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INDEX
Letters to the Editor....................................A2
People.............................................................A4
Immigration................................................A32
Business......................................................A36
Community..................................................A41
Magazine.....................................................M1
Sports...........................................................A40
Pages: 48+12+4=64
Friday, August 19, 2011 Vol. XLI No. 47 NEW YORK EDITION $1 www.rediff.com ( Nasdaq: REDF)
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India Abroad August 19, 2011
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Liberia honors
Indian
Permit me to share with your reading
audience an Indian success story in
Liberia.
I was fortunate to be home in Lofa
County, Liberia in time for the celebra-
tion of Liberias 164th independence
day celebration. The colorful ceremony,
that span several days, was marked with
the bestowal of honors on prominent
Liberian citizens and friends of Liberia
who have contributed in a way to the
growth and development of the country.
At the time, I witnessed a historic event
for the Indian community in Liberia.
Among the honorees was Upjit Singh
Sachdeva, the first Indian national since
Page A3
Originally from India, I came to the United States hoping
that the education here will help my career, I joined the
University of Northern Virginia, located at Annandale City,
Virginia, in the fall of 2009 to get a degree in computer sci-
ence.
Today, I write this letter expressing the pain of every
UNVA student. The Immigration and Customs Enforce-
ment and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted a
raid on the university July 28. They shut down all the com-
puters and access to important documents that had all the
students information without any notification.
We attended all our classes in the campus itself with our
professors giving us our lectures in class though we were
allowed three credits per semester if we took an online
course. We submitted all our assignments on time. We were
not allowed to take leave for over three working classes. Our
college organized job fairs and student advisers helped us
choose our courses. Weaker students were made to retake
classes if they got a C. We received a good education and
were expected to follow the rules and regulation of the uni-
versity.
After sticking to the rules, why are UNVA students being
dealt with unjustly?
Current students of the UNVA have been given the option
of transferring to a different school. How can students
afford to spend huge amounts of money on another school?
Those who are transferring out are going unwillingly, doing
so only because the government gave them no option. And
those who decide to stay on are wondering what the reper-
cussions might be.
And what happens to those students who are undergoing
Optional Practical Training? If they apply to another col-
lege, they cannot get OPT again because the first one was
already approved.
If the school did something wrong, why do we have to suf-
fer? We paid the fees, worked hard, attended classes without
fail, followed all the rules and got good grades. And yet, we
UNVA students are in deep trouble. Even if the school did
something wrong, the authorities ought to help innocent
students and those on OPT.
Chakradharan Tirumala
by e-mail
II
I am a student of the University of Northern Virginia.
I thank you bringing attention to the problems going on at
UNVA, but I must draw attention to the fact that US offi-
cials have already said that this case is not similar to that of
Tri Valley University. So please do not compare us with TVU
and make us feel insulted.
Also, ICE officials said in their very first conversation to
the media that there was no problem over the number of I-
20s issued, so please do not blame us for that as well.
Please do come up with facts. The situation is really tense
for the students and for their families back home.
Naresh
by e-mail
UNVA is no Tri Valley
India Abroad August 19, 2011 A3
LETTERS
independence to be awarded one of Liberias highest hon-
ors: President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf conferred the award of
Knight Grand Commander on Sachdeva, the honorary
Indian consul general there.
President Sirleaf told the audience that her decision to
honor Sachdeva was in recognition of his outstanding con-
tribution to the socio-economic development , recovery
and reconstruction of Liberia after civil war ravaged the
nation. She encouraged him to continue his humanitarian
services to the people of Liberia.
Receiving this years honors along Sachdeva were Joseph
Nyuma Boakai, the vice president, and Goodluck Jonathan,
the Nigerian president, among others.
The ceremony, held in the northern city of Voinjama, was
witnessed by Sachdevas family and friends.
The award marked a significant milestone for the Indian
community in Liberia.
Nyekeh Forkpa
by e-mail
Go back to India
I was very sad and disturbed to read Sundip Mundkurs
letter (July 22).
If Mundkur has blind faith in India and loves India, he
should go back to India and live there. What is he doing in
Massachusetts? Having blind faith in anything is a sign of
ignorance or poor education or both.
Just 50 short years ago vivid memories of Indians starv-
ing and dying on the streets were plastered all over the
world. That has changed. India has made great economic
progress over last 60 years despite all the obstacles. Part of
the credit goes to people who came to this country and sent
billions back to India as investment or for other reasons -
all in the form of small remittances. This money was
instrumental in enabling India to go to the next state eco-
nomically and politically.
Due to that help, India has come a long way but still has
a very long way to go. Its success is part of the grassroots
effort we Indians made in this country and helped bring
India up from where it was. NRIs from other countries
were also part of this equation, but the remittances from
here were crucial.
We are the one who watered the seeds and nurtured the
saplings. Now it is time for the next generation to do its
part.
You can take Indians out of India, but not India out of
Indians. Our heart is still in India. Indians who came to
this country in the 1960s and early 1970s are now becom-
ing senior citizens. It is upto the next generation and the
generations to elevate India to a yet higher level economi-
cally and politically. Despite all her rich cultural heritage,
beauty and serenity India needs depth. Unless we point out
Indias shortcomings, it may fail us all. India is at that
inflection point.
The only way we can challenge India and its corrupt gov-
ernment is to point out her drawbacks with the hope that
people there will listen. It is through meaningful construc-
tive dialogues and criticism that we can improve our moth-
erland. We all want India to be prosperous. If we shut out
educated people and other intellectuals out of the process
we will remain just another Third World country.
There are lots of politicians and lawmakers in India
whose think like Sundip Mundkur. Some of them have not
even finished high school, forget college. They are hollow
patriots who basically say We do not recognize your con-
tributions, so get lost. We have always been this good.
Thats not true, but it is true that there are lots of Sundip
Mundkurs in India and abroad. India should understand
us and welcome us, not keep us out.
Amar Savla
Oldsmar, Florida
Sharma, the rock
On August 7, while channel surfing, I stumbled on to C-
Span where I noticed a House financial subcommittee
hearing in progress.
There was a panel of six rating agencies testifying about
how downgrading of a countrys financial status is done.
Standard and Poors had officials who were particularly
specific about the details because it had signed off on the
downgrading from a AAA to a AA+.
I was surprised to see a nondescript Indian American with
a rakhi adorning his wrist, sitting in the chair reserved for the
S&P president. I glanced across from the company president,
Deven Sharma, and saw members of Congress who were
triple Sharmas size and were preparing to have a go at him.
My heart missed a beat, but I took heart, remembering the
story of David and Goliath I learned in grade school.
Sharmas equanimity and quiet confidence in his subject
matter carried him through the intimidating situation with
ease... His forthrightness and ability to anticipate all
queries from committee members was phenomenal.
Of course, Congress is not going to change its spending
behavior. People there are already drawing up legislation to
emasculate the rating agencies, trivializing and de-legit-
imizing their rating methods.
Isaac A Samuel
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
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Page A2
PARESH GANDHI
UTTAMGHOSH
India Day parade in New York, 2010
Indian President Pratibha Patil confers the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
award on Upjit Singh Sachdeva
The S&P headquarters in New York
PARESH GANDHI
M
.I.A has certainly stepped in it now. She is being severely criticized for her
tweet about the London riots August 8. Im going down to the riots to hand
out tea and mars bars, Sri Lankan Tamil rapper wrote, earning the contempt of
thousands of tweeples. M.I.A, who was accused of glamorizing terrorism by her
producer Diplo earlier this year, deleted the tweet soon, but the damage was
done.
riya Jaggia is trying to save nature, one
flip flop at a time. Her eco-conscious
company, Chipkos, has collaborated with
artist David Palmer to create the worlds
most expensive flip-flops. The $18,000
flip flops inspired by Indias Kolhapuri sandals
and Osho flip flops, and hand-painted using eco-
friendly 18-karat gold are part of Chipkos Stand
for Square Feet campaign. Every pair will help pre-
serve 100,000 square feet of endangered Costa
Rican rainforest. Jaggia founded Chipkos after a
personal trip through India. The Chipko
Movement (that saw people hugging trees to pre-
vent felling) was so inspiring to me. I loved the
idea of a small, grassroots movement, which builds
into a mainstream campaign. The popularity of
the Kolhapuris inspired me to use worldly and ethnic trends as the
social medium for that change, she says on Chipkos.com. Most
things that we do to help the environment are reactive, yet protect-
ing rain forest land before it was tarnished seemed refreshingly
proactive to me. We are seriously tempted to get proactive, too,
albeit with Chipkos $42 filp flops, which will protect 100 square
feet of land.
es Goldie Hawn, Paris Hilton, Emily Blunt, even Princess
Beatrice have been slipping their feet into shoes designed
by Aruna Seth for a while. But it is Pippa Middleton who
is making the India-born British designer a household
name. Pippa chose shoes designed by Seth for her sister
Kate Middleton and Prince Williams wedding reception, and like
everything touched by the Middleton sisters lately, Seths shoes, we
hear, are also flying off the shelves now. So, have you got your Aruna
Seth heels yet?
P
riyanka Chopra is a woman who
relishes her many crowns beauty
queen, actress and now singer. I
am excited about getting an opportunity
to present my musical dimension on a
world platform, PC, who is cutting an
international album, told the Daily
News and Analysis. I will be working
with some of the most illustrious names
in the international music industry. And
from what we can see, she is giving it
her best shot. Not only has she written
the songs, which will be sung in English,
she has also covered her bases by hiring
Troy Carter, who manages Lady Gaga.
But can she really give Lady G a run for
her money?
M.I.As misstep
Mick croons in Sanskrit
ave you heard SuperHe-
avys latest single yet?
Its a must hear. After all
its not every day that
rock legend Mick
Jagger sings in Sansk-
rit! The band members
including A R
Rahman, Dave Stewart, Joss Stone and
Damian Marley have titled their sec-
ond single after Indias national motto:
Satyameva Jayate, which means Truth
Alone Triumphs. The Rahman compo-
sition has him and Jagger singing in
English and Sanskrit, while the other
band members croon the English lyrics.
What an Independence Day gift!
H
P
Y
IN THEIR
SHOES
Aruna
Seth
PC, the next
Gaga?
VIJAY MATHUR/REUTERS
Priyanka
Chopra
Priya Jaggia
SuperHeavy: From left, Joss Stone,
Dave Stewart, Damian Marley,
Mick Jagger, A R Rahman
CHIPKOS.COM
A4
PEOPLE
India Abroad
August 19, 2011
PEOPLE
iddhartha Mukherjee must
be fast running out of shelf
space for his awards. The
Pulitzer Prize awardee and
winner of the India Abroad
Publishers Special Award
for Excellence 2010 has swept up the
inaugural PEN/E O Wilson Literary
Science Writing Award for his debut
book The Emperor of All Maladies. The
award, presented for a book of literary
non-fiction on the subject of the physical
and biological sciences, comes with a
$10,000 prize. He is not the only
Indian-origin writer in the winners
gallery! Manu Joseph, editor, Open
magazine, has won the $5,000 PEN
Open Book Award, for an exceptional
work of literature by an author of color,
for his book Serious Men. Well that
makes up quite well for our Booker dis-
appointment this year, right?
nushka Sharma has done a
Bipasha Basu. She, like Bips,
charmed Jay Sean so much that
he is hoping to work with her in
his next music video, reports the
Bombay Times. And it may hap-
pen very soon. From what we hear, the
British Punjabi rapper, who worked with
Bips in the hit single Stolen, is planning a
short Mumbai tour.
SUZY ON THE WAY
TO THE TOP
asterChef has reached boiling point and right in the middle of
it is Suzy Singh. The neural-engineer-turned-Cordon-Bleu-
chef has made it to the top 4 with her innovative creation dur-
ing the Vension Challenge. Under the mystery box we had
common items that you would find in almost any household:
ground meat, egg, potato, carrots, onions, heavy cream, butter, flour,
corn, and spices. I ended up doing an Indianized Shephards Pie, she
writes on SuzySingh.com. Im in the top 4 and standing side by side with
some phenomenal competitors!
Anushka charms Jay Sean
A
S
M
FACEBOOK.COM/SUZYSINGHMASTERCHEF
TIMSHAFFER/REUTERS
UTTAMGHOSH
A PEN for
Siddhartha
PARESH GANDHI
Siddhartha
Mukherjee
Manu Joseph
Anushka
Sharma
Jay Sean
A6
SPECIAL/US ECONOMY DOWNGRADED
I
t is the first time in the history of the
United States that S&P does not consid-
er us to have the gilt-edged AAA rating.
Its a dent on the confidence and it sort of
questions the credit-worthiness of the
United States. But apart from that symbolic
significance, this is unlikely to change GDP
forecasts or interest rates.
A lot of people thought that when the US
gets downgraded, interest rates will jump
up. Effectively what you are saying is that
your debt is riskier today
than it was yesterday and
so you need to pay more
interest rate. What actual-
ly happened was, money
poured into US treasuries,
pushing interest rates
down. Which goes to
show that the US dollar
still remains the worlds
reserve currency.
There really are no
viable alternatives to the
US dollar as the worlds
reserve currency until
now. So, the downgrading
has more symbolic than
practical significance.
But, there may be some
collateral damage. Our
strategists Michael
Hartnett and David
Bianco have been assess-
ing this for a long time. Their feeling is that
there may be further downgrades to the US
dollar if the recently created debt commis-
sion does not come up with a proper
response in terms of taxes. If that is done,
that is a positive. We may still see a future
downgrade. It is a wake-up call to politicians
to start doing something to rein in the
deficit.
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Wake-up call,
not point of no return
America is still the king of the hill, but the politicians must get their act
together, says financial expert Raj Sharma
Page A8
A house up for sale in New Jersey. The housing
crisis, which began in 2008, continues
PARESH GANDHI
I
n May, when The Indus Entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley
celebrated its annual conference, TiE President Vish
Mishra said this year was break-even time. He was
pleased to see the way entrepreneurs, IT professionals, and
venture capitalists were pouring in to share information
about their upcoming business projects and technologies.
The market, Mishra said then, is recovering.
Thus, the August 5 downgrading of Americas credit rat-
ing by Standard & Poors came as a thunder strike from the
blue.
I was as stunned as many of my friends and colleagues
about the US debt-ceiling drama, decision and subsequent
downgrade, Mishra, venture director, Clearstone Venture
Partners. told India Abroad from Singapore. Even while
on vacation, we continued to monitor what was going on,
as it dominated our social and business conversations.
He said Silicon Valley is as stunned as the rest of the
world by the historic, first-ever, downgrade of the US AAA
credit. The impact, he added, is a lot more psychological
than intellectual, and has resulted in financial loss and
uncertainty.
The wait-and-see attitude toward business investments
and hiring will persist till the dust settles, Mishra said,
which is not a good thing for the ailing economy overall.
In a way, he added, its a good thing that the country is
painstakingly aware of the issues. He hoped that Congress
and the administration will see the light and let their wis-
dom, not emotion, prevail and act properly in the coming
months to restore the confidence of the American pub-
lic, and the world.
Entrepreneurs, Mishra said, as always, should continue
to start and build new businesses and create new econom-
ic opportunities. He said the downgrade should have no
impact upon TiE Angels launched by TiE charter mem-
bers last year to support top-tier emerging companies with
early stage investment and support and venture invest-
ments in general, as they are for the long term.
At this moment we are in the process of completing two
new TiE investments and will consider two more new
investments next week, said Mishra. But he agreed that
budding entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley should be posi-
tively impacted as they are the risk-takers, optimistic and
passionate about making a difference by pursuing new
opportunities. And they are in plenty supply always, he
said.
Mishra said in the Great Recession that started in the fall
of 2008, this is where we saw the big financial meltdown,
with mortgage and bank failures. We had the economic
stimulus, auto industry bailouts
and further tax incentives and
economic reliefs for individuals
and businesses. Then, the slow
recovery began in 2010.
Joblessness, he pointed out,
has remained stubbornly at over
9 percent in the US, and Europe
is worse.
Savings have gone up for indi-
viduals for the first time, close to
6 percent in the US. Corporate
cash reserves stand at $2 trillion.
However, business confidence
remains low and hence invest-
ments are staying low, further
compounding the economic
recovery. Then we add the debt
issue and uncertainty in dealing
with tougher challenges of gov-
ernment spending and Chinese
trade imbalances, he said.
The Great Recession is the
worst that I saw in my 45 years in
America and that was the sec-
ond-worst since the economic
recession of the 70s, where the
US had a misery index the
combined interest, inflation and
unemployment rates of over
30 percent, added Mishra. The
troubling fact now, he
said, is the anemic US
recovery. The persistent
trade deficit with China,
artificial currency valua-
tions and European debt
and economic woos are
further adding to
Americas troubles.
Gautam Godhwani,
chief executive officer
and co-founder of
Simply Hired in Moun-
tain View, California,
said while this is an
uncertain time, the US is
still seen as the reserve
currency for the world.
I can understand that
the rating reflects a lack of clarity with our debt situation,
but as only one of three agencies has moved forward with
a downgrade, it is not as significant as it would be other-
wise, Godhwani said. Consumer confidence, he said, was
already at a low when this downgrade occurred, and it cre-
ated panic in the markets. For entrepreneurs, this may
limit access to capital short term as investors determine
where the markets will go.
This appears to be more of a correction than a crash. I
expect that the markets will recover following the short-
term panic, Godhwani said.
Mishra echoed Godhwani, pointing out that the US has
the privileged position of being the country the world looks
up to. It has the largest percentage of real assets and
resources in the world, is the largest economy, the most
innovative and entrepreneurial. The current crisis will
come to pass eventually,
Mishra said, perhaps
sooner than believed as
2012 is also an election
year.
But what about the job
market, which directly
affects Americans?
California now has the
highest unemployment
rate since World War II,
at 11 percent. With the
global economic slow-
down, the job market
has been negatively
impacted though it was
said to be aching up
recently. The Simply-
Hired.com database,
which provides a real-time snapshot of job openings across
the Web, showed a decline in job listings in the months of
May and June for the first time since the recession. The
good news was that in July, job openings were up 6.5 per-
cent month-over-month. Since jobs are opened before they
are filled, which is the metric that the Bureau of Labor
Statistics reports, an increase in job openings is a good
leading indicator that better times are ahead. Silicon Valley
is seeing a surge of demand in technology occupations, and
will have an increase of 15 percent in job openings over the
next two years.
There was a recent surge in layoffs but that was primari-
ly from significant work-force reductions by a small num-
ber of large employers. Much of the job creation in the pri-
vate sector is coming from small- and medium-sized busi-
nesses, which have traditionally been the engine of growth
for the US economy.
In the SimplyHired.com database, there
were 5 million job listings before the reces-
sion from employers across the US. In the
lowest point of the recession, there were
2.1 million job listings, a 60 percent
decline over pre-recession levels.
Now, we are back to over 5 million job
listings, which shows that employers are
starting to hire again, said Godhwani.
While the economy will take some time to
recover, I believe there are better days
ahead.
Meanwhile, non-information technology
businesses that run on credit line fear the
ratings drop by S&P resulting in drop in
stocks.
We sell a lot of diesel for big trucks and
when ratings like this happens market
goes up and down it affects us a lot, said
Dalwinder Dhoot, owner of Joes Travel
Plaza in Lathrop, California. We sell
50,000 gallons of diesel each day. So we
need to have a credit line of $200,000
each day. When the market goes down, the
banks get nervous and fear giving loans.
He said 99 percent of his business is
based on credit.
Its very unfortunate, specially for local
business people, he said. They are very
much worried.
Optimism survives,
laced with caution
Ritu Jha gauges the mood in Silicon Valley
Vish Mishra Gautam Godhwani
While investors may still be
optimistic, small businesses
feel the pinch badly
PARESH GANDHI
A8
The other effect of this is there are
many municipalities where the credit rat-
ing is tied to the credit rating of the US
Treasury. These are bonds which are
called pre-funded bonds, which automat-
ically get an AAA rating because they
invest in US treasuries. Thats going to be
downgraded. So, in effect, everything sort
of symbolically goes down a notch, If you
were AAA before, you are AA. If some-
body was AA, they go to A. It has that
kind of significance in terms of munici-
palities around the country. That is some-
thing we need to watch out for.
But I think the big news here is it is a
wake-up call to politicians to get their act
together.
Two, it is a dent on the United States
dollar as the worlds reserve currency. It
is not as if the US can be replaced imme-
diately 62 percent of the transactions
in the world are using the US dollar. If we
are able to get our act together in
terms of putting our fiscal house in order
we may get upgraded in the future. So
I see this as a wake-up call, not a situa-
tion thats a point of no return.
The immediate reaction to the down-
grading was the risk assets equities
and commodities sold off in a big way.
That money poured into US treasuries.
So interest rates went down dramatically.
Very few people would have predicted
that kind of reaction. It goes to show that
the US treasury still remains the safe
haven of the world.
In times of uncertainty whether
theres a war happening someplace or
instability money pours into US treas-
uries. We are still the king of the hill.
When the US AAA rating was down-
graded, the next step the S&P took was
downgrading Fannie Mae and Freddie
Mac. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guar-
antee the bulk of mortgages in the US.
So, in theory, it should have had a nega-
tive impact on the mortgage industry.
But in practice, that has not been the case
so far. The US is viewed as a safe haven
asset.
Remember, the downgrade comes at a time when things
are quite fragile in the world economy. You have the
European solvent debt crisis; you have the slowing down of
growth in the US. You have the debt ceiling debate go on...
Instead of pushing rates higher, investors actually gravitat-
ed to US treasuries, pushing rates down quite dramatically.
But we still have to see what will happen in the long term.
Once things normalize, we will then know what the impact
will be on mortgage rates and other things which are tied to
the US Treasury.
I dont think investors are going to shy away from invest-
ing in the dollar. The dollar still remains the worlds reserve
currency. Emerging markets central banks of China and
Japan have enormous holdings of US dollars in treasury
bonds. The feeling was they may diversify. And it is quite
possible that they may still diversify over the long term but
it is going to be more of a gradual process. The reason is
that there are no alternatives around. We have the best
house in a bad neighborhood thats how one economist
described it. But it is quite possible that another currency
may get the confidence of the entire world and replace the
dollar. We dont think that is something imminent. If we
get our fiscal house in order we ll remain the worlds
reserve currency for a long time to come.
S&P errors in downgrading
Among the three rating agencies, Moodys, Fitch and
S&P, the S&P is the only one that has downgraded the US
and put the US on a negative credit watch, meaning that if
they dont see improvements with the upcoming deficit
commission they may downgrade us further. It is certainly
a controversial decision and its certainly not a unani-
mous decision but the very fact that they chose to do this
sends a very important message to our lawmakers. A lot of
people think the downgrading should not have been done,
but the S&P is an independent company and they make
their independent judgments.
Biparitisan resolution
We saw what happened during the debt ceiling debate
the drawn-out negotiations and the very last minute com-
promise. There is a lot at stake here for the future of the US,
the future of the US dollar, and it is really unclear how
politicians are going to react. But there is pressure from the
general population to make sure that this is an important
priority. But how the parties work together on this is still a
question mark.
If this starts to affect mortgage rates and rates for car
insurance, credit cards and that kind of thing, there will be
a significant impact on the consumer. We have seen the
actual opposite of that the interest rate going down. We
are in a period where we have the luxury
of being the worlds reserve currency, and
people have flocked to the US dollar. We
may not have that luxury for that long if
we dont get our house in order.
Eventually, the consumer could get hurt.
Also, remember if the US gets down-
graded, the US dollar will weaken. If the
US dollar weakens, your purchasing
power goes down. That hurts the con-
sumer. To buy that same imported car you
have to pay that much more. It effectively
reduces your standard of living if the cur-
rency keeps falling. That is the long-term
threat to the standard of living of the US
if the value of the currency is not main-
tained. Weve certainly seen in countries
where theres been irresponsible spending
what happens to their currencies. In
the 1980s in Argentina and Brazil, what
happened to Zimbabwe with the runaway
inflation... We are nowhere close to that
but that sort of thing serves as a reminder
of what happens in cases of fiscal irre-
sponsibility.
2008 versus 2011
Our strategists think David Bianco,
who is our chief equities strategist that
this is not 2008. We had a liquidity crisis
then. The economy came to a halt. Banks
were not lending to each other. The
plumbing of the system came apart in
2008. But today we have enormous liq-
uidity, interest rates are at an all-time low,
banks have capital to lend. So, it is a very
different situation today. Our system is far
more stable and resilient. We may have
seen a market correction because of cur-
rent events but we dont believe it is a
repeat of 2008.
Wheres the economy headed?
When Congress arrived at this debt-ceil-
ing compromise, they had a timeline. The
debt panel some of the members were
named: Three Democratic Senators and
three Republican Senators. Sometime
early next year is when they come up with
recommendations on cutting the long-
term deficit. Those timelines are very
important because these days the agen-
cies watching carefully to see what the
progress is. Certainly, if the progress is not
meaningful there could potentially be
another downgrade, which will be certainly more negative.
So this is an opportunity for the political system to com-
promise and come up with solutions. Because in effect, if
they dont do that it raises the borrowing cost for the gov-
ernment and, subsequently, for individuals. It also reduces
the power of the US dollar. That, strategists think, will cer-
tainly be negative for the US dollar and it will also acceler-
ate the rate of diversification from the US dollar. China has
trillions of dollars they have a bulk of the money in US
dollars. But they might say, Listen, we dont think the US
dollar is a good currency. Or they may diversify into the
euro or another currency. That is clearly the danger if noth-
ing is done. The writing is on the wall. Certainly, the mar-
kets have spoken this past week. You had such a violent
market reaction.
Gold that glitters
Gold does not pay a dividend. It is a sort of a fear trade in
some ways. If theres more financial instability, gold does
well. You need to have a small portion of gold in your port-
folio. But strategists think this is quite an extraordinary
entry point for investors who have a long-term horizon.
Page A6
Wake-up call, not point of no return
Page A9
Tourists at the Charging Bull near Wall Street
PARESH GANDHI
LALIT K JHA
Facing criticism for downgrading the United States credit
rating from AAA to AA+, Standard and Poors Indian-
American President Deven Sharma has said the agencys
decision was made mainly because of the rising debt levels
and the process of resolving things.
Our role is to call the risks objectively, with transparen-
cy, and thats what we try to do to fulfill our role and thats
what our job is for the benefit of investors, Sharma, 56, told
the CNBC news channel.
Going from AAA to AA+ rating, he argued, doesnt mean
the US is going to default. It just means its more risky
today than a year ago, he said.
S&P, Sharma said, factored
in the US political process in
its calculation because it
speaks to how the fiscal, eco-
nomic and monetary choices
are being made. S&Ps view
was based on a number of
factors including projections
of rising debt levels.
S&P has been facing criti-
cism in the US after it down-
graded its credit rating. Top
American leaders have been
questioning its credibility,
but Sharma said the angry
reaction from the US was
expected and the same you
would get from any other
country or company being
downgraded.
He said he was pleased by President Barack Obamas
speech in which he addressed the need for lawmakers to
have a new sense of urgency to tackle long-term deficit
spending.
Acknowledging that S&P also committed mistakes that
played a part in the sub-prime mortgage crisis, Sharma
said the credit rating agency had learned lessons from its
mistake.
Clearly the housing declines were much more severe
than we forecast or anticipated, he said. We are committed
to the reform process.
Sharma said S&Ps decision was not solely responsible for
the drop in the US market, adding that stock markets are
determined by a number of factors, sometime many of
which are unexplainable. The market could be reacting to
the fact there is a slowdown in economic growth. It could
be reacting to whats happening in Europe. It could be
whats happening in the US. There are multiple factors
that... contribute to how the market reacts, he said.
Incidentally, the number of defaults on debt payments by
companies that were certified by credit ratings agencies
tripled in the second quarter of 2011 in comparison to the
first quarter, a new article published by Standard & Poors
Global Fixed Income Research has said.
According to the report, globally, 15 companies (13 public
and two confidentially rated) defaulted in the second quar-
ter of 2011. Of the 15 defaults in the second quarter of 2011,
eight were domiciled in the US, two in Canada, two in New
Zealand, and one each in the UAE, Russia, and France.
The default rate is now at its lowest point since August
2008, the last reading prior to the collapse of Lehman
Brothers and the ensuing recession in the US, said Diane
Vazza, the head of S&Ps Global Fixed Income Research
division.
Press Trust of India
Know Deven Sharma
S
harma did his schooling in the Dhanbad district
of then Bihar state (now Jharkhand). He holds a
bachelors degree from the Birla Institute of
Technology in Mesra, a masters degree from the
University of Wisconsin and a doctoral degree in busi-
ness management from Ohio State University.
Much of his experience includes work with global
corporations in the US, Latin America, Europe and
parts of Asia. Sharma worked with manufacturing
companies Dresser Industries and Anderson
Strathclyde, global management consulting company
Booz Allen and The McGraw-Hill Companies before
joining S&P in 2006 as executive vice president
(investment services and global sales). He was named
president of S&P in 2007. He also chairs the board of
S&Ps Indian subsidiary Crisil.
Sharma is also a member of the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporations Systemic Resolution Advisory
Committee and the Council on Foreign Relations. He
also serves on the International Advisory Board of the
British-American Business Council and the Asia
Society Business Council.
Interest rates are very reasonable, the
Federal Reserve has mentioned it is going
to keep short-term rates very low through
2013. And thats a big source of confidence.
The world economy continues to prosper
were expecting a growth of 4.5 percent
this year and 4.5 percent next year. So
theres no shortage of growth in the world.
Except that we have a developed economy
and are in a slow-growth phase and the
emerging economies are in a high-growth
phase. Clearly, this is an attractive entry
point for investors for the long-term. Its
not a time to panic; its a time to be oppor-
tunistic. But people have the muscle mem-
ory of 2008 and selling into any kind of
decline like this is a mistake.
There are three things investors should
do: Number one, effective asset allocation
mix, based on their age and risk tolerance.
Because they divide their money between
risk assets and safe assets.
The second thing they should do is make
sure they are diversified across the globe,
not just in the US. That automatically gives
them currency diversification, too.
The third thing is, employ a systematic
rebalancing strategy. Your rebalancing
should not be dictated by what happens in
the market; it should be dictated by the
portfolio. So if bonds become too overval-
ued you sell some bonds and add to stocks,
and vice versa.
I found over 24 years of my practice that
if you follow these three tenets, you keep
out of trouble and your returns are quite
competitive over time.
Gloom and doom?
Its easy to be a doomsayer. You can grab
headlines. Its boring to say the right thing.
But weve been talking to a lot of investors
over many days and theyve been oppor-
tunistic and taking advantage of the market
weve been seeing. Theres a fire sale going
on in world-class companies, and our
strategists think the areas you want to be in
are multinational companies not just
dependent on the US or Europe.
Incremental growth is coming from the
emerging markets of the world. I think
those companies may be the safe haven
choice, providing consistent dividends and
consistent earnings. And those companies
are on a fire sale.
Raj Sharma, managing director,
investments, is a private wealth advisor for
the Private Banking and Investment Group
at Merrill Lynch in Boston. He earned
recognition as one of Barrons Top 100
Financial Advisors in 2010, the seventh
consecutive year he was selected for this
honor. He spoke to Suman Guha Mozumder.
The views expressed are in a personal
capacity and should not be seen as
investment advice.
Wake-up call, not point of no return
Page A8
Indian behind US downgrade speaks up
A homeless man scrounges in New York
PARESH GANDHI
S&P President Deven Sharma
A10
GEORGE JOSEPH
Some blame the Tea Party and its supporters irresponsible
behavior for the downgrade of the United States credit rat-
ing. Others think the leadership in Washington is not
strong enough to control things or take unpopular deci-
sions. But most agree that retirement plans have been hit
badly by the crisis and much of the investments have been
washed away.
I am not a liberal in any sense of the word in fiscal mat-
ters. I would not have done what those in Congress did as a
tactic resulting in the downgrade by S&P which resulted in
all our 401Ks are reduced to 201K, said Ram
Ramachandran, a consulting engineer and candidate for
the Louisiana House of Representatives as an independent.
About 60% of American households nearing retirement
age have 401k-type retirement savings accounts.
Principles are one thing, but practical approach to prob-
lem solving is entirely different. (The governments actions)
may get votes now but leaves a scar in many lives, he
added.
He said Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, a Republican,
is a friend. But, Ramachandran continued, His policies are
catering to the Tea Party types who brought our countrys
good faith and credit to the brink.
With S&Ps past history of certifying junk bonds as AAA
in the housing mortgage bundling process, no one believes
this downgrade is credible, Ramachandran added. Things
could have been significantly worse but for the true
strength of the US economy, the stable political institu-
tions, though sputtering, safety of investments, and, above
all, open society guaranteeing equal treatment under the
law. Those in public office with a microphone are not mak-
ing life any easier or the US economy more optimistic
except to pander to the voters to perpetuate themselves in
A
deep and long Great Recession is likely to continue
with unemployment above 10 percent officially and
much higher in reality.
Collapse of the real estate markets and bad economic and
financial rescue policies by Treasury Secretaries Henry
Paulson and Timothy Geithner and the Fed have kept the
economy weak while keeping core financial markets and
institutions alive. It is like there is enough blood in the
heart to pump and it is strong enough to pump but the
extremities of the body economic are constricted to receive
and use blood and oxygen from it. So the legs arms, brains,
stomach which are households, small businesses, housing,
manufacturing are functioning at reduced capacity.
S&P downgrade of the United States financial paper from
AAA to AA+ is a historic event recognizing long-term
imbalances in the US economy. There are economic imbal-
ances within the economy and with the rest of the world
economy.
Income and job growth have been slowing due to eco-
nomic and technological forces but consumption by all sec-
tors has slowed down less over the last dozen years.
Households, states and municipalities and the federal gov-
ernment have been living literally on borrowed funds.
Domestic and foreign credit markets have fueled the US
consumption and investment hoping that the US would
remain a safe haven.
Highly risky credit policies of the Federal Reserve, the
Treasury, investment banks, commercial banks and real
estate banks have kept the economy afloat with cheap and
therefore too much credit.
The real economy has a disconnect from the financial sys-
tem mainly due to poor policies in the aftermath of the col-
lapse of Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and others in
2008.
The Fed recognizes the severity as expressed by the finan-
cial markets and therefore it is bracing itself to maintain
full liquidity again to save the core institutions for the next
two-three years. The Fed and the Treasury continue to miss
the big shortage of credit to the limbs of the economy not
to mention major trunks like the housing industry.
Globalization is hurting too in the short term.
Competition across economies and coordination of inter-
national economic and financial policy are working at cross
purposes for the US at the moment. It is a bad situation
and likely to remain scary for the time being.
The rating downgrade will have little negative overall
impact on interest rates in the current environment.
Furthermore, the Fed has announced maintaining avail-
ability of full liquidity and near-zero rate for banks.
As regards foreign capital inflows into the US, relative
demand for US currency will remain strong given that
other economies are equally bad or worse. The opportuni-
ties available to the global investor will still remain better
in the US than most other places.
The impact will change to the negative side in a dramat-
ic way if inflation picks up or recession takes hold and
deepens over time making imbalances in the US budget
much worse coupled with reduced expenditures. Capital
may begin to dry up in that scenario. Thus interest rates
may rise on both counts and the dollar may depreciate due
to negative impact on the GDP stream.
All together, the long-term prospects are of a further
decline in the relative economic position of the US econo-
my in the total world economy.
Developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America,
Russia and Eastern Europe may gain relatively at the
expense of the US and Western Europe. If the situation
worsens in Germany and France, the US would gain. On
the other hand, if France and Germany grow faster than
the US then Europe as a whole is likely to gain at the
expense of the US as a share of the global economy.
There are difficult times ahead and policy choices are
even tougher. The very bad combination of economic forces
requires strong leadership, wise policy choices and out-of-
the-box-thinking advisers in the Fed, the Treasury and the
White House.
Dr Surendra K Kaushik, professor of finance, Pace
University, New York, spoke to George Joseph
All our 401Ks are reduced to 201K
From retirement plans to small business, the crisis hits us all
The heart is
strong; the limbs
are weak
The real economy has a disconnect
from the financial system mainly due
to poor policies
SURENDRA K
KAUSHIK
Page A19
Its summer, but this scene outside restaurants in New York mirrors the general mood in the country
PARESH GANDHI
I
n the short term, we see some market reaction to this
downgrading, but given the size of the US economy and
the US dollar, the primary reserve currency, global
investors do not have much choice. Since the bonds
denominated in other major currencies such as the euro
and the yen are limited in supply, the global investors have
little alternative. Besides, the euro countries issue their
bonds in euro. Given the current financial conditions of
many Western European countries, the investors still pre-
fer to buy US Treasury. Therefore, the long term effect will
KAMAL
UPADHYAYA
What it means for US, and us
Suman Guha Mozumder listens in as economists analyze the latest alarm signal for Americas economic health
Mortgages, student
loans, corporate
borrowings and other
loans will become
more expensive
I
n itself the S&P downgrade is not significant. What is
significant is that it comes on the heel of a continuous
deluge of bad news for the United States economy, for
the global financial system at large, and for US finances in
particular. Given the general downgrading of S&Ps credi-
bility during the financial crisis, during which it blithely
accorded AAA rating to securities based on junk sub-
primes, the irony of S&P downgrading anyone is delicious.
They may have set a whole downgrading train-wreck in
motion, because if US debt is riskier than before but US
treasury interest rates are even lower now after the down-
grade, making a further mockery of S&Ps analysis what
does it say about ratings for France and other countries?
The continuing crisis in the US is a three-fold crisis. The
embers of the 2008-2009 crises have not been doused yet,
and they flare up every now and then; there is also an
industrial/structural crisis in the underlying real economy;
and then you have a political crisis. The present negative
impact on the US economy is because of a riskier financial
environment in Europe, the possibility of larger European
countries catching the Greek contagion, the hint of a euro
zone breakup, and the continuing job creation issues in the
US. Add to that political gridlock and mounting national
debt and the short-term outlook does not look good.
Right now the rates are about as low as they can get. The
Federal Reserve has committed to low short-term rates
until 2013, and unless the US government debt gets much
riskier, or the economy turns around suddenly and there
are inflationary pressures, or there is an outflux to other
safe-haven investment opportunities, the long term rates
may well stay low. The problem is that even these ultra low
rates are not jumpstarting economic activity. The economy
has been doing quite well for some people. But for a very
large proportion of Americas working people, this has been
a time of stagnant wages and the ever present threat, if not
actual fact, of unemployment and massive losses in hous-
ing wealth. The future of the US economy, particularly
from the point of view of those people, will depend on a
number of things the responsiveness and effectiveness of
the policy establishment, including the Fed; the ability of
the Obama administration to work out deals with the
Republicans without compromising on basic social-safety
net issues; and the ability of the US economy, particularly
its private sector since the public sector has been effec-
tively muzzled to create large numbers of well-paying
jobs.
Ashok Bardhan is a senior research associate at the Fisher
Center for Real Estate & Urban Economics, Haas School of
Business, University of California Berkeley.
S
&Ps downgrade is a confirmation of the economic and
political problems in the US that we have known for a
while. I do believe that the current situation, so far, is
different from 2008. In contrast to 2008, today the bank-
ing infrastructure is functioning and the credit markets are
not frozen. However, we do have a crisis of confidence due
to the uncertainty based on indecisive response from
Washington and Europe. The market drop will shut down
the Initial Public Offering market and capital raising. The
downgrade will increase the cost of borrowing for the US
government and also for companies. This will also make
investors feel poor and hence they will not be willing to
spend, hurting consumer spending further.
In as much as the downgrade is significant because it is
the first time that the US does not have an AAA rating that
reflects the economic and political concerns that we have
known about, there is no absolutely no fear of the US
defaulting. That is just not going to happen.
Ratings drive the cost of borrowing; lower ratings will
REENA
AGGARWAL
ASHOK
BARDHAN
Absolutely no fear of
the US defaulting
The irony of S&P downgrading anyone is delicious
Page A14
Page A14
Homeless in New York
PARESH GANDHI
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A14
N
o doubt, the first-ever downgrading of Americas credit by
Standard & Poors is a bold act of intervention. Many,
S&P President Deven Sharma included, agree that the
downgrading was not only guided by Americas ability to meet its
debt obligation but by the politics surrounding the debate in
Washington, DC between the Democrats and the Republicans.
At the end, Congress passed, and the President signed, a bill
increasing Americas $14.29 trillion debt ceiling by $2.4 trillion
in three steps and cutting spending by $917 billion the largest
ever over 10 years. A super committee of Congress will meet to
find ways to impose further cuts of $1.5 trillion, bringing the
total to $2.4 trillion over 10 years. Because S&P had been asking
for a $4 trillion cut in US debt over the same period and it does
not see a viable solution emerging that will achieve this, it decid-
ed to downgrade Americas credit rating from AAA to AA+.
An expected outcome of a cut in credit rating is an increase in
their borrowing rate due to the increase in creditors perception
of the risk of investing in assets owned by them. Creditors offset
this risk by demanding higher return, very much in line with the
increase in the risk. However, the negative effect expected from
such a downgrade that S&P gave to the US credit did not happen.
The rates have actually declined to historic low levels.
Nevertheless, the consequence of the S&P downgrade of the US
A D
AMAR
Where do we
go from here?
Lets not blame S&P for downgrading
American credit rating. It is hoped to
be a blessing in disguise
eventually mean higher cost of capital for
the US government, companies, and indi-
viduals. However, the more important
issue is that it shakes up the confidence in
the US economy. The average investor will
get impacted companies will invest less
and be reluctant to hire, therefore, the job
situation will continue to be weak. Second,
rates on consumer loans will go up, which
is not good news for the already weak hous-
ing market. Lastly, the stock market down-
turn has wiped out portfolios, therefore
consumers are likely to spend less.
The solutions to our problems are quite
large and it will take some time and politi-
cal willpower to get out of the mess.
However, I do believe that the American
economy is vibrant and innovative, and we
will be able to get out of this situation. We
are still strong compared to many other
parts of the world, for example Europe.
Reena Aggarwal is the Robert E.
McDonough Professor of Business
Administration and Professor of Finance,
Director, Center for Financial Markets and
Policy, McDonough School of Business,
Georgetown University.
Absolutely no
fear of the US
defaulting
be very small.
It is true that the US government has
been complaining about the downgrad-
ing, but S&P and other rating agencies
have been warning the US government
about this for months. Despite that, the
government was not serious about reduc-
ing the size of the debt. S&P has repeated-
ly told the government that they need to
cut their spending by $4 trillion in the
next 10 years. The government, instead,
came up with $2.4 trillion cut before the
debt ceiling was raised. In order to main-
tain the AAA rating, S&P recommended
the government to bring the debt-GDP
ratio to 7.5, which would be possible only
if there is $4 trillion. Spending cut by
$2.4 trillion in the next 10 years only
reduces rate of increase in the debt, it
does not reduce the amount of debt. A
healthy debt-GDP ratio is 50 percent or
less and a healthy deficit-GDP ratio is 5
percent or less. At the moment the US
debt-GDP ratio has reached almost 100
percent and deficit-GDP ratio to almost
10 percent. Of course, the rating agencies
will be concerned.
This downgrading will lead to higher
borrowing cost for the US government.
Since the government lending rates are
the basis on which other lending rates are
determined, mortgages, student loans,
corporate borrowings and other types of
loans will become more expensive. Most
economists estimate that because of the
downgrading, the borrowing cost will
increase anywhere from 0.60 to 0.90.
That means the 30-year mortgage rate,
which is hovering around 4.5 percent for
some time, will rise somewhere between
5.1 percent to 5.4 percent. This obviously
will have some impact in the housing
market, which already is in a sorry state.
The economists also estimate that the fed-
eral government will have to pay an addi-
tional $100 billion per year in interest
payments to their Treasury holders
because of possible increase in the inter-
est rate. An increase in interest rates
could become a drag on other parts of the
economy. State governments and insur-
ance agencies would also be downgraded
and states are already having financial
troubles. Business confidence could sink
again, leading to prolonged high unem-
ployment.
If the US and other industrialized
nations do not implement serious auster-
ity measures, economic as well as the
social conditions in those countries will
become very serious. The recent riots in
Greece, Italy and the United Kingdom are
some of the evidence. There has to be a
major policy change. I do not think the
current government in Washington, DC
will be willing to do that. The Dodd-
Frank Financial Regulation Bill and the
Health Care Bill have become the major
drag for private investment. A repeal of
these two bills will spur private invest-
ment. I am not sure that is possible at
present. It might be possible after the
2012 election, again depending on the
election outcome.
Kamal Upadhyaya is professor and
chair, Department of Economics &
Finance, University of New Haven,
Connecticut.
Mortgages, student loans, corporate borrowings and
other loans will become more expensive
Page A12
Page A12
Striking workers demand middle-class jobs
PARESH GANDHI
Page A19
LALIT K JHA
Natwar Gandhi, chief financial officer, Washington DC,
who is credited with turning around the financial fortunes
of the capital, says America needs to borrow more and
spend more money in order to stimulate the economy.
He is of the view that though the American economy is
weak, it is not headed toward a second recession.
I strongly believe that the economy is weak. It is not
going to go into the so-called double dip recession, but it is
very weak, it is limping along and what we really need to do
is to have another stimulus, he says.
The first stimulus, Gandhi says, was not large enough.
We should have spent more money, he says, adding that
the countrys infrastructure requires massive investment.
The second stimulus, he says, should be to the tune of $1
trillion.
There is no consumer demand as we speak. The busi-
nesses are not investing as they do not see any demand out
there. So the only player who can really generate demand is
government. The government needs to spend money. There
is a need to spend money on our infrastructure, which is
abysmal, he adds. Unless government spends money to
generate demand, I see very likely a lost decade, the kind
that the Japanese have experienced over the last 10 years.
This is the time to borrow. United States can borrow
cheaply... Never have the interest rates been as low as they
are now. Even with the so-called lower rating, people are
still buying US Treasuries, Gandhi says. So my sense is that
they should borrow money and spend in infrastructure.
He says Standard and Poors decision to revise the US
credit rating downward is not very responsible, given that
the Treasury had pointed out that there was a $2 trillion
error in their analysis.
Remember, these are the same guys who had given AAA
to Enron and other corporations and all those financial
institutions like Lehman Brothers... so I think it was irre-
sponsible, he says.
Gandhi also says there is a big question mark on the cred-
ibility of S&Ps credit rating. I think, they should have been
more careful about this, he adds.
As the CFO of Washington, DC, Gandhi is responsible for
the citys approximately $7 billion annual budget. He has
built Washington, DCs financial progress by securing mul-
tiple rating upgrades (a total of 13 rating steps since 2000)
from major rating agencies for its general obligation bonds,
which are currently rated A+ by S&Ps and Fitch Ratings
and A1 by Moodys Investors Service. These are the highest
ratings ever assigned to the District of Columbias general
obligation bonds.
RITU JHA
Fremont, California-based software engi-
neer Aman Kumar was surfing the televi-
sion channels August 5 when he came
across the news of Standard & Poors down-
grading the US credit rating. He couldnt
believe his eyes and ears.
It was a big shock for me, said Kumar,
who, like many of his colleagues, invests in
stocks. I have lost a good amount of my
hard-earned money. The 2008 recession is
not yet over and now we have this news. We
fear layoffs, he added.
The markets, after going into freefall
since the S&P announcement, seemed to be
inching back. But, like Kumar, Fremont
Planning Commissioner Yogi Chugh
agreed that though the downgrading is
controversial, it does affect the common
American.
This was an irresponsible move by S&P,
Chugh said. It has eroded the world mar-
kets confidence in the US as a debtor. This
has further impacted investors at a time
when the US markets were barely recover-
ing from the financial crisis. A majority of
Americans, especially retirees will see an
erosion of their net worth. I am worried
about common people, who are of my par-
ents age.
He added that in 2007-2009, rating
agencies made a grievous mistake by
assigning stellar ratings to securities that
proved to be far more risky than advertised.
Many individuals and investors rely on
these agencies to make their ratings as they
make their retirement investments, he
pointed out.
When I heard of the news of the down-
grade, I was caught by surprise, said
Chugh. We have a broken legislature in
Washington, DC with its partisan rancor at
levels never seen before in American poli-
tics. The last thing one needs is rating
agencies causing a riot in our financial sys-
tems just to make a point. America
deserves more!
He said he lost money, though he would
not say how much. I lost money, but still I
will keep investing, he said.
Its not just stock market players who are
worried. Murali Krishnamurthy, co-
founder and executive chairman, Sankara
Eye Foundation, USA, a nonprofit that
works on public funding and has helped
cured the blindness of millions of people in
India, stopped investing in the markets a
while ago. It consumed a lot of time, he
said. You need to be very knowledgeable
about the market and should invest for the
long term. I was not a very big player and
moreover, I make less money now and
dont have anything for investment.
But he feared that the downgrading will
make things hard for his vision to eradicate
curable blindness by 2020.
A healthy US economy and US credit rat-
ing and stock market is very important for
all of us and for our charity, he explained.
Even if people have money to donate, they
may be worried for their future and post-
pone their donations, which is not good for
us. This is a big worry for me.
Anand Gundu, another software engi-
neer, probably spelt out the mood. He said,
"The downgrading certainly created a big
impact on everyone's life, including mine .I
invest in stocks; it took a good beating.
Same with 401K (retirement ccount). The
future really looks so uncertain.
US must borrow and spend more: Natwar Gandhi
Investors to
nonprofits,
the frowns
are back
Is consuming more the answer? Economists are unsure
PARESH GANDHI
A16
T
he recent downgrade of the
United States sovereign credit
rating by Standard and Poors
has left many people speechless.
Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman has
likened S&Ps attitude to that of a
young man who kills his parents, then
pleads for mercy because he is an
orphan. S&P and its sister rating
agencies, he says, have played a major
role in causing the current budget cri-
sis in America by blessing mortgage-
backed assets that later turned out to be
worthless.
Another Nobel Laureate, Joseph Stiglitz,
has viewed credit rating agencies as one of
the key culprits in the 2008 global financial
crisis.
The bipartisan Financial Crisis Enquiry
Commission of the Congress has concluded
in its report, The three credit rating agen-
cies were key enablers of the financial melt-
down the mortgage-related securities at the
heart of the crisis could not have been mar-
keted without their seal of approval.
According to Treasury Secretary Timothy
Geithner, S&P showed terrible judgment
in lowering the US governments
credit rating. Theyve handled them-
selves very poorly. And theyve shown
a stunning lack of knowledge about
the basic US fiscal budget math, he
adds.
Amid such widespread distrust of
the rating agencies, how come global
financial markets have reacted in
unison and so violently in response to
the downgrade by S&P?
How have financial interests whose
interests, after all, S&P represents
gained such power over even sovereign gov-
ernments like the US?
The first step, says Manchester Business
Schools Ismail Erturk in his
book Financialisation at Work, was when
Western countries, starting with Britain
and the US, moved from a defined-benefit
pension scheme for their workers to
defined contribution schemes.
This meant that vast pools of capital, rep-
resenting the savings of working people in
these countries, which add up to 100 to
200 per cent of the two countries GDP,
soon came looking for higher returns from
the bond and equity markets.
The second step started in the 1970s, says
Peter Hall (in the same book), professor of
government, Harvard University.
The British government, almost bank-
rupted by the demands of the British pub-
lic-sector trade unions, started borrowing
heavily from the financial institutions in
the City of London. To facilitate such exten-
sive borrowing, the British government
decided to use the Bank of Englands mini-
mum lending rate as the controlling lever.
This, says Professor Hall, had the unin-
tended effect of making the buyers of gov-
ernment bonds act in cohesion they
would either buy government bonds
together or hold off together till conditions
became propitious.
They realized that the more they held
back, the more desperate the government
would become. Since it was a matter of life
and death for these bond traders to predict
the likely direction of interest rates, they
started employing economists who soon
discovered that the amount of bonds the
government wanted to sell depended on
the rate of growth of money supply as well
as the amount of public spending the gov-
ernment was planning to make. And once a
government set a target for money supply,
as many governments did in the 1970s to
curb the raging inflation of that time, the
markets soon figured out that governments
had to choose between raising interest rates
and cutting public spending plans.
The markets could now hold govern-
ments to ransom. They could force a gov-
ernment to cut public spending outlays or
face higher interest rates. The rating agen-
cies are merely the messenger boys for this
line of thinking.
Krugman and Stiglitz are not the only
ones damning the immense power that
financial interests have come to gain over
governments. Voices against financial
interests now include powerful politicians
in many different countries, from many dif-
ferent economic persuasions.
The downgrade of the US government
debt by S&P may turn out to be what
Thomas Birkland has called a focusing
event, in his book titled An Introduction to
the Policy Process.
A focusing event is a sudden and rare
event that sparks intense media and public
attention because of its sheer magnitude.
Such an event can make groups, govern-
ment leaders, policy entrepreneurs, news
media and the public pay attention to, and
stay focused on, a problem till a solution is
found.
The S&P downgrade may be one such
focusing event that powerful groups may
use to launch a wholesale attack on the
immense power over governments that
financial interests have gained in recent
times.
Ajit Balakrishnan is the Publisher,
India Abroad, and the Founder,
Chairman and CEO, Rediff.com
How markets came to hold
nations to ransom
AJIT
BALAKRISHNAN
A television reporter shows a newspaper headline on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, August 9
BRENDAN MCDERMID/REUTERS
F
inally, a deal was done and yet
America lost its prized AAA credit
rating. Credit agency Standard &
Poors downgraded the United States cred-
it rating from AAA to the next lowest level,
AA+.
The US political system might not be as
broke as some thought, but the deal came
a bit too late to allay apprehensions about
the ability of the American political estab-
lishment to think seriously about the mul-
tiple economic crises facing the worlds
most powerful economy.
Approval by the Senate sent the measure
to President Barack Obama and immedi-
ately granted the Treasury $400 billion in
additional borrowing authority, just hours
before the deadline. Yet no one seems to be
happy with the deal that has been struck.
House Speaker John A Boehner won
over more than two-thirds of his caucus by
assuring the lawmakers that few GOP pri-
orities were in the line of fire and that
Obama had retreated on his demand for
higher taxes.
Angry Democrats largely shared that
assessment. But after withholding their
votes for most of the roll call, they split
evenly for and against the proposal, which
would cut at least $2.1 trillion from pro-
jected borrowing over the next decade
without any immediate provision for new
taxes.
A grueling battle that had consumed
Congress for most of the spring has come
to an end, but a bigger war lies ahead.
The attention as well as pressure will
shift to the new super-committee whose
mandate is figuring out how to save $1.2
trillion to $1.5 trillion more. The first
round of cuts, spread among domestic and
military programs, will total $917 billion
over the next 10 years, including savings
from lower interest payments, according
to the Congressional Budget Office.
The second round will be the harder bit.
The debt-limit deal, which strained and
nearly snapped American politics, was the easy part. The
compromise involved no reforms of Medicare or Social
Security, and it had no tax increases. Once again, the pres-
ident and Congress targeted discretionary spending
about a third of the federal budget.
Given the severity of previous discretionary spending
cuts, this strategy will not work the next time around. The
bargain addresses a liquidity problem; it does not resolve
the debt crisis. Yet this exertion has left Democrats and
Republicans exhausted and bruised.
An honest debate on controlling Medicare costs a pre-
requisite for meaningful debt reduction is uncomfort-
able for both parties.
Democrats support price controls in an ever-more-
repressive system that tends toward rationing. Republicans
want to limit costs by increasing out-of-pocket costs for the
middle class. Neither side has a political interest in prepar-
ing Americans for unavoidable pain.
As the 2012 Presidential elections draw nearer, the con-
trast between the two parties seems certain to be drawn in
sharp relief. The Republican vision is of a dramatically
smaller government and of a budget that is balanced with-
out raising taxes. Democrats argue for what Obama
describes as a balanced approach, one that includes new
revenue and treads cautiously around Social Security,
Medicare and social programs that provide a safety net for
the poor. Both parties insist that theirs is the only path back
to what voters say they want most: A stronger economy.
With the debt deal, the US has prevented a downgrading
of its credit rating but its reputation lies in tatters. It is
already being suggested that the Chinese model might be a
more efficient one.
Among foreign leaders and in global markets, the politi-
cal dysfunction in Washington as the nation moved to a
default have eroded Americas already diminishing aura as
the worlds economic haven and the sole country with the
power to lead the rest of the world out of financial crisis
and recession.
And Obama himself is aware of this change. He has all
but acknowledged as much in recent weeks, as he paired
his decision to withdraw the surge troops from
Afghanistan by next September with a repeat of his decla-
ration that it is time to focus on nation building here at
home.
His decision to commit few new American financial
resources to supporting the Arab Spring and his insistence
that the North Atlantic Treaty organization allies must bear
the brunt of operations in Libya were deliberate reminders
that times have changed, and that America can no longer
afford either new Marshall Plans or new wars.
But acknowledgement is not leadership. And it is
Obamas leadership that is under the scanner now.
A politician who was elected on the promise of a different
kind of leadership is having difficulty in projecting any kind
of leadership. The US economy remains in doldrums and
Americans are blaming Obama now. He can no longer
blame George W Bush.
The global balance of power is changing rapidly and the
recent crisis in Washington has merely underscored the
shifting power dynamic. Japan is in political gridlock and
the European Union cant seem to get its act together. This
makes China as the most credible global alternative and it
has already asked the US to put its house in order.
It is important to acknowledge that the decline of
America has been much talked about in the past too. The
difference is never before has the gap between American
capabilities and its ambitions been this stark.
Admiral Mike Mullen, departing chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, has been very vocal about the national debt
being the greatest threat to US national security.
The world is taking note and it will reconfigure accord-
ingly. It is for the US political establishment to get its act
together if it wants to retain American supremacy in this
century.
Otherwise, be prepared for Pax Sinica!
Dr Harsh V Pant teaches at the Kings College, London
HARSH V
PANT
Aura of Americas
economic might has faded
Tourists photograph the National Debt Clock near Times Square in New York. The debt-limit deal, which strained and nearly snapped American
politics, was the easy part, says Harsh Pant
CHIP EAST/REUTERS
A18
MALINI BHUPTA
First, the good news: S&Ps rating cut for
the United States bodes well for India, as it
will help the Reserve Bank of India in its
battle against inflation.
For starters, Brent crude oil prices have
corrected substantially (down by about 15
percent from the recent highs), with other
commodities expected to follow suit. With
the US and the euro zone expected to
record softer growth, oil analysts expect
Brent to average at $108/bbl in financial
year 2012 and $114/bbl in FY13.
If the US goes into a mild recession, Bank
of America Merrill Lynchs oil analyst
Franchisco Blanch expects dated Brent
prices to come off to $80/bbl. Not only will
this help battle inflation, it will also keep
fiscal deficit in check.
Many experts are likening this crisis to
that of 2008, and this has brought back
some of the noise on the risk to Indias
external debt.
During the Lehman collapse, vulnerabil-
ity rankings became quite the fad, which
simply added up the current account
deficits and forex reserves to short-term
debt ratios. BoAML believes the RBI
should be able to withstand any possible
contagion following S&Ps US downgrade.
However, S&P has warned that even as
there is no immediate impact on the Asia-
Pacific sovereign ratings, the potential
longer-term consequences of a weaker
financing environment, slower growth and
higher risk aversion are negative factors.
Economists believe things could get
tough only if oil crosses $135/bbl, which
seems unlikely in a slowing growth envi-
ronment.
G Chokkalingam, executive director and
chief information officer, Centrum Wealth
Management, says the expected deprecia-
tion of the dollar could reduce Indias
import bill (for oil and fertilizers), which, in
turn, can strengthen Indias fiscal condition
by reducing the subsidy bill significantly.
Moreover, a sell-off will tighten the liq-
uidity in the domestic system, easing the
job of the regulator in contracting liquidity
for taming inflation.
The next big question is if India can fund
its high current account deficit if risk aver-
sion dries up capital flows? Economists
believe India can fund it, as risk aversion
will also lead to lower oil prices, which will
have a positive impact on the current
account.
For every $10/bbl rise or fall in oil prices,
the impact on the current account deficit is
of $8 billion. Clearly, falling oil prices are a
bigger boon than the threat of capital out-
flows.
For now, its widely believed there wont
be any massive sell-off in equities, as was
the case in 2008-09.
The US, Europe and Japan have their
own problems and are expected to post
very low GDP growth or fall into recession
in the near future, claim experts. Moreover,
a sell-off will further pull down Indias val-
uation to 12x FY13 EPS, making it a rather
attractive destination.
Heads of companies across sectors are
sanguine that unlike 2008, they are better
prepared to withstand the impact of the
troubled US and European markets. That
includes those from the information tech-
nology, pharmaceutical and infrastructure
industries, more likely to be singed due to
their higher exposure to these markets.
Capital markets across the world reacted
negatively August 8, following the August 5
downgrade of the US sovereign rating.
Analysts say these developments have
heightened the risk perception and uncer-
tainties in a global economy.
Managements of Indian information
technology companies are monitoring the
scenario, since the US and Europe account
for 80-85 percent of the revenue of most
companies.
We do not see any material impact from
the sell-off in global markets. We are
watchful, but do not see any changes in the
business demand environment in North
America and Europe. We continue to work
closely with our customers to help imple-
ment their business plans in a volatile envi-
ronment, said N Chandrasekaran, manag-
ing director and chief executive officer, Tata
Consultancy Services.
Infosys MD S Gopalakrishan is also posi-
tive, despite fears of another recession in
the US and a debt crisis in Europe.
We were able to react very quickly in the
past when the recession happened. These
responses are still fresh in our memory and
I believe the industry may be able to with-
stand another global downturn, he said.
T K Kurien, CEO, IT, and ED, Wipro,
said, The IT industry is far more prepared
for any change in the negative macroeco-
nomic environment now than we were in
2008. In fact, the structural weakness in
the economy offers opportunities to IT
services companies, as we help global cor-
porations variabalize their IT, thus making
them fundamentally more adept to com-
pete.
Software body national Association of
Software and Services Companies said,
Although the global economic environ-
ment is a cause for concern, it is not likely
to impact the IT industry in the near-term
future.
Companies from other sectors also dis-
played a wait and watch attitude.
Consider the case of the Aditya Birla
Group. About 60 percent of its revenues
flow from operations abroad.
Ajit Ranade, chief economist of the
group, said, The US downgrade as a stand-
alone event has come as a surprise, but the
concerns about the US economy from a fis-
cal or debt situation have been
known. Indian economy, however, has
withstood such cycles in the past and
emerged resilient with its strong funda-
mentals.
Y M Deosthalee, director and chief finan-
cial officer, Larsen & Tubro, said, I think
the situation is volatile and there no point
in speculating the impact. But since we are
not going to raise any money, the impact
will be to the extent which interest rates
will move up or down and the effect of that.
Also, how currencies are going to move. A
substantial part of our debt is foreign cur-
rency debt and most of it is hedged. The
effect, if at all, is likely to be marginal.
Pharmaceutical companies expressed
similar sentiments. Glenn Saldanha, MD
and CEO, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, said,
In the long term, the economy will remain
Why the US downgrade
is a boon for India
A broker monitors share prices at a brokerage firm in Mumbai, August 8
Page A21
REUTERS
debt is going to have a negative effect for all Americans.
When about half of the surveyed Americans reflected that
fear in a Reuter/Ipsos poll conducted after the downgrade,
they were basing their fear on their understanding that
America is in fact in a lose-lose situation out of which it
cannot come out unscathed; 73 percent Americans believe
that the United States is on the wrong track. The worst
indeed has yet to come.
Our leaders are clueless. Many experts talk of increasing
our consumption as a way to pull the US economy out of
recession. Unfortunately, they do not understand that that
is part of the problem, not the solution. Increased con-
sumption following the current model of production and
consumption will exacerbate the problem. A big part of our
consumption is produced abroad. Stimulating consump-
tion in America will mostly increase jobs and prosperity
abroad. What we need to do is increase production,
increase domestic value-addition. To contribute to the
solution, Americans should reduce consumption. Reuse.
Recyle. Economize. Save. The saved money will find its way
into our economic system in the form of capital which will
increase production, energize our economy and create jobs
the answer to all our problems. There can never be a
prosper economy that cannot produce its consumption.
What happens in America is going to reverberate around
the globe in China, Japan, Canada, South Korea,
Germany, India, and any other country you can name.
Almost all countries in the world manage to run a positive
balance-of-trade with the US importing less from
America than they export to it. That means that they use
the excess cash generated by selling to the Americans in
generating jobs, creating prosperity in their countries.
Take, for example, the worlds automobile trade with
America. Japan, based on 2010 data, exported over 2 mil-
lion cars to America but imported less than 14,000. On the
other hand, South Korea three-fourths of whose econo-
my runs on exports exported 1.75 million cars to the USA
and imported less than 5,000. Germany is in the same cat-
egory. China has built its economy, and the ruling commu-
nist party solidified its position by making sure that it
exported to America the most possible while making sure
that it did not import. Mexico and Canada did the same.
Name any country and it will fit the model.
What the US government cant do, Americans can; that
is, we should watch where our dollar goes. When we spend
our money, where will it end up? Whom will it benefit?
Because wherever it will end up, it will create economic
activity there. It will generate jobs there. It will bring pros-
perity there. And, it is not a difficult question. You know the
answer. If the answer is that your dollar will end up in
America, then, you made the right decision with your dol-
lar. However, it will require making economic decisions
with criteria that go beyond economics. It requires strate-
gic behavior.
The American economy is so leaky. We leak out about $1
trillion abroad annually due to our trade practices. For
example, for every billion dollars added to our GDP, we can
create 7,000 jobs. In auto and construction, this could be
21,000 jobs. If we succeed in plugging all of this leakiness,
by a pessimistic estimate, we will create 15 to 20 million
new jobs in America. Once these well-paying jobs are cre-
ated, our tax base will increase; solving social security,
Medicare, Medicaid, and many other problems, as the cash
will re-circulate.
These are difficult decisions; that is why Americans fear
the worst is yet to come. The status quo is likely to contin-
ue indefinitely because American focus is on the short
term. Lets not blame S&P for downgrading American
credit rating. It is hoped to be a blessing in disguise.
Dr A D Amar is professor, the Stillman School of
Business, Seton Hall University, New Jersey.
Page A14
Where do we
go from here?
office. The last 10 years have created a big
void in leadership. Evasive Congress is still
debating how to deal with our massive
budget deficits by a committee of 12 politi-
cos. Today we need politicians with convic-
tion, spine with a strong back bone.
Former Teaneck, New Jersey, mayor John
Abraham agreed that the leadership in
Washington is not bold enough to take
required but controversial decisions.
Even though I am a Republican,
Abraham said, I dont feel happy to see the
Republican leadership behaving as if it is in
the pocket of big companies. The Tea
Party Republicans are nave and inexperi-
enced. It is time for the President to say
that enough is enough, and be strong.
He was also worried about the loss to the
retirement programs and investments of
many elderly immigrants.
After the S&P announcement, the bullion
prices increased by about $80 for an ounce,
said Jackson Heights, New York-based
Vasantrai Gandhi, one of the few Indians in
the bullion business. The number of people
buying gold coins or bars increased nomi-
nally. He expected the market to stabilize
soon.
People see gold as a secure investment,
Gandhi said. Since the prices are going up,
they now consider it as a good investment
option too.
Though the demand for bullion is going
up, it is not happening in the jewelry busi-
ness, he pointed out. If the downgrading
makes interest rates to go up which has
not happened yet it will adversely affect
the ordinary people, he said.
Dr Thomas Abraham, founder president
and chairman, Global Organization of
People of Indian Origin, blame the Tea
Party members of the Republican Party for
the economic mess terms.
If they want a balanced budget and
deficit reduction, they have to find some
source for revenue, Dr Abraham said.
Their (the Tea Partys) adamant stand of
not raising any income tax has created an
economic and political uncertainty. The US
went through two costly wars in
Afghanistan and Iraq and is still spending
for the same. We need to find additional
revenues. Bringing back additional taxes
from those who have income above
$250,000 was one of the ways to raise
additional revenue. Congress blew it and
S&P eventually downgraded the US
because of the lack of political will to
reduce the deficit and debt. (But) the US is
much more stable than many other coun-
tries which have AAA ratings, he added.
While the additional taxes may have
added a few thousands in taxes for the
upper income people, he pointed out, the
downgrade has already wiped out their
assets in millions. People at large are very
angry with the Congress for their partisan
politics instead of promoting the interest of
the country as a whole, he said.
Dave Makkar, who owns a check cashing
business in New Jersey, too blamed
Congress.
They are also responsible for
driving America and the average American
to high debt, poverty, unemployment and
hunger, Makkar fumed. A country with 57
percent industrialization in 1970 is now
only 9 percent industrialized. Small busi-
nesses like us are firing employees rather
than hiring since 2007 and taking pay cuts
ourselves. Bank rates, license fees and other
costs have gone up many times, while rev-
enue came down by at least 30 percent. The
downgrade will give banks, utilities and
even governmental agencies an excuse to
raise charges and fees. Both parties work
exclusively for the top 1 to 2 percent who
receive 36 percent of the annual national
income and own 94 percent of the nations
assets. The net worth of these top earners is
increasing by $17 trillion every 10 years. In
the last 10 years, oil companies alone made
over a $1 trillion in profits.
The average Americans earning has gone
down by 35 percent in real terms in these
10 years because of high taxes, fees and
expenses. The average household net worth
is now less than what it was in 1945. Out of
the $3.6 trillion annual budget, $1.5 trillion
is being spent to on unnecessary wars and
keeping 153 military bases around the
world.
All our 401Ks are reduced to 201K
Page A10
PARESH GANDHI
A20
A
s Standard and Poors cut the long-
term United States credit rating by a
notch, India kept its cool.
There was, however, knee-jerk reaction in
the stock markets. Information technology
firms and exporters seemed worried. The
share price of Tata Consultancy Services,
Indias largest outsourcer, dropped 4.5 per-
cent on the Bombay Stock Exchange.
Infosys, the second-largest outsourcer,
dropped 4.7 percent. But, the politicians,
managers of the financial world and the
Reserve Bank of India tried to play it cool.
India saw challenges and opportunities.
If the US capacity to get money gets cost-
lier then society will spend less and the
reduced consumption will reduce the
import of fuel, making international oil
prices fall. India saw gain in the possibility
of a reduced oil bill.
Two, as Dr Sanjaya Baru, editor, Business
Standard, and former media adviser to the
Indian prime minister, commented, We
should not go by Western press. Many
experts and media mirror Western worries.
As Indian exports are not as deeply linked
with the US as other Asian countries, I
believe our (Indias) growth rate may go
down from 9 percent, but it wont go below
7.5 percent.
Baru pointed out that a week before, S&P
China had downgraded the US credit so
experts who read China more than the
Western media were not shocked to see the
US losing prime position.
In India, industries are facing internal
crises more than external. So, due to the cri-
sis in the US, Indian businessmen can now
lobby to ensure that the RBI does not
increase interest rates to make liquidity
expensive. Surely, India will see less of for-
eign institutional investors money into the
real estate market but equally there is possi-
bility now of a reverse exodus of funds
from the US into India to capitalize on
internal markets. Dr Kaushik Basu, the
Indian governments chief economic advis-
er, felt if India plays it well, Indias credit
rating can move up.
In the medium term to long term, Basu
said, Indias prospects are really unaffected
by this incident. If we can strengthen our
economy, we could provide some safe haven
which the global capital flow is bound to look for.
No one in New Delhi is saying that India is insulated
from the turmoil in the US.
The RBI said it was closely monitoring the situation.
Soon after news of the downgrade broke, the RBI said,
India must be prepared to respond to turbulent financial
market conditions arising out of external developments.
Developments relating to the US economy last week have
significantly increased uncertainty about its prevailing con-
dition. We are monitoring key indicators and will assess the
impact of global developments on rupee and macroeco-
nomic stability. We will respond quickly and appropriately
to the evolving situation. Our immediate priority is to
ensure adequate rupee and forex liquidity is maintained in
domestic markets.
Nimesh Kampani, chairman, J M Financial, a large bro-
kerage, said, I dont see any major impact in the short run.
The US has said they are not going to change interest rates
on the US Treasury. I also dont notice volatility in
exchange rates. If the US dollar remains around Rs 45 then
Indian exporters would manage their business. I would say
India is not the worst affected by it. There is no major
upheaval in the short run. In the long term, its up to busi-
nessmen to see that their orders dont go down from the
US.According to the government announcement, Indias
exposure to the US debt stands at $41 billion. Americas
outstanding debt stands at $15 trillion. Foreign countries
own nearly $ 4.5 trillion of this amount, where India ranks
at 14th position in terms of countries exposed to the US
debt. China ranks first, having an exposure to the tune of
$1.15 trillion.
Kampani pointed out, Indias exposure is hardly 15 per-
cent of its total foreign exchange reserves.
Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the
developments in the US and the Euro Zone have brought in
uncertainty in global markets. These developments may
have some impact on India, but, Indias growth story
remains intact.
Its life as usual, said Pratip Chaudhary, chairman, State
Bank of India. Cost of borrowing for the US may go up by
a few percentage points. But that would not really affect us.
Ramu Deora, president, Federation of Indian Exporters
Organizations, said, The downgrading will lead to further
appreciation of the rupee against the American dollar
which is already facing the heat, thereby blunting our com-
petitive edge.
He expressed concerns of fellow businessmen that the
US government will have to increase taxes to bring in more
people under the tax net to curtail its deficit, which will fur-
ther shrink their disposable incomes and may have an
impact on Indias exports to North America.
According to industry estimates, garments, handicrafts,
leather, gems and jewelry would be the most affected India
sectors, besides IT.
Indias merchandise exports to the US is worth $246 bil-
lion. Software exports are around $59 billion. There will be
a struggle to keep up these figures, said exporters.
Dr Rajiv Kumar, secretary general, Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said, Problems in
the US can cause major disruption in the world and would
also affect India. Our exports will be affected if the situa-
tion in the US deteriorates.
Many experts expect Indian banking to be impacted as
well.
By nature, Indian businessmen dislike western distur-
bances. The US always gets favored sentiments from
Indians, said an import-export market expert.
Deora mirrored the pessimism of Indian exporters, say-
ing, The worlds largest economy is entering depression
while the Euro Zone is in a debt crisis. Our worst fear, that
exports and fourth quarter (economic growth) will be
affected, may come true,
Indias politicians, meanwhile, were busy sermonizing on
India Inc plays it cool, politicians sermonize. Sheela Bhatt reports
They are sinking, they will
take us along with them
Page A21
In New York, street fairs seem to be doing better business than supermarkets, thanks to the common American feeling the pinch. India,
it seems, is shielded for now
PARESH GANDHI
with a robust growth, despite such short-term pressure.
S Ramesh, president, finance and planning, Lupin, said,
I dont think the economy will be impacted much by the
current uncertainty, as interest rates have almost peaked
and I expect inflation to fall in the second half (November-
December) of 2011-12. Pharmaceuticals being a non-dis-
cretionary spend makes the sector relatively insulated from
the current downturns and extreme market volatility that
we have been witnessing.
P K Mukherjee, MD, Sesa Goa, an iron ore producer and
exporter, also felt the country was better equipped to han-
dle the current economic crisis. He, however, stressed that
the government should bring reforms back on track.
Rating agency Crisil cautioned that the primary impact of
the US downgrade would be on the availability and cost of
funding, both domestic and international.
Roopa Kudva, MD and CEO, said The manner in which
financial markets and governments react over the next few
weeks will determine how the prevailing fragilities in the
global sovereign and financial sectors play out.
Industry chambers expressed optimism that the Indian
economy was strong enough to survive the impact of a
downgrade of the US credit rating by Standard & Poors.
But they saw the US situation leading to market volatilities
in the short term and, at the same time, impacting Indias
exports through slackening demand.
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and
Industry said while the short-term impact would be more
obvious in terms of market uncertainties, the long-term
effect might be more prolonged, but less obvious.
On the downside, an uncertain global environment
could depress Indias exposure to global markets in terms
of exports of goods and services, that make more than a
quarter of Indias GDP, a statement from the federation
said.
The Confederation of Indian Industry said the recent cri-
sis was a matter of concern, but it felt India was likely to
have a stronger rupee against the dollar following the
downgrade. If monetary measures (Q3) are resorted to by
the US, then we shall see inflow of funds to India, which
has its positive and negative impact, said CII.
The decline in growth rate in India as compared to its
trend growth was not as severe as in other advanced and
emerging economies in 2008-09, when the global financial
crisis deepened.
So, going forward, India is expected to be able to main-
tain a comfortable growth trajectory of 7.5-8 percent sup-
ported by strong domestic demand, said Salil Bhandari,
president, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
But industry body Associated Chambers of Commerce
and Industry of India fears the downgrading of US sover-
eign debt rating will have cascading effect on markets
across the world and could slow foreign direct investments
into India.
D S Rawat, secretary-general, Assocham, said, With talk
of a double-dip recession in the worlds largest economy,
Indian exports are also likely to be impacted. The IT indus-
try, too, will feel the heat as uncertainty and negative senti-
ments blow across global businesses.
India is the 14
th
largest creditor to the US, with an overall
exposure estimated at $41 billion.
However, the industry body added, India remains a
potentially good growth story, with a strong domestic mar-
ket, driven by 1.2 billion people.
The RBI will need to maintain sufficient rupee and for-
eign currency liquidity to prevent any excessive volatility in
local markets, Rawat said.
Assochams GDP growth rate projections continue to
hover around eight percent during 2011-12, with a variation
of half a percentage point.
Notably, Indias foreign currency long-term sovereign
credit rating by S&P remained unchanged at BBB, which is
the lowest rating in the investment grade.
By arrangement with Business Standard
Why the US downgrade is a boon for India
Page A18
how Americas extravagant lifestyle is
causing economic turbulence in the world.
August 11, there was a brief debate on the
issue in the Indian parliament. The
Bharatiya Janata Partys Dr Murli Manohar
Joshi spoke about how even Germany and
France are afraid that the Asians settled in
the US might shift there. Due to the crisis
there, the value of the rupee is fluctuating,
resulting in the soaring of prices of gold
and silver. Joshi advised the government
that Americas model of economic develop-
ment is all wrong, and India needs its own
Bharatiya model.
Other politicians like Lalu Prasad Yadav
and Mulayam Singh Yadav were worried
that the economic crisis would reach
Indian shores soon and they asked govern-
ment to take measures to protect the poor.
Sharad Yadav of the BJP-led National
Democratic Alliance said America is sink-
ing and the UK is likely to follow.
They are sinking, they will take us along
with them. Let us save the country by cre-
ating our own economic model, he
declared.
Meanwhile, Indias economic planners
expected the global GDP to go down and in
the absence of any new economic reforms
the Indian economy may get to the new
normal of about 7 percent growth, and not
the current base of 8 to 9 percent. The
boom may be over, but a downfall is not
expected.
Page A20
They are sinking,
they will
take us along
with them
Even sales have lost their charm
PARESH GANDHI
A
s Secretary of State Hillary Clintons
recent trip to India demonstrated,
these are exciting times for India,
and for the India-United States relation-
ship. India has liberalized and opened its
economy, unleashing the entrepreneurial
talent of its people and using its strong
technology base to establish leading posi-
tions in such fields as telecommunications,
information technology and pharmaceuti-
cals.
America and India, for too long estranged
during the Cold War, have developed
steadily closer ties built on a uniquely
strong foundation: Both countries are sta-
ble, multi-ethnic democracies with a deep
tradition of religious tolerance.
With a well-educated middle class that is
larger than the entire US population, India
can be an anchor of stability in Asia and a
center of economic growth. It is already the
worlds second-fastest growing major econ-
omy, and bilateral trade with the US has
more than tripled over the past 10 years. I
have worked to build a strategic partner-
ship between the United States and India
that will benefit both sides as India plays an
ever-larger role on the world stage.
I am also excited by a new opportunity to
match Indias entrepreneurial zeal with
Americas current need for investment and
jobs through the Startup Visa Act, which I
introduced with earlier this year. The bill
would allow an immigrant entrepreneur to
receive a two-year visa if he or she can show
that a qualified US investor is willing to
invest in the immigrants startup venture.
Many of Indias smartest and most entre-
preneurial individuals are already here
studying at our universities, so helping
them stay to invest in their ideas would cre-
ate jobs and help all Americans.
The bill would also apply to
those already in the US on
unexpired H-1B visas, and
entrepreneurs living outside
the United States who already
have a market presence here.
If this legislation is enacted, it
will help more Indians take
part in the great American
tradition of immigrant busi-
ness success.
Another concern of Indians
abroad is Pakistan, a concern I share. I
believe the US should use its influence to
promote stability in the region, which could
lead to a Pakistan that is more likely to
cooperate and trade with India. Thats one
of the reasons I co-sponsored the 2009
Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act.
The bill emphasizes economic assistance
over military aid, and contains incentives
for Pakistan to stabilize its democracy. It
requires the secretary of state to certify
every year that Pakistan is meeting specific
benchmarks of conduct, namely, that it is
cooperating to dismantle supplier networks
of nuclear weapons-related material, that it
is making significant efforts to combat ter-
rorist and extremist groups and that such
groups are not receiving support from
Pakistans military or spy service, and that
it is not letting terrorist groups use
Pakistans territory to stage attacks on other
countries.
On that score, the bill specifically men-
tions Pakistan-based terrorist groups that
threaten India as well as the United States
and Afghanistan, including Al Qaeda, the
Taliban and Lashkar-e-Tayiba, which con-
ducted the 2008 Mumbai attack. The legis-
lation aims to encourage Pakistan to re-ori-
ent its armed forces to a mission more
focused on counterterrorism and coun-
terinsurgency than regional conflict, and
calls for a cutoff of assistance if the security
forces are deemed to be subverting the
political or judicial processes of Pakistan.
In short, India has much to gain from the
success of this legislation.
All this is part of a larger strategic
engagement between India and America,
which took a major step forward three
years ago with the passage of the US-India
nuclear cooperation agreement, a step that
I strongly supported. The legislation lifted
a three-decade American moratorium on
nuclear trade with India and opened the
door for trade in a wide range of other
high-technology items, such as supercom-
puters and fiber optics.
Some critics called the deal a set-back for
US non-proliferation efforts, since India
remains outside the nuclear Non
Proliferation Treaty. I argued, however,
that it actually provides incentives for the
United States and India to deepen their
cooperation in stopping proliferation, and
confers numerous other benefits outside
the nuclear realm by paving the way for
broader economic and strategic collabora-
tion.
The remarkable deepening of US-India
ties over the past decade is only a start, as
the relationship has still not reached its full
potential. If Indians and Indian-Americans
continue to contribute their ideas, their
energy and their commitment, I am sure
that even more exciting days lie ahead.
Senator Richard Lugar is the
Republican leader of the US Senate
Foreign Relations Committee.
RICHARD G
LUGAR
Common values,
shared success
The United States-India relationship has still not reached its full potential
Employees at a call center, the first of its kind in Jammu and Kashmir, run by Essar Groups business
processing arm AEGIS, in Rangreth, on the outskirts of Srinagar, August 2
FAYAZ KABLI/REUTERS
A22
INSIGHT
India Abroad
August 19, 2011
US NEWS
AZIZ HANIFFA
Ro Khanna, deputy assistant secretary for
domestic operations at the Department of
Commerces International Trade
Administration, and Sonal Shah, director,
White House Office of Social Innovation, quit
the administration, joining over half-a dozen
other senior Indian Americans who have
departed more than 15 months before
President Barack Obama completes his term.
Last month, Preeta Bansal, counsel and sen-
ior policy adviser, White House Office of
Management and Budget; Vivek Kundra, the
White houses chief information officer, and
Neal Katyal, principal deputy solicitor general,
resigned. Kal Penn Modi, associate director,
White House Office of Public Engagement, is
scheduled to leave August 31.
Earlier, Rahul Richard Verma had quit as
assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs,
and Neera Tanden, senior policy adviser to
Health and Human Services Secretary
Kathleen Sebelius, had also left the administration.
Khanna is considering a run for the United States House
of Representatives from Californias District 13, which
includes his hometown Fremont, which is now the con-
stituency of 20-term US Representative Fortney Pete
Stark, who may retire next year.
Khanna told India Abroad he was hoping to launch an
exploratory committee soon so that he would be prepared
to jump into the fray if Stark decides to throw in the towel
after nearly four decades on Capitol Hill.
The constituency has a 30 percent Asian American pop-
ulation and apparently offers one of the best chances for an
Indian American to win, Khanna said.
Minority leader of the House of Representatives Nancy
Pelosi, speaking at a recent Democratic Congressional
Campaign Committee fundraiser, said, Ro has completed
two years in the administration and he is now going to go
back home to serve his community. I know he has a public
service ambition and he embodies the entrepreneurial spir-
it in this room.
Meanwhile, Shah said she was taking a few months off
and going to India for a month and then I am going to
other places in Southeast Asia, just for travel. I want to take
time-out, reboot, but also to just have some time to think
about what next for me because its really hard to look for a
job when you are in a job, especially in the White House
because theres a lot of conflict of interest and so I want to
keep some distance from what I was doing, to think about
where I can have the best impact and to be able to just step
back and think about what I should do from the outside.
Both Khanna and Shah said working in the
Obama administration was the best job experi-
ence they had had.
It was the best job Ive had in my life and an
absolute honor to serve the President and
(Commerce) Secretary (Gary) Locke (who was
last week confirmed as the new US ambassador
to China), Khanna said.
Khanna, just a few weeks into his appoint-
ment over two years ago, became the first
Indian American senior Commerce
Department official to lead a trade delegation
to India.
He said, during his tenure, I traveled across
the US and helped businesses with increasing
their exports, helping to build their manufac-
turing capacity. I was part of the White House
Business Council, so I advocated for policies
that would improve innovation that would cre-
ate the right environment for businesses,
including investment from India, to locate jobs
here and that would also help prepare a skilled
work force.
Shah joined the White House after stints with the
Department of Treasury in the Clinton administration,
Center for American Progress, Goldman Sachs and as the
head of Global Development at google.org.
Speaking about her achievements, as the first head of an
office created by the Obama White House, she said,
When I first got there and when we talked about innova-
tion, it was still a new concept. And now, when you think
about the fact how many people talk about innovation,
and especially social innovation, its pretty amazing. More
importantly, weve done a lot of little programs that are
beginning to take hold throughout the administration
and people are looking and being more innovative in their
approaches not just the programs, but their approach-
es, which is amazing.
AZIZ HANIFFA
About 70 Indian students at the University
of Northern Virginia, which was raided last
month by Immigration and Customs
Enforcement agents, last week met with
Ambassador Arun Kumar Singh, charge
daffaires at the Indian embassy in
Washington, DC.
Singh said he assured them that the gov-
ernment of India and the embassy will
continue with their efforts to try and
ensure that the students at the UNVA are
not victimized in any way.
Diplomatic sources told India Abroad
that it had been clearly explained to the
students in detail that what the embassy
had been told by US authorities was that
the investigation, as of now, is against the
university and not the students.
The sources said the students visa status
would be maintained, and they had the
option, if they wanted to, to transfer to
other universities.
The sources said US authorities had also
informed the embassy that the university
was not being immediately shut down but
has been given notice to explain.
This message too, the sources said, had
been clearly conveyed to the students who
met with Singh.
Nearly 2,.500 or over 90 percent of the
UNVAs students are from India, mainly
from Andhra Pradesh.
Following the raid by ICE Department
of Homeland Securitys investigative arm
DHS and ICE officials told India Abroad
that if the UNVA cannot explain why it
issued some 2,500 I-20s (certificate of eli-
gibility for foreign students to apply for a
US student visa) when it was approved for
only 50, and also other discrepancies in its
admission and attendance policies, it
would suffer the same fate as that of the
shut down Tri Valley University in
California. The sources said the students
who met Singh along with community rep-
resentatives, mainly from the Telugu
Association of North America and their
legal counsel who were offering their serv-
ices pro-bono, were particularly concerned
over their fate. Many had put in two or
three years and they were worried about
what happens to all the time, money, ener-
gy, they had put into this if they cannot
transfer. Even if they are allowed to transfer
to other universities, they were worried, the
sources said, if all their credit hours are
not accepted.
All the concerns that the students had
expressed, the sources reiterated, the
embassy would be discussing further with
the US authorities. They also continued to
maintain that unlike in the Tri Valley case,
no UNVA students have been arrested or
detained or whatever.
The sources acknowledged that some stu-
dents had expressed concern that some of
their fellow students were being investigat-
ed, but when challenged if they had any
credible information or instances if any one
had been harassed or detained, had failed
to provide any such information.
Among all of the students present, the
sources said, it was confirmed that none of
them had been investigated in any way.
This case is being handled very differently
from how the TVU case was handled.
(Thanks to the) whole experience earlier
with TVU and the embassys interactions
with the US authorities in that case, which
has led them to being very sensitive this
time.
According to the sources, the embassy
continued to strongly maintain that any
lacuna in the system was due to a failure in
the US system and that for example, if
UNVA was authorized to issue only a cer-
tain number of I-20s, how have they
allowed it to issue more? So, really, it is the
problem of the US system there is a fail-
ure of the proper functioning in the US sys-
tem. Because after all all the students had
valid documents they were all here with
legitimate documents.
But there are still these issues to be
addressed, and we are working towards try-
ing to resolve it in keeping with the stu-
dents interests and concerns, the sources
noted.
The sources said the embassy has also set
up an e-mail address where students could
e-mail their concerns and suggestions and
already weve received several hundred e-
mails, with comments, suggestions and so
on, and we will consolidate all that and
then talk with the US authorities again.
The students posted a lengthy memo on
the embassy e-mail address, thanking
Singh and his aides for the positive
response from your side.
The UNVA students group, under the
aegis of the South Asian International
Student Association based in Iselin, New
Jersey, said in its post, We are really thank-
ful to you for listening to us patiently and
for giving us an opportunity to express our
issues and the help required from the
embassy of India.
This case is being handled very differently
from how the TVU case was handled
Two more Indian Americans quit Obama administration
Ro Khanna Sonal Shah
PARESH GANDHI
A24
US NEWS
AZIZ HANIFFA
United States Representative Zoe Lofgren kept a promise
made to the American Association of Physicians of Indian
Origin, by introducing a legislation to make permanent the
Conrad 30 Waiver Program for visiting physicians who
have been life-savers for rural cities across the US, serving
mostly indigent communities with no doctors.
Lofgren, California Democrat and a long-time immigra-
tion advocate who serves on the House judiciary committee
and is the ranking member of its immigration subcommit-
tee, introduced the Doctors for Under-Served Areas in
America Act to make the Conrad 30 J-1 visa program per-
manent beyond its deadline of September 30, 2012 and to
waive the foreign country residence requirement with
respect to international medical graduates.
Most doctors who enter the US on a J1 visa to participate
in a residency program are subject to the two-year home
residency requirement under the Immigration and
Nationality Act Section 212(e).
This means that at the end of the J1 program, the doctor
cannot change to a different nonimmigrant status or apply
for lawful permanent residence without returning to his or
her home country for two years. However, a doctor may
request a waiver of this requirement on several grounds.
The Conrad 30 waiver, (or State 30 waiver) is a state
Department of Health waiver utilized by foreign medical
graduate physicians. In 1994, Senator Kent Conrad created
the Conrad 20 to address the shortage of physicians in
medically underserved areas. In 2003, this legislation was
reauthorized, and increased the number of state sponsored
waivers to 30 per year. Conrad 30 waivers usually target
primary care physicians who have completed a US residen-
cy training program in one of the following specialties:
family medicine, general obstetrics, general pediatrics,
general internal medicine and general psychiatry.
Each state has specific requirements regarding whether a
specialty will qualify for their Conrad J1 waiver program.
December 4, 2004, Congress enacted legislation that
affords states the right to substitute five of their 30 slots
with licensed and contracted specialty physicians.
This bill is about increasing access to health care for
underserved Americans, Lofgren told India Abroad. We
have a shortage of qualified medical professionals in this
country, and this bill will help attract doctors who have
received their medical training in the US to work in areas
that desperately needs doctors.
In June, while addressing AAPI members at its Capitol
Hill Legislative Conference, she had said, As you probably
know, I have been a champion of this program for quite
some time and I know that we have wonderful physicians
all over the United States that are here because of that pro-
gram, and especially the underserved parts of the United
States.
AAPI President Dr Sunita Kanumury lauded Lofgrens
action.
By introducing legislation to make the J-1 visa program
permanent, Congresswoman Lofgren has shown great
leadership on a vital issue dealing with our health-care
delivery system, Kanumury said. We look forward to con-
tinuing our work in the area of immigration reform with
her and commend the Congresswoman for her leadership
and assistance on this issue.
AZIZ HANIFFA
American Muslim organizations, including
Indian-American Muslim groups, have
hailed New Jersey Republican Governor
Chris Christies staunch defense of his
appointment of Sohail Mohammed as a
Passaic County Superior Court judge.
These groups, circulating the YouTube
video of Christies defense of Mohammed,
exhorted their members to write, e-mail or
call Christies office and thank him for
standing behind his appointment of
Mohammed and dispelling the Islamo-
phobic attacks against him.
Hyderabad-born Mohammed, who
immigrated to the United States at age 10
with his parents, was sworn in July 26,
making him the first Indian-American and
second Muslim to join the bench in New
Jersey.
At a news conference, Christie, who is
seen as a potential GOP Presidential candi-
date, was asked about the criticism in some
quarters for his nomination of Mohammed,
particularly since the latter had defended
some individuals arrested in the aftermath
of the 9/11 terror attack.
Ignorance is behind the criticism of
Sohail Mohammed, Governor Christie
said. He is an extraordinary American who
is an outstanding lawyer, and played an
integral role in the post-September 11 peri-
od in building bridges between the Muslim
community in this state and law enforce-
ment. I was there for it, I saw it personally,
and folks who criticize my appointment of
Sohail Mohammed are ignorant
absolutely ignorant.
He asserted the criticism was partly
because Mohammed is a Muslim
American and because he represented peo-
ple who were inappropriately detained by
the FBI post-9/11.
But, Christie argued, The fact of the mat-
ter is, there were lots of people inappropri-
ately detained by the FBI post-9/11, It was
a very difficult time for law enforcement
and Sohail Mohammed represented as part
of his practice at that time folks who were
inappropriately detained. And, none of
them that Sohail Mohammed represented
ever were charged with any crimes of ter-
rorism and were released because of his
diligent and zealous representation of
them.
Christie noted, Mohammed personally
had arranged for him, the US Attorneys
office and the FBI, dozens of meetings with
Muslim American leaders across the state
to convince them that federal law enforce-
ment can be trusted in the aftermath of
September 11 and that they should be
working with us to provide information
and leads to help combat potential terrorist
attacks in our state. Thats the kind of guy
Sohail Mohammed is. And I was proud to
nominate him.
He said he was disgusted, candidly by
some of the questions he was asked by both
parties at the state senate judiciary com-
mittee. But in the end, the senate did the
right thing because the facts were undeni-
able that Sohail Mohammed is an out-
standing attorney and will be an outstand-
ing judge.
When asked about the paranoia in some
circles that Mohammed would attempt to
promote or defend Islamic Sharia law,
Christie exploded.
Sharia law has nothing to do with this at
all. Its crazy! The guys an American citizen
who was admitted to practice in the state of
New Jersey, swearing an oath to uphold the
laws of New Jersey, the constitution of the
state of New Jersey and the Constitution of
the United States of America. So, this
Sharia law business is crap. Its just crazy.
And, I am tired of dealing with the crazies,
Christie said.
We applaud Governor Christie for shin-
ing a spotlight on the tremendous contri-
butions of Judge Sohail Mohammed, said
James Yee, executive director, Council on
American-Islamic Relations, New Jersey.
Governor Christies praise highlights the
commitment of American Muslims to
building a better society.
Jonathan Martin, writing in Politico, said
Christies defense of Mohammed was more
evidence for why so many Republicans pine
for Chris Christie to run for President.
The Baltimore Sun said, Lest anyone dis-
miss such bigotry as a merely a New York-
New Jersey trend, there are ample exam-
ples from around the country. Last year,
voters in Oklahoma overwhelmingly
approved a constitutional amendment that
bans the use of Islamic law in court. More
than two dozen states are considering sim-
ilar restrictions.
The Sun pointed out, What the country
needs right now is to regain a bit of our own
sanity and not start passing laws to address
problems that dont exist or to discrimi-
nate against fellow Americans. And shame
on those politicians who would exploit the
electorates wariness of Islam for personal
advancement and foster hatred of innocent
Americans.
MSNBCs popular talk-show host and
political pundit Lawrence ODonnell was
so taken with Christies unambiguous
defense of Mohammed that after playing
extended clips of Christie remarks, he gave
what he said was his show The Last Words
first standing ovation, where all of the staff
joined in.
Congresswoman Lofgren keeps
immigration reform promise to AAPI
This Sharia law business is crap. Its just crazy.
I am tired of dealing with the crazies
New Jersey
Governor
Chris Christie
Judge Sohail
Mohammed
PARESH GANDHI
US NEWS
GEORGE JOSEPH
The Hindu American Foundations updated report on
caste, which affirms the inherent divinity in all human
beings and calls for an end to discrimination, has attracted
favorable reactions, the HAFs leaders say.
While the initial report ignited spirited sometimes
mean-spirited debates online and in the press, our new
reports release stands out far more for the visible impact it
seems to be having, said Suhag A Shukla, co-founder,
managing director and legal counsel, HAF.
Dr Mihir Meghani, co founder and board member, said,
The HAF decided to take a position on this difficult issue
and create a comprehensive report since few realities of
modern India are more deplorable, provocative, misinter-
preted, and exploited, and as a result, used to malign
Hinduism in the Diaspora. The HAFs engagement as an
advocacy voice for Hindu Americans with the media, gov-
ernment, academic scholars, and interfaith fora made it
incumbent upon us to have a well-articulated, lucid per-
spective that would enjoy credibility and impact the misin-
formation that now exists.
Swaminathan Venkataraman, board member, HAF, and
the principal author of the report, said the goals of the
updated and original report were the same.
The HAF moved forward with a six-month process of
updating the report with the assistance of nearly forty spir-
itual masters, academics, writers, historians and scholars,
Venkatraman said. Analyzing, condensing, and collating
such a massive volume of suggestions and revisions was a
mammoth undertaking, but one we carried out with enthu-
siasm knowing how important this project had become.
Shukla explained the changes. After realizing the inter-
national scope of the report, we took the opportunity to get
a broader set of perspectives on the issue, she said. The
initial version was reviewed by some 10 reviewers. The
updated one was reviewed by some 36 scholars, activists,
community leaders, and religious leaders. We opted to
remove the list of abuses/violations we had previously.
After careful consideration, we and many of our reviewers
believed, first, that the list would make our report more
time sensitive requiring annual editions if we were to
include the data and second, the listing was problemat-
ic in its own right. First, it was difficult to ascertain whether
abuses/violations were inter or intra-caste conflicts; second
whether the crimes occurred as a result of caste or whether
it was categorized as such simply because of the caste of the
victim(s), and third, many of the crimes had larger drivers
than caste, primarily economic.
She continued: The intersection of caste and politics in
India have been explored more deeply and in greater detail.
Some of the repetition has been removed for ease of read-
ing and making relevant points more succinctly.
The report notes that even as Hindu precepts are ascen-
dant in contemporary discourse, Indian citizens, Diaspora
Hindus and many western seekers eager to immerse them-
selves in the Hindu way of life see a glaring dichotomy in
the vast gap between the religious teaching of divinity
inherent in each being and the continued social reality of
discrimination and inequality in parts of Indian society
predicated on the caste of ones birth.
The report pinpoints six themes related to caste and
elaborates on them. They are: Caste-based discrimination
and a birth-based caste hierarchy are not intrinsic to the
Hindu religion; Caste-based discrimination does exist in
many parts of India today; Caste-based discrimination
fundamentally contradicts the essential teaching of
Hindu sacred texts that divinity is inherent in all beings;
Contemporary Hindu spiritual leaders are actively pro-
moting authentic interpretations of Hindu sacred texts,
affirming that the solution to caste-based discrimination
lies in an adherence to core Hindu teachings;
Representative democracy, government policies, and
urbanization/economic liberalization have wrought a sea
change in caste equations in modern India, but the mat-
ter is complicated by the emergence of caste-based poli-
tics; Caste-based discrimination is being exploited by
multinational evangelical and missionary organizations
whose ostensibly humanitarian and development goals
are too often intertwined with predatory proselytization
and conversion. Also, caste-based discrimination is an
issue that the sovereign state of India and its people have
addressed and continue to do so, thus interference by any
external agency in Indias internal affairs is unacceptable
and unwarranted.
The report noted that caste-based discrimination is not,
and has never been, intrinsic to the essential teachings of
Hinduism. Hindu history, the report notes, is replete with
revered saints who were born into castes considered back-
ward.
It noted with dismay that over 160 million people in
India fall under the category of Scheduled Castes, and con-
sidered the lowest rung of the caste hierarchy.
The report concludes that given the ground realities,
treating caste as solely a religious issue is erroneous, and
more often a means of disparaging Hinduism rather than
seeking an effective solution to a social problem.
Eliminating caste-based discrimination is not only a
responsibility for Hindu society (and also other religious
traditions in India), but also for civic institutions, and the
government, the report notes.
Hindu American Foundation
updates caste report
Though there was no official confirmation,
Sonia Gandhi, president of India's ruling
Congress party, was believed to have under-
gone surgery at the Memorial Sloan
Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan, New
York. The leader and her children Rahul and
Priyanka remained elusive, but some people
from New Jersey claiming to be members of
an Indian Congress Party, USA, arrived out-
side the hospital August 5 to wish Sonia a
speedy recovery. The hospital security did
not allow them inside, and they conducted
prayers outside led by Hindu and Sikh
priests, who were part of the team.
The prayers attracted passersby and the
team explained why they were there. Later,
they offered prayers at the hospital chapel
across the street. The team included
Harkesh Thakur, Chandra Patel, Paul Singh,
Bharat Patel and Mahesh Patel. Meanwhile,
Congress party leader from India, Dr Karan
Singh, said in a letter, 'It has come to our
attention that some local New Jersey people
have started a new party, which they have
named 'Indian Congress Party of USA'. They
have also used the All India Congress
Committee Logo and pictures of our leaders.
These entities are unauthorized. There is only
one legitimate Indian Congress Party in the
USA. It is the Indian National Overseas
Congress, of which Dr Surinder Malhotra is
president, Shudh Jasuja is national vice
president, George Abraham is secretary gen-
eral along with eleven executive members
who are authorized by me. INOC-USA has
several chapters. The New Jersey chapter
president is Pam Kwatra. Any other entity or
party who are claiming to be part of the
Indian National Congress are unauthorized.'
Prayers for
Sonia Gandhi
Prayers for
Sonia Gandhi
PARESH GANDHI
A26
INTERVIEW
L
ast year, Dr Ami Bera ran the second
closest challenger race in the nation
against United States Representative
Dan Lungren. This year, he has the wherewith-
al and the support to become the first Indian-
American physician in Congress.
The Democratic establishment, sensing that
Beras Congressional race against Republican
Lungren, the incumbent in Californias
redrawn District 3, could be one of its top pick-
up opportunities in the country in 2012, has
begun to lend Bera unstinted support and a
healthy infusion of funds. The enthusiasm and
confidence that his campaign exudes has
prompted three leading Indian-American
political operatives Raghu Devaguptapu,
Bhavna Pandit and Toby Chaudhuri to sign
up his consultants.
Bera has raised over $530,000 from 1,200
contributions this year, according to a preview
of the second quarter financial numbers
released by his campaign. As of now, his cam-
paign has over $448,000 cash on hand for the
anticipated rematch.
In 2010, the polls and pundits had you as the
favorite to win, but Lungren still pulled it off.
What makes you so confident you can win this
time?
Lets look at what happened in the last race.
Why the pundits were predicting that this
would be the one race that would hold out in
the end against the Republican wave. Three
weeks out, looking at the polls, this was a neck
and neck horse race. It was going to come to
the wire. The Republicans saw the same thing.
American Crossroads, Karl Rove and the
Republican Party put $1 million on ads and
energy against us, two weeks out. Had they not
come in to defend Dan Lungren, and they
couldnt let one of their (GOP state) chairmen
lose, we would have won. That was the differ-
ence. He was the only incumbent that they had
to come and protect. So we did everything right
at our end. We ran a great race, built this
tremendous momentum, but at the last
minute, they had to come in and save him.
The difference in this cycle is, we start from a
very different place. There is this momentum.
We didnt hesitate getting back into the
race and very quickly. Instead of just focusing
on the Indian-American community, we shift-
ed the focus on the voters that live in the dis-
trict. Thats what built this race out thus far
and weve had tremendous outpouring of sup-
port. Literally hundreds of people have stepped
up to donate again and are making phone calls
on our behalf, hosting house parties and
events.
Congressman Mike Honda hosted a fundrais-
er for you. There were several Democratic lead-
ers at the event as well as young Indian-
American and South Asian-American activists.
Democratic leaders are coming out in support
of your campaign not only in terms of hosting
fundraisers but also spreading the word to
other leaders in terms of your race as a winning
proposition.
From day one, Congressman Honda, the
Democratic Congressional Campaign Commi-
ttee Chairman Steve Israel, (House Minority
Whip) Steny Hoyer, (former DCCC chairman)
Chris Van Hollen, said, Great, we are glad that
you are back in. And theyve moved to support
us. Theyve moved dollars to our race as well.
So, theres an excitement from them and
theyve recognized this as a really good race. So
theres been no hesitation. Mike is supporting
us on the East Coast and back in California.
(Honda after the August 4 fundraiser, hosted
another fundraiser for Bera in Los Altos Hills).
So, they get it. They also have seen the enthusi-
asm and the excitement in the younger genera-
tion. The next generation sees that they can do
this. That for Indian Americans, it is not any-
more being only a doctor or engineer, but its
also got to be run for Congress, run for Senate,
and maybe one day, we will have a President.
Theres no denying that many leaders are in
your corner. But is the Democratic establish-
ment also now firmly with you?
It is, absolutely. From the local groups that
have started to endorse us early the state
party has always consistently given us its sup-
port because we were a model candidate and
model campaign for them. The party at the
national level has endorsed us and moved
money to our race.
Are the Democratic organizations willing to
plough in money into your race?
Absolutely. My belief is that we almost won
that race on our own in the worst possible year
to be running. We are now in a much better
district a district that has a net gain of
16,000 Democratic voters, whereas the last
time, it was about at the end 7-percentage
points towards the Republicans. This is now an
evenly split district. In fact, there are 3,000
more registered Democrats in the district. This
is a district that Ive served for the last 16 years,
and we have deep roots in it.
Its all Sacramento County, and I know it inti-
mately. This is a race that we are now set up to
win. So, there are no reservations from the
party, from the folks in the local community, all
the way to the national community.
Can you specify the priorities in your cam-
paign that will convince the voters that they will
be better off betting on you than Lungren?
The world is constantly shifting. But I believe
we were on the right side of every policy the
last time and thats why we had the support.
I AM NOT RUNNING ON PRESIDENT
OBAMAS COAT TAILS. IF NOTHING ELSE,
IVE LEARNT FROM THE LAST CYCLE THE
IMPORTANCE OF RUNNING ON THE
ISSUES OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU ARE
HOPING TO REPRESENT
FOR INDIAN AMERICANS, IT IS NOT ANYMORE
BEING ONLY A DOCTOR OR ENGINEER, BUT ITS
ALSO GOT TO BE RUN FOR CONGRESS, RUN
FOR SENATE, AND MAYBE ONE DAY, WE WILL
HAVE A PRESIDENT
The Democratic Congressional hopeful from
California speaks to Aziz Haniffa
Ami Bera
Page A27
But it was just a difficult year to be run-
ning. The dysfunction in Washington, DC,
the dysfunction in California, is only worse
now. In our community there are a lot of
small business owners who are struggling.
For us, education is very important. But
college is getting less affordable and the
public schools seem to be getting worse.
Congress has set a lot of bad policies. As we
see in the state of California, things are
falling behind. So those issues are actually
more important today. We have better ideas
than Dan Lungren and thats why we are
going to win.
In terms of specifics, be it small business,
education, or in terms of health, etc, what
are some of the new ideas you have to offer?
In particular, coming from your back-
ground as a physician, what new perspec-
tive do you bring?
It brings a real world perspective.
Communicating and understanding the
issues of real people everyday the politi-
cians dont get that. They are disconnected.
Looking at what happened last week the
whole debt ceiling debate. Thats not what
people are talking about around their
kitchen table. They are worried about how
can I put food on the table? How can my
son or daughter go to college? How can we
pay our mortgage? How can we keep our
business alive? Those are the issues that I
hear everyday, that I see everyday in the
community. Thats what should be getting
debated.
So lets answer the question. How do we
fix health care, and specifically Medicare?
We had an op-ed published in the
Sacramento Bee last week. We can fix it not
by dismantling it, but by strengthening it.
Lower the costs, allow the federal govern-
ment to compete on pricing. Its an eco-
nomic issue concerning small business
owners. They are spending more every year
for health-care benefits and getting less in
return. Lungren only talks about giving tax
breaks to the rich. If you give a millionaire
an extra $100,000 in tax breaks are they
going to start investing in the economy?
No, they will probably put it in the bank. If
you give someone who is making $50,000
or $100,000 a chance, they are using that
to live on. So, lets rebuild the middle-class.
Lets rebuild the job base so when our chil-
dren graduate from college or high school,
they can find a job.
You are considered as a candidate run-
ning on President Obamas coat tails. How
do you shrug that off without endorsing his
re-election campaign and the fact that he is
your Democratic leader?
We want him to lead now. I am not run-
ning on President Obamas coat tails and if
nothing else, Ive learnt from the last cycle,
the importance of running on the issues of
the people that you are hoping to represent.
We are not running a Democratic or
Republican platform campaign. We are
running a Sacramento County platform
campaign. So, its about the people back
home. The Democratic Party may or may
not help us. Weve got to run our race and
who knows where the President is going to
be a year from now.
Where do you stand on President
Obamas health-care reform proposal? Any
change in your views on it since the last time
you ran?
There are some good things and things
that I would have done differently. I believe
its great that they emphasize on prevention
and are trying to diagnose and treat disease
early. Thats a good thing. Thats what we
should be doing. The Republicans want to
take that apart. Thats the wrong idea. (But)
What the President doesnt do and what
the Republicans have not proposed to do, is
address the cost of health care. Thats the
argument that we should be debating right
now. How do we lower the cost of health
care so that businesses can start hiring
again.
Organizations like the American
Association of Physicians of Indian Origin
and the majority of physicians argue that
health-care reform cannot ignore tort
reform. Your take?
We have to get rid of these nuisance law-
suits certainly. And, theres a check and bal-
ance that occurs. So, lets make sure it is
there. When I talk to doctors, they are say-
ing they are worried about these lawsuits
that are on unfounded claims and take up
time. So, we should start there. Thats not
good for anyone. That just consumes
resources.
California is going through unprecedent-
ed times in terms of a collapsed economy, a
gargantuan deficit, unemployment, etc, and
there is utter frustration and contempt for
politicians. How do you change that percep-
tion?
Words are only words. We need action.
Now is no longer the time for words or
great speeches. Now is the time for action.
It terms of the mood of the nation, theres
no denying that its totally different this
time around unlike the last time when the
Tea Party wave catalyzed the Republican
wave. Is this change of mood to your advan-
tage?
Absolutely. The country is still searching
for something different and thats why our
generation is so involved. We tell an
American story. A story thats been told for
generations whether its Italian
Americans, Irish Americans, Chinese
Americans and now Indian Americans,
who came here for the opportunity that
America provided.
My parents came here in the 1950s, they
put their head down, they worked hard,
they built their families, they sacrificed, so
that I could have chances. Its time for our
generation to step up. Across America, it is
time for the next generation to step up and
take the reins and lead. Congress right now
is fighting battles from the 1960s and so
forth. Its time we focused on the 21
st
cen-
tury and built for the future, and we are
part of that future as Indian Americans. As
I said last time, we should be proud of who
we are, and not run away from it. We run
on the values that I grew up with values
of family, of community, so that my daugh-
ter has a better life than I had.
In the last election cycle, the Indian-
American community, both in California
and across the country, came through for
you. Even though you are not dependent
wholly on their contributions, do they con-
stitute an important voting bloc in your
district?
What do you want them to do for you?
I want them to believe that all things are
possible and that they have a seat at the
table. I want them to inspire their kids so
that they give them the belief that they
can do whatever they want to work
hard and put yourself out there. America
needs us.
How do you convince them that this time
around yours is a winning candidacy?
This is a step-by-step process. Now, I am
running in a much better district. Its start-
ing out as a Democratic positive race. In the
old district the Republicans started out
with an eight-point advantage. Its now a
49.45 percent district. So, thats a seven-
point advantage. We start out in a neck and
neck race. Dan Lungren could only get 51
percent. He barely got above 50 percent.
He was going to lose. We start with tremen-
dous momentum and things are only going
to get worse in Washington, DC. Weve con-
tinued to out-raise him by broadening our
base. The Indian community will see that
momentum and enthusiasm and whats
being built, and they ll be there. But its
truly the next generation. Its truly building
for the next generation. The enthusiasm
demonstrated last night (at Hondas
fundraising event) showed that the next
generation gets it. They have a broader,
longer-term perspective.
How has the Indian-American communi-
ty responded to your running again to out-
seat Lungren?
Just wonderfully. We are not quitters. We
Indian Americans are used to working hard
and trying. So, I would never characterize
our community as a community that quits.
It is fighting and moving forward, and each
time one of us runs, we move the ball a lit-
tle further. This time, we are going to cross
the finish line.
Whats your perspective in terms of for-
eign policy, specifically US-India relations?
We need to open up new markets and
work toward opening up the Indian econo-
my, so that we can in turn stimulate our
economy. India is a natural ally that we
should be working with as much as we can,
especially as a counterweight to China.
China is executing a strategy thats out to
eat our lunch and they are doing it very well
and we are helping them. The dysfunction
in Congress is helping them. We need to
strengthen our relationship with India even
more economically and from a foreign pol-
icy perspective in terms of Pakistan
make sure that Pakistan doesnt become a
failed state. We have to help Pakistan grow
as an economy. That is in our interest as
Americans, and also Indias. We need to
further strengthen this relationship and
work together with India to stabilize
Pakistan. In fact, thats a domestic issue
because we simply cannot let Pakistan a
country of a 180 million people with 180
nuclear warheads fail.
Page A26
Dr Ami Bera campaigns
WWW.BERAFORCONGRESS.COM
INTERVIEW
T
he Pakistan chapter of the Tableeghi
Jamaat or the Party of Preachers,
which declares it is an innocent group
of practicing Muslims preaching Islam, and
which claims to have never indulged in any
militant or political activities as a matter of
principle, seems to have been infiltrated by
jihadi elements.
The Tableeghi Jamaat is once again in the
Pakistani media spotlight following
Interior Minister Rehman Maliks state-
ment on July 29, describing TJs missionary
centre in the Raiwind area of Lahore, the
capital of Pakistans Punjab province, as the
breeding ground of extremism and terror-
ism.
However, in the wake of widespread con-
demnation by the countrys religious and
political leaders, Malik had to eat his words
the very next day by stating he had deep
respect for the Raiwind Tableeghi centre.
He was harshly criticized by both factions
of the right-wing Pakistan Muslim League
led by two former prime ministers, Nawaz
Sharif and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, fol-
lowed by the decision of the National
Assemblys parliamentary committee on
national security to summon him to explain
his words.
The Jamaat leadership claims it is a non-
militant Islamic missionary movement
which was founded in British India as a
response to Christian evangelists working
among poor and poorly-educated Muslims.
The group primarily came into existence to
spread the message of the Holy Quran with
two main objectives: To ensure that
Muslims strengthen their faith and to carry
out humanitarian work.
Reputed to be the richest religious organ-
ization in Pakistan, it was founded in
British India in the late 1920s by a
Deobandi cleric Maulana Muhammad
Ilyas Kandhalawi (1885 to 1944) in the
Mewat province of India. Tableegh in
Arabic means to deliver (the message) and
the Tableeghi Jamaat (or the proselytising
group) pledged to deliver the message as
a primary responsibility of Muslims.
The Jamaat grew out of the Deobandi
School of Islamic thought which emerged
under the British rule in the Delhi region of
northern India. In pre-colonial India,
Islamic scholars learned informally, by
traveling with their teachers. But in the
19th century, inspired by European educa-
tional practices, Muslim clerics in India
established deeni madrassas or religious
seminaries with sequential curriculum,
organized classes and paid faculty.
The Deobandi Muslims actually emerged
from the madrassas. The Deobandis con-
sidered themselves reformists, proscribing
adherence to a pristine text (Holy Quran)
as a solution to worldly powerlessness.
They opposed various contemporary
Islamic practices, including excessive ritu-
als at tombs, elaborate lifestyle celebrations
and Shia-influenced practices. Following
British repression of Muslims during the
Mutiny of 1857, the Deobandi leadership
adopted an avowedly apolitical stance. But
as the Indian nationalist movement gained
momentum after World War I, the move-
ment grew politically, supporting the
Indian National Congress against the
British.
Founder Kandhalawi intended the group
to be an antidote to Hindu conversion
efforts that actually targeted Muslim peas-
ants. Tableeghi Jamaat members took the
dissemination of Islamic teachings out of
the religious schools, de-emphasizing the
importance of clerics and encouraging
ordinary Muslims to carry out proselytizing
missions.
The Jamaat members also clung to the
original Deobandi rejection of any explicit
political program and to remain apolitical.
After Kandhalawi died in 1944, his elder
son, Maulana Muhammad Yusuf (1917 to
1995) took over TJ and expanded its reach.
The movement grew after the Partition of
India, regaining importance during the 11-
year military rule of General Zia-ul Haq,
who had ambitions of making Pakistan an
Islamic state as prescribed by Shariah
(Islamic Laws).
This encouraged Maulana Yusuf and his
successor Maulana Inamul Hassan who
began targeting non-Muslims as well. This
coincided with the establishment of a syn-
ergistic relationship between Saudi
Wahabis and South Asian Deobandis,
which eventually led to the Saudi financing
of TJ.
The Tableeghis are trained missionaries
who have dedicated much of their lives to
spread Islam across the globe. They are
part of the reason for the explosive growth
of Islamic religious fervor and conversion.
The TJ movement has over one million
members worldwide and its headquarters
for South Asia are located in New Delhi,
India.
The Jamaat has several national head-
quarters from where they coordinate the
activities in over 100 countries. Despite its
The truth about the
Tableeghi Jamaat
Amir Mir decodes Pakistans richest religious organization,
which is under the scanner of Western intelligence agencies
HAIDER SHAH/REUTERS
Pakistani tribesmen attend a religious congregation
organized by the Tableeghi Jamaat in Miranshah, the
main town in North Waziristan, May 6, 2006. Serious
suspicions about the Jamaat were first raised when two
American Taliban, John Walker Lindh, left, below, and
Omer Padilla, hit headlines
HAJI MUJTABA/REUTERS
Page A29
A28
EYE ON PAKISTAN
EYE ON PAKISTAN
huge size, TJ remains largely unknown out-
side the Muslim community, even to many
scholars of Islam.
This is no coincidence. The Jamaat offi-
cials avoid media and government notice.
They usually limit their preaching and mis-
sionary activities to within the Muslim
community its main aim is to bring spir-
itual awakening to the Muslims of the
world.
Though the Tableeghi Jamaat presses its
non-sectarian character, it is a fact that it
propagates the Deobandi version of Islam.
The Jamaats lack of a formal structure
makes its growth hard to quantify. But in
recent years, millions of adherents have
congregated annually at the three-day TJ
congregations in Raiwind, believed to be
the second largest gathering of Muslims
after Haj in Saudi Arabia.
Since Pakistani law treats the Tableeghi
Jamaat as a humanitarian group and not as
a religio-political party, there is no ban on
government servants, members of the
armed forces and the nuclear and missile
scientific community joining the party as
members.
As a result, many Pakistani government
servants, military officers and scientists
devote a part of their annual leave to volun-
tary work for the Tableeghi Jamaat.
Of late, however, concerns have been
raised by Western intelligence agencies
about how the Islamic missionary organi-
zation has been infiltrated by jihadi ele-
ments which might be using the apparent-
ly non-violent TJ platform as a cover to
promote their violent jihadi agenda across
the globe.
The Western intelligence community has
also expressed concern about TJs direct or
indirect linkage with terrorists groups, pri-
marily because of the Jamaats loose orga-
nizational structure which makes it quite
easy for terror groups to penetrate for
recruiting new members and hiding from
the law enforcement agencies.
Evidence pertaining to the Jamaats ter-
ror links has been found in the United
States, the United Kingdom, the
Philippines, Indonesia, Yemen and
Morocco when members of several terrorist
organizations traveled for operational and
training purposes under the cover of the
Jamaat.
Serious suspicions about the Tableeghi
Jamaat were first raised when two
American Taliban John Walker Lindh and
Omer Padilla came to limelight. They were
reportedly affiliated with TJ.
According to the Centre for Policing
Terrorism, a US research organisation, peo-
ple associated with TJ in the United States
are estimated to be around 50,000.
TJs influence has exponentially grown in
France as well which reportedly has more
than 100,000 followers.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in
1991, the movement made inroads into
Central Asia. Till 2007, it was estimated
that 10,000 TJ members were in
Kyrgyzstan alone.
Tableeghi presence has already been
reported by the international media in 600
of Britains 1,350 mosques.
Following the July 2005 London suicide
bombings, international media reported
that Shehzad Tanweer, one of the human
bombs a British national of Pakistani
origin, used to attend Tableeghi Jamaat
meetings at a number of London mosques.
Two months before the London terror
attacks, a research report prepared by
Daniel Friedman of the Centre for Policing
TAHIR ALI
American drones have carried out 53
strikes this year that have killed 468
people in Pakistans tribal areas.
August 10, a drone targeted a militant
hideout in Miranshah, North
Waziristan, that resulted in the killing
of at least 21 militants representing the
Haqqani netwrok.
According to a recent Conflict
Monitoring Center report, during the
first seven months of 2011 American
drones carried out 51 strikes that result-
ed in the killing of 443 people in
Pakistans tribal areas. Add to that the
two drone strikes that killed 25 people
this month till August 11.
In January, some 49 people were
killed in 11 drone strikes. In February,
four drone attacks killed 21 people. In
March, 89 people were killed in 12
attacks. In April, 32 causalities were
reported in two strikes. In May, nine
drone strikes killed 62 people. In June,
117 people were killed in 12 attacks. In
July, six drone attacks killed 73 people
in North and South Waziristan.
According to the CMCs report, during
July, unmanned Predator drones fired
29 missiles, destroying five houses and
four vehicles. Five out of six attacks were
carried out in North Waziristan Agency.
July 11 and 12 were two deadliest days,
when 63 people were killed in four
drone attacks. Out of these four attacks,
three were carried out July 12.
The CMC report adds: As June was
the deadliest month of the year 2011,
the month of July saw a significant
reduction in drone attacks. In June,
there were 12 drone attacks which killed
117 people. However, in July, the CIA
(Central Intelligence Agency) struck
only six times killing 73 people. These
six attacks were carried out in three dif-
ferent days of the month, which shows
that the month was relatively calm.
However, the reduction in number of
drone attacks cannot be seen a perma-
nent factor as fluctuation in frequency
is seen constantly during the year 2011.
The CMCs data shows that the CIAs
focus is back on North Waziristan
five out of six drone strikes were record-
ed there in July. According to the CMCs
previous report, in June, for the first
time since the drone campaign started
in 2004, the number of drone attacks in
South Waziristan exceeded those in
North Waziristan. Eight of the months
12 strikes were carried out in South
Waziristan.
South Waziristan is home to mostly
the bad Taliban (involved in anti-
Pakistan activities) while North
Waziristan is where the good Taliban
(who generally target US and interna-
tional forces across the border in
Afghanistan) are based. Pakistan is
under United States pressure to carry
out a military operation against the
Haqqani network and its loyal Taliban
factions in North Waziristan. Recently,
it was reported that the Pakistan mili-
tary is on the verge of starting operation
in North Waziristan, so the militants
shifted to the neighboring tribal agency.
Therefore, the US too shifted the focus
of drone attacks to South Waziristan.
According to the CMCs annual report
of 2010, last year the CIA carried out
132 attacks inside Pakistan; only nine of
them were in South Waziristan.
In North Waziristan, apart from local
Taliban, the US has targeted foreign
militants. In July, an Australian Al
Qaeda commander, Saifullah, was
reportedly killed in a drone attack near
the main market in Mir Ali. Saifullah,
reportedly 50 years old, has been
described as a middle-ranking Al Qaeda
leader, though little more is known
about him. The Australian government
had not confirmed his death at press
time, and said that relevant agencies
were investigating the reports.
The CMC report says, Deaths of civil-
ians in drone attacks are always over-
looked by US and Pakistani security
officials to avert public backlash.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Saeed,
fournder of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, is
fighting a legal battle against drone
attacks in the Lahore high court.
Drone attacks: June was
the deadliest month
A supporter of the Pakistani
religious and political party
Jamaat-e-Islami flashes during
a rally against drone attacks in
Karachi, June 4
ATHAR HUSSAIN/REUTERS
Page A30
Page A28
A30
EYE ON PAKISTAN
Terrorism, noted: While the Tableeghi
Jamaat is non-violent, the zealotry of its
recruits has proven easy for violent groups
to manipulate.
The report titled Tableeghi Jamaat
Dossier and published in May 2005, stated:
The TJ stresses traditional Islamic prac-
tices linked to worship, dress and behavior
as a path to personal improvement. Thus, it
easily attracts troubled, vulnerable young
men and instills them with extreme reli-
gious conviction. While the Jamaat claims
to be non-violent, the zealotry of its recruits
might be proving easy for violent jihadi
groups to manipulate. Its missionary work,
moreover, demands the TJ members to
travel throughout the world, including
Pakistan and Western countries. Thus,
there is every chance of some militant
groups using it as a cover to travel.
The research report further stated: The
Tableeghi Jamaat assembles radical
recruits and deposits them in places where
they can be gathered by terrorist groups.
Some of these recruits have taken part in
Afghan jihad; others have returned to the
US with violent intentions.
The Tableeghi Jamaat does not just aid
terrorists by preparing recruits ideological-
ly. Terrorist organisations and their mem-
bers cant move at will in Western coun-
tries, particularly since 9/11. They are, to a
degree, stuck in place.
By physically assembling groups of radi-
calized Muslim men and depositing them
in Pakistan, the Jamaat performs a valuable
logistical service for jihadi groups, facilitat-
ing these groups recruiting process.
The defeat of the Taliban and destruction
of Al Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan,
have also eliminated a major source of ter-
rorist training, but with TJ still sending
recruits to Pakistan, where violent groups
await to recruit them, they remain likely to
create ripe, susceptible young men for ter-
rorist jihadi organisations.
Western intelligence agencies even
believe that the TJ has radicalised to the
point where it has emerged as a driving
force of Islamic extremism and a major
recruiting agency for the jihadi causes
worldwide.
Many terrorists seem to view the
Tableeghi Jamaats lack of transparency,
peaceful reputation, and international net-
work as an ideal vehicle for moving innocu-
ously around the world. For example,
Lyman Faris and members of the
Lackawana Six (a group of alleged terror-
ists, raised in a Yemeni community outside
Buffalo, New York) pretended to be TJ
members in order to facilitate trips to meet
with terrorists.
Indeed, Islamic terrorists have infiltrated
the group. Without an effort by the TJ lead-
ership to stop them, it is probable that ter-
rorist groups will continue to exploit TJ in
one way or the other, the report added.
The research report noted that in 1995,
Tableeghi Jamaat members were accused
of plotting a coup against the relatively sec-
ular Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
Whether members of the Taxila group rep-
resent a sub-section or a breakaway faction
of Tableeghi Jamaat is disputable. But in
either case, they demonstrate the potential
of the Jamaat members to embrace overtly
political or violent means. The coup plot
against Bhutto was supported by members
of Harkatul Mujahideen, a Pakistani mili-
tant group whose founding members are
former members of Tableeghi Jamaat.
In her posthumous book, Reconciliation:
Islam, Democracy, and the West, which
Bhutto had penned down just days before
being killed, she had named a founding
member of Harkatul Mujahideen, Qari
Saifullah Akhtar, as a key suspect in the
October 18, 2007 attempt to kill her in
Karachi where her home coming rally was
targeted by two suicide bombers, killing
170 PPP supporters.
Saifullah, now the amir of the Pakistan
chapter of the Harkatul Jehadul Islami,
had been arrested by Pakistans military
intelligence way back in 1995 and charged
with plotting a coup attempt against
Bhuttos second term in power with the
help of several senior Pakistan army offi-
cers affiliated with the Tableeghi Jamaat.
However, in an unprecedented move on
April 29, 2009, the top Tableeghi Jamaat
leaders, groaning under suspicions being
expressed by Western intelligence agencies
about the possible involvement of TJ in ter-
ror activities, denounced the enforcement
of Shariah at gunpoint, religious extrem-
ism, militancy and terrorism.
Leaders of the Jamaat, who scrupulously
avoid speaking on controversial issues, also
called for promoting inter-faith harmony,
tolerance, human rights, social justice and
peace.
Speaking at the concluding session of a
three-day annual congregation in
Islamabad, Haji Abdul Wahab, the amir of
TJs Pakistan chapter, said: Shariah cannot
be enforced at gunpoint. Had that been the
case, Allah Almighty would have sent fierce
angels to protect prophets and enforce
their faiths.
The 90-year-old scholar, who left his job
as a sessions judge in pre-Partition India
and joined the TJ, then cited the example of
Prophet Mohammad, saying, The Prophet
never used force. Instead he spread the
word of God only by peaceful means.
Page A29
AZIZ HANIFFA
Afghanistans Ambassador to the United States Eklil
Ahmad Hakimi has not ruled out the possibility of India
training Afghanistans security forces, but has said the
training and equipping of his countrys forces by the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization and the US has been satis-
factory so far.
Up to now, we have received tremendous support from
India on the reconstruction of Afghanistan, mainly con-
centrated on development projects, Hakimi said in an
interaction with the newly-minted Washington Indian
News Group when asked if Afghanistan would like India to
play a larger role in terms of the strategic situation in his
country and training its security forces. The support of
NATO and also from the United States up to now train-
ing and equipping them is something that is at a satisfac-
tory level. But if it is needed, we can ask our friendly coun-
tries for their support.
But the career diplomat, who has served stints as
Afghanistans ambassador to China and Japan and as
deputy minister for political affairs, was profuse in his grat-
itude for Indias contributions to the reconstruction and
rehabilitation efforts for the past 10 years.
That is something we are grateful for. We have received
up to $2 billion and also in the pipeline (are projects) for
health, education energy. One of the main projects is the
building of the Afghan parliament, he said.
Meanwhile, he said, the reconciliation process with the
Taliban was progressing on an even clip.
Our hope is to communicate as much as we can with
these opposition forces so that they denounce violence, cut
ties with the Al Qaeda and obey the Afghan constitution,
he said. We are now in the trust-building phase. We have
done quite well. More than 1,500 opposition forces have
laid down arms.
The ambassador said India was being appraised of this
reconciliation process and that New Delhi was supportive
of it. We received assurances from the Indian government
that they are supporting reconciliation and we are grateful
for that, he said.
He said India was also being briefed regularly on the
withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, since the coun-
try had expressed concerns that with the Taliban once
again proving to be a potent force, Pakistan would use it as
a proxy.
(Indian) Prime Minister (Manmohan) Singh recently
visited Afghanistan and we discussed different topics with
him and recently the High Peace Council, headed by our
former president, went to New Delhi and they had a lot of
discussions in different areas, he added. I am sure there
was a lot of exchange of views and there is a better under-
standing about what is going on in Afghanistan in regard to
the transition.
Asked how Pakistans paranoia about Indian involvement
in the reconciliation process and Indias conspicuous pres-
ence in Afghanistans reconstruction could be alleviated,
Hakimi said, We also think that Pakistan could play a cru-
cial role in the success of the reconciliation Both these are
important countries It is important for both countries to
make sure that the Afghanistan government will succeed in
their efforts of the reconciliation process. We are in a very
early stage. We are at a stage of trust-building. We are in
direct contact with Pakistan and India.
However, he said it was too early to predict that kind of
reconciliation would occur. But thats the main purpose
for these exchanges and mechanism to find common
ground not only with Pakistan and India, but also other
international partners.
Hakimi dismissed the contention that the recent Taliban
attack that killed more than 30 American troops and
Afghan soldiers, including a least 20 elite Navy SEALS who
belonged to the unit that was responsible for the killing of
Osama bin Laden, would prove to be a massive propagan-
da and recruiting tool for the Taliban.
As you know, most of the time, the Taliban have been
exaggerating about what they have been doing, he said.
But this particular case is under investigation. We really
dont know the real picture. As far as we know, the chopper
crashed. Until we complete the investigation we cannot say
more.
Eklil Ahmad Hakimi
The truth about the Tableeghi Jamaat
Afghanistan doesnt rule out
India training its security forces
WORLDVIEWINDIA
W
hen I saw that steady flow of daily media leaks
from Washington lampooning the Pakistani mili-
tary and the Inter Services Intelligence and mak-
ing the Pakistani top brass look foolish, I had noted that the
Americans didnt seem to realize what they were getting
into. You could anticipate that there was going to be a price
to pay. Well, it seems the reverse flow has begun in right
earnest. The report in the Pakistani media last week about
the arrival of the new Central Intelligence Agency station
chief in Islamabad makes for hilarious reading.
If there is one thing an undercover agent dreads to think,
it is about becoming a media celebrity in the country where
s/he is posted. This is the third CIA station chief in
Islamabad whose activities and whereabouts have become
the stuff of the Pakistani media reports during the period
since the Raymond Davis affair in March. A point is coming
when Langley might as well consider making the CIA sta-
tion chief s post in Islamabad an open post. Curiously, the
report blowing the cover of the newly-appointed station
chief is attributed to an unnamed Pakistani official.
But the Pakistani media report last week on the US-
Taliban talks makes one roll on the ground with laughter. It
seems the ISI has nabbed Americas key interlocutor in the
three rounds of direct talks with the Taliban since
November in locations in Germany and Qatar. The man was
identified by Der Spiegel as one Tayyab Agha. Now, it seems
Agha has gone missing and despite frantic efforts, the
Americans cant locate him!
The ISI obviously wont forgive if the US bypasses
Pakistan and messes around with its strategic assets. This
looks increasingly like a merry-go-round. The US tena-
ciously builds secret contacts with Taliban and begins talk-
ing with them and, lo and behold, the interlocutor one day
simply vanishes into thin air! Worse still, the US is kept
guessing all the time if the man by name Agha belonged to
the Taliban at all or was in actuality an ISI plant. The mes-
sage to Langley from the ISI headquarters is quite transpar-
ent: Buddy, do you really want to talk with the Taliban?
Come to us then. Dont try any stunts. Conceivably, as time
passes, the next ISI advice will be that the US has no option
but to talk with the Haqqani network. The message will be:
Take it or leave it.
These are times when the US administration really misses
the late Richard Holbrooke. Since his passing away, the
communication lines with Pakistan progressively got
choked. And there seems to be no one in Washington who
can do anything about it. Admiral Mike Mullen, outgoing
chairman, joint chiefs of staff, even skipped Islamabad as he
circumnavigated the world making farewell calls.
India identifies with US-Saudi stance on Syria
The account of the telephone conversation between
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his counter-
part in Damascus, Walid Muallem, throw light on Moscows
thinking on the situation in and around Syria. There is
noticeable absence of direct criticism of the Syrian regime.
Russia urges the regime to accelerate reforms but the for-
eign ministers account makes it a point also to take note of
the processes initiated in this direction by Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad. Again, there is urgent need of holding
broad and constructive national dialogue, but then, this
should be an exclusively Syrian affair without any outside
interference. The reference to outside interference is signif-
icant. Equally, Moscow suggests that the role of the interna-
tional community should be to put pressure on the opposi-
tion to respond to the authorities invitation for dialogue,
implying the clout of external parties over the Syrian oppo-
sition and the oppositions recalcitrant attitude. The most
interesting aspect, however, is the minister harking back to
radical oppositions calibrated attempt to repeat the Libya
scenario in Syria. On balance, Russia empathizes with the
Syrian regime while acknowledging the imperative need of
political reforms in that country. The contrast couldnt be
sharper with the recent remarks by Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev, who all but writes off Assad. Moscow
seems moving on two tracks.
Of course, the Indian position more or less identifies with
the US-led cabal, as was apparent during Indian External
Affairs Minister S M Krishnas conversation with the visit-
ing Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad. Krishna
was harsh on the Syrian regime and completely ignored the
complexities of the situation. His one-dimensional perspec-
tive would have surely sounded music to Saudi (and Israeli)
ears. The Saudis enjoy special relations with Indias ruling
Congress party and its ally the Muslim League, and with the
Uttar Pradesh elections approaching, the nexus gains
importance. Incidentally, India keeps mum on the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization atrocities in Libya or the
Saudi-led repression in Bahrain.
The stage is being set for India to join the western band-
wagon on Syria after making the pretense of an independ-
ent stance such as the visit by a special envoy to Damascus
as reported by Associated Press. Indias foreign ministry
hasnt yet divulged the details of the envoys visit. How
India, which presides over the security council through
August, handles United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-
Moons report on Syria and is willing to be a junior partner,
will be under close American scrutiny.
UK okays Russian entry in energy sector
The dramatic shift in the UKs energy policy toward
Russia speaks volumes about geopolitics of energy in times
of recession. The British Energy Minister Charles Hendry
caused a flutter last week with his seemingly innocuous
statement that London has no objection to the reported
plan by Russias energy leviathan Gazprom to acquire an
electricity plant in the United Kingdom.
You may ask: What is after all there in an electricity plant
to be finicky about? Thats the whole point. Britain has so far
doggedly kept Russia out of its energy sector, which it
regards as strategic. Russia is a major supplier of energy to
continental Europe Gazprom supplies one-third of
Europes gas but not to Britain. On top of it, Britain has
been in the vanguard of a move within the European Union
to legislate against Russia poaching into Europes energy
industry, especially in the downstream sector such as retail-
ing, which is highly lucrative.
Now comes the change of heart. The reasons arent far to
seek. One, Britain can afford to have all the foreign invest-
ment it can get in these hard times and Russia has a lot of
money to invest abroad thanks to the high price of oil. Two,
keeping Russia out of Europe isnt going to work anyway.
Germany, France and Italy are getting along with Russia
splendidly Germany, in particular and why should
Britain cut its nose to spite the face? Three, euro zone crisis
bogs down continental Europe and the United States is edg-
ing close to double dip whereas Goldman Sacchs said last
week that Russia is the best place to put the money and the
most exciting BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South
Africa) destination. Four, by allowing in the Russian energy
firms, Britain can (and will) bargain for quid pro quo involv-
ing its entry into Russias fabulous upstream energy sector.
Incidentally, Russia keeps 45 percent of its sovereign wealth
in US dollars and 45 percent euro currency and only 10 per-
cent in other currencies including pound sterling.
The curious thing is that all this is happening despite the
Russo-British ties continuing to remain indifferent, vacillat-
ing from deep chill to chill and back. It only goes to under-
score economic realism. Compare Britains new flexibility to
allow Russia to get a piece of action in its strategic sector
with Indias static philosophy with regard to investments
from China in the infrastructure sector.
M K
BHADRAKUMAR
Ground rules for US-Taliban talks
M K Bhadrakumar, a retired Indian diplomat, starts a
weekly column on the globe, as seen from India.
The UN Security Council under the presidency of India, chaired by
Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri, Indias permanent representative to
the UN, mulls over the situation in Somalia
SNAPSINDIA
ALLEN E KAYE
United States Customs and Border Protection announced
that Global Entry members will now be issued a Global
Entry version of the SENTRI card which allows expedited
entry into the US from Canada and Mexico using the
NEXUS, SENTRI and Ready Lanes at land ports of entry.
The new card operates as a SENTRI card for Global
Entry members. The Global Entry card is a Western
Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)-compliant, radio
frequency identification technology-enabled document
that may be used by US citizens when entering the US
through a land or sea port of entry from Canada, Mexico or
the Caribbean.
Global Entry cardholders must follow all program rules
for SENTRI including having their vehicle registered and
inspected prior to driving it in the SENTRI lane. The cards
do not allow access to NEXUS lanes for entry into Canada
or NEXUS kiosks at Canadian preclearance airports.
Current Global Entry members, who do not have a
NEXUS or SENTRI card, may request a new Global Entry
version of the SENTRI card online by logging into their
Global Online Enrollment System account and paying a
$15 fee that covers the cost of processing and mailing the
card. For new applicants, the cost of the card will be
included in the Global Entry application fee.
To access Global Entry kiosks at US airports and pre-
clearance facilities, members will continue using their
passports or Lawful Permanent Resident cards.
For more information on Global Entry, visit www.globa-
lentry.gov and on SENTRI visit www.sentri.gov
Information about WHTI travel document requirements
is available at www.getyouhome.gov
US Customs and Border Protection is the unified border
agency within the Department of Homeland Security
charged with the management, control and protection of
our nation's borders at and between the official ports of
entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist
weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of
US laws.
Diversity visa program scammers sending
fraudulent e-mails and letters
The Department of State, Office of Visa Services, has
advised the public of a notable increase in fraudulent e-
mails and letters sent to Diversity Immigrant Visa pro-
gram (Visa Lottery) applicants. The scammers behind
these fraudulent e-mails and letters are posing as the US
government in an attempt to extract payment from DV
applicants. All applicants should be familiar with informa-
tion about DV scams provided by the Federal Trade
Commission. Applicants are encouraged to review the
rules and procedures for the DV program so that you know
what to expect, when to expect it, and from whom.
Finally, all DV-2012 applicants should remember they
will not receive a notification letter from the US govern-
ment but must check their status online. DV Entry Status
Check will only be provided through the Department of
State secure online site, http:/ / www.dvlottery.state.gov
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I know if a web site is of or e-mail is from
the US government?
A: Internet sites ending
in t he .gov" t op-level
domain suffix are official
government web sites. To
link directly to the more
than 200 US embassy and
consulate web sites, visit www.usembassy.gov
Visa information on official US government web sites
ending in .gov is official and correct. Official US govern-
ment e-mail addresses also end in .gov, and any visa-
related correspondence coming from an address that does
not end with .gov should be considered suspect.
Q: Is immigration information on other web sites offi-
cial?
A: Many other nongovernmental web sites (eg, address-
es ending with .com, .org or .net) provide legitimate
and useful immigration and visa-related information and
services. Regardless of the content of other web sites, the
Department of State does not endorse, recommend, or
sponsor any information or material shown on these other
web sites. The information provided may not be correct or
up-to-date, so should always be verified by consulting an
official US government source. Visa applicants are advised
to be cautious in all dealings with companies that claim to
offer any assistance in obtaining US visas.
Q: How do I recognize fraudulent web sites and e-
mails?
A: Some web sites and e-mails try to mislead customers
and members of the public into thinking they are official
US government web sites. These web sites are designed to
appear official, and often have images of the US flag, US
Capitol, White House, or Statue of Liberty. What these
web sites and e-mails are missing is the .gov suffix on
their addresses. Remember that anything that does not
end with .gov should be considered suspect.
Q: What is the purpose of these fraudulent web sites
and e-mails?
A: Some of these fraudulent organizations may require
payment for immigration and visa services. If payment is
made to a nongovernmental source, this payment is not
received by the US government and does not apply toward
visa processing. Sometimes these costs are for information
or forms that are otherwise available for free on official US
government web sites. Additionally, these imposter web
sites and e-mails cannot provide the services they adver-
tise and for which they require payment. For example,
many fraudulent e-mails promise US visas or green cards
in return for a large fee. These nongovernmental, unoffi-
cial organizations are not able to provide these services.
These services can only be obtained from official US gov-
ernment entities, such as the Department of State, a US
embassy or consulate, or the Department of Homeland
Security. Finally, be wary of providing any personal infor-
mation through these fraudulent web sites and e-mails,
since such action that could result in identity fraud or
theft. Visa applicants are strongly advised to be cautious in
all dealings with nongovernmental companies that claim
to offer any assistance in obtaining US visas.
Q: Where do I get official information on the Diversity
Visa program and how do I check my status?
A: The only official information about the DV program is
found on US government web sites ending in .gov, such as
http:/ / travel.state.gov or http:/ / www.dvlottery.state.gov.
The only official way to apply for the DV program is direct-
ly through the official US Department of State web site
during the specified and limited registration period.
Editors Note: Allen E Kaye is an attorney practicing
United States immigration, naturalization, visa and con-
sular law in New York City for the past 30 years. He is a
graduate of Queens College (CUNY) (BA), Columbia
University Law School (JD) and New York University
Law School (LLM).
A32 India Abroad August 19, 2011
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MAGAZINE
India Abroad
August 19, 2011
The International
Weekly Newspaper
When
Obama
tried
to spell
stromuhr
When
Obama
tried
to spell
stromuhr
COURTESY: PETE SOUZA/WHITE HOUSE
O
n the rainy night of August 11, 1979, an engineer working for
the government got out of his mud-splattered jeep by the
shores of a vast man-made lake in Saurashtra, Gujarat. He
watched with horror the lake empty after 10 days of torrential
monsoon, and the two-mile-long Machhu Dam-II had
washed away, sending its reservoir rushing toward the pros-
perous industrial city of Morbi. He would soon know that one
of historys deadliest flash floods had just taken place and
over 25,000 people had perished, and thousands more would be affected severely,
some losing their homes and every possession they had. The disaster had struck with
such ferocity that people who suspected something terrible was going to happen, had
no time or resources to run to safety.
Flash forward to Harvard University: Utpal Sandesara, 18, who has seen his mother
reminisce of the flood as she watched the Indian Ocean tsunami devastation on televi-
sion in their New Jersey, home, decides to find out why there was no official investiga-
tion into the tragedy; why no one owned up to the fatal mistakes in planning and main-
taining the dam. He asks his roommate at Harvard Tom Wooten, whose father is an
expert on dams, if he will join him in investigating the disaster and write a book. Their
investigation starts in America with Utpals mother, Nautama Shukla, a teacher, who
narrowly escaped being killed in the floods directing them to family and friends who
remember the disaster, and to some 150 people including bureaucrats and victims in
Saurashtra.
Nearly six years later, their investigation into bureaucratic ambition and folly, politi-
cal cowardice and the sustained hurt feelings of powerlessness even on the part of those
who have prospered since the disaster has been published to excellent acclaim.
Bestselling authors, including Adam Hochschild, author of To End All Wars, King
Leopolds Ghost and top academics at Stanford and Harvard have hailed No One Had
a Tongue to Speak: The Untold Story of One of Historys Deadliest Floods as a vivid
example of sustained investigation, empathetic listening, and strong writing.
Many people are impressed that the writers, 24 now, wrote much of the book over
two years ago. Sandesara is now pursuing a joint MD and a PhD in social anthropolo-
gy at the University of Pennsylvania. As a Harvard Frederick Sheldon Fellow, he has
worked as a researcher for Perus ministry of health, preparing a report on the integra-
tion of prenatal care with testing and treatment of HIV and syphilis in the nations
health system.
Wooten teaches disadvantaged high school kids in New Orleans. A Harvard Kennedy
School Research Fellow, he is studying the neighborhood-based Hurricane Katrina
relief efforts.
While the authors recognize the immense and sustained relief work the government
carried out in the aftermath of the floods, their primary task is to investigate human
error and neglect.
It is also the story of the compelling urge to survive, rebuild, and fight for justice,
says Sandesara. As we carried out our investigation, we felt day by day that we owed
to the survivors and the perished that their story should be shared with people at large.
The book carries a passionate foreword by Dr Paul Farmer, professor of social medi-
cine, Harvard University, who was also one of Sandesaras teachers there.
There are three reasons I believe that my claim that No One Had a Tongue to
Speak needs to become required reading will hold true, he writes. The first is mun-
dane, almost pedestrian: as the planet grows more crowded, studies like this one can
and should inform efforts to prevent the noxious, unanticipated consequence of pur-
posive social action. The arc of history is clear: there will be more events of this sort,
not fewer. Regardless of ones take on development (whether one be a grassroots
activist or a protagonist of grand public works), regardless of ones role (victim, critic,
pawn, decision maker, obstructionist, or green-lighter), we need to admit that unan-
ticipated consequences will affect us all.
The authors interviewed politicians and planners, studied classified government
documents (with the unexpected help of Chief Minister Narendra Modi), listened to
merchants, farmers, salt workers and fishermen affected by the disaster.
Wading through the bureaucratic jungle and checking out the stories of the victim
was never easy. Though Sandesara is a Gujarati, he is an American kid. He speaks
Gujarati, but is not used to the dialects. And Wooten, in his first visit to India, knew
just a few words in Gujarati and Hindi.
We had about two months to carry out our investigation, Sandesara says. We had
to be persistent and patient.
They write about a survivor who waded through mud and bloated corpses to Morbis
main hospital. His mother had undergone minor surgery and her husband was by her
side. Not surprisingly he found chaos all around him at the hospital, but it was empty
chaos. He threw open many doors and finally found terrified patients, nurses and doc-
tors in a space designated for mattresses. His parents were there. He embraced them
and joined the huddled group in the storage closet waiting for relief workers.
That night, he would recall years later, no one had a tongue to speak.
The
voice
of the
unheard
The
voice
of the
unheard
Morbis once-vibrant
neighborhoods
became scenes of
profound destruction
after the flood
GUNVANT SEDANI
FORGOTTEN DISASTER M2 THE MAGAZINE
It took two Harvard teenagers to
tell a story that lay buried for three
decades. Arthur J Pais on the book
that documents the human dimension
of Gujarats Machhu Dam disaster
LIVING THE DREAM
M3 THE MAGAZINE
I
was working hard for my
finals during the last week of
my freshman year. The excit-
ing summer break was
almost there, but not quite
yet. I still had to cross the finals
hurdle. I decided to take a byte
break and check my e-mails. My fin-
gers stopped in their tracks and my
mind screamed silently with delight
at the subject line of an e-mail from
the Scripps Spelling Bee Director. I
had received an invitation to the
White House to be honored by the
President for my National Spelling
Bee win! What an honor!
With renewed vigor and irrepress-
ible enthusiasm, I dug into my exam
material, determined to give my
very best and enjoy the fitting
reward awaiting me at the White
House the following week.
On that memorable Thursday,
June 9, we were received by the
White House communications
director and escorted in for our
evening appointment with the
President. We waited in the lobby
for a few minutes. I was pleasantly
surprised at the buzz our visit
stirred up among the officials and
interns; several of them stopped by,
congratulated me and wished me well. I was struck by the
genuine awe and appreciation these top officials felt and
expressed over my achievement.
They made me feel so comfortable with their hospitality,
warmth and friendliness that it felt like I was at the White
House as part of my daily routine as a princess.
We were then led to the Roosevelt office where we waited
for about 15 minutes before meeting with the President.
The communications director gave us a brief history about
that office and all the while I tried to imagine President
Roosevelt in that room in another era, in a different
political, economic, social, and environmental setting,
faced with a dissimilar set of issues. I couldnt help but
wonder how differently or similarly he would confront
todays issues.
Then the moment was upon us. We were whisked to the
entrance of the Oval Office amidst muted murmurs and
ready-to-flash cameras. I was closest to the entrance, with
my brother and parents following suit. With no ado, the no-
drama President Barack Obama swung the door open and
glided out in a single smooth movement.
It felt like a magical scene out of a fairy tale. The
President broke the spell when he shook my hands and
briskly inquired if I was the Spelling Bee champion. I woke
up to reality and smiled my acknowledgment confidently,
though distractedly. After shaking hands with everyone he
warmly and purposefully led us into his office.
By nature, I am more an observer than a talker, and I set
my observing skill into full gear, even overtime. This scene
unfolding before me was the perfect fodder for my attentive
and vigilant senses and I was drinking in every detail, con-
stantly comparing notes between what I had learned in his-
tory and what I was witnessing. My mind was actively ana-
lyzing, organizing, and archiving details into bytes within
the rapacious sections of my brain.
I had to literally run to keep up with the Presidents seem-
ingly normal pace and stay fully alert to capture the viva-
cious and intelligent vibes around him. His office was
impeccably neat, at least as compared to my study space
back home. How could someone do the work of the worlds
most powerful office here and still keep it spotless? A trib-
ute to the staff, surely? The room was quite plain consider-
ing the power and intensity of what went on within its
walls. Every object in sight screamed, I mean business and
absolutely nothing else.
The President, genially yet competitively, challenged me
to dish out my winning word for him to spell. I could feel
his spirited aggression cut through the edges and sharp
corners of the walls. I gave him my winning word and
defined it for him, all the while amused at how seriously
focused he was on getting it right. He had a great start in S
and effortlessly continued with tro and then tumbled
south from there on, missing out a letter and derailing on
the sequence. I admit it was a lot of fun watching him fal-
ter and recover.
His next question
about my handicap at
golf took me by sur-
prise. Boy, was I sur-
prised and impressed
that he knew I played
golf!
The question that fol-
lowed reflected his keen
sense of perception and
a deeper grasp of cur-
rent events and trends.
He hesitated a bit and
asked if we would mind
clarifying if we Indian
Americans did some-
thing as a community
to foster such consis-
tent success at the
Spelling Bees. We proudly answered in the affirmative and
elaborated briefly on the various organizations and initia-
tives our community facilitated towards advancing and
promoting our concerted focus on education. He seemed
impressed with what our community had achieved; and
likewise we were, at how he picked up on our communitys
fait accompli!
The President then presented me with a bag full of price-
less goodies bearing his autograph and the emblem of The
President of the United States of America. He also called
on my younger brother and presented him with a goody
bag of souvenirs, a touching gesture that demonstrated
much thought and meticulosity around organizing this
event.
We then posed for pictures, individual ones and in
groups, thanked the President and the White House staff
and made our exit.
What an experience it was with every detail, every
instance and every action vying as the high point of the
event!
A meeting with the President is a once-in-a-lifetime treat
in itself. Add to it the invaluable experience of meeting a
decent, caring, intelligent, charismatic, sagacious, and
energetic Nobel Laureate for thats how I perceived our
President from my encounter with him at and all I can
say is that I am one heck of a lucky 15-year-old and truly
wish this would happen to every kid.
When Obama tried
to spell stromuhr
Anamika Veeramani, winner of the India Abroad Special Achievement Award,
on how her winning word at the National Spelling Bee 2010 tripped up the President
President Barack Obama
with Anamika Veeramani,
center, her father Alagaiya,
second from right, her
mother Malar, right, and
brother Ashwin, left, in the
Oval Office, June 9
COURTESY: PETE SOUZA/WHITE HOUSE
W
hat had seemed like a dis-
tant disaster that his moth-
er had survived, suddenly
became real for Utpal
Sandesara when he saw her break down
after seeing footage of the 2004 Indian
Ocean tsunami. The 1979 Macchu Dam
disaster in Gujarat she had survived
returned to haunt her, motivating her
then 18-year-old son to find out as much
about the flood as he could.
Sandesara tells India Abroad how that
curiosity led to his book No One Had a
Tongue to Speak.
How did the book start?
Seven years ago, in December 2004, we
were in our New Jersey home watching
television coverage of the Indian Ocean
tsunami, and my mother became very
emotional. She began to cry and said,
This reminds me so much of what I saw
in 1979. Growing up, I had known that
she and her family had once narrowly
survived dying after the collapse of the
Machhu Dam-II near Morbi in Gujarat,
and I knew that that disaster was listed
among the deadliest dam failures in his-
tory. But it had always been a remote fact
to me. Now, as I saw her cry, it became
real for the first time.
In 1979, my mother was working at the
Blind Mens Association in Ahmedabad,
some 120 miles from Morbi she was
visiting her parents in Morbi for the
Janamasthami holidays. On the day of
the flood, the family planned to see a
matinee showing of the film Noorjehan at
a theater in downtown Morbi. But a cobra
entered their house compound and did
not leave until it was too late for the film.
So, they decided to remain at home and
play cards. As the floodwaters rose to
engulf the city, they escaped to the safety
of a nearby college dormitory, from where
they watched the destruction unfold. The
theater where they would have been was
utterly destroyed in the flood.
My mothers emotional reaction to the
images of the 2004 tsunami the first
real sense I got of how deeply the 1979
disaster had affected her both sur-
prised me and aroused my curiosity.
Determined to find out more about the
tragedy that had just narrowly missed
consuming her family, I searched through
the extensive library resources of Harvard
University, where I had just begun my
undergraduate studies. But I could not
find a single book on the Machhu Dam
disaster, there or anywhere else. A few
articles existed, but they did not present a
comprehensive history. And the human
dimension was missing from all of the
accounts. It seemed that the story of this
immense natural calamity was missing
from history.
My co-author, Tom Wooten, was my
roommate in college. One night, I
explained to him the gap in existing
knowledge and proposed the idea of
undertaking an investigation together. I
proposed it because I knew that Toms
father was a dam engineering expert, and
I thought that he might take interest in
the project on that account. He laughed
at first, pointing out that he knew little
more about dams than I did, but he was
also captivated by the idea of undertaking
a social investigation into one of historys
forgotten tragedies.
When we announced our intention to
tell the story of the Machhu Dam disaster,
our parents must have thought that we
were just being young and idealistic we
were both 18. But we set about doing
whatever we could to make the idea a
reality. Our first interviews were with my
maternal grandparents, who live in Fort
Wayne, Indiana, and with my aunt, who
is a professor at Wellesley, Massachusetts.
Though they were not hit directly by the
wall of water, their memories of the disas-
ter and the circumstances surrounding it
helped give us our first taste of what we
might find.
We applied for research grants and
received about $5,000 each from
Harvard to spend the summer of 2006 in
Gujarat. It was my second visit to Gujarat
(I had visited a third time as a baby), and
Toms first. Soon, we were interviewing
those who had lived through the Machhu
Dam disaster; by the end of the project,
we would interview nearly 150 individu-
als.
What was it like interviewing people
after so many years?
The stories moved me like nothing else
in my life. There were fascinating stories
from the moments of crisis the con-
victed murderer who pulled dozens to
safety, the paraplegic woman who rode a
washbasin to safety, and the priestess
who was the sole survivor of more than
100 people trapped inside a temple.
There were also stories of industriousness
and resilience the small industrialists
who rebuilt their factories from nothing,
and the NGOs that provided hundreds of
houses to the newly homeless. There were
stories of an abortive quest for justice,
told by lawyers and citizens who
remained bitter, 25 years later, that jus-
tice had not been done.
And then there were the stories of grief
and terror. The vividness with which peo-
ple recalled those critical moments and
with which they continued to feel the
anguish of loss never ceased to shock
us. Dozens of survivors shared with us
their sorrows and their triumphs, their
solace and their discontentment.
By the end of the summer, we felt that
survivors entrusted us with something
very powerful. Several said to us, You go
back to your university in the US. and
write about this. Then maybe someone
will listen. We left feeling an obligation to
spread the story to as many listeners as
we could find, and in the words of those
Utpal Sandesara, son of a disaster survivor,
tells Arthur J Pais what inspired him to
write the story
The story of this immense natural
calamity was missing from history
The view from above of
the Machhu Dam-IIs
original spillway gates,
which survived the flood
M10
TOMWOOTEN
FIRST PERSON
M5 THE MAGAZINE
t was just like any other day.
I woke up to a bright sunny morning and began
making a mental list of all the things I planned to
do.
Little did I know that fate had other plans.
My daughter and I were having a cup of tea, around 11
am, when the fire alarm in our building went off. False
alarms were not uncommon so we hardly gave it a
thought, until we heard the little boy downstairs scream-
ing at the top of his voice.
The persistent alarm, the terrifying screams compelled
us to open the main door and take the stairs down to see
what was the matter. The moment we reached we could
see the panic on peoples faces. No one knew what was
going on. We were almost sure that this was yet another
false alarm and we would be back upstairs in no time.
Until we smelt smoke!
The police arrived almost immediately and we had to
rush out, without getting a chance to grab anything, not
even our keys. Everything after that was like viewing a
fire scene in a movie. We watched with utter disbelief
and horror how quickly a small trickle of smoke escalat-
ed into black, billowing clouds, enveloping the entire
building. Both my daughter and I prayed that the fire
wouldnt spread to our side of the building, as the fire-
fighters did their level best to control and contain the
all-engulfing flames.
The entire area was dark with thick smoke. We could
no longer stand outside and watch. Even though it was
very difficult to breathe, I stood there fascinated, rooted
to the spot, gazing at my home, my 12 years of memories,
going up in flames. When they escorted us to the nearby
clubhouse we met up with other residents in different
states of shock.
Our building had many senior citizens, as owners and
residents, and most of them were home when the fire
started. An elderly lady had been dragged out of her
home as she was stepping out of the shower, in her bath
robe, clinging on to her caregiver, who fortunately was
there to help her. Many were
still wearing their night-
clothes, confusion and
fear writ large on their
faces.
I saw my neighbor
break down in tears
after she had been
called back
from work. The sight of her apartment, burnt down,
with glass panes, that had exploded in the heat, poking
out of the windows was too much for her to bear.
My daughter tried desperately to contact our friends to
let them know that we were safe as the news literally
spread like wild fire. My husband rushed back from
work and so did all the other residents when they were
notified. The Red Cross arrived. They tried to calm
everybody down and the paramedics took care of those
who needed help.
I felt as if this was all happening in a dream and I
would wake up any moment. A sense of detachment set-
tled in; maybe I was in denial until I saw the state of the
building a few hours later.
The entirety of it all hit me when I heard my husband
talking to the apartment complex manager. He said we
would not be allowed inside our home ever again. The
building was condemned as absolutely unsafe and it was
too risky to enter.
Tears of utter helplessness just streamed down my
cheeks as I tried to comprehend that the place I had
called home for 12 years was no longer my home. And
that, in fact, at that moment we did not have a home any
more. And that I was standing in front of its charred
remains, with my daughters and my husband, thanking
god that I still had my family and we were all together
and safe.
It is said that when god closes a door, he always opens
a window. I remembered that thought soon after. The
Red Cross representative heard that we did not have
renters insurance and he came up to us my daughter
and I to offer temporary shelter and some money for
food and clothes. We were extremely grateful for the
help.
Our friends came forward too, to help us with food and
clothes, even money, to help us deal with this traumatic
situation. My daughters friends family most generously
offered us their spare home
in Wayne,
until we
wer e
able to find a place to live.
We are still there and shelter in this spare home has
been extremely helpful as we wanted to be near the site,
as they call it now, since the building is still standing.
Our belongings at least some of them are still
there. Though water-damaged, we can see our living
room couch and my younger daughter, Urvashis panda
bear still hanging over the side of the building, as the
roof is no longer there. It was heart wrenching for her to
see her favorite toy so close yet just beyond her reach.
We have been promised that the demolishers will not
throw away everything and will see what they can sal-
vage, especially valuables and memories.
But how can somebody else know and understand
what is invaluable to us?
The faded paintings, all my artwork, even the most tat-
tered teddy bears of my children, mean the world to us.
Especially since now everything we owned has disap-
peared beneath a pile of rubble. Even the most trivial of
things like a broken plate, bring back a host of memo-
ries.
We were taken today to take a look at the building. As
we arrived near the site we could see that the rubble
that surrounded the building had been piled up in por-
tions, which would be taken away. There was no way to
tell what was inside that pile, but my daughter suddenly
spotted something red under it. She was convinced that
it was her red Bhaloo which she had had since she was
four. I could see that the bear was extremely soiled, but
looking at my daughters teary eyes I didnt have the
heart to tell her that it might not be a good idea to
extract it from the rubble.
She waited there patiently until she could talk to an
officer. He most kindly pulled her precious Bhaloo from
under the pile of what was left of everybody elses pos-
sessions.
The smile I saw on her face brought tears to my eyes.
As I write this I am infinitely grateful that my family and
I are all safe.
We will be moving into a smaller apartment nearby
and will begin building our lives back, one day at a time,
from scratch.
Ruby lived at Brittany Chase Condominium
complex in Wayne, New Jersey, with
daughters Sreoshy and Urvashi and
husband Ashish, till it burnt down
July 11
I
Homeless
Homeless
Ruby Banerjea on the day her familys life changed
COURTESY: RUBY BANERJEA
t was the last day of Ratis HAAAAW
(Historic Adventures + Any Additional
Adventures Week). She had coined, what
she thought, was a rather intelligent
acronym after much thinking. Well, she
was in a 200-year-old palace after all, so
historic adventures wee bound to happen.
True adventurers like herself must also be
prepared to stumble upon any additional
adventures, which could show up any-
time and anywhere.
Unfortunately, she had been so incredi-
bly busy avoiding Ritin that she had had
no time left at all for an adventure! Or, for that matter, even
for a Miss Adventure, which as Vinitha Aunty had revealed,
was a special adventure in a surprising disguise which hap-
pened only to lucky little girls. Like the one last week, when
they were on a chocolate-chip cookie-baking adventure. What
came out of the oven looked like cookies alright, but tasted
more like muffins. So they ate Muffies! Rati liked to record
her adventures in her private journal and listed this under
Miss Adventures.
She was annoyed with herself. All these years, Ritin had
never mattered to her. Whenever she visited Vinitha Aunty,
she found him perpetually buried in his tablet and an assort-
ment of gadgets. After a while, she stopped noticing him,
pretty much like she stopped noticing the painting on their
living room wall. Or the more-interesting shark-like lizard
which hung around on the wall on occasional summer days.
But now that Vinitha Aunty and her father had gotten mar-
ried, he was suddenly her brother. Correction: Stepbrother,
she told herself.
Her parents had divorced when she was just two, and after
six years of rarely seeing her mum (who lived in Finland), Rati
barely missed her. But she had always adored Vinitha Aunty.
Unlike the stereotypical wicked stepmother, Vinitha Aunty
was the best mom she could have asked for. Their neighbor
for all these years, Vinitha Aunty pampered her and even
looked after her when Papa was away on business trip. She
felt close to Vinitha Aunty, who worked as a marketing exec-
utive in a toy company. She was smart, intelligent, loving and
super fun. Rati knew what she wanted to be when she gew up.
She wanted to be Vinitha Aunty! Except for one crucial dif-
ference: she didnt want to work in a toy company but do
something more grown-up and adventurous. She wanted to
be an archaeologist.
When her dad had hesitatingly asked her if she approved of
the suggestion of having a new mommy in the form of
Vinitha Aunty, she had hugged him and said Yes, yes, 1 do!.
Now, she could have both Papa and Vinitha Aunty.
But Ritin had suddenly appeared from nowhere and
become a major obstacle. Her little time with Papa was now
cut in half. For example, the week before, Papa had cancelled
their super-sacred Sunday brunch ritual at Big Chill, to go
watch the vintage car rally with Ritin. Papa had invited her,
and when she declined, promised to get her a piece of her
favorite Squidgy Chocolate Cake. Although, she was dying to
see those gleaming historic automobiles, shed rather study
than go with Ritin, never mind the Squidgy Chocolate Cake.
Meanwhile, Vinitha Aunty, the darling that she was, had
stayed back. They had all kinds of girly adventures like mak-
ing Play-Doh creatures except that you could eat these
because they were made out of yummy marzipan. And then
there were Muffles. She loved it! But she missed her dad. Why
couldnt she be with both of them. Why couldnt they just
send this cold Ritin to boarding school and let her stay
behind?
Until now, she was convinced that Ritin was not human.
She thought he was some kind of a machine sent by aliens to
study human behaviour. He was glued to gadgets because he
was constantly transmitting signals through them. She had
tried to warn her dad, who laughed it away. Even if Papa did
not believe her, she had to be on alert. Rati had even nerv-
ously told Vinitha Aunty, afraid that she might be angry at her
son being called an alien conspiracy. But Vinitha Aunty being
the rock-star that she was simply winked and whispered, I
know honey!
They were at her grannys house. Correction: haveli, she
chided herself. Papa and Vinitha Aunty were both away on
business trips. How she had begged them to take her with
them. Shed stay quietly in the hotel room and watch TV all
day long and paint and be a good gir1. They wouldnt even
notice that she was there.
Instead, she had been left behind with her least favorite per-
son in her most favorite place.
You guys need to get to know each other. After all, youre
siblings now, said Papa.
Um. . . step siblings, Rati corrected her
father.
M6 BROTHERS AND SISTERS
Thesteptapes
Thesteptapes
Gaining a brother
A short story by
Rituparna Chatterjee.
Illustrations: Uttam Ghosh
I
M7
THE MAGAZINE
H
indu mythology, including the Puranas,
the Ramayana and the Mahabharata speak
of the Rakhi as a bonding and unifying
power, and symbolizing all aspects of pro-
tection of good from evil forces.
Varuna and Rakhi
Rakhi was originally intended to be a ritual offering
for the sea-god Lord Varuna, says one mythological
tale. So, devotees offer coconuts and flowers to
Varuna, and ceremonial bathing and fairs at water-
fronts are held on the day of Rakshabandhan. This
tradition of worshipping Varuna during the Rakhi fes-
tival is popular especially in Western India.
Indra and Rakhi
According to another mythological legend, when
Lord Indra, the King of the Heavens, was unable to
cope with the constant attacks waged by Daitya Raja,
the Demon King, he sought the advice of Devaguru
Brihaspati, the Guru of the Gods. Upon Brihaspatis
advice, Indras wife,
Indrani, tied a rakhi on
Indras wrist, on the aus-
picious occasion of
Shravan Purnima. It is
said that the rakhi gave
Indra the power to van-
quish the Demon King.
Thus the sacred silken
thread helped Indra
regain control over his
celestial empire.
Yama and Rakhi
Even Yama, the Lord of
Death, is said to have
observed Raksha-
bandhan. His sister
Yamuna had tied the rakhi
on Yamas wrist amidst
worship and rituals.
Deeply touched by her sis-
ters love, Yama granted
her immortality. So, it is
believed that a rakhi tied
by a sister on the day of
Rakshabandhan can pro-
tect a brother from sud-
den death.
Yudhishthir and Rakhi
In the great epic Maha-
bharata, we find Lord
Krishna advising King
Yudhishthir, the eldest of
the Pandava brothers, to tie a rakhi to guard himself
against impending evils and protection from the per-
ils of the great war of Kurukshetra. Yudhisthir is said
to have observed the ceremony of the Rakshabandhan
and tied the sacred thread around his own wrist.
Stories from the Mahabharata also mention about
Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas, tying a rakhi on
her grandson Abhimanyu. It is also said that
Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas, observed
Rakshabandhan by presenting the sacred rakhi to
Lord Krishna.
Bali, Vishnu, Lakshmi and Rakhi
In the mythological tales from the Puranas, we find
the beautiful legend of Bali, grandson of the great
Vishnu devotee Prahalad. Lord Vishnu was so
impressed by the might of Bali, that he promised him
divine protection and immortality until Bali was
crowned the King. As the legend goes, Vishnu left
Vaikunth, his abode in the heavens, and started
guarding Balis kingdom. Vishnus wife, Goddess
Lakshmi, was alarmed at her husbands action and
decided to bring the Lord back to heaven. Lakshmi
disguised herself as a Brahmin woman and went to
Bali to seek protection till her husband returned. He
welcomed her into his palace. As the occasion of
Shravana Purnima dawned, Lakshmi tied a rakhi on
Balis wrist. Bali was greatly touched by this gesture
and asked her what she wanted as a gift. Lakshmi then
revealed her real identity and asked Bali to let go of
her husband Vishnu. Bali promised to keep his words
on the condition that the couple should visit his palace
every year on Rakshabandhan.
Since then, people say, it has been a tradition to
invite sisters over to their brothers place on Shravan
Purnima to celebrate the occasion with a feast. So, this
festival of Rakshabandhan is also called Baleva after
King Balis legendary devotion. Even till this day, sis-
ters ceremonially recite this verse from the Puranas
while tying the rakhi:
Yena baddho Balee raajaa daanavendro mahaabal-
ah tena twaam anubadhnaami rakshe maa chala
maa chala
I am tying a rakhi on you, like the one on mighty
demon king Bali.
Be firm, O rakhi, do not falter.
Subhamoy Das
Rakhi legends
Come on now Rati. You finally have a
real brother to smear with tilak on Bhai
Dooj, rather than Chhotu, said Papa.
You can never compare a boy to a dog. Especially a step-
statue brother to Chhotu, said Rati stomping off.
The haveli, called Raahat Bhavan, was located just out-
side of Jaipur. Made in 1760, it was designed specifically to
give its residents raahat (meaning relief) from the fiery
desert heat. The strategic positioning of its windows uti-
lized natural winds thereby creating an illusion of mysteri-
ous invisible fans at work. Raahat Bhavans thick stone
walls, high ceilings, and its endless dark cool corridors pro-
vided magically natural cool comfort.
Ratis holidays in Raahat Mahal had been few and far
between. But they were memorable, full of fun and fantasy,
as all holidays in havelis have a way of being. Occasionally,
local women came to the haveli and Daadi used to teach
them things like language and arithmetic. Rati would
watch them for hours fascinated by the myriad bright hues
of their ghagra kabjas (scarfs), and their bold kohl-lined
eyes.
At the haveli, alone together, Ritin had even tried to be
nice to Rati, inviting her to play on his PSP with him. He
was like a tortoise carrying his world on his back, in his
backpack. And like she had guessed, it was full of all sorts
of useless game-related gizmos. He was always digging in
it, sort of like how Chhotu and she excavated their neigh-
borhood park for 14th-century treasures.
No thanks, I prefer Wii, she said politely and walked off.
Was there a clue of him being an actual human, now that
he was being warm?
Trying to be warm, said Rati in her characteristic style.
An adventurer, especially an upcoming archaeologist, must
never let her guard down, especially around suspicious
creatures.
As usual it was time for Daadis afternoon siesta. Her
snores echoed through the havelis dark, cool corridors.
Frustrated with her zero adventures, or even Miss
Adventures, and unable to sleep, Rati took a walk through
one of the corridors. She had her camera strapped on her
neck, for emergency recordings, which she could then put
into her diary. A blinding light waited patiently at the end,
and as if hypnotized, Rati walked towards it.
At the edge, was a spider, spinning a complex web. At
night, the tube lights would be turned on, attracting a vari-
ety of insects, some of which could get trapped here, while
lizards would take care of the others. Rati thought it was
fascinating and continued to watch the spider in rapture.
Hey, come here. Look what I found. Far more interest-
ing spinning here, than your boring spider. What? Could it
be that Ritin had abandoned his gadgets for once? Had he
really turned human? Anyway, she must not go, in case it
was an alien plot to capture her. But it was so tempting!
Giving in and burning with curiosity, she tiptoed towards
him cautiously.
Closer, look here, he said. He was kneeling down hold-
ing a small plastic rectangle in his hand. Was it really what
she thought it was?
Yes, it really is a cassette! said Ritin.
The history buff in Rati was ecstatic! She had heard of
cassettes but she had never seen one in real life. How could
she? Cassettes were almost obsolete. Where did you find
this? Rati asked urgently.
Right up there. . . theres a whole stack of them, he said,
pointing to a shelf on the whitewashed stone wall, right by
the intricately carved ventilator and beside a lamp.
Ive seen these before. See, everything is on this reel of
magnetic tape. The player spins it and it plays. Rati was furi-
ous at herself she had been here before, and this cold-
alien-conspiracy-statue had seen it on his very first trip.
Thats one of the perks of being older, Ritin said, reading
her thoughts.
Rati, suspicious as ever, asked, But how can you be so
sure about how it works?
Ramesh Uncle explained it to me. Papa explained it to
him. To h-i-m! And not her? Rati was
fuming.
M9
Rakshabandhan is also called Baleva after King Balis

legendary devotion to his sister Godess Lakshmi
M6
ALTERNATIVE HEALINGS M8 THE MAGAZINE

Shameem Akthar on your gut and you
Gut solutions
Naturopathy
This science believes a gut in distress, one with unhealthy flora,
could be the main cause for even nervous system disorders.
That may not be as far-fetched at first glance. The gut was the orig-
inal reason why the entire nervous system was formed. The body
complex was designed to feed the gut primarily and the nervous sys-
tems original role was to help this complex find food and then pro-
tect it from becoming the food of others!
It is said the stomach even changes color according to how you
feel. No wonder then that naturopathy tracks even childrens prob-
lems such as learning difficulties, attention deficit disorder. Other
serious ailments that naturopathy believes originates in the gut
include chronic fatigue syndrome, joint aches, insomnia, inflamma-
tion, skin eruptions as well as other skin problems and unexplained
allergies. This may be the reason why yogurt is given pride of place
on the naturopaths food pyramid and it is associated with longevity.
The belief is that it restores the good gut flora so that digestive har-
mony may be maintained. The toxic effects of other foods includ-
ing medicines and antibiotics is negated by eating the right foods
that allow the gut regain tone.
Acupressure
In acupressure three major
meridians service the gut the
large intestine meridian, stom-
ach meridian, and the spleen
and pancreas meridian.
Interestingly, several psycho-
logical states are associated with
these meridians. The large intes-
tine meridian, when it does not
run smoothly, is linked to the
fear of loss in relationships. In
the body, this could cause
inflammatory conditions, respi-
ratory disorders, and autoim-
mune problems.
The stomach meridian, when
out of sync, could mean plain
anger, leading to fevers, emo-
tional upsets, sluggish circula-
tion that troubles the legs. The
pancreas-spleen meridian, relat-
ed to obsessive compulsive disor-
der, including troubling
thoughts is linked to diseases of
the urogenital system and hor-
monal upsets. Acupressure,
though needing an expert guid-
ance initially, can be used to re-
energize the body by application
of pressure at the key points
through which these meridians
run.
Ayurveda
A troubled digestive tract, also
according to ayurveda, is the root
cause of all diseases. This could
include mottled skin, BO, flatu-
lence, chronic tiredness. The fiery
competitive pitta (fire) personality
types can have a delicate gut
though an otherwise strong consti-
tution. The kapha (earth) personal-
ities have a sluggish digestion,
while the hyperactive vata (air)
folks have an erratic diet.
Between these three types there
are permutations and combina-
tions, which is why ayurveda
believes in an individualized diet
chart to help contain aggravations
of elements that lead to diseases.
This requires you to consult an
expert to first locate your ayurvedic
personality and then create a chart
that will help your gut heal faster.
Crystal therapy
Crystal and gemstone placement tone digestion. It has interesting and color-
ful prescriptions for this: The clear yellow citrine, the dazzling green
labradorite, the spotted snowflake obsidian, the striped tigers eye are great for
the solar plexus.
Digestive diseases caused by stress are said to find relief with the use of the
cooling moonstone. A distressed gut can be repaired with yellow jasper, while
the digestive tract may be toned by the widely available jasper. To calm the gut
you may use the purple amethyst, and then stimulate it with mottled moss
agate. The crystals and stones may be placed on the stomach, or worn in a
waistband or neckpiece so that it makes contact with the solar plexus.
Meditation with crystal is said to transfer the healing property of the stone into
your body.
Yoga
Yoga also aligns it view with the belief that there
is a strong link between what you eat and your over-
all health and wellbeing. In fact, yogic therapy is
incomplete without an overhaul of your diet,
including dietary habits.
This could mean even rethinking your meal tim-
ings. There is a fixed rule about eating a heavy
breakfast and progressively reducing ones meals,
till the lightest one is the dinner. Dinner, yoga
believes, should be between 6.30 pm and 8.30 pm.
It also believes in personalized dietary changes. In
this, it leans heavily on ayurveda for locating the
particular ayurvedic personality (dosha) and then
advising food that will help prevent an aggravation
of that dosha. Apart from health, yoga also links the
gut to mental harmony and balance. This is denot-
ed by calling the solar plexus the manipura chakra
or the crown jewel. It is an important energy center
which yoga believes straddles between the human
and the divine, and when disturbed it prevents us
from reaching our divine selves.
Poses that tone digestion in general include the
energy releasing pose and its series; lying thunder-
bolt pose (supta vajrasana), and other poses which
extend the belly or massage it powerfully, like the
fish (matysasana), the half spinal twist (ardha mat-
syendrasana), and breathing practices like bhastri-
ka (bellows breathing), locks like the uddiyana
bandha (upward flying energy lock); and cleansing
practices like the agnisarakriya (metabolic fire
practice).
he digestive tract, from mouth to anus, is 32 feet long.
The small intestine alone is 26 feet.
No wonder that it is one of the most important systems in your
entire body. Thats why alternative therapists believe it to be the main
cause of all system failures of the body, even in locations far removed from
the stomach.
Unlike conventional medicine which treats diseases symptomatically,
natural remedies track several chronic ailments back to a troubled gut.
T
PHOTO COURTESY: WWW.ACUPRESSURE.COM
Catch Shameem's yoga tips on http://jaisivananda.blogspot.com
BROTHERS AND SISTERS
M9 THE MAGAZINE
He says Im too digital and must at
least understand a few mechanical and
analog concepts. Ramesh Uncle will
soon be teaching me how to solder and
eventually take me to lathe classes as well. I cant wait to
use my hands on some real machines.
Wait, you call him Uncle too? asked Rati, somewhat
relieved that he was still only her Papa.
Yes, well, just like you still call Ma, Vinitha Aunty. Youre
not used to it yet either, are you? Rati was embarrassed.
Ritin was suddenly getting less creepy by the second, which
was a pretty creepy thing on its own!
Well, ummm . . . actually, I dont know how to tell you
this. But I think I should, Ritin said after a long pause. You
see, youre rather fond of my Ma. But youre younger, its
easier for you. You practically have no memory of your own
mother, right? But I remember my Dad, and I miss him.
But I also hate the way he treated Ma. Shes so happy now,
he said softly. Its very hard to wake up one fine day and call
someone else Dad. And worse, theres a stepsister attached
in the package. Im sorry I was so cold to you. . . practically
like a cold alien statue.
Rati cringed. She hated the step prefix attached to her.
She realized how alike they were. She didnt know where to
look. How could he have read her exact thoughts?
At first I hated you. There you were with ribbons in your
hair always jumping and ready for an adventure. But youre
not so bad, he smiled. You see, like you, I too am adjusting.
But I must admit, your dads a great guy.
So is Vinitha Aunty. She understands that Im a girl and
not all girls are interested in lathe machines.
Haha! Yes, youre right, Ritin said with a smile. Now,
lets go hide the tape before Daadi wakes up. You do know,
we arent supposed to be going through all this. These must
be private recordings, he said, holding out the cassette and
its box for Rati to see.
Rati was quivering with excitement at this treasure. She
ran her fingers over the cracked plastic cover. Nestling
inside was a worn out yellowing paper with faded hand-
writing.
She assumed this was Urdu. What was inside it? Perhaps,
confidential cryptic voice messages were inside. A dozen
questions swarmed through Ratis head leav-
ing her slightly giddy with curiosity and
excitement.
Lets explore the rest of the
boxes and stash it away before
anybody comes, said Ritin.
Rati was now holding a
cassette in her hands. A
real cassette. A real, vin-
tage treasure! This was so
much better than under-
taking excavations in the
neighborhood garden. And
she had a real partner, who
was not her dog.
See, you can totally pull the
tape out and then put it back
in and I believe it will still
work, said Ritin. He rolled his
finger through the groovy hole
in the cassette and using his
other hand, he pulled out a few
inches of the magnetic tape out of its
plastic holder. Then he simply reversed
his motions and put it all back in together.
Rati watched fascinated.
Let me try it, she said pulling out some
tape and carefully rolling it all back together.
Isnt this spinning fun? Rati grinned and
nodded. It was indeed! Rati now understood
that the music word rewind actually meant
physically winding the tape up. So cool!
They took turns, each time unrolling more
and more of the smooth ribbon and putting it
back.
Oh, I know! Lets have a spinning contest,
Rati suddenly suggested.
Ssh, lower your voice, remember were tres-
passing on private property. And trespassers
are always prosecuted, said Ritin.
OK, OK! Rati lowered her voice down to an
urgent stream of whispers. So, whoever pulls
out the most and puts it back the fastest, wins.
Im smaller, so I go first, said Rati. Before Ritin
could respond, she pulled and pulled and jerked
off a long ribbon of tape. Rati ran through the cor-
ridor. Her endless ribbon tail merged with the dark-
ness.
And then the faintest flick danced across the walls
and echoed through the corridors empty hollowness. Rati
looked and to her horror realized that she had snapped the
tape. She was really scared. It wasnt just a cassette. It was
a piece of history, worse, a private piece of history. It was
somebodys precious belonging and she had damaged it.
Large salty drops of fear rolled off her big cheeks, some-
what soaking her T-shirt.
We ll fix it, we ll fix it. Dont worry, said Ritin, running
towards her. But we must hurry. Its a long mess and there
is no time to cry. Be the big eight-year-old that you are now.
Eight, going on nine, corrected Rati angrily, wiping the
tears away.
All the more reason then, said Ritin.
He had now started to rewind the roll of tape. Rati helped
by holding up the closest bunch of the excess tape on the
floor, keeping it ready for rolling. They did this as meticu-
lously and quickly as anyone possibly could. Unfortunately,
the tape had knotted up. They continued to wrap it up the
best as they could, knots and all. Eventually, Ritin had a
small spool of tape in his hands. Just a couple of feet more
and theyd be done. They could then start rewinding it in
the cassette.
Just then, they felt a tug. It seemed bigger than the small
knots, most of which they had painstakingly
removed, and it seemed to come from
above. They looked up and noticed
that some of the ribbon was stuck
behind the lamp on the wall,
right next to the shelf where
they had originally found the
cassettes.
The cool evening breeze must
have lifted the almost weight-
less tape causing it to get stuck
there. Ritin, being the taller
one, hopped and pulled gently,
but with no luck.
Rati, who knew the haveli well
from previous holidays ran to
the store room and got out a
black umbrella with a sharp
metal tip. This relic was one of
her very own discoveries, from
former exploratory missions.
Great thinking, said Ritin. He
shoved the umbrellas tip, trying to
fish out the tape, which had wrapped
around the lamp. They tried several times.
But neither the gaming aficionado nor the
upcoming archaeologist had kite-flying or fish-
ing skills, which could have been handy in this
situation.
Ritin was rather frustrated. His hand ached to
the point of cramping. Why should he even put up with
this. It wasnt his fault after all. Whether step, real or
cousin, sisters were always trouble, he thought as he impa-
tiently shoved the umbrella from his right to his raised left
hand.
SMASH!
What happened, who is that! screamed Daadi, suddenly
awakened by the crashing noise that travelled through the
whole haveli. While exchanging the umbrella from one
hand to another, Ritin had mistakenly shattered the beau-
tiful vintage lamp. The trapped tape fell on the floor along
with the glass in smithereens.
Quick, shove it all in your backpack, said Rati, pulling
Ritins backpack and already starting to do as she said.
How would that help? said Ritin.
He was scared. He knew he was in trouble because this
was not just another lamp but an expensive antique, as
most things in the haveli were. The kids had been told to be
as careful around the haveli, as they would have been in a
museum. And although Rati had created the tape mess,
Ritin had broken an antique treasure.
What is it? asked Daadi. Echoes of the thak-thak of her
lathi (stick) got louder and louder, which meant she was
close. By now Rati had packed the empty cassette, its cover,
and the knotted spool of tape in Ritins backpack.
I know Daadi! There that one did it, Rati quipped point-
ing right at Ritins head. He looked baffled by her betrayal,
that too, after all this. . . after all the trouble he had taken
for her.
Argh, I knew it! The pests! said Daadi, looking angrily
right behind Ritin. He looked up and saw two pigeons
behind, clucking away. He let out a sigh of relief. This is not
the first time they have smashed something here. If only I
knew how to get rid of them. But they have been here much
longer than I have, said Daadi.
Ritin was ashamed. Rati had stood up for him and he had
doubted her. Anyway, Ramesh will be here any minute and
can help fix this mess. I keep telling him, donate these
antiques to the museum. Just no point keeping them, said
Daadi.
Here we are! Rati heard her Papas voice as he emerged
from the shadows with Vinitha Aunty. Did you kids trouble
Daadi much? Rati did you fight with Ritin? asked Papa,
bending down and holding his hands out for Rati.
No, no Rati is a darling. Ritin, I hope you at least got your
head out of your games for a little while, and kept her com-
pany, said Vinitha Aunty, hugging Ritin.
Copyrighted to Rituparna Chatterjee. Excerpted with the
publishers permission from Celebrate: Your Fun Festival
Handbook Rakhi And Bhai Dooj published by Hachette
India. Rituparna is a science and technology journalist in
Silicon Valley
M7
Thesteptapes
who lived it.
What other resources did you use to
reconstruct the story?
While we found flood survivors elo-
quent and forthcoming, we initially had
great difficulty gaining access to govern-
ment documents pertaining to the dam
and its failure. After nearly a week of
constant frustrations in attempting to
obtain relevant documents, we decided
young and impetuous as we were to
go for broke and try an audacious gam-
bit. We called the Gujarat secretariat and
requested an appointment with Chief
Minister Narendra Modi. A few days
later, we were granted a five-minute
audience.
What happened when you met with
Modi?
We were astonished just to have
secured a meeting with him. When we
took our seats in his office, he was sitting
behind a grand desk, looking quite intim-
idating. He told us that we had two min-
utes to explain our business to him. They
were the two longest minutes of my life! I
explained, in Gujarati, what we aimed to
do, why we felt that the story of the
Machhu Dam disaster was an important
piece of history for Gujarat, India, and
the world and why access to his gov-
ernments archives would prove invalu-
able in our endeavor. For almost 30 sec-
onds, he sat silently, considering our
request. Then, he surprised us by saying
that he had the seen the destruction in
Morbi firsthand, as a young RSS
(Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) volun-
teer. Expressing his sympathy with our
sense of the importance of the Machhu
Dam disaster, he immediately granted us
access to any pertinent documents in the
state governments possession. By the
end of our brief session, the mood had
lightened so much that he turned to Tom
who had been sitting, oblivious as the
Gujarati flew around him and asked in
English whether he was finding it diffi-
cult to accommodate to vegetarian food.
(Tom impressed the chief minister by
truthfully responding that he had been a
vegetarian for some years!)
Visiting offices in the state capital, the
district capital and the flood-affected
area itself, we collected thousands of
pages of documents, many of which had
previously been kept under tight wraps.
The documents allowed us to piece
together a story that had never been told
publicly, and to reconstruct the chain of
events laid out in the book leading
up to the dams failure.
Have you thought about why Modi did
so?
Tom and I have discussed this many
times and generated a number of theo-
ries, but for all we know, we may be total-
ly wrong. As is well known, Modi is a
highly enigmatic personality. In part, he
may have felt a sentimental connection to
the story, given his firsthand experience
of the destruction as a volunteer. In part,
he may have wished to make a gesture of
transparency, in keeping with his self-
styled persona as a modernizer and anti-
corruption fighter. And, as will become
apparent upon reading the book, the his-
tory of the Machhu Dam failure does not
reflect too positively on the Congress
Party, nor on Keshubhai Patel, Modis
former rival within the BJP; he may have
known this and hoped that his oppo-
nents shortcomings might be exposed.
What did you conclude led to the col-
lapse of the dam?
The causes of the disaster have a fair
amount of nuance, but they largely boil
down to failings on the part of public
institutions before, during and after the
disaster. Years earlier, state government
engineers failed to bring the most up-to-
date methods methods demanded by
the central government to bear on the
design of the dam. And that meant that
the dams spillway was unable to pass the
largest possible flood that might occur on
the Machhu River. On the day of the dis-
aster, engineers and workers who knew
of the growing crisis failed to alert offi-
cials in downstream areas; the conse-
quences, as we detail in the book, were
tragic. And after the flood, the state gov-
ernment instituted an inquiry commis-
sion to investigate the disaster, hindered
its work for 18 months, and then wound
it up without ever providing the flood vic-
tims with any answers for their suffering.
It is said that in extraordinary times,
ordinary people often rise to extraordi-
nary achievement. Did you find examples
of such heroism in your research?
The story of the Machhu Dam disaster
offers numerous examples of extraordi-
nary behavior in times of crisis. At the
time of the disaster, Gangaram Tapu was
a 24-four-year-old father of five and a
convicted murderer. He was helping
boost his fellow inmates climb onto the
roof of Morbis subdistrict prison to avoid
rising floodwaters when the wall of water
from the dam collapse arrived. The wave
swept him away, nearly drowning him,
but he righted himself enough to regain
his composure and catch sight of an old
woman struggling in the torrent. After
pulling the woman to safety, he spent the
next four hours saving dozens of flood
victims until he collapsed exhausted,
bleeding, and numb from the cold in a
treetop perch with a police officer. He
turned himself in several days later; sev-
eral weeks thereafter, he was pardoned
for his heroism. During our research in
the summer of 2006, he invited us into
his house and recounted the events of
August 11, 1979.
We found dozens of such stories during
our time in India. People shared their
recollections of terror and bravery,
miraculous survival and stunning loss.
We were privileged to partake in our
interviewees reflections on some of the
most stunningly human moments in
their lives the struggle to simply live,
the grief of untimely death in the family,
and the realization of profound injustice.
How is the tragedy remembered today?
Although a cyclone and a disastrous
earthquake have hit the area since 1979,
the Machhu Dam disaster remains the
disaster for local people. Survivors use it
as a major milestone for dividing the past
major life events, such as births, wed-
dings, and deaths, are often described
simply as before the disaster or after the
disaster. And there remains much bitter-
ness regarding the governments role in
ignoring and refusing responsibility for
the disaster.
What lessons does your book offer for
the 21
st
century?
The book is, in part, a cautionary tale
regarding the dangers of development,
environmental engineering, and dam
construction. At a time when a number
of nations most notably India and
China are modifying their natural
environments in profound ways, it is
important to learn from the tragedies of
the past in order to ensure best practices
for the future. During our research, we
were surrounded by reminders of the
Sardar Sarovar Dam, which was still rais-
ing a furor in Gujarat and beyond. While
our story does not offer any easy answers
for the Narmada controversy, it shows
that there are actually some fairly signifi-
cant connections at least in terms of
government procedures and personnel
between the modest Machhu Dam-II
and the mighty Sardar Sarovar Dam.
Moreover, the story of the Machhu Dam-
IIs rise and fall offers warnings on con-
structing dams in a way that respects the
displaced and recognizes the dangers
inherent in taming nature.
At the same time, the book also details
how the state government in Gujarat
mounted an exemplary relief and recov-
ery response, one that stands in marked
contrast to the US governments weak
efforts after Hurricane Katrina. The
chief minister shifted his entire cabinet
to the flood-stricken area, demanding
that the state government focus on the
monumental task of getting survivors
back on their feet. Moreover, after the
work of relief had finished, the govern-
ment prioritized the long-term recovery
of the flood-stricken area in dozens of
significant and often innovative ways,
ensuring full rehabilitation and pros-
perity for those affected by the tragedy.
As we continue to face devastating dis-
aster from the Japanese tsunami to
the earthquake in Haiti the state gov-
ernments robust response in the India
of 1979 where telegraph often provid-
ed the most reliable communication
offers an inspiring model for disaster
response and long-term recovery.
How has this project changed you?
It has certainly helped me to solidify
my command of spoken and written
Gujarati! More importantly, though, it
has taught me the power of stories. I have
gained an appreciation for the narratives
that people share with others, and for the
art of weaving multiple such narratives
into a single, comprehensive work. It has
reaffirmed my commitment to develop-
ing a career as a physician-anthropolo-
gist, devoted not only to healing people,
but also to telling their stories.
M4
TONY KURDZUK, THE STAR-LEDGER, NEWARK NJ. REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION
Utpal Sandesara is pursuing
an MD and a PhD in social
anthropology at the
University of Pennsylvania
W
hen his roommate at Harvard, Utpal Sandesara asked
him to help write a book on the 1979 Machhu Dam dis-
aster, Tom Wooten never thought it would change the
course of his life. He shares his experience meeting a
convicted murderer, dealing with Indian bureaucrats, eating Gujarati
food and being christened Harry Potter with India Abroad.
What were some of your most interesting experiences in Morbi?
The story I find myself telling most frequently is that of our meet-
ing with the gangster and convicted murderer Gangaram Tapu. Police
officers in Morbi had told us of his exploits during the flood, when he
was washed out of the citys jail yard and swam through the current
saving dozens of people. His heroism earned him a pardon, but he
ended up back in prison for a second murder after allegedly taking
money from an MLA (member of the state assembly) to assassinate
the citys mayor. We learned of all of this while uncovering potentially damaging infor-
mation about the governments operation of the dam and its initial response to the flood.
Then, out of the blue, we received a call telling us that Tapu had been furloughed from
Sabarmati Prison and wanted to meet us.
On the rickshaw ride to meet Tapu, we let our imagination get the better of us. How had
the gangster learned of our research? Was his temporary release simply a coincidence, or
had he somehow been sent to put an end to our queries? In hindsight, our sense of self-
importance was clearly inflated, but it didnt help that the mustachioed Tapu was sur-
rounded with nefarious-looking associates toting large black duffle bags as he greeted us
in front of his house. When he offered us something to drink, we requested Thums Up,
expecting the sodas to be served from sealed bottles and, therefore, less likely to be poi-
soned. Instead, an associate with an eager, sly grin disappeared behind a curtain, then
emerged with glasses of the bubbling liquid, from which we took only pretend sips.
Tapu turned out to be an affable host and a vivid storyteller, who clearly had no inter-
est in doing us in. Though we were taken aback by a nonchalant account of his first mur-
der, the tale of his epic swim through the floodwaters kept us enthralled. It was easy to
see how a judge might grant the silver-tongued gangster a pardon.
On a different note, my time in Morbi also earned me a new nickname. There isnt
much Western tourism in Gujarat in the first place, and Morbi, in particular, rarely
receives foreign visitors. Not surprisingly, I was a sight to behold. One day, some kids on
the street saw me and instantly began yelling the name of a more famous boy with pale
skin, glasses, and a messy frock of dark hair. Hey, Harry Potter! Harry Potter! they
shouted. It became my second name for the rest of the trip.
How did you prepare for this project?
We had very little idea what we were getting into. We knew that we would be inter-
viewing many people, and we knew that we would be spending a lot of time combing
through documents. It was also clear that, with only two months in India, our time would
be best spent in a mad dash to collect as much information as possible, which we could
then sort through during the subsequent school year. We each bought a digital voice
recorder for interviews, a digital camera for photographing documents, and a hard drive
for backing up our data.
We also needed a plan to compensate for my language deficiencies, as
I speak neither Hindi nor Gujarati. We decided that I would spend more
of my time with government documents, which were often in English,
and on interviews with English speaking officials. Later, when Utpals
family joined us in India, his mother and sister also acted as translators.
Without them, gender and cultural barriers would have kept us from
interviewing many of the women who ultimately appeared in the book.
What were some of the tough things you faced while working on the project and how
did you overcome the difficulties?
As often happens to Western travelers with spoiled immune systems from the devel-
oped world, Utpal and I both became sick after drinking water in Morbi. Even though I
was eating prodigious quantities of some of the best food Ive ever tasted in my life, I
ended up losing a lot of weight.
Utpal and I also encountered a great deal of stonewalling and foot dragging as we tried
to get documents from the Gujarat irrigation department in Gandhinagar. Not surpris-
ingly, the engineers and bureaucrats there were not keen to have anyone peering over
documents that revealed the departments deadly, largely forgotten mistakes from three
decades before. Happily, our meeting with (Chief Minister) Narendra Modi cleared the
way for us to access the documents.
What have you personally taken from this experience?
More than anything else, I was left feeling a deep emotional connection and debt to the
dozens of flood survivors we interviewed. Their stories were at once haunting and inspir-
ing. It was difficult to fathom the horror they had experienced. We spoke, for example, to
people whose children had been wrenched from their arms and sucked into the raging
floodwaters; its difficult to fathom how any parent could even continue to live after such
an experience. Stories such as these made flood survivors resilience a nearly universal
desire to rebuild their city and resume their lives all the more touching and impressive.
What are you doing now? Are you planning to pursue another degree?
My experience in Morbi has completely shaped the course of my life up to the present.
As a result of a growing interest in disaster recovery, I ended up writing my senior thesis
about neighborhood-based recovery efforts in New Orleans. I fell in love with the city, as
many have before me, and moved there after graduation. I have now lived in New Orleans
for three years, where I have been working on a book about the citys recovery and teach-
ing middle school English at a public KIPP charter school as a Teach For America corps
member. I plan to continue my New Orleans-based research in a PhD social science pro-
gram beginning in 2012.
My experience
in Morbi has
completely
shaped the
course of my life
Tom Wooten, co-author of No One Had a
Tongue to Speak, in conversation with
Arthur J Pais
After the disaster,
objects and animals
hung from power lines.
Many survivors and relief
workers would recall it
as one of the most
haunting aspects of the
aftermath
GUNVANT SEDANI
TOMWOOTEN
Tom Wooten
FORGOTTEN DISASTER
THE MAGAZINE M11
DESI AT THE BEACH M12 THE MAGAZINE
I
n the dog days of late summer,
were finally getting away to spend
time on a beach. Or more accu-
rately, in my case, near a beach.
Its true that the mercury had shot
up to misery levels in large swathes of
the country. What makes my enthusi-
asm odd is that Im not really a beach
person. I dont swim in fact, anything
more adventurous than wading in shal-
low water terrifies me. And the heat
bothers me, though I grew up in India.
As for the sandwell, lets just say that
Im hopeless at building castles, to my
sons disappointment.
Give me the mountains any day is
what I say; its cooler in the hills, any-
way.
Nevertheless, I do see the allure of the
sea for folks like us in land-locked
Atlanta, which turns into Hotlanta this
time of the year, prompting many to flee
to cooler climes or beach towns. Now its
our turn. But whats the point of going
there if youre going to sit on the bal-
cony? my wife would say.
Good point. My answer: While baking
on the beach, even for a short time and
after slathering on sunscreen lotion, is
not my idea of fun, I enjoy being close to
the sea. The relentless crashing of
waves, the cold salty water, the joyful
shouts, the cries of wheeling seagulls,
the shimmering light, and the sandy
gusts of wind cast a spell of enchant-
ment. And were seduced, because that
oceanic feeling can be primeval and
soothing.
Still, the thought of being in the
mountains excites me even more than a
beach vacation. The reason, at least in
part, must be my Indian upbringing.
Though I was born in a coastal town,
where I spent some early years and sev-
eral vacations, it was the mountains
or hill stations, as we said that held
the charm. The magic started when we
boarded the meter-gauge train in the
steaming plains. It felt a little cramped
after the overnight express, but as the blue,
toy-like train snaked its way up the moun-
tain slopes, the sheer novelty and scenic
views took over, making our ride memo-
rable. The quickly dropping temperature,
the changing vegetation, along with some
of the station names Hill Grove,
Runnymede, Wellington, Lovedale gave
the impression that we were entering
another country.
The illusion didnt last. Nobody would
think the Charing Cross we went to in the
hill station was anywhere other than in
India. All the same, we didnt lose that
sense of being somewhere exotic. And it
wasnt just because of the Anglophilic asso-
ciations, the cool weather, or the pictur-
esque surroundings. Hill stations more
than beach towns, despite Goas fame
had a connection to the films I loved watch-
ing. Golden oldies such as Shakespeare
Wallah or Aradhana and newer films like
Dil Se come to mind readily. On the other
hand, films set in Goa which I havent
visited yet didnt resonate as much.
Going to the beach in India, while nice,
didnt have the same glamour as our trips
to hill stations. I took the sea for granted.
We were still in the plains, for one thing,
making the heat and humidity inescapable.
The endless stretch of water could be love-
ly and serene, but it could suddenly turn
ugly and threatening when a cyclone began
to brew off the coast. So, unlike in this
country, winter was the best time to visit
the beach but even then, we didnt linger.
In my native town, if you left the congest-
ed sections, you got to beautiful, pristine
and somewhat isolated beaches, where only
the fishing community was present. For
some reason, we seldom went there. Closer,
in the more commercial quarters, we could
see distant ships that reminded us of for-
eign shores, although what I recall most
now is the overpowering smell of fish laid
out to dry in the sun.
In the cities, too, we didnt spend much
time on the beach, where the crowds were
much thicker. An enduring memory from
those visits is the smell of roasting, sizzling,
frying snacks which the vendors sold
briskly to strollers and workers heading
home.
Even after many years in the US., I fit the
stereotype of a typical desi beach-
goer. Im rather modestly dressed,
compared to those around me, and
I dont carry a surfboard. I walk
along the beachs edge, where the
tide is rolling in, but only to take
pictures and dip my feet gingerly in
the water. Then Im ready to head
back to my waiting pia colada,
followed by a purposeful explo-
ration of the attractions in the sur-
rounding area.
Some will take strong exception
to this characterization (caricatur-
ization?) of desi beach-going.
However, I dont think Im exagger-
ating when I say that there are oth-
ers like me, for whom a beach vaca-
tion means spending more time
near it than on it. So as I pack my
bag, Im leaving out the swim
trunks but I ll definitely include
some Indian savories that I can
munch while gazing at the ocean
from a safe distance.
Im also packing some reading
material. Incidentally, the terms
beach book and beach nook dont
make much sense in my case.
Maybe I ll go with balcony book.
Unlike beach books which are
supposed to be fluffy balcony
books can be a little stuffy. Actually,
let me change that stuffy has
the wrong connotation. What I
mean is that balcony books can
have weighty themes, since a relax-
ing vacation will hopefully give us
the chance to sink our teeth into a
classic that weve long been mean-
ing to read.
A Kindle or a Nook may seem
ideal, given the convenience of car-
rying all the reading material you
could conceivably want in one slim,
sleek device. But its not going to
work here. The book I have in mind is old
and has no digital edition. Thankfully, I
might add, for whats the point of getting
away if youre going to lug gadgets that are
a constant reminder of your normal rou-
tine? Thats another topic, though.
The book I want to read is, believe it or
not, my old copy of Toward Freedom: The
Autobiography of Jawaharlal Nehru. For
me, the timing is perfect to finally crack the
still-hardy spine of a book thats been gath-
ering dust on the shelf in our basement.
This year, after all, marks the 75th anniver-
sary of that famous works publication.
Now I only hope I wont run out of those
Indian munchies when Im there.
Murali Kamma is an Atlanta-based writer
and editor
Oceanic
feeling
Murali Kamma on a beach vacation
minus the beach
Illustration: Uttam Ghosh
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Palm oil deal glare on Kerala
chief minister
A court in Thiruvananthapuram ordered
a probe to ascertain if Kerala Chief
Minister Oommen Chandy had any role in
the 1992 palmolein oil import deal (in
which the Kerala government decided to
import palm oil from a Malaysian company
above the international price), as the then
finance minister in the K Karunakaran
government. Chandy said he would not
appeal against the order, but declined to
comment on the demand for his resigna-
tion by Opposition parties.
Mercy plea of Rajiv Gandhis
assassins rejected
August 11, Indian President Pratibha
Patil rejected the mercy pleas of three con-
victs on death row for the assassination of
former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Murugan alias Sriharan, Santhan and
Perarivalan had filed mercy petitions after
the Indian supreme court confirmed their
death sentences in 2000. Meanwhile,
Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram
said no decision had been taken on the
mercy plea filed by Afzal Guru, involved in
the 2001 attacks on the Indian parliament.
The Bharatiya Janata Party demanded that
he be hanged while Kashmiri separatist
leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani said the
Kashmir valley will be up in flames if Guru
is hanged.
Hang cops behind fake
encounters: Court
In a scathing attack on police officers
who carry out fake encounters, Indias
supreme court Aug 8, said such cops
should be hanged to death. The court
observed this while directing the surrender
of two senior Rajasthan police officers
involved in the fake encounter of an
alleged gangster in 2006.
Indias richest parliamentarian
faces CBI probe
According to a high court ruling, allegations of wealth
amassed by Indias richest member of parliament Y S
Jaganmohan Reddy, will be probed by the Central Bureau
of Investigation. The court responded to two petitions
alleging that Jagan misused the official position of his late
father, then Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S
Rajasekhar Reddy.
India asks Pakistan to release convict on
death row
The Indian government requested Pakistan to take a
humanitarian view and release Sarabjit Singh, an Indian
national on death row, following his conviction for alleged
involvement in the 1990 bomb attacks in Pakistan.
Veteran bureaucrat P C Alexander dead
Padinjarethalakal Cherian Alexander, principal secretary
to then Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi, died in
Chennai August 10. Known for his administrative skills
and astute political insights, Alexander played a key role
in persuading Gandhis son Rajiv to assume power after
her assassination.
Farmers, cops clash on Mumbai-Pune
expressway
The Maharashtra government suspended its land acqui-
sition and pipeline laying work in Mawal, Pune, following
violent protests by farmers who blocked the Mumbai-
Pune expressway August 9. Three protestors were killed in
the police firing. State Home Minister R R Patil informed
the legislative assembly that there would be an inquiry
into the incident.
Cops face Modis ire
Two senior police officers of the Gujarat cadre were sus-
pended for indiscipline in connection with the investiga-
tions of the 2002 post-Godhra riots. Deputy inspector
General of Police Rahul Sharma was chargesheeted for
allegedly passing on crucial information about the riots to
the special investigation team, appointed by the Indian
supreme court. Sanjeev Bhatt, who accused Gujarat Chief
Minister Narendra Modi of misusing state machinery dur-
ing the riots, was suspended August 9.
An Iftar meal at a mosque in Ahmedabad. The holy month of Ramadan, marked by abstinence and prayer, began August 2
Page A35
AMIT DAVE/REUTERS
A34
THE WEEK
THAT WAS
India Abroad
August 19, 2011
Demand for Bodoland raised in
Lok Sabha
A demand for the creation of a separate
state of Bodoland, carved out of Assam,
was raised in the Lower House of the
Indian parliament, August 12.
Pointing out that the federal government
had promised to create Telangana in
Andhra Pradesh, an Independent MP
from Kokrajhar demanded that the gov-
ernment take immediate measures for the
creation of a separate Bodoland to fulfill
the much-awaited demand of statehood.
Parliament proceedings to
impeach judge
August 17, the Upper House of the
Indian parliament will for the first time,
take up the case of impeachment of a sit-
ting judge of the Calcutta high court. An
impeachment motion will be moved by
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader
Sitaram Yechury against Justice Soumitra
Sen.
This is only the second time that
impeachment proceedings will be initiated
in the parliament the first being, the
motion for supreme court Justice V
Ramaswamys impeachment in 1993,
which could not be carried through as
Congress party members abstained from
voting.
Film controversy
Aarakshan, filmmaker Prakash Jhas
movie on caste-based reservations, ran
into trouble after the Uttar Pradesh,
Punjab and Andhra Pradesh governments
decided to ban it, fearing law and order
problems.
Jha, known for making films on con-
tentious social issues, moved the Indian
supreme court to lift the ban and said he
was ready to edit controversial scenes and
dialogues.
Air India chairman sacked
Air Indias chairman and managing
director Arvind Jadhav, blamed for the
grave financial crisis of Indias state-run
airlines, has been sacked. The government
has decided to split the post into two and
appoint Civil Aviation Secretary Nasim
Zaidi as the chairman and Rohit Nandan,
a joint secretary in the civil aviation min-
istry, as the managing director.
Karnataka gets new cabinet
ministers
Newly appointed Karnataka Chief
Minister D V Sadananda Gowda inducted
five ministers of cabinet rank into his min-
istry August 12, but left out the controver-
sial Reddy brothers, (G Janardhana and
Karunakara, indicted in the illegal mining
scam). Gowda had earlier inducted 21 cab-
inet rank ministers August 8.
Sonia, Manmohan dragged in
CWG mess
The Bharatiya Janata Party has blamed
Congress party President Sonia Gandhi for
appointing Suresh Kalmadi as the
Commonwealth Games organizing com-
mittee chairman. BJP leader Arun Jaitley
said that in a letter to the prime ministers
principal secretary in 2007, Kalmadi
admitted he was appointed after a series of
meetings with Sonia Gandhi, Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh and the Group
of Ministers. The BJP cited the
Comptroller and Auditor General of
Indias report that indicted Delhi Chief
Minister Sheila Dixit in the CWG scam
and asked for her removal.
Anna Hazares protest rally in
Mumbai
Social activist Anna Hazare and his
supporters held a torch rally in
Mumbai, August 9, demanding a
strong Lokpal Bill that brings the
prime minister and the judiciary under
the purview of the federal ombuds-
man.
Hazare said that though he appreci-
ated a parliamentary committees deci-
sion to study his version of the bill
along with the governments legisla-
tion, he would continue with his deci-
sion to fast-unto-death in New Delhi,
August 16, if the panel did not come
up with a solution by then. In a letter
addressed to the nation, Hazare said,
A decisive battle against corruption
has begun. We are not against any
political party. We want systemic
reforms.
Oil spill damage control
Eforts to contain the oil spill from the cargo
vessel MV RAK that sank 22 nautical miles
from Mumbai August 4, are on. Experts are
analysing the impact of the spill. Coast Guard
ships have been employed to spray dispersants
to minimize the damage. Tar balls and black
and brown mosses have been spotted in areas
on the coastline.
Page A34
SAHIL SALVI
SAHIL SALVI
Experts collect samples of oil, sand, at Juhu beach
Anna Hazares supporters at the rally in Mumbai
THE WEEK THAT WAS
T
he Internal Revenue Service has
ignored the pleas of Indian-American
organizations and warned that there
will be no extension of the August 31, 2011,
deadline for the offshore voluntary disclo-
sure initiative.
US (the United States) taxpayers hiding
income in undisclosed offshore accounts
are running out of time to take advantage
of a soon-to-expire opportunity to come
forward and get their taxes current with the
Internal Revenue Service, the IRS said last
week. The 2011 Offshore Voluntary Disclo-
sure Initiative will expire on August 31,
2011. Taxpayers who come forward volun-
tarily get a better deal than those who wait
for the IRS to find their undisclosed
accounts and income. New foreign account
reporting requirements are being phased in
over the next few years, making it ever
tougher to hide income offshore. As impor-
tantly, the IRS continues its focus on banks
and bankers worldwide that assist US tax-
payers with hiding assets overseas.
IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman said,
The time has come to get back into com-
pliance with the US tax system, because the
risks of hiding money offshore keeps going
up. Our goal is to get people back into the
system. The second voluntary initiative
gives people a fair way to resolve their tax
problems.
Several Indian organizations led by the
Global Organization for People of Indian
Origin, in a joint letter to President Barack
Obama had implored him to extend the
OVDI deadline to December 31, 2012, to
allow more people who were not aware of
the program to comply, saying that even the
special voluntary disclosure program that
had closed October 15, 2009, had also not
been publicized adequately and, hence, few
in the community were cognizant of it.
The letter had also urged for a reduction of
the penalties the IRS had said it would
impose on those who did not comply with
the deadline.
Dr Thomas Abraham, founder and for-
mer chairman, GOPIO, had handed over
the letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy
Geithner in June, when he buttonholed
Geithner at the end of a town-hall-like
forum he (Geithner) had participated in
with visiting Indian Finance Minister
Pranab Mukherjee in Washington, DC.
A copy of this letter was also sent to
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, pointing
out the hardships faced by new immi-
grants, who confront unfair and unprece-
dented penalties and also terming the
penalties the IRS had warned off as uneth-
ical, immoral and unfair (India Abroad,
August 5).
But last week, the Treasury Department
officials, as well as White House and State
Department officials contacted by India
Abroad, said they had no clue about the let-
ters. And none of the Indian-American
organizations had received any acknowl-
edgment that their letter had even been
received.
While the White House and State
Department officials said any query had to
be referred to the Treasury officials, the lat-
ter directed all calls to the IRS.
IRS officials said they had no idea about
these letters sent by GOPIO and other
organizations, but added that there would
be no extension of the deadline. They
argued that people being unaware of the
amnesty and disclosure laws was no excuse.
Banks and other financial institutions, they
said, had been informed well in advance
and the information was also clearly posted
on the agency and Treasury Web sites and
those investing in these off-shore accounts
should have checked into this information
or consulted their tax advisers.
Moreover, the agency said, (The IRS) has
made available the 2011 OVDI information
in eight foreign languages (Hindi, Chinese,
Farsi, German, Korean, Russian, Spanish
and Vietnamese) for those taxpayers with
undisclosed offshore accounts.
A spokesman asked people with off-shore
accounts to go to the IRS Web site and
take a look at the FAQs (frequently asked
questions) and also of course, consult
with their tax advisers and banks, who
have been provided with all of this infor-
mation.
But, he reiterated, There is not going to
be any extension of the deadline, nor will
there be any changes in the penalties that
we have clearly said will be imposed if the
requirements of the deadline are not met.
A recent IRS declaration had noted that
there were about 9,000 premier accounts
of Indian Americans in the HSBC Bank as
of September 2010, and the IRS had asked
for details of these accounts through the
courts. Apparently thousands of Indian
Americans had opened accounts under a
special program for non-resident Indians,
believing that they need not disclose infor-
mation about the high interest they were
earning on these deposits to the IRS. But
the bottom fell out when the IRS began
investigating these off-shore accounts
about two years ago and at least two
Indian-American clients of HSBC pleaded
guilty to tax-related charges and a few oth-
ers were facing indictment.
When asked about the allegation by
Indian-American organizations that cer-
tain communities had been singled out for
investigation, the spokesman said, Thats
absolutely ridiculous. We are just trying to
make sure that people obey the tax laws of
our country and dont try to game the sys-
tem by hiding their income in undisclosed
off-shore accounts, and let me remind you,
theyve been offered an amnesty and suffi-
cient time to make these disclosures.
The agency said its decision to open a
second special disclosure initiative
(announced February 8, 2011) was based
on the success of the first program and
many more taxpayers coming forward after
the program closed on October 15, 2009.
The first special disclosure initiative pro-
gram closed with about 15,000 voluntary
disclosures regarding accounts at banks in
more than 60 countries.
It added, The 2011 initiative offers clear
benefits to encourage taxpayers to come
forward rather than risk detection by the
IRS. Taxpayers hiding assets offshore who
do not come forward will face far higher
penalties along with potential criminal
charges. For the 2011 initiative, there is a
new penalty framework that requires indi-
viduals to pay a penalty of 25 percent of the
amount in the foreign bank accounts in the
year with the highest aggregate account
balance covering the 2003 to 2010 time
period. Some taxpayers will be eligible for 5
or 12.5 percent penalties in certain narrow
circumstances. Participants also must pay
back-taxes and interest for up to eight years
as well as paying accuracy-related and/or
delinquency penalties. All original and
amended tax returns must be filed by the
deadline.
The GOPIO and other Indian-American
organizations have said that the 25 percent
penalty on the highest value of the assets
will take away savings, retirements incomes
in the case of a large number of new immi-
grants, and complained that it will unjustly
penalize these citizens or green card hold-
ers in their retirement years, not to men-
tion imposing a greater burden on the US
entitlement systems in the long run.
Indian diplomatic sources, however, told
India Abroad that they had no intention of
interceding in the matter.
No tax relief
IRS ignores communitys pleas to extend August 31 deadline for the offshore
voluntary disclosure initiative. Aziz Haniffa reports
Indian-American organizations had requested the government to extend the deadline to December 31, 2012
KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS
A36
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A38
BUSINESS India Abroad August 19, 2011
FDI into India rockets to $5.65
billion in June
Foreign direct investment into India saw a whopping
310 percent increase in June to $5.65 billion, the highest
monthly inflow in the last 11 financial years, indicating the
revival of investor confidence in the Indian economy. In
June, 2010, FDI inflows into the country amounted to
$1.38 billion.
Reliance stake sale to BP gets
government nod
Reliance Industries said it has received the Indian gov-
ernment approval for selling a 30 percent stake in 21 out
of a proposed 23 oil and gas blocks to BP Plc for $7.2 bil-
lion. The government held back permission for two blocks
over technical issues.
India fifth most indebted country
among developing nations
India is the fifth most indebted country among develop-
ing nations, according to the World Bank. Finance
Minister Pranab Mukherjee, however, maintains that
India had managed its external debt well and there was
no cause for concern.
Facebook, Twitter under scanner
The Indian government is intent on monitoring conver-
sations on Twitter and Facebook. It has written to the
department of telecommunication, asking it to ensure
effective monitoring of the social networking sites. The
Indian Telegraph Act and the Indian Information
Technology (IT) Act 2008 give the government the power
to monitor, intercept and even block online conversations
and Web sites.
Indian market regulator
to monitor rating agencies
Amid the global market mayhem triggered by a rating
action in the US, Indian market regulator, the Securities
and Exchange Board of India, has decided to keep an
intent watch on the role of credit rating agencies and
risks they might pose to the market. SEBI will revisit the
rules for credit rating agencies after monitoring domestic
and global developments in this regard.
Air India will not be privatized
Indias Opposition parties have alleged that there is a
deliberate design to make state carrier Air India bankrupt
in order to privatize it. Indias Minister of State for
Parliamentary Affairs V
Narayanasamy said the govern-
ment would provide all possible
support to strengthen the carrier.
Citi to hire
unemployed veterans:
Vikram Pandit
In the wake of President Barack
Obamas challenge to private-sector
firms to hire 100,000 veterans
through 2013, CitiGroup chief
Vikram Pandit has vowed to hire
as many as 500 veterans over the
next 12 months, in addition to the
150 we have already hired this year.
According to a memo obtained
by The Hill, Pandit said, Citi
employs more than 1,500 veterans
across our businesses. In addition,
were helping military families stay
in their homes, offering profession-
al development and mentoring to
former service personnel, and
recruiting veterans to come and
work in the financial services sector
and at Citi. Other companies like
Microsoft, Lockheed Martin,
Accenture, JPMorgan and AT&T
are also announcing new commit-
ments to hire veterans.
the week that was
Subbarao gets 2-year
extension as RBI governor
Ending months of suspense, Indian Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh has granted a two-
year extension to Reserve Bank of India
Governor Duvvuri Subbarao. The extension will
be with effect from September 5 this year till
September 4, 2013. The 61-year-old Indian
Administrative Services officer and veteran
finance ministry official was appointed the 22
nd
governor of the central bank in September 2008
for a three-year term. The continuity of
Subbarao at the helm of the RBI assumes signif-
icance as it comes at a time when the govern-
ment and the central bank are gearing up to
meet the challenge posed by the downgrade of
the United States sovereign rating and the eco-
nomic crisis in several euro zone nations.
Subbarao is credited with taking a tough mone-
tary stance to check inflation. Under his gover-
norship, the RBI recently doubled the frequency
of monetary policy reviews from every quarter
to eight times a year with a view to decrease the
need for off-cycle rate moves. Subbarao had
served under Singh in the early 1990s, when the
latter was finance minister. Prior to this
appointment, he was the countrys finance sec-
retary.
Global job cuts show
world economy in
trouble
In an effort to improve their balance
sheets, many major multinationals
Cisco, Pfizer, Credit Suisse, Nokia,
Merck & Co, Barclays, Research in
Motion, HSBC Holdings, Lloyds,
Bombardier and Boeing have start-
ed to layoff employees. This suggests
that they do not expect future
demand to justify the head count.
But India to see salary
hikes, more jobs
Double-digit salary increases and
positive hiring activity will continue
in the Indian economy during the sec-
ond half of the year, in spite of the
uncertain global economic environ-
ment and soaring inflation, according
to a survey conducted by recruitment
tendering platform
MyHiringClub.com. Only 6 percent of
the respondents expected no change
in recruitment activity.
JAYANTA DEY/REUTERS
BUSINESS
I have been a non-resident Indian for over 10 years. I have
two saving bank accounts jointly with my father. These
were opened before I went abroad. I also have a public
provident fund account in the State Bank of India, which
was opened before I went abroad. I have regular agricul-
tural income of Rs 25,000 ($550) per annum. Last year,
my mother gifted Rs 575,000 ($12,700) to me, which was
deposited in fixed deposit receipts and I intend to deposit
the interest in my PPF account. The bank deducts TDS on
the interest. I have not filled Form-15G.
1. Can I continue with the saving bank accounts?
2. Can I keep the PPF account?
3. Can I deposit my agricultural income and interest from
FDR in my PPF account?
4. Can I claim refund of TDS from the income tax author-
ities since I understand I cannot fill Form 15G?
PBG
1. It is illegal for an NRI to hold his resident bank
account. It is necessary to inform the bank about the
change in your residential status. The bank will redesignate
the same accounts as non-resident ordinary. You can use
this account the same way as you used it before becoming
an NRI. A resident can be a joint holder in this account.
2. Notification GSR 585(E) dated 25.7.03 prohibits NRIs
from opening a PPF account or opting for post-maturity
continuation. Therefore, you can continue to own the
account unless its tenure of 15 years is over.
3. There is no restriction on the use of agricultural
income and interest from FDR for any legal purpose. You
can use this money for making the contributions to your
PPF account. However, note that the maximum amount
that can be contributed to PPF in any one year is Rs 70,000
($1,500).
4. Yes, you can file your returns to claim refund.
Recently on a visit to India I purchased a house in
Bengaluru. I intend to live there if I return to India.
Meanwhile, I intend to put it out on rent. What are the tax
implications of rental income on NRIs?
Geetanand
Tax payable on rental income depends upon several fac-
tors:
Municipal ratable valuation and the place where the
property is located, like Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata,
etc
Fair Rent assessed on the basis of rents fetched by simi-
lar properties in the neighborhood
Standard rent applicable to those cities under the Rent
Control Acts of respective states
Actual rent, and
Unrealized and irrecoverable rent.
You can first deduct from the lease rental, municipal
taxes paid and thereafter a standard deduction of 30 per-
cent for repairs, insurance, etc. The interest payable on
housing loan is also deductible. The resultant figure is to be
added to your other income liable to tax. Computation of
tax on house rent is a complicated matter. It is better to
employ an accountant to file the tax returns if you have
rental income. Incidentally, your tenant is required to apply
TDS before paying you the rent.
At what exchange rate is a salary received in dollars con-
verted to rupees for income tax purpose? At what exchange
rate is the saving out of per diem converted to rupees for IT
purpose?
- Vidya
As per income tax rules, the exchange rate that you will
have to adopt is the rate prevailing on the last day of the
month immediately preceding the one for which you
received salary. Though cumbersome, you will have to keep
track of the same as the law specifies the specific rate to be
adopted.
I am an NRI living in Singapore. My wife and kids live in
Mumbai. As the interest rates are low here, I have given a
gift of Rs 600,000 ($13,200) from my non-resident exter-
nal account to my wifes local resident account during the
year and she has invested it with FDs and mutual funds.
Will the income from these investments be clubbed in my
hand or will the tax liability be that of my wifes?
Sattpati
Notwithstanding the fact that you have effected the gift
from your NRE account, the income from the gift to your
wife will be clubbed in your hands as per the provisions of
the Income Tax Act. However, if the clubbed income is any-
way tax-free, the clubbing loses significance. For example,
dividends from mutual funds are tax-free for the investor.
So also are long-term capital gains from equity schemes.
Such income of your wife, even though clubbed in your
hands, will not be of any tax consequence to you. However,
bank interest is a taxable item of income. Therefore, the
interest from FDs that your wife will earn will indeed be
clubbed with your income for tax purposes.
I live in the United States. I am planning to purchase an
investment property in Mumbai. This property will gener-
ate rental income. The investment will be about Rs 30 mil-
lion ($662,100). The annual expected income from this
property is about Rs 800,000 ($17,600). Now I can either
buy the property under my name as an NRI or under my
fathers name, who is a senior citizen. Which approach has
more tax benefits and why?
N Dodd
You will have to gift the amount to your father to enable
him to buy the property in his name. You will lose title to
that amount (and of course to the property). If your father
has negligible income, the rental income will attract lower
(or nil) tax. The same is the case with you if your Indian
income is negligible. That being said, other things remain-
ing equal, gifting the amount to your father and then he
buying the property in his own name is a better option
since if the rent is paid to you, the tenant will be expected
to deduct tax at source. Again, this rental income may be
(check with a consultant in the US) taxable for you in the
US. On the other hand, your father being a senior citizen
will get the benefit of the higher income tax exemption of
Rs 240,000 ($5,300).
A N
SHANBHAG
SANDEEP
SHANBHAG
Readers who wish to ask A N Shanbhag a question can
fill in the following details and mail the coupon to: The
Business Editor, India Abroad, 42 Broadway, 18th Floor,
New York, NY 10004
Or fax it to 219-727 97100
Your question:
Name:
Address:
A N Shanbhag is an investment consultant and author of In the
Wonderland of Investment; How to Convert a Taxpayer into a
Taxsaver; NRI Investment Guide. This article does not constitute
tax or legal advice. Consult your tax or legal advisor before making
any tax- or legally-related investment decisions. The authors may
be contacted at wonderlandconsultants@yahoo.com
Managing agricultural income from India
YOSHITA SINGH
Seeking maximum prison term for Raj
Rajaratnam, the hedge fund manager con-
victed of running Americas biggest insider
trading scam, prosecutors have recom-
mended that he should be sentenced to as
many as 24-and-a-half-years.
Federal prosecutors filed a 56-page memo
last week, recommending a substantial
term of imprisonment proportionate to the
historic nature of his crime.
Terming Sri Lanka-born Rajaratnam, 54,
as the modern face of illegal insider trad-
ing (and) arguably the most egregious vio-
lator of the laws against insider trading ever
to be caught, they asked the court to
impose the maximum sentence of 235 to
293 months established for his crime under
nonbinding sentencing guidelines, a ruling
that will deter others in the
hedge fund and money
management world from
engaging in a crime that is
far too rampant.
The memo was submitted
to Judge Richard Holwell,
who is scheduled to sentence
Rajaratnam September 27.
The defense submitted a
79-page memo asking for a
lenient prison term. A
lengthy prison term, they
said, would seriously
threaten his well-being and
would be a death sentence.
They referred to Raja-
ratnams health problems,
describing them as a
unique constellation of ail-
ments ravaging his body.
Rajaratnams lawyers
said their client had been
portrayed as the poster
child for every wrongful
act that has ever been asso-
ciated with Wall Street.
Rajaratnam under-
stands that he has been
convicted of serious offens-
es. But the evidence at trial
showed that Rajaratnam
was not the mastermind of an insider-trad-
ing network, as the government and the
press have painted him, his lawyer John
Dowd said.
The government countered saying Raja-
ratnam reaped at least $64 million in illegal
profits from insider trading.
Such a sentence is necessary to punish
Rajaratnam for his extensive criminal activ-
ities, and to send a clear and unambiguous
message to hedge funds and money man-
agers that insider trading will not be toler-
ated, said Jonathan Streeter, an assistant
United States attorney, in the memo.
Over 24 years in prison for Rajaratnam?
Raj Rajaratnam
A40
SPORTS
E
nglands total dominance on the second
day of the third Test left India with little
chance of even salvaging a draw at
Edgbaston.
With three days left, another humiliation seems a
certainty for the number one Test side.
It is difficult to offer explanations when your
team has had a dreadful day on the field, but
Gautam Gambhir put up a good show at the post-
match presser August 11.
The opener was candid in his replies, and made
no effort to offer any excuse for the teams dismal
showing. Instead, he credited the opposition.
England is playing some really good cricket, said
Gambhir. They have always taken the initiative in
the series and put us under a lot of pressure. We
have just not lived up to the reputation we had and
have not played the kind of cricket we should have.
There are no excuses for that.
The 29-year-old, however, did not undermine his
team either.
One series doesnt take the credit from us. We
have played some good cricket in the last two years.
There is no shortage of effort. We are giving 100
per cent on the field every time, he explained.
Gambhir said, It is just that things are not going
our way. We havent been able to convert our starts
into something big.
We are under a lot of pressure. England holds
the edge in this match. Hopefully, we will show
some character and determination and fight till the
end, he said.
The Delhi player was, however, evasive when
asked if the excess of matches resulted in Indias
pathetic showing on the ongoing tour.
The BCCI needs to answer that, he declared, in a
diplomatic tone. All I can say is we put in our best
whenever we take to the field.
We did not
live up to our
reputation:
Gambhir
Bikash Mohapatra reports
from Edgbaston
BIKASH MOHAPATRA
I
ndias pace spearhead Zaheer Khan has been side-
lined for about 14 to 16 weeks after aggravating an
injury. The official explanation says it is a recurring
hamstring strain and a right ankle impingement,
something that would require both surgery and rehabilita-
tion.
It couldnt have come at a worse time for the team.
Down 0-2 in the series against England, following thrash-
ings at Lords and Trent Bridge, India has to now do with-
out their main bowler for the rest of the series. Whats
more, the recovery could take longer than expected.
It is not that Zaheer played a huge role in the series.
However, it is the impact he had, that made the difference.
In the 13.2 overs that he bowled in the opening Test at
Lords, the left-arm bowler used the overcast conditions to
his advantage and accounted for both the openers early in
the game, to put England on the backfoot.
A hamstring injury kept him out for the rest of the Test
and the subsequent one at Nottingham. Even though he
was declared fit to play the two-day practice game against
Northamptonshire, he could only bowl three overs before
being forced to leave the field, giving rise to speculations
on the extent of his injury.
While it seemed certain that he wouldnt make it for the
third Test at Edgbaston, he was expected to be fit for the
latter half of the tour.
However, after a lot of dilly-dallying, the Board of
Control for Cricket in India finally confirmed, the bowler
had failed to recover and was ruled out for the rest of the
series. This, after the BCCI had earlier included him in the
squad for the lone T20 and five one-dayers against
England. (Rudra Pratap Singh has been drafted in as a
replacement now).
This gives rise to a couple of very pertinent questions.
Why did the selectors pick Zaheer for the ODI squad in
the first place? Why did they choose to risk him? Kiran
More, former chairman of selectors, explained the sce-
nario.
Zaheer is a key player for India, he reasoned, adding,
So it (selecting him for the England tour) was a risk the
selectors took. Unfortunately for them it didnt work out.
It is imperative to mention here that Zaheer had missed
the preceding tour of the West Indies having picked an
injury during the Indian Premier League.
More said the selectors knew the extent of his injury.
The selectors are informed about everything concern-
ing a player and are regularly updated. They are commu-
nicated by the team staff about the injury status and fit-
ness of the players, he added.
The selectors have to take the blame in this case. The
physiotherapist, the trainer and others must have been
consulted before taking the decision in this case, More
said.
With Zaheer out of the picture, the Indian team has a tall
task ahead. The other bowlers, despite working hard,
havent yet delivered the desired results as the Trent
Bridge Test proved.
Therefore, winning two Tests back-to-back and squaring
the series looks a tall order for the visitors. A loss at
Edgbaston, on the other hand, would ensure England take
over the top spot from India in the International Cricket
Council Test rankings.
Without Zaheer, I dont see the other bowlers taking 20
England wickets, said More, adding, We simply dont
have the bowlers. Then there is a lack of fitness, a crisis of
confidence. I dont see India coming back in this series.
Zaheers selection
was a risk that did
not work
AMIT DAVE/REUTERS
VIKRAMG DMELLO/VIKRAMDMELLO.COM
Woodbridge, New Jersey, Mayor John E McCormac named the
Indian Business District on Oak Tree Road, India Square. He also
inaugurated the districts new walking route and cricket field.
PARESH GANDHI
A cricket tournament organized by Child Rights and You, July 30, in
Queens, New York, raised funds to educate 215 children for a year.
Participants from New York, Connecticut and New Jersey attended the
event.
Cricket for charity
New Jerseys India Square
India Abroad August 19, 2011 T1
NY/NJ/CT
ACCOUNTANTS/CPA
HARISH HATHIWALA, CPA
Specializing in Small Businesses,
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New Business Set up Service.
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ACCOUNTANTS/CPA
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ACCOUNTANTS/CPA
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T2 August 19, 2011 India Abroad NY/NJ/CT
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ENGLISH CLASSES ARE AVAILABLE
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India Abroad NY/NJ/CT August 19, 2011 T3
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STRAIGHT FROM THE TOP OF EMPIRE STATE BUILDING
AZIZ HANIFFA
Over 200 Hindu Americans and inter-faith community
leaders attended the second annual Hindu American Seva
Charities conference July 29-31, which included a White
House briefing and several panel discussions at Georgetown
University.
The conference, titled Energizing Dharmic Seva:
Impacting Change in America and Abroad was co-spon-
sored by the White House Office of Faith Based and
Neighborhood Partnerships. Anju Bhargava the founder
of HASC is the only Hindu-American member of the
office.
Following an invocation by Usha Raj, the Hindu chaplain
at Duke University and the singing of the national anthem
by Marine Sergeant Donald Day, the conference was kicked
off with the reading of a message from President Obama
which read, I send greetings to all those attending Dharmic
Seva: Catalyst to Strengthening and Building Pluralistic
Communities. Our Nation has always been a land of oppor-
tunity and optimism. As Americans, we take responsibility
for ourselves and for each other; for the ideals we embrace
and for the future we share.
We celebrate selflessness and value those across our coun-
try who step forward and make important contributions to
the well being of humanity. Guided by a commitment to lift-
ing up the lives of others, organizations like Hindu
American Seva Charities demonstrate the compassion of
the American people and reflect our capacity to unite and
address the challenges facing our world.
Joshua DuBois, special assistant to the President and
executive director, Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood
Partnerships, who kicked off the White House briefing, said,
This Hindu American gathering, is historic, adding that
through conferences like it we hope to bring more under-
standing of the government support of civic engagement.
In her welcoming remarks, Bhargava declared, America
belongs to all of us and it is our duty and right to serve and
strengthen this great country by offering the best of our tra-
ditions and wisdom to solve todays problems.
Bhargava said an important objective of the conference
was to engage high school and college students, who want to
contribute to their American dream through public service.
HASC organized an essay contest for participants to write
about the role their Hindu faith plays in service and encour-
aged them to provide specific ideas to start a seva center in
their community. Winners were honored with a medal at
the White House Briefing and provided opportunities to
share their plans during the conference.
Ved Chaudhary, HASC Board member, said, With their
Seva Plan, we expect our participants to become change
makers and to play a role in America valuing the talents of
its diverse faiths, its pluralistic multicultural communities,
the New Americans.
The HASC used the opportunity to launch several new ini-
tiatives. These included the Bhumi Seva, to promote green
of temples in coordination with the Bhumi Project at
Oxford University and the Alliance of Religions and
Conservation, the security and Safety in Dharmic Places of
Worship project with the Council of Hindu temples and
Department of Homeland Security, a program to meet the
growing needs of military families.
According to Sai Santosh Kumar Kolluru, a White House
intern and former HASC research scholar, The event was a
RITU JHA
The animated film Sita Sings The Blues was
screened at Camera 12 Cinema in San Jose,
California, by the San Jose Museum of Arts,
August 6, despite protests by some Hindu
organizations.
The museum supports freedom of artistic
expression, Sherrill Ingalls, director, mar-
keting and communications, San Jose
Museum of Art, told India Abroad. While
we respect all points of view, we can-
not censor our programs or exhibi-
tions. We felt that people should be
allowed to choose to see the film or
not, and form their own opinions.
Many different interpretations are
possible,
Over 100 representatives from
organizations like the Forum for
Hindu Awakening, the Hindu
Swayam Sevak Sangh, Friends of
India Society International, the
Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America
and the Hindu Yuva protested out-
side the museum.
They held placards that read, It is
not art, it is denigration, Community
funds coming back to hurt the com-
munity, If Sita Sings the Blues, you
have no clue, Nina Paley, (the films direc-
tor) why ridicule Lord Rama for your failed
marriage?
This protest is important because the
movie is made in a shameful manner. For
us, Hindu deities are more than our par-
ents, said Pallavi Shirodkar of the FHA.
The film, she added, draws irreverent par-
allels between animator Paleys failed mar-
riage and the sacred relationship between
Lord Rama and Sita.
Hindu protesters also criticized the ongo-
ing exhibition of work by the late Maqbool
Fida Husain, Indias best known painter, at
the museum. His collection contains a
painting depicting Sita in the nude. A note
on the painting says, It is one of the most
famous paintings of M F Husain. It fuses
the expressionist brushwork of European
modernism with themes inspired by Indian
mythology and animal symbolism. The
museum has also posted a protest
note by the FHA next to it.
M F Husain is widely recognized
as an artist of great importance and
influence, said Ingalls. We stand
by our decision to include his work
in this survey of modern and con-
temporary Indian art. The paint-
ings will remain on view through
the duration of the exhibition. We
have made materials representing
the protesters point of view avail-
able in the spirit of open discus-
sion.
San Francisco Bay Area Hindu
organizations including the
Sunnyvale Hindu temple have
protested in writing or by calling
the museum.
Hindu
Americans
meet at
White House
Sita Sings The Blues runs into protest
Page A42
Protesters outside the
San Jose Museum of Arts
From left, Shekar
Narasimhan,
Democratic Party
fundraiser, Shaun
Donovan, secretary,
Department of
Housing and Urban
Development and
Anju Bhargava,
founder Hindu
American
Seva Charities at
the event
A41
COMMUNITY
India Abroad
August 19, 2011
A42
COMMUNITY NEWS
RITU JHA
August 1, Ishaan Singh saved a three-year-old
girl from drowning in a pool in San Jos,
California.
Ishaan, all of 9 years old, dived into the deep end
of the pool at his apartment complex, when he
noticed the elderly man and a child in it and swam
over to help them. He pushed the young girl to the
side of the pool where bystanders pulled her out
and began resuscitation efforts. The man was res-
cued by an adult.
My mom asked me to jump and I dived and
pulled the baby out. I feel proud and happy,
Ishaan told India Abroad.
Everything happened so quickly that I was
shocked. It is still fresh in my memory, he added.
The incident occurred when around 1.30 pm,
Ishaan, his mother and 4-year-old sister Ramneek
Kaur went to the pool. My mother immediately
called my father at his office and dialed 911,
Ishaan said.
My jaw fell open. I couldnt believe it when my
wife called, said Ishaans father Sarabjit Singh, a
software engineer at Adobe Systems Inc. He
added that the apartment manager approached
them and said Ishaans story is an opportunity to
tell the community about the importance of swim-
ming and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
For his heroic feat Ishaan has received awards
from various community organizations and a
Special Recognition Award from San Jose Fire
Chief William McDonald and the North American
Punjabi Association.
Ishan Singh,
9, saves drowning girl
great start for the awakening of dharmic
seva. It is about time that people of wisdom
religion, Sanatana Dharma, for whom inter-
faith and pluralism has always been an
intrinsic way of life, stand up and be count-
ed. We, the youth, need to be proud of our
traditions
Lieutenant Colonel Ravi Chaudhary, one
of the senior most Indian Americans serv-
ing in the US armed forces and who recent-
ly took command of the 317
th
Recruiting
Squadron, recognized active duty members
of South Asian descent for their military
service along with Jason Dempsey from
First Lady Michelle Obamas Joining Forces
program.
This event was about inspiring American
communities toward national service and
building a closer relationship between mili-
tary families and the broader American
public, Chaudhary said.
He told the story of one of the first South
Asian airmen in US history Sabu Dastagir,
an actor and friend to Hollywood figures
like Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Stewart. He
enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1944, and
served a tail gunner in WWII and was
awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Chaudhary related Dastagirs story to point
out how current South Asian American
service members are using their heritage
and cultural perspective in our current wars
to build people-to-people relationships and
stability in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Special guests included the former US
Democratic Senator from Pennsylvania
Harris Wofford, considered a legend in the
service movement and an ardent admirer
and follower of Mahatma Gandhi. Wofford
shared his journey of transferring Gandhian
thought to America. Shaun Donovan, secre-
tary, Department of Housing and Urban
Development, spoke of the importance of
community engagement in bringing about
social change.
Shekar Narasimhan, a noted Democratic
Party fundraiser and co-chair, Indian
American Council within the Democratic
National Committee, said, for all the talk of
Asian Americans and Indian Americans
being an affluent model-minority, Indian
Americans have higher poverty levels than
Caucasians and we need to provide scholar-
ships to assist students get higher educa-
tion.
Rabbi David Saperstein of the Religious
Action Center of Reform Judaism, Dr Joel C
Hunder, senior pastor, Northland Church,
and Dalia Mogahed, executive director,
Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, also
addressed the participants, pointing to var-
ious inter-faith opportunities for communi-
ty integration to build healthier communi-
ties that understand each others faiths and
work together to alleviate poverty.
Swami Dayamitra shared the worldwide
humanitarian efforts of the Amma math
organization while Asim Mishra, deputy
chief of staff, Corporation for National and
Community Service, expressed pride as he
recognized the volunteerism and service of
Hindu Americans.
Dr Anand Parekh, deputy assistant secre-
tary, Department of Health and Human
Services, discussed the national prevention
and health promotion strategy and noted
HASCs leadership in promoting yoga
nationally through the Yoga PALA
Challenge.
The event continued at Georgetown
University July 30 with discussions on
building sustainable community-based seva
centers and shaping development by engag-
ing youth and community in service.
Students from St Benedicts Prep School,
Newark, shared their learning of Hinduism
thought though arts and music.
In his keynote speech, Paul Monterio,
associate director, White House Office of
Public Engagement, highlighted the impor-
tance of service and its connection with
faith based organizations in America.
Community and youth leaders addressed
needs like challenges in adaptation, mental
health, senior citizens and womens issues,
and disaster relief. They included Reverend
Brenda Girton-Mitchell of the Center for
Faith Based and Neighborhood
Partnerships of the Department of
Education, Vineet Chander, Hindu chaplain
and coordinator of Hindu life, Princeton
University, Sonali Tatapudy, president
emeritus, Dharma, Harvard Hindu student
association, Niki Shah, program manager,
Interfaith Global Dialogue Project,
AmericaCorps VISTA-HASC, Abhishek
Rahman, international partnerships associ-
ate, Inter-Faith Youth Core, Ranjana
Bhargava, co-founder of Apna Ghar, and
Aruna Rao of NAMI, South Asian Mental
Health in New Jersey.
Georgetown Universitys support of this
historic conference enabled diverse youth to
form bonds which will go a long way in serv-
ing the country said Dr Siva Subramanian,
HASC Board member.
July 31, participants visited a seva center
at a local temple in Lanham, Maryland and
officially launched HASCs participation in
the Presidential Active Lifestyle Challenge,
with their own yoga PALA challenge and a
yoga session.
Page A41
Ishaan, center, with his parents and sister
Joshua DuBois, left, executive director, Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, kicked off
the White House briefing
Lieutenant Colonel
Ravi Chaudhary
addressing the gathering
Hindu Americans meet at White House
COMMUNITY NEWS
RITU JHA
Over 125 people attended the first Annual
Youth Summit of the American India
Foundation, August 1, at San Jose, Cali-
fornia.
The event sponsored by eBay, brought
together young activists in the United
States with talented youth from India
who wanted to make a difference to the
society.
Sanjana Kucheria, president, AIFs
Southern California junior chapter, said
she did not know what the foundation was
all about until she joined it.
We were actually at a friends party and
someone gave us the idea of forming a jun-
ior club. They said the Chicago club has
formed their junior club and why dont you
guys do something like that, and I said why
not? Kucheria told India Abroad. The idea
that clicked that night would later turn into
a full-time profession.
She started the club in November 2007.
Today this is my passion and defines me in
a way that I may find myself pursuing this
as a profession. Our focus is working with
non-governmental organizations that come
our way with challenges, said Kucheria.
She added that going to India and
preparing study material for the children is
challenging. Her project was 25 miles from
Jaipur, Rajasthan. It is definitely a differ-
ent lifestyle and I am not accustomed to.
But the further you get into it, the more you
realize how important it is. It makes you
work harder and I am planning to visit the
orphanage Vatsalyas Udayan again, she
added.
Mehr Singh, 16, shared experiences about
her visit to India and Africa. My parents
are very supportive and they introduced me
to the organization. I went to Delhi and
worked with kids in schools. I go every year
and I will always go back as it is fun to meet
them, she said.
Sisters Radhika and Ritwika Mehta of
Fremont, California, founders of Renaissance
Now, introduced their organization that
helps underprivileged artists and their
communities. Ritwika has a channel on
YouTube, RenNow, that helps connect with
artists worldwide and raise funds.
Ariana Bhatia, president of the AIFs
Chicago junior chapter, who co-founded
the first junior chapter in 2007, said her
organization has raised $150,000. Anika
Joshi, who will enroll at the University of
San Diego this fall, said she has created and
designed her own project in partnership
with the AIF to educate children of migrant
workers in rural India. Co-founder and vice
chair, Lata Krishnan said, The AIF
has a unique position to become a broad
platform for young people to catalyze
change.
Also present at the conference were 15
youth from the Mumbai-based nonprofit
Magic Bus.
Bhawna Chawla, program coordinator,
education AIF, said, Magic Bus is an
organization we wanted to represent and
the AIF is the best platform for them to talk
about their work.
GEORGE JOSEPH
Ram Ramachandran, candi-
date for the 56th District seat
in the Louisiana House of
Representatives, received
unusual praise when his
Republican opponent Greg
Miller, an attorney, said the
state gets a good representa-
tive when either one of us
wins this election on October
22.
Ramachandran, a consult-
ing engineer served two
terms as councilman in the St
Charles Parish.
The 56th district is
Republican, but conservative.
Democrats will find it easier
to win on merit, he told
India Abroad. After witness-
ing the national spectacle on
debt-ceiling discourses and
the resultant outcome, I put
equal distance from both
parties.
Praising Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal,
Ramachandran said, Governor Jindal is touted as a
future Presidential candidate. Independents view
him and his policies as rightwing catering to Tea
Party types. He is the third governor without corrup-
tion charges against him.
Ramachandran said he was
active in public causes and
civic associations and entered
politics after people asked
him to run for office. People
were always respectful of my
efforts to run a clean govern-
ment. I found it satisfying to
be in public service, he
added.
He was the first elected
Indian-American official in
the South and served in the
National Association of
Counties as chairman. He
was also an advisor to the
State Department of Interior
and Mineral Management
Services.
Elections are expensive
and many Indian Americans
avoid participation due to
cost. I am no exception.
District elections cost about
$100,000 to $300,000.
Mine should cost about
$120,000, Ramachandran said.
A graduate of Madras University, Ramachandran
came to the US in 1970 and joined Rutgers
University, New Jersey. He worked as principal con-
trol systems engineer for American Cyanamid/Cytec
till his retirement in 2001 and formed a consulting
company for chemical plants and oil refineries.
In Louisiana, Ram Ramachandran
hopes to win on merit
Young activists share their
experiences at AIF youth summit
B
havana Chalupadi, daughter of Aswin and Manimala
Chalupadi, performed her arangetram (debut Bharata
Natyam performance) at Littleton High School in Littleton,
Massachusetts. A student of Jothi Raghavan of the
Nrityanjali School of Dance in Westford, she danced before
a 600-strong audience for almost three hours.
She has been learning Carnatic music form Tara
Bangalore for the past seven years. She will enter her junior
year at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School soon.
600 attend arangetram
Ram Ramachandran
Bhavana
Chalupadi
Radhika and Ritwika Mehta, founders of Renaissance Now, made a presentation
A44
COMMUNITY NEWS
A CORRESPONDENT
An international Internet conference titled the
Global Internet Forum for Telugu will be held
September 28-30, at the India Community Center,
in Milpitas, California.
Telugu in the Internet age will be the theme of
the conference that aims to bring together leaders
in the field of language computing.
The government of Andhra Pradesh, through its
department of information technology and com-
munication, is pioneering e-governance in Telugu,
used by its 80-million-odd population, said Anand
Kuchibhotla of Silicon Andhra, a California-based
nonprofit. The Global Internet Forum for Telugu
is a key initiative designed to facilitate dialog
between experts in the area of Telugu language
computation for the Internet, he added.
The conference will assess technologies and tools
available to Internet users and consumers of infor-
mation- technology products in Telugu. It will rec-
ommend closing of existing gaps in standards and
technologies.
This conference is a groundbreaking event as it
is the first comprehensive conference ever on the
computational aspects of Telugu, said conference
general chair Peri Bhaskararao, professor of lin-
guistics at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
Advances in language technologies, improved sup-
port for Internet browsers, personal computers
and mobile devices, as well as tools such as spell
checkers, online dictionaries, speech input and
output and handwritten character recognition are
rapidly increasing the use of Telugu on the
Internet, especially for real end users, he said.
GEORGE JOSEPH
Over 750 people attended the 34th annual convention of
the Veerashaiva Samaja of North America and the first
Basava conference.
Representatives from India, the United Kingdom,
Australia, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates and
Singapore joined the three-day event hosted by VSNAs
New England chapter at the Boston Newton Marriott
Hotel, Massachusetts. The theme of the convention was the
core principles of knowledge, work, charity and equality.
Founded in 1978, the VSNAs mission is to preserve
Veerashaivism (a form of Hinduism) in North America
through the teachings of their spiritual guru Basavanna
and his contemporaries.
At the inauguration, the 104-year-old Dr Sree
Shivakumara Swami of the Siddaganga Math said he was
pleased that the VSNA was conducting the first Basava
conference in the United States. Dr Sree Shivamurthy
Shivacharya Swami of Taralabalu Mutt blessed the event
and released a software on spiritual literature.
Members of the Indian parliament Suresh Angadi and
Janardhan Swamy applauded the efforts of non-resident
Indians in preserving their heritage outside India.
Speakers included convention chair Basavaraj Mudenur,
Vijay Kotrappa, Dr Somashekara Pallegar and Shivu P
Basavaiah.
Our year-long efforts paid off well. Were thankful to all
volunteers, Mudenur said.
Veerashaiva scholars Aravind Jatti, Go Ru
Channabasappa, H V Nagendrappa, Dr M N
Channabasappa, G V Jaya Rajashekar, Dr Veeranna Rajur,
Jaraganahalli Shivashankar, Dr C Somashekara and
Maheshwarappa Chattnahalli spoke on spiritual issues.
Entrepreneur Dr Gururaj Desh Deshpande and Dr
Sharan Patil of the Sparsha Hospital shared life experi-
ences.
Pradeep Kumar of United Land Bank and M S R Aradhya
were honored for their generous contributions. Young
speakers Jasmina Prabhakara, Manisha Rajaghatta, and
Akarsh Vijayashankar shared their views on how they want
to practice the spiritual way of life in the US.
Artists including Kastoori Shankar, Dr Nagaraj Havaldar,
Dr Mruthyunjay Shettar, Parvathidevi Malekopmath,
Pandit Satish Hampiholi, Uma Ettigi, Poornima Risbud
and M D Kowshik performed at the event.
More than 50 young men attended the singles meet
and young attendees participated in a retreat and dance
with a DJ event.
The next convention will be held in Kudala Sangama,
Karnataka.
The World Wide
Telugu Web
GEORGE JOSEPH
The Telugu Association of North America is establishing a
non-resident Indian students services wing to educate and
help students from Andhra Pradesh assimilate in the United
States.
TANA will focus more on community services in the US,
recognize and encourage youth talent, identify and fulfill the
needs of senor citizens, said Prasad Thotakura, the organiza-
tions newly-elected president.
As a community, we have migrated to live in this country
on our own choice. Our next generation is going to live here
forever. Naturally, It is our moral responsibility to give back
to this society, he added.
He outlined his plans for TANA for the next two years.
TANA is coordinating a backpack program this month
donating backpacks in several cities across US and Canada to
needy students. We will be donating food for the homeless
and toys for needy children in November and December, he
said.
The 19th conference is scheduled for 2013 at the Dallas
Convention Center, Texas, July 4-6, Thotakura said.
TANA, he said, is neutral on the Telangana issue that has
split Andhra Pradesh. It will be solved by the people, politi-
cal parties of Andhra Pradesh, state and central (federal) gov-
ernments.
He said TANA approached the University of Southern
Mississippi, Concord University in West Virginia and Murray
State University in Kentucky to facilitate the transfer of stu-
dents from the University of Northern Virginia, which was
raided by law enforcement agencies on charges of visa
fraud.
Thotakura said protecting and spreading the Telugu lan-
guage among the second generation is a priority, and TANA
does that by hosting Telugu programs by notable poets and
writers.
TANA to launch NRI student services wing
Veerashaiva Samaja holds 34th annual convention
Members at the convention
Protecting the Telugu language among the second generation is TANAs priority
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Place your ad online www.indiaabroad.com/classifieds
Matrimonial
Bride
22/55, very beautiful Sikh
Kamboj girl. Jalandhar based IT
and Nursing qualified. Adjusting
nature. Seeking US citizen boy.
Please email biodata to:
aeoindia@gmail.com
A HIGHLY educated/respected
North Indian Hindu family seeks
intelligent, tall, handsome, USA
born/raised, non-smoker, 30-36,
caring, sincere, family oriented,
accomplished
professional/businessman with
strong moral values, for their
daughter, 31/56, slim, v.fair ,
v.beautiful, compassionate,
loving, embodies East/West
values, Harvard educated senior
executive in NYC. Please email
bio data and recent photograph
to:
SubMilan2011@gmail.com
ALLIANCE invited from
professionals for a Jat Sikh,
beautiful MD daughter, US born/
educated/ working physician,
32/55. Email biodata & recent
photo
to: mdrsd2008@gmail.com
USMD, 28/55, Hindu, beautiful, v.fair,
slim, Retina fellow, Miami.
Email: sanjog3333@yahoo.com
ATTORNEYS or well-placed
professionals for a 30 yr old, Garg,
solo Criminal Law & personal Injury
practicing attorney. Send photo &
bio: 170 Howard Oaks Dr, Macon,
GA 31210. Call (478) 361-5558.
shyamgarg@
sonalimports.com
COMPATIBLE match for our US
born, beautiful, slim, Punjab
daughter, 26/5'3", working as PA
in tri state area. Caste no
bar.Email biodata w/recent
photograph:
Wittydesi@gmail.com
GUJARATI Hindu family seeks
professional match for their two
daughters (1) 30/ 5'4" dietitian (2)
31/ 5'7", Director in hospital.
Please email biodata with
recent photo to:
fns6248@yahoo.com
GUJARATI sister invites alliance
for never married, US born, v.fair,
gorgeous girl, 32/58, bank
manager and completing MBA.
Email: jaishreehanuman620@
gmail.com
GUJARATI Vaishnav parents invite
correspondence from US raised,
Gujarati Physician/Medical student
for fellowship trained physician
daughter 29, vegetarian, strong
family and cultural values. Email
bio/photo:
vraj30@gmail.com
HINDU Andhra parents seek
suitable match for US raised
beautiful, intelligent, outgoing,
family oriented, 27yrs/52,
professional daughter residing
in Chicago; from handsome,
intelligent, outgoing, US born or
US raised doctors/
professionals. Email recent
photo and biodata to:
affablegirl1@gmail.com
HINDU parents invite
correspondence from
accomplished professionals for
US born daughter MD, 32/5'3",
specializing in nuphrology.
Email biodata and photo at:
rg_siebel@yahoo.com
HINDUparents seek alliance
for US born MD daughter,
29/53'', 2nd year GI
fellowship. Seeking US raised
professional with
MD/advanced degree. Email
photograph & biodata:
parasu52@gmail.com
HINDU Punjabi match for
beautiful daughter, 30/5'1,
completed Masters in HR &
working professional in Texas;
seeking handsome, U.S.
professional, 30-38. Email
biodata/recent photo:
sangeetachopra09@
yahoo.com
MATURE, youthful, semi-retired
Nurse, U.S. citizen; seeking a
Westernized, pleasant, articulate,
non-smoking, honest, marriage
minded professional gentleman.
62-75yr old. Call (414) 574-1165
NORTHIndian Hindu, very strong
business family, based in NYC,
invites correspondence; for
daughter, 27yr/5'2", born /raised
in US. V.fair, smart & beautiful.
Affluent families with similar
background, please email
family details &
recent photograph:
sjsan25@gmail.com
PUNJABI Hindu parents
seeking suitable match for
their daughter, 29/53, MS
system engineer, employed
with global consulting
company. Email recent photo
with biodata:
vks1950@hotmail.com
PUNJABI Khatri parents seek
alliance for their professional,
U.S. Citizen daughter, 25/57,
fair, slim, beautiful. Groom
should be well-educated,
professional, handsome, tall
with good family values,
preferably from NY/NJ. Email
w/ recent photo & biodata:
arsm123456@gmail.com
SEEKING suitable match for
31/5'8'', smart, beautiful, slender,
tall, Columbia Graduate, working
for an industry leader in NY,
respectable Jatt-Sikh family.
Email:
details w/recent photo:
brig1406@gmail.com
SIKH parents seeking well
educated, professionally
employed clean shaven boy; for
US born beautiful, family
oriented daughter, 38yrs/53",
Masters, employed. Issueless
divorced. Photo/bio-data:
sikhfamily@comcast.net
(571) 232-8905
SPECIALISTphysician for an
extremely beautiful doctor,
Nephrologist, slim, Garg,
34yrs/54. Send recent
photo & biodata: 170 Howard
Oaks Dr, Macon, GA
31210. Call (478) 361-5558
Email: shyamgarg@
sonalimports.com
ALLIANCE invited for 58/5'3'', fair,
graduate never married Kamma Naidu
woman living in India. Please reply to:
sunandstar07@yahoo.com
ATTRACTIVE, educated, 37 yr old/5'5,
Management consultant from East
Coast; seeking suitable alliance. Email
Biodata with recent picture:
baptiste1974@yahoo.com
BENGALI Professional Hindu parents
invite correspondence for US born,
slim, beautiful, soon to start Medical
Residency, 26/53, daughter from US/
Canada educated Bengali Hindu
Medical Resident or MD, 27-32.
Email: ayash@optonline.net
BRAHMIN parents seek educated
professionals from U.K./USA born
Indian Hindus, Jewish, Italian, or
Englishmen between 26-36 for 2 fair
complexioned attractive MD daughters
between 28 and 32. Send bio/current
photo to:
mirandaeaab@hotmail.com
HINDU Sindhi, seek suitable match;
for US raised daughter, 30/5'6'', slim,
beautiful, professional. Please email
biodata and recent photograph to:
motihemlani@gmail.com
JAT SIKH parents seeking well-
educated professional, for
28yr/5'5'', MD daughter, doing 3rd year
residence in internal med. with
fellowship in Hemo/Oncology in
Southern Calif. Born raised and
educated in USA. Kindly send biodata
with recent photo and family intro to:
singhr5000@gmail.com
MATCHfor Jat Sikh girl, 31/5'5'', BSc,
B.ED, MCA, M.Phil Computer/ working
lecturer. Caste no bar. Email:
adve@ymail.com
call (240) 838-9021
US born, Working MNC, 29/5'5'',
vegetarian, family values. Email
Biodata/ recent photo to:
msee82@gmail.com
Classifieds
A46 India Abroad August 19, 2011
Continued from Page A45
Continued on Page A47
US Citizen, 32/5'2", Jain veg. slim,
pretty teacher invite correspondence;
from Jain/ Hindu. Please email biodata
& recent photograph to:
cvmehta2003@yahoo.com
Matrimonial
Groom
Avery affluent sophisticated, Hindu
Punjabi physician family invites
introduction, from exceptionally
elegant, beautiful, cultured,
professional young ladies 5'6", or
taller; for their extremely handsome,
charismatic, athletic, sincere,
Radiologist son, USMD, 30/6'1".
Email recent photo/ biodata:
sdg610@gmail.com
GUJURATI US based family
seeking professional, US girl,
age 24-31, for US born,
handsome modern son, 29/5'7"
Radar Engineer. Email biodata,
photos to:
raj61955@gmail.com
HINDU Brahmin parents seek
alliance for their son, 30/510, MBA,
software architect in the US; from
US citizens, 21-30.
Email biodata w/recent photo:
rcchhangani@yahoo.com
HINDU Punjabi professional
parents, seeking beautiful,
professional girl, with strong
family values; for their
handsome, intelligent, social,
and never married MD son, US
raised, currently specializing in
plastic surgery (36/61).
skp4605@hotmail.com
(905) 593-2821
KHATRI Sikh parents, well
settled US citizens in NY, seek
compatible doctor/professional
match from Sikh/Punjabi family
for MD son, board certified & well
established physician, 36/67.5.
Email biodata/photo at:
Uberoi5@aol.com
NI Brahmin Prof. parents seek
alliance, US born son, MS Elec.
Engg CMU, 29/5'11", handsome,
sales exc. Fortune 50 company
New York; from slim, tall,
beautiful, cultured, professional
girls, 24-29, Tri-State area. Email
biodata & recent photo:
bnsharma@comcast.net
SM for handsome, Gujarati boy,
MBA/MS/ 32/5'10,/160 executive.
Email Biodata w/recent photo:
jgrpatel07@gmail.com
PARENTSof Hindu Punjabi boy
invite alliance for US raised,
businessman, 30/5'8'', never
married; seeking Hindu
Punjabi/Sikh girl, 22-28, cultured
girl with good family values.
Please email biodata and
recent photo to:
dbajaj7734@att.net
SEEKINGsuitable professional
match; for never married,
handsome, Jat-Sikh,
Interventional Cardiologist, 61,
slim, 35 years, working at
Columbia University, moving to
California shortly.
Call (917) 842-8014 or email
bio w/ recent photo:
ins.sandhu@gmail.com
WELL-ESTABLISHED NI Hindu
parents seek alliance for
handsome son, 32yrs/5'11",
MBAHarvard, working with
Premier Investment Bank NYC.
Seeking v.beautiful, highly
educated girl.
Email biodata/ photograph:
match965@aol.com
29/5'7''/145, US educated Hindu
Agrawal professional working as
software developer on H1B. Seeking
educated, cultured girl. Email: Biodata,
recent photo requested.
Email: matrimony120@gmail.com
MID-SIXTIES male, seeking woman
for friendship, Tri-State, DC. Email:
evenkeel@fastmail.fm
BEAUTIFUL, professional, Sikh match,
for 1976 / 58 + cleanshaven, Khatri,
Sikh MD, Internist, doing second
fellowship - Cardiology in New York.
Email: albsingh@gmail.com.
Contact: + 918146330835
NI parents seek beautiful, professional
bride; for their handsome chemical
engineer son, 34/510, well-employed.
Reply with biodata and picture:
india77@comcast.net
USborn, 35/510, engineer/ marketing
professional, divorced/ issueless.
Email: handsome3_21@hotmail.com
Personal
Friendship: Single professional male,
mid-fifties, seeks socializing-only, from
single women/men, tri-state.
soochk@msn.com
(732) 669-7454
Business /
Finance
Business
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STRIP CENTERS
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Call Broker Shiv Gupta.
(732) 718-3045
SUBWAY FOR SALE
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email:
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BUSY Gas station for lease/sale in
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MOTEL, Franchised, University of
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Store
For Sale/Lease
BASKIN ROBBINS STORE
Not renewing franchise.
Established since 1975. Can
be setup as Ice Cream Club,
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FL. $35K.
Tel: (407) 242-6947.
http://orlando.craigslist.org/
bfs/2486127389.html
Established Grocery Store
for Sale on Gettysburg Road
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6,000 SF commercial building
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Completely renovated and being
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and equipment for continued use
as a grocery store.
Contact Bill Gladstone
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for details:(717) 761-5070 ext
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CALL us if you need staff for your
business. Call us if you need jobs.
(718) 445-2790
Help Wanted
A OFFICE ASSISTANT
in Syosset, Long Island
Computer knowledge
required. Car must.
Email resume:
sriji95@gmail.com
Fax: (516) 921-9499
EXPERIENCED
MEDICAL RECEPTIONIST/
FRONT OFFICE PERSON
MEDICAL BILLER
for busy family practice.
2yrs USAexperience must.
10am-7pm. Mon-Sat
Call (718) 309-0328
Fax resume to: (866) 372-8750
EXPERIENCED
SALESPERSON REQUIRED
For clothing store in Queens,
Brooklyn. Fluent English and
computer skills a must.
Driver's license a plus.
Call (516) 241-0426.
(516) 578-5393.
EXPERIENCED
BEAUTICIAN
with NY license required
for beauty salon in Flushing.
Please call
(516) 813-8600
FRANCHISED hotel in upstate NY,
needs Night Auditor, couple preferred.
Good salary. Good English and legal
status required. Accommodation
provided. Call
(518) 321-9503. Email resume:
modasser.hussain@gmail.com
FT PHARMACIST
For retail Pharmacy.
Min 2yrs retail experience
required. Qualified candidates
may enjoy profit sharing. Email
resume to:
pharmacyrx.nj@gmail.com
INDIA EMPLOYMENT
AGENCY
For all kinds of
only white collar jobs
since 1982.
Interviews in NYC & NJ
by appointments only.
Call (212) 564-0620
MARKETING/ SALESPERSON
Required for training institute ,
Manhattan, NY. Work authorization,
good communication skills, &
computer knowledge must.
Prior experience a plus.
Fax: (718) 575-3348
email: jobs@acecareer.edu
NEED EXCELLENT
North & South Indian Chefs,
Tandoor Person & Waiters
for Indian Restaurant.
Mr. Singh (414) 581-3784
Bolla (414) 218-0437
NEED EXPERIENCED
Helper, Waiter & Busboy, curry
chef for Indian Restaurant in
PA. Good salary &
accommodation provided.
Sharma (570) 862-0657
NOWHIRING in SUNNY
FLORIDA CAN COOK?
(Indian/ Pakistani/ Afghani) make
$30,000-$50,000/ year with
5 days/ week schedule.
Bollywood Cafe-Modern
Urban Indian Restaurant.
$200 moving & assistance
provided with housing. Email
your resume to:
info@bollywoodcafe.us or
call (813) 465-0037 to
schedule an interview.
Pharmaceutical Packaging Plant
in Westbury, New York
is looking for
Production Workers; Line Leaders,
Supervisors, Production
Managers, Quality Inspectors,
Mechanics, and
Warehouse personnel.
Starting from $8-$10/ hour.
Fax resumes to @
(516) 986-1763. Attn: Bridget
WANTED experienced all rounder
Indian curry chef. Call (718) 838-0333
Call: 877.309.7355
HELP AVAILABLE LOANS from $2500 to 250K
Get loans for Bills, Personal, Debt Consolidations, Medical Emergency,
Business, 1st, 2nd Mortgage, Home Renovations, Vehicle etc.
WE FIND THE LOAN THATS RIGHT FOR YOU.
NEED CASH FAST
NO UPFRONT
FEES, GOOD OR
BAD CREDIT EVEN
BANKRUPTCY
BETTER LOAN RATES
AVAILABLE
L O A N S
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Please include my subscription for the term checked below:
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Mail to: INDIA ABROAD, 42 Broadway, Suite 1836, New York NY 10004.
Tel: 1.877.463.4222 Fax: 212.627.9503 Email: circulation@indiaabroad.com
Change
of address
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Continued from Page A46
Real Estate
India Abroad
SALESPERSONS:
Will train. Must be fluent
in English. Willing to learn
$10 PER HOUR. STUDENTS OK
Call (212) 575-2345
Leave detailed message
Good communication skills a
must.
SHOE SALES
Upscale Shoe Store.
Looking for sales people
(inside sales). Good pay. Fluent
English a must. Queens/
Long Island location.
Call (917) 297-3048
WANTED DRIVER
With own vehicles for grocery
delivery service, Manhattan.
Earn base pay + lots of tips. Part-
time & full-time.
Call (917) 826-4090
(347) 933-1758
WANTED for Orlando Indian
Restaurant: Cooks, Waiters &Helpers.
Driving license preferred. Call
(407) 953-1838. Accommodation
available.
A SMALL public accounting firm
located in NY is looking for office
assistant cum bookkeeper. Applicants
with experience in public accounting
preferred. Email resume with expected
salary to:
ssadh@sadhcpa.com
DAYS INN, 105 unit, PA hiring Front
Desk, Night Auditor and housekeepers.
Accomodation provided. Experience
required.
Call Camilo (570) 730-1860.
Email resume:
sales@daysinnstroudsburg.com
DOMINO'S PIZZA is looking for
delivery drivers in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. make up to $12/hour
salary+gas+tips must have own car.
friendly and respectfull atmosphere.
Accommodation will be provided. Also
looking for pizza makers. No
experience necessary. Sunny
(412) 609-4921
DRIVER / Cleaner wanted for car
dealership. Must know stick shift
(manual) and valid driving license.
(718) 545-0500
FACTORY work.mixing of powders
and machine operation. Tolerance to
Indian spices and lift 55 pounds.(631)
412-3523
EXPERIENCED Real Estate
Salesperson with computer
knowledge, office help wanted,
Queens. Call (718) 849-8488 or
(917) 538-1052
EXPERIENCED Threader wanted.
Good pay. Pasadena, CA. Contact
Krish (626) 644-0077
GNC VITAMIN Store (QUEENS).
Needs help. English speaking with
experience preferred. (646) 361-1271.
NEEDa Secretary for Medical Office
located in Richmond Hill, Queens.
Experienced preferred. Call (516) 627-
1999.
NEED help for gas station,
Drummonds, Tennessee. Call Vinny
(901) 831-8503
NEEDManager couple, housekeeping
couples, night auditor for a Franchise
Motel located near Oklahoma City.
Experience a must & ability to work
independently. Good salary &
prospects for right candidate. Call
(602) 684-1002
Email: ajayyogi1@yahoo.com
NEED part time office assitant. Must
have basic computer knowledge with
good communication skills. Call
(718) 426-7155
NEEDpart-time tutors who can teach
High school Math & Science Call
Ninas Tutoring Center. (718) 205-7508
SALES representative F/T. 99 cents/
discount glassware wholesaler. Must
have car. Salary + Commission.
Unlimited growth potential.
(516) 313-3954
SHALIMAR Restaurant in Michigan
hiring experienced North Indian Curry
Chef/ Manager. Excellent pay, benefits
etc. Contact (734) 663-1500 (Binod)
or (248) 709-5338 (Jeet)
Household
Help Wanted
LIVE-IN
Housekeeper/ cook for
Gujarati family in Atlanta,
Georgia. Attractive salary.
Call evenings (678) 522-
7569
GUJARATI speaking female
companion, for my mother, weekdays,
August through October in Milford,
Connecticut. (718) 810-0763
NEED A FULL-TIME
NANNY
For a 2 month old baby for an
Indian Muslim family in MD.
Would also require to do
household work like cooking.
Please call at:
(443) 243-8463
SINGLE PERSON
As a live-in help with all
household duties in East
Orlando cooking, cleaning,
washing, ironing etc. Gujarati
speaking help required.
Accommodation and food
provided. Please call (305) 345-
4542 for phone Interview.
WANTED a live-in driving nanny for
2 school going kids. Call
(973) 986-7746
Real Estate
Services
WE can find your Dream Home or
Build New CustomHomes, anywhere
in Long Island. We can help get
Mortgages (516) 302 5200
Services /
Miscellaneous
Public Notice
I, Amar Yashalaha r/o 140/17 RNT
Marg, Indore, India temporarily at: 20
River court, Jersey City, NJ. Would like
to change my name to: Amar Yashlaha
Shipping
SHIPPING LOGISTIX
INC.
Please call us at
(516) 707-MOVE (6683),
for all your
Transfer of Residence
shipments to India.
Great rates and
dependable door-to-door
services.
Website: www.
4movingservices.com
REAL ESTATE
Room For Rent
BALDWIN: Furnished rooms $450.
Grand & Merrick. Near all. Call
(516) 270-5042
ROOM for Female student/
Professional. Near all/ facilities. Call
(516) 302-5200.
Apartment/
House To Rent
JACKSONHEIGHTS: 1Br Apartment near
train/ bus. Rent $1100. Call (718 ) 457-7629.
JACKSON HEIGHTS: One room for
single female. Kitchen/ bathroom
sharing. (347) 697-5294
REGOPARK: Large 1BR near Queens
mall, subway. (718)591-4185/ (718)
753-0746
WEST BABYLON: 2BR apartment for
rent. Call Terry (631) 922-0113
WOODSIDE: Furnished studio. for
rent $950, including utilities. Near
EFGRM train. (718) 429-3963
Apartment
House To Share
ELMHURST: For male, Internet, near
subway/ shopping, furnished. Singhal
(646) 344-9619
House For Sale
MANHASSET HILLS: Brick Colonial,
6 Bedrooms 5 Baths, Low Taxes.
$1.55M. Mike (516) 376-2524
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
GAS STATION SPECIALIST
Sites Available in New York
(212) 786-2320
www.fillerupgroup.com
Gas Stn & Mini-Mart
Net $190K- year 2010
38yrs in Business
Contract till 2028
Retiring. Price $295K
Cash + Inventory
Serious inquiries only.
kanatarbay@gmail.com
(516) 225-2558
Seeking an operating partner/person
(Run & Manage Independently)
for a Busy, Highly
Successful & Well-Established
(Over 5yrs) High End
Indian Restaurant Located
in Premium NJ Location
Must have an extensive
experience of managing front
& back staff (~15 people);
cost, financial & inventory controls & reporting;
and growing business
sales. Attractive compensation
& profit sharing terms.
Email credentials at:
restaurantemployment@hotmail.com
Wine/Liquor Store for Sale
Hamden, CT.
Brita (203) 795-8060 x 21
Brita@colprop.com
Successful Indian Restaurant
(Westchester) for Sale
High visibility, low rent,
tremendous traffic
Central Park Ave, Yonkers.
30 minutes drive to Manhattan. Long term lease.
Harry Singh, Century 21Royal
(914) 439-7422
Harry@century21royal.com
Chatham, VA, Rt. 29 C-Store
8 Bays 6+Acres,
9750sqft Building 850K.
(434) 665-8640
HELP WANTED
1 Driver w/Car
& 1 Pharmacy Tech/Filler
Driving medical equipment
& experience necessary.
1 Finance/Billing Person
North NJ/good salary.
gioprx@gmail.com
Fax: (973) 482-0615
HELP WANTED
Captain, Waiters,
Expd Bartender &
Continental Chef
Call Raj
(848) 203-7205
(401) 792-3999
HELP WANTED
A New Indian Restaurant
in Chicago
is looking for Servers
& Tandoori Chef.
Call (630) 863-4894
Front Desk, Baltimore
150 unit Hilton Hotel,
& housekeeping.
Accommodation.
Mike (443) 280-9767
Fax: (410) 420-9311
mikepatel606@gmail.com
HELP WANTED
RESTAURANT
MANAGER
& SERVERS
for a fine dine Indian Restaurant
in Columbus, Ohio.
Ram (614) 439-7155
HELP WANTED
Indian Restaurant in Dallas
Has openings for
Manager, Wait and Kitchen staff.
Email: mughlairestaurant@gmail.com
Looking for South Indian Chef
in Massachusetts.
Call (781) 899-0064
(781) 228-1039
Indian Restaurant / Florida
Needs Curry Chef, Waiters & Food Runner
Min 3yrs experience must. Excellent salary
Free food/accommodation.
Reis (407) 810-6234
B
B
FRIDAY, August 19, 2011 INDIA ABROAD www.indiaabroad.rediff.com
To advertise in the Bulletin Board call toll free (800) 822-3532
Announcing the Shaadi Special
Coming in the Sep 30
th
Issue (Deadline: Sep 21st)
Call: (646) 432-6033/6026 Toll Free: (800) 822-3532 Email: classied@indiaabroad.com
ABSON INC.
Direct Importers of Corals, Jades, Pearls, Precious,
Semi-Precious Stones & Ready-Made Jewelry.
We Sell Natural Yellow Sapphire (Pukhraj).
Showroom by appointment only.
Tel: (732) 574.0101 Fax: (732) 574.0071
Email: info@absoninc.com 216 St Georges Ave, Rahway, NJ 07065
Visit ABSONINC.COMto buy a few selected items online.
SEARCHING FOR MY BROTHER
UNNIKRISHNAN C. WARRIER,
DOB: 3/18/1973 Missing last 15 yrs,
last known place: Sunnyvale, CA
Ht: 5ft 11in, has slight cleft on upper lip
Contact: Hema Nair, hemajit@rediffmail.com
India: +91 9819403264/+91 9820503970
US: Ajay Nair, kajaynair@gmail.com
206.769.5104
WALK-IN MEDICAL PRACTICE
With multiple locations in Southern Connecticut
needs Family Practice/ER/IM Physicians Prior
urgent care experience essential. Part-time &
full-time openings available immediately.
Salary commensurate with experience.
Benefits available. J1 Visa waiver opportunity.
Email resume to:
ashauket@urgentcarect.com

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Rakshabandhan is also called Baleva after King Balis

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