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The South Asian Times

e x c e l l e n c e

Vol.8 No. 22 October 3-9, 2015 60 Cents

New York: Last year in July, over


3,000 people from the US and 14
other countries including India got
personally blessed by Brahmrishi Sri
Guruvanand Swami at the Guru
Poornima 2014 celebration at the
New Jersey Performing Arts Center
(NJPAC).
On the request of his devotees,
Gurudev, as he is affectionately
called by his hundreds of thou
sands of followers around the
world, will be in New York for
Divya Darshan on Oct 4.
Those wishing for his divine grace will
have the golden opportunity to seek his
personal blessings at the Colden
Auditorium in Queens College, Flushing.
He is considered one of the most
revered saints living today whose bless
ings have uplifted the lives of numerous
people.
A disciple of the legendary Yogiraj
Devraha Baba, Sri Guruvanand Swami is a
perfected master (Satguru) who is also a
renowned scholar of Hinduism and
Jainism with a deep understanding of
other religions. He teaches people to lead
morally uplifting and spiritually fulfilling

i n

j o u r n a l i s m

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Security Council
reform must for UN's
legitimacy: Swaraj
Sri Guruvanand
to bless
seekers in NYC
this Sunday
life, which leads to overcoming karmic
debts while fulfilling worldly duties. He
has established a sprawling ashram in
Tirupati in India.

For Gurudevs Divine Message, turn to page 18.

United Nations: Reforming the UN Security


Council is the need of the hour if the UN is
to preserve its legitimacy, Indias External
Af fairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on
Thursday, pointing out that it still had the
vestiges of the colonial era of 1945.
Calling the Security Council "a system built
for a world that no longer exists", Swaraj
said: "We have to include more developing
nations in the decision making structures of
the Security Council. And we need to change
the way it does business by doing away with
outdated and nontransparent working
methods."
Addressing the UNGA in Hindi, Swaraj
said: "In a world that continues to be domi
nated by wealthy and influential nations, the

Continued on page 4

Indias External Affairs Minister Sushma


Swaraj addressing the UNGA on Oct 1.
India seeks a permanent seat in the
reformed Security Council.

Russia defends Syria airstrikes amid Modis Silicon Valley foray capped his 2nd US visit
claims of hits on USbacked rebels

Russian President Vladimir Putin seems to


have outmaneuvered USA President
Barack Obama in Syria by acting to save
the Assad regime first.

US AFFAIRS 9

Beirut/Washington: Russia waded deeper


into Syrias civil war Thursday, striking
rebe l positions far from Islamic State
strongholds for a second day and leaving lit
tle doubt that the immediate target of the
intervention is to secure President Bashar
alAssads hold on power.
The expanding Russian involvement in
Syria threatened to further complicate
efforts to secure a negotiated settlement to
the fouryearold war at a time when the
influx of refugees into Europe and the
endurance of the Islamic State are focusing
world attention on the unrelenting blood
shed in Syria.
Amid indications that more Russian
troops and military hardware may be head
ing to Syria, it remained unclear how far
Moscow was prepared to go in support of
its quest to spearhead a Russianled solution
to the war. T he latest attacks came as

FEATURES 19

Continued on page 4

BOLLYWOOD 27

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the UN and the Indian community at a
grand reception in San Jose, met President Obama and business honchos in New
York, but the cherry on the cake of his just concluded visit to USA was
winning over tech titans in Silicon Valley for fast tracking Indias development. Here
he is seen at Tesla Motors headquarters with CEO Elon Musk.
See highlights of Modis US visit on pages 12 & 1517

SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 30

excellence in journalism

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October 3-9, 2015

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TRISTATE COMMUNITY

October 3-9, 2015

Priyanka Chopra's Quantico


opens to solid ratings
By Jinal Shah
New York: On Sunday nig ht,
Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra
wowed a dif ferent set of audi
ences with her acting prowess in
the pilot episo de of her rst
American series, Quantico. ABCs
newest show this season follows
Alex Parrish (played by Chopra)
and a group of fellow FBI recruits
as they endure a training camp in
Quantico, Virginia. T he story
moves in ashback, Parrish and
her fellow trainees learn how to
become agents, and ash forward
where she must nd a mole in the
FBI who masterminded the
biggest terrorist attack since
9/11 in New York for which she
is framed. According to prelimi
nary national estimates from
Nielsen, ABCs rookie FBI drama
opened strong to a 1.9 rating and
7.1 million viewers overall.
Recently ABC studios hosted a
press conference where T he
South Asian Times caught up

with this Bollywood diva. Heres


what she said:

On arrival of
South Asian actors

She may not be the rst actor of


South Asian origin to play a sig
nicant role in an American TV
series, but Priyanka Chopra is
certainly the rst bona de
Bollywood star to bag a prime
time spot as a lead.
In recent years many actors of
Indian orig in have made an
impact on American TV including
Kunal Nayyar of "The Big Bang
Theory," Mindy Kaling of "The
Mindy Project," Archie Punjabi of
"The Good Wife," Dev Patel of
"Newsroom," Nimrat Kaur of
"Homeland". However none of
them (with an exception of Mindy
Kaling who is the lead in her
namesake show) have managed
to play a lead role.
A quick check of the Bollywood
fact sheets also suggests that
except for a few actors such as
Irrfan Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Om

Mangano urges residents


to prepare now for
Hurricane Joaquin
Mineola, NY: With tropical storm
Joaquin strengthening in the
Atlant ic Ocean to become
Hurricane category 3 and even 4
and Hurricane Season at its
peak, Nassau County Executive
Ed Mangano has urged residents
to update or deve lop their
Family
Emergency
Plan,
Emergency GoKit and Family &
Friends Sheltering Plan.
Superstorm Sandy taught us
that given our location as an
island, we are vulnerable to the
Atlantic Ocean and susceptible
to the powerful and destructive
nature of hurricanes and tropi
cal storms such as Joaquin, he
said. It is critical that residents
be prepared for and take all
warnings seriously.
T he computer mo de ls are

Nassau County Executive


Ed Mangano
uncertain whether Hurricane
Joaquin on turning north from
the Bahamas, where it was
Thursday, will hit the East Coast
of USA, but if it does, Long Island
will be in its path on Monday

Continued on page 4

Puri and Gulshan Grover, nobody


has really made it to mainstream
Hollywood in a big way. Chopras
latest project could change that.
But Priyanka Chopra credits
Anil Kapoor and Irrfan Khan for
creat ing the space for other
Indian actors to get work in
Hollywood.
It is a great shift for Indian
actors today. I am grateful to
actors such as Anil Kapoor and
Irrfan Khan who have paved the
way for us to be there by doing
amazing work. I am happy we are
getting the opportunity to show
our talent to the world, she said.
She praised ABC for promoting
diversity on TV. Kudos to ABC for
being the frontrunners in diversi
ty, to be able to take a chance like
that and cast me not for anything
else but being the best person for
the job, Chopra said. T hats
what I wanted. I just wanted to be
taken seriously as a professional,
to be chosen because of merit and

Continued on page 4

The Bollywood star who is making her US debut addressed a press


conference in New York for the new ABC show

INOC Chair denounces Qazi


comments on Rahul Gandhi
New York: Mr. Juned Qazis (for
mer President) statement as
regards Congress party and its
VicePresident Mr. Rahul Gandhi
are his own personal views and
not shared by the members of the
Indian
Nat ional
Overseas
Congress, said George Abraham,
Chairman of INOC, USA, in a
statement to T he South Asian
Times. It is quite regrettable that
he has misused his position and
privilege to undermine the credi
bility of the organization and hurt
the party in India. I deplore his
actions and repudiate his state
ments.
Juned Qazi added to the contro
versy raked by BJP in India about
Rahul Gandhis whereabouts.
Qazi was unable to meet the
leader in New York or to locate
him in Aspen, Colorado, where he
had gone to attend Weekend with
Charlie Rose. To settle the con

Juned Qazi (left) resigned as


INOC president, replaced
by MS Gilzian.
troversy, Rahul on Monday tweet
ed a picture of his attending the
conference. The tweet from his
of ficial
Tw itter
handle
@OfficeOfRG read: Very interest
ing discussions on the g lobal
economy & the disruptive power
of tech at the conference in
Aspen. Taking responsibility for
his statement on Rahuls where
about, Qazi resigned as INOC
President effective September 28.
Sr. Vice President Mohinder Singh
Gilzian replaced Qazi as interim

President. He has been with INOC


from its inception and served in
various capacities. Prior to migrat
ing to the USA, he was active in
the Youth Congress in Punjab.
Skirting another controversy
about whether the INOC chaired
by him or the INOC chaired by
Shudh Parkash Jasuja has the
blessing of the Congress party in
India, Abraham told The South
Asian Times, We, at the INOC,
have dedicated our t ime and
efforts since 1998 to support the
Congress party and uphold its val
ues and principles. We would like
to see a Democratic and Secular
India not only survives but thrives
and establishes an ever closer
relationship with the USA where
we have made our residence.
Regardless of the obstacles put in
our way, we will continue to strive
in that endeavor in the days and
months ahead.

October 3-9, 2015

TURN PAGE

Rahul Gandhi meets with INOC (I)


leaders in New York

New York: The INOC (I), USA delegation,


led by its Chairman Shudh Parkash Singh
last week met Rahul Gandhi, Vice President
of the Indian National Congress, in New
York who was en route to Aspen, Colorado
to attend a conference. INOC (I) President
Lavika Bhagat Singh conveyed her greet
ings from Washington DC to Mr Gandhi
and formally invited him to America to
address the diaspora. Shudh Parkash also
circulated a video by Dr. Karan Singh,
Chairman, Foreign Af fairs Department of

AICC, stating that INOC (I) led by Lavika is


the only recognized body.

Continued from page 3


Priyanka Chopra's Quantico opens...
nothing else. Im Indian. Im super proud
of it. Im just an actor trying to expand my
creative abilities.

On breaking stereotypes
Quantico also breaks ground in por
traying South Asians. In American pop
culture, they are invariably reduced to
absurd caricatures. They are either engi
neers, doctors or taxi drivers, newspaper
stand owners, or outsourced call center
clerks with thick accents. We dont just
have to be Apu from the Simpsons, said
Chopra who is half Indian and half
Caucasian in the show.
The fact that Alex was written as an
ethnically ambiguous character drew
Chopra in doing this role. People who are
not conventional looking are always put
into a box of where they come from or
who they are supposed to be, she said
adding, but I strongly believe in Robin

Thickes Blurred Lines. Alex Parrish is a


gun wielding, ass kicking FBI agent who
owns her sexuality and is not afraid to
hide it. "She's smart, she's sexy, she's intel
ligent, she kicks ass, and she's not afraid
to take her life in her own hands. Yet, she
is very feminine, and she's vulnerable,"
Chopra said. "I love that she's a celebra
tion of the modern woman. She's not just
an asskicking, feelingless robot."
Chopras success in the series can pave
way for more condent roles for women
of color, both behind and in front of the
camera.

TV is a beast
When asked about her biggest challenge
in playing this role, Chopra said, Other
than the accent it was the long hours were
tough. No one warned me about it. I have
only done movies in my life. TV is a
beast!

Mangano urges residents to prepare..


Tuesday. The Nassau County Of fice of
Emergency Management (OEM) has begun
implementing its 120 hour plan should
Joaquin approach Nassau County. Vital sup
plies are now stationed in communities
across the county available to quickly dis
patch lifesaving supplies directly to neigh
borhoods in need. Through existing govern
mental grant programs, Nassau County has
acquired new equipment which is readily

available if needed by first responders. The


Nassau County Of fice of Emergency
Management has outlined evacuations
routes from Coastal Evacuation Areas. To
review Coastal Evacuation Areas, evacuation
routes or learn additional hurricane pre
paredness information, please visit the
Nassau County Of fice of Emergency
Management website at http://www.nas
saucountyny.gov/OEM.

Security Council reform must for UN's...


Continued from page 1
notion of sovereign equality of the UN has
permitted the developing world to question
some unfair norms. But it has not permitted a
fundamental challenge to the inequity of a
system built for a world that longer exists."
"Imparting more legitimacy and balance to
the Council would restore its credibility and
equip it to confront the challenges of our
times," she said.
Unlike Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe,
who made an open plea for Japan being
made a permanent member, Swaraj did not
mention India and presented the reform in
more universal terms appealing to African
and Latin American countries.
"How can we have a Security Council in
2015 which still reflects the geopolitical
architecture of 1945? How can we have a
Security Council which still does not give
place as a permanent member to Africa and
Latin America?" she asked.
With colonialism still dominating the
world, the UN was founded with 51 members
and the five victorious powers from World
War II were given permanent seats with veto
powers.
The UN now has 193 members, the vast
majority of whom are from the developed
world. Except for adding four nonpermanent
seats in 1965, the basic structure of the
Security Council has remained the same.
Swaraj complimented Ugandan Foreign
Minister Sam Kutesa, the president of the last
session of the General Assembly, and
Jamaican Ambassador Courtnay Rattray, who
was appointed by Kutesa to head the reform
negotiations, for their role in achieving a
breakthrough in reforms.
Under their leadership, she said, "we have
achieved what we could not do so over two
decades of discussions a" a text to negotiate,
unanimously adopted by consensus in the
General Assembly".
"This first, but critical step, must be the
springboard for action in this historic 70th
Session of the UNGA," she said.
India is a part of the group known as G4,
which includes Brazil, Germany and Japan,
that work for Security Council reforms. They
mutually support each other's quest for per
manent membership.

New Delhi Bureau


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Contributing Editors:Nilima Madan,


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TheSouthAsianTimes.info
On a different topic, Swaraj said Pakistan
must "Give up terrorism" before peace talks
can take place. She was responding to
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's UN
speech where he spoke about demilitarizing
Kashmir.

Russia defends Syria airstrikes amid ..


Continued from page 1
Russian officials extended an olive branch to
moderate rebels fighting the Syrian govern
ment and said they could be included in
Moscows plans for an eventual peace settle
ment.
Speaking at a news conference in New
York, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
said that the Free Syrian Army should be
part of the political process.
The comment seemed at odds, however,
with airstrikes conducted against one of the
few areas in the country where moderate
rebels still have a foothold and from which
the Islamic State was ejected more than a
year and a half ago.
Thursdays attacks focused on a strategical
ly vital belt of territory in the provinces of
Idlib, Hama and Homs, where steady rebel
gains in recent months have threatened the
governments link between the capital
Damascus and the Assad familys coastal
heartland of Latakia. The nearest Islamic
Statecontrolled territory is more than 100
miles away.
Some of the towns struck are strongholds
of a recently formed coalition, Jaish alFateh,
or Army of Conquest, that includes the Syrian
alQaeda af filiate Jabhat alNusra alongside
an assortment of Islamist and moderate fac
tions.
Russias actions, quickly criticized by
Washington, add an unpredictable element to
a multilayered conflict.
In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Peter
Cook reiterated the U.S. assessment that the
Russian planes do not appear to be hitting
targets in areas where ISIL is operating.
We have encouraged them, once again, to
focus their attention on ISIL, he added.
Russian of ficials insisted that the Islamic
State was the main target of the air attacks,
but also acknowledged that Jabhat alNusra
and other terrorist groups were being
included in the strikes, according to Lavrov.

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TRISTATE COMMUNITY

October 3-9, 2015

Asamai temple holds Diwali mela in Hicksville

Asamai temple President Kashi Sachdeva lighting the lamp at the start of the Diwali mela.
Hicksville, NY: The Asamai Hindu Temple of
Hicksville successfully held its 11th Diwali
Mela last Sunday. Hundreds of members of
the Indian community thronged the venue
along Barclay Street across from the temple
from noon to sundown. President of Asamai

Temple Kashi Sachdeva said that the mela


was much bigger and better this year as it
was held in a bigger parking lot and Barclay
Street was closed for traffic.
Gobind Bathija, former temple president
and trustee, said what attracted whole fami

Kamlesh Mehta, Director of Business and Economic Development, Nassau County,


presented citation to the President of Asamai Temple Trust Board Kashi Sachdeva
on behalf of County Executive Ed Mangano.
lies was the entertainment program, carni
val rides for children, food stalls with cui
sine from every region of India and vendors
of arts and crafts, jewelry, clothing and
business establishments such as banks,
mortgage and insurance companies. The

mela kickof f was held on Sept 21 in the


presence of Hempstead Councilman
Anthony Santino (who is contesting for
Town Supervisor), management committee
and trustees of the temple as well as promi
nent members of the Indian community.

IACFNJs ve day Navratri AIA holds successful benefit


gala for its Deepavali Festival
fest starts Oct 16th
New Jersey: IndoAmerican Cultural
Foundation of Central Jersey IACFNJ will
hold its grand Navratri Garba celebration in
South Brunswick on October 16, 17, 23, 24
and 31, 2015, from 8 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. The
first four days of Garba will be at Cross
Roads South Middle School, 195 Major Road
in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey and the
last day October 31st the celebration will
take place at South Brunswick Highs School,
750 Ridge Road in Monmouth Junction, NJ.
The Navratri celebration marks the festival
of nine nights during which Hindus worship
Goddess of Shakti Durga, Lakshmi and
Saraswati.
IACFNJ will hold this years Garba in a state
of the art gymnasium at the Middle School
and High School in South Brunswick in a

highly secured environment and culturally


diverse neighborhood where South Asians
are highly populated in surrounding towns of
North Brunswick, Franklin Park, Princeton,
Princeton Junction, Monroe, East Brunswick,
Robbinsville and East and West Windsor.
More than 2000 people are expected to
attend each day to celebrate Hindus reli
gious and cultural festival.
Once again, famous group of Mahesh
Mehta and his talented art ists from
Bollywood and local singers and musicians of
Entertainment Unlimited will rock the stage
with famous old and new live singing of gar
bas, dandiya tunes, famous sanedo and
bhangaras with nonstop live entertainment
for more than six hours on all five days.
For more info visit www.IACFNJ.org

DHF Walk to End Domestic Violence on Oct 11


Westbury, NY: Domestic Harmony Foundation
(DHF) is a community based notforprofit
organization in Long Island, working to
empower victims of domestic violence through
support services such as advocacy, counseling,
legal consultations, support groups, crisis
intervention, financial assistance, and leader
ship development initiatives. October is
National Domestic Awareness Month. Over the
years, DHF has hosted a Walk to End
Domestic Violence in order to reach out to a
diverse array of people of all age groups to
spread awareness about this abuse epidemic.

This year, DHF is organizing its 4th annual


Walk to End Domestic Violence at
Eisenhower Park on October 11th, 2015 from
9:30am 1:00 PM. This walk id cosponsored
by HAB bank, Islamic Center of Long Island,
Whole Foods Jericho, Student Leadership
Activities Center at Hofstra University, The
Safe Center of Long Island and National
Council of Jewish Women, Peninsula section.
For more information about Domestic
Harmony Foundation (DHF) and the
Walkathon or to get involved, visit
www.dhfny.org or call (516) 3858292.

AIANY President Sunil Modi speaking at the gala; and (right) a view of the attendees.
New York: The Association of Indians in
America, NY Chapter (AIANY) hosted
their Benefit Gala at the Swan Club in
Roslyn, NY, on Sept 27 in support of the
28th Annual Deepavali Festival to take
place at the South Street Seaport on
Sunday, Oct 4, famous for its spectacular
display of fireworks.
Among the individuals honored at the
g ala were hote lier and president of
Vegetarian Vision, Dr. Chandra Mehta and
Dr. Harish Mistry of Lord Shivas
Properties & Vijaydev Mistry Foundation.
Dr. Mukul Arya, Director of Advanced
Endoscopy at the New York Methodist
Hospital was recognized as Young
Physician Leader. Special recognition and

appreciation was prof fered on Arunima


Sinha, a Padma Shri awardee. She is the
first female amputee to climb Mt. Everest.
Her powerful speech of her courageous
journey was a highlight of the evening.
AIAs annual allday Deepavali Festival
is one of the largest such event in the tri
state area, attracting 75,000 100,000
people. The festival will have corporate
booths, food & clothing vendors, perform
ances and activities for the whole family
including a live grand display of fire
works.
The Association of Indians in America
(AIA) is the oldest notforprofit organiza
tion of Asian Indians in America founded
in 1967.

October 3-9, 2015

TRISTATE COMMUNITY

Ranju & Ravi Batra met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at UNGA on Sept 25, along with
Amb. Asoke Kumar Mukerji. Ranju Batra, as chair of Diwali Stamp Project, updated the PM
on her efforts, along with Rep. Carolyn Maloney, to get a Diwali Stamp issued by US
Postal Service. Modi recalled their discussion a year ago when he came to New York.
When asked by Ranju, Modi agreed to write a letter to President Obama for the cause.

NRI experts discuss India's


healthcare system with Modi
New York: During his visit to
America, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi appealed to NRIs to give back
to India with not only investment,
but also with knowledge, technolo
gy and experience. Top NRI experts
from America met him to discuss
large scale projects with signicant
social importance.
Pramit Maakoday, Director
UnitedHealth Group, worlds largest
healthcare company, Kanchan
Banerjee, Chairman of New Global
Indian and Convenor of Forum for
Global Leadership of India, a net
working and knowledge share plat
form of top scientists and technolo
gy experts, and Prem Bhandari,
Chairman Jaipur Foot USA Inc., dis
cussed with the prime minister a
comprehensive plan to overhaul
and transform Indias healthcare
system following the mantra given
by the Prime Minister of Speed,
Scale and Seva (service). The key
to this plan is integrative approach

between traditional medicine and


modern medicine using innovative
technology from around the world,
capacity building of research cen
ters, skills development for AYUSH
and modern medicine doctors,
entrepreneurship in this sector and
nationwide Telemedicine imple
mentation.
Banerjee also updated the PM
about Samarth Swabhiman, a mass
entrepreneurship development and
incubation project for the under
privileged section in India. They
also presented their work for
'Digital India in digital literacy to
educate hundreds of thousands of
women and handicapped people in
India.
Modi appreciated their ef forts
and will meet the full team of
experts involved in these projects in
near future. The group is working
with experts from top American
institutes including Harvard, MIT
and Stanford.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Cherie Blair, UKs former first lady, celebrated her 61st birthday at the Manhattan home of
Meera Gandhi, CEO of The Giving Back Foundation, on Sept 27, along with her husband,
former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and daughter Barrister Kathryn Blair. The Giving
Back Foundation gala dinner is on Oct 8 at The Carlyle Hotel, NYC.
(Photo: Mohammed JafferSnapsIndia)

'Religion should never be


foundation for a nationstate'
New York: Religion should never
be a foundation for a nationstate
and nationalism should not be
based on any religion, said Prof.
Bhalchandra Mungekar, Rajya
Sabha MP and agricultural econo
mist. He was speaking to a gath
ering of Indian National Overseas
Congress members on Sept 24 at
a restaurant in Glen Oaks, NY.
It is the policy of secularism
the Congress party enunciated
that kept India together since
Independence and some recent
happenings under the Mo di
administration are quite worri
some, he added.
T he planning commissions
over the years provided a strong
foundation for growth and the
disbanding of the commission by
the Modi Government is short
sighted, said Dr. Mungekar, who
has served on the planning com
mission and been ViceChancellor
of
Mumbai University.

Rajya Sabha MP and economist Prof. Mungekar


addressed an INOC event in NY.
Kodikunnil Suresh, Lok Sabha
MP, spoke at length about the
growth and development of the
past 60 years that ushered India
to stand tall among the family of
the industrialized nations, while
giving credit for it to Congress
Party. Digital India is not a new
initiative, but an ongoing devel

opment project initiated by the


Rajiv Gandhi administration in
the 1980s, he added. He encour
aged the NRIs to get involved and
promote growth and opportuni
ties in India. George Abraham,
Chairman of INOC, and other
INOC leaders also spoke at the
event.

Friends of MP host rst Dal Batee Pohe picnic in NJ


New Jersey: People with common
heritage of Madhya Pradesh (MP)
and residing in NYNJ area came
together and celebrated their rst
Friends of MP Family Picnic in
New Jersey on Sept 20.
The day long picnic was a grand
success, with participation from
people of all parts of the tristate
area, and with origins in Indore,
Bhopal, Gwalior, Khandwa, Dewas
and other towns of MP. The pleas
ant sunny weather and ambience
of Liberty State Park right next to
Statue of Liberty added to the fun
atmosphere. The Friends of MP

Conclave in New York in early


2015 gave a booster to the NRIs
from MP to coalesce for a friendly
family gettogether. With over
110 attendees of all ages, the day
started with Indore's traditional
Poha made on the site accom
panied by Jalebi/Kachori. Lunch
ag ain was MP's signature
Choorma Dal Batee. The plan
ning and execution for the event
was managed by a Core Team of
Jitendra Muchhal, Rakesh
Bharagava, Dr R Kakani, Rajiv
Goyal, Rajesh Mittal, Raj Bansal,
Pankaj Gupta andNavneet Trivedi.

Over 110 people attended the event

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

October 3-9, 2015

NATIONAL COMMUNITY

PROF KARTIK CHANDRAN WINS $625,000


MACARTHUR "GENIUS" GRANT
Washington, DC: Kart ik Chandran, an
IndianAmerican associate professor of
earth and environmental engineering at
Columbia Engineering, has been named a
2015 MacArthur Fellow with a "genius
grant" of $625,000 with no strings attached.
Chandran, an IIT Roorkee graduate, has
won the fellowship for his work in "trans
forming wastewater from a pollutant requir
ing disposal to a resource for useful prod
ucts, such as commodity chemicals, energy
sources, and fertilizers."
He joins a distinguished group of 24 tal
ented people who have all demonstrated
exceptional originality and dedication to
their creative pursuits, as well as a marked
capacity for selfdirection. The fellows may
use the $625,000 stipend as they see t.

"When I received the call telling me that I


had been awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, I
was rather overwhelmed," Chandran said.
"I'd just returned to New York from India
after a 24hour ight and couldn't believe
what I was hearing."
He called the fellowship a "great honor
which carries with it immense responsibility
and provides ever more motivation to con
tinue expanding my scientic horizons and
boundaries and help solve global societal
and human challenges."
Chandran's research on the global nitro
gen cycle and engineered wastewater treat
ment has been widely recognized.
In 2011 he received a $1.5 million grant
from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to
develop a transformative new model in

Kartik Chandran

water and sanitation in Africa.


His work is focused on integrating micro
bial ecology, molecular biology, and engi
neering to transform wastewater, sewage,
and other "waste" streams from problematic
pollutants to valuable resources in addition
to clean water.
Chandran's approach to transform waste
water into fertilisers, chemicals, and energy
sources also takes into account today's cli
mate, energy, and nutrient challenges.
Chandran, who joined the Engineering
School in 2005, has also won the Water
Environment Research Foundation Paul L.
Busch Award (2010), a National Science
Foundation CAREER Award (2009), and a
National Academies of Science Fellowship
(2007).

Diabetes risk for South Shashi Kumar named chief of US


Asians begins at birth Maritime's education, training
Toronto: For Indians and other
South Asians, the risks of develop
ing Type2 diabetes begin immedi
ately at birth, warns a study by
Indianorigin researchers.
When the researchers compared
nearly 800 pregnant South Asian
and white Caucasian women in
Canada, they found that although
the babies born to South Asian
mothers were signicantly small
er, they had more adipose or fat
tissue, and a higher waist circum
ference known risk factors for
Type2 diabetes.
"The increase we observed in fat
tissue is clearly inuenced by
South Asian ethnicity, the moth
er's body fat and high blood sugar
levels," said principal investigator
Sonia Anand, professor of medi
cine and epidemiology at
McMaster University in Hamilton,
Canada.
The ndings suggest that South
Asian women who minimize their
risk of gestational diabetes and
avoid excessive weight gain in
pregnancy may help to prevent
diabetes in their own children.
"South Asian pregnant women
should be considered high risk for
gestational diabetes and routinely
screened in pregnancy," Anand
said. "Prevention may be an
important way to break the trans

mission among generations," she


pointed out.
South Asians are long known to
suf fer from substantially higher
rates of both diabetes and heart
disease.
"Our research reemphasizes the
importance of diabetes prevention
efforts in South Asians from very
early childhood onwards, in order
to reduce the eventual burden of
diabetes and cardiovascular dis
ease in South Asian adults," one of
the researchers Milan Gupta, asso
ciate clinical professor of medi
cine at McMaster University
noted.
T he researchers have now
recruited an additional 1,000
South Asian mothers and their
babies in the Greater Toronto
region for further study.
They are also involved in a col
laborative study in Bangalore
where they will compare rural and
urban groups, which will then be
compared to Canadian urban
South Asians.
Researchers also intend to
examine how growth in the rst
year of life may inuence future
risk of elevated glucose and other
cardiovascular risk factors.
The study was published online
in the International Journal of
Obesity.

Washington, DC: An Indian


American has been named chief of
the education and training wing of
US Maritime Administration
(MARAD), a media report said.
Shashi Kumar, currently dean of
US Merchant Marine Academy at
Kings Point, New York, has been
appointed the deputy associate
administrator and national coordi
nator for maritime education and
training
of
the
Maritime
Administration, newsindiatimes.
com reported on Tuesday.
Kumar will assume his new role in
October this year. He will lead
MARAD's efforts to build a pipeline
of future merchant mariners and
working with state maritime acade
mies to address the intersection
between state and federal maritime
education, including ship require

Shashi Kumar
ments, a US Merchant Marine
Academy (USMMA) statement said.
"After serving at the US Merchant
Marine Academy since January
2007 as the academic dean, and as
interim superintendent three times,
I am moving on to pursue other
challenges," Kumar was quoted as

saying.
The Maritime Administration is
the agency within the US
Department of Transportation deal
ing with waterborne transportation
and its seamless integration with
other segments of the transporta
tion system, as well as maintaining
the viability of the US merchant
marine.
"His commitment to delivering a
worldclass education has been an
inspiration to the Kings Point facul
ty, staf f, Midshipmen and alumni
who have had the opportunity to
work
with
him,"
USMMA
Superintendent Rear Admiral James
A. Helis said. Kumar has graduated
from Indian Maritime Academy
with a masters from the Maine
Maritime Academy and a Ph.D from
the University of Wales.

Asians to become largest US immigrant group: Pew Study


Washington, DC: Asians w ill
exceed Hispanic immigrants to
become the largest immigrant
group by 2055, a study said.
If the current demog raphic
trends continue, Asian immigrants
are projected to become the
largest immigrant group by 2055
and make up 38 per cent of the
total foreignborn population by
2065, Pew Research Center's latest
analysis said on Monday, reported

Xinhua. While 47 per cent of US


immigrants are Hispanic as of
2015, the proportion is predicted
to drop to 31 per cent by 2065,
said the Pew report, citing the
gradual slowdown of the inux of
immigrants from Latin America as
the basis for the projec ion.
T he Pew report said that by
2065, Hispanics will still remain a
large share of the US population at
24 per cent, up from 18 per cent

in 2015, while Asian immigrants


will make up 14 percent of the
overall US population, up from six
percent now. As the share of Asian
and Hispanic immigrants in the
next decades grows, the propor
tion of nonHispanic whites is pro
jected to become less than 50 per
cent by 2055, which means that no
racial or ethnic group will consti
tute a majority of the US popula
tion by then.

October 3-9, 2015

NATIONAL COMMUNITY

CKGS successfully conducts


over 30 visa camps

New York: Cox & Kings Global


Services (CKGS) has announced the
successful completion of 30 visa
camps across 20 locations in the
United States of America. These
camps have facilitated the Visa, OCI
& Renunciation servicing of thou
sands of applicants over a period of
six months. The visa camps com
menced from the city of Iselin, New
Jersey on February 28th and con
cluded in San Francisco Bay Area on
September 12th. Over 5,000 appli
cants were serviced and advised
about their documentation enabling
them to complete their applications
with CKGS.
The Visa Camps started from New
York Jurisdiction in February 2015
supported by Consulate General of
India, New York. Congratulating
Cox & Kings Global Services (CKGS),
Consul General Mr Dnyaneshwar
Mulay said "The Visa camps have
played a critical role in bringing the
community closer to the Indian
Consulate. The outreach ef forts
mean that Consular services are a
pleasant experience now."
Speaking on the occasion, Mr.
Kiran Nambiar, Vice President &
Country Manager, CKGS said, The
primary aim behind setting up the
visa camps across various locations
was to bring in an element of con
venience to those who wish to trav

Visa Camp conducted at Indus American Bank, Iselin branch, NJ


el to India from the United States.
We are happy to announce that we
have successfully serviced applica
tions of over 5000 applicants at
their door step within a span of six
months. We would like to sincerely
thank the Embassy of India,
Washington D.C. and the Consulate
General of India in New York,
Chicago, Houston, San Francisco
and Atlanta.
He further added, We kicked off
our visa camps in February this
year in association with T he
Federation of Indian Associations
(FIA) of the Tristate of New York,
New Jersey and Connecticut; the
support we have seen from local
Indian Associations and the

Community has been overwhelm


ing
" From the time CKGS took over
the highly stressed and 'stand off
ish' situation when incomplete and
pending application process and
sensitive documentation being left
in a state of limbo was the norm,
CKGS from the onset has estab
lished the right attitude, priority
and commitment to serve the com
munity.
They have expeditiously cleared
the backlogs and have brought the
visa/oci to unprecedented ease and
pace along with exceptional cus
tomer service all with a smile, said
Ankur Vaidya, President FIANY
NJCT.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

He Named Me Malala
premieres in New York
New York: Worlds
youngest
Nobe l
Peace Prize winner
Malala Yousafzai and
her father, Pakistani
diplomat Ziauddin
Yousafzai attended
the starstudded He
Named Me Malala
premiere here at
Ziegfeld Theater on
Sept 24.
Malala, who is also
the subject of the documentary,
was seen dressed in blue and green
scarf wrapped around her head as
she was joined by the likes of
Scarlett Johansson, Ivanka Trump,
Elizabeth Shue and Grammy winner
Alicia Keyes.
The film, directed by critically
acclaimed documentary filmmaker
Davis
Guggenheim
(An
Inconvenient Truth, Waiting for
Superman), opens in theaters Oct
2, with National Geographic set to
air the film next year.
The film shows how Malala, and
her family are committed to fight
ing for education for all girls world
wide. The 87minute documentary
opens with an animated sequence
recounting the story of the Malalai
of Mariwand, the legendary Afghan
martyr who died fighting against
British invaders in the 1880 Battle
of Maiwand, after whom Ziauddin

named his daughter.


Asked
by
Guggenheim if he
knew that giving his
only daughter that
name would make
her dif ferent from
other women in Swat,
Ziauddin says: "You're
rig ht." T he film
brie fly shows the
grim circumstances
of the October 2012
attack on Malala in her native Swat
Valley. The then 15yearold (she
turned 18 this July) miraculously
survived and is now a leading cam
paigner for girls education globally
as cofounder of the Malala Fund.
I am those 66 million girls who
are deprived of education, she says
in the film. Im not a lone voice, Im
many and our voices are our most
powerful weapons. One child, one
teacher, one book and one pen
they can change the world.
T he film also gives an inside
glimpse into this extraordinary
young girls life from her close
relationship with her father, to her
impassioned speeches at the UN, to
her everyday life with her parents
and brothers.
Malala says she would give any
thing to see her home in Swat
ag ain, despite the threats by
Taliban.

IndianAmerican man sues


San Francisco 49ers
Washington, DC: An IndianAmerican
man has sued professional American
football team San Francisco 49ers and
the companies that run California's
Levi's stadium, a media report said.
Kiran Patel, 32, has held them respon
sible for an attack by violent fans that
left him with a severe brain injury last
year.
Patel was attacked by two brothers
just before the kickoff of the October 5,
2014, game against the Kansas City
Chiefs at the stadium, sfgate.com cited
Patel's lawyer William Smith as saying
on Tuesday. "The environment of the
49ers attracts a bad crowd," Smith said,
adding that people "get drunk in the
parking lot and come into the stadium
acting aggressively. You shouldn't go to

the bathroom and come back with a


brain injury." Patel and his cousin,
Amish Patel, have sought unspecified
damages against the companies that
operate the stadium, saying the security
was inadequate to protect them from
drunk and violent fans. The restroom
attack on the Patels was captured on
video and posted on YouTube but was
later removed. Kiran Patel was hospital
ized for several weeks after the attack.
He suffered bleeding on the brain and
underwent surgery to remove part of
his skull to relieve swelling.
Amador Rebollero was sentenced to
five years in state prison on two felony
assault charges, while his brother Dario
was given 30 days in county jail and
three years of probation.

Gurdwara Sahib Glen Cove, "Mata Sahib Kaur" Long Island celebrated Guru Ram Das
Ji's Gurugaddi Divas on September 27th. The event began with Prabhat Pheri and
ended with Asa ki Vaar.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Congress clears legislation


to avert a shutdown

Washington:
Congress
on
Wednesday approved a shortterm
spending bill that will prevent a
government shutdown and fund
federal agencies through mid
December.
Lawmakers didnt give them
selves much time to spare with
funding for the government set to
run out midweek. Attention now
turns to December when House
Republicans will have a new slate
of leaders who are being urged by
conservatives to take a more
aggressive
approach
with
President Obama over issues such
as government spending and abor
tion, raising the possibility there
will be another tense standoff that
could lead to a shutdown.
The Senate passed the stopgap
funding bill earlier in the day on
78 to 20 vote and the House
cleared it later in the afternoon on
a 277 to 151 vote. Obama is
expected to sign the legislation
into law.
The bill would extend current
spending levels through Dec. 11
and does not include language to
cut of f funding for Planned

Under pressure from right-wing


conservatives to negotiate
harder with Democrats, House
Speaker John Boehner
announced his resignation from
the position but promised to
take care of some lingering
tough issues before stepping
down in October end.
Parenthood, despite pressure from
conservatives who have been heav
ily critical of the group after the
recent release of videos by an anti
abortion group alleging it illegally
sold fetus tissues for profit.
Negotiations on a fullyear
appropriations package are expect
ed to begin soon, with Senate
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
(RKy.) pushing for a deal to set

October 3-9, 2015

US AFFAIRS

government spending levels for


the next two fiscal years to avoid
another messy funding fight next
year ahead of the 2016 presiden
tial and congressional elections.
Democrats, including Senate
Minority Leader Harry Reid (D
Nev.), have signaled they are open
to negotiating spending targets for
the next two years and they are
pushing to wrap up the work
quickly.
Many Democrats have said that
they would like to negotiate with
House Speaker John Boehner (R
Ohio) before he steps down at the
end of October, worried that the
leadership team elected after his
departure will be far less willing to
negotiate.
Boehner has said he would like
to complete work on as many
issues as possible before he leaves
Congress and Democrats hope a
larger deal on fiscal issues, which
would also include increasing the
debt limit, can be struck in the next
few weeks.
Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy
(RCalif.) has been positioning him
self to take Boehners post.

Donald Trump unveils


plan to slash taxes for the
poor and the wealthy
New York: Donald Trump is hop
ing his golden touch in business
will pay of f for millions of tax
paying Americans. The billion
aire real estate mogul unveiled
his tax plan on Monday during a
press conference at Trump
Tower in New York. Under his
proposal, Trump says he will
lower tax rates for the middle
class, simplify the tax code and
grow the economy at a level it
hasnt seen in decades without
adding to the countrys debt.
Its a tax reform that I think
will make America strong and
great again, said Mr. Trump. It
will be simple, it will be easy, it
will be fair, it will be graduated.
As you get up in income you pay
a little more.
This is the complete break
down of Trumps plan:
Individual tax brackets will be
consolidated from seven to four:
25%, 20%, 10% and 0%. Singles
earning less than $25,000 or
married couples earning less
than $50,000 w ill not be

required to pay any income tax.


According to the Trump cam
paign, it would reduce taxes to
zero for approximately 31 mil
lion households. The marriage
penalty tax, the alternative mini
mum tax and the death tax will
be eliminated.
Trump also says his proposal
will remove or reduce most of
the deductions and loopholes
available to special interest
groups and the very rich. It will
protect charitable giving, mort
gage interest deductions and
end the current tax treatment of
carried interest which allows
most investmentfund managers
to pay lower taxes on a majority
of their compensation. In addi
tion, his proposal will lower the
tax rate on all businesses to
15%, down from the current
35% and a onetime 10% tax rate
for corporations bringing money
back to America from overseas.
The GOP frontrunner says in
a nutshell, his plan is all about
business and job creation.

Bill Clinton slams 'factfree' Donald


Trump: Defends Hillary in CNN interview
New York: Former U.S.
You have to be able to
President Bill Clinton, hus
be identified," the for
band of Democratic presi
mer president said,
dential hopeful Hillary
adding he thinks Trump
Clinton, took a swing at
has a chance to win the
Republican frontrunner
Republican nomination,
Donald Trump, saying he
CNN reported. "But at
was running a factfree
some point you also
campaign in an interview
have to say what are
Tuesday with CNN's Erin
you going to do. You
Burnett. Clinton also
can't just spend all your
defended his wife, high
time saying everything
lighting the work she did
everybody else did was
as secretary of state in
wrong, and they were all
Former President Bill Clinton
imposing
sanct ions
doofuses."
against Iran.
Clinton highlighted his
Trump criticized Hillary Clintons tenure wifes ef forts to execute successful sanc
at the State Department (200913) Monday tions that advanced negotiations over the
in a CNN interview, saying, When we look controversial Iran nuclear deal, saying even
at whats going on in the world, when we Republicans would admit the sanctions on
look at what Hillary did as secretary of Iran were well done.
state, she goes down as perhaps the worst
The former president also praised her
secretary of state in history. ... If you look work on the new Strategic Arms Reduction
throughout the world during her reign and Treaty with Russia.
the reign of Obama, the whole world is
In response to his wifes struggles in the
blowing up, Trump said. We have lost our polls her popularity has plummeted amid
friendships. We have lost everything.
the controversy regarding her use of a pri
T he former president fired back in vate email server during her tenure as sec
defense of his wife in his Tuesday night retary of state Clinton said: "If I were sit
interview.
ting in your chair and you were sitting
"Well the thing about branding is, you here, and you wanted to run for office, and
don't have to be you can be factfree," I had four or five months to make sure
Clinton said.
nothing but the opposition's negative
The former president also commented on claims on you were run, and I presume
Trumps need to offer more policy propos your guilt with every question, and I beat
als of his own.
up on you, do you think I could run your
"You have to be able to brand yourself. favorables down?"

In New York on Sept 25, Pope Francis attended a multi-religious service at 9/11
Memorial and Museum, World Trade Center. Among the religious leaders representing Buddhist, Protestant, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faiths were Dr Uma
Mysorekar, President of the Hindu temple Society of North America, and Dr.
Satpal Singh, a professor at the University of Buffalo.

Planned Parenthood
under fire in Congress
Washington: T he head of Planned
Parenthood clashed with congressional
Republicans on Capitol Hill Tuesday over
the group's taxpayer funding, while using
her appearance to attack the group behind
a series of disturbing videos showing her
organization's workers discussing fetal tis
sue harvesting.
Cecile Richards, speaking before the
House Oversight and Government Reform
Committee, claimed the videos were
"deceptively edited" and "heavily doc
tored."
Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R
Utah seemed to brush of f the claims of
doctoring as he excoriated Planned
Parenthood for its allegedly "insatiable"

desire for taxpayer dollars. Under ques


tioning from Chaffetz, Richards acknowl
edged her annual compensation is
$520,000.
Richards, meanwhile, adamantly defend
ed Planned Parenthood, saying she's
"proud to be here" and stressing that their
clinics largely provide birth control, can
cer screenings and other health care serv
ices.
The videos showing conversations on
fetal tissue harvesting, she said, were part
of a "smear campaign" to "entrap" doctors
into breaking the law.
She said less than 1 percent of their clin
ics facilitate donations for fetal tissue
research, and they do so legally.

10

October 3-9, 2015

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

INDIA

India rejects Sharif's 'peace initiative'


to demilitarize Kashmir

United Nations: India has rejected Pakistan


Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's "peace initia
tive" saying that deterrorizing Pakistan is
the answer, not demilitarizing Kashmir.
After raising the Kashmir issue at the
General Assembly, Sharif proposed a four
point peace init iat ive for India that
embraces demilitarizing Kashmir, renounc
ing the use or threat of use of force, with
drawal from Siachen Glacier and formaliz
ing ceasefire along the Line of Control.
In a rapid response, External Af fairs
Ministry Spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted,
To demilitarize Kashmir is not the answer,
to deterrorize Pakistan is.
Peace can be achieved through dialogue,
not disengagement, Nawaz said in his
address to the General Assembly.
Cooperation, not confrontation, should
define our relationship.
But before proposing the peace initiative,
Nawaz made the acrimonious reference to
Kashmir, equating it with Palestinian and
portraying it as a religious issue.

Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif addresses 70th


Session of the UNGA.
Muslims are suffering across the world:
Palestinians and Kashmiris oppressed by
foreign occupation, he said.
T he internat ional community must
redress these injustices against the Muslim
people. Swarup replied in a Tweet,
Pak(istan) PM gets foreign occupation
right, occupier wrong. We urge early vaca
tion of Pak(istan) occupied Kashmir.

Just after trying to internationalize


Kashmir, Nawaz tried to couch the peace
proposal as a bilateral move since India's
condition is that the Kashmir dispute is a
bilateral one and there should be no outside
involvement. However, it did include a
request to increase the UN Millitary
Observers Group in India and Pakistan
(UNMOGIP). Although, Nawaz tried to strike
a conciliatory note with his proposal and its
phrasing, he insisted elsewhere in his
speech on consultations with Kashmiris,
who are an integral part of the dispute.
New Delhi considers Kashmir an integral
part of India and any such move an interfer
ence in internal affairs and counterproduc
tive to a dialogue. Recent attempts at hold
ing bilateral talks have been sabotaged by
Pakistan bringing in the Kashmir question
or engaging Kashmiri separatists. Sharif
referred to the recent ceasefire violations
along the Line of Control and asserted,
Wisdom dictates that our immediate neigh
bor refrains from fomenting instability in

MUMBAI TRAIN BLASTS:


FIVE GET DEATH, SEVEN GET
LIFE IN PRISON
7/11
Mumbai: A special court has
awarded death penalty to five peo
ple and life in prison to seven oth
ers, all convicted for the July 11,
2006, serial blasts on Mumbai's
suburban trains which killed 189
people, in one of the worst attacks
on the city's crowded public trans
port system.
On September 11, Special
Maharashtra Control of Organised
Crime Act (MCOCA) Judge Y.D.
Shinde found all the 12 people
guilty of their role in serial blasts
in the suburban trains, which also
injured 817 commuters rushing
home during the peak hours that
rainy evening.
Those awarded the death penal
ty were Kamal A. Ansari, 37;
Ehtesham K. Siddiqui, 30; Faisal
Attaur Rehman Sheikh, 36; Asif
Khan alias Junaid, 38; Naved
Hussain Khan, 30. The seven who
were awarded life term in jail
were medico Tanvir A. Ansari, 37;
Mohammed Sajid Ansari, 34;
Sheikh Mohammed Ali Alam
Sheikh, 40; Mohammed Majid
Shafi, 30; Muzammil Sheikh, 27;
Soheil Mohammed Sheikh, 43; and
Zamir Ahmed Sheikh, 36. During
the prolonged arguments of near
ly three weeks on the quantum of
sentence,
Special
Public

Ehtesham Siddiqui being escorted by the police to the court where


he was awarded death sentence.
Prosecutor Raja Thakre demanded
death penalty for eight of the 12
convicts, terming them "mer
chants of death". A teacher, Abdul
Wahid Sheikh, was the lone
accused who was acquitted in the
case, while another prime accused,
Azam Chima, alleged to be linked
with the LashkareTaiba (LeT), is
among the 17 who are missing
and on the run. They include 13
Pakistani nationals.
Special Judge Shinde found that
M. Faisal Attaur Rehman Shaikh,
who was awarded death penalty,
went to Pakistan twice for train
ing. Similarly, Kamal A. Ansari was
also trained in Pakistan, transport
ed Pakistanis from the Nepal bor
der to Mumbai, procured explo
sive material and planted the

bomb which exploded in the sub


urban train at Matunga.
Naved Hussain Khan surveyed
the trains, transported a bomb
from Govandi to Bandra, planted
one bomb on the train which
exploded at Khar station.
Asif Khan alias Junaid procured
the explosive material used to
make the bomb, and planted one
which exploded in the train at
Borivali. Ehtesham K. Siddiqui, the
Maharashtra joint secretary of
banned organization SIMI, recced
lo cal
trains,
transported
Pakistanis to Mumbra in Thane
district, was present when the
bombs were made at a house in
Govandi, and planted the bomb
which exploded in the train at
Mira Road.

Pakistan. He said that the two countries


should address and resolve the causes of
tension and take all possible measures to
avert further escalation and for this he
asserted he was making the peace initiative
proposal.
These were the four points in his proposal:
4 Pakistan and India formalize and
respect the 2003 understanding for a com
plete ceasefire on the Line of Control in
Kashmir with increased monitoring by the
UNMOGIP
4Pakistan and India reaf firm that they
will not resort to the use or the threat of use
of force under any circumstances.
4Demilitarize Kashmir
4Unconditional mutual withdrawal from
Siachen Glacier,
An easing of threat perceptions through
such peace efforts will make it possible for
Pakistan and India to agree on a broad
range of measures to address the peril
posed by offensive and advanced weapons
systems, Sharif said.

Hardik Patel announces


formation of new group
New Delhi: Pat idar Anamat
Andolan Samiti leader Hardik Patel
has announced the formation of a
new group, Akhil Bhartiya Patel
Navnirman Sena, with the aim to
unite the Kurmi, Gujjar, Maratha
and Patel communities.
Patel, who has been spearhead
ing protests in Gujarat to demand
reservations for the Patel commu
nity, said at a press conference
here that the new organization
would try to mobilize support of
these communities on the issue of
reservation.
Akhilesh Katiyar will be the gen
eral secretary of ABPNS.
Katiyar was earlier with the
Rashtriya Lok Samata Party, which
was led by Union Minister
Upendra Kushwaha. The former
was expelled from RLSP after he
organized Patel's first public meet
ing here.
Pate l plans to org anize a

Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti


leader Hardik Patel.
'Mahasabha' (grand meeting) in
the national capital next month to
further his cause.
"T he Akhil Bhart iya Pate l
Navnirman Sena will fight for the
cause of farmers, laborers and
youth of the country. We'll organ
ize a huge rally of all the communi
ties from Delhi, Rajasthan and
neighboring states at Ramlila
Maidan next month," he said.

Nitish Kumar is our 'dulha',


BJP has none: Lalu
Patna: RJD chief Lalu Prasad said
the BJPled National Democractic
Alliance (NDA) is contesting Bihar
assembly polls like hosting a wed
ding without bridegroom, which
the grand alliance has in Nitish
Kumar. Taking a swipe at the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)led
NDA alliance for not declaring any
chief ministerial candidate ahead
of the state assembly polls, Lalu
Prasad at a rally in Jamui district
said: "We, the grand alliance, have

dulha (bridegroom) Nitish Kumar.


But BJPled NDA has no dulha."
The former Bihar chief minister,
who has a way with words, said
people would reject such a mar
riage party which lacks the bride
groom. The grand alliance of the
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Janata
DalUnited (JDU), and Congress
has declared present Bihar Chief
Minister Nitish Kumar as its chief
ministerial candidate for the
upcoming state assembly polls.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

INDIA

October 3-9, 2015

11

SC asks Bharti's wife if she


wants to resolve issues

Narendra Modi with Chinese President Xi Jinping


when the latter visited India last year.

India, China growth will help


dream of Asian century: Modi
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
said the growth of India and China presents
an opportunity to realize our dream of an
Asian century. He greeted the people of
China on their National Day.
In his message, Modi said: "There have
been strong linkages between our nations
for years. Together we can make this world
a much better place. The growth of India
and China of fers a great opportunity to
realise our dream of an Asian century."
He recalled Chinese President Xi Jinping's
visit to India in September 2014 and his

visit to China in May 2015 and said the


meeting "covered significant ground in
advancing our partnership". "I warmly
recall my talks with President Xi and
Premier Li," he added. "I am confident that
our ties will become stronger in the years
to come.
May our two nations continue working
together for the common development and
prosperity of humanity," Modi said. The
Chinese government passed a resolution on
December 2, 1949, and declared October 1
as the National Day.

New Delhi: T he Supreme


Court asked Lipika Mitra,
the estranged wife of former
Delhi law minister Somnath
Bhart i whether she was
inclined to join mediation
ef forts as of fered by her
husband to resolve all issues
between them.
An apex court bench of
Chief Justice H.L. Dattu and
Justice Amitava Roy issued
not ice, asking Lipika to
Lipika Mitra and former Delhi law minister Somnath Bharti.
respond by Monday as it
fixed the next hearing for 10.30 a.m on islator Somnath Bharti to first surrender as
police were seeking his custody.
October 5.
Subramanium wondered if such a course
Issuing notice to Lipika Mitra, the court
declined, for now, the plea by Somnath on part of police was warranted when the
Bharti for interim bail. However, the court apex court was seized of the matter and the
indicated that it may consider the plea for same was listed for hearing to day
(Thursday). He said that contrary to the
interim bail on Monday.
"We always keep our mind open. Not only apex court guide lines, Bharti was not
mind, but even the heart," Chief Justice allowed to access his lawyer and was shifted
Dattu said as senior counse l Gopal from one police station to another after he
Subramanium appearing for Bharti told the surrendered.
In the course of the hearing, Attorney
court to keep their mind "open to consider
General Mukul Rohatgi appearing for Delhi
the plea at a later stage on Monday".
"We have other powers. Under Article 142, Police opposed the interim bail plea to
we can grant bail here itself," Chief Justice Bharti, saying that the original plea for
Dattu told Subramanium as he recounted anticipatory bail had become infructuous
the sequence of events from September 28 after Bharti's surrender and remand in
when the court asked Aam Aadmi Party leg police custody.

BJP 'VISION DOCUMENT'


FOR BIHAR POLLS HARPS
ON DEVELOPMENT
Patna: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
released the BJP's 'vision document' for
the Bihar assembly elections in the pres
ence of two union ministers and senior
party leaders here.
"Jaitley released the vision document a
day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi's rally in Banka," Bharatiya Janata
Party leader Bhupender Yadav, who is in
charge of the party affairs in Bihar, said.
Yadav said the document focuses on
women's empowerment, education, jobs
for youth and infrastructure development.
"The vision document has a clearcut
plan to develop Bihar in the next five years
if the BJPled National Democratic Alliance

wins the polls and forms the next govern


ment," he said.
The party's main plank is "development
in Bihar", he said.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, in his vision
document for the next five years, spoke of
his sevenpoint agenda to develop Bihar.
This included free WiFi in college and uni
versity campuses, a student credit card
scheme for loans to pursue higher and
professional education, and an unemploy
ment allowance.
The Nitish Kumar document also prom
ised electricity and toilets in every home,
and piped water that would benefit 16
lakh families.

Union
Finance
Minister
Arun Jaitley

Corporate Office: 385 Seneca Avenue, Ridgewood NY 11385


718.821.3182, www.AtlanticDialysis.com

12

October 3-9, 2015

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

OP-ED

MODI'S VISIT TO SILICON VALLEY

Beyond the hype were clear goals


By Mayank Chhaya

ll prime ministerial visits are


calibrated for a specific
goal, be it economic, diplo
matic, political or cultural. That is
true of all Indian prime ministers
but it is especially true of
Narendra Modi. Once you get past
his gushing, uncritical fan base,
those goals become sharper.
A striking example of that is his
visit to Silicon Valley in general
and Tesla Energy headquarters
and Facebook town hall meeting
in particular. The prime minister's
choice of South Africanborn
CanadianAmerican technology
entrepreneur Elon Musk's facility
in Silicon Valley was significant
for its potential whose details are
not well known to many.
The name Tesla, of course, is
Musk's tribute to the Serbianborn
American Nikola Tesla (July 10,
1856 to January 7, 1943), widely
regarded as the father of the elec
trical age given his pioneering
work in alternating current and
induction motor in the late 19th
and early 20th century. He was by
a wide consensus a trueblue
genius whose range of scientific
vision stretched from presaging
handheld devices carrying data
we now call smart phones to
robotics and limitless free energy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Elon Musk


at Tesla Motors headquarters.
Perhaps the primary objective
of the prime ministerial visit can
be found in a backgrounder on
the company's website where it
explains: "Tesla Powerwall is a
rechargeable lithiumion battery
designed to store energy at a resi
dential level for load shifting,
backup power and selfconsump
tion of solar power generation.
Powerwall consists of Tesla's lithi
umion battery pack, liquid ther
mal control system and software
that receives dispatch commands
from a solar inverter. The unit
mounts seamlessly on a wall and
is integrated with the local grid to
harness excess power and give

customers the flexibility to draw


energy from their own reserve."
It is not clear what specifically
Musk and Modi might have dis
cussed but it may not be a bad
idea to consider a Tesla pilot proj
ect anywhere in India. Given
India's relatively low and careful
per capita power consumption
(700 kWh per capita in 2012,
according to the World Bank com
pared to 12,954 kW h in the
United States) Powerwall or a
cheaper version of it could be a
potentially gamechanging solu
tion. That explains the prime min
ister's engagement with Musk,
who is often jocularly compared

to the Marvel comic book super


hero Iron Man also known as
Tony Stark because of Musk's var
ied entrepreneurial interests,
including ro cket science and
space travel.
Modi's town hall style meeting
w ith Face book founder Mark
Zuckerberg was perhaps closer to
his larger sociocultural and politi
cal goals of keeping his vast fol
lowing on social media abreast of
the goingson in his government
in the face of creeping doubts
over its performance so far. Being
the first social mediasavvy politi
cian of India with a keen eye for
what to let consumers enjoy, the
prime minister was at home at
Facebook's headquarters. He said
many interesting things but what
perhaps stood out from a political
standpoint was his observation
that social media had created an
environment where instead of fac
ing the electorate every five years
politicians now face it every five
minutes with millions parsing
every word and of fering their
snap judgment.
In yet another brilliant repack
aging of the Manmohan Singh
government's ambitious plan to
connect 600,000 villages and
250,000 panchayats the current
prime minster has managed to
very successfully sell his "Digital

India" vision which draws on


many of the same ideas. Making
broadband connectivity universal
in India through optical fiber was
a key feature of the last govern
ment's plan, some of which was
already in various stages of imple
mentation when it lost the 2014
general election. It is to Modi's
credit though that he has generat
ed remarkable enthusiasm about
it to the extent that Facebook
of fered its users a way to add a
semitransparent screen on their
profile pictures in the colours of
the Indian flag. It is part of
Facebook's "Support Digital India"
campaign.
Mo di's
interact ion
w ith
Zuckerberg was one more
instance of the prime minister's
ability to strike an instant rapport
with his audience. What brought
the house down was his emotional
reference to the sacrifice that his
91yearold mother made to raise
him and his siblings. He broke
down while reminiscing his child
hood and its hardships. He was
responding to a question from
Zuckerberg about his parents and
personal life.
In the 31yearold Zuckerberg,
the 65yearold prime minister
appears to have found a muse
whose youth can only help Modi
expand his global appeal.

Why Digital India may pip Make in India


By N Madhavan
ast week marked the comple
tion of a year since Prime
Minister Narendra Mo di
launched his ambitious Make in
India initiative to boost manufac
turing in India and by most
accounts, its success so far is at
best mixed.
Everything from land acquisition
to infrastructure and global eco
nomic conditions seem to suggest
that it wont be easy to sustain the
momentum. China recently deval
ued its yuan which makes it
more competitive and is sitting
on huge capacities in manufactur
ing.
On the other hand, as Modi flew
into the Silicon Valley at the week
end after meeting Fortune 500
CEOs on the East Coast of the US, it
was clear that the rockstar recep
tion he got in California and the
speech he made showed that his

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hugs Narendra Modi


at Facebook's Town Hall meeting.
other big gambits, Digital India
and its accompaniment, Startup
India, are on stronger ground.
In manufacturing, China jumped

ahead with all the right moves in


the 1980s, and India is a late
starter. On the other hand, Indias
IT revolution started by software

service companies and govern


ment establishments such as the
Centre for Deve lopment of
Advanced Computing and Centre
for the Development of Telematics
in the same period gave a special
digital advantage for India.
It is a happy coincidence that
hightech CEOs such as Microsofts
Satya Nadella and Googles Sundar
Pichai are Indians. But more
important, fields such as cloud
comput ing, egovernance, the
Internet of Things (in which even
machines w ill have Internet
addresses and talk to each other)
are emerging areas for innovation.
The smartphone boom in India is
giving natural traction to social
media and knowledgedriven serv
ices.
The significance of all this is that
it is easier for India to push ahead
and create millions of jobs in
emerging areas where it can lead
the competition than play catchup

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

in oldworld manufacturing based


mostly on wages and involving
higher costs.
T he strange blessing is that
Digital India can create jobs that in
turn force manufacturers to look
to India as a market where it will
manufacture for local consump
tion more than an export hub. This
is already happening with mobile
phones, and this is where the
action is more likely to be.
One only has to look at the
mushrooming venture funds and
startups in India that stand in
stark contrast to smokestack
industries beseeching the Reserve
Bank for interest rate cuts to get
the drift: Digital India will pip
Make In India.
In Mo dis favored Face book
idiom, the Digital India initiative is
one fit for a Like while Make in
India is more of a Poke.
(The article appeared in
Hindustan Times)

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

October 3-9, 2015

14

October 3-9, 2015

BritishIndian 'hero' to
get bravery award
London: A BritishIndian delivery
van driver has been named the
recipient of this year's 'Pride of
Britain Award' for risking his life to
prevent a road accident that could
have resulted in multiple fatalities, a
media report said.
Dee Patel, being hailed a "hero",
will receive the award in the out
standing bravery category in a glit
tering ceremony at the Grosvenor
House in London's Park Lane on
Monday night, the Mirror reported.
Patel, who works for Camberley
townbased ventilation specialists
Zehnder Group UK, was on a rou
tine job on May 18 when he spotted
a car ahead of him lose control on
the M25 motorway. The 48yearold
dad of two watched in horror as the
car swerved into the central barrier
and bounced of f it before coming
back on to the carriageway at a
high speed. The car hit the barrier a
second time, before swerving across
four lanes of traffic and on to the
hard shoulder. Patel sprang into
action after realizing that the driver,

Hindus in Trinidad
bid fond farewell to
Lord Ganesh
PortofSpain: Thousands of Hindus
in Trinidad and Tobago converged
at beaches and along river banks to
immerse the idols of Lord Ganesh,
marking the end of a 10daylong
festival honoring the elephant
headed god. The immersion took
place on Sunday following the
worldwide observance of Ganesh
Utsav which began on September
16. The end of the celebration was
preceded with special prayer ses
sions, satsangs and yajnas at over
400 temples & at private residences
in the Caribbean nation. Hindus had
abstained from all forms of alcohol,
meat and merriment for several
weeks preceding this period. Pundit
Seereeram Maharaj, spiritual leader
of the Caparo Shiva Kailash Mandir
said: "In the midst of all this reli
gious fervor, we must ensure that
all idols are environmentallyfriend
ly to help create a cleaner and
healthier society." Out of a popula
tion of 1.3 million people in
Trinidad and Tobago, 44 percent
are East Indians but just about 25
percent are devout Hindus.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

DIASPORA

Dee Patel prevented a multivehicle collision with potential serious


injuries (Photo: www.mirror.co.uk)
a young woman, was unconscious
and a highspeed pileup seemed
inevitable, according to the daily.
As the braveheart pushed the car
against the crash barrier, it grinded
to a screeching halt, finally slowing
to a complete stop straddling the
fast lane and the central reserva
tion. Police later praised Patel's
courage, saying: "Instead of a multi
vehicle collision with potential seri
ous injuries, it has ended up with no

injuries and just damage to vehicles


which can be repaired or replaced
thanks to your quick thinking."
Founded in 1999, the 'Pride of
Britain Awards' are presented to the
country's unsung heroes. The win
ners are decided by a panel of dis
tinguished judges and is jointly sup
ported by the Daily Mirror, Lidl, ITV,
Daybreak and the Prince's Trust.
T his year, the awards will be
handed out by Prince Charles.

Counsel Davinder Singh


named Singapore's best
dispute lawyer
Singapore: Senior counse l
Davinder Singh has been named
Singapore's best dispute lawyer
at an awards ceremony in Hong
Kong, a media report said.
The 58yearold lawyer, who
heads Singaporebased law firm
Drew & Napier, was honored
with the 'Disputes Star of the
Year' award at the Asialaw Asia
Pacific
(APAC)
Dispute
Resolution Awards on Thursday,
The Straits Times reported on
Friday.
His firm also won the 'Law
Firm of the Year' award at the
ceremony. The firm was also
adjudged the best in Singapore
for domestic arbitration, the
daily said.
Asialaw is a research organiza
tion that has produced 20 annu
al editions of Asialaw Profiles,
which provides a guide to lead
ing domestic and regional law
firms in the AsiaPacific region.
T he awards recognizes 12

Davinder Singh
practice areas across 14 coun
tries in the AsiaPacific region.
Sing h was among eig ht
lawyers from local and interna
tional law firms who were nomi
nated for the award. One of his
recent hig hprofile cases
involved Sing apore's Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a
defamation suit against blogger
Roy Ngerng.

SHIV YOG BECOMING POPULAR WITH


DOCTORS IN NORTH AMERICA
Toronto: After Yoga and alternative
medicine, Shiv Yog is now gaining
fast acceptability in North America.
Shiv Yog also called inner yoga
as opposed to external yoga or
hatha yoga or plain yoga is about
unleashing dormant selfhealing
powers, says Shiv Yog exponent
guru Avdhoot Baba Shivanand who
taught its techniques to over 250
American do ctors at the first
Global Shiv Yog integrative Science
Beyond Science Conference at
Trenton in New Jersey recently.
The Shiv Yog guru, who then flew
to Toronto w ith some of the
American doctors to interact with
the IndoCanadian community,
stressed that Shiv Yog techniques
unleash the power of selfhealing.
If we have the power create a dis
ease, we also have the power to
cure it. He said the human body is
made of 50 trillion cells and every
second, 5 million cells die. But if we
can create new cells faster than

Avdhoot Baba Shivanand in Toronto


dy ing ce lls, our health w ill
improve.
``When a person falls sick, his
vibrational ce llular frequency
decreases. But with Shiv Yog medi
tation, sick cells frequency returns
to normal and cures the person,
the Shiv Yog maestro told the
packed audience at the Sringeri

Vidya Bharat i Foundat ion in


Toronto.
IndianAmerican cardiologist
Bindu Kansupada, who is one of
the doctors who combine Shiv Yog
techniques with modern medicine
and accompanied Avid hoot
Shivanand to Toronto, said doctors
have seen amazing results in their

patients.
``We have measured significant
improvement in patients who prac
tised Shiv Yog. Morbidity, mortality
and hospitalization have come
down. Even the readmission rate
for heart failure and unstable angi
na has come down significantly,
said Dr Kansupada, who is based at
Langhorne in Pennsylvania, in his
presentation about the impact of
Shiv Yog techniques on patients.
``Modern western medicine is
great for acute care, but for chronic
care management such as diabetes,
depression, heart problems, auto
immune disorders and cancer,
combining western medicine with
Shiv Yog prevents complications,
enhances recovery and provides
possible cure for incurable condi
tions. He said most American doc
tors who are familiar with integra
t ive Shiv Yog principles have
reported significant benefits for
themselves and their patients.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

October 3-9, 2015

MODI IN NEW YORK

15

Modi wraps up US visit; meets


Obama, pushes for UNSC reform
The India-US
summit
meeting on
Monday saw
Modi and
Obama
exchange warm
hugs in
greeting - in a
reiteration of
their personal
chemistry
and the
strengthening
of bilateral
strategic ties.
(Photos:
PIB, India)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a strong case and garnered support for a permanent
seat for India in a reformed UN Security Council.
New York: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi wrapped up his
fiveday US visit, ending with a
summit meet ing w ith US
President Barack Obama that
focused on climate change and
g ave another push to India's
demand for reform of the UN
Security Council at a separate UN
summit on Peacekeeping.
Modi's America visit saw him
also travel to the West Coast, visit
ing San Jose, where he interacted
with the leaders of US tech giants.
In a message before leaving for
home, Mo di said his US visit
demonstrates the "extraordinary
depth and diversity" of the bilater
al relationship and a lot of ground
has been covered in his five days
stay in the US.
Modi flew down early Monday
morning from San Jose. He held
bilaterals w ith Brit ish Prime
Minister David Cameron and later
with French President Francois
Hollande.
The IndiaUS summit meeting,
that lasted an hour, saw Modi and
Obama exchange warm hugs in
greeting in a reiteration of their
personal chemistry and the
strengthening of bilateral strate
gic ties.
Obama in his media statement
after the talks with Modi, recalled
his January visit to India for
Republic Day, terming it a won
derful visit.
He said their talks focused much
on climate change and the upcom
ing climate change talks in Paris.
He said both sides agreed that it is
a crucial issue and all countries
have responsibility towards fight
ing climate change.
Obama said he was "encouraged

by the impressive nature of


Modi's commitment to clean ener
gy. And I really think the Indian
leadership in the upcoming Paris
conference will set the tone not
just today but in the decades to
come (on climate change)".
Both sides also discussed trade,
investment, defense and educa
tion. Modi, in his statement, said
that the US president and he
"share an uncompromising com
mitment on climate change, with
out af fecting our ability to meet
the development aspirations of
humanity. We have both set ambi
tious national agendas".
"As terrorism threats grow, we
have resolved to deepen our coop
eration," Modi said.
He also thanked Obama for the
US' support to India for a perma
nent seat in a re formed UN
Security Council and appreciated
US' support for India's member
ship of the international export
control regimes within a targeted
time frame.
Modi said India looks forward to
working with the US for India's
early membership of Asian Pacific
Economic Community.
In his address at the Leaders'
Summit on UN Peacekeeping,
hosted by the US, Modi said India
is ready to contribute monetarily
to a memorial for slain UN
Peacekeepers.
Modi announced new contribu
tions to the UN Peacekeeping
Operations.
"These include additional battal
ion of up to 850 troops in existing
or new operations; additional
three police units with higher rep
resentation of female peacekeep
ers; commitment to provide criti

cal enablers; deployment of tech


nical personnel in UN missions;
and, additional training for peace
keepers at our facilities in India
and in the field," Modi said.
Pushing for longawaited
re forms of the UNSC, Mo di
stressed that the success of UN
peacekeeping "ultimately depends
not on the weapons that the sol
diers carry, but on the moral force
that decisions of the UN Security
Council command".
"We must complete the long
pending task of reforms within a
fixed t ime frame of the UN
Security Council to preserve the
relevance and effectiveness of the
UN," he said.
He also raised the demand of
troop contributing countries for
g reater say in the UN
Peacekeeping mandate.
In his final engagements, Modi
held bilateral talks with President
Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine, and
Mexican President Enrique Pena
Nieto. In a series of tweets before
emplaning for New Delhi, Modi
thanked the American people for
their warm we lcome and
hospitality.

PM Modi in a bilateral meeting with his British counterpart


David Cameron on Sept 28 during which a host of bilateral,
regional and global issues were discussed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at G-4 Summit in New York on


Sep 26 with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Japanese PM
Shinzo Abe and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.

Narendra Modi presenting a book titled "India and


United Nations- A Photo Journey: 1945-2015" to
the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, at United
Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept 25.

PM Narendra Modi departs from New York


on September 28. He is seen off by Indian
Ambassadors to US and UN respectively,
Arun K. Singh and Asoke Kumar Mukerji,
and Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay.

16

October 3-9, 2015

MODI IN CALIFORNIA

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Modi logs in to Silicon Valley, gets


tech chiefs to endorse 'Digital India'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Google CEO Sundar Pichai
and others top tech executives at the stage for Digital India Dinner, in San Jose on Sept 26.
San Jose, CA: Prime Minister Narendra
Mo di on Sunday le ft the tech world
charmed at its very epicenter in Silicon
Valley, securing an endorsement for his
ambitions "Digital India" project from the
chief executives of some of the world's top
firms in the business like Apple, Qualcomm,
Google and Microsoft.
The best in Modi's fame as a digital
friendly leader came at the dinner Sept 26
hosted for tech leaders at the packed ball
room of Fairmont Hotel, when he spoke of
the virtues he saw by the adoption of new
technologies in governance and even
everyday life.
A fiery and forceful orator, Modi deliv
ered a speech that was full of quotable
quotes.
If there was ever a gathering under one
roof that could claim to be shaping the
world, it is this," Modi said to an audience
that included Apple CEO Tim Cook,
Microsoft's Satya Nadella, Google's Sundar
Pichai, Qualcomm's Paul Jacobs, Cisco's
John Chambers, Adobe's Shantanu Narayen
and TiE's Venk Shukla.
"T he status that now matters is not
whether you are awake or asleep, but

whether you are online or offline. The most


fundamental debate for our youth is the
choice between Android, iOS or Windows,"
the prime minister, himself an avid user of
social media, said amid loud cheer.
None of his energy was lost at the final
function of the day, after landing here in
the late morning from New York the first
Indian prime minister to visit the US West
Coast since Indira Gand hi did in Los
Angeles in 1982.
After exchanging pleasantries with the
members of the Indin diaspora, upon land
ing at the Norman Y. Minte San Jose
International Airport to a red carpet wel
come, Modi immediately left for Tesla
Motors' facility in Palo Alto for a tour of the
company's trendsetting electric car plant.
He then met a host of tech leaders, before
proceeding for the Digital India dinner.
Earlier, a host of tech leaders said they
were upbeat on engaging with India better.
"India under the prime minister's leader
ship is moving in the right direction with
'Digital India'," Qualcomm's Jacobs said,
announcing a further investment of $150
million to fund Indian startups in areas
from mobile to internet. The chipmaker

The CEO of Apple, Tim Cook called on the Prime Minister in San Jose Sept 26.

PM Modi being shown the demos of cutting-edge Google


technologies during his visit to Google (Alphabet) campus, in Silicon
Valley, CA, Sept 27. Google CEO Sundar Pichai is also seen.

Modi remarks at Digital India dinner

8 From large corporates to young professionals in this great centre of inno


vation, each can be part of 'Digital India'
8 We recognize that 'Digital India' cannot be built without bridging the digi
tal divide
8 If Facebook were a country, it would be the third most populous one and
the most connected
8 Google has made teachers less aweinspiring and grandparents more idle
8 Twitter has turned everyone into a reporter
8 After MyGov.in, we launched Narendra Modi Mobile App, which is helping
me stay in close touch with people
8 We will use IT to set up Smart Cities in India
8 Like airports, we will have WiFi at 500 railway stations in India with
Google as partner
8 We will connect all schools and colleges with broadband
8 We will expand our public WiFi hotspots.
already has invested in some dozen Indian
firms. Nadella appeared equally gung ho on
India. "Now it is time for us to collectively
empower people from all over the world,"
Nadella said, adding Micosoft intended to
partner individual states, and tech compa
nies in this regard.
He said in Surat, the company was work

ing with municipalities on data analytic


systems.
Google's Sundar Pichai had a take on
another of Modi's initiatives "Startup India"
that intends to foster, nurse and promote
entrepreneurship. "India is the fastest
growing 'startup nation' in the world," the

Continued on page 17

Microsoft founder Bill Gates (left) called on prime minister Modi during a
meeting with French premier Francois Hollande in New York Sept 28.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

MODI IN CALIFORNIA

October 3-9, 2015

17

21st century belongs to India, says Modi


as he wows Indian community in San Jose
Says terrorism and climate change are the main challenges facing the world

Modi with the organisers and elected officials, including Indian American
Congressman Ami Bera, and Hindu Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.
San Jose, CA: Addressing the 18,000strong
crowd of IndianAmericans at the SAP
Centre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said
the 21st century belongs to India and the
world has begun to acknowledge the fact.
Modi, in an hourlong address on Sunday,
Sept 27, also said that terrorism and cli
mate change are the main challenges facing
the world and urged all nations to unite to
face the twin threats.
In a rock star reception, which similar to
the one he had received at Madison Square
Garden last year, Modi asked the crowd for
a "certificate" of his performance in the 16
months he has been in power.
Modi, who said he was visiting the West
Coast after 25 years, said he was seeing a
"vibrant picture" of India in the large Indian
tech community that lives and works here.
He praised the "nimble fingers" of the
Indian tech experts, who "have made the
world acknowledge India" with their com
petence, innovations.
He also said he did not see the large num
bers of Indians working in the US and other
foreign countries as brain drain, but as

Continued from page 16


Google chief executive said. But the best,
however, came from Modi himself, who
spoke of how he and India have used tech
nology, gained from it and intended to
deploy it for the future and, more impor
tantly, how he saw it as a key tool to
empower people and make the lives of citi
zens better.
"I see technology as a means to empower
and as a tool that bridges the distance
between hope and opportunity," he said. "In
this digital age, we have an opportunity to
transform lives of people in ways that was
hard to imagine just a couple of decades
ago," he said.
The government, he said, was using tech
nology to impart scale and speed to devel
opment and for this there was also a need
to bridge the digital divide and promote
digital literacy in the same way as ensuring

"brain deposit".
On terrorism, he said, "The world has to
realize that terrorism can hit anyone at
anyplace, and it is the world's responsibility
to recognize it and unite against terrorism."
Hoping that in its 70th anniversary year,
the United Nations would be able to define
terrorism, Modi said: "We cannot safeguard
humanity if we do not come to an agree
ment on what constitutes terrorism."
"Terrorism is terrorism, there can be no
differentiation between good and bad ter
ror," he said.
Modi also said he was trying to include
space technology in the work of Indian gov
ernment. He outlined his government's JAM
initiative J for Jan Dhan, A for Aadhaar
card and M for mobile governance. He said
the linking of the three would help eradi
cate corruption in the system.
"The JAM yojana will help to root out cor
ruption," he said.
He also touched on skill development,
Beti Bacho, Beti Padhao, and the soil health
card, and neem coating for urea to help
farmers.
general literacy.
"We want our 1.25 billion citizens to be
digitally connected. We already have
broadband usage across India go up by 63
percent last year. We need to accelerate
this further."
The other initiatives outlined by him
included aggressive expansion of the
National Optical Fibre Network to take
broadband to each of India's 600,000odd
villages, connectivity for every school and
college, and expansion of public WiFi
hotspots at airports and railway stations.
"When you think of the exponential
speed and scale of expansion of social
media or a service, you have to believe it is
equally possible to rapidly transform the
lives of those who have long stood on the
margins of hope. So friends, out of this con
viction was born the vision of 'Digital
India', he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the SAP Centre, San Jose, where he
addressed the Indian community on September 27, 2015.

The Indians' enthusiasm for Modi prompted a news agency to call it


'Love Fest'

PM Modi meeting the Founder and CEO of Khan Academy, Salman Khan,
in San Jose Sept 27.

18

October 3-9, 2015

RELIGION

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Brahmrishi Shri
Gurvanand Swami
istening to Shri Gurudevs discourses
gives a clear sense of his deep respect
for the great religious traditions of the
world, be it earliest religions of India
including Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism
or later religions of the world such as
Christianity, Islam and Sikhism. His dis
courses are replete with the stories of
Ramayana and Mahabharata, teachings of
Mahavira and Buddha, and parables of
Jesus and Guru Nanak. Fully steeped in the
deeper spiritual Truth and well versed in
the scriptures of many religions, Shri
Gurudev speaks with the authority and
power of someone who speaks not only
from deep knowledge but also from direct
experience of the Truth.
He does so with a perceptive eye of the
jeweler who knows that all that glitters is
not gold and sees the shining jewels hidden
behind the mask of blinding tradition that
has become irrelevant to the modern age.
His synthesizing vision, bringing together
the pearls of wisdom from the varied reli
gious heritage of Humanity, addresses the
contemporary context of our times.
Shri Gurudevs devotees, many gurubhak
tas, rightly believe that the real power of
the message of Shri Gurudev lies in the sim
ple but spiritually impregnated words
uttered by His blessed lips. These simple
but powerful words convey deep spiritual
meanings and messages to the listeners
who open their hearts and minds to this
great Master of our Age.
Direct and precise, incisive and penetrat
ing with the sharpness and swiftness of an
arrow, Shri Gurudevs simple, powerful
words enter into the very depth of our soul.
Stirring our consciousness with his com
manding presence, churning our thoughts
with His magnificence. His counsel couched
in simple phrases, Shri Gurudev leads us on
our spiritual journey with confidence and
trust.
Like a loving father, he holds us by the
hand and walks with us with loving com
passion giving us no reason to fear falling
for we find His protective hands nearby
each t ime we falter and stumble.
Gurubhaktas g ravitate towards Him
inspired by the singularly simply worded
messages that their heart seeks to mull and
ponder over again and again; these simple
words and phrases expressing deep spiritu
al truths provide solace to our spiritual
yearning, raising our spirit and comforting
us always in moments of toil and turmoil.
The supreme redeeming power of His
teachings and discourses, incessantly
replete with such simple phrases, live not
for happiness but live happily, and live
not for dharma but live with dharma, gives
his bhaktas succour and support always.
Echoes of these words of wisdom constant
ly reverberate in our consciousness and
motivate us to live a spiritually fulfilling
life, every day surrendering our ego at the
lotus feet our Master.
With his persistent exhortation to his dis

THE DIVINE
MESSAGE
ciples to commence their journey to
Parmatma (The God) within the sanctified
realm of the parivara (the Family), Shri
Gurudev has provided a renewed under
standing of the spiritual life which does not
required renunciation of worldly duties and
material existence.
To the timeless teaching of Karma Yoga
taught by Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad
Gita, Shri Gurudev has provided a new
dimension by emphasizing our duty to the
family not as bondage, but as a means of
spiritual transformation. In his powerful
teachings of the aspects of parivar se par
matma ki aur, according the family and the
duty to the family as the cornerstone of
spiritual regeneration of Humanity. Shri
Gurudev has indeed caused an unprece
dented positive transformation of human
relationship as a means of seeking relation
ship with the Divine.
Shri Gurudevs message, imbued with a
direct and incisive character, pierces
through his listeners preconceived notions
and demolishes their religious prejudices
by challenging them to examine their own
religious biases and spiritual indolence. As
he does not tire of reminding the audience
around the world, he has come not to start
a new religion or new panth but to awaken
us to our deeper inner spiritual Truth, the
true aatmic existence, so that we embark on
a journey of spiritual fulfillment with a

sense of urgency.
Challenging us to forsake our stubborn
allegiance to the externality of the mean
ings of the words of the great teachers and
scriptures of the past, Shri Gurudev, like the
great Upanishdic sages (rishis) such as
Yagyavalakya and others, implores us to go
beyond the externality of the words to seek
the true meaning and signification of the
spiritual life.
With a sense of urgency he reiterates that
such a life must be lived not outside the
everyday world but within the world, which
is the realm of enchanting Divine Play
(Leela).
So to those who ponder over Shri
Gurudevs teaching with a sense of dedica
tion and surrender, focusing on his Divine
Lotus Feet shall be rewarded with a spiritu
ally fulfilling understanding and an insight
into the way of Divine Life that is noble and
shining in its glory and power. Come and
listen, see and rejoice, cherish and cele
brate, for with the compassionate and gra
cious blessings of Shri Gurudev the Divine
Life is without your reach.

Excerpted from the coffee table book The


Divine Guru: The Divine Personality and
Teachings of His Holiness, Brahmrishi Shri
Gurvanand Swami, written by Braj M Sinha,
published by Vishwa Dharma Chetana
Manch, Tirupati, India.

Gurudevs simple yet


soulstirring words
Happy moment Praise God
Difficult moment See God
Painful moment Trust God
Every moment Thank God.
There is no way to happiness;
Happiness is the way to get
everything.
My life has taught me Life.
So, I say to you Live life with Life.
A little faith will take you to heaven.
Full faith will bring heaven to you.
Man with intelligence has many
questions.
Man with surrender has all the
answers.
Dont wait to take a right decision.
Take a right decision and then make
it right.
As long as we do not forgive others,
They occupy rent free space in our
mind.
Events are Gods responsibility.
Experiences are mans responsibility.

Divya Darshan & Gurudevs Blessings, October 4, 2015, Colden Center, Queens College, Flushing, New York.
Gurudev will bless each one with energized (Shakti Jagrut) rudraksha. There is no charge for the event.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

October 3-9, 2015

FEATURES

19

Arunima Sinha, first female amputee to


climb Mt Everest, has more peaks to conquer

By Parveen Chopra

urrently being feted at many


events in New York, Arunima
Sinha, who climbed Mt Everest a
mere two years after losing a leg
in a horrible incident, has
emerged as a major motivational
figure and role model for youth.
The 26yearolds main message,
as she told T he South Asian
Times, is that we must transmute
our biggest weakness into our
biggest strength. She has demon
strated how with her story of grit
and determination.
A national level volleyball player
from Ambedkar Nag ar near
Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, she
was trave ling overnight from
Lucknow to New Delhi in April
2011 when she was pushed out of
the running train by robbers.
Many trains passed over her as
she was lying amid the tracks in a
helpless condition. The doctors
had to amputate her infected left
leg below the knee to save her life.
I could have played volleyball
on a wheelchair, Arunima said,
but I wanted to challenge myself
by taking on the toughest thing I
could think of climb mountains.
Because here you are on your
ownto cheer yourself up, to
motivate yourself and to with
stand your own pain.
She duly took the basic moun

Arunima was honored at AIAs


Deepavali festival benefit gala
on Sunday.
taineering course in Uttarkashi
and was encouraged by her broth
erinlaw, Om Prakash, to climb Mt
Everest with a prosthetic leg. He
has since left his CRPF job to be
by her side.
So in May 2013, Arunima
became the first female amputee
in the world to scale the highest
peak in the world. But not before
her determination was tested to
the limit. When she was about a
thousand feet from the summit,
her oxygen cylinder got almost
empty. She was advised to quit
but she took the risk of her life
and marched forward to finish the
job. Placing the Indian tricolor on
the summit and the flag of Tata

Arunima Sinha atop Mount Everest in May 2013.


Steel (her sponsor), she prayed to
the
Holy
Trio
(Swami
Vive kananda,
Ramakrishna
Paramahamsa and Sarada Devi)
and left their pic there for good.
Soon after, she surprisingly found
an oxygen cylinder left by an ear
lier mountaineer.
Welcomed as a hero, felicita
tions and honors for the girl start
ed coming thick and fast. She was
fe licitated by Dr. APJ Abdul
Kalam, former President of India
at Vadodara in August 2013 dur
ing the international youth con
ference
org anized
by
Ramakrishna Mission. She was
felicitated by Narendra Modi, the
then Chief Minister of Gujarat in

January 2014 at Gandhinagar.


Modi also released her autobiog
raphy Born Ag ain on the
Mountains later in the year.
Earlier this year she was awarded
Padma Shri.
Not content to conquer Mt
Everest, she wanted to scale all
seven highest summits, one in
each continent. She has done Mt
Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Mt
Elbrus in Russia (both in 2014)
and Mt Kosciuszko in Australia in
April this year. The ones in North
America, South America and
Antarctica are the only ones that
remain on her list.
About her mission, she writes on
her website arunimasinha.com: I

want to dedicate my achievements


to those who lose hope so that
they never lose heart and achieve
their dreams. By conquering all
the seven summits I will prove
that physical disability can never
be a hindrance in achieving your
life's goal if you have mental
strength, strong will power and
firm determination.
For her empowering and inspir
ing life story, she has been invited
to deliver motivational talks at
educational institutions like IIMs,
in youth convent ions and by
reputed companies.
She has also dedicated herself to
many worthy causes and wants to
make a dif ference. She is in the
pro cess of g row ing Shaheed
Chandra Shekhar Azad Viklang
Khel Academy (administered by
Arunima Foundat ion), a free
sports academy for the poor and
differentlyabled persons.
Arunima was also preparing to
participate in Para Olympics 2016
as a blade runner but she says,
My doctors advised me against it
for fear of harming the socket of
the prosthetic.
In New York, she was honored,
among others, by Share & Care
Foundation and Association of
Indians in America at their events.
Shanti Fund of Long Island was to
honor her on Oct 2 at their
Gandhi Jayanti event.

THE ATTRACTIVE CALMNESS OF THUNDER DRAGON LAND


By Preetha Nair

fter smoggy, sooty Delhi, the crisp air at


Bhutan's Paro airport is unmistakable
and, descending after a threehour flight,
the first instinctive reaction is to breathe in
a lungfull of the clean, soft and scented air.
A light drizzle only adds to the magical
fee ling of landing in the Land of the
Thunder Dragon.
T he 90minute drive from Paro to
Thimphu through longwinding mountain
ous roads seemed onerous. But surrounded
by snowclad mountains, apple, peach
orchards and a river with clean water run
ning parallel to the road, the breathtaking
beauty of the landscape leaves one in awe.
The fluttering prayer flags add to the mysti
cal beauty of the countryside. After a 54 km
drive, we entered Thimphu which, dotted
with buildings strictly following traditional
aesthetics, looked like out of a dream. Clean
roads with barely any traffic showed how
much the citizens take care of the city.
Venturing outside the hotel, I heard a
faint Tibetan horn sounding the beginning
of prayers. As the clouds cleared I caught a
glimpse of the gigantic Buddha Dordenma.
Made of bronze and gilded in gold, the
Shakyamuni Buddha statue glitters under
the crisp sunlight and sea blue skies. A 15
minute drive away, the resplendent statue,

A view of Thimphu, the capital city. Bhutan is the first country in the
world to ditch the western concept of Gross National Product. Instead,
Gross National Happiness is achieved through good governance, natural
environment, sustainable growth and cultural values.
standing tall at a height of 169 feet, offers
an unforgettable view of the enchanting
and exhilarating country.
The sense of calm and unhurried life in
Thimphu is evident. Travelling alone is not
a problem here. Welcoming and helpful
locals add to the charm. Walking into the
Centenary Farmers Market, one is over
whelmed by the cleanliness and order that
the Bhutanese have. With fresh vegetables,
fruits and the humble dried fish all in a

beautiful ensemble, the market is a riot of


color.
With just four days to spend, day 2 was
the biggest event meeting Queen Mother
Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck for a din
ner hosted by her at the Royal Palace. As
the gates open to lamps and goldenhued
lights, we are ushered across the palace to
the royal garden. The amazing simplicity
and sheer royalty of the environs is over
whelming. I am introduced to the charming,

elegant and pleasant Queen Mother. As I


extend my sweaty palm for a handshake,
the Queen Mother had me wrapped in a
warm embrace.
The dinner that followed was a revelation
in itself. Ema datshi, Bhutan's national dish,
was an olfactory and delectable delight.
The dish is a spicy mix of chillis and local
cheese known as Datshi. Phaksha Paa, pork
cooked with spicy red chillis, had me crav
ing for more. Hoentoe, aromatic buckwheat
dumplings stuf fed with turnip greens,
cheese and jasha maru, spicy minced chick
en, tomatoes and other ingredients got a
gastronomical thumbsup from me. The red
rice left me in a tizzy.
The country's monastic calm can only be
paralleled by its love for books. It was an
awakening for the uninitiated to see hun
dreds throng to get a glimpse of their
favorite writers at the cerebral Lit Fest
aptly named Mountain Echoes.
At the Crafts Bazaar, Bhutani blings, intri
cately worked fabrics, colorful bags and
bangles left a decent dent in my wallet.
For a kingdom sandwiched by two coun
tries that account for onethird of humans
on Earth, Bhutan is an island of scenic
beauty, culture, tradition and modernity. As
we fly out of Paro back to the daily Delhi
din, I longingly look back on what I had left
behind in the Land of the Thunder Dragon.

20

October 3-9, 2015

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

SUBCONTINENT

For Modi and Sharif, not


a summit but just a wave
United Nations: Would Prime Ministers
Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif meet,
pundits, diplomats and journalists won
dered. Or would they shake hands? Or have
a "pull aside" a quick conversation on the
sidelines?
They finally got their answer at Modi's
last UN event about four hours before he
left: They exchanged a couple of waves and
smiles across the table at the Peacekeeping
Summit convened by President Barack
Obama. And that was it. Sharif waved first
and Modi responded.
Modi and Sharif shared the same hotel,
the Waldorf Astoria, but avoiding each
other was easy. T he hotel has several
entrances and leaders' entries and exits
through driveways that lead right into the
middle of the building are carefully orches
trated.
Some diplomatic gestures are carefully
arranged. One of Modi's diplomatic assign
ments
listed
included
a
"handshake/exchange of greeting" with
Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat as
Modi approaches his table. But the wave

Modi and Sharif sat opposite to each other


at the UN Peacekeeping summit.
wasn't. When Modi and Sharif met on the
sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization Summit Ufa in Russia in July,
they opened the possibilities of a defreeze
in ties between the two countries. However,
the deep freeze has returned with firing
across the border and the cancellation of
the talks between the National Security
Advisers.
Now its time to decipher the nuances of
the smiles and waves for clues to the next
phase of diplomacy.

US airstrikes after
Taliban take an
Afghan city
Kabul: The United States has carried out
three airstrikes on the outskirts of Kunduz
in Afghanistan.
Col. Brian Tribus, a spokesman for the
military, said members of the coalition
encountered insurgents and that's when
the U.S. ordered airstrikes through the day
Tuesday and into the early morning
Wednesday.
Tribus stressed that coalition forces are
in the country in a noncombat role, but
"our service members have the right to
protect themselves if necessary."
As The New York Times reports, the
strikes come as the Taliban have made sig
nificant gains in the country. The paper
reports:
"Over the past three days, the Taliban
have achieved what appears to be their
largest military victory in a war that has
gone on for more than a decade. Not only
have insurgent forces captured a city of
about 300,000 people the first urban
center the Taliban has held since 2001

but as the reeling Afghan government


struggles to respond, it has become clear
that not only Kunduz but a large chunk of
Afghanistan's north is at stake.
"In Baghlan Province south of Kunduz,
Afghan reinforcements on their way to the
city have been delayed or stopped alto
gether amid Taliban ambushes along the
main highway. It appeared on Wednesday
that before the Afghan government could
launch a significant counterof fensive in
Kunduz, it would first need to reclaim
some of Baghlan."
Reuters reports that the clash between
coalition troops and insurgents is the first
report of "ontheground clashes between
Taliban militants and foreign troops sup
porting their Afghan allies."
Reuters adds: "NATO had more than
100,000 troops in Afghanistan at its peak,
but most had withdrawn by the end of
2014 and the far smaller mission now is
designed to "train, assist and advise" local
forces."

IS ENTERS BANGLADESH,
Nepal exPM Bhattarai
quits party, parliament KILLS ITALIAN MAN IN DHAKA
Kathmandu: Baburam Bhattarai,
Nepal's former prime minister
and top Maoist leader sympa
thetic to Madhesis, resigned as
lawmaker and also quit the party
to form his own political "force"
amid differences with the major
Nepalese political parties over
the new Constitution.
Bhattarai, a veteran leader of
the Unified CPNMaoist, was the
seniormost leader after party
chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal, popu
larly known as 'Prachanda'.
Bhattarai, who spent his years
as a student at New De lhi's
Jawaharlal Nehru University and
is said to have close links with
India, has been sympathetic to
the ag itat ion launched by
Mad hesi part ies demanding
more rights and representation
to the people residing in the
southern plains of Nepal, media
reports said.
He has consistently attacked
lawmakers, including members
of his own party, for not taking
minorit ies' concerns into
account during the drafting of
the new Constitution Nepal's
first by elected representatives.
T he 61yearold leader has
indicated that he would form a
new political "force" within a
couple of months.
"Ef fective from today's date I
have resigned from all obliga
tions, responsibilities at all levels

Bhattarai led the second


Maoist government
between 2011 & 2013.
as well as general membership
of the UCPN Maoists," Bhattarai
told reporters.
"I will now do what I can as a
citizen of this country... as long
as I am alive I will work for the
country and the people," he said.
He also appeared to distance
himself from the Maoist ideolo
gy and said Maoism has become
irre levant and obsolete in
today's world. He has indicated
that his new party would be
democratic in nature.
Bhattarai's decision has given
a big jolt to the UCPNM as he
leads a strong faction within the
party, say insiders. The UCPNM
has 124 seats in the 601mem
ber Parliament.
Party sources say nearly half
of the Maoist lawmakers are
likely to toe Bhattarai's line.

Dhaka: An Italian aid worker has been shot dead in a


high security diplomatic area here, the first attack in
Bangladesh claimed by the dreaded Islamic State terror
group that has prompted many western embassies to
restrict the movements of their diplomats.
Cesare Tavella, 50, was shot three times from a close
proximity last evening in Dhaka's Gulshan diplomatic
zone while he was jogging, a police spokesman said.
The attackers fled the scene after Tavella fell to the
ground. He was rushed to a nearby private hospital
where doctors declared him dead, police added.
According to spokesman, Tavella was working for the
Netherlandsbased ICCO Cooperation as manager of its
Profitable Opportunities for Food Security (PROOFS)
project.
"One bullet hit his left hand. He was also shot twice
on his back. One of those bullets pierced through his
chest," forensic expert Qazi Md Abu Shama was quoted
as saying.
One of the witnesses of the murder, a rickshaw
mechanic, said he saw three assailants fleeing on a
motorcycle. One of them was wielding a gun.
"We are not clear who killed him but we think it was a
preplanned murder," Dhaka's police commissioner
Ohiduzzaman Mian told reporters. Another official con
firmed that the killers did not take away the moneybag
or his cell phone, indicating that the murder was not
carried out by ordinary muggers.

The killing of an Italian has triggered terror fears in


Bangladesh.
In a statement issued in Arabic, the Islamic State
(ISIS) claimed that it killed Cesare, SITE Intelligence
Group said.
Security of ficials said this could be the militant
group's first attack in Bang ladesh. However,
Bangladesh home minister Asaduzzaman Khan said
authorities had found no evidence that the ISIS was
involved in the killing. Meanwhile, in the wake of the
murder, the US, the UK and Canada have warned their
diplomats and citizens of militant attacks in
Bangladesh, asking them to remain alert.

Maldives president unharmed, wife hurt in speedboat blast


Male: The president of the Maldives was unhurt but his
wife and two others were injured in an explosion on
board their speedboat on Monday as it was about to
dock at a jetty in capital Male, the media reported.
President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom and First
Lady Fathimath Ibrahim were travelling to Male from
Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA), which is
located on the nearby island of Hulhule. They were
returning home from visit to Saudi Arabia after per

forming the Haj pilgrimage, Haveeru online reported.


Presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz Ali con
firmed that the president was unharmed.
Witnesses reported seeing the door of the speedboat,
named "Finifenma" (Dhivehi for rose), burst open while
it was about to dock at the jetty. A loud explosion was
also heard at the time, he said.
President Yameen was quickly transferred to an
accompanying police speedboat and brought to Male.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

INTERNATIONAL

October 3-9, 2015

21

Russia begins airstrikes in


Syria; US concerned

Washington DC: Russian warplanes began


airstrikes in Syria on Wednesday, adding an
unpredictable new element to a multilay
ered war that has already drawn in the
United States and allies, created millions of
refugees and expanded the reach of the
Islamic State.
Washington quickly crit icized the
airstrikes warning that they bring added
risks to Syria but said Moscows moves
would not change a U.S.led air campaign
targeting Islamic State strongholds in Syria.
The Russian strikes also sharply raised
the stakes over competing visions for Syria
outlined earlier this week at the United
Nations, with Russian President Vladimir
Putin insisting that Syrias embattled gov

ernment is the key to stability, and


President Obama saying the status quo
cannot stand after more than four years of
bloodshed.
The introduction of Russian air power
just hours after Russias parliament author
ized the use of military force is certain to
deepen American concerns over possible
escalations on Syrian battle fronts.
In addition, Russia now gives bolstered
repower to its longt ime ally, Syrian
President Bashar alAssad, whose forces are
ghting both the Islamic State and rebel
factions, including some backed by the
West. Assads forces are blamed for crack
downs and attacks that have forced more
than 4 million people to ee the country,

Russian President Vladimir Putin at the UN


General Assembly.

many of whom are now joining a wave of


asylum seekers and migrants ooding
Europe.
Addressing the U.N. Security Council,
Secretary of State John F. Kerry drove home
Obamas message, saying the answer to
Syrias civil war cannot be found in a mili
tary alliance with Assad.
Kerry further put Russia on notice, saying
the United States would have grave con
cerns if Russian airstrikes should strike
targets where [Islamic State] and afliated
targets are not operating, and instead hit
U.S.backed moderate opposition forces
ghting Assad. He called on Russia and oth
ers to support a U.N. initiative to broker a
political transition in Syria.

Iran to sue Saudi Arabia over India, US, Japan to collaborate


deaths of Iranian pilgrims
on maritime security

Tehran: Iran will le


a complaint against
Saudi Arabia for its
"shortcomings"
which led to the
death of Iranian pil
grims during the Haj
pilg rimage in the
Arab state, Iran's
g o v e r n m e n t
s p o k e s m a n
Mohammad Baqer
Nobakht said.
The stampede happened in Mina near Mecca. Now Iran claims
Iran w ill sue the
over 450 of its citizens died there.
Saudi government via
legal actions and the mechanisms in the Iranian pilgrims and injured 28 others.
In the incident, over 200 other Iranian
international arena, said Nobakht, also the
vice president, according to Tasnim news pilgrims are also missing, according to
ofcial IRNA news agency.
agency.
According to Saudi ofcials, over 760
Iran will spare no efforts to defend the
rights of the Iranian pilgrims, the missing Muslim pilgrims have died during the
ones and those injured in the disaster, he stampede at the annual Haj pilgrimage in
Mina near Makkah on Thursday.
added, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Saudi interior ministry said the
Recently, Iranian President Hassan
Rouhani lashed out at Saudi Arabia's "inef crush appears to have been caused by two
ciency" as the cause of the Haj stampede, waves of pilg rims meet ing at an
which claimed the lives of at least 239 intersection.

Obama vows 'longterm


campaign' to destroy IS
United Nations: US President Barack Obama
reiterated his determination to destroy the
Islamic State (IS) terrorist group, but
acknowledged that it will be a "longterm
campaign".
"We are harnessing all of our tools mili
tary, intelligence, economic, development
and the strength of our communities" to
combat the extremist group, Obama told a
summit at the United Nations on countering
the IS and violent extremism.
"In Iraq and Syria, the IS is surrounded by
communities, countries and a broad interna
tional coalition committed to its destruc
tion," Xinhua news agency quoted Obama as

saying on Tuesday.
"We are seeing a new global movement to
counter the violent extremism that ISIL
needs to survive," he added.
But the US president acknowledged that it
is "not an easy task" to destroy the IS and
the current approach will take time.
"There are going to be successes and there
are going to be setbacks," Obama noted.
"This is not a conventional battle. This is a
longterm campaign not only against this
particular network, but against its ideology."
He also called for renewed effort to stem
the radicalizing networks that are attracting
recruits to the extremist group.

New York: Reecting the grow


ing convergence of their inter
ests in the IndoPacic region,
India, US and Japan have agreed
to work together to maintain
marit ime security throug h
g reater collaborat ion and
strengthen regional connectivity.
The agreement was reached at
the inaugural USIndiaJapan
Trilateral Ministerial dialogue
The three nations have agreed to
bolster regional connectivity.
held here on the sidelines of the
70th UN General Assembly ses
freedom and prosperity, driving the
sion.
US Secretary of State John Kerry hosted advent of a new era when IndoPacic
the dialogue with Indian External Affairs region becomes the epicenter of global
Minister Sushma Swaraj and Japanese prosperity," said Kishida.
"The trilateral partnership of the US,
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida.
Representing a quarter of the world's pop India, and Japan has an extremely impor
ulation and economic production power, tant role to play in pulling this new era
the three countries highlighted their forward," he said.
The joint statement said the three minis
shared support for peace, democracy,
prosperity, and a rulesbased internation ters also underscored the importance of
al order, according to a joint statement. international law and peaceful settlement
The three Ministers highlighted the grow of disputes; freedom of navigation and
ing convergence of their respective coun overight; and unimpeded lawful com
merce, including in the South China Sea, it
tries' interests in the IndoPacic region.
"It's an important moment for us to be said.
They reiterated their support for ASEAN
able to underscore our interest in the
IndoPacic region as part of India's East centrality in the multilateral political and
Asia policy, and also part of Japan's very security architecture in the AsiaPacic
act ive eng agement w ith South and region and emphasized the importance of
the East Asia Summit as the premier lead
Southeast Asia," said Kerry.
"For India, the Asia Pacic and the ers level forum for addressing key politi
Indian Ocean region is strategic to our cal and security issues of the region.
The three countries agreed to work
security and economic interests," said
together to maintain maritime security
Swaraj.
"The sea lanes of communication in the through greater collaboration, the state
region are the lifetime the lifeline of ment said.
The US and India welcomed Japan's par
India's trade and commercial externali
ties." "To realize our mutual objectives, we ticipation in the 2015 MALABAR exercise.
intend to grow our exchanges into com Recognizing the three countries' extensive
plete trilateral engagement in other areas, disaster response capabilities and con
including regional connectivity and verging interests, the three sides agreed
humanitarian assistance in disaster situa to convene an expertslevel group on
humanitarian assistance and disaster
tion," she said.
"The Pacic and the Indian Oceans are relief to enhance ability to respond jointly
beginning to link together as oceans of to complex disasters.

22

October 3-9, 2015

BUSINESS

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Indiabuilt biggest warship INS Kochi commissioned


Mumbai: India's biggest indigenously built
warship, INS Kochi, was commissioned to the
Indian Navy here by Defense Minister
Manohar Parikkar this week.
Parikkar described the 7,500 tonnes ves
sel, capable of speeds of 30 knots, to be "as
good as any foreign ship".
INS Kochi has been built as the second in
the series of the three KolkataClass (Project
15A) Guided Missile Destroyers at the
Mazagon Docks Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai at a
cost of Rs.4,000 crore, and joins the Indian
Navy fleet as its 10th destroyer.
The first of the KolkataClass destroyers,
INS Kolkata was commissioned in August
2014, while the third and final INS Chennai
is due for induction by end2016.
These will be followed by a megaproject
of nearly Rs.30,000 crore to construct four
more stealth destroyers at the MDL. INS
Ko chi, designed by the Indian Navy's
Directorate of Naval Design, incorporates
major advancements in weapons, sensors
and manoeuvring capabilities compared to
its forerunner, the Delhi Class. Spanning 164

metres and 17 metres at the beam, it is pow


ered by four gas turbines which can achieve
at least 30 knots speed.
The warship comes armed with a wide
range of stateoftheart weapons like a verti
cal launch missile system for long distance
engagement of shore and seabased targets.
It is only the second Indian Naval warship
to have a MultiFunction Surveillance and
Threat Alert Radar (MFSTAR) which provide
target data to Long Range SurfacetoAir
Missile systems (LRSAM). The MFSTAR and
LRSAM have been jointly developed by
DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd.
To protect itself from incoming airborne or
surface attacks at medium and close range,
the ship has been fitted with 76 mm Super
Rapid Gun Mount, AK630 Close In Weapon
System, BrahMos surfacetosurface missiles,
indigenous rocket launchers (IRL), indige
nous twintube torpedo launchers and bow
mounted new generation HUMSA Sonar
Dome. It can also operate two Sea King or
Chetak helicopters on board and accommo
date 40 officers and 350 sailors.

India's central bank more than


relents on interest rate cut

Mumbai: Springing a surprise,


the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
cut its shortterm lending rate by
50 basis points, but made a pitch
for passing it on to consumers in
the form of cheaper personal and
commercial credit. Stakeholders
expected a 25basispoint cut.
Soon after the rate cut
announcement, the country's
largest lender, the State Bank of
India (SBI), said it will cut its base
rate by 40 basis points effective
October. A similar indication was
g iven by some other banks,
notably ICICI Bank.
As per the decisions, the repur
chase rate, or the interest
charged on shortterm borrow
ings, was cut to 6.75 percent. But
it is clear that it will take com
mercial banks to lower their own
lending rates for personal, auto
mobile, housing and corporate
loans to also get reduced, trans
lating into lower EMIs.
The indexed reverse repo rate,
or the interest payable by the
central bank on shortterm
deposit, automatically stood
reduced to 5.75 percent. There
was no cut in the 4 percent cash
reserve ratio that banks have to

India Inc. was also elated by the


unexpected quantum of rate cut.
maintain in the form of liquid
assets and designated govern
ment securities.
"Markets have transmitted
Reserve Bank's past policy
actions via commercial paper
and corporate bonds, but banks
have done so only to a limited
extent," Reserve Bank Governor
Rag huram Rajan said in the
fourth bimonthly monetary poli
cy statement for the current fis
cal year.
"Median base lending rates of
banks have fallen by only about
30 basis points, despite extreme
ly easy liquidity conditions," the
governor said.

"This is a fraction of the 75


basis points of the policy rate
reduction during JanuaryJune,
even after a passage of eight
months since the first rate action
by the Reserve Bank. Bank
deposit rates have, however,
been reduced significantly, sug
gesting further transmission is
possible."
The governor also made some
significant announcements,
which boosted the market mood.
The limits for foreign funds'
investment in central govern
ment securities will be increased
in phases to 5 percent of the out
standing stock by March 2018.
This will make additional room
for investment of Rs.1,200 bil
lion, over and above the existing
limit of Rs.1,535 billion.
This apart, Indian corporates
will be permitted to issue rupee
denominated bonds with a mini
mum maturity of five years in
overseas locations within the
ceiling of foreign investment per
mitted in corporate debt set at
$51 billion at present.
"There shall be no restriction
on the end use of funds except a
small negative list."

India's biggest indigenously built warship, INS Kochi.

India gets 638 declarants


for $580mn black money
New Delhi: India's drive against
black money to get back illgot
ten wealth stashed
away by its citizens
abroad has drawn
responses from
638 declarants
for total assets
worth Rs.3,770
crore ($580
million), an
of ficial state
ment said on
Thursday.
The amnesty scheme ended
September 30. It called for a
tax of 30 percent and an equal
amount in penalty, that is to be
paid before December 31. The
compliance window opened on

July 1.
The of ficial statement said
the actual quantum of
declarat ion, under
what is called the Black
Money (Undisclosed
Foreign Income
and Assets) and
Imposition of
Tax Act, 2015,
was subject to
a final reconcil
iation.
India has no official estimate
about the quantum of black
money stashed away by
Indians abroad but unof ficial
estimates puts the sum some
where between $466 billion
and $1.4 trillion.

Modi announces New Delhi


San Francisco direct flights
San Jose: Prime Minister Narendra
Modi announced direct flights
between New De lhi and San
Francisco thrice a wee k from
December 2 this year. He made the
announcement at the SAP Centre
here.

Modi said from December 2, Air


India will run direct flights thrice a
week from Delhi to San Francisco.
In fact, Modi returned to the
stage to make the announcement
after he had ended his one hour
long speech.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

October 3-9, 2015

24 October 3-9, 2015

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

SPORTS

Dhoni to drive India's charge


against South Africa
Cricket Association Stadium (HPCA) on
the back of a T20 loss against India A in
their only warmup match.
However, they will aim to put that poor
performance behind them and look for a
positive start to the hectic tour.
The threematch T20 series is mostly
seen as a preparation for the upcoming
World Cup T20 in 2016 scheduled to be
played in India. Dhoni will be back into
the side after a gap of three months and
will aim to make the most of the prepara
tions ahead of the next year's tournament.
Youngsters Axar Patel, Sreenath Aravind
and Ambati Rayudu will be tested.
With India's batting lineup comprising
Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat
Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ajinkya Rahane being
the strength, the Proteas' bowlers need to
be disciplined to dismantle them in condi

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.


Dharamsala: India, aided by the return of
Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the limited
overs skipper, will aim for a winning start
against South Africa in the rst Twenty20

International (T20I) of their threematch


series here on Friday.
South Africa begin their 72day long
tour of India at the Himachal Pradesh

tions favouring the batsmen.


South Arica's batsmen like skipper Faf
du Plessis, AB de Villiers, J.P. Duminy,
Quinton de Kock, David Miller will aim to
use their Indian Premier League (IPL)
experience as much as possible in the
three T20 matches.
Legspinner Imran Tahir will come into
play on the turning tracks and can turn
out to be the visiting team's best bet at
taking wickets.
India, on the other hand, have a strong
bow ling lineup, w ith spin trio of
Harbhajan Sing h, Amit Mishra,
Ravichandran Ashwin leading the lines,
assisted by pacers Mohit Sharma and
Sreenath Aravind.
With both teams looking strong on
paper, one cracker of a contest can be
expected.

Manohar sole candidate for


BCCI presidency
New Delhi: Former
president Shashank
Manohar is the sole
candidate for the top
post of the Board of
Control for Cricket in
India (BCCI), which
has fallen vacant after
the
demise
of
Jagmohan Dalmiya,
its secretary, Anurag
Thakur, said.
T hakur also said
BCCI has called a
Special
General
Meet ing (SGM) in
Mumbai on October 4
Former BCCI president Shashank Manohar.
at 2 p.m. where a
decision regarding the vacant chair will be for the BCCI president's post. A decision
taken adding scrutiny of the nominations regarding it will be taken in BCCI's SGM in
Mumbai on October 4," Thakur said.
will be done a day ahead of the meeting.
Thakur made this announcement during
The BCCI chief 's chair has been lying
vacant since Dalmiya died in Kolkata on an innings' break while witnessing the
September 20. As per BCCI's constitution, India A vs South Africans T20 practice
a notication for a SGM to nominate a suc match being played here.
Manohar emerged as a consensus candi
cessor has to be issued within 15 days of
date among East Zone units whose turn it
the incumbent's death.
Manohar, a lawyer by profession, earlier is to nominate a president till 2017. Any
candidate for the BCCI top job will need a
held the post from 2008 to 2011.
"Shashank Manohar is the only candidate proposer from the eastern region.

SaniaMartina in doubles
semis of Wuhan Open
Wuhan (China): Leading women's doubles
pair Sania MirzaMartina Hingis entered
the seminals of the Wuhan Open tennis
tournament here.
The top seed duo defeated fth seeded
American pair of Raquel KopsJones and
Abigail Spears 62, 62 in the last eight
stage in only 58 minutes.

Sania and Hingis earlier beat Polish


Australian pair of Klaudia JansIgnacik and
Anastasia Rodionova 63, 62 in the sec
ond round.
The IndoSwiss pair recently won the
Guangzhou Open. T hey have won an
impressive six titles together including tri
umphs at Wimbledon and US Open.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

October 3-9, 2015

26

October 3-9, 2015

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

FEATURES

From Mozart to Subbulakshmi, music therapy


fast catching up with Indian doctors
By Nishant Arora
New Delhi: Be it legendary Mozart's sooth
ing symphonies, mesmerizing classical ren
ditions from the doyen of Carnatic music MS
Subbulakshmi or tranquil instrumental
tunes, music therapy is increasingly being
used for patients suffering from depression,
anxiety, autism, chronic pain, Alzheimer's,
coronary artery disease and even cancer in
India.Worldwide, speciallytrained musicians
are emerging as music therapists to help
patients, especially in chronic and painful
conditions, to help patients recover faster.
Although there are not many trained ther
apists available in the hospital setting in
India at present, the trend globally is slowly
catching up w ith the Indian health
providers, who now realize the clinical and
evidencebased benefits of music.
"Many a time, music is being used along
side other therapies, particularly in patients
suf fering from depression and anxiety.
Music is also being used as part of therapy
for children suf fering from autism and
patients suffering from auditory hallucina
tions alongside medication," explained Dr
Sameer Malhotra, director (mental health
and behavioral sciences) from Max Super
Speciality Hospital in New Delhi.
"We are also using light instrumental
music and even Indian classical music for
relaxation and as part of therapies for
patients suffering from depression, anxiety
or undergoing other treatments," he told
IANS.
Listening to "relaxing music" has been
shown to reduce stress and anxiety in
healthy patients undergoing invasive med
ical procedures like surgery, colonoscopy
and dental procedures or patients coping
with coronary heart disease and cancer.

Patients undergoing music therapy with Dr Nupur Gupta


from Well Woman Clinic in Gurgaon.
During psychiatric consultations, Dr Jyoti
Kapoor, consultant psychiatrist at Paras
Hospital in Gurgaon, often advises patients
to pick music of their choice to induce sleep
or use peppy music to motivate them to
exercise. "One of my patients with alcohol
addiction was able to reduce alcohol craving
by pursuing his singing hobby when the
cravings hit hard. Over a period of time, he
completely stopped drinking in the evenings
and instead trained himself further in
music," she said.
Dancing is another component of behav
ioral response to music that has helped
another patient of her with depression to
recover completely.
"Listening to music releases neurochemi
cals through the limbic system (brain struc
tures that deal with emotions as well as
memories). It also restores the neurochemi

cal balance. The recovery depends on the


genre of music being applied so we have to
be careful in selecting music according to
patient's needs," Dr Malhotra explains.
Music therapy covers all aspects of the
patients like physical, emotional, mental,
spiritual, cognitive and social needs.
"After assessing the strengths and needs
of each client, the qualified music therapist
can provide the indicated use including cre
ating, singing, moving to, and/or listening to
music," elaborates Dr Nupur Gupta, gynecol
ogist and obstetrician from Well Woman
Clinic in Gurgaon.
Music reduces levels of stress hormone
called cortisol. Additionally, there are
changes that occur in other neurohormones
related to the mood states of mind.
Dopamine is one such hormone that is
involved in producing the pleasurable sensa

tions, thus enhancing positive emotions and


diminishing depressive states.
"For example, there is evidence suggesting
an ef fect of Mozart's music on dopamine
system which reduces depression. However,
there are factors that determine the effect
of music and these include the personality
and the cognitive traits of a person," informs
Dr Shilpa Aggarwal, consultant child and
youth psychiatrist from Nanavati Super
Speciality Hospital in Mumbai.
"Receptive therapy takes place in a more
relaxed setting where the therapist plays or
makes music to the patient who is free to
draw, listen or meditate. Usually the thera
pist determines the method unless specifi
cally requested by the patient," adds Dr
Gupta.
"Live piano and even recorded instrumen
tal music have been the most useful in my
clinical practice," she said.
"Music therapy also helps stabilize moods,
identify a range of emotions and improve
selfexpression," elaborates cardiologist Dr
Lekha Pathak, also the executive president
of the Heart Foundation of India.
There is plenty of evidence for music ther
apy reducing depressive symptoms in adult
population when compared to placebo and
psychotherapy.
"We have seen that children with behav
ioral and emotional problems who received
music therapy had significantly improved
se lfesteem and significantly reduced
depression compared w ith those who
received treatment without music therapy,"
Dr Aggarwal notes.
Music therapy is now becoming main
stream with the Indian healthcare system.
The day may not be far when professional
music therapists become fulltimers at hos
pitals, say health experts.

Restored Ashoka Stupa in China symbolizes


India's propagation of Buddhism
By Sirshendu Panth
Nangchen (China): Radiant in its
grandeur and serene in its effect, a
newly inaugurated restored Ashoka
Stupa in this remote Himalayan
town close to Tibet symbolizes the
missionary zeal of Indians to spread
the message of Buddhism ages ago.
Beckoning tourists and pilgrims
alike, the domeshaped shrine,
whose complex includes a newly
installed giant 35 meter statue of
Lord Buddha atop a temple dedicat
ed to him, stands in this mystic land
of monks and yogis, around 3,600
meters above sea level in China's
Qinghai province neighboring
Tibetan Chamdo district.
The stupa was restored by follow
ers of Gyalwang Drukpa, the
Ladakhbased Indian spiritual chief
of the Drukpa lineage of Buddhism,
with support from the Fu Rui
Charitable Foundation accredited

by the Chinese government, mark


ing out the $25 million project as a
significant milestone in ChinaIndia
cooperation.
Contributions also came from
many Asian devotees of the Drukpa,
including renowned industrialists
like the Lim family of Singapore.
Amid chanting of hymns, reading
from the Buddhist scriptures, and
the presence of over three lakh
devotees from across the world, the
Drukpa formally inaugurated and
consecrated the temple and the
stupa alongside senior monks.
Chinese of ficials and Indian Lok
Sabha member Vinod Sonkar
graced the occasion.
Drukpa hoped it would he lp
improve ChinaIndia relations as
per Prime Minister Narendra Modi's
wish. "Yes, this will be a very good
contribution towards the PMs wish
and be beneficial for bilateral ties
between India and China," he said.

The original stupa was set up in


Nangchen an important centre of
trade and politics in what was then
eastern Tibet by Buddhist mis
sionaries carrying the message of
India's third Maurya emperor
Ashoka the Great, who ruled from
65238 B.C. or 273232 B.C.
Ashoka had divided the relics of
Lord Buddha into 84,000 stupas
and despatched missionaries and
close relatives across India and
abroad to propagate Buddhism and
promote peace.
As per records of the Tang
dynasty which ruled China between
608 A.D. and 907 A.D., 19 such stu
pas existed in China, but most of
these gave way due to natural wear
and tear, human negligence, or
were shifted to other locations.
Locals say the original Nangchen
Stupa said to be 2,000odd years
old was destroyed during the
Chinese Cultural Revolution when

people took away the foundation


rocks to make their own homes and
over time, the structure became
unrecognizable.
The restored stupa is a grand,
multilevel ornate structure, before
which stands the remains of an
original rock edict of Ashoka detail
ing the features.
"The newly restored stupa has
five levels. It contains five million
small stupas made by the locals
over a period of three years. The
stupa itself documents the develop
ments in the history of the stupa, all
five stages of Buddha's lives are
depicted through murals, and the
eight different types of stupas com
moerate the eight fold path of
Buddhism," said monk Yeshe
Namgyal.
One hundred and fifty thousand
mani sones and 160,000 engrav
ings of Tripitakas containing
Buddha's teachings are other high

The restored stupa in Nangchen


town near Tibet.
lights. T he 35metre Amitabha
Buddha statue on the top of the
temple has been donated by Felix
Lim, chairman of Maz Energy
Private Limited of Singapore.
"The Drukpa told my wife that he
has dreams to install a stature of
Buddha. My wife informed me. I ini
tially thought of an earthen stature.
Then his holiness said he wanted
something which would exist for
hundreds of years. So we made this
statue of mixed alloy.
"I contributed to this out of love
for my wife and reverence for His
Holiness," said Lim.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD

October 3-9, 2015

27

Hope we live upto expectations


with 'Tamasha': Deepika

ctress Deepika Padukone


hopes that the team of
Tamasha is able to live
upto the expectations that the
trailer of the Imtiaz Ali directori
al has generated.
"There are a lot of expectations
from the film. I hope we live up
to all those expectat ions,"
Deepika said on the sidelines of
an event.
The actress was last seen in the
role of a Bengali architect who

Konkana won the best actress


trophy for the film Kadambari.
engali movie Kadambari
has bagged two major
awards at the Washington
DC South Asian Film Festival,
including the best film honor and
the best actress trophy for
Konkona Sensharma, while
India's Oscars entry Court took
home the best director gong for
Chaitanya Tamhane.
Kadambari, directed by Suman
Ghosh, also stars Parambrata
Chatterjee and is based on the
life of late poet Rabindranath
Tagore and his controversial rela
tionship with his sisterinlaw
Kadambari Devi.
An e lated Konkona took to
Twitter to share the news with
her fans. "T hrilled to have

er has earned positive feedback, I


hope the audience would enjoy
the movie as much as they
enjoyed 'Yeh Jawaani Hai
Deewani'."
Tamasha w ill re lease on
November 27. Meanwhile, she's
also filming Sanjay Lee la
Bhansali's historical romance
Bajirao Mastani, in which she
plays Mastani. The film is sched
uled to be released on December
18.

'Court', Konkona
win big at South
Asian Film
Festival
received Best Actress award at
the Washington DC South Asian
Film Festival! Court, a poignant
commentary on India's judicial
system, is Tamhane's directorial
debut. Besides being sent for
88th Oscars as the country's
nominee in the best foreign film
category, it won the National
Award for the best movie, earlier
this year. The threeday festival
(September 2527) closed with
w ith a movie Roug h Book,
directed by Ananth Narayan
Mahadevan. The audience was
also treated with a short film
Interior Cafe Night by veteran
actor Naseeruddin Shah. The fest
also paid a tribute to late film
maker Rituparno Ghosh.

Aishwarya a remarkable
handson mother
ilmmaker Sanjay Gupta feels Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is good at
balancing her work commitments along with her motherly duties. He says she is a
remarkable handson mother, who smoothly juggles her work.
Aishwarya is making her comeback on the silver screen with Gupta's film "Jazbaa".
Recalling an incident from the shooting of the
crime thriller, the filmmaker said in a statement:
Once Aaradhya was unwell. I felt guilty shooting
so I of fered to cancel the shoot but Aishwarya
insisted we carry on.
We were shooting all night when at 3 a.m. her
staff came running and said: 'Shes just vomited'.
When I inquired who had vomited, the staff said
its Aaradhya. T hats when we realized that
Aaradhya had been in the van on location all
through the shoot."
The family was out of town and Aishwarya did
nt want to disrupt the movie schedule. So she
Aishwarya with daughter
brought her along instead of cancelling the shoot.
Aaradhya.
If I were in her place, Id have cancelled the shoot.
I wouldnt want to take my unwell child to work. Nobody would do that, he added.
Praising Aishwaryas dedication as a parent, Gupta said: Shes a remarkable handson
mother, father, doctor, nanny, and nurse all rolled into one.
Produced by Zee Studios, Viiking Media and Entertainment and White Feather Films,
Jazbaa, which also stars Irrfan Khan, is slated to release on October 9.

cares for her hypochondriac


father in Shoojit Sircar's comedy
drama Piku.
Talking more about Tamasha,
in which she stars with Ranbir
Kapoor, the 29yearold actress
said: "Tamasha' is a very differ
ent film from 'Yeh Jawaani Hai
Deewani'. For me, this is a dream
team.
"I always wanted to work
together with Imtiaz and to have
Ranbir as a costar... As the trail

The Imtiaz Ali directorial will release on Nov 27.

Akshay Kumar: I will never direct


uperstar Akshay Kumar has produced
many films under his home production
Hari Om Entertainment but the "Khiladi"
star says he has no plans of turning director.
The 48yearold Baby actor, who has com
pleted 25 years in the industry, wants to do
more varied roles and produce good films. "My
journey of 25 years has been great. I have
managed to spend so many years in the indus
try that means I am doing good work. I will try
to stay in this industry and do different roles
and produce films. But, I will never direct,"
Akshay said during the promotion of his
upcoming film, Singh is Bliing.
In the film, which releases this Friday, the
star will be seen opposite British modelactress
Amy Jackson. Akshay says importing artists
from abroad does not mean India is short of
talented people.
"There is nothing like Indian actresses won't
be able to pull of action scenes. In the film the
girl doesn't understands Hindi and Amy was
perfect in that case.
"Our Prime Minister is trying to bring inter
national companies to our country so that we
grow more, similarly we want to make our
industry international and bring in talent from

The Khiladi Kumar will soon be seen in the


movie Singh is Bling.
overseas. We want this import of international
talent to be seen positively."
The actor, who faced flak during Anees
Bazmee's Singh is King, also got stuck in some
issues during Prabhudheva's directorial ven
ture, but has finally managed to get clearance
from the concerned authorities.
"There have been no problem with Singh is
Bliing. Some small issue was there initially, but
now the film has been cleared by Shiromani
Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and
Censor Board," he said.

28

October 3-9, 2015

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

HUMOR

Humor with Melvin Durai

GIVING A BOOST TO DONALD TRUMP

t was a curious sight, three Mexican


American men standing outside the
United States Capitol in Washington,
D.C., all wearing business suits and som
breros. Jos Rivera, the leader of the group,
kept glancing at his watch, while Gabriel
Santos and Miguel Avila looked at their
phones.
Are you sure no one else is coming?
Rivera asked.
Positive, Santos said.
Okay, lets display the banner and try to
look enthusiastic. We may get attention
from the media.
They unfurled a large banner and held it
up for all visitors to the Capitol to see:
MexicanAmericans for Donald Trump!
Do you think we should chant some
thing? Avila asked.
No, this is enough, Rivera said. I just
wish we had more people here. Wasnt
your brother supposed to come, Miguel?
Yes, he was going to come, but then he
heard what Mr. Trump said about us.
What did Mr. Trump say? Santos asked.
He said some of us are good people,
Rivera said.
Avila shook his head. I wish thats all he
said. Let me bring it up on my phone.
Heres what he said: When Mexico sends

its people, theyre not sending their best.


Theyre sending people that have lots of
problems and theyre bringing those prob
lems with us. T heyre bringing drugs.
T heyre bring ing crime. And some, I
assume, are good people.
Santos chuckled. So thats why.
Thats why what? Rivera asked.
Thats why I couldnt get any of my
friends to come to this rally. I sent an invi
tation yesterday to all 200 of my Facebook
friends, and by the end of the day, all but
one had unfriended me. And she sent me a
message saying, Are you feeling okay, my
son? Maybe you need to see a doctor.'
Your dad unfriended you too, huh?
Avila asked.
My dad is really upset. Hes threatening
to take me off his will. I tried to tell him
why Im doing it, but he wouldnt listen.
Its tough to convince people, Rivera
said, but we shouldnt give up.
Ive got an idea, boss, Avila said. Maybe
we should buy a few mannequins. We can
get brown ones that look like Mexicans.
Rivera shook his head. We already tried
that in Texas. We had five mannequins. It
worked for a while, until the damn CNN
reporter decided to ask one of them a ques
tion. I tried to tell him that they dont

speak English, but then he asked them a


question in Spanish and they had the same
blank look.
Santos smiled. Youve gotta be careful.
Mr. Trump will say that were all dummies.
Thats enough, Gabriel, youd better
hush now, Rivera said. Were starting to
get some attention.
A group of tourists had stopped to take
photos of the men. One woman, visiting
from Winnipeg, Canada, even took a selfie.
I knew wed see some amazing sights in
D.C., she whispered to her husband, but I
never thought wed see an endangered
species. I heard that there are fewer than
100 of them in the entire United States.
The media soon heard about the rally
and before long the three men were sur
rounded by 3,000 reporters and photogra
phers. CNN sent a helicopter up to give
viewers an aerial view of the spectacle. An
incredible sight in Washington, D.C., this
morning, Wolf Blitzer told viewers.
MexicanAmericans supporting Donald
Trump. This gives a real boost to his presi

dential campaign.
Rivera answered dozens of questions
from reporters, including one from CNN
national correspondent Suzanne Malveaux
: After all Donald Trump has said about
Mexicans, how can you still support him?
Hes going to create millions of jobs and
make the economy great, Rivera said.
Hes going to make sure every American
has a good job, nice house and great hair
like his.
But he wants to build a wall across the
U.S.Mexico border, Malveaux said.
Yes, thats true, Rivera said. But whom
do you think hes going to hire to build that
wall?
When the rally finally ended, almost two
hours later, the men rolled up their banner,
dof fed their sombreros and strode down
Maryland Avenue, past the U.S. Botanic
Garden. As they turned onto 3rd Street,
Rivera took a wad of cash out of his pocket
and handed $500 to each man. Good job,
guys, he said. Mr. Trump says hell pay us
a little more next time.

Laughter is the Best Medicine


BEST
RATE
FOR
INDIA
AND
PAKISTAN
New York Head Quarter
422S Broadway
HICKSVILLE
NY 11801

5168271010

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

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

ASTROLOGY

October 3-9, 2015

29

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


Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899
psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com

By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma

OCTOBER 39, 2015


ARIES : The efforts of people aspiring to
join interior designing course are likely to
be handsomely rewarded. You are likely to
be benefited as family members positively
respond. Important people will be ready to finance
anything that has a special class to it. Love works
like a panacea as you find sanity. A beneficial
week to work on things that will improve your
health. Travelling with kids can be a challenge, try
to reduce the stress and nerves. Purchasing offi
cial accessories can lead to improve growth of
your office. You are likely to help people navigat
ing through rough patches of life.
TAURUS : Make sure you dont forget to
motivate and guide enthusiastic &
inquisitive minds at work. Parents and
friends will do their best to keep you happy.
Property dealings would materialize helping in
bringing fabulous gains. If possible avoid wear
ing clothes, which could of fend love partner.
Your confidence and energy will be high in this
week. Travel plans for better communication
will be helpful for new horizons. Inheriting
property from your relatives seems to be ahead.
The ability to swiftly tackle problems is likely to
bring recognition.
GEMINI: Chances of misleading by com
petitors in business are high. A promis
ing week to plan things for your proge
ny. You are likely to earn monetary gains
through various sources. Love partner touches
soul that would take imagination to unlimited
heights. A week when smile will perpetually be
on your face and strangers will seem familiar.
Business or vacation travelling is what you
needed right now. Your income can be doubled
by renting your house or a part of your house.
You devote much of your time in physical as
well as mental activities.

CANCER: Leadership qualities and abili


ty to understand people would benefit
at work. You would be the centre of
attraction at a social gathering that you attend
especially with family. Increase in income from
past investment is foreseen. Someones timely
help would enable visualizing succeeding in love.
Your energy level will be high. Better to channel
ize it in a positive direction. Implementation of
new ideas to travel will be beneficiary for you on
work front. It would be beneficial if you plan to
buy a small property. You are likely to remain
agile despite a hectic week.
LEO: At work you will be perfect in
whatever you do in this week. You would
prefer to relax and enjoy the company
of family members in the evening.
Unexpected travel for some proves hectic &
stressful, but financially rewarding. Romantic
imagination would keep you in a jovial & cheer
ful mood. Positive outlook impresses those
around you besides keeping you fit & fine.
Travel plans for ambitions are in full bloom.
Real estate is one thing on which you can rely
on to invest. Thinking pleasant things would
make you feel better.
VIRGO: Support and appreciation from
seniors would raise your morale and
confidence. You move with new excite
ment & confidence as you receive support from
family and friends. Expenditure rises but rise in
income takes care of your immediate bills. The
company of love partner makes you forget
about the work. Charity work undertaken will
bring mental peace & comfort. A beckon desti
nation sounds tempting to you. Investment on
construction business would flourish your
income. You are likely to work to your fullest
satisfaction.

3rd October, 2015


Ruled planet: Jupiter Ruled by no: 3
Traits in you: As your governing planet is Jupiter, you
are intelligent, dignified, dynamic, simple, ambitious,
and optimistic.You are very whimsical towards your
work. However, you need to eradicate few negative
characteristics such as jealousy, rude, irresponsibility.
Health this year: You will be going through a not so
very good health this year around. You might need to
take proper care of your health by frequently visiting
your doctor for medical checkups. You need to adhere
to the medications prescribed by the doctors for your
betterment.
Finance this year: You may be in a very good financial
groove this year as you will find profit everywhere you
go for investment. You may start few new ventures if
you are into hardcore business. You might have to take
few important decisions to go for the opportunities pro
vided. You may invest on real estate and stocks this year.
Career this year: If you are a very keen learner, then
you may get the chance to prove yourself at a higher
level. You will enhance your skills and impress your
employer to get better professional benefits. You may
get a good performance appraisal or a promotion,
which will encourage you to work even hard.
Romance this year: If you are yet to be in a marital rela
tionship, there is a healthy chance for you to get into
one. Your romantic life may take a leap this year if you
are married. You should not get involved in any kind of
confrontation or argument with your beloved as it may
weaken your relationship.
Lucky month: March, July and September

ship with your partner. You should plan for surprise


outings to make your relationship grow stronger.
Lucky month: February, June and October

LIBRA: A very good week to apply for


overseas job. Family front seems to go
smoothly as you receive their full sup
port to your plans. Monetary gains from
unplanned sources will brighten your week.
Sudden romantic encounter will lift your spir
its. Meditation and selfrealization prove bene
ficial. Planning a trip for your love will
embrace you and your spouse. Dealings for
older propert ies can be in pro cess.
Interactions with strangers would bring a
newer kind of joy.
SCORPIO : Promotions and monetary
benefits for dedicated professionals.
You find relief, comfort and affection in
the company of family members. New money
making opportunit ies w ill be lucrat ive.
Attending a social event/family function
brings a romantic encounter. You will have
ample time to do things to improve your
health.
Enjoy your holiday with love of your life. Your
possession for acquiring a plot might be
achieved. Failures are likely to be stepping
stones for success.
SAGITTARIUS: Pending proposals will
get implemented with the help of sen
iors. Time spent with relatives will be
to your advantage. You get some finan
cial rewards as dedication & hard work gets
noticed. Dont worry everything changes with
time so will your romantic life. Sound physical
health will enable to participate in outdoor
activities. Romantic destinations seems
appealing to you.
If you invest on smaller properties then it can
be beneficiary for future investments. You will
devote time to improve behaviour and learn
new things.

CAPRICORN : Good week for imple


menting new plans and ventures. If
possible share the company of close
relatives who understand your feelings and
needs. Monetary gains are likely to be from
more than one source.
Your physical charm would catch the attrac
tion of opposite sex. Make sure you avoid
everything that affects your health. Travel for
fun and pleasure is what you demand. Your
plan to own a house is ought to be in the right
way. Planning to visit a pilgrimage is on the
cards.
AQUARIUS : Subordinates/coworkers
would be very helpful. Family mem
bers will be very positive & support
ive to your plans. A new financial deal gets
finalized paving the way for fresh money. Love
life blossoms paving the way for lovely times
ahead. You will be successful in getting rid
from tensions.
Small journey with your office colleagues will
be interesting. Plan to invest in cafeteria or a
bakery shop; it might create new opportunities
for you. You are likely to learn the benefit of
being enthusiastic.
PISCES : Travelling brings new over
seas business opportunities. Relatives
will be willing to lend a helping hand at
the time of need. Financial position will
improve later in the wee k. A romant ic
encounter is likely to add spice to life. A
sparkling laughter filled week when most
things proceed, as you desire. Your boss may
ask you for your company to a friends party.
You might apply for bank loan as to get back
the possession of your mortgaged property.
Ef forts on the path of progress would keep
stagnation away.

ANNUAL PREDICTIONS: FOR THOSE BORN IN THIS WEEK

4th October, 2015


Ruled planet: Uranus Ruled by no: 4
Traits in you: With the influence of Uranus, you are
born active and lucky. By nature you are dynamic, reli
able, honorable, dignified, enthusiastic, decisive, and
very cooperative. However, you need to work on your
stubbornness and frequent mood swings.
Health this year: You would not remain satisfied as far
your health is concerned as minor illness may disturb
you throughout this year. To avoid these health issues,
you need to take care of your health by taking healthy
food and medicines at time. You may go for yoga and
meditation.
Finance this year: You will be among ample financial
benefits throughout this year. You will find new source
of income and it will bring you lot of money and scope
to expand your business. You may try your hands in
various investment plans as you may get enough
returns due to your favoring star movement.
Career this year: You are destined to get plenty of good
fortune and fame. Your dedication towards your work
and efficiency may bring you exceptional success. You
may get promoted to a managerial position and that
will of course result in a handsome hike in your salary.
Romance this year: You may get into matrimonial
alliance towards the last few months of the year. If you
are married, you will enjoy a blissful romantic relation

5th October, 2015


Ruled planet: Mercury Ruled by no: 5
Traits in you: As your ruling planet is the Mercury, you
are born realistic, intelligent, simple, focused, caring,
determined, and courageous. As you are very helpful,
people trust you very soon and you enjoy a good
impression in your friends circle. However, you need to
work on your stubbornness and jealousy to become a
better individual.
Health this year: Your health may remain the same as it
was during the last year. You may improve a bit with
medication and diet control. You may practice medita
tion and yoga for better results. Do not neglect the
health of your family members as well as they may fall
ill frequently this year and you may remain bothered
for the same.
Finance this year: You may find yourself in financial
benefits. However, you need to take enough toil to
make this happen. You may go for various new propos
als and assignments, which would improve your income
and prosperity. There may be a huge rise in expenses,
but you will be able to meet those with your increased
earnings.
Career this year: You will be successful in every project
you take up this year. You may be adjudged the best
employee by your higher management because of your
ef ficiency, hard work, and timely delivery. You may
need to negotiate with different types of customer and
learn a lot about handling a project independently.
Romance this year: Your marital relationship will move
on smoothly. If you are yet to marry, you may fall into a
romantic relationship this year. You may get into a mar
ital alliance if you are already into a relationship. You
will be leading a blissful romantic life with your spouse
or partner with lots of love, care, and concern.
Lucky month: December, May and July
6th October, 2015
Ruled planet: Venus Ruled by no: 6
Traits in you: As you are ruled by Venus, you are simple,
generous, cheerful, humble, honest and peace loving.
You are pretty interested to stay in harmony with each
and everyone in your surroundings. You need to work
on your nature of being restless and pessimistic.
Health this year: Your health would be moderate this
time. You may not have the privilege to take the diet of
your wish as the doctor would prescribe to avoid that.
You may practice yoga and meditation along with your
prescribed medicines for better results.
Finance this year: Your expectations for financial gains
may not convert to reality as you have to spend a mod
erate financial life this year. Do not invest huge amount
on anything as you may go in loss. You should wait for
the right time to invest on anything. You should not
lend money to anyone as it may create financial crisis
for yourself.

Career this year: As far as your professional life is con


cerned, you are expected to get a lot of opportunities
throughout this year. However, you have to work hard
and efficiently to convert those opportunities. Being a
quick decision maker, you may have to decide on many
critical matters in your professional circle.
Romance this year: You may try and convert your long
time romantic relationship to a married one. You will be
enjoying a great life with your spouse with lots of
understanding, love, and care. You need not get into any
kind of argument with your beloved this year.
Lucky month: April, August, October, November
7th October, 2015
Ruled planet: Neptune Ruled by no: 7
Traits in you: Your ruling planet Neptune makes you
intelligent, adaptable, charming, independent, humble,
decisive, courteous, and courageous. Along with many
positive characters, you also have few negatives. You
need to work on your carefree and dominating attitude
towards others to get respect and attention in your
friend circle.
Health this year: You need to take an appropriate care
of your health. You may fall sick in the middle months
of the year though those will not be serious. If you are a
sportsperson, you need to be very careful for your diet
and nutrition to perform better in your sporting events.
Finance this year: You will be financially profited from
you long term past investments. Your legal issues will
be solved to give you a huge amount of money. You
may end up spending a lot of money on your family
members this year though you will earn a handsome
amount. You may go for investments to get benefited in
future.
Career this year: Professionally, you are a very smart
and efficient worker. So you may need to clarify doubts
and help you peers and juniors in their work. People in
your professional circuit will seek your help at every
crucial situation. You may get promoted as a result of
your spectacular performance throughout the year. You
may be assigned a new responsibility this year. You
may go for a job change as well as there will be plenty
of opportunities available.
Romance this year: You will be spending a peaceful and
content life with your beloved. During the last few
months of the year, you may have few misunderstand
ings, which can be cleared and sorted out if you both sit
and try to listen each other.
Lucky month: January, March and September
8th October, 2015
Ruled planet: Saturn Ruled by no: 8
Traits in you: The influence of the planet Saturn makes
you creative, realistic, helpful, thoughtful, enthusiastic,
and optimistic. You should take care of your impatience
and jealousy to excel as an individual.
Health this year: You may fall sick often this year if you
do not take required preventive measures. You should
see your doctor once a month to check your health con
ditions and supplements if required. You should also

take care of the health of your family members by pro


viding them medical attention.
Finance this year: You may prosper financially with the
opportunity to earn as much as possible with new
sources of income. You may go for long distance busi
ness trips if you want success in your business. Be
aware of fraud investment agencies as you may end up
losing a huge amount of money. You are advised not to
lend money this year.
Career this year: Your hard work, dedication, and
efforts in your work will get reflected in your profes
sional hierarchy as you may go a step further towards
your promotion. You will be admired by your peers and
seniors this year for your performance and decision
making capabilities. Treat your ordinates respectfully
and try to help them in difficult situation as it would
help you in getting a better appraisal towards the end
of the year.
Romance this year: Your relationship with your partner
may reach to new heights this year as your love, trust,
care and concern will develop towards your beloved.
You may get married towards the end of this year if you
are yet to marry.
Lucky month: February, April and October
9th October, 2015
Ruled planet: Mars Ruled by no: 9
Traits in you: Your ruling planet Mars makes you
strong, determined, courageous, enthusiastic, intelli
gent, ambitious, and motivated. You have a strong dis
like towards fake people and fake emotions. You are a
huge fan of truth and cleanliness. You need to work on
your nature of showing dictatorship and being rude and
stubborn at times.
Health this year: As far as your health is concerned this
year, you may not remain healthy throughout the year.
There will be few hiccups in your health as you may
suffer from many minor diseases. If you want to stay
healthy, you should go for proper medication and a
healthy diet plan. You have to leave consuming alcohol
and smoking cigarettes.
Finance this year: You may go through sudden gains and
losses this year. However, you will be capable enough to
find out the source to earn ample amount of money.
Your financial condition will be improved for a long
term. If you are into business, you may enhance your
business to gain better profits. You should invest in real
estate this year as the chances of return are high.
Career this year: You will face huge challenges in your
professional field this year. There will be a lot of
changes in your professional life. You may remain dis
turbed about your profession. You may go for a new job
change as you would find the current work disgusting
and monotonous.
Romance this year: You will enjoy an improved life with
your partner with lot of love, care, & concern. You should
give time to your spouse or partner. If you are not mar
ried, you might have to wait as the movement of your
planets does not suggest a marital alliance this year.
Lucky month: January, March, July and October

30

October 3-9, 2015

SPIRITUAL AWARENESS

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

A Love That Lasts Forever

By Sant Rajinder Singh


Ji Maharaj

basic need for every human


being is to love and be loved.
Psychologists speak of our human
needs as food, clothing, shelter,
and safety. They also add the need
for love.
Love is the state when two enti
ties discover each other and find
an affinity of heart and soul. They
recognize their essential oneness.
Love is the expression of that
recognition that two are really one.
On this planet, to find love we
often look in the outer worldlove
from our parents, siblings and rel
atives. As we grow older, we seek
love from our friends. In adulthood
we seek the love of our spouse and
our children. Unfortunately, at
sometime in life, we also learn that
these loves are fleet ing.
Relationships change; children
move away; parents die.
Eventually, with each loss, the

loves of this world bring us sorrow.


At some point we turn to God for
relief from the suffering of the loss
of love. When God hears our cry,
God brings us to someone who can
show us that we always have Gods
love. Saints and Masters show us
that Gods love is eternal.
T he Masters who have come
through the ages have shown us a
way to find lasting love within.
They teach us meditation on the
inner Light and Sound so we can
experience deeper states of Gods
love for us. Because we cannot see
God with our outer eyes, God com
municates instruct ions to us
through a spiritual Master who
teaches us how to find God with
our inner eye.
Gods love is like sweet mango
nectar flowing into the cup of
ones soul. It is an allpervading
sweetness that permeates ones
being. It is filled with a life force or
vibration that uplifts the soul.
We know how some people drink
alcohol to get drunk or take drugs
to become high. They use chemical
means to make themselves feel
intoxicated. Although they are
looking for happiness, they fail to
realize that no matter how inebri
ated one can become with drugs or
alcohol, that state cannot equal a
fraction of the intoxication one
receives when tasting Gods love
within. Additionally, chemical

When we choose to love God instead of


the multiple temporary loves in the
universe, we discover a Beloved who is
with us even beyond the gates of death.
intoxication does not last and has
serious side effects for which one
suffers. However, the intoxication
we receive from God is lasting and
has no dangerous side effects.
Whoever tastes of godly love
wants to be in that state again and
again. It uplifts the soul far beyond
this physical world and carries one
through regions of bliss and divine
love.
Our situation is similar to a fish

whose whole existence is living in


the sea. There is nowhere the fish
can survive other than the sea.
Wherever the fish swims, it finds
the sea surrounding it. Whether
the fish swims up or down, left or
right, it finds itself still in the sea.
Likewise, God is an infinite sea
without any shore. God has no
beginning and no end. Like a fish
within the sea, our soul is always
immersed in God. There is no place

the soul can go where it is not sur


rounded by God. Whether the soul
is asleep or awake, standing or sit
ting, going right or left, inhabiting
a physical body in life or a spiritual
bo dy after life, it is always
immersed in God. Just as a fish
cannot live without the sea, the
soul cannot live without God. We
can become aware of our situation
and experience the ocean of Gods
love at all times through medita
tion. Once we realize that Gods
love for us is eternal, we begin to
understand its uniqueness. Gods
love for us does not wither with
time like a flower, nor does it turn
sour or sad like some worldly rela
tionships. Gods love withstands all
the tests of time.
When we choose to love God
instead of the multiple temporary
loves in the universe, we discover a
Be loved who is w ith us even
beyond the gates of death. We will
go with God to Gods true Abode.
There, we will live in eternal wed
lock with the true Beloved.

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj


is an internationally recognized
spiritual leader and Master of
Jyoti Meditation who affirms the
transcendent oneness at the heart
of all religions and mystic traditions, emphasizing ethical living
and meditation as building blocks
for achieving inner and outer
peace. www.sos.org.

EVERY BREATH IS IMPORTANT


By Sant Rajinder Singh
Ji Maharaj
arious scriptures from the
East tell us that we are born
into this world with a limited
number of breaths. When our
numbered breaths are up, our
soul leaves the body at the time of
death. What we do with those
breaths is up to us. We can con
sider our number of breaths like
capital or a bank account given to
us by God. Every moment we
make a choice about how to
spend our breaths. We can choose
to spend our capital wisely or
foolishly.
In this regard, there is a story
about a poor man who was given
a sandalwood forest by a rich
man for whom he did a favor. The
poor man did not realize the
value of the sandalwoo d and
began chopping it up for ordinary
lumber to build houses and sell
for firewood. After many years,
the rich man returned to see how
the poor man was doing, expect
ing that he would now be rich
from the sale of the expensive
sandalwood. He was shocked to

find the forest depleted and the


poor man still barely making
ends meet. Not having realized
the high value he could have got
ten for the sandalwood, he had
squandered his treasure away.
Likewise, we have been given a
sandalwood forest or the gift of a
number of breaths to benefit our
selves, our family, and all cre
ation.
Let us ask ourselves what we
are trading for each breath. Are
we using our breaths for some
thing that will be truly helpful?
To answer this question we need
to define our purpose and goal in
life. Whatever we decide will lay
down the tracks on which the
train of our life will go. Every per
son has the ability to choose
between going towards God or
away from God. Every person has
the choice of working towards
goals of a worldly nature or those
of a spiritual nature.
First of all, let us be grateful
and celebrate that we have been
born into this physical existence
as a human being. Recent scientif
ic studies estimate that there are
anywhere from 7 to 9 million
species of life. This bears out

By using our breaths for our spiritual


evolution and to help others we will
make the world we live in a better place.

what the ancient Hindus spoke of


when they said that there were
8.4 million species. This is where
the terms being on the wheel of
84 and the cycle of births and
rebirths come from. Science is
now confirming what ancient
sages told us thousands of years
ago.
Whether the actual number is 7

million, 8.4 million or 9 million,


the fact remains that there are
millions of life forms. Being in the
human form is a reason to cele
brate and should not be taken for
granted. It is in the human form
that the faculty exists to know
ourselves as soul and to know
God. Let us make the best of this
opportunity and not squander our

life away.
Most people devote the entire
gift of the human form to feeding
it, reproducing it, and keeping it
alive. However, our lives are pre
cious. Let us use the spiritual cap
ital of this birth and our remain
ing breaths to realize God. If we
use our breaths for our own spiri
tual development and for the bet
terment of the lives of others, we
will amass the spiritual rewards
of eternal love, bliss and peace. By
using our breaths for our spiritual
evolution and to help others, we
will make the world we live in a
better place.
Each day let us take some time
to keep our priorities straight. We
can write out our plan for the day,
giving time to our spiritual priori
ties of meditation, selfless service,
and ethical living. In this way, the
sandalwood forest we have been
given by God can be invested to
bring more good for ourselves
and for others. Let us be more
aware of how we use each
moment of our lives. In this way
our spiritual success of reuniting
our soul with God can be achieved
in the shortest possible time. The
choice is ours.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

October 3-9, 2015

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