity to find a practical solution to the issue and said Colombo had taken to a "deterrent mechanism" with regard to fishermen which involves apprehending fishermen, producing them in court and charging a fine.
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August 24-30, 2013
INTERNATIONAL
Gas attack kills over 200: Syrian activists Fukushima leak warning hiked to level 3
Amman: Syrian activists accused President Bashar alAssad's forces of launching a nerve gas attack on rebelheld districts near Damascus that they said killed more than 200 people. Activists said rockets with chemical agents hit the suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar in the Ghouta region. Bayan Baker, a nurse at Douma Emergency Collection facility, said the death toll from the attack, collated from medical centres in the region, was 213. "Many of the casualties are women and children. They arrived with their pupil dilated, cold limbs and foam in their mouths. The doctors say these are typical symptoms of nerve gas victims," she said. One photo purportedly Tokyo: In a sudden escalation of the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant, the Japanese nuclear watchdog has announced that it is raising the danger level of the radioactive water leak. After 300 tons of highly radioactive water was found spreading near the storage tanks in the plant, the government had declared that it was a level 1 incident called an 'anomaly' - on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES). Now it will be raised to level 3 which is called a "serious incident", a spokesperson for Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) said. That will mark the first time Japan has issued a warning on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES) since three reactor meltdowns after the
This is the first time Japan has issued a warning on the International Nuclear Event Scale
The incident took place during the visit to Damascus of a UN chemical weapons team
taken by activists in Douma showed the bodies of at least 16 children and three adults, one wearing combat fatigues, laid at the floor of a room in a medical facility where the bodies were collected. There was no immediate comment from Syrian authorities, who have denied
using chemical weapons during the country's twoyear conflict, and have accused rebels of using them, which the rebels deny. The incident took place during the visit to Damascus of a UN chemical weapons team investigating the possible use of chemical agents in Syria.
massive quake in March 2011. A maximum level 7 was declared at the battered plant after explosions led to a loss of power and cooling two years ago, confirming Fukushima as the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl a quarter of a century earlier. Contaminated water with dangerously high levels of radiation is leaking from a
storage tank at Fukushima, the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co said on Tuesday. The leak, which has not been plugged, is so contaminated that a person standing 50 cm (1.6 feet) away would, within an hour, receive a radiation dose five times the average annual global limit for nuclear workers.
UK home ministry, Scotland Yard to be taken to court!

London: Britain's home ministry and Scotland Yard are set to be dragged to court over the detention and interrogation of the partner of a Guardian journalist who helped Edward Snowden expose mass email surveillance. British law firm Bindmans which is representing David Miranda has decided to file a legal complaint against the home office and the Scotland Yard in the high court over the "unlawful" detention at Heathrow international airport under anti-terror laws. In their letter to home minister Theresa May and Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe from the Metropolitan Police, Bindmans warned they are seeking immediate undertakings for the return of Miranda's laptop and all other electronic equipment within seven days. Miranda's lawyers are also seeking an official undertaking that there will be "no inspection, copying, disclosure, transfer, distribution or interference, in any way with our client's data". Miranda, whose partner Glenn Greenwald has been working since May with the National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden, was transiting in Heathrow airport en route from Berlin to Brazil on Sunday when he was detained under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000. "The decision was a flagrant misuse of the defendant's statutory powers," the letter said. It said that Miranda was detained by police for almost nine hours in a secure area at Heathrow airport, adding that this was an unlawful "deprivation of liberty" under article 5 of the European Convention of Human Rights.
Washington: Egypt's Interim Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi has said that he does not fear a civil war in his country and also warned the US that any cut in military aid would be a bad sign. Really, in truth, I do not fear civil war, Beblawi told ABC News, in his first interview since assuming the post last month after the ouster of Mohamed Morsi as president. But I do not exclude that we will have some continuous problems in the coming weeks. Perhaps coming months. But civil war and the type we have seen in some neighbours, I don't think that Egypt is on this path, he said. Egypt has been undergoing a democratic transition since the fall of president Hosni Mubarak two years ago. In July this year,
Egypt Interim PM doesn't India's low growth fear civil war affects BRICS: South African minister
Mohamed Morsi, the first democratically elected president, was deposed by the armed forces after only one year in office. Beblawi also said that if the US decided to cut military aid to his country it will be a bad sign and will badly affect the military for some time. US President Barack Obama has strongly condemned the steps taken by the Egyptian interim government to quell the supporters of Morsi who have come out on the streets in that country demanding his reinstatement. In continuing violence in the north African Arab nation, 300 people were reportedly killed this weekend while over 1,000 were allegedly killed when security forces moved in to clear thousands of Morsi-supporters in the Cairo suburb of Nasr City.
Egypt has been undergoing a democratic transition since the fall of president Hosni Mubarak
Johannesburg: The Indian economy's current low growth has consequences and implications for all BRICS nations, South African Trade and Industries Minister Rob Davies said here. "What we have seen is that the levels of growth are not what they were a couple of years ago, and it has all kinds of consequences. So if there is lower growth in India or China or Brazil, as there is (in India), it has consequences and implications for all of us," Davies told mediapersons at the two-day BRICS Business Council meet. "The implications for us are that we need to strengthen and consolidate our partnerships so that we can establish a new growth trajectory in all of our countries that is mutually beneficial", the South African minister said. Describing the current world economic crisis as the biggest since the 1930s, Davies said the inaugural meeting of business leaders from the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries was one of great importance for the Business Council established at the BRICS Summit held in Durban in March.
BUSINESS
August 24-30, 2013
23
Rupee could touch 70/$ soon: Deutsche bank

Mumbai: The rupee could touch 70 against the US dollar in a month or so, although some revival is expected in the currency by the end of the year, Deutsche Bank said in a report. "We continue to believe that fundamentally the rupee is undervalued and has overshot its equilibrium level substantially, but as numerous episodes of past currency crises have amply demonstrated, under a scenario of deep pessimism, currencies can overshoot substantially and remain so for a long time," economists at the bank wrote in the report. "India, we fear, is entering such a zone".
Rupee dips to new record low, mood dampens

Mumbai: The Indian rupee recovered partially from the record low of 64 against a dollar and stood at 63.25 after an apparent intervention by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) this week. "The sovereign intervention is expected to continue. The concerns over liquidity crunch as Fed (Federal Reserve) is expected to withdraw stimulus could adversely affect the rupee, as foreign institutional investors (FIIs) shy away from Rupee assets," Anindya Banerjee, currency expert, Kotak Securities said. The weakness in the rupee has affected the Indian equities markets which have seen FIIs turn net sellers, as prospects of investing in the US economy grows more promising and concerns on US The trade sessions have eroded market capitalisation of around Rs.3.10 lakh crore. The Indian currency has lost nearly 15 percent of its value since the beginning of the current financial year. The Indian currency has hit new lows four times in the past two weeks despite a series of measures announced by the government to curb current account deficit and revive economic growth by streamlining reform process. The government has tried to salvage the situation without much success. Finance Minister P Chidambaram held a three-hour-long meeting with key officials to take stock of the situation. Senior finance ministry officials, including secretaries of departments of financial services, revenue, expendi-
Falling rupee has little impact on Indian tourists

New Delhi: The weakening rupee has had little impact on Indian travelers who remain eager to travel and have not canceled or altered their plans waiting for the rupee to stabilize, leading travel portals said. According to Yatra.com, which conducted a survey, 62 percent of the respondents are pursuing their holiday plans. The survey said that Southeast Asian countries are the destination of choice, followed by Europe, the US and Britain. "While 43 percent of the respondents would like to travel within India, 45 percent said that the location would depend on the expenses involved," said the survey. "We have been periodically mapping travel trends amongst our base of travelers to get a sense of their mood, and this latest survey seems to suggest that the market is still upbeat on holiday travel despite the depreciation in the rupee," Sharat Dhall, president, Yatra.com said. "Travelers are confident that the currency depreciation will be offset by attractive discounts offered by hotels and flight operators," he added. The survey was conducted among 6,000 individuals, majority of them aged between 25 to 45 years. MakemMyTrip.com said travelers plan their holidays at least a couple of months in advance so currency fluctuation does not really have a major impact. "Travelers who are exploring a holiday at a short notice are more likely to be influenced by currency movement. Some end up considering at short-haul destinations instead of long-haul ones to optimize their holiday budgets," Rajesh Magow, chief executive officer, MakeMyTrip said.
The Indian currency has lost nearly 15 percent of its value since the beginning of the current financial year.
ture and disinvestment attended the meeting at the North Block in the national capital. Before this, the government had raised import duty on gold and silver. RBI had also announced several measures, including curbs on Indian firms investing abroad and outward remittances and putting stricter control on banks dealing in foreign currencies, in a bid to control the outflow of money. The government had also recently announced a slew of reform measures to increase foreign investments like allowing foreign ownership to go from 49 percent to 74 percent in asset reconstruction companies. The government also simplified rules for investment by non-resident Indians (NRIs) in shares and debt of companies listed on local exchanges.
LinkedIn launches University Pages

inkedIn, the social network dedicated mainly for professional users, has announced the opening of a new section: University Pages. It will help high school students to choose the university that suits best their skills and ambitions. The University Pages have been aimed to provide useful advices through the information published by teachers, parents and students (current and former). At the same time, starting from September 12, the access will be allowed even to LinkedIn users with a minimum age of 13 years. In a similar manner to Facebook pages, LinkedIns University Pages can be opened to advertise their educational provision by individual universities as usually happens during organized meetings in the real world.
Rs drops below 100-level against pound sterling

he rupee hit a fresh trough below the 100 level against the British pound, even as the markets remain focused on the Indian currency hitting a record low of sub Rs. 64-level against the U.S. dollar. The rupee hit a new low of 100.35 against the British pound (GBP), as weak domestic fundamentals including ballooning current account deficit weighed down on the Indian currency. After a modest recovery from its bottom, rupee was seen trading at 99.7 against the British pound by mid-day trade. The rupee has depreciated by about 25 per cent in the past three months, from close to 83 in mid-May, while it was even higher at about 80 against the British Pound in March. At close to the 100 level, the British pound is the most expensive against the Indian rupee among major foreign currencies across the world, followed by the euro (85), Swiss franc (69), U.S. dollar (63.7), Canadian dollar (61.5), Australian dollar (57.8), New Zealand dollar (50.9) and Singapore dollar (49.8). Continuing plunge in equity markets in view of sustained capital outflows by foreign funds is further adding to the pressure on the rupee.
However, the difference consists in the way in which information is provided.
Samsung pips Nokia to No. 1 spot in India

New Delhi: Samsung has become the No. 1 mobile handset company in India, knocking Nokia, which had been India's best-selling phone for a decade, off its perch, according to latest data released by industry magazine Voice & Data. The South Korean firm, which has been saturating the market with a wide array of its Galaxy range phones, is now the clear market leader with 31.5% market share for the fiscal year 2012/13. Nokia India dropped to the number two spot with 27.2% market share, the survey, Indian Mobile Handsets Market 2012-13, found. Indian brand Micromax is a distant third, with an 8.7% market share, followed by low-cost compatriot Karbonn (6.4% share).
Upscale Apple (3.6%), the iPhone maker, HTC (3.3%) and BlackBerry (3.1%) rank behind the locals. "Samsung's rise in the Indian market is attributed to its rich product portfolio (it has phones costing between Rs. 1,500 and Rs. 50,000) that cater to customers of all budget categories," said the survey.
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August 24-30, 2013
SPORTS
New Delhi: For the third day running, the sports ministry had not been able to announce the national sports awards. Senior officials in the department of sports said the list has been finalized but they are unable to say what the hitch was in making the formal announcement. A top official, on condition of anonymity, expressed his helplessness in throwing any light on the impasse as the file was still with Sports Minister Jitendra Singh. "The matter is still undecided. Even I dont know, when the announcement will be made. The file is still with the minister," the official said. Intense lobbying for getting female discus thrower Krishna Poonia the Khel Ratna, the highest sports award, has put the ministry in a fix. The ministry was supposed to make the list final, but Poonia, who is upset at not getting the Khel Ratna, spent the whole day lobbying for the award at the ministry. Double trap shooter Ronjan Sodhi has been recommended for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting honour, by the award's committee Aug 13. Cricketer Virat Kohli is one of the 14 chosen for the Arjuna Award to be presented at a ceremony here Aug 29.
National sports awards mired in controversy IPL spot-fixing: Warrants
against 3 Dawood aides

New Delhi: A Delhi court issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against three Pakistan-based close associates of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim in connection with the IPL spot-fixing case. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmesh Sharma issued open NBWs against Pakistan-based Javed Chutani, Salman alias Master and Ehteysham, considered to be close aides of Dawood. The court's direction came on an application filed by Special Cell of Delhi Police seeking issuance of warrants against the three, saying they had played a key role in the entire conspiracy. An open NBW is one in which no time limit is fixed for its execution. The three, suspected to be based in Karachi and Lahore, and were instrumental in the conspiracy behind spot fixing during the IPL matches, police said in the application. The court in its order said: "The crux of the argument is that it is not possible to execute warrants to these accused in Pakistan. In view of the above, issue open NBWs against three accused as requested." The judge also issued NBWs against four alleged bookies Sanjay Aggarwal, Mohd. Shakeel Amir, Praveen Kumar G. Thakkar and Sandeep Sharma for Sep 30 on the plea of police. The plea of police sought issuance of NBWs against alleged bookies saying that during interrogation of other arrested accused, their names had cropped up but they evading arrest. On July 30, the Delhi Police filed its chargesheet in the case, alleging that Dawood and his aide Chhota Shakeel, who have been controlling the spot fixing and betting market in cricket in India, were behind the IPL spot fixing scandal.
Discus thrower Krishna Poonia
The award's selection committee is headed by three-time billiards world champion Michael Ferreira and comprises former India hockey captain Zafar Iqbal, archer Limba Ram, cricketer Ravi Shastri and table tennis player Indu Puri amongst others. Poonia, a 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, was upset that the committee ignored her for the Khel Ratna despite having support from some members. She appealed to the sports minister to exercise his prerogative and give her the award along with with Sodhi. Besides Poonia, 2012 London Paralympics silver medal-
list H.N. Girisha has also made his case for the Khel Ratna. He also said that he should be considered for the Arjuna Award, if not recommended for the Khel Ratna. Reports said that the committee had earlier shortlisted Poonia and Girisha for the Khel Ratna. But Girisha's name was removed at the insistence of a member and Sodhi's name was included. Poonia later lost the race for Khel Ratna to Sodhi. A hurt Sodhi, who has won two silver medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and a gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games, said that he has never lobbied for the Khel Ratna.
Sports minister endorses IOC's view
Jwala takes a dig at Saina for taking on Hidayat

New Delhi: Top Indian doubles player Jwala Gutta took a dig at Saina Nehwal for differing with Indonesian great Taufik Hidayat on the auction of players in the Indian Badminton League (IBL). Former Olympic and World Champion Hidayat was unhappy over the way the overseas players were bought at their base price when their less experienced Indian counterparts went for much higher amounts. Saina expressed disagreement with her Hyderabad Hotshots teammate Hidayat saying he should accept that he is retired and can't get the higher base price. "It's a negative thing to speak like this. Taufik is a great player and there is no doubt about it. But I feel he should be happy with what he has got. He should understand that he has retired and would not get this kind of money even if he won a tournament. The IBL is meant to benefit local players. So, it's good if a local player has been bought at a higher price," Olympic bronze medallist Saina had said. However, World Championships bronze
Doubles badminton player Jwala Gutta
Federal Sports Minister Jitendra Singh
New Delhi: Sports Minister Jitendra Singh said the suspended Indian Olympic Association (IOA) should follow the directives of International Olympic Committee (IOC), which wants the national body to have office bearers free from a criminal record. "Apart from the age and tenure restrictions imposed by the Sports Code, the Government of India also supports the efforts of the IOC to strengthen ethical standards in the IOA, through a clause which stipulates that persons standing for elections
as office bearers of the IOA are free from criminal charges. The clause is in line with what the government has itself proposed in the Draft Sports Bill 2013," said Jitendra Singh in a statement. Last week, the IOC had sent the revised draft of the IOA constitution which contained that chargesheeted individuals will not be allowed to contest IOA elections. The IOA replied by saying that Indian law does not bar chargesheeted from seeking power in the country's top sporting body. The minister hoped that
country's suspension from Olympic movement will be lifted at the earliest. "The Government of India has been urging the IOC and the IOA to sort out their differences through negotiations so that the suspension of IOA by IOC may be revoked. The government welcomes the efforts to end the impasse between the parties involved. "The government hopes that a solution to the impasse between the IOC and the IOA will be found during the General Body Meeting of the IOA, which is to be held on August 25," he added.
medallist Jwala said it is not fair for Saina to comment on Hidayat's remark. The 29-year-old went on rant Wednesday on Twitter. "Taufik Hidayat is one of the greatest player... and I don't think u can dismiss his views just because he has "retired" from the game!!!! No matter how big u have become in sport I think one should try and ustand what ur fellow players views r And work on it!!! I don't know how anyone can talk about him in such manner... without giving him and his stature any respect... it's absolutely sad!!!!" tweeted Jwala.
"Nobody can take away his achievements... just because he's RETIRED!!!! He is and will always be one of the greatest badminton player!!!! And again it's not about money... it's about RESPECT!!!!! nobody will pay but nobody will disrespect... well only who have been through... Would knw!!!! but then dhoni will not make statement that Lara has retired and should not complain!! fellow players should respect the views... if nt agree don't insult him atleasr of course there's sense he has seen and done much more than anybody!"
FEATURES
August 24-30, 2013
25
Near-death experiences: the brain's last hurrah?

A new study suggests NDE are caused by a surge of brain activity and shows death is a process, not an event. Although these results are from rats and (fortunately) not people, they suggest the brain may have a final electrical "hurrah" as it shuts down. It seems to negate the spiritual significance attached to NDE.
e have all wondered what it will be like to die, and what if anything might happen afterwards. The prospect of no longer existing seems so difficult to accept that cultures throughout history have developed spiritual and religious beliefs about the persistence of consciousness after the body's physical demise. Back in the 17th century, Ren Descartes famously proposed that "mind stuff" (res cogitans) has a separate form of existence from "material stuff" (res extensa), thus introducing the thorny problem of how they might interact, and whether one might exist without the other. Beliefs about persisting consciousness have been reinforced by reports of unusual "near-death experiences", which often involve the feeling that the soul has left the body and is approaching another reality characterized by bright light and blissful feelings. Now neuroscience has got in on the act, with a remarkable study by Jimo Borjigin and colleagues from the University of Michigan showing a transient surge in brain activity after the heart stops. Most neuroscientists would be very skeptical of claims that consciousness of any sort could exist independently of a living brain. There is a growing consensus that consciousness, like life, weather, and cricket, is just another part of the natural world albeit one that is reluctant to divulge its secrets. But it is unwise to dismiss reports of near-death experiences, which are usually reported after traumatic life-threatening events such as heart attacks. What's impressive is that these experiences are very consistent across individuals and even across cultures. I take this to mean that the people actually do have the experiences they say they have. The challenge for science is to explain how the brain generates these kinds of unusual experiences without assuming that consciousness can exist independently of the brain. Take the related phenomenon of "out of body experiences", in which people experience themselves as being spatially separated from their body. The fact that people reliably report these events (sometimes as part of near-death experiences) does not mean their conscious self must literally leave their body to float around somewhere near the ceiling. We now know that similar experi-
ened alertness. Looking ahead, the Michigan team's work lays new foundations for a deeper scientific understanding of the unusual changes in the brain that accompany some
of our more remarkable experiences. It also underlines that death is not an event but rather a process, something I became personally aware of while sitting with my father as he died earlier this year.
Many Americans sharing near death experiences

The University of Michigan study found that brain activity continued after cardiac arrest, with some features becoming more prominent in the subsequent 30 seconds.
ences can be induced by electrically stimulating particular parts of the brain, or even by the clever use of virtual reality technology. Some estimates suggest that up to one in five cardiac arrest survivors have neardeath experiences, and given the traumatic contexts in which they occur it's not surprising they are sometimes interpreted as "proof" of heaven or of some sort of afterlife. In reality, though, all aspects of these experiences can likely be explained just in terms of normal brain functions gone awry. Out-of-body experiences depend on the brain making the best guess of where its body is, based on sensory inputs. The so-called "tunnel of light" is not a stairway to heaven: it is probably caused by reduced blood flow to the retina and visual cortex (as occurs at high G-forces for test pilots). Abnormal activation of different brain regions, similar to what happens when dreaming, could account for reexperienced memories. Even strange phenomena such as an awareness of being dead or seeing other apparently dead people can be related to similar delusions and hallucinations in other clinical conditions. Despite all this, little has been known about what happens in the brain immediately after the heart stops beating. To address this, Borjigin's team induced heart attacks in anaesthetized rats and, surprisingly, found that brain activity continued after cardiac arrest, with some features actually becoming more prominent in the subsequent 30 seconds. Although these results are from rats and (fortunately) not people, they suggest the brain may have a final electrical "hurrah" as it shuts down. If the same thing happens in humans, it might account for some other aspects of near-death experiences, such as heightthe innocence or exceptional frames would save us, and we would have been more able to ward off efforts to pit nativeborn black people against the immigrant rights agenda. We can and must get to the place where we all see ourselves as one movement, rather than as a collection of movements working in solidarity with one another. Its a subtle shift, but one that would serve us well. Being one movement doesnt mean we have to lose the specificity of our experiences and solutions, but it does mean that
f youre like most people, you have probably contemplated one of lifes greatest mysteries, what happens after death? While every religion and system of belief has an opinion on the topic, a new book finds patterns in the testimonies of hundreds of people who have been on the brink of death and lived to tell about it. And some believe these patterns are not a coincidence. Near death experiences are very real, says Reverend John W. Price, the author of Revealing Heaven, The Christian Case for Near-Death Experiences. As an Episcopal priest and member of the Near-Death Experience Research Foundation, Price, has had over 200 such experiences related to him during his over 40 years of church service, and feels these stories should be shouted from the rooftops. Many near death stories are remarkably similar -- a sensation of leaving ones body and heading toward a light, accompanied by overwhelming feelings of love and euphoria. The scientific community has presented a variety of biological explanations and findings in order to explain these phenome-
na -- attributing the sensations to the effects of drugs and medication, oxygen deprivation and abnormal brain function. However, others see the shared features of near death experiences as comforting proof of the existence of an afterlife, and even a powerful guide for how we should live our lives now. Not everyone who returns comes back with a positive story. Some have shared distressing, hellish accounts, says Price. But while you are still on Earth, there are opportunities to turn things around. Anyone who lives a good life and practices kindness, no matter what their faith or beliefs are, can experience heaven. More information about Prices new book Revealing Heaven can be found at www.bit.ly/JohnWPrice. Whether youre in the camp of science, faith or somewhere in between, near death experiences, heaven and the possibility of an afterlife are hot topics in the world of literature right now, offering curious minds plenty of avenues for exploring the possibilities.
Continued from page 13 It has taken a long time, for example, for immigrant rights marches to stop featuring Latinos and Asians holding signs saying we are not criminals, implicitly distancing themselves from the people who are stereotypically cast in the role of criminal. And, no, I do not mean white men in suits committing financial crimes. If the immigrant rights movement had embraced racial justice from the beginning, we would have had far fewer debates about whether
we can engage in a level of joint analysis, planning and action that would make the most of each communitys assets. I can tell you, the leaders and foot soldiers of a single movement talk to each other far more often than do the leaders and foot soldiers of allied movements. The seminal event we commemorate this week was a march for jobs and freedom, not a march for civil rights. We can assert collective strength and unity toward those goals with analysis that is explicit about race, campaigns that fight for economic and
cultural as well as political change, and organizing that is grounded in a multiracial constituency. A few months before the 1963 march, Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. There is a modern expression of this most fundamentally moral concept, and inserting that idea into the body politic is our own generations responsibility.
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August 24-30, 2013
TRAVEL
Palace which, unlike the bedecked royal palaces you see elsewhere like Rajasthan, is a humble multistoried structure from whose balconies you get a bird's eye view of the entire town. For those looking for adventure, there is much to do - river rafting, kayaking, trekking, and hiking - at close distance. For others looking for a quiet, relaxed time, Leh is best explored on foot. Shopping wise, a word of caution: be ready to loosen your purse strings because things are generally priced high. Shops are laden with exquisite artifacts, woolen shawls and jackets, carpets, and jewelry in silver with different gemstones. Tenzin Wangchuk, one of the shopowners, tries to justify the high prices, saying: "The tourist season (between May-June and October) is the only time we can sell our wares. When winter sets in, it snows and we get cut off from the rest of the world. This is the only time to earn some money." Many of its escalating number of tourists (nearly 180,000 in 2012) are foreigners and Leh is therefore flooded with restaurants and small cafes serving all kinds of cuisine German, Italian, et al. However, tucking into some momos, thentuk (noodles) and thukpa is highly recommended to complete the Leh experience.
By Azera Parveen Rahman ne would imagine that Leh, the hottest holiday destination of the country this season, would be teeming with excited tourists. You would have to get past a lot of pushing and shoving to get a glimpse of the 'must-sees' of the place, and the shopowners of the trinkets' stores would be screaming at passers-by for attention. Strangely, Leh in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir reveals a different picture; the picturesque little town, cocooned amid the hills, is drowned in calmness. You can savor every little moment and enjoy your holiday in the true sense of the word. Leh, you realize, is not just a destination; it's an experience. Leh, at an altitude of more than 11,000 feet, is blessed with nature's bounty. Simple things like waking up to an azure blue sky and the sight of snow-capped mountains, or star-gazing at night (you would
have hardly seen so many stars in the night sky!) and wishing upon the scores of shooting stars leaves you with happy memories. Although it has an airport with direct flights from Delhi, Jammu, and Srinagar, most people prefer taking a road trip to Leh. One, because the journey through the changing landscape, whether you go via Manali or through Srinagar, is in itself a lifetime experience. Plus, you get to drive past the 'magnetic hill' (from Kargil to Leh) when your car defies gravity to move a short distance of slight road elevation on its own! And second, as most travel experts would say, a road trip prepares you better in the acclimatization process. Having said that, while it is only natural for your body to take some time to get used to the low pressure and thin oxygen levels, help is always at hand in case of medical need. The Indian Army base hospital in Leh gets a lot of
tourists who take tips on how best to fight altitude sickness. There is also an army medical unit in the snow-laden Chang La Pass - at 17,586 feet, the third highest pass in the world - as well as an army tea stall serving complimentary hot tea! From Leh, one
Tibet, is striking amid the surrounding barren hills. One can count at least seven shades of blue in the water! The Nubra valley, at a distance of 150 km from Leh, is again a mustvisit.
How to get there

By air: There are direct flights from Delhi, Srinagar and Jammu. By road: Approximate distance from Chandigarh to Leh via Manali is 800 km. Approximate distance from Srinagar to Leh is 440 km. State transport buses also ply on the Srinagar-Leh route.
Accommodation
Shanti stupa in Leh. Leh, being a popular holiday destination, has innumerable hotels, guest houses, and even youth hostels. In the peak tourist season, you can expect the hotel room tariff to start anywhere from Rs.1,500.
A monstery in Ladakh.
has to cross the Chang La Pass to reach the breathtakingly beaut i f u l Pangong L a k e , m a d e m o r e famous by the movie "3 Idiots". T h e lake, 60 percent o f which lies in
Famous for being a cold desert, when there, a ride on the double humped camel, also called the Bactrian camel, is worth experiencing. Driving on the world's second highest motorable road at Khardung La, at an altitude of more than 18,000 feet, is again a mustdo. It's especially popular among bikers who make sure to get embroidered T-shirts back in Leh declaring their feat - a souvenir worth wearing back home. Another popular souvenir is a string of multi-colored prayer flags, also available in small size. All said, Leh in itself has a lot for visitors to see. There is the magnificent Shanti Stupa, the 400-year-old Jama Masjid, and the ancient Leh
Precautions
Altitude sickness is a reality; so be prepared. You can consult a doctor beforehand about any medication to be carried. But even if you don't, do not fret. It takes a day or two for your body to acclimatize. Drink plenty of fluids, and don't forget to carry a good sunscreen!
SELFHELP
August 24-30, 2013
27
What every parent needs to know about changes in the classroom

and careers required setting a solid foundation in skills such as reading comprehension and writing, said Christine Willig, senior vice president of products at McGraw-Hill School Education. When the new standards reiterated the importance of these skills, we saw an opportunity to build an entirely new program that would address the Common Core requirements, by leveraging contemporary cognitive science about how we learn, using cutting-edge digital tools. Personalized Learning Education research has shown that instruction becomes more effective when tailored to students unique learning styles and needs. Personalized learning tends to lead to deeper learning which will help students meet many of the new Common Core standards. As classrooms continue getting bigger however, delivering that sort of individual attention to students becomes more difficult. With this in mind, Reading Wonders was built using entirely new educational technology, offering interconnected platforms personalized for students and teachers and accessible across any device. Other digital learning tools use additional techniques to help students succeed. McGraw-Hill Educations LearnSmart and FLEX Literacy, for example, each use adaptive technology to continually assess students knowledge, skill and confidence levels and to create a unique study path designed to help each student in the topics and concepts they need most a level of personalization previously only available from a personal tutor. LearnSmart delivers this adaptive learning experience for a variety of high school subject areas, while FLEX Literacy incorporates it into a comprehensive, Common Core-specific reading and language arts intervention system for students in Grades 38. More information about new digital programs, including those designed specifically for the Common Core State Standards, can be found at www.mheducation.com. In this ever-evolving educational landscape, keeping up with the changes can seem daunting but it neednt be. Parents can rest assured that teachers are increasingly equipped with new technologies that ensure their students are getting the personalized attention they need to improve their chances for long-term success.
Changing your attitude about money can help you make more
Schools nationwide are finding new ways to provide individually tailored lesson plans while addressing the Common Core State Standards, often relying on a new generation of educational technologies that help st dents learn and succeed at their own pace.
cross the country, parents are beginning to notice that todays classroom looks quite different from what they experienced in their own school days. From personalized learning technologies to new educational standards, teachers and administrators are using a variety of tools to ensure students are better prepared to succeed than ever before. In this era of innovation in education, this school year will be particularly exciting in part because states will be piloting assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards, the new set of K-12 educational standards designed to improve students readiness for college and future careers. So just what do these changes mean for your kids? Shift to New Standards Schools nationwide are finding new ways to provide individually tailored lesson plans while addressing the Common Core State Standards, often relying on a new generation of educational technologies that help students learn and succeed at their own pace. McGraw-Hill Educations Reading Wonders is one such tool. Available in both all-digital and print/digital formats, it is the first K-6 core reading program designed specifically for the new standards. Even before the advent of the Common Core, we knew that preparing students for the demands of college
Your hard-earned savings can disappear in a market crash. Look for investments that produce a stream of revenue, such as a business, rental property or intellectual properties, so that the income from these investments helps pay for your regular expenses.
Renting? How to make your space feel like home

reative decorating solutions are needed when decorating your rental space. Make sure you are complying with the rental rules and regulations. If you want to decorate your rental home, but arent permitted to make drastic changes to walls or fixtures, temporary dcor solutions can help you bring style and personality to your space, without the worry of lasting damage. says Wendy Froehlich, Vice President of Marketing at Homes.com, one of the nations top online real estate listing and lifestyle resources. With that in mind, Homes.com is offering tips to help you dream big when sprucing up your space: Lovely lighting: If you ask, management companies or property owners may allow renters to switch out light fixtures. Ask before you remove and always keep the original fixture to leave behind should you move out. Funky furniture: If painting the walls isnt allowed, paint the furniture instead. Painted furniture will add a splash of color and personality to any space. Wall Decals: Make a statement on your walls using fun wall decals to match your personality. If you decide to move, simply peel away the decal without damaging the walls. Outlet covers: Play up your plain white light switch and outlet fixtures with colorful tapes to bring a pop of color to any room. Drawer pulls: Replace your drab drawer handles with fabric pulls, or mix and match knobs to personalize your desk and dresser. Drawer lining: Dress up your drawers by lining the insides with your favorite scrapbook paper. Adhere the paper with double stick tape.
If the landlord will not allow you to make drastic changes to walls or fixtures, temporary dcor solutions can help you bring style and personality to your space, without the worry of lasting damage.
Liquid starch: Grab extra fabric and soak it in liquid starch to embellish storage boxes or any hardware around your apartment or rental home. Removable Hooks: Use adhesive hooks to secure wall decor or storage solutions without harming your walls. Window box: Renters dont always have the ability to plant an outdoor garden, but a beautiful window box garden can spruce up an apartment and create space to grow herbs and other small plants. It may not be yours but it is your home. Implement these tips from Homes.com to help add personality to your rental space.
or many Americans, reaching their financial goals seems like a near impossible task. If you are looking to retire younger or are seeking a fresh approach to achieving financial freedom, you may need to change your attitude towards money and make changes in how you spend, save and invest. So many of us are on a hamster wheel of earn and spend that doesnt allow for growth, says entrepreneur Jack Bosch, author of Forever Cash: Break the EarnSpend Cycle, Take Charge of Your Life; Build Everlasting Wealth. Regardless of how much you earn, if you spend all of it, you are no better off than you were if you never had made that money at all. Bosch offers some tips to help make and save money: Spend on Investments After necessary expenses, spend your money on things that will make money. A typical pile of savings can disappear in a market crash. Look for investments that produce a stream of revenue, such as a business, rental property or intellectual properties, so that the income from these investments helps pay for your regular expenses. Break the Spend Cycle Break the cycle of earning to spend. The truly wealthy use their investments to pay for their lifestyle, not their active income. Think about how much money you would need to pull in each to live the way you want. Then consider how you can use the money that you currently make, whether
from a job or other income sources, to connect it into additional cash-flow streams. Avoid Destructive Patterns Many people dont think about what spending money now means for the future. Just because you are bringing in a certain amount of money doesnt mean you need to spend it. A new luxury car today could mean the difference between having a quarter-million dollars or even half-million dollars in the bank 30 years from now, says Bosch. Most people would think twice about buying that item if they knew the future ramifications. Dont Restrict Too Much There is still room in a budget for things you enjoy. If you really like to buy a cup of coffee every morning, dont stop. Cutting out everything you enjoy from your budget is usually not sustainable. The best way to save is to sensibly cut back on the things that dont make a huge difference in your life and then use that excess money to invest in something that brings in more cash and ideally cash flow. Do that again and again, and the cash flow from your investments can quickly make a substantial difference in your life, even potentially allowing you to retire earlier than you thought possible.For more tips on breaking the spend cycle and building wealth, visit www.ForeverCash.com. The first step to saving more money is to change your attitude. Making smart choices today will pay off tomorrow.
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August 24-30, 2013
HUMOR
Humor with Melvin Durai
The tip jar of Motel 5

raveen Gupta was sitting in the office of Motel 5, waiting for the next customer to come through the door. Through the corner of his eye, he spotted some movement at the front desk, started to lift himself off his swivel chair, but then heard Vandanas voice: Praveen! You got a tip! Come, see! How much? One dollar! she shouted, as though they could now sell the motel and retire to India. Come, see! He found his middle-aged, sari-clad wife smiling broadly and shaking the tip jar, an empty peanut butter container on which he had stuck a paper with the words Tips very welcomed. Its your first tip, Vandana said. You should frame it! Praveen put his fingers inside the tip jar, fished out the dollar and stared at it. You finally got a tip, she said. I told you to be patient. Arent you happy? Yes, I am happy to see a dollar in the tip jar, he said. I would be more happy if it wasnt the same dollar I put there this morning to show people what to do. You know, the power of suggestion.
The tip jar had been there for almost a week, yet no one had bothered to drop a single penny inside it. Perhaps they found it strange to see a tip jar at the front desk of a motel. But times were changing, the economy was stagnating and tip jars were appearing everywhere. Praveen had seen one at Buntys Pizza Parlor, another at the Tim Hortons coffee shop, and a third at the Mercedes-Benz dealership. Even the homeless guy on the street had gotten wise and written tip jar on his mug. Maybe I should do it too, Praveen had thought. After all, the economy was affecting the motel business too. He was lucky if half the rooms were occupied on weekends. Even if he collected $10 a day in the tip jar, it would be enough to pay for the pens he left in rooms, the ones bearing the motels slogan: Youll survive at Motel 5. (The motel was on the outskirts of Detroit and Praveen was proud that no one had ever been shot there. Three people had been stabbed, but that was it.) When Vandana first saw the tip jar, she shook her head vigorously. Look what youve written, she said. Tips Appreshated.
Isnt that right? No, she said. You cant have hated in appreciated. Spelling was important, she reminded him, and he nodded. He had learned his lesson last October when he had changed the electronic sign in front of the motel and tried to attract travelers with FREE WIFI. But he had mistakenly displayed FREE WIFE. It was only after a dozen truckers showed up in the lobby that he realized his mistake. How do I get the free wife? a stout man in overalls asked him. Praveen misunderstood the question and summoned Vandana from the hallway, where she was chatting with a maid. She was surprised to find a roomful of men looking her over. Is this her? Praveen nodded. Yes, this is my wife. The stout trucker snickered. Mister, not to be rude or anything, but youll have to pay me to take her off your hands. When he realized what was going on, Praveen screamed at the trucker. How dare you insult my wife, you stupid man? You cannot find a wife like this if you drive from here to Ahmedabad. The trucker was much bigger than him, so to be on the safe side, Praveen screamed in Gujarati. Thankfully, Vandana was a good sport about it. Free Wife brought in so many customers! Now we should try Free Husband. Recalling the incident, Praveen was quick to change the words on the tip jar. But it didnt seem to help. After three days, only one person had dropped something in the tip jar:
a note with a message scrawled in pencil: Clean your windows. Praveen wondered what he could do to entice patrons to leave a monetary tip. He tried smiling at them more and saying, Thank you for staying at Motel 5. Isnt it great to be alive? But still no tip. He tried putting a picture of a puppy on the tip jar, the cutest puppy he could find on the Internet. But still no tip. And finally, he tried putting a dollar inside the tip jar, but that didnt work either. Everyone seemed to ignore the dollar on the first day. And on the second day, someone made off with it. Praveen, your dollars gone! Vandana shouted. He rushed out of the office. The tip jar was empty. I should have known, he said. Its risky to have a tip jar without guarding it these days. Look at the surveillance tape, she said. You can catch the person. He shook his head. The economy was weak, people were hurting, and if someone needed a dollar so badly, let them have it. At least they hadnt insulted his wife.
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.
ASTROLOGY
August 24-30, 2013
29
By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma

Stars Foretell: August 24-30, 2013
ARIES: Self-confidence helps in making an impact at professional front in this week. Good advice from family members brings gains. Indications of earning financial profits through commissions, dividends or royalties. You are likely to enjoy a pleasure trip that will rejuvenate your passions. A very healthy week filled with happiness & vitality. Fly away with your dreams, new business horizons are ready to explore. The plot you were looking for can be profitable from investment point of view. Your magnetic personality brings you into the limelight in this week. TAURUS: Valuable support from a colleague would help in professional matters. The company of family friends will keep you in a happy & relaxed mood. Important people will be ready to finance anything that has a special class to it. Romantic entanglement would add spice to your happiness. Pleasure trip would help in maintaining sound health in this week. A fun- filled holiday at an amusement and theme park with your family is there. It is better to try for your office accommodation as soon as possible. You will be highly benefited on restraining yourself from expressing whats in your mind. Therefore speak after a careful thinking. GEMINI: Good week for computer professionals as they realise their dreams. Parental guidance in your decision would immensely help. Property dealings would materialize helping in bringing fabulous gains. Chances of your love life turning into life-long bond are high on the card. Yoga and meditation would help in keeping in shape and mentally agile. If youre planning a vacation, be sure to consider your work does not effect. Time to think about your investment plans, as investing residentially might be profitable. You are likely to achieve a marvelous sense of fulfillment as daring ideas click. CANCER: An excellent time for developing professional contacts. Spend some relaxed moments with family members. You are likely to earn monetary gains through various sources. Exciting week as your long pending wait for affirmation is going to materialize. Blessings of a saintly person give peace of mind. Its high time to visit a relatives place otherwise relationships can be ruined. Your investment can be done on a cheap or smaller piece of land. You succeed in showing your willingness to help others in any way in this week. LEO: Senior colleagues cooperation brings success at professional front. A week when misunderstandings at family front are sorted out with ease. Increase in income from past investment is foreseen. Enjoying the company of partner in a lively restaurant would bring immense romantic pleasure. Chances of recovering from physical ailment are high. An interesting cruise ship is next place for your vacation. Family can be helpful on acquiring your property or plot. Personal interaction with others will be significant. VIRGO: Business partners would be enthusiastic about new plans & ventures. Believe it or not someone in the family is watching you closely and considers you a role model. Monetary gains from unplanned sources will brighten your week. The presence of love would make you feel life meaningful. Inexhaustible energy enables to participate in outdoor activities. Breathtaking beautiful site scenes are your lovers desire. Its time to invest in property and get most profitable method to maximize your bank balance. Teenagers can expect joyful encounters. LIBRA: Female colleagues would help in completing pending work. An important development at personal front brings jubilation for entire family. New moneymaking opportunities will be lucrative. Love life brings some memorable moments that you could cherish rest of your life. You attain a bloom in health on sharing happiness with others. Time to relax and enjoy your visit to a relatives place. Investing overseas can provide you new business opportunities. You try to make it a habit to admit your failures to take yourself on the path of success. SCORPIO: A promising week for ambitious professionals to demonstrate technical skills & abilities. A happy time in the company of friends and relatives as they do many favours to you. You need to check pocket to limit your expenses. Your flashing smile would work as the best antidote for romantic partners unhappiness. A cheerful state of mind would allow enjoying the perfect health. Journey to some famous historical place sounds exciting to your kids. Selling your plot might increase your bank balance. You are likely to bring a change in yourself on taking some lone time in a sheltered environment and focus on your flaws. SAGITTARIUS: Politicians find a very smooth sailing as results go in your favour, thus immensely boosting confidence. Enjoying the company of close relatives will brighten your evening. You get some financial rewards as dedication & hard work gets noticed. Sharing candyfloss and toffees with lover/beloved would bring unlimited joy. Divine knowledge from a saintly person provides solace & comfort. Romance is in full bloom, a journey full of pleasure is your crave. Buyers will get attracted to your property as your property value is good. You are likely to focus attention on something that you can easily accomplish. CAPRICORN: Your gullible nature would allow people to easily take you for a ride. Shopping with family members will be highly pleasurable and exciting. Monetary gains are likely to be from more than one source. Company of love partner would inspire to take initiatives in this week. Meditation and yoga prove beneficial for spiritual as well as physical gains. Its time to travel with innovative imagination. If you wish to achieve a good deal in property then try at commercial basis. You will have a great fun interacting with youngsters. AQUARIUS: A dull atmosphere at workplace could cloud judgemental ability. You will be at the limelight in a social gathering provided you attend. A new financial deal gets finalized paving the way for fresh money. Love works like a panacea as you find sanity. A very healthy week when your cheerfulness gives the desired tonic and confidence. Are you longing to go on a vacation then be ready for it? Develop an attitude to be successful on your property investment plans. Timely guidance would help youngsters besides bringing you the joy of helping others. PISCES: People engaged in tourism will have the energy to keep pace with fast taking events thus giving themselves an edge over others. You will be the star of attraction of familys get-together in this week. Financial position will improve later in the week. Love partner touches soul that would take imagination to unlimited heights. You are likely to maintain good health that would also give you success. Be ready to hang out with your friends. If you are looking for a sure-fine method to earn on your property, student rental could be exactly what you need. Your helpful nature would bring appreciation for you.
Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874 Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899 [email protected]; www.premastrologer.com
Annual Predictions: For those born in this week

24th August, 2013 Ruled planet: Venus Ruled by no: 6 Traits in you: Your ruling planet Venus makes optimistic, ambitious, caring, aspiring, and determined. You are very social and love to make new friends and get into new relationships. You are a huge follower of intelligence and education. Health this year: This year, your health will remain pretty good despite of the initial minor health issues. You should not ignore any minor health issue this year as it may prove fatal later on. You will enjoy an overall good health if you take proper medication. Finance this year: Your innovative ideas to earn money may not meet your expectations. However, you need to keep trying until you succeed. You will find it tough to make money this year. You may go for investments in various sectors like shares, gold, land and so on. Career this year: You are quite capable of handling critical issues in your professional life. You will succeed in your attempts of performing well in your work. You will get appreciations from your peers, seniors, and the higher management. You should help others to make your presence felt. Romance this year: You will share a good relationship with your spouse. You may decide to turn your relationship into marriage if you are not married yet. However, you need to understand your beloved and provide the required emotional support for the betterment of your relationship. Lucky month: September, February and June 25th August, 2013 Ruled planet: 7 Ruled by no: Neptune Traits in you: As you are governed by planet Neptune, you are blessed with various positive characters. You are confident, decisive, generous, humorous, honest, modest and optimistic. You are not an admirer of arguments or silly fights. You should work on your nature of being selfish, pessimistic, and arrogant. Health this year: You will enjoy a better health this year as compared to last year. However, the health of an aged family member may deteriorate and that will make you bothered. You may end up spending lot of money for the health issues of your family members. Finance this year: You may go for a property transaction this year and this will bring you a lot of money. You need to be decisive to invest on real estate or gold as there are risks involved. Do not trust any of your new partners as they may cheat you. You may spend enough money on buying a vehicle or renovating your property. Career this year: As far as your professional life is concerned you may find your job a bit monotonous. You need to go for innovative ideas to get better in your profession. Your decision making capacity may make you the favorite to win an award in your professional circuit. Romance this year: The emotional attachment with your spouse or partner may blossom this year with lot of love, care, and concern. If you are not married, then you may go for a romantic relationship. You will enjoy a very blissful time with your beloved. Lucky month: December, March and August 26th August, 2013 Ruled planet: Saturn Ruled by no: 8 Traits in you: Your ruling planet Saturn makes you humble, honest, focused, practical, realistic and enthusiastic. You are blessed with enormous talent and imagination. Along with the positive characters in you, there are some negative aspects in your nature. You need to work on your nature of being envious, unreliable, and indiscipline. Health this year: You will enjoy a better health this year as compared to last year. However, the health of an aged family member may deteriorate and that will make you bothered. You may end up spending lot of money for the health issues of your family members. Finance this year: As far as your financial condition is considered, you will enjoy a better status as compared to the last year. You will get enough benefits from your previous investments. You may plan for new investments. You may go for partnerships to start new ventures. Domestic as well as overseas ventures will be successful this year. You need to create new contacts for the growth in your business as it will earn you more projects and money. Career this year: You may get the chance to complete all your previous assignments and this will enhance your respect as a brilliant performer in your professional circuit. If you are into a profession that demands creativity, then you will be very successful this year as far as your career is concerned. Romance this year: Your relationship with your spouse or partner will be good enough despite of minor misunderstandings. You may plan to get engaged with your long time love towards the final months of the year. Lucky month: September, January and July 27th August, 2013 Ruled planet: Mars Ruled by no: 9 Traits in you: Being influenced by Mars, you are believed to be the master of a charismatic personality. You are courteous, courageous, energetic, realistic, modest, and responsive. You follow religion very keenly. However, you have few problems in your attitude and that needs to be worked on for the betterment of your individuality. Health this year: Health wise you will enjoy a great time throughout the year. You may suffer few minor health issues such as cold, headache or body aches. You need to take proper medications to remain physically and mentally fit. Finance this year: Your confidence and hard work will help you earn a lot of money and you will be able to expand your business as well. You may go ahead investing on anything you want as this year is pretty rewarding for you. Your past legal disputes will get resolved this year and give you enough opportunity to make money. Career this year: You will be establishing yourself as a very efficient and important resource in your organization this year. Your performance will influence your peers, seniors and higher management. It is the best time to look out for a new job as it will help you grow both professionally and financially. Romance this year: Your plans to go for holidays with your partner may not work because of huge work pressure and this may create disturbance in your marital life. You need to take care of the emotional requirements of your partner to lead a peaceful life this year. Lucky month: November, March and June 28th August, 2013 Ruled planet: Sun Ruled by no: 1 Traits in you: Due to the positive effects of your ruling planet Sun, you will have the characteristics of a good human being. By nature, you are accountable, unique, courageous, committed, competitive, coordinated and intelligent. You should work on your negative personality traits such as selfishness, dependency and pessimism. Health this year: As far your health is concerned, you will be lucky enough to enjoy a good health. However, you need to take proper medication to retain your health. You should leave bad habits of smoking and alcohol to get a good health this year. Finance this year: This year may bring you huge financial benefits. You will enjoy the returns of your investments. If you want to gain financial profits, you have to work hard. You may invest in various profitable businesses. However, you should not start new partnerships or trust new friends. Career this year: You need to focus on your profession and put your cent per cent effort to achieve your expected goals. You will be appreciated by your peers and seniors for your efficient output. You may be assigned extra responsibilities as you are very decisive and capable of performing wonders. Romance this year: If you are yet to be in a committed relationship, you may get into one this year. If you are already committed, then you may plan for marriage towards the end of the year. Lucky month: September, December and May 29th August, 2013 Ruled planet: 2 Ruled by no: Moon Traits in you: Your ruler, the Moon makes you a very friendly individual. You are simple, confident, realistic, sincere, and optimistic. You are very innovative and try to perform your work in a different and efficient way. You need to work hard on your characteristics of being jealous and insensitive at times. Health this year: You will enjoy a good health throughout this year but provided you go for regular medical checkups and take proper medication prescribed by the doctor. Finance this year: Though you will be able to improve your financial status, you may end up spending a lot of money in buying luxury and comfort for yourself and your family. You may put your money in real estate for better returns. Career this year: You may get the chance to complete all your previous assignments and this will enhance your respect as a brilliant performer in your professional circuit. If you are into a profession that demands creativity, then you will be very successful this year as far as your career is concerned. Romance this year: You will spend a spectacular life with your love this year. You will lead an energetic and fruitful life with your beloved with lots of love, care, concern, and support. Lucky month : October, March and August 30th August, 2013 Ruled planet: Jupiter Ruled by no: 3 Traits in you: Being ruled by Jupiter, you are courteous, courageous, decisive, ambitious, disciplined, and realistic. You are gifted with high imagination power, optimism, and enthusiasm. However, behaving restless and dominating may hamper your characteristics at times. You need to work on your personality to make yourself better as an individual. Health this year: You may enjoy a great health this year. However, that does not mean you will start neglecting your health. You need to take care of your diet and nutrition to maintain a good health. You may practice some exercises to remain fit. Finance this year: Your confidence and hard work will help you earn a lot of money and you will be able to expand your business as well. You may go ahead investing on anything you want as this year is pretty rewarding for you. Your past legal disputes will get resolved this year and give you enough opportunity to make money. Career this year: You will enjoy a fruitful year as a result of your past performances. You may get the expected salary hike this year. You will be very much approachable due to your knowledge, intelligence, and hard work. However, you need to look after your professional etiquette and try to perform much better than previous year. Romance this year:Your romantic life will become stagnant this year as you may not give enough time to your beloved. If you are unmarried and planning to marry this year, it may not happen because of the negative movements of your stars and planets. Lucky month: December, April and July
30
August 24-30, 2013
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS
How to engage in true prayer

By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj
f we were to sit next to God and listen to the prayers being uttered by millions of people around the world, we may find that many go through the mechanics of prayer, but their mind is thinking of other thoughts. We may say the right words, but one person is wondering who will win the basketball game, another is thinking about whether they will get good grades on a test, someone else is thinking about their next vacation, while another is thinking about their money problems. How many who pray are really engaged in true prayer? True prayer is a moment in which we open ourselves up to the Lord. We sit in humble supplication of the Creator of all and wait for Gods love and grace to enter into our being. How many of us can keep our mind open enough to receive what God wants to give? Are we too busy in our thoughts of the world to notice what God is sending us? In this connection there is the classic story of Princess Laila from the Indian tradition. There was once a princess named Laila who was always absorbed in the love and remembrance of her earthly beloved, Majnu. Once she was going to the mosque to pray. She was so lost in her thoughts of Majnu that she did not notice that she stepped on the prayer mat of a holy man. As soon as she had stepped on the mat, the holy man jumped up and began scolding her for her sacrilegious act. She was startled out of her reverie by this commotion. He said, How could you have committed such a disrespectful act, walking on the prayer mat while I was praying? She was apologetic and said, I am sorry, but I was so lost in the thoughts of my earthly beloved that I did not notice where I was going. Then, with great wisdom, she remarked, I just wonder, O holy one, that if I could be so lost in my worldly beloved that I did not notice where I was walking, how could you say you were lost in prayer to God, the divine Beloved, and yet still notice me walking on your mat? If you were truly lost, you would not have noticed me at all! Is our condition like that of
Lailas or is it that of the holy man? If we were truly lost in prayer, we would not notice what was going on around us and we would not be aware of any distracting thoughts. We need to remember that the thoughts that pull us away from our prayers or from communion with the Lord are instigated by the mind. Just as each of us has a soul, which is our connection with God, we also have a mind, which is our connection with Kal, the Sustaining Power, also called the Universal Mind. Thus, every time we are moved to return to God, Kal sends
spiritual region. Leading an ethical life also helps the mind from the ravages of anger, greed, attachment and ego. Once freed, the mind can be put to better uses, more creative uses, and more productive uses for its achievements of worldly goals. Satsang also helps the mind because it gives it a theoretical understanding of the topic relating to the soul and God. Selfless service helps the mind because it gives it something useful to do as a positive contributor to society and to the world as well as its own spiritual upliftment.
Thus, if we show the mind the benefits it, too, gains through our spiritual practices, it will be helpful to us in developing good habits to grow spiritually. Then, the mind will achieve its ends, and the soul can go on further to its ultimate destination, back to God. If we do not wish to be like the person who goes through the motions of prayer, but whose mind is wandering, we can do several things. First, let us perfect our meditations. When we sit for meditation we can enter into a devotional mood to create a space between
True prayer is a moment in which we open ourselves up to the Lord. We sit in humble supplication of the Creator of all and wait for Gods love and grace to enter into our being.
an impetus in the form of a distraction and temptation to keep us from remembering God. It is like we have a computer chip programmed into us that connects us with the mainframe of God, and we have a computer chip programmed into us that connects us with the mainframe of the Universal Mind. To which one do we pay attention? If we want to overcome the pull of the mind, then engaging in accurate meditation, doing simran, leading an ethical life, attending satsang and performing selfless service are the game moves that outwit the mind. We do not have to treat the mind as an enemy; we can, instead, befriend the mind. This means having an understanding with our mind that it, too, will receive benefits by following the plan laid out by the soul. If we reason with our mind, we can use it as an ally to reach our spiritual goals. The mind benefits from meditation in that it develops increased concentration to make it achieve more in its worldly goals. It keeps the mind calm so it can be more productive and efficient. Meditation also helps take the mind back to its home in the third
our worldly work and meditation time. For some, it may mean having a special or sacred place in the house in which only meditation takes place. It may mean creating a special consistent time in which the mind develops the habit of sitting regularly. It may mean singing a devotional prayer or song before meditating. Some people find exercise, a brisk walk, or a shower helps them still their mind and focus on meditation. Others like to read something from the scriptures, from the great saints and mystics, or spiritual poetry to create the right mood. Then, when we sit for meditation, we are fresh and ready to concentrate. Whatever we do, we should do wholly and solely. Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj used to say, When you play, you should play. When you work, you should work. He advised us to put our attention wholeheartedly into whatever we were doing. By training our mind to be fully attentive into whatever task we are doing, we can then ensure that when we perform our prayers and when we meditate, we will fully do so. Our mind will be concentrated. Let us try to keep our mind, heart, and soul focused on our prayers or meditations so that we can achieve the best results. In this way, we can tame our mind so that our soul can have free access back to the Lord. For more visit www.sos.org
Our life is an open book to God

M
any people pass through life unaware that God is always with us. If we think about our interactions with others during the day, we may find that we behave differently when we think someone is observing us. We may act better when we think our employer, superiors, or others whom we are trying to impress are watching. What if we knew that God was watching? Would we then act according to higher ethical virtues? It is human nature to be on our best behavior when others are watching. When we are at work or with our neighbors and friends, do we find that we act in ways in which everyone will think we are good people? If we have any bad qualities, do we try to hide them from others? If people realized that what we hide from others is an open book to God, we might be more conscious of trying to exhibit good qualities all the time. People wonder, "Where is God?" Masters and saints teach us that God is within us. Wherever we are and whatever we do, God sees us. God is the power that enlivens us. This power is what gives us life. Our body, made of earthly elements of matter, is not our true self. The power that moves the body is the power of God. The portion of that power allocated to inhabit our body is our soul. Our soul is a drop of the infinite power of God. It is a part of God. As our soul is a part of God, whenever we do anything, that information is known to God. We can think of it as a computer network. The master computer is linked up with all the individual computers in a network. The operator of the master computer can know what is going on with the individual computers simultaneously. Individual operators may or may not be aware that the operator of the master computer can know all about what they are doing on their computers. If they knew someone had access to their emails or text messages, they would be more careful. Those who are not aware of this may end up writing things they would not want anyone to know about. In the same way, God is the master operator of the network of creation and our souls are the individual computers. Everything we think, say, and do is known to God. If we realized God is watching us at all times, we would act in a positive way. If we realized God was watching, our lives would change dramatically. If we were aware that God hears our thoughts and words, and watches our deeds, think how quickly our behavior would improve. We would be super careful to avoid failures in the ethical virtues of nonviolence, truthfulness, purity, and humility. If we were to remove our failures and were to spend time in meditation and doing selfless service, our spiritual progress would accelerate.
August 24-30, 2013

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The South Asian Times

Nassau County Indian community to felicitate Anna Hazare

PM meeting Obama in the White House Sept 27 with comprehensive agenda.

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