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Vol.10 No. 14 August 5-11, 2017 80 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info

NRIs can soon vote in Trump backs

Indian elections bill to cut
SPECIAL TO
THE SOUTH ASIAN TIMES

immigration
New York: An Election
Commission of India delegation
has held a community meeting at
the Consulate here and sought
suggestions to ensure that the
maximum number of NRIs can
take part in the Indian poll
process.
Senior Deputy Election
Commissioner Umesh Sinha and
Indian Election Commission officials Sandeep Saxena and Umesh Sinha
by half
Deputy Election Commissioner
Sandeep Saxena held a meeting
with the officiating Consul General in NY, Parimita Tripathi, speaking to Merit-based immigration
the press at Consulate. (Photo: Consulate FB page)
last week with Parimita Tripathi,
the officiating Consul General, community and the Indian voting rights changes for expatri
system may favor Indians
and other consulate officials. American news media. Before the ates who hold Indian passports.
The July 31 meeting was meeting, the officials held a news We have launched a No Voter
attended by 30 members of the conference. Sinha narrated the Continued on page 4

Shahid Abbasi has replaced Nawaz Sharif
who was disqualified as Pakistans prime minister
on corruption charges. (Photo: voj.news)
Russia blasts US
sanctions as
'economic war'
Moscow: Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev
lashed new US sanctions as a "fullfledged economic
war" on Moscow, saying they crushed hopes for
repairing ties and demonstrated President Donald
Trump's "total President Trump flanked by US Senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue,
weakness ... in the making the announcement Aug 2. (Photo courtesy Flickr)
most humiliating

Abbasi not there to way."

Trump reluc
l By Arul Louis "meritbased" system that would
be modeled on the Canadian and

keep seat warm for tantly signed off New York: President Donald Australian immigration programs,
on the new sanc Trump has endorsed a bill with Trump said on Wednesday.
farreaching consequences for Called Reforming American

Nawazs brother in Pakistan

Islamabad: PMLN leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on
Tuesday took oath as the 18th Prime Minister of
Pakistan after he swept the National Assembly elec
tion with a majority vote, five days after the dis
qualification of Nawaz Sharif by the Supreme Court.
After winning the election, Abbasi said though he
was the interim Prime Minister, he was not there
just to keep the seat warm. He was obliquely
referring to the understanding Continued on page 4
tions Wednesday, bowing to domestic pressure after
the White House failed to scupper the bill or water it
down. Medvedev warned the move would have "con
sequences", saying "it ends hopes for improving our
relations with the new US administration."
"Second, it is a declaration of a fullfledged econom
ic war on Russia," Medvedev said on his Facebook
page, AFP reported.
Taunting the notoriously thinskinned US president,
Medvedev added: "The Trump administration has
shown its total weakness by handing over executive
power to Congress in the most Continued on page 4
Indians that would drastically cut
immigration to the US while boost
ing skilled immigration at the cost
of extended family members and
unskilled labor.
The drastic immigration over
haul proposed by two Republican
senators seeks to slash by half the
estimated 1 million green cards
issued every year by eliminating
several categories and introduce a
Immigration for a Strong Economy
(RAISE) Act, the legislation, if
passed, would end Green Cards for
parents, adult children and sib
lings of citizens, a measure that
would affect immigration aspi
rants from India.
For elderly parents of citizens,
who would not qualify for Green
Cards, the legislation proposes
Continued on page 4

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TheSouthAsianTimes.info August 5-11, 2017
TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY August 5-11, 2017 3

Hicksville gets $10M for Zee TV launches

downtown revitalization
Hicksville, NY: New York State
has allocated $10 million to help
create a walkable downtown in
Hicksville, Gov. Andrew M.
Cuomo announced Wednesday.
The grant gives a big boost to a
yearslong effort to redevelop the
area surrounding the towns
LIRR station into a vibrant neigh
borhood that would include
retail stores and other business
es at street level and up to three
floors of housing above.
Cuomo said in a speech at the
Hicksville Community Center
that the grant, part of a statewide
downtown revitalization initia
tive, will help create the type of
pedestrianfriendly, transitori
ented neighborhood that young
adults increasingly want. Parking
lots and office buildings domi
nate much of the neighborhood
now.
The governor said that with the
revitalization, MTAs $121 mil
lion revamp of the LIRR station
and a third track that will
improve train reliability,
Hicksville is going to be
stronger than it has ever been
before.
Nassau County Executive
Made In America
New York: Zee TV, the largest
Indian television network in the
world, is now making its presence
felt in Hollywood. In August 2017,
it is launching Made In America,
the first English language South
Asian reality show. Six South Asian
millennial women were chosen
from a nationwide audition that
drew in over 6,000 applicants. The
show features Nina Davuluri, Miss
America 2014 as its host.
Over a period of 8 weeks, the six
contestants participated in gruel
ing physical training, beauty and
wardrobe styling, personal talent
training, acting classes from New
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo with (from left) Hicksville Chamber of
York Film Academy, dietary train
Commerce President Lionel Chitty, Oyster Bay Town Supervisor
Joseph Saladino, and Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano, ing, and more. All of this led to
with the grant check for Hicksville. (Source: NYS Governors office) shape their physical and mental
strength to compete against the
Edward P. Mangano said, eration." Hicksville Chamber of best in the world.
"Throughout his time in office, Commerce President Lionel During their time, the contestants
Governor Cuomo has shown an Chitty said the states financial also participated in community
unparalleled commitment to commitment to downtown revi outreach programs, and competed
Long Island, and this transforma talization will help attract devel in one challenge per episode rang
tive investment is no exception. opers and boost support for the ing from, Best Walks to Best
The Downtown Revitalization effort. Wardrobe, Best Swimwear and
Initiative will change the trajec Oyster Bay Towns new more. A winner was chosen in
tory of the Hicksville community, Supervisor Joseph Saladino stat each episode, ultimately decreasing
creating an integrated, diverse ed, Hicksvilles downtown is a from six contestants to a final sin
region, booming with commer prime location for revitalization, gle winner.
cial activity, and capable of meet new jobs and new housing On October 10th, 2017 the first
ing the demands of the next gen opportunities! Bollywood, Made In America con
testant winner will be revealed on
Zee TV. The winner will get
crowned as the Made In America
Woman. Prizes will include the
winner walking on the runway for
Andre Aquinol Couture New York
Fashion Week; a one year modeling
contract with a top New York City
Modeling Agency; the opportunity
to be cast in an upcoming
Bollywood movie as well as be cast
in a ZEE TV original content pro
duced show in America.
We realized that there was a
need in the marketplace that was
to reach younger South Asian
women who had an enormous
desire to be in the glamour world.
At Zee TV we decided to launch
Made In America, giving the
opportunity and inspiration to
these women to fulfill their dreams
and create a platform for them to
be able to showcase themselves,
said Sameer Targe, CEO, ZEE TV
America.

Mueller enlists grand jury PAKISTAN, INDIA

in Russia probe: WSJ CONCLUDE WATER
TALKS IN WASHINGTON
Washington: Special Counsel Robert Mueller
has reportedly impaneled a grand jury and
expanded his team of investigators into
alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Meanwhile, bipartisan legislation to protect Washington: Pakistan and India have Banks efforts to resolve a dispute over
Mueller from being fired is before the Senate. concluded the muchdelayed water talks Kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectricity
Mueller has impaneled a grand jury in in the US, raising hopes that they will projects that India is building in Jammu
Washington as part of the ongoing Russia avoid further tensions over an issue with and Kashmir.
investigation, which also includes looking into farreaching consequences, a media Pakistan opposes the two projects, say
possible collusion between President Donald report said on Wednesday. ing the plans violate the 1960 Indus
Special Counsel Robert Mueller. The Secretary of Water and Power, Water Treaty that distributes waters of
Trumps campaign team and the Russian gov
(Photo courtesy Global Look Press) Yousaf Naseem Khokhar, led the the river Indus and its tributaries
ernment, the Wall Street Journal reported
Thursday, citing two unnamed sources famil Pakistani delegation, including technical between India and Pakistan.
Street Journal. Adam Schiff (DCalifornia), the
iar with the matter. experts, at the twoday talks which ended The two countries last held talks over
top ranking Democrat on the House
If true, Mueller enlisting a grand jury indi on Tuesday at the World Bank headquar the projects in March in Pakistan.
Intelligence Committee, also said the news
cates that the investigation is not slowing ters, the Dawn newspaper said. The projects will allow India to use
that Mueller impaneled a new grand jury sug
down but gathering pace. The Secretary of the Ministry of Water water of three Indus tributaries to irri
gests his work is proceeding. Muellers use of
This is yet a further sign that there is a Resources, Amarjit Singh, headed the gate 912,000 acres of land, up from
a grand jury could allow his team to issue sub
longterm, largescale series of prosecutions Indian delegation. The Indian team also 800,000 acres, and to produce 18,600
poenas, compel witnesses to testify and seek
being contemplated and being pursued by the included representatives from the MW of electricity.
indictments. White House special counsel Ty
special counsel, Stephen Vladeck, a law pro External Affairs Ministry. Pakistan says the projects would lessen
Cobb said he was not aware of Mueller
fessor at the University of Texas, told the Wall The meeting was part of the World its share granted in the treaty.
enrolling a new grand jury.
 4 August 5-11, 2017
Mika Singh faces Twitter wrath
after saying 'humara Pakistan'
New York: Singer Mika Singh is expected to perform in
Chicago and Houston on August 12 and 13 respective
ly, ahead of Independence Day. He
posted about it on Twitter and
wrote, "Be ready to rock with me..
Houston and Chicago.... I'm coming
to rock you guys Jai hind." (sic).
The organisers of the show also
posted a video of Mika briefing
about his performance. In the video, Mika says that
he's 'looking forward' to celebrate the Independence
Day of India and Pakistan. "15 August ko humara
Hindustan azaad hua tha aur 14 ko humara Pakistan,"
he says in the video, shared widely on Twitter. The 40
yearold singer drew criticism for saying 'Apna
Pakistan.' Mika's statement has left Twitter very angry.
"Shame on you. You are celebrating Pakistani Day? Do
you know how many of our Army Jawan are being
killed by Pakistan?" a user tweeted.
The 2017 MoneyGram Cricket
Bee Toronto announced
Rahul Walia, Founder of MoneyGram Cricket Bee,
Param Desai, 2nd Runner Up, Vidyasagar Sethu,
Champion, Sandeep Singh, 1st Runner Up,
and Kenji Remulla, Aaaza Inc.
METUCHEN, NJ: The 3 remaining champions have
been crowned in Toronto with two of them heading
to the Cricket Bee Finals in New Jersey later this
month. Param Desai of Brampton, ON was declared
second runner up, Sandeep Singh of Brampton, ON
was first runner up and the Regional champion was
Vidyasagar Sethu of Scarborough, ON. The competi
tion allows cricket fans to compete for prizes while
sharing their knowledge of the game to win a cash
prize of $10,000. Opened to those 18 and older, the
MoneyGram Cricket Bee continued the search of the
brightest Cricket fan with regional rounds in San
Francisco, Dallas, Chicago, New Jersey and concluded
in Toronto, each testing participants general cricket
knowledge.
Chairman and Co-Founder
Kamlesh C. Mehta
Co-Founder: Saroosh Gull
President: Arjit Mehta
Chief Operating Officer:
Ginsmon P. Zacharia
P: 516 776 7061
ginsmon@hotmail.com
Managing Editor: Parveen Chopra
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publication do not imply connection or endorsement of these businesses. All rights reserved.
TURN PAGE
Trump backs bill to cut
immigration by half
Continued from page 1
giving them temporary renewable visas.
Parents form a significant part of the
immigration from India as their children
firmly establish themselves in the US.
"The reforms in the RAISE Act will help
ensure that newcomers to our wonderful
country will be assimilated, will succeed,
and will achieve the American Dream,"
Trump said at the White House where
Senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue
unveiled the bill. The RAISE Act "replaces
our lowskilled system with a new points
based system for receiving a Green Card,"
he said. "This competitive application
process will favor applicants who can
speak English, financially support them
selves and their families, and demonstrate
skills that will contribute to our economy."
While such a system would appear to
favour the highly qualified immigrants
from India, the specifics like how it
would enable those hold the temporary
H1 visas to transition to permanent Green
Cards and if the current national quotas
that restrict annual immigration from
India and most countries to 20,000 would
still apply will have to be examined to
gauge the impact on India. If it succeeds in
Congress, this will be the first wholesale
reform of the immigration system since
1964 when what were essentially race
based quotas were done away with, open
ing the way for Indian immigrants, whose
numbers have now swelled to about three
million. The legislation is certain to be
opposed by the Democratic Party, which
favors a broader pattern of immigration,
including legalizing illegal entrants into
the country.
NRIs can soon vote in
Indian elections
Continued from page 1
Left Behind campaign, he said. Proxy
voting is in a very advanced stage and
electronic postal balloting is also under
serious consideration. On August 2, PTI
news reported that the Cabinet of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has accepted the
proxy voting proposal.
In proxy voting, an NRI voter cab pick an
elector in India he trusts. Basing on his or
Associate Editors:
Hiral Dholakia-Dave
Contributing Editors: Meenakshi Iyer,
Nilima Madan, Melvin Durai,
Dr Prem Kumar Sharma, Ashok Vyas,
Dr Akshat Jain, Ashok Ojha
West Coast Correspondent
Pooja Jain,
Pooja@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
New Delhi Bureau
Meenakshi Iyer
Delhi@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
her preference, the proxy will cast the
voters ballot physically in the polling sta
tion concerned. In the epostal balloting,
the prospective NRI voter will have to take
out a printout of the ballot paper, fill it in
and mail it to the Election Commission
office in the state concerned. The two poll
panel officials made clear that the propos
als have not yet become law. Only after
they are passed by parliament, NRIs will
be able to exercise their franchise.
Hopefully, the law will be in place for par
liamentary and some state elections sched
uled for AprilMay in 2019. There are an
estimated 16 million NRIs who hold Indian
passports. Of them, up to 70% are eligible
to vote, Saxena pointed out.
At present, if NRIs want to cast their bal
lots they have to register their names in
their respective constituencies. Then they
have to go in person to India to vote. As
they will end up spending thousands of
dollars, most of them shun the process
altogether. According to official estimates,
only 10,000 NRIs now exercise their fran
chise this way.
Voting by NRIs has now become a reality
following a Supreme Court ruling that all
Indian passport holders, including those
based outside the country, should be given
an opportunity to cast their ballots in
Indian elections. The ruling followed a PIL
filed by a UKbased NRI.
Present at the consulate meeting was
Thomas Abraham, who has been in the US
for half a century but still retained Indian
citizenship. He is the founder and current
chairman of GOPIO. He went one step fur
ther sought even dual citizenship, repre
sentation in the Rajya Sabha and all facili
ties to expatriates on par with people in
India. Also in attendance was Rajeshwar
Gangasani Reddy, president of the North
American Telugu Association, who too has
retained Indian citizenship despite living
in US for the last three decades.
Russia blasts US sanctions as
'economic war'
Continued from page 1
humiliating way". Trump signed the legis
lation behind closed doors and his reluc
tance was on full display in an angry sign
ing statement in which he called the legis
lation "significantly flawed."
Jaipur (India) Bureau
Prakash Bhandari
Prakash@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Photographs: Gunjesh Desai/
masalajunction.com.
Xitij Joshi/xitijphoto.com
Photo Journalist: Sandeep Girhotra
Cartoonist: Mahendra Shah
Art and Design: Dhiraj Kumar Showaan
Vladimir Tomovski
Bhagwati Creations,
Web Editor: Bharat Bhushan Chopra
News Service: HT Media Ltd.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
"In its haste to pass this legislation, the
Congress included a number of clearly
unconstitutional provisions," he said,
including curbs on the president's ability
to "negotiate" with Russia.
"I built a truly great company worth
many billions of dollars. That is a big part
of the reason I was elected. As president, I
can make far better deals with foreign
countries than Congress," Trump claimed.
The legislation which also includes
measures against North Korea and Iran
targets the Russian energy sector, giving
Washington the ability to impose sanc
tions on companies involved in developing
Russian pipelines, and placing curbs on
some Russian weapons exporters. Iran,
too, reacted angrily, saying the new sanc
tions against it "violated" its 2015 nuclear
deal with world powers, and warned it
would respond "appropriately."
With regards to Russia, the sanctions
notably constrains Trump's ability to
waive the penalties a statement of mis
trust from the Republicancontrolled
Congress, which remains unsettled by
Trump's warm words for President
Vladimir Putin. In his statement, Trump
said: "The Framers of our Constitution put
foreign affairs in the hands of the
President. This bill will prove the wisdom
of that choice."
Abbasi not there to keep seat
warm for Nawazs brother in Pak
Continued from page 1
that the ruling PMLN head Nawaz Sharif
has said the PM post should pass on to his
brother and Punjab CM Shehbaz Sharif.
Both brothers did not attend the swearing
in ceremony. Chief of Army Staff, Gen.
Qamar Javed Bajwa who attended the
oathtaking ceremony, said: Democracy is
progressing; it is a good thing, Geo News
reported. An NA session to elect a new PM
had been called by President Hussain fol
lowing a landmark Supreme Court ruling
on the Panama Papers case on Friday, in
which Nawaz Sharif was disqualified as
PM after being deemed unfit to hold
office. Following the SC verdict, the PMLN
had agreed upon Abbasi, former
Petroleum Minister, as its candidate for
Prime Minister for the interim period till a
permanent replacement is elected.
IANS Newswire Services
IANS Washington Bureau
Arun Kumar
arun.kumar@ians,in
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TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Aryan Kejriwal grows to Aakash Dalal sentenced
be a cubing champ to 35 years in prison
l By SATimes Team
New York: Visualize the Rubiks cube and you
are wont to see nine stickers on each face of
what is termed a 3X3X3 cube, the most popu
lar variety. You or your child may have even
tried to speed solve the worlds most popular
puzzle. Now, of course there are cubing enthu
siasts taking part in speed solving competi
tions, going up to higher cubes, even 7X7X7.
At the CubingUSA Nationals 2017 competi
tion held over July 79 in Fort Wayne, Indiana,
Aryan Kejriwal, a 16 year old from New York
City, secured 2nd place in the 7x7x7 from over
700 registrants. He did this with a single time
of 2 minutes and 39 seconds. He is the only
Indian origin boy in the top 10 in the world in
this category. Overall, he is No. 3 in the US and
number 17 in the world.
Aryan started cubing at the age of 12. One
summer afternoon, he was determined to solve
the Rubiks cube a cousin in Mumbai chal
lenged him to do. Reviewing YouTube videos,
in a few hours he cracked the algorithms and
solved his first 3x3x3 cube. He memorized 7
algorithms, each algorithm consisting of 10
steps; about 70 different moves. By now he
has memorized hundreds of algorithms and
applies them based on the patterns he sees on
the cubes faces. Now, as an advanced solver
for the 3x3x3, Aryan has memorized about
150 algorithms, with an average of about 15
steps per algorithm; about 2250 different
moves. A 3x3x3, can have over 43 quintillion
Rubin Museum of Art and NYC Radio Live
to host 24 hour Ragas Live Festival
New York, NY: For the first time, the
Rubin Museum of Art will host the 24
hour Ragas Live Festival, with more than
50 master Indian classical musicians tak
ing over the Museum for an overnight
concert of sacred sounds. Ragas are
refined modes of Indian classical music
that are designed to be played at specific
times of day. With music ranging from
traditional to innovative crosscultural
collaborations, festival goers will experi
ence this musical system, hearing stirring
evening ragas as night falls, and witness
ing the sunrise to the devotional sounds
of an early morning raga.
The diverse lineup includes the worlds
premiere kanjira drummer Selvaganesh,
genre bending collaborator Karsh Kale,
soulful vocalist Ganavya Doraiswamy,
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
Aryan Kejriwal with his CubingUSA
Nationals trophy
permutations and combinations. Competing
since 2013, he has participated in over 29
competitions and has won 65 medals, includ
ing 27 gold, 19 silver and 19 bronze.
When asked about his biggest supporter,
Aryan says, While many advised me that cub
ing is a waste of time, my mother has been my
biggest supporter. She says this is a field where
Ive developed skills of excellence. And that
excellence is an attitude. I can now develop
excellence in other areas too.
Aryan is also a strong math, science and eco
nomics student, an avid skier, plays the piano
and the electric guitar in a band with his
friends. This summer, he is doing research and
exploring colleges.
electroacoustic project Orakel, bansuri
maestro Jay Gandhi, jazz guitarist Rez
Abassi, classicallytrained vocal talent
Falu, and Max ZT, who has been called
the Jimi Hendrix of the hammered dul
cimer.
Festival goers will be able to enjoy the
entire museum, with overnight access to
the galleries and other perks. Attendees
will be free to peruse the Rubin Museums
collection of Himalayan art, enjoy mango
lassis, tapas and cocktails from Caf Serai,
and enage with popup events throughout
the museum, including meditation and
traditional Hindu sunrise puja (prayer).
Dream Ticket holders will have the
added benefit of sleeping under an art
work in the museum, for what is sure to
be an unforgettable night.
New Jersey: An Indian American youth
has been sentenced to 35 years in prison
for masterminding a series of firebomb
ings in New Jersey synagogues. Aakash
Dalal, 25 has been incarcerated since his
arrest in 2012 and spent most of his
time in solitary confinement, showed no
emotion as Hudson County, New Jersey
Superior Court Judge Joseph Isabella
pronounced his sentence, according to
local media reports.
Last November, Dalal was found guilty
of terrorism and 16 felony counts of
conspiracy to commit arson, arson, bias
intimidation, possession of a weapon
and possession of a destructive device.
The former Rutgers University student
has consistently stated he was not in
town when the string of bombings
occurred in late 2011/early 2012. But
prosecutors maintained that Dalal mas
terminded the bombings, showing co
conspirator Anthony Graziano how to
make a Molotov cocktail and egging him
on to commit further destruction. The
pair plotted the attacks via text mes
sages. I dont trust you until you kill a
Jew, Dalal allegedly told Graziano via
instant messenger, in evidence revealed
during the fiveweek trial.
After a particularly heinous attack in
Rutherford, New Jersey, which occurred
while a rabbi and his family were sleep
Literally, raga means to color the
mind, and the music is very subtle and
precise in order to capture specific feel
ings or essences. As the earth rotates, the
music resonates with those changes in
light and mood, producing a unique effect
on the listeners consciousness. To experi
ence music of this power and beauty
amongst the timeless collection of the
Rubin Museum of Art is a onceinalife Buddhism.
time opportunity, said David Ellenbogen,
the founder of the festival.
Initially produced for radio in 2011 by
the podcast NYC Radio Live with a com
munity of over 50 volunteering musicians
and organizations, Ragas Live Festival is
an immersive 24 hour global listening
experience. It has grown annually over
the past six years with a worldwide audi
August 5-11, 2017 5
Aakash Dalal
(Image courtesy: app.com
ing in the building, the pair boasted
about a Molotov cocktail hitting the
rabbis bed.
Next time, burn the place down, said
Dalal, via messaging. Definitely, said
Graziano, who was found guilty of 19
counts of arson and bias intimidation in
May 2016.
Neither Dalal nor Graziano were
charged with attempted murder. After
Dalal was found guilty last November,
his attorney Brian Neary said his client
intended to appeal the conviction.
Graziano and his mother apologized to
the packed courtroom, which was filled
with members of the local Jewish com
munity. Dalal did not speak, nor did his
family.
ence listening in real time via a live radio
broadcast and stream on WKCR 89.9 FM
NY. The Ragas Live Festival also connects
with the Rubin Museums current exhibi
tion The World Is Sound, open through
January 8, 2018, which invites visitors to
listen with the whole body, and explores
different dimensions of sound and listen
ing and its many functions in Tibetan
Festival goers will be able to experience
the OMs of 10,000 visitors, ritual sounds
recorded by Tibetan monks, and works
from contemporary artists alongside his
torical objects in the collection.
More details on the festival, the exhibi
tion, and New Yorks raga renaissance
can be found at
rubinmuseum.org/ragaslive.
 6 August 5-11, 2017 TRISTATE COMMUNITY TheSouthAsianTimes.info

US to probe Harvards Krishna Rajagopal named

admission process: report
New York: The US Justice
Department will probe allegations
against the prestigious Harvard
University that the Ivy League insti
tution discriminates against Asian
American applicants in its admission
process.
The allegations were leveled in
2015 against the university by a
coalition of 64 AsianAmerican
groups, including four Indian
American organizations.
The New York Times reported that
the Trump administration intended
to increase the Justice Departments
efforts to target universities whose
admission policies it deemed dis
criminatory against white applicants,
a report in The Harvard Crimson, a
student newspaper of the university,
said.
The Justice Departments Civil
Rights Division will investigate the
allegations.
The Crimson report said that the
university has repeatedly and
emphatically denied allegations that
it uses racial quotas in its admissions
process.
A Justice Department spokesper
son said the investigation would
focus on a single complaint led in
2015 accusing Harvard in particular
of discriminating against Asian
Americans in its undergraduate
admissions processes, the Crimson
report said.
The posting sought volunteers to
investigate one administrative com
plaint led by a coalition of 64
AsianAmerican associations in May
2015 that the prior administration
left unresolved, Justice Department
spokesperson Sarah Isgur Flores said
in a statement yesterday.
This Department of Justice has
not received or issued any directive,
memorandum, initiative, or policy
related to university admissions in
general, the statement said.
The complaint had been led on
behalf of AsianAmerican students
who, because of their race, have
been unfairly rejected by Harvard
College because of such unlawful use
of race in the admissions process,
and/or who seek the opportunity to
apply for admission without being
discriminated against because of
their race." Among the 64 organiza
tions were four IndianAmerican
community associations American
Society of Engineers of Indian Origin,
BIT Sindri Alumni Association of
North India, Global Organization of
People of Indian OriginLos
Angeles Chapter and National
Federation of Indian American
Associations.
The Department of Education had
later dismissed the complaint saying
it was similar to an ongoing and sep
arate federal lawsuit led against
Harvard. To become leaders in our
diverse society, students must have
the ability to work with people from
different backgrounds, life experi
ences and perspectives. Harvard
remains committed to enrolling
diverse classes of students, Harvard
spokesperson Rachael Dane said.
Harvards admissions process
considers each applicant as a whole
person, and we review many factors,
consistent with the legal standards
established by the US Supreme
Court. The Class of 2021 is 22.2 per
cent AsianAmerican, a record high
for the university, the Crimson
report added. (PTI)
dean of Digital Learning at MIT
New York: Krishna
Rajagopal, the William
A.M. Burden professor
of physics and former
chair of the MIT facul
ty, has been named
dean for digital learn
ing at the
Massachusetts
Institute of
Technology, the insti
Krishna Rajagopal
tute said in a July 26
news release. Rajagopal will
assume the post Sept. 1. I am
excited about this new challenge,
as I will be helping MIT faculty
members take their passions for
teaching and learning to new lev
els in ways that can have long
lasting impact across MIT and
around the world, the Indian
American educator said in a
statement. Our digital learning
efforts already reach thousands
of students in MIT classrooms
and millions of learners around
the world. What makes this an
exciting time for education is that he stewarded the department's
as these technologies, as well as
research on how people learn,
evolve, they are transforming
how we teach today, and will do
so in ways that we
cannot yet see and
must invent, he said.
In his role, Rajagopal
will lead efforts to
empower MIT faculty
to use digital technolo
gies to augment and
transform how they
teach, MIT said.
He is charged with
building and strength
ening connections between aca
demic departments and the
Ofce of Vice President for Open
Learning, to facilitate broad
based engagement and bottom
up change, it added.
Rajagopal will work with vice
president for open learning
Sanjay Sarma and senior associ
ate dean of digital learning Isaac
Chuang on the ofces strategy
and organization.
Previously, Rajagopal served as
associate head for education in
the department of physics, where
undergraduate and graduate edu
cational programs and became
known for his dedication to stu
dents, the news release said.

IN BRIEF
OHMKara's Gujarati Jalso kickedoff 2017 MoneyGram Cricket Bee Chicago
on July 29th in New Brunswick and New Jersey winners announced

Sairam Dave entertaining the audience (right) More than 750 people attended the event.
HMKaras Gujarati Jalso multiple artists rocked jam packed theater for more

O cities musical festival in the U.S.

kickedoff on Saturday, July 29th at
Nicholas Music Center in New Jersey.
than five hours. A souvenir with Mahatma
Gandhis postal stamps from the world
was inaugurated by Image publications Ut
Chicago winners

ix new champions have been

New Jersey winners

Jersey, Ashwin Iyer of Jersey City, NJ

More than 750 people attended in a sold
out event. An evening of Gujarati lok, sug
am and fusion sangeet, short drama, poet
ry, dayro and literature with Bollywood
playback singer Parthiv Gohil, Sairam
Dave, Jahnvi Shrimankar, Gargi Vora,
Utkarsh Mazumdar, Minal Patel, Chirag
Vohra, Hiten Anandpara, Pranav Pandya
and team of 16 renowned and talented
pal Bhayani, OHMKaras Pinakin Pathak,
Parthiv Gohil and Patidar Cultural Associa
tion of USAs Dr. Manu Dadhania before
start of the program. The mega concert
tour will continue with next musical
evenings in NewingtonCT, FlushingNY,
HoustonTX, Atlanta, Maryland, ParlinNJ,
Chicago and Detroit during the next three
weekends from August 4 to 20, 2017.
S crowned in Chicago and New Jer
sey with four of them heading to
the Cricket Bee Finals in New Jersey
next month.
In Chicago, Sohail Malik of Westmont,
IL was declared second runner up,
Kevin Paul of Chicago, IL was first run
ner up and the Regional champion was
Alpesh Gohil of Schaumburg, IL. In New
was declared second runner up,
Senthilkumar Sethuraman of Shrews
bury, MA was first runner up and the
Regional champion was Shyamsundar
Soundararajan of Edison, NJ.
The competition allows cricket fans
to compete for prizes while sharing
their knowledge of the game to win a
cash prize of $10,000.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY August 5-11, 2017 7

Canadian PM Trudeau attends 10th anniversary celebrations IndoAmerican Press Club

of BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto
Justin Trudeau with Mahant Swami Maharaj.
Toronto: Justin Trudeau, the Prime
Minister of Canada attended the
10th anniversary celebrations of the
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in
Toronto on July 22nd. The celebra
tions took place in presence of
Mahant Swami Maharaj, the current
spiritual leader of the BAPS
Swaminarayan Sanstha. The celebra
tions were attended by thousands of
devotees who came from across
Canada and around the globe.
Addressing the assembly PM
Trudeau said, Its truly a pleasure
and honour to join you in celebrat
ing 10 years of the BAPS Shri
Swaminarayan Mandir as well as the
vibrant community that made this
possible. How remarkable and t Mayor Tory said in his press release,
ting it is that when visitors come to
Canada, through our largest airport,
conference in Philly in Oct
Trudeau meeting devotees at the event.
Pearson International, one of the humanitarian, charitable, and com
rst Canadian sites people see off munity building efforts through
Highway 427 is this Mandir. BAPS Charities Canada." "His
The Prime Minister encouraged all Holiness' great contributions have
Canadians to visit the Mandir saying, enriched Toronto and there is no bet
I hope all Canadians can nd the ter setting to bestow this honor than
time to come visit this magnicent the BAPS Mandir, a unique and
site and learn more about the rich majestic white marble temple and an
history of the Hindu community architectural masterpiece that adds
right here in Canada at home. to the multicultural mosaic of the
During the celebrations, John Tory, city."
the Mayor of Toronto, presented A special custom Canada Post
Mahant Swami Maharaj, with the stamp (CAD$ value of Permanent
Key to the City of Toronto, the citys Domestic) was unveiled to commem
highest honor. orate the historic occasion of the
The key is bestowed by the Mayor 10th anniversary of the BAPS Shri
to distinguished persons and hon Swaminarayan Mandir and to honor
ored guests of the city of Toronto. the contributions of the BAPS Shri
Swaminarayan Mandir in enriching
"I am honored to recognize his the lives of individuals, families and
Holiness' global and Torontobased the communities in Canada.
New York: The IndoAmerican Press
Club (IAPC) is conducting its 4th
International Media Conference dur
ing the Columbus Day weekend in
Philadelphia, PA. It was jointly
announced by IAPC Chairman Dr.
Babu Stephen and President Prof.
Indrajit S Saluja at a planning meet
ing in Washington DC recently. The
prestigious conference will be
held at Radisson Hotel
Philadelphia Northeast
from October 69, in
which renowned jour
nalists and media pro
fessionals from the US,
India and other countries
will lead innovative seminars
and workshops. IAPC was founded
in 2014 under the chairmanship of
Ginsmon Zacharia and held its inau
gural media conference in New
Jersey that year to bring together
the IndoAmerican media profes
sionals under one umbrella. Its sec
ond IMC was held in New York, and
the third one in Connecticut last
October attracting lawmakers from
the US and India, renowned people
from media, social work and philan
thropy. Over the four years, IAPC
has been devising and implementing
different projects to enhance the
efciency and integrity of media
professionals of Indian origin, and
by bringing media experts from dif
ferent parts of the world to lead the
IAPC Media Conferences. "IAPC
envisions to enhance the style and
activities of media professionals in
the American continent by infusing
new ideas and updated information
of media industry in other coun
tries," stated IAPC Chairman Dr.
Babu Stephen who hosted the kick
off in his palatial house in DC.
IAPC President Prof Indrajit
S. Saluja added that IAPC
is already interacting and
jointly working together
with renowned experts in
the media industry in
America, Canada, Australia, UK
and Gulf countries. He pointed out
that IAPC is very active in training
and encouraging upcoming journal
ists with the latest technology, &
requested the support of all for the
successful running of the forthcom
ing conference in Philadelphia.
"Having created a strong footprint
in the media industry by conducting
its rst International Media
Conference within a few months of
its incorporation, IAPC is again
proud to announce the prepared
ness going into its fourth
Conference," said IAPC founder
Chairman & present Coordinating
Director Ginsmon P. Zacharia.

Laserist Manick Sorcar bags

award in global film contest
Chicago: Denverbased, Indian
American laserist and animator Manick
Sorcar has won the prestigious Award
of Merit from The Accolade Global Film
Competition for his animation
"Beautiful Mess."
The Accolade recognizes lm, televi
sion, videography and new media pro
fessionals who demonstrate exceptional
achievement in craft and creativity, and
those who produce standout entertain
ment or contribute to profound social
change.
Sorcar, the eldest son of the legendary
magician late P.C. Sorcar, said he was
thrilled and gratied at the award,
adding: "I take it as a recognition of the
challenges I encountered in presenting
the short, emotional story using laser as
the animating medium and manipulat
ing the strong beam of light as a harm
less pencil to draw on a sketchbook."
This is not the rst laser animation of
Sorcar that got international recogni
tion. He won the ILDA 2015 Artistic
Award for 'Light Art in Shower Ocean'
in Innovative Application of Laser cate
gory from the International Laser
Display Association.
Sorcar had also won the ILDA 2007
Artistic Award in Laser Photography
category for his laser art "Reection"
and the ILDA Artistic Award for Best
Use of Lasers in Live Stage Performance
for his "Enlightenment of Buddha."
According to the Accolade, in winning
this award, Sorcar joins the ranks of
other highprole winners of this inter
nationally respected award, including
the Oscar winning production of "The Thousands of devotees and wellwishers from across North America and around the
Lady in Number Six" by Malcolm Clarke, world gathered at Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada on July 27th to witness the
the talented Dave Bossert of Disney for Asthipushpa Visarjan (holy ash dispersion ceremony) for Pramukh Swami Maharaj.
his short documentary, and "The Tunes Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual successor of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, performed
Behind The Toons." (IANS) the Asthipushpa Visarjan ceremony.
 8 August 5-11, 2017
Chanda Mama Door Ke becomes the Sakshi Verma glad to
first Bollywood film to be at NASA find place in Hollywood
Mumbai: Produced by Eros
International and Viki Rajani and
directed by National awardwin
ner Sanjay Puran Singh (of
Lahore fame), Chanda Mama
Door Ke is Indias rst epic space
odyssey with a massive cast of
Sushant Singh Rajput, R
Madhavan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui
among others.
Sushant Singh Rajput, who is
known to get under the skin of
all his characters, is going the
extra mile for Chanda Mama
Door Ke and is currently at
NASAs Space & Rocket Centre at
Alabama, in U.S.A. The actor is
preparing for the role of an
astronaut, by participating in
workshops and various training
regimes aimed at acquainting
him with the life of an astronaut,
in as realistic a manner as possi
ble.
USSRC recently welcomed
Sushant Singh Rajput, the rst
actor from the Indian lm indus
try who will undergo special
training at NASA, to step into the
shoes of an astronaut on the sil
ver screen. In an ofcial state
ment released from USSRC, they
said, "We would like to welcome
Priyanka to produce American
comedy series on Madhuri's life
Los Angeles: Indian actress
Priyanka Chopra, who has found
a foothold in Hollywood, is
reportedly executive producing a
comedy series about Bollywood's
dancing diva Madhuri Dixit's life
for US network ABC. According
an exclusive report by
variety.com, the yet untitled
series is based on the real life of
Madhuri, who will also executive
produce the project.
The story would follow how
Madhuri settles down in the sub
urbs of the US with her bicultur
al family and tries to bring her
colorful lifestyle to an otherwise
dull town. In reality, Madhuri
had taken a break from showbiz
when she married Sriram Nene,
who was based in US back then
and shifted to Denver from
Mumbai to start a family. The
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
Sushant Singh Rajput in a still from
Chanda Mama Door Ke
Youth Icon and promising Indian
Actor, Sushant Singh Rajput for
undergoing this training sched
ule, including the important
training regimes such as, 'Flying
a Space Shuttle Simulator' or
'Lunar Module/Mars Lander
Simulation', 'Experiencing Zero
G', '1/6', 'Wearing a professional
Space Suit', 'Flying a multiaxis
trainer' and 'Docking the shuttle
to the ISS'. We congratulate him
over his decision and applaud the
mother of two sons returned to
showbiz around ve years ago,
and continues to be one of the
most charming beauties in the
Hindi lm industry. Sri Rao, a
writer for shows like "General
Hospital: Night Shift" will pen the
pilot and executive produce the
series, as will Madhuri's hus
band. Just last month, Madhuri
had teased something new and
exciting was going to be
announced. "Loving downtime in
the US. Back up soon with
announcements. Till then enjoy,"
she had tweeted.
Other names attached to the
project include Mark Gordon and
Nick Pepper through the Mark
Gordon Company (MGC), while
ABC Studios will coproduce the
show with MGC, reports
variety.com. (IANS)
prudent advice of his director to
make things more authentic
rather than just following basic
scripts, concepts and virtual tech
nologies. We wish Sushant all the
success for the training and for
his lm and commend his efforts
in the wake of educating people
back there in India through the
learnings he will take back from
here. We hope he will not only
use this knowledge for onscreen
perfection, but also be socially
involved in educating people
about the future of it, especially
in a nation, which is an emerging
powerhouse in Aeronautical
Engineering and Space and
Research Programs today; a land
that has produced legendary
astronauts. "
Says producer Viki Rajani,"We
are very honored and privileged
to be pioneering the rst of its
kind lm in Bollywood and that
Sushant Singh Rajput is to train
at NASA. The director Sanjay
Puran Singh Chauhan has
worked on the script and the
technical detailing for the last 7
8 years. All this together will go a
long way in putting together a
truly authentic space odyssey."
Jaanu Patel makes it to Top 5 in
Miss Teen USA beauty pageant
New York: An IndianAmerican stu
dent who was crowned Miss
California Teen USA last year, has
been selected as one of the top ve
contestants in the Miss Teen USA
2017 beauty pageant.
Jaanu Patel, 16, was among the
top ve in the Miss Teen USA 2017
which was won by Sophia
DominguezHeithoff of Missouri,
in Phoenix, Arizona.
Patel, a junior at Huntington
Beach High School, was crowned
Miss California Teen USA for 2017
at the December 4, 2016, pageant
at the Long Beach Terrace Theater,
reported the Los Angeles Times.
It was her rst time competing in
a statewide beauty pageant and
she didnt expect to win, though
she had already won the Miss
Huntington Beach Teen crown in
February.
I feel like beauty is having a
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
New Delhi: After working on
Hollywood animated projects
like "Trolls", "Kung Fu Panda 3"
and "The Boss Baby", Sakshi
Verma, Senior Technical Director
at DreamWorks Animation, says
she feels a "deep sense of grati
cation" when she thinks about
her journey from India to the
West. She has also worked on
"Megamind", "Madagascar 3:
Europe's Most Wanted" and
"Penguins of Madagascar."
"I have spent most of my career
as a technical director and
worked on six blockbuster lms
in multiple departments. I start
ed off as a Junior Technical
Director in the modelling depart
ment for 'Megamind'," Verma
told IANS over phone from
Glendale, in Los Angeles County.
She added: "After that, I moved
to surfacing department which is
responsible for texturing and
painting of threedimensional
models and other things like
grooming fur/hair on characters.
My role as a Technical Director
was to develop tools and
processes to streamline depart
ment workows...."
Verma has also worked in
Jaanu Patel
(Photo : misscausapageant.com)
sense of pride in completing your
goals, Patel was quoted as saying
by the Times, then. Beauty on the
outside is important. Its a form of
respect in how you represent your
self to the world. But youre not
going to be somebody unless you
complete the goals you set for
Sakshi Verma
(Image courtesy:
bostondesiconnection.com)
lighting and compositing depart
ment as a Senior Technical
Director.
She says "reecting back on
these experiences, I get a deep
sense of gratication, having
worked on these amazing lms."
Verma started out with love for
"computer science and mathe
matics" back in school.
"I followed my passion and
pursued an undergraduate
degree in Computer Science at
BITS Pilani. At BITS, I did courses
and projects in Computer
Graphics, that sparked off my
interest in the eld of anima
tion," added Verma, who was
born and brought up in
Faridabad. (IANS)
yourself.
Ever since she was four, Patel
has been dancing to the tunes of
Bollywood music at NDM
Bollywood Dance Studios run by
Nakul Dev Mahajan, which has
made her an awardwinning, com
petitive Bollywood Dancer and has
been learning Kathak for 10 years.
She has been to 16 countries
including Italy, New Zealand,
Turkey and Uganda, where her
father was born and wants every
one to travel internationally at
least once in their lifetime. In her
junior year at Huntington Beach
High School, Patel visited Montreal
last year during a Model UN trip
where she took interest in topics
such as womens rights and depri
vation of education with the desire
to see an improvement in the edu
cation system over the next 10
years.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Anantha Chandrakasan is new Over 21 lakh Indians applied for
dean of MIT's engineering school H-1B visas in 11 years: Report
New York: An Indiaborn academi
cian at the prestigious
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) has been named
as the dean of its engineering
school. Anantha Chandrakasan, the
Vannevar Bush Professor and head
of the Department of Electrical
Engineering and Computer Science
(EECS) was last month named the
dean of the MIT's School of
Engineering.
He assumed his new role effective
July 1. Chandrakasan succeeded Ian
Waitz who is now MIT's vice chan
cellor, a statement from the MIT
said. The Chennaiborn academician
had previously headed the MIT's
largest academic department,
spearheading a number of initia
tives that opened opportunities for
students, postdocs, and faculty to
conduct research, explore entrepre
neurial projects.
MIT President Rafael Reif said in
the statement that in a time of sig
nicant challenges, from new pres
sures on federal funding to the ris
ing global competition for top engi
neering talent, he is condent that
Chandrakasan would guide the
school of engineering to maintain
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
"I'm also very
passionate about
helping our faculty
explore new research
areas," said
Chandrakasan, who
as department head
has sought unre-
stricted grants and
other funding to
provide faculty with
this flexibility.
Anantha Chandrakasan (Image courtesy: Thetech.com)
and enhance its position of leader
ship. "And I believe that in the
process he will help make all of MIT
stronger, too," Reif said.
In an email, Provost Martin
Schmidt described Chandrakasan as
"a peoplecentered and innovative
leader." Since joining the MIT facul
ty in 1994, Chandrakasan has pro
duced a signicant body of research
focused largely on making electron
ic circuits more energy efcient.
The MIT statement said that while
at the he lm of the EECS,
Chandrakasan launched a number
of initiatives on behalf of the
department's students.
"That's what excites me about an
administrative job. It's how I can
enhance the student and postdoc
experience. I want to create exciting
opportunities for them, whether
that's in entrepreneurship, research,
or maker activities. One of the key
things I plan to do as dean is to con
nect directly with students," the
statement quoted Chandrakasan as
saying. Chandrakasan also initiated
the 'Rising Stars' program in EECS,
an annual event that convenes grad
uate and postdoc women for the
purpose of sharing advice about the
early stages of an academic career.
(PTI)
August 5-11, 2017
Washington, DC: More than 21
lakh Indian technology profes
sionals have applied for H1B
work visas in the last 11 years,
an ofcial report has said.
The report of the US
Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS) has also refuted
the impression that those who
applied for the visa were not
highly qualied.
On an average, their salary
over the last 11 years has been
$92,317 and an overwhelming
majority of them are masters or
bachelor's degree holders.
According to the report, since
2007 till June this year, the
USCIS received 3.4 million (34
lakh) H1B visas applications, of
which people from India
accounted for 21 lakh. During
the same period, the US issued
H1B visas to 26 lakh people, the
USCIS said in its report, which
however does not give country
wide breakdown.
In terms of the number of H
1B applications between 2007
and 2017, India is followed by a
distant China with 2,96,313 H
1B applications, Philippines
9
(85,918), South Korea (77,359),
and Canada (68,228).
The report said the majority
(23 lakh) of the beneciaries of
H1B visas were in the age
group of 2534, and 20 lakh
came from the computer related
occupation category. Computer
was followed by architecture,
engineering, and surveying
(318,670), education (244,000),
administrative specializations
(245,000), and medicine and
health (185,000).
Sometimes people post their
retirement age have been given
H1B visas. In all these 11 years,
more than 2,000 foreign nation
als of more than 65 years of age
received H1B visas. This year
alone so far 122 H1B visas have
been allocated to those above
65 years.
The report said custom com
puter programming services
industry received the maximum
number of 9,99,901 H1B visas
in these years. It was followed
by computer systems design
services (2,87,000) and college
universities and professional
schools (2,29,00).
10 August 5-11, 2017 US AFFAIRS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Trump pressing Republicans to revive healthcare bill

Washington: President Donald
Trump has been pressuring
Republican senators not to give
up their fight to overturn
Obamacare despite their setbacks
last week.
Over the weekend, Trump has
bombarded Republican lawmak
ers with Twitter posts in which he
has even threatened to cut federal
subsidies to their states for lower
income people to enable them to
afford health insurance under
Obamacare or the Affordable
Care Act, reports Efe news.
A Senate victory on health care
in the coming days would help
Trump leave the drama of last
week behind, during which
Cabinet chief Reince Priebus quit,
press secretary Sean Spicer
resigned and Anthony Scaramucci
moved in as White House commu
nications director.
"Don`t give up Republican
Senators, the World is watching:
Repeal and Replace..." Trump
tweeted on Sunday.
Trump`s budget director, Mick
Mulvaney told CNN on Sunday
that Republican lawmakers can
not just promise for the past
seven years to overturn
Obamacare and then "turn the
page" without doing so.
Republican congressional lead
ers have not made any comments
after Trump`s messages on the
weekend, but on Friday they
expressed their intention to put
the healthcare matter on the back
burner and focus on other pend
ing initiatives, including tax
reform.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch
McConnell said that it is time to
"turn the page" and listen to the
"suggestions" of Democrats to
improve Obamacare, rather than
simply attempt to repeal and
replace it, as Republicans have
been focused on doing to date.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Paul
Ryan avoided commenting on the
health care fiasco and said that
lawmakers wanted to move on to
tax reform this autumn.
Without referring to them
directly, Trump made clear in his
Twitter messages that he is going
to exert as much pressure as pos
sible to get the Senate to vote
again on a health care bill in the
first half of August before the
summer recess.
"If a new HealthCare Bill is not
approved quickly, BAILOUTS for
Insurance Companies and
BAILOUTS for Members of
Congress will end very soon!" he
tweeted on Saturday.
Trump adviser Kellyanne
Conway told Fox News on Sunday
that the President will decide
whether to end those subsidies
"this week", emphasizing that it is
a decision that only he can make
and that he will not accept the
idea of the Senate simply moving
on to other matters.
On Friday, three Republican
senators joined the 48 Democrats
there to vote against a bill to par
tially replace the 2010 Affordable
Care Act implemented under for
mer President Barack Obama.
Many observers considered that
failed vote to be the last chance
for Republicans to overturn
Obamacare, albeit in diluted fash
ion, despite the fact that doing so
has obsessed them and been an
ongoing election promise pushed
by Republican candidates for the
past seven years.

Trump weighed in on sons Russia Scaramucci ousted as White

meeting statement as any father would
Washington: The White House defended President Trump's involve
House communications director
ment in issuing a statement about his son's meeting with a Russian Washington: Anthony
lawyer during the campaign, saying that the statement was true and Scaramucci, the bombastic and
that the president was simply acting as a father. colorful White House communica
The statement that Don Jr. issued is true. There's no inaccuracy in tions director, has been fired just
the statement, said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee 10 days after he was hired, the
Sanders. The president weighed in just as any father would based on media reported. Scaramucci's
the limited information that he had. The comments seem to conrm ouster on Monday is the latest
that Trump participated in the drafting of the statement on Air Force highprofile departure from the
One and contradict past statements from Trump's attorneys denying Trump White House after Chief of
that he had any involvement. The president was not did not Staff Reince Priebus resigned at
draft the response, Trump's attorney Jay Sekulow said on Meet the the end of last week and was
Press in an interview July 16. replaced by John Kelly, reports
CNN. "Anthony Scaramucci will be

'Trump joking when he

leaving his role as White House
Communications Director," White
told police to be rough' House press secretary Sarah
Huckabee Sanders said in a state
Washington: President Trump was joking at an event last week ment Monday afternoon.
when he told police ofcers to be "rough" with suspects, according She later admitted the reason in
to White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. White House briefing: Look, the
"I believe he was making a joke at the time," Sanders told the president certainly felt that
media on Monday when asked if Trump had a response to the cri Anthony's comments were inap
tiques of the comments which were rebuked by police departments propriate for a person in that
across the country. On July 28, Trump, speaking before ofcers position, and he didn't want to
from Suffolk County Police Department in New York on efforts to burden Kelly, also, with that line
combat the gang MS13, told ofcers to be "rough" on suspects. of succession. "General Kelly has
the full authority to operate with
Even White House admitted that Anthony Scaramuccis vulgar rant as
reported by New Yorker magazine was inappropriate.
(Photo courtesy DemocraticMoms.com)
in the White House, and all staff nature, wanted Scaramucci
will report to him," Sanders said. removed from his new role as the
When pressed further whether communications director because
senior staffers including Jared he did not think he was disci
Kushner, Ivanka Trump and Steve plined and had burned his credi
Bannon will all report to Kelly, bility. Scaramucci's departure
Sanders said: "That includes comes days after he unleashed a
everybody at the White House." vulgar tirade against two top
A White House official said White House officials Priebus
Kelly, a retired Marine general and Bannon in a conversation
who is known for his fastidious with a reporter, CNN reported.

JOHN KELLY WILL DO A

SPECTACULAR JOB AS
CHIEF OF STAFF: TRUMP
Washington: President Donald Trump has
said that his new Chief of Staff General (Rtd)
John Kelly would do a "spectacular job" as
head of the White House.
A retired marine corps general, Kelly was
sworn in as the 28th White House Chief of
Staff by Trump Monday morning.
Kelly, 67, served as Trump's Homeland
Security Secretary during the first six months
of the administration and he comes to the
White House at a time when there has been
reports of bitter division among Trump's
close aides. Trump had earlier ousted Reince
Priebus as the white House Chief of Staff.
President Trump swore in John Kelly as his chief of staff Monday. (Photo: Twitter) Soon after the swearingin, Trump told
reporters that he has "no doubt" Kelly will do
a "spectacular job" leading the West Wing
staff. "What he has done in terms of home
land security is record shattering, if you look
at the border if you look at the tremendous
results we've had," Trump said. "We look for
ward to if it's possible an even better job as
chief of staff," said the President as he con
gratulated Kelly on his new position.
Responding to a shouted question, Trump
said he believes his administration "has done
very well" and set "lots of records." He said
the stock market is the highest it's ever been
and that the unemployment rate is the lowest
it has been in 17 years.

Trump signs Russia sanctions bill
Washington: President Donald Trump
on Wednesday signed into law a legislation
that levies new sanctions against Russia
and restricts the Presidents own ability to
ease sanctions in place against Moscow, a
White House official said.
The bill is one of the first major pieces of
legislation that was sent to Trumps desk and it
represents a rebuke to the President by giving
Congress new veto power to block him from
removing Russia sanctions, CNN reported.
Even before Trump signed the bill, the
measure prompted Russian President Vladi-
mir Putin to retaliate against the US over the
new sanctions, which Congress levied over
Russian interference in the 2016 US Presi-
US launches unarmed ICBM amid tensions with N. Korea
Washington: The US on Wednesday suc-
cessfully launched an unarmed interconti-
nental ballistic missile (ICBM) from a mili-
tary base in California to a Pacific atoll, the
US Air Force Global Strike Command said
in a statement. The unarmed Minuteman 3
missile was launched from Vandenberg Air
Senate confirms Christopher Wray as new FBI director
Christopher
Wray
(Photo courtesy AP)
Trump calls White House real dump
Washington: President Donald Trump
has called the White House a real dump,
and said that he prefers staying at his own
properties rather than at the executive
mansion, a media report said. The White
House did not immediately respond to a
request for comment about the account,
which appeared on the website Golf.com.
The hotelier-turned-POTUS reportedly
told members of his Trump National Golf
Course in Bedminster, New Jersey, that he
preferred staying at his own properties
rather than at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW,
because the executive mansion is a real
dump, the Washington Post reported, cit-
ing the article on Golf.com as saying.
Trump, in a May interview with Time
magazine, had praised the White House for
its beautiful kitchen, amazing phone sys-
tem and incredible historical furniture.
People have no idea the beauty of the
White House. The real beauty of the White
House, Trump earlier said.
US Affairs
dential election, as well as Russias annexa-
tion of Crimea and aggression in Syria.
In addition to the new US sanctions on
Russia, former President Barack Obama
seized two Russian compounds in New York
and Maryland in December in response to
the election meddling. Russia responded
by ordering the US to cut staff at its diplo-
matic mission by 755 employees, as well as
seizing two US diplomatic properties.
The new sanctions bill hits Russias en-
ergy and defense sectors, and also includes
fresh sanctions against Iran and North Korea.
The measure was signed into law after it was
passed with overwhelming margins in both
the House of Representatives and Senate.
Force Base, about 130 km northwest of Los
Angeles, to the Kwajalein atoll across the
Pacific, the New York Post reported.
It was the fourth such test by the US this
year amid growing tensions with North Ko-
rea, which last Friday launched its second
ICBM. The US Air Force said the test was to
Washington: The US Senate voted on
Tuesday to confirm Christopher A. Wray as
the next director of the FBI.
Wray, with a 92-5 vote, replaces James
Comey who was abruptly fired by Presi-
dent Donald Trump in May as investigators
were looking into possible links between
the Trump campaign and the Russian gov-
ernment, Xinhua news agency reported.
At Wrays nomination debate on Tuesday,
Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar said,
This is a tough time to take this tough job.
The previous FBI director, as we know,
was fired because of the Russia investiga-
Meanwhile, taking aim at the President,
former first daughter Chelsea Clinton, who
spent most of her teen years as a White
House resident spoke out in support of the
The White House
and (right) the
Oval Office
check the readiness, effectiveness and ac-
curacy of the weapons system. While not a
response to recent North Korean actions, the
test demonstrates that the US nuclear enter-
prise is safe, secure, effective and ready to
be able to deter, detect and defend against
attacks on the United States and its allies,
tion. The former acting attorney general
was fired. And weve had a slew of other fir-
ings throughout the government over the
last few months, she said.
In June, Wray was nominated by Trump
to succeed Comey as the FBI director.
During a confirmation hearing last
month, Wray told the Senate Judiciary
Committee that he would strive for inde-
pendence, in light of Trump allegedly ask-
ing for loyalty from the then-FBI leader.
My commitment is to the rule of law, to
the Constitution, to follow the facts wher-
ever they may lead, Wray said.
White House staff, thanking the ushers,
butlers, maids, chefs, florists, etc, for all
the hard work they do.
Representative Dina Titus, a Democrat,
August 5-11, 2017 11
President Trump. (Photo: IANS)
the US Air Force statement said. President
Donald Trump condemned Pyongyangs July
28 missile launch and said that all necessary
measures will be taken to protect his country
and allies in the region. The test launch comes
after the US successfully tested its THAAD
anti-missile system in Alaska on Sunday.
There isnt a person on this planet
whose lobbying or influence could convince
to just drop or abandon a properly predicat-
ed and meritorious investigation, he added.
Born into a family of New York lawyers,
Wray got a law degree in 1992 from the
Yale Law School. He was later hired as a
Justice Department prosecutor for years
before rising to assistant general in charge
of overseeing fraud investigations.
In 2005, he resigned to join private
practice as a litigation partner with the law
firm King & Spalding. Under US law, the FBI
director serves a single 10-year term.
also urged Trump to take his family and
move out of the White House if he was un-
happy with conditions. Trump spent a good
deal of time away from the White House,
including 21 of his first 26 weekends, ac-
cording to CNN count, mostly at his luxury
Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
 12 August 5-11, 2017 INDIA TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Searches on Karnataka
Minister, kin, aides continue
Bengaluru: Income Tax (IT ) of ficials
resumed simultaneous searches in the prem
ises of tainted Karnataka Energy Minister
D.K. Shivakumar, his relatives and friends in
the city, his constituency at Kanakapura and
at Mysuru in the state, said an official.
"Our teams have resumed the search oper
at ions at many places in the city,
Kanakapura, Mysuru and New Delhi. They
are scrutinizng the documents seized and
questioning the Minister, his relatives and
business associates on the sources of
income, assets and cash found in their prem
ises," an IT official told IANS on the condi
tion of anonymity. Among the places under
search include the residence of the
Minister's astrologer Dwarakanath Guruji
and the National Hill View School in the city,
which is run by one of his family trusts.
Security has been stepped up at the resi
dences of the Minister, his younger brother
D.K. Suresh in the city and Ramanagara in
Bengaluru Rural district and the Minister's
fatherinlaw Thimmaya at Mysuru, with
additional reinforcement of state reserve
police.
Shivakumar represents the Kanakapura
assembly segment, about 60 km from here,
and Suresh is the Lok Sabha member from
the neighbouring Bengaluru Rural segment.
Over 100 IT sleuths began the searches at
about 60 locations in the state, in Delhi and
Chennai, which led to seizure of several doc
uments and cash worth Rs 10 crore from
some of the locations.
The sleuths also raided a deluxe suite in
the Eagleton Golf Resort at Bidadi, about 30
km from here, where Shivakumar was stay
ing since July 30 to host the Congress
party's 44 legislators from Gujarat camping
since July 29, ostensibly to prevent the rival
BJP poaching them to defect from the
Congress ahead of the Rajya Sabha bypoll in
the western state.
In a related development state Chief
Minister Siddaramaiah discussed the fallout
of the tax raids on Shivakumar with some of
the senior Cabinet Ministers and the ruling
party's state unit President G.
Parameshwara at his of ficial residence in
the city.
"The Chief Minister has not scheduled any
of ficial engagements for the day as he is
preoccupied with meetings at his residence
with Ministers and officials and party lead
ers," said an official.
"Using IT Department as a weapon of
political vendetta is not only a blatant mis
use of power, but also against principles of
democracy and 'cooperative federalism,"
tweeted Siddaramaiah.
As per the declaration in the nomination
for the 2013 assembly elections to the
Election Commission, Shivakumar was said
to be the second richest politician with
assets valued at Rs 251 crore four years ago.
Hundreds of Youth Congress activists and
party cadres, including women staged
protests against the raids near the Minister's
residence in the city and Kanakapura and
the main Income Tax of fice in the city Karnataka Power Minister
centre. D.K. Shivakumar. (Photo: IANS)

Abdul Basit returns to SC refuses to stay NOTA

Islamabad after India tenure
New Delhi: Pakistan High
Commissioner Abdul Basit left for
Islamabad after completing his tur
bulent threeyear term that saw
bilateral ties sink to a new low.
Basit, who took premature retire
ment after he was bypassed for the
post of Foreign Secretary and envoy
to Washington, left the Indian capi
tal in the afternoon.
His request for early retirement
was approved by then Prime
Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif
late in July.
Basit was among the top con
tenders for the Foreign Secretary
slot when the then top Pakistani
diplomat Aizaz Chaudhry was
appointed the country's
Ambassador in Washington.
However, the post was handed to
then UN envoy in Geneva Tehmina
Janjua.
A career diplomat, Sohail
Mahmood, 55, will replace Basit in
mid August. Mehmood's appoint
ment comes at a time when the offi
cial dialogue between the two coun
tries has been stalled due to India's
Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit.
concerns over crossborder
terrorism.
Basit was known to be close to
Rawalpindi, the Pakistan military
headquarters, and took several deci
sions that adversely affected bilat
eral ties. His decision to invite
Hurriyat leaders often to the
Pakistan High Commission led to
derailment of bilateral talks, includ
ing the first Foreign Secretarylevel
talks in August 2014.
His tenure also saw the conviction
of Indian national Kulbhushan
Jadhav in Pakistan for alleged
spying.
Sharif, who was trying to build a
rapport with his Indian counterpart
Narendra Modi, was known to be
unhappy at Basit over the talks get
ting stymied time and again.
Incoming envoy Mehmood has
not played any direct role in
Pakistan's India policy so far and is
expected to land in New Delhi with
out any baggage.
in Gujarat RS election
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has refused to stay an Election
Commission notification to introduce the "None of the Above" (NOTA)
option for the coming Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat.
A bench of Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Amitava Roy and Justice A.M.
Khanwilkar refused to stay the notification. However, they issued a
notice to the poll panel for September 13 to examine the constitutional
validity of the notification.
"Why did you (petitioner) move the court so late? When it suited you,
you did not come. You come here on the eve of elections," said the bench
questioning the delay in filing the petition against NOTA.
The court said the Election Commission issued a notification in
January 2014 and another circular in 2015. "You did not act upon it
because it was not prejudice to you, so you remained silent."
The order came on a plea filed by the Chief whip of the Congress in the
Gujarat Assembly, Shailesh Manubhai Parmar, who moved the court
seeking quashing of the August 1 notification introducing NOTA for the
August 8 election in Gujarat.
After the court refused to stay the notification, senior advocate Kapil
Sibal, appearing for Parmar, said that including NOTA in this election
would "encourage corruption".
"Including NOTA will encourage corruption. It's a recipe for corruption.
If you don't stay the notification on NOTA, it will let people purchase
votes," Sibal earlier told the court.
Sibal said without a corresponding amendment in the Act and the
Rules, any purported administrative action of the Election Commission to
introduce NOTA was exfacie illegal and arbitrary.
The petition alleged that use of the option would be violative of the
provisions of the Representation of People's Act, 1951, and the Conduct
of Election Rules, 1961.
The plea also sought quashing and declaring as "void" the circulars
dated January 24, 2014 and November 12, 2015 issued by the

Dilip Kumar in Mumbai hospital

Mumbai: Legendary actor Dilip
Kumar was admitted to the
Lilavati Hospital here after he
suffered dehydration, hospital
sources said.
"He was admitted with dehy
dration. He is stable,"
Ravishankar, CEO of the facility
at Bandra West, told IANS.
The 94yearold actor, who has
been weak and ailing due to age
related problems in recent years,
was accompanied by his wife
Saira Banu.
He had been running a fever
for two days, a family friend,
Udaya Tara Nayar, said.
Last seen on the big screen in
"Qila" in 1998, the actor was
honoured with the Dadasaheb
Phalke Award in 1994 and the
Padma Vibhushan in 2015.
Known for films like "Devdas",
"MughaleAzam" and "Karma",
Dilip Kumar got married to Saira
over 20 years younger to him
in 1966.
Commission making available the option.
The direction to have NOTA in the elections was enforced in January
2014 after the Supreme Court in 2013 made it mandatory to have the
option in the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
The Congress on Tuesday had moved the EC and demanded that the
provision of NOTA should not be made in the ballot papers for the
August 8 Rajya Sabha election as it would render the system of propor
tional representation "nugatory and otiose" or render it inconsequen
tial.
The EC had, however, said the panel had made it clear in its communi
cations following a Supreme Court judgment of 2013 that NOTA option
would be applicable in the Rajya Sabha election.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA August 5-11, 2017 13

No one can take on Modi Chinese military

in 2019: Nitish Kumar
Patna: Virtually giving up his
national ambitions, Bihar Chief
Minister Nitish Kumar said no one
can take on Prime Minister
Narendra Modi in the 2019 Lok
Sabha elections and hailed the way
he takes decisions which he felt
would take the country forward.
At a 75minute press conference,
he defended his decision to tie up
with the BJP ditching the RJD and
the Congress and said his party will
remain committed to the support
already extended to opposition Vice
President candidate Gopalkrishna
Gandhi. "I don't think anyone is suit
able for that. There is nobody who
has the capacity to take on Modi,"
Nitish Kumar said in reply to a
question about the next general
elections in which he has been spec
ulated as a possible Prime
Ministerial candidate.
With senior leader Sharad Yadav
expressing unhappiness about the
JDU tying up with BJP, Nitish
Kumar claimed the party was unit
ed. He dismissed as hypothetical
questions about the JDU joining
the union cabinet.
He was critical of Congress Vice
President Rahul Gandhi's remarks
that he knew three months ago that
the JDU would tie up with the BJP
in Bihar and asked if that was so
then why did he not stop it.
"If he knew it then he should have
told me. When I decided to support
(NDA Presidential candidate Ram
Nath) Kovind I told them. I spoke to
Rahul over the corruption charges
against RJD leaders and asked him
to suggest ways to come out of that
so that I can speak outside."
He was reminded about his 2013
statement that the BJP had strayed
from the ideals of Atal Bihari
Vajpayee and L.K. Advani.
He said he was already perform
ing a national role in politics by
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
being the Bihar Chief Minister and
had done national duty during the
V.P. Singh and Vajpayee govern
ments.
"The decision I took (last week)
was in the interest of Bihar against
corruption. I hope the central gov
ernment will go ahead with its
action in eliminating benami prop
erties like it took in the case of
demonetisation and ending black
money. Add to this is the GST
reform that will transform trade
and make it tough for black money
to be generated out of business," he
said. He said the JDU would sup dentials. "I fully believe in secular
port Gopalkrishna Gandhi. "I had
informed the top leadership of the
BJP about it... They have no objec
tion." He said the Congress was not
amenable to suggestions by him on
issues like during the Assam and
Uttar Pradesh elections.
"Congress is the biggest (opposi
tion) party and Rahul Gandhi should
set an agenda. Even in the book
release function of former Finance
Minister P. Chidambaram I had said
that the opposition should not be
reactive but proactive and Rahul
Gandhi should set the agenda.
"But whatever I suggested you
don't follow that," he said, adding
the Congress did not want him to
play any role in national politics. "I
can be an ally but I cannot be a fol
lower."
He said he liked Rahul Gandhi's
action of tearing up the ordinance
undoing the Supreme Court judge
ment barring convicted politicians
from contesting elections.
He said the decision to again ally
with the BJP was not preplanned
but spontaneous.
Nitish Kumar said he did not need
any certificate over his secular cre
ism, democracy, social justice and
justice for all communities. In the
cover of secularism no one has the
right to amass huge properties. And
secularism cannot be used as a
cover up for corruption." It was in
this context that he supported Modi
on surgical strikes, demonetization
and elimination of Benami assets.
Referring to the "arrogance" of
Lalu Prasad, Nitish Kumar said:
"After the formation of Grand
Alliance, he said he had drunk the
venom." He asked: "Was I poison?"
"Lalu is only a caste leader, not a
mass leader," he added.
daily asks Indian
troops to withdraw
Beijing: The flagship newspaper
of China's People's Liberation
Army (PLA) demanded the imme
diate withdrawal of Indian troops
from Doklam on the border,
warning New Delhi not to harbor
any illusions about Beijing's
resolve to defend its territory.
"The Chinese government will
make no concession on territorial
sovereignty, and any country
should not underestimate our
resolve to uphold territorial sov
ereignty," said a commentary in
the PLA Daily, reports Xinhua
news agency.
Over 270 Indian troops crossed
the Sikkim section of the China
India border and obstructed
Chinese road work in Doklam on
June 18. As of the end of July,
Kashmir Valley shuts
down after top LeT
man killed
Srinagar: A young man injured in
clashes with security forces in
Jammu and Kashmir during
protests after the killing of
Pakistani militant Abu Dujana
died as the Kashmir Valley shut
down in response to a call by sep
aratists.
Life came to a virtual halt in
Srinagar and most parts of the
Valley as both factions of the
Hurriyat Conference and the
Jammu and Kashmir Liberation
Front called the protest against
the targeting of civilians post
Dujana's killing.
Coupled w ith curfewlike
restrictions, the shutdown crip
over 40 Indian soldiers and one
bulldozer remain in Chinese terri
tory, it said.
Chinese troops have taken ini
tial counter measures at the area
and will step up targeted meas
ures, the commentary said.
"The Chinese military does not
demand a single inch of other's
land and it won't give an inch of
its own territory to others," it
said. "We have no intention of
agg ression or expansion.
However, we have confidence in
defeating all aggression."
The commentary urged India to
acquire a clear understanding of
the general trend of the world
and contribute more to regional
and world peace and develop
ment, instead of acting in reverse.
pled traf fic on the roads while
shops, businesses and education
al institutions were shut all across
the Valley.
Fearing more street protests,
authorities ordered leading edu
cational institutions in Srinagar
to remain closed on Thursday
even as mobile Internet services
were restored on Wednesday
evening after being suspended for
a day.
Abu Dujana, a 28year old resi
dent of Gilg itBalt istan in
Pakistanadministered Kashmir,
had been active in Jammu and
Kashmir since 2012. He carried a
reward of Rs 15 lakh on his head.

Modi calls Pranab 'father

figure', hails his 'wisdom'
New Delhi: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has expressed
profound admiration for former
President Pranab Mukherjee and
referred to him as a "father fig
ure" and his "mentor".
On the last day of Mukherjee's
Presidency, Modi said in a letter
to him that his (Mukherjee's)
"wisdom, guidance and personal
warmth" had always given him
great confidence and strength.
T he letter was shared by
Mukherjee on Tw itter on
Thursday. Mukherjee said the let
ter "touched my heart!" Modi
responded: "Pranab Da, I will
always cherish working with
you."
In the letter, Modi said: "I came
to New Delhi as an outsider. The
task before me was huge and
challenging. In these times, you
have always been a father figure
and a mentor to me." Modi said
the former President was always
warm, af fectionate and caring
towards him.
"Your one phone call asking me
'I hope you are taking care of
your health' was enough to fill
me with fresh energy, after a
long day of meetings or on a
campaign tour."
Mo di told Mukherjee that
despite their dif ferent political
ideolog ies, such was the
"strength" of the former
President's "intellect and wis
dom" that both "were able to
work together with synergy".
He said he always marvelled at
Mukherjee's insights on various
subjects ranging from policy to
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with
politics, economics to external
former President Pranab Mukherjee.
affairs and security issues to sub
jects of nat ional and g lobal "During your political journey politics was simply a means to
importance. and your presidency, you placed give back to society," Modi wrote.
"Your intellectual prowess has the well being of the nation over He added: "Rashtrapatiji, it has
constantly helped my govern everything else... You belong to a been an honour to work with you
ment and me. generation of leaders for whom as your Prime Minister."
 14 August 5-11, 2017
l By Amulya Ganguli
itish Kumar may have won
N the trust vote in the Bihar
legislature, but he is now
weaker than what he was during
his earlier stint as the Chief
Minister. At that time, he had
become a larger than life figure
because of his success in control
ling lawlessness in the state and
preparing the ground for develop
ment. As a result, he was even seen
as a possible player on the nation
al stage.
But that aura is gone. The reason
is his journey from the "commu
nal" to the "secular" camp and
back. Had he moved in only one
direction, he would have appeared
more straightforward than at pres
ent. But trips back and forth tend
to undermine a politician's credi
bility. He is seen then as an oppor
tunist on the lookout for the best
chance.
If he had wanted to retain his
trustworthiness in the wake of the
corruption charges against Lalu
Prasad and his family, he should
have called for fresh elections.
That would have been a message
to Lalu Prasad as well, for it would
have shown him as well as other
politicians that sleaze doesn't
pay. As it is, the Rashtriya Janata
Dal (RJD) chief is barred from con
testing elections because of his
conviction in the fodder scam.
But switching sides within two
years of securing a mandate has
put Nitish Kumar in the lowly cate
gory of the Congress MLAs in
Gujarat who have been lured away
to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
by the indefatigable Narendra
India needs urgent national security reforms
l By Admiral
Arun Prakash (Retd)
"security dilemma" in inter
A national relations represents
a situation in which accre
tion of power military and eco
nomic by a state generates fear
amongst its rivals, leading to ten
sions, a possible arms race and the
possibility of conflict. India's
acquisition of power is based on
its nuclear arsenal, a modern but
underequipped military with 1.5
million personnel under arms and
a defence expenditure of $60 bil
lion. And yet, far from striking
fear, India often fails to evoke
respect in its Asian neighborhood.
The Economist weekly, in a
2013 article titled "Can India
Become a Great Power", seemed to
put its finger on the reason: "India
has the world's 4th largest mili
tary," it said, "and yet its political
class shows little sign of knowing
or caring how the country's mili
tary clout should be deployed."
The mistakes which
Nitish Kumar has made
Nitish Kumar's floorcrossing will convince the BJP
that the Hindi heartland is firmly in its grip.
ModiAmit Shah duo.
Nitish Kumar's latest manoeuvre
may well turn out to be his third
political mistake. The first was in
2013 when he hurriedly quit the
BJP because he feared that Modi's
rise will erode his Muslim support
base. As long as Modi did not ven
ture out of Gujarat, Nitish Kumar
was happy in the BJP in the com
pany of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and
L.K. Advani. But Modi's entry into
Both the Kashmir and Doklam crises are putting India's defense
preparedness and resolve to severe test, especially in the
absence of a fulltime Defense Minister.
Warning India against "an unsta
ble but dangerous Pakistan and a
swaggering and intimidating
China", it observed: "The absence
of a strategic culture and the dis
trust between civilianrun min
istries and the armed forces has
undermined military effective
ness." Such remarks are generally
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
OP-ED
the big league unnerved him.
So he ran from the rock of a
changing BJP to the hard place of
his old friend of the days of the JP
movement, Lalu Prasad. This was
Nitish Kumar's second mistake, for
he ignored the possibility that the
hero/villain of the RJD's "jungle
raj" in Bihar may ultimately be his
nemesis.
And so it has proved to be. But
the way out for Nitish Kumar was
dismissed in New Delhi, as rooted
in Western biases against India. In
this case, however, the British jour
nal was only reiterating what
Indian commentators had been
saying for decades.
India's deteriorating neighbor
hood situation requires us to
reflect on "cause and effect" rela
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
not to retrace his steps, for he has
gone back to the same person
from whom he ran away four years
ago. If the Bihar Chief Minister was
afraid in 2013 that Modi would
scare away the Muslims, he should
harbour the same fear now when
the rampaging gau rakshaks have
become a frightening menace for
the minorities.
True, Modi of 2017 is not the
Modi of 2002, when he was called
a "modern day Nero" by the
Supreme Court, because he has
been speaking out against the cow
vigilantes. Modi has also succeed
ed in putting an end to the ghar
wapsi and love jehad campaigns.
But how far the BJP has changed
with its veneration for the holy
cow and its belief in the therapeu
tic value of cow's urine is open to
question. Nitish Kumar is teaming
up, therefore, with a party whose
pursuit of Hindutva and ultra
nationalism is far more aggressive
at present than in the time of
Vajpayee and Advani.
Politically, too, the BJP believes
that the future belongs to it mainly
because of its spectacular success
in UP. Now, Nitish Kumar's floor
crossing will convince the BJP that
the Hindi heartland is firmly in its
grip. It is unlikely, therefore, that it
will allow Nitish Kumar to call the
tionships. How, for example, has a
smaller and weaker Pakistan sus
tained a war on India for three
decades by infiltrating armed
fighters across our border to
wreak death and destruction with
impunity? How does Pakistan
keep the pot boiling in the
Kashmir Valley, almost at will,
without fear of repercussions?
In the case of China, despite our
diplomats rejoicing over a series
of bilateral agreements, protocols
and confidencebuilding measures
signed between 1993 and 2013,
what emboldens China's People's
Liberation Army to offer provoca
tion and offence, at will, through
repeated violations of the Line of
Actual Control? In the current
Doklam standoff, what makes
Chinese officials as well as the
media indulge in boorish invective
in an attempt to intimidate India?
The US manages its forces
worldwide through six joint mili
tary commands, while China reor
ganised its forces in 2014 into five
shots as before. Instead, the Modi
dispensation may placate him with
a special financial package for
Bihar.
What the latest events have
shown is that Nitish Kumar's des
tiny is to be a provincial politician,
remaining confined like his friend
cumfoecumfriendcumfoe again,
Lalu Prasad, in Bihar. Any hope
that he may have had of playing a
larger role, which was possible if
he had stayed with the opposition,
is unlikely to be fulfilled. Bihar
itself may gain because of the cen
tre's largesse and Nitish Kumar's
administrative capabilities. But the
future of his party the Janata
DalUnited is uncertain because
its Muslim and Yadav components
may drift away. The fading out of
the party will make Nitish Kumar
even more beholden to the BJP.
The RJD, on the other hand, is
likely to grow and fill the empty
opposition space in Bihar in the
absence of the Janata DalUnited
and the Congress. Nitish Kumar's
wellwishers will hope that with
his amiable personality, he will
exert a moderating influence on
the BJP and be on Modi's side in
reining in the hardliners and turn
ing the focus resolutely on devel
opment. That is the only way he
can redeem himself.
geographic commands, each with
integrated army, navy and air
force components.
The onus for the nation's securi
ty rests squarely on the Prime
Minister, who must ensure that
responsibility for defense is
assigned to a fulltime Raksha
Mantri (RM) and not the MoD
bureaucracy, as is the default
practice. By lifting the current
embargo on meeting his service
chiefs, the Prime Minister can set
the tone for better civilmilitary
relations and avail of firsthand,
authentic military advice and con
sultation. Both the Kashmir and
Doklam crises are putting India's
defencepreparedness and resolve
to severe test, especially in the
absence of a fulltime RM. There is
no question that we must stand
firm while working towards a
modus vivendi on both fronts.
However, it is time we stopped
tempting fate and, late though it
is, initiated national security
reforms with urgency.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info August 5-11, 2017
 16 August 5-11, 2017
Tragedy Queen
remembered
T ermed the Tragedy Queen of Bolly-
wood for her immortal, iconic portray-
als of a gamut of wronged, silent and long-
suffering but dignified Indian women from
passed-over love interests to neglected
wives, Meena Kumari was however a most
unfortunate actress whose grief did not
end when the shooting was done.
The barely four-decade life of Meena Ku-
mari (birthdate: August 1), was no less tragic
as her roles in cinematic classics, spanning
Baiju Bawra (1952) to Sahib Bibi aur Gh-
ulam (1962) to Pakeezah (1972). In these
and more, she could evoke such a lifetime of
melancholy and anguish that it was difficult
to believe that she was only in her 20s and
30s when she played these roles.
But then, her circumstances had a great
deal to contribute to this. Nearly abandoned
at birth by her father (before a twinge of
conscience made him return), her childhood
was cut short by her parents demand that
she work to support the family, a fairytale ro-
mance soon soured too, and she was starved
of genuine love and support. She married
filmmaker Kamal Amrohi, 15 years her se-
nior, who tried to set rules for her film career
and even allegedly mistreated her. All this
led to a habit of heavy drinking that ultimate-
ly proved fatal when she was in her prime.
Meanwhile, her onscreen career saw
her typecast as a quietly-suffering woman
Meena Kumaris grief would not end when the shooting was done.
The Pakeejah star eventually died in her prime.
Bollywood
in thrall to a dominant male figure. But
even then she left an undeniable legacy,
winning the first two Filmfare Awards for
Best Actress (1954 and 1955) and winning
filmgoers hearts with milestone movies
like Yahudi, Dil Apna Aur Preet Parayi,
Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Main Chup Ra-
hungi, Mere Apne and eventually her
swan-song, the long-delayed Pakeezah,
completed just before her death in 1972.
Her strong roles and fame made even es-
tablished male stars chary of appearing op-
posite her. Her biographer, renowned jour-
nalist Vinod Mehta, noted that even Dilip
Kumar grew flustered in her presence and
Raaj Kumar frequently forgot his dialogues.
But she was encouraging to newcomers,
and some of the earliest successes of Sunil
Dutt, Rajendra Kumar, Dharmendra and
even Vinod Khanna were opposite her.
Intelligent and sensitive, Meena Kumari
found free self-expression in Urdu poetry,
where under the pen name Naaz, she
could fashion some imaginative and strik-
ing imagery or convey motifs of endearing
wistfulness or restrained sadness.
Shamaa hoon, phool hoon, ya ret pe
qadmon ka nishaan/Aap ko haq hai mu-
jhe jo bhi ji chahe keh le is a couplet that
uncannily echoes the crushed, social-con-
forming, desire-denied woman she played
in countless tear-jerkers.
in an elephant reserve in the state. The third
Cant wait
Quantico
introduced
Priyanka in the
to work West.
with
Priyanka
A cademy Award winning actress Mar-
lee Matlin has joined the third season
of popular American thriller TV series
According to variety.com, Matlin will
play Jocelyn Turner, an ex-FBI agent who
was known at one time as the best under-
Quantico and says she cannot wait to cover agent in the field until a bomb blew
work with actress Priyanka Chopra. up near her and rendered her deaf. The FBI
Cant wait to work with Priyanka Cho- put her out to pasture, but now shes be-
pra, Johanna E Braddy, Jake Mclaughlin, ing brought back to join a special unit with
my old friend Blair Underwood and of several other returning characters.
course Michael Seitzman, Matlin tweeted. Quantico, which introduced Priyanka
Priyanka welcomed the Oscar-winner in the West, is an espionage drama about
actress and said that she cannot wait to FBI recruits training at the Quantico base.
have her on board. Along with Matlin, the third season have
Welcome to Quantico Marlee Matlin. some casting changes with Yasmine Al
We cant wait to have you on board, Pri- Massri and Pearl Thusi leaving the show.
yanka tweeted. The third season will span 13 episodes.
Vidyut fortunate to be
part of Russells Junglee
V idyut Jammwal is looking forward to
starting shooting for his next thriller
Junglee which will be directed by Ameri-
The action-
thriller will
can writer-filmmaker Chuck Russell. He
unfold in the
jungles of
feels fortunate to be part of a film with a Kerala.
message for the global audience. Russell has
joined hands with Junglee Pictures to helm
an action - adventure about a man and an
elephant. It will throw light on the issue of
elephant poaching and ivory smuggling. The
film is set to go on floors in October, with
a release targeted for the summer of 2018.
Being trained in Kalaripayattu since the
age of three and given my love for animals,
I couldnt have asked for a better script to
showcase my potential. I consider myself
really fortunate to get a chance to be part
of a film that has a message of global sig-
nificance, Vidyut said in a statement.
The Commando star added: Above all
being directed by the legendary Chuck Rus-
sell is any actors dream and I cant wait to
begin the shoot. Russell is known for films
like A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream
Warriors, The Mask, Arnold Schwarzeneg-
ger-starrer Eraser and The Scorpion King.
Priti Shahani, President, Junglee Pictures,
also said that Junglee will narrate a heart-
warming story penned by Ritesh Shah.
Chuck was our first choice and we
reached out to him thinking may be the sto-
ry would appeal to him given that it raises
an issue of global significance. And to our
delight Chuck agreed and he will be flying
in next month to start the prep, Shahani
added. The action-thriller will unfold in the
jungles of Kerala, and is scheduled to be shot
season will span 13 episodes.

REVIEW
Kirti Kulhari
effortlessly
renders her
character.
Indu Sarkar : An
astutely mounted
propaganda film
A
political drama with a detailed dis-
claimer about hurting the sentiments
of anyone, Madhur Bhandarkars contro-
versial Indu Sarkar is a cleverly plotted
propaganda film.
Set in the backdrop of the dark phase of
the 1975 Emergency, the film begins with
the horrific atrocities committed by the
government of that period. Soon, the nar-
rative changes track to capture the travails
of an ordinary woman called Indu Sarkar.
Indu is a simple, reticent and unconfident
orphan who marries a government employ-
ee, Navin Sarkar, thus the title Indu Sarkar.
Indus only ambition is to be a good dutiful
wife, whereas Navins is to rise the ranks in
his office and thereby ensure he leads a com-
fortable life in future. But when the govern-
ment declares the Emergency, his superior
-- the politician Om Nath -- tells him to do
something to the effect build your dreams
and work hard during the Emergency... your
dreams will be fulfilled. So, Navin works
blindly and earnestly by following diktats.
Soon, the ideologies of Indu and her hus-
Jolie denies con-
troversial casting
for
First They
Killed My
Father
Jolie was upset by the allegations.
Bollywood
band clash. How their lives interweave with the
political scenario, forms the crux of the tale.
This piece of fiction, written by Anil
Pandey and Madhur Bhandarkar, has based
its research on the Shah Commission Re-
port and is shrewdly mounted. The script
gives a fair display of human selfishness
and spinelessness and the film is disturb-
ing. It reminds you of the tough moments
an obtuse government can create.
Kirti Kulhari is a natural performer and
as the eponymous character Indu, she is ex-
cellent. She effortlessly renders her charac-
ter of a stammering young lady who is soft
at heart yet hard during tough moments.
Neil Nitin Mukesh, a competent actor,
plays Chief -- the extra constitutional au-
thority who is protecting the interest of his
mother -- with aplomb.
With a few ineffective scenes and noth-
ing meaningful to offer, Anupam Kher as
the political fighter Nanaji is wasted.
For its 139-minute duration, the film
seems stretched. The narrative is reiterated in
the last act, making the viewing a tedious fare.
A ctress Angelina Jolie has refuted a maga-
zines cover story that described a con-
troversial casting process for her movie First
They Killed My Father. She says she is up-
set by the misconstrued report. According to
the cover story by Vanity Fair magazine, Jolie
and her casting associates placed money on
a table and allowed the children auditioning
for the Cambodian film to take it. It claims
that after taking the money, the director then
caught the children, and forced them to ex-
plain why they needed the cash. Srey Moch
was ultimately chosen for the part. Jolie now
says that the process described in the profile
was misconstrued, reports variety.com. She
says it was a pretend exercise in an improvi-
sation, from an actual scene in the film. Jolie
noted that she was upset by the allegations.
The suggestion that real money was taken
from a child during an audition is false and
upsetting. I would be outraged myself if this
had happened, she said. First They Killed
My Father is based on the 2000 book by
Loung Ung. The story is a personal retelling
of Ungs survival of the Pol Pot regime.
August 5-11, 2017 17
Big B advised Anil
Kapoor to never
take a break Anil promotes his recent
release Mubarakan.
A ctor-producer Anil Kapoor says he
never took a break in his 38-year-
long journey in Bollywood as he was ad-
vised by megastar Amitabh Bachchan to
never commit such a mistake.
I always look up to Dilip Kumar, Am-
itabh Bachchan, Naseeruddin Shah and
Kamal Hassan, who are great actors, Anil
said on the TV show Aap Ki Adalat.
Amit ji took a five-year break after do-
ing Khuda Gawaah. He had gone to New
York to live a normal life. I had gone there
while shooting for Meherbaan. I met and
told him, I was tired after working for 25
years in films, and wanted a break.
Amit ji told me, Never commit such a
mistake in life. Never take a break (from
films). I went back and immediately signed
two new films. I have never taken a break
in my 38-year-long career, he added.
Anil said that one of the greatest mo-
ments of his life was to receive the coveted
Oscar (for Slumdog Millionaire) on stage.
All actors or directors across the world
nurse a dream to receive an Oscar. I had a
small role in the film. This feeling of joy shall
remain in my heart till the end, he said.
When youre an out-
sider in Bwood, no one
wants to meet you
H
e began his career with modeling, rather than work. I think thats one tough
ventured into Hindi filmdom with thing that every newcomer faces. I also
Shaheed-E-Azam in 2002 and last year faced the same, and to be honest, its okay.
he featured with international star Jackie The actor, who turned 42 on July 30,
Chan in a movie. Actor Sonu Sood says he says he was well prepared for the bumpy
faced his share of challenges in Bollywood, ride in Bollywood. I believe everyone has
but paved his way with talent. to face their own set of struggles in their
Asked if he faced any kind of discrimina- life, said the actor, who has featured in
tion when he joined the industry, Sonu said:
When I joined the industry, I definitely
films like Dabangg, Jodhaa Akbar, Hap-
py New Year and R. Rajkumar. His film-
faced a lot of challenges. When you are an ography got enhanced by Kung Fu Yoga
outsider, no one wants to meet you, no one
wants to listen to you, or see your work.
with martial arts icon Jackie Chan.
Sonu said that no matter how successful
So, at that time, one is just bothered to he becomes in life, he will always give 100
get into the right door for opportunities per cent to his craft.
Sonu has
featured in
films like
Dabangg and
Jodhaa Akbar.
 18 August 5-11, 2017 LIFESTYLE

Club for ultra-HNIs in

By Quaid Najmi

Mumbai is an oasis of luxury

The Indus Club plans to branch out to other Indian metros and later to cater to the
cream of Indian diaspora in Dubai, Singapore and New York.
T he countrys commercial capital has a
new playground for its biggest achiev-
ers, its ultra-high networth individuals
(HNIs) and jet-setters. The Indus Club is an
oasis of luxury and class in the heart of the
bustling suburban Bandra Kurla Complex
business district. In barely four months since
it opened its doors on April 1, it has grabbed
the attention of Mumbais movers and shak-
ers from the corporate, banking, media and
sports worlds, says Harish Thawani, the man
who conceived the project. The Indus Club
was created after in-depth research to delve
into the minds of the Indias ultra-elite and
super-achievers in different fields, Thawani,
who also launched NEO Sports and Nimbus
Communications, told IANS.
The outcome is a haven of well-planned,
high-end facilities spread across 20,000 sq
ft for its By Invitation Only members to un-
wind, socialize, host events, conduct business
meetings and execute mega-deals in the lap
of luxury. The services include well-appoint-
ed meeting and conference rooms, private of-
fices with smart workstations, private dining
spaces, a 32-seater mini-multipurpose audi-
torium, secretarial support and a travel desk
to book private jets, choppers and yachts for
the members, he said. Its also a tech-lovers
dream-come-true with the best-in-class facili-
ties like Lutron Automation (for lighting), and
Russound and Dolby Atmos systems to meet
the requirements of modern luxury, design
and hospitality paradigms, said Thawani.
For its discerning members, The Indus
Club has a variety of leisure amenities like
an All-Day Face, a fine-dining restaurant, a
stylized Lounge Bar & Cigar Room, with all

This corridor at The Indus Club acts like a Hall of Fame acknowledging the
innovation and ingenuity of individual entrepreneurs and inventors.

the culinary delights created by celeb chef
Ajay Chopra. There are a range of ongoing
activities from champagne movie premiers,
enlightening talks by industry leaders and
opinion makers, performances by renowned
artistes, besides varied food fiestas, he said.
These are supplemented by a high-end
fitness centre with a boutique spa, a unique
indoor Full Swing Golf space similar to the
ones in the homes of legends like Tiger
Woods and Jordan Spieth with personal-
ized coaching sessions. The Indus Club plans
By Invitation Only members unwind, socialize, host events, to retain its exclusivity by enrolling a lim-
conduct business meetings and execute mega-deals in the ited 1,000 by invitation, referral members,
lap of luxury. (Photos courtesy The Indus Club) with a starting membership tag of Rs 10
lakh. The membership is transferable and
its filling up fast, confides a spokesperson.
After Mumbai, Thawani plans to branch
out to Pune, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai,
Hyderabad and Kolkata, and later to cater to
the cream of Indian diaspora in Dubai, Sin-
gapore and New York, among others.
He said The Indus Club reciprocal mem-
bership facilities will enable its members
most of them personally worth at least
$25 million to enjoy the privileges of
similar elite private clubs globally. Tie-ups
are already in place with the Tower Club,
Singapore, St. James Club, London, and The
Griffin Club, Los Angeles.

N
o matter what news you read every day, the world around
us evolves in many directions seemingly every hour of each
day. There comes a time, however, when one must stop reading
the news and start participating in some of the action happen-
ing around you. A car show is a great opportunity to spend time
with friends or family checking out cool cars and getting a feel
for how driving may have been in the past. They are also an ideal
way to network with business associates who may have a love
for classic cars, hotrods, muscle cars or other vehicles.
If you have a quality car of your own, a car show is the perfect
By Jason Mueller
Select shows for car lovers
place to take it and show it off a little. If it is a long
drive to a show, consider using a vehicle shipping
company that has classic car experience like A1Auto-
Transport.com, to bring the vehicle for you. Here are
a few shows to check out in the NY-NJ area.
Northport Harbor Family Nights
Held on August 1 and August 8 from 6:30 to 9:30
PM, it has plenty of vendors coming, as well as an-
tique cars, dining, music and more. Come out to Main
Street in Northport, Long Island. For info, http://vil-
lageofnorthport.com/events/.
House Lane in Southampton, Long Island. http://www.
southamptonhistoricalmuseum.org/.
Veterans Group 2nd Annual Car Show
Happening at the Battleship New Jersey on 100
Clinton Street in Camden, NJ, you can enjoy a little more
excitement than what you normally do on weekends.
Held from noon to 3:30 PM on November 11, come
out and try to win the Chevy Corvette Stingray that is
being raffled off. Tickets can be purchased in advance.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-veterans-group-
2nd-annual-car-show-tickets-32803754914?aff=es2.

10th Annual Southampton Antique Auto Show New York International Car Show

Right on the acre of the Southampton Historical
Museum on August 12 from 10AM to 3PM, restored
antique autos will be on display right out in the front
yard. Perfectly preserved, it is a blast to the past with
many of the vehicles coming straight out of the mag-
azine pages. Ticker price is just $5. Museum mem-
bers and children enjoy free. Come out to 17 Meeting
Photo Credit: Northport NY-
Chamber of Commerce Facebook
This is a mega show with a large selection of cars
on display. From performance vehicles to classics, auc-
tions and great vendors, there is a lot to do. Presented
for a whole week, you can take in everything in the
time given. Held on March 30 to April 8, its venue is
the Jacob Javits Convention Center on the 11th Ave in
Manhattan. Visiting http://www.autoshowny.com/
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Syria has no information about missing Indians: Envoy
New Delhi: Syria has no information about
the 39 Indians believed to have been taken
captive by the Islamic State (IS) terrorist
organization, the country's Ambassador
Riad Kamel Abbas said on Monday.
"As of now, we have no information
about those missing Indians," Abbas said
while speaking about the situation in Syria
at an event organized by the Observer
Research Foundat ion think tank.
"Whatever we know is what has been
reported in the media."
He said the Syrian intelligence chief visit
ed New Delhi recently and several officials
from India's Ministry of External Af fairs
have also visited Syria in connection with
the case of the missing Indians.
India's inaugural Festival of
Education in Jaipur aims to position
India as world intellectual capital
Jaipur: T he Government of Rajasthans
Festival of Education, powered by GEMS
Education, will take place at the Jaipur
Exhibition & Convention Centre on August
5th 6th. The festival will be the first of its
kind event to convene over 10,000 global
innovators, academicians, changemakers,
vice chancellors, educationalists, policy mak
ers and more under one roof to give shape to
the future of education through discourse,
discussion and debate.
The Festival of Education will celebrate the
future of education, facilitating knowledge
exchange and exploring a new world of possi
bilities for Education in Rajasthan and the
New India with clear actions and solutions.
Poised to become the worlds largest chain
of budget schools and a key player within the
budget school segment within India, GEMS
Educations ambition is to establish 3000
budget schools in India by 2022 and to
Indian-origin woman gives birth to
first digitally monitored twins in UK
London: An Indianorigin woman has become
the world's first mother to give birth to twins
monitored in the womb using a potentially
lifesaving digital growth chart, British media
reported. Mala Vast Dhuri gave birth to
healthy identical boys Kiaan and Kush, weigh
ing 2 kg and 2.1 kg, by Caesarean at St
George's Hospital in south London recently.
The 37yearold said she was "over the moon"
after doctors at the hospital scanned and
checked the development of her babies
against growth charts designed specifically
for twins, the 'Daily Mirror' reported yester
DIASPORA
The 39 Indian construction workers,
mostly from Punjab, had gone missing
after the IS took control of the Iraqi city of
Mosul in 2014.
However, even after the liberation of
Mosul in July by Iraqi forces, there are no
signs of the missing Indians. It is believed
they may be held captive in the Syrian city
of Raqqa, the selfdeclared capital of the IS
caliphate.
Abbas said Syrian forces have besieged
Raqqa and the city was set to fall soon.
"What we are doing is trying to a create
a safe passage for civilians in Raqqa to
come out," he said. "If the Indians are in
Raqqa, they can de finite ly come out
safely." (IANS)
expand the af fordable school segment in
other continents and countries such as in
Africa and SouthEast Asia. Sheikh Nahayan
Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Culture and
Knowledge Development, UAE will be the
Guest of Honor and will deliver the Keynote
Address. The festival will also feature guest
speakers from the sectors of business, educa
tion, politics and entertainment including:
Sunny Varkey, Chairman and Founder GEMS
Education; Vasundhara Raje, Honourable
Chief Minister Government of Rajasthan;
Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Union Minister of State
(I/C) of Skill Deve lopment and
Entrepreneurship, India; Usha Prashar,
Member, House of Lords, UK and Deputy
Chair, British Council; Timothy Difato,
Associate Director of Business Development,
Digital Worlds Institute, University of Florida;
Shabana Azmi, actress; Shankar Mahadevan,
composer and singer.
day. "I am over the moon to meet my gor
geous little boys. Thanks to St George's for
ensuring their safe arrival," Dhuri said.
T he UK's Twins and Multiple Births
Association raised money for the project to
create the charts using 10,000 scans of twins.
It means doctors can compare babies' devel
opment against what is normal for twins,
rather than for single births. Dr Asma Khalil,
consultant obstetrician and multiple births
expert based at St George's, led the project
and said it could save "hundreds, if not thou
sands of lives" each year.
V.K. Singh to visit Badush to
trace missing Indians
New Delhi: With Iraq assuring all coopera
tion in tracing the 39 missing Indians,
Minister of State for External Affairs V.K.
Singh is to travel to Badush near Mosul,
which was freed from Islamic State con
trol earlier this month, the Ministry of
External Affairs said on Thursday.
During a meeting with Iraqi Foreign
Minister Ibrahim alJaafari here, External
Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj reiterated
India's request for tracing the 39 Indians
Over 370 scientists returned
to work in India: Government
New Delhi: T he government on
Wednesday said that a total of 373 sci
entists have returned to work in India in
the last three years leaving reputed for
eign institutions.
The government said that 125 of the
373 scientists had been absorbed in dif
ferent schemes initiated by the govern
ment.
"Department of Science and
Technology (DST) through Ramanujan
fe llowship and Department of
Biotechnolog y (DBT ) throug h
Ramalingaswami reentry fellowship
provides attractive avenue and opportu
nities to Indian Researchers of high cali
bre, who are residing in foreign, to work
in Indian Institutes and Universities of
their respective interest and domain,"
Minister of state for Science and
Technology Y.S. Choudhary stated in the
Parliament.
He informed that under the ministry's
Innovat ion in Science Pursuit for
Inspired Research (INSPIRE) faculty
scheme, young Indian citizens and peo
ple of Indian origin across the world
with PhD in science, mathematics, engi
neering, pharmacy, medicine, and agri
culture related subjects are offered con
tractual research positions in Indian
institutions to carry out independent
research.
Beside that the Council of Scientific
and Industrial Research (CSIR) has a
scheme to attract scientists and technol
ogists of Indian Origin (STIO) under
which they are appointed at an identi
fied CSIR laboratory so as to nurture a
research field in their area of expertise.
DST had recently also initiated named
VAJRA Visit ing Advanced Joint
August 5-11, 2017 19
who were abducted in Mosul in June
2014 and for Iraq's continued assistance
in this regard.
Sushma Swaraj requested the Iraqi
Minister to facilitate the visit of Singh to
Badush.
The development comes as Sushma
Swaraj on Thursday told Parliament that
she would not declare the 39 Indians as
dead till she has concrete evidence to that
effect.
Department of Science
and Technology (DST)
through Ramanujan fel-
lowship and Department
of Biotechnology (DBT)
through Ramalingaswami
re-entry fellowship pro-
vides attractive avenue
and opportunities to
Indian Researchers of high
calibre, who are residing in
foreign, to work in Indian
Institutes and Universities
of their respective interest
and domain.
Research Faculty Scheme that of fers
NRIs and people of Indian origin abroad
to work as adjunct or visiting faculty for
a specific period of time in Indian public
funded academic and research institu
tions.
"The Ministry has ensured suf ficient
funds depending upon the availability of
brilliant scientists and engineers from
all over the world to take up scientific
research positions in India," the Minister
stated. (IANS)
 20 August 5-11, 2017 SUBCONTINENT TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Abbasi takes over as China says it told India in

Pakistan's 18th PM advance about Doklam road
Islamabad: PMLN leader Shahid Khaqan
Abbasi took oath as the 18th Prime
Minister of Pakistan, after he swept the
Nat ional Assembly e lect ion w ith a
majority vote, five days after the disqual
ificat ion of Nawaz Sharif by the
Supreme Court.
President Mamnoon Hussain adminis
tered oath to Abbasi, who secured 221
of 339 votes in the National Assembly.
After winning the election, Abbasi said
thoug h he was the interim Prime
Minister, he was not there just to "keep
the seat warm".
Abbasi took oath of his of fice at a
solemn ceremony, which had the armed
forces chiefs, governors, members of the
parliament, and prominent political and
social figures in presence.
The ruling PMLN head Nawaz Sharif,
his brother and Chief Minister Punjab
Shehbaz Sharif and Chaudhry Nisar did
not attend the ceremony.
Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Qamar Javed
Bajwa attended the oathtaking ceremo
ny, where he also interacted with guests.
Abbasi has to eventually give way to
Shahbaz Sharif, who is likely to compete
for the National Assembly seat lying
vacant following the ouster of his elder
brother and then stand for the chief
executive's office. Addressing the lower
house after his victory was announced,
Abbasi expressed his gratitude to every
one for the victory.
Abbasi expressed his gratitude to every
one for the victory.
"I am also grateful to the opposition
and Imran Khan for remembering us in
their daily slandering," he jibed.
"Within four days, the democratic
process is back on track. There were no
defections. There was no dissension in
our ranks.
"I am sure that the real prime minister
of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, will return to
this seat."
Beijing: China said it had
informed India in advance
about its road building activity
in Doklam on the border and
reiterated its demand that New
Delhi must withdraw its troops
immediately from the area.
Beijing, which earlier said it
won't talk to New Delhi until
the Indian troops leave, also
hinted that the two sides were
in touch to resolve the dragging
dispute on the Sikkim section of
the border. In a 15page docu
ment, China's Foreign Ministry
said the number of Indian sol
diers in Doklam since the
India sees Doklam road as a threat to its security.
beginning of the crisis had come
down from 270 to 40 by the end of July. The quility of the ChinaIndia border area".
standof f between Indian and Chinese sol The comments came in a document titled
diers began on June 16 over a road being "The Facts and China's Position Concerning
built by the Chinese Army in Doklam. Indian the Indian Border Troops Crossing of the
troops stopped them from constructing the ChinaIndia Boundary in the Sikkim Sector
road, cit ing the pending ownership of into the Chinese Territory".
Doklam. India sees the road as a threat to its securi
Both China and Bhutan claim Doklam. India ty as it is very close to its arterial Siliguri cor
supports Bhutan's claims. ridor, which connects the country's northeast
The document dismissed India's claims that with the mainland.
China was attempting to change the status "To cross a delimited boundary and enter
quo of the border region by building a road. the territory of a neighboring country on the
It said Indian troops "transgressing" into grounds of socalled 'security concerns', for
Chinese territory was "indeed a real attempt whatever activities, runs counter to the basic
to change the status quo of the boundary, and principles of international law and basic
it has gravely undermined peace and tran norms governing international relations.

Nepali PM to visit
India on Aug 23
Deuba's visit to India will focus on
implementing the past accords.
Kathmandu: Nepali Prime Minister
Sher Bahadur Deuba will embark on a
fiveday state visit to India on August
23, a media report said.
Of ficials from both the countries
were working to finalize the itinerary,
agenda and the size of the delegation,
the Kathmandu Post reported on
Wednesday.
Deuba's visit to India will focus on
implementing the past accords that
were signed during his earlier visits in
1996, 2002 and 2004 as the Prime
Minister, the report said.
"We have received two clear
instructions from the Prime Minister.
Firstly, he is keen to implement the
past agreements reached during his
three visits to India," two senior offi
cials told the Post.
Sri Lanka signs Hambantota
port deal with China
Colombo: Sri Lanka signed a
$1.1 billion deal with China to
lease the southern Hambantota
port to Beijing, after several
months of de lay caused by
protests.
Hambantota port, overlooking The deal had
the Indian Ocean, is expected to been delayed
play a key role in China's "One by several
Belt, One Road" initiative, other months.
w ise known as the new Silk
Road, which will link ports and
roads between China and
Europe.
The amended agreement was
signed between the Sri Lanka
Ports Authority (SLPA) and the
China Merchant Port Holdings at
the Ministry of Ports and
Shipping under the auspices of 15,000 acres nearby for an revised deal to cut the Chinese is struggling to repay Beijing.
Prime Minister Ranil industrial zone, BBC reported. firm's stake to 70 per cent. The money from the deal, of fi
Wickremesing he, the Daily The plan envisaged the eviction The Sri Lankan government cials said, will be used to repay
Mirror reported. of thousands of villagers but the said that China will run only part of the loan, said the report.
"We are giving the country a government said they will be commercial operations from the Those who oppose the agree
better deal w ithout de bt," given new land. port, on the main shipping route ment argue that Sri Lanka is giv
Wickremesinghe told media. Sri The deal had been delayed by between Asia and Europe and ing away its land to China. The
Lanka's government said that several months over concerns the deal will help it to get out of Hambantota port deal between
money from the deal will help that the port could be used by the debt trap. It borrowed bil the two countries concerns India
repay foreign loans. the Chinese military, according lions of dollars from China to as it helps China gain a foothold
Under the proposal, a staterun to reports. In a move to ease build roads, ports and airports to close to its southern tip. Beijing
Chinese company will have a 99 those concerns, the Sri Lankan revive the economy after the end is already developing ports in
year lease on the port and about government announced a of the civil war in 2009. Now it Myanmar and Pakistan.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Vladimir Putin orders US to
cut diplomatic staff by 755
Moscow: Russian President
Vladimir Putin has ordered the
American diplomatic mission in
Moscow to reduce its staff by 755
employees, an aggressive response
to the new US sanctions, the media
reported.
While making the announce
ment, Putin said Russia had run
out of patience waiting for rela
tions with the US to improve,
reports The New York Times.
"We waited for quite a long time
that, perhaps, something w ill
change for the better, we held out
hope that the situation would
somehow change," Putin said in an
interview on staterun Rossiya 1
television.
"But, judging by everything, if it
changes, it will not be soon."
Putin said the staf f reduction
was meant to cause real discom
fort for Washington and its repre
sentatives in Moscow.
"Over 1,000 employees (diplo
mats and technical workers in the
embassy in Moscow as well as con
sulates in Ekaterinburg,
Vladivostok and St Petersburg)
worked and continue to work
today in Russia; 755 will have to
stop this activity," he said. "That is
US not seeking N Korea
regime change: Tillerson
Washington: US Secretary of
State Rex Tillerson has said that
Washington does not seek to top
ple the Kim Jongun regime in
Pyongyang and is willing to sit
down for talks with the country
on the condition that it stops its
pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Tillerson made the remarks at
the US State Department after
North Korea tested its second
intercontinental ballistic missile
(ICBM) on July 28, the
Washington Post reported.
"We do not seek a regime
change, we do not seek a collapse
of the regime, we do not seek an
accelerated reunification of the
peninsula, we do not seek an
excuse to send our military north
of the 38th Parallel," he said.
"We are trying to convey to the
North Koreans: We are not your
enemy, we are not your threat.
But you are presenting an unac
ceptable threat to us, and we
have to respond'."
The Secretary of State said the
administration had been attempt
ing to exert "peaceful pressure"
on North Korea, "because the
options available to us are limit
ed, particularly if we think we are
operating under a short period of
time". The Kim Jongun regime
Putin said Russia had run out of patience.
biting," Putin added. The reduction
measure set to take ef fect from
September 1, were the harshest
such diplomatic move since a simi
lar rupture in 1986, in the waning
days of the Soviet Union, The New
York Times reported. The US State
Department in response said: "This
is a regrettable and uncalledfor
act." "We are assessing the impact
of such a limitation and how we
Tillersons remarks came
after North Korea tested
its second ICBM.
conducted its second ICBM test,
in which the projectile flew for
47 minutes reaching a maximum
altitude of 3,724.9 km before
falling into the Sea of Japan.
This was the second such test
by Pyongyang in a month. On
July 4, it conducted its first suc
cessful ICBM test in a show of
military progress made by the
country. Tillerson is travelling to
Asia this week, where he will con
tinue his drive to increase "peace
ful pressure on the regime in
North Korea to have them devel
op a willingness to sit and talk to
us and others".
INTERNATIONAL August 5-11, 2017 21
UK has stripped
150 jihadis of
citizenship: Report
London: More than 150 jihadis Times report said more than 40
and other criminals have been suspects have had their right to a
stripped of their citizenship and passport removed this year, with
banned from returning to the UK, about 30 targeted since March.
a media report said. It added those who have had
The government stepped up their citizenship removed include
the "deprivation orders" amid gunmen and "jihadi brides" who
fears that the collapse of the have travelled to Syria.
Islamic State terror group will They are all dual nationals,
lead to an influx of militants including Britishborn people
from Syria, the Guardian quoted with parents of different nation
the Sunday Times report as say alities, as ministers cannot take
ing. away citizenship if it would lead
Quoting of ficial figures and a suspect to become stateless,
security sources, the Sunday the report said.
will respond to it," it said in a
statement.
The Russian Foreign Ministry
had demanded the US to cut its
diplomatic staff in Russia and said
it would seize two American diplo
matic properties, a Moscow stor
age facility and a country house
outside the capital, in a sharp
response to the new US sanctions
bill, reports CNN. Those stripped of citizenship include gunmen and jihadi brides.
Venezuela poll turnout
figures manipulated'
London: Turnout figures in
Venezuelas Constituent Assembly
elections were manipulated by at
least one million votes, according
to a company that has worked
with the country on its voting sys
tem since 2004.
Venezuela's electoral authorities
said more than eight million peo
ple voted in the elections for a
new Constituent Assembly, BBC
reported. But the Chief Executive
of Smartmatic, Antonio Mugica,
said the actual turnout differed by
at least one million.
A protest rally against Venezuela's President.
During the vote, Venezuelans
were asked to select more than London. about 24,000 machines for
500 representatives to make up a "We estimate the dif ference Venezuelans to cast their votes
Constituent Assembly. between the actual participation e lectronically, the BBC said.
President Nicols Maduro and the one announced by author According to the company, their
argued the Constituent Assembly ities is at least 1 million votes," he system supplied correct voting
would rewrite the Constitution said. statistics but altered results were
and promote "reconciliation and Mugica said Smartmatic, which announced in their place.
peace" after months of political has provided electronic voting The Venezuelan opposition has
and economic crisis. technology for elections around also said the figures were inflated.
But the opposition, which boy the world, was able to detect the Electoral Council President
cotted the vote, saw it as a power overstated of ficially announced Tibisay Lucena put the turnout at
grab by the President. turnout because of Venezuela's 41.53 per cent, or 8,089,320 peo
"It is with the deepest regret automated election system. ple, but members of the opposi
that we have to report that the When asked why he had not tion said they believed between 2
turnout numbers on 30th July for contacted the Venezuelan authori million and 3 million people had
the Const ituent Assembly in ties, Mugica said he thought they voted and one wellrespected inde
Venezuela were tampered with," "would not be sympathetic to what pendent analysis put the figure at
Mugica told a media conference in we'd say". Smartmatic provided 3.6 million, the Guardian reported.
 22 August 5-11, 2017 BUSINESS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

EQUITY MARKETS FALL DESPITE

RBI CUTTING LENDING RATES
Mumbai: Indian equity markets
were pulled lower to close on a
subdued note on the back of
broadly negative European mar
kets and profit booking as the
RBI's decision to reduce key lend
ing rates could not lift investors'
sentiments.
The Reserve Bank of India in its
third bimonthly monetary policy
review of 201718 lowered the
repurchase rate, or the shortterm
lending rate for commercial banks
on loans taken from it, to 6 per
cent from 6.25 per cent.
Subsequently, the reverse repur
chase rate, or the shortterm bor
rowing rate, has been adjusted to
5.75 per cent from 6 per cent.
India Inc was of the view that the
RBI's decision to slash key lending
rates was on expected lines, but
could not lift the sentiments of the
business fraternity as it felt a
RBI Governor Urjit Patel.
steeper cut would have been bet
ter. "The 25 basis points (bps)
reduction in the repo rate, even
while continuing with the neutral
approach, would go a long way in
fillip to growth, especially at a time
of benign core inflation print and
tepid private investment. Having
said so, CII feels that a steeper cut
in interest rate would have been
more in consonance with market
realities," he said.
On a closing basis, the wider
Nifty50 of the National Stock
Exchange (NSE) fe ll by 33.15
points, or 0.33 per cent, to
10,081.50 points.
T he 30scrip Sensitive Index
(Sensex) of the BSE, which opened
at 32,641.58 points, closed at
32,476.74 points down 98.43
points, or 0.30 per cent from its
previous close at 32,575.17
points.
lifting sentiment among business The BSE market breadth was
es," said Chandrajit Banerjee, bearish with 1,610 declines and
Director General, CII. 1,042 advances.
"T he monetary policy stance In the early morning session, the
taken by the RBI would provide a key equity indices opened on a
higher note and surged to new
intraday highs. The NSE Nifty50
scaled a fresh intraday high of
10,137.85 points and the BSE
Sensex of 32,686.48 points.
In terms of the broader markets,
the S&P BSE midcap index was
down 0.30 per cent, while the
smallcap index was a tad down by
0.07 per cent.
"Sensex and Nifty on Wednesday
developed of fbeat trades in the
first half of the day after a strong
start. However, the markets pared
some of the losses soon after RBI's
MPC cut the repo rate by 25 bps
from 6.25 per cent to 6 per cent,"
Dhruv Desai, Director and Chief
Operating Of ficer of Tradebulls,
told IANS.
On the currency front, the rupee
strengthened by 37 paise to
63.7071 to a US dollar from its
previous close at 64.0708.

Arvind Panagariya resigns USINDIA STRATEGIC

as NITI Aayog Vice Chairman
New Delhi: Arvind Panagariya, an
academic on leave from Columbia
University, resigned as the NITI
Aayog Vice Chairman, a sudden
development that set of f specula
tion about his successor.
Panag ariya, appointed Vice
Chairman of the restructured NITI
Aayog in January 2015, disclosed
that he has written to Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, inform
ing him that his leave was due to
expire this month end and it was
not possible to extend it beyond
that period.
In his resignat ion letter,
Panagariya has also said that he
wants to resume his teaching job
at Columbia University where he
was working as a professor of
Indian political economy.
The 64yearold economist took Arvind Panagariya.
over the post immediately after the
erstwhile Planning Commission, a Nehruvian era institu
tion, was restructured and the new body was created.
Panagariya was the sherpa for the Prime Minister at worked with the World Bank and the International
the recentlyconcluded G20 meeting in Germany and he Monetary Fund in various capacities.
PARTNERSHIP
FORUM TO DEEPEN
had always been a supporter of
the Modi government, vocally
backing its various reform meas INDIAUS TIES
ures, including the demonetisa
New Delhi: To further deepen business ties between India
tion.
and the US, a new representative body called the USIndia
There was no official comment
Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) has been set up.
by way of reaction but the devel
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley officially unveiled the new
opment has come in the midst of
organisation here.
speculation that there could be a
"USISPF is committed to creating the most powerful
reshuffle in the NITI Aayog where
strategic partnership between the US and India. Promoting
Bibe k De broy, who also is a
bilateral trade is an important part of USISPF's work but
staunch supporter of Modi and his
its mission reaches far beyond this," USISPF said in a state
economics, could be the likely
ment.
successor.
USISPF's board of directors will include John Chambers,
Another name doing the rounds
Executive Chairman, Cisco.
is that of Chief Economic Advisor
"Following the success of Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Arvind Subramanian, who may be
and President Donald Trump's meetings in the US in June,
shifted to the NITI Aayog. There
I am incredibly confident about the powerful partnership
have also been murmurs of dissat
between the US and India which is one that I believe can
isfaction in the top government
serve as a model for the rest of the world," Chambers said.
circles about the performance of
"Our two countries will be able to make great strides in
the NITI Aayog under the leader
the months and years to come, and USISPF is honoured to
ship of Panagariya, sources said.
be a part of this exciting future," he added.
Before NITI Aayog, Panagariya served as the chief
Mukesh Aghi, currently President of the USIndia
economist of the Asian Development Bank and has also
Business Council (USIBC), will lead USISPF as President
and Gaurav Verma will serve as Chief Operating Officer.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Los Angeles declares candidature Upbeat India look to seal
to host Olympic Games 2028
Los Angeles: The Los Angeles
Test series against Sri Lanka
Olympic and Paralympic bid com
mittee announced its candidature
to host Olympic and Paralympic
Games 2028.
In a release sent to Xinhua by
the city mayor's of fice, Los
Angeles, the second largest city of
the US declared its intention to
host the Olympic Games 2028
and its agreement with the Host
City Contract 2028, which is a Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los
pre liminary deal with Angeles. (Xinhua/Xu
International Olympic Committee Jinquan/IANS)
(IOC) paving the way for the city
leaders from Los Angeles and
to be awarded the 2028 Games.
Paris to determine which city will
"The Los Angeles City Council
host the games in 2024 and
and United States Olympic
which city must wait until 2028.
Committee Board of Directors will
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
consider the agreement for
hailed Monday as "an historic day
approval in August. If approved,
for Los Angeles, for the United
the IOC, LA and Paris may enter a
States and for the Olympic and
tripartite agreement, clearing the
Paralympic Movements around
way for IOC Membership to
the world." "Today, we take a
simultaneously confirm the
major step toward bringing the
Olympic Games 2024 to Paris and
Games back to our city for the
the Olympic Games 2028 to Los
first time in a generation and
Angeles at the next IOC session in
begin a new chapter in Los
Lima, Peru on September 13,
Angeles' timeless Olympic story."
2017," it said. In a rare move, the
he said in the press release.
IOC unanimously voted last
Los Angeles has hosted the
Month to announce the bid win
Summer Games for two times in
ner of the 2024 and 2028
history. T he first was held in
Olympic games at the same time.
1932 during the Great
That means two competitors for
Depression. The 1984 Olympics
2024 Olympic, Paris and Los
in the second largest city was the
Angeles, each at least locked an
first modern games that didn't
opportunity. IOC of ficials then
leave behind large public debt.
entered into negotiations with bid
We created buzz about BOLT CONFIDENT ABOUT
women's cricket: Mithali Raj CHANCES IN IAAF
Hyderabad: The Indian
womens cricket
team did not
win the ICC
Mithali Raj
World Cup
but team cap
tain Mithali Raj
feels they created a
buzz among people
about womens cricket.
"Our team did well in the
World Cup. I wouldn't say
good because of the result
but we have created a buzz
about women's cricket in
India among people. I am
hoping it will be good times
henceforth for women's crick
et," she said.
The skipper was talking to
reporters after a felicitation
programme at the Pulle la
Gopichand Badminton
Academy where she was pre
sented a BMW car by
Chamundeswarnath, Vice
President of the Telangana
Badminton Association.
SPORTS
Colombo: Inform India will look
to inflict another defeat on Sri
Lanka and seal the three match
Test series when the two sides
clash in the second rubber at the
Sinhalese Sports Club here.
India scripted a rampaging
304run victory in the first Test
with opener Shikhar Dhawan
making a strong case for himself
with regular openers KL Rahul
and Murali Vijay left out injured.
The Delhi southpaw smashed a
168ball 190 in the first innings
to steer India to a mammoth total
of 600 and take a firm grip of the
match which eventually they
never let go.
Dhawan was adjudged Manof
theMatch and that leaves skip
per Virat Kohli with a happy
problem of plenty pertaining to
the opening slot.
Abhinav Mukund also scored a
crafty 81 in the second essay
which had Kohli's unbeaten 103.
Rahul, who laid low in the first
Test with viral fever, has now
recovered and if he is successful
in proving his fitness for this
Test, the tossup will be between
Shikhar Dhawan and Abhinav
Mukund for the second opener's
slot. It is unlikely that Mukund
w ill get a look in ow ing to
Dhawan's form.
India will look to bank on bats
man Cheteshwar Pujara, who at
No 3, has shown tremendous con
"I did not expect this kind of
reception despite losing the final.
As a team we were all sad after the
defeat in the final," she said.
"This appreciation and feedback
from the Prime Minister to Chief
Minister has been really nice
because all these years nobody
gave us acknowledgement.
"This time the matches were tele
cast live on television and social
media. It created wider atmos
phere and many people tweeted in
support of the Indian team," she
said.
Mithali thanked
Chamundeswarnath. "I am truly
honoured. This is a second car
from him. He had given the first
car in 2005 when the team was
not even in the BCCI and nobody
acknowledged us."
The Telangana government last
week announced a cash award of
Rs 1 crore and 600 square yard
house site in Hyderabad's Banjara
Hills area for her impressive per
formance in the World Cup.
August 5-11, 2017
India scripted a rampaging 304run victory in the first Test.
sistency with his 50th Test cap in
the last game, scoring 153 of f
265 balls.
On Hardik Pandya's Test debut,
the allrounder notched up a half
century in the first essay and in
just three overs given to him,
scalped a w icket of Nuwan
Pradeep.
T he Indian spin duo of
Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin
got on to the act again, taking six
wickets between them in the sec
ond innings to w ipe of f any
resemblance of a challenge from
the hosts. For the hosts, it will be
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
London: Jamaica's Usain Bolt said
he was pretty confident about his
chances in the upcoming IAAF
World Championships, which will
be his last competition before
retiring.
At a press conference here,
Bolt, who will run only 100
metres and 4100 metres relay,
said he would not have decided to
compete if he were not sure
about his chances, reports Efe.
"If I show up at a champi
onships you know I'm fully confi
dent and ready to go" the world
record holder in the 100 meters
and 200 meters said.
The 30yearold Bolt said that
he was "really looking forward to
watching my first major 100m
race as a spectator" after hanging
up his boots.
Reflecting on his career, Bolt
said that he never expected to
achieve all of the success he has
23
an uphill task ahead. The good
news is that their skipper Dinesh
Chandimal has recovered from
pneumonia and will be available
for this game.
Chandimal had put the Indian
attack to the sword with a blister
ing 162 off 169 balls at Galle in
2015 and will look to repeat
more of the same here.
In the bowling department,
Nuwan Pradeep was the only pos
itive the island nation can take
from the first Test as the pacer
took six wickets in the first essay
and bowled really well.
Usain Bolt
had and he talked about the most
special gold medal he earned.
"I never knew that I am going to
achieve records in one champi
onship all I wanted was to be
200 metre Olympic champion.
That is it," Bolt said.
"The proudest moment in my
career was winning gold medal as
a junior in front of a home crowd.
Nothing beats that feeling," he
said.
24 August 5-11, 2017
l By M R Narayan Swamy
I
t is not easy to write appealingly on
someone who has been a subject of end
less books. Yet, Hindol Sengupta man
ages to weave a powerful profile of Swami
Vivekananda, one which neatly blends the
divine nature of the celebrated Hindu
monkphilosopher with the simple human
he was, one who richly contributed to
Hindu spirituality even as he battled
poverty in personal life.
Vivekananda was no traditional monk,
one seeped in rituals and happy to spend a
secluded life in the search for selfrealiza
tion. He questioned, he debated, he sought
proof and he shunned mindless rituals. He
wasn't satisfied just by the acclaim that fol
lowed his seminal Chicago address of
1893. Little did he know then that his
appeal would lay the foundation for the US
to better understand the Hindu religion
and, much later, embrace Yoga.
Vivekananda was also a man of contra
dictions. He had lust for life, yet a simulta
neous detachment for the idea of a long
life. A relentless traveler, he also craved for
stillness. Having addressed large crowds
so often, he sought a home far away from
the madding crowds. Having walked the
dusty plains for years, he craved for the
Indian Dalits plight
compared to that of
blacks' in the US
New York: A highly anecdotal and
touching account of castebased dis
crimination in India by an "untouchable
born in Andhra Pradesh", who emigrat
ed to the United States at the age of 26,
is creating a buzz in publishing circles
here.
The book, titled "Ants among
Elephants", has been written by Sujatha
Gidla, an alumnus of IIT Madras, who is
currently working as a conductor with
the New York subway. The book details
memories of growing up as a Dalit in
India. Gidla also lists many instances of
"discrimination and humiliations" that
Dalits in India are customarily subject
ed to. Gidla was born in Kazipet, a small
town in Andhra Pradesh. Her parents,
though college lecturers, were
"untouchables".
According to excerpts available on
the publisher's website, Gidla compares
the case of "untouchables" in India to
the racism against blacks in the US.
"The untouchables, whose hereditary
duty is to labor in the fields of others
or to do other work that Hindu society
considers filthy, are not allowed to live
in the village at all. They must live out
side the boundaries of the village prop
er. They are not allowed to enter tem
ples. "Not allowed to come near sources
of drinking water used by other castes.
Not allowed to eat sitting next to a
caste Hindu or to use the same utensils.
There are thousands of other such
restrictions and indignities that vary
from place to place. Every day in an
Indian newspaper you can read of an
BOOKS
The Modern Monk: What Vivekananda
Means to Us Today by Hindol Sengupta
and published by Penguin highlights
some hitherto less known aspects of the
Swamis life and views.
hills. And for a spiritual renunciate, he con
stantly worried about his family and the
money it needed to sustain itself.
race for a literary award in the recent years.
Sujatha Gidlas "Ants among
Elephants" is creating a buzz in the
publishing circles.
untouchable beaten or killed for wear
ing sandals, for riding a bicycle," Gidla
writes. Major US publications, including
the New York Times, have reviewed the
book and have commented on its
"insightful" understanding of India's
social and cultural fabric.
According to NBC2.com, Gidla's
grandparents converted to Christianity
at the onset of the 20th century and
were educated at Canadian missionary
schools. Gidla, too, with the help of
Canadian missionaries, went on to pur
sue a researcher course in applied
physics at IITMadras.
In the US, she initially worked as a
developer in software design, then
moved to banking but lost her job in
2009 during the economic crisis. .
The book has been published in the
US by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Vivekananda
wanted Hindu
reformation first
Sengupta tells us of the rational man
who was never shy of placing on record
the abysmal, debilitating poverty of India.
"The problem with our understanding of
Vivekananda today is that we always
choose to ignore the downtoearth, practi
cal man by focusing too much on his godli
ness." Vivekananda may be a poster boy
for Hindu nationalists but the monk him
self had no hatred for any religion. If any
thing, he was an admirer of Jesus Christ.
He was known to carry with him "The
Imitation of Christ", a devotional book
from the 15th century. "Keep close to
Christ if you want salvation; He is higher
than any god you can imagine," he once
said. True, without Ramakrishna,
Arundhati Roy not a shoo-in
for Man Booker this time
New Delhi: While Arundhati Roys comeback
novel has once again made the cut for the just
announced Man Booker Prize longlist, the other
books that are running for the 50,000 pound
award make it one of the most diverse lists in the
Roy's comeback novel "The Ministry of Utmost
Happiness" is the most celebrated book in the
list, which also comprises several other literary
heavyweights as well as three debutant writers.
For the judges, Roy's is "a rich and vital book,"
but the other contenders for the much coveted
prize are on an equal footing.
The judges, according to a Youtube video
released by the Prize committee, went through
over 150 books in a "relatively short span of
time" and were thoroughly impressed by so
many unusual and beautiful novels. For author
Sarah Hall, a member of the judging panel, it's
been "a thrill to sit down and discover them".
Another member of the panel, Lila Azam
Zanganeh, felt that the longlist clearly reflects
the "state of fiction today".
Arundhati Roy's entry into the longlist, despite
her rich credentials and having been a past win
ner, does not yet guarantee the final victory pri
marily because the judging panel has overlooked
new novels by former Booker winners Salman
Rushdie and Roddy Doyle. The reason? All other
books which have made the cut deserve the
place. Consider "Exit West" by Mohsin Hamid, for
instance. The book poignantly transports the
readers to a world or time in the future where
migration is peaceful and where people are open
to accepting others. Between the lines, the
author reminds us that ultimately we have more
in common with "others" than the sum total of
our differences. Similarly, Paul Auster's "4321,"
which is an exploration of one man's four simul
taneous lives, has been deemed "magisterial" by
the judges. There is also George Saunders, a
noted shortstory writer, whose first novel
"Lincoln in the Bardo" is based on Abraham
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Vivekananda would have remained at best
a highly erudite philosopher. But without
Vivekananda, Sengupta points out, and so
correctly, the name, legend and work of
Ramakrishna would never have spread
across the world. Meeting Ramakrishna of
course irrevocably changed Vivekananda's
life. But their interaction also completed,
Sengupta says, the Bengal Renaissance.
Vivekananda was convinced that in order
to change the world, he must first change
India. If the immortal message of Hindus
had to be taken to the world, then the sloth
and malice he saw among the Hindus must
first be uprooted. For the young author,
Vivekananda's importance is as an anti
dote to mindless nationalism.
Roy had won the Man Booker for fiction in 1997
for her debut novel The God of Small Things.
Her second novel The Ministry of Utmost
Happiness came after a two decade gap.
Lincoln's visits to the graveyard where his 11
yearold son has been laid to rest. One should
also not ignore "The Underground Railroad" by
Colson Whitehead. Based on the troublesome life
of a female slave who is trying to escape from a
Georgia cotton plantation, the offering has
already bagged the Pulitzer and the National
Book Award for fiction in the US. "Autumn" by
Ali Smith has been described by the judging
panel as "humane, zany, delightful, optimistic"
while "Swing Time" by Zadie Smith is the classic
story of the friendship and rivalry between two
London girls who meet at a dance class. The
Ministry of Utmost Happiness is a sprawling
novel on the vast, violent, circling, driving,
ridiculous, insane, unfeasible, public turmoil of a
nation called India. Though ambitious in scope,
many found it a dreary read.
Arundhati Roy maybe the most celebrated
name in the longlist, the Man Booker has often
surprises with its verdict. For now, the race
seems too close to call until the winner is
announced on October 17. IANS
TheSouthAsianTimes.info August 5-11, 2017
 26 August 5-11, 2017 HEALTH TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Eating disorders among Gum disease may up cancer risk

men in UK up by 70%
London: The number of adult British men
being admitted to hospital with an eating
disorder has risen by 70 per cent over the
last six years mainly due to the pressure for
"body perfection" arising from popular cul
ture, official data showed on Monday.
National Health Services (NHS) Digital
data showed the number of hospital diagno
sis in males over 19 years of age rose from
480 in 20102011 to 818 between April
2015 and March 2016, reports the
Guardian.
The rate of increase was slightly higher
among older men, at 70 per cent for the 41
60 age group, compared with 67 per cent in
the 2640 category and 63 per cent among
19 to 25yearolds.
Doctor William Rhys Jones, of the Royal
College of Psychiatrists' eating disorders
faculty, said: "Pressure for body perfection
is on the rise for men of all ages, which is a
risk factor for developing an eating disor
der.
"Images of unhealthy male body ideals in
the media place unnecessary pressure on
vulnerable people who strive for acceptance
through the way they look," the Guardian
(Image courtesy: ibnlive.in)
quoted Jones as saying. Professor Helen
StokesLampard, chair of the Royal College
of General Practitioners, said the rise was
not surprising "when you consider the unre
lenting pressures placed on people by popu
lar culture and social media." She called for
schools, universities and employers to be
more aware of the danger signs.
"[These] can include excessive dieting or
daily trips to the gym, eating large amounts
of food, the inappropriate use of laxatives
and obsessions around weight and appear
ance," she added.
in post-menopausal women
New York: Women in the post
menopausal phase with a history of gum
disease may be at higher risk of develop
ing several types of cancer, particularly
in the gallbladder and esophagus, accord
ing to a study.
The findings showed that women with
a history of gum disease had a 14 per
cent increased risk of overall cancer.
"There is increasing evidence that peri
odontal disease may be linked to an
increased cancer risk," said lead author
Ngozi Nwizu, Assistant Professor at the
University of Texas at Houston.
"For most types of cancers, the process
of carcinogenesis usually occurs over
many years. So, the adverse ef fects of
periodontal disease are more likely to be
seen among postmenopausal women,
simply because of their older age," Nwizu
added in the paper published in the jour
nal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers &
Prevention.
The risk associated with periodontal
disease was the highest for esophageal
cancer and gallbladder, the researchers
reported. "The esophagus is in close
proximity to the oral cavity and so peri
odontal pathogens may more easily gain
access to and infect the esophageal
mucosa and promote cancer risk at that
site," explained Jean WactawskiWende,
Dean at the University at Buffalo.
Moreover, associations were observed
for breast, lung and melanoma skin can
cers. Stomach cancer was borderline, the
researchers noted.
"Certain periodontal bacteria have been
shown to promote inflammation even in
tiny amounts, and these bacteria have
been isolated from many organ systems
and some cancers including esophageal
cancers.
It is important to establish if periodon
tal disease is an important risk of
esophageal cancer, so that appropriate
preventive measures can be promoted,"
Nwizu said
For the study, the team included
65,869 postmenopausal women in the
US with an average age of 68.
Periodontal disease also was associated
with total cancer risk among former and
current smokers, the study showed.

Enhance your running sessions

(Image courtesy: longwood.edu)

with pre, post running tips

New Delhi: Prerunning exercises exercise helps you in relaxing
help in increasing the blood flow your hamstrings after a good
to the muscles, reducing their run.
stiffness and loosening them for 4Lower back stretch: While
better running, while postrun lying on your back, pull your
ning exercises help the body cool right knee to your chest and hold

EXERCISE IN
down and improve flexibility and the position for about 15 sec
performance, say experts. onds. Repeat with the other leg
Mithun Chakravathi, and then get both your knees to
RunWestin Concierge at T he your chest and hold it for 15 sec

CHILDHOOD Westin Chennai Velachery, lists

some exercises for before the
run:
onds. This exercise helps you
gaining more flexibility while
running next and also helps you

MAY CUT OBESITY, 4Hip flexor stretch: Stand tall.

Flex your hip and knee to bring
your right knee up toward your
control your breathing.
4Calf stretch: After stretching
your right leg forward, bend

CANCER RISK
Wellington: Exercise during
childhood and adolescence may
thwart some of the damaging
effects of a highfat diet such as
obesity, heart disease and cancer,
researchers have claimed.
T he findings, based on the
mouse study, revealed that the
bone has the capacity to retain
"memory" of its effects long even
after the exercise has stopped.
This bone memory then contin
ues to change the way the body
metabolizes a highfat diet.
"W hat was remarkable was
that these changes lasted long
after the rats stopped doing that
extra exercise into their mid
life," said Justin O'Sullivan, a
molecular genet icist at the
University of Auckland in New
Zealand. "The bone marrow car
ried a 'memory' of the effects of
exercise. The rats still got fat, but
that early extra exercise basically
set them up so that even though
they put on weight, they didn't
have the same profile of negative
ef fects that is common with a
high fat diet," he added.
Further, the study emphasized
that childhood and adolescence
are periods of rapid bone growth
and exercise during this period
may ensure a healthy adulthood.
"If you reach optimal bone
mass early in life, you're less like
ly to suffer from broken bones or
other bonerelated problems as other foot.
an adult," explained Elwyn Firth,
Professor from the university's
Liggins Institute.
chest as you swing your left arm
forward. Lower to the ground,
then repeat on the other leg.
4Leg flexor stretch: Stand tall
with your right arm forward.
Bend your knee at a right angle
in front of you, thigh parallel to
the ground, as you swing your
right arm back and left arm for
ward. Contract your quads to
extend your leg straight out.
Return to standing, then repeat
with the other leg.
4Plantar flexor stretch: Stand
with your hands on your hips.
Raise your right foot a few inch
es, keeping your knee straight.
Quickly flex your foot, pointing
your toes upward. Return to
standing, then repeat with the
toes facing up, bend your left leg.
4Hip extensor stretch: Hinge
forward at your hips. Raise your
right foot and bend your right
knee in front of you while swing
ing your left arm forward as you
would when running. From there,
maintain the same lean as you
quickly stretch your right leg
behind you. At the same time,
swing your right arm forward
and your left arm back. Return
your knee in front of you and
repeat with the other leg
Vipin Banug ade, Senior
Physiotherapist at Sahyadri
Hospitals, suggest some post
running exercises.
4 Hamstring stretch: Keep
your right leg just a little ahead
of your left leg and place your
hands on your hips. Now, with
your right leg kept straight and
leg. This exercise strengths the
Bend forward towards your right
leg with a straight back. Repeat
the same with the other leg. This
your front foot at the knee and
keep your back foot straight.
Keep your left leg straight while
pushing your left heel to the
ground. Keep doing this till you
feel a stretch at the back of your
left leg, right below your knee.
Repeat the same with the other
leg. This exercise relaxes your
calf while making them more
flexible.
4 Thigh stretch: Pull your heel
towards the left buttock by gen
tly lifting the top of your foot
behind you stretching the front
of your thigh. Keep your knees
together while doing the exer
cise. Take care while doing the
exercise fall forward or sideways.
Repeat the same with the other
thigh muscles while keeping
improving your balance while
running.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info SPIRITUALITY August 5-11, 2017 27

accept me as a great man only ments and is striving for nothing

aram Krupalu Dev Shrimad
someone telling him, may entail
if I fulfilled such a petty condi
tion, then it is good that they
left. We are not able to
Enlightened love the Enlightened
Ones because of our
Beings are often
deeply ingrained
unrecognized during concepts. Let
their life-times, but alone the
worshipped after they shed Enlightened,
their mortal coil. In honor of the we are not
memory of Param Krupalu Dev able to love
Shrimad Rajchandraji, PUJYA even ordi
nary people!
GURUDEVSHRI RAKESHBHAI
A wife is not
illustrates how the ignorant miss able to truly
the opportunity of transforma- love her hus
tion by clinging to their band because
concepts, while a true her concepts
seeker attains the state about how a hus
of the Enlightened. band should
behave are very
strong. A husband can
not truly love his wife
because his concepts regarding
how a wife should behave too
are strong.
We are ready to accept an
Enlightened One as Enlightened
only when His actions are in
accordance with our concepts.
One may somehow find an
Enlightened One who matches
his concepts and even become
His staunch follower. However,
this too is not love for the
Enlightened Being; it just shows
His inner state of nonattachment.
but liberation alone. The yearning
soul has felt the need within and
so his eyes are searching for the
Liberated One. These seeking eyes
enable him to recognize such a
Being. One sees in the other, what
one is looking for.
A poet once lost his way while
walking along a path. All day, he
did not find any food. He was fam
ished, but continued walking till
nightfall. He looked up towards the
sky and saw the full moon. That
day, the moon did not seem to
reflect the charming face of his
beloved, rather it appeared to be a
round piece of bread. He felt that
bread was floating in the air. Just
as the moon was the same but the
perception changed due to hunger,
similarly, the Enlightened Being is
the same, but the yearning for lib
eration enables one to correctly
identify Him.
Undoubtedly the Realized Ones
are great, but the seeker too is
praiseworthy as he is able to rec
ognize the Great Ones. When
someone praises the beauty of a
flower, along with knowledge
about flowers, it also reveals his
own inner beauty that allowed him
to experience the loveliness of the
flower.
A seeker is compared to a preg
nant lady. Externally, it is difficult

P Rajchandraji what does it

mean to remember this pious
name? To remember Him is to
reminisce the divine essence that
manifested in Him. Such true
remembrance leads to contempla
tion upon the Self. Only that
remembrance which brings aware
ness of the Self is meaningful.
Means such as worship, contem
plation, meditation etc. should be
deployed for remembrance of the
Self. Just as it is not possible to
hang a cloth on the wall without a
hook, it is not possible to hold
ones awareness in the Self without
the help of the Sadguru. Focusing
on the state of an Enlightened
Being facilitates contemplation
upon the Self. Bringing to mind His
pure state gives rise to joy, love
and devotion, as one aspires to
attain that same state. Further
deliberation brings the under
standing that this state of purity is
neither the result of anothers
blessings nor the gift of karmas;
rather it has been attained through
identification with the Pure Self.
With the realization of the Self, one
will attain the same Pure State.
Only he who is desirous of trans
formation can recognize an
Enlightened Being. When mumuk
shuta (the yearning for liberation)
arises, one is able to recognize the
Dispassionate One. A person may
accept someone as Enlightened
merely because his family believes
so. This is not real identification
because the belief does not stem
from mumukshuta, it is a precon
ceived notion. Another person,
influenced by the majority or by
this belief, but this is not real iden
tification of the Enlightened either.
Only one who is yearning for
transformation, is openminded
and desperate to seek refuge in an
Enlightened One, can truly recog
nize a Realized Being.
One makes the mistake of trying
to understand the Enlightened
through his limited intellect. His
intellect is biased and prejudiced.
He has such deeprooted notions
about the behavior of an
Enlightened Being that he is not
able to recognize Him. He first
makes an image and then goes out
in search of the Enlightened One.
And so he either does not find the
Realized One at all or finds some
one who only echoes the image of
his belief regarding an Enlightened
One. The identification of the
Enlightened One must happen
from the heart. A heart overflow
ing with love for the truth does not
pass judgements. It seeks, it ven
tures in search of the unknown
and the unfamiliar. An object in
front of a mirror is reflected exact
ly as it is; similarly the purity of
the Enlightened is reflected in a
seeker's unbiased, lovefilled heart.
The seekers attention is focused
within. He is constantly examining
his thoughts. He is aware that
many times, his external behavior
is not in accordance with his inner
feelings. Outwardly, he may be
smiling, showing fearlessness
whereas within, he may be very
scared. Knowing this well, he is
able to understand both, the
Enlightened Ones external activi
ties of apparent indulgence and
Thus, the recognition of the
Enlightened One becomes easy
when virtues such as inner yearn
ing for liberation and the like are
born.
A PREJUDICED MIND
An international seminar of J.
Krishnamurti was once hosted in
Holland. Several thousand people
from across the world had gath
ered to attend it. Among the eager
audience were three ladies from
India. A day prior to the seminar,
they saw Krishnamurti in a shop
buying a necktie. This sight upset
two of the ladies as they exclaimed, Regardless of the other person
How can a great Master like
Krishnamurti go shopping for a tie! you will exude only love for him.
If he does such things, what is so
special about him? Their mind
doubted and their faith was shat
tered. They regretted the journey
all the way from India to listen to
an ordinary person. For them, an
Enlightened One is a detached soul
who is not interested in activities
like shopping. Thus overcome with
remorse, the two ladies returned to nature, it flows towards everyone.
India the very next day. The third
lady attended the seminar, listened
to Krishnamurti and reflected upon ing to an attraction towards one
what she heard. At the end of the
seminar, she said to him, Your tie
caused a great loss! Having heard
the story, Krishnamurti said, Does
that mean that if I do not buy a tie,
I will become a great master? To
become great if one has to fulfill
such a petty condition, then there
are so many ordinary, ignorant
people who can fulfill it. I do not
wish to become great in this way. If
those two ladies were willing to
his love for his own concepts.
Moreover, he does not have love
for any other Enlightened Being
apart from this One. Let alone love,
he may sometimes even harbor
aversion. Because he is bound by
an attachment for one, his love
becomes impure. Where there is
love for one and lack of love for
others, it will not last. If there is a
drop of love along with an ocean of
aversion, how long can that love
last? Therefore, even his love will
eventually take the form of aver
sion. If your heart is filled with
love, it is not possible to harbor
aversion towards anyone.
being ordinary or extraordinary,
Just as a flower blossoming on the
roadside spreads fragrance irre
spective of whether the passerby
is a beggar, an emperor; an enemy,
a friend; a man or a woman. In fact,
it spreads its fragrance, even if no
one walks past. To spread fra
grance is its nature. In the same
way, when love becomes our
But when love is confined to just
one, it becomes attachment, lead
and aversion towards others, thus
plaguing the heart with likes and
dislikes. But when love is genuine,
it spreads everywhere. True love
for one dissolves the ego, and
becomes the gateway of love
for all.
YOU FIND WHAT YOU SEEK
An aspirant is one who is tor
mented by the deluding attach
to tell a lady who has recently con
ceived from one who has not.
However she is nourishing her
child and in a short time, she will
even deliver the baby. In the same
way, the seeker is a lover of Truth.
He has true love for the
Enlightened One. This love is being
nourished within, and at some
blessed moment, he too will attain
the fruit of selfrealization.
The one who realizes the signifi
cance of the inner state of the
Enlightened Being is an aspirant.
To him, true recognition comes
about, real devotion arises, and
inner purity ensues. As a result of
this, his wandering comes to an
end. Thus, with true identification
of the Realized One, the purpose of
life is fulfilled.
May all beings give up their
search for external happiness and
become devoted to the inner light
of consciousness.
May all approach the
Enlightened Being with openmind
edness and a yearning for libera
tion, and in His association, recog
nize His inner state.
May all, by His blessings, mani
fest within themselves, that same
state.
Propounding the path of
Bhagwan Mahavira,
the torchbearer of Shrimad
Rajchandra Mission
Dharampur, Pujya
Gurudevshri Rakeshbhai is a
spiritual visionary and a
modernday mystic.
Email: usa@shrimadrajchan
dramission.org
 28 August 5-11, 2017 HUMOR TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Funny Side by Nury Vittachi

How to survive driving in Asia

IMPORTANT NOTE TO MOTORISTS: If I
turn on the windscreen wipers of a rental
car, this indicates that I am turning right
or left; please memorize.
Mind you, I have just spent time in
China, where the Highway Code appears
to have only one rule: the biggest vehicle
has right of way.
Trucks take precedence over cars which
take precedence over motorbikes which
take precedence over bicycles which take
precedence over humans. If an alien inter
galactic mothership landed in that coun
try, all 1.4 billion residents would auto
matically be found guilty of breaking the
Failing to Get Out of the Way of a Big
Flashy Conveyance Ordinance.
Not long ago, the Chinese government
promulgated a law requiring drivers to
stop at yellow lights. I hope one day they'll
try to make motorists stop at red lights,
too.
Yet a creative streak can be seen among
the country's traffic cops. In the scooter
dominated southern Chinese city of Sanya,
police don't just stop bad drivers. They fol
low them to their of fices. T hey then
assemble the entire staff of the company,
from bosses to cleaners, before giving the
motorist a severe scolding. The idea is to
use the Asian horror of "losing face" to
scare drivers into behaving. If this hap
pened to me, I'd be on my knees, stuffing
bribes into the of ficer's pockets. Please!
Execute me in a stadium on live TV
instead! I beg you!
Removal of face as a social tool is also
used in parts of India. I speak of hijras,
people born male who grow up to wear
makeup and sarees. They have tradition
ally been paid to congregate outside the
homes of taxdodgers, who race to the
inland revenue of fices to pay up before
neighbors question their masculinity. But
hijras are becoming socially acceptable,
which is surely a good thing, although
some are annoyed at the loss of a fun, paid
job, and you can see their point. Imagine
receiving taxpayer cash to humiliate chau
vinists!
This columnist once interviewed actor
Michael Palin, who said that one of the
most terrifying moments of his life was
playing a humiliated Pontius Pilate facing
a huge, laughing crowd. Instead of starting
wars against despots, we should just send
people to laugh at them, he said. I know
this happens in India, where people do
gather to chuckle as a protest against pow
erful corporate evildoers. Note: Only do
this in large groups. Solo sessions of politi
cally directed hysterical laughter will only
get you labeled "lunatic". I know this now.
But going back to driving problems, it is
a fact that motorists now have an extra
chance to get on the right side of traf fic
cops. Cop: We saw you driving erratically
and holding your phone. Me: Sorry, I was
playing Pokemon Go and saw an Articuno.
Cop: It is against the law to...You say you
saw an Articuno? Where exactly was this
Articuno?
Incidentally, please note that talking to
traf fic cops is an art in itse lf. If you
remember nothing else from this column,
remember this: When a cop says: "Do I
look stupid to you," it is a rhetorical ques
tion. I know this now. You're welcome.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

BEST
RATE
FOR
INDIA
AND
PAKISTAN

New York Head Quarter

422S Broadway
HICKSVILLE
NY 11801
By Mahendra Shah
5168271010
Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession,
artist and humorist, cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the
plight of the immigrant Indians for the past many years in his cartoons.
Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma
AUGUST 511, 2017
ARIES: You are likely to establish yourself
a good manager on managing people and
situat ion w ithout any problem.
Matrimonial alliance for eligible bachelor in
family brings joy to all. Indications of earning
nancial prots through commissions, divi
dends or royalties. Search for a true romantic
friend might end in this week. A very healthy
week lled with happiness & vitality. Time to
make your vacation a dream come true. Are
you longing to buy a farmhouse, try for it? With
prioritizing things, you nd more time for
leisure and social activities.
TAURUS: To achieve a desirable outcome
at work you must get the support of team
members. You will enjoy the time spent
with family members and friends. Investment on
longterm plans would pave the way for earning
nancial gains. You nd pleasure and enjoy
ecstasies of love in the arms of partner. Sound
physical health will enable to participate in out
door activities. A trip that stimulates and gives
opportunity for work is coming ahead. Your plan
for a new house will be in process very soon.
You nd time and an inclination to help others.
GEMINI: Travel undertaken for estab
lishing new contacts and business
expansion will be very fruitful. Help
from family members would take care of your
needs. Instead of wasting time, better to get
involved in something to improve your nan
cial position. Love partner would be extremely
supportive and in a loving mood. Meditation
and selfrealization prove benecial. Travel in
comfort with kids to an adventurous place
might be possible. Its high time to think of pur
chasing a new ofce. You nd nature in com
plete harmony with you.
CANCER: Timely help of associates will
not only pass difcult times at work
but also help in regaining professional
edge. Keeping ill feelings against family mem
bers will only harm you. You are likely to earn
monetary gains through various sources.
Romance is likely to intensify through recre
ational activities & entertainment. Blessings of
a saintly person give peace of mind. Perfect get
away time for you and your partner. Offplan
property investment is one of the easiest and
most protable methods to maximize gains in
the real estate market. You succeed in persuad
ing others without asserting yourself too
strongly or bullying anyone.
LEO: Your artistic & creative ability would
attract a lot of appreciation. A sad news
from distant relatives might disappoint
you. An auspicious week to invest money on
items that would grow in value. A romantic week
as you receive all praises from partner. You will
have ample time to do things to improve your
health. Your ofcial trip is must dont under esti
mate it; otherwise you will be in trouble. It might
be the right time to sale your empty plot as prop
erty rates are at peak. With past efforts you are
likely to become more effective & positive.
VIRGO: Businessmen are likely to suffer
some setbacks on failing to meet the
deadline. Your generous behaviour
would enable to enjoy some lovely moments
with family. Improvement in nances makes it
convenient in clearing long pending dues &
bills. You enjoy a lovely time as Cupid is on
your side. High time to get rid from negative
emotions like fear, doubts, anger and greed
because these prevent from enjoying a sound
health.A luxurious getaway type vacation with
your spouse waiting for you. Your loan proce
dures for pursuing a plot will be in process.
Senses of humour immensely helps in tackling
difcult situations.
ASTROLOGY
LIBRA: A long pending decision gets
nalized at professional front. Friends
and family members would lend a
helping hand. Successful execution of brilliant
ideas would help in earning nancial prots. A
special message from beloved/lover lifts spir
its. Make sure you dont get nervous and lose
condence on meeting some high prole per
sonalities. Thrilling experience is on your way,
as your trip is full of excitement Investment in
hotel industry can be the right choice to be
made. Looking at the brighter side of problems
would enable taking many personal decisions.
SCORPIO: Plans for new ventures get
streamlined with the help of seniors.
An unexpected message from a distant
relative brings happy news for the entire fami
ly. The secret mantra of earning your prots:
invest wisely. Love companion will be eager to
meet you. You will be successful in getting rid
from tensions. Enjoy traveling without going
broke. Investment on construction business
might give fruitful results. You nd friends
easy going and willing to fall in line with your
plans.
SAGITTARIUS: Female colleagues
lend a helping hand in completing
important assignments. Relatives are
likely to give some valuable advice regarding
personal life. Investment is recommended but
after a proper advice/guidance. Proposing
might benet, as chances of succeeding in love
are high.
A sparkling laughter lled week when most
things proceed, as you desire. Pack your bags
as a happy, funlled holiday is looking for expect a lot from your family members and
ward. Investing on a ship or a cruise is an
exciting venture to be made. Hobbies and
extra curricular activities are likely to gain
extra momentum.
CAPRICORN: You will be successful in
realizing your targets at professional
front. A new outlook will be the source
of laughter at family front. Important people
will be ready to nance anything that has a
special class to it. Blossoming love life brings
happiness. Pleasure trip would help in main
taining sound health in this week. Traveling
for a conference doesnt mean that you forget
travel etiquettes. If you want to invest on
property, then go for residential one. You
shine in unfamiliar surroundings with hard
work and dedication.
AQUARIUS: At work you will be a
part of something big, bring ing
appreciation & rewards. You receive
care and af fection from family members. A
very successful week as far as monetary posi
tion is concerned. Make sure you dont get
sentimental on lover/beloveds comments.
Your enormous condence would help in
enjoying a healthy life. An enriching vacation
full of fun is what you need. The best ideas for
investment are to on invest on real estate busi
ness. Lot of recognition and fame is on the
cards at personal front.
PISCES: With your high condence
you will be able to cross all hurdles at
professional front. Parents are likely to
be cooperative despite your erratic behaviour.
Property dealings would materialize helping in
bringing fabulous gains. You need to hold
romantic emotions and shouldnt do anything
making you repent later. Yoga and meditation
would help in keeping in shape and mentally
agile. Affordable luxury vacation will explore
your desires. Selling your home privately can
be an excellent way of saving on costs. Being
articulate and appreciating others point of
view would highly benet.
Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874
Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899
psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com
ANNUAL PREDICTIONS: FOR THOSE BORN IN THIS WEEK
August 5, 2017
Influenced by number 5 and the planet
Mercury, you are strong, practical, shrewd,
diplomatic, active and sincere person. You
are good at planning and capable of lead
ing a team to its goals, but you are fickle
minded and moody, which makes people
loose the confidence that they should have
in you. This year the organization you
work for would undergo many changes.
These would be highly beneficial for you,
but also alter your daily routine. Financial
gains would be better, but you also need to
save more than last year. Businessmen
would find attractive prepositions to make
quick money. Expecting mothers need to
take extra care of their health. Proper med
ication and diet should not be ignored. The
months of Fe bruary, September and
November will prove to be significant.
August 6, 2017
Ruled by number 6 and the planet Venus,
you are smart, talented, energetic, attrac
tive, accommodating, diplomatic & highly
practical person. You are a great thinker
and people from various walks of life seek
your advice, but you need to check your
tendency to behave too outspoken, jealous
and restless at times.
This year you need to be conservative in
your spending and avoid useless expendi
ture on luxuries and comforts. You can
are authoritative, confident, determined,
you wont be disappointed. You would also responsible and creative person. You have
have a very memorable and romantic time
with your beloved. The two of you would
deve lop a deeper understanding and
respect for each other. A distant journey
later in the year seems most certain for
most of you. The months of March, July
and December seem highly promising.
August 7, 2017
Influenced by number 7 and the planet
Neptune, you are honest, affectionate, cre
ative, sensitive and a very emotional per
son. You are a wonderful host and you love
to entertain others, but you need to control
your tendency to behave stubborn and
extravagant at times.
There would be opportunities for mis
communication with your employer this
year. Be sure to check your work before
you give it to your seniors. It would not be
an easy period as many things would not
be in your favour, but support and help You love to have things of beauty around
from friends and family members would
induce new energy into you and make
things much comfortable than they actual
ly might be. Gains from property transac
tion, investments and gifts cannot be ruled
out. The months of January, August and
October will remain significant.
August 8, 2017
Influenced by number 8 and the planet
Saturn. You are energetic, practical, talent
ed, disciplined, methodical and authorita
tive person. You possess enormous capa
bilities and your friends and colleagues
respect you immensely, but you need to
check your tendency to behave rigid,
extravagant and jealous at times.
You would be identified very closely with
August 5-11, 2017 29
your employer this year. As a result, you
would become a important representative
for the organization. People would look
upto you for inspiration and decisions. You
would be in the limelight at social gather
ing. You would make new friends and
important contacts. Health seems fine but
even then, it is recommended that you take
preventive medication. The months of May,
August and December will prove to be
highly important.
August 9, 2017
Ruled by number 9 and the planet Mars.
You are intelligent, energetic, confident,
enthusiastic and courageous person. You
possess a sharp memory and amazing tech
nical skills, but you need to check your ten
dency to behave short tempered and vindic
tive at times. T his year professional
advancement would depend on your ability
to handle important responsibilities. Your
significant other would be a real asset to
you. This person would make your daily life
comforting and enjoyable. Distant pilgrim
age is certain later in the year. Be extra care
ful while lending money and take extra care
of your jewelry, precious gifts and items.
The months of February, April, September
and November will be important.
August 10, 2017
Influenced by number 1 and the Sun, you
a very fine sense of color and style. Your
clothes represent your elegant personality,
but you need to curb your tendency to
behave careless and spendthrift at times.
You would be dedicated to your job and
make a good impression on your boss. You
might not receive expected financial gains
for your hard work, but appreciation and
seniority are certainly yours. Foreign trips
are likely for some later in the year. Your
spouse will be cooperative through out the
year and would shower love and affection.
Marriage proposals would materialize for
some. The months of March, June and
October will prove to be important and sig
nificant.
August 11, 2017
Ruled by number 2 and the Moon, you
are highly imaginative, practical, emotion
al, honest, simple and generous person.
you. You might not be an artist, but you
are fond of collecting things of artistic
value. You are intelligent and have an
exceptionally good grasping power, but
you need to check your tendency to behave
lazy and timid at times.
This year you would enjoy meeting new
people and visiting new places. Your cre
ativity would be at its best and you would
have energy to solve any problem with
conviction and dedication. Your beloved
would be your major source of inspira
tions. You should do things that you both
enjoy to strengthen the existing bond.
Family members will stand by you and pro
vide you with love and af fection. The
months of January, July and September
will be highly eventful.
30 August 5-11, 2017
By Sant Rajinder
Singh Ji Maharaj
H
azur Baba Sawan Singh Ji
Maharaj was the great
spiritual Master who initi
ated Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj
and Sant Darshan Singh Ji
Maharaj. There are still some initi
ates left who were initiated by
Hazur and who even met him
physically. While he may have
physically left this physical realm,
he is still very much with us and
those who have their inner eye
opened can still see him within in
the higher realms.
Those who never met Hazur
physically are still entwined in his
circle of grace and love. His grace
continued to pour out through
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj and
Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj,
and continues even today. Before
Hazur, the teachings of Sant Mat
were mostly taught in India. But
Hazur opened the floodgates of
spirituality making Sant Mat avail
able to people around the world.
When we look at the life of
Hazur, we find that two qualities
stand out. The first quality was
that once he had the awakening
within to find God, he did not stop
until he found a Master. Once he
found his Master, he was diligent
in his meditations until he
attained communion of his soul
with God. The second quality was
that he knew that a part of spiritu
al progress rested on leading a life
of ethical virtues. Coupled with
being regular in his meditations,
he remained true to his ethical
values.
Unfortunately, many people are
intense about reaching their goals
only for a short period of time or
in short bursts. They do not main
tain the passion and zeal long
enough to attain their goal. For
example, when people are in the
stage of seeking God or looking
for a Master to show them the
way back to God, they have great
intensity. Often, they experience
an awakening in life in which they
realize life has not given them the
happiness they want. Sometimes
they experience a difficulty or
shock in life that awakens them to
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS
DO NOT STOP UNTIL THE
GOAL IS REACHED
We are toiling away in one part of the forest. The Masters keep telling us to
awake, arise, and stop not until the goal is reached. The Masters tell us,
Do not stop, but keep moving forward. They want us to go further in our
spiritual practices than we have ever gone before. They do not want us to
rest on our laurels of whatever we have attained so far. They want us to go
higher and higher. To do this, we need to put in more and more effort.
the truth that life is suffering.
Others experience disappointment
with some aspect of their life and
feel there must be another way to
joy. Whatever route leads one to
seek God also may drive one to
search with great intensity. When
such a person finds a spiritual
teacher or Master to show him or
her the way back to God, he or she
is often dedicated and committed
to the spiritual practices being
taught. Such people put great
effort into meditating and follow
ing an ethical life.
They are happy when they get
some spiritual experience and
start seeing results. Over time,
though, many people become
complacent. They feel that
because they are on the path back
to God, there is no more need to
make any effort. They begin to
take it easy. They feel their
intense need for God has been met
by finding a spiritual teacher or a
path and there is no more
urgency. They begin to get caught
up in their worldly life again and
forget to put in time for medita
tion. They feel because they have
the spiritual key to heaven that
even if they do not follow the ethi
cal virtues their failures will be
overlooked and forgiven. Thus,
they become less diligent about
being nonviolent, loving, caring,
and humble. As a result of forget
ting about meditating and not
improving in the ethical virtues,
they stall out in their spiritual
progress. They wonder why they
are not making any headway and
seem to be staying in the same
place.
There is a story about a man
who made his living by cutting
down trees and selling the wood
in the market. One day, when he
went into the forest to collect
wood, he found a yogi sitting by
the side of a stream.
The yogi had been meditating,
but came out of meditation as the
man came near. The yogi smiled
at him and said, O woodcutter,
dont stop, but keep moving for
ward. Then, the yogi closed his
eyes and resumed his meditation.
The man continued his days
work, cutting down some trees,
and then taking them to the mar
ket to sell. When the man reached
home that night he thought about
the words of the yogi.
The man asked himself, Why
did he tell me not to stop but keep
moving forward? There must be
some meaning in this. After giv
ing the words of the yogi much
thought, he realized the yogi must
have meant that he should not
stop at the same place all the time
to cut the wood, but go further
into the forest.
The next day, the man decided
that instead of cutting wood in the
usual area, he would go deeper
into the forest. After he walked
further than he had ever gone
before, he noticed that the usual
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
trees he had been cutting down
ended and there was a grove of
sandalwood trees.
Ah, said the man, This must
be what the yogi was telling me. I
never knew there were sandal
wood trees here before. These are
worth much more money than the
trees I had been cutting down.
The man cut down some sandal
wood trees, took them to the mar
ket, and earned a lot more money
for them.
After several days, the man
recalled the words of the yogi
directing him to not stop but keep
moving forward. The man
thought, I followed that advice
before. What if I follow that advice
again? The man decided to go
further into the woods, beyond
the sandalwood trees. As he did
so, he discovered that beyond the
sandalwood trees there was a sil
ver mine. The man said, Silver
will bring me much more money
than the sandalwood trees. He
collected silver from the mine,
went to the market, and quadru
pled his earnings.
Realizing the wisdom of the
yogi, the man thought, What if I
go further than the silver mine?
He went deeper into the forest.
This time he discovered a gold
mine. Digging out the gold, he
went to the market and made
even more money than he had
made with the silver.
The words of the yogi now car
ried great meaning for the man.
Going further into the forest, he
encountered a diamond mine. He
hit the jackpot. The diamonds he
found led him to earn great
wealth. He realized that the simple
words of the yogi had led him to
greater and greater riches than he
could have ever dreamed.
We are in the same condition as
the man in the story. We are toil
ing away in one part of the forest.
The Masters keep telling us to
awake, arise, and stop not until
the goal is reached. The Masters
tell us, Do not stop, but keep
moving forward. They want us to
go further in our spiritual prac
tices than we have ever gone
before. They do not want us to
rest on our laurels of whatever we
have attained so far. They want us
to go higher and higher. To do
this, we need to put in more and
more effort. We should take stock
of where we are. We should exam
ine the effort we have made to
reach the place we have reached
now. Whatever we have done to
achieve our current state, we
should increase our efforts to
move forward.
If we see pinpoints of light or
lights of any color, we should
meditate longer or more accurate
ly until we see the inner sky or
stars. If we see the inner stars, we
should meditate more accurately,
or put in more time to see the
inner moon or sun. If we are see
ing the inner moon or sun, we
should meditate with more accu
racy, more zeal, more passion, or
more time to see the radiant form
of the Master. If we have reached
the first realm within, the astral
realm, we should progress further
to the causal realm. If we have
reached the causal realm we
should transcend to the supra
causal realm. If we have reached
the supracausal realm, we should
transcend further to Sach Khand
and merge back in God.
(To be continued....)
Sant Rajinder Singh Ji
Maharaj is an internationally
recognized spiritual leader
and Master of Jyoti
Meditation who affirms the
transcendent oneness at the
heart of all religions and
mystic traditions, emphasizing
ethical living and meditation
as building blocks for
achieving inner and outer
peace. www.sos.org.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info August 5-11, 2017
TheSouthAsianTimes.info August 5-11, 2017