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Chicago: Pakistan-born Chicago businessman
Tahawwur Rana was Thursday sentenced to 14 years
in jail for providing support to Pakistan-based terror
group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) that staged the 2008
Mumbai terror attacks.
The jail term for Rana will be followed by five years
of supervised release.
Although Rana, a boyhood friend of LeT operative
David Coleman Headley, was acquitted of supporting
the Mumbai attacks, prosecutors had sought the maxi-
mum 30-year sentence for his role in the aborted plot
to attack Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten for pub-
lishing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad.
Thus US federal prosecutors are probably foreshad-
Washington: A month after the
massacre of innocents in a elemen-
tary school sent shock waves
through the US, President Barack
Obama has unveiled the most
sweeping gun control proposals in
two decades.
Flanked by children who wrote
him letters after December's shoot-
ing in Newtown, Connecticut
which left 20 children and six
teachers dead, on Wednesday he
signed 23 executive actions, which
do not require congressional
approval.
These actions are aimed at
strengthening existing gun laws
and take related steps on mental
health and school safety.
The Democratic president also
urged the Congress to reinstate an
assault weapons ban that expired in
2004, to restrict ammunition maga-
zines to no more than 10 rounds,
and to expand background checks
to anyone buying a gun.
But Obama acknowledged his
legislative push would encounter
stiff opposition in Congress.
While some of the steps he pro-
posed are given little chance of
winning congressional approval in
the face of America's powerful gun
lobby, Obama said all efforts must
London: Algerian army helicopters Thursday fired at
a petroleum facility where over 40 Western hostages
were being held, leaving at least 34 hostages and 15
kidnappers dead, media reports said.
Two Americans escaped unharmed but four cap-
tives—two Britons and two Filipinos—had died
among the 34 hostages killed in the state’s rescue
attempt. By late Thursday, 600 workers were free, as
were four foreign nationals, including two Scots, a
Kenyan and a French citizen.
The British Petroleum (BP) natural gas field is in
Ain Amenas in Illizi province, around 60 km from the
Libyan border and 800 miles from Algiers.
Mauritania's ANI news agency quoted a spokesman
for the kidnappers group named "Battalion of Blood"
that two Japanese hostages were seriously injured.
BBC reported that seven foreign hostages were still
alive after the military raid. Four foreign hostages
Islamabad: Tehrik-i-Minhajul
Quran (TMQ) chief Dr Tahirul
Qadri late on Thursday announced
an end to four days of anti-govern-
ment protests by thousands of peo-
ple after striking a deal with the
prime minister.
A high level delegation struck a
deal with the firebrand cleric, who
returned from six years in Canada,
after thousands of people paralyzed
Islamabad pressing the government
to resign over corruption charges,
Dawn newspaper reported.
“We have reached an agreement.
After getting the prime minister’s
signature, we will read it in out
front of protesters,” the TMQ chief
told his supporters.
Tahirul Qadri, who supported a
1999 military coup, has been call-
ing for the military to play a role in
the formation of a caretaker admin-
istration in the run-up to May elec-
tions. The government agreed with
OBAMA PROPOSESSWEEPING
GUN-CONTROL LAWS
34 hostages killed in Algeria raid; 2 Americans escape
Pak govt and protesting cleric reach deal
14 years jail for Mumbai terror suspect Rana
Chances of passing Congress slim as NRA andRepublicans vow fierce fight.
The Islamist kidnappers wanted French strikes in Mali to end.
Fears recede of alleged judiciary-military plot to derail May elections.
It foreshadows long sentence for Headley
Kidnappers were acting under orders ofAl Qaeda’s Mokhtar Belmokhtar
"This is the fight of the centuryand I need you on board with
NRA now more than ever," NRAchief executive Wayne La Pierresaid in an urgent fundraisingemail sent to NRA members.
Flanked by children, President Obama signed 23 executiveactions to strengthen existing gun laws and take related steps
on mental health and school safety. These actions do notrequire congressional approval.
Dr Tahirul Qadri: change agentor military stooge?
Tahawwur Rana (left) and David Coleman Headley
The South Asian Timese x c e l l e n c e i n j o u r n a l i s m
Vol.5 No. 39 January 19-25, 2013 60 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Kumbh Mela 16 Bollywood 18 Spiritual Awareness 30Heritage 15 excellence in journalism
Continued on page 4
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January 19-25, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info
3January 19-25, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY
House approves $50.7 billion in emergency aid for Sandy victimsWashington: After fierce lobbying
by political leaders in states across
the Northeast, the House of
Representatives on Tuesday
approved the long-awaited $50.7
billion emergency bill to provide
assistance to victims of Hurricane
Sandy.
The final vote was 241 to 180,
with 49 Republicans joining 192
Democrats. The Senate is expected
to pass the measure, after which
President Obama is expected to
sign it.
The $50.7 billion — along with a
nearly $10 billion aid package that
Congress approved earlier this
month — seeks to provide for the
huge needs that have arisen in New
York, New Jersey, Connecticut and
other states since the hurricane
struck in late October. The emer-
gency aid measure would help
homeowners whose homes have
been damaged or destroyed, pro-
vide assistance to business owners
who experienced losses as well as
reinforce shorelines, repair subway
and commuter rail systems, fix
bridges and tunnels, and reimburse
local governments for emergency
expenditures.
Though the package does not
cover the entire $82 billion in dam-
age identified by the governors of
New York, New Jersey and
Connecticut, leaders from the
storm-ravaged region expressed
relief over the action in the
Republican-controlled House,
where storm aid had become
ensnared in the larger debate over
spending and deficits.
Long Island Republican
Congressman Peter T. King, who
helped press his party’s leadership
into holding the vote, hailed the
package’s passage as a victory for
storm victims. “It is unfortunate
that we had to fight so hard to be
treated the same as every other
state has been treated,” Mr. King
said. The vote was scheduled over
a week ago by Speaker John A.
Boehner, after he came under
intense criticism for concluding the
business of the previous Congress
without taking up a $60.4 billion
hurricane-aid bill that the Senate
had approved. His critics included
influential Republicans in and out
of Congress, including Mr. King
and Gov. Chris Christie of New
Jersey. In a statement, Mr. Christie
joined with Govs. Andrew M.
Cuomo of New York and Dannel P.
Malloy of Connecticut, both
Democrats, to express gratitude to
the Congress for providing the
relief to hurricane victims.
Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, Congressmen SteveIsrael and Peter T. King and Steve Bellone, Suffolk County
Executive celebrated after the House vote Tuesday.
Rana sentencing hint of similar fate for Headley?Chicago: By seeking a prison term of 30
years for Tahawwur Hussain Rana, US
federal prosecutors are probably fore-
shadowing a similar sentence, if not
longer, for David Coleman Headley, a
key plotter behind the Mumbai terrorist
attacks of November 26, 2008.
Although District Judge Harry
Leinenweber will decide the quantum of
Rana's sentence, the fact that the prosecu-
tion is asking for 30 years could be
regarded as a benchmark for Headley's
sentence scheduled for Jan 24.
Having pleaded guilty to all the 14
counts of his involvement in the plotting
of the Mumbai attacks, which resulted in
the deaths of six US citizens, as well as
the abortive Denmark plan, it seems logi-
cal that at the very least his sentence will
match Rana's.
Rana, a childhood friend of Headley's
who will be handed a sentence on Jan 17
by a court here, was convicted in June
2011 of two counts of conspiring to pro-
vide material support to a plot to commit
murder overseas from October 2008 to
October 2009 and providing material sup-
port to the foreign terrorist organization
Lashkar e-Tayyiba from late 2005 to
October 2009. The plot could have led to
murder on what is described by the prose-
cutors a "grand, horrific scale."
That plot, also being initiated by
Headley, involved storming the offices of
the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten in
the heart of Copenhagen and beheading
its employees and throwing their heads
on to the street. The newspaper had earli-
er published cartoons of Prophet
Mohammed offensive to Muslims.
The prosecution had produced a record-
ing where Rana was heard saying the
Denmark plan was "good" and "this
would be a huge event in the media."
In pressing for a 30-year sentence for
Rana, the prosecutors made several refer-
ences to the Mumbai attacks for which
too he was accused of providing material
support to Headley but acquitted. This
was not the first time that Rana applauded
mass murder.
After approximately 164 men, women
and children were mercilessly slaughtered
by the foreign terrorist organization
Lashkar e Tayyiba, Rana simply stated
that the victims "deserved it". Rana
praised the attacks, stating in a recorded
conversation that they struck "fear in the
hearts of Indians". Instead of showing any
compassion for the innocent victims, the
defendant believed that the Lashkar
leader who planned the attack and the
nine Lashkar operatives who carried out
the attacks, "deserved medals."
IALI’s new President floats India House ideaMineola: A new president
and 11 executive board
members of the India
Association of Long Island
(IALI) were sworn into
office Sunday at a ceremony
at the office of the Nassau
County executive.
Taking over as IALI
President, Dr. Kishore
Kuncham, Superintendent of
the Freeport School District,
turned to IALI’s longtime
dream - raising a center for
public activities to be called
India House. He proposed
that to begin with a facility could be leased for
this purpose. He requested help from Deputy
County Executive Phillip Elliot, present on the
occasion, in securing such a lease and in the cre-
ation of a cricket pitch. Mr. Elliot expressed his
willingness to help with these initiatives.
Dr. Kuncham also proposed that IALI’s India
Fest be celebrated in conjunction with India Day
Parade (in Hicksville) to expand the profile of
both these mega events.
He also intends to expand the association’s
charitable work with the Interfaith Nutrition
Network and Rota Care. He also advocated that
IALI should be responsive to the needs of strug-
gling families in the community at large.
County Executive Ed
Mangano was slated to pre-
side over the ceremony, but
could not attend. In his
stead, Kamlesh Mehta,
Director of the County’s
Business & Economic
Development, introduced
the new President and
administered the oath of
office.
Others who took office
Sunday were Satnam S.
Parhar as vice president of
IALI, Ved Behl as secretary,
and Bina Sabapathy as treas-
urer. Ajay Batra, Nishi Behl, Damyanthi
Gokhlani, Jyoti Gupta, Veena Lamba, Shoba
Prakash, Rashmi Mittle and Gunjan Rastogi were
elected members-at-large.
Community leaders who graced the occasion
included Bobby K. Kalotee, National Chairman of
the All American Political Party, Harendra Singh
of Singh Hospitality, Shudh Prakash Singh, Sr
Vice President of INOC (I), Mohinder Taneja,
Deputy Commissioner of Community Services,
Town of North Hempstead; Zahid Syed,
Chairman, Nassau County Commission on
Human Rights; Dr. Sukhvinder Ranu, past presi-
dent IALI, and Sudhir Vaishnav, CEO, GloboSat
Entertainment, who was master of ceremonies.
David Coleman Headley andTahawwur Hussain Rana.
IALI President Dr KishoreKuncham and Deputy County
Executive Phillip Elliot at the event.
Dr Kuncham (middle) with the IALI Executive Council 2013.
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Obama proposes sweeping Gun-control laws storyContinued from page 1be made to reduce chronic gun vio-
lence in the country.
He called for citizens to let their
elected representatives know what
they think, saying: "The only way
we can change is if the American
people demand it."
Opposition Republicans immedi-
ately rejected the Obama proposals
as an attack on the constitutional
right to bear arms.
The powerful National Rifle
Association said it would work
with Congress to find what it called
"real solutions to protecting
America's most valuable asset --
our children." But behind the
scenes, the NRA is gearing up for a
vicious fight against Obama's pro-
posals. "This is the fight of the cen-
tury and I need you on board with
NRA now more than ever," NRA
chief executive Wayne La Pierre
said in an urgent fundraising email
sent to NRA members.
But a CNN/Time Magazine/ORC
International poll Wednesday indi-
cated that Americans generally
favor stricter gun control, but they
don't believe that stricter gun laws
alone would reduce gun violence.
34 hostages killed storyContinued from page 1were freed during the operation,
Algeria's state news agency APS
said.
The militants earlier said they
were holding 41 foreign nationals,
including Americans, French,
British, Norwegian and Japanese
workers.
Algerian Interior Minister Daho
Ould Kablia earlier said the kid-
nappers were Algerian and operat-
ing under orders from Mokhtar
Belmokhtar, a former commander
of the Al Qaeda in the Islamic
Maghreb (AQIM).
A statement purported to be from
the hostage-takers called for an end
to the French military intervention
against Islamist rebels in neighbor-
ing Mali.
Algeria allowed France to use its
airspace during its operation
against Islamist militants who
occupied northern Mali last year.
Washington and Tokyo have said
their nationals were among the
hostages, but French President
Francois Hollande said he was not
certain that French citizens were
being held
Pak govt. deal storyContinued from page 1the cleric to dissolve the National
Assembly before its term ends in
mid-March, giving 90 days until
elections are held, according to the
“Islamabad Long March
Declaration”.
The government also agreed that
the caretaker administration, which
normally precedes elections, would
be chosen in consultation with all
parties.
A declaration detailing the agree-
ment between the government and
Qadri was signed by Prime
Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and
high-level government officials.
They also agreed that the treasury
benches in complete consensus
with Qadri’s party will propose the
names of two honest and impartial
people for the appointment of a
caretaker prime minister.
Meanwhile, Qadri, a Pakistani-
Canadian dual national, is leaving
for Canada on Jan 27.
The deal he has essayed may ease
pressure on the ruling Pakistan
People’s Party (PPP), which has
come under fire for failing to tackle
a range of problems, from a Taliban
insurgency to a weak economy.
The Supreme Court had ordered
that Prime Minister Raja Pervez
Ashraf and 15 others be arrested in
connection with a 2010 corruption
case. The order came when Qadri
led protests outside parliament
seeking the government's resigna-
tion sparked panic about an alleged
judiciary-military plot to derail
coming elections.
14 year jail for Rana storyContinued from page 1owing a similar sentence, if not
longer, for Headley, a key plotter
behind the Mumbai attacks of
November 26, 2008.
Rana's lawyers, downplaying his
role in the Danish scheme, sought a
lighter sentence of no more than
nine years, citing his poor health.
They argued Rana was kept in the
dark about much of the plot.
Headley, they said was a master
manipulator who fooled Rana into
supporting his terror activities.
But Judge Harry Leinenweber
said he was baffled at the descrip-
tions put forward by his family of
Rana as a kind, caring person, say-
ing it was so "contrary" to the per-
son who aided the plot on the
Danish newspaper's office.
In new evidence submitted before
the hearing, prosecutors sought to
undercut the depiction of Rana as a
dupe by presenting a telephone
intercept of Rana's wife, saying that
her husband and Headley were just
alike and were both immersed in
Islamic extremism.
Headley, son of a Pakistani father
and an American mother, who
changed his given name of Dawood
Gilani to scout targets in Mumbai
without arousing suspicion, plead-
ed guilty in both the Mumbai and
Danish terrorism plots, and was the
star prosecution witness at Rana's
trial.
Headley would be sentenced a
week later Jan 24.
Continuations of page 1
4 January 19-25, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoTURN PAGE
New York: New York City’s first
school bus strike in 34 years
entered its second day Thursday
with no resolution in sight and tens
of thousands of parents scrambling
to get their kids to school.
More than 8,000 New York City
school bus drivers and aides went
on strike over job protection
Wednesday. They ferry 152,000
students. The strike is by the
largest bus drivers' union; some
bus routes served by other unions
were operating.
Most of the city's roughly 1.1
million public school students take
public transportation or walk to
school.
Those who rely on the buses
include 54,000 special education
students and others who live far
from schools or transportation.
Parents have made plans to use
subways, carpools and other alter-
natives, hitting slippery roads as
sleet turned to rain around the city
and temperatures were at or above
freezing.
The city has put its contracts
with private bus companies up for
bid, aiming to cut costs. The Local
1181 of the Amalgamated Transit
Union says drivers could suddenly
lose their jobs when contracts
expire in June.
The city plans to distribute transit
cards to students who could take
buses and subways and to reim-
burse parents who would have to
drive or take taxis.
City school bus driver strikeunresolved
All Air India Dreamliners groundedNew Delhi/Washington: India
Thursday grounded Air India's six
Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft after
the US-based Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) warned of
technical problems in the aircraft.
National carrier Air India is the
only airline in the country which
operates the 787 Dreamliner.
Currently, it has six operational
787s in the fleet, which fly both on
international and domestic routes.
"We have received instructions
from the directorate general of civil
aviation (DGCA) that all services on
787s should be withdrawn with
immediate effect," a senior Air India
official said.
Air India had booked 27 Boeing
787s in 2006 in a mega-deal. Till
now it has received six of these air-
craft.
On Sep 19, Air India started the
first commercial Dreamliner service
between Delhi and Chennai and
then followed with the New Delhi-
Bangalore route.
Contacted, DGCA said it would
wait for the results of the FAA's
inquiry into Boeing's ability to fix
the fire risk, linked to battery failure
on board the aircraft.
The move by FAA follows an
emergency landing in Japan that
prompted two of its major airlines to
ground their fleet of 787s, and a
similar problem aboard a
Dreamliner on the ground in Boston
nine days earlier.
The FAA's emergency directive,
issued Wednesday night, initially
applied to United Airlines, the only
American carrier using the new
plane. It has six 787s.
India contributes $ 1 mn to UN WomenUnited Nations: India has contributed one
million dollars to the core voluntary budget of
UN Women (United Nations Entity for Gender
Equality and the Empowerment of Women) for
the 2012-13 financial year.
India's Permanent Representative to the UN,
Hardeep Singh Puri, handed over a check for
the amount to Dr Michele Bachelet, Under
Secretary General and Executive Director of
UN Women, Tuesday.
This contribution constitutes the third in-
stallment of India's multi-year pledge to pro-
vide five million dollars as core predictable
funding to UN Women's resources, and takes
its existing contribution to $ 3 million to UN
Women, so far, according to a media release
from India's UN mission.
On this occasion, Puri also reaffirmed India's
steadfast commitment to the goals of gender
equality, the empowerment of women and gen-
der mainstreaming enshrined in the mandate of
UN Women.
India is one of the founding members of the
executive board of the UN Women, and is
presently serving on the UN Women Executive
Board.
New York: Erika Menendez, a Queens woman
with a history of psychiatric problems and ac-
cused of pushing Sunando Sen into oncoming
train because she thought he was Muslim was
indicted Monday and found fit to stand trial on
murder charges.
Menendez, 31 is "charged with having been
motivated by hate" when she shoved Sen into
an oncoming No. 7 train in Sunnyside on Dec.
27, said Queens District Attorney Richard
Brown.
"I pushed a Muslim off the train tracks be-
cause I hate Hindus and Muslims - ever since
2001 when they put down the twin towers, I've
been beating them up," cops quoted Menendez
as saying. Cops also said she displayed no re-
morse and had even bragged about smoking
and having sex with her "man in Brooklyn" af-
ter the sickening crime.
The drifter - who cackled at an earlier hear-
ing as prosecutors detailed how she killed the
hard-working immigrant - was not in court for
Monday's proceeding.
Reshma Saujani raises nearly half amillion for public advocate’s race
New York: Reshma Saujani,
who mounted a primary chal-
lenge to Rep. Carolyn Mal-
oney in 2010, raised just under
half a million dollars during
the latest six months for her
campaign for public advocate.
Saujani raised a total of
$493,473 during the latest fil-
ing period, according to her
campaign, which now has
$651,462 on hand. That figure
includes more than $71,000 in
matchable funds over the last
six months.
That puts her slightly ahead
of State Senator Daniel
Squadron over the latest filing period.
Squadron reported raising $375,000 in
the last six months, with $75,000 eli-
gible for matching funds over that pe-
riod. Squadron has about $665,000 on
hand, and has raised about $40,000
more in total matchable funds, which
would give him an advantage of a cou-
ple hundred thousand dollars.
Saujani recently served as a deputy
public advocate under Bill de Blasio,
after trying to unseat congresswoman
Carolyn Maloney in 2010.
Lately, Saujani founded a program
to teach young girls computer pro-
gramming, called Girls Who Code,
which partnered with Twitter in June.
A spokesperson for Saujani's cam-
paign said a number of her donations
came from the tech sector, and that
they brought in 150 donations on fil-
ing day, largely through social media.
"All over the city, New Yorkers are
engaging in this campaign because
they share our vision for innovation
and advocacy," said Saujani, through a
spokesperson. "Our message of sup-
porting small businesses and entrepre-
neurs, closing the gender gap in tech-
nology and engineering, and standing
up for New York's immigrant commu-
nities is resonating and giving us the
momentum to run a successful cam-
paign."
Ambassador H S Puri, PR of India to UNhanding over a cheque of US$ 1 millionto USG of UN Women, Madam Bachelet
on 15 January in New York Erika Menendez
Reshma Saujani
5January 19-25, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY
NY court dismisses claimsagainst former
Satyam directors New York: A US court has dismissed civil
claims filed against former independent di-
rectors of erstwhile Satyam Computer, say-
ing they themselves were victims of over $ 1-
billion accounting fraud at Indian IT firm.
Hearing the petition, the US District Court
Judge Barbara Jones of New York said there
were insufficient allegations against the for-
mer independent directors and members of
Satyam Computer’s audit committee.
The court ruled that most allegations in the
petition concerned “an intricate and well
concealed fraud perpetrated by a very small
group of insiders” and reinforce an inference
that some former board members were them-
selves victims of the fraud.
India’s biggest ever accounting fraud came
to the light in January 2009 when Satyam
Computer’s founder and the then chairman
B. Ramalinga Raju admitted to having over-
stated the company’s financials by more than
$ 1 billion and other wrongdoings at the firm.
Since then, Satyam Computer has become
Mahindra Satyam, as it was later acquired by
Mahindra group in a government-monitored
auction. In the meantime, the company has
settled various lawsuits after agreeing to pay
millions of dollars to the shareholders and
others in various cases in the US, where
Satyam shares used to be listed.
The company’s independent directors were
also dragged into various lawsuits for al-
legedly failing to detect the fraud and, there-
fore, failing to safeguard the interest of
shareholders.
Accused subway pusher ErikaMenendez deemed fit to stand trial
Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano
Mineola: Going into his re-election year, Nassau
County Executive Edward Mangano is enjoying his
highest approval rating ever, according to a News-
day/Siena Research Institute poll, suggesting that he
is benefiting from his performance during superstorm
Sandy.
Of Nassau County residents, 51% said they had a
"favorable" view of Mangano, while 29 percent said
"unfavorable."
"For Ed Mangano to be a plus-22 [percentage
points] going into an election year is a pretty strong
position," a Siena spokesperson said. Even 44% of
Democrats surveyed gave the county executive a
thumbs up, 36% a thumbs down. The survey of 381
Nassau residents was conducted in early January for
Newsday. Meanwhile, the New York State Board of
Elections records show Mangano, a Republican,
raised $826,000 for his re-election during the final six
months of 2012 and now has more than $2.3 million
in cash on hand. His only announced opponent, De-
mocrat Adam Haber (a restaurateur and retired Wall
Street trader), too has over $2 million (based in large
part on a personal loan) in his campaign funds.
Mangano approval ratingup; has $2M for re-election
FDA provides a portal to India6 January 19-25, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoNATIONAL COMMUNITY
Former diplomat bats for permanent UNSC status for IndiaJaipur: Acknowledging India’s growing
prowess in international arena, former US
ambassador to Bahrain Sam H Zakhem
stated on Wednesday that India should get
a permanent member status at the UN Se-
curity Council.
“India is the largest democracy and
should get a chance to be the permanent
member of UN Security Council,” said
Zakhem, who was in Jaipur to take part in
formal inauguration of US-India Cham-
ber of Commerce and Trade on Thursday.
He opined that friendship, cooperation,
peace and stability form the base of India-
US relations, and commerce is just anoth-
er rung in the ladder. The former diplo-
mat even predicted that US-India Cham-
ber of Commerce would put Jaipur on the
world map for trade and commerce. “In-
dia is growing in terms of economy and
its participation with the world is also
growing.
In this context, the organization will
play a bigger role ensuring more and
more economic interaction,” added Sam.
India's global rise, a rich opportunity for US businesses Washington, DC: With the India-US civil
nuclear deal removing the biggest obstacle in
their relationship, a US think tank has said
their concerted cooperation could help In-
dia's global rise and provide a rich opportu-
nity for US businesses.
"The 2008 US-India Civil Nuclear Agree-
ment did away with the biggest obstacle in
the relationship-India's murky status in the
global non-proliferation regime," the
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
said in a new report.
"The evolving US-Indian strategic partner-
ship holds great potential for both countries,"
says the report "Opportunities Unbound:
Sustaining the Transformation in US-Indian
Relations" by Ashley J. Tellis, senior associ-
ate South Asia Program.
"India's economic growth and its ties to the
US can assist its global rise, which con-
tributes to keeping the peace in Asia, provid-
ed New Delhi and Washington sustain con-
certed cooperation," he writes.
"And India's emerging markets promise to
be the key instrument for enlarging India's
power while remaining a rich opportunity for
US businesses," writes Tellis suggesting
several steps for both sides to make the part-
nership fruitful.
His recommendations for India include ex-
panding the basis for collaboration by under-
taking planned second-generation economic
reforms and doing away with archaic protec-
tionist policies and openly embracing eco-
nomic reforms.
To improve defence cooperation, "India
ought to take advantage of the wealth of
technologies available only to Washington's
closest partners and establish greater opera-
tional ties with the US to boost its military
effectiveness without forfeiting strategic au-
tonomy," writes Tellis.
"As one of Iran's biggest trading partners,
New Delhi should quietly urge Tehran to
abandon its nuclear weapons program in or-
der to avert a conflict that threatens impor-
tant Indian interests," he suggests. At the top
of Tellis' recommendations for the US is ex-
ploring a free-trade agreement with India.
"Washington should pursue such an accord
on a specified deadline while negotiating
various arrangements to lower bilateral trade
barriers in the interim," he suggests.
Tellis also advocates building up India's
defence capabilities saying: "Adding to a
strong foundation of military-to-military co-
operation, Washington should make it easier
for India to purchase advanced American de-
fence technology and cement defence indus-
trial cooperation."
The United Nations Security Council
Anusha to represent East Meadow School district at a leadership conferenceNew York: Sophomore
Anusha Syed from the
East Meadow School
District has been chosen
to represent the district
at the Hugh O’Brian
Youth Leadership Con-
ference this spring. This
forum brings together
tomorrow’s leaders with
today’s recognized pio-
neers in business, gov-
ernment, education and
other various profes-
sions to discuss present and future issues.
Anusha was selected through a rigorous
process which included an evaluation by a pan-
el of faculty, students and administrators who
were impressed with her poise, confidence and
dedication to charitable and civic activities.
In addition to being a
superb fundraiser and
outstanding citizen,
Anusha is also a sea-
soned orator. She has
been invited to partici-
pate in and host a vari-
ety of community
events, the most memo-
rable being the emcee
for the 2010 Leadership
Breakfast hosted by
Nassau County Execu-
tive Edward Mangano.
It is no surprise that Anusha aspires to holding
a political office.
In a press statement the East Meadow School
District said it is proud to have this civic-mind-
ed young woman represent the district at the
HOBY Leadership Conference.
Anusha Syed
Washington, DC: The next time you stir
black pepper, cumin, chili or cardamom
into your stew, think about this: Nearly
one quarter of the spices, oils and food
colorings used in the United States
comes from India. In fact, India is the
largest producer, consumer and exporter
of spices globally.
But that’s not all. India is an important
source of trade with the U.S. In 2011,
India was the second largest drug
exporter and the seventh largest food
exporter to the U.S.
The Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) works hard to make sure that
these India-produced foods and drugs
are safe, effective and of good quality.
With offices in New Delhi and
Mumbai staffed by technical experts and
experienced investigators in food and
medical products, FDA maintains close
contact with India’s government, indus-
tries, trade associations, and scientific
and academic communities.
Consequently, India’s officials are better
informed about FDA’s import require-
ments and the agency is able to share
best practices involving the production
of FDA-regulated products.
Such contacts have been especially
helpful when unexpected issues arise.
“We know who the decision makers are
and who to contact to mobilize a
response when problems arise that could
affect people at home,” says Bruce Ross,
FDA’s country director in India, who is
based in the New Delhi office.
Ross cites an event that occurred in
March 2012 as an example of the impor-
tance of FDA’s presence in India.
Experts from across FDA worked around
the clock to find the source of a
Salmonella outbreak sweeping the
United States. When the source was nar-
rowed to a manufacturer in India, two
FDA food investigators from the
Mumbai office were dispatched to the
facility. After FDA’s inspection verified
that the tuna product implicated in the
outbreak came from the suspect facility
and uncovered potential sources of con-
tamination, the Indian government
pulled the manufacturer’s license, Ross
says.
The incident demonstrates that when
collaborating with officials in another
country and supporting their efforts to
resolve problems quickly, there’s no sub-
stitute for being on the scene, rather than
thousands of miles away, Ross says.
Similarly, when contaminated materi-
als were discovered in an intravenous
product manufactured in India, FDA
investigators went to the manufacturing
plant and helped identify the source of
the contamination.
FDA could then issue an import alert to
flag the suspect product when offered for
input into the U.S.
Ross describes FDA’s India office as a
portal through which safety information
on food and drugs flows back and forth
among FDA, the Indian government and
industry.
This relationship is essential when new
requirements come along, including
those that are part of the Food Safety and
Modernization Act (FSMA), currently
being implemented by FDA.
FDA works with Indian govt. and variousagencies to ensure quality
imports reach US.
25% spices, oils and food colorings used in US come from India
Son guns down fatherover dispute in North Carolina
Raleigh, NC : In a ghastly act, a 28-year-old
Indian-American has killed his father in a North
Carolina city, following a dispute between them.
Jiten Ashwin Patel, 28, is charged with first-
degree murder of his father Ashwin Kumar
Vaghjibhai Patel, 62, and is being held without
bond at the Gaston County Jail, police said.
The incident happened in the Mount Holly
city, a suburb of Raleigh. The Mount Holly
Interim Police Chief David James said police
found Jiten Patel driving the Camry in nearby
Gastonia, N.C. Jiten was arrested after he was
on the run for more than 12 hours.
Both the father and son operated a BP gas sta-
tion in the city. The motive of the attack has not
been determined yet. According to the arrest
warrant affidavit, Ashwin Kumar Vaghjibhai
Patel died of several gunshot wounds on January
11. His body was found inside his home and was
first reported by his family members.
As per the affidavit, Jiten was not at home
when the police arrived. But they found a note
written by Jiten in which he said that he was
sorry for what he did and that he was going to
kill himself. The Police said Jiten had a criminal
record. In 2005, he spent several months in
prison and was convicted of felony larceny. In
December 2002, he was convicted of a drug
charge in Jackson County and was placed on
probation.
7January 19-25, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY
Washington, DC: An India ori-
gin researcher working with the
University of Arizona has
explained how social media
sites like Twiiter act as a tool of
spreading news.
The answer, according to pro-
fessor Sudha Ram's research,
varies widely by news agency,
and there may not be one uni-
versally applicable strategy for
maximizing Twitter effective-
ness.
However, news agencies can
learn a lot by looking at how
their news diffuses once it is
posted on Twitter, said Ram,
McClelland Professor of Management
Information Systems in the UA's Eller
College of Management.
Ram, who recently presented her findings
at the International Workshop on Business
Applications of Social Network Analysis in
Istanbul, examined, over a six-month peri-
od, the Twitter activity of 12 major news
organizations focused on U.S. news, global
news, technology news or financial news.
Ram, working with Devi Bhattacharya,
an MIS doctoral student at the UA, tracked
what happened to a news article after it was
tweeted by a news organization.
Together, they looked at how many peo-
ple retweeted, or reposted, the article on
their own Twitter feeds, then how many
times it was subsequently retweeted from
those accounts and so forth.
Of the organizations analyzed, BBC had
the maximum reach in terms of affected
users and retweet levels.
BBC articles also had the highest chance
of survival on Twitter, with 0.1 percent of
articles surviving, through continual
retweets, for three or more days.
The BBC's high numbers were likely due
in large part to the fact that the main "bbc-
news" Twitter account also is supported by
two other agency accounts-"bbcbreaking"
and "bbcworld," Ram said.
Overall, Ram said the data showed that
articles on Twitter dissipate fairly quickly,
with retweeting typically ending between
10 and 72 hours after an article is originally
shared.
Sudha Ram’s research reveals how newsspreads on Twitter
Washington, DC:
South Carolina's
Indian American
Governor Nikki
Haley bid tearful
goodbye to her hus-
band Michael, who
has been deployed on
a year-long mission to
Afghanistan.
Michael Haley is
captain in the South
Carolina National
Guard; which he
joined in 2006 and
this is his first deployment to
Afghanistan.
He will undergo a month-long
training in Indiana before being
leaving for Afghanistan where he
will be deployed as part of a unit
that will teach Afghan farmers to
grow sustainable crops.
At the departure ceremony, Nikki
Haley and her two children, daugh-
ter Rena, 14, and son Nalin, 10,
were seen hugging Michael and
wiping off tears alongside the fam-
ilies of other departing servicemen
and women.
"We are a proud military family
who understands the sacrifices any
family goes through when a loved
one is serving his or her country.
This is what our men and women
in uniform sign up for, and
although Michael, like his brothers
and sisters, is looking forward to
his mission, we will miss him
while he's away.”
"Rena, Nalin and I are proud of
Michael and will pray for his - and
all others' - safe return," Nikki
Haley wrote on her Facebook page.
"Praying for Nikki Haley's hus-
band Michael and all of our troops
as they serve our country over-
seas," Bobby Jindal, the Governor
of Louisiana said in a tweet.
Nikki Haley's husband Michaeldeployed in Afghanistan
Houston: As the US debates its gun
control laws, Louisiana's Indian
American Governor Bobby Jindal is
seeking a law that will keep guns
out of hands of the mentally ill
while allowing other citizens to own
weapons.
In an effort to reduce gun-related
deaths and injury, Jindal says he will
seek legislation to improve gun
safety in Louisiana by enabling the
state to report to the federally
administered National Instant
Criminal Background Check
System (NICS) database an individ-
ual's eligibility to purchase firearms
based on mental health records.
The "relief from disabilities" pro-
vision will protect the rights of
healthy, law-abiding citizens and
allow Louisiana to utilize federal
funding for NICS.
Similar laws exist in Alabama,
Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho,
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
Kentucky, Maine, Nevada, New
York, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas,
Virginia and Wisconsin.
Jindal said passage of such legis-
lation would enhance gun safety and
mental health reporting standards in
Louisiana.
"Too often, both in Louisiana and
in states across the nation, the men-
tally ill are slipping through the
cracks and getting lost in the sys-
tem," Jindal said in a statement.
"In order to protect these individu-
als and the communities they reside
in, it is imperative that (we) define
situations where mental health eligi-
bility must be reported and when a
person would be disqualified from
purchasing a firearm," he said.
The Governor said the determina-
tion about disqualification would be
made by a court on the basis of laid
out criteria.
"Criteria will include whether or
not a person is deemed to be a dan-
ger to himself, herself or others as a
result of mental illness; whether or
not a person is deemed incapable of
managing his or her own affairs;
whether or not a person has been
found not guilty by reason of insani-
ty or other mental disease or defect
in a criminal case; whether or not a
person has been found guilty but
insane in a criminal case; whether or
not a person has been found incom-
petent to stand trial; and whether or
a not a person has been formally and
involuntarily committed to a mental
institution or asylum."
The law would define situations
when the state may request to have
an individual deemed competent by
health care professionals removed
from the NICS database.
Bobby Jindal to propose gun safety legislation
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal
Prof Sudha Ram
Gov Nikki Haley bids emotional goodbye tohusband Michael. Also seen daughter Rena
and son Nalin.
8 January 19-25, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoNATIONAL COMMUNITY
Top US leaders to attend Indiaspora Inaugural Ball
Sikh Americans favor tougher gun laws
Washington, DC: The Sikh-Amer-
ican community has lauded Presi-
dent Barack Obama's push for
tougher gun laws in the wake of De-
cember massacre of 20 children and
six teachers at an elementary school
in Connecticut.
The Sikh community supports
Obama's initiative to take measures
to stop the proliferation of deadly
weapons in the American society,
said Rajwant Singh, Chairman of
the Sikh council on Religion and
Education (SCORE).
"Too many innocent people have
become victims of these senseless
killings," said the community leader
who was among the invitees at a
White House event Wednesday
where the President unveiled the
most sweeping gun control propos-
als in two decades.
Urging the Congress to step in and
show real leadership in this hour of
need, Rajwant Singh said "it's a
moral obligation to create safety for
all particularly our young ones. "
The Sikh community will observe
Feb 5, marking six months of the
August shooting at a Sikh Gurdwara
in Oak Creek, Wisconsin that left six
worshipers dead, as a day of prayers
for all victims of gun violence in
America and will ask congregants to
contact their representatives to sup-
port gun control legislation.
Rajwant Singh was among 12
faith leaders, including a representa-
tive of the Hindu American Founda-
tion invited to meet Vice President
Joe Biden, who headed a task force
set up by Obama to to examine gun
control steps after the Newtown
shootings.
Biden's recommendations formed
the basis of the package of propos-
als Obama announced Wednesday.
Rajwant Singh he had suggested
to Biden a major educational initia-
tive to teach children against indis-
criminate violence with a major
push at the state and the federal
level.
The Sikh community was looking
forward to work with the "Obama
administration and Congress to find
the comprehensive solution that
makes our society more secure
where we can raise our children free
from any fear of violence," he said.
Parminder Singh jumps into Arizona meteor crater to “appease gods”New York: Parminder Singh, an Indi-
an American resident of California
who was rescued early Jan. 11 from the
bottom of a mine shaft in northern Ari-
zona's Meteor Crater reportedly,
jumped in to “appease the gods,' au-
thorities said.
Coconino County Sheriff's officials
said Singh told deputies after the eight-
hour rescue in freezing temperatures
that he intentionally jumped into the
shaft, which is 100 feet deep and
closed to the public.
The 28-year-old Singh, of Union
City, was reported to be in fair condi-
tion at Flagstaff Medical Center. A hos-
pital spokeswoman said Singh was not
in any condition to speak to reporters
and she would not disclose what in-
juries he suffered. But sheriff's
spokesman Gerry Blair said deputies
believe Singh had “a broken arm and a
broken leg and some abrasions.'
Blair said it was still unclear if Singh
came all the way from California just
to jump into the vertical mine shaft.
During an interview with deputies
after the rescue, they reported Singh
told them he intentionally jumped into
the shaft to “appease the gods.”
Meteor Crater, a tourist attraction 35
miles east of Flagstaff, was created by
an asteroid about 50,000 years ago. It
is nearly one mile across, 2.4 miles in
circumference and about 600 feet deep.
An employee at the park called the
sheriff's office about 4 p.m. Jan. 10 to
report a man trespassing at the bottom
of the crater. He then told authorities
that he watched through binoculars as
the man jumped feet first into the mine
shaft, which is surrounded by a seven-
foot-high fence topped with barbed
wire.
It took hours for rescuers to get to the
opening of the mine shaft and they
were battling 20-degree temperatures
with a wind chill factor of below zero.
Arizona's meteor crater fromwhere Parminder Singh was
rescued
Washington, DC: The who's who of Amer-
ica, including several governors, lawmakers
and government officials, are expected to
participate in the 'Indiaspora 2013 Inaugural
Ball' being organized by Indian-American
community to honor President Barack Oba-
ma's second term and highlight the benefits
of Indo-US ties.
More than 1,000 people are expected to
participate in the event on January 19 here.
"We want the Indiaspora ball to be more
than a fantastic party. Many of Indiaspora's
leaders have called for us to raise our voices
together with the aim of setting an Indian-
American policy agenda," said California-
based M R Rangaswami, the brain behind
the first of its kind event.
"With hundreds of influential community
members in the same room as local, state and
national political officials, there will be no
better time to start a national conversation,"
he said.
The interest level of the community is very
high, Mr Rangaswami said. "People are ex-
cited and enthusiastic about getting together
this coming weekend in Washington DC."
Prominent among those to have confirmed
their participation are Senator Mark Warner,
who is also Co-Chair of the Senate Caucus;
and Congressman Joe Crowley, Co-Chair of
the Congressional Caucus on India and Indi-
an-Americans.
Delaware Governor Jack Markell (Chair-
man of the National Governors Association);
Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, Mas-
sachusetts Governor Deval Patrick; Califor-
nia Attorney General Kamala D Harris; and
Mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa
have also confirmed their attendance.
Congressman Ami Bera, only the third In-
dian-American lawmaker ever, and Con-
gresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who is the first-
ever Hindu lawmaker, would also attend the
inaugural ball.
US Ambassador to Belize, Vinai Thumala-
pally, the first Indian American to occupy
such a post, and USAID Chairman Raj Shah,
the highest ranking Indian-American in the
Obama Administration, are among the many
to participate in the ball from the US gov-
ernment.
Mr Rangaswami said the Indiaspora Inau-
gural Ball will serve as a catalyst for sup-
porting Indian-American candidates at all
levels of US government regardless of party
affiliation; raising the awareness and re-
sources needed to take care of the underpriv-
ileged and "invisibles" in the US communi-
ty, and a kick-start for Obama's second-term
"strategic partnership" with India.
"Entertainment will be headlined by Red
Baraat, The Mona Khan Company and
Shankar Tucker.
Food Network star Maneet Chauhan will
create an exquisite meal which will be ac-
companied by exotic Indian drinks," Mr
Rangaswami said.
Indiaspora founder M R Rangaswami
Gov Jack Markell, Gov Martin O'Malley, Gov Deval Patrick, California Attorney General Kamala D Harris, LAMayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Congressman Ami Bera, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, US Ambassador to Belize
Vinai Thumalapally and USAID Chairman Raj Shah, are among the many expected to participate
Chicago: In the week since news sur-
faced that a Chicago man was poisoned
to death with cyanide just before he was
to collect a lottery payout, surprising de-
tails about his convoluted family saga
have trickled out daily.
Urooj Khan's widow and siblings
fought for months over the business-
man's estate, including the lottery check.
His father-in-law owed tens of thousands
of dollars in taxes. His 17-year-old
daughter from a previous marriage had
moved out of her stepmom's home and
into his sister's after his death. Then his
ex-wife came forward, announcing in
anguish that she hadn't seen her daughter
in more than a decade and hadn't even
known she was still in the U.S. The
slowly emerging family backstory and
ever-expanding cast of characters have
added layers of intrigue to a baffling case
in which authorities have revealed little
and everyone is wondering: Who did it?
The victim's relatives hint at family
squabbles. And Khan's wife, Shabana
Ansari, has endured clutches of reporters
outside the family home and business,
asking even whether it was a lamb or
beef curry dinner she made for Khan on
the night he died.
“She's just as curious as anyone else to
get to the bottom of what caused her hus-
band's death,' said Al-Haroon Husain,
who is representing Ansari in the case
that will divide up Khan's estate, includ-
ing the $425,000 in lottery winnings.
Ansari and other relatives have denied
any role in his death and expressed a de-
sire to learn the truth.
Lottery winner’s death: Family backstory adds dramatic twists
9January 19-25, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info US AFFAIRS
Washington: President Obama
announced sweeping gun control pro-
posals Wednesday designed to curb
mass violence, including new restric-
tions on guns, efforts to enhance
school safety, and improving treat-
ment of mental health issues. Some
items will be enacted via executive
order while others will require action
on Capitol Hill. The Washington Post
examined the larger proposals that
will require action from Congress and
offered educated guess of how likely
they are to pass.
A ban on assault weapons and
high-capacity magazines: Sen.
Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is set to
introduce such a ban in the Senate,
but its odds of passage don’t look that
promising right now. Both Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid and
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer
have expressed doubts, as do conser-
vative Democrats. The National Rifle
Association opposes such a ban.
But 58 percent Americans in a poll
supported a nationwide ban on the
sale of assault weapons. So odds of
passage: Less than 50 percent.
Requiring universal background
checks in gun sales: There is better
consensus around the issue of
strengthening background checks by
requiring them in firearm sales at gun
shows and in other private transac-
tions, to end the so-called “gun show
loophole.”
88% of Americans support such a
measure, including 89 percent of
Republicans. Odds of passage: 75
percent or better.
Enhancing school safety: The
Obama administration is proposing
enhancing the physical security of
schools and better preparing them to
respond to outbreaks of mass vio-
lence. The administration’s proposal
includes a call to put as many as
1,000 trained police officers and
school counselors on the job. The
administration is leaving the choice to
individual school districts. It is also
calling on Congress to provide $30
million in one-time grants to states to
help school districts shore up emer-
gency management plans.
Overall, few Americans seem to
disagree with the idea that school
safety must be beefed up. The differ-
ences arise when it comes to the
specifics. The Washington Post-ABC
News poll showed, for example, that
most support putting armed guards in
every school — which is the idea the
NRA has put forth. Odds of passage:
Very good.
Albany, NY: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a
package of tougher gun measures Tuesday, soon after the
state Assembly voted to bolster the state's ban on assault
weapons and high-capacity magazines.
The Democrat-dominated Assembly passed the provi-
sion Tuesday by a 104-43 vote after the state Senate
approved it by a wide margin late Monday.
The signing makes New York the first state to enact
tighter restrictions on guns after the Dec. 14 massacre in
Newtown, Conn., in which 28 people died including 20
children.
"I am proud to be a New Yorker today," Cuomo said
shortly before signing the bill. "I am proud to be part of
this government, not just because New York has the first
bill, but because New York has the best bill."
The gun-control package makes changes and additions
to a broad swath of state law, ranging from requiring uni-
versal background checks for all gun and ammunition
sales, boosting the state's power to confiscate firearms
from the mentally ill and increasing penalties for gun-
related crime.
The new laws provide for an immediate ban on semi-
automatic rifles, shotguns and pistols with a "military-
style feature," such as a flash suppressor or a bayonet
mount. Guns that had been legal but are being banned
would be grandfathered in, but their owners must register
their firearms with the state or sell them out of state with-
in one year. Magazines are limited to a maximum capaci-
ty of seven bullets, down from the current 10.
The legislation includes a "Webster provision," a life-
without-parole sentence for anyone convicted of killing a
first responder. The provision is a reference to the
Christmas Eve shooting in a Rochester, N.Y., suburb
where two firefighters were shot and killed.
An additional provision permits gun licensees to opt out
of having their personal information available to the pub-
lic under the state's Freedom of Information law. It was
inserted in response to a controversy that erupted after
Journal News (Westchester, N.Y.) published an interac-
tive map with names and addresses of handgun-permit
holders in two suburban New York counties.
For the first 120 days of the new law, no information on
gun licenses will be available to the public, then the opt-
out provision will take effect. People who already have
licenses will be able to fill out a form at their county
clerks' offices to opt out. Criticism from gun rights advo-
cates and a number of Republicans in the state Legislature
was swift. The National Rifle Association, which had pre-
viously labeled Cuomo as "America's most-anti-gun gov-
ernor," expressed "outrage" at the "draconian gun-control
bill that was rushed through the process."
Obama’s anti-gun proposals andchances Congress will pass them
New York first state to pass tough gun laws since Sandy Hook
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signingthe gun control law
Washington: The US Defense
Secretary, Leon Panetta, has
pledged to "take all necessary
steps" to rescue American
hostages taken by terrorists who
took over a natural gas plant in
Algeria, Xinhua reported.
"I want to assure the American
people that the United States will
take all necessary and proper
steps that are required to deal
with this situation," Panetta was
quoted by the American Forces
Press Service as telling the US
reporters travelling with him on
his current visit to Rome.
The US defense chief arrived in
Rome Tuesday on a six-day trip
to Europe to visit defense coun-
terparts and troops.
He said the US strongly con-
demns these kinds of terrorist
acts. "It is a very serious matter
when Americans are taken
hostage, along with others."
Panetta said he did not know
how many Americans were being
held by the terrorists, but noted
that the US and British authori-
ties -- the natural gas complex is
partly owned by British
Petroleum -- are in close consul-
tation with their Algerian coun-
terparts to learn as much as possi-
ble.
Panetta said he was not sure
whether there was a link between
the terrorist attack in Algeria and
the French military operation in
Mali, where France launched air
strikes against militants that he
identified as affiliated with al-
Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb
(AQIM).
Stating that he had spoken with
European government and
defense leaders in Portugal,
Spain and Italy about the situa-
tion in Mali, Panetta said: "I
believe that there is a consensus
that France took the right step
here to ... deter AQIM from tak-
ing even further action there."
He noted that European defense
ministers would hold a meeting
Thursday to discuss ongoing
assistance in Mali.
Washington: Declaring that
America is not a deadbeat nation,
President Barack Obama has asked
the US Congress to raise the debt
ceiling while making it clear that
he would not negotiate with the
opposition Republicans over the
issue.
Raising the debt ceiling is not a
license to spend more money,
Obama said Monday at the last
press conference of his first term.
Rather, he said, it would allow
Treasury to pay financial obliga-
tions already authorized by law-
makers.
"America cannot afford another
debate with this Congress about
whether or not they should pay the
bills they've already racked up. ...
We are not a deadbeat nation."
But Republicans, who control the
House of Representatives, appear
to be equally adamant, saying they
would not support a debt ceiling
increase unless it is matched or
exceeded by spending cuts.
"The consequences of failing to
increase the debt ceiling are real,
but so too are the consequences of
allowing our spending problem to
go unresolved," said Republican
House Speaker John Boehner in
response to the president's com-
ments.
Meanwhile, the Treasury
Department followed up Obama's
call with a missive to
Congressional leaders saying it
will run out of ways to keep the
country under the legal borrowing
limit sometime between mid-
February and early March.
US borrowing officially hit its
$16.394 trillion legal limit Dec 31.
As a result, until the debt ceiling is
raised, Treasury is not allowed to
borrow new money to help it pay
all the country's financial obliga-
tions.
To cover near-term borrowing
needs, Treasury has begun using
"extraordinary measures", or cash
management through selective
payments, to harvest $200 billion.
"If extraordinary measures were
allowed to expire without an
increase in borrowing authority,
Treasury would be left to fund the
government solely with the cash
we have on hand on any given
day," Treasury Secretary Tim
Geithner said in a letter to congres-
sional leaders.
Panetta vows to rescue US hostages in Algeria We are not a deadbeat nation: Obama
10 January 19-25, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoUS AFFAIRS
Facebook launchesnew search tool
Washington: Social media giant Facebook has
unveiled a new tool -- Graph Search -- to enable
users in conducting targeted searches for people,
places, photos and interests on the site.
"You should theoretically be able to ask
Facebook 'Who are my friends who live in San
Francisco?' and Graph Search should be able to
return an answer to you," Facebook founder
Mark Zuckerberg told reporters Tuesday.
Facebook's Graph Search photo component is
the first of its kind for the California- based tech
company.
"Photos will be surfaced based on the query,
and then based on the number of likes and com-
ments," said Lars Rasmussen, Facebook's direc-
tor of engineering. "For example, you can look
up photos of friends taken in Paris, or even pho-
tos of friends taken in national parks," he said.
Want Thai food in New York City? The new
tool will let users see which friends have dined
where, and which restaurants were "Liked" by
friends. And using natural language search
terms such as "friends who like college football",
Graph Search is also able to comb through the
billions of "Likes" to curate results, a tool that
advertisers might find useful, experts said.
"You can only search for content that has been
shared with you," Zuckerberg said, adding that a
message will appear on users' Newsfeeds to
remind them to review their privacy settings
before the product begins to roll out this week.
As ZeroDarkThirty captivates audiences, director defends torture scenesWashington: After the Oscar-winning "The
Hurt Locker" on the Iraq war, Kathryn
Bigelow now brings one of the world's great-
est manhunts in "Zero Dark Thirty", key
sequences of which have been shot in India.
Though the director admits it is a sensitive
topic as it involves Al Qaeda leader Osama
bin Laden, she says it "has been sensibly and
cautiously made".
"Zero Dark Thirty" chronicles the decade-
long hunt for Al Qaeda leader Osama after the
September 2001 attacks and his death at the
hands of the Navy SEAL Team 6 in
Abbotabad, Pakistan, in May 2011.
"Yes, it is sensitive topic, which has been
sensibly and cautiously made, which the peo-
ple can judge for themselves. The movie is
not for anyone or against any one; it has no
agenda. It is a very neutral depiction of what
happened during the world's greatest man-
hunt," Bigelow said.
"The movie is based on a first-hand
account; so we have tried to keep the cinemat-
ic version of it as accurate as possible. This is
a naturally dramatic and exciting story and, as
you know, it is one of the biggest manhunt
story ever. This is a story told by the people
who lived and encountered the hunt," she
added. Now, however, Bigelow has had to
defend her use of the torture scenes in the film
after audiences and senators alike have called
her out on their nature. In response, Bigelow
released an open letter.
"Experts disagree sharply on the facts and
particulars of the intelligence hunt, and
doubtlessly that debate will continue," the 61-
year-old Bigelow writes. "As for what I per-
sonally believe, which has been the subject of
inquiries, accusations and speculation, I think
Osama bin Laden was found due to ingenious
detective work. Torture was, however,
employed in the early years of the hunt. That
doesn't mean it was the key to finding Bin
Laden. It means it is a part of the story we
couldn't ignore."
The film has done well so far and last
month won four Golden Globe nominations.
Washington: Cycling superstar Lance
Armstrong, who overcame cancer to win the
Tour de France seven consecutive times, and
has defiantly denied using performance-
enhancing drugs, has admitted to doping in
an interview with talk show host Oprah
Winfrey.
"I think he was just, ready. I think the
velocity of everything that's come at him in
the past several months and the past several
weeks, he was just ready," Winfrey told
"CBS This Morning" Tuesday.
The interview - taped in Austin, Texas
Monday - is scheduled to air over the course
of two nights, beginning Thursday on
Winfrey's OWN network.
Last year, the US Anti-Doping Agency
(USADA) stripped Armstrong of all the titles
he had won since 1998 and announced a life-
time ban from all sports that follow the
World Anti-Doping Agency code.
The USADA found in its report that as a
champion cyclist, Armstrong took part in
and helped enforce "the most sophisticated,
professionalized and successful doping pro-
gram that sport has ever seen".
In an effort to reduce the ban, Armstrong is
set to testify against officials from the
International Cycling Union, which governs
the sport, The New York Times reported, cit-
ing "people with knowledge of the situa-
tion".
CBS News reported Armstrong is negotiat-
ing the possible return of a portion of money
his team - sponsored by the US Postal
Service - received, an amount said to be in
the millions.
Winfrey described Armstrong as "emotion-
al" at times during the interview, telling CBS
that "emotional doesn't begin to describe the
intensity of the difficulty that I think he
experienced in talking about some of these
things". She also called it "certainly the
biggest interview I've ever done in terms of
its exposure".
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta
Kathryn Bigelow
Fallen cycling star Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong admits doping to Oprah Winfrey
11January 19-25, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA
Chautala, son convicted in graft case
Akbar Owaisi produced in Medak court
New Delhi: Former Haryana chief minister Om
Prakash Chautala and his son Ajay were taken
into police custody after a CBI court convicted
them in a recruitment scam involving JBT
(junior basic training) teachers.
The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) chief and
son Ajay, both Haryana legislators, were taken
into custody immediately after the ruling by the
Central Bureau of Investigation court in Rohini.
The court also convicted 53 others for the illegal
recruitment of over 3,000 JBT teachers. The
court will pronounce the sentence on Jan 22. The
CBI had formally charged the father-son duo and
others June 6, 2008, in connection with the scam
that took place in 1999-2000 when Chautala was
chief minister of Haryana.
Over 3,000 teachers were to be recruited in the
state and Chautala had pressurized a senior offi-
cial, Sanjeev Kumar, to change the list of select-
ed candidates by fudging the marks of certain
favorites.
Later, Sanjeev Kumar went to the Supreme
Court and submitted before it the list of the can-
didates originally selected. The official also
alleged that money had changed hands in the
recruitment scam.
The Supreme Court directed the CBI to inves-
tigate the matter, especially the bribery charges.
The federal investigating agency in its
chargesheet said forged documents were used to
appoint the teachers.
Although Chautala alleged that he was politi-
cally victimized, the Rohini court convicted him
in the case.
Son of former deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal,
Chautala is the leader of opposition in the
Haryana assembly. The INLD was earlier part of
the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Chautala and his two sons -- Ajay Singh
Chautala and Abhey Singh Chautala -- are legis-
lators in the Haryana assembly. He was the chief
minister of Haryana between 1999-2005.
Hyderabad: MIM leader
Akbaruddin Owaisi was produced
in a court in Medak district in con-
nection with a case booked against
him in 2005.
The leader of Majlis-e-Ittehadul
Muslimeen leader, who was arrest-
ed and jailed last week for making a
hate speech, was brought to
Sangareddy town from Adilabad
district jail. He was produced in the
court, which adjourned the hearing
to Jan 28.
The court had issued Prisoner
Transit (PT) warrant against him in
connection with a 2005 case for
obstructing officials from carrying
out the demolition of a place of
worship to facilitate road extension.
He had allegedly misbehaved
with then Medak district collector
at Muttangi village.
Sangareddy is about 55 km from
Hyderabad, while Adilabad is some
290 km away from the state capital.
Several MIM workers who had
gathered at the court complex
raised slogans when Akbar Owaisi
was brought there amid tight securi-
ty. Police used force to disperse
them.
Akbar Owaisi was having diffi-
culty in walking and was seen
keeping one hand on his stomach,
indicating that he was in pain. MIM
leader Afsar Khan said the legisla-
tor was not well and alleged that he
was not being given proper treat-
ment.
Akbar Owaisi, a member of the
Andhra Pradesh assembly from
Chandrayangutta constituency in
the old city of Hyderabad, is facing
charges of sedition, waging war
against the nation and criminal con-
spiracy.
A CBI court convicted them in arecruitment scam involving JBT (junior
basic training) teachers
Akbar Owaisi is facing chargesof sedition, waging war against
the nation and criminal con-spiracysic training) teachers
Chandigarh: The fate of hundreds of teach-
ers in government schools in Haryana has
become uncertain with the conviction of for-
mer chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, his
son and 53 others in the JBT (junior basic
trained) recruitment controversy.
Chautala and others were convicted for
tampering with the selection list of over
3,200 teachers recruited in 1999-2000 when
he was chief minister and selecting them on
the basis of bribes, nepotism and favoritism.
Senior functionaries in the government
maintained that a decision on the fate of the
selected teachers, who have been in govern-
ment service for over 12 years, will be decid-
ed by the present Congress government led
by Bhupinder Singh Hooda only after receiv-
ing a copy of the judgment of the Rohini
CBI court.
"We will evaluate the court order and then
the government will decide the next course
of action," said Education Minister Geeta
Bhukkal.
Some of the selected teachers had in fact
gone to the Punjab and Haryana high court to
seek promotions.
A senior education department officer said
the government and the education depart-
ment will have to look into all the aspects,
including the fate of the wrong selections as
well as those who were left out of the selec-
tion to accommodate the favorites.
Chautala's fallout: Haryanateachers' fate uncertain
12 January 19-25,2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoINDIA
New Delhi: Pakistan has to take
concrete steps to reduce tensions
in the wake of the outrage over the
killing of two Indian soldiers near
the Line of Control, one of whom
was beheaded, security analysts
say.
They also asserted that India's
"no business as usual" move
towards its neighbor was a reflec-
tion of public sentiment.
On January 17, Indian and
Pakistani forces agreed to main-
tain peace on the LoC in Jammu
and Kashmir after days of bitter
stand-off that had threatened their
uneasy ties.
The two armies agreed not to
violate the 2003 ceasefire on the
LoC, an officer said. "The
DGMOs (Director General of
Military Operations) of India and
Pakistan had a 10 minute talk in
the morning and agreed not to vio-
late the ceasefire and exercise
maximum restraint," an Indian
Army spokesperson told IANS.
The DGMOs agreed not to allow
the situation along the LoC, which
divides Kashmir between India
and Pakistan, to escalate, he
added.
Former Intelligence Bureau
chief Ajit Doval said it was for
Pakistan to address India's con-
cerns over the killing of its sol-
diers, through proper follow-up
action that India could verify.
"The ball is in Pakistan's court.
If it takes suitable measures, the
situation can be de-escalated. That
would be in the interest of both
countries," Doval said.
"It will necessitate some con-
crete and verifiable actions by
Pakistan rather than mere assur-
ances," he said.
Doval said Pakistan needed to
stop violating the Line of Control.
It must also act to trace the culprits
responsible for killing and mutilat-
ing Indian soldiers, he said.
"Somebody is responsible, and
Pakistan needs to take action," he
said.
Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh and
Lance Naik Hemraj were killed
and their bodies mutilated in the
Mendhar sector in Poonch district
of Jammu and Kashmir Jan 8.
Hemraj's head was missing from
the body, and there is concern that
it might have been taken away as a
trophy by the raiders.
Pakistan has denied any involve-
ment in the killings, and accused
Indian forces of killing two of its
soldiers - one on Jan 6 and another
four days later.
Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh said there can be "no busi-
ness as usual" with Pakistan. He
called on the neighboring country
to ensure that those responsible for
the barbaric and heinous act be
brought to book.
Indian Army chief General
Bikram Singh termed the Jan 8
incident a "gruesome and an
unpardonable act". He said his
forces could not be expected to
remain passive, and would reserve
the right to retaliate at a time and
place of their choosing.
Doval said that besides bringing
those responsible for the gruesome
act to book, Pakistan must also
offer India an assurance that such
"inhuman activities" would not
happen again.
The prime minister's remarks
reflected the mood of the people
over the incident and the subse-
quent denial by Pakistan, Doval
said.
Former foreign secretary
Shashank said the prime minister's
remarks were cautious, and the
government was still waiting for a
response from Pakistan to the con-
cerns raised.
He said that it was now up to
Pakistan to decide if it wanted to
move ahead in bilateral relation-
ship.
"Pakistan has to take the initia-
tive now, and India has to
respond," he said, adding: "We
have to prepare ourselves for any
eventuality."
With tension persisting on the
LoC over ceasefire violations, the
government put on hold the Visa-
on-Arrival (VoA) regime for sen-
ior citizens of Pakistan. Its players
in the Hockey India League (HIL)
have also been asked to go back.
External Affairs Minister
Salman Khurshid had made it
clear that the government would
not ignore the brazen denial and
the lack of a proper response from
Pakistan to India's demarches over
the Jan 8 incident. He said bilater-
al relations could not remain unaf-
fected.
Ball is in Pakistan's court
US favors India-Pakistan dialogueWashington: The United States
has said it favors a dialogue
between India and Pakistan as
the "right way" to resolve ten-
sions over the killing of two
Indian soldiers along the Line of
Control in Kashmir.
"We favor dialogue between
India and Pakistan on this issue
in any and all channels that both
governments consider appropri-
ate," State Department
spokesperson Victoria Nuland
told reporters in response to a
question.
"That's the right way to work
through this," she added.
Nuland said US was concerned
about the violence along the
LoC, but was encouraged that the
two countries had recommitted to
a dialogue to calm the situation.
Khar calls for talks with KhurshidI s l a m a b a d :
Pakistan Foreign
Minister Hina
Rabbani Khar has
called for talks
with her Indian
c o u n t e r p a r t
Salman Khurshid,
saying that contin-
ued tension along
the Line of
Control (LoC) in
Kashmir region
was not in the
interest of South
Asian peace.
Stating that
Pakistan had gone out of the way
to build constructive relationship
with India, Khar said: "We have
invested hugely in the dialogue
process and have worked energeti-
cally to keep the dialogue process
moving forward in a sustained and
constructive manner."
Earlier, Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh said that there
can be "no business as usual" with
Pakistan following the brutal
killing of two Indian soldiers.
Indian Army chief General
Bikram Singh termed the killing
of the Indian soldiers "an unpar-
donable act" and said his forces
reserved the "right to retaliate".
The two armies have agreed not to violate the 2003 ceasefire on the Line of Control
Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar
Poonch : Life has turned full cir-
cle for many villagers whose
homes virtually hug Jammu and
Kashmir's porous border with
Pakistan.
With the Indian and Pakistani
militaries locked in fresh shelling
and firing, and with tensions peak-
ing, panic has gripped the villages,
which had been breathing easy
since the 2003 truce.
"They (villagers close to the bor-
der) are fearing a collapse of the
ceasefire agreement (between
India and Pakistan)," said a
Poonch resident, Aijaz Kazmi.
Hashim Din, 75, of Khari hamlet
recalled what life was like before
the two countries decided to sign a
truce along the winding LoC.
"Earlier we led a life of animals,"
Din said over telephone. "We had
to frequently migrate to safer areas
during firing across the LoC. The
firing would kill people and our
cattle and damage our homes."
In the process, fields were not
farmed. People preferred to build
mud houses instead of concrete
ones due to frequent firing. The
2003 ceasefire changed all that.
But the bliss is over, for now.
After Pakistan accused India of
killing a soldier on Jan 6, two
Indian soldiers were killed in
Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistani
raiders beheaded one and took
away his head, and mutilated the
other soldier's body. Since then,
Pakistan says it has lost two more
soldiers to Indian firing.
Many of the villages -- also
called hamlets because of their size
-- are located close to the border,
so close that one can see move-
ments of troops and people across
the LoC.
Each hamlet is home to 150 to
200 people, dominantly Sunni
Muslims. The Indian Army posts
are not far away.
Already, the Pakistani Army has
breached the truce 10 times this
year, compared to 117 last year
and 61 in 2011. Indians say that
Pakistani forces open fire at Indian
posts to help terrorists to sneak
into Jammu and Kashmir.
Chand Mohammad, a 45-year-
old farmer in Salotri village, said
children in the border hamlets had
stopped going to schools "as their
route is exposed to shelling".
Pakistan firing hits life on Kashmir border
After a week full of tension across Line of Control (LoC), India and Pakistan have finally agreed to maintain peace after the beheading oftwo Indian soldiers by Pakistan troops that angered the nation; US wants amicable solution through peaceful dialogue
The Pakistani Army has breached the truce 10 times this year
New Delhi: Faced with a direct
contest with the BJP in five
assembly polls this year and in
the 2014 general elections, the
Congress is set to discuss ways to
counter the main opposition party
at its 'Chintan Shivir' brainstorm-
ing session from Jan 18-20 at
Jaipur, party sources said.
Aimed at paving the way for
the return of the Congress-led
United Progresive Alliance for a
third consecutive term in 2014,
the conclave is expected to draw
a roadmap for the party to count-
er the BJP in the assembly polls
and the Lok Sabha elections.
"We need a strategy to counter
the main opposition (BJP) in the
assembly polls and the general
elections," a senior Congress
leader who did not wish to be
named said.
Assembly elections are due this
year in Delhi, Karnataka,
Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and
Madhya Pradesh. While the
Congress rules in Delhi and
Rajasthan, the BJP is in power in
the other three states.
Four states in the northeast -
Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura
and Mizoram - are also set to
vote for new assemblies but there
no direct Congress-BJP challenge
here.
During the conclave, a sub-
group on future political chal-
lenges is expected to deliberate
Jan 18-19 on the possible strate-
gy and this will then be discussed
at the All India Congress
Committee (AICC) session Jan
20, sources said.
The recent win in the Himachal
Pradesh assembly polls proved to
be a leveller for the Congress.
However, the party failed to dent
the prospects of Gujarat Chief
Minister Narendra Modi in the
Dec 2012 assembly polls.
The Congress has been out of
power in Gujarat since 1995, and
could only increase its tally from
59 in 2007 to 61 in 2012 in the
182-member House.
While returning to power for
the fourth time in a row in Delhi
could be an uphill task for Chief
Minister Sheila Dikshit, a divided
Congress in Madhya Pradesh
may yet find it difficult to stop
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh
Chouhan from performing a hat-
trick in 2013.
The Congress is not too strong
in Chhattisgarh either.
Karnataka, which goes to polls
mid-year, is the only hope for the
Congress, which should not find
it difficult to defeat a divided
Bharatiya Janata Party led by
Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar.
The exit from the BJP of former
chief minister and strongman
B.S. Yeddyurappa, who now
heads his Karnataka Janata Party,
is expected to further dent the
party's vote share.
New Delhi: The Center conceded before the
Delhi High Court that it found nothing to war-
rant a criminal investigation in its inquiry into
utilization of foreign funds by a few NGOs
affiliated to anti-graft activist Anna Hazare's
civil society organization.
In a status report filed before the bench of
Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice V K
Jain, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) said
NGOs Navjyoti Indian Foundation and India
Vision Foundation — run by Kiran Bedi —
and NGO Kabir — run by Manish Sisodia —
did receive foreign funds, but these were not
used for any political activity or the India
Against Corruption (IAC) movement.
The government said technical irregularities
were found relating to accounting.
"Inspections were carried out in August and
also in November 2012 under Foreign
Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) and
FCR Rules and some irregularities were
found," the report says.
"These irregularities are not serious enough
at this stage to warrant a criminal investiga-
tion. During inspection no documentary proof
in the records of the association was found to
show the use of the fund in any such political
activity or in India Against Corruption (IAC)
movement or agitation," said the MHA report.
The government said during inspection of
India Vision Foundation's accounts last
November, it was found that the organization
maintained as many as 15 bank accounts,
including FCRA designated bank account,
and it frequently withdrew foreign contribu-
tion.
Hyderabad: Police arrested dozens of pro-
Telangana students here as they tried to disrupt
a meeting of Seemandhra leaders, opposing
the proposed division of Andhra Pradesh.
Students belonging to Osmania University
and activists of the Telangana Jagruthi, cultur-
al arm of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi
(TRS), tried to barge into the high-security
Ministers' Quarters in Banjara Hills to stop the
meeting of Congress party leaders of
Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and Andhra
regions). Raising slogans of 'Jai Telangana',
the students said they would not allow any
meeting which is aimed at stalling formation
of Telangana state.
As tension mounted, police arrested the pro-
testors and bundled them into waiting vehi-
cles. Later, activists, including from Telangana
Jagruthi, tried to lay siege to the Ministers'
Quarters but were arrested.
The protestors, including women, said they
would not tolerate attempts by Seemandhra
leaders to stop formation of a Telangana state.
The leaders from Seemandhra, including
ministers and legislators, are meeting to chalk
out their future course of action amid indica-
tions that the centre will soon take a decision
to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh.
Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC),
comprising various pro-Telangana groups,
began day-long silent protest to demand the
centre to make an announcement for carving
out Telangana state by Jan 28. After the Dec
28 all-party meet on Telangana, union Home
Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said a decision
on the issue would be taken within a month.
Leaders of various political parties and repre-
sentatives of the groups of government
employees, lawyers and journalists are partici-
pating in the silent protest at Telangana
Martyrs' Memorial, Gun Park near state
assembly building.
Congress 'Chintan Shivir' to counter BJP
Govt's clean chit to Team Anna
Assembly elections are due this year in Delhi, Karnataka,Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh
The government had said technical irregularities were found relating to
accounting of foreign funds
13January 19-25, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA
Hyderabad: Police
began questioning
Hindu religious
leader Swami
Kamalananda Bharati
in connection with a
hate speech he deliv-
ered at a rally here
last week.
The Special
Investigation Team
(SIT) took custody of
Bharati on Thursday
morning from
Cherlapally Jail.
A city court had
sent Bharati to two
days police custody while dismissing his
bail petition. The questioning will continue
on Friday.
Bharati, president of Hindu Devalaya
Parirakshana Samithi, which works for pro-
tecting Hindu temples, was arrested on
Monday in Srisailam and brought to
Hyderabad.
The same day, he
was sent to judicial
custody for 14 days.
Police booked a
case against him for
promoting enmity
between different
groups on grounds of
religion and per-
forming acts detri-
mental to communal
harmony.
Meanwhile, a
group of Hindu reli-
gious leaders called
on home minister
Sabita Indra Reddy to demand Bharati's
release, alleging that a false case was
booked against him.
Another group of leaders launched a
hunger strike at Banjara Hills police station
demanding that they be allowed to meet
Governor ESL Narasimhan.
New Delhi: Over hundred people protesting
the Dec 16 gruesome gang-rape marched to
Jantar Mantar with lit candles to silently
mark one month since the crime was com-
mitted.
"Today we remember the braveheart who
died after fighting for her life for several
days," said Radhika, who has been joining
protests at Jantar Mantar since Dec 20.
People lit candles and marched towards
Parliament Street. However, they were pre-
vented by policemen from moving beyond
Jantar Mantar.
"We are holding a peaceful protest which
we will continue till there is justice for the
woman who has died. We want justice, and
we want amendment in laws dealing with
rape," said Nupur Sharma, a college student.
Among the protesters was former woman
Indian Police Service officer Kiran Bedi.
Bedi demanded a social audit of the police
forces and the judiciary. "We should demand
that gender sensitivity be taught in schools
and colleges," Bedi said.
"We should teach our daughters to be
brave," Bedi said, as she remembered the 23-
year-old student of physiotherapy who died
Dec 29 in a Singapore hospital after battling
for life for over a week after being brutally
raped by six men in a moving bus Dec 16.
Police question Swami Kamalananda Bharati
Protests, placards mark a month of Delhi gangrape
Swami Kamlananda Bharati
People lit candles to silently mark one monthsince the crime was committed
Pro-Telangana students disrupt Seemandhra meet
14 January 19-25,2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoOP-ED
By Amulya Ganguli
By disappearing during the wide-
spread popular protests in Delhi
against the gang-rape and death of a
23-year-old paramedical student, Rahul
Gandhi hasn't done his prime ministerial
chances any good.
The upheaval posed a major challenge to
the government and the party, forcing them
to appoint a committee to stiffen the penal
provisions on rape, and another to probe the
lapses into the police response to the barbar-
ic incident. Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi
also broke with protocol to go to the airport
to receive the girl's body when it was flown
in from Singapore.
But, even as the country was exercised not
only over the brutal incident but also over
the rising cases of violence against women,
the heir apparent, who has been widely tout-
ed as the person to replace Manmohan
Singh in 2014, was nowhere to be seen. He
only issued a brief message of condolence
from behind the scenes before falling silent
even as the turmoil continued with the trag-
ic incident being discussed night after night
on television and the ruling party fending
off the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party's
(BJP) demand for a special session of par-
liament.
Rahul's absence was felt all the more
because it was the younger generation
which played a leading role in expressing
outrage over the tragedy and the seemingly
tardy official and political response as well
as the earlier callousness of the establish-
ment towards the deteriorating social scene.
What Rahul's absence showed at a time
when the entire central vista of the national
capital was sealed to keep out the protesters
was his lack of interest in playing a key role
in politics and administration. A few months
ago, a union minister had ruefully said that
the young general secretary had been play-
ing only a few "cameo roles" instead of
being more proactive. But, this time, he did
not enter the stage at all.
There may be two reasons for such indif-
ference. One is that having risen to a No.2
position in the party by virtue of his lineage
and, therefore, without having to strike for
it, his political instincts have been dulled.
The other is that he may have been disheart-
ened by some of the failures in his political
forays, notably in Uttar Pradesh, and earlier
in Bihar, and more recently in Gujarat,
which shows that he lacks the Nehru-
Gandhi family's match-winning charisma.
There may be a third reason, which is that
Rahul is not a political animal. Politics is
not his natural arena, which explains why
he does not attend parliament regularly. He
has been pushed into the field by his mother
for the sake of continuing the family's tradi-
tional occupation. But he remains a debu-
tant who shows no signs of becoming a
mature player. As much is evident from his
desultory efforts to carve out a path of his
own, but with no clear idea of what he
wants to achieve.
Hence his exercises in slumming, as it
were, when he spent a night or two in Dalit
homes with a bottle of mineral water and
then lost interest in whatever he had in
mind. Or his endeavors to democratize the
party by favoring internal elections, which
can seem strange for someone who is the
prime beneficiary of a feudal culture to try
to do. He may still make it to the top, but
the rest of the country will look upon his
ascent with skepticism in the wake of his
latest disappearing act.
A prospective PM cannot be a part-timer
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
Rahul Gandhi may still make it to the top, but the country will look upon his ascent withskepticism in the wake of his latest disappearing act.
By Mohit Dubey
It was a rare 'sangam' of tech-
nology and tradition on day
one of Maha Kumbh 2013
with Google map integration, GPS
and 'flying cameras' making their
advent in the 55-day festival, the
biggest religious congregation
anywhere in the world that is esti-
mated to draw tens of millions
from India and around the world.
The Uttar Pradesh government
has also spent about Rs.1.17 crore
on 13 gigantic LED screens,
which dot the mela premises at
vantage points in this north India
town that is playing host to the
mega event.
These screens, some fixed and
some on moving trucks, relayed
events like the bathing and 'aartis'
to faithfuls, who could not make it
to the Sangam - the sacred conflu-
ence of the Ganga, Yamuna and
Saraswati rivers - in this Uttar
Pradesh town.
The other attraction, also a first,
are the 'flying cameras' that have
been positioned by the mela
administration to click high defini-
tion aerial shots of the tents, sadhu
camps and the multitude.
Millions of people are expected
to congregate each day and cam-
eras will record the devotees
flocking to the 18 pontoon bridges
constructed to ease the flow of
people as they converge on the
Sangam area, Arail and Jhoosi.
Rakesh Sharma, the chief execu-
tive officer of Prabhatam, the
company that has set up the media
center for national and internation-
al media, said 10 OB vans have
been stationed at the Sangam nose
and would be telecasting live pic-
tures. The feed would later be dis-
tributed free of cost to the televi-
sions channels and whoever seeks
to keep them. In addition, 30 com-
puters, all connected to broadband
and printers and scanners have
also been provided to the media.
Also, in a first, the mela admin-
istration has gone in for Google
map integration of the whole
township. Every inch of space,
officials say, has been accounted
for. Through the global position-
ing system (GPS), the employees
are surveying the land and all
information collated has been put
up on the website for easy access
to journalists and other visitors.
The seers are equipped too. At
many 'akhadaas', as each commu-
nity of different sadhu sects are
called, the holy men and their dis-
ciples are not only carrying latest
gadgets like Android mobile
phones, tablet note books and
broadband connecting dongles,
some vehicles of these sects,
including a fleet of Mercedes,
have GPS technology installed
"just in case they get lost".
An interactive map has been
made online wherein one can see
how the 4,000 camps have been
allotted in the 193.5 hectare
sprawling campus. In these maps,
details of the sector markets, sec-
tor offices, ration shops and
important religious places has
been given.
The state government has also
taken the opportunity to highlight
its own achievements at the once
in 12-year event billed the largest
gathering of people in the world.
Small advertisements of the state
government, highlighting the
achievements of the 10-month-old
Akhilesh Yadav government were
also displayed. Shiva, in-charge of
the Mumbai based company that
put up these screens, was happy at
the crowds gathered around the
screen. With all this technology in
place, one visitor remarked, it
would indeed be impossible for
anyone to get lost in the Kumbh
mela -- a staple of many a lost and
found theme in Hindi films.
'Sangam' of technology and tradition at Kumbh
An interactive map online shows how the 4,000 Kumbh Mela camps have been allotted in the 193.5 hectare campus. Sector markets, sectoroffices, ration shops and key religious places are also marked.
HERITAGE 15January 19-25, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Rashtrapati Bhavan is now more accessible to public
New Delhi: Rashtrapati Bhavan,
the imposing presidential palace
spread over 130 hectares in the
heart of this capital city, has
become a more accessible place
for tourists and common people of
India. Pranab Mukherjee, who
became the 13th President of India
on July 25 last year, said his mis-
sion was to make the place as
"open as possible to people,
including children."
All one needs to do is to log on
to the internet and make an
advance booking for any of the
three days it is open to the public
every weekend.
Previously, one had to physical-
ly go to Rashtrapati Bhavan to
make a booking. The new system
has seen footfalls spiral from 500
over three days on an average last
year to nearly 1,600 over the same
period, with a cap of 700 visitors
per day, an official said.
A media tour through
Rashtrapati Bhavan threw up
interesting sights of groups of for-
eign tourists being escorted by
young scholar-guides through the
Durbar Hall, the Marble Hall, the
south and north drawing rooms,
the museum, library and banquet
hall.
Explaining the growing popular-
ity of the president's abode on the
capital's sight-seeing map, the
official said: "We have been
receiving online reservations from
around the world. We have thrown
open new galleries and the front
entrance of Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The sale of souvenirs at the
memento shop has increased."
For the media on Tuesday, it was
a landmark tour. "For the first
time, the media has been allowed
inside Rashtrapati Bhavan other
than the designated areas," the
official said. Visitors have a
choice of two guided tours around
the premises.
The interiors were a revelation.
The grand British-style decor and
the furniture have been spruced up
in a mega restoration drive to
bring the Bhavan back to its origi-
nal glory. The main library is the
focus of the restoration drive.
Nearly 24,000 books and manu-
scripts are in queue for digitization
- 4,000 having been archived dur-
ing the tenure of President A.P.J
Abdul Kalam.
President Mukherjee is taking
personal interest in bringing a
semblance of order to the library.
"Dr Kalam had initiated many
good projects and created infra-
structure. I am ensuring that they
are utilized. The Rashtrapati
Bhavan auditorium which he inau-
gurated in 2007 is being used reg-
ularly," Mukherjee said while
interacting with the media.
The decision to build the 340-
room mansion -- the erstwhile res-
idence of the British viceroy - was
taken in 1911 when the British
decided to shift their capital from
Kolkata to New Delhi. Designed
by Edward Landseer Lutyens, it
took 17 years to build the abode at
a cost then of Rs. 1.28 crore.
The most distinguishing aspect
of Rashtrapati Bhavan is its dome,
which is superimposed on its
structure. It is visible as the most
eye-catching round roof with a cir-
cular base in the heart of Delhi.
The presidential art collection
that begins at the Durbar Hall - the
public assembly space - with a 5th
century statue of Lord Buddha and
an Ashokan edict is being cata-
logued and dusted. The private
collection comprising art by mas-
ters like Jamini Roy and Jogen
Chowdhury has been mounted in a
dedicated art gallery that will open
for viewing soon, an official said.
The collection that adorns the
walls of the presidential abode is a
veritable treasure chest with com-
missioned portraits of all the
Indian presidents and East India
Company paintings of India in the
19th century.
The artworks complement the
art deco furniture of the British
Raj - in gilded golden metal,
ornate hard wood, rich upholstery
and soft carpets.
The south and the north drawing
rooms - where the dignitaries call
on the president - shine like jewels
out of time with ornamental
chairs, richly inlaid tables, color-
ful portraits and expensive panel-
ing. Two of the most exciting fea-
tures of the president's house are
the kitchen museum and the
Marble Hall that draw steady
streams of visitors.
Set up by Kalam when he was
president, the kitchen museum is a
virtual walk through the pantry
and culinary traditions of
Rashtrapati Bhavan with laid-out
tables, British-era cutlery and pots
and pans used by the crew.
The Marble Hall is a gallery of
marble who's who from modern
Indian history - including two sin-
gle marble sculptures of King
George V and Queen Mary - the
founding forces behind Lutyen's
Delhi as the country's political
capital.
The Mughal Gardens modeled
on the Persian style 'char bagh' is
yet to burst into its riot of colorful
blooms. But a fleet of gardeners is
hard at work to ready it for a
spring gala. A single black rose on
a freshly pruned black pearl rose
bush against the pink backdrop of
the presidential home serves as a
reminder of the mystique that
hangs like an aura around the
country's domed echelon.
Last year, nearly 700,000 people
visited the Mughal Gardens alone
when it opened for viewing in
February, the official said.
Rashtrapati Bhavan is illumined for Republic Day. This central Delhi landmark isbecoming a draw for visitors.
The Durbar Hall inside the Bhavan has been remodeled at the behest of the current occupant, President Pranab Mukherjee. It is now open to public.
The Ashoka hall is often used for cabinet swearing in ceremoniesand other important state events.
Modeled on the Persian style 'char bagh', the Mughal Gardens inthe presidential estate is a riot of color in spring when it is
opened to the public.
Pranab Mukherjee, the 13th President of India, has made it his mission to make theimposing presidential palace as open as possible to people.
16 January 19-25, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoRELIGION
Maha Kumbh: Over 10 million take holy dip
Hatha yogis grab eyeballs
Allahabad: Millions of devout
Hindus, led by naked ascetics with
ash smeared on their bodies,
plunged into the frigid waters of
the Ganga on January 14.
Divisional Commissioner of
Allahabad Devesh Chaturvedi said
that the first day with record devo-
tees passed off peacefully.
Elaborate arrangements were
made on the VIP ghat, where the
13 sects of sadhus lead bathers in a
mutually agreed sequence.
The fraternity was led by Maha
Nirvani Akhada and was followed
by Niranjani, Anand, Juna and
Bairagi akahadas, among others.
As the clock struck five, heavily
decked-up chariots, some in silver
and gold, wound their way to the
Sangam, with hundreds following
in procession on foot, beating
drums and blowing conch shells.
There was a mad frenzy in the
foreign and national media, with
photographers rushing to get win-
ner shots of the naked, ash-
smeared Naga sadhus jumping
into the chilly waters of the
Ganga. Before they did so, the
sadhus danced and threw garlands
at the press gallery in gay aban-
don, waving to hundreds of fol-
lowers on the other side.
Carrying silver tridents, maces,
axes and swords, some of the sad-
hus with flowing beards said that
they felt on top of the world as
they "touched mother Ganges".
"This is an electrifying
moment," said a visibly elated 75-
year-old Mokshanand from
Vrindavan, who said he this was
his seventh Kumbh in a row.
Several rows of sand bags have
been piled up on the three-km
'bathing stretch', said Mani Prasad
Misra, the 'mela adhikari', in-
charge of Kumbh 2013.
Misra said that arrangements had
been made to ensure that the
Ganges flowed "well and clean"
during the major bathing days. A
special team of 10,000 sweepers
have been pressed into service to
keep the area clean.
"Deep water barricading has
been done and an extensive pres-
ence of 'jal' police has also been
pressed into service to avoid
mishaps," Additional Director
General of Police (ADG) Law and
Order Arun Kumar said.
Policemen from Uttar Pradesh
and neighbouring Uttarakhand
were on vigil. Many policemen
were seen blowing whistles to
keep crowds in order, while some
were spotted showing lost devo-
tees the way.
While some thought of the large
crowd as a "spiritual mayhem",
there were those who bit their nails
as they watched Naga sadhus into
the water. For the hundreds who
have not been able to reach the
bathing sites, 13 huge LED
screens, both mobile and station-
ary, were playing the recording of
the bathing sessions.
An army of mediapersons is cov-
ering the event. Over 100 foreign
journalists and more than 500
local and national journalists are
present here. Special arrangements
have been made for the coverage,
likely to be beamed across the
globe.
Allahabad: Apart from hosting saints, pil-
grims and visitors from across the globe, the
ongoing Maha Kumbh has also become
home to weird practices performed by saints
in the name of 'Hatha yoga'. Derived from
the Hindi word "Hatha" meaning resolve or
pledge, the practice is common in Hindu tra-
dition. Jhoola Baba, camping on the premis-
es of Juna Akhara, has made a wooden
swing his abode for the next two months.
Sitting precariously on a wooden block sus-
pended with the help of a rope, the Baba is
drawing large crowd of curious onlookers.
Talking to reporters, he said it is part of a
Hatha yoga practiced by him over the past
few decades. The Baba rarely talks to visi-
tors and appears unmoved by the gathering
of curious onlookers around him.
Similarly, Swami Tyagiji Maharaj has
pierced his body with 21,000 steel needles
and is staying on the premises of Hanuman
temple in Jhalwa. Looking like an embodi-
ment of steel, the Swami withstood the pain
and agony with a smile on his face even as
locals who gathered around him appear
shudder at the sight.
The Swami who is also the founder of
Shani Sarkar Sewa Dham trust, Khaga
Fatehpur, said: "The painful ritual as a part
of Hatha yoga is for public welfare and to
solicit support for construction of Shani tem-
ple on the premises of Hanuman temple,
Jhalwa."
Chants of "Jai Shani dev" rent the air as
the entire premises becomes home to one of
the most difficult and painstaking effort of a
sage to ensure construction of a temple for
his beloved deity.
Another sadhu accompanying the Peshwai
procession of Shankarcharya Vasudevand
Saraswati also became the centre of attrac-
tion given the extra-ordinary size of his nails
measuring around 20cm, which have twisted
wildly over the passage of time. The sadhu,
however, refused to share his reason for
growing nails.
Similarly, a disciple of Juna Akhara carry-
ing a copper kalash (pitcher) containing
waters of some holy rivers like the Ganga,
Yamuna, Shipra, Godavari and Narmada has
also drawn crowds in the Kumbh Mela.
Deriving his name from the task he has been
carrying out since the past 40 years, the 55-
year-old Kanhaiya Lal Kumbh Kalash car-
ries the urn on his head for at least 18 hours
a day during Kumbh mela, Magh Mela and
Ardh Kumbh.
A big draw for foreigners tooAllahabad: Expecting that
around 60,000 foreign
nationals will attend the
Maha Kumbh, the Mela
police have set up a Foreign
Resident Registration Office
(FFRO) where the visitors
can get themselves regis-
tered within 24 hours of their
arrival in the Kumbh area.
This would provide the Mela
police with detailed informa-
tion about every foreigner
and ensure security to them.
Most of the foreign nation-
als will staying on the cam-
puses located at Sangam,
Jhunsi and Arial areas.
"We have chalked out an
elaborate security plan for
them and police teams are
being deputed," IG said. The
foreigners will be provided a
hand-out on Dos and Dont's
to be followed for a safe
stay.
A Russian tourist Ala and
her husband Barno have
decided to spend a long time
in Allahabad during the
Kumbh Mela. They are fac-
ing language problem but
are inspired and interested in
enjoying the Indian culture.
Narayan, who is an Indian
and working in Germany,
has come with his mother to
be a part of the Kumbh
Mela.
Narayan has been left mes-
merized by the huge gather-
ing of humanity for the
Kumbh Mela and is enjoying
at Sangam.
The holy dip on day one was led by Maha Nirvani Akhada andwas followed by Niranjani, Anand, Juna and Bairagi akahadas
Shri Juna Akhara sadhus taking out aprocession 'Peshwai' as part of
Maha Kumbh celebrations
Over 60,000 foreigners are expectedto visit Maha Kumbh
The world's largest
gathering of people,
the 55-day Maha
Kumbh congregation,
began in the north
India town of
Allahabad with over a
crore people, led by
the ash-smeared
Naga ascetics, taking
a dip at the Sangam -
the confluence of the
Ganga, Yamuna and
Saraswati river
Actor Shilpa Shetty took a holy dip at thefirst day of the Maha Kumbh. The 37-
year-old mother, who did not bring herseven-months-old Viaan, was accompa-nied by her parents. The actor, her par-ents and NRI business tycoon Srichand
Hinduja attended a special prayerorganized at the camp of Swami
Chidananda Saraswati.
FESTIVALS
Makar Sankranti: holy bath, harvest and sun
17January 19-25, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info
New Delhi: The Maha Kumbh,
which occurs once every 12
years, began with Makar
Sankaranti, marking a new har-
vest and worship of the sun god.
In the east, on the Sagar island,
where the Ganga empties into the
Bay of Bengal, about six lakh
devotees converged to take a ritu-
al bath believed to wash off the
sins of a lifetime.
Millions of people in Odisha
took a ritualistic dips in ponds
and rivers and visited temples
across the state as they celebrated
the harvest festival of Makar
Sankranti.
More than two lakh devotees
visited the temple of Lord
Jagannath at Puri, about 55 km
from here, to witness the special
rituals performed by temple
priests on the occasion.
People in several places of the
state prepared special sweet rice
made with sugar, banana, coconut
and black pepper and offered it to
the gods. They also distributed
the special rice popularly known
as Makar Chaula.
Thousands of devotees also
worshipped the sun god at
Konark with great fervor and
enthusiasm. The festival marks
the beginning of the annual swing
of the sun northwards, according
to various Indian calendars.
Tribal groups lit bonfires,
danced and organised feasts in
various places of Mayurbhanj,
Balasore, Keonjhar and
Sundergarh districts.
Kite-flying competitions were
organized in places like Cuttack
and other towns with fun and
enthusiasm.
In Gujarat, colorful oblations
were made to the Sun god, and
decorated kites were flown,
almost in an attempt to reach the
sun. The kite-flying ritual was
also observed in Maharashtra and
Karnataka.
Reports from Hyderabad city
indicated that with vast numbers
of people traveling to other parts
of the state to be with family for
the festival, city streets wore a
deserted look.
Maghi, as the festival is known
in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal
Pradesh, is an occasion to make
"kheer" (sweet made of rice
boiled in milk).
The winter festival sees the
preparation of foods that are
high-calorie, meant to keep the
body warm. Til (sesame seeds)
and jaggery are used in many rit-
ual preparations at this time.
Sankaranti is probably the only
Hindu festival celebrated on the
same day, Jan 14, each year.
Makar Sankranti is considered
one of the most auspicious days
by Hindus. Many believe that a
ritual bath at ponds and rivers and
prayers at temples on the occa-
sion would cleanse them of dis-
eases and wash away sins.
The lunar calendar is usually
followed for traditional purposes,
but Makar Sankaranti is observed
in keeping with the solar calen-
dar. There are 12 Sankarantis
each year, marking the shift of the
sun into different signs of the
zodiac. The festival of Makar
Sankaranti is celebrated when the
sun transits from Dhanu
(Sagittarius) to Makara
(Capricorn), falling 24 days after
the winter solstice.
Chennai: Tamil
Nadu celebrated the
harvest festival
Pongal with thanks
being offered to the
sun, rain and farm
animals on the first
day of Tamil month
Thai.
Across the state,
people rose early,
wore new clothes
and offered special
prayers at temples.
At homes, chil-
dren beating a small
drum shouted
'Pongolo Pongal' when milk started boiling
over at the auspicious time. The ritual is part
of preparing Chakarai Pongal, the special
dish cooked as part of festivities.
When the milk boils over, other ingredi-
ents - rice, jaggery, Bengal gram - are added
to the milk and finally ghee-fried cashews,
almonds and cardamom.
The vessel in which the dish is cooked -- a
mud pot in earlier days and stainless steel
pots now -- is decorated with ginger, turmer-
ic, a piece of sugarcane and banana tied at
the neck.
The Pongal dish is offered to the sun god
as thanksgiving and eaten as 'prasad'. People
exchange greetings and Chakarai Pongal
with their neighbors.
Pongal festivities took place over four
days, the first day being Bhogi, when people
burn old clothes, mats and other items, and
homes are painted afresh to mark a new
beginning.
The second day was the main Pongal festi-
val, celebrated on the first day of the Tamil
month Thai.
The third day was Mattu Pongal when
bulls and cows are bathed and their horns
painted and worshipped as they play an
important role in farms.
Women feed birds with colored rice and
pray for the welfare of their brothers. In
some parts of the state, jallikattu - a bull-
taming sport, also seen as a celebration of
masculinity, though banned these days over
concerns about the rights of animals - is
held.
The fourth day was the Kannum Pongal -
the day to go out and meet relatives and
friends.
"We got up early and prepared the
Chakara Pongal and offered prayers. We
plan to visit relatives," Revathi Vasan, a
housewife, said.
Tamil Nadu celebrates Pongal
New Delhi: Bonfires, drumbeats
and revelers singing and dancing to
folk songs -- that was the sight in
many residential areas in Delhi, as
people gathered around crackling
fires to celebrate the harvest festival
of Lohri.
Traditionally associated with the
harvest of the rabi crop, people cel-
ebrated Lohri with feasting,
exchange of gifts, and songs and
dance around bonfires.
Sesame seeds, jaggery, peanuts
and popcorn are tossed into the fire
and celebrations continue till the fire
dies out. The festival is particularly
special for newly-weds, and for
new-borns who have never seen
such festivities before.
"It is my daughter's first Lohri. All our
relatives have joined us for the celebrations,
and more importantly, to bless the child,"
said 30-year-old businessman Sanket
Bhatia.
According to Bhatia, the maternal grand-
parents of the baby got gifts, sweets, dry
fruits, peanuts and popcorn on the occasion.
Though largely celebrated as a harvest
festival, for some Lohri is an occasion to
seek the blessings of Agni Devta (fire god).
"I prepared prasad on the occasion com-
prising til (sesame), jaggery and peanuts.
Once the bonfire was lit, milk and water
was poured around it to thank Agni Devta
and seek blessings," said 52-year-old Savita
Manchanda. "A part of the prasad, after
being offered to the fire, was distributed,"
she said.
Manchanda said her newly-wed son and
his bride performed all the rituals to seek
the blessings of Agni Devta.
For 55-year-old Surmeet Chahal, Lohri is
a time to bond with friends and family.
"Everyone is busy these days, but Lohri
brings us together in the warmth of the bon-
fire in chilly winter. At this time, the com-
pany of friends and family is priceless," he
said.
Besides Lohri, a host of other harvest fes-
tivals are also celebrated across the country:
Uttarayan in Gujarat, Magh Bihu in Assam
and Pongal and Makar Sankranti in south
India.
With bonfires and drumbeats,Delhi celebrates Lohri
Women celebrating Kaanum Pongal in Chennai
People believe that a ritual bath and prayers would cleansethem of diseases and wash away sins on this auspicious day
A participant with his kite in Ahmedabad paying tribute toDelhi gang-rape victim
The festival is particularly special for newly-weds, and for new-borns who have never seen
such festivities before
18 January 19-25, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
Oscar nomination good for Carnatic music: JayashriT
he Tamil lullaby "Kanney
Kanmaniaye.. Aararo,
Aararo" sung by her, per-
haps has robbed Carnatic music
vocalist Bombay Jayashri
Ramnath of her sleep, what with
the excitement of being nominat-
ed for the Oscar. More important-
ly, it has reinforced her faith in the
reach of Indian classical music.
Written, composed and sung by
Ramnath, "Pi Lullaby" from the
Hollywood film "Life of Pi", has
been nominated in the best music
original song category for the
85th Academy Awards.
"The Oscar award is never in the
minds of Carnatic musicians. But
the nomination has reaffirmed my
faith that the reach of Carnatic
music is much wider than what
we normally think," Ramnath
said.
Interestingly, her song is the
first Tamil song to be nominated
for an Oscar. However, she does
not think of what the Oscar nomi-
nation might do to brand 'Bombay
Jayashri' or to the world of
Carnatic music, though lovers of
this genre say that there will be
renewed interest not only among
Indians, but also from the global
audience.
Queried on whether it was 'met-
tuku paatta or paattuku metta' -
song written for a set tune or the
tune set for the song - she said:
"Originally it was 'mettuku paatu'
- song for a tune. A framework
was given. Later, there was some
change and finally it was a mix of
both - song for the tune and tune
for the song."
She says the song is a combined
effort of movie director Ang Lee
and Canadian composer Mychael
Danna.
"We looked at various words
and selected them," she said.
Ramnath says she had no idea that
the song would become popular
and would get an Oscar nomina-
tion.
"The news came as a surprise. I
was with my students with my
mobile phone on silent mode. I
saw several missed calls and came
to know about the Oscar nomina-
tion through friends and televi-
sion," she said.
Curiously, Ramnath has sung
only the traditional lullaby for her
son Amrit when he was a baby.
"In India, we compare child lan-
guage with musical instruments
and nature while cuddling a baby.
A baby's utterances are the sweet-
est things in the world and even
great musical instruments cannot
compare with that," she said.
The movie "Life of Pi" has
bagged 11 Oscar nominations
overall. "It was a great learning
experience for me - whether
working for this Hollywood
movie or with great music com-
posers like Illayaraja, A.R.
Rahman, Harris Jayaraj and oth-
ers," said Ramnath, who is mar-
ried to a chartered accountant.
Indian actors Tabu and Suraj Sharma
walked the red carpet of the 70th annual
Golden Globe awards with Oscar-win-
ning director Ang Lee here. Their film "Life
of Pi" was nominated in three categories, but
won just one award.
Tabu, known for her offbeat and intense
performances, opted to stay desi at the inter-
national gala, wearing a bright red designer
sari teamed with a heavily embroidered gold-
en blouse. Debutant Suraj, 19, exuded confi-
dence in a white shirt and formal black suit
with a matching bow-tie.
"Life of Pi" won the best original score
motion picture award for Mychael Danna,
who pipped Alexandre Desplat ("Argo"),
Dario Marianelli ("Anna Karenina"), Tom
Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil
("Cloud Atlas") and John Williams
("Lincoln") to walk away with the prestigious
trophy.
It was also nominated for the best motion
picture (drama) as well as for best director
(motion picture).
Actors Tabu and Suraj Sharma withOscar-winning director Ang Lee
'Pi Lullaby' from 'Life of Pi' has been nominated in the bestmusic original song category
'Kai Po Che!' to premiere atBerlin film fest
Abhishek Kapoor's upcoming film "Kai
Po Che!" will be premiered at the 63rd
Berlin International
Film Festival starting February
7. The film, based on Chetan
Bhagat's bestselling novel
"The 3 Mistakes Of My Life",
features Sushant Singh Rajput,
Amit Sadh and Raj kumar
Yadav in prominent roles.
"'Kai Po Che!' selected to premiere at the
Berlin International Film Festival. Yeah baby,"
tweeted Kapoor. Bhagat also calls it a proud
moment. "Proud moment for Abhishek Kapoor
and team 'Kai Po Che!', more than anything,
proud moment for India. Wow Abhishek!
Salute," Bhagat also tweeted. As many as 31
fictional features from 23 coun-
tries, including Turkey, Indonesia,
India, Taiwan and the Ivory Coast,
have been invited to provide
insights into contemporary world
cinema production for the ten-day
long festival. The film will hit the-
aters on Feb 22.
70th Golden Globe awards Tabu, Suraj walk Golden Globe red carpet'Argo' wins top honors,
'Les Miserables' leads tally'
Argo' walked away with the two top hon-
ors - best film and best director - at the
70th Golden Globe awards, which was
otherwise dominated by Tom Hooper's
musical drama 'Les Miserables' that
clinched the maximum gongs.
"Les Miserables" won best film (musical
or comedy), as well as the best actress in a
supporting role for Anne Hathaway, and
Hugh Jackman triumphed in the best per-
formance by an actor in a motion picture
(musical or comedy) category.
It was double whammy for Ben Affleck,
whose "Argo" not just won the best film
award, but also helped the actor-filmmaker
win the best director's gong.
Daniel Day-Lewis managed to win the
best actor in a motion picture (drama) title -
the only award for political drama
"Lincoln", which led the nomination pack
with seven nominations this year. He played
former US President Abraham Lincoln in
the movie.
Among the actresses, Jessica Chastain
secured the winner's position for her role in
"Zero Dark Thirty" at the gala, where
actress Jodie Foster was bestowed the
reverred Cecil B. DeMille trophy.
In the best supporting actor in a motion
picture category, Christopher Waltz
received the prize for "Django Unchained",
which also won the best screenplay award
(motion picture) for Quentin Tarantino.
Jennifer Lawrence bagged the best actress
in a motion picture (musical or comedy)
honor for "Silver Linings Playbook".
Ang Lee's 'Life of Pi', which stars Indian
actors Suraj Sharma, Tabu and Irrfan, won
just one accolade - for composer Mychael
Danna in the best original score motion pic-
ture category.
Pt. Jasraj, BigB launch Lata's
music labelL
egendary singer Lata
Mangeshkar's music compa-
ny LM MUSIC was
launched by Pandit Jasraj, Amitabh
Bachchan and Nita Ambani at a
star-studded function in Mumbai.
Bollywood celebrities like Sridevi,
Boney Kapoor, Madhur
Bhandarker, Alka Yagnik, and
Mahalakshmi Iyer were among
those present.
Amitabh wished all the luck to
the new label. "I am too small in
front of all the dignitaries present
here.... best wishes to LM MUSIC
and I wish the company also
becomes a precious stone like
Lata," he said
LM MUSIC will encourage
young talent that needs an outlet for
its creativity including budding
artists who Lata feels have the
potential to maintain the high stan-
dards set by legends. The label has
six new albums including Sufi and
spiritual music.
Jasraj said that there was no one
who could match Lata's contribu-
tion to the field of music.
"There is no one today who has
contributed so much to music....she
is the eight wonder of the world,"
he said.
"Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola" is a polit-
ical satire. The film begins with Mr.
Mandola and his drinking companion,
Matru, creating havoc.
"Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola", belongs to
feudal lord, Hukum Singh Mandola aka
Harry (Pankaj Kapur) from the first frame,
literally. Harry harbors the dream of selling
his agricultural land for industrialization and
development, not sparing a thought to the
villagers' plight.
But that is only when he is sober. But after
taking alcohol, he is a changed man, com-
pletely transformed. The socialist in him
surfaces and incredibly, he challenges his
own feudal self, wanting to help his vil-
lagers.
He is not the only one wanting to help the
poor villagers. Matru (Imran Khan),
Mandola's driver-cum-assistant and his part-
ner in crime, too is egalitarian and wants to
help the villagers save their land.
There is Mao, a faceless well-wisher, who
manages to offer timely help to the villagers.
And there is Mandola's foreign educated
daughter Bijlee (Anushka Sharma) too join-
ing in the revolution.
On the surface, at the start, it seems like a
light-hearted entertainer about an alcoholic
feudal lord, his drunken idiosyncrasies and
his villagers. It's when Chief Minister
Chaudhary Devi (Shabana Azmi) mouths,
"Maslaa hai desh ka, na power ka na bijli
ka," sums up the larger issues that the film
deals with and post her entry it becomes evi-
dent that it is a political satire.
The film is not only layered with demons
of the society, but also deals with personal
demons that haunt Mandola, his people and
the place.
Pankaj Kapur is the only star of the film as
the film belongs to him. After "Maqbool",
this is easily his best. He keeps the audience
regaled with his "pancho pancho" after guz-
zling a few pegs, hallucinating about a
"gulabi bhains" (pink buffalo) and when he
is confronting the scheming Devi (Azmi).
Bhardwaj has managed to package the
film well. The treatment is indeed poetic and
smooth. The cinematography is good and
inspiring. The dialogues and lyrics are hard
hitting with messages and oodles of enter-
tainment, mostly double entendre.
'Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola' electrifying entertainment
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD 19January 19-25, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Urvashi Dholakia believes it
was her straightforward
nature that helped her win
"Big Boss 6". The actress bagged
Rs.50 lakh as prize money, and
admits she "never earned so much
money at one go in my life".
"This is the way I am and how I
have always been. You can ask
everyone. I told them I never
thought that I could last so long.
My straightforwardness works
against me, but today it worked for
me and I won," Urvashi said.
"I never earned so much money
together ever in my life. I can say
this openly and this is a big thing
for me. And I am very confident
this time.
"I believe in the philosophy that
the more you run after something,
the more it runs away from you.
So, the money was not at all impor-
tant for me. I didn't come here
because of that," she added.
Do not pretend, suggests the 33-
year-old, best known for playing
negative role of Komolika in popu-
lar TV show "Kasautii Zindagii
Kay". "My personal experience is
that be the way you are. You don't
need to become someone else or
have a split personality. If you are
accepted the way you are, then it is
good," said the mother of two
teenage sons.
Talking about co-contestant
Imam Siddique with whom she had
several tiffs on the show, Urvashi
explained that she noticed both
positive and negative traits in his
personality.
Anurag Basu's "Barfi!" has
won maximum nomina-
tions, including for best
film, best actor, best actress and
best director, for the 58th Idea
Filmfare Awards 2012. Yash
Chopra's last directorial "Jab Tak
Hai Jaan" follows close behind.
"Barfi!", a heart-warming love
story of a deaf-and-mute man,
essayed by Ranbir Kapoor, with an
autistic girl (Priyanka Chopra) has
received nine nods. Shah Rukh
Khan-starrer "Jab Tak Hai Jaan"
stands a chance to win across
seven categories.
Apart from Ranbir and Shah
Rukh, those vying in the "best
actor in a leading role" (male) are
Hrithik Roshan ("Agneepath"),
Irrfan ("Paan Singh Tomar"),
Manoj Bajpayee ("Gangs Of
Wasseypur") and Salman Khan
("Dabangg 2").
Priyanka apart, those nominated
in the "best actor in a leading role"
(female) category are Deepika
Padukone ("Cocktail"), Kareena
Kapoor ("Heroine"), Parineeti
Chopra ("Ishqazaade"), Sridevi
("English Vinglish") and Vidya
Balan ("Kahaani").
In the best director section come
Anurag Kashyap ("Gangs Of
Wasseypur"), Gauri Shinde
("English Vinglish"), Shoojit
Sircar ("Vicky Donor") and Sujoy
Ghosh ("Kahaani") along with
Basu ("Barfi!").
For the best film trophy, the
nominations are: "Barfi!", "English
Vinglish", "Gangs Of Wasseypur",
"Kahaani" and "Vicky Donor".
Crime thriller "Gangs of
Wasseypur" has clinched a total of
six nominations, Karan Johar's
action-packed "Agneepath"
remake has five nods, and "Vicky
Donor", about sperm donation, has
secured four. "English Vinglish",
"Kahaani" and "Talaash" have
been nominated across three cate-
gories each.
My nature made me win 'Bigg Boss': Urvashi
'Barfi!' leads Filmfare nominations
'Big Boss 6' winner Urvashi Dholakia
Ranbir Kapoor in a scene from 'Barfi'
Review
Pankaj Kapur in a scene from 'Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola'
Television
London: There has been a 24 per
cent drop in the number of Indian stu-
dents coming to Britain to study dur-
ing the 2011-12 academic year, latest
official figures show, reflecting con-
cerns generated due to visa restric-
tions imposed on non-EU students by
the David Cameron government.
According to the Higher Education
Statistics Agency (HESA), the num-
ber of Chinese domicile students at
British Higher Education institutions
continued to grow during the aca-
demic year, but "the number of Indian
and Pakistan domicile students fell
for the first time" in recent years.
New restrictions on student visas
have been much in the news since the
Cameron government came to power,
particularly its closure of the post-
study work visa, which was popular
among Indian students who used it to
recover some of the cost of studying
in Britain. The government, keen to
reduce immigration from non-EU
countries, clamped down on universi-
ties such as the London Metropolitan
University, which saw its license to
recruit Indian and other non-EU stu-
dents cancelled recently. Jo Beall,
British Council director of education
and society, said the Indian and
Pakistani falls were "very alarming
indeed."
"Not only are these countries with
large numbers of ambitious students
aspiring to study overseas, but they
are also countries with which we
have historically been actively
engaged in the areas of higher educa-
tion and research," she added.
Tim Westlake, director for the stu-
dent experience at Manchester
University, told The Guardian that
students whose families relied on
them working in Britain after their
studies to gain experience and repay
the fees were starting to look else-
where.
"Since 2004, the university has had
significant growth in Indian students,
but over the past two years there has
been a 32 per cent drop in Indian
master's enrollments. Master's appli-
cations from India are down again by
33 per cent this year," Westlake
added. Beall said: "Although the UK
government has made it clear there is
no cap on international students, these
statistics for the first time provide real
evidence that the changes to UK visa
regulations may have dissuaded
many students from applying to the
UK, and in particular postgraduate
students who are so important to the
UK's research output."
It's official: Indian students shunning Britain RBI: NRI deposits nearly double to $11.24 bn
20 January 19-25, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoDIASPORA
Indian-origin scientist creates breakthroughmaterial for soft electronics
InternetNZ's chief executiveVikram Kumar resigns
Melbourne: Scientists including
one of Indian origin, have created
liquid metal marbles coated in
nanoparticles, which they hope will
advance research in soft electronics
and industrial sensing technologies.
Lead investigator Vijay Sivan
from RMIT's Platform Technologies
Research Institute said that these
marbles are like flexible ball bear-
ings, which can endure high impacts
and temperatures, and operate like
semi-conducting systems, the
Herald Sun reported.
According to Sivan, these are still
early days but the possibilities of the
new platform appear to be "amaz-
ing" as it overcomes the limitations
of liquid metals. Sivan said that as
it is a liquid metal it can be used in
soft electronics where flexibility is
needed.
He said that as the marbles have
a nanoparticle coating they will not
stick on the surface and also by
having a functional material as a
coating it can be used it like a tran-
sistor. And as a liquid metal, any
damage caused in the circuit could
be self-healed, he said.
He added that it could be used in
optical sensing as a heavy metal
sensor and it also has a high sensi-
tivity to gas.
The multidisciplinary team
research has been published in the
journal Advanced Functional
Materials.
New Delhi: Calcutta High Court has
granted the interim custody of two chil-
dren to their mother.
The interim order came less than a year
after a Norway court sent the children to
India on the condition that they would live
with their uncle.
Norwegian child welfare services,
which had taken away the children and
put them in foster care citing "fear of pos-
sible violence against the children and
lack of adequate parental care", had
allowed them to return to India last April
after the parents signed an agreement giv-
ing the children's custody to their paternal
uncle. The Indian embassy in Oslo had
notarized the agreement between the par-
ents, Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya,
and the uncle, Arunabhas Bhattacharya,
that the Norwegian court's verdict ' that
Arunabhas would get custody ' would be
honored.
The uncle of the children, who had been
taking their care since April last, also has
the liberty to meet them once in a week.
The meeting will take place in the cham-
ber of the mother's lawyer on Saturdays.
Sagarika, who is now separated from her
husband and lives in Birati, said after the
judgment: "I am very happy today. My
husband (Anurup) does not stay with me.
But for the sake of the children's future, I
will not mind staying with him provided
he returns to Calcutta," she said.
Wellington, New
Zealand: The Indian-
origin boss of
InternetNZ, the group
protecting and promot-
ing the Internet in New
Zealand, has announced
his resignation. Kumar
will step down as chief
executive of the firm at
the end of the month
when his term expires.
According to
Stuff.oc.nz, he was as
yet undecided on where
he would go but said he had been
"talking to a few people" and was
open to anything new.
He will leave the
organization in good
shape, the report said.
Over the past three
years InternetNZ has
doubled its member-
ship and tripled its
work output, without
an increase in the oper-
ating budget.
According to the
report, Kumar was
instrumental in setting
up the NetHui forums
to discuss the shape and
direction of the Internet, which he
described as a "gamechanger for
the way discussions are held."
Indian nurse's family hasn't gotreply to questions
London: The family of Indian-origin nurse Jacintha
Saldanha, who was found hanging after taking a hoax
phone call about the Duchess of Cambridge, said they
are yet to receive answers from her hospital to 40 ques-
tions over her death. The Telegraph said Saldanha's wid-
ower and her two children were also waiting to hear
from radio show bosses in Australia after the nurse was
duped by two radio presenters who impersonated Queen
Elizabeth and Prince Charles to ask questions about
Kate who was being treated for morning sickness. The
40 questions prepared by her family on Saldanha's death
will only be answered following an internal inquiry led
by hospital chairman Lord Glenarthur, the daily said.
Liquid metal marbles coated innanoparticles
InternetNZ's chiefexecutive VikramKumar resigns
Sagarika Bhattacharya with the son
Norway kids back in mom's custody
New Delhi: Continuing rupee fall
and higher interest rate have seen
NRI deposits nearly doubling in
the first eight months of 2012-13 to
$ 11.24 billion from $ 6.39 billion
a year ago, according to the
Reserve Bank data.
However, the non-resident (ordi-
nary) rupee accounts and foreign
currency non-resident accounts
saw an outflow this year as against
an inflow last year, according to
the central bank data.
It can be noted that the rupee had
hit an all-time low of 57.32 to the
dollar on June 14. However, last
Friday, the rupee ended at 54.76 to
the dollar, which is 4.67 per cent
stronger from its all-time low.
Even though the currency has
appreciated from its all-time low,
inflows into NRI deposits continue
on the back of higher interest rates.
In November this year, net
inflows into NRE accounts touched
$ 696 million.
According to the RBI data, the
non-resident (ordinary) rupee
accounts saw a net outflow of $
307 million in November, while
foreign currency non-resident
accounts which allow NRIs to hold
deposits in foreign currency, rose
by $ 116 million in the month.
The aggregate value of NRI
deposits held by Indian banks
stood at $ 57.9 billion as of March
2012.
Kabul: Six suicide bombers who targeted a
compound of Afghanistan's intelligence
agency here were killed, police said.
Several civilians who were injured were in
critical condition. A six-member group of
suicide attackers raided a compound of the
National Directorate for Security (NDS) in
Charahi area around noon.
Police said five of them were gunned
down by security personnel while the sixth
died in a blast he himself triggered. One of
the attackers first blew himself up next to
the gate of the compound, enabling the
other five to get inside.
But security personnel responded imme-
diately and killed all of them on the spot.
However, 30 civilians, mostly passersby,
suffered injuries in the firing. Some of
them were in critical condition. Several
shops and cars nearby were damaged in the
first blast. Earlier reports said the powerful
blast occurred close to a compound of the
intelligence agency and the interior min-
istry building.
21January 19-25, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info SUBCONTINENT
Islamabad: Officials of the
National Accountability Bureau
(NAB) will appear before the
Supreme Court following
orders that Prime Minister Raja
Pervez Ashraf and 15 others be
arrested in connection with a
2010 corruption case, Geo
News reported.
Chief Justice of Pakistan
Justice Iftikhar Mohammad
Chaudhry ordered all those
accused of graft in power gener-
ation projects be arrested. He
also said that the NAB chair-
man report to the court.
The order, which came when
cleric Tahirul Qadir began his
protest with tens of thousands
of supporters outside parliament
seeking the government's resig-
nation, sparked panic about an
alleged judiciary-military plot
to derail elections due by mid-
May.
Interior Minister Rehman
Malik threatened overnight to
disperse the crowd unless
Thehrik-e-Minhajul Quran
leader Qadri ends the demon-
stration, but President Asif Ali
Zardari later intervened to stop
authorities from using force
against protesters.
Last June, Ashraf replaced
Yousuf Raza Gilani, who was
disqualified by the Supreme
Court in a showdown between
the government and the
judiciary.
NAB to face PakSC over
PM's arrest
Islamabad: Pakistan President
Asif Ali Zardari was not going
anywhere and was ready to face
"any situation", his spokesperson
has said, adding that he was
extending his stay in Karachi from
where he would monitor political
developments. Zardari has also
reiterated that general elections
would be held on time.
Denying reports of Zardari plan-
ning to leave for Dubai to avoid
the uncertain political situation in
the country, his spokesperson
Farhatullah Babar said the presi-
dent has reiterated government's
resolve that elections will be held
on time and not be delayed in any
case, Dawn News reported.
"He is not going anywhere and
is ready to face any situation,"
Babar said, adding the president
preferred to monitor fast changing
political developments in
Islamabad while sitting in Bilawal
House, Karachi, for next few days
despite the fact that he has been
staying there for almost a month.
The spokesperson said the over-
stay in Karachi had nothing to do
with Pakistani-born Canadian
cleric Tahirul Qadri.
"The president will follow his
own schedule. Qadri's presence in
Islamabad or anywhere else is not
a factor in the determination of
president's schedule," he said.
Qadri, a Pakistani-born
Canadian cleric and Thehrik-e-
Minhajul Quran leader, has been
staging a protest along with his
tens of thousands of supporters
here to seek ouster of the govern-
ment, dissolution of parliament
and a corruption-free Pakistan.
Babar said the president was
closely watching Qadri's protest
program and developments fol-
lowing the Supreme Court order-
ing the arrest of Prime Minister
Raja Pervez Ashraf.
Zardari believes that there are
two aspects of the Supreme
Court's order - one is legal and the
other is political, he said.
"As far as the legal aspect is
concerned, Law Minister Farooq
Naek has informed the president
about the whole situation and
repercussions of the Supreme
Court's order and about its politi-
cal fallout, the president will soon
consult coalition partners," the
spokesperson said.
Islamabad: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari
was not going anywhere and was ready to face
"any situation", his spokesperson has said, adding
that he was extending his stay in Karachi from
where he would monitor political developments.
Zardari has also reiterated that general elections
would be held on time. Denying reports of
Zardari planning to leave for Dubai to avoid the
uncertain political situation in the country, his
spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said the presi-
dent has reiterated government's resolve that elec-
tions will be held on time and not be delayed in
any case, Dawn News reported. "He is not going
anywhere and is ready to face any situation,"
Babar said, adding the president preferred to
monitor fast changing political developments in
Islamabad while sitting in Bilawal House,
Karachi, for next few days despite the fact that he
has been staying there for almost a month.
The spokesperson said the overstay in Karachi
had nothing to do with Pakistani-born Canadian
cleric Tahirul Qadri. "The president will follow
his own schedule. Qadri's presence in Islamabad
or anywhere else is not a factor in the determina-
tion of president's schedule," he said.
Qadri, a Pakistani-born Canadian cleric and
Thehrik-e-Minhajul Quran leader, has been stag-
ing a protest along with his tens of thousands of
supporters here to seek ouster of the government,
dissolution of parliament and a corruption-free
Pakistan.
Babar said the president was closely watching
Qadri's protest program and developments fol-
lowing the Supreme Court ordering the arrest of
Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf.
Zardari believes that there are two aspects of
the Supreme Court's order - one is legal and the
other is political, he said.
"As far as the legal aspect is concerned, Law
Minister Farooq Naek has informed the president
about the whole situation and repercussions of the
Supreme Court's order and about its political fall-
out, the president will soon consult coalition part-
ners," the spokesperson said.
Washington: "Imagining
our Future Together", an
art exhibition organized by
the World Bank, is aimed
at taking forward the
vision that art has the
potential to connect people
and countries in South
Asia.
The exhibition's 25
artists come from
Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Maldives,
Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Opening from
Jan 22 at World Bank headquarters here, the
exhibtion advances the concept that breaking
barriers is not only about economics and trade
of goods and services and more and better
regional cooperation will help South Asia, the
least integrated region in
the world, to realise its full
potential.
Scheduled to run
through Feb 13, the exhi-
bition is the result of a
regional competition
organized by the World
Bank's South Asia vice
presidency and the World
Bank Art Program for
young South Asian artists
in 2012.
The theme for the competition was creating a
vision for a common future and showcasing
the unique beauty, creativity, and challenges of
South Asia. Forty-four artworks by the 25 win-
ners of the competition are being exhibited
here.
Zardari ready for 'any situation', stays on
'India-Sri Lanka ties have scope for improvement'
WB exhibit aims to bring South Asia together
Six die in Afghan intelligence office attack
Pakistani-born Canadian cleric Tahirul Qadri has been staginga protest to seek ouster of the government
A six-member group of suicideattackers raided a compound of the
National Directorate for Security(NDS) in Charahi area
A six-member group of suicideattackers raided a compound of the
National Directorate for Security(NDS) in Charahi area
No force against Qadri supporters: ZardariIslamabad: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has ruled out the possi-
bility of using force to disperse cleric Tahirul Qadri's followers who are
staging a sit-in near parliament.
Zardari told a Geo News TV host over the
phone that no use of force would be under-
taken against the marchers in Islamabad.
The clarification came when speculation
was rife over the Pakistan government's next
line of action to deal with the massive sit-in
in the capital.
Pak to hold general elections by May 6Islamabad: General elections in Pakistan will be held by May 6,
Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Khursheed Shah said.
Shah assured the people of Pakistan that the date of elections will not
go beyond May 6, Geo News reported. Polling "can be held on May 4,
5 or 6 but the date will not be extended beyond May 6", the minister
was quoted as saying.
Earlier, the main political parties representing the opposition pressed
the government to announce the date for elections. Heads of opposition
parties including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Jamaiat Ulema-e-
Islam (F), Jamat-e-Islami, Pakistan Milli Awami Party and others made
their joint stand at a press conference.
Pakistan PresidentAsif Ali Zardari
22 January 19-25, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoINTERNATIONAL
French troops' groundoperations in Mali on
France will only end its intervention in Mali when political sta-bility and an election process are restored
British Airwaysfound guilty of religious bias
London: British Airways discriminated against a devoutly
Christian airline employee by making her remove a crucifix
at work, Europe's highest court ruled. But the court rejected
discrimination cases by three other Christian claimants.
BA check-in clerk Nadia Eweida sparked a national debate
in Britain over religion in public life when she was sent home
in November 2006 for refusing to comply with rules banning
employees from wearing visible religious symbols.
She claimed she was a victim of religious discrimination,
seeking damages and compensation for lost wages. British
courts backed BA, but Eweida went to the European Court of
Human Rights.
The Strasbourg, France-based court ruled on Tuesday that
the airline's policy "amounted to an interference with her right
to manifest her religion".
Mali: French troops will be in
direct combat with Islamist mili-
tants in Mali "within hours," the
country's military chief of staff has
said.
Admiral Édouard Guillaud said
on Wednesday morning that
French ground operations had
begun overnight – hours after the
defense minister, Jean-Yves Le
Drian, said France's intervention
would continue "as long as neces-
sary".
A column of French armored
vehicles left Mali's capital Bamako
and headed north towards insur-
gent frontlines. Guillaud's
announcement reversed France's
earlier insistence that it would only
provide air and logistical support
for a military intervention led by
African troops.
"Now we're on the ground,"
Guillaud said. "We will be in direct
combat within hours."
President François Hollande said
France will only end its interven-
tion in Mali when political stabili-
ty and an election process have
been restored to the west African
country and Islamist groups have
been wiped out, raising the
prospect of a drawn-out engage-
ment on hostile desert terrain.
Mali is in political disarray after
a coup last year and the fall of the
vast northern desert to Islamist
groups who operate a drug traf-
ficking and kidnap economy in
several Sahel countries.
Le Drian said French air raids
continued "day and night" in the
vast area seized by the Islamist
alliance, which combines al-
Qaida's north African wing,
AQIM, with Mali's homegrown
Movement for Oneness and Jihad
in west Africa (Mojwa) and Ansar
Dine rebel groups.
Le Drian described an implaca-
ble fight against Islamists who
were "agile, determined, well-
equipped, well-trained" and could
easily hide in the desert.
Seoul: There would be "more
developments in the days ahead"
in Washington's push to punish
North Korea for its rocket launch,
said a top US diplomat.
Kurt Campbell, assistant secre-
tary of state for East Asia, told
reporters in Seoul that the US was
in talks with the key players at the
UN, including China and Russia,
over potential sanctions against
Pyongyang, Xinhua reported.
"We're very clear in our position
that provocative steps are to be
discouraged," Campbell, who
arrived in Seoul a day ago on a
two-day visit, told reporters. "We
are closely working with the key
players including South Korea at
the UN with respect to our diplo-
macy after the missile test late last
year."
North Korea launched a satellite
last month despite being banned
by UN resolutions from conduct-
ing any ballistic missile tests.
Pyongyang said the launch was
for scientific and peaceful purpos-
es only.
Campbell, who is scheduled to
meet with South Korea's
President-elect Park Geun-hye
later in the day, said policy coor-
dination between the two coun-
tries would continue under the
new leadership in Seoul.
China readying forwar with Japan?
Beijing: China's armed forces have been
instructed to raise their fighting ability in
2013, state media reported on Tuesday, amid
heightened tensions with Japan over disput-
ed islands.
In 2013, "the PLA and the Chinese People's
Armed Police Force should focus on the
objective of being able to fight and win bat-
tle," according to a report in the overseas
edition of the People's Daily newspaper, the
Communist Party organ.
The directive came in a document released
at the beginning of the year by the PLA gen-
eral staff on military training in 2013, said
the report, republished from a website linked
to a PLA newspaper.
To prepare for combat, the armed forces
must also "vigorously strengthen real-com-
bat-like military training" and intensify
efforts to cultivate high-caliber military per-
sonnel, the report said.
Death toll from Syria blastsreaches 87
Damascus: The death toll from
two massive blasts that ravaged the
campus of a Syrian university has
reached 87, anti-regime activists
said.
The Britain-based Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights said
the number of those killed in blasts
at Aleppo University could rise
even further because medics have
collected unidentified body parts
and some of the more than 150
injured are in critical condition.
It remains unclear what caused
the blasts, which hit the campus as
students took exams, setting cars
alight and blowing the walls off
dormitory rooms.
The opposition and the govern-
ment have blamed each other for
the explosions, which marked a
major escalation in the struggle for
control of Aleppo — Syria's largest
city and once the country's main
commercial hub.
Activists said forces loyal to
President Bashar Assad launched
two airstrikes on the area at the
time of the blasts, while Syrian
state media said a "terrorist group"
— the government's shorthand for
rebels — hit it with two rockets.
Either way, the explosions shat-
tered the relative calm of the
sprawling, tree-lined campus, sig-
naling that Syria's civil war has
reached areas that were mostly
spared the violence that has killed
more than 60,000 people and
reduced entire neighborhoods all
across the nation to rubble.
The competing narratives about
what caused the blasts highlighted
the difficulty of confirming reports
from inside Syria.
Aleppo has been the focus of a
violent struggle for control since
rebel forces, mostly from rural
areas north of the city, pushed in
and began clashing with govern-
ment troops last summer.
The university is in the city's
northwest, a sector still controlled
by the government. Both activists
and the Assad regime said those
killed in Tuesday's blasts were
mostly students taking their mid-
year exams and civilians who
sought refuge in the university
dorms after fleeing violence else-
where. Activists said a government
warplane carried out two airstrikes
on the university. To support their
claim, they circulated a video they
said showed a small trail of smoke
left by a jet. They could not explain
why the government would strike
an area controlled by its forces.
Syria's state news agency said a
"terrorist group" — government
shorthand for rebels — fired two
rockets at the university from an
area further north. It did not give
numbers for the dead and wounded.
Meanwhile, the White House has
downplayed media speculations
that chemical weapons had been
used by President Bashar al-
Assad's regime against the Syrian
rebels. According to a recent report
in the Foreign Policy magazine, a
secret American investigation
revealed that Assad forces used a
poisonous gas against the rebels in
Homs city on Dec 23, 2012.
Syria's crisis began with political
protests in March 2011 but quickly
descended into a full-blown civil
war, with scores of rebel groups
across the country fighting Assad's
forces. The U.N. said that more
than 60,000 people have been
killed in the violence.
The U.N. said that more than 60,000 people have been killed inthe Syrian violence
Washington mulls sanctions on North Korea
After slowdown, India set to grow: World BankWashington: After a sharp slowdown pushing
down its projected growth to 5.4 percent in the
fiscal year ending March 2013, the World
Bank expects India to grow at 6.4 percent this
year, rising to 7.3 percent by 2015.
The slowdown in India, South Asia's largest
economy, also weakened growth in the region
to an estimated 5.4 percent in 2012 (7.4 per-
cent in 2011), said the World Bank's latest
Global Economic Prospects.
Regional GDP is projected to grow by 5.7
percent in the 2013 calendar year, and by 6.4
percent and 6.7 percent in 2014 and 2015,
respectively, driven by policy reforms in India,
stronger investment activity, normal agricul-
tural production, and improvement in export
demand.
However, growth in the region remains vulnera-
ble to an uncertain external environment and
country-specific factors, the report said suggesting
a resumption of financial market tensions in the
Euro Area or protracted debt uncertainty in the
United States would affect the South Asia region
through both trade and financial channels.
"Moreover, greater volatility in international
financial markets could make it difficult for India
to finance its widening current account deficit," it
said.
South Asian countries urgently need to strength-
en their macroeconomic fundamentals and rebuild
their policy buffers to withstand external shocks,
as well as enhance their longer-term domestic
growth drivers, the report said.
23January 19-25, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info BUSINESS
India's financial sector vulnerable: IMFWashington: Despite
remarkable progress
toward developing a stable
financial system, India's
financial sector still con-
fronts longstanding imped-
iments to its ability to support growth
as well as new challenges to stability,
according to a new IMF report.
Since liberalization in the early
1990s, the system's growth and
increasing commercial orientation
have been accompanied by steady
improvements in the legal, regulatory,
and supervisory framework, the
International Monetary Fund noted in
a Financial System Stability
Assessment Update for India.
"The Indian economy and its finan-
cial system weathered the global
financial crisis well-due to strong bal-
ance sheets and profitability entering
the crisis, a robust regulatory frame-
work, and timely actions to counter
pressures on liquidity, the
supply of credit, and
aggregate demand," said
the paper. Noting that the
system is becoming more
complex, with interlink-
ages across institutions and borders,
the update on assessment undertaken
in June and October 2011 suggests the
main near-term risks to the financial
system are a worsening of bank asset
quality and renewed pressures on sys-
temic liquidity.
"However, stress tests did not reveal
near-term stability concerns, suggest-
ing the banking system would be
resilient to a range of adverse shocks,"
it said.
"The prominent role of the state in
the financial sector contributes to a
build-up of fiscal contingent liabilities
and creates a risk of capital misalloca-
tion that may constrain economic
growth," the report said.
New Delhi: In a move to boost
investor confidence, India has
deferred the implementation of
the controversial General Anti-
Avoidance Rules (GAAR) by two
years to April 2016 and exempted
non-resident Indians in foreign
institutional investors (FIIs) from
its purview.
"Having considered all the cir-
cumstances and relevant factors,
government has decided that the
provisions of Chapter 10A will
come into force with effect from
April 1, 2016 as against the cur-
rent provision of April 1, 2014,"
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram
told reporters here.
The controversial GAAR norms
introduced by the then finance
minister Pranab Mukherjee is tar-
geted at the foreign investors and
companies routing money through
tax havens like Mauritius.
The finance ministry had earlier
said it would implement GAAR
(General Anti-Avoidance Rules)
from April, 2014.
Chidambaram said the govern-
ment has accepted the major rec-
ommendations of the Parthasarthi
Shome committee, appointed last
year to look into the concerns of
foreign investors, who are against
the GAAR.
He said the tax proposal will not
apply to foreign institutional
investors (FIIs) run by non-resi-
dent Indians and will ensure that
the same income is not taxed
twice.
GAAR, which was proposed in
2012-13 budget to prevent tax
evasion, evoked sharp reactions
from foreign as well as domestic
investors who feared that the law
could be misused by taxmen to
harass investors.
Paris: Fitch ratings agency
issued a strong warning to the
United States to deal with its
recurrent debt-ceiling dramas in
a way which strengthens the
economy in the long term, say-
ing that its top "AAA" credit rat-
ing was at stake.
Fitch said it might revise
downward its notation for the
United States from the "AAA"
level if Congress did not reach
agreement on raising the ceiling
for the national debt.
Fitch said that failure to raise
the limit in time would lead to a
formal revision by Fitch of its
ratings of US debt instruments,
but the agency also said the risk
of a US default was extremely
low.
However, Fitch also warned
that fundamental strengths in the
US economy were being under-
mined by the weight of debt and
associated strains.
Fitch warned, that even if a cri-
sis over the ceiling were averted
in the immediate future, if the
solution did not address the debt
in a way which supported
growth, then it was set to down-
grade the US rating later in the
year anyway.
Mumbai: Ratan Tata has said
that the biggest challenge for
Tata group's new chairman
Cyrus Mistry will be the coun-
try's business environment that
is going to be tougher and more
complex than the crisis of 1991.
"The big picture challenge is
that the (business) environment
is going to be tougher and more
complex than it was in 1991. In
1991, there were less people
aspiring to succeed in this
newly opened economy. On
Tuesday there are many," he
said in an interview published
by Time magazine.
Ratan Tata, who has just
stepped down as Tata group's
head on December 28 after 21
years at its helm, was replying
to a query about the biggest
challenge for his successor.
Mistry has taken over from him
as Chairman of Tata Sons, the
holding company of salt-to-
software conglomerate Tata
group. Asked whether corrup-
tion was eroding investor confi-
dence in India, Tata said:
"It's been a concern to many
of us for some time", but it has
been masked by the very high
rate of growth and prosperity of
the country.
"It has led to a fair amount of
crony capitalism and people
like us have been concerned
that it is not usually a level
playing field as it should be," he
said.
Regional GDP is projected to grow by 6.4 percentand 6.7 percent in 2014 and 2015
Tata group's new chairman Cyrus Mistry with Ratan Tata
India defers anti-avoidance tax norms to 2016
Fitch may downgrade US rating over debt
Mistry lauds Gujarat's culture of implementation
New Tata Group Chairman Cyrus Mistry has lauded the Gujarat
government and chief minister Narendra Modi saying they have cre-
ated an enabling business environment and a culture of implementa-
tion. As Mistry's name was announced for delivering his maiden pub-
lic address since taking over the helm of the salt to software con-
glomerate at the valedictory session of the sixth 'Vibrant Gujarat'
summit, a thunderous applaud resounded at the packed Mahatma
Mandir auditorium.
"At the outset I would like to applaud the spirit of entrepreneurship
of the people of Gujarat and the spirit of entire Gujarati diaspora...It
is important to recognize the infrastructure and enabling enviornment
put in place by Gujarat government," Mistry said.
Mistry said, "In Gujarat, we see a culture of implementation,
reflecting the qualities of the chief minister...And our commitment in
Gujarat goes beyond industrialisation and investment".
The new Tata Group chairman said the $100-billion group would
continue to invest in the state. "We, as the Tata Group, will continue
to invest in the state".
'India's business environment Mistry's major challenge'
24 January 19-25, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoSPORTS
Pakistani hockey players to return homeNew Delhi: All nine Pakistani play-
ers, now here for the Hockey India
League (HIL), will be sent home in
the wake of the protests against
their presence in the inaugural event
when tensions are mounting on the
Line of Control (LoC).
The players leaving for home are
Fareed Ahmed, Imran Butt,
Mahmood Rashid and Muhammad
Tousiq (all Mumbai Magicians),
Muhammad Rizwan Sr. and
Muhammad Rizwan Jr. (Delhi
Waveriders), Muhammad Irfan and
Shafqat Rasool (Ranchi Rhinos)
and Kashif Shah (Jaypee Punjab
Warriors).
The players, blissfully unaware of
the late-evening development, were
practicing with their franchise
teams.
"The decision was made in con-
sultation with the Pakistan Hockey
Federation (PHF), International
Hockey Federation (FIH) and the
franchise officials," HIL chairman
Narinder Batra told reporters.
"Due to extraordinary circum-
stances, we reached a consensus
that it was best for Pakistanis to
return home. We did not want them
to play under any sort of pressure.
As it is not their fault, they will be
paid according to their three-year
contract and the teams are free to
look for their replacements. The
decision (to send them home) how-
ever was taken only for 2013,"
added Batra.
There were indications Monday
night that the Pakistani players
might not feel secure enough to
play in the league when Jaypee
Punjab Warriors and Delhi
Waveriders did not field them in the
inaugural game here.
The clamor for their ouster began
when Shiv Sena threatened to dis-
rupt the Mumbai franchise team's
home matches if it fielded the
Pakistani players. The extreme right
wing party's action came following
the killing of Indian soldiers at the
Line of Control in Jammu and
Kashmir. Taking the cue, a couple
of youngsters raised slogans against
the presence of the Pakistani play-
ers during the opening HIL match in
the national capital.
Mumbai Magicians, the franchise
which had the maximum number of
Pakistanis in their squad, have
already started looking at replacing
Ahmed, Butt, Rashid and Tousiq
with players from Australia and
New Zealand.
"Keeping the public sentiment in
mind, we have decided to send the
players back to Pakistan," Mumbai
Magicians owner Amit Burman
said.
"To replace the Pakistanis, we
have already started talking to the
Australian and New Zealand play-
ers," he added.
Cricket: India level series with emphatic winKochi: India leveled the five-
match series against England in
emphatic fashion, defeating the
tourists by 127 runs in the second
One-day International at the
Nehru Stadium here.
India did well to post 285 for six
after winning the toss and cleaned
up England for 158 with 14 overs
to spare in the game.
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja
performed his role to perfection,
smashing an unbeaten 61 off 37
balls and picking up a couple with
the ball. Mahendra Singh Dhoni
(72) continued with his good form
while Suresh Raina (50) too came
handy with the bat. Speedster
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/29)
impressed with his swing again
and offie Ravichandran Ashwin
(3/39) cleaned up the tail.
It was a much need win for
India, who were under pressure to
perform after losing the series
opener in Rajkot.
England were in the hunt of the
steep target as long as their skip-
per Alastair Cook and the danger-
ous Kevin Pietersen were in the
middle. The duo took the score to
58 for 1 in 10 overs before Cook
was adjudged leg before wicket
off Kumar.
Kumar struck twice in the 14th
over innings to give India the
advantage, his incoming delivery
rattling the stumps off Pietersen
and Eoin Morgan edging one to
Dhoni two balls later, leaving
England at 73 for four.
From there on, the England
could not keep up with the asking
rate and fall of wickets at regular
intervals pushed them out of the
game.
Earlier, a blistering 96-run stand
off 60 balls by Dhoni and Jadeja
propelled India to a score which
looked unlikely when they were
119 for four in the 27th over. The
partnership saw some serious hit-
ting by the left and right hand
combination. Dhoni came up with
a slew of helicopter shots to
enthrall a packed house.
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja performed his role to perfection
Bhupathi, Bopanna advance in Australian OpenMelbourne: Finally, there was
something to cheer for India in the
men's doubles as Rohan Bopanna
and Mahesh Bhupathi advanced to
the second round with their
respective partners.
Bopanna and American Rajeev
Ram, seeded 12th defeated
Australian pair of Thanasi
Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios 6-2
6-4 in their first round.
Fifth seeded duo of Mahesh
Bhupathi and Canadian Daniel
Nestor ousted the Spanish pair of
Pablo Andujar and Guillermo
Garcia-Lopez 6-2 6-4 in their first
round match.
Second seeded Leander Paes and
his Czech partner will begin the
defense of their title against South
Africa's Kevin Anderson and
Isarel's Jonathan Erlich tomorrow.
Bopanna and Ram will next take
on Italian team of Simone Bolelli
and Fabio Fognini.
Earlier, Somdev Devvarman
gave a mighty scare to world num-
ber 26 Jerzy Janowicz before fiz-
zling out while Sania Mirza and
her American partner Bethanie
Mattek-Sands suffered a shock
first round exit in a mixed day for
the Indians at the Australian Open
on Wednesday.
Somdev was well on course to
record his best performance at theGrand Slams but frittered away a
two-set lead to go down 7-6(10) 6-
3 1-6 0-6 5-7 against 24th seed
Polish rival in a marathon men's
singles second round, which lasted
four hours.
Somdev showed he has recov-
ered well from his shoulder sur-
gery, which spoilt his 2012 season,
but somehow could not complete
the job despite a magnificent start.
Somdev was lone Indian featur-
ing in the men's singles.
In the women's doubles Sania
and Bethanie, who came into tour-
nament after winning the Brisbane
international, were ousted by
unseeded Spanish team of Silvia
Soler-Espinosa and Carla Suarez
Navarro. Sania will now compete
in the mixed doubles with new
partner Bob Bryan.
IOC tells sports federationsto keep off IOA
Rohan Bopanna and Mahesh Bhupathi
New Delhi: The International
Olympic Committee (IOC) wrote a
letter to the suspended Indian
Olympic Association (IOA) asking
its national sports federations (NSF)
not to associate themselves with the
"illegitimate individuals purporting
to act on its behalf".
The letter, addressed to IOA act-
ing president Vijay Kumar Malhotra
and secretary general Randhir
Singh, asked the NSFs not to attend
any meeting convened by "these
individuals, who do not represent
the suspended IOA and are acting in
violation of the IOC's decisions and
the Olympic Charter".
The IOA was suspended by the
IOC Executive Board Dec 4. In
spite of this, "illegal elections" were
conducted where Lalit Bhanot and
Abhay Singh Chautala were elected
as the secretary general and presi-
dent of the IOA, respectively.
"Take all necessary measures
against these individuals at national
level (including any appropriate
legal action) to stop their illegal
activities with immediate effect and
to protect the interests and assets of
the suspended IOA," said Pere
Miro, National Olympic Committee
relations director.
"The members of the suspended
IOA must not associate themselves
with these illegitimate individuals or
interact with them in any manner
whatsoever. In particular, the nation-
al federations must not attend any
meeting convened by these individ-
uals, who do not represent the sus-
pended IOA.
"In the event that any federation
associates itself with these individu-
als, in violation of the IOC's deci-
sions and the Olympic Charter, the
IOC will immediately ask the
International Federation concerned
to take necessary action," added
Miro. The IOC also proposed to
hold a joint meeting at its headquar-
ters in Laussane with Singh,
Malhotra and a senior representative
of the Government of India as soon
as possible to get the IOA back on
the road.
All nine Pakistani players will be sent home in the wake of theprotests against them
FOOD
Royal kitchens revealing secret recipes25January19-25, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info
By Madhusree Chatterjee
Erstwhile royal families have
closely guarded culinary
secrets of their kitchens like
treasures down the ages. But the
struggle to keep the estates sus-
tainable is forcing the descendants
to open up.
Nearly six decades after inde-
pendence, the hosts of the royal
palace resorts are opening their
recipe books to contribute to the
experimental culinary wave
sweeping through the kitchens of
urban India.
"Cooking a family recipe is like
singing a 'ghazal'. It sounds differ-
ent each time, but you know the
flavor. One of our favorites was
'Shahi Sabzi Pulao'," Randhir
Singh, scion of the family of the
erstwhile Maharaja of Patiala, said.
It was a dry pulao that could be
improvised with meat arranged in
layers, he said. The pulao, origi-
nally cooked by royal chefs, has
now been tweaked to suit the low-
oil palate. The pulao can be paired
with "Murgh Musallam Laung
Elaichi", a sweet and sour dry
chicken dish with hints of clove,
cardamom, lime juice and honey.
Like Patiala, till about a decade
ago, Tripura was a culinary wilder-
ness unknown to mainland India.
The repast table of the Deb Barma
family was a locked wonderland.
"General awareness about north-
eastern food is poor. Most of us are
ethnically, linguistically and cul-
turally of Tibeto-Burmese origin.
Our food is basic, represents plen-
ty of eats with pork, bamboo
shoots and red chillies. It is similar
to Burmese cuisine with a bit of
Cambodian spice blend," Pradyot
Manikya Debbarma, scion of the
erstwhile Tripura royal family,
said.
He lives for his "bhaat" -- a
sticky rice variety -- like other
northeasterners. "It is a level world
in our land because we are looked
upon as custodians of the land, not
rulers. We don't have a caste sys-
tem and it tells on our royal cuisine
as well," he said.
Debbarma loves to cook "Wahan
Mos Deng" -- a pork dish, pork
marinated in salt water, boiled and
cooked lightly with ginger, onions
and mixed with mustard oil.
Fish is another staple, the former
prince-turned-journalist-cum-cook
from Tripura said.
"Sheena Kebab", "Tunde Ka
Kebab" and "Kakori Kebab" - the
signature of Awadh Dastarkhwan
created by the Mughals -- long
moved out of the palace to the
neighborhood eatery. While
Tunde Ka Kebab, named after an
one-armed chef, uses 160 spices,
Kakori has a divine legacy.
It was created at the 'dargah' of
Hazrat Shah Abi Ahder Sahib in
Lucknow with a mince of the
"raan" of mutton and spices that
still continue to vex the common
cook.
"Dining With the Maharajas", a
recent book published by Roli,
says: "Every day, any given meal
for Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula of
Awadh and his wife was cooked in
six different kitchens at a monthly
cost of Rs.60,000. The amount did
not include salaries of the cooks".
Legend has it that Mughal
Emperor Jahangir had a weakness
for chicken that was kept on a diet
of saffron for a year. It took at least
100 chickens to cook the dish with
a special blend of spices, the book
says.
Food and cuisine have been inte-
gral to Indian culture, says Neha
Prasada, who authored the book
with Ashima Narain. "Traditional
Indian cuisine is backed by years
of experimentation.
The fun is that the Indian royal
cuisine has evolved with different
influences.
Somewhere, the original recipes
have been deleted. What finds
place on the table are improvised
or diluted versions of the original
fare -- with reduced oil or ghee.
We have tried to preserve some of
the original recipes from their
kitchens," Prasada said.
Shehzadi Naghat Abidi from the
former royal family of Lucknow
says the cuisine is no longer con-
fined to palace kitchens. "From
rich to poor, everyone loves ‘Tar
Gosht’, a traditional dish of
Rampur served during feast after a
man's wedding," Abidi said,
adding, "It is a gravy dish of either
baby lamb or buffalo meat stir
fried in a light spice base of ginger
and chilly served with red
tamarind dip and good wine."
Legend has it that Mughal EmperorJahangir had a weakness for chicken thatwas kept on a diet of saffron for a year. It
took at least 100 chickens to cook the dishwith a special blend of spices, "Dining
With the Maharajas", a new book, says.
Exploring the cuisine of eastern IndiaB
engalis are one of the most food and
culture obsessed people in India.
They are commonly compared to the
French in that regard, as dining and entertain-
ing are such an integral part of their culture.
What makes Bengali cuisine so unique is the
variations and complexities that are a result
of practice and delicate subtlety. Now a new
cookbook brings this distinctive culinary
experience to home kitchens in the US. In
‘The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles’, author
Rinku Bhattacharya explains the food and
culture of her native homeland in Eastern
India and showcases the recipes that are at
the heart of Bengali life.
The book gets its title from the five-spice
blend Bengalis call panch phoron. This spice
blend consists of five whole spices in equal
proportions: cumin seeds, mustard seeds,
nigella seeds, fenugreek seeds, and fennel
seeds and is at the heart of Bengali flavors
and the individual spices form the basis of
the Bengali pantry.
“The Bengali diet leans heavily on vegeta-
bles, rice and fish. Bengali cooks prepare a
variety of imaginative dishes using the many
types of vegetables that grow in the region
year round,” Rinku explains. “A traditional
Bengali meal sequence involves eating
through a rainbow assortment of vegetables,
and then finishing off usually with a fish
dish, but sometimes mutton or goat. Since
Bengalis rely on seasonal foods and usually
eat what is available, meals are prepared in
small quantities so cooking is a daily ritual.”
With over 180 easy-to-follow recipes incor-
porating a balance of traditional and contem-
porary recipes, The Bengali Five Spice
Chronicles showcases the best of the Bengali
table. The book begins with a thorough intro-
duction to Bengali culture and cooking,
including sections on spices, ingredients, and
equipment. Recipe chapters cover Rice &
Breads, Lentils, Fried Vegetables and Fritters,
Vegetarian First Courses, Vegetarian Entrees,
Eggs, Fish, Chicken & Poultry, Meat Dishes,
Chutneys & Relishes, Drinks & Snacks, and
Desserts.
Rinku has adapted the cuisine for the
American kitchen and markets making it easy
and accessible to find ingredients. Some of
the recipes in the book include tempting dish-
es like Eggs Cooked in Caramelized Onion
Sauce; Crisp Lentil Cakes in Curried Gravy;
Lentil-Stuffed Puffy Breads; Tart Pigeon
Peas and Green Mangoes; Lightly Spiced
Pan-Sautéed Okra; Green Plantain and Taro
Cakes; Golden Cauliflower in Orange
Mustard Sauce; Slow-Cooked Rice with
Saffron, Shrimp and Rosewater; Steamed
Mustard Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaves;
Red Snapper in a Coconut Tamarind Sauce;
Pickle-Spiced Lamb Curry; Coconut and
Cardamom Fudge, and Milk Cake.
The Bengal region is made up of the Indian
state of West Bengal and the country of
Bangladesh (formerly East Bengal). The food
of this area comes from a long history of
influences, both foreign and South Asian and
stems from the historical invasions and trade
links it had with many parts of the world.
For anyone who loves to cook and experi-
ence food of different cultures, The Bengali
Five Spice Chronicles is a fascinating culi-
nary journey without ever having to leave the
kitchen.
Rinku Bhattacharya was born in Kolkata,
and moved to the US about 25 years ago. A
doctorate in business, she has been teaching
cooking classes for the last seven years at her
home, community college, and Whole Foods
Market in Westchester, NY, where she lives.
Rinku has a natural passion and love for
regional Indian cuisine and uses it to share
and connect with her cultural heritage. She
has travelled extensively and specializes in
adapting Indian cuisine in global environ-
ments and kitchens. Her deep commitment to
using seasonal ingredients for Indian cooking
is reflected in her recipes. Rinku writes a
popular blog, Cooking in Westchester, and a
weekly column “Spices and Seasons” for the
Journal News online, Small Bites.
‘The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles’ isauthored by Rinku Bhattacharya, who
lives in Westchester, NY.
Men make cautious buyers, but
Indian men are even more conser-
vative and traditional when it
comes to their dressing style, feels British
designer Fabian Lintott, who is currently in
India to launch a new range of bags.
"Indian men are a touch more conservative
compared to the international field. Indian
men are still fairly new to fashion con-
sumerism. Men in general tend to lean
towards the more cautious side when it
comes to the purchases they make," Lintott
said.
Based out of London, the 31-year-old is
currently in Pondicherry to launch the latest
collection of Hidesign bags, a brand he has
been associated with from 2006. He is
responsible for giving a quirky taste to the
Indian brand's designs.
"I have been fortunate enough to visit the
Hidesign factory here in Pondicherry every
year for the last six years. I have to be hon-
est: I love coming here. The vibe of India is
always electric and contagious. There is a
real sense of the way the country is changing
and developing, which is exciting. It is
always an inspirational experience," he said.
Lintott feels Indian men need to keep into
account their personality while dressing up
as well as accessorizing, without thinking
much about others.
"I think you have to be true to yourself. As
long as you are comfortable with your style,
no one else really matters. In Japan, for
instance, men are happy to carry man bags
and underarm bags, as well as the more com-
monly seen city and cross body bags. As
long as you are comfortable, I say go for it,"
he said.
A graduate of Central St. Martin's College
of Art and Design, London, the designer
feels there has of late been tremendous
growth in the area of men's accessory. The
effect of that, he believes, is reflecting on
Indian soil too.
"There is now a huge growth in the men's
accessory market over the last few years.
Men have woken up to accessories and to
more adventurous use of color," he said.
"I think accessories are and will be ever
more important in our lives. With iPads,
tablets, laptops and other tech pieces, acces-
sories like the humble despatch bag, brief-
case or day bag are called upon more and
more to help us carry our precious items.
This will lead to more and more demand for
bags to fulfill our needs," he added.
Talking about his design inspiration, he
said it varies from simple things to extraordi-
nary landscapes.
"I am fluid with my inspiration sources. I
love details and my sources are always var-
ied. It may be a bonnet catch on an old
sports car or as varied as leaves from the
garden. It is always the little things that
spark an idea that leads me to the finished
item," said Lintott. He also revealed that
Hidesign will soon launch its first range of
sunglasses, shoes and non-leather luggage.
Looking for love in America? Perhaps
what you need is a little faith. Call it a
21st century take on an age old bibli-
cal teaching -- Surf, and ye shall find.
Christians in the US trying to find their
soul mates are turning with increasing fre-
quency to the internet, so much so that
Christian dating sites have become a boom-
ing and very competitive business.
"The benefit of coming to a site like ours is
knowing you are coming to an online
Christian community where you know peo-
ple share your faith and your values," said
Ashley Reccord, spokeswoman for
ChristianMingle.com.
"We are the largest and fastest growing
online dating site for Christians," she said.
With just over eight million registered
members, ChristianMingle.com is the largest
of a dozen or more Christian dating sites.
It is also the most popular of the 28 differ-
ent, niche-dating sites owned by Spark
Networks including JDate.com which is tar-
geted toward Jewish singles and has 750,000
active members.
While LDSSingles.com is for Mormons,
which reports over a thousand couples that
have found their matches, BlackSingles.com
reports thousands of members that log onto
its site each day.
Tre Reaume said he logged onto
ChristianMingle.com from his home in San
Diego, California in February 2009, after a
breakup with a girlfriend. He was not look-
ing for anything
serious, but
for another
C h r i s t i a n ,
someone ambitious, adventurous, and attrac-
tive.
Three weeks later, he met Miki, a former
Radio City Rockette dancer and a musical
theatre performer who was living across the
country in New York City.
The long distance relationship allowed
their friendship to take off.
"I proposed at the end of 2009, we got
married in June of 2010. It's definitely a God
story for us," he said.
His story and scores of others like it are
helping to drive the popularity of Christian
dating sites across the US, a growing trend
that seems to contradict reports about
the decline of religion in
America, particularly for
those under 30. The Pew
Research Center, a
Washington-based
think tank that
studies national
and global trends,
released a report
in 2012 that
found the number
of Americans
who have no reli-
gious affiliation
had grown from
15.3 percent in
2007 to 19.6 per-
cent in 2012, the
vast majority of
them under the age of 50.
"While I can't argue with the numbers in
the report, I can argue that perhaps our coun-
try isn't really losing its religion but rather
finding new ways to keep the faith," said
Clayton Coates, a pastor at Grace Point
Church in Texas and an advisory board
member for ChristianMingle.com.
"Perhaps it's because singles are no longer
going to church in the traditional sense, they
now are finding new ways to associate and
share their beliefs in online communities as
well as the faith community," he added.
Christian online dating sites surge in US
Indian designer Shouger Merchant Doshi
26 January 19-25, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoLIFESTYLE
British designer Fabian Lintott.
Merchant to showcase'real India' at Hongkong
Fashion Week
Indian designer Shouger Merchant
Doshi is set to light up the ramp at the
ongoing edition of Hong Kong Fashion
Week with vibrant Indian colors.
The four-day fashion extravaganza start-
ed Jan 14 and the designer will showcase
her collection - A pink opera - Wednesday
at the Hong Kong Convention and
Exhibition Centre.
"I have taken inspiration from the vari-
ous shades of the color pink that is present
in almost every flower. I decided on this
theme because I wanted to show different
ensembles in one color. Each model will be
wearing a creation inspired by a different
pink flower and will be wearing the flower
as a hairpiece as well," Merchant said.
"Also, India is known for its bright col-
ors, so why not showcase this to represent
the country's rich culture," she added.
From anarkalis to saris and lehengas in
fabrics like net, velvet, silk, chiffon, geor-
gette and organza, the designer has covered
every ethnic style.
She has also used lot of embellishments
like zardozi, zari, threadwork and swarovs-
ki work to add elegance to her creations.
"This collection is different from the last.
It is a little more feminine, cute, fun and
flirty," she said.
Indian men conservative: British designer
Indian and Chinese companies have
become better in developing new com-
plex products, a Swedish researcher says.
Monica Plechero has questioned the notion
that Indian and Chinese companies compete
with their Western counterparts only through
lower wages and cheap imitations.
"It is still the case that both Indian and
Chinese companies imitate others but they
have also become better at developing new
complex products", said Plechero from Lund
University, Sweden.
Plechero has studied Indian and Chinese
companies in the automotive, information
and communication technologies and green
bio-tech industries as part of her doctoral
thesis.
But the process has not been the same in
both countries, a Lund University statement
quoted her as saying.
China mainly develops products for the
domestic market. In India, the international
market is used as a springboard in product
development, she said.
"(But) the Chinese market is larger and
more mature," said Plechero.
In just a few years, the Chinese and Indian
share of the world's research and develop-
ment centers has risen from eight to 18 per-
cent.
Plechero claims that India and China
invest more than the West in organizational
innovation or the implementation of a com-
pany structure that creates a favorable cli-
mate for new inventions.
But what is the West to do then when it can
neither compete on low wages or on the best
innovation capacity?
"I think we need to become better at utiliz-
ing others' knowledge, just as is done in
China and India," she said.
"Of course, you have to specialize and find
your own niche. Successful European com-
panies are far too eager to keep their trade
secrets to themselves," she said.
Indian, Chinese firms lead in innovations
27January 19-25, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info ARTS AND LETTERS
Now Ramayana in Polish languageWarsaw: Ramayana, the great Indian
epic, is now available in Polish lan-
guage, courtesy Janusz Krzyzowski,
an Indologist in Poland who has
translated the monumental work.
Though few episodes of Ramayana
were translated into Polish in 1816,
these were mere translation of west-
ern writers. In the 20th century, some
attempts were made to translate a few
more chapters.
It seems Krzyzowski collected the
material from dozens of books and
presented in a coherent manner so
that a reader could sustain his interest
while going through different chap-
ters. The original was penned by
Maharishi Valmiki in Sanskrit.
"My main purpose was to translate
this epic into many chapters in a story
format so that laymen and particularly
Polish children could enjoy the book
as well as they should be aware of the
great Indian mythological tradition.
"Ramayana and Mahabharata are
two great epics which cannot (be)
compared with other epics. Even
Greek epics come out as pale shad-
ows when we see the canvas of the
Indian epics. They are almost unique
in the history of mankind,"
Krzyzowski told.
The book's effect was visible when
a group presented a two-hour show on
the pattern of Ramlila. In May, the
group will visit few cities in Poland to
enact Ramlila for Polish schoolchild-
ren with the help of the Embassy of
India in Warsaw.
"He has done great justice to pro-
mote India in his nation. He deserves
all our praise and we feel proud that
such a gem is with us in Poland,"
Indian ambassador Monika Mohta
said.
Krzyzowski has been a prolific
writer on India since 15 years. His
love for India has roots since his uni-
versity days when he enrolled for a
master degree in philosophy after a
medical degree. This interest turned
him into an automatic Indophile.
His books on Ashoka and Tansen
were well-received along with books
of Urdu masters like Mir Taqi Mir,
Mirza Ghalib, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Faiz
Ahmad Faiz that he translated with
Surender Zahid, an Urdu poet in
Warsaw.
Krzyzowski is the president of
India-Poland Cultural Committee
since its inception in 2004.
Rashtrapati Bhavan library being digitized New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee is a
man of many talents, at ease with a multitude of
assignments of varying kinds. Besides managing
the affairs of the state, the veteran politician is
these days busy digitizing historic records and
books in the Rashtrapati Bhavan library, sorting
his old journals to put together a book and
restoring the British-era building to its pristine
glory - and of course, reading.
Briefing the media at an informal interface in
Rashtrapati Bhavan Tuesday, Mukherjee said
the library was big enough for "anybody to
spend five years reading."
"The library has records as old as government
proceedings of 1891. Right now, the documents
are dumped on the floor are being removed and
put in order. After seeing the library in order, I
will concentrate on reading.”
"I want to read official records - the history of
the transfer of power and how the financial busi-
ness of the government was transacted. The first
budget was passed in 1892," Mukherjee said
adding digitization of old books and reports was
his priority.
An aide to the president said: "Out of the
24,000 documents and records, only 4,000 have
been digitized during president A.P.J Abdul
Kalam's tenure."
But the "hardware is outdated and restorers are
trying to retrieve them in a user-friendly for-
mat."
The president is also keen on writing a couple
of books. "Not an autobiography or anything
like it," he said.
The president said "he did not want to add
anything new to Rashtrapati Bhavan but "just
restore the building to its original glory."
"I will not change anything. I am traditional-
ist," he said.
Mukherjee said he has recently watched
"Lincoln" that won its lead actor Daniel Day
Lewis a Golden Globe award and has bought a
copy of Ramachandra Guha's new essays.
Jaipur to host literary stalwarts at Jan 24-28 Literature FestivalBy Prakash Bhandari
Jaipur: There is a mad rush of
participants for the Jaipur
Literature Festival. So far 70,000
people have already registered
online and the on-the-venue regis-
tration which would begin from
January 20 is expected to add a
few thousands more. The festival
will be held from January 24 to 28.
Considering the large turnout, the
organizers have split the festival
into two venues. The festival
which was held at a heritage prop-
erty Diggi Palace will have its cul-
tural session at a five star hotel
which can accommodate 20,000
people at a time.
The five-day festival will
encompass a wide range of activi-
ties including debates, discussions,
readings, music and workshops for
the participants.
Festival will play host to sub-
jects as diverse as the history of
miniature painting and war report-
ing, Sharia Law and gay and les-
bian literature, the Jewish novel,
the 18th century sexual revolution,
detective fiction and the literature
of 9/11. It will focus on new writ-
ing from Latin America and Iran;
examine the economic prospects
of India. The audience will look at
the mixed legacy of the British
Empire, the decline of America
and the rise of China.
In fiction this year, the festival
will host Commonwealth Prize
winner Aminatta Forna from
Sierra Leone, Booker Prize winner
Howard Jacobson,two Orange
Prize winners Linda Grant and
Madeline Miller and Abraham
Verghese - he best-selling writer
of Indian origin in the US. Two
respected novelists from the Arab
world Ahdaf Soueif and Tahar Ben
Jalloun are also expected to join.
The Festival welcome’s back
two of Pakistan’s most celebrated
wunderkinds Nadeem Aslam and
Mohammad Hanif and look for-
wards to introducing Jamil
Ahmad. From Chile come Ariel
Dorfman, the playwright and cele-
brated author of Death and the
Maiden. For the first time Indian
audiences will hear favorite histor-
ical novelist, Lawrence Norfolk,
and three of Britain’s most popular
literary writers, Sebastian Faulks,
Deborah Moggach and Zoe Heller,
whose award-winning books have
been adapted into the highly
acclaimed movies Birdsong, The
Exotic Marigold Hotel and Notes
on a Scandal. The festival will also
be graced by two of the greatest
poets in Europe, Simon Armitage
and John Burnside.
Sharing his enthusiasm Festival
Co-Director William Dalrymple
said, “It’s going to be an absolute-
ly extraordinary five days and only
wish it were possible to clone one-
self so that one could attend five
sessions simultaneously.”
The non-fiction list is especially
strong this year. No less than three
winners of the Samuel Johnson
Prize for non-fiction Frank
Dikotter on Mao, Wade Davis on
Everest and Orlando Figes on
Stalin’s purges, while Pulitzer
winner Andrew Solomon will
speak on his remarkable new
book, Far From the Tree.
Harvard Diana Eck, whose book
India: A Sacred Geography has
been one of the hits of the year,
philosopher Michael Sandel who
brings his popular BBC Radio 4
series, "The Public Philosopher,"
to Jaipur and the leading cultural
theorist, Homi Bhabha are also
expected.
From Columbia University
comes the much-revered post-
colonial and post-modern literary
critic and thinker Gayatri
Chakrovorty Spivak. From Oxford
University comes acclaimed
authority on Eastern Europe,
Timothy Garton Ash and the
Shakesperian Christopher Ricks.
DSC Jaipur Literature Festival
will present three of the world’s
most acclaimed artists in conver-
sation: Anish Kapoor, Marc Quinn
and William Kentridge.
Nandan Nilekani will discuss
Breakout Nations with Ruchir
Sharma, author of this year's best-
selling book of non-fiction. Some
of the most admired essayists in
the world will also be speaking:
Elif Batuman of the New Yorker,
Pico Iyer of Time Magazine and
Tim Parks and Ian Buruma of the
New York Review of Books.
On a lighter note, to celebrate
the 50th anniversary of the James
Bond films DSC Jaipur Lit Fest
will have a special session featur-
ing Sebastian Faulks, who wrote
the latest book in the franchise,
Devil May Care, and Ian
Fleming’s biographer Andrew
Lycett.
Poems, stories, readings, and
panels will discuss the multifac-
eted experience of being a woman,
and the search for gender equity
and justice.
To add to the enthusiasm, a
friendly cricket match is being
organized between leading authors
coming to the DSC Jaipur
Literature Festival and the Royals
XI, comprising of few players,
team management and esteemed
personalities. The ‘Authors XI’
versus ‘Royals XI’ match will be
held in Jaipur, on January 23.
Sreesanth, Ashok Menaria, Ajit
Chandela, Dishant Yagnik, Raghu
Iyer, Shashi Tharoor, Tarun Tejpal
and Lakshya Raj Singh Mewar are
among the eminent players consti-
tuting the Royals XI team. The
Authors XI team includes promi-
nent names such as Richard Beard,
Sam Carter, Nicholas Hogg, James
Holland, Tom Holland, Anthony
McGowan, Anosh Irani, Alex
Preston and Charlie Campbell, the
captain of the team.
Commonwealth Prize winnerAminatta Forna
Booker Prize winner Howard Jacobson
Pranab Mukherjee browses throughbooks in the library
European poetJohn Burnside
Author GayatriChakravorty Spivak
By Nury Vittachi
AMAN TRIED to get on a plane wear-
ing 60 outfits. Too miserly to pay the
excess baggage charge, he simply
opened his suitcase and put on everything he
owned.
"I've done the same thing myself, but only
with four jackets," said Shreya Gangul, the
reader who sent the story to me."I was really
uncomfortable. I can't imagine wearing 60
layers."
The news clip said the passenger, a non-
Chinese man at Guangzhou airport in southern
China, looked like a giant ball. I can imagine
the conversations that would have ensued had
he managed to board the aircraft:"Please sit
down, sir." "I AM sitting down."
But he never made it on to the plane. That's
because he had a USB drive or two tucked
into one or other of his garments. When the
security gate went beeeeep, guards asked him
to empty his pockets. Imagine his horror:
"Yeah, sure. Just gimme a moment." But there
was no way he could reach all his pockets.
The staff detained him.
Shreya said that her worst clothes-smug-
gling experience was when she wore a leotard,
three outfits and a padded jacket.""I started
the journey in a really hot country, so I nearly
died of heatstroke on the way to the airport. I
had to drink two litres of water."
But the worst part of the ordeal was still to
come."NEVER wear a leotard as your bottom
layer. When you have to go to the toilet, you
have to strip totally naked, even if it's just for
a ten-second pee."
On a 19-hour trip with a three-hour
stopover, she had to strip naked seven times.
"I seriously considered asking the baby sitting
behind me if I could have one of his diapers,"
she said.
-*-
TWEET FROM Gabbar Singh describing
India's parliament:"Think of a bus where
every seat has a steering wheel & the bus
moves in the direction of the sum of all the
vectors." That sums it up pretty well.
-*-
YOUNG DESPOT Kim Jong-un released
video footage of his missile launch centre.
Eagle-eyed viewers noticed his monitors were
running Windows Vista.
This is a terrifying thought for anyone in
range of North Korean missiles (i.e., all of us
in Asia). Picture the scene. Hackers send a
virus to launch all the missiles at once. Kim
reaches for his master computer to stop them.
But the screen freezes and up pops a mes-
sage" "Keyboard not responding.
Press any key to continue."
-*-
A RESTAURANT in China serves spicy
soup which is so hot it burns a hole in your
stomach, I read in several Asian news sites.
After dealing with a 26-year-old victim, hos-
pital staff in Wuhan said that 15 percent of
gastrointestinal cases now came from extreme
soup eating.
Women reading this are thinking: Yeuuch,
how dumb can people be?
Men reading this are thinking: Where can I
get me some of that?
-*-
GEEKS HAVE INVENTED a programme
that can make anyone East Asian. The link
was forwarded by a helpful reader who had
heard this columnist lament that he had not
been born a member of one of the cooler
races. "This will make you Chinese or
Japanese or South Korean," said Sunita Chau.
I clicked the link but Make Me Asian only
works on photographs, not on real people - not
yet, anyway. You upload your photograph,
whether you are Caucasian, Australoid,
Mongoloid, or, like me, Random Nondescript
Brownoid-and then press a button.
Round eyes are flattened, noses shrink, skin
is tinted yellow and a wig of straight black
hair is photoshopped over the top of your
head.
The app-developers have been castigated as
racists in America, since people on that side of
the planet are terribly sensitive about these
things. But Chinese and Japanese people seem
unoffended, and are using it themselves to
make their eyes longer and their noses tinier.
Further investigation revealed that it's part
of a range of photo-editing apps which include
Make Me Old (your hair disappears), Make
Me Fat (the lower part of your head expands)
and Make Me Irish (orange hair and a beard
appear on your face).
Surely the range would sell better if they
were Make Me LESS Old, Make Me LESS
Fat or Make Me ANYTHING BUT Irish.
Anyway, the Make Me Asian app is so badly
coded it crashes all the time. One reviewer
wrote a note to the programmers: "If you want
to be Asian, you should make functioning
apps for a starter."
-*-
TWO STUDENTS wore hi-tech cheating
shirts during exams, the Indian press revealed
last week. The shirts have a lapel mike built
into the collar and a mobile phone in the
armpit. This is utterly despicable and I wish I
had thought of it first. Grade F for ethics,
Grade A for resourcefulness.
-*-
A NEW TRAFFIC law was passed in China
last week, forcing drivers to stop at yellow
lights, I heard from reader Chris Donnolley.
"How about getting them to stop at red lights
while they're at it?" he asked. That may be
asking too much!
-*-
A BOLSHIE MONKEY with a Donald
Trump hairdo took up residence in the US
embassy in Sri Lanka the other day, forcing
staff to evacuate. It was eventually persuaded
to leave using a trail of bananas - to the British
government building next door. If this starts
another war in Sri Lanka, America will pay.
-*-
Funny Bone by Nury Vittachi
A group of local public school teachers use rubber training guns as theypractice drills on disarming an attacker during a teachers-only firearms
training class offered for free at the Veritas Training Academy inSarasota, Florida January 11, 2013. The December 14 tragedy in
Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 first-graders and six adults were killedat Sandy Hook Elementary School, has sparked a national debate about
whether to arm teachers, prompting passionate arguments on both sides.
Photo of the week
28 January 19-25, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoHUMOR
Man tries to board plane wearing 60 outfits
January 19
You are dominated by the number 1 and the Sun.
The planet Moon, also has a strong influence on
you. Happiness, prosperity and fame, is what most
of you can expect in the coming year. Your me-
thodical approach to work, coupled with your sin-
cerity, will take you to newer heights in your pro-
fessional career. You will be able to go to the depth
of any project that you undertake. Your quest for
knowledge and research, will help you immense-
ly in your field of work. But, sometimes you tend
to get a little restless and this results in your tak-
ing hasty decisions. Weigh the pros and cons, be-
fore taking any important decision. Hasty actions,
will not only result in wrong decisions, but will
also lead to unpleasantness with colleagues and
friends. Your warmth nature, will make friends
around you, confide in you, and look towards you
for help, when they are in distress. March, June,
July, September and January will be significant.
January 20
You are dominated by the planet Moon. You are
also governed by the number 2. Your warm nature
and your helpful attitude, draws people towards
you. You will have a large circle of friends around
you, in the coming year. For those of you, who are
going to be married, can expect to achieve success
and prosperity in their married life. Those of you,
who are in the field of journalism or teaching, can
expect to reach newer heights of excellence, in the
year ahead of you. For most of you, proximity to
a water body, will bring you prosperity. You
should, therefore opt for a posting near a river or a
seaside. Most of you will be associated with char-
itable institutions, and you will be spending a lot
of your spare time, in doing social work. May,
July, November and February will prove highly
significant.
January 21
You are governed by the number 3 and by the
planet Jupiter. You are also influenced by the
Moon. You are courageous by nature and are not
afraid to overcome any obstacle which may come
your way. The coming year, will see you achieve
honour and fame, in your professional front. You
will have to do a lot of traveling, both for work and
for pleasure. Self respect and happiness, is what
you can achieve from the year, ahead of you. Your
kind hearted nature, and your generosity, will draw
friends towards you. You will always have a circle
of friends who will find solace and peace in your
company. But you will not tolerate too much in-
terference in your life. You like privacy and will
go all out to maintain it at any cost. You tend to be-
come suspicious at times. This may result in a rift
with your friends and loved ones. June, Septem-
ber, December and March will be eventful.
January 22
You are governed by the number 4 and the planet
Uranus. You are also influenced by the Moon.
Those of you in your 40th year and above, should
expect to reach the height of your professional ca-
reer, in the year ahead of you. Most of you will be
lucky in money as well as love matters. You will
benefit by your friendship with the opposite sex.
Some of you may get into a special relationship
which may turn out to be everlasting. Your do-
mestic front, will be peaceful and full of harmony.
You like to avoid disputes and keep those around
you happy. Your introvert nature will not allow
you to express your sentiments and because of
this, you will have limited friends around you. You
do not like to mingle easily with all persons. The
months of April, June, July, October and Novem-
ber will be highly eventful.
January 23
You re governed by the number 5 and the planet
Mercury. You are also dominated by the Moon.
You have a fascination for anything that moves
fast. You like your projects and plans to move in
double quick time. You will be able to achieve suc-
cess and that too in a short time, in the year ahead
of you. Honour, fame and recognition, will be
yours in the coming year. Financially too, it will
be a good year. Some of you can expect to inherit
property from your ancestors. Those of you in the
field of writing, or teaching, can expect it to be an
exceptionally good year. Your extensive vocabu-
lary and communication skills, will take you to
greater heights of success. Because of your devo-
tion and loyalty, you will be able to gather many
admirers and friends around you. You will be the
centre of attraction at social gatherings. The
months of May, July, September and December
will be important.
January 24
You are governed by the planet Venus and domi-
nated by the Moon. You are also influenced by the
number 6. You are full of confidence and do not
underestimate you capabilities. In the coming
year, you will try to impose your ideas on others.
This may not be liked by your colleagues, who
tend to drift away. You will achieve success in
your pursuit of knowledge. Gaining an imparting
knowledge to others, is what you enjoy doing. You
will spend a lot of time in collecting donations for
charitable institutions. Your warmth nature draws
you to those who need help. This gives you ulti-
mate satisfaction. A word of advice for the coming
year – keep away from speculation and gambling.
Overindulgence in these may lead to losses. The
months of February, June, August and January will
be important and significant.
January 25
You are governed by the number 7 and dominated
by the planet Neptune. Moon also has an influence
on you. You are faithful and honest by nature. You
will go all out to fulfill your duties towards your
friends and family, in the year ahead of you. You
will be able to pursue many subjects, rather than
confine yourself to anyone. Your honesty and loy-
alty, towards your work, will impress your seniors.
Those of you, in the teaching line, will do well,
professionally. Your sharp memory and intelli-
gence, will be your assets. But, sometimes you
tend to get fickle minded and inconsistent in your
attitude.
This could reflect on your work. The months of
April, June, August, November, March and April
will prove to be highly significant.
By Dr Prem Kumar SharmaChandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 [email protected]; www.premastrologer.com
Stars Foretell: January 19-25, 2013 Annual Predictions: For those born in this week
Learn about the fair value ofdiamonds & precious stones.
from a Gems Expert For appointment, please call 516-390-7847
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29
Aries: This is a period to invest with
extreme precaution and care. Past invest-
ments need another reexamination. If you're
planning on investing in a new venture then you
better take small factors into consideration.
Your ability to charm others will put you in the
limelight. Property or vehicle transactions seem
quite likely. Children will cause some dissatis-
faction but spouse remains quite cooperative.
Taurus: Stabilization in your relation-
ship with your family members seems
certain if you are willing to compromise on cer-
tain fronts. Professional gains for some bring
gains and prosperity. Your new ideas and tech-
nical knowledge will make a good impression
on others. Residential moves and renovation
during this period will prove auspicious.
Outdoor sports events and entertainment pro-
gramme will help you keep relaxed.
Gemini: This is an excellent time for
professional advancements, promotions
and recognition. At work you will be in the
good books of your seniors and you will also
benefit monetarily. Romance is in the air, so
make the best of it and avoid any arguments
with your lover. Opportunities to go out with
friends will be informative and pleasurable. You
need to do more things that you enjoy in order
to relax. Foreign transaction or overseas jour-
ney will prove to be highly beneficial.
Cancer: Your optimism will push your
career to new heights. Put some of your
innovative ideas into your work to reap long-
term benefits. The next few days will see pres-
sure on your work front arise giving you little
time for recreational and other activities. Gifts
and presents will be plenty from visiting guests.
Avoid standing for surety of any one to avoid
unnecessary complications in the coming peri-
od. Family members will be supportive and
caring.
Leo: You will be in a commanding posi-
tion as your confidence and enthusiasm
will be high. Important messages should be
attended to immediately. You will make finan-
cial gains if you get involved in speculation. A
spiritual person’s blessings give comfort and
relief. New relations and attachments will
develop as a result of vacation and other recre-
ational activities. Get involved in activities that
will help you keep in perfect shape.
Virgo: Some challenging project will
see you express your skills in a very dif-
ferent way. New approach will give you new
confidence on which you will build future
hopes and dreams. Businessmen and investors
will see past investments reaping profits.
Relations with somebody close might get
strained over petty issues. Good week to call
important people over to your place. Spouse
will be highly supportive and shower you with
love and affection. Legal affairs will create a
state of nervousness.
Libra: Financial matters demand more
attention. You should cut down your
expenses on entertainment and shopping.
Financial difficulty will even effect your health.
Stay focused on your goals, but take necessary
precautions. For some, a change of residence or
a new construction will prove highly auspi-
cious. Your erratic behaviour will raise emo-
tions at home. Don’t take criticism too serious-
ly. Travel will be highly exciting but expensive.
Scorpio: Your present health condition
will be primarily because of the work
pressure that you carry on your mind. You need
to take time out with your friends will help you
relax and regain your energy. Relationships
with your clients will strengthen and you can
accomplish a lot through smart negotiation and
diplomacy. This week you should meet people
who can further improve your career goals.
Take care while driving, especially during the
nights.
Sagittarius: This week you will focus
on domestic issues and should think
about the immediate needs of your family mem-
bers. Spouse and children will be a source of
immense happiness. Guests and visitors bring
you gifts in cash and kind. Going out with
friends will be exciting and you will learn new
and different skills. A good diet, coupled with
fitness program will make you feel better.
Capricorn: You will meet interesting
people at social functions that you
attend this week. Your ability to stand out in the
crowd will bring you popularity and recogni-
tion. Your creative ability will surface, bringing
you good ideas to make extra money. Great
period to go out shopping for expensive items
and jewelry. Spend some time with the one you
love. Travel will be highly educating.
Aquarius: Work will suffer this week
as romance clouds your mind. You will
find it difficult in concentrating on your jobs
and getting favours from others. Keep your
focus clear on your goals to reap professional
benefits. Pleasure trips for some will be
educating.
Little time for meditation and yoga will be
important for mental as well as physical gains.
Group involvement will entertertaining, but
expensive if you don’t learn to say no.
Pisces: Money making efforts will be
profitable provided you work on new
ideas and plans. This seems to be an excellent
time for you to do things that will keep you
relaxed and entertained. This period seems
exceptionally good to take time out for hobbies,
or take an adventure trip or go out on a short
vacation.
Friends and family members will seek your
advice. Wonderful week to look into new cours-
es that interest you.
i) Accurate Data: Please make sure Date,
Time and Place of birth is accurate.
ii) Careful: Did you check background of the
astrologer before disclosing your secrets.
iii) Fee: Discuss the charges before, don’t feel
shy. It’s his business.
iv) Expectation: Expect the best, if the out-
come is not as desired, never give up.
v) Consult: Take second opinion before
spending thousands on cure/remedies.
Before you consult...
January 19-25, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info ASTROLOGY
Look at all the amazing tasks
humans do when they have
a desire and how they put in
time to make their dreams a reality.
For example, people have figured
out how to put a human being on
the moon. Who could imagine that
someone walking on earth, pulled
down by gravity, could rise out of
the earth’s gravitational pull, travel
through oxygen-less space, land on
a moon, without any oxygen, walk
on that lifeless surface, and come
back alive. It is remarkable. Yet,
someone had the dream to make it
happen and then set in motion all
the necessary steps for it to
become a reality. If we can put a
physical body on a moon, why
cannot we take our spirit and
return it to the spiritual realms
from where it came? All it takes is
the desire to do so and a will to fol-
low the instructions to make it
happen, and it will happen.
Another example of making a
dream into a reality is that of the
astronauts who are able to leave
the space shuttle to do a spacewalk
safely and even make repairs or
upgrades to the ship. Is that any-
thing less than amazing?
Some people are afraid to lean
out their window on a second floor
or higher lest they fall. Yet, astro-
nauts venture out to space, where
there is no oxygen, and face dan-
gers such as the cord breaking,
causing them to float off to their
death in space. Yet, these people
put their mind to doing these feats
and achieved it.
If we ever watched the
Olympics, we are awed by the
tremendous feats that athletes train
themselves to do with their physi-
cal bodies. We marvel at their ski
jumps, hurdles, gymnastics rou-
tines, or amazing triple jumps
while skating. We wonder how
they can hurl their body into the air
and do all those gyrations, seem-
ingly defying laws of gravity. Yet,
they set their mind to it and their
body followed along.
In marathon races people test
their stamina and endurance to run
miles and miles. We marvel at how
they do it. Yet, they had a goal and
worked day after day to increase
their ability to run. They not only
trained their body, but they trained
their mind to keep at the task until
they achieved their goal.
Some people can barely swim
across a pool, yet there are people
who train themselves to swim the
English Channel. We wonder how
it is possible. But someone had
that desire and worked hard to
make it happen.
If we look at the field of medi-
cine, we marvel at how doctors
have created ways to transplant an
organ such as the heart or do deli-
cate brain surgery. For centuries no
one could have dreamed these
treatments possible, yet people had
the idea to develop these methods
and they worked hard to make it
reality.
The mind is a great tool to use to
achieve a goal. All the great inven-
tions, innovations, and creations
have come about due to the power
of the mind. The question is, why
can’t we control our mind to sit
still to concentrate within?
For success in any field, we need
a ruling passion and commitment.
When we do not succeed at a task
it is because we take it as a low
priority. Then, we do not have the
will to do it. We are focused on all
the other aspects of life. Success
requires us weeding out those
time-wasters or distractions that
keep us from achieving our goal.
In this connection, there is a
story from a novel that illustrates
this point well. Five people were
being held in a prison camp during
a war. They found there was only
one way for them to escape. They
had to escape in a hot air balloon.
They were able to escape to an
area where a hot air balloon was
being kept and were able to lift off
before the guards discovered them.
As they sailed off, they discovered
to their horror, that the wind was
blowing them over the ocean. They
drifted further and further away
from land and were fearful of how
long the hot air balloon would stay
up.
They drifted for many hours over
the ocean waters and then discov-
ered that the balloon was descend-
ing, getting closer to the water’s
surface.
One of them said, "We are going
to crash into the ocean unless we
either heat the air in the balloon or
get rid of some weight." Another
said, "We have no way to heat the
air in the balloon so we have to
reduce the weight by throwing
something overboard."
They took stock of what they had
with them. They decided to throw
overboard their shoes, coats, and
weapons which they had smuggled
out with them when they escaped.
As they threw these items into the
ocean, they each took a sigh of
relief as the balloon rose higher.
Hours more passed. Soon, they
realized the hot air balloon was
descending again. What were they
to do now?
As they neared the ocean’s sur-
face, they discussed what to do.
All they had left to throw over-
board was their small supply of
food. With no choice, they threw
overboard their food.
As one said, "It is better to be
hungry than to drown." They fig-
ured they could live for days with-
out food, whereas if they kept the
weight of the food, it would mean
certain death for all five of them
by drowning if the hot air balloon
fell into the ocean.
The balloon rose again and all
were relieved.
Hours more passed. Again, the
solution to throw overboard the
food was only temporary. Without
heat for the air in the balloon, it
started flying lower and lower,
again nearing the surface of the
water.
"Now what?" they wondered.
There was nothing left to throw
overboard.
Finally, one of the men had an
idea. It was their last resort. They
could cut the ropes that held the
basket in which they were riding.
The basket was heavy, strong
enough to hold five men and their
supplies. If the balloon did not
have that weight to carry, it could
stay aloft.
"But how will we be saved?"
asked one of the other men.
The man with the idea said, "We
will each tie all the ropes together
strongly to form a basket out of the
ropes, and we will sit on the ropes
hanging from the balloon once we
release the basket from the ropes."
The men knew they would have to
hold on to the ropes for their lives,
but there was no other hope for
them.
The men began to cut away the
basket beneath their feet and tie the
ropes together as support for them.
As they did so, the hot air balloon
had less weight pulling it down
and it rose up again.
As they sat, sitting on the sup-
port of the ropes only and holding
on for their lives, a welcome sight
greeted them. They were nearing
land. As their hot air balloon
reached close enough range for
them to swim to land, they jumped
off and swam to the island safely.
The story has an instructive les-
son. Each time they were faced
with the possibility of their death,
they had to toss out something
they considered the least neces-
sary. They first decided that their
lives were more important than
their clothing. Next, they had to
choose between their lives and
food. They decided they could live
without the food for a few days.
Finally, they had to decide
between their lives and the comfort
of the basket. Each time they had
to discard something less neces-
sary than what their chosen goal
was.
For success in life, especially on
the spiritual path, we must do the
same. In our case, it is a matter of
discarding time-wasters. What are
those things that are keeping us
from our chosen goal?
Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharajsaid beautifully in a verse:
Begin to live your life according
to your aspirations,And step towards your chosen
goal.Our trouble is that we have not
yet made up our mind what our
aspirations are. One day we say we
want God but the next day we
want to make a lot of money. Then,
the next day we want to have a
physically fit body. Then, the next
day we want to travel and see the
world. We do not stick with one
goal long enough to have success.
We allow the chatter of the world
to sway us from our goal.
If our goal is to find God, we
need to stay still, physically and
mentally, in meditation. This
requires us to quiet the distracting
voices that call to us from the
world outside and from our own
mind. We need to set our sights on
our spiritual goal and silence all
other distractions.
We do not realize what a great
gift simran is. We do not have to
worry about silencing our mind by
ourselves. We can repeat the five
Charged Names given to us at the
time of our holy initiation as a way
to silence the mind. While repeat-
ing the five Charged Names, our
mind is automatically silenced.
The Names do not allow any space
for our own thoughts to distract us.
Simran is a powerful tool given to
us by the attention of the Master to
help us silence our mind. All we
need to do is make a decision.
What is that decision? We need to
decide that we want to find God
and that we are willing to put in
time to meditate. If we make that
choice then all we need to do is sit
still and keep quiet. Five magic
words—sit still and keep quiet.
Repeating simran helps our mind
stay quiet. In this way, we will be
still long enough for God to have a
chance to meet us and greet us.
God will have a chance to bathe us
with the Light and Sound.
Absorbed in the Light and Sound,
we will rise on that Current to
meet the radiant form of the
Master. The Master will then guide
us through the higher spiritual
realms until our soul reunites with
God.
Let us stay still for God. If we
can do so long enough, we will
find we can achieve our lifelong
goal and desire—to be one with
the loving Lord.
To find God silence all distractions
By Sant Rajinder SinghJi Maharaj
The mind is a great toolto use to achieve a goal.All the great inventions,innovations , and cre-ations have come aboutdue to the power of themind. The question is,why can’t we control ourmind to sit still to con-centrate within?
30 January 19-25, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoSPIRITUAL AWARENESS
Concluding part of the discourse 'Stay still for God'
Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharajis an internationally recognizedspiritual leader and Master ofJyoti Meditation who affirms thetranscendent oneness at the heartof all religions and mystic tradi-tions, emphasizing ethical livingand meditation as building blocksfor achieving inner and outerpeace. www.sos.org.
January 19-25, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info
January 19-25, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info