Vol.8 Issue 9 - July 4-July 10, 2015

The South Asian Times
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Greece needs 50bn bailout and Make in

massive debt relief to survive: IMF Maharashtra,
Markets rattled as Athens defaults on IMF loan payment
Fadnavis tells
US businesses
Washington: Financing needs for

Greece could add up to over
$55.42 billion (50 billion euros)
over the period from October 2015
to end 2018 in order to keep the
country afloat, the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a
staff report.
The IMF's warning on Thursday
came before Greece's upcoming
referendum on July 5. Although the
Continued on page 4
Greeks rushed to banks to withdraw their money
Kamlesh Mehta installed as Rotary District Governor

Eminent Indian-American
Kamlesh Mehta was sworn in as
Governor of Rotary District
7255 - that comprises Brooklyn,
Queens and Long island on June
28 at a grand ceremony in the
presence of over 300 Rotarians,
prominent members of the Indian
community, and many elected
officials of Long Island.
Detailed story and more
pictures on page 2.
The Director of Business & Economic Development in Nassau

County as well as Chairman of The South Asian Times, Mehta
was sworn in as RI District Governor by Nassau County
Executive Ed Mangano. Looking on are Past District Governors
of Rotary Ravi Bhooplapur and Anthony J. Civitano.
Business leaders pledge $70bn for Modis Digital India

New Delhi: Indian companies have
pledged $70bn to the "Digital
India" initiative launched by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to
empower citizens by deploying IT
and associated tools.
Among key investors are the
Ambani brothers, Tata group chief
Cyrus Mistry and Wipro head
Azim Premji. At the Wednesday
Continued on page 4
Detailed story on pg 11.
OP ED 13
The Chief Minister also addressed the Indian

community at a reception organized by the
Friends of Maharashtra at The Pierre
Azim Premji, Mukesh Ambani, and other top Indian business

leaders at the Digital India launch.
BOLLYWOOD 18
SPORTS 24
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis speaking to

American industry executives at a meeting called by the US-India
Business Council on Monday in New York.
New York: Maharashtras youthful

Chief
Minister,
Devendra
Fadnavis, who is gaining reputation as a visionary leader, arrived
here Monday on a 5-day visit to the
US aimed at attracting investment
to his state.
On the first day of his trip, the
chief minister was accorded a
warm reception at Pierre Hotel in
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 30
mid-town Manhattan by a newly

formed Friends of Maharashtra
and the Consulate General of India
in New York, where he addressed a
gathering of over 700 prominent
Indian Americans.
The same afternoon, addressing a
meeting of the US-India Business
Council (USIBC), also at The
Continued on page 4
Detailed stories on pages 16-17.
excellence in journalism
July 4-10, 2015
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
Kamlesh Mehta sworn in as

Rotary District Governor
Eminent Indian-American Kamlesh Mehta was installed as Governor of Rotary District 7255 - that
comprises Brooklyn, Queens and Long island - at a grand ceremony in the presence of over 300
Rotarians, prominent members of the Indian community, and many elected officials of Long Island.
After his swearing in, RI District 7255 Governor Kamlesh Mehta with the outgoing governor
Anthony J. Civitano , other PDGs and senior Rotarians of the district.
By Parveen Chopra
New York: A prominent Indian
American entrepreneur, community supporter and government official in Long Island, Kamlesh Mehta
was
installed
as
Rotary
International District 7255
Governor at a grand ceremony on
Long Island on June 28.Mehta,
Director of Business & Economic
Development in Nassau County, a
prominent diamond merchant as
well as Publisher of The South
Asian Times newspaper and Asian
Era magazine, was administered the
oath of office by Nassau County
Executive Edward P. Mangano in
the presence of a large number of
Rotary officials, veteran Rotarians
and prominent members of the
Indian community.
Mehta, who will serve as RI
District 7255 Governor in the year
2015-16, was ceremoniously presented the gavel and official regalia
by the outgoing district governor
Anthony J. Civitano in the presence
of over 300 guests at the Antuns
by Minar banquet hall in Hicksville,
NY. In his acceptance speech,

Mehta said he has learnt a lot form
working with CE Mangano, some
of which will come handy in his
role as Governor of the Rotary district which encompasses Brooklyn,
Queens and Long Island in New
York. He also thanked Ravishankar
Bhooplapur, past Governor of RI
District 7255, under whose inspiration he founded the Hicksville
South Rotary Club in 2009.
Bhooplapur introduced Mangano.
In his keynote address, Mangano
harked back to his years as a prominent Rotarian in Long Island in the
early 80s. Among the dignitaries
who sent congratulatory letters to
Kamlesh Mehta included Rotary
International President K.R.
Ravindran, New York City Mayor
Bill de Blasio, Indian Consul
General
in
New
York,
Dnyaneshwar
Mulay,
Congresswoman Grace Meng and
New York City Public Advocate.
Kamlesh Mehta is known for his
long-standing leadership role in the
Indian American community in
Long Island. To mention a few: He
is a founder of Rajasthan
Association of North America
(RANA) and India Day Parade on
Long Island. He is also the director
of Vision Long Island, Xavier
Medical University and iTuror.com.
He is the first Indian to serve in the
prestigious office of Nassau County
Office of Business & Economic
Development as its Director.
Rotary is over a century old global network of business, professional, and community leaders who
work voluntarily to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards, and help build goodwill peace in the world.
Headquartered in Chicago,
Rotary International boasts over 1.2
million members serving in 32,000
Rotary clubs spread over more than
200 countries and geographical
areas as it initiates service projects
to address todays challenges,
including illiteracy, disease, hunger,
poverty, lack of clean water, and
environmental concerns. Near-eradication of polio from the world is
Rotarys a stupendous and welldocumented success.
(From left), Town of Hempstead
Councilman Ed Ambrosino,
prominent businessman Shan
Shanmugam, Rotary Club
Hicksville South Past President
Vikas Dhall, eminent jeweler
Haridas Kotahwala, Kamlesh
Mehta Town of Hempstead Clerk
Nasrin Ahmed, and Nassau
County Executive Ed Mangano.
With wife Nimmi by his side, Kamlesh Mehta addressed the

audience as RI District 7255 Governor.
Citations of appreciation for stellar community service: Salil

Zaveri (Asstt Dist 7255 Governor), Sangeeta Bahl (incoming
President, Jericho Sunrise Rotary), CE Mangano, Kamlesh Mehta,
Sangeeta Sethi (outgoing President, Jericho Sunrise Rotary) and
Lionel Chitty (incoming President, Hicksville Rotary South).
CE Ed Mangano was presented Lifetime Achievement plaque for

his distinguished leadership and humanitarian services by
Kamlesh Mehta, Hicksville South President Chitty and Jericho
Sunrise President Sangeeta Bahl. The county executive was also
bestowed honorary membership of Hicksville South Rotary.
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
July 4-10, 2015
"Tanned, rested, ready" Jindal swings at 'hyphenated Americans'

Washington, DC: Stung by
media criticism that he is distancing himself from his Indian
heritage, Bobby Jindal's presidential campaign is hitting hard
on his 'hyphenated Americans'
theme with T-shirts touting him
as "tanned, rested, ready". The
$20 official T-shirt which is supposed to be a nod to Jindal's
Indian heritage and his dislike of
"hyphenated American" modifiers as well as a play on a
famous Richard Nixon line, is
apparently his way of getting
back at the "liberal media."
Way back in 1988, a T-shirt
sold at the Young Republican
convention in Seattle depicted "a
smiling Richard M. Nixon" with
the slogan "He's tan, rested and
ready," according to the New
York Times.
"The liberal media said,
'There's not much Indian left in
Bobby Jindal,' so we made shirts
to mock them," Jindal, the first
The $20 official T-shirt is supposed to be a nod to Jindal's

Indian heritage.
Indian-American governor and

the 13th Republican candidate in
the 2016 White House race,
tweeted Tuesday.
The line is an apparent reference to a quote from Pearson

Cross, a political science professor at the University of Louisiana
at Lafayette who is writing a

book on him, in a Washington
Post profile of Jindal.
"The liberal narrative that
developed this week was disgusting: apparently Bobby isn't
brown enough for them," said
Jindal campaign manager Timmy
Teepell as cited by The Advocate
newspaper.
Jindal's presidential super PAC
- a supposedly independent political action committee that may
raise unlimited sums of money
and engage in unlimited political
spending independently of a
campaign-also
criticised
"hyphenated Americans."
Jindal is returning to Iowa this
week to hold various events
through Saturday, including participating in at least two July 4
parades and tours of local factories. Meanwhile, Twitter went
wild Tuesday asking Bobby
Jindal questions with the
#AskBobby hashtag after his
political action committee

encouraged people to ask the
presidential candidate questions.
The hashtag, which is used to
track trending topics, quickly
became among the top 10-most
used topics on the service by
Tuesday afternoon, according to
NOLA.com.
But going by a sampling,
apparently this was not what the
Jindal campaign was hoping for.
NonProphetess @nonprophetess
- Is the cognitive dissonance of
having a biology degree and
being viciously anti-science
overwhelming?
Brent Rogers @BrntRgrs Who is your favorite Supreme
Court justice? I'm guessing
Scalia. Did I get it right?
#AskBobby.
Scalia was one of the judges
who gave a dissenting opinion in
the Supreme Court ruling allowing same-sex marriages across
the US.
Parhar in race for NYC Council

Bellerose, NY: A long time community supporter, Satnam Singh
Parhar has announced his candidacy for New York City Council
to represent District 23, which
includes many diverse communities across North-Eastern Queens.
The seat fell vacant as former
Councilman Mark Weprin (D)
joined the staff of Governor
Andrew Cuomo as deputy secretary of legislative affairs.
In the September 10 special
election, Parhar is presenting himself as a fresh face with a bold
new outlook - in keeping with
principles of honesty and transparency. He supports small clas
size and bette pay for teachers.
He envisages economic growth
through the promotion of small
businesses.
Parhar knows that he will need
the help of the Indian Community
so he has made a special appeal to
them to vote and support him and
be a part of his campaign for the
good of the united community.
He reminds all about how he has
always stood for the welfare of the
Indian community.
Born in a village in Punjab,
Parhar came to the US in 1976
with a BCom degree and experi-
Satnam Singh Parhar wants to

represent District 23 of New
York City Council, the seat that
Mark Weprin occupied.
ence as a student activist. He

brought the spirit of activism to
his local community, where he has
since involved himself in a
diverse commercial, community,
and philanthropic ventures. Along
the way he had major successes in
fashion industry and later construction and development.
Having served India Association
of Long Island (IALI) for many
years, he is its President since
2014. As President, Parhar has

worked to establish a permanent
headquarters for IALI, lovingly
called IALI Home. He spends
hours every weekend at the IALI
Home to meet people from the
community and address their concerns. An avid runner and sportsman, he has completed many
races including the TCS New
York City Marathon.
Mr. Parhar is the founder of
Sant Baba Nidhan Singh Ji
Cultural Society, and the founder
and chairman of Rajput Cultural
Society. Parhar has made routine
visits to various airports, schools,
and precincts to bring awareness
to these institutions and the public
about Sikhism.
In 2011, Parhar had the honor
of participating in the introduction
of the New York City Workplace
Religious Freedom Act in cooperation with former mayor
Michael
Bloomberg
and
Councilman Weprin. He has
organized fundraisers and election
rallies in support of New York
State Senator Anthony Avella,
Assemblyman David Weprin, and
Councilman Mark Weprin.
Mr. Parhar s website is:
VoteParhar.com
Roopam Maini, manager of the Hicksville branch of Indus

American Bank, & her husband Raman Maini pose with Nassau
County Executive Ed Mangano at the installation of Kamlesh
Mehta as Governor of Rotary Distirct 7255 on Sunday. Roopam
Maini is Vice President of Hicksville South Rotary Club.
4 Indian Americans among Carnegie immigrant honorees

New York: Four highly accomplished Indian Americans are in the
Carnegie Corporation of New Yorks annual Great Immigrants: The Pride
of America list. Among the 39 honorees for 2015 include are: Abraham
Verghese, the author/physician from Ethiopia of Indian descent who write
Cutting for Stone; Rakesh Khurana, Dean of Harvard College; Preet
Bharara, U.S. Attorney, Southern District of New York; and Madhulika
Sikka,VP & Executive Editor of .Mic. There is also one Pakistani honoreeRabia Chaudry featured in the hit podcast Serial. Sofa Vergara,
actress and director (Colombia native) is one of the honorees. Now in its
10th year, the event reflects Andrew Carnegies support of immigrant integration and civic engagement. Carnegie Corporation of New York was
established by him in 1911 to promote the advancement and diffusion of
knowledge and understanding.
TURN PAGE
July 4-10, 2015
Hema Malini injured in road accident in Rajasthan

Jaipur: Film star and BJP MP Hema
Malini was injured on Thursday in a road
accident which killed a five year old child
and severely injured two others at Dausa
in Rajasthan.
Hema Malini, who was sitting in the
front seat, sustained injuries on her forehead, cheek, and legs. She was rushed to
the Fortis Hospital in Jaipur where doctors conducted a CT scan and then administered stitches on her wounds, a source in
the hospital said.
A neurosurgeon and plastic surgeon are
treating the injury on her face and she
will be kept in the hospital overnight
under observation.
USINPAC wants Ann Coulter fired

by Fox over Nikki Haley remarks
Following the recent events of the shooting at a historic

African American church in Charleston, South Carolina, and
arson at other churches, Public Advocate Letitia James and
South Asian 4 Right Choice founder Pam Kwatra (second from
right), along with South Asian community members, hosted a
Candlelight Vigil at the Calvary Baptist Church in Jamaica, NY.
Leading TMobile
stores operator in
Long Island &
Queens, Jerry
Kohli'a daughter
Priyanka tied the
wedding knot with
Aman Nagpal in
Chicago on July 2,
2015. The South
Asian Times
family wishes a very
happy married life
to the new couple.
New York: Taking serious

note of the derogatory
remarks made last week
by Ann Coulter against
South Carolina Governor
Nikki Haley and immigrants in America in a program on Fox News, USINPAC has launched an
online petition urging Fox
News to immediately sack
Ms. Coulter as a commenConservative
tator on its network.
commentator
The full account of
Ann Coulter
Coulter s remarks and
USINPAC stand on the issue has been explained in
the online petition (https://www.change.org/p/foxnews-network-immediately-remove-ms-ann-coulter-from-the-fox-platform). Sanjay Puri,
Chairman, USINPAC, said This is an issue that is
of deep concern to the Indian American community evidenced by the large number of calls and
emails that USINPAC is receiving on this issue.
The US India Political Action Committee
(USINPAC) is a bipartisan nonprofit organization
that works on issues and policies of concern to the
Indian American community of over 3.2 million in
the United States.
Make in Maharashtra, Fadnavis tells US businesses...
Continued from page 1
Pierre, Fadnavis said: "My government has taken a variety of measures to promote ease of doing business in the
state and we want to be viewed as a top destination for
both domestic as well as international investments."
"Our government", Fadnavis said, "is committed to
providing a boost to both 'Make in India' and 'Make in
Maharashtra' campaigns, provide business to both medium and small enterprises and create much-needed jobs."
Greece needs 50bn bailout and massive debt...
Greek government stressed the referendum was on its
creditors' offer for a reforms-for-cash debt deal, skepticism and strong reactions that the referendum could lead
to Grexit (exit from EU) was also widespread in Greece.
The report said Greece is unlikely to close its financing
gaps from the markets on terms consistent with debt sustainability.
It slashed Greece's economic growth forecast in 2015
to zero percent, compared to a growth of 0.8 percent in
2014.
The estimate of the additional 50 billion euros in funding, including 36 billion euros from EU lenders, was
based on the assumption that existing support from the
EU and IMF would continue through this summer.
The report was prepared before the Greek authorities
have closed the banking sector, imposed capital controls, and incurred arrears to the IMF and did not reflect
these developments, which the IMF believe are likely to
have a significant adverse economic and financial
impact.
In May 2010, the IMF approved 30 billion euros in
financial assistance for Greece under a Stand-By
arrangement, and then in March 2012, the lender
approved 28 billion euros for Greece under an extended
arrangement to support its economic reform program.
To date, Greece has 21.2 billion euros in outstanding
obligations to the IMF. A repayment of about 1.5 billion
euros was due to the IMF on June 30. Greece did not
make the repayment when due and is now in arrears to
the Washington-based lender, which makes Greece the
first advanced economy default on IMF debt.
Business leaders pledge $70bn...
event held at a sports stadium, companies also pledged
to manufacture in India, estimated to add 1.8 million
jobs to the economy.
"Why can't we make quality electronic goods that are
globally competitive?" Mr Modi said, highlighting his
goal of ending net technology and electronics imports
by 2020.
New Delhi Bureau

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Rajasthan High Court & Supreme Court
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Harry Aurora, Ashok Vyas,
Dr Akshat Jain, Nupur Joshi
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TRISTATE COMMUNITY
July 4-10, 2015
Hillary leads 2016 US presidential MEA reinstates Devyani Khobragade

race, Jindal way behind: Poll
Washington, DC: Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton continues to lead all
2016 presidential candidates including
those in the crowded Republican field
where Indian-American Bobby Jindal
languishes at the 13th place, according to
a new poll.
While the former first lady now holds a
slightly slimmer lead among Democrats,
former Florida governor Jeb Bush and
real estate mogul Donald Trump are the
only two Republican candidates holding
double-digit support among Republicans,
a new CNN/ORC national poll finds.
Louisiana's Indian-American governor,
Jindal, figures 13th in a field of 14
declared and two undeclared Republican
candidates with just 2 percent support,
though his backing has gone up from one

percent last month.
Bush stands at 19 percent, up from 13
percent in May -- and his best showing in
CNN/ORC polling since December.
Trump follows at 12 percent, up from 3
percent before his announcement.
Former Arkansas governor Mike
Huckabee (8 percent), neurosurgeon Ben
Carson (7 percent) and Kentucky Senator
Rand Paul (7 percent) round out the top
five. Nationally, Clinton leads all other
Democratic candidates by more than 40
points, with 57 percent of Democrats and
Democratic-leaning independents behind
her and 16 percent backing Vice
President Joe Biden and 14 percent
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
timized. That has not fully ended her

New Delhi: The ministry of external
affairs (MEA) has sought to make
ordeal though as she is still unable to
Devyani Khobragades situation bettravel and the passports of her kids
remain confiscated.
ter by reinstating her and making her
Khobragade met senior officials in
director of the important States divithe PMO last week to discuss her case.
sion, according to a Times of India
report. With a US arrest warrant still
Her children's passports have not been
pending against her, the 1999 IFS
restored yet despite the Delhi high
court staying the revocation of the
officer has not been able to travel
travel documents. The kids are
abroad.
Devyani
spending their summer vacation
Khobragade had been stripped of
Khobragade
with their father in the US but will
her responsibilities with the ministry
last year in December and put on "compulsory require Indian visas to return.
wait" after she gave interviews to the media in
The government, however, has decided not to
which she said the vigilance inquiry against her contest the case legally in the US and instead
was unfair. The inquiry sought to know how her focus on a political settlement says the report.
two daughters were in possession of both Indian Khobragade has not traveled abroad since she
and US passports. According to The Times of returned to India after her arrest and humiliating
India report the decision to reinstate Khobragade strip-search for underpaying her nanny. The
was taken by foreign secretary S Jaishankar who ministry is unable to post her to any country
felt Khobragade was being unnecessarily vic- with which the US has an extradition treaty.
MET exhibition on Deccan US- based doctors group promotes vegan life in India
Sultans jewelry on till July 26
New York: An exhibition Sultans
of Deccan India - Opulence and
fantasy is on at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art in New York till
July 26. The exhibition features art
of India's Deccan courts during the
rule of its sultans in the sixteenth
and seventeenth centuries. The diamond-rich region attracted artists,
poets, writers, and traders from all
over the worldincluding Iran,
Turkey, Africa, and Europewho
were drawn to the Shia culture
and material splendor of the courts.
Under their mixed influence, captivating art styles of otherworldly
charm evolved.
At its zenith, the Deccan became
home to Indian and Persian artists,
the abode of African elites, and the
place where European discoverers
embraced new tastes in textiles and
gems. By the end of the seventeenth century, the Deccan courts
gave way to Mughal domination
from the north, but their preceding
efflorescence offers a glimpse of
the imaginative heights reached in
the arts of painting.
This exhibition brings together
some two hundred of the finest
works from major international,
private, and royal collections.
Featuring many remarkable loans
from India, the exhibitionwhich
is the most comprehensive museum presentation on this subject to
Shah Jahan Diamond which is

on display at the exhibition
dateexplores the unmistakable

character of classical Deccani art
in various media: poetic lyricism in
painting, lively creations in metalwork, and a distinguished tradition
of textile production.
The exhibition is made possible
by the Gail and Parker Gilbert
Fund, the Placido Arango Fund,
the E. Rhodes and Leona B.
Carpenter Foundation, the National
Endowment for the Arts, and
Cynthia Hazen Polsky and Leon B.
Polsky. It is supported by an
indemnity from the Federal
Council on the Arts and the
Humanities.
The catalogue is made possible
by The Andrew W. Mellon
Foundation, the E. Rhodes and
Leona B. Carpenter Foundation,
the Doris Duke Fund for
Publications, and Shubha and
Prahlad Bubbar.
New York: A lot of Hollywood

actors were already doing it but
when closer home Bollywood icon
Aamir Khan recently announced
his plans of turning vegan, many
became curious. While some may
express doubts, a doctors group
from the US has initiated an India
tour to propagate the benefits of a
vegan life.
In a country which is all too
familiar with vegetarianism, promoting this seems an easy task but
is actually tricky. Because, apart
from not eating any meat product,
going vegan means avoiding
meat-based products too, like milk
and eggs. So there goes your
paneer and curd!
Zeeshan Ali of the Physicians
Committee for Responsible
Medicine (PCRM), a non-profit
health organization in the US, a
body of 12,000 physicians, both of
Indian origin and from around the
world but working in the US that
was established in 1985 and which
promotes veganism, however says
that a plant-based diet has been
clinically proven to reduce the risk
of chronic diseases and reduces
your metabolic risks.
A low-fat vegan diet, combined
with a nutrition education programme, is clinically proven to
boost weight loss, lower blood
pressure, improve total cholesterol, restore insulin function, alleviate chronic pain, particularly
headaches, migraines, and joint
pain, says Ali.

It also boosts your mood and
combats chronic fatigue. Plantbased dietary patterns are associated with a reduced risk for certain
forms of cancer and Alzheimers
disease, he added.
But what about adequate nutrition? Meat, we know, is a good
source of protein. Also when it
comes to iron, all that we understand are brilliant sources meat,
eggs, poultry, fish, dairy products
which are missing from a vegan
diet.
Ali however chalks out alternatives. A plant-based vegan diet
provides an abundance of
micronutrients we often fall short
on while ensuring adequate intake
of the three macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. We recommend 80 percent of calories
come from carbohydrates, 10 percent from fat and 10 percent from
protein.
Choosing colorful, low-fat,
plant-based foods often ensures
this ratio, or a comparable one that
will leave you feeling great.
Especially good protein sources
include whole-wheat pasta,
ancient grains, beans, peas and
lentils, and even leafy greens like
spinach and broccoli, he added.
Where milk consumption is considered essential for childrens
development, Ali says that kids
should also be encouraged to take
up veganism and thereby a health-
ier lifestyle.
A public school in New York
City recently re-modelled its lunch
room to offer students daily access
to vegetarian foods, salad bars and
plant-based proteins like chickpeas and tofu. The results are
astounding. The students lost
weight, attendance and energy
levels in classrooms soared and
test scores rose to an all-time high.
This is just one anecdote to support a large body of research that
shows a vegetarian diet is a
healthful choice at every stage of
life, especially for children and
teens.
A diet centring on vegetables,
fruits, whole grains and legumes
provides one with stable energy
throughout the day and boosts the
immune system. This is why
many Hollywood stars like
Beyonce and Natalie Portman,
professional athletes, global leaders and now even Bollywood
actors are going vegan. A colourful diet ensures they can perform
their best, whether its filming for
20 hours or embarking on a world
tour.
The six-city Building a Healthy
India tour began in Bhopal June
25 and is travelling to Hyderabad,
Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai and
finally Delhi July 6. The event
also has the support of non-profit
organisations like SHARAN and
Indias Freedom from Diabetes
Clinic.
July 4-10, 2015
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
M. Venkaiah Naidu addresses top business leaders

Washington, DC: U.S. industry executives
from the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) met with India's Minister of Urban Development, M. Venkaiah Naidu, to discuss
opportunities in the recently launched
schemes of the Government of India that will
have a significant impact on India's urban
development for the next few years.
Minister Naidu engaged with members on
a range of topics, including the Smart Cities
Program, reforms undertaken by the Government of India to improve the Ease of Doing Business, prospective passage of the
Goods & Services Tax (GST) and Land Acquisition Bill.
Speaking about the resurgence of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Minister Naidu said that "India is
fast transforming itself in every sphere of
public life. The economy is back on rails, inflation is under control, and growth rate is at
7.3% and likely to cross 8% in the coming
years." He noted that the Indian Parliament
had passed a record number of 47 legislations in the past year, including some that
had been pending for a long time, like the increase in FDI cap in insurance sector.
Minister Naidu outlined various initiatives
of the government including the Make in India, Skill India, Digital India and Clean India
programmes. He also highlighted efforts to
build a partnership between the Centre and
the States to move forward on reforms like
the GST. He noted that the Government is
linking bank accounts with the unique ID
Urban Development Minister of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu at the roundtable discussion in Washington DC
and mobile telephones to stop leakage in

subsidies. It is focusing on greater transparency and accountability. He emphasized
the human face of reforms, including social
security schemes and affordable housing.
Noting that India has prioritized the creation of 100 smart cities, which will incorporate the use of solar energy, rain water harvesting, good sanitation, drinking water and
smart public transportation, Minister Naidu
explained the recent guidelines for selection
of smart cities, financing infrastructure development and incentives for private sector
participation.
Expressing appreciation for the U.S. support for smart city development of Ajmer,
Allahabad and Vishakhapatnam, he urged
the U.S. businessmen to take advantage of
the business friendly atmosphere and the
great investment opportunities in India, and

invited them to invest in smart cities and
AMRUT projects.
"American enterprise is eager to participate and deepen its commercial dialogue
through the 100 Smart Cities initiative," said
Purna Saggurti, Chairman of Global Corporate and Investment Banking at Bank of
America, Merrill Lynch, and a member of

USIBC's Board of Directors.
Expressing hope and optimism in Minister
Naidu's vision, USIBC President, Mukesh
Aghi said, "Flagship programs such as Smart
Cities, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and
Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Housing for All reflect the Indian government's
dedication to innovation and technology,
while not overlooking the urgent need to provide all citizens with access to basic necessities. Reforms in taxation and land acquisition
remain central to the success of these
schemes." Minister Naidu interacted with
USIBC members and answered their queries.
Representatives of many top US based business houses, who were present in the round
table discussions, expressed keen interest in
India. Prominent among them were, iTECH,
IBM, Honeywell, Genworth, UTC, AECOM, Tyco, Systems Soft, Apple, AT&T,
Dell, Qualcom, Cognizant, Capital Novus,
Moody's, Bank of America, McLarty Associates, etc.
IN BRIEF
Shanti Bhavan kids share their stories in US

his March two lucky 11th
grade students, Ruby Joy
Nagaraj and Rahul Balakrishnan, were sponsored by Tufaan
Entertainment to visit Chicago
for Tufaan 2015. Tufaan Entertainment is a student-run nonprofit that hosts a collegiate
South Asian dance competition at
Northwestern University each
year, where 10 dance teams from
universities across the U.S. come
to compete.
While in Chicago, Ruby and
Ruby and Rahul on NPR radio show
Rahul went on the NPR radio
show Worldview, visited Navy Pier, George, Director of Operations for Shandanced, ate ice cream and more. They ti Bhavan, an NGO. "The opportunity to
also had the opportunity to visit San visit other countries broadens their viFrancisco where they toured Khan Acad- sion." Shanti Bhavan is thankful for the
emy and met the founder, Salman Khan. partnership with Tufaan Entertainment,
"Getting a global perspective allows and all of the proceeds from the dance
them to be global citizens," explains Ajit competition are donated to the school.
1000 Lights for Peace in Houston

ahatma Gandhi Library will be celebrating 146th birth anniversary of
Mahatma Gandhi on Sunday, October 4 at The Miller Outdoor Theater, 6000 Hermann
Park Drive, Houston in the
beautiful Hermann Park. The
event will take place from 5
PM to 8 PM. The program
will start with "Walk For
Peace" from 5 PM to 6 PM. It
is a 5 K walk which will take
place in the lovely Hermann
park starting at Mahatma
Gandhi Statue in Hermann
and ending at The Miller Outdoor theater.
1000 Lights For Peace, an international dance and music show will start at 6
PM and end at 8 PM. The winners of various contests of Mahatma Gandhi Week
2015 will be awarded their prizes during this program. Also hear the young winners of Speech Contests deliver their inspiring speeches.
The international dance and music show consists of various ethnic communities of Houston such as African American, Hispanic, Oriental, Indo-American
and others show cashing practice of truth and non-violence in their culture.
The finale of the program will be a lighting of a candle by all present as a
pledge to practice peace in their own lives.
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
July 4-10, 2015
Seema Jain takes charge as AAPIs third woman president
Dr Seema Jain giving her

inaugural address
Orlando, FL: At a glittering gala on the

concluding night of the 33rd annual convention of the American Association of
Physicians of Indian Origin here, Dr. Seema
Jain became only the third Indian American
woman president of the organization.
In her remarks to the more than 2,500 delegates in attendance, she vowed to make
AAPI a key advocate for womens issues.
AAPI past president Dr. Jayesh Shah
administered the oath of ofce to Jain and
the other incoming ofcers presidentelect Dr. Ajay Lodha, vice president Dr.
Gautam Samadder, secretary Dr. Naresh
Parikh and treasurer Dr. Suresh Reddy.
Aravind Pillai was also sworn in as chairman of the AAPI Board of Trustees by outgoing chairman Dr. Ajeet Singhvi.
Jain said she wants AAPI to focus on
excellence in education, empowerment,
enlightenment and evolution to face the
challenges of the 21st Century.

Now, its time for us to make AAPI mainstream, the Indian American psychiatrist
said. From being an ethnic organization, we
need to be the predominant organization that
is committed to the cause of ethnic Indian
American physicians and the issues they
are ghting for, she added.
Today I ask you to set aside your differences and join me in this noble journey to
make our mission possible, she emphasized.
We will have a special, brand-new academic journal with articles on current medical issues, Jain revealed, adding that there
will be a special health channel on TV Asia
providing medical information to the public.
Jain, who joined AAPI in 1987, said she
wants her presidency to be judged partly on
her commitment to womens issues.
My role as a woman leader (of) AAPI is
to (take) up womens health issues in society

and healthcare issues that affect them. We as
women leaders in AAPI have a mission and
goal to endeavor in creating new programs
for womens health issues focusing on heart
disease, osteoporosis, breast and ovarian
cancer, post-partum depression, pre- and
post-menopausal syndrome.
A graduate of Medical College of Nagpur,
Jain did her U.S. residency at ColumbiaPresbyterian Hospital in New York and then
worked at the New York State Hospital as
assistant residency director.
After serving as an assistant professor of
psychiatry at University of Medicine and
Dentistry of New Jersey, she started private
practice and joined Newton Hospital as medical director and chief of psychiatry. Jain
later joined former Highland Psychiatric
Associates, where she is president and medical director.
Over 20 Indian Americans named R Paul Singh named World Agriculture Prize laureate
Gates Millennium Scholars
Washington, DC: The Gates
Millennium Scholars Program,
the agship scholarship program
of the United Negro College
Fund, recently announced that
over 20 Indian American youth
were among its class of 2015
high school student recipients.
According to an UNCF press
release, each of the students will
be awarded a scholarship that
can be used to pursue a degree
in any undergraduate major and
selected graduate programs at
accredited colleges or universities. The Indian American recipients include: Tika Acharya of
Emmett J. Conrad High School
in Dallas, Texas; Navreet
Bhangu of Wayne Memorial
High School in Wayne, Mich.;
Chandra and Lila Chamlagai,
both of Springeld Central High
in Springeld, Mass.; Kirandeep
Chhokar of Mission Vista High
in Vista, Calif,; and Nahiyan
Chowdhury of Niles North High
School in Skokie, Ill.
Others named included
Ahmed Gedi of Franklin High
School in Portland, Ore.; Priya
Kainth of Savanna High in
Anaheim, Calif.; Ashish Kharel
of Concord High School in
Concord, New Hampshire;
Pramila Nepal of Kentucky

Country Day School in
Louisville, Kentucky; Anika
Nishat of Lawrence North High
School in Indianapolis, Ind.; and
Alishan Noorani of Clements
High School in Sugar Land,
Texas.
Also named were Jay Patel of
the Academy Of International
Studies in Woodburn, Ore.;
Sahil Patel of Robert L. Patton
High School in Hickory, No.
Carolina; Anisha Pednekar of
Oasis Charter High School in
Cape Coral, Fla.; Yasmeen
Pelayo of Willamette High
School in Eugene, Ore.; Ash Rai
of NE Central High School in
Omaha, Neb.; and Cindy
Rajkumar of Ocoee High on
Ocoee, Fla.
The list also includes Sarai
Ramnani of Mohave High
School in Bullhead City, Ariz.;
Vinith Sharma of NE Omaha
North Magnet High School in
Omaha, Neb.; Sabreena Singh
of Luther Burbank High in
Sacramento, Calif.; Roshan
Siwakoti of Aurora Central High
School in Aurora, Col.; and
Kiran Zindani of Creekview
High School in Carrollton,
Texas.
Washington, DC: R. Paul Singh, a

distinguished professor emeritus at
the University of California, Davis,
has been named as the 2015 Global
Confederation for Higher Education
Associations for Agriculture and
Life Sciences World Agriculture
Prize laureate.
Singh, an agricultural engineering
graduate from India's Punjab
Agricultural University, has been
recognized for a body of research in
areas such as energy conservation,
freezing preservation, post harvest
technology and mass transfer in food
processing. He has helped establish
and evaluate food-engineering programs at institutions throughout the
world, including in Brazil, India,
Peru, Portugal and Thailand. As of
R Paul Singh is professor

emeritus at UC Davis
June 2015, his 115 video tutorials

have been viewed more than
150,000 times by individuals from
193 countries. "I'm deeply humbled
and honored, upon receiving news
of this award," said Singh.
"I'm also indebted to my UC Davis

colleagues for their consistent support, which has allowed me to pursue my research and teaching activities in food engineering," he said.
The award was announced at the
annual GCHERA conference, held
June 24-26 at the Holy Spirit
University of Kaslik, Jounieh,
Lebanon, according to a post on UC
Davis website. Formal presentation
of the award will take place Sep 20,
during a ceremony at Nanjing
Agricultural University, Jiangsu
Province, China. Singh earned a
master's degree and PhD at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison
and Michigan State University,
respectively. He joined the UC
Davis faculty one year later, in 1975.
Bela Bajaria promoted as president of Universal Television

San Leandro, CA: After almost
four years as the executive vice
president of Universal Television,
former Miss India USA Bela
Bajaria Bajaria was promoted to
president of the studio in early June.
Bajaria began searching for an
assistant job anywhere in the entertainment industry, landing her rst
job at CBS in 1996. Once she had
her foot in the door, Bajaria said she
wanted to learn everything she
could about the business.
I worked really late, and I really
wanted to learn a lot in my time
there, she told India-West publica-
Bela Bajaria
tion. So I ended up staying at CBS,

and then I got promoted and ended
up running the department in
2001.
After almost 16 years at CBS,
Bajaria decided to head to
NBCUniversal to reestablish the
Universal Television studio as a
stand-alone entity after its creative
programming division was folded
into the NBC network in 2008.
Bajaria oversees creative programming for the studio, which has
been responsible for numerous
primetime hits such as Parks and
Recreation, The Mindy Project,
Law & Order: Special Victims
Unit and Unbreakable Kimmy
Schmidt, to name a few.
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
July 4-10, 2015
Obama to honor an Indian-American math teacher

Washington, DC: Darshan Jain, an
Indian American teacher is one of
the 108 teachers named by President
Barack Obama as recipients of the
prestigious Presidential Award for
Excellence in Mathematics and
Science Teaching.
Jain, who has taught mathematics
at Adlai E. Stevenson High School
in Lincolnshire, Illinois for eight
years where he currently serves as
the director of mathematics, and
other winners will receive a $10,000
award each from the National
Science Foundation.
The educators will receive their
awards at a Washington, DC, event
later this summer.
"These teachers are shaping
America's success through their passion for math and science," Obama
said of the winners.
"Their leadership and commitment empower our children to think
critically and creatively about science, technology, engineering, and
math. "The work these teachers are
doing in our classrooms today will
help ensure that America stays on
the cutting edge tomorrow," he said.
The Presidential Award for
Excellence in Mathematics and
Science Teaching is awarded annually to outstanding K-12 (kindergarten through 12th grades) science
Darshan Jain, director of mathematics, Adlai E Stevenson High

School, Lincolnshire, Illinois (Photo: Dailyherald.com)
and mathematics teachers from

across the country.
"The Presidential Award validates
my core belief that all students can
learn mathematics in authentic, rigorous, and impactful ways," Jain
said. "It is grounded in my experience that collaborative teachers can
help all students achieve excellence." "This award provides opportunities to have discussions around
improving math education at local
and national levels," he said.
Jain's industry experience
includes time spent as a project
engineer and a machine designer.
Jain's love for teaching was
inspired by his work at the Hispanic

Math and Science Initiative and his
students' success in learning. As
adjunct professor for mathematics
education, Jain supported novice
teachers. He now leads exceptional
colleagues as curriculum director
for his district.
Jain has also contributed to the
education community by speaking
on research-based pedagogy at
local, state and national conferences. Jain has a BA in mechanical
engineering and a MS in secondary
mathematics education from the
University of Illinois at Chicago. He
is pursing further graduate work.
Top Indian American

executive quits Twitter
New York: A top-level Indian
American executive has quit microblogging site Twitter to pursue some
exciting new projects, the latest in a
string of high-profile departures.
The exit of Rishi Garg, Twitter's
head of mergers and acquisitions,
comes weeks after Twitter said it is
replacing its CEO Dick Costolo
with co-founder Jack Dorsey as an
interim CEO, USA Today reported.
"After an amazing ride as Twitter's
VP Corporate Development and
Strategy, I'm saying farewell today
(Saturday)," Garg tweeted.
"I am off to pursue some exciting
new projects; more soon! #staytuned," Garg added
He joined Twitter in May 2014
from the firm Square where he was
head of corporate development.
Before that, Garg was an entrepreneur in General Catalyst Partners,
Google and MTV Networks.
"Our team has built a stronger
Twitter with a dozen acquisitions in
the
last
year
including
@periscopeco,@zipdial,@tellapart,
@joinniche," Garg's post read.
"It's been a privilege to bring
incredible entrepreneurs into the
Rishi Garg's is latest in a

string of high-profile departures from Twitter
#flock like @kayvz, @crazyfoo,

@valwagoner, @jeffma, @dlach5,
@gabor."
"I can't wait to witness the company's next chapter under @jack, a
truly gifted leader and human
being," he added.
Richard Verma recalls troubles of 'A minus' in school report card

Sonepat, Haryana: Indian-origin US
envoy Richard Verma on Saturday
expressed gratitude to the values of education and service that his India-educated
parents instilled in him, including ones of
his parents spending days reviewing why
their son got an 'A minus' in his report
card when the other five were As.
Addressing the convocation at Ashoka
University here, Verma said: "For me, I
am extremely humbled that my path has
led me from a modest upbringing in
Western Pennsylvania to become ambassador -- the first Indian American ambassador -- to the country my parents called
home."
Verma said his father graduated from
DAV College in Jalandhar, Punjab, over
60 years ago, before migrating to the US
to teach.
"My mother was also a teacher. I am
certain I don't need to tell you all what it's
like to be the son of two Indian teachers! I
remember coming home in the 9th grade
with a report card of five As and one A
Richard Verma
minus. Yes, you guessed it, we spent the

next days reviewing what happened, and
what could have caused this A minus!" he
said.
"But as an adult, I am ever grateful for
the important values of education and
service that they instilled in me. I also

know that from the alley-way of the
Basti-Sheikh neighborhood of Jalandhar
where my family grew up to the road
leading to the US embassy is not a likely
path or one easily traversed - not without
a lot of help, a lot of friends, teachers and
mentors and a dedicated family.
"I am also very mindful of the extra
obligation we all have to help others who
today may be living down that path or
alleyway like we did, but who also dream
of what the future holds.
"So, leadership is also not forgetting
where you come from and not forgetting
about those who may have been left
behind," he said.
Touching on India-US ties, Verma said
the relations were "soaring forward" following two very successful meetings
between Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and US President Barack Obama.
He said both sides were working together on over 80 initiatives and addressing
all sorts of challenges.
Verma said both sides were working on

challenges like exploring the solar system
and improving the quality of the air.
"I think it is fair to say that progress on
our agenda may in many cases define and
enrich the lives of generations to come,"
he said.
He said the bilateral relationship was
"about more than just programs and initiatives. It is about looking closely at the
full expanse of our people-to-people,
strategic, and economic ties and asking
essentially, 'where do we go next?'
"It is a relationship where, as PM Modi
has recognized, the US and India should
not be looking only at what we can do
together, but also reaching further and
aiming higher, looking at what we can do
for the world.
"And as we define what those next steps
can be, we are finding many areas where
it is possible for both of our countries to
become stronger together," he said,
according to a text of his speech provided
by the US embassy.
US AFFAIRS
Supreme Court will hear new challenge to afrmative action

Washington, DC: The Supreme Court
handed opponents of affirmative action
policies a potential victory Monday by
agreeing to hear another challenge to the
University of Texas' use of racial preferences in admissions.
The one-line order represents a new chapter in a seven-year dispute initiated when
Abigail Fisher, a white applicant, was
denied admission to the state university's
flagship campus in Austin.
Her case first reached the court in 2012,
after she had graduated from an out-of-state
school. Rather than ruling for or against the
affirmative action plan at the time, the justices sent the case back to a federal appeals
court with instructions that it more closely
scrutinize the Texas university's admissions
policies.
The appeals court one of the most conservative in the country again sided with
the school, prompting Fisher's attorneys to

seek the high court's review a second time.
By agreeing to reconsider the policies, the
justices served notice that they might overrule the appeals court and rule against the
school's limited use of race in admissions.
Their decision had been pending for more
than a month, leading some to predict that
they would deny the case, with one or more
conservative justices dissenting.
The Texas school's policy is two-tiered: It
fills 75% of its incoming class with the top
students from nearly every high school in
the state; to make the cut in recent years,
students had to be in the top 7% to 8% of
their high school class. That guarantees
some racial diversity because of the pattern
of housing segregation.
Then, to fill out each year's freshman
class, the school looks at a range of other
factors including race
In historic move, US, Cuba restore diplomatic relations

Washington, DC: In what President Barack
Obama called a historic step forward, the
US and Cuba have re-established diplomatic
relations snapped at the height of the Cold
War 54 years ago.
When the US shuttered our embassy in
1961, I dont think anyone thought it would
be more than half a century before it
reopened, he said from the White House
Rose Garden announcing the historic move.
This is a historic step forward in our
efforts to normalize relations with the Cuban
government and people, and begin a new
chapter with our neighbors in the Americas,
Obama said.
The US and Cuba would reopen their
embassies in Havana and Washington,
respectively, on July 20.
Earlier on Wednesday in Havana, a US
diplomat delivered a note from Obama to
Cuban President Raul Castro restoring diplomatic ties snapped during the Dwight
Eisenhower administration.
Castro also sent a letter to Obama. We
want to develop a friendship between our two
nations that is based on the equality of rights
and the peoples free will, Castro said in the
letter, read on state-run TV.
He went on to say that Cuba hopes to

resolve differences with the US through
peaceful means, that each nation must respect
the territorial integrity of the other and they
should not interfere in each others political
affairs.
Obama has relaxed several of the prohibitions on trade and travel that existed between
the two countries, but many remain in place
and can only be removed by legislation.
Obama also called on Wednesday for the
Congress to lift the embargo that prevents
Americans from travelling to or doing business in Cuba.
But the Congress, controlled by
Republicans, has shown little sign that it
intends to end the embargo.
In his Rose Garden appearance, Obama
noted that many Cubans have called for
increased US engagement with their country,
and said it was time to look toward the
future.
Secretary of State John Kerry announced
from Vienna on Wednesday that he will travel to Cuba to take part in the formal reopening of the US embassy on July 20. It will be
the first visit by a Secretary of State since
1945.
July 4-10, 2015
Hillary faces enthusiasm gap

among Democratic voters
Washington
DC:
Liberals are pros when it
comes to getting people
out to vote, but a new survey shows Hillary Clinton
will have major trouble
turning out Democrats in
2016.
The Democratic Partys
strategy to retain control
of the White House and
win congressional seats
next year relies on
Americas shifting demographics and on voter
Hillary Clinton at her campaign kick off rally in
turnout. But if the disparNew York last month.
ity in enthusiasm is not
Warren has so far refrained from endorsing
addressed, that strategy is at risk, Democracy
Corps wrote in a synopsis of the findings that any Democratic presidential candidate, but
began, Democrats need to give voters a rea- she sure sounded enthusiastic about Bernie
when speaking with the Herald. "These are
son to participate.
The threat comes down to an enthusiasm people who care about these issues, and thats
gap of 19 points between the Democrats who who Bernies reaching," she told the paper. "I
say they are extremely interested in the con- love what Bernie is talking about. I think all
gressional and local races in 2016, and the the presidential candidates should be out talking about the big issues."
much more energized GOP voters.
Clinton's enthusiasm gap with voters
Meanwhile, while Democratic voters aren't
necessarily interested or confident in Hillary explains her visits to places like Ferguson and
Clinton, progressive candidate Bernie Sanders her race-baiting language on the campaign
is catching up and leftist darling Elizabeth trail. It's an effort and strategy to get the same
Warren could end up on the campaign trail to voters who put Barack Obama in the Oval
Office twice to do the same for her.
back him.
Six black churches burnt after Charleston church massacre

Charleston, SC: In the two weeks after a
racially motivated massacre claimed lives of
nine African-Americans, at least six predominantly African-American churches in
south US had been burnt down.
The latest fire occurred on Tuesday night
in the Mount Zion Church in Greeleyville,
South Carolina, 20 years after it was set
ablaze by the white supremacist group Ku
Klux Klan. The fire left the church roofless
and given lightning and storms were reported overnight in the region, authorities said it
was still too early to determine the cause of
the fire.
Tuesday night's fire came as authorities in
Georgia, the Carolina, and Tennessee were
investigating a string of fires at other predominantly black churches.
Though the authorities said three of the
five fires were arson, investigators did not
describe any of the incidents as hate crimes.
Just hours before the fire at the Mount
Zion Church, some 100 km north of the
Charleston church, where a white gunman
shot down nine African-American church-
The burning Mount Zion Church in

Greeleyville, SC
goers on June 17, civil rights group National

Association for the Advance of Colored
People (NAACP) had warned black churches around the country to beef up security.
All the six fires happened after Dylann
Roof, 21, started a shooting spree on June
17 night at the Emanuel African Methodist
Episcopal Church in Charleston, South
Carolina. After his arrest, Roof reportedly
told police that he wanted to start a
"race war".
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10
INDIA
July 4-10, 2015
Lalit Modi issue:

Congress tells PM to speak up
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister
Sushma Swaraj remained at the center
of a political storm as new documents
released allegedly showed that former
IPL chief Lalit Modi offered a job to
her husband Swaraj Kaushal.
The Congress promptly asked
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to
break his "deafening" silence on the
issue.
"Lalit Modi made an offer (of job)
to a family member of a minister.
Why did he do so? We want the prime
minister to inquire," Congress
spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said
here at a press conference.
"We have demanded that all documents available in the case must be
placed in public domain. We should
all know how Lalit Modi was being
helped and why was he being helped
even as a fugitive," he added.
Documents released allegedly show
that Lalit Modi offered a job to
Swaraj Kaushal months after the
External Affairs Minister helped the
tainted businessman obtain travel
documents in the United Kingdom.
After the controversy erupted,
Swaraj Kaushal accepted that he was
offered a position by Lalit Modi.
"I am a lawyer for Lalit Modi for
over 20 years. I was offered to be
alternate director on Indofil Board,
but I did not give my consent,"
Swaraj Kaushal told the media.
Continuing its attack on the NDA
government, the Congress took a dig
at Prime Minister Narendra Modi too.
"The Prime Minister owes it to the
Lalitgate: Jaitley shrugs

off Congress's threat
The Congress promptly asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi

to break his "deafening" silence on the issue.
nation to break his silence on the

issue," senior Congress leader
Abhishek Manu Singhvi said at
another press conference.
"You (PM) are maintaining a deafening silence. They (BJP) are trying
to brazen it out. We demand that the
silence should be broken. It is a situation wherein more you try to hide, the
more the truth comes out," Singhvi
said.
Singhvi said the fact that Swaraj
Kaushal did not take up the offered
job was not relevant. "To have a fugitive, to have the foreign minister's
husband being offered a job is
enough," he said.
"Does this justify the prime minister's silence? Different ministers are
saying there is no stigma. There is no
guilt. Who is giving this certificate of

innocence? The BJP ministers," the
Congress leader said.
The BJP, however, continued to
defend Sushma Swaraj.
"An email is sent in a personal
capacity to a professional appointee
who is a lawyer in this case, which is
Swaraj Kaushal, and he has not even
accepted it. If this is the Congress'
idea of impropriety, then they need to
reflect on all cases that happen every
day in the country," BJP spokesperson
Nalin Kohli told IANS.
"The Congress has run out of ideas
and is desperately clutching at
straws," he added.
Earlier, Surjewala asked Sushma
Swaraj to come clean on the Lalit
Modi issue.
VIPs delaying Air India flights:

PMO seeks report
New Delhi: The Prime Minister's Office has
sought a report from the civil aviation ministry
over delay in Air India flights on account of
VIP travels in the recent past, an official said.
Earlier in the day, the civil aviation ministry
has also asked for reports from Air India on the
recent incidents involving Maharashtra chief
minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union minister
Kiren Rijiju which allegedly led to delay of
flights.
"We are awaiting reports on the (two) incidents from Air India," civil aviation secretary R
N Choubey said.
The ministry has asked Air India to submit the
reports soon and "would take a call after receiving them", he said.
An Air India flight to Newark from Mumbai
was delayed by nearly an hour on June 29 after
it was reported that an aide of Fadnavis travelling with him had not carried his passport with
valid US visa.
Principal secretary Pravin Pardeshi was
cleared at the check-in but was held back before
boarding as the passport he was carrying did not
have the valid visa.
Union minister Kiren Rijiju.
On June 24, a flight from Leh to Delhi carrying Rijiju was delayed for about an hour and
three passengers, including a child, were
allegedly offloaded to accommodate him and
his PA.
Rijuju had claimed it was not a "delay" as the
departure of the flight was "preponed" due to
technical reasons.
New Delhi: Finance

minister Arun Jaitley
brushed aside concerns of Parliament's
upcoming monsoon
session being disrupted over the Lalit
Modi controversy,
saying some people
may be relevant to
TV channels but not
to governance.
Jaitley said the
bills to amend the
Land Acquisition Act
and bring in a uniform
pan-India
goods and services
Finance minister Arun Jaitley.
tax (GST) are very
crucial for development and missioner Lalit Modi.
Jaitley, however, evaded a
hoped no political party takes
anti-growth and anti-develop- direct response to the controversy in which Lalit Modi has
ment position.
"Some people may be of rel- been dragging various politievance to television channels, cians, including him.
The finance minister was
(but) they have no relevance
to governance as far as the hopeful that no political party
government of India is con- will take anti-growth and anticerned," he told reporters development stand to block
the crucial Bills, which he
here.
He was replying to a ques- termed as "extremely necestion on the possibility of the sary".
"There is a lot of importance
monsoon
session
of
Parliament getting washed out of these bills to the country's
over Congress' demand for economy... the government is
resignation of external affairs hopeful that no political party
minister Sushma Swaraj and will adopt a negative
Rajasthan chief minister approach on the issue of
Vasundhara Raje over alleged development of the country,"
links with former IPL com- he said.
India gets new irrigation

scheme, online farm market
New Delhi: In a bid to insulate farmers
from the vagaries of monsoon, the government announced a new national irrigation scheme with an outlay of
Rs.50,000 crore that will not only
ensure supply of water to the agricultural sector, but also promote its efficient
use and prevent wastage.
The government also allocated Rs.200
crore for three years to set up an online
national agriculture market by integrating 585 wholesale markets across India.
The irrigation scheme will have an
outlay of Rs.50,000 crore over a period
of five years beginning the current fiscal, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told a
press conference here. The allocation
for the current financial year is
Rs.5,300 crore.
The approval to the "Pradhan Mantri
Krishi Sinchayee Yojana" (PMKSY)
was given by the Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs (CCEA) at a meeting
chaired by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi.
Jaitley said the scheme aims to

expand cultivable area under assured
irrigation, improve on-farm water use
efficiency to reduce wastage of water
and enhance the adoption of precisionirrigation and other water saving technologies.
He said the programme aims at a
decentralized state-level planning and
execution structure, in order to allow
states to draw up a District Irrigation
Plan (DIP) and a State Irrigation Plan
(SIP).
The programme will be supervised
and monitored at the national level by
an Inter-Ministerial National Steering
Committee (NSC) under the chairmanship of the prime minister.
The CCEA also gave its approval to a
central scheme for promotion of
National Agricultural Market through
Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund (ATIF).
An amount of Rs.200 crore has been
earmarked for the scheme from 201516 to 2017-18.
INDIA
July 4-10, 2015
11
India Inc. commits Rs.450,000 crore for 'Digital India'

New Delhi: As Prime Minister Narendra
Modi launched the "Digital India Week",
India Inc. committed an investment of
Rs.450,000 crore (some $75 billion) for the
initiative that seeks to empower citizens by
deploying IT and associated tools.
Choosing no less than a sports stadium to
launch the initiative where who's who of
India Inc. packed the rows, Prime Minister
Modi said industry captains have committed investments of Rs.450,000 crore toward
"Digital India" and create 1.8 million new
jobs.
The prime minister also unveiled a logo
for Digital India -- an umbrella program
that seeks to transform India into a digitally-empowered, knowledge economy with a
host of initiatives for a synchronized and
coordinated engagement of the government
and its agencies.
The prime minister said it was not enough
for India to say that it is an ancient civilization, and a country of 1.25 billion with
favorable demography. "Modern technology needs to be blended with these
strengths," he said.
He laid emphasis on useful technologies
and said at one point India was criticized
for launching satellites but today these
were helping the common people. Farmers,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the launching ceremony of Digital India Week,
in New Delhi.
for instance, are able to access weather

forecasts.
"Similarly, the Digital India initiative is
aimed at improving the lives of the common people," Modi said, adding while
India may have missed the industrial revolution, it will not miss the IT revolution that
is transforming peoples' lives.
The Prime Minister assured full support
Jaya juggernaut rolls down

opposition
Chennai: AIADMK general secretary
and Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa
returned to the Tamil Nadu assembly
crushing the opposition by a by a
record victory margin from the
Radkhakrishnan Nagar constituency
here.
Jayalalithaa polled 160,432 votes
while her nearest rival, Communist
Party of India's (CPI) C. Mahendran,
got just 9,710 votes -- a victory margin of a whopping 150,722 votes.
The total electorate in the constituency was around 245,000, and the
chief minister bagged 65 percent of all
votes polled.
Going by the votes polled by
Jayalalithaa, it is clear the vote banks
of the opposition parties which boycotted the polls fell into her kitty and
did not go to the CPI.
Mahendran was followed by independent candidate and social activist
K.R. Ramaswamy, popularly known
as "Traffic Ramaswamy" (4,590
votes) while 2,376 people opted for
`None of the Above' category.
While there were 28 candidates in
the fray, only CPI's Mahendran was
viewed as a serious opponent for
Jayalalithaa.
As noisy celebrations erupted at the
AIADMK headquarters and outside
Jayalalithaa's residence, Tamil Nadu
Governor K. Rosaiah congratulated
her over her landslide win.
Central Minister of State for Road
Transport, Highways and Shipping
Pon Radhakrishnan of the Bharatiya
Janata Party conveyed his "heartfelt
AIADMK general secretary and

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister
J. Jayalalithaa.
greetings" to Jayalalithaa on her mega

victory.
AIADMK activists and leaders generously distributed sweets to all and
sundry and burst crackers to celebrate.
An elated Jayalalithaa thanked voters and AIADMK supporters for her
victory and said the result was a forerunner for the 2016 assembly election.
This is the seventh by-election victory for the AIADMK since it came to
power in 2011. The party has won all
the by-elections held since 2011.
In 2006, AIADMK's P.K. Sekarbabu
polled 84,462 votes in Radhakrishnan
Nagar. In 2011, P. Vetrivel of
AIADMK got 83,777 votes and
defeated Sekarbabu, who by then was
in the DMK. Vetrivel's victory margin
was over 31,000 votes.
to young entrepreneurs who wished to

launch start-ups. He called upon the youth
to innovate and said "Design in India" is as
important as "Make in India".
The event also saw a host of industrialists
announce millions of dollars of investments
in their own "digital" programs. They
included Reliance Group's Anil Ambani,
Reliance Industries' Mukesh Ambani,
Bharti Group's Sunil Mittal and Aditya

Vikram Birla Group's Kumaramangalam
Birla.
Others at the event included Delta group's
Ping Cheng, Vedanta's Anil Agarwal,
Wipro chairman Azim Premji, Lava's Hari
Om Rai, Airbus' Peter Gutsmeidl, Hero
Group's Pawan Munjal, and Nidec Corp's
Mikio Katayama.
For the "Digital India" scheme, Modi has
already been named the chair of a highpowered panel to monitor and all existing
and ongoing e-governance initiatives.
These will be revamped and aligned with
the larger principles of "Digital India",
according to an official statement.
The larger goal of Digital India includes
broadband connectivity in all panchayats,
Wi-Fi in all the schools and universities
and public Wi-Fi hotspots in all important
cities by 2019. It will be deployed in delivering services in areas like health, education, agriculture and banking.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the
"Digital India Week" was part of a series of
programmes intended to give a new direction to the country in terms of the IT revolution. He also announced that a "Skill
India" educational initiative will be
unveiled next week.
AAP govt to splurge over Rs 500 crore

on advertisements
New Delhi: Opposition parties attacked the
AAP government for reportedly hiking allocation for information and publicity, saying
spending public money on "self publicity"
amounted to corruption.
According to reports, the Aam Aadmi Party
has reportedly set aside over Rs 500 crore to
fund its radio advertisements over the current
financial year, in which chief minister Arvind
Kejriwal will address the people of Delhi and
share his government's work.
The ads, which will run with the tagline 'Jo
Kaha, So Kiya', will refer to his party's prepoll promises and the steps taken by the government to implement them.
"They (Delhi government) have set aside Rs
526 crore just for information and publicity
and last year only Rs 24 crore was spent for
the same," Congress leader Ajay Maken.
"They have cut budget from various other
infrastructure development works and they are
spending money on their own party workers
and consultants. Is it not a form of corruption
by spending more money on self publicity?"
Ajay Maken asked.
Former AAP leader Prashant Bhushan also
criticized AAP government's move.
He alleged that Arvind Kejriwal government's new FM radio ad was a contempt of
court and the issue would soon be brought to
the notice of the Supreme Court.
"The TV advertisement brought in by
Kejriwal government was in complete violation of the Supreme Court's order and it
amounts to contempt of court. To think that
you can do anything by way of radio advertisements because it doesn't carry a photograph
would be total misunderstanding of court's
order.
"If the radio advertisement is used to publicise and promote a party, government or a
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
political leader, that would be in violation of

Supreme Court's order and it will be soon
brought to the notice of the court that this is
how political parties are violating the spirit of
court's order," Bhushan said.
According to a senior government official, to
connect with people of Delhi, government has
released a 70-second long advertisement
which is being played on FM radio channels.
In the advertisement, chief minister Arvind
Kejriwal says that his government has doubled
the budget for education and the allocation for
health has gone up by 45 per cent. He says his
government has the intent to spend money on
people's welfare.
The move came close on the heels of the
Supreme Court banning use of pictures of
chief ministers and other political personalities
on advertisements, billboards or hoardings of
government schemes. The Prime Minister and
the President are the only exceptions to the
rule.
12
INDIA
July 4-10, 2015
Modi hasn't shown signs of dictatorship: Journalist Coomi Kapoor

Interview with author of the new book about the emergency period of 1975-77.
By Preetha Nair
rime Minister Narendra Modi
hasn't shown any signs of
dictatorship nor is there any
chance of an emergency being
declared again, says veteran journalist Coomi Kapoor, who has
recently authored a book on the
draconian measure imposed on the
country by Indira Gandhi during
1975-77.
"You can't compare both the leaders. So far Modi hasn't shown any
signs of dictatorship. He has a
majority only in the Lok Sabha.
Emergency is difficult to happen
again. Now, no government can Power was concentrated in the hands
control the media easily as it has
of the two during the emergency.
proliferated," Kapur told IANS in India Gandhi was an insecure person The then West Bengal chief minister and leading lawyer of
his time, Siddhartha Shankar Ray was the legal brain
an interview ahead of the 40th
suspicious of her colleagues
behind Indira's "biggest political gamble".
anniversary of imposition of
and party men. Sanjay was her
national Emergency.
Achilles heel.
She also debunked the clean chit Indira Gandhi, saying that it was Shukla replaced I.K. Gujral as the cious of her colleagues and party
given by Indira Gandhi's close aide Ray who was the architect of the I&B minister. Then, there was cen- men. Her paranoia about her politiR.K. Dhawan that it was not the Emergency and he blamed sorship and we were not allowed to cal colleagues, coupled with her
former prime minister but senior Sanjay Gandhi for the mass ster- report anything - not even parlia- determination to have her own way
Congress leader S.S. Ray who had ilization campaigns and the mentary proceedings. A handful of made Mrs. Gandhi a formidable
crafted the measure, adding that Turkman Gate demolitions in newspapers which fought valiantly. political contender.
Indira Gandhi was fully aware of Delhi.
The police raided the office of
the excesses committed during the
A: Dhawan is talking nonsense. Everyman's magazine brought out
Q: Is there any comparison
time.
The emergency was the brainchild by Jai Prakash Narayan. On June between Narendra Modi as he
"Dhawan is talking nonsense. of Mrs. Gandhi. Ray only helped 28, Indian Express came out with a also enjoys a majority in the Lok
The emergency was the brainchild her to implement her plans, sterili- blank space instead of an editorial.
of Mrs. Gandhi. Ray only helped zation campaigns and the Turkman After that, the censors passed a rule
her to implement her plans," said demolitions were done with the full banning blank spaces. Quotes from
Kapoor, the author of "The knowledge of Mrs Gandhi. When great works of literature or even
Emergency: A Personal History Subhadra Joshi, the local MP, went from the Bhagavad Gita were pro(Penguin/Viking).
to Mrs. Gandhi to protest against scribed. Jokes, cartoons and satirithe demolitions, she snapped at cal articles were subjected to cenExcerpts from the interview:
Joshi.
sorship.
Q: Your book says that Indira

Gandhi had planned the
Emergency much before June
1975. How did you come to this
conclusion?
A: The general notion about the
Emergency is that Mrs. Gandhi
imposed it immediately after the
court disbarred her as an MP for
election malpractices. However, the
preparations for stifling expressions
of dissent were being planned
much before June 26 (1977). A
handwritten note by her close aide
and the then West Bengal chief
minister Siddhartha Shankar Ray
shows that she had plans to introduce the emergency in January. The
only reason I could think is the
assassination of (then railway
Minister) L.N. Mishra at
Samastipur because she was rattled
by his death. The situation wasn't
volatile in the country as JP's
movement was not at its peak and
Gujarat was calm after the resignation of the chief minister.
Q: In a recent interview, R.K.
Dhawan gave a clean chit to
Q: Why a book after 40 years?

A: I felt that the younger generation knows very little of what had
happened during the emergency.
Unlike other books on the emergency, I had the advantage of
accessing many valuable documents like the Shah Committee
report, B.N. Tandon's diary. My
personal life also suffered a lot during the course. My husband was
arrested under MISA after a tiff
with Ambika Soni. They kept shifting his jail and with a baby in tow I
travelled far to visit him. My brother-in-law, Subramanian Swamy, did
a Scarlet Pimpernel act, appearing
in parliament and then disappearing. The police sent out an alert for
him and after that, my family was
hounded.
Q: Give us a sense of the excesses of the emergency and how the
press was muzzled?
A: It was the darkest days for
India and for the press. The power
supply to newspaper offices cut off
for the first two days, so we could
not bring out the editions. V.C.
Q: You have devoted many

pages on Sanjay Gandhi, how he
ruled over his mother and his
wild ways. Why was Indira
Gandhi so much dependent on
him?
A: He was her Achilles heel.
Whenever her spoilt, rebellious son
got into trouble, Mrs. Gandhi was
quick to protect and defend him. He
also knew very firmly what he
wanted to do. Long before June 12,
1975 (when the Allahabad High
Court debarred Indira Gandhi) she
was already under pressure as complaints were pouring in against
Sanjay's Maruti small car project.
Sanjay played a major role in shaping events during the two years of
the emergency. However, his mother blindly trusted him and followed
what he said. Power was concentrated in the hands of the two during the emergency.
Q: Did you succeed in decoding
Indira Gandhi and her actions?
A: She was an insecure person.
Despite all the powers, she felt
threatened. She was deeply suspi-
The Justice Shah Commission

that probed Emergency
excesses, cited the name of
V.C. Shukla, Information and
Broadcasting minister then,
in its report.
Sabha? Do you see a repeat of

emergency?
A: You can't compare both the
leaders. So far Modi hasn't shown
any signs of dictatorship. He has a
majority only in the Lok Sabha.
Emergency is difficult to happen
again. Now, no government can
control the media easily as it has
proliferated.
After Indira Gandhi was found guilty of violating electoral laws

by the Allahabad High Court, JP Narayan called for her to
resign. He proposed a program of social transformation which
he termed Sampoorna kraanti. Immediately afterwards, Indira
proclaimed a national Emergency. JP and many opposition
leaders like Atal Behari Vajpayee were arrested. When
Emergency was revoked in January 1977, the Janata Party,
formed under JP's guidance, was voted to power.
Coomi
Kapoor
with a
copy of her
Emergency
book.
OP-ED
July 4-10, 2015
13
Yoga as part of the matrix which links India

By Saeed Naqvi
yurveda entered our lives as tiny,
plastic vials of Amritdhara, three
drops in a teaspoon of sugar, the
panacea for all stomach ailments. Yoga followed in its earliest manifestation as photographs of Pandit Nehru doing a head stand
or 'sees aasan'.
"Dont try it without being guided by a
guru, elders would warn. It can be dangerous. We were tempted because we
imagined headstands would make us brainy
like Pandit Nehru.
Indias first prime minister would have
been the perfect poster boy for yoga
because not only was he supple and therefore adept at it but he also had the charisma,
an essential requirement for successful marketing. Narendra Modi must be given marks
for all the hullaballoo which has, let's face
it, given yoga renewed global notice.
Would this not have been a wonderful
occasion to focus on the late Guru
Aiyangars institution. The yoga ashram in
Monghyr, Bihar, set up by Swami
Satyanand sends thousands of yoga teachers, one of whom guides me and my family.
From him I learn of the precarious existence
of many, serious yoga teachers.
It was never brought to our notice that
yoga or indeed Ayurveda were Hindu.
Likewise, the Unani system of medicines,
Namaz, therefore, would both be prayer and light exercise. But Namaz is a
religious ritual. It is denominational. Yoga in its conception is not.
the one which Hakeems practiced, was certainly not Muslim. It could not have been.
Unani means Greek which would suggest it
was part of the traffic of neo platonic ideas
in medieval time across Arab lands.
The trajectory ideas take is often unpredictable. The late Hakeem Abdul Hameed,
founder of Hamdard, which became part of
our lives, actually came from a family from
Kashgar in Xinjiang region of China, which
clearly links up with Central Asia and clarifies the narrative so much more.
In north India, the Hakeem became more
than just a medicine dispenser. He became
something of a cultural institution. In addition to the human body, he knew languages,
philosophy, art, music.
Ghalibs contemporary Momin was actually Hakeem Momin Khan Momin, whose
ghazals surpass Ghalibs in some instances.
It is generally not known that poet, lyricist,

Majrooh Sultanpuri was a Hakeem by training. While Hakeems and Vaids represented
two cultures with a common purpose, there
was actually nothing quite like yoga. It was
exceptional.
Some Muslims thought that anyone who
said his Namaz five times a day would
never be an invalid. This made immense
sense. If you stand upright, bend, rest on
your knees, then go down placing your forehead on the prayer mat, and repeat the
reverse process as well in five sets of exercises five times a day every day of your life,
you will keep nimble and fit. At the end of
the Namaz drill, you must also rotate your
neck in both directions ostensibly to keep
the devil away but actually to protect yourself against spondylitis.
Namaz, therefore, would both be prayer
and light exercise. But Namaz is a religious
ritual. It is denominational. Yoga in its conception is not.
And this brings me to my theory of the
Triple S Matrix to which yoga may be
added as the forth S, possibly as
Sadhna.
Sanskrit is the first S. Two important S
in the national chain are Saree and
Sangeet.
All of this is part of Indias soft power
which deserves as much attention from
Narendra Modi as yoga does.
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
14
OP-ED
July 4-10, 2015
After US verdict, where does India stand in the gay movement?

By Satya Prakash
he historic US Supreme
Court verdict legalizing
same-sex marriages will give
a fillip to the gay movement in
India, but is unlikely to have any
direct bearing on petitions seeking
to decriminalize gay sex because
the ruling has only persuasive value
in the country.
In December 2013, the Indian
Supreme Court reversed a Delhi
High Court verdict and criminalised
consensual homosexual acts.
Upholding the constitutional validity of Section 377 of the Indian
Penal Code, it put the ball in
Parliaments court, saying it was for
the legislature to take a call on the
desirability of the controversial provision.
While curative petitions requesting Indias top court to correct its
mistake remains pending, the US
Supreme Court has led the country
In India, the entire debate has centered around societal norms,

morality and tradition instead of constitutional rights.
into an unprecedented era where

same-sex couples, too, may aspire
to the transcendent purposes of
marriage and seek fulfilment in its
highest meaning".
The limitation of marriage to
opposite-sex couples may long
have seemed natural and just, but
its inconsistency with the central

meaning of the fundamental right to
marry is now manifest, ruled the
US Supreme Court with a 5-4
majority.
In India - where the question is
decriminalizing consensual gay sex
in private, leave alone the right to
same-sex marriage - the entire
debate has centered around societal
norms, morality and tradition,
instead of constitutional rights.
Many of the petitioners opposing
de-criminalization of gay sex
before the Supreme Court of India
are religious leaders.
The legal position on homosexuality in India - as it exists after the
Supreme Courts verdict - goes
against established constitutional
principles of personal liberty,
equality before law and non-discrimination on the basis of sex or
sexual preferences.
The US verdict sets an example
for equal treatment of sexual
minority and entitles them to the

benefits hitherto extended by the
State only to heterosexual couples.
It is also a negation of social tradition and morality as a tool to curb
freedom and sexual preferences of
a section of the society.
They ask for equal dignity in the
eyes of the law. The Constitution
grants them that right, the US
Supreme Court declared.
The real question is: Can the
state, society or religious leaders
regulate the sexual preference and
behavior of consenting adults in
private?
Senior advocate Anand Grover,
who represented Naz Foundation in
the anti-377 case, said The US
Supreme Court has gone to the logical conclusion and recognized
same-sex marriage. We are hoping
that our courts will act now and
decriminalise gay sex.
(The article appeared in The
Hindustan Times)
Is India globally competitive?

By Amit Kapoor
ndia's position, since the Narendra Modi
government completed one year in
office, has been a matter of wide-ranging
discussion and speculation. Numerous articles have been written about the economy
and other aspects of India's prospects for the
future. A pertinent question to ask in the economic sphere is how does India fare in its
overall competitiveness in comparison with
other countries?
One approach to answering this question
could be in looking at composite indices like
the Global Competitiveness Index in which
India fares a poor 71st of the 144 countries
considered in 2014-15. However, the problem, with this approach is that it is static in
time for one year during which many significant things happen in an economy.
The approach here for assessing India's
competitiveness would be to use a conceptual model and look at some recent data and
key developments that have taken place in
the past year. It helps in making a dynamic
reflection of India's competitiveness at present.
Along the internal conditions hard facts
quadrant, one witnesses an improvement in
the inflation data as well as the old GDP
data. India's consumer price inflation (CPI)
subdued to 5.01 percent (provisional) in May
2015 against 8.33 percent in May 2014. The
RBI has taken cognizance of this development and has adjusted key rates accordingly.
An improvement of roughly one percentage point is also observed if one looks at the
GDP data from the old series.
Also, employment has bettered from May
to December 2014 (2.75 lakh jobs) if one
compares it to May to December 2013 (1.26
lakh jobs).
Sector-specific data on power also shows
that a capacity addition of roughly 22,000
It is visible that India is not

extremely competitive at
present but is bettering its
economic prospects.
MW in a year - the largest in a year in India's

history. Data on Index of Industrial
Production (IIP) shows that for April 2014 to
March 2015 there was growth of 2.8 percent
over a contraction of -0.1 percent for the
same period in the previous year. Thus, quite
a lot has been achieved in this sphere.
Along the internal conditions policy quadrant, there are three distinct things one
observes.
First, there is a growing recognition of
making states as partners in the development
process. Similarly, there is a growing recognition of understanding that states need to
cooperate as well as compete to make India
more competitive. The power to attract
investments for states also depends on competitive tax rates that are a bit higher at present at the union level.
Second, the urban programme (Smart
Cities, AMRUT, housing for all) will hopefully empower city leadership to become
more autonomous and independent in deciding the destinies of cities and their residents.
Hopefully, it will also lead to better environmentally and economically viable cities of
the future.
Third, within the railways sector that connects India, the recently released Bibek
Debroy committee report is a step in the
right direction for modernization.
Despite the export performance, FDI
inflows in India remain robust. According to
UNCTAD's World Investment Report 2015,
India is 9th overall in attracting FDI inflows.
India's FDI inflows jumped 22 percent to
reach $34 billion in 2014. China remains the
top destination with approximately four
times our inflows at $129 billion. India also
regained the top slot in remittances with
overseas Indians sending back a staggering
$70 billion in 2014, according to World
Bank estimates.
There has been a surge in the capital markets since Modi took over and the BSE
Sensex has increased from roughly 24,700
points in May 2014 to near the 27,500 points
mark at present.
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
Finally, the rupee has depreciated from 59

to a dollar in May 2014 to roughly 63 at
present. This is despite the tightening of the
monetary policy stance by the US Federal
Reserve.
India's increasing foreign engagement
where it remains a beneficiary of official
bilateral aid and pledges of investment as
well as a donor - as in the recent case of
Nepal. The economic diplomacy space here
has considerably expanded.
The reform process has to be pursued more
aggressively and quickly. It can be done by
opening up sectors of the economy and also
looking Central Public Sector Enterprises in
a strategic manner.
Foreign Policy magazine's Baseline
Profitability Index points to India being the
top destination for investment in 2015. It
goes on to show that investor perception
remains good about India.
It is thus visible that India is not extremely
competitive at present but is bettering its
economic prospects. The reforms process
would aid in making India more competitive.
India needs to improve its competitiveness
by making it easier to start, operate and wind
down a business operation in India. Also to
compete infrastructure, tax rates and skills
need to be bettered and much will be
dependent on India's execution capability.
COMMUNITY
July 4-10, 2015
15
16 Role Models walk the runway to attract girls to STEM

By Jinal Shah
New York: They may not be your sassy runway models who dress up to the nines and
saunter down the ramp with a heavy strut, but
they sure know how to walk the ramp with
lan and win hearts. Meet the 16 role models who participated in one of a kind fashion
show held at Rouge Space in New York City
on June 25.
Yes! Role Models. These accomplished
women of South Asian origin, in STEM
related fields, participated in the Stars of
STEM fashion show, aimed at attracting
girls into Science, Technology, Engineering
and Math (STEM) careers.
The idea behind the fashion show was to
elevate and illuminate the jobs of the future
and the women role models who currently
work in them, said Joya Dass, TV Anchor
and co-founder of LadyDrinks, NY based
womens networking initiative that features
workshops, panel discussions, and networking events/dinners geared towards supporting
the South Asian female entrepreneur. The
fashion show was part of LadyDrinks third
year anniversary celebrations.
Statistics point at an imbalance of men and
women in STEM fields. According to a
February 2015 USA Today article, women
comprise 47 percent of the U.S. workforce,
but only 7.2 percent of mechanical engineers,
8.3 percent of electrical and electronic engineers, 28 percent of environmental scientists
and geoscientists and 39 percent of chemists
and material scientists.
Many chalk up the difference to a lack of
female role models in STEM fields. Joya
Dass, through Stars of STEM, is attempting
to bridge the gap between aspiring STEM
students and seasoned professionals by highlighting their achievements.
Dasss fashion show was inspired by Carrie
Hammers runway success Role Models Not
South Asian origin women accomplished in STEM fields took part in the 'Stars of STEM' fashion show.
(Photo by Alfred Miller, courtesy: LadyDrinks.)
Runway Models at the New York Fashion

Week. As the music picked up, a lineup of
poised women, dressed in Mitan Goshs creations, took to the runway. Each role model
exuded confidence as if it were her job. Their
actual jobs included senior consultant, technologist, for Ernst & Young (Akanksha
Thakur); principal associate, Capital One
Financial (Anamika Chanda); systems engineering manager, Cisco (Anuja Kochar
Singh); cancer biologist, Memorial Sloan
Kettering Cancer Center (Debyani
Chakravarty); Womens Own Obygn LLC
(Hetal Gor); high school chemistry teacher,
Woodbridge Township School District (Jaya
Banerjee Chatterjee); senior research
chemist, BASF (Jaya Laxmi Mohanan); systems engineer, Alcatel-Lucent (Jyoti
Sharma); visiting associate professor, SUNY
Stonybrook and senior research scientists
NASA, (Karina Yager); founder and president, PARS Environmental Inc (Kiran Gill);
CEO, First in Math India (Monica Patel);

biology teacher turned IP Attorney (Science)
Crowell & Moring (Preetha Chakrabarti);
senior structural engineer, WorleyParsons
(Rima Lahiri); founder and economist,
Sayfty (Shruti Kapoor), quality compliance
manager, Luitpold Pharmaceuticals Inc
(Zalini Bhagroo); founder, lead researcher &
director of Brain Wellness Programs (Ree
Chawla). Talking about the low representation of girls in STEM fields, Chakravarty,
one of the participants of the fashion show,
said, It may not appeal to you, it may not
look sexy but it doesnt have to be mutually
exclusive. You dont have to be either smart
or sexy, you can be both. You can be feminine and be a scientist or you can be a model
and also be an engineer.
Bhagroo, also a participant, echoed
Chakravartys views.
A portion of the proceeds from the event
will go towards a scholarship for a young girl
from the Boys and Girls Club of Newark

(BGCN), who aspires to study in a STEM
field. Chief Transformation Officer for
BGCN, Kavita Mehra, cited statistics about
the disparity in access to STEM education.
With eight million jobs in STEM fields
expected to transpire by 2018, the disparity
in access to STEM education, particularly for
children who live in densely populated,
underfunded urban areas is an issue we can
address today. Only 57% of African
American students have access to STEM
education, versus 81% of Asian Americans or
71% of Caucasian students, said Mehra
Some proceeds collected from the event
will go towards the launch of Lachman
Family STEM Center, an after-school program in Newark.
At the center members can learn robotics,
coding, app creation, and water robotics and
have a fighting chance at these jobs, she
added.
Vim and vigor at Vaisakhi Mela

The 11th Annual Vaisakhi Mela 2015 was held
in Gurdwara Sahib Glen Cove on Long Island on
June 28. Sangat came from all over Tri State
Area and even Canada and India.
Gurdev DP Singh (middle) has been donating the top

raffle prize for many years. Manmeet K Lamba
(right) is general secretary of the gurdwara.
Performance
by New York
Gatka.
The lucky raffle prize winner of a new car

was Gagandeep Kaur.
There were several bhangra and

gidda performances.
16
July 4-10, 2015
MAHARASHTRA CM IN NEW YORK
Make in Maharashtra,
Fadnavis tells US businesses
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke to American industry executives at the

meeting organized by USIBC in New York.
New York: Joining a stream of investment-seeking Indian leaders to the US,

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra
Fadnavis told business leaders here that
when they Make it in India it should be in
his state and pitched its competitive edge.
Speaking with American industry executives at a meeting of the US-India
Business Council (USIBC) on Monday
afternoon at The Pierre, Fadnavis said:
"The government has taken a variety of
measures to promote ease of doing business in the state and we want to be viewed
as a top destination for both domestic as
well as international investments."
He received an endorsement from the
USIBC president Mukesh Aghi, who said,
"The Council's member companies have
been encouraged by the ease of doing
business in Maharashtra."
"Our government", Fadnavis said, "is
committed to providing a boost to both
'Make in India' and 'Make in Maharashtra'
campaigns, provide business to both

medium and small enterprises and create
much-needed jobs."
He identified Delhi-Mumbai Industrial
corridor and Smart Cities among the critical projects that the state was promoting
for joint ventures. He also invited investments in manufacturing, agriculture, aviation, engineering and IT.
Fadnavis began his investment safari
just after Union Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley wound up last week a 10-day tour
of the US meeting with US business and
financial leaders to promote India as an
investment destination. They are trying to
take advantage of the momentum in FDI
heading to India after the BJP was elected
to power. The UN Conference on Trade
and Development (UNCTAD) reported
last week that FDI in India rose by 22 %
last year to $34 billion.
Fadnavis said that the state had taken
several reforms in regulations to make
Maharashtra state delegation signed an MoU with Blackstone and Panchshil

Joint Venture (SPV) for three different projects. (From left): Apurva Chandra,
Principal Secretary - Industry, Maharashtra; Atul Chordia - Panchshil Realty;
CM Devendra Fadnavis and his Industries Minister Subhash Desai. (Standing)
CG Dnyaneshwar Mulay and Mukesh Aghi - President of USIBC
o commemorate the visit of

the young and dynamic
Maharashtra Chief Minister
Devendra Fadnavis to the US, The
South Asian Times published a
Special Supplement in association
with Friends of Maharashtra on
Monday, June 29. The all-color supplement was distributed at the community reception for the CM at The
Pierre, and was much appreciated.
The Supplement titled Mumbai to
Manhattan highlighted the CMs
agenda for his state, as well as
Maharashtras rich history, culture
and investment potential.
What made the supplement special
was the fact that CM Fadnavis -- a
committed mass leader with a global outlook - gave an exclusive interview from Mumbai to The South
Asian Times on the eve of his visit
to America. In the interview, he
freely talked about the goals of his
'Make in India....Invest in
Maharashtra' initiative to engage
NRIs and Americans in India's
development, as well as the challenges faced to achieve those goals.
I call upon NRIs from the US to
come to India, and take calculated
risks in setting up business there,
and bringing their higher learning
from US universities to take Indian
manufacturing, research and IT
towards a high value-added direction, he said.
Consul General of India in New
York, Amb. Dnyaneshwar Mulay
was also interviewed for the supplement and the launch of Friends of
Maharashtra reported.
doing business in Maharashtra competitive. Backing him, Aghi said, "I have no
hesitation in saying that the state has the
potential to emerge as a high ranking state
on the ease of doing business index."
"The infrastructure, a mature workforce,
a series of business friendly administrations over the last few decades makes it
an attractive FDI destination," said Ashok
Vasudevan, chairman of Preferred Brands
International, the manufacturer of the
Tasty Bite natural foods brand.
"The state is remarkably resilient due to
its diversified base of industry that
includes energy, agriculture, food processing, entertainment, engineering,
chemicals, pharmaceuticals and financial
services," he added.
Ashok Vasudevan - CEO, Preferred

Brand International, a Connecticut
based food company, said
Maharashtra has emerged and
attractive FDI destination.
July 4-10, 2015
MAHARASHTRA CM IN NEW YORK
17
Maharashtra Chief Minister

addresses Indian community in NYC
By Ashok Ojha
New York: Following the footsteps of
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj
Singh, who visited New York to reach out to
NRIs through the forum Friends of Madhya
Pradesh arly this year, Maharashtras youthful Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis arrived
in New York City on June 29 on a 5-day visit
to the US aiming at attracting investment in
his state.
On the first day of his trip, the chief minister was accorded a warm reception at Pierre
Hotel in mid-town Manhattan by a newly
formed Friends of Maharashtra and the
Consulate General of India in New York,
where he addressed a gathering of more than
700 leading Indian Americans.
Fadnavis laid out his vision of transforming
Maharashtra into an investor friendly state
where the number of permits and licenses for
launching a manufacturing or service-oriented unit were drastically reduced by his state
government. Inviting foreign investors to his
state, he said, We follow a single window
clearance policy for any project for which the
CEO of Maharashtra Industrial Development
Corporation (MIDC) is a contact point. He
added that his top priority was to provide
employment opportunities for the educated
youth, who constituted the largest section of
labor force in the country.
I am sleepless over the challenge of utilizing the potential of manpower available in
my state, which is a significant contributor to
national growth, he commented and underscored the host of initiatives undertaken by
his government including the construction of
coastal road network in Mumbai and transportation links between metropolitan
Mumbai and mainland Maharashtra.
The CM, who led an official delegation that
included his Industries Minister Subhash
Desai and Chief Secretary Pravin Pardeshi,
also addressed meetings organized by the
US-India Business Council and Overseas
Friends of BJP on the first day of his US
tour. Later he also met Chris Christie,
Governor of New Jersey and a presidential
hopeful for 2016.
Orange clad artists played drums and sang
prayers and performed traditional dances of
Maharashtra to greet the chief minister at the
Pierre Hotel reception. Ambassador
Dnyaneshwar Mulay, Consul-General of
India, introduced to him the guests comprising successful professionals from the community that boasts sending CEOs to US companies.
Prominent among the guests were Mukund
Kute, a well known community organizer
from Pennsylvania, and Kishor Gore, an IT
specialist, who also mobilized support for the
launch of Friends of Maharashtra. The
guests at the reception were served an elegant
5-course dinner comprising a wide range of
Indian dishes such as vada-pav, a popular
snack of Maharashtra, which was redesigned
to look like an Indian version of burger. Raju
Srivastav, one of the nine Indians selected by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lead the
Swatchh Bharat campaign, entertained
guests with jokes and satirical comments.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was accorded an impressive reception by Friends of Maharashtra and
the Consulate General of India at Pierre Hotel in NYC, where he projected an investor friendly image of his state and
appealed to NRIs to give back to their native land.
Newly formed Friends of Maharashtra presented a plaque

to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis honoring him.
Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay

introduced the guests to the CM.
Consul General Mulay and his wife, Sadhna Shanker, and

Kishore Gore, of Friends of Maharashtra, join the CM at
lamp-lighting ceremony to begin the evenings proceedings.
Maharashtras Industries Minister

Subhash Desai speaking on the occasion.
Popular comedian Raju Srivastav

entertaining the crowd.
18
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
July 4-10, 2015
Salman, Amitabh among Forbes Celebrity 100

ollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan,
Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar,
as well as ace India cricketer
Mahendra Singh Dhoni have made it to the
Forbes annual Celebrity 100 rankings of
the world's highest-paid celebrities.
Both Bachchan and Salman share the
71st rank with earnings of $33.5 million
each, while Akshay with $32.5 million is
placed 76th. Dhoni with $31 million is
ranked 82nd.
This year's list ranks the world's 100
highest-paid celebrities, regardless of
nationality. American professional boxer
Floyd Mayweather tops the list with $300
million in earnings, followed by Filipino
iconic boxer Manny Pacquiao ($160 million).
Singer Katy Perry ($135 million), who is
ranked no.3 on the list has been featured on
the Forbes magazine cover.
Bollywood stalwart Bachchan, 72, the
magazine noted, has starred in more than
150 movies in his 50-year career and continues to earn top rupee for his roles in
icks such 2014's "Bhoothnath Returns".
One of India's biggest stars, Salman
Khan, 49, has appeared in some 80 movies
since his 1989 breakout role in "Maine
Pyar Kiya". He also appears on the small
screen, hosting reality show "Bigg Boss",
the Indian version of "Big Brother".
'Jurassic
World' fastest
to gross $500
mn in North
America
niversal's Jurassic
World has become the
fastest film to gross $500
million in North America. It is
only the fifth film to amass that
figure in the continent, reports
ew.com.
In its third weekend, Jurassic
World brought in an estimated
$54.2 million and narrowly surpassed Disney-Pixar's latest animation film Inside Out, which
made $52.1 million.
Hrithik gets over 10

million followers
on Twitter
Amitabh Bachchan hugs Salman Khan on the sets of the film 'Jai Ho'.
Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar has
appeared in some 50 movies since his
1992 breakthrough in "Khiladi". He earned
top rupee for roles in 2014 movies such as
"Holiday" and "Entertainment".
Dhoni, who retired from Test cricket at
The second on the $500-million

grossers list is the 2008 film
"The Dark Knight" which
minted a total of $534 million
in the North American market.
Jurassic World is
already the fastest film to hit
$1 billion globally, and the
last weekend brought its
worldwide total to an estimated $1.238 billion, making it
the eighth biggest movie of all
time.
Even though the film topped
the box office for the third weekend in a row, it was still a tight
race with Inside Out, which
also had a strong showing, only
dropping about 42 percent.
Starring Chris Pratt, Bryce
Dallas
Howard,
Vincent
D'Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick
Robinson, Omar Sy, B.D. Wong
and Irrfan Khan, Jurassic
World is set on Isla Nublar
island, the same location as
"Jurassic Park". It is a direct
sequel to the runaway 1993 hit.
A scene from the film 'Jurassic World'
the end of 2014, led India to the semi-nal

of the 2015 Cricket World Cup before suffering a loss to eventual champion
Australia. He is co-producing an upcoming
biopic titled "M.S. Dhoni: The Untold
Story".
'Pak lms must create own

identity, not copy Bollywood'
Actor Hrithik Roshan.
ctor Hrithik Roshan has got over

watching Hindi lms, so
10 million followers on microthey are trying to make
blogging site Twitter.
lms which look like
The 41-year-old actor thanked his
Bollywood lms," Hamza
fans for being his inspiration.
said.
"Oye! I crossed 10 mil. Just realized.
"Pakistan's lm industry
How wonderful. Thanks guys, u all r my
should make its own identibiggest inspiration n my deepest reason 2
ty. I don't want our lm
be n serve at my best ," he tweeted.
industry to be some
The "Bang Bang" actor is currently
wannabe lm industry,"
shooting for Ashutosh Gowariker's epic
added the actor, whose
adventure-romance "Mohenjo Daro"
maternal family hails from
opposite actress Pooja Hegde, who makes
Amritsar.
her debut in tinsel town with the film.
Now he has walked into
Hrithik is behind megastar Amitabh
the Indian small screen
Bachchan, who has 15.5 million fans,
through his show "Pyaare
Shah Rukh Khan, who has 13.8 million,
Afzal", which beams here
Salman Khan, who has 12.6 million and
on Zindagi channel.
Aamir Khan, who enjoys 13.3 million folHamza, who has studied
lowers on the website.
bachelors in international
relations and development
from US and is a former cultural we have a chance to make it a dissecretary of Pakistan Tehreek-i- tinct medium of representation
Insaf (PTI), evinces hope with the instead of trying to be a cheap copy
new wave of cinema taking over in of Bollywood," he added.
The actor, who has worked in
Pakistan. While there was a "Zinda
lms
like "WAAR" and "Main
Bhaag", which was sent as a
prospective Oscar nomination, Hoon Shahid Afridi" and whose
Pakistan's rst Oscar winner theatrical repertoire includes interSharmeen Obaid-Chenoy has national projects like "Bombay
brought in animation lm- Dreams", "Phantom of the Opera"
making to the country with and "Home is Where Your Clothes
"3 Bahadur", a 3D feature Are", added that Pakistani lm
industry can learn a thing or two
drama.
"Our lm industry is still from its own TV industry. "Our
in a process of emerging. only representative across the globe
With this new lm industry, is TV dramas. Our identity is brilPakistani actor Hamza Ali Abbasi.
liantly represented in TV dramas.
akistani actor Hamza Ali

Abbasi says the inux of
Hindi lms has spelt trouble
for his country's entertainment
industry, which he feels is losing its
distinct identity in a race to "be a
cheap copy of Bollywood".
"I feel the Indian lm industry
has had a huge impact in Pakistan
because they lled the void which
was created when lms were not
being made here (in my country).
Our lmmakers have grown up
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
July 4-10, 2015
19
2015: After tepid first half, hope now on Khans Rishi Kapoor fails to recognise his 'Damini'
Rishi
Kapoor
with
'Damini'
co-star
Meenakshi
Seshadri.
ith just one blockbuster "Tanu Weds Manu

Returns" in its first six
months, it's been a low-key 2015
for the Bollywood box office.
Content turned out to be the
mainstay, as proven by the success and appreciation fetched by
entertainers like "Dum Laga Ke
Haisha", "Piku" and "ABCD 2",
but hopes are high from the second half, especially from Shah
Rukh Khan and Salman Khan's
films, trade experts say.
The initial months witnessed a
slump in viewership as compared
to last year, courtesy cricket
mania caused by the World cup
and Indian Premier League. Films
like Arjun Kapoor and Sonkashi
Sinha's "Tevar", megastar Amitabh
Bachchan and southern star
Dhanush's "Shamitabh", Arjun
Rampal and Jacqueline Fernandes's
"Roy" - though hyped - didn't work
very well for the box office.
Akshay Kumar's Baby, which
earned close to Rs.90 crore, was the
first hit film of the year and then
came offbeat movies like
Badlapur (Rs.50 crore), Dum
(Above) A poster of the Shah Rukh

Khan's film 'Dilwale' and Salman
Khan in 'Bajranji Bhaijaan'
eteran actor Rishi

Kapoor, who is in the
midst of shooting
"Kapoor and Sons", says he did
not recognize his "Damini" costar Meenakshi Seshadri on
meeting her after many years.
The 62-year-old actor took to
micro-blogging website Twitter
morning to share a photograph of
the former actress and asked his
fans to guess who the actress
was.
"Any guesses who this is? I
didn't recognize her for a
moment. What a lovely surprise.
Name in 30 mins no hints," Rishi
tweeted.
The "Bobby" actor received
Laga Ke Haisha (an estimated

Rs.27 crore) and NH10 (Rs.30.60
crore), which garnered appreciation
not only from critics but audience
too. The first four months were
very bad, barring one or two films
here and there. If we compare the
first four months of 2015 to last
year, then this year was worse,
trade analyst Taran
Adarsh, said. The box office graph
saw a positive trend from May.
"In May, we had Gabbar is
Back, Piku and Tanu Weds
Manu Returns. But Bombay

Velvet was a big debacle. There
were three hits in May. Then in
June, ABCD 2 did really well.
From May, the film industry is facing better time, he added. The
remaining months offer hope with
big budget films like Salman
Khan's Bajrangi Bhaijaan and
Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Shah
Rukh Khan starrer Dilwale,
Akshay's much awaited Singh is
Bling, which may even cross the
Rs.200 crore mark.
many answers.
He then replied: "99% got it
right. Meenakshi Sheshadhari as
always whenever in Mumbai
pays us a visit unannounced.
Looking gorgeous."
Rishi also told his fans and
well-wishers about the "Damini"
actress' whereabouts and tweeted
: "Damini, MS, lives happily with
hubby Harish Mysore and 2 kids,
girl and a boy in Dallas, U.S.
Visiting relatives,can work in
film if a good role."
Rishi and Meenakshi have also
worked together in films like
"Vijay", "Sadhna", "Ghar
Parivar","Bade Ghar Ki Beti" and
"Gharana".
A captivating account of activist film journalism

By Mayank Chhaya
n an India swirling with cultural
undercurrents, one area that has
remained largely underserved by
writerly attention is Hindi cinema.
Although in recent years there have been
several books written about specific
aspects of Hindi cinema, the field remains
rich with possibilities.
Mining those riches with his fourth book
"The Patels of Filmindia: Pioneers of
Indian Film Journalism" is journalist and
writer Sidharth Bhatia who has emerged
as an effective and efficient chronicler of
India's pop culture.
Published by Indus Source Books, "The
Patels of Filmindia" shows how rich the
untapped Hindi cinema journalism and
criticism from the 1930s onward was a
cultural resource. Beyond that, Bhatia
brings to life the story of a film journalist
with a withering gaze at the cinema whose
foundation was still being sculpted.
Before this book, Bhatia had written
three others "The Navketan Story: Cinema
Modern", "Amar Akbar Anthony: Masala,
Madness, Manmohan Desai" and "India
Psychedelic: The Story of a Rocking
Generation". All four books examine
The cover art of the book

"The Patels of Filmindia: Pioneers
of Indian Film Journalism.
aspects of India's popular, even urbane,

culture and its evolution from the 1950s
onward. It is a space that is rich with stories as long as someone patient and meticulous is willing to tell them. Bhatia now
straddles that space.
Bhatia jumps into a rich resource in the
past issues of Filmindia, later rechristened
as "Mother India" to construct a fascinating account of arguably India's most

inventive and feared film journalist and
editor who began publishing Filmindia in
1935. Patel with his sharp unsparing wit
and passionate interest in cinema and
those who make it all happen became the
most influential albeit it dreaded film journalist in Bombay during a period when
Hindi cinema was still striking its roots.
Along with his equally respected wife
Sushila Rani the Patels were a power couple of the period.
"Baburao was an extraordinary editor he practically wrote the entire magazine
himself till Sushila Rani came and shared
some of the burden with him. His rapport
with his readers was tremendous - they not
only admired and respected him but also
adored him," Bhatia writes. "Sushila Rani,
as I found, was equally eclectic in her
broad interests. Apart from being a superb
classical singer, she had been an actress
and a journalist. She came from a highly
cultured and liberal family in which girls
were expected to get educated and find
careers, or at least have interests outside
studies. She could, and did, talk about
everything under the sun, from politics to
the arts, and a lot about her passion, classi-
cal music," he says. Reading early pages

of the book one sees unfold the charming
nascent history of Hindi cinema as captured by Patel and revived by Bhatia. The
book offers eminently readable insights
into the buildings blocks of India's pop
culture as it came to take birth and flourish
in Bombay/Mumbai. That this year marks
the 80th year of Filmindia's founding
underscores how closely it paralleled the
trajectory of Hindi cinema itself.
"The Patels of Filmindia" is rich with
images of hand-painted posters of the
movies and film stars of the era that lend it
the kind of flourish ideal for its coffee
table format. However, at its heart, given
Bhatia's discipline as a seasoned hard
news journalist, it is a serious reflection on
the historic times when a nation-state was
discovering itself. The book also talks at
some length about Patel's reinvention of
the journal more as a political platform.
Bhatia takes care to cover all aspects of
Patel's rather compelling and colorful personality of the kind that has not been seen
since in film journalism. For someone
who began as a movie journalist Patel's
savvy as a political mind and that too
avowedly right-of-the-center is also effectively captured here.
20 July 4-10, 2015
DIASPORA
Gurudwara holds Iftar

for Muslims in UAE
Dubai: A gurudwara in the
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
held an Iftar party for Muslims
fasting in the holy month of
Ramadan, a media report said on
Wednesday.
The gurudwara in Jebel Ali
organized the iftar for the second
consecutive year. The guests of
honor were people from Al
Manar - a Quran study Centre,
the Khaleej Times said.
Last year, the Al Manar Centre
started inviting guests from different religions for Iftar and the
gurudwara reciprocated.
Ten guests, including an
Islamic speaker Ahmad Hamid,
and representative of Al Manar
Center Abdul Hadi were present
at the Iftar. They did not stay for
long, however, they opened the
fast at the gurudwara. Hamid said

they completed the "crux of the
mission", which was "to share the
principles of why they fast."
"This is the best time to share
the principles of religion with
everyone in this part of the
world," Hamid said.
Surinder Singh Kandhari, chairman of the Guru Nanak Darbar
also invited about 20 other
Muslim friends.
"He speaks about the importance of submitting yourself to
God," Kandhari said about
Hamid's speech on the occasion.
"We recited the Quran, and we
made a speech on the importance
of fasting, the feeling was wonderful," Abdul Hadi, representative of Al Manar Center said on
the evening at the Gurudwara.
London Ratha Yatra 2015: Jagganath, Baladev and Subhadras' cart reaches Trafalgar Square
Embassy of India hosts photo exhibition on Bashkortostan
Ambassador P.S. Raghavan and Mr. Artur Shainurov, Plenipotentiary representative of the
Republic of Bashkortostan in Moscow (right) Bashkir traditional song Meeting guests by the Ak
Tirma Folk Group of Bashkir National Cultural Centre Caption:
Moscow: A photo exhibition

Bashkortostan with Eyes of
Foreign Photographers was inaugurated on June 24 at D.P. Dhar
Hall, Embassy of India, Moscow.
The exhibition was jointly inaugurated by the Ambassador of India
P.S. Raghavan and Artur Shainurov,
Plenipotentiary representative of
the Republic of Bashkortostan in
Moscow. Yuri Baturin, Hero of the
Russian Federation, Chairman of
the Russian Union of Art
Photographers was also present at
the occasion.
The five days long exhibition
showcased 50 works of 25 foreign
photographers who have been to
Bashkortostan in recent years.
Bashkortostan government organizes a campaign, "Nature. Human.

Culture", in every June under which
a photo tour takes place for a week,
in which photographers from
abroad and other regions of Russia
participate. This year is the 25th
anniversary of photo expeditions.
Two Indian photographers Banu
Prakash Chandra (The Week) and
Ritu Raj Kanwar (The Hindu) also
participated in the photo expeditions in 2013 and 2014. Six photographs of the two artists are also
displayed in the ongoing exhibition.
Ambassador Raghavan welcomed
the organization of the photo exhibition which displays various colors
and aspects of Bashkir culture and
region. He conveyed his best wishes to Bashkortostan government

and people for upcoming BRICS
and SCO Summits. Observing the
exhibition, the Ambassador of India
and Mrs. Barabara Raghavan appreciated the works of the photographers.
A cultural program organized at
the occasion included a Bashkir traditional song Meeting guests by
the Ak Tirma Folk Group of
Bashkir National Cultural Centre,
an Indian classical dance presentation students of Jawaharlal Nehru
Cultural Centre (Embassy of India)
and a solo cello piece by Iskandeor
Khannanov (Vladimir Spivakov
Fund Scholarship Holder).
Four policemen suspended for

assaulting NRI in Hyderabad
Hyderabad: Hyderabad's police
commissioner has suspended four
police personnel and transferred a
sub-inspector of police for beating up four youth including an
NRI living in Ireland, a statement
said on Tuesday.
V.Sampath, sub-inspector of
Musheerabad Police Station has
been transferred pending enquiry,
said a police statement.
Hyderabad
Police
Commissioner Mahender Reddy
on Sunday ordered a probe by an
assistant commissioner of police
after Mallapuram Vasu, one of the
victims, complained through
email, about the highhanded
behavior of police.
Vasu, who is an Irish resident,
complained that he and three others were beaten with fibre batons
by the policemen, who also
demanded Rs.3 lakh bribe.
Based on Vasu's statement, a
case was registered against the
policemen at Musheerabad police
station.
According to deputy commissioner of police, west zone, during the preliminary enquiry, the
policemen were found involved

in beating and highhanded behavior tarnishing the image of police.
The police officer said the four
people in a heavily drunken state
were creating nuisance in the
early hours of June 25 in
Musheerabad area. They argued
with police and resisted attempts
to bring them to the police station.
"Enraged by their behavior, the
police personnel have beaten
them up with fibre lathis and
hands and caused severe bruise
injuries to Mallapuram Vasu and
simple injuries to others," he said.
After conducting a breath analyzer test, a case was registered
against them. While one of them,
identified as Preetam, was arrested and produced before the magistrate, others were let off.
The police commissioner
warned that such conduct on the
part of police personnel is unacceptable and they have been
instructed to handle all such cases
with due care and caution without
being provoked, the statement
said.
SUBCONTINENT
July 4-10, 2015
21
Chinese submarine visit to Pak no threat to India: Beijing

Beijing: A Chinese submarine's
visit to Pakistan was in no way a
threat to India, according to a
military spokesman of the
defense ministry here.
Asked by visiting journalists to
the Chinese ministry of national
defense whether such a visit
could be seen as a threat to India,
as some commentators have said,
Major Jiang Bin, staff officer on
Asian Affairs at the ministry, said
that military relations between
China and Pakistan were "never
directed at India".
He said Beijing recognized that
there was a problem between
Pakistan and India on some
issues, but for China, Pakistan
was its "traditional friendly country", and relations with India
The visit by the Chinese submarine in May to Karachi was seen

as a threat to India.
were "developing quite well in

recent years" especially after top-
level visits between the countries.

Later, defense ministry
spokesperson Yang Yujun reiterated this, saying China's relationship with one nation was "not
directed at a third party".
Yujun, who holds the rank of a
senior colonel equivalent to a
brigadier-general in the army
hosted Indian journalists from
India and Indian journalists based
in Beijing, answered a wide variety of questions on India-China
military relations and Beijing's
military strategy.
The spokesman also said it was
not the first vessel of the Chinese
navy that had visited Pakistan
and that such visits had taken
place to several countries, including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and
India. The visit by the submarine
in May to Karachi was seen by
commentators in India as raising

the level of cooperation between
the two countries which could
eventually be a threat to India.
Jiang said that the Pakistani
side had also raised concern
about the growing relationship
between China and India and
they wanted to know if this
would affect them. He said the
issue was similar.
Jiang, who helps in "evolving"
matters related to Pakistan and
India in the ministry, said that
China was glad to see that the
two immediate neighbors were
engaging in direct dialogue with
each other. "It might take some
time to completely solve the
problem", but he felt they were
moving in the right direction.
Sharif, army chief discuss alleged Indian funding India to ink agreement with
Myanmar, Thailand: Gadkari
Islamabad: Pakistan Prime

Minister Nawaz Sharif and army
chief Gen. Raheel Sharif discussed
India's alleged involvement in
funding terrorism in the country, a
report said.
The two discussed disclosures
made in a BBC documentary alleging that the Muttahida Qaumi
Movement (MQM) got Indian
funding to carry out subversive
activities, the Dawn said.
The accusations come at a time
when the MQM, a dominant force
in Karachi, faces an investigation
into charges of money laundering.
A team of investigators from
Scotland Yard arrived in Islamabad
to question a suspect arrested in
connection with a case in April.
Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif with army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif.
MQM chief Altaf Hussain rejected claims of any involvement with

the Indian intelligence agency the
Research and Analysis Wing
(RAW). But MQM leader Tariq

Mir told police in London earlier
that Hussian knew about Indian
funding of MQM's activities.
Rajapaksa to contest
parliamentary election
3 militants get death

penalty for NATO trucks attack
Colombo: Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda

Rajapaksa has announced that he would contest the
August 17 parliamentary elections.
Speaking to a large
crowd in his hometown
of Tangalle town,
Rajapaksa said he
could not reject the
request of his supporters to contest, the Daily
Mirror reported.
"People's request asking me to contest canFormer Sri Lankan
president Mahinda
not be ignored,", he
Rajapaksa.
said,
adding:
"Therefore, I will contest the election and continue the development projects and revamp the country's economy."
He also said he would rectify their previous mistakes and approach the people in a more sensitive
manner on the journey ahead. Rajapaksa was Sri
Lanka's sixth president. He served from November
2005 to January 2015, when he lost his bid for a
third term to Maithripala Sirisena.
Islamabad: Three Taliban militants have been given

an eight-time death sentence by a Pakistani court for
attacking trucks carrying critical supplies for NATO
troops in Afghanistan in 2010, ofcials said.
Afraz-ur-Rehman, Ali Imran and Wajih-ur-Rehman,
belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
militant group, were found guilty by a Rawalpindi
Anti-Terrorist Court.
A lawyer conrmed that the three were given eighttime death sentence by the court.
The three were found guilty of carrying out the
brazen late night attack in Islamabad on NATO supply
convoy in 2010 in which 11 oil tankers were gutted
and four persons died.
More than 25 oil tankers had stopped for refuelling
on the outskirts of Islamabad when they were attacked
by at least eight gunmen.
The gunmen rst opened re and then set the oil
tankers on re. Soon after the attack, TTP accepted
responsibility.
TTP has often targeted NATO supplies to disrupt the
US-led military operation in Afghanistan.
About 70 per cent of NATO supplies and 40 per cent
of its fuel needs are shipped to Afghanistan via
Pakistan.
Agartala: In the wake of

an agreement between
India, Bangladesh, Nepal
and Bhutan for unhindered
vehicular movement, a
similar accord with
Myanmar and Thailand
will facilitate smoother
surface movement in the
region, union Road
Transport and Highways
Minister Nitin Gadkari
said.
"An agreement will soon
Union Road Transport and
be signed with Myanmar Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.
and Thailand to make surface connectivity with adjoining embarked upon the construction
countries in the region easier," the of one lakh km roads in the next
union minister said after laying five years in the eight northeastthe foundation stone of a double- ern states bordering China,
laning project of National Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and
Bhutan.
Highway 44 here.
"Of this target, 10,000 km of
He also said that funding from
Japan International Cooperation roads will be completed soon. A
Agency would be sought to devel- total of 20,000 km roads will be
op and improve roads in the completed by December. National
northeastern region of the coun- Highways and Infrastructure
Corporation
try. The agreement between India Development
and three other member-nations Limited (NHIDCL) has taken iniof the South Asian Association for tiatives to speed up the road
Regional Cooperation (SAARC) works," he added.
NHIDCL, a fully owned comin Kathmandu on June 15 was
expected to provide a major boost pany of the Ministry of Road
to regional cooperation through Transport and Highways, was set
unrestricted vehicular movement up recently to promote, conduct
surveys, establish, design, build,
effective September 18.
The Indian government has operate, maintain and upgrade
taken ambitious initiatives to national highways and strategic
develop connectivity between the roads, including interconnecting
country and its neighbours like roads in parts of the country that
Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, share international boundaries
Myanmar and Thailand to boost with neighboring countries.
Gadkari inaugurated a confereconomic prosperity, he said.
Announcing road projects for ence on 'Key challenges in highincreased connectivity among ways and infrastructure construcnortheastern states and with tion in northeastern region and
neighbouring countries, the min- use of innovative technologies
ister said his ministry had and materials' in Guwahati.
22
INTERNATIONAL
July 4-10, 2015
Greece reveals new debt deal, pensioners line up at banks

Athens/Berlin: The Greek government has
revealed its latest proposal for a debt deal with
creditors to stave off a default and Grexit -exit from the eurozone -- in the coming weeks
even as thousands of pensioners lined up outside 1,000 bank branches opened to disperse
pension payments.
The government dismissed media reports
claiming that it fully accepted lenders' offer
ahead of a crucial Eurogroup teleconference
rescheduled for Wednesday evening.
Athens' draft deal, which was submitted as
Greece was declared in arrears to the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) on
Tuesday midnight. It sought a new two-year
loan to deal with financing problems through
the European Stability Mechanism (ESM),
and requested a further restructuring of Greek
debt. "The Greek government has tabled a
new proposal with a series of amendments to
the institutions in a bid to achieve a mutually
beneficial agreement," a statement issued to
the media said.
"Reports that Greece has accepted all the
terms of the creditors' proposal are unfounded," it was stressed.
The Greek government requested that a 30
percent discount of VAT rates on islands be
maintained, while agreeing to reduce the
expenditure ceiling for military spending by
200 million euros ($222 million) in 2016 and
400 million euros in 2017.
Greece moots 'No' vote in

Sunday's referendum
Athens: Greece Finance Minister Yanis
Varoufakis has said that a No vote in
the referendum on the Greek debt issue
will be justified after the Eurogroup
talks on the issue ended without a solution. The latest emergency Eurogroup
talks on the long-anticipated Greek debt
deal ended fruitless with creditors
telling Athens that discussions would
resume after Sunday's referendum on
the offer made by institutions last week.
Varoufakis released shortly afterwards a statement presenting the leftist
government's arguments for a No
vote.
The crowd of Greek pensioners wait outside a bank for
drawing euro cashes in Athens, Greece.
The labour reform framework would also be

legislated in autumn 2015.
Meanwhile, thousands of pensioners lined
up outside 1,000 bank branches opened to disperse pension payments to those without bank
cards. Capital controls imposed by the Greek
government have left retirees restricted to
withdrawing a maximum of 120 euros
($133.5) each week, while all Greek banks

have been closed since Monday, and will stay
closed until July 6, a day after the referendum
on whether Greece should stay in eurozone.
Banks have committed to issue credit or
debit cards for the pensioners as soon as possible. The cards will allow retirees to withdraw
60 euros ($66.7) per day from ATMs, and also
Barack Obama discusses Greek economic

crisis with Italian PM
Washington: The US and Italy
have agreed on the need for
"reform and financing" to address
the Greek economic crisis.
During a telephonic discussion
between US President Barack
Obama and Italian Prime Minister
Matteo Renzi, the leaders "agreed
on the importance of working
together to put Greece back on a
path of reforms and financing that
leads to growth and debt sustainability within the Eurozone", the
White House said in a statement
on Wednesday.
Both leaders said their teams
were in "close contact and are

monitoring economic developments in Greece as well as the
broader financial markets".
Economy and finance ministers
of eurozone overlooked requests
from Athens and the complex economic situation in the country and
decided on Wednesday not to
enter into negotiations for a new
bailout for Greece until the outcome of the July 5 referendum is
known.
Greek Prime Minister Alexia
Tsipras on Saturday said the country would hold a referendum on
July 5 on the latest debt deal proposed by its international creditors. The eurozone ministers studied two letters sent by Tsipras to
his partners, reviewed the current
political situation in Greece, and
decided to wait, said Eurogroup
President Jeroen Dijsselbloem.
A decision by the Eurogroup is
the first step towards a third
bailout programme, particularly a
mandate to the European
Commission, which, in collaboration with the European Central
Bank, will analyse the economic
situation in Greece.
make payments in shops and gas stations, or

any place that accepts the card.
On Saturday, Greek Prime Minister Alexia
Tsipras said the country would hold a referendum on July 5 on the latest debt deal proposed
by its international creditors.
Merkel reiterated that the door to talks with
the Greek government "was always and will
always remain open", but she would not seek
compromise at any cost.
Ferry with 173 on

board overturns in
Philippines, 36 dead
No Chinese troops in Pakistani Kashmir, says Beijing

Beijing: China has denied any of
its armed personnel were posted
in Pakistani Kashmir, stating that
these were "just stories".
A senior leader in charge of
bilateral relations with India and
Pakistan said that with modern
technology and satellites no
troops could remain undetected
anywhere.
"Even 5,000 ants cannot hide
from being seeing," Deputy
Diretor-General of Department of
Asian Affairs at the foreign minister, Huang Xilian said here.
Xilian recently return from
Kathmandu after attending the
conference on reconstruction with
China's foreign minister. India's

External Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj was also there. The two
ministers met at the sidelines of
the donor conference.
The DDG, who was meeting
visiting Indian journalists and
those based in Beijing, said that
any mention of armed forces in
the region (Pakistani Kashmir)
"was groundless". India had "very
good spy satellites", so where
could the troops hide, he asked.
"Show us the evidence," he
added.
He was responding to a question about comments made by
senior army personnel in India on
the presence of Chinese troops in

the disputed area. He said perhaps
the construction workers in uniform were "mistaken" for Chinese
armed men. He said China always
hoped that such comments were
made only "after checking facts".
Responding to another question,
Xilian said that China was aware
of the concern shown by India on
construction activities in the
region. "But these are only commercial ventures" which had been
going on for years. "There's nothing new there," he said. The government of China had no activity
of military or other kind in the
region.
Manila: A ferry with 173 people on board overturned in

rough waters in the central
Philippines as rescuers rushed
to the scene, the coast guard
said. The Kim Nirvana was
heading from the central city of
Ormoc to the island of Camotes
when it capsized, the coast
guard office in Manila said.
36 people have died and 19
are missing while 118 people
have been rescued in Ormoc
city on central Leyte island after
an inter-island ferry capsized
there, says coast guard spokesaman.
Search and rescue operations

were ongoing and it was unclear
if there were any fatalities or
anyone rescued so far, the coast
guard office said.
Poorly-maintained, looselyregulated ferries are the backbone of maritime travel in the
sprawling archipelago.
But this has led to frequent
accidents that have claimed
hundreds of lives in recent
years, including the world's
worst peacetime maritime disaster in 1987 when the Dona Paz
ferry collided with an oil tanker,
leaving more than 4,300 dead.
BUSINESS
July 4-10, 2015
23
India Inc pats Modi for restoring Bombay HC allows Maggi exports,
keeps domestic curbs
government credibility
New Delhi: India Inc has
lauded Prime Minister
Narendra Modi for restoring
the government's credibility
by taking steps towards
transparency in its functioning.
"The NDA government
has shaped a new economic
direction for the country's
growth and development
over the past year," the
prime minister's ofce said
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
in a statement after a 15member CII delegation
called on Modi. preciating the govern- Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (clean India
ment's work during its rst year in ofce, drive) and Jan-Dhan Yojana (national misindustry captains said its various initiatives sion for nancial inclusion of all, includsuch as ease of doing business and Make ing the unbanked).
Welcoming India Inc suggestions, Modi
in India were visionary and innovative
exhorted
the confederation to motivate its
with high impact.
"The speed and scale of rollout of these members to work for self-reliance in key
campaigns have been remarkable and sectors in a timeframe.
"As three sectors of the economy - oil
unprecedented," the statement said, quoting views of the delegation members rep- and petroleum, electronic goods and
resenting the Confederation of Indian defense -- account for most of our import
bill, there is huge potential for the industry
Industry (CII).
Other initiatives include smart city mis- to innovate and Make in India," Modi told
sion, housing for all, clean energy mission, the CII delegation.
Mumbai: In a partial relief

for Swiss fastfood giant
Nestle, the Bombay High
Court has allowed the
company to export all varieties of its popular twominute Maggi noodles
from India, though restrictions on domestic marketing would continue.
The order came after the
Food Safety and Standards
Authority
of
India
(FSSAI), which ordered
the ban since June 5, said
Maggi products, including the two-minute noodles,
it has no objections to the
were banned by the Indian food safety agency.
company exporting the
products instead of destroying them. natural justice since the company was not
Maggi products, including the two-minute given a proper hearing.
The company also questioned a similar
noodles, were banned by the FSSAI earlier this month after several samples were order passed by the Maharashtra Food and
found to contain lead and MSG beyond Drugs Authority, banning it in the state on
the grounds of being unsafe and harmful
permissible limits.
Shortly afterward, Nestle India chal- to the people. The FSSAI has justied the
lenged the ban on the grounds that it was ban on Maggi products and termed as
"unauthorized, arbitrary, unconstitutional" "incorrect" the company's claims that it
as it violated the right to equality and adhered to "strict food safety and quality
trade, and was violative of principles of control at all Maggi factories".
Facebook launches Lite to get 57 countries including India make China-led bank a reality
2G users on board
New Delhi: Social networking
site Facebook is betting on the
new light version of its app on
the popular Android platform to
tap the 2G using population of
the country.
"According to GSMA data,
nearly 80 percent of Indians are
on 2G and hence we want to ease
the Facebook interactive experience for them," said Vijay
Shankar, product manager,
Facebook Lite.
"There was a demand for this
product and we decided to do our
research and development before
developing a separate app that
will cater to the demand and also
update itself as time goes by,"
Shankar said. According to the
social networking site, Facebook
Lite was built for these situations, giving people a reliable
Facebook experience when
bandwidth is at a minimum. In
many areas, networks can be
slow and not able to support all
the functionality found in
Facebook for Android, it said.
The Lite app, which is less
than 1MB, can be downloaded
from the Play Store. The app
uses a compression technology
wherein most of the heavy lifting
is done on Facebook's servers.
Explaining the technology,
Shankar said: "Lite can run on
phones with lower hardware
specs as the cache is smaller in
size and also the app does not
consume much memory on the
device."
The new app includes
Facebook's core experiences like
News Feed, status updates, photos, notications but has no
options for video, GPS-using
facilities and @tagging features.
Beijing: In a historic move, representatives of 57 founding countries, including India, signed an

agreement on Monday for the
China-led $100 billion multilateral
Asian Infrastructure Investment
Bank (AIIB) that paves the way for
the bank's operation later this year.
China, India and Russia are the
three largest shareholders, taking a
30.34 percent, 8.52 percent and
6.66 percent stake, respectively.
Their voting shares are calculated
at 26.06 percent, 7.5 percent and
5.92 percent.
The signing of the 60-article
AIIB agreement is a historic step
forward in building the China-initiated multilateral bank, said
Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"The signing of the document
reveals the commitment of the parties involved in the founding of the
AIIB, as well as their solidarity,
cooperation, openness, inclusiveness and quest for common development," Xi told representatives of
the 57 countries.
The Beijing-headquartered bank
China, India and Russia are the three largest shareholders,

taking a 30.34 percent, 8.52 percent and
6.66 percent stake, respectively.
will start operation at the end of the

year under two preconditions: at
least 10 prospective members sign
the agreement, and the initial subscribed capital is no less than 50
percent of the authorised capital.
The bank will have authorized
capital of $100 billion and Asian
and Oceanian countries will contribute up to 75 percent of the total
capital.
Each member will be allocated a
share of quota based on their economic size.
With a principal mission to fund
infrastructure projects, the bank
will help meet the massive capital
requirements of infrastructure projects worth trillions of dollars in the
Asia-Pacific.
24
SPORTS
July 4-10, 2015
Satnam creates history,

becomes first Indian in NBA
New York/Mumbai: Hoopster
Satnam Singh Bhamara has created history by becoming the first
Indian to get drafted into the
National Basketball Association
(NBA).
The seven feet two inches tall,
131 kg Indian was picked by
Dallas Mavericks. The 19-yearold Satnam earlier took part in
training sessions with top teams
like Sacramento Kings and Boston
Celtics. He was the second round,
52nd pick in the NBA draft and
among 60 men who will play basketball in the next season.
An ecstatic Satnam after achieving the feat said he was delighted
to become the first Indian to enter
the NBA, adding that this will
help more Indians to take up bas19-year-old Satnam Singh Bhamara.
ketball and play it professionally.
"I had the confidence while
training that I would be selected by any from India will be playing in the NBA,"
team. I made good preparations and it Satnam told the Indian media from New
paid off. It feels great that someone York via a tele-conference call.
Force India sets sights

on claiming fourth spot
Silverstone (England): Formula 1 team Force
India has set its sight on claiming fourth spot in the
constructors' championship, toppling Red Bull as
its upgraded car arrives for the British Grand Prix
this weekend.
The team achieved the best results this year in
the Austrian Grand Prix where Sergio Perez finished ninth and Nico Hulkenberg ended sixth. The
result gave the team its first double-points finish
since the season opener in Australia and propelled
it above Lotus to fifth in the championship.
Red Bull, who have won the championship fourtimes before, are 24 points ahead of Force India
and deputy team principal Bob Fernley believes
they can close the gap in sometime.
"Fourth is the next target. We have to be realistic
so let's wait till Silverstone but if it delivers level
of performance we think it will do, then we are
hopeful," Fernley was quoted as saying by
autosport.com.
The Silverstone-based team suffered delays with
its development following a switch of wind tunnels
over the winter and missed much of pre-season
testing. Force India has been adding parts for its Bspec to the car since Monaco with the final evaluation of the package taking place in Austria.
Rahane to gain valuable experience

by leading India: Vengsarkar
BCCI gives 'clean chit' to three

accused CSK cricketers
New Delhi: The Indian cricket board gave
"clean chit" to the three international cricketers whom former Indian Premier League
(IPL) commissioner Lalit Modi accused of
accepting bribes, in cash and kind, from an
Indian businessman.
"Since the three named are international
players, they fall under the purview of the
International Cricket Council's (ICC) jurisdiction. Thee ICC's Anti-Corruption and
Security Unit (ACSU) has investigated the
matter and it is up to them to answer on
what came out," Board of Control for
Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Anurag
Thakur said here.
"If there had been anything in the ICC's
investigations, they would have got back to
us. Since there has been no follow-up from
them (ICC), it is in a way a clean chit to the
players." Modi, in a letter to ICC chief
executive David Richardson in October
"I would want more Indians to take up

basketball at the professional level and
play in NBA. The youngsters back
home can now look up to someone as
motivation," he said.
Satnam, who hails from a remote village in Punjab, moved to the United
States in September 2010 as part of a
scholarship programme between IMG
Academy and Reliance. During the
2014-15 season, he averaged 9.2 points,
8.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in less than
20 minutes per game for IMG. For the
last five years Satnam has been training
in Florida with youths of various countries on an initiative of the IMG
Reliance Academy. The 19-year-old did
not receive any scholarship to play for
American colleges.
Satnam thanked his coach S.
Subramaniam for all the hard work he
put in.
"I thank my coach Subramaniam very
much. I am missing him a lot. He has
helped me a lot and I can't say it in
words. He is the best coach," he said.
2013, claimed that Indian cricketers Suresh

Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and West Indian
Dwayne Bravo, all of whom play for IPL
franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK),
received houses and cash from an Indian
businessman, also an alleged bookie.
"The follow-up is that there is nothing. If
there is nothing from the ICC on it, it has
to be a clean chit. The jurisdiction was
under the ICC because they are international players. And if they have conducted
an inquiry, they will be able to say something on the outcome of the ICC inquiry,"
said Thakur.
The ICC acknowledged having received
Modi's confidential e-mail in which he
accused the three of taking bribes. The ICC
said the information was also provided to
its Anti Corruption and Security Unit
(ACSU) and it dealt with it in accordance
with its procedures.
Mumbai: Former India skipper and ex-chief were rested. India face the hosts in the first Oneselector Dilip Vengsarkar hailed batsman Day International (ODI) on July 10.
Ajinkya Rahane, who was
"He's focused, passionate, connamed Indian team's captain for
sistent, very disciplined and is
the Zimbabwe series, as a convery consistent which the hallsistent performer who has come
mark of a good cricketer," said
of age, and said he will gain
Vengsakar, who is the vice presvaluable experience in his new
ident of Mumbai Cricket
role.
Association (MCA) and chair"It's good news. He will gain
man of MCA's Cricket
valuable experience leading
Improvement Commitee (CIC).
India. I think he has come of
He specially praised Rahane for
age. It's an honour for a crickhis Lord's Test ton against
eter to lead the country. He's
England last season.
been playing very well and
"The hundred he made at
scored runs against all opposiLord's was brilliant. I watched
tion," Vengsarkar said.
that innings and rate it very
Rahane was named captain of
high as it came when India had
Ajinkya Rahane.
the 15-member team that will
lost wickets. It was a crucial
tour Zimbabwe in July as Mahendra Singh innings (103) from the team's point of view as
Dhoni and Virat Kohli, among other seniors, India won that game," Vengsarkar said.
Leading Bangladesh daily

mocks Indian team
Dhaka: Showing utter disrespect
towards the Indian cricket team, a
Bangladeshi newspaper has produced
a fake cutter advertisement, in which
seven Indian cricketers are seen standing with their heads half-shaven.
Young Bangladeshi paceman
Mustafizur Rahman, who tormented
the Indian players in the ODI series, is
shown endorsing a cutter symbolizing his offcutters and the Indian
players are holding a banner which

reads, We have used it. You can use it
too. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni,
Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Virat
Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Shikhar
Dhawan and R Ashwin are shown
standing with the banner with their
heads half-shaven.
India had lost the three-match series
1-2 to give the hosts a historic bilateral
series victory.
An advertisement in one of the leading local dailies shows Indian players standing with the
banner with their heads half-shaven. (Source: Facebook)
AMERICA'S INDEPENDENCE DAY
July 4-10, 2015
25
John Adams and American Independence

By Dr. Gary S. Smith
s we celebrate our independence and
astounding development from a
fledging nation to the worlds superpower, we should applaud the extraordinary
contributions of numerous founders. One of
them whose accomplishments are often overlooked is John Adams. George Washington,
Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, James
Madison, and his cousin Samuel Adams typically receive the lions share of the credit for
the creation and early success of the United
States.
In fact, John Adams has frequently been
viewed as somewhat of a loser. He is the
only president among the first five who was
not reelected, his Federalist Party never again
captured the White House, and scholars have
not ranked him as a great or near-great president. While David McCulloughs best-selling
2001 biography and the acclaimed 2008
HBO miniseries depicting his exploits
increased public interest in his life, Adams
still does not receive the recognition he
deserves.
Consider these facts. Adams played a pivotal role in the founding of the United States,
especially the campaign for independence,
the devising of state constitutions, and the
establishment of Americas diplomatic tradition. He was a delegate to the First and
Second Continental Congresses, a diplomat
to France and Holland, a prodigious political
thinker, and the first vice president and second president of the United States. Physician
Benjamin Rush claimed that every member
of Congress in 1776 acknowledged Adams
to be the first man in the House. Jefferson
simply called him our colossus on the
floor. During the Revolutionary War, Adams
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson,

Benjamin Franklin, James Madison typically receive the lions share of the credit
for the creation and early success of the
United States, while John Adamss accomplishments are often overlooked.
served on Congress Board of War and
helped procure European aid. The
Massachusetts Constitution of 1780, which
he principally authored, was the most
important American source for the federal
Constitution.
Scholars have rightly labeled Adams a
radical firebrand, the American
Revolutions premier political theorist, a
competent chief executive, and an influential
statesman in his post-president years. His
well-developed political philosophy, vital
contributions to American independence, and
impressive character all stand out even in an
era of remarkable founders. The only two
men who could not be removed from

America between 1774 and 1787 without
fundamentally changing its history, scholar
Richard Ryerson argues, were George
Washington and John Adams. Their unique
combination of character, personality, talent,
and education was required to design, initiate, and sustain the American Revolution.
Adams, historian Paul Conklin argues, surpassed all other architects of American independence in the scope of his contributions,
in the length of service and personal sacrifice, and in the sophistication of his political
advice. Adams played so many important
roles at such critical points in the movement
for independence and in the formation of the
national polity, political scientist C. Bradley
Thompson asserts, that studying his thought
and deeds is crucial to understanding the
founding.
Adams was ridiculously vain, absurdly
jealous, [and] embarrassingly hungry for
compliments, historian Edmund Morgan
contended, but no man ever served his
country more selflessly. Adams sacrificed a
promising law practice, time with his family,
and his physical health and put his life at risk
to travel 29,000miles, crossing the Atlantic
four times, and traversing France, Spain,
England, and the Netherlands to aid his country. Although not as cosmopolitan or clever
as Jefferson and Franklin, Adams, Conklin
asserts, was better informed, more critical
and logical in his thinking, and more gifted in
argument. No other American public figure
of his generation read so much, absorbed so
much knowledge, or displayed so much erudition.
Like Washington, as president, Adams
helped preserve Americas neutrality. Facing
threats of war against France and England
and civil strife at home, Adams maintained

Americas independence, improved the navy,
negotiated a treaty with France, and worked
to end political disputes. The nation was
stronger and more prosperous when he left
office. Like Washington, Adams emphasized
the efficacy of education, the perils of
wealth, the necessity of private and public
virtue to Americas success, and the importance of religious liberty and toleration.
Today when many politicians seem to be
guided primarily by opinion polls and concerns about reelection, Adamss approach to
political leadership is refreshing. He urged
citizens to choose leaders based on their
character, education, experience, and principles. Statesmen, Adams argued, should carefully study issues and situations, make judicious decisions, and work to convince their
constituents of the merit of their positions. As
president, he searched diligently and often
alone to determine the most prudent policies
and courses of action. Adams consistently
sought to do what he deemed best regardless
of how the public responded.
Adamss faith played a vital role in his long
and distinguished life. It significantly affected his worldview, determined his moral standards, helped shape his character, and supplied many of his goals. His belief that God
governed the world and directed the course
of nations and the lives of individuals gave
him the courage and confidence to fight passionately and effectively for the causes he
valued and to contribute so significantly to
the birth and success of the United States.
-Dr. Gary Scott Smith chairs the history
department at Grove City College and is a
fellow for faith and politics with The Center
for Vision & Values.
Will the real July 4 please stand up?

D
For best view of Macys

July 4 Fireworks
he 39th annual Macy's
Fourth of July reworks
show is set for 9 p.m., and
spectators will want to head to
Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn
Heights Promenade or and along
the east side of Lower Manhattan
for the best view, according to
NYCgo.
Macy's is also promising a starstudded event with performances
from Brad Paisley, Dierks
Bentley and Meghan Trainor, in
addition to several other artists.
"Temperatures will be pretty
close to average for July 4 [low
80s F]," Feerick said. "The day

probably starts out rain-free, but
there could be a couple of thunderstorms around in the afternoon
with increased humidity."
In the afternoon, the Yankees
will host the Rays at 1:05 p.m.
EDT, while the annual Nathan's
Famous Hot Dog Eating
Competition will take place on
Coney Island. Spectators should
keep a close eye on the sky in the
event of changing weather conditions. At the first sign of thunder
or lightning, seek shelter immediately.
uring the American

Revolution, the legal
separation of the
Thirteen Colonies from
Great Britain occurred on
July 2, 1776, when the
Second
Continental
Congress voted to approve a
resolution of independence
that had been proposed in
June by Richard Henry Lee
of Virginia declaring the
United States independent
from Great Britain. After
voting for independence,
Congress turned its attention
to the Declaration of Independence,
a statement explaining this decision,
which had been prepared by a
Committee of Five, with Thomas
Jefferson as its principal author.
Congress debated and revised the
wording of the Declaration, finally
approving it on July 4. A day earlier,
John Adams had written to his wife
Abigail:
The second day of July, 1776 will
be the most memorable epoch in the
history of America. I am apt to
believe that it will be celebrated by
succeeding generations as the great
anniversary festival. It ought to be
commemorated as the day of deliv-
erance, by solemn acts of devotion

to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade,
with shows, games, sports, guns,
bells, bonfires, and illuminations,
from one end of this continent to the
other, from this time forward forever more.
Adams's prediction was off by two
days. From the outset, Americans
celebrated independence on July 4,
the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence,
rather than on July 2, the date the
resolution of independence was
approved in a closed session of
Congress.[7]
Historians have long disputed whether Congress actually

signed the Declaration of
Independence on July 4, even
though Thomas Jefferson,
John Adams, and Benjamin
Franklin all later wrote that
they had signed it on that day.
Most historians have concluded that the Declaration was
signed nearly a month after its
adoption, on August 2, 1776,
and not on July 4 as is commonly believed.
Coincidentally, both John
Adams and Thomas Jefferson,
the only signers of the Declaration
of Independence later to serve as
Presidents of the United States, died
on the same day: July 4, 1826,
which was the 50th anniversary of
the Declaration. Although not a
signer of the Declaration of
Independence, but another Founding
Father who became a President,
James Monroe, died on July 4,
1831, thus becoming the third
President in a row who died on the
holiday. Calvin Coolidge, the 30th
President, was born on July 4, 1872,
and, so far, is the only U.S.
President to have been born on
Independence Day.
26
FEATURES
July 4-10, 2015
Few people understand Sufi music: Piyarelal of Wadali Brothers

By Ankit Sinha
New Delhi: The spiritual and devotional path
of Sufi music has enchanted humankind for
centuries but nowadays the genre is hogged by
people who don't know or understand Sufism
at all, says Piyarelal Wadali of the famed
Wadali Brothers.
"The songs performed in films are not Sufi.
Nobody sings Sufi music in films," the veteran singer told IANS over phone from Mumbai
to a query on what he thought of the Sufi
music trend in Bollywood.
Lamenting the "herd mentality" prevailing
in the music industry, he said: "Nowadays,
people who don't know or understand Sufi
claim to be the purveyors of this music.
Audiences also believe that. There are few
people who understand and sing Sufi."
The duo, who were in Mumbai to perform at
Mirchi Live's concert last week, also participated at the first season of Coke
Studio@MTV and did a re-interpretation of
the song "Tu mane ya na mane".
" 'Tu mane ya na mane' was not originally a
Sufi song, but we made that rendition. The
individual is considered as the Almighty in
this song," Piyarelal said.
The Wadali Brothers have lent their voices
to films like "Pinjar" and "Dhoop" and one of
their most popular songs was "Rangrez mere",
Shaolin meets
Kalaripayattu
from Gods
Own Country
ix performers of
Kalaripayattu
joined hands with
Shaolin exponents at a
rare fusion of the two traditional art forms in
Beijing last Friday.
The occasion, Kerala
Evening, was organized
at the Indian Embassy in
the Chinese capital by
Kerala Tourism, which is
making its foray into
China.
A shared cultural heritage was the theme as
Shaolin exponents effortlessly mingled with
Kalaripayattu performers
in a scintillating display
of martial arts.
The
breathtaking
fusion of Kalaripayattu
and Shaolin showed that
Kerala and China have a
lot in common, said
Kerala Tourism Minister
A. P Anil Kumar, who is
leading a high-level state
delegation to China.
A similar show will also
be organized on Saturday
at
the
Beijing
International Tourism
Expo (BITE) 2015.
The Wadali brothers performing

which was featured in the Kangana Ranaut -R.
Madhavan-starrer "Tanu Weds Manu".
Piyarelal reveals it was recorded in a single
night.
Hailing from Guru ki Wadali, a small village
near Amritsar, the Wadali Brothers - Piyarelal
and his elder brother Puranchand - are widely
renowned as among the leading exponents of
Sufi music in the world and have enthralled
audiences in Dubai, the US, Australia, New
Zealand and other places.

"We play our music according to what the
audience likes. We observe and understand
our audience and then mould our performance
according to their liking," Piyarelal said.
He termed Sufi music "a way to connect to
one's guru".
"We consider guru as our god. Nobody has
seen god, but he said that if you want to see
me, then you should understand yourself. God
exists within man," Piyarelal said.

"A Sufi is a fakir; he is a spiritual, honest
being. The words written by the legends Bulle
Shah, Amir Khusrau and the like are called
Sufi. If I or someone else were to write it, we
cannot call it Sufi," he said.
Known for their soulful and passionate
music and expressive singing, the Wadali
Brothers believe in giving their own touch to
the compositions provided to them by music
directors, Piyarelal said.
Recollecting their earlier days of struggle,
Piyarelal said his career didn't start as a singer
but started as a dancer.
"I used to perform in Ras-Lilas. We used to
travel to villages, and I danced for 20-25
years. Then my guru Mastan Shah asked me
not to do that and devote my life to Sufi
music. I obeyed him and left dancing," he
said.
Soon after this transition, the Wadali
Brothers got their first recognition via All
India Radio, Jalandhar, in 1972, said Piyarelal.
Recognising the role of TV, radio and now
the internet in promoting their music,
Pirayelal said: "We respect radio and TV. Our
music reached a global audience via those
mediums. Internet has also played a big role.
People who don't know about us can now get
all information there. We can help in spreading Sufi music via the internet."
Frozen is the new fresh: India a slow starter

T
he Christian faithful hope that

they "may with thankful hearts
enjoy the fruits of the earth in
their season". In "their season", mind
you. Clearly, food preservation was
unknown when the prayer was written.
In 1519, when Ferdinand Magellan
sailed around the world, the technology to preserve food did not exist. As
they sailed without berthing, biscuits
became crumbs, fat turned rancid,
protein putrefied. Sailors finally ate
rats - sold at a ducat a piece.
Over the years, people learned to
pickle, salt, cure, sugar or ferment
their favourite foods in order to preserve them. Canning was developed
in the 19th century, and freezing was
commercialized by Clarence
Birdseye over a hundred years later,
in 1930.
Technology followed culture and
vice versa. Frozen TV dinners
became popular in the US in the
1950s. Helped by the microwave
heating revolution of the 1970s,
frozen food manufacturers tailored
their offering to a variety of consumer preferences. From organic to
exotic, from gourmet to gourmand they offered all this at relatively low
prices, thanks to economies of scale.
Freezing is probably the healthiest
method of preserving food. At minus
18 degrees Celsius, all enzyme activity stops and food can keep without
preservatives for over a year. If
frozen quickly after plucking/culling,
the food retains its freshness after
thawing and its nutrient value is more
or less preserved.
The benefits of convenience, quali-
ty, variety, long shelf-life, health and

taste of frozen foods are reflected in
the sales of this category across countries. But India has been a slow
starter. For one, there is consumer
misconception of frozen being inferior in quality. Cheap and quick availability of "fresh" cooked food from
local delivery restaurants and domestic help in kitchens are further hurdles
on the demand side. On the supply
side, lack of standardized freezers
with retailers, power cuts and poor
temperature management - especially
at small stores - all mean that quality
frozen food is not within the reach of
the average consumer.
The scenario is now changing. To
quote A.J. Tharakan, president,
National Seafood Exporter's
Association and a doyen of the industry in India, "Frozen food is fresher
than fresh food. Frozen green peas
are frozen within four hours of harvesting, whereas green peas in the
pods available in the vegetable mar-
ket could be three to four days old.

Frozen food is convenient and always
available, even during off season.
With recent sales growth of 20 percent year-on-year, one can say that
frozen food is finally finding acceptance in our country."
The emergence of modern trade
with professionally-managed chains,
heightened consumer awareness of
the benefits of "freshly frozen", an
improved supply chain with cold
stores located within cities, dwindling
availability of domestic help and
"quality and health issues" with local
home delivery restaurants - all of this
has helped frozen foods.
Perceptions, too, are changing.
People realise it is healthier to buy
freshly frozen food processed with
quality than keeping your raw or
cooked food for days in your fridge.
Even if you freeze your purchase, it
takes over 15 hours for its core to
reach minus 18 C, and the deterioration during this time can be damaging
- both to taste and health. In contrast,

in the factory, food is frozen to minus
18 degrees C in 30 minutes with IQF
(individual quick freeze method) to
two hours (using the blast freezer).
Institutions and restaurants are also
high potential consumers of frozen
food. They buy in bulk and at less
than 65 percent of the MRP the individual consumer buys at - thanks to
lower packaging costs and no retail
margin (typically high at 20 percent).
The restaurant owner does not have
to bother himself with procurement
of raw material, making the order,
and throwing away the unsold products. Frozen is good - just dip into the
freezer, take out what the customer
orders, heat and serve in a plate - with
your name on it!
Let's face it. Food factories use
scale to buy cheaper, better, more
variety with less supply-chain
wastage. They employ better cooks.
They institute better and more
hygienic processes and quality
checks - guaranteeing food safety.
They get all of this ready in a fraction
of the time that you would take, making them cheaper, despite the cost of
freezing.
It's a bit like readymade apparel.
Nobody goes to the tailor any more!
Half-a-millennium after man first
sailed around the world, astronauts
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin
returned from the moon. As they took
off their moonsuits, it is well known
that they looked forward to a choice
of gourmet (frozen) foods to celebrate the historic occasion. If only
poor Magellan and his crew could
have arranged that!
LIFESTYLE
July 4-10, 2015
27
Working moms readily accepted now: Study

New York: Societal acceptance of working mothers is now a given and is at an alltime high, says a new study.
Researchers analyzed data from nearly
600,000 respondents from two nationally
representative surveys -- one of US 12th
graders and the other of adults -- taken
between 1976 and 2013.
The goal was to understand how attitudes towards women's work and family
roles have changed in the US since the
1970s. They found that millennials are significantly more accepting of working
mothers than previous generations were at
the same age.
Only 22 percent of 12th graders in the
2010s believed that a pre-school aged
child would suffer if their mother worked,
down from 34 percent in the 1990s and 59
percent in the 1970s.
"This goes against the popular belief that
millennials want to 'turn back the clock', or
that they are less supportive of working
moms because their own mothers worked.

Instead they are more supportive," said
lead author Jean Twenge, a psychology
professor at San Diego State University.
It's not just young people who are more
accepting of mothers returning to work. A
similar trend appeared among adults. In
1977, 68 percent of US adults surveyed
believed "a preschool child is likely to suffer if his or her mother works" compared
to 42 percent in 1998 and 35 percent in
2012. "In recent years, Americans have
become much more supportive of men and
women holding the same roles and responsibilities in the workplace as well as in
child-rearing," said lead researcher Kristin
Donnelly.
"This suggests a growing gender equality and more acceptance of others' choices.
Both are consistent with a culture placing
more emphasis on individualism, or more
focus on the self and less on social rules,"
Twenge added.
People follow your words, not actions

Now we have Deepika Padukone inspired cupcakes!
Mumbai: Fans of famous celebrities have been known to go to various lengths to show their admiration
and fondness. This time we have a
secret Deepika fan who has created
a Twitter handle @Deepikacupcake,
with images of cupcakes inspired by
her fashion style. It lists various pictures of the actress alongside a deli-
cious looking cupcakes resembling

each of her stylish appearances.
This fan has paid a wonderful
tribute to her with this creative
Twitter feed and this seems like just
the beginning. The way this diva
has been going ahead, we can
expect more of these gestures in the
future.
New York: Turning conventional

wisdom on its head, a study has
found that you can attract more followers if you stress what you like,
not what you do.
In other words, people want to
like what others like, but they want
to have or do what others do not
have or do not do, the results said.
For example, when people mentally share an action, such as watching a friend eat a bowl of oatmeal
over breakfast, they feel in a way
that they ate the oatmeal too, so they
seek to enrich their own experience
by choosing something that is different, such as an omelette.
But when people mentally share
another person's preference, such as
liking oatmeal more than omelette,
'Smartphones: 30 percent of time

spent on communication'
New Delhi: A new global report
released by Ericsson on
Thursday claims that 30 percent
of time spent by users on all
smartphone apps is
on communication.
As per the
r e p o r t ,
though smartphones have a wide
range of functions such
as entertainment, games
and photography, communication continues to be the dominant activity with users spending time on communicating
through voice, instant messaging, voice over internet protocol
(such as Skype), emails and

social networking.
"We found that 40-50 percent
of data consumption for communication apps uses mobile
broadband, whereas the corresponding figure for
video is just 20
percent," says
Swetleena
Swain,
s e n i o r
advisor at
E r i c s s o n
ConsumerLab.
The report also claims that
culture and language influence
communication patterns and the
adoption of communication
apps. Smartphone users in

Britain and the US make more
voice calls while the Japanese
and South Koreans prefer to text
message and use locally-developed communication apps.
"Typically, the US apps are
designed for an English-speaking audience, so it's not surprising that these are predominant
in English-speaking countries,"
says Swain.
The report titles Ericsson
ConsumerLab was released
after conducting a global consumer research program based
on interviews with 1,00,000
individuals, in more than 40
countries and 15 megacities.
they adopt the others' preference as

their own and say they like oatmeal
more than omelette.
"The tendency to conform is pervasive and rooted in human psychology," said one of the
researchers, Ayelet Fishbach, professor at University of Chicago
Booth School of Business in the US.
"When people conform, they conform to what others like and to others' attitudes. But in terms of what
they do, they want to be different.
So if you want to persuade people,
you should talk about liking, not
about having."
For the study, the researchers
designed a series of experiments
involving everyday activities such
as choosing a type of chewing gum,
shopping for groceries, picking a

favorite mug design and watching a
pet video on YouTube.
The researchers found that people
conform to others' preferences at
last partially because they adopt
others' judgments as their own.
The research has implications for
online shopping, social media marketing and political campaigns.
Marketers, for example, could collect "likes" from Facebook users,
rather than collecting information
on what users buy, eat or own.
Likewise, they could present
products as "everyone likes it,"
rather than "everyone buys it."
The study will be published in an
upcoming issue of the Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology.
Geneva beer the world's

most expensive
Geneva: With an average price
of $6.32 for a 330 ml bottle,
Switzerland's second largest
city of Geneva has the most
costly beer on the planet, a
media report said on Tuesday.
According to a study conducted by travel website GoEuro,
Hong Kong ranked second with
$6.16 per 330 ml bottle, Tel
Aviv came third with $5.79,
Oslo followed at $5.31 and
New York with $5.20, The
Local news portal reported.
However, beer is less pricey
in Zurich, Switzerland's largest
city, where it averages at $4.60
a bottle, the 11th most expensive in the world, according
to the GoEuro Beer Index for

2015.
Those with parched throats
will appreciate the cheapest
cold ones in Krakow, Poland,
and Kiev, Ukraine, where they
sell for an average of $1.66 a
bottle.
The survey of 75 cities calculates the average price of a 330
ml bottle of beer in supermarkets and at bars to determine an
overall average price.
GoEuro used several worldwide brands and a local major
brand in each city and converted prices to American dollars
according to exchange figures
from June 12.
28
July 4-10, 2015
HUMOR
Funny Side by Nury Vittachi
5 stories of people suing themselves

M ALWAYS DISAPPOINTED when I
see a moving train approaching a tunnel
and there arent two men fighting on top.
I think Im starting to lose my faith in the
movie industry.
***
But talking of fighting, this writer has

been advised to take out a massive lawsuit
against a VILE INDIVIDUAL who has
fouled up my whole life. I refer of course to
myself.
Suing yourself is all the rage these days, I
hear from a reader who works as a paralegal
(lawyer who leaps from planes).
He told me that last year in the US state of
Minnesota, a government van crashed into a
parked car owned by one Megan Campbell.
She took out a lawsuit against the van
driver, a government staffer named, yes,
Megan Campbell.
This meant her employer had to pay for
repairs, so everyone was happy.
Except for the poor old taxpayer, but come
on, we all know by now that allowing himself to be robbed every day of the year is the
taxpayers reason for existing, right?
***
The report reminded me of Chinas State
Religious Affairs Bureau Order No. 5,

which specifies that people who have been
reincarnated as elite masters of wisdom
must have had their names previously
recorded on a Reincarnation Application
Form.
(THIS IS NOT A JOKE.)
Clearly my current pitiful existence is a
direct result of the total hash I made of
form-filling in an earlier life, so THAT
incarnation of me deserves to be sued for
every penny he has, as soon as I can work
out how to do it.
***
Regular contributors to my column added
examples:
A US jailbird named Brock sued himself
for millions of US dollars for giving himself
alcohol which caused him to commit crimes.
He argued that since he was a ward of
prison, the authorities would have to pay
this huge sum to the victim, i.e., him.
However, the US legal system refused to
support this utterly ridiculous lawsuit, which
is odd, because I thought supporting utterly
ridiculous lawsuits was their main activity.
***
The most convoluted case was sent in by
reader Sunita Chau, and came from the

London borough of Islington.
An authority employee gave a parking
ticket to an authority vehicle, the driver of
which filed an appeal to the authority, which
rejected it, causing the authority to file a
second appeal which the authority accepted,
inspiring the authority to demand costs from
the authority which the authority rejected on
the grounds that it was just too absurd. Well,
they would know.
***
Earlier this year, the chief prosecutor in
the government of Zambia was accused of
shocking irregularities in the way he ran his
office. He referred the case to himself for

judgment and dismissed it.
His critics said that by finding himself not
guilty he proved he was guilty.
This is the sort of circular paradox that
causes philosophers to suffer cranial shortcircuits, so hide this page from any who
might be passing.
***
Now if youll excuse me, I need to fill in a
Reincarnation Application Form so that I am
reborn as an elite master of wisdom.
Not that youll notice any difference.
But anythings better than my current role
in life: Taxpayer.
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
July 4-10, 2015
29
Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874

Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899
[email protected]; www.premastrologer.com
By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma
July 4-10, 2015

ARIES: You will go places on the
professional front. Monetary situation is slated to grow stronger.
Inculcating good habits and kicking bad
ones out will have a positive impact on
health. Family may require your help in a
matter that only you can handle. You are
likely to go out of your way to cater to
lover. Give up your habit of weighing
everyone on the same scale.
CANCER: Things are going great

guns both on the professional and
personal fronts. Those expecting a
raise or monetary incentive are likely to get
a positive response. Your determination to
remain fit may find you hit the gym almost
daily. Home will be a happy place as you
manage to acquire all creature comforts.
Some of you can accompany boss to an
overseas or out of town trip. Mood remains
upbeat.
LIBRA: You are studious and

meticulous, the reason why people
requiring help hover around you!
You are likely to help a friend or colleague
out, even at the expense of your profession.
Freelancers will be able to collect their dues
for a job done in the past. Those not feeling
too healthy will strive for fitness. Travelling
will be a pleasure, especially for those going
on a long journey.
TAURUS: With your way with

words, you are likely to win over
whoever comes in contact with you!
You will manage to focus on your objective, despite distractions.
You are likely to give your best in learning
the ropes in a new field. Making some new
friends and having a beat up with them is
possible. Your excellent man management
skills will come in handy in a workplace
situation.
LEO: You can remain occupied by

your plans for the future. Diverting
money into a fresh venture is possible.
Health, which had been troublesome in the
past, will show marked improvement. Some
of you can take steps to make your love life
more exciting. A family youngster may need
financing for higher education abroad. Give
perks and incentives to those working for
you, if you dont want to lose them.
SCORPIO: A deal is likely to slip

out of your hands due to your own
fault. Marketing persons may find
themselves lagging behind in reaching the
given target. Increased cost of an item you
were planning to buy may make you shelve
the idea.
A lot of activity on the domestic front is
foreseen and promises fun time. Chances of
an opposite number coming into your life
are ripe.
GEMINI: You manage to garner the

support of someone influential. Skill
and talent will find you outshine
others at work. A new environment on the
home front will make you happy and contended.
Someone on the family front is likely to
win you over. Those searching for love
may soon find an idol of their dreams!
Some of you can buy a two or four wheeler. Inheriting property or assets is possible.
VIRGO: Not a particularly great

week for the Librans. You may find
yourself drained both mentally and
physically. An awkward situation at home
can compel you to call a spade a spade.
Some of you can face the brunt of a seniors
ire at work. Not settling the financial terms
of a project or leaving them vague can cause
problems later. Those in love can feel cheated. Authenticate papers before purchasing
property.
SAGITTARIUS: You can be envious of the prosperity of someone you

dont particularly like. Not having
enough professional knowledge about an
issue can get you into an embarrassing situation. Chance of burning your fingers in a
dubious investment is possible. Some of you
may feel that the family is keeping you at an
arms length. Answer to all your ills is a
change of scene, so venture out of your four
walls.
CAPRICORN: You are likely to be

in a state of bliss with everything
going perfectly on all fronts.
Spirituality will give you strength to rise
above the banalities of life and bring positivity in. You are likely to handle your professional side with quiet efficiency.
Exchanging words and feelings even with
total strangers will help you derive much
pleasure. Some of you will be absolutely
focussed on saving money.
AQUARIUS: A glimpse of someone you secretly love will be
enough to make your week! You
may look forward to accompanying someone on a journey. Flat owners may think in
terms of extension or addition to their premises. You will need to learn the ropes quickly on the professional front to prove your
worth. Wasteful expenditure will be successfully curbed. Keeping secrets from parents may not be good for your health!
PISCES: Chance of enjoying an overseas vacation is likely for some.
Striking a good understanding with a
rival at work may ease tensions. Returns from
previous investments will keep the bank balance healthy. Family will provide immense
happiness. Fiery passions are likely to rule the
romantic front. You are likely to get fresh
inputs on a property you are interested in.
Exercise and change of diet will do you good.
Annual Predictions: For those born in this week

4th July, 2015
Ruled planet: Uranus Ruled by no: 4
Traits in you: Being ruled by Uranus, you have developed
characteristics such as confidence, dignity, fun loving, disciplined and so on. This year is so lucky for you that you
can turn mud into gold just be your mere touch provided
you put your best effort in anything you do. You can behave a bit down to earth as it will suit and enhance your
personality. You should stop your mood swings for better
results in your life.
Health this year: If you are a chronic patient, better you
have your periodic medical check up to avoid future health
issues. You have to take your preventive medicines regularly to stay healthy.
Finance this year: If you have some properties, you will
be in ample monetary gain. If you are into business, you
may travel to distant places for business purpose to obtain
better financial benefits. You may spend a huge amount of
money in renovation of your existing house or construction of a new one.
Career this year: You should not bother about your career this year as it is expected to blossom with lot of opportunities and success. As your performance will be good
this year, you will be appreciated by your colleagues,
clients, seniors and higher management. You may celebrate your success and growth throughout the year and
reach a new height in your profession.
Romance this year; You may plan to spend time with
your partner to make him/her happy and develop a better
understanding so you may travel to get pleasure and relax
themselves from their busy lives.
Lucky month: October, January, March and June
5th July, 2015
Ruled planet: Mercury Ruled by no: 5
Traits in you: You are blessed with intelligence and a very
sharp memory. Mercury being your ruling planet makes
you realistic, emotional, honest, helpful, and diplomatic.
You always want to make your life happening by filling it
with lots of joy and excitement. You are very much interested in exploring new places and meeting new people.
However, you need to refrain yourself from getting nervous as it may be counted as a short coming in your rich
personality. You will be appreciated by your near and dear
ones for showing your emotional side and helping nature.
Health this year: You will be enjoying a very good health
this year despite lot of stress.
Finance this year: The second half of the year will be the
ideal time to finalize your financial deals as it would bring
you excellent returns. However, you need not invest in a
partnership. You may face loss.

Career this year: You should concentrate on your goals
set for this year and work hard to achieve them. If you can
achieve the goals, you will gain lot of financial rewards.
You may have to face losses and public embarrassment
due to your lack of ability to gather accurate information.
It is advised to concentrate on everything you do.
Romance this year: If you are in a romantic relationship,
you may decide to get married this year.
Lucky month: September,December, February and July
6th July, 2015
Ruled planet: Venus Ruled by no: 6
Traits in you: The influence of your ruling planet Venus
makes you adorable, independent, ambitious, and charismatic. You are a huge believer of love, peace and harmony. Your attractive personality and friendly nature allows
you to make friendship with strangers easily. However,
you should be more careful in your life. Work had to get a
control over your mood swings. It will help you improve
as a person.
Health this year: This year will take you to new heights
by offering you with an excellent health. You will be enjoying a better health this year as compared to the previous year in spite of following a more hectic work schedule and taking lot more pressure in the first few months of
the year.
Finance this year: You may end up spending much more
on your luxury and entertainment. This year you may purchase valuable assets such as furniture, television, washing machine and so on.
Career this year: You will be rewarded for your efforts
and people in your professional circuit will recognize you.
You will be able to handle tougher things with your improved confidence and steady determination.
Romance this year: Casual friendships may turn into
strong romantic relationships this year.
Lucky month: January, April, May and June
7th July, 2015
Ruled planet: Neptune Ruled by no: 7
Traits in you: Your ruling planet Neptune is believed to
bless you with positive approach. By nature you are very
much active with lots of energy. Being witty enough, you
are confident, vigilant and sharp. Being the owner of
undisputed imagination, you can easily win over anyone.
You will be liked by everyone for your charismatic nature
and behavior. However, you need to control your stubbornness, which may prove to be harmful for you at times.
Health this year: You will be enjoying a better health as
compared to last year. However, you need not neglect your
regular medication.
Finance this year: You may get huge benefits in your
business if you do not invest wrongly. Try to avoid partnerships in your new ventures to avoid loss.
Career this year: Your stars will help you touch new
heights this year as you will be enjoying prosperity on
each and everything you undertake. You will be able to
nurture your imagination power to help yourself gain more
rewards. You can improve your knowledge, skills and intellectual level by participating actively in debates and interesting conversations.
Romance this year: You should create new contacts and
revive old ones as this year is the best time to make romantic relationship stronger. You may convert your romantic relationship to marriage this year. You may carry
on with your relationship if you are not prepared to marry
this year.
Lucky month: October, December, February and May
8th July, 2015
Ruled planet: Saturn Ruled by no: 8
Traits in you: You are the master of the characteristics
such as energy, discipline, and originality. Being ruled by
Saturn, you are trustworthy and hardworking. You are very
much orthodox who believes in ancient customs and values. You have not let western civilization ruin your beliefs.
You are very helpful and reliable. However, behaving
prude and stubborn does not suit your personality. You
need to leave being a pessimistic and welcome optimism
to your life.
Health this year: You need to take extra care of your
health this year as you are expected to fall sick frequently
and that may hamper your work.
Finance this year: Financially you would remain stable.
However, minor sickness of your family members may
make yyou spend lot of money.
Career this year: You have to enhance your knowledge
and skills to succeed in your profession. You need to follow-up with higher government officials to get your work
done. This may prove to be very frustrating for you as your
work will progress very slowly. However, your previously created contacts will come forward to help you in this
matter to get your work done. Some of you may visit
abroad for studies or business later this year.
Romance this year: You may get involved in a new romantic relationship though it will be for a short period of
time.
Lucky month: January, April, August and September
9th July, 2015
Ruled planet: Mars Ruled by no: 9
Traits in you: You are active, courageous, dashing, enthusiastic and highly diplomatic person. You achieve a lot
with your impressive personality and command over your
work, but you need to check your tendency to behave erratic and impatient at times.
Health this year: You will be in a merdiocre health condition this year. You have to take regular medication to
stay fit.
Finance this year: Businessmen will invest in more profitable ventures. Promising contacts will build through social get-togethers and traveling.
Career this year: This year you will slowly but gradually climb the ladder of success.
Romance this year: Your spouse will be quite cooperative and shower her love and affection upon you despite
your weired behavior at times. An infatuation within the
group will keep you in high spirits for some time but it will
not be long lasting.
Lucky month: October, December, March and April
10th July, 2015
Ruled planet: Sun Ruled by no: 1
Traits in you: The power and vigor of the Sun, your ruling planet makes you sovereign, intelligent, honest, imaginative and simple. Being a diplomatic speaker, you may
drive people with your powerful speech and make it a
huge asset for yourself. You may gain enough money by
utilizing your power to speak. You are very intelligent and
efficient as well. However, you have to get over your jealousy to become a better individual.
Health this year: You will enjoy an overall good health
though you may suffer from some minor diseases.
Finance this year: You may plan frequent travels to get
monetary benefits. You should not be carried away with
the promises made by people as they may prove futile. If
you have invested somewhere by assuming gain, you will
be right this time. You may successfully buy some real estate shares with least investment.
Career this year: The initial time of the year will allow
you gain a lot of things say money, power, recognition, relationships and so on. However, you need to utilize the opportunities that come across you. You will be financially
benefited and there will be a huge improving in your work
environment to inspire you to work much more efficiently. You may get promotions this year or may be switch
your job from your existing company to another with an
increased salary package.
Romance this year: You will develop new relationships
with your long time friend, which may finally strengthen
and turn into marriage.
Lucky month: February, May, July and September
30
July 4-10, 2015
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS
Dealing with Stress and Anger
By Sant Rajinder Singh

Ji Maharaj
ife is challenging. Every day
people face situations that
can make one feel stress and
anger. Modern science has proven
the affects stress and anger have on
the health and wellness of our body
and mind. Is there any way that we
can deal with stress and anger so
that it does not create stress-related
illness of our body and mind? Is
there a way that we can face the
tension of life in a way that we
maintain calm and equanimity
physically, mentally, emotionally,
and spiritually?
The combined wisdom of the
saints and mystics from ancient
India and the current research by
scientists, medical doctors, and
researchers point to the same
answer: we can reduce stress and
anger and maintain optimum health
and wellness through the practice
of meditation.
As life has become more complex, we interact with many people
in the course of the day. Any one of
these can result in stress. Whenever
there are disagreements between
two or more people, or things do
not go the way we expect, this can
lead to anger. In the past, when
people lived and worked on a farm
or from their homes, there were
fewer interactions with others.
However, today, we have many
opportunities throughout the day in
which we meet and interact with
others. People have stress on the
job. When we are raising a family,
there is stress over the health of
ourselves or our loved ones, their
schooling, their financial difficul-
By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji

Maharaj
here is a quotation by the
great Greek philosopher,
Socrates. Once he said,
Our prayers should be for blessings in general, for God knows
best what is good for us. This
quote coincides with the prayer to
God to give us whatever is good
for us.
Time and again, whenever we
demand something from God that
is continually denied to us, it is
usually because we are asking for
something that is not good for us
ultimately.
There have been many instances
ties, or living in a household with

multiple people. With the economic difficulties of modern life, we
have financial stress. As students,
either in a school or college, or in
training for our career, we have to
worry about our grades in school
and our test scores. We worry
about whether we will be accepted
into a school or training facility,
and once there, whether we will
pass so we can get a job in our chosen career. Once we have a job,
there is stress about keeping it with
the stiff competition workers face,
or we worry what will happen if
we lose the job? The terminal illness or death of a family member
or loved one creates tremendous
pain and stress in our lives. There
is also stress caused by
interpersonal relationship problems.
From morning
until night, we
face one or
more of
these
situations that cause stress or

which makes us feel angry.
The good news is that there is a
solution to dealing with stress and
anger. From ancient times, saints
and mystics have taught meditation
as a way to remain calm and peaceful. In the past few decades, the
practice of meditation has gained
popularity in countries all over the
world. While people have been
practicing meditation because they
recognize how good it makes them
feel, there is the added bonus contributed by medical researchers and
doctors that prove why we feel so
good when we meditate. These
medical studies bear out the positive effect meditation has on the
health and wellness of our body
and mind. The most beneficial
gains from meditation are that it
reduces stress and anger, which in

turn reduce our risk for stress related illness. Numerous diseases have
been linked to stress, such as cancer, stroke, heart problems, digestive problems, circulation problems, migraine headaches, skin
problems, and others. By reducing
stress, we can minimize our risk
for these problems, prevent them,
and mitigate them if we already
have them. Spending daily time in
meditation contributes to our
health and wellness.
Two meditation techniques we
use in Science of Spirituality
Sawan Kirpal
R u h a n i
Mission are
simple to do
We can reduce
stress and anger
and maintain optimum health and
wellness through
the practice of
meditation.
and can be practiced by anyone of
any age in their homes or wherever
they like. It does not require difficult postures or asanas, and can be
performed anywhere at any time.
One is the Shabd Meditation, or
Meditation on the Light and
Sound. This provides us an inner

connection to a source of happiness, peace, and bliss within us. It
is like having an internal retreat
that we can visit anytime we want
to recharge and refresh. The second
is an introductory technique called
Jyoti Meditation, which involves
sitting quietly, focusing our attention within, and experiencing the
peace and calm within us. For
more instructions, many resources
related to meditation can be found
at www.sos.org
A few other factors can help us
reduce our stress and anger. New
research is showing the value of a
vegetarian diet. By eating plantbased foods, we also can reduce
our risk of many diseases. Illness
produces its own stress not on only
our body, our families, our work,
but also on our finances. If we can
remain healthy through healthy
eating such as a vegetarian
diet, we can also reduce
stress.
Selfless service
to others also
reduces
s t r e s s .
When we
are a contributing
member of a
community, we
are calmer and happier. This
reduces tension and stress. By
being of service to others, we create a joyful life for ourselves and
make life better for others. When
we think of others first, it helps
take our attention away from our
own problems.
As a byproduct of meditation, we
realize the same light within us is
in all others. We realize that at the
level of soul or spirit, all humanity
is one. We begin to develop love
for all and treat others kindly as
members of one family. As we
become more loving and calm, we
eliminate much of our stress and
anger.
We replace stress and anger with
love and tolerance for all, making
our own lives and that of others
more peaceful.
Here are some easy tips to help

us when we feel anger arise in our
daily lives:
Tip 1: We can remove ourselves
from the situation and go somewhere to quietly meditate. This
gives us a break from the situation
so we can calm down, slow down
our heart rate and brain waves to a
calmer state, and then return with
the equipoise to deal more peacefully with the situation.
Tip 2: When we return to the
stressful situation after meditating,
try to talk things over. Listen calmly to what the other person has to
say and see if there is any truth to
it. If so, we can apologize if we
have done or said something to
hurt them, and resolve to refrain
from repeating that action or those
words. After the other person has
felt heard and that we truly listened, they may be more open to
hear things from our point of view.
We can then share our side of the
incident, so they can understand us
as we have tried to understand
them. We can then discuss a way to
have a win-win solution or compromise. In this way, we can use
conflict resolution to work out a
problem without resorting to anger
and violence.
Tip 3: We can look at the source
of our anger, which is often ego.
We get angry when things are not
going our way. It could be that we
want to control others, have power
over others, or make others do
what we want. If we can step back
and find ways to make things work
out in a way that is mutually beneficial for all parties, we are happy,
others are happy, and we have
made the environment peaceful.
Through daily meditation, leading a calm, peaceful life becomes a
habit. Over time, a habit turns into
our nature. Day by day, we transform ourselves into peaceful, nonviolent, and calm people and radiate that to others. The ripple effect
of our calmness and equipoise
spreads and it will not be long
before we have a peaceful family,
community, and world. Peace
begins with each of us.
Secret to enlightened living

in which people prayed to God for
something, and God did not grant
their wish. Later they came to
learn that receiving the wish
would not have been a good thing
after all. Will a mother allow the
child to have poison? The child
may cry for it and throw a tantrum,
but if it is poison, the mother will
not grant it. Instead the mother
will give the child what is best for
him or her. The child may not realize it at the time, but as the child
grows and learns, the child is
grateful for all the things the mother denied him or her that were ulti-
mately not good.

Many people are anxious about
making choices. The way to be
sure we make the right choices
about what to pray for is to pray
that God gives us what is best for
us. God makes no mistake. Rather
than pray for something that may
or may not be the best for us, let us
pray for Gods will for us.
What are the spiritual pearls to
enlightened living?
If we relax and rest in Gods
will, we will find that everything
works out for the best in the long
run. Meditation is a process of

relaxing in Gods will. Meditation
provides a time when we can let
go of all clutching and praying for
this thing and that. It is a time in
which we sit in a state of stillness
and surrender to Gods will. It is a
chance to let go of all our wants
and desires. We merely sit in a
receptive mood and ask God to
grant what is best for us. We will
find that God will give us much
more than we had expected.That
is the secret to enlightened living.
Through meditation, we will
find the treasure of spiritual pearls

to enlightened living that will
bring us peace, happiness, and
bliss. God wants us to come
Home. God wants us to live in
eternal peace and bliss in the spiritual realm. When we make the
decision to go back to God, then
God opens all the doors for us.
Then, if we pray to God to give us
what is best for us, God will give
us the fastest route back to our
eternal Home. It is only we who
delay our Homecoming by praying
for things that take us in the opposite or different directions.
July 4-10, 2015

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The South Asian Times

Vol.8 No. 9 July 4-10, 2015 60 Cents

New York Edition

Greece needs 50bn bailout and Make in

Washington: Financing needs for

Greeks rushed to banks to withdraw their money

Kamlesh Mehta installed as Rotary District Governor

The Director of Business & Economic Development in Nassau

Business leaders pledge $70bn for Modis Digital India

The Chief Minister also addressed the Indian

Azim Premji, Mukesh Ambani, and other top Indian business

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis speaking to

New York: Maharashtras youthful

mid-town Manhattan by a newly

Detailed stories on pages 16-17.

July 4-10, 2015

Kamlesh Mehta sworn in as

NY. In his acceptance speech,

With wife Nimmi by his side, Kamlesh Mehta addressed the

Citations of appreciation for stellar community service: Salil

CE Ed Mangano was presented Lifetime Achievement plaque for

July 4-10, 2015

"Tanned, rested, ready" Jindal swings at 'hyphenated Americans'

The $20 official T-shirt is supposed to be a nod to Jindal's

Indian-American governor and

The line is an apparent reference to a quote from Pearson

at Lafayette who is writing a

political action committee

Parhar in race for NYC Council

Satnam Singh Parhar wants to

ence as a student activist. He

2014. As President, Parhar has

Roopam Maini, manager of the Hicksville branch of Indus

4 Indian Americans among Carnegie immigrant honorees

July 4-10, 2015

Hema Malini injured in road accident in Rajasthan

USINPAC wants Ann Coulter fired

Following the recent events of the shooting at a historic

New York: Taking serious

New Delhi Bureau

Managing Editor: Parveen Chopra

President: Arjit Mehta

Contributing Editors:Nilima Madan,

Strategy and Marketing

Cartoonist: Mahendra Shah

July 4-10, 2015

Hillary leads 2016 US presidential MEA reinstates Devyani Khobragade

though his backing has gone up from one

timized. That has not fully ended her

Shah Jahan Diamond which is

dateexplores the unmistakable

New York: A lot of Hollywood

pain, says Ali.

July 4-10, 2015

M. Venkaiah Naidu addresses top business leaders

and mobile telephones to stop leakage in

great investment opportunities in India, and

America, Merrill Lynch, and a member of

Shanti Bhavan kids share their stories in US