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New Delhi: The powers that be dragged their feet for years, stonewalling demands for a Lokpal to curb massive corruption in India. But finally, Parliament gave its approval on Wednesday to a bill creating the independent anticorruption agency after more than four decades of debate and controversy over how to curb graft. The Lok Sabha voted to approve the bill on Wednesday, one day after the upper house did the same. With parliamentary elections scheduled for next May, leaders of the ruling Congress party had sought to change the partys image by pushing the Lokpal bill. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described it as "a historic and landmark step" to fight corruption in the country. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said more anti-corruption legislations were on the anvil. The creation of such an agency was the central demand of Anna Hazare, whose fasts and protests electrified the country in 2010 and brought thousands of people into the streets. BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said the government
Anti-corruption Lokpal bill passed
India wants charges against diplomat dropped

Washington: No matter how badly both India and the US But US in no mood want it, a resolution of the to comply bitter diplomatic row over the arrest and mistreatment of Devyani Khobargade, Indias Deputy Consul General in New York, is proving elusive for now. India has urged the US to drop the charges against Khobragade for underpaying her housekeeper and visa fraud, suggesting that Secretary of State John Kerry's expression of regret on Wednesday over her treatment was not enough. There are hints, however, that India would want the case to be at least moved from criminal to civil as it feels the alleged visa fraud makes for a civil breach of contract, not a human trafficking charge. In fact, the outrage in the Indian community in America and the blistering response of Indian government, backed by the vociferous populace, arose because the allegations, even if true, against the senior Indian diplomat and a mother of two did not warrant her arrest, let alone strip and cavity search and keeping her in a cell like a common criminal. To tamp down the row, Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke with Indian Foreign Secretary Devyani Khobragade has been reasSujatha Singh to stress the signed to the Indian Mission in UN. US importance of US-Indian ties State Department insists she'll not get and pledged to work through diplomatic immunity retroactively. the complex issues of the More related stories on page 16,17. Continued on page 4
Anna Hazare had led the movement demanding creation of the institution of ombudsman.
should not make any attempt to take credit for the passage of the bill because it Continued on page 4
People force a reluctant AAP to form govt in Delhi

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which won 28 of the 70 seats in Delhi in a stunning debut, is finally veering around to the idea of forming the government. Not securing a majority on its own, AAP had solicited views of people on the issue and is expected to announce its decision Monday, two days before the term of the assembly in Delhi state comes to an end. AAP founder Arvind Kejriwal to AAPs founder announce decision Monday. Arvind Kejriwal, who came into the limelight and deliver effective governance. as Anna Hazares right hand man Overall, AAP received 5 lakh during the Lokpal movement in responses on government forma2010, told Economic Times that tion. more than 75% of people in the "Forming the government and capital want AAP to form a delivering on our promises will minority government backed by reap huge benefits for AAP in Congress, which has eight MLAs, Lok Sabha polls," Kejriwal said.
40 million cards data may be stolen at Target

Customers advised to check their statements.
Minneapolis: Target says about 40 million credit and debit card accounts may be affected by a data breach that occurred just as the holiday shopping season shifted into high gear. The retailer said customers who made purchases by swiping their cards at terminals in its 1800 US stores between Black Friday and Dec. 15 may have had their accounts exposed. The stolen data includes customer names, card Continued on page 4
Diplomacy 16
Travel 18
Bollywood 24
Spiritual Awareness 30
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December 21-27, 2013
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Phaneesh Murthy sues iGate Mayoral inauguration for all New Yorkers for breach of contract
Bangalore: Phaneesh Murthy, the former CEO of iGate who was fired in May on the grounds that he had failed to report a relationship with a subordinate, has filed a defamation and breach of contract lawsuit against the IT and outsourcing company. In an action filed in California, Murthy alleges that iGate was aware of his consensual relationship" with a subordinate employee the companys head of investor relations Araceli Roiz at least as early as January 2012, The Times of India reported. iGate lied," Murthy said. The board knew. I have a signed letter from an independent director (at iGate) saying that the board all along knew about it, and therefore there was no need to inform. Another board member called and told me the board knew about it. In response, iGate spokesperson Prabhanjan Deshpande told PTI, We believe that this claim has no merit, and we intend to vigorously defend this action. Murthy claims iGate withheld vested company shares and various benefits due to him. I had more than 500,000 vested stocks, and these were vested four to five ago. Thats a lot of money (valued at $17.5 million at iGates current New York: New York Citys inauguration ceremonies for Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio, Public Advocateelect Letitia James, and Comptroller-elect Scott Stringer will feature an unprecedented level of access for the people of New York to their newly-elected leaders. This includes tickets to the swearing-in ceremony being made available to the general public for one of the first times in recent memory; Mayor-elect de Blasio and future First Lady Chirlane McCray greeting attendees at City Hall after the swearing-in ceremony, and an open house at Gracie Mansion, official mayoral residence, for several hours on January 5, which will be open to the general public. Mayor-elect de Blasio has pledged an Inauguration for all New Yorkers, and thats what New Yorkers will get in these ceremonies, said Gabrielle Fialkoff, chair of the Inauguration Committee. From spending hours at City Hall after the swearing-in meeting attendees, to opening up Gracie Mansion for anyone and everyone to attend, Inauguration 2014 promises to be one of the most open and accessible swearing-in events in New York City history.
After Jan 1 swearing in, Mayor Bill de Blasio to greet people at City Hall, followed by an Open House at Gracie Mansion on Jan 5.
Phaneesh Murthy, the former CEO of iGate
share price). Murthy is also claiming other termination benefits and $6,000 per month he was to receive in medical benefits even after he left the company. The lawsuit also alleges that there have been similar consensual relationships at iGate that were not acted upon. One of the IT industrys bestknown executives, Murthy was forced to quit Indias second-biggest software company, Infosys, in 2002, after a sexual harassment lawsuit was filed against him and the company. Infosys settled the lawsuit outof-court for $3 million. Murthy also said that he and his wife, Jaya, have revived a business advisory services company they founded together about a decade ago, Primentor, Inc in California.
At noon on January 1, 2014, New York City will host the inauguration of Bill de Blasio as Mayor, Letitia James as Public Advocate, and Scott Stringer as Comptroller. Held on the steps of City Hall, the ceremony will be an event for all New Yorkers. On January 5th, new Mayor and First lady will welcome residents from all five boroughs to tour Gracie Mansion, the historic building, and will greet them in the peoples house. Information will be released in the following days on how the general public can request tickets for the
January 1st inauguration and the January 5th Gracie Mansion open house. De Blasio announced last week that his family will live in Gracie Mansion in Manhattan, relocating from their modest Brooklyn residence of many years. The outgoing Mayor Michael Bloomberg had opted to remain in his own townhouse. Bloomberg first took the oath of office at a midnight ceremony on New Year's Eve, 2002.The de Blasio campaign has not said if he would do a midnight event in addition to the City Hall ceremony.
Indian court ruling on gay sex protested in New York

By Jinal Shah New York: On December 15, gay activists and supporters in New York City voiced their protest against the Indian Supreme Court decision last week that re-criminalizes gay sex. As South Asian Lesbians, gay, bisexuals, transgendered, queer (LGBTQ) organizations based in North America, we are shocked and disappointed by the Indian Supreme Courts decision to re-criminalize homosexual sex in India by reactivating Section 377 of the IPC, said Tara, political chair at the South Asian Lesbian & Gay Association of New York City (SALGA NYC). On December 11, the Indian apex court overruled the lower courts decision, saying only Parliament could determine the matter. The new decision in India reinstated Sec. 377 overturning a lower court ruling that legalized gay sex back in 2009 -making same-sex intercourse punishable by up to a decade in prison. Soon after the Indian apex courts decision, civil rights and gay rights organizations across the globe organized vigils and marches on Dec 13 and a Global Day of Rage Dec 15 where people protesting and discussed plan of action to get rid of Section 377 in India. New York was among 41 cities across the world that participated in. The SALGA NYC protest at the Union Square drew hundreds of South Asians and supporters. Speakers included Radhika Balakrishnan from the Center for Womens Global Leadership, journalist Aseem Chabbra, Sonia Cheruvellil from The South Asian Solidarity Initiative, Aseem Kulkarni and Tara from SALGA-NYC. The event also saw performances by activist rapper Invincible Detroit and the South Asian queer spoken word duo Darkmatter. "It is not as much a religious issue as it is political in India. Politicians are using this issue for their own political gains. While Congress party opposed the ruling, BJP clearly supported the Supreme Court decision, said Tara adding, We are working on how to educate these politicians. The Supreme Court ruling makes India one of the 77 countries that criminalize homosexuality. Activists are expressing their solidarity globally to let the Indian Government know that the struggle for LGBTQ rights will continue. The U.S. State Department also expressed its opposition to the Indian court decision. "We oppose any action that criminalizes consensual same-sex conduct between adults. LGBT rights are human rights. We call on all governments to advance equality for LGBT individuals around the world," State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said earlier this week.
LI Rotarians pledge 2 school buses, sewing machines for Uttarakhand victims

Hicksville, NY: Members of Rotary Club Hicksville S o u t h , Philanthropist couple Dr Yashpal Arya and Dr Urmilesh Arya have pledged $25,000 for two school buses for the floods ravaged Dr Urmilesh Arya and Dr Yashpal Arya Uttarakhand region around the revered flanked by fellow Rotarians Ashok Varshney and Dev Ratnam. Kedarnath temple. Announcing it at a meeting of the last years floods in Kedarnath area. Rotary Club on Wednesday, Param Shakti Peeth will operate and Kamlesh Mehta, chartered President manage the buses and distribute the of the club and Rotary Dist 7255 sewing machines in association with Governor Designate 2015-16, added Rotary International. The Hicksville that he will support in arranging Rotary Club also raised over $6000 100 sewing machines for the self- for providing wheel chairs to needyemployment of women, victims of handicapped people.
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India wants charges against diplomat dropped Continued from page 1 case.Meanwhile, the State Department believes that any diplomatic immunity for Khobragade will start from the day she is confirmed to the new job at the United Nations (to where New Delhi has reassigned her), and such immunity will not apply retroactively. State Department spokesperson Marie Hart also clarified that "We'd like to see the judicial process play out which is independent of the State Department." No pressure will be put on the US attorney's office to drop the case against Khobragade, she asserted. She also confirmed that the US government has evacuated the family of Khobragades former maid from India, claiming allegations of the familys intimidated there. Anti-corruption Lokpal bill passed Continued from page 1 should go to Anna Hazare. Hazare, who ended his 9-day long fast after the bills passage, advised vigilance to ensure that people of integrity are appointed to the posts of Lokpal at the centre and Lokayuktas in the states. According to the bill, the Lokpal will consist of a chairperson and a maximum of eight members. It will cover the PM with certain conditions, ministers, current and former MPs and legislators, government employees and staff of companies funded or controlled by the central government. 40 million cards data may be stolen at Target Continued from page 1 numbers, expiration dates and the 3digit security codes. Target with 1800 stores is the second largest retail chain after Walmart - and both of these are popular with costconscious South Asians. The data breach did not affect online purchases, the company said. The stolen information included Target store brand cards as well as Visa and MasterCard. "Target's first priority is preserving the trust of our guests and we have moved swiftly to address this issue, so guests can shop with confidence. We regret any inconvenience this may cause," Chairman and CEO Gregg Steinhafel said in a statement Thursday. The Minneapolis company said it immediately told authorities and financial institutions once it became aware of the breach and that it is teaming with a third party forensics firm to investigate and prevent future breaches. The US Secret Service has also swung into action and is investigating the data theft at Target stores. Target Corp. advised customers to check their statements carefully. Those who see suspicious charges on the cards should report it to their credit card companies and call Target at 866852-8680. Cases of identity theft can also be reported to law enforcement or the Federal Trade Commission.
IALI announces new executive team
The incoming IALI President Satnam Singh Parhar felicitating the outgoing President Dr Kishore Kuncham.
Hicksville, NY: At its annual general body meeting on December 15, India Association of Long Island (IALI) announced its incoming Executive Council for 2014. They are: President Satnam Singh Parhar; Vice President Bina Sabapathy ; Secretary Rekha Valliappan; Treasurer Gunjan Rastogi; Members-atLarge including Ajay Batra, Nishi Behl and Damayanti Goklan.
The AGM was well attended by over 200 guests including several Past Presidents and community leaders who are members of IALI. Dr. Kishore Kuncham IALI President in his report showcased the years line-up of programs, events and activities organized on Long Island. Of worthy mention was the outpouring of support for the Deepavali Food Drive with a record $41,000 raised and donated
to the Interfaith Nutrition Network that runs 19 soup kitchens and 3 shelters the homeless, over $30,000 raised in medical supplies for RotaCare. Honorees for noteworthy contributions in 2013 included Dr. Dev Ratnam. Recognition was also given to IALIs major sponsors and donors including Salil Zaveri IALIs primary sponsor for the year.
Minimum wage to go up in New York state from Jan 1

New York: The new year will usher in revisions to New York states minimum wage, unemployment benefits and workers' compensation. Although the minimum wage will go up for the first time since 2009, putting more money into the hands of low-wage workers, laidoff employees will find it more difficult to qualify for unemployment benefits. Employers are projected to save money under workers' comp reform, but they will pay higher fees to replenish the unemployment insurance fund, which is $3.9 billion in the red after years of stubbornly high unemployment rates. On Dec. 31 the minimum wage, in the most contentious of the labor law changes, will rise to $8 an hour from $7.25. And the minimum will rise on the same date for the next two years before ending at $9 an hour in 2015. But the timing couldn't be worse, said a business-group executive and a local economist. "While it is being phased in over three years, it still equates to a 20 percent increase in labor costs over that time in a sputtering economy," said Mike Durant, New York State director for the National Federation of Independent Business, the largest U.S. industry group representing small businesses.
London theater collapse leaves dozens injured

London: Dozens of people in Britain were injured, seven of them seriously, when the ceiling or part of the balcony collapsed at a theater in London's West End during the busy holiday season. The incident occurred less than an hour into the acclaimed production of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, near Piccadilly Circus. The London Ambulance Service said in a statement that it treated more than 75 people with minor injuries. The injuries to those who were seriously hurt were not considered life-threatening, officials said. Police said they were not aware of any fatalities.
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Poonam Khubani among Top 25 Women Entrepreneurs of NJ

According to LWENJ data, this year's Top 25 together generate an estimated revenue in excess of $5 billion, employ tens of thousands, and support hundreds of non-profits and women's advocacy groups. Khubani leads the top consumer product companies that specialize in direct response television marketing and the creators of the familiar "As Seen on TV" logo. Both TeleBrands and International Edge create and sell products in over 130 countries globally. Khubani's leadership and entrepreneurial know-how have resulted in tremendous international growth for the company, securing major retail store shelf space on every continent. Khubani is a frequent panelist at TeleBrands Inventors Days, which allow at-home inventors the opportunity to pitch their gadgets to the company with the hopes of having it brought to market as a TeleBrands "As Seen on TV" product. The Indian American entrepreneur also works tirelessly with Children's Hope India, a foundation that helps disadvantage children in India.
Daniel Bogden, U.S. Attorney for the the District of Nevada, announcing the charges against Balwinder Singh on Wednesday at a press conference
Indian American held for supporting India, Pakistan terror groups

It is alleged that Singh communicated with other coconspirators by telephone while he was in the US to discuss acts of terrorism to be carried out in India. Singh was alleged to have sent money from Reno to coconspirators in India for the purchase of weapons that would be provided to members of the terrorist groups to support acts of terrorism in India. The terrorist groups are known to target for assassination persons they consider traitors to the Sikh religion and government officials who they consider responsible for atrocities against the Sikhs, federal officials said. In a press conference, Daniel Bogden, US attorney for Nevada, said: "Investigating and prosecuting matters of national security is the top priority of the US Department of Justice." "After an extensive investigation, the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force of Northern Nevada has disrupted an individual's involvement in facilitation activities in support of a foreign terrorist organization, targeting an ally of the United States," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Laura Bucheit. "We will continue to work with our international partners to prevent acts of terrorism on US soil or, as in this case, on that of an ally." Singh is a former citizen of India who fled to the US and claimed asylum. He eventually obtained a permanent residency card. If convicted, Singh faces up to life in prison and fines of up to $250,000 on each count. He is due for an initial court appearance Friday.
Poonam Khubani, VP, TeleBrands International seen here at Childrens Hope India event.
New Jersey: Poonam Khubani, vice president of TeleBrands International and president of International Edge, was recently recognized as one of the Top 25 Leading Women Entrepreneurs of New Jersey (LWENJ) according to the Leading Women Entrepreneurs Initiative. LWENJ annually chooses a group of businesswomen in New Jersey who exhibit outstanding performance and achievement in business and economic innovation, community involvement, and advocacy for women.
Washington, DC: An Indian-American man has been charged with providing material support to terrorist groups in India and Pakistan to intimidate the Indian government and to harm those not supporting Sikh separatist cause. Balwinder Singh, 39, of Reno, Nevada was charged in an indictment Wednesday with one count of conspiracy to murder, kidnap and maim persons in a foreign country, among other charges, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. According to the indictment, Singh, known by several other names, is a member of two terrorist organizations, Babbar Khalsa International and Khalistan Zindabad Force, whose members aim to establish an independent Sikh state of Khalistan in part of India's Punjab region. Singh is not alleged to have committed any terrorist actions aimed at US citizens. The indictment alleged that the object of the conspiracy was to advance the goals of the terrorist groups. Singh was alleged to have used a false identity and obtained false identification documents in the US so that he could travel back to India without being apprehended by the Indian authorities.
Photographer Pranlal Patel's debut US exhibition at Wellin Museum

Clinton, NY: The Wellin Museum of Art at Hamilton College here will present the first U.S. exhibition of photographs by celebrated Indian photographer Pranlal Patel. The 104-year-olds storied career has captured some of the most defining moments in Indias history, spanning pre-independence to economic liberalization. Refocusing the Lens: Pranlal Patels Photographs of Women at Work in Ahmedabad will feature 30 images that document the lives of women in the workforce in early twentiethcentury India. Taken in 1937, the photographs provide unprecedented insight into the lives of workingclass women as they engaged in a range of labor activitiesinside their homes, neighborhoods, and the markets of Ahmedabad. The exhibition will open on February 1 and run through April 15, 2014. Patela self-taught hobbyist, who abandoned his teaching career to become a professional photographerwas commissioned to photograph the series by Jyoti Sangh, a philanthropic group dedicated to improving the lives of women in India. The project spurred the development of Patels avant-garde approach to portraiture and signature black and white style, for which he was recently celeare intimate, less stylized portraits of ordinary women at work. The photographs depict women carrying wares to the market, selling goods, weaving cloth, making rope and brooms, and scavenging for metal. These images challenge historians accepted views of womens labor as limited to the domestic sphere, isolated, and sex-segregated. Rather, they suggest a complex labor structure in which men and women worked together in the home, neighborhood, or major marketplaces. Notably, the images did not represent these women as undignified or victims, which they might have because they were commissioned by a womens organization whose focus was social reform and uplift, said Lisa Trivedi, exhibition curator and Associate Professor of History at Hamilton College. This group of politically active upper- and middle-class women sought to galvanize women of their own class to work for greater social equality and autonomy by encouraging them to work on behalf of women less fortunate than themselves. And, interestingly, Patels photographs did not provide a clear impetus to intervene directly on behalf of those pictured, which may explain why the photographs were not, as far as we know, employed for fundraising or organization, as they were likely intended.
Indian American indicted for stealing trust's fund

New York: A former treasurer of a Gujarati community non-profit association has been indicted for allegedly stealing $85,844 over a more than six-year period from its bank accounts. Girishcha Patel, 59, a resident of Franklin township of Somerset county in New Jersey and a former treasurer of the Federation of Gujarati Associations in North America (FOGANA) is accused of misappropriating the funds from the bank accounts of the association, the Star Ledger reported Thursday. In January this year, the FOGANA lodged a complaint with the Somerset prosecutor's office special investigations unit that Patel misappropriated funds from the cultural organisation's bank accounts when he was treasurer from 2004 through 2012.Patel withdrew more than $75,000 in funds from the FOGANA bank accounts between January 2006 and March 2012 without the organisation's permission, while he was treasurer and had sole access to the accounts. Patel was arrested Oct 21 and later released on bail. He was indicted on the basis of bank records, tampered bank statements, falsified financial reports, a phony bank account number and email communications.
Making Spices, Kalupur, Ahmedabad. Pranlal K. Patel, Jyoti Sangh Series, c. 1937. brated as a lifetime achievement award recipient at the 2013 Information & Broadcasting Ministry National Photo Awards. The works in Refocusing the Lens are unique artifacts and a distinctive record of Indian society in the 1930s. In contrast to the ethnographic photographs commissioned by the state to study cultural types, the images
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Jury recommends death penalty for man convicted of killing exs family
Washington, DC: A California jury has recommended death sentence for Iftekhar Murtaza, a 29-year-old, convicted of killing his girlfriend's family when they asked her to dump him in 2007. The 12 person jury deliberated for three hours before coming to their decision. Murtaza was convicted last month of killing his ex-girlfriend Shayona Dhanak's father and sister by burning down the family's Orange County home after becoming 'upset' when the then 18-year-old dumped him. At the time, she said her Hindu parents threatened to stop paying her college tuition if she didn't leave her Muslim boyfriend. The cold-blooded killer was found guilty of two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and one conspiracy count on but deecutor Howard Gundy said after the receiving the guilty verdict last month, adding he was ready to move to the next phase. Two of Murtaza's friends were previously convicted of the killings. Vitaliy Krasnoperov was sentenced to life in prison and Charles Murphy Jr. is scheduled to be sentenced in December. From the outset of the trial, prosecutors claimed he planned the murder plot and paid a friend $30,000 to help him kill the teen's parents so he could be with her. Murtaza said he went home after the breakup, took ecstasy and starting chatting with a friend online about how he wished Dhanak's parents were dead. The prosecution contended Dhanak wanted to end the relationship with the disturbed man because he had become controlling and violent. Leela Dhanak, the mother, broke down on the stand as she talked about still hearing her spouses screams of terror in her sleep years later. Her husband, 56-year-old Jaypraykash Dhanak and eldest daughter Karishma Dhanak, 20 were killed and their Anaheim mansion burnt down. Last month, a pathologist testified that Karishma Dhanak was alive when her throat was slit and her body was doused with gasoline and set on fire. Autopsy results showed Jayprakash Dhanak suffered 29 stab wounds to his body. He also had his skull fractured resulting in a fatal brain injury.
Iftekhar Murtaza and Shayona Dhanak
clined to convict on kidnapping and murder during burglary charges on November 22. 'We're very pleased with the verdicts,' pros-
NY pharmacist charged with medicare fraud

Queens, NY: A pharmacist here was charged December 12, with defrauding Medicare. Purna Chandra Aramalla was arrested Dec. 12 morning and presented in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for January 13. Aramalla was charged with engaging in a scheme to defraud Medicaid and Medicare through the sale of illegally diverted prescription drugs, as well as with a related money laundering offense. He is also alleged to have obtained reimbursement for pharmaceuticals that were never actually dispensed to patients. Aramalla was released out on bail this Monday and as per the statement by his attorney, Aramalla has strongly denied any wrong doing and he will vigorously fight all the alleged accusations against him.
NYPD Commissioner, staff, family mourn Ranasinghes death

New York: Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly eulogized a traffic enforcement agent Saturday killed on the job as a calm presence amid the tumult of the citys endless gridlock. Friends, family and dozens of traffic agents mourned the death of Kalyanarat Ranasinghe, 71, a Sri Lankan immigrant, who was run over by an industrial vacuum truck on Nov. 30 as it pulled out of a parking space in Midtown Manhattan, the New York Daily News reported. The driver was not charged. Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio attended the two-hour funeral service at Ortiz Funeral Home in the Parkchester section of the Bronx. "He was very well respected and people said he had sort of an inner calm, which is at the core of the Buddhist religion," Kelly said after the ceremony. He came to this country to help his daughter with her education. Ranasinghe was a telecommunications engineer in Sri Lanka before moving to the United States with his wife and daughter in August, 2001. Kelly added that Ranasinghe had the stamina of traffic enforcement agents half his age, and that after only 18 months on the job he was promoted.
Kalyanarat Ranasinghe was run over by a truck in Manhattan
Congresswoman Meng holds forum on combating hate crimes

Event included prominent speakers, Assemblyman Weprin and South Asian community leaders
New York: U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, held a forum December 14 on combating hate crimes in the South Asian community. The event, which was attended by South Asian community leaders and New York Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Queens), featured presentations by prominent speakers about resources that are available to stop the discrimination and bias that exits against Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims. The forum was held in New York at the Taj Mahal Restaurant on Hillside Avenue in Jamaica, Queens. Speakers included Matthew Latimer from the Community Relations Services division of the U.S. Department of Justice; Etzion Neuer, the Deputy Director/Director of Community Service and Policy at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and Harpreet Singh Wahan of the Sikh Coalition. According to the New York Human Rights Commission, 69 percent of the South Asian community believes they were the victim of one or more incidents of discrimination or bias-related harassment.
Dr Susheel Bathla conferred doctorate degree

New York: With pomp and circumstance, the New York College of Podiatric Medicine (NYCPM) held a Convocation in November honoring Women in Podiatry. Drs. Susheel Bathla, Kathleen Reilly Fallon, and Halina M. Semla-Pulaski, all graduates and Board of Trustees members of NYCPM, were conferred honorary doctorates in humane letters. These highly accomplished women were recognized by President Louis L. Levine and the Board of Trustees both for their professional and personal contributions to podiatric medicine and for their community service. The ceremony, gala dinner, and silent auction were held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan and raised money for student scholarships.
Congresswomen Meng at the forum
In addition, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) and the Sikh Coalition released a report this past fall which found that 50 percent of Asian American students were bullied, a 20 percent increase from just a few years ago. The forum also included a panel discussion on important issues facing the South Asian community. Topics included an update on com-
prehensive immigration reform including reducing the backlog and a pathway to citizenship; better South Asian language access to the Affordable Care Act including translations in Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Punjabi and Gujarati; efforts to improve H1-B, J and F-1 visas and other important issues. The event also featured a meet and greet and a question and answer session.
Dr Susheel Bathla
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
Several Indian Americans in Global Thinkers list

Washington, DC: Foreign Policy magazine has come out with its annual list of the Global Thinkers of 2013. Named on the list were five Indian Americans, including venture capitalists Babak Nivi and Naval Ravikant, co-founders of San Francisco-based AngelList; Rohit Wanchoo, one of four co-founders of New York-based charitable nonprofit GiveDirectly; Stanford University epidemiologist Dr. Sanjay Basu; and Harvard University economist Sendhil Mullainathan. India-based individuals on the list included Arvind Kejriwal, founder of the Aam Aadmi Party, and womens rights activists Urvashi Butalia and Kavita Krishnan. Anand Grover, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, made to the list, as did United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Navi Pillay. Rajendra Pachauri, who leads the Nobel Peace Prize winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, was named a Global Thinker for showing that humanity is on the brink of catastrophe in his warnings on global warming and other environmental threats. Foreign Policys list of Global Thinkers includes U.S. intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden, Pakistani girls education activist Malala Yousafzai, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Pope Francis, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
Alumna pledges $1 million for IIT Kharagpur

Washington, DC: An eminent Indian-American entrepreneur and an IIT Kharagpur passout has pledged $1 million for setting up a Center for Petroleum Engineering at her alma mater. Ruma Acharya-Deysarkar worked for Getty Oil and Texaco and Baker Hughes in Oil and Gas Industry in Houston. She founded Grounded Technology and grew the business to employ 50 people in Construction and Environmental Science area focused in Texas. She, along with her husband, Asoke Deysarkar pledged to donate the $1 million during IIT 2013 Global Conference in Houston. "IITians want to make a difference to the world and desire to give back," said Partha Sarathi Chatterjee, chair of the conference held between December 5-8. Pan IIT India, a group of ex-IITians is planning to develop an online portal for the kids in the rural India to take advantage of the online courses. This will be for 6th to 12th Standard students only, he said. Two other IIT alumni have announced an award up to $ 100,00 each to selected winners of business plan competition. "Conference was about giving back through inspiring innovation for tomorrow. It was not only about promoting the IIT brand but to encourage and initiate giving back to alma-mater, India and greater humanity through
Ruma Acharya-Deysarkar (center), who is also president of Tagore Society of Houston, at a fundraiser
innovation," Chatterjee said. During the conference Hersh Kumar Legacy Fund and PFP Industries Fund announced to make an investment each of $100,000 in startups to be potentially awarded to selected winners of Business Plan Competition. Some 1,600 world leaders, energy experts, technology professionals and engineers from around the globe attended the IIT 2013 Global Conference in Houston. Among the eminent speakers were Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, former Mexican president Vicente Fox. Flight Director of NASA's Apollo 13 Mission Gene Kranz delivered the keynote address.
Illinois lottery winner's heirs settle estate

Chicago: The wife and daughter of a Indian American man from Chicago who was poisoned with cyanide after winning the Illinois lottery have settled his estate with an agreement that prevents either woman from filing a wrongful death lawsuit unless new evidence surfaces in a criminal investigation of his death. The settlement approved Dec. 11 in Cook County probate court gives one-third of Urooj Khan's lottery winnings to his widow, according to her attorney, Al-Haroon Husain. Shabana Ansari also will get the home where she lived with her late husband, their dry cleaning business and commercial property. Khan's daughter from a previous marriage will receive the remaining lottery winnings and some of Khan's other investments. At this point (Ansari) wants to put this behind her and move forward,' Husain said. Khan died in July 2012, days before the 46-year-old was to collect $425,000 in lottery winnings. His death was initially ruled to be from natural causes but suspicions raised by his brother prompted authorities to test fluids taken from his body before he was buried.Those tests showed he had been poisoned. His body was exhumed in January so further evidence could be obtained and an autopsy conducted, but the coroner's office said it turned up no significant new clues about his death. Khan's death is now considered a homicide but authorities have been tightlipped about the status of any investigation or whether they have any suspects. Husain said Dec. 11 that Ansari had not heard from police in months. She and other relatives have denied any involvement in his death and have expressed a desire to learn the truth. Khan bought a lottery ticket in June 2012, despite having foresworn gambling. After winning he said he planned to use it to pay off mortgages and donate to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. The night before he died, Khan had dinner with his wife, daughter and father-in-law at their home. He awoke feeling ill sometime that night and died at a hospital the next morning. Khan died without a will, leading to the court battle.
Sikh group challenges dismissal of case against Badal

Chicago: A Sikh rights group has challenged the order of a US court dismissing a human rights violation case against Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for failing to serve federal court summons on him. In a petition filed Tuesday before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals here, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) claimed there was irrefutable evidence that it was Badal who was served the summons on Aug 9 at Oak Creek High School in Wisconsin. SFJ alleged that Badal had tampered with the witnesses and evidence and obstructed justice. The plaintiffs' families in Punjab were also threatened with dire consequence by police, according to the group's attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. It also asserted that Chicago-based Sikh Surinder Pal Singh Kalra's claim that he was served with the summons instead of Badal was not credible. An affidavit by Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) President Simranjit Singh Mann was also submitted alleging that families of plaintiffs Jeet Singh Aloarkh and Jagtar Singh were threatened by Punjab Police coercing them to withdraw the case against Badal. While dismissing the case against Badal last month, the court of appeals had given SFJ the right to re-file the lawsuit against Badal. SFJ and SAD have alleged that there have been several hundred cases of extrajudicial killings, police tortures and human rights violations against the Sikh community in Punjab during 12 years of the Badal rule-from 1997 to 2002 and from 2007 to present.
Dr Prem Reddy gifts $500k to CSUSB Nursing Department

for these hard working students, and I hope that this laboratory and equipment helps them achieve their dreams. The gift will allow the nursing lab to update critical equipment, including patient simulators that provide students with an unparalleled learning experience. The soon-to-be named Dr. Prem Reddy Nursing Laboratory is a model for hands-on nursing education. Born in India, Reddy immigrated to the United States in 1976 with his wife Venkamma, who is also a physician. He is double board-certified in internal medicine and cardiology. He was awarded the honor of Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and a Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians. During his 25 years of practice in the High Desert, the Indian American physician has committed himself to the service of his patients and performed more than 5,000 cardiac procedures, including coronary angiography and angioplasty, and permanent pacemaker implantations. Reddy founded Prime Healthcare in 2001, starting with Desert Valley Hospital in Victorville. Since then, Prime Healthcare has expanded to own and operate 23 hospitals across the nation.
Dr Prem Reddy
Washington, DC: Physician and philanthropist Dr. Prem Reddy, of Victorville, has donated $500,000 to Cal State San Bernardino and its department of nursing. To recognize his gift, the universitys nursing lab will be renamed the Dr. Prem Reddy Nursing Laboratory. Reddy has been a long-time supporter of CSUSB. In 2006, the Dr. Prem Reddy Academic Excellence Scholarship was established for eligible full-time pre-med, nursing and/or health education students who qualified for the scholarship and maintained a minimum 3.5 grade point average at the university. These students are our future, and it is imperative that we give them the best training available, Reddy stated in a press release. I came from an impoverished background to become a cardiologist. Nothing is impossible
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
Lok Satta Party condemns petrol attack on leader Hyma Praveen

New York: Hyma Praveen, one of the early leaders of People For Lok Satta was attacked by unidentified persons in Hyderabad. She is currently standing by the dwellers of Syamalakunta colony who have been threatened to evacuate their homes. A person on a bike threw petrol on Hyma's face while she was alone in her car and stopped at a red light. It is speculated that the reason for the attack is her fight against land grabbers and energising the people and providing platform for victims. Hyma lived in Texas for 12 years as a successful entrepreneur and sacrificed her lucrative career to move to India to fight for people. However she believes she is only doing service to her birth place Sanat Nagar, Hyderabad. Over the last year, she emerged as one of the strongest leaders of Lok Satta party. She participated in several public debates and also took local initiatives like sanity improvements in Sanath Nagar. Hyma has excellent organisation skills and managed logistics of Dr. Jayaprakash Narayans Rejuvenate India trip to US, where he visited
Indian classical art biggies to perform in California

New York: The Indian Fine Arts of San Diego (IFAASD) is celebrating its 7th annual Music and Dance Festival from April 8-13, 2014 at the Jewish Community Center in La Jolla, California. The organization is dedicated to the propagation of classical Indian music and dance in Southern California. This year, the festival has a line-up of world renowned vocal and instrumental artists of both the Hindustani and the Carnatic traditions of Indian music from India and around the world. Among the many highlights of the program is a jugalbandi: a concert that will showcase the virtuosity of two well-known male and female artists and a melodious vocal concert by two brothers. The festival will also present some of Indias most talented and most engaging percussionists who will be playing on such diverse instruments as the kanjira, the tabla, the ghatam, and the mridangam. Audiences will be also enthralled by the captivating music of wind instruments such as the flute and string instruments like violin. The IFAASD is also presenting numerous dance ballets during the festival. Ancient Hindu epic Mahabharatham will be presented in a dance ballet form in a three part series choreographed by Indias most talented and experienced dancers. The festival includes Kathak performance by Padma Vibhushan Birju Maharaj, Bharathanatyam performance by Padma Bhushan C.V. Chandrasekhar and Kuchipudi performance by Divyasena. The festival will also celebrate the 94th birthday of Bharat Ratna Ravi Shankar, and honor the prolific contributions of some of the greatest musicians and artists. The festival will also feature two music concerts performed by over a 100 children from all over San Diego. For more info visit www.indianfinearts.org
Hyma Praveen (center)
12 cities and interacted with thousands of Indians. Hyma, a day after attack, redoubled her efforts on behalf of the colony dwellers and they rallied around her and are vowing to ensure her safety. Pradeep Chukkapalli, one of the vice presidents of PFL, extended full and complete support to Hyma and expressed need for security of middle class and said that PFL will completely support and actively
drive the women leaders like Hyma. Suresh Ediga, an active leader of PFL, started campaign on social networks to call police officers and mount pressure on them to identify and take action on culprits.PFL Dallas chapter despite the inclement weather conditions gathered together and extended their support to Hyma. Dallas president Rajanikanth said that attack on Hyma praveen is attack on good people and everyone needs to condemn this attack.
SET Asia to celebrate holidays with new shows

New York: Sony Entertainment Television Asia has lined-up several new productions set to go on air in December 2013. It includes Indian televisions original dance show, Boogie Woogie,which premiered on Dec 7, 2013 at 8:30 pm. Followed by Aishwarya Sakhuja (of Saas Bina Sasural) now in a completely new look in Main Naa Bhoolungi as well as Poonam Dhillons big comeback with Ek Nayi Pechaan, both to be a part of the primetime slot on weeknights. Dance as a reality format has become increasingly popular with television audiences so Sony decided to bring back its trademark dance show Boogie Woogie. The show which made dance a way of life for many and made Javed Jafri, Naved Jafri & Ravi Behl household names. Boogie Woogies comeback this year will be a kids championship hosted by Sargun Mehta and 12-year old Rakshit Wahi. Starting December 23, 2013, Aishwarya Sakhuja will be back in Sony Entertainment Televisions upcoming show Main Naa Bhoolungi. Aishwarya is paired opposite Vikas Manaktala in this thriller. In addition to Boogie Woogie & Main Naa Bhoolungi, there will also be another primetime show preimere Ek Nayi Pehchaan. Poonam Dhillon is back to wow small
screen audiences with Ek Nayi Pehchaan, a show about woman empowerment. A compelling and unique narrative of a womans search for her identity Ek Nayi Pehchaan is loosely based on the concept and storyline of Bollywood's acclaimed movie 'English Vinglish', while it's also the story of selfawakening and self-respect.
US AFFAIRS
Fed Reserve to pull back on stimulus
Senate passes bipartisan budget agreement

Washington: Congress declared a holiday truce in the budget wars Wednesday, sending President Obama a blueprint for funding the government through 2015. But the next skirmish was already on the horizon: an election-year fight over the national debt. The budget deal that passed the Senate on Wednesday amounts to a handshake agreement to avoid a government shutdown when a temporary funding measure expires Jan. 15. However, the accord does not address the need once again to raise the debt limit, setting up a potentially complicated confrontation in late February or early March. That fight would come just months before midterm congressional elections, and the GOP is deeply divided over tactics to deal with the debt, a core issue for the Republican base. Some conservatives are calling for another showdown, insisting on an additional round of spending cuts in exchange for granting the Treasury Department more borrowing authority to pay the nations bills. But GOP leaders, especially in the House, have no appetite for another Washington fiscal crisis that could destroy their popularity among voters, aides said. Instead, they are hoping for a more peaceful resolution modeled on the latest budget deal a bipartisan compromise that solves small problems and aims to offend almost no one. Congressional leaders appointed Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (RWis.) to negotiate a cease-fire. The resulting agreement would roll back sharp spending cuts known as the sequester over the next two years, sparing the Pentagon from more reductions and restoring billions of dollars for domestic programs. The $62 billion cost would be more than covered by
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, and Janet Yellen, vice chairman, who is slated to replace him in the New Year.
Washington: The Federal Reserve's policy-making body said Wednesday that the US economy has improved sufficiently to justify reducing its purchases of mortgagebacked securities and Treasury bills from $85 billion a month to $75 billion. "In light of the cumulative progress toward maximum employment and the improvement in the outlook for labor market conditions, the committee decided to modestly reduce the pace of its asset purchases," the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) said after its final meeting of 2013. Only one member of the 10-member FOMC dissented, according to a statement. The president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Eric
Rosengren, suggested that it would be premature to reduce the stimulus with unemployment still at 7 percent. The Fed said it expects US gross domestic product to expand by 2.2 percent to 2.3 percent in 2013, with an inflation rate of around 1.2 percent, below the FOMC's longer-run target of 2 percent. The official jobless rate will end the year in the range of 7 percent7.1 percent, the FOMC predicted. Though global financial markets have long been nervous about the consequence of a Fed decision to taper its asset-buying program, the New York Stock Exchange's Dow Jones index surged by 159.39 points, or 1 percent, to 16,034.65 after Wednesday's announcement.
Congressional leaders Patty Murray and Paul Ryan hammered out the deal, but could not settle the debt limit fight.
$85 billion in alternative policies, such as higher security fees for airline passengers, deeper cuts for Medicare providers and less generous retirement benefits for federal workers, including military retirees younger than 62. Last week, the deal sailed through the House and, on Wednesday, it easily passed the Senate, 64 to 36. Nine Republicans joined all 55 members of the Senate Democratic caucus in voting yes. Murray stood in the well of the chamber as the vote unfolded, accepting pats on the back from colleagues in both parties. The American people are sick and tired of the constant crises weve seen here in D.C. over the past few years, Murray said on the Senate floor. I am hopeful this deal can be a foundation for continued bipartisan work, because we have so many big challenges we need to tackle for the families and communities we represent.
US judge rules NSA data collection unconstitutional

Washington: In what the media here called a "powerful rebuke" to the Obama administration, a US federal judge has ruled the US National Security Agency's once-secret mass collection of domestic phone records is most likely unconstitutional. Describing its technology as "almost Orwellian" and suggesting that James Madison would be "aghast" to learn that the government was encroaching on liberty in such a way, US District Judge Richard Leon said NSA's action apparently violates privacy rights. Madison, the fourth US president is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for being instrumental in the drafting of the US Constitution and as the key champion and author of the US States Bill of Rights. The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by conservative activist Larry Klayman, a user of a Verizon mobile telephone who challenged the NSA's collection of metadata -phone records of the time and numbers called without any disclosure of content -- on his behalf and that of a client. But the judge limited the decision only to their cases "A Powerful Rebuke of Mass Surveillance", the New York Times described it as "an enormous symbolic victory for opponents of the bulk-collection program, and a reminder of the importance of the adversarial process." Saying "The NSA must make its case," the Washington Post opined that "If the government is to emerge from Mr. Snowden's revelations with the authorities that officials insist are crucial, it will have to do more to demonstrate why they are essential and how Americans' privacy is being protected." Earlier Monday, the White House rejected the suggestion Snowden be granted amnesty, a day after a top NSA official publicly suggested a deal could be reached to keep Snowden from leaking more documents. "There's been no change in our position," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters and the US government continued to press Russia. "He faces felony charges here, he ought to be returned to the United States, again, where he will face full due process and protection under our system of justice, that we hope he will avail himself of."
Generic Viagra to be available in late 2017

New York: Generic Viagra will hit the market more than two years earlier than expected under a settlement reached by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Pfizer Inc. Generic Viagra will hit the market more than two years earlier than expected under a settlement reached by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and the maker of the impotence drug, Pfizer Inc. Teva can enter the market on Dec. 11, 2017, and will pay patent royalties through the expiration of the Viagra patent in April 2020, New York-based Pfizer said in a statement. Other terms weren't disclosed. Viagra, whose chemical name is sildenafil citrate, is one of Pfizer's best-known medicines. The drug's sales totaled $2.05 billion in 2012, its best year ever. Pfizer this year began selling the blue pill through a company-sponsored website to combat counterfeit versions sold online. The medicine came from a group of compounds considered during research to treat high blood pressure and angina. The assistance with erectile dysfunction was a side effect discovered during testing, and the patent, issued in 2002, is for use of the compound to treat impotence. Some aspects of the patent were earlier rejected in 2010 because it was similar to a Chinese herb known as Horny Goat Weed. Teva lost its bid to invalidate the rest of the patent at trial and was appealing the case. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit dismissed the appeals Tuesday.
NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden: there was talk of US giving him amnesty but ruled out by White House.
and also put off enforcing his order barring the government from collecting the information, pending an appeal by the government. "I cannot imagine a more 'indiscriminate' and 'arbitrary invasion' than this systematic and high-tech collection and retention of personal data on virtually every citizen for purposes of querying and analyzing it without prior judicial approval," said Leon "Surely, such a program infringes on 'that degree of privacy' that the founders enshrined in the Fourth Amend-
ment," added the judge, who was appointed to the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia in 2002 by President George W. Bush. A Justice Department spokesman said Monday that "we believe the program is constitutional as previous judges have found," but said the ruling is being studied. The agency's collection of "metadata" was exposed by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, who has been given 12 months asylum in Russia. Calling the judge's ruling a
10
INDIA
India gets its ombudsman

New Delhi: Parliament finally passed a sweeping anti-corruption bill which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described as "a historic and landmark step" to fight corruption in the country. The Samajwadi Party (SP) was the lone dissenter while other parties gave their approval to the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, 2011. The Rajya Sabha adopted the amended bill Tuesday and it came to the Lok Sabha Wednesday for a final yes. "It is a historic and landmark step," Manmohan Singh told reporters after the Lok Sabha passed it amidst din. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said more anti-corruption legislations were on the anvil. "We need more bills and we have the framework. The Congress has bills in the pipeline that need to be passed," Gandhi told reporters. Gandhi, who also took part in the debate on the bill, sought the extension of the winter session to pass six
It took 45 years for the Indian politicians to finally pass the historic anti-corruption Lokpal bill; Anna camp ecstatic
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj said the government should not make any attempt to take credit for the passage of the bill because it should go to Anna Hazare. She said her party opposed the bill earlier as it was a weak legislation but was happy the Rajya Sabha amended it suitably. Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav supported the bill but expressed apprehension it would stall development in the country. SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav said: "This is a dangerous bill. It will lead to anarchy. You must withdraw it." The SP walked out of the Lok Sabha in protest against the bill. Apart from establishing Lokpal, the bill also provides for the creation of Lokayuktas in the states within a year of the notification of the law. According to the bill, the Lokpal will consist of a chairperson and a maximum of eight members. It will cover the prime minister with certain conditions, ministers, current and former MPs and legislators, government employees and staff of companies funded or controlled by the central government. According to PRS Legislative, a think tank tracking the work of parliament, the bill also provides for penalty for false and frivolous complaints. Lokpal will have superintendence over the Central Bureau of Investigation in cases referred by it. Nikhil Dey, co-convener of the National Campaign for Peoples' Right to Information, said the Lokpal bill was a part of a basket of accountability measures that should be put into place by the government. "This (Lokpal bill) will allow people to deal with big corruption. The Lokpal bill has some shortcomings but it certainly is a step forward," Dey said. He said the grievance redressal bill will prove to be "the Lokpal of common man" but it has not yet been passed by parliament.
BJP leader Sushma Swaraj gives credit for the bill's passage to Anna Hazare
bills that were "part of the comprehensive anti-corruption framework" of the United Progressive Alliance government. The bill was pending in the Rajya Sabha for almost two years as opposition members had reservations on the draft passed by the Lok Sabha in December 2011.
A select committee examined it in detail and gave its recommendations, many of which were incorporated in the amended bill, tabled in the Rajya Sabha last week. Law Minister Kapil Sibal moved the amended Lokpal bill in the Lok Sabha. Participating in the debate,
Salient features of Lokpal bill

ollowing are the salient features of the amended Lokpal bill passed by parliament:
Hazare ends fast with a call for vigil

R a l e g a n - S i d d h i (Maharashtra): Social activist Anna Hazare, who ended his nine-day long fast here after the Lok Sabha passed the Lokpal bill, called for remaining "ever vigilant". "The bill has been passed by both houses of parliament. But we cannot be complacent. The real work will begin now. We must remain ever vigilant," said Hazare, who accepted a glass of water from two school children to break his fast. The 76-year-old leader said now the people must remain alert to ensure that people of integrity are appointed to the posts of Lokpal at the centre and the Lokayuktas in states and all norms are properly fulfilled to make the law truly effective. "We must also create awareness about the law among the masses so that they can understand and take benefit of the historic Lokpal institution," Hazare said, adding that he would take a lead in the matter by touring the country and publishing literature on the issue. As the frail Hazare sipped water flanked by former IPS officer Kiran Bedi and former army chief General (Retd) V.K. Singh, thousands of supporters cheered, waved the national flag and raised cries of "Jai Hind", "Vande Mataram" and "Bharat Mata ki Jai".
1. Lokayuktas: The new bill mandates states to set up Lokayuktas within 365 days. States can determine the type. 2. Constitution of Lokpal: The Lokpal will consist of a chairperson and a maximum of eight members, of which 50 percent shall be judicial members. Fifty percent members of Lokpal shall be from among SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities and women. 3. Selection of Lokpal: The selection committee will have prime minister, Lok Sabha speaker, leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India. A fifth member of the selection committee for selection of Lokpal under the category of "eminent jurist" may be nominated by the President on the basis of recommendation of the first four members of the selection committee. 4. Religious bodies and trust: The new bill includes societies and trusts that collect public money, receive funding from foreign sources and have an income level above a certain threshold. It excludes bodies creating endowments for or performing religious or charitable functions. 5. Prosecution: In the new
bill, before taking a decision on filing a chargesheet in a case upon consideration of the investigation report, the Lokpal may authorise its own prosecution wing or the investigating agency concerned to initiate prosecution in special courts. 6. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI): For independence of the CBI, in the new bill a directorate of prosecution will be formed. Appointment of the director of prosecution will be on the recommendation of the Central Vigilance Commissioner. 7. Hearing: The new bill says a government servant will get a hearing before a decision is taken by the Lokpal. 8. Prime minister: The prime minister will be under the purview of the Lokpal with subject matter exclusions and specific process for handling complaints against the prime minister. 9. Investigation: Inquiry has to be completed within 60 days and investigation to be completed within six months. Lokpal shall order an investigation only after hearing the public servant. 10. Penalty: False and frivolous complaints - imprisonment up to one year and a fine of up to Rs.1 lakh. Public servants imprisonment up to seven years. Criminal misconduct and habitually abetting corruption jail term up to 10 years.
The 76-year-old leader said now the people must remain alert to ensure that people of integrity are appointed to the posts of Lokpal
Crores spent to create rift with Anna: Kejriwal

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal said crores of rupees have been spent to create a rift between him and Gandhian activist Anna Hazare. But Kejriwal told TimesNow news channel that Hazare was his "guru" and "he lives in my heart". "Annaji is my guru and he can say anything to me, whatever he wants. But political parties are spending money to create differences between us. And crores have been spent," Kejriwal said. Pressed to identity those allegedly conspiring against him, Kejriwal smiled and replied that "all the bad people" of various parties had ganged up to create differences between him and Hazare.
INDIA
11
Parliament's winter session washed out

New Delhi: The winter session of Parliament Dec 5 to 18 was a complete washout with just one legislation, the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, 2011, passed in both houses, one bill passed in the Lok Sabha and six other bills introduced in both houses. This was the second last session of the 15th Lok Sabha before it finishes its tenure. In the 12 sittings through the session, the government hoped to consider and pass 29 pending bills. According to PRS Legislative Research (PRS), a think tank tracking the work of parliament, the Lok Sabha was productive for just six percent of the total available time and the Rajya Sabha for 19 percent time. Together, parliament was productive for just 12 percent of its total time, said the PRS. "The session saw very little business being transacted. Debate in the house took a back seat, with one bill being passed in the Lok Sabha without any discussion. This session was the last opportunity for anti-corruption, economic and higher education bills to be passed. Many of these bills will lapse when was passed in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, respectively. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi spoke in support of the Lokpal bill in the lower house and suggested extending the parliament session to pass the pending antigraft bills. Seeing that the house was being disrupted regularly over some or the other issue, the Congress managers advised the speaker to adjourn the lower house sine die Wednesday, two days before the scheduled date Dec 20. But Congress sources hinted the house could be reconvened for a few days if all parties agree to it to pass pending bills, including economic reform bills related to pension and insurance. The lower house also passed the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2013, Wednesday. Earlier, the Lok Sabha passed the Supplementary Demands for Grants (General) for 2013-14 in four minutes and the Supplementary Demands for Grants (Railways) for 2013-14 in two minutes Dec 12.
This was the second last session of the 15th Lok Sabha before it finishes its tenure
the 15th Lok Sabha is dissolved in a couple of months," Chakshu Roy, Head of Outreach, PRS Legislative Research, said. Parliament was adjourned for three days each over the death of labour minister Sis Ram Ola Dec
15 and former South African president Nelson Mandela Dec 6; and on Dec 5 over the death of Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha MP from Sarguja Murarilal Singh and Rajya Sabha sitting member Mohan Singh (Samajwadi Party),
and to condole deaths of former members of the upper house Ram Naresh Kushwaha (Samajwadi Party) and Dinanath Mishra (BJP). The most productive days of parliament were Tuesday and Wednesday when the Lokpal bill
Get ready for 2014 battle, Sonia tells MPs Telangana: Andhra assembly adjourned without debate
Hyderabad: For the fourth consecutive day, no debate was possible on the Telangana bill in the Andhra Pradesh assembly, which will now meet again Jan 3 for the second leg of the winter session. Speaker N. Manohar adjourned the assembly till Jan 3 amid uproar by the Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra) lawmakers opposing the debate on the bill for the creation of a separate Telangana state. The state assembly, which was adjourned a minute after meeting in the morning, reassembled after 1.30 p.m. As the Seemandhra legislators belonging to opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and YSR Congress continued shouting slogans, the speaker adjourned the house till next month. The winter session, which began Dec 12, was to continue till Friday, but the speaker adjourned the house a day in advance. The bill for the formation of a separate Telangana state was tabled in both houses after it was sent by the president, seeking the opinion of legislators in Andhra Pradesh. The bill has to be returned to the president by Jan 23. Seemandhra TDP members wanted the speaker to send back the bill to the president without debate, so that the state remains united, while their counterparts from the YSR Congress wanted
Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi with son Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi: It is time to prepare for the 2014 national elections and there is no need for the Congress to "lose heart" over the party's loss in the recent four state assembly polls, party chief Sonia Gandhi said. "While the elections results are disappointing, we should not lose heart. There is another battle ahead of us in May 2014, for which we must ready ourselves," Gandhi said at a meeting of party MPs here in Parliament House. "We have our task cut out over the next few months," she said. The Congress performed badly in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh assembly elections spread over November and December. "We accept the verdict of the people. We are going into the causes for the defeat," said Gandhi. The Congress, she noted, "failed to convince the voters of its policies and programmes" and was not able
"to fulfill their aspirations". The only consolation was Mizoram where the Congress retained power. Gandhi noted that "despite allround development in Rajasthan and Delhi, the Congress lost".In Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, "despite a spirited campaign, we failed to dislodge the incumbent governments", she said. Lack of unity cost the party in Chhattisgarh, she noted. "In Chhattisgarh, we fairly came close to doing so and had we shown greater unity of purpose, we might have succeeded," she said. The party's campaign lacked discipline in Delhi and Rajasthan, she said. The Congress chief exhorted the party MPs to work for the people and show allegiance to principles of democracy and secularism. "Our opponents advocate policies of divisiveness and sectarian interests," she said.
The bill for the formation of a separate Telangana state was tabled in both houses
the house to pass a resolution opposing the state's bifurcation. On the other hand, Telangana legislators, irrespective of party affiliation, were urging the speaker to allow the debate on the bill. The legislators from both Seemandhra and Telangana are planning to meet President Pranab Mukherjee, who is arriving here Thursday afternoon on the annual presidential southern sojourn. The legislative council was also adjourned till Jan 3 amid ruckus over the bill. Speaking in the council, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy said there was clarity on how the debate should take place. He advised both the speaker and the council chairman
to call a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC), if necessary, to set the procedure for the debate. In his first comments in the legislature since tabling the bill, the chief minister said the issue is sensitive and such a bill was never discussed in both the houses. "The debate should be within the framework of the Constitution, and its rules and traditions. It should be without provocation, and all members should be careful about the language they use. The sentiments of nobody should be hurt," the chief minister, who is also opposing the bifurcation of the state, said.
12
INDIA
Law intern case: Pressure mounts on justice Ganguly

New Delhi/Kolkata: Pressure mounted on Justice (retd) A.K. Ganguly, accused of sexually harassing a law intern, to quit as head of the West Bengal human rights panel with a government law officer making public the victim's affidavit and the BJP urging President Pranab Mukherjee to remove him. Law Minister Kapil Sibal also said Ganguly should voluntarily submit his resignation from the post of chairman of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC), but Ganguly, who has so far remained defiant on the demands to quit, said the publication of the affidavit was not proper. Additional Solicitor General Indira Jaising revealed the law intern's affidavit, describing the sequence of events that led to the charges of sexual harassment against Ganguly. The affidavit was submitted to the security of women is in question". Asked if the government would intervene, he said there was a procedure in which a person holding the post of chairman of a rights panel can be removed for misbehavior and incapacity to continue in the post. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj appealed to the president to dismiss Ganguly from his post. Speaking at a memorial programme for the 23-year-old trainee physiotherapist who was gang raped a year before in New Delhi, she said that as Ganguly had not resigned from his post even after the Supreme Court panel indicted him, the president should use his powers. "The president has power and he should use it to dismiss Ganguly from his post," she said. The affidavit said the young woman was working as a research assistant with the retired judge. He called her Dec 24, 2012, to his hotel room and insisted that she drink wine and spend the night in his room. "As it was late, he ordered dinner, and over dinner Justice Ganguly made the advances to her, both physical and verbal," Jaising said. The affidavit said the woman rushed out of the room and headed home, while Ganguly messaged her on her cell phone, saying he was sorry. West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress has been at the forefront of protests, seeking Ganguly's resignation. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has twice written to the president urging action in the case. However Ganguly remained defiant. "I don't want to comment on the issue, but I think it (affidavit) should not have been made public," Ganguly said.
Law intern's affidavit revealed the sequence of events that led to the charges of sexual harassment against Ganguly
the three-judge committee of the Supreme Court, which indicted Ganguly, finding him guilty of "unwelcome behavior" towards the intern. Commenting on the matter, Sibal said: "In the light of the latest revelation by the additional
solicitor general published in a national daily, I think it's time for Justice Ganguly to voluntarily submit his resignation." He also said the apex court should look into the matter against the judge "in the same way as it takes against a normal man when
AAP to decide government formation Dec 23
'Homophobia came into India, not homosexuality'

New Delhi: Disappointed at the Supreme Court's ruling upholding Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), author Vikram Seth said political parties that favor this ruling should know that homophobia came into India and not homosexuality. "There is no question about the fact that this ruling has pushed us backwards, and now you will be a criminal if you are open about it. Can you imagine the huge weight of this law of Indian Supreme Court, a revered institution?" Seth said. "To an eternal shame, one of the two leading parties of our country has also said that put these people into jail for life as this is against Indian culture. They don't know a thing about Indian culture. It is homophobia that came into India and not homosexuality," he added, saying Khajuraho, Kamasutra and Sun temple have always been here. "Even if you read 'Baburnama' - the book of founder of Mughal empire Babur, you will see how there are fine descriptions of him being in love with another man and how he speaks about it. It is very moving," he said. Author of 'A Suitable Boy' was clearly upset about this judgment that makes gay sex a crime, and Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh's statement calling gay sex "unnatural" further infuriated the 61-year-old writer.
Will work for strong secular formation: Lalu

Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad said he would work hard for a strong secular formation to defeat communal forces in the 2014 general elections. "Now, I am free and out of jail. I will travel across the country to convince leaders of different secular and democratic parties to join hands to take on comLalu Prasad has got bail munal and fascist forces, led by BJP's (Bharatiya to defeat the communal forces. Janata Party) prime ministerial "There is no option, communal candidate Narendra Modi," Lalu forces have to be kept at bay at any cost," he said. Prasad told mediapersons. He questioned state Chief He was released Monday (Dec 16) from the Birsa Munda jail in Minister Nitish Kumar's commitRanchi after the Supreme Court ment to a secular polity. "A few Friday (Dec 13) granted him bail months ago, Nitish Kumar suddenly realised the importance of in a fodder scam case. The former Bihar chief minister secularism when divorce took said he was with the Congress and place between his party Janata will support and back the party. Dal-United and the BJP. He was "RJD is always open for an with BJP for 17 long years and alliance with the Congress to enjoyed fruit of communal polistrengthen secular forces in Bihar tics," he said. Lalu Prasad said sooner or later, and outside," he said. Lalu Prasad said he would not he will be acquitted in the fodder sit silent as his responsibility has scam cases. "I have full faith in increased manifold to unite all the judiciary that I will get jussecular forces for a viable alliance tice," he said.
Aam Aadmi Party is seeking public opinion in the capital until the weekend
New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said it will take a final decision on government formation Dec 23, after seeking public opinion in the capital until the weekend. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said it would seek a "yes" or "no" from the people following a split verdict that has given no political party enough seats in the 70-member assembly to take power on its own. "If the people say 'yes', we will form a government," Kejriwal told the media here. Kejriwal's comments came amid reports that Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung had recommended President's Rule in Delhi after the BJP, which with 31 seats is the single largest group in the house, declined to form a government.
The AAP, which was then invited to explore the possibility of forming a government, sought time. Kejriwal then wrote to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and BJP president Rajnath Singh asking if the two parties would support the AAP on 18 key issues. The Congress responded that 16 of the issues were administrative in nature and needed no party's backing. Kejriwal criticized the BJP for not replying to his letter to Rajnath Singh. "Aam Aadmi Party is not a party of a few individuals," he said "From today till Sunday, we will seek people's views (on government formation)." "We will go by what people want the coming Monday (Dec 23)," he added.
OP-ED
13
Congress to understand Man poised to lead India people's yearning for change barred from entering US!
By B.R.P. Bhaskar
he dismal performance of the Congress in the four Hindi-speaking states which went to the polls recently did not surprise anyone, except perhaps its own leaders. Pollsters have been saying for more than a year that it is on the decline. They have said the popular mood is such that the Bharatiya Janata Party will push it down to the second place and emerge as the largest party in the Lok Sabha in next year's elections. Congress leaders have offered the self-serving explanation that the party lost because it failed to apprise the people of the good work done by its governments at the Centre and in the states. They should ask themselves if the good things that happened under their watch are sufficient to persuade the people to overlook the bad things such as rampant corruption and spiraling prices. People form judgments continually on the basis of how governments' actions impinge on their lives. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government is mired in scams, and its popularity has touched the nadir. Some leaders of the Congress and its allies are fighting graft charges in courts. When acts of malfeasance came to light, the UPA, instead of squarely facing the situation, reflexively went into denial mode and resorted to cover-up. Corruption has grown enormously in recent years. What's more, it is now an issue high up in people's minds, thanks to Anna Hazare's on-again, off-again Jan Lokpal campaign. Corruption, as Indira Gandhi famously observed, is a global phenomenon. A historical analysis will bear out that most countries faced corruption when their economy was growing rapidly. The British parliament had hauled up Clive and Warren Hastings on their return home from India with loot. Japan, South Korea and China, which witnessed economic boom ahead of India, also witnessed high corruption. While they sent functionaries like president, prime minister and
party bosses to jail, India has had a poor record in dealing with corruption at the top. Other parties too are affected by corruption. The BJP was forced to act against its chief minister in Karnataka, B.S.Yeddyurappa, following serious allegations, and he broke away and formed a regional party. Now it is trying to get him back to its side before the parliamentary elections. There were corruption charges against a dozen members of the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh but that did not prevent the party from securing a third term in the Assembly elections. Clearly, the Congress has an image problem it cannot wish away. Corruption charges stick more easily to it than to others since it has been in power longest and is assumed to have been corrupted to a greater extent than the rest. The party's shrinking vote base presumably still includes many who view it as the party of Gandhi or Nehru or Indira Gandhi, all of whom had forged emotional links with the ordinary people. Having relied upon nominated leaders after the 1969 split, at the state level it lacks leaders and an apparatus capable of ensuring delivery of its votes. This leaves it in a disadvantageous situation, especially in states where it is pitted against cadre parties. A new Lok Sabha has to be in position before the term of the present one ends in May 2014. Last time, the deadline was June 2 and the long-drawn-out electoral process began with the Election Commission announcing the poll schedule March 2. This time the announcement may have to be advanced to mid-February. The moment the schedule is announced, the model code comes into force, and the government will not be able to initiate any new programmes or policies. That means the Congress has just two months for any makeover effort. But the party stands paralyzed, caught between a prime minister who has outlived his utility and a fancied successor who is finding it difficult to get rid of the reluctant groom syndrome.
BJP's PM candidate Narendra Modi
By Judson Berger
The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government is mired in scams, and its popularity has touched the nadir
he man poised to lead India -- one of America's staunchest allies in Asia and a nation of more than a billion people -- cannot even legally enter the United States. In what has triggered a quiet battle on Capitol Hill, advocacy groups and lawmakers are drawing attention to the case of India's Narendra Modi. Though the powerful politician is the front-runner in India's elections next year, he was denied a U.S. visa in 2005 over deadly riots in his state. This leaves the State Department with a difficult choice -- lift the ban and anger human rights groups while triggering a potential legal battle, or keep the ban and cause a rift with India, one of the United States' closest allies. "It cannot be possible that you do not give visa to the prime minister of a country," one of Modi's party colleagues, Shatrughan Sinha, was recently quoted as saying. The trouble with Modi dates back to 2002. Shortly after he was appointed chief minister of the state of Gujarat, a group of Muslims attacked a train carrying Hindus, setting it on fire and killing dozens of people. What resulted were some of the deadliest ethnic riots in India's history. Hindu mobs attacked Muslims throughout the state, and by most estimates more than 1,000 people were killed. In a controversy that has trailed his political career, Modi was accused by human rights groups of doing little to quell the violence. When he sought to travel to the United States in 2005, a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers penned a resolution condemning him for "condoning or inciting bigotry." Shortly afterward, the State Department denied him a visa, on the grounds of a section of U.S. law barring any foreign offi-
cial deemed responsible for "severe violations of religious freedom." Fast forward to today. Modi's party, BJP, just pulled off huge victories in key state elections and is seen as the front-runner for next year's elections -- making Modi, who has cultivated a reputation as a pro-business dynamo, the front-runner to be the next prime minister. The State Department is staying rather mum on its next move, though its assessment in April 2012 did not bode well for Modi. Asked by a reporter about Modi's visa status, then-spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said: "I think you know that our position on the visa issue hasn't changed at all." She predicted a position "along familiar lines." Spokeswoman Marie Harf, asked again about Modi this past September, said "there's no change in our longstanding visa policy. He is welcome to apply for a visa and await a review like any other applicant. That review will be, of course, grounded in U.S. Law. But many human rights activists and scholars still want to see Modi barred, and feel he has wrongly escaped punishment or blame for the 2002 riots. "I think that he should be sanctioned," Nina Shea, director of the Center for Religious Freedom with the Hudson Institute, told FoxNews.com. Shea said that, for those urging the ban stay in place, the "critical period" is before next year's election. "To lift the ban would almost be a kind of endorsement that he is an internationally respected leader," she said. Shea said she believes the hardliner nationalist strain within Modi's party has become "very pronounced" and their rise could lead to greater conflict. However, she predicted that in the end, if Modi becomes prime minister, the visa ban "would probably come off."
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
14
DIASPORA
Sri Chinmoy Center pays befitting tribute to Mandela

New York: People from many nations attended a memorial ceremony for Nelson Mandela presented by members of the Sri Chinmoy Center in New York City with writings and songs dedicated to Madiba whose friendship Sri Chinmoy held dearly. The program titled, Nelson Mandela: The Pinnacle Pillar of MotherEarth included performances by the Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers, an international choir and members of the Peace Meditation at the United Nations. All music and prose were composed by Dreamer of World Peace Sri Chinmoy who during one of their meetings gifted President Mandela with his tribute book, Nelson Mandela: The Pinnacle-Pillar of Mother Earth: poems, songs and anecdotes praising the Presidents tireless service to uplift people from all walks of life. Founder of the Peace Meditation at the United Nations, Sri Chinmoy first met Mandela at the UN in 1990
Junior Mittal spends 60 million euros on daughter's wedding

New Delhi: Pramod Mittal, the younger brother of steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, has reportedly spent 60 million Euros on his daughters wedding in Barcelona. According to Moneylife.in, Vanitatis - Spanish news portal, has reported that the wedding of investment banker Gulraj Behl and Shristi Mittal, the 26-yearold daughter of Pramod, could be one of the five most expensive weddings in history, as per the figures, "One of the employees of the municipality that is well connected to high places told us that probably the figure among all parties, lodging, rental of premises, hotel rooms and other expenses to be determined, could exceed 60 million Euros, said one of the articles on moneylife.in. According to Forbes, the wedding would be located in the second place, between Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ruler of Abu Dhabi, and
Sri Chinmoy Bhajan Singers led by Ranjana Ghose (right front with harmonium) perform a musical chant written by Sri Chinmoy, Nelson Mandela during a memorial ceremony for Mr. Mandela in New York City entitled Memorial for Nelson Mandela: The Pinnacle-Pillar of Mother Earth.
Shristi Mittal
shortly after his release from prison. The two developed a warm friendship, corresponded and met several times in New York and South Africa. At a UN exhibit of Sri Chinmoys art, Madiba showed his universal spirit in offering the following message We are a single hu-
manity. We must work together, united as one, to build a world of justice and harmony for allThis is the great cause of world peace to which my dear friend Sri Chinmoy devoted his life and to which his Paintings for World Harmony at the United Nations are dedicated.
Princess Salama, where it cost 76.25 million Euros in 1981 and of the Prince of Wales, for which 53 million Euros was paid, also in that year. For now, Lakshmi Mittal's daughter, Vanisha, holds third place when she married Amit Bhatia in 2004 when the Indian billionaire is said to have disbursed no more and no less than 46 million Euros," the report says.
Indian population up by 48 pc in New Zealand

Wellington: The population of Indian ethnic group in New Zealand has risen by 48 percent to 155,000, latest census statistics show. The Chinese population rose by 16 percent to 171,000 while the number of Filipinos more than doubled to 40,000, reports Xinhua. New Zealand authorities said the country has more ethnic groups than there are countries in the world, with the Chinese and Indians joining the five largest groups in this year's census results. The five largest ethnic groups were New Zealand European, Maori, Chinese, Samoan and Indian. The smallest included Greenlander, Sardinian and Latin American Creole, Statistics New Zealand said. "It's interesting to note that there are more ethnicities in New Zealand than there are countries in the world," an official statement said. "What that tells us is that New Zealand is a diverse place and getting more so all the time." New Zealand's resident population grew 5 percent to 4.24 million between 2006 and 2013.
Indian-origin couple Britain's oldest

London: An Indian-origin couple, both aged over 100, will become Britain's oldest married couple when they celebrate their 88th wedding anniversary later this week. Kartari and Karam Chands son Paul Chand, who runs the Castle pub in Bradford city, threw a party Dec 15 on the wedding anniversary of the couple, The Telegraph & Argus reported Wednesday. The couple are still waiting to hear from Guinness World Records if they have the longest marriage in the world. The couple celebrated their 101st and 108th birthdays last month with people coming from all over the world.The couple have eight children, 27 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.
Couple Kartari (right) and Karam Chand
Indian business to the aid of Ethiopian returnees

Addis Ababa: In a gesture well appreciated, Indian businessmen and the Indian community here have come to the aid of hundreds of thousands of Ethiopian returnees from Saudi Arabia. Sanjay Verma, newly-appointed Ambassador of India to Ethiopia, accompanied by Mayur Kothari, the convener of the Indian Business Forum (IBF) and Rajeev Sharma, Deputy Convener of IBF along with leading Indian businessmen, presented a check of half a million birr ($26,182) to Ethiopian returnees from Saudi Arabia. "The embassy as well as IBF and the community will support the Government of Ethiopia and its people for any other assistance they may require," said Verma. The ambassador presented the check to Ethiopia's State Minister of Agriculture Mitiku Kassa, who said that the support made by the IBF and the Indian community is very well acknowledged. The team visited the International Organization for Migration (IOM) officer and thereafter visited the returnee transit camp at the airport. When Ethiopia started repatriating its citizens living illegally in Saudi Arabia last month, 30,000 people were expected to return. Today, four times that number have been repatriated - with numbers still swelling daily straining agencies to support one of the largest human airlift operations in recent history. The government budgeted $50 million for 40,000 returnees that it had projected but now the number has reached to 127,000 as of Dec 13 and it is expected to increase to 200,000. Similarly, Vedika-ETA (Ethiopian Telugu Association), a socio-cultural association of Telugu-speaking Indians residing in Ethiopia, donated food items worth 50,000 birr ($2,627) to the IOM. "The Indian community will stand by for any of assistance that may be required to provide to our brothers and sisters of Ethiopia in this hour of need," Verma said.
April to be Sikh Heritage Month in Ontario

Toronto: The month of April in the Canadian province of Ontario will be observed as Sikh Heritage Month every year. A bill brought by Brampton New Democrat Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Jagmeet Singh to have April recognized as Sikh Heritage Month was approved Tuesday in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, the Brampton Guardian reported Thursday. Singh had introduced the bill in the assembly last April. He said that April is an important month for the Sikh community as the festival of Baisakhi is celebrated in this month, which also marks the creation of the Khalsa. Sikh Canadians widely celebrate Baisakhi, also known as Khalsa Day. "This will be an opportunity to remember, celebrate and educate future generations about Sikh Canadians and the important role that they have played and continue to play in communities across Ontario," Singh was quoted as saying after the bill was passed. "Sikh Canadians have made significant contributions to Ontarios social, economic, political and cultural fabric, said Singh. Statistics Canada puts the Sikh population in Ontario at nearly 180,000 based on the 2011 National Household Survey.
RELIGION
15
By Mohd Asim Khan Kathmandu: The foremost leader of a Buddhist sect says the Bodh Gaya bombing in India "is a kind of warning" and Buddhists around the world will have to be careful. "Bodh Gaya bombing is a kind of warning, a lesson. It's an alarm," said Gyalwang Drukpa, who heads the Drukpa sect of Buddhism with wide following in Tibet, Bhutan and northern India among others. "We as Buddhists have to be careful. We should not be naughty. Not to be violent," the India-born monk, who counts the Dalai Lama as one of his gurus, said. A series of 10 bombs went off in quick succession July 7 at Bodh Gaya in Bihar (where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment), injuring two visitors but creating a major scare. The Gyalwang, whose real name is Jigme Pema Wangchen, is the 12th in the list of lineage holders. He spoke on attacks on Buddhists and the clashes between Buddhists and Muslims in Myanmar. "This is for the first time I am hearing about Buddhist violence,"
Druk Amitabha nunnery in Kathmandu, and (inset) Gyalwang Drukpa, head of the Drukpa sect of Buddhism.
he said of the Myanmar situation. "That's the last thing you want to hear as a Buddhist." But he appeared to hint that Buddhists may be retaliating in Myanmar after coming under
attack in various places including Afghanistan. "If you have a naughty child, you'll have to hit him a little to make him behave. But you don't want to kill your son," he said.
"Maybe it's a skilful method. What to do?" At the same time, he added that Buddhism cannot accept violence. "That's for sure. But we will have to make them understand,"
he said, referring to Muslims by name. "We'll have to knock on their door. 'Hey, I too am a human being'." He said the Bodh Gaya blasts were not a surprise because Buddhists usually looked the other way in violent situations. "In Afghanistan, Lord Buddha was bombed," the Gyalwang Drukpa said of the March 2001 Taliban bombing of the Bamiyan Buddha, a sacrilege which evoked global condemnation. "It was so antique and so blessed and it was bombed. And what did we Buddhists do? Nothing. We Buddhists did nothing. I mean we could have done something in the UN... We are harmless." The Gyalwang Drukpa said it was high time other communities respected Buddhists for what they are. "You should also understand to respect Buddhist people. You can't say we don't respect you, we'll demolish your Buddha, we'll kill your people... "You can't say that. You have to be fair... Non-violence is my principle. But you have to respect me. (There has to be) mutual respect. That is the law of nature."
Shroud of Turin to go on Pakistan moots bridge public display in 2015 to connect transTurin (Italy): The famous "Shroud of Turin", which many believe to be Jesus Christ's burial cloth, will go on public display in 2015, an official said. Archbishop of Turin Cesare Nosiglia said Pope Francis has been invited to visit the shroud, which bears the facial image of a man thought to The face, thought to have suffered physibe of Jesus Christ, from cal trauma similar to the Shroud of Turin. crucifixion. The precise dates believe Jesus Christ was the shroud will be on pub- wrapped in after his death lic view have not been and his face was imprinted fixed but it will be for 40- on it. But skeptics cite car45 days near Easter. Over bon dating results to say two million pilgrims are that the shroud was in fact expected to visit. from the Middle Ages, In April 2010, more than about 1,300 years after 1.5 million people booked Christ lived. reservations to gaze at the The cloth is housed in linen cloth for around three the royal chapel of the minutes when the first Cathedral of Saint John the public viewing in a decade Baptist in Turin. opened at Turin's cathePrior to 2010, it last went dral. Controversy has sur- on public display in 2000 rounded the 4.3 meter-long during the Catholic and one meter wide cloth Church's millennium celewhich many Christians brations.
Kathmandu's sweet but deadly kung fu nuns
Ravi gurdwaras
Islamabad: As part of its peace efforts, Pakistan has proposed to build a bridge over the Ravi river to connect the Sikh community's two gurdwaras located in Narowal district of Pakistan and Batala in India, media reported citing a source. If the proposal is approved by India, Sikh pilgrims will find it easier to move between Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur at Narowal in the Punjab province of Pakistan and Dera Baba Nanak Dev Jee gurdwara at Batala in India, the News International reported Sunday citing the source. Pakistan's Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, the driving force behind the idea, approached Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and persuaded him to float this proposal. Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur is about 140 km from Lahore and 180 km from Nankana Sahib. Kartarpur, a historic and sacred place, is located just 3 km away from the Indian border in the north-eastern city of Narowal in the Pakistani province of Punjab. According to the Sikh Foundation International online, the original resting place of Guru Nanak was washed away by floods of the Ravi river and the present gurdwara was rebuilt in its place at a cost of Rs.1.4 lakh from funds donated by Sardar Bhupinder Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala. It was later repaired by the Pakistani government in 1995.
Nuns practise kung fu at the Druk Amitabha nunnery in Kathmandu.
Kathmandu: Their smiling faces and calm demeanor mask a roaring sea of immense energy and strength. These inmates of the Druk Amitabha nunnery in Kathmandu are also deadly kung fu fighters, being trained in the martial art as part of a strict regime, which also includes yoga and meditation, to promote gender equality. "We do it as part of meditation and also to remain physically fit. Your spiritual well being depends a lot on your physical well being," says Wangmo, 28, who trains the kung fu nuns. Hailing from a small village in Lahul-Spiti, Wangmo has been in the nunnery for the last seven years and has been practising kung fu for four years. "I enjoy it very much," she says as she wipes the sweat off her brow after a demonstration of her skills. The nuns are allowed to visit their parents and home only once in about four years. The nunnery was established by the Gyalwang Drukpa - the highest
spiritual leader of the Drukpa lineage of Buddhists across the world more than a decade ago to honor the will of his late guru. The objective was to train nuns at par with men and that's exactly what happens here. "The uplift of women and gender equality are the causes close to my heart," says the Gyalwang Drukpa. "I introduced kung fu as part of their training regime to give them strength, both inner and outward, as martial arts are also about meditation," he added. "Recently, a Saudi Arabian princess asked me about the kung fu nuns and their training regime. She was interested in it because they are also trying to bring in gender equality in their society," Drukpa added. "The kung fu nuns are my idea of gender equality... it's interesting," Drukpa smiled. A kung fu nun's work starts at 3 a.m. and ends at 10 p.m. "It's a life that we have chosen for ourselves and I am quite happy with it," says Wangmo.
16
DIPLOMACY
'Indian diplomat wasn't handcuffed'

Action against Devyani Khobragade came without warning, says Indian embassy, wants apology as US moves to defuse row with John Kerry's 'regret'
Washington: Disputing State Department's claim that the Indian embassy was warned in September of imminent action against Devyani Khobragade, Indian officials insist it was part of a correspondence regarding her "missing" housekeeper who the embassy accused of "blackmailing" her employer and sought her arrest as she was subverting "both Indian and US laws." In fact, the Indian embassy here as also the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi have been taking up the matter of Khobragade's domestic help Sangeeta Richard from June with the State Department and the US embassy in New Delhi, officials said. The Sept 4 letter from the State Department requested the embassy to enquire into the allegations brought in by Richard disputing her terms of employment with Khobragade and seeking the findings of the embassy, it said. In response, the Indian side, both in New Delhi and in Washington, reiterated the requests pending with the US side in this regard since June 2013. These included assistance in tracing Richard, who had had entered the US with an official Indian passport and was found missing on June 23. This was reported immediately to the Office of the Foreign Missions in New York and New York Police Department. The embassy said it also sought action dence. On Oct 8, the embassy said, it sent a written response to the State Department rebutting Richard's allegation and "bringing out the facts of the case whereby Richard is seeking to subvert both Indian and US laws." The US side was also requested to assist in implementing an injunction issued on Sep 20, by the Delhi High Court against Richard restraining her from initiating any legal action against Khobragade outside India. Separately, on July 15 Sangeeta Richard's husband Philip Richard filed a writ petition against Khobragade and the Union of India alleging that Sangeeta Richard was in police custody in New York and charging Khobragade, the embassy said. But on July 19, Richard voluntarily withdrew his writ petition, it said. The State Department was thus requested to assist in locating and repatriating Richard to India. On Nov 19, the Metropolitan Magistrate of South District, New Delhi issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Richard. On Dec 6, the arrest warrant was forwarded to the State Department nd to the US Embassy in New Delhi requesting them to instruct the relevant authorities in the US to arrest and repatriate Richard to India through the Indian Consulate in New York. But no response was received from the US side for any of these communications, the embassy said and instead Khobragade was arrested on Dec 12. The State Department spokesperson Marie Harf, however, still asserted that the arrest should not have come as a surprise as it had notified the Indian embassy on Sep 4 about the allegations against Khobragade.
India-born US attorney Preet Bharara
The arrest and strip search of Devyani Khobragade has fueled a diplomatic row between India and the US
against "blackmailing by Richard demanding that she be permitted to change her passport, visa status and to work elsewhere, which would be in violation of US regulations." It also wanted assistance in repatriating Richard as her passport was revoked on July 8 and is since staying in the US illegally. The Indian embassy also sought the arrest of Richard, alleging she had taken cash, mobile phone and documents from Khobragade's resi-
John Kerry expresses regret

Washington: In a first sign of thaw in the India-US standoff over the arrest of an Indian diplomat, Secretary of State John Kerry called India's National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon to express his "regret" over the messy situation. In a damage control exercise, Kerry also expressed his concern that this "unfortunate public issue" of the arrest and strip search of Devyani Khobragade, India's deputy consul general in New York, should not be allowed to hurt "close and vital" India-US ties. Making the call from his plane on way to Honolulu, Kerry "expressed his regret, as well as his concern that we not allow this unfortunate public issue to hurt our close and vital relationship with India," State Department Spokesperson Marie Harf said in a readout of the conversation. But far from an "unconditional apology" demanded by India, the spokesperson told reporters Kerry's "regret" was not just for how Khobragade was treated, but also India's retaliatory response. "Regret on the situation at large, I would say both, honestly. He certainly expressed regret about what happened with this case at large, sort of how this has all played out," she said. Kerry also stood US ground on the enforcement of US laws while acknowledging the importance of according "respect and dignity" to foreign diplomats just it expected its own diplomats to receive overseas. "The Secretary understands very deeply the importance of enforcing our laws and protecting victims, and, like all officials in positions of responsibility inside the US Government, expects that laws will be followed by everyone here in our country," she said. "It is also particularly important to Secretary Kerry that foreign diplomats serving in the United States are accorded respect and dignity just as we expect our own diplomats should receive overseas," Harf said. "As a father of two daughters about the same age as Devyani Khobragade, the Secretary empathizes with the sensitivities we are hearing from India about the events that unfolded after Ms. Khobragade's arrest," she added. Earlier, in its first reaction on the issue White House offered to review the procedures that were followed in Khobragade's arrest on charges of visa fraud. "We're looking into the intake procedures
US Secretary of State John Kerry
surrounding this arrest to ensure that all standard procedures were followed and that every opportunity for courtesy was afforded," to Khobragade White House spokesperson Jay Carney said. President Barack Obama has been briefed on the issue, Carney said stressing that an "isolated episode" should not be allowed to cloud a "broad and deep friendship" and an "important relationship" with India.
Washington: Manhattan's high profile India-born US attorney Preet Bharara, also known as the "Sherriff of Wall Street", has defended his department's actions against an Indian diplomat sparking a diplomatic row between India and the US, insisting she was not handcuffed and was given due courtesies. He also said the domstic help, Sangeeta Richard's family was "evacuated" from India to protect the "victim" as there were attempts to silence her and compel her to return to India. Devyani Khobragade, India's deputy consul general in New York, who was strip-searched following her arrest on charges of visa fraud and underpaying his maid last week was accorded courtesies most other defendants wouldn't get, he said in a over 1,000 word long statement. Bharara claimed that US State Department agents arrested her discreetly last week and she wasn't handcuffed or restrained. But he confirmed that Khobragade was "fully searched" by a female deputy marshal in private as per "standard practice" for "every defendant, rich or poor, American or not." Otherwise, she was treated very well and was even given coffee and allowed to make phone calls in a car for two hours to arrange for child care. "Because it was cold outside, the agents let her make those calls from their car and even brought her coffee and offered to get her food," Bharara said. "It is true that she was fully searched by a female deputy marshal -- in a private setting -when she was brought into the US Marshals' custody," he said.
DIPLOMACY
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Indian American groups condemn Khobragade's arrest and strip search

New York: INOC (I) and US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) have strongly condemned the sorry episode relating to Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade. The US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) said it found the comments of State Department spokesperson Marie Harf justifying her strip-search as "particularly offensive". It also quoted its chairperson Sanjay Puri as saying they were making enquiries about the arrest procedures of Khobragade and that concurred with the general sentiments of members "that failure in diplomatic protocol can cause irreversible damage to US-India relations". USINPAC maintained that "strip search, cavity search and DNA swabbing is not `standard procedure'." "USINPAC unequivocally asserts that the dignity and respect due to any person and any diplomat is non-negotiable," the statement said. Sanjay Puri said: "We are making inquiries and asking our Members of Congress to investigate the arrest procedures of Khobragade." However, Puri urged diplomatic and political restraint both in India and in the US while a full investigation of the circumstances surrounding the arrest is underway. The Indian National Overseas Congress (I) USA in a statement condemned the high handed manner in which the US federal agents arrested and treated Khobragade. Said Shudh Prakash Singh, INOC(I) President, It was tantamount to harassment which was totally uncalled for. There was no need to dramatize the arrest and the action was also apparently way out of proportion to the gravity of the charges against the diplomat. This traumatizing incident has caused pain to our community and has the potential of straining the good relations between India and the US.
Khobragade shifted to India's UN mission

New Delhi: Devyani Khobragade, who was arrested in New York for alleged visa fraud and underpaying her domestic assistant and had to reportedly undergo humiliating frisking by US marshals last week, has been shifted to the Permanent Mission of India (PMI) in New York. She is now entitled to all diplomatic privileges and immunity under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations which she did not enjoy as a consular officer. Consular officers are covered under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which does not give them the same protection as full diplomats. Khobragade has been transferred to Indias mission to the UN, according to her lawyer and a former colleague. Its unclear how such a move might affect her immunity from prosecution, and a UN spokesman said it hadnt received a necessary transfer request from her by Wednesday evening. Department of State deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said that when Khobragades transfer request is made to the United Nations, the U.N. Secretariat would inform the Department of State. It then would have to be reviewed by appropriate authorities in both places. Khobragades lawyer, Daniel Arshack, said he didnt know what she would be doing at the U.N. mission, but I fully expect her to stay in the US.
Devyani Khobragade with her lawyer
New Delhi accuses US of interfering in Indian affairs
Indian community outraged over diplomats humiliation

By Ashok Ojha / SATimes Edison, NJ: The arrest of Devyani Khobragade, Deputy Consul General of India in New York, sent shock waves in the Indian community here. Public officials and community leaders expressed their outrage over the episode. The community-at-large felt insulted over the arrest and humiliating treatment of Khobragade. To add insults to injury, reported Reuters, the 39-year old diplomat was stripsearched, a fact confirmed by the US Marshals Office. Sharply reacting to US action, Hemant Marathe, president of West Windsor School Board, said that subjecting a diplomat to body search and handcuffing her in public was simply ridiculous. India and Indians received secondary treatment especially when it comes to immigration. While the US government is talking about providing a path to citizenship for millions of illegals, thousands of Indians who were living in the US legally and have followed the
Barricades outside the US embassy in New Delhi were removed by Indian authorities as the diplomatic row raged between the two otherwise friendly countries.
New Delhi: India hit back Thursday at the US over the arrest of its diplomat Devyani Khobragade and accused American officials of interfering with the Indian legal system. Describing Khobragade as the "only ... victim" in this case, the external affairs ministry said the action taken against her violated the Vienna Convention."There were no courtesies in the treatment meted out to the diplomat, under the normal definition of that word in the English language," said spokesman Syed Akbaruddin. The spokesman was responding to a Wednesday statement from the Manhattan US Attorney. The ministry Thursday questioned the need for the US to stealthily evacuate from India the family of the
maid, Sangeeta Richard, against whom Khobragade filed a case of cheating in New Delhi last year. The Indian statement said the US admission that it was necessary to evacuate the family of Richard "needs to be considered very carefully with regard to the implicit comment it makes" about India's legal system. "It needs to be asked what right a foreign government has to 'evacuate' Indian citizens from India while cases are pending against them in the Indian legal system. "When the legal process in another friendly and democratic country is interfered with in this manner, it not only amounts to interference but also raises the serious concern of calling into question the very legal system of that country.
Supporters of Rashtrawadi Shiv Sena in Delhi protest against the mistreatment of Indias diplomat in New York.
rules, are languishing in the Green Card queue for years, he pointed out. Echoing the sentiments expressed by Marathe, Ved Chaudhary, a former Assistant Commissioner and president of Educators' Society for Heritage of India, said, I feel deeply offended as I read the news about the despicable manner in which DCG NY was arrested, humiliated and treated like a criminal at the instructions of the State department who ordered the Federal Marshals to arrest a high ranking diplomat in public. Chaudhary supported the retaliatory action taken by the Government of India.
The Indian government is finally waking up to the fact that the US state departments anti-India staffers continue to consider India as an unimportant third world country and have been treating Indians as undesirable elements. Chaudhary also pointed out that Indians were mistreated at the US consular offices in India. He said that the issue was yet to be resolved while a highranking diplomat serving in USA was subjected to insult and humiliation. He said that India was rightly taking steps to open the eyes of the US state department for considering it a significant sovereign nation.
You and the New Year

Dear Reader, Hope you had a frutiful 2013, and are looking forward to usher in the New Year. Please share with The South Asian Times your reflections on the year gone by, for you personally and in general for the world. Also share with us the resolutions you have made for 2014 and how best to stick to them. Write about 250 words and email to us by December 27 for publishing in our New Year bumper issue dated January 4, 2014. Email: editor@thesouthasiantimes.info
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TRAVEL
Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacn, about 30 miles from Mexico City, is one of highest pyramids in the world.(right) The Church of Santa Prisca in Taxco is a fine example of Mexican baroque.
By Mohammad Shamim
f you had couple of pegs of Scotch on the flight, dozed off and after landing as you walk out of the airport, youd think you landed in India 50 years into the future, say in 2063. Mexico is one hundred percent India but 1,000 times cleaner, beautiful, much civil, much greener, and much organized. Their food is similar to ours, similar chutneys (17 in all I counted at one Mexican restaurant including dhania wali, cilantrillo), the average height of people there is about the same. Only difference is they they speak a different language - Spanish. Five days in Mexico is a short trip but will make you relax a lot. It really comes as a surprise - India, Indians, our society, our habits resemble Mexicans more than that of the denizens of any other county in the world, barring of course our south Asian neighbors. We eat chapati - their tortilla; they eat beans our rajma. They produce many children like us. Mexicans are family oriented and very social - we Indians too. Their dos (10) is our dus, their sayte (7) is our saat, and their peso is our paisa. Mexicans are very religious - we too. Sadly, comparisons end there. Mexicans are much more cleaner, their cities are much more orderly and greener, they are more artistic, socially more responsible and respectful to neighbors. Generally speaking, Mexicans are hard working, fun loving, they
drink a lot, eat lot of beef, pork and chicken. Divorce rate is high, so is remarriage rate. So, take my advice. Instead of going next to India again for the nth time, take a trip to Mexico. The country is safe, barring border towns near Juarez- El Paso. Take a direct flight to Mexico City. We flew from Newark in New Jersey for $501 round trip on US Airways, and it took us 5 hours to get there. Get into a taxi taken from the airport kiosk, exchange your dollars, and go to your hotel. We stayed at an Airbnb.com bed and breakfast place in Condesa, paying $62 a night for two, in a kind of Greater Kailash area of New Delhi. The 3rd and last night our host, however, behaved like My cousin Vinny -- all attitude. Mexico City is the countrys capital, home to 25 million people, making it the largest metropolitan area in the western hemisphere, with 16 boroughs and more than 300 neighborhoods. The city offers visitors with endless options. It is very friendly to the firsttime visitor, who feels at home. Many of the most visited tourist attractions in Mexico City are concentrated in the historic center, including the Plaza de la Constitucion or Zocalo (a word for town square), the National Palace, Metropolitan Cathedral, Templo Mayor, Palace of Fine Arts and Alameda Park. We could not go to Zocalo as there was a teachers ongoing sleep-in strike. But we walked past it. A few blocks north of the Palace of Fine Arts, Plaza Garibaldi is
The white, 2-seater VW Beetle taxis plying in Taxco town are charming. Notice also the steeply inclining streets.
While in Mexico, listening to their folk Mariachi music is a must-do.
Many of the most visited tourist attractions in Mexico City are concentrated in the historic center, including the Plaza de la Constitucion or Zocalo (a word for town square).
one of the best places in Mexico City to hear live mariachi music, a kind of folk music. It was day time when we went there, when a few uniformed Mariachis were playing. We were warned not to go there at night as heavy drinking goes on there. Located west of the historic center, the Plaza de la Republica is home to the newly refurbished Revolution Monument and National Museum. Chapultepec Park, the largest in Mexico City, is divided into three sections and home to several of the capitals top tourist attractions, including Chapultepec Castle, the Modern Art Museum and the National Museum of Anthropology. We went to see Frida Kahlo museum, named after the great painter known for self-portraits. She was friend and Mexican host of the famous runaway Russian Trotsky. She was married to Diego Rivera, the person behind Rockefeller Center murals in New York. These artsy neighborhoods, SOHO like, are especially popular among visitors - Zona Rosa (a very nice area, comparable to NYCs Greenwich Village, but much prettier and cleaner), Roma, Condesa, Coyoacan and San Angel. Home to London/Italy style bars, lovely parks, plazas, shops, markets and cafes, in the trendy neighborhood of Polanco youll find some of Mexico Citys top nightspots and chic restaurants. Street food in non-western countries nobody recommends, but, you are safe in Mexico, food from vendors is loved by everybody as it is cheap, hygienic and of good quality. Mercada (Spanish for market), are small, crowded shopping areas that you must also visit for gifts or to sit on narrow benches sharing hot food. History books say, once the ancient Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, Mexico City was originally constructed in the Valley of Mexico over the ancient Lake Texcoco. The Aztecs built an intricate network of canals to navigate the city. After the arrival of the Spanish in 1519, most of the Aztec structures and canals were destroyed and replaced with modern roads and buildings. History lovers will find the best remaining examples of ancient Aztec city planning in the southern Xochimilco borough of Mexico City and north of the city at the Teotihuacn archaeological site. In Xochimilco you can hire a colorful trajinera (wooden boat) to tour the canals and gardens. Next day, early morning, after grabbing a coffee and a sweet doughnut type from a vendor (in the evenings all over Mexico, you will find these vendors on the streets selling freshly baked pastries from their jhaba) parked at a street corner near where we stayed in Condesa, we hailed a taxi for a day trip to the ancient Aztec pyramids at Teotihuacn, located 31 miles northeast of the city. What a fine luxury bus with airline type of boarding, free water bottle and a guy making your video on board for security reason! Passing through northern Mexico City, you see thousands of houses constructed on mountains with their 80 degree angled streets - God forbid if your parked car gets into neutral at the top end of the street. Every third tree around here is a black pepper tree, as tall as a mango tree. Agriculture is mostly growing corn. This much we knew that pyramids are to be found only in Mexico besides the better known cousins in Egypt. Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacn is one of highest pyramids in the world. We could only go up to the first step of the pyramid, walked through the Palace, site of human sacrifice platform and returned back. Entrance fee is 57 pesos for one (one peso is less than a cent). It is interestingly how people want to have the "real Mexican experience". But how to go about getting it? That's a difficult question to answer with objectivity. We asked many to suggest some village where we can go and see the real old life of Mexicans with big hats, working in the fields, as you saw in story books in your childhood. No such place is to be found near Mexico City at a distance traversed in a 3 hour bus ride. Ultimately, we settled for Taxco town, an old silver mining town. Bus round trip cost 173 pesos only. A colonial jewel, Taxco distinguishes itself by its stone-paved lanes, crowded small Zocalo and old houses with balconies from which colorful flowers peep down. Taxco is like an Italian town on mountains with climbing streets. Old Beetle VW taxis, 2 seaters, painted white, are charming. On the outskirts is Cerro Atachi, one of the most beautiful examples of Mexican baroque, where what stands out is the Santa Prisca and San Sebastian Parish. Its pink columns and sculpted facades are outstanding, framed as they are by two stylized towers. Don Jose de la Borda, a Spaniard who resurrected mining in the last days, lived in Taxco, and ordered the construction of one of the most beautiful buildings in the entire city: Casa Borda built in 1759. We stayed at Hotel de la Borda at $90 (manager did act smart with us and charged $110) for the top suite where once President Kennedy slept. This hotel is at the entrance of, and overlooking the main town below, and is marked by colonial Spanish beauty with great artifacts and old world charm. The property is not properly managed, including their beautiful restaurant. Free breakfast is scheduled to start at 7.30 am but the female cook reached at 8 am to light the stove. There are other places to visit here like the Ancient Town Hall (Antiguo Ayuntamiento), a building from the late 18th Century. We
TRAVEL
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Visiting US southern neighbor, youd feel as if you time traveled to India 50 years in the future.
Mexicans have some features similar to Indians, and the two share many other similarities.
A view of Taxco town from Hotel de la Borda.
could not go there as the next day we took a 1 hour journey to the Caves where the Mexican government once held a conference. There is 2 hour walking inside but worth it. Cacahuamilpa is one of the largest cave systems in the world, a "live" cave system where groundwater still trcikels down. One of the drier salons here has been dubbed the Auditorium and is outfitted with seats. It is rented out for events, and has been the site for a number of concerts including one in 2007 by Miguel Bos and one by the Acapulco Philharmonic Orchestra in 2009. In Taxco, you can try typical Mexican dishes such as broths, tamales and beef tacos. Even the exotic jumil-based dishes made with local insects. Would you dare
try them? I did not. We experienced a few other eating places - Antica Gourmet (was a good dinner), and at El Atrio Santa Prisca sitting at a balcony watching zocalo crowd (dinner for two with wine cost about 670 pesos including tips). We also could not make it to Ixcateopan de Cuauhtemoc, also known as The National Altar, reputed to be the final resting place of Cuauhtemoc, the last Aztec emperor, which is 20 miles from Taxco, nestled among the mountains. On our last night in Mexico, we went to an active vegetable selling store Ojo de Agua also works as a restaurant at Amsterdam road in Condesa, which offers great food (our bill came to 230 peso). At Mexico City airport, it took us about 1 hrs to check in as it was
crowded with not enough attendants. United Airlines in this international flight does serve food on payment -- a small sandwich costs $8.99 (market value of about $2). We cursed them, slept, and, they took us to Cleveland, citing bad weather at Newark (but we surmised that they ran out of fuel). It meant a five hour delay in arrival time in New Jersey. Small inconvenience, compared to a great experience we had visiting Mexico ($1490 for 5 days with air travel for 2). Mohammad Shaim, who hails from Unnao in India, is a New Jersey based ad and PR professional who is President of Live For Others Foundation involved in Ganga cleaning at Deoprayag in India.
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SUBCONTINENT
Maryam Nawaz Sharif: Pakistan's rising political star

Karachi: She has the face of a movie star, political savvy of Benazir Bhutto and a rising role model for the nation's youth as "abba," Prime Minister Nawas Sharif, reposes growing trust in her abilities. Meet Maryam Nawaz Sharif, 40, the new political star on Pakistan's political firmament -- twitter-savvy, yet traditional, and certainly among the most arresting faces in South Asian dynastic politics. Last month, the Cambride-doctoralaspirant daughter of Pakistan prime minister Sharif -- notice how Maryam retains her maiden name -- was named chairperson of the PM Youth Programme, an outreach of the sixmonth-old Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) regime. Within 15 days of her investiture, Ms. Sharif has been tasked to spearhead the most ambitious Youth Loan Scheme in Pakistan's history. She'll work pro bono and ensure bankers and civil servants, one-and-a-half times her age, dispense loans worth Pakistani Rs.100 billion (Nearly $9.5 billion) in the next seven months to some 100,000 Pakistani entrepreneurs, 50 percent being women. Ms. Sharif's presence has ensured that the prime minister himself sat with the team for over 60 hours and promised zero-tolerance to political jockeying, those associated with the programme told this IANS columnist during a visit here. Fifty-five model business plans have now been posted to guide the applicants. Hereafter, monthly ballots will decide who gets the first tranche of loans. Those left out - but whose proposals matched the criteria otherwise - will flow into the next month's ballot. The loans entail a service charge of eight percent. Banks will subsidize the remaining seven percent. A record 2.1 million application forms have been downloaded over just six days. Such numbers are both a challenge and an opportunity for the elegant Lahore-born known to relax to the music of Rahat Fateh Ali. If she can pull off the loans without her bankers courting a scandal, schemes on micro businesses, skill development, fee reimbursement, and laptop computers will be the other components of the Youth Programme. An alumna of the Convent of Jesus and Mary in Lahore, Ms. Sharif is now a direct counterweight for the youth constituency coveted by cricketer and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf leader Imran Khan. Khan leads, say on twitter, with over 800,000 follows, but Ms. Sharif is not doing too badly at 200,000 already. It's a medium she used extensively to connect with new-age Pakistan during the election campaign that culminated in May last. Evidence? Ms. Sharif has 26,000 tweets under her belt, nearly 15 times more than the more-reticent Khan. "Maryam is sincere, controversy-free and a role model," says Majyd Aziz Balagamwala, a Pakistani industry senior in Sindh, who steered the Benzir Bhutto Shaheed Youth Development Programme that trained 200,000 marginalized youth. "She deserves to be groomed for higher responsibilities."
Ms. Maryam Sharif is now a direct counterweight for the youth constituency coveted by Imran Khan
Want to travel? Go to government, Musharraf told

Islamabad: Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf has been advised by the Sindh High Court to approach the government if he desired permission to go abroad to meet his ailing mother. The court clarified that it had not put him on the country's exit control list -- effectively barring him from leaving Pakistan, Geo News reported. Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto were responding to Musharraf's petition to axe his name from the exit control list. Justice Shah said Musharraf should approach the government instead. A former army chief, Musharraf seized power in 1999 and was president from 2001 to 2008, when he stepped down and went on to live in London in self-exile. He returned to Islamabad in March this year.
India, Pakistan DGMOs to meet Dec 24

Islamabad/ New Delhi: The director generals of military operation (DGMO) of India and Pakistan will meet at the AttariWagah border Dec 24 to discuss ways to prevent violation of ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC), sources said. The DGMO of Pakistan Tuesday invited his Indian counterpart for a meeting to strengthen the mechanisms for ensuring a ceasefire along the LoC. The proposal was accepted by India, sources said. The decision to hold DGMOlevel talks was taken by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif Sep 29 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York in view of the frequent violations of ceasefire along the LoC. The LoC in Jammu and Kashmir has seen several ceasefire violations and violent incidents in recent months. The Dec 24 meeting of the two DGMOs will take place on the Pakistan side of Wagah border, sources said. The Indian side will be represented by DGMO Lt. Gen. Vinod Bhatia while Pakistan will be represented by his counterpart Maj. Gen. Amir Riaz.
Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf
Musharraf's counsel A.Q. Halepota said the former army chief's mother was sick and he wanted to go abroad to enquire about her health. But in view of an order passed by the Sindh High Court, the government had banned Musharraf from
leaving Pakistan, Halepota said. Musharraf has been granted bail in four major cases, including one over former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination. He is now facing trial for high treason -- for imposing emergency rule in 2007.
Nepal parties want deadline extended

Kathmandu: Nepal's major political parties have asked the Election Commission (EC) to extend the deadline to submit the list of names of candidates under the proportional representation (PR) system. The Nepali Congress (NC), Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) and the United Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) sought extensions of the deadline by a week, Xinhua reported. The deadline provided by the EC expires Wednesday. The move is likely to delay the processes of government formation and drafting of a constitution in the Himalayan nation. The High Level Political Committee (HLPC), a body formed to guide the government, made the decision stating that it is making progress with regard to the UCPNM's demand that a probe panel be formed to investigate vote-rigging in the Nov 19 elections in the country for the Constituent Assembly. "We decided to ask the EC to extend the deadline with a view that parties should move ahead as per the political consensus among parties," NC general secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula told media persons after the meeting. The Maoists' refusal to submit the names is delaying a first meeting of the CA and formation of the government that will replace the incumbent government.
Molla hanging: Fresh clashes kill 5 in Dhaka

Dhaka: Bangladesh police opened fire on bombthrowing Islamist protesters as five more people died in clashes sparked by the execution of an Islamist leader for war crimes. Police said trouble broke out in several places in the southeastern district of Satkhira over the hanging last week of Abdul Quader Molla, a top figure from the country's largest Islamist party. Activists from the Jamaat-e-Islami party, wielding home-made weapons and crude bombs, attacked teams of police and paramilitary border guards, police said. "We fired rifles in self-defence," district deputy police chief Kazi Moniruzzaman told AFP of the clashes before dawn in Satkhira, a Jamaat stronghold. District administrator Anwar Hossain said five people were confirmed dead in the clashes, while Bengali daily Prothom Alo quoted local sources as saying the victims were Jamaat activists. Bangladesh has been rocked by a new wave of deadly violence that has left 30 people dead as Islamist
Abdul Quader Molla
supporters vent their fury at Molla's execution last Thursday. He became the first person to be hanged for his role in the country's bloody 1971 war of independence from Pakistan, after being convicted of rape and mass murder including the killing of more than 350 unarmed civilians.
INTERNATIONAL
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Merkel visits France after re-election
Anti-apartheid icon Mandela laid to rest

Pretoria: The world's antiapartheid icon and South Africa's first non-white president Nelson Mandela was laid to rest at his ancestral home in Qunu village in Eastern Cape province at a state funeral. Mandela's body was placed in his final resting place, alongside his other family members at the Mandela family farm in rural Qunu. Traditional rituals were performed to ensure Mandela is received by his ancestors. The funeral marked the end of a 10-day mourning period, declared by President Jacob Zuma after the elderly statesman passed away at his home Dec 5 in Houghton, Johannesburg at the age of 95. Following a beautiful and sombre funeral service at a speciallyerected marquee earlier, Mandela's body, draped in the South African national flag, was taken to the family farm. Once the family members and president were seated, military officials undraped the casket and the flag was ceremoniously folded and handed to Zuma, who handed it to Mandela's widow Graca Machel. The national anthem was played and the South African Air Force flew a salute flight before the last
Angela Merkel was re-elected in a vote in Germany's lower house of parliament for a third term
Paris: German Chancellor Angela Merkel traveled to Paris to meet French President Francois Hollande after being re-elected for a third term, with the aim of "starting now a new step" in relations between the two countries. The first foreign trip of her third term as chancellor emphasized "the special importance of FrancoGerman relations", Xinhua quoted Merkel as saying at a news conference in the Elysee Palace after meeting Hollande. Germany and France have already "worked together very closely in recent months" and "we can start now a new step", she said, adding that the two countries will hold a summit in February next year to deepen bilateral relations. "We all want to let Europe step
forward and make it a strong continent of the world," she said ahead of a European Union (EU) summit due to take place Thursday and Friday in Brussels, where European leaders will discuss a planned banking union and France's military mission in Africa. Hollande congratulated Merkel on her re-election and the formation of the new German government. "We have a common horizon, which should become a common agenda," he said, "because Europe needs the relationship between France and Germany, a relationship of trust, a relationship strong and a relationship open". Merkel was reelected in a vote in Germany's lower house of parliament for a third term. Her coalition government will lead the country for the next four years.
Nelson Mandela was laid to rest at his ancestral home in Qunu village in Eastern Cape province
post was sounded. South Africa's Nobel peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu also attended Mandela's funeral. South African President Jacob Zuma said the government and the country will take forward the legacy of Mandela. Zuma also thanked the Mandela family for their perseverance over the years when the world icon spent 27 years in jail during the apartheid regime. "As your journey today, ours must continue. One thing we can assure you today, as you take your final steps, is that South
Africa will continue to rise," Zuma said. Describing Mandela as a "fountain of wisdom, pillar of strength and a beacon of hope", Zuma said Mandela taught the country to live together, regardless of race. Ahmed Kathrada, the Indianorigin veteran anti-apartheid activist and for years aide to Nelson Mandela, moved many mourners to tears when he paid a poignant tribute to the late statesman. Malawi's President Joyce Banda said she was inspired by Mandela, who had a spirit of forgiveness.
Iran hopes to resume n-talks 'soon'

Tehran: Iran hopes to resume expertlevel nuclear talks with world powers in the near future, an Iranian foreign ministry spokeswoman said. "Timing (for resumption of the talks) should be agreed by both sides, and we hope the expert-level negotiation will begin in the near future," Xinhua quoted Marzieh Afkham as telling reporters at her weekly press briefing. Following the recent telephone conversation between the US secretary of state and the Iranian foreign minister, and the ongoing meeting of Iran's nuclear negotiator and the European Union's (EU) foreign policy chief, there are hopes of an agreement on the resumption of expert-level talks, Afkham said. Local media reported that Iran's expert-level nuclear negotiating team halted talks with P5+1 - US, Britain, France, Russia and China plus Germany - in Vienna, which had started Dec 9, for further consultations with Iranian officials. According to the media, the Iranian team stopped the talks in response to the US's blacklisting of additional companies and individuals for evading existing sanctions against Iran. The expert-level meetings between Iran and the representatives of world powers are aimed at developing mechanisms for implementing the interim deal signed between Iran and
US missiles in Europe no longer justified: Russia

Moscow: The deployment of a US missile shield in Europe lost sense after Tehran and six world powers reached a deal on Iran's nuclear program, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. "We believe that the solving of issues regarding Iranian nuclear program must lead to rethinking of the concept of US anti-missile defence in Europe," Xinhua quoted Lavrov as saying in the Federation Council, the upper house of parliament. Lavrov said the reason Washington used to justify the deployment of the missile shield ceased to exist after the Iranian nuclear issue was temporarily solved. Iran and world powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the US -- struck a deal in Geneva Nov 24, in which Iran agreed to freeze part of its nuclear program in exchange for limited ease of sanctions which had hurt its economy. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the phrase "missile defence" is misleading as the system is a part of NATO's offensive strategic potential. US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, that the US and its allies would continue implementing missile defence plans in Europe despite the temporary Iranian deal. Also on Monday, Russia confirmed that it had deployed its tactical Iskander-M missiles along the borders with NATO countries.
Iran and the P5+1 group had struck a deal in Geneva in which Iran agreed to freeze part of its nuclear program
the P5+1 group. Iran and the P5+1 group had struck a deal in Geneva Nov 24 in which Iran agreed to freeze part of its nuclear program in exchange for limited easing of sanctions which are hurting its economy. Afkham also expressed the hope that these meetings will lead to highlevel meetings for further agreements. In addition, Afkham welcomed the EU's recent consideration of suspending its sanctions against Iran. EU foreign ministers said in a statement that the bloc was committed to taking necessary steps to suspend the sanctions immediately after the
International Atomic Energy Agency verified the implementation of the nuclear-related measures by Iran, and on the basis of recommendation by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. "The overall spirit of the EU statement is useful and constructive," Afkham said, adding that "we hope to witness the implementation of it in practice". "We evaluate the EU statement as a sign of readiness for taking the first step," she maintained. "Any new sanctions against Iran means the death of (Geneva) deal and the joint plan of action," Afkham warned.
22
BUSINESS
India better prepared to deal with US tapering: Chidambaram

New Delhi: Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Thursday said India is better prepared now to deal with the consequences of the situation arising out of the US Federal Reserve's decision to slash US bond purchases and the Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram markets have The US Federal Reserve has already factored in the impact arisannounced that it will continue to ing out of such a decision. The government is of the view purchase securities at the rate of $75 that the markets had already fac- billion per month, as against the eartored in the US Federal Reserves lier level of $85 billion per month. "This is a mild reduction, and the decision and, therefore, are not likely to be surprised by these moderate US Federal Reserve has not changes. Besides, we are better pre- announced any sequential reducpared than in May 2013 to deal with tion," Chidambaram said. The minister said the US Federal the consequences, if any, of the US Federal Reserves decisions, he Reserve will "continue its purchases of treasury and agency mortgagesaid in a statement issued here. He said the government has taken backed securities, and employ its note of the statement issued by the other policy tools as appropriate, US Federal Reserve on the taper. until the outlook for the labor marThis morning, I spoke to ket has improved substantially in a context of price stability." Raghuram Rajan, Governor, RBI.
IT dept attaches Kingfisher assets

Bangalore: The Income Tax department has attached all assets of cash-strapped Kingfisher Airlines for failing to remit taxes amounting to Rs. 350 crore, a senior official said. We have attached all assets of Kingfisher Airlines and are in the process of recovering its dues by sale and attachment of properties of the defaulter company, IT official Lokesha said in a statement here. The defunct airline of business tycoon Vijay Mallya had deducted tax at source from its employees salaries and other payments for assessment years 2010-11 and 2011-12, but failed to remit the amount to the government account. Kingfisher House at Western Express Highway near the Mumbai domestic airport has been attached under the second schedule of the Income Tax Act, 1961, Lokesha said. The Income Tax department also charged the airline with
The Kingfisher airline has a debt of Rs. 8,000 crore
failing to honor the Karnataka High Court directive December 5, 2012, to pay 50% of the demand and furnish bank guarantee for the balance within six weeks. The Supreme Court had recently dismissed the airlines special leave petition against the high court directive,
Lokesha said. With an accumulated losses of Rs. 16,023 crore and a negative net worth of Rs. 12,919.81 crore, the airline has a debt of Rs. 8,000 crore from a consortium of 14 banks, aircraft leasing firms, airport operators, state-run oil marketing firms and other vendors.
In a surprise move, RBI keeps key rates unchanged

New Delhi: In an unexpected move, the Reserve 11.24%, both driven primarily by very high overall Bank of India (RBI) has kept the repo rate its key food and vegetable prices. lending rate unchanged at 7.75%, temporarily Inflation, at least vegetable inflation, is showing warding off fears of an immediate hike in consumer signs of bottoming out. loans and home loan EMIs. Stubbornly high The status-quo on interest rates came in despite prices of high inflation in November as the RBI placed its o n i o n s , bets firmly in favor of plunging vegetable prices to which have pull down the overall inflation rate in December. b e e n The central bank, however, made it clear that emblematic any action on interest rate movements will clearof India's ly be determined by December price data that inflation will be released by the middle of January. woes, along If food prices do not fall significantly as with most expected, the RBI would not hesitate to hike vegetables, had interest rates, governor Raghuram Rajan inditripled in the cated during the post-policy press conference. last one year. "If the expected softening of food inflaOver the last tion does not materialise and transthree weeks, howlate into a significant reduction in ever, there has headline inflation in the next round been a sharp of data releases, or if inflation fall in excluding food and fuel does not onion fall, the Reserve Bank will act," prices Rajan said. RBI governor Raghuram Rajan India's wholesale inflation rate from during November stood at a 14-month high of about Rs. 80 a kg to about Rs. 40. currently ham7.52%, while retail inflation was at a nine-month at mered down by arrival of fresh supplies.
SpiceJet, Tigerair sign interline agreement

Hyderabad: India's low-cost airline SpiceJet and Singapore's largest budget carrier Tigerair announced that they have signed a three-year interline agreement to connect 14 Indian cities to Singapore via Hyderabad airport. Starting from Jan 6, 2014, customers travelling on SpiceJet's domestic network from 14 Indian cities can enjoy seamless connection through Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport onto Tigerair's Singapore-bound flights. The 14 Indian cities are Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Chennai, Kolkata, Coimbatore, Delhi, Panaji, Indore, Mangalore, Madurai, Pune, Bangalore, Tirupati and Visakhapatnam. Similarly, Tigerair customers from Singapore will enjoy easy access to SpiceJet's domestic network, making their holiday and business travel more seamless. The introductory promotional fares start from Rs.4,699 one way and returns, starting from Rs.9,998. The interline agreement was announced by officials of the two airlines here Monday in the presence of S.G.K. Kishore, CEO, GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL). "This partnership will hugely benefit travelers from India and Singapore and represents one of the building blocks of the emerging new SpiceJet," said SpiceJet Ltd chief operating officer Sanjiv Kapoor.
SPORTS
23
Modi cleared to fight Rajasthan cricket polls
Kohli reminded me of Sachin of 1996 tour: Donald

Johannesburg: Former South African pace legend and current bowling coach Allan Donald compared Virat Kohli's century with Sachin Tendulkar, who had similarly counter-attacked the Proteas attack during a Test match in Cape Town back in 1996. "The one word that comes to my mind is responsibility," he said, talking about the India's new No 4. "He (Kohli) showed great discipline and responsibility. It reminded me of Sachin Tendulkar when they came here in 1996. I was the first one to say back in 1996 that India didn't have much bottle. One person jumped out and played for the situation,
Virat Kohli showed great discipline and responsibility
BCCI has shot off a letter to the RCA warning it with suspension if Modi's nomination is accepted
Jaipur: Former Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner Lalit Modi, who has been expelled for life by the Indian cricket board, got the green signal from the Supreme Court appointed observer to fight for the post of president in the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) elections. "SC observer Justice N.M. Kasliwal and election officer B.L. Gupta have given their nod. Modi's nomination will be accepted. He will be able to contest the election for the post of RCA president," a top official in RCA, on the condition of anonymity, said. The election for 21 posts of the RCA executive committee was scheduled to take place Dec 19. Modi's lawyer Mehmood Abdi, who is also contesting for the post of vice-president in RCA, had filed nomination on behalf of Modi for the top post. As per the election schedule, the last date for withdrawal of nomina-
tion was Dec 18. "There was no question of withdrawal of nomination as his name has been cleared," sources close to Modi said. Modi, a former vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the man behind the successful IPL, is allegedly staying overseas at present. He was banned for life from all cricket matters in India after he was found involved in alleged financial irregularities in IPL. A close ally of Modi said that he would win the elections with a thumping majority. "As of now, he is the only contender for the top post. He has support of 24 district cricket associations out of the total 33," said a supporter. After the matter came to the notice of the BCCI, it shot off a letter to the RCA warning it with suspension if Modi's nomination is accepted.
played for his team, and that was Tendulkar. That's what came to my mind when I saw Kohli batting," Donald told mediapersons here. Donald explained that Kohli's ability to punish the loose balls when required. "The way Kohli left the ball and when we were slightly off the line he punished the ball. He paced his innings very, very well. He put up his hand today and showed real fight and he was tight and didn't give much away until the end." The coach did say that he wasn't very happy with performance of his bowlers although he claims that South Africa is very much in control. "At the same time, we were slightly wide and short, probably the widest I have seen outside the off-stump, because the ball was swinging. But the game never really drifted away from us. They are five down, and I will take it," he added. Donald did agree that Indian batsmen showed a lot of patience early in their innings.
Sachin is the most searched sportsperson

conditions and offering what the team has. There are plenty of youngsters in this side, who will get exposure by playing competitive cricket at the Test level. So it's a big positive for us," Dhoni said. India have been humiliated in the three-match ODI series that South Africa won 2-0. The twoday tour match was also washed out, leaving India with little time to prepare for the Tests. "At Benoni, we could have batted on the first day and made the opposition field on a wet outfield. But that would have been selfish of us because they also have a first class season going on. Nobody wanted to get injured so it was good for both teams that the match was abandoned. We did practice on the centre wicket and got the most out of it," said Dhoni. About the disastrous ODI series, Dhoni cited the short duration being one of the factors for India not being able to make a comeback. New Delhi: India's cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who recently retired from all forms of the game, is the most searched sportsperson and also features among the top-10 most searched Indian personalities of 2013, according to Google. Besides Tendulkar, the other most searched sportspersons are athletic legend Milkha Singh, India cricket skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Lionel Messi, Roger Federer, Sania Mirza, Rahul Dravid, Chris Gayle, Ravindra Jadeja and Saina Nehwal. In a survey carried out by Google India, the much scandalised 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL) is the second in the top trending list. This year's IPL was rocked with charges of spot-fixing and betting charges. Google India in a statement said that the sixth edition of the IPL broke records for the amount of online searches for latest scores and results. From a search trends perspective, 2013 was clearly the year of entertainment. Shah Rukhs Lungi Dance from Chennai Express, the Bollywood romantic drama Aashiqui 2, national heart-throbs Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, Telugu actor Kajal and her counterpart, the young rebel star Prabhas and singer Honey Singh ruled 2013 and drove millions of Indians to the web," said Rajan Anandan, VP and managing director, sales and operations, Google India. Dravid, who led Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, and India's Olympic bronze medallist Saina Nehwal also featured among the top-10 most searched news. Dravid was in the news after his three Rajasthan Royals team mates Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested by Delhi Police for their involvement in spot-fixing in the I P L . Dravid has agreed to be a prosecution witness in the case.
We have moved on after Tendulkar's retirement: Dhoni

Johannesburg: India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said the team has accepted the fact that they are into an era without cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and has moved on to focus on the Test series against South Africa. This is the first time since November 1996 that none of the four batting stalwarts, Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, V.V.S. Laxman and Sourav Ganguly, who defined Indian batting in the last two decades, will be there. "With the last Test match we played in India, it is 100 percent sure that Sachin won't be available for any more international series. It was always good to have him, but now that he won't be there, we have to concentrate on what he have in our hands. We have accepted that fact and moved on," Dhoni said here at the Wanderers. India have suffered a horrid time overseas in Tests ever since winning the World Cup in 2011. They
India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni with Sachin Tendulkar
lost eight consecutive Tests in England and Australia but at home won six back to-back Test matches. "Every series is a fresh start. There is no point bringing excess baggage. It is about getting used to
Sachin Tendulkar also features among the top-10 most searched Indian personalities of 2013, according to Google
24
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
Hrithik Roshan with wife Sussanne
ctress Preity Zinta and filmmaker Karan Johar have urged the media to respect the privacy of their friends, Hrithik Roshan and Sussanne, who announced their split last weekend. Hrithik released an official statement on Sussanne's decision to part ways with him after a relationship of 17 years - the duo dated four years before tying the knot Dec 20, 2000. Together, the couple has two sons Hrehaan and Hridhaan. At the red carpet of a film award event, Preity was asked to comment on the news. She said, "I have one thing to say to the media with lots of humbleness... these are very personal moments for people, and please don't slander either him (Hrithik Roshan) or her (Sussanne). It is a very personal matter." Karan, who shares a friendly bond with Hrithik and has worked with him in films like Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and Agneepath, also refrained from commenting. "It is too personal to them and, therefore, personal to us. So, I feel very uncomfortable talking about, especially anything too personal to close friends on a national platform," he added. However, actor Anil Kapoor is hopeful about the couple's re-union in future.
British singer-actress Sofia Hayat filed a complaint against actor Armaan Kohli for allegedly assaulting her
A
rmaan Kohli, a participant on reality show Bigg Boss 7, has been granted bail by a Mumbai court. He was arrested for allegedly assaulting a fellow contestant, Sofia Hayat, on the show. The arrest came three days after British singer-actress Sofia Hayat filed a complaint against actor Armaan Kohli for allegedly assaulting her during their stay at a Lonavla-based bungalow while filming the reality show. Police said, "Armaan will be taken for a medical examination and post that he will be presented in the court. He is not allowed to meet anyone as of now." According to the Lonavala police official, Armaan has been booked under Sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to outrage the modesty of a woman), 354(a) (sexual
harassment), 294 (sing, recite or utter any obscene song or word) and 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace) of the Indian Penal Code. Although the Santacruz Police had initially booked Kohli for assault, the Lonavla city police added charges of sexual harassment against the actor. Vishnu Pawar, inspector, Lonavla city police said on Monday, "We obtained the CCTV footage of the bungalow and upon scanning it, we could verify Hayat's allegations. Kohli was subsequently arrested on Monday night." A week after being evicted from the reality show, Hayat and her lawyer had approached the Santacruz police and lodged a complaint against Kohli. When contacted, a source from Colors channel said it is yet to be decided whether or not Armaan will return to the show.
ctor Naseeruddin Shah, a veteran in the Hindi film world, says Indian filmmakers' fascination for the Academy Awards is "laughable". He believes "we are never going to win any". The 63-year-old, who has featured in films like Masoom, Sarfarosh, Iqbal and The Dirty Picture, was asked what he makes of Naseeruddin the current scenario of Indian filmmakers Shah fighting with each other to make it to the Oscars. "The fascination with the Oscar...I find it laughable, because we are never going to win any. I mean those who are hoping about it just forget about it, because it's never going to happen. It's like chasing the rainbow," he said. This year, Gujarati film The Good Road is India's official submission for the foreign language film category at the 86th Academy Awards. Naseeruddin says the fascination for an Oscar is futile. "It's just a yearning for worldwide recognition and we feel that Oscars guarantees us that, so that's why there is this hankering for an Oscar. It's ridiculous. I think everybody should just keep making the kind of films they want to make," he added.
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
25
tylized action sequences, complicated stunts and a starry cast - expectations from Aamir Khan-starrer action thriller Dhoom 3, releasing this week, are sky high. With two highly successful prequels, it is no wonder that the expectations from the movie, produced under the Yash Raj Films banner and directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, are high. Also starring Abhishek Bachchan, Uday Chopra and Katrina Kaif, the movie's music and trailers have already proven to be an appetiser for the audiences. Touted as one of the biggest releases this year, it comes with an expectation of towering over the box office collections of past releases of 2013. Made on an extravagant budget of approximately Rs.100 crore, the film will be releasing in about
4,000 screens in India. "There is a possibility of the film crossing the Rs.300 crore mark. But we will have to wait and watch," said Rajesh Thadani of Multimedia Combines. In the film, Abhishek and Uday will be seen reprising their roles of Jai Dixit and Ali from the last two "Dhoom" movies, while Aamir steps in to play a negative role as a gymnast. Aamir essays Sahir - The Clown Thief, and Katrina plays Aaliya - The Acrobat Diva. "We believe that less is more for this film and even curiosity will be there," said Aamir, whose innovative promotions and marketing of his own productions, are always a hit. "Dhoom 3" will be Bollywood's first movie to be released in the IMAX format, a specialised film format.
A scene from 'Dhoom 3'
Interview Rivals can be friends: Aamir
inger Adnan Sami will have to move out of his residence at Andheri, where he is staying with his third wife. The Bombay High Court ordered the Pakistani singer to move out of the flats and hand those over to his ex-wife Sabah Galadari. A division bench of Justice AS Oka and Justice SC Gupte struck down an order of a single judge, and upheld an earlier family court order of 2010 which had granted Galadari the use of the disputed flats. However, it modified the family courts order by forbidding Sami or his family members from using the flats. The family court order had not debarred Sami. The five flats are spread over the 13th and 14th floors of the Lokhandwala complex in Andheri and have been merged into one duplex. The family court had observed that the flats constituted her marital home and she had a right of residence there. However, Sami was not disallowed. Galadari then approached the high court for a modification of the order, seeking that Sami be asked to vacate.
Singer Adnan Sami
inger Sandeep Acharya died at an young age of 29 at the Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon. He was suffering from jaundice. "Yes, Sandeep passed away at the Medanta Hospital. He was suffering from jaundice," Akshay Acharya, Sandeep's cousin, said. "Before that he was admitted to a hospital in Bikaner (Rajasthan). He was there for three days after which we
Sandeep Acharya
brought him to Delhi," he added. Soon after winning the second season of singing reality show "Indian Idol" in 2006, Sandeep Acharya released his first album "Mere Saath Saara Jahaan". "He was supposed to release his new album 'O Sanam Tere Bina' mid-December," said Akshay. Choreographer-filmmaker Farah Khan, who judged the reality show's second season with music composer Anu Malik and Sonu Nigam, tweeted: "It's too sad to hear of Sandeep Acharya, winner of 'Indian Idol 2' and my favourite, passing away. Such a gentle boy he was. Not his time to go." Sony Entertainment Television expressed their sadness over Sandeep's passing.
amir Khan, one of Bollywood's top stars who is set for the release of his "Dhoom 3", doesn't believe that rivals can't be friends. He not only adores his contemporary Salman Khan but also believes that Salman is a bigger star for his ability to carry a film solely on his shoulders. "I don't believe that rivals can't be friends," Aamir said, adding: "I believe Salman and I are big stars and I want both of us to do better and better in our films." Aamir, who reinvented himself with "Lagaan", has since stuck to one film in a year rule and all his releases - "Rang De Basanti", "Fanaa", "Ghajini", "3 Idiots", and critically acclaimed "Dhobi Ghat" in the last eight years except for "The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey" and "Talaash", were not only rich in content but they also hit the jackpot at the box office. Aamir emphasizes on content while Salman is for potboilers. Salman's stakes went up after the success of pan-India action drama "Dabangg", a film that appealed to both masses and classes. In the last three years, all his releases, including last year's "Dabangg 2" and "Ek Tha Tiger", crossed the Rs.100-crore mark, even though they were panned by the critics. "Personally, I feel he is a bigger star than me. He has the ability to take a film on his shoulders. I see that in him. I don't think I have that. I don't have any hesitation in saying that, because that's the truth," said Aamir, praising his colleague. "I am fond of him. I love him. I like people doing good work," he added. It's not only Salman that Aamir
Aamir Khan in 'Dhoom 3'
appreciates. Any good film starring anyone makes the actor joyous. "I am not that kind of person. I want to do good work, but it doesn't make me feel bad if someone else does well. I am also an audience and I love to see good work. Good work gives me joy; so I don't have that sort of competitive spirit in me and I am happy about that," he said. His first and last release of the year, "Dhoom 3", a Yash Raj Films' banner offering, is coming out Dec 20 and Aamir is missing legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra, who died last year. "I share a great relation with the Yash Raj banner. I respect Yashji a lot. Today he is not with us and one of the biggest things I will miss is that Yashji will not be there to see 'Dhoom 3'," said Aamir who was directed by the late filmmaker in 1993 film "Parampara". It is often said that Bollywood is still star-struck but Aamir disagrees. "I don't think Bollywood is starobsessed, I think the people are, audiences are. And it's fine! Even I am star-obsessed. I am a big fan of Amitji (Amitabh Bachchan), Dilip Kumar, and Waheeda Rehman. I have been star stuck myself, nothing wrong in that," the 48-year-old said.
26
HEALTH
oliday gatherings are a great time to socialize with family and friends, but make sure youre spreading good cheer, and not the flu. Even healthy people can get the flu because its highly contagious, said Nigel Turner, Tacoma-Pierce County Health Departments communicable disease division director. Vaccination is the best thing people can do to protect themselves and their families against the flu, he said. When more people are immunized against the flu, it also helps to protect vulnerable people such as infants, the elderly and immune-compromised individuals, according to Turner. Flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors visits, sick daysand it can prevent flu-related hospitalizations and deaths. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a yearly flu vaccination for everyone six months and older. Some children under nine may need two doses about a month apart. Getting a flu shot is especially important for people at high-risk, including children, people 65 and older, pregnant women, and those with chronic conditions, including asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and neurologic conditions. Flu vaccines are available at many locations including health care professionals offices, pharmacies, and some local health agencies. Besides the flu shot, other steps you can take to prevent or reduce the spread of the influenza virus include: Wash your handsFrequent and proper hand washing is an effective way to reduce the spread of germs. Wash with soap and warm water, scrubbing all parts
This holiday season, spread cheer, not the flu Apply brain brakes to earn social respect! H I
of your hands and wrists for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water isnt easily accessible. If youre sick, stay homeviruses such as the flu spread quickly. Dont share your germs with coworkers and classmates. Cover your cough Use your elbow or a disposable tissue, not your hand, to cover your cough. Keep it clean Use sanitizing wipes or spray to clean counters, door knobs, telephone handsets, computer key boards and mice, and other surfaces that you frequently touch. Eat healthy - A diet rich with vegetables, fruit, grains and proteins can stave off many illnesses. Eating plenty of greens and taking a daily vitamin will give your body plenty of antioxidants to fight off illness.
Urged by CDC, but should you get flu shot?

he U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging the public to get their flu shots. To date, only 40 percent of Americans have received their shots. Last year was a wicked influenza season, with a reported 3,000 hospitalizations and 169 deaths. The CDC wants to prevent more unnecessary deaths and to do so, it is suggested to get the influenza vaccine as soon as possible because the vaccine supply can become depleted. The CDC reports the influenza vaccine kept approximately 79,000 people out of the hospital and prevented 6.6 million people from contracting influenza. People most likely to catch flu are the elderly, young children and those with weak immune systems. These are the groups urged to take steps against this preventable virus. About 20 percent of Americans get the flu every year. But there are doctors who are not exactly supportive of the efficacy of the
flu vaccine. For one doctor, Chauncey Crandall, the benefits of the flu shot are overestimated. In his blog, he explains that the shot itself is a weaker version of the flu virus and its efficacy depends on the patients ability to produce antibodies. As people age, the ability to produce antibodies weakens. Crandall states, And although this weakened form of the virus is promoted as being safe, side effects can and do occurincluding some that can be serious. The CDC, however, has released an alternative version of the influenza vaccine, Fluzone HD, specifically aimed at elderly patients. The data, so far received, show a positive response, but the CDC is hesitant to promote it yet and it is advised that seniors go with the influenza vaccine recommended by their doctors. The CDC does acknowledge the influenza vaccine is not perfect. In fact, the efficacy rate for the 2012-2013 vaccine was about 51 percent.
s there any in-built self-control device for people who don't know when and where to stop while talking to a colleague or chatting with a friend on social media? Well, there is - in your brain. Neuroscientists at the University of Texas Health Science Centre at Houston (UTHealth) and the University of California, San Diego, have successfully demonstrated a technique to enhance a form of self-control through a novel form of brain stimulation. Our daily life is full of occasions when one must inhibit responses. For example, one must stop speaking when its inappropriate to the social context and stop oneself from reaching for extra candy, said Nitin Tandon, the studys senior author and associate professor in The Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery at the UTHealth Medical School. How does it work? Participants in the study were asked to perform a simple behavioral task that required the braking/slowing of action in the brain. In each participant, the researchers first identified the specific location for this brake in the pre-frontal region of the brain. Next, they increased activity in this brain region using stimulation with brief and imperceptible electrical charges. This led to increased braking - a form of enhanced self-control. There is a circuit in the brain for inhibiting or braking responses, said Tandon, who is a neurosurgeon with the Mischer Neuroscience Institute at Memorial HermannTMC. We believe we are the first to show that we can enhance this braking system with brain stimulation. The researchers were quick to point out that while their results are promising, they dont yet point to the ability to improve self-control in general. In particular, this study does not show that direct electrical stimulation is a realistic option for treating human self-control disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette's syndrome and borderline personality disorder. The results of the study appeared in The Journal of Neuroscience.
ER is expensive, ambulances too

By Parveen Chopra
M
Thirty years ago, ambulance rides were generally provided free of charge, underwritten by taxpayers as a municipal service or provided by volunteers. Not any more. Two-year-old Ben Bellar of East Lansing, Mich., got stitches after a fall at home. The bill for his treatment: a whopping $2,000..
any of us must have had this kind of experience. Once, 4-5 years ago, I cut my thumb trying to cut open a coconut with a freshly bought knife. The gash was deep and on my own I could not stop the bleeding using a string tourniquet. Not aware of urgent care places, my wife took me to the nearest hospital. They put a couple of stitches and stopped the bleeding and sent us home. Not having health insurance, we waited for the bill with bated breath. It came in the mail: upwards of $1500. When we protested that we cannot pay the big sum for a small job, the revised bill came to $45. Now, citing a few cases, the New York Times has calculated that a single stitch on an average costs $500 plus in America. In a medical system notorious for opaque finances and inflated bills, nothing is more convoluted than hospital pricing, economists say. And yes, hospital charges represent about a third of the $2.7 trillion annual US health care bill, the biggest single
segment, according to government statistics, and are the largest driver of medical inflation, a new study in The Journal of the American Medical Association has found. A day spent as an in-patient at a US hospital costs on average over $4,000, five times the charge in many other developed countries. How about the ambulance? Thirty years ago, ambulance rides were generally provided free of charge, underwritten by taxpayers as a municipal service or provided by volunteers. Today, like the rest of the health care system in the country, most ambulance services operate as businesses and contribute to Americas escalating medical bills, writes the NYT. Often, they are a high-cost prequel to expensive emergency room visits. Although ambulances are often requested by a bystander or summoned by 911 dispatchers, they are almost always billed to the patient involved. And the charges, as well as insurance coverage, range widely, from zero to tens of thousands of dollars. There are a significant numbers
of patients who have no coverage for this, and the number of self-pay patients has climbed since the recession, said Jay Fitch, president of Fitch and Associates, the largest emergency medical services consulting firm in the United States. What is more, since ambulances companies typically collect only 30 to 40 percent of the amount they bill, they often try to charge more for patients with insurance and those who can pay, Fitch said. Part of the inconsistency in pricing stems from the fact that ambulance services are variously run by fire departments, hospitals, private companies and volunteer groups. Some services are included in insurance networks, others not. The Affordable Care Act requires policies to include some coverage for emergency care as an essential benefit, including ambulance transport. But the ambulance ride and the care are billed separately. Many Silver plans a lower-tier plan require patients to pay an initial copay of $250 for the emergency room and $250 more for the transport, for example.
SELF HELP
27
Youre not alone - a docs take on common gastrointestinal symptoms

requent and bothersome gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are more common than you may think. While estimates may vary, five to 15 percent of adults in the United States may be affected by chronic GI conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) or chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC). This could mean as many as 13 million adults may suffer from IBS-C, and as many as 35 million adults may suffer from CIC. According to a survey, the majority of adults with these conditions may experience disruptive symptoms three to five days per month. Recurring abdominal pain and constipation, including hard stools, and infrequent and incomplete bowel movements, may indicate IBS with constipation or, if you have these symptoms with little to no abdominal pain, chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC). Adults report that these symptoms impact their daily activities. Research also shows that only 40 to 50 percent of these sufferers plan to talk to their physician about their GI symptoms within the next year. Experts say that part of the problem is patients are uncomfortable discussing the specific symptoms of IBS-C or CIC.
Resolve to cut spending on your daily expenses

t the start of a new year, many American families begin looking for ways to cut spending in order to pay bills accrued during the holidays. Some helpful advice from the discount experts at Dollar General can help you save money to allocate toward credit card payments at the start of 2014, and set you on a path to save all year long. Cut costs in the new year by trying Switch and Save retailers' private brands, like Dollar For the items used most such General's Clover Valley brand, as laundry detergent, health and which carries a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. beauty supplies, paper towels and more, switch to retailers without worrying about whether private brands, which offer great your family will like them, and save quality at much more affordable even more on items like coffee, prices. Chances are, the quality is as cereal, potato chips, pasta and more. good as its national brand competiDigital Coupons and Offers tor, and the savings to your wallet Digital coupons are becoming can be great. increasingly popular with retailers. Grocery Savings Sign up to receive coupons and speWhile you can dramatically limit cial online offers via text message, spending in areas like entertain- or look in smartphone application ment, certain expenses, such as gro- stores for retailers apps. ceries, are a must. Make sure your You can also search for and print dollars are well spent. coupons online to use in stores. For Look for brands that carry a 100 social media users, also look for percent satisfaction guarantee. For exclusive deals available online example, Clover Valley, available through Facebook and Twitter exclusively at Dollar General stores pages. throughout the country, offers a With these easy tips, you can save complete refund if you arent fully money this New Year without sacrisatisfied with the product quality. ficing quality on your daily and That means you can try new things weekly needs.
plete evacuation? How long have you experienced these symptoms (a week, a month, more)? How frequently do you experience these symptoms? What have you tried to relieve symptoms (drinking more water, taking fiber or laxatives, increasing exercise)? Do your symptoms keep coming back? Has your life been disrupted due to your symptoms? Unfortunately, there is no cure for these conditions, but there are ways to help manage symptoms, including dietary and lifestyle changes and taking laxatives. Also, keeping a symptom diary may help identify triggers that exacerbate symptoms. Keep in mind, over-the-counter laxatives and stool softeners may help with occasional constipation, but they are not approved for long-term use without physician supervision and are not approved for IBS-C. If you are a candidate, a physician may prescribe FDAapproved medications for these conditions. With open and clear communication between patient and doctor, managing bothersome symptoms may be possible.
Patients often get embarrassed talking about their bathroom habits with a physician, says Dr. Steven Lamm, internist and author of No Guts, No Glory. There is no need to feel self-conscious. You are not alone. Dr. Lamm recommends preparing for your appointment ahead of time to ensure a more effective conversation. Be ready to discuss the following with your doctor: Do you feel abdominal pain? How often do you experience hard stools associated with constipation? Do you have fewer than three bowel movements a week? Are your bowel movements satisfactory; with a sense of com-
E-ZPass for sale at four upstate grocery chains
Know when to call off a wedding

s your would-be spouse too secretive or has an inflexible attitude? If yes, these are the signs that indicate you should call off your wedding. Huffingtonpost.com lists some of the signs that you must notice before you walk down the aisle: Tight lipped: Young relationships are all about sharing and talking. But what if your future spouse says he's not comfortable talking about something "personal", like his approach to money? It's time to
-ZPass tags are now available for purchase at the customer service counters of all Tops, Wegmans, Price Chopper and Hannaford stores in addition to many other convenient retail locations, making them even more widely available for motorists in time for the busy holiday travel season. Starting this holiday season, it is even easier for New Yorkers to purchase E-ZPasses which save travelers time and money while on the road, Governor Cuomo said. With E-ZPasses now available at popular supermarkets across the state, New Yorkers can purchase this on the road convenience while doing their holiday shopping. Whether hosting friends and family from afar or gearing up for a trip yourself, I hope New Yorkers will consider adding an E-ZPass to their shopping list this holiday season. Thruway Authority Chairman Howard P. Milstein said, The E-ZPass program has allowed our patrons to save millions of dollars and countless hours while traveling on the Thruway. We will continue making tags more widely available to help ensure our patrons have a convenient and enjoyable experience on New Yorks premier superhighway. E-ZPass tags have a $25 value and
are active upon purchase. The first $15 is immediately available for toll usage, and the remaining $10 becomes available once the tag is registered online or by phone. E-ZPass provides a savings of five percent on all Thruway tolls and is accepted in 15 states: Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and West Virginia. E-ZPass is now sold in more than 640 retail locations including the aforementioned grocery stores, convenience stores and gas stations, AAA locations, college book stores and city, county and town clerk offices. For more information about E-ZPass, visit www.e-zpassNY.com.
run then. Sneaky behavior: If he's hiding or trying to hide money decisions from you while you're dating, it means in future there will be financial infidelity. If
he's willing to lie about how much he spent during boy's weekend, or you're not sure where, exactly, his money is coming from, or he laughs about credit cards being somebody else's problem, then you've got a problem. Inflexible attitude: A great relationship is not about completion. It's about compromise. Seeing things differently provides discovery and balance to a relationship, unless your mate never, ever gives an inch toward your way of thinking.
The top 100 baby names of the year announced

hats in a name? Apparently a lot, as popular baby names from year-to-year can reveal broader cultural trends. According to BabyCenters recently released annual Baby Names Survey and the Top 100 Baby Names of 2013, more than half of moms say they found name inspiration in people they know. Were seeing a growing desire among new parents to choose names with personal meaning. Grandparents are the number one source of inspiration, says Linda Murray, Global editorin-chief of BabyCenter, the number one pregnancy and parenting digital resource.
Despite new naming inclinations, contemporary favorites still reign supreme. Jackson moved up one spot to claim the top boy's name, ending Aidens eight-year reign, and Sophia held tight as leader of the girls. While family influence is on the rise, pop culture still has major effects on naming trends. For example, Duck Dynasty, the most-watched nonfiction series in cable history, is making a splash, with names like Korie, Mia, Sadie and Phil rising in the ranks. Likewise, many Americans glanced across the pond, taking a cue from the royal family -- George and its variations were extra popular this year for boys and girls.
28
HUMOR
Funny Bone by Nury Vittachi
When tech and tradition collide

A
n empty plastic chair succeeded in getting an official government photo ID card, I read in a newspaper. What's wrong with that? Many people have less personality than furniture items and are not as useful since you can't sit on them unless of course you're a deranged psychopath, traffic warden, or my high school sports teacher. Equally unsurprising was the article's report that a number of ID cards were found to feature the fingerprints of the fingerprint machine operator, instead of the person (or chair) in the photo. This made them "less useful" to police investigating crimes, observers noted. I wonder how was it discovered that print machine operators were accidentally putting their own fingerprints on the cards? Were the detectives about to arrest a small group of people for an astonishingly large number of crimes when they realized what must have happened? If I was one of those fingerprint office guys, I would immediately embark on a major crime spree right now, knowing that my fingerprints all over the place would be immediately disregarded. Talk about a once in a life-time opportunity. Anyway, whatever your interpretation of these ID card intrigues, all true stories which took place in India recently, they are part of a wider tale: the collision between technology and tradition. In Thailand, a man in a car was spotted driving slowly through a small town, photographing every street. Suspicious villagers surrounded the car and accused the driver of being an Agent of Satan or a property developer (which they consider the same thing, demonstrating an impressive level of insight). The man told villagers that his employer, a tech company called Google, wanted pictures of every centimeter of their village because the world's population desperately wanted to gaze at it through their smart-phones. Yeah, right. How believable is that?! But the naturally skeptical villagers found a nice scientific way to solve the dispute. They dragged him to the local temple statue and made him repeat his wild claims in front of it. The statue raised no objections, apparently being a Google Maps user itself. In most cases, my sympathies lie with technologists, but not always. For example, consider the amazing time travel tunnel in Zunyi town, Guizhou province, China. Say the digital clock on your mobile phone says 4 p.m. You drive through this 400-metre road tunnel, which takes a couple of minutes, and when
you pop out of the other end, it will say 3 p.m. You've gone back in time one hour! I am not making this up. Tech people recently told reporters that this could be caused by transmitter tower faults, but I much prefer the local theory that the tunnel is a relativistic wormhole taking users back 60 minutes back in time. It would be SO useful, particularly to married men. Wife: "Did you remember to buy the stuff I told you to get on your way home?" Husband: "Er, before I answer that question, darling, I just need to go for a quick drive." In a Japanese newspaper, workers had found
a bit of technology that could stop a tradition no one likes: the country's high suicide rate. People buying things on the internet noticed that the automatically generated recommendations at the bottom of the page sometimes kind of told stories. For example, one said: "People who bought this Suicide Manual also bought this Length of Rope." Inanimate objects such as computers are too stupid to work out what's going on, but humans can leap into action to rescue people. Only humans can do this. Chairs would also be useless in this situation, even those with ID cards.
Laughter is the Best Medicine
by Mahendra Shah
Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist, cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrant Indians for the past many years in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
ASTROLOGY
29
By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma

Stars Foretell: December 21-27, 2013
ARIES: Female colleagues would help in completing pending work. You achieve success in personal work with the timely help & support provided by family members. Investment in antiques & jewellery brings monetary gains and improvement in financial position. Romantic opportunity comes your way as your sparkling sunshine smile injures a lively & tender heart. Meditation and self-realization prove beneficial. Many people want to fly international and you are one of them. Buyers will get attracted to your property as your property value is good. You gain a lot on paying heed to others guidance. TAURUS: A promising week for ambitious professionals to demonstrate technical skills & abilities. Misunderstandings with near ones in the family will get cleared. Long pending arrears and dues will finally be recovered. Romance touches new heights, as partner positively responds. You will have ample time to do things to improve your health. By travelling youll learn about new places and cultures, which is ultimately a great deal about yourself. If you wish to achieve a good deal in property then try at commercial basis. Sharp observation ability enables maintaining the lead. GEMINI: Politicians find a very smooth sailing as results go in your favour, thus immensely boosting confidence. Children would do their best to keep you happy. Investment concerning residence will be profitable. You are likely to find someone with whom you will enjoy the ecstasies of love. Sound physical health will enable to participate in outdoor activities. Going for a vacation is always a big expenditure- you must plan everything. Develop an attitude to be successful on your property investment plans. Maintaining a distance from gossip and rumours would augur well for future. CANCER: People engaged in tourism will have the energy to keep pace with fast taking events thus giving themselves an edge over others. An auspicious week for family functions and important ceremonies. Financial hassles seem to get over as someone lends a timely helping hand. Love comes your way as friendship turns into romance. You will be successful in getting rid from tensions. Minor preparations before you travel overseas will make your trip a lot smoother. If you are looking for a sure-fine method to earn on your property, student rental could be exactly what you need. You succeed in giving a physical shape to your innovative ideas at personal front. LEO: Betterment awaits people engaged in the field of graphic designing. You are likely to be benefited as family members positively respond. Promising week to invest surplus money in real estate. You are likely find comfort in the arms of romantic partner. A sparkling laughter filled week when most things proceed, as you desire. You and your loved ones been busy for quite sometimes and have finally decided to go on a vacation. Looking to buy property, then go for commercial one. You will see a marked change in your behaviour and manners as your personality makes changes for the better. VIRGO: Self-confidence would immensely help in achieving good results at professional front. Parents and friends will do their best to keep you happy. A sound financial health would enable to invest on lucrative schemes. Love and romantic encounter will keep you in a cheerful state. Your enormous confidence would help in enjoying a healthy life. Your next journey is to a place which is full of natural beauty and ravishing. Good time to purchase a property. You get success in your efforts as they are immediately rewarded in this week. LIBRA: The efforts of people aspiring to join interior designing course are likely to be handsomely rewarded. A promising week to plan things for your progeny. Your brilliant ideas would help in bringing financial gains. Sudden romantic encounter is foreseen in this week. A very healthy week filled with happiness & vitality. Time for a vacation, sit back and relax. A good deal for your new property is ready to be made. If possible make the optimum use of spare by engaging yourself in creative activities. SCORPIO: Leadership qualities and ability to understand people would benefit at work. You would be the center of attraction at a social gathering that you attend especially with family. All investments need to be made with proper consultation to avoid losses. A promising week for romance when your innovation infuses a new spirit in it. Pleasure trip would help in maintaining sound health in this week. If you are thinking of escaping from the hectic daily routine- plan a trip. Buying overseas property will be beneficiary for you. A secret personal wish will be fulfilled. SAGITTARIUS: At work you will be perfect in whatever you do. You would prefer to relax and enjoy the company of family members in the evening. A promising week to earn profits in real estate and financial transactions. Partner brings immense romantic pleasure even if work pressure occupies your mind Yoga and meditation would help in keeping in shape and mentally agile. Your travel experience is going to be an extent of sharing your knowledge and communication. You can apply for your home loan. You notice developing an interest in creative work/literature. CAPRICORN: A missed opportunity would hard to regain especially at professional front. You move with new excitement & confidence as you receive support from family and friends. An improvement in monetary position makes it convenient to purchase essential items. Romance rules heart & mind in this week. Blessings of a saintly person give peace of mind. Its time for a vacation after a long and hard year at work. Your search for a house is towards its final destination. Engaging yourself in some creative work would give some respite from hectic lifestyle. AQUARIUS: You are likely to encounter some challenging situations at workplace. Family front seems to go smoothly as you receive their full support to your plans. In this week long-term investment would enable to make substantial gains. Romantic imagination occupies mind forcing to go out of the way to please partner. Chances of recovering from physical ailment are high. Time to relax and unwind for few days. Your personal loan plans for property could be in progress. Students will be successful in realising their dreams. PISCES: Support and appreciation from seniors would raise your morale and confidence. You find relief, comfort and affection in the company of family members. Financial hassles will be eased out with the help of your friends. Cupids arrows would make your heart flutter high. Inexhaustible energy enables to participate in outdoor activities. Weekend getaway to enjoy pubs and clubs is on your way. Your dream for new house might be full filed now. You notice many of your personal dreams & ambitions being fulfilled in this week.
Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874 Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899 psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com
Annual Predictions: For those born in this week

21st December, 13 Ruled planet:Jupiter Ruled by no:3 Traits in you: By your inborn nature, you are intellectual, distinguished, cheerful, kind and optimistic. Health this year: You need to take more care of your health to avoid future complicacy. Finance this year: Your business may earn you a lot of money if you plan your budget intelligently. You need to have a trustworthy plan in place before you implement your budget in the business. You should not go beyond your budget if you do not want to be in loss. Your past investments will earn you money this year and make you financially sound. You may find the property or legal dispute settlement satisfactory. Career this year: Being good at your work, you get lot of appreciation and respect from others. Your good work pays off with rewards. However, you should not behave dominating and arrogant. You may find this year promising enough when growth is concerned. Romance this year: You may plan an overseas trip with your beloved to spend quality time. Your relationship will grow more strong with lots of love and care. Lucky month: February, June and November 22nd December,13 Ruled planet:Uranus Ruled byno:4 Traits in you: By inborn characteristics, you are active, disciplined, and efficient. You are the master of an appealing personality. You are highly social and helpful. However, you should work on your nature of being jealous, self-centered, and destructive. Health this year: You will be in good health throughout this year. To maintain your ggod health, you need to practice exercise or yoga. Finance this year: You will be financially benefited from different sources of income. You will acquire new projects and that will improve your financial condition. If you are travelling for business purpose, it will yield positive results for you and you will be successful in your business trips this year. You may invest in buying house or stocks. However, it is recommended to have a good research on the stock before you invest. You may feel restless due to the abrupt expenses for the health issues of your family members. You may end up spending a lot of money to settle down your legal issues. You might decide to buy property or vehicles this year. Career this year: You will be rewarded for your work this year. You will gain enough professional recognition for your knowledge, skills, and efficiency. The ongoing projects may get a continuation. Romance this year: You will enjoy a better romantic alife as compared to the last year. You will be understood by your partner and get enough support in everything you do. Lucky month: February, April, July and December 23rd December,13 Ruled planet:MercuryRuled byno: 5 Traits in you: Your ruling planet Mercury makes you an active, practical, sensible, systematic and highly diplomatic person. You need to be a bit careful and remove stubbornness from your nature. Health this year: If you are a chronic patient, you have to take extra care for your health to avoid grievances in future. Finance this year: You might sell your property in a good price, which would help you enhance your financial stance. You may schedule your travel to maintain distant relationships and gain some financial support. Some of you may get the opportunity to travel abroad for business purpose. You should avoid lending and borrowing money to stay financially stable. Career this year: You love music and literature and want to pursue your career in those fields. You will be able to improve your confidence level as you may find a lot of opportunities to be grabbed. Romance this year: Some of you also may get your marriage fixed this year. Your romance life would get to its peak. Lucky month: March, June and September 24th December, 13 Ruled planet:Venus Ruled by no: 6 Traits in you: Your planet Venus makes you kind, realistic, helpful, and adaptable. You are very simple as a person who believes in high thinking. You are hardworking and sincere, which helps you get appreciation from others. However, you need to check your nature of being rude and interfering in the affairs of others. If you do not work on your behavior, you may end up criticized badly. Health this year: You will enjoy a better health this year as compared to last year. You may suffer from some minor health issues such as joint aches, back pain, headache and so on. Finance this year: You will enjoy financial prosperity and a good health throughout this year. If you are a businessman, you will get ample opportunities to expand your business by investing in more profitable areas. Career this year: If your profession is associated with creativity, such as artists, media professionals, and advertising professionals, you may gain popularity, appreciation, and fame. If you want to create professional and social contacts, you have to achieve it through frequent get-togethers and traveling. You may receive some help from your near and dear ones, which may prove to be instrumental in improving your confidence in your professional life. Romance this year: You will find your spouse to be very cooperative this year. You will find your required emotional support from your spouse through love, care and concern even if you find it difficult to understand your partner. If you are unmarried, you may find your romance interest this year. Lucky month: March, August and September 25th December, 13 Ruled planet: Neptune Ruled by no: 7 Traits in you: Being dominated by Neptune, you are adorned with characteristics such as responsibility, affection, creativity, simplicity and emotions. Health this year: Your spouse may suffer from stress related health issues, which may lead to roaming in the premises of a hospital. Finance this year: You are supposed to be benefited financially from your assumptions while investing money. However, that does not mean you will invest blindly. Career this year: As you are committed towards your undertaken works, you are appreciated and awarded consistently. However, you have to work on your nature of being fickle minded and careless always. You may realize your ideas and plans this year. You will be able to execute your plans efficiently. You will get plenty of support from your partners and colleagues to improve your morale and confidence. Romance this year: You will be in a blissful romantic relationship with your partner this year. Lucky month: February, July and November 26th December, 13 Ruled planet:Saturn Ruled by no: 8 Traits in you: Under the influence of Neptune you will develop your characteristics to be a dynamic, reliable, organized, sober and disciplined person. You are a born fighter. Health this year: You will have few minor health issues this year, which can be cured by regular medication. Finance this year: If you have made any investments in real estate or stocks, you will be hugely benefited this year. You may have a foreign trip for business purpose. Career this year: You would never fidget in adverse situations and fight back all the problems in your life. However, your stubbornness may make you lag behind others so it will be better for you to take others opinion. Romance this year: You will find lot of love and care from your spouse. You may think the last quarter of the year to be idle for you wedding. Some of you may get involved in romantic relationships, which you help you enjoy your life the most. Lucky month: May, August and December 27th December, 13 Ruled planet:Mars Ruled by no: 9 Traits in you: The vigor of you ruling planet, Mars blesses you with energy. You are charismatic, courageous, enthusiastic, and intellectual. You will be a crowd puller as you have the characteristics of intellectuality. You will impress people with your personality and talks. However, you should not behave aggressive and short tempered. This may ruin your image in front of others. Health this year: The last quarter of the year will make you seek help from a spiritual person to attain peace of mind. You may go through minor health related problems due to stress. Finance this year: You will earn excellent returns if you had invested in past. Your legal issues will be settled in your favor this year. You may receive money unexpectedly from friends and relatives throughout the year. Your business trips will be successful this year and you will receive earning opportunities from your trips. Career this year: This year is the best time to go back to your old contacts and create new contacts to receive help to make yourself better in professional life. Romance this year You may get involved in a romantic relationship this year, which may get converted to marriage later on. Lucky month: April, July, September and December
30
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS
This article has been selected and reprinted from Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharajs book, Spiritual Pearls for Enlightened Living (Radiance Publishers) an inspirational collection of stories from the worlds great wisdom traditions.
By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj

nce upon a time there was a carpenter who worked out of his home. Every day he took joy in building some furniture or tools to sell to others. He merrily sang and hummed as he worked, content with life. One day, his rich neighbor grew fed up with the noise the carpenter made as he hammered the wood. The neighbor had reached a point in which he could not take the noise anymore. The neighbor finally had a plan to quiet the carpenter. He took several hundred dollars from his money and left it in an envelope in the carpenters workshop. The neighbor thought that if he gave the carpenter money he would not have to work and he would stop his incessant hammering. The carpenter entered his workshop and found the envelope lying there. Instead of using it to take a vacation or a break, the carpenter thought, Someone left me several hundred dollars. What good fortune! I will take some of the money and invest in new tools so I can build bigger and better furniture and make more money. Thus, the money flamed the carpenter s desire to earn more money. He began working even harder, hoping to increase the newly found hun-
dreds into thousands. As he began to make more money, he was still not content. He decided he wanted to turn the thousands into tens of thousands, and thus he worked still harder. The rich neighbor was annoyed that his plan had failed, and instead of silencing the carpenter, it merely increased the noise because now the man worked longer hours. When the carpenter had earned tens of thousands he wanted to
No end to desires
make a hundred thousand. He put pressure upon himself to work day and night and even on weekends. Soon, he stopped his humming and singing. He no longer took joy in his work, but felt strangled by the pressure he had put upon himself. On many nights, he was so stressed out he could not even sleep. The inner contentment and peace he had when he was just a poor carpenter were gone in the pursuit of trying to make more and more money. Consider our own lives. Do we find ourselves spending all of our time working to make money so we can retire? Do we work overtime to make more money? Do we work all weekend long to increase our profits? Do we find that we cannot even take a day or even several hours off work without thinking about work? If this is what is happening to us, are we becoming like the carpenter? If we make all the money in the world but cannot enjoy personal
Who knows what the future will bring? When we become old, will we have the health to do what we waited our whole life to do? If we ignore our family until they are already grown and have children of their own, we miss an important part of their lives that can never be recovered.
peace and joy in our work, is it worth it? If we find that we are devoting too much of our time to making money and not enough to our family, our hobbies, our spiritual pursuits, and those things we love, then we need to analyze whether we are making the right choices. It is good to save for the future, but is it worth using up our entire life in trying to have more than what we need? Who knows what the future will bring? When we become old, will we have the health to do what we waited our whole life to do? If we leave our spiritual pursuits until we have reached our senior years, who knows how much time we will have left or whether we will be able to devote time to spirituality at that stage. If we ignore our family until they are already grown and have children of their own, we miss an important part of their lives that can never be recovered. Let us consider how we spend our time. If we have decided that certain goals are important, then we should try to find time for them throughout our life, and not put them all on the back burner in the pursuit of amassing more money than we need. We should weigh our time and make sure that we do not lose our peace and contentment over the stress of being engaged in a mad pursuit for money and possessions. Being conscious of how we spend our time and our life is important. If we listen to our soul, we will find that inner peace and contentment are more valuable than all the riches in the world.
Whatever you give me tastes sweet

From book Spiritual Pearls for Enlightened Living (Radiance Publishers)
By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj
the sea. Fortunately for us, we have been born as human beings. How many of us have ever thanked God for the life we have been given? We complain to God when things go wrong, but what about the hundreds of things that God has given us? God has provided us enough food to keep us alive this long. We have had protection from the elements in the form of clothes and some sort of shelter. Most of us have families who love us. We have received some kind of education and have some kind of work. If we take all that comes to us as a gift from God, then we can accept the good and the tribulations equally under Gods will. In this respect, there is a story about King Mahmud of Ghazni. One day, while he was sitting with his most devoted servant, Ayaz, he shared half of his cucumber with him. When he had finished, the king then took a bite of his own half. Yuk! he cried, as he made a disgusted face, and spit out the cucumber. This is so bitter! How could you have eaten your piece if it tasted like bitter poison? Ayaz replied, My dear king, I have enjoyed so many favors and blessings from you all these years. Whatever you give me tastes sweet! Ayazs attitude demonstrates the frame of mind of a true lover of God. Such a lover is so much enamored of God and so grateful to God, that he or she takes everything, good or bitter, as a gift of the Beloved. Ayaz had received so many blessings from the king that he felt it was not his place to complain if one of these gifts were bitter. After all, if the king gave him so much good, he must love him. If therefore, once in a blue moon, he had handed him something bitter, Ayaz knew he had no evil intention. He accepted all the king gave him with love and gratitude. If we could accept the rainy days with the same gratitude as we do the sunny days, we would find our lives would be more full of love, peace, and happiness. If we could appreciate the weeds as well as the roses, we would enrich our daily lives. If we could appreciate our enemies as well as our friends, we would not have to waste precious breaths in complaints and bitterness. If we could accept days when we are ill and under the weather as well as those in which we are well and healthy, we would reduce our stress and worry, and maybe even heal faster. Life is precious. Do we want to live our lives to their fullest? The pain and disappointments will not go away by complaining about them. We must pass through those times. Let us try to do so in a state of calm acceptance and conserve the energy that we normally use for complaining. Instead we can think of God in love and gratitude. We will find that we pass through the times of tribulations more easily. Like Ayaz, let us take everything coming from God as tasting sweet. Then, we will sweeten our whole lives and the lives of those around us.
n our daily life we face many difficulties, hardships, and disappointments. Things do not always go our way. If we listen to the discussions of others and review our own words and thoughts, we find that many of them deal with complaints about how life is treating us. Life seems to be bitter at times, and in turn makes us bitter. Have we ever thought about life from a different perspective? Think about how fortunate we really are. After all, we are human beings. How many species of life are there that walk the earth? There are mammals, reptiles, and insects. There are creatures of the air and creatures of

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