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Mangano's roadmap for Nassau Countys advancement

Confident of the mandate in his second term, Ed Mangano underlines the progress made and how he is taking challenges head-on.
Mineola, NY: Boosted by his landslide victory in the election last November, Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano was a picture of confidence March 11 when discussing how he is leading the county in the next four years towards a bright future. He was delivering his first post-re-election State of the County address from the new theater "The Space in Westbury, NY, which was telecast live by News 12 Long Island. Recounting the past four years' successes like steadily closing a multiContinued on page 4 Excerpts from Manganos State of the County on page 5.

Dismissal of Devyani case celebrated at NY Consulate

Warm reception for Indias Ambassador to the US

Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano delivering his 5th State of the County address on March 11.

Malaysian plane search widens toward India

Jetliner was airborne for hours after vanishing; India too joins search
Kuala Lumpur/Washington DC: Malaysian authorities Thursday expanded their hunt for the missing plane westward to the Indian Ocean, where a U.S. destroyer was expected to arrive soon to assist in search efforts. The latest search site emerged after US aviation investigators and national security officials said that the Malaysian Airlines plane with 239 aboard remained in the air for hours after it lost contact with air traffic controllers and disappeared The search is now extending to Andaman Sea, from radar screens last Saturday. It part of Indian Ocean. had been enroute from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. As per Fox News, flight between four and five hours, based on data 370 continued to send "periodic pushes" of automatically downloaded and sent from data after the transponder went dark, sug- the plane's engine to its manufacturer as part of a routine maintenance agreement. If gesting the jet continued to fly. The Wall Street Journal reported that true, the plane could have flown hundreds investigators think the plane flew on for of miles away from Continued on page 4
At a community reception for Ambassador Dr. S. Jaishankar (second from right) and Mrs. Kyoko Jaishankar are seen Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay and his wife and GOPIO President Ashook Ramsaran (extreme right).

By Ashok Ojha New York: The ballroom of the Consulate General of India was tastefully decorated with antique Indian sculptures to welcome the Indias Ambassador to the US, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on his first visit March 12 to New York, soon after he had presented his credentials to President Obama at the White House. As the Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay announced the news of dismissal of visa fraud case against Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, the audience burst into applause and dual celebration began. Dr. Jaishankar was accompanied by his wife Kyoko Jaishankar, a Japanese native, and Amb. Mulay by Continued on page 4

The court ruling

US federal court has dismissed the visa fraud charges against Devyani Khobragade, former Deputy Consul General of India, whose arrest and strip-search in New York escalated into a diplomatic row. US District Judge Shira Scheindlin ruled Wednesday that no proceeding by the US government could be heard as Khobragade, being a diplomat, was immune from the Continued on page 4

Indian Elections 12

Culture 15

Personal Finance 25

Spiritual Awareness 30

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March 15-21, 2014

By Jinal Shah

CG holding lecture series to show India and US can accomplish India in positive light

New York: In an effort to show India in a more positive light, Consul General of India in New York, Ambassador Dnyaneshwar Mulay has announced a lecture series through 2014-15. The series is aimed at mainstream America and the second generation Indian Americans. Mulay explained to media persons last Thursday the objectives of featuring one eminent speaker a month, It will serve to portray India rightly to the mainstream Americans and the second generation of Indian Americans, adding, It was necessary to emphasize upon our identity, contribution, achievements and the role India is playing on the world scene. It is of utmost importance to also understand how the world perceives us and how we perceive the world. The first lecture in the series, scheduled for March 21, is India and US: Traffic of Ideas by well-known author Suketu Mehta. He is currently working on a book about immigrants in contemporary New York. Other speakers include Bobby Ghosh, editor-in-chief, Time International; Prof. Ashutosh Varshney, Brown University; Marshall Bouton, president emeritus, The Chicago Council of Global Affairs; Prof. Jagdish Bhagwati, Columbia University (his topic: After the Election: Which way now?); and Prof. Devesh Kapur, Director, Center for Advanced Study of India, University of Pennsylvania.) The lecture series will also feature speakers

a lot together: Obama

By Arun Kumar Washington: Welcoming new Indian ambassador Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, President Barack Obama told him that the two countries could accomplish a lot together Obama also wished Jaishankar success in his responsibilities as he presented his credentials to the president at the Oval Office of the White House Monday, according to the Indian Embassy. Jaishankar, in turn, conveyed warm greetings from President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Obama and the First Lady. Jaishankar also assured the President of his commitment to expand key pillars of the bilateral relationship, including economic relations and trade ties, defense and security, energy, science and technology and global issues. Although the new Indian ambassador formally presented his credentials to Obama only Monday, he has spent the last couple of months since his arrival here to put the India-US relations back on track after the diplomatic row over the Khobragade affair. Jaishankar, who played a key role in negotiating the landmark India-US civil nuclear deal and other initiatives, used his

Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay

from India like Benoy K. Behl, art historian and critic, who will talk about Civilizational Message of Indian Art. Disapproving the tendency in much of media to carry only negative stories of rape and crime from India, Amb. Mulay said a balanced picture of India should be presented before the world. For one, Mulay referred to the upcoming general elections in India an insanely huge and complex exercise and said here is an exciting democratic exercise that is being undertaken in which 814 million people are expected to vote, about 900,000 polling stations will be set up for the month-long election using electronic voting machines. This exciting story needs to be told, he said.

India's new ambassador to the US, S. Jaishankar with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office at the White House after presenting his credentials.

wide contacts within the Washington bureaucracy dealing with South Asia to defuse the crisis over the Dec 12 arrest and strip search of India's then consul general in New York, Devyani Khobragade. Son of India's leading strategic thinker, the late K Subrahmanyam, Jaishankar comes to Washington with more than three decades of diplomatic experience.

Washington: Over 100 members of Congress from both Democratic and Republican parties have urged the US defense department to end the presumptive ban on Sikh Americans serving in the US military with their beards and turbans. In a letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, the lawmakers specifically requested that the US Armed Forces update their appearance regulations to allow Sikh Americans to serve while abiding by their articles of faith, such as wearing a turban or beard. The major bipartisan push for change was led by Joe Crowley, Democratic Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus in the House, and Rodney Frelinghuysen Republican Chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. "Given the achievements of these soldiers and their demonstrated ability to comply with operational requirements while prac-

US lawmakers ask Pentagon to welcome Sikhs in military

Asif Ali Khan Qawwal to perform at Carnegie Hall

New York: Asif Ali Khan, a musician widely regarded as the reigning prince of the Sufi music, will perform for the prestigious Carnegie Hall on March 22 at Zankel Hall. He will be accompanied by his eight-member qawwali ensemble. Khan is from a family of renowned Sufi musicians and was the student of the celebrated late qawwali master Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. An icon in his native Pakistan, Asif Ali Khan is one of qawwali music's finest living exponents, and is becoming a powerful figure on the international stage as the traditional music grows in popularity. While praised for his inventiveness, Khan remains faithful to the sublime traditions of this devotional music with songs that
Asif Ali Khan, who learnt qawwali singing from the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, with his qawwali ensemble.

ticing their faith, we believe it is time for our military to make inclusion of practicing Sikh Americans the rule, not the exception," wrote the lawmakers in the letter.In the last 30 years, only three Sikh Americans- Major Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi, Captain Tejdeep Singh Rattan and Corporal Simran Preet Singh Lamba -- have been granted an accommodation, or permission, to serve in the US Army while maintaining their articles of faith. Such accommodations are neither permanent nor guaranteed, and must be renewed after virtually every assignment, the lawmakers noted.Sikhs have served in the US Army since World War I, and they are presumptively permitted to serve in the armed forces of America's NATO allies Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as key partner India.Notably, the current Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army is a turbaned and bearded Sikh, the lawmakers noted.

often build from a meditative and trance-like state to a thrilling and energetic spectacle. Of his craft, Khan says, "we aren't singing as much as listening to God's instructions with our souls." This concert is presented by Carnegie Hall in partnership with Robert Browning

Associates LLC. Dating back over 800 years, qawwali is an energetic musical performance of Sufi Muslim poetry that aims to lead listeners to a state of religious ecstasy. The music was popularized outside South Asia in the late 20th century.

March 15-21, 2014

TURN PAGE
Dismissal of Devyani case ... Continued from page 1 his wife, Sadhana Shanker. Complimenting the Indian community for its game changer role in strengthening Indo-US ties, Dr Jaishankar said, Both India and Indian Americans had expectations from each other. He added that the Government of India instituted policies to help People of Indian Origin. Referring to the growing volume of trade between the two countries, the Ambassador underline the growing trend of Indian investment in the US in recent years. Dr Jaishankar has been in the US since December 2013, dexterously managing controversies such as the arrest of Khobragade, sanctions against Indian companies and supporting Indias case in WTO. Consul General Mulay introduced the Indian community of Tri-state area as highly successful and well-educated. Out of 4.5 million people of Indian descent in the US, 1.5 million live in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. This enlightened community has always supported Indias cause in this country, Mulay added. Raj Mukherjee, a newly elected NJ Assemblyman from Jersey City, was a curious addition to the guest list, who displayed his youthful vigor expressing his proud feelings for belonging to the Indian community and high regard for India where hundreds of millions of people will soon exercise their franchise rights to elect a new national government. The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) was a joint host of the reception. In his remarks, GOPIO President Ashook Ramsaran, emphasized the importance of mutually helpful relationship between the peo-

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ple of Indian origin and the Indian government. Dignitaries in attendance included New Jersey Assemblymen Raj Mukherjee and Upendra Chivukula, who is seeking a seat in the US Congress as a Democrat. The court ruling... Continued from page 1 court's jurisdiction. Khobragade was slapped charges last December of visa fraud and irregularities in payments to her maid, Sangeeta Richard. Judge Sheindlin ruled that the Indian government had subsequently changed her status to one with full immunity and the fact this was done Jan 8, a day before she was formally indicted, meant that the indictment was invalid. Meanwhile, the court allowed that she could be re-indicted if the prosecutor so chose. On the possiblity of Khobragade being slapped with further charges, her attorney said that it would be an "aggressive and unnecessary act". Khobragade, who left for India in January, is now posted in India's external affairs ministry in New Delhi. Mangano's roadmap for... Continued from page 1 million dollar deficit without raising taxes, Mangano also detailed the projects taking shape and the challenges that remain. Mangano said that since he took office in 2010, unemployment has declined countywide, while large companies came to Nassau to set up shop. Millions of dollars in new revenue is expected from the redevelopment of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mangano took due credit for tackling the ravages of Hurricane Sandy, introducing NICE bus, a public-private partnership saving taxpayers $33 million a year, and rebuilding a stronger Bay Park Waste Water Treatment Plant. He said that the County is working with state lawmakers on legislation that could spare the county hundreds of millions in annual costs from erroneous property tax assessments. "Treat Nassau taxpayers as other taxpayers are treated throughout New York state," he pleaded. Mangano also announced Nassau 200, a program to attract young professionals to live and work in the county. A panel of 200 millennials -- residents born between 1979 and 1995 -- will consult with his cabinet to help determine what types of neighborhoods young people want, what areas show potential for development and how likely they would be to set up businesses in the county. Malaysian plane search widens... Continued from page 1 where it was last seen over the Gulf of Thailand, where the multinational search effort has been concentrated. Malaysia's acting Defense Minister denied the report Thursday, claiming that both engine maker Rolls Royce and airplane manufacturer Boeing had said that the Journal report was incorrect. But acting Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein did not rule out the possibility that the plane could have flown for hours after its transponders turned off. This is why we have extended the search into the Andaman Sea," he clarified. India has deployed three warships along with four surveillance aircraft including the latest P-8I anti-submarine warfare plane in the search operations, PTI reports.

By Jinal Shah

loved her speech, and couldnt agree more. New York: But it would be Bollywood star Padma unfair to compare sitShri Vidya Balan is on uation in Hollywood a promotional tour in with whats happenthe US to drum up ing in Hindi cinema. excitement for the Yet there are exciting International Indian roles being written Film Academy (IIFA) (for women). Women awards April 23-26 in are slowly coming Tampa Bay, Fl. She is into their own in difvisiting Houston, Vidya Balan is in the US ferent spheres of life Tampa and Orlando and cinema being a to promote IIFA after New York. reflection of reality Having traveled the world over, you are bound to see that translate IIFA has educated the world about onto screen. Gravity was the 6th Indian cinema. I am pleased to be largest grosser last year and it won part of IIFAs landmark journey as seven Oscars and it had a woman they venture into the US, in Tampa (lead star Sandra Bullock)! Bay," said Balan. It is the cigar city On her own growth as an actor, so I think a lot of my friends are Balan said, I have been here 9 going to be excited. Also I am look- years, my debut film Parineeta preing forward to enjoy the Cuban cul- miered at IIFA Amsterdam. There is ture. During the main event IIFA a long road ahead. I have an insaWeekend and Awards , the National tiable hunger; I am a tigress when it Award winning actress will also be comes to roles in movies and I think part of Master Class with this is a very exciting time for Hindi Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey. It film heroine because we have been will be an honor to share space with offered substantial parts which are him. Also I just want to tell him that interesting, engaging and entertainhes got the House of Cards (TV ing. So I just think there are so series) but I am an Ace! quipped many people whose lives I have to the Ooh la la girl. still live. I am sure it will only get Cross border cinema between better from here. Hollywood and Bollywood is develMeanwhile, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan oping. When two great actors meet will take center stage during the they will probe into each others IIFA Magic of the Movies and skills and interact with the audience Technical Awards event that will see mostly from the Indian film contin- performances from Kareena Kapoor, gent - actors, directors, producers. It Sonakshi Sinha, Bipasha Basu and a is about learning from each other, musical act by Pritam. The show said Sabbas Joseph, director, will be hosted by Saif Ali Khan and Wizcraft International and IIFA. Vir Das. When SATimes asked Balan, Mainstream media is paying a lot known for her woman-centric roles, of attention to Bollywood and IIFA. about Cate Blanchetts inspiring 20,000 tickets for IIFA have been speech at the Oscars, she said, I sold already.

Kevin Spacey has the House of Cards but I am an Ace

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Focus on creating jobs and retaining young talent

Excerpts from Nassau County Executive Edward P. Manganos 2014 State of the County address on March 11, his first after starting his second 4-year term.
ages of Hurricane Sandy to this years relentless series of snow storms. The dedicated workforce of Department of Public Works is one reason we are working with NIFA to lift the wage freeze to recognize jobs well done. I would like to recognize our Office of Emergency Management for superior response to Hurricane Sandy. Their efforts under crisis were spectacular. Due to the efforts of our first responders, no lives were lost during that powerful storm. In fact, Nassau County received the prestigious National Weather Service Designation as Storm Ready. Our Department of Social Services and fraud investigators have recovered and prevented $15.3 million in Medicaid fraud while continuing to deliver outstanding social services. Our parks have expanded athletic and family entertainment options, such as FREE summer concert series, Octoberfest, the Long Island Fair at Old Bethpage Village Restoration, to name a few. Our Economic Development team has worked with me to attract new businesses to our borders, create and retain jobs. We have tackled the decade old dilemma of redeveloping the Hub by launching a 100% privately financed new Veterans Memorial Coliseum and entertainment district. The new Coliseum will retain its history of honoring our veterans while sharing in revenue with County taxpayers, employ 2,700 people and provide $10 billion in economic benefit to Nassau County and complement Hofstra University and Nassau Community College. The Coliseum will include family fun, sports and entertainment, including: Islander games; The Brooklyn Nets; The New York Yankees Coaching Clinics; Heavyweight Boxing; A New American Hockey League Team; and Star-Studded Performers and Family-Fun Entertainment. After completion, new developments will take shape including a movie theatre, bowling center and themed restaurants. More 100% privately financed projects are underway. The fact is todays starter home for many young families is actually an affordable apartment. To assist young professionals and meet employers need for an educated workforce, my administration has partnered with the private sector to create more than 1,000 new housing opportunities adjacent to transit hubs in Hempstead, Great Neck Plaza, Farmingdale, Mineola and Westbury. Our program encourages developers to convert empty office buildings to apartments. To continue this successful program, we have earmarked Federal funds to study the conversion of empty office space into residences in Baldwin, Lynbrook and Valley Stream. To further our goal of curtailing the Brain Drain, I have launched Nassau 200. In the coming year we will launch a panel of 200 Millennial (born between 1979 and 1995) opinion leaders. From advising my cabinet, generating new ideas and building new initiatives, this group 79 and 1995, will help us encourage young people to live and work in Nassau County. An example of our economic successes can be viewed at the former Grumman property in Bethpage and Hicksville. Once a single employer venue dependent on defense contracts, it is now 600 acres of diverse businesses. It includes a state-of-the-art Homeland Security Center, housing opportunities and Nassaus newest industry film and TV production. Nassau County has quickly become the Hollywood East of the movie and television industry. Collectively, this industry generated $144 million in economic benefits throughout the area and employed nearly 2,000 people. The most expensive motion picture in history The Amazing Spiderman 2 was recently filmed in Bethpage and will be released in May. To continue growing jobs, I have been in contact with the New York Institute of Technology, Molloy College, Long Island University and Start Up New York and, together, we seek to attract digital editing post production companies to Nassau. After shedding jobs for more than 10 years, good middle-class jobs have begun returning to Nassau. From the new Hain Celestrial Headquarters in Lake Success to attracting a New York City lighting company bound for L.A., jobs are coming back to Nassau. Just recently, we announced that manufacturers New York Vanity and Supreme Screw both are moving from New York City to Nassau. Many local companies are also expanding their operations. Just several weeks ago, the State Department of Labor released statistics indicating a drop in unemployment to 5.1%. These statistics remind us that our economic development and job creation policies are working, as our unemployment rate is considerably lower when compared statewide and throughout the nation. To connect employers with residents, my administration has hosted several successful job fairs. In fact, in November, more than 10,000 job seekers visited our free job fair at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. To further assist residents, we launched the Nassau County smart phone app named Nassau Works. This app lists tens of thousands of jobs available for our residents all on your smartphone and at the touch of a screen. We have steadily improved Nassaus finances through a renewed and mutually respectful partnership with NIFA. I want to recognize Jon Kaiman, Chairman of NIFA, for creating a cooperative, progressive path to fiscal strength. When I assumed office in 2010 the Countys fund balance was $64 million. The Countys independently audited financial statements for 2012 indicated that the fund balance had increased 28% to $82 million. We believe the fund balance would be over $100 million for 2013. It speaks to the strength of our residents that we have stood against Sandy storm and come back from historic devastation. Together with Governor Cuomo, Majority Leader Dean Skelos, U.S. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and Congressmen King and Israel, we have made certain that unaffected property owners dont bear the tax burden of the reduced assessment claims from properties damaged by Hurricane Sandy. Many lessons have been learned from Hurricane Sandy; from elevating homes to strengthening critical infrastructure. We have secured $830 million to rebuild an even stronger Bay Park Waste Water Treatment Plant which serves 550,000 residents. Nassau County is the safest large suburban county in the nation: crime is down by over 11% since this administration took office in 2010. This year every school will be eligible to receive two-way communication devices which when activated, immediately connects with our 911Center, provides GPS coordinates and records all audio. In addition, we have stepped up our war on heroin. This epidemic is claiming the lives of over 120 residents a year and causing 820 overdoses annually. To keep our county secure and maintain an educated public safety workforce, we plan to hire approximately 125 police officers a year for the next three years. These officers will replace retiring officers and continue our tradition of safe neighborhoods. The next four years are already full of challenges and opportunities that promise to make Nassau County an even better place to live, work and raise a family! Friends, the future is bright and we here in Nassau County have so much to look forward to! riends, four years ago we gathered together for the purpose of setting forth a plan to address the many problems Nassau County was facing after years of failed policies. Those policies gave us high taxes and a poor economy. It was a recipe for disaster. I put forth a plan to stop the ever rising real property taxes burdening our residents and reverse the trend of rising unemployment. The foundation of my plan included: freezing property taxes; eliminating the Home Energy Tax; reducing the size of government; launching an aggressive economic development plan that focused on job generation and job retention. As we move forward, my plan builds on these core initiatives. We are successfully creating an environment for economic growth. We are seeing new job opportunities emerge for our residents. We are encouraging programs that ensure our young workforce can reside in Nassau County. Friends, together we have worked to eliminate much of the $378 million deficit we inherited and moved Nassau County forward in a way that has helped our residents afford the quality of life we have come to expect in our great county. That is why politicians from all across New York are contacting us to better understand how we cut taxes while steadily closing a multi-million dollar deficit. We have reduced the workforce by 20%. Nassau County government now has 6 less departments thanks to efficient consolidation efforts and 123 fewer administrators. We have reduced the number of vehicles in our fleet. A private company now operates Nassau-owned buses - saving taxpayers $33 million a year and provides ridership with reliable, efficient bus service. At the County jail, Sheriff Michael Sposato produced an annual saving of $7 million by bringing private health care professionals into the jail to provide healthcare onsite. In the Department of Public Works, Commissioner Shila Shah and her team have successfully converted all traffic lights to LED and instituted a state-of-the-art snow plow monitoring system that provides real-time data showing the location and speed of the plow. We have successfully met every weather challenge - from the rav-

Politicians from all across New York are contacting us to better understand how we cut taxes while steadily closing a multi-million dollar deficit.
Governor Andrew Cuomo attended Manganos second inauguration in early January 2014 and praised what the County Executive achieved in his first term.

Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano

March 15-21, 2014

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IN BRIEF

Jasmine Joseph found dead in car, cops say

ccording to Newsday report body of Jasmine Joseph, 22 of Syosset has been found and identified in a car near Jericho Turnpike and Cedar Street in Syosset. Joseph was reported missing by her family in late February, Nassau County police said on Tuesday, March 11. Her body was identified by her family and found Monday night ending the mystery surrounding her disappearance last month. An autopsy will determine the cause of death but police suspect Joseph committed suicide. "She had inhaled a noxious substance," Insp. Kenneth Lack told reporters Tuesday. He declined to say what the substance was and whether Joseph left a suicide note. Joseph's body had been in her car for an "extensive period of time," Lack said. Passersby would not have been able to see her body in the car because she was "wedged between the front and back seats." Police had been looking for her since issuing a missing persons release to the news media Feb. 28. Relatives of Joseph were stunned at the

2 Indian students among top 10 of Intel science awards

wo Indian-American students have made it to the top 10 of the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search awards, bagging a prize of $20,000 each. Anand Srinivasan of Georgia bagged the eighth position while Shaun Datta from Maryland took the last 10th spot in the awards. Eric S Chen, 17, of San Diego won the top award of $100,000 from the Intel Foundation for his research of potential new drugs to treat influenza. Srinivasan received a $20,000 award for his neural- network-based computer model, RNNScan, which "learns" patterns in DNA to predict the boundaries of certain genomic regions.

Police suspect Jasmine committed suicide

news that authorities suspect she took her own life. Her father, Sony Joseph, an electronics technician with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said his daughter "would never do something like that. . . . She's very happy. . . . We are going to ask police for a further investigation." Sony Joseph said the parking lot where his daughter's body was found is near their home. He and other family members checked it Friday and Saturday. "We didn't see any car there," he said. Lack declined to comment on the father's comments but said police are still investigating.

Datta also received a $20,000 award for his research that used computer models and equations to improve the understanding of the interactions of nuclear matter. "We at Intel celebrate the work of these brilliant young scientists as a way to inspire the next generation to follow them with even greater energy and excitement into a life of invention and discovery," Wendy Hawkins, executive director of the Intel Foundation, said. "Imagine the new technologies, solutions and devices they will bring to bear on the challenges we face. The Intel Science Talent Search finalists should inspire all of us with hope for the future," Hawkins said.

Syracuse doctor charged with healthcare fraud

Congressmans prompt action to help a Pakistani family

onera is an 18-monthold girl who suffers from Beta Thalassemia Major, a genetic blood disorder that affects South Asians. She needs a bone marrow transplant. Luckily, her 4-year-old sister, Hooria, is a perfect match to be a bone marrow donor. The procedure takes a few weeks to complete and Zonera will need to be in the hospital with her mother for three months after the transRep. Steve Israel with the family of the girl plant. The Pakistani family livsufferingfrom a blood disorder ing in Hicksville was told that both Zonera and Hooria will need full time the grandmother arrived here early this caretakers, preferably someone they are month. The children are now scheduled to comfortable with. The father, Tanveer Aasi go in for pre-surgical testing at Columbia being the sole financial provider for the University Medical Center on March 17. Congressman Israel graciously visited the family could not take leave from work. So they turned to the childrens grandmother in family on March 7 and promised necessary Pakistan but she was denied a visa to come help in future too. Seema Bhansali, Director of Constituent Services for the Conto the US. On a neighbors recommendation, the gressman, said on the occasion that many Tanveer family contacted Rep. Steve Is- immigrants are not aware of the range of raels office for help. Rep. Israel and his services available through their elected repcase workers did what was necessary and resentatives.

n Indian-American physician has been indicted for health care fraud in Syracuse, New York, and faces up to 30 years in prison with a million dollar fine if convicted. Mahesh Kuthuru, 43, who owned and operated Upstate Pain Management, a medical practice in Utica and Fulton-area, was indicted with his employee Bonnie Meislin, 42, by a federal grand jury last week, according to The North Country Gazette. The indictment charges Kuthuru and Meislin with engaging in a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting false claims for reimbursement for medical services that were not performed. According to the indictment, Kuthuru purchased a medical practice in Las Vegas, Nevada, known as Desert Pain Management in November 2008.

By January 2010 through at least September 2011, Kuthuru was spending the majority of his time at his Las Vegas medical practice, coming back to the Utica and Fulton offices to treat patients only on a sporadic basis.The indictment also charges Kuthuru with unlawful distribution of Schedule II controlled substances including oxycodone, Oxycotin, methadone, and morphine sulphate. Kuthuru was arrested in Las Vegas Feb 28. He is scheduled to appear for arraignment before US Magistrate Judge Therese Wiley Dancks in Syracuse March 12. Each of the 30 health fraud counts carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. Each of the 15 counts of drug distribution carries a maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment with a million dollar fine.

Aurora set to promote Indian American culture

he city of Aurora in Illinois is seeking volunteers to serve on what officials believe is the state's first municipally-sponsored board aimed at helping to promote Indian American culture. The newly-formed Indian American Community Outreach Advisory Board is a non-partisan, community-based panel that will promote civic engagement and community participation, according to Chicago Tribune. Residents interested in volunteering do not have to be of Indian American descent to serve but they should demonstrate dedication to the city, work or own a business in Aurora, or be a member of a local community organization that serves Aurora residents.

Mayor Tom Weisner praised Aurora's Indian American leaders for their desire to become more involved in civic activities, the Tribune said. "We look forward to working with you going forward to create a better community, as well as educate the rest of our population to all of the positive cultural benefits that you bring to our city," Weisner was quoted as saying. The Indian American Community Outreach Advisory Board's mission is to serve as a bridge between the Indian American community and all other communities in Aurora. The city will seek an initial group of nine members who will be tasked with establishing the board before filling all 18 seats, it said.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

NATIONAL COMMUNITY

March 15-21, 2014

70 Indian passports stolen from BLS office in SFO

The Indian Consulate in San Francisco has cancelled the stolen passports.
Washington, DC: About 70 Indian passports have reportedly been stolen from a private company, to which the Indian Consulate in San Francisco has outsourced various visa and passport related services. The serious breach of security is being investigated by the San Francisco police department. Both the Indian Consulate and the local police have informed the state department and the relevant federal authorities so that these passports are not misused, a media report said. At least 70 Indian passports were stolen from BLS International's San Francisco Office, in late November last year, an Indian-American publication India West reported. The San Francisco police department began investigating the case on December 2, 2013. According to the investigating officer, a BLS employee told the police that the passports, along with cash and checks, were taken from a locked safe. The Indian Consulate in San Francisco has cancelled the stolen passports. The cancelled passports cannot be used for fraudulent travel, as they are machine-readable and verified through a system that is used throughout the world, the newspaper quoted a consulate official as saying.

Washington, DC: Thousands of people from across the world have rallied to collect the moving stories of one of the greatest migrations after South Asia's 1947 violent partition and the birth of two nations -- India and Pakistan. Helping to preserve the history of that tragic event is a small team of volunteers based at the University of California in Berkeley and their newly founded organization, The 1947 Partition Archive. The group uses web based crowdsourcing to record and preserve witness oral histories. Over the last year, nearly 500 individuals from over 20 countries trained as citizen historians through free online workshops and submitted nearly 1,000 video interviews ranging in length from 1 to 9 hours for preservation. "Because we are huge believers in grassroots and crowdsourcing, we wanted to take that route. This way, anybody from anywhere can contribute," says the founder, Guneeta Singh Bhalla, who left a research position at Berkeley in December 2012 to volunteer full time for the project. Through their grassroots effort, The 1947 Partition Archive hopes to

US group preserves fading memories of 1947 partition

train up to 1,000 citizen historians and preserve 3,000 witness accounts in 2014. With the witnesses of the traumatic events of partition largely in their 80s and 90s, the 1947 Partition Archive collected $35,000 through a crowd funding campaign through international crowdfunding site IndieGoGo, to better equip itself for the task. The ongoing project, which can be seen online at 1947PartitionArchive.org, features an online Story Map showing where each person's story originated. The archive also preserves pre-partition life and culture as well as post-partition migrations and life changes from all ethnic, religious and economic communities in the form of video and sometimes audio testimonies. Interviews are conducted in the language that the interviewee is most comfortable with and already include English, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Sindhi and others. Last year, the archive also funded four Story Scholars in South Asia. Now, Bhalla and her colleagues are urging Indian Americans to share their stories, too.

New York: Mayor Bill de Blasio anmove our Taxi and Limounounced March 11 his nomination of sine Commission in a Meera Joshi to serve as chairwoman progressive direction, and chief executive officer of the ensuring we prioriNew York City Taxi and Limoutize New Yorkers' sine Commission. safety," said de BlaJoshi most recently served as sio. "I look forgeneral counsel at the TLC, ward to the city where she supported the regucouncil's considerlation of more than 160,000 liation and consent censees and personally oversaw of her appointa portfolio of initiatives that ment." has brought new and better "It is an honor to be nomservice to thousands of inated to serve as chairNew Yorkers, while proswoman and chief execuecuting financial injustive officer of the Taxi and tices against victimized Limousine Commission," taxi drivers. said Joshi. "I am commitJoshi was also instruted to the de Blasio adMeera Joshi mental in the city's landministration's agenda of mark commitment to 50 percent wheel- providing equitable taxi and for-hire transchair accessibility by 2020, and the re- portation services and safe streets for all quirement that all taxicabs be crash-tested New Yorkers. to federal standards by the end of 2014. On behalf of the thousands of yellow Joshi's commitment to collaborative com- taxi and livery drivers we represent, the munication and her record of management New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers and innovation make her the ideal candi- commends Mayor de Blasio on the apdate to lead the Taxi and Limousine Com- pointment of Meera Joshi as chair of the mission. Taxi and Limousine Commission," said "Meera Joshi is a dedicated public ser- Fernando Mateo, president of the New vant with the experience and energy to York State Federation of Taxi Drivers.

NY Mayor nominates Meera Joshi to head Taxi Commission

Washington, DC: Manju Goel, a Republican Indian-American Congressional candidate in Illinois, has been asked to withdraw from the primary race over accusations of putting up fake web and social media sites to discredit her opponent. The head of the Cook County Republican Party asked Goel to withdraw after her opponent in the March 18 primary Larry Kaifesh accused her campaign and supporters of taking her "campaign into the gutter." "Everything is a faade. They've created imaginary images," Kaifesh was quoted as saying by the local WLS-TV. "There's a Where's Larry web site. All malicious in nature." According to the phony site, which resembles Kaifesh's official campaign web site, it was paid for by a super political action committee called Indian Americans for Freedom, which lists Goel's address. Under US law, Super PACs, officially known as "independent-expenditure only committees", can engage in unlimited political spending as long as they don't make contributions to

Manju Goel asked to quit Congressional race

candidate campaigns or parties. The PAC was formed by Indian-American businessman Shalli Kumar, a supporter of the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. Endorsed by former House speaker Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain, a 2012 US Republican Party presidential nomination aspirant, and former 8th District Congressman Joe Walsh, Goel said she has no control over the IAFF organization. "I cannot account on anybody else's actions," Goel said. "I cannot tell you, because I do not know where the PAC is." However, Cook County Republican Chairman Aaron Del Mar said he's seen enough. He wants Goel to drop out of the race. "I felt Ms. Goel needs to step out of the race," Del Mar was quoted as saying. "Her behavior regarding this campaign has been unbecoming of a GOP (Republican) congressional candidate." "One person's opinion means nothing to me," Goel said, according to WLS TV.

March 15-21, 2014

NATIONAL COMMUNITY

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

USciences honors scholar Dr Harkishan Kush finally breaks epic spelling bee tie, heads for nationals Singh on its 193rd Founders Day
ly useful drug: candocuronium iodide, which is a synthetic azasteroid. He has presented his research at several institutions and conferences across the world, including Harvard School of Medicine and the International Symposium on Molecular Structure in Beijing. Under Professor Singhs supervision, nearly 50 master and doctoral theses have been completed. Furthermore, he has published 125 original scientific research papers and obtained 14 patents for his work. I am grateful the University has considered me worthy for the honor which has been bestowed upon me, said Professor Singh. "For students from India, USciences has been an institution of choice for higher pharmaceutical studies. Several of them have returned to India upon graduation and contributed to progress of the pharmaceutical profession and industry." Each year, Founders Day at USciences recognizes its establishment on Feb. 23, 1821, as Philadelphia College of Pharmacy the first college of pharmacy in North America, which is now a part of USciences. As part of the ceremony, merit awards were presented to current students and a faculty member, and faculty members were formally installed into their respective endowed positions.

Kush Sharma as he gets definition right

Honorary degree recipient Harkishan Singh, PhD, (center) professor emeritus at Panjab University in India, is pictured here (from left to right) with Heidi Anderson, PhD, provost and vice president for academic affairs; University president Helen Giles-Gee, PhD; Marvin Samson, chairman of the board; and B.J. Cunningham, PhD, dean of students.

Philadelphia: Amid applause of the University of the Sciences community, Harkishan Singh, PhD, professor emeritus at Panjab University in India, received an honorary doctor of science degree during the Universitys 193rd Founders Day ceremony on Thursday, Feb. 20. Professor Singh is a worldrenowned pharmaceutical academic, researcher, and science historian with more than 50 years of experience, said University president Helen Giles-Gee, PhD. His experience and contributions to the science and healthcare indus-

tries aligns with the mission and vision of our institution. Professor Singh is no stranger to higher academia. He has taught abroad at Banaras Hindu University, University of Saugar, Panjab University in India, and University of London; as well as within the U.S., at University of Maryland and University of Mississippi. Beyond his time in the classroom, Professor Singh has also conducted scientific research in the fields of organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and natural products; and his research group has been successful in designing a clinical-

Washington, DC: After a twoweek 90-round grueling battle, a 13-year-old Indian American student Kush Sharma finally broke a tie in a local county contest to go to the National Spelling Bee competition. The Indian champ March 8 faced his 11-year-old adversary Sophia Hoffman again to resume the Jackson County Spelling Bee in Kansas City, Missouri, that had ended in a tie Feb 22 when the judges ran out of words. The two had eliminated 23 other contestants and went another 47 rounds against each other in their previous encounter, according to Kansas City Star. But in the end, in the 29th round Saturday Kush, a seventh-grader from Kansas City, won with not a tongue twister but a simple word "definition" after Sophia, a Lee's

Summit fifth-grader too stumbled on her word - "stifling" - in Round 28. After an appeal, a judges' huddling to review a recording and then a break, "Kush stepped to the microphone in the bone quiet of Helzberg Auditorium at the Kansas City Central Library", as the Star recounted. After nailing earlier killer words like "hemerocallis", and "jacamar", Kush spelled "definition" after first, of course, asking for its definition. "Behind him, Sophia was first to clap, happy for the friend she got to know in passing 75 times back and forth to the microphone," Star said. "Kush, a polite young man, patiently gave the moderator a handshake before hurriedly going to Sophia. They hugged," the newspaper said.

Shriya Patel gets 20-year jail BAPS follower and Iowa inmate wins lawsuit over vegetarian diet for setting husband ablaze
New York: An India-born woman in Texas, convicted of setting her husband afire, has been sentenced to 20 years in jail. A Travis county jury of 10 women and two men Tuesday recommended the punishment for Shriya Biman Patel, 27, following nine hours of deliberations over two days. District Judge David Crain accepted the recommendation of the jury, the Austin American-Statesman reported. Shriya Patel was on trial for capital murder in the killing of Bimal Patel, 29. She was found guilty Monday of the lesser first-degree felony of arson causing death. She has served two years of incarceration thus far and will likely be eligible for parole in three years. On completion of her prison Des Moines, Iowa: An Iowa inmate, Mahendrakumar Patel has won a lawsuit against the state because he was served food prepared in pots and pans that had previously touched meats and other ingredients a violation of his religious rights, a judge has ruled according to The Des Moines Register. As a result, the Iowa Department of Corrections agreed to give Patel access to foods that are prepackaged and free from contact with utensils that might have touched the culinary ingredients he maintains are against his religion. The lawsuit will cost taxpayers $12,000 to cover the prisoner's legal fees, according to a settlement approved last week by the Iowa Appeal Board. Patel, 46, has been a Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan (BAPS) follower since birth. Hence a strict vegetarian.

Shriya Patel

term, she will face deportation back to India. Shriya Patel lured her husband Bimal Patel, 29, into the bathtub for a massage, doused him with gasoline and then set him on fire, according to prosecution. Bimal died at the burn centre of the San Antonio Military Medical Centre, nearly five months after the April 17, 2012, incident.

Patel staged as many as 10 separate hunger strikes as he objected to food prepared in pots or pans or with utensils that had previously touched meats, eggs or dishes that contain mayonnaise, onions and garlic, court records show. Those hunger strikes resulted in Patel going at least 236 days without eating over six years. His weight fell from 188 pounds in 2006 to 114 pounds in 2012, an exhibit presented at a trial last year showed. "We have tried to make accommodations with him, but it seems that every time that we've reached one accommodation then there would be another objection on his part," Greg Ort, the former warden of the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Coralville, said in court testimony last year. "We seem to be unable to reach a satisfaction with him." Patel acknowledged various attempts from prison staff to pro-

Mahendrakumar Patel will now receive prepacked food

vide him with meals that met his religious beliefs. In some cases, those efforts ultimately ended with Patel discovering the food was potentially contaminated. Other times, the prison halted practices that were previously acceptable in order to accommodate Patel's new requests, the inmate said. "There is stuff I cannot eat, so I complain about it but they said, 'That's all you're going to get,' " Patel testified in court. Patel, a native of India, was sentenced in 2006 to 25 years in prison for stalking and attempting to kill his girlfriend in Des Moines, court records show. He maintains his innocence.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

US AFFAIRS

March 15-21, 2014

US economy poised for gains in 2014

Washington: The US economic growth is on track to accelerate this year as headwinds recede and underlying momentum picks up, the White House said in a report. The economy continued to recover and strengthen in 2013, nearly five years after the worst of financial crisis, Xinhua cited from the Latest Economic Report of the President Monday. The unemployment rate fell 1.2 percentage point in 2013, a larger decline than in previous years and more than was forecast by most private-sector economists, according to the report prepared by the White House Council of Economic Advisors. "The most predictable reason for optimism about the US economy in 2014 is the waning drag from fiscal policy and reduced fiscal uncertainty," the report said. A wide variety of indicators such as a rebounding housing sector and strong gains in aggregate household net worth suggest the economy is well situated for a pickup in growth in 2014, it noted. Real GDP is projected to grow in the 3.2 - 3.4 percent range during the four years through 2017. And by the fourth quarter of 2017, the unemployment rate which currently stands at 6.7 percent, is expected to fall to 5.5 percent.

CIA accused of spying on U.S. Senate intelligence committee

Washington: A bitter dispute between the CIA and the US Senate committee that oversees it burst into the open on Tuesday when the committee chairwoman accused the agency of spying on Congress and possibly breaking the law. Veteran Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein said the CIA had searched computers used by committee staffers examining CIA documents when researching the agency's counter-terrorism operations and its use of harsh interrogation methods such as simulated drowning or "waterboarding." Speaking on the Senate floor, Feinstein condemned how the CIA had handled the committee's investigation into the agency's detention and interrogation program started under President George W. Bush after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Human rights advocates condemn the interrogation practices as torture. "I have grave concerns that the CIA's search (of committee computers) may well have violated the separation of powers principles embodied in the Constitution," said Feinstein, who is normally a strong ally of U.S. intelligence agencies. She disclosed that the Justice Department had been asked by two different CIA offices to investigate whether committee officials or the agency itself might have violated the law. Her accusations of CIA-led computer searches were denied by CIA Director John Brennan. They brought into the open a simmering row between the committee and the agency that had been brewing for months and disrupted the committee's work. The committee investigation, which resulted in 6,000 pages of findings which remain highly classified, was meant to comprehensively document what the agency did

Florida loss big blow to Democrats 2014 hopes

Tampa, FL: Republican David Jolly narrowly defeated Democrat Alex Sink on Tuesday in a Tampa-area House race largely seen as a critical test for ObamaCare. With nearly 100 percent of the vote counted, Jolly had 48.5 percent of the vote to Sink's 46.7 percent. The race to replace the late Rep. Bill Young was considered a tossup, and was cast as a political bellwether, and a testing ground for each party's messaging strategy -which revolves in part around the Affordable Care Act. Democrats are scrambling to launch a counteroffensive and if they dont come up with one fast, Tuesdays loss could foreshadow a brutal year for the party at the ballot box this fall.

Senator Dianne Feinstein made the accusation

and assess the effectiveness of its methods. Sources familiar with the findings say they condemn the CIA's aggressive interrogations and question whether they produced significant intelligence information. The CIA has given the committee a classified rebuttal to the report. Feinstein said that in January, the CIA's Brennan requested an emergency meeting with her and the committee's top Republican, Senator Saxby Chambliss. She said he informed them that agency personnel, without notifying the committee or seeking its approval, had conducted a "search" of computers that committee investigators were using to review documents related to the CIA program. Brennan denied any charge of computer hacking. "Nothing could be further from the truth. We wouldn't do that," he said in a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank.

Meet the Millennials: A Dire Generation on its own and stuck

Those born between the early 1980s and year 2000 are called the Millennial Generation, sometimes Generation Y also.
New York: What happens when a generation grows up during one of the worst economies in living memory? It learns to count on itself. That's the result of a major new study from the Pew Research Center breaking down the attitudes and experiences of Millennials on a wide variety of issues, from politics and economics to personal wellbeing. The results show a generation that came of age during the Great Recession marked by mistrust, detachment from institutions and a remarkable faith in its own abilities. "Millennials" refers to everyone born from the early 1980s to the early 2000s. They're a generation that grew up during two wars, an economic collapse and higher unemployment than any generation since the 1930s. Many of Pew's results are unsurprising. Millennials have more Facebook friends than their grandparents? Their parents take fewer selfies than they do? So what? What is interesting, however, is that this generation has learned suspicion. When asked gram will remain intact, and less than half believe it will be there at all. These attitudes didn't come from nowhere. As Pew's research shows, this generation has had a harder time climbing to its feet than any since the Great Depression. At an age when the Baby Boomers were having their first children, flipping through wanted ads and buying houses, only 32% of Millennials report making enough money to even build a stable life. What they do earn increasingly goes to repay student loans that have doubled over the last 20 years, leaving the average college graduate carrying $27,000 in debt even before his first day of work. Unfortunately simply staying home and avoiding the tuition isn't an option for the Millennials either. Young adults without a bachelor's degree are 400% less likely to get a job and earn approximately two-thirds of what a college graduate does. Degrees aren't a luxury any longer. Anecdotes of personal success aside, for most Millennials getting a fair chance at a good job means out the loans. Growing up in 21st Century America, it seems, comes with a $27,000 price tag. This is the first generation in modern America to enter adulthood with more debt, fewer jobs, lower incomes and greater poverty than their parents did. A full 46% describe themselves as lower or lower-middle class, and many have even put off marriage, because as 69% of Millennials say, they simply can't afford it. Millennials don't put off adulthood because of a generational Peter Pan complex. They simply can't afford to grow up. Now for the good news. Against all odds, Millennials are actually optimistic. Whether or not they make enough money right now, almost everyone born after 1980 believes they will in the future. Only 14% of Millennials don't think they'll succeed sooner or later. Among all of the numbers from last week's Pew report is a fundamental lesson: we've learned not to trust institutions and organizations, but we still believe in ourselves.

whether "most people can be trusted," just 19% of Millennials answered yes compared with 40% of Baby Boomers and even 31% of Generation X. Millennials have also become detached from the institutions of previous generations. When asked about political and religious affiliations, Millennials were far more likely to claim their independence than Baby Boomers, the Silent Generation or even Gen X. Fewer believe in God, register for political parties or even describe themselves as "patriotic" than in the past. They don't even expect to receive Social Security. Just 6% of Millennials think the pro-

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March 15-21, 2014

INDIA

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has rejected Sahara chief Subrata Roy's petition to be released from custody. The SC bench said that without a fresh refund proposal from Sahara, it can not consider Subrata Roy's interim bail plea. The SC said it has not yet punished Roy for the contempt of court charge which is pending. The SC bench also said it has ordered Subrata Roy's detention as a tool to enforce compliance of its August 31, 2012 judgment directing refund of Rs 24000 crore illegally collected from 3.3 crore investors. Beleaguered Sahara Chief Subrata Roy had challenged before the Supreme Court his detention order passed by a two-member bench calling it "illegal and unconstitutional" and demanded his release. "Declare the order dated 04.03.2014 as void, nullity and non-est in the eyes of law," said the petition on behalf of Roy. On March 4, the two-judge bench had sent Roy and two of company's directors to Tihar jail in connection with the case relating to non-refund of Rs 24000 crore to its investors. The same bench briefly heard the matter in the Wednesday afternoon when senior advocate Ram Jethmalani made a strong plea for "rectification of mistake" in the

Sahara chief Subrata Roy to remain in jail

Subrata Roy is in Tihar jail in connection with the case relating to non-refund of Rs 24000 crore to investors.

March 4 order. "It is a little embarrassing to argue before you that your order needs rectification," the counsel said adding "It is a deep embarrassment for me but if the lordship is willing to hear then I would make my lordships quite satisfied with my arguments". However, the bench said it would go through the petition and hear the matter and then can express its view. "We will go through the pleadings then we will say whether we are embarrassed or not," Justice Khehar shot back.

New Delhi: Bollywood actor with 10 friends, including KaSaif Ali Khan has been charged reena Kapoor and actor Amrita for assaulting South African Arora. Sharma a trade offibusinessman Iqbal Sharma at cial with the South African govMumbai's Taj Hotel in February ernment had told the police 2012, reports said. Khan's table was very noisy and According to reports, Khan when he objected, the actor sughas been charged under Section gested he go to a library if he 325 (voluntarily causing grievwanted silence. ous hurt) and 34 (acts done by When Sharma finally decided several persons in furtherance to change tables himself but of common intention) of the Inwhen he was moving, Khan Actor Saif Ali Khan has threatened him. dian Penal Code (IPC). been charged for The hearing in the case According to Sharma, the acassaulting South African tor used abusive language and against the actor will begin from businessman Iqbal April 30, reports added. when the argument furthered Sharma Khan was arrested for allegedand punched him on his nose. ly punching the NRI businessman and his relSharma had also said his when father-in-law ative at Wasabi a Japanese restaurant in the tried to intervene, he was punched as well. Taj Mahal hotel on February 22, 2012. He Khan and his two friends were booked under was immediately bailed out. The actor and two section 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) friends were booked for allegedly assaulting of the IPC on Sharma's complaint.The actor Sharma after the latter told the actor's gang to and his friends surrendered at the police station keep the noise level down. Khan was dining and were bailed out.

Saif charged for manhandling NRI businessman

Patna: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad has turned to vaastu shastra ahead of the Lok Sabha polls to rid himself and his family of misfortune and ill-luck and to ensure good electoral performance of his party. With over a dozen of his senior party leaders, including a Rajya Sabha member, half a dozen legislators and former ministers, deserting him and joining rival parties, and the Rashtriya Janata Dal's alliance with the Congress not being seen as a winning combination, Lalu Prasad has ordered that a pond be filled up following a suggestion from an expert in vaastu shastra and an astrologer. "A pond located inside the sprawling 10 Circular Road, the official residence of (his wife and former chief minister) Rabri Devi, was filled with a mix of mud and sand as per the advice of an vaastu expert," said a staff at Rabri's residence. The pond was dug in 2006 for popular Chhath festival performed by Lalu and Rabri after they shifted from 1 Anne Marg, the chief minister's official residence, since the RJD was ousted from power in November 2005. According to RJD leaders close to Lalu Prasad, a vaastu expert suggested that the pond be filled up since it was located in the middle

Lalu Prasad turns to vaastu ahead of polls

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad

of the house and creating negative energy and obstacles for the family and the party. Vaastu shastra is an ancient Hindu architectural doctrine that is believed to help occupants of the structure or house lead a happy life. Lalu "has faith in superstition, astrology and rituals to perform religious worship", an RJD leader said. The RJD chief has been visiting various temples and tombs and even paid a visit to a tantric or self-claimed god man Pagla Baba in Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur district last year. A ruling JD-U leader recalled that Lalu was a different man when he took over as the chief minister of Bihar for the first time in March 1990.

Rahul cancels his Google hangout date with youth

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi will Chowdhury said, We dont not keep his March 21 date with comment on speculation. netizens on Google hangout, afIn the run-up to polls, Rahul ter a Congress re-think on plans has largely kept off the media to expose the party vice-presiand even social media. After his dent to an onslaught of quesonly TV interview with Times tions from across the country, Now on January 27, he has not and the world. agreed to similar requests from Rahul Gandhi According to Congress other news channels. sources, party strategists first want to hold an Finance minister P Chidambaram will now internal hangout, tentatively on March 15, be the first guest for this seasons Google and watch the response when Rahul and other Hangout on March 25, HT has learnt. leaders interact with party workers and officeEarlier, BJP prime ministerial candidate bearers on the coming Lok Sabha elections. Narendra Modi had pulled out of a Facebook No new date has been finalised for Rahuls Talks Live programme scheduled for March 3. interaction with net users on the partys poli- Newslaundry, which has tied up with Facebook cies, programmes and electoral agenda. Yes, for this series of interactions with prominent he has opted out at this stage, a Congress candidates, later issued a statement saying strategist said. Modi had laid down some conditions for his Google India spokesperson Paroma Roy participation.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

INDIA

March 15-21, 2014

11

Dead guru kept in deep freezer Delhi court upholds death sentences by devotees!
Chandigarh: A guru declared dead has been in a deep freezer in his ashram for nearly six weeks with followers confident he will return to life to lead them, his spokesman told AFP. Devotees placed Ashutosh Maharaj, whom authorities declared clinically dead on January 29, in the freezer and have been watching over his body in the sprawling ashram in a small town in northern Punjab state. Maharaj, reportedly in his 70s, is one of India's many gurus or god-men who headed the Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan (Divine Light Awakening Mission) and claims to have millions of followers around the world. Mission spokesman Swami Vishalanand insisted their leader was not dead but was in fact in a state of samadhi, the highest level of meditation, and was therefore still conscious. Vishalanand told AFP that followers were now waiting for him to end his meditation. Until then, the ashram in Nurmahal town would stay open with followers performing their own mediations and spiritual sessions. "Mahara-ji (a Hindi term of respect) is still sending messages through followers in their meditative stage to protect his body till he returns," he said earlier this week. The decision to place him in the freezer was challenged in court by a man claiming to be his former driver, who alleged several fol-

Nirbhaya gang-rape:

Devotees have placed Ashutosh Maharaj, whom authorities declared clinically dead on January 29, in the freezer

The woman died of grave intestinal injuries at Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital that sparked nationwide protests

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has upheld the death sentences awarded to four convicts in the Dec 16, 2012 gang-rape. A division bench of Justice Reva Khetrapal and Justice Pratibha Rani also dismissed the appeals of four convicts challenging the trial court verdict awarding them the death penalty. The trial court had Sep 13, 2013 awarded death sentences to Mukesh (26), Akshay Thakur (28), Pawan Gupta (19) and Vinay Sharma (20). A 23-year-old physiotherapy intern was gang-raped and brutally sexually assaulted by six men, including a juvenile, in a mov-

ing bus. The accused then threw her and her male companion out of the vehicle, stripped of clothing, to die by the roadside on the cold December night. The woman died of grave intestinal injuries Dec 29, 2012 at Singapore's Mount Elizabeth Hospital, where she was airlifted for specialized treatment. One of the six accused was found dead in a cell in Delhi's Tihar Jail. A juvenile involved in the crime was Aug 31, 2013 sent by the Juvenile Justice Board to a reform home for three years, the maximum term under the juvenile law.

lowers were not releasing the body as they were seeking a share of the guru's properties, local media reports said. But the court rejected the man's petition after receiving information from authorities confirming his death, reportedly from a heart attack, said Reeta Kohli, additional advocate general of Punjab state.

Mumbai/New Delhi: Bookies across the country expect a turnover of Rs. 70,000 crore as they seem certain that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will emerge as the single largest party and will form the government with Narendra Modi at its top. The bookies opened the rates in Nepal fearing a crackdown in India. Sources said 12 bookies from various parts of the country had assembled in Nepal to open the rates that will see changes as the election dates near. The rates show BJP garnering 200 to 215 seats, while the National Democratic Alliance is expected to get 230 to 245 seats, falling short of the magical 272 mark. They will, however, get support from other parties and will sail through, said a bookie, requesting anonymity. Predicting a debacle for the Congress, they stated that the single largest party during the last elections would manage a mere 75 to 80 seats this time. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance could plunge to 115 to 125 seats, the bookie said. The bookies do not expect an overwhelming performance by the Aam

Expect Rs. 70,000 cr business from elections

Admi Party (AAP) either, as they believe it will manage only six to eight seats. Though AAP started well, recent happenings and controversies, including Arvind Kejriwal resigning as Delhi CM, will cause trouble for the party, the bookie said. The bookies said the other parties, which were trying to form the Third Front, will get 80 to 100 seats combined. As for the prime minister, bookies put BJP candidate Narendra Modi at the top, with Congresss Rahul Gandhi trailing far behind. Besides, bookies have also opened rates for Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, Jayalalitha and Arvind Kejriwal.As Modis popularity rises with each passing day, his chances of becoming the next PM are very high. Our calculations show that the BJP will win three to four seats out of Delhis seven LS seats. AAP will be at the second position with two or three seats. The Congress, that won all seven seats in the previous elections, will not win more than one, said Makkhi (name changed), a south Delhi bookie.

Corporate Office: 385 Seneca Avenue, Ridgewood NY 11385 718.821.3182, www.AtlanticDialysis.Com

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March 15-21, 2014

BATTLEGROUND 2014

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Nitish's PM ambitions led to alliance break-up: Modi

Narendra Modi said the BJP-led NDA, if elected to power, would develop the country's eastern region, including Bihar

Purnea (Bihar): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's ambition to become prime minister led to the break-up of the alliance between the Janata Dal-United and the Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi said. Addressing a rally here,

Modi said that at that time, the BJP was not sure why the JD-U broke the partnership. "Now we know why he (Nitish Kumar) broke the alliance. The dream of becoming prime minister was not letting him sleep," the Gujarat chief minister said.

He also took a dig at the Third Front, saying it has a dozen prime ministerial aspirants. "Look at the Third Front... almost all parties have saved the Congress and supported it at some point of time. There are either former prime ministers, or prime minister aspirants," he said. "There are more than a dozen people who have got clothes stitched to become the prime minister." Modi said the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, if elected to power, will develop the country's eastern region, including Bihar, by providing all necessary help. "Our government's priority will be to develop the eastern part of the country, including Bihar, Assam, Odisha and West Bengal at par with the western part," he said. "We will see whether it is the special package or special category status which will help Bihar to develop. It will be our immediate concern," Modi added.

Anna Hazare stayed away from a New Delhi rally as only a few hundred people turned up for Mamata Banerjee

New Delhi: Ram Kripal Yadav, who quit the RJD after 35 years of association with Lalu Prasad, has joined the BJP and immediately endorsed Narendra Modi as "the man India is looking up to". "I have been a dedicated worker of the RJD for 35 years but was forced to take this step," Yadav told the media here, referring to his friendship with the former Bihar chief minister. After joining the BJP in presence of party president Rajnath Singh, the Rajya Sabha member, explained why he quit the Rashtriya Janata Dal. "In the RJD, one family is getting preference over others. I was pained at what was happening to ordinary workers like us," he said. "We felt that social justice was what we must fight for, and not for

Ram Kripal Yadav joins BJP, endorses Modi

Former RLD leader Ram Kripal Yadav with BJP president Rajnath Singh

one family," he said in an attack on Lalu Prasad.Yadav praised BJP's

prime ministerial candidate Modi as "the man India is looking up to".

New Delhi/Kolkata: The muchhyped joint rally of Anna Hazare and Mamata Banerjee in Delhi, seen as an attempt to pitchfork the West Bengal chief minister on the national stage, flopped, with the Gandhian staying away and only a few hundred people turning up at the sprawling Ramlila Maidan. Banerjee looked a forlorn figure on the stage where seating arrangements had been made only for her and Hazare, who only last month extended his support to her for the Lok Sabha election. A Hazare aide said he was unwell but also claimed that the anti-corruption crusader would have attended the rally had it drawn at least 10,000 people. In a clear signal that the Banerjee-Hazare bonhomie could be over soon, the two camps blamed one another for the poor show. Hazare aide Sunita Godara said Hazare was "in very bad health. He has congestion. "A rally needs elaborate preparation. It has to be organised on a holiday, in the evening, and after proper canvassing. The heat is too

Anna's Ramlila show flops, Mamata in distress

much today (Wednesday)," Godara said. Banerjee, who tried to put up a brave front, told the thin crowd and later the media that this was not a Trinamool event and declared her party would fight the Lok Sabha battle alone. In a Facebook post, Banerjee said she was aware of her "limitations... It is possible he is not well... I do not want to blame anybody". Hazare's absence came as an anti-climax after the hectic buildup over the past week when posters of the two leaders were put up on some Delhi Metro railway pillars and other parts of the national capital. The opposition in West Bengal lost no time in taking digs at the Trinamool and its leader. "We are used to such jokes involving Mamata Banerjee. I don't know what more lies in store. She is a master in making volte faces. Only yesterday she said it is 'our meeting'. Today she says it was Anna's meeting," said state Congress leader Abdul Mannan.

There is a strong pitch in party circles that Narendra Modi should contest from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.

New Delhi: The BJP, notwithstanding the many straw polls showing it well ahead of its rivals, is having a fairly tough time internally in declaring seats for its top leaders as also in deciding about some alliances for the Lok Sabha polls, say party sources. "Not everything is hunky dory in the party on decisions concerning

seats," acknowledged a party insider."Issues have to be sorted out including choice of seats for some top party leaders," he said. Among the issues facing the party is the decision on a parliamentary constituency for the party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. The party also has to decide if he will contest from two seats

including a constituency in his native Gujarat. There is a strong pitch in party circles that Modi should contest from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to bolster the party's prospects in the crucial state which sends 80 MPs to parliament. But there is also the question of accommodating senior leader Murli Manohar Joshi, the sitting MP from Varanasi, if such a decision is taken. Party sources said if Modi is fielded from Varanasi, Joshi would have to be accommodated on a seat he feels sure of winning. They said Joshi may opt for Kanpur which is held by the Congress at present. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also has to weigh the option that Modi contest from two seats. "Modi's contesting from Varanasi

BJP facing seat blues - despite poll trends

will be beneficial for the party in Uttar Pradesh. It will also help the party in the adjoining state of Bihar. But there is also pressure on him to contest from Gujarat," a party functionary, not willing to be identified, said. He acknowledged that Modi contesting from two seats is likely to invite criticism from the party's adversaries including the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party about his being unsure of victory. "All the factors will be taken into account before a final decision is taken," the functionary said. Sources said that BJP chief Rajnath Singh is keen to move to Lucknow from his present seat of Ghaziabad but there is no firm indication yet of sitting MP Lalji Tandon having agreed to leave the

seat for him. Tandon has, however, said that he would be happy to leave the seat for Modi if he desires to contest from Lucknow. "There will be some clarity on the seats for senior leaders on March 13 when the central election committee is expected to meet. Ghaziabad will go to the polls April 10 and the candidate for the seat is expected to be declared early. An announcement may also be made about the Varanasi seat," a party leader said. The party has also not yet announced the seat of party veteran L.K. Advani though he is again likely to fight from Gandhinagar in Gujarat. Sushma Swaraj is also among the senior leaders whose name has not yet been formally announced.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

BATTLEGROUND 2014

March 15-21, 2014

13

From left, Mithun Chakraborty, Mahesh Manjrekar, Bappi Lahiri and Jaspinder Narula

New Delhi: With the general elections just around the corner, politics seems to be the flavor of the season even for members of the Indian film fraternity. No sooner was actor Mithun Chakraborty picked by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to represent the party in the Rajya Sabha, came the news of singer and music composer Bappi Lahiri joining the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) for the Lok Sabha polls. "I will do what the party expects me to do," says Lahiri, about his responsibilities.

Bollywood makes a beeline for fighting elections

Mithun agreed to this new role as he wanted to do more for West Bengal. "I have always stood by the people and their rights, and I am going to do the same," Mithun had said. There are also reports of actors becoming star candidates for political parties. While Moon Moon Sen is a TMC candidate from Bankura in West Bengal, Marathi actor-filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar announced that he will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Mumbai north-west as a Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) candidate. "I got a call from (MNS chief) Raj (Thackeray), and I am very happy today," Manjrekar said. He added that this is the right time to take the plunge into politics. Bengali actor Biswajit Chatterjee is also being considered by the TC to contest from Delhi. Singer Jaspinder Narula, too, joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and said, "I had worked on a Savarkar project (based on freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar) and realised how much our freedom fighters

had struggled. Compared to that, we are not doing enough. I found AAP to be the only party that talks of a corruption-free India." Its not only those connected to the various Indian film industries that are joining politics. Other celebrities such as Indian footballer Bhaichung Bhutia and hockey legend Dhanraj Pillay have also taken the step. While Bhutia is set to contest from Darjeeling as a TMC candidate, Pillay has joined the AAP, and is reportedly set to campaign for it throughout the country.

Preity Zinta says not contesting elections

Actor Preity Zinta

ctor Preity Zinta has denied news reports that she may contest Lok Sabha elections against Congress MP Priya Dutt on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket. According to media reports here, the BJP is keen to rope in Preity to fight against Priya Dutt from the North-Central Mumbai

constituency. When asked about the same by a follower on social networking platform Twitter, Preity responded: "Where did you read this? Please tear that paper because it's 100 percent UNTRUE." Preity, co-owner of Kings XI Punjab IPL team, ventured into film production last year with "Ishkq in Paris".

Famous celebrity candidates

1. Vinod Khanna joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and has been quite active in politics since 1997. 2. TV star Smriti Irani, too, joined the BJP in 2003 and has risen through the ranks over time. 3. Shatrughan Sinha is a BJP MP, while Hema Malini joined the party in 2004 and Kirron Kher in 2009. 4. Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwari contested in the 15th Lok Sabha elections as a candidate for the Samajwadi Party in the Gorakhpur constituency in 2009. He reportedly joined the BJP in 2013. 5. Raj Babbar is an active Indian National Congress MP.

14

March 15-21, 2014

OP-ED

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

2014 elections: Congress down, BJP far from Mission 272

By Amulya Ganguli ext month's general elections may prove to be the most significant ever because they can determine the fate of the Congress' first family. It is open to question whether in the event of the party's defeat, as is anticipated, the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty can continue to play its present dominant role. True, the family has survived other setbacks, notably in 1977 and in 1989. But it had the advantage in those days of being headed by charismatic leaders. That was the reason the Congress survived the crushing blows it received in 1977 to return to power in 1980 by raising its tally of Lok Sabha seats from 153 to 353. Four years later, its tally went up to 415 under another popular leader, Rajiv Gandhi. This time, however, the party cannot claim that it is led by widely acclaimed leaders. Neither Sonia Gandhi nor Rahul Gandhi have the appeal and commanding personality of Indira Gandhi, or the charm and modern outlook of Rajiv Gandhi till he was tarred by the Bofors howitzer scandal.

Although Narendra Modi is well ahead of Rahul Gandhi in the prime ministerial race, there is still no certainty that the BJP will be able to accomplish its 'Mission 272-plus'

There is another disadvantage for the Congress this time. Its 1977 defeat was at the hands of a hastily assembled group of parties ranging from disgruntled Congressmen like Morarji Desai, angry over Indira Gandhi's rise in the party, to the Jana Sangh (now BJP) which merged with the newly-formed Janata Party. Moreover, the latter's inability to provide a semblance of effective governance revived Indira

Gandhi's image even as the popular anger against her emergency rule of 1975-77 subsided. In 1984, a sympathy wave over her assassination, coupled with Rajiv Gandhi's Mr. Clean image, helped the Congress. No such extraordinary circumstances - suppression of civil rights or a tragic death - exist now. Instead, a replay of the Bofors scam on a far wider scale along with economic slowdown has

eroded the Congress' standing. If the party had leaders who were in sync with an aspirational India, the scene might have been different. But Sonia Gandhi does not seem to have outgrown the years when she lived as a young bride in Indira Gandhi's household. The ideas which she imbibed from her formidable mother-in-law - socialism as an ideology and cynicism as policy - continue to influence her. Not only that, she has passed them on to Rahul Gandhi, who may be well-meaning and compassionate, as Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said on television, but not particularly politically astute or with economic insight. The result is that mother and son are unable to comprehend that the country has changed since 1991 because of the opening up of the economy. The common people are no longer enamoured of official sops and subsidies. Instead, they look to economic growth and increased opportunities for their livelihood. However, there is a silver lining for the Congress. It is the scene reminiscent of 1977 and 1989 and also the period between 1996 and 1998, when there was no stable government at the centre.

Although the Bharatiya Janata Party's Narendra Modi is well ahead of Rahul Gandhi in the prime ministerial race, according the opinion polls, there is still no certainty that the BJP will be able to accomplish its "Mission 272plus", as it highlighted at a recent convention. It will be happy if it can reach the 182-mark which it did in 1998 and 1999, but there are doubts on this score. Even if, for argument's sake, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the BJP wins 200-odd seats, the party's chances of attracting allies from outside the NDA which can enable it to reach 272 are not very high. So far the BJP has only been able to bring the Lok Janshakti Party to its side, but it is a poor compensation for the Janata Dal-United which left the NDA on the Modi issue. The group of minor Tamil Nadu parties which have joined the BJP cannot add much to the NDA's final tally. If the BJP can only expect to be the largest party in the Lok Sabha with the NDA falling well short of the majority, the other challenger to the Congress, the so-called Third Front, may not be able to get off the ground at all.

Do politicians think were fools?

Elections
By Karan Thapar

o politicians think were fools? It was an odd question but then Im used to Pertie springing surprises. This, however, was exceptional. Whats prompted that question? I felt I had to first understand his thinking. Just look at what the government tried to do. Having failed to use Parliament effectively for five years they now want to push ordinances on a range of issues from prevention of corruption, scheduled caste and tribe atrocities, the rights of the disabled and, even, Telangana! They believe this last-minute burst of activity can persuade us theyve delivered on every front. Doesnt it follow they think were fools? Perties point set me thinking. The election speeches weve started hearing and there are a lot more in store for us! make a very similar assumption. For instance, when Narendra Modi claims Gujarat has electricity 24/7, 365 days of the year he must be believing that farmers who receive three-phase electricity for only eight hours, often at night, either cant hear him or wont resent this untruth. Arvind Kejriwal, though new to politics, is no different. He boasts hes halved electricity rates and provided free water but

When people keep voting for you regardless of your tainted character, then you probably do look upon them as fools. At any rate, you take them for granted, which comes to the same thing.

fails to add that all of this will cease on the 31st of this month. In his haste to resign and claim political martyrdom he either failed or forgot to make provisions beyond that date. Given that he knew he was resigning, whats his explanation? The truth, I suspect, is that other concerns took precedence. This wasnt a priority. Now he must be hoping that come April 1 the good denizens of Delhi wont notice. That, too, assumes were fools. Come to think of it most of the rally

speeches were subjected to treat us as driven cattle. They assume rhetoric about 56-inch chests or emotional appeals to caste and religion or the mocking ridicule of opponents can sway our minds. Instead of elaborating their policies in detail and accurately costing their promises, which would assume we care and are intelligent enough to understand, politicians tempt us with vague promises which, like candyfloss, taste sweet but dont last very long. Thats

how you lure children. But if thats also how they reach out to us arent they treating us as fools? So is Pertie right? The more I think about it the more I fear he is. Let me explain. When people keep voting for you regardless of your tainted character, pathetic performance and with no credible expectation of change, then you probably do look upon them as fools. At any rate, you take them for granted, which comes to the same thing. The Association for Democratic Reforms regularly informs us of the percentage of candidates who face criminal charges, lack a credible education or have inexplicably increased their wealth whilst in office and yet we vote for them. In fact, they often win. Wont such people look upon voters as fools? Let me give you a final example. In 2011 Parliament passed a resolution promising the nation a Citizens Charter and Grievance Redressal Bill. It hasnt delivered. But do you hear many voices of objection? A few, no doubt, but what impact will they have on the politicians who lied and deceived us? And when we vote for them I wont say if what view will they take of us? That were fools? I dont want to overdo this analysis. That would be unfair. But Perties point is worth remembering as the elections get underway.

The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

CULTURE

March 15-21, 2014

15

Compiled by Jinal Shah

ith Holi gaining ground in the US, a large number of people including non-Indians are now celebrating the festival of colors. While Holi celebrations are spread out for an entire month before and after the actual festival date (this year March 17), the events this weekend in NY and NJ are crowd pullers. Events this year span the family-friendly, where you can play with colors without having to worry about being clobbered in the face by an over exuberant youth, to the free-for-alls and the Holi parties mixed with opportunity to network.

Center, 12 Halsey Reed Rd, Monroe Township, NJ 08831 When: Saturday, March 15, 4:00PM Masti squads exuberant festivities include traditional South Asian music, dancing, mehndi, Indian food and drinks (Thandai) and playing with powdered dyessymbolizing the return of color in spring after the drudgery of winter (and what a dreary winter it was). So if you are missing playing Holi out in the open with friends and family, this event is for you!

Jericho Sunrise Rotarys Holi Party

Where: The Cotillion, Jericho Turnpike, Jericho, NY When: Sunday, March 16, 12 noon Fun-filled event with open bar, food, DJ, and colors. $50 per head. Contact: jerichosunriserotary@gmail.com.

BollyMixNYC -The Annual Rangholi 2014

Where: K-Lounge, 30 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019 When: Saturday, March 15, 1:00PM Experience Holi Bollywood style from the organizers of longest running Bollywood theme party in Manhattan. It is held post 10 pm and goes on all night long! So wear your dancing shoes and be ready to groove to some hit Bollywood songs played by DJ Bhav & DJ Gaurav. If youre heading to the fete after work, make sure you ditch the suit; the colors will stain clothes. Phone: Bollymixnyc 724-7778187

On board Rang Barse Holi cruise 2013 of IN group. Courtesy: Rachna Kapur

Holi In The City

Where: Hudson Terrace, 621 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036 When: Saturday, March 22, 11:30AM Celebrate Holi with over 1,000 young professionals in a brunch party at an unparalleled party destination in New York City, tucked away at the edge of town along the Hudson River. Be ready to be painted in reds, yellows, greens, pinks and groove on peppy Indian music by DJ Sharad and Ravi Bindra. Dont forget to wear white! For Tickets: 1-908-425-1603

come out and play Holi by smearing folks with color on the other side of Hudson. Free event.

When: Sunday, March 23, 5pm

Holi in the streets of NYC

Where: nycholi.com (TBA) When: Saturday, May 3, Time (TBA) This could probably be your last chance to enjoy Holi for 2014. Enjoy Bhangra music and learn some Bhangra moves with NYC Bhangra free of charge. This fifth annual family-friendly event gives you a chance to paint your friends without getting involved in the crazed free-for-all of the Phagwah Parade in Queens. Along with free colors, enjoy Indian dance and music. Supported by Incredible India (Govt. of India) and Time Warner Cable in the past years. Phone: 2123728001

IN Group's Rang Barse in New York City The Holi cruise

Where: The Hornblower, Hudson River Park's Pier 40, 353 West St, New York, NY 10014 When: Saturday, March 22, 12:00PM Dubbed as Tri state areas biggest Holi bash, IN Groups Rang Barse is in its sixth year. As before, it will be held on a cruise that will set sail from Pier 40. Your ticket gets you a buffet of Indian food and soft drinks, but you'll have to shell out for booze from the cash bar. Dance to the amazing beats of DJ Ashu Rai and Dholi Mohit Sahni. The blue, pink, red, orange, yellow and green powders will be laid out on the top deck for your throwing pleasure. Reservation needed. Phone: 646 450 3049.

Rang Tarang 2013

Where: Deewan Banquet , 560 Stelton Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854 When: March 15, 11:00AM Central Jersey Expat Indians (CJEI) presents Rang Tarang 2013. Dance till you drop with live dhol and DJ, exotic dance performances, delicious full course menu, organic Holi colors. Prior reservations required. Phone: 609 354 8080

Surati/Rimli Roys Holi Hai

Where: Exchange Place, Jersey City When: Saturday, March 22, 11:00 AM Hosted by Rimli Roy/Surati for Performing Arts and Education, this 6th annual Holi event will have live multicultural performances, color playing (organic colors), fun workshops, Bhangra and dhol, DJ, dancing, cash bar, food, henna, thandai, family fun and festivities. So

Rang De Basanti
Where: Monroe township Senior Citizen

Holi Festival with India Association of Long Island (IALI)

Where: Antun's by Minar, 244 West Old Country Road, Hicksville, NY

Look out for our special Holi edition (March 22). To advertise call, Jinal 315-436-1142 or Parveen 516-710-0508.

By Parveen Chopra

Mystic India : More like Bollywood masala

India. The show opened with a tribute to Hindu gods, followed by a sequence that travelled through regions of India. Love between Radha-Krishna and Jodha-Akbar got a look in. Then, without touching on Indias freedom struggle, the show transitioned to Bollywood, a medley of songs, expression of love in Indian movies, and the infamous item numbers. Even amid energetic dancing all through, the bhangra number to the sound of Daler Mehndis Rang de Basanti was really pulse-pounding. Dancing by about 60 mixed race performers was above par. Costumes were opulent. The yoga poses by an acrobat hanging from a rope was eye-catching. There were a few musical interludes with live musicians -- one that had a jugalbandi between the classical Indian musicians and modern orchestra impressed. One would have liked to see a better

irst off, there was nothing mystical about Mystic India show last Saturday at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark, NJ. It was more a collection of well-choreographed dance numbers, mostly Bollywood style, but some folk and classical too. Nonetheless, the 2,500-strong audience at the opulent auditorium visibly enjoyed the proceedings, clapping and roaring, and often. Mystic India: The World Tour is created by Aatma Performing Arts founded by Amit Shah, who is also the shows founder, director and choreographer. It has been presented in cities abroad, but it was NJ resident Shahs dream to stage it at NJPAC. Mystic India is avowedly based on ancient Indias transition into modern

The well-choreographed dances of the Mystic India show were very energetic. (left) The yoga poses by an acrobat hanging from a rope was eye-catching. Photos: Greg Konop.

theme and storyline around which to hang the umpteen dance numbers. Narration for a show purportedly taking in the arc of India past and present has to be lofty too. The performance was part of NJPACs World Music Series. Programming was

made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by Discover Jersey Arts.

16

March 15-21, 2014

ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Cameron to watch 'Kochadaiiyaan' made on a Rajinikanths Kochadaiiyaan? fraction of budget of 'Avatar'

fter the makers of Rajinikanths next invited Shah Rukh Khan to the music launch of the 3D extravaganza, now the films director, Soundarya Rajinikanth Ashwin, has sent an invitation to Hollywood film-maker James Cameron for a special screening of Kochadaiiyaan. Soundarya personally sent him a formal invite for the screening. "In case Cameron is unable to make it to Chennai, a print of the film will be sent to him before the release date," informs a source. Rajinikanth and Deepika Padukone romance onscreen for the first time in Kochadaiiyaan. Rajinikanth and Deepika Padukone Rajinikanth plays the Pandyan king romance for the first time in the Kochadaiyaan Ranadhiran in 3D film Kochadaiiyaan. Kochadaiiyaan. ducer to watch her film and share his opinCameron, who has been known for his ion of Kochadaiiyaan -The Legend. technologically advanced films, made Confirming the news, Soundarya says, "I headlines in 2009 for pushing the boundam a big fan of James Cameron and his aries when it comes to the use of 3D and film Avatar. I am quite keen to have him motion capture technology for Avatar. watch our film and give his feedback as The film went on to win three Oscars, including one for Best Visual Effects at the Kochadaiiyaan is a first-of-its-kind project in Asia. We have got in touch with his Academy Awards in 2010. Since office and are waiting for them to Soundaryas film also uses similar shooting techniques, she wants the director-pro- get back."

uperstar Rajinikanth-starrer Tamil period-drama "Kochadaiiyaan" has been made on a budget of Rs.125 crore, says its producer J. Murali Manohar, who feels it can't be compared with "Avatar" or "Tin Tin" as these films are made on a larger budget. "Kochadaiiyaan" marks the directorial debut of Soundarya, daughter of Rajinikanth. It is said to be India's first motion capture photo-realistic 3D animated film. "Our film is made on a budget of Rs.125 crore and it took us two years. 'Avatar' was made on a budget of Rs.3,000 crore and was completed in five years, while 'Tin Tin' cost about Rs.4,000 crore and also took about five years. Look at the budget and time, we can't compare 'Kochadaiiyaan' with these films," Manohar told IANS. "Kochadaiiyaan", which also stars Deepika Padukone, Jackie Shroff, R. Sarath Kumar, Nasser, Aadi Pinisetty, Shobana and Rukmini, is slated to release April 11. "When Soundarya approached me with the concept, I was moved by her conviction in the film and the technology to be used in it. I told her that you are an ambitious director and I'm a gutsy producer...let's do the film," he said.

'Kochadaiiyaan' marks the directorial debut of Soundarya, daughter of Rajinikanth.

The film is jointly produced by Eros International and Media One Global Entertainment. There are plans to release the movie in twelve languages.

here are some films that you simply don't want to end. And when they do, you want to spring out of your seat and give the darned thing a standing ovation. "Queen", directed by Vikas Bahl is that rarity. Its thematic elegance and narrative wisdom surpasses anything that you might have come to expect from the frothy ebullient trailers. Frothy and ebullient, "Queen" certainly is. But it's a lot more. At the end you are left so close to the characters and their life-defining milieu that the late Bobby Singh's camera lenses dissolve and merge into the very fabric of the narrative. And to think that the film begins with another big fat Punjabi wedding! Before we know it, the narrative takes wings, much like its protagonist Rani played by Kangna Ranaut. In "Queen", Kangna is so in-sync with her character that you wonder if the story was written according to the emotions that the actress had stored away in her heart. There is stark honesty about Kangna's portrayal of the Delhi girl who is deserted by her husband-tobe days before the wedding. Familiar, no? Bahl turns the oftrepeated tale of betrayal and selfrealization into an ode to womanhood. The naked yearning in Rani's

'Queen'- Kangna shines in a flawless inspirational tale

Review

What makes Deepika jealous of Kangana?

ctress Deepika Padukone, who was on a roll with one hit performance after another in 2013, is jealous of another actress! She is in awe of Kangana Ranaut's work in the recently released "Queen". "I have seen 'Queen' and I am jealous of her performance, I think she was outstanding," the 28-year-old said here Saturday at the HT Mumbai Most Stylish Awards. Deepika also praised "Queen" director Vikas Bahl for portraying a woman's emotions so beautifully. "What a beautiful film. I think if you are a woman and have been in a relationship, just the way he has captured the emotion of the girl and the way he has portrayed it, it's one of the best films I have seen in the longest time and it's outstanding," Deepika said. "Queen" hit theatres March 7 and is getting rave reviews from both critics and audiences. It also stars Rajkummar Rao and tells the story of a girl who goes for her honeymoon alone and captures her journey of selfdiscovery.

Kangna Ranaut in a scene from 'Queen'

eyes when she pleads with the selfish idiot not to destroy her life is so real it leaves you shaken. You know immediately that this girl means business. And so, let me tell you, does the director. Bahl possesses a keen eye for physical and emotional detail. He makes astounding use of a wide spectrum of topography from Delhi to Paris to Amsterdam to give specificity to the protagonist's obvious weaknesses and inner strengths. Here is that rare director who knows how to articulate his characters' feelings

through the spaces that they occupy. Kangna's face and body-language do the rest. Kangna's performance holds the film together even as Rajkummar Rao as the selfish fiance and Lisa Haydon as Rani's bohemian Parisian pal lend added colour to the bewitching canvas. The smallest of the roles are performed with unconditional conviction. If you miss "Queen", you may never get a chance to know how Rani journeyed into self-actualization. And that would be your loss entirely.

Deepika Padukone

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD

March 15-21, 2014

17

ctor-producer Atul Agnihotri, who has roped in his star brotherin-law Salman Khan for a cameo in his film "O Teri", says the actor is "adding a lot" to the film. "'O Teri' is being well-pushed by Salman Khan. He is adding a lot to the film and his song, which he shot recently for the film, will be out in the next two days," Agnihotri said here. "The song has turned out really well... it is fabulous. I am thankful to Salman Khan," he added. Agnihotri is married to Salman's sister Alvira. Talking about his relationship with Salman, whom he calls "Bhai", Aghnihotri said: "I work with family and I share a great bonding with Bhai. I don't know about my next project as I am completely involved with this film at the moment."

Abhishek to speak at London School of Economics

ts always an honor for a Bollywood actor to be invited to talk at top educational institutions across the world Shah Rukh Khan addressed students at Harvard University last year, while in 2011, Amitabh Bachchan visited Oxford for a lecture. Now, the veteran stars son, Abhishek Bachchan, is also set to travel to the London School of Economics for a similar reason. He has been invited as a keynote speaker at the universitys Economic Forum for India 2014 conference. A source says, Abhishek will travel to London for the event that will take place on March 15. He will be talking about the entertainment industry. The actor will address the audience at the function that will take place in the Holborn area of London. The forum will also have other influential speakers discuss the various facets of India. Bigwigs from the corporate sectors, too, will conduct an open dialogue on the economic and social challenges in India, as well as the opportunities that are emerging here.

Salman Khan with the other star cast of 'O Teri'

Satatmev Jayate 2: Aamir lodges complaint

ollywood star Aamir Khan has registered a complaint with the Mumbai police in the wake of a defamatory campaign against him on social networking website Facebook. The "malicious messages are wrong and baseless", he has said. Aamir met Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria and Joint commissioner (law and order) Sadanand Date. The officials have assured swift investigation and action. The Cyber Cell of the Crime Bureau will investigate the case, said an official statement. It has been alleged in the messages on social networking site that that when at the end of the show, Aamir asks for donations for Humanity Trust, the money is used for masjid construction

assistance and placement assistance for Muslim youth. Aamir took to his Facebook page and clarified that he is associated with Humanity Trust, Hanspukur, West Bengal, not the other Humanity Trust. "These malicious messages are entirely false, wrong and baseless. I categorically deny that SMJ has anything to do with Humanity Trust as stated in the malicious messages or that we have called for donations in the name of the said entity. I urge the members of the public to disregard the said malicious message," he wrote.
Actor-TV host Aamir Khan

Abhishek Bachchan

Amitabh unveils 'Bhootnath Returns' trailer

A scene from 'Bhootnath Returns'

egastar Amitabh Bachchan unveiled the trailer of his much-awaited movie "Bhootnath Returns" in the presence of the entire cast of

the film. Bachchan said he was thankful to T-Series to have approached him again for the sequel. "I am thankful to T-Series to have approached me for the sequel again. This small kid Parth is the only one who can see me in the film. In this film, he is the hero and I am zero," Bachchan told reporters during the trailer launch. "Bhootnath Returns" is a sequel to "Bhootnath" which was released in 2008. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, "Bhootnath Returns" features Bachchan, Boman Irani and Shahrukh Khan among others. It is slated for release April 11.

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LENS EYE

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Children disguised as well known politicians playing Holi during a program in Kolkata on March 13.

Two Bharat Ratnas together! Moving into his new house, Sachin Tendulkar wanted a gift from melody queen Lata Mangeshkar to keep in his music room. She gave him two frames with lyrics of her hits 'Tu jahan jahan chalega' and 'Piya tose naina lage re'. The meeting in Mumbai was felicitated by Maharashtra leader Raj Thackeray. Anjali Tendulkar is also seen.

People form a giant female gender symbol in celebration of the International Women's Day in Manila, the Philippines, March 8. More than 10,000 people participated in the event to set a Guinness World Record.

British actress Keira Knightley (Bend it Life Beckham) turned heads at Paris Fashion Week last weekappearing in this wacky optical illusion dress showcasing a seemingly impossibly tiny waist.

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DIASPORA

March 15-21, 2014

19

Dubai: Expatriate Indians in Saudi Arabia have demanded that the Indian authorities facilitate online voting for them through biometric system in the general elections due next month. Although non-resident Indians (NRIs) have been permitted to register online and granted the right to vote in the elections, the registered voters can only exercise their franchise by being present in their respective constituencies in India. However, millions of NRIs continue to demand online voting rights as most consider it impractical to travel and spend money just for voting. Zubair Siddique, a resident of Jeddah, a coast city in western Saudi Arabia, regrets not being able to participate in the elections for the last 15 years. I am never able to travel back home due to my hectic work schedule. I was hoping that the government would at least consider online voting this year, Arab News quoted Siddique as saying Wednesday. At 2.8 million, Indians account for the largest expatriate community in Saudi Arabia. At least 65 percent of expatriate Indians in that Gulf nation come from the south Indian

Indian expats in Saudi Arabia demand online voting rights

state of Kerala. The state boasts of near-full literacy and hence, awareness of general affairs among its expatriate community is broad. Faiz Ahmed Kidawi, India's consul-general in the Saudi city of Jeddah, welcomed the idea of online voting. But he is of the view that such a facility should only be implemented after a proper system and precautions are put in place by the Indian government. Ahmed Naseem, an Indian expatriate based in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh, observed that several countries have implemented online voting and that India was still lagging behind. Naseem wondered why the government was not able to solve the NRI voting issue, despite spending huge amounts of money on the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, annual conclave of the Indian diaspora to keep overseas Indians connected to their home country. Several NRIs are under the mistaken impression that the Election Commission does not consider them fit to vote for their constituencies since they are away from the country and as such, lack knowledge about prevailing political systems, he added.

London: An India-born British 'curry queen' who made her name supplying readymade Indian meals to supermarkets and pubs in the UK is looking for new backers for her food empire. Perween Warsi, who moved to the UK from India in the 1970s, wants to expand her S&A Foods firm with an injection of fresh funds. Advisers from PriceWaterhouseCoopers firm have been hired to lead the search for the company, she set up nearly 30 years ago, from her kitchen, according to the Sunday Times. The Derby-based caterer, which has 600 staff, makes Indian curry dishes for UK supermarkets including the chain Asda, its biggest customer. Sales last year were 51 million pounds with pre-tax profits of almost 700,000. Warsi was famously inspired to start the company after being appalled by the quality of a samosa she had bought from a supermarket. She founded S&A Foods in 1986 by supplying her local Indian takeaway and the following year had her big break after persuading several large grocery chains to include her food in a series of taste tests. Warsi was producing the curries from home but after beating several established

British 'curry queen' hunts for new backers

Perween Warsi

food manufacturers in the tests, was persuaded to open a factory. She was honored with a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2002. S&A Foods confirmed it was "seeking partners" to fund future expansion and new production facilities.

Indo-Canadian gangster gunned down

Toronto: A notorious Indo-Canadian gangster was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Vancouver in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Tejinder Singh Malli, 29, and another man were shot when they were sitting in a car parked on Cordova Street near Thurlow, a Vancouver police department statement said Tuesday. When police arrived they found Malli in the car and the second victim a short distance away. Both victims were rushed to hospital with serious injuries. While Malli succumbed to his injuries, the second victim, a 28-year-old man from North Vancouver, remains in hospital in stable condition. The victims, known to the police, are associated with gangs and also connected to the drug trade, the statement said. Police said the murder does appear to be targeted and investigation into the case is underway. According to The Vancouver Sun, Malli was once aligned with the Red Scorpion gang but went on to switch gang allegiances several times.

Riyadh: In a significant humanitarian gesture following the visit of the Saudi crown prince to India in Feb last week, hundreds of Indian prisoners in Saudi jails may be transferred to India if they are so willing. Steps are being taken to transfer Indian prisoners from jails in Saudi Arabia to Indian prisons, according to a joint communique issued at the end of the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to India Feb 26-28. "The Saudi side told the Indian side that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has made the necessary steps to transfer a number of sentenced Indian prisoners in accordance with the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons involving deprivation of liberty signed between the two countries in 2010 in Riyadh," the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted the

Saudi Arabia to send back Indian prisoners in humanitarian move

was signed during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Saudi Arabia in 2010 during which the historic Riyadh Declaration was signed Saudi Arabia is home to around 2.8 million Indians, a large number of them working as blue collar workers. India's Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi had stated in the Rajya Sabha, or the upper house of the Indian parliament, last month that, of the 3,497 Indian prisoners lodged in jails in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the maximum number of 1,400 are in Saudi Arabia. Of these, 568 prisoners are lodged in jails in the Red Sea coast city of Jeddah. Apart from Saudi Arabia, there are 1,025 Indian prisoners in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), around 250 in Kuwait, 106 in Oman, 76 in Bahrain and 72 in Qatar.

Saudi Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to India in Feb. The transfer move came following his visit.

communique as stating. The decision will not apply to prisoners serving death sentences. Those who do not want to go and want to serve their sentences in the kingdom will not be forced to return, officials stated.

The prisoner transfer move is a first for Saudi Arabia and underlines the growing trust and cooperation between the two countries in a wide spectrum of areas, the officials said. The Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons

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March 15-21, 2014

SUBCONTINENT

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Kabul: A gunman shot dead a Swedish-British journalist in central Kabul, officials said, a rare daylight murder of an expatriate in a city often hit by Taliban suicide attacks. The Taliban denied responsibility for the killing in an upmarket district close to a Lebanese restaurant in the Afghan capital, where the militants launched a suicide attack that killed 21 people, including 13 foreigners, in January. The Swedish ambassador to Afghanistan Peter Semneby identified the dead man as radio journalist Nils Horner. "Unfortunately we just have received confirmation that Nils Horner, who was correspondent for Swedish national radio, was shot and killed in Kabul this morning," ambassador Peter Semneby said. "We understand he had British nationality in addition to his Swedish nationality. His family has been informed." A witness at the scene described hearing a single gunshot before seeing the victim fall to the ground and a doctor at Kabul's emergency hos-

Swedish-British journalist gunned down in Kabul

Swedish radio journalist Nils Horner

pital said he was dead on arrival. "There were two guys who ran away. They were perhaps in their 20s and security guards chased them as they ran away," the witness said. Security forces rushed to the scene and cordoned off the street, where there was blood visible on the ground. The next president will face a testing new era as the Afghan army and police attempt to impose security without Nato assistance and as international funding declines.

Islamabad: Embattled former Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf failed to turn up for his indictment in a special court conducting his treason trial citing security reasons and was summoned on Friday. High drama was witnessed at the hearing as the court was due to indict Musharraf over his 2007 imposition of emergency rule. One of Musharraf's lawyers Rana Ijaz was ordered out of the courtroom by Justice Faisal Arab, heading the three-man bench, after he called the judges "contract killers". At the start of the hearing, Ahmed Raza Kasuri, another lawyer of Musharraf, presented a leaked secret letter written by an official of the interior ministry warning against a possible terror attack on the 70-year-old former army chief. He said Musharraf will appear when the court summons him, however, the court

Pak court adjourns Musharraf's treason case hearing

This is the first time in Pakistan's history that a former military chief is facing trial for treason.

will be responsible for any untoward incident with his client. He said, "History will hold you (the court) responsible". Justice Arab countered that history itself would decide and asked the counsel not to cross professional limits.

Currently about 1,200 security personnel are put on duty to ensure Musharraf's safe travel to the special court. This is the first time in Pakistan's history that a former military chief is facing trial for treason.

Nepal PM to quit after constitution promulgation

Nepal's Prime Minister Sushil Koirala (Centre)

Kathmandu: Nepal's Prime Minister Sushil Koirala said that he will step down immediately after the promulgation of a new constitution within the next 10 months. Speaking at a public programme, Koirala, who became the country's prime minister Feb 10, said that his main priority was to get the Constituent Assembly to draft a new democratic constitution. "After the promulgation of the new constitution, I will give up my post as I have no interest in remaining in power," Koirala said. He added that all the political parties were serious and

responsible for the promulgation of a new constitution as soon as possible. Despite the prime minister's statement, Nepal's Constituent Assembly has not yet begun the task of drafting the new constitution. Four months have elapsed since the Nov 19 elections but the Constituent Assembly rules of procedures have not been finalised yet due to the dispute among the parties. Nepali Congress's Koirala became the prime minister Feb 10 with the strong backing of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified MarxistLeninist.

Colombo: The United States has criticized the highest court in the Maldives after it sacked the country's elections commissioner and gave him a suspended six-month jail term for contempt of court, throwing into doubt a parliamentary election set for this month. The court also sacked the deputy commissioner but without a jail term. State department spokesperson Jen Psaki in a statement called the trial of commissioners Fuwad Thowfeek and Ahmed Fayaz an "unprecedented expansion of judicial powers.'' The verdict has thrown a parliamentary election set for March 22 into jeopardy, with only two members remaining on a five-member Elections Commission. A third member resigned earlier. The jail term for Thowfeek was suspended for three years. "These actions represent an unprecedented expansion of judicial powers which undermines an independent democratic institution that had made laudable efforts to hold multiple, successful elections despite previous judicial interference,'' Psaki's statement said. It said the Supreme Court's insistence on holding the election as scheduled March 22, after having sacked the official responsible for holding it, calls "into serious question the government's commitment to democracy.'' Tension between the judiciary and the Elections Commission arose after Thowfeek spoke out against some controversial judgments by the Supreme Court pertaining to last November's presidential election runoff. Gayoom, the brother of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who ruled the island nation for 30 years, won a narrow victory over Mohamed Nasheed, who led the struggle for democracy and was elected president in 2008 in the country's first multiparty election.

US questions Maldives' commitment to democracy

Art of Livings Pakistan yoga centre set ablaze

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar meets some religious leaders in Islamabad last year

Islamabad: Unidentified armed men have set ablaze an Art of Living yoga centre established here by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who once offered to hold talks with the Taliban to usher in peace in Pakistan. "Two guards were present at the centre. Around eight people came and asked where the money was kept. When guards said they didn't know, they were tied up and the building was set on fire using petrol on Saturday," police sources said. The centre is on Peace Street in upmarket Bani Gala area of Islamabad. Four rooms of the centre were completely destroyed. Meena Gabeena, an official at the centre, said the attackers did not speak a word. "The attackers came in

two cars, hit the guards on the head and legs," she said, adding when people from nearby areas came and made noise, the miscreants fled. The Art of Living, in a press note, quoted faculty member Shahnaz Minallah as saying: "It's shocking. The centre has the capacity to house 60 people. Fortunately, this weekend, the venue of the stress-elimination programme had been moved to Nankana Sahib." Ravi Shankar had visited Pakistan in 2012 and inaugurated the centre for his Art of Living movement. He had also offered to hold talks with the Taliban to usher in peace in the region, saying it would help foster understanding among people with divergent views.

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INTERNATIONAL

March 15-21, 2014

21

Kuala Lumpur: Search and rescue teams have been moved to the Andaman Sea to the south of Thailand to continue the search for a Malaysia Airlines plane that went missing last Saturday, an official said here. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Shahidan Kassim said the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) had widened the area of its operations in the hope of finding clues that may lead to the discovery of the missing plane. "MMEA will aggressively intensify the search which is currently assisted by many foreign governments," Xinhua quoted Kassim as saying. Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 with 239 passengers and crew on board vanished without a trace about an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur. The Boeing 777200ER was presumed to have crashed off the Vietnamese coast in the South China Sea. Earlier, Malaysia's air force chief

No clue on missing Malaysian airliner

Plane with 239 on board, including five Indians, disappeared after taking off from Kuala Lumpur airport in South China sea; India joins search operations
triggered by two Iranians boarding the missing plane with stolen passports has not finished, with John Brennan, director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), saying Tuesday the possibility of a terror link could not be ruled out. Asked if the agency could rule out a terror link in the case, the CIA head said: "No, we're not ruling it out. Not at all." Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble said earlier Tuesday that it appeared increasingly certain the two Iranians, Seyed Mohammed Reza Delavar and Pouria Nourmohammadi, were probably not terrorists, but illegal migrants seeking a new life in Europe. Echoing Noble's statement, Khalid Abu Bakar, Malaysia's national police chief, also said authorities believed that Nourmohammadi was not likely to be a member of any terrorist group, and that he was trying to migrate to Germany. Even as over 10 countries are scouring the waters around Flight

Dozens of planes and ships have already searched tens of thousands of square miles of Malaysia and off both its coasts without finding a trace of the Boeing 777.

denied reports that radar had detected the plane over the Strait of Malacca. "I wish to state that I did not make any such statements," Xinhua cited Gen. Rodzali Daud as saying in a statement. But he said the air force has not

ruled out the possibility that the Beijing-bound aircraft had turned back before it vanished from the radar. The belief resulted in the search area being widened to the vicinity of the waters off the west coast of Malaysia, he said. An international terrorism probe

MH370's last known location, more countries like India, Japan and France have joined the massive search and rescue. Meanwhile, Malaysia Airlines said in a website update that its "primary focus at this point in time is to care for the families of the passengers and crew of MH370". "This means providing them with timely information, travel facilities, accommodation, meals, medical and emotional support," it said. "As of now, we have 115 family members in Kuala Lumpur and they are taken care of by 72 different caregivers. At least one caregiver is assigned to each family together with a Mandarin translator for the families from China." The airline also said equal amounts of initial financial assistance were being given to all families of passengers and crew over and above their basic needs. "This amount is extended to families of all crew and passengers in Malaysia as well those from other nation"," it said.

Ukraine seeks peaceful resolution to Crimean crisis

Since the outbreak of the Crimea turmoil, Kiev has been accusing Moscow of allegedly fomenting separatist sentiments

Kiev: Ukraine would try to peacefully resolve the crisis in the autonomous republic of Crimea through political dialogue, the country's acting Defence Minister Igor Tenyukh said. "All issues must be resolved at the diplomatic level," Xinhua quoted Tenyukh as telling a cabinet meeting. At the same time, Tenyukh pointed out that the Ukrainian armed forces were ready to repel a possible external aggression against their country on the eastern and southern borders. Earlier in the day, Ukrainian parliament Speaker Alexandr Turchynov, who is also the country's acting President, told western media that Kiev would not use its army to intervene militarily in

Crimea. Turchynov explained that Kiev did not want to escalate the crisis in the southern peninsula. The comments by the Ukrainian officials came after the Crimean parliament voted Tuesday for independence of the autonomous republic on the eve of Sunday's referendum on joining Russia. The crisis in the mostly Russian-speaking Crimea began in late February following the ouster of Kremlin-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Since the outbreak of the Crimea turmoil, Kiev has been accusing Moscow of allegedly fomenting separatist sentiments and worsening the situation in Crimea by increasing military troops in the peninsula.

Tripoli: Libya's ousted prime minister has left the country despite a ban on travel, hours after parliament removed him from office in a no-confidence vote. Officials in Tripoli could not confirm the departure of Ali Zidan, Libya's first democratically chosen leader who had struggled for 15 months to stem the country's spiraling descent into chaos. But in nearby Malta, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told state-owned television that Zidan had made a brief stop-over on the Mediterranean island late on Tuesday, before traveling on. The Western-backed Zidan was ousted in a parliament vote on Tuesday as Libya faces a series of crises, including an escalation over oil ports seized by an eastern militia. Soon after parliament voted, Libya's general prosecutor banned Zidan from travel pending an investigation into corruption allegations.

Libya's ousted PM leaves country despite ban

Over five million kids affected by Syria conflict: Unicef

Geneva: Some 5.5 million Syrian children fell victims to the three-year-old crisis in the wartorn country, the UN Children's Fund (Unicef) said while releasing a new report on the prevailing situation in the country. Unicef also appealed for an immediate end to the violence and enhanced support for the affected. In the report titled -- Under Siege--the devastating impact on children of three years of conflict in Syria -- the UN agency stressed the immense damage caused to children by the ongoing armed conflicts, Xinhua reported. It warned that the future of 5.5 million Syria children, with some 4.3 million children inside Syria and around 1.2 million having fled to neighbouring countries as refugees, was threatened. It was due to violence, the collapse of health and education services, severe psychological distress and the worsening economic impact on families combined to devastate a generation, it added. The UN agency called for international community to halt the violence in Syria, and granting of immediate access to underreached children living in the country. It also urged for boosting the education and healthcare system, providing support to host communities and governments to improve the conditions for Syria refugee children and families.

Libya's ousted Prime Minister Ali Zidan

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March 15-21, 2014

BUSINESS

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Hyderabad: Air India has made it clear that it has no plans to ground Dreamliner 787 as there are no safety issues involved. Rohit Nandan, chairman and managing director, Air India, told reporters that both Boeing and Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA) assured that there were no safety issues. He said the incidents could be related to software or some

No plans to ground Dreamliners, says Air India

small technical matter. "Air India had discussions with Boeing team and our engineers are in touch with them," he said. Rohit said a committee was looking into the issue related to Dreamliners and it would submit its report in 18 months.To another query, he said Air India need to replace 9 ATRs and 19 A320s.

Hyderabad: Boeing and SpiceJet have inked $4.4 billion (Rs.26,000 crore) deal for 42 aircraft. The mega deal was signed at the inauguration of India Aviation 2014, country's largest civil aviation event, here. The first of the 42 737-8 MAX aircraft ordered by SpiceJet will be delivered in 2018, Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president of Asia Pacific and India Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, told reporters. Keskar and S.L. Narayanan, Group CFO for The Sun Group, signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh. The aircraft will be in service in the world first with Southwest Airlines in 2017. Keskar said the aircraft, a variant of 737-800, was 14 percent more fuel efficient. "There is also Boeing sky interior which gives pleasing effect, the aircraft has bigger wings and new engine," he said. "Boeing continues to build fuel efficient and environmentally less carbon emission aeroplanes," he added. "SpiceJet greatly values the ties we have built over the years with Boeing. The Boeing NextGeneration 737 aircraft, the mainstay of the fleet ever since SpiceJet started operations, have vindicated our

Boeing, SpiceJet sign $4.4 bn deal

SpiceJet has ordered 90 airplanes directly from Boeing

choice by their endurance, reliability and cost effectiveness," said Narayanan. "The induction of Boeing 737 MAX will further modernize our fleet, improve customer experience, and ensure that we operate the most efficient fleet well into the future," he said. With this announcement, SpiceJet has ordered 90 airplanes directly from Boeing, which includes the 737-800, 737-900ER and now the 737 MAX. SpiceJet has so far taken delivery of 31 of the airplanes.

Washington: American households accumulated their wealth at a faster pace in the last quarter of 2013 driven by returns in equity and real estate investment, a report has said. The US Federal Reserve said in a report Thursday the net worth of households -- the difference between the value of assets and liabilities -- was $80.7 trillion at the end of 2013, about $3 trillion more than at the end of the third quarter, reported Xinhua. For 2013 as a whole, net worth increased $9.8 trillion, or 14 percent, driven largely by increase in the value of directly and indirectly

US household wealth grows steadily in Q4 India-US panel to advance clean energy access
held corporate equities and increase in the value of real estate. Household debt edged up at an annual rate of 0.4 percent in the fourth quarter, sharply down from a 3-percent increase in the previous quarter, showing Americans are less willing to lend. Home mortgage debt contracted 1 percent, following an increase of 1 percent in the third quarter, as mortgage rates edged up. Rising household wealth drove up consumer credit to grow at an annual rate of 5.4 percent, about half a percentage point lower than in the previous quarter. New Delhi: India and the US have agreed to create a joint implementation committee to regularly monitor and further the PEACE (Promoting Energy Access through Clean Energy) initiative launched in 2013 under the India-US Energy Dialogue. This year's talks, following an earlier postponement due to the row over the treatment of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, was cochaired by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. PEACE promotes increased energy access in off-grid, unserved and underserved rural areas and is developing several priority activities,

including the formation of an Off-Grid Clean Energy Alliance for off-grid business models. "Our dialogue has been very successful," Ahluwalia told media persons after the talks. "Ahluwalia and Moniz discussed progress made by the working groups in renewable energy and new technologies, cooperation in shale gas, LNG imports, energy efficiency and low carbon technologies," an external affairs ministry statement here said. "In all these efforts (PEACE), the private sector engagement is central," Moniz said.The India-US Energy Dialogue, part of the broader strategic dialogue, was launched in May 2005 and last held in Washington in September 2012.

Strategic Rohtang tunnel may miss 2015 deadline

On completion, the tunnel will be a boon for the cold deserts of Lahaul Valley,

Manali (Himachal Pradesh): The construction of the Rohtang tunnel, India's strategically important infrastructure project that will ensure all-weather connectivity to forward areas in Ladakh bordering China and Pakistan, may miss its February 2015 deadline. Official sources say it will also face a cost overrun of Rs.500-600 crore.

The Rs.1,495-crore ($290 million) Rohtang tunnel's foundation stone was laid by United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi June 28, 2010, in the picturesque Solang Valley near here. "The project is delayed owing to tough climatic conditions and geological surprises coming one after another," an official, who is associated with the project execution, told IANS. He said the defence ministry project is currently facing high water seepage and loose strata towards Dhundi, 25 km from here, and is likely to be completed by 2017. Official sources said so far 4,100 metres have been dug up out of the 8.8-km-long horseshoe shaped tunnel, being built under the 3,978 m Rohtang Pass in the Himalayas.

Digging is the most challenging assignment in tunnel construction. "Till date Rs.830 crore has been spent. As per estimates, it will now cost more than Rs.2,000 crore," said the official, who didn't wish to be identified. National Commission for Scheduled Tribes vice chairperson Ravi Thakur, who inspected the construction work March 7, told IANS the project execution has been going on at a slow pace. Thakur, who is also a legislator, said he has apprised Defence Minister A.K. Antony about the abnormal delay in its execution. The project is being built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), an organisation under the defence ministry, in collaboration with Strabag-Afcons, a joint venture between

India's Afcons Infrastructure Ltd and Strabag SE of Austria. According to a BRO official, some areas along the Rohtang tunnel's south portal are under 8 to 10 feet of snow and the minimum temperature is around minus 20 degrees Celsius. In October last year, the construction work was partially suspended after a portion of the tunnel rooftop collapsed on the south portal. There was no loss of life. The Cabinet Committee on Security cleared the Rohtang tunnel project in September 2009. On completion, the tunnel will be a boon for the cold deserts of Lahaul Valley, where over 20,000 people remain cut off from the rest of the country in winters owing to the closure of the Rohtang Pass.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

SPORTS

March 15-21, 2014

23

UAE, India to co-host Indian Premier League

Indian GP promoters have not complied with contract: Ecclestone

New Delhi: Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has contended that the promoters of the Indian Grand Prix have not fully met their contractual obligations to see through the fiveyear deal. The Indian promoters, the Jaypee Group, in a polite yet firm retort, refused to discuss the contractual terms in public. They have promised to sort them out with the Formula One Management (FOM). Ecclestone said that he and his organization was still committed to see through the fiveyear contract, provided what he called certain "surmountable obstacles" were sorted out. He said the Indian GP promoters have not fully complied with the race contract to put the 2015 race in jeopardy. It now seems that the tax and bureaucratic hurdles cited for the uncertainty over the race returning to the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) were not the only reasons. Ecclestone hastened to add that he was still hoping India to be back on F1 calendar next season.

Michael Schumacher was put in induced coma in France after he severely injured his head in a skiing accident.

If matches are not possible in India during May 1-12 due to the elections, it would be held in Bangladesh.

Mumbai: The Indian Premier League (IPL), scheduled April 16June 1, will be co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India while Bangladesh has been kept as a stand-by due to the general elections, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced here. A BCCI statement said that UAE will host 16 matches from April 1630 and if matches are not possible in India during May 1-12 due to the elections, it would be held in Bangladesh. The remaining matches from May 13, including the play-offs and the final slated for June 1, will be held in India. "At least 16 matches will be held in the UAE. BCCI is very grateful to the Emirates Cricket Board, its chairman, Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, and the government of the UAE for their offer of wholehearted support to host the Pepsi IPL for this period," BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel

said in the statement. Patel also said that if it was not possible to host the IPL at home during May 1-12 due to the elections then it would be shifted to Bangladesh during that period. "For the period from Thursday 1st May to Monday 12th May, BCCI has approached the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, seeking permission to play IPL matches in India in cities where the polling has concluded in the respective state. BCCI is extremely conscious of the various complexities involved, but hopes for a favourable consideration," Patel said in the statement. "BCCI will abide by the decision of the authorities in this regard. If it is not possible to play in India during this period, IPL matches will be held in Bangladesh and BCCI is thankful to the Bangladesh Cricket Board and the government of Bangladesh for their support," Patel added.

Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone

London: Michael Schumacher has showed improvement in his "wake-up phase" and his family is confident that the seven-time Formula 1 world champion will recover from a life-threatening head injury he suffered while skiing at a French resort in December, the racing legend's manager Sabine Kehm informed. "We are and remain confident that Michael will pull through and will wake up. There sometimes are small, encouraging signs, but we also know that this is the time to be very patient," said Kehm. "Michael has suffered severe injuries. It is very hard to comprehend for all of us that Michael, who had overcome a lot of precarious situations in the past, has been

Schumacher shows 'small signs' of improvement

hurt so terribly in such a banal situation. "It was clear from the start that this will be a long and hard fight for Michael. We are taking this fight on together with the team of doctors, whom we fully trust. The length of the process is not the important part for us," she stressed. Kehm said Schumacher's family was grateful to his fans around the world for their continued prayers and support, requesting privacy at the same time. Schumacher was put in induced coma in a Grenoble hospital in France after the 45-year-old severely injured his head in a skiing accident at the French resort of Meribel Dec 29. Doctors initiated the wake up phase Jan 30.

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HEALTH

TheSouthAsianTimes.info
CDCP recommends that adults should engage in 150 minutes of moderate activity a week such as brisk walking.

E-cigarettes driving youth to nicotine addiction

Despite claims that e-cigarettes are helping people quit smoking, e-cigarettes have been found to be associated with more, not less, cigarette smoking among adolescents, a study says.

-cigarettes, promoted as a way to quit regular cigarettes, may actually be a new route to conventional smoking and nicotine addiction for teenagers, a study said. Adolescents who used the devices were more likely to smoke cigarettes and less likely to quit smoking. "Despite claims that e-cigarettes are helping people quit smoking, we found that e-cigarettes were associated with more, not less, cig-

arette smoking among adolescents," said Lauren Dutra, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California - San Francisco's (UCSF) centre for tobacco control research and education. The study of nearly 40,000 youth found that e-cigarettes usage among middle and high school students doubled between 2011 and 2012, from 3.1 to 6.5 percent. E-cigarettes are likely to be gateway devices for nicotine addiction among youth, opening up a whole

new market for tobacco. "It looks like the wild west marketing of e-cigarettes is not only encouraging youth to smoke them but also it is promoting regular cigarette smoking among youth," said senior author Stanton A. Glantz, a professor at the centre for tobacco control research and education. E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that look like cigarettes and deliver an aerosol of nicotine and other chemicals. Promoted as safer alternatives to cigarettes and smoking cessation aids, the devices are rapidly gaining popularity among adults and youth worldwide. These are sold in flavors such as chocolate and strawberry that are banned in conventional cigarettes because of their appeal to youth. The authors found that the devices were associated with higher odds of progression from experimenting with cigarettes to becoming established cigarette smokers. Additionally, adolescents who smoked both conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes smoked more cigarettes per day than non-ecigarette users, said the study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

10,000 steps a day not an official marker: Experts

he famous theory of 10,000 steps a day for a healthy life is not an official number and any amount of activity beyond what you are currently doing would benefit your health, experts have said. The origins of the 10,000-steps recommendation are not exactly scientific. Pedometers sold in Japan in the 1960s were marketed under the name 'manpo-kei' which translates to 10,000 steps meter, Catrine Tudor-Locke, director of the Walking Behavior Laboratory at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana was quoted as saying. Walking 10,000 steps a day is not an official recommendation

from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP). The centre recommends that adults should engage in 150 minutes of moderate activity a week such as brisk walking. You need to walk about 7,000 to 8,000 steps a day, Tudor-Locke added. If you normally walk about 5,000 steps a day, getting in an extra 30minute brisk walk would take you to about 8,000 steps. According to the researchers, each person has to find what works for them. The most important thing is to increase your activity beyond what you were doing before, said reports.

f eating right is a challenge, it may be because you are trying things you simply dont like. The key is finding options that satisfy your taste buds, say experts. Taste is a major influential factor driving what you eat and feed your family, so its important to strike a balance between foods you like and those that provide the nutrients you need, says Glenna McCollum, registered dietitian nutritionist and president of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Taste and nutrition are not mutually exclusive. March is National Nutrition Month, an excellent annual reminder to take the time to evaluate your diet and make positive changes you can sustain long-term. As part of the Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right theme, McClollum is encouraging Americans to return to the basics of healthful eating by combining taste and nutrition to create meals that follow the recommendations of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. With that in mind, McClollum is providing some expert tips on how to eat right and enjoy it: Love sandwiches? Swap out white bread for whole grain to up your fiber intake. Instead of mayo, use avocado as a rich addition to your sandwich. Its more flavorful, and its also full of fiber, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, as well as other nutrients. To stay fuller longer, include fiber-rich veggies like tomatoes and cucumbers. Balance. While theres always room to indulge, be sure that the majority of your calories are sourced from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, fat-free or low-fat dairy, beans, nuts and

March is National Nutrition Month: S Eat right and enjoy it

seeds. Youll be filling up on all the nutrients your body needs without all the extra calories. And dont forget to limit added sugars, salt and saturated fats. Dont skip dessert. Many diet fads will encourage you to skip dessert, but doing so can seem like a sacrifice, which wont make for a sustainable change. Instead, seek out treats that provide nutritional benefits. For example, mango blended with low-fat milk and a splash of pineapple juice will satisfy your sweet tooth, while giving you a dose of calcium and vitamin C. Spice it up. A great, low-calorie way to add flavor and nutrition to meals without the fat, sugar or salt, is by incorporating beneficial herbs and spices, such as cardamom, turmeric, cinnamon cumin, thyme, basil and oregano. Citrus juices are another great addition to recipes. Ask for advice. Whether you need to lose weight, want to reduce your risk for disease or just want to improve your familys overall health, consider consulting a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), who can translate the science of nutrition into practical solutions for healthy living. Your RDN can help you plan healthy, delicious meals.

tressing that India's pharmaceutical technology was appropriate for Africa, Commerce Minister Anand Sharma said India is committed to making available to developing countries newer generation lifesaving drugs also. "Eighty seven developing countries, their entire health care system is supported by Indian medicines, and we're committed to ensure that even the new generation of life-saving drugs, the Indian pharmaceutical industry will make, are available to our people and people of developing countries," Sharma said here at Sunday evening's inauguration of the 10th CII-Exim Bank conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership. Describing India as a leader in the production of finished generics, Sharma told the gathering, which included ministers from many African countries, how the arrival of Indian generic drugs has changed the global discourse on anti-retrovirals (ARVs) for the treatment of HIV-AIDS rampant in Africa. He pointed out how ARV costs have been brought down from $1,900 to $1,100 to treatment cost levels of a dollar a day. "India has become the pharmacy of the world. We're the largest maker of finished generics and our biggest exports are to the US. And in the US, after the US pharma companies, the second largest FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approvals are with the Indian pharma companies," Sharma said. This comes in the context of US pressures on India to increase its intellectual property rights (IPR) protection beyond the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement under the World Trade Organization (WTO). The US International Trade Commission (USITC) has initiated a probe against India's domestic trade and investment policies, particularly intellectual property, or patent laws. At a US Trade Representative (USTR) hearing Feb 24, several US-based organizations recommended that India be designated as a priority for-

India pledges new low-cost drugs to developing nations

eign country, alleging it lacks adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights. India's patent laws include provisions to ensure that intellectual property rights do not hinder the government taking measures for promoting public health. This includes making life saving medicines available at affordable rates. How to manage your cholesterol Excess bad cholesterol can lead to heart disease or stroke, so take into account a few steps to manage your cholesterol levels. Nutritionist Lovisa Nilsson has shared her top tips on how to keep your cholesterol levels in control, reports femalefirst.co.uk. * Superfruits: Following recent nutritional studies, several fruits have been labelled superfoods' due to their ability to combat harmful fats and reduce bad cholesterol. For instance, it was recently revealed that strawberries have the ability to reduce LDL, the harmful form of cholesterol, by nearly 14 percent, according to research carried out by Universit Politecnica Delle Marche in Italy. * Unsaturated fats: Consuming omega-3 essential fatty acids, found in unsaturated fats, will help to lower the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood. Unsaturated fats include oily fish, nuts and seeds, ground flax seeds, olive oil and certain vegetables and fruits such as avocado. * Fiber: Beans, pulses, vegetables, cereal and whole grain breads all have a high fermentable fibre content and are therefore difficult for the gut to digest so they attach to bad cholesterol and then remove it from the body via waste. * Red wine: Red wine contains a plant compound called saponin which blocks the body's absorption of bad cholesterol, LDL. This news is not an excuse to drink large quantities of red wine and I do not recommend adding red wine to your diet purely for health reasons since alcohol consumption can lead to further health complications such as high blood pressure and liver disease.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

PERSONAL FINANCE

March 15-21, 2014

25

Tax filing: Employment Business Expenses Part II

which combination gives you the lowest tax liability. One of the advantages of deducting work-related education expenses as an itemized deduction is that you can deduct not only the qualified tuition, books, supplies, lab fees, and similar items, but also incidental expenses (such as certain transportation and travel costs) and other educational expenses (such as costs of research and typing when writing a paper as part of an educational program). You may also be able to deduct local transportation costs of going directly from work to school. If you are regularly employed and go to school on a temporary basis, you can also deduct the costs of returning home from school. You can deduct expenses for travel, meals (usually limited to 50%), and lodging if you must travel overnight to obtain qualified education and the main purpose of the trip is to attend a work-related course or seminar. If you receive education assistance benefits from your employer under an education assistance program, you may be able to exclude up to $5,250 annually. These benefits should not be included with the wages, tips, and other compensation shown on Form W-2, Box 1 and, therefore, are not reported on your income tax return. Your employer may report the educational assistance payments on Form W-2, Box 14. Tax-free education assistance benefits include payments for tuition, fees and similar expenses, books, supplies, and equipment. The payments may be for undergraduate- or graduate-level courses. Unlike the education expenses qualifying as business expenses, the education payments qualifying for this exclusion do not have to be for work-related courses. For example, Mobi Bello works as a nurse in a public hospital. The hospital requires him to attend an out-of-town course to keep his nursing skills up to date and reimburses for expenses using a non-accountable plan, so the reimbursement is included in his wages and reported on his W2. His adjusted gross income is $42,000. Mobi is claiming his expenses as part of his itemized deductions. Mobi's allowed expenses for the course, before the 2% adjusted gross income limit, are as follows: Lodging $925; Meals ($376 50%) $188 Course expenses: Tuition $1,200; Course-related books required for enrollment+ $180; Total course expenses $1,380 Car expenses: Round-trip miles driven to and from the course 350 miles; Standard mileage rate $.50; Total car expenses (rounded) + $175; Total deductible expenses $2,668. Mobi's allowable deduction is limited to the amount that is greater than 2% of his adjusted gross income, or $840 ($42,000 x 2%). He can deduct $1,828 (2,668 - $840) of the expenses.

Qualifying Home Office Deductions

A home office may qualify for deduction if you used it exclusively and regularly for your trade or business. The business part of your home must be your principal place of business, a place where you meet or deal with patients, clients, or customer in the normal course of your business, or a separate structure you use in connection with your trade or business. Home office deductions cannot be more than the total wages that are related to the business use of your home. If expenses are greater than total wages, you must carry over the nondeductible expenses to the following year. As an employee, the business use of your home must be for the convenience of your employer and you cannot rent any part of your home that you use for business to your employer. Generally, home office expenses for an employee are deductible on Schedule A.

By Kanwal S. Sra CPA Continued from last issue.

Education Expenses
If you are an employee, you may be able to deduct work-related education expenses on your income tax return or exclude your employer-provided educational assistance benefits from your income. Qualifying work-related education must either be education that is required by your employer or the law to keep your present salary, status, or job, or be education that maintains or improves skills needed in your present work. However, qualifying work-related education cannot be education that is needed to meet the minimum educational requirements of your present trade or business, or be education that is part of a program of study that will qualify you for a new trade or business. You may be able to deduct these work-related educational expenses as an itemized deduction. You should review the requirements for qualification, compare the tax benefits each option provides, and determine

Business Property
If you purchased a computer or mobile and you use it for business, you may be able to claim a depreciation deduction. Your employer must require you to have the phone or computer as a condition of employment and you must use them for the convenience of your employer. You must keep a record of the personal and business use of the computer or

phone to determine the percentage of business use. If you purchase certain qualifying equipment, you may deduct the cost by making a section 179 expense deduction. The maximum section 179 deduction is $500,000. These and other unreimbursed expenses you have for work can be deducted if you itemized deductions. You can only deduct the expenses that are greater than 2% of your adjusted gross income. In some situations, you may first need to use Form 2106, Employee Business Expenses, to enter your expenses. If you are reimbursed by your employer for your business expenses, you first need to determine if you are being reimbursed under an accountable plan or a nonaccountable plan. Your employer should be able to tell you which plan applies to you. Under an accountable plan, reimbursements are not included in income and expenses are not allowed as a deduction. However, if your expenses are more than the reimbursement you received you may be able to deduct the unreimbursed expenses on your return. Amounts paid under a nonaccountable plan are included on your Form W-2, Box 1 and can be deducted. The author is an eminent CPA with over 25 years of experience and having 25 offices in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens counties. email: ksra@ksracpaspc.com.

Fictional transformation of Putin

By Vikas Datta

Bookends

dmired or hated, he cannot be ignored. It is undeniable that Vladimir V. Putin restored Russia's traditional greatpower status, though opinion is divided if this is good or bad. Initially perceived (mainly in the Western world) as a reliable partner shoring up Russia, he is now seen as a defiant maverick, and even a tyrannical leader. Likewise, Putin's depiction in fiction has seen him move from a valuable mentor figure to a spy mastermind, who, if not evil, is coldblooded and definitely not nice as the US-Russian spy war returns to Cold War intensity. The first depiction of the ex-KGB officer is in Henry Porter's "Brandenburg" (2005), a gritty espionage tale set in the repressive East Germany in the months before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Art historian (and former spy) Rudi Rosenharte is hauled back into

service by the ruthlessly efficient Stasi to contact his former lover (now working for NATO) who has apparently important information to hand over. Rosenharte, who is a double agent, knows it is a ploy by his other masters - MI6 and CIA - to contact him. They want him to find about an Arab terrorist being harbored by Stasi. As Rosenharte juggles between his masters, the Soviets get in the game too. A nondescript KGB Lt Colonel, heading his service's Dresden base helps Rosenharte - protecting him, giving him key information, and intervening to free him from jail. If the description and designation were not enough, he is even identified as the future Russian leader. This Putin is also present at a seminal event - the press conference where an East German minister jumped the gun on easing of travel restrictions, triggering the massive crowds on both sides of the Berlin

Wall that, in a few hours, brought down the nearly three decade-old barrier. Subsequent appearances are not very complimentary. Set in Russia of 2005, Martin Cruz Smith's "Stalin's Ghost" (2007) repeatedly refers to Putin, who was then beginning his second term, though he does not make an appearance himself. The book, part of the investigator Arkady Renko series, focuses on the country's faultlines -- war crimes in Chechnya, criminal elements in security agencies, the rise of xenophobic sentiments - "under the former spy in the Kremlin". The premise of Charles Cumming's "The Trinity Six" (2011) is that there was a sixth man in the infamous Cambridge spy ring - five highly-placed MI6 officials spying for USSR - it sees the hero, a Cold War historian, trying to expose the last traitor. Against him is ranged the Russian regime, headed by President "Sergey Platov", as well

as British intelligence. Why does Platov want to keep this sixth man hidden? Because something happened between the two in East Germany where he once served as a mid-ranking KGB officer! In David R. Stokes' "Camelot's Cousin" (2013) the hidden spy is from an Oxford version of the Cambridge ring - and was a close advisor to President Kennedy at key moments, including the Cuban missile crisis. Naturally but a little implausibly, the Russians, under Putin - who, as an ex-spy, wants a secret to remain one - will go to any end to stop the name from coming out. Mayhem ensues. "Red Sparrow" (2013), by ex-CIA Jason Mathews, is a thrilling account of the clandestine struggle between the CIA and SVR (KGB's successor) - reminiscent of the Cold War at its height - as the Russians strive to unearth an American mole and the CIA tries to save him. Appearing a handful of times,

Russian President Vladimir Putin including bare-chested, the omniscient Putin is fully aware of the activities of his spies, who are on tenterhooks in his presence - quite like in Stalin's time. The president is shown actively directing the covert operations and, in the end, arranging the brutal but effective contingency plan to ensure the traitor does not escape as the action moves across two continents before a showdown on the RussianEstonian border.

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PERSONALITY

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Captain James Van Thach: An American Hero

Watching with horror the 9-11 attacks on TV made James Van Thach resolve to join the army. Combat injuries twice in Iraq could not keep him from the line of duty. For his service to the country, he was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals. Now medically retired from the army, he still does his bit for the welfare of wounded veterans.
Baghdad fighting terrorists. And doing more than just fighting, he added. We were also engaged in humanitarian aid to Iraqi civilians, arranging medical and dental care at schools and mosques, providing blanket and winter coat drop-offs for children and adults. And then, in early June 2006, less than four months after he had first arrived in Iraq, Thach was riding with three American soldiers and one Iraqi civilian interpreter in his Humvee on the dirt roads in the back sections of Baghdad when the vehicle exploded while driving over a terrorist planted IED. The strength of that explosion lifted the Humvee more than two yards off the ground and set off a gut-wrenching smoke reportedly seen from miles away. Recalling that day, Thach stated, It was a horrible shock. Such an explosion leaves you at first not knowing what hit you. We were all injured and in pain, but we were Infantry soldiers, riding in an armored-up Humvee made to take such a heavy hit. That and with the help of God, we all survived. Later that day, Thach continued, I told the medic treating me that I had a headache, some pain and was nauseous. He told me to take some aspirin and get some rest. I did and was back to fight the war the next day. Then seven months later, in the first week of February 2007, just one month shy of his completion of his first year of service in Iraq, Thach suffered a second injury, this one far more severe than the first. That cold February day was, at first, an uneventful one. I was walking with my Iraqi counterpart, Thach recalled, discussing some routine military matters. Then suddenly I heard the sound of the explosion of what I later couldnt fight it alone any longer. I went to the hospital and wound up staying there for two months. I went through many tests and regular sessions of physical therapy. But there was no cure for my injuries. In March 2009, I was medically retired from the Army. The military had become my life. I was shattered. Thachs physical and mental condition continued to further worsen after his retirement. He needed a cane to walk. He was unable to drive a car or even bend down to put on his socks. His vision was impaired. He encountered difficulty sleeping and became, at times, possessed with thoughts of suicide. The side effects of the 20 pills he was taking to fight this physical and mental pain were wreaking havoc on his body and mind. But Thach - whose American father while serving as a combat officer in Vietnam in the early 1970s met, married and took back to America the native Vietnamese woman who was later to bear him - was eventually able to find the help, support and inner strength that enabled him to survive and move forward with his life. I realized that the people who could help me most were those I was living closest to. I turned back to my mother and father for help and accepted their unconditional love and support, he told me. And then Thach mentioned Liz, the Labrador-Retriever he was given as a gift by the Wounded Veteran Initiative of Canine Companions for Independence (CCI). Liz does so many chores for me, said Thach, including when I accidentally drop my pills on the floor, shell pick them up. And yes, the value of the love and kindness that she shows every day can never adequately be put into words. And there is an ancillary benefit that Liz provides, he added. I am engaged in several programs that benefit wounded warriors. One of them is with CCI. Liz showed me how important a role a service dog can play in the lives of wounded warriors, {so} I am volunteering with CCI to help supply trained service dogs to wounded veterans across America. I have learned that helping my fellow wounded veterans has given me extra strength and created additional purpose to my life. Robert Golomb is a nationally published columnist. MrBob347@aol.com

Captain James Van Thach

By Robert Golomb t can be reasonably assumed that upon their graduation most of the several hundred students of Touro Law Schools Class of June 2002 were preparing to take their upcoming bar examinations and looking forward to starting their careers in the public or private legal sector once (and if) they passed them. Such as a general rule is the professional path followed by most law school graduates across America. But that generalization has its exceptions, a most notable one is Captain James Van Thach. Thach, who had served in the Army reserves beginning his 1994 freshman year at St. Johns University, was commissioned a Lieutenant in 1998. In 2002, because he had a law degree, the Army offered Thach the position of attorney within the Armys legal division. Thach instead chose to volunteer to go to Iraq to serve as an Infantry Officer Military Advisor to the Iraqi Armys combat forces in the war torn streets of Bagdad. When I had the great honor of interviewing the 38-year-old Captain James Van Thach, who wore on the his white army uniform the medals of the Bronze Star and Purple Heart he had been awarded for his service to his nation from the Army, as my guest at dinner in an Italian restaurant located close to his home in Queens, NY this past Thursday, I asked him to explain why he had made that choice. It goes back to 9/11, he told me. I was in my house studying for my law school classes. I turned on TV to take a fast break. I saw the images of the first plane hitting the tower. then the second plane hit I learned that my country was under attack from foreign terrorists. I wanted to honor all the people who had been murdered on 9/11 and do my part to protect America from ever again suffering such a heinous attack. I felt the way to accomplish that would not be by sitting behind a desk, but by fighting the enemy face to face in the battlefield. So, as he had planned five years before, on March 1st 2006, three years after being sworn in as an Infantry Officer, Thach was in

On November 2007, in Baghdad, Iraq, General David Petraeus congratulating Captain Thach for completing the task of establishing Combat Outpost Shocker in Iraq.

learned to be 12-foot-long enemy Katyusha rockets. One rocket landed 20 meters from where I was standing, blowing me unconscious to the ground. The next thing I remember I woke up in an army hospital in Baghdad. Thach stayed in that hospital for only one day. The following day he was flown 300 miles to a medical center in Balad Air base in northern Iraq. The doctors there informed him that their plan was to stabilize his injuries and then have him transported to an Army hospital in Landstulh, Germany, where, they told him, his injuries could be most effectively treated. But Thach didnt want to accept that plan. That hospital is primarily for soldiers who have sustained the most severe injuries, he explained. I looked in the mirror and saw that I while I was in pain I still had my four limbs. Flying in the same plane to arrive in the same hospital with American soldiers missing arms, missing legs, lying unconscious would be to dishonor their sacrifice to our nation, I believed.

In December 2007, Captain James Van Thach at Combat Outpost Shocker, in Iraq a few miles from the border of Iran.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor felicitating the Captain at Touro Law School, his alma mater in Long Island, in September 2013.

Acting very quickly, Thach found a sympathetic member of the medical staff. She recommended that Thach be allowed to return to Baghdad in modified desk duty and have his injuries treated there. This recommendation was approved by the military command, and Thach, seemingly beyond all reasonable belief, just after one week that he suffered that second injury, was assigned in his new modified duty role to help coordinate from his office in a military base in Baghdad the building of a new fort several miles east, Combat Outpost (COP) Shocker. For his work in help constructing COP Shocker, which was built as an outpost used to stop the flow of weapons supplied by Iran to Iraqi terrorists, he was awarded the Joint Service Achievement Medal and later met and was congratulated for this service by General David Patraeus. During the entire time that COP Shocker was being built Thach was enduring severe pain in his neck and back from those two attacks, but was able to cope with it by taking the morphine his doctors had prescribed. But those injuries were eventually to catch up with him. As Thach described his ordeal, I returned to Fort Benning {Georgia} in the middle of April 2008 as scheduled.{ While there} I felt the pain in my neck and back worsening every day, I was also experiencing terrible migraine headaches. The morphine was no longer able to control all the pain. The migraines were also causing me to have problems with my vision. And I was continuing to have nightmares about those two attacks that made it very hard for me to sleep. After six weeks of this, I realized I

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

LIFESTYLE

March 15-21, 2014

27

he fact is that women fall for men who are taller. Now, they have an extra reason to go for them as researchers have discovered a significant correlation in the DNA between tall people and intelligence. We tested whether DNA-based genetic similarities among people related to their similarities in height and intelligence. What we found was a small association between height and intelligence, such that people who are taller tend to be smarter, study author Riccardo Marioni was quoted as

Taller men are smarter too! Height matters for women while choosing partner
saying in Sunday Times. The study was the first to analyze the DNA markers for height in people who are not related. Data was collected from more than 6,800 unrelated people. Both height and high IQ are also linked with better health, the researchers pointed out. The data could be used to predict other health outcomes, said the study published in the journal Behavior Genetics. However, if you are not tall, then no worries -- researchers attributed about 70 percent of short peoples IQs to genetic factors.

majority of women are most comfortable in relationships where the man is taller, according to a new study. About 70 percent of women respondents surveyed by pleasure product firm Lovehoney, said they preferred taller men. Almost one in five women said men who are between four and six inches taller are the best match, reports dailystar.co.uk. The poll also shows that just a quarter of women and 35 percent of men said height was irrelevant when seeking a partner. At 6 ft 3 in, Prince William, 31,

is 5 inches taller than wife Princess Kate, 32. Other couples that come close to the ideal difference include Hollywood actor Brad Pitt, 50, and Angelina Jolie, 38, and Daniel Craig, 46, and Rachel Weisz, 44 both with gaps of four inches. "The long and short of it is that size does matter to a lot of couples. And the height of romance appears to be when the man is five inches taller than the woman, just like William and Kate," said a spokesman of Lovehoney.
At 6 ft 3 in, Prince William is 5 inches taller than wife Princess Kate

Live-in or wedding? Personal traits to decide

harm, health, kindness and social status are fine but do you know that there are certain personal traits that actually predispose you towards either tying the knot or to live together without marriage? Research shows that individuals consider multiple personal characteristics when seeking a long-term partner. Under this scenario, what one finds lacking in a specific area could be overcome with strength in another area. The findings highlight that Aristotle's famous quote, 'The whole is more than the sum of its parts', is pertinent when it comes to personal characteristics and marital arrangements, said Michael T. French, a professor at University of Miami.

The study accounted for cohabitation and marriage as competing events in contrast to being single and living without a romantic partner. It examined three possible outcomes in over 9,000 participants: marriage with or without prior cohabitation, cohabitation without subsequently getting married and neither marriage nor cohabitation. The results show that 52 percent of married respondents and 51.7 percent of those in cohabiting relationships ending in marriage were rated as above average in physical attractiveness. Whereas 45.9 percent of those in a cohabiting relationship without subsequent marriage and 43.6 percent in neither marriage nor cohabitation scored above average on the attractiveness

scale. Similar results were found for personality and grooming. Women with above average grooming are less likely to cohabit without subsequent marriage. For men, having an above average personality has the strongest association with the likelihood of getting married, explained French. Men with above average physical attractiveness have a greater chance of cohabitation without subsequent marriage. "Men with above average looks tend to be more likely to cohabit while men with above average personalities tend to be more likely to marry (but less likely to cohabit), explained the study, published in the journal Social Science Research.

Reveal your caffeine persona with this App!

efore you fill another cup of coffee, switch on this App that would tell you exactly how much coffee can impact your sleep. It would also tell you how your caffeine levels change throughout the day as you gulp down espressos, energy drinks and even chocolate! Named 'Up Coffee', the App is developed by San Francisco-based firm Jawbone Labs. It helps you understand more about your caffeine choices by correlating caffeine intake and projected sleep time, said a Jawbone Labs press release. To make this App work, you need to wear a wristband called UP24 or UP band. The wristband plugs into your

smart phone via the Simple Sync connector to help you learn how you sleep, move and eat. Simply log a coffee, tea, energy drink or other caffeinated beverage in the 'UP Coffee' App to see a visual display of where you fall on a spectrum from 'Wired' to 'Sleep Ready' at any given time. Jawbone analyzed the data of more than 1,600 UP wearers and more than 5,000 nights of sleep to verify the relationship between caffeine and sleep and how we feel the next day. With billions of people around the world enjoying coffee, tea and other caffeinated drinks each day, the 'UP Coffee app' delivers daily insights with new information on caffeine that is relevant to you," the firm added.

World's first winemaker machine for your kitchen!

hree cheers for wine lovers out there. Here comes a new machine that can turn water, grape concentrate, yeast and a finishing powder into wine in your kitchen in flat three days. Developed by wine expert Ken Boyer and entrepreneur Phillip James, the device named Miracle Machine is also controlled by an App that helps you choose the right ingredients to make the wine of your choice. The App, linked to the Miracle Machine via Bluetooth, also tracks the wine-making progress. Designed as a table top appliance, the machine has a clean shape that would look good in any kitchen. How does it work? The fermentation techniques involves "electrical sensors, transducers, heaters and pumps." A digital refractometer measures the sugar content of the liquid dur-

Update spring wardrobe with lace skirt, spring coat

pring is here and it's time to add new elements like cropped trouser, lace skirt and spring coat to the wardrobe. Femalefirst.co.uk picks out six items that will fit seamlessly into your current look and update you with the current fashion trend that has set in for this Spring: Fit and flare dress: A fit and flare dress in a jersey or cotton fabric is something youll find yourself reaching for time and time again this summer. It's Incredibly flattering and easy to wear.

side. You can pick a shoulder bag, a clutch, or a handbag, whichever style suits you. There's no escapism from them this summer. Spring coat: Coats are essential, even as we go through March and into April. These spring coats have sleek designs and pretty colours. Youre going to have a tough time choosing just one. Printed blouse: Theres no easier way to add a bold and stylish touch to your look than with a printed trouser - these will work perfectly with your cropped trousers or even a pair of jeans or tucked into a pencil skirt. Lace skirt: It is a must-have. Look out for the soft and pretty styles that weve seen on the high street. Should much more be purse friendly.

Designed as a table top appliance, the Miracle Machine has a clean shape that would look good in any kitchen

ing the fermentation process. Then, a custom-designed ceramic air-diffuser pumps filtered air under a regulated micro-oxygenated environment -- aerating the wine and thus softening the tannins. An ultrasonic transducer resonates effectively to give wine its flavor. Each of these components is connected to an Arduino microcontroller that ensures the machine is working fine, said a report in the magazine Giz Mag.

Team it up with espadrilles and sunglasses for a casual look, then dress it up with a printed jacket and a pair of wedges. Cropped trousers: Cropped trousers are a clothing piece youll find yourself wearing year after year, black, cream or navy will

always be chic, but a pair of pastel trousers will be on trend for this season. Pastel bag: A pastel bag will help you update your look with the weather as it is still on the cold

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March 15-21, 2014

HUMOR

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Funny Bone by Nury Vittachi

Things we learn from pets

M
y wife says dogs are simpleminded, appetite-driven beasts which can be tamed with a strict system of treats and punishments. No, wait, that's what she says about "husbands". I forget what she says about dogs, which is a shame, since I need to send it to a reader who told me of an out-of-control dog eating her owner's sports car. This British mutt, named Luce, chewed away a biggish chunk of one side of his owner's Aston Martin, a car that costs a fortune, equal to the GDP of a small country, or the price of a bottle of mineral water in Tokyo. Annoyed owner Royston Grimstead kept the car and gave the dog away. Wrong! If you have to choose between a car and a family member, you should ALWAYS keep the family member. Particularly if you are a relative of Rhian Jeremiah, 26, of Wales. According to a link sent by the same reader, Jeremiah was recently convicted of biting through the roof of a Fiat 500. "I could hear metal crunching," the car owner told the court. Now if you are anything like me, you are Take Rocky the mongrel, for example. No one paid much attention to him, until last week, when a wild leopard came out of the jungle and entered the building in India where he slept. The not-very-smart mongrel assumed the intruder was a cat and attacked him. The surprised leopard fled. Local newspapers in Mumbai declared Rocky a hero, but in the photos the stunned dog looks like he's thinking: "Oh shoot, that wasn't a cat at all, was it?" Now, if you want a truly brainy pet, go for a parrot. A huge number of readers (two) sent me the tale of Hercule Parrot, a parrot in Agra who was the only witness to a murder. At an identity parade, the bird looked at the victim's nephew and said: "He has killed! He has killed!" The surprised man soon confessed. Being charged with murder is bad enough, but imagine the shame of being outwitted by a creature with a brain the size of kidney bean. (All teachers know this feeling.) by now seriously wondering what cars taste like. So I did some serious academic research (i.e., a Google search). It turned up a New York Daily News item on a car-eating squirrel in Florida last year, who only ate Toyotas, so that's apparently the besttasting car brand. But are dogs simple-minded? Maybe. A vet told me that a dog's brain is just onetenth the size of a human one. Yet to be fair, dogs' brains are twice as large as those of cats, squirrels and nationalist politicians no offence intended to cats and squirrels. Fear not. Scientists say lack of intelligence is often an evolutionary advantage. Having said that, the bird probably had more brainpower than my own personal dog, who attacks family members but gives strangers a friendly licking. I think she studied her "How To Be a Dog" book upside down. Anyway, I've finished this column so I need to go lick my wife's hand, see if she'll pat me on the head and give me a snack! Woof woof.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

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

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

ASTROLOGY

March 15-21, 2014

29

By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma

Stars Foretell: March 15-21, 2014
ARIES: Business partners behave supportive on executing strategies to sort out pending problems. Evening enjoyed with family and close relatives brings immense pleasure. Monetary gains from unplanned sources will brighten your week. Someones timely help would enable visualizing succeeding in love. Positive outlook impresses those around you besides keeping you fit & fine. Its time to travel with innovative imagination. A good deal for residential property is ahead. Involvement in voluntary work brings popularity. TAURUS: Innovative ideas & technical expertise would enable to win the confidence of seniors at professional front. You are likely to plan a short trip with family. New moneymaking opportunities will be lucrative. Romantic imagination would keep you in a jovial & cheerful mood. Charity work undertaken will bring mental peace & comfort. Are you longing to go on a vacation then be ready for it? Time to make investments on farmlands. You feel on top of the world as many good things are happening at a same time. GEMINI: Service people, artists and those in creative field will get several new opportunities. Unexpected visit by old friend could give you a pleasant surprise. You get some financial rewards as dedication & hard work gets noticed. The company of love partner makes you forget about the work. Meditation and self-realization prove beneficial. Be ready to hang out with your friends. Your investment plans are at full boom and you might succeed in them. Engaging yourself in some humanitarian work would bring unlimited joy. CANCER: A hectic schedule awaits at professional front in this week. Good advice from family members will help in reducing mental tension/pressure. Monetary gains are likely to be from more than one source. Sudden romantic encounter will lift your spirits. You will have ample time to do things to improve your health. By travelling you will learn about new places, ultimately its a great deal for yourself. Your girlfriends desire for an apartment might lead to its destination. Your communication skills in a social gathering would be impressive. LEO: Handling subordinates might be a little tough in this week. Sudden good news in the evening will bring cheers for the entire family. A new financial deal gets finalized paving the way for fresh money. Attending a social event/family function brings a romantic encounter. Sound physical health will enable to participate in outdoor activities. Pack your bags and some eatables and go out for a picnic. Time to plan a gift for your parents may be their dream home. Your kind & sublime behaviour will spread the message of love. VIRGO: Your greatest gains will come through your creative ideas at professional front. Your efforts bring success & happiness at family front. Financial position will improve later in the week. Your physical charm would catch the attraction of opposite sex. You will be successful in getting rid from tensions. Many people want to fly international and you are one of them. Its high time to think of purchasing a new office. Travelling brings pleasure much more than your expectation. LIBRA: Success is certain provided you work as a team. You achieve success in personal work with the timely help & support provided by family members. Instead of wasting time, better to get involved in something to improve your financial position. Love life blossoms paving the way for lovely times ahead. A sparkling laughter filled week when most things proceed, as you desire. By travelling youll learn about new places and cultures, which is ultimately a great deal about yourself. It might be the right time to sale your empty plot as property rates are at peak. Dont be surprised, if your unrealisable dreams start coming true. SCORPIO: You will be on the seventh heaven when you receive recognition for your achievements at work. Misunderstandings with near ones in the family will get cleared. Real estate investment would be lucrative. A romantic encounter is likely to add spice to life. Your enormous confidence would help in enjoying a healthy life. You and your loved ones been busy for quite sometimes and have finally decided to go on a vacation. Your plan for a new house will be in process very soon. It is opportune time to make the best use of your creative mind by putting it to some test. SAGITTARIUS: Your creativity will amaze people around you besides enhancing career prospects. Children would do their best to keep you happy. Investment in stocks & mutual funds would help in earning profits. Romantic partner would try innovative methods to catch your attention. A very healthy week filled with happiness & vitality. Your next journey is to a place which is full of natural beauty and ravishing. Your loan procedures for pursuing a plot will be in process. Your sense of humour will save the situation for you in a social gathering. CAPRICORN: New job opportunities for some will be better than expected. You are likely to be benefited as family members positively respond. Long-term investment in stocks & mutual funds will enable to earn profits. Initiatives in love bring positive results as you catch the desired attention. Pleasure trip would help in maintaining sound health in this week. Time for a vacation, sit back and relax. Investment in hotel industry can be the right choice to be made. You are likely to lay the foundation of a new construction. AQUARIUS: At work you are likely to win appreciation and awards for past efforts. Do not share personal matters with casual acquaintances otherwise it will disappoint family members. Improvement in finances is certain. Your generous attitude would contribute much in your love life in this week. Yoga and meditation would help in keeping in shape and mentally agile. Travelling with kids can be a challenge, try to reduce the stress and nerves. Investment on construction business might give fruitful results. Participating in quiz/game shows would enable to strike your luck. PISCES: Timely and swift action would give an edge over others at professional front. Parents and friends will do their best to keep you happy. Speculation coupled with some unexpected gains improves financial health. Extremely supportive & loving partner would help in withering away your troubles. Blessings of a saintly person give peace of mind. Excitement for a vacation is not enough, planning is also required. Investing on a ship or a cruise is an exciting venture to be made. You will enjoy your interaction with like-minded people.

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

Annual Predictions: For those born in this week

15th March, 2014 Ruled planet:Venus Ruled by no: 6 Traits in you: As you are ruled by Venus, you are optimistic, modest, focused, punctual, reliable, and dependant. You are pretty interested in doing social work and charity. However, you should control your mood swings, impatience, and whim. Health this year: You need to focus on your health a little more as you may fall sick frequently this year. You should go for regular medical checkups to maintain a healthy life. Your parents may fall sick towards the end of the year and it will put you in immense pressure. Finance this year: As far as your financial status is considered, you will enjoy a healthy run this year. You may redirect yourself to more profitable business. You may plan for few business trips this year for your growth. You should not get involved in any kind of partnerships as it may hamper your business. Career this year: You will be very impressive in your professional circuit this year. However, you need to work smart and perform well to grow as a perfectionist. You should take quick decisions to excel in your field. You may have to help your ordinates to drive productivity. Romance this year: You will share a blissful romantic relationship with your spouse or partner. Your marriage is on cards if you are yet to marry. You will find your partner supportive enough in every crucial situation. Lucky month: March, May, August and November 16th March, 2014 Ruled planet: Neptune Ruled by no7 Traits in you: By nature you are sober, courteous, unique, honest and courageous as you are ruled by the powerful planet Neptune. Your charming nature attracts people towards you. You love to face challenges and you fight them pretty well by executing perfection. You need to check for your impatience, rudeness, and frequent mood swings. Health this year: Your health will remain fine but the fluctuations in the health of your spouse may create huge problems for you. You should take care of the health of yourself as well as your family members to avoid future health problems. Finance this year: This year will see an increase in your earnings. However, you will end up spending a lot of money on your family. You will spend enough money to buy luxury and comforts and this will affect your savings. You may get into new partnerships to start new ventures towards the end of the year. Career this year: This year you will reach to the peak of your professional career and it will offer you huge financial benefits. This year will be pretty rewarding for female employees. You may get a better performance appraisal as well as salary hike as compared to your expectations. Romance this year: For your marital relationship, this year will be pretty fruitful for you. If you are still single, you may get into a romantic alliance towards the end of the year. If you are already in a relationship, you may plan to convert your relationship into marriage. Lucky month: August, November, December, February 17th March, 2014 Ruled planet:Saturn Ruled by no:8 Traits in you: Your governing planet Saturn makes you confident, unique, creative, dynamic, and intelligent. You are determined enough to perform any task assigned to you. So you always remain a step ahead from others. Along all your good characteristics, you have few negative characters as well. You need to work on your unreliability, insensitiveness, and selfishness. Health this year: Though you would not face any major health related issues, you should take extra care of your health. Do not take unwanted risk of putting your health in stake. Go for regular medical checkups. Finance this year: Your confidence and hard work will help you earn a lot of money and you will be able to expand your business as well. You may go ahead investing on anything you want as this year is pretty rewarding for you. Your past legal disputes will get resolved this year and give you enough opportunity to make money. Career this year: Your interest and enthusiasm to perform will make you an extraordinary performer in your professional circuit. You will be respected and rewarded for your work. You need to take the leadership responsibility to cement your position in your organization. Romance this year: Your relationship with your spouse or partner will blossom this year. If you are not married, you may have to wait for few more years though you are eligible for marriage. Lucky month: May, July and December 18th March, 2014 Ruled planet:Mars Ruled by no: 9 Traits in you: Being ruled by Mars, you are aggressive, courageous, aspiring, focused, friendly, generous, and honest. You lag behind others because you lose many opportunities. You need to work on your frequent mood swings and temperament. Health this year: You should take your prescribed medication in spite of a better health. The health of your parents may make you a worried person. Finance this year: Your financial condition will be pretty good as the movements of your stars are favorable for making money this year. You may go for any investment on real estate or gold. Do not trust anyone when partnerships are concerned. You should not lend or borrow money as it will create disputes. Career this year: You will be establishing yourself as a very efficient and important resource in your organization this year. Your performance will influence your peers, seniors and higher management. It is the best time to look out for a new job as it will help you grow both professionally and financially. Romance this year: Your romantic relationship will reach new heights this year. You may get married this year, if you are unmarried yet. You need to take care of the emotional requirements of your partner to strengthen your relationship. Lucky month: June, September, November and January 19th March, 2014 Ruled planet:Sun Ruled by no:1 Traits in you: Your ruler the sun makes you unique, creative, dedicated, responsible, reliable, and confident. You are the master of intelligence and skills. However, your domination nature and stubbornness you make you lag behind others. Health this year: Your overall health would remain fine this year. Some of the aged members in your family may fall sick frequently to add your woes. You need to take care of your family members by providing them better medical attention. Finance this year: Your undisputed energy and enthusiasm to earn money will make you financially stable this year. You may go for property sale this year and earn a lot of money. Career this year: You may have to take few major decisions in your profession. You can succeed if you put some extra effort in your work and deliver quality. You have to drive the team to put qualitative effort. Romance this year: You will spend a peaceful life with your love interest this year. You will lead a blissful life with your beloved with lots of love, care, concern, and support. Lucky month: April, August, October and December 20th March, 2014 Ruled planet: Moon Ruled by no: 2 Traits in you: As dominated by the Moon, you are very peace loving. You do not want to get involved in unnecessary talks. You are reliable, emotional, generous, humble, kind, mature, and optimistic. However, you need to eradicate selfishness from your nature to improve as an individual. Health this year: As far as health is concerned, you will be enjoying a pretty good health this year. However, some of your family members may fall sick and that will bother you. Finance this year: You will get enough good opportunities to convert your startup business to an established one. You need to work hard this year to gain money. It is advisable to avoid partnerships. You may get benefited from your past investments. Career this year: You should take inputs from senior and experienced professionals to learn new things and grow professionally. Act diplomatically if you have some professional issues. Getting emotional and aggressive would not work though. Romance this year: If you are yet to be in a committed relationship, you may get into one this year. If you are already committed, then you may plan for marriage towards the end of the year. Lucky month: March, May, September and January 21st March, 2014 Ruled planet:Jupiter Ruled by no: 3 Traits in you: As you are ruled by Jupiter, you are ambitious, dignified, friendly, cheerful and highly optimistic. You are a believer but you do not believe anything without proper proof. People respect in many ways as you are very social and friendly to them. However, your arrogance blocks the way to become a complete person. Health this year: Your sibling may suffer from an incurable disease this year. You need to take care of yourself and your family members by providing them with modern medical facilities. Finance this year: You may be able to improve your financial conditions by find an extra source of income. You may go for new short term investments. You will be able to obtain luxury and happiness by spending money. Career this year: Your confidence will convert you into a winner. You will be capable enough to overcome any challenge you need to face. The chances of your promotion and transfer are high due to the organizational change. Romance this year: You will find your partner to be a huge emotional support for you during the tough times of your life. You may get involved in a matrimonial alliance. Lucky month: July, September and November

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March 15-21, 2014

SPIRITUAL AWARENESS

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

The author of the article Rimjhim Duggal Stephens, daughter of Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, has studied meditation under the guidance of Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj, her grandfather and Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj for over twenty years and lectures on the benefits of meditation, optimum health through the vegetarian diet, and preventative medicine and wellness.

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj

s I disembarked atop a cliff at Mangalore airport and began to take in the aroma and luscious beauty surrounding me, my excitement was palpable. I had arrived. An hour and a half later through the twists, turns, and bumpy roads to Manipal, I was weary yet eager and knew then that my travels to get here would reflect the challenges that lay ahead on my journey to become a doctor. What I did not anticipate was the high level of stress I would encounter before fulfilling my dream. I recall my first clinical rotation focused on surgical training as one of my most demanding specialtiesdays of waking up at 4 a.m. only to be home late in the evening, yet still having to study before starting again the next day. I would begin the rotation trying to juggle my patients, their histories, clinical exams, lab work, the operating room, and then studying their cases throughout the day. By my third week, I felt like I was a hamster on a wheel and would never be able to catch up with all the work I had in front of me. When I first considered meditation, my thought was, if I only had the time I would gladly do itbut where would I find this time? After another week of this stressful schedule, I had had enough and decided no matter what, I would make the time. I sought out fifteen to twenty minutes to meditate in the morning and within the first few days, noticed that I had more energy as I started my day. I then tried to find times during the day, during lunch, or in between surgeries to meditate. I was surprised that when I started looking for a few minutes here and there they were actually quite easy to find. Thirty minutes when I woke up, fifteen minutes with lunch, and ten minutes between patients. I was astounded how calm I felt after sitting for even a few minutes, enough that a couple of my fellow medical student colleagues took notice and tried to meditate, too. Another week passed and I had finally figured it out. Taking out time for meditation did not give me less time; it actually gave me more! I was calmer, more

focused, and was able to concentrate better and thus work faster. This was an early lesson in my medical career and helped me regularly through graduation and continues to help me today. Anyone with a stressful lifestyle or job, including doctors, can benefit from practicing meditation. In a recent examination of literature, it was found that 2845% of medical students and 2775% of resident physicians, as well as numerous practicing physicians, undergo a highly stressful period or burnout at least once in their career [Ishak, W.W., Lederer, S., Mandili, C., Nikravesh, R., Seligman, L.,

Combating stress for success

our attention from the physical senses that connect us to the world around us. This includes withdrawing our sense of sight, touch, taste, smell, and sound by sitting in silence as we focus on the spiritual connection present within each of ourselves, located in the third or single eye, between and behind the eyebrows. This is achieved through a simple technique called Jyoti Meditation, based on an ancient, time-honored practice known as Surat Shabd Yoga (www.sos.org). This scientific method is easy to practice and can be practiced by one of any culture or society. In this method, we close our eyes and The benefits of meditation are numerous. Studies of meditators have proven lower blood pressure, increased immune system strength, and decreased symptoms in ailments such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, asthma, fibromyalgia, digestive problems, irritable bowel syndrome, psoriasis, infertility, pain, rheumatologic conditions, and drug or alcohol addiction. Another impact of meditation shown is decreased emotional symptoms associated with several illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. One of the most comprehensive studies to be conducted on meditation, The Shamatha Project, led by

I believe the key to living a stress-free lifestyle is to recognize the need for balance and then strive to achieve it. We are living lives where we are sometimes pulled to take care of the physical, emotional, or mental part of ourselves and we often focus on one at the expense of the others. By regularly meditating, we will gain insight on how to connect to the spiritual part of our being, which is the most often forgotten.
Vasa, M., Ogunyemi, D., & Bernstein, C.A. (2009). Burnout during residency training: a literature review. In J Grad Med Educ. 2009. Dec; 1 (2). 236-42]. I have discovered that if we can devote just ten percent of our time to sit in daily meditation, many of lifes worries and stresses wont make the impact they once did and we can use the resulting energy to fuel our success. What exactly is meditation? Under the guidance of my revered spiritual teachers, my grandfather, Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj, and my father, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, I have learned that meditation is a process by which we withdraw learn to look directly in front of us into the space between the two eyebrows, about eight to twelve inches in front of our forehead. As we quietly concentrate, we feel a sense of calm come over our bodies and mind and we may begin to experience flashes of light or other vistas signifying our connection of our soul with the Divine during our practice. It also helps to repeat a divine name of God or a word that brings peace to you silently and slowly, so as to still our thoughts of the world. Over time, we realize that living through only our physical senses limits our vision and that meditation is a method that allows us to tap deeply within ourselves. Saron at the University of California-Davis found that study participants practicing meditation regularly found that their overall sense of psychological function increased, they had greater fluidity in their emotional responses, increased impulse control, improved visual perception, increased focus and attention, and a 30% increase in the activity of the anti-aging enzyme, telomerase, correlating with major improvements in their sense of purpose in life [Lavretsky, H. Epel, E.S., Siddarth, P., Nazarian, N., Cyr, N.S., Khalsa, D.S., Lin J., Blackburn, E., & Irwin, M.R. (2012). A Pilot Study of Yogic Meditation for Family Dementia Caregivers with Depressive

Symptoms: Effects on Mental Health, Cognition, and Telomerase Activity. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry: 2012. Mar 11. Doi: 10.1002/gps.3790]. I believe the key to living a stress-free lifestyle is to recognize the need for balance and then strive to achieve it. We are living lives where we are sometimes pulled to take care of the physical, emotional, or mental part of ourselves and we often focus on one at the expense of the others. By regularly meditating, we will gain insight on how to connect to the spiritual part of our being, which is the most often forgotten. Once given some attention, this spiritual part will help guide us to achieve the balance we are looking for. It starts with a simple step: sitting down, closing our eyes, and allowing ourselves to feel a spiritual connection. Once we have experienced ourselves as soul, we will lead healthier, happier, stress-free lives filled with purpose, serenity, and balance. As we each find inner contentment, we will be able to pass it onto our family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors allowing meditation to transform the world peacefully through our united connection with the Divine. (Rimjhim Duggal Stephens, M.D., R.H.N. pursued her medical degree at the prestigious Manipal University in southern India. There, she learned her core basic sciences and developed an interest in alternative medicine. She then completed her clinical sciences at The University of the West Indies. Dr. Duggal Stephens now resides in Vancouver, Canada, where she teaches pathology and focuses her attention on complementary wellness through the nutrition and homeopathic sciences in addition to continuing her meditative practice. She has studied meditation under the guidance of Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj and Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj for over twenty years and lectures on the benefits of meditation, optimum health through the vegetarian diet, and preventative medicine and wellness.)

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

March 15-21, 2014

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

March 15-21, 2014