The South Asian Times

New York (SATimes):

The Consulate General

of India, New York

hosted a reception

January 26 at New

India House to cele-

brate the 61st Republic

Day of India. On the

occasion, the Consul

General felicitated

community leader and

philanthropist Dr

Sudhir Parikh, and

noted professors

P o n i s s e r i l

Somasundaran and

Sheldon Pollock for

being awarded Padma

Shri by India and Upendra

Chivukula for the Pravasi Bharatiya

Samman, 2010. The celebrations

began with the reading of the

President of India’s address to the

Nation by the Deputy Consul

General. Over 300 guests attended

the event, notably New Jersey

Assembly Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver-

-who also felicitated the Padma

awardees-- NJ Assembly Deputy

Speaker Upendra J. Chivukula,

Virendra Gupta, Director General

of ICCR and Contd. on page 4...

Op Ed 20 Lifestyle 24 Humor 28 Spiritual Awareness 30

NEW YORK EDITION

Krishna hits back at Qureshi,demands action against

26/11 masterminds

Parade of military might and cultural diversity

India celebrated its 61st Republic Day on January 26 peacefully undaunted by terrorist threats and sep-aratists’ boycotts or even the morning fog that blanketed New Delhi where thousands congregated for

the grand parade of military might and cultural diversity, presided over by President Mrs Pratibha Patil.

(From left) Prof. Ponisseril Somasundaran(Padma Shri), Consul General Prabhu Dayal,NJ Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver, and DrSudhir Parikh (Padma Shri) at the Republic

Day event at the Indian Consulate.Photo:Gunjesh Desai/masalajunction.com

New Delhi (HT Media): Indian External

Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Friday demand-

ed 'positive and visible' Pakistani action

against those responsible for the 26/11 terror-

ist outrage after his counterpart S.M. Qureshi

made the claim that New Delhi spoke in two

voices on Pakistan. “I don't want to react

harshly to what my esteemed

friend Mr Qureshi is reported

to have said.

India, I would like to reiter-

ate, wants friendly, normal relations with

Pakistan and the road blocks which I have

pointed out to Mr Qureshi for restoring the

relationship have to be cleared,” Krishna said.

“I hope Pakistan will take positive visible

steps to investigate fully the attacks on

Mumbai and bring those responsible to jus-

tice. This is the only response we expect from

Pakistan, which we feel is yet to be done,” he

said.

Contd. on page 4...

Dance India Dance 2: Big B Special!

Padma awardees fromNY honored by

Consulate on R-Day

Dallas, Texas (SATimes):

The No 1 channel in the

South Asian entertainment

space, Zee TV USA, brings to

its audiences the long awaited

reunion of two of the biggest

Bollywood stars on the No 1

dance reality show “Dance

India Dance” this weekend.

The ‘angry young man’

Amitabh Bachchan reunites

with the ‘dancing superstar ’ Mithun

Chakraborty after 20 years to make a spe-

cial appearance.

Sharing some special mem-

ories with Mithun, Big B will

watch some mesmerizing per-

formances by the contestants,

choreographed by the three

mentors Geeta, Terence and

Remo to evergreen songs

from his films. Amitabh will

also give his blessings to the

contestants on the show while

also promoting his upcoming films.

Contd. on page 4...

Ganesh temple,

Flushing, to celebrate

Republic Day on

Sunday

Tristate Community,

page 7

Dr Poonam Alaigh

appointed New Jersey

health chief

Tristate Community,

page 7

Shah Rukh Khan

has a moon crater

named after him

Ultimate Bollywood,

page 19

Dance Pe Chance:

FIA presents

high-octane show

Culture,

page 16

Vol.2 No.40 January 30-February 5, 2010 60 Cents TheSouthAsianTimes.com

Big B and Mithun Da on‘Dance India Dance’ show

on Zee TV

United colors of India unfurl on R-DayNew Delhi (HT Media): From

Jammu and Kashmir to Kerala,

from Gujarat to Assam, Indians cel-

ebrated a peaceful 61st Republic

Day on January 26, undaunted by

terror threats, Maoist shutdowns,

separatist boycotts or even the

morning fog that blanketed New

Delhi where thousands congregated

for the grand parade of military

might and cultural diversity.

Security was tight in the wake of

threats but the enthusiasm was

intact. In state capitals, towns and

villages, in offices, housing com-

plexes and schools, people gathered

to hoist the tricolor and sing the

national anthem. A holiday for

some, but for others a chance to

remember the day India became a

republic 60 years ago.

It was the annual gooseflesh

moment even for those who chose

to stay at home and watch the colors

of India unfold on their television

screens in direct telecasts of the

parade from New Delhi.

Held against the backdrop of

presidential palace Rashtrapati

Bhavan, the parade that goes down

the Rajpath Boulevard and culmi-

nates at Red Fort eight kilometers

away, was as always the cynosure

of national and global attention.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

started the proceedings by paying

tribute to the unknown soldier at

India Gate before reaching the

saluting dais to greet President

Pratibha Patil and chief guest for

the occasion, South Korean

President Lee Myung-bak.

It was a solemn start to the specta-

cle of color that was to follow with

Patil, India's first woman president,

first giving away three Ashok

Chakras, the country's highest

award for gallantry. Two of these

were posthumous.

Then the extravaganza, including

a flypast, began. The cold and

foggy morning had failed to damp-

en the enthusiasm of the thousands

of spectators who turned out to wit-

ness India proudly displaying its

military might and cultural

mélange.

The 110-minute parade also rein-

forced a trend that has been evident

for the past few years in that where

it was once a display of India's arms

imports, the military hardware

developed in the country is increas-

ingly on display. Thus it was

Tuesday, with the Arjun main battle

tank, the Agni-III intermediate

range ballistic missile and the

Shaurya hypersonic missile to name

just a few, taking center-stage and

vying for attention with the march-

ing contingents drawn from the

armed forces, the paramilitary

forces and the National Cadet

Corps. There was also the contin-

gent of the 61st Cavalry, one of the

very few active horse-mounted reg-

iments in the world, and a unique

camel mounted squad and band of

the Border Security Force.

The tableaux from the states high-

lighted vignettes from lives in the

states and the country. The

Maharashtra tableau, for instance,

showcased the daily life of

Mumbai's "dabbawalas" who ferry

food across the city and this imme-

diately caught President Patil's

attention and she was seen explain-

ing the concept to her South Korean

counterpart. Chief ministers and

governors presided over functions

in their states, as did district collec-

tors and Indian ambassadors and

high commissioners in their respec-

tive countries. In Orissa, where

thousands defied a Maoist boycott

call to participate in the function,

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik

hoisted the tricolor at Cuttack

despite a threat e-mail that he would

be killed if he went to the town.

There was similar defiance in other

Maoist stronghold states like

Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand.

In the northeastern states of Assam,

Tripura and Manipur, a 17-hour

shutdown called by separatist rebels

was not enough to keep people

away. The run-up to the Republic

Day was peaceful compared to pre-

vious years, with an estimated

50,000 security personnel deployed

in the three northeastern states to

foil any terror attacks.

Jammu and Kashmir was also

incident free with Governor N.N.

Vohra doing the honours in Jammu

and the function in Srinagar being

presided over by Finance Minister

Abdul Rahim Rather.

2 India’s Republic Day

January 30 - Feb 5, 2010 TheSouthAsianTimes.info

The Border Security Force (BSF) camel marching contingent passes through the Raj Path during the 61st Republic Day Parade, in New Delhi on January 26.

President Pratibha Patil, chief guest President of Republic of Korea Lee Myung Bak, Vice President Mohd. Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and

other dignitaries watching the Republic Day Parade pass by.

The tableau of Manipur passes through the Raj Path during the Republic Day Parade.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laying wreath at Amar Jawan Jyoti,India Gate, in New Delhi on January 26.

Tristate Community 3

TheSouthAsianTimes.info January 30 - Feb 5, 2010


TheSouthAsianTimes.com November 7-13, 2009

There were seven Padma Awardees from the US in the

list announced by the Indian government on the eve

of the Republic Day. Four were named for Padma

Bhushan (the third highest Indian civilian award after Bharat

Ratna and Padma Vibhushan), and three would receive the

Padma Shri, the next category, from President Pratibha Patil

at a ceremony in New Delhi in March. Five of the seven are

of Indian descent.

Fareed Zakaria (Pad-

ma Bhushan) is the Ed-

itor of Newsweek Inter-

national, and oversees

all its editions abroad.

He hosts Fareed Zakaria

– GPS for CNN World-

wide, focused on inter-

national topics, also

contributing regularly

to CNN Worldwide’s

other programs. His lat-

est bestselling book is

called ‘Post American

World.’

Sant Chatwal (Padma Bhushan) is the President and CEO

of Hampshire Hotels &

Resorts in New York.

The company owns ho-

tels in the US, the UK,

and Thailand, with over

2,500 rooms in Man-

hattan. Considered

close to Hillary and Bill

Clinton, Chatwal is a

trustee of the presti-

gious Clinton Founda-

tion, focusing on global

issues of health securi-

ty, economic empower-

ment, HIV/AIDS Ini-

tiative, etc. The

Bharatiya Janata Party

(BJP) disapproved of bestowing the award on Chatwal, al-

leging financial wrongdoing in the past by him. The Indian

Government defended its decision arguing the cases against

him were dismissed and there was nothing adverse on record

against him. Chatwal himself charged BJP with playing pol-

itics.

Tan Chung (Padma

Bhushan) is of Chi-

nese descent born in

Malaya, having lived,

first in China for 23

years, and then in In-

dia. He contributed to

the building up of the

Chinese studies pro-

grams in Delhi Uni-

versity and Jawaharlal

Nehru University

(JNU) from 1964 up

till 1994. He has been

a Consultant with the Indira Gandhi National Center for the

Arts (IGNCA) from 1989 onwards to help develop its East

Asian Program. He now lives in Chicago with his son.

Prof. Arogyaswami Joseph Paulraj (Padma Bhushan) is

a professor (research)

of electrical engineer-

ing at Stanford Uni-

versity in California.

Last month he was

chosen a Fellow of the

American Association

for the Advancement

of Science (AAAS)

for his outstanding

contributions to the

theory and practice of

multiple input multi-

ple output (MIMO)

wireless communica-

tion.

Prof. Ponisseril Somasundaran (Padma Shri) is the La

von Duddleson

Krumb Professor

and Director Lang-

muir Center for

Colloids and Inter-

face at Columbia

University. He cur-

rently serves on the

Piermont Board of

Appeals and previ-

ously served in the

Planning Board.

Sheldon Pollock (Padma Shri) is The William B. Ransford

Professor of Sanskrit

and Indian Studies.

His areas of special-

ization are Sanskrit

philology and Indian

intellectual and liter-

ary history. Prof.

Pollock currently di-

rects the internation-

al collaborative re-

search project San-

skrit Knowledge

Systems on the Eve

of Colonialism. He

has translated many

Sanskrit volumes in-

cluding the Uttarara-

macarita of Bhavab-

huti, and the

Rasamanjari of

Bhanudatta.

7 Padma awardees from the US“I feel both

honored andhumbled by the award”

Dr Sudhir Parikh (Padma Shri) is a tireless advocate

for both the Indian American community’s interests as

well as India’s global interests. He has provided needed

support, guidance, and funding to countless worthy caus-

es and organi-

zations and

continues to do

so.

Speaking to

the South Asian

Times, Sudhir

M. Parikh,

M.D., said he

felt both hon-

ored and hum-

bled by the

Padma Shri

awarded to

him. He added

that to deserve

the award he

will now work

with greater re-

sponsibility for

the community, and will like to leave a legacy for the sec-

ond generation.

He ascribed his selection for the award to his over two

decades’ history as a leading advocate for India with the

U.S. Congress and government. Some of the causes he

took up included the sale of F16s by the US to Pakistan.

Most recently, he contributed to the fruition of the U.S.-

India nuclear deal and fostering a strategic relationship

between the two nations.

He also recalled his work of political empowerment to

the second generation of Indian Americans through lead-

ership and support of organizations like the Indian

American Forum for Political Education (IAFPE) and re-

cently Washington Leadership Program (WLP).

Parikh is a patron of several philanthropic organiza-

tions, including the American India Foundation, and so

far has contributed over $2 million to select causes in In-

dia and the US, including to the rehabilitation of the vic-

tims of Gujarat earthquake and Tamil Nadu tsunami.

He is also closely involved with the Share and Care

Foundation, a nonprofit helping the poorest of the poor

in India.

By profession an allergist, who runs a chain of asthma

and allergy clinics in the Tristate area, Dr Parikh has also

entered media business.

Dr Parikh is a proud recipient last year of the Pravasi

Bharatiya Samman, meant for NRIs, and Ellis Island

Medal of Honor 2005, the highest civilian honor given to

an immigrant in the US for commitment to community

and social service.

4 Community


Printed Every Saturday by

Forsythe Media Group, LLC

ISSN 1941-9333

Website: TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Updated Daily

Chairman and Co-Founder:

Kamlesh C. Mehta

Co-Founder:

Saroosh Gull

President: Arjit Mehta

Board Advisors (Honorary):

Ajay Lodha, MD,

Anish Berry

Chief Operating Officer:

Bhrigu Prashar

Managing Editor: Parveen Chopra

Consulting Editor: Prakaash M. Swami

Associate Editors:

Hiral Dholakia-Dave, Meenakshi Iyer

Contributing Editors:

Dr Prem Kumar Sharma,

Melvin Durai, Meghna Pant,

Parinda Joshi, Harry Aurora,

Ashok Vyas, Dr Akshat Jain,

Dr Tamanna Nahar.

Washington DC Correspondent:

Sarbrina Siddiqui,

[email protected]

West Coast Correspondent:

Pooja Jain,

[email protected]

New Delhi Bureau:

Meenakshi Iyer

[email protected]

Chief Cartoonist: Mahendra P. Shah

Kansas Edition Publisher:

Puneet Gorawara

CEO: Aabha Gorawara

14185 W. 150th Ct.,

Olathe, KS 66062,

Tel.: 913-579-3639

For Advertising:

Tel: 913-706-2692

Email: [email protected]

Marketing & Public Relations:

VP: Chander Gambhir,

cg@TheSouth AsianTimes.info

Web Development: Naresh Sahu

Art and Design: Bhagwati Multimedia,

Dhiraj Kumar, Vladimir Tomovski

Web Editor: Dhiraj Kumar

News Service: HT Media Ltd., India

Printing: Five Star Printing, NY

Emails:

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

Advertisement:

516-390-7847 & 516-710-4014

76 N Broadway, Suite 2004,

Hicksville, NY 11801

F: 516-390-7847

Notice: The South Asian Times is published weekly by The Forsythe Media Group, LLC. POSTMASTER: Send all address notices, subscription orders/payments and other inquiries to The South Asian

Times, 76 N Broadway, Suite 2004, Hicksville, NY 11801, USA. Copyright and all other rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be reprinted without the consent of the publisher. The

views expressed on the opinion pages and in the letters to the editor pages are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of The South Asian Times. The editor/publisher does not warrant accuracy

and cannot be held responsible for the content of the advertisements placed in the publication and/or inaccurate claims, if any, made by the advertisers. Advertisements of business or facilities included in this

publication do not imply connection or endorsement of these businesses.

Rotary dist governor from Indiapays a visit to Bhooplapur

By Parveen Chopra

Hicksville (SATimes): Mahesh Raikar, Rotary Governor Elect

2010-11 of District 3170 in south India, was visiting his long time

friend and fellow Rotarian Ravi Bhooplapur, New York District

7050 Governor, when the SATimes caught up with the two in the

latter’s office in Westbury.

When asked what brought the resident of Hubli, in Karnataka, to

the US, Mahesh Raikar replied: “I was in San Diego for a week to

attend Rotary’s training program for District Governors. I used the

trip to meet my good old friend, Ravi Bhooplapur, who also hails

from my home town. And, I thought, it will be nice to discuss

things with a sitting District Governor, to ask him how best I can

serve my community.”

Rotary’s district 3170 encompasses parts of north Karnataka,

south Maharashtra and entire Goa. Raikar, 57, takes over as its

Governor on July 1 for a one year term.

Talking about his priorities when he takes over as Governor of a

district with underdeveloped areas, Raikar mentioned the basics,

“Safe drinking water, clean toilet facilities, benches for schools.

My community, with many downtrodden, needs help and I look up

to Rotary which gives matching grants.”

His focus will also be developing leadership qualities among the

youth, he said.

He clarified, “We take and we give also. India is now No 3 in

terms of money raised for Rotary. My district 3170 gave half a

million dollars in a year. My dream is to give $1 M during my term

as Governor to Rotary Foundation.”

Raikar said he has been involved with Rotary’s exemplary Polio

Plus program for almost a decade, and that in 1995-96 there were

82 cases in Hubli, but after the immunization drive under his stew-

ardship, since ’98 not a single case has been reported.

While in New York, Raikar attended the Republic day celebra-

tion at the Indian Consulate and was met by the same spirit of

India. He was all praise for so many Indian Americans who have

made a name for themselves in an alien land.

Talking about his friendship with Bhooplapur that goes back

almost three decades, Raikar said, Rotary is a good platform to

meet friends and develop brotherhood. He hailed Bhooplapur’s

success but said he may be living here in the US, but he does lot of

philanthropic work in India.

Raikar is a medical microbiologist who has set up his own busi-

ness in Hubli. His wife Namrata is a medical biochemist, and they

have 3 daughters.

Bhooplapur states that Raikar “works hard, with focus and dedi-

cation. He is a team player and leads by example.” He said he

used Raikar’s expertise as a microbiologist when setting up a

blood bank. Now, “We will work with him on the Gift of Life pro-

gram.”

Padma awardees continued from page 1...

Mr. Vijay Nambiar, Chief of Staff to the UN

Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

Ambassador Prabhu Dayal welcomed the guests

and congratulated all Indian Americans,

Americans and friends of India on the country’s

Republic Day. He noted that the Indian American

community has achieved outstanding success in

the areas of medicine, engineering, academics,

culture, literature, journalism, IT, politics, banking

and finance. While becoming patriotic US citi-

zens, Indian Americans have retained India in their

hearts, thus serving as a great bridge of under-

standing between the two great nations.

See page 3 for an exclusive intrerview with Dr

Sudhir Parikh and brief profiles of the other 6

Padma awardees from the US.

Krishna continued from page 1...

Krishna spoke after Qureshi told Indian jour-

nalists at an international conference on

Afghanistan in London Thursday that the

'Indian polity', particularly the external affairs

ministry (MEA), was 'confused' and hypocriti-

cal over Pakistan.

Adopting surprisingly undiplomatic language,

Qureshi accused Krishna of 'having nothing to

offer', adding that 'the public stance adopted by

the Indian Foreign Office is somewhat different

from the private stance', where Indians appar-

ently acknowledged post-26/11 Pakistani coop-

eration as 'unprecedented'.

Krishna rejected the claim, saying: "I don't

know what makes him say that the MEA speaks

in two voices. I think there is total unity of

thinking in the ministry and unity of approach

on Pakistan."

Dance India Dance continued from page 1...

Zee has been a dominant player in broadcast-

ing content for more than 17 years in the

national and international space, having

entered the US in 1998 where it currently

reaches out to over 2 million viewers.

Mahesh Raikar (right), Rotary Governor of District 3170, withlong time friend and fellow Rotarian Ravi Bhooplapur, New

York District 7050 Governor

A wedding at The Garden City Hotel is the ultimate expression of

exquisite taste—in every sense. Celebrate with cuisine that has earned

high praise from Zagat and experience the unsurpassed service of a

world-class luxury hotel. Say “I Do” and we’ll take care of the rest.

Make it a day all will cherish. Forever.

Let us Propose unrivaled style & sophistication

gardencityhotel.com • 516.747.3000

No one does “I Do” like we do.

6 Tristate Community


US reaches out toSouth Asian, Arab

communities

Jackson Heights Rotarybeing formed: Bhooplapur

Washington (HT Media):

In a bid to reach out to South

Asian and Arab communi-

ties, the US will increase en-

gagement, dialogue, coordi-

nation and enhance informa-

tion sharing with faith-and

community-based groups.

Homeland Security Secre-

tary Janet Napolitano Thurs-

day met with leaders from

Muslim, Sikh, South Asian

and Arab communities, de-

scribed as "key partners in

homeland security that con-

tribute to many different

parts of American life and

exemplify the diversity that

is a hallmark of our coun-

try." "In times of crisis, lead-

ers of faith-based communi-

ties and other grassroots organiza-

tions often play a critical role in the

broad and timely dissemination of

accurate information," said Napoli-

tano, according to a Department re-

lease.

"Strengthening our partnerships

with faith- and community-based

groups will allow improved infor-

mation sharing and better coordi-

nation in preparing for, assessing

and responding to threats."

During the meeting, Napolitano

and the leaders examined existing

information sharing capabilities

such as the Secure Community

Network (SCN) and discussed

ways to expand and enhance cur-

rent initiatives and partnerships.

SCN is a model for information

sharing with faith- and community-

based communities designed to

quickly improve overall security

awareness in a crisis situation.

Indian to develop South

Asian languagescourse in US

Washington (IANS): An Indian linguist, who is a

native of Bihar, has been awarded a $25,000 grant

by South Asian Language Resource Centre (SAL-

RC) to develop a South Asian languages curricu-

lum in the US.

A gold medalist from Aligarh Muslim Universi-

ty and a West Bengal Urdu Academy award hold-

er, M.J. Warsi teaches linguistics in the Depart-

ment of Asian and Near Eastern Languages and

Literatures at Washington University in St. Louis.

SALRC, which primarily focuses on the needs

concerning South Asian language pedagogy in

American universities, is funded by a grant from

US Education Department’s International Educa-

tion and Graduate Programs.

An Indo-Aryan language and linguistics profes-

sor in the South Asian Studies at the department

for last several years, Warsi has also authored

many books helping understand the efficacy of the

common contact in languages and culture.

Hailing from Darbhanga district of Bihar, Warsi

was recently named an “unsung hero” and a role

model to his peers, colleagues and students by the

students of University of California, Berkeley for

his “extraordinary contribution” in academic and

personal matters.

Warsi has also been selected for the prestigious

‘Glory of India’ award for 2007 by the India Inter-

national Friendship Society (IIFS).

New York (SATimes):

Rotary District 7250

spread its wings to the

heart of Queens Jan 18

when the District Gover-

nor Ravi Bhooplapur and

Secretary Jeff Jardin, ar-

rived at Delhi Restaurant

to address a group of

leading businessmen and

professions in Jackson

Heights and adjoining ar-

eas. The meeting owes to

the efforts of Shiv Dass, a

former President of Jack-

son Heights Merchants’

Association (JHMA). He

was assisted by, to name

a few, Ashok Kumar, for-

mer adviser to the

JHMA, and Prof. Indrajit S. Saluja,

chief editor of The Indian Panorama.

Shiv Dass said that the Indian

American business community in

Jackson Heights was the most cohe-

sive group and was always ready to

render community service. The

ideals of Rotary International ap-

pealed to them and they proceeded

to form a Rotary Club. He appreciat-

ed Prof. Inderjit Singh Saluja giving

the nascent chapter of Rotary a kick-

start by organizing the meeting with

Bhooplapur.

Prof. Saluja introduced Bhoopla-

pur, a committed Rotarian who has

won all top three awards that Rotary

International has instituted. One of

the most successful District Gover-

nors, Bhooplapur has added new

chapters to Rotary District 7250, and

soon Jackson Heights would be one

more. Bhooplapur said he would

look into the application for forma-

tion of Jackson Heights club and

send it to the International for its ap-

proval. Present at the meeting was

some prominent Indian Americans:

Ajit Modi, Charanjit Singh Channi,

Nitin Vohra & Suhash Kapadia,

Amarjit Singh, Ashok Kumar of

JMD, Gurbachan Singh and Rahul,

Varinder Kumar and Raj Kumar,

lobbyist Harjinder S. Duggal,

Harinder Harry, Gurnam Singh and

Ahmed Shakir. Later, Shiv Dass in-

formally told some mediapersons the

proposed board of the new Rotary

Club: President 2010-Shiv Dass;

President Elect 1011-Nitin Vohra;

Vice Presidents-Ashok Kumar,

Sharad Aggarwal, Ajit Modi;

Seargeat-Kamal Kumar. Subhash

Kapadia, Jagtar Singh, Suresh Gand-

hi, Raj Gandhi, Charanjit Singh

Channi, Gurmit Singh of Apna Pun-

jab paper, Mukesh Patel and Rene

Lobo are the Directors.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano

Rotary Governor New York District 7250 Ravi Bhooplapur addresses members ofthe proposed Rotary Club of Jackson Heights at Delhi Restaurant on January 18,

even as (from left) Amarjit Singh, a guest, Jeff Jardin, Prof. I.S. Saluja and Shiv Dass listen on.

Nassau County Executive Hon Ed Mangano(back row, third from right) honored severalpeople at a ceremony at Carlyle on theGreen on Jan 22. Mohinder Singh Taneja(middle, holding citation), a South Asiancommunity Leader, received the DiversityAmbassador award. Other honorees includ-ed Nassau Police Commissioner LawrenceMulvey, Suffolk Police CommissionerRichard Dormer, FBI Long IslandSupervisor Michael Ferrandino, US SecretService, Long Island Agent in-chargeMichael Seremetis and Lawrence Levy ofHofstra Varsity. Seen in the picture (fromleft) are Paramjit Singh Bedi, JessicaTaneja, Mohan Singh, Gunit Sabharwal, Dr.Harsimran Singh, Rich Kruse, Ed Manganoand Ina Katz of Hofstra.

Nassau County Police Deputy Commissioner andChaplain Angel Rios carries a young boy into an emer-gency room in Haiti who was injured in the devastatingearthquake over two weeks ago and suffered burns.Looking on is the boy’s crestfallen father (right). Underdirection of Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, theNassau County Police Department sent a team of offi-cers to the stricken land, Haiti, to aid in the relief effort,providing food, water and rescue assistance. Many ofthe officers who volunteered were of Haitian decent andfluent in Creole, the local language there.



Bethpage, NY (SATimes): The Patanjali Yo-

gpeeth (USA) Trust has organized a Yog

teacher’s training workshop in New York. The

Foundation Course (Level 1) will be held

from March 12-14 at Bethpage Community

Center, near Patel Brothers grocery store in

Hicksville, Long Island.

Swami Ramdevji Maharaj- founder of

Patanjali Yogpeeth has been spreading the

knowledge of Yog and importance of the

YOG in our life throughout the world. Under

the directions of Swami Ramdev, the training

will be conducted by Shekhar Agrawal, Yog

Teachers Training Coordinator for USA and

Dr. Dilip Sarkar, MD FACS & Ayurvedic

Practitioner.

The course will focus on Health and Safety,

Pranayam, Asanas, Mudras and Bandhas, Re-

laxation Techniques, Mantras, Acupressure,

Ayurveda, Yog Philosophy and Anatomy.

The three day training for a fee of $201 will

also include Patanjali Yogpeeth General

Membership and seven Yoga and Ayurveda

books. To register call Radha Vardhan on

5167465684 or email rvardhan2003@ya-

hoo.com.

For more information on the course, visit:www.pyptusa.org

Hicksville (SATimes): Hempstead Town Su-

pervisor Kate Murray and the town board

hosted Long Island’s only commemoration of

India’s Republic Day on Jan 27. The seventh

annual event at the Hempstead Town Hall, co-

sponsored by the Indian American Forum,

also offered patriotic Indian songs and classi-

cal dances.

On the occasion, Hempstead Town Super-

visor Kate Murray honored Prof Rakesh

Gupta, Dean of Adelphi University’s School

of Business, and community advocate Pavit

Kaur Malhotra for all they do for community.

Prof Gupta has been nominated by students

to “Who’s Who among America’s Teachers’.

He has developed affiliations with universi-

ties in India, China, France, Egypt and Czech

Republic to provide international opportuni-

ties for students. He serves on the World

Trade Council of the Long Island Association.

Pavit Kaur has worked to bring together

people of diverse cultural and ethnic back-

grounds. She has helped her husband start a

telecom company that now has over 70 loca-

tions. A mother of three, she still always

found time to help others in need—senior cit-

izens, disabled children and poor families.

Renee Lobo, TV personality and Human

Rights Commissioner for the City of New

York, gave the keynote address at the event,

lauding Indian culture and values. The Town

Supervisor gave her a citation.

Kate Murray said India and the US share the

same values of democracy and freedom. She

then praised Indian Americans as a “vital part

of the fabric of our nation, greatly enriching

us with their gifts of art, culture, cuisine, in-

tellect, values and abiding warmth”. She not-

ed that Hempstead Town has a growing num-

ber of Indian American families.

Indu Jaiswal, Chairperson of Indian Ameri-

can Forum, and Dr Parveen Chopra, Past

Chairperson of the Forum, also spoke at the

event.

New Delhi (HT Media): When Geeta Anand

started writing the extraordinary story of an

American father's fight against the system to

save his children, she had no idea that it will

interest Harrison Ford and become the subject

of a major Hollywood film. Anand, who was

part of the Pulitzer Prize winning team of The

Wall Street Journal, first wrote an article in

2003 about John Crowley and his struggle to

find a cure for his children suffering with

Pompe's disease, a rare muscle disorder.

She decided to develop the article into a

book 'The Cure: How a Father Raised $100

Million — And Bucked the Medical Estab-

lishment — In a Quest to Save His Children',

which has inspired Ford's latest film Extraor-

dinary Measures, to be released by Sony Pictures Entertain-

ment in India on March 19.

"It is very exciting that the book has been made into a film.

Harrison Ford got the rights of the book in 2004 even before

I wrote the book. It was great to see him interested in the sto-

ry," Anand told HT Media in an interview.

Ford and Michael Shamberg, who has produced films like

Erin Brockovich and World Trade Center, wanted to make a

medical drama. When they read the story of John Crawley,

who helped fund the research to cure a rare disease in a bid to

save his own children, they decided to make a movie on it.

"My agent sent the book proposal to a movie agent who

knew that Ford and the producers wanted to make a medical

drama. Ford read the proposal and he was very much inter-

ested and wanted to make a movie very quickly," Anand said.

"Ford roped in Robert Nelson Jacob, the Oscar-nominated

screenwriter of Chocolat to write the screenplay. I would

write the book chapter by chapter and send it

to Jacob, who is a wonderful man," Anand,

who is now based in Mumbai, said.

Ford, 67, also the executive producer of the

movie, initially wanted to play the main char-

acter but later decided to do the role of Dr

Robert Stonehill. Brendon Frazor of the

Mummy has played Crawley in the movie.

Anand's book has already released in the US

in December and it is coming out in India in

March.

Asked about the controversy over the cred-

its in 3 Idiots and she comes out in defence of

author Chetan Bhagat.

"I can see how easy it is for a writer not to

be credited properly in a movie. We are not

used to spending our money on lawyers who can scrutinize

the contract. I sympathize totally with Chetan," Anand said.

She did not face any problems in this regard with the pro-

ducers but is "disappointed" with certain aspects of the con-

tract. "I am properly credited in the beginning of the film but

at the same time I am disappointed as well. I was assuming

that we could use the movie poster on the book but the CBS

films would not let us do that which was extremely disap-

pointing. There is always some heartbreak along the way,"

Anand said.

She is now planning another book, which will chronicle her

father's struggle during India's partition. "I was always fasci-

nated by my dad's big Punjabi family. I wanted to write about

my dad's life in the context of his family. The family moving

from the Pakistan and coming to Mumbai, sending him to the

US where he met my American mom and married her,"

Anand said.

Indian American doctoris New Jersey health chief

Trenton, NJ (SATimes): New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie

has nominated as his health commissioner the head of the

largest health insurance company in the state. Dr. Poonam

Alaigh, executive direc-

tor of Horizon Blue

Cross Blue Shield of

New Jersey is also the

former medical director

at drugmaker Glaxo-

SmithKline.

The 45-year-old Som-

erset County physician

also has served as presi-

dent of the American

Heart Association for the

North Jersey region. She

is an internist specializ-

ing in vascular diseases.

"She is someone who has worked in just about every as-

pect of providing health care to people, both as a physician

herself and as someone who has had to manage large or-

ganizations like the Department of Health," Christie said.

Former Health Commissioner Heather Howard, who

stepped down this month as Gov. Jon S. Corzine left office,

called Alaigh a terrific pick.

"She really understands the issues facing New Jersey,

and she'll bring a variety of experience to the state,"

Howard said.

"The budget challenges are tremendous, but she's a great

choice to come in and tackle those issues." If confirmed by

the Senate, she would be only the second Indian American

to become a New Jersey Cabinet member.

Republic Day event atGanesh Temple on Sunday

Flushing, NY (SATimes): The Hindu Temple Socie-

ty of North America has organized the annual flag

hoisting ceremony to mark the Republic Day of India

at the Ganesh temple in Flushing Jan 31.

The event which is scheduled to begin at 4 pm at

the temple auditorium will have Consul General of

India in New York, Prabhu Dayal as the chief guest

and Councilman Peter Koo as the guest of honor. The

flag hoisting will be followed by performances of In-

dian cultural dances and patriotic songs.

Speaking to the SATimes, Dr Uma Mysorekar,

President of the Hindu Temple Society, said the event

aims to generate a patriotic feeling among young peo-

ple.

“Champakbhai Parikh does flag hoisting in a very

patriotic, moving way marching to Vande Mataram

and Jana Gana Mana ,” she said.

Hollywood movie'Extraordinary Measures' is

based on Geeta Anand's book.

Dr Uma Mysorekar

Dr Poonam Alaigh withGovernor Chris Christie

Pavit Kaur Malhotra(left) and Prof RakeshGupta were honoredand Renee Lobogiven a citation byHempstead TownSupervisor KateMurray at the R-Dayevent.

Yoga teacher’s trainingcourse in Long Island

Hempstead Town hosts 7thRepublic Day ceremony

It was great to have Harrison Fordinterested in my book: Geeta Anand

8 Tristate Community


New York (SATimes): As the government

gears up for its once-a-decade census some

1.2 million part-time positions are waiting to

be filled with most of those openings for enu-

merators. Given the unemployment rate of

10 %, the number of applicants have been

“phenomenally high” according to Census

director Robert Groves.

Enumerators are people who go door to

door to collect information from the roughly

35 million households that won't return their

Census forms by mail. The Census Bureau

isn't allowed to use statistical estimates in its

gauge of the population, so if a household

doesn't return the 10-question form that's due

to arrive in the mail in March, an enumerator

will show up in May, June or July to try to

get the information in person.

Across the country, local Census offices

are taking applications. There's a 28-question

test involved in nabbing one of the tempo-

rary positions, which pay between $10 and

$25 per hour depending on where you live

and entail plenty of evening and weekend

shifts, since that's when people tend to be at

home.

Four days of training teach everything

from interviewing and personal safety to the

history and importance of the Census — it's

not only about determining seats in Congress

but also about how to allocate some $400 bil-

lion in federal funding.

This time the Census will run advertise-

ments only in areas where it anticipates hav-

ing trouble filling positions, such as inner

cities, extremely rural areas and neighbor-

hoods with large percentages of non-Eng-

lish-speaking residents.

That targeted recruitment strategy is im-

portant, because the Census aims to put enu-

merators to work in the communities where

they live. Part of the rationale is saving on

transportation costs but the bigger reason is

to increase the chances that people will be

willingly counted. "If people recognize you,

they're more apt to open up and deal with you

than if you're someone from the outside,"

says Maxwell Biggs, who manages Census

recruiting in Florence, S.C. One of Biggs'

challenges: hiring enumerators for two of the

state's Native American tribes.

If you're interested in applying for a Cen-

sus job, the best place to start is online at

http://2010.census.gov/2010censusjobs/.

There you can download the application and

find your local Census office to take the test.

Connecticut (SATimes): Governor

M. Jodi Rell announced that the

state will help Nestlé Waters North

America Inc. keep its North Amer-

ican headquarters in Fairfield

County, preserving 475 jobs at its

corporate offices and creating 25

more over the next three years.

“This award-winning company

moved to Connecticut from New

York City in 1979 with one product

and fewer than 100 employees,”

Governor Rell said. “In the last 30

years Nestlé Waters has grown into

the top bottled water company in

the country with 15 well-known

brands. This innovative, creative

company is dedicated to our state –

and dedicated to job growth and

business expansion. Those commit-

ments are music to my ears. They

are exactly the sort of approaches

that will help our economy weather

this current downturn and emerge

all the stronger when business picks

up again.

“Not only will the company be

staying in Connecticut, keeping and

growing jobs in our state, it will

also be investing $27.8 million in

improving its new location at 900

Long Ridge Road in Stamford,” the

Governor noted. “That means addi-

tional economic benefit across the

spectrum of businesses. This is a

significant victory for our state.”

More than a year ago, Nestlé Wa-

ters began considering alternative

locations for its current headquar-

ters, located in Greenwich. The

company wanted the new location

to be within commuting distance of

its current location and said it pre-

ferred to stay in Fairfield County,

although it also considered loca-

tions in Westchester County, N.Y.

Nestlé Waters also has two branch

delivery locations in the towns of

North Haven and Bozrah. Governor

Rell directed the Department of

Economic and Community Devel-

opment (DECD) to work closely

with the company in identifying a

suitable Connecticut location.

DECD is providing a $4 million,

low-interest loan to Nestlé Waters

to equip the building at their new

location. In addition, the company

could be eligible for up to $5 mil-

lion in Urban and Industrial Sites

Reinvestment Tax Credits. The

Connecticut Development Authori-

ty Board of Directors has approved

up to a $1 million Sales and Use

Tax Exemption for the project.

“Nestlé Waters has a 30-year his-

tory as a Connecticut-based compa-

ny and we’re very happy that Con-

necticut recognizes us as a valuable

corporate citizen,” said Kim E. Jef-

fery, President and CEO of Nestlé

Waters North America. “The Stam-

ford location had the best combina-

tion of positives, including an at-

tractive and functional physical

property, reasonable operating

costs and a convenient location for

our employees. In addition, the fi-

nancial assistance provided was

key in our decision to retain our

corporate headquarters in Connecti-

cut.”

Gov Rell is the first-ever woman

Republican Governor of Connecti-

cut. Her bold approach to state gov-

ernment has gone a long way in

protecting Connecticut families and

businesses.

Plainview, NY (SATimes): Ac-

tion Sports Medicine & Pain

Management opened its new loca-

tion in Plainview, NY on January

7. The new location is at 524 Old

Country Road and is open on

Thursdays from 10am-2pm. The

Plainview office will offer consul-

tations, sports medicine as well as

EMG and Nerve Conduction

Studies.

In addition to Plainview, Action

Sports Medicine & Pain Manage-

ment has three other locations,

Rockville Centre, Mineola, and

Fresh Meadows, Queens.

Supervised by Sunil Butani,

M.D., all medical staff are Board

Certified in Physical Medicine &

Rehabilitation and Pain Manage-

ment. Dr. Butani focuses on

restoring physical function to his

patients and specializes in treating

those with sports injuries, neck &

back pain, car accident injuries

and job related injuries (workers'

compensation), with an emphasis

on pain management. Dr. Butani

is affiliated with Winthrop Uni-

versity Hospital and New York

Hospital Queens. He holds a

diplomate in anesthesiology from

Grant Medical College in Bom-

bay and has completed his ortho-

pedic surgery residency in Bom-

bay, India.

New York (SATimes): The South

Asian Bar Association of New York

(SABANY) announced the recent

election of its 2010 Board of Direc-

tors and Officers. While Kruti

Dharia is the new President, Rahul

Agarwal is new President-elect.

Nadia Seeratan was elected Secre-

tary and Anand Swaminathan as

Treasurer.

SABANY, an organization of

South Asian attorneys practicing in

the New York Metropolitan region

is dedicated to ensuring the civil

liberties of the South Asian com-

munity in New York, by acting as a

conduit between the South Asian

community and legal services and

educational programs in the area.

For additional information on

events and how to get involved, vis-

it www.sabany.org

Other elected members:

4VP of Membership and Events: Neha Dewan

4VP of Public Relations: Arvind Purohit

4VP of Sponsorship: Sachin Bansal

4VP of Public Interest Fellowship and

Law Student Relations: Moh Sharma

4VP of Public Interest: Nisha Agarwal

4VP of Private Sector and In-house Attorneys:

Paresh Trivedi

4Director: Anil Kalhan

4Director: Devjani Mishra

4Director: Ushir Pandit

4Director: Swati Parikh

4Director: Ameerdeep Singh

4Director: Hamel Vyas

4NASABA Liaison: Sanjay Rao

Gov M Jodi Rell

Census Bureau hiring 1.2 M part timer workers

CT works with Nestlé Watersto keep HQ, save 475 jobs

Action Sports Medicine &Pain Management announces

new location in Plainview

SABANY electsnew office bearers

Mata Ki Chowki: Guru Datt (sitting second from right), who runs amobile phones business, organized a Mata Ki Chowki last week at his

Hicksville residence. The devotional evening was anchored bySandeep Sehgal (sitting left), a garments businessman from Syosset,who has recently formed a volunteer group named "Vaishno Seva

Samiti" devoted to Mother Goddess.

National Community 9


Washington (HT Media): Virginia’s Repub-

lican Governor-elect Bob McDonnell has ap-

pointed his close friend and long-time

fundraiser Dr Kamlesh Dave to his transition

team for economic development.

Dave, a cardiologist practicing in Chester,

Virginia, a suburb of the state capital of Rich-

mond, is the first Indian American to be in-

ducted into the governor-elect’s inner circle of

advisers. Born and raised in Ahmedabad

Dave is a leading community and social ac-

tivist. He was recently unanimously elected

president of the new Republican Indian Com-

mittee, a political action committee. Dave mi-

grated to the US in 1980 and did his intern-

ship and residency at Cornell University in

New York and lived and worked in Manhat-

tan and parts of New Jersey for several years.

After moving to Richmond, he has served

as chief of medicine and chief of staff at South

Side Regional Medical Centre. He now serves

as a board member of the State Health Re-

search Board (HRB) of Virginia.

Until last year, he was the HRB’s vice chair-

man. He has also served as a board member of

the Workmen Compensation Medical Board

of Virginia. Dave was an elected delegate

from the fourth Congressional District to the

Republican National Convention in 2008 in

Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dave is also a di-

rector on the board of a local bank, First Cap-

ital Bank, Virginia, which is traded on NAS-

DAQ and has served as a board member of

the America Land Fund.

Washington (HT Media): Dis-

missal of charges against three

picky burglars accused of stealing

only gold from the homes of

South Asian families in two Wash-

ington suburbs has left the area

families livid.

The arrest of four more New

Yorkers last week in connection

with a burglary ring that targeted

homes in Fairfax and Loudoun

counties just two days after the

dismissal of charges against three

who were arrested in Centreville

in November has not soothed their

anger much.

The burglaries had stopped after

three suspects were arrested for

stealing millions of dollars worth

of jewellery from homes in Fair-

fax County. But now, several fam-

ilies say they’re worried about the

burglaries starting again.

These families say the burgla-

ries weren’t just scary, they were

downright terrifying. They say for

months on end, burglars targeted

them, one after the next, hitting

the homes of at least two dozen

South Asians and taking precious

gold from all of them.

“We’ve had good night’s sleep

since then,” Raman Kumar, an IT

professional, said one of the early

victims who had mobilized the In-

dian-American community over

the issue.

But then came last week’s pre-

liminary hearing when Fairfax

General District Court Judge Ian

M. O’Flaherty dismissed 10

counts of burglary and grand lar-

ceny against Dagoberto Soto-

Ramirez, his wife, Melinda M.

Soto, and Francisco Gray.

Prosecutors showed the judge

the suspects’ police scanner, an ac-

tual list they had of the streets

they’d targeted and even a lotion

and a touchstone used to deter-

mine the purity of gold but the

judge threw out the case.

“The judge, he rejected all the

evidence and dismissed the case,”

Kumar said “How much more ev-

idence did the judge need?” he

asked.

“I assure you the officers who

worked so hard on these cases are

just as disheartened as you are,”

Sophia Grinnan, Crime Preven-

tion Officer at Fairfax County Po-

lice Department said in an e-mail

to the residents.

“Unfortunately, our legal system

is set up so the very laws that pro-

tect us are subject to interpretation

by judges,” she said. “The down-

fall of Wednesday’s preliminary

hearing was not due to loopholes

in the written law or attorney ex-

perience but in evidentiary inter-

pretation.” Fairfax police said

they also obtained warrants for

conspiracy to commit grand larce-

ny against Jonathan A. Brunett,

25; Nubiela Gaviria, 50; and Con-

suelo M. Rojas, 59, all of Queens,

N.Y., and Karen Echevarria, 28,

from the Bronx. All four are in

custody in New York.

Washington (HT Media): Presi-

dent Barack Obama has in a mes-

sage of greetings on India’s 61st

Republic day Tuesday hailed the

growing partnership between the

US and India and the friendship be-

tween the two peoples.

“And as our peoples continue to

build upon that friendship, let our

governments continue to work to-

gether to advance peace, prosperi-

ty, and stability around the globe,”

he said in a message issued by the

White House.

“I send my warmest wishes on

behalf of the American people to

the people of India and to those

here in America and around the

world who are celebrating Repub-

lic Day,” Obama said.

The Indian American community

across the US celebrated the Re-

public Day with enthusiasm, Indi-

an Ambassador Meera Shankar in

Washington unfurling the national

flag at a colorful function at the In-

dian embassy.

President Pratibha Patil’s mes-

sage was read out to the assembled

members of the Indian community.

The function concluded with

children from Gandharva USA, a

local music school, singing “Vande

Mataram” (I pay homage to the

mother) in Sanskrit and patriotic

songs in Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada,

Bengali, Assamese, Khasi and

Urdu.

About 200 members of the com-

munity joined the celebrations.

Similar flag hoisting ceremonies

were also held at the Indian con-

sulates in New York, San Francis-

co, Chicago and Houston.

FBI searches Indian-Americandoctor’s weight-loss clinics

Chicago (HT Media): Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents executed search war-

rants at five Illinois clinics associated with an Indian American weight-loss specialist, Dr.

Gautum Gupta, including one in Chicago and two in its suburbs.

Federal agents executed the warrants and searched for evidence Thursday at five clin-

ics, including Chicago, northwest suburban Arlington Heights and west suburban

Naperville, according to an FBI spokesman.

No arrests were made and no criminal charges had been filed as of late Friday afternoon,

he said. He could not immediately provide further information regarding the investigation

or what investigators were looking for.

Dr. Gupta is a weight loss specialist who uses “innovative” FDA-approved medications,

along with a weight-loss program, according to his website.

A woman who answered the phone at Gupta’s main office in Rockford declined to com-

ment on the warrants, according to Chicago Tribune. “We are open for business,” she said.

“We are seeing patients. That’s all you need to know.”

Barack Obama

Indian-American named advisorto Virginia governor-elect

Washington Desis angry as gold thieves

go scot free

Obama hails partnership as Indiansin US celebrate R-Day

::::: We specialize in :::::4Central Air Conditioning

4New and Old Ductwork Repairs

4Change Condenser, Special Rates

4Furnace & Air Handlers

4New Installations

4Office/Restaurant Exhaust Systems

4WE DO SPLIT UNITS

LICENSED & INSURED # 344/272

This winter we’ll make you feel comfortable!

K-2 MechanicalAir Conditioning and Heating

Residential & Commercial

Please CallAbid Gulzar

CallNow!

Pre-seasonheatingstart upspecial

Hot water change old or new installations

71, Dolittle St. Brentwood, NY 11717Tel: (631) 513-5487

10 National Community


Mumbai (SATimes): The Brand

Good Morning Premium Tea intro-

duced its much awaited “Try Some-

thing New!” campaign along with

the consumer promotion scheme at

the Saas Bahu Sajish party.

The campaign was unveiled in the

presence of who’s who of small

screen, Ronit Roy, Ali Asgar, Smita

Bansal & Neha Marda (Balika Vad-

hu), Natasha Sharma & Meghana

Malika (Naa Aana Iss Des Laddo),

Tina Dutta, Nandish Sandhu, Rash-

mi Desai (Uttaran), Sarah Khan

(Bidaai) Harshad Chopra & Additi

Gupta (Kis Desh Mein Hain Mera

Dil) to name a few.

Good Morning Premium tea be-

longs to world’s renowned quality

tea Group, WaghBakri, which tow-

ers national and international busi-

ness scenario as the third largest pri-

vately held tea company.

The sizzling and starry night was

organized to complement the stars

of the small screen for their contri-

bution to the Indian television in-

dustry and making this show suc-

cessfully running since last five

years. The party was attended by all

TV actors across all the channels,

from the star cast of Balika Vadhu to

Tarak Mehta Ka Ulta Chashma,

Biddai, Naa Aana Iss Desh Lado,

Krishna, Antara, Kis Desh Main

Hain Mera Dil to Miley Jab Hum

Tum and many more. The night was

filled with joyous glitter and glam-

our with the presence of all stars of

small screen under one roof irre-

spective of the channels and their

number games. Good Morning Pre-

mium Tea comes with exclusive de-

signer premium quality 2010 mug

free with its 250gm and 500gm

pack. It will, now, be available in

the market for the tea lovers.

Good Morning is a brand of

Lifestyle. It conveys healthy living

with innate regality. It stands very

high in aroma and exquisite blend

that can be cherished as a refreshing

tea drinking experience. If one can

use the term fine dining for delec-

table and exquisite cuisines, Good

Morning can proudly own the dis-

tinction of “fine Tea”.

Committed to transcend the jour-

ney, these 2010 mugs come with the

meaningful messages to make 2010,

a better year, and the motherland, a

better place, to live and sustain for

generations to come and enjoy.

Ohio (SATimes): Surya Yalamanchili, an Indi-

an American marketing professional announced

that he will seek the Democratic endorsement

for the Ohio 2nd District US House seat. He en-

tered this race as an Independent but along the

way realized that he could do the most good

from within the Democratic party. “ By fighting

for pragmatic solutions to our significant poli-

cy challenges, I am confident that I can be the

leader the 2nd district deserves,” he said. “Our

campaign will continue to eschew special in-

terests and refrain from petty, divisive attacks.

We will stay focused on the dialogue of what it

will take to enhance and rebuild the core of

what makes our nation great. I look forward to

spending the coming months with the people of

the 2nd district, talking about the substantive is-

sues that will define America's future,” he

added. The 2nd District comprises the eastern

part of Cincinnati and extends eastward to

Portsmouth, Ohio. The district is fairly conser-

vative, preferring John McCain over Barack

Obama in last year’s presidential election. Yala-

manchili is the third Democrat to challenge in-

cumbent Republican Congresswoman Jean

Schmidt. David Krikorian, who was an inde-

pendent candidate in the 2008 election, and Jim

Parker are also running. Other Democrats may

enter the race before the Feb. 18 filing deadline.

Yalamanchili was born in Pennsylvania and his

parents are originally from AP. When he at-

tended Rutgers, he spent a summer working at

Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati. After working

as a start-up in Silicon Valley and graduating

from Rutgers, he rejoined Proctor & Gamble

full time in 2001. In May 2003, when he was

24, Yalamanchili became one of the youngest

brand managers in the company’s history.

Washington (SATimes): An Indian Ameri-

can cardiologist has been sentenced to nearly

four years in prison and ordered to pay back

to the state the 16 million dollars he failed to

pay in income taxes.

Pradeep Srivastava, the 50-year-old cardi-

ologist who had offices in Oxon Hill and

Greenbelt, Maryland, evaded the income tax

in his 1998 and 1999 filings and filed a false

return in 2000, according to the Federal Bu-

reau of Investigation (FBI).

US District Judge Roger W. Titus Wednes-

day sentenced Srivastava, who was convicted

by a federal jury on Oct 8, to 46 months in

prison, followed by three years of supervised

release.

According to evidence presented at the six

day trial, Srivastava conducted a huge volume

of trading in stocks and stock options.

During the "bull market" of the late 1990s,

the evidence showed that he earned more than

USD 40 million in short-term capital gains,

much of them from trading in stock options

involving high-technology stocks such as

America Online, Dell Computer, Yahoo,

Qualcomm and Inktomi.

In preparation for filing his tax returns for

1998 and 1999, Srivastava provided his ac-

countant with information about those trades

that generated capital losses, but omitted pro-

viding information relating to the vast major-

ity of his short-term capital gains, prosecutors

said.

Srivastava then filed tax returns which

omitted those capital gains and, according to

trial testimony, understated his tax due by

USD 164,756 in 1998 and USD 16,179,567

in 1999.

The evidence proved that in 2000, the val-

ue of Srivastava's portfolio collapsed and he

incurred massive capital losses.

Disclosure of the full extent of those losses,

however, would have potentially alerted the

Internal Revenue Service to his massive,

undisclosed short-term capital gains for 1998

and 1999, therefore, trial testimony showed

that Srivastava filed a false tax return which

understated his capital losses for 2000.

Washington (HT Media):

Brown University, a mem-

ber of the prestigious Ivy

League, will hold an exhibi-

tion of early masterpieces of

Maqbool Fida Husain, from

Feb 5 through March 26.

The exhibit, part of Provi-

dence, Rhode Island based

Brown’s Year of India initia-

tive, will be hosted by the

Cogut Centre for the Hu-

manities, in collaboration

with the David Winton Bell

Gallery. “Early Masterpieces, 1950s-70s” is

drawn from the collection of Amrita

Jhaveri, a 1991 Brown graduate, and a spe-

cialist in 20th-century Indian art and the au-

thor of “A Guide to 101 Modern and Con-

temporary Indian Artists”.

“Husain’s paintings are unique for their

profundity and their playfulness, for their

ability to explore themes of cultural history

and legacy in a context of explosive color

and beauty,” said Michael

Steinberg, director of the

Cogut Centre for the Human-

ities.

“This union of visual art

and humanistic inquiry

makes for an ideal collabora-

tive project between the

Cogut Centre and the Bell

Gallery, as well as a perfect

celebration of the Year of In-

dia.” Focusing on Husain’s

early works, the exhibition

features 12 paintings created

between 1954 and 1971, providing a view

into the artist’s first manifestations of his

many favorite subjects: life on the streets,

woman and horse (together and apart), and

mythological and religious personages. Hu-

sain’s interest in mythology is represented

in the exhibition by Draupadi, which por-

trays the heroine of the epic Mahabharata.

The painting is one of 29 that were created

for the São Paulo Biennale in 1971.

Good Morning Tea, a premium brand from Wagh Bakri Tea group,launched designer 2010 Mugs free gift scheme at

“Saas Bahu & Sazish” party in Mumbai attended by many TV starsincluding Vikrant Massey (right) of Balika Vadhu fame.

Good Morning Premium Tea launches new campaign

Indian American runsfor Ohio House seat

Anand Ahuja now represents US celebs

Indian American doctorordered to pay 16 mn

dollars tax default

US varsity to exhibitM.F. Husain’s early

masterpieces

Painter M F Husain

New York (SATimes): Indian

American lawyer Anand Ahu-

ja is representing high profile

celebrities such as Michael

Lohan, father of Lindsey Lo-

han and ex-girl friend of real-

ity show “Jon & Kate plus 8”

star Jon Gosselin.

Lohan has retained him as

one of his attorneys to repre-

sent him against his ex-girl-

friend Erin Muller.

Ahuja was quoted by various

US media while defending his

client Hailey Glassman, Gosselin’s former

live-in girlfriend, who claimed that she was

being framed for trashing the reality tv star’s

upper west side apartment as a part of a

“huge publicity stunt” Ahuja is a U.S. citizen

born in India. He is admitted in

the states of New York, Con-

necticut, Virginia, U.S. District

Court; Southern District of

NY, U.S. District Court; East-

ern District of NY, and India.

Ahuja received his education

and experience both in India

and the United States. He

holds an LL.M. (International

Business Law); an LL.M. in

Labor Laws; LL.B. (JD);

M.B.A. [Personnel Manage-

ment & Labor Welfare];

M.B.A. [Business Management]; a Diploma

in German language; a Postgraduate Diplo-

ma in Gandhian Philosophy, besides his

M.A. (Major: International Relations) and

B.A. (Honors) degrees.

Attorney Anand Ahuja

By Amulya Ganguli,HT Media

Soon after the Indian National

Congress, at the forefront of

the country's independence

movement, adopted the 'purna

swaraj' or complete independence

resolution at its Lahore convention

on New Year's Day in 1930, Ma-

hatma Gandhi called for a day of

celebration on Jan 26, which till

1947 came to be observed as Inde-

pendence Day.

A public pledge, drafted by Jawa-

harlal Nehru, who became India's

first prime minister after independ-

ence on Aug 15, 1947 - used to be

taken on Jan 26 to assert the "in-

alienable right of the Indian people,

as of any other people, to have free-

dom". To achieve this end, "India

must sever the British connection"

since "we hold it to be a crime

against man and God to submit any

longer to a rule that has caused dis-

aster to our country".

In 1950, the day was chosen to

declare India as a republic and an-

nounce the adoption of the consti-

tution, which has been described as

the country's new 'dharmashastra'

(value system) by Granville Austin,

an expert on the Indian Constitu-

tion. When it came into force, the

constitution marked the beginning

of "perhaps the greatest political

venture that originated in Philadel-

phia in 1787", to quote Austin

again.

As Anthony Eden also said at the

time, the "Indian political venture

is not a pale imitation of our prac-

tice at home, but a magnified and

multiplied reproduction on a scale

we have never dreamt of. If it suc-

ceeds, its influence on Asia is incal-

culable for good".

None of these accolades have

proved wrong. The Indian republic

has proved to be a great success

story, in all senses of the term. Not

only has it stood the test of time by

defying the doomsayers, it has built

on its durability to act as an exam-

ple of a thriving multi-religious,

multicultural democracy, especial-

ly to those countries which attained

freedom in the late 1940s and early

1950s. If the republic had seemed

fragile and vulnerable when it came

into being six decades ago, the rea-

son was that few believed at the

time that democracy would work in

a country as poor and diverse as In-

dia. While poverty was expected to

strengthen the Communists within

the country with surreptitious help

from Moscow and Beijing, the plu-

rality of language, religion and cul-

ture was seen as a fillip to fissi-

parous tendencies.

Such negative perceptions might

have been the result of the fact that

experiments in democracy had not

succeeded in India's neighborhood.

While Pakistan went under a mili-

tary dictatorship along with Burma

(now Myanmar); China passed

from the right-wing autocracy of

Chiang Kai-shek to one-party

Communist rule.

Although Ceylon (now Sri Lan-

ka) maintained a formal democra-

cy, the insistence of its rulers on im-

posing the Sinhalese language and

Buddhism on the Tamil-speaking,

Hindu minorities from India laid

the roots of a civil strife which has

subsided only recently.

India, on the other hand, over-

came its problems of internal rifts

by adopting accommodative poli-

cies, which can still provide guide-

lines to others grappling with divi-

sive trends. One of the policies was

to assure the non-Hindi-speaking

people of the south, mainly the

Tamils, that Hindi would never be

the sole official language without

their consent and that English

would continue as the link lan-

guage as long as they wanted.

The young Indian republic was

fortunate, of course, in having at its

helm a leader like Nehru, with his

faith in democracy and secularism,

and the glorious heritage of Gand-

hi. It was a legacy of which no oth-

er country in the region could

boast.

Although poverty remains the

only major blot on the Indian scene,

there are expectations that the con-

sistently high growth rates, which

have followed the liberalization of

the economy from 1991, will grad-

ually eradicate this problem. Ex-

cept for this blemish, Indians can

be proud of their achievements

against what seemed insuperable

odds at one time.

The pride is reflected in the im-

pressive military parade and cultur-

al pageantry that is held in the na-

tional capital - and on a smaller

scale in the provincial capitals -

every year on Jan 26.

It is not only the display of mili-

tary might, including supersonic

aircraft flying overheard, that is the

highlight of the show, but also the

presentations on a moving stage of

the distinctive features of life and

progress of every state of the Indi-

an union.

A thousand years ago, the Persian

scholar, Al-beruni, said, "Hindus

believe that there is no country like

theirs, no nation like theirs, no

kings like theirs, no religion like

theirs, no science like theirs". If the

boastful trait has survived through

the vicissitudes of history, there is

justification for it.

By Palash Krishna Mehrotra,HT Media

Last year, I became involved

with a white woman. Friends

of mine, from Bandra to De-

fence Colony, began congratulating

me on my “achievement.” “Well

done yaar,” they said, “How did

you pull it off?”

It was pathetic. I wondered if the

whites were congratulating my girl-

friend about landing a brown man.

Silly as the whole affair was, it re-

vealed to me the deep sense of infe-

riority that runs through our middle

class.

Indians have a precarious sense of

self. That, coupled with the fact that

80 per cent of our population has

amoebic cysts in their brains, ren-

ders us the most humorless people

to inhabit this planet.

We are a nation of cranks, con-

stantly running scared of ourselves.

Anything from lingerie to a paint-

ing can get our goat. We whine, we

sulk, we vandalize. We feel perse-

cuted all the time. We are perma-

nently upset. We are all chip and no

shoulder. Is it any wonder, then,

that we have never learnt to laugh at

ourselves? We turn humans into

idols, install them in temples, erect

barbwire fences; if you attempt to

scale the wall you will only end up

hurting yourself on a jagged piece

of glass. Which is why no one dares

scale the wall. Our stand-up come-

dy, for instance, is hideously obse-

quious. Instead of pulling an icon’s

pants down, the Indian stand-up

seeks his blessings. Raju Srivastava

regularly touches Amitji’s feet on

national TV, “Sir, aap ki nakal karte

karte main yahaan tak pahunch

gaya. Sab aap hi ki kripa hai.”

Elsewhere, it is the job of the

stand-up to walk around with a

stack of pins and burst as many bal-

loons as she can find. Every balloon

is equal. No one is spared. Here,

stand-up comedy is reduced to

mere mimicry, imitating the man-

nerisms of a famous personality or

spouting a well-known Bollywood

dialogue. There are no gags. You

never pull the rug from under any-

one’s feet.

Contrast this with America in the

1950s. In a famous piece called

‘Frank Sinatra has a Cold’, Gay

Talese writes about Sinatra and his

cronies going to see a stand-up

comic called Don Rickles. Rickles

goes for him the moment he spots

him, calling Sinatra a washed-up

singer. He then picks on one of his

sidekicks, Jilly: “How’s it feel to be

Frank’s tractor? Yeah, Jilly keeps

walking in front of Frank clearing

the way.” Later, when Sinatra gets

up to leave, Rickles flies at him

again, “Shaddup and sit down. I’ve

had to listen to you sing…” Sinatra

loves it. Dean Martin, also in the

audience, loves it so much he pours

a bottle of whisky on his own head,

and begins pounding the table like

a madman. Humor of this kind is

unimaginable in 21st century India.

Which is odd because we have had

a long tradition of questioning our

beliefs and sending up our holy

cows, from the Carvaka philoso-

phers onwards down to Kabir.

Sanjay Rajoura, a rookie stand-up

comic from Delhi, also belongs to

this new breed of audacious young

Indians who are willing to rip apart

everything from Americans to

themselves. Rajoura’s favorite gag

is about Jats, “I am a Jat. Let me tell

you something about Jats. One-

third of my community is in the po-

lice, one-third are DTC bus con-

ductors and the rest are criminals.”

I saw Rajoura at the Habitat Cen-

tre. The kids in the audience loved

him but he managed to offend the

fuddy-duddies, one of who stood up

and boomed, “Let me tell you,

young man, that the maximum

number of gallantry awards every

year go to Jats.”

The old man might have missed

the point completely. But the young

man is certainly onto something.

He has learnt to make fun of him-

self. And in that gap between gen-

erations lies an inkling of hope.

Maybe, just maybe, we will learn to

laugh again.

(The writer is the author of Eu-nuch Park and the editor of Recess:The Penguin Book of Schooldays.)

12 Op Ed


India@60, and soaring

All chip, no shoulder

The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.

Although poverty remains the only major blot on the Indian scene,there are expectations that the consistently high growth rates will

gradually eradicate this problem.

We are a nation of cranks, constantly runningscared of ourselves. Anything from lingerie to apainting can get our goat. We whine, we sulk, wevandalize. We feel persecuted all the time. We arepermanently upset. We are all chip and no shoul-der. Is it any wonder, then, that we have neverlearnt to laugh at ourselves?

India Newswire 13


New Delhi: Nobel Laureate Venkatraman

Ramakrishnan, Apollo Hospital group chair-

man Prathap C. Reddy, and theater personal-

ities Ebrahim Alkazi and Zohra Segal are

among the six people awarded the Padma

Vibhushan, the country's second highest

civilian award, in the Republic Day honors.

Dashing Indian opening batsman Virender

Sehwag, Olympic bronze-medal winning

boxer Vijender Singh and world-ranked bad-

minton star Saina Nehwal were among the

six sportspersons named for the Padma Shri

award.

Hockey player Ignace Tirkey, reputed

cricket coach Ramakant Vithal Achrekar and

India's first Formula One driver Narain

Karthikeyan were the other three in the list.

For the second successive year, the Bharat

Ratna, the country's highest civilian honor,

has not been awarded. It was last given in

2008 to classical singer Bhimsen Joshi.

Of the Padma Vibhushan awardees, Reddy

set up India's first corporate hospital with the

Apollo in Chennai in 1983. Today, the group

has over 22 centers in major metropolises in

India with a combined turnover of over $100

million.

Alkazi is the founding head of the India's

premier theater training institute, the Nation-

al School of Drama; Segal, 97, is the doyenne

of theater and has appeared in numerous Bol-

lywood and Hollywood movies.

Seventeen of the Padma awardees are

women while 13 are foreigners, NRIs or peo-

ple of Indian origin (PIOs). Of the 130

awardees, the bulk - 37 - are from the world

of art, 24 from the sphere of literature and ed-

ucation, 16 from medicine, 14 from trade and

industry, 10 from science and engineering

and six from the world of sports.

Others who have been honored are 11 so-

cial workers, five for public affairs, four for

civil service and one each for public service,

journalism and environment protection.

President Pratibha Patil will give away the

awards at an investiture ceremony in Rash-

trapati Bhavan in March/April.

Among the others honored with the Padma

Vibhushan are percussionist Umayalpuram

K. Sivaraman and former Reserve Bank of

India governor Y.V Reddy.

The Padma Bhushan awardees include Ra-

makant M. Panda who had conducted Prime

Minister Manmohan Singh's heart surgery

last year. Others honoured include dancer

Mallika Sarabhai, Bipin Chandra (literature

and education), former minister of state at the

center Eknath Rao alias Balasaheb Vikhe

Patil (social work), hotelier C.P. Krishnan

Nair, industrialist S.P. Oswal and realtor K.P.

Singh.

Odissi exponent Mayadhar Raut, Oscar-

winning sound enginer Resul Pokutty, former

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chief

D.R. Karthikeyan, Formula 1 driver Narain

Karthikeyan and industrialist Kapil Mohan

are among those named for the Padma Shri.

Three foreigners, Indologist Hermann

Kulke of Germany, Sanskrit scholar Sheldon

Pollock of the US and Spaniard Rafael Iruzu-

bieta Fernandez (public affairs) have also

been awarded the Padma Shri.

New Delhi: With food inflation at a

high of over 17 percent, and potatoes,

pulses and sugar costing twice as

much as they did last year, President

Pratibha Patil said time had come to

think "out of the box" to bring down

prices with focus on farm productivi-

ty through a second Green Revolu-

tion.

"The world over, as also in our

country, there is a rising demand for

food-grains," the president said in her

address to the nation on the eve of the

country's 61st Republic Day.

"This foretells the need for an in-

tense focus on increasing agriculture productivity to en-

sure food availability, particularly of agricultural pro-

duces that are in short supply to avoid spiraling food

prices," the president said.

"I call for urgent steps toward a second Green Revo-

lution. There should be use of new technologies, better

seeds, improved farming practices, effective water

management, as well as more intense framework for

connecting the farmer with the scientific community

with lending institutions and with markets."

The president said "out of the box thinking" was nec-

essary, as higher agriculture income would improve the

living standards of the over 145 million rural house-

holds, in the over 600,000 villages of the country.

"With higher income levels, the rural economy will

generate demand and provide impetus for growth in

other sectors," she said adding a more proactive farm

sector in the growth process will enhance production

and as generator of demand for products and services.

Delving at length on the issue of

farmers, Patil -- who first spoke in

Hindi and then in English -- said pos-

sibilities of partnerships between in-

dustry and agriculture should be ex-

plored.

"For example, the food processing

industry when located close to agri-

cultural areas can transform India's

rural landscape. Currently food pro-

cessing is as low as 10 percent of pro-

duction compared to 65-85 percent

generally seen in developed coun-

tries," she said.

Calling the beginning of 2010 "the

deciding decade, the decade of reckoning", Patil said

policies to promote growth to the bottom of the pyra-

mid and to those currently outside its purview must be

pursued. Patil laid emphasis on eradication of social

malpractices, especially those related to discrimination

against women.

The president also warned that "weak implementation

and corruption in the system" were obstacles due to

which policies were not having their desired results.

"A bottleneck and an impediment in bringing about

the desired results, for which policies and schemes have

been formulated and huge allocation of funds made, is

weak implementation and corruption in the system,"

she said.

"The causes of the chronic ailment of tardy imple-

mentation have to be treated. There should be account-

ability for lack of implementation of projects, programs

and schemes. This is critical for bringing about positive

change,” she added.

Kolkata (HT Media): A fast track

court here Friday awarded life sen-

tences to Prabhu Shankar Agarwal,

owner of the Rs.500 crore Haldiram

food chain, and four others for con-

spiring to kill a tea stall owner in

Kolkata in 2005. Tapan Sen, judge

of the fourth fast track court at the

City Sessions Court, handed the

punishment to Agarwal, his aide

Arun Khandelwal as well as con-

tract killer Gopal Tiwari and his two

henchmen. They had been convicted

Wednesday for the murder conspir-

acy against tea stall owner Pramod

Sharma. Agarwal’s lawyer said:

“We are not happy with the verdict.

We will appeal to a higher court.

There is no direct evidence against

him.” Agarwal, with the connivance

of Khandelwal, had hired Tiwari to

dispose of Sharma who had refused

to remove his stall, which was

blocking the entrance to a shop that

the businessman was about to open

in the Burrabazar area of Kolkata.

Tiwari, Sonkar and Thakur shot at

and injured Sharma March 30, 2005.

Tiwari was arrested from Hyder-

abad. Agarwal was arrested from the

airport in New Delhi June 7, the

same year on his return from

Britain, where he had gone to open a

branch of his food chain.

Amar should quit Rajya Sabha:Samajwadi Party

New Delhi: Hours after taking charge as the Samajwadi Party's new gen-

eral secretary and spokesperson, Mohan Singh has demanded that Amar

Singh should resign from the Rajya Sabha too. "Rajya Sabha membership

is given by the party and, therefore, he should resign from the Rajya Sab-

ha also," said Mohan Singh, who was Wednesday appointed the party gen-

eral secretary and spokesperson in place of Amar Singh who resigned

from the post recently. He said that since Amar Singh has quit as the par-

ty's general secretary, member of the parliamentary board and as

spokesperson, he should quit the Rajya Sabha post too. "Amar Singh is

now part of history. In political parties, people keep coming and going. It

is an ongoing process," he told reporters here. He added that it was be-

cause of people like Amar Singh that the party got the image that it is with

the "rich and mighty only". "People felt that the SP has become a party

of corporates. We too are responsible for being mute spectators on the is-

sue," he told reporters here.

Out of the box thinking necessary: Patil

Haldiram owner sentenced to life for murder conspiracy

Alkazi, Sehwag, Apollo group’s Reddy in Padma list

Theater personalities Ebrahim Alkazi and Zohra Segal, crickter Virender Sehwag and Apollo Hospital group chairman Prathap C. Reddy.

President Pratibha Patil addressingthe nation on the eve of the 61st

Republic Day.

14 India Newswire


New Delhi: Acting on the “advice”

of Defense Minister A.K. Antony,

Indian Army chief Gen. Deepak

Kapoor on January 29 ordered a

court martial of his chief aide Lt.

Gen. Avadesh Prakash for his in-

volvement in a land scam in West

Bengal's Sukhna cantonment, a de-

fense official said on January 29.

The army chief's decision has

come two days after the defense

minister advised a court martial of

the military secretary on the issue.

Prakash was due to retire on Janu-

ary 31.

Two days ago, Antony had ad-

vised the Army Chief to initiate

disciplinary action against his top

aide Lt General Avadesh Prakash in

connection with the land deal.

The Defense minister had over-

turned the Army Chief's earlier de-

cision to initiate only 'administra-

tive' action against his top aide

Prakash, especially since the in-

dicted officer has been accused of

being the kingpin in the entire con-

spiracy to aid the transfer of a 71-

acre tea estate adjacent to Sukhna

military station to his family friend

and real estate developer Dilip

Agarwal.

New Delhi: The Ministry of Exter-

nal Affairs (MEA) has issued a sec-

ond advisory cautioning Indian stu-

dents about studying in Australia in

the backdrop of fresh racist attacks

on Indians, including the latest at-

tacks on four Indians in Brisbane.

Coming hard on Australia, Minis-

ter of State for External Affairs Pre-

neet Kaur said, "We are discourag-

ing Indian students to go to Aus-

tralia."

The move is expected to hurt Aus-

tralia's lucrative foreign student

market gravely as Indian students

comprise the second largest group

of international students coming to

Australia after Chinese.

Meanwhile, the body of Ranjodh

Singh, who was killed in Australia

late last month, has reached Delhi

International Airport today.

The Ministry of External Affairs

had facilitated the transportation of

the body which has been released

after completion of all legal formal-

ities in New South Wales where

Ranjodh was found charred to death

on December 29, 2009.

Ranjot, who had gone to Australia

over a year ago, was into farming in

Griffith near Melbourne. His wife

was on a student visa.

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena hit out at

actor and Kolkata Knight Riders

co-owner Shah Rukh Khan on Jan-

uary 29 for his comments on Pak-

istani cricketers with one leader

saying he should play his matches

in Lahore and another declaring

that the star's films would not be al-

lowed to be screened in Thane.

Attacking Shah Rukh for espous-

ing the cause of Pakistani players

who were ignored in the recent In-

dian Premier League (IPL) auction,

Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha MP San-

jay Raut said if the actor was so in-

terested in them "he could go play

his matches in Lahore, not in In-

dia".

"Pakistan has been blatantly in-

dulging in terror activities and

killing our innocent people. Sena is

firm in our policy of not allowing

Pakistani players on our soil," Raut

told reporters.

He also reiterated Shiv Sena's

"ban" on Australian players - an-

nounced last week by party chief

Bal Thackeray - for the ongoing at-

tacks on Indians in Australia.

Taking the issue further, Thane

Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde

announced that no film of Shah

Rukh's would be screened in the

district.

"Since Shah Rukh Khan has hurt

the sentiments of the people by his

utterances, we have decided that

his films will not exhibited in any

cinema or multiplex in entire

Thane district," said Eknath

Shinde.

Shah Rukh had said in Ahmed-

abad that there was need for creat-

ing an environment where IPL

franchisees could recruit Pakistani

players with ease.

Haridwar: With an estimated

500,000 pilgrims expected to take a

dip in the Ganga on the occasion of

Magh Purnima on January 30, a

tight security cover was thrown

around the Maha Kumbh Mela area

here, officials said. Devout Hindus

believe that on Magh Purnima,

bathing in the Ganga washes away

people's sins. Magh Purnima is the

full moon in the Hindu month of

Magha. "About 9,000 security per-

sonnel have been deployed around

the Mela area spread across 130 sq

km spanning Haridwar, Dehradun,

Pauri and Tehri Garhwal districts,"

deputy inspector general of police

(DIG, Mela) Alok Sharma twas

quoted as saying. The religious

gathering that began on January 14

will end on April 28 after the

Baisakhi Shahi Snan - one of the

most important bathing dates on

April 14.

Panag callsArmy chiefspineless

Mumbai: Bollywood actor Gul

Panag has lashed out at Army

Chief Deepak Kapoor, who had a

wrangle with her father Lt Gen

(retd) H.S. Panag, accusing the

Army chief of being "spineless".

Both Gul and her father wel-

comed Defense Minister A K

Antony's intervention in land

scam to ensure a strict action

against Military Scretary Lt Gen

Avadesh Prakash.

Gul's father was conducting an

inquiry in 2008 into alleged irreg-

ularities in the purchase of tents

that were made under General

Kapoor's tenure, but he was re-

moved within weeks of that.

Tight security atMaha Kumbh

An estimated 500,000 pilgrims were expected to take a dip in the Gangaon the occasion of Magh Purnima on January 30.

Indian Army chief Gen. Deepak Kapoor.

Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur.

Sena attacks SRK forIPL comments

Court martial Lt. Gen.Prakash: Army chief

India issues secondtravel advisory

against Oz

Sena chief attacks Mukesh

AmbaniMumbai: Shiv Sena chief Bal

Thackeray has attacked industri-

alist Mukesh Ambani over his re-

cent statement that Mumbai be-

longs to all Indians.

"Marathi people have as much

right over Mumbai as Mukesh

Ambani has over Reliance com-

panies," Thackeray said in an ar-

ticle published in Sena mouth-

piece 'Saamna.'

"Mumbai is Maharashtra's cap-

ital and will remain its capital.

Don't meddle in the path of Mum-

bai and Marathi manoos ," he

said.

Thackeray said, "when 'Pandit

Mukesh Ambani' says Mumbai,

Chennai and Delhi belong to all

Indians, why has he left out cities

likes Ahmedabad, Jamnagar and

Rajkot".

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut.

Science of Spirituality Presents

Saturday – March 20 – 9:30am to 3pmSCIENCE OF SPIRITUALITY MEDITATION CENTER

79 COUNTY LINE ROAD, AMITYVILLE, NY 11701

COMMUNITY HEALTH DAY

SCIENCE OF SPIRITUALITY IS A MULTI-FAITH SPIRITUAL ORGANIZATION

UNDER THE DIRECTION OF SANT RAJINDER SINGH JI MAHARAJ,

DEDICATED TO LOVE, UNITY AND PEACE.

www.sos.org

for a more stress-free, peaceful and healthy life

All programs are free and open to all. To register and for information:

[email protected]; 631.822.7979

INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS

Stress Reduction for a Healthy Mind, Body and Soul

Facilitator: Indra Taneja, M.D.

Meditation: the Secret to Lasting Peace and Tranquility

Facilitator: Jim Rose, M.Ed.

Vegetarian Quick Start

Presenter: Susan Rose

Hatha Yoga for Beginners

Presenter: Liz O'Shaughnessy

Three Stages of Spiritual Recovery

Raymond Holmes

HEALTH INFORMATION SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE DURING THE EVENT.

Scie

ence of Spirit

tuality Presen

sentts

Scie

ence of Spirit

tuality Presen

sentts

16 Culture


Culture 17


Dance Pe Chance: FIA’s hi-octane, entertaining showBy Parveen Chopra

New Jersey (SATimes): “Dance Pe Chance”,

the first public event of the Federation of In-

dian Associations NYNJCT (FIA) under the

new President Nirav Mehta, was a high octane

affair of a high standard, in keeping with his

promise to bring in youthful energy and more

professionalism to the organization.

Held at the auditorium of Watchung Hills Re-

gional High School, Warren, NJ, on January

23, the dance competition marked India’s 61st

Republic Day with a rhythmic celebration of

India’s rich past and abundant future. The an-

nual dance competition is a 28-year-old legacy

of FIA that is an integral part of the its core phi-

losophy: preservation and promotion of Indian

culture and arts in the US.

But this year, Dance Pe Chance’s distinctly

colorful and energetic format was different.

Based on the theme of ‘Emotions’, it was

strong influenced by Bollywood, which has so

aptly captured the popular imagination of the

world, particularly with its song-and-dance se-

quences.

The event saw participants recreate the magic

of their favorite movie stars, epitomizing the

vivacity, passion, glitz and glamour synony-

mous with Bollywood. Eighteen dance groups

from New Jersey, New York and Connecticut

competed for prizes, in Minor, Junior and Sen-

ior categories. Participating groups included

the popular all-male fusion dance team Broad

Street Baadshahz, Gujarati Samaj of New York

and Studio Mudra, among others.

The People’s Choice Award, with votes being

cast via sms from among the 1000-strong au-

dience, was a first for any Indian dance com-

petition held in the US. The show that lasted

for almost 5 hours, served as a grand platform

for Indian American dancers and choreogra-

phers, who showcased their awe-inspiring tal-

ent and connect between modern techniques

and traditional forms. For the Minor category,

the first prize was bagged by Gujarati Samaj of

New York. From Juniors, India Performing

Arts Center won the top prize.

In the Senior category, Broad Street Baad-

shahz bagged not only the top dance prize, but

also the coveted “Best of Best” prize, which

carried a prize money of $1000.

Kamlesh Mehta, publisher of The South

Asian Times, announced a cash prize for the

Arya Dance Academy group, to encourage per-

haps the youngest children to participate in the

competition.

For the audience it was feast for the eyes and

ears – the costumes, the choreography, the

choice of songs and the backdrop all was of the

highest order.

The judges for the event included Parijat

Desai, artistic director of a Brooklyn-based ac-

claimed dance company; media veteran and

news journalist Gulshan Singh; Tapan Patel,

actor and entrepreneur; Nimmi Mehta, veteran

folk dancer and critic; Swathi Gundapuneedi,

Kuchipudi stalwart.

Before the dance program, the executive

members of the FIA 2010 team take oath, in the

presence of Upendra Chivukula, New Jersey

Assemblyman and winner of the 2010 Pravasi

Bharatiya Award. Nirav Mehta’s team include

Bipin Patel, executive vice president; Nimesh

Dave, vice president; Haresh Hemrajani, sec-

retary; Haresh Shah, joint secretary; and

Ahmed Shakir, treasurer.

Several dignitaries from politics, business

and media from the US and India graced the

occasion. Dance Pe Chance served as a fitting

start to 2010, which will mark the FIA’s 40th

anniversary with the launch and kickstart of the

campaign “Salute India” – Celebrating The

Spirit Of India. Special events to celebrate the

association’s four decades of pioneering suc-

cess have been planned, including the much

feted India Day Parade on August 15, in Man-

hattan, which promises to be the biggest-ever

yet.

FIA of the Tri-state area is one of the largest

umbrella organizations of the Indian commu-

nity in the US.

Broad Street Baadshahz bagged not only the top dance prize in Seniors category, but also the coveted “Best of Best” prize that came with $1,000 in cash.

Nirav Mehta addressed the audience aftertaking over as FIA’s President 2010.

The costumes, dancing and choregraphy was top class.

All photos: Gunjesh Desai/Masalajunction.com

India Performing Arts Center (choreographer: Smita Miki Patel) won the top prize in the Juniors category

The South Asian Times announced a cash prize for the Arya Dance Academy group in theMinors category, to encourage perhaps the youngest children in the competition.

In the Minors category, the first prize was bagged by Gujarati Samaj of New York (Choreographer: Bharti Desai).

Some past presidents of FIA joined in at the traditional lamp lighting ceremony before starting the show.

New Jersey Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula swearing in FIA’s 2010 team: (from left)Dipak Patel, Ahmed Shakir (treasurer), Nirav Mehta (president), Nimesh Dave (vice President); and Haresh Hemrajani, secretary.

Nirav Mehta with outgoing President Dipak Patel and his wife

Rakhi Sawant feels that the censor board was

being unjust in banning her song "Kameeni

tera bhoot chad gaya re". She has sent a legal

notice giving it a week to explain its decision.

Otherwise, she will go on hunger strike, says the

item girl.

"I'll wait for a week and then I go on a 'bhookh har-

taal' in front of the censor office," Rakhi said.

The always-in-the-news actress said: "Fearlessly

I've sent a legal notice to the censor board. This is the

first time something like this has happened. Others

do chamchagiri of the censor board. Not me. I'm

Rakhi Sawant. Main ishwar ki beti hoon (I'm god's

daughter).

"The censor board has done me injustice by delet-

ing the word 'kameeni' from my song. I won't take it

lying down. Dharmendra has been saying the word

'kameeney' for years. Vishal Bharadwaj's 'Kaminey'

came, were the censors asleep?

"There're heroines doing love-making scenes with

their bare backs showing. Bharadwaj's films invari-

ably have characters mouthing 'maa-bahen galis'. If

Rakhi Sawant sings 'Kameeni tera bhoot chad gaya

re', the censor board gets stung. The song has been

produced by my company Faith Inc and I'm being

damaged."

"Rakhi Sawant uses the word 'kameeni' and it

becomes a dirty word. In serials, we have men drag-

ging their wives by their hair muttering 'Kameeni

main tujhe chodunga nahin'. No one pays any atten-

tion. Why point a finger at me?”

"Stop all the malpractice on television and I too

will shut up. We live in a corrupt and hypocritical

democracy where the institutions appointed to moni-

tor morality are bribed. Producers go with bulging

suitcases and get their films passed. Aisa nahin

chalega (It won't work)."

18 Ultimate Bollywood


Bollywood star Aamir Khan and cele-

brated Tamil composers A.R.

Rahman and Ilayaraja were named

for Padma Bhushan, the nation's third high-

est civilian award, While actors Rekha, Saif

Ali Khan, Arundhati Nag and sound engi-

neer Resul Pokutty got Padma Shri.

Aamir, 44, who struck gold at the box

office with his latest outing "3 Idiots" that

grossed over Rs.375 crore worldwide, is

already a recipient of the Padma Shri.

Allah Rakha Rahman, who shone at the

Oscars last year with his double golden stat-

uette win, seems to be on an award winning

spree post the success of "Slumdog

Millionaire".

In 2008, Rahman scored the music of

Danny Boyle's rags-to-riches drama

"Slumdog Millionaire" for which he won a

Golden Globe. He also bagged two Oscars

for the film, becoming the first Indian citizen

to do so.

Apart from the Oscars, Rahman has also

been awarded with the British Academy of

Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award,

four National Film Awards and 13 Filmfare

awards. Tamil composer Ilayaraja has been

a prominent name in the southern film

industry since 1976. He debuted with

"Annakkili" and is known for integrating

Tamil folk lyric with Western music. He won

the Indian National Film Award thrice for

the movies - "Sindhu Bhairavi",

"Rudraveena" and "Saagara Sangamam."

And now, Ilayaraja gets the Padma Bhushan.

Bollywood diva Rekha, 55, has been

selected for the Padma Shri, the fourth high-

est honor, after four decades in the Indian

film industry. The daughter of the late

southern star Gemini Ganesan, Rekha

bagged overnight success with her debut

film and went on to become India's sex sym-

bol. After being awarded with the 2008

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, now

Arundhati Nag, a well-known name in the

theater world, wins Padma Shri. She was

recently seen in "Paa" as Amitabh

Bachchan's grandmother.

Saif Ali Khan, one of the top notch actors

in Hindi film industry, has been honored

with the Padma Shri. He became a sought

after name after the success of "Dil Chahta

Hai" (2001). After that there has been no

looking back for the actor who also bagged

the National Film Awards for his perform-

ance in "Hum Tum".

Sound engineer Resul Pokutty, who won

Oscar last year for his work in "Slumdog

Millionaire", is honored with the fourth

highest civilian award, Padma Shri.

Rahman, Aamir, Rekha, Saif get Padma awards

Bollywood actor Preity

Zinta pulled off a stunt

by jumping off the wall

of a toilet at the Delhi airport

after she got stuck inside for

more than 10 minutes.

"Spent 10 minutes stuck in

the toilet at the airport...Finally

had to climb the wall and jump

over... People were calling out

my name," Preity posted on her

Twitter page.

The 34-year-old says she felt

she would die in there, but

managed to escape. "Thought I

was going to die as I am claus-

trophobic. Pulled a muscle in

my arm...," she added.

She says her tomboy attitude

helped her come out of the toilet.

"Being a tomboy when I was

younger definitely helped. Trying

to climb a wall is never easy.

Phew! Happy to go home now,"

she said.

Rakhi Sawant throwsnew tantrum

Zinta jumps offtoilet wall!

From left, A.R. Rahman, Aamir Khan, Rekha and Saif Ali Khan.

Rakhi Sawant.

Preity Zinta.

Ultimate Bollywood 19


Steamy visuals, colorful expletives,

Gulzar's lyrics, impressive star cast -

"Ishqiya" promises all this and much

more. Coming from Vishal Bhardwaj' stable,

the film, which released on January 29, was

set to give a rustic feel to the audiences just

like "Omkara" did.

Distributed in India by Boney and Sridevi

Kapoor's film and television entertainment

company BSK Network and Entertainment

Pvt Ltd, it has been co-produced by

Shemaroo Entertainment and Bharadwaj.

The directorial debut of Abhishek

Chaubey, the movie has actors like

Naseeruddin Shah, Vidya Balan and Arshad

Warsi. It has already become an awaited

venture courtesy its songs and promos.

"The film is a blend of romance and sus-

pense. It deals with various aspects of love,

lust, complete submission and false love. It

is not just about the three central characters;

other characters in the film are also connect-

ed to it," Chaubey said.

"I have borrowed my backdrop and set-

tings from reality and I used them to tell the

story. It's basically about the emotional jour-

ney of these three people," he added. The

story involves two thieves - Khalujan

(Naseer) and Babban (Arshad) - who are on

the run from their boss. They seek refuge

with an old friend and instead meet his

widow Krishna. As they plan their escape,

their time spent together draws the duo to

her.

Khalu with his tinted vision of old-fash-

ioned love and Babban with his lustful eye -

both are attracted to her. The threat of immi-

nent death forces them on a path of violence

and betrayal. Set in a rural landscape,

"Ishqiya" explores basic human emotions

influenced by desire, greed and revenge.

Vidya had to mouth expletives for the

movie, which made her apprehensive.

"I was very apprehensive while using

those slangs. I have never used them in my

real life but I had to because the script

demanded. The movie belongs to a certain

terrain where slangs are part of their lingo,"

Vidya said.

"Abhishek Choubey had to constantly

keep giving me a pep talk. Quite often I was

stuck because of the language and content,"

she added.

With only four songs on the soundtrack,

the music of the film has already become a

favourite among listeners. Because of its

content, the movie has been passed without

any cuts with an 'A' certificate.

Watch 'Ishqiya' for its rustic appeal

After scanning the under-

world, filmmaker Ram

Gopal Varma now shifts

the focus on the modus operandi of

the Indian media in "Rann", which

released on January 29.

"Rann" (war) is primarily about

the conflict between business and

conscience in the electronic media

these days. It features megastar

Amitabh Bachchan along with

Riteish Deshmukh, Gul Panag and

Paresh Rawal.

Amitabh clarifies that "Rann" a

not a media bashing film as per-

ceived by many.

"The film shows that in the

media there is often a conflict

between business sensibilities and

a person's conscience. Now does a

person compromise on his con-

science for the survival of his busi-

ness or vice-versa is what has been

highlighted in the movie," Amitabh

had said.

Added Varma: "It is not about

media bashing at all. I've always

said that the media exposes, and

now I am exposing media. Now it

is not necessarily about the bad

things - I may be talking about the

media's vulnerabilities, their com-

pulsions and their greed - after all

every human being is susceptible to

situations and pressures and his

own emotions."

The story revolves around mak-

ing news which is not easy. So the

next best thing media people obvi-

ously do is make anything and

everything appear as news. "Rann"

shows that news has become so

entertaining that people are addict-

ed to it now.

Varma's film shows that the

media had been invented as a truth

telling machinery serving the pur-

pose of the common people so that

they know they are in good hands,

but it has lost its purpose.

The movie not only hogged the

limelight for its theme, but also for

the tampered version of the nation-

al anthem titled "Jana gana mana

rann hai", which was banned by the

Central Board of Film Certification

(CBFC).

Though Varma had to change the

song to "Vande mataram", he said

the original did not portray the

national anthem in a bad light. Bollywood superstar Shah

Rukh Khan has transcend-

ed his popularity on earth

and is literally over the moon with

a lunar crater named after him by

the International Lunar

Geographic Society.

According to the official web-

site of the Society, the decision to

rename the crater, earlier known

as Arago B, after the famed actor

came following overwhelming

petitions from his passionate fans

in India and around the world.

The crater is located on the

Moon's Mare Tranquillitatis ("Sea

of Tranquility) district and was

given the designation as the

Crater S.R. Khan on Shah Rukh's

44th birthday, November 2 last

year. It is located at 3.4' North

(latitude) and 20.8' East (longi-

tude) on the so-called Earthside of

the Moon and measures approxi-

mately seven kilometers in diam-

eter. The official designation of a

Lunar crater is a singular honor

bestowed upon only a select few

luminaries like Leonardo da

Vinci, Christopher Columbus, Sir

Isaac Newton, Julius Caesar and

Jules Verne.

'Rann' ready to expose mediaSRK on moon now!

Naseeruddin Shah and Vidya Balan in Ishqiya.

Riteish Deshmukh in Ram Gopal Varma's Rann.

Shah Rukh Khan.

Awebsite has reporetd that

Rajkumar Hirani has decid-

ed to embrace the biggest

challenge of his career. Reportedly,

the director of Munnabhai Mbbs,

Lage Raho Munnabhai and 3 Idiots

has decided to cast Aamir Khan as

Munna and Sharman Joshi as

Circuit, in place of Sanjay Dutt and

Arshad Warsi, respectively, for his

new film Munnabhai Chale

Amreeka. The news was received

with shock and astonishment by the

loyal fans of the Munnabhai fran-

chise, states the site.

There's a clarification given

though. Aamir Khan clarified on

the issue, before leaving for the

U.S. "I am shocked. I wish to clari-

fy that there's not an iota of truth to

it. Yes, I would love to work with

Rajkumar Hirani again and again,

since I enjoyed working with him

in ‘3 Idiots’, but the truth is we

haven't discussed any new project

yet," quotes the website.

Aamir as Munna Bhai?

By Meghna Pant

Ayear after being elected President,

Barack Obama has declared two

public enemies for America – terror-

ism and Wall Street.

Time and again, in a tone that caters to

populist sentiment, President Obama has

blamed the recession and all of its fallouts on

the greediness of the traders on Wall Street.

And it looks like he is going to continue

with that offensive into the second year of

his term as well.

Last week the president unveiled a sweep-

ing $90 billion bank tax that would be levied

against the 50 biggest banks in the U.S. mar-

ket. At the same time, five bank CEOs were

being questioned about practices that led to

the financial crisis before a new panel, the

Financial Inquiry Commission, which is

modeled after the board that brought sweep-

ing reforms to Wall Street in the Great De-

pression.

There is also huge concern that the Obama

administration will prevent commercial

banks from proprietary trading.

This is being done based on the one senti-

ment that President Obama in his own words

has repeated ad nauseam: "Bankers and ex-

ecutives on Wall Street need to realize that

enriching themselves on the taxpayer's dime

is inexcusable, that the days of outsize re-

wards and reckless speculation that puts us

all at risk have to be over."

All a government curve ball given the pub-

lic outrage over the $1.2 trillion in support

the government has given banks and the

markets in the last year.

Many analysts are blaming this recent

bank move as a cover-up in the wake of the

Republican's game-changing victory in the

Massachusetts senate race. The Democrats’

win in a super majority had been assumed

and the surprise loss has put a moot point on

Democratic healthcare, financial reform and

economic policy. It will be some time before

the full impact of the election result is un-

derstood, but for now it seems clear that the

dynamic in Washington has changed. And

many are saying the administration’s poli-

cies are going to continue to inject volatility

into the market.

Some point fingers that the Obama admin-

istration is trying to cover up their healthcare

debacle by this bank levy.

The problem with Obama’s lack of confi-

dence in his policies is not good for investors

who love certainty.

That may explain why the Dow had its

biggest plunge of the year during last week’s

trading session and markets fell almost 4%.

The dramatic market decline was especially

jarring since it crossed up many investors

who had expected the market to rally.

Traders cited China's apparent notice to

banks to reduce lending activities and the

failure of our own banks to exceed earnings

expectations as prime motivators for the sell-

off, but the biggest factor is still being aimed

at President Obama.

President Obama was a big winner one

short year ago and while he has been ubiqui-

tous on the small screen in recent years, his

star power has undeniably diminished and it

remains to be seen if he can maintain a firm

grip on his own fractious party. I'm not sug-

gesting that the President will soon be dog

meat, but his aura of invulnerability has been

broken and that will have a profound effect

on the terms of the national debate.

The Democrats have been positioning

themselves for a populist-inspired run

against the monied interests of Wall Street,

yet the loss of "Ted Kennedy's seat’ is sure to

send many elected officials scurrying back to

the centrist positions that most Americans

identify as their own. Financial stocks may

benefit from a diminished likelihood of ag-

gressive regulatory reform and health care

appears to be up for grabs. Alternatively, the

party may conclude that its best chance for

victory may lie in an aggressive prosecution

of the so-called "villains" of the crisis. It re-

mains to be seen if the Republicans can do

more than nip at the heels of what remains a

strong Democratic majority, but it seems

likely to me that the Democrats will have to

rein in the most ambitious potions of their

agenda.

Economic indicators have been improving

of late and good reports could get the market

back to its winning ways. Of all the data

coming in, traders will continue to devote

most of their attention to jobs.

With the unfolding of these political

events, after the next three years Obama may

well focus on the prospects of his own con-

tinued employment.

Meghna Pant works on Wall Street as a fi-nancial news correspondent for Bloomberg-UTV and writes for some other publications.

Idon't know what it is. I can't put a finger

on it. But I feel the force. I feel the pow-

er. I feel the emotion. In the world of

marketing, this would be a brilliant cam-

paign. In the world of patriotism, it is phe-

nomenal campaign. Its ROI may not be tan-

gible but its essence is there for everyone to

experience.

In case you’re still wondering, I just saw

the newly created and majorly overhauled

"Phir Mile Sur..." song released on the Re-

public Day eve by Amitabh Bachchan. It's

been over 2 decades since the original one,

which was an instant hit and had quite an im-

pact with its ‘Unity in Diversity’ message.

This one is the latest 16 minute run to hit the

tube where the glitterati take you across sev-

eral locales of historical significance within

the country with a very special message de-

livered in an eye-catching and foot-tapping

manner. Several known faces from various

walks of life, be it superstars, be it musicians,

be it sportsmen--all singing the same tune

calling upon the nation to unite using ex-

traordinary yet simple poetry.

What I loved about this one was the

breathtaking visuals shot with new age tech-

niques, several new variations of the first two

lines of the songs and the undertone which

subtly points to a new, young India. Like

Anushka Shankar's manicured fingers on

sitar instead of Ravi Shankar's, like Shreya

Ghoshal singing in an open bus while letting

the wind blow her hair instead of Lata

Mangeshkar in front of a dated microphone

in a studio and Shahid Kapur pulling off a

rock star act as opposed to a more understat-

ed Amitabh-Jitendra-Mithun trio displaying

the bonds of brotherhood.

The seamless contrast between tabla/san-

toor/sitar and guitar/fingerboard/piano is

striking. And of course I loved the goose-

bumps it gave me. Some things never change

though; like Amitabh's aura, Sallu bhaiya's

MIA shirt and Aishwarya's acting (yes she

did emote!).

All the next door faces in the original ver-

sion have been replaced by popular ones

though making it a tad too Bollywoodish, but

going by how crowded Bollywood has be-

come lately, a lot of them are indeed next

door faces. Which also means it feels like a

mini movie, going by the length of it but

who’s complaining?

Whether you’re chilling or slogging away

with no time to breathe or on Prozac or just

not in the mood for anything, go watch this.

It’ll perk up your spirits. And you won’t feel

left out when everyone on Facebook and

Twitter is chatting about it.

20 Op Ed


Obama drama on Wall Street

Voice of a nation That’s just me By Pari

The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.

The new version of “MileSur Mera…” song has theglitterati take you acrossseveral locales of histori-cal significance within thecountry with the “Unity inDiversity” message in aneye-catching and foot-tap-ping manner.

The $90 billion bank taxbeing levied against the50 biggest banks in theUS market is beingblamed by many analyststo the Democrats’ hum-bling in theMassachusetts Senaterace and PresidentObama’s lowering ratings.

Subcontinent & Diaspora 21


Colombo: Mahinda Rajapaksa, who defied

the odds to vanquish the Tamil Tigers last

year, has been re-elected Sri Lankan presi-

dent with a thumping majority as the opposi-

tion cried foul and main challenger Gen

Sarath Fonseka found himself under siege

with his hotel surrounded by the army.

Rajapaksa defeated the former army chief

by a handsome margin. Rajapaksa won 5.5

million votes, or 57.81 percent of the total

vote, while Fonseka got 40.21 percent, ac-

cording to a tally of the results announced so

far.

"The president's victory has been secured,"

said an official from the Presidential Secre-

tariat.

A statement purportedly issued by Fonse-

ka's office alleged that the election had been

systematically rigged.

"All the election results released so far have

been manipulated. Do not trust the results be-

ing presented to you as election results. These

are not official results," the statement said.

As the vote count was on in the first presi-

dential election since the Tamil Tigers were

crushed after 26 years of bloody war, heavily

armed soldiers took up positions at the Cin-

namon Lakeside hotel where their former

chief Fonseka was staying.

"We can see about 200 army personnel out-

side the hotel, but they have not come into the

hotel so far," a witness at the scene told DPA.

The hotel is one of the five-star hotels in

Colombo adjoining the air force headquar-

ters.

Responding to intense speculation, military

spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakakra

said that there were no attempts to arrest Fon-

seka.

"We have information that there are as

many as 400 former army soldiers," said

Nanayakakra. "We want to check about their

presence and whether they want to create any

problems."

Fonseka, who commanded the army to

crush the rebels, told NewsX channel:

"...Their (Sri Lankan government) plan is to

deploy troops around my house, my office,

the broadcasting corporation, the national tel-

evision station and if he (President Rajapak-

sa) loses, the instruction he gave to army

commanders and the security council, is to

take me into custody, and he will not hand

over the power."

"Yeah... they have already surrounded ...

this is part of that operation — that's why we

left our house, residence and office and came

here — all the opposition leaders; they are

threatening my security peoples and they

have tried to enter the hotel, we managed to

push them back."

Commenting on his fear of assassination,

he said: "I am not afraid, but I know that is

their plan— we will fight back."

Dhaka: Nearly 35 years after Bangladesh's found-

ing father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassi-

nated, five army officers who were among those

convicted for the killing were hanged at Dhaka

Central Jail on January 28, bringing to an end a

long manhunt and the quest for justice of Mujib's

daughter, current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The five condemned prisoners - Lieutenant

Colonels Syed Farook Rahman, Shahriar Rashid

Khan, Mohiuddin Ahmed, A.K.M. Mohiuddin and

Major Bazlul Huda - were walked to the gallows

shortly after midnight.

Two hangmen put nooses around their necks. At

12.05 a.m. Dhaka Jail Superintendent Touhidul Is-

lam dropped a handkerchief to signal the hangmen

who then pulled the levers. Sultan Shahriar and Farooq were

kept hanging for half an hour to confirm their deaths, witness-

es were quoted as saying.

At 12:35 a.m., two other killers - A.K.M. Mohi-

uddin and Bazlul Huda - were brought to the gal-

lows. They were also executed. Then it was the

turn of Mohiuddin Ahmed. He was brought to the

gallows at 1.05 a.m.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman - known as Banga-

bandhu - his wife, three sons and two daughters-

in-law were killed in a bloody putsch led by serv-

ing and former army officers August 15, 1975.

Two of the officers - Syed Farooq Rahman and

Shahriar Rashid Khan - were arrested in August

1996. A four-member bench of the Appellate Di-

vision headed by Chief Justice Mohammed Tafaz-

zul Islam Wednesday dismissed their review peti-

tions against the verdict confirming their death sentence, clear-

ing the way for their executions.

Sydney: The Australian government has re-

leased a police dossier that shows that nearly

half of those arrested since March last year

for vicious assaults were less than 18 years

old.

The dossier, prepared by Victoria Police,

was handed over after Australian Foreign

Minister Stephen Smith telephoned Indian

External Affairs Minister S.M. to express his

condolences over the January 2 murder of In-

dian student Nitin Garg in Melbourne.

It reveals that nearly half of those arrested

between March 2009 and Jan 5 were juve-

niles, or under 18 years of age, The Age said

quoting a report from The Hindu newspaper

in India. The dossier shows that among the 18

high-profile cases, two cases of attack report-

ed in May and June last year remained un-

solved. "The Australian government initially

resisted giving more information to Indians as

it deemed racial appearance to be a limited in-

dicator of ethnicity because it was only based

on a subjective police assessment," The Age

quoted unnamed sources as saying. It claimed

people described as Indians could have origi-

nated from countries such as Mauritius and

Fiji. The dossier goes on to tell that of the 18

cases, two people were run over by a train and

there was no foul play. In the remaining cas-

es, 33 people have been arrested. The spate of

attacks on Indians in Australia has caused an

outcry in India. Two of the vicious attacks

proved fatal. The assaults have strained rela-

tions between Canberra and New Delhi.

Port-of-Spain: Kamla

Persad-Bissessar has be-

come the first woman in

Trinidad and Tobago to

become the top leader of

any political party in the

country.

She emerged victorious in

the battle for the top post

of opposition United Na-

tional Congress.

The national elections

for the leadership of the

Opposition United Na-

tional Congress saw Kam-

la Persad-Bissessar, one of

the party's deputy leaders,

win a landslide victory in

Sunday's vote.

It was a keenly contest-

ed election which saw in-

cumbent leader, Basdeo

Panday who held the leadership of the party

since its formation in 1989, lose.

Kamla's group won the

18 posts they contested.

The party's top post is that

of 'political leader'. It is the

first time in the political

history of Trinidad and To-

bago that a woman has

been elected to the leader-

ship of any political party.

Kamla, 57, served as act-

ing prime minister, attor-

ney general, minister of ed-

ucation in the Panday-led

government during 1995

and 2001.

Kamla's forefathers were

among over 145,000 East

Indians who came here be-

tween 1845 and 1917 to

work on the sugar planta-

tions.

The Indian diaspora is 44

percent out of a population of 1.3 million

people.

India monitoring Pak after border tunnel reportsNew Delhi: India was closely monitoring Pakistan's ac-

tivities in the wake of media reports suggesting it was

digging tunnels along its border in Sargodha district and

would analyze its "implications", External Affairs Min-

ister S.M. Krishna said.

"We are closely monitoring whatever has been hap-

pening in Pakistan and both our defense ministry as well

as our ministry will certainly work together to analyse

what it means by way of implications to India," Krishna

said. He was reacting to media reports about Pakistan

building tunnels in the Sargodha district of Pakistani

Punjab, not far from the border with India.

"An attempt is being made to establish the purpose of

digging up such tunnels which are really big in size," the

report quoted an intelligence official as saying.

Landslide win for Rajapaksa, Fonseka claims rigging

Five Mujib killers hanged, finally

Attackers of Indianswere Australian teens

Mahinda Rajapaksa won 5.5 million votes, or 57.81 percent of the total vote, while GenSarath Fonseka got 40.21 percent.

Sheikh MujiburRahman.

The spate of attacks on Indians in Aus-tralia has caused an outcry in India. Two

of the vicious attacks proved fatal.

Diaspora

Indian-origin womanwins Trinidad party poll

Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

22 International & Business


Washington: Asserting that he

would not accept second-place for

the United States, President Barack

Obama has given a call to fix "the

problems that are hampering our

growth" lest nations like India, Chi-

na and Germany overtake it.

"From the day I took office, I have

been told that addressing our larger

challenges is too ambitious - that

such efforts would be too con-

tentious, that our political system is

too gridlocked, and that we should

just put things on hold for awhile,"

he said in his first State of the Union

speech to a joint session of Con-

gress on January 27.

"For those who make these

claims, I have one simple question:

How long should we wait? How

long should America put its future

on hold?" Obama added.

"You see, Washington has been

telling us to wait for decades, even

as the problems have grown worse,

he said. "Meanwhile, China's not

waiting to revamp its economy.

Germany's not waiting. India's not

waiting."

"These nations aren't standing

still. These nations aren't playing for

second place. They're putting more

emphasis on math and science.

They're rebuilding their infrastruc-

ture. They are making serious in-

vestments in clean energy because

they want those jobs."

"Well I do not accept second-

place for the United States of Amer-

ica, Obama said. "As hard as it may

be, as uncomfortable and con-

tentious as the debates may be, it's

time to get serious about fixing the

problems that are hampering our

growth."

"One place to start is serious fi-

nancial reform," he said calling for

building a "strong, healthy financial

market" while guarding "against the

same recklessness that nearly

brought down our entire economy."

Outlining his vision of a world

without nuclear weapons, Obama

said April's Nuclear Security Sum-

mit, that would have India partici-

pating, would help ensure vulnera-

ble nuclear materials never fall into

the hands of terrorists.

Describing the threat of nuclear

weapons as "perhaps the greatest

danger to the American people", he

said that he had embraced the vision

of John F. Kennedy and Ronald

Reagan through a strategy that re-

verses the spread of these weapons

and seeks a world without them.

"To reduce our stockpiles and

launchers, while ensuring our deter-

rent, the United States and Russia

are completing negotiations on the

farthest-reaching arms control

treaty in nearly two decades" Oba-

ma said.

DAVOS, Switzerland: French Pres-

ident Nicolas Sarkozy warned cen-

tral banks on against withdrawing

monetary stimulus measures too

abruptly, saying it could prompt a

collapse of the world economy.

In a keynote address to the World

Economic Forum of business lead-

ers and policymakers in the Swiss

ski resort of Davos, Sarkozy made

an impassioned plea for global co-

operation to regulate the financial

system. "Either we are capable of re-

sponding to the demand for protec-

tion, justice and fairness through co-

operation, regulation and gover-

nance, or we will have isolation and

protectionism," he said.

The French leader said tentative

signs of economic recovery should

make governments bolder, not more

timid, in regulatory and structural

reforms. "We must manage prudent-

ly the adoption of measures to sup-

port (economic) activity and the

withdrawal of liquidities injected

during the crisis," he said. "We must

take care to prevent too abrupt a

tightening that would result in a

global collapse." Sarkozy, a forceful

advocate of stronger regulation and

state industrial policy called for a re-

foundation and moralization of cap-

italism, and curbs on the business

bonus culture. He endorsed U.S.

President Barack Obama's proposals

to stop commercial banks from en-

gaging in speculative proprietary

trading and from owning hedge

funds and private equity funds. But

he said the G20 grouping of major

economies was the right forum to

reach a consensus on appropriate fi-

nancial regulation. Sarkozy also said

global imbalances needed to be cor-

rected to prevent a repeat of the fi-

nancial crisis, with surplus countries

consuming more and deficit coun-

tries cutting back their spending.

Washington: With the global recov-

ery off to a stronger start, Indian

economy is projected to grow at 7.7

percent in 2010, 1.3 percentage

points higher than forecast earlier,

the International Monetary Fund

(IMF) said

India, that recorded a growth rate

of 7.3 percent in 2008, dipping down

to an estimated 5.9 percent in 2009,

is projected to grow at a still margin-

ally higher 7.8 percent in 2011, up

0.5 percentage points from last year's

forecast, the IMF said in an update

of World Economic Outlook (WEO).

Noting that the recovery is pro-

ceeding at different speeds in the

various regions, IMF said world out-

put is expected to rise by 4 percent in

2010, representing an upward revi-

sion of .75 percentage point from the

October 2009 WEO.

Following the deepest global

downturn in recent history, econom-

ic growth solidified and broadened

to advanced economies in the second

half of 2009, it said.

In most advanced economies, the

recovery is expected to remain slug-

gish by past standards, whereas in

many emerging and developing

economies, activity is expected to be

relatively vigorous, largely driven by

buoyant internal demand, the WEO

said.

IMF suggested that policies need

to foster a rebalancing of global de-

mand, remaining supportive where

recoveries are not yet well sustained.

Real activity is rebounding, support-

ed by extraordinary policy stimulus

Global production and trade

bounced back in the second half of

2009, the WEO said noting, "Confi-

dence rebounded strongly on both

the financial and real fronts, as ex-

traordinary policy support fore-

stalled another Great Depression."

In advanced economies, the begin-

ning of a turn in the inventory cycle

and the unexpected strength in US

consumption contributed to positive

developments. Final domestic de-

mand was very strong in key emerg-

ing and developing economies, al-

though the turn in the inventory cy-

cle and the normalization of global

trade also played an important role.

Driving the global rebound was

the extraordinary amount of policy

stimulus. Monetary policy has been

highly expansionary, with interest

rates down to record lows in most

advanced and in many emerging

economies, while central bank bal-

ance sheets expanded to unprece-

dented levels in key advanced

economies, the WEO said. Output in

the advanced economies is now ex-

pected to expand by 2 percent in

2010, following a sharp decline in

output in 2009. The new forecast re-

flects an upward revision of 0.75

percentage point. In 2011, growth is

projected to edge up further to 2.5

percent. In spite of the revision, the

recovery in advanced economies is

still expected to be weak by histori-

cal standards, with real output re-

maining below its pre-crisis level

until late 2011. Moreover, high un-

employment rates and public debt, as

well as not-fully-healed financial

systems, and in some countries,

weak household balance sheets are

presenting further challenges to the

recovery in these economies.

Chicago: Pakistani-American ter-

ror suspect David Headley pleaded

not guilty to 12 charges, including

scouting targets for the November

2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks that

killed 166 people.

Son of a Pakistani father and an

American mother, Headley, who

changed his given name of Daood

Sayed Gilani in 2006 to hide his

Pakistani origin before traveling to

India, entered his plea before US

Magistrate Judge Arlander Keys in

Chicago federal court.

Headley also denied that he pro-

vided material support to the Pak- istani terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), blamed for the Nov 26,

2008 Mumbai attacks and for a plot

to attack a Danish newspaper. Pros-

ecutors and his lawyer have both

said Headley is cooperating with

the government.

"He knows the seriousness and

the gravity of the charges against

him," Headley's defence lawyer

John Theis told reporters after the

hearing.

Theis said he may report on

progress toward "an ultimate dis-

position" of the case at a hearing

set for Feb 23 before US District

Judge Harry Leinenweber.

Headley, who was arrested by US

authorities on October 3, entered a

plea of not guilty to the same

charges last month.

The US Justice Department Jan

14 announced the unsealing of a

fresh indictment against Headley

and three other men.

Also named in the indictment

were Pakistani-Canadian

Tahawwur Hussain Rana, retired

Pakistani military officer Abdur

Rehman Hashim Syed and Ilyas

Kashmiri, who prosecutors called

"an allegedly influential terrorist

organization leader" in Pakistan

with ties to Al Qaeda.

'US needs to gear up, India's not waiting'

Sarkozy warns againstabrupt stimulus exit

US President Barack Obama delivering his first first State of the Unionspeech to a joint session of Congress on January 27.

David Headley.

Mumbai terror suspect Headley pleads not guilty

Business

India to grow 7.7 percent in 2010: IMF

French President Nicolas Sarkozyaddressing the gathering at the

World Economic Summit in Davoson January 27.

Mumbai: Injured Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj

Singh have been ruled out while Karnataka's

new pace sensation Abhimanyu Mithun and

Bengal wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha have

been inducted in the India squad for the first

Test against South Africa, beginning

February 6 in Nagpur.

Dravid, whose jaw was fractured by a

lethal Shahadat Hossain bouncer in the sec-

ond Test against Bangladesh, has been

advised three-week rest. Yuvraj, who tore a

ligament in his left wrist in Dhaka Test, has

also been rested.

Tamil Nadu batsmen Subramaniam

Badrinath has been recalled while Murali

Vijay, who played in the Dhaka Test, retains

his place in the 15-member squad announced

by national selectors here Thursday.

Also, fast bowler Shanthakumaran

Sreesanth, who flew back home from

Bangladesh after sustaining a hamstring

injury in the first Test, has been left out.

Chief selector Krisnamachari Srikkanth

said they have chosen the best possible

squad under the circumstances. "We have

selected the best possible team considering

the injury list.

"The team is just for the first Test. We will

take a call for the second Test in Kolkata

after getting the fitness reports of the play-

ers," Srikkanth said.

Srikkanth said they would go by medical

opinion on Dravid's injury after the first Test.

"Dravid was very keen to play but the doc-

tors have advised him rest as a precautionary

measure," Srikkanth said.

Karnataka pacer Mithun, who made a sen-

sational first class debut this season with a

hat-trick and a match haul of 11 wickets

against Uttar Pradesh in Ranji Trophy, has

been drafted in the squad.

Mithun continued with his stellar form to

finish with 47 wickets (23.23 avg) in nine

Ranji Trophy matches, and together with

another fast bowler R.Vinay Kumar (46

wickets, avg 19.69) was instrumental in tak-

ing Karnataka to the finals where they lost to

Mumbai.

"He has done extremely well in the domes-

tic season. We needed a fast bowler for the

Tests so we have included him," Srikkanth

said.

Bengal wicket-keeper Saha, who was

signed up by Kolkata Knight Riders in the

inaugural edition, was a surprise inclusion.

He was preferred over Karthik, who played

in the first Test against Bangladesh as skip-

per Mahendra Singh Dhoni had to sit out

with an injury.

New Delhi: When India last host-

ed the World Cup 28 years ago in

Mumbai, it was among the top

hockey-playing nations of the

world. After winning the World

Cup in 1975 in Kuala Lumpur,

India were expected to do much

better than they did -- a fifth-posi-

tion finish at the last international

event to be played on grass.

Another World Cup will be held

here (February 28-March 13), this

time at the newly renovated

Major Dhyanchand National sta-

dium, encompassing 36 acres in

the heart of New Delhi. A coinci-

dence, the 1982 World Cup was

played 10 months before the New

Delhi Asian Games and the 2010

Cup comes seven months before

the Commonwealth Games.

The Indians got the bashing of

their life in the Asian Games

playing on the newly laid synthet-

ic turf, losing to Pakistan 1-7,

triggering their downslide in

world hockey. Pakistan had

already won the World Cup in

Mumbai -- their third win in four

outings. But even Pakistan start-

ed on a downslide immediately

after the Asian Games. In the next

World Cup at London, India came

last, losing to Pakistan in the clas-

sification match for the last two

positions.

Pakistan bucked the trend again

by playing in the 1990 final in

their backyard Lahore and win-

ning the Cup four years later in

Sydney, beating the Dutch in the

tie-breaker.

India, too, had their best show-

ing at a World Cup after 1975,

finishing fifth. In 1998, Pakistan

slid to fifth but India went

hurtling to ninth. In the last two

Cups, India were 10th and 11th

while Pakistan were fifth and

sixth as Germany won the cup,

both at Kuala Lumpur and at

home at München-Gladbach. As

the world's 12 top nations get

ready to converge in the Indian

capital next month, the question

asked is: Will the artistry of the

game triumph over the crude

monkeyshines of the Indian hock-

ey officialdom? Will the Indians

be able to produce their best at

home? Hockey aficionados have

no doubt that the fare will be

excellent what with Germany, the

Netherlands, Australia, Spain and

(South) Korea in the fray, but they

feel the Indians may struggle to

catch up with the best in business,

notwithstanding the home advan-

tage.

The Indians seem to have lost

the skills to synthetic turf and are

struggling to adjust to the skills of

speed hockey, invariably not

being able to last out 70 minutes.

Germany, who are also the

Beijing Olympic gold medal win-

ners, will be aiming to become

the first team to make it a hat-

trick of World Cups. Champions

Trophy winners Australia, who

lost to Germany in the last two

Cup finals, will be out to stop

them. Beijing Olympics silver

medalists Spain have a cent per-

cent winning record in qualifying

for the championships. Korea

have taken rapid strides in the last

few years, having made the debut

only in 1994. And you can never

write off four times World

Champions Pakistan.

Interestingly, India are placed

alongside Pakistan in the same

group and the two fiercest rivals

will turn back the clock when

they meet on the very first day of

the tournament under floodlights.

Indian coach Jose Brasa will

also have his fingers crossed as

his methods of training for the

last one year will be on test.

"There is no doubt that the play-

ers are talented. And more impor-

tantly they are a fighting bunch

prepared to give everything for

the country," Brasa vouched for

his boys.

Sports 23


New Delh/Kolkata: Deccan

Chargers has denied signing

Pakistan's Abdul Razzak for the

third season of the Indian Premier

League (IPL), saying there was no

slot available for an overseas play-

er in their squad. But the spotlight

shifted to Kolkata with Kolkata

Knight Riders skipper Sourav

Ganguly asserting that his side was

interested in roping in the all-

rounder. Razzak, however, insisted

that both the teams have shown

interest in him. Deccan Chargers

team owner Venkatram Reddy

denied reports that Razzak has

been signed by his franchisee. "We

have not signed Abdul Razzak. We

don't have any slots available," he

said.

Razzak, who severed his ties

with rebel Indian Cricket League

(ICL) last year, was reportedly

signed by the Chargers as a

replacement for injured West

Indian pacer Fidel Edwards. IPL

chief executive officer Sundar

Raman said that the Chargers are

not left with any money to buy a

player. "Deccan Chargers cannot

buy any player because they don't

have enough money left in their

purse. If they are seeking a replace-

ment, we are yet to hear about it,"

Sundar Raman said. Pakistani

players were left out by the IPL

franchisees in the auction in

Mumbai, leading to an uproar over

the issue.

Sania calls off engagement due to incompatibility

Hyderabad: Tennis star Sania

Mirza has called off her engage-

ment to childhood friend Sohrab

Mirza due to incompatibility. Six

months after the engagement took

place here amid much fanfare, the

couple decided to part ways as they

felt incompatible. Sania's father

Imran Mirza confirmed that the

engagement had been called off

saying it was a mutual decision but

has nothing to do with her tennis

career. "Sania has already said

there was incompatibility between

the two and they both came to us.

It was mutually agreed that it might be in the best interest of everyone

concerned that it should be called off," he told reporters.

Imran clarified that the decision had nothing to do with Sania's tennis

career and said she would continue to play tennis.

Sania Mirza with Sohrab.

Interestingly, India are placed alongside Pakistan in the same group in World Cup.

Pakistan player Abdul Razzak.

Injured Dravid, Yuvraj out from Test squad

Deccan Chargersdeny signing Razzak

Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh have beenruled out from Test series

against South Africa.

Test squadMahendra Singh Dhoni (captain

and wicket-keeper), Virender

Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Murali

Vijay, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS

Laxman, S. Badrinath, Harbhajan

Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant

Sharma, Amit Mishra, Sudeep

Tyagi, Pragyan Ojha, Abhimanyu

Mithun, Wridhiman Saha.

World Cup: Chance for Indiato revive hockey fortunes

By Seema Goswami,HT Media

New Delhi: Here’s an idea. To-

morrow morning when you get to

work, take a quick poll among

your mates. Ask them just one

simple question: What do they do

once they get home every

evening? Do they get into the

kitchen to cook a simple yet nutri-

tious meal for the family? Do they

sit with their kids and help them

with their homework? Or do they

simply fix themselves a plate of

whatever can be warmed up in the

microwave and plop down on the

sofa to watch TV?

I’m guessing that most people

will fess up to the last option (if

they are being truthful, that is,

which is never a guarantee in these

kinds of random, completely un-

scientific polls). Unless, of course,

they are on the right side of thirty,

in which case you will probably

have to substitute computer in

place of television.

Certainly, that’s how it is in my

experience. Most evenings find

me hunkered down in front of the

TV, watching endless repeats of

Friends or making my way

through the box sets of such shows

as Shark, Damages, Private Prac-

tice, Brothers & Sisters and the

like. Or else, I’m glued to my lap-

top, cruising through news sites,

gossip e-zines, media blogs and

the like. Sometimes, when I feel

like a bit of multi-tasking, I even

watch television with a laptop on

my, well, lap, turning my attention

from one to the other with the kind

of mental dexterity that only

women seem to manage.

Most of my friends end up doing

much the same thing most

evenings. Dinner may still be a

shared meal in the sense that it is

consumed in the same room by the

family. But generally the parents

are eating it while surfing the

channels while their kids are on

social media sites or instant mes-

saging their friends on their com-

puters and Blackberries. Conver-

sation is at a bare minimum, con-

ducted at the level of, “Pass the

daal, will you?” or “No, I don’t

want another chapatti” or even

“Must we have bhindi every day?”

I am old enough to remember a

time when evenings spent at home

would be very different. When

there wasn’t any television, and

once it finally arrived, program-

ming only lasted a couple of

hours. A time when the highlight

of everyone’s week was Chitra-

haar (a program in which film

songs were played for an hour or

so – for the benefit of those who

grew up after the glory days of Kr-

ishi Darshan). A time when com-

puters were something that you

saw only in sci-fi movies where

they were treated almost as alien

life forms.

I wonder now, how did we sur-

vive those evenings? Did we actu-

ally sit around and talk to one an-

other? Did we listen to what other

people were saying? Were we bet-

ter connected with friends and

family as a result? Did we have to

make a greater effort to keep our-

selves entertained? Did that help

increase our powers of imagina-

tion? Did that mean that we had

better inner resources to keep our-

selves occupied? Or were we just

bored out of our skulls and didn’t

know it?

We always tend to look back on

our childhood with rose-tinted

spectacles. So maybe it’s just nos-

talgia that makes me feel that

those pre-TV days were better for

family life. And perhaps I’m just

turning into an old fogey who

thinks that the past was a nicer

place. But I can’t help but wonder

how things would turn out if we

switched off the TV and turned off

the computer. Would our evenings

be better or worse as a conse-

quence?

Would you care to find out?

Mumbai: When doing up your home make sure that first

thing you do is set up your kid’s room, else his/her be-

longings will be what you will find all over the house.

Here are a few tips one can follow, and make decorating

one’s kids’ room an exciting experience.

Decide a color theme for the room, as lots of colors will

give a claustrophobic look to the room. If at all you want

to put in lots of colors to brighten up the room, you can

choose to color one wall with different colors or make

graffiti.

Make a collage of paintings or cards done by your kid

on the wall. Pictures of family and friends will add to the

comfort of the room.

Make them help you decorate the room.

Have a playing area at one corner of the room. Play ar-

eas for younger children may include an arts and crafts

corner.

Place large decorative baskets for toys, books, etc. See-

through storage containers is a good option. Closets

should contain plenty of shelves and racks for clothing

and shoes. Make sure that children’s clothing are within

their reach.

Good lighting is essential in children’s room. A read-

ing lamp is a must for the reading area and the bedside

table. Keep changing cushion and pillow covers of your

kid’s room as it will give him/her a feeling of newness

and won’t make him bored of the environment.

24 Lifestyle


Missing out on family time?

Make space for the little one

How things would turn out if we switched off the TV and turned off the computer? Would our evenings be better or worse as a consequence?

Good lighting is essential in children’s room.

New Delhi: It's official, marriage makes

women fatter - as scientists have claimed that

marital bliss or peace of mind for a woman

comes at a price - an expanding waistline.

Researchers at the Queensland University,

in Australia, who studied about 6,000 women

aged between 18 and 23 over a period of 10

years, found after moving in with a partner, a

woman tend to put on at least 2 kgs over a

decade, and about 4 kgs more if she has a

baby.

During this period, the researchers found

that every 10th woman in the study gained 20

pounds (over 9 kgs) if she had a partner and

baby, 15 pounds (nearly 7kgs) if she had a

partner and no baby, and 11 pounds (nearly 5

kgs) if she was childless with no partner, the

Daily Mail reported.

On an average, every woman gained nearly

2 kgs of excess weight after her marriage and

more than 4 kgs after having a baby in the

study period of 10 years, found the research

published in the American Journal of Preven-

tive Medicine.

New Delhi: The kitchen

is one of the most impor-

tant rooms in the house

and is associated with the

nourishment and health of

the family. If the kitchen

is located in an inappro-

priate position then illness

and loss of livelihood can

effect the occupants. The

kitchen is also associated

with fire, which is an acti-

vating force for abun-

dance.

The kitchen is also the

place where the two op-

posing elements water

and fire interacts, and

feng shui and vaastu in

the kitchen involves the

correct balancing of these two elements. What

is good or bad interaction is determined by the

position of the gas stove in relation to the po-

sition of the sink.

The best placement for the kitchen is in the

southeastern sector of the home.

To cook food properly we need abundance

of Fire element, which is found primarily in

the southeast which is an ideal kitchen loca-

tion, northwest could be an alternative site.

Avoid kitchen in the southwest.

To balance water and fire in the kitchen, do

not position the gas stove, microwaves, and

ovens directly opposite the sink or refrigera-

tor.

The fridge should not open facing the

kitchen door. Fridge is Yin and clashes with

people walking in because people are Yang. If

the kitchen is the first room to be seen from

the entrance, it is not good as the first impres-

sion becomes food, which could promote

overeating & overweight.

Lifestyle 25


Marriage makeswomen fatter: study

On an average, every woman gained nearly 2 kgs of excess weight after her marriage.

To balance water and fire in the kitchen, do not position the gasstove, microwaves, and ovens directly opposite

the sink or refrigerator.

Sydney: Forget the food fads and 'Take 10' small steps to weight loss success - that's the mes-

sage from dietitians to the thousands who will make weight loss their goal this year. Clare

Collins, associate professor of dietics, said: "A range of approaches can help you lose weight

in the short term, but making small, permanent changes that fit with your lifestyle will give

you the best chance of keeping weight off in the long term."

Collins' 'Take 10' tips for achieving or maintaining a healthy weight are:

1. Eat breakfast

2. Include vegetables or salad with lunch and dinner

3. Choose fruit as a snack

4. Replace full-fat food and drinks with reduced-fat alternatives

5. Choose wholegrain foods instead of more refined foods

6. Eat smaller serving sizes by using smaller plates and cups

7. Eat slowly and stop when you are satisfied, not stuffed full

8. Eat when you genuinely feel hungry, rather than for emotional or other reasons

9. Swap sweetened drinks such as cordial, soft drink and juice with water

10. Eat your evening meals at a dinner table with the TV turned off.

Prosperity in a frying pan

10 surefire stepsto weight loss

Rahul Mahajan’s Swayamwaron NDTV Imagine from Feb 1Mumbai (SATimes): The much anticipated

show Swayamvar Season 2 – Rahul Dul-

haniya Le Jayega -- is premiering on Febru-

ary 1 when millions of viewers all over the

world will witness India’s first Swayamvar

of a groom-to-be, Rahul Mahajan.

Rahul will make one of the biggest deci-

sions of his life at the magnificent Fatehgarh

Palace in Udaipur. Standing by him will be

the affable Host Ram Kapoor.

Wooing the charming Rahul Mahajan will

be 15 gorgeous girls. At their very first ren-

dezvous all of them will express their feel-

ings for him in their own special way.

Rahul, meanwhile, is looking forward to

present his first ‘Symbol of Love’ called

‘Pyaar Ka Nazrana’ to the girl who takes his

breath away.

Swayamvar 2 aims to repeat the mega

success of “Rakhi Ka Swayamvar” (with

Rakhi Sawant as the bride-to-be) on NDTV

Imagine last year.

Spearheaded by Sameer Nair, NDTV

Imagine has made strategic forays into key

businesses in the media and entertainment

space since it first launched in January

2008.

Delhi (SATimes): SOS Children's Villages

of India, a charity dedicated to orphaned

and abandoned children received the presti-

gious PHD Chamber Award for Excellence

2009, for its outstanding contribution to so-

cial welfare from Pranab Mukherjee, Fi-

nance Minister of India.

Speaking on the occasion, Rakesh Jinsi,

National Director, SOS Children's Villages

of India, said, "This award emphasizes and

restates the strong belief and faith of

Founder Fr Dr. Hermann Gmeiner, who

successfully began the SOS movement 60

years ago. The award brings along with it a

greater responsibility and promise to excel

in our stream." Since its inception in 1964,

SOS Children’s Village has been working

tirelessly to help children and has estab-

lished 500 Children’s Villages across 132

countries. India has the largest network

with 40 children’s villages and 122 pro-

grams that benefit the community.

The PHD Chamber Award presented by

the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Indus-

try honors Indian companies, enterprises

and individuals to acknowledge their work

in various sectors of economy, social and

education - related issues.

SOS Children’s Villagesreceives PHD Chamber Award

26 Food & Health


By Nikki Rattan

Modern society prefers to eat healthy

and remain fit, avoiding a diet with

excessive fat on a daily basis. Even

children as early as in mid school get to

know of different food forms as a part of

their education so they tend to avoid carbo-

hydrates (pasta, potatoes etc).

With busy schedules and fast lifestyles, not

all of us choose salads, soups, low fat meals

over spicy, fried, creamy, maybe delicious

but the unhealthy way of living.

Low fat food cannot function in a vacuum.

Daily meals can be easily prepared equally

deliciously and provide sufficient nutrients

sans the extra calories. Chicken emits natural

oils essential for growth. Hence it is not dif-

ficult to cook Chicken without using extra

oil. Baking instead of deep frying whenever

possible is a good tip to remember for every

female in the kitchen who takes responsibili-

ty for her family's well being by supervising

the daily home menu. When deep fried can-

not be avoided, it is beneficial to keep food

in oil absorbing paper so excessive fats are

drained.

Make low fat diet a part of your beautiful

living equation:

Rice Pulav(Serves 4)

41 cup Basmati Rice

41 tbsp cumin seeds

41 onion sliced neatly (thin and long)

41 tomato chopped

41 tsp salt

42 tsp oil

41 tsp red chilly powder

Soak rice in 1cup water for 10 minutes if

you cook in a non-stick pan, in 2 cups water

in case of pressure cooker. Heat oil and add

cumin seeds. Stir and add onions. Fry till

brown. Mix in tomatoes. Fry well. Stir in the

strained rice, salt and red chilly powder. Mix

rigorously. Add water. Stir. Cover the

pan/close the pressure cooker. Cooking time

is 10 minutes for cooker and 15 minutes for

pan. Let it remain covered for 5 minutes

after removing from fire. Serve warm with

almost any curry, vegetable or meat dish.

Also delicious with yogurt and mint sauce.

Optional - Boil the below vegetables in

some water, salt and black pepper and add on

cooked rice.

41 cup cauliflower chopped

41/2 cup boiled potatoes

41/2 cup peas

41/2 cup chopped carrots

Tandoori Chicken/Roasted Chicken

(Serves 4)

4750 grams Chicken

4Marinade

42 cups yogurt

41 tsp ginger Paste

41 tsp garlic Paste

41/2 cup coriander leaves

41/2 tsp red chilli powder

41 tsp coriander powder

41 tsp tandoori barbeque mix powder orgaram masala

41 tsp cumin powder

42 tsp salt

4Baste

43 tbsp yoghurt well beaten

41/2 tsp black pepper

41/2 tsp powdered mint

Blend the marinade in a food processor. In

a large bowl add chicken (pricked with fork)

and the marinade. Cover and keep aside for

at least 4 hours. Grill at medium heat for 20-

30 minutes or till done. Check and rotate at

least once, baste with sauce if too dry. Best

served with pickled onions, mint sauce and

lime wedges. Best served as appetizer.

Lemon Chicken(Serves 4)

4200 g Chicken Drumsticks

4200 g Chicken Wings

41/2 cup lemon juice

41 tsp salt

41 tsp black pepper

41/2 tsp dried fenugreek seeds powdered

41/2 cup coriander leaves

42 tbsp fresh cream

Put all of the Chicken in a pan or pressure

cooker. Mix the lime-juice, salt and pepper

in a bowl. Add half of the liquid in the chick-

en. Then half of the coriander leaves, salt

and pepper. Sprinkle fenugreek seed powder.

Add 1 cup water and cover. Cook 10 minutes

on medium heat. Open and add the remain-

ing lime, coriander leaves and cream. Cook

till done. The dish should not be too watery

like soup. There should be viscous spicy

lemon aromatic gravy in a small amount

when chicken is done. Serve in combination

with main meal, as an appetizer or as a

standalone dish.

Lentil Soup(Serves 4)

41/2 cup yellow Lentil

41 small onion finely sliced

41/2 large potato chopped - optional

41 medium tomato chopped

41 tsp salt

41/2 tsp black pepper

43 tsp coriander leavesSoak Lentils in water for 15 minutes.

Strain and keep aside. In a non-stick pan, fry

onions till pale. Add Lentils and cook for 4

to 5 minutes. Add potatoes, tomatoes, corian-

der leaves and spices. Cook for 2 minutes

and pour 4 cups water. Cover with lid and

cook on medium hear till done (about 15

minutes).

Chicken Salad Platter(Serves 6)

41 kg Chicken fillet cut in bite size pieces

41 cup sweet corn

42 tomatoes sliced

4Salsa sauce - optional

4Marinade:

41 cup yogurt

4Salt and pepper to taste

4½ tsp curry powder or garam masala

4½ tsp honey

41 tsp ginger gratedDressing4½ tsp mustard sauce

4½ tsp soy sauce

4¼ tsp honey

4Salt and pepper to taste

41 tsp balsamic vinegarMarinate chicken in yoghurt, salt, pepper,

ginger, curry powder and honey for 30 min-

utes. Grill chicken at 250 degree C on both

sides in an oven till done (15- 20 minutes).

Mix lettuce, corn and tomatoes in a large

bowl. Add all the ingredients of the dressing

and stir. Lay salad, then chicken fillets on top

of the salad, garnish with salsa sauce and

serve.

Thai Red Curry(Serves 2-4)

41 can coconut milk (250ml)

41 carrot chopped

4Few green beans chopped

41 yellow bell pepper chopped

41 green bell pepper chopped

42 tsp yogurt

4200 g boneless chicken chopped in bitesize pieces

41 tsp red thai curry paste

4½ tsp saltGarnish4 red chilly

4Coriander In a baking dish add all the vegetables

mixed with yogurt, salt and red chilly paste.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees C

for 5 to 10 minutes.

Pour coconut milk. Cook another 6 min-

utes. Turn off the oven and let it remain cov-

ered for 5 minutes. Serve with rice.

Nikki Rattan is the author of the new book,"Indian Recipes andMore - Specialitiesfrom the Kitchen".She has travelledextensively across theglobe since a veryyoung age, and hav-ing lived in the USalso, she has createda cookbook that isadaptable to the inter-national kitchen while

maintaining its ethnicity. She is a Masters in English and has com-

pleted Management Studies. To buy the book, go to: http://www.ama-

zon.com/Indian-Recipes- More-specialities-kitchen/dp/144959056X/

Food Corner: Low Fat Cooking Food for thought

Numbers ‘R’ UsSudoku is a single digit puzzle originated in Japan. Most people freak out when they see numbers and they associate it with Mathematics, which is NOT true. There is no math at all in these puzzles, it is purely logical thinking. Kris Pahuja of Hicksville, NY, has created a double digit puzzle to make it more interesting or harder, whichever way you look at it. The South Asian Times is publishing these puzzles from him weekly. For answer, look at left bottom.

By Kris PahujaC L A S S I F I E D SBrought to you every week by

The South Asian Times

Loving, professional Indian-American couple

can provide wonder-ful home for your baby. Complete confidentiality assured. Expenses paid.

Tel. 646-422-9208

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Leisure 27

January 30-February 4, 2010

11 14 17 15 18 19 15 11 17 14 16 19 12 16 17 16 19 14 13 15 14 13 11 18 14 12 17 11 18 17 17 16 14 18 15 12 11 14 17 12 16 13 15 18 19

18 15 19 11 17 14 12 16 13 13 12 16 15 19 18 17 14 11 12 13 11 18 15 16 14 19 17 16 19 18 17 14 12 11 13 15 14 17 15 13 11 19 16 12 18 15 18 13 14 12 17 19 11 16 19 11 12 16 18 15 13 17 14 17 16 14 19 13 11 18 15 12

The devastating

earthquake in

Haiti turned

into an opportunity for

people around the

world to show that

they care -- and so far

millions have opened

their hearts in all sorts

of ways. They've emp-

tied their wallets,

swiped their credit cards, and even with-

drawn large amounts of cash from under

their mattresses.

They've organized fundraising dinners --

pizza, spaghetti, barbecue -- drawing large

crowds who just can't resist the signs and

posters that say "Pig out for Haiti" and

"Stuff yourself for a good cause."

Some schools held "Hats for Haiti" days,

allowing students to wear hats in their class-

rooms if they donate at least $1.

Other schools organized "Pajamas for

Haiti" days, "Chew gum for Haiti" days,

and the very popular "Kiss a Cheerleader

for Haiti" days.

A Catholic school in Canada raised

$4,000 by having a "dress-down day," a

very successful fundraiser, even if some

boys were disappointed that not a single girl

let her dress down. At a Pennsylvania uni-

versity, a group of students organized a coin

drive, urging fellow students to search their

dorm rooms for any money lying around.

One international student managed to find

millions of dollars. Unfortunately they were

Zimbabwean dollars.

A 7-year-old London boy raised 55,000

pounds through a "Help a Haitian Child"

cycle ride. Not to be outdone, a group of

Venice Beach, Calif., bodybuilders raised

60,000 pounds in a single day -- and with-

out taking any extra steroids.

Many cellphone users gave money by tex-

ting the word "Haiti' to a special number,

allowing their phone company to bill them

for the donation. This proved to be a very

efficient method of collecting donations.

The American Red Cross managed to col-

lect $3 million from people who texted

"Haiti" to 90999 and another $5 million

from people who texted "Hey tea."

President Obama asked former Presidents

George W. Bush and Bill Clinton to lead

private fundraising efforts in America. Both

were eager to help -- and Bush didn't even

ask where Haiti is. He had already asked

Laura.

The former presidents were willing to set

aside political differences for a good cause.

They created a special fund for Haiti and

didn't even argue whether to call it the

Clinton Bush Haiti Fund (CBHF) or the

Bush Clinton Haiti

Fund (BCHF). Bush suggested they go in

alphabetical order, Clinton agreed, and so it

was called the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.

Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio

donated $1 million to CBHF, joining

George Clooney, Sandra Bullock and others

who pledged $1 million for Haiti relief.

You've got to give them credit. While

DiCaprio's donation was "Titanic,"

Clooney's was "Out of Sight" and Bullock's

was done with "Speed."

About 200 celebrities participated in the

"Hope for Haiti Now" telethon, broadcast

across the globe. Some, like Alicia Keys

and Taylor Swift, performed "Songs for

Haiti," while others, like Jack Nicholson

and Julia Roberts, took calls from viewers

pledging money. Nicholson was his usual

gentlemanly self, speaking to callers with

grace and charm, even the ones who said,

"Would you mind handing the phone to

Julia?"

Perhaps the biggest hearts belong to all

the people who took steps to adopt orphans

from Haiti, the ones eager to commit to

years of feeding a child, clothing a child and

saying to a child, "No, you can't organize a

'Help a Haitian Child Buy a Sony

PlayStation' cycle ride."

Melvin Durai is a Manitoba-based writerand humorist. Anative of India, he grew upin Zambia and has lived in North Americasince the early 1980s. Read his humor blogat http://www.Nshima.com.

28 Humor


Opening our hearts to Haiti

President Obama asked former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton to lead pri-vate fundraising efforts in the US. Both were eager to help -- and Bush didn't even ask

where Haiti is. He had already asked Laura.

About 200 celebrities participated in the "Hope for HaitiNow" telethon, broadcast across the globe, pulling in over $50 million

by Mahendra ShahMahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist,cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrant Indians for

the past many years in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

By Melvin Durai

Aries: This week travel would pro-

mote new romantic connections. Im-

portant people around you would appreciate

your ideas. Relationship with the opposite

sex would be highly cordial and pleasant.

Spend some exciting time with family mem-

bers and relatives. Your ability to converse

intelligently would help you seek favors. You

can easily double your financial gains if you

play your cards well.

Taurus: This is an excellent period to

show your knowledge and skills. You

should go ahead with new plans and finalize

important deals. Children would give you

happiness and comfort. This is also the per-

fect time for romance, pilgrimage and even

seeking favors. Financial gains from past in-

vestments would roll in, but not at the rate

you might expect.

Gemini: Travel and learning should

be on your agenda this week. For

some, a change in residence would prove

highly lucky. Your income would rise and

you would spend lavishly on family members

and friends. Be cautious while handling so-

phisticated equipment or entering a new al-

liance. Your ideas would bring you rewards.

Cancer: This week you are likely to

be asked to handle additional respon-

sibilities. Your outgoing nature would work

to your advantage as you gain favors from

others. Business trip might prove unproduc-

tive. Exercise caution while dealing with col-

leagues and important clients. Not a favor-

able period for romantic alliance. Specula-

tion will prove highly beneficial. Spiritual

gains for some.

Leo: This week your partner expects a

lot from you, which seems to add pres-

sure on your mind. Do not sign any legal doc-

uments or any other papers pertaining to

property. You need to take some time off and

go for little recreation towards the weekend.

This period is also not very good for romance

or those seeking a matrimonial alliance. A

close friend will try to do the unexpected.

Virgo: Discuss your objectives with

experienced people to benefit this

week. Your intellectual charms would win

heart and bring you opportunities that you

least expected. Visiting a place of worship

would bring peace of mind. Businessmen and

those starting a new venture stand to gain.

Residential moves would prove to be highly

hectic and expensive.

Libra: This week money matters

would take high priority and new ven-

tures would be highly alluring. Students need

to concentrate on their career and plan for the

year ahead. Be at your best behavior and pre-

cise in your communication when meeting

influential and important people. Take firm

decisions regarding office matters. Be careful

not to say anything that will offend others.

Scorpio: Colleagues would appreci-

ate you because of your skills and tal-

ents. Good period for materializing real es-

tate and financial transactions. Unexpected

gains on the money front are quite likely. A

long journey concerning work is on the cards

for some of you. Renovation or purchases

made for your home would pay off in the

long run. Be careful while driving.

Sagittarius: This week support from

friends and family members would

generate new confidence into you. Pending

correspondence should be completed imme-

diately, but be precise and honest when writ-

ing to the one you love. Personal needs and

requirements would increase but gains from

unexpected sources would take care of the fi-

nancial obligations. Close relatives might try

to force their opinion on you.

Capricorn: Do not trust others with

important information. Matters relat-

ed to property, partnerships and new ventures

would work to your advantage. Maintain a

positive approach to reap maximum benefits

during this period. Children and youngsters

would demand attention. A new romantic af-

fair is likely for some of you. Go out with

friend, as you need to relax towards the

weekend.

Aquarius: Concentrate on your ef-

forts and rewards will follow by them-

selves. A stable period of growth and pros-

perity. This is also the right time for estab-

lishing new contacts, participating in charity

and social work. Affairs of the heart would be

pleasant and highly enjoyable. Work with

people who are creative and enterprising.

Friends will understand your problems and

your needs.

Pisces: This is going to be a highly re-

warding period for women. An unex-

pected achievement or news would bring in

happiness for you and the entire family. Also

prepare yourself for favorable changes at

your work front.

Children would look forward to some of

your time. Some situation might be blown

out of proportion, which might bring tensions

at home.

January 30:Governed by number 3 and the planet Jupiter,you are bold, ambitious, dignified, courageousand intelligent person. You are hard working andalways appreciated for your commitment and ef-forts, but you need to control your tendency tobehave erratic, stubborn and lazy at times. Fi-nancially this promises to be a highly lucrativeyear. New contract or partnership will takeshape, lifting your moral and confidence. Invest-ment in stocks and real estate recommended.Businessmen dealing in trading and export willbenefit. Students will find this period highly ex-citing, adventurous and full of good opportuni-ties. Religious feeling will arise making you gofor a pilgrimage later in the year. Nuptial knotsfor few lovebirds. Chronic patients need to takepreventive medication. Drive carefully, especial-ly during the night. The months of June, Augustand January seem to be important and signifi-cant.

January 31:Influenced by number 4 and the planet Uranus.You are energetic, practical, enthusiastic, author-itative and trustworthy person. You are intelli-gent and can do wonders with your ability to putin your maximum, but you need to control yourtendencies to behave reckless, stubborn and im-patient at times. This is a period of recognitionand rewards. Efforts put in the past will yield re-turns this year. Your investments will multiplyand yield good profits. Unexpected gains fromspeculation or real estate may not be ruled out.Children may cause some dissatisfaction andspouse will need more of your attention. New ro-mance most likely for some. Health definitelywould need more attention. Regular exercise andmeditation would immensely help you this year.The months of January, June & November willprove to be significant and result oriented.

February 01:Governed by number 1 and the Sun. You are ac-tive, assertive, original, authoritative, brilliantand a talented person. You always welcome newideas and thoughts, but you need to check yourtendency to behave extravagant, stubborn andvindictive at times. This year lady luck is defi-nitely on your side. Pending assignments andjobs will be completed. Investors who speculatein the stock market will benefit financially. Im-portant decisions that you will take during thisphase will enhance your prosperity and securityin years to come. Sportsmen need to take extracare of their health. Those involved in art andother creative profession will receive recognitionand monetary gains. Your spouse in a loving andcaring mood will provide immense support.Children will demand more attention. Pilgrimageor journey will be high on your cards. Themonths of February, July and October will proveto be highly significant.

February 02:Ruled by number 2 and the Moon. You are sim-ple, friendly, cooperative and love peace and har-mony. You are full of new and innovative ideas

and simply a perfectionist in whatever work youdecide to do, but you need to control your ten-dency to be moody, jealous and fickle-minded attimes. New opportunities come your way thisyear. Financial position stabilizes as past invest-ment starts bringing in profits. Journeys under-taken for work purpose will be beneficial andhighly rewarding. Investment in a house and se-lected stocks recommended. Legal matters willget complicated and expensive, as a visit to alawyer to seek professional advice seems likely.Children will win laurels in their respectivefields and will be supportive and understandingtowards you. Wedding bells for those eligibleand others will find romance to get them going.The months of April, August and November willbring in prosperity.

February 03: Governed by number 3 and the planet Jupiter,you are confident, ambitious, philosophical, dig-nified, generous and an optimistic person. Youare loyal to your friends and enjoy immense re-spect among your peers, but you need to controlover your tendency to behave extravagant, dom-inating and fickle-minded at times. You need toplan out things well in advance to reap benefitsthis year. Your new year should improve your fi-nancial position as you pick up new jobs and as-signments. Increase in your expenses will makeit difficult for you to save, therefore stick to yourbudget to avoid getting into a financial crunch.Only selective investment will be rewarding andyou should avoid speculation on all fronts. Mid-dle of the year you should expect plenty of guestsand relatives, some of whom would bring yougifts in cash and kind. Romance would be pleas-ant and would add a spice to your life. Themonths of April, September, December and Jan-uary would be significant.

February 04:Influenced by number 4 and the planet Uranus,you are energetic, methodical, friendly, system-atic and possess a strong memory. You are high-ly religious and philosophical, but you need tocheck your tendency to behave jealous, stubbornand self centered at times. Long-cherisheddreams will be fulfilled this year. New partner-ships and ventures will start on a positive note.Your earnings will improve and you would spendmore on luxuries and other comforts. This is alsoa good period to undertake foreign ventures andbuild up foreign alliances. The sudden influenceof an influential person will give a new twist toyour life. Later in the year a pilgrimage or travelto a distant place cannot be ruled out. New ro-mance will be tricky and short-lived. You willfind immense love and affection through yourspouse. The months of May, July, October andDecember will be highly important.

February 05:Ruled by number 5 and the planet Mercury, youare practical, trustworthy, accommodating andpossess a strong intuition. You are a no-non-sense, hardworking individual to whom disci-pline and honesty is of immense importance. Butyou need to control your tendency to behavespendthrift and nervous at times. The year aheadpromises to be a blend of both the good and thebad. New sources of income will come your way.You would be highly dedicated and more confi-dent in your work. Frequent and fruitful journeysare likely to take place bringing excellent oppor-tunities for developing new ties and relation-ships. Home front will not be that pleasant as fre-quent arguments and confrontations will alwaysbring discomfort and dismay. You are likely to bemore inclined towards religious as well as spiri-tual activities. The months of June, Septemberand January will be highly eventful.

Astrology 29


By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874; Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898,2648 9899; [email protected]; www.premastrologer.com

Stars Foretell: January 30-Feb 5, 2010. 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 of diamonds & precious stones.

To the readers of The South Asian Times

by an expert gems dealer.For appointment, please call 516 390 7847 or

email [email protected]

Before you consult...

Astrology, Numerology, Tarot are highly compli-

cated ancient sciences, impossible to understand

them completely. Over 99% astrologers are inac-

curate in over 80% of their predictions & fore-

casts. Many of them are con artists taking advan-

tage of blind faith & situation of God fearing peo-

ple. Now-a-days many of them use all the state of

the art, latest tools of marketing & excessive use

of media to attract more & more people. Be care-

ful before putting complete faith in the hands of

un-known person who could be possibly a fraud.

Please check the back ground & testimonials of

the Astrologer/Pandit /Swami/Guru/Muni/ Rishi

before consulting them. Don’t get influenced by

their outfit, busy schedule and photographs with

celebrities & high profiled personalities. More

they spend on their self promotions & advertise-

ments, more the chances of getting robbed by

them.

Everyone have situations with family, finance,

health or love but fearful middle age women are

their soft target. Remember, no one can change

any-one’s future & fortune. Be careful before

spending thousands of dollars on remedies.

Tantra, Man-tra & Yantra, Havan, Pooja, Tabeez,

Prayers should not cost thousands of dollars.

The South Asian Times is proud to present Dr.

Prem Kumar Sharma, the trustworthy, renowned

& expert astrologer who com-bines scientific cal-

culations of your birth chart with planets in transit

before mak-ing predictions. He will never sug-

gest any remedy which is very high in cost and

not tested for prescribed effects & results.

If you have any experience to share with ourreaders, please write to [email protected].

Be Aware

Free Consultation

By Sant Rajinder Singh JiMaharaj

In ancient India, one of the

rulers was Yudhishthira. He

lived in a time when spiritual

values prevailed and people were

filled with virtues. It was a period

when spirituality was considered to

be more important than material

wealth.

In the last ten years of

Yudhishthira’s rule he started notic-

ing a change in the people. People

began answering the call of their

lower self and they stopped listen-

ing to their conscience. He knew

that the Kali Yuga, or the Dark Age,

was on the horizon.

As Yudhishthira was sitting in his

kingdom, two men came to have an

audience with him. They had a

grievance they wanted to settle, so

they came to him for advice.

One man said, “I have bought a

plot of land from this man, and

after he sold it to me, I discovered

there was a treasure buried there.

Since I had only purchased the land

from him, I want to return the treas-

ure to him because I did not buy it

from him and he is the rightful

owner.”

Yudhishthira was pleased at the

honesty of the man who bought the

land since he told the other man

about the found treasure and even

wanted to return it.

The man who sold the land said,

“It is true that the treasure was

mine, but when I sold him the land,

he became the owner of the land

and whatever is in it. Therefore, I

would like him to keep the treas-

ure.”

The man who bought the land

said, “Please take your treasure

back. I do not want to carry the sin

on my head of taking what is not

rightfully mine.”

The seller said, “Look, I have

sold you the land along with what-

ever is in it. I cannot accept the

treasure that now belongs to you.

Please do not tempt me and lead me

into greed.”

Yudhishthira was highly pleased

with the noble behavior of both

these men.

The men said, “We cannot agree

on what to do since we both want to

give the treasure to the other. We

have been arguing over this for

days and we would like you to set-

tle the case.”

Yudhishthira thought over the sit-

uation and said to himself, “These

two people are behaving nobly and

ethically. I can see that the Kali

Yuga, or the Dark Age, has not yet

come. Let me wait and see what

happens.”

Yudhishthira said to them, “I

want you both to come back to me

in a week with this case.” So the

men left.

A week later, they both returned.

Something had drastically changed.

This time the case they presented to

the king was different. Now they

were both arguing to keep the treas-

ure themselves.

The seller said, “I decided the

treasure belonged to me. I sold him

the land, but not the treasure.”

The buyer said, “That is not right.

Since I bought the land, everything

in the land belongs to me.”

Yudhishthira saw that greed had

now taken over their ethical sense.

Yudhishthira realized that this was

a sign that the Kali Yuga, or Dark

Age, had come.

Yudhishthira ultimately settled

the case by arranging the marriage

of the son of one of them to the

daughter of the other to keep the

treasure in the family. But he knew

that the age of spirituality and ethi-

cal living had come to an end.

Whether we are living in one age

or the other, each human being has

the choice to select how he or she

wishes to live. It is a choice each

can make in everyday life. Every

day we have a choice whether to

succumb to the greed or tempta-

tions of the Dark Age, or choose to

live according to the spiritual val-

ues of the Golden Age. Living a

spiritual life means putting in time

for meditation so that we can

reunite our soul with God. It means

behaving in an ethical manner. It

means choosing good over bad,

nonviolence over violence, love

over hatred, selfless service over

greed, and truth over falsehood.

For more visit www.sos.org

30 Spiritual Awareness


The company we keep is

important for our spiritual

growth. It is said, “A person

is known by the company he or

she keeps.” If we spend time with

rich people, we will think about

money all the time. If we spend

time with drunkards, we will be

enticed to drink. If we hang

around with gamblers, we will be

easily influenced to gamble. If we

stay around people who fight, we

will tend to be argumentative our-

selves.

The following account from the

life of the great Chinese scholar,

Mencius, illustrates this point.

Mencius’s mother was a wise

woman, as mothers generally are.

During her lifetime, she moved

her residence on three occasions

for the sake of her son, Mencius.

At first they lived near a grave-

yard. One day, she discovered that

her son was pretending to be a

mourner. The lad would watch the

mourners at the cemetery as they

attended funerals. Since children

are impressionable, he would fre-

quently imitate the behavior of the

mourners. The mother was

alarmed, so she decided to move.

Next, she moved to an area with

markets and bazaars. After a

while, she noticed her son,

Mencius, had started to play the

role of shopkeeper. He would

spread out their possessions, pre-

tending he owned a shop. He start-

ed arguing with other people just

as he had seen shopkeepers argu-

ing with customers and other

shopkeepers. The mother was

upset about the influence this

company had on her son, so she

decided to move again.

This time, the mother selected a

house near a school. Soon, she

found Mencius imitating the

scholars, researching subjects and

learning about them. She was

happy that this was the right influ-

ence on her son. He grew up to be

one of the noted Chinese scholars.

This story illustrates the wisdom

and sacrifice of a mother for her

child to give him or her the best. It

also illustrates the power of the

company we keep.

If we wish to be an artist, we

should spend time with artists. If

we wish to be a doctor, we should

spend time with people involved

in the medical profession. If we

wish to develop positive virtues,

we should stay around people who

exhibit goodness. If we wish to be

spiritual, we should spend time in

the company of spiritually minded

people.

Our lives are precious. We come

here with a fixed number of

breaths. Within that time, we need

to fulfill the purpose of our life.

We can develop spiritually and be

of service to others. Spending time

with people who drag us down and

pull our attention away from these

goals is a waste of our life’s

breaths.

We should take a decision as to

what we want in life. Once having

taken that decision, we should

work toward that goal. Spending

time with like-minded people who

have the same goals can help has-

ten our footsteps toward fulfilling

the purpose of our life.

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharajis an international spiritual leaderand Master of meditation whoaffirms the transcendent onenessat the heart of all religions,emphasizing prayer and medita-tion as building blocks for achiev-ing peace.For more visit www.sos.org.

Being with like-minded people

Choose between the dark or the golden age

This article has been selected and reprinted from Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj’s book, Spiritual Pearls for EnlightenedLiving (Radiance Publishers), an inspirational collection of stories from the world’s great wisdom traditions.

By Sant Rajinder SinghJi Maharaj

Our lives are precious. We come herewith a fixed number of breaths. Withinthat time, we need to fulfill the purposeof our life. We can develop spirituallyand be of service to others. Spendingtime with like-minded people who havethe same goals can help hasten our foot-steps toward attaining the purpose.

Every day we have a choice whetherto succumb to the greed or tempta-tions of the Dark Age, or choose tolive according to the spiritual valuesof the Golden Age.

Date post:	31-Mar-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	malak-designs-inc
View:	274 times
Download:	21 times

The South Asian Times

Documents