Vol 8 Issue 32 Dec 12 Dec 18 2015

The South Asian Times
e x c e l l e n c e
Vol.8 No. 32 December 12-18, 2015 60 Cents
i n
j o u r n a l i s m
New York Edition
Trump may have gone too

far with his Muslim ban call
Yet GOP leaders not going far enough beyond criticizing
Donald Trump, whose poll numbers are not yet affected.
Washington: Donald Trump
appears to have finally gone too
far not for his supporters, but for
shocked members of the US media
and political establishment. Some
of them have responded to his pro
posal to ban noncitizen Muslims
from entering
the
United
States with a level
of criticism unheard of
in American politics
for a long time. Jeb
Bush called
Trump
26/11 MUMBAI ATTACKS
Headley to turn
approver, pardoned
Mumbai: A court here accepted

on T hursday the request of
PakistaniAmerican Lashkare
Taiba terrorist David Coleman
Headley, currently imprisoned in
the US, to turn approver and
depose in the 26/11 case in
return for a pardon.
Headley, who appeared before
a court through a videoconfer
encing from an unidentified loca
tion in the US, during the hearing
VOX POPULI 13
expressed his willingness to turn

approver and depose in the case
in return for a pardon to
Sessions Judge G.A. Sanap.
Special Public Prosecutor
Ujjwal Nikam, who conducted the
26/11 trial earlier, informed
Judge Sanap that the prosecution
was agreeable to Headley's offer,
subject to certain conditions.
According ly, Judge Sanap
HISTORY 18
Continued on page 4
HEALTH 25
"unhinged." Lindsey Graham said

he was "downright dangerous."
Hillary Clinton tweeted out "Love
trumps hate."
Such toug h words mig ht be
expected from political rivals. But
Dick Cheney isnt running for pres
ident in 2016, and he said that
Trumps proposal goes against
every thing we stand for and
believe in.
Journalists, who have struggled
with how to handle Trumps outra
geous and at times demonstrably
Follow us on
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
India, Pakistan to
resume dialogue,
MODI TO VISIT
ISLAMABAD
Continued on page 4
Show us the money,

say developing
nations at climate
change meet
Paris: As negotiations grind down
to the last day on Friday, the hopes
for an ag reement
seemed to be stuck on
one major point
money. Unless the
developed coun
tries come out
w ith specific
commitment, the
c l i m a t e
change con
ference may
not yield an important agreement,
say developing countries.
Hollow promises and hollow
slog ans wont work, Indian
Environment, Forests and Climate
Change
Minister
Prakash
Javadekar told reporters here, fol
lowing his meeting with the US
delegation led by Secretary of
State John Kerry. The minister said
the developed countries have to
come up with the money if they
want to see concrete progress in
Continued on page 4
The meeting on Nov 30 between Narendra Modi and Nawaz Shairf on

the sidelines of the Paris climate change meet proved an icebreaker
Sushma Swaraj met Sartaj Aziz and Sharif in Islamabad this week.
Islamabad: India and Pakistan on
Wednesday agreed to start a com
prehensive bilateral dialogue while
Indian foreign minister Sushma
Swaraj confirmed that Prime
Minister Narendra Modi will visit
Islamabad next year to attend the
Saarc summit.
Both sides directed their foreign
secretaries to work out the modali
ties of the meetings, a joint state
ment issued after talks between
Sushma Swaraj and the Pakistan
PMs advisor on foreign af fairs
Sartaj Aziz said. Swaraj, who
arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday
to attend the Heart of Asia
Conference, told the media that
Modi would visit Pakistan next
year to participate in the South
Asian Association for Regional
Cooperat ion (Saarc) summit.
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 30
Under the rotational chairmanship

policy, Pakistan will chair the
grouping next year.
This will be the first prime minis
terial visit from India to Pakistan
since Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited
the South Asian neig hbor in
January 2004.
Sushma Swaraj said she would
accompany Modi during his visit,
Geo TV reported.
Wednesdays joint statement
said Swaraj and Aziz condemned
terrorism and resolved to cooper
ate to eliminate it.
They noted the successful talks
on terrorism and securityrelated
issues in Bangkok (on December
6) between the two NSAs (national
security advisors) and decided that
the NSAs will continue to address
Continued on page 4
excellence in journalism
December 12-18, 2015
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
Karnataka minister praises PM Modi

for encouraging investment
By Ashok Ojha
New York: Indias governing
polit ical party BJP and the
Congress party which leads the
state government in Karnataka
may not see eyetoeye on politi
cal issues, but their governments
seem to be cooperating with
each other on developmental
issues.
This was evident in the speech
by R.V. Deshpande, Karnatakas
Minister for Large and Medium
Enterprise and Tourism, who
praised Prime Minister Narendra
Modis policies for economic
progress and development of the
nation, during a meeting with
R.V. Deshpande, Karnatakas Minister for Large and Medium Enterprise

and Tourism, addressing a meeting in New York organized by the
USIBC. Amb. Dnyaneshwar Mulay is on his right. (Photo: Ashok Ojha)
U.S. industry execut ives and
investors held in New York City
on December 4, 2015.
We might be having political
dif ferences but De lhi and
Bengaluru are on the same page

on investment policies, declared
Deshpande at the meeting organ
ized by the USIndia Business
Council (USIBC). We are ahead
Nominations invited for TIMES

NOW NRI of the Year awards
Mumbai: With the rising number of
Indians reaching the pinnacles of
success globally, TIMES NOW has
announced the launch of the 3rd
Edition OF TIMES NOW ICICI Bank
NRI of the Year Awards to celebrate
their achievements. They have invit
ed Global Indians from the elds of
Entrepreneurship, Philanthropy,
Academics
and
Business
Professionals. People can nominate
themselves or someone they know
in few easy steps on www.nri
oftheyear.com to get the much
deserved respect, recognition and
fame. The awards are open to any
NRI or PIO who has stayed in USA,
Canada, UK, UAE, the Middle East,
Australia and New Zealand &
Singapore for a stipulated amount
of time and has made a mark in
his/her respective eld. In addition
to the categories, there are three
distinct awards: Indias Global Icon,
Popular Choice and The Special
Jury Award. The entire process of
the awards right from the nomina
tions to choosing the winners will
5tier evaluation process.
The last 2 editions of the awards
have garnered tremendous
response and have witnessed an
amazing turnout. Celebrities, busi
ness professionals and entrepre
neurs from all walks of life have
graced the two events: Amitabh
Bachchan who won the Global

Indian Icon of the Year in the rst
season and Shahrukh Khan in the
second. The 3rd season will take
the initiative a notch higher. With
extensive multimedia marketing
campaigns across all mediums glob
ally, TIMES NOWICICI BANK ares
leaving no stone unturned in recog
nizing the ones who have caused a
change through their work and
actions. Chanda Kochhar, MD &
CEO ICICI Bank, said, With each
passing year, these awards have
grown in importance as they have
recognized achievers from different
geographies and reached newer
audiences. These awards reafrm
our commitment towards the Indian
diaspora, and give us an opportuni
ty to celebrate their outstanding
accomplishments.
Naveen
Chandra, Head International
Business, Times Network, added
"There wasn't an award recognizing

Indian diasporas success achieved
through grit and perseverance in
various countries. We spotted the
gap and with the support of ICICI
bank and Global School Foundation,
Singapore (GIIS) we have been able
to build great distinctive awards.
We hope the new website will help
multiply global entries for the much
coveted awards."
Atul Temurnikar, Chairman and
CoFounder of GIIS, added, "The
overseas Indian community, which
includes illustrious industry leaders
like Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella
and Indra Nooyi, is an acclaimed
source of inspiration for young
minds. As one of worlds leading K
12 schools, we motivate our stu
dents to become responsible con
tributors to the society, while
empowering them with the skills to
be futureready citizens by impart
ing high quality education. We fully
support TIMES NOWs initiative to
honor and recognize the outstand
ing work of the Indian diaspora."
The channel will showcase the
steps taken to bring to light the
Indians who have done exceedingly
well internationally as well. All the
episodes along with the winner pro
les will be broadcast by TIMES
NOW in its global feeds in more
than 75 countries.
of other states in launching

Modis Make in India initiative.
Our goal is to raise foreign
investment in India as Industry
Minister of Karnataka it is my
duty to attract investors to my
state. Deshpande made multiple
arguments: India, being the
fastest growing economy in the
world, is the best destination for
investment. Karnataka is the
worlds leader in the IT sector.
T here are 500 startups in
Beng aluru, the capital of
Karnataka. According to a recent
survey, the Indian economy grew
at 7.4% this scal against 7% in
the previous scal making it the
fastest growing global economy.
The minister said that Karnataka

is expected to grow at 7.6% this
year, outpacing the national
average.
The minister also visited San
Francisco, which has a sister city
relationship with Bengaluru, and
Chicago, where he met with key
public gures including the
Mayor of San Francisco.
Deshpande emphasized the
need to upgrade Karnatakas
infrastructure sector and asked
the gathering to consider this
sector for launching new proj
ects. In encouragement, he said,
If you can bring a project I will
clear it. Inviting entrepreneurs
Continued on page 4
SA4BNY hosts Diwali

with top elected ofcials
All elected officials, SA4BNY executive committee, partners and com

munity leaders held the lighted diyas in their hands as a symbol of
loving light over the evil darkness.
New York: South Asians for Better
New York (SA4BNY) Founder and
Chair Pam Kwatra, CoChair Eric
Kumar & team along with several
e lected ofcials ce lebrated a
Grand Diwali Dinner Holiday
Party on December 2 in
Richmond Hill, NY.
It was cohosted by Public
Advocate Letitia (Tish) James,
NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer,
Congresswoman Grace Meng, NYS
Senator James Sanders, NYS Asst.
Speaker Fe lix Ort iz, Council
Members Daniel Droom, Barry
Gro denchik, and Elizabeth
Crowley, Assemblymen David
Weprin and Mike Miller and sev
eral other elected ofcials.

Through a representative, Gov.
Andrew Cuomo gave a proclama
t ion to SA4BNY declaring
November 11th Diwali Day.
Public Advocate Tish James and
Pam Kwatra launched a campaign
along with other elected ofcials
for Diwali to be a Public School
Holiday. The event was graced by
Consul General Of Nepal Narayan
Prasad Mainali, Mina Malik,
Executive Director NYC CCRB, 1st
South Asian Judge Ushir Pandit in
Queens County, many organiza
tions heads and community lead
ers. After special blessings by
Continued on page 4
India, Pakistan to resume dialogue...

Continued from page 1
all issues connected to terrorism, it stated. The
NSAlevel meeting was held after Modi and
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had an impromptu
meeting on the sidelines of the Conference of
Parties (CoP) climate summit in Paris on
November 30. According to the statement,
Pakistan assured India that all steps are being
taken to expedite the early conclusion of the
26/11 Mumbai terror attacks trial.
Both sides, accordingly, agreed to a compre
hensive bilateral dialogue and directed the for
eign secretaries to work out the modalities and
schedule of the meetings under the dialogue,
including peace and security, CBMs, Jammu and
Kashmir, Siachen, economic and commercial
cooperation, counterterrorism, narcotics con
trol, humanitarian issues, peopletopeople
exchanges and religious tourism, the statement
said. Prior to her talks with Aziz, Swaraj also
called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the
sidelines of the multilateral conference.
According to external af fairs ministry
spokesman Vikas Swarup, during the meeting
with Sharif, Sushma Swaraj conveyed Indias
commitment to good neighborly relations.
Ahead of the meeting with Sharif, Sushma
Swaraj extended Indias hand of friendship to
Pakistan at the Heart of Asia Conference. It is
time that we display the maturity and selfconfi
dence to do business with each other and
strengthen regional trade and cooperation, she
said in her address at the conference.
For its part, India is prepared to move our
cooperation at a pace which Pakistan is comfort
able with, she added.
The Heart of Asia Conference engages the
countries in the region in sincere and resultori
ented cooperation for a peaceful and stable
Afghanistan. Sushma Swaraj called for full and
direct overland access by Afghanistan to Indias
markets to enable it to take advantage of the
zero duty regime available to its exports to India.
Trump may have gone too far...

false statements, went further in some instances.
The New York Daily News ran a cover illustra
tion of Trump beheading the Statue of Liberty.
Former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw broadcast a
scathing commentary concluding in Arlington
Cemetery, saying Trumps Muslim ban is a dan
TURN PAGE
gerous proposal the overrides history, the law,
and the foundation of America itse lf. At
BuzzFeed on Tuesday editorinchief Ben Smith
issued new guidelines for employees about how
to discuss Trump on social media.
It is, for instance, entirely fair to call him a
mendacious racist, wrote Mr. Smith.
Will this outpouring of vitriol affect Trumps
political standing in any way? Well, its unlikely
to quickly erode his poll numbers. For one thing,
condemnation for his proposal is not universal
among top Republicans. Sen. Ted Cruz (R) of
Texas commended Trump for focusing
Americas attention on the need to secure our
borders. For another, Trump voters are predis
posed to back a Muslim entry ban. Republicans
who think Muslims pose an immediate threat to
the US are much more likely to support Trump
than are less concerned members of the GOP.
The more interesting and fateful question is
whether the blowback on the proposed entry
ban helps cap Trumps share of the GOP elec
torate at its current 20 to 30 percent range. That
would likely lead to a fairly quick exit from the
race once actual voting starts in February.
That limitation is entirely possible.
26/11 Mumbai attacks: Headley to...

pardoned Headley and made him an approver
late on Thursday. Headley alias Daood Sayeed
Gilani will depose as a prosecution witness
before the court on February 8, 2016. Judge
Sanap also asked him to disclose all information
pertaining to the 26/11 case which he had earli
er shared with the US courts. This is expected to
shed light on the 26/11 conspiracy and the role
of various terror groups, and other crucial
details of the terror strike.
Headley confirmed that he had received the
charge sheet filed against him in the Mumbai
court, charging him with the same conduct for
which he was also charged in the US.
"I had pleaded guilty to the charges in the US
and I admitted I was a participant in these
charges," he told the Mumbai court.
On several trips to India, Headley had carried
out recces of some of locations, including Hotel
Taj Mahal Palace and Hotel Trident, targeted by
the Pakistani terrorists who sneaked into
Mumbai from sea. In 2009, he again travelled to
India and recced more locations in other cities,
including New Delhi. On one trip, he became
close friends with Rahul Bhatt, son of eminent

film maker Mahesh Bhatt. Headley, now 54, has
also been suspected or charged with involvement
in several terrorist cases around the world and
had made videorecordings of some of the sites
targeted in the 26/11 attack.
Show us the money, say developing...

Paris. He said India delegation had a good meet
ing with the US officials and the two sides had
seen a convergence of ideas, on broad terms
adding that the final text of the agreement would
depend on what the negotiators arrive at.
Asked if India agreed with the position taken
by island nations that the global temperature
rise cap should be lowered to 1.5 degree centi
grade from earlier limit of 2 degrees, Javadekar
said that they did not have any problem with the
new limit. However, he said that just lowering
the limit would not help, and it had to be fol
lowed up by action. Who will take that action,
he asked rhetorically answering that its the
Western countries which had to agree to this and
come up with more money to make developing
nations help cope with this.
Asked how he expected an increase when the
existing requirement of $100 billion contribu
tion till 2020 by developed countries was not
being adhered to, the minister said that was the
crucial issue. There is no money on the table so
far, he said although stating that he was opti
mistic of a comprehensive agreement by Friday.
Many scientists have predicted that with glob
al temperature rising above two degrees over
since the industrial revolution of 1800s,
mankind may face catastrophic climate events.
So far, the global temperature has risen 0.8
degrees in a little over a century. Javadekar said
that the first draft agreement floated by the
French presidency, the hosts of the 21st climate
change conference called the CoP21, was not
satisfactory as it had not given adequate impor
tance to the principle of common but differenti
ated responsibilities (CBDR). This principle
means that developed countries and developing
ones have different responsibilities to tackle the
after effects of climate change. Javadekar said
the principle of CBDR was mentioned much
below and not emphasised upon enough. He said
he was hopeful that in the second draft, expected
to be released by the French presidency later in
the afternoon would take care of it.
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Karnataka minister praises...

and business leaders from USA to
Bengaluru for attending the forth
coming investors summit in
February 2016, Deshpande listed
areas such as high tech, agro and
food processing, and aerospace and
tourism which were open for invest
ment. Bengaluru of fers all com
forts for foreign visitors, he said.
We are the leading hub for biotech
nology companies and also the lead
ing software exporter in India, and
we plan to expand, he continued.
T he Chennai Bangalore
Chitradurga Industrial Corridor and
the Bangalore Mumbai Economic
Corridor projects will deve lop
industrial clusters, fostering a sus
tainable investment climate.
Ambassador Dnyaneshwar Mulay,
ConsulGeneral of India in New
York, introduced the minister and
highlighted the growing coopera
tion between India and the United
States in a variety of elds. Our
mutual trade is growing faster than
ever, he said adding that India
offered great opportunities for for
eign investment and new projects.
SA4BNY hosts Diwali with...

Chamunda Swamiji, Eric Kumar
along with SA4BNY Executive
Committee D.P. Singh, Ravinder
Dhillon, Karamjit Dhaliwal, Flora
Parekh and Jarnail Singh, read a
special Diwali Message from the
Prime Minister of India, Narendra
Modi. Bollywood singer Shibani
Kashyap ew down from India and
rocked the evening with her melodi
ous voice. Tish James started her
speech observing a moment of
silence for the victims of the mass
shooting in San Bernardino, CA. All
elected ofcials, executive commit
tee, partners and community lead
ers held the lighted diyas in their
hands as a symbol of loving light
over the evil darkness.
Cartoonist: Mahendra Shah

Art and Design: Vladimir Tomovski
Bhagwati Creations,
Dhiraj Kumar
Web Editor: B.B.Chopra
News Service: HT Media Ltd.
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TRISTATE COMMUNITY
Hofstra Universitys 2016 Guru Nanak Prize announced

The Pluralism Project at Harvard University and Serve2Unite to share the $50,000 award
Hempstead, NY: Two organizations dedicat
ed to promoting tolerance and religious
understanding through education, research
and leadership training will share Hofstra
Universitys 2016 Guru Nanak Interfaith
Prize, President Stuart Rabinow itz
announced.
T he Pluralism Project at Harvard
University, created in 1991, was inspired by
the increasing religious diversity of the
United States, which its founder and direc
tor, Dr. Diana Eck, PhD, a professor of reli
gious studies at Harvard, saw firsthand in
her classes.
Serve2Unite, a Milwaukeebased organiza
tion that focuses on youth and community

outreach, was forged from tragedy, created
by Pardeep Kaleka and the Sikh community
after his father and five others were killed in
a shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek,
Wisconsin in 2012.
These two organizations use education
and dialogue to promote tolerance, compas
sion and religious understanding. Now more
than ever, I can think of no work that is
more important, said President Stuart
Rabinowitz. Their unwavering commitment
is a testament to the principles Guru Nanak
represents.
Dean Bernard Firestone of Hofstra College
of Liberal Arts & Sciences, said this years

recipients were chosen to reflect that there
is no single approach to promoting inter
faith understanding.
The Pluralism Project and Serve2Unite
show that there are many ways to meet the
challenge and embrace the opportunity pre
sented by religious diversity, Firestone said.
The most important thing is that people of
dif ferent backgrounds communicate
whether it is through scholarly research,
grassroots community outreach, leadership
training or creative expression.
The $50,000 Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize
is bestowed every two years to recognize
significant work to increase interfaith

understanding. A formal award presentation
is planned for spring 2016.
T he Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize was
established in 2006 by Ishar Bindra and
family and named for the founder of the
Sikh religion. It is meant to encourage
understanding of various religions and
encourage cooperation between faith com
munities. Guru Nanak believed that all
humans are equal, regardless of color, eth
nicity, nationality or gender.
The first Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize was
awarded in 2008 to His Holiness the 14th
Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso.
Hindi and Tamil Radio Indian American organizations review

IRS rules affecting the community
expand in TriState
By Ashok Ojha
New Jersey: New
Jersey based Indian
American community
leaders and profes
sionals recently gath
ered at the Metuchen
Gulf and Country
Club to celebrate the
first anniversary of
an emerging media
company known as
Promoters of 8K Mile Media Group recently
8K Miles Media,
celebrated the companys first anniversary
which
plans
to
in New Jersey.
expand its reach to a
Canada also, said RJ Dheema,
wider audience of radio listeners Founder and Prog ramming
and magazine readers in the Tri Director of 8K Radio Tamil. The
State area. The company was group also plans to introduce the
upbeat about its tieup with a 8K Radio T TMK ( T TMK for
local radio station EBC, a popular T a m i l T e l u g u M a l a y a l a m
radio station among the Indian Kannada) concept on terrestrial
American community in New frequencies across the US.
Jersey and parts of Pennsylvania.
Radio Tamil is a round the
Suresh Venkatachari, the founder clock live radio channe l and
of the company, said, 8K Miles available on the Web, iOS and
Media Group is growing faster Android platforms with customiz
than we had anticipated, and our able interactive ondemand pro
goal for 2016 is to be able to sus gram options. In its 16 years of
tain and further accelerate this operation 8K EBC Radio reaches
growth.
out to a wide section of South
The Company has developed Asian Indians in New York, New
8K Radio Tamil and 8K Tamil Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania
Express Magazine to meet U.S. on the 1170 AM frequency.
market demand for Tamilspeak Currently 8K EBC Radio broad
ing media. We are now manag casts on four frequencies, said
ing a round the clo ck Tamil Alka Agrawal, COO & General
Radio that can be listened in Manager of EBC Radio 1170 AM.
Speakers, organizers & some participants at the Tax 2015 update meet. (L to R seated in front row): SACSS Executive
Director Sudha Acharya, GOPIO founder president Dr. Thomas Abraham, speaker Cecil Nazareth, IALI president
Satnam Parhar, former NFIA chair Lal Motwani, former IALI president Gobind Munjal & journalist Brahm Kanchibhotla.
New York: The National Federation
of Indian American Associations
(NFIA New York Region), India
Association of Long Island (IALI),
Alliance of Global Sind hi
Asso ciat ion and the Indian
American Kerala Center joined
hands together to review the US
and Indian tax rules af fecting the
community.
Since tax changes af fect every
one, and now especially, all Indian
banks and financial institution will
report balance and interest income
of NRIs bank deposits/investments
to the IRS, community must know
about the changes which are hap
pening in the tax laws in the US and
India and to comply with the new
rules so that they wont be penal
ized heavily by IRS later, said the
organizer Dr. Thomas Abraham,
Founder President of GOPIO and
NFIA. Dr. Abraham was joined by
former NFIA Chairman Lal Motwani
and Mr. Satnam S. Parhar of IALI
who welcomed the audience and
According to Nazareth, some of the important points the community

should know are as follows:
1) FBAR deadline has been moved up from June 30 to April 15, 2016.
Extensions granted till October 15, 2016 but need to make a request.
2) A proposed bill awaiting President's approval: If one is delinquent and owe
the IRS more than $50,000, that persons passport can be revoked
3) FBAR streamlined procedure: 5 % penalty, file 3 year amended returns and
6 year FBAR forms. Need a statement from the taxpayer as to the reasons for
the nondisclosure and that the omission was Nonwillful.
4) File Indian tax returns even if one is not liable for Indian taxes. It shows
compliance and one can calculate ones foreign tax credits correctly.
5) No double taxation Foreign tax credit Taxes paid in India can be set off
(subject to FTC limitation) against US taxes.
gave brief remarks at the beginning

of the seminar.
According to the organizers,
many local tax accountants and
consultants do not keep track of
these changes especially the
transnational tax rules. The free tax
seminar was offered as a service to
the community so that when it is
time to file the taxes, one is pre
pared.
The main speaker was Mr. Cecil
Nazareth of Nazareth Chartered
Accountants and Certified Public

Accountants. A leading authority on
IndoUS tax issues, Nazareth and
his firm have handled several com
plex FBAR cases and understand
the tax laws of both countries.
At the seminar, Nazareth covered
International Tax Primer, Wealth
Transfer, US tax law changes, India
tax changes, Cross border issues,
FBAR/OVDI
&
FATCA,
Tax/Organization structure, Small
Businesses & Obama Care ACA.
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
Sant Chatwals Hampshire

Rena N DSouza elected to top
Hotels to open 20 new luxury
dental research association
hotels across Asia
New York: Expanding its upscale Dream
hospitality brand, IndianAmerican hote
lier Sant Chatwalled Hampshire Hotels
Management has set a target of opening
20 new luxury hotels across Asia, includ
ing three in India, at an estimated invest
ment of $2.5 billion. The investment will
be shared by Hampshire Hote ls
Management and the Singaporebased
Castlewood Group, a leading commercial
realestate deve lopment company,
depending on the requirement of each
property.
The rst property under the JV will
come up at Phuket in Thailand on January
26 next year. The Indian cities that the
partnership is looking at are Goa, Mumbai
and Jaipur. Apart from Thailand and India,
the partnership is also looking at setting
up properties in Indonesia.
Commenting on the expansion plans in
India, the Financial Express quoted
Chatwal: We are particularly looking at
Goa because the beaches there are similar

to Phuket, which are highly developed.
Also, in Goa, business is not seasonal, its
all year round.
He said the companys strategy will be
to bring in the lifestyle luxury segment in
India, which is an uncharted territory so
far.
Apart from Dream Hotels, Hampshire
oversees development and expansion of
luxury and lifestyle brands like Augustus
Hotels & Resorts, Time Hotels, Unscripted
Hotels and Night Hotels, under its Debut
Hotels brand.
Bullish on the Indian hospitality indus
try, Chatwal said: Contrary to belief that
only NRIs would constitute our clientele, I
would say, dont underestimate the Indian
audience in India. They have more money
to spend in India, but they are just looking
a good product. Im not saying there arent
good products in India, but our offerings
will be very unique.
Washington, DC: An Indian

an active research program
American doctor and pro
for more than 25 years on
fessor of dental sciences
tooth deve lopment and
has been elected vicepresi
genetics, matrix biology and
dent of the prest ig ious
t issue regenerat ion, the
International Association
release said.
for Dental Research (IADR),
She has also directed two
a media release said today.
comprehensive Nat ional
Rena N D'Souza, an alum
Institutes of Health (NIH)
ni of Government Dental
institutional research train
College University of
ing and development pro
Bombay, is currently serv
grams and served on several
ing as the professor of den
grant review panels.
tal sciences, neurobiology &
She served on the NIH's
Rena N DSouza
anatomy, and pathology at
National Advisory Dental and
the University of Utah, Salt Lake City.
Craniofacial Research Council, the
D'Souza would later on serve as the presi PhysicianScientist Workforce Working
dentelect, president and immediate past Group for NIH Director Francis Collins and
president of International Association for as chair of its subcommittee on dentistsci
Dental Research, a media release said.
entist training.
A past president of the American
D'Souza is a fe llow of the American
Association for Dental Research (2012 Association for the Advancement of Science,
2013), she has been an active IADR member director on the Friends of NIDCR Board and
since 1984.
member of the German National Academy of
As a leader in the eld, D'Souza has led Sciences.
AOL Foundation reaches out

to Chennai ood victims
New York: Over 5000 volunteers
mobilized by the Art of Living
Foundation, have also been work
ing tirelessly over the last three
weeks to provide much needed
relief efforts to people in Chennai,
India. T he peoples homes are
lled with river water and drainage.
Nothing is usable. They have noth
ing
le ft.
said
Harish
Gopalakrishnan, a volunteer with
the Art of Living Foundation. One
of the immediate needs in disaster
situations, is providing relief and
the challenge lies in coordinating
relief efforts. In Chennai this prob
lem was further compounded with
the complete breakdown of all com
munication channels no electrici
ty, internet and cell phone connec
tivity. Amidst this chaos, the volun
teers from the Art of Living
Foundat ion have been able to
organize relief ef fectively, provid
ing timely and orderly help to sev
eral of the worst hit ood zones.
The volunteers also ensured that
timely food and water reached
members of the rescue teams, who
were operating under severe time
crunch over extended hours. This
included several teams from the
Tamil Nadu Police Department, Fire
Department, Coastal Guard service
and the National Disaster Response
Force (NDRF). The International
Association for Human Values
(IAHV) along with the Art of Living
Foundation has initiated a rehabili
tation project in Chennai with an
emphasis on trauma relief.
AOL volunteers engaged in rescue efforts

Teaming up with local healthcare
providers like Kauvery Hospital,
Fortis and SRM Hospitals, several
medical health and hygiene camps
are also being planned and con
ducted by the volunteers of the
foundation to prevent any further
outbreak of epidemics. So far 10
medical camps have been conduct
ed to treat ailments like sore feet to
cold, fever etc. T he spirit of
Chennai knew no borders. It res
onated across the globe as NRIs
came together during the hour of
need providing crucial communica
tions and coordination for immedi
ate relief and rescue ef forts from
several control rooms worldwide.
Our team, responded early to the
disaster creating a global volunteer
Whatsapp group. It soon became
our virtual global control center
said Abitha Narayanan, a volunteer
with the Overseas Volunteer for a
Better India(OVBI). Rescue and

re lie f requests received from
Chennai, and from Social media
were funneled to the right action
teams on the ground, making assis
tance available to the needy within
a short span of time. NRIs across
countries handled data collection,
prioritization of requests and made
direct calls for rescue and relief.
We quickly partnered with many
other NGOs with the single goal to
aid Chennai.
Akshay Patra provides

emergency food aid to
Chennai flood survivors
Stoneham, MA: In response to
the devastat ing oo ds in
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, the
Akshaya Patra Foundation is
providing hot fresh meals to
families af fected by the disas
ter.
Akshaya Patra is working to
provide up to 10,000 hot, fresh
meals a day to survivors of the
Chennai oods. Currently a
team of 1030 Akshaya Patra
team members are preparing
these meals from a wedding
hall at a temple in Chennai.
Akshaya Patra is also looking
into the feasibility of building a
temporary aid kitchen like that
set up in Bhaktapur, Nepal, to
aid survivors of the two earth
quakes that hit that region in
the spring.
Packaged food is also being
shipped from Akshaya Patra
Bang alore. Akshaya Patras
Bangalore kitchen is one of 22
mechanized kitchen facilities
that provide daily school meals
to more than 1.4 million chil

dren in government schools
across India.
Akshaya Patra is uniquely
qualied to provide aid relief
after natural disasters. In 2012,
Akshaya Patra prepared 50,000
meals for survivors of oods in
the Bhatta Basti, Shastri Nagar,
and Jahawar Nagar areas of
Rajasthan. Following the two
earthquakes in Nepal, Akshaya
Patra established in ve days a
temporary kitchen in Bhaktapur
that prepared 10,000 meals an
hour up to 100,000 meals a day
to survivors of the earthquakes.
Concerned and compassionate
individuals can help support
Akshaya Patra's efforts. Donors
in the United States can support
Akshaya Patra's Chennai
Kitchen Fund at www.foodfore
ducation.org /campaign/chen
nai or by sending checks to:
Akshaya Patra USA, 92
Montvale Avenue, Suite 2500,
Stoneham, MA 02180.
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
IndianAmerican couple GURDWARA VANDALIZED IN LOS

gives $4.6 mn for
ANGELES WITH ANTIISIS GRAFFITI
Dharma Studies Center
Washington, DC: An Indian
American couple has donated
$4.6 million to establish a Hindu
Studies program at the Graduate
Theological Union University in
Berkeley, California.
Dr Ajay and Mira Shingal from
the Bay area in California have
pledged to create an endowment
fund that will create the Mira and
Ajay Shingal Center for Dharma
Studies at the Graduate
Theological Union which is home
to the largest Ph.D program in
re lig ious studies in North
America.
The endowment will establish
the Hindu Studies programs in
the new Center for Dharma
Studies in perpetuity, a media
release said .
Under the endowment, the
Center for Dharma Studies will
begin with a focus on Hindu
studies and of fer a Graduate
Certicate MA and Ph.D in Hindu
Studies.
It will welcome all traditions
that selfidentify themselves as a
Dharma tradition, including the
Jain, Buddhist and others sys
tems of thought, derived from
these ancient traditions.
"This gift from Mira and Ajay
Shingal enables the Graduate
Theological Union to expand the
representation of the world's
great religious traditions at this
consortium and create a robust
and singular place for scholars,
students and the public to
engage one another to build deep
mutual understanding and pro
mote the common good," said
GTU president Dr Riess
Potterveld. Shingal, a resident of
San Jose, has been a Silicon
Valley entrepreneur w ith a
career spanning several brand
name technology companies in
the Bay Area and is currently in
the hospitality industry.
Washington, DC : A Gurdwara has

been vandalized in Los Angeles sub
urbs with hateful grafti addressed
towards ISIS, Sikh community lead
ers have said, fearing this "hate
crime" is a repercussion of the
California shooting.
"We are concerned about the safe
ty and security of our community
members. We are of the opinion that
this is a hate crime and that this is a
direct result of a possible backlash
from the San Bernardino killings,"
said Inderjot Singh, president of Sikh
Gurdwara in Buena Park, a suburb of
Los Angeles.
The incident, which occurred early
on Sunday morning is being investi
gated by local law enforcement
agencies.
"The Gurdwara was vandalized
during early hours of Sunday and a
hateful grafti was seen on the walls
of the Gurdwara and also a truck
parked in the parking lot. The grafti
included the phrase, "F@#k ISIS," and
the words "Islam" and other refer
ence of gangs," Washingtonbased
Sikh Council on Re ligion and
The incident is being investigated by local law enforcement agencies

Education said in a statement.
The Gurdwara is attended by over
800 community members on a week
ly basis. The White House, which was
informed about the incident, has for
warded the incident to the
Department of Homeland Security to
investigate.
"The Sikh community across the
nation is in a heightened state of
alert and is deeply troubled by this
latest incident. We are appealing to
all Sikh place of congregation to be
in touch with the local law enforce
ment agencies as well with the elect
ed ofcials," Dr Rajwant Singh of the

Sikh Council on Re ligion and
Education, said. Dr Singh also
expressed concern over the recent
antiMuslim rhetoric made by some
of the contenders of the American
presidency.
"This will directly result in elevated
level of violence against minority
religions in America and particularly
the Sikhs. We are fearful that this
kind of hate speech against Muslims
with engulf Sikhs and members of
the Muslim community across the
nation," he said.
Indian to lead US varsity's cancer Indian American led project at Cornell

University gets $13.4 million grant
prevention, control research
biostatistics.
Washington, DC: The University of
Her cancer research has focused
Michigan Comprehensive Cancer
on how the interaction between
Centre has appointed Bhramar
genes and the environment
Mukherjee as associate director for
impacts cancer risk. She has stud
population science research. She will
ied the roles of diet, physical activi
oversee work on cancer causes, pre
ty and lifestyle factors, and their
vention, care delivery and outcomes.
interplay with the genetic architec
"As a biostatistician and epidemiol
ture of an individual. "I am so
ogist, I can bring a lot to this role," a
impressed with Mukherjee. She is a
university release quoted Mukherjee
Bhramar
stellar researcher in biostatistics,
as saying.
epidemiolog y and disparit ies.
"We live in a very datadriven
Mukherjee
These are key issues for our cancer
world. There are tremendous oppor
tunit ies, both w ithin the University of center to address," said Ted Lawrence, distin
Michigan and nationally around big data guished professor of Oncology and director of
using medical records and mining large the UM Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Mukherjee plans to foster and facilitate
datasets to manage patient outcomes and
care," she said. "Groundbreaking prevention crosscollaboration within the population sci
and health communications research is hap ences program in the cancer center and
pening today by using social media and across various other units at the University of
mobile sensors. Data is helping us to better Michigan, something she has done frequently
understand disparities in cancer care, delivery as a biostatistician.
The associate director for population sci
and outcomes."
Mukherjee is John D. Kalbeisch Collegiate ence position was last held by Stephen B.
professor of biostatistics and professor of epi Gruber, who is now the director of the
demiology at the UM School of Public Health. University of Southern California Norris
She also serves as the associate chair for Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Ithaca, NY: A Cornell University project

seeking to enhance access to nutritious
foods in India has received a hefty
$13.4 million donation from the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The foundation provided a $13.4 mil
lion g rant to the TataCorne ll
Agriculture and Nutrition Initiative
which will allow the project to scale up
its work, as well as promote a more
nutritionsensitive food system aimed
at bettering the diet of the rural poor,
particularly women and children.
Lasting four years, the grant estab
lishes Technical Assistance and
Research for Indian Nutrition and
Agriculture, (TARINA) a consortium
launched Dec. 1 linking university and
nongovernmental organization part
ners. The goal of TARINA is to fund
research and enact policy changes that
enhance the availability and affordabil
ity of nutrientrich food, according to a
Cornell statement.
Launched in 2013, the initiative
hoped to develop solutions in India
where problems like childhood stunt
ing and anemia in women affect long
term health and development.

TARINA is led by the initiative which
has evidencegenerating capabilities of
the International Food Policy Research
Institute, the Tata Institute of Social
Sciences, Emory University and
Cornell. It is helped in a technical
capacity by BAIF and CARE, according
to Cornell.
Tata Trusts, one of Indias leading
philanthropy organizations, will sup
port the consortium.
According to the initiatives Indian
American director, Prabhu Pingali, who
is also a professor of applied econom
ics and management at the university,
the project has three missions: collect
ing data and evidence regarding diet
quality; redesigning agricultural proj
ects to focus on nutrition; and building
the capacity to make reforms possible.
Additionally, the grant will allow for
a Center of Excellence to be estab
lished in Delhi. It will serve as a data
and information hub, as well as a
source of technical expertise on nutri
tion sensitive food systems, the state
ment added.
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
Texas festival to showcase

Texas Governor hosts rstever
South Asian diaspora films Deepwali celebration at their mansion
A still from opening night film 'Miss India America'

Washington, DC: More than a
dozen films focusing on issues
af fect ing South Asians and
exploring the lives and stories of
the South Asian diaspora in the
US will be showcased at a film
festival in Texas next February.
The 2nd annual Dallas/Fort
Worth (DFW) South Asian Film
Festival kicks off Feb 19 to 21,
at locations in downtown Dallas
and Plano w ith "Miss India
America" as the opening night
film.
It will screen Feb 19 at the
Hoglund Foundation Theatre of
the Perot Museum of Nature and
Science, followed by a red carpet
and cocktail reception at the T.
Boone Pickens Life Then and
Now Hall.
The rest of the speciallycurat
ed lineup will be showcased at

the Ange lika Film Centre in
Plano on Feb 20 and 21, fol
lowed by panel discussions with
attending filmmakers, afterpar
ties and networking events, all
taking place in Plano.
JINGO Media, a Dallas and
New York based, public relations
and events management firm, is
in its second year of producing
the annual festival of South
Asian independent cinema in
North Texas.
The festival's opening night
film is the Texas premiere of
wife/husband creative team of
Meera Simhan (actor/cowriter)
and Ravi Kapoor's (director/co
writer) awardwinning, cross
cultural comedy "Miss India
America."
Austin: Governor Greg Abbott and First Lady

Cecilia Abbott hosted the firstever Deepawali cele
bration at their mansion here on. Consul General
of India in Houston, P Harish and a few prominent
members of the Indian American community from
the state of Texas were invited to this special occa
sion.
Governor Abbott welcomed the gathering, extend
ed his Deepawali g reet ings to the Indian
Community in Texas and lit the ceremonial lamp
with First Lady Cecilia Abbott on this auspicious
occasion. He expressed a desire to know more
about the meaning of Deepawali, its sociocultural
and religious significance and impact on humanity.
Consul General, P Harish explained the signifi
cance of Deepawali as a harbinger of peace, joy,
and prosperity, the start of the Samvat calendar, an
important occasion to strengthen the bonds of
goodwill between all sections of society and an
inspiration to fight darkness and ignorance usher
ing in light and wisdom.
Governor Abbott said that the message of
Deepawali to dispel darkness and ignorance was
especially relevant in view of the horrific terrorist
attacks in Paris which deserve strong condemna
tion by one and all.
He also expressed admiration and appreciation
for the Indian American community in Texas.
Governor Abbott made an important announce
ment during the Deepawali celebration about his
plans to lead a trade delegation to India next year,
the first by any Governor of Texas, as part of his
effort to increase bilateral trade and economic ties
between the two countries. The mission will focus
Deepawali celebration at Governor Greg Abbott

and First Lady Cecilia Abbott's mansion in Austin.
on increasing trade and investment between Texas
and India, in a range of sectors.
The proposed visit by Governor Abbott leading a
trade delegation to India will be an important mile
stone and will see Texas emerge as an important
lynchpin in the strengthening bilateral economic
engagement between India and the United States.
US AFFAIRS
CONDEMNATION RAINS ON TRUMP

FOR MUSLIM US BAN CALL
Washington: There has been a storm of
condemnation at home and abroad for
Donald Trump's, including from fellow
Republicans after the presidential candi
date called for a ban on Muslims entering
the US.
Rival candidate Jeb Bush called Trump
"unhinged". Even the hawkish former US
VicePresident Dick Cheney said it "goes
against everything we stand for and believe
in".
In a way speaking for the Republican
party, House Speaker Paul Ryan, said that
Trump's comments are "not who we are as
a party" and violate the Constitution. "This
is not conservatism," he said, adding, "Some
of our best and biggest allies in this strug
gle and fight against radical Islam terror
are Muslims."
Trump said many Muslims nursed a
"hatred" towards America. His source:
polling by the Center for Security Policy, a
conservative thinktank, suggested that
25% of Muslims in the US believed violence
against America was justified.
In a campaign statement, he called for "a
total and complete shutdown of Muslims
entering the US States until our country's
representatives can figure out what is
going on".
GOPs loss is
Hillarys gain
hile it is being said that Trumps
hysterical talk is sending many
recruits to ISIS, the conspiracy
theory has resurfaced that he is a plant
by the Clintons to divide the Republican
party to enable Hillary to win the presi
dency. Well, Trump remains GOPs presi
dential frontrunner, but he maybe too
incendiary for the party to make him its
nominee in which case he is likely to
run as a an independent and split the
GOP vote, helping the Democratic nomi
nee.
The Daily News front page cartoon

on Dec 9 castigated Trump for
hitting at basic US values and
even national security interests.
His campaign manager said that would
apply to "everybody" wouldbe immi
grants and tourists. But Trump told Fox
News it would "not apply to people living in
the country", adding that Muslims serving
in the US military would "come home".
SoCal shooters were

radicalized at least 2 years ago
Washington: The two San Bernardino
shooters were radicalized at least two
years ago well before one of them
came to the U.S. on a fiance visa and
had discussed jihad and martyrdom as
early as 2013, FBI Director James
Comey said Wednesday in providing the
most specific details to date about the
couple's path toward extremism. One
week into its investigation, the FBI now
believes that Syed Rizwan Farook and
his wife, Tashfeen Malik, embraced radi
cal Islamic ideology even before they
had begun their online relationship and
that Malik held extremist views before
she arrived in the U.S. last year, Comey
told the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Though the FBI believes the pair was
inspired in part by ISIS ideology
Malik pledged allegiance to the group's
leader in a Facebook post around the
time of last week's massacre agents
are still looking for other motivations
and sources of radicalization, especially
because the couple's interest in extrem
ism predates the terror group's emer
gence as a household name.
Malik came to the United States in July
2014 from Pakistan after being
approved for a K1, or fiance visa, and
married Farook the following month.
Home land Security Secretary Jeh
Johnson has said the Obama administra
tion is now reviewing the program. He
did not say what changes were being
considered.
Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik

were killed in an encounter with the
police after the couple massacred 14 at
Farooqs workplace.
Malik's father, reached in Jiddah, Saudi
Arabia, condemned his daug hter's
actions and said he is "very, very sad. ... I
am in such pain that I cannot even
describe it."
The father, Gulzar Ahmed Malik, has
been a resident in the kingdom since the
early 1980s, the Saudi Interior Ministry
says. His daughter was from Pakistan
but traveled to Saudi Arabia.
A former classmate, Afsheen Butt, said
Malik showed drastic changes after a
trip to Saudi Arabia in late 2008 or early
2009.
Last week's shooting attack at a holi
day party killed 14 people and left 21
injured. Former neig hbor Enrique
Marquez bought the two rifles used in
the attack, officials say.
Some of his Republican rivals mindful,

perhaps, that Trump's more outlandish pro
posals only appear to have bolstered his
poll ratings were more nuanced in their
responses.
Carly Fiorina used her response to take
simultaneous aim at President The White
House and Muslim leaders also criticized
Trump's statementObama, saying his "over
reaction is as dangerous as President
Obama's underreaction" while Ted Cruz

said: "Well, that is not my policy."
Ben Carson said visitors to the US should
be monitored, but added: "I do not and
would not advocate being selective on one's
religion."
But a handful of supporters cheered
Trump on, with controversial conservative
commentator Ann Coulter tweeting: "GO
TRUMP, GO!"
Trump's comments were contrary to US
values and its national security interests, a
statement from the White House said.
"Donald Trump sounds more like a leader
of a lynch mob than a great nation like
ours,'' said Nihad Awad, national executive
director of the Council on AmericanIslamic
Relations (CAIR).
Muslim sports heroes like Muhammed Ali
and Kareem AbdulJabbar, sixtime NBA
champion and league Most Valuable Player,
condemned Trump. AbdulJabbar went so
far as likening Trump to ISIS, as he too is
preying on peoples fears.
Meanwhile in the UK, a petition calling
for Donald Trump to be banned from enter
ing the country has attracted more than a
quarter of a million signatures more than
enough for a committee to consider send
ing the motion for parliamentary debate.
Pentagon insiders: ISIS

war plan is Not Working
Washington: Its not just Obamas critics in
Congress who think he cant defeat the
Islamic State. Defense officials also say his
plan will fail. The Obama administrations
strateg y ag ainst the se lfpro claimed
Islamic State is facing increasing skepti
cism, not only on Capitol Hill, but also in
the halls of the Pentagon, reports The
Daily Beast. From Iraq to Washington,
there are quiet murmurs within from those
in uniform that either the U.S. should com
mit more ground forces to the war effort
or stop suggesting it can defeat ISIS with
airstrikes and a sprinkling of Special
Forces.
On Wednesday, the former top Army
of ficer added to the growing chorus of
criticism of the strategy, as did four
defense of ficials in interviews with the
Daily Beast.
The current approach is not working,
one defense official conceded. The recent
ly retired Gen.
Raymond Odierno, the former chief of
staff of the Army, said there was only so
much Special Forces and Kurdish troops,
who are considered the best local force on
the ground, could do on their own against
ISIS.
You cant defeat ISIS without having
people on the ground, Odierno said on
MSNBCs Morning Joe. The intelligence
were missing is the intelligence you gain
on the ground. The lesson of the past 17
months, since the U.S. launched a multi
nation air campaign against the militant

group in Iraq and Syria, is that airstrikes
alone cannot defeat ISIS, skeptics argued.
They said the most accurate intelligence
comes from U.S. ground troops, who could
assess the effect of the airstrikes and when
the next strike campaign should happen.
But those troops arent forthcoming.
Our hands are tied. You want us to do
more, then go talk to those guys across the
river, a second frustrated defense official
explained, referring to the White House.
Complicating the fight against ISIS, as well
as Al Qaeda, which has a branch in Syria, is
the way that the groups have embedded
themselves in the broader crisis of failing
governments and civil war in the wake of
the Arab Spring.
Technical intelligencegathering with
satellite imagery and communications
intercepts is the kind of spying the U.S.
excels at, but its unlikely to make a dent in
ISIS advance. When Secretary of Defense
Ash Carter and Air Force Gen. Paul Selva,
the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staf f, appeared before the Senate Armed
Services Committee, they could do little to
assuage lawmakers concerns that the
strategy isnt working. They struggled to
sell the plan to both Republicans and
Democrats. Carter conceded that the strat
egy so far had failed to contain ISIS, but
insisted it was working. I think that we
are building momentum against ISIS, he
said.
10
INDIA
Salman Khan acquitted in 2002 accident case

Mumbai: Bollywood megastar Salman Khan was
acquitted of all charges in the September 28, 2002,
accident case by the Bombay High Court here.
Delivering the muchawaited verdict, Justice A.R.
Joshi said that the actor "cannot be convicted" on the
basis of the evidences produced by the prosecution
in the 13yearold case and trial.
Accordingly, Salman's conviction and fiveyear jail
term in the case on charges of among others "cul
pable homicide not amounting to murder", have
been set aside by the high court.
"After 13long years, the verdict is a big relief for
Salman Khan," his counsel Amit Desai told media
persons shortly afterwards.
In a guarded reaction to the outcome, Chief
Minister Devendra Fadnavis said in Nagpur that the
Maharashtra government will decide on further
course of action after examining the Bombay High
Court verdict.
Virtually dismissing the prosecution case, Justice
Joshi said the "prosecution failed to establish the
charges (against Salman Khan) on all counts" and
that "it had failed to prove that Salman was drunk or
driving" at the time of the accident which left one
pavement dweller dead and four others injured.
Demolishing the police investigations completely,
Justice Joshi's judgment came on Salman Khan's
appeal challenging his conviction and fiveyear sen
tence by the Sessions Court on May 6.
The court also raised questions on the manner in
which the probe was carried out, the withholding of
an eyewitness singeractor Kamaal Khan, the wholly
unreliable evidence of the first complainant and
police bodyguard, the late Ravindra Patil who was in
the vehicle at the time of the accident, and the lack
of clarity whether the vehicle tyre burst before or
after the accident.
Salman Khan, clad in a dark, checked shirt and
jeans, heard out the verdict without emotions but
was later seen quietly wiping tears from his eyes in
Jiah case:
CBI files chargesheet
Actor Salman Khan.

the court. He had rushed to Mumbai from a shooting
schedule in Karjat,in adjacent Raigad district, follow
ing the court's directive to be present on Thursday.
Most family members, including his father Salim
Khan, his sisters, brothers, and aides flanked him
when the judgment was pronounced.
Postverdict, Salman completed various legal for
malities in the court, including executing a bond in
case the prosecution decided to appeal in the case,
before he could walk out a free man, said Desai.
Mumbai: T he CBI has filed a

chargesheet into the death of
Bollywood actress Jiah Khan in
which actor Suraj Pancholi is one
of the prime accused.
US citizen Jiah, 25, was found
dead at her Juhu apartment on
June 3, 2013. Later, Suraj was
arrested for 'abetment to suicide'
on the basis of a sixpage purport
ed suicide note which was recov
ered. The chargesheet came a
fortnight after the sessions court
asked for the status of the CBI's
investigation into the case after it
was transferred to the central
probe agency by the Bombay
High Court last year.
Special Women's Court Judge
A.S. Shende had observed at a
hearing on November 18 that
though the CBI had completed its
probe, the chargesheet was not
filed in the case so far.
Prior to the CBI, Mumbai police
which probed the matter said Jiah
and Suraj were in a relationship.
Later, the Bombay High Court
granted him bail.
In his bail application, Suraj had
contended that the two were in a
consensual relationship and the
Jiah Khan.
letter purportedly penned by Jiah
was allegedly being misused by
her mother Rabiya.
In October 2013, Rabiya had
petitioned the Bombay High
Court alleging that her daughter
was murdered and demanded a
CBI probe into the matter.
Earlier, in January 2014, police
in Juhu filed its 447page
chargesheet before the Andheri
magistrate's court and six months
later, the case was transferred to
the CBI.
Rahul says political vendetta coming

out of PMO; Centre hits back
New Delhi: The confrontation between the
Congress and Centre over National Herald
issue escalated, as Rahul Gandhi alleged
"political vendetta" against his party coming
out of PMO and BJP challenging him to
prove it.
The Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha witnessed
protests by Congress members against the
government with the upper house witness
ing repeated adjournments.
Parliamentary Af fairs Minister M.
Venkaiah Naidu said it was the Congress
that was playing "vendetta politics by not
accepting the mandate of people".
Expressing full faith in the judicial system,
Rahul Gandhi told reporters, the truth will
come out.
"(This is) one hundred percent political
vendetta, pure political vendetta coming out
of the PM Office. This is what it is. This is
their way of doing politics. Pure one hun
dred percent vendetta," Gandhi said.
"I have full faith in legal system of this
country and we will see in the end what
comes out. The truth will come out," he
added.
Asked if the Congress was trying to
threaten judiciary with its protest in parlia
ment, Gandhi shot back, saying it was the
other way round. "Who is threatening judi
ciary we all know."
Rahul Gandhi along with his mother and

Congress president Sonia Gandhi will
appear in the trial court here on December
19 in connect ion w ith BJP leader
Subramanian Swamy's complaint in the
National Herald case.
Minutes after Rahul Gandhi's remarks,
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs
Rajiv Pratap Rudy hit back at the Congress.
"We are challenging the Congress whatever
allegations Rahul Gandhi has leve lled
against the court and the PMO. He must
produce all the evidences regarding this in
the house and in front of the nation."
"We challenge them. We can understand,
in such a situation when they have been
summoned by the court, out of anxiety, they
are making statements which are undemoc
ratic," he said.
Naidu also attacked the Congress over
remarks of its leader Ghulam Nabi Azad
about democracy being in danger under the
Bharatiya Janata Partyled government.
"Looking for excuses to stall parliament
and preventing major legislations like GST
bill is a clear case of vendetta politics. The
Congress party wants to take revenge
against the people of the country for giving
absolute majority to a single party," he said.
Naidu alleged that Congress was "seeking
to convert a family problem into a national
issue.
"Misusing parliament for family interests
is the biggest threat to democracy and
Congress should take responsibility for
this," he said, accusing Congress of "vendet
ta politics."
The Rajya Sabha saw repeated adjourn
ments for the second day Wednesday on the
National Herald issue with Azad blaming
the government for misusing the
Enforcement Directorate (ED) and getting
the case reopened.
"ED had shut the case. Subramanian
Swamy and the government got it
reopened," Azad said.
"We have no charges against the judici
ary... It is not the fault of the court, but of
this government. On the direction of the
government, the cases against all opposi
tion leaders are being reopened, even if
they are small cases," he said.
He was countered by Minister of State for
Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
who said the opposition should start a dis
cussion.
In the Lok Sabha, Leader of Congress
Mallikarjun Kharge accused Modi govern
ment of following dif ferent yardsticks on
allegations concerning its own leaders and
those of the Congress, saying that the oppo
sition leaders were being harassed.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

"There are two laws one for the ruling
parties and the other for the opposition par
ties," he said. Congress members protested
against the government by raising slogans.
The protests in the two houses started
after Delhi High Court dismissed the plea of
Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to quash
the summons issued to them regarding
their personal appearance by a trial court
on Swamy's complaint in the National
Herald case.
INDIA
11
Accord on bullet train expected during Japan PM's visit

New Delhi: Japanese Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe will arrive in
Delhi on December 11 on a three
day official visit amid expectations
that an agreement would be firmed
up on India's first bullet train to
run between Mumbai and
Ahmedabad.
Abe will hold annual summit
meet ing w ith Prime Minister
Narendra Mo di during the
December 1113 visit. He is also
likely to visit Varanasi which is
Modi's parliamentary constituency
.At the last summit meeting held in
Tokyo in 2014, the two prime min
isters agreed to elevate the bilater
al relationship to "special strategic
and global partnership".
Mo di and Abe also met last
month on the sidelines of the 13th
ASEAN (Association of Southeast
Asian Nations)India Summit at
Kuala Lumpur and again during
the Paris climate change confer
ence.
Abe, who met Modi over lunch at

Kuala Lumpur, had said that India
Japan relationship has the greatest
potential of any bilateral relation
ship in the world.
The proposed bullet train line
between Mumbai and Ahmedabad
would cost Rs.98,000 crore,
according to a joint project feasi
bility study which was cofinanced
by the Indian Railways and Japan
International Cooperation Agency
(JICA).
Minister of State for Railways
Manoj Sinha said earlier this
month that the Japanese govern
ment has given an assistance pack
age proposal for Mumbai
Ahmedabad highspeed corridor
involving technical, operation and
maintenance (O&M), and financial
assistance to the tune of 81 per
cent of the project cost being met
through loan.
He said that no other country
has of fered such support for the
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with Narendra Modi.
'Single woman driving car to be exempted

from new traffic rule'
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal said that in the
proposed scheme of things to limit
cars with odd and even numbers
on alternate days, any car carrying
a patient or being driven by single
women would be exempted.
Speaking after meeting union
Home Minister Rajnath Singh,
Kejriwal said he received a positive
response from the central govern
ment over the Delhi government's
traffic controlling scheme.
"He (Rajnath Singh) said the cen
tral government and Delhi Police
w ill cooperate," Ke jriwal told
reporters after the meeting.
Stat ing that the discussions
included the point that certain

exemptions would be required, he
said: "If there is a patient in a car,
it will be exempted, if a single
woman is driving, it will also be
exempted. If there is an emer
gency... he (Rajnath Singh) flagged
out some issues and we said we
will sort it. The response was posi
tive."
Kejriwal said he also discussed
about the Delhi government's plan
to put CCTV cameras across the
city. "We said we want CCTVs in
whole of Delhi, but for that we
need help of Delhi Police because
the feed will go to Delhi Police... we
need police cooperation."
"We said there is nothing in the

tussle (between Delhi Police and
government), we must sit together
and chart a course," he said.
On Tuesday, Delhi PWD Minister
met union Road Transport
Minister Nit in Gadkari who
assured him support.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Dialogue
Commission held a daylong con
sultat ion w ith over a dozen
providers to enable and expand
ridesharing, carpooling, and shut
tle services for the citizens of
Delhi.
A review meeting on the road
rationing was slated this week
which will be chaired by Kejriwal.
World's first antidengue vaccine

brings hope for India
Mexico City/New Delhi: At a time when India is strug
gling with rising number of dengue cases with each
passing year, the Mexican government has approved
the world's first antidengue vaccine which is
designed to protect people in the 945 age group
from nine to 45 years from all four subtypes of the
virus. Called Dengvaxia, the vaccine has been devel
oped by Francebased Sanofi Pasteur and is the result
of an extensive clinical development programme run
ning for almost two decades.
"Today, with this first marketing authorisation of
Dengvaxia, we have achieved our goal of making
dengue the next vaccinepreventable disease," said
Olivier Brandicourt, Sanofi's managing director and
chief executive officer, in a statement on Wednesday.
"This is a historic milestone for our company, for
the global public health community and, most impor
tantly, for half the worlds population who lives at
risk of dengue, he added.
While dengue affects nearly 400 million people in
endemic areas, mostly in tropical and subtropical
countries in Latin America and Asia, India saw one of

the worst outbreak of the deadly disease this year
with 32 deaths recorded in New Delhi alone till
October. With the total number of dengue cases in
the capital reaching over 12,000 in October, Delhi
recorded the highest number of patients of the viral
disease in 19 years, according to health authorities.
Even as Dengvaxia has become the first vaccine to
be licensed in the world for the prevention of dengue,
the dengue toll in West Bengal has touched 12 with
the last death reported on November 5, according to
state health officials.
The WHO has called on endemic countries to
reduce dengue mortality by 50 percent and morbidi
ty by 25 percent by 2020.
Dengvaxia is, therefore, seen as major innovation
and a public health breakthrough.
According to a statement issued by the Mexico's
health ministry, the new vaccine is 60.5 percent
effective against dengue and 93.2 percent effective
against severe dengue treatment.
project which involves 505km

long highspeed line.
The project is expected to cut
down travel time between Mumbai
and Ahmedabad from about seven
hours to two hours.
T he
proposed
Mumbai
Ahmedabad highspeed railway
had figured in Modi's discussions
with Abe during his visit to Japan
last year. Abe had expressed hope
that India could introduce Japan's
Shinkansen system for the
AhmedabadMumbai route and
had expressed his readiness to
provide financial, technical and
operational support for the sys
tem.
Modi and Abe share a warm per
sonal equation. Modi is among 11
people Abe follows on twitter.
Modi's visit to Japan also saw the
signing of the document to pro
mote partnership city arrangement
between the ancient cit ies of
Varanasi and Kyoto.
IndiaPak composite
dialogue an eyewash:
Separatist leader
Senior separatist leader Muhammad Yasin Malik.

Srinagar: Senior separat ist
leader Muhammad Yasin Malik
said the proposed resumption of
a composite bilateral dialogue
between India and Pakistan was
an "eyewash" and that the peo
ple of Kashmir had rejected it.
"Kashmiris reject this dialogue
process, which is nothing but an
eyewash. India and Pakistan will
have to introspect on their
respective stands (on Kashmir),"
he said.
He said Kashmiris won't accept
any solution to the Kashmir
issue without their involvement.
"We are not against the dia
logue but isn't it ironic that our
political fate will be discussed
(between India and Pakistan)
and we as the prime stakehold
ers are not part of the whole
process," the Jammu Kashmir
Liberation Front (JKLF) chair
man said during his 36hour
hunger strike here.
"We are not a flock of sheep...
it is an insult that our issue is

being discussed without our
involvement and we get to hear
about it in newspapers and tele
vision announcements," he
added.
The proindependence JKLF
chief said Kashmiris would not
accept any "imposed solution".
He
crit icised
Nat ional
Conference patron Farooq
Abdullah for advocating a status
quo on Kashmir and ruling
Peoples Democratic Party leader
Mehbooba Mufti for "preferring
Delhi's interest in Kashmir".
Malik is sitting on a 36hour
hunger strike against alleged
human rights violations in the
valley to coincide w ith the
International Human Rights Day
(December 10).
Many separatist and human
rig hts
org anisat ions
on
Thursday protested in Srinagar
against alleged human rights
abuses in Kashmir.
12
OP-ED
CHENNAI FLOOD AID SHOWS POWER OF

TAGGING AND SOCIAL MEDIA
By N Madhavan
s floods ravaged Chennai last week,
throwing the city of 4.9 million into
turmoil, communications were among
the worst hit. Telephones went dead and
arterial roads were blocked in many parts.
Cries went out for safety, food, medical help
and more. In the middle of all this, one could
see the power of the Internet and more
important, that of what Facebook CEO Mark
Zuckerberg calls the social graph the
web of relationships that social networks
build.
Now, Zuckerberg was a much talkedabout
subject last week alongside the floods in
Tamil Nadu as he announced that he and his
wife Priscilla would give away as much as
99 percent of their worth in company stock,
estimated at around $45 billion, to social
causes.
As it happens the network he cofounded
is enabled for a great amount of social work.
Facebook, as it did during the recent Paris
attacks, activated its safety feature that
helped those in the affected area announce
to their friends that they were safe. But what
I found more fascinating, and powerful, was
the way tagging, the business of connecting
people by mere mention on Facebook,
helped during the floods.
I recalled the Gujarat earthquake of 2001,
when Internet was still in its infancy in
People took the help of social media during Chennai floods.

India, when Kutchi people from around the
world rallied around a website called
Panjokutch.com to raise relief for the affect
ed. There was no Facebook at that time, and
what a dramatic the site and its rival Twitter,
have made since.
Twitter, of course, is perhaps better for
raising public awareness, goading main
stream media, calling out for blood dona
tions and doing a broader range of things.
On Facebook, I saw two IAS officers from
Tamil Nadu, Manivannan and Alex Paul
Menon, who I know through social network
ing, were among a handful of volunteers
who set up a virtual control room during

the floods to coordinate aid and relief while
government authorities seemed to be strug
gling. Menon is based in Chattisgarh and
Manivannan in Karnataka.
Given the breakdown in communications,
the virtualisation dramatically helped ef fi
ciency because you could just ping (alert)
those connected with the room linked to the
lay of the land. A real, physical control room
sprang up in Bangalore as well, extending
the initiative.
The CEO of Chennaibased software firm
Intellect Design Arena, Arun Jain, set up a
similar network of his own on Facebook, and

led a corporatestyle relief mission aided by
employees.
Another friend led an initiative to ask peo
ple to of fer free wifi by passing around
passwords when their hotspots were work
ing.
An interesting thing is that both time and
geography became irrelevant in helping
people. I was trying to trace my uncle in a
Chennai suburb where phone lines were
down and hollered on Facebook for help. I
found a woman from New Jersey in the US
connecting me to her cousin, who lived in
my uncles neighbourhood, whose phone
was working. He informed me the area was
safe.
Another Facebook friend hollered for help
to aid someone whose neighbor had died
and wanted ice to preserve the body even as
waters swirled around the area. I alerted my
IAS friend whose control room moved to
help. The virtual friend in question who
alerted us is actually in the the US.
These are examples of what I call sgover
nance or social governance, which is a
cousin of egovernance. We know the
Internet connects us all in so many ways,
but social networks such as Twitter and
Facebook are adding layers of intelligence
that may make some of us fee l that
Zuckerberg deserves the money he has
made.
Kinder, gentler Modi as parliament resumes functioning

By Amulya Ganguli
he good news is that parliament is
once again engaged in its business of
debate and discussion even if halting
ly because of the occasional demonstra
tions in the well of the house and walkouts.
Even then, the people in general will offer a
silent prayer of thanks to the excitable MPs
over the dawning of sense among them,
though belatedly.
The bad news is that the kind of decorum
and dignified conduct which should be a
normal feature of the two houses is still not
in evidence with the Congress's nominal
leader, Mallikarjan Kharge the real leaders
are Sonia and Rahul Gandhi warning of
"bloodshed" if an attempt is made to
remove the words, secular and socialist,
from the Constitution.
Compared, however, to the purposeful
stalling of any transaction of business
which marked the earlier sessions, few
would be worried by the relatively minor
disruptions over former minister Kumari
Selja's claim that she was not allowed to
enter a temple in Gujarat for being a Dalit
another example of the Gujarat "model",
she said and the Congress's demand for
the resignattion of union minister Gen. V.K.
Singh (retd) for likening Dalits to dogs.
Apart from such episodes, two trends
emerged during the muchanticipated
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the BJP Parliamentary Party Meeting at the
Central Hall of Parliament.
debate on intolerance. One was Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's conciliatory
approach, marking a dramatic departure
from his earlier sarcastic belligerence evi
dent in dubbing Rahul Gandhi a shehzada
(crown prince).
T he other was Rahul Gandhi's high
pitched aggression, which might be the
result of his introspection during his 57
day sabbatical in MarchApril.
In all likelihood, his inyourface of fen
sive is based on the belief that aggression is
the best form of de fence. After the
Congress's nosedive in last year's parlia
mentary polls, the party's high command
comprising mother and son appears to
have decided that being on the back foot

will only worsen the situation. The best
course will be relentless criticism of the
government in general and Narendra Modi
in particular.
There is a disadvantage, however, in such
persistent aggression. For one, it tends to
jar after a while, especially if the other side
responds in a restrained manner. For
another, it is obvious that Rahul Gandhi
says very little of substance. It is all sound
and fury, signifying nothing. For a leader to
make an impact, he must demonstrate a
firm grasp of a given situation, understand
ing all its aspects and the capacity to show
a way out.
In Rahul Gandhi's case, none of this can

be said. He is battling for the sake of bat
tling in an attempt to show that the
Congress is still alive and kicking and that
the BJP's dream of a Congressmukt Bharat
is a chimera. But there is no need to rave
and rant to achieve this objective, for the
wheel of fortune has already started turn
ing as the party's reasonably satisfactory
performance in Bihar and rural Gujarat
shows.
Along with Modi, who must have caused
bewilderment among the BJP MPs by his
praise of another philosophical prime min
ister, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajnath Singh, too,
has been growing in stature as was evident
in his outraged reaction to the CPIM MP's
misquotation when he said that he had no
"moral" right to be the home minister if he
had made such a statement.
Once called a provincial by a former BJP
minister, Jaswant Singh, Rajnath Singh's
conduct is a sign of how Modi's changing
persona has been influencing his party and
making it more accommodative.
Politically, however, what will be of inter
est is to see, first, whether the kinder, gen
tler Modi can ensure the passage of the
goods and services legislation to set rolling
the reforms process and, secondly, how the
RSS will react to the emergence of a BJP
which is deviating from the saffron goal of
a Hindu rashtra.
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
VOX POPULI
An ISIS beheading video earlier this year threatened to strike in America.
Multination
heave needed to
combat ISIS
he menace of ISIS cannot be eliminated physically
because the radicals, in the name of Islam, have
been in existence for a long time in one name or anoth
er. With the combined strength of all peace loving
countries, these terrorists base quarters could be weak
ened, but the radicals will reform in different names
and with more cruel acts in different geographical loca
tions.
My fear is that Donald Trump, the unpresidential can
didates irrational and primitive plan may cause for cre
ation of more Syed Farooks and Tashfeen Maliks within
our country and within our neighborhood or within our
acquaintanceship. I feel that there is a lot of resentment
among the Muslim Americans who do not agree with US
policy in the Middle East. They need to be more outspo
ken and work within the American political system,
upholding American values for a better US foreign poli
cy. The complexity of rivalry between Sunnis and Shias
was so far being contained with the oppressiveness of
rulers in the Middle East. All the past efforts led by US
and the allies in Western Europe fetched only brief, if
any, quietness in the affected areas. Fights broke out or
uprisings revived over and over again. Muslim
Americans and US government need to work more ener
getically together in policymaking forums for more
amenable foreign policy and to reduce domestic resent
ment.
Paul D Panakal
Floral Park, NY
Paris, California, Obama,

Trump and Radical Islam
veryone I know is busy juggling long hours making
money, raising and worrying about their children's
future, caring for their elderly parents, shopping, cook
ing, cleaning and occasionally fitting in friends and
some entertainment to stay sane. Our schedules barely
allow time to make sense of the mess the world's in.
With limited or zero knowledge of history, geography,
economics, religion, language and culture we watch the
daily news and form opinion on the big stories the
media decides for us.
We prefer the story of terrorism over climate change
because it's easier to have an opinion on human behav
ior than it is on environmental science. As much as we
all want clean air we still don't get climate change
most of us are not losing sleep over it. Terrorism is dif
ferent it's by far the number one story of our times. It
scares us and it makes us angry.
13
Americans are feeling a bit insecure after the California terror attack and notsorobust
response by President Obama. Donald Trump is feeding on that fear and insecurity.
It's time to go beyond opinion on Obama, Trump and

Islamic terrorist attacks. In our little spare time we
should, together with our children, family and friends,
be looking at maps, reading and/or watching history,
entering church, mosque, synagogue, gurdwara and
temples, and asking questions. Start by asking Google:
Why do Iran and Saudi Arabia hate one another? Why is
there a "chop square" in Saudi Arabia where heads and
hands are publicly cut off weekly? Why is America on
Saudi Arabia's side? How does the west fight terrorism
while doing big business with Saudi Arabia? And you
may wish to read Ayaan Hersi Ali on the subject.
Being politically correct, liv
ing in denial, and/or choosing
to live in ignorance is a mis
take. Paris happened 130
victims. San Bernardino,
California happened 14 vic
tims. Terrorism is very much
real, as is climate change, and
the more informed we are the
less scary it all becomes. We
are all here on this planet
and we need to figure out
how to breathe clean air and
live in peace.
Mamta Mishra
Montreal, Canada
When good
people do
nothing
taying silent and doing
nothing will allow the
hateful xenophobic rheto
ric we're seeing every
where to become even
bolder. The consequences?
The passage of flawed
public policy that tramples
our civil liberties. More law enforcement assault cases
under the guise of national security. The possibility of
life threatening violence.
At SAALT our work has become even more critical as
the 2016 election season progressesbecause it is terri
fying how many presidential candidates, along with sit
ting representatives in federal and state offices, and
from both political parties, have essentially declared
open season on our communities.
Many have advanced and supported impractical, eco
nomically devastating plans that include proposals like
mass deportations and building border walls, refusing
to accept refugees, and increasing profiling and surveil
lance programs.
The threats to the American economy and society at

large of remaining on this path are unmistakable. At
SAALT we are committed to mobilizing the power of
diversity, demanding justice and halting this trajectory,
and are the only national, staffed organization that
advocates around the many critical issues affecting
South Asian communities. We know we can increase our
effectiveness and impact with community support.
Suman Raghunathan
Executive Director, SAALT
Appeal to peace loving

interfaith community
of USA
e must come together as inter
faith community and stand firm
for peace and unity. Without any hesita
tion, we should adopt each others
mosque, church and temples as a show
of our solidarity . We must march
together to draw the attention of
media and let the world know
that the interfaith commu
nities are together and
would not allow the
forces, internal or
external, to divide us
together we will
deplore
and
denounce all types
of violence and ter
rorism, religious or
otherwise.
Peace and calm
must be our goal. We
will peacefully speak out
against those who want to divide
America. A true leader is one who
unites people, communities and
the nation, not divide them.
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr rightly
said : Our lives begin to end the day we become silent
about things that matter. Eckhart Tolle once stated:
Fear, greed and the desire for power are the psycholog
ical motivating forces, not only behind warfare and vio
lence, between nations, tribes, religions and ideologies,
but also the cause of incessant conflicts in personal
relationship. Eleanor Roosevelt once said: When will
our conscience grow tender that we will act to prevent
human misery, rather than avenge it.
Indeed!
Lets take the first step forward for the sake of peace
and harmony. In God we trust.
Dr Yousuf U. Syed, MD, MPH
Long Island
14
CHENNAI FLOODS
Cries for help as normalcy creeps

back in deluged Chennai
Chennai: Life in floodhit Chennai
was slowly limping back to nor
malcy, with sun shining, but there
were still areas, especially subur
ban, where the situation is still
very grim and relief yet to reach
the despondent residents.
The heaviest rains in a century
battered the districts of Chennai,
Kanchipuram, Cuddalore and
Thiruvallur over the past month,
leaving around 325 people dead
and causing widespread destruc
tion.
Rescue and relief operations
were going on in water logged
areas including north Chennai,
Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam and
Cuddalore districts, but some
areas were still cut off.
A submerged airplane at the Chennai international airport.

"T he Anakaputtur area (a
Chennai suburb but falling under
Kanchipuram district) is still
under several feet of water with
government relief measures not
reaching the people there," Geetha

Mohandas, a resident, said.
Even in city where the flood
water has receded, life continues
to be a struggle as people have to
clear the slush and also look out

for safe drinking water as the
piped water is contaminated with
sewage. Shops opened up and a
massive clean up operation have
been initiated in the affected dis
tricts where the water levels have
receded.
Schools and colleges remain
closed in 12 districts. Chie f
Minister J.Jayalalithaa said the
halfyearly exams should be held
only January 2016 and this is
applicable to all schools in the
state. She also said domestic users
can pay their power bills up to
January 31, 2016.
Car maker Maruti Suzuki India
Ltd announced that it is geared up
to meet the rush for vehicle serv
icing post floods by bringing tech

nicians from other parts of the
country and two truck loads of
spare parts.
Corporates have started con
tributing to the relief fund with
information technology player
Cognizant committing Rs.260
crore towards relief works and
loan assistance to its employees
and business partners.
Congress vice president Rahul
Gand hi meanwhile visited
Chennai,
Cuddalore
and
Puducherry to see the situation.
Meanwhile, the weather depart
ment has forecast heavy rains in
coastal Tamil Nadu, including
Chennai, due to low pressure in
Bay of Bengal.
The good, bad and ugly side

of Chennai after floods
Chennai: The floods in Chennai
and its suburbs which have put
millions into misery also showed
the good, bad and the ugly sides
of people and organizations.
On the positive side, several
individuals opened up their resi
dences to strangers caught in
the floods and provided food
and shelter.
Without waiting for the of fi
cial agencies, many individuals
started offering food to the flood
hit and also provided whatever
they could biscuits, blankets
and more.
Those who had access to the
internet posted messages on
social media sites like Facebook
and Twitter about stranded peo
ple so that help could reach
them.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi meets
T here were and are
the flood victims.
unscrupulous traders who
jacked up the prices of milk, eggs and fly people out of Bengaluru to Delhi,"
vegetables. But there are those who stuck T.E.N. Simhan, a private sector employee,
told IANS.
to honest trading practice.
"Is it not an irony when even common
"We sell milk and other essential items
at normal rates. We have not jacked up people are contributing their bit to the
the prices. In fact I donated cooked food flood affected, airlines took advantage of
to the flood hit which cost me Rs.60,000," people's distress," he asked.
With Chennai Airport closed for days
Muthu, owner of Angalaparameswari
due
to flooding of the runway, many peo
Stores, a provision store in Mylapore in
ple from other places reached Bengaluru
south Chennai, said.
Voluntary organizations and others to fly out to their destinations.
Surinder Singh of the All India Institute
gave away food and biscuit packets near
of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) told IANS that
water logged areas.
On the bad side, apart from traders who he paid a whopping Rs.25,600 to a pri
jacked up prices of essential commodities, vate airline to fly to De lhi out of
autorickshaw and taxi drivers fleeced peo Bengaluru.
According to reports, vandals are break
ple even for plying short distances. "Why
blame the autorickshaw and taxi drivers? ing into locked houses in flood hit areas
Look at private airlines. They ripped off in Chennai and swimming away with
passengers by charging sky high rates to valuables.
Prime Minister Modi conducted aerial survey of the flooded areas in Chennai.
Nestle, ITC, MTR among food

firms reaching out to Chennai
New Delhi: Nestle, ITC and MTR are among
the food processing companies that have
made laudable contributions for the flood
affected people of Chennai, according to an
of ficial statement. Foo d Pro cessing
Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Sunday
reviewed the situation of processed food
being contributed by companies for the
people of the southern Indian city and
directed that there should be no shortage
of milk, packaged food and bottled water.
"In her appeal to the processed food manu
facturers, the minister said that it is time to
stand up and make exemplary contribution
for the flood af fected people of Chennai
who have been patronising food brands
and products manufactured by the indus
try," the statement added. It also listed cur
rent status of the supplies to Tamil Nadu
government by various companies:
4Nestle India supplied 10 metric tonnes
of noodles and 5,000 litres of tetra packed

milk and 50,000 pouches of coffee. Some
30 metric tonnes of noodles, about 8 met
ric tonnes of biscuits is also being supplied.
4ITC has supplied six truckloads consist
ing of 3,163 boxes of biscuits.
4MTR has supplied about 14,128 ready
toeat food packets and another quantity of
35,000 packets w ill be de livered by
Monday.
4Britannia has supplied three truckload
of 345 boxes of biscuits today and remain
ing two truckloads of food items. They have
also been requested to supply additional
quantity of milk produce and some bread.
4CocaCola India has supplied 50,000
onelitre water bottles.
4PepisCo has supplied 12,000 onelitre
water bottles and is arranging transport.
Parle is arranging to send three truckload
of Parle Biscuits.
Insurers to foot around Rs.1,500 crore loss in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: The catastrophic loss of property and lives due to the floods in Tamil Nadu
could cost insurance companies around Rs.1,500 crore though exact estimates will be
known only later.
"The loss due to floods is catastrophic. We have informed our reinsurers. We have
received around 800 claims and the initial estimate of the loss is around Rs.500 crore,"
a senior official of United India Insurance Co. Ltd. told IANS.
The official said the flood loss for the general insurance industry could be around
Rs.1,500 crore "around three times the value of our claims".
SOCIETY
15
Lokesh Muni conferred Global Ambassador

of Peace award on Human Rights Day
New Delhi: Founder of Ahimsa Viswa
Bharti, Acharya Dr. Lokesh Muni was hon
ored on International Human Rights Day,
December 10, with GLOBAL AMBASSA
DOR OF PEACE award for outstanding
contribut ion in the fie ld of Peace,
Harmony, Protect ing and promot ing
Human Rights, Liberties, Social Justice and
Service to Humanity.
Acharya Lokesh Muni while addressing
the International Human Rights Awards
5th Bhartiya Manava Adhikar Samman
2015 organized by National Council Of
News & Broadcast ing (NCNB), Asian
Human Rights Council (AHRC), Amnesty
Worldwide (AW), Universal Mission For
Peace And Harmony (UMPH) and
International Institute Of Human Rights
Studies (IIHRS) in New Delhi, said that
every person, and all people, are equal and
must be accorded the same freedom and
the same dignity. We have to work togeth
er for peaceful coexistence in the society.
Acharya Lokesh said that for the estab
lishment of a healthy society and devel
oped world no one should go against
human rights and freedom of living beings;
you should not enslave or hurt anyone. We
should respect others freedom and
thoughts along with respecting our own
freedom and thoughts. Talking about
Protecting Human Rights is necessary to establish healthy society, said Acharya Lokesh at the awards ceremony.
World Peace and Harmony he said that
before achieving world peace individuals
peace of mind has to be achieved. Peace of
mind and satisfaction can be achieved by

adopting the path of spirituality and reli
gion. Presently the whole world is faced
with the problems like war, terrorism and

violence. Humans are killing humans when
they should respect each other.
16
Bollywood's
action master to
conduct seminar
in US
fter teaching Hindi film stars like
Farhan Akhtar, Akshay Kumar and
Priyanka Chopra how to pack a punch,
internationallyrenowned martial arts and
action instructordirector Chitah Yajness
Shetty will conduct a martial art seminar in
US on December 20.
Shetty, who is also a founder, president and
technical director of global sports federation
Chitah JKD, will teach the art of combating at
the session to be held at Nampa city, in Idaho,
read a statement.
The seminar is being organized by the
Empty Hand Combat organisation which
imparts training in unarmed combat in
Nampa city. Shetty is said to have trained
over 4,00,000 women across India under the
'Nirbhay Women Empowerment Training
Programme', and has also trained street chil
dren. He is also credited with training actors
like Ajay Devgn, Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt,
Soha Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan for
action roles in their films.
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
SANJAY DUTT TO BE FREED

FROM JAIL BY MARCH 7
Pune: Incarcerated Bollywood actor
Sanjay Dutt, whose fiveyear sentence for
his involvement in the 1993 Mumbai seri
al blasts was confirmed by the Supreme
Court in March 2013, will be freed from
prison by March 7, 2016, official sources
said here.
The sources indicated that barring last
minute glitches, Sanjay would be released
by March 7 after completing the remain
ing 42month period of his sentence.
Dutt was acquitted of terror charges
under the TADA, but found guilty of pos
sessing illegal arms, acquired ostensibly
to protect his family during the commu
nal conflagration that engulfed Mumbai
after the demolition of the Babri Mosque
on December 6, 1992.
Following the apex court orders, his bail
was cancelled and he was ordered to sur
render within four weeks, which he com
plied with on May 16, 2013 and was
lodged in Arthur Road Central Jail.
A week later, he was shifted to the
Yeravada Central Jail, Pune, where he has
been lodged since then and has earned
Incarcerated Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt.

the reputation of being a wellbehaved
inmate.
Of the fiveyear sentence, the actor had
already served 18 months as an undertri
al and was required to undergo another
42 months, which is now on the verge of
Salman case: Court finds

discrepancies in blood sample test
completing. In between serving time, Dutt

was granted either parole or furlough on
various grounds, attracting a lot of criti
cism from various quarters, while some
prominent personalities demanded his
release from jail.
SRK feels legal case not

vengeful act by government
Shah Rukh Khan.

uperstar Shah Rukh Khan
says he is not being target
ed by the government after
summons were issued on him
by the Enforcement Directorate
(ED) over alleged undervalua
tion of shares of his coowned
IPL cricket team, Kolkata Knight
Riders.
The 50yearold star said the
legal case is being processed at
its own speed and people should
not see anything "illegal" in it.
When asked during an interview
with ETV channel about a politi
cal party alleging that ED is tar
geting him, Shah Rukh said: "It's
nothing."
He added: "The notice was
issued in 2010. And it is 2015
now. This government was not
in power at that time. No need
to say that I am targeted.
Everything is happening under
Salman Khan
he Bombay High Court cited
several lacunae pertaining
to the procedures for check
ing the presence of alcohol in the
bloo d samples of Bollywoo d
megastar Salman Khan and lack
of concrete material on the issue
that he had consumed liquor in a
bar before the hitandrun acci
dent on September 28, 2002.
Justice A. R. Joshi, dictating his
judgement in open court in the
appeal led by Salman against his
conviction and veyear sentence
by the sessions court, mentioned
a series of lacunae starting with
the extraction of the actor's blood
samples to its transfer, preserva

tion and testing to check alcohol
content in them.
Prosecution witness (PW20)
medical ofcer Shashikant J.
Pawar of the Sir J.J. Hospital car
ried out the clinical examination
of the appe llantaccused and
found him smelling of alcohol.
Later, he drew blood samples and
put three millilitres in two vials,
but ultimately what reached the
analyst was four ml blood in one
vial. "PW20 gave one sealed
envelope containing two forms
Form A and Form B and two
vials, to the police station. Sharad
Bapu Borade (PW21), a police

constable, took the two envelopes
to the receiving clerk Dattatraya
K. Bhalshankar (PW18), at
Forensics Sciences Lab, who has
not been examined by the court.
PW18 says one police constable
gave him the blood samples this
is a missing link in the biological
evidence," said Justice Joshi.
The parking attendant also saw
Salman sitting in the driver's seat
with the AC on and later closed
the door after receiving t ips
(Rs.500), proceeded to keep it in
a common box and on return saw
the car going away.
normal legal course and I reply

in normal legal course."
T he "Phir Bhi Dil Hai
Hindustani" star noted that
"there is no illegal thing. Those
who don't know that the notice
was issued in 2010, they are the
only ones who are saying these
things".
T he ED is invest ig at ing
whether the shares of the team
were allegedly undervalued as it
could be violative of the provi
sions of the Foreign Exchange
Management Act (FEMA).
Earlier, the ED had served a
notice to Shah Rukh in May this
year, but the actor did not
appear before the agency.
Prior to that, Shah Rukh was
quizzed in 2011 for allegations
that KKR had received illegal
money transferred from certain
tax havens abroad.
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
17
DILIP KUMAR TO FORGO BIRTHDAY

CELEBRATIONS FOR CHENNAI
egendary actor Dilip Kumar, who
will turn 93 on Friday, says he won't
celebrate his special day as he is sad
dened by the tragedy in Chennai, a city he
wanted to adopt as his "second home".
The thespian took to Twitter on
Tuesday to express his sentiments on
Chennai, where the situation is slowly
returning to normalcy after heavy rains
and a flooding of the century.
My sympathies are with the people of
#Chennai. I wish I had the good health to
travel there the city I wanted to adopt as
my second home, Dilip Kumar tweeted.
The star of many films like "Devdas",
"Ganga Jamuna", "Madhumati"and "Ram
aur Shyam" added: I have decided to
forgo all celebrations on my birthday as I
am saddened by the tragedy that has

swept the lives of so many in Chennai.
He even shared that his wife Saira Bano
is "never in favour of celebrating my
birthday".
"She feels the evil eye will fall and I will
have health issues soon after celebra
tions," said the actor. "Years ago my moth
er and grandmother had the same super
stition and after my marriage the belief
was gladly taken over by Saira."
Besides Dilip Kumar, megastar
Rajinikanth also has called off his birth
day celebrations. He completes 64 years
on Saturday.
Legendary actor Dilip Kumar.
Never made remarks against

Tamil Nadu government: Haasan
ctorfilmmaker Kamal
Haasan has denied making
any remarks against the
Tamil Nadu government with
regards to the flood relief activi
ties in the state.
Kamal received lot of flak for
his reported comment against
the government, which he
denied making in the first place.
He also said he remained "apolit
ical" for very long.
"In my letter to a journalist
friend, I only expressed my con
cern over the flood ravaged peo
ple of the state.
Neither had I made any com
ment about the state govern
ment nor wanted to know how
the taxpayer's money was
being spent," he said in a state
ment.
"I wouldn't have paid my taxes
all these years if I worried about
Modi sole nonBollywood

celebrity in Twitter Top
10 popularity chart
rime Minister
Narendra Modi
is the sole non
Bollywood celebrity
who has made the
cut to the top 10
slots of mostfol
lowed Indians on
Twitter in 2015, oth
erwise led by leg
endary
actor
Amitabh Bachchan,
the microblogging
site said.
Amitabh Bachchan with 18.1 million followers
Bachchan with
till Dec 4, 2015 was followed the most.
18.1 million follow
ers till Dec 4, 2015 was followed the most, while Shah Rukh Khan
was next with 16.5 million. Narendra Modi was ranked a close third
with 16.4 million, while the 10th position was held by A.R. Rahman
9.5 million. The other actors in the list include Aamir Khan, Salman
Khan, Deepika Padukone, Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra and
Akshay Kumar, in that order.
Actorfilmmaker Kamal Haasan

how it was being used," he said.
Tamil Nadu is reeling under
the worst floods to have hit the

state in a century.
Coming, SRK's next marketing stroke for 'Dilwale'

uperstar Shah Rukh Khan, who has been set
ting marketing trends in Bollywood, will
unleash the next piece of his 20day market
ing campaign strategy for "Dilwale".
The actorproducer has always maintained that
a promotional campaign should convey what a
lm truly is so that the audience doesn't feel
cheated.
So, while in his past lms, the rst trailer used to
do the trick, this time he has divided the market
ing plan in a 20day action, comedy, drama and
romance packed campaign. With this, he hopes to
create a different kind of intrigue among the audi
ence for the entertainer, a source from his produc
tion banner Red Chillies Entertainment, said.
The entire campaign for "Dilwale" is being treat
A scene from the film 'Dilwale'
ed like one unit that is beginning exposed piece by

piece to t the nal puzzle, the source said.
If one goes by the rst look of the lm, it only
exposed the basic constituents of the Rohit Shetty
directorial. It did not completely convey the lm's
complete story to the viewers, just as the makers
wanted.
This was followed by the launch of the song
"Gerua", which is picturised beautifully on Shah
Rukh and Kajol, who are working together after
ve years.
This song, which has been on top of music
charts, was a window into the chemistry that this
muchloved onscreen couple share in the lm.
First of all was the making of "Gerua", which also
put the spotlight on the friendship that SRKKajol
share off screen.
"Dilwale" will hit the screens on December 18.
18
HISTORY
When Americans supported

Indias march to freedom
'Kindred Nations: The United States and India, 17831947 is the title of the exhibition curated by
Washington DC's Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy that has toured Indian metros this year.
Through nearly 80 photographs, documents and ephemera, it explores the history of
connections and exchanges between the US and India, connections that continue to grow today.
The pictures here are selected from the last of the ve sections, titled Towards Freedom'.
American sympathizers arrested for picketing the

British Embassy in Washington, D.C. in 1943
During a trip to the US capital from Pennsylvania, some of these people were arrested
for picketing in front of the British Embassy. They protested in support of Indias
freedom, asking for the release of Mahatma Gandhi & Jawaharlal Nehru from prison.
US soldiers respectfully remove shoes before entering the Jain Temple in Calcutta circa 1943.
While stationed in India during World War II, American troops shared their pastimes with
Indians and learned about the countrys culture and heritage. While on tour entertaining
American servicemen, worldchampion boxer Henry Armstrong gave Indian youth a few
pointers on his sport. US soldiers also enjoyed exploring local sights and observed customs,
such as removing shoes upon entering temples or mosques.
Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration
Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration
By Parveen Chopra
New York: Kindred Nations: The United
States and India, 17831947 is an exhibi
tion curated by Meridian International
Center in Washington, DC, and supported
by the U.S. Department of State, has trav
eled through five Indian metros in 2015.
Speaking to The South Asian Times,
Terry K. Harvey, Executive Director of the
Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy,
said that they would welcome collabora
tions with Indian American organizations
and institutions to present here the exhibi
tion that explores the history of connec
tions and exchanges between India and the
US. Covering such themes as early trade,
education, philosophy and religion, enter
tainment and the arts, and the two coun
tries shared vision for freedom, Kindred
Nations includes nearly 80 images, docu
ments, and ephemera retrieved from
American institutions, archives, and pri
vate collections.
Harvey said after the project kicked off
in early 2014, they collected over 1000
images, which were then filtered by Dr
Susan Bean, the cocurator.
Talking about the title Kindred Nations,
Athena Hsieh, Cultural Programs
Coordinator of Meridian, said that there
was much back and forth, spiritual and
philosophical exchanges between the two
Continued on page 19
Former US President Herbert Hoover with

Mahatma Gandhi in New Delhi in 1946
During his worldwide survey of food conditions, President Herbert
Hoover visited India to attend a conference on the subject. While
there, he met with top Indian government food experts, as well as
with influential figures Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.
Photograph by Dave Davis; Courtesy of the
Herbert Hoover Presidential Library; Associated Press
The official raising of the Indian national flag at the United

Nations in Lake Success, NY, in 1947
Dr. Padmanabha Pillai, freshly appointed ambassador of India to
the United Nations, raised the countrys new national flag to join
54 other member nation states. At the ceremony, he explained to
the crowd the significance of the tricolor bands: saffron repre
senting courage and sacrifice; white symbolizing peace and truth;
and green signifying faith and chivalry.
Courtesy of the Library of Congress
HISTORY
19
Henry F. Grady being sworn in as the first US Ambassador to India in Washington, DC

Henry F. Grady and Asaf Ali served as their countries first ambassadors
to India and the United States, respectively.
Harris and Ewing, Courtesy of Harry S. Truman Library; Stock Montage
countries. For example, Mahatma Gandhis

civil disobedience idea was influenced by
Thoreau, and he in turn influenced the
civil rights movement in the US.
Many Americans followed developments
in Indias emergent freedom movement in
early 20th century with interest and sym
pathy. On visiting the US, Lala Lajpat Rai
met people from all walks of life. In his
book, T he United States of America
(1916), he devoted chapters to education,
religion, race, and the status of women.
World War II brought new complexities,
boosting freedom struggles across the
globe and stationing of American troops

in India. President Roosevelt openly sup
ported Indian independence. In 1942,
understanding Indians hesitation in join
ing the Allied forces without the promise
of freedom, the US Senate Foreign
Relations Committee issued a statement
supporting autonomy for India. After the
war, President Harry Truman made a
point to include India in American efforts
to alleviate hunger, sending former presi
dent Herbert Hoover to assess Indias
needs in consultation with Jawaharlal
Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi.
US Secretary of State George Marshall meets Indian Ambassador

Asaf Ali in Washington in 1947
Courtesy of the Library of Congress
Exhibition on Indian faiths next

eridian International Center is now accepting submissions for a crowdsourced
exhibition on Indian faiths and religious traditions in the US, including Hindu,
Sikh, Jain, Muslim and Christian. It will be a smaller exhibit of contemporary pictures
highlighting diversity of the Indian American community. It will celebrate the plural
istic nature of American society, said Terry K. Harvey, Executive Director of the
Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy.
This project is funded by US Embassy in India and implemented by Meridian with
help from The Pluralism Project at Harvard University. Meridian has directly reached
out to over 100 religious organizations. Diana Eck, Director of The Pluralism Project,
will also tap into her archive.
The exhibition will travel to a number of Indian cities in the fall of 2016.
Gandhi and World

Freedom flyer,
1922 New York
In 1916, the California
Chapter of the
Hindustan Association
of America held a
banquet in honor of
Lala Lajpat Rai. While
in voluntary exile, Rai
lectured widely in the
United States and
founded the India
Home Rule League of
America. Similarly,
Rev. John Haynes
Holmes, known for his
great admiration of
Mahatma Gandhi,
introduced the Indian
leaders nonviolent
resistance campaign
to Americans who
championed the
cause.
Courtesy of the Library of
Congress
Henry Armstrong gives an impromptu boxing lesson to

local Indian youth in Calcutta in 1945.
Photograph by Corporal James W. Guillot: Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration
Banquet given in honor of Lala Lajpat Rai in 1916 at

Hotel Shattuck, Berkeley, California
Courtesy of the South Asian American Digital Archive
20
DIASPORA
Indianorigin wrestler to represent 11Yearold Anushka Binoy

gets top score in Mensa
Canada in Rio Olympics
Toronto: An Indianorig in
wrestler, who won in Canadian
wrestling team trials, was among
six wrestlers nominated to repre
sent Canada through the qualifi
cat ion pro cess for the 2016
Olympic Games in Rio.
Arjun Gill, 24, won in the 97kg
freestyle category at a threeday
topcalibre Freestyle and Greco
Roman compet it ion he ld in
Strathcona county in Alberta
province of Canada, earning an
opportunity w ithin Olympic
weight classes, The Voice report
ed.
Meanwhile, Wrestling Canada
Lutte the national sport gov
erning body for Olympic style
wrestling in Canada that selects
and prepares Canada's teams
that participate in international
competitions said that after the
trial competition that concluded
on Sunday, they will now focus
on qualification tournaments.
"With weight class rankings
completed, Wrestling Canada
Lutte staff can now concentrate
on team preparations for the
Arjun Gill
upcoming international qualifica
tion events in order to guarantee
Canadian entries for the 2016
Olympic Games," Tamara
Medwidsky, the body's executive
director, said.
The international qualifying
events would start from March
with Pan American Olympic qual
Hinduja Brothers conferred Lifetime

Achievement Award at ABLF 2015
Dubai: Hinduja Brothers were
honored with the prestigious
Lifetime Achievement Award at
the annual Asian Business
Leadership Forum (ABLF) Series,
which recognizes the most pow
erful and influential business
leaders.
ABLF Royal Patron, H.H. Sheikh
Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan,
Minister of Culture, Youth and
Community Development, UAE,
presented the award to
Gopichand P Hinduja, Co
Chairman, Hinduja Group of
Companies, The Hinduja Group,
UK, at a glittering ceremony in
Dubai.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr.
Hinduja said, It is a matter of
great honor for us to receive this
Lifetime Achievement Award at
such an august gathering. On
behalf of my brothers, SP
Hinduja, PP Hinduja and AP
Hinduja, I accept this award in all
humility.
Every award is a responsibili
Gopichand P Hinduja
receives the award
ty, and inspires and energizes us
to continue ahead, Mr. Hinduja
said, adding: success is a jour
ney not a milestone.
Some of Asias most influential
leaders proactive private enter
prises, policymakers, economists,
investors, diplomats, entrepre
neurs and global think tanks
graced the glittering gathering at
the Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa,
where the awards were hosted
under Royal Patronage.
ifier to be held from March 46

in the US.
According to an of ficial web
site, the 2016 Olympic Games
will be held between August 5
and 21 in which 10,500 athletes
from 206 countries will take
part to compete in 306 medal
events.
London: A 11yearold Indian

orig in g irl in the UK has
achieved the top possible score
of 162 on a IQ test of Mensa,
becoming one of the brainiest
students in the country.
Anushka Binoy has joined the
one per cent of all entrants to
attain the highest mark in the
Cattell III B paper supervised by
Mensa, the society for people
with high IQs.
Anushka scored 162 to gain
membership of the exclusive
society, where entry is reserved
for Britain's brainiest 2 per cent.
Proud father Binoy Joseph,
Keralaborn IT consultant, said
he always knew his daughter
was smart but hadn't realized
quite how remarkable.
"She loves reading quite
advanced books and she memo
rizes a lot of what she reads, so I
knew she was pretty special but
I was amazed when we got the
results back. We're very proud
of her," he told Get West
London. Hailing from Kottayam
district, Anushka's family has

been living in Isleworth in
London in 2007. She is a stu
dent of St Mary's Catholic
Primary School in Isleworth,
west London counts tennis,
swimming and playing the violin
among her hobbies.
A Mensa spokesperson said it
did not keep a record of mem
bers' IQs so it was impossible to
say how rare an achievement
this is, but she said it was cer
tainly "exceptional." Cattell III B
has 150 questions, often assess
ing comprehension through pas
sages of texts, while the maxi
mum score that can be achieved
is 161 for adults, and 162 for
under18s. Both Hawking and
Einstein are thought to have an
IQ of 160. Mensa is believed to
be the largest and oldest high IQ
so ciety
in
the
world.
Membership is open to anyone
who can demonstrate an IQ in
the top 2 per cent of the popula
tion, measured by a recognized
or approved IQ testing process.
Indian millionaire splurges 14

million pounds on sons wedding
Dubai: Dubaibased Indian mil
lionaire Yogesh Mehtas only son,
Rohan Mehta, wed his British
born bride Roshni Nov. 27 in the
Italian city of Florence in a lavish
threeday ceremony, which is
estimated to have cost a whop
ping 14 million pounds, accord
ing to a report on dailymail.com.
Yogesh Mehta, who established
the Petrochem empire in Dubai
in 1995, is listed as one of the
top 50 richest Indians in the Gulf
countries in 2015.
He moved to the Middle East at
the age of 29 with no job or busi
ness plan, and is believed to have
amassed a wealth of around
$623 million, according to the
report.
The grooms father called the
event a magical RORO wedding,
after the names of the couple, in
a post on his Twitter account
before the ceremony.
The nuptials were attended by
Rohan Mehta, the only son of Dubaibased Indian millionaire Yogesh

Mehta, tied the knot with Londonborn Roshni in a threeday extravagant
ceremony in Florence, Italy. (Twitter/Yogesh (Yogi) Mehta photo)
more than 500 guests from all
over the world, who were put up
in luxury hotels around Florence
for the extravagant affair.
La Nazione, a leading local
newspaper, called it a stellar
wedding that moves the GDP of
Florence. Wedding planners
from India and Italy were
involved in the preparations, it
reported. The Londonborn bride,

who owns a fashion business,
was adorned in traditional Indian
finery, while the groom sported
sherwanis during the many func
tions, which included mehndi
and sangeet at dif ferent loca
tions in Florence. The reception
was held in the grand estate of
Villa Le Corti in San Casciano.
SUBCONTINENT
21
Modi to visit Pakistan for Saarc summit

Islamabad: Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi will visit Pakistan
next year, the rst such visit by
the head of the Indian govern
ment in over a decade, Indian
External Affairs Minister Sushma
Swaraj said here.
Modi will participate in the
South Asian Asso ciat ion for
Regional Cooperation (Saarc)
summit, Sushma Swaraj told the
media.
This will be the rst prime min
isterial visit from India to
Pakistan since Atal Bihari
Vajpayee visited the South Asian
neighbour in January 2004 to
attend that year's Saarc summit.
Sushma Swaraj said she would
accompany Modi during his visit,
Geo TV reported.
T he Indian minister is in
Islamabad to participate in the
Heart of Asia Conference on
peace
and
stability
in
Afghanistan. Sushma Swaraj's is
the rst ministerial visit from
India to Pakistan since the then
external af fairs minister S.M.
Krishna went to Islamabad for
ofcial visit in 2012. At the
Shang hai
Cooperat ion
Organisation (SCO) summit held
Sushma Swaraj with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif

and Pak NSA Sartaj Aziz in Islamabad.
in Ufa, Russia, in July, Pakistani
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
invited Modi to attend the Saarc
summit in Islamabad next year,
which Modi had accepted.
After the Ufa meeting, both
prime ministers directed their
foreign secretaries to initiate the
process of renewing talks, includ
ing meetings between the nation
al security advisors of the two
countries.
However, NSAleve l talks
between India's Ajit Doval and his
then Pakistani counterpart Sartaz
Aziz scheduled in New Delhi in
India, Afghanistan
discuss terror
threat
Sushma Swaraj also held bilateral meetings with her Kyrgyzstani

and Iranian counterparts.
Islamabad: Indian External
Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj
discussed the threat of terror
ism in Afghanistan during a
bilateral meeting with Afghan
President Ashraf Ghani on the
sidelines of the Heart of Asia
conference here.
A Strong Bond of Friendship.
EAM @SushmaSwaraj calls on
President @ashrafghani for a
bilateral on sidelines of HoA,
external af fairs ministry
spokesman Vikas Swarup tweet
ed. They reviewed bilateral
ties including transit. Discussed

terror threat in Afghanistan &
status of peace & reconciliation
process, he added. The Heart
of Asia conference engages
"heart of Asia" countries in sin
cere and resultoriented cooper
ation for a peaceful and stable
Afghanistan. Sushma Swaraj
also held bilateral meetings
w ith her Kyrg yzstani and
Iranian counterparts Erlan
Abdyldaev and Javad Zarif
respectively on the sidelines of
the conference.
August were cancelled after the

Pakistan high commissioner in
New Delhi insisted on inviting
Hurriyat leaders for pretalks
consultations before Aziz arrived.
Sushma Swaraj's visit to
Pakistan comes after a urry of
diplomatic engagements between
the two South Asian neighbours
in the past 10 days.
Mo di and Sharif had an
impromptu meeting on the side
lines of the Conference of Parties
(CoP21) Climate Summit in Paris
on November 30. Both leaders
were seen warmly shaking hands
at the summit venue as world

leaders converged for the open
ing of the event.
The two leaders then sat on the
same sofa and were seen engag
ing in an animated discussion.
Following this, on December 6,
Doval and Pakistani NSA Naseer
Khan Janjua held a meeting in
Bangkok which was also attended
by
Foreign
Secretaries
S.Jaishanker and Aizaz Ahmad
Chaudhry.
A joint statement issued after
the meeting said the two NSAs
held discussions "in a candid, cor
dial and constructive atmos
phere". According to the state
ment, the NSAs "were guided by
the vision of the two leaders for a
peaceful, stable and prosperous
South Asia". "Discussions covered
peace and security, terrorism,
Jammu and Kashmir, and other
issues including tranquility along
the LoC (Line of Control)."
"It was agreed to carry forward
the constrictive engagement,"
said the statement. T he LoC
divides Jammu and Kashmir
between India and Pakistan.
On Wednesday, Sushma Swaraj
also met Pakistani Prime Minister
Sharif and his Advisor on Foreign

Af fairs Sartaj Aziz on the side
lines of the Islamabad confer
ence. According to external
affairs ministry spokesman Vikas
Swarup, during the meeting with
Sharif, Sushma Swaraj conveyed
India's commitment to good
neighborly relations.
After the meeting with Aziz,
Swarup tweeted: Building a
cooperative relationship. EAM
@SushmaSwaraj meets Pakistan's
Forteign Af fairs Adviser Mr
Sartaj Aziz.
Earlier, Sushma Swaraj extend
ed India's hand of friendship to
Pakistan at the Heart of Asia
Conference.
"It is time that we display the
maturity and selfcondence to
do business with each other and
strengthen regional trade and
cooperation," she said in her
address at the conference.
"For its part, India is prepared
to move our cooperation at a
pace which Pakistan is comfort
able with," she added.
Later, the Indian minister
attended a lunch hosted by Sharif
for delegates to the Heart of Asia
Conference.
Taliban attack on Kandahar

airport leaves dozens dead
Kabul: At least 37 people includ
ing children were killed in a
Taliban attack on a heavily forti
ed civilian and military aireld in
the southern Afg han city of
Kandahar.
BBC quoted Afghan defence
ministry while conrming the
casualties here. At least nine mili
tants were also killed, the minister
added.
A number of hostages were
seized in the 26hour attack
before Afghan forces retook the
airport.
Final "mopping up operations"
was under way, military ofcials
said. The Taliban said a number of
suicide ghters managed to enter

the base with weapons. They said
"martyrdom seekers" launched
"thunderous attacks on foreign
and hireling personnel".
The defence ministry statement
said that a total of 11 insurgents
took part in the attack. As well as
nine killed, another was injured.
Reports said a nal gunman held
out on his own for several hours
be fore being killed late
Wednesday.
Kandahar security ofcials put
the number of attackers at 12, all
of whom were killed.
At least 35 people were injured
in the attack, the defence ministry
said.
T he raid was the latest in a
series of battleeld victories by
the Taliban who briey seized the
northern city of Kunduz in
September.
The airport compound houses
Afghan military and civilian sec
tions as well as a Nato base.
Ofcials said the attackers ini
tially managed to breach the rst
gate of the complex.
Kandahar army commander
Sher Shah told reporters that
radio intercepts had found that
some militants were speaking in
Urdu a language more common
in neighboring Pakistan.
Sri Lanka not to sign proposed

economic agreement with India
Colombo: The Sri Lankan govern
ment insisted that it will not sign
an economic partnership agree
ment with India as proposed by
the previous Mahinda Rajapaksa
administration.
Prime
Minister
Ranil
Wickremesinghe told parliament
that the country will not sign the
Comprehensive
Economic
Partnership Agreement (CEPA)
which was discussed between the
former government and India. He
said the present government was

negotiating a new economic and
technology agreement with India.
Ranil said the government hopes
to sign a similar agreement with
China. Ranil denied claims made
by a medical trade union with
regard to the proposed agreement
with India. He said the trade union
had attempted to give the impres
sion that Indians will get employ
ment in Sri Lanka leading to the
country's own work force losing
job opportunities. He said that

under the new proposed agree
ment with India, youth will get
more job opportunities in Sri
Lanka. Opposition member Dinesh
Gunawardena urged the prime
minister to have a discussion
before the new agreement is
nalised with India. The prime
minister agreed to the request and
said he will have a meeting with
the opposition before December
19 to discuss the new deal.
22
INTERNATIONAL
German chancellor Merkel is Time

magazine's 'PERSON OF THE YEAR'
Washington: Time Magazine has
named German Chancellor Angela
Merkel as its "Person of the Year".
The magazine cited her role in
Europe's crises over migration and
Greek debt.
Merkel had provided "steadfast
moral leadership in a world where
it is in short supply", editor Nancy
Gibbs wrote.
Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al
Baghdadi was named runnerup
and third place went to US presi
dential hopeful Donald Trump.
Gibbs wrote of Merkel: "For ask
ing more of her country than most
politicians would dare, for stand
ing firm against tyranny as well as
expedience and for providing
steadfast moral leadership in a
world where it is in short supply,
Angela Merkel is 'Time's Person of
the Year'."
Citing the refugee and Greek
economic crises, along with the

Paris terror attacks, Gibbs said:
"Each time Merkel stepped in.
Germany would bail Greece out, on
her strict terms. It would welcome
refugees as casualties of radical
Islamist savagery, not carriers of it.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi is currently among the top
10 of the TIME Person of the Year
readers' choice poll in the compa
ny of Nobel Peace Prize winner
Malala Yousafzai and Pope Francis.
Although Democratic presiden
tial candidate Bernie Sanders (10.5
percent) continues to lead the poll,
Modi with a vote share of 2.7 per
cent was in the eighth place as of
Monday evening while Pakistani
activist Malala Yousafzai (5.9 per
cent) was in the second place and
Pope Francis (3.9 percent) in the
third.
Sanders also far outpaces other
presidential candidates, including

Republican Donald Trump (2.1
percent) and Democratic rival
Hillary Clinton (1.4 percent).
Modi, according to the Time pro
file, "has encouraged foreign direct
investment in India and is trying to
modernise the world's largest
democracy. He has also faced con
troversy over what some see as
right wing extremism".
Google's IndianAmerican CEO
Sundar Pichai is currently in the
25th place with a vote share of 1.5
percent, while Reliance chairman
Mukesh Ambani was in the 55th
slot with a 0.5 percent vote share.
With global figures taking five of
the top ten spots in the final week
of voting, US President Barack
Obama (3.5 percent) was in the
fourth place, "refugees" were in
fifth and German Chance llor
Angela Merkel in tenth place.
US seeking common
ground with India to
clinch climate deal
Washington: Starting with President
Barack Obama, the US is making a con
certed effort to seek common ground
with India with assurances to help
countries adapt to the impacts of cli
mate change, says the White House.
It "is quite entirely unfair to the
Indians" to "describe them as the
biggest obstacle" to a climate change
deal, White House press secretary
Josh Earnest told reporters. "Anytime
you negotiate an agreement with more
than 180 countries, there are going to
be a lot of issues to work through," he
noted.
"But there's no denying that there
has been a concerted ef fort on the
part of the United States, starting at
the level of the President, but also
including the rest of our negotiating
team to seek common ground with the
Indians," Earnest said.
The US also sought "to reassure
them about our commitment to invest
ments moving forward and helping
countries adapt to the impacts of cli
mate change." It also wanted to make
"sure that those countries are demon
strating a commitment of their own to
reducing carbon polluting, and joining
the rest of the world in the fight
against climate change," Earnest said.
Asked if Obama in his call Tuesday
with Prime Minister Narendra Modi
previewed a proposal by Secretary of
State John Kerry to expand the amount
of money available to developing
nations, the official said he didn't have
a more detailed readout of their call.
But "I can tell you that, in general,

that US support both in the public sec
tor and the private sector for efforts to
assist countries as they adapt to the
impacts of climate change is some
thing that President Obama and Prime
Minister Modi have discussed exten
sively over the last several weeks and
months."
"This was something that was dis
cussed extensively when the President
sat down facetoface with Prime
Minister Modi just last week when
they were both in Paris," he said. "So I
wouldn't be surprised if it came up in
their conversation."
Given its commitment "to those
kinds of investments," Earnest said:
"We want to make sure that there is
also a commitment on the part of the
Indians and the other 180 or so coun
tries that have showed up to Paris to
make serious down payments on cut
ting carbon pollution." "A commitment
to doing that is not automatically in
direct conflict with the kind of eco
nomic priorities that many of those
countries have identified for them
selves," he said.
Earlier at a New York Times Energy
for Tomorrow Event in Paris, Kerry
described Modi as "a really interesting
leader who is appropriately seized by
technology and by the possibilities,
and he faces this enormous challenge
also." "India, a very poor country, has
an enormous challenge of bringing
Indians in to the modern economy," he
noted.
PM Modi with Angela Merkel. Modi finished 7th in TIME Person of the
Year readers' choice poll topped by Bernie Sanders.
Low chance of major

climate agreement at CoP21
Paris: As negotiations at the cli
mate change conference went
into the second day of the high
level segment, the chances of a
strong agreement emerging
appear to be low, w ith the
developed countries insisting
that all developing countries
must also concede to cut emis
sion of greenhouse gases.
Indian Environment, Forests
and Climate Change Minister
Prakash Javade kar, who is
heading the country's delega
tion, here did not seem to be
too upbeat about an agree
ment. "Unfortunately, the com
mitment made by the devel
oped countries on finance and
technical support has not
come," he told a press confer
ence called by the fourmem
ber BASIC g roup of Brazil,
South Africa, India and China.
He said the basic principles
of the United Nat ions
Framework Convent ion on
Climate change should not be
tinkered with and the require
ment of differentiated respon
sibility should not be done
away with.
"It's for the developed world
to give money and technical
support, and it's for the devel
oping countries to receive,"
Javadekar said adding that it's
because "they have it" and the
developing countries are the
"have nots".
He said that no much head
way has been made in finance
Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar with French for

eign minister Laurent Fabius at the CoP21 in Paris.
or technical support. These are
the two pillars or the agree
ment, if one were to emerge in
Paris, which would determine
the success or otherwise of the
conference. So far, the chances
seem low.
Earlier, Javadekar had told
IANS that negotiations were
proceeding well, but added that
if countries stick to their stated
positions, as they had done in
the beginning, no agreement
could be reached.
"You have to change your
positions. If it remains the
same, what's the point in nego
tiating," he said ahead of his
meet ing w ith the French
Foreign Minister Laurent
Fabius. For his meeting, he had
noted a few points including
that the Western countries
must show flexibility at this
point if the world is to see a
Paris agreement.
He apparently also told
Fabius that India had not yet
officially got the text of a possi
ble agreement that had been
widely talked about, although
the text had been circulated
unofficially. It still has several
points on which agreement still
eludes.
It is also unlikely that any
large commitment of money
may come from the US, as the
Congress in Washington DC,
which controls the purse
strings, may not approve pay
ment of large amounts without
any strong commitment from
developing countries to actual
ly cut emissions. This is unlike
ly to happen as developing
countries have said that fossil
fuel based growth for them is
imperat ive t ill alternat ive
methods are available.
BUSINESS
23
Indian crude oil basket at 11year low, amid global glut

New Delhi: The Indian basket of
crude oils fell to a 11year low of
$38.61 per barrel, after the deci
sion by the global cartel to con
tinue pumping the hydrocarbon
at existing levels despite a glut,
ofcial data showed.
As per data released by India's
petroleum ministry, its crude
basket fell below the $40mark
per barrel mark for the second
time in a month, following a deci
sion by the Org anisat ion of
Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC) to keep producing opti
mally.
The Indian basket, comprising
73 percent sourgrade Dubai and
Oman crudes, and the balance in
sweetgrade Brent, plunged to
$38.61 on Monday for a barrel

of nearly 160 litres, as per data
compiled by the staterun
Petroleum Planning and Analysis
Cell. As per latest OPEC data, its
new re ference basket of 12
crude oils closed at $38.08 a bar
rel on Friday. With the OPEC
strategy designed to choke com
petition from the American shale
g as industry, US lig ht crude
dropped by $2 on Monday to
less than $38 a barrel.
In November, global price had
gone below the $40mark for the
rst time in 11 years. Now, the
Indian basket is ruling at the low
est level since July 2004 a
development that could impact
the Indian currency.
"The OPEC decision could prob

ably support Indian rupee in the
short term, which has been under
relentless pressure from foreign
institutional investors who have
consistently been net sellers in
Indian equities lately," said ana
lyst Anand James of Geojit BNP
Paribas.
Oil prices have been under
pressure for several months due
to concerns over oversupply, but
the slump has deepened in the
recent period.
Crudeoil pro duct ion has
remained robust despite the
large drop in prices in the last
year, as US producers continue
to cut costs and OPEC members
keep producing at full tilt.
India software market to earn $5.3 bn in 2016

Mumbai: The robust Indian software market is on track
and would reach $5.3 billion (Rs.35.429 crore) earning
in 2016, growing 12.8 percent over 2015, global mar
ket research and advisory rm Gartner said.
"The enterprise software marketplace is dynamic and
everchanging. Its growth and structure are being
shaped by factors and forces of decentralised purchas
ing, consumerization and mobility," Gartner research
director Bhavish Sood said in a statement.
Among the leading trends in the Indian software mar
ket are software as a service (SaaS) adoption and devel
opment, open source software (OSS) adoption, changing
buying behaviour and purchasing styles associated with
digital business and the Digital India initiative of the
government.
"In 2015, the Indian economy has shown signs of
resurgence, with increased efforts by the government
toward ease of doing business, which has triggered an
increase in foreign direct investment (FDI) inows,"
Sood said.
FDI inows grew 27 percent to $30.9 billion from
2014, demonstrating the seriousness of the govern
ment in leveraging IT for effective governance. "It is

evident that the government is serious about leveraging
IT for effective governance. The Digital India initiative,
MyGov citizen portal, the SelfEmployment and Talent
Utilization (SETU) program for startups and smart cities
initiatives are a few some examples," Sood added.
The Digital India initiative is centered around digital
infrastructure as a utility to every citizen, governance
and services on demand, and digital empowerment of
citizens.
Fitch says 'stable' India to grow at 7.5 percent

Mumbai: Maintaining a stable outlook for India, ratings
agency Fitch said the country's economy will grow by
7.5 percent in the current scal that will stand out
globally, but warned that its business environment
would remain weak despite improvements. It has also
forecast an 8 percent growth rate for India in 201617.
The agency said a "BBB" rating, the lowest in the
investment grade, along with a stable outlook and a
strong mediumterm growth prospect and favourable
external nances, will balance out with high govern
ment debt, weak structurals and a difcult, but improv
ing, business environment.
"Translation of structural reforms into improved indi
cators and higher real GDP (gross domestic product)
growth depends on actual implementation. India's sov
ereign ratings continue to be constrained by limited
improvement in its scal position," Fitch said.

It said even as the government continues to steadily
roll out its structural reform agenda, like in liberalising
the foreign equity regime, it is also facing difculty in
garnering support in the upper house of parliament for
bigticket steps, like goods and services tax regime.
"India's relatively weak business environment and
standards of governance are gradually improving as a
result of the pursued reforms, but obstacles faced by
investors, including infrastructure bottlenecks, have not
been reduced overnight," it said. The agency said while
India's sovereign ratings continued to be constrained
by the limited scal space of the government, the 23.6
percent salary hike recommended by the 7th Pay
Commission has raised doubts about the feasibility of
the mediumterm consolidation path.
The crude basket fell below the $40mark per barrel mark for the
second time in a month.
T he November drop be low
$40, after having been in the
$4347 range earlier, was attrib
uted to uncertainties created by

the terror attacks in France last
month.
India fourth biggest

exporter of illicit
capital: Report
Washington: With an average
annual outow of $51.03 bil
lion, India is the fourth biggest
exporter of illicit capital over a
decade w ith such nancial
ows surging to $1.1 trillion in
2013, according to a new
report.
China, with $139.23 billion
average annually ($1.39 trillion
cumulative), was the biggest
exporter of illicit nancial ows
from developing and emerging
economies, according to a
study released Wednesday by
Global Financial Integrity (GFI),
a Washingtonbased research
and advisory organization.
Russia with $104.98 billion
average ($1.05trillion cumula
tive) and Mexico with $52.84
billion average ($528.44 billion
cumulative) came next.
India w ith $51.03 billion
average ($510.29 billion cumu
lative) was fourth followed by
Malaysia with $41.85 billion
average annually ($418.54 bil
lion cumulative) ranked fth.
Authored by GFI Chie f
Economist Dev Kar and GFI
Junior Economist Joseph
Spanjers, the report pegs cumu
lat ive illicit outows from
developing economies at $7.8
trillion between 2004 and

2013, the last year for which
data are available.
Titled "Illicit Financial Flows
from Developing Countries:
20042013" the study reveals
that illicit nancial ows rst
surpassed $1 trillion in 2011,
and have grown to $1.1 trillion
in 2013.
T his marks a dramat ic
increase from 2004, when illicit
outows totaled just $465.3
billion.
"This study clearly demon
strates that illicit nancial ows
are the most damaging eco
nomic problem faced by the
world's developing and emerg
ing economies," said GFI
President Raymond Baker, a
longtime authority on nancial
crime.
"T his year at the UN, the
mantra of 'trillions not billions'
was continuously used to indi
cate the amount of funds need
ed to reach the Sustainable
Deve lopment
Goals.
Signicantly curtailing illicit
ows is central to that effort."
Illicit nancial ows averaged
a staggering four percent of the
developing world's GDP, the
study noted.
24 December 12-18, 2015
SPORTS
IPL9 TO BEGIN ON APRIL 9

Pune, Rajkot to replace CSK, Royals
New Delhi: The ninth edition of the Indian
Premier League (IPL) in 2016 will be held
from April 9 to May 29 and would welcome
two new franchises, Pune and Rajkot, in
place of the suspended Chennai Super Kings
and Rajasthan Royals, it was announced.
T he Pune franchise was boug ht by
Kolkatabased businessman Sanjiv Goenka's
company New Rising. Intex Mobiles won the
Rajkot franchise bid. Goenka will pay Rs.16
crore per year for two years to BCCI. Intex
Mobiles will shell out Rs.10 crore for the
period.
The base price was pegged at Rs.40 crore
for the franchisees by Board of Control for
Cricket in India (BCCI).
A reverse bidding process was employed
for the selling of the teams and the bidders
were stipulated to quote an amount less
than Rs.40 crore. The lowest bidder won the
right for the franchises.
The BCCI is set to gain more than Rs.360
crore, according to board president
Shashank Manohar.
"What we had calculated was that BCCI
pays the franchises approximately Rs.70
crore first year out of the central revenue
and next year it would be Rs.75 crore. So
that makes it Rs.145 crore for one team.
Now that Rs.145 crore is going to be safe
because these two franchisees are not
accepting that central revenue. Plus they are
paying us Rs.25 crore. So Rs.50 crore
(across two years) more. That is the simple
calculation," Manohar said at the media con
ference here. The interim franchisees can
opt to retain the cricketers of CSK and RR
BCCI announces
Rs.2 crore for
Indian team
New Delhi: The Board of Control
for Cricket in India (BCCI) has
announced a cash award of Rs.2
crore for the Indian team for beat
ing South Africa 30 in the just
concluded Test series.
India defeated the Proteas by
337 runs in the fourth and final
Test to win the series 30 at the
Ferozeshah Kotla in New Delhi.
Chasing a mammoth target of
481 runs, the visitors were bowled
out for 143. India won the first
Test by 108 runs at Mohali and
the third match by 124 runs in
Nag pur. T he second match at
Bengaluru was rained of f. "BCCI
announces an award of Rs.2 crore
to the Indian Cricket Team for
their 30 series win against South
Africa," BCCI tweeted on Monday.
BCCI's all top bosses are in the
city to attend a governing council
meeting of the Indian Premier
League (IPL). As a result of the
win, India climbed to the second
posit ion in the Internat ional
Cricket Council (ICC) Test rank
ings. South Africa still retain the
No.1 position in the Test rankings.
Ashwin becomes
top allrounder
The base price was pegged at Rs.40 crore for the franchisees by
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
through a draft system. The cricketers will
be divided into two groups of capped and
uncapped and the top names will be sold
through the draft system. The two new
teams will have a minimum of Rs.40 crore
and a maximum of Rs.66 crore to buy play
ers. The draft pick will be held on December
15. Pune will pick the players first. The IPL
auction for the rest of the players will take
place on February 6 in Bengaluru.
A franchisee workshop will be held in
Srinagar on January 1314, 2016.
IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla revealed that
three more bidders were in the play. They
were Harsh Goenka of RPG properties,
Chennaibased Chettinad Cement and Axis
Clinical. Shukla said New Rising also had

Nagpur as one of its options, for which it bid
Rs.11 crore. Intex also bid Rs.10 crore each
for Nagpur and Visakhapatnam.
Chettinad quoted Rs.27 crore for Pune and
Chennai while RPG bid Rs.17.88 crore for
Pune and Rs.20.88 crore for Rajkot. Axiss
bids were Rs.15 crore for Nagpur and
Kanpur, and Rs.10 crore for Pune.
Fresh bids for two new IPL franchises
arose after CSK and RR were suspeded for
two years for the involvement some of their
of ficials and coowners in the 2013 IPL
spotfixing and betting scandal by the
Supreme Courtappointed Justice (retd) R.M.
Lodha committee. Manohar said that there
Dubai: India's middleorder batsman

Ajinkya Rahane jumped 14 places to a
careerhigh 12th spot while of fspinner
Ravichandran Ashwin moved to the top
spot in the allrounders list in the latest
International Cricket Council (ICC) rank
ings. Ashwin maintained his second posi
tion in the bowlers rankings, behind
South African pacer Dale Steyn. He dis
lodged Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan
from the summit of the allrounders list
after picking up 31 wickets in the four
Test series against South Africa, which
India won 30. Ashwin was named the
Man of the Series for his efforts.
India's leftarm spinner Ravindra Jadeja
moved up four spots to claim the seventh
spot. He and Ashwin are the only two
Indians in the top ten bowlers list. Fast
bowler Umesh Yadav also vaulted 13
places to achieve a careerbest 32nd posi
tion after claiming figures of two for 32
and three for nine in the New Delhi Test.
Rahane was the biggest mover in the bat
ting rankings after scoring two centuries
in India's 337 runs victory over South
Africa in the fourth Test at New Delhi.
have been no decision on the return of CSK
and RR. "We have not taken a call on it as of
now. They stand suspended. Today's win
ning bidders will exist for two years,"
Manohar clarified.
Lebron James signs

lifetime deal
with Nike
Oscar Pistorius granted bail

after murder conviction N
Pretoria: A South African court has

granted Paralympian Oscar
Pistorius bail as he awaits sentenc
ing after being convicted of mur
der for killing his model girlfriend
Reeva Steenkamp.
Judges of the high court in
Pretoria changed his manslaugh
ter conviction to murder on
December 3, BBC reported.
Pistorius, 29, was convicted at the
Pretoria High Court in October
2014 of culpable homicide of
Steenkamp, whom he said he
allegedly mistook for an intruder
at his Pretoria home on
Valentine's Day 2013.
In his bail af fidavit, he said he
had no income. During the hear
ing, his lawyer said he was only
able to pay a sum of 10,000 rand
($700) for his bail.
He now faces a minimum 15
year jail sentence for Steenkamp's
murder. The sentencing hearing is
scheduled for April 18, 2016. The
athlete would also appeal against
Paralympian Oscar Pistorius.

his murder conviction in the
Constitutional Court, his lawyer
said. Last week, South Africa's
Supreme Court of Appeal in
Bloemfontein accepted prosecu
tion arguments and ruled that the
lower court did not correctly
apply the concept of "dolus even
tualis" whether Pistorius knew
that a death would be a likely
result of his actions. The ruling
said that having armed himself

with a highcalibre weapon,
Pistorius must have foreseen that
whoever was behind the door
might die, especially given his
firearms training.
Pistorius can remain under
house arrest at his uncle's home
until sentencing next year, and
will be electronically tagged. He
also has to hand over his passport.
ike has signed Cleve land

Cavaliers forward LeBron
James to a lifetime deal in what
one source familiar with the negotia
tions said is the largest singleathlete
guarantee in company history. "We
can confirm that we have agreed to a
lifetime relationship with LeBron that
provides significant value to our busi
ness, brand and shareholders," Nike
said in a statement. "We have already
built a strong LeBron business over
the past 12 years, and we see the
potential for this to continue to grow
throughout his playing career and
beyond." A company spokesperson
would not say how much Nike paid. It
is believed to be the first lifetime deal
in the shoe and apparel company's
44year history. "I'm very humble,
man," James told reporters after
Monday's practice. "It's been an unbe
lievable time for myself and my fami
ly, and I'm just grateful that Nike and
[Nike founder] Phil Knight and every
one over there just believed in a skin
nyold, skinny 18yearold kid from
Akron, Ohio, and I'm happy to be a
part of such a great company."
HEALTH
25
A mother fighting Melanoma in

her daughters memory
Led by Colette Coyne, the campaign has resulted in restrictions on tanning salons
By Robert Golomb
he worst enemy for the most
ly private entrepreneurs who
own and operate tanning
salons (aka indoor tanning) in Long
Island and throughout New York
State is a lovely 80yearold woman
named Colette Coyne.
I become angry when I hear the
tanning industry claim that tanning
beds promote health, and that tan
ning salons themselves closely
monitor use by teens, Colette told
me when I interviewed her in her
home in New Hyde Park last week.
Nothing is further from the truth.
Tanning beds produce 15 times the
deadly ultraviolet rays than do the
sun and have become a major
cause for the increase in melanoma
in the young. And the only thing
that the tanning industry is moni
toring is its enormous profits. I will
not rest until I can stop their indus
try of death.
It was not tanning salons, howev
er, that was the cause of the
tragedy that first got Colette
involved in the fight to prevent
melanoma, a deadly malignancy,
which while accounting for only 2
% of all skin cancers, is the main
cause of skin cancer deaths today
and is the most common cancer
afflicting people in the 2529 age
group. Colette and her husband
Patrick had a daughter, also named
Colette, who was diagnosed with
melanoma in May 1998 and passed
away from the disease on October
27th, ten days after her thirtieth
birthday. The melanoma that was
to take the life of Colette, the
youngest of the Coynes two daugh
ters and three sons, was caused,
her doctors believed, by a severe
sunburn she suf fered when she
was nine years old, and possibly a
second as a teenager.
My daughter was very cautious
about unprotected exposure to the
sun after she had the second sun
burn, Colette told me. Her auburn
hair and fair skin, she realized,
made her susceptible to sunburn.
Her sister, Mary, would say that
whenever Colette went to the beach
she was like an old lady, all cov
ered up. And, of course, she would
never ever go to a tanning salon....
And yet it was my beautiful, won
derful daughter who died from
melanoma.
Just four months after Colettes
death, her friends organized a
fundraiser in her name to bring
public awareness to the horror of
New York State Sen. Michael Venditto & Dr. Scott Flugman Tanner
Park Screening. (Photos: Colette Coyne Melanoma Awareness Campaign)
melanoma. Within weeks, Patrick
and Colette used the $20,000
raised from the event to establish
the Colette Coyne Me lanoma
Awareness Campaign (CCMAC:
www.ccmac.org)
the
first
melanoma awareness foundation
on Long Island. The Coynes would
then soon learn about the deadly
role that tanning salons play in the
spread of that awful skin disease.
Since my daughters melanoma
was not associated with tanning
salons, Colette explained, I knew
little about their danger. But that
soon changed. We began to be con
tacted by people who sadly told us
they had been diagnosed with
melanoma, which many attributed
to their use of tanning beds as
teenagers.
As we began to conduct our
research we realized that these
were not isolated cases, Colette
continued. She learned that there
are approximately 75,000 new
cases of me lanoma diagnosed
every year, resulting in almost
10,000 deaths; she also learned
that studies had begun to show an
increasing ly significant link
between the use of tanning beds
with the disease. We knew that
many of these deaths were prevent
able, so we knew what a major part
of our mission would be, she told
me.
To fulfill that mission, in 1999
CCMAC began developing close
working relationships with health
care professionals and medical
institutions, the media, educators,
parent organizations, and other
cancer foundations to coordinate
their lobbying ef forts to restrict
the use of tanning beds. With the
tanning salon industry here in
Nassau and Suf folk Counties and
throughout New York State
employing their own powerful lob

byists to try to prevent any legisla
tion restricting the use of tanning
beds, we knew we had to coordi
nate our own lobbying ef fort to
protect the public, Colette
explained.
It took some time, but those lob
bying ef forts were to pay of f. In
2005, Nassau County passed The
Colette Coyne Skin Cancer
Prevention Bill, which prohibited
the use of tanning beds by minors,
the first such law in the country.
Shortly after, Suf folk County
passed T he Colette Coyne
Melanoma Awareness Law, which,
following the lead of Nassau
County, also banned the use of tan
ning beds by minors.
Colette believes both laws served
as watersheds in the fight against
the tanning industry. These laws
were milestones. It showed the law
makers had the courage to take on
the ultra powerful five billion dollar
a year tanning industry. The ensu
ing media coverage it received
served as a great educational mes
sage to the public about the dan
gers of the use of tanning beds.
Five years later, at the end of
2010, there was another legislative
milestone for CCMAC and its allies.
New York State legislators passed a
law that sent shock waves through
out the tanning industry. One key
provision of the law totally pro
hibits the use of tanning salons for
any one under the age of 17; for
those between the ages of 17 and
18, another provision of the law
mandates that the parents them
selves present the consent forms in
person, thus eliminating the then
reported common use of fake
signed consent forms. There is also
a less known provision of the law
which focuses solely on adult cus
Former Sen. Chuck Fuschillo, sponsor of Tanning Bill in New York State
Senate, with Colette Coyne. (right) Colette Coynes death from
melanoma at a young age inspired her mother, also named Colette
Coyne, to start a crusade against the skin cancer.
tomers, requiring them before they
enter the tanning beds to sign a
document provided by the tanning
salons outlining their dangers.
Collette acknowledged, however,
that while CCMAC and their New
York State based counterparts have
been able, through this legislation,
to reduce the use of tanning beds
(albeit, she contended, more prohi
bitions are still needed), she has
been far less successful in combat
ing the melanoma fueled by over
exposure to the real sun, which
studies indicate remains the main
cause of the disease. Convincing
people to limit their exposure to
the sun is very dif ficult because
every one loves the sun and loves
having a tan, Colette stated. But
overexposure to the sun is in fact
an act of potential suicide for thou
sands of people every year, so we
have tried to educate the public to
its grave dangers.
As part of that education process,
Collette and CCMAC volunteers for
the past 15 years have offered sun
prevention presentations to middle
school and high school students
throughout Long Island. We dont
want to scare children, but we cer
tainly want to educate them. We
explain to them that, unlike what
many might have be lieved,
melanoma is not a disease for only
the old, Colette stated. Rather it
strikes people of all ages. She
explains to students how limiting
their exposure to the sun, applying
sun screen every morning as a rou
tine, and playing only in areas that
have ample shade can prevent
melanoma and save lives.
Colette added that she empha
sizes to students that, unlike most
other forms of cancer, melanoma is
highly preventable. It is just a mat
ter, we say to them, of changing
your behavior, and taking responsi

bility for your own health. We hope
to continue to spread this message
and pray that it saves many young
lives, she said.
Colette said that while, at 80, the
40 hours plus a week she devotes
to her work at CCMAC sometimes
fatigues her, her memory of her
daughters courage inspires her to
carry on. And then Colette read to
me the final short three paragraphs
of a tribute to her daughter she
wrote shortly after Colettes death:
Her 30th birthday was spent as
planned in Cape Cod. How wise she
was suggesting a RV enabling the
family of seven to travel together.
It will be fun said she! In spite of
weakness, pain and nausea at
times, fun it was.
She chose to die two weeks later
when her brother returned from
Missouri. All went through those
last days with her and all are awed
by her strength, her wisdom, her
courage. Truly the last became first.
From the youngest, the wisdom of
what life should be unfolded.
While we no longer can have the
joy of putting our arms around her,
as her eldest brother said to her
You will never leave me, and so
she hasnt. We feel her presence;
we pray for strength and know she
will support us now as she did
then.
It is in her name we formed a
foundation with the hopes of pre
venting someone else of losing a
loved one to Melanoma.
Those hopes are slowly coming
true. RIP, Colette Coyne.
Robert Golomb is a nationally

and internationally published
columnist.
Mail
him
at
MrBob347@al.com and follow him
on Twitter@RobertGolomb
26
SELF HELP
Give more for less this

holiday season
T
he holidays are a great time to

shower friends and family
with wonderful gifts. As you
check of f your holiday shopping
list, remember that even small gifts
can add up quickly to cost a bundle.
With these helpful tips from the
discount experts at Dollar General,
you may be able to give more for
less this holiday season.
Holiday Thank Yous
Little gifts for the kids teachers,
the neighborhood mail carrier, your
favorite hairdresser and of fice co
workers can add up to some big
expenses.
Gift cards are a special way to
show your yearround appreciation
and you dont have to spend much
to make an impact. Consider giving
gift cards for a popular restaurant,
retail store or cof fee spot. Adorn
the gift card with a unique orna
ment or decoration to add some

extra holiday flair.
Stocking Stuffers
After the large items are pur
chased, dont forget the stocking
stuffers. With nearly limitless possi
bilities, consider fun items like lip
gloss, hand cream and travelsized
toiletries for those on the go. For
kids, think about small toys, mini
coloring sets and yummy holiday
treats including candy canes and
chocolates. Add in little everyday
items like gloves or a pair of pat
terned fuzzy socks.

Gifts from the Heart
Sometimes the most meaningful
gifts are the one you make. Fill a
fun candy jar with holiday sweets
like individuallywrapped mints and
chocolates, and then finish it with a
coordinating ribbon and gift tag.
You can also give someone a stress
free supper with a homemade soup
in a jar mix. Purchase canning jars
and fill with soup ingredients like
beans, pasta, spices and other deli
cious ingredients to make a tasty
DIY gift. Decorate the jar with rib
bon and use the gift tag to include
cooking instructions on the back.
Finally, let the kids help by creat
ing personalized holiday cards
using colored paper, glitter and
craft essentials for a unique, oneof
akind greeting. Use creativity and
have fun with it!
The changing retirement

landscape: what to know now
revious generat ions of

Americans were able to retire
with confidence, knowing that
they could count on a steady
stream of income from what is
often referred to as the three
legged stool of company pensions,
social security and personal sav
ings. Today, for most workers, the
retirement landscape is dif ferent:
the availability of traditional pen
sions has plummeted, wage stagna
tion has dampened how much mid
dleincome savers can set aside,
and the leve l at which So cial
Security can play a substantial
source of future retirement income
is in flux.
And now experts are warning
that many insurance products that
replicate the paycheck for life
provided by traditional pensions
are becoming at risk in this new
world. Especially threatened, say

retirement specialists, are annu
ities, which have traditionally
offered guaranteed lifetime income
no matter what happens in the
markets.
For millions of Americans with
moderate incomes, such guarantees
are increasingly necessary to help
them prepare for a financially sta
ble retirement that could span sev
eral decades, says Helene Rayder,
Vice President at Lincoln Financial
Group. However, some retirement
insurance experts are concerned
that new regulations proposed by
the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
intended to improve customer
value by eliminating conflicts of
interest between advisors and their
clients, could hurt consumers
instead. Rayder says the rules could
potentially:
4Make it economically unviable

for commissionbased financial
advisors to serve average con
sumers, forcing individuals to work
with more costly paybased advi
sors. This will limit the financial
advice many middle class savers
rely on today.
4Reduce the choice of retire
ment products savers have in plan
ning, potentially eliminating middle
class savers from choosing commis
sionbased accounts.
4Deter financial planners from
offering annuities, and as a result
savers will pay more and get less
over the long term.
4 Could cost families billions
more instead of helping them save.
A recent report published by
Economists Incorporated says the
cost could be as much as $80 bil
lion nationwide.
Students: Great
Tips for Finding a
Scholarship
ollege is expensive, and while

families should focus on sav
ing what they can, students
should not forget to apply to the
wealth of scholarships available
nationwide.
Millions of scholarships, worth
billions of dollars are awarded
annually. Beyond inhouse scholar
ships of fered by the institutions
themselves, a number of federa
tions and organizations of fer
money to students with particular
aptitudes, achievements and aspi
rations.
Scholarships can make a signif
icant dent in outofpocket college
spending, but finding and applying
for them requires an upfront
investment of effort, says Martha
Holler, senior vice president, Sallie
Mae.
The college financing experts at
Sallie Mae are offering scholarship
application tips:
4Applying is worth the time
and ef fort. Even if the award is
small, take the time to apply to
every scholarship for which you
are eligible. It is money that does
nt have to be paid back, and it can
be used for textbooks, supplies or
other collegerelated expenses.
4 Apply
each
year.
Approximately half of available
scholarships are for students
already enrolled in college. Take

the time to apply annually to ease
the yeartoyear tuition burden.
4Shop around. Go deep. There
are scholarships for students who
want to study subjects as diverse
as candy making, potato growing
and
we lding
technology.
Additionally, scholarships are
available for particular circum
stances, such as community col
lege students transferring to four
year institutions, or students who
are the first in their family to
attend college.
4 Dont spend. The goal is to
save money, not spend it. Guidance
counselors and school financial
aid of fices can recommend free,
reputable scholarship search sites,
such as Scholarship Search by
Sallie Mae, which just added two
million scholarships to its data
base, offering access to more than
five million scholarships worth
nearly $24 billion. Those who reg
ister are automatically eligible to
win the Plan for College
Sweepstakes, which awards
$1,000 each month to a winner
selected at random.
4 Continue to save and plan.
Landing a scholarship is just one
component of being prepared for
college. Continue to set aside sav
ings.
Tips to prevent cold and flu this season

C
old and flu season is upon us, which

for many people means its time for
sore throats, coughs and runny noses.
While colds cause mild versions of these
symptoms, the flu is typically more severe
with additional symptoms like a fever and
muscle aches. Unfortunately, both condi
tions are all too common.
Annually, people in the US suffer one bil
lion colds, and up to 20 percent of people
in the US get the flu, according to the
National Institutes of Health.
Fortunately, there are many steps that
people can take to ward of f the threat of
cold and flu, says Jill TurnerMitchael, a
registered pharmacist and the senior vice
president of Sams Club Health and
Wellness.
How can you keep yourself and your fam
ily healthy this season? TurnerMitchael
and the Sams Club pharmacists are offer
ing some tips:
Eat right: Wellness starts from within.
Boost your immunity with a healthful diet
complete with a variety of fruits and veg
etables. Youll want to ensure your family
maintains a diet that is rich in vitamin C,
beta carotene and vitamin E. Get your daily
dose in hearty soups, vegetables roasts and
winter salads.
Wash your hands: The outside world
can be a germy place. Before opening the
mail or changing out of your work clothes,
wash your hands. This should be the first
thing you do when you get home and the

first step in any meal preparation that you
do. Wash them often throughout the day, as
well.
Get some rest: Lack of sleep can con
tribute to weakened immunity. Keep your
body strong by taking advantage of the
short days in winter to head to bed a bit
early and get a proper amount of shut eye.
Get vaccinated: Dont forget to get a flu
shot. A new one is needed every year, as the
bodys immune response from vaccination
is temporary. This seasons shot will protect
against the viruses that research shows will
be most prevalent.
These days, its easier and more afford
able than ever to do so. Licensed pharma
cists can administer walkin flu shots at

retailers like Sams Club, which of fers
affordable flu shots to both members and
the public. Specifically, Sams Club is offer
ing standard three and four strain flu shots
to anyone eight years of age and above, as
well as a special highdose shot designed
for seniors 65 years and older. Turner
Mitchael says this is part of the companys
commitment to helping people live healthi
er lives.
Stay active: You may not have any beach
plans in the works but that doesnt mean
you should neglect the gym. One of the
many benefits of regular exercise is that it
is linked to a healthy immune system, so
stay active all year long.
INSPIRATIONS
27
THE SPIRIT OF CHENNAI

In his recent blog, the author, a software engineer and digital marketing consultant,
poignantly praised the people of Chennai who helped each other irrespective of religion
or station in life when the city was devastated by flood fury recently.
By Geo Jolly
hile the entire nation is debating
on the "Nonsense" called
"Intolerance", there is humanity at
its best in Chennai. I can tell this for sure
because I live in Qatar and my family (wife
and two kids aged 11 and 7) are in Chennai.
With all the floods and problems, I am get
ting the message from them, "We are safe".
In the wake of calamity, Chennai is One. It
has only one religion: Humanity"; it has only
one enemy: Water; there is only one aim:
Help. And they did it in style. When they
were offering help, they didn't ask whether
you are Hindu or Christian Muslim. They
didn't ask whether you are rich or poor.
They didn't ask whether you are a Tamilian,
Malayalee, Telugu, Kannadiga or North
Indian. Only one question they asked; "Do
you need any help?"
My familys neighbors who are rich never
interacted with anybody in the neighbor
hood in the last 4 years. This time they
opened the gates of their huge house. The
man stood outside and welcomed people
into his house. "We will eat whatever we
have. We will share whatever we have. You
can stay here until the water recedes", thats
all he said. He accommodated around 35
people in his house. He is a Hindu Brahmin.
He provided mat for the Muslims to do

namaz. He allowed Christians to pray in his
pooja room.
There were volunteers everywhere help
ing people to reach safe ground. They used
anything and everything as tool until the
army people reached. Once the experts
came, they gave the leadership to the more
experienced and helped them to help oth
ers. My wife told me that, there were groups

of people going through the streets with
neck deep water and asking "Sir / Madam,
do you need any help?" in front of every
house. They provided whatever help they
could and they distributed food and essen
tials. There were groups providing cell
phone batteries for 5 minutes to anybody
who wanted to talk.
I have seen people fight for food when

there is a calamity. Even in the adevanced
countries, when there is a calamity, people
fight for food. They think only about them
selves at that time. But, when the food was
distributed in Chennai, calm prevailed.
People stood in queues and they passed
food for the people who were not able to
stand in queues (elderly, mothers and kids).
They brought boats. They made temporary
rafts and just went on helping people.
This is what my kids are seeing. This is
what they are learning. How to help each
other in times of need. It goes straight into
their brain. The images get implanted there.
And then, when there is another calamity,
they know what to do. How to survive. How
to get help and how to help others. This is
what I want my kids to learn: humanity,
beyond boundaries.
There is no wonder that it happened in
Chennai, one of the oldest cities in the
world. It has survived everything thrown at
it. It will definitely remain kinder place for
ever. They are united. They can beat any
thing. They can survive anything.
I am a proud Chennaite. I will never forget
this in my life! A city which gave me and my
family safety in the hour of need. Thank you
Chennai! Thank you Indian Army! Thank
you India!!!
World's first combined mosquesynagoguechurch to be built in Berlin

church which was built in the mid
dle of Berlin in the 13th century and
destroyed in World War II, is likely
to be rebuilt as the worlds first allinone
churchmosquesynagogue, called the
House of One.
Though the property belongs to the
church, authorities hope to build a sacred
space for Jews, Muslims, and Christians,
rather than just a chapel.
They had to face the question of what
do we do with this ground, and what do
we want to give back to the city what
do we need in this time? says Frithjof
Timm, a theological speaker for the House
of One.
According to Tim, the idea behind the
project was to bring the people of the area
together, regardless of their religion.
The minister had the vision that there
could be a table on this former parking
lot, he said. People from dif ferent reli
gions could sit together, and eat together,
and be together.
In order to include as many people as
possible in the project, the minister, along
with a rabbi and an imam, decided to
launch a competition to design a building
that would simultaneously include sacred
spaces for people belonging to all three
religions. Further, the way Tim explained
The idea behind this project in Berlin, Germany, is to bring the people of the area togeth
er, regardless of their religion. A competition has been launched for designing the build
ing that would include sacred spaces for people belonging to all three major religions.
it, the project seemed like a practical deci
sion for several reasons. Berlin, a place
where not many religious people exist, the
speaker said We dont have that much
money to keep a new church alive. We
dont have so many Christian people to fill
up a new church. However, he added,
House of One will also serve as a symbol
of what Berlin is currently a city where
once Adolf Hitler signed death warrants
for 6 million Jews, has now become a city
with the fastestgrowing Jewish popula
tion in the world. Further, he claimed, with
the increased number of refugees coming

to Germany, it also serves as a home for
Muslims. According to the design of the
building, everyone will enter through the
same front door and while there is a cen
tral common space, there will be three
equally sized (but dif ferently shaped)
spaces for each religion.
We have only one entrance in the build
ing, Timm said. So everyone who is
going to praywhether Jewish or Muslim
or Christianhas to use this one entrance.
The entrance leads to the common room,
and from the common room theres a stair

going up to the second floor and then you
decide which way you go.
Reports suggest that while some individ
uals from the Muslim community have
opposed the idea, majority of them are in
favor of it. A reason for this may be that
according to the plan, each of the assigned
spaces respects orthodox practices, with a
given place to perform ablution in the
mosque, Muslims will also have separate
spaces for men and women to of fer
prayers in the synagogue.
Being in the building doesnt mean
anyone has to change anything about
their own faith, Tim said while adding, If
youre not afraid to look around and see
what are the other religions are doing, it
can enrich your life and your faith.
The organization began collecting funds
last year and have so far only raised about
1 million out of 43 million needed (a
basic version of the design would cost 10
million). We hope this will shine out in
the worldthat this will go out to the
world and be a sign to bring more peace
between people, Timm said. Especially at
this time when war comes from Islamic
State, and after what happened in Paris.
This article originally appeared on Fast
coexist.
28
HUMOR
Humor with Melvin Durai
LAST PUNCH OF THE DEARLY DEPARTED

Y
ears ago, obituaries in newspapers

contained just the usual runofthe
mill details: name and age of the
deceased; occupation, accomplishments
and hobbies; a long list of survivors; and
funeral arrangements.
Now and then, youd spot something
interesting in an obituary, such as the fact
that a man loved his favorite hockey team,
Toronto Maple Leafs, so much that his
dying wish was to not only be cremated
while wearing a Maple Leafs jersey, but to
have his ashes kept in a replica of the
Stanley Cup.
These days, with paid obituaries becom
ing the norm in many newspapers, obits
are limitless in their potential for creative
expression and entertainment.
Whatever last word a person wants to
have, newspapers rarely stand in the way,
even if the last word is something utterly
ridiculous, such as The world is flat,
New Zealanders eat with their toes, or
Donald Trump would make a g reat
president.
A recent example comes from New
Jersey, where the last line of Elaine
Fydrychs obituary states: Elaine requests,
In lieu of flowers, please do not vote for
Hillary Clinton.'
The 63yearold woman, a Democrat,

wasnt happy with the presidential candi
dates performance as Secretary of State,
in particular her handling of the 2012
Benghazi attack.
Fydrych wanted to go out with a punch,
and I think she did that, her husband, Joe,
told the Associated Press. Indeed, she
landed a punch right into Clintons gut.
Its not the first punch Clinton has taken
from the dearly departed. Last April, the
obituary of a North Carolina man, a life
long Republican named Larry Upright,
stated that his family respectfully asks
that you do not vote for Hillary Clinton in
2016.
More recently, a Miami woman named
Nancy Dearr used her obituary to show
support for one of Clintons rivals, stating
that in lieu of flowers, donations may be

made to the Bernie Sanders presidential
campaign.
Dead folks showing their opposition to
Hillary Clinton may not seem like a big
deal, but it must be a major concern for
Clintons campaign staf f, who cant be
pleased that their candidate is lagging
behind in dead voter polls.
No political candidate should take dead
voters for granted. Just ask former presi
dential candidate Ross Perot, who spent
several days in 1992 campaigning at
Arlington National Cemetery.
Turnout at a number of elections in
America would be abysmal if not for dead
voters. (The politically correct term for
such voters is PC pulsechallenged). In
New York State alone, about 26,000 PC
voters are officially registered to vote, and
hundreds of them have actually cast bal
lots. This means, of course, that Larry
Upright wont need to be upright to vote
against Clinton in 2016.

While some people share their political
af filiations in their obituaries, others
express their allegiance to sports teams.
The 2013 obituary of Scott E. Entsminger,
a lifelong Cleveland Browns fan, includes
this line:
He respectfully requests six Cleveland
Browns pall bearers so the Browns can let
him down one last time.
One of the most entertaining obituaries
in recent years was that of a Pennsylvania
man named Kevin McGroarty who died
Tuesday, July 22, 2014, after battling a
long fight with mediocracy.
McGroarty, according to the obit, was
preceded in death by brother, Airborne
Ranger Lt. Michael F. McGroarty, and
many beloved pets: Chainsaw, an English
Mastif f in Spring 2009; Baron, an Irish
Setter in August 1982; Peter Max, a turtle,
Summer 1968; along with numerous
house flies and bees, but they were only
acquaintances.
The obit also stated that McGroarty
leaves behind no children (that he knows
of ) and that, after studying various reli
gions and Greek philosophy, he wanted to
leave behind some wisdom for everyone
to ponder: It costs nothing to be nice and
Never stick a steak knife in an electrical
outlet.
Please dont stick a knife in Hillary
Clintons presidential aspirations either.
Laughter is the Best Medicine
BEST
RATE
FOR
INDIA
AND
PAKISTAN
New York Head Quarter
422S Broadway
HICKSVILLE
NY 11801
5168271010
by Mahendra Shah
Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist,
cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the
immigrant Indians for the past many years in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat,
he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
ASTROLOGY
29
Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874

Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899
psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com
By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma
DECEMBER 1218, 2015

ARIES: Innovative ideas & technical expert
ise would enable to win the confidence of
seniors at professional front. Enjoying the
company of close relatives will brighten your
evening. Long pending arrears and dues will final
ly be recovered. Your wit & charm would help in
catching the attention of opposite sex. Creative
hobbies are likely to keep you relaxed. A fun
filled holiday at an amusement and theme park
with your family is there. You might deal in some
ancestral property or any other parental proper
ty. A friends influential contact brings into con
tact w ith an eminent lawyerwhich would
immensely help you.
TAURUS: Service people, artists and those
in creative field will get several new
opportunities. Shopping with family mem
bers will be highly pleasurable and exciting. This
week investment concerning residence will be
profitable. Love partner would be extremely sup
portive and in a loving mood. With a positive out
look & confidence, you succeed in impressing
people around you. An interesting cruise ship is
next place for your vacation. A deal regarding res
idential property can start moving on its right
path. Your patience coupled with continuous
efforts & understanding will bring success.
GEMINI: Your greatest gains will come
through your creative ideas at profession
al front. You will be at the limelight in a
social gathering provided you attend. Financial
hassles seem to get over as someone lends a time
ly helping hand. A romantic week as you receive
all praises from partner. Mental alertness would
enable to solve a tricky problem. Breathtaking
beautiful site scenes are your lovers desire.
Discussing property matters with parents can
help for better innovations. You get a good oppor
tunity to get involved in some interesting conver
sation this week.
CANCER: Success is certain provided

you work as a team. You will be the star
of attraction of familys gettogether
this week. Promising week to invest surplus
money in real estate. You find pleasure and
enjoy ecstasies of love in the arms of partner. A
cheerful state of mind brings mental peace. Time
to relax and enjoy your visit to a relatives place.
Planning a property might explore new horizons
for you and your family. A very successful week
when you are likely to get rid from your legal
battle.
LEO: You will be on the seventh heaven
when you receive recognition for your
achievements at work. Help from family
members would take care of your needs. A
sound financial health would enable to invest on
lucrative schemes. You enjoy a lovely time as
Cupid is on your side this week. Good time to
divert attention to spirituality to enhance men
tal toughness. Journey to some famous histori
cal place sounds exciting to your kids. Your
friends and family will be of great support if you
are trying for an of fice. Visiting new places
would bring a wonderful feeling/experience for
you this week.
VIRGO: Your creativity will amaze peo
ple around you besides enhancing
career prospects. You will enjoy the time
spent with family members and friends.
Your brilliant ideas would help in bringing
financial g ains. A special message from
beloved/lover lifts spirits. A pleasure trip gives
the muchneeded tonic to health. Romance is in
full bloom, a journey full of pleasure is your
crave.
Its time to make some property investments for
your kids. Developing new contacts with influ
ential persons would help in expanding your
horizons.
LIBRA: New job opportunities for some

will be better than expected. Your gen
erous behaviour would enable to enjoy
some lovely moments with family. A promising
week to earn profits in real estate and financial
transactions. Love companion will be eager to
meet you this week. Cutting down the number
of parties and pleasure jaunts would help in
keeping in good mood. Your travel plans are
smooth, but the toughest part is that your part
ner doesnt have time. Purchasing official acces
sories can lead to improve growth of your office.
You are likely to be appreciated for your helpful
nature.
SCORPIO : At work you are likely to win
appreciation and awards for past efforts.
If possible, join a get together with fami
ly/close friends to make it an excellent week. An
improvement in monetary position makes it
convenient to purchase essent ial items.
Proposing might benefit, as chances of succeed
ing in love are high. A beneficial week to work
on things that will improve your health. If you
want to travel start planning your trip now.
Inheriting property from your relatives seems to
be ahead. this week a long pending legal battle
might be decided to your satisfaction.
SAGITTARIUS: Timely and swift action
would give an edge over others at pro
fessional front. Friends and family mem
bers would lend a helping hand. This
week longterm investment would enable to
make substantial gains.
Search for a true romantic friend might end this
week. Your confidence and energy will be high
this week. Its time to travel with innovative
imagination. Your income can be doubled by
renting your house or a part of your house. You
are likely to be highly benefited by your interac
tion with strangers.
CAPRICORN : Colleagues and subordi

nates will lend a helping hand enabling to
complete the work on time. An unexpect
ed message from a distant relative brings happy
news for the entire family. Financial hassles will
be eased out with the help of your friends.
Blossoming love life brings happiness. A week
when smile will perpetually be on your face and
strangers will seem familiar. Are you longing to
go on a vacation then be ready for it? It would be
beneficial if you plan to buy a small property.
Ef forts bring desired results, as you get rid of
drug addiction.
AQUARIUS : Success in completing diffi
cult assignments brings a lot of laurels
at work. Relatives are likely to give some
valuable advice regarding personal life.
Certain important plans will be executed, bring
ing fresh financial gains. Romance is likely to
intensify through recreational activities & enter
tainment. Your energy level will be high. Better to
channelise it in a positive direction. Be ready to
hang out with your friends. Real estate is one
thing on which you can rely on to invest. Honest
and tothepoint approach would be needed to
succeed this week.
PISCES : Selfconfident would enable to
convey your point of view with ease a
workplace. You receive care and affection
from family members. You could find yourself in
an exciting new situation, bringing you financial
gains. Romantic opportunity comes your way as
your sparkling sunshine smile injures a lively &
tender heart. Positive outlook impresses those
around you besides keeping you fit & fine. By
traveling you will learn about new places, ulti
mately its a great deal for yourself. Investment
on construction business would flourish your
income. You would find yourself devoting much
of your time in personal development.
ANNUAL PREDICTIONS: FOR THOSE BORN IN THIS WEEK

12th December, 2015
Ruled planet: Jupiter Ruled by no: 3
Traits in you: Being number 3, you are confident, ambitious
and independent person who loves to work with optimistic
attitude. You are a born leader, and you are always appreciat
ed for your work, whether it is at home or work place. Your
efforts are always sincere and thats why you balance your
personal and professional life very smoothly.
Health this year: This year you will make efforts to enjoy the
true happiness. You need to keep in mind that physical happi
ness is attained by selfrestraint, eating simple but balanced &
nourishing food and daily exercise. You will start participat
ing in any sports or outdoor activities to keep yourself in
good health.
Finance this year: As far as finances are concerned, you need
to invest your hardearned money wisely. Look at all the
aspects of business before putting your money, then only it
would enable you to fetch good returns.
Career this year: Your ability to express your views and ideas,
will take you to the top of hierarchy, in the year ahead of you.
Your superiors will notice your sincerity and loyalty. They will
entrust a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. You will be
able to fulfill all these duties to the utmost, making everyone
happy.
Romance this year: This year, you might meet the sweetest
dream of your life, means a person of your dream, whose
thoughts have kept your memory radiant. It is now upto you
to take initiatives to develop friendly relations with him/her.
Lucky month: May, July, October and January
13th December, 2015
Ruled planet: Uranus Ruled by no: 4
Traits in you: Being number 4, you are a person who likes to
take responsibilty and do your work with full dedication and
honesty. For the coming year, we would advice that try to take
all precautions while signing any legal documents. If you are
planning to sign a partnership, you will have to weigh all the
pros and cons, before getting into any legal matters.
Health this year: You can enjoy a sound health only by keep
ing yourself stressfree. This is a year for you to realise that
even short intense periods of stress may have long term con
sequences on the functioning of the brain. Therefore better to
make it a habit to remain tensionfree to enjoy the life to the
fullest.
Finance this year: This year your financial position will
improve, as you might get some unexpected monetary gains
either from foreign transaction or major government con
tract. At the same time if you are planning to go for some
investments, invest after a careful thinking.
Career this year: The coming year will bring changes, which
will be beneficial to you. A change in job is likely for some.
This year your hard work will bring you success and recogni
tion. Partnership in business will be fruitful.
Romance this year: This whole year you will be enjoying your
personal life, as you and your partner will share some most
cherishing moments of your life. To enjoy your romance,
understand each other's requirement and try to fulfil them.
You can plan to go on a vacation too.
Lucky month: May, October, December and March
14th December, 2015
Ruled planet: Sun Ruled by no: 5
Traits in you: Being number 5, you are very strong headed
person with friendly nature and practical thoughts. You
inspire others to do their work with full dedication and per
fection. You have an ability to make many friends and the best
is that you are known as a very loyal friend to all your friends.
This year keep control over your moody nature, which can
put you in trouble. You strongly believe in destiny and have
strong concentration power. This year you will feel more
inclined towards religious activities.
Health this year: There is this phrase 'Donate blood to reap
happiness'. Its true that when we donate our blood, it brings
unlimited happiness to you. This year make this a habit to
donate blood every twothree months. Overall your health will
be fine.
Finance this year: Travel will bring you both prosperity and
pleasure. You will travel to distant lands in the coming year.
This will allow you to make the most of newer opportunities
and will also be a source of good income, relaxation and
enjoyment.
Career this year: Your planning and methodical approach to
work, will catch the attention of your seniors. You will be
handsomely rewarded for you efficient and honest approach
to your professional career. The ability to judge the weakness
es of your opponents will be an asset to you, and you will be
able to use this to your advantage.
Romance this year: Though it will be shortlived but this year
you will have a happy romance. The relationship would give
you sweet memories, which you can cherish for the whole of
your life. Keep in mind that we should enjoy the life as it
comes to us.
Lucky month: April, August, November and February
15th December, 2015
Ruled planet: Venus Ruled by no: 6
Traits in you: Being number 6, you are lover of simplicity and
originality. You have the ability to inspire those around your.
Your mere presence, makes people happy and full of enthusi
asm. This year too your attractive personality and helping
nature will bring happiness in other's life.
Health this year: Health will generally remain normal. You
will enjoy a sound physical health on imbibing positive think
ing in your life. However, it will be in your interest to continue
physical exercises to keep diseases a bay.
Finance this year: You will earn a lot of money in the coming
year, but on the other hand you will also spend it all on buy
ing expensive clothes, jewellery and luxuries of life.
Remember that you should save some money for your future
too.
Career this year: You have an special attachment towards art
and music. Those of you who are in the profession of dance
and poetry, will do exceeding well in your professional career,
in the year ahead of you. Others will be able to impress their
counterparts in the workplace.
Romance this year: Your warmth and attractive personality
will draw many friends towards you. You will always be a cen
tre of attraction amongst friends and relatives, but this
year you will be bowled by someone special. You might
fall in love.
Lucky month: July, November and March
16th December, 2015
Ruled planet: Neptune Ruled by no: 7
Traits in you: Being number 7, you are an intelligent, inde
pendent and kind hearted person. You know how to play with
words. Using your this quality you will easily impress people
around you. Your supportive nature makes you famous in
your group. You love to be a leader in a group and can easily
sense positive and negative energies coming from the people
around you. This year you might go for a foriegn trip, which
would be both pleasurable and rewarding.
Health this year: This year positive attitude and a preventive
care would bring immense relief from your ailments. You
might have some teeth problem, but otherwise you will be
enjoying a healthy life.
Finance this year: This year travel will be an important part
of your life. Most of you are likely to travel to distant lands for
business purpose or office work. There is also a possibility of
developing business ties abroad, which will fetch good finan
cial returns.
Career this year: You will be able to handle difficult situations
with ease and authority. You will be able to express your
views with clarity, whenever required. But, you tend to
become a little stubborn at times, and try to impose your
ideas on your colleagues and friends.
Romance this year: Romantic life could face a testing time
this year, when it will be publically known to everyone.
However, Don't get disheartened /discouraged, as you will
have to cement your love bond, so that you can enjoy your
love to the fullest.
Lucky month: August, November, December and April
17th December, 2015
Ruled planet: Saturn Ruled by no: 8
Traits in you: Being number 8, you are a person who loves
challenges in life and always come out as a winner which ever
task you take in hand. You are very practical, systematic and
friendly person who is always there to help needy people. You
determination and sincerity at work will fetch you both good
finances and respect in society. Although you don't like any
one assisting you, but when you do any mistakes, you accept
them easily and learn not to repeat it again.

Health this year: This year you have decide to eat well. This is
really nice on your part, but at the same time it would be bet
ter to develop a habit of wanting good nutritious food. This
would make you feel lighter and more energetic, and you will
be away from illnesses.
Finance this year: Financially this year, you will be able to
handle your money matters with ease and with your efficient
planning you will even save some earning for the future.
Career this year: In the coming year, your efficiency and sin
cerity, will clearly reflect in your work. Your seniors will
notice this and you will be rewarded for your hard work and
dedication. Your ability to see both sides of a problem, will be
an asset to you, and you will be using this for your and others
benefit.
Romance this year: Your sense of duty towards your loved
ones, will make you do your best for them this year. You can
expect peace and harmony at the domestic front, in the year
ahead of you. Those looking for life partner, will get an oppur
tunity to meet the person of their dreams.
Lucky month: July, September and February
18th December, 2015
Ruled planet: Mars Ruled by no: 9
Traits in you: Being number 9, you are one of the most ener
getic, courageous and brilliant person, who successfully com
pletes the work taken in hand. You can be called cleanliness
freak person. You always help those who need your help. You
love to be in the company of those people who are intellignet
and sophisticated. You are good at evaluating any situation
and work accordingly. For you emotional happiness is more
important than material happiness. Being focused in life, if
you want to climb the ladder of success.
Health this year: By nature you are short tempered and get
easilly irritated over small matters, which also affects your
mental and physical health. You will have to learn to control
your temper, otherwise you will find yourself alone, making
you depressed person.
Finance this year: Travel will be an important part of your
life, in the coming year. This will bring more opportunities for
you and also help you to broaden your outlook and living
style. You will be investing some of your savings for your
brighter future.
Career this year: Courage and alertness, will allow you to face
any obstacle without much difficulty this year. You will be
undertaking new ventures in your professional field. You will
finish your project with sincerity and dedication.
Romance this year: If you are unmarried and ready to
embrace marriage, then there are chances that by the end of
this year you will find your soul mate. But if you are married
or in a serious relationship, then you need to be little cautious,
as someone might create misunderstanding between two of
you.
Lucky month: June, September, December and March
30
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS
THE STRONGEST ENEMY
By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji

Maharaj
This article has been selected and reprint
ed from Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharajs
book, Spiritual Pearls for Enlightened Living
(Radiance Publishers) an inspirational collec
tion of stories from the worlds great wisdom
traditions.
uring the time of Guru Gobind Singh,
there was a great rishi who gave up
everything to go to a forest to medi
tate. There was also a king who had already
conquered many other territories and their
people. One day, the king set his ambition on
conquering the rishi to make him obey his
commands. People thought it was strange
that the king would focus on conquering a
rishi who had no property, kingdom, or
wealth. But it turned out that the rishi had
previously been a king before giving up his
kingdom for the spiritual life. This made the
present king have an obsession with wanting
to conquer the rishi. So the king gathered his
entire army to prepare for battle.
The army marched into the deep forest.
The army finally reached the rishi, who was
sitting in the woods, deep in meditation.
The king waited for the rishi to come out
of meditation, but he kept on sitting there.

Finally, the king became restless and shook
the rishi out of meditation.
The king shouted, Prepare for a fight. I
have come to do battle with you.
The rishi surveyed the scene calmly. He
saw the great army and said, Fight! I ran
away from my worldly life for fear of my one
great enemy. I came here to hide in the
woods from this enemy. My soul shudders in
fear when I hear the sound of my enemys
name. Just to think of this enemys name
causes my heart to quiver.
The king listened carefully as the rishi
continued to describe his feared enemy.
Finally, the king became angry and shouted,
Is your enemy stronger than me?
The rishi replied, Even the thought of this
enemy destroys my soul. I left everything to
escape from this enemy.
The king said, Tell me the name of this
enemy of yours.
The rishi said, There is no use in telling
you who it is. You will never be able to con
quer him.
The king replied, If I cannot conquer him,
I will consider myself a failure.
The rishi then told him, This great enemy
of whom I am speaking is the mind.
From that day on, the king tried everything
to overcome the mind. He tried all kinds of
techniques to gain control over his own
mind. Years passed and still he could not
conquer the mind. Finally, the king had to
admit that he had failed and that the mind is
truly the strongest enemy.
The mind is powerful and will try every
means possible to gain control over our soul.
Many yogis and rishis have tried to gain con
trol over their minds but failed. If such is the
fate of those who have given up the world to
conquer their own mind, then what is the
fate of the rest of us who are immersed in
the world?
The mind is the obstacle our soul must
The mind is the

obstacle our soul
must deal with to
return to God. The
mind is like a soccer
goalie, guarding the
goal. It will try everything to keep the ball
from reaching the
goal. If even devoted
rishis had trouble
overcoming the mind,
how can we do it?
deal with to return to God. The mind is like a
soccer goalie, guarding the goal. It will try
everything to keep the ball from reaching
the goal. If even devoted rishis had trouble
overcoming the mind, how can we do it? The
fact is that we cannot conquer the mind on
our own. The only way to conquer the mind
and still it is through the help of someone
who has conquered the mind. Such enlight
ened beings give us a lift to contact the Light
and Sound within us. The Light and Sound
help uplift our soul beyond the realm of
mind.
The rishi found that doing spiritual prac
tices alone in the jungle did not help him
overcome the mind. The mind still tempted
him with the countless desires of the world.
The mind knows that contact with the soul
will render it harmless. Thus, the mind will
find all kinds of excuses to keep us from
meditation. It will make us think of the past.
It will make us think of the future. It will
make us wiggle around instead of sitting
still. It will make us feel sleepy just when we

sit to meditate. It will make us feel hungry. It
will make us feel jealous. It will make us feel
depressed. It will make us feel like doing
work instead of meditating. It will find a mil
lion excuses.
How do we overcome the minds tenden
cies to distract us? We must use the tenden
cy of the mind to form positive habits. The
mind likes habits. If we tell our mind that we
need to sit for meditation each day at the
same time and place, a habit will form. Soon
we will find ourselves compelled to sit for
meditation at that time each day. If will miss
meditation, we will start to feel like some
thing is amiss. Soon we will find ourselves
meditating regularly.
When we learn to concentrate fully, whol
ly, and solely into the Light and Sound, we
will experience bliss, peace, and joy. We will
want to repeat meditation again and again
because of the wonderful experience we
receive.
FINDING FULFILLMENT IN THIS WORLD

By Sant Rajinder Singh
Ji Maharaj
ost people are trying to ful

fill their desires. We might
have a desire to buy a car;
we might have a desire to buy a
house; we might have a desire to
study history or the sciences, or we
might desire any objects of this
world. Our emphasis is on being
able to fulfill those desires.
Life goes on in a way in which we
are always trying to fulfill one
desire after another after another.
What happens is that desires do not
end. When one is fulfilled, then we
have another desire. As we try to
fulfill that one, then we have anoth
er desire, then another.
Life just keeps on passing by. We
are searching for happiness all over
the world. Little do we realize that
the true wealth, true happiness,and
true love are waiting within us. We
think that happiness is outside our
se lves. We think it lies in
wealth,name and fame, possessions
and relationships.
Since our human system is set up
to focus on fulfilling our desires,
what is needed is the right kind of
desire. First, we need to choose a
goal. And the right goal is to choose
God, to have the merger of our soul
in the Lord. God lies within us. God's
love is within. There is nothing in
the outer world that can compare to
that. We spend our precious life
breaths pursuing the fulfillment of
our every w ish in the worldly
sphere.
In the end we find that none of
those wishes brings us the happi
ness, love, and contentment we real
ly want. Instead of seeking the true
treasures outside ourse lves,we
should sit in meditation and find the
true wealth within. If we would stick
to being conscious of our true self,
as soul, we would find more love
and happiness than we can have
from the fulfillment of any desire in
the world. Then we will find our
lives filled with love, bliss, and
eternal peace and happiness.
We are searching for

happiness all over the
world. Little do we
realize that the true
wealth, true happiness,
and true love are waiting
within us. We think that
happiness is outside
ourselves. We think it
lies in wealth, name and
fame, possessions and
relationships.

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Vol 8 Issue 32 Dec 12 Dec 18 2015

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The South Asian Times

Vol.8 No. 32 December 12-18, 2015 60 Cents

New York Edition

Trump may have gone too

26/11 MUMBAI ATTACKS

Mumbai: A court here accepted

expressed his willingness to turn

"unhinged." Lindsey Graham said

Show us the money,

The meeting on Nov 30 between Narendra Modi and Nawaz Shairf on

Under the rotational chairmanship

December 12-18, 2015

December 12-18, 2015

Karnataka minister praises PM Modi

R.V. Deshpande, Karnatakas Minister for Large and Medium Enterprise

Bengaluru are on the same page

Nominations invited for TIMES

Bachchan who won the Global

"There wasn't an award recognizing

of other states in launching

The minister said that Karnataka

SA4BNY hosts Diwali

All elected officials, SA4BNY executive committee, partners and com

eral other elected ofcials.

December 12-18, 2015

India, Pakistan to resume dialogue...

Trump may have gone too far...

26/11 Mumbai attacks: Headley to...

close friends with Rahul Bhatt, son of eminent

Show us the money, say developing...

New Delhi Bureau

Managing Editor: Parveen Chopra

President: Arjit Mehta

Contributing Editors: Meenakshi Iyer,

Strategy and Marketing

Karnataka minister praises...

SA4BNY hosts Diwali with...

Cartoonist: Mahendra Shah

December 12-18, 2015

Hofstra Universitys 2016 Guru Nanak Prize announced

tion that focuses on youth and community

of Liberal Arts & Sciences, said this years

significant work to increase interfaith

Hindi and Tamil Radio Indian American organizations review

According to Nazareth, some of the important points the community

gave brief remarks at the beginning

Accountants and Certified Public

December 12-18, 2015

Sant Chatwals Hampshire

Goa because the beaches there are similar

Washington, DC: An Indian

AOL Foundation reaches out

AOL volunteers engaged in rescue efforts

Better India(OVBI). Rescue and

Akshay Patra provides

to more than 1.4 million chil

December 12-18, 2015

IndianAmerican couple GURDWARA VANDALIZED IN LOS

Washington, DC : A Gurdwara has

The incident is being investigated by local law enforcement agencies

ed ofcials," Dr Rajwant Singh of the

Indian to lead US varsity's cancer Indian American led project at Cornell

Ithaca, NY: A Cornell University project