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Subcontinent 21 Business 23 Sports 24 Spiritual Awareness 30
NEW YORK EDITION
Yoko Ono ’s peace
through art mission
to India
Art & Fashion,
Page 15
1 million sign
petition to recall
Wisconsin Governor
Bollywood
heavyweights
party with
Oprah
Bollywood,
Page 16
Priyanka Gandhi
ready to play
bigger role in
Congress
India,
Page 12
India to invest $35 billion tostimulate economy
Vol.4 No.39 January 21-27, 2012 60 Cents Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Riveting battles for the ballotin 5 Indian states
Romney riches new hurdle inhis path to nomination
New Delhi: The only certainty about the polls in five
Indian states to be conducted over more than a month
starting Jan 28 is that they will be fair and free—and
riveting. Anti-incumbency factor in Uttar Pradesh and
Punjab, for example, will ensure ding-dong ballot bat-
tles. The results may also throw up pointers as to how
much the corruption scandals and the protracted
Lokpal Bill impasse of the last one year damaged the
image of the ruling Congress party at the Center.
The impartial Election Commission has ordered
Mayawati's statues and her election symbol of ele-
phants carved out of stone covered and at the same
time, it has hot down Congress' pro-Muslim sops.
The most crucial of the middle India states, Uttar
Pradesh, will see a battle between the two old regional
adversaries, Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
and the Samajwadi Party (SP), while
Congress and the BJP watch from the sidelines. The
anti-incumbency factor, which led to the SP's ouster in
2007, may be felt by the BSP this time, largely
because of its neglect of significant development proj
Continued on page 4Read more election news on
page 12
Washington DC: With a fortune that may
run into a quarter of a billion dollars, Mitt
Romney is one of the wealthiest men to ever
run for president. But currently his reluc-
tance to reveal all about his riches and tax
returns is proving a millstone around his
neck.
Republican rivals’ vehement attacks over
his career in the leveraged buyout business
and the shrouded wealth now pose a
major political risk on his march to GOP
Continued on page 4
New Delhi: India is to launch a $35bn wave
of public sector investment to reverse a
decline in the fast-growing economy’s
growth rate and return it closer to double
digits, according to the prime minister’s
office.
The emergency stimulus measures are a
strong response to widespread criticism of
policy paralysis in New Delhi and a dramatic
fall in economic growth to 7 per cent from an
earlier 9 per cent.
The Manmohan Singh government has
ordered 17 state-owned companies to use
reserves money to invest in a mix of infra-
structure projects and overseas energy pur-
chases, reported Financial Times in an exclu-
sive.
“They are sitting on piles of cash,” said
one official of the urgent need to trigger a
mobilization of currently “inactive”
resources to boost confidence in the econo-
my, and promote India’s energy security.
The move also strives to prompt private-
sector companies – which have expressed
reservations about investing in the domestic
Continued on page 4
The Election Commission has ordered Mayawati’subiquitous statues covered in the run up to election
in Uttar Pradesh.
17 state-owned companies such as ONGCand Coal India to use reserves to invest in
infrastructure projects and overseasenergy purchases.
Perry endorsing Gingrich dulls Santorum’sIowa win
Jaipur: Dr. Surendra Kumar
Kaushik, a New Yorker known
for setting up a women’s college
in his native Rajasthan, was pre-
sented the Pravasi Bharatiya
Samman award at PBD Jaipur on
Jan 9 by President Pratibha Patil.
He was one of only two Indian
Americans and 14 eminent over-
seas Indians to receive the high-
est award for NRIs and PIOs.
The award citation commended
his contributions in the field of
economics and for enhancing the
Indian community’s stature
abroad.
Dr Kaushik, 67, a B.S. in com-
merce from the University of
Rajasthan and a Ph.D. in eco-
nomics from Boston University,
is a professor of finance at Pace
University in New York City and
Westchester, NY.
He married Helena Pokornicki,
a health professional, in 1944.
She suffered a debilitating stroke
in January 1991 and is cared for
by Dr. Kaushik since then. He
Continued on page 4
Dr. Surendra K. Kaushik receiv-ing the Pravasi Bharatiya
Samman award at PBD Jaipurfrom President Pratibha Patil.
Dr Kaushik bestowed highestaward for overseas Indians
Tristate Community 3
TheSouthAsianTimes.info January 21-27, 2012
Another Indian American lands in insider trading netNew York: Sandeep Goyal, a junior
research analyst at the Manhattan
office of Neuberger Berman, an in-
vestment management firm, was
charged on Wednesday with insid-
ers trading along with six others. He
joins a growing group of Indian-ori-
gin professionals accused of such
crimes recently. The US Securities
and Exchange Commission (SEC)
charged Goyal and others with prof-
iting $78 million using insider trad-
ing information on Dell and Nvidia.
Goyal, 39, who has pleaded guilty
and is cooperating with the govern-
ment, faces a maximum statutory
prison sentence of 25 years.
Goyal, a former employee of Dell,
used old contacts there to access in-
formation not available in public
domain, the SEC said. And he sold
it to a ‘circle of friends’ at two
hedge funds , Level Global In-
vestors and Diamondback.
Preet S. Bharara, the United States
attorney in Manhattan who brought
the charges, said at a news confer-
ence, “It was a club where everyone
scratched everyone else’s back.”
Goyal didn’t make very much —
$175,000 from Diamondback for
“consulting work”— compared to
the millions made by Indian-origin
professionals accused or convicted
on insider trading in the US recent-
ly.
In the Galleon case, Anil Kumar
and Rajiv Goel were both said to
have made millions, while working
with Sri Lankan-born Galleon boss
Raj Rajaratnam.
Level Global Investors, one of the
two hedge funds named now, made
$53 million of the said profits, the
government said. Level Global is
the most prominent hedge fund
touched by the government’s insid-
er trading prosecutions since the
Galleon Group closed after the ar-
rest of its co-founder, Raj Rajarat-
nam.
More than a year ago, the govern-
ment raided a series of hedge funds.
Federal agent stormed the offices of
Level Global, Diamondback Capital
Management and two others in No-
vember 2010 to retrieve documents
and other materials. Months after
the November raid, Level Global
closed.
Preet S. Bharara, who brought the charges, exposing the latest insidertrading ‘circle of friends’ including Sandeep Goyal, a Manhattan analyst.
Celebrity CricketLeague Season 2
on TV hereNew York: Uniting India's biggest passions -
cricket and movies, Celebrity Cricket League
Season 2 is here, running from Jan 19 to Feb
15. Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and nu-
merous other actors, Telugu heavyweight
Venkatesh, Malayalam superstar Mohanlal,
Tamil heartthrob Suriya, and Kannada hero
Sudeep are all vying for the trophy in this ex-
travaganza. After a glamorous opening in Shar-
jah, the tournament goes to 6 Indian metros cul-
minating in a final in Hyderabad on Feb 12.
Six teams will play a total of 18 matches.
Dish Satellite is supporting the Games by
providing all its subscribers in any pack and a
la carte the following special offer: Watch lim-
ited time FREE preview only on TV Asia (Ch:
788) on Dish Network. TV Asia will also tele-
cast the matches.
John Liu blows up $190,000 in campaigncash on fundraising probe defense
Zardari has immunity, Gilani tells court, appearing in person Late News
New York: Beleaguered New York City
Comptroller John Liu spent nearly $190,000
in campaign funds in the last six months to
cover expenses related to investigations into
his fund-raising, new city filings show.
During that period, Liu raked in $516,000
in contributions for his mayoral war chest —
the lowest amount out of all the presumptive
candidates who have so far filed with the city.
This, political pundits have opined, combined
with his taint on fundraising, virtually takes
him out of the race for city mayor to replce
Micahel Bloomberg next year.
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio raised near-
ly twice what Liu took in with $1 million, ac-
cording to his filings. The hefty haul put him
ahead of other candidates for the period. His
campaign earned an additional $300,000 over
the last filing period.
But de Blasio’s total $1,598,950 cash on
hand is far behind City Council Speaker
Christine Quinn’s $4.56 million.
Quinn and Manhattan Borough President
Scott Stringer both banked $550,000 during
the latest cycle, filings show.
Liu’s campaign financing is the subject of a
federal criminal investigation. The Manhattan
U.S. attorney’s office charged Liu fund-rais-
er Oliver Pan with laundering money for the
comptroller’s political war chest. The feds al-
leged Pan accepted a $15,200 contribution
from an undercover agent and then broke the
money into 19 chunks of $800 each to evade
the city’s limit on donations.
Islamabad: Embattled Yousuf Raza Gilani
Thursday made a rare personal appearance
for a Pakistani prime minister in the
Supreme Court here and stepped forth in de-
fense of President Asif Ali Zardari, accused
of corruption during his wife Benazir Bhut-
to's two stints as the premier.
Hauled up by the Supreme Court for not
initiating action against Zardari, Gilani told
a 7-member bench during his seven-minute
submission that the constitution provides
immunity to the president. A large number of
ruling Pakistan Peoples Party supporters
shouted slogans outside.
The case will now be heard Feb 1, giving
a breathing time to the 59-year-old prime
minister who faces contempt charge from
the apex court and has also run foul of the
powerful army after sacking Lt. Gen. (retd)
Naeem Khalid Lodhi as defense secretary.
Lodhi was seen to be clos0e to army chief
Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.
The "emerging political developments" --
a reference to the simmering confrontation
between the army and the democratically
elected government, and a new folding tus-
sle between the apex court and the Gilani
regime -- Thursday made former president
Pervez Musharraf, who was to return to Pak-
istan by January-end, to postpone his arrival
home.
There was high drama as Gilani himself
drove down to the court, and was mobbed by
boisterous activists of the PPP.
Gilani was on the defensive before the
judges, who had Jan 16 issued him a con-
tempt notice for failing to take legal action
against Zardari despite the court's directive,
insisting he would never even dream of chal-
lenging a judicial fiat. Outside, he looked
confident as he waved to supporters, both
while entering the court and later.
Justice Asif Saeed Khosa said Thursday
was a great day for Pakistan.
Gilani told the bench: "It will not give a
good message to proceed against a president
who is elected by a two-thirds majority."
"I have discussed this with my friends and
experts, and they agree he has got complete
immunity," the daily Dawn quoted him as
saying.
Salman Khan’s Mumbai Heroes tasted theirfirst victory against the Chennai team in
Sharjah in CCL II.
Prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani beforehis court appearance in Islamabad.
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4 Turn Page
Rushdie no-show will put spotlight on Oprah at Jaipur litfestBy Prakash Bhandari/SATimes
Jaipur: Avoiding any categorical
statement, the organizers of the Jaipur
Literature Festival (JLF), have
announced that the invitation extend-
ed to controversial author Salman
Rushdie stands. Yet, they have with-
drawn the schedule from the printed
program which stated that Rushdie
would participate in a discussion dur-
ing the festival.
Using diplomatic language, the co-
producer of the festival, Sanjay Roy
said that the invitation to Rushdie still
stands. The invitation created ripples
in the Rajasthan government follow-
ing protests against the author by sev-
eral Muslim organizations. Roy and
his team members, notably author
Namita Gokhale, met the local leaders
and heard them out. It is learnt that
they assured Muslim organizations
that Rushdie would not attend the fes-
tival and they should not hold any
demonstration.
The Rajasthan government had also
counseled against participation of
Mumbai raised Rushdie.
Rushdie, along with authors Rita
Kothari and Tarun Tejpal, was slated
to discuss on January 21, the second
day of the festival, the nuances of
English with noted writer Ira Pande
on the topic 'Inglish, Amlish,
Hinglish: The “chutnification” of
English'. He was to participate in two
other sessions.
The Muslim organizations said that
Rushdie through his writings had
annoyed religious sentiments of the
Muslims and demanded that he
should not be allowed to visit India
from America, where he lives.
Rushdie had a fatwa against him
since 1989 after the publication of
'The Satanic Verses'. He had partici-
pated in the JLF in 2007 but there
were no protests then. The fatwa was
eased in 1998, but not withdrawn
when the Iran government said it had
no intention to enforce it.
However, if Rushdie is a no-show,
the spotlight at the Jaipur festival will
be on the US talk queen Oprah
Winfrey who would participate in an
interview with TV journalist Barkha
Dutt Jan 22. She is coming to town
for the shooting of her program "Next
Chapter" at the City Palace.
There is a special emphasis on the
Bhakti and Sufi poets who illumined
the literature of the medieval South
Asia from Kabir and Meera Bai to
Rumi and Shams Tabrizi. Like the
indomitable crowds of the Arab
Spring, the poet saints reached for
social justice and the dignity of an
individual.
With its 22 schedules lan-
guages,122 regional languages, four
classical languages and hundreds of
mother tongues and countless
dialects, India exists in a ongoing
state of translation.
January 21-27, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
India to Invest StoryContinued from page 1
market – to follow suit. But some observers
have criticized the move as a throwback to the
“old formula” of the 1970s when Mrs Indira
Gandhi used public infrastructure spending to
boost growth.
India’s top policymakers are worried about
the economy’s loss of momentum, and ebbing
business confidence after a dismal year charac-
terized by political bickering, high profile cor-
ruption scandals and an exit of foreign capital.
Companies such as the ONGC, Coal India
and the National Mineral Development
Corporation, have signed agreements to spend
as much as $35bn of their cash or bank balances
over the fiscal year starting in April to expand
their operations.
The sum is almost twice the $19bn foreign
direct investment into India in 2011.
Among the proposed measures, Coal India,
which had a successful initial public offering
last year has been asked to “actively consider
investment” in allied sectors such as road, rail-
ways, waterways and power to improve the
transport of coal.
Fast-tracked investments, mainly in the coal
and oil sectors, will be monitored quarterly by
the prime minister’s office to prevent backslid-
ing.
Of the total, Rs400bn ($7bn) has been identi-
fied for investments overseas to buy assets like
coal, gas and oil. ONGC has undertaken to
spend Rs205bn in foreign investment in the
coming fiscal year; Coal India has agreed to
Rs60bn.
The move by the Singh administration also
reflects India’s determination to push for higher
growth in spite of uncertainty surrounding the
global economic recovery and renewed anxiety
about the performance of Eurozone economies
Romney Story, Continued from page 1nomination for President.
More bad news for Romney: Newt Gingrich,
buoyed by endorsement from Rick Perry who
ended his own campaign, was closing the lead
Romney held in South Carolina primary. And
certified results from Iowa caucuses Thursday
morning showed Rick Santorum leading
Romney by 34 votes, a reversal from the eight-
vote edge for Romney on caucus night.
Romney’s finances are complex and far-
flung. He and his wife, Ann, have reported
holdings in dozens of publicly traded compa-
nies, mutual funds and high-end investment
partnerships, with much of their family wealth
held in blind trusts that conceal their full size
from public view. And Romney’s disclosure on
Tuesday that he pays an effective tax rate of
about 15 percent on his income focused new
attention on some aspects of his finances,
including his millions of dollars in donations to
the Mormon Church and his continuing com-
pensation from Bain Capital, the private equity
firm he left more than a decade ago.
In the debate on Thursday in Charleston, SC,
before the South Carolina primary, Romney’s
opponents were expected to keep demanding
he release his tax returns before their party
picks a nominee, while Democrats, previewing
likely attacks in a general election campaign,
accused Romney of having something to hide.
“We can’t fire our nominee in September,”
Gov. Rick Perry of Texas said on Wednesday
on “Fox and Friends.” “If we’ve got a flawed
candidate going forward who’s going to get
eaten alive either because of business practices
or because of the taxes and the system that’s set
up, we need to talk about it now.”
Romney aides said privately, reported New
York Times, that they were prepared for the
attacks on Romney’s wealth, which they
believe will backfire, aligning Romney’s critics
with liberals and rallying more Republicans to
his side. Yet, Gov. Chris Christie of New
Jersey, one of his top supporters, said
Wednesday morning that Romney should
make the returns public “sooner rather than
later.”
Romney has not pledged to release past
returns, and the one he has suggested he would
release, in April, is a work in progress. At the
end of last year, he could have arranged to have
some of his compensation deferred.
Dr Kaushik Story, Continued from page 1established Helena Kaushik Women’s
Postgraduate College in 1999 in his native vil-
lage Malsisar, district Jhunjhunu, where there
was no college in a 35-km radius, let alone a
women’s college. It is a fully accredited college
in the University of Rajasthan system. It does
not charge tuition because of generally low
incomes of area residents and is financed from
American private donations from individuals
and foundations.
Dr. Kaushik has received numerous honors
including a Legislative Resolution in April
2009 in The New York State Assembly lauding
the Helena Kaushik College on its 10th
Anniversary and the New Jersey General
Assembly the following year. He has numerous
publications – books, edited books, articles in
finance and economics to his credit over the
last 40 years.
The other Indian American to receive the
prestigious award at PBD 2012 was Kalpalatha
Kummamuri Guntupalli, MD, cited for her
contributions in the field of medicine and pub-
lic service. She is a pulmonologist practicing in
Houston.
India elections StoryContinued from page 1
ects. If the Congress does better than before in
UP, it will help the ascent of party's heir appar-
ent, Rahul Gandhi, who is expected to be the
party’s choice for prime minister in 2014.
The anti-incumbency is likely to unsettle the
Akali Dal in Punjab, which has tended to vote
for the Akalis and the Congress in alternate
elections. The Congress' hopes of staging a
comeback have been buoyed by its success in
the 2009 parliamentary polls, when it won
eight of the 13 seats while the Akalis won four.
Manipur, Uttarakhand and Goa are the three
other states going to the polls. Elections in
Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh will be
announced later this year.
Tristate Community 5
TheSouthAsianTimes.info January 21-27, 2012
Edison, NJ: Demonstrating a united face
prominent Indian American organizations
have a decided to jointly celebrate India’s
Republic Day on January 28, 2012. “We
want to teach the younger generation about
the strength of our motherland,” said Atma
Singh, president of Indian Congress Party,
USA, a social outfit claiming allegiance to
the ruling Congress Party of India. “The
younger generation of Indian Americans who
were born and raised in USA knows very lit-
tle about India and its constitutional struc-
ture.”
The event will begin at 11 am and continue
for four hours during which Middle and High
School students will be engaged in varieties
of thematic activities based on India’s federal
structure, its constitution and its history. The
event will take place at Royal Albert’s Palace
in Fords, NJ.
Atma Singh said that leading community
leaders with roots in Gujarat, Andhra
Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,
Orissa, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil
Nadu have been invited to participate in the
celebration. “Leading entrepreneurs and pro-
fessionals from different fields of activities
will share the same platform in the honor of
the world’s greatest democracy,” he com-
mented.
Plans afoot for grand RepublicDay celebration in NJ
New York: An Indian-origin woman gave
birth to her first child during the train ride
from New Jersey to New York, in what would
be her most unforgettable journey.
At first, Rabita Sarker, 31, of New Jersey
said she thought she was experiencing false
labor pains as she boarded the train run by the
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in
Jersey City. But as the Manhattan bound train
entered New York, Sarker knew her baby
could not wait any longer.
As she went into labor, few passengers
helped her panicked husband deliver the baby
boy they nicknamed "Jhatpat" - the Hindi
word for "fast", a report in the New York
Daily News said.
"He decided to come and that was it.
Nothing could stop him. Nothing could keep
him inside for longer," the report quoted
Sarker as saying.
She was later admitted to a New York hospi-
tal. "I don't think anybody could actually
dream of such a delivery," she added. Sarker
and her 30-year-old husband, Aditya Saurabh,
were already on their way to the hospital for a
medical check-up. "We were coming here to
check if it was false labor or not," she said. "I
was like, 'Okay, I'm just doing it for peace of
mind'". Wanting to avoid the always-crowded
Lincoln Tunnel, they decided to take the com-
muter train 'PATH' that runs from New Jersey
to New York.
Woman delivers 'Jhatpat' on PATH train
The Sarker couple with the new bundle of joy
India hands $ 1 millioncheck to UN Women
United Nations: Ambassador H S Puri,
Permanent Representative of India to the UN
Jan 12 handed over a check of US$ 1 million
towards Government of India’s contribution
to the core voluntary budget of UN Women
(United Nations Entity for Gender Equality
and the Empowerment of Women).
This contribution constitutes the second
installment of India’s multi-year pledge to
provide five million US dollars as core pre-
dictable funding to UN Women’s
resources.The check was received on behalf
of UN Women by Dr Michele Bachelet,
Under Secretary General and Executive
Director of UN Women. On this occasion,
Ambassador Puri also reaffirmed the
Government of India’s steadfast commitment
to the goals of gender equality, the empower-
ment of women and gender mainstreaming
enshrined in the mandate of UN
Women.India is currently one of the members
of the Executive Board of the UN Women.
Now Hindi course for high schoolstudents at Bensalem School District
Bensalem, PA: Bensalem
Township, located on the out-
skirts of Philadelphia has
become the first school dis-
trict in the state to teach Hindi
in its High School beginning
September 2012.
The School Board of
Bensalem Township, in its
meeting on January 11, 2012,
unanimously adopted a reso-
lution to introduce Hindi cur-
riculum for High School stu-
dents. The decision came
after a series of promotional
efforts made by Yuva Hindi
Sansthan, a non-profit educa-
tional and cultural institution
and supported by local Indian
population. “We are very
happy that the school board
has accepted the long term
demand of our community,”
said Yagnesh Choksi, one of
the directors of the school
board. “We consistently made
efforts to introduce Hindi so
that our children grow up
with knowledge of the nation-
al language of India.”
The board’s decision was
made in the presence of
dozens of Indian American
community members and
office bearers of Yuva Hindi
Sansthan. Dr. (Mrs.) Heather
Nicholas, president of
Bensalem School Board, sup-
ported the need of diverse
population of Bensalem
Township that comprised of a
variety of ethnic and cultural
groups. “We are confident
that Hindi learning will open
up new opportunities to
familiarize our students about
Indian culture,” she said.
Promising to provide edu-
cational resources for jump
starting a Hindi curriculum at
Bensalem Ashok Ojha, YHS
president offered full support
and help of his organization.
Dr. David Baugh,
Superintendent of Bensalem
School District, expressed his
confidence that High School
students in his district will
take advantage of the ‘Hindi
1’ course that will be offered
for the first time.
About ten percent of
Bensalem Township, which
has a population of more than
60,000, comprise of people of
Indian origin, mostly from the
state of Gujarat.
Ambassador H S Puri handing over the check to Dr Michele Bachelet, UnderSecretary General and Executive Director of UN Women
Dr. Surendra Gambhir, chairman, YHS addressed theBensalem Township School Board meeting held on January
11, when the board adopted a resolution to launch Hindi curriculum in its High School. (photo by Ashok Ojha)
6 Tristate Community
January 21-27, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
AVG celebrates holiday season with Vedanta Retreat
Long Island Council ofChurches receives a $20,000
grant to serve poorHempstead: The Nassau
County Bar Association’s chari-
table arm, the WE CARE
Advisory Board, awarded the
Long Island Council of
Churches a $20,000 grant to
help the LICC feed individuals
and families in crisis and pro-
vide other essential social serv-
ices for poverty-stricken resi-
dents in Nassau County.
The LICC, region’s largest
ecumenical and interfaith organ-
ization, operates an emergency
food center located at 450 North
Main Street in Freeport, and
provides food and other social
services from its Hempstead
office.
"We are delighted and pro-
foundly grateful for WE
CARE’s latest grant,” said Rev.
Tom Goodhue, the LICC’s
Executive Director.
“It was one of the largest they
have given us. WE CARE’s sup-
port helps us to keep up with the
ever growing number of our
neighbors who are in need. Our
Freeport Food Center, for exam-
ple, fed 331 more seniors in
2011 than in 2010.
Without WE CARE, we would
not be able to feed all the fami-
lies who depend on us to eat.
We are profoundly grateful for
the Nassau County Bar
Association’s faithful support
and compassion for the hungry
Nassau residents we feed.”
Book launch of ‘Lives on the Brink’Edison, NJ: The Asian Women's Safety Net
has organized a luncheon to launch Anu
Peshawaria's book: "Lives on the Brink"
Bridging the Chasm between two great nations
- India and the United States on Sunday,
January 22, 2012 from 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm at
Benihana Restaurant, 60 Parsonage Road here.
Anu Peshawaria is the Legal Professional and
Advisor to C.C.A at the Embassy of India in
Washington D.C., as well as the consulates in
San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, and New
York. Organizations present will have the
opportunity to discuss important issues with
Peshawaria and gain insight to the solutions and
tools needed to further assist domestic violence
victims.
Pittsburgh, PA: Dr. Srinivas
Murali, director of the Division of
Cardiovascular Medicine and med-
ical director, Cardiovascular
Institute at West Penn Allegheny
Health System, has been named
governor of the American College
of Cardiology for Western
Pennsylvania.
This appointment signifies the
high regard in which Murali is held
among his peers and colleagues,
according to the ACC, which also
noted the intense enthusiasm and
strong character evident in Murali’s
willingness to serve the cardiology
community of western Pennsylvania
and the country in this capacity.
Murali will serve a three-year
term from 2013-2016.
Murali is an internationally recog-
nized physician in heart failure, car-
diac transplantation, mechanical cir-
culatory support and pulmonary
hypertension. He is widely consid-
ered to be one of the country’s pre-
eminent experts in these fields.
The Indian American cardiologist
graduated from the University of
Madras and completed his residency
training in internal medicine at the
Jewish Hospital and Medical Center
in New York in 1983. After com-
pleting his cardiovascular fellow-
ship training at the University of
Pittsburgh, he joined the faculty
there in 1986. Murali was the med-
ical director of the Cardiac
Transplantation Program at the
University of Pittsburgh from 1991
to 2002, and associate clinical direc-
tor of the UPMC Cardiovascular
Institute till 2005. He joined
WPAHS in 2005 and is currently a
professor of medicine at the Temple
University School of Medicine.
He has authored or co-authored
over 100 publications in the field of
heart failure, pulmonary hyperten-
sion, mechanical circulatory support
and cardiac transplantation. Murali
has given over 100 presentations in
national and international scientific
meetings, and serves on several
committees in the American College
of Cardiology, International Society
of Heart and Lung Transplantation,
Pulmonary Hypertension
Association and the Heart Failure
Society of America.
By Nupur Joshi/SATimes
Pennsylvania: For a number of
Hindus across the country, the
arrival of the holiday season does
not imply the celebration of the
birth of Jesus Christ only. Each
year, members of the Arsha Vidya
Gurukulam (AVG), located in
Saylorsburg, PA, look forward to
attending a year-end Vedanta
Retreat to enrich their minds and
souls.
On December 23, 2011, AVG
held a retreat focusing on Sundara
Kandam and Narada Bhakti Sutra
of the Valmiki Ramayana. Adult
lectures were led by Swami
Tattvavidananda, student of Swami
Dayanada Saraswati, while youth
members attended a variety of
classes including yoga, Sanskrit,
Vedanta, chanting, and Tae Kwon
Do, with multiple teachers.
Though Christmas is largely a
Christian holiday, it did not go
uncelebrated at the Gurukulam.
Because AVG holds religious toler-
ance and knowledge in such high
respect, youth members were
encouraged to sing Christmas car-
ols and create their own renditions.
Along with these classes and per-
formances, youth members also
worked with AVG faculty through
the week to present a Cultural
Program on December 30. The pro-
gram consisted of several skits,
dances and musical performances
by children up to the age of 18.
With only two days left, the
retreat was far from over. The fol-
lowing day began with a Lord
Dakshinamurthi Mula Mantra
Japam. That night, youth members
came together to produce a Talent
Show, independent of the faculty’s
help. Presentations ranged from
skits to mridangam performances,
Kathak to Bharata Natyam dance
performances and Hindustani to
Carnatic classical vocal perform-
ances.
Later, in order to induct the New
Year, Swami Tattvavidananda and
Swami Sarvabhutananda
Sarasvathi gave lectures and per-
formed prayers with the hundreds
of attendees present in the temple.
Meanwhile, Swami Dayananda
Saraswati made a special appear-
ance via webcam from India.
Members of the Gurukulam were
delighted to see his smiling face.
The final day of the retreat com-
prised the New Year Puja. A vast
number of members attended the
event, hoping that 2012 would
have an auspicious beginning.
Cardiologist Srinivas Murali named governor of ACCWP
Srinivas Murali
Savithri Mani, Cultural Program Coordinator, with kids
New York: Adnan Munawar, a
South Asian businessman and
lawyer of Pakistani origin, has
been appointed Administrative
Law Judge of Human Rights
Commission in Nassau County,
New York. Currently a partner
at Munawar AndrewsSantillo
& Weissman LLP, a plaintiff
law firm based in New York
City, providing legal services
in all areas of personal injury,
Munawar was appointed to the
position at the end of last year.
As Administrative Law Judge
he will be looking into cases of
violation of human rights in
Nassau County as and when
referred to him by any of the
12 Commissions that overlook
the cases initially.
Adnan Munawar appointed toNassau County’s HRC
National Community 7
TheSouthAsianTimes.info January 21-27, 2012
Indian-Americans in Atlanta take up guns in self-defenceWashington, DC: Indians in the in
a Georgian city in the US are learn-
ing to use firearms after a spate of
violent home invasions and rob-
beries in recent months. Indian-
Americans living in Roswell, a
suburb of northern Atlanta, are
being helped by the local police in
receiving gun training to help pro-
tect them from robberies.
Over the weekend, community
members gathered at a firing range,
adding that the Roswell police has
so far charged seven Colombian
nationals with home invasion.
"This is my first time," Ashish
Dhume was quoted as saying.
C K Patel, former president of
the National Federation of Indian
Associations in the US, said, "We
have reports that Indians were tar-
geted in Atlanta. Indian business-
men and their establishments were
being targeted."
According to him, Indians are
targeted because they keep jewel-
ery at home. "There have been
cases where they were robbed of
their jewelery immediately after
they purchased it from a shop and
were bringing it home."
"Some of our friends actually got
robbed. We don't want to be vic-
timized when we are at home," he
added. "I feel confident I can use
the gun and protect myself," he
said after receiving an hour-long
training.
"I just wanted to see what it feels
like and learn some safety issues,
more than anything else, just in
case I get into a situation," Nivelle
Bilimoria said.
The community believes that
Indian-Americans are being target-
ed because they follow the tradi-
tion of keeping gold in their
homes.
In fact, Indian-American commu-
nities in other parts of the US, like
Virginia and New York, too have
been target of robberies.
But this is the first time that they
are taking training in shooting as a
self-defence measure.
"Indians seem to be adverse,
probably culturally, but once you
settle down in this country, you
have got to adapt to the country,"
Dijjocam Raina was quoted as say-
ing, adding that he had not held a
gun in 20 years, but now he plans
on buying one and keeping it close
for safety.
Local police conceded that the
Indian-American community is
being targeted by robbers who held
them at gunpoint and snatched
away their gold and other valu-
ables.
Ro Khanna raises record money for Congressional bidWashington, DC: Indian-American
attorney Ro Khanna, who served for
two years in a senior position in the
Obama Administration, has raised a
record $1.2 million in one single
quarter for his Congressional bid in
2014.
The fund raising details of 35-
year-old Khanna were revealed in a
report submitted by him to the
Federal Elections Commission
(FEC) on January 9.
One of the high ranking Indian-
Americans under the Obama
Administration, Khanna was
Deputy Assistant Secretary for the
US and Foreign Commercial
Service, a unit of the International
Trade Administration for two years
till August 2011.
He is currently Of Counsel at
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati,
a Palo Alto based law firm where he
specializes in intellectual property
and clean technology law.
"Unless I missed something in
looking back through FEC records,
I don't think any non-incumbent
House candidate in the nation has
raised more in his or her opening
'out-of-the-gate' campaign quarter in
the past decade," wrote Josh
Richman in san Jose Mercury
News.
"In fact, I see only two or three
instances in which a non-incumbent
House candidate raised more than
that in any single quarter since
2000," Richman said.
Interestingly, Khanna has not
announced his constituency, but
local media reported that he is eye-
ing District 15 of California which
includes Fremont.
Khanna's fund raisers have attract-
ed top Democratic leaders including
Nancy Pelosi, the former Speaker of
the US House of Representatives,
and eminent Indian-Americans like
venture capitalist Vinod Khosla.
According to FEC filing, some of
the top donors include Google
investor Ram Shriram, Tibco
founder Vivek Ranadive, Adobe
CEO Shantanu Narayen, entrepre-
neurs Talat and Kamil Hasan, ven-
ture capitalist Yogen Dalal, and
political activist Shefali Razdan
Duggal.
"I am most excited by the ideas
and energy brought to our campaign
by some of our nation's greatest
innovators such as Reid Hoffman,
Marc Andreessen, and Peter Thiel,"
Khanna was quoted as saying.
"I learned a lot about what
America needs to create an ecosys-
tem for innovation in the 21st centu-
ry," he said.
US Senator upset over delay inFDI in Indian retail
New Delhi: Influential US Senator and co-chair of
the Senate's India Caucus Mark R Warner today
expressed his disappointment over delay in India
allowing foreign investment in multi-brand retail.
"I am seriously concerned about delay in imple-
mentation of FDI in multi-brand retail," he said at
CII Partnership Summit 2012 here. His comments
come within days of US Trade Representative Ron
Kirk postponing his visit to New Delhi - perceived to
be conveying the US displeasure on India going slow
in giving market access to the American companies,
in areas like retail, insurance and banking.
Warner is leading a Congressional delegation to
India and meeting top government and business lead-
ers in New Delhi, Jaipur, Hyderabad and Kolkata.
The team is exploring opportunities to expand ties
in areas of trade and defense between the two coun-
tries. Bowing to intense from Opposition parties and
its own ally Trinamool Congress, the government
suspended its decision to allow 51% foreign direct
investment (FDI) in the multi-brand retail.
However, the government has re-launched efforts
to achieve consensus among different stakeholders
on the politically sensitive issue.
India opens consulate inAtlanta for Southeast
Atlanta: The government of India
has opened a new consulate to
serve the Southeast.
Georgia governor Nathan Deal
and Consul General of India in
Atlanta Ajit Kumar Dec 29
announced the consulate's opening.
In addition to Georgia, the office
will serve the states of Alabama,
Florida, Mississippi, South
Carolina and Tennessee, as well as
the US Virgin Islands and the US
commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Kumar previously served as the
Indian consul general in Frankfurt,
Germany, and Durban, South
Africa, and as ambassador of India
to the Republic of Zimbabwe. In
Atlanta, he will lead a team of 20
full-time employees.
The consulate will serve the
approximately 100,000 Indian
Americans living in Georgia and
roughly 290,000 across the
Southeast with services such as
visas, passports and other docu-
ments.
It also will help facilitate
Georgia's surging business with
India.
Figures from the Georgia
Department of Economic
Development show that the state
exported $562 million worth of
goods to India in 2010. That was a
35% increase over 2009.
Georgia is the 10th largest
exporter to India among US states.
"This marks a significant mile-
stone in Georgia's international
evolution," said Deal on making
the announcement. "The Consulate
General is the crowning symbol of
the dynamic business and cultural
connections India shares with our
region and state."
Senator Mark R Warner
Ro Khanna
8 National Community
January 21-27, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Subrata De named EP ofAndrea Mitchell show
New York: Subrata De, a senior producer
on “NBC Nightly News with Brian
Williams,” has been named EP of
MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports.”
De has been with NBC News since 1998
and for the last several years as been
Williams’ lead producer, traveling with
him across the country and around the
world. In a note to staff, MSNBC execu-
tive editor Yvette Miley writes, “It is truly
an amazing time for MSNBC to have a
tremendous journalist with such an out-
standing background join our team.”
De takes over for Jennifer Suozzo who
has been named senior broadcast producer
of “NBC Nightly News” weekend edi-
tions.
In her note, after the jump, Miley points
out “Andrea Mitchell Reports” is MSNBC
dayside’s longest running show.
De was working with NBC Nightly
News as senior producer, working primari-
ly with anchor and managing editor, Brian
Williams. In that role, she oversaw stories
and remotes from over 20 countries,
including Iraq, Iran, Haiti and
Afghanistan. She has traveled with
Williams on nearly every major news
event since he became anchor in 2004,
taking Nightly News to New Orleans in
the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and to
Cairo at the height of the uprising in Tahrir
Square. De was also lead producer on the
anchor’s many presidential interviews,
including six with President Obama.
In addition to her work at Nightly, she
was senior producer for Brian Williams
Reports “Taking the Hill: Inside
Congress” and “Inside the Obama White
House.” She began her career with NBC
News in 1998 as a field producer for
Dateline. She’s the recipient of many
industry awards, including two DuPont’s,
4 Emmy’s, the RFK Journalism Award and
a Gracie for Individual Achievement.
De will lead both NY and DC based
members of the “Andrea Mitchell
Reports” team.
Indian-origin American gets bail inroad accident case
Mumbai: An Indian-origin
American student was
Wednesday granted bail by a
court here in a road accident
and drunk driving case in
which his girlfriend was
killed Dec 30 last year,
police said.
"We had arrested Viral
Goradia, 27, Tuesday after
he was discharged from hos-
pital. He was produced in a
local court here and was
granted bail for surety of
Rs.15,000," said an official
from Kherwadi police sta-
tion.
"We will file the charge
sheet in the case in a few
days," the official added.
Goradia Dec 30 rammed
his car into a road divider in
Bandra in northwest
Mumbai. He was travelling
in the car along with his girl-
friend Ankita Cheda, 24,
who was killed on the spot.
Goradia, who was driving
under the influence of alco-
hol, was also seriously
injured.
An MBA student from
New York, he was booked
under penal provisions for
rash driving and causing
death by negligence. He was
also booked under provi-
sions of the Motor Vehicles
Act.
Subrata De with Brian Williams
A US delegation led by the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services,Kathleen Sebelius calls on the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Shri
Ghulam Nabi Azad, in New Delhi on January 11, 2012.
Jessi Kaur takes message of compassion from books to stage
California: A Cupertino author is taking
her writings on the importance of tolerance
and compassion from print to the stage.
Jessi Kaur is turning her 2009 book The
Royal Falcon into a stage musical that is set
to debut in the Bay Area this month.
The play, much like the book, tells the
story of Arjan, a young boy who is taken on
a fantastical journey through time by a fal-
con that teaches him the importance of cer-
tain virtues.
"The message is to practice kindness,
compassion and forgiveness. We're all part
of one big large family sharing the same
planet," Kaur says. "My life's goal is to
give this message in as many ways as I
can."
The narrative is centered around a
wartime episode from Indian history, where
a water-bearer named Bhai Kanhaiya
engages in acts of compassion during a
time of conflict.
Despite the cultural backdrop, Kaur says
this play is not just a play about Sikhs or
Indians. The cast of the musical is multicul-
tural, and the lyrics of the songs are based
on verses from Sri Guru Granth Sahib, a
scripture that Kuar says upholds the unity
of mankind, celebrates diversity and
demands respect and dignity for all.
"This is a universal message," she said. "I
did not want it to be just for the Indian or
Sikh community."
The young cast is multi-ethnic and fea-
tures 16 children and four adults.
Tanna and Tony Kienitz team to direct the
production, while the original score was
composed by Manesh
Judge and Mike Anand. The songs and
their accompanying choreography reflect
several musical genres, including jazz, hip-
hop and even rap.
Kaur worked with her directors and song-
writers to tweak her original story into
something ready for the stage. She esti-
mates that about 20 percent of the book
was reworked and enhanced so it could be
better expressed on stage.
Kaur, a member of the Cupertino Fine
Arts Commission, is a frequent speaker at
interfaith conferences and addressed the
Parliament of the World's Religions held in
Barcelona, Spain, in 2004.
Jessi Kaur’s book The Royal Falcon isbeing adapted for stage
National Community 9
TheSouthAsianTimes.info January 21-27, 2012
Kansas student wins ‘WhoWants to Be a Mathematician’
Boston: Shyam Narayanan, a freshman at
Blue Valley West High School in Overland
Park, Kansas, who discussed a math prob-
lem with President Barack Obama after
winning the Mathcounts National Written
Championship, won first prize in the third
annual “Who Wants to Be a
Mathematician” competition.
In the national competition, held here
Jan. 9, Narayanan competed against nine
other contestants who were selected based
on their scores on a qualifying test that was
sent to schools nationwide. In addition to
the win, the Indian American student has
made history for the contest as he is the
youngest person ever to qualify for the
competition.
Narayanan plans on using his $10,000
winnings to start a math club at his school.
He will keep half and the school’s mathe-
matics department will take the other half.
Two other Indian Americans were among
those who qualified for the contest, organ-
ized by the American Mathematical
Society to reward strong math students.
They are: Raj Raina, a sophomore at Novi
High School in Missouri, who likes going
on bus trips to participate in extracurricu-
lar activities. He had said earlier that if he
won first prize, he would visit Egypt with
his family.
Rachit Singh, a sophomore at Pullman
High School Central in Washington, was
the other qualifying Indian American stu-
dent, who loves to draw when he can find
the time. He was a grand prize winner in
the Avista Video Challenge.
During the competition, students had to
answer several multiple choice math ques-
tions in a certain period of time, a chal-
lenge that 15-year-old Singh said he was
ready for.
“I should be fine,' Singh recently told the
Associated Press at his home. “I love
doing math.'
He was not always a whiz with numbers,
however. When he was in elementary
school, Singh's mother said the boy's mind
would wander whenever he sat down with
a math textbook.
It wasn't until seventh grade that he
became more interested in the subject, but
since then Singh has excelled in mathe-
matics.
He was one of 520 students to take the
U.S. Junior Math Olympiad exam this
year, placing among the top 14 high-scor-
ers in the country.
Shyam Narayanan
NaindeepSingh of
the JakaraMovementreceiving
2011 YouthLeadershipAward at
theSALDEFAnnual
Gala fromManjit
Singh andJaideepSingh.
Rana Sodhi receiving 2011 Bhagat Singh ThindCommunity Empowerment Award at the SikhAmerican Legal Defense and Education Fund
(SALDEF) Annual Gala.
233 Fifth Ave, Suite 4A,
New York, NY 10016 • Real Estate (commercial & residential
closings)
• Business Law (business incorporations,
contracts)
• Corporate Transactions & Litigation
• Labor & Employment
• Administrative Law
• Immigration Law (all immigration matters)
• Collections • Landlord/Tenant Law
• Entertainment Law • Criminal Defense
Languages: Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati
and Swahili
BIKRAM SINGH, ESQ.(646) 924-1950
www.bikrasmsinghesq.com
YOGI PATEL, ESQ.(212) 300-7364
www.ypatellaw.com
Law Office of Bikram Singh& The Patel Law Firm
'More Indo-US collaborationwill improve millions of lives'
Madurai: Indo-US collaborations like the
American Business Corner would make it
easier for Indian companies to work with
American companies, and in the process
improve the lives of millions of people in the
years to come, the United States Consul
General, Chennai, Jennifer McIntyre , said
here today.
"Our two countries can only benefit from
sharing our resources and expertise.
Incredible growth has been happening in
India’s Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, like Madurai
and these American Business Corners will
make it easier for Indian companies to work
with American companies," McIntyre said.
The Consul General inaugurated the
American Business Centre located at the
Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and
Industry premises here.
"Even more importantly, these types of
connections, in addition to continued hard
work on the US-India relationship, will play
a role in improving the lives of hundreds of
millions of people in the years to come," she
said.
McIntyre said that over the past few
decades, the Indo-US bilateral economic
cooperation had resulted in dramatic increas-
es in investment and trade.
US-India foreign direct investment
increased by nearly 165 per cent between
2005 and 2009, she said. US exports to India
have quadrupled over this last decade, while
Indian exports to the US have grown by 180
percent, McIntyre said. Adding that busi-
ness-to-business engagement was at the
"very forefront of relations" between two
countries, she said the instructions from the
US government was to continue to open
doors for greater private sector engagement.
4 arrested for murder of gasstation clerk in NJ
New Jersey: Police have arrested four people
in connection with the shooting death of a gas
station clerk during a robbery at BP station in
Phillipsburg, N.J.Kismathdas Kasam, 47, who
was shot during the Jan. 5 robbery, was
remembered by family and friends at a can-
dlelight vigil Jan. 15 at the Indian City restau-
rant in Phillipsburg. Kasam was shot in the
leg during the robbery and died two days later
at St. Luke's Hospital in Fountain Hill, Pa.
On Jan. 12, Warren County Prosecutor
Thomas S. Ferguson announced the arrests of
Andy Torres, 22, Alexis Flowers, 21, and
Zachary Flowers, 18, all of Allentown, Pa.,
and David Beagell, 21, of Blakeslee, Pa., in
connection with the shooting, The Express
Times reported.
The suspects were charged with first-degree
felony murder armed robbery and related
offenses and sent to the Lehigh County Prison
on $1 million bail each.
According to the report, Alexis Flowers
waived her extradition hearing Jan. 13; the
three others were scheduled to have their
extradition hearings Jan. 17.
Ferguson said the four planned the robbery
and specifically targeted the BP station, which
has been the site of many robberies. Torres
and Zachary Flowers approached Kasam,
demanding money at gunpoint, Ferguson said.
"The gas station attendant cooperated but he
was subsequently shot," he added.
The prosecutor said Torres was believed to
be the gunman and so he has been charged
with an additional count of first-degree.
"He's charged with murder because he
intentionally and in a premeditated fashion,
shot and killed the victim," Ferguson was
quoted as saying.
He said police received a tip from a friend
of one of the suspects after Rajwant Gill, the
owner of the BP station, announced a $3,000
reward for information about the killing.
"One of the defendants had talked to a
friend about what had happened," Ferguson
was quoted as saying."That friend ... felt com-
pelled to come to authorities. That started the
train rolling, so to speak."
10 US Affairs
January 21-27, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Washington: Wikipedia, the online
encyclopedia, went offline
Wednesday, joining a daylong inter-
net strike of over a dozen other
websites, including Google, to
protest proposed US laws purport-
edly aimed at combating digital
piracy.
Discussion forums Reddit and
Boing Boing, and Firefox browser
designer Mozilla also are closing
down Wednesday in protest.
Hundreds of other sites, such as
search-engine giant Google, are
posting links on their home pages
highlighting opposition to the legis-
lation, the Washington Times
reported.
The English version of
Wikipedia's website became inac-
cessible at 5 a.m. Wikipedia is
opposing the US Stop Online
Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect
Intellectual Property Act (PIPA)
being debated by Congress.
Jimmy Wales, who founded the
site, told the BBC: "Proponents of
SOPA have characterized the oppo-
sition as being people who want to
enable piracy or defend piracy."
Google blacked out its logo on
the US version of its website and
added a link encouraging
Americans to oppose the bills.
SOPA and PIPA being debated in
the Senate target foreign websites
that violate copyrights online by
banning US companies from pro-
viding them with advertising, pay-
ment or other internet services.
The proposed laws "endanger free
speech both in the United States
and abroad, and set a frightening
precedent of internet censorship for
the world," said Wikipedia founder
Jimmy Wales in a statement.
Critics argue that the proposals
would stifle internet innovation, a
key driver of US and global eco-
nomic growth.
Supporters of the bills include
movie and music companies such
as Walt Disney, content providers
such as the National Football
League and News Corp., pharma-
ceutical companies such as Eli
Lilly, and the US Chamber of
Commerce.
They argue the bills' sweeping
provisions are necessary to shutter
the burgeoning numbers of foreign-
based cybercrime sites that sell
counterfeit goods, pirated software
or fake pharmaceuticals, or stream
copyrighted content like music and
movies.
Wikipedia, Google join anti-piracy bill protest
1 million sign petition torecall Wisconsin GovernorMadison,WI: Critics of Gov. Scott
Walker of Wisconsin on Tuesday
said they had collected more than 1
million signatures, or nearly twice
as many as required, on petitions to
recall Walker and force a new elec-
tion.
Leaders of the recall effort say the
number of signatures is so large as
to put any serious legal challenge
out of reach. Barring a legal fight,
Walker, a Republican who took
office a year ago and set off a
firestorm by curtailing benefits and
collective bargaining rights for pub-
lic workers, will face a new election
in the late spring or early summer.
Nationally, only two governors have
ever been removed through recall.
“This sends a message,” said
Graeme Zielinski, a spokesman for
the Wisconsin Democratic Party,
who described the 1 million names
as evidence that this was the largest
signature drive for a recall effort in
US history.
Walker said in an earlier interview
that he believed a recall election
now appeared inevitable, but that he
thought he would ultimately keep
his job.
On Tuesday, his campaign office
issued a statement on his behalf
about the petitions. “I look forward
to talking to the people of Wisconsin
about my continued promises to
control government spending, bal-
ance the budget and hold the line on
taxes,” Walker said.
Petitions were also submitted on
Tuesday for recall elections of the
lieutenant governor, Rebecca
Kleefisch, and four Republican state
senators, including Scott Fitzgerald,
the majority leader who helped pass
Mr. Walker’s collective bargaining
cuts over the protests of Democrats,
who fled the state last year to block
a vote.
Democrats, who are in the minori-
ty in the State Senate, 17 to 16, hope
to seize at least one seat and take
control. Democrats had controlled
both legislative chambers and the
governor’s office before the election
of 2010, when Republicans, includ-
ing Walker, swept into office.
Obama assures to bring jobs back to USWashington: President Barack
Obama has reiterated his call to
make the government more efficient
and assist companies to bring jobs
back to the US from abroad.
"Right now, we have a 21st centu-
ry, but we've still got a government
organized for the 20th century,"
Xinhua quoted Obama as saying
during his weekly radio and Internet
address Saturday.
"Over the years, the needs of
Americans have changed, but our
government has not. In fact, it's got-
ten even more complex. And that has
to change."
He proposed Friday to merge six
trade and commerce agencies into
one to make the federal government
more streamlined and efficient.
Officials said that 1,000 to 2,000
jobs would be cut through the attri-
tion. "These changes will make it
easier for small business owners to
get the loans and support they need
to sell their products around the
world," said Obama urging the US
congress to reinstate the authority
that past presidents have had to
streamline and reform the executive
branch.He also repeated his promise
to put forward new tax proposals to
reward companies that choose to
bring jobs home and invest in
America and eliminate tax breaks for
companies that move jobs overseas.
US to force drug firms to reportmoney paid to doctors
Washington: To head off medical conflicts of interest,
the Obama administration is poised to require drug com-
panies to disclose the payments they make to doctors for
research, consulting, speaking, travel and entertainment.
Many researchers have found evidence that such pay-
ments can influence doctors’ treatment decisions and
contribute to higher costs by encouraging the use of
more expensive drugs and medical devices.
Consumer advocates and members of Congress say
patients may benefit from the new standards, being
issued by the government under the new health care law.
Officials said the disclosures increased the likelihood
that doctors would make decisions in the best interests
of patients, without regard to the doctors’ financial inter-
ests.
Large numbers of doctors receive payments from drug
and device companies every year — sometimes into the
hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars — in
exchange for providing advice and giving lectures.
Analyses by The New York Times and others have
found that about a quarter of doctors take cash payments
from drug or device makers and that nearly two-thirds
accept routine gifts of food, including lunch for staff
members and dinner for themselves.
The Times has found that doctors who take money
from drug makers often practice medicine differently
from those who do not and that they are more willing to
prescribe drugs in risky and unapproved ways, such as
prescribing powerful antipsychotic medicines for chil-
dren.
UThe Obama administration estimates that more than
1,100 drug, device and medical supply companies will
have to file reports, generating “large amounts of new
data.” Federal officials said they would inspect and
audit drug company records to make sure the reports
were accurate and complete.
Companies will be subject to a penalty up to $10,000
for each payment they fail to report.
Romney remains the candidate to stopColumbia: All the other four surviving candi-
dates piled on Mitt Romney in South Carolina
debate organized Monday by Fox News, but
the Teflon man maintains his strong lead and
seems unstoppable.
Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman had
departed from the race earlier that day and
surprisingly endorsed Romney despite his ear-
lier frontal attacks on the frontrunner. The rest
of Romney rivals at the debate went hard after
him questioning his business record, if he sup-
ported allowing convicted felons to vote and
whether he would ever release his personal tax
records.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has
in any case been hammering Romney for his
record as the head of Bain Capital in the
1990s, accusing him of padding his wallet at
the expense of middle class jobs. A 28-minute
film produced by Winning Our Future, a pro-
Gingrich super PAC, featured interviews with
workers laid off under Bain's management. On
the debate stage, Gingrich accused Romney of
running companies with a pattern: leaving
them "with enormous debt and then within a
year or two or three having them go broke."
Romney’s response: "Some of the business-
es we invested in weren't successful and lost
jobs, and I'm very proud of the fact that we
learned from the experience," he said. "We
invested in well over 100 businesses, and the
people have looked at the places that have
added jobs and lost jobs and that record is
pretty much available for people to take a
close look at. But my record as the governor
of Massachusetts and as the person who led
the Olympics flowed from the fact that I had
experience turning around tough situations."
Texas Gov. Rick Perry called on Romney to
release his tax returns. Romney said. "I have
nothing in them (tax returns) that suggests
there's any problem and I'm happy to do so. ...
If I become our nominee, and what's happened
in history is people have released them in
about April of the coming year and that's
probably what I would do."
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum
called out a pro-Romney super PAC for
releasing an ad that criticized Santorum for his
support of a bill that let convicted felons vote
once they had served their time. Santorum hit
back, saying he felt that people who served
their time should be allowed to vote and press-
ing Romney on his own position.
Romney held firm on his position. "I don't
think people who have committed violent
crimes should be able to vote again," Romney
replied. "That's my view."
The striking petition from Google protesting the bills in Congress.
Mitt Romney walks to his campaign bus after holding a rally in Florence,
SC, Tuesday.
Gov. Scott Walker
US Affairs 11
TheSouthAsianTimes.info January 21-27, 2012
By Jonathan Masters/Council on
Foreign Relations
President Barack Obama
requested Congressional
approval Friday to reorganize
the federal government, a plan that
includes consolidation of six trade
and commerce agencies into a sin-
gle, streamlined department. The
creation of an umbrella department
is geared toward the administra-
tion's goal of increasing the compet-
itiveness of US companies in the
global economy, and spurring
export-led growth. Through his
National Export Initiative, the presi-
dent has pledged to double US
exports within five years, which he
argues would create up to two mil-
lion new jobs. Some lawmakers
welcomed the proposal as a neces-
sary reduction in the size of govern-
ment (WashPost), while critics
questioned the logic of creating a
"new bureaucratic behemoth" to
enhance efficiency.
What's at Stake
Specifics of the White House pro-
posal are forthcoming, but any plan
that enhances the ability of U.S.
corporations to tap into the global
marketplace could have significant
ramifications for domestic job cre-
ation and economic growth. Exports
supplied nearly half of U.S. GDP
growth in 2010, and access to for-
eign markets is likely to be a pri-
mary factor in the country's long
term prosperity. The Department of
Commerce reports that 95 percent
of global consumers live outside the
United States, while the IMF states
that roughly 87 percent of global
growth over the next five years will
take place overseas.
A Council on Foreign Relations
(CFR) task force report on U.S.
trade emphasizes the trend: "With
the fastest growth now taking place
in emerging markets that are often
unfamiliar to U.S. companies, the
U.S. government needs to expand
its trade promotion efforts." The
United States currently ranks sec-
ond-to-last among developed
economies in trade as a percentage
of GDP. In November 2011
(Bloomberg), the U.S. trade gap hit
a five-month high, exceeding ana-
lysts' estimates at $47.8 billion.
The Debate
The White House claims a consol-
idated trade/commerce department
would eliminate redundancies and
provide U.S. firms and small busi-
nesses in particular with a "one-stop
shop" in navigating the federal
bureaucracy. The administration
expects the plan to garner bipartisan
support, but some legislators have
already pushed back.
A joint statement from Senate
Finance Committee Chairman Max
Baucus (D-MT) and House Ways
and Means Committee Chairman
Dave Camp (R-MI) criticized the
idea of folding the office of the U.S.
Trade Representative (WashPost)
into the proposed new department,
saying it would hurt U.S. exports
and job creation. Amy Wilkinson, a
public policy scholar at Harvard's
Kennedy School, raised questions
over integrating the Small Business
Administration into a "larger
bureaucracy," saying it should be at
cabinet level (CNN). David
Rothkopf of ForeignPolicy.com
called the consolidation long over-
due and "an excellent initial step
toward more sweeping reforms."
Policy Options
Outside of agency restructuring,
experts have a variety of sugges-
tions for how Washington can
revive trade. Former Senator Tom
Daschle says the U.S. needs a more
assertive trade policy, and recom-
mends the Congress grant the presi-
dent greater leeway to negotiate
trade agreements under the Trade
Promotion Authority. "We haven't
had TPA authority now for many
years," he says, "and it's not a coin-
cidence that the trade agenda has
languished.The Peterson Institute's
C. Fred Bergsten says the United
States should first attain a fully
competitive exchange rate for the
dollar. "The bulk of our current mis-
alignment," he notes, "is vis-à-vis
the Chinese renminbi and small
group of other Asian currencies,
which must be permitted to
strengthen substantially."
This CFR Task Force report on
U.S. Trade and Investment Policy
recommends several new policies to
spur exports and increase the com-
petitiveness of U.S. firms abroad,
including an ambitious trade-nego-
tiations agenda, a robust and strate-
gic trade enforcement effort, a com-
prehensive worker retraining policy,
and more competitive export
financing.
The author is Associate StaffWriter, Council on ForeignRelations.
The bid to bundle US trade agenciesObama’s proposed consolidation
of six trade and commerce agen-cies into a single, streamlineddepartment, he argues would cre-ate up to two million new jobs anddouble exports within five years,but his critics questioned the logicof creating a new bureaucraticbehemoth.
Analysis
12 India-State Elections
January 21-27, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Priyanka ready to play bigger role in CongressRae Bareli (Uttar Pradesh):
Congress president Sonia Gandhi's
daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
has clearly indicated that she is
ready to play a bigger role in the
Congress party, provided her broth-
er Rahul Gandhi gives the nod.
In a brief interaction with the
media persons before set went into
closed-door parleys with local
party functionaries in Rae Bareli,
the charismatic 40-year-old
declared, "I am ready to extend any
help to my brother".
Her brother, a Congress general
secretary, is also making untiring
efforts to re-establish the Congress
party in this state where elections
to the state assembly are to be held
next month.
Asked if she would continue to
confine herself only to campaign-
ing in the assembly segments of
parliamentary constituencies of her
mother and brother, Priyanka shot
back, "Well, for now I am here in
Amethi and Rae Bareli only. But if
my brother wants, then I will
promptly move elsewhere; perhaps
we can take a final call on that after
I have discussed the issue with
Rahul."
She observed, "My brother is
pretty clear about what he wants
and the role he would want me to
play in the campaign. As far as I
am concerned, I will do anything to
help my brother and go to cam-
paign wherever he wants me to
go."
Known for her prompt respon-
siveness, Priyanka stopped her
vehicle when a group of women
waved out at her outside a private
industrial unit that was shut for two
years, leaving the workers jobless.
Though the women workers looked
angry while narrating their tale of
woe because of the closure of the
unit, she tried to cheer them up by
patting the cheek of the one who
was most aggressive, while asking
her to have patience.
And when she told them, "since
the election model code of conduct
is in force, there is little that we can
do right now, but we will certainly
look into it after the elections", the
frown on the faces of the agitated
women turned into smiles.
She told mediapersons, who were
trailing her since morning, "We
have been trying to work out some
solution for these people who are
naturally keen that their factory be
restarted, so that their source of
livelihood is restored."
Priyanka Gandhi in Rai Bareli, Uttar Pradesh.
UP Chief Minister Mayawati.
Poll panel stops work in Badal'sconstituency
UP elections: BJP to field Uma BhartiEC rejects BSP's plea oncovering statues
New Delhi: The Election
Commission rejected the Bahujan
Samaj Party's (BSP) plea to recon-
sider its Jan 8 order to cover statues
of elephants and party chief
Mayawati, built in public places and
at government expense, until the
assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh are
over.It also expressed dismay at
party chief and state Chief Minister
Mayawati terming the decision
"casteist" and "anti-Dalit".
"The EC needs to reiterate that it
takes its decisions and enforces
them within the provisions of the
Constitution and that does not
include considerations of religion,
race, caste and community in the
manner allege," the poll panel said
in a release.
It said that its order is in accor-
dance with the law and in keeping
with its constitutional mandate for
ensuring level playing field during
the elections.
The poll panel said the BSP's con-
tention that the statues of elephants
as erected are different from the
election symbol of party is not
acceptable. "In that case, other polit-
ical parties would be in a position to
seek allotment of the elephant sym-
bol in different posture," it said.
It said it is disturbed that
Mayawati has cast serious asper-
sions on the commission by attribut-
ing anti-Dalit and casteist motives to
its order and also by alleging that
the directive is inspired by pressure
from some political parties.
Chandigarh/Lambi (Punjab): The Election
Commission (EC) has directed the administration of
Punjab's Muktsar district to stop immediately the work
on a temporary road in the Lambi assembly con-
stituency, from where Chief Minister Parkash Singh
Badal is seeking re-election.
Special chief electoral officer Usha R. Sharma told
media here that the concerned district authorities have
been directed to get the work stopped immediately and
send a report in this regard.
The poll panel agreed that the construction and
paving of the temporary road was in violation of the
model code of conduct.
The road was being hastily laid through agricultural
fields by state government agencies to connect a Dalit
settlement of the 'Baazigar' community in the run-up
to the Punjab assembly elections Jan 30.
Badal is locked in a bitter triangular contest in this
constituency, with his younger brother Gurdas Badal
of the Peoples Party of Punjab (PPP) and cousin
Mahesh Inder Singh Badal of the Congress challeng-
ing him.
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata
Party has decided to field its leader
Uma Bharti as a party candidate in
the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh
assembly elections. The decision to
field Uma Bharti, a former Madhya
Pradesh chief minister, as a party
candidate in the polls was taken by
BJP President Nitin Gadkari.
Uma Bharti, who is already a
lead campaigner of the BJP in the
state, said that she would abide by
the decision. :We will work for get-
ting majority ...we will turn Uttar
Pradesh into Uttam Pradesh (best
state)," she said.
Party leaders said that Uma
Bharti will be fielded from
Charkhari constituency of
Bundelkhand region. The move
comes amid efforts by the BJP to
get backing of Other Backward
Classes (OBCs) in the Uttar
Pradesh elections.
New Delhi: With high fiscal
deficits -- an indicator of poor
financial management -- the five
poll-bound states of Punjab, Uttar
Pradesh, Manipur, Uttarakhand and
Goa, home to about 230 million
people, leave very little for devel-
opment, a report says.
An analysis of budgets of these
states, done by the National
Election Watch and the Association
of Democratic Reforms, shows that
good economics ranks low in prior-
ity with the governments.
"As most of the revenue spend-
ing is on staff salaries, pension and
interest, very little is left for devel-
opment in these states," Trilochan
Sastry, former dean of the Indian
Institute of Management,
Bangalore, said.
"Politics and development go
hand in hand. The voters must
demand development from politi-
cians," added Sastry, who worked
on the report.
The highest fiscal deficit is in
Uttar Pradesh, amounting to an all-
time high of Rs.20,513 crore
($4.06 billion) in 2008-09 followed
by Punjab, which recorded a fiscal
deficit of Rs.6,690 ($1.3 billion)
crore in 2008-09.
A fiscal deficit occurs when a
government's total expenditure
exceeds its revenue.
Sastry said Uttar Pradesh, which
is inviting the maximum attention,
is lagging behind most other states
on basic development indicators
like health, education and infant
mortality.
Similarly, fiscal deficit in
Manipur increased three-fold from
Rs.217 crore in 2008-09 to Rs.733
crore in 2009-10.
Incidentally, Punjab, perceived as
a "rich" state, had an aggregate rev-
enue deficit of Rs.13,580 crore
during 2005-2010 while the other
four states managed to show a rev-
enue surplus in the same period.
In fact, the bad economics further
compounds the problem of the five
states.
The report mentions that in 2008-
09 and 2009-10, Goa, a tourist hot
spot, did not receive any debt
waiver from the central govern-
ment as the state's fiscal deficit was
higher than the prescribed ceiling
of 3.5 percent and four percent of
the Gross State Domestic Product,
a measure of goods and services
produced, respectively.
In Uttarakhand, in 2005-2010,
the budget projections for revenue
deficit and fiscal deficit each year
have consistently not been
achieved, said the report.
Development deficit dogs poll-bound states
Uma Bharti.
India 13
TheSouthAsianTimes.info January 21-27, 2012
Court case by army chief'unhealthy' precedent: Govt
New Delhi: The legal battle
between Indian Army chief Gen.
V.K. Singh and the government
over his age sets an "unhealthy
precedent", the government said,
even as Defense Secretary
Shashikant Sharma met the gen-
eral in a one-on-one meeting
when the issue is said to have
come up for discussion.
Minister of State for Defense
M.M. Pallam Raju described the
court case as an "unfortunate"
development that does not augur
well for either the defense min-
istry or the armed forces.
"It is an unfortunate develop-
ment and it is not a healthy
precedent either for the
(Defense) Ministry or the armed
forces... It is an unhealthy prece-
dent. It does not auger well either
for the Ministry or the forces,"
Raju told reporters on the side-
lines of a National Cadet Corps
camp function.
Later in the day, Shashikant
Sharma met Gen. Singh soon
after Indian defense ministry
hosted Nepal's Deputy Prime
Minister and Defence Minister
Bijay Gachhadar.
While Sharma was present at
the meeting with Nepal's deputy
prime minister, the Indian Army
was represented at the meeting
by its vice chief, Lt. Gen. Sri
Krishna Singh.
Gachhadar, however, met Gen.
Singh later at his office in South
Block, informed sources said,
indicating that there is nothing
much to his absence at the bilat-
eral meeting and it was as per
protocol.
Soon after these bilateral meet-
ings, Sharma and Gen. Singh met
at the latter's office for half-an-
hour and this meeting too was in
relation to the debriefing on the
bilateral talks held with Nepal
sources said.
Much is being read into every
move of the army chief since he
sued the government over his age
row, challenging the defense
ministry's rejection of his statuto-
ry complaint to rectify records to
indicate his birth date as May 10,
1951, instead of 1950.
A day later, the defense min-
istry filed a caveat in the apex
court, urging it not to pass any
order on the general's petition
before hearing its views.
The Supreme Court is yet to fix
a date for hearing the army
chief's petition, though another
public interest litigation on the
same issue will come up for
hearing on Friday.
The row has pitted the senior-
most officer of the 1.13-million-
strong army, the world's second
largest, against the government,
a first in independent India.
It also has the potential to
derail the succession schedule of
the army, as 1950 birth year
would mean Gen Singh retires in
May this year and if 1951 is
accepted as the birth year, he gets
to serve another 10 months till
March 2013, when his slated
three-year tenure will end.
The army's chief holds the
posts for three-year term or till
62 years of age, whichever is
earlier.
India, China seal newborder mechanism
New Delhi: Seeking to step up
bilateral ties amid hiccups, India
and China decided to set up a new
mechanism to maintain peace on
their border, and resolved to
enhance mutual trust as they ended
the 15th round of boundary negotia-
tions.Called a "working mechanism
for consultation and coordination on
India-China border affairs," it was
finalized after two days of talks
between India's National Security
Advisor Shivshankar Menon and
China's State Councillor Dai
Bingguo, who are special represen-
tatives on the boundary question.
The agreement was signed by
India's ambassador to China S.
Jaishankar and China's Assistant
Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin in
the presence of Menon and Dai.
"The working mechanism will
address issues and situations that
may arise in the border areas that
affect the maintenance of peace and
tranquility, and will work actively
towards maintaining the friendly
atmosphere between the two coun-
tries," says the text of the agree-
ment. It will help prevent misunder-
standing between the two countries
arising from incursion into each
other's territory, stemming from the
undemarcated Line of Actual
Control (LAC).
The mechanism will be headed by
a Joint Secretary and a Director
General from the Indian and
Chinese foreign ministries respec-
tively. It will also include diplomat-
ic and military officials.
The two countries stressed that
maintaining and strengthening
peace and tranquility in the India-
China border areas was very signifi-
cant for enhancing mutual trust and
for resolving the boundary question
at an early date. The 16th round of
boundary talks will be held in
China.
Much is being read into every move of the army chief Gen. V.K. Singhsince he sued the government over his age row.
Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo with Prime MinisterManmohan Singh in New Delhi.
Gujarat Lokayukta's appointment upheld, Modi upsetAhmedabad: In a setback for
Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the
Gujarat High Court upheld Justice
(retired) R.A. Mehta's appointment
as Lokayukta by Governor Kamla
Beniwal. But the state government
said it would challenge the verdict
in the Supreme Court.
Gujarat government's standing
counsel in Supreme Court,
Hemantika Wahi, told reporters in
Delhi that a petition challenging
the high court's order would be
filed Thursday morning and men-
tioned in the apex court later the
same day.
The petitioners in the case
termed the high court judgment
here as historic and said the gov-
ernment's arguments that the gov-
ernor's move to appoint the
Lokayukta was arbitrary has been
rejected.
"The Lokayukta's appointment in
the state is constitutional, valid and
legal and the government's argu-
ments that the governor's move to
appoint the Lokayukta was arbi-
trary has been rejected," petitioner
Anand Yagnik said.
Mehta, a former high court
judge, told news channels that he
would abide by his responsibilities
as and when they were assigned to
him.
A two-judge bench had last
October delivered a split verdict
on the government's plea question-
ing Mehta's appointment.
While Justice Akil Kureshi had
upheld the appointment, Justice
Sonia Gokani disagreed. The case
went to a third judge, Justice V.N.
Sahai, who completed the hearing
Dec 29, 2011 and announced the
verdict Wednesday.
"There was a difference of opin-
ion in the two-judge bench and
today the verdict of the third judge
came and he said he agrees with
the view of Justice Kureshi,"
Yagnik said.
The Gujarat government said it
would approach the Supreme
Court. "The way forward is to
study the judgment and after hav-
ing the competent legal advice we
shall challenge it before the honor-
able apex court of this country,"
Gujarat government spokesperson
Jay Narayan Vyas told reporters.
"We will move to the Supreme
Court for further remedy because
we believe that the issue raised by
us is fundamental to the safety of
the federal structure and also very
central to provisions of the
Constitution of India," he said.
Reacting to the judgment, the
Congress said it has been proven
that the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) -- which is in power in
Gujarat -- is not firm in removing
corruption from the country.
"In the last several years they
have been delaying the appoint-
ment of the Lokayukta and in par-
liament they did not let the Lokpal
bill pass and their true face has
been unveiled," Congress
spokesperson Rashid Alvi said in
New Delhi.
The Gujarat government said it would approach the Supreme Court.Court's order harms
federalism: BJP New Delhi: The Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) said the
Gujarat High Court's decision to
uphold the appointment of state
Lokayukta by the governor was
a "setback to federalism".
"The divided judgment of the
Gujarat High Court is a setback
to federalism," Leader of
Opposition in the Rajya Sabha
Arun Jaitley told reporters on
the sidelines of a function here.
"The governor is a nominee of
the central government. If a
governor gets primacy over the
state government on the
appointment of Lokayukta, it
amounts to government of India
appointing the Lokayukta," he
added.
14 India
January 21-27, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Rushdie trip to Jaipur uncertain, cleric seeks apologyJaipur/New Delhi: Controversial
writer Salman Rushdie may not
attend the Jaipur Literature Festival
beginning from January 20 as a
leading Muslim scholar asked him
to apologize for hurting Muslim
sentiments.
Although there is no official
announcement yet, the sources told
IANS that the British Indian novel-
ist may keep away from the Jan 20-
24 event scheduled at the Diggi
Palace Hotel.
The sources gave no details but
spoke as Rajasthan Chief Minister
Ashok Gehlot told Home Minister
P. Chidambaram in Delhi that
Rushdie's presence could spark off
trouble.
Muslim groups have come out
against the visit by Rushdie, whose
fourth novel, "The Satanic Verses"
(1988), led to major protests from
Muslims in many countries after a
'fatwa' by Ayatollah Khomeini in
1989.
Organizers of the popular Jaipur
Literature Festival admitted that
Rushdie "will not attend" the first
day of the event.
He was supposed to reach Jaipur
on Jan 20 and address two literary
sessions. The event's producer
Sanjay Roy said in a two-line state-
ment: "Rushdie will not be in India
Jan 20 due to a change in his
schedule. The festival stands by its
invitation to the author."
Nearly 250 authors from the
world, including celebrities like
Oprah Winfrey, will take part in the
festival.
Gehlot told reporters in Delhi:
"We don't have any official com-
munication when he is coming...
but minorities in the state are
protesting against it. I have
informed him (Chidambaram)
about the situation.
"It is a famous festival. I am sure
organizers ... would not want any-
thing to happen that affects the
whole festival. I hope we work out
something so that things don't turn
ugly.
"We can't prevent (Rushdie) from
coming to India since he is a PIO
(Person of Indian Origin) and PIOs
don't need visa," said Gehlot, who
also met Law and Minorities
Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.
Many Muslim leaders in
Rajasthan have asked the govern-
ment not to let Rushdie enter India.
After Darul Uloom Deoband -- the
country's biggest Islamic seminary
-- demanded that the writer be
denied entry, some leaders of the
Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP)
minority cell in Rajasthan echoed
the view.
Darul Uloom vice chancellor
Maulana Abul Qasim Nomani, who
had urged the Indian government
to cancel Rushdie's visa, Tuesday
demanded an apology from the
writer for hurting Muslim senti-
ments.
"Rushdie has hurt Muslim senti-
ments. He should apologize to the
entire Muslim ummah (society) for
his blasphemous remarks against
Islam and the Prophet. Only then
we can allow him to travel to
India," Nomani said.
The Man Booker prize winning
writer had earlier visited India in
2000 for a Commonwealth writers'
forum, and in 2007 the Jaipur
Literature Festival despite wide-
spread protest.
Through the week, fans and lib-
erals voiced anguish over attempts
to bar Rushdie from visiting India.
In a hard-hitting message on
Twitter, journalist and commenta-
tor Vir Sanghvi said: "Don't take
power away from the people and
give it to the bullies."
Last year, an invitation to
Rushdie for the Harud festival in
Kashmir that was later aborted, had
triggered similar flak. Rahul
Pandita, the author of "Hello,
Bastar", described the tirade
against Rushdie as "shame, shame,
shame!"
Nearly 250 authors from the world, including celebrities like OprahWinfrey, will take part in the festival.
India’s first woman photographerVyarawalla dies
Ramdev supporters,Congress workers
clash
Vadodara: Homai Vyarawalla, one
of India's first professional women
photographers, died, days after
being hospitalized due to a fall
from her bed, close friends said.
She was 98.
Vyarawalla's death is an end of
an era in photography, said some
of those who were lucky enough to
have interacted with the grand old
lady, who lived by herself in
Gujarat's Vadodara city.
"(I am) sad to know of the
demise of Homai Vyarawalla,
India's first woman photo journal-
ist. Received her blessings at
Vadodara Sadbhavana fast recent-
ly," tweeted Gujarat Chief Minister
Narendra Modi.
"I have been inspired by the
nature of her works. Such docu-
mentation does not happen today.
There was a spontaneity about her
work, which required courage in
those days," 78-year-old Nemai
Ghosh, movie maestro Satyajit
Ray's chronicler, photographer and
friend said of Vyarawalla.
Vyarawalla who started by click-
ing photographs as a teenager, took
a number of memorable photo-
graphs during her career and was
well known for taking shots of
India's first prime minister
Jawaharlal Nehru smoking a ciga-
rette. Nehru was her favourite sub-
ject.
"I started clicking photographs at
the age of 13 in Bombay with a
box camera in 1926 and I shot my
last photograph in 1970, 40 years
ago. Since then, I have not touched
the lens. But I am aware of the
drifts in press photography down
the decades," Vyarawalla had said.
Along with being remembered as
India's first professional woman
photographer, Vyarawalla will also
be remembered as "The Grand Old
Lady" who, at 98, did all her
chores by herself and took a flight
of stairs at least twice a day.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has granted bail to
Suresh Kalmadi, MP and former chief of the
Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, accused
in a corruption case related to the 2010 sporting event.
His aide V.K. Verma was also given bail. The court
allowed bail to Kalmadi on a personal bond of Rs.5 lakh
and surety of the like amount.
Kalmadi was arrested April 26 last year for his alleged
role in awarding a contract for installing the Timing-
Scoring-Result system to Swiss Times Omega at an exor-
bitant cost of Rs.141 crore, allegedly causing a loss of
over Rs.95 crore to the public exchequer.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had opposed
the bail of the two accused.
Kalmadi and Verma moved the court for bail on the
observation of the Supreme Court in the 2G case that
"bail should be the rule and jail an exception".
The trial court in June last year rejected Kalmadi's bail
plea, after which he approached the high court.
The accused individuals and two companies in the case
were charged under various sections of the Indian Penal
Code (IPC) for cheating, criminal conspiracy and forgery,
and booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
New Delhi: Supporters of Baba
Ramdev and Congress party work-
ers clashed after the yoga guru's
activists held protests outside the
Congress headquarters, police said.
Two Ramdev supporters were
arrested, police said.
According to eyewitness, a group
of around 15 Ramdev supporters
shouted slogans and blackened the
portrait of Congress president
Sonia Gandhi on a board outside
the party office at 24, Akbar Road.
As they came to know of the
incident, Congress workers came
out of the office and clashed with
the Ramdev supporters, in full
view of the TV cameras and media
persons.
A Congress leader said the pro-
testers were planning to disrupt the
party press briefing scheduled at 5
p.m.
The incident comes after Ramdev
faced an ink attack at a press con-
ference. The yoga guru's supporters
alleged that the attack was master-
minded by the Congress.
Homai Vyarawalla.
The former CWG chief Suresh Kalmadi is accused ina corruption case related to the 2010 sporting event.
CWG scam: Suresh Kalmadi gets bail
First Baba Ramdev faced an inkattack; later, his supporters
blackened Sonia Gandhi’s posterat the Congress headquarters.
Art & Fashion 15
TheSouthAsianTimes.info January 21-27, 2012
New Delhi: From the "world's
most famous unknown artist" to
the "woman who broke up the
Beatles", Yoko Ono has had her
share of bouquets and brickbats.
The conceptual artist, who is put-
ting up her maiden exhibition in
India, says her work is an exten-
sion of her "karmic love affair"
with late Beatles icon John
Lennon.
"Yes... I met him at an art show.
He was recording music at his
studio on 3, Abbey Road (in
London). Number three is a num-
ber connected to music. He came
to 6, Mason Yard where I was
having my gallery show. Six is a
number of love. It was the begin-
ning of a life-long love affair, and
karmic too," Ono said in an inter-
view during her visit to India.
Lennon and Ono teamed up
around 1968 when the former
was still with the Beatles - and
pooled their genius for several
albums. They married in 1969
after a torrid romance. The cou-
ple rocked the world for a decade
before Lennon was shot dead in
1980 at the end of a busy day in a
recording studio in New York.
Her installation and perform-
ance art at the Vadehra Gallery in
the capital (Jan 13 - March 10) is
a torch into her life. For several
decades, Ono, 78, has been cam-
paigning for world peace and
women's empowerment.
She draws attention through her
avant garde works to the con-
straints faced by women in their
lives.
In India, Ono is collaborating
with a group of seven women
artisans from Bikaner for an
interactive installation, "Heal
Together" - a cut canvas embel-
lished with traditional embroi-
dery, scraps of colored textiles
and graffiti.
The women, mostly refugees
from Pakistan after the 1971 war,
are part of a self-help crafts clus-
ter, 'Rang Sutra', comprising
nearly 1,200 women who embroi-
der on handloom, silk, wool and
leather.
The women have woven and
embroidered 15 odhnis, or hand-
woven drapes, to accompany
Ono's installation on gender
injustice, "Remember Us" - a
series of headless female torsos
laid out on beds of burnt wood
chips and a graffiti on the wall
screaming "Uncursed" in
English, Hindi and Japanese.
The gender installation is at the
centre of Ono's India-specific
multi-media art project, "Our
Beautiful Daughters".
"Indian craft is very important
for the world and those girls as
well. Those girls will never have
a bad time wherever they are
because they have the skill. We
should all be like them and focus
ourselves on something we love
to do...and create our own des-
tiny.
"It is a very Asian thing - my
mother taught me about music
and art when I was four years
old...Inside, I am an Asian and
outside I am Asian and Western.
The world is getting very small,"
she recalled.
Born in 1933 to wealthy
bankers in Japan, Ono later
migrated to the US with her fami-
ly. Asked about her long-term
plans for India, Ono turned philo-
sophical.
"There are so many things in
this world we can take care
of...Touching base like this, shak-
ing hands to realize that all of us
are very important people... we
have accomplished that in two
days in India.
"But I will never leave my soul
from India. I will be here wherev-
er I am," she said.
Indian mysticism has been an
important influence in Ono's life,
thanks to Lennon's brush with
Transcendental Meditation at
Mahesh Yogi's retreat in the
1960s in Rishikesh. The couple
had even been known to seek an
audience with Sathya Sai Baba
and traveled through the
Himalayas in search of spiritual
salvation.
"The whole world is influenced
by Indian spirituality. India is a
very interesting land - it is the
centre of the world's spirituality,"
she said. She is also attracted to
Buddhism.
"The whole world is influenced
by Buddhism. It is not a religion
but a logical, theoretical idea -
don't kill anybody and don't fight
with anybody," Ono said.
Known for her experimental
music and the Plastic Ono Band,
which she set up with Lennon in
1969 to sing songs of peace and
freedom, Ono fills her art with
this new age search for liberation
and people-to-people interface as
well.
Her live performance, "Cut
Piece", in 1964 allowed the audi-
ence to step on the stage and snip
her draped garment to pieces till
she was unclothed.
"Art is a tool of social change.
But music is music and art is art...
They meet sometimes and some-
times they don't. But there is
always music around my art,
touching it, nourishing it," Ono
added.
New Delhi: Designer Kiran
Uttam Ghosh, known for her chic
and glamorous designs, has pre-
sented a modern avatar of the
six-yard sari for the new-age
woman.
The designer has launched her
sari range under her pret line -
Chiconomics. The collection is
unique in terms of drapes and
presentation.
"Blending my signature style,
spirit and spunk, the saris are
fluid and light weight, giving
today's women the simplicity and
drama of a well cut ensemble
with sensual, understated, sexy
zipped-edges and smart pleats,"
Ghosh said in a statement.
Showcasing an entire gamut of
ethnic wear in a lighter, playful
and more contemporary tone, the
saris are designed using cutting
edge technology on fabrics like
georgettes, chiffons and satin.
Ghosh says "the favored colors
this season are bright acid shades
like orange, lime green and coral
along with a more mellow jewel-
toned range," and her collection
is also dominated by the same.
The designer feels her clothes
are understated and can appeal to
those who do not like to go over-
board with jazzy clothes.
"Our label has defied catego-
rization, and our clothes are
understated, with silhouettes,
characteristic and textures that
refuse to be bracketed by terms
such as eastern or western. This
is what appeals to fashionistas,"
said Ghosh.
The new sari collection is
available at the designer's store
with a price on request.
My art reflects my affairwith Lennon: Yoko Ono
Saris with a twist
A creation by designer Kiran Uttam Ghosh
Conceptual artist Yoko Ono paints a graffiti on the wall of the VadehraArt Gallery in New Delhi, and (inset) with John Lennon in those
Flower Power days.
Yoko Ono with artisan women from Bikaner with whom she is collab-orating for an interactive installation, ‘Heal Together’.
16 Ultimate Bollywood
January 21-27, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Socialite Parmeshwar Godrej
threw a lavish party in
honor of American TV talk
show host Oprah Winfrey on her
maiden visit to India and
Bollywood who’s who were invit-
ed to the bash.
She first dropped at Bachchan’s
residence to bless the new born
and after spending an hour with
the Bachchan family, Amitabh
Bachchan himself drove Oprah to
the venue at his chauffer.
Biggies like Amitabh Bachchan,
son Abhishek, daughter-in-law
Aishwarya, Shahrukh Khan,
Priyanka Chopra, Priety Zinta,
Lara Dutta, Shilpa Shetty, Anil
Kapoor, Imran Khan, Neha
Dhupia, Sameera Reddy, Dino
Morea, novelist Shobha De, and
jewelry designer Farah Khan were
present. They all went gaga over
Oprah's lively nature and clicked
photo with her.
Aishwarya’s connection with
Oprah is long time back when she
first appeared on her talk show in
2005. After marriage, she
appeared with her husband
Abhishek Bachchan in 2009.
Excited Amitabh Bachchan, who
drove Oprah from her residence to
the party, tweeted, "The gracious
Oprah Winfrey visits our home, to
meet us and bless the baby...warm
hearted, endearing...drive her to
the party in her honor. And Oprah
in sari..looking lovely!!"
Pregnant Lara Dutta seemed to
be very excited to meet Oprah. On
her Twitter page, the ecstatic
actress posted a picture of her with
Oprah and Shahrukh and wrote,
"@Oprah and @iamsrk, two peo-
ple I absolutely adore! Thankyou
for making my day! Now can go
into labour happily!”
Actress Sameera Reddy also
tweeted, "My God! Oprah
Winfrey is the warmest most
down to earth person I have ever
met! What a personality! I'm
thrilled!" Oprah looked pretty in
orange sari. She visited India for
her new talk show 'Next Chapter'.
An excited Amitabh Bachchan became a chauffeur and drove Oprah from her residence to the party.
While there has been
much speculation on
Indian Canadian porn
star Sunny Leone starring in Jism
2, the film's producer Pooja Bhatt
has decided to keep everyone
guessing.
"I will announce whether
Sunny Leone is in the movie or
not, but until then, keep guess-
ing," Pooja told reporters.
Mahesh Bhatt had offered the
movie to Sunny while she was
participating in the reality show
Bigg Boss 5.
Meanwhile, Pooja said she was
happy that a saucy poster of Jism
2 has been well received.
"I am glad that curiosity has
increased so soon. I assure you,
we will take this curiosity to the
peak. I will not let the heat die
down because Jism 2 is going to
create a lot more 'jadoo' and lot
more 'nasha'," Pooja added.
She also said Jism 2 will be
totally different from the previ-
ous movie.
When it comes to his
daughter Trishala,
Sanjay Dutt is a very
protective father. He does not want
her in showbiz.
The 22-year-old was interested in
acting but Sanjay didn't back her.
"Absolutely true and underline it
500 times," Sanjay said, about his
opposition. "If somebody says give
me the reason, I am going to show
my finger because she is my
daughter."
Trishala is from Sanjay's first
wife Richa Sharma, who was an
actress and died of cancer.
The 51-year-old Sanjay, now
married to Manyata from whom he
has twins, believes women have to
struggle a lot in the film industry
and he doesn't want his daughter to
face all this.
"If you want the reason, my
father (Sunil Dutt) never wanted
any female from my family to join
the film industry. Not because film
industry is a bad place for woman,
not because film industry is taboo
in the country, only because it's a
huge struggle for women. Being
the oldest in the family I can't give
up that legacy," said Sanjay, whose
mother Nargis was a top notch
actress of the 1950s and 1960s.
This restriction is not only
imposed on his daughter, but his
nieces are kept away from the
arclight.
"My sisters would have also
come... even their daughters, who
are so pretty, could also have
come," he said.
Unfortunately, he didn't spend
some quality time in her childhood
days with Trishala, who was raised
by her maternal grandparents in the
US.
"I have never seen the aspect of
fatherhood with Trishala. That's a
sad thing and my bad luck. I feel
sad for her. Anyways that was my
bad luck. I wish I could spend all
those moments with her also.
Nonetheless, we will make up."
Trishala is Sanjay's daughter from his first wife Richa Sharma, whowas an actress and died of cancer.
No acting forTrishala: Sanjay Dutt
Bollywood parties with Oprah Winfrey
Suspense over Sunny Leonestarring in 'Jism 2'
After leading the nomination
pack for the 69th Golden
Globe awards, "The Artist"
emerged as the big winner at the
extravaganza by winning three tro-
phies. "The Descendants" followed
close behind, with George Clooney
taking the best actor gong for the
movie.
The star studded ceremony was
held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
"The Artist", directed by Michel
Hazanavicius, was adjudged the best
motion picture- musical or comedy,
and it also won the best original
score motion picture award for
Ludovic Bourve, as well as the best
performance by an actor in a motion
picture award- comedy or musical,
for Jean Dujardin.
Alexander Payne "The
Descendants" walked away with
two honors -- best motion picture-
drama and best actor in a motion
picture-drama award for Clooney.
The best actress in a motion pic-
ture-drama was won by Meryl
Streep for "Iron Lady" for her por-
trayal of former British Prime
Minister Margaret Thatcher. In the
best performance by an actress in a
motion picture-musical or comedy,
Michelle Williams took home the
award for her performance in "My
Week With Marilyn".
Christopher Plummer and Octavia
Spencer picked up the best support-
ing actors' trophy for their work in
"Beginners" and "The Help" respec-
tively. The ceremony saw veteran
actor Morgan Freeman being hon-
oured with the Cecil B. DeMille
lifetime achievement award.
Filmmaker Martin Scorsese won
the best director for "Hugo", while
Woody Allen's romantic comedy
"Midnight In Paris" won the best
screenplay gong, and Steven
Spielberg's "The Adventures of
Tintin: The Secret of The Unicorn"
bagged the best animated film trophy.
'The Artist' bags maximumGolden Globe gongs
Meryl Streep won the BestPerformance by an 'Actress in aMotion Picture' for 'The Iron
Lady'.
Mahesh Bhatt had offered themovie to Sunny while she was
participating in the reality showBigg Boss 5.
Ultimate Bollywood 17
Thesouthasiantimes.info January 21-27, 2012
SRK and Ranbir have been
paired together to host the
57th Idea Filmfare
awards 2011 this year.
There are awards and then
there is Filmfare. The premium
film magazine's award show is
something else. If you are fea-
tured on Filmfare, you have
arrived they say.
The prominent award show
began in 1954. The awards get
widely noticed for its sheer star
presence and long-standing
association with Hindi cinema.
The hosts of Filmfare are
often quirky, cheeky and fun!
They amuse the audience with
their mad antics. They take
healthy digs at their contempo-
raries and nominees thus keep-
ing everyone glued to their
seats.
It was Shah Rukh and Saif
who got the ball rolling. Soon
after, the younger generation
took over with Ranbir and
Imran playing the perfect hosts.
Filmfare will happen on 29th
of January at the Film City this
year for which Shah Rukh and
Ranbir have been zeroed in as
hosts.
If rumors are to be believed then
there seems to be no love lost
between Gauri Khan and Priyanka
Chopra.
Obviously all the talk of an alleged
more than good friendship between
her superstar husband Shah Rukh
Khan and his Don leading lady
Priyanka Chopra is the reason why
Gauri is supposedly indifferent to PC.
What is a coincidence is that years
ago, Gauri was reportedly indifferent
to another Ms World Aishwarya Rai.
Says our source, “When Ash walked
out Chalte Chalte, SRK's home pro-
duction, things between Gauri and the
former Ms World were strained.”
Our source recalls that when Gauri
and SRK who share a happy vibe with
Abhishek Bachchan went to wish him
for his birthday (Feb 5) before he had
married Ash, they were very warm to
Bachchan Jr but Gauri wasn't particu-
larly friendly with Ash at that point.
However it seems that now things
are perfectly pleasant with at least one
Ms World and Gauri. Yes Gauri did
make it to Aishwarya's baby shower
and she shares a nice equation with
the entire Bachchan family.
Let's hope the other Ms World title
winner Priyanka too manages to get
back into the gracious Gauri's good
books.
The hosts of Filmfare are often quirky, cheeky and fun! Theyamuse the audience with their mad antics.
SRK, Ranbir to host 57thFilmfare Awards
Madhavan, a kunwara?
Hindi cinema is indeed
going places! For the first
time on the Indian screen
the audience will witness a divorce
party.
Well, separation calls for celebra-
tion in Ashwini Chaudhary's " Jodi
Breakers", being produced by
Prasar Vision Pvt Ltd. "Parting
ways has always been considered
to be a negative and heartbreaking
experience. But in "Jodi Breakers",
we have given it a very humorous
color. Following his break-up, the
song, "Kunwara", shows lead actor
Madhavan celebrating his singleton
status once again. His friends have
thrown a party for his new-found
freedom," smiles Ashwini.
The director has shot the song in
different locations to capture the
exuberance of bachelorhood. "We
wanted to capture the joy of libera-
tion as if a big burden has been lift-
ed of the chest. To enhance it, we
even shot a foam party sequence.
The song has become a hot
favorite with the people especially
males who are so used to enjoying
freedom. The trend of celebrating
separation is looked upon with a
different aspect today. It is no
longer an embarrassment. In fact, I
have had friends who after separat-
ing have often had a pleasant and
cozy meal at a restaurant experi-
encing a sense of relief," laughs
Ashwini.
The film Kunwara shows leadactor Madhavan celebrating his
singleton status once again.
"Castro's Daughter" will tell the story of Fernandez, born in 1956 of aromance between young Fidel Castro and Cuban socialite Naty
Revuelta, who was married to a doctor at that time.
Castro's daughter wantsBanderas to play dad!
The estranged daughter of
Cuban leader Fidel Castro
wants Hollywood actor
Antonio Banderas to play her father
in the upcoming biopic "Castro's
Daughter".
Alina Fernandez suggested the
name of the "Mask of Zorro" star to
production company Mankind
Entertainment. The movie would be
directed by Michael Radform, and
shot in Puerto Rico.
"I have been a huge fan of
Antonio for years, and hope to see
him play my father. I think he has a
phenomenal charisma, and think he
has the nerve to play the role per-
fectly... I'm very excited that he
would consider this," Fernandez
said. "Castro's Daughter" will tell
the story of Fernandez, born in 1956
of a romance between young Fidel
Castro and Cuban socialite Naty
Revuelta, who was married to a doc-
tor at that time.
Fernandez, who now lives in the
US, studied medicine and interna-
tional relations and worked briefly
in public relations for Cuba's
National Theater. She later became
a model and left the island nation in
1993.
No love between Gauri, Priyanka?
Years ago, Gauri was reportedlyindifferent to another Ms World,
Aishwarya Rai.
Vidya Balan an item girl now
After going Ooh La La last year, Vidya Balan
is now gearing up for her first item number
in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Ferrari Ki Sawari.
The track will be shot lavishly and will see Vids go
ultra-glam for it.
Reveals a source, "She's never really attempted an
item song before, so there was some scepticism. But
once she saw portions of the film and met up with
Vidhu, she was sold on the idea." The song will be a
major highlight of the Rajesh Mapuskar film.
"Vinod and Vidya share a great professional equa-
tion since her big break in Parineeta. Naturally, it was
very hard for her to resist the offer," reasons the
source.
The song is still a work in progress and the concept
will be finalized in coming weeks. The source adds,
"There's no rush to shoot the song, which tentatively
will be shot early next month. The team wants Vidya
as involved as possible in the process. They're trying
to make her feel as comfortable as possible."
The choreographer for the number is undecided for
now.
The song is still a work in progress and the concept will be finalized incoming weeks.
18 Features
January 21-27, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Billed as one of the biggest
carnivals of art this year,
the fourth India Art Fair
in Delhi Jan 25-29 will feature
more than 1,000 artists by 91 art
houses from 20 countries, includ-
ing works by Salvador Dali,
Pablo Picasso, Damien Hirst,
Anish Kapoor, Anthony Gormley
and Jean Miro.
India's coming of age as an
international art destination and
recovery of the art market post-
meltdown will be the highlights
of the event to be held at the
National Small Industries
Corporation (NSIC) Ground in
Okhla.
The focus of the fair is foreign
participation. It is likely to draw
leading art houses like Hauser
and Wirth (Switzerland), Galleria
Continua (Italy), Lisson Gallery
(UK) and White Cube (UK) and
top-of-chain experts to address
forums on business, aesthetics,
art practices and awareness.
Neha Kirpal, the founding
director of the fair, said "the
2012 edition of the fair presents
the strongest and most diverse
contingent of galleries seen at the
fair to date".
Nearly 60 percent of galleries
are from Asia, including Indian
galleries, which make up about
half of the exhibitors overall,
while 26 percent are from
Europe. The remaining 14 per-
cent are from North and South
America, the Middle East, Africa
and Australia, official statistics
said.
Estimates say the India Art
Fair, founded as the India Art
Summit in 2008 as a pioneering
platform of modern and contem-
porary art in India, has attracted
more than 170,000 people in the
last three years.
"The art fair has seen tremen-
dous growth over a short period
of time, and much of its success
can be attributed to its focus on
providing a relevant and trans-
parent platform for the Indian art
scene.
It has received unprecedented
interest from international muse-
ums and private collectors, and
cultivated a whole breed of new
collectors and art enthusiasts
within India," Kirpal said.
The fair, which has changed its
venue from Pragati Maidan to the
NSIC Ground this year, has made
a new fashion statement with a
new business model.
The fair this year will host its
visual feasts in designer tents
spread over 12,000 square meters
designed by veteran set designer
Sumanth Jaikishan.
"The growing size of the fair,
increasing footfall, the global
interest generated by the fair and
a booming trade drove the organ-
izers to invite foreign partners," a
source said.
The Indian art market is esti-
mated at a little over Rs.2,000
crore.
One of the immediate spin-offs
of the new business model of the
fair has been the formation of the
Collectors' Circle - an outreach
program to build an international
chain of collectors and art
experts - in the run-up to the fair.
One main attraction of the fair
will be corollaries and collateral
events like the video lounge,
sculpture court, art book shop,
site-specific public art events and
live art shows in venues across
the national capital.
1,000 artists, 20 countries- India Art Fair cometh
Motherland- a performance art act by artist N. Pushpmala to bepresented at the India Art Fair.
By Alyssa McDonald
Hurrying down the steps of a Delhi
Metro station, I jump into the first
available train. Eyes stare at me. I
am not only the lone woman in the train
car but also the only foreigner.
Like 1.5 million other people in Delhi, I
ride on the Metro every day. To get to
work, I spend almost 45 minutes on the
rail, including switching train lines, before
reaching my destination.
The first couple of times I rode the
Metro, I thought two things: people are
staring at me and why do women not use
the Metro. It took me days to realize there
were 'women only' compartments at the
front of each train. Since starting to use
these, I enjoy watching men enter and
look around to see only women. They
quickly make their way down the train to
the general compartments looking as
though they mistakenly walked into the
wrong washroom. I have never seen
'women only' compartments or sections in
my home country of Canada.
Although I never had a problem at the
back with the men, I feel safer with other
women around, especially when the train
is so full there is not enough room to
move. I have seen people trying to jump
into trains that were full, while Metro
security try to pull them out so the door
can close.
Not to say the women that ride the
Metro are not a little aggressive when they
rush for seats. When two girls go for an
open seat, neither backs down which usu-
ally results in them both semi-sitting on
each other in one spot.
There is no Metro in Winnipeg, my
home in central Canada. The city of about
680,000 people has been trying for years
to build a rapid-transit system, but does
not have the funds. The cost of riding the
city bus is 2.45 CAD (Rs.125) -- much
more expensive than the Metro here,
which only costs me Rs 16 for my ride
across the city.
I am jealous of the Metro system in
Delhi and wish we had a progressive alter-
native to the bus and taxi systems in
Winnipeg. I have ridden on other Metro
systems in Vancouver and Toronto,
Canada's largest cities, and feel that the
Delhi Metro can compete on a global
scale.
The Metro also offers a fixed rate for
everyone, including foreigners. When tak-
ing taxis and auto-rickshaws in Delhi, for-
eigners usually get quoted a much higher
price than locals. It can get frustrating
when you get overcharged for transporta-
tion just because you are not from here.
Tanya Tonning, who is from Norway, is
starting her tour of Asia from Delhi and
has been using the Metro to get to markets
for shopping. She says it was an easy sys-
tem to understand and was better than
walking the streets of Delhi.
"It was very clean. I didn't expect it to be
that clean when you look around outside,"
Tonning said.
She stays at a backpacking hostel in
Saket where most clients are foreigners
wanting to see the sights of Delhi. The
hostel encourages its visitors to use the
Metro to get around the city and provides
them with a map of how to reach the near-
est station.
Foreigners beware that some etiquette
existing in other countries does not exist
on the Delhi Metro. There is almost no
waiting for people to deboard the train
before rushing in, sometimes resulting in
getting a shoulder push.
Even when seats are reserved for women
in the general compartments, I usually see
just men sitting there. People hold on to
their seats and rarely offer them to people
who may need it more.
When someone asks someone for a seat,
they simply squish over and give them a
portion of the seat. Then when someone
on the bench gets off, you can spread back
out.
On my first day ever on the Metro, two
people on different trains gave up their
seats for me. Maybe they saw in my face it
was my first time and I was a little nerv-
ous, because the luxury of getting offered
a seat has never happened again.
Delhi Metro through envious foreign eyes
Foreigners beware that some etiquette existing in other countries does not exist on the Delhi Metro.
Diaspora 19
TheSouthAsianTimes.info January 21-27, 2012
London: A third man has been arrested in connec-
tion with the brutal murder of an Indian-origin cou-
ple – Avtar Kolar and his wife Carole – in
Birmingham.
The police is now questioning the 37-year-old over
the murder of 62-year-old Avtar and his 58-year-old
wife Carole, whose bodies were discovered on
Wednesday by their son Jason Kolar, a serving offi-
cer with West Midlands Police.
Earlier, two people were arrested. One man was
bailed pending further enquiries, the second man was
released without charge, The Sun reports.
Post-mortem tests have confirmed that the couple,
who had been married for 40 years, died as a result
of blunt force trauma to the head and that both had
been struck a number of times.
The arrests came after two of the couple’s four
children made a desperate plea for help to catch their
parents’ killers.
Police have repeatedly refused to speculate about a
motive for the murders, but said detectives are look-
ing into a number of lines of inquiry, including a rise
in burglaries and gold thefts in the area.
Avtar and Carole Kolar murder:Third man arrested
'Pay me 10,000 pounds for access to British PM'London: In a major cash-for-
access scandal, a 50-year-old
Indian-origin Conservative Party
activist and fund-raiser was thrown
out of the party after he was caught
boasting in a video that he could
provide Prime Minister David
Cameron's personal mobile phone
number or a dinner with him for
10,000 pounds.
Rickie Sehgal -- chairman of the
British Asian Conservative Link
(BACL) -- said donors could dine
with the prime minister and raise
any issue they wanted, the Daily
Mail reported Sunday.
"Those who pay 10,000 pounds a
year get Cameron's mobile,"
Sehgal told an undercover reporter.
When confronted about his
claims, Sehgal said he was "highly
embarrassed" to have been caught
boasting, which he said he had
exaggerated to impress the under-
cover reporter.
Sehgal was sacked from the party
Saturday after senior officials stud-
ied the evidence.
Sehgal was recently pho-
tographed whispering into the
prime minister's ear at the Tories'
Winter Ball, where tickets cost up
to 1,000 pounds.
The BACL website features pic-
tures of Sehgal with senior offi-
cials, including Home Secretary
Theresa May, Attorney General
Dominic Grieve and International
Development Secretary Andrew
Mitchell as well as London Mayor
Boris Johnson.
The daily began the investigation
following a tip-off from a legal
source who said Asian business-
men were using BACL to gain
access to Tory ministers.
An undercover reporter posing as
a businessman met Sehgal and said
he was keen to join the BACL's
exclusive 1000 Club, which the
website claimed could give mem-
bers access to ministers and MPs
for business and personal benefits.
The meeting took place at the
headquarters of Sehgal's IT compa-
ny, Transputec Computers Plc, in
northwest London.
Rickie Sehgal was caught boasting in a video that he could provide David Cameron's mobile number or a dinner with him
for 10,000 pounds
Avtar Kolar and wife Carole were bludgeoned to death
Thiruvananthapuram: More
and more Keralites are going
abroad for jobs, and the highest
migration increase is among
Muslims.
The number of migrants abroad
in 2011 was estimated at 2.28
million, up from 2.19 million in
2008, 1.84 million in 2003 and
1.36 million in 1998.
These are among the findings
of the Centre for Development
Studies here. It has come out with
a fifth comprehensive study on
international and internal migra-
tion from Kerala since 1998.
Remittances from migrants
form more than 60 percent of
Kerala's revenue.
The report said this stood in
2011 at Rs.49,695 crore, from
Rs.43,288 crore in 2008.
The proportion of Hindus
among the non-resident Keralites
has shot up. It was 37.5 percent
in 2011, and 29.9 percent in
1998.
The vast majority of the
migrants in 2011 were Muslims
(about 45 percent), although the
community's share in Kerala's
population was 26 percent.
While Hindus formed about 56
percent of the population, their
share among the migrants was
only 37.5 percent.
The gain among the Hindus
was mostly at the expense of
Christians, whose share shrank
from 25.1 percent in 2003 to 17.9
percent in 2011.
The 2011 study is based on pri-
mary data collected from 15,000
households selected through ran-
dom sampling covering all 63
taluks or sub-districts.
According to study researchers
K.C. Zachariah and S.
Irudayarajan, the main countries
of destination for Keralites have
remained unchanged over these
years - 90 percent go to Gulf
countries.
Nearly 40 percent of Kerala's
migrants live in the United Arab
Emirates and 25 percent in Saudi
Arabia.
Muslim migration up in Kerala, Christians lose
Not murder, says Oxforddon's widow; Indian-origin
academic gets bailLondon: Indian-
origin Oxford
mathemat ic ian
Devinder Sivia,
who was arrested
after an eminent
professor was
found dead at his
home, has been
released on bail.
The professor's
widow said her
husband was not
murdered while
Sivia's father described the aca-
demics' relationship as that of
"brothers."
The body of Steven Rawlings, a
50-year-old astrophysicist, was
found at Sivia's home in
Oxfordshire Wednesday.
Sivia, a 49-year-old Sikh mathe-
matics lecturer at Oxford
University, was arrested. He was
released on bail Friday as police
downgraded the investigation into
Rawlings' death, reported Daily
Mail.
Rawlings' widow Linda said the
death was not a murder.
"Steve and Devinder were best
friends since college and I believe
this is a tragic accident."
"I do not believe that Steve's
death is murder and I do not
believe Devinder should be tar-
nished in this way," Linda was
quoted as saying.
British police are now looking
at "underlying health issues" after
a post-mortem examination of
Rawlings failed to pinpoint the
exact cause of his death.
Daily Telegraph said Sivia spent
over 24 hours in custody but was
released after detectives said it
was possible the death was not the
result of any foul play.
The Oxford professor had suf-
fered a breakdown last year.
A friend of Rawlings said he
had spoken to the professor just
hours before he died and that he
seemed troubled and was consid-
ering resigning from his post at
Oxford. "He (Rawlings) was
thinking about the future and con-
templating handing his notice in
to St Peter's College.
He had a very intense job and he
was a very intense person," Daily
Telegraph quoted the friend as
saying. The friend added: "He had
had a breakdown last year and on
that occasion was found wander-
ing around the village in his dress-
ing gown in the middle of the
night."
Steven Rawlings (left) was found dead at friendDevinder Sivia’s home (right)
20 Op Ed
January 20-27, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
India elections:Fair ballot, riveting battles expected
People's wish for democracyremains: Chinese writer
By Amulya Ganguli
Mayawati's statues and her
election symbol of ele-
phants carved out of
stone have been covered, the
Congress' pro-Muslim sops have
been shot down, the officials
believed to be biased in favor of
the ruling party have been trans-
ferred by the Election Commission
and bundles of cash meant for dis-
tribution among voters have been
seized. The country is ready for
another electoral bout among polit-
ical parties under the commission's
stern, impartial gaze, which prom-
ises that the contests will be free
and the outcome fair.
It is the certainty about the
results reflecting the popular mood
which has facilitated the task of
forecasts since the earlier ugly
phenomenon of booth-capturing,
impersonation and forcibly keep-
ing at bay large groups of voters,
mainly in the Hindi heartland, is
no longer prevalent.
As is known, this remarkable
cleansing of the electoral system is
the contribution of T.N. Seshan,
who was chief election commis-
sioner from 1990 to 1996. Since
his time, the commission, like the
Comptroller and Auditor General's
office, has been a truly
autonomous body.
As a result, perhaps the most
crucial of the "cow belt" states,
Uttar Pradesh, will see another riv-
eting battle between the two old
regional adversaries, the Bahujan
Samaj Party (BSP) and the
Samajwadi Party (SP), and two
"national" parties with limited
local influence, the Congress and
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),
with all of them accepting the
results without making too much
of a fuss.
In all likelihood, the anti-incum-
bency factor, which led to the SP's
ouster in 2007, may be felt by the
BSP this time, largely because of
the latter's neglect of significant
development projects that make a
difference to the lives of the poor
and marginalized, reminiscent of a
similar indifference shown by Lalu
Prasad during his 15 years as Bihar
chief minister.
In both their cases, the belief that
a neat stitching of caste combina-
tions - Mayawati's Dalit-Brahmin
rainbow coalition and Lalu
Prasad's Muslim-Yadav (MY)
alliance - was considered enough
to cross the electoral Rubicon.
Interestingly, the Janata Dal-
United and the BJP, which are
allies in Bihar, will be on opposite
sides of the fence in Uttar Pradesh,
diminishing the latter's chances of
getting a sizeable chunk of the
other backward caste (OBC) votes
via the Janata Dal-United and,
therefore, pushing it further down
in the electoral stakes.
For the Congress, it is a do-or-
die battle for the party's heir appar-
ent, Rahul Gandhi. If he falters yet
again, as in Bihar in 2010, he will
have to reconsider his tactics. But,
if the Congress can repeat its 2009
performance in Uttar Pradesh,
Rahul will be the frontrunner for
the prime minister's chair in 2014.
If anti-incumbency is expected
to hit the BSP in Uttar Pradesh, it
is also likely to unsettle the Akali
Dal in Punjab, which has tended to
vote for the Akalis and the
Congress in alternate elections.
The Congress' hopes of staging a
comeback have been buoyed by its
success in the 2009 parliamentary
polls, when it won eight of the 13
seats while the Akalis won four.
In Uttarakhand, the party had to
hastily remove Ramesh Pokhriyal
from the chief minister's post in
favour of B.C. Khanduri, who held
the office earlier, in view of the
corruption charges faced by
Pokhriyal's administration. In fact,
there is little doubt that the BJP
would have lost power if Pokhriyal
had remained in office. Even now,
memories of his time in power
may damage the party's prospects.
In Manipur, the Congress may
gain from the differences that have
cropped up between two con-
stituents of the People's
Democratic Front (PDF) - the
Janata Dal (United) and the RJD -
with the enmity rooted in Bihar
between these two parties souring
their relations in the northeastern
state.
By Madhusree Chatterjee
People's wish for democracy has no
end, so days of revolution still exist in
China, says writer Bi Feiyu, who won
the Man Asian Literary Prize for his book
"Three Sisters" in 2010. He also points out
that Chinese youth are more keen to make
money now, but women get less of a chance.
The cultural revolution is over and "today's
Chinese politics is much better than during
that time. But we cannot be happy about that
because people's wish of democracy and lib-
eration have no end," Feiyu, 47, told IANS
in an interview here.
He was in the country to release the Indian
edition of the English translation of his book
published by Om Books International.
"I believe the days of the revolution are
still existing because there is no multi-party
system in China, the army does not belong to
the country - but to the party. The media is
not yet free. All these are the wishes that the
Chinese people hope can be solved," Feiyu
said.
So one cannot assume or feel that the cul-
tural revolution is over "because that means
you will be happy", the writer felt.
Opening a window into the state of
Chinese socio-economic psyche post-
Tiananmen Square in 1989, the novelist said,
"Many Chinese, including the knowledge-
ables, have put their excitement in making
money and not on politics."
"I feel that after the Tiananmen uprising,
youth's passion towards politics has reduced
considerably. They want to be rich while
they are very young," the writer said.
His novel, "Three Sisters" explores the life
of three sisters, Yumi (corn in Chinese),
Yuxiu (beauty) and Yuyang (earth) who find
their ways out of the petty treachery of the
village to the slogans of the cultural revolu-
tion and the mad pace of city life. The lives
of the three sisters change with their journey
from the village to the city.
The novelist in the course of his narrative
from rural to urban China unravels the con-
trasts in the situations - the quirks in
lifestyles and the rot that the Communist
regime had bred in 1970s' China.
The socio-political movement that took
place in China led by Mao Zedong from
1966 through 1976 to enforce socialism had
left its imprint in almost every sphere of cul-
ture - not even sparing the women folk
whose lives were dictated by the party.
Comparing his three heroines, Feiyu said
"Yumi has more socialism, while Yuxiu is
more natural. Yuyang does not have any of
the characteristics of her two older siblings,
but even then the politics does not leave her
alone."
Feiyu said he had "deliberately created
three different women in his novel - and all
the three could avoid the autocratic politics
of the people who had started the cultural
revolution".
"Through the real life of these girls in the
book, I am letting people know that this kind
of life cannot go on... When the youth of
today's China see (read) the book, they will
tell themselves that the three sisters are not
far away from us," Feiyu said.
The country is ready for another electoral bout among political partiesunder the Election Commission's stern, impartial gaze, which
promises that the contests will be free and the outcome fair.
Bi Feiyu.
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
Subcontinent 21
TheSouthAsianTimes.info January 21-27, 2012
Islamabad: Pakistan's National
Assembly passed a resolution sup-
porting democracy in the country,
which gave a breather to belea-
guered Prime Minister Yousuf
Raza Gilani against whom the
Supreme Court issued a contempt
notice for not acting against
President Asif Ali Zardari for cor-
ruption.
The lower house of Parliament
passed the pro-democracy resolu-
tion moved by Awami National
Party (ANP) leader Asfandyar
Wali, Geo News reported.
Gilani congratulated the MPs on
passage of the resolution, while
MPs belonging to the Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz and
Pakistan Peoples Party-Sherpao
staged a walkout.
Gilani told the house he would
appear before the Supreme Court
as he was directed to appear per-
sonally before it on Jan 19.
He said the government wanted
no confrontation with any institu-
tion, including the judiciary, and
that no one should degrade the
mandate of the elected govern-
ment.
"We need no certificate to prove
our patriotism," Gilani said, citing
sacrifices rendered by leaders of
the ruling PPP for the cause of
democracy in the country.Gilani
offered to resign Monday after the
Supreme Court issued him a con-
tempt notice for not implementing
a directive to act against President
Asif Ali Zardari for corruption.
Zardari, accused of graft, had
been granted amnesty under the
National Reconciliation
Ordinance (NRO), which was
issued in 2007 by then president
Pervez Musharraf to facilitate the
return of former prime minister
Benazir Bhutto and her husband
Zardari. The NRO was struck
down as void by the Supreme
Court in 2009. Gilani offered to
resign to save democratic system
and parliament, reported ARY
News.The prime minister made
the offer after a meeting with
Zardari. Both leaders discussed
the current political situation in
the country, Geo News quoted
sources as saying.
Partners of Pakistan's ruling
coalition also met and decided
that Gilani would appear before
the Supreme Court Jan 19.
A seven-member Supreme
Court bench Monday resumed
hearing on the implementation of
the NRO, under which the
National Accountability Bureau
(NAB) had withdrawn cases
against Zardari.
Dawn News quoted Law
Minister Maula Bux Chandio as
saying that the government would
talk to lawyers regarding the
court's notice and that the next
step would be taken in accordance
with the law and constitution.
Pakistan Parliament passes resolution supporting Gilani
Islamabad: Asif Ali Zardari has
immunity from prosecution, says
the lawyer of Prime Minister
Yousuf Raza Gilani who has been
issued a contempt notice by the
Supreme Court for not imple-
menting a directive to act against
the president for corruption.
Gilani's lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan
said that the president has immu-
nity from prosecution even in
Swiss courts, Dawn reported.
Zardari enjoyed immunity while
in office under the Vienna
Convention, he added.
He said that the cases against
Zardari were in the nature of
criminal cases in which case no
proceedings could be initiated
against him while he was in
office.
Zardari has immunity: PakistaniPM's lawyer
Kilinochchi (Sri Lanka): Indian
External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna
visited this former Tamil Tiger hub and
gifted medical equipment to a hospital,
unveiled a renovated school and hand-
ed over houses built with New Delhi's
assistance.
On the second day of a four-day visit
to the island nation, Krishna took a
chopper from capital Colombo to land
in Kilinochchi, the former headquarter
of the now vanquished Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
He gifted a range of medical equip-
ment to the district hospital in the heart
of the small town, about 60 km south of
Jaffna.
The hospital, which suffered exten-
sive damage during the final phase of
the armed conflict, was rebuilt by the
Sri Lankan government and restored to
the provincial council.
Dressed in casuals and sports sneak-
ers, a relaxed Krishna unveiled an ICU
and a fully air-conditioned sterilization
room at the 200-bed hospital.
Accompanying him were Sri Lanka's
Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris,
Economic Development Minister Basil
Rajapaksa, the younger brother of
President Mahinda Rajapaksa,
Industry and Commerce Minister
Rishad Bathiyutheen and Small
Industries Minister Douglas Devananda.
Krishna brings healing touch to Tamils
Islamabad: A Pakistani journal-
ist, who was working for US
radio, was shot dead by some
unidentified gunmen in the coun-
try's northwestern region, police
said.
Mukararm Khan Atif was offer-
ing evening prayers when uniden-
tified gunmen sneaked into the
mosque and shot at him in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa province's
Charsadda district, Xinhua quoted
police as saying.
He died at the hospital. Atif was
working for the Pashto-language
American Diva radio in the area.
He was also associated with a
local TV channel and had been
covering events in the nearby
Mohmand tribal region.
As per witnesses, two armed
motorcyclists fled after the inci-
dent.
No group claimed responsibility
for the incident.
According to media groups, a
total of 12 journalists were killed
in Pakistan last year.
Pakistani scribe workingfor US radio killed
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
Memo scandal: Court dismisses plea against Ijaz
Islamabad: A Pakistani court dis-
missed a plea to file a case against
Pakistani-American businessman
Mansoor Ijaz who forwarded a
secret memo to Washington that
said President Asif Ali Zardari last
year feared a military coup.
Additional Sessions Judge Syed
Wajahat Hassan in Islamabad
rejected the petition to file the case
against Mansoor Ijaz, reported Geo
News.
The petition was filed on Jan 7
by Pakistan Peoples Party activist
Khalid Jameel Sati, seeking regis-
tration of criminal case against
Mansoor Ijaz.
Mansoor Ijaz claims to have
delivered a memo to then chairman
of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen.
Mike Mullen last year at the behest
of then Pakistan's envoy to the US
Husain Haqqani. The memo said
Zardari feared a military take-over
following the killing of Al Qaeda
chief Osama bin Laden in
Abbottabad, near Islamabad, May
2 last year.Petitioner Khalid Jameel
Sati sought arrest orders against
Mansoor Ijaz. He pleaded that Ijaz
hatched conspiracy against the
democracy and the country as he
attempted to pit the army and the
government against each other.
The revelation about the secret
memo led to Haqqani stepping
down. Former minister Sherry
Rehman was then appointed the
new envoy to the US. Pakistani
parliament and Supreme Court are
probing the memo issue.
Mansoor Ijaz claims to have deliv-ered a memo to then chairman ofthe US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen.
Mike Mullen.
Indian External AffairsMinister S.M. Krishna.
Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza
Gilani appeared to be on a "suicidal warpath", said
a daily, noting that his "raving and ranting will not
hide (the) selfishness from the people who have
already seen through the charade being enacted
before them".
An editorial in the News International Wednesday
said that the capacity for clear, cool-headed think-
ing within the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)
appears to be disappearing faster than ever.
"The prime minister remains on what appears to
be a suicidal warpath, pitching himself against
other institutions and apparently readying himself
to take on the role of a martyr who - in the realm of
make-believe the PPP now occupies - can save
democracy and battle all that it has decided is evil,"
it added.
The editorial said that continuing the aggressive
tone in his much anticipated address to the National
Assembly, Gilani had declared that neither the judi-
ciary nor the army could derail democracy.
"What he didn't mention amidst the display of
high emotion is the role his own government has
played in subverting the working of democracy by
failing to abide by court orders and follow the dic-
tates of the constitution," it said.
The editorial went on to say that the crisis the rul-
ing party now faces has been brought about by
itself. "Much now depends on what answer Gilani
offers to the court when he appears before it."
Pakistani PM on suicidal warpath, says daily
22 International
January 21-27, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
'Captain took ship off route, abandoned it'Rome: The captain of a Carnival
Corp. ship that ran aground off
Italy, was granted house arrest
hours after audio emerged of a
Coast Guard official ordering
Francesco Schettino to return to
the damaged Costa Concordia and
oversee rescue efforts.
The captain of a Carnival Corp.
(CCL) ship that ran aground off
Italy told a judge that he made a
mistake by steering too close to
Giglio Island, according to a court
document.
Francesco Schettino, the captain
of the Costa Concordia, failed to
promptly advise the Italian Coast
guard after he struck rocks along
the coast and later allegedly aban-
doned the ship carrying 4,200 pas-
sengers and crew with at least 100
people still aboard.
As per Italian authorities, 11
people are confirmed dead and 22
still missing days after the cruise
liner crashed into rocks after leav-
ing for a Mediterranean cruise
with over 4,200 passengers
onboard.
The Costa Concordia's captain,
52-year-old Francesco Schettino,
was put under house arrest after
being detained with charges of
manslaughter and abandoning
ship. Judge Montesarchio said the
51-year-old captain admitted that
he deviated from the ship’s pro-
grammed route, coming 0.28 nau-
tical miles from the coast. He then
allegedly refused pleas from a
Coast Guard official to return to
the ship, the document shows. He
“underestimated the damage” and
gave the evacuation order more
than an hour after the ship hit
rocks by the island, delaying res-
cue operations, according to the
document.
Carnival, the world’s largest
cruise operator, said today it has
begun refunding passengers and
said is arranging lodging, trans-
portation and counseling for pas-
sengers and crew.11 people are dead and 22 still missing days after the Italian cruise liner
Costa Concordia crashed into rocks.
US restores diplomatic tieswith Myanmar
Washington: The United States has formally restored
diplomatic relations with the government of Myanmar, or
Burma, as it was known before the ruling military Junta
changed the nation’s name.
The restoration of relations came on the heels of an
announcement that the Myanmar regime had released 651
political prisoners. Among those arrested as political pris-
oners in the course of many conflicts are civilian protes-
tors, Buddhist monks, and students. A day before the pris-
oner release, the government announced a cease-fire in the
long-running conflict between the military and ethnic
Karen rebels in the east. AFP reports that a presidential
order at the end of last year to end fighting against ethnic
Kachin rebels in the north failed to end the conflict there.
Around the same time, though, a successful ceasefire was
brokered between ethnic fighters of the Shan State Army-
South and its local government. In the wake of the prison-
er release, Myanmar as a state was still not wholeheartedly
embraced by the United Nations, which issued a statement
that more reforms were needed.
In contrast US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton was
enthusiastic, saying, “[t]his is a momentous day for the
diverse people of Burma,” and she announced plans to
exchange ambassadors with the country.
Burma has been in a state of civil war since it was
declared independent from British colonial rule in 1948.
State violence against ethnic minorities have caused the
international community to isolate Burma by imposing
sanctions against the ruling government. Hundreds of
thousands of Burmese have been displaced by fighting
around the nation. Meanwhile, as part of the reforms
announced by President Thein Sein, elections are sched-
uled for April 1. Burma’s most well known leader and
Nobel Peace Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, who was
released recently after decades of house arrest, has regis-
tered to run for office.
‘North Korea close to collapse’Tokyo: A new book claims that
the eldest son of North Korea’s
late leader Kim Jong-il believes
the impoverished regime is in dan-
ger of collapse and that his young
half-brother, chosen to lead after
Kim’s death, is merely a figure-
head.
The book by Tokyo-based jour-
nalist Yoji Gomi went on sale
recently. He says it is based prima-
rily on email exchanges he had
with Kim Jong Nam over many
years.
The book, titled My Father, Kim
Jong Il and Me, drew immediate
attention as a rare view into the
family that has led the secretive
country for decades — though
Kim Jong Nam is thought to be
estranged from his family and the
workings of government. Since
Kim Jong-il’s death Dec. 17,
North Korea has been led by his
youngest son, Kim Jong-un.
“Jong-un will just be a figure-
head,” the book quotes Kim Jong
Nam as saying. It claims he said
the collapse of North Korea’s
economy is likely unless it initi-
ates reforms, which could also
bring it down.
“Without reforms and liberaliza-
tion, the collapse of the economy
is within sight,” he quoted Kim as
saying. “But reforms and opening
up could also invite dangers for
the regime.”
Gomi, a Tokyo Shimbun journal-
ist who had assignments in Seoul
and Beijing, claims he exchanged
150 emails and has spent a total of
seven hours interviewing Kim
Jong Nam, who was seen as a pos-
sible successor until he fell out of
favor with Kim Jong-il in 2001.
Not long after Kim Jong-il’s
funeral, Jong Nam suggested in an
interview with a Japanese TV net-
work that he opposes a hereditary
transfer of power to his young
half-brother, who is believed to be
in his late 20s.
That was a rare public sign of
discord in the tightly choreo-
graphed succession process, but
analysts said Jong Nam spends so
much time outside his native land
that his opinion carries little
weight.
‘Strike on Iran wouldbe catastrophe’
Moscow: Russia has warned that a
military strike on Iran would be a
"catastrophe" with the severest
consequences which risked inflam-
ing existing tensions between
Sunni and Shiite Muslims.
"As for the chances of this catas-
trophe happening, you would have
to ask those constantly mentioning
it as an option that remains on the
table," foreign minister Sergei
Lavrov said when asked on the
chances of military action.
Israeli defense minister Ehud
Barak earlier said in Jerusalem that
his country was not even close to
deciding to attack Iran and
believed that a military option
remained "very far away".
Lavrov warned of the "severest"
consequences of an attack that he
warned would spark a regional
refugee crisis and incite inter-com-
munal tensions in the region.
"I have no doubt in the fact that it
only add fuel to the fire of the still-
simmering Sunni-Shiite conflict.
And I do not know where the sub-
sequent chain reaction will end.
He added that punitive sanctions
aimed at winning more transparen-
cy from Iran had "exhausted"
themselves and only hurt the
chances of peace.
"Additional unilateral sanctions
against Iran have nothing to do
with a desire to ensure the regime's
commitment to nuclear non-prolif-
eration," Lavrov told reporters at
an annual briefing outlining
Russia's foreign policy views.
His comments came as EU diplo-
mats closed in on a July date for a
full oil embargo that would suit
nations such as Italy with a strong
reliance on Iranian supplies.
Lavrov said Russia had evidence
that Iran was ready to cooperate
more closely with inspectors from
the United Nations IAEA nuclear
watchdog and was preparing for
"serious talks" with the West.
He also hinted that Europe and
the United States were imposing
the measures with the specific pur-
pose of torpedoing new rounds of
talks.
"Iran is now waiting for an
(IAEA) delegation so that it can
discuss serious issues. So the sanc-
tions that can now be adopted by
the European Union can hardly
improve the atmosphere or make
the talks productive," said Lavrov.
The book by Tokyo-based journalist quotes late leader Kim Jong-il’sson as saying that the collapse of North Korea’s economy is likely
unless it initiates reforms.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov warned that an attack wouldspark a regional refugee crisis and incite inter-communal
tensions in the region.
Business 23
TheSouthAsianTimes.info January 21-27, 2012
San Francisco: Yahoo's co-founder Jerry Yang
stepped down from its board along with all other
positions he held in the company, it was announced.
The 43-year-old Yang also resigned from the
Boards of Yahoo! Japan and Alibaba Group Holding
limited, Xinhua quoted the company as stating in a
press release.
Having founded the online company in 1995 with
David Filo, Yang served as Yahoo's chief executive
from June 2007 until January 2009.
Yang's resignation comes two weeks after the com-
pany hired former PayPal executive Scott Thomson
to be its new chief executive, BBC reported.
Yang had annoyed some shareholders by turning
down a $47.5bn takeover offer from Microsoft in
2008. The company's current market value is about
$20bn.
"The time has come for me to pursue other inter-
ests outside of Yahoo!", said Yang in a statement
while expressing his support for the company's cur-
rent management.
"I am enthusiastic about the appointment of Scott
Thompson as Chief Executive Officer and his ability,
along with the entire Yahoo! leadership team, to
guide Yahoo! into an exciting and successful future,"
he said.
Yahoo co-founder JerryYang steps down
The 43-year-old Jerry Yang also resigned from theBoards of Yahoo! Japan and Alibaba Group Holding
limited.
Global growth is now projected at 3.1 percent for 2013, down from itsJune estimate of 3.6 percent.
Washington: The World Bank
has lowered its global economic
growth rate forecast to 2.5 percent
in 2012 from its previous estimate
of 3.6 percent, amid risks trig-
gered by the ongoing eurozone
crisis.
Developing countries should
prepare for further downside
risks, as the eurozone debt prob-
lems and weakening growth in
several big emerging economies
are dimming global growth
prospects, the Washington-based
organization said in its newly-
released flagship report "Global
Economic Prospects (GEP)
2012".
"The world economy has
entered a very difficult phase
characterized by significant
downside risks and fragility," the
report said.
The bank has lowered its growth
forecast for 2012 to 5.4 percent
for developing countries and 1.4
percent for high-income countries,
down from its June estimates of
6.2 percent and 2.7 percent
respectively, reported Xinhua.
Global growth is now projected
at 3.1 percent for 2013, down
from its June estimate of 3.6 per-
cent.
World Bank lowers globaleconomic growth rate
49% foreign stake in domestic airlines soon: govtKolkata: The debt crisis in
Europe and slowdown in the US
have created ripples in the
remotest of Indian towns and
villages, with NGOs feeling the
pinch due to cutbacks of 20-40
percent by Western donors.
Many small NGOs are facing a
viability problem with their cof-
fers drying up. Some have had
to shut down their projects.
According to Child In Need
Institute (CINI), a Kolkata-
headquartered NGO which runs
projects in West Bengal,
Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and
Madhya Pradesh, funds from
foreign countries to organiza-
tions like it in India have been
cut by 20 percent and upwards.
"Foreign funding to NGOs
has been reduced dramatically.
It has become very tough for us.
Many small organizations oper-
ating in the poorest areas of the
country are facing acute viabili-
ty problems," CINI's additional
director Rajib Halder
said.Halder said funds from
Europe to the institute, which is
a recipient of international
development organizations like
Unicef, CARE, Save the
Children and Britain's
Department for International
Development (DFID) have been
trimmed down by about 20 per-
cent compared to last year.
"European countries are say-
ing that unemployment there is
rising alarmingly; so why do we
fund India instead of supporting
our own NGOs?" he said.
He, however, said CINI has
emphasized on domestic fund-
ing following the reduction of
foreign funds which started
from 2008-09. The institution,
which had got a grant of
$40,000 (Rs.20 lakh) from the
World Bank in 2009, also
receives support from central
and state governments.
But the problem is acute for
many relatively small NGOs,
for which government funds are
very irregular.
Delhi-based Prayas, mainly
engaged in imparting free edu-
cation to poor children and
working women, is going
through a tough time following
the slowdown.
"The economic crisis in the
US and the EU has directly
affected us. This year, the funds
we got from these countries are
very limited. This is badly
affecting our projects," the
NGO's general secretary Amod
Kanth said.
Kanth, a former special com-
missioner of Delhi Police,
founded the NGO in 1988.
Today it runs projects in eight
states.
Western slowdown squeezesfunds for Indian NGOs
Rupee at 2-month highMumbai: The rupee strengthened
by 16 paise to a fresh two-month
high of Rs 50.57 per US dollar in
early trade on the Interbank
Foreign Exchange on increased
foreign capital inflows.
Dealers said increased foreign
capital inflows into the Indian
market and dollar losses against
other currencies in overseas mar-
kets mainly provided support to
the rupee.
The rupee had surged by 64
paise to close at two-month high
of Rs 50.73/74 against the
American currency yesterday on
strong rally in equities and contin-
ued dollar selling by exporters.
No MFN status yet for India: PakIslamabad: Two months after the
proposal was cleared, Pakistan is yet
to accord Most Favored Nation
(MFN) status to India, a minister has
said.
Commerce Minister Amin Fahim
said that Pakistan is in the process of
normalizing trade relations with India
which will culminate in the grant of
MFN status.
When MFN status is granted,
Pakistan will get market access to
some 300 to 500 million consumers
in India, the minister added.
The Pakistani cabinet, at a meeting
chaired by Prime Minister Yousuf
Raza Gilani Nov 2, 2011, decided to
grant India MFN status. The cabinet
also agreed to double bilateral trade
from $2.5 billion to around $5 bil-
lion.
India had granted Pakistan MFN
status in 1996 but Islamabad did not
reciprocate. Ties between the two
countries deteriorated after the 26/11
Mumbai terror attack that India
blamed on Pakistan.
New Delhi: In a major relief to financially distressed
Indian airlines, the government on said foreign airlines
would soon be allowed to acquire up to 49% stake in them.
After being debated for years, aviation minister Ajit Singh
announced the move following a 75-minute meeting with
finance minister Pranab Mukherjee in the backdrop of at
least two big airlines struggling to avoid a shutdown due to
financial troubles.
"The question was to allow foreign airlines to participate
in FDI... the finance minister has agreed. We will bring out
a note for the cabinet now. Already, 49% FDI is there. The
question was to allow (foreign) airlines to participate in
FDI. The committee of secretaries has also recommended
that FDI limit should be raised to 49%," Singh said. Even
airline promoters such as Vijay Mallya, chairman of
Kingfisher Airlines, have supported 49% FDI for foreign
carriers. Besides, Sebi has also expressed its reluctance to
relax the takeover code guidelines to permit foreign carriers
to acquire shares from the public through an open offer for
an additional 26%. By seeking an exemption, the govern-
ment had hoped to stay within the sectoral FDI cap.
Indian carriers face an accumulated debt of $16 billion
(over Rs 80,000 crore) on top of cumulative losses of $6
billion (over Rs 30,000 crore). By the end of March, losses
are expected to mount to $8.5 billion (over Rs 43,000
crore) and debt is projected to rise by another $3-4 billion
(up to Rs 22,000 crore) if Air India goes ahead with the
Boeing 787 order , according to the Centre for Asia Pacific
Aviation (CAPA ). Kingfisher and AI are struggling to sur-
vive and other carriers remain undercapitalized .
Ajit Singh said FDI was among the important things
required by airlines to survive the severe financial turbu-
lence. "We all know that the aviation industry is under a lot
of stress," he said.
Even airline promoters such as Vijay Mallya, chairman of Kingfisher Airlines, have supported 49%
FDI for foreign carriers.
24 Sports
January 21-27, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
New Delhi: Less than a year after
being hailed as India's greatest
cricket captain, Mahendra Singh
Dhoni finds his head on the block
after another woeful Test series
abroad. The 30-year-old could do
no wrong when he led India to
World Cup glory at home in April
last year, his second big success
as skipper after winning the inau-
gural World Twenty20 in 2007.
He now presides over a disinte-
grating Test team that has lost
seven consecutive Tests on for-
eign soil, four of them by an
innings and the rest by margins of
196, 319 and 122 runs.
After 67 Tests and 3,509 runs,
some say Dhoni barely merits a
place in the team any more. "The
need is to find a new captain from
beneath the wreckage. Dhoni is no
longer the answer in Test cricket,"
former Australian skipper Ian
Chappell wrote in a newspaper on
Tuesday.
"He has failed dismally to rally
the troops in two disastrous over-
seas campaigns and his own form,
not just with the gloves but also
with the bat, no longer warrants a
guaranteed place in the Test side."
Dhoni made 220 runs in four
Tests in England last year at an
average of 31.40 and has managed
just 102 runs in three matches in
Australia at 20.40.
India, ranked the world's top
Test side until they were blanked
4-0 in England, will slip to fourth
place if they lose the fourth and
final Test against Australia in
Adelaide next week in another
series whitewash. Current form
suggests they will lose, and lose
heavily.
Dhoni won't be playing, having
been banned by the International
Cricket Council for one match for
slow over-rates during the third
Test in Perth, his second offence
in the last 12 months.
Ex-captains Kapil Dev and
Sourav Ganguly have gone on
record to say they feel Dhoni
needs a quick turnaround to
secure his place as Test skipper,
while stressing his position at the
helm in one-day cricket is not in
doubt.
Batting great Sunil Gavaskar
supports Dhoni's retention as Test
captain -- but only because there
is no suitable replacement.
"The team won't miss him as a
batsman," Gavaskar said, reacting
to Dhoni's ban from the Adelaide
Test. "But as a leader he will be
missed despite the fact that his
record is not good.
"At the moment, I can't think of
anyone who is good enough to
take over from Dhoni," Gavaskar
said. Dhoni enjoyed a dream run
as captain before the current crisis
came along.
He was named skipper in 2007
when senior players such as then-
captain Rahul Dravid, Ganguly
and Sachin Tendulkar declined to
play in the inaugural World
Twenty20 in South Africa.
Dhoni marshaled his inexperi-
enced side to beat great rivals
Pakistan in the final in
Johannesburg, sparking a
Twenty20 revolution in India that
led to the creation of the lucrative
Indian Premier League a year
later.
He was unbeaten in his first 11
Tests as captain, winning eight
with three draws. He has now led
India in 37 Tests with a creditable
record of 17 wins, 10 losses and
as many draws.
India woes leave Dhoni feeling the heat
MS Dhoni now presides over a disintegrating Test team that has lostseven consecutive Tests on foreign soil, four of them by an innings and
the rest by margins of 196, 319 and 122 runs.
Perth: India's open-
ing batsman
Gautam Gambhir
said it was unfair to
single out veteran
batsman V.V.S.
Laxman and admit-
ted that the whole
team has let down a
billion expectations.
Gambhir hoped that
India would turn
around things in the
fourth and the final
cricket Test in
Adelaide starting Jan 24.
India, who suffered a 0-4 white-
wash in England seven months ago,
arrived in Australia as favourites but
now trail 0-3 and are staring at
another whitewash. India suffered
their seventh consecutive away Test
loss in the third Test in Perth.
Gambhir said the famed India bat-
ting must take the responsibility for
the debacle. "There was a lot of
expectation from us on this tour ...
the kind of batting we have, we've
let the entire nation down.
Hopefully we can turn things around
in Adelaide (and) put some smiles
on the faces of the people back
home," Gambhir told reporters here.
"Whatever backlash that's happen-
ing in India we are ready to accept.
We've given opportunity for people
to criticize," Gambhir said. "We
have not played well. I'll be the first
to accept that," he said.
Defending Laxman, Gambhir said
the 37-year-old Hyderabadi, famous
for his match-winning 281 against
Australia in Kolkata in 2001, is one
of the legends of the game and no
one should decide when he should
retire. Laxman, who has played 133
Tests, had a poor series in England
and has averaged just 17 in the three
matches here so far.
Why blame onlyLaxman, asks Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir.
Sri Lanka orders report on cricket crisisColombo: Sri Lanka's Sports Minister
Mahindananda Aluthgamage has sought a report
from the country's cricket board on the issues plagu-
ing the national team.
The sports minister ordered Sri Lanka Cricket
(SLC) chairman Upali Dharmadasa to submit the
report within a week."The minister had also
informed the newly elected board to submit short-
term to long-term solutions to the present crisis," the
sports ministry said in a statement. The move came
just a day after former Sri Lankan cricket captain
turned politician Arjuna Ranatunga told Xinhua in an
interview that the national cricket team and the crick-
et board were in a mess. Ranatunga said that the cur-
rent national cricket selection panel should be sacked
following Sri Lanka's poor performance in the
United Arab Emirates and South Africa. Sri Lanka
has had a poor run over the past few months, suffer-
ing a Test and One-Day International series loss in
the United Arab Emirates against Pakistan and later
losing the Test series in South Africa.
The Sri Lankan cricketers had not been paid their
salaries for several months by the cricket board and
only recently a part of it was paid from the money
obtained from the International Cricket Council and
the government treasury.
Sandeep sets up India'swin against South Africa
New Delhi: India played an
intense, attacking game to over-
come a spirited challenge from
South Africa and win the second
hockey 'Test' 2-1.
At a time when the hosts were
struggling to get past the rival
defense, despite playing aggres-
sively, defender Sandeep Singh
took the game to a different level
when he almost scored a field goal
in the 33rd minute. Well, instead of
taking the final hit himself, he
smartly set it up.
The Indian drag flick star
grabbed the ball just outside the
rival circle after an infringement on
Chingelnsana Singh and swiftly
dribbled past three players before
passing it on to his junior teammate
from Manipur who just had to tap
the ball in.
Sandeep, who was on the field
for about 30 minutes in the match,
was not done yet. As the clocked
ticked away after the South
Africans equalised in the 43rd
minute through Lance Loew to
raise the prospect of a draw, the
player from Punjab sounded the
board with his favorite shot - the
scorching flick.
After failing to capitalise from
two earlier penalty corners, India
earned their third barely four min-
utes to go for the hooter. Sandeep
simply lapped it up.
"This is not the first time that
Sandeep has played up front. We
have tried him up front earlier in
Australia. We want to make him a
versatile player," coach Michael
Nobbs said.
Hockey player Sandeep Singh.
Books 25
TheSouthAsianTimes.info January 21-27, 2012
By Khushwant Singh
Death is rarely spoken about in our
homes. I wonder why. Especially
when each one of us knows that
death has to come, has to strike. It’s
inevitable.
This line from Yas Yagana Changezi
says it best: Khuda mein shak ho to ho,
maut mein nahin koi shak (You may
doubt the existence of God, you can’t
doubt the certainty of death). And one
must prepare oneself to face it.
At 95, I do think of death. I think of
death very often but I don’t lose sleep
over it. I think of those gone; keep won-
dering where they are. Where have they
gone? Where will they be? I don’t know
the answers: where you go, what happens
next.
I once asked the Dalai Lama how one
should face death and he had advised
meditation. I’m not scared of death; I do
not fear it. Death is inevitable. While I
have thought about it a lot, I don’t brood
about it. I’m prepared for it.
All that I hope for is that when death
comes to me, it comes swiftly, without
much pain, like fading away in sound
slumber. Till then I’ll keep working and
living each day as it comes.
I believe in the Jain philosophy that
death ought to be celebrated. Earlier,
whenever I was upset or low, I used to go
to the cremation grounds. It has a cleans-
ing effect, and worked like a therapy for
me. In fact, I’d written my own epitaph
years ago:
“Here lies one who spared neither mannor God
Waste not your tears on him, he was asod
Writing nasty things he regarded asgreat fun
Thank the Lord he is dead, this son ofa gun.”
I had even written my own obit in 1943
when I was still in my twenties. It later
appeared in a collection of short stories,
titled ‘Posthumous’. In the piece, I had
imagined The Tribune announcing the
news of my death on its front page with a
small photograph. The headline would
read: ‘Sardar Khushwant Singh Dead’.
And then, in somewhat smaller print:
‘We regret to announce the sudden
death of Sardar Khushwant Singh at 6 pm
last evening. He leaves behind a young
widow, two infant children and a large
number of friends and admirers. Amongst
those who called at the late sardar’s resi-
dence were the PA to the chief justice,
several ministers, and judges of the high
court.’
I had to cope with death when I lost my
wife. Being an agnostic, I could not find
solace in religious rituals. Being essen-
tially a loner, I discouraged friends and
relatives from coming to condole with
me. I spent the first night alone sitting in
my chair in the dark. At times, I broke
down, but soon recovered my composure.
A couple of days later, I resumed my
usual routine, working from dawn to
dusk. That took my mind off the stark
reality of having to live alone in an empty
home for the rest of my days. When
friends persisted in calling and upsetting
my equilibrium, I packed myself off to
Goa to be by myself.
I used to be keen on a burial because
with a burial you give back to the earth
what you have taken. Now, it will be the
electric crematorium. I had requested the
management of the Bahai faith if I could
be buried. Initially, they had agreed, but
then they came up with all sorts of condi-
tions and rules. I had wanted to be buried
in one corner with just a peepal tree next
to my grave. After okaying this, the man-
agement later said that that wouldn’t be
possible and that my grave would be in
the middle of a row and not in a corner. I
wasn’t okay with that—even though I
know that once you are dead it makes no
difference. But I was keen to be buried in
one corner. They also told me later that
they would chant some prayers, which
again I couldn’t agree with, because I
don’t believe in religion or in religious
rituals of any kind.
Though I’m quite fit, I know I don’t
have much time left. I’m coming to terms
with death, preparing myself. And since I
have no faith in God, nor in the day of
judgment, nor in the theory of reincarna-
tion, I have to come to terms with the
complete full stop. I have been criticized
for not sparing even the dead, but then
death does not sanctify a person, and if I
find the person had been corrupt, I write
about it even when he’s gone.
I don’t believe in rebirth or in reincarna-
tion, in the day of judgment or in heaven
or hell. I accept the finality of death. We
do not know what happens to us after we
die but one should help a person go in
peace at peace with himself and with the
world.
I’ve lived a reasonably contented life.
I’ve often thought about what it is that
makes people happy - what one has to do
in order to achieve happiness.
First and foremost is good health. If you
do not enjoy good health, you can never
be happy. Any ailment, however trivial,
will deduct something from your happi-
ness.
Second, a healthy bank balance. It need
not run into crores, but it should be
enough to provide for comforts, and there
should be something to spare for recre-
ation—eating out, going to the movies,
travel and holidays in the hills or by the
sea. Shortage of money can be demoralis-
ing. Living on credit or borrowing is
demeaning and lowers one in one’s own
eyes.
Third, your own home. Rented places
can never give you the comfort or securi-
ty of a home that is yours for keeps. If it
has garden space, all the better. Plant your
own trees and flowers, see them grow and
blossom, and cultivate a sense of kinship
with them.
Fourth, an understanding companion,
be it your spouse or a friend. If you have
too many misunderstandings, it robs you
of your peace of mind. It is better to be
divorced than to be quarreling all the
time.
Fifth, stop envying those who have
done better than you in life - risen higher,
made more money, or earned more fame.
Envy can be corroding; avoid comparing
yourself with others.
Sixth, do not allow people to descend
on you for gup-shup. By the time you get
rid of them, you will feel exhausted and
poisoned by their gossip-mongering.
Seventh, cultivate a hobby or two that
will fulfill you - gardening, reading, writ-
ing, painting, playing or listening to
music. Going to clubs or parties to get
free drinks, or to meet celebrities, is a
criminal waste of time. It’s important to
concentrate on something that keeps you
occupied meaningfully. I have family
members and friends who spend their
entire day caring for stray dogs, giving
them food and medicines. There are oth-
ers who run mobile clinics, treating sick
people and animals free of charge.
Eighth, every morning and evening
devote 15 minutes to introspection. In the
mornings, 10 minutes should be spent in
keeping the mind absolutely still, and five
minutes listing the things you have to do
that day. In the evenings, five minutes
should be set aside to keep the mind still
and 10 minutes to go over the tasks you
had intended to do.
Ninth, don’t lose your temper. Try not
to be short-tempered, or vengeful. Even
when a friend has been rude, just move
on.
Above all, when the time comes to go,
one should go like a man without any
regret or grievance against anyone. Iqbal
said it beautifully in a couplet in Persian:
“You ask me about the signs of a man of
faith? When death comes to him, he has a
smile on his lips.”
How To Live & DieThe Man in the Bulb meditates on the dying of the light
AbsoluteKhushwant: The
Low-Down on Life,Death and Most
Things In-Between
By Khushwant Singh
& Humra Quraishi.Penguin India,
Rs 250.
26 Education
January 21-27, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
By Robert Golomb
The boy sat in his seat nervously, but
with a hopeful expectation he had not
known before. Mrs. Steinheart, his
English teacher, was returning book reports to
his seventh grade classmates, and she would
be returning his any moment now. Sitting in
his seat, a small smile came to the boy’s face
as he thought back to the hours he had devot-
ed to writing the report and recalled the sen-
sation of those magical moments when he
first came to realize he had loved what he had
written and had loved the words he had used.
It was the first time the boy, who had just
recently begun to experience the joy of read-
ing, had ever read his own writing with a
rushing sensation of pride and ownership.
Pride and ownership associated with his
schoolwork were emotions never experienced
before by the boy, who had long ago sensed
that his teachers and even his own mother and
father regarded him as a loser playing a futile
game of catch-up his first six school years.
But now, in the first half of his seventh school
year, he had finally caught up. And, most
amazingly, he experienced the joy of putting
his own thoughts into words.
“Come up for your book report”, Mrs.
Steinheart bellowed.
The boy walked to his teacher’s desk and
took the three page report from her hands.
Racing through the pages, the boy found his
grade on the bottom right hand corner of the
final page: A/F.
The boy tried to maintain his composure.
He could not allow his classmates to see him
cry. He knew the teacher gave two grades -
the top for content the bottom for grammar,
but he had carefully monitored his grammar
as he wrote and had reread the report when he
had finished. Finding no signs of Mrs.
Steinheart’s red pen on his paper, he could not
imagine where he had gone wrong. He knew
he had to find the courage to question the
teacher, and so he did when the bell ending
the class finally rang.
“Mrs. Steinheart, Why did I get an F in
grammar? Where are my mistakes?” ques-
tioned the boy who had never questioned a
teacher before.
“That’s not an F. That is a question
mark. I graded the paper an A. The ques-
tion mark is about you writing it. I did not
think you could write this well. That is why
I wrote the question mark, and that’s why
I will not be crediting you with an A in my
marking book for your next report card.”
Months passed, and the boy whose smile
had been erased from his face raised his hand
from his seat in the back of the room.
“Can I go the bathroom Mrs.
Steinheart?”
“No you cannot.”
When the discomfort racing through his
bowels turned into pain and fear, the boy
raised his hand again, lifting it high for his
teacher to see. But she seemed to be looking
in every direction but his. He continued to
keep his hand raised, as moments turned into
minutes and the minutes seemed to drag on
forever. Knowing it was his last chance, the
boy partially raised his body out of his seat
and began to move his hand in a desperate
wave.
“What is it?” the teacher asked with a
howl.
“Can I go to the bathroom?”
“How did I know that you were going to
ask that question? Okay leave. ”
It was too late. The laughing taunts, smiling
insults and cruel jokes that followed him the
remainder of the afternoon followed him
throughout the remainder of the school year.
The boy would never forget that afternoon,
just as he would never forget the question
mark that substituted for what should have
been his first A.
Despite the kind, patient and nurturing
teachers the boy had no doubt encountered
before and after Mrs. Steinheart, whenever he
thought of teachers, he thought only of her.
And while forty years have passed, the image
of Mrs. Steinheart as his composite recollec-
tion of all teachers would probably have
remained had his life not taken a strange
twist. Twelve years later, the boy who had
turned into a man became a middle school
English teacher; and ten years after that, the
man who had never forgotten being a vulnera-
ble boy became an assistant principal, whose
responsibilities included supervising English
teachers and, incidentally, working for many
years with seventh grade students
In the event you haven’t yet guessed, I was
that boy. And whenever I think back to the
seventh grade, I become that vulnerable boy
again.
I have come to believe that the recollection
of the bad experiences of childhood endures
long after the memories of the good experi-
ences have disappeared. This is true with chil-
dren in their relationships with their parents.
It is true with children in their relationships
with their teachers. It is certainly true with
me. Had I not become an educator myself,
having witnessed first hand that the over-
whelming majority of teachers are the polar
opposites of Mrs. Steinheart, it would be her
image discoloring my picture of teachers the
rest of my life.
I would think of that whenever I encoun-
tered people who seem to hate teachers, and I
have certainly encountered my share. Each
time I would ask myself, “Who was the Mrs
Steinheart who wounded them?” There must
have been such a teacher and such a wound to
explain such animosity. Using this as my
premise, I developed my own psychological
theory about this phenomenon many years
ago. I named it the Mrs. Steinheart theory.
I had many occasions to apply this theory
during the ten years I was an English teacher.
Telling a new acquaintance my occupation, I
would not infrequently hear a comment like,
“You seem so nice. You can’t be a teacher.” I
applied this theory during the twenty years
that, before my retirement, I was an assistant
principal. Informing someone I just met what
I do for a living, I would often hear a com-
ment like, “I hope you don’t let those rotten
teachers get away with anything.”
I have also applied the Mrs. Steinheart theo-
ry to even the rare breed of fair and objective
politicians, journalists, commentators, who
abandon this fairness and objectivity only
when it comes to teachers, who become their
singular whipping boys and girls.
That the success of these individuals can
probably in large be credited to the many car-
ing, nurturing and knowledgeable pedagogues
who were once upon a time ago their teachers
is a point apparently lost on these grown men
and women. They just like me, I suspect,
were the victims of a Mrs. Steinheart in a year
that a teacher stole from their childhood.
Robert Golomb is currently an adjunct pro-fessor of graduate education, writing andschool administration. Before his retirement,he had served ten years as a NYC middleschool English teacher and subsequentlytwenty years as an assistant principal. Hewrites on range of educational, political, cul-tural and international topics. He can be con-tacted by email: [email protected]
Mrs Steinheart theory
The recollection of the bad experiences of childhoodendures long after the memories of the good experi-ences have disappeared. This is true with children intheir relationships with their parents. It is true with children in their relationships with their teachers.
Lifestyle 27
TheSouthAsianTimes.info January 21-27, 2012
New Delhi: He earns by the minute,
yet superstar Shah Rukh Khan never
compromises on quality time with
his kids. Be it a bicycle ride or a
game of soccer, he, like several
celebrity parents these days, is
always matching steps with his chil-
dren - a quality others could imbibe,
feel experts.
A considerable number of urban
Indian kids are getting easily
swayed by the lure of the
Playstation, laptops, movies, inter-
net, social networking and bowling
alleys. But in the urge to spend more
time with friends and technology,
that crucial dialogue with parents is
getting lost. And that's not good.
Shah Rukh surprised all and
sundry when he decided to step on
to a Mumbai street with his daugh-
ter, Suhana, and a well-built body-
guard, for a cycle ride. He remained
nonchalant about the eyeballs he
grabbed on the streets, and played
daddy cool for his little angel. As a
parent, it was a rare, special moment
for him.
"Taking daughter for a cycle ride
in Bandra...hmmm, let's see how it
turns out...a first for us," King Khan
had tweeted before the ride.
On a recent family trip to Dubai,
he was out in the dunes having fun
with his son Aryan and daughter
Suhana, and even ended up hurting
his ribs during some midnight soc-
cer. But as long as the kids remained
happy, he didn't mind!
Arjun Rampal, father to two love-
ly daughters, also indulges a lot.
During the full moon Monday night,
the actor was up on his terrace with
a telescope, and treated his daugh-
ters to a faint view of its craters.
Even actress Pooja Bedi, who has
been in the news for her "Bigg Boss
5" association, planned a trip with
her kids -- Aalia and Omar -- after
her exit from the reality show to
catch up on missed times.
"Had so much fun on the ski
slopes with the kids today:). Love
being the mom that does stuff with
them, rather than watch from side,"
tweeted Pooja, a single mother.
Actress Shweta Tiwari, also a sin-
gle mom, tries spending quality time
with her 11-year-old daughter Palak,
and says they share a friendly bond.
"I am a very friendly mom. I am a
little strict with her, but not very,"
Shweta, who is seen as an overpro-
tective mom in Sony's TV show
"Parvarish".
However, she says there is no
right or wrong mantra for parenting.
"I think we should just let the kids
be. All you need to tell the kids is
that 'These are the mistakes I made
in my life, learn from them, don't
repeat them. And you go and make
your own mistakes.' As parents, we
should talk freely with our kids and
have fun with them, so that they
don't fear conversations. Otherwise,
it is very easy for them to stray
away," she added.
Ideal parenting? Many celebrities get it right
Twinkling, bejewelled Indian wedding cards - got one yet?New Delhi: They could be Swarovski studded,
they could match the bride's trousseau, they
could come in multiple folds and, yes, they
might just cost Rs.100,000 (about $2,000)
each. Welcome to the world of the big fat
Indian wedding card!
The country's wedding market is said to be
worth about Rs.1,500 billion (about $30 bil-
lion) - and growing at about 10-15 percent
every year; so little surprise that marriage
invites are getting to be a glitzy and exclusive
affair. NRIs, especially, are a major constituent
of this market. "It's been studied that NRIs
based in the US, Britain, Canada, the Middle
East, Australia and New Zealand want their
marriages to be complete Indian affairs and this
desire propels them to visit India for the selec-
tion of cards, jeweleries and venues," Gourav
Rakshit, the business head of shaadi.com
says.The latest fad is exotic invitation cards.
Kapco Press Pvt Ltd CEO Neeraj Kapoor, who
has been in the business for 26 years, says,
"People no longer want simple designs. More
designers are entering. Prices have skyrocket-
ed. Everyone, including the NRI, asks for the
fanciest and most exclusive design even if it's
not worth the amount spent. Some even say
Indian designs are simply outstanding and can't
be found anywhere else," he said. Triveni
Bakshi, a Canada-based NRI, is completely in
awe of Indian designs.
"Yes! It's true that Indian wedding cards have
no match. I personally like a lot of bling, some-
thing which has to do with fabrics or metal.
Indian designs have so much variety - scroll
with silk fabric and traditional Indian fonts or
silver plated wedding card with embossed con-
tent."
"Innovation is the key and keeping this in
mind ethnic designs have made a comeback.
Also, personalized and handmade cards are a
big trend nowadays as many people feel these
add an emotional touch to the entire occasion,"
said wedding card designer Raj Kapoor.
When it comes to the most sought after
designs, striped, bejeweled motifs, bold colors,
and vintage patterns matching the design of the
bride's wedding trousseau are on the priority
list. "Vertical, horizontal and multicolored
stripes are termed as one of the most sought
after trends this season. Also, embellishing the
invitation with small rhinestones, pearl-toned
beads or Swarovski crystals makes a low-key
invitation style fashionable. The list is endless,"
said card-designer Piyali Rana.
"What is also gaining popularity are motif
patterns. Brides ask to create a pattern on wed-
ding cards inspired by her lehengas or saris. For
instance, a ring of rosettes, a square of lace
applique, or bead work." Fancy boxes made of
cardboard, hard plastic or even pure silver are
also sent out as invitation cards.
Shah Rukh Khan’s tweet pic with son Aryan and daughter Suhanaat recent Dubai family trip. SRK was out in the dunes, also played
midnight soccer with them.
Eat from a red plate to lose weight: Study
London: People who eat from a red plate or
drink from red cups cut their food intake by
40 percent, says a new study.
The study carried out by German and Swiss
researchers said the color red may encourage
diners to avoid snacking because it is com-
monly associated with the idea of "danger,
prohibition and stop", the Daily Mail reported.
The researchers suggested the governments
and food industry could use red packaging on
unhealthy foods as a deterrent, and could even
use red color in pubs to prevent people from
drinking too much. In the study, 41 male stu-
dents were asked to drink tea from cups
marked with red or blue labels. They drank 44
percent less from cups with red labels.
Another 109 people were given 10 pretzels
each on either a red, blue or white plate.
Those with a red plate ate fewer pretzels. The
results were published in the journal Appetite.
Swarovski embellished wedding invitation cards.
Wedding invitation cards in box shaped design
Desk job is injurious to healthLondon: A British study has said people
in desk jobs could be compromising with
their health as it often perpetrates a
sedentary lifestyle.
According to the research, sitting at a
desk all day means you are more likely to
slump on the sofa at home and perform
no exercise. The average office worker
spends five hours 41 minutes daily at
their desk, almost as long as the seven
hours they spend sleeping, the Daily
Express reported.
These deskbound workers are more
likely to turn into couch potatoes, increas-
ing their risk of obesity, says the
researchers at the Loughborough
University, a research-based campus uni-
versity in Britain's Leicestershire county.
The trend is partly blamed on technology
making it simpler for lazy people at
offices to email a colleague rather than
walking over to see them, it adds.
If you’re planning to go for a
walk –- and I strongly advise
against this –- you might want to
keep your eyes up. You never know
what might fall on you: apples,
frogs, Russian space crafts. Yes, it’s
a dangerous world out there and the
best thing you can do is stay
indoors. If you absolutely have to go
outside, follow my example and say
a prayer: “Dear God, if you must
drop something on my head, let it be
hair. My bald spot isn’t getting any
smaller.”
Apples may seem like harmless
objects, but not when they’re drop-
ping from the sky, as they recently
did in Coventry, England. More than
100 apples fell on a main road in the
village of Keresley, forcing drivers
to slam their brakes. They were
lucky they weren’t walking. An
apple a day may keep the doctor
away, as the old saying goes, but
100 apples will surely bring him.
Doctor: “What happened, Mrs.
Smith? Why do you have all those
bumps on your head?”
Mrs. Smith: “It's my son-in-law's
fault. I was walking to the Pension
Service to discuss my housing bene-
fits and my son-in-law said, ‘Good
luck, Mum! I hope your visit will be
very fruitful.’”
Officials in Coventry are trying to
figure out where the apples came
from. One theory is that they were
swept up from an orchard by a tor-
nado and dropped on the road, but
Keresley parish councillor Sandra
Camwell has a more logical expla-
nation: witches.
“We're in an area with a spooky
history, where there have been
witches for centuries, after all," she
told The Telegraph.
If it were just apples falling from
the sky, we wouldn't have too much
to worry about. In fact, we might
pray that more apples fall, especially
in parts of the world where people
would lie on their backs and open
their mouths wide.
London man: “Yes!!! That apple
just saved me a lot of money!”
Tourist: “But you didn't even eat
it.”
London man: “Eat it? Are you
bonkers? Why would I eat it? I just
wanted it to knock out my loose
tooth, so I wouldn't have to pay the
dentist.”
Unfortunately it’s more than just
apples falling from the sky. Just ask
anyone who follows the news close-
ly and they’ll tell you about the
thousands of frogs that fell in
Odzaci, a small town in northwest-
ern Serbia, in 2005, or the hundreds
of fish that fell in Lajamanu, a town
in Australia’s northern territory, in
2010.
“When I told my family, who live
in another part of Australia, about
the fish falling from the sky, they
thought I'd lost the plot,” a woman
named Christine Balmer told The
Daily Mail. “But no, I haven't lost
my marbles. All I can say is that I'm
thankful that it didn't rain croco-
diles!”
Raining frogs and fish is bad
enough, although you might get a
meal out of them. But here's a warn-
ing: if something falls out of the sky,
make sure you identify it before you
put it in your mouth and start chew-
ing. Even if it looks like a real fish,
you should always turn it around to
see if you can spot the words “Made
in China.”
Experts believe that the frogs and
fish were swept up by tornadoes or
sucked up in a storm, but how do
they explain what happened in
Kentucky in 1876? Pieces of meat
as large as three or four square inch-
es fell from the sky into someone’s
yard. According to The New York
Times, “two gentlemen, who tasted
the meat, express the opinion that it
was either mutton or venison.”
I don’t know about you, but if
chunks of meat fell from the sky
into my yard, I wouldn’t be tasting
it. I’d be running through the streets
screaming, "Witches! Witches!"
28 Humor
Watch out for falling objects
Tech Life
Humor with Melvin Durai
by Mahendra ShahMahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession,
artist and humorist, cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recordingthe plight of the immigrant Indians for the past many years in his cartoons.
Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Laughter is the Best Medicine
By Shiv Chopra
Siri is a new program released by Apple
for the iPhone 4s. It lets you use your
voice to send messages, schedule meet-
ings, place phone calls, and more. You activate
it by holding the home button and then you
simply say a command. The command can be
anywhere from what is the meaning of life to
set a timer for 40 minutes. It is still in the beta
version so it won’t understand everything you
say but it can sure do a whole lot.
You can really talk to it as if you were taking
to your friend. Such as instead of saying call
Marie you can say call my wife. It really under-
stands what you are trying to say. Such as if
you were talking to it about seeing if a movie is
available near you and then you say how about
Mission Impossible, it will remember what you
said before and tell you if it is available. It also
has a sense of humor such as if you ask it what
is the best cell phone, it will give you the
answer the one you’re holding and if you ask it
what is the meaning of life it will tell you I
can’t answer that right now but give me some
time to write a very long play where nothing
happens.
Siri uses apps already installed into your
phone which makes it possible for it to set
timers or set alarms. It helps make your every-
day life easier, like if you are in a car and then
you have to text someone but you can’t use
your hands so you activate Siri and tell it who
to text and what to text. It also finds answers
for you from the web, such as if you ask how
many miles are in a yard and you don’t have a
converter app it will look it up online and give
you an answer.
Android was soon to follow. So Dexetra
made an app called Iris, Siri spelled backwards,
which was supposedly developed in under 8
hours. It at first was a copy of Siri only it was-
n’t as smart or resourceful but that has changed
because they kept adding updates which built it
up to something more than a copy. It still can’t
send text messages, make calls or set timers but
in due time they will make the program as good
as Siri but for right now Siri is still superior.
Siri: Your wish is its command
January 21-27, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Aries: Stabilization in your relationship
with your family members seems certain
if you are willing to compromise on certain
fronts. Professional gains for some bring gains
and prosperity. Your new ideas and technical
knowledge will make a good impression on oth-
ers. Residential moves and renovation during
this period will prove auspicious. Outdoor sports
events and entertainment programme will help
you keep relaxed.
Taurus: This is a period to invest with
extreme precaution and care. Past invest-
ments need another reexamination. If you're
planning on investing in a new venture then you
better take small factors into consideration. Your
ability to charm others will put you in the lime-
light. Property or vehicle transactions seem quite
likely. Children will cause some dissatisfaction
but spouse remains quite cooperative.
Gemini: Your optimism will push your
career to new heights. Put some of your
innovative ideas into your work to reap long-
term benefits. The next few days will see pres-
sure on your work front arise giving you little
time for recreational and other activities. Gifts
and presents will be plenty from visiting guests.
Avoid standing for surety of any one to avoid
unnecessary complications in the coming period.
Family members will be supportive and caring.
Cancer: This is an excellent time for
professional advancements, promotions
and recognition. At work you will be in the good
books of your seniors and you will also benefit
monetarily. Romance is in the air, so make the
best of it and avoid any arguments with your
lover. Opportunities to go out with friends will
be informative and pleasurable. You need to do
more things that you enjoy in order to relax.
Foreign transaction or overseas journey will
prove to be highly beneficial.
Leo: You will be in a commanding posi-
tion as your confidence and enthusiasm
will be high. Important messages should be
attended to immediately. You will make financial
gains if you get involved in speculation. A spiri-
tual person’s blessings give comfort and relief.
New relations and attachments will develop as a
result of vacation and other recreational activi-
ties. Get involved in activities that will help you
keep in perfect shape.
Virgo: Financial matters demand more
attention. You should cut down your
expenses on entertainment and shopping.
Financial difficulty will even effect your health.
Stay focused on your goals, but take necessary
precautions. For some, a change of residence or
a new construction will prove highly auspicious.
Your erratic behaviour will raise emotions at
home. Don’t take criticism too seriously. Travel
will be highly exciting but expensive.
Libra: Some challenging project will see
you express your skills in a very different
way. New approach will give you new confi-
dence on which you will build future hopes and
dreams. Businessmen and investors will see past
investments reaping profits. Relations with
somebody close might get strained over petty
issues. Good week to call important people over
to your place. Spouse will be highly supportive
and shower you with love and affection. Legal
affairs will create a state of nervousness.
Scorpio: Your present health condition
will be primarily because of the work
pressure that you carry on your mind. You need
to take time out with your friends will help you
relax and regain your energy. Relationships with
your clients will strengthen and you can accom-
plish a lot through smart negotiation and diplo-
macy. This week you should meet people who
can further improve your career goals. Take care
while driving, especially during the nights.
Sagittarius: This week you will focus on
domestic issues and should think about
the immediate needs of your family members.
Spouse and children will be a source of immense
happiness. Guests and visitors bring you gifts in
cash and kind. Going out with friends will be
exciting and you will learn new and different
skills. A good diet, coupled with fitness program
will make you feel better.
Capricorn: Work will suffer this week as
romance clouds your mind. You will find
it difficult in concentrating on your jobs and get-
ting favours from others. Keep your focus clear
on your goals to reap professional benefits.
Pleasure trips for some will be educating. Little
time for meditation and yoga will be important
for mental as well as physical gains. Group
involvement will entertertaining, but expensive
if you don’t learn to say no.
Aquarius: You will meet interesting
people at social functions that you attend
this week.
Your ability to stand out in the crowd will
bring you popularity and recognition. Your cre-
ative ability will surface, bringing you good
ideas to make extra money. Great period to go
out shopping for expensive items and jewelry.
Spend some time with the one you love. Travel
will be highly educating.
Pisces: Money making efforts will be
profitable provided you work on new
ideas and plans. This seems to be an excellent
time for you to do things that will keep you
relaxed and entertained. This period seems
exceptionally good to take time out for hobbies,
or take an adventure trip or go out on a short
vacation.
Friends and family members will seek your
advice. Wonderful week to look into new courses
that interest you.
January 21
Governed by number 3 and the planet Jupiter, you are energetic, hon-
ourable, ambitious, dignified and an intelligent person. You are a per-
son with outstanding personality and ability to make many friends. You
are always appreciated for your sincerity and commitment, but your
need to check your tendency to behave over ambitious and dictatorial
at times. This year new money making ventures prove highly lucrative.
Your financial position will show remarkable improvement and you will
spend more on luxuries to increase your comfort level. Investment in
stocks and real estate is recommended for long term gains. Foreign trips
will bring you monetary gains. Your spouse will be cooperative through
out the year and will shower love and affection. Marriage proposals for
those eligible. Health needs proper care. The months of January, May,
August and October will prove to be important and significant. Number
3 and planet Jupiter filled your coffer with qualities like activeness, re-
spectful, challenging, ennoble and reasoned. People will unanimously
endorse all your principle and spellbound by the positive vibes coming
out of you. A focused and well behaved person but need to cut down
your tyranny and excessive pride holding nature. All your money task
will end up on constructive note. The year promises you to urgently and
quickly increase the size of your coffers which you yourself cut short
by engaging in prodigal activities to have everything in life which you
desired for so long. Deceitful and cautious tricks adopting for securing
future are highly yielding in nature. Crucial juncture of your life is over
the seas trip which provides you unending fame. Your coalition partner
is highly helpful and will always be besides you irrespective of the sit-
uation. Sincerely look what needs to be done to be in fit and fine state.
January, May, August and October will be conducive for you.
January 22
Dominated by number 4 and the planet Uranus, you are simple, ener-
getic, authoritative, jovial, reliable and highly organized person. You
possess magnetic appeal and you are very fond of accepting challenges,
but you need to check your tendency to behave moody, timid and spend-
thrift at times. This year someone close to you would bring you unex-
pected opportunities. Financial gains would also accrue from past in-
vestments. A wonderful period to do things that you enjoy and make you
feel good. A distant journey for pleasure or pilgrimage seems likely lat-
er in the year. Your health would remain good but health of an aged fam-
ily member would become a matter of concern. New friendships and
contacts would develop during this period. The months of May, June
and September will be important. You have immense confidence to deal
with any situation indefinitely. People will boomeranged to you once
have an interactive session with you. But you must pull out your sore,
dissembled and extravagant attitude. You will receive lots of acclaim
not by domestic people but also from far flung areas. Previously adopt-
ed action plans to increase your bank balance will start showing posi-
tive signs. A rejoicing and enjoyable time to hang out with your family
and do all sort of adventurous activities. Year nearby its end promise
you to have world tour or to some consecrated place. Some apprehen-
sions from the side of elders health would be lighten by yours in good
state. Time to mix with some unknown person who might act as “Friend
in need is friend in deed”. May, June and September will be fruitful for
you.
January 23
Ruled by number 5 and the planet Mercury. You are energetic, practi-
cal, sensitive, friendly, diplomatic and helpful person. You are highly
respected because of your ability to take quick decisions, but you need
to check your tendency to behave restless, hasty and timid at times. The
year your loved ones would do things that would please you. Your en-
ergy level and confidence would be high and you would be able to com-
plete more work in less time. Distant travel that you undertake would,
bring you pleasure and rewards. Health despite some initial hiccups
would be more or less fine. You need to spend time on meditation and
yoga for remarkable gains. The months of March, June, September, De-
cember will be highly significant and result oriented. Number 5 and
planet Mercury will decreed you. Because of your apolitical and prag-
matic nature to get the nod of each and every person associated with you
before they even think of it. Besides being active and amiable you need
to curtail down your restive, precipitate and unsure approach. Your near
and dear ones hailed you like anything. Tightened and well systematic
flow of your acumen will help you to complete the task within stipulat-
ed time which in turn increases your dynamic and assurance level. Fre-
quently swaying from one place to another will open vista of opportu-
nities for you to grow further. You might get impacted by some health
concern but overall enjoy disease free life. A word of advice to go for
some fitness centre to pullout yourself from fearing state. Match, June,
September and December will be eminent for you.
January 24
Influenced by number 6 and the planet Venus. You are highly energetic,
independent, ambitious, dashing, courageous and emotional person.
You are extremely helpful and fond of socializing with people who have
similar views, but you need to check your tendency to behave shy, in-
trovert and lazy at times. This coming year your rewards would com-
mensurate according to your efforts. Your imagination and skills would
do wonders for you and your creativity would help you accomplish dif-
ficult tasks. Some excellent opportunities would come through your as-
sociation with people who hold position of authority. Not a very
favourable period for a matrimonial alliance. Exciting news from chil-
dren would come your way later in the year. The month of May, Octo-
ber and December would be highly important. Number 6 and planet Ve-
nus will shape your demanding life fairly. You are extremely gumptious,
autonomous, passionate, smart, brave and sensitive individual. Unani-
mously people will come to your for suggestion and put you at the top
most position of any society of involved, but should curb your tenden-
cy of being covert or conservative sometimes. The incentives or fruits
for your deeds are not binding to limited extent but can surpass the
threshold level if worked little bit of more hard work. People watch you
for your out of box ideas and welcome you with your untapped skills
which create rejoicing situation wherever you go. Big guns at forefront
will extend their support unconditionally to you and will help to stay
ahead of others. Evade getting into any relation. May, October and De-
cember are meaningful for you.
January 25
Governed by number 7 and the planet Neptune. You are independent,
brilliant, quick, co-operative, shrewd and friendly person. You possess
a unique sense of humour, which makes you very popular in your group.
You dislike arguments and confrontation, but you need to check your
tendency to behave jealous, introvert and selfish at times. This year ro-
mantic entanglement would be pleasant and chances to enter into a mat-
rimonial alliance would be very strong. New ventures and partnerships
would be profitable. Religious feelings would arise making you embark
on a pilgrimage later in the year. Expect gifts and goodies both in cash
and kind, but some unexpected expenses will take you by surprise. The
months of January, June, August and October will especially be signif-
icant. Number 7 and planet Neptune will provide the needed balance to
your life. You are sovereign, magnificent, swift, helpful, clever and ami-
able lad. You become center of attraction wherever you go by your
jovial and drollness nature. You always keep yourself away from con-
troversies and oftenly from disputations simultaneously you need to in-
hibit covetous, conservative and self-interested attitude. Love will fol-
low you with the ever binding nature. Its high time to enjoy few time
left of bachelorhood. Entire proceeding of your business explores new
avenue for you which becomes more yielding for you. There is string
diversion towards spiritual matters for finding the truth behind life. On
one hand gains will be there in the form of hitting a lottery and on the
other hand the same position will make you spend lavishly on luxury
items. January, June, august and October will be good for you.
January 26
Ruled by number 8 and the planet Saturn. You are assertive, cheerful,
confident, authoritative and enthusiastic person. You are gifted with re-
markable imagination and talent. You have your own personal style,
which is elegant and exclusive, but you need to control your tendency
to behave erratic, hypocrite and jealous at times. This year efforts that
you put would bring excellent results. Romance would be on the top of
your list and new intimate alliance for those unattached seems strong.
Your financial condition would improve as you pickup job involving
higher responsibility and position. Some exhilarating news from distant
relations will boost up the spirits of the entire family. Travel and jour-
ney will be highly pleasurable. The months of February, July, October
and December will be significant for you. You are different in the crowd
as you have incredible personality coupled with positive, upbeat, sure-
footed, classical and excited attitude. Number 8 provides you unbeliev-
able speculation and planet Saturn keep check your wandering, dissim-
ulator and green eyed traits. Swanky by nature and graceful by behav-
ior are your defining attributes. The formula whatever it be you adopt
to escape from the situation will thoroughly backed you. Presumably
hope to have some bigwigs in your contact with may be some who can
accompany you throughout your life. You are likely to have more pow-
er than ever before. Arrival of some far away relatives set the stage for
some party for the entire blood related people. The lost charm and thrill
of life will be resumed by some travelling. February, July, October and
December will be satiating your longings.
January 27
Influenced by number 9 and the planet Mars, you are dynamic, confi-
dent, energetic, warm hearted and a very religious person. You are very
simple by nature and like to solve problems in a practical and uncom-
plicated manner, but you need to check your tendency to behave jeal-
ous, lazy and erratic at times. This year financially you would face some
problems initially, but things would become better later in the year.
Traveling would be undertaken for attending auspicious events. Avoid
entering into any financial joint ventures and stay away from specula-
tion. Your beloved would seek commitment from you and if you avoid
your relationship could easily suffer. Wedding bells will ring for those
eligible towards the end of the year. The months of February, May, Sep-
tember and November will be highly important. Being an active and
convinced fellow you tend to establish a new framework each time you
stuck with some perplexed problems.
You always respect of the diverse category of people living. Not only
this you also possess immense energy and coziness throughout your life.
Refrain from being envious, lousy and fickle minded. You easily bypass
the abrasive time related to money and things will take over the charge
by supporting you this time. Nothing can stop you to go for some reli-
giously moving from one place to another. Reverse your thoughts if
thinking of some collaboration with any person. Commitment and ded-
ication can only save your dying relation with your spouse, consider it.
Be ready for changes and modification which occurs in one’s life after
marriage. February, May, September, November, Number 9 and the
Mars will provide the required impetus to your life needed to get excel
everywhere.
Astrology 29
TheSouthAsianTimes.info January 21-27, 2012
By Dr Prem Kumar SharmaChandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 [email protected]; www.premastrologer.com
Stars Foretell: January 21-27, 2012 Annual Predictions: For those born in this week
i) Accurate Data: Please make sure Date,
Time and Place of birth is accurate.
ii) Careful: Did you check background of the
astrologer before disclosing your secrets.
iii) Fee: Discuss the charges before, don’t feel
shy. It’s his business.
iv) Expectation: Expect the best, if the out-
come is not as desired, never give up.
v) Consult: Take second opinion before
spending thousands on cure/remedies.
Learn about the fair value ofdiamonds & precious stones.
from a Gems Expert For appointment, please call 516-390-7847
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30 Spiritual Awareness
January 21-27, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
The discipline to do what it
took to be successful in achieving
his spiritual goals
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj
exemplified discipline. He did
whatever was necessary to be suc-
cessful in achieving his spiritual
goal of union with God. This suc-
cess depends on meditation, which
he did daily for the longest possible
time. He meditated six to eight
hours daily as instructed by Hazur.
Along with this, he lived up to the
ethical virtues prescribed by the
spiritual teachings. This involved
leading a life of nonviolence, truth-
fulness, purity, humility, and self-
less service. He was the epitome of
nonviolence to the point that he
would not even unnecessarily harm
plants or trees. We could see how in
his house at his ashram he did not
want a tree that grew through the
ceiling of the rooms to be moved.
As an infant I was brought by my
parents to be with Sant Kirpal
Singh Ji Maharaj in Rishikesh at
the start of his mission. When Sant
Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj was col-
lecting banana leaves from which
the food would be served for a
meal, he brought nine leaves. When
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji asked him how
many people were eating, and he
replied seven, Sant Kirpal Singh Ji
Maharaj told him he should have
only brought seven banana leaves
and we should not unnecessarily
take the lives of any more plants
than were necessary. Just look at
the extent of his nonviolence to
even think like that!
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj
made a rule in the house when he
was raising his family that people
should only talk good of others and
not engage in gossip, slander or
criticism. He practiced this virtue
himself and was a model for others.
He was an embodiment of truthful-
ness. At a time when bribes were
the norm in the field of business, he
himself refused bribes and told his
son, Sant Darshan Singh Ji
Maharaj, to also refuse bribes.
He was the model of selfless
service. He served the sick and
needy all through his life. Even
before he was initiated, when the
great world influenza epidemic
broke out the disease killed mil-
lions globally. The disease was so
infectious that people feared touch-
ing the dead bodies of those in their
families to give them a proper bur-
ial. But Sant Kirpal Singh Ji organ-
ized a team and helped with the
burial of the family members of the
community who had died from the
disease. As part of his daily routine,
he would visit the sick and needy in
their homes or visit them in hospi-
tals. He also did a tremendous
amount of selfless service for
Hazur and the mission, from physi-
cal seva in building the ashram, to
helping in publications, writing
books, and holding satsang. He was
the only one Hazur allowed to con-
vey the initiation instructions dur-
ing Hazur’s lifetime.
His ethical life also involved liv-
ing on a strict vegetarian diet,
avoiding all meat, fish, fowl, and
eggs, with no alcohol or hallucino-
genic drugs. You can imagine how
much discipline would be involved
for a child to tell his nonvegetarian
parents that he did not want to eat
meat. When told by his father that
meat was good for him, he told his
father that he did not want to make
a graveyard of his body. He then
stuck to the vegetarian diet even as
a young boy.
He also observed obedience to
the Master no matter what. He
often spoke of following the
Master’s commandments in spirit
and letter. He did this himself, and
this helped him achieve the ulti-
mate goal of union with God. When
his Master told him to give satsang
in his town, he did so regularly.
One time when Hazur happened to
visit that town, Sant Kirpal Singh Ji
got word that his Master was near-
by. He was in a dilemma whether to
run to see his Master or give sat-
sang. He ultimately decided that
since Hazur had told him to give
satsang he should do so. Then,
when satsang was over, he went to
the place where Hazur had been,
only to learn that Hazur had already
left to return to his own ashram.
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji was heartbro-
ken that he had missed the darshan
of his Master. He then went to see
Hazur later that evening. When he
had a chance to meet with Hazur he
asked whether he had done the right
thing in giving satsang instead of
going for darshan. Hazur reassured
him that he had done the right thing
in doing his duty and giving the sat-
sang.
Time and again, Sant Kirpal
Singh Ji had choices, and he always
chose to do what the Master wanted
him to do. It was no wonder that
Hazur commissioned him to carry
on the spiritual work since he was
the most obedient of Hazur’s disci-
ples.
Focused on his own spiritual
goals instead of what others were
doing
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji always
focused on his own spiritual goals
instead of what others were doing.
He stuck to his schedule of medita-
tion, his ethical virtues, and his dis-
cipline no matter what. Sant Kirpal
Singh Ji was not concerned with
what others were doing. He kept his
attention on what he had to do. He
never got involved in criticism or
backbiting even though others may
have done so. This focus on his
own spiritual progress kept him
from falling into the traps that
many others do of wasting time on
focusing on what others are doing.
This quality helped him use his pre-
cious breaths of life to attain union
with God.
Not letting obstacles stand in
the way of his spiritual goals
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji did not let
any obstacle stand in the way of
achieving his spiritual goals.
Neither physical pain, negativity of
others, or setbacks stopped him
from his chosen path.
Think of the stamina needed to
meditate for long hours, yet he did
so no matter what. Think of the
grueling schedule of work, career,
family, and meditation he observed,
yet he never became sidetracked.
Think of the labor he put in to do
seva. After a long day’s work he
would engage in physical or intel-
lectual seva to help others.
Although he may have been tired,
he would go out and serve others
after work. He would stay up late
doing seva for his Master, often
working the whole night through.
As tired as his body may have been,
he attended to meditation and seva.
Think of the criticism he received
from others as he made progress on
the spiritual path. When he had the
love and attention of Hazur others
became jealous and tried to make
things difficult for him. Yet, he
never let any of these difficulties
stop him from doing what was
right.
Never letting failures sidetrack
him
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj
never let failures sidetrack him. He
experienced the same ups and
downs of life that every disciple
goes through but he never let that
stop him from meditating no matter
what.
A verse by Sant Darshan Singh Ji
Maharaj describes this condition as
follows:
As the caravan of my desiresmoved forward,
I mistook each approaching turnfor my destination.
Whenever we work for a goal we
move forward. We feel that when
we reach a turn in the road we have
come to the end of our journey, but
we find it is only a turning point.
When we drive up a mountain, we
see the end of the road and do not
realize that the road turns and con-
tinues higher. Many people stop
when they come to what they
thought was the end of the journey.
They are daunted by the fact that
the journey continues. But Olympic
winners reach a goal and realize
there is another goal to attain. They
keep going. Similarly, Sant Kirpal
Singh Ji Maharaj did not give up
when the road appeared to end and
then a turn carried the road higher.
He made the turn and kept going no
matter what it took and did not stop
until he reached his goal of union
with God.
Once when others were critical
and making it difficult for Sant
Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj to see
Hazur, he had to endure a period of
separation from his Master. Others
did not allow Sant Kirpal Singh Ji
to see Hazur. Hazur wrote a beauti-
ful letter to Sant Kirpal Singh
which said that there are all sorts of
disciples who come to satsang:
"There are some whose hearts are
overflowing with love and are
ready to sacrifice their all—body,
mind, and money. There are also
some who indulge in tall talk and
calumny; they are ever ready to
slander. But our duty is to love all.
If they do not give up their wicked
ways, why should we leave our
noble ways?" This encouraged Sant
Kirpal Singh Ji to keep going, to
stay true to the ethical virtues, to
meditate and do seva despite hard-
ships inflicted by others. He knew
that, despite these difficulties, he
had the love and blessings of his
Master to sustain him.
Full concentration and focus
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj had
full concentration and focus in
meditation. He would say that if we
could sit accurately in meditation,
we would soar within. As a disci-
ple, he focused on his meditation
for six to eight hours daily. He
made great spiritual progress.
When he meditated, he did not take
phone calls, engage in gossip, go to
the movies or waste time. He stuck
with his schedule no matter what.
Meditation on the inner Light and
Sound requires full concentration
and focus. It does not involve any
difficult postures or asanas. We
simply sit in a convenient, comfort-
able pose that we can sit in the
longest without moving. We close
our eyes gently as we do when
going to sleep. We gaze into the
middle of the field of whatever is
lying in front of us when our eyes
are closed. We gaze minutely, pene-
tratingly to find out what is in there.
This gazing will result in light
sprouting forth. We may see lights
of any color, flashes of light, an
inner sky, clouds, stars, moon, and
sun. Ultimately, we see the radiant
form of our spiritual Master or
guide who takes us on the inner
journey. Absorption on the stream
of Light and Sound takes us
through the inner spiritual realms of
the astral, causal, and supracausal
realms. Ultimately, we reach the
realm of Sach Khand in which we
become one with the Lord. This is a
journey of love and bliss. God is an
ocean of all-consciousness and
love. When the soul reunites with
God, we are immersed eternally in
ecstasy. This is the gold medal of
spirituality. Oneness with God is
the goal.
If we could follow the example of
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji in our own
lives, we too would achieve union
with God. Sant Kirpal Singh Ji
would say that what one person can
do so can another. The best way we
can honor his life is to also try to do
what we can to win the gold medal
of spirituality. If we follow the
example of Olympic gold medalists
and the life of Sant Kirpal Singh Ji
Maharaj, we will have the blueprint
to merge our soul back with God.
Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj
said in a verse:
Begin to live your life accordingto your aspirations
And step towards your chosengoal.
Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharajis an internationally recognizedspiritual leader and Master of JyotiMeditation who affirms the tran-scendent oneness at the heart of allreligions and mystic traditions,emphasizing ethical living andmeditation as building blocks forachieving inner and outer peace.www.sos.org.
Oneness with God is the gold medal of spirituality
There are also some who indulge in tall talk andcalumny; they are ever ready to slander. But our
duty is to love all. If they do not give up theirwicked ways, why should we leave our noble
ways? – Huzur Baba Sawanji Maharaj
Concluding part of the discourse ‘Olympics of meditation’
By Sant Rajinder SinghJi Maharaj