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Vol.12 No. 16 August 17-23, 2019 80 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info

100
Rs. lakh crore for developing

Proud India celebrates infrastructure across country

370 'One Nation, One Constitution'

Article Revoking realized

73rd Independence Day Creation of Chief of Defence Staff post (CDS)

New Delhi: Delivering his sixth a newswire agency, he said, “my
Independence Day address government is going full tilt

under PM Modi giving from the ramparts of the Red

Fort, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi touched upon a range of
subjects, beginning with the
with 'spasht neeti, sahi disha'
(Clear Policy, Right Direction).
Here is a quick look at the key
pointers of PM Modi's 92‑

‘Clear Policy, Right Direction’ scrapping of Article 370 and

triple talaq practice to advocat‑
ing for population control and
minute speech on 73rd
Independence Day:
Continued on page 4
protecting Mother Earth.
On the eve of Independence
Day eve, giving an interview to

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the ramparts of the
Red Fort in Delhi on August 15 after hoisting the tricolor and a 21‑gun salute.

ʻEntirely internal matter,ʼ says India after UNSC meet on J&K

United Nations: The UN Syed Akbaruddin said acknowledged them and indicated public access. Council President
UN Security Council on Friday. that this is the direction in which Joanna Wronecka did not speak
has acknowledged He outlined the steps they would like the international to the media or issue any advisory
Indiaʼs measures to being taken by India since community to move." Continued on page 4
bring normalcy and the special status of The Council met Friday morn‑
development to Kashmir was rescinded, ing for about an hour in a closed‑ WEDDING
Kashmir and wants all "We are gratified that the door consultation at the request
SPECIAL -
countries to follow Security Council in its of China. SEE PAGES
suit, India's Permanent Ambassador closed consultations In the format of an informal 56-64
Representative to the Syed Akbaruddin appreciated these efforts, consultation, it was held without ALL COLOR 88-PAGE BUMPER ISSUE.

LI PARADE 20 AMIT SHAH 47 VOX POPULI 48 SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 84 excellence in journalism

 TheSouthAsianTimes.info MESSAGE August 17-23, 2019 3

Revoking Article 370 realized 'One

New Delhi: With the revocation of
special status for Jammu and
Kashmir, Indians can now say with
pride 'One Nation, One
Constitution', Prime Minister
Narendra Modi said on Thursday,
and outlined the future path of his
government for the next five years,
stressing on population control,
cutting down on plastic use, drink‑
ing water for all, creation of a Chief
of Defence Staff post and thrust on
infrastructure.
Addressing the nation from the
ramparts of the Red Fort, with a
colorful safi tied round his head,
Modi said that in his first term he
brought the country back on track,
and "it is moving fast". But his new
mandate is to fulfill the dreams and
aspirations of the people of a 21st
century, of a country that can soar
high. "In the next five years we will
take the country forward, we are
fulfilling the works one by one."
On revocation of Article 370 and
35 A that gave special status to
Jammu and Kashmir, he asked
what was the reason that the claus‑
es were allowed to remain though
they did not help in the develop‑
ment of the people of the state.
Modi, whose speech lasted over
Nation, One Constitution': Modi
PM Narendra Modi addresses the nation on the 73rd Independence Day at Red Fort in New Delhi. (Photo: IANS)
one and a half hours, said his gov‑
ernment's policy is not to side‑step
problems or allow them to fester.
"But now things have come to
such a pass that there is no time to
even ignore problems," he said,
adding the fact that the Jammu and
Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019
was passed in both houses of
Parliament with two‑third majority
that indicated that people were in
favor of it. He said that both the
articles had over the past 70 yeas
fanned separatism and terrorism in
the state and nurtured dynasties,
"so that corruption and divisions
were created" in the state and com‑
mon people deprived of the bene‑
fits of central laws. He said the new
arrangement of two Union
Territories of J&K and Ladakh will
allow the people there to directly
communicate with the Central gov‑
ernment without any restrictions.
Attacking the opposition for sup‑
porting Article 370 and 35A, Modi
said they were doing it only for
political gains. "Those speaking in
favor of it, the country is asking if
Article 370 was so great, and was
so beneficial to the people, why
didn't you change it to permanent?
If you had the conviction you could
have changed it."
Modi said: "From the Red Fort, I
can say with pride that every
Indian can say 'One Nation, One
Constitution'. Sardar Patel's dream
of one Bharat has been realized."
In a major announcement, Modi
said the government would create
a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) post,
a long‑pending recommendation of
various defense panels.
"India will have a Chief of
Defence Staff ‑ CDS. This is going
to make the forces even more
effective. The new CDS post will
oversee all the three wings of the
armed forces," he said.
On abolishing Triple Talaq, Modi
said it was aimed at benefitting
Muslim women. He said the coun‑
try has taken several steps for
women, including ending the evil
of female foeticide and child mar‑
riage. "If we can take so many steps
then why not raise our voices
against the evil of Triple talaq, so
that our Muslim sisters get equal
respect and are part of the coun‑
try's progress. The decision is not
to be weighed in political terms,"
he said.
Modi targeted Pakistan, without
naming it, saying that India stands
strongly against terrorism, and is
presenting before the world the
"true colors" of those who shelter
and finance terrorism.
"We will expose before the world
all exporters of terror. We, together
with other countries of the world,
will fight those sheltering terror‑
ism, financing and exporting ter‑
rorism."
He said neighbors Bangladesh,
Afghanistan and Sri Lanka have
been victims of terror attacks.
"So when India is fighting against
terrorism, we are playing our role
on the world stage," he said.
He greeted Afghanistan that will
in four days celebrate 100 years of
independence.
The Prime Minister also for the
first time touched on the burgeon‑
ing population, which stands at 1.3
billion, and said those who have
small families are observing a form
of patriotism.
The Prime Minister said the pop‑
ulation explosion would cause
many problems for the future gen‑
erations. "But there is a vigilant
section of public which stops to
think, before bringing a child to the
world, whether they can do justice
to the child, give them all that she
or he wants. They have a small
family and express their patriotism
to the country. Let's learn from
them. There is need of social
awareness."
Touching on the economy, which
is witnessing slowing in some sec‑
tors, the Prime Minister said his
government will invest Rs 100 lakh
crore on developing modern infra‑
structure that will aid in nearly
doubling the size of the Indian
economy to $5 trillion in the next
five years.

Changes in Kashmir will benefit people: Kovind

New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind expressed confi‑
dence that the government's moves on Kashmir would be of
"immense benefit" to the people of J&K and Ladakh and
enable them to access the same rights and privileges as the
rest of the country.
In his Independence Day eve address, that comes days
after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation
on Kashmir, President Kovind said: "I am confident that the
recent changes made in Jammu‑Kashmir and Ladakh would
be of immense benefit to those regions. They will enable the
people to access and enjoy the same rights, same privileges
and same facilities as their fellow citizens in the rest of the
country."
On August 5, the Government of India revoked the special
status for Kashmir and divided the state into two Union terri‑
tories ‑ J&K and Ladakh ‑‑ for better governance.
Referring to the Lok Sabha elections, he said the 17th gen‑
eral election was the largest democratic exercise in human
history. "For this I must congratulate our voters. They turned
up at polling stations in large numbers and with much
enthusiasm."
He expressed happiness that the recently concluded ses‑
sion of Parliament saw lengthy and productive sittings of
both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. "Many important
Bills were passed, in a spirit of cross‑party cooperation and
constructive debate. I am confident this is only an indicator
of what the coming five years have in store. I also urge that
this culture percolates to all our legislative assemblies."
Commenting on governance, he said the state and the gov‑
ernment have an important role to play as facilitator and an
enabler. "As such, it is critical for our key institutions and the
policy makers to study and appreciate the message being
sent by citizens and to be responsive to the thoughts and
wishes of our people."
 4 August 17-23, 2019 TURN PAGE TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Proud India celebrates 73rd crore on its `Jal Jeevan Mission` to give access

Publisher's Message Independence Day under PM Modi
giving ʻClear Policy, Right Directionʼ
Continued from page 1
Dear Friends,
1. Chief of Defence Staff
A very Happy 73rd Independence Day of India.
PM Modi announced the creation of Chief of
Vande Mataram!
Defence Staf f (CDS) post to lead the three
We are proud to present our annual Special Edition commemorating and cele‑ defense services. CDS will be the point‑person
brating the Independence Day of our mother‑ for all defense‑related matters to the Prime
land, India, coinciding with India Day Parade, Minister. He also stressed that defense forces
the largest such celebration outside India, must be equipped with the best weapon systems
organized in the heart of New York City by the to ensure that they are ever‑ready for all the
Federation of Indian Associations (FIA – challenges.
NY/NJ/CT). 2. One Nation, One Election
This is the sixth year in a row and the first The Prime Minister called for ʻone nation one
time in his second term that Prime Minister electionʼ. "After one nation, one constitution,
Narendra Modi has hoisted the tricolor from we're working towards fulfilling Sardar Patel's
the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi and dream. With GST, we've been working towards
addressed the nation, briefing his countrymen one‑nation‑one‑tax. And now, there is talk of
on the momentous policy decisions his gov‑ one‑nation‑one‑election."
ernment has taken, which we wholeheartedly 3. Article 370 and 35A
welcome. Now, in true sense, Kashmir to PM Modi referred to the repeal of Jammu and
Kanya Kumari, India is one. One Nation‑One Kashmir's special status quite a few times in his
Law, announced by Prime Minister is the need of the hour. speech. "We do not believe in creating problems
We also welcome PM Modi to America next month for the United Nation General or dragging them. In less than 70 days of our
Assembly meeting. new Government, Article 370 was revoked. The
Over the 11 years that we have been publishing The South Asian Times, we have old system in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh led
noted with proud delight and have chronicled the frantic pace of development in to corruption, nepotism but there was injustice
our motherland even as India attains a prime place in the comity of nations. At the when it came to rights of women, children,
same time, we have highlighted the long strides of the Indian Diaspora here in our Dalits, tribal communities," he said.
adopted land, as so many of us reach the top echelons in diverse fields from tech‑ 4. Triple Talaq
nology to national politics. Through The South Asian Times, we also do our utmost "Several Islamic countries did away with the
to preserve and promote the patriotic emotions in each Indian soul settled far away obsolete Triple Talaq law long ago. Then why
from our home. did it take us so long to repeal this? When we
Since its inception, The South Asian Times has earned an immaculate reputation can do away with Sati, child marriage, then why
in its excellence in journalism: value‑based content, clean and crisp display and not Triple Talaq. We guarantee the safety of our
qualitative advertising. We, the team at The South Asian Times, sincerely thank all mothers and sister," said the PM.
our supporters who have been our gracious partners in our continued success. Our 5. Rs 100 lakh crore Infrastructure
family oriented, unique vision has set new trends in South Asian media industry of The Prime Minister announced a whopping Rs
North 100 lakh crore for developing infrastructure
America both in print & online. We take great pride in being a leader in ethnic across the country.
newsprint media and publishing a most read and adored newspaper in the tri‑state 6. Nuclear families, population control
area. Advocating for nuclear families and population
For yet another year we present our India Day Special Edition. Hope you will control, PM said that those who follow "the policy
enjoy the result of the efforts put in by our editorial team. of small family also contribute to the develop‑
In coming October, we look forward to presenting you all another very special ment of the nation, it is also a form of patriotism."
edition celebrating Diwali, the Festival of Lights, along with commemorating the 7. Plastic use
550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Devi Ji. Prime Minister asked every citizen to stop using
Please share your views by writing to Editor@thesouthasiantimes.info. single‑use plastic and adopt cloth bags and
Thank you so much, other environment‑friendly measures: "By
With warm greetings, and Jai Hind!
Kamlesh C. Mehta October 2, let us try to abolish single‑use plastic
across the nation."
Chairman & Publisher 8. Potable water for all
The Modi government will spend Rs 3.5 lakh
to piped potable water to every rural household
by 2024. He also stressed on the need to inten‑
sify efforts for water conservation.
9. Tourism goals
Addressing the upper‑middle class, the Prime
Minister asked them to travel more and visit at
least 15 destinations across India by 2022.
10. Protecting Mother Earth
The Prime Minister appealed to the farmers,
asking them to cut down on the use of chemicals
on soil.
ʻEntirely internal matter,ʼ says India
after UNSC meet on J&K
Continued from page 1
gabout the meeting. China's Permanent
Representative told reporters after the meeting
that the Council members received "briefings,
the reports from the Secretariat, especially
including the briefing from the military observ‑
er group on the ground that helped us under‑
stand the situation better." Pakistanʼs
Permanent Representative Maleeha Lodhi also
spoke to the media.
Akbaruddin dismissed their version of the
Council session, saying they have tried to pass
off national stands "as the will of the interna‑
tional community" and "masquerade as the will
of the international community."
Akbaruddin declared that "our national posi‑
tion is that matters related to Article 370 of the
Indian Constitution are entirely an internal mat‑
ter of India. These have no external ramifica‑
tion." "The recent decisions taken by the govern‑
ment of India and our legislative bodies are
intended to ensure that good governance is pro‑
moted, social economic development is
enhanced for the people in Jammu and Kashmir
and Ladakh," he added.
The Security Council had declined a request
from Pakistan to hold a full‑fledged meeting on
Kashmir. China, however, stepped in and using
its prerogative as a Council member asked for a
closed‑door consultation.
The consultation was officially labelled
"India/Pakistan," avoiding any direct association
with Kashmir.
Except China, all the other four permanent
members of the Council have openly backed
New Delhi's position that disputes between
India and Pakistan are bilateral matters, with
the United States even saying that the Kashmir
developments are an internal matter of India.

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TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA DAY SPECIAL August 17-23, 2019
 6 August 17-23, 2019 INDIA TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Cameras with facial recognition software were used for the first time.
Anti‐drone detection system was deployed to secure the skies.

Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
New Delhi: Independence Day addressing the
ce le brat ions at the Red Fort nation from the
passed off without any untoward ramparts of Red
incident on Thursday, with sever‑ Fort in Delhi.
al layers of security in place. The (Photo: PIB)
national capital was enveloped in
a thick security blanket with the
deployment of police and para‑
military forces, with the maxi‑
mum attention paid to the 17th
century Red Fort where Prime
Minister Narendra Mo di
addressed the nation.
The National Security Guards
(NSG), soldiers as well as SPG and
SWAT commandos were engaged
Incident free I-Day
in ground and air surveillance.
Cameras with facial recognition
software were used for the first
time. Anti‑drone detection system
celebration at Red Fort
was deployed to secure the skies Police spokesman Mandeep leading to it. From 4 a.m. to 10 dogs were deployed to check only at some stations on the
while special control rooms mon‑ Sing h Rand hawa said that a.m., only vehicles with special vehicles in parts of Delhi. Delhi Violet Line that passes through
itored alerts and coordinated 20,000 personnel were deployed labe ls were permitted to go Metro services ran normally, with Old Delhi where the Red Fort is
with security agencies. De lhi at the Red Fort and on the roads towards the Red Fort. Snif fer restrictions on entry and exit located.

Prime Minister Narendra

Modi inspects the
Guard of Honor on his
arrival at Red Fort.

Modi visits the Yaad‑e‑Jallian

Museum at Red Fort.

(Photos: IANS) Excited schoolchildren meet Modi as he stepped out of his security cover to meet them.
 TheSouthAsianTimes.info KASHMIR August 17-23, 2019 7

By Sandeep Bamzai

O
ne of the biggest decisions
taken by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi in the first
75 days of his government is
undoubtedly the unshackling of
Jammu and Kashmir so that there is
better integration and mobility and
the faux concept of dual citizenship
is scrapped once and for all. In what
was not just a political but a diplo‑
matic masterstroke as well, the PM,
who has been obsessed with resolv‑
ing the Kashmir imbroglio, hit his
straps very early on in his second
avatar using the heft of his mandate
to prise through the contentious
issue.
IANS began by asking him about
his decision on Article 370 which
has been welcomed by many and
also been opposed by a few. A fusil‑
lade of posers followed. There
Our decision on Kashmir is
driven by national interest,
seems to be an uneasy calm at the
moment.
Why do you think the people of J&K
will stand with you? Unflinchingly,
as is his wonʼt and style, PM Modi
responded unequivocally, “Please
see the list of people who have
not politics: PM Modi
opposed the decisions about
Kashmir – the usual vested interest
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW tions. Not a drop of blood was shed
in poll violence.
They went just to mitigate peopleʼs
problems. The common citizens
groups, political dynasties, those vent plea to his brethren in defense for Articles 370 and 35(A) This, when the main parties there appreciated the program. The
who sympathize with terror and Kashmir. “My sisters and brothers remaining? were lukewarm to this entire exer‑ results of these efforts are for all to
some friends in the Opposition. The of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh He argued, “They would have no cise. It is very satisfying that now see. Swachh Bharat, rural electrifica‑
people of India, irrespective of what always wanted a better future for answer to this question. And, these Panchayats are back at the forefront tion and other such initiatives are
their political preference, have sup‑ them, but Article 370 did not enable are the same people who are used to of furthering the development and reaching the grassroots. This is what
ported the steps taken in Jammu, it. There was an injustice against protesting when it comes to any‑ human empowerment. Imagine, for democracy truly is.”
Kashmir and Ladakh. This is about women and children, ST as well as thing that helps common people. so many years those in power did Correcting mistakes and imbal‑
the nation, not politics. The people SC communities. And, most impor‑ There is a project to provide water not find it prudent to work towards ances was at the kernel of the PMʼs
of India are seeing that tough but tantly, the innovative zeal of the to people, they will oppose it. There strengthening Panchayats. And intent on J&K. The PM said: “In any
essential decisions that were earlier people of Jammu, Kashmir and is a railway track being built, they remember, they gave great sermons case, I have assured people that
assumed to be impossible are Ladakh was not harnessed. Now, will oppose that. Their heart only on democracy, but the words never elections in Jammu, Kashmir will
becoming a reality.” from BPOs to startups, from food beats for Maoists and terrorists who led to action.” continue and it is the people of
As the dragnet eases, life will limp processing to tourism, many indus‑ have only bullied common citizens. It is obvious that when the PM these regions only who will repre‑
back to normal in the Valley, the PM tries can avail of investment and cre‑ Today, every Indian is fully standing obsessed on resolving what sent the larger public. Yes, those
has a clear view on the issue, he ate opportunities for the local youth. with the people of Jammu, Kashmir appeared to be intractable, he stud‑ who ruled Kashmir thinking it is
reckons that these provisions actual‑ Education and skill development and Ladakh and I am confident they ied the matter extensively. He said: their divine right to do so will dislike
ly harmed India, for a handful of will also bloom. will stand with us in the aim to “It surprised and saddened me that democratization and peddle incor‑
families and a separatist cabal capi‑ “I want to clearly assure my sisters boost development and bring 73rd Amendment did not apply to rect narratives. They do not want a
talized on this. PM Modi said, “It is and brothers of Jammu, Kashmir peace.” Jammu and Kashmir. How could self‑made, younger leadership to
now clear to everyone how Articles and Ladakh that these regions will IANS also asked him about the such injustice be tolerated? It was in emerge. These are the same people
370 and 35(A) fully isolated Jammu, develop as per the wishes of local concerns over democracy. Will the the last few years that Panchayats in whose own conduct in the 1987
Kashmir and Ladakh. The status quo people, their dreams and ambitions. voice of the people of Kashmir be Jammu and Kashmir got more pow‑ elections has been suspect. Article
of seven long decades clearly could The growth of these regions will heard? ers to work towards peopleʼs 370 has helped the local political
not fulfill peopleʼs aspirations. first and foremost be powered by He said: “Kashmir has never wit‑ progress and various subjects trans‑ class avoid transparency and
Citizens were kept away from the those belonging to these regions. nessed such a strong commitment in ferred to Panchayats under the 73rd accountability. Its removal will only
fruits of development. The greatest Articles 370 and 35(A) were like favor of democracy. Remember the amendment were transferred to empower democracy even more.”
casualty was the lack of any proper chains that kept people tied. These turnout during the Panchayat elec‑ Panchayats of Jammu and Kashmir.
economic avenues to increase earn‑ chains are now broken, people have tions? The people voted in large “Now, I have requested the Sandeep Bamzai is
ings. Our approach is different ̶ been unshackled from such domi‑ numbers and did not get cowed by the Editor‑in‑Chief
Honorable Governor to work
and CEO of
instead of the vicious cycle of pover‑ nance and they will now shape their bullying. In November and towards organizing Block Panchayat IANS, the
ty, the people need more economic own destiny.” December of 2018, there were elections too. Recently, the Jammu leading newswire
opportunities. For years, intimida‑ For those who are opposing the 35,000 Sarpanches elected and the and Kashmir administration did the agency in India
tion ruled the roost. Let us now give decisions on Jammu and Kashmir, turnout in the Panchayat elections ʻBack to Villageʼ program, where the and an associate
of The South
the development a chance.” he believes they should answer one was a record 74%. There was no vio‑ entire government machinery went
Asian Times.
He followed up by making a fer‑ basic question: What is the criticsʼ lence during the Panchayat elec‑ to the people instead of vice versa.

Ladakh: Former India skipper M.S.
Dhoni, who is currently serving in
the Indian Army, was in Ladakh
where he celebrated India's 73rd
Independence Day with the masses
of the newly formed union territo‑
ry. On August 5, the central gov‑
ernment abrogated provisions of
Article 370 and Article 35 A of the
Indian Constitution which granted
special status to Jammu and
Kashmir and bifurcated the state
into two union territories ‑‑ union
territory of Jammu & Kashmir and
union territory of Ladakh.
Dhoni reached Ladakh on
Wednesday where he received a
warm reception from the Army
personnel and interacted with
them. According to reports, the 38‑
Join hands against inimical Rajasthan CM hits out at Modi government
forces: Amarinder
Jalandhar: Punjab
Chief Minister
Amarinder Singh has
warned inimical
forces against any
attempt to spoil the
peace and harmony
in the country and
urged people to join
hands in fighting
such forces.
Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh inspects
Addressing a gath‑
the I‑Day parade at Guru Gobind Singh
ering after hoisting Stadium in Jalandhar. (Photo: IANS)
the national flag,
here on Thursday on the 73rd
Independence Day, the Chief
Minister said anti‑national forces
were envious of the peaceful
atmosphere and development in
the state. "Let us rededicate our‑
selves to work to build a strong
and prosperous Punjab and to
cement the bonds of love, peace
and amity," he said.
Highlighting Punjabis' contribu‑
tion in the national freedom strug‑
gle, he said it was the collective
duty to preserve the freedom
attained through countless sacri‑
fices. Recalling his visit to Jung‑e‑
Azadi Memorial to inaugurate its
third phase on Wednesday, Singh
said the memorial would be instru‑ Societies. Under the debt relief
mental in spreading awareness
amongst youth about the freedom
struggle. The CM said 2019 was a
historic year because of the 550th
Prakash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev,
the 150th birth anniversary of
Mahatma Gandhi and the cente‑
8 August 17-23, 2019
Dhoni celebrates
Independence
Day in Ladakh
Former India skipper M.S. Dhoni in Ladakh.
year‑old also paid a visit to Army
General Hospital and interacted
with patients. Various photos have
surfaced on social media where
the former India skipper is seen
nary of Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
On drive against the menace of
drug, Singh said 27,744 cases had
been registered under NDPS Act,
33,622 people arrested and 767
kg heroine and a huge quantity of
other contraband substances
seized.
As many as 87,000 addicts were
being treated at 178 Out Patient
Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT)
clinics for de‑addiction, he added.
On farmer‑friendly initiatives, he
said the state was contemplating
to disburse Rs 520 crore to 2.85
lakh farm labourers and landless
farmers who were members of the
Primary Agriculture Cooperative
scheme, Rs 47,00 crore crop loan
of 5.62 lakh marginal and small
farmers had been settled.
Farmers' income through sale of
grain had increased by 32 per cent
since the formation of his govern‑
ment, Singh said.
INDIA
interacting with people from the
armed forces.
Earlier, various photos had also
gone viral where Dhoni was seen
playing volleyball with members of
Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister
Ashok Gehlot on Thursday hit out
at the Modi government during
his Independence Day speech at
the SMS stadium here.
Gehlot attacked Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, saying: "The
country's economy is in bad shape
due to faulty policies of the
Central government." If economy
gets worse, the state governments
suffer, and hence it's quite normal
for state governments to worry at
this point of time, he added.
"Today, electricity is being sup‑
plied in each household, education
and medicines have been made
available and around 100 satel‑
lites are being launched at one go.
All these developments have not
come only after 2014," he said.
"It's been the efforts of collec‑
tive governments. Big projects of
Freedom rallies mark I-Day celebrations in Assam
Guwahati: The 73rd Independence
Day was celebrated with much
enthusiasm across Assam on
Thursday with thousands of
youths and individuals taking out
freedom rallies on motorcycles
and cars on the streets across the
state.
Large number of people also
braved the boycott call given by
the militant outfits and took part
in the celebrations organized by
the government and private organ‑
izations. In Assam's capital town
Guwahati, different clubs and
social organizations also held free‑
dom rallies with bikers riding on
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
his Territorial Army battalion and
polishing shoes.
Dhoni has undertaken duties of
patrolling, guarding and post
duties with the troops during his
stay with the para regiment.
The 38‑year‑old joined the 106
TA Battalion (Para) in Jammu and
Kashmir on July 30. Dhoni holds
the honorary rank of Lieutenant
Colonel in the Territorial Army
unit of the Parachute Regiment
(106 Para TA battalion).
In 2015, he became a qualified
paratrooper after having complet‑
ed five parachute training jumps
from Indian Army aircrafts in the
Agra training camp. The veteran
wicketkeeper‑batsman has taken a
two‑month break from the Indian
team and was therefore not includ‑
ed in the squad for the ongoing
West Indies tour.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot during I‑Day
celebrations in Jaipur. (Photo: IANS)
dams, canals were started during
Nehru era. Nehru had laid the
foundation of India on which the
country stands today." "It would
not have been feasible to launch
satellites to Mars and the moon
had we not had IITs (Indian
Institutes of Technology), IIMs
(Indian Institutes of
Management), NDA (National
Defence Academy) and ISRO
the streets in groups to mark the
celebrations.
Assam Chief Minister
Sarbananda Sonowal said the
National Register of Citizens
(NRC), which is being updated in
the state, will be a historical docu‑
ment while will neither include
names of any illegal foreigner, nor
will it leave names of even a single
genuine Indian citizen.
Sonowal said this while address‑
ing the official celebration at
Veterinary College Ground at
Khanapara, adding the govern‑
ment is committed to ensure secu‑
rity and safety of all genuine
Patriotic
songs mark
I‑Day at Attari‑
Wagah border
Attari (Punjab): Thousands of
people converged at the Attari‑
Wag ah joint check post
between India and Pakistan on
Thursday to be part of the cele‑
brat ions for India's 73rd
Independence Day.
Singers and performers enter‑
tained the crowd with patriotic
and other songs to mark the
occasion.
T he tallest tricolor in the
country at the Attari border, 30
km from Amritsar, fluttered
magnificently.
Officials of the Border
Security Force (BSF), which con‑
trols the 553‑km‑long barbed
wire fenced international bor‑
der between India and Pakistan
in Punjab, were present along
with their family members.
T here was no exchange of
customary Indian sweets by the
BSF with the Pakistan Rangers
at the Attari‑Wagah border
owing to heightened tension
between the two nations.
(Indian Space Research
Organisation)." He said that an
impression is being created that
all developments in the country
took place only after 2014, when
the Narendra Modi‑led dispensa‑
tion came to power.
Gehlot also cited the example of
Pakistan saying that democracy in
that country was murdered sever‑
al times by imposing military rule.
Indian citizens living in the state.
"The state is moving towards
having a constitutional safeguard.
The Central government's move to
institute a high powered commit‑
tee for implementation of Clause 6
of the Assam Accord which is
expected to pave way for constitu‑
tional safeguard for the indigenous
people of the state," said the Chief
Minister. "The Central govern‑
ment's decision to grant ST status
to six communities including Tai
Ahom, Moran, Motok, Chutiya,
Koch Rajbongshis and Adivasis and
tea tribes will provide safeguard to
these people," he said.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA DAY SPECIAL August 17-23, 2019

India’s 73rd Independence Day

 10 August 17-23, 2019 INDIA TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Hyderabad/Vijayawada:
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
ce le brated the 73rd
Independence Day with patriotic
fervor on Thursday.
The celebrations across the
Telugu states were marked by
hoisting of the national flag,
speeches and programs high‑
lighting the sacrifices of the free‑
dom fighters, cultural shows and
playing of patriotic songs.
T he Chie f Ministers of
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh
led the ce le brat ions in their
respective states with the unfurl‑
ing of the Tricolor at the main
Patriotic fervor
marks celebrations
in Telangana, Andhra
official functions to mark the
occasion.
Telangana Chief Minister K.
Chandrashekhar Rao hoisted
the national flag at the historic
Golconda Fort and addressed the
gathering.
He earlier hoisted the national
flag at the Pragati Bhavan, the
Chief Minister's official resi‑
dence, and visited the Martyrs'
Memorial at Secunderabad
Parade Ground to of fer floral
tributes.
Performance by the artistes,
reflecting the rich culture of
Telangana, was the highlight of
the main celebrations.
KCR, as Rao is popularly
known, was presented a guard of
honour by the police contin‑
gents, including one from
Odisha. Like in the last five years,
there was no demonstration by
tableaux and the number of
policemen and students partici‑
pating in the parade was limited
due to lack of space.
KCR addressed the gathering
highlighting the achievements of
his government and outlining its
plans to realize the dream of
'golden Telangana'.
His cabinet colleagues, Chief
Secretary S.K. Joshi, Director
General of Police M. Mahender
Reddy and other top civil, police
and military officials attended
the ceremony.
After the formation of the state
in 2014, KCR had departed from
the over five‑decade‑old tradition
of holding Independence Day cel‑
ebrations at the Parade Ground
to choose the ancient fort as the
venue to showcase the rich lega‑
cy of Telangana.
In Andhra Pradesh, the official
celebrations were held at the
Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium
in Vijayawada.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jaganmohan
Reddy hoisted the national flag
and received a salute from police
contingents. He reviewed the col‑
orful parade by various wings of
the police department.
The Chief Minister also pre‑
sented awards to some police
officers for their meritorious
service. T his was the first
Independence Day celebration
for Jagan Reddy as the Chief
Minister after he led the YSR Telangana Chief Minister K
Congress Party to power in the Chandrasekhar Rao at Golconda
elections held in April. Fort in Hyderabad. (Photo: IANS)

Karnataka to seek more Mamata unfurls Tricolor

aid for flood relief works as Bengal celebrates I‑Day
Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa
conducts aerial survey of flood‑hit Bagalkot in
Karnataka. (Photo: IANS)
Bengaluru: Terming the heavy monsoon rains
and floods in two‑thirds of Karnataka the
worst in 45 years, Chief Minister B.S.
Yediyurappa on Thursday said he would seek
more central funds for speeding up relief
works in the affected regions to mitigate the
hardship of the people.
"I will seek more central aid for relief works
in 22 districts across the state, which were
lashed by torrential rains and flooded by
rivers in spate and heavy discharge of water
from reservoirs in the catchment areas," said
Yediyurappa in his 73rd Independence Day (I‑
Day) address at the Manekshaw parade
ground in the city amid tight security. The
chief minister is scheduled to meet Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and other ministers
in New Delhi on Friday for seeking additional
funds and other central assistance to restore
normalcy in the flood‑hit areas at the earliest.
Though Modi sanctioned last week Rs 200
crore from the Prime Minister's relief fund for
rescue and relief operations in the flood‑hit
state, the amount is not enough to meet the
cost of restoring normalcy and rebuilding
houses and farmlands, damaged or destroyed
by the rain waters and flood fury over the last
fortnight.
"Ironically, the country's second semi‑arid
state is caught between acute drought and
severe flood due to various factors, including
climate change and global warming," lament‑
ed the chief minister.
Nearly 22 of the 30 districts across the
coastal, central and northwest regions of the
state are facing floods, while 5 districts in the
southern region are in a drought‑like situation
due to deficit rainfall.
"The rain‑distribution pattern across the
state is uneven, resulting in water deficit for
cultivation and irrigation of farm lands. Crops
in 4.69 lakh hectares of farmland have been
lost to heavy floods and huge landslides, caus‑
ing misery to the small and marginal farmers,"
noted Yediyurappa in his 30‑minute long
speech in Kannada.
Admitting that life has been tough for the
poor and slum dwellers in the flood‑hit urban
areas, the chief minister said houses would be
rebuilt and basic amenities like drinking
water, toilets, sanitation and connectivity will
be provided. The flood situation aggravated
due to excess discharge of rain water in the
downstream from neighboring south‑west
Maharashtra and heavy rains during the mon‑
soon in the state since August 1.
Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee
unfurled the Tricolor and observed a vibrant
parade as West Bengal joined the rest of the
nation to celebrate the
73rd Independence Day on
Thursday.
Earlier in two midnight
Twitter posts, Banerjee
called for organizing peace‑
ful movements to preserve
political and economic free‑
dom, freedom of expression
and democratic rights and
highlighted that secularism
is what identifies and unites
India as a nation. She said:
"We must always strive for
political freedom, economic
freedom, freedom of
West Bengal CM Mamata
expression and preserve
Banerjee hoists the national
democratic rights. When
flag in Kolkata. (Photo: IANS)
these are not given, we
should organize peaceful movements to pre‑
serve these rights." In another tweet, she said
democracy is India's most priceless asset. "Let Commissioner of Police (Barrackpore) Manoj
us take an oath today, not to divide India. We
must unite India. Irrespective of caste or
Ladakh MP calls it 'first Independence Day'
Leh: Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, the 34 year‑
old BJP MP from Ladakh who won many
admirers for his powerful speech in
Parliament supporting revocation of special
status for Jammu and Kashmir and creation
of separate Union Territory of Ladakh, on
Thursday hoisted the Tricolour at the BJP
office here and termed it Ladakh's "first
Independence day".
Attired in the traditional dark brown
'goucha' ‑‑ Ladakhi dress for men ‑‑ and don‑
ning dark sunglasses, Namgyal along with
senior party leader Ram Madhav and others
creed, we are all one India. Secularism is what
identifies and unites us as a nation."
The main function to celebrate the momen‑
tous day here was held at
the arterial Indira Gandhi
Sarani (erstwhile Red
Road) where Banerjee, her
ministers, senior bureau‑
crats and police officers,
armed forces officers and
members of the diplomatic
corps took part.
Banerjee hoisted the
national flag from a
makeshift stage and took
the salute before she
inspected a guard of honor
given by the state and city
police. After a helicopter
showered petals, Banerjee
presented police medals to
three officers ‑ Additional
Director General (South Bengal) Sanjay Singh,
Director (security) Vineet Goel and
Verma for their outstanding and commend‑
able service.
hoisted the Tricolour in Leh.
Later, a video of him dancing in delight
along with other Ladakhi men went viral.
He also posted pictures on twitter of
Buddhist monks of his native village Matho
hoisting the national flag and saluting it.
"Buddhist Monks and people of my native
village Matho hosting national flag celebrat‑
ing 1st Independence Day after declaring
Ladakh as Union Territory. Ladakh got inde‑
pendence from Kashmir," he tweeted with the
hashtag FreedLadakhFromKashmir by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
 12 August 17-23, 2019 INDIA TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Children seen with

Tricolors in Lucknow.

The 73rd Independence

Day was celebrated with
much enthusiasm amid
patriotic fervor across the
nation with millions of
youths and individuals
taking out freedom
rallies on the streets

INDIA SALUTES 73RD

INDEPENDENCE DAY

The 73rd Independence Day

celebrations underway
at Red Road, in Kolkata.

Modi pays homage at

the Mahatma Gandhi
samadhi at Raj Ghat.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi

interacts with a child at the party
headquarters in New Delhi.

A 'divyang'
(differently‑
abled) girl ties
rakhi on the
hand of Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi in
New Delhi.
(Photos:
IANS/PIB)
 TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA August 17-23, 2019 13

Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi very
rarely
grants
media
interviews.
But the
first 75 days
of his
second
term have
been very
eventful
that just
before the
Indepen‐
dence Day,
he made an
exception
and spoke
extensively
to IANS,
the leading
newswire
agency
in India
and an
associate of
The
South
Asian
Times.
He covered
a lot of
ground
from
the
accelerat‐
ing pace
of develop‐
ment in
India,
to the
Kashmir
issue and
his foreign
policy
achieve‐
ments.
 14 August 17-23, 2019 MESSAGES TheSouthAsianTimes.info

ANDREW M. CUOMO
Governor

JOSEPH SALADINO
SUPERVISOR

OFFICE OF THE TOWN SUPERVISOR

54 AUDREY AVENUE
OYSTER BAY, NEW YORK 11771
516-624-6350
SYED AKBARUDDIN JOSEPH SALADINO
August 15, 2019
SUPERVISOR

Dear Friends,

On behalf of my colleagues on the Oyster Bay Town Board, I extend greetings to the
readers of The South Asian Times and join in celebrating the 73rd anniversary of ,QGLD¶V
Independence. Many residents of the Town of Oyster Bay are linked by ties of birth, culture,
family and principle to the country of India. We are proud to recognize the seemingly endless
contributions made to the community by people of Indian Ancestry as we mark ,QGLD¶V
Independence.

This patriotic occasion, which celebrates the largest democracy in world, is also a great
opportunity to commend The South Asian Times and its readers. This outstanding publication is
comprised of supremely talented professionals dedicated to shining a spotlight on the South
Asian community. Aside from serving as a trusted and valued news source, this widely respected
newspaper tells the story of people who are making a difference in our community. The South
Asian Times is an important communications resource that connects people in the community
and also advocates for a better understanding between all cultures. In WRGD\¶VZRUOGthis could
very well be the most important mission of all.

On behalf of the Oyster Bay Town Board, I wish The South Asian Times, its readers, and
the community continued prosperity and good health and join with all of you in celebrating India
Independence Day, a special occasion honoring RQHRIWKHZRUOG¶VJUHDWHVWUepublics.

Yours truly,

Joseph Saladino
Town Supervisor
 16 August 17-23, 2019 MESSAGES TheSouthAsianTimes.info

C
COUNTY OF SUFFOLK

Conggratulattions
Congratulations
and Best
B Wishes
Wiishes
OFFICE OF THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE
Steven Bellone
COUNTY EXECUTIVE

As W
Wee Celebraate
Celebrate
rdd
August 15, 2019 IIndia’s
India’’s 73 Independ
Independence
dence Day!!
Dear Friends,
n ,

It is my pleeasure to SURYLGH JUHHWLQJVDVZH FHOHEUDWWH,QGLD¶V,QGHSHQGHQFH 'D\(YHU\\HDUUWKH

premier Soouth Asian Times newspaaper publishes a special ediition to commemoraate t Indiia Day.

Over 70 years r ago today, India obtained

i its independence from
r m the United Kingdom. It is
because
u of thatt momentous day, we celebrate t every August 155th and acknowledge the
extraordinaarry individuals who made it all possible. The resilieency, deterrm
minattion, annd lo
ove for
o
country waas exemplified by the peopple of India, which is why it is vitally importaantn to honor
h
their achiev
vement.

In Suffffolk County, our strength is inn our diversity. The Indian-Americann community is filled
with vibraanc
n y, which is essential foorr the prosperity of our region. Sufffoolk County has alwa
been a welcomin
l g place for
o people of o all walks of life, and
l ys
n thaat is in parrt due to the conttributions Thank you for al
all
ll your
of our Indiian-American n frriends and nen ighbors.

On behalf off the 1.5 million residentts of Sufffolk

o County, I thaank you for your continued
co
contributions
ontribution
ns to your communit
community
ty
friendship and
n wish you all another
n r wonde
w rffuul year of prosperit
r y.
and N
Nassau Cou
County!
unty!
Sincerely,

STEVEN BELLONE
Sufffoolk Count
o y Executive

NASSAU
NASS UC
SA COUNTY
OUNTY EXECUTIVE
EXECUTIVE
U
LAURA
LAURA CURRAN
CURRAN
N
LOCATION: MAIL ING ADDRESS:
N BUILDING, 12th FLOOR
H. LEE DENNISON P.O. BOX 6100 OFFICE
E (631) 853-4000
100 VETERANS MEMOR
M IAL HIGHWAY i HAUPPAUGE, NY 11788-0099 i FAX (631) 853-4818
18 August 17-23, 2019 INDIA DAY SPECIAL

India’s 73 Independence Day rd

celebrated in New York & Washington

Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty addressing the crowd.
Washington, DC: India’s 73rd Inde-
pendence Day was celebrated in Washing-
ton D.C. with a flag-hoisting ceremony on
August 15 at the Embassy Residence. For
the first time, the event was made open to
the public which saw a tremendous turn-
out of more than 500 members of the In-
dian American community.
Harsh V Shringla, Ambassador of In-
dia, hoisted the tricolor followed by the
singing of the National Anthem. Thereaf-
ter, the Ambassador read out the address
of President of India to the nation, and
also addressed the gathering. This was fol-
lowed by a brief cultural program involv-
ing rendition of patriotic songs by the chil-
dren of Gandharva School of Music which
was organized to mark the occasion.
In addition, as part of the 150th birth
anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, an exhi-
bition on his life and messages was orga-
nized at the Mahatma Gandhi Park in front
of the Chancery building. The exhibition,
organized in collaboration with the Gan-
dhi Memorial Center, drew hundreds of
visitors, including large scale participation
from the Indian American community. A
well known local band called Baraat Brass
played popular patriotic songs.
Independence Day was celebrated with
traditional fervor and enthusiasm at the In-
dian Consulate in New York. The flag hoist-
ing ceremony saw the presence of several
local officials and prominent community
leaders. Consul General Sandeep Chakra-
vorty unfurled the ‘tiranga’ and read out the
President of India’s address to the nation
on the eve of the Independence Day. Sever-
al local leaders including Congresswoman
Carolyn Maloney and actor Anupam Kher
addressed the crowd briefly. Poetry, music,
dances representing the cultural diversity
of India were also presented.
On the occasion, the Consulate also
launched a new initiative: Children’s Corner
making the Consulate even more child-friend-
ly. The safe playing area with toys, books, and
games was inaugurated by kids from the area.
India’s Permanent Representative at
the United Nations, Ambassador Syed Akba-
ruddin unfurled the tricolor at the Perma-
nent Mission of India in New York.

(from left to right) Dances from across India displayed the cultural diversity of the country. ‘Videsh Main Bharatiya Dootawas Apka Dost’ – Children’s corner
inaugurated at the Indian Consulate in New York on the occasion of India’s Independence. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney giving a speech.

Ambassador Syed
Akbaruddin unfurling
the tricolor at the
Permanent Mission
of India.

(from left to right) Ambassador Harsh

Shringla unfurling the flag at the Embassy
Residence in Washington DC. Harsh Shringla
with Indian community members. Young girls
from Indian community tying ‘rakhi’ to Am-
bassador Shringla as the day also coincided
with Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan
 20 August 17-23, 2019 LONG ISLAND PARADE

(from left to right) Several Indian community organizations of Long Island took part in the parade. The enthusiasm for the parade in the community was super high this time.

IDP Parade in Hicksville high on enthusiasm

By SATimes Team
Hicksville NY: Under the banner of
India Day Parade (IDP) USA, all sections
of the Indian community joined hands to
celebrate the 72nd anniversary of India’s
Independence Day here. The 7th IDP USA
parade on August 4 took the usual route –
starting from Patel Brothers walking down
Broadway and ending with festivities at
East Barclay Street near the Hindu temple.
The Grand Marshals this time were
Hon. Consul General of India Sandeep
Chakravorty, Bollywood actor Rajkummar
Rao, Chintu Patel, Co-Chairman of Amneal
Pharmaceuticals, and Naveen Shah – CEO
of Navika Capital.
Elected officials to grace the festivities
included Congressman Tom Suozzi, NY State
Senators Kevin Thomas and Anna Kaplan,
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran,
Supervisor of North Hempstead Judy Bos-
worth, Supervisor of Oyster Bay Joseph Sala-
dino, Supervisor of Hempstead Laura Gillen,
Legislators Laura Schaefer and Rose Marie
Walker. Dignitaries included Minority Affairs
Exec Director Farrah Mozawalla and Nassau
Human Rights Commissioner Zahid Syed.
IDP Team leading the parade included
President Jasbir (Jay) Singh, Founder Kam-
lesh C Mehta and three times Past President
Beena Kothari. Notable attendees included
Co-CEO of Vass Pipe & Steel Co. Sunil Jain,
Indu Jaiswal, Peter Bheddah, Mukesh Modi,
Mohinder Taneja, and Gautam Sanghvi.
Satbir Bedi was the MC for the day. Break-
fast was hosted by Patel Brothers and HAB
Bank before the flag-off.
The South Asian community has
changed the face of Long island and made
Hicksville a vibrant, multicultural place.
The parade on a beautiful warm day
saw crowds holding tricolor umbrellas and
numerous organizations from Long Island
take part in marching groups and floats.
In a first for this IDP parade, a helicopter
showered flowers on the parade, stunning
all watching. At the performance stage, Bol-
Punjabi stage artist Miss Pooja entertaining the crowds.
lywood singer Deepak Kumar of Satellite
India and Punjabi stage artist Miss Pooja nity, unity, heritage and cultural diversity of Bobby Kumar Kalotee, Kamlesh Mehta and
had the crowd cheering. A fashion Show by Asian Indians.A BMW sponsored by Naveen prominent community leaders. IDP USA
Nishi Behl sponsored by of Sarashiva added Shah was the super prize of the raffle, and 2019 was supported by a 108-member
glamor to the proceedings. was claimed by a differently abled woman. team, countless volunteers, sponsors like
The parade’s slogan this year was Jai Part proceeds of the parade went to NGOs Food Universe, Posh Group Corp, Bolla Mar-
Jawan- Jai Kisan to salute Indian soldiers Akshaya Patra and CRY USA. kets Group, Patel Brothers, Omega Storage,
and farmers and to celebrate the commu- IDP USA was founded in 2012 by Omni Mortgage, STI Consultants, etc.

(from left to right) Consul General of India in New York Sandeep Chakravorty was the Grand Mashal. IDP USA’s float
carrying the Grand Marshals and special guests was the biggest in the parade. IDP USA Founder Kamlesh Mehta
(on the mike), and to his right Grand Marshal actor Rajkummar Rao and IDP USA President Jay Jasbir Singh.

Numerous elected officials and dignitaries graced the festivities.

 LONG ISLAND PARADE August 17-23, 2019 21

Celebrating the success of the parade with a gala

The success of the 2019 IDP USA Pa-
rade was celebrated by the community
4
with a Gala at The Standard - North
Shore Synagogue in Syosset, NY. The
IDP team, supporters and sponsors
were thanked and honored. Among
the honorees was Chintu Patel, Co-
Chairman of Amneal Pharmaceuticals
(awarded ‘Jewel of India, USA’), but he
could not be there in person.
2

1
1) President and CEO of Navika Capital, was honored with the ‘Jewel of India, USA’ award.
2) The power couple Ranju (of Diwali stamp fame) and Ravi Batra (eminent attorney) were
honored with Lifetime Achievement award. 3) Yoga master Ranju Narang who is opening a
center in Jericho, NY, was also presented Lifetime Achievement award. 4) IDPUSA President
Jasbir (Jay) Singh applauded his team naming each one, and he was in turn cheered heart-
ily for taking leading role in the success of the parade. 5) IDPUSA Advisor Mukesh Modi
was honored for his role in making the parade a success.
5

The IDP team’s 108 members could barely fit into a frame.

Edison, NJ: Local lawmakers
applauded the Indian Business
Association (IBA) for organizing
the 15th Annual India Day
Parade here on Sunday. The
parade ran from Edison to Iselin
and included over a dozen floats,
ethnic bands, dance groups and
representatives from over 100
organizations. There was also a
cultural show which was held at
the end of the parade route and
featured a number of local
artists. Governor Phil Murphy,
who joined festivities, acknowl‑
edged the Indian American com‑
munityʼs contributions to the
State: "New Jersey is proud to be
home to one of America's largest,
most deeply rooted Indian‑
American communities who
enrich our state in countless
ways." Adding glamor to the
parade were actor Sonu Sood,
popular RJ Devaki, and actress
Monal Gajjar.
The IBA parade has managed
to attract an increasing number
4th Queens parade held with patriotic fervor
Bellerose, NY: The 4th Queens
India day Parade organized by
the Floral Park ‑ Bellerose Indian
Merchants Association (F‑Bima)
was held on August 11 with
great fervor and enthusiasm.
More than 25 organizations
participated in the 1.2 mile
march which commenced from
263rd Street and Hillside
Avenue and was led by NYPD
horse mounted police and color
guard. NYPD Desi officers fol‑
lowed along with fire truck.
Besides 6 floats, marching
organizations not only included
the diversity of India but also
Queens Village Republican Club
and Laffey Real Estate.
Hundreds lined up on the
parade route and cheered the
marchers. An American band
was one of the major attractions.
Vendors distributed water,
sweets, buttermilk and cookies
on the route.
The parade terminated in
Padavan Preller Field on 236
Street followed by a formal func‑
tion. Several elected officials
graced the occasion including
Comptroller of New York state
22 August 17-23, 2019 NJ & QUEENS PARADES TheSouthAsianTimes.info
IBA’s India Day Parade in
New Jersey a huge success
of people with each passing
year. "This parade is fabulous,
you can see the passion in the
community and thinking of
back home," said Edison Mayor
Thomas Lankey.
Woodbridge Mayor John
McCormac also praised the
parade and spoke of the similari‑
ties between the democracies of
the United States and India.
Congressman Frank Pallone
was there as at parades in the
past: "This is a great opportunity
to celebrate the Indian American Actor Sonu Sood, RJ Devaki, actress Monal Gajjar flanked by several local leaders at the parade.
community. But it's also the IBA
that sponsors it and they've real‑
ly done a great job in creating
more businesses and jobs in the
area," he said.
Said IBA President Dhiren
Amin, “It takes many people to
bring this event together: my
team of trustees ‑‑ Chandrakant
Patel, Mahesh Shah, Manher
Shah ‑‑ and dozens of volunteers,
our many sponsors, and the
organizations that we work
with." He added, “It is a diverse
group of people with a common
purpose.”
IBA team posing with Governor
Phil Murphy and celebs.
Mr. Thomas DiNapoli,
Congressman Tom Suozzi,
Nassau County Executive Laura
Curran, and Town of Hempstead
Supervisor Laura Gillen.
Proclamations from elected offi‑
cials were presented to FBima
executive committee members.
Noted Bollywood celebrities
Omi Vaidya, Prachee Shah and
Tollywood superstar Shweta
Menon entertained the audience
with jokes and songs.
Elected officials, parade organizers and celebs at the stage.
NYPD Desi officers marched in the parade. Omi Vaidya, Prachee Shah and Tollywood superstar Shweta Menon
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA DAY SPECIAL August 17-23, 2019
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36 August 17-23, 2019 INDIA DAY SPECIAL
Nargis Fakhri
ACTRESS AND MODEL
W e are excited to announce that Nar-
gis Fakhri, an American Actress
and model, is joining International Ahimsa
Foundation float on August 18, 2019 at
39th FIA India Day Parade in NYC. Nar-
gis mainly appears in Hindi and English-
language films like Rockstar, Madras Café,
Main Tera Hero, Spy, Housefull 3, 5 Wed-
dings and many more.
Nargis Fakhri, born 20 October 1979
in Queens, NYC, is an American actress
and model, who mainly appears in Hindi
films. She also has a B.A. with a Major of
Fine Arts and a Minor in Psychology from
Queens College, CUNY.
She appeared as a contestant on Ameri-
ca’s Next Top Model Cycles 2 and 3 in 2004.
She was selected for the first two challeng-
es in both cycles. She worked for a num-
ber of freelance agencies and was a regular
face at fashion shows. She soon appeared
in a very popular Indian print campaign for
Kingfisher Calender’s 2009 edition.
Nargis Fakhri made her acting debut with
a female lead role in Imtiaz Ali’s musical ro-
mantic drama Rockstar in 2011, for which
she received a FIlmfare Award for Best Fe-
male Debut nomination. In 2013, the actress
stared in Shoojit Sircar’s political thriller
Madras Café. In Main Tera Hero (2013),
Spy (2015, her first Hollywood production)
and Housefull 3 (2016), all comedies, Nargis
Fakhri showed her acting chops further.
Nargis Fakhri was selected as a One
Young World counselor in October 2017.
She cares deeply about health issues and
women’s rights. She also is passionate
about conservation and has led a campaign
to raise funds after devastating floods hit
the Jammu and Kashmir region.
- International
Ahimsa Foundation
38 August 17-23, 2019 INDIA DAY SPECIAL - FIA TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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40 August 17-23, 2019 INDIA DAY SPECIAL - FIA TheSouthAsianTimes.info
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA DAY SPECIAL - FIA August 17-23, 2019

I
ndiaʼs Geosynchronous Satellite
Launch Vehicle GSLV MkIII‑M1
successfully launched the 3840
kg Chandrayaan‑2 spacecraft into an
earth orbit on July 22, 2019.
It marked the beginning of the his‑
torical journey of India towards
Moon and to land at a place near the
South Pole to carry out scientific
experiments to explore the unex‑
plored.
Carrying a "billion dreams" in a
giant leap for the country's ambi‑
tious low‑cost space program, the
most complex and prestigious mis‑
sion ever undertaken by the Indian
Space Research Organisation(ISRO),
if successful, will also make India the
fourth country after Russia, the US
and China to pull off a soft landing
on the moon.
It is the first time that a spacecraft
indigenously developed by Indian
Space Research Organization (ISRO)
would set foot on the lunar soil.
The September landing is crucial
since it marks the beginning of the
14‑daylight period on the moon,
which is crucial for conducting
experiments by the solar‑powered
Lander and Rover.
The Chandrayaan‑2 is a cost‑effec‑
tive mission as the space agency
invested Rs 978 crore ($138 million‑
current value) in the country's sec‑
Economic Prospects: Growth engine to whizz at 7.5%
E
conomic growth is
expected to continue at a
pace faster than almost
every other nation in the world.
This is good news at a time when
many experts are making almost
doomsday prophecies for the
biggest economies, such as the
US, China, and the post‑Brexit
UK. In its Global Economic
Prospects report, the World Bank
has retained its forecast of
India's growth rate at 7.5% for
the current financial year. It also
said growth rate is expected to
remain the same for the next two
fiscals.
According to the report, private
consumption and investment will
benefit from strengthening credit
growth amid more accommoda‑
tive monetary policy, with infla‑
tion having fallen below the
Reserve Bank of India's target.
Support from delays in planned
fiscal consolidation at the central
42 August 17-23, 2019
Development
in India in fifth gear
Backed with favorable government policies, driven by innovation and propelled by investments and a
robust workforce, India's development story has grabbed world attention like never before. From flex‐
ing its technological muscle embarking on a mission to Moon costing less than half the budget of
Hollywood blockbuster 'Avengers Endgame' to hurtling towards becoming a $5 trillion economy we have
a lot to celebrate about. Here's a recap of some key driving factors....
Space Program:
INDIA AIMS FOR
THE MOON
ond lunar mission (as compared to
NASA's $185 million in the 1960s ‑‑
$1.2 billion in 2016 value). Rs 375
crore ($142 million) of the total Rs
978 crore was spent on building the
GSLV‑MkIII rocket, a fraction com‑
pared to what NASA had spent on
every Saturn V ($110 m in the
1960s ‑‑ $690 million in 2016
value). However, the comparison
level should partially offset the
effects of political uncertainty
around elections, it added.
Today, India is probably one of
the few large emerging
economies where growth and
development seem to be cruising
along at the same pace, making it
unique in many ways. Prudent
monetary and fiscal policies,
along with the implementation of
several domestic structural
reforms, have not only strength‑
ened the macroeconomic funda‑
DEVELOPMENT
would not be appropriate as NASA's
Apollo‑11 was the manned mission
to Moon and Chandrayaan‑2 is an
unmanned lander mission. But
NASA's initial few missions involving
Saturn rockets launched much
before Apollo‑11 were unmanned
missions that did not meet required
objectives. Regardless of the compar‑
ison, ISRO is famous across the
mentals but also raised the
reforms bar. The push towards
accessibility and affordability
has resulted in the ground‑level
implementation of reforms.
At its heart, there are three dis‑
tinct factors that are propelling
Indiaʼs growth story. First, the
impatience of the countryʼs
youth has put tremendous pres‑
sure on the government to trans‑
form and perform, leading to
greater accountability and quick‑
er implementation of reform
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
world for launching frugal space
missions and had been successful in
launching interplanetary missions
like Mars Orbiter Mission in the first
attempt itself.
ISRO has sent up three GSLV‑Mk
III rockets so far. The first carried
Crew Module Atmospheric Re‑entry
Experiment in December 2014. The
second and third GSLV‑Mk III carried
communication satellites GSAT‑19
and GSAT‑29 in February 2017 and
November 2018 respectively.
GSLV‑Mk III will also be used for
India's manned space mission in
2022. The origins and the evolution
of the Indian Space program is one
of the most inspiring stories of India
since its independence in 1947. The
reason behind this is the context in
which the countryʼs space program
developed. India was featuring very
low in almost all the socio‑economic
indicators when the launch of
Sputnik 1 took the world by storm.
The first two decades after inde‑
pendence was devoted to nation‑
building. India was struggling as a
third world country with a barrage
of problems. To think of having a
space program of its own at that
time was in itself a very ʻidealisticʼ
measures.
The blend of national programs
and state‑specific policy reforms
has helped craft unprecedented
success stories for many Indian
states, which have now become
multimillion‑dollar economies in
their own right and have created
an ecosystem of competitive fed‑
eralism between themselves.
Each state is playing on its com‑
petitive advantage with an ambi‑
tion to turn itself into a regional
powerhouse and a multibillion‑
dollar economy.
The unprecedented rise in
urban clusters across the country
is driving the countryʼs urbaniza‑
tion story. As Indians continue to
move from villages to cities,
there is an increased push in
reforms and higher investments
in a bid to make Indian cities
globally attractive for doing busi‑
ness. The great Indian urbaniza‑
tion run is certainly here to stay
idea. Many believed that India was
not in a position to spend on some‑
thing which ʻelite nationsʼ would do.
The reference was towards the cold
war space race in which both the
United States and the Soviet Union
were spending heavily towards their
space program.
On 21st November 1963, the first
sounding rocket was launched from
the Indian Soil, thereby kick‑starting
the Indian Space Program. This Nike‑
Apache sounding rocket was
launched from the Thumba
Equatorial Rocket Launch Station
(TERLS) in the presence of scientists
from USA, USSR, and France. This
rocket was supplied by NASA which
was assembled in the Mary
Magdalene church building, while
the CNES institution from France
provided the equipment for the
Sodium vapor experiment. This was
a proud moment for India. Along
with the vision of Dr. Vikram
Sarabhai, the Indian Space program
owes its existence to the willingness
of the political class.
The combined zeal of the scientific
and political leadership led to the
sowing of seeds of the Indian Space
program.
and will drive Indiaʼs future
smart cities.
The countryʼs startup ecosys‑
tem story is reflective of a start‑
up attaining unicorn status. The
country has provided an ideal
platform to promote entrepre‑
neurship right from an early
stage to becoming potential uni‑
corns. With more than 21 states
having a startup policy and
approximately 12,500 startups
being recognized as unique by
the government, the country
undoubtedly has become one of
the startup destinations of the
world.
While the government is focus‑
ing on bringing structural
changes across sectors, its ambi‑
tion to become a $5 trillion econ‑
omy in the next decade will
depend on how governments,
both central and state, steer
development in the healthcare
and education sectors.
 TheSouthAsianTimes.info DEVELOPMENT August 17-23, 2019 43

Infrastructure:
departments; The Indian Railways
received $ 9.25 billion. Out of this
allocation, $8.95 billion is capital
expenditure; $11.51 billion allocat‑

India expected to become

ed towards road transport and high‑
way; $ 540.53 billion to increase
capacity of Green Energy Corridor
Project along with wind and solar

third largest construction power projects; $1.16 billion to

boost telecom infrastructure; Water
supply to be provided to all house‑

market globally by 2022 holds in 500 cities; $110.88 million

for the up‑gradation of state gov‑
ernment medical colleges (PG seats)
at the district hospitals and $

I
nfrastructure sector is a key
driver for the Indian economy.
The sector is highly responsible
for propelling Indiaʼs overall devel‑
opment and enjoys intense focus
from the Government for initiating
policies that would ensure time‑
bound creation of world‑class infra‑
structure in the country.
Infrastructure sector includes
power, bridges, dams, roads and
urban infrastructure development.
In 2018, India ranked 44th out of
167 countries in the World Bank's
Logistics Performance Index (LPI)
2018. Foreign Direct Investment
(FDI) received in Construction
Development sector (townships,
housing, built‑up infrastructure and
construction development projects)
from April 2000 to March 2019
stood at $ 25.05 billion, according
to the Department of Industrial
Policy and Promotion (DIPP). The
logistics sector in India is growing
at a CAGR of 10.5 percent annually
and is expected to reach $ 215 bil‑
lion in 2020. India has a require‑
ment of investment worth Rs 50
trillion (US$ 777.73 billion) in infra‑
structure by 2022 to have sustain‑
able development in the country.
India is witnessing significant inter‑
est from international investors in
the infrastructure space. Some key
investments in the sector are: In
2018, the infrastructure sector in
India witnessed private equity and
venture capital investments worth $
1.97 billion; In June 2018, the
Asian Infrastructure Investment
Bank (AIIB) has announced $ 200
million investment into the National
Investment & Infrastructure Fund
(NIIF); Indian infrastructure sector
witnessed 91 M&A deals worth $
5.4 billion in 2017
The Government of India is
expected to invest highly in the
infrastructure sector, mainly high‑
ways, renewable energy and urban
transport.
Announcements in Union Budget
2019‑20 include: Allocation of $
63.20 billion for the sector;
Communication sector allocated
$5.36 billion for development of
post and telecommunications
188.63 million for government
medical colleges (UG seats) and gov‑
ernment health institutions.
The total national highways
length increased to 122,434 kms in
FY18 from 92,851 kms in FY14.
Indiaʼs rank jumped to 24 in 2018
from 137 in 2014 on World Bankʼs
Ease of doing business ‑ "Getting
Electricity" ranking.
Energy deficit reduced to 0.7 per‑
cent in FY18 from 4.2 percent in
FY14.
The number of airports has
increased to 102 in 2018.
Indiaʼs national highway network
is expected to cover 50,000 kilome‑
ters by 2019. National highway
construction in India has increased
by 20 percent year‑on‑year in
2017‑18. India and Japan have
joined hands for infrastructure
development in India's north‑east‑
ern states and are also setting up an
India‑Japan Coordination Forum for
Development of North East to
undertake strategic infrastructure
projects in the northeast.
(source: ibef.org)

Topmost offshoring destination for

IT companies across the world
T
he global sourcing market in India
continues to grow at a higher pace
compared to the IT‑BPM industry.
India is the leading sourcing destination
across the world, accounting for approxi‑
mately 55 percent market share of the
$185‑190 billion global services sourcing
business in 2017‑18. Indian IT & ITeS com‑
panies have set up over 1,000 global deliv‑
ery centers in about 80 countries across the
world. India has become the digital capabili‑
ties hub of the world with around 75 per‑
cent of global digital talent present in the
country. Indiaʼs IT & ITeS industry grew to
$181 billion in 2018‑19. Exports from the
industry increased to $137 billion in FY19
while domestic revenues (including hard‑
ware) advanced to $44 billion.
Spending on Information Technology in
India is expected to grow over 9 percent to
reach $87.1 billion in 2018.
Revenue from the digital segment is
expected to comprise 38 percent of the fore‑
casted $350 billion industry revenue by
2025.
Indian IT's core competencies and
strengths have attracted significant invest‑
ments from major countries. The computer
software and hardware sector in India
attracted cumulative Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) inflows worth US$ 37.23
billion between April 2000 and March 2019
and ranks second in the inflow of FDI, as per
data released by the Department for
Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
(DPIIT).
Leading Indian IT firms like Infosys,
Wipro, TCS and Tech Mahindra, are diversi‑
fying their offerings and showcasing leading
ideas in blockchain, artificial intelligence to
clients using innovation hubs, research and
development centers, in order to create dif‑
ferentiated offerings.
The government has identified
Information Technology as one of 12 cham‑
pion service sectors for which an action plan
is being developed. Also, the government
has set up a $ 745.82 million fund for realiz‑
ing the potential of these champion service
sectors.
As a part of Union Budget 2018‑19, NITI
Aayog is going to set up a national‑level pro‑
gram that will enable efforts in Artificial
Intelligence and will help in leveraging AI
technology for development works in the
country.
In the Interim Budget 2019‑20, the
Government of India announced plans to
launch a national program on AI and setting
up of a National AI portal.
National Policy on Software Products‑
2019 was passed by the Union Cabinet to
develop India as a software product nation.
India is the topmost offshoring destination
for IT companies across the world. Having
proven its capabilities in delivering both on‑
shore and off‑shore services to global
clients, emerging technologies now offer an
entire new gamut of opportunities for top IT
firms in India. Export revenue of the indus‑
try is expected to grow 7‑9 percent year‑on‑
year to $135‑137 billion in FY19. The indus‑
try is expected to grow to $350 billion by
2025.
About 200 Indian IT firms are present in
around 80 countries. Highest ever revenue
was generated by Indian IT firms at US$ 181
billion in 2018‑19. (source: ibef.org)

By Shivaji Sengupta
F
ifty‑one years ago I landed
in New York with my sister.
It was June 6, 1968. But it
seems almost like last week. I
guess thatʼs what happens when
you are 73: time compresses
itself, and the years fly by like
lamp posts viewed from inside a
fast‑moving train.
But this story is not about me.
Itʼs about America, how it has
changed in these 50 years. It is
also about India. When I left the
country, Indian independence
was only 21 years old. Now itʼs
my age! I was born 13 days after
15th August. The tricolor went up
in our backyard in Nagpur. My
mother named me Bapuji. We
were the firstborn in free India.
I keep slipping back into myself
‑‑ another sign of old age.
Robert F. Kennedy died the day
my sister and I landed. A Middle
Eastern refugee assassinated him.
As I write this, itʼs the day after
“Black Sunday.” Thirty‑one peo‑
ple died and over 50 wounded in
two separate killing sprees in El
Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio,
shot through by the bullets of two
White terrorists who did not like
Hispanics and Blacks.
I came here in the throes of the
Vietnam War, then already seven
Ravi Batra rebukes New York
Times for its Kashmir bias
46 August 17-23, 2019
India, the
United States
and 51 years
years on. It would go on for
another seven years, making it
the longest war the U.S. was
involved in, only to be outlived by
the Afghan War,
already 18 years, and
counting.
I suppose it is easy
to see what I am driv‑
ing at. My adopted
country, the United
States, has a brutal his‑
tory of war and gun
violence. For the White
supremacists, the war
is already internal,
against those who are
not like them, who have
dared to avail of the same oppor‑
tunities open to Whites. Those
who died were no different from
any other Americans who came
here, including Whites. They
came here to make a living just
like the White supremacistsʼ fore‑
fathers did.
I am wondering, sitting here
alone in my office, what my fellow
Indian Americans are making of
Americaʼs so‑called progress and
the progress that India has made.
I saw on television Indian festivi‑
ties in the run up to Indiaʼs 73rd
Independence Day amidst strong
police protection. India is cele‑
brating too, loudly, somewhat
unabashedly, about its material
OP-ED
power of military and money.
How much 50 years have
changed India! In 1968, the
famous economist
Amartya Sen spoke tauntingly
about the fact that General
Motors made the same number of
cars in two‑and‑half minutes that
India manufactured in a year!
Today, India makes almost four
million cars a year, while the U.S.
manufactures 8 million. Talk
about catching up! India is now
the fourth country about to put a
crewless rocket onto the moon,
after Russia, America and China.
France, Britain, Germany have
not. Yet, seven hundred million
Indians do not have toilets in
their homes; three hundred mil‑
lion still live below the poverty
line. Joan Robinson, the British
economist, used to say:
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
“Whatever you say of India is
true, but the opposite is also
true!” One turning point in
Indiaʼs progress has been the IT
Revolution. Indian IT experts
came to the United Statesʼ res‑
cue when the latter could not
cope with the computer crisis
in the late 1990s and early
21st century. In what was
dubbed the Y2K crisis,
American banks and other
financial corporations had to
call in Indiaʼs IT personnel to
help Americans fathom 21st
century computer technolo‑
gy because the older genera‑
tion of computer experts in the
U.S. had retired (or died) and the
newer generation knew little
about them. So they brought in
Indian technicians who thorough‑
ly knew the old technology. Here,
a personal anecdote may help to
gauge how our “Indian” mentality
used to be. (So, here I go again.
Another personal story!)
One such Indian IT person was
my younger cousin, Subhomoy.
He came here to work with an
American company to help them
figure out their older computer
technology, and to transit to the
twenty‑first century, a fact about
which I knew nothing. I intro‑
duced Subhomoy to a fellow
Indian American, saying that
Subho had come to the United
States to receive training in com‑
puter technology. Being of a taci‑
turn and self‑effacing disposition,
Subho said nothing in front of us
two senior Indian Americans. But
after my friend left, he very gen‑
tly corrected me: “Dadabhai, I
havenʼt come to receive training; I
have come to train.” I laughed out
loudly at my old‑fashioned inferi‑
ority. In my book, we Indians
always received training from
Americans, never the other way.
We were in the 1990s. India had
averted the great national debt
crisis, opening its markets to the
world – exporting experts like
Shubhomoy. Francis Bacon, the
Elizabethan scientist and writer,
wrote: “Desire for knowledge
caused man to fall; desire for
power caused the angels to fall.”
America used to see herself on
the side of angels. India likes to
see herself as a rising power,
soon to stand like Colossus tower‑
ing over the world. To both my
home country and my adopted
one, I pray: “A little bit more
humility.”
Shivaji Sengupta is VP
Academic Affairs at Boricua
College: Bronx Campus
and a regular contributor
to our op‑ed columns.
Ravi Batra is New
York based eminent
attorney and a
happy tweeter.
 TheSouthAsianTimes.info POWER PLAYER August 17-23, 2019 47

India’s most

Amit Shah
powerful Home
Minister in decades,
Amit Shah is
effectively Modi’s
de facto Number 2
and heir apparent.

By Manoj Ladwa

A
little more than five
years ago, when
Narendra Modi
stormed to power in New
Delhi for the first time, Amit
Shah was a bit of an
unknown quantity to most
Indians, barring those from
their home state of Gujarat.
There was curiosity about
the man people knew main‑
ly as Modiʼs low‑profile, trust‑
ed lieutenant who had delivered
the crucial state of Uttar
Pradesh for the BJP and
emerged as the “man of the
match” of the 2014 General
Election.
Five years on, Shah is a much
more visible face, grabbing eye‑
balls on television and headlines in newspa‑
pers as he has, with almost military precision,
guided the BJP to a string of victories in
states across India; culminating in the deci‑
sive mandate for the Modi his government in
the recently‑concluded General Election.
If Modi was the charismatic pan‑Indian
leader who was “conquering” new territories
for the BJP across the country and setting
new milestones in political administration,
then Shah was, through much of the 2014‑19
period, his backroom Chief of Staff. He was
busy tying up alliances at the local level,
building up and strengthening the party
organization, firming up social combinations
that would help the party and setting the
ground for the Prime Minister to weave his
political magic.
In his second term as Prime Minister, Modi
has brought Shah out of the backroom and
has thrust him into the limelight – as both
Home Minister of India and President of the
BJP. These twin responsibilities, and the fact
that he is probably Indiaʼs most powerful
Home Minister in decades, make him, effec‑
tively, Modiʼs de facto Number 2 and heir
apparent. I donʼt think anyone can accuse me
of exaggerating when I say that Shah has
repaid Modiʼs faith in full measure. The con‑
summate skill and political astuteness with
which the Home Minister has piloted several
contentious Bills through the Indian
Parliament has left admirers wonderstruck
and rivals shell‑shocked.
Readers who are familiar with Indian poli‑
tics will know that despite winning two back‑
to‑back mandates from the Indian people, the
Modi government has been hamstrung by its
lack of majority in the Upper House of Indian
Parliament. As a result, the Opposition,
despite losing the support of the electorate on
the ground, had succeeded in stalling the pas‑
sage of several important legislations.
That constraint remains, but Shahʼs adroit
political management has rendered the
Early August witnessed
Amit Shah’s dramatic
dominance on India’s
political landscape. His
unveiling will have wide
global implications. It’s time
for the world to take note,
writes India Inc. Founder
Opposition impotent, to a large part. & CEO Manoj Ladwa.
This week, Shah added another feather to
his cap by piloting the withdrawal of special
status for Jammu & Kashmir, a key promise in
the BJPʼs election manifesto, through both
Houses of Parliament. The revocation of the
contentious Article 370, which granted spe‑
cial status to Jammu & Kashmir and, by most
accounts, held back the economic develop‑
ment of the state, has catapulted him to the
forefront of Indian politics, and the worldʼs
attention and intrigue.
By using some of the political capital
earned by Modi, Shah has proved that he is
willing to do and go where no other Indian
politician would dare. He has bulldozed
through legislations that the BJP believes are
essential for creating what the Prime Minister
has evocatively called New Indiaʼs develop‑
mental journey.
Hailing from a family of successful stock
brokers, Shah also has a sound knowledge of
business and is probably the only Indian
Home Minister to head several ministerial
committees dealing with the economy. This
gives him authority beyond his allotted port‑
folio and cements his position as the most
powerful man in India after Modi.
The just‑concluded Budget Session of
Parliament has set a new record for passing
35 legislations, easily obliterating the record
set in 1952 when 24 laws were passed. And a
large part of the credit should go to Shah.
India is fast getting to know him. And
though he hasnʼt stepped out of India in the
last 20 years, his dominance on Indiaʼs politi‑
cal landscape will have wide global implica‑
tions. Itʼs time for the world to take note.
Manoj Ladwa is the
Founder and CEO
of India Inc.,
publishers of India
Global Business
magazine.
 48 August 17-23, 2019 VOX POPULI TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Head in US,
Heart in India
‘You can take an Indian out of India, but not India out of the Indian’. You too may have this here.
And it is true. But how right is it? We have made our lives here, are grateful for the opportunities
America provided us. Then why should we not integrate? We keep visiting India about once a
I am year, many to give back by way of charitable work there. We still animatedly discuss the good
American on and bad of the Modi regime or of Kohli captaincy. We walk in India Day Parades, and get emo‐
July 4th, tional whenever Jana Gana Mana.. is sung, or radio playing ‘Chithhi aaiyee hai’. The South Asian
Times solicited comments from some Indian Americans. Here are the responses: ‐By Parveen Chopra
and Indian on
exclusive things that take away the first one in my family to trav‑ am at a neighborʼs barbeque.
August 15th anything from my intent of being el abroad, I have relished my This is not being disloyal to

I
have been out of India for
over 13 years now. But I can
still resolutely stand and say
that I am an Indian by birth and
heart. From my initial days of
being an Indian in a strange land
nostalgic about his country, I
have become an Indian in a dis‑
tant land proud of his past and
his motherland. I do not see
being an Indian at heart with
head in US to be two mutually
loyal to both the countries.
I hail from a small town in
India and did not quite grow up
in an environment where one
would dream of ever going
abroad. My life was simple, so
were my dreams. I guess, if I had
never gotten the chance to come
to the US, I donʼt think I would
have cursed my fate.
However, since I did get an
opportunity to come here, being
journey. I have always main‑
tained my connection to India,
but have not militantly pursued
that love by brewing a disdain
for the culture of my adopted
country.
I guess I am American on July
4th, and an Indian on August
15th. I am a Kohli fan when the
extravaganza around a match
helps me connect to my country
of birth, and a LeBron fan when I
either of the countries, but being
loyal to people around me and
maintaining that humanity. At
the end of the day, ʻanimatedʼ dis‑
cussions donʼt just befit a board
room meeting where you may
have a visible stake, but are
essential for human relations. So,
take that fervor of patriotism
with a semblance of civility and
culture, and your heart and head ALOK KUMAR
can wander wherever they want. FIA President

Our parents investment in the country that they were

born and raised in. Instead, there is a
hold on to their deeper problem.
A casual discussion of the cricket World
culture, but only Cup or a brief emotional moment while
listening to the national anthem of India
superficially is one thing, isolating our culture and fail‑
I believe that our parents hold on to
their culture, but only superficially. Not in
the way that will leave an impact, that will
truly preserve it.
To me the definition of assimilation is
having the ability to have a melting pot of
expression and cultures with our neigh‑

W
hat does it really mean to be
American? To me being
American means to bring the
best of who we are from where we came
from and embody that spirit in everything
that we do. The implications of this means
that there is not just one type of
American. There are not cultural stan‑
dards that make us American. Instead it
means that each of us is uniquely
American keeping our cultures and tradi‑
tions alive while learning from everyone
elseʼs. The real question shouldn't be
KYLE SINGH whether our parentsʼ emotional commit‑
Student, ment to their homeland is a problem. That
question is a trivial one. To me there is no
Columbia University consequence of our parentsʼ emotional
ing to express it with our neighbors and
community members is something else
altogether. So often I feel that we close
our communities off from the rest of
America, that we stay in hiding and refuse
to change with the quickly changing times
in which we live in. When priests at our
local temples fail to communicate in
English and Indian Americans fail to take
action in public service in their local com‑
munities, we will face bad consequences.
The next generation will leave behind
every ounce of the culture that is so rich
and wonderful. The community will lack
our input and voices. And most of all, the
culture our parents hold on to now will be
lost in their own lifetimes.
bors and fellow community members.
Having the ability to have our voices
heard and our collective talents realized.
This comes along with the cultural experi‑
ences that we cherish. If we fail to
embody this definition, we risk having our
cultures lost, and having our voices lost
by the wayside. It would be the failure of
the great experiment that is America.
Maybe we should take a moment and find
ways to express our cultures with some‑
one we would never even think of speak‑
ing to. And who knows, we just might
learn something that changes our per‑
spective on the world. That helps us grow
and become more creative, expressive and
wholeheartedly more American.

We can be lucky enough to have my broth‑

ers and sisters moved here has
ambassadors kept my cultural connect intact.
It's really not like if we left India
in America of we don't want to be a part of it,
but the journey seemed aimed at
India and its flourishing more here at the time
received from ancient Indian
studies to each person I come
across. This has completely taken
over my life bit by bit.
I dream for it to grow in New
York so I can disseminate the
pure understanding of spirituali‑
America. Iʼm the biggest example
of that. I returned to India after
25 years and brought here the
profound knowledge of yoga to
open my own Sadhna Wellness
Centre (in Jericho, NY, affiliated
with Swami Vivekananda Yoga

spirituality when we were teenagers.

I'm about to be 50 now and
ty within yoga and meditation
systems.
Anusandhana Samsthana or S‑
VYASA) in Bangalore) and shar‑

N
o matter how much I per‑
sonally tried to indulge
myself in the culture of
America for years, I found myself
looking for connections back to
India constantly.
Just having those Indian friends
out here who I can relate to or be
much later in my life I was fortu‑
nate enough to get in touch with
a profound study and experi‑
ments India has carried out over
many millennia in spirituality.
Now embarking on this journey
for the last 10 years of my life is
to share this knowledge I have
I personally don't find ʻliving in ing this knowledge with everyone
America with our Indian heartʼ a here in the USA.
bad thing. I think it is a good
thing that we can be ambassa‑
dors of India in America by RANJU NARANG
revealing the diamond India has Yogi, Director of
preserved and possesses. We can
S‐VYASA Global NY
and have made a little India in
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA DAY SPECIAL August 17-23, 2019

You can take
an Indian out
of India, but
not India out
of the Indian
A
ccording to Pew report 46
million people living in the
US were born in other
countries. Since humans first left
Africa some 60,000 years ago,
they have been migrating around
the Planet Earth in large numbers
for many reasons.
The number of Indian born peo‑
ple living outside the country
doubled between 1990 and 2013,
Pew reports – from 9 to 16 mil‑
lion, making Indian diaspora the
largest number in the world. The
Feeling
nostalgic
about India
and carrying
it in our
hearts
By Surekha Vijh
G
reater Washington DC
has a successful and
diverse Indian diaspora,
mostly residing in Maryland and
northern Virginia. Many of them
have comfortable lifestyle with
six figure salaried jobs, and a
place in society, yet many feel
nostalgic about India and are
Indian at heart.
Aruna Miller, a former mem‑
ber of the Maryland House of
Delegates, said she was proud of
her Indian American heritage
and her inherent Indianness: “It
is a good thing to have stronger
roots. It is hard to explain
Indianness. It is the culture,
food, language and just small
things.”
According to Seema Nanda,
the first Indian‑American
woman CEO of the Democratic
National Committee, Indianness
was embedded in Indian diaspo‑
ra “because our parents raised
us in certain ways to keep
Indian values and culture.” She
50 August 17-23, 2019
Head in US,
heart in India.
Right or wrong?
Dr. Yousuf U. Syed,
M.D., MPH
United States has more immi‑
grants than any other country in
the world, numbering over 44.4
million. In 2017 the top country
of origin for new immigrants
Aruna Miller
added, “I do love Indian food
and dress in Indian clothes on
occasions. And it is an identity
one feels proud of.”
Kitty Surjit Kaur, who was
born and raised in Punjab and
educated in Russia, lived in
Australia and now lives in
Virginia, said: “Our culture is
quite strong, it does not matter
where you live, you will always
be an Indian at heart,” adding,
“It is a generational thing. Our
parents gave it to us, their par‑
ents gave it to them and so on.”
Kaur continued, “Although I
have lived overseas most of life,
it is always rejuvenating to visit
India and be among other
Indians there, and eat Indian
delicacies. I think it is the way of
life, food, language, clothing and
VOX POPULI
coming into the US was India.
Human migration expert
Russell King has this to say about
Indians: While economic motiva‑
tions are often a key reason for
initial migration, emotional
attachments tend to influence
return to India decisions – Indians
are fundamentally very emotional
people, family life, community,
language and religion play impor‑
tant part in Indian culture and
country of birth means a lot to
them.
Confirming the viewpoint, a
study found that the second gen‑
eration Indians moved back to
India because it was their parentsʼ
homeland and they retained or
hope to deepen their emotional
attachments if conditions are
favorable. Respondents also noted
that growing up in United States
Lalita & Hari Babu Bindal
culture that make us who we
are. No matter what cuisines we
claim to savor and enjoy, at the
end of the day we still want desi
khaana.”
Arvind Krishna, a retired
engineer who came to the US in
the early 1960s as a student,
said there were some things
which made Indians unique; for
example, we can survive in any
situation and can adjust to
adversity.
“I have also noticed that it
does not matter where the other
Indians come from, it is easy to
communicate with them,”
Krishna said remembering his
early years when there were
very few Indians in the US. “We
felt thrilled when we met anoth‑
er fellow Indian,” he added.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
actually strengthened their love
and ties to India over the years.
Mother India .
I personally believe that every
Parents played a major part in one of us has two mothers: one
this by taking them on homeland gave birth to us and the second is
trips and teaching them their where we are born. Both have
native language. Several of them tremendous pull on our existence,
also spoke of attending dance an unbreakable bond. Yes, itʼs
and music classes in the adopted true “You can take an Indian out
country and being raised in an of India, but not India out of the
environment that emphasized Indian.”
Indian culture, Bollywood, etc. As for integration, Indians have
However, all believed in retaining no problem: Most of us speak
their own Indian American English, are highly educated, our
identity. impact is clear and paramount in
Some second generation Indian every area of American culture.
Americans even wished to under‑ We not only integrated but are
stand what was wrong with India
for their parents to have migrated
able to share our Indian culture
with our fellow Americans. Our
to United States. Others wondered music, Bollywood, our exotic
why their parent refuse to return food, and our ability to get along
to India, a country they had left with others is fully appreciated
some 40 to 50 years ago, despite in America and around the
their deep love and affection for world.
Kitty Surjit Kaur
Hari Babu Bindal and Lalit
Bindal, have lived for decades in
Maryland. Hari Bindal has
worked with the US Navy and is
a recipient of PBD honor.
“I always dream about India
not about America.,” he said.
“Indianness is a part of our
being.”
Bindal had gone to India to get
married and brought his Indian
wife Lalit to the US. “There is
certainly a sense of familiarity
and comfort with Indianness,”
he said
They have raised two kids
here. Lalit Bindal still makes
Indian food at home and wears
Indian clothes when going to the
temple or attending a wedding.
Seema Nanda
“We go for parties and functions important to connect with
mostly at Indian houses, it is them,” she added.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA DAY SPECIAL August 17-23, 2019

By Nivedita Khandekar
P
rime Minister Narendra
Modi had in one of his
ʻMann ki Baatʼ urged peo‑
ple to discover the wonders of
#IncredibleIndia. The Indian
Ministry of Tourism has for last
two years started organizing
ʻParyatan Parvʼ as a celebration of
Indiaʼs rich tourist heritage.
The Ministry of Tourism in col‑
laboration with other central min‑
istries, state governments and
stakeholders organizes ʻParyatan
Parvʼ across India in September‑
October, drawing focus on the
benefits of tourism, showcasing
Indiaʼs cultural diversity and rein‑
forcing the principle of ʻTourism
for Allʼ. October is the peak fes‑
tive season, also a time when
many people take out time to tour
various parts of India.
But for various reasons, people
continue to visit the more popu‑
lar, more exploited sites rather
than exploring newer, lesser
known places. The effort now is
to encourage them to explore
every nook and corner of the
beautiful country; rather than
staying at hotels, living with peo‑
ple to learn about their traditions
and customs.
Two things from the compre‑
hensive government plan that
stood out for me are the inter‑
state engagement matrix under
the ʻEk Bharat Shreshtha Bharatʼ
scheme and the guidelines for
CBSE affiliated schools to visit
heritage monuments for getting
students interested in cultural
and traditional diversity of India.
The idea that school students
should visit monuments is not a
new one, albeit linking it with the
paradigm of ʻtourism and studiesʼ
gives it a new twist. Imagine a
Instead of going in for
routine tourist places, it is high
time Indians explored every
nook and corner of our beautiful
country, rather than staying at
hotels, living with locals to
learn about their traditions
and customs.
52 August 17-23, 2019
A new way to explore the
rich diversity of India
class learning about the conquest
by Chhatrapati Shivaji sitting at a
fort in Maharashtra? Or imagine,
learning about what Akbar did
sitting at the Agra fort? The her‑
itage monuments are a treasure
trove of information. They offer
not just lessons in history but also
in that eraʼs architecture and tra‑
ditional practices.
India is lucky, it is endowed
with more than 3500 monuments
of national importance (that are
taken care of by the ASI) and
almost 10,000 other monuments
under the care of state govern‑
ments. Similarly, imagine, people
from Kerala engaging with those
from Himachal Pradesh. Or for
that matter, people from Madhya
Pradesh meeting and seeking to
know more about those from
Nagaland and Manipur. What a
beautiful concept, if implemented
well! After all, didnʼt Adi
Shankaracharya formulate the
concept of char dhams in four
corners of India and envisaged
people visiting 12 jyotirlingas in
various parts of the country?
If not for pilgrimage, but for
knowing the rich traditions and
culture of our vast land, people
should engage with those from
other states, farther the better.
ʻParyatan Parvʼ can harp on the
fact that through this exchange
“the knowledge of the language,
culture, traditions and practices
of different states will lead to an
enhanced understanding and
bonding between one another,
thereby strengthening the unity
and integrity of India.”
Rising domestic
tourism
ʻNamaste!ʼ has been Indiaʼs
identity across the world. India
has attracted tourists from all
over the world fro decades. While
TOURISM
foreign touristsʼ arrival brings in
the much‑needed foreign curren‑
cy, and hence are given a priority,
it is equally important to ensure
domestic tourists are not neglect‑
ed. As per Tourism Ministryʼs
reports, domestic tourism contin‑
ues to be an important contribu‑
tor for the tourism sector in India.
The number of domestic tourists
is 100 times more than foreign
tourist arrival in India. All stake‑
holders, including government
authorities, in the tourism sector
will need to understand this ris‑
ing trend.
There was a time when Indians
stepped out only for pilgrimage
and tourism only meant luxury
pursued by few moneyed people.
Today, as more and more com‑
mon men and women seek to step
out and explore various parts of
India, domestic tourism has
spanned almost all fields beyond
pilgrimages. Tourism needs stable
infrastructure, peaceful law and
order situation and an inviting
host. In return, tourism gives
much needed livelihood to local
population and revenue to the
government.
India is known world over for
its hospitality and in most parts
of India, law and order situation
is tourist‑friendly. But apart from
major metro cities and a few
places on tourist map, the
tourism related infrastructure
needs much improvement. Scores
of smaller places first need to be
identified for promotion of
tourism, the last mile connectivity
needs to be ensured, infrastruc‑
ture for visiting and resident
tourists needs to be developed.
This includes availability of
decent accommodation and food
services. Many potential places
across India remain oblivious to
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
India beckons
coastal tourism now
T
he Indian Minister of
State for Shipping,
Mansukh Mandaviya,
and Minister
of State for
Tourism &
Culture,
Prahlad
Singh Patel
have dis‑
cussed the
immense
potential for
maritime
tourism in
the country.
The coastal length of mainline
India alone is 6,100 km.
In a meeting
between the two ministers held
in New Delhi recently, they
emphasized the need to pro‑
mote the important tourist des‑
tinations in the coastal areas of
the country through coastal
tourism.
It was decided to set up a
committee of senior officials of
the two ministries to explore
the avenues for coastal tourism
in the country and work out
tourists only because one or more
of the above factors do not work
in their favor.
The tourism ministry has
encouraged and developed a
chain of B&B (Bed and Breakfast)
homes across urban centers well.
But it is now time to concentrate
on ʻHome Staysʼ in rural and semi‑
urban areas. Only such Home
Stays can bring in sustainable
tourism as against the big‑ticket
hotel industry that often leads to
draining local natural resources.
ways to promote the same. This
will include cruise tourism, sea
sports, and light house viewing
gallery. It
was suggest‑
ed that every
coastal area
can create a
calendar of
events for
tourist
engagement,
with activi‑
ties like
beach volley‑
ball, sand art,
food festi‑
vals, dances of the fishing com‑
munity, to name a few.
The Shipping Ministry is pro‑
moting tourism in maritime
states under the Sagarmala
Programme.
These new, unexplored
tourism avenues will open a
door to coastal communities of
the maritime states where they
will find many new and diverse
job opportunities.
Plus, Home Stays are a better way
to interact directly with the local
population and to know about
their traditions and culture.
ʻParyatan Parvʼ can be a good
opportunity to identify these
weak links. Not just for this time
slot, but for a better, sustainable
future in tourism.
Nivedita Khandekar is an inde‑
pendent journalist based in Delhi.
She writes on environmental and
developmental issues.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA DAY SPECIAL August 17-23, 2019
 54 August 17-23, 2019 BOLLYWOOD TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Patriotic films on a
new 'high' in Bollywood

T
he 'josh' for patriotic films
is 'high' in Bollywood.
After the success of ʻUri:
The Surgical Strikeʼ and ʻKesriʼ,
Hindi movie buffs can gear up to
watch ʻMajorʼ, ʻRAWʼ, ʻBatla
Houseʼ, ʻPanipatʼ, ʻSaare Jahaan
Se Acchaʼ, ʻMission Mangalʼ, ʻ83ʼ
and a biopic on Kargil war hero
Vikram Batra, among others.
From wars to fighting social
evils and telling heroic tales of
sportsperson ‑‑ various shades of
patriotism have been depicted on
the big screen through a stream
of films in recent times. The nar‑
rative shall continue through
2019 and beyond.
This August 15, Akshay
Kumarʼs ʻMission Mangal' is all
set to go into a head‑on clash
with "Batla House", starring John
Abraham.
ʻBatla Houseʼ, which traces the
story of the shootout between a
seven‑member Delhi Police
This I‑ Day, Akshay Kumars ʻMission Mangalʼ is all set to go into a head‑on clash with ʻBatla Houseʼ, starring John Abraham.
Special Cell team and suspected
Indian Mujahideen terrorists
allegedly involved in the serial
blasts of September 13, 2008, in
Delhi.
John had earlier told IANS the
intent of his films is when the
audience walks out of the theatre
they should get the feeling:
"'Wow, I am proud to be an
Indian… This is cool that India
did this. I didn't know this'."
ʻMission Mangalʼ highlights the
struggles of five women scien‑
tists as they embark on a mission
to send a satellite to Mars.
Akshay plays the mission direc‑
tor who fights against all odds to
make ISRO's Mars Orbit Mission
happen.
The actor has lent a new mean‑
ing to 'patriotic cinema' by dab‑
bling in films like ʻRustomʼ,
ʻBabyʼ, ʻHoliday: A Soldier Is
Never Off Dutyʼ, ʻToilet: Ek Prem
Kathaʼ, ʻPadManʼ, ʻGoldʼ and
ʻKesariʼ.
As the treatment and subjects
around patriotic films evolve,
there is a greater influx of stories
themed on combating terrorism,
celebrating the country's glori‑
ous achievements and talking
about social issues.
Even ʻLagaanʼ and ʻSwadesʼ
director Ashutosh Gowariker is
looking forward to evoking the
patriotic fervor again with
ʻPanipatʼ on the battle of Panipat.
After ʻUri: The Surgical Strikeʼ,
actor Vicky Kaushal will bring
alive the story of Udham Singh,
who assassinated Michael O'
Dwyer ‑ the former lieutenant
governor of Punjab in pre‑
Independence India ‑ to avenge
the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh mas‑
sacre. Singh was subsequently
tried and convicted of murder
and hanged in July 1940.
The "Masaan" actor will also be
seen in a yet untitled directorial
by Meghna Gulzar, based on the
life of Field Marshal Sam
Manekshaw, in 2021.
Manekshaw led the country to
victory against Pakistan in 1971.
There will also be a yet untitled
biopic on Kargil war hero Vikram
Batra. It will front actor Sidharth
Malhotra.
A newly announced project is
"Major", on the life of Major
Sandeep Unnikrishnan, a
National Security Guards (NSG)
commando who lost his life while
fighting terrorists at the Taj
Mahal Hotel in Mumbai in 2008.

Bollywood films sweep 66th National Film Awards Hoisting Tricolor in

B
ollywood films like ʻUri: The
Surgical Strikeʼ, ʻAndhadhunʼ,
ʻBadhaai Hoʼ and ʻPadmanʼ
Melbourne makes
won big at the 66th National Film
Awards, which were announced
KJo emotional
recently. The announcement was
made in a press conference by Rahul
Rawail, Chairperson, Feature Film
Category; AS Kanal, Chairperson,
Non‑Feature Film Category and
Utpal Borpujari, Chairperson, Best
Writing on Cinema. While Hindi
movie ʻPadmanʼ was declared Best
Film on Social Issues, Ayushmann
Actors Ayushmann Khurrana and Tabu in a still from ʻAndhadhunʼ.
Khurrana and Vicky Kaushal jointly
received the Best Actor Award for Filmmaker Karan Johar at Federation Square, Melbourne.
their performances in "Andhadhun" ‘National Award was always on my bucket list’

F
and "Uri: The Surgical Strike". ilmmaker Karan Johar, here in Melbourne. More power

Aditya Dhar also won Best Director
Award for ʻUri: The Surgical Strikeʼ.
The film that has Vicky playing an
Indian Army officer also won the
Sound Designer award (Bishwadeep
Dipak Chatterjee). Best Music
Director (Background Music) went to
Shashwat Sachdev for "Uri: The
Surgical Strike". ʻAndhadhunʼ was
also a favorite at this year's edition
of National Film Awards. Apart from
the Best Actor Award, the movie won
Best Hindi Film award and honour
for Screenplay writer (adapted):
Sriram Raghavan, Arijit Biswas,
Yogesh Chandekar, Hemant Rao and
Pooja Ladha Surti. ʻBadhaai Hoʼ
bagged awards for Best Popular Film
Providing Wholesome
W
inning the National Award was always on Ayushmann
who is in Melbourne for to inclusiveness," KJo said about
Khurrana's bucket list, contends the actor, who is
Indian Film Festival of the fest where 20 years of his
"ecstatic" as his wish has been fulfilled with a double
Melbourne (IFFM), says hoisting directorial debut ʻKuch Kuch
dose of delight. At the National Film Awards 2019, after all, not
the Indian flag here was an Hota Haiʼ was also celebrated.
only did Ayushmann win Best Actor for his role in "Andhadhun",
exceptionally emotional "This has been an exceptionally
but his other release last year, "Badhaai Ho", ended up winning the
moment for him. 'Desis' from emotional moment. Coming
honor for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.
across the city gathered at here and hoisting our national
"I am feeling ecstatic. Actually, I am still trying to digest this. It
Federation Square to see Karan flag made me feel all the love all
on my bucket list when I came to Mumbai to become an actor,"
hoisting the Tricolor. This annu‑ of us have for our great country.
Ayushmann told IANS in an exclusive chat. "The kind of films that I
al honor is given to one major We stand tall as proud Indians.
do are about credibility and content. I was actually looking for‑
Indian celebrity ahead of the India is about all of our beating
ward to this to happen someday in my life. Actually, when you're
Independence Day of India. hearts. It's not just a country
doing a particular film, you don't do it thinking about an award,
"The IFFM has really been a but an emotion which stands
but I am glad this happened with 'Andhadhun'," he added.
force to reckon with. Over the tall with courage, conviction
Entertainment and Best Supporting winner of Best Actress trophy for her past decade, it has garnered and resilience. India is not just a
Actress (Surekha Sikri). As for other performance in Telugu movie such love and appreciation. I land on the global arena, it's a
top honors, Gujarati film ʻHellaroʼ ʻMahanatiʼ & Uttarakhand was have been to multiple festivals force. Thank you for all the love
was declared Best Feature Film win‑ declared the Most Film Friendly but this one has all the heart to our cinema and country," he
ner, Keerthy Suresh was declared State. that comes from all the people added.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA DAY SPECIAL August 17-23, 2019
56 August 17-23, 2019
Letter from
the Guest
Editor
I
love weddings. I love everything about
them from the love story of the couple,
to the pomp and pageantry of the cele‑
brations. The idea of two families joining
together and the anticipation of future
generations, weddings are one of the
most important events of our lives and of
the human race. Itʼs this love that caused
me to launch Bibi Magazine 19 years ago
to celebrate the culture, inspirations and
fashion that go into South Asian wed‑
dings. Bibi is the longest running such
wedding magazine in America and itʼs
allowed me to be at the forefront of this
exciting, multi‑billion dollar industry.
As new generations of couples get mar‑
ried, and new laws allow more non‑tradi‑
tional unions, itʼs only natural that wed‑
ding style too continues to evolve. The
last few years have been about personal‑
izing your wedding to reflect your unique
style, but 2019 is seeing a new direction
for memorable events. Weddings this
year are moving in the direction of expe‑
rience, both for the couple and for the
wedding guests. We are seeing events
now that offer an exclusive slant for
attendees that tell the story of the couple
in some form. Weʼve seen couples who
showcase their heritages especially in the
case of interracial marriages, couples who
HI n dEi Ra FI aTAs h i Go nEs
131 Lexington Ave, NY 10016
212-481-0325 | 917-385-8796
Info@heritageindiafashions.com
Heritageindiafashions.com
NYFW 2019
Prashant Goyal Ruchi Goyal
Designer Creative Stylist
WEDDING SPECIAL TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Ayesha Hakki is the founder and
publisher of Bibi Magazine, the first
bridal and fashion magazine launched
for South Asian‐Americans. Bibi
Magazine was launched in 2000 and
since then, Ayesha has interviewed
such notables as Bibhu Mohapatra,
Wendell Rodricks, Ritu Kumar, Shah
Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta,
Akshay Kumar, Ranbir Kapoor, and has
been quoted as an expert in South
Asian bridal and fashion in places like
The New York Times, USA Today, E!
Entertainment, ABC News and Bravo.
(Photo credit: Pratik Doshi)
highlight their global travels together you to find your own narratives.
while others have followed their favorite Whatever you plan, always remember
TV shows, musical tastes or artistic talent. that your love sets the tone for the events
I even attended a wedding where the and is the most important element of
Mehndi was held in a trampoline park your wedding. After that, itʼs all just your
and the dress code was onesies designed story!
by the groom himself! Truly memorable
and FUN! The one thing that remains a
common take away from each of these
weddings... itʼs leaving feeling closer and
Tçxá{t [t~~|
more connected to the couple than ever
before. As the guest editor for this special
section of The South Asian Times, I have BibiMagazine.com
pulled together stories and inspirations @BibiMagazine
from industry experts that will inspire
Heritage India Fashions offers the biggest Selection of Casual & Formal Indian Clothing For Men, Women &
Children. Everything is completely designed by Prashant Goyal & Handmade by our Artisans in India. We offer
our customers the best prices, best quality of fabrics that are Formal & Casual wear are made from. We also
carry very Rare fabrics from old Wool and Silks.
Meet our Creative Stylist Ruchi Goyal in store to dress you for Weddings, Formal Gatherings, Parties or just
something Casual. © 2019 All rights reserved Heritage India Fashions™
 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
By Ayesha Hakki
A
s the idea of “experience”
continues to shape event
trends across the board,
weddings too are following suit
with new technology and prod‑
ucts being used to create unique
and memorable festivities. 2019
is a year for experimentation
where breaking from the usual is
the only thing expected of brides
and grooms. Sunita Sadhnani of
Glamorous Event Planners and
Productions is undoubtedly the
leader when it comes to creating
wedding “experiences.” In fact,
for one event, she transformed a
basketball court into the Moulin
Rouge in Paris complete with the
iconic windmill and colorful per‑
formers, acrobats and dancers
reminiscent of the theaterʼs hey‑
day. For 2019, she is looking for‑
ward to creating immersive envi‑
ronments for her clients. From
theme weddings to infinity dance
floors and DJ/band combina‑
tions, Sunita is creating events
that transport guests to another
dimension of participation. Here
are some of her favorite inspira‑
tions.
All Out Invites
Itʼs the invitation that sets the
tone for your special day and
with weddings becoming more
personalized than ever, it is only
natural that invitations are also
becoming mini‑experiences.
Whether it is an invitation with a
video presentation inside such as
those at EverythingBranded.com
($45 each) or boxed invites filled
with sparkling crystals inside like
those at The Royal Company,
Theroyalco.com, the best invita‑
tions are a surprise by them‑
selves. Use of unexpected materi‑
als like leather, vinyl or fur takes
the trend to another level.
The Band’s Visit
The ultimate in wedding enter‑
tainment is to have a live band or
singers mixed in with a live DJ!
Celebrity event planners like
Colin Cowie swear by them and
guests will have the time of their
lives as they dance and sing to all
of their favorites. Ask your DJ
company for talent that can han‑
dle both western and eastern
music.
Smoke
Bomb Baraats
Maybe itʼs a little bit of
Holi spirit or more likely
because of the awesome pho‑
tographs they encourage, but
smoke bombs are the new
must‑have at your daytime
baraat. Imagine a dancing
baraat emerging from clouds of
multi‑colored smoke. Choose a
5‑ounce size for 90 seconds of
swirling plumes or smaller
smoke balls with about 30
seconds of smoke. Youʼll
find them easily at
online stores.
dECOR
2019
r not,
u m s hortage o een
Heli as be
decor h
balloon
o se riously
d int
elevate ents.
cc
stylish a
owerhouse DJs in New Jersey
work with p‑performers like
Bollywood singer Ritesh Rathod
of Medley Entertainment
(Medleyinc.com) and Desi/R&B
singer Neel (NeelOfficial.com) to
create unforgettable evenings.
PhdWeddings.com
Food
Experiences
Weddings that break from the
norm are the ones that become
the most memorable. Give your
guests the gift of a gustatory
experience by bringing on a
celebrity chef like Top Chef
Masters Season 3 winner Floyd
Cardoz. If you are on a budget,
then create a story with your
food by serving, perhaps, a dish
you had on your first date, a
favorite meal or your grand‑
motherʼs secret recipe. The idea
is to offer your guests a culinary
adventure like that found at the
worldʼs top restaurants.
Theme
Weddings
oke bombs a your
Sm
ew m u st‑have edit:
n .C r
daytime tography
Biyani P
WEDDING SPECIAL August 17-23, 2019 57
Balloon Decor
There maybe a helium shortage
going on, and perhaps thatʼs why
pedestrian balloon decor has ele‑
vated into seriously stylish
accents that are perfect for
Instagram selfies. Forget the
dreaded balloon arch of the past,
now think of the balloon as
spherical elements that can be
used to create large‑scale accents
to stages, cakes tables and selfie
stations. Companies like Balloon
Shop in New York City can sup‑
ply a multitude of balloon shapes
which when combined with flo‑
rals and vines, create visually
stunning art installations. Best
of all, they donʼt use helium, just
plain old‑fashioned,
sustainable air.
Are you a mother of dragons? Sunita Sadhnani of Glamorous Event Planners &
Or perhaps carousels and cotton Productions is undoubtedly the leader when it comes
candy are your favorite things. to creating wedding “experiences.”
Expanding on the experiential
aspect of weddings, incorporat‑
ing a theme helps transports
your guests to another realm,
one full of your most meaningful
events. Sunitaʼs advice: have a
narrative running throughout
your event to tie all the elements
together from the food, to the
decor, to the music and the
entertainment.
Lightning
Strikes
Uplighting is the fastest and
most inexpensive element to
transform a room, but 2019 is
seeing a whole neon rainbow of
lighting effects. LED lighting
comes in as many formulations
as you can imagine, from ice
cubes, to tall trees, to starlight
drapery. For the most dramatic
of effects, letʼs start with the 3D
Led Dance floor that creates an
optical illusion where the dance
floor looks like it goes down infi‑
nitely into
the ground.
Or perhaps
you want
an LED
tunnel
where your
guests
walk
through a
tunnel
filled with
re the
video and
at
graphics.
baraat
ho
 58 August 17-23, 2019 WEDDING SPECIAL TheSouthAsianTimes.info

CELEBRITY
By Zeb Mamsa

P
reston Bailey, known as
the GURU when it comes
to flowers and floral
sculptures, hates trends. Best
known for creating large‑scale,
theatrical floral installations all
around the world, he finds his
inspiration in creating something
that will surprise his clients and
their guests, and he has won
numerous awards for his wed‑
ding design concepts.
As a celebrity favorite, he has
designed many over‑the‑
top weddings all
over the world,
including in
India, the
Middle East,
Europe, Asia
and North
America for
royalty,
celebrities,
politicians,
and business
tycoons. His
clientele list
includes Joan
Rivers, Oprah,
Nita Ambani
and royal fam‑
ily members.
After attend‑
Called
ing Prestonʼs
talks and events in the past, we we were asked to design was to
build a permanent pavilion for a
GURU in his
finally had the chance to con‑
verse with him about his style Middle Eastern royal wedding. field, Preston Bailey
and his sensory overload flower is best known for
installations. Hereʼs what he has Can you recall when a theme or
to say about trends and the peo‑ structure didn’t work out so well? creating large‐scale,
ple who follow them. And how did you solve it? theatrical floral
I always said that my next book
How and why did you get into the is going to be called, “Preston
installations all
event and wedding industry? Bailey Mistakes.” The good news around the
I got into the event business is that as soon as they are solved,
I learn and forget about them.
world.
because I was broke and needed believe
a job. My best friend and famed Mrs. Ambani
Interior Designer Vicente Wolf Now that you’ve worked in India
is one of the most creative per‑
suggested that I do weekly flow‑ with the Ambani family twice in
sons I have ever worked with.
ers for one of his clientʼs home, recent months, what are some wed‐
and as they say, the rest is histo‑ ding trends that you envision for
Your list of notable clients is
ry! South Asian weddings?
amazing. Which celebrity wedding
So, so sorry, but I tend not to
would you like to design next? In
What’s your secret, dream profes‐ follow or pay attention to trends.
Hollywood, in Bollywood or world‐
I very much try to create an idea
Images
sion, if you could do it all over wide?
with my clients that has never y
again? JLO, I love this lady! Courtes
Movie director! been seen before. I believe the
f Pres ton
PrestonBailey.com o
reason why most events look the Baile y
If you had to label your design same, is because of lazy people
style, what would that be? that follow or pay attention to
Surprise. I love the idea of sur‑ trends.
prising my clients and their
guests with beauty. How was it like
working with the
You are known for your floral Ambani’s on both
structures. What’s the most elabo‐ of the famous
rate structure you have ever con‐ weddings? How
ceived? How many flowers were did you bring
used in that installation? their dream wed‐
This is one of the carousels ding into reality?
that we designed for the Wynn What were their
Palace. Over three hundred thou‑ requests?
sand flowers were used to create Clearly, my
this design. clients are pri‑
vate, and I can‑
What is the most over the top not discuss
theme you have ever been request‐ details. I do have
ed to design? just one com‑
The most impressive concept ment though, I
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
W
ith over‑the‑top weddings
now being de rigueur,
weʼve found the ultimate
in luxury affairs–having a celebri‑
ty chef cater your special day.
Imagine the Insta‑moment when
your guests see celebrity Chef
Floyd Cardoz preparing the
meal at your wedding or special
event. Thatʼs exactly what Paul
Neuman, owner of award‑win‑
ning, 37‑year‑old catering house,
Neumanʼs Kitchen, thought when he
asked Chef Cardoz to join him in an
exclusive catering partnership to
offer an elevated experience for his
catering clients. With critically
acclaimed restaurants in India and
the US, Chef Cardoz is best recog‑
nized as the Season Three winner of
Bravoʼs Top Chef Masters and as
head chef at restaurants like Danny
Mayerʼs Tabla and North End Grill.
Chef Cardoz currently is the chef‑
owner of NYCʼs Bombay Bread Bar
and is the Culinary Director of
Mumbaiʼs Bombay Canteen, which
has recently been named Indiaʼs top
restaurant, 2019 by Condé Nast
Traveler. “Our goal with this collab‑
oration,” says Paul Neuman, owner
of Neumanʼs Kitchen, “is to offer our
clients Floydʼs highly personal
approach and unique interpreta
tions of international food for their
catered events. It was love at first
sight when we first met Floyd, and
we instinctively knew that his cre‑
India born Chef Cardoz is
currently the chef‑owner of
NYCʼs Bombay Bread Bar and is
partnering with award‑winning,
37‑year‑old catering house,
Neumanʼs Kitchen, based in
New York and Philadelphia.
ativity and our direction were going
to be something unique in the cater‑
ing arena.”
Cardoz adds, “I believe that good
food and good cooking are not only
about how good something looks or
tastes, itʼs also about how good you
feel while cooking for someone you
love, or eating something that has
been lovingly prepared for you. The
entire process of cooking is about
expressing your soul. If your food
does not have soul, it will not give
joy to those eating it. And without
soul, we are nothing. Working with
WEDDING SPECIAL
Neumanʼs Kitchen will allow me to
offer my food to larger events,
something I canʼt do in my restau‑
rants. Neumanʼs Kitchen has the
capabilities and reach I was looking
for in such a partnership, and I am
excited to start this new journey
with them.”
The Cardoz menus have been
available starting March 2019 and
begin with a focus on bridal and life
cycle events as well as destination
weddings. Neumanʼs Kitchen, based
in New York and Philadelphia, is col‑
laborating with caterers around
North America through their affilia‑
tion with LCA – The Leading
Caterers of America to enable Floyd
to reach a national audience.
Expect progressive dishes like
Black Pepper Shrimp with a
August 17-23, 2019 59
Photos by Salt and Acid
Watermelon‑Watercress Salad, Crab
Cakes with Tamarind Chutney,
Upma Polenta with Wild
Mushrooms, Riced‑Flaked Halibut or
Lamb Haleem Curry. All dishes are
cooked in Indian spices and modern‑
ized with on‑trend ingredients. Chef
Floyd can also orchestrate an Indian
Street Food Station with green chick‑
pea chat, samosas and other crowd
favorites.
Prices start around $250 and up
per person, and expect the award‑
winning presentation and service of
Neumanʼs Kitchen to wow your
guests to a level unexpected in
South Asian weddings. In the end,
The entire process of cooking is
arenʼt the bragging rights of having about expressing your soul. If
such a coveted chef at your wedding your food does not have soul, it
worth it? We think so. will not give joy to those eating
www.NeumansKitchen.com it, believes Chef Cardoz.
 60 August 17-23, 2019 WEDDING SPECIAL TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Interview with half of India’s top fashion designer duo Abu Jani - Sandeep Khosla
By Ayesha Hakki

T
he first thing I noticed about Sandeep
Khosla when I first met him at a recep‑
tion being thrown in his honor at Meera
Gandhiʼs historic townhome in New York City,
was his shirt. Tailored and of fine fabric, the
classic black shirt paired with black pants gave
Sandeep the understated air of a creative, per‑
haps not unlike the many others woven in the
New York City scene. However, it was when he
turned around that it was unmistakable he was
a fashion designer from Mumbai. On the back
of his shirt was a burst of gold, red, green and
black sequins with thick, swervy, golden letters
spelling the word “guts!!” with two exclamation
points. The whimsy of the design and unex‑
pected placement of the logo, in the way of
superhero might wear one, summed up
Sandeep in one visual statement. Heʼs a serious
designer who doesnʼt take himself too serious‑
ly. Half of Indiaʼs top fashion designer duo, Abu
Jani Sandeep Khosla, Sandeep is best known
for his use of traditional textiles and fabric
work buoyed in bespoke tailoring. The label
most recently created the wedding dresses for
Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra and Isha
Ambani and include Beyonce, Cardi B, Dame
Judi Dench and almost every Bollywood A‑lis‑
ter as their clients. When asked who his
favorite celebrity to dress is, Sandeep answers
with a reverent smile, “the Bachchans, always
the Bachchans.” He adds, “We did Priyankaʼs
Mehndi, Haldi and Reception. The yellow one
is something that came out of our archives. We
had done it about 10 years ago, and it was in
our book, and she sees it and just loves it.
When she wore it, she just owned it. All the col‑
ors...it was over 15 meters of fabric...it was fab‑
ulous.”
Isha Ambani chose to wear an Abu Jani
Sandeep Khosla original for her wedding
reception. The off‑white, 16‑panel lehnga fea‑
tured floral motifs inspired by Moghul jaalis
and set against a delicate red zardozi border
enhanced with mukaish and nakshi work. As
homage to her mother Nita, the gown incorpo‑
rated a 35‑five‑year‑old heirloom piece – Nitaʼs
Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla
wedding sari – into the construction. Two
dupattas completed the look, one in tulle for
the head, and second one in red draped around
her shoulders. Sandeep adds, “She left the
designing to us, and the result was too fabu‑
lous.” Of course, this leads me to ask, whatʼs
new in bridalwear, and specifically, what
should Indian‑American brides be wearing?
Sandeep is quick to answer, “Be more adven‑
turous, more on trend. Evolve a little bit. Brides
have to get more stylish, experiment with
color. Itʼs going to all happen now. Itʼs going to
start. Brides are wearing either red or off‑
white, which weʼve popularized a lot, but when
a bride comes to us, leave it to us, we will make
something amazing.”
Although Sandeep and his partner Abu Jani,
are enveloped in a life of glamour, celebrity
and art, Sandeep admits to being a homebody
whose favorite meal is home‑cooked Indian
food. His favorite drink is tequila and his best
accomplishment is love. Consequently, his role
model remains Abu Jani, but he says, “being a
designer is a lot of hard work.” With over
three decades of experience, the designers
have come a long way from their first store
opening in 1986 called Mata Hari. Today, they
have seven stores around India and four label
Sandeep Khosla
has Gutts
lines. “Weʼve done two books of our work and
we will do a retrospective of our work as soon
as a museum calls,” and we both laugh willing
Isha Ambani
the Universe for Anna Wintourʼs call.
chose to
The label has been holding trunk shows all wear an Abu
over the world including one held recently at Jani Sandeep
the Taj Pierre in New York City, the first such Khosla
exhibition after 22 years. “The next part of the original for
journey is conquer America and all of the her wedding
world,” states the designer. I ask how does he reception.
plan to do that, and Sandeep quips, “Find a
sugar daddy!” Seriously he continues, “Find a
business investor, of course, to help the brand
grow. Itʼs something weʼve wanted to do all of
our lives, and itʼs never happened, but now I
think we are ready. The timeʼs right, every‑
thing is right.”
With that I realize that it would have initially
taken guts to get the duo to this level of suc‑
cess, but it will be the sparkly sequined “gutts”
of the world they have achieved that will carry
them to their next accomplishments. And yes,
Sandeep is ready with the right wardrobe.
The Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla lines are avail‑
able through their stores in India and online at
http://www.abusandeep.com.

Heritage India Fashion

Designer Prashant Goyal of Manhattanʼs Heritage India Fashion says

dark tones are in this wedding season. (Photography by Vic Chauhan)

A
s color themes for weddings
become more intense and atmos‑
pheric, so does the fashion swirling
amongst the guests. Designer Prashant
Goyal of Manhattanʼs Heritage India
Fashion is known for his bespoke cre‑
ations. This year, he predicts darktones like
slate and midnight enhanced with a chance
of jewel tones on silks and velvets. He says,
“Expect lots of oranges, magenta, emerald
green and deep blues with dark accents
and deep burnished metallics as a color
palette. Silhouettes for still focused on the
waist for both men and women.”
HeritageIndiaFashions.com
TheSouthAsianTimes.info WEDDING SPECIAL August 17-23, 2019
 62 August 17-23, 2019
W
hen it comes to the experi‑
ence of your wedding, hav‑
ing a narrative that tells
your story running through your event
makes it personal and intimate. Guests
have a chance to discover your story in
all its details as they attend your festiv‑
ities. An updated approach to catering
for 2019 is to extend your story
through your food. Ranbir Bhatia is the
general manager for one of
Manhattanʼs top Indian restaurants
and caterers, Benares. He, along with
partner Nitu Singh also own Antunʼs in
Long Island and Minar. They have both
been in the catering business for over
20 years, and have seen the industry
evolve from palak paneer in a chafing
to edible artworks now offered today.
Ranbir says, “Yes! It is absolutely possi‑
ble to create a story through food, and
in fact, it is something we encourage
when we first meet with our couples.”
Creating a narrative starts with your
theme. For example, if you want the
theme to be about you as a couple, per‑
haps consider serving dishes that
honor your heritage, your first date or
the vacation where you were engaged.
“We recently did one wedding where
the bride and groom were from two
different cultures and they liked to
travel a lot,” says Ranbir, “So we creat‑
ed a menu from four or five different
nations and presented the food with
decor and props that reflected the
country we were featuring. Of course,
we also made sure that the meal as a
CATERING
whole worked together so people did‑
nʼt feel they were eating too many dif‑
ferent taste profiles.”
Benares also believes in the presen‑
tation of the food as an artform and is
known for their unique use of veg‑
etable gourds to present the cuisine.
For example, Ranbir says, “Weʼve
served coconut curries in actual
coconuts and of course, dessert in fruit
gourds like cantaloupe or watermel‑
on.” Other times, they are known to
serve in mini presentation bowls,
bowls pressed from leaves, tasting
spoons and rolled paper cones. “We
look at the food and see how we can
serve it in the most interesting fashion
whether that be authentically as with
street food, or unusually as with cur‑
ries.” Another device that Benares
employs to tell a narrative, especially
for buffets and live stations, is to work
WEDDING SPECIAL TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Photos courtesy Benares NYC
Ranbir Bhatia of Manhattanʼs top restaurant Benares says, “Yes!
It is possible to create a story through food, and in fact, it is
something we encourage when we first meet with our couples.”
with the decorator of the event to
design the tables to reflect the cuisine.
“I remember one event,” adds Ranbir,
“where we served Asian food and so
set up the tables to look like live sushi
bars. We even had Japanese chefs serv‑
ing the food.”
To tell a story through your food,
choose a menu based on your theme.
For example, if your theme is “ancient
Mughal kingdoms,” then Mughlai cui‑
sine is best served or if your theme is
“Born in Brooklyn,” undoubtedly
cheesecake needs to be included. Next,
to see your vision through, itʼs best to
work with an experienced caterer who
understands your vision and has the
creativity to see it through. As Ranbir
says, “I am a firm believer in that you
eat the food first with your eyes and
then with your mouth.”
BenaresNYC.com
 64 August 17-23, 2019 WEDDING SPECIAL TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Understanding New Jersey

prenuptial agreements
As couples get married later & later in life, after building careers and
amassing assets, prenups are becoming more and more prevalent.
By Karolina Dehnhard, Esq. attorneys of their own choosing, and pre‑ will no longer matter. Instead, interpretation draft agreement that they are concerned may
Chair of the New Jersey Matrimonial & Family pared and entered into that agreement far is based upon the situation existing at the not protect them through the vagaries of life
Law Group enough in advance of the actual wedding time the agreement was signed. together. As a result, we, as legal counsel,
that it does not appear to be entered into Obviously, the changes to the Prenuptial must not only be more creative, but more

W
edding season is in full bloom in
the tri‑state area. As flowers
bloom, mailboxes across the area
are flooded with “Save the Date” cards. As so
many couples start making wedding plans
picking out the venue, flowers, bridal party,
and honeymoon locations, another thing to
add to the list of things to consider is, the
often dreaded “prenup” discussion.
Though they were seldom utilized until
recently, now as couples get married later
and later in life, after building careers,
amassing assets, and buying homes, prenup‑
tial agreements are becoming more and
more prevalent. Couples today are more
aware of the fact that marriage is not neces‑
sarily “forever,” and want to take steps to
protect themselves. They want to establish
the ground rules of how finances will be
dealt with during the marriage, and even to
delineate their responsibilities in the event of
a divorce.
Once frowned upon, prenups are now
regarded by legislatures and courts as valid
and enforceable, so long as they have been
entered into in a manner consistent with the
statutory criteria. In general, an agreement
will be held valid if both sides have fully dis‑
closed their assets/liabilities and income, had
their agreement reviewed by independent
“under duress.” Furthermore, the agreement
cannot be unconscionable.
In 2013, the New Jersey State Legislature
substantially revamped the applicable
statutes governing prenuptial agreements. As
a result, judges now must evaluate prenuptial
agreements as of the date of the signing, and
no longer as of the date on which enforce‑
ment is sought (which can be years and years
after signing) as was previously the case.
This change in the law was designed to
ensure meaningful and enforceable contracts
and reduce litigation as to their enforceabili‑
ty. Other changes, such as deleting the previ‑
ously delineated definition of “uncon‑
scionability” were also made. As can be
imagined, the significant shift from looking
at the fairness of agreements then, to looking
at them now, makes it easier for courts to
uphold the agreements. Prenups can be, and
are, looked at completely differently by men
and women, supporting spouse or supported
spouse. No longer will the courts consider
the substantial changes in the partiesʼ lives:
the number of children they have raised, the
job opportunities they may have given up
and the reliance of one spouse or the other in
determining the fairness of agreement. If a
person has become stricken with a debilitat‑
ing illness, such as Multiple Sclerosis, that
Agreement Act, which was promoted by
numerous menʼs groups, are viewed with two
different sets of eyes. Men applauded the
change, as they often enter marriage with
more assets than their soon‑to‑be spouse.
Overall, since the change in the Uniform
Premarital Agreement Act (UPAA), we are
seeing many more men looking to enter into
premarital agreements. This is partly
because they want to protect what they have
already amassed; and further, they are
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 66 August 17-23, 2019
Atma Nambi: New guru on the block
O
ur bodies are truly miracles and
we have all what is needed in our
body to heal itself,” said Atma
Nambi, a visiting spiritual master from
Tamil Nadu. “Even chronic diseases, which
people think have no cure can be cured.”
“We all have positive energy fields
around us, and we can heal and awaken
ourselves,” he elaborated while on a visit
to Washington DC last month.
Amid harmonious chanting of mantras,
he explained how the magnetic field and
positive energy field work in and around
our bodies: “Our thoughts, actions, medi‑
tation and chanting all enhance and
charge these fields and create a healing
atmosphere.”
The founder of Upanisha Ananda
Mandir in Salem district of Tamil Nadu,
Atmaji was sitting in the middle of a large
group of people from diverse spiritual
backgrounds. He said that people were
looking for solutions to live a conscious
life in line with his or her individual
potential, but we have all inside us and we
needed to tap that energy to receive joy,
health and prosperity.
A
tma Nambi is a modern enlight‑
ened master and mystic from
Tamil Nadu, the heart of spiritual‑
ity in South India. Heʼs a multidimension‑
al and casual master who easily connects
with people through his relaxed, outgo‑
ing and fun loving personality. Just to be
in the presence of Atmajiʼs inner silence
brings healing and connects you to your
true nature.
After studying with five different
teachers he had an enlightenment expe‑
rience 23 years ago. After 2 years of
silence, he decided to clear the path for
seekers and to help them evolve spiritu‑
ally through meditation, yoga and kriya.
He has since been travelling around the
world, helping people. Atmaji had his
international breakthrough with a
speech in 2013 at the World Parliament
of Spirituality in Hyderabad. His work
has since spread to Europe and America.
Upanisha Ananda Mandir founded by
him in Salem district is located on a
vibrant site by the foot of Bodhi
Mountain and Sivahari hill where Sage
Vasistar and Bodhi Dharma, the Zen mas‑
ter, meditated.
SPIRITUALITY TheSouthAsianTimes.info
SUREKHA VIJH attended a spiritual healing workshop led
by the master visiting Washington DC from Tamil Nadu.
“Everyone can achieve this, it is easy,
practical and powerful technique,” Atmaji
added, conducting the spiritual healing
workshop.
Explaining, he said that through these
techniques one can live not only a healthy,
fulfilled life but also could experience
glimpses of ʻSelf and higher state of con‑
sciousness (samadhi)ʼ.
“The longer you
stay in the presence Atma Nambi has
of this state of mind, dedicated himself to
it is sustained helping seekers
longer,” he said, evolve spiritually
“and there is inner through meditation,
silence.” yoga and kriya.
“It is based on self‑
awakening and self‑healing,” he added.
The techniques included “emptying one‑ Atmaji said that as our bodies were teachers who came before him. They laid
self from any preconceived ideas and vari‑ made of cells which changed every few the foundation, such as Maharishi Mahesh
ous programming in our body and mind.” years, so it was easy to bring healthy cells Yogi, who popularized transcendental
“You may call it Kundalini awakening or in our bodies and get rid of bad cells just meditation in the West.
chakras awakening,” Atmaji further with self‑realization and self‑awakening. Atmaji is willing to help anybody provid‑
explained. “Although there are 108 “When a part of our body gets hurt the ed they are willing to help themselves and
chakras or energy fields in our body, whole body tries to heal that part,” he open to self‑healing.
seven are more commonly known.” added. Email:
When there is an energy coordination Atmaji is grateful to all the spiritual atmanambi2019retreat@gmail.com.
there is openness, “we are in flow.” This is
a state of consciousness that removes the
blocks from different parts of the body
and brings creativity and the ability to
perceive the situation as it is.
“Flow makes every action joyous and
healthy for oneself and others. An atmos‑
phere of flow increases the amount and
the quality of the work done over a period
of time,” he added.
Indian sages knew such techniques and
in our ancient culture there were many
time‑tested methods, which over the years
got faded. The spiritual teacher said that
managing our bodies according to the law
of nature was important. We all have
three main nerves or nadis ‑‑ Ida, Pingala
and Sushumna‑‑and five elements in our
bodies, any imbalance therein will make
us sick or tired or depressed.”
Atmaji offered throat and heart chakra
initiation along with kundalini initiation,
which he said activated the life force hid‑
den within, dissolving fear, anxiety and
depression. The energy enables both men‑
tal and physical well‑being.
Some of those who attended his work‑
shop said they felt a happy state of mind
and body afterwards.
Atma Aradhana (Indian name of the
Sweden born Ose), was at the verge of
committing suicide when she went to
India to find peace and found Atma
Nambi, whose presence healed her. She is
now his assistant. “My life is a total testi‑
mony of how Master Nambi without giv‑
ing me any medication has healed my
state of mind,” she said.
“What I learnt from Atmaji makes sense.
Whatever path we are on, he meets us
there,” said Padma Shah.
“Simply sitting in his presence was joy‑
ful,” added Jaya.
 68 August 17-23, 2019 HEALTH TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Saint Peterʼs University Hospital leads the

way in maternal health services
aint Peterʼs University Hospital is a

S leader in maternal health and neonatal

care and a regional leader in New Jersey
in number of births, delivering more than
5,400 newborns in 2018. The hospital was
New Jerseyʼs first state‑designated Regional
Perinatal Center, providing exceptional high‑
risk maternity care for women and their
babies.
Saint Peterʼs is the first and only New Jersey
hospital in the Council of Womenʼs and
Infantsʼ Specialty Hospitals (CWISH), a collab‑
orative of 14 hospitals nationwide that works
to establish best practices for womenʼs and
infantsʼ health care. Widely recognized for its
Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU),
mothers experiencing high‑risk pregnancies
often seek out Saint Peterʼs for its advanced
diagnostic testing and high‑risk pre‑ and post‑
natal care. T he NICU recently launched
FaceTime Rounding, the first‑of‑its‑kind in the
state delivering a LIVE audio and visual feed
to parents whose infants need specialized
long‑term care. Parents returning to work or
home to care for other children can remain
connected to their babies and contribute to Saint Peter's Mary V O'Shea Birth Center bedroom
real‑time discussions with the medical team
imparting newborn care. nized program reduces the need for opioid The hospital offers midwifery services and campus, meaning low‑risk patients can
Saint Peterʼs is also the stateʼs first to offer pain medication while concurrently reducing this birthing option will be expanded when choose personalized options for birthing in a
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS), a the length of hospital stay. Patients can go Saint Peterʼs opens its new, state‑of‑the‑art home environment with the advantage that
specialized program for women recovering home sooner yet are connected to the medical birth center in September. It will be the stateʼs should an emergency arise, emergency care is
from Caesarean section. The nationally recog‑ team via telemedicine capabilities. first birth center to be located on a hospital immediately available.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA DAY SPECIAL August 17-23, 2019

We’re expecting!

The only birth center in New Jersey on a hospital campus. Opening in September.
Women experiencing a low-risk pregnancy who are looking for more natural options for their birthing experience can
be cared for by our certified nurse-midwives. The new Mary V. O’Shea Birth Center at Saint Peter’s University Hospital
provides an alternative, home-like birthing option for women. With a separate street entrance and dedicated space, our
birthing suites resemble bedrooms and feature a queen-size bed, large spa-size tub, and shower, all in a relaxing décor.

From pregnancy through birth, our midwives will support you in the way you want to experience the birth of your child.
You may choose to move around freely, use birthing tools, immerse yourself in water for comfort, and get the support
you need to birth without medication.

To learn more or to make an appointment with a midwife, call 732.339.7879

or visit saintpetershcs.com/midwifery

Sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen

 70 August 17-23, 2019 NATIONAL TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Indian Embassy to impart Kamala Harris sponsors

free Hindi classes at George
Washington University
Washington, DC: Aiming at promoting
Hindi in the US, the Indian embassy in
Washington will impart free Hindi classes
to the students of the prestigious George
Washington University on popular
demand.
The six‑week non‑credit Introductory
Hindi Language course, beginning August
28, will be conducted by Dr. Moxraj, a
teacher of Indian Culture at the embassy.
Earlier this year, the embassy had con‑
ducted free weekly Hindi classes of one‑
hour duration in its premises. The course
generated an impressive interest, with 87
candidates from seven countries register‑
ing for the classes on short notice.
"This indicates that there is a strong
interest in Hindi language learning... and
encourages us to build on the successful
introductory course," said Benjamin D
Hopkins, Director, Sigur Centre for Asian
Studies and Deepa M Ollapally, Associate
Director, Sigur Centre for Asian Studies at
the University in a recent letter to the
Indian Ambassador to the US.
langar on Capitol Hill
The six‐week non‐credit
Introductory Hindi Language
course, beginning August 28,
will be conducted by Dr.
Moxraj, a teacher of Indian
Culture at the embassy.
In the Introductory Hindi Language
course, students will be familiarized with
the various basic aspects of the language, SikhLEADS interns with the Congressmen who spoke at the event
including alphabet, and will be taught to
speak in Hindi. Washington, DC: SALDEFʼs SikhLEAD This yearʼs Langar on the Hill was
"As the Sigur Centre has in the past and interns hosted the 6th Langar on the Hill sponsored by Senator Kamala Harris and
continues to support language learning last month. They brought together the the theme was “Sikhs. Solidarity.
and engagement, we were quite excited to Sikh American community with Service.”
be able to of fer an opportunity for stu‑ Congressmen, policymakers, The SikhLEAD interns integrated a
dents to be introduced to Hindi, a critical Congressional staffers and their fellow Seva project into the event by donating
language and one that is less commonly interns. Each year this event is organized to DC Books to Prisons. The eventʼs
taught," Hopkins and Ollapally said. in an effort to bring together diverse speakers included Congressmen Brad
They hope that the course will help lay groups to practice collaboration and Sherman (CA), TJ Cox (CA), Raja
the foundation for full credit Hindi classes equality, all through the prism of Langar Krishnamoorthi (IL), and Alexander
in the university. (PTI) and Seva. Acosta (FL).

Lend a helping hand The Consulate General of

India hosted an Akhand

whenever, wherever possible: Paath Sahib in commem‑

oration of 550th birth

Sadhvi Ritambhara Devi Ji

anniversary of Shri Guru
Nanak Dev Ji at
Gurdwara Guru Nanak
Darbar in Hicksville, NY
from Aug 2 to 4, 2019.
Ambassador Sandeep
Chakravorty and Oyster
Bay Town Supervisor
Joseph Saladino
attended its completion
ceremony, ʻbhogʼ.

New high school named after

Mohan Wanchoo (right), one of the event organizers
receiving blessings from Sadhvi Ji
New York: On August 3rd, devotees
were presented with the opportuni‑
ty to partake of an uplifting dis‑
course from Param Pujya Sadhvi
Ritambhara Devi ji, who is af fec‑
tionately referred to as Didi Maa. A
founder of the Param Shakti Peeth,
Didi Maa has initiated the unique
Vatsalyagram, the only institution
of its kind in the world that is a
combination of an orphanage, an
old age home, and a widow's shel‑
ter. T he unique concept puts
together a family for people who
have lost their biological families.
Homes built of seven to ten
orphans get a mother, an aunt, and
a grandmother. Bound by love they
care and nurture each other
through their evolution in life with
dignity and a strong sense of self‑
worth. In the audience were a num‑
ber of people who were hearing
Pujya Didi Maa for the first time.
Dr. Kiran C Patel opens in Florida
New York: A new high school in school is open to anyone who is History and European History at
They were moved by her strong
Tampa, Florida, built by and named close enough to commute, including Tampa Bay Technical High School
sense of spirituality, and patriotism.
after a highly successful Indian‑ residents of Pasco County, a news and has received several honors for
Drawing from the teachings of
American cardiologist, businessman, report on neighborhoodnewson‑ her service. The architecture of the
Guru Nanak, the Bhagwat Gita, and
and philanthropist, Dr. Kiran C. Patel, line.net said. “Simply because you school itself is considered a learning
Shree Ramayan, Pujya Didi Maa
opens its doors this week to some belong to a certain neighborhood tool presenting learning opportuni‑
emphasized the importance of
300 students with a mission to pre‑ should not force you to stay in that ties over the entire campus, includ‑
maintaining one's peace and bal‑
pare youth for 21st‑century knowl‑ neighborhood (for school),” Patel is ing school grounds and landscaping,
ance while giving back to society
edge and skills acquired through quoted telling the website says. Patel has given to
and lending a helping hand where
project‑based pedagogy. The Dr. Neighborhoodnewsonine. The report numerous projects and causes in
ever and whenever possible.
Kiran C. Patel High School scheduled also said Dr. Patel had committed India and the US. Born in Zambia in
The program was put together by
to open Aug. 12, has an inaugural $20 million to launch the school. 1950, and educated in India and the
Mohan Wanchoo, Jagdish Sewhani
class of 300 students in the 9th “Inquiry & problem‑based U.S., Patel completed his specializa‑
and Mukesh Modi with support
grade. It has a capacity of just 600 approaches to instruction will tion in cardiology in Gujarat. His
from Balu Advani, Dr. Rakesh
students in total in grades 9 through immerse Patel High School students businesses include healthcare, health
Shreed har, Ramjibhai Pate l,
12, a press release on its website in real‑world problems and solu‑ insurance, and real estate develop‑
Pramod Bhagat, Nishu Aggarwal,
says. The tuition‑free school will tions, cultivating a profound under‑ ment. Another institution named
Neelam Modi, Shalini, and Sangeeta
of fer an advanced curriculum and standing of their civic and leadership after him is the Dr. Kiran C. Patel
Matlani. The management team at
focus on the schoolʼs mission state‑ responsibilities, both locally and Center for Global Solutions at the
the Asa Mai Mandir provided stal‑
ment, which emphasizes up‑to‑date globally,” the school says. University of South Florida in Tampa,
wart services that made the event a
knowledge and skills, personalized The schoolʼs first head is Principal Florida. He is married to Dr. Pallavi
huge success.
and innovative instruction, partner‑ Marlee Strawn, who has 10 years of Patel. The Kiran C. and Pallavi Patel
ships between the school and the experience in the Hillsborough Family Foundation engages in proj‑
Visit https://www.vatsalyagram.org
community, social responsibility and School District. She has in the past ects across the globe, particularly in
/for more information.
leadership, the website says. The taught Advanced Placement World Florida, Africa, and India.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA DAY SPECIAL August 17-23, 2019
 72 August 17-23, 2019
Dow tumbles in biggest fall
of year on global slowdown
New York: T he Dow Jones Industrial
Average fell 800 points on Wednesday, its
biggest one‑day fall this year, after data
showed world economic growth slowing
further, undermined by President Trumpʼs
trade protect ionism, leading the U.S.
Treasury yield curve to invert and flash a
recession warning signal.
All 30 stocks in Dow Jones Industrial
Average closed lower for only the third
time this year, and all eleven sector indexes
in the S&P 500 ended lower, reversing
gains notched Tuesday when the Trump
administration said it would delay the
imposition of some new tariffs on Chinese
goods.
But there are still “structural issues” the
U.S. needs to settle with China through
negotiations, White House trade advisor
Peter Navarro told Fox Newson Wednesday.
These issues include cyber intrusion into
U.S. business networks, forced technology
transfer, intellectual property theft and cur‑
rency manipulation, he added.
Navarro and Trump both blamed the
Federal Reserve for slowing economic
growth and the fall in stocks. “This is basi‑
cally the Federal Reserveʼs problem,”
Navarro said. “T hey are causing this
because when Jay Powell got in as chair‑
man he proceeded to rein in interest rates
by 100 points, too far too fast. Even though
the Trump economy is rock solid, it slowed
BUSINESS
us down a bit because of those higher inter‑
est rates.”
Bank stocks led the decline as the inver‑
sion of the yield curve is seen making it
harder for banks traditional business
model to work when short term borrowing
costs are higher than longer term lending
rates.
The spread between 3‑month Treasury
bills and the 10‑year Treasury note has
been negative since March but the 2‑year
Treasury/10‑year note spread went nega‑
tive for the first time since 2007.
“The global economy would likely see a
recession if the US escalates tarif fs on
China to 25% for an extended period,”
Morgan Stanley equity analyst, Michael
Wilson wrote in a note.
President Trump imposed tarif fs on
about $200 billion worth of Chinese
imports from June 1 and has threatened
tariffs of 10% on the remaining $300 bil‑
lion worth of imports from China.
Saudi Aramco to buy 20%
stake in Reliance
New Delhi: Re liance Industries (RIL)
Chairman Mukesh Ambani has said that Saudi
Aramco will acquire 20 per cent stake (nearly
$15 billion) in RIL's oil‑to‑chemical business.
Speaking to shareholders during the 42nd
Annual General Meeting of the RIL, Ambani
said that Saudi Aramco or the Saudi Arabian
Oil Company would buy the 20 per cent stake
for an enterprise value of $75 billion.
He described the deal as the largest foreign
direct investment in India.
He, however, noted that the investment is
subjected to due diligence and regulatory
approvals. Under the deal, Saudi Aramco will
also supply 5,00,000 barrels per day of crude
oil on a long‑term basis to RIL's Jamnagar
Refinery, he said.
Saudi Aramco is one of the largest compa‑
nies in the world by revenue, and is said to be
among the the most profitable companies in
the world. This comes as a major announce‑
ment days after RIL had said it has entered
into a joint venture with the British petroleum
major BP for the former's petroleum retail
business, with BP having 49 per cent stake in
the venture.
The RIL Chairman said that the deal with
BP would fetch Rs 7,000 crore to RIL.
Ambani added that the group has a clear
roadmap to become zero net‑debt company in
18 months.
The statement came in the wake of rising
debt at the group level that reached a level of
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Reliance Industries (RIL) Chairman
Mukesh Ambani.
group Rs 1,54,478 crore in the last financial
year.
He said the group's te lecom vertical
Reliance Jio and retail venture Reliance Retail
would account for 50 per cent of the compa‑
ny's earnings soon.
The RIL chairman also assured sharehold‑
ers that they would continue to get periodic
bonus issues and higher dividends once the
group became debt‑free.
Shares of the company are up 20 per cent
since the last AGM in July 2018, but have
underperformer Nifty by 11 per cent over the
past three months.
The stock has been down 9 per cent in last
one month.
The company accumulated gross debt of
more than Rs 2.87 lakh crore, as it feverishly
diversified into consumer‑focused businesses
in retail, telecom and e‑commerce over the
past few years besides majorly upgrading the
core refining and petrochemicals businesses.
74 August 17-23, 2019 INTERNATIONAL TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Trump's Kashmir mediation not Tom Suozzi apologizes after

on table anymore: Amb. Shringla
Washington: India's
Ambassador to the US Harsh
Vardhan Shringla has said that
American President Donald
Trump's mediation offer on
Kashmir was "not on the table
anymore" and "unlikely to hap‑
pen", a media report said on
Tuesday. When asked about the
prospect during a Fox News
interview on Monday night,
Shringla said: "President Trump
has made it very clear that this
is not on the table anymore.
That has been the US' long‑
standing policy. The UN
Secretary‑General was also very
clear, he says this issue will be
resolved bilaterally between
India and Pakistan."
On July 22, Trump had set off
a diplomatic storm after he
said, during a press conference
at the White House with visit‑
ing Pakistan Prime Minister
Imran Khan, that he would
India's Ambassador to the US
Harsh Vardhan Shringla was
interviewed on Fox News
"love" to mediate on the
Kashmir issue and that it had
been suggested to him by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
In response, India strongly
rejected Trump's claim.
The US administration then
moved swiftly to counter the
diplomatic embarrassment
caused by Trump's claim and
acknowledged that Kashmir
was a bilateral issue between
India and Pakistan.
outcry over Kashmir letter
Hicksville, NY: US Congressman
Tom Suozzi has apologized for
writing a letter to Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo asking that
Washington "focus" on Kashmir
and criticizing India's move to
rescind its special status.
The Democrat, who spoke to
about 100 Indian Americans at a
heated meeting on Sunday in
Hicksville, NY, said in a statement
on Monday: "I am sorry. If I had
met with them before sending the
letter, I would have framed my
concerns dif ferently. Based upon
my meeting, it is clear that it was
At a meeting with Indian Americans in Hicksville, Congressman
a mistake to not consult some of
Tom Suozzi regretted having written the controversial letter
my Indian‑American friends and
to Secretary of State. (Photo Parveen Chopra)
supporters before I sent the letter.
I should have." risked "provoking mass social very serious challenges. The US
T he Hicksville meet ing ‑ in unrest". should seek to be helpful in secur‑
which he regretted the tone of the State Department spokesperson ing safety and peace for all peo‑
letter‑‑ followed a barrage of criti‑ Morgan Ortagus has laid out the ple."
cism from his Indian American official position of the US on India After Suozzi's apology, Batra
constituents and supporters for scaling back Kashmir's special sta‑ said: "I welcome Tom's candid
his letter. tus saying that it was the coun‑ admission of error, and while it
Suozzi's letter to Pompeo was try's internal matter implicitly amends his Letter to

Trump's move to restrict influenced by what some

Pakistani and Kashmiri Americans
In the new statement, Suozzi
said: "India‑US relations will be
Secretary Pompeo, a follow‑up let‑
ter to the Secretary is in order to

green cards on ‘public had told him about the Kashmir

charge’ ground slammed
Washington: A plan presented by
the Trump administration to limit
access to citizenship and perma‑
nent residence for immigrants
who receive public assistance
would undermine democracy and
penalize parents for seeking help
to feed their children, immigrant
and advocacy groups said.
Trump's policy presented on
Monday draws on a long‑discard‑
ed notion of excluding migrants
who seem likely to become a "pub‑
lic charge" by virtue of depend‑
ence on government programs
such as food stamps, housing
vouchers and health‑care subsi‑
dies, Efe news quoted the groups
as saying. Under the new rule, a
legal immigrant would be classi‑
fied as a public charge if he or she
situation and apparently by his
one of our most important for the
next 50 years and beyond. I have
set the record right, and I urge
him to do so forthwith."
meet ing w ith Pakistan Prime spent my time promoting and ele‑ "This is a teaching moment for
Minister Imran Khan during his vating this relationship and will
cont inue to do so. India, the
all elected representatives to not
pander to one slice or another of
recent visit to Washington.
receives one or more from a list of world's largest demo cracy, one's constituents as local parti‑
In the letter, Suozzi had written
public benefits for a total of 12 remains critical for regional peace san politics is a far cray from serv‑
that India's action on Kashmir,
months over a three‑year period. and security. The current situa‑ ing the 'best interests' of the US,"
"could also embolden extremists
"Basically, it is penalizing chil‑ tion in Kashmir presents some he added.
and terrorists to act" and that it
dren, access to food for children of
immigrant families with few
resources," Isaias Guerrero, an
activist with the Fair Immigration
Reform Movement (FIRM), told
Trump proposes meeting
with Xi over HK chaos
Efe.
The initiative likewise repre‑
sents an attack on the democratic
system that "has created these
Washington: resident Donald
programs to help families get
Trump has proposed a meeting
ahead." Cecilia Munoz, vice presi‑
with his Chinese counterpart Xi
dent for Public Interest
Jinping to discuss the ongoing
Technology and Local Initiatives at
turmoil in Hong Kong, which has
New America, said, “We have an
seen weeks of ongoing anti‑gov‑
administration that really wants to
ernment protests.
reduce immigration and is using
"I know President Xi (Jinping)
every possibility to do so.”
of China very well. He is a great
leader who very much has the

Russia tells Pakistan to stick to respect of his people. He is also a

good man in a ''tough business,''

diplomatic means over Kashmir

Moscow: Russian Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov said this
when Pakistan Foreign Minister
Shah Mahmood Qureshi called
him up. "The situation in South
Asia was discussed amid the wors‑
ening relations between Pakistan
and India after the decision made
by New Delhi to change the legal
status of the state of Jammu and
Kashmir," the Russian Foreign
Ministry said in a statement. "The
Russian side emphasized the need
for de‑escalation of tension, and
that there is no alternative to
resolve differences between
Pakistan and India, except bilater‑
ally through political and diplo‑
matic means. Representatives of
Russia to the UN adhere to this
consistent position," the statement
said. On August 10, the Russian
Foreign Affairs Ministry said, in
response to a question, the
"change in the status of the state
of J&K and its division into two
Union Territories are carried out
within the framework of the
Constitution of the Republic of
India".
Trump said in a Twitter post.
"I have zero doubt that if
President Xi wants to quickly
and humanely solve the Hong
Kong problem, he can do it.
Personal meeting?" he asked.
Trump tweeted his proposal on
the same day that his govern‑
ment said they were "deeply con‑
cerned" over the presence of
Chinese paramilitary forces in
Shenzhen, on the border with
Hong Kong, Efe news reported.
The US Department of State
also updated their travel warning
on Tuesday increasing it to Level
2 and warning travelers to "exer‑
cise increased caution in Hong
Hong Kong has been paralyzed because of protests against China.
Kong due to civil unrest".
In a statement, the Department
also condemned violence in the
city in recent days and urged all
parties to restraint, but said it
supported freedom of expression
and peaceful assembly in Hong
Kong.
Trump also took the opportuni‑
ty to bring the Hong Kong issue
into the trade war with China,
apparently urging Xi to resolve
the crisis with the former British
colony before further trade nego‑
tiations with Washington.
"Millions of jobs are being lost
in China to other non‑Tarif fed
countries. Thousands of compa‑
nies are leaving. Of course China
wants to make a deal. Let them
work humanely with Hong Kong
first," he tweeted.
T he protests in Hong Kong
began in June with opposition
against a contentious extradition
bill but have since evolved into a
series of demands to improve the
city''s democratic mechanisms.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info DIASPORA August 17-23, 2019 75

40,000 people register for Ravi Batra to take part in UN

PM Modi event in Houston counter‑terror conference
Houston: Around 40,000 people have reg‑
istered for Indian community summit
"Howdy, Modi!", to be addressed by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on September 22
during his visit to the US for the UN
General Assembly session.
"Howdy", short for 'How do you do?', is a
friendly greeting in the southwest US.
T he event host Texas India Forum
expects around 50,000 people to attend
the PMʼs address to the diaspora at the
sprawling NRG football stadium.
Houston, which has a huge concentration
Indian‑Americans, is the energy capital of
the world. Energy security is a priority area
for Modi.
US Senator John Cornyn said, "As co‑
chair of the Senate India Caucus, I welcome
Prime Minister Modi to Houston. India con‑
tinues to be a key security and economic
partner of the United States, and I look for‑
ward to seeing that relationship strengthen
It will be Prime Minister Narendra Modiʼs
third major address in the US, after
Madison Square Garden New York and
Silicon Valley.
with his visit to Texas.”
Convener of the organizing committee
Jugal Malani said the event will include a
cultural program that puts a spotlight on
Indian‑American contributions to America.
New York: Eminent New York attorney
and Chair of National Advisory Council
for South Asian Af fairs, Ravi Batra has
been invited to the high level UN confer‑
ence on counter‑terrorism.
Batra has accepted to take part in the
conference titled “Countering terrorism
through innovative approaches and the
use of new and emerging technologies” to
be he ld in Minsk, Be larus from
September 3‑4, 2019. In his acceptance
letter dated August 15, he called “terror”
as “war on the cheap.”
The Minsk event will bring together
Ravi Batra has been invited in his
member states of the OSCE (Organization
capacity as Chair of the National
for Security and Co‑operation in Europe)
Advisory Council for South
and ASEAN regions. It is organized in the
Asian Affairs.
lead up to the 2nd High Level Conference
of Heads of Counter Terrorism Agencies in June 20202 where its outcomes will be
of Member States to be held in New York presented.

Pak‑backed protesters C
target I‑Day SHANTI FUND

celebration at Indian
mission in London GANDH
HI
PEACE GARDEN
N

To perpeetuate his life

l and meessagesGAN NDHI 150 will w be celeebrated worrldwide to mark
Mahatmaa’s 150th biirthday on October
O 2, 2019. At a local level Volunteerss of Shanti Fund
launchedd on Octoberr 2, 2018, multi-year
m cellebrations inn cooperationn with the Consulate
C Geeneral
of India, and many in
nstitutions inncluding govvernmental, religious
r andd educationaal.

Pro‑Pakistan and pro‑Khalistan protesters threw objects at Indian
community members gathered to celebrate Independence Day.
(Photo courtesy Global News)
London: Scotland Yard said it
made four arrests as thousands of
protesters converged outside the
Indian High Commission here
even as the Indian community
was celebrating Independence
Day on Thursday, resulting in a
tense face‑off, PTI reports.
The anti‑India protest, organ‑
ized by Pakistani groups and Sikh
and Kashmiri separatist outfits,
was demarcated with metal barri‑
ers from a pro‑India crowd out‑
side India House, during which
placard‑waving crowds disrupted
the flow of traf fic and chanted
slogans.
There were instances of stone‑
pelting and bottle‑throwing, with
Scotland Yard of ficers on duty
seen tackling some of the protest‑
ers to restrain them. The protests
according to the Metropolitan
Police resulted in one injury.
The anti‑India crowd included
the pro‑Khalistan Referendum
2020 group, a regular feature
outside India House during
Independence Day protests over
the years.
However, the turnout this year
was much larger in the wake of
the Indiaʼs move on Jammu and
Kashmir.
Earlier in the day, Indian High
Commissioner to the UK, Ruchi
Ghanashyam, did the flag‑hoisting
ceremony to mark I‑Day.
Befittingg Gandhi’s image, Volunteers of Shanti Fund have com mpleted morre than a dozen
d
dignifiedd events so far.
fa The nextt event has a positive lonng-term implication for Long Islandd. 150
trees wiill be planted in coooperation withw the Staate universiity of New w York at Old
Westburyy(SUNY-OW W), the Connsulate Geneeral of Indiaa-New Yorkk (CGI) andd Shanti Funnd. A
variety of
o trees fromm flowering to evergreenns will be planted
p in Seeptember 20019 at a beffitting
peaceful open site within
w the 600-acre
6 cammpus of thee SUNY-OW W. The areaa will be naamed
GANDH
HI PEACE GARDEN.
In Gandhhian spirit grreater individdual particippation is enccouraged by adopting onne tree. A suiitable
tag indicating the don nor’s name will
w be placeed on or neaar the tree. A donation of $500 per trree is
required.
Shanti Fuund, a philannthropic orgganization baased on Long Island, Neew York is in existence since
1993. Att the invitatiion of the Suuffolk Counnty governmment in 1998, a life size bronze statuue of
Gandhi was
w commisssioned by Shhanti Fund and a unveiledd at the Counnty Executivve office buiilding
on Octobber 2, 1999.SSince then many
m a bridge buuilding activvities through education were
peace and
undertaken by the Vo olunteers of Shanti Fundd.
Shanti Fuund is a reg
gistered charrity by the State
S of New
w York and has a 501-cc-3 nonprofitt tax-
exempt status
s from thhe Internal Revenue
R Serrvice – IRS (Fed
( ID # 11-3178073)
Please visit shantifund.org You have a once in lifetime opportunity
Have credit card ready You can have your name or loved one or
Click on donation button and In memory of parents, grandparents etc.
Follow few simple steps
Enlightenment & Peace Thru Education
 76 August 17-23, 2019 SUBCONTINENT TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Imran warns India against

'misadventure' on Pak soil
Muzaffarabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan
on Wednesday warned India against any
"misadventure" in Pakistan, saying "miscal‑
culation" on the part of New Delhi would
e licit a "t it‑for‑tat" response from
Islamabad, amid heightening tensions
between the two neighbors following
India's move to revoke Article 370 granting
special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a special session of the "Azad
Jammu and Kashmir" (AJK) Legislative
Assembly in Muzaf farabad as Pakistan
marked its Independence Day "in solidarity
with Kashmiris", Khan said: "We have infor‑
mation and we have had two National
Security Committee meetings. The Pakistan
Army has full knowledge that India has
made a plan to take action in AJK."
"Like the action they took in Balakot after
Pulwama, according to our information,
they have made a more sinister plans now.
To shift the world's focus away from occu‑
pied Kashmir, they want to take action in
AJK."
The cricketer‑turned‑politician in a mes‑
sage to Prime Minister Narendra Modi said:
"... you take action and every brick will be
countered with a stone. The Pakistan Army
is battle‑hardened and it is fully ready to
respond to any violation by India. The
entire nation is ready and stands alongside
its armed forces.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan
"A Muslim never initiates war. We are
ready to respond to any (misadventure) by
India. Kashmiris are also battle‑hardened
and they have no fear. We will respond to
whatever you do ‑‑ we will go till the end,"
he said in the address.
Calling India's move on Kashmir a "strate‑
gic blunder", the Pakistan Tehreek‑e‑Insaf
Pakistan seeks emergency
UNSC meet on Kashmir
Islamabad: Pakistan has asked the UN
Security Council (UNSC) to summon an
emergency meeting over India's move to
revoke the special status of Jammu and
Kashmir, with Foreign Minister Shah
Mehmood Qureshi warning that if New Delhi
"continues the acts of aggression" then
Islamabad "will not stay silent".
In a statement, Qureshi said he had written
a letter to the UNSC President, asking the lat‑
ter to convene an emergency meeting of the
council to discuss India's "illegal actions"
(PTI) chief said: It will cost Modi and his
BJP government heavily. I consider it a big
miscalculation by Modi. He has played his
final card."
He said it was a challenging task to draw
the attention of world leaders to the
"human rights violations in occupied
Kashmir", Geo News reported.
"But now, the Kashmir issue is under the
spotlight of (world media). By (clamping
down further) on occupied Kashmir, Modi
has in fact helped internationalise the dis‑
pute," Khan said.
that also "violate UN resolutions on
Kashmir".
The Foreign Minister stated in the letter
that if "India continues the acts of aggression
then Pakistan will not stay silent", Geo News
reported.
"We are willing to go to any lengths for
our defence," he said.
Qureshi also called his Polish counterpart
Jacek Czaputowicz to discuss the request for
convening the UNSC session on Kashmir,
Dawn newspaper reported.
"If a war breaks out, I'm saying this to the
UN, you'll be responsible... This is now UN's
trial. The entire Muslim world is looking at
the UN (to play its role).
In his Independence Day message, Army
Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said
"there can never be a compromise on
#Kashmir".
The Pakistan government earlier decided
to observe their Independence Day in soli‑
darity with "the brave Kashmiris and their
just struggle for their right of self‑determi‑
nation".

SPORTS

India manager Aishwarya scripts history,

called back from
West Indies annexes FIM World Cup
New Delhi: The axe has finally fallen on Team India Varpalota (Hungary):
manager Sunil Subramanium as he has been asked to Aishwarya Pissay, the 23‑
return from the ongoing tour of the West Indies at year old from Bengaluru,
the earliest for misbehaving with bureaucrats in the created history by annexing
Caribbean Islands. Having escaped Down Under after the FIM World Cup in the
he misbehaved during the Perth Test in December women's category post the
2018, it was just a matter of time that he fell prey to final round of the champi‑
his own conduct and that is exactly what has hap‑ onship on Sunday. She
pened as the Committee of Administrators (CoA) became the first Indian ever
were informed of the issue by senior government to win a world title in motor‑
officials in India. sport. Aishwarya also fin‑
Speaking to IANS, a board functionary confirmed ished second in the FIM
the development and said that it would be interesting Junior category on conclu‑
to see if he is now also barred from contesting for the sion of the four‑round cham‑
position of manager ‑‑ the appointment is set to hap‑ pionship.
pen by the end of this month. Aishwarya, who won the
"Yes, mails have been exchanged and while he has first round in Dubai and was
spoken about how it was an inadvertent mistake, the placed third (Portugal), fifth
top bosses are pretty clear that he needs to return. (Spain) and fourth
Citing stress when you are a representative of the (Hungary) in the subsequent
country cannot really be a justification. outings, finished with a tally
"As for the role of manager, it remains to be seen if of 65 points, just four ahead
he will be allowed or barred. Depends on how the of Portugal's Rita Vieira in
executives take to his reasoning once he is back in the final overall standings
the country. But this isn't the first time that he has for women. She was placed
been caught napping when it comes to his conduct as second in the Junior catego‑
manager of the Indian team and the episode in the ry with 46 points, behind
Caribbean Islands could be the death knell," the func‑ championship w inner
tionary said. Tomas de Gavardo (60) of
Chile. Going into the
Hungarian Baja, Aishwarya
(52) and Vieira (45) were
the top contenders for the
World Cup. The fourth place
finish earned the Indian 13
points while Vieira, who was
placed third, garnered 16.
An ecstat ic Aishwarya
said: "It's absolutely over‑
whe lming. I am out of
words. After what happened
last year, my first interna‑
t ional season, when I
crashed in Spain Baja and
suf fered career‑threatening
injuries, to come out and
win the championship, is a
great feeling.
"It was a tough phase of
my life, but I believed in
myself and was determined
to get back on the bike
which I did after nearly six
months. So, w inning the
World Cup is huge for me
and I will look to better my
performance having gained
this experience”. Aishwarya Pissay won the FIM World Cup.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA DAY SPECIAL August 17-23, 2019

72nd
 78 August 17-23, 2019
By Suchitra Srinivas
The South Asian Times
ʻHad a scheduled visit to the
doctor, felt too weak to drive
today and so cancelling mineʼ
ʻWas feeling good in the morn‑
ing and went to the gym, came
back tired, canʼt cook my food,
waiting for help, though I know
fully well that my son and his
wife are busy this week and were
not scheduled to visit us.ʼ
.ʻHad a lot of free time today,
felt energetic but did not know
where to go or whom to meet or
what to do, felling empty. My
grandkids are busy with their
exams and my daughter was
travelling.ʼ
ʻThe bathroom pipe is leaking
and calling for plumbing help is a
task I am scared to take upʼ.
ʻMy debit card was wrongly
charged, and my 75‑year‑old
husband panicked if it could
have been hacked.ʼ
These stories of solitude and help‑
lessness of seniors are just becoming
so common to hear of late. May be
the Indian American population is
aging fast or simply, the attention to
the seniors is a missing link in the
community.
Life of seniors is quite complicated.
Their numbers are on the increase
but their problems are seldom dis‑
cussed aloud. These are the men and
women who had played a busier role
in the young days during the prime
of their age. When they moved to the
US, life was beckoning and engaging.
They came in probably as students
or young professionals and had
worked hard and made every plan
perfectly well for themselves and
their children and even for their par‑
ents. They ensured financial stability
for the future, expecting it to take
care of their senior days.
Now with children well settled in
their professions and engaged in
their careers and families, the sen‑
iors have to figure out their own life
all by themselves. Thatʼs the way it
was meant to be and they are well
geared for this. No complaints, yet
not finding the right avenues to
Aging needs attention too!
engage seems to be the issue raised
by many. ʻNot intentional but the
design of the society is such that
everyone is immersed in their rou‑
tine that excludes us,ʼ feel many sen‑
iors. Going back to India to spend the
retired life is not an option. It is in
these moments that a retirement
community like the one in Florida,
named ʻShantiniketanʼ, seems to
come to help. “Living in
Shantiniketan my wife and I, in our
eighties, have no worries about cook‑
ing, grocery planning or doing the
dishes, lawn mowing or manage the
monthly utility bills. We have well
cooked food served for the seniors
residing here, all done with utmost
love and care at affordable prices.
We are able to find a community
with common interests compelled by
our age that we are starting to feel
like living around our family, said
Rajeshwar Prasad, a resident at
Shantiniketan.
Shantiniketan, the niche residential
community developed by the busi‑
nessman Iggy Ignatius has 174 con‑
dominiums, a typical housing for the
Shantiniketan is a niche residential community in Florida. A resident there, Rajeshwar Prasad, who is
president of a seniors organization, says that in the works is a directory with all the services
available for the Indian American senior community.
SENIORS
AristaCare's Indian Nursing Home founded by medical professional Mukund Thakar
has many centers in New Jersey now.
Indian American seniors and has
been popular since 2011 when the
first phase of 54 units was ready.
Plans are on to have 880 additional
units in phases. The food, entertain‑
ment, religious celebrations guaran‑
teeing the community ambience is
the plus in this gated community
housing Indian Americans over the
age of 55 years. People own these
homes and pay a nominal monthly
fee to cover the services.
There are also senior nursing
home centers such as AristaCare's
Indian Nursing Home Program
founded in 2005 by Mukund Thakar
in New Jersey. With many centers
now, they are pioneers In providing
skilled nursing home care to Indian
senior citizens and try to provide
home like atmosphere: fresh Indian
food cooked on the premises, cele‑
brating Indian festivals, providing
multiple Indian TV channels and
newspapers,
More senior centers coming in
New Jersey, Florida and other places.
But mind you we have a population
of over 250,000 Indian Americans
aged 65 and above. Township organ‑
ized senior programs and the senior
center care are quite popular but
these canʼt address the specific
Indian American community issues.
It is also true that many Indian
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
American seniors do not qualify for
federal programs because of their
good financial standing.
Even if there are specific Indian
American centric senior facilities
operating elsewhere the knowledge
about these is not widely available,
said Rajeshwar Prasad who is also
the President of National Indo‑
American Association for Senior
Citizens (NIAASC) Inc, which he
added is now working on a project to
release a directory with all the serv‑
ices available for the Indian
American senior community. It is an
ambitious project and is expected to
take a year to complete. When ready
this is sure to help many, Prasad
asserted. NIAASC has been conduct‑
ing periodic conferences that
addresses many of the issues of
Indian American seniors and has
also been counselling and helping
set up senior centric projects.
The lack of support group for the
senior is a big issue, feels Lalitha
Mani, a senior herself and active vol‑
unteer in the community. The local
temples and cultural institutions
should start to focus on senior
issues, she said adding that “A simple
meet and mingle type arrangements
would be great for us to feel among
community people. This could pro‑
vide a platform to connect with peo‑
ple of similar issues of aging and feel
comforted.”
Another concept is daycare facility
like Apna Ghar in Hicskville, NY. It is
an Adult Social Daycare center,
designed for those who are well
enough to live at home but are in
need of daily supervision. Now, while
we take enough efforts to make our
living smooth, the efforts to ensure
our smooth exit should also be
attempted. There are no forums
applicable to the Indian American
community to spread awareness on
many legal compliances associated
with senior living issues. Knowledge
on estate planning, creation of living
will, power of attorney, hospice and
palliative care mandates etc. are not
known to many.
There are many Indian American
families upholding the Indian values
and live in joint families with parents
but not focusing enough on the legal
compliance issues, making it difficult
for both the parents and children to
face realities associated with senior
life. “For instance not signing a sim‑
ple Advanced Health Care Directive
(AHCD) has landed many families in
uncomfortable situations when their
parents were breathing their last.
Concentrated ef forts to organize
seminars and awareness in these
lines is the need of the hour,” said
Sunil Tolani, Los Angeles based busi‑
nessman in hospitality and commu‑
nity volunteer.
It is only true that life gets busier
for the typical Indian American liv‑
ing in the US. The list of weekend
activities to pick and choose is a lot:
temples organizes puja and festivals
to engage the religious minded; con‑
certs, talk shows and shopping fairs
keep the fun loving youth and mid‑
dle aged occupied; classes, sports
and competitions keep the families
with young children busy; restau‑
rants and food joints keep the food
lovers engaged, NGOs take care of
voicing the needs of oppressed and
needy‑‑ the list is long and tailored
enough to cater to everyone. It is just
sad to note that the senior centric
activities seem to be missing in this
long winding list of engagements. A
thought worth pondering over!
80 August 17-23, 2019 HUMOR TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Humor with Melvin Durai

What's in a number? Two much

W
hen my sister, Irene, and brother‑ a restaurant, dividing a sandwich by two at
in‑law, Santosh, celebrated their Subway, or yelling “Number 2!” from the
25th wedding anniversary, they bathroom.
had a big party to mark the occasion. Not 4: This is one of my
surprising. Will they cel‑ favorite numbers. Itʼs
ebrate their 30th the number of years
anniversary next year we usually spend in
with as much excite‑ college to earn a
ment? Probably not. The degree, the number
30th anniversary, by tra‑ of seasons in a year,
dition, isnʼt quite as sig‑ the number of
nificant as the 25th, and weeks in a month.
de sign.o rg )
neither are the 35th and estherby Four is the number
40th. When they reach
(image courtesy: of grand slam tour‑
their 50th anniversary, naments in tennis and major championships
BEST however, they will be showered with congrat‑ in golf. Itʼs also the number of years we have
ulatory messages from all seven continents, to wait between Olympic Games, World Cups,
RATE as well as the human settlement on Mars. and Charlie Sheen marriages.
After the 50th anniversary are two signifi‑ 7: We gave importance to 7 when we decid‑
FOR cant anniversaries: 60 and 75. Only a few ed how many days to have in a week and how
couples are lucky enough to reach their 75th many dwarfs to he lp Snow W hite. T he
INDIA anniversary. Those who do are usually in National Basketball Association (NBA) and
their mid‑90s (or older) and not always sure other sports leagues follow a best‑of‑seven
AND what theyʼre celebrating. Nursing home aide: format in their playof f rounds. Seven is a
“Jack and Delores, congratulations! Seventy‑ lucky number for director M. Night
PAKISTAN five years is a big achievement.” Shyamalan: The critics love every seventh
Jack: “Seventy‑five years? You mean weʼve movie he makes.
been in this place for 75 years already? How 10: Here begins our infatuation with multi‑
old am I, anyway?” Delores: “Sheʼs talking ples of ten. Whether itʼs 10, 20, 30, or 40, itʼs
New York Head Quarter
about our wedding anniversary. Weʼve been somehow extremely significant to us. We feel
422‑S Broadway together 75 years, Jack.” a lot older when we turn 30 than when we
HICKSVILLE Jack: “Seventy‑five years? Goodness gra‑ turn 29, and not just because weʼre stuck on
cious, Lord Almighty. When the reverend 29 for several years.
NY 11801 said, ʻTill death do us part,ʼ I didnʼt realize it 12: A dozen is how we prefer to acquire a
516‑827‑1010 would be this long!” lot of things. Try selling people a carton of 11
Itʼs curious to me how some numbers are eggs and theyʼll probably laugh in your face.
more significant in our lives than others. Here But a dozen is perfect, whether itʼs eggs,
are some of the most important ones: roses, or Saudi wives.
2: We love this number because it denotes a 13: Thirteen is the unlucky number, the
couple, a pair. Two is a number we use a lot, number we try to avoid. Many high‑rise build‑
whether weʼre reserving a “Table for Two” at ings donʼt have a 13th floor̶they just skip to
the 14th. Tiger Woodsʼ marriage fell apart

Laughter is the Best Medicine

when he made the regretful mistake of get‑
ting a 13th girlfriend. For most professional
athletes, a dozen is perfect.
16: This is a significant birthday for girls,
Sweet Sixteen, signifying their passage into
womanhood. Sixteen is also the number of
By hours in a day that the average teen‑ager
Mahendra spends on Facebook.
21: This is a significant birthday for boys,
Shah
signifying their passage from soft drinks to
Mahendra Shah hard drinks. Twenty‑ one is the minimum
is an architect by drinking age in many parts of the world, and
education, also the minimum number of empty beer cans
entrepreneur by lying around at the birthday celebration.
profession, artist 50: This is a half‑century, an extremely sig‑
and humorist, nificant number. When you get to 50, youʼre
cartoonist and halfway to 100, and you might just get there,
writer by hobby. especially if youʼre as good as Sachin
He has been Tendulkar. (The retired Indian cricketer is the
only player to have scored 100 International
recording the
centuries.) Fifty is the age when you can get
plight of the
senior discounts at a number of places, and
immigrant
itʼs also̶if you bother counting̶the strands
Indians for the
of hair you have left.
past many year
100: Few numbers can compare to 100 in
in his cartoons.
significance. Getting to 100 makes you a cente‑
Hailing from
narian, old enough to say “Hi, kids!” to every‑
Gujarat, he lives
one at the shuffleboard tournament. Itʼs truly
in Pittsburgh, an honor to be in a list of 100, whether youʼre
Pennsylvania. a Top 100 tennis player, one of the “100 Most
Influential People in the World” or the first
100 people to get selfies with the Dalai Lama.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA DAY SPECIAL August 17-23, 2019
 82 August 17-23, 2019 ASTROLOGY TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874;

By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma
ARIES: Make sure you avoid everything
that af fects your health.
Businessmen are likely to suf‑
fer some setbacks on failing
to meet the deadline. Court
matters might go in your favor
but restrain your overwhelming
joy.
Make sure you donʼt surrender yourself
under physical passions to save romantic
bond. You will be at the limelight in a social
gathering provided you attend.
Stars Foretell: August 17-23, 2019
TAURUS: Travel undertaken for monetary
gains will fall short of expecta‑
tions. Blindly following the
lover/beloved would cheat you.
Wrong decisions of the past
investments could cause frustra‑
tion & mental stress. Body pain and sleep
related problems canʼt be ruled out. But try
to be positive as things will change for good
with time. Colleagues and subordinates will
lend a helping hand enabling to complete the
work on time.
Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899;
psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com
GEMINI: An important development at
personal front this wee k
brings jubilation for entire
family. Real estate invest‑
ment would be lucrative. The
company of love partner
makes you forget about the work. A cheer‑
ful state of mind would allow enjoying the
perfect health.
Use sharp thinking and ability to formu‑
late quick strategies to bring positive
results.
CANCER: Mental clarity gives a decisive
edge over all competitors at
professional front. A new
source of income will gener‑
ate through influential con‑
tacts. Attending a so cial
event/family function brings a romantic
encounter.
Vacation planningʼs might go wrong‑ so
keep an eye on it. Investing internationally
means you have to follow their laws on
real estate.

LEO: Make sure you avoid overreacting to
tense situations at family front.
Stress is likely to result in
minor mental tension. Take
immediate step to wither it. If
possible avoid wearing clothes
to a party, which could offend love part‑
ner. By traveling you will learn about new
places, ultimately itʼs a great deal for
yourself.
You will have to go out of the way to
buy your dream house.
VIRGO: Plan and enjoy a holiday, little
hussle‑ bussle might be possi‑
ble. The plot you were look‑
ing for can be profitable
from investment point of
view. New job opportunities
for some w ill be better than
expected.
You are likely to handle tough situations
at work during this week. You need to
develop self‑trust to encourage yourself to
fight illness.
LIBRA: A very good week is foreseen filled
with happiness & vitality. Your
creativity will amaze people
around you besides enhanc‑
ing career prospects. Yoga
and meditation would help in
keeping in shape and mentally agile. You
get some financial rewards as dedication
& hard work gets noticed.
Sharing candyfloss and tof fees
with lover/beloved would bring unlimited
joy.
SCORPIO: You attain a bloom in health on
sharing happiness with others.
Your trave l experience is
going to be an extent of shar‑
ing your know ledge and
communication. Selling your
plot might increase your bank bal‑
ance. Donʼt get surprised if an unexpected
gift comes to your way. Remain self‑confi‑
dent & determined.
This is the secret mantra of succeeding
at work.

SAGITTARIUS: You w ill be utterly
delighted on receiving unex‑
pected accolades. Profits are
certain if investment is made
w ith proper guidance.
Confusion might leave you
stranded preventing from decid‑
ing what to do next. Donʼt worry every‑
thing changes with time so will your
romantic life. Relatives are likely to crave
for attention, which you find dif ficult to
fulfill.
CAPRICORN: You are likely to be very
diplomatic in handling oppo‑
nents. A new financial deal
gets finalized paving the way
for fresh money. Someoneʼs
timely help would enable visu‑
alizing succeeding in an exam or
competition. Chances of recovering from
physical ailment are high. You are likely
to appear supportive by your depth of
understanding on solving complicated
problems of friends.
AQUARIUS: A happy time is foreseen in
the company of friends and rel‑
at ives as they do many
favours to you. If you are
thinking of escaping from
the hectic daily routine‑ plan
a trip. Engaging yourself with
some voluntary work would help in look‑
ing yourself positively.
Self‑confidence & discipline will be
required to bring positive results in com‑
petitive examinations.
PISCES: Financial position will improve
later in the week. Being extra
ordinary comfortable on an
of ficial trip might af fect
your work. Avoid late night
parties and wasting valuable
time otherwise it will irritate
family members. Better to ignore those
who come for temporary loans to you in
this week.
Romantic imagination would keep you
in a jovial & cheerful mood.

August 17, 2019

Ruled by number 8 and the planet
Saturn. You are energetic, hardwork‑
ing, courageous, trustworthy and
friendly. You are a great admirer of lit‑
erature and good music and you like
to associate with like‑minded people,
but you need to control your tendency
to behave impatient, erratic and
destructive at times.
This year your confidence will grow.
You would benefit from remarkable
business entrepreneur skills. New proj‑
ects and assignments would be plenty
enhancing your prosperity. Govt. and
judicial favours for some. Some misun‑
derstanding with your spouse might
bring uneasy moments at home. Later
in the year some exhilarating news
from overseas will boost up the spirits
of the entire family. Traveling would
be beneficial for building new
alliances. New romances for some.
Health of an infant in the family might
cause some concern. The months of
July, September, December and March
will be highly significant.
August 18, 2019
Governed by number 9 and the plan‑
et Mars. You are adventurous, sensi‑
tive, courageous, systematic and dash‑
ing. You are full of enthusiasm and
very helpful, but you need to control
your tendency to behave impatient,
short tempered and shy at times. This
year new alliances and partnerships
would bring in prosperity. Your confi‑
dence and determination will be at its
peak. Financial gains as delayed pay‑
ments and bad debts are recovered.
ANNUAL PREDICTIONS: FOR THOSE BORN IN THIS WEEK
Speculation in real estate and stocks
will prove to be profitable. Those at
service might face hectic period at
work, because of the unpredictable
behaviour of their boss. Your spouse
would be supportive to your concerns
and provide you with love and affec‑
tion. A budding romance is on the
horizon for some of you. A distant trip
cannot be ruled out for pilgrimage or
auspicious ceremonies. The month of
May, August, November and March
seem to be highly significant.
August 19, 2019
Ruled by number one and the planet
Sun. You are active, confident, intelli‑
gent, original and helpful person. You
possess a strong willpower and you
always strive to stay ahead of others,
but you need to control your tenden‑
cies towards behaving introvert, fickle‑
minded and careless at times. The
coming year would bring you financial
gains and happiness. You shall leave
no stone unturned to achieve your
goals. Businessmen will venture into
new and more profitable avenues.
Investment in stocks and real estate
would be highly beneficial. Property
disputes if any would get settled to
your satisfaction. Health of your
spouse would be a matter of concern.
Increase in your medical expenses
seems likely. Time spent with friends
would be worthwhile, as they would be
supportive to your concerns.
Meditation and Yoga will prove to
highly rewarding especially for spiritu‑
al as well as physical gains.
Renovation or new construction
towards the yearend. Expecting moth‑
ers need to take care of their health.
T he month of August, October,
December and April will be eventful.
August 20, 2019
Influenced by number 2 and the
Moon. You are confident, emotional,
imaginative, simple and warm hearted.
You enjoy enormous respect amongst
your friends, but you need to check
your tendency to behave stubborn,
vindictive and lazy at times. Although
there would be improvement in your
financial position, saving would not be
as expected. Sudden unforeseen
expenses would always keep you in a
financial crunch. Increase in responsi‑
bility or a change in job for some. New
foreign contact or a financial transac‑
tion will bring handsome results. A
sudden influence of a spiritual person
will have a deep impact on your per‑
sonality. Spouse will be understanding
and provide you with love and affec‑
tion. Ancestral gains for some. Watch
out from acquaintances who behave
extra friendly. Friends will be support‑
ive and helpful. New romance for
those unattached adds a zing to their
dull life. T he months of June,
September, November and February
will prove to be significant.
August 21, 2019
Governed by number 3 and the plan‑
et Jupiter, you are imaginative, ambi‑
tious, dignified, jovial, generous and
highly optimistic person. You have a
unique way of doing almost every‑
thing, which makes life very interest‑
ing around you. You are friendly and
helpful, but you need to control your
tendency to behave stubborn, extrava‑
gant and dominating at times. This
year you would see a remarkable
improvement in your financial posi‑
tion. New investment opportunities
would be alluring, but you need to
invest with extreme care. Your budget
could suffer a serious jolt if you do not
take care of your expenses. You would
follow a busy schedule, which would
not let you spend enough time with
your beloved. Those unsatisfied with
their present job can look forward to
some major changes in their career
later in the year. The months of June,
August, November and February
would be significant.
August 22, 2019
Influenced by number 4 and the
planet Uranus, you are smart, charm‑
ing, methodical, systematic and pos‑
sess an attractive personality. You are
a straightforward person and you do
not care about the consequences, but
you need to check your tendency to
behave jealous, dominating and arro‑
gant at times. This year you would
work more independently and you will
make major progress in your career.
You would also travel to distant places
and build long lasting contacts. You
would have a very active social life and
chances of a casual relationship devel‑
oping into something more, seem very
strong on your cards. Enjoy the time
you get to spend with this person.
Matrimonial alliance for a few love
birds cannot be ruled out. Despite few
initial problems your financial position
will become more stable as the year
progresses. T he months of May,
August, November and March will be
highly eventful.
August 23, 2019
Ruled by number 5 and the planet
Mercury, you are practical, friendly,
simple, accommodating person and
possess a strong memory. You are very
intelligent and have good command on
many topics, some of which donʼt even
concern you. You are disciplined and
your parents take pride in your work,
but you need to control your tendency
to behave skeptical, moody and spend‑
thrift at times. This year you would
place yourself in a much better posi‑
tion, both socially and financially. Your
high confidence and morale will bene‑
fit you in your career. Your income
would rise, but you would also spend
more on luxuries making it extremely
difficult for you to plan any savings.
You will expect very highly from your
beloved, which might be the reason for
some problems at times.
Understanding the needs of others
would be essential to maintain the har‑
mony at home. Property disputes or
long pending matters may be decided
amicably towards the end of the year.
The months of July, September and
January will be highly important.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA DAY SPECIAL August 17-23, 2019

Happy Independence Day

84 August 17-23, 2019 SPIRITUAL AWARENESS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

from strife
‑ Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj

L
ife and strife seem to go hand in hand. We have all experienced this. Any happiness that we receive is often
short‐lived, for at any moment we may suddenly find ourselves in states of sorrow. Disturbances occur at each
Sant Rajinder Singh and every stage of our life. Although existence in this world is turbulent, life should be more than a pendulum
Ji Maharaj is head of in which we swing back and forth between moments of joy and moments of sorrow.

Sawan Kirpal Ruhani The dictionary defines peace as “freedom from strife,” a state of serenity, calmness, and stillness. Despite the
Mission / Science of obstacles, we can attain true peace in this lifetime, but to do so, we need to undergo a shift in our way of thinking.
Spirituality with Our angle of vision needs to change.

international We tend to look for peace in the outer world. We hope to find it in our possessions, positions, and relationships,
headquarters in but the loss of any of these causes us to become agitated and distraught. Our peace of mind is disturbed.
Delhi, India. For Everything in this world is subject to change and eventual decay. So long as we look to the transitory world for
more information happiness, we will be disappointed. We need to change the way we look at this problem. An anecdote from the life
contact of the Moghul Emperor Akbar can help us in this regard.

www.sos.org. Akbar is considered to be one of the most enlightened emperors of India. He had a number of advisors to help run
his kingdom. Among these great minds was Birbal, the wisest of them all. He was quite clever and could figure out
solutions to difficult problems by looking at them from a totally different perspective.

One day Akbar wanted to test his advisors, so he presented them with a puzzle. He took a stick and drew a line in
the sand. He asked the advisors to try to shorten the line without erasing any part of it. Each counselor took a turn,
but all were stumped. They could not figure out how to make it shorter.

Finally, Birbal came forward, took the stick, and carefully drew a line next to the one the emperor had drawn, but
Birbal made his line longer. By drawing the second line longer, it made the original one look shorter.

The solution to finding peace requires us to look at the problem from a new perspective. We cannot change the
nature of the world or its problems, but we can add a new dimension to life that will give us peace. Lasting peace
can be found within us. Enlightened luminaries throughout history have had mystical experiences which verified for
them the existence of an inner spiritual reality.

Mystics from every religious tradition have described their inner spiritual experiences. They have spoken of heav‐
enly realms that co‐exist with the physical world. These are realms of joy and love which are within us. They are
regions of eternal peace and bliss beyond time and space. Although we cannot change the fundamental nature of
the world, we can become attuned to the worlds lying within us. In order to find peace in the world, we must first
find it within ourselves. We can do this only by changing our perspective in life.

The way to reach the spiritual realms is to invert through a process known as meditation. Through meditation we
can separate our soul from the body and voyage into the regions within.

We have within us an opening or door by which our attention can enter the higher regions. This entryway is locat‐
ed between and behind the two eyebrows. It is known as the seat of the soul in the body and has been referred to in
many ways by various religions and philosophies. It has been called the single eye or third eye, the shiv netra, divya
chakshu, daswan dwar, or tenth door. If we can withdraw our attention from the outer world and focus it at this
point we will see the Light of the higher regions reflected therein. As our soul collects at this point, it rises into the
beyond.

We may spend our time seeking worldly enjoyments, but they last for only short periods of time. So long as our
attention is identified with the world outside, we are faced with the problems and miseries that are inherent in
physical existence. By inverting our attention and rising above the physical body through a process of meditation on
the inner Light, we will find regions within which give us lasting peace.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA DAY SPECIAL August 17-23, 2019
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA DAY SPECIAL August 17-23, 2019
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA DAY SPECIAL August 17-23, 2019