BAPS Diwali 15

Bollywood 18

Art & Fashion 26

Spiritual Awareness 30

NEW YORK EDITION

Vol.4 No.29 November 5-11, 2011 60 Cents
Diwali at White House: First person account Corzine firm may have moved funds before bankruptcy US Affairs, Pages 10 Vettel wins inaugural Indian Grand Prix Indias F1 Grand Prix, Page 16

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Let Greece crisis not spill over to emerging economies: Manmohan at G20
Cannes: With non-member Greece throwing the G20 Summit here into a tailspin, India Thursday called for urgent steps to resolve the Eurozone crisis and said emerging economies cannot be made to suffer its spillover effects. India also made a strong plea for tackling the issue of illicit money stashed away in tax havens abroad, calling it a serious problem that takes away developmental funds of poor and emerging economies. The announcement of a referendum by the government of Greece has upset the calculations, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told the sum-

Cricket shamed: Pak trio jailed for spot-fixing

London: Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt and two of his teammates -- pacers Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Aamer -- were on Thursday sentenced to varying jail terms after being found guilty of spot-fixing, making them the first cricketers ever to be imprisoned for corruption. Butt was sentenced to two and a half years, Asif was handed a oneyear term, while the 19-year-old Aamer was sentenced to six months of prison time by a court here. Players' agent Mazhar Majeed got the strongest punishment as he was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison by Justice Jeremy Cooke after a trial. "These offences, regardless of

Mohammed Asif, Mohammed Aamer and Salman Butt pleas, are so serious that only a sentence of imprisonment will suffice," Cooke told the convicted quartet here today. Butt, who apparently corrupted his teammates, was called the "orchestrator" of the scam that was revealed after a sting operation on Majeed by the now-defunct tabloid 'The News of the World' in August Continued on page 4...

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in a group photo with G20 leaders including President Obama in Cannes, France, Thursday. mit, referring to the decision by Athens to go to the people regarding its bailout package, which was later withdrawn. Although the Eurozone countries have the principal responsibility for dealing with these prob Continued on page 4...

Is US headed for war with Iran?

Washington/Jerusalem: War with Iran is the last thing President Obama needs with the American economy in dire trouble and a tough White House election campaign looming next year, according to officials in Washington as well as political analysts. But while the Obama administration is desperate to avoid another conflict it would be America's fourth in a decade as the drumbeat from Israel has been growing louder, reports The Guardian. The Israeli cabinet was reported on Wednesday to be debating whether to launch air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in the coming weeks. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the defense minister, Ehud Barak, are lobbying in favor of action, but other senior ministers are urging caution. In response, Iran has warned, as it has in the past, that any attack by Israel would result in retaliation against the US. The Iranian news agency ISNA quoted Hassan Firouzabadi, Iran's military chief, as saying: The Zionist regime's military attack against Iran will inflict heavy damages to the US as well as the Zionist regime. The rhetoric from Tel Aviv and Tehran is making some within the Obama administration nervous. A Washington official familiar with the issue acknowledged the temperature has been rising and that Israel introduced an unpredictable element. He reiterated, however, that the policy of the Obama administration was to pursue all diplomatic channels, backed by tougher sanctions, and avoid military action. A congressional hearing on Iran last week was told that the Pentagon has a series of contingency plans for military action, ranging from all-out war to limited operations. Obama had signed off on these, the hearing was told.

Habib American Bank opens 7th branch

The bank's Richmond Hill branch in Queens was inaugurated Oct 30 by Habib Americans Director, Arvid Nelson, who was cheered on by Saleem Iqbal (middle), President and CEO of the bank, and other bank officials. See report and more photos on Page 2.

Tristate Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

November 5-11, 2011

Habib American Bank adds new chapter to its growth story

The New York headquartered bank, reputed for its high quality of personalized services, has opened its seventh branch in Richmond Hill in Queens.
By Parveen Chopra Richmond Hill, NY: Defying trends in a financially depressed market, Habib American Bank continues to grow while serving the South Asian community wherever it is concentrated. Habib American opened Oct 30 with fanfare its seventh branch in Richmond Hill, which has a large population of South Asians and PIOs from the Caribbean. The new branch on the bustling Liberty Avenue promises to give the same high quality of personalized services in a pleasant ambience as has become a hallmark of Habib American Bank and made it a success story ever since it was incorporated in New York in 1983. The new branch was ceremonially inaugurated by the banks Director, Arvid Nelson, in the presence of Saleem Iqbal, President and CEO of the NY headquartered bank, other senior staff of the bank, and dignitaries. Amid people thronging the branch to open accounts even though it was a Sunday, Saleem Iqbal spoke to The South Asian Times. He said their research showed that the South Asian community remained unserved in the Richmond Hill area. To particularly serve small businesses, the bank offers many loan products. What will really appeal to the households is our 1% interest rate on personal savings accounts, which is 10 times more than the average 0.1 % offered by other banks, Mr Iqbal said. The promotional offer of a chance to win 42 LED TV, iPad2, and iPad has also boosted the number of new accounts opened at the branch from

Saleem Iqbal, President and CEO of the Habib American Bank, highlighting their attractive interest rates at the Richmond Hill branch opening. the word go, said Mr Iqbal. To cater to the composition of the target client base, the Richmond Hill branch has on its staff of five those who speak more than one language including Punjabi and the one spoken by the Guyanese. The branch manager is Mr Raj Persaud. Besides Richmond Hill, the other six branches of Habib American Bank are in Manhattan, Jackson Heights (Queens), Hicksville (Long Island), Edison (New Jersey), and Los Angeles and Artesia in California. Habib is proud of its catchline Your Local Bank with International Experience. It has an International Banking Facility (IBF) that provides correspondent services to international banks. A member of Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), it specializes in Financial Institution Services, International Trade Finance, Asset Based Lending, Commercial and Residential Mortgages and Consumer Banking Services. Their Consumer Banking Products includes HAB eBanking, Habib Access Debit Card, Visa Credit Card & 24 Hour Telephone Banking. The banks professed mission is to provide a broad range of commercial and personal banking products and services to a diverse community of globally oriented customers. Its customers are assured that the bank will consistently deliver exceptional customer service in every aspect of our business dealings resulting in profitable long-term relationships. The Richmond Hill branch of the bank is conveniently located at 11217/19 Liberty Avenue in Queens, NY. The branch can be contacted at Ph: 718 659 9000. The banks website is www.habibamericanbank.com.

(from left) Rizwan Qureshi, Chief Compliance Officer of the bank, Saleem Iqbal, and board member Arvid Nelson with the branch staff including branch manager Raj Persaud (extreme right).

Habib American Bank senior officials and staff members along with guests posing for a picture outside the Richmond Hill branch on Liberty Avenue after its inauguration.

Three prominent Rotarians of Indian origin -- Rotary International President Kalyan Banerjee (second from right), Past District Governor Ravishankar Bhooplapur (extreme Right) and Rotary Club Hicksville-South Charter President Kamelsh C. Mehta -- along with Mrs Binota Banerjee called on Ambassador Nirupama Rao at the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC Nov 1.

AIA-NY President Ranju Batra took part in the traditional lamp lighting ceremony at the Diwali celebration called by NYC Comptroller John Liu at Surrogate's Courthouse, Chambers Street in Manhattan on Nov 2.

Tristate Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

November 5-11, 2011

Indian Americans rally to back Democrats in NJ election

By Ashok Ojha/SATimes Edison, NJ: Less than a week before the General Election in New Jersey, Democrat incumbent Barbara Buono, a vocal critic of Gov. Christies tax policies, received encouraging support from prominent Indian American businessmen in the state. Impressed by the support from the community, Senator Buono, who has been representing the 18th district in the NJ Senate since 2002, declared her unconditional support for the growth of small businesses in which a large number of Indian Americans are active. The 18th Legislative District covers the Middlesex County municipalities inlcuding East Brunswick, Edison, Metuchen and South Plainfield Boroughs. The presence of local Democratic Party leaders, such as, Toni Ricigliano, Mayor of Edison Township, Councilman Dr. Sudhanshu Prasad and a host of business owners created a lively atmosphere where Sen. Buono promised to support the business interests of the Indian American community. H.R. Shah, chairman of TV Asia and founder member of the Asian American Retailers Association, organized the meeting and appealed the Democrats to lower taxes in the state. Shah was seconded by other speakers including Kenny Desai and Kanu Patel. Fact remains that candidates from both Republican and Democratic parties have received support from the community. GOP is said to have made inroads in the community by fielding some Indian Americans in local elections. Alerted by the emerging trend of Republican support in the community, Democrats have made efforts to safeguard their support base in the community. Earlier this year Senator Buono sponsored a Joint Legislative Resolution on the floor of the House to honor Indian Business Association (IBA) for promoting commerce, civic engagement, and community activism in the state. IBA organizes the annual India Day parade in Edison. She praised IBA for playing a key role in preserving Indian culture and developing the economy of Edison Township. In these tough economic times, organizations like the IBA help make Middlesex County

Community leader H.R. Shah with Edison Mayor Ricigliano (left) and Senator Buono, both Democrats. a model for economic success, to make schools safer for children. She also sponsored consumer prosaid Senator Buono. Buono served in the state Assem- tection measures restricting telebly from 1994 to 2001. She marketing by creating the most worked on legislation for anti-ha- stringent "Do Not Call" database rassment and bullying prevention legislation in the nation.

Miller to accompany Maryland Guv on trade mission to India

Annapolis, MD: Maryland State Delegate Aruna Miller (Dist 15) will take part in the trade mission to India this month with Governor Martin OMalley. The six-day trip, with stops planned in Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi, will be the first such trade mission to India by a Maryland governor. The delegation comprises local business and community leaders and three County Executives as well as two other Indian-Americans assemblymen -Majority Leader Kumar Barve and woman legislator to serve in the state assembly and has worked with the Governors office to establish a sister state relationships with states in India. The focus of the trip will be economic, educational and cultural exchange, Miller said, India with its growing IT and biotech industries has much in common with the state of Maryland. The relationships forged during this this trip will bring economic opportunities to both Maryland and India.

Fun fiesta at IALIs Diwali event

Uniondale, NY: India Association of Long Island (IALI) celebrated its annual Diwali Dinner & Dance on Oct 30 at Akbar Restaurant here. It was a festive occasion with a colorful turnout of about 300 IALI Members with their families and friends, including many local dignitaries who attended. IALI President Gobind Munjal in his welcome address recognized all the dignitaries, his IALI past presidents and community leaders, and thanked his Executive Council members and program sponsors for their support. Master of Ceremonies Dr. Krishna Jhaveri kept the pace of the function moving. The evening commenced with the traditional lamp lighting in the presence of

Honorees Jaswinder Johal (2nd from left) and Deepak Bhardwaj (2nd from right) of Apna Bazar received the plaque from Jon Kaiman, Supervisor, Town of North Hempstead, and IALI President Gobind Munjal. Hon. Jon Kaiman, Supervisor, Town of North Hempstead, and S. Rajaram, Deputy Consul-General, representing Consul General Prabhu Dayal. Other dignitaries included Kamlesh Mehta, Director for Business and Economic Development, Nassau County, who represented County Executive Ed Mangano. The Akbar restaurant in Garden City was brightly lit to suit a Diwali event. Early in the evening, sparklers were lit. An ethnic jewelry booth in the lobby area added glitter to the occasion. President Munjal introduced Jaswinder Singh Johal and Deepak Bhardwaj of Apna Bazar, which has recently opened a big store in Hicksville. The duo were honored by Jon Kaiman who said he was proud to be a part of the celebrations. Munjal stated that with sponsors help, IALI raised $6,000 at the event. The entertainment segment had brisk and electrifying performances by dancers of the well-known Bolly Arts. Then couples descended on the dance floor in merriment. DJ Kutchas photographer took the clicked pictures of the couples. Kingfisher Airlines sponsored the top raffle prize draw with tickets for 2 for domestic travel within India. After cocktails and a sumptuous dinner, the guests departed with a box of mithai.

Maryland legislator Aruna Miller Delegate Sam Arora. Miller, born in Andhra Pradesh, is the first Indian-American

New York: Xavier University School of Medicine, Aruba (XUSOM) and Walden University have announced a unique partnership agreement. Enrolled students of XUSOM seeking their MD degree will concurrently be able to earn an MBA, Master of Public Health (MPH) and Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA). Those entering these additional programs are eligible to apply for finan-

Xavier med school ties with Walden for degrees

cial aid through Walden University and for a reduced tuition at Walden. The MD/MPH program begins on December 5, 2011. The MD/MHA and MD/MBA programs begin in early January 2012.

For more information, contact the Xavier admissions department at (516) 333-2224, or through email admissions@xusom.com. Their website is www.xusom.com.

Bolly Arts star performer "Zol" performing with one of their talented female performers.

Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

November 5-11, 2011

Aided by Wells Fargo, APIASF awards scholarships to over 500 Asian American students
New York: More than 500 outstanding Asian Pacific American high school and college students were awarded scholarships Nov 2 at the APIASF annual benefit at the Hilton New York. Scholarships ranged from $2,500 to $8,000 individually. More than half of the awardees come from families that live at or below the poverty level, and other recipients are otherwise of low-socioeconomic status. Many of the scholars are the first in their family to attend college. Thanks to the APIASF scholarship program, my dream to attend college has become a reality, said Rakhi Agrawal, a sophomore attending Columbia. I am grateful to organizations like Wells Fargo

I, Pooja, born on Feb 21, 1987, daughter of Ms. Sripriya, residing at 7420 6th Ave, Apt.1, Brooklyn NY 11209, am changing my name from Pooja (FNU Pooja on USA Visa) to Pooja Iyer. Henceforth I shall be known as Pooja Iyer.
Manmohab at G-20 Story Continued from page 1

Joe Kirk, Greater New York Area Regional President, Wells Fargo; Michelle Scales, Director of Diverse Growth Segments, Wells Fargo; Nancy Wong, Asian Segment Manager, Wells Fargo; Jacinta Titialli Abbott, Board Chair, APIASF; Neil Horikoshi, President and Executive Director, APIASF. that make the APIASF scholarship of an additional $25,000, has donatprogram possible and encourage ed more than $1.5 million since deserving students like myself to 2003. realize our fullest potential. In addition to funding, this year Wells Fargo & Company has Wells Fargo has donated human donated more than $300,000 in capital to APIASF as well. 34 of our scholarship funding in 2011 to team members spent more than 300 South Asian and Chinese American hours of their personal time reading high school students in need. Wells over some 900 scholarship applicaFargo is a founding member of API- tions, said Nancy Wong, Asian ASF, and with Wednesdays pledge Segment Manager at Wells Fargo.

lems, the dangers from spillovers from the Eurozone to the rest of the world are a matter of concern for all of us, the prime minister added. According to Manmohan Singh, the growth rate in India had already decelerated and was expected to be around 8 percent, combined with inflation where the annual increase in food prices has topped 12 percent. Manmohan Singh, who has attended all the six G20 Summits thus far, also sought to draw the attention of the leaders to the serious problem of tax evasion and illicit flows that have

seen the migration of tax bases in developing countries abroad. G20 countries should take the lead in agreeing to automatic exchange of tax related information with each other, irrespective of artificial distinctions such as past or present, for tax evasion or fraud, in the spirit of our London Summit that the era of bank secrecy is over. Besides India and France, the G20 comprises Brazil, the US and Canada, Argentina, Australia, China, South Korea, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, Britain, and the European Union. Greece is not a G20 member, but was invited to the G20 Summit.

Spot fixing Story Continued from page 1 last year. "It's clear you were the orchestrator of these matters. You had to be to make sure these two bowlers were bowling at the time of the fix," the judge stated. Butt and Asif were found guilty of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments by a jury on Tuesday, while Majeed and Aamer pleaded guilty at a pre-trial in September. The cricketers, however, might have to serve just half of their sentences as they can be released on license if their West Coast Correspondent: Pooja Jain, pj@TheSouthAsianTimes.info

behavior is good. "Now, when people look back at a surprising event in a game or a surprising result or ever in the future there are surprising results, followers of the game who have paid to watch cricket or who have watched cricket on TV will wonder whether there has been a fix or what they have watched was natural," the judge said. The sentencing ends a year of high drama which has left Pakistan cricket embarrassed. The saga began in August last year when shocking footage of Majeed claiming that he could fix a Test match for $ 1 million came to light. He claimed to have Butt, Asif and Aamer on his payroll. Art and Design: Vladimir Tomovski Bhagwati Multimedia, Rahul Sahota, Web Editor: B.B.Chopra

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Tristate Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

November 5-11, 2011

IIT-Mumbai, Amity University submit bids for engineering campuses in New York
New York: The Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai and Noida-based Amity University are among 15 institutions worldwide that have submitted bids to the city of New York to set up a science and engineering campus here under a plan by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to drive local economic growth and create jobs. The city received seven proposals from a total of 17 institutions. The winner of the 'Applied Sciences NYC' initiative to be announced in January will get incentives like free city land and as much as USD 100 million in capital for the project. IIT Mumbai is part of a consortium that includes New York University, University of Toronto, UK's University of Warwick, City University of New York and Carnegie Mellon.The consortium is proposing to set up a centre for urban science and research in downtown Brooklyn for more than 500 graduate students. Amity University has submitted a proposal to set up a campus in Governor's Island near here. The other institutes that responded to the Applied Sciences 'Request for Proposals' include Steiner Studios, Columbia University, Cornell University, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, New York Genome Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Rockefeller University, SUNY Stony Brook and Stanford University. "Universities are always a major magnet for talent - and the world's most dynamic companies always gravitate to places where they can find the best and the brightest," Bloomberg said. "Along with everything we are doing to diversify and strengthen our economy, a new applied sciences campus has the potential to be a real economic game changer that will create jobs immediately, and for generations," he added.

Futures and Options honors Reshma Saujani

New York : Honoring language. three role models whose The gala raised funds to belief in young people has support programs that inspired New Yorkers, nonequip New York City profit Futures and Options youth with skills to navipresented its inaugural gate the world of work. In Dream Big Award to social 2011, Futures and Options entrepreneur Andrew partnered with 115 New Rasiej, New York City offiYork City businesses, cial Reshma Saujani, and from nonprofits to multiformer NYC Comptroller national corporations, to William Thompson, Jr. on offer its youth careerOct 25 at the Time Warner development programs. Center s Stone Rose More than 350 middle and Lounge. high school youth particiSaujani is Deputy pated in their programs. Advocate for Special Stephen Hessler, Chairman of the We think its an imporBoard of Futures and Options, Initiatives at the New York tant time to recognize the presenting the 2011 Dream Big vital role New Yorks City Office of Public Award to Reshma Saujani Advocate and the business community has Executive Director of The Fund for Public played in helping us teach young people to Advocacy. believe in themselves, said Patty Machir, Futures and Options gives low-income, executive director of Futures and Options. inner-city youth a chance at meaningful Our three honorees have been exceptional work experiences. The organization reaches models for all of us working to invest in teens at a formative time of their lives, guid- youth and preparing them for tomorrows ing them to further their education and workplace. We feel that, especially in these become contributing citizens. More than volatile economic times, New York City 65% of Futures and Options participants needs visionary leaders who inspire the busicome from low-income families and qualify ness community to join our efforts and for free lunch. Sixteen percent are immi- increase their commitment to and investgrants, and 24% speak English as a second ment in youth work readiness.

Javadekar: USA and India natural allies

New York: The America India Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), in cooperation with Association of Indians in America (AIA), Indian American Intellectuals Forum (IAIF), Rajput Association of North America (RANA), and several other associations in New York organized a meeting in honor of visiting BJP Spokesperson and a Member of Parliament on October 27. Addressing the community leaders, Prakash Javadekar who was in New York to participate in meetings in the United Nations spoke about the importance of IndoAmerican relationship and comfortably answered questions put to him by the audience. Javadekar said that tageous to both of us. In fact, we are natural allies. We believe that Americas policy towards Pakistan is a failure. I am of the opinion that in future American arms transfer to Pakistan should be based on the condition that Pakistan will use the arms only against the terrorist groups operating against India and the USA, he said. Javadekar expressed concern about the Wall Street protests and said that they reflect the widening gap between rich and poor. He reminded the audience that it was Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the former Prime Minister of India who took initiative to develop mutual relationship between India and USA.

BJP Spokesperson Prakash Javadekar was in NY for a UN meet India is rising as a crucial component of Asian security and stability. America can provide us cutting edge technology and we can provide services and skilled man power. It is mutually advan-

Akshaya Patra Food For Education benefit event in NY

Narayana Murthy will be the keynote speaker
Stoneham, MA: The Akshaya Patra Foundation, a Massachusetts based organization with the vision that no child shall be deprived of education because of hunger, will host a benefit event on November 9 at the Intercontinental Times Square New York, NY. The event will raise funds for Akshaya Patras unique and innovative program for fighting hunger and promoting education simultaneously. Currently, the program feeds 1.3 million children daily in over 8,000 schools through 18 kitchens in eight states in India. For many children this is their only complete meal for the day. The benefit will be attended by key community leaders, business executives and eminent change agents. By attending and supporting this worthy cause, they are greatly enhancing the significance of our collective challenge to provide the poor and the less fortunate equitable access to food, education, jobs and healthcare and harness the wealth of human potential, said Madhu Sridhar, President and CEO of Akshaya Patra USA. N. R. Narayana Murthy, the keynote speaker, is the Founder of Infosys Limited, a global software consulting company headquartered in Bangalore, India. He founded Infosys in 1981. Under his leadership, Infosys was the first Indian company listed on NASDAQ in 1999. Murthy is a staunch supporter of Akshaya Patra and its mission to eradicate hunger and promote education for the most deserving children in India.

Tristate Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

November 5-11, 2011

Community organizes bone marrow drive for Amit Gupta

both New York and San Francisco, his story quickly spread through social media outlets. The drive to find a match for Amits bone marrow transplant was organized in Edison by a Hindi teacher Rashmi Sudhir and school coordinator R.K. Mittal. Both campaigned to register people of South Asian origin in the national registry managed by South Asian Marrow Association of Recruiters, a nonprofit organization devoted to create awareness, education to minority donors. The chances of survival for patients like Amit depend on a match for bone marrow transplant that is more likely to be found in a person of South Asian origin. There are other patients like Amit in our community who are battling life threatening diseases like leukemia, said Rashmi. Amits entrepreneur friends are now offering prizes to the first certified match with the hope that he or she will choose to donate. They announced an award of $10,000 for the first match. According to survey done by Leukemia Lymphoma Society, approximately every 4 minutes someone is diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma. There are not enough viable donors available to help these patients. You can help change the above situation and help more patients access this treatment they so urgently needa marrow/blood cell transplant. With help from the community, a transplant for every patient can become a reality, says Rashmi, who partnered with the South Asian Marrow Association of Recruiters (SAMAR) for the drive. Despite 9.5 million people in the National Bone Marrow Registry, 70% of them are whites, and South Asians are severely underrepresented. The odds of a South Asian minority finding a match on the registry are 1 in 20,000. If a match for Lukemia patient is found, the potential donor will go for further blood tests. If the donor is found healthy enough for bone marrow donation, it will be drawn from his or her hip area under anesthesia. The donated marrow is naturally replenished in the body. More information is available on www.samarinfo.org

The weekly Hindi school in NJ run by Hindi USA turned into a camp for the drive. Amit Gupta (inset) Ashok Ojha/SATimes together to save his life. Gupta', who launched an ecommerce company at Edison, NJ: A weekly Hindi school a young age, was recently diagnosed in Edison, NJ, run by Hindi USA, with leukemia, a critical disease for turned into a camp for bone marrow which the only hope for cure is a drive as friends and relatives of marrow/blood cell transplant. As a young entrepreneur Amit Gupta got member of tech communities in

Hofstra University to celebrate Nanak Jayanti with a concert

Hempstead, NY: The Hofstra Universitys Joseph G. Astman International Concert Series and The Sardani Harbans Kaur Chair in Sikh Musicology will present Songs for the Beloved: The Sacred Repertoire from the Sikh Gurus Tradition on Sunday, November 13, 2011, at 2 p.m. at the Helene Fortunoff Theater, Monroe Lecture Center, South Campus. The concert is an afternoon of Sikh music featuring special guest artists, including Dr. Gurnam Singh, Punjabi University of Patiala, Dean of Gurmat Sangeet Dept. The event celebrates the birth of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. For tickets and more information on the Joseph G. Astman International Concert Series visit www.hofstra.edu/astman . Indian American Forum celebrated the Second International Childrens Day on Oct 9, 2011 at the Elmont Memorial Library Theater. The program saw participation from children of different nationalities. There was also an essay competition on the topic "What can we learn from other countries?" The dances and cultural programs were performed by students of Strong Side Studios, Perfection Dance Studio, Band-Lost in Forever, Sadhana Paranji School of Indian Dance, Korean & Chinese dances were choreographed by Young Lee-Segredo. The event was attended by a 300 plus guests.

GOPIOs biennial convention in Iselin from Nov 18-20

The convention theme is "Issues and Concerns of the Indian Diaspora"
New York : GOPIO International, the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (www.gopio.net), is holding its 2011 Biennial Convention in Iselin, New Jersey on November 18 -20, 2011. The venue is the Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel in Iselin, New Jersey, USA. The theme of the conference is Issues and Concerns of the Indian Diaspora," and will provide an opportunity to deliberate on the Global Indian Diaspora, evaluate GOPIOs progress in 22 years, to network, exchange ideas and connect with PIO/NRI delegates from around the world. The event will kick-off with a welcome reception on Friday, November 18, evening. The conference on November 19, 2011 will evaluate, assess, debate, discuss and deliberate on the current, critical issues of interest and concern that confront people of Indian origin of more than 25 million people living in many countries outside of India. Specific issues that will be examined are: Consular Services, Property, Taxation & Foreign Accounts Disclosures and related issues; issues related to Health, Women and Youth; the Kolkata Memorial and Indian Migration; Entrepreneurship & how to Leverage Diaspora Networks to Jump Start New Ventures; challenges and opportunities for political empowerment and successful adaptation in adopted countries. The day will conclude with a Gala Reception and Banquet. Notable and prominent VIPs from the global Indian community are expected to attend this year as well. GOPIO is commemorating 22 years of remarkable achievements and accomplishments addressing critical issues of interest and concern of the global Indian Diaspora. GOPIO's successes in achieving much needed resolutions to crucial matters are significant to many in our global community. We encourage attendance and participation in GOPIO Convention 2011 - a continuing forum which will deliberate on the current, critical issues of interest and concern, said Ashook Ramsaran, Executive Vice President of GOPIO International.

And now a movie on Raj Rajaratnam & Co.

New York : The biggest insider trading case in the US history sure has all the trappings of an investigative financial mafia drama. Little wonder that the life and times of Galleon Group founder, Raj Rajaratnam has inspired a desi film maker to recreate the fascinating web of colorful relationships exploiting human nature and fallacies by the billionaire for the silver screen. 108 Production has announced their latest project Billion Dollar Raja to be shot in New York City, Florida and Italy in a six week filming schedule in Fall of 2012. The cast attachments are in the works and will be announced in the Spring, Rajaratnams network of Wall Street honchos, big corporate insiders, employees, and a prosecution team determined to punish those involved in the most complex insider trading case in history through secret wire-tap recordings promises all the ingredients of a potboiler.

National Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

November 5-11, 2011

Thousands attend Jersey City Diwali festivities

Thousands attended the Diwali festivities and the street fair. Jersey City NJ: A sea of humanity converged in the narrow lanes of Newark Avenue in Jersey City, NJ on Oct 15 to celebrate Diwali with musical entertainment and a fashion show competition, showing solidarity with local merchants and city officials. More than 5,000 colorfully-dressed Indian Americans braved chilly winds to dance, dine and celebrate the festival at the street-style Diwali Mela, hosted by the Newark Avenue Jersey City Chamber of Commerce, which comprises more than 200 businesses on India Square. The chambers Diwali celebration, now in its third year, has become the most anticipated event of the year on India Square. Musical group Saaz aur Awaaz entertained the crowds until 2 in the morning with their trademark raas garba. The organizers setup free healthcare booths, childrens rides along with about 15 stalls of sponsors. The festivities started with childrens performance, a fashion show, after which the musical group took

A dance troupe presents bhangra at the Diwali fair. (Photo courtesy: Mohammad Jaffer/SnapsIndia) over. Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy was joined by Councilwomen Nidia Lopez of Jersey Citys Ward C, which includes heavily-populated Indian American neighborhoods, former councilman Steve Lipsky and other elected officials, at the street fair. Lopez said the celebrations allowed local residents to engage in a full understanding of Diwali festivities as a reaffirmation of hope, a renewed commitment of friendship and goodwill, and a celebration that sought to honor the simple joys of life. Ours is the only free-admission street-style Diwali mela in the state, said Suresh Patel, chairman of the Newark Avenue Jersey City Chamber of Commerce. The idea was to give locals a taste of our culture and traditions and take the Indian American residents on a memory lane in the ways they were used to celebrating Diwali in India.

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy, center right, celebrating with Bhavesh (Bobby) Patel, center left, secretary of Newark Avenue Jersey City Chamber of Commerce and Commissioner (Traffic), at the chambers Diwali festivities on Oct 14. Earlier on Oct 14, the cavernous Assembly Hall in Jersey Citys historic City Hall stood witness to the festival of lights as mayor Healy officially kicked off Diwali celebrations. Mayor Healy was joined by members of Citys Municipal Council and the Division of Cultural Affairs and the Indian American community to light the ceremonial candle-lamp, symbolizing victory of good over evil. The kickoff was sponsored by Newark Avenue Jersey City Chamber of Commerce. Jersey City is one of the most diverse communities in the state, as well as the nation, and we are proud to honor and recognize our rich diversity, said Mayor Healy while kicking off the celebrations

Chhat pooja celebrated on American shores

Washington: The ancient Hindu festival 'Chhat', dedicated to worshiping Sun, which attracts millions of people in India, has reached the American shores too. More than 200 people - mostly Indian American - had gathered on Monday evening on the banks of the historic Potomac river in Sterling, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, as four fasting women took a dip in the water and performed pooja of the Sun God. "This is our third year, but the largest gathering so far," Kripa S Singh, a software engineer from Patna said as his wife Anita performed the pooja on the banks of Potomac river. "More people are expected in the morning," said Singh, who started the Chhat pooja alone on the river banks in 2009. Some of the attendees came even from faraway places like New Jersey. The pooja is being performed by Govind Jha, a priest at the local Rajdhani Mandir, a temple in Virginia. It all started some four years ago, when Anita was asked by her mother-in-law in Bihar to do Chhat pooja come what may as this is something they could not afford to miss. Singh inquired among his friends and other Indian American community leaders if anyone here performed the Chhat Pooja. They found that people, if any, did it inside their homes or at the most in a makeshift plastic tub full of water. While he was doing all this research and inquiry, Singh and some of his friends went for a picnic on the banks of the Potomac River in Loudon County, a suburb of Washington DC. The concrete boat ramp there, Singh said, gave him the idea that this place could be good for performing Chhat Pooja in the real way with all the traditional and religious rituals. Soon he approached the Loudon County Parks and Recreation Department with the details and sought if he can get the necessary permission to do the Chhat pooja on the river banks. "Permission was granted," he said. But in 2009, the first year, Anita was the only one to do the pooja. "This year we are four. But more important is that there were more than 200 people watching this festival Tuesday evening," he said. "This is a unique effort to maintain our tradition and culture far away from other motherland," said Kumar Singh, an eminent Indian American community leader in Greater Washington Metropolitan Area.

Yash Paul Soi honored in Guyana as freedom fighter

New York: Yash Paul Soi, an Indian-American born in India, recognized as a Guyanese freedom fighter by many, was honored last Saturday by President Bharrat Jagdeo at a special ceremony at State House, Georgetown, for his outstanding role in the struggle for free and fair elections and development of Guyana and generally contributing to the national interests of that country. It is a rare honor as only one other foreigner, President Jimmy Carter, was honored by the government of Guyana. Soi is no stranger to awards and recognition. On July 30 2008, he received a Congressional Honor for his tireless service to the Indian American community and for being a beacon of hope to the Guyanese people during his campaign for free and fair election which eventually led to restoration of democracy in that country. Soi became deeply involved in the campaign for free and fair elections in Guyana from 1989 through his association with New York-based Indo-Guyanese who were immersed in the struggle for the restora-

Yash Paul Soi receiving the award from Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo tion of democracy in their homeland. Soi was one of four individuals from overseas honored for their service to Guyana. The others were Pandit Ramlall, Ramesh Kalicharran, both settled in New York, and scientist Dr. Suresh Narine of Toronto.

NIH praises work of 6 Indian-Americans for creative ideas in science

Washington, DC: Six IndianAmericans have been praised for their works by the National Institutes of Health. NIH announced that it is awarding $143.8 million to challenge the status quo with innovative ideas that have the potential to propel fields forward and speed the translation of research into improved health for the American public. Six Indian-Americans among the 79 awardees are Uttiya Basu, Sundeep Kalantry, Arjun Raj, Utpal Banerjee, Sharad Ramanathan and Vamsi Mootha. These awards are granted under three innovative research programs supported by the NIH Common Fund: the NIH Director s Pioneer, New Innovator, and Transformative Research Projects Awards. The Common Fund, enacted into law by Congress through the 2006 NIH Reform Act, supports trans-NIH programs with a particular emphasis on innovation and risk taking. The NIH Director s Award programs reinvigorate the biomedical work force by providing unique opportunities to conduct research that is neither incremental nor conventional, said James M. Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, who guides the Common Funds High-Risk Research program. The awards are intended to catalyze giant leaps forward for any area of biomedical research, allowing investigators to go in entirely new directions.

National Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

November 5-11, 2011

GSNY Sr. Wing celebrates Sardar Patel and Gandhijis birth anniversaries

Nagesh Parthasarathi is Indias new Consul General in San Francisco

San Francisco: Nagesh Rao Parthasarathi has joined in as the new Consul General of India in San Francisco. He started serving as the CGI in San Francisco from October 13. Earlier, from September 2005 to September 2008, he was Ambassador of India to the Republic of South Korea. From October 2008 to September 2011, he served as Ambassador of India to Senegal. He was also concurrently accredited as Ambassador of India to Mali, Mauritania, Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde islands, as well as High Commissioner of India to the Republic of The Gambia. Parthasarathi joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1981 and has served as a diplomat in countries throughout the world, including in Belgium, Senegal, Pakistan, United Kingdom and Syria. He has also served in different capacities in the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Finance (Department of Economic Affairs) in New Delhi. Parthasarathi graduated as a Mechanical Engineer in 1974 from Mysore University and served as an Executive Engineer with a major PSU in India till 1980. During this period, he also earned the degrees of MBA (International Marketing) and

Nagesh Parthasarathi Post Graduate Diploma (Industrial Management) from Bangalore University in India. He is married to Geeta Parthasarathi. They have two daughters.

Members of GSNY at the event New York: The Gujarati Samaj of New Yorks Senior Wing celebrated the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Mahatma Gandhi at Gujarat Samaj Community Hall on October 31. Coordinator Gopi Udeshi welcomed Chief Guest Dr. Bhupi Patel, Trustee of Gujarati Samaj , speaker Kaushik Amin, Gujarat Foundation dignitaries of other associations and seniors of Gujarati Samaj of New York. The program started with Lord Ganesh Prayer followed by bhajan Vaishanv Va Jana Toa and Raghupati Ragav Rajaram sung by Mrs. Anuradha Khanna, Bapu ki Amar Kahani by Ganshyam Joshi and tabla by Rajendra Chauhan. All the attendees of the event offered rose petals to the oil portraits of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel and later the dignitaries spoke about the contribution of these great leaders to Indias freedom movement and formation of an independent nation.

Arshad Kudrolli appointed to Clark Universitys endowed chairs

has also served on major uniMassachusetts: Indianversity committees. A Fellow of American Arshad Kudrolli has been appointed to a three-year the American Physical Society, Kudrolli has been a visiting proterm as the new Jan and Larry fessor at the University of Liege Landry University Professor. in Belgium and a visiting scholEstablished in 1997, the ar at MIT. Landry University Professorship is made possible His research uses both twoand three-dimensional imaging by a generous gift from Larry techniques and includes a broad Landry 71, M.B.A. 75, and range of topics including softhis wife Jan. During the 1970s condensed matter physics, granLarry Landry served as Arshad Kudrolli ular materials, nonlinear Clarks vice president for business and finance. He is also a member and physics, geomorphology, biomechanics, past chair of the Clark University Board of elasticity and crumpling, population Trustees. The holder of the Landry Chair dynamics, and patterns in biological acts as an academic leader for the entire systems. Kudrolli has received many grants and Clark community and symbolizes Clarks has published more than 50 peer-reviewed aspirations in higher education. Kudrolli joined the Clark faculty in 1997 papers, many in prestigious journals. He has led the creation of the Active Matter and became a full professor in 2008. He chairs the Physics Department, where group at Clark, and is currently on the he has helped foster active learning pedago- Advisory Committee for the Worcester gies in department course offerings, and he Nanotechnology Board.

Indian American community group organizes job fair in Chicago

Chicago: Amid an economic slowdown, a diversity job fair hosted by an Indian American community organization here received a warm response by hundreds of job seekers who thronged to the event. More than 700 hundred job seekers buzzed through 28 employer booths at Navy Pier, a historic landmark location and tourist attraction in downtown Chicago. The job fair was held by Indo-American Community Services (IACS), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to empowering South Asian community through education, resources, and social services. Organized last week, this was the second annual fair held by IACS and its partners here to link prospective employees with a multitude of businesses for career-related exchanges. IACS is the first Indian organization to hold such a fair. Other Hispanic and AfricanAmerican organizations do also events. Dan Korte, President of Defence Aerospace, Rolls-Royce said in his inaugural speech that the event was a great service to the community in such trying economic times. Last year, 400 or so people had attended the job fair. Job seekers had come from several areas including central and southern parts of the state. Benjamin Edwards, a job seeker from Charleston, Illinois, said he was impressed by the personal interest the organizers took in ensuring that he gets to talk to the right people. "We came here expecting more people seeking jobs fresh out of college (but) we were surprised and happy to see some experienced people also seek new opportunities," Jason Scales, recruiter for Rolls-Royce plc, said. About 28 employers that had booths at the event included Rolls-Royce, IBM, AlcatelLucent, ITW, CSC, TCS, New York life, Morgan Stanley, Roosevelt University, among others.

National Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info

November 5-11, 2011

Diwali at the White House

A physician from Memphis shares his experience of celebrating Diwali with the President at White House.
By Manoj Jain Washington, DC: Thursday evening my teenage daughter asked me to help her review for an AP U.S. Government exam on the Bill of Rights. That she was studying the first amendment and the freedom of religion seemed fortuitous: the following morning I was to board an early morning flight from our home in Memphis, Tennessee, to Washington to celebrate the festival of Diwali at the White House with the president of the United States. Our family belongs to the Jain community, which has over 100,000 followers in North America and 6 million in India. Few people know about Jainism, a religion with a simple message Live and Help Live and three core principles: nonviolence, non-absolutism and non-materialism. I see a thread connecting the principles of my faith with my life here in America, and indeed with events around the world. Mahatma Gandhi learned about nonviolence from his mother who was a Jain follower. Martin Luther King, in turn, learned nonviolence from Gandhi and this spring the young protesters in Tunisia and Egypt followed their predecessors playbook of nonviolence strategies to bring freedom and equality to their part of the world. There are other aspects of my faith that I believe could help my country during this time of political division. Like other religions, we seek compassion and forgiveness. Nonabsolutism encourages us to be open-minded to the faiths, traditions and, yes, political views of others. Non-materialism encourages Jains to differentiate needs from wants and to reduce financial inequalities, much like the

Jamshed Bharucha inaugurated as Cooper Unions 12th President

New York: The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art ushered in a new era for the esteemed 152-yearold institution with the inauguration of its 12th president, cognitive neuroscientist Indian-American Jamshed Bharucha. The ceremony took place in the historic Great Hall on October 18, 2011. Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament, India offered video congratulations and provided insight into the influence of our global community on education. Frances Fergusson, President Emerita of Vassar College, James Wright, President Emeritus of Dartmouth College and Lawrence S. Bacow, President Emeritus of Tufts University offered their impressions of President Bharucha, lauding his intellectual curiosity, capacity for innovation and ability to lead. Drawing inspiration from the genius of founder Peter Cooper, President Bharucha, standing at the lectern where candidate Lincoln spoke in 1860, pointed to four areas that stand out as academic challenges and opportunities: fostering innovation, promoting access, serving the public good and embracing a global perspective while maintaining the highest standards. President Bharucha, a classically trained violinist, joined violinist Andy Stein and other friends to perform selected movements from Bach's Brandenburg

demands of the Occupy movement. All of this was in my mind when I attended the Diwali ceremony at the White House. President George W. Bush was the first to acknowledge Diwali in the White House, but President Obama is the first to personally join in the celebration. At the ceremony, the first Hindu Chaplin from the U.S. Army welcomed us and introduced her commander in chief. With grace and bowed head, President Obama greeted a saffron clad priest, and lit a diya, a traditional lamp, much like he lights the White House Christmas tree. With his simple gesture and his presence at the event, Obama accomplished something for me personally that no individual had done on that level. By respecting my faith, he deepened my faith in our nation and our Constitution. Arriving home I told my daughter, who had done well on her exam, that the greatness of America is not only that it provides freedom to practice religion but that it celebrates all religions. Being at the White House with the President this Diwali I felt the first amendment come alive.

Cognitive neuroscientist Jamshed Bharucha

Concerto No. 3 and Mendelssohn's Octet. The award-winning Gallim Dance company also performed. Mark L. Epstein, President of the Board of Trustees, formally invested the new president. Vartan Gregorian, President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and President Emeritus, Brown University closed by offering his congratulations.

Obama names Ajit Varadaraj Pai to commissions body

Washington, DC: President Barack Obama has named an Indian American lawyer Ajit Varadaraj Pai, a Republican, and Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat, as Commissioners on the bipartisan Federal Communications Commission. Ajit Varadaraj Pai is a Partner in the Litigation Department of Jenner & Block LLP. Immediately prior to joining Jenner & Block, Pai worked in the Office of the General Counsel at the Federal Communications Commission, where he served as Deputy General Counsel, Associate General Counsel, and Special Advisor to the General Counsel. Pai began his career as a law clerk to Judge Martin L.C. Feldman of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and then as an Honors Program trial attorney in the Telecommunications Task Force at the U.S. Department of Justices Antitrust Division. Mr. Pai holds a B.A. from Harvard University and a J.D. from the University of Chicago.

RE-ELECT

Indian-American Sikh wins $295,000 for job denial

Washington, DC: An Indian-American Sikh has won a six-year fight to be hired as a state correctional officer without having to shave off his beard as a condition of employment and $295,000 in damages. Trilochan Singh Oberoi applied for a job with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in 2005 and progressed through the hiring process until the final stages, when he was required to be fitted for a The dispute led to a series of bureaucratic and legal fights that culminated earlier this month in a settlement agreement that will allow Oberoi to begin work Nov 1, his San Francisco attorney, Harmeet K. Dhillon, said in a news release. The settlement also calls for the state to pay $295,000 to Oberoi and his attorney, Dhillon said. Fighting the case has generated more than $500,000 in legal costs to Oberoi, most of which were donated, Dhillon said.

8 RE-ELECT

Trilochan Singh Oberoi tight-fitting respirator mask, according to his lawyer. Oberoi, who maintains a full beard mandated by his religion, was told he would have to shave the beard off to take the test.

10

US Affairs TheSouthAsianTimes.info

November 5-11, 2011

Third accuser surfaces, Cain blames Perry for smears

Washington: A third former employee says she considered filing a workplace complaint over what she considered aggressive and unwanted behavior by Herman Cain when she worked for the now-presidential candidate in the 1990s. She says the behavior included a private invitation to his corporate apartment. She worked for the National Restaurant Association when he was its head. She told the Associated Press that Cain made sexually suggestive remarks or gestures about the same time that two co-workers had settled separate harassment complaints against him. She spoke on condition of anonymity, saying she feared retaliation. On Wednesday, Cain got testy when reporters asked him about sexual harassment charges from three women. His campaign called them "baseless allegations." Cain campaign spokesman J.D.

Corzine firm may have moved funds before bankruptcy

New York: In its final days before descending into bankruptcy, Jon Corzine's MF Global Holdings may have transferred customer funds to avoid detection by authorities, a regulator of the firm said on Wednesday. MF Global, the futures brokerage which collapsed Monday after risky trades on European debt, faces a shortfall of $633 million in customer funds, according to an estimate from CME Group Inc. A source familiar with the matter said that regulators are still not sure where the money is, and why they can't find it. CME Group, the biggest U.S. futures exchange operator, said a transfer of funds from customer accounts at MF Global appeared to occur after a CME audit of the funds last week, which would be in violation of CFTC regulations and CME rules. "It now appears that the firm made subsequent transfers of customer segregated funds in a manner that may have been designed to avoid detection," said the CME. U.S. regulators started raising concerns about MF Global's European sovereign debt exposure as early as June, according to a source familiar with the matter, some four months before the company's collapse. While the event hit volumes in the commodities market earlier in the week, bankruptcy court proceedings on Wednesday offered hope that customers would be able to trade again by the end of the week as their positions

GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain Gordon said, "Since his critics have not been successful in attacking his ideas, they are resorting to bitter personal attacks." The controversy took on an even sharper political tone when Cain blamed a consultant with ties to Texas Gov. Rick Perry's campaign for leaking information over the sexual harassment allegations. The Perry campaign claimed it didn't know about the allegations until Politico first published the story Sunday.

Jon Corzine, former New Jersey governor who took over MF Global last year and much of their collateral were transferred to other brokers. As for the broader economic implications, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said they are limited. Not long ago, Wall Street was witnessing the comeback of Corzine, the ex-Goldman Sachs chief and former New Jersey senator and governor, when he took the helm of MF Global. But the recent revelation of $6.3 billion of European bond positions caused the ratings agencies to cut MF Global's debt to junk status, speeding its descent into bankruptcy.

13 die, 1.6 M lose power after freak snowstorm in East Coast

New York: More than 1.6 million people in five states in northeastern United States remained without power Tuesday morning three days after a freak snow storm over the weekend that claimed at least 13 lives. The governors of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts declared an emergency Monday as workers scrambled to get the situation under control, but officials warned it could be Friday before power is back on everywhere. President Obama signed an emergency declaration for Connecticut Monday, ordering federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts. Heavy, wet snow fell across the region, snapping trees still bearing leaves and cutting power lines. Widespread power cuts were reported in the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The snowstorm smashed record snowfall totals for October. Washington was largely spared by the snowstorm, but thousands of people in its suburbs in Maryland and Virginia surrounding the national capital lost power. About a dozen Massachusetts cities postponed Halloween trick-ortreat celebrations, while at least 20 Connecticut cities and towns, including the capital city of Hartford, canceled events, CNN reported. Some of the heaviest snow fell in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, but snowfall amounts of at least a foot were recorded from West Virginia to Maine. The Berkshire County community of Peru, Massachusetts, received 32 inches of snow during the storm.

Over 120 passengers of JetBlue flight were left stranded for seven hours on Saturday on a tarmac at Connecticuts Bradley International Airport near Hartford after the flight was diverted from Newark Airport amid snow storm.

Bank of America cancels debit card fee

New York: Bank of America has scrapped its plan to charge a $5 monthly fee for debit card purchases after outraged customers threatened to take their money somewhere else. The change at the nation's second-largest bank comes as customers across the U.S. mobilized to close their accounts in favor of credit unions and community banks. The outcry prompted other major banks, including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo & Co., to cancel trial tests of their own debit card fees. Higher fees have become a fact of life, but this one touched a nerve because it hit so close to home; many Americans have come to rely on debit cards to manage essential expenses such as

Smoke-free Obama gets clean bill of health

Washington: President Barack Obama is in excellent health and fit for duty, a medical report released by the White House said Monday. The 2-page report from First Physician Dr. Jeffrey C. Kuhlman concludes that Obama is physically active, stays on a healthy diet, maintains a healthy weight, and "on occasion drinks alcohol in moderation". Obama, who turned 50 in August, is also tobacco-free having kicked the butt earlier this year. At 6-foot-1 and 181.3 pounds, Obama has cholesterol level and blood pressure within normal ranges, and is taking "daily steps to good health", Kuhlman said. The mandatory examination was performed last week for the second time during Obama's tenure in the White House. Obama is running for a second term of office in 2012.

groceries and gas. There's also lingering resentment - which has surfaced in recent weeks with the Occupy Wall Street movement - over the role that banks played in the 2008 financial meltdown. Bank of America said it reversed course after listening to customers. Anne Pace, a spokeswoman for Bank of America, declined to say whether there was a spike in account closures following the September announcement that it would start charging the fee early next year.

Feds no to further stimulus to help economy

Washington: The Federal Reserve sketched a brighter picture of the economy Wednesday. As a result, it's holding off on any new actions because stronger growth is giving it time to gauge the impact of steps it's already taken. In a statement, the Fed officials said the economy has strengthened and consumers have stepped up spending. But they said the economy continues to face significant risks, including the debt crisis and risk of recession in Europe. The Fed left open the possibility of taking further steps later to try to boost the sluggish economy. But it gave no hint as to what those moves might be. The vote was 9-1. Charles Evans, the president of the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank, dissented. He wanted to take stronger action to try to boost the economy. That was a shift from the previous two Fed meetings, when three members had dissented because they opposed the Fed's continued efforts to keep rates at super-lows. After their September meeting, the policymakers said they would shuffle the Fed's investment portfolio to try to further reduce long-term interest rates. And in their previous meeting in August, they had said they plan to keep short-term rates near zero until at least mid-2013, unless the economy improved.

Op Ed TheSouthAsianTimes.info

11

November 5-11, 2011

Indian Grand Prix a job well done

By Anand Philar f anything, the inaugural Formula One Indian Grand Prix at Greater Noida gave birth to a new culture of motorsport in a country that otherwise is obsessed with cricket, Bollywood and of course, politics. For sure, promoters Jaypee Group and the Buddh International Circuit felt the birth pangs, but the new born appears healthy and a bundle of joy. From here on, the future of this "child" is dependent on those responsible for it - the Indian motorsports honchos. To an extent, the huge embarrassment of the governmentsupported Commonwealth Games in Delhi last year has been somewhat compensated by the BIC that is comparable to some of the best Formula One tracks in the World. The Hermann Tilke-designed 5.14 Kms long circuit marked by an undulating 1.2 Kms straight and the driver's delight of a 'Parabolica' (turns 10 through 12), has tremendous potential to become the very

Mark Webber at Buddh International Circuit, home of the Formula 1 Indian Grand Prix.

best and as double World champion Fernando Alonso remarked, the BIC can get better over the years. The facility built by a corporate that overcame massive odds, not to speak of the usual skepticism and hordes of Doubting Thomases who dot the Indian landscape, is something the country can be justifiably proud of. Of more significance is that it has paved the way for motorsport in India to move to the next level. The very fact that a clutch of

Indians racing in the two support races, even got to drive on a full-fledged Formula One track and on a Grand Prix weekend in itself was a huge plus, for they would have gained immensely by the experience. For Indian motorsport, the hard work begins now and the eyes would be on the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) to build on the resounding success of the October 28-30 weekend that will go down as a historic and

epochal moment in the country's racing history. And when Sebastian Vettel brought home his Red Bull car while completing his third career treble of Pole, Fastest Lap and Win, the country would have heaved a collective sigh of relief that the event passed off smoothly in front of an estimated global television audience of 500 million besides the capacity 1.2 lakh spectators at the venue. There may have been glitches in the lead up to the race weekend, but certainly, there was no

doubting the commitment on part of the promoters who surmounted last minute hassles and pin pricks in the form of cargo clearances, taxes and a vagabond canine. It stands to reason that the Indian Grand Prix can only get better. The dust factor that added a few creases of worry is sure to be addressed and once the facility develops over the years, there is every possibility that India will become a favorite Formula One destination. The drivers who entertained the fans over three days have all endorsed the circuit even though there are shades of Sepang International Circuit in the BIC layout, but that is an issue hardly worth a debate, for overall, the Indian Grand Prix was an unqualified success. The promoters and organizers have another year to build further on the edifice while India, and specifically New Delhi, like other Formula One venues, will ease into the world of Grand Prix racing. (The views expressed by the author are personal)

New Delhi: Taming the international financial crisis, evolving an East Asia architecture and infusing new energy into South Asian integration -- Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has an action-packed November as he heads to three multilateral summits, juggling different regions and agendas. Buoyed by an economic growth rate of over 8 percent, a laudable performance at a time when parts of the developed world are still reeling under recession, Manmohan Singh heads to the picturesque French Riviera town of Cannes Nov 2 for the G20 summit of major and emerging economies. On top of the table will be the volatile state of the global economy which badly needs growth in emerging markets to emerge unscathed. Manmohan Singh, an economist by training and a former finance minister, is understood to have influenced the recent eurozone bailout and his skills in navigating the global crisis will be much in demand. The G20 summit document Nov 4 is expected to reflect the long-standing demand of India for the reform of international financial institutions and a greater

Manmohan set for intense diplomacy this November

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has an action-packed November as he heads to three multilateral summits, juggling different regions and agendas.

voice for emerging economies in Bretton Woods institutions. Days after returning to New Delhi, Manmohan Singh goes to the Addu Atoll in the Maldives for the 17th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Nov 9. The meet, the first SAARC summit to be held south of the equator, will see India

pitching for greater economic integration in South Asia and closer collaboration on security issues. A slew of bilateral meetings are being worked out, including one with the prime minister of Pakistan. Manmohan Singh is also poised to engage in intense diplomacy to build stronger relations with neighbouring countries, the lynchpin of the country's

foreign policy. He returns from the Maldives Nov 12. Nearly a week later, the prime minister flies off to Bali, the venue of the 18-nation East Asia Summit and India-ASEAN summit. The summit comes at a time when there is a growing unease in the region over China's assertive postures in South China Sea and its perceived aggressiveness in relation to some of East Asian countries. The US and Russia will formally participate in the Nov 18-19 East Asia Summit for the first time, raising the profile of the regional body that seeks to evolve an inclusive regional architecture. Manmohan Singh's speech at the summit will be closely watched in key world capitals amid growing expectations about India playing a larger role in promoting the security and economic dynamism of the region. Manmohan Singh is likely to meet US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the summit, said reliable sources. When US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited India early this year, she exhorted New Delhi to "think East and act East".

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

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India Newswire TheSouthAsianTimes.info

November 5-11, 2011

PM cancels Punjab trip, SGPC, Akalis upset

Chandigarh: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's much awaited visit to Punjab to inaugurate the ambitious Khalsa Heritage Complex (KHC) at Anandpur Sahib has been cancelled, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) said. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had said the KHC, touted as a landmark monument of Sikhism, would be inaugurated by the prime minister between Nov 15 and 25. Manmohan Singh, a Sikh himself, had agreed "in principle" to a request by the chief minister to inaugurate the KHC at Anandpur Sahib, 80 km from here, when the latter called on him in New Delhi in October. The SGPC, considered the mini parliament of Sikh religion, and the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal have blamed petty politics of Punjab Congress leaders for the cancellapresident and former chief minister Amarinder Singh had last month written a letter to the prime minister to not come for the KHC project inauguration as it had already been 'inaugurated' in 2006. Punjab Congress leaders were worried that the prime minister coming for an event for the Badal government and the SGPC so close to assembly elections could be detrimental to Congress interests. Assembly elections in the state are likely to be held FebruaryMarch next year and parties in the state are already in election mode. "It is unfortunate that he (PM) has said that I am not coming. It was an honor for him, being a Sikh, to inaugurate this prestigious project. The Punjab Congress and Amarinder Singh are responsible for this cancellation (of the visit)," Chief Minister Badal said. The Rs.275 crore project, announced in April 1999, was originally expected to be completed by September 2004 to coincide with the celebrations of the 400th year of the Golden Temple, but the completion deadline was pushed back several times. In December last year, the Punjab government set the "final" deadline for July 30 but even that was missed by the authorities. Boston-based internationally acclaimed Israeli-architect Moshe Safdie has designed the complex, which is shaped like open hands offering prayers. The monument is termed as a "wonder in the making" and something that has no comparison in the country. Being built on a 100-acre site at Anadpur Sahib, the KHC is to stand at a site that is the birth place of the 'Khalsa Panth', the present day Sikh religion. The second holiest Sikh shrine, Takht Keshgarh Sahib, is located there as well.

The Khalsa Heritage Complex (KHC) at Anandpur Sahib. tion. "The visit of the prime minister has been canceled. The Sikh community had bestowed an honour on the prime minister, who is himself a Sikh, to inaugurate this great monument. But his visit has been sacrificed by petty politics," SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said in Patiala Thursday. "The prime minister should not be so weak that he is influenced by others so easily," said Makkar, sounding bitter. Punjab Congress

'Dangerously' high inflation due to festivals: Pranab

Kejriwal returns I-T dues to govt

New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal returned over Rs nine lakh in dues to settle the issue of his resignation from the IRS, insisting that he was doing so in protest and it does not mean he has accepted any mistake. Kejriwal sent a cheque of Rs 9,27,787 along with a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, asking him not to "trouble" his six friends, including Magsaysay winner Harish Hande, who had given him an interest-free loan to settle his dues. The 43-year-old activist's decision to settle the dues is seen as an attempt by the Team Anna member to blunt attacks from detractors. Government has claimed that he had violated bond rules by quitting the service before completing three years of service after going on a study leave on full pay. However, Kejriwal said he took non-paid leave and quit the service after serving bond conditions. In his letter to Singh, he said, "I am enclosing a check for Rs 9,27,787. This does not mean that I have accepted the mistake. When I don't know what was the mistake I committed, then there is no question of accepting it.

Arvind Kejriwal. "I am returning the dues in protest. I appeal to you to instruct the Finance Ministry to accept my resignation. Once my resignation is accepted, I retain my right to approach the court to reclaim the dues," he said in the four-page letter.

Food inflation, at 12.21 % for the week ended October 22, climbed to a nine-month high. New Delhi: Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday expressed grave concern over rising food inflation, even as he attributed the latest spike in prices to increased demand during the festive season. Food inflation, at 12.21 % for the week ended October 22, climbed to a nine-month high. "Food inflation is still going high. It is dangerously above double-digit figure," Mukherjee said. The finance minister, however, said the recent spike in prices of food items was due to increased demand during the ongoing festive season. "This (high food inflation) is the effect of festive season demand. November onwards, the trend for remaining four months (of the fiscal) would be available," he said. Mukherjee also termed the price situation as a matter of "grave concern" as food inflation has been in double digits for three consecutive weeks. According to the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the surge in food prices has been mainly due to expensive vegetables, pulses, fruits and milk, putting more burden on the common man. While food prices are going up, there has been some decline in non-food primary articles, Mukherjee said. Inflation in nonfood articles, including fibers, oil seeds and minerals, was at 6.43 % in the reporting week as against 7.67 % a week earlier. On a weekly basis, inflation in the overall primary articles category stood at 12.08 %, compared to 11.75 % in the previous week.

Chinese envoy tells Indian journalist to 'shut up'

New Delhi: Chinese Ambassador Zhang Yan on Thursday got into a spat with a journalist over a wrong territorial map of India, during which he yelled "shut up" at the journalist. The map of India minus some parts of Kashmir and Arunachal was distributed by a state-owned Chinese company TBEA at a business function. Apart from Zhang, the event was attended by visiting Chinese governor of Xinjiang province and senior officials from Ministry of External Affairs. Asked about his reaction over the map, Zhang, who apparently got miffed over the persistent queries over the issue, shot back "shut up". Following which the journo objected saying "if you don't want to answer, don't but you cannot say shut up." Later, the Chinese envoy tried to clarify to the agitating scribe and said the issue has already been brought to his notice by Indian officials and the issue was being handled. "This is a technical issue. We handle these issues. Your joint secretary has mentioned and I have said that we will look into this. I have talked to our people. So what can I do for you," the Chinese diplomat told the journalist. Zhang also said "shut up is not something that changes the nature of these things because we are handling this in a friendly way."

India Newswire TheSouthAsianTimes.info

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November 5-11, 2011

Singer Bhupen Hazarika critical

Guwahati: Though suffering from an infection because of his long stay in the ICU, Bhupen Hazarika showed feeble signs of responding to medicines and his song. But he continues to battle for his life at Mumbai's Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. A team of doctors, led by intensive care medicine specialist Shalendra Goel, put the icon on dialysis for the second day after both his kidneys failed on Tuesday. Jayanta Narayan Saha, in-charge of media relations at the hospital, said, "Since he responded to dialysis yesterday, the doctors have again put him on dialysis today. His condition is still critical but doctors are hopeful of getting a response from him in a couple of days. His infection is because of his long stay in the ICU. But he is in his senses." Apart from the dialysis and medicines, one of his songs, played to him by the hospital's media relations person from his cell phone also seemed to work some magic with the ailing maestro. "I went to him and made him hear his song Ganga amar ma..., which I have loaded in my mobile. He listened to his song. There was a slight movement of his closed eyes and lips," said Saha. Hazarika was admitted to the hospital on June 30 after he complained of breathlessness and since then he has been in the ICU.

Mamata blames Left for crib deaths

Kolkata: After her re-election as the Trinamol Congress chief, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the party aimed to be a national player and slammed the previous Left Front regime for the poor health services in the state. At least 28 babies have died in government hospitals since Oct 25. She warned party cadres of stern action if they got involved in corrupt practices. Banerjee's name was proposed by party general secretary and Minister of State for Shipping Mukul Roy and seconded by all the delegates at the Netaji Indoor Stadium. She thanked her party supporters for electing her as the chairperson of the party for the third time. Earlier, she was elected to the top post in the organisational polls held in 2001 and 2006. "We need our presence in four states to become a national party. I am confident that we can increase our strength in Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh," she said. Around 2,600 party delegates from West Bengal, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam, Jharkhand and Manipur attended the meeting. After ending the 34-year rule of the Left Front in the state, the Trinamool has already launched its "Mission 2013" against the communists in Tripura the last Left citadel in the country. "Any death is regrettable. We don't want any death. But if you look at national statistical figures, West Bengal comes fourth after Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala in terms of child mortality rate," Banerjee said. "If 50 babies would have died in 50 hospitals, then so much of ruckus would not have been made. But as many babies have died in the same hospital, there is so much uproar. But what can we do? In the last 34 years, the Left Front has built only one children's hospital. That's why there is so much pressure on a single hospital," said the chief minister, who also holds the health portfolio. Between Oct 25 and 28, 16 babies have died at the B.C. Roy Children's Hospital - the only children's referral hospital in Kolkata. The Burdwan Medical College and Hospital reported 12 infant deaths between Oct 27 and 28. Earlier in June, 18 babies had died at the B.C. Roy Children's Hospital. Amid allegations of rampant corruption among Trinamool Congress cadres, Banerjee said: "We will not tolerate corruption and indiscipline. No body will be spared if found guilty."

Bhupen Hazarika. He showed some improvement after a few weeks but his health deteriorated last month after he developed pneumonia and underwent a minor surgery. Saha had played his songs on his mobile on the maestro's 85th birthday also on September 8 when Hazarika had cut a cake.

Court allows Amar to travel for treatment

New Delhi: A Delhi court has allowed former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh to visit Singapore for treatment of his kidney infection from November 8-30. While permitting the Rajya Sabha MP to travel to Singapore, the special court of Sangita Dhingra Sehgal directed that he deposits Rs.500,000 or gives a similar amount as a bank guarantee. The court released his passport to enable him to travel. Amar Singh, arrested Sep 6 for alleged involvement in an attempt to bribe MPs ahead of the July 2008 parliament trust vote, in what came to be known as the cash-for-votes case, had been granted bail by the Delhi High Court Oct 24 on humanitarian grounds. He had been admitted to AIIMS Sep 12 due to an infection in his kidneys that were transplanted in 2009. He was discharged Sunday.

Amar Singh.

SUN NOV 06 SAT NOV 12 SUN NOV 13 SAT NOV 05 T V SUN NOV 20 06
Edmonton Marriott at River Cree Resort, 300 East Lapotac Blvd. Enoch Alberta Canada T7X 3Y3 Marriott Courtyard, Seattle Bellevue/Downtown, 14615 NE 29 Place, Bellevue WA 98007-3694

02.00 PM 02.00 PM

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India Newswire TheSouthAsianTimes.info

November 5-11, 2011

2G: No bail for Kanimozhi, seven others

New Delhi: The bail pleas of DMK MP Kanimozhi and seven others accused in the 2G spectrum allotment scam were dismissed by a CBI special court that said all the applications were without merit. They will continue to be lodged in Tihar Jail. Special CBI Judge O.P. Saini said: "All the bail applications are dismissed. The court will begin its trial from November 11." Saini had earlier reserved the order on the bail pleas of Kanimozhi, Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa, former communications minister A. Raja's ex-private secretary R.K. Chandolia, Kalaignar TV chief Sharad Kumar, directors of Kusegaon Fruits & Vegetables Pvt Ltd Asif Balwa and Rajiv B. Agarwal, Bollywood producer Karim Morani and former telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura. All were present in court. Several of their family members broke into tears after the ruling. "The facts of the cases as well as the charges leveled against accused are of very serious nature having grave implications for the economy," the judge said. While dismissing the bail application of Kanimozhi, daughter of former Tamil Nadu chief minister M. Karunanidhi, the court said: "Accused Kanimozhi belongs to upper echelons of the society and she is also a MP. By no stretch of imagination she can be said to be suffering from any discrimination on ground of being a women alone." The DMK, which was banking on Kanimozhi's release, was shocked. "Party leaders are in shock. The party will remain silent. Lawyers will make a statement," a DMK leader said in Chennai.

DMK MP Kanimozhi.

Sonia, PM in Forbes' 20 most powerful list

Anna may end 'maun vrat' on Friday

Mumbai: Anna Hazare was likely to end his vow of silence on Friday when he was expected to visit Delhi, an India Against Corruption (IAC) member said. "Anna might end his 'maun vrat' on Friday and he might come to Delhi. He is currently in his village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra," Aswathi Muralidharan said. She said his close aide Manish Sisodia has left for Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra to update the anticorruption crusader on latest developments and might escort him to the national capital. The 74-year-old activist had started his vow of silence Oct 16. He has since been putting forward his views through his writings that are then read out by his aides or through his blog.

Social activist Anna Hazare. Hazare has threatened to launch another hunger strike if the Lokpal bill is not passed in the winter session of Parliament beginning later this month.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi with PM Manmohan Singh. Washington: India's Congress party president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh figured among Forbes' list of world's 70 most powerful people in 2011 as US Barack Obama regained his position at the top. Obama bumped Chinese President Hu Jintao from the No. 1 spot on the magazine's annual rankings to the third place with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin taking the second position. Gandhi, 64, described as "India's most powerful politician (who) has twice refused to serve as prime minister, delegating that job to Manmohan Singh" dropped two notches from her ninth position last year to be ranked the 11th most powerful person and 7th powerful woman. Manmohan Singh, 79, "the incorruptible Cambridge- and Oxford-educated economist (is) widely respected as the man behind India's economic reforms, which have led to the subcontinent's blistering growth over the last decade," too dropped a notch to be rated the 19th most powerful. Other Indians on the list included Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani ranked 35th, India's top billionaire ArcelorMittal Chairman Lakshmi Mittal in the 47th spot and Wipro chairman Azim Premji at the 61st spot. D-Company leader Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, "organized crime figure (is) suspected of involvement in both the 1993 and 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai" was ranked 57th, a notch behind Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence chief, Ahmed Shuja Pasha, while Pakistan army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, was ranked 34th. Tibetan spiritual leader, Dalai Lama, 76, living in exile in India was ranked 51st, a notch behind former US President Bill Clinton.

Yeddyurappa gets bail in one case

Bangalore: The Karnataka High Court granted conditional bail to former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa in a corruption case relating to alleged irregularities in denotifying lands. Yeddyurappa has been given bail in the third private complaint against him and his bail application in the fourth private complaint has been posted for orders in the afternoon. In the event of the court also allowing his bail plea in the fourth complaint, Yeddyurappa may walk free out of the jail. While allowing him bail in the third private complaint, Justice B V Pinto directed him to furnish a surety for Rs five lakh and not to tamper with evidence. Yeddyurappa is in judicial custody for the last 20 days which was granted by a Lokayukta court before which the case is pending. The Lokayukta court had earlier

Former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa. dismissed the bail application of Yeddyurappa, against whom it had issued summons in two private complaints regarding alleged irregularities in denotification of government land for pecuniary gains. Facing arrest, Yeddyurappa had surrendered before the Lokyukta court, where advocate Sirajin Basha had filed the complaints. Yeddyurappa, his two sons-- B Y Raghavendra, a Lok Sabha member and B Y Vijendra and son-inlaw R N Sohan Kumar have also moved applications seeking anticipatory bail in three other private complaints in which they have been named as accused by Basha.

BAPS Diwali TheSouthAsianTimes.info

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November 5-11, 2011

Children play various games in Childrens Diwali Celebration at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Clifton, NJ

Annakut aarti being performed by invited guests at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Philadelphia, PA

Pujya Mangalnidhi Swami sanctifies the account books on Diwali day at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Philadelphia, PA

Annakut at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Edison, NJ

A small girl engrossed in Annakut Darshan

BAPS mandirs across US celebrate Diwali with splendor

Annakut at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Cherry Hill, NJ

Annakut at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Jersey City, NJ

Dazzle of firecrackers at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Houston, TX

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Atlanta, GA glowing with colorful lights on Diwali night.

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India's Inaugural F1 Grand Prix TheSouthAsianTimes.info

November 5-11, 2011

Vettel wins first Indian Grand Prix

Greater Noida: Sebastian Vettel has been unmatched this whole season. His victory in the inaugural Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, has taken his tally of the season to 11 wins. With two races to go in the season, Vettel now has his eyes on Schumachers record tally of 13 race wins in a season. Behind him were Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, teammate Mark Webber and Michael Schumacher who outpaced Nico Rosberg for fifth. Lewis Hamilton finished in seventh after yet another tussle with Felipe Massa. iSporter Sahil Bhalla reviews the Indian GP. There was plenty of good racing on offer and a near capacity crowd meant that everyone present at the track had an awfully good outing. This was the perfect advertisement for Formula 1 where India only have two drivers competing, Karthikeyan and Chandhok. Vettel was unmatchable throughout the race and Button and Webber could do nothing about this. This made the front of the race not too exciting to watch. What was good news for Indian fans all around was on two fronts; Firstly, the Force India of Adrian Sutil finished in 9th position and garnered some points. Secondly, the HRT of Karthikeyan finished the race in 17th, which isnt so bad considering he hasnt raced much of the season and his car isnt up to speed. All in all, the Indian Grand Prix lived up to its hype. Some were saying it might not happen or it wouldnt be as great because of what happened with the Commonwealth Games, but with all the problems, the Indian organizers pulled off a fantastic race. Here is looking forward to the next Indian Grand Prix. Maybe next year there will be an Indian on the podium?

Red Bull-Renault driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany is showered with champagne by second place winner McLaren-Mercedes driver Jenson Button of Britain at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida.

'India need world-class F1 drivers

success should be followed by creating a pool of Indian drivers who could take on the likes of current World champion Sebastian Vettel. What India has made (the Buddh International Circuit) is remarkable. I drove around the circuit and it is one of the best in the world. But that is not enough for the progress of Indian motorsport. You guys gotta create a bunch of racing drivers at the highest level," said an animated Stewart. We need to get more and more Indians racing in Formula cars. The infrastructure needs to be put in place. I see there are not many race tracks in India, said the 73-yearold, who inaugurated the Sriperumbudur track in Tamil Nadu way back in 1985. Stewart thinks highly of Indian F1 drivers Karun Chandhok and Narain Karthikeyan, but says the country needs a fresh face.

Sachin waves checkered flag at Indian GP

McLaren-Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain powers during the Indian Grand Prix final in Greater Noida. New Delhi: Former Formula One World champion Jackie Stewart says India now must focus on producing a bunch of world-class drivers after the resounding success of the inaugural Indian Grand Prix. The "Flying Scotsman" also feels that it is time F1 had a female driver on the grid. World champion in 1969, 1971, 1973, Stewart says India should be proud of what it had achieved and the Grand Prix

We got the best possible result: Narain

Greater Noida: The only Indian driver in the fray, Narain Karthikeyan was a very satisfied and relived man today despite uncertainty over his future in the next formula one season. Karthikeyan could not score any point at India's first ever F1 Grand Prix because he was never in contention due to a slow car at this disposal but he got the best possible result - a 17th place - after starting last on the grid. Such was the charm of racing at home that even when he was chasing the cars in front of him, he could not stop himself from looking at Grand Stand to see how much crowd has turned up. "It was filling with every lap. I could see it. I am really happy that I finished the race and that too ahead of teammate ( Daniel Riciardo)," Karthikeyan said. "It is the best possible result we could have got. I was just half-a second behind the Virigin car. I could have finished 16th," Karthikeyan, India's first ever F1 driver and first to race at home GP, said. Asked about his future with Hispania since he will not race for them in the last two races and his contracts ends this year, Karthikeyan said he has no idea what will happen. Sachin Tendulkar waving the checkered flag at the end of the inaugural Indian Grand Prix. Greater Noida: Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, a self-confessed Formula One fan, waved the checkered flag at the end of the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, which newly-crowned world champion Sebastian Vettel won at the Buddh International Circuit. Tendulkar, who witnessed the race along with wife Anjali and daughter Sara, did the honors at the end of the race. Tendulkar's long-time friend and seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, with whom the Indian batsman met before the start of the race, finished fifth. Earlier, batting maestro Sachin showed his passion for motorsport by being the first of the high-profile guests to arrive at the circuit in Greater Noida. "His love for motorsport is well known and I was not surprised to see him three hours before the race time. I went to the gate to welcome him," Sameer Gaur, managing director of Jaypee Sports International, said. Tendulkar spent a lot of time at the paddocks before going to the VIP lounge area. His meeting with Schumacher was widely anticipated and that was one of the first things he did after arriving. Tendulkar went to the Mercedes GP team garage and chatted extensively with Schumacher and fellow driver Nico Rosberg. He also introduced his wife Anjali and daughter Sara to Schumacher. It was Tendulkar's second meeting with seven-time champion Schumacher after 2002, when the German gifted the Indian the keys of a Ferrari.

Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan and his wife arrive to attend the Formula 1 party .

India's Inaugural F1 Grand Prix TheSouthAsianTimes.info

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November 5-11, 2011

Bollywood goes 'Gaga' at the F1 after-party

New Delhi: The F1 after-party on Sunday after the first ever grand prix in the country was a starry affair. And what a party it was! The F1 after-party following the the grand finale of the first ever motor sport event in the country was a glitzy affair with 'Ra.One', 'G.One' and the F1 drivers partying the night away at the Jaypee Integrated Sports complex in Greater Noida. The main attraction of the party was none other than Grammy Award winner Lady Gaga who had been specially flown into the country for an exclusive performance. "She's going to perform a single she has never performed before and she has got a sitar player with her to add the Indian element," said Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal. Shah Rukh Khan, who was present at the party, also spoke highly of Lady Gaga. "She is very beautiful. I sat with her for two hours and exchanged thoughts on life. She is very deep, very sweet and very honest," said Shah Rukh Khan. It was Bollywood actor Imran Khan's honesty that left everybody surprised. "I am not into pop music but I am into rock," said Imran Khan. Moving on to the other ladies who graced US pop diva Lady Gaga performs in Greater Noida. the red carpet at the do, it was Deepika Padukone who stood out in the white dress, while Preity Zinta, Sonam Kapoor and Suzzane Roshan sported the classic black. But it was Gauri Khan in a blue Kaftan dress and Bipasha Basu in a Shane and Phlaguni Peacock one shoulder number who steered clear from playing it safe.

Lady Gaga's mike a sex toy!

ady Gaga was clad in uncharacteristically demure attire when she performed at the Formula One after-party. However, her feminine touch was lost thanks to the microphone she held, it looked suspiciously phallic. She had suggested that her outfit would be a "hybrid of my vision and the Indian vision." One used to shock with her ensembles, it seemed hardly believable. But she did manage to cover up. The 25-year-old wore a cream-colored Tarun Tahiliani outfit Swarovski crystals. She redesigned the original creation and made it into a wrap dress.

Huge celeb turn out at F1 after-party

Greater Noida: The razzmatazz of Formula One was in India for the first time, so it was only natural that celebrities were in attendance to add to the glamour quotient. From cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar to tennis ace Sania Mirza to Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan - they were all there in the paddock at the Buddh International Circuit. An excited Sania tweeted: "A day at the races.. what fun:) Sebastian Vettel won, and it was superbly organised.. great day. Delhi it is.. all the force with Sahara Force India.. woohoo.. good luck." Shah Rukh, dressed in a white shirt and sporting a small ponytail, was also among Ecclestone's guests on the starting grid, as was fellow Bollywood actor Gulshan Grover. Rising star Imran Khan also watched the race, as did dusky beauty Chitrangada Singh. The graceful Deepika Padukone was seen together with Force India owner Vijay Mallya's son Sidhartha, while Preity Zinta was busy taking pictures in the pit lane before the race. Representing foreign cinema was legendary British actor Rowan Atkinson, who

After no Gurgaon show, Metallica rocks Bangalore

Bangalore: The wait was worth it. The rain, the rumors about the show getting canceled, queuing up for an hour and a half, getting muck all over our shoes and the crappy organization, it didnt matter when James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo came onstage. Metallica came, they played and they blew our minds out. They started off the overtwo-hour set with Creeping Death and the crowd went nuts. They followed it up with For Whom the Bell Tolls, Fuel and Ride the Lightning and we lapped it up. Next up was Fade to Black and the 30,000-odd fans sang along Hetfield. Hetfield then had his India moment with The Memory Remains. The Metallica faithful went ra ra over the song and the band just stopped playing as the crowd completed the last five minutes of the song for the band. Leaving Metallica and Hetfiled speechless, wonder how many countries can boast that! This was just the warmup for the mayhem to follow when the foursome played One, Master of Puppets and Blackened back-to-back. It was pandemonium as random mosh-

Actor Shah Rukh Khan arrives for an F1 after-party.

The rock band Metallica performing in Bangalore. Their F1 show in Gurgaon was canceled due to organizers' fraud.

Actor Imran Khan and his wife Avantika at the Formula 1 party. was a special guest of the McLaren team. He was shown on TV feed giving his trademark exaggerated expressions when Ferrari's Felipe Massa and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton ran into each other. The cricket quotient at the circuit was enhanced by off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and opening batsman Virender Sehwag, who arrived in a Bentley and was almost mobbed by the security staff manning the circuit gates. In fact, the security supervisor had to shout at them to get them back to their job of checking vehicles!

pits broke out, people screamed themselves hoarse and the three guitarists ran across the stage exhorting the crowd into increasing levels of intensity. They needed to calm the crowd down and no song does it better than Nothing Else Matters, the Metallica anthem for any fan. Enter Sandman was the next song before the band made a show of leaving the stage. We werent having any of it and they knew we wouldnt let them off that easy. They came back with a tribute to Diamondheads Am I Evil?, before polishing the show off with Battery and Seek and Destroy. Hetfield with his I-knowwe-are-so-cool peacock strut, Ulrich and his manic energy as he thumped his

drum kit for all its worth and Hammett with his intoxicating guitar work will never get out of my head. But it was Trujillo who was the revelation. Most Metallica videos have little visuals of the longhaired bassist. He was stage presence personified in Bangalore. Part prowling panther, part retarded jack rabbit, he spun, he growled and he made the bass do magic. The producer in charge of the online edit, thats the guy who decided whats shown on the concert screens, was a maverick and the visuals changed by the second, showcasing Metallica in all forms and they played a huge part in getting the crowd all charged up.

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Ultimate Bollywood TheSouthAsianTimes.info

November 5-11, 2011

'RA.One' flying high with Rs.170 cr collection

hah Rukh Khan's technological masterpiece "RA.One", one of the most expensive films made in India, has recovered its costs by earning Rs.170 crore worldwide in the opening weekend. The superstar is congratulating his business partners on the superhero's box office success. Eros International Media Ltd (Eros International) released the collection report stating that the film has got a record breaking opening - the highly anticipated Diwali collected of Rs. 137.25 crore (net collection Rs. 96 crore) in India and Rs. 32.75 crore overseas. Apart from this, Shah Rukh Khan had reportedly sold the satellite rights for Rs.37 crore, the

Ra. One released to packed houses across the country on Diwali day and has already created history by taking over the mantle of the biggest domestic earner so far.

music rights for Rs.8 crore and ancillary rights for Rs.10 crore even before the film had hit the screens. "As always, my heart doesn't crunch numbers and heroes don't count zeros...but it's nice to know how 'Ra.One' is flying," he further tweeted. Made at a budget of Rs.150 crore, the film, described as best in terms of technology, opened across more than 4,000 plus screens worldwide - 3,100 plus screens in India and 904 prints internationally, including 3D and has become the biggest Hindi grosser in southern market too. "Ra. One released to packed houses across the country on Diwali day and has already created

history by taking over the mantle of the biggest domestic earner so far. The film continues to be on its record breaking spree with several new achievements since its release. It has touched the highest individual collection in circuits such as Mumbai, Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan," Nandu Ahuja, senior vice president, distribution, Eros International Media Ltd said in a statement. Eros plans to take the film to non-traditional markets "RA.One" is scheduled for theatrical release in the first quarter of 2012 across several territories including South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Russia , Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Palestine, Brazil, Spain, Italy and Greece .

Vivek Oberoi's nude scene

Salman upset with Sonakshi Sinha?

t an event recently, actress Sonakshi Sinha seems to have been caught on the wrong foot. The actress was launched by Salman Khan in 'Dabangg' and much appreciated for her role in the film. Of course, the girl insists she remains indebted to Salman for the big break. However, her closeness to Salman Khan has made all and sundry think that she is in fact a part of the Sallu camp. At an event recently, the lady was asked what she would do if she was offered a movie with SRK, especially since she's a part of Salman's camp? Sonakshi clarified that she isn't a part of any camp and doesn't believe in the camp culture. She also said that she would love to work with anybody and everybody. Of course, working with Shah Rukh

ctor Vivek Oberoi is all set to strip in his forthcoming movie, the sequel to 'Ek Chalis Ki Last Local'. The film, directed by Khanduri, is yet to be titled. The makers insist that Vivek will be bearing all in this motion picture, although they will sit and decide how much to show only later when they sit at the editing table.We believe that the stripping is extremely important to the script just like Neil Nitin Mukesh's was to 'Jail', and John's was to 'Dostana'. It's no wonder that Vivek Oberoi has been working out hard, and eating right, to get those abs and butt to look awesome!

Actors Sonakshi and Salman in a still from the movie Dabangg. would be a dream come true for the damsel. It's heard that Salman Khan is miffed with this statement of hers. However, with both of them coming together in 'Kick' and 'Dabangg 2', Sonakshi will have enough time to explain her point of view and sort out this mess.

Vivek Oberoi has been working out hard, and eating right, to get those abs and butt to look awesome.

Review

'Tell Me O Kkhuda' - tender, sweet, gentle

ake away all the awkwardness of the comic relief by Johnny Lever and a plot that moves through three segments without transitional smoothness... and you have a film that's tender, sweet and gentle. "Tell Me O Kkhuda" (TMOK) is a bit of a smileinvoking ode to parenthood. Tanya (Esha Deol, in an authorbacked, tailor-made, custom-built role), happily ensconced in her life of parents (benign Farouq Shaikh-Deepti Naval), best friend (Chandan Roy Sanyal) and sweet-heart (Arjan Bajwa) discovers she is an adopted child. Thus begins her genealogical journey. The drama unfolds with the least fuss or ostentation. To the narrative's credit, it dithers not from its picaresque aspirations. Esha goes through three different emotional and geographical locations in pursuit of papa-dearest. Of these, the Turkish sojourn

Actor Esha Deol goes through three different emotional and geographical locations in pursuit of her father in the movie.

Indian short film makes waves internationally

os Angeles-based and Mumbai-born and bred actor and producer Suniil Sadarangani's new short film 'In Transit' is making just the right noise at international film festivals. The short film, which he made by raising close to $8000 through 'crowd funding', has been nominated in five categories (Best Short Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Representation of a Theme) at the Angeleno Film Festival in LA (http://www.angelenofest.com/). It's also the Official Selection at 15 Minutes Of Fame International Film Festival, July 2011 and The Golden Door International Film Festival, Oct 13th16th, 2011. Suniil has produced and acted in the film while award-winning filmmaker Stev Elam (former assistant to Oscar-winning filmmaker Ridley Scott) has directed it. 'In Transit' screens at Blue Frog for the Shamiana Short Film Club Screening Series on Thursday November 3 at 8

Actor and producer Suniil Sadarangani's new short film addresses the Indian Diaspora experience in an alien culture. pm. The film is based on a true story that Suniil experienced at a bus stop in Los Angeles. The film addresses the Indian Diaspora experience in an alien culture. Based on true events, the film is the meeting of two people from diametrically opposite cultures, background, and demographics. Although they seem to be as different on the surface, they discover through this brief encounter at a bus stop, that they have more in common than they thought.

with Rishi Kapoor and the beautiful Turkish actress is the most crisply edited and packaged. The Rajasthani sojourn with Vinod Khanna as a haveli-bound zamindar, meanders all over the place, subsuming issues such as female foeticide. Here the narrative makes ample space for a camel race which adds spectacle to the emotion without really saying much about

the characters or their need to reach into the recesses of their heart. No doubt this film is meant to showcase Esha's evolved status as an actress. The girl has eloquent eyes and an expressive face which knows how to hold an emotion. Esha is a graceful portrait of a girl in pursuit of something echoing happiness.

Ultimate Bollywood TheSouthAsianTimes.info

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November 5-11, 2011

Vidya dances 'Dirty' with Big B I rushed into marriage:

romoting a film has never been more satisfying. At least not for Vidya Balan. The actress who graced Amitabh Bachchan's quiz show on television recently, was seen grinning. And that's not because she had won the prize money. An eyewitness revealed, "Vidya was looking gorgeous in a blood red saree as she stepped in to the sets at Film City Goregaon. It was the same saree she is seen wearing in her film The Dirty Picture, the film she had come to promote on the show." Perhaps it was her saree or simply her charm, the host, Amitabh Bachchan ended up grooving with Vidya to her Ooh La La number from The Dirty Picture. "It was an impromptu performance. Vidya just told Mr Bachchan 'Thoda Ooh la la karne ka man kar raha hai'. Bachchan laughed in his inimitable style. He then immediately got up,

Kardashian

Vidya took the liberty of asking Amitabh Bachchan to dance with her on The Dirty Picture song and the veteran actor complied. stretched out his hand and they danced till they could not control their laughter," added the eyewitness. The impromptu dance sequence did not turn out the way Pony Verma had choreographed it in the Ekta Kapoor film. "Bachchan started dancing in his own style. And Vidya had to match his steps," said the eyewitness.

eality TV star Kim Kardashian explained she got "caught up with the hoopla" surrounding her relationship with Kris Humphries "and rushed into something too soon" in an emotional message posted on her website a day after she filed for divorce from the basketball player. Titled "A Message To My Fans," the 31-yearold wrote that she "married for love" and blasted speculation that her nuptials were for the benefit of her TV shows. "First and foremost, I married for love. I can't believe I even have to defend this," she wrote. "I would not have spent so much time on something just for a TV show!

Actor Kim Kardashian. "I got caught up with the hoopla and the filming of the TV show that when I probably should have ended my relationship, I didn't know how to and didn't want to disappoint a lot of people," she added.

India no country for rockstars: Rahman

No Aashiqui for Madhur Bhandarkar

ilmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar has clarified that he is not working on a remake of the 1990 hit romantic film Aashiqui. Let me clarify, I am not making Aashiqui remake. Fashion 2 is under consideration for 2012 end but nothing has been finalized yet! he posted on micro-blogging site Twitter. There has been a spate of speculation over Bhandarkars upcoming projects. In September, it was reported

It was reported that Bhandarkar had been asked by T-Series head Bhushan Kumar to remake Aashiqui that starred Rahul Roy and Anu Agarwal.

that Bhandarkar had been asked by T-Series head Bhushan Kumar to remake Aashiqui that starred Rahul Roy and Anu Agarwal. The other buzz was about Fashion 2, for which he is rumored to have approached Madhuri Dixit, who is back from the US to Mumbai for good. Meanwhile, work on his most ambitious project, Heroine, starts November-end. Heroine principal photography to commence from end Nov! Bhandarkar further tweeted.

Music composer A.R. Rahman has already managed to enthrall audiences with his songs for Imtiaz Alis film Rockstar.

he country may look upon double Oscar and Grammy winning artiste, AR Rahman as the real music maestro, but the celebrated composer feels that India cant produce a true rockstar. I think in India, we dont have a true rockstar. Culturally, we are a family-bound society and rockstars are known to do all sorts of odd things, says Rahman. The composer, who has already managed to enthrall audiences with his compositions for Imtiaz Alis film Rockstar confesses that hes impressed with the films lead actor, Ranbir Kapoors perseverance. Ranbir is a great learner. He used to sit in one corner of the studio to figure out the tempo of the soundtrack just to understand what the music would be like. I havent seen such commitment among other actors, adds Rahman. A musical saga, Rockstar cap-

tures the life of a Delhi boy played by Ranbir, who realizes the pain is the real impetus to be a great musician. And though Rahman is rarely known for praising actors, Bollywoods current poster boy has won the composer over with his dedication to get into the skin of the character. Talking about the actors transformation to a real rockstar, Rahman says, Ranbir actually learnt the guitar chords in the song that he is playing on screen. Most actors just move their hands up and along to enact a strumming sequence, but Ranbir actually practices and plays the right notes in the film. It was reported that Ranbir started learning to play the guitar before he started shooting the film. The actor is also said to have visited Rahmans studio in Chennai occasionally, while the recording of the film was on.

Real sardars, Pakistanis cast for 9/11 film

uneet Issar is going all out to get the casting of his next directorial film, I Am Singh, right. In an attempt to make his characters more realistic, the actor-turned-director is roping in real Asian immigrants, who post the 9/11 terror attacks in the US, felt discriminated. The film, which releases on December 2, mainly deals with the atrocities the Sikh community faced post the attacks. A source close to Issar reveals that the films storyline demanded for the roles to feel and look real. For instance, debutante actor Rizwan Haider from Pakistan will be playing the role of a Pakistani in I Am Singh. The director actually travelled to the neighboring country to handpick the actor. For the role of

In the movie, Puneet plays the role of the real LAPD cop, who is suspended after he refuses to get rid of his turban post the 9/11 attacks. the Sikh protagonist, more than tioned. Finally, Gulzar Chahal, a 400 people from Chandigarh, resident of Patiala, was chosen to Amritsar and Patiala were audi- play the role of Ranveer Singh.

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Diaspora TheSouthAsianTimes.info

November 5-11, 2011

Diwali at Indian Embassy in Beijing

Kashmiri diaspora alliance stages protest rally for probe into mass graves
Toronto: World Kashmir Diaspora Alliance (WKDA) held a protest rally on Bloor Street in front of the Indian Consulate in Toronto, Canada. The protesters demanded a comprehensive investigation into the issue of mass graves that have been found in Kashmir in a similar manner that were held in Shibrinetza by the international community. Farooq Papa, who heads the World Kashmir Diaspora Alliance, an organization that is actively propagating the Kashmir issue globally on diplomatic front, said that it is appalling to observe that the findings of these graves have not raised any eyebrows in the power echelons of the United Nations and western countries, who do not waste any time when such atrocities are being committed in areas and territories where western governments have vested interests in raising the issue of human rights. Condemnation and bringing the perpetrators of crimes against humanity to justice must not be country-specific. The garb of democracy must not be taken as a shield of impunity by countries who run democratically. The international court of justice should not be used only for authoritative regimes, the international court of justice must also oversee that democratic countries functionality, vis-a-vis the universal human right adherence and obligation under international law. Towing of such policies that belie the values of decla-

Display of fire crackers

Members of WKDA at the protest rally ration of human rights and fundamental rights adopted 63 years ago by the United Nations is going to create discord rather than beneficial understanding. Habib Yousaf Zai, the spokesman for WKDA, later talking to local media in Toronto emphasized that for Canada, human rights is an important part of foreign policy and its relations with other countries. We cannot be mere spectators to the abuses that are being committed on Kashmiris, he said. He said that the WKDA will write to the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to take up the issue of mass graves in Kashmir in the forthcoming G20 meeting in November 2011, and allow foreign forensic experts to investigate these crimes against humanity.

Blair met Mittal over Kazakhstan deal: Report

UK-based three PIOs develop laser whiskey test

London: Britain-based three Indian-origin physicists have now developed a laser test which can determine by using just a drop of the beverage whether a whiskey is counterfeit or not. Praveen Ashok, Kishan Dholakia and Bavishna Praveen of the University of St. Andrews say in their study, published in the Optics Express journal, that their laser detector can instantly decide whether the liquid under test is genuine. The test beams a ray of light thinner than a human hair through a transparent chip on which sits some of the precious liquid, say the team Indian-origin researchers. It was found that firing light from one optical fiber and collecting it with another allowed them to analyze the light scattered from the whiskey. It also allowed them to work out precisely how much alcohol is in a sample. Fake whiskey often has less than the required 40 per cent, the Daily Mail reported.

It included Bharatnatyam performance by Chinese dancer Jin Shanshan

The cultural event was attended by Indians living in Beijing

Indian Ambassador to China S Jaishankar with Pakistani Ambassador Masood Khan (right) at the Indian Embassy Diwali event in Beijing. Khan took a rare step of participating in the celebrations along with wife Zohra after S Jaishankar reportedly visited Pakistani embassy to pay his condolences over the recent demise of Begum Nusrat Bhutto, mother in law of Asif Ali Zardari.

Lakshmi Mittal and Tony Blair in May 2011 in Astana London: Former British Prime and is the biggest employer in Minister Tony Blair met Indian- Kazakhstan. He employs 50,000 origin billionaire Lakshmi Mittal people there and is reportedly and struck a deal worth eight mil- close to Kazakh President lion pounds (USD 13 million) to Nursultan Nazarbayev. clean up the image of corruptionMittal's LNM steel company is, plagued Kazakhstan, a media however, not British. It was registered in the Dutch Antilles and report said Sunday. Steel magnate Mittal -- who has has less than one percent of its donated more than four million 100,000-plus workforce in pounds to Labor -- sat next to Britain. A spokesman for Mittal Blair at a meeting of "powerful" has declined to comment. Mittal's employees in international businessmen in Kazakh capital Astana in May, the Kazakhstan have accused him of Daily Mail said. "slave labor" conditions after a Mittal is Britain's richest man series of coal mining accidents with a fortune of more than 20 between 2004 and 2007 which led billion pounds (USD 32 billion) to 91 deaths.

Subcontinent TheSouthAsianTimes.info

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November 5-11, 2011

Gender bias: India way behind neighbors

New Delhi: India's abysmal gender inequality statistics seem to have taken a turn for the worse. New data shows the country's Gender Inequality Index (GII) worsened between 2008 and 2011, and India now ranks 129 out of 146 countries on the GII, better only than Afghanistan in south Asia. On the Human Development Index (HDI), India ranks 134 out of 187 countries. When inequality is factored in, it experiences a 30% drop in its human development values, ranking 129 out of 146 nations. The GII, introduced by the UN Development Program last year, measures female disadvantage in three areas: reproductive health as measured by the maternal mortality ratio and the adolescent fertility rate, empowerment measured by seats in Parliament and proportion with at least secondary education, and the labor force participation rate. India's decline is accounted for by a fall in its female labor force participation rate and a worsening of its adolescent fertility rate. Within India's neighborhood, Sri Lanka has overtaken China on human development and with an HDI of 0.691, is now within touching distance of the "high human development" category. Sri Lanka performs particularly well on gender equality indicators; its maternal mortality ratio is the same as Russia's. Nepal's HDI stands at 0.458, which gives the country a rank of 157 out of 187 countries with comparable data, said the report. In fact, Afghanistan is the only country ranked below India in the South Asian region on the Gender Inequality Index. Among BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) nations, India has the highest inequalities in human development, said Ms Seeta Prabhu, Senior Advisor, United Nations Development program. The 2011 report focuses on sustainability and the impact of environmental degradation on the poor. By 2050, the average HDI could drop by 12% in south Asia due to the effects of global warming on agricultural production, access to clean water and pollution, the report says.

Union Minister for Rural Development, Jairam Ramesh, along with Caitlin Wiesen, Country Director, UNDP, at the launch of UNDP report on Global Human Development Report 2011 Sustainability and Equity : A Better Future for all , in India.

US slaps sanctions on Haqqani commander

Washington: The US designated a top Pakistan-based Haqqani network commander, Mali Khan, as a foreign terrorist and slapped financial sanctions against him, aimed at crippling the finances to the dreaded outfit. Acting as a Haqqani commander, Khan has overseen hundreds of fighters, and has instructed his subordinates to conduct terrorist acts, the US state department said in a statement. "Mali Khan has provided support and logistics to the Haqqani Network, and has been involved in the planning and execution of attacks in Afghanistan against civilians, coalition forces, and Afghan police," it said. Under the sanctions, all property subject to US jurisdiction in which Khan has any interest is blocked and Americans are prohibited from engaging in business with him. This action will help stem the flow of financial and other assistance to the Haqqani Network, the state department said.

Sri Lanka to release controversial war report

Colombo: Sri Lanka is to publish its report into the final stages of its war with Tamil rebels despite international criticism that the probe was flawed from the start, the foreign ministry said. The government's Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) is to hand over its findings to President Mahinda Rajapakse who set up the probe last year. Rights groups have already dismissed the LLRC as a white wash. "The report of the LLRC to look into the cause of the conflict, its effects on the people and reconciliation will be made public after it is handed over to the President," the ministry said quoting Foreign Minister G. L. Peiris. Peiris said the LLRC report will be made public, but only after the president has studied it. The LLRC, comprising former government officials, was established in May last year with a November 15 deadline to complete its work. International rights groups

Under the sanctions, all property subject to US jurisdiction in which Khan has any interest is blocked and Americans are prohibited from engaging in business with him. The Haqqani Network, it said, is a Taliban-affiliated group of militants that operates from North Waziristan Agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. It has been at the forefront of insurgent activity in Afghanistan, responsible for many high-profile attacks, the statement said.

Tens of thousands of civilians died in the final phase of Sri Lanka's civil war - most of them killed in shelling by government forces, according to a UN panel. have been highly critical of the LLRC, saying that it was "flawed at every level" and was no substitute for an independent war crimes probe as demanded by many, including the US and the European Union. London-based Amnesty International in September cited eyewitness testimony and information from aid workers suggesting that at least 10,000 civilians were killed in the final military drive that crushed Tamil separatists in May 2009. An April report by a panel commissioned by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon noted "credible allegations" of war crimes committed by both sides -- Colombo denied the allegations, maintaining that troops did not kill a single civilian.

Maoists fight Maoists as Nepal signs new pact

Kathmandu: Scores of Maoist hardliners, including members of parliament and former ministers, marched in an angry protest rally in capital city Kathmandu, burning copies of a newly signed peace pact that promised to give fresh momentum to the wilting peace process, and threatening to pull out of the party. Led by Maoist deputy chief Mohan Baidya, and Maoist MPs Chandra Prakash Gajurel, Ram Bahadur Thapa Magar and Pampa Bhushal, the hardliners are asking their own comrade and prime minister Baburam Bhattarai, to scrap the new peace agreement hammered out recently among the four major powers in parliament. They are the Maoist party, the opposition Nepali Congress and communists, and the Maoist government's main ally, a bloc of ethnic parties from the Terai plains. The seven-point agreement, endorsed by Maoist supremo Prachanda himself, breaks the ice after five long years of negotiations, and paves the way for the dissolution of the Maoists' guerrilla army. Prachanda finally agrees that the nearly 20,000-strong People's Liberation Army will now be discharged. Those seeking voluntary discharge will be given a golden handshake ranging from NRS 500,000800,000, while those opting to be rehabilitated will have the state spend NRS 600,000-900,000 on programs to provide each of them training and support. Those chosen for induction in the army will have to fulfill army criteria which will be relaxed in case of educational and other qualifications. However, their job will be noncombatant, being part of a special directorate that will have 65 percent personnel from other state security agencies. It will be employed in sectors like forest security and infrastructure building. This is the part that has ruffled the feathers of the Maoist hawks who are calling it a betrayal of the "glorious PLA" that fought a "People's War" for 10 years and ushered in liberation. Baidya called a press conference on Wednesday with lightning speed, condemning the pact as a revisionist plot to undermine and disband the PLA. The hawks are demanding a national security policy before the PLA is disbanded. They had also led a protest earlier this year, soon after Bhattarai became prime Minister, when the PLA formally handed over to the government the keys to the containers where their arms were stored. The renewed dissent among the Maoists now poses a real danger of the party facing a vertical split. With the Baidya faction flexing its muscles, all eyes would be on the meeting of the Maoist central committee that starts from Thursday,

The seven-point agreement, endorsed by Maoist supremo Prachanda himself, breaks the ice after five long years of negotiations.

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Business TheSouthAsianTimes.info

November 5-11, 2011

Pakistan gives MFN status to India

Google India offers free website to SMBs

New Delhi: Google India launched a new initiative, "India Get Your Business Online" to provide a free website, personalized domain and hosting to small and medium businesses (SMB) across the country, in partnership with US-based firm HostGator. The company aims to help 5,00,000 small and medium businesses in India to get online in next three years through this program. "With this initiative, our customers will benefit from having access to better information of local businesses, and business owners will benefit as their customers will be able to find them easily," said Rajan Anandan, managing director and vice president (sales and operations), Google India. "We are investing major resources in this campaign to help as many businesses as possible to get online. We aim to get at least 5,00,000 businesses online in the next three years," he added. The company declined to give any investment details but said that currently Google is not expecting any revenue out of the project. According to Google, India has over 26 million

Federal Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh with Google India officials at the launch of a website service for Indian SMBs in New Delhi. small and medium businesses but only about 4,00,000 have a website. This initiative is designed to bridge the information gap that exists online due to the lack of presence of local Indian businesses on the internet, it said. The program has already been launched in other countries.

India-Pakistan trade was logged at $2.5 billion in 2010-11 and the two countries are targeting to double this in the next five years. Islamabad/New Delhi: Pakistan has granted the "Most Favored Nation" (MFN) status to India, reciprocating a 15-year-old gesture. India Inc said the decision will push up trade sharply. India had given Pakistan the MFN status in 1996 but Islamabad did not respond positively. Ties between the two countries deteriorated after the Mumbai terror attack in 2008 for which Pakistan was blamed. Wednesday's decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. It said the move would help expand bilateral trade relations, Xinhua reported. Hailing the decision, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) said the MFN status would have an exponential effect on growth of bilateral trade. "It is a big moment which will not only double bilateral trade immediately but also put back life into the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA)," Rajiv Kumar, secretary general of FICCI, said. "Now trade which was being conducted via Dubai can take place openly. This would immediately reflect in the books," Kumar added. India-Pakistan trade was logged at $2.5 billion in 2010-11 and the two countries are targeting to double this in the next five years. When a country grants a foreign territory the MFN status, it signifies that import barriers would be lowered and import quotas raised for goods originating from that country. Pakistan would now loosen import restrictions from India. At present, Islamabad allows import of only 1,946 items from New Delhi. India does not permit trade in 850 items with Pakistan. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) claimed that Pakistan's decision would send trade soaring and reach a volume of $8 billion in less than five years. "The MFN status will substantially reduce illegal and third country trade with the potential of raising official bilateral trade to $8 billion in less than five years," said Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General of CII.

Efforts on to stave off Air India strike

here between Air India Express, the low cost international subsidiary of the flag carrier, and the IPG's representatives at the company's headquarters, which is also known as the Air India building, according to the official. "Air India Express's chief operating officer (COO) Chandra Kumar is in talks with IPG representatives," the official said. The developments came after 100 pilots, who are members of the IPG that represents 300 pre-merger pilots of Air India, threatened to resign over alleged discrimination by the airline's management on the training to fly the Dreamliner. The trouble started when 64 pilots, 32 from the IPG and 32 from the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA), the union of former Indian Airlines pilots, were selected to undergo Boeing 787 training in the US which starts in a few days.

The trouble started when 64 pilots were selected to undergo Boeing 787 training in the US which starts in a few days. Mumbai : Efforts are on to stave discussions with the Indian Pilots off mass resignations and a strike Guild (IPG) today (Wednesday). by a section of Air India pilots on All efforts and good offices are training to fly the soon-to-be being used to stave off this showinducted Boeing 787 Dreamliner, down as it is not good for the pilots an official said. and the company," an Air India "We will hold another round of official said. Talks have been held

'Occupy Dalal Street' kicks off on Friday

Mumbai: The support for "Occupy Dalal Street", the Indian version of the 'Occupy Wall Street' movement that started in New York in September as a mark of protest against corporate greed, is growing even before its formal launch in the city on Friday. The movement, spearheaded by CPI leader Prakash Reddy, is expected to get support from NGOs, students and bank unions, people associated with the movement said. Maharashtra State Bank Employees Federation (MSBEF), an affiliate of All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), issued a statement supporting the Occupy Dalal Street movement. One of its main agendas to join the movement is to expose the corporates and big business houses which are willful defaulters with state run banks,

Reverse migration of 3 lakh Indians on cards?

Mumbai: India's rapidly growing economy is expected to start a reverse migration of its working diaspora currently settled abroad. About three lakh Indian professionals employed overseas may return to the country by 2015, said a recent report by US-based Kelly Services, a global major in providing workforce solutions. However, practicing HR professionals back home, argue the three lakh number is too high even as there is a growing possibility of reverse migration. The top three reasons for reverse migration between 2008 and 2011-in the aftermath of the global economic crisis- were job insecurity, personal growth opportunities in India and the call of the native land, said the Kelly survey. India's strong showing in IT and robust domestic economy has allowed the country to provide better opportunities. A highly evolved higher education system and a huge pool of qualified scientist and engineers are some of the other positives highlighted in the survey findings. "Talent migration has ceased to be just a phenomenon relevant to movement from emerging to developed economies. The sustained growth of India and the resilience it showed during the slowdown also has added dynamic transition and movement back to India," said Kamal Karanth, MD, Kelly Services India.

The Bombay Stock Exchange. and force banks to take concrete steps against such defaulters.

Greek official: Cabinet backs Euro plan referendum

Athens: Greece's government spokesman says a marathon Cabinet meeting has concluded with ministers expressing unanimous support for Prime Minister George Papandreou's surprise decision to call for a referendum on a hard-won European plan to rescue the Greek economy. Ilias Mossialos said that the referendum will be held ``as soon as possible'' once the basics tenets of the debt agreement have been reached. Earlier, Papandreou said the referendum would be on the debt deal, Greece's European course and its participation in the euro currency used by 17 European Union nations.

International TheSouthAsianTimes.info

23

November 5-11, 2011

WikiLeaks founder loses extradition appeal

London: In a major setback to Julian Assange, the controversial WikiLeaks founder lost a legal battle to stay in the UK, with the High Court here ruling that he should be extradited to Sweden to face rape allegations there. However, the 40-year-old Australian national's lawyers said they will make a final appeal in the Supreme Court within 14 days. At the High Court, Justice John Thomas and Justice Duncan Ouseley decided that a previous ruling in favor of his extradition must be upheld after rejecting the arguments by lawyers on behalf of Assange. Swedish authorities want him to answer accusations of raping a woman and sexually molesting and coercing another in Stockholm last year. In any event, this is self evidently not a case relating to a trivial offence, but to serious sexual offences, the High Court judges said. An European arrest warrant was issued against Assange by Swedish authorities. The High Court judges ruled that the issuance of the European warrant that led to Assange's arrest and all subsequent proceedings to achieve his extradition were proportionate. They dismissed Assange's argument that the arrest warrant was invalid because it had been issued by a prosecutor, and not a judicial authority. Assange's whistle-blowing website rocked several governments across the world with the publication of thousands of diplomatic and other official communication, including many related to India. Assange's lawyers said they will appeal before the Supreme Court on the grounds that the case raises issues of general public importance. But if he is denied the right to appeal, British officers will be responsible for arranging his removal to Sweden within 10 days. In July, Assange's lawyers had argued the arrest warrant was invalid because of significant discrepancies between allegations of sexual assault and rape and the testimonies of the two women he allegedly had sex with. In February, when Assange challenged the extradition moves at Westminster magistrates court, his legal team warned that their client could be at real risk of the death penalty or detention in Guantanamo Bay because they feared the US authorities would request his extradition from Sweden to face charges relating to WikiLeaks obtaining and publishing hundreds of thousands of classified US government documents. Assange, who was arrested in December last year, has been out on bail, living under strict conditions at Ellingham Hall in Norfolk. He has to sign in at a local police station every day, wears an electronic tag that monitors his movements and has to be back inside the house by 10 p.m. each night.

Assange's whistle-blowing website rocked several governments across the world with the publication of thousands of diplomatic and other official communication.

Israel tests missile, ups Iran ante

US halts $60 mn aid to Unesco over Palestine

Washington: The US government halted its $60 million financial contribution to the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) after the latter admitted Palestinian National Authority (PNA) as a full member, Xinhua reported. "We were to have made a 60-million-dollar payment to Unesco in November and we will not be making that payment," the US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said during the daily news briefing. The formal admission of the PNA by the Unesco is "premature", said White House spokesman Jay Carney earlier Monday, adding that such a move will undermine the Middle East peace process. "Today's vote at Unesco to admit the Palestinian (National) Authority as a member is premature and undermines the international community's shared goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East," said Carney. Carney's remarks came after the PNA was admitted to the Unesco as a full member in a vote at the 193-member UN agency's general conference in Paris. The PNA received 107 votes for its membership bid to join the Unesco, while 14 countries voted against and 52 others abstained, the Unesco stated. The Unesco's 36th general conference that opened in Paris Oct 25 will end Nov 10.

An Israeli defense official said military tested a "rocket propulsion system" in an exercise planned long ago. Jerusalem: Israel successfully test-fired a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and striking Iran, fanning a public debate over whether the country's leaders are planning a military attack on Tehran's atomic facilities. While Israeli leaders have long warned that a military strike was an option, the most intensive round of public discourse on the subject was ignited over the weekend by a report in the Yediot Ahronot newspaper that said PM Benjamin Netanyahu and defense minister Ehud Barak favor an attack. That was followed by a report in the Haaretz daily that Netanyahu is now lobbying Cabinet members for an attack, despite the complexity of the operation and the high likelihood it would draw a deadly retaliation from Iran. An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity said Netanyahu does not yet have a majority. An Israeli defense official said military tested a "rocket propulsion system" in an exercise planned long ago. Further information about the test was censored by the military. Foreign reports , however, said the military testfired a long-range Jericho missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and striking Iran. Israel considers Iran its most dangerous threat. It cites Tehran's nuclear program , its ballistic missile development , references to Israel's destruction and is also wary of Iran's support for antiIsrael militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah. Iran denies the allegations saying its nuclear program is meant to produce energy for the country. It has blamed Israel for disruptions in its nuclear program, including the mysterious assassinations of a string of Iranian nuclear scientists and a computer virus that wiped out some of Iran's nuclear centrifuges. Israel has said that it hopes economic sanctions will persuade Iran to halt its nuclear program. Their diplomats have been lobbying the international community for tougher sanctions.

US plane makes emergency landing in Poland

The Boeing 767 of Polish LOT airlines stands at Warsaw airport, Poland. Warsaw: A Boeing airliner carrying 231 people from the US landed on its belly in Warsaw after its landing gear failed to open, triggering sparks and small fires. No one was hurt, but passengers described feeling severe stress as they prayed for a safe landing. The pilots of the Polish LOT airlines flight from Newark, New Jersey, discovered there was a problem before touching ground. They circled the 767 above the airport for about one hour before descending without lowering the wheels, said Przemyslaw Przybylski, a spokesman for the Warsaw airport. The plane, escorted by two F-16 fighter jets, landed with nearly empty fuel tanks after dumping fuel in preparation for the emergency landing, LOT spokesman Leszek Chorzewski said. "I was praying for the pilot not to lose control because we started to make circles over the airport. It was terrible," passenger Teresa Kowalik told reporters at the airport. "We owe everything to the pilot. He really did a great job." A fire brigade laid out special flame retardant foam for the plane to land on. On landing, sparks flew from the engine and small fires erupted under the plane but were immediately put out by firefighters. The passengers evacuated the plane using an emergency slide. The pilot told passengers four hours into the flight that the plane faced technical problems said a passenger who only gave her first name, Malgorzata. "The pilot addressed us a number of times and said we should follow instructions. Later, a flight attendant said there might be a fire, and at that point people began to get nervous and uncertain," she said.

24

Sports TheSouthAsianTimes.info

November 5-11, 2011

Agent Majeed pleads guilty to conspiracy to cheat

Spot-fixing: jail for Pak trio, bookie

London: Former Pakistan cricket captain Salman Butt was sentenced to 30 months in prision for spot fixing by the Southwark Crown Court. Fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were handed one year and six months sentences. The trio was involved in spot fixing during the Lord's Test against England last August. Cricket bookie Mazhar Majeed was given a 32 months sentence for his involvement in spot fixing, according to BBC. Earlier, Judge Jeremy Cooke spent listening to mitigating statements from lawyers representing Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamer and sports agent Mazhar Majeed, all of whom have been connected to a betting scam involving the deliberate bowling of no-balls. Former captain Butt and bowler Asif were found guilty of conspiracy to cheat and conspiracy to accept corrupt payments. Aamer and Majeed pleaded guilty to the charges before the trial.

Sports agent Mazhar Majeed. London: Sports agent Mazhar Majeed has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to cheat at the Pakistan match-fixing trial and conspiracy to making corrupt payments, the Press Association reported. Majeed, 36, now faces sentencing along with three Pakistani cricketers, former captain Salman Butt and fast bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer. The sports agent pleaded guilty at a pre-trial hearing in September but the judge has only just lifted reporting restrictions. Butt, 27, and Asif, 28, were found guilty on Tuesday of taking bribes to fix part of a Test match against England at Lord's in August 2010. Aamer, 19, admitted his part in the scam before the trial at Southwark Crown Court started. Butt and Asif are facing up to seven years in jail or large fines. The trio have already been banned from playing by the International Cricket Council for a minimum of five years.

THE DISGRACED TRIO: Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer. Majeed declined to name others involved in the scam despite his guilty plea. He told Cooke that he did not instigate the fixes but that the players approached him. A murky picture of widespread dishonesty emerged as allegations and counter allegations flew between the players and Majeed during their statements, prompting Cooke to declare his belief that fixing was so common within the Pakistan squad that it was regarded as the norm.

I was threatened for not fixing matches: Modi

New Delhi: Former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi claimed that he was threatened by the underworld and there have been three attempts to kill him for refusing to fix Indian Premier League matches. "I was threatened considerably by the underworld for refusing to fix IPL matches. There have been three attempts to kill me. Bookiesunderworld want me killed," Modi said. Modi said he was once threatened in his house in 2009 just before leaving for South Africa, once in South Africa and once in Thailand when "I was there on a holiday". "I was apprised of all these by the central agencies," he added. In another disclosure, Modi said he has received threatening calls from Pakistan, with the latest one coming as recently as last week, which has been reported to Scotland Yard. "I was given security protection in India. The Mumbai police knew about it, the central agencies knew about it", Modi told a television

Committed to eradicate matchfixing: Cricket Australia

Melbourne: Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive James Sutherland says administrators need to step up their effort to make cricket corruption free in the wake of the conviction of the two Pakistan players for match fixing. "It is critically important that the public has confidence in the integrity of the on-field cricket contests. "Like all other member countries, we have an obligation to implement anti-corruption measures and we are even more committed to this after hearing the news out of the London courts. Our consistent position has been that any credible evidence of corruption be investigated with vigour," Sutherland said reacting to the conviction of Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif for match fixing. Sutherland said that anti-corruption should continue to be a priority for ICC. "As an ICC member, CA has long supported the ICC's view that anti-corruption needs to be a priority wherever the game is played."

Former IPL chief Lalit Modi. channel. Modi refused to speak further saying "I would rather not talk about it. It's a very complicated matter. It's to do with my security."

Dhoni, Bindra are now honorary Lt. Colonels

New Delhi: India's cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Olympian gold medalist shooter Abhinav Bindra officially became honorary Lieutenant Colonels in the Territorial Army with the army chief, Gen. V.K. Singh, pipping their ranks on their shoulders. President Pratibha Patil had approved the grant of honorary commissions to the two illustrious sportspersons on Sep 13 in recognition of their achievements in their respective sports. Dhoni led India to victory in the cricket World Cup earlier this year and was instrumental in taking the team to the top spot in Test rankings for the first time last year. He had also led the team to victory in the inaugural T20 World championship in 2007. the army also honored Deepak Rao, a medical doctor by qualification but a martial arts specialist by choice, who got about 15,000 of the army troops trained in close quarter combat, with the rank of a Major. While Dhoni and Deepak Rao were commissioned into the elite Para Regiment in the presence of the Colonel of the Regiment, Lt. Gen. Vinod Bhatia, Bindra was welcomed into the Sikh Regiment by Lt. Gen. Sumer Singh, its Colonel of teh Regiment. Bindra, his usual humble self, said his interaction with the army was relatively new and hence he would learn more now that he is donning the Olive Green uniform. Rao, who has Annaji as his middle name, has been training all the elite forces of the country, including the National Security Guard, for 18 years now, having developed his own unique style of close quarter combat. Asked how he would contribute, Rao said he had only trained 15,000 soldiers till date, but the armed forces were 14 lakh strong. "I have many more years to go," he said. The two sports personalities and the martial arts expert joined an exclusive group of personalities, including senior cricketers Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar, who have been conferred honorary ranks in the armed forces. Kapil Dev was conferred the honorary Lt. Col. rank in the Territorial Army in 2008, while Tendulkar was made honorary Group Captain in the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2010.

LT. Col. (Hon) MS Dhoni, Maj (Hon) Dr Deepak Rao and LT Col (Hon) Abhinav Bindra at a felicitation function in New Delhi. Bindra won the only individual Olympic gold medal for India at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Along with the two sportsmen,

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Art & Fashion TheSouthAsianTimes.info

November 5-11, 2011

Islamic art at Mets renovated galleries

suite of 15 renovated galleries for the art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later South Asia opened Nov 1 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. They house the Mets renowned collection of Islamic art. Design features within the new space will highlight both the diversity and the interconnectedness of the numerous cultures represented here; multiple entryways will allow visitors to approach the new galleriesand the art displayed withinfrom different perspectives. The opening of these extraordinary new galleries underscores our mission as an encyclopedic museum and provides a unique opportunity to convey the grandeur and complexity of Islamic art and culture at a pivotal moment in world history, stated Thomas P. Campbell, Director of the museum. In sequence, the 15 new galleries trace the course of Islamic civilization over a span of 13 centuries, from the Middle East to North Africa, Europe, and Central and South Asia. Sheila Canby, the Patti Cadby Birch Curator in Charge of the Department of Islamic Art, said: Although our galleries represent a vast territory over a long period of time, the diverse artworks shown here are nonetheless unified in several distinctive ways. Primary among these is the extensive use of Arabic script, which resulted in exceptional examples of calligraphyoften in conventional media, such as metalwork or architectural elementsand virtuosic achievements in the arts of the book. A profound love of embellishment is often expressed

Shahnama (The Book of Kings), Abu'l Qasim Firdausi (9351020). Illustrated manuscript, folio.From the 1330s, Iran, Tabriz. Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper through intricately interlaced, complex geometric forms that are most familiar to us in textiles, woodwork, and tile work. The collection comprises more than 12,000 works of art drawn from an area that extends from Spain in the west to India in the east. Some 1,200 works of art in all media will be on view at any time, representing all major regions and artistic styles, from the seventh century onward As part of the reinstallation of the galleries, a team of conservators and scientists has engaged in an extensive program of conservation of the major objects within the collection, from the Museums remarkable collection of manuscripts to fragile glass objects and rare and precious carpets. Highlights of the Museums collection include: the sumptuously ornamented Damascus Room, built in 1707, and one of the finest examples of

Tughra (Imperial Cipher) of Sultan Sleyman the Magnificent (r. 15201566), ca. 1555; Ottoman, Turkey (Istanbul). Ink, opaque watercolors, and gold on paper. Syrian homes of the wealthy during the Ottoman period; some of the finest classical carpets in existence from the 16th and 17th centuries; notable early and medieval Qur ans; pages from the sumptuous copy of the Shahnama, or Book of Kings, created for Shah Tahmasp (151476) of Iran, and outstanding royal miniatures from the courts of the Arab World, Ottoman Turkey, Persia, and Mughal India, including paintings from the imperial Shah Jahan Album,;

Brazier of Sultan al-Malik alMuzaffar Shams al-Din Yusuf ibn 'Uma. Second half 13th century Egypt. and architectural elements including a 14th-century mihrab, or prayer niche, from Isfahan decorated with glazed ceramic tiles, which would have served in a Muslim house of worship to indicate the direction to Mecca.

Dressing up Michelle, Beyonce, and now Lady Gaga

Davis Album, an Album leaf from 18th century India. Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper.

ichelle Obama, Beyonce Knowles, Eva Longoria and Lady Gaga. With a client list as formidable as that, it's little wonder that New York-based Indian designer Naeem Khan says that he loves crafting glamorous clothes for powerful women. "I'm fortunate that my collection is worn by royalty, important social figures, movie and rock stars across the world," Naeem says "My biggest and most exciting moment was when Michelle Obama wore my dress for the first state dinner for our prime minister," added the 53-year-old. Describing fashion as a serious business, he said: "There is a lot of thought process required when you design for celebrities, especially for heads of state." "Clothes make a statement. You have to keep many factors in mind - age, body, event, weather, color, comfort and how much power to put into the dress as you don't want to overpower the personality with the dress," said Khan who launched his collection Naeem Khan in 2003.

NY-based Indian designer Naeem Khan Associating with A-listers is a common practice amongst designers and Khan says such collaborations help in making a name for the brand. Recently, Khan dressed pop icon Lady Gaga and says he loved it. "I am ever so grateful she acknowledged me. I love Lady Gaga. Fashion should be fun and Lady Gaga is doing just that. She thinks out of the norm and we must respect that, Khan said. Gaga made her first formal public appearance in India in Khan's dress, a one-shoulder gown teamed with neckpiece and earrings. "My dress made her look so regal, sophisticated and certainly got the attention of the fashion world," he said.

Lifestyle TheSouthAsianTimes.info

27

November 5-11, 2011

Spain's famous Tomatina comes to Goa!

Panaji: Even as green groups are seething over the potential wastage of tons of tomatoes at the Sundown Tomatina Festival to be held here Nov 5, Goas Tourism Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar said the organizers have assured him that only 20 to 25 kg of tomatoes would be used during the event. They have told us that only 20 to 25 kg of tomatoes will be used for the event. They have committed us that, Halarnkar said. The Mumbai-based organizers of the event have billed the Sundown Tomatina Festival 2011 as a mega 12-hour event which is expected to host 30,000 revelers who would fling tomatoes at one another, jumping and dancing with water jets spraying. The festival is conceived by actor Rahul Raj Singh, his colleagues at Magnum Opus Films, with the support of the Spanish consulate in Mumbai and Goas tourism department, said Ginu Joseph, director of the Mumbai-based Chrysolite Media Pvt. Ltd. The tourism department has insisted that they are not involved in the event at all. We are not partnering with the organizers, we have only given them permission because some foreign tourists may come for the event, Halarnkar said, adding that the state home ministry had not granted the festival any permission yet. The Botanical Society of Goa (BSG) and other green groups in Goa have already protested the event, which they said was a case of moral outrage in a nation that has people too poor to even buy subsidized food grain from the Public Distribution System. Hosting a tomatina festival may be good for some villages in Spain that have surplus tomato production, said Miguel Braganza, vice president of the Intercontinental Network of Organic Farmers Organization (INOFO). The La Tomatina festival has its roots in Spain and its popularity in India is rooted in recent Bollywood film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, which features a segment on the festival. The popular La Tomatina festival of Spain got introduced in India through the recent Bollywood film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara starring Hrithik Roshan. Hosting a tomatina festival may be good for some villages in Spain that have surplus tomato production, say protesters, but a moral outrage in a nation that has people too poor to even buy subsidized food grain from the Public Distribution System.

Mindfulness is the best antidote to stress

Washington: The best antidote to stress is mindfulness, existing in the here and now, not in the past or future, suggest meditation gurus. Researchers have now drawn a framework of four key components to help explain these positive effects. Mindfulness, an essential part of eastern yoga traditions, has entered the mainstream as people try to find ways to combat stress and improve their quality of life. It is suggested the meditation can have benefits for health and performance, including improved immune function, reduced blood pressure, and enhanced cognitive function. But how is it that a single practice can have such wide-ranging effects on well-being? The study draws on the existing scientific literature to build a framework on explanation, reports the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science, citing a Harvard University statement. Study author Britta Holzel, of Justus Liebig

What we think of as mindfulness is a multi-faceted mental practice that encompasses several mechanisms: attention regulation, body awareness, emotion regulation, and sense of self. University and Harvard Together, these compoMedical School, suggests nents help us attend to and the goal is to "unveil the deal with the mental and conceptual and mechanistic physiological effects of complexity of mindfulness, stress in ways that are nonproviding the `big picture judgmental. by arranging many findAlthough these compoings like the pieces of a nents are theoretically dismosaic". tinct, they are closely interHolzel and co-authors twined. Improvement in point out that what we attention regulation, for think of as mindfulness is example, may directly not actually a single skill, facilitate our awareness of but rather a multi-faceted our physiological state. mental practice that Body awareness, in turn, encompasses several mech- helps us to recognize the anisms. emotions we are experiencThey specifically identify ing. Effective mindfulness four key components of meditation requires trainmindfulness that may ing and practice and it has account for its effects: distinct measurable effects attention regulation, body on our subjective experiawareness, emotion regula- ences, our behavior, and tion, and sense of self. our brain function.

Washington: Long branded as a bunch of edgy, angst-ridden underachievers, members of Generation X are actually leading quite active, enriching and happy lives, so says a new study. They are active in their communities, mainly satisfied with their jobs, and able to balance work, family, and leisure, said study author and political scientist Jon Miller from the University of Michigan (UM). Miller directs the Longitudinal Study of American Youth at the UM Institute for Social Research which includes responses from approximately 4,000 Gen Xers born between 1961 and 1981. The 84 million Americans in this generation between the age of 30 and 50 are the parents of todays school-aged children, Miller said, according to a Michigan statement. And over the next two or three decades, members of Generation X will lead the nation in the White House and Congress. So its important to understand their values, history, current challenges and future goals, he added. Two-thirds of Generation X

Gen X leading happy, enriching lives?

Negative stereotypes of Generation X (born between 196181) persist as in this illustration in New York Times alongside the article Gen X Has a Midlife Crisis adults are married and 71 percent have children at home. Three-quarters of the parents of elementary school children say they help their children with homework, with 43 percent providing five or more hours of homework help each week. Thirty percent of Generation X adults are active members of professional, business or union organisations, and one in three is an active member of a church or religious organization. Ninety-five percent talk on the phone at least once a week with friends or family, and 29 percent say they do so at least once a day. In sociologist Robert Putnams influential book Bowling Alone, he argued that Americans were increasingly isolated socially, Miller said. But this data indicates that Generation X members are not bowling alone. Although they may be less likely to join communitybased luncheon clubs, they have extensive social, occupational and community networks. They are active participants in parent-teacher organizations, local youth sports clubs, book clubs and other community organizations, Miller added.

28

Humor TheSouthAsianTimes.info

November 5-11, 2011

Humor with Melvin Durai

reedom of speech. It's not something I take for granted. I grew up in Zambia during an era when you could say anything you wanted about the country's president, as long as you had already started the engine of your getaway plane. That's what I love about countries like America and Canada -- freedom of speech has no bounds, as long as you don't scream "Fire!" in a crowded theater, threaten the president or profess your undying love for Osama bin Laden. Okay, so it does have bounds, but you get the point. I don't remember the last time a journalist or author had to run away from an angry mob. It's just not the way things are done, as I learned several years ago when I tried to assemble a mob to chase Ann Coulter. India allows a great amount of free speech, compared to many other countries. But just ask fans of Savita Bhabhi how free they are to enjoy her sexcapades. The cartoon seductress has been banned in India, perhaps to the delight of many a wife, who remembers the good old days when her husband got his thrills out of Asterix. As S. Mitra Kalita

Freedom to enjoy empowered women

lar person or group on a personal level." This being India, offending someone is a given. This being India, also the world's largest democracy, the government needs to weigh what's more important and whether it draws the line too soon, too early. Consider this comment from Gaurav Jain: It's "not about the internet or Savita alone, its (sic) a general lack of freedom in being able to criticise or comment on our holy cows (leaders, gods, other religious figures) some mob somewhere will have a reason to protest most likely in a violent manner." Like me, he wonders whether the controversy stems from Savita being an "empowered woman making her own choices, perhaps this is a threat to certain sections of society that prefer to see their wives as creatures who should stay indoors and rear the kids (which is ACTUAL subjugation)." [Wall Street Journal] Savita was banned because she's an "empowered woman"??? Watch out Indra Nooyi, you could be next. Fortunately, I've already downloaded hundreds of Indra's pics to my hard drive. Let me know if you want any. And please indicate

your preference: business suit or sari. (From the archives)

Laughter is the Best Medicine

writes in the WSJ, Savita joins The Da Vinci Code, The Polyester Prince, and Royal Magazine as "examples of India's hindrance of free speech." You might never have heard of Royal Magazine, but it's an example of the squelching of free speech in India that seems more commonpreemptive and driven by fear. Editor in chief Ronak Vyas wrote to me and said, "I have been publishing an online magazine that features nudity and had my share of problems in India. To be honest I feel like you can get away with anything as long as you don't offend a particu-

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

by Mahendra Shah

Tech Life

Google Maps to enter shops

San Francisco: Google's free online map service is letting shops, gyms, restaurants and other small businesses provide viewers glimpses of what lies behind facades seen on Street View. A test program launched in April of last year was bearing fruit in a growing array of panoramic images taken inside businesses that volunteered to be part of the project. "We've been seeing renewed interest in the past few days because, as promised, we're getting more imagery online," Google spokeswoman Deanna Yick said. "The 360-degree views are really visually engaging, so we're glad users are excited," she continued. Small businesses in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States have been able to invite Street View photographers into their shops or eateries to capture images then served up with Google online maps. "With this immersive imagery, potential customers can easily imagine themselves at the business and decide if they want to visit in person," Google Maps product manager Gadi Royz said in a blog post early this year. Google is blurring faces of bystanders in pictures to allay privacy concerns that have arisen with Street View, which lets people click spots on online maps to see recently-taken images of locations.

Chinese iPhone rival eyes software edge

Beijing: Xiaomi Technology Co aims to attract users to its first smartphone by pricing the handset at less than half that for Apple Inc's iPhone 4 and plans to make money through software for the device. Xiaomi's Android smartphone, introduced in China last month, is priced near cost at 1,999 yuan ($315), company founder Lei Jun said at the TechCrunch conference in Beijing. This revenue-generation model is similar to that for Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle e-reader, said the executive, who previously founded online retailer Joyo.com, which Amazon acquired in 2004. Lei said he's aiming for Xiaomi to become "world class" and gain a its website. "Apple's iPhone redefined the smartphone and in the past five years, the rest of the mobile-phone industry can't keep up with the pace," Lei said. "I started Xiaomi for the same reason." A 16-gigabyte iPhone 4 costs 4,548 yuan at Apple's online store in China. The iPhone's success hinges on the integration of the Internet, hardware and software, something Xiaomi is able to do at a cheaper price, said Lei. The iPhone 4 has a single-core, 1-gigahertz processor, while Xiaomi's handset is powered by a dual-core, 1.5-gigahertz processor, making it a superior hardware at lower cost, he said.

place on the Fortune 500 list. The Beijing-based company was set up in April 2010 to develop a high-end smartphone and received $41 million in funding from employees and external investors including Morningside and IDG, according to

Astrology
TheSouthAsianTimes.info

29

November 5-11, 2011

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

By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma

Stars Foretell: November 5-11, 2011
Aries: Things at work might not be very pleasant. You do need to take out some time to sort issues, which are disturbing you on priority basis and make plans for the future. New ideas would prove highly beneficial. You would win confidence of important people, but some sort of problems on the financial matters would also mar your peace of mind. Help can be expected from people close to you. Take time to do your job correctly or you may find yourself looking for a new one. Taurus: This week you need to put your maximum energy to learn new skills or pick up an important information. Communication would be your strong point and you would be able to influence others to go with your plans. Foreign transactions or journey would bring handsome monetary benefits. Selective speculation in stock market would yield good gains. You would have the stamina and the determination to complete even the most difficult tasks. Health needs care. Gemini: This week conferences and business meetings would take up most of your time. Listen to others before you give your own opinion. Do not say things that could go against you. Although your sincerity and dedication towards your work would win you lot of appreciation, but any monetary rewards coming immediately your way do not seem very likely. Travelling will be important to establish important ties. Cancer: Entertainment that you plan should include the whole family. You need to do something energetic and different that would lift the spirits of all those around you. Important meetings and negotiation would work to your advantage. Promotions and transfers for some employees. Losses are certain if you make hasty investments. Authority figures would pose more problems than help. Money would play an important role in getting work done. Leo: Improve your efficiency this week, as there is lots more you need to do if you want to stay in the good books of your boss. Long term ventures and agreement would be implemented. Out of the way support by governmental officials lifts your morale and spirits. Cooperation with your partners would yield mutual benefits. Be cautious while handling sophisticated tools, machinery or dangerous objects. Virgo: This week you would find yourself caught in a triangle. You may also get more emotional than you generally do but be careful not to disclose any secrets or say things that could go against you. Partners and colleagues would be supportive. You are best if you spend more time on outdoor activities. Investment needs to be made with care as sudden gains and losses cannot be ruled out. Libra: This week your mood swing would not be easy for others to deal with. Control your temper to avoid disappointments in personal and professional life. A new venture or unexpected gains are in the offing. Focus on career objectives. Concentrate towards your long-term goals and forget about what others do and say. Romance take a beating as differences appear. Scorpio: Your desire to do things your way would create problems with people who do not support your ideas. New projects and assignments would give you a good allurement but it wont be wise to take hasty and emotional decisions when discussing financial considerations. Take additional care when entering into any kind of contractual or financial agreements. Botheration and irritation from govt. formalities and obligations are likely. Sagittarius: Its time to implement your new plans. You are likely to spend some money that you have made recently on yourself, however do not expect favours during this period and try to complete important jobs all by yourself. Gains from investment and speculation would improve your cash liquidity. Your determination and strength would set an example for others to follow and bring recognition and rewards for you. Capricorn: Your creative side would flourish and you would develop new skills. Expect help from your children. Travel and outstation journey would be undertaken. New sources of income would generate if you interact with people who are experienced and enterprising. Residential moves during this period would be beneficial, but you would have problems in convincing your family members that you are making the right choice. Aquarius: This week you would gain appreciation from others because of your helpful nature. Time to relax and sit amongst close family members. Your witty nature would brighten the environment around you. Friends and spouse brings comfort and happiness. Renovation that you propose to implement at home would add to your comfort level. Investment that you make would be rewarding only in the long run. Pisces: Things might get uneasy with people at home. Proper dialog and cooperation would bring about a stronger and trustworthy relationship. Avoid others interference and take all the important decisions yourself. Relatives bring you unexpected gifts, but also expect some kind of help from you. Real estate disputes would get resolved to your satisfaction. Spiritual gains, as some of you are likely to undertake a pilgrimage.

Annual Predictions: For those born in this week

Nov: 5 Youre governed by the number 5 and the planet Mercury. You are also dominated by the Moon. You are blessed with a pleasant and vivacious personality. Your planning and methodical approach to work, will catch the attention of your seniors. You will be handsomely rewarded for you efficient and honest approach to your professional career. The ability to judge the weaknesses of your opponents, will be an asset to you, and you will be able to use this to your advantage. Travel will bring you both prosperity and pleasure. You will travel to distant lands in the coming year. This will allow you to make the most of newer opportunities and will also be a source of relaxation and enjoyment. Your sensitive and warmth nature, will bring many friends close to you and you will have a large circle of friends. Intellectual people will attract your attention, and you stand to gain in their company. Nov, August, November and February will be highly significant. Nov: 6 You are governed by the planet Venus and dominated by the Moon. You are also influenced by the number 6. You have the ability to inspire those around your. Your mere presence, makes people happy and full of enthusiasm. You have an affinity towards art and music. Those of you, in the profession of dance and poetry, will do exceeding well in your professional career, in the year ahead of you. Your family will be of utmost importance to you, and you will go to any lengths to fulfill all their dreams. You will stay away from social customs and traditions. Your warmth and attractive personality will draw many friends to you. You will always be amongst friends and relatives, who are fond of you. You will earn a lot of money in the coming year, but will also spend it all on buying expensive clothes, jewelry and luxuries of life. July, November and March will prove to be result oriented. Nov: 7 You are governed by the number 7 and dominated by the planet Neptune. Moon also has an influence on you. You are born intelligent. If you can couple this will power and determination, you will reach the pinnacle of success, in the year ahead of you. Travel will form an important part of your life, in the coming year. Most of you are likely to travel to distant lands. There is also a possibility of developing business ties abroad. You will be a free bird, and although you are religious minded, you will not let orthodox views and customs, bind you. You think logically and will not get swayed away by religious beliefs. You will be able to handle difficult situations with ease and authority. You will be able to express your views with clarity, whenever required. But, you tend to become a little stubborn at times, and try to impose your ideas on your colleagues and friends. August, November, December and Nov seem to be eventful. Nov: 8 You are governed by the number 8 and by the planet Saturn. You are also influenced by the Moon. You are a good organizer and an executor of big projects. In the coming year, your efficiency and sincerity, will clearly reflect in your work. Your seniors will notice this and you will be rewarded handsomely for your hard work and dedication. Your ability to see both sides of a problem, will be an asset to you, and you will be able to use this to your full advantage. Your sense of duty towards your loved ones, will make you do your best for them. You can expect peace and harmony at the domestic front, in the year ahead of you. You will be able to handle your money matters with ease and with your efficient planning, even save for the future. Those around you, will be impressed with your behavior and will try to follow your foot steps. The months of July, September and February will be highly eventful. Nov: 9 You are governed by the number 9 and dominated by the planet Mars. You are also influenced by the Moon. You are born with an aggressive personality. Courage and alertness, will allow you to face any obstacle without much difficulty, in the year ahead of you. You will be enterprising and will undertake new ventures, in your professional field. From the start to the finish of a project, you will be sincere and dedicated. Travel will be an important part of your life, in the coming year. This will bring more opportunities for you and also help you to broaden your outlook. You are fond of children and enjoy spending time with them. But, you are short tempered and get irritated over small matters. You will have to learn to control your temper, otherwise you will find your friends drifting away from you. The months of June, September, December and March would be significant. Nov: 10 You are dominated by the number 1 and the Sun. The planet Moon, also has a strong influence on you. Honour, fame and recognition, will be all for you, in the coming year. With your intelligence and abundance knowledge, you will be able to impress your seniors. You will be duly rewarded in your professional front. Promotions, increments and overall prosperity, is what most of you can expect from the year ahead of you. Financially, too, it will be a good year for you. Some of you, are likely to inherit property from your parents or grand parents. Your sincerity and dedication, will bring prosperity for those in business. Good health, good friends and a happy domestic front, will be your blessings, in the year ahead of you. Your magnetic personality, will help you to make many new friends. You will enjoy good health and on the whole an exciting year for you. The months of May, August, November and February will be highly important. Nov: 11 You are dominated by the planet Moon. You are also governed by the number 2. You are a born adviser, and a source of inspiration to others. Your leadership qualities and your high ideals, will take you to the pinnacle of success, in the year ahead of you. Your imagination, coupled with hard work, will bring you fame and recognition, in various fields. You have the ability to take quick decisions and give the lead to your colleagues. Your bosses will notice this ability, and you will be appreciated for your leadership qualities. But, at times you tend to get over excited. You are advised, therefore to take control of yourself and not get hyper. You will be inclined towards philosophy and science, in the coming year. For your loved ones, you will leave no stone unturned, to give them happiness and security. The months of July, October, November and January will be highly important.

Before you consult...

i) Accurate Data: Please make sure Date, Time and Place of birth is accurate. ii) Careful: Did you check background of the astrologer before disclosing your secrets. iii) Fee: Discuss the charges before, dont feel shy. Its his business. iv) Expectation: Expect the best, if the outcome is not as desired, never give up. v) Consult: Take second opinion before spending thousands on cure/remedies.

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30

Spiritual Awareness TheSouthAsianTimes.info

November 5-11, 2011

The joy we get from giving is contagious

Concluding part of three part series of Maharajis discourse Sharing the Divine Honey
that we treat all as one family, and that we give because we consider all as brothers and sisters in the Lord. They realize that our giving comes from a place of love, in which we feel joy in helping others. The joy that we get from giving is contagious and others want to lead such a life as well. People see that by leading a vegetarian lifestyle we enjoy better health. They find that we have more energy and more stamina. They see that we are less afflicted with the diseases caused by eating meat. They see the vegetarian diet makes us calmer and more balanced. When they see the benefits we experience, they too may be inspired to adopt such a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Some people drink alcohol and take drugs. In many places of work, Friday is a time in which people meet for Happy Hour. There, they engage in drinking to feel good. There are numerous television commercials for beer and wine, depicting the happiness people experience by drinking. In private circles, people speak of how good they feel when they get high on drugs. There is a tremendous drug culture in modern societies. People seem to feel they cannot be happy without alcohol or drugs. But we all know that that happiness is temporary and comes at a high price. They may feel good for a few minutes, but later they feel sick to their stomach. They may get addicted and require more and more to make them maintain their high. Drugs and alcohol lead to impaired judgment and poor motor skills, which in turn can lead to deadly car accidents. People turn to crime to get money to buy drugs

When people who see us meditating notice a change in us, they are also inspired to experience the same change. They see that meditation makes us calmer and more balanced. They see that we are able to deal with the challenges of life in a much more even manner. .
sweet honey within. When people who see us meditating notice a change in us, they are also inspired to experience the same change. They see that meditation makes us calmer and more balanced. They see that we are able to deal with the challenges of life in a much more even manner. They see that even though everyone goes through the challenges of financial problems, health problems, relationship difficulties, and other challenges, we sail through them much more easily than most people. This makes people wonder what secret we hold that helps us face lifes struggles with more fortitude. Finally, when they see how blissful and intoxicated we are without the use of unnatural means such as drugs and alcohol, they too want such happiness. Just like the princess who saw the joy that people had when they tasted the sweetness of honey and how they wanted to share that delicious taste with others, people will see the joy we experience from meditation and they will want to enjoy that as well. I am reminded of a verse by Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj which says: Who has said that you must drink in secret? This is divine Wine that you must share with others. While drinking this Nectar, forget the sorrows of life and the pains of the world. And hum songs of beauty and love. We can appreciate what a blessing it is to have a Master and to receive the spiritual teachings from him. This is a valuable gift that actually is sent to us by God through the Masters. God wants each of us to have the gift. If we are lucky enough to receive such a gift from a Master, we should treasure it and put it to use. We should make the best use of the gift by spending time in meditation. Let us enjoy the divine honey of the Light and Sound within. Let us then travel on the divine nectar back to the Lord. Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj is an internationally recognized spiritual leader and Master of Jyoti Meditation who affirms the transcendent oneness at the heart of all religions and mystic traditions, emphasizing ethical living and meditation as building blocks for achieving inner and outer peace. www.sos.org.

By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj

e find many are selfish. Selfishness is rampant in all spheres of life. Why is it sensational when it is reported in the news that someone did something giving and selfless? It is such a rare quality that it often makes front page news. We hear of people who do not have a lot of money but give generously to others. We find people donating their time to help others. We read of people who donate a kidney to save someone elses life. Some people help the poor, the needy, and the downtrodden. These selfless acts have an effect because most people tend to think first of themselves. If people see we are giving and caring, they admire us. They see that we have a big heart. They see the joy we get from giving. They too want to partake of such joy. When they ask us how we can be so giving, we can point to our life of meditation in which we see that we are all part of one family of God. They will learn

and alcohol. This leads to people getting hurt and those perpetrating the crimes going to prison. In some cases drugs and alcohol lead to disease and death. When people see that we are happy and blissful without drugs and alcohol, they ask us how we can feel so good. We can then explain that meditation gives us a natural state of intoxication. We can explain how the sweet nectar of the divine Wine within provides more intoxication than any intoxication which outer drugs and alcohol can give us. We can talk about how we get this divine bliss within that lasts twentyfour hours. There is no hang-over. There are no side effects. We do not pass out or get sick. We do not have to steal from anyone to get this bliss. We do not have to cause car accidents or commit crimes. Rather than lowering our consciousness through drugs and alcohol, we are raising our consciousness to spiritual heights and even attaining Godconsciousness. The joy people see we have in our lives will inspire them to also want to partake of that

The eyes of the Master

First of a two part series
By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj
here are volumes of scriptures in all religions describing various ways of finding God. There are countless paths giving thousands of methods of meeting the Lord. But there is no way easier than looking into the eyes of the Master. If we read the writings of the three great Masters, Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj, Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj, and Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj, we find that they all speak of the Godintoxicated eyes of their own Masters. Sant Kirpal Singh Ji said of Hazur, Just as a drunkard feels restlessly agitated by looking at vintage splashing in a goblet, similarly, by looking into the cups of the deeply set eyes of the Master, the souls of the devotees soar high in ecstasy divine.

By looking into the eyes of the Master, we can read volumes more than what is contained in books.We discover the tale of eternitythe story of the love of our soul and God.
Sant Darshan Singh Ji describes in this verse what transpires when one looks into the eyes of the Master: As the beauty of the Beloveds eye caught the light of mine, It became ever more ravishing and irresistible. And another verse is: When the flame flashes from the goblet, a ray of light will burst forth, But when my eyes meet the eyes of the Cupbearer, day will dawn. By looking into the eyes of the

Master, we can read volumes more than what is contained in books. In the Masters eyes we find the story of love. We encounter the love of God pouring forth from them. We discover the tale of eternitythe story of the love of our soul and God.Our souls personal love story began when God wanted to love and separated souls from God. As Sant Darshan Singh Ji used to say, God was all alone. God was lonely and wanted to have some lovers to love God. Thus, God separated small drops of God, which are known as souls. These souls were sent down to inhabit the various regions God created. In this game created by God, souls were supposed to return directly to God after one lifetime. But the intricacies of Gods play became so complex that the souls ended up being trapped for lifetime upon lifetime in the various worlds. They

became caught in the cycle of births and deaths. In this grand play, souls have been environed by the sheaths corresponding to each plane. In the causal plane, they wear a causal body and have a causal mind. In the astral plane, they are covered by an astral body and an astral mind, and in the physical plane, they have a physical body and a physical mind. The soul has identified itself with the body and mind, and has forgotten itself and its Creator, its true Beloved. It has been led away by the temptations and enticements of the lower worlds of creation. God was eager for the souls to return to God, for God created them to love and to be loved by God. But the purpose for which they were made is only fulfilled when they turn to, love, and receive Gods love in its fullness. (To be continued)