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Apple founder Steve Jobs to step down as CEO Business, Page 24
Support for the Anna Hazare led Anti-Corruption movement in India has gripped NRIs all over the world. At the India Day Parade held on August 21 in Manhattan, a group of Indian Americans also marched to express their solidarity for the movement back home. (Photo: Ashok Vyas & Sheila Vyas)
Even after 11 days of fasting on water only, Gandhian Anna Hazare was unbending on his anti-corruption crusade.
Model of the paths of Hurricane Irene setting rain this summer which caused sewer overflows, outages, and traffic nightmares. Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano also warned residents to be prepared: This is a good time to get prepared again in your homes. Theres items that you should stock up on, those that need to move or possibly be evacuated, perhaps seniors should think about having their medications refilled and having enough on hand.
Community TheSouthAsianTimes.info
urricane Irene is predicted to hit the Tristate area on Sunday. Here is how to protect your family by being well-prepared against electric outages and other emergencies : Have a portable disaster supply kit Water bottles, food, blankets and pillows, first-aid kit and any medicine you need, toiletries, flashlight and extra batteries, radio or NOAA weather radio, cash (ATMs may not be available for several days). Have a plan Know if your home is vulnera-
ble to storm surges, flooding and wind; have a safe room/area. The safest area may not be in your home, but may be a shelter in your community.Know the route away from danger. Some communities have hurricane evacuation zones. Secure your home. Forget about taping your windows (This will not stop any objects hurled through the air by 90 mph winds). Have plywood custom-cut to fit your The Bharatanatyam arangetram of windows and pre-drill holes in Sooriya Sundaram was held at the Palace the plywood for screws. Theater, Waterbury, CT on August 6, Custom shutters can also be 2011. The 16-year-old is a student of the made ahead of time. Also, Velliyambalam School of Dance and has remove all dead or loose limbs trained with Guru Kaliamamani Narthaki from trees and shrubs on your Nataraj for 9 years. She is a junior at property. Cheshire High School. ents. Dr. Ronald Brenner, Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at St. Johns Episcopal Hospital, graciously addressed the eager, young students on hard work and dedication towards their education. Special recognition was given to valedictorian Michelle Lim for her outstanding performance in her pre-clinical work. The honored recipients were: Mark Abdelmalak Naila Karim Priya Anand Sameer Kermali Husnain Bukhari Omar Khan Sandeep Khurana Tony Koshy Satish Punnyamurthi Michelle Lim Kimberly Roskam Sandeep Lotay Heshan Wijegunaratne Roshen Monichan Shola Aruleba Karen Nguyen Afreen Aleem Maulik Patel Chelsea Briggs Sapna Patel David Brual Vipin Philip Jared Chowdhury Leocardy Pierre Izuchukwu Efobi Monique Saran Priscilla Espinoza Mihir Shah David Ibrahim Alexander Trussler The White Coat Ceremony is celebrated following each 5th semester by Xavier University School of Medicine. The staff,
XUSOM celebrates 21th White Coat Ceremony Story Continued from page 1 Stalnaker, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Dr. Manuel Flores, Dean of Clinical Sciences at XUSOM. In attendance were Dr. J.G. Bhatt, XUSOM Chancellor, G.S. Narula, esteemed member of the Board of Directors, and Ravishankar Bhooplapur, President of XUSOM, as well as proud friends and families of the recipi-
faculty and administration are very proud of this particular class of students and have very high hopes for all of them.University School of Medicine. The staff, faculty and administration are very proud of this particular class of students and have very high hopes for all of them. Anna Story Continued from page 1 tute for a comprehensive anti-corruption code. Gandhi, 41, also suggested that the Lokpal be given constitutional status equivalent to the Election Commission. Gandhis speech caused an uproar. But even as he hailed the soldier-turnedactivist for articulating the feelings of disillusionment over widespread corruption in India, Hazares aides insisted that their Jan Lokpal bill should be passed first. Saying he too favored constitutional status for the ombudsman, Hazare aide Shanti Bhushan said: First, let us at least have a legal (statutory) authority as demanded by Anna
XUSOM President Ravishankar Bhooplapur (left) and Chancellor J.G Bhat with the valedictorian Michelle Lim
Hazare. Added Hazare confidante Kiran Bedi: Show the intent behind these lofty ideas by taking the first step with the Jan Lokpal bill. After another day of disturbances in the Lok Sabha, the government announced that parliament will function Saturday, indicating that varying versions of the Lokpal bill will finally be discussed. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded a discussion in parliament on the various versions of the Lokpal bill under rules that entail voting. Concern continued to mount over the failing health of Hazare, who looked pale as he spent Friday mostly lying down. Occasionally he sat up and waved feebly to the thousands at the Ramlila ground. In New Delhi, a young man wearing an I Am Anna T-shirt entered the parliament complex and On Wednesday and Thursday, small groups demonstrated outside Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs official residence, prompting the authorities to shut down four Delhi Metro stations for a few hours.
Designed by Aishwarya Ratan to help rural microcredit lenders keep better records, this slate digitizes entries as they are handwritten in a ledger, then displays and speaks the recorded amounts. 30, was selected for his work on affordable speech synthesizers He is currently working with the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, to improve the quality of the speech synthesis. He also plans to use mobile app stores to distribute a version of his
Piya Sorcar for Teachaids software that can be localised to teach taboo topics software with about 90 percent of the full Avaz system's functionality. Aishwarya Ratan, 30, was working with Microsoft Research in Bangalore when she won the prestigious honor for her work on converting paper records to digital in real time. Ratan has since moved to
Ajit Narayanan with his affordable speech synthesizers Yale University but the NGO that she was partnering with continues to test the slate in villages. Two winners of Indian origin include Bhaskar Krishnamachari, 33, University of Southern California who has been selected for his work on smarter wireless net-
Bhaskar Krishnamachari for smarter wireless networks works and Piya Sorcar, 33, for Teachaids software that can be localized to teach taboo topics. The TR35 will present their work and be honoured at an awards ceremony during the 2011 EmTech MIT conference, taking place Oct 18-19 at MIT's Media Lab, USA.
Pandit Jasraj and Tripti Mukkerji with Pujya Dayanand Saraswati ji compositions including Bho Shambho. The following day saw a number of events including a talk by Pujya Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati, a Dakshinamurthy Mula Mantra Japam, a performance by the AVG Youth Group, a Carnatic vocal concert by Sharada Shashidhar, and a Hindustani vocal concert by none other than renowned vocalist Padma Vibhushan Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj. All the performances were outstanding. Swamijis satsangs were enlightening as they are very well known to be and the Japam was very well executed with the help of many volunteers. The AVG Youth Group worked under the guidance of Smt. Savithri Mani to put on a patriotic spectacular that touched the hearts of many members of the audience. Sharada Shashidhar also impressed many with her sweet voice and exceptional grasp over
Audience enjoying the performance (Photos: Xitij Photography) swaras at the tender age of twelve. The day ended with an amazing performance by Pandit Jasraj that left many speechless. Though a large number of people in the audience had heard Jasraj perform before, all agreed that he sounded even better than usual during this performance. Pujya Swamiji, also impressed with Jasrajs performance, spoke a few words to thank the maestro for making the event special. The final day began with dance performances by the nimble Rukmini Vijayakumar. Her expressions were breathtaking and she succeeded in involving the audience in her dances to the fullest. Her performances were followed by the annual book release and Q&A sessions with Swami Viditatmananda ji. Present in the audience were distinguished members of society including Secretary General of the Would Council of Religious Leaders, Mr. Bawa Jain.
Deven Sharma Department's inquiry or to the emergence of the activist investors, Jana Partners and the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, according to people briefed on the matter said The New York Times. His replacement, Peterson, 53, is currently the chief operating officer of Citibank, the banking unit of Citigroup. People briefed on the matter said Sharma had been considering stepping down well before the latest firestorm of attacks on the company. They say that Sharma first began pondering his options after McGraw-Hill announced in November that Standard & Poor's would be split into its two component businesses.
Ami Bera is one of the top-grossing Democratic candidates in the country In establishing their campaigns, the candidates are benefiting from a built-in base of donors who are invested in their political fortunes, Politico said. It's a donor network that allows Indian American contenders to rack up impressive fundraising hauls early in their efforts, it said, citing those involved with the campaigns.
NRIs at a rally in support of Anna Hazare in Los Angeles Hazare or the whole movement in of peoples right of peaceful India then please call your family protest around the world and that it at India and check the mood of the could count on a vibrant democratnation, wrote Atul Kumar of New ic India to exercise appropriate Jersey in his blog bit.ly/indiaerupts restraint. (India Erupts Again) exhorting When Indians took umbrage as a Indian-Americans to join a planned section of the media turned count protest in Manhattan Sunday. on into somewhat condescending To be fair, the State Department hopes and expects, the official spokesperson in response to a modified it to US was confident question merely stated about Indias response to the Washingtons position in support protests.
Ranjit Ricky Gill Washington, DC: A young Indian-American, Ranjit Gill, 24, is challenging established norms in a bid to win a seat in the U.S House of Representatives. His war chest, $446,484 as of June 30, is the third-highest gross nationwide for a Republican challenger. Known by his nickname Ricky, he is a law student at University of California in Berkeley. He was 17 when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger chose him to serve as the student member of the State Board of Education. He attended Princeton University, graduating in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in public policy. He is now aiming for the Ninth Congressional District in California, which is currently held by Democrat Jerry McNerney, 60, an engineer from Pleasanton now serving his third term. A second-generation IndianAmerican who speaks Spanish, Gill says he is uniquely suited to represent the growing nonwhite population, which makes up more than half the district. Gill has staked out positions on major issues for the agricultural industry, including his support for diverting water to the San Joaquin Valley and the creation of a guest worker program.
NFIA to host Congressional luncheon, White House briefing, seminar on womens empowerment
Washington DC: The National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA), the largest umbrella organization comprised of over 200 groups in the United States is slated to sponsor two days of activities filled program on September 15 and 16, 2011. NFIA will host its annual Congressional Luncheon at 11:00 a.m. on September 15 to which more than two dozens of lawmakers are expected to attend and address the previously submitted hot issues by the NFIA. This event will offer a good opportunity for all those attending to interact with these legislators. The umbrella organization has been sponsoring this event for the last two decades. This event will take place in Rayburn House Office Building Rooms B-338 and B-339. The NFIA delegates and friends are urged to contact their Congressmen and Senators and invite them to attend this luncheon. These lawmakers are more responsive to their constituents than getting an invitation from the organization, explained Motwani. Try to bring as many legislators as you are able to contact. Soon after the Congressional Luncheon, the attendees will move to the Executive Office Building where White House briefing will start at 3:30 p.m. Several high officials of the Obama administration, including many cabinet Secretaries and political appointees of Indian descent are expected to address the audience on hot topics. Due to high level of security observed by the White House, people have to be screened before coming to attend this event. Following the White House briefing, the attendees will be invited to the Embassy of India, where the newly arrived Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao will host a reception for the NFIA delegates. This event is not open to public and is by invitation only. Next day, Friday September 16, there will be an NFIA Board meeting to conduct the business of the organization and on the same evening; a special program is being planned. For the first time, the NFIA will conduct a social get together and a seminar on Empowering Women at 4:00 p.m. at the newly opened posh Diya Restaurant, 2070 Chain Bridge Road, Vienna, VA 22182. Organized by Angela Anand this program promises to offer a photo opportunity with dignitaries, entertain, network, and intellectually stimulate the audience.
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley Washington, DC: IndianAmerican Nikki Haley, who is considered as the rising star of the Republican party today ruled out running for vice-presidency in the 2012 polls, saying there are better candidates than her for the post."No, I would not," Haley, born to Sikh immigrants, told the CNN in an interview when asked if she would accept if named as a possible vice presidential running mate for the Republican candidate. Haley, 39, who created history early this year by becoming the first non-white and woman governor of South Carolina, said, "I love being governor of South Carolina. And let's be clear. I have a lot of things I wanted to do that I promised to the people of South Carolina. I have been in the job eight months." If we are going to look at vice president, let's look at somebody that can bring a lot of experience to the table.Let's look on somebody that can do more. I think we have a lot of great candidates for that, Haley said."What I will tell you is we have a President who now has a 71 per cent disapproval rating on the economy. We have a country that's lost their credit rating. We have jobs that being lost overseas. And we are now seeing that this country is in a pretty bad shape," she said. What I do see is we have great candidates that are going to lift us out of it and I thing we will have great candidates for vice presidential as well, but I am not going to be one of them, she said in response to a question.Haley said as of now, she has not decided who she would support as Republican party presidential candidate.
Govind Kannan dean of the college. The appointment takes effect immediately. Hell hit the ground running and our constituents will soon hear about more great work produced by the FVSU College of Agriculture, Family Sciences and Technology. In addition to being a comprehensive university within the University System of Georgia, Fort Valley State is Georgias only 1890 land-grant institution.
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US Affairs TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Fewer youths to be Biden assures China that its deported in new policy US assets are 'safe'
Chengdu (China): United States Vice-President Joe Biden wrapped up a visit to China last weekend that offered him extensive time with the country's expected future leader, Vice-President Xi Jinping, and delivered a strong message of US mutual interdependence with the world's second-largest economy. Biden, who held formal talks with Mr Xi and President Hu Jintao during his five-day visit, also made the case for continued US economic vitality despite current budget woes and sought to reassure China's leaders and ordinary citizens about the safety of their assets in the US following the downgrading of America's credit rating. "You're safe," Mr Biden told students in a question-and-answer session following a speech at Sichuan University in the southwestern city of Chengdu. "We could not afford not to make good" on US commitments, Mr Biden said, noting that the interest rate on Treasuries fell following Washington: The Obama administration announced Thursday that it would suspend deportation proceedings against many illegal immigrants who pose no threat to national security or public safety. The new policy is expected to help thousands of illegal immigrants who came to the United States as young children, graduated from high school and want to go on to college or serve in the armed forces. White House and immigration officials said they would exercise prosecutorial discretion to focus enforcement efforts on cases involving criminals and people who have flagrantly violated immigration laws. Under the new policy, the secretary of homeland security, Janet Napolitano, can provide relief, on a case-by-case basis, to young people who are in the country illegally but pose no threat to national security or to the public safety. The decision would, through administrative action, help many intended beneficiaries of legislation that has been stalled in Congress for a decade. The sponsor of the legislation, Senator Richard J. Durbin of
Vice-President Joe Biden called on Xi Jinping, Chinas future leader the downgrade, making them more sought-after than ever. "If the world thought, my God, they've been downgraded and they're not going to make good on their debt, it would not have been viewed as the safest haven in all the world to invest. We are still the single-best bet in the world in terms of where to invest," he said. Since Americans own 85 per cent of the national debt, any politician that defaults would have to disappoint them, and "no politician wants to do that", he said. Mr Biden and Mr Xi, who is expected to begin taking over the top leadership next year, later visited a high school that was rebuilt after the devastating 2008 earthquake, partly with the help of US government and private assistance.
Illinois, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, has argued that these young people should not be punished for their parents mistakes. The action would also bolster President Obamas reputation with Latino voters as he heads into the 2012 election. Just a week ago the leaders of major Hispanic organizations criticized his record, saying in a report that Mr. Obama and Congress had overpromised and underdelivered on immigration and other issues of concern to Latino voters, a major force in some swing states. The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Representative Lamar Smith, Republican of Texas, denounced the new policy. The Obama administration has again made clear its plan to grant backdoor amnesty to illegal immigrants, Mr. Smith said. White House officials emphasized that they were not granting relief to a whole class of people, but would review cases one by one, using new standards meant to distinguish lowand high-priority cases.
Evacuated from buildings, people were a picture of disbelief soon after the rare earthquake on east coast A statement said both reactors at the North Anna plant shut down after the first tremors. The plant gave out steam, but there was no release of radioactive material. There was also no damage to the spent fuel pool. Officials were restoring full power to the site, which was operating on diesel generators. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission was monitoring the plant. A helicopter inspected the Washington Monument, and it was found to be structurally sound. But a secondary inspection revealed cracks in the stones at the top of the monument. Engineers will now determine the best way to repair the monument before it is reopened. CNN said people on the east coast were unaccustomed to earthquakes, and many thought the rumbling could have been caused by a truck, helicopter or an explosion. People reportedly paid $1.5 million for exclusive rights to photos of the reality TV superstar Kim Kardashians dream wedding August 20 to New Jersey Nets basketball star Kris Humphries. But the magazine cropped out the groom from the cover shot. Their excuse: he is too tall (a good one foot and 7 inches taller than her) and the two are difficult to fit in the same frame. This is a pre-wedding picture the couple posed for OK magazine.
Question mark on the credibility of the Guinean immigrant Nafissatou Diallo sunk the case France's 2012 presidential election. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said his office decided to drop the charges because of questions about the credibility of the 32-year-old Guinean immigrant. Diallo's attorneys had asked for the appointment of a special prosecutor because they felt that Vance had handled the case badly and that his office actively undermined the credibility of their client.
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Amar Singh. The court would hear Saxena's bail plea Sept 6. Defense counsel Santosh Pandey earlier sought time to go through the charge sheet and said: "Delhi Police are about to file a sta-
Agra attracted more than 8 million visitors last year. cials and civil society leaders. The Uttar Pradesh tourism department will shortly send a formal proposal to the union civil aviation ministry to grant international status to Kheria airport, officials said, adding efforts are on to speed up the process so that flights can bring in visitors this tourist season beginning in September. Tourism Guild president Rajeev Narain told IANS: "Visitors are wasting precious time landing in New Delhi and then driving down to Agra. We need better air connectivity." Agra Citizens Council secretary
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Anna Hazare
trying to crush those who raise their voice against corruption. This is happening more often in your government." "You are 79-years-old and are holding the nation's top position. You have got everything from life. What else do you want from life? Show courage and take some concrete steps."
Rahul Gandhi speaking during Zero Hour in Parliament. desire to see it removed from our lives. Rahul called for a comprehensive framework of action and a concerted political programme supported by all levels. He stressed the need for a firm political will to fight corruption. Later talking to mediapersons, Rahul GAndhi claimed that his idea on making Lokpal a constitutional body was a game-changer.
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US State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland. We support the right of peaceful protest, including and especially in the United States, she said, when asked about the protests by supporters of 74year old Hazare in front of the Indian Embassy in Washington.
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Anna Hazare has clearly appropriated symbols connected with Gandhi. by tapping into a national yearning ence' which most Indians associate with Gandhi," said Yamini Aiyar, for an inspirational leader. "Hazare has clearly appropriated senior fellow at New Delhi's symbols connected with Gandhi, Centre for Policy Research thinkfrom sitting on a stage with tank. Gandhi's picture behind him to "It's helped him capture the pubusing terms like 'civil disobedi- lic's attention, since Gandhi still
Dibakar Banerjee. writer and diplomat Vassilis Vassilikos. The book was first translated on the big screen through an eponymous French film released in 1969. But Banerjee, who has doled out only original stories and scripts so far, says he decided to make the film as it was relevant and gripping. He also says he has Indianized it completely. "I had seen the movie version of the book when I was 14 and I grew up with a memory of it. A writer gave me the book much later, and I felt a lot of what the book talked about was more common in India. So we got the rights of the book, and twisted it to the contemporary Indian setting to suit our times," he said. "Adapting a book into a movie is not easier as many think. Whether adapted or original, a filmmaker faces the same problems and the same amount of blood and sweat goes into it," added the talented filmmaker. He says the focus of the entire movie is "corruption" - a cause against which social activist Anna Hazare has united the whole nation for what he calls the country's "second freedom struggle". "My whole film is about corruption. There is a whole wave of corruption in the country because of some corrupt politicians who only work to serve their interests. According to me, it is .001 percent of India's population that is corrupt...but they have caused a mess," said Banerjee, who feels Hazare's movement is "just" as long as it is "not driven by personal motive".
A protestor wearing Anna cap. Guwahati: The Anna Hazare movement against corruption has brought a windfall to the Khadi Gramodyog Bhawans in the city with Gandhi topis selling like hot cakes. The Central Khadi Gramodyog Bhawan at Chandmari sold around 300 Gandhi topis today. People have started asking for the Gandhi topi since Anna Hazares fight against corruption started. Today we sold around 300 caps, said Nokul Chandra Deka, manager of the outlet. Priced at Rs 30, Rs 40 and Rs 45, people are buying topis in bulk. We have customers who buy only one or two pieces but with the fight against corruption gaining momentum we also have customers who are buying Gandhi topis in bulk, said Deka. This morning, three customers bought 50 pieces each, he added. The demand rose to such an extent that Deka had to get fresh stocks from the Khadi Gramodyogs Panbazar outlet. We never expected the demand for Gandhi topi to rise so high. We had to get the item from the Panbazar branch, he said. People of all ages were seen thronging the khadi outlets to buy the Gandhi topi. We were surprised to see customers of all ages. From college-going students to elderly people, everyone came here to buy the cap, said Deka. Besides, the Tricolor is also disappearing fast from the shelves. We have been selling around 40 Gandhi topis on an average everyday since Anna Hazares supporters started their demonstration in the city this month. Even the Tricolour is disappearing fast from the racks, said Ashwini Kumar Saikia, the manager of the Khadi Gramodyog Bhawan at Panbazar. Generally, Gandhi topis and the Tricolor are sold during Independence Day, Republic Day and school functions, Saikia said. Those who could not get the prized topi from the khadi outlets, preferred to get them stitched. I got 10 Gandhi topis stitched for my friends as we planned to take part in the anti-corruption demonstration in the city today, Nur Mohammad of Ganeshguri said.
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The app allows people to connect with the group and get queries related to the Lokpal Bill answered.
Shimla: Away from media glare, two men have been fasting in Himachal Pradesh for eight to nine days in support of Anna Hazare and a strong anti-corruption legislation. The two are Desh Raj Sharma, 41, a former engineer of the state Public Works Department, and Lakshmi Chand Thakur, 67, a former state government employee. Sharma has been on hunger strike for nine days in Mandi town. He wants the prime minister, the higher judiciary and the conduct of MPs in parliament to be covered by any law aimed at combating corruption. "Anna Hazare is a true Gandhian. We will support him till the government Laxmi Chand Thakur, 67, (centre) has been fasting for eight days under the accepts the Jan Lok pal bill in statue of Mahatma Gandhi on historic totality," Sharma said. Ridge in Shimla. Sharma was admitted to a hospital Aug 22 but he refused Thakur had also fasted during Baba to accept food. He has been admin- Ramdev's protest in New Delhi istered glucose since then. against black money in June. Thakur, 67, hails from a village "At that time I fasted for 10 days near Kasauli town. He has been fast- in my village," said Thakur. "Anna ing for eight days at the historic needs support across the country. I Ridge of Shimla, seated under the started alone. Now you see many statue of Mahatma Gandhi. people are coming daily to express "I will be on fast as long as Anna solidarity," Thakur said. is on fast," Thakur said. Thakur Health Minister Rajeev Bindal draws nearly a hundred visitors and his wife met Thakur Wednesday daily. Most stop out of curiosity or evening to enquire about his health. to join his peaceful protest. Chief Minister Prem Kumar The heavy rains have failed to Dhumal also met him Aug 20. deter the former state government Motivated by Thakur's commitemployee. He has survived on ments, four people have formed a water, with a few drops of honey. "Team Anna Shimla" and have Doctors examine him twice a day. launched an indefinite fast.
New Delhi: When Delhi sleeps, the Ramlila Maidan remains awake. The sloganeering does not end, except sporadically, although the fasting 74-year-old Anna Hazare is sleeping only around 100 meters away. The tricolor is being waved endlessly. The mood of defiance never fades. Incessant rains have turned the vast Ramlila ground into a virtual swamp. The thick ground mats are drenched and lie in heaps, here and there. Even the tented enclosure looks no better than the open space - slushy and muddy. A part of the tent has tilted. It is well past midnight, and there are some 1,000 people at the ground. Almost all the young in the crowd are wide awake. There are about a dozen women. A policeman calls this a "small crowd" and blames it on the unceasing rain. He says the ground never had less than 5,000 people on any previous night. The daytime crowd, of course, has never been less than tens of thousands. Under the night sky, a small but boisterous batch of young men is raising full-throated slogans in Hindi hailing 74year-old Hazare. A larger batch watches approvingly. Many sport the trademark 'I Am Anna' white caps. Many also have the tricolour painted on their cheeks. A smaller group of youths is walking in seemingly aimless circles, holding aloft the tri-
People protesting at Ramlila Maidan. colour and shouting slogans of "Vande Mataram" and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai". Armed with a harmonium and table, a group of four from Uttar Pradesh has attracted a small crowd as they belt out devotional songs and poetry dedicated to Hazare. A few policemen are engaged in an animated discussion with farmers from Uttar Pradesh - on corruption and more. Hazare is after all fighting for a strong anti-graft Lokpal bill. A few hundred people have spread themselves out where they can find space to sit or squat without getting drenched. There is no escape from rains, however, as the tent leaks at dozens of spots. Most in demand are the tented enclosures meant for TV channels and India Against Corruption (IAC), the network behind the Anna show. Here people talk about Hazare's health and the anti-corruption campaign that has attracted tens of thousands all across India. Water sachets are on the house. No tea at night. Remarkably, despite the noise and discomfort, over 100 men are managing to sleep under the main tent and in the smaller enclosures, on the ground or on wooden benches. The sloganeering abates by 3 a.m. By then, a small group of young men are busy cleaning the ground, painstakingly picking up hundreds of polythene bags, sachets and paper cups, partly buried under mud and water. As they work, the slogans follow: "Anna Hazare Zindabad!" and "Ek, do, teen, char, khatam karo yeh brashtachar!"
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Protesters posing with cut-outs of Anna's face in New Delhi. Team Anna: Anna Hazares close associates in this Lokpal campaign are Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi, Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan and Manish Sisodia. Supporters of Anna Hazare participate in a candlelight vigil in Hyderabad.
Standing tall is the new hero of India, anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare, forced to fast for passing the Jan Lokpal Bill.
Supporters of Anna Hazare march on a flyover in New Delhi Aug. 21, 2011.
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No wonder Brand Anna has been able to attract a wide range of supporters - right from school students to senior citizens. This time, at Ramlila Maidan New Delhi: A tale of two fasts: the anti-corruption movement is then and now. As the anti-cor- best avoided," Prashant a conscious effort has been ruption campaign gathers more Bhushan was quoted as saying. made by the campaigners to However, a comparison of ensure that only Hazare occusteam, it is Brand Anna that appears to have become the gal- Anna's fast at Jantar Mantar in pies the podium and gets maxivanising force behind the huge April this year, demanding the mum focus of the TV crews. movement, backed by India's Lokpal Bill, and the current one Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan increasingly assertive middle against the government's Lokpal and Bedi come on stage to address a press conference once class. And the branding appears Bill shows the difference. In the April 6-9 fast, support- in a while, but at a level lower to be carefully crafted. Though Anna Hazare's close ers like Swami Agnivesh, Baba than where Hazare is sitting on associate Prashant Bhushan said Ramdev and other Anna Team fast. As images of a fasting cam"personification of the move- members Shanti Bhushan, ment is best avoided", building Prashant Bhushan, Arvind paigner are beamed across the Brand Anna is apparently work- Kejrival and Kiran Bedi were world to millions of homes, ing well for the anti-corruption seen sharing the dais at Jantar Brand Anna is catching on. Another significant difference protesters. "Personification of Mantar along with Hazare.
New Delhi: They're homeless and consider themselves lucky if they get one square meal a day. Now, thanks to Anna Hazare's fast against corruption, they have found a temporary home at the Ramlila Maidan and are assured of at least three meals a day if not snacks and juices in between. Most of them are there for the free food, but there are some who do believe in Hazare's cause. Take the case of Raghu Kumar, 24, who usually sits on a mat near a traffic signal in north Delhi and sells cigarettes and chewing tobacco from a bag and curls up at night in any corner he can find. "I pay Rs.300 every week to the police. Besides, they even take cigarettes and other stuff for free, saying it is because of them that I could sell these things. With Anna, now even I can raise my voice against corruption." Raghu is not the only homeless individual with a grouse. Madan Lal, who usually spends the night at a shelter near the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in south Delhi, had a sad story about how corruption can affect one's life. "I worked as a peon at a government school in Burari but after my retirement, I
never got my pension. The officials at the pension department asked for Rs.25,000 to clear my files. My children disowned me terming me as a burden and I had no other choice but to sell toys at red lights at the age of 76, just to live. "Because of the corrupt officials, I am all alone today and so I have come here," Madan Lal said. These, however, were the exceptions. The majority of homeless have gathered in Ramlila Maidan to enjoy the free food being served, free mats to sleep on and a clean environment, contrary to the deteriorating conditions of the night shelters in the city. "We don't know what is Lokpal bill; neither am I concerned but I am here because I get good food to eat and a nice place to sit. That's enough a reason for me to be here," said Raju, one in a group of four homeless people who are otherwise seen near the Hanuman temple at Connaught Place. "Many homeless have found a temporary home here in Ramlila Maidan as they don't have to beg or work for a livelihood. It is the best place for them," said social activist Ashok Pandey. Physically challenged Nagesh Nath, who
A team of doctors inspecting the health of Anna Hazare. begs near the Kalkaji temple in south Delhi, said: "Beggars like me have never been helped by any politician or government, but because of this man (Hazare), many of us can have free food. We are raising slogans, wearing caps and singing songs, it's enjoyable. The cause does not affect me. I am happy that I am enjoying myself here." For Amit, who usually sleeps on the pavements near Sarai Kale Khan station, Ramlila Maidan was a picnic spot. "Sleeping here is much better than sleeping on the pavements. Moreover you get everything at your hand whether it is water or food. What best can be done?" he said. Ever since Hazare resumed his fast at Ramlila Maidan Friday, an army of volunteers has been ferrying items like bread pakoras, kachoris, samosas, aloo puris, paranthas, rasogollas, tea, biscuits and half a dozen varieties of namkeens to feed the teeming masses at the venue. For the health conscious, there are bananas and mango juice. The capital is a home to over 150,000 homeless, according to NGO's like Bachpan Bachao Andolan and many more. However, the official record is around 70,000 are homeless.
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f what we're watching on TV is indeed a revolution, then it has to be one of the more embarrassing and unintelligible ones of recent times. For now, whatever questions you may have about the Jan Lokpal Bill, here are the answers you're likely to get: tick the box (a) Vande Mataram (b) Bharat Mata ki Jai (c) India is Anna, Anna is India (d) Jai Hind. For completely different reasons, and in completely different ways, you could say that the Maoists and the Jan Lokpal Bill have one thing in common they both seek the overthrow of the Indian State. One working from the bottom up, by means of an armed struggle, waged by a largely adivasi army, made up of the poorest of the poor. The other, from the top down, by means of a bloodless Gandhian coup, led by a freshly minted saint, and an army of largely urban, and certainly better off people. In April 2011, a few days into Anna Hazare's first fast unto death, searching for some way of distracting attention from the massive corruption scams which had battered its credibility, the Government invited Team Anna, the brand name chosen by this civil society group, to be part of a joint drafting committee for a new anti-corruption law. A few months down the line it abandoned that effort and tabled its own bill in Parliament, a bill so flawed that it was impossible to take seriously. Then, on August 16th, the morning of his second fast unto death, before he had begun his fast or committed any legal offence, Anna Hazare was arrested and jailed. The struggle for the implementation of the Jan Lokpal Bill now coalesced into a struggle for the right to protest, the struggle for democracy itself. Within hours of this Second Freedom Struggle,' Anna was released. Cannily, he refused to leave prison, but remained in Tihar jail as an honored guest, where he began a fast, demanding the right to fast in a public place. For three days, while crowds and television vans gathered outside, members of Team Anna whizzed in and out of the high security prison, carrying out his video messages, to be broadcast on national TV on all channels. Meanwhile 250 employees of the Municipal Commission of Delhi, 15 trucks, and six earth movers worked around the clock to ready the slushy Ramlila grounds for the grand weekend spectacle. Now, waited upon hand and foot, watched over by chanting crowds and crane-mounted cameras, attended to by India's most expensive doctors, the third phase of Anna's fast to the death has begun. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, India is One, the TV anchors tell us. While his means may be Gandhian,
Anna Hazare's demands are certainly not. Contrary to Gandhiji's ideas about the decentralization of power, the Jan Lokpal Bill is a draconian, anti-corruption law, in which a panel of carefully chosen people will administer a giant bureaucracy, with thousands of employees, with the power to police everybody from the Prime Minister, the judiciary, members of Parliament, and all of the bureaucracy, down to the lowest government official. The Lokpal will have the powers of investigation, surveillance, and prosecution. Except for the fact that it won't have its own prisons, it will function as an independent administration, meant to counter the bloated, unaccountable, corrupt one that we already have. Two oligarchies, instead of just one. Whether it works or not depends on how we view corruption. Is corruption just a matter of legality, of financial irregularity and bribery, or is it the currency of a social transaction in an egregiously unequal society, in which power continues to be concentrated in the hands of a smaller and smaller minority? Imagine, for example, a city of shopping malls, on whose streets hawking has been banned. A hawker pays the local beat cop and the man from the municipality a small bribe to break the law and sell her wares to those who cannot afford the prices in the malls. Is that such a terrible thing? In future will she have to pay the Lokpal representative too? Does the solution to the problems faced by ordinary people lie in addressing the structural inequality, or in creating yet another power structure that people will have to defer to? Meanwhile the props and the choreography, the aggressive nationalism and flag waving of Anna's Revolution are all borrowed, from the anti-reservation protests, the world-cup victory parade, and the celebration of the nuclear tests. They signal to us that if we do not support The Fast, we are not true Indians.' The 24-hour channels have decided that there is no other news in the country worth reporting. The Fast' of course doesn't mean Irom Sharmila's fast that has lasted for more than ten years (she's being force fed now) against the AFSPA, which allows soldiers in Manipur to kill merely on suspicion. It does not mean the relay hunger fast that is going on right now by ten thousand villagers in Koodankulam protesting against the nuclear power plant. The People' does not mean the Manipuris who support Irom Sharmila's fast. The People' only means the audience that has gathered to watch the spectacle of a 74-year-old man threatening to starve himself to death if his Jan Lokpal Bill is not tabled and passed by Parliament. The People' are the tens of
thousands who have been miraculously multiplied into millions by our TV channels, like Christ multiplied the fishes and loaves to feed the hungry. A billion voices have spoken, we're told. India is Anna. Who is he really, this new saint, this Voice of the People? Oddly enough we've heard him say nothing about things of urgent concern. Nothing about the farmer's suicides in his neighborhood, or about Operation Green Hunt further away. Nothing about Singur, Nandigram, Lalgarh, nothing about Posco, about farmer's agitations or the blight of SEZs. He doesn't seem to have a view about the Government's plans to deploy the Indian Army in the forests of Central India. He does however support Raj Thackeray's Marathi Manoos xenophobia and has praised the development model' of Gujarat's Chief Minister who oversaw the 2002 pogrom against Muslims. (Anna withdrew that statement after a public outcry, but presumably not his admiration.) Despite the din, sober journalists have gone about doing what journalists do. We now have the back-story about Anna's old relationship with the RSS. We have heard from Mukul Sharma who has studied Anna's village community in Ralegan Siddhi, where there have been no Gram Panchayat or Co-operative society elections in the last 25 years. We know about Anna's attitude to Harijans': It was Mahatma Gandhi's vision that every village should have one chamar, one sunar, one kumhar and so on. They should all do their work according to their role and occupation, and in this way, a village will be self-dependant. This is what we are practicing in Ralegan Siddhi. Is it surprising that members of Team Anna have also been associated with Youth for Equality, the anti-reservation (pro-merit) movement? The campaign is being handled by people who run a clutch of generously funded NGOs whose donors include Coca-Cola and the Lehman Brothers. Kabir, run by Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, key figures in Team Anna, has received $400,000 from the Ford Foundation in the last three years. Among contributors to the India Against Corruption campaign there are Indian companies and foundations that own aluminum plants, build ports and SEZs, and run Real Estate businesses and are closely connected to politicians who run financial empires that run into thousands of crores of rupees. Some of them are currently being investigated for corruption and other crimes. Why are they all so enthusiastic? Remember the campaign for the Jan Lokpal Bill gathered steam around the same time as embarrassing revelations by Wikileaks and a series of scams,
Arundhati Roy including the 2G spectrum scam, broke, in which major corporations, senior journalists, and government ministers and politicians from the Congress as well as the BJP seem to have colluded in various ways as hundreds of thousands of crores of rupees were being siphoned off from the public exchequer. For the first time in years, journalist-lobbyists were disgraced and it seemed as if some major Captains of Corporate India could actually end up in prison. Perfect timing for a people's anti-corruption agitation. Or was it? At a time when the State is withdrawing from its traditional duties and Corporations and NGOs are taking over government functions (water supply, electricity, transport, telecommunication, mining, health, education); at a time when the terrifying power and reach of the corporate owned media is trying to control the public imagination, one would think that these institutions the corporations, the media, and NGOs would be included in the jurisdiction of a Lokpal bill. Instead, the proposed bill leaves them out completely. Now, by shouting louder than everyone else, by pushing a campaign that is hammering away at the theme of evil politicians and government corruption, they have very cleverly let themselves off the hook. Worse, by demonising only the Government they have built themselves a pulpit from which to call for the further withdrawal of the State from the public sphere and for a second round of reforms more privatization, more access to public infrastructure and India's natural resources. It may not be long before Corporate Corruption is made legal and renamed a Lobbying Fee. Will the 830 million people living on Rs.20 a day really benefit from the strengthening of a set of policies that is impoverishing them and driving this country to civil war? This awful crisis has been forged out of the utter failure of India's representative democracy, in which the legislatures are made up of criminals and millionaire politicians who have ceased to represent its people. In which not a single democratic institution is accessible to ordinary people. Do not be fooled by the flag waving. We're watching India being carved up in war for suzerainty that is as deadly as any battle being waged by the warlords of Afghanistan, only with much, much more at stake.
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Op Ed TheSouthAsianTimes.info
By Ramachandra Guha
ome commentators have compared the struggle led by Anna Hazare with the movement against corruption led by Jayaprakash Narayan in the 1970s. A man of integrity and courage, a social worker who has eschewed the loaves and shes of ofce, a septuagenarian who has emerged out of semi-retirement to take on an unfeeling government thus JP then, and thus Anna now. Supercially, the comparison of Anna to JP is attering to Hazare at any rate. But let us look more closely at how Jayaprakash Narayans movement unfolded. JPs papers are housed in the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library in New Delhi. These papers are worth revisiting in light of the struggle of which Anna has become the symbol and the mascot. Once a hero of the Quit India Movement, then a founder of the Socialist Party, Jayaprakash Narayan abandoned politics for social work in the 1950s. Two decades later, he returned to politics at the invitation of students disenchanted with corruption in Bihar. At rst, JP focused attention on his own state; then, much as Hazare has now done, his struggle moved outwards to embrace the whole of India. In the late summer of 1974, as his movement was gathering ground, JP went to Vellore for a surgical operation. While he was recovering, his associate Acharya Ramamurti kept him up-to-date with the struggle. Ramamurtis communications, note, with some alarm, the entry of a political party into a professedly apolitical movement. While JP was away, wrote his colleague, the leadership of the movement at least at local levels, is passing into the hands of the Jana Sangh. Ramamurti also worried that the common man has yet to be educated into the ways and values of our movement, whose appeal to
Anna Hazare with spiritual guru Sir Sri Ravi Shankar at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi. minister of JPs day, Indira Gandhi, was ex- political class. However, the task now is not cessively arrogant, the present prime minis- to further polarize State and society, but to ter is excessively timid. Despite his personal nd democratic and transparent ways of honesty, Manmohan Singh is complicit in the making politicians more efcient and colossal corruption promoted by the minis- less venal. ters in his government. Further, he is guilty The scholar and public servant Gopalkrishof a lack of faith in the procedures of consti- na Gandhi recently observed that the arteries tutional democracy. His decision not to stand of constitutional democracy have become for a Lok Sabha seat does not violate the clogged, contaminated by years of abuse and Constitution in law, but does so in spirit. Be- disuse. One needs, he said, a bypass surgery cause of his unwillingness to face the elec- to restore the heart to its proper functioning. torate, his claim to defend the primacy of The image is striking, and apposite. The curParliament lacks conviction. rent movement against corruption may come To restore faith in the constitutional to constitute such a bypass, so long as it does process some heads must roll in government. not claim to be the heart itself.. But serious introspection must take place within what passes for civil society as well. (Ramachandra Guha is the author of India The movement led by Anna Hazare has fo- After Gandhi: The History of the Worlds cused sharp attention on the corruption of our Largest Democracy )
We must celebrate the swelling popular participation in the uprising that has forced the elected representatives to be accountable in an unprecedented way. the United States, a prolonged recession, mounting unemployment and venal partisan politics have led to hardening of anti-immigrant prejudices, instead of a pan-American protest movement. A similar narrow-minded response is on display across crisis-ridden Europe. Now contrast that with India's sweeping mass movement. It is peaceful, non-violent and all-inclusive, propagating a "middle path" shunning the extremism of Maoists on the one hand and rightwing big-
otry on the other. We must remember that ordinary Indians have been brutalized for far too long by tyrannical state functionaries ranging from a ruthless policeman to a shameless minister looting public money to a pitiless judge allowing the innocent to rot in prison. And yet, Indians have not swung either to the extreme left or to the extreme right. They have steadfastly remained on the middle path. In a dazzling display of noble human emotions, Indians are helping each other in this mass uprising in a spirit of service and fellow feeling. Look at that family of 40 from Ludhiana distributing food and water at Ramlila grounds and the traders from Shahdara who are running community kitchens to feed people and the grandmother from Kurukshetra who cooks food and brings it to Delhi and shares it with anyone sitting next to her at Ramlila grounds. Such stories abound across the country.
Cynics and skeptics, unwittingly propping up the indefensible case of an insensitive and insular ruling establishment, have variously tried to run down the uprising by picking up a stray slogan here or an out-of-context comment there or by plainly circulating lies and misinformation. That is why they are as disconnected from the ground reality and popular aspirations as the government and its corrupt minions are. We must celebrate the swelling popular participation in the uprising that has forced the elected representatives to be accountable in an unprecedented way. If the legislators were truly representing the people, they would be milling among the peaceful crowds, and not hide in fear in their well-guarded, fenced and usurped prime real estate. (Sudip Mazumdar is long-time foreign correspondent based in New Delhi and a keen political observer.)
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
Diaspora TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Ambassador to Kuwait Satish Chand Mehta reading out the message from President Pratibha Patil.
Indo-Canadian CEO Karna Lokpal Bill: Indians in UAE asked to avoid public reactions Gupta to head top IT body
Toronto: Karna Gupta, a advocacy for widely respected senior exechomegrown utive with over 30 years expeCanadian comparience in the Canadian and nies and he will international information and be a major communications technology resource and industry, will be the next counsel for President and Chief Executive SMEs and the Officer of Information whole ITAC Technology Association of community. Canada (ITAC), effective Prior to joining August 25, 2011. Certicom, Gupta Currently serving as an was President for independent director of a the Real-Time Karan Gupta number of technology firms, Billing Division Guptas last CEO role was with of New Jersey-based Comverse Certicom Corporation, a Mississauga- Technologies. Under his leadership, based encryption technology compa- Comverse became the de-facto leader ny. Gupta led Certicom through a sig- in telecom billing in emerging nificant turnaround and also defended economies. He was also President of the company against a hostile Sitraka Mobility, leading that compatakeover bid. He led the ultimately ny from start-up to a successful mergsuccessful transaction which resulted er in 2001. He also held a number of in a friendly acquisition of the compa- executive positions with Bell Canada ny by RIM. including Vice-President, Product ITAC is delighted that we have Development and Management. been able to recruit a senior ICT execThe future of our industry in utive with such distinguished creden- Canada lies with the business leaders tials, said David MacDonald, Chair who, in spite of a global recession, of ITACs Board of Governors and fierce competition and constantly President and CEO of Softchoice changing technology, are working Corporation. Karnas experience hard to build the next great global hiincludes significant contributions to tech companies, Gupta said. In large Canadian corporations like Bell Canada, we need to do a better job of Canada and global firms like improving their chances for success. Comverse. As a leader of a number of ITAC is a respected and influential Canadian start-ups, hes lived through voice in public policy and is also a virtually every significant hurdle and dynamic and strong business forum. I challenge to growth that emerging am excited to be working with our companies face. His experience will members to build a strong ICT indusstrengthen the authenticity of our try in Canada. Dubai: Indians in the United Arab Emirates have been advised to respect local laws while reacting to developments such as social activist Anna Hazares anti-corruption movement in India. The appeal from Indian Consul-General in Dubai Sanjay Verma has come following arrest of three Indians for violating local laws after a group organized a march in Dubai on August 20 in support of the Jan Lokpal bill. In a statement issued in the Facebook page of the Indian Consulate General in Dubai, Verma said: I take this opportunity to advise my Indian brothers and sisters to once again be cautious and avoid public reactions to issues in India. But, if you feel you need to than do so acknowledging local laws and other requirements. He further added that the reaction to some developments in India makes many of us forget that we are in a foreign land. Some of you may have heard that a group of our nationals organized a march in a public area on 20 August in Dubai in support of the Jan Lokpal Bill. Three of our countrymen have been detained since by the local authorities for violating local laws. The Consulate is following the case closely and has been in touch with the three individuals and their families who are undergoing avoidable stress because of this indiscretion. He however added that the local law and legal process will determine the fate of those arrested. Appreciating the behavior of the Indians in Dubai, he said that they are known for their responsible and law abiding nature. He added that a simpler way of conveying concerns is by joint petitions.
Priti Patel death penalty. Under the rules of the e-petition system, the government will have to consider holding a debate if the total exceeds 100,000 people. The issue of capital punishment was last debated in the House of Commons in 1998, when MPs rejected the call for restoration of the death penalty. Prime Minister David Cameron is opposed to bringing back capital punishment. The last hangings in Britain were carried out in 1964.
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Subcontinent TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Pak Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar. strongly exists among peoples and governments of two countries and now we want to commensurate these ties with trade, economic and investment cooperation." The foreign minister said China is one of the countries with which Pakistan has signed Free Trade Agreement (FTA). She said the existing strong bonds of friendship between Pakistan and China was multifaceted and covered all areas including defense, economic and trade ties. "We have strategic and robust relations with China," she said.
Frankenstein monster, he said. Besides Aiyar and Sinha, the Indian MPs who participated in the discussions included Shashi Tharoor, Naveen Jindal, Rashid Alvi and Shatrughan Sinha. The dialogue ended with a joint statement containing a slew of suggestions for taking forward the peace process between the two countries. The parliamentarians decided to brief their respective governments and the presiding officers of their parliaments about the recommendations of the conference. "While recognizing that some progress has been made in the formal processes of the dialogue, the parliamentarians recognize that peace, security and development require the resolution of outstanding issues," said the joint statement.
Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Sharad Yadav. tional forums. "Government of India betrayed Sri Lankan Tamils at a crucial moment," Raja contended. "There is a demand for international impartial investigation. So far India has not raised this demand... "What happened in May 2009 was nothing but genocide," Raja said, referring to the period when the military used its awesome machine to crush the LTTE, disregarding appeals that this could cause harm Tamil civilians in the area. "We have not seen such genocide in any country in contemporary history," Raja said.
International TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Hunt for Gadhafi continues Gaddafi may have emptied gold reserves
Cairo: Fallen Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi may have emptied the country's estimated gold reserves worth $ 10 billion and will use it to buy protection and wage a guerrilla war, the nation's former chief banker has said. "Libya had gold reserves worth $ 10 billion in Tripoli. Now that Gaddafi is on the run, he may have taken some of this gold", Al Jazeera quoted former Libyan Central Bank chief Farhat Bengdara as having told an Italian daily. Bengdara alleged that Gaddafi may use this bullion to corrupt tribes for his protection and saw chaos. The Libyan banker had deserted the Gaddafi regime few months ago. Tripoli: Libya's cashstrapped rebel leadership worked to consolidate power on Thursday, moving to secure money to govern while battling tenacious proGadhafi fighters in Tripoli. The biggest question for the opposition was the whereabouts of Moammar Gadhafi, who remains elusive despite a $1.4 million bounty that the opposition posted for his capture or death. "I have been out a bit in Tripoli discreetly, without being seen by people, and ... I did not feel that Tripoli was in danger," said Gadhafi, who took to the airwaves Wednesday. He taunted the rebels and called on loyalists to rise up in Tripoli. In an audio message aired by two Arabic-language networks, Gadhafi said he was no longer at his Tripoli compound, saying he had retreated in a "tactical move" after NATO airstrikes destroyed much of it. CNN cannot independently confirm the authenticity of the recording. The rebel control of Libya, while significant, is not complete. Fighters encountered pockets of resistance across Tripoli. Eyewitnesses told CNN that fighting between rebels and Gadhafi loyalists erupted Thursday at the embattled leader's compound -- the scene of a number of clashes in recent days. A giant plume of smoke rose from the compound in
In an audio message aired by two Arabic-language networks, Gadhafi said he was no longer at his Tripoli compound. Bab al-Aziziya, just two days after rebels stormed it and seized control in a fierce firefight, CNN's Sara Sidner reported. The compound has been the scene of a number of clashes in recent days. Special Forces from Britain, France, Jordan and Qatar -- on the ground in Libya -- stepped up operations in Tripoli and other cities. But a senior opposition official said a large portion of the southern half of the capital remained dangerous. Rebels controlled the hotly contested airport, but were struggling to control an area east of it. Two planes were set ablaze Wednesday night and exploded after a hit by Gadhafi forces shelling the airport. The anxiety over Gadhafi's whereabouts forced some Tripoli residents to set up checkpoints to protect their homes. "They are afraid of something that could happen because of the simple fact that Gadhafi hasn't been caught," said Tariq Elmeri, 28. "To an extent, people don't really have the courage to go to different neighborhoods," he said. Meanwhile, the Venezuelan ambassador to Libya said his home in Tripoli was attacked by armed groups. "It is a violation of international law because the attacks were against a site of the Venezuelan territory," the ambassador told Venezuela's state-run AVN news agency. And Gadhafi's son, Saadi, also seemed open to negotiating a cease-fire. The United States was expected Thursday to call for a vote by the Security Council. South Africa opposes the move and says the situation on the ground in Libya has not been settled.
Rebels on streets in Tripoli. The banker said that during his tenure the dictator had tried to sell gold consignments to hire mercenaries and to keep ready cash in dollars and euros with himself. Bengdara said that Libya would need anywhere between $ five to seven billion to kickstart the economy and said there were no fears as the country's Sovereign Wealth Fund and gold reserves were a comfortable $ 168 billion.
China's is modernizing its 2.3million-strong People's Liberation Army. offensive weapons technologies and Beijing's belligerent and bullying attitude towards regional disputes. China rebuffed the 94page report, accusing the Pentagon of "overlooking the country's peaceful defense policy" and "interfering" over Taiwan, the island that split from China in 1949 but that Beijing yearns to see re-united with mainland. China's embassy in Washington described the report as "a reflection of Cold War mentality" that
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Business TheSouthAsianTimes.info
India and China account for 54 per cent of the total number of completed private equity transactions in the January-June period this year. Moreover, India and China account for 54 per cent of the total number of completed PE transactions in the January-June
Steve Jobs, the brain behind the iPhone, iPad and other devices that turned Apple Inc. into one of the worlds most powerful companies. 50, succeeded Jobs. introduced devices that revoThe fortunes of Apple lutionized the computer, have been closely identified mobile phone and digital with Steve Jobs, Matt music industries. His attenMcCormick, a money manag- tion to detail and emphasis on er at Cincinnati- based Bahl easy-to-use products helped & Gaynor Inc., which over- Apple repel competition from sees $4 billion, said in a tele- rivals as varied as Google phone interview. When he is Inc. and International in, the stock outperforms. Business Machines Corp. The stock will languish until Apple shares fell 5.1 perCook can reassure investors cent to $357.10 at 7:59 p.m. and demonstrate his value. in New York, following the Its not the end for Apple, but announcement. The drop the end of a chapter. Under erased $17.7 billion from the Jobs, Apples equity value stocks value, according to swelled after the company data compiled by Bloomberg.
Sports TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Andrew Strauss said they cannot take their foot off the pedal having become the top Test team. home against anyone in the world. "Away from home is harder, so we're going to have to challenge ourselves to improve away from home."
Ricky Ponting. similar text message before and after the Ashes from him as well." After that home series against Australia, Dravid scored two centuries against New Zealand before a string of low scores in South Africa.
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pan India level. The cast is yet to be finalised, but Bachchan saab will be in the film." The film, however, differs with Anna's ideology. Jha continues, "The upsurge of mass protest against corruption that Anna Hazare has generated is indeed unprecedented and remarkable. However, what bothers me is that only one opinion is prevailing in this movement towards eradicating
corruption, and that could damage the whole noble purpose of the protest. It is the Lok Pal bill the way Anna Hazare saab wills it to be, or not at all. There has to be a less hardline approach to a matter as deep-rooted as corruption. Also, the fight against corruption should be more focused and specific in its motivation. For instance, why not start by simply campaigning against anyone giving or taking a bribe?"
Amitabh Bachchan
Randeep Hooda with Nandana Sen in Rang Rasiya mother he'd no more be seen doing the naughty stuff with his leading ladies. In the process of keeping a promise to his concerned mother, Randeep had to request the producer of his new film "Kushar Prasad Ka Bhoot" to tone down the love-making sequences.
Karishma Kapoor will play a supermodel in Dangerous Ishq Bachchan who eventually married Aishwarya Rai.
Lifestyle TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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nna Hazare caused quite a stir at Lakme Fashion Week... or at least his namesake topis (caps) did. When the models and designers turned up for fashion week, little did they expect to receive a crash course in political activization from one of their own. Viren Shah, owner of popular ethnic wear stores Roopam and Roopmilan, brought in a bagful of Nehru caps that bore the words, I am Anna Hazare written in Marathi. He proceeded to distribute them to anyone whod ask. The models were taking a break in between shows, when a guy turned up wearing an Anna cap and started passing out more. We saw photographers gather, so we went to take a look, says Divyak Dsouza, fashion stylist. The models werent too happy because they only get a few minutes break, and the man was asking them to pose for photos. The drama continued inside the main show area, where Shah began to pass out the topis to audience members, asking people to wear them during the show. An insider from IMG-R, the event management company, found out Shah was planning to jump on the ramp amidst a show, and plant a topi on a models head. But he didnt create any scene.
At LFW, Bollystar Vidya Balan sported the Gandhi cap bearing the words I am Anna Hazare in Marathi. Ask Shah what his gimmick was about and he says, Weve been supporting Anna Hazare since day one. We even have a banner outside our Crawford Market store, overlooking the police commissioners office. I wanted to use Lakme Fashion Week as a platform. Anjana Sharma, head of fashion, IMG-R, says, We have no issues with anybody expressing themselves as long as it doesnt offend sensibilities. We wouldnt have allowed anything to disrupt a show, and Shah didnt do that. Im told that Vidya Balan and Sridevi, who were present for Sabyasachis show, also supported the cause.
belly dancers to perform at any college function. These dances are definitely not meant for college atmosphere. Dr IS Bakshi, principal, Dyal Singh College, says, These things are understandable on an entertainment channel, but when it comes to colleges, one has to maintain decorum. The situation can get out of hand, as most students are teens. While authorities at IIT Mumbai were not available to answer queries, a student, on condition of anonymity said, Yes, we did have belly dance performances but it was not the college authorities that organised the event. It was the students.
They have support in some. I see no issue with getting belly dancers to perform in my college, as long as it is not inappropriate, says Dr PC Jain, principal of Delhis Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC). In 2010, IIT Delhis annual fest Rendezvous had a budget of over a crore. In the past, stars such as John Abraham and Anushka Sharma have a been a part of it. Shankar Ehsaan Loy performed at the annual fest of Shri Ram College of Commerce this year. It had a budget of Rs 50 lakh Other big shows at DU fests include those by Faridkot, Stereo Nation, Mohit Chauhan, Kailash Kher and Sonu Nigam.
Rushina also mentions different tea variants suit different times of the day. Fruit and herbal teas have qualities that make them suitable to particular hours of the day. A light infusion fruit tea is perfect to have sip on, as you unwind and get ready for bed. Heres the expert advice on popular tea pairings: Masala chai With this Mumbai classic, Rushina recommends biting into something equally spicy: With the Gujarati masala chai, which has been brewed for a long time and has quite a strong flavour of its own, I personally love a spicy thepla with mango chutney pickle. Its masochistic, because the hot tea will add to the burning sensation, but its
Suleimani chai This clear tea flavoured with lemon, enjoyed by the Muslim community, is usually served with a slightly sweet bread to complement its flavour. Ukalo A Gujarati special served around the Opera House area, this is actually not a chai at all but milk which is boiled with all the masalas that go into chai. Kashmiri kahwa Rushina informs that this is not as readily available in Mumbai, but is a very pleasing digestive tea made by using very few green tea leaves, topped with saffron, crushed almonds and sugar. Its traditionally eaten with sweet breads, but I like
to eat it with a spiced Mascarpone dip paired with sweet rusk, she says, adding, Its brewed using a special tea leaf called Bombay Chai, but I suppose you could substitute it with another kind of green tea since youre only using very few leaves. Assamese tea Recommended for mid-day, the flavour of this dark tea can easily be customised by adding lemon or spices like cloves and ginger, perfect for the Monsoon. Says Rushina, The dark flavours of the tea along with infused spices, cut through oiliness of snacks like chilli cheese toast. Given that youll be drinking this between breakfast and lunch, when youre feeling a little peckish, a cheese sandwich will really hit the spot.
Masala Chai delicious. Irani chai Enjoyed by the citys Irani community and by anyone whos stepped into Kyani or Koolar, the sweet, milky concoction is best paired with brun maska. Nothing beats stopping by a bakery at 4 pm when the bread is hot out of the oven, generously slathered with butter, and paired with a cup of Irani chai, says Ghildiyal.
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her son Audio Science. Compared to them, singer M.I.A. gave her son a rather normal name: Ikhyd. I'd rather be Ikhyd any day than Jermajesty. Otherwise I'll be dreading the day that someone introduces me to the King of Spain: "Your majesty, Jermajesty." Parents have a lot of freedom in choosing baby names, but we need to exercise that freedom carefully, or else it might be taken away from us. If you don't believe me, just look at what's happening in New Zealand. The country's Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages has banned 102 names over the past two years, according to the Herald Sun. One of the rejected names is Lucifer, which three sets of parents tried to name their offspring. Who
in their right mind would name their baby Lucifer? Probably someone named Lou Natic. The agency also rejected names that sound like titles, such as Bishop, Duke, General, Judge, Justice and King, as well as the number 89 and the letters C, D, I and T. Oh no, there goes the dream of one of those computer guys from India -- to name his son I T King. New Zealand has not always been so strict about baby names. In 2008, a couple had twin boys and were permitted to name them Benson and Hedges -- after the popular cigarette brand. At least their middle names made a lot of sense: Sillimom and Stupidad. Another couple named their son Violence. That's worse than Benson and Hedges. They deserve to be locked up immediately. Not for giving their son a bad name, but for breaking the New Zealand law that forbids citizens from deliberately creating Violence. I hope that Violence grows up to be a great man. I can't wait to see the newspaper headlines: "Violence Wins Nobel Peace Prize,"
"Violence Makes First Visit to Middle East" and "Mob Attacks Parents Who Asked to See Violence Again." If Violence seems like a terrible name, just wait till you see what another couple named their son: Number 16 Bus Shelter. No kidding, they named him after a bus
shelter, probably because that's where he was conceived. They were waiting for a bus and the man looked at the woman and said, "How would you like to have another baby?" And the woman said, "Great idea! It would be wonderful to have a baby brother for Mercedes C-300 Backseat."
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.
Tech Life
- include sending wireless data from "white space" in your TV spectrum or unused satellite signals. By replacing old fashioned incandescent models with LED bulbs he has claimed he could
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Through meditation we can separate our soul from the body and voyage into the regions within
long as our attention is identified with the world outside, we are faced with the problems and miseries that are inherent in physical existence. By inverting our attention and rising above the physical body through a process of meditation on the inner Light, we will find regions within which give us lasting peace. Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, an international spiritual leader and Master of meditation, affirms the transcendent oneness at the heart of all religions, emphasizing prayer and meditation as building blocks for achieving peace.www.jyotimeditation.org
Great saints and mystics have always talked about being able to focus our attention within ourselves because this is where the treasure house of divinity resides.
search to have unity, but the object of our search is on the outside. As long as the object of our search remains on the outside, we will never find eternal truth and unity, because everything of this world is perishable. The only thing that is permanent is the divine treasures, God the Creator, and what has been called the Holy Word, Naam, Shabd, Kalma, Jyoti and Sruti, Sonorous Light, Celestial Music, or Harmony of all harmonies. These are different names given in different languages to talk about the creative force that emanated from the Lord and created regions after regions of existence. When humans set foot on the moon and looked at the earth, it seemed like a small, insignificant speck in the universe. As science has developed, we know there are many, many other galaxies in the physical region. Likewise, the great saints and mystics tell us that there are many, many other regions beyond the physical: regions that are more conscious and more spiritual than this physical region of ours. The great saints and mystics have always talked about being able to focus our attention within ourselves because this is where the treasure house of divinity resides. As we connect with the divine power, we will be transported to regions of love, peace, and bliss. Generally what happens is that as a human being, we feel that we are not capable of making a difference. Many of you might remember that it was Benjamin Franklin who put the first street lamppost in front of his house. When he did so, everyone said, He is crazy. Why is he putting light in the area? But he lit it up night after night. Soon everyone in the neighborhood started putting up street lamps and there was light for everyone to see where they were going. Similarly, if we were to connect to the Light within ourselves, we might think that it wont make a difference, but if we recognize the divine Light within ourselves, that Light is going to remove the darkness in our own surroundings, in our families, and in our work environments. Soon, those with whom we come in contact will also follow our examples. As the great mystic poet, Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj, has said: I started alone on the journey of love filled with faith and zeal. At every step, travelers joined me, and soon we were a caravan. As we become peaceful within ourselves, let that peace radiate from us to everyone with whom we come in contact so that we will be living in an age of peace, of love and of harmony as we spend our time on this earth. For more visit www.sos.org
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