www.theindianpanorama.news

# 1 Indian American Weekly: Since 2006

VOL 7 ISSUE 37 ● DALLAS ● SEPT 20 - 26, 2019 ● ENQUIRIES: 646-247-9458

HINDI TEACHERS NEEDED FOR STARTALK HINDIPROGRAMS 2020 IN NJ AND PA

Breaking news One dead, five hurt in Washington, DC

shooting: PoliceWASHINGTON (TIP): Gunfire

erupted on the streets of Washington,D.C., on Thursday, Sept 19 night, not farfrom the White House. 1 person waskilled, and 5 others wounded, police said.It was not immediately clear if a suspecthad been taken into custody in theincident, but a law enforcement sourcetold Reuters it was not considered an"active shooter" situation. The sourcesaid the 5 wounded victims of theshooting were expected to survive theirinjuries. The gunfire erupted in theColumbia Heights neighborhood, abouttwo miles from the White House. ABCaffiliate WJLA-TV posted images onTwitter of ambulances carrying victimsfrom the scene and said there had been a"massive" police response at theintersection of 14th Street and ColumbiaRoad. Local TV station FOX-5 reported,that 6 people were shot in the incident,shortly after 10 pm eastern time.

Trump to Join ‘Howdy Modi’: Delightedfor Special Gesture, Says Modi

WASHINGTON (TIP): India's PrimeMinister Narendra Modi expresseddelight at the news of US PresidentDonald.J.Trump joining the specialcommunity program, 'Howdy Modi', inHouston, Texas on September 22. PrimeMinister said that U.S President'sparticipation signifies the specialfriendship between India and USA.

Terming President Trump'sparticipation in the event as a specialgesture, Prime Minister said that ithighlights the strength of the India-USbilateral relationship and recognition ofthe contribution of the Indiancommunity to American society andeconomy.

Prime Minister Modi tweeted, "Aspecial gesture by @POTUS, signifyingthe special friendship between Indiaand USA!

contd on Page 20Prime Minister said that U.S President's participation signifies the special friendship between

India and USA

Hawkish Netanyahufails to win majority in

Israeli Elections Gantz rejects Netanyahu's

offer for unity govt

JERUSALEM (TIP): Israeli PrimeMinister Benjamin Netanyahu failedto win a ruling majority in an electionthat produced a virtual tie betweenhis right-wing bloc and a center-leftgrouping contd on Page 20

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu faces ableak future in view of the corruption

charges against him

‘Howdy Modi’ brings together IndianAmericans, Hindu Americans: Tulsi Gabbard

WASHINGTON (TIP):

"Howdy Modi" is bringingtogether Indian Americansand Hindu Americans fromacross the U.S., Democraticpresidential aspirant and thefirst Hindu woman in the U.S.Congress Tulsi Gabbard said.

Ms. Gabbard, 38, onSeptember 19 extended a warmwelcome to Prime MinisterNarendra Modi for hisupcoming U.S. visit beginningon Saturday, September 21."I'm very happy to see thatHowdy Modi is bringingtogether Indian-Americansand Hindu Americans fromacross our country, includingmany of my colleagues in theU.S. Congress," Ms. Gabbardsaid. Prime Minister Modi willattend a large gathering withan audience of over 50,000 atthe NRG Stadium in

contd on Page 20

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard welcomingModi during his earlier visit to US

India's outreach, engagement at74th UNGA session to be

unprecedented: Amb Akbaruddin NEW YORK

CITY (TIP): India'sengagement andoutreach at the 74thsession of the UNGeneral Assembly,set to begin herenext week, isunprecedented andPrime MinisterNarendra Modi'svisit to the worldorganization willresult in concrete,tangible, action-oriented outcomes, India's Permanent Representativeto the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said.

Akbaruddin, briefing reporters at thePermanent Mission of India to the UN Thursday onIndia's priorities and engagements at the UnitedNations during the high-level session said the extent ofIndia's outreach at the General Assembly this year isunprecedented. He said a total of over 75 Heads of Stateand Foreign Ministers will be meeting with Modi,

contd on Page 20

Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin ,Permanent Representative of India tothe United Nations briefing media at

the Permanent Mission of India inNew York, September 19

Photo / Jay Mandal-on assignment

Yuva Hindi Sansthan and Hindi Sangam Foundation, invite Hindi teachers to work at 2020 STARTALK programs (proposed). We areplanning 2020 programs in Pennsylvania (June 29 to July 16, 2020) and in New Jersey (July 27-Aug 13, 2020). Free localaccommodation for teachers from outside of PA or NJ; Qualified teachers are: Team players and reliable; Willing to rigorous professionaldevelopment training (online) prior to the program dates; Knowledgeable about India's diverse cultural traditions, Geography andHeritage; STARTALK principles for effective teaching and learning; Experience in teaching a STARTALK student program; Developingperformance tasks, learning plans; Working in or strong knowledge of the US educational system a plus.

Email: aojha2008@gmail.com

2 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019ADVERTISEMENT

3THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 INDIANS ABROAD

Indian AmericanObama Aide Named

COO of BidenCampaign

WASHINGTON (TIP): Team Bidenhas hired Maju Varghese, a topObama White House aide to help runthe operational side of the Bidencampaign. Varghese has been hiredby former Vice President Joe Biden'spresidential campaign as its ChiefOperating Officer and Senior Advisor.

Varghese served as an assistant toformer President Barack Obama formanagement and administration andas deputy director of advance at theWhite House, where he managed day-to-day operations.

"Nice to see the field come aroundand support @BarackObama again.Thing is, @JoeBiden has been thereall along. We need to build on theObama legacy, not tear it down. That'swhy I stand with Joe Biden", hetweeted.

Indian-American Couple's SingleLargest Donation Opens New Era of

Opportunity for StudentsCLEARWATER, FL (TIP): Nova

Southeastern University's (NSU) newTampa Bay Regional Campus hasdebuted in Clearwater, Fla, which wasmade possible through a generousdonation by Drs. Kiran C. and PallaviPatelof $230 million to NSU - $80 million.

The 311,000-square-foot facility at 3400Gulf to Bay Boulevard features cutting-edge classrooms, expansive commonareas and a two-story fitness center.

"We are immensely proud of thisbeautiful and state-of-the-art campus, atrue Herculean effort by Moss, BakerBarrios, ACAI, all of our contractors,and of course, our dedicated NSU team,"said Dr. George Hanbury, President andCEO of NSU. "However, none of thiswould have been possible without Drs.Patel and their generous contributions oftheir time, their talent and theirfortune."

In celebration of its arrival and NSU'sexpanded footprint in Florida, theuniversity in collaboration with Drs.Kiran C. and Pallavi Patel held a ribboncutting to mark this significantoccasion. More than 500 attendees cameout to participate in the revelry and totake in the completed building andgrounds.

NSU has been providing a wide rangeof educational programs in the TampaBay area since 1991. The new campusoffers a broader curriculum and whenfully occupied, it will haveapproximately 2,000 students and 125faculty and staff.

The Tampa Bay Regional Campus is

home to several educational programs,including serving as a branch site forNSU's Dr. Kiran C. Patel College ofOsteopathic Medicine. It welcomed itsfirst class of 150 students in August 2019.

"It is more important than ever toadvance the current state of healthcare," said Dr. Kiran C. Patel. ""I believethat NSU is the future of multi-disciplinary medical education andtogether, we will be able to capitalize onan opportunity that will be beneficial tomillions of human lives-many right herein Florida and so many others aroundthe globe."

This new campus is home to the Ronand Kathy Assaf College of Nursing, theDr. Pallavi Patel College of Health CareSciences, NSU's College of Psychology

and the Abraham S. Fischler College ofEducation and School of CriminalJustice. Some of the areas of studyinclude cardiovascular sonography andspeech language communicationdisorders programs, master's degreecandidates in anesthesia, clinical mentalhealth counseling, criminal justice,developmental disabilities, family nursepractitioner, psychiatric mental health,school counseling, speech-languagepathology and national security affairsand several online programs.

The NSU campus will focus onproviding dynamic, personalized, multi-disciplinary education for graduateswho want to become leaders with anedge over their competition in theworkforce.

This new campus was made possible through a generous donation by Drs. Patel of $230 millionto NSU - $80 million in gifts and a $150 investment in real estate and facilities to build the new

campus Photo / Courtesy NSU

President Barack Obama talks with MajuVarghese in Cannes, France, in 2011

Photo / courtesy Pete Souza/White House

Dhruva Jaishankar Named Director of ORF US Initiative

Indian Americans from New YorkArrested for Distributing Millions of

Opioid Pills Imported from IndiaNEW YORK (TIP):

Dhruva Jaishankar, theson of External AffairsMinister S. Jaishankar,has been namedObserver ResearchFoundation (ORF) thinktank's Director of its USInitiative.

His research hasspanned issues such asIndia-US relations, India's relations in Asiaand the Indo-Pacific, the interaction oftechnology with politics, and defense andnational security. From 2012 to 2016, at theGerman Marshall Fund in Washington DC,Dhruva managed the India TrilateralForum - a policy dialogue involvingparticipants from India, Europe, and theUnited States. Dhruva has been a DavidRockefeller Fellow with the TrilateralCommission and an IISS-SAIS MerrillCenter Young Strategist. He contributesregularly to the Indian and internationalmedia on security and internationalaffairs. ORF began its journey in 1990 at the

juncture of ideationtempered bypragmatism. During theperiod of India'stransition to a newengagement with theinternational economicorder, several challengesemerged, evoking a needfor an independentforum that could

critically examine the problems facing thecountry and help develop coherent policyresponses. ORF was thus formed, andbrought together, for the first time, leadingIndian economists and policymakers topresent the agenda for India's economicreforms.

ORF's aim is to encourage voices from allquarters, geographies and gender, boththose that fall in and those that questiondominant narratives. It is this plurality ofthought and voice - in a country of over abillion individuals - that ORF seeks to carryabroad, while simultaneously bringingcontemporary global debates to India.

Dhruva has been a David RockefellerFellow with the Trilateral Commission

NEW YORK (TIP): On Sept 12, acomplaint was unsealed in federalcourt in Brooklyn charging eightdefendants of Indian origin, EzhilSezhian Kamaldoss, Harpreet Singh,Parthiban Narayanasamy, BaljeetSingh, Deepak Manchanda, Gulab,Mukul Chugh and Vikas M. Vermawith conspiring to possess with intentto distribute a controlled substancecontaining Tramadol, a syntheticopioid. The defendants were arrestedSept 12 morning and made initialappearances before United StatesMagistrate Judge Lois Bloom.

Since approximately January 2018,law enforcement agents with FDA-OCI, USPIS, HSI, CBP, DEA, FBI andother agencies have beeninvestigating the large-scaleimportation of misbranded controlledsubstances, including Tramadol, intothe United States from India. As part

of the defendants' scheme,distributors in India shippedmisbranded Tramadol and otherdrugs to individuals and entities inthe United States through the U.S.mail and other commercial couriers.The defendants primarily operatedout of a warehouse in Queens wherethey repackaged the pills and mailedthem to customers throughout theUnited States. The defendantsmaintained daily ledgers detailing thenames, addresses, pill size and pillamounts ordered by customers.During the course of theinvestigation, the defendantsdistributed millions of Tramadolpills. Ezhil Sezhian Kamaldoss is alsocharged with money laundering. Ifconvicted, Ezhil Sezhian Kamaldossfaces up to 25 years' imprisonment.The remaining defendants each faceup to five years' imprisonment.

4 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019US

Free BasicEnglish

classes for non-English

speakingpeople

QUEENS, NY

(TIP): The City ofNew York will beproviding the classesto non-Englishspeaking peoples inbasic English. Theclasses are free ofcharge and those whocomplete the requiredsessions will beawarded thecertificates, accordingto informationprovided by HarpreetSingh Toor, Co-Founder, President,South Asians forGlobal Empowerment.

The classes willstart onSeptember 22nd.The timings are asfollows:12:00 - 2:00 PM

There are going to bea total of 10 sessionsand the classes will beheld on Sunday's only.

For more information:(516) 448-8722

Stellar Line up of Panelists Arranged for Threads 2019 ConferenceBOTON, MA (TIP): 'Threads 2019' the

dynamic conference organized by theWorld Hindu Council of America hasfinalized a stellar line of speakers for thisevent which is to be held from Nov.1-3 atthe Woburn Hilton in Woburn, MA.

Expansive in its reach, the conferencewill feature a dozen sessions that coversseveral areas of engagement. Achieversin each field will discuss theirexperiences and engage in conversationsthat speak of their impact on the societyat large. As Dr. Sailesh Rao, Director,Climate Healers said, it will be the "first ofits kind conference to tell the story ofHindus in the western world."

While there is a broad sense of thesuccess of Indians in the US, theconference aims at holding a periscope tomore closely document what that means.Paramacharya Sadasivanathaswami,who edits the popular 'Hinduism Today'noted, "the time has come to celebrate andto thoughtfully reckon the impact ofHinduism on American society."

The Indian American community hasrecently burst into the political scenewith energy. Among those are electedstate officials Niraj Atani and PadmaKuppa who will be on hand, along withothers, in a session on public service andadvocacy. The panel will focus oncultivating skills and creating networksfor young Hindu-Americans and study

the positive values of Hindu thought liketruth and moderation in the publicsquare. Philanthropy is another areawhere Hindu-Americans give back to anation that has embraced them sogenerously. Experts in this session, likeformer Obama administration officialNishith Acharya and Megha Desai of theDesai Foundation will talk about how thestrategy of giving can be crafted, so thereis optimal end use of funds as well aspersonal fulfillment.

From the world of business are twosessions. "Exploring Opportunities in theUS-India Relationship", moderated by Dr.Mukesh Aghi, President and CEO of thehigh-profile US India StrategicPartnership Forum, will look at theopportunities in the India - UScommercial relationship as well as theimpact of this relationship on the globaleconomy. Jit Saxena, a leading figure inthe data and analytical industry and RamSudireddy, a serial entrepreneur, alongwith others, will discuss what it takes to,"think outside the box," in a panel thatwill focus on, "Innovation - Thinking Non-Linearly."

The session on medicine, pharmacyand biotech will investigate not only howaccess to life saving therapies andtechnologies can be effectively made toreach all but, how it can be done ethically;a case in point being gene editing.

Panelists will include experts inradiology, vaccines and drugmanufacturers.

Education as a building block for acommunity and a nation has speakerswho cover the gamut - college student,high school teacher and professors at ivyleagues. In another session, eminentprofessors from the fields of physics,medicine and biology will meet withphilosophers to understand andarticulate the connection between the twodisciplines in a discussion titled, "Scienceof Consciousness: Lessons from ModernScience and Vedanta."

Eminent Professor at Oklahoma StateUniversity, Subhash Kak expects, "theamazing spiritual tradition we have inIndia which is increasingly finding aplace in the intellectual and secular fabricof life in the United States of America," tobe of interest not only to IndianAmericans but to other ethnicities too.

The world is now consumed with theidea of holistic living, a long valuedIndian tradition. Ayurveda, naturopathy,yoga, meditation and other aspects will bediscussed to see how emotional, physicaland mental balance at the individual levelleads to a more peaceful society. Dr. StuartRothenberg, the national medical directorof the Transcendental Meditation HealthProfessionals Association, and thekeynote speaker for the holistic panel,

states: "This conference will bringtogether inspiring speakers from a widevariety of fields to share thecontributions of Hindu Americans toadvancing knowledge and improvingquality of life for individualseverywhere".

India's diverse performing arts arerenowned. Along with writers and visualartists like Philip Goldberg and MalathiIyengar, musicians and dramatists will, inan interactive session, tell the story ofhow they have kept their unique artforms alive and relevant, here inAmerica.

The inspiring and thoughtfully curatedsessions, which will provide a wealth ofinformation to attendees, will becomplemented with other programmingtoo, according to Conference Convener Dr.Jai Bansal. He said, "there will belightening talks on unique ideas andprojects, while poster presentations onvarious subjects will provide visualenhancement of various Hindu-American themes."

For more information and toregister: www.threads2019.org.

The World Hindu Council of America isan independent, nonprofit and volunteer-based charitable organization serving theneeds of the Hindu community in the USsince 1970.

US hostage negotiatoris new NSA

WASHINGTON (TIP): US President DonaldTrump on Wednesday, Sept 18, named his chiefhostage negotiator Robert O'Brien as the newNational Security Adviser to replace John Bolton,who was fired last week.

O'Brien, who has been serving as the specialenvoy for hostage affairs at the Department ofState, has been chosen for the role, Trump tweeted.

"I am pleased to announce that I will name RobertC O'Brien, currently serving as the very successfulSpecial Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs atthe State Department, as our new National SecurityAdviser. I have worked long and hard with Robert.He will do a great job!" he said.

In his role as special presidential envoy forhostage affairs, O'Brien works with families ofAmerican hostages and advises on related issues,including recovery policies. O'Brien would beTrump's fourth national security adviser of hispresidency. (With inputs from PTI)

Robert O'Brien ( behind Trump) has been named NationalSecurity Advisor

SAUDI OIL ATTACK ACT OF WAR: US

Meets Abu Dhabi crown prince, favours peacefulresolution of crisis

ABU DHABI / WASHINGTON (TIP):

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo onThursday said he preferred a “peacefulresolution” to a crisis sparked by attackson Saudi oil infrastructure, as Iranwarned against “all-out war”.

Pompeo has blamed Iran for theweekend assault on two facilities whichwiped out half of the Saudi oilproduction, dismissing its denials andcondemning the “act of war”.

The rhetoric has raised the risk of anunpredictable escalation in the tinderboxregion where Saudi Arabia and Iran arelocked in a decades-old struggle fordominance.

Visiting the United Arab Emirates,Pompeo, however, said his country wouldprefer a “peaceful” solution to the crisis.“We’d like a peaceful resolution,” he said.“I hope the Islamic Republic of Iran seesit the same way,” he said after talks withthe leaders of the UAE.

Iran’s Foreign Minister MohammadJavad Zarif earlier warned any US orSaudi military strike on Iran could cause“all-out war”. “We don’t want war, wedon’t want to engage in a militaryconfrontation,” he said in an interviewaired on Thursday. “But we won’t blink to

defend our territory” he added.Pompeo arrived in Abu Dhabi from the

Saudi city of Jeddah, where lateWednesday he met Crown PrinceMohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’sde-facto ruler who has said the assaultposes a “real test” of global will.

The two sides agreed “the Iranianregime must be held accountable for itscontinued aggressive, reckless, andthreatening behaviour”, StateDepartment spokeswoman MorganOrtagus said. “The attack not onlythreatened Saudi Arabian nationalsecurity, but also endangered the lives ofall the American citizens living andworking in Saudi Arabia”, she added. —AFP

Iran FM sends warningAny US or Saudi military strike against

Iran would bring ‘all-out war’, Tehransaid on Thursday, keeping up a drumbeatof warnings to its adversaries

“I am making a very serious statementthat we don’t want war; we don’t want toengage in a military confrontation ... Butwe won’t blink to defend our territory,”Iranian Foreign Minister MohammedJavad Zarif.

5THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 US

Indian Americans Urge Ro Khanna to withdrawfrom Congressional Pakistan Caucus

WASHINGTON (TIP):

Representatives of a diverse coalition ofover 230 Hindu and Indian Americanorganizations, professional associations,and leaders representing hundreds ofthousands of community members fromacross the United States met withRepresentative Ro Khanna (D-CA) onSept 15 to hand deliver a letterexpressing their serious concern overhis recent actions and statements onissues relating to the IndianSubcontinent and the diaspora.

The letter comes on the heels of anadmission by Pakistan Prime MinisterImran Khan that his country has usedU.S. foreign aid to train terrorists, aswell as several irresponsible statementsby Khan threatening nuclear waragainst India over the last few weeks.

It also comes as a Hindu school, threetemples, and several Hindu homes werevandalized by a mob in Ghotki inPakistan's southern Sindh provinceearlier today.

Specifically, the letter states that Rep.Khanna's "membership in [the

Congressional Pakistan] Caucus iscontrary to both American principlesand our geostrategic interests in theIndian Subcontinent and the broaderSouth Asian region." It urges him towithdraw from the Caucus and writedirectly to "Pakistani Prime MinisterImran Khan and meet with AmbassadorAsad Majeed Khan to address Pakistan'songoing use of terrorism to destabilizethe region and its rampant and severehuman rights violations."

Khanna became the first IndianAmerican who joined the CongressionalPakistan Caucus last month. He is alsothe member Congressional Caucus onIndia and Indian Americans, which isthe largest country-specific caucus inthe House of Representatives.

The letter further raises concernswith Rep. Khanna's recent tweet whichin effect endorsed the views of "a fringeand extremist anti-Hindu activist, PieterFriedrich," and asked him to issue aclarifying statement that Khanna didnot endorse Friedrich's views and tospeak out vociferously against any

individuals including but not limited toFriedrich who espouse hateful andbigoted views about Hindu Americansand Hinduism.

Friedrich frequently appeared atCalifornia State Board of Educationhistory textbook hearings the last fewyears, where he harassed HinduAmerican children and parents waitingto testify about their experiences withbullying in the classroom. He has alsodemonized Hindus merely for assertingtheir religious identity and mockedHinduism at anti-Hindu rallies bydenigrating Hindu respect for cows,amongst other racist activities. Inaddition, a significant part ofFriedrich's activism has focused on theremoval of Gandhi statues from publicplaces. He has even gone so far as toassert that the father of nonviolence as apolitical movement supported Hitler.

Finally, the community urged Rep.Khanna to make a formal statement forthe Congressional record highlightingthe ethnic cleansing of over 350,000Kashmiri Hindu Pandits, the indigenous

people of the Kashmir Valley who weredriven from their homes by a Pakistansponsored Islamist militant campaignthree decades ago.

Hindu and Indian Americancommunity leaders in attendance saidthey looked forward to Rep. Khannaaddressing the issues they raised in aconcrete and positive manner.

Khanna became the first IndianAmericanwho joined the Congressional

Pakistan Caucus last month

'PM Modi, Donald Trump to meet twice nextweek,' confirms Indian Envoy

WASHINGTON (TIP): Prime MinisterNarendra Modi and US President DonaldTrump are scheduled to meet twice in lessthan a week this month, India'sAmbassador to the United States hasconfirmed, asserting that the India-USstrategic relationship has the "potentialto become the "defining partnershipwithin this century".

Since his re-election in May this year,Prime Minister Narendra Modi and USPresident Donald Trump have alreadymet twice. The previous two meetings ofthe two leaders were on the sidelines ofthe G20 summit in Japan and the G7Summit in France this summer.

Later this week, when PM Modi visitsin the US for the UN General Assemblysession, they "are scheduled to meet twicemore", Indian envoy Harsh VardhanShringla told a Washington audience onWednesday, September 18.

So, they would have "four meetings inthe span of a few months," Shringla saidduring the 'India on the Hill: Charting aFuture for Indo-US Relations' eventjointly organized by two think tanks - TheHeritage Foundation from the US andObserver Research Foundation (ORF)from India.

PM Modi is scheduled to arrive inHouston on Saturday. A day later,President Trump would join him inaddressing the mega "Howdy, Modi"community event to be attended by morethan 50,000 Indian Americans.

The two leaders are again scheduled tomeet later in the week in New York on thesidelines of the UN General Assembly

sessions."They will meet on 22nd September. The

US President is joining the PrimeMinister in addressing a huge Indiandiaspora event in Houston and they willalso meet on the margins of the UNGA inNew York," Shringla said.

Though PM Modi and Donald Trump'spredecessor Barack Obama have therecord of the maximum number ofmeetings between the leaders of the twocountries, this is the first time that theIndian Prime Minister and the AmericanPresident would be meeting four timeswithin a span of four months.

"It's really reflective of the nature of the(India-US) relationship," Shringla saidwhile participating in a panel discussionduring the first-of-its-kind two-day event.

"India-US strategic partnership hasemerged as one of the key bilateral

relationships from the start of thiscentury and has the potential to becomethe defining partnership within thiscentury," he said.

The ambassador also said that thebuilding blocks of this strategicpartnership was the security cooperationwhich has emerged now in place.

Shringla highlighted that it wasimportant to note how far the twocountries have come in a short span of adecade since the civil nuclear agreement.

India and the United States have signedthe Communications Compatibility andSecurity Agreement (COMCASA), theLogistics Exchange Memorandum ofAssociation (LEMOA). Several otheragreements are at different stages ofdiscussion, he said.

The two countries now conduct morebilateral exercises with each other than

they do with any other country. Bilateralexercises held annually include Malabar(naval exercise that also includes Japan),Cope-India (Air Force), Yudh Abhyas(Army) and Vajra Prahar (SpecialForces), Shringla said.

India also participates in the annualRIMPAC exercises as well as in Red Flagexercises which are US-led multinationalexercises. Indian defense procurementsfrom the US have also seen a tremendousgrowth, he said.

"We have also instituted the 2+2Dialogue - a joint meeting between theForeign and Defense Ministers of the twocountries," the Indian diplomat said.

The two countries also engage throughTrilateral Summit level meetingsbetween India, the US and Japan as wellas Quadrilateral DG-level meetingsbetween India, the US, Japan andAustralia.

"It is worth mentioning that we alsohave a bilateral maritime securitydialogue and several other defensecooperation dialogue mechanisms,"Shringla said.

"A key area that has seen close bilateralcooperation is counter-terrorism. Wehave a Joint Working Group onCounterterrorism (JWGCT) and aDesignations Dialogue. This cooperationalso spills over into multilateral fora."

"The listing of the Jaish-e-Mohammed(JeM) chief Masood Azhar by the UNSecurity Council in May 2019, in the wakeof the Pulwama terrorist attack, is onesuch instance," he said.

(Source: PTI)

Prime Minister NarendraModi and US President

Donald Trump arescheduled to meet twice in

less than a week thismonth, India's Ambassador

to the United States.

File Photo

6 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019INDIA

RAKESH BHADAURIA TO BE NEW IAF CHIEF

NEW DELHI (TIP): AirMarshal Rakesh KumarSingh Bhad-auria, whoplayed a key role innegotiating the Rafale deal,will be the next Chief of AirStaff, the Governmentannounced on September 19.

Bhadauria, who took overas the Vice Chief of theIndian Air Force in May thisyear, will take charge from the incumbent Chief B SDhanoa on September 30 on his superannuation.

“Government has decided to appoint Air MarshalRKS Bhadauria, PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC, presentlyVice Chief of Air Staff as the next Chief of the AirStaff,” Defence Ministry’s Principal spokesperson,said on Twitter.

“He commanded Flight Test Squadron at Aircraft& System Testing Establishment (ASTE) & was theProject Director of National Flight Test Centre onLight Combat Aircraft (LCA) project. As DCAS, hewas instrumental in the finalisation of contract ofRafale aircraft for IAF,” the IAF tweeted.

Bhadauria, the senior most officer in the Air Forceafter Dhanoa, was to retire on September 30, thesame day as Dhanoa.

Govt to implement single-useplastic ban in several phases

NEW DELHI (TIP): The Modi government’sdecision to eliminate disposable, single-use plastic islikely to be carried out over several phases, withofficials ruling out an outright ban, an officialfamiliar with the matter said.

A national policy on single-use plastics currentlybeing put together is proving to be a humongous taskinvolving inputs from several ministries, led by theconsumer affairs ministry. Currently, consultationsare underway with plastic industry, while technicalinputs have also been sought from environmentalexperts and economists.

Officials are preparing to release the contours ofthe policy by October 2, Mahatma Gandhi’s 150thbirth anniversary, the official cited above said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call on August 15to eliminate the use of these polluting items by 2022has been widely welcomed, but banning a hugechunk of the informal economy could come with itsown costs. “It will most likely be a phase-wise plan.Single-use plastics are not all of one type or onestandard. Some are less polluting than others, whilesome leave the worst impact,” the official said.

Disposable plastics, which have the “lowestrecyclability” and “highest harm factor”, meaningthey are the least biodegradable and with the lowestpossibility of being reconverted, are likely to bebanished first, the official said.

Government bans e-cigarettesciting health risk to youth

NEW DELHI (TIP): Union Finance MinisterNirmala Sitharaman Wednesday said the UnionCabinet had approved an ordinance banningproduction, import, distribution and sale ofelectronic cigarettes. Sitharaman, who headed aGroup of Ministers (GoM) on the issue, said thedecision to ban e-cigarettes was taken as they were ahealth risk to the youth.

“The Union Cabinet has given the approval to bane-cigarettes. It means the production,manufacturing, import/export, transport, sale,distribution, storage and advertising related to e-cigarettes are banned,” Sitharaman said at a pressconference in New Delhi.

Quoting reports, Sitharaman said for some youthse-cigarettes were becoming a “style statement”.“Reports say that there are some who are probablygetting into the habit of e-cigarettes as it seems cool.It is believed that there are more than 400 brands,none of which is manufactured yet in India. Andthey come in over 150 flavours,” she said.

We meet criteria for preferentialtrade status, India tells US

NEW DELHI (TIP): India onThursday said that it meets thecriteria for the Generalised Systemof Preferences and the US shouldtake a call on reinstating the tradeconcessions. New Delhi’s commentscame a day after 44 influential USlawmakers called upon the DonaldTrump administration to reinstateIndia as a beneficiary of the schemeof duty-free import for developingnations.

“Generalized System ofPreferences is a unilateral decision,given by countries to othercountries based on certain criteria.We are a developing country, wemeet those criteria,” said foreignsecretary Vijay Gokhale in a pressbriefing before Prime MinisterNarendra Modi’s US visit.

In June this year, the US hasremoved India from the removedIndia from the list of beneficiariesunder the GSP which allowed duty-free entry of Indian goods to US.India sold an estimated $6.3 billionworth of goods to the US under thisprogramme in 2018. Washington

had cited lack of reciprocal marketaccess by New Delhi as the reasonfor doing so.

In a letter to US TradeRepresentative Robert Lighthizer, agroup of US House members saidending the preferential status forIndia is costing their constituentsevery day. The support for India wasbipartisan with 26 Democrats and18 Republicans signing the letter.The group of lawmakers was led byCongressmen Jim Himes and RonEstes.

The policies, the lawmakersobserved, negatively affect UScompanies which were trying toaccess the Indian market. “SeveralUS industries filed petitions underGSP’s market access criterion,which were accepted for review inApril 2018. Ultimately, failure tomake sufficient progress on theissues led to termination of India’sGSP eligibility on June 5, 2019,” theUS lawmakers said in the letter.

Latest data by the Coalition forGSP shows that India losing thetrade preferential status meant thatAmerican companies lost about $30million in July.

New Delhi has been one of thebiggest beneficiaries of theGeneralised System of Preferencesscheme that allowed zero tariffentry to some imports from 120countries.

The GSP is the largest and oldestUS trade preference programmeand meant to promote economicdevelopment by allowing duty-freeentry for products from thebeneficiary countries.

Have to hug eachKashmiri, create a new

paradise: Modi

NASHIK (TIP): Launching the BJP’s campaign for MaharashtraAssembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday soughtto build the narrative around J&K, saying the government’s pledge onbuilding a “New Kashmir” would be taken up on mission mode.

“Building a New Kashmir is our pledge which will be taken up onmission mode. We have to hug each Kashmiri, create a new paradisethere,” PM Modi said while addressing a public rally at Nashik inMaharashtra.

Taking a dig at Pakistan, PM Modi said a lot of efforts were beingmade from across the border to foment violence in Jammu andKashmir. “Lot of efforts being made from across the border to fomentviolence in Jammu and Kashmir. Everybody knows where the factoryof terrorism functions and who is promoting it,” PM Modi further said.

Putting all speculation to rest, PM Modi said Devendra Fadnaviswould continue as next chief minister of Maharashtra. “Leadership ofDevendra Fadnavis will ensure greater mandate in 2019 Assembly polls.Fadnavis will continue as next CM,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi’s remarks lay to rest the hit-and-run battles betweenvarious second-rung leaders of the BJP and Sena over claims to chiefministership if the alliance won.

Underscoring that the role of Maharashtra in the making of a ‘NewIndia’ would be significant, PM Modi said, “Maharashtra has played asignificant role in last five years under Devendra Fadnavis’ leadership.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during apublic rally in Nashik.

Pak refuses to allowPM Modi use itsairspace; MEA asks itto 'reflect' on decision

NEW DELHI (TIP): Pakistan onWednesday said it has rejectedIndia's request to allow PrimeMinister Narendra Modi's flight touse its airspace for his upcomingvisit to the US via Germany,prompting India to ask its neighbourto "reflect on its decision".

"India had requested Pakistan toallow Modi to use its airspace totravel to Germany on the 21st (Sept)and return on 28th (Sept)," ForeignMinister Shah Mehmood Qureshisaid.

Announcing the decision via avideo statement, Qureshi said theIndian High Commissioner inIslamabad had been informed ofPakistan's decision to not allowprime minister's Modi's special AirIndia One aircraft to fly over thecountry, the Geo News reported.

Reacting to the development, theMinistry of External Affairs said: "This is otherwise grantedroutinely by any normal country.Government of Pakistan shouldreflect upon its decision to deviatefrom well established internationalpractice, as well as reconsider its oldhabit of misrepresenting reasonsfor such unilateral action."

Pakistan had denied permission toPresident Ram Nath Kovind to useits airspace when he was on his wayto Iceland earlier this month

Prime Minister Narendra Modi istravelling to the US on September 21to attend the 'Howdy Modi' diasporaevent on September 22 and addressthe UN General Assembly onSeptember 27.

7THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 INDIA

CHIDAMBARAM’S JUDICIALCUSTODY EXTENDED TILLOCTOBER 3 IN INX CASE

NEW DELHI (TIP): Former Finance Minister PChidambaram will remain in jail till October 3 as aDelhi court on Thursday extended his judicialcustody in connection with the INX Mediacorruption case, saying that the investigation is stillin progress.

Special judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar said there was nochange in the circumstances and noted thatChidambaram has already moved a bail plea beforethe Delhi High Court.

“This court has considered the grounds for policecustody and thereafter for judicial custody andgranted remand accordingly. There is no change inthe circumstances as such. It is not a case where nocase is made out against the accused. Theinvestigation is still in progress. The accused hasalready applied for the bail before the Delhi HighCourt. Therefore as per understanding of this court,the judicial remand of the accused has to beextended. Accordingly, the judicial remand of theaccused is extended till October 3,” the court said.

Chidambaram, lodged in Tihar Jail, was producedbefore the court after his 14-day judicial custodyended on Thursday. The court extended the judicialcustody of Chidambaram after the CBI sought itsextension.

In a first, Defence Minister takessortie in indigenously built Tejas

BENGALURU (TIP): Defence Minister RajnathSingh on Thursday flew in the Tejas fighter aircraftfrom the HAL airport in Bengaluru, becoming thefirst defence minister to fly in the indigenously-builtlight combat aircraft (LCA).

He was accompanied by Air Vice Marshal NTiwari, who is also the Project Director, NationalFlight Test Centre, ADA (Aeronautical DevelopmentAgency) in Bengaluru.

A Defence Ministry official had said on Wednesdaythat the minister would be "taking a sortie" in orderto boost the morale of officers who have beeninvolved in the development of "indigenously-madeTejas".

Room for more rate cuts, says RBI Governor

MUMBAI (TIP): After surprising everyone withfour successive rate cuts this year, RBI GovernorShaktikanta Das today said “there is more room” todo so given the growth deceleration and stableinflation that is likely to stay below target for a yearor so. However, the Governor was quick to add thatthere is little fiscal space for the government tounveil any countercyclical measures to boost thesagging growth and the only way to revive thegrowth engine is to front-load the budgeted capex,hinting that only an easy money policy can helpsalvage the situation.

Since assuming charge mid-December, the Das-ledrate-setting panel has delivered four successive ratecuts, with the fourth one last month being the mostsurprising as he chose to deliver a 35 bps repo cut.With that the RBI has delivered a cumulative 110 bpsrepo reduction since February, yanking down the keybenchmark rate to a nine-year low of 5.40 per cent.

Dr Manmohan Singh conferredJKLU Laureate Award-2019

Dr. Yashpal Goyal in Jaipur

JAIPUR (TIP): Former IndianPrime Minister and renownedeconomist Dr Manmohan Singhreceived the coveted JKLU LaureateAward 2019 for his exemplarycontribution in public service,governance, redefining economyand nation building by JKLakshmipat University (JKLU).

Dr Manmohan Singh, who waselected as Rajya Sabha MP fromRajasthan last month received thisaward at a special function held atMahapura on Ajmer road, nearJaipur on September 7. JKLULaureate Award honors persons ofdistinct intellectual, moral andspiritual caliber, whosecontributions reflect JK Group'svalues, so that young minds areinspired by such role models.

Delivering a Hari ShankarSinghania Memorial Lecture, DrSingh said, "However, presently oureconomy seems to have sloweddown. The rate of growth of GDP isdeclining. The Investment rate isstagnant. Farmers are in distress.The banking system is facing acrisis. Unemployment is going up.We need a well-conceived strategyto make India a five trillioneconomy".

"I think the major long-termchange would come from educationand the rise of the middle classmade possible by economicliberalization. Since Indialiberalized its economy in 1991,millions of people have risen abovethe poverty line. Consumptionpattern has done better, and thedemand for education has grown.And finally, we come to the crux ofmy speech is how to strengthen theroots of democracy in India?" hestressed.

Speaking on strengtheningdemocracy, former Prime Ministerexhorted that serving the federalstructure, the institutions like theSupreme Court, ElectionCommission, CAG, CBI, VigilanceCommission, Information

Commission constituted by thegovernment are expected tofunction independently with theframework of the Constitution.

"We must always promote theobjective to reduce crime andcorruption, consolidate the rule oflaw, enhance credibility, and createan environment conducive forinvestment as an engine of growth",he added.

"To strengthen our democracy, weneed principled, knowledgeable andvisionary leaders in times to come.It needs political parties committedto safeguarding values enshrined inour constitution. For our continuedunity, the government has to deliverjustice, liberty, equality and anenvironment that respects contraryopinions. We have to respect thesupremacy of Parliament and itsprocedures, the rules of thegovernment and precedents', he said.

On communalism and religiousfundamentalism, he said, " Thedivision of people along ethnic andreligious lines and the resultingassertion, posturing andchauvinism of such groups and

ideologies, have often led tonumerous clashes and riots thathave resulted in terrible loss of lifeand property. Every conflict onlyserves to deepen the divide.

Other significant challengesinclude widespread corruption dueto defective governance, terrorism,naxalism and insurgency; risingregionalism; gender bias anddiscrimination; high rates ofunemployment; education andskills development; to name a few,he underlined.

Former PM also suggested somesolutions on striving for universalliteracy and education, rooting outcasteism, indulging in good andinclusive governance, empoweringwomen and girl child, encouragingfree and independent media,nutrition and acceleratingeconomic growth.

Mr Bharat Hari Singhania,Chancellor, JKLU addressed theaugust gathering and explained thephilosophy behind the JKLULaureate Award and the HariShankar Singhania MemorialOration.

Former PM and RS MP Dr Manmohan Singh receives JKLU Laureate Award, a slipsculpture, from Chancellor of JK Lakshmipati University Chairman Mr Bharat HariSinghania. Dr Singh was also presented a citation which looked like a silver scroll.

Photo / courtesy JKLU Media Coordinator

Ayodhya case: SC says hearing likely to end by Oct 18NEW DELHI (TIP): A Supreme

Court bench hearing the Ayodhyatitle dispute case on Wednesdaysaid it hopes to complete thehearing in the matter by October 18.A bench headed by Chief Justice ofIndia Ranjan Gogoi also said thatpetitioners in the case are free toresort to mediation through theapex court appointed panel, but theday-to-day hearing in the casewould continue.

The mediation proceedings willremain confidential, the benchsaid.

“Let us all make a joint effort toconclude the arguments by October18,” CJI Gogoi told the petitionersadding if necessary, court may evenhear it for an extra hour or onSaturdays. On Monday, the apexcourt-appointed mediators

submitted a memorandum to theCJI-led bench, seeking directionson the letters they received fromthe chairman of the Sunni WaqfBoard and Nirvani Akhara callingfor resumption of the mediationprocess.

The Sunni Waqf Board, whichsecured one-third of the disputedland as per the Allahabad HighCourt verdict on September 30,2010, is an original litigant. TheNirvani Akhara is not directly aparty to the present proceedings inthe Supreme Court. Sources saidthe mediators are keen to have a“parallel process of talks alongsidethe arguments going on in court,not in lieu of arguments currentlygoing on”. After the Chief Justiceof India announced that mediationhas “failed”, final hearing on the

14 appeals in the matter is beingheard since August 6. Those infavour of a temple on the siteconcluded their arguments in 16days while those arguing for amosque are yet to finish theirarguments.

The team of mediators,appointed by a bench led by ChiefJustice of India Ranjan Gogoi, wasmandated to explore options for asettlement of the Ayodhya disputebetween the different parties. Itheld a series of meetings with allsides till the Supreme Court askedthem to finally inform them aboutthe results. The mediators, led byretired Supreme Court judgeJustice F M Ibrahim Kalifulla,include Art of Living founder SriSri Ravi Shankar and senioradvocate Sriram Panchu.

8 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019EDITORIAL

On Sunday, September 22, 2019,President Trump will travel toHouston, Texas to underscore the

important 'Close ally" partnershipbetween the USA and India. History willbe made when President Trump appearswith Prime Minister Modi, who willaddress a gathering of over 50,000 IndianAmericans.

This will be the first time, AmericanTV networks, especially Fox Cable willcover Indian Prime Minister because ofthe presence of President Trump. This isa huge benefit to Modi and India and anopportunity to communicate to allAmericans. I hope Prime Minister Modiwill find it fit to speak in English tocapitalize on the opportunity.

WHAT IS THE MEANING AND

IMPACT OF TRUMP-MODI AXIS?

President Trump and Prime MinisterModi met recently in Japan. This wasfollowed by the G-7 meeting in France,where Modi was invited by the French

President. When Modi told Trump thathe was visiting Houston to address theIndian Americans, Trump expressedinterest in attending and Modi invitedhim.

Modi has had several meetings eversince Trump was elected President in2016. So far, all their meetings werefriendly and cordial. If one only observedthe body language contained in thephotographs covering their ratherfrequent encounters, bear hugs, smiles,handshakes and hand holdings onecannot but conclude that they representtrue friendship and love between the USAand India.

WHY TRUMP WOOS INDIAN

AMERICANS? One wonders why Trumpgoes out of the conventional diplomacyand protocol to woo Modi and IndianAmericans. For Trump, the single mostimportant goal is to get reelected in 2020.Trump will do anything to add every votefrom the Indian Americans. Bydemonstrating his "Close ally"relationship and reinforcing it in front of50,000 Indian Americans, Trump wants toadvertise that he is a true friend of India. Although the majority of IndianAmericans are Democrats, Trump'sfriendly gesture and support of Modi andIndia will definitely influence IndianAmericans. Trump-Modi meeting inTexas will definitely have far reachingramifications in India and the USA. Thismeeting could be a footnote of all futureUS-India relations!

Thus, it is now well established that theIndian Americans are an importantfactor in US-India relations. They playedan important role in George W Bushgiving India Civil Nuclear Deal andlifting 30-year technology sanctions.Contrast this with Trump's new policy ofallowing India to transfer 100% of all UStechnologies.

Trump and Modi will be speakingbefore the United Nations GeneralAssembly next week. It is also customaryfor the US President to meet with

important leaders. Therefore, Trumpwill be meeting Modi once again after hismeeting in Houston. For effectivediplomacy and close friendship frequentmeetings create opportunities.

U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS : PresidentTrump has called on the Americanbusinesses to find an alternative toChina. China has violated intellectualproperty rights. Negotiations on tradehave not been going well. There is a tug ofwar with China. One could even saythere is some kind of Cold War betweenthe US and China.

This is a great opportunity for India tocapitalize. India has a comparativeadvantage over China and the USA. Indiahas an oversupply of professionals andskilled labor. Indian has a never- endingsupply of engineers, MBA's,biotechnologists, and other professionals.Modi is confronted with the problem ofhuge unemployment. Americaneconomy has been lagging due toshortage of engineers and technologists.India can solve this problem of America,even as providing jobs to Indians.

Geopolitically, India is the only countrythat can replace China in population andlocation. India is the largest English-speaking country in the world. This isone of the reasons why there are morethan 25 CEO's of Indian origin in Fortune500 corporations including Microsoft,Google, Fedex and others. Apart from theCEOs, almost every major US.corporation has several Indiansoccupying senior management positionsimmediately below the CEO.

AFGHANISTAN : President Trumphas been seeking India's help instabilizing Afghanistan. India has toldTrump that unless and until Pakistanwithdraws its full support of Taliban, noprogress could be made. India has alsoconvinced Trump that Pakistan mustimprison the leaders of various terrororganizations including LeT, JeM, JuDresponsible for attacks on the city ofMumbai and Indian Parliament.President Trump has been pressuringPakistan, but Pakistan so far has failed toarrest and imprison the terror leadersthat the U.N. has identified. OncePakistan withdraws its full support toTaliban, India should be able to help inthe stability of Afghanistan. Indiashould be even able to send its army tohelp Afghanistan maintain peace andstability.

MODERNIZATION OF INDIA :

President Trump has allowed LockheedMartin, United Technologies, Boeing andothers to start manufacturingsophisticated military hardware in India.Such a venture could bring down the costof production of military hardware forAmerican and world consumption. IfModi cooperates and creates favorableenvironment for foreign privateinvestment, the Indian GDP could easilygo up from under 6% now to 10 to 12%.India cannot solve the unemploymentproblem without creating export-oriented industries. If India were toemulate what China did in 1979, Indiacould easily modernize within the next 5to 10 years.

I feel therefore confident that Trump-Modi axis and "Close ally" relationshipwill blossom for the benefit of Trump-Modi axis and "Close ally" relationshipbetween US and India will blossom forthe benefit of both countries andpromote world peace and security.

(Ven Parameswaran, Senior Adviser,Imagindia Institute, New Delhi ; Chairman,

Asian American Republican Committee. Hecan be reached at vpwaren@gmail.com)

"One wonders why Trumpgoes out of the conventionaldiplomacy and protocol to wooModi and Indian Americans.For Trump, the single mostimportant goal is to getreelected in 2020. Trump willdo anything to add every votefrom the Indian Americans.By demonstrating his "Closeally" relationship andreinforcing it in front of50,000 Indian Americans,Trump wants to advertise thathe is a true friend of India .Although the majority ofIndian Americans areDemocrats, Trump's friendlygesture and support of Modiand India will definitelyinfluence Indian Americans."

AS I SEE IT

Meaning and Impact ofTrump-Modi Axis By Ven Parameswaran

Prime Minister Narendra Modi'sfirst visit to the US after hisparty's landslide victory in

elections in last May is being viewed asan affirmation of the friendly relationsbetween the two nations . To add to it isthe decision of President Trump toattend the reception being accorded toModi by the 50,000 strong gathering ofIndian Americans, in Houston onSunday, September 22 which hasbrought in to focus the personalfriendly relationship between PresidentTrump and Prime Minister Modi.

However, besides the optics of the

presence of the two leaders together ,there is much more to Modi's visit andthe presence of Trump at Houston. It isbelieved the two leaders will focus oncertain very important global issues ,one of which may be the latest attackon oilfields in Saudi Arabia for whichUS is laying blame at the door of Iran.The heightened tensions between USand Iran have rung alarm bells all overthe world. Surely, the world does notwant a new zone of conflict in theMiddle East. President Trump may wellseek Modi's cooperation in tighteningthe noose around Iran's neck. Already,Trump has ordered stiffer sanctionsagainst Iran.

President Trump may also discusswith Modi the situation in Afghanistanand his plans to withdraw forces fromthat country. Modi may update Trumpon situation in Kashmir and try todispel any doubts in Trump's mindabout human rights violations inKashmir Valley.

The exchange of views on variousglobal issues just a few days before theyaddress the UN General Assembly willhelp them calibrate their responses.However, on the issue of globalwarming, they will be poles apart. Modiis passionately supportive ofenvironmental protection and firmlybelieves in threats of global warming

while Trump simply scoffs at the idea,much to the chagrin ofenvironmentalists and a whole range ofnations.

The two leaders will surely be seekingto enhance trade and commercebetween their two countries. India willbe looking forward to restoration of themost favored nation status. On the cardsmay be oil and natural gas exports fromUS to India, besides a whole range ofissues.

Indians all over the world, inparticular, the Indian Americancommunity, will watch with interest theoutcome of Prime Minister Modi's visitto the US.

Modi Visit will further Strengthen India-US Ties

The author feels confident that Trump-Modi axis and "Close ally" relationship between US andIndia will blossom for the benefit of both countries and promote world peace and security.

COMMENTProf I.S.Saluja

9THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 PERSPECTIVE

The ducks seem to be lining up for President DonaldTrump to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi atthe IndianAmerican community event slated to be

held on September 22 at Houston.Modi will take the megaphone to address the

IndianAmerican community at the 50,000-capacity NRGStadium, at an event titled as "Howdy America". Nowimagine that Trump is also at the event. Optopolitics ofthe rarest kind will emanate and follow from thecombination.

Will both leaders enter together, walk through theaisles, waving at the crowds, and reach the stagetogether? Will Modi start his address, and Trump sit andlisten to the 40-60 minutes of Modi's speech? And then,will Trump address the audience for 20-30 minutes?Chances are slim for this scenario to play out, for manyreasons. Rather, some alternative version will be ondisplay. One efficient option can be that Modi addressesthe audience, and just as he is ending the address, Trumpwalks in, shouts out a "Howdy Modi!", and joins and hugsModi on stage, to rousing cheers. And then, Modi andTrump together, hand in hand, exit the reception, as thecrowd keeps cheering to the roof. Trump comes to takehis friend Modi, and they together go for a summitmeeting.The optics and politics of Trump at thecommunity event will be powerful. Why would Trumptravel to Houston? Surely not to only attend thecommunity event with Modi. It will have to be forsomething far more than this. Though by attending theevent, Trump could well stand to gain political mileagewith the Indian American community, or is Trump doinga favor by joining the event?

Or, Trump could please the crowds by making a shortannouncement that he will soon be visiting India? A visitby Trump to India in next 3-4 months is of highimportance, perhaps as chief guest to the pageantry ofthe Republic Day Parade at New Delhi on January 26,2020. In any case, remember that there will also need to besome nimble political choreography on site at thecommunity event to keep the messaging on track. Afterall, majority of the Indian American crowd is not veryenthusiastic about Trump, and many of the USlawmakers who will be there to welcome Modi are nosupporters of Trump.

With the community event done, both leaders will moveto hold the summit meeting. This is where the next quidpro quo will unfold. Will it be a mega oil and energy dealbetween the United States and India? Houston being theoil capital of the world, it will make sense as a venue toannounce such a deal. If India does so, then what is thequid pro quo that the United States will offer to India?

Or, will it also be about large-scale shifting ofAmerican companies to India from China, with somemarquee announcements? What about a strong signalfrom America for an FTA (Free Trade Agreement) deal?India is worryingly short of what to do to tackle its

current economic slowdown. A green flag on FTA willpush US investments into India, away from China, andwill therefore be a significant confidence buildingmeasure for the Indian market, and economy. If the USdoes this signaling, then what is the quid pro quo offeredby India?

In any case in matters of trade, there are several itemsoutstanding - ranging from trade deficit, tariffs, marketaccess, to intellectual property rights, and many more.Moving forward on these, in the spirit of quid pro quoand some exchange of favors, moving towards a roadmapfor an FTA could, therefore, be a logical path and outcomeof the summit.

What else can be a bold, innovative exchange betweenthe two leaders, at Houston? On defense? Though therecan be some large deal on defense, there, however, cannotbe a clean break by India in favor of the United Stateswith the total exclusion of Russian supplies in future.The US seems to be realizing this, and India also seems tobe doing some introspection in this matter.

On Afghanistan? This is one area, where both leaderscould do some major innovation. India could provideboots on the ground in Afghanistan - to ring fence andprotect the US camps and troops remaining inAfghanistan after the drawdown ordered by Trump. Ifdecided by India, this can be a quantum game changer.

Right now, India may be at a stage where thegeostrategic interests might weigh in favor of such a stepby India. If India decides so, then the quid pro quo fromthe US must be something that India gets in exchangethat is similarly ground-breaking, and withcommensurate value for India. What can be this valuethat India might demand?

Of course, there are a host of other topics too, equally

important, that shall be discussed, like counterterrorism, Pakistan behavior in the Af-Pak, PoK, andKashmir, and a range of other bilateral, regional, andglobal issues, including reform of world bodies, like theUnited Nations and WTO.

Surprisingly, one big ticket area, which has seensilence so far is related to 5G and Huawei. After the OsakaG-20 summit, Ivanka Trump had made a shortannouncement about the topics discussed. In thatannouncement, she had said that the two countries havedecided to work together in a big way to develop 5Gtechnologies. This can be a game changer.

If the two countries collaborate on 5G it will be amassive exercise in R&D, finance, talent, entrepreneurialand vendor eco-system, market adoption and success inthe face of competition from Huawei and the Europeans.Will the US shepherd billions of dollars in the 5G sectorto India, so that the latter stays away from Huawei, andthe products developed via the US-India collaboration beused in the Indian, US, and other world markets, too?

All the above can be discussed at New York, or inWashington DC, where again there is supposed to be abilateral between Trump and Modi. What was the needfor a separate, additional summit at Houston? Or, is it thatthe Houston rendezvous will piggy-back on themomentum of the community event, announce onemega-deal on oil, announce a state visit by Trump toIndia, and the rest will be taken up in New York orWashington?

When Modi roars "Howdy America", it will beanswered by a resounding "Howdy, Modi" by Trump. Quidpro Quo. Hello, Houston, we have a deal.

(Robinder Nath Sachdev is President of The Imagindia Institute.The views expressed here are personal)

By Robinder NathSachdev

Why would Trump travel toHouston? Surely not to only attendthe community event with Modi. It

will have to be for something farmore than this. Though by

attending the event, Trump couldwell stand to gain political mileage

with the Indian Americancommunity, or is Trump doing a

favor by joining the event?

Modi, Trump at Houston will be all about quid pro quoWHEN MODI ROARS "HOWDY AMERICA", IT WILL BE ANSWERED BY A

RESOUNDING "HOWDY, MODI" BY TRUMP. QUID PRO QUO. HELLO,HOUSTON, WE HAVE A DEAL.

The optics and politics of Trump at the community event will be powerful.

10 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019SOUTH ASIA

20 killed, 90 woundedin suicide bomb in

southern AfghanistanKABUL (TIP): A powerful early-

morning suicide truck bombdevastated a hospital in southernAfghanistan on Sept 19, killing atleast 20 people and wounding morethan 90 others, an official said.

The Taliban took responsibility forthe attack, which destroyed part ofthe hospital in Qalat, the capital ofsouthern Zabul province, and left afleet of ambulances broken andbattered.

Residents, many of whom had cometo see their sick family members,used shawls and blankets to carry thewounded inside the destroyedbuilding, while authorities scrambledto take the worst of the wounded tohospitals in nearby Kandahar.

In the early hours after theexplosion there were contradictoryfigures of the dead and wounded. Theprovincial governor’s spokesman GulIslam Seyal put the death toll at 12 butsaid authorities were on the scenesifting through the debris. Atta JanHaqbayan, head of the provincialcouncil, put the death toll at 20.

The Taliban, who have beencarrying out nearly daily attackssince peace talks with the UnitedStates collapsed earlier this month,said the target was a nearbygovernment intelligence departmentbuilding.

Haqbayan said the wall of theNational Security Departmentbuilding was damaged.

He couldn’t say whether anypersonnel were among the casualties.AP

Suicide bomberdetonates inside

government building ineast Afghanistan

JALALABAD (TIP): A suicidebomber and gunmen wounded at leastnine people, including a child and awoman, in an attack on a governmentbuilding in eastern Afghan on Sept 18,officials said.

The attackers detonated explosivesbefore gunmen poured into thebuilding, said the officials. The officeis a distribution centre in the city ofJalalabad for national identity cards,which people need to vote inAfghanistan's presidential election in10 days.

"Afghan security forces surroundedthe building and are clashing with theattackers in a bid to counter theattack," said Sohrab Qaderi, a councilmember for the city's province ofNangarhar, adding that morecasualties are feared with staff andother people stuck in the building.

No group has claimedresponsibility for the attack.

Much of Afghanistan is on highalert in the days approaching theelection, the country's fourthpresidential poll since United States-led forces toppled the hardline

Pak police detain two classmates inHindu dental student’s mysterious death

KARACHI (TIP): Two classmates of aHindu dental student have been detainedby the police in Pakistan’s Sindhprovince after she was found dead in herhostel room, a media report said onThursday.

Nimrita Chandni, a final-year studentof Bibi Asifa Dental College in Larkanadistrict and a social activist, was foundlying on a cot by her friends on Mondaywith a rope tied to her neck.

The two suspects, both classmates ofChandni, were taken into the custody bythe police after tracing the call data fromthe deceased’s cell phone, Geo Newsreported.

Her room was locked from inside.Police have not yet ascertained whethershe committed suicide or was murdered.

The girl hailed from Ghotki district,which recently witnessed riots after aschool principal from the minorityHindu community was booked oncharges of alleged blasphemy.

Host of pictures and other materials,including exam passes, were found fromChandni’s hostel room, the report said.

The laptop of Chandni was also beinganalysed for possible clues, the reportquoted police as saying.

The Sindh government on Wednesdayrequested the Larkana sessions court toconduct a judicial probe into thestudent’s death after pressure from civilsociety members across the province.

Meanwhile, members of the Hinducommunity, civil society and politicalparties have also demanded theformation of a joint investigation teamto hold a probe into Chandni’s death.

Protesters held rallies in Larkana onWednesday and raised slogans against

the dental college administration,demanding justice.

Experts and officials of the medico-legal section of the health department inKarachi believe that the autopsy reportcarried many flaws and missed key facts.

They said that the ligature mark inpicture was not due to a dupatta.

“It was some rope material,” Dawnnewspaper quoted a senior official, whowished not to be named, as saying.

“The post-mortem findings showsuicide but ligature mark showsstrangulation,” said the expert.

In the post-mortem report, timebetween death and post-mortem was 11-12 hours but the picture appeared to beabout 24 hours old becausedecomposition signs had developed, thereport said.

The experts said that no commentshad been mentioned in the post-mortemreport conducted in Larkana aboutdecomposition.

Instead, it has been mentioned in thereport that the condition of the body was“fresh”. — PTI

Sri Lanka presidential front-runner would restore

relations with China: adviserCOLOMBO (TIP): Sri Lanka’s

leading presidential candidate, GotabayaRajapaksa, would “restore relations”with the country’s top lender China if hewins the Nov. 16 vote, his adviser said onThursday.

President Maithripala Sirisenainitially suspended all Chineseinvestment projects after his election inJanuary 2015, citing allegations ofcorruption, overpricing and flouting ofgovernment procedures.

The following year, the Sirisenagovernment allowed Chinese projects toresume after demanding changes insome. But diplomatic ties have beenstrained since.

Opposition candidate Rajapaksa, aformer defense chief and brother of pro-China former President MahindaRajapaksa, was ready to repair the tieswith China, should he win the Novemberelection, one of his advisers said.

“Now China is looking at usdifferently. When Gotabaya Rajapaksabecomes the president... he will set therecord right and restore the relationshipto where it was,” Palitha Kohona toldreporters in Colombo.

Sirisena sparked a political row thisweek when he alleged corruption at aChinese company contracted to build theLotus Tower, South Asia’s tallest tower.A Sri Lankan parliamentary panel saidit would investigate.

Neither the company nor the Chineseembassy in Colombo has commented onthe allegations. China has repeatedly

denied any wrongdoing in its multi-billion dollar infrastructure projects inSri Lanka.

“I suppose the thinking was if weupset China, the West would come to uswith endless bags of gold... But the bagsof gold never materialized,” Kohonasaid.

Rajapaksa is widely seen as thefrontrunner in November’s election dueto his popularity among Sri Lanka’sSinhala Buddhist majority for his role inending a 26-year civil war in 2009.

However, his candidature is yet to beconfirmed, with uncertainties lingeringover a legal battle related tomisappropriation of funds and hisrenunciation of U.S. citizenship. SriLanka does not allow dual citizens tocontest elections.

Rajapaksa has denied wrongdoing andsays he has already renounced hiscitizenship. (Reuters)

Rajapaksa is widelyseen as the frontrunnerin November’s election

due to his popularityamong Sri Lanka’sSinhala Buddhist

majority for his role inending a 26-year civil

war in 2009.

Baby Chimpanzees’Case Reveals Nepal as a

Trafficking Hot SpotKATHMANDU, NEPAL (TIP): A

Nepali court convicted five men on Sept14 of smuggling baby chimpanzees in ahigh-profile case that bared thecountry’s emergence as a hot-spot forthe trafficking of rare and endangeredanimals through South Asia.

A Pakistani and three Indians weresentenced to five years in prison, saidAnand Shrestha, an official at theKathmandu District Court. A fifth man,a Nepali citizen, was given two and ahalf years for trafficking the twochimpanzees, which were taken fromNigeria and smuggled through Turkeybefore arriving in Nepal in 2017.

In recent years, Nepal has arrestedhundreds of smugglers who have takenadvantage of its porous borders withIndia and China — as well as corruptionin law enforcement and relaxed customsrules — to illegally transport rhinoceroshorns, wool from Tibetan antelopes,rare owls and endangered apes.

Smuggling of apes has become alucrative, multimillion-dollar business.Wildlife activists say thousands ofgorillas, chimpanzees and orangutansare sold on the black market every yearto zoos, exotic-pet owners and evenbrothels.

The case against the smugglers inNepal was filed in December 2017 andinitially included 20 suspects.

To get through customs at Nepal’sinternational airport, the smugglershad stuffed the baby chimpanzees in thecenter of a trapdoor crate, surroundingthem with dozens of parrots, pheasantsand monkeys to disguise their presence.

(New York Times)

11THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 WORLD

Queen returns lost toy monkey toAustralian girl

SYDNEY (TIP): A toy monkeyaccidentally left behind atBuckingham Palace by a five-year-old girl has returned home toAustralia after enjoying royaltreatment by palace staff andgaining a travelling companion — atoy corgi. Harriet, one of six toymonkeys from WoodsideKindergarten in Adelaide, wastaken on holiday to Europe bySavannah Hart and her familywhen it was misplaced. Staffmembers from WoodsideKindergarten wrote to the Queen,asking her to search for the belovedmonkey. The Palace responded thatHarriet was in good care. Harrietsoon arrived back in Australia witha new friend in tow — ‘Rex’ — astuffed corgi from the palace giftshop. Reuters

Paris tests newbubble-shaped watertaxi

PARIS (TIP): Paris is testing outa new form of travel: an eco-friendly bubble-shaped taxi thatzips along the water up and downthe Seine River. Organisers areholding test runs this week on thewhite, oval-shaped electrichydrofoil boats that resemble tinyspace shuttles gliding past Parismonuments. They can fit fourpassengers, and if they getapproved, can be ordered on an applike land taxis, shared bikes orother forms of transport. AP

Fire in Liberia school kills at least 27 children

MONROVIA (TIP): A fire at anIslamic school in Liberia has killedat least 27 children, police said onWednesday.

“The kids were learning theKoran when the fire broke out,”police spokesman Moses Cartersaid.

He added the blaze was caused byan electrical issue and that furtherinvestigations were ongoing.

Carter had originally said 30children were killed before revisingthe death toll down to 27. Twosurvivors were taken to thehospital, he said.

The fire started late on Tuesdayin the suburbs of the capitalMonrovia, President George Weahsaid in a tweet.

“My prayers go out to thefamilies of the children that diedlast night in Paynesville City,”Weah said.

“This is a tough time for thefamilies of the victims and all ofLiberia.” It is common for buildingsto collapse in blazes linked to faultyelectrics in Liberia’s big cities,however these are rarely deadly. —Reuters

UK government insists suspensionof Parliament was not illegal

LONDON (TIP): The Britishgovernment was back at the country'sSupreme Court on Sept 18, arguing thatPrime Minister Boris Johnson's decisionto suspend Parliament for five weeks justbefore the country is set to leave theEuropean Union was neither impropernor illegal.

But the justices pushed back on thesecond day of the historic legalshowdown, which pits the powers ofBritain's legislature against those of itsexecutive as the country's scheduledBrexit date of October 31 looms over itspolitical landscape and its economy.

They asked why the prime ministerhad refused to provide a sworn statementto the court about his reasons for thesuspension.

"Isn't it odd that nobody has signed awitness statement to say: 'This is true.These are the true reasons for what wasdone'?" said one of the judges, NicholasWilson.

The government's lawyer, JamesEadie, conceded that Johnson and his topofficials had not made legally bindingstatements, but said other documents,including Cabinet minutes, had beensubmitted to the court.

Johnson sent lawmakers home onSeptember 9 until October 14, which isbarely two weeks before Britain'sOctober 31 departure from the EU. Heclaims the shutdown was a routinemeasure to enable his Conservativegovernment to launch a fresh legislativeagenda and was not related to Brexit.

Eadie argued that the decision to shutdown Parliament was "inherently andfundamentally political in nature." Hesaid if the court intervened it wouldviolate the "fundamental constitutionalprinciple" of the separation of powersbetween courts and the government.

"This is, we submit, the territory ofpolitical judgment, not legal standards,"Eadie said.

The government's opponents argue

that Johnson illegally shut downParliament just weeks before the countryis due to leave the 28-nation bloc for the"improper purpose" of dodginglawmakers' scrutiny of his Brexit plans.They also accuse Johnson of misleadingQueen Elizabeth II, whose formalapproval was needed to suspend thelegislature.

Aidan O'Neill, lawyer for a group oflawmakers challenging the government,said the suspension had "the intent andeffect of preventing Parliament,impeding Parliament, from holding thegovernment politically to account at atime when the government is takingdecisions which will have constitutionaland irreversible impacts on ourcountry". Eadie denied the primeminister was trying to preventlawmakers from blocking his Brexitplans.

He said "Parliament has had, and hastaken, the opportunity to legislate"against the government, and would havemore time between October 14 andBrexit day.

The prime minister says Britain mustleave the EU on October 31 with orwithout a divorce deal.

But many economists and lawmakersbelieve a no-deal Brexit would beeconomically devastating and sociallydestabilising. Members of Parliamenthave put obstacles in Johnson's way,including a law compelling thegovernment to seek a delay to Brexit if itcan't get a divorce deal with the EU.

Parliament's suspension sparedJohnson further meddling by the Houseof Commons but sparked legalchallenges, to which lower courts gavecontradictory rulings. England's HighCourt said the move was a politicalrather than legal matter but Scottishcourt judges ruled Johnson actedillegally "to avoid democratic scrutiny."The Supreme Court is being asked todecide who was right. The justices willgive their judgment sometime after thehearing ends on Thursday.

A ruling against the government bythe 11 Supreme Court judges could forceJohnson to recall Parliament.— AP

British Airways pilots call off third strikeLONDON (TIP): British Airways

pilots on Wednesday cancelled a strikethat had been due September 27, theBritish Airline Pilots Association unionsaid after two walkouts last week thatcost the company dear. “Someone has totake the initiative to sort out this (pay)dispute and with no sign of that from BAthe pilots have decided to take theresponsible course,” BALPA GeneralSecretary Brian Strutton said in astatement. The union chief added thatthe airline’s “passengers rightly expectBA and its pilots to resolve their issueswithout disruption and now is the timefor cool heads and pragmatism to bebrought to bear.

“I hope BA and its owner IAG show asmuch responsibility as the pilots,” headded.

It was now “time for a period ofreflection before the dispute escalatesfurther and irreparable damage is done

to the (BA) brand.”However, the union added that should

the airline “refuse meaningful newnegotiations, BALPA retains the right toannounce further strike dates”.

British Airways, which likes to callitself “the world’s favourite airline”, flewinto turbulence last week as pilots stageda costly and historic two-day strike,tarnishing its global reputationaccording to aviation analysts.

Pilots walked out for the first time inthe company’s 100-year history, sparkedby a bitter and long-running feud overpay. BA faced the embarrassment ofgrounding its entire UK fleet onSeptember 9 and 10, causing thecancellation of about 1,600 flights.

The move sparked travel chaos forabout 200,000 passengers who had beendue to fly in and out of London’s Gatwickand Heathrow airports.

The disruption continued into

September 11 because half of BA’s 300aircraft and more than 700 pilots weremostly in the wrong place.

As a result, BA was forced to cancelapproximately ten per cent of its daily850 flights in and out of Britain that day.

BALPA and its members aredemanding a bigger share of BritishAirways profits. The airline has offered asalary increase of 11.5 per cent overthree years, which it argues would boostthe annual pay of some captains to200,000 pounds ($250,000 or 226,000euros). However, the union has rejectedthe proposal made in July.

BALPA meanwhile estimates that lastweek’s 48-hour strike cost the airline 80million pounds. BA is owned by IAG,which was formed in 2011 with themerger of British Airways and Spain’sIberia. IAG has since added othercarriers, including Austria’s Vuelingand Ireland’s Aer Lingus. — AFP

I AM NOT READY TO BE AMOTHER: MALLIKA SHERAWAT

MALAIKA ARORAOOZES OOMPH IN HERLATEST INSTAGRAM PIC

Bollywood hottie Malaika Aroranever ceases to stun us with hergorgeous pictures. Her Instagram

handle has millions of followers andserves as an inspiration box for many inwhich she regularly posts her workoutpictures. She truly keeps the style gameat the top all the time.

Just a while ago, Malaika took to herInstagram handle to share a gorgeouspicture. Donning a grey gym fit and blacktights, the actress is oozing oomph in herlatest picture. To complement her look,Malaika put on cool shades and funkysneakers.

The actress has been making it to theheadlines for her relationship withBollywood actor Arjun Kapoor. Fromdinner dates to lunch outing, the couple isoften spotted in the city. The duo alsoringed in Arjun’s birthday in New Yorkand treated fans with several clicks fromtheir romantic getaway.

12 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019BOLLYWOOD

SHAKUNTALA DEVI TEASER: VIDYA BALAN SPORTSSHORT HAIRDO AS ‘HUMAN COMPUTER’

The teaser of Vidya Balan’s upcoming film, theShakuntala Devi biopic is out and shows her in ashort haircut. The actor is set to start the shooting

of the film in London and will be seen as the mathsgenius.

The teaser introduces Vidya’s character in a red sariwith short hair and a bindi as the end of the teaser anddefines her as ‘sharp, arrogant, eccentric, ruthless, witty,outspoken and Ma Genius’. The film is titled ShakuntalaDevi - Human Computer.

Vidya had earlier told PTI about the film, “I amextremely excited to play the ‘human computer’Shakuntala Devi on the big screen. She was trulysomeone who embraced her individuality, had a strongfeminist voice and braved many a naysayer to reach thepinnacle of success. But what truly fascinates me is thatyou wouldn’t normally associate a fun person withmath...and she completely turns that perception on itshead.” Vidya said the team is proud to bring to life thestory of “one of the most inspiring women of thiscountry.” “How incredible that The Math Genius, TheHuman Computer, was a small-town Indian girl, who tookthe world by storm,” she added.

Director Anu Menen told Mid-Day in an interview, “Ihave always been fascinated by Shakuntala Devi and feltthat hers is an incredible story that had to be told. Shewas an extraordinary woman, who lived ahead of hertimes and on her own terms, unapologetically.”

Vidya’s multi-starrer Mission Mangal is stillperforming well at the box office. The film starred

Akshay Kumar, Taapsee Pannu, Sonakshi Sinha, KirtiKulhari and Nithya Menen. The film has become thehighest Independence Day grosser ever with collections

of over Rs 200 crore. It tells the story of India’s MarsOrbiter Mission which was achieved by a team of womenscientists.

She is a globetrotting actor but amid her busyschedule, Mallika Sherawat makes sure tofind time for her nephew Ransher Lamba, her

brother Vikram Lamba’s son. The doting aunt eventook him to the Cannes Film Festival this year.

“I am having a ball with him. I don’t have a childof my own, so Ransher is like my baby. I have thebest time with him. I play with him, cuddle him,travel with him and enjoy the best moments withhim and then give him back to his parents. Nonappy changing duties for me,” the 42-year-oldshares with a laugh.

Since she loves kids so much, does she seeherself as a parent in the near future? But Mallikasays she is not ready for that.

“It is too much of a responsibility which I don’twant. I am petrified of the responsibility of a kid.Abhi toh jaha mann kiya suitcase utha ke chalpadi. If I have a child, I would have to think of thechild all the time. I will go crazy thinking aboutwhich school and all of that. I am happy the way Iam,” she shares.

She may not be open to having kids but Mallika,who dated French businessman Cyrille Auxenfansfor quite some time, is ready for love, again.

“I am single but I would absolutely want to be inlove. Romance is great and it is inspiring. Parkaam se fursat mile kaam se toh na romancekaru,” adds Mallika, who recently starred in aweb series Booo Sabki Phategi and will be seen ina film with Rajat Kapoor. So, has she ever facedany biases because of her single status in India? “Ithink for actresses, the rules are a bit different.There are lots of single actresses not only now butAsha Parekh ke time se. Also Rekhaji. Singleactresses are exempted from all the judgmentswhich regular girls face in the Indian society. Butof course there are still people who look atactresses in a derogatory manner and say insekaun shaadi karega. But In don’t really care aboutall that. I am living my life my own way and I amhaving a ball,” concludes Mallika.

MARGOT ROBBIE TO STAR INAND PRODUCE ‘FOOLS DAY’

LAURA DERN DEBUNKSROMANCE RUMOURS

Actress Laura Dern has dismissed alldating rumours with actor BradleyCooper and said they are just

friends.The 'A Star is Born' actor-director were

seen dining together in New York City,weeks after Cooper's split from hislongtime girlfriend Irina Shayk in June.

Dern said their relationship is strictlyplatonic.

"We're amazing friends. We're so lucky.And we're family," she told an Americannews agency.

"I mean, everybody's always gonnacomment about whatever seemsintriguing, and he's the greatest human,and one of my best friends in the world,"she added. "So I don't blame anyone forhaving deep curiosity about his life causehe's spectacular."

JENNIFER LAWRENCE AND COOKEMARONEY SPARK MARRIAGE RUMOURS

Academy Award-winnerJennifer Lawrence and fianceCooke Maroney sparked

marriage rumours after they werespotted at a marriage bureau in NewYork.

Lawrence was seen in grey blazerand jeans and clutching a piece ofpaper while Maroney sported a whitesweatshirt, reported anentertainment magazine.

One eye witness wrote in a now-deleted tweet, "When you go get yourmarriage license and JenniferLawrence walks by to tie the knotbefore your eyes. Yeah, kids, City Hallis COOL. The place to go!"

Lawrence and Maroney got engagedin February this year and the actressrecently confessed that she hadsuffered a bridezilla moment.

The couple is due to throw a big

wedding party next month and theactress revealed that she broke downin tears after none of her friendscould make it to a bachelorette partyshe had organised.

She told the 'NAKED with CattSadler' podcast: "I've cried. I'veofficially joined the club."

Speaking about the wedding,Lawrence insisted she wasn't nervous,saying, "I've been in a good place. Ihaven't been neurotic about it. I'mlike, too lazy to be neurotic."

"I saw a dress I liked, I was like,'That's the dress.' I saw a venue, I waslike, 'Cool, we got the venue.'"

Lawrence who dated actor NicholasHoult for four years also shared thatmarriage was not on her mind beforeshe met Maroney: "I definitely wasn'tat a place where I was like I'm ready toget married."

13THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 HOLLYWOOD

Singer-actress Jennifer Lopez isready for wedding number four toAlex Rodriguez. She said she and

Alex had a connection from the verybeginning.

It will be the singer's fourth wedding.Her first marriage to Cuban waiter OjaniNoa ended in 1998 after just one year. In2001 she married dancer Cris Judd andgot divorced in 2003. Her third husband,in 2004, was -Latino singer MarcAnthony, father of her 11-year-old twinsMax and Emme. The couple divorced in2014.

But this time, Lopez said the -unionwill be for keeps.

"I think I've understood that marriage

takes a lot more than just falling in loveand sharing a home. Alex and I had aconnection from the very beginning andmaybe could see a future for ourselves,"she said.

"We talked about it a few times. Butwhen he proposed it was a -surprise forme. We love each other, love beingaround each other and have a lot ofrespect for each other. That's a big part ofit.

"Both of us show up for each other andthat's a big deal in a relationship,especially when you are both strongpeople who have two big lives. Thatmeans him -coming to concerts, megoing to his ball game, all that stuff."

JENNIFER LOPEZ: ALEX AND I HADA CONNECTION FROM BEGINNING

The Australian actress may play a teacherat the heart of a prank which goes wrongin this New Line comedy, according to

American media sources. Still in discussions,Margot Robbie is also interested in co-producing "Fools Day" via her productioncompany, LuckyChap Entertainment.

"Fools Day" will tell the story of anelementary school class that accidentally killstheir teacher after playing an April Fool's Dayjoke that goes wrong. Convinced that they willgo to prison if they are ever found out, theyattempt to hide the body before the policearrive to teach them a lesson about the dangersof drug use.

If an agreement is reached, Margot Robbiewould play the teacher, which Variety specifiesis a secondary role. The talks may alsoconclude with Robbie as one of the executiveproducers of this comedy via her LuckyChapEntertainment production company alongsideEdward Norton, who has also been announcedas a producer.

Based on Cody Blue Snider's short film,"Fools Day" will keep its original director, whowill also be writing the screenplay with thehelp of Shane Snider and Keatyn Leen.

Currently appearing in Quentin Tarantino'slatest, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," withBrad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, MargotRobbie will reprise her role as Harley Quinn in"Birds of Prey," set for February 2020, and the"Suicide Squad" follow-up for Summer 2021.

14 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019WORLD

3 Fukushima powerplant bossesacquitted

TOKYO (TIP): A Japanesecourt on Sept 19 cleared threeenergy firm bosses of professionalnegligence in the only criminaltrial stemming from the 2011Fukushima nuclear meltdown.

The three men were seniorofficials at the TEPCO firmoperating the Fukushima Daiichiplant and had faced up to fiveyears in prison if convicted. “Alldefendants are not guilty,” thepresiding judge said, ruling thatthe executives could not havepredicted the scale of the tsunamithat overwhelmed the plant andtriggered the accident.

The decision is likely to beappealed, extending the legalwrangling over responsibility forthe worst nuclear accident sinceChernobyl, more than eight yearsafter the disaster.

Outside the courtroom, dozensof people staged a rally, includingsome who had travelled from theFukushima region to hear theverdict. — PTI

Pilot caught onpower line as F-16jet crashes in France

RENNES (FRANCE) (TIP): AnF-16 jet of the Belgian air forcecrashed Sept 19 in westernFrance, with both pilotssuccessfully ejecting, but onespending two hours hanging froma power line before being cutdown, officials said. Parts fromthe stricken plane, which was notcarrying weapons and was flyingfrom Belgium to a French base ona training mission, crashed intohouses in the Morbihan regionaround the town of Pluvigner. PTI

Belgian fighter jetcrashes in France,pilot hits power line

PARIS (TIP): Frenchauthorities say a Belgian F-16fighter jet has crashed in apopulated area in western Franceand one of its pilots is caught on ahigh-voltage electricity line.

A spokesman for the regionalprefecture, or administration, toldThe Associated Press that theplane crashed on Thursday in thetown of Pluvigner in Brittany.

He said one pilot was safelyrescued and emergency workersare extracting the other pilot fromthe electricity line.

He said the immediate area wasevacuated.

A national police spokeswomansaid no injuries have beenreported among residents in thearea.

She said about 100 police havesurrounded the crash site and areinvestigating what happened. —AP

Canada’s Trudeau apologises for‘racist’ brown-face picture

OTTAWA (TIP): Canadian PrimeMinister Justin Trudeau apologisedon Wednesday for wearing brown facemake-up in 2001 after an embarrassingpicture emerged less than five weeksbefore an election in which he faces atough fight.

The image of a 29-year-old Trudeauwith his face in dark make-up is amajor challenge for a leader who oftenspeaks about the need to fight racialdiscrimination and who has threeprominent ministers of Indian descentin his cabinet.

“I can say I made a mistake when Iwas younger and I wish I hadn’t. Iwish I had known better then, but Ididn’t and I’m deeply sorry for it,”Trudeau, 47, told reporters on hiscampaign plane in Halifax, NovaScotia, after Time magazine publishedthe image. “Now, I recognise it wassomething racist to do. It was a dumbthing to do. I’m disappointed inmyself,” he said.

“I have worked all my life to createopportunities for people and fightagainst racism and tolerance and I canstand here and say I made a mistakewhen I was younger,” he said.

Time said the image was provided by

Vancouver businessman MichaelAdamson earlier this month. Adamsonwas part of the West Point GreyAcademy community where Trudeau,then 29, worked at the time, themagazine said. The picture was in theVancouver private school’s yearbook.“I dressed up in an Aladdin costumeand put make-up on. I shouldn’t havedone it,” Trudeau said.

The picture shows him wearing aturban and a white robe, with his face

covered in dark makeup. Trudeau alsoadmitted he had dressed up in make-up when at high school and performed“Day O”, a traditional Jamaican songabout people loading bananas ontoboats.

Trudeau is locked in a battle withConservative leader Andrew Scheerahead of the October 21 federalelection. Scheer said he was“extremely shocked and disappointed”by the photo. — Agencies

Ex-PM David Cameron says askedqueen’s help in Scottish vote

LONDON (TIP): Former BritishPrime Minister David Cameron revealedon Sept 19 that he asked Queen ElizabethII to intervene in the Scottishindependence referendum, risking theirritation of the nominally neutral headof state.

Cameron, who led the successfulcampaign for Scotland to stay in theUnited Kingdom in the 2014 referendum,said he asked if she could offer even a“raising of the eyebrow” to indicate heropposition to independence.

He told the BBC he spoke with thequeen’s private secretary, “not asking foranything that would be in any wayimproper or unconstitutional, but just araising of the eyebrow, even, you know, aquarter of an inch—we thought wouldmake a difference”.

A few days before the vote, the queentold a member of the public in Scotlandthat she hoped “people would think verycarefully about the future”—commentsthat made headlines.

Scotland voted by 55 per cent to stay inthe UK.

In a BBC documentary to mark thepublication of his memoirs, Cameronsaid that “although the words were verylimited, I think it helped to put a slightlydifferent perception on things”.

Buckingham Palace told AFP it wouldnot comment on his remarks, but a royalsource told the BBC they had causedsome displeasure.

“It serves no one’s interests” forconversations between the monarch andher prime ministers to be made public,the source was quoted as saying.

“It makes it very hard for therelationship to thrive.”

It is not the first time that the formerConservative leader has been indiscreetabout his dealings with the queen, whichby convention should remain secret.

Cameron was caught on cameradescribing how the monarch “purreddown the line” after he phoned to informher that Scotland had rejectedindependence. Former Scottish National

Party leader Alex Salmond said therequest for an intervention “is not onlytotally improper but an indication ofhow desperate prime minister Cameron”was in the referendum campaign.

Despite losing the 2014 vote, theindependence movement in Scotlandremains active, particularly since the2016 Brexit referendum.

Scots voted to stay in the EuropeanUnion but the UK as a whole voted toleave.

Cameron had led the anti-Brexitcampaign and stepped down when itfailed. — AFP

15THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 ADVERTISEMENT

While a shot of coffee instantlyuplifts your mood and a cup oftea can relax you after a hard

day at work, have you ever imagined thewonders it can do if you applied these onyour skin and hair? Read on to knowmore about these beauty secrets...

CoffeeFor your skin: "Caffeine helps in

treating dark circles and is often found inmost cosmetics, which are imported. Italso helps reduce the build-up of bloodunder your eyes, which contribute to eyeshadows," says beauty professional NishiKaramchandani. Apart from this, itcontains anti-ageing properties, whichdelay the signs of ageing. Phytosterols(friendly plant sterols and stanols thatblocks cholesterol absorption in oursystem) promote moisture and provideschemical-free sun protection. It alsoreduces the appearance of cellulite andtightens the skin. One can also use coffeebeans as scrubs for the face and body.

For your hair: It has rich antioxidantproperties, which aid in repairingdamaged hair and prevent breakage.Coffee also stimulates hair growth andthickens the mane. One can use coffee inhair packs as well. Several beautyparlours use coffee along with otheringredients when applying henna on aclient's hair. This adds shine and lustreto the hair. It is also an antioxidant thatcounteracts the effects of pollutants inthe air.

TeaGreen: Apart from aiding in weight

loss, tea also protects the skin fromdamage and reactivates dying skin cells.

For your skin: EGCG (epigallocatechingallate) in the green tea reactivates yourdying skin cells. It also protects yourskin from the harmful UV rays of thesun. Moreover, it gives a glow to yourskin. It contains antioxidants, whichhelp rejuvenate your skin and protects itagainst free radicals. Karamchandanisays, "Green tea is also used as a skin

toner, especially for those with oily skin.Soak green tea leaves in hot water forhalf an hour. Cool, strain and use theliquid to tone your skin." Green tea bagscan be dipped in water and applied overyour eyelids like eye pads for instantcooling and relaxation. They help reducethe puffiness around your eyes and addbrightness. Neha Matang, skin

professional, says, "Green tea also servesas an exfoliator. If you use it in the formof a face mask, it will naturally help ingetting rid of unwanted toxins and makeyou look healthy and add shine."

For your hair: This tea may also beused as a hair rinse, as the tannin in thetea helps to add lustre to your hair. Boilused tea leaves again in enough water.

After boiling, cool and strain the water.Then add lemon juice to it and use this asa last rinse after shampoo. Matang says,"Green tea helps in reducing dandruff. Italso stimulates hair growth and softensyour hair. It contains vitamin C, vitaminE and panthenol, which are used ascommon ingredients in hairconditioners.

Chamomile: Chamomile tea helps youachieve those golden streaks. Steep twochamomile tea bags in two cups of hotwater for 5-10 minutes. Then add two tspsof lemon juice to the mixture. Use this asa final rinse on your hair after using anormal shampoo and conditioner. But donot rinse it out. This will help you bringthe natural blonde or red tones in yourhair and slightly lighten your hairwithout looking drastic or fake.

Black: It helps fight free radicals thatfasten the process of ageing of your skin.If you need a quick-fix for your under-eye bags, instantly dip two bags of blacktea, cool and strain and put these on youreyes. It also serves as a naturalastringent. All you need to do is makesome tea, cool it and then splash it onyour face for instant refreshment.

Ginger: The anti-inflammatoryproperties of ginger help your skinagainst acne. Highly antiseptic innature, it keeps your skin clean andblemish-free. Ginger is invigorating andstimulating to your skin, it is also usedtopically to treat cellulite. Ginger tea isexcellent for your hair as well. Itincreases scalp circulation andencourages hair growth. It also helps getrid of dandruff. Rinse your hair withginger tea at least once a week.

DETOX SKIN AND HAIR WITH YOUR FAVOURITE BEVERAGE

DOODHI KA HALWAIngredients

Lauki 300 gms, Milk 500 ml, Sugar 20 gms, Khoya 5gms, Kishmish 2 gms, Cashewnuts 2 gms, Saffron 5strands, Desi ghee 5 gms, Cardamom powder 1 gm

Method Remove the outer skin of bottle gourd (lauki) and

grate it. Squeeze to remove excess water. Heat 3 grams of desi ghee in a handi. Add the grated lauki and saute for few minutes

till it starts to get translucent. Now add milk and stir, till the milk boils and

starts reducing. Keep stirring as the lauki has tobe mashed in the milk and the milk getscompletely reduced, this might take 20-30minutes.Now add sugar and stir till the sugardissolves completely. Soak the saffron in lukewarm water for 10 minutes and add to the halwa.

Heat the remaining desi ghee and once it isheated, pour over the halwa , mix moderately sothat the desi ghee flavor gets infused.

Finish with cardamom powder.

FOOD CORNER

16 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019WOMEN

BENEFITS OF SLEEPING WITH ABOYFRIEND PILLOW

Are you feeling like your nice comfortable allnatural bed is a little lonely lately? Do you findyourself cuddling up and wishing your back had

a little support at night? Well maybe it’s time to look intogetting a boyfriend, pillow that is. In some cases, theboyfriend pillow might be even better than an actualboyfriend. Let’s look at some reasons why.

According to Spine-Health, there are quite a fewbenefits of sleeping with a back or a boyfriend pillow.FOR SUPPORT: From a physical perspective, pillowsprop up the head, neck and shoulders – keeping them inalignment, relieving pressure and counterbalancing thepoints in the body. A lower back support pillow helpsprovide support for the inward curve in the lumbarspine. Sitting for extended periods of time without anylower back support can create muscle tension and painin the lower back and legs (e.g. sciatica). Used when in aseated position, a lumbar support pillow fills the naturalgap that is created between the lower spine and thechair. Lumbar back support is also helpful when sittingin a car. When the lumbar curve is supported, thedownward forces of gravity and driving are absorbedmuch like a coiled spring, as opposed to a non-supportedstraight or slouched lumbar spine. Lumbar supportpillows work by decreasing muscle tiredness. It’simportant to know that excess muscle fatigue eventuallyleads to the arrival of pain. Lumbar support pillows arealso recommended for those who are already sufferingfrom chronic back pain.FOR STRESS RELIEF: After putting in a full day, your

body needs rest and a detox from stress. The back pillowor boyfriend pillow grants that wish of your body’s. theboyfriend pillow will not only help you to fall asleepfaster but it was also aid in staying asleep longer.

Many people use the back or boyfriend pillow at workor while they’re driving in the car. It’s ideal for peoplewho spend a lot of time sitting throughout their day.While we joke about the comfort and level of rest a backpillow can provide, they really can help to improve yoursleep quality and your lower back pains. It may seemcodependent to call them “boyfriend pillows” but hey,they’re doing a good job of keeping woman and mencomfortable everywhere so haven’t they earned thetitle?

Teenage girls who prefer to goto bed late are more likely togain weight, compared to

same-age girls, who go to bed earlier,warn researchers.

For the study published in thejournal JAMA Pediatrics, a total of804 adolescents—418 girls and 386boys aged and between 11 and 16—were analysed.

The children responded toquestionnaires on their sleep habitsand wore an actigraph—a wristdevice that tracks movement, saidresearchers from the KaiserPermanente, a healthcare companyin the US.

During the study, the researchteam measured the participants'waist size and calculated theirproportion of body fat using atechnique called dual-energy x-rayabsorptiometry.

They also estimated the children'ssocial jet lag—the differencebetween their weeknight andweekend bed-times. Those whostayed up far late on weekends thanweeknights were considered to havehigh social jet lag.

According to the study, for girls,staying up late was associated withan average 0.58 cm increase in waistsize and a 0.16 kg/m2 increase in

body fat.Each hour of social jet lag was

associated with a 1.19 cm largerwaste size and a 0.45 kg/m2 increasein body fat.

These associations were reduced,but still remained, after theresearchers statistically adjustedfor other factors known to influenceweight, such as sleep duration, diet,physical activity and television

viewing.Although the researchers found

slight associations between thesemeasures and waist size and bodyfat in boys, they were notstatistically significant.

The researchers concluded thatimproving sleep schedules may behelpful in preventing obesity inchildhood and adolescence,especially in girls.

DR. SATISH AND GITANJLI ANAND DDRR.. SSAATTIISSHH AANNAANNDD

FFoorrmmeerr CChhaaiirrmmaann,, BBooaarrdd ooffTTrruusstteeeess,, AAAAPPII NNaattiioonnaall

EE--MMaaiill::ssaannaannddmmdd@@ggmmaaiill..ccoomm

GGIITTAANNJJLLII AANNAANNDD

FFoorrmmeerr PPrreessiiddeenntt,, IInnddiiaaAAssssoocciiaattiioonn ooff LLoonngg IIssllaanndd((IIAALLII))

EE--mmaaiill::ggiittaannjjlliiaannaanndd@@ggmmaaiill..ccoomm

PPAAGGEE SSPPOONNSSOORREEDD BBYY

DRINKING TEA REGULARLYMAY BOOST BRAIN FUNCTION

Regular tea drinkers have better organised brainregions—which is associated with healthycognitive function—compared to non-tea

drinkers, a study claims.The research, published in the journal Aging,

examined neuroimaging data of 36 older adults for thestudy. “Our results offer the first evidence of positivecontribution of tea drinking to brain structure, andsuggest that drinking tea regularly has a protectiveeffect against age-related decline in brainorganisation,” said team leader Feng Lei, AssistantProfessor at the National University of Singapore(NUS).

Past studies have demonstrated that tea intake isbeneficial to human health, and the positive effectsinclude mood improvement and cardiovasculardisease prevention, researchers said.

The team, including researchers from theUniversity of Essex and University of Cambridge inthe UK, recruited 36 adults aged 60 and above, andgathered data about their health, lifestyle, andpsychological well-being.

‘NIGHT OWL’ GIRLS MORELIKELY TO GAIN WEIGHT

17THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 HEALTH

NEW TREATMENT PREVENTSCHEMOTHERAPY HAIR LOSS

Anovel method discovered recently by a groupof researchers, including one of Indian-origin, shows how hair loss from

chemotherapy can be prevented during cancertreatment in patients, arguably one of the mostpsychologically distressing side effects of moderncancer therapy.

The study published in the journal EMBOMolecular Medicine describes how damage to thehair follicles caused by taxanes, cancer drugs whichcan cause permanent hair loss, can be prevented.

To do this, the research team has exploited theproperties of a newer class of drugs called CDK4/6inhibitors, which block cell division and are alreadymedically approved as so-called "targeted" cancertherapies.

"Although at first, this seems counterintuitive,we found that CDK4/6 inhibitors can be usedtemporarily to halt cell division without promotingadditional toxic effects in the hair follicle. When webathed organ-cultured human scalp hair follicles inCDK4/6 inhibitors, the hair follicles were much lesssusceptible to the damaging effects of taxanes,"study lead author Talveen Purba from theUniversity of Manchester said.

Now, ‘phyjamas’ to measureheartbeat, breathing during sleepResearchers have designed

novel physiological-sensingtextiles, dubbed “phyjamas,”

that contain unobtrusive, portabledevices for monitoring heart rateand respiratory rhythm duringsleep.

The researchers at the Universityof Massachusetts Amherst in theUS said the textiles that can bewoven or stitched into sleepgarments will prove clinicallyuseful in health care.

“The challenge we faced was howto obtain useful signals withoutchanging the aesthetics or feel ofthe textile,” said professor Trisha LAndrew, a materials chemist.

“Generally, people assume thatsmart textiles refer to tightly wornclothing that has various sensorsembedded in it for measuringphysiological and physical signals,but this is clearly not a solution foreveryday clothing and, inparticular, sleepwear,” Andrewsaid.

“Our insight was that eventhough sleepwear is worn loosely,there are several parts of such atextile that are pressed against thebody due to our posture and contactwith external surfaces,” saidcomputer scientist DeepakGanesan.

“This includes pressure exertedby the torso against a chair or bed,pressure when the arm rests on the

side of the body while sleeping, andlight pressure from a blanket overthe sleepwear,” Ganesan said.

Such pressured regions of thetextile are potential locations wherewe can measure ballisticmovements caused by heartbeatsand breathing, and these can beused to extract physiologicalvariables, researchers wrote in thejournal The Proceedings of theACM on Interactive, Mobile,Wearable and UbiquitousTechnologies.

The difficulty is that these signalscan be individually unreliable,

particularly in loose-fittingclothing, but signals from manysensors placed across differentparts of the body can beintelligently combined to get a moreaccurate composite reading.

Andrew, Ganesan and colleaguesexplain that their team had to comeup with several new ideas to maketheir vision a reality.

They realised that there is noexisting fabric-based method tosense continuous and dynamicchanges in pressure, particularlygiven the small signals that theyneeded to measure.

'MOST MASSIVE PULSAR YETKNOWN DISCOVERED'

Researchers have found the heaviest ever knownneutron star—the compressed remains ofmassive stars—and one of the densest objects in

the known universe that weighs 2.14 times more thanthe Sun.

Astronomers have for long tried to unravel manymysteries surrounding neutron stars, such as howtheir constituent subatomic particles, neutrons,buckle under pressure, how their spin is affectedunder pressure, and the tipping point when gravitywins out over matter and forms a black hole.

Researchers using the Green Bank Telescope (GBT)of the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the UShave made an advance in getting answers to thesequestions.

They discovered that the neutron star designatedJ0740+6620 is the most massive observed to date,weighing 2.14 times more than the Sun occupying aspace that was only 30 kilometre across.

"This is significant because it helps put constraintson the physics happening deep within neutron stars'ultradense cores," Thankful Cromartie, a graduatestudent at the University of Virginia in the US, and co-author of the study told PTI over email.

18 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019SCIENCE AND TECH

WHATSAPP’S TOP FEATURESYOU MAY HAVE MISSED

WhatsApp regularly updatesthe app with new featuresfor users. While there are

exciting features like dark mode,notification previews to come onWhatsApp, there are a bunch ofthem which are available for usersright now.

This year, WhatsApp has majorlyfocused on privacy and security ofusers. In doing so, it has rolled outfeatures which give users morecontrol over their privacy onWhatsApp. There are features onmaking WhatsApp more interactivefor users. Here’s a look at the latestand exciting features on WhatsApp.

Frequently forwardedWhatsApp’s frequently forwarded

tool is an expansion of thecompany’s efforts to curb spam onthe app. This feature will help usersidentify messages which have beenforwarded more than five times.This would indicate that thefrequently forwarded message ismost likely spam.

Fingerprint unlockFirst introduced for iPhones, this

feature recently hit Androidphones, although in beta. As thename suggests, WhatsApp now has

a built-in fingerprint lock which islocated in the ‘Privacy’ section ofthe app. Enabling this will let usersunlock WhatsApp with theirfingerprint. Users can also chooseto hide WhatsApp content fromnotifications.

Group invitationAnother privacy feature on

WhatsApp is group invitationwhich prevents being added togroups. Found under the privacymenu, users can now choose ifeveryone, nobody or their contacts

can add them to WhatsApp groups.Those who choose nobody willinstead get an invitation to join theWhatsApp group.

Algorithm-based Status tabFacebook announced it would

change the way it shows WhatsAppStatus to users. At present,WhatsApp shows Status updateschronologically. With the newchange it will show Status based onwhich users are interacted with themost. This is similar to how the feedon Facebook and Instagram work.

'New algorithms can helpidentify cyber-bullies on Twitter'

Scientists have developed new machine learningalgorithms which can successfully identifybullies and aggressors on Twitter with 90 per

cent accuracy.Effective tools for detecting harmful actions on

social media are scarce, as this type of behaviour isoften ambiguous in nature and exhibited viaseemingly superficial comments and criticisms, saidresearchers from Binghamton University in the US.

The study, published in the journal Transactions onthe Web, analysed the behavioural patterns exhibitedby abusive Twitter users and their differences fromother Twitter users. "We built crawlers—programmesthat collect data from Twitter via variety ofmechanisms," said Binghamton University computerscientist Jeremy Blackburn.

"We gathered tweets of Twitter users, their profiles,as well as (social) network-related things, like whothey follow and who follows them," Blackburn said.

The researchers then performed natural languageprocessing and sentiment analysis on the tweetsthemselves, as well as a variety of social networkanalyses on the connections between users.

The researchers developed algorithms toautomatically classify two specific types of offensiveonline behaviour, ie, cyberbullying andcyberaggression.

AMAZON ALEXA NOW UNDERSTANDSHINDI AND HINGLISH

Amazon.com Inc.’s Alexa hasmastered Hindi in just a fewyears.

The voice assistant introduced toIndia in 2017 gets a major localmakeover for one of the largestretail markets. From Wednesday,Amazon launches a version thatnow speaks Hindi and Hinglish -- aunique blend with English. It canalso switch automatically betweenall three. The new, improved Alexaand Echo speakers hit the market intime for the Diwali shoppingseason.

The voice assistant lets customersto ask for music, get Bollywoodnews, cricket updates and more inHindi and Hinglish on its Echo andother voice-controlled smartspeakers. It will respond in anunmistakably Indian accent toHinglish questions such as “Alexa,Bollywood ke hottest gane sunao”and “Volume badhao” (to ask for thelatest Bollywood hits and increasethe volume, respectively). “Alexa,latest cricket score batao” yields thelatest scores.

Technology giants from AppleInc. to Google are targeting thisnation of 1.3 billion people bytraining virtual assistants in theheterogeneity of its languages andsubcultures. Alphabet Inc. too hasintroduced a Hinglish-speakingGoogle Assistant, while Apple hashired native speakers to evolve andenrich Siri. In Amazon’s case, Alexamay prove key in a battle against

Walmart Inc. in one of the world’sfastest-growing e-commerce arenas,a battle the Seattle online retailerhas staked at least $5.5 billion on.

Until now, Amazon’s virtualassistant had a limited vocabularyof names, places and popular songsin Hindi and a few others of thecountry’s roughly one dozen officiallanguages.

Understanding Hindi andHinglish is critical for companiestargeting first-time internet usersin the countryside, who are comingonline rapidly thanks to cheapdevices and cut-rate wireless data.The Hindi internet user base willoutgrow India’s English internetusers by 2021, according toconsultancy KPMG. But even Hindihas dozens of dialects and regional

variations.“Hindi changes every 100

kilometers or so,” Rohit Prasad,Amazon’s head scientist of AlexaAI, said in an interview. Alexa canhandle varied regional accents anddialects. “Alexa has an Indianpersonality.”

Prasad, 43, grew up in Ranchi inIndia’s Hindi-speaking heartland,hailing from a family of engineers.Computers were still new then andas a teenager, he abandoned cricketgames to run home and catch StarTrek episodes on the government-run TV channel.

“It was in the realm of science-fiction then but I was endlesslyfascinated by computers andhumans communicating with eachother.”

AMBANI UPS STAKE INRELIANCE IND TO 48.87%

NEW DELHI (TIP): Billionaire Mukesh Ambanihas raised promoter stake in flagship RelianceIndustries by 2.71% to 48.87%, according to regulatoryfiling by the company.

Reliance Services and Holdings Ltd, controlled bypromoter group firm Petroleum Trust, acquired 17.18crore shares or 2.71% stake in Reliance on September13, it said.

The acquisition was pursuant to a scheme ofarrangement not directly involving Reliance, the filingsaid without giving details.

Mukesh Ambani and his private firms held 47.29%stake as on June 30, 2019 in India's second-mostvaluable company.

FED INJECTS $75 BN INTOMONEY MARKET

NEW YORK (TIP): The New York Federal ReserveBank intervened in the US financial markets onWednesday for the second day, injecting $75 billion tokeep interest rates in line within target, the bank said.Unlike the so-called repo operation on Tuesday, whenonly $53 billion of the offered amount was used, onWednesday it received $80 billion in requests for the$75 billion offered.

ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANKCHIEF TO QUIT

TOKYO (TIP): The president of the AsianDevelopment Bank, Takehiko Nakao, plans to stepdown early next year, the regional lender said onTuesday. Japan has usually headed the ADB as a topdonor. Finance Minister Taro Aso said Tokyo wouldsoon nominate a “high-calibre candidate” as Nakao’ssuccessor. Aso said the government planned torecommend Masatsugu Asakawa, a former vicefinance minister, as Tokyo’s choice as “best qualified”for the job. Nakao, 63, will leave on January 16, 2020.

COFFEE DAY ENTERPRISES TO SELL GLOBAL VILLAGE

NEW DELHI (TIP): Coffee Day Enterprises onTuesday said it has signed definitive agreements withprivate equity major Blackstone and SalarpuriaSattva Group for sale of Global Village Tech Park at anenterprising value of Rs 2,700 crore. The companyBoard had recently approved the sale of prime realestate property GV Tech Park as part of efforts to raisefunds for paring the debt. “The transaction is at anenterprise value of Rs 2,700 crore subject to certainclosing adjustments,” the company said.

19THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 BIZ AND FINANCE

Saudi minister’s assurancepushes crude oil prices down

NEW DELHI (TIP): Global crudeoil prices continued declining afterSaudi Arabia’s Energy Ministerassured that full production at thedrone-hit facilities will be restored tonormal by the end of this month.The announcement saw crude pricesfalling sharply, bringing relief tomajor crude oil importers like India.

The moderation in oil prices sawIndian stock markets close in thegreen and the Indian rupee paringits losses, closing 54 paise up versusthe US dollar at 71.24 on Wednesday.Oil marketing company stocks alsorose with BPCL rising 3.65 per cent,HPCL 3.64 per cent and IOCL 2.68 percent on the BSE.

As of 9 pm IST on Wednesday,Brent crude was trading at $64.36 perbarrel, down from its Monday closeof $69.02 per barrel. The droneattacks on Saudi Arabia’s Aramco-owned crude processing facilitiestook out a whopping 5.7 millionbarrel per day (mbpd) of output,nearly 50 per cent of the country’stotal production and 5 per cent of theglobal output.

The aftermath of the attack sawcrude oil prices rising more than20% on Monday, the highest single-day spurt since the Gulf war broke

out. Analysts had pointed out thatany extended disruption in supplydue to the attacks would pushcrude prices up to as much as $80per barrel.

However, Saudi Energy MinisterPrince Abdulaziz bin Salmanassured reporters on Tuesday thatproduction would be back to 11mbpd by the end of this month andthat all repairs will be complete by

November end.“This is good news, since it

indicates there will be no majordisruption in supplies. OMCs willbe able to manage with the stocksthey have. But, even that is notlikely to be necessary because theSaudis have continued to exportshipments to us even after theattacks,” said a senior OMCofficial.

Volkswagen to pay upto $87 million in

Australia for dieselemissions scandal

CANBERRA (TIP): Volkswagen and a lawfirm say the German automaker has agreed topay up to 127 million Australian dollars ($87million) to settle an Australian class actionstemming from its 2015 diesel emissions scandal.

The settlement was announced in the FederalCourt in Sydney on Monday and has yet to beapproved by a judge.

Maurice Blackburn law firm says Volkswagenwill pay between AU$87 million and AU$127million, depending on how many owners of theaffected 100,000 vehicles sold in Australia jointhe class action.

Volkswagen said in a statement that it madeno admission of liability in the settlement.

Volkswagen has paid 30 billion euros ($33.5billion) in fines and civil settlements around theworld after it installed software on dieselvehicles to cheat on emissions tests.

CASH-STARVED AIR INDIATO PUT ITS CREW ON

LOW-FAT DIET

NEW DELHI (TIP): Cash-starved Air India is putting itscrew on a diet, changing their inflight menu to special low-fatmeals.

Dhananjay Kumar, the state-run airline’s spokesman, saidWednesday that the objective is to provide healthy and cost-effective meals to crews on domestic and international flights.

Kumar declined comment on media reports that the cost permeal, mostly vegetarian, will fall to one-third of the current500-800 rupees (up to $11) per meal.

The new menu was introduced Monday on flightsoriginating from New Delhi and Mumbai and will be extendedto other routes soon.

“Special low-fat diet meals have been worked out on a day-wise basis in order to provide light and healthy meal with ahome (Indian) touch,” an airline statement said.

The decision comes at a time when the Indian governmentis trying to divest from Air India, which has debts of nearly580 billion rupees ($8 billion).

After an earlier failed attempt to sell the airline off last year,Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is expected totry again in October.

In 2009, the airline fired 10 air hostesses for beingoverweight after they failed to get back in shape three yearsafter they were switched to ground crew jobs.

Volkswagen said in a statement that it made noadmission of liability in the settlement

20 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019TURN PAGE

contd from page 1Trump to Join ‘Howdy Modi...

Delighted that President @realDonaldTrump will jointhe community programme in Houston on the 22nd.Looking forward to joining the Indian origincommunity in welcoming him at the programme."

"The special gesture of President @realDonaldTrumpto join us in Houston highlights the strength of therelationship and recognition of the contribution of theIndian community to American society and economy."

On Sept 16, White House had issued a press statementconfirming Donald Trump's participation in the event.Highlighting the importance of the event, the pressstatement noted, "It will be a great opportunity toemphasize the strong ties between the people of theUnited States and India, to reaffirm the strategicpartnership between the world's oldest and largestdemocracies, and to discuss ways to deepen their energyand trade relationship."

'Howdy Modi - Shared Dreams, Bright Futures' is acommunity summit hosted by Texas India Forum, forPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, September22 at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. Over fiftythousand people are expected to attend the event whowill get to experience "Woven: The Indian-AmericanStory," a 90-minute cultural program that is acelebration of Indian-Americans and theircontributions to the cultural, intellectual, and sociallandscape of the United States.

Presented by the Texas India Forum, Woven is a 90-minute music, dance, and multimedia show featuringclose to 400 artists and community members from Texasand across the nation. There are 27 groups performingin a seamless live and multimedia experience that willshowcase the diversity in the Indian-Americancommunity. Two original songs have been written forthe program, which will trace the journey of Indian-American youth learning their roots to understandinghow to put that together with the contemporary world.

"A challenge that many second and third generationIndian-Americans go through is navigating thecomplexity of having a hyphenated identity as anIndian and an American. Woven showcases themultiplicity of Indian-American experience. Our hopeis that each person sees themselves in at least one formof expression and recognizes that whatever mix ofIndian and American they are, it is just right," saidHeena Patel, CEO of MELA Arts Connect and co-producer of the program.

The show will also shine a light on unsung heroes inthe Indian-American community who have undertakenselfless acts benefiting the broader Americancommunity without any need of recognition. From theclassical and folk traditions passed on in basementsacross America to the creative exchange betweenEastern and Western arts and ideas, Woven illuminatesthe stories of generations of Indian Americans andsnapshots of home, and builds on the theme of "SharedDreams, Bright Futures" that is the foundation of theevent.

"We really look forward to presenting this unique andinteresting cultural show at the event, which will tell thestory of our community in a way that's never really beendone before. We want all the attendees and thosewatching from home to connect with a program thatshows the Indian-American community and understandwhat drives our community to be part of the largerAmerican experience," said Gitesh Desai, spokespersonfor the event.

The live audience will be the largest gathering for aninvited foreign leader visiting the United States other

than the Pope. The "Howdy Modi" summit has beenorganized with the support of more than 1,000volunteers and 650 Texas-based Welcome Partnerorganizations.

This unique event brings together the President of theworld's most influential democracy, the Prime Ministerof the world's largest democracy, and a bipartisandelegation of Governors, Members of Congress,Mayors, and other public officials.

Hawkish Netanyahu fails to win...that would be led by former military chief Benny

Gantz. Netanyahu's Likud party trailed its main rivalBlue and White by 31 to 32 seats on Wednesday,September 18, putting the country's longest servingpremier on a shaky ground and raising the possibility ofa unity government.

Israelis voted on Tuesday, September 17, in theircountry's second general election in five months after 69-year-old Netanyahu failed to form a governing coalitionwith a viable majority following April's vote.

The Central Election Committee (CEC) said Blue andWhite party seemed to be taking a lead over Likud after91 per cent votes were counted.

As per figures shared by the CEC, the center-left blocnow has 56 seats compared to Netanyahu-led bloc,comprised of right-wing and ultra-Orthodox parties,which is at 55 seats in the 120-member Parliament. TheJoint List, an alliance of mostly Arab Israeli parties,also has gained a seat standing at 13. These numbersmay change slightly when the votes of soldiers arecounted later on Thursday.

The secular Yisrael Beitenu party won nine seats,making its leader and former defense minister AvigdorLieberman the kingmaker in the elections.

Meanwhile, the Netanyahu's office said the primeminister will not travel to New York next week for theUN General Assembly in the wake of the electionresults.

Lieberman, an ally-turned-rival of Netanyahu, said,"The picture is clear...There is only one option and it's abroad liberal unity government, comprising of Likud,Blue and White and his own Yisrael Beitenu." (Source:PTI)

‘Howdy Modi’ brings together...Houston on Sunday, September 22. U.S. President

Donald Trump along with a number of high-ranking USgovernment officials, including Governors, Members ofCongress and Mayors will attend the "Howdy Modi!"event.

"India is the world's oldest and largest democracy, andone of the United States most important allies," Ms.Gabbard said.

"The Unites States and India must work closelytogether if we are to address the pressing issues thatimpact our nations, our countries, and the entire worldsuch as combating climate change, preventing nuclearwar and nuclear proliferation, and improving theeconomic well-being of our people," she said.

Ms. Gabbard described the wonderful opportunity theU.S. and India has for "...a strong and lasting partnershipbetween our two great nations, a partnership based onshared values and objectives".

"Let us work together to usher in a 21st century ofaloha - respect and love for others, no matter our race,religion, ethnicity, caste, economic status or politicalaffiliations," Ms. Gabbard said.

The fourth-term lawmaker is a former Co-Chair of theCongressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans.

She was part of a select group of Members ofCongress to greet and escort Mr. Modi to the podium

when he addressed a Joint Session of Congress in June2016 and has welcomed him to events promoting greaterU.S.-India relations.

A long-time advocate for greater ties between the U.S.and India, she also congratulated Mr. Modi when he wasfirst elected as Prime Minister following the 2014elections.

Ms. Gabbard, highly popular among Indian American,converted to Hinduism early in her life and has becomethe first-ever Hindu to be running for the presidency inthe U.S.

She supported Senator Bernie Sanders against formerSecretary of State Hillary Clinton in the 2016Democratic primary. (Source: PTI)

India's outreach, engagement...External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Minister

of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan duringthe week across various platforms.

"We have, as of today, more than 75 Heads of State orForeign Ministers going to be engaged intensively," hesaid adding that these will not be pull-asides or brush-asides but would be events where either the PrimeMinister and his counterparts or the External AffairsMinister and his counterparts will engage in the sameroom, discussing substantive issues for at least 30minutes. "And that's what I call when I say that thebreadth is unprecedented. We have never, ever had thissort of an engagement of this intensity during theGeneral Assembly session with such a broad number ofcountries," Akbaruddin said.

He underscored that there is willingness of a largegroup of countries to engage with India together.

"In past engagements at the UN, we've had plurilateralmeetings like the G4 or BRICS at the Ministerial level,but never have we had this engagement of India and agroup of countries together, wanting to workcollectively with India," he said adding that all theengagements are very action-oriented. "It's verydifferent from normative talking. The UN is known to besometimes derisively referred to as a talk shop. Talkingis important. I don't think that we should deride talkshops because jaw-jaw is better than waw-waw. Sotalking is important. But more important is that weneed to walk the talk and ...What you will seedistinctively coming out of the visit this time isconcrete, tangible, action-oriented outcomes that we areworking on with our partners globally."

Modi, who will be addressing the General Debate forthe first time in five years, has a packed bilateral andmultilateral agenda beginning September 23 tillSeptember 27, when he will address world leaders fromthe iconic podium in the General Assembly hall. In all,he will be delivering nine key speeches at high-levelsummits and plurilateral engagements. With Modimaking his first visit to the UN after his resoundingelection victory in May, Akbaruddin said the Indianleader will "articulate his vision of how he sees India'splace in the multilateral arena, based on his pastexperience, but a forward looking vision."

Modi arrives in New York on the evening ofSeptember 22 from Houston, where he will address amassive community event along with President DonaldTrump. On the morning of September 23, he will beamong the first set of speakers at UN SecretaryGeneral's high-level Climate Action Summit in the UNGeneral Assembly chamber along with Prime Ministerof New Zealand Jacinda Ardern, President of MarshallIslands Hilda Heine and German Chancellor AngelaMerkel.

(Read full story on www.theindianpanorama.news)

THE INDIAN PANORAMA PPRREESSIIDDEENNTT//PPUUBBLLIISSHHEERR: Prof. Indrajit S. SalujaVVIICCEE PPRREESSIIDDEENNTT:: Chitagam SalujaCCHHIIEEFF EEDDIITTOORR:: Prof Indrajit S. SalujaAASSSSIISSTTAANNTT EEDDIITTOORR:: Bidisha RoyGGRRAAPPHHIICCSS DDIIRREECCTTOORR:: Om Parkash MalikDDIIRREECCTTOORR AADDMMIINNIISSTTRRAATTIIOONN:: Gauri BeriCCOONNTTRRIIBBUUTTIINNGG PPHHOOTTOOGGRRAAPPHHEERRSS:: Baldev Singh / BJ VideosGunjesh Desai / Masala JunctionJay Mandal, Mohammad Jaffer/ SnapsIndia

Mohammad Shahzad, Zia Khan Nisha RaniVaaho Photographers

Vijay Shah -Photo Journalist.DDIISSTTRRIIBBUUTTOORR :: Sukhwinder Singh

CCOORRRREESSPPOONNDDEENNTTSS : SSAACCRRAAMMEENNTTOO:: Parminder S. AujlaNNEEWW YYOORRKK : Chitagam FFRREESSNNOO:: Tarlochan Singh DDAALLLLAASS:: Harjit Dhesi, Amarjit Dhillon OOVVEERRSSEEAASS CCOORRRREESSPPOONNDDEENNTTSS

DDEELLHHII BBUURREEAAUU CCHHIIEEFF:: Ashishpal Singh CCHHAANNDDIIGGAARRHH:: Manjit Sidhu LLUUDDHHIIAANNAA:: A.S. Arora, R.P.Sharma

TThhee IInnddiiaann PPaannoorraammaaP.O. Box No. 190067, South Richmond Hill, NY 11419,

Tel: 646-247-9458 Email: editor@theindianpanorama.com

DDAALLLLAASS EEDDIITTIIOONNP.O. BOX 121695, ARLINGTON, TX 76012

LLoovvlllliieenn KKaauurrrr, VP & Bureau Chief

Bureau Chief Phone: 972-330-3139E-mail tipdallas01@gmail.com; Phone: 646-247-9458

www.theindianpanorama.newsPPuubblliisshheedd bbyy PPrrooff.. IInnddrraajjiitt SSaalluujjaa

DISCLAIMERThe Indian Panorama assumes no responsibility for the

claims made in advertisements. We only sell space. Viewspublished in the newspaper are those of the authors and donot necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper. All rights

are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part withoutpermission in writing from The Indian Panorama is prohibited.

Shakti in Sanskrit means, power orenergy. In Hinduism energy belongsto the domain of Prakriti or the

female aspect of Creation. Popularlyknown as the Mother Goddess, Shakti isworshipped in her variousmanifestations by millions of Hindus.

God is pure and undividedconsciousness. You may even say from aperceptual perspective that He isnothingness. In His purest state devoid ofqualities He is Nirguna Brahman, that is(nir+guna) devoid of any distinguishedfeatures or appearances. Divisions oftime and space and the impurities of egoconsciousness created by the gunas donot exist in Him. For inexplicablereasons, as He wakes, He sets in motionPrakriti, the universal energy, that wasso far latent in Him, and then enters intoit. From this union arises ultimately allthis reality that we know as the universe.This is something like the moderntheory of the origin of the universe. Thebig bang is actually what sets in motionthe latent energy hidden in the cosmicegg (Hiranyagarbha).

All the matter that exists in thisuniverse, that is tangible, sensible,unstable, with in the domains of sensoryworld and can be transformed from onestate to another, is an aspect of Prakritionly. Matter is energy in its grossestform. (The scientific world tookthousands of years to arrive at the sameconclusion.). The human body and themind and the various constituents thatgo into their making are alsomanifestations or aspects of Prakritionly, but at a higher level.

The energies of the divinities are stillhigher on the evolutionary scale than theenergies in the human beings, while theenergies of the Trinity stand probablyabove the rest. At the highest level is thecombined source of their distinguishedenergies. This is the energy of theMother Goddess, acting as the Shakti ofIsvara. Isvara is the awakened Brahman,Brahman in his dynamic and creativeaspect, who provides the field for the playof Shakti. This in brief is the structureand origin of Shakti.

How Shakti manifests things and beingsNow about Her ways of working and

how the diversity arises in themanifested universe. According to ourbeliefs, creation arises out of the unionof the Pure Self (Purusha) with matteror energy (Prakriti). Pure Self entersinto matter and then awakens thevarious energies in the matter leading tothe formation of a false self called theego.

This happens over a period of timethrough the differentiation andcombination of the five Mahabhutas (thefive gross elements), Panchendiryas (thefive sense organs), the karmendriyas(the five organs of action), thetanmantras (the five subtle elements),manas (mind), ahamkara (deluded self)and buddhi (discriminatingintelligence).

This is how individual beings comeinto the world and evolves graduallytowards liberation. Before the individualbeings are created this way, the sameprocess takes place at macro levels,resulting in the creation of worlds andhigher divinities.

Prakriti develops the egoconsciousness by this process to make itan important tool in its armory. The egois driven by the interplay of the threegunas, namely sattva, rajas and tamas,nourished by the activity of the sensesand motivated by the force of desires.These things give it a false sense ofidentity, through the formation of mind

and the mind's awareness of the body.

Prakriti, bondage and delusionThus the mind and the body become

the field in space and time for the ego todistinguish itself from the rest of thecreation and act as if it is the real selfand as if it is different and separate fromthe rest of the creation. This is what wecall ignorance that leads to the deludedbelief that the individual ego is the realself where as in reality it is not. All thewhile, the Real Self exists inside, havinglost itself in its own reflection in thebuddhi or higher intelligence, doingpractically nothing, but keeping thebody, the mind and the false ego alive andbreathing by its mere presence.

The delusion of the individual egoleads to the bondage of the self. Thebondage of self does not mean that theSoul suffers. The Self is pureconsciousness and there is no sufferingin it. No one can touch it and no one canpunish it. We say it suffers because it iscaught in the cycle of births and deathsand cannot go back to its source. It is asuffering for the soul from our point ofview, not for the soul actually. Whether itexists in the heavens or in Timbaktu, forthe soul the experience is one and thesame. It is eternal, unchanging and purebliss consciousness.

What actually suffers or believes thatit is suffering is the false self or the ego.Suffering however does not prevent theego from indulging in its desire drivenactions unless the suffering becomes toounbearable to force to turn tospiritualism. Normally otherwise, it is so

attached to the world that given anopportunity it would not mind to live forthousands of years. But unfortunatelythis is not possible because of thelogistics and the physical limitations.

So at the end of each life, the egobecomes frustrated at the approach ofold age and dies against its own wishes.It dies unhappily because it leavesbehind a lot of tasks unfinished, dreamsunrealized and the fruits of its pastactions untasted. Nature too does notseem to like this happening since itwould not let the self escape from itsclutches and since perpetuation ofdelusion by all means is its chief design.

So it has worked out a compromise bywhich each created ego is permitted tocome back again to the earth through

another rebirth and continue itsunfinished work. When a being dies, itsego would not dissolve completely. Asmall portion of it survives containingits basic tendencies, desires andimpulses, which becomes attached to thesoul as a kind of program file and afterpassing through the doors of death,heaven or hell as a subtle body is rebornagain. This is in essence the cycle ofPrakriti.

At the human level, Prakriti keeps usin delusion through the combination ofelements and through the interplay ofthe triple gunas. At the higher levels Sheenacts the same drama by becoming theShakti of various worlds and divinities.Since these divinities are awakened soulsshe would not delude them, but become aforce in their consciousness to help themin their assigned responsibilities.

Thus in the world of Brahma, Shebecomes Saraswathi to assist Brahma inhis acts of Creation. In the world ofVishnu, She becomes Lakshmi to helphim manage the world by providing therequired amounts of wealth andresources. In the world of Siva, shebecomes a yogini or a siddhi and helpshim in his task of destroying ourillusions.

At the same time, being divine in originand nature, she also helps individualswho worship her directly and seekliberation from bondage through hergrace. Since she is the cause of illusionthe logic is she is in a better position torelieve us from the bondage. Hence theascendance of Shaktism as time went by.

Is Shakti really female? Shakti is pureenergy, neither male nor female. Thisinterpretation is purely human,figurative and relative and should not betaken literally. It is also wrong to believethat Self is male and the energy isfemale. Purusha exists in males as wellas females and so does Prakriti exists inmales also. They are like the two sides ofthe same truth. It is also difficult to saywho is superior to whom. Withoutenergy Self is practically immovableand without Self energy does not haveany field for its movements. The Truthat the highest level: pure energy(PRAKRITI is undivided consciousness(PURUSHA).

THE ROLE OF SHAKTIIN CREATION

ARISH K. SAHANI SSeerrvviinngg SSiinnccee 11997722

Please Call or Write for Your Insurance Needs

Arish K Sahani (Father)

Shiv Sahani (Son)

Priya Sahani Sood (Daughter)

7 1 8 - 2 7 1 - 1 9 0 6arish.sahani@gmail.com

PPAAGGEE SSPPOONNSSOORREEDD BBYY

““IIff HHiinndduuss ddoonn’’tt mmaaiinnttaaiinn HHiinndduuiissmm,, wwhhoo sshhaallll ssaavvee iitt??””

““IIff IInnddiiaa’’ss oowwnn cchhiillddrreenn ddoonn''tt cclliinngg ttoo tthheeiirr ffaaiitthh,, wwhhoo sshhaallll gguuaarrdd iitt??””

““IInnddiiaannss aalloonnee ccaann ssaavvee IInnddiiaa,, aanndd IInnddiiaa aanndd HHiinndduuiissmm aarree oonnee..””

21THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 SPIRITUALITY

MOHALI (TIP): After thewashout due to rain in Dharamsalaon Sunday, India began their homeseason in an emphatic manner bycrushing visitors South Africa by 7wickets in the 2nd T20I of a 3-matchseries in Mohali on September 18.

Virat Kohli's men needed verylittle time to put behind thedisappointment of World Cup 2019semi-final exit as they dominatedWest Indies on their Carribean tourin August. The dominant run onlycontinued as the Men in Blueoutclassed South Africa and took anunbeatable 1-0 lead in the 3-matchseries.

Captain Virat Kohli led from thefront with the bat as he struck his22nd T20I fifty in a well-pacedknock. Kohli was untroubledthroughout the knock as he hit 4boundaries and 3 sixes. He kept thescoreboard moving in a nonchalantmanner. India gunned down a 150-run chase with 6 balls to spare asVirat Kohli remained unbeaten on72 from just 52 balls.

Virat Kohli got good support fromopener Shikhar Dhawan who wentafter the South African bowlingattack after the early departure ofRohit Sharma who was struck infront for 12 by Andile Phehlukwayo.Dhawan smashed 40 and added 61runs for the 2nd wicket before DavidMiller took a stunning catch at long-on to send the the India opener backto the hut.

There was a slight concernaround Virat Kohli's fitness as hewalked off the field clutching hisback towards the end of the SouthAfrica innings but the India captain

showed no signs of trouble as hecame up with an array of eye-catchstrokes.

Earlier in the day, Virat Kohliwowed cricket fans with a stunningone-handed catch to send backSouth Africa's newly-appointedcaptain Quinton de Kock, who waslooking set for a big score aftergetting to a quickfire fifty. It was agame of spectacular catches asRavindra Jadeja and David Millerleft the cricket fraternity in awewith their efforts on the field.

India's chase was spotless for themost part of it. However, RishabhPant's cheap dismissal will add tothe concerns surrounding his

reckless attitute. Pant perishedwhile trying yet another aerialshot, much to his owndisappointment.

Virat Kohli won the toss and sentSouth Africa into bat. Quinton deKock (52) was in blazing form in hisfirst innings as South Africa's full-time captain in T20I cricket but arevamped unit lacked the firepowerthat was needed to battle India attheir own backyard.

Opener Reeza Hendricks fellcheaply but de Kock and TembaBavuma (49) added 59 for the secondwicket. However, Kohli's stunningcatch to send his counterpart backpegged back South Africa's charge.

22 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019SPORTS

Virat Kohli masterclass givesIndia emphatic win over

South Africa

BAJRANG LOSES SEMI INCONTROVERSIAL MANNER

NUR-SULTAN (TIP): Bajrang Punia lost hissemifinal bout against home wrestler DauletNiyazbekov under controversial circumstances aftersealing his Tokyo Olympics quota along with RaviDahiya, who made his presence felt in a star-studdedfield at the World Wrestling Championships here onSeptember 19.

Bajrang’s frustrated coach Shako Benitidis kickedthe coach’s block in anger after the 65kg bout ended9-9 following a nerve-wracking six minutes.

Since Niyazbekov was given a bigger throw of fourpoints in the bout, he was declared the winner.

In the fiercely-fought bout, the referee gave ampletime to tiring Niyazbekov to catch his breath and hewas not given caution at least thrice.

Instead Niyazbekov was awarded four points whenit was Bajrang who effected a throw at the edge of thecircle.

“I challenged it and they should have given at leasttwo points to Bajrang for that hold,” said coachBenitidis.

Several times, Bajrang raised his hands infrustration but to no avail.

The last edition silver medallist Indian will nowfight for the bronze on Friday.

Ravi, who felled a few stars on his way to the 57kgsemifinals, lost 4-6 to reigning world champion ZaurUguev of Russia and will also fight for the bronze.

HIMA DAS OUT OF WORLDSDUE TO BACK PROBLEM

NEW DELHI (TIP): World junior championHima Das has been ruled out of the upcomingWorld Championships due to a nagging backproblem. “Unfortunately Hima will not be able tocompete at the World Championships in Doha dueto her back injury,” Athletics Federation of India(AFI) president Adille Sumariwalla said.

AFI had on September 9 named seven women,including Hima, for the 4x400m relay and 4x400mmixed relay races at the World Championships to beheld from September 27 to October 6. However,Hima’s participation in the relay events became amatter of intense speculation after she was left outof the initial entries of the Indian women athletesfor the two relay races submitted by AFI to theinternational body (IAAF) for the showpiece event.Hima has been suffering from lower-back pain aftercompeting at the Asian Games last year. She pulledout of the individual 400m heats midway throughthe race at the Asian Championships in Doha inApril.

SECOND T20

TIME FOR INDIA TO LOOK BEYOND MS DHONI: SUNIL GAVASKAR

NEW DELHI (TIP): The debate over MS?Dhoni’sretirement has been dominating headlines for quitesome time now. There are various opinions when itcomes to the experts and former Indian cricket teamskipper Sunil Gavaskar joined the conversation onThursday. In an interview with India Today, Gavaskarsaid that Dhoni’s time is up and Team India shouldstart looking beyond the former skipper. Dhoni has notplayed for India since the ICC World Cup 2019 and theveteran wicket-keeper batsman made himselfunavailable for selection for India’s tour of West Indiesin August as he took a sabbatical to train with the ParaRegiment of the Indian Army in Kashmir.

“Dhoni’s time is up. With due respect, the time hascome. India should look beyond. With the greatest ofrespect to Dhoni, I think he should be going withoutbeing pushed out,” Sunil Gavaskar told India Today.

Earlier, chief selector MSK Prasad addressedquestions regarding the future of Dhoni during theannouncement of Indian Test squad for their upcomingseries against South Africa. India are scheduled to playthree T20Is and as many Tests against the Proteas,starting September 15. Prasad was asked regarding

Dhoni’s future during the press conference and hereplied:“No update on MS Dhoni’s retirement, the newsis incorrect.”

Dhoni also found support from India skipper ViratKohli who showered praises on the veteran.

23THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 ASTROLOGY

Aries: Ganesha says this is a period of joys and

achievements. Ganesha gives you a lot. In fact, youare inundated with goodies. You manage toachieve a lot but then you have also worked hardfor the success. There are no free lunches in life.You will concentrate on increasing your influenceand status as well as your bank balance.

Taurus: You handle finances with flair and wisdom. In

this period there is flux, movement, newhappenings and even a touch of uncertainty. Thenegative aspects of life can also be energised andso you should steer very clear of shady deals.What goes around comes around. Be ethical in lifeor you will pay a heavy price.

Gemini: Take care to avoid the law and steer clear of

litigation. It is better to settle disputes across thetable or they could just get exaggerated. Ganeshaadvises you. There will be many sensitive andemotionally charged moments. This is not aparticularly low phase but many doubts will assailyou and you will have to think proactively and letgo of the doubts and insecurities plaguing you.

Cancer: You need to charge out of your crease with the

right energy, play life on the front foot like Kohli.This will attract the warmth of others as thismood is always contagious. There will be romancein the air and many meets, conferences and familygatherings. There will be fresh achievements andsuccesses and you will be keen on new goals andtargets.

Leo: You are able to carry everyone with you on this

achievement spree. Just believe in Ganesha and gowith the flow. You are busy and active on theprofessional and social fronts. A wide spectrum ofbusiness and professional transactions deals andnegotiations will have to be handled well.

Virgo: You will be entertaining, attending or giving

parties, being a good host / hostess, even dealingwith dietetics and nutrition. The family will makedemands on you but you will be more than willingto help them out. There could be the illness ofelders, parents or in-laws that cause you muchdiscomfort. An old and steady relationship mayalso come to an end.

Libra: This is a period when you make a lot of progress

on the work front. You set targets and deadlinesand go for it big time. In this period you can also bemore demanding or more giving; you will oscillatebetween extremes. But one thing is for sure: yourobsession will mundane material pursuits maycome to an end. You look at expanding yourconsciousness.

Scorpio: There will be definite changes in your psyche

and you become wiser and more mature and havea broader understanding of the world. You willreach out consciously and unconsciously and askmore of the world. This works well for you as youare also willing to give more to the world.Existence sees this change and blesses youmanifold. Ganesha blesses you too.

Sagittarius: You are on the right track. Your mind is more

settled and you are at peace. There is money to bemade and rewards and awards for the taking. Thedomestic scene is also more settled and there isintense bonding. You are happy. There are manyexpenses but that can also be read as wiseinvestments. There is buying and selling.

Capricorn: There are many positive influences at play

indicating growth and progress. You are also filledwith exaggerated expectations. There could besudden windfalls, great wealth or luck, and allkinds of wonderful opportunities that take youmany rungs up the ladder of success. This is afortunate time and you should make the most of it,says Ganesha.

Aquarius: Expenses mount but earnings from various

sources manage to keep pace. So, you don't have toworry too much. There is international travel andnew love in your life. There will be many new andfruitful associations too. There will also be newcircumstances that give you increased freedom oran opportunity to do something different.

Pisces: You may pursue new courses in education or

you may travel to learn more by seeing the world.There is also money to be made in new ventures.You think and act large and your positiveapproach and vision pay rich dividends. This is aprofitable period by all accounts. This is the wishfulfilment period. I am sure success will be withyou. Go with the flow, says Ganesha.

Shree Ganeshaya Namah

Bejan Daruwalla is world's most famousastrologertoday. He appears regularly onworld wide TV shows. Bejan who has been aprofessor in English, hasauthored a numberof books on astrology. India'sPrime MinisterNarendra Modi , on March 29, 2012,lunchedone of Bejan's books, '2012- End oftheWorld? Bejan contributes to a number ofjournals andnewspapers in many parts of theworld which includeBerkley Communications(London) Times of India(Delhi, Mumbai,Kolkata, Chennai) and The IndianPanorama (New York and Texas). Bejan'spredictionshave mostly been correct andpeople the world overrely on his predictions.

Bejan Daruwalla is available for astrological

consultations. He can be reached at

info@bejandaruwalla.com and on phone

011-91-8141234275www.bejandaruwalla.com

SEPT 23: Ganesha says you can put arelationship (family?) on new footing, whetherthrough putting behind the past or gaininginsight into it. A new look for your home couldgive you a fresh perspective. SEPT 24: Whether it's because yourconfidence is low or you're uncertain, you'renot in the best position to stand up foryourself. Maybe you should take a breakinstead of pushing forward. Energies can getmisdirected.

SEPT 25: The Moon intensifies yesterday'sfortunate developments pertaining to arelationship, giving you a chance to build onthem. How and with whom you relate makeall the difference now. SEPT 26: Misunderstandings can cause plansto go askew. It's safer to double-checkappointments and other arrangements thanjust to assume that everything is all set. SEPT 27: You and / or a partner or friend maynot be able to make any headway with plans.If you take stock of monetary and other

resources, you'll see the need to organizethings on more realistic lines. SEPT 28: If you were feeling decisiveyesterday, now you'll find that your wordshave power, and you'll need an outlet for allthat mental power. Speak your mind;otherwise, you'll get stuck in an obsessivemind-loop. Sept 29: Somebody or something can throw awrench into the works, particularly in regardto litigation, in-laws, travel, and other distantinterests. Focus on your objectives. Avoidgetting tangled up in red tape.

Weekly Horoscope - September 23 - September 29, 2019

The Indian Panorama brings you Weekly and Birthday Horoscope from the World's mosttrusted astrologer Bejan Daruwalla. Latest correct prediction: Modi's historic victory

Birthday Horoscope September 23 - September 29, 2019

24 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019ADVERTISEMENT