VOL 12 ISSUE 08 ● NEW YORK ● MARCH 02 - MARCH 08, 2018 ● ENQUIRIES: 646-247-9458 www.theindianpanorama.news 104-02, 120th Street, S. Richmond Hill, NY 11419 23rd Olympic Winter Games at PyeongChang end on a bright note, as Norway heads tally with a record number of medals Ivanka Trump was cynosure of all eyes at the closing ceremony BY PRABHJOT SINGH IN PYEONGCHANG PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH KOREA (TIP): The curtains were finally rung down on the 23rd Olympic Winter Games at PyeongChang on Sunday, February 25, after a glittering and impressive ceremony that saw athletes from all participating nations dancing their hearts out to the beats of music. The Olympic flag was ceremoniously handed over to Mayor of Beijing for holding the 2022 Olympic Winter Games there. After Sochi (2014), Olympic Winter Games continue to be confined to Eurasia. Not only that, next summer Olympic Games will also be in Asia, in Tokyo, Japan, in 2022. contd on Page 34 Norway's gold medalists Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg, Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen, Ragnhild Haga and Marit Bjeorgen pose on the podium after the cross-country women's 4x5km relay at the PyeongChang. Photo / Courtesy CNN QUEEN OF SILVER SCREEN SRIDEVI CREMATED WITH STATE HONORS MUMBAI(TIP): Bollywood diva Sridevi was on February 28 cremated with full state honors, mourned by millions of fans, at the Vile Parle crematorium. Sridevi's filmmaker husband Boney Kapoor performed the last rites at the ceremony. contd on Page 32 Thousands of grieving fans gathered in Mumbai on Wednesday, February 28 to pay respects to Sridevi, the iconic Bollywood actress who drowned accidentally in a Dubai hotel bathtub on February 24. Photo courtesy Hindustan Times We Wish Our Readers a HAPPY HOLI Trump calls for a comprehensive approach to Gun Laws Republicans and Democrats alike taken by surprise WASHINGTON (TIP): President Donald Trump called for speedy and substantial changes to the nation's gun laws, criticizing lawmakers in a White House meeting for being too fearful of the National Rifle Association to take action. In a freewheeling, televised session on Wednesday, February 28, that stretched for an hour, Trump rejected both his party's incremental approach and its legislative contd on Page 32 Indian government introduces law to impound properties of Fugitive Economic Offenders NEW DELHI (TIP): Stung by a spate of cases of financial plundering of Indian Financial institutions by unscrupulous people like Vijay Mallya and more recently, Nirav Modi, government of India has decided to tighten noose around fugitive economic offenders. The Cabinet on Thursday, March 1, approved the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill that provides for confiscating all assets of absconding fraudsters and loan defaulters to recover dues. contd on Page 32 President’s longest-serving and closest aide Hope Hicks quits as WH communications chief WASHINGTON (TIP): Hope Hicks, one of Donald Trump's longest-serving and trusted aides, on March 1, announced her resignation as the powerful communications director, in a major blow to the US President and the embattled White House amidst the intensifying inquiry into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election. contd on Page 13 The fugitive Diamond merchant Nirav Modi in his New York Store on Madison Avenue. File photo Hope Hicks has resigned as White House communications director in view of a Trump's reported rebuke for her testimonybefore the House Intelligence Committee President Donald Trump (right) speaking to lawmakers on having a comprehensive law addressing gun violence in schools, at the White House on February 28, 2018 Photo / courtesy CNN
Transcript
VOL 12 ISSUE 08 ● NEW YORK ● MARCH 02 - MARCH 08, 2018 ● ENQUIRIES: 646-247-9458 www.theindianpanorama.news
104-02, 120th Street,S. Richmond Hil l , NY 11419
23rd Olympic Winter Games at PyeongChang end on a bright note,as Norway heads tally with a record number of medals
Ivanka Trump was cynosure of all eyes at the closing ceremonyBY PRABHJOT SINGH IN
PYEONGCHANG
PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH KOREA (TIP):
The curtains were finally rung down on the23rd Olympic Winter Games at PyeongChangon Sunday, February 25, after a glittering andimpressive ceremony that saw athletes fromall participating nations dancing their heartsout to the beats of music. The Olympic flagwas ceremoniously handed over to Mayor ofBeijing for holding the 2022 Olympic WinterGames there. After Sochi (2014), OlympicWinter Games continue to be confined toEurasia. Not only that, next summer OlympicGames will also be in Asia, in Tokyo, Japan, in2022. contd on Page 34
Norway's gold medalists Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg, Astrid UhrenholdtJacobsen, Ragnhild Haga and Marit Bjeorgen pose on the podium after the
cross-country women's 4x5km relay at the PyeongChang. Photo / Courtesy CNN
QUEEN OF SILVER SCREEN SRIDEVI CREMATEDWITH STATE HONORS
MUMBAI(TIP): Bollywood diva Sridevi wason February 28 cremated with full state honors,mourned by millions of fans, at the Vile Parlecrematorium. Sridevi's filmmaker husbandBoney Kapoor performed the last rites at theceremony. contd on Page 32
Thousands of grieving fans gathered in Mumbaion Wednesday, February 28 to pay respects to
Sridevi, the iconic Bollywood actress whodrowned accidentally in a Dubai hotel bathtub
on February 24. Photo courtesy Hindustan Times
We Wish Our Readers a HAPPY HOLI
Trump calls for a comprehensiveapproach to Gun Laws
Republicans and Democrats alike taken by surprise WASHINGTON (TIP): President Donald
Trump called for speedy and substantialchanges to the nation's gun laws, criticizinglawmakers in a White House meeting forbeing too fearful of the National RifleAssociation to take action.
In a freewheeling, televised session onWednesday, February 28, that stretched for anhour, Trump rejected both his party'sincremental approach and its legislative
contd on Page 32
Indian government introduces law to impound properties ofFugitive Economic Offenders
NEW DELHI (TIP):
Stung by a spate ofcases of financialplundering of IndianFinancial institutionsby unscrupulouspeople like VijayMallya and morerecently, Nirav Modi,government of Indiahas decided to tightennoose around fugitiveeconomic offenders.The Cabinet onThursday, March 1,
approved the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill that provides forconfiscating all assets of absconding fraudsters and loandefaulters to recover dues.
Hope Hicks, one of DonaldTrump's longest-servingand trusted aides, onMarch 1, announced herresignation as thepowerful communicationsdirector, in a major blowto the US President andthe embattled WhiteHouse amidst theintensifying inquiry intoalleged Russian meddlingin the 2016 election.
contd on Page 13
The fugitive Diamond merchant NiravModi in his New York Store on Madison
Avenue. File photo
Hope Hicks has resigned as WhiteHouse communications director inview of a Trump's reported rebukefor her testimonybefore the House
Intelligence Committee
President Donald Trump (right) speaking tolawmakers on having a comprehensive lawaddressing gun violence in schools, at the
White House on February 28, 2018 Photo / courtesy CNN
2 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018ADVERTISEMENT
3NEW YORKTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018
Dr. Urmilesh Arya Inaugurated as AIA National President Congressman Tom Suozzi wows Indian Heritage, culture and Indian American community
HICKSVILLE, NY (TIP): 50- year oldAssociation of Indians in America organizedan impressive Inauguration ceremony forNational President Dr. Urmilesh Arya onFebruary 25th, 2018 at Auntuns by Minar inHicksville. The AIA has plans to celebrate the50th anniversary of AIA under thepresidentship of Dr. Arya on October 20, 2018.
Speaking on the occasion, CongressmanTom Suozzi praised Dr. Yashpal Arya and Dr.Urmilesh Arya for their promotion of Indianheritage and culture and their valuablecontribution to community.He said he wasdeeply impressed with the vibrant Indiancommunity. He had a word of appreciation forthe rich Indian heritage and culture andadvised the gathering that it was "veryimportant that you must maintain heritageand culture and must stand for your rights.Though it is the tough job, but it can be donewith your strenuous work".
Congressman said he was all set to visitIndia in the first week of April where hewould learn firsthand about India's heritageand culture and interact with various sectionsof society. He spoke of the strong bonds offriendship between the "oldest democracy ofthe world and the largest democracy of theworld" and said this friendship needed to bestrengthened further.
Dr. Urmilesh Arya said she would do herbest to take the 50-year-old representativeorganization of Indian Americans in the US togreater heights. She said that her vision is tobring all Asian Indian community togetherand give the torch of AIA to youngergeneration to maintain our heritage andculture for future generations.
Dr. Arya ended her speech with "Do notexpect from your Association, see what you
can do for it".Earlier, Dr. Narinder Kukar, the senior
community leader who is associated with anumber of community organizations and waspresident of AIA a long time ago, introducedDr. Urmilesh Arya as a person who has alwaysbeen passionate about preserving Indianheritage and culture even as she championedthe cause of the Indian community onpolitical level. He said there could not be a
better choice than Dr. Urmilesh Arya to leadthe celebrated Association of Indians inAmerica.
The outgoing President Dr. Shashi Shahhanded over the gavel to Dr. Urmilesh Arya,signifying passing on the authority to the newpresident. The Committee for 2018-2019 wasintroduced by Elected President Dr UrmileshArya.
contd on page 6
Prof. Sridhar presented a copy of his book "Ananya-A Portrait of India"to Congressman Tom Suozzi. Seen in the picture, from L to R: MukulArya, Yashpal Arya, Shashi Shah, Urmilesh Arya, Tom Suozzi, Nirmal
Matoo, Prof. Shridhar
The Committee. L-R Nalini Shah, Neelam Modi, Usha Bhansal, SunilModi, Indu Jaiswal, Shashi Shah, Urmilesh Arya, Tom Suozzi, Sunil
Mehra, Sushma Kotahwala, Ram Khanna, Ravi Bhooplapur, BuddhdevManwar, Dr. Gilja, Indu Gajwani
Jugaad Culture is the Best Improvisation in CorporateIndia, but it can’t take the place of established systems,
says Harvard Business School Dean Nitin Nohria NEW YORK CITY, NY (TIP): Indian CEOs
are best at improvisation or jugaad culturewhich is unique as well as remarkable, saidProfessor Nitin Nohria, Dean of HarvardBusiness School. Prof. Nohria was speaking atthe second 'New India Lecture' series at theIndian consulate in New York on February 26.Eminent journalist Bobby Ghosh moderatedthe session.
In his brief welcome address ConsulGeneral Ambassador Sandeep Chakrabortyexplained the significance of the lectureseries, which will be held on fourth Monday ofevery month. "We are exchanging visions forcreating a new India - India of our dreams", hesaid.
Speaking on 'Doing Business in India - TheGood and the Bad' Professor Nohria touchedupon all aspects of corporate culture in India."Findings of a study on how Indian CEOspractice leadership are very compelling andconnect with my own experiences. The thingthat Indian CEOs are best at is improvisationor jugaad as we call it. This is the uniquequality in India, it's a remarkable capacity", hesaid. But he also explained why jugaad can'ttake the place of established systems. "Toooften, our conversations tend to focus on theextremes. It's like punditry on the Indiancricket team. They're either so good that can'tget beaten or they're in their worst form. Weneed to be able to focus on the middle. So, mycomments on jugaad culture should not bemisunderstood as pessimism. But then, jugaadcannot take the place of established systemsand processes either", he further added.
Professor Nohria also explained how thecorporate culture of USA is different fromIndia's. "In the US, the relationship betweenemployers and employees is verytransactional. In India, so many familybusinesses dominate the Indian landscape thatthe employer- employee relationship becomesone of familiarity. They (employer) begin to
think of the business itself as their Parivaar.""For many Indian business owners, these
are people whose mission for the company ismore than just to create shareholder value.American leaders are preoccupied withcreating shareholder value. In India, the firmis seen by most people as an instrument forsociety", he further explained.
The event was followed by a Q&Asession. The next 'New India Lecture'series will be held on March 26 whereHussain Haqqani, who served as Pakistan'sambassador to the United States from 2008-2011, will deliver the lecture. The responseto the lecture was tremendous, with aroomful attendance.
Consul General Sandeep Chakraborty in hisopening remarks said, "We are exchanging
visions for creating a new India - India of ourdreams".
Seen in the picture, from L to R: Bobby Ghosh, Dr. Nitin Nohria, and Consul General SandeepChakraborty
A view of the gathering
4 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018INDIANS ABROAD
Indian American Dr. HiralTipirneni wins DemocraticPrimary Electionfor the 8thCongressional District ofArizona
ARIZONA (TIP): Indian American Dr.Hiral Tipirneni has won the specialDemocratic primary election for the 8thCongressional District of Arizona, defeatingher only rival Brianna Westbrook.Tipirneniwill face Debbie Lesko, who won theRepublican primary by beating 11 candidates,in the April 24 special general election.
The seat became vacant after GOPincumbent Rep. Trent Franks resignedfollowing a sexual misconduct allegation. Herepresented the 8th district for 14 years beforeresigning on December 8, 2017.
"I think we won because our message wasreally connecting with voters, resonating,"Tipirneni told The Arizona Republic after theAssociated Press called the race in her favor. "Ithink they are looking for someone whobrings something like my skill set to the table,somebody who is ready to work with peoplefrom all backgrounds and really focus onsolving the problems at hand."
Tipirneni, an emergency room physicianby profession, gives the Democrats a ray ofhope in the Congressional District which hasbeen a stronghold of the Republicans for along time.
While the Democratic primary wasessentially a two-candidate race, on theRepublican side there were a dozencandidates.
Tipirneni is considered to be the strongestnominee the Democrats have fielded in years.Franks did not have a Democratic challengerin the last two election cycles.
Tipirneni runs on the issues of affordablehealthcare, strengthening the economy,retirement security, quality education, andgovernment accountability. She also endorses"an accountable immigration systemproviding a clear, affordable path tocitizenship for those who qualify and haveearned it."
She officially announced her candidacy onJuly 19, months before the staunchconservative Franks was practically pushedout of Congress by the House leadershipfollowing revelations that he had asked twofemale congressional staffers to bear hischildren as surrogate mothers.
The Indian American said she is runningbecause she wanted to take on specialinterests in Washington. "I believe in solvingproblems and improving lives, which is allabout people, not partisanship," Tipirnenisaid while announcing her candidacy. "That'swhat I did in the emergency room, and I'mrunning for Congress to do the same."
Tipirneni came to America from India withher family at the age of three. According toher campaign website, she earned hermedical degree through an accelerated,competitive program at Northeast OhioMedical University. Hiral chose to pursueemergency medicine because of the widevariety of challenges it presented, and itallowed her to be the first point of contact forpatients. She has served the Phoenix area formore than 20 years as an emergency roomphysician, cancer research advocate and,most recently, on the board of directors of theMaricopa Health Foundation, which supportsthe county's public health care deliverysystem.
Indian Origin female CEO joinsCommonwealth Enterprise &
Investment Council Advisory BoardCWEIC is organiser of Commonwealth Business Forum, April 2018, London
LONDON (TIP): Award winning London-based global strategist, director and CEONatasha Mudhar has officially been appointedto the Advisory Board for CommonwealthEnterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC),an organisation facilitating trade andinvestment throughout the 53 states of theCommonwealth and supporting private sectorcompanies and governments to promoteeconomic activity.
India is the Commonwealth's mostpopulous member and has been a key membersince Independence in 1947. As the world'slargest democracy, India plays an increasinglyimportant role on the world stage and is set toplay a key role in the upcomingCommonwealth Heads of GovernmentMeeting (CHOGM), taking place in in Londonfor the first time in 20 years.
The CWEIC will run the CommonwealthBusiness Forum, to be held on 16th-18th Aprilin London. The event forms a unique platformfor dialogue, bringing together a range ofindustries and economies and will beorganised alongside CHOGM. With thegovernment supporting enterprise andbusiness in the country, Indian business willalso be an essential part of theCommonwealth Business Forum.
With offices in India and UK, Natasha isalso the CEO & MD of the awarding multi-
disciplinary, international business andcommunications consultancy Sterling Media,which has also announced a partnership withthe Commonwealth Enterprise andInvestment Council, as the official global
communications partner for on-goingactivities.
Sterling and Natasha are renowned for itswork in being the first internationalcommunications consultancy to takeBollywood global. Some of the herocampaigns she has spearheaded include PadMan, Toilet Ek Prem Katha, Dangal, the IIFAsin the UK to name but a few.
Natasha is also the India Director of theUN's Global Goals campaign, launched byfilmmaker Richard Curtis to popularise theSustainable Development Goals globally toend poverty, reduce inequalities and tackleclimate change. She was also part of the teamto launch one of India's largest public healthcampaigns to eliminate filaria in India by2020.
The Commonwealth announcement is thelatest addition to a long-standing commitmentof Natasha to work on some of the mostrelevant campaigns. Whether it's takingBollywood global, be breaking the Internetwith over 100 million views for the explosiverelease of the remake of Spice Girls Wannabevideo for the UN's Global Goals to empowerfemales or lobbying governments to end worldhunger to launching iconic British brandsinternationally, Natasha is recognised acrosscontinents as a global campaign expert andentrepreneur in her sectors.
Natasha Mudhar is an award-winning Londonbased strategist
Dr. HiralTipirneni is
considered to bethe strongestnominee the
Democrats havefielded in years
Indian American Judge Ravi "R.K" Sandill isrunning for the Supreme Court of Texas
HOUSTON, TX(TIP): IndianAmerican Judge Ravi "R.K"Sandill is running for theSupreme Court of Texas, Place4.
Sandill, who currently servesas the Judge of the 127th CivilDistrict Court in Harris County,is the first Asian American torun for the position in Texas.
Sandill is the only SouthAsian on the Bar in HarrisCounty. He has been serving theposition since 2009.
Harris County, whichincludes Houston, is the mostpopulous county in Texas, with
a population of more than 4.5 million."I am running for the Supreme Court of Texas, Place 4, to restore an
independent voice to our state's highest judicial body and to focus on therule of law, rather than a fringe ideological agenda," Sandill said on hiscampaign website.
"The Texas Constitution tells us that all political power is inherent inthe people. Yet, the Supreme Court of Texas is increasingly out of touchwith the needs of everyday Texans," said Sandill.
Established in 1840, the Supreme Court of Texas comprises a ChiefJustice and eight Associate Justices. Each judge is elected for a term offive years which is renewable. If elected, Sandill would replace John P.Devine, 59, of Harris County, who has been holding the position since2013. Sandill is the son of immigrant parents from India. According tohis campaign website, his father, Retired Lt. Col. Brij Sandill, served inthe U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force for a combined 28 years.
Following high school in England, Ravi Sandill attended theUniversity of Texas at Austin, where he obtained a degree ingovernment and served as a summer intern for President Bill Clinton'sCouncil of Economic Advisors. Sandill went on to earn his law degreefrom the University of Houston Law Center, where he was an activeparticipant in the law school's moot court team and an editor on theHouston Journal of International Law.
Sandill first ran for judge in 2008, when he prevailed over a 28-yearincumbent to become a judge of the 127th.
Read full story on www.theindianpanorama.news
Sandill is the first Asian American torun for the position in Texas.
Indian American Veena Sud launches crimeminiseries 'Seven Seconds' on Netflix
NEW YORK (TIP) : IndianAmerican script writer andfilmmaker Veena Sud launchedher Netflix miniseries SevenSeconds on February 23rd. It isa 10-episode investigativedrama series based on theaccidental death of a black teenin the days after Ferguson.
Sud, who was born to Indianparents in Toronto and movedto Ohio at the age of two, isbetter recognized as thedirector of the Americanversion of The Killing, whichwas first aired on AMC andlater on Netflix.
Seven Seconds is a crimedrama series that unveils,through investigation, anaccident involving a black teenand a white police officer whowas rushing to the hospital with his pregnant wife. The hit and runcase is covered up in the aftermath of violent protests that ensued theshooting of an African American in Ferguson.
Sud is touching on a highly contentious subject and her life as thedaughter of Indian parents will help her in narrating the story in anunbiased manner. According to Sud, the plot of the movie flashed inher mind in the spring of 2015 after a series of shooting eventsinvolving black Americans and white police officers. It isaforethought about what can happen if another black man or teengets killed by a police officer. In 2014 and 2015, America witnessed themurder of Michael Brown, Freddie Gray and Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old kid, all African Americans, in the hands of white police officers.According to Sud, the protests and the anger made her write theseries.
"So, I wanted to examine race and violence in America, especiallyas a person of color myself, but I also wanted to look at it in adifferent way," she said. "I picked the car accident very specifically …it is not a hair trigger decision about pulling the trigger; it's makinga decision over the course of those seven seconds to leave a child inthe snow. Read full story on www.theindianpanorama.news
Seven Seconds on Netflix
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6 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018NEW YORK
CONTD FROM PAGE 3
Dr. Urmilesh AryaInaugurated as AIA NationalPresident
Here is the list of office bearers. Vice Presidents: Dr.Naresh Bhasin (FL) Nalini Shah (NJ), Ram Khanna(NY) Dr. Sunil Mehra (NY); Treasurer: Mrs. NeelamModi (NY), Gen, Secretary: Nilima Madan (NY),Members at Large: Hansa Ashar (CA), Dr. FaritaAhmed (FL), Nishi Mallik (FL), Dr. Shobha Gupta(FL), Mr. Akshay Patel (IL), Ashish Sen (IL), LucyPandey (IL), Salil Mishra (IL), Santosh Pandey (IL),Dr. Suresh Gupta (MD), Ravi Mehrotra (NJ), RoopamJain (NJ), Arish Sahani (NY), Dr. Asha Nayak (NY),Dr. Babu Jasty (NY), Dr. Bal Gilja (NY), Dr. DeepakNandi (NY), Dr. Himanshu Patel (NY), Indu Jaiswal(NY), Ravi Bhooplapur(NY), Dr. Sai Veeracmachani(NY), Sunil Modi (NY), Sushma Kotahwala (NY), Dr.Usha Bhansal (NY) , Kamlesh Saini (WI), InduGajwani (NY).
Bobby Kalotee, on behalf of County ExecutiveLaura Curran, presented citations to the outgoingPresident Dr. Shashi Shah and the new President Dr.Urmilesh Arya.
AIA presented gifts to Congressman Tom Suozzi.The Inauguration was attended by around 150
persons. Prominent among them were CongressmanMr. Tom Souzzi and community leaders Boby Kalotee,Kamlesh Mehta, Narender Kukar, Nirmal Matoo, Prof.Shridhar, Dr. Manwar, Virender Bhalla, Mr. SatnamParhar, Gobind Munjal, Gunjan Rastogi, NeerjaKashu, Dr. Ajay Jain, Dr. Ajay Lodha, Dr. JagdishGupta, Dr. Vinod Bhansal, and Prof. Indrajit S Saluja,Publisher and Editor of The Indian Panorama.
The program got off to a start with nationalanthems of the two countries being sung byHemaSardana and Veena Sardana. Invocation by GeetaSethia, dance by Miss India Riya Kaur,songs byMohan Wanchoo, with 10-year-old Manav on Tabla,and songs on Karaoke sung by Jyoti Gupta, InduGajwani, Roopam Maini and Ratna Bhalla, were starattractions of the celebrations.
BY BABITA SHARMA.
BROOKLYN, NY (TIP): Cricket fans are infor a surprise as for the first time, Hotstar,India's largest premium live streaming service,which was launched in the U.S. in September,will be beaming live matches from the VivoIndian Premier League (IPL), an eight-teamgame, since its inception in the year 2008.
On February 24 afternoon, Hotstar hosted anevent named "VIVO IPL HOTSTARCRICFEST", at MatchPoint in Gravesend,Brooklyn, in association with event partner,CricClubs.
Ms Ispita Dasgupta, President, HotstarInternational at Star India presented thecontent and features of Hotstar platform. Itwas a unique and engaging experience forIndian diaspora cricket fans settled in the USA.Hotstar, a multi-digital platform will allowcrickets enthusiasts to see their favorite teamsand players in action on their mobile devicenationwide anytime, anywhere.
"Hotstar aims to become a platform thatconnects and celebrates the South Asiandiaspora by bringing rich and diverseentertainment across Indian movies, TV showsand live sports. It gives us great pleasure tobring VIVO IPL 2018 on Hotstar for cricket fansin North America," said Ipsita Dasgupta,President - Strategy and Incubation, andHotstar International at Star India."Leveraging our technology, consumer insightand expertise in cricket coverage, Hotstar willdeliver an immersive and engaging experiencecombined with greater convenience to ourNorth American audience."
The event was graced by cricket legendsAnil Kumble andHarbhajan Singh "Bhajji"who interacted with the fans and the audience,
with the former detailing his experience at thehighest levels in England and in the IPL beforeretiring in 2010; and the latter shedding lighton his experience as a cricketer, and who is stillactively associated with, and will play in theIPL with Chennai Super Kings though earlier,for 10 years, he played for Mumbai.
"VIVO IPL is, undoubtedly, the mostexciting cricket property in our country andbrings together the best of cricket talent fromacross the world in an intense league," saidAnil Kumble, former Team India player,captain and coach. "Cricket fans in the U.S.deserve to watch the sport on a platform thatunderstands their love for the game and ispowered by technology that focuses ondelivering a great consumer experience. I'mtruly excited that Hotstar is the official digital
streaming partner of VIVO IPL 2018 in theU.S."
"It's incredible to see such passion for crickethalfway across the world," said HarbhajanSingh, former captain of Mumbai Indians andcurrent member of Chennai Super Kings."VIVO IPL 2018 will be an exciting season forall cricket fans and enthusiasts, includingthose in America, who can now participate inthe same experience as millions of Indiansback home do through Hotstar."
The event allowed the attendees to tastestreet food from each of the eight Indian citiesin the league and enjoy live entertainment thatincluded, from kids and adults alike, testingtheir skills in the batting cage and then gettinga virtual experience of a cricket stadiumamongst other form of activities.
Hotstar streamingof the IPL that starts inApril 2018 is set at $9.99 per month, the firstmonth being free,the viewers can enjoy all IPLmatches with commentary in six differentlanguages, including English, Hindi, Tamil,Telugu, Kannada and Bengali. HarbhajanSingh Bhajji, however, suggested includingcommentary in Punjabi language also, whichhe said was spoken by a large number ofPunjabis in the US and Canada.
This promises for an Immersive VirtualReality experience that would enable the fansto come closer to the game within the comfortof their homes and would also allow the fans torelive important core moments during anygame.
"We are interested in the casual cricket fanshere in the USA, and we are constantlyinnovating to make their experience engagingand immersive", concluded Ms IspitaDasgupta, President of Hotstar International.
Hotstar, India's largest premium streamingplatform for Indian TV shows, movies and livesports, is now also available in the U.S. andCanada. A subsidiary of Star India and 21stCentury Fox, Hotstar was launched in India in2015 and became the fastest app to reach amillion downloads within a week of going live.The platform offers a bouquet of rich anddiverse content encompassing the latestmovies, popular TV shows, documentaries andlive sports. By delivering premium, on-demandcontent across devices and in multiplelanguages, Hotstar ensures South Asiansacross the world are never too far from theirfavorite entertainment. Hotstar can beaccessed through us.hotstar.com,ca.hotstar.com or via iOS AppStore, GooglePlaystore, Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Fire,and Android TV.
HOTSTAR All Set to Stream IPL Cricket Matches for US Fans
At the press conference. From L to R: Gaurav Kapoor, Sports commentator, Ispita DasguptaPresident, Hotstar International at Star India, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh "Bhajji"
FLUSHING, NY (TIP):
Several South Asian leaders ofthe Queens BoroughCommunity were recognizedfor their services to theircommunities as well as fortheir contribution for thebetterment of neighborhoodsand for promotingenvironment and quality oflife at a crowded ceremonyattended by many electedofficials which includedSenator RoxannePersaud,Senator LeroyComrie,Assemblyman DavidWeprin, Assemblywoman NilyRozic,Council Member PeterKoo, Council Member CostaContantines and CouncilMember Paul A Vallone.
Amongst those recognizedwere Indian American SouthAsian leaders HarbachanSingh and Malini Shah.
Harbachan Singh is aformer Chairman of theUnited Nations HeadquartersCommittee on Contracts andsince his retirement has been acivic activist in Queens for thepast several years. He servedas a President of severalorganizations including theSikh American FriendshipFoundation, the Queens CivicCongress, the Saul WeprinDemocratic Club, theHolocaust Center at theQueens borough CommunityCollege and on the Boards ofQueens Borough President's
General Assembly, QueensDistrict Attorney's AdvisoryCouncil, Committee Chair ofCommunity Board 8 and FirstVice President of QueensHospital Center's AdvisoryBoard. His activity involvesgiving testimony at the NYCCouncil Hearings, addresses atChurches and governmentagencies or institutions andfighting for the Queensresidents vis a vis theauthorities. He is a recipientof numerous accolades for hiswork and Contribution
Malini Shah is Communityand Cultural Liaison forCouncil Member Paul A.
Vallone. She Volunteered andserved as representative forNYC Speaker Melissa Mark-Vivirito to the Museum of Artsand Design Board of Trusteesin Manhattan and continues tovolunteer and serve as arepresentative for the NYCSpeaker Corey Johnson to theMuseum of Arts and Design.
Malini also serves on TheClinton Democratic Club,Executive Board asMembership Chair.
She is a prominent and well-known community leaderwho is currently President ofa diamond company,Difference Inc. In addition to
running a successful jewelrybusiness, Malini is the founderof Nritya Kala Kendra, Inc.,and Indo-American Arts andCultural Forum. a culturalorganization dedicated topreserving and promoting theancient and modern arts ofIndia. Through classes,workshops, lectures, visitingartist programs, Nritya KalaKendra presents numerouseducational programs allaround New York City andabroad and has assisted withevent such as "Year of India"at Queens College andInternational children's Day toname a few.
South Asian Leaders Recognized
Malini Shah and other Honorees with elected officials. From L to R: Assemblyman David Weprin,Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, Council Member Peter Koo, Council Member Costa Contantines,
Council Member Paul Vallone, Senator Roxanne Persaud.
7NEW YORKTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018
Second Drishti Collegiate Conference ExploresHindu Identity and the Impact of Hindu
Scientific Achievements on World CulturesNEW YORK (TIP): "Hindus are seekers of
truth," remarked Maitreyee Kale, president ofHindu Students Council's (HSC) chapter atStony Brook University, as she kicked off apanel discussion on Hindu identity. Thesewords captured the general theme of theconference as it explored the meaning of beinga Hindu, misconceptions about Hindu identityas well as the remarkable impacts of Hinduscientific discoveries on world cultures.
Students from New York University andStony Brook University, along with members ofthe HSC National Team engaged in a livelyinteractionon Hindu practices, traditions andtexts that are most appealing to today's Hinduyouth. The panelists shared their experiencesof growing up in a western society and howthey managed to balance their Hindu and non-Hindu identities while staying rooted in theircultural ethos. They also interacted withconference participants on questions such ashow to handle common misconceptions aboutHinduism, how to positively engage with non-Hindus to explain Hindu practices andsymbols, how concepts such as yogaandAyurveda are important Hinducontributions, and many other topics.
"I'd never seen a stage where people my agecould weigh in on some of the most pressingtopics facing Hinduism today," shared KavindraSahabir, an attendee from Stony BrookUniversity. "I was also impressed with themembers of the panel and the way they carriedthemselves throughout the conference."SaiChaluvadi, a panelist and co-president of theHSC chapter at NYU also added: "Learningfrom their perspectives helped me view variouscomponents of the religion differently,broadening my understanding and making meaware of certain issues that Hindus face."
Dr. Alok Kumar, Distinguished TeachingProfessor of Physics at SUNY Oswego and theauthor of "Sciences of Ancient Hindus"
delivered the conference keynote address.Utilizing years of research and quotingnumerous non-Hindu literary sources,Professor Kumar told a fascinating story ofhow medieval Muslim and Europeansscholars and writers openly acknowledgedand credited several important mathematicalachievements to ancientHindus.Unfortunately, today's math andscience classes fail to tell this important storyfor the benefit of today's students and topromote multicultural harmony. For example,Sa'id Al Andalusi, a famousEleventh CenturyMuslim judge and philosopher in Spain,ranked Hindus at the top of all the worldcultures in terms of scientific achievements,concluding that "...the Hindus, as known to allnations for many centuries, are the essence ofwisdom, the sources of fairness andobjectivity." In another example, LeonardoFibonacci credited the mathematical genius of
ancient Hindus in his Liber Abaci, byadmitting that he had strictly applied theIndian method and combined that with hiscalculations to come up with the Fibonaccisequence and other works. To quoteFibonacci: "...the art of the nine Indianfigures, the introduction and knowledge ofthe art pleased me so much above all else..."Similarly, Copernicus, while writing his DeRevolutionibus Orbium Coelestiumused theHindu mathematical system versus theRoman one.
Dr. Kumarshared numerous other examplesand ideas of such contributions. However, helamented that this information is just the tipof the iceberg and that there are over 30million unstudied ancient Indianmanuscripts that are in dire conditions,though some private and governmentinstitutions are attempting to preserve andtranslate them for future generations.
Conference attendees were mesmerized by
Dr. Kumar's talk and examples. Varun Rao, astudent at Stony Brook summarized hisperspective as follows: "Initially, I did not expectto take the HSC Drishti conference seriously asI did, but I can honestly say I left the conferencewith a changed perspective on how AncientHindu Civilization has made an everlastingimpact on mankind." Indeed, HSC'sconferences and events aim to bring out suchimportant discussions and exchanges aboutHindu heritage and culture and provide theyouth an opportunity to understand theirHindu identity and its connections with therest of the world. Hindu Students Council (HSC)is the largest Hindu youth organization in NorthAmerica. Started in 1990, HSC provides collegestudents and young professionals the opportunityto learn about Hindu heritage and culture, as wellas advocates for issues impacting Hindus. Forinformation, please visitwww.hindustudentscouncil.org or contact us [email protected].
Dr. Alok Kumar, Distinguished TeachingProfessor of Physics at SUNY Oswego and the
author of "Sciences of Ancient Hindus"delivered the conference keynote address
Student panel on Hindu identity and practices
NEW YORK (TIP): Bolstering its debut this pastSaturday, Zee TV's new family quiz show AmericasSmartest Family (ASF) has seem to have attractedsome of the top advertisers and brand namesservicing the South Asian demographic.
A quick look at the show revealed State FarmInsurance as the presenting sponsor, McDonaldsas the Co-presenting sponsor, Remitly as thepowered by sponsor and Kawan Foods along with St.Judes as Associate sponsors.
This stellar line up of brands bears testimony to the needof local and relevant programming for the community. Zee TVhas taken the much-awaited initiative to program locallysourced content for audiences in the US. ASF joins a growinglist of local programs developed by Zee TV that include"Married in 7 days", "Breakthrough", "Made in America" and"Those who Made It".
All shows are being developed and produced in the US andcontain relevant content designed specifically to target theevolving South Asian demographic.
"For Kawan, it's important to continually connect with ourconsumer. The Kawan brand is specifically. Catering to theDesi audience living in the US and it is our endeavor to alwayssupport initiatives that drive locally sourced content", saidTim Tan, Managing Director of Kawan Foods.
Hosted by 23-year-old YouTube sensation Zaid Ali,"America's Smartest Family" is a unique mashup of theAmerican household favorites "Family Feud" and "Jeopardy,"but with that special ZEE TV twist that celebrates its SouthAsian heritage. Complete with a diverse set of categories anda buzzer, each episode will feature five challenging in-studioquestion rounds, testing pre-screened contestants on their
ability to answer quickly and more importantly - theirability to work as a team. Only the fastest, most well-
rounded family will get to take home the crown.Round one consists of four questions, with a
toss deciding which family goes first.Participants can choose from one of five topics -including science, math, arts, history and
geography. Once a category is chosen, it may not beselected for the remainder of the round. During the
first round, 100 points will be awarded for every correctanswer. There are no deductions for wrong answers until
round three and four, when a mistake can cost a team 100points for every incorrect answer.
As the game progresses, questions become increasinglydifficult. By rounds three and four - each correct answer isworth 200 points. During the fifth and final round, the gametakes a turn and host Zaid Ali spices things up by offeringclues. If the team answers correctly without a clue, amaximum of 1000 points is awarded. If the family choses to getclues, each clue costs them 200 points. At the end of fiverounds, scores may vary from -2400 to 5500. In the event of a tie,an extra tie-breaker round will identify the winner.
In the first four episodes of the season, four families willcompete against one another, accumulating points for everycorrect answer. The eight winning teams from those earlycontents will move onto the semi-finals until just two familiesremain. The winners of the semi-finals will make it to finals,for the ultimate face-off, where one family will be named"America's Smartest Family."
"Nobody will dispute the fact that there is demographic shiftin the South Asian Segment in USA. More than 35% of themarket now reporting to be born in the United States, it is
challenging yet exiting times for Indian programmers that sofar have depended upon the first generation for consumption.Efforts like Zee US originals give us that opportunity that notonly expands our reach but also engage the existing viewermore deeply.
We are extremely happy and feel privileged to have thesupport of these brands for the show. They share and supportour vision for the community. Also,very proud of our ad salesteam for all their smart work," said Sameer Targe, Head ofAmericas for Zee TV.
"America's Smartest Family" is broadcast every Saturday at9:00 p.m. EST; 9:30 p.m. PST; and 9:00 p.m. AST on ZEE TV.
To learn more about "America's Smartest Family," visithttps://www.zeeoriginals.com/americas-smartest-family/
About Zee Network: Zee Entertainment EnterprisesLimited is one of India's leading television media andentertainment companies. It is amongst the largest producersand aggregators of Hindi programming in the world, with anextensive library housing over 222,000 hours of televisioncontent. With rights to more than 3,818 movie titles fromforemost studios and of iconic film stars, ZEE houses theworld's largest Hindi film library. Through its strong presenceworldwide, ZEE entertains over 1 billion viewers across 172countries.
About Zee TV USA: Zee TV USA was the first ever HindiGeneral Entertainment channel to be launched in the US wayback in 1998. Since the start of the journey more than 2decades ago, Zee now has 43 networks and full time dedicatedwork force across 5 different locations all across the NorthAmerica and Caribbean. Zee TV USA was the first Asianchannel to launch in HD. Zee TV was the first Hindi network tobe measured by Nielsen in the US, Zee TV is also the mostwidely available Hindi General Entertainment network on allmajor DTH, Cable, Telco and IPTV platforms with availabilityover 86 million US households. (Press Release)
Zee TV’s New Family Quiz Show Attracts Top Brands
As the 2013 Pakistan electionapproached, the security establishmentwas concerned at the prospect of a
Nawaz victory because of his popularity inPunjab that carries more than 50 per cent seatsin the National Assembly. The anxietystemmed from Nawaz's tense relationship withhis army chiefs during two tenures as PrimeMinister, his bitterness against the army at histreatment after the 1999 coup and repeatedlyprofessed desire to promote better relationswith India. In 2011, Imran Khan, whosePakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had failed to make amark since its founding in 1996, appeared onthe scene out of nowhere to relaunch hispolitical career by opposing American dronestrikes in Pakistani territory and corruptionin the ruling parties. The then DG, ISI, wasreported to be the architect of his sudden rise,a move that subsequent events would prove tobe farsighted in filling the gap left by thereluctance of the two major parties - PPP andPML (N) - wiser with the experience of thepast, to collaborate with the army against eachother. Closer to the election, Tahir ul Qadri, aCanada based cleric of Pakistan origin, landedup to push for its postponement. However,these machinations failed, and Nawaz won athird term with a comfortable majority in theelection held in May, 2013.
In this backdrop, the civil-military equationunder Nawaz was expected to be anything butsmooth. Differences emerged quickly onMusharraf's trial, policy on terrorism andrelations with India. The army managed tosecure Musharraf's exit from Pakistan,prevailed against Nawaz's misplaced policy ofdialogue with the anti-Pak terror groups andsystematically undermined his agenda toimprove relations with India.
Imran's agitation against the alleged riggingof the 2013 election, which kept Nawaz on theback foot vis a vis the army, came a cropperwhen a judicial commission ruled against himin July 2015. However, the linkage of someoffshore companies to the Prime Minister'sfamily, revealed in the Panama papers, gaveImran and his mentors another opportunity totarget Nawaz. In July 2017, the Supreme Courtdisqualified Nawaz from holding public office.Significantly, the decision was based on thereport of a six-member joint investigationteam, constituted by the court that included arepresentative each of the ISI and MilitaryIntelligence. Since these highly disciplinedindividuals would not have approved thereport without a nod from the army leadership,the damning report, combined with the trackrecord of the Pakistan judiciary kowtowing tomilitary dictators, had left little doubt aboutthe fate of the Prime Minister and was anindicator of provenance of the decision to ousthim.
The run-up to the 2018 election bears an
eerie similarity to the events preceding the2013 election. The actors seeking to destroyNawaz's political future are the same, with theaddition of the Supreme Court and Pakistan'sterror brand ambassador, Hafiz Saeed. Thearmy would be loath to see his return to power.The PPP has sought to exploit Nawaz'smisfortunes for political gains in Punjab, butbeing an experienced party, would not go theextent of playing the security establishment'sgame. That is not true of Imran. Egged on byhis ambition, he is blind to the army's design.Tahir ul Qadri is again around. The securityestablishment aims to deprive Nawaz ofanother victory by undermining him inPunjab. Hafiz Saeed's services have also beenenlisted for good measure by releasing himfrom preventive detention. Though theElection Commission has not recognized hisparty, Milli Muslim League, because ofopposition of the PML (N) government, hecould be expected to put up independentcandidates to erode Nawaz's vote.
Nawaz and his children face charges in anaccountability court, with the sword ofconviction and imprisonment hanging overtheir head. Besides depriving him of thepresidency of his party, all decisions taken byhim in that capacity since July 2017 have alsobeen declared null and void. However, countingon his popularity in Punjab, which he hopes toboost by playing the victim card, Nawazrefuses to desert the field. Attempts to causeany major fissures in his party and wean awayhis brother, Shahbaz Sharif, have failed so far.
Nawaz, being the vote getter, is indispensableto the party. An efficient technocrat, Shahbazcomplements Nawaz, but cannot replace him.Deprived of the presidency of PML (N), Nawazthreatens to lead it in the election in hisindividual capacity in the hope of rulingthrough a proxy, as he is doing now. If jailed,his loyalists could fight in his name. He thusdares the army to either go the whole hog andstage a coup, inviting internationalopprobrium, or face the prospect of seeing himrule, even if by proxy.
The selective accountability that hasclaimed Nawaz's head not only implies thedeparture of an individual from office, but canalso target every politician, capable of winningpopular mandate and consequently inclined tochart out a course independent of theworldview of the army. Nawaz, after all, wasdisqualified as per a Zia era constitutionalamendment requiring elected representativesto be 'sadiq' (truthful) and 'ameen' (righteous),subjective criteria that can be used by the DeepState to throw out anyone not in agreementwith them. The civil-military imbalance andthe resulting dysfunctionality of the state thathave become a curse for Pakistan and theregion will get redressed essentially byopposition within Pakistan to the strangleholdof their army, with external pressure at bestplaying a supportive role. Therefore, though amatter internal to Pakistan, the ongoing tussleand its outcome should be of interest to us.
(The author is India's former HighCommissioner to Pakistan)
8 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018EDITORIAL
AS I SEE IT
By Sharat Sabharwal
THE INDIAN PANORAMA PPRREESSIIDDEENNTT//PPUUBBLLIISSHHEERR: Prof. Indrajit S. SalujaVVIICCEE PPRREESSIIDDEENNTT:: Chitagam SalujaCCHHIIEEFF EEDDIITTOORR:: Prof Indrajit S. SalujaAASSSSIISSTTAANNTT EEDDIITTOORR:: Bidisha RoyGGRRAAPPHHIICCSS DDIIRREECCTTOORR:: Om Parkash MalikDDIIRREECCTTOORR AADDMMIINNIISSTTRRAATTIIOONN:: Gauri BeriCCOONNTTRRIIBBUUTTIINNGG PPHHOOTTOOGGRRAAPPHHEERRSS:: Baldev Singh / BJ VideosGunjesh Desai / Masala JunctionJay Mandal, Mohammad Jaffer/ SnapsIndia
DISCLAIMERThe Indian Panorama assumes no responsibility for the
claims made in advertisements. We only sell space. Viewspublished in the newspaper are those of the authors and donot necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper. All rights
are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part withoutpermission in writing from The Indian Panorama is prohibited.
Deja vu in Pakistan BEWARE THE IRSIMPERSONATOR
It is tax season. It is time to paytaxes. And I hope all areserious about the tax paying
business. There are some who aremore active than a conscientioustax payer. It is the IRSimpersonators. Come tax season,and they become active. Theirmodus operandi is to call andcreate an impression that thecallers are genuine IRS officials.They introduce themselves as anyprofessional IRS official will,giving their ID, which, of course,is not a real one. They will tell theperson called that he hascommitted a fraud on IRS and thatthere are warrants of arrest. Manyare filled with fear and visions oftheir being arrested and thrownbehind bars. Something which theynever ever dreamed of. Also, theimpersonator will instill greaterfear by saying that because of theoffence committed, the calledperson will face deportation.Again, many will shudder at thethought of losing career and beingbanished from the country to facean uncertain future back in thecountry he had come from. Theimpersonating IRS officials areexperts at their job. It requiresnerves of steel not to be filled withfear over their threats, whichbelieve me, sound quite real.
However, once they know theyhave succeeded in frightening aguy they will ask for amount dueto be paid straightaway. And theyhave elaborate schemes to get themoney from frightened guys. Theydo not give any time to the calledperson to think or consultsomebody. Every year during thetax period we hear stories ofpeople having been cheated.
IRS has been at pains to warnpeople of these impersonators andcheats. They keep telling that IRSwill send notice if at all there issomething amiss with an incometax return or if the departmentwants a tax payer to make apayment. Yet, many fall a prey tothe wiles of these impersonators.
I will advice readers of TheIndian Panorama not to panicwhen such a call is received. Alittle caution and you will saveyour hard-earned dollars.
Good Luck!
The run-up to the 2018 election bears an eerie similarity to theevents preceding the 2013 poll. The actors seeking to destroyNawaz Sharif's political future are the same, with the additionof the SC and Hafiz Saeed.
Disqualified from holding the office of Prime Minister last yearby the Supreme Court, Nawaz Sharif has now been barred bythe same court from being the head of his party, PML (N).Ostensibly a matter of corruption in high places, hisdisqualification has a strong subtext of civil-military tussle inPakistan.
COMMENTProf I.S.Saluja
Proxy ruler: Disqualified to be PM or party head, Nawaz Sharif remains the vote-getter.
The top Congress leaders are due to gather, in a fortnightfrom now, for their party's plenary session. Apart fromconsecrating Rahul Gandhi's election as the party
president, the gathering will need to undertake far moreserious a task: they will have to perform a duty to start aconversation with the nation and to take the citizens intoconfidence on how the entire political system is groaningunder the weight of one man - his whims, his fancies, hisattitudes and his limitations. The Congress and its leadersneed to make a case before the nation as to why the currentstate of affairs is neither desirable nor acceptable. At the endof this three-day gathering, the Congress should have giventhe country a good enough reason to look beyond NarendraModi, as and when the Lok Sabha elections get organized.
Since it will be a political gathering, there will be plenty ofpartisanship and mouthfuls of philippics against NarendraModi, the BJP and the Sangh Parivar. But it would be a wasteof time and resources if the Congressmen confine themselvesto abuses; it will be an even greater farce and greater shame ifthe Congressmen were to engage in their familiar weaknessfor sycophancy. Instead, they have to behave and speak asresponsible and reasonable keepers of the best of theconstitutional values. As those who claim to be committed tothe Idea of India and who subscribe to the Nehruvian virtues,the Congressmen have a sober and serious task at their hands:a democratic obligation to talk to fellow-citizens as to how weare all mindlessly getting sucked into the small-timeviciousness of a small-time man; how as a nation and as asociety we are getting infected with pettiness and small-mindedness. More than that, the Congressmen need toconvince the nation that they have the legacy, the leadership,
and the experience to rescue us all from this quagmire of pettyvindictiveness being palmed off as a new normal.
We remain - for now - a constitutional democracy; but, allour constitutional arrangements stand diluted and all-outconstitutional functionaries - be it the President of India or theUnion Home Minister or External Affairs Minister -have beenmade to feel diminished. The Cabinet system of governmenthas been reduced to a joke that no longer invokes a laugh. Thecountry needs to be told that the fine architecture of checksand balances is in serious jeopardy.
It is for the Congressmen to enlighten the citizens how allthe key relationships in our national scheme of things arebeing revised and reduced: first, the majority-minorityequation has been systematically reshaped and the secularcommitments stand eroded; second, the Centre-States federalequation has tipped dangerously in favor of New Delhi and thestate governments are being reduced to whining tots; third,the State-Citizen balance has changed drastically, an all-intrusive Aadhaar arrangement is demanding compliance andsurrender of privacy, and, we are beginning to look like amisshapen authoritarian setup; then, we have the creepingdistortions in the Civil-Army relationship, with the Army indanger of losing its institutional rectitude; and, lastly, thevirtual governmental takeover of the electronic media. Allthese key equations are off the keel. And, our citizens need tobe told how these institutional distortions are unknowinglyputting the nation on a road to a totalitarian-lite experiment.
When the Opposition fails to impart a democratic vibrancyto the polity, all other institutions of restraint - like thejudiciary, the Election Commission - too feel discouraged; and,independent regulatory authorities like the Reserve Bank ofIndia feel inclined to give in to the government's unreasonable
demands. The Congress, as the principal opposition party, hasan obligation to create conditions for robust counterpoises.
If nothing else, the country needs to be repeatedly educatedabout the whimsicality that has dictated the (mis)management of the economy, and how all the great projects -like Make in India - stand in tatters; and, more importantly,whether the Congress has an answer to jobless growth andwhether the Congressmen can help the country find its wayout of a deepening agrarian crisis.
Notwithstanding the loud chanting of deshbhakti, andbalidaan mantras, it is the Opposition's task to inform thecountry that we stand isolated in our own backyard becausewe have needlessly and arrogantly alienated all our SouthAsian neighbors; and, the nation needs to be educated thatIndia today is less safe than it was five years ago. The Congresshas to introduce the citizens to a new narrative that takes usaway from this excessive preoccupation with national securityand an unwarranted and unworkable flexing of muscles athome and abroad. We are losing our national self-assurancewithout making smaller nations in the neighborhood respectus.
Then, there is a personality overload. A personality cult mayhave been "normalized" in New Delhi but it remains apersonality cult, with all its unhealthy demands on men andinstitutions. It is already a matter of considerable dismay thatotherwise decent officials, educated aides and learned advisershave acquiesced in the organized worship of a man whograndiloquently pretends to know profoundly abouteverything, from gaming the examinations to disrupting theeconomy, even without the benefit of a Harvard education, andmaking a virtue of "hard work". From senior most ministers tojunior joint secretary, all find themselves subscribing to this"daddy knows best" syndrome, very much reminiscent of theNarayan Datt Tiwari hymns to Sanjay Gandhi during theEmergency days.
History of the last hundred years has taught us one simplelesson: personality cults do introduce undesirable imbalancesin the body politic. Personality cult produces very littledemocratic good; it always ends up badly, even disastrously.
The greatest danger we face is Narendra Modi is using allthe accruements of democracy to de-legitimize democracy'sgood practices and values, and, to turn all its bad habits tomake democratic arrangements look inadequate and unequalto the task of restoration of our national glory. Thoseassociated with national security are already muttering thatthere-is-too-much-democracy claptrap. The next pit-stop in thisjourney would be to look temptingly at the Xi Jinping kind ofauthoritarian option.
(The author is editor-in- chief of Tribune group of newspapers)
9PERESPECTIVETHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018
By Harish Khare
Primary task at Cong plenary: Rescuing thepolity from the creeping authoritarianism
Illustration by Sandeep Joshi
It is already a matter of considerabledismay that otherwise decent officials,educated aides and learned advisers haveacquiesced in the organized worship of aman who grandiloquently pretends toknow profoundly about everything, fromgaming the examinations to disruptingthe economy, even without the benefit ofa Harvard education, and making a virtueof "hard work". From senior mostministers to junior joint secretary, all findthemselves subscribing to this "daddyknows best" syndrome, very muchreminiscent of the Narayan Datt Tiwarihymns to Sanjay Gandhi during theEmergency days.
History of the last hundred years hastaught us one simple lesson: personalitycults do introduce undesirableimbalances in the body politic.Personality cult produces very littledemocratic good; it always ends up badly,even disastrously.
The greatest danger we face is NarendraModi is using all the accruements ofdemocracy to de-legitimize democracy'sgood practices and values, and, to turn allits bad habits to make democraticarrangements look inadequate andunequal to the task of restoration of ournational glory.
Iremember a beautiful inspiring conversationfrom some 12 years ago, I was one of the fewmen who volunteered at a women's
conference in Dallas. We had 5000 womencoming from all around the world. I was theregistrar and had about 10 booths to manage. Iwalked in at 7 AM, we did not have theregistration papers - 4 or 5 senior ladies in their80's said they are in the basement of a Church.So, we rode in few suburbans to bring the papers- in the basement, there were about 30 boxes toload…. I was debating how I am going to do this.
Before I could do anything, the senior ladiesjumped in and started picking two boxes at atime… I could not bear, my culture did not allowme for my seniors to carry that load, and I had todo it. I believe it was Sandra, wife of JudgeBarefootsanders who questioned me, youngman, I am healthy and active because I do thework and will remain active…. She wasawesome! They would not listen and thesuburbans were loaded in no time.
As we were driving back to the hotel, what Iheard was an incredible conversation. The ladieswere talking about how many hours they servedin a Church, Hospital or a School…. I will neverforget that conversation and made thedetermination that I will always be a volunteer
till my last breath.I read a new piece on Asma Jahangir today
(http://centerforpluralism.com/asma-jahangir-human-rights/) the human rights activist. Whatmade her stand up against powers to protect therights of people who were not related to her?Then I started thinking about Martin LutherKing, Gandhi, Mother Teresa and others, whydid they not enjoy their lives and were hell-benton repairing the world? You may be one tooconstantly serving others for no gain. Then I askmyself, why do I volunteer? Why do I stand up forothers? I have gotten threats against my life,screamed at, attacked but never was Idiscouraged. I don't get a penny either, rather Ilose it. My late wife Najma used to say, if you
spend half your time working your business, wecan live a great life with that money…. There isno answer to it, each one of us is driven by ourcalling. Different things are important todifferent people. Money drives some and otherthings drive others. Those who are driven bymoney will never understand volunteerism
So, I salute the volunteer you, it is a greatfeeling to serve others, particularly those whomyou don't know and will never see again andnever get paid to serve.If you are one, share anote.
(The author is an Indian-American committedto building cohesive societies and offers
pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. Aswe learn to respect the "otherness" of othersand accept the God-given uniqueness of each
one of us, conflicts will fade, and solutionsemerge. He is the president of the Center for
Pluralism in Washington, DC.)
By Mike Ghouse
JOYS OF VOLUNTEERING
10 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018SOUTH ASIA
Pakistan says ready for mediationbetween Afghanistan govt and TalibanISLAMABAD (TIP): Pakistan on March 1
said it was ready for mediation between theAfghan government and the Taliban as itextended support to Afghan President AshrafGhani's political process in the war-torncountry.
Speaking at the second Kabul Processconference, Ghani yesterday said that hisgovernment was ready to recognise theTaliban as a political group and offeredunconditional talks with the militant groupto "save the country".
The Afghan Taliban are a political entityand Pakistan supports the dialogue betweenthe Afghan government and the Taliban,Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif toldjournalists here.
"The talks between the Taliban and theAfghan government are actually discussionsbetween two political forces, and Pakistanwill support it...Pakistan is also ready forone-on-one mediation with the AfghanTaliban," he said.
He said Pakistan wants peace and stabilityin the neighbouring country, while stressingthat there was no military solution to theAfghan conflict.
The foreign minister also askedWashington to strike a balance in its policytowards South Asia if it was interested inhaving a dialogue between Pakistan andIndia.
"The US can have an interest in Pak-Indiadiscussions, but before that it should create
some balance in its South Asia policy," hesaid.
He also talked about the so-called"institutional interests" in Pakistan and saidthat practice of portraying interests ofinstitutions as the greater national interest"will also be changed soon".
Asserting that Pakistan will frame itsforeign policy keeping in view the nationalinterests, Asif said, "We will not sacrifice ourown interests for the protection of the
interests of the United States.""The effects of the 80s and the Musharraf
era still exist, Pakistan will not make thesame mistakes now to keep Americaninterests above its own interests," he said.
He was referring to the militarygovernments of General Zia-ul Haq andGeneral Pervez Musharraf that allied withthe US respectively in 1980s and after 9/11 tosupport it against erstwhile USSR andterrorism. (PTI)
PESHAWAR (TIP): A Hindu lawmaker inPakistan has moved the court after he wasprevented from taking oath in the KhyberPakhtunkhwa Assembly for his alleged rolein the murder of a Sikh legislator in 2016.
Member of the Provincial Assembly-electBaldev Kumar, who is in jail in the murdercase of Sikh lawmaker Sardar Soran Singh,moved the Peshawar High Court against theSpeaker, treasury and opposition members ofthe provincial assembly for contempt ofcourt.
In his petition, Kumar prayed that Senateelections which are due on March 3 should bestopped until his swearing in ceremony.
The petitioner further claimed that he wasdeliberately maltreated in the Assembly Hallon February 27.
Arbab Jehandad Khan, a PakistanTehreek-e-Insaf Member of the ProvincialAssembly, threw his shoe at Kumar whichlanded close to him while some othermembers of Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf threwcopies of the assembly agenda towardsKumar. (PTI)
German captured bysecurity forces inAfghanistan: localofficial
KABUL (TIP): An Afghan official saysspecial forces have captured a foreign fighterclaiming to be German during a raid on theTaliban in southern Helmand province.
The Defense Ministry's spokesman, DawlatWaziri, said on March 1 that the Afghancommandos captured the man, whose namewas not released, along with two otherTaliban fighters in a nighttime raid earlierthis week in Helmand's Gereshk district.
He says the special forces confiscatedKalashnikov automatic rifles and severalgrenades during the raid.
Helmand Governor Hayatullah Hayat saysthe suspected German had a long beard andwore a black turban. He couldn't speak eitherDari or Pashto, the two main languages inAfghanistan. German authorities had noimmediate comment. German fighters areknown to have joined the Taliban and othermilitant groups in the past. (AP)
Nepal to have newPresident on March 13
KATHMANDU (TIP): Nepal will holdpresidential election on March 13 to elect thenew president who will succeed theHimalayan nation's first woman PresidentBidhya Devi Bhandari.
Though the president's term is for fiveyears, the election this time is being heldafter two-and-a-half years as the country isimplementing full federalism under the newConstitution, bidding farewell to the oldcentralized political system. The ElectionCommission announced the date for electingthe country's third president after its officialsyesterday held consultations with thegovernment and various political parties.The EC has fixed March 7 for the nominationof candidates and the polling will be held onMarch 13. The vote counting will beginimmediately after the polls on the same day.
A candidate must receive a majority of the884 votes — 334 votes of parliament membersand 550 of provincial assembly members- - toget elected to the post. (PTI)
KABUL (TIP): AfghanPresident Ashraf Ghanioffered recognition ofTaliban insurgents as alegitimate political groupon Wednesday as part of aproposed political processthat could lead to talksaimed at ending morethan 16 years of war.
The offer, made at thestart of an internationalconference aimed at creating a platform for peace talks, adds to a seriesof signals from both the Western-backed government and the Talibansuggesting a greater willingness to consider dialogue.
Ghani proposed a ceasefire and a release of prisoners. He also said hewould be ready to accept a review of the constitution as part of a pactwith the Taliban, who have so far refused to accept direct talks with thegovernment in Kabul.
"The government offers peace negotiations to the Taliban without anyconditions," Ghani said in opening remarks to the conference attended byofficials from around 25 countries involved in the so-called KabulProcess.
The comments represented a significant shift for Ghani, who in thepast has regularly called the Taliban "terrorists" and "rebels" although hehas also offered to talk with parts of the movement that accepted peace.
The Taliban, fighting to restore Islamic rule after their 2001 ouster byUS-led troops, have offered to begin talks with the United States but haveso far refused direct talks with Kabul. It was unclear whether they wouldbe prepared to shift their stance, despite growing international pressure.
Ghani said a political framework for peace negotiations should becreated with a ceasefire and the Taliban recognised as a legitimatepolitical group with an official political office. In return, the movementwould have to recognise the Afghan government and respect the rule oflaw.
In addition, Taliban prisoners could be released and their namesremoved from international blacklists, while security arrangementscould be made for Taliban agreeing to join a process of reconciliation.Former fighters and refugees could be reintegrated and provided withjobs.
The United States last year stepped up its military assistance toAfghanistan, notably through a sharp increase in air strikes, with theaim of breaking a stalemate with the insurgents and forcing them to thenegotiating table. (Reuters)
Bangladesh court extends bail forKhaleda Zia until March 13
DHAKA (TIP): Acourt in Bangladeshtoday extended the bailof imprisoned ex-primeminister and mainopposition BNP chiefKhaleda Zia until March13 in a graft case, a dayafter the High Courtdeferred the judgementon a separate bail plea ina corruption case, mediareports said.
The 72-year-old three-time former prime minister was jailed forfive years on February 8 in connection with the embezzlement of21 million taka (about $250,000) in foreign donations meant for theZia Orphanage Trust, named after her late husband ZiaurRahman, a military ruler-turned-politician.
The Dhaka Special Judge's Court-5 set March 13 as the date forthe next hearing of arguments in the Zia Charitable Trust graftcase and extended the bail of Zia, the Bangladesh NationalistParty (BNP) chief, until then, bdnews24 reported.
"The court has set March 13 and March 14 for the next two daysof arguments. Zia's bail has been extended until March 13," herlawyer Nuruzzaman Tapan was quoted as saying in the report.
Yesterday, the High Court deferred the judgement on her bailpetition, saying it would decide after receiving necessary papersfrom the lower court which sentenced her to five years in jail thismonth. The Zia Charitable Trust graft case, filed in August 2011,accuses four persons including Zia of abusing power to raise fundsfor the trust from unknown sources.
The three others are: Harris Chowdhury, political secretary ofthen prime minister Zia between 2001 and 2006; Ziaul IslamMunna, Assistant Private Secretary (APS) to Harris; and MonirulIslam Khan, APS of former Dhaka city mayor Sadeque HossainKhoka. The corruption case is one of dozens pending against Zia,who has been a rival to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for decades.
The charges against Zia had led to her boycotting polls in 2014,which triggered widespread protests at the time.
Currently, 34 cases are pending against Zia in various courtsacross the country, including the Zia Orphanage Trust and ZiaCharitable Trust graft cases, the report said. The BNP has claimedthat the cases are politically-motivated to keep its party chief outof the national elections, set for December. (PTI)
11ADVERTISEMENTTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018
12 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018US
Iowa Senate & House kicked off theirsessions with Hindu prayers on Feb 26
DES MOINES (TIP): On February 26, bothIowa State Senate and House ofRepresentatives in Des Moines started theirrespective sessions with Hindu prayers,containing verses from world's oldest existingscripture.
Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zeddelivered the invocations from ancientSanskrit scriptures before the Senate andHouse. After Sanskrit delivery, he then readthe English interpretation of the prayers.Sanskrit is considered a sacred language inHinduism and root language of Indo-European languages.
Zed, who is the President of UniversalSociety of Hinduism, recited from Rig-Veda,the oldest scripture of the world still incommon use; besides lines from Upanishadsand Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord), bothancient Hindu scriptures. He started andended the prayers with "Om", the mysticalsyllable containing the universe, which inHinduism is used to introduce and concludereligious work.
Wearing saffron colored attire, a ruddrakshmala (rosary), and traditional sandalpastetilak (religious mark) on the forehead; RajanZed sprinkled few drops of water from riverGanga of India, considered holy by Hindus, inthe Senate before the prayer; where SenatePresident Jack Whitver introduced him.Senate adjusted its start time by few minutesso that Zed could pray in both House andSenate.
Reciting from Brahadaranyakopanishad,Zed said "Asato ma sad gamaya, Tamaso majyotir gamaya, Mrtyor mamrtam gamaya",which he then interpreted as "Lead us fromthe unreal to the real, Lead us from darknessto light, and Lead us from death to
immortality." Reciting from Bhagavad-Gita,he urged Senators and Representatives tokeep the welfare of others always in mind.
Rajan Zed is a global Hindu and interfaithleader, who besides taking up the cause ofreligion worldwide, has also raised huge voiceagainst the apartheid faced by about 15-million Roma (Gypsies) in Europe. Bestowedwith World Interfaith Leader Award; Zed isSenior Fellow and Religious Advisor toFoundation for Religious Diplomacy, SpiritualAdvisor to National Association ofInterchurch & Interfaith Families, on theAdvisory Board of The Interfaith PeaceProject, etc. He has been panelist for "OnFaith", a prestigious interactive conversationon religion produced by The Washington Post;and leads a weekly interfaith panel "FaithForum" in a Gannett publication for over
seven years.Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion
of the world, has about 1.1 billion adherentsand moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.There are about three million Hindus in USA.
Linda L. Upmeyer is Speaker of Iowa Houseof Representatives, which has 100 members;while Iowa Senate has 50 members. Iowa, alsoknown as Hawkeye State and whose flag states"Our liberties we prize and our rights we willmaintain", is said to one of the safest states tolive. Bordered by Mississippi, Missouri andBig Sioux rivers; its top exports include corn,tractors and soybeans. US President HerbertHoover, actor John Wayne, Nobel laureateNorman Borlaug, football player Kurt Warnerand Olympian artistic gymnast ShawnJohnson-all hail from Iowa. Kim Reynolds isthe Governor.
Rajan Zed delivering the invocations from ancient Sanskrit scriptures before Iowa State Houseof Representatives, Feb 26
CHICAGO, IL (TIP): On Tuesday, Feb 13,devotees celebrated the festival of MahaShivaratri, in the Hari Om Mandir, withgreat joy and enthusiasm. As per the Hindutradition, devotees bathe the Shiva Lingamwith Holy Water, Milk, Honey and offerChandan, Bel Patra amidst chanting ofprayers, mantras and the resonating soundof Om Nama Shivaya, called the "RudraAbhishek". Living up to the tradition,hundreds of devotees came to the Hari OmMandir to perform the rituals and sing theglory of Lord Shiva.
Due to renovation in progress at the HariOm Mandir, the regular 'SHIV DURBAR"was not ready for the Pooja this year, so theMandir Management had made specialarrangements and set up a temporaryDurbar for the Devotees to perform thePooja & Shiv Abhishek. The marble statuesof Shiva & Parvati were seated on a highpedestal, with the Shiv Ling below, so thatpeople could offer Milk, Water, Honey etc.and do the Abhishek. The whole ambience ofthis set up reminded people of the HeavenlyAbode of Shiva on the Kailash Parbat!!! TheSnakes, the Rudraksh mala, the halfChandrama, the Ganga on Shiva's forehead,the Trishul, the Damrus…all added to theDivine environment of the Mandir.
Pandit Raghubir recited the Holy Mantrasand helped Devotees to perform the rituals,as per the Scriptures and the Traditions.People had been visiting the Temple rightfrom the morning when the doors opened at
8am. By the evening, there was an unendingque and people were seen waiting patientlyin line for their turn.
A special Bhajan Sandhya was organizedin the evening. Subhash Sharma started theprogram by singing the "Shiv Stuti &Chalisa". He was then joined by MadhuSalwan & Rama Kapur, who sang severalBhajans in praise of Lord Shiva & GoddessParvati. As Shama Sharma & Mona Sharma
sang the traditional "Shub Vivah" of Shiv &Parvati, devotees started dancing with joy.Chantings of Om Namah Shivay echoed inthe hall and the entire congregation wasdrenched in the glory of Lord Shiva. Also,this being a Tuesday, the regular HanumanChalisa for Hanuman Ji, was recited bySuchitra Sarkar.
(Photograph and Press release / AsianMedia USA)
Walmart raises to 21minimum age to buyfirearms, ammo
NEW YORK (TIP): US retail giantWalmart announced on Thursday, March 1that it was raising to 21 its minimum age tobuy firearms and ammunition, the latest UScompany to recalibrate its stance on weaponsafter a deadly Florida school shooting.
"In light of recent events, we've taken anopportunity to review our policy on firearmsales. Going forward, we are raising the agerestriction for purchase of firearms andammunition to 21 years of age," it said in astatement.
"We will update our processes as quickly aspossible to implement this change." Theretailer said it was also removing from itswebsite items "resembling assault-stylerifles, including nonlethal airsoft guns andtoys" but that it would continue to serve"sportsmen and hunters" in a "responsibleway." Walmart said it does not sell bumpstocks or high-capacity magazines and in2015 stopped selling the AR-15 -- the type ofgun used by 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz inParkland, Florida.
The company also said it goes "beyondfederal law by requiring customers to pass abackground check before purchasing anyfirearm." "The law would allow the sale of afirearm if no response to a background checkrequest has been received within threebusiness days, but our policy prohibits thesale until an approval is given," it added.
On Wednesday, Dick's Sporting Goods, oneof the country's top sporting goods retailers,also announced it would bar gun sales to anycustomers under 21 years old and that itwould stop selling assault-style rifles.
The US gun industry is suffering a growingcorporate backlash in the wake of theFebruary 14 tragedy, with companies cuttingties with the National Rifle Association gunlobbyists that pressure US politicians toprevent any move to restrict gun ownership.
(Source: AFP)
Major storm to bringfeet of snow toCalifornia mountains
SAN FRANCISCO (TIP): Motorists werewarned to stay off Northern Californiamountain roads as a major winter storm wasexpected to bring heavy snowfall, powerfulwinds and torrential rains at lowerelevations March 1. Meanwhile predictions ofwidespread showers across the southern endof the state raised concern about flashflooding near wildfire burn scars later in theweek. A blizzard warning was issued forparts of the Sierra Nevada, where windscould gust up to 125 mph (200 kph) on theridges and 40 to 60 mph (65 kph to 95 kph) insome valleys, the National Weather Servicesaid. The blizzard would help the snowpack,which is vital to the state's water supply andis only about a quarter its normal size forthis time of winter. ``Totals will be measuredin feet and mountain travel will becomedangerous,'' the National Weather Servicetweeted. ``Travel is highly discouraged.'' (AP)
Maha Shivaratri celebrated at HariOm Mandir with chants and prayers
13USTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018
President’s longest-serving and closest aideHopeHicks quits as WH communications chief
CONTD FROM PAGE 1
The 29-year-old former model, thoughconsidered a political novice, was known asone of the few aides of Trump whounderstood his style and could influence hisviews. Her surprise resignation came a dayafter she testified before the HouseIntelligence Committee she testified for eighthours on allegations related to the Russianinterference during the presidentialcampaign.
During her testimony, Hicks told the panelthat in her job, she had occasionally beenrequired to tell white lies but had never liedabout anything connected to the investigationinto Russia's interference in the election, USmedia reported.
Although Hicks maintained an unusuallylow profile over the past three years, she
recently attracted scrutiny after SpecialCounsel Robert Mueller escalated his probeinto potential collusion between the Trumpcampaign and Russia.
She is leaving the White House afterserving Trump for three years in variouscapacities. This included being his campaignspokesperson and Director of Strategic
Communication when Trump was sworn in asthe President.
"There are no words to adequately expressmy gratitude to President Trump," Hicks saidin a statement. President Trump praisedHicks for her outstanding work. The WhiteHouse did not announce the exact day of her
departure but said it could be sometime in thenext few weeks.
In a little over 13 months of the Trumpadministration, Hicks is the fourth individualto resign as the White House Director ofCommunications. The other three being SeanSpicer, Mike Dubke and Anthony Scaramucci.
(With inputs from PTI)
Hope Hicks's first associationwith the Trump family wasworking with PresidentTrump's eldest daughter,Ivanka, on her personalapparel and licensing brandabout six years ago.
Hicks had no politicalexperience when she joinedTrump's tumultuous campaignfor the White House. Sheinitially served as a presssecretary within the WhiteHouse, before taking on therole of communicationsdirector
Hicks led strategic messagingfor administration prioritiessuch as the historic passageof tax reform and worked withPress Secretary Sarah Sandersto stabilize the press andcommunications teams afterinitial phases of transition
Jared Kushner loses ‘Top Secret’security clearance: report
The new security clearance level will restrict Kushner's access to top secret intelligence
WASHINGTON (TIP): Jared Kushner, son-in-law toPresident Donald Trump, is one of the many White Houseaides to have his security clearance downgraded,according to Politico. Kushner, along with other aides,received the news via a memo on Friday, Feb 23. Thedowngraded security clearance level will restrict access tohighly classified intelligence, in contrast to the accessKushner enjoyed while operating under the highestinterim security clearance - Top Secret/SCI-level.
Concerns around interim security clearances surfacedafter White House aide Rob Porter resigned due todomestic abuse allegations. Porter was also operatingunder an interim security clearance.
Many insiders and pundits scratched their heads as tothe reasoning behind Kushner receiving top secretsecurity clearance in the first place. Indeed, Kushner'sbackground is in real estate and business; he has noprevious government nor foreign policy experience.Democrats spoke of suspending his clearance back in2017, after news leaked that Kushner omitted details of hismeetings with Russians on his security clearanceapplication.
On Feb. 16, Chief of Staff John Kelly wrote a five-pagememo addressing ongoing security clearance concernsregarding White House staff, in addition to orderingactions that would impact those operating under interimsecurity clearances. In this memo, Kelly decreed thatthose with interim security clearances whose backgroundinvestigations had been ongoing since June 1 should seethose clearances revoked on Feb. 23. However, it wasunclear how this would impact Kushner - especially sincehis father-in-law, President Donald Trump, had the powerto grant Kushner a permanent clearance.
Many suspected that the notoriously clannish presidentwould intervene on behalf of his son-in-law. Yet Trumptold reporters on Friday, according to Politico, that hewould leave the fate of Kushner's security clearance in thehands of Kelly.
"I will let General Kelly make that decision," Trumpsaid. "I have no doubt he'll make the right decision."
While Kelly did not sign the memo that was released onFriday that informed aides about the security clearancedowngrades, Kelly's previous memo from Feb. 16 waslikely the trigger for the downgrades.
The White House has declined to comment onKushner's security clearance; White House presssecretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders brushed past the issuewhen speaking to reporters on Tuesday.
"We actually haven't commented on Jared's issueindicated, but we have commented on his ability to do hisjob. Which, he's a valued member of the team and he willcontinue to do the important work that he's been doing
since he's started in the administration," she toldreporters.
Kushner's attorney Abbe Lowell told Politico in astatement the changes would "not affect Mr. Kushner'sability to continue to do the very important work he hasbeen assigned by the president."
However, others saw that as wishful thinking. Quotingexclusive sources, CNN reported:
"Republican sources close to the White House said theclearance downgrade could undercut Kushner's ability toinfluence policy decision-making in the West Wing.Without a top-level clearance, Kushner will be unable toattend meetings where the most sensitive national secretsare discussed."
Since Porter's dismissal, Kushner's security clearancehas been scrutinized - even by some Trump loyalists.
Fox News host Shepard Smith told viewers last weekthat there was "a Kushner problem at the White House."
"Jared Kushner submitted his application - his 'SF-86' asthey call it - and did not include 100 contacts withforeigners, and then later had to go back and includethem. But then later he did not include the meeting atTrump Tower with the Russian lawyer and the Russiantranslator. He didn't include that. So that was anotheramendment to this thing," Smith explained. "And thattook this past June."
Officials can be imprisoned for omissions on a securityclearance, as Salon previously reported.
Kushner has not been able to receive a full clearance inpart because of special counsel Robert Mueller's probeinto the dealings of Trump and his associates.
(Source: Salon)
Jared Kushner, who has worn dueling hats for more than ayear as President Donald Trump's senior adviser, has been
stripped of his access to the nation's top secrets
New York banking regulator seeksKushner Cos loan details
NEW YORK
(TIP): New Yorkstate has askedthree banks tos u p p l yinformation abouttheir relationshipswith the real estate business of Jared Kushner, a senior White Houseadviser and President Donald Trump's son-in-law, a source said onThursday, March 1.
Maria Vullo, Superintendent of the Department of FinancialServices (DFS), sent letters last week to Deutsche Bank, SignatureBank and New York Community Bank asking for details on theirfinancial arrangements as well as loans made to or sought by KushnerCompanies, the source told AFP. The lenders were given until March 5to respond. The DFS has refused to comment on the matter, as hasDeutsche Bank. But Kushner Companies said the inquiries werepolitically motivated and amounted to harassment.
"We have not received a copy of any letter from the New York StateDepartment of Financial Services," a spokesman said. "Our company isa multi-billion enterprise that is extremely financially strong. Prior toour CEO voluntarily resigning to serve our country, we never had anytype of inquiries. "These types of inquiries appear to be harassmentsolely for political reasons." Also, The New York Times reportedKushner Companies received major loans from Apollo GlobalManagement, one of the world's largest private equity firms, andCitigroup, shortly after Kushner held White House meetings withrepresentatives from the two companies. The paper quoted Don Fox,the former acting director of the Office of Government Ethics duringthe Obama administration, as saying the loans raised questions aboutthe appearance of conflicts of interest.
Kushner met Joshua Harris, a founder of Apollo, multiple times overthe course of 2017 and even discussed a potential White House positionwhich never materialized, the paper said. In November 2017, the firmloaned Kushner Companies USD 184 million-triple the size of itsaverage property loan. He also met Citigroup's chief executive in thespring of 2017, Michael L Corbat, shortly before Kushner Companiesreceived a USD 325 million loan from the firm, the Times reported. TheWhite House referred questions to Kushner's lawyer, Abbe Lowell,whom the paper said did not dispute that the meetings took place butdenied any impropriety. Kushner, who is married to the president'sdaughter Ivanka Trump, has been a key figure in the administration ofhis father-in-law, entrusted among other things with finding a peacedeal between Israelis and Palestinians.
A Harvard graduate with a law degree from New York University,Kushner took the reins of his family business before announcing inJanuary 2017 -- just ahead of his appointment to the Trumpadministration-that he was stepping down from his management role.While Jared Kushner voluntarily left high-level positions in more than200 entities related to his family's real estate empire, he still retainsshares in most of these companies from which he is likely able to deriveincome, according to documents published by the White House in April2017.
It is not the first time Kushner's business interests, which includereal estate assets in the states of New York and New Jersey, have beenin the spotlight. In May 2017, the company was forced to apologize formentioning Jared Kushner during a presentation of one of its projectsto a group of Chinese investors, in a possible breach of conflict ofinterest rules. (Source AFP)
14 THEINDIANPANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018 INDIA
Rahul Gandhi leaves for Italy to‘surprise’ grandma on Holi
NEW DELHI (TIP): Congresspresident Rahul Gandhi onThursday left for Italy to“surprise” his maternalgrandmother and spend the Holiweekend with her.
Announcing this on Twitter, healso extended Holi greetings tofellow citizens.
“My Nani is 93. She’s the kindestsoul ever. This Holi weekend, I’mgoing to surprise her! I can’t waitto give her a hug...
“Happy Holi to all of you. Have a joyful celebration,”Gandhi wrote on the microblogging website.
CBI questions Punjab CM’s son-in-law in loan fraud case
NEW DELHI (TIP): The CBI on March 1 questionedGurpal Singh, son-in-law of Punjab chief ministerAmarinder Singh, in connection with the alleged bank fraudcase of Rs 97.85 crore by Simbhaoli Sugars Limited.
The CBI had registered a case against the sugar mill, itschairman Gurmit Singh Mann, deputy managing directorGurpal Singh and others in connection with the alleged bankloan fraud case.
Simbhaoli Sugars Limited is one of the largest sugar millsin the country. The company’s Chief Executive Officer G S CRao, CFO Sanjay Tapriya, Executive Director GursimranKaur Mann and five non-executive directors have also beenbooked by the agency. The CBI had carried out searches ateight premises including residences of the directors, factory,corporate office and registered office of the company inDelhi, Hapur and Noida.
The probe focuses on two loans -- Rs 97.85 crore which wasdeclared fraud in 2015 and another corporate loan of Rs 110crore which was used to repay the previous loan.
Source: PTI
SBI, PNB make loans costlierMUMBAI (TIP): In a move that may make home loans
costlier, country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI)today raised its lending rates by 20 basis points to 8.15 percent with immediate effect. Scam-hit PNB followed suit,raising its lending rate by 15 basis points to 8.30 per cent.
This is the first lending revision by the SBI since April 2016and comes a day after it massively raised the retail and bulkdeposit rates. The PNB has also increased its retail and builddeposit rates by up 45 basis points on various maturities.
Source: PTI
Jayendra Saraswathi interred in MuttKancheepuram (TIP): Jayendra Saraswathi, the 69th
pontiff of the Kanchi Mutt, was on March 1 buried in theBrindhavanam annexe on the premises of the religiousestablishment here with Vedic honours.
Amid chants, the body of the 82-year-old (in sittingposture) was lowered into a large bamboo basket placedinside the 7 ft x 7 ft burial pit in the annexe. The pit was filledwith herbs like “Vasambu”, salt, sandalwood and sand.
India, US working together onregional, maritime security
WASHINGTON (TIP): The US is working with India on arange of issues including regional and maritime security, thePentagon said on Thursday.
“Our goal is to ensure that we are working together on anarray of issues with respect to regional security,” chiefPentagon spokesperson Dana White told reporters at herweekly news conference.
India, she said, plays a very important role.“Therefore the more we can have a conversation not only
about Afghanistan and the future of Afghanistan but alsohow can we work together on maritime security?” she said.
“There’s a great deal that we can learn from each other andso the Secretary (of Defence) looks forward to thatconversation,” White said, responding to the first two-plus-two dialogue between India and the US next month.
Source: PTI
INX Media case: Karti Chidambaramsent to five-day CBI custody
NEW DELHI (TIP): KartiChidambaram, arrested in the INXMedia case, was on March 1 remanded tofive days of CBI custody by a Delhicourt.
Special Judge Sunil Rana extendedKarti's custody till March 6 after the CBIcontended that there were "veryshocking evidences" of what he has donewhen he went abroad and alleging"when he went abroad, he closed bankaccounts in which funds were received".
Karti was produced before the courton expiry of one-day CBI custody amidstthe presence of his parents PChidambaram and NaliniChidambaram, both senior advocates,and were seen talking to him.
Additional Solicitor General TusharMehta, appearing for CBI, maintainedthat this was "not a case of politicalvendetta" and the investigation wasgoing on in accordance with Article 21 ofthe Constitution.
"There are very shocking evidences ofwhat Karti did when he went abroad," hesaid, adding that "when he went abroad,he closed bank accounts in which fundswere received".
Even though Karti did not complain ofany uneasiness during his regularmedical check up yesterday, doctors atSafdarjung Hospital last night sent himto cardiac care unit and he was broughtto CBI office only in the morning.
Due to his hospitalisation, the CBI'sone-day custody was virtually wasted asit got Karti's custody only at 7:30 pm andhe returned from the hospital thismorning, he said.
Senior advocate Abhishek ManiSinghvi, who is leading a team oflawyers for Karti, contended that inconnection with the May 2017 FIR, CBIhas spent roughly 22 hours with Karti inAugust last year and no fresh summons
was issued to him after August 2017 tilldate, which shows the agency hasnothing more to ask him.
"The only way of establishing non-cooperation is to issue summons. Younever tested my non-cooperation.Sudden arrest after six months. Itsbizarre, I am arrested as I stepped out ofplane.
"There is not an iota of evidenceagainst Karti. He is being arresteddespite complying with court ordersrepeatedly." he said.
Singhvi asked if Karti has donesomething illegal while being abroad,why didn’t CBI file a contempt petitionbefore the court which allowed him totravel abroad.
The CBI said that in May 2007, firstFIPB approval was given to INX Mediaand in April 2008, this reference wasmade in the Finance Ministry.
From June 2008 onwards, the paymentof the bribe money was started. Thesecond FIPB approval was given on
November 2, 2008. We are investigatingwhether the April 2008 reference was a"pressure technique", the CBI contended."We have emails and invoices indicatingmoney was given to Advantage StrategicConsultancy Private Limited (ASCPL),which is related to Karti, around the timeperiod when INX Media received favours.
"There is substantial evidence with theagency which needs to be confrontedwith Karti. Three mobile phones havebeen recovered from him which need tobe examined. 14 days is the minimumtime required to keep him in custody,"Mehta contended.
Karti was arrested yesterday atChennai Airport on his return from theUnited Kingdom in connection with theFIR lodged on May 15 last year allegingirregularities in the Foreign InvestmentPromotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INXMedia for receiving overseas funds to thetune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when PChidambaram was the union financeminister. Source: PTI
Karti Chidambaram leaves Patiala House Courts after he was remanded to five-dayCBI custody in the INX Media case, in New Delhi on March 1. pic courtesy: PTI
Kharge, leader of the Congress party inLok Sabha on March 1 boycotted ameeting of the committee that will selectan anti-corruption ombudsman, orLokpal, in protest against being asked toattend as a “special invitee”.
The selection committee is supposedto have the Prime Minister, ChiefJustice of India, Lok Sabha Speaker, theopposition leader and an eminent jurist.Though Kharge leads the Lok Sabha’slargest opposition party, he is not thedesignated leader of the oppositionsince his party falls short of theminimum number required to claimthat post.
In a strongly worded letter to thePrime Minister, Kharge said he“respectfully denied” the invite as theprocess was being reduced to “politicalpretence”.
Kharge charged that there was aconcerted effort by the Uniongovernment to exclude the independentvoice of the opposition from the Lokpalselection process.
“A perusal simplicitor of the Lok PalAct, 2013; its intent and objective reflectsthat Leader ‘of Opposition’ cannot besubstituted as a Special Invitee’. It is amatter of surprise that yourgovernment is choosing to adopt thisroute as a mere paper formality ratherthan seek any meaningful andconstructive participation,” Kharge saidin the letter.
The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act waspassed in 2013 to constitute a statutorybody to inquire into allegations of
corruption against public functionaries.“The Select Committee of Parliament
had put its seal of approval on theamending bill, yet the government hasfailed to introduce and pass it. Thisamending bill continues to languish incold storage for want to appropriateintent, commitment and objectivity onpart of the government,” Kharge said inthe letter.
A party that lays claim to the leader ofopposition post in Lok Sabha must haveat least 10% of its 545 seats. Congress,which won 44 seats in the 2014 generalelection, currently has 48 seats.
The meeting of the selection paneltook place on Thursday evening at theofficial residence of the Prime Minister.
“At the outset, let me state on behalf ofmyself, my party and the entireopposition that the ‘Special InviteeInvitation’ is a concerted effort toexclude the independent voice of theopposition altogether from the selectionprocess of the most important anti-corruption watchdog,” Kharge wrote inthe letter to Modi.
15INDIATHEINDIANPANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018
PNB FRAUD: ED ATTACHES RS 1,217 CRORE ASSETS OF MEHUL CHOKSI GROUP
NEW DELHI (TIP): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) onMarch 1 (Thursday) said it has attached 41 properties, valuedat over Rs 1,200 crore, in connection with its money-laundering probe into the PNB scam against Gitanjali Gemsand its promoter Mehul Choksi.
The central probe agency issued a provisional order forattachment under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act(PMLA). The attached assets include 15 flats and 17 officepremises in Mumbai, a mall in Kolkata, a four-acre farmhouse in Alibaug and 231 acres of land at locations likeNasik, Nagpur, Panvel and Villupuram in Tamil Nadu.
A 170-acre park in Hyderabad’s Ranga Reddy districtvalued at over Rs 500 crore has also been attached, it said.
Four flats in Borivali (east) area of the Maharashtracapital and nine others in Khemu Towers in Santacruz (east)have been attached as part of the action.
“The total value of the 41 seized assets controlled byChoksi is estimated at Rs 1,217.2 crore,” the ED said. Choksiand designer diamond jewellery businessman Nirav Modiand others are being investigated by the ED and other probeagencies after the bank fraud recently came to light,following a complaint by the PNB that they allegedly cheatedthe nationalised bank to the tune of Rs 12,000 crore, with thepurported involvement of a few employees of the bank.
The CBI and the ED have registered two FIRs each to probethe case. Both Choksi and Modi are said to have left thecountry before criminal cases were lodged against them.They have, however, denied any wrongdoing.
The ED, a central probe agency under the Union FinanceMinistry, is investigating if the allegedly defrauded bankfunds were laundered and proceeds of crime weresubsequently used by the accused to create illegal assets andblack money. Source: PTI
‘Victim’ turns hostile in rape case against ex-Akali minister
GURDASPUR (TIP): A woman who had earlier claimedshe was repeatedly raped by former Akali Dal minister SuchaSingh Langah today turned hostile in a court here.
She denied her presence in a video purportedly featuringher in a compromising position with the politician. The videohad gone viral ahead of the Gurdaspur parliamentary bypolllast year.
The woman recorded her statement in the court ofAdditional District and Sessions Judge Prem Kumar in thepresence of Langah and his battery of lawyers.
A widow and government employee, the woman allegedthat she had been asked by the police to sign some blankpapers, “which were subsequently used to defame me”. Thepolice had acted under the influence of some politicians, andthat she never knew Langah, she claimed.
DSP (Special Branch) Gurbans Singh Bains, supervisingofficer in the case, said he would comment only after goingthrough a copy of the victim’s statement.
The court has fixed March 12 as the next date of hearing.The bail application of Langah, booked on rape charges onSeptember 29 last year, would come up before the Punjab andHaryana High Court on March 5.
Sources said the police, which had been assiduouslybuilding up the case against Langah, had been wrong-footedby today’s proceedings. A police officer said the woman hadfirst moved an application before the SSP that she was raped.“The SSP subsequently asked DSP (City) AD Singh to inquireinto the allegations. To strengthen her case, she not onlyrecorded her statement before the judge, but also handed overa video to the SSP to substantiate her rape claims. It was onlyafter her allegations were found to be true that a case wasregistered under Section 376 (rape) against Langah,” he said.
Source: The Tribune
MPs’ perks hiked, Rs 39-crore extra burden on exchequer
NEW DELHI (TIP): Members of Parliament are set to getincreased allowances with the Union Cabinet approving aproposal in this regard.
The constituency allowance, furniture allowance andcommunication expenses of the MPs would go upconsiderably, sources in the government said. Theparliamentary affairs ministry had proposed an increase inthe constituency allowance from Rs 45,000 a month to Rs 60,000.
The ministry had also proposed that the one-time furnitureallowance be hiked to Rs one lakh from the present Rs 75,000.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced in his budgetspeech that a permanent mechanism would be set up to revisethe salaries of MPs every five years, and it would be linked toinflation.
The remuneration of an MP includes a basic salary of Rs50,000 per month and Rs 45,000 as constituency allowance,apart from other perks. The Centre spends around Rs 2.7 lakh
a month on an MP.As of today, excluding the Speaker, the Lok Sabha has 536
MPs, including two nominated from the Anglo-Indiancommunity. There are eight vacancies. The Rajya Sabha has239 members. Source: PTI
Anti-terror fight is against a mindset,not any religion, says PM Modi
NEW DELHI (TIP): Prime MinisterNarendra Modi on Thursday said thefight against terrorism andradicalization was not against anyreligion, but against a mindset thatmisguides the youth.
Speaking at a conference on “Islamicheritage: Promoting understandingand moderation”, Modi said India’svalues of equality, diversity andharmony strengthened it in a world ofuncertainty and these were importantto defeat violence and extremism.
“Indian democracy is a celebration ofage-old pluralism,” Modi said in aspeech to an audience that includedKing Abdullah II of Jordan and manyIslamic clerics and scholars.
Abdullah, a 41st generation directdescendant of Prophet Mohammed, isknown for his global initiative to fightradicalization and terrorism. He is alsothe custodian of holy sites inJerusalem, including the Al-Aqsamosque, the third holiest site in Islam,located in the Old City of Jerusalem.
India views Jordan as an “oasis ofstability and harmony” in conflict-ridden West Asia and New Delhi islooking to deepen bilateral ties withthe country, according to seniorgovernment officials in New Delhi.
India has been a victim of terrorismsince the 1980s and, since the 1990s,witnessed an Islamist insurgency inKashmir that has claimed manythousands of lives. India blamesPakistan for supporting anti-Indiaterrorist groups inimical in Kashmir.
In his speech, Modi said that “thosewho perpetrate acts of violence againsthumanity perhaps don’t realise thatthey harm the religion they claim tostand for.”
“The fight against terrorism andextremism, against radicalization isnot a fight against any religion. It is afight against a mentality thatmisguides our youth to perpetrate actsof violence against innocents,” he said,urging the youth to associatethemselves with the humanitarianaspects of Islam on the one hand andthe use of modern technology on theother.
In his speech, the Jordanian kingsaid the current global war againstterror should not be viewed as a fightbetween religions. “It is betweenmoderates of all faiths andcommunities and against extremistswho spread hatred and violence,” hesaid. He also emphasized the need to“recognize and reject themisinformation groups promote aboutIslam, or indeed any religion.”
“We need to take back the airwavesand internet from the voices of hatred,those who have victimized our worldnot only with bombs and terror butwith ignorance and lies,” the king said,adding that inclusion was the path tocoexistence.
“The fact that the king came to Indiaand delivered this address is verysignificant given that he is the directdescendent of the Prophet(Mohammed). His words carry greatweight,” said a person familiar withAbdullah’s visit.
Later in the day, India and Jordansigned 12 agreements including aframework pact on defence cooperationthat defines the “scope of suchcooperation and making provisions forimplementation of the cooperation insome of the recognized areas liketraining; defence industry; counter-
terrorism; military studies;cybersecurity; military medicalservices, peace-keeping, etc.,” astatement from the Indian foreignministry said.
Another pact aims to set up a Centreof Excellence in Jordan “for training ofminimum 3,000 Jordanian ITprofessionals over a period of 5 years,and setting up of a resource centre inIndia for training of master trainers inIT field from Jordan,” the foreignministry statement said.
A third pact on setting up a fertilizerproduction facility in Jordan “with along-term agreement for 100% offtaketo India” was also signed. It is aimed atensuring long-term and sustainedsupply of rock phosphate to India, thestatement said.
Briefing reporters after official talksbetween Modi and Abdullah, S.Tirumurthy, secretary-economicrelations in the Indian foreign ministrysaid, “There was a keenness on bothsides to take this (the relationship)further.”
Both sides are looking at closersecurity cooperation given that Jordansits at the crossroads of a very volatileregion neighbouring Israel, Palestine,Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
Source: PTI
President Ram Nath Kovind with Jordan King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein and PrimeMinister Narendra Modi during the ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan in
New Delhi.
16 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018THEATER
THEATERBY MABEL PAIS
NY’s Broadway: Once On This Island (Musical)Once On This Island is the first Broadway revival of the
musical, currently running at The Circle in the SquareTheatre (235 West 50th Street).
The musical is written by the Tony Award-winning teamLynn Ahrens (Book and Lyrics) and Stephen Flaherty (Music),and based on the novel "My Love, My Love" by Rosa Guy. Thisproduction features new orchestrations by originalorchestrator Michael Starobin who is joined by AnnMarieMilazzo.
Bursting with Caribbean colors, rhythms and dance, thestory comes to vibrant life in a striking production by TonyAward®-nominated director Michael Arden (SpringAwakening revival) and acclaimed choreographer Camille A.Brown. This production transforms the reality of a tropicalvillage devastated by a storm into a fantastical world alivewith hope.
Once On This Island is the universal tale of Ti Moune(newcomer, Hailey Kilgore), a fearless peasant girl in search ofher place in the world and who falls in love with a wealthy boyfrom the other side of the island. When their divided cultureskeep them apart, Ti Moune is guided by the powerful islandgods, Erzulie (Tony award winner Lea Salonga), Asaka (AlexNewell) , Papa Ge (Merle Dandridge), and Agwe (Quentin EarlDarrington), on a remarkable quest to reunite with the manwho has captured her heart.
Additional cast includes Phillip Boykin (Tonton Julian),Darlesia Cearcy (Storyteller), Rodrick Covington (Storyteller),Emerson Davis (Little Girl) Alysha Deslorieux (Andrea), TylerHardwick (Storyteller), Cassondra James (Storyteller), DavidJennings (Armand), Grasan Kingsberry (Storyteller), LorenLott (Storyteller), Kenita R. Miller (Mama Euralie), IsaacPowell (Daniel), T. Oliver Reid (Storyteller), Aurelia Williams(Storyteller), and Mia Williamson (Little Girl).
The main producers of the musical are Ken Davenport andHunter Arnold.
Additional producers include Carl Daikeler, Roy Putrino,Broadway Strategic Return Fund, Caiola Productions, H.Richard Hopper, Sandi Moran, Diego Kolankowsky, Brian
Cromwell Smith, Ron Kastner, Rob Kolson, JudithManocherian, Kevin Lyle, Jay Alix, Una Jackman, Jeff Wise,WitzEnd Productions, Jeff Grove, Wishnie-Strasberg, MarkFerris, Michelle Riley, Marie Stevenson, Mojgan Fajiram,Jesse McKendry, Silva Theatrical Group, Conor Bagley,Brendan C. Tetro, Invisible Wall Productions, The HarbertFamily, Keith Cromwell, and Red Mountain Theatre Company.The associate producers are Kayla Greenspan and ValerieNovakoff.
The creative team also includes Dane Laffrey (ScenicDesign), Clint Ramos (Costume Design), Jules Fisher andPeggy Eisenhauer (Lighting Designers), Peter Hylenski(Sound Designer), John Bertles/Bash The Trash (UnusualInstruments), Cookie Jordan (Hair/Wig & Makeup Designer),Chris Fenwick (Music Supervisor), Alvin Hough, Jr. (MusicDirector), David Perlow (Associate Director), Nikki M. James(Assistant Director), Rickey Tripp (Associate Choreographer)and Telsey + Co / Craig Burns, CSA (Casting Agent).
Once On This Island premiered at Playwrights Horizons in
May of 1990. The Broadway production opened in October ofthat year and ran for 469 performances garnering eight Tonynominations including Best Featured Actress (LaChanze),Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical and Best Musical.The 1994 West End production won the Olivier Award for BestNew Musical.
Once On This Island currently running, has no closing date.
Running Time: 90 minutes with no intermission.For more information on the musical, visit
www.OnceOnThisIsland.comFollow Once On This Island on Twitter, Facebook, and
Instagram: @OnceIslandBwayTickets for Once On This Island are on sale through
Telecharge. Group tickets are available atwww.YourBroadwayGenius.com or by calling
855-329-2932.
Mia Williamson, Alex Newell, Hailey Kilgore and the cast ofOnce On This Island. Photo/ Joan Marcus, 2017.
Merle Dandridge and Isaac Powell.
Photo/ Joan Marcus, 2017.
NJSO and NJPAC present in ConcertHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban™
‘This will be another unforgettable event.’Justin Freer, creator & producer:
Harry Potter, CineConcerts Series
‘Harry Potter is synonymous withexcitement around the world’
Brady Beaubien, CineConcert Producer
Audiences will experience the next chapter of the HarryPotter Film Concert Series with the New JerseySymphony Orchestra (NJSO) performing music from
the entire film live to picture.NJSO will perform the magical score live from Harry Potter
and the Prisoner of Azkaban while the entire film plays inhigh-definition on a 40-foot screen.
MSU Vocal Accord, a choir from Montclair State University,will be singing during the performance (there is somefeatured chorus in the film).
The Harry Potter Film Concert Series, which is anothermagical experience from J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World,kicked off in June 2016 with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer'sStone and is scheduled to include hundreds of performancesacross more than 35 countries around the world through 2018.
In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry, Ronand Hermione, now teenagers, return for their third year atHogwarts, where they are forced to face escaped prisoner,Sirius Black, who seems to pose a great threat to Harry. Harryand his friends spend their third year learning how to handlea half-horse, half-eagle creature known as a Hippogriff, repelshape-shifting Boggarts and master the art of Divination.They also visit the wizarding village of Hogsmeade and the
Shrieking Shack, which is considered the most haunteddwelling in Britain. In addition to these new experiences,Harry faces a werewolf and must overcome the threats of thesoul-sucking Dementors. With his best friends, Harry tacklesadvanced magic, crosses the barriers of time and impacts thecourse of life changing events for those around him.
Earning an Oscar-nomination for the score, the
spellbinding and incredible music composed by JohnWilliams became an instant classic, conjuring beautiful,soaring motifs continuing the adventures of Harry Potter onhis magical journey.
This film concert series has been created by CineConcerts,in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, andwill be conducted by its creator and producer, Justin Freer. Heexplains, "The Harry Potter film series continues to be a once-in-a-lifetime cultural phenomenon that delights millions offans around the world. It is with great pleasure that weintroduced for the first time ever an opportunity to experiencethe award-winning music scores played live by a symphonyorchestra, all while the beloved film is simultaneouslyprojected onto the big screen. This will be anotherunforgettable event."
Brady Beaubien of CineConcerts and Concert Producer forthe Harry Potter Film Concert Series added, "Harry Potter issynonymous with excitement around the world and we hopethat by performing this incredible music with the full movie,audiences will enjoy returning to this world, and to the manywonderful characters that inhabit it."
For more information on the Harry Potter Film ConcertSeries, visit www.harrypotterinconcert.com.
To purchase tickets, from NJSO visitwww.njsymphony.org or by phone at 1.800.ALLEGRO(255.3476); or, from NJPAC www.njpac.org or by phoneat 1.888.GO.NJPAC (888.466.5722).
(Mabel Pais writes on The Arts and Entertainment, SocialIssues, Health and Wellness, and Spirituality
(Behind, L to R) Ron, Harry; (Front) Hermione in Harry Potterand the Prisoner of Azkaban.
17ADVERTISEMENTTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018
18 THEINDIANPANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018 BOLLYWOOD
MANDIRA BEDI OPENS UPABOUT WHY SHE HAD TO‘COVER UP’ HER TATTOO
Priyanka Chopra has decided to cut ties with billionaire diamondtrader Nirav Modi’s brand following the news about the allegedbanking fraud carried out by him. “In the light of recent allegations,
Priyanka Chopra has chosen to terminate her contract with the Nirav Modibrand,” a spokesperson of Priyanka, who was the global brand ambassadorfor Nirav Modi, said in a statement issued on Friday.
As the news about the multi-crore scam involving Nirav Modi came tolight earlier this month, a statement from the actor read that she wasseeking legal opinion on her contract. There were also speculations thatshe is suing the brand for non-payment of dues. But her spokespersondenied this.
The termination news comes in the wake of after Kangana Ranaut andBipasha Basu accusing Mehul Choksi-owned Gitanjali Group of breachingthe contracts with them and not paying their dues.
Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, along with the directors of theNirav Modi and Gitanjali groups, are under investigation by the CentralBureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for analleged Rs 11,300 crore fraud on Punjab National Bank through illegal useof Letters of Undertaking and Foreign Letters of Credit to raise and rollover money.
Both Nirav Modi and Choksi are said to have left the country, along withtheir family members, in early January.
Source: IANS
Batti Gul Meter Chalu is entertaining, has substance: Yami Gautam
Yami Gautam says her next film Batti GulMeter Chalu is entertaining and has a lotof substance.
“Batti Gul Meter Chalu is a social drama onthe electricity issue faced by people in thecountry, especially in small towns,” said Yami.
“And given the kind of films that producerPrernaa Arora (KriArj Entertainment) hasbeen doing and what Shree Narayan Singh(director) has done with Toilet: Ek PremKatha“... you can expect a very fineamalgamation of entertainment and a relevantsocial issue which has been talked about for thevery first time,” she added.
The actor is excited to play a lawyer for thefirst time. “I think it is very interesting, quirky,entertaining and has a lot of substance at thesame time. I am extremely happy to be workingwith the team. I play a lawyer in a film for thefirst time. So, I am very happy,” she said.
The film also features actors Shahid Kapoorand Shraddha Kapoor. Source: IANS
Along with making quirky stylestatements — noodle strap blouses,bob hairdo and religious tattoos on
navel and nape — actor Mandira Bedi isknown for apologetically following her heart.However, it has not been a smooth ride.
In 2010, the actor got into trouble when herEk Onkar tattoo — that she got made on theback of her neck in 2004 — left some fringegroups fuming.
Mandira recalls, “It all started during the2007 Cricket World Cup tournament. Andpeople in Punjab [after noticing the tattoo onTV] were burning my effigies. I had to put anapology in newspapers, and things becamecalm for a while. But, a couple of years later,when I had worn a sari for an event inLudhiana, some photographer clicked aphoto and tried to incite things. Then aroundelection time [in 2010], a criminal case wasfiled against me.” She adds that she felt badfor her parents who had to go through somuch “as the apology was put in allvernacular papers in Punjab.”
It was then that she decided to cover it upin 2014. She says, “Although I found out laterthat there’s no case as such but I decided I’mnot going to fight it now. If there are peoplewho are narrow minded and having aproblem with something like this, I wantedto get done with them.”
About its new version, she shares, “Thecentral element is an African symbol thatmeans ‘God is great’ and the wingssymbolise: ‘now I am free’. Otherwise,whenever I used to go to Punjab, I had to hidemy previous tattoo with a bandage orconceal it with makeup.” She also revealsthat she went with tears in her eyes to thetattoo artist and asked him to cover it up.
Mandira maintains that it was
unfortunate that her beliefs were questionedand taken out of context. “The idea wasnever to hurt anyone’s sentiment. It’s mybody and I am not disrespecting it in any way.The reason I got it in first place was becauseit meant [and still means] so much to me. Ek
Onkar [God is One] is a beautiful philosophy,and I thought there’s nothing morepermanent in my life than this. Mygrandmother used to have it on her hand andit’s something I’ve grown up with since I wasa child,”she says. Source: HT
PRIYANKA CHOPRA TERMINATES CONTRACTWITH NIRAV MODI, NOT SUING HIM YET
19HOLLYWOOD THEINDIANPANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018
Actor Lindsay Lohan, who has fielded rumours of havingconverted to Islam for months, was seen wearing a hijab at therecent London Fashion Week. Pictures of the star, who now lives
in Dubai, have been doing the rounds online.Before her appearance at the show, Lohan posted a live Instagram
video in which she was learning to tie a hijab. “I think it needs (to be) alittle bit more tighter in the (back). I don’t want it to come off and showtoo much,” she said.
She also spoke to the BBC about her new avatar. Lohan was onceconsidered a sex symbol. “Fashion doesn’t always have to be so nakedand can be adventurous and still beautiful, with a strong group ofwomen behind it,” Lohan said.
In addition to the traditional attire, Lohan also wore halal makeup tothe event. According to a post by halal/vegetarian/vegan makeupretailer HawaCosmetics, Lohan stopped by their booth and told them“how she’s into halal cosmetics and what she’s actually wearing on herface today was all halal!!”
Lohan’s choice was met with mixed reactions online. One person onTwitter commented, “It amazes me how the western civilization seeswearing the hijab as an act of liberation and empowerment whilewomen in Iran are removing their hijabs off as a protest, meaning thehijab is actually a sign of oppression in muslim countries.”
Another person replied to the BBC’s tweet by saying, “Since when didpromoting oppressive articles of clothing become a thing? Especiallywhen women take off their hijab’s in protest...seems counter-productive...”
JENNIFER LAWRENCE ANGRY AT TABLOIDS
CALLING HER ANTI-FEMINIST
WHAT MADE RUTHWILSON TURN DOWN AROLE IN A MARVEL MOVIE?
Actor Ruth Wilson has said that she onceturned down a role from Marvel Studiosas she found the character “boring”
The 36-year-old actor said she still looksforward to be a part of the Marvel CinematicUniverse and wants to play a “baddie” in a film.
“I did have an interview for a Marvel thingages ago. They wouldn’t say what the part was,so I made a questionnaire for the two directors.‘Is she a baddie?’ They said she was a bit ofboth. ‘Does she wear leather or latex?’ They saidno. I was like, ‘EER-EEER!’” Wilson said,according to FemaleFirst.
“I said, ‘How many days filming is it?’ Theysaid 14. I said, ‘14? That’s not very long... EER-EEER!’ So I said no. If you want to be in aMarvel movie, you’ve got to be a baddie or asuperhero. Just being the girl on the side isboring. I’d be up for being a baddie,” she added.
The only time a Marvel movie has beendirected by a duo is Captain America: TheWinter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War.Both films were helmed by Joe & AnthonyRusso, who will return to direct Avengers:Infinity War. The forthcoming Captain Marvelmovie will also be directed by a team - AnnaBoden and Ryan Fleck. Source: PTI
Jennifer Lawrence on Wednesday blasted acontroversy over a photo of her wearing aplunging black dress outside on a cold London
day as sexist, ridiculous and “not feminism.”The Oscar-winning star, 27, said in a Facebook
posting that she was also “extremely offended” bywhat she called the “utterly ridiculous” reaction onsocial and mainstream media to the photo, taken aspart of promotions for her upcoming movie RedSparrow.
The picture, taken outdoors on a bitter winter’sday in London earlier this week, showed a bare-shouldered Lawrence wearing a black gown, whileactor Jeremy Irons and three fellow cast membersdonned thick wool coats.
Many commentators saw the photo as a reflectionof the pressure on women in Hollywood to lookgood, particularly given Lawrence’s previousoutspoken criticism of the gender pay gap in themovie industry.
“True equality means either Jennifer Lawrencegetting a coat, or Jeremy Irons having to pose for aphoto call in assless chaps,” tweeted Londonjournalist Helen Lewis.
Australian journalist Stephanie Peatlingremarked on Twitter that it was “cold enough thatthe bloke actors have to wear coats and scarves totheir press call and yet poor Jennifer Lawrence iswearing a small amount of fabric some might call adress.”
Lawrence, one of the most sought-after actressesin Hollywood, was having none of it.
“That Versace dress was fabulous, you think I’mgoing to cover that gorgeous dress up with a coatand a scarf ? I was outside for 5 minutes. I wouldhave stood in the snow for that dress because I lovefashion and that was my choice,” she wrote onFacebook.
“This is sexist, this is ridiculous, this is notfeminism,” she added. “It’s creating sillydistractions from real issues. Get a grip people”
Red Sparrow, a thriller in which Lawrence plays aRussian spy, opens worldwide next week.
Source: Reuters
Lindsay Lohan attends Fashion Week wearing a hijab
20 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018ADVERTISEMENT
21TRIBUTETHEINDIANPANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018
Throughout the 1980s the Bollywood filmstar Sridevi, who has died aged 54 afterdrowning in a bath in a Dubai hotel,
was the undisputed queen of Indian cinema,often eclipsing the male actors she starredwith.
In breaking through this glass ceiling shebecame one of the highest paid actors of hertime, demonstrating great versatility in rolesthat ranged from clown to femme fatale – noone else could have played her half-woman,half-snake character in Nagina (1986) withsuch seductive aplomb.
Her 300 films made in the course of half acentury of acting began when she was atoddler, with roles in devotional films such asKandhan Karunai (1967) and Thunaivan(1969), in both of which she played thechildhood incarnation of Lord Murugan, asouth Indian deity. In her most recent release,the thriller Mom (2017), she played anavenging stepmother who destroys the lives ofthe four men who raped her stepdaughter. Hercareer bore witness to the changing currentsof Indian cinema, from conservative family-oriented mid-century movies to the sociallyengaged woman-power cinema ofcontemporary times, while always remainingthe nation’s primary spectacle.
Born in Sivakasi, a small town in TamilNadu famous for its firecracker factories, shewas the daughter of K Ayyappan, a lawyer,and his wife, Rajeshwari. The family ran asmall plastic manufacturing unit. Sridevi’smother and her sister Srilata oftenaccompanied her on film shoots. WhileBollywood remains the biggest film industryin India, the country also has rich cinemacultures in its regional languages. Adept inseveral South Indian languages, in her earlycareer, Sridevi was involved in the Tamil,Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam cinemaindustries. But she also managed what was forher time a rare crossover from the southernfilm industry, thereby gaining nationwiderecognition and appeal. In fact, many of theearly roles that set her on the path tobecoming Bollywood’s first female superstarwere remakes in Hindi of regional-languagehits, including the films Himmatwala andSadma (both 1983).
Sridevi retained her striking good looks,and in her most popular roles portrayedstrong, funny women: the investigativejournalist in Mr India (1987) who is not abovegoing under cover as a cabaret dancer; thestreet-smart dancer in ChaalBaaz (1989),whose stunt scenes are also comic ones; andthe Afghan warrior in Khuda Gawah (1992)who rides a horse into battle. She was not justfunny; she was also willing to look funny. Hermercurially comic facial expressions, herover-the-top outfits, the dance moves thatearned her the sobriquet Thunder Thighswere all of a piece with the gusto andspontaneity of her acting.
Sridevi was extremely discreet about herpersonal life. In the 1980s she was reported tohave married her fellow actor MithunChakraborty, but the relationship did not last.In 1996, she married the producer BoneyKapoor.
Kapoor, who had produced several moviesthat starred Sridevi and also his actor brotherAnil, was one of the kingmakers of Bollywood.Together the Kapoors and Sridevidemonstrated an outstanding grasp of thepopular imagination. After her marriage toBoney, Sridevi put her acting career on hold formore than a decade, apart from a brief forayinto television.
In the loud, colourful movies that she madein her heyday, Sridevi was neither studied nor
much concerned with nuance. When she wason the screen, it was clear that she was havinga good time. But when she returned to thecinema in 2012 as the shy housewife in EnglishVinglish who sets out to teach herself Englishfor a trip to see her sister in New York, it wasclear that her craft was much moresophisticated. She had reached a point in hercareer where she was able to balance her comicplayfulness with subtlety and good judgment.In addition to numerous awards for acting, in
2013 Sridevi was awarded the highest civilianhonour in India, the Padma Shri.
Female Bollywood stars, especially thosewith adult children who follow them intoacting careers, typically make do with smallerand smaller parts while fading into oblivion.Sridevi was poised to change that trajectory.Her charisma and her family’s producingpower could have combined to create a newpath for her as a senior figure in Bollywood.
Source: The Guardian
SRIDEVI: A SUPERSTAR TILL THE END1963-2018
22 THEINDIANPANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018 FEATURE
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAYInternational Women's Day (March 8) is a
global day celebrating the social,economic, cultural and political
achievements of women. The day also marks acall to action for accelerating gender parity.
International Women's Day (IWD) has beenobserved since the early 1900's - a time of greatexpansion and turbulence in theindustrialized world that saw boomingpopulation growth and the rise of radicalideologies. International Women's Day is acollective day of global celebration and a callfor gender parity. No one government, NGO,charity, corporation, academic institution,women's network or media hub is solelyresponsible for International Women's Day.Many organizations declare an annual IWDtheme that supports their specific agenda orcause, and some of these are adopted morewidely with relevance than others.
"The story of women's struggle for equalitybelongs to no single feminist nor to any oneorganization but to the collective efforts of allwho care about human rights," says world-renowned feminist, journalist and social andpolitical activist Gloria Steinem. ThusInternational Women's Day is all about unity,celebration, reflection, advocacy and action -whatever that looks like globally at a locallevel. But one thing is for sure, InternationalWomen's Day has been occurring for well overa century - and continue's to grow fromstrength to strength.
Internationally, purple is a colour forsymbolising women. Historically thecombination of purple, green and white tosymbolise women's equality originated fromthe Women’s Social and Political Union in theUK in 1908. Purple signifies justice anddignity. Green symbolises hope. Whiterepresents purity, but is no longer used due to'purity' being a controversial concept. Theintroduction of the colour yellowrepresenting a 'new dawn' is commonly usedto signify a second wave of feminism. Thuspurple with green represents traditionalfeminism, purple with yellow representsprogressive contemporary feminism.
When did it all start?International Women's Day grew out of the
labour movement to become a UN-recognisedannual event.
The seeds of it were planted in 1908, when15,000 women marched through New YorkCity demanding shorter working hours, betterpay and the right to vote. It was the SocialistParty of America who declared the first
National Woman's Day, a year later.The idea to then make the day international
came from a woman called Clara Zetkin. Shesuggested the idea in 1910 at an InternationalConference of Working Women inCopenhagen. There were 100 women there,from 17 countries, and they agreedunanimously.
It was first celebrated in 1911, in Austria,Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. Thecentenary was celebrated in 2011, so this yearwe're technically celebrating the 107thInternational Women's Day.
Things were made official in 1975 when theUnited Nations (UN) started celebrating theday and later set an annual theme. The firstone (in 1996) was "Celebrating the past,Planning for the Future".
International Women's Day has become adate to celebrate how far women have come insociety, in politics and in economics, while the
political roots of the day mean strikes andprotests are often organised to raiseawareness of continued inequality.
Clara Zetkin's initial idea for anInternational Women's Day had no fixed dateand it wasn't formalised until a war-timestrike in 1917 when Russian women demanded"bread and peace". Four days into the women'sstrike the Tsar was forced to abdicate and theprovisional government granted women theright to vote. The date when the women'sstrike commenced on the Julian calendar,which was then in use in Russia, was Sunday23 February. This day in the Gregoriancalendar was 8 March - and that's when it'scelebrated today.
How is Women's Daycelebrated around the world?
International Women's Day is a nationalholiday in many countries including Russia,where the sales of flowers doubles during thethree or four days around 8 March as men andwomen give flowers to their female loved onesand co-workers. In China, many women aregiven a half-day off work on 8 March, asadvised by the State Council, althoughemployers don't always observe the tradition.
In Italy, International Women's Day or laFesta della Donna is celebrated by the givingof mimosa blossom. The origin of thistradition is unclear but it is believed to havestarted in Rome after World War Two.
International Women's Day being marked in Tokyo last year as protesters gathered to marchagainst the gender pay gap and sexual harassment. Pic courtesy: Rex Features
23WORLDTHE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018
Prince William to make1st official UK royal visitto Israel
LONDON (TIP): Officials say PrinceWilliam will make the first official visit by amember of the British royal family to Israeland the Palestinian territories.
Kensington Palace says the prince will alsovisit Jordan during the trip this summer. Nodates have been announced.
Overseas royal visits are made at therequest of the British government. NoBritish royal has made an official visit toIsrael, whose occupation of the Palestinianterritories the UK considers illegal.
Prince Charles attended the 2016 funeral offormer Israeli President Shimon Peres in aprivate capacity.
Kensington Palace said Thursday that thetrip "has been welcomed by the Israeli,Jordanian and Palestinian authorities."
Israeli Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu said that "this is a historic visit"and William "will be received here with greataffection." (AP)
China plans first sea-launch of satellites
BEIJING (TIP): China is planning its firstsea-launch of satellites, a Chinese aerospaceofficial said on Feb 28.
Yang Yiqiang, commander-in-chief of theLong March-11 rockets project of the ChinaAerospace Science and TechnologyCorporation, said that 2018 would see fivelaunches of Long March-11 rockets, with fourmissions for commercial payloads on land,and one at sea.
"The sea launch will meet the growingneeds for launching near-equatorial and low-inclination satellites, and improve therockets' adaptability," Yang said.
"The solid-propellant Long March-11rockets have strong quick-response abilitywith low prices, which provide better,competitive services in space commerce,"state-run Xinhua news agency quoted him assaying.
Launches in the equator region are morefuel-efficient. They cost less but demand amore stable rocket performance, which isaffected by sea waves and high temperatures.
Wenchang, cantered at 11 degree eastlongitude and 19 degrees north latitude, insouth China's Hainan Province, is the onlylaunch centre near the sea. As for missionswith an inclination of zero to five degrees,the sea launch will fill the gap, the Xinhuareport said.
China started developing modern carrierrockets in 1956, and the Long March rocketshave become the main carriers for China'ssatellite launches. (PTI)
13 dead in Christian-Muslim violence inNigeria: Police
LAGOS (TIP) : At least 13 people have beenkilled in clashes between Christian andMuslim youths in central Nigeria, police saidtoday, in the latest violence to hit the region.
Fighting broke out on Monday in KasuwanMagani community in Kaduna state, about 45kilometres by road from the state capital,Kaduna city.
"The mayhem led to the death of 13 peoplewith many houses and shops burnt," Kadunastate police commissioner Austin Iwar toldAFP by telephone.
Local reports gave a higher death toll. Iwarsaid 20 suspects have been arrested, andtroops and police had been deployed to quellthe violence. (AFP)
Vladimir Putin, before election, unveilsnew nuclear weapons to counter West
MOSCOW (TIP): President Vladimir Putinunveiled an array of new nuclear weapons onMarch 1, in one of his most bellicose speechesin years, saying they could hit almost anypoint in the world and not be intercepted.
Speaking weeks before an election he isexpected to win, Putin also said that a nuclearattack on any of Moscow's allies would beregarded as an attack on Russia itself anddraw an immediate response.
Putin, who polls indicate should be easilyre-elected on March 18, backed his toughrhetoric with video clips of some of the newmissiles he was talking about, which wereprojected on a giant screen behind him at theconference hall in central Moscow where hewas addressing Russia's political elite.
"They have not succeeded in holding Russiaback," said Putin, referring to the West.
"Now they need to take account of a newreality and understand that everything I havesaid today is not a bluff."
Among the new weapons that Putin saidwere either in development or ready: a newintercontinental ballistic missile, a smallnuclear warhead that could be attached tocruise missiles, underwater nuclear drones, asupersonic weapon and a laser weapon.
The audience, made up of Russianlawmakers and other leading figures,frequently stood up and applauded hispresentation, which culminated with theRussian national anthem being played.
NATO MEASURES "USELESS"Putin, who has dominated his country's
political landscape for the last 18 years andoften used anti-Western rhetoric to mobilisesupport, said the technological advancesmeant that NATO's build-up on Russia'sborders and the roll-out of a US anti-missilesystem would be rendered useless.
"I hope that everything that was said todaywill sober up any potential aggressor," saidPutin.
"Unfriendly steps towards Russia such asthe deployment of the (US) anti-missilesystem and of NATO infrastructure nearerour borders and such like, from a militarypoint of view, will become ineffective."
Steps to contain Russia would also become
unjustifiably expensive and pointless, heforecast. The Russian leader also voicedconcerns about a new US nuclear doctrine,saying that Russia's own doctrine wasdefensive and only envisaged the use ofnuclear weapons in response to an attack.
Russia has repeatedly said it is keen to holdtalks with the United States about the balanceof strategic nuclear power.
"We will view any use of nuclear weaponsagainst Russia or its allies, be it of small,medium or any force, as a nuclear attack onour country," said Putin.
"Our response will be immediate. Nobodyshould have any doubts about that." (Reuters)
China lashes out at US overbill promoting Taiwan ties
BEIJING (TIP): China lodged an official protest with the United States today, saying it was"strongly dissatisfied" after the US Senate passed a bill promoting relations with self-governingTaiwan.
The US Senate passed the Taiwan Travel Act, intended to encourage visits between theUnited States and Taiwan "at all levels", by unanimous consent on Wednesday, following itsapproval in the House of Representatives in January.
The bill adds that it should be US policy for high-level Taiwanese officials to enter the UnitedStates, meet with US officials and conduct business in the country.
President Donald Trump's signature is now all that is needed for the bill to become law --something that is not likely to be an obstacle, given that the bill was passed unanimously.
Washington cut formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979, recognising the Communistmainland rulers in Beijing as the sole government of "One China."
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that while some of the new bill'sprovisions are not legally binding, it "seriously violates" the One China principle.
"China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposes it," Hua told a regular news briefing,adding that Beijing had made "solemn representations" to the US -- a diplomatic protest.
The United States, she said, should stop official exchanges with Taiwan and handle Taiwanissues "prudently and properly" to avoid "damaging Sino-US relations".
Under the terms of the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, Washington maintains an ambiguousapproach to the island, maintaining trade relations and selling Taipei weapons.
Trump sparked protest from China shortly after his election in 2016 by accepting a phone callfrom Taiwan's leader Tsai Ing-wen, an action seen as breaking the protocol of the One Chinapolicy.
He made amends by vowing to uphold the One China policy shortly before Chinese PresidentXi Jinping's visit to his Florida Mar-a-Lago resort -- but infuriated Beijing again last summerby approving a USD 1.3 billion arms sale to Taiwan. (AFP)
NINE KILLED INSAUDI-LED AIRSTRIKE ATTACKSIN YEMEN,RESIDENTS SAY
DUBAI (TIP): Air strikes killed ninecivilians and wounded at least 6 onWednesday in two separate attacks in northand west Yemen by the Saudi-led coalitionfighting against the Houthi movement,residents told Reuters.
The Saudi-led coalition, which hasintervened in Yemen's war since 2015 to tryto restore president Abd-Rabbu MansourHadi to power, has conducted frequent airstrikes and has often hit civilians, althoughdenies ever doing so intentionally.
The Houthis, a movement derived fromnorthern Yemen's Zaidi Shi'ite Muslimcommunity, have controlled much of Yemenincluding the capital Sanaa since drivingHadi out three years ago. Saudi Arabia andits Sunni Muslim allies say the Houthis arealigned with Shi'ite Iran and pose a threat tothe region.
Residents said four civilians had beenkilled in an airstrike in the suburbs of thenorthern city of Saada, the main Houthistronghold. Five girls were killed in anotherairstrike that targeted a field in the west ofthe country, in the western Hodeidahdistrict.
On Tuesday, airstrikes killed five civiliansin north of the country.
The war has killed more than 10,000people, displaced more than 2 million anddriven the country - already the poorest onthe Arabian Peninsula - to the verge ofwidespread famine. (Reuters)
The festival of colours of Holi canbe a bit harsh for your beautyroutine. While the colours
damage your skin, harsh sun rays andchemicals present in colourful foamsdamage your hair.
Here are some of the tips to befollowed for a complete beauty care to beperformed before and after the playfulcelebration.
BEFORE-CARE TIPS To avoid the unwanted skin
tanning and skin problems fromyour end, it's best to apply asunscreen 20 minutes beforestepping out of your house. It isadvisable to use a sunscreen thatcontains an SPF higher than SPF20. The built-in moisturisers willprotect your skin from the sun aswell as colours.
You should not forget about yourfingernails on Holi, according toShikhee Agrawal, Head-Training,The Body Shop India. It is best toensure attention to cuticles andnails, minding the sensitivity ofthese areas. Apply transparent nailvarnish and petroleum jelly forprotective coating.
For hair care, slather your hairwith oil. Holi colours canpresumably damage your Hair to agreat extent. Applying Coconut oreven a normal hair oil, half anhour before stomping out can cutback the damage scope to anominal level. Also, it's best to tieyour hair down rather thanleaving them open during thefestivities.
Don't miss to apply lots of lip balmto lips to ensure the least harm. Itwould be better to apply a thick
layer of lip balm jelly generouslyover them so that the Holi colourdoes not get stick to your mouth.
AFTERCARE TIPS Once all the celebration gets over,
there comes the real problem ofremoving the colors from yourface. Rinsing your face with cleanwater, followed by a heartyapplication of face lotion issuggested. It is important that allthe impurity and toxic substancesrelease out of your skin-pores. Soit is suitable to use a cleansercontaining less of chemicalelements and more of naturalingredients like Tea Tree.
Wash off the impurities andcolours with a good hair shampoo,such as green tea one, havingnatural vitality to wash away thenoxious substances from your hair.Also once you are done with thewashing part, don't forget to applyconditioner.
After, all the exposing to the sun,harmful hues and toxic elementsflying in the air all throughout theday, it is important to apply a goodand efficient eye cream full ofvitamin E before dozing off tosleep. This will make you feel freshin the next morning and will clearyour dark circles and patchesovernight. Source: ANI
Ingredients 1 kg meat
1 cup mustard/refined oil
3 tsp red chili powder
3 tsp fennel powder
2 tsp ginger powder
2 tsp cumin powder
3 tsp brown cardamom powder
1 tsp asafoetida
4 pieces of green cardamom
2 cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves
2 cloves
1/3 tsp saffron - optional 1 cup curd salt to taste
MethodWash the meat properly. Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
Put cinnamon, bay leaves, green cardamom, cloves, 1 tsp salt,asafoetida, and meat together.
Fry meat till it turns brown.
Once browned, pour a cup of water.
Add the red chili powder and saffron into the meat.
Keep stirring for about a minute.
Mix the curd nicely in the mixer and pour it into the pressurecooker.
Keep on stirring till you get a reddish tinge.
Add 2 cups of water, fennel powder, ginger powder, andpressure cook for 2 minutes.
Check if the meat is tender. Peel and grind green and browncardamom and add to the meat dish.
Finally sprinkle cumin powder and simmer for a minute andserve.
24 THEINDIANPANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018 WOMEN
ROGAN JOSH
SKINCARE AND HAIRCARE: PRE AND
POST-HOLI
F O O D C O R N E R
Beauty Benefits of Baking Soda
Baking Soda carries antibacterial, antifungal, antisepticand anti-inflammatory properties which balance the pHlevel of skin to make it smooth, soft and radiant and
brings new freshness in the skin.It is also a powerful medical tool effective at combating
everything from colds to oral problems to skin issues whenused for short periods. Apart from cooking and cleaning,baking soda also has amazing beauty benefits, which can helpyou to look best from head to toe.
Baking soda, also known as soda bicarb or sodiumbicarbonate has so many uses, that it can be called a wonderingredient. It has myriad uses at home, like cleaning certainsurfaces, relieving problems of digestion, removing odour,treating rashes, itching and even stings.
Apart from these, baking soda can also be used for beautytreatments. Bicarbonate of soda, or baking soda, is known toprevent body odour. During the hot and humid season, bodyodour can form easily due to perspiration. To remove odour,make a paste of baking soda and water and apply under thearms. You can also add lemon juice to this paste.
Leave on for 10 minutes and wash off with water. Or, mix alittle baking soda with your talcum powder and apply underthe arms, or on the feet.
Baking soda is also very useful for oily skin and problemsrelated to it, like blackheads, pimples and acne. Mix a littlewater with bicarbonate of soda and make a paste. Apply thison areas with blackheads and open pores. Wash off after 5minutes.
This not only reduces oiliness but also cleanses the pores. Ithas a slight skin-peeling effect, which helps in the removal orblackheads. In other words, it helps exfoliation, removingdead skin cells. But, it has a mild and gentle effect and does notcause skin irritation or sensitivity. It can also be applied onacne prone skin, to help dry the eruptions.
BANJARI GOSHTIngredients 150 gm oil, 600 gmmutton- cleaned andcut, 200 gm onions,50 gm whole garammasala, 80 gmginger-garlic paste,25 gm red chillipowder, salt to taste,15 gm turmeric, 20gm corianderpowder, 15 gmcoriander seeds-roasted and crushed, 150 gm yogurt, 6 whole red chillies.
MethodHeat oil, add sliced onions and saute till they turn brown.
Then add ginger-garlic paste, garam masala, red chilli powder,salt, turmeric, coriander powder.
Add yogurt and mutton.
Add coriander seeds and allow them to cook.
Garnish with pounded coriander seeds and whole red chillies.
NEW DELHI (TIP): The World HealthOrganisation (WHO), in its latest set ofguidelines for combating tuberculosis,has recommended scaling up access totesting and treatment for the disease,especially among groups who are at risk,such as children and people with HIV.
The recommendations also include twonew shorter treatment regimens forlatent TB infection (LTBI).
The move is aimed at expanding accessto testing and care for people with LTBIas they may develop active tuberculosisin the future if they do not receiveappropriate treatment.
The global health body said healthpractitioners have to prioritise testingand treatment of people living with HIVand children under the age of five whohave been in contact with people whohave TB.
"WHO has now identified HIV-negativechildren aged more than or equal to fiveyears, adolescents and adults who arecontacts of TB patients, as well ascontacts of patients with multi-drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), as additionalhigh-risk groups," the global health bodysaid.
It has recommended scaled-up testingfor latent TB infection in both high andlow TB-burden countries.
According to WHO guidelines, atuberculin skin test or interferon-gammarelease assay can be used to test for latentTB infection and active TB diseaseshould always be ruled out beforeprescribing preventive treatment.
About the two new shorter treatmentregimens for latent TB infection, WHOsaid, "Rifapentine and isoniazid weeklyfor three months may be offered as analternative to six months of isoniazidmonotherapy as preventive treatment forboth adults and children."
"Rifampicin plus isoniazid daily forthree months should be offered as analternative to six months of isoniazid
monotherapy as preventive treatment forchildren and adolescents aged less 15years. These shorter regimens will helppatients adhere to their treatment andcomplete it," the world health body said.
It is also releasing a mobile applicationto support programmatic management oflatent TB infection.
Dr Tereza Kasaeva, the director ofWHO's Global TB Programme said, "Thenew guidelines will help countriescatalyse TB prevention and contribute toend the tuberculosis epidemic. Makingsure everyone can obtain the treatmentthey need to prevent latent TB developinginto active TB, will save lives and reducesuffering."
Scale-up of treatment to prevent hasbeen slow and only 12 of the 30 countrieswith a high burden of HIV-associated TB,reported provision of tuberculosispreventive treatment among peopleliving with HIV, said Dr HaileyesusGetahun, Coordinator for TB/HIV andcommunity engagement, WHO Global TBProgramme.
Only 13 per cent of the 1.3 million
eligible children received preventivetreatment in 2016, Dr Getahun said.
According to a WHO report last year,India topped the list of seven countries,accounting for 64 per cent of the 10.4million new tuberculosis casesworldwide in 2016.
India has last year pledged itscommitment to eliminate tuberculosis by2025, five years ahead of the global goal toreduce the number of such deaths by 90per cent by 2030.
“We hope the new guidelines willdisrupt the status quo in many countriesand leapfrog global implementation ofTB prevention efforts,” Dr Getahun said.
It would also contribute to global andnational responses in finding andreaching those TB patients not in care,through systematic screening andtesting. The guidelines are to be usedprimarily in national TB and HIV controlprogrammes, or their equivalents inministries of health, and for other policy-makers working on TB and HIV andinfectious diseases, WHO said.
Source: PTI
25HEALTH & FITNESSTHEINDIANPANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018
WHO RECOMMENDS SCALINGUP ACCESS TO TESTING,
TREATMENT FOR TB
DR. SATISH AND GITANJLI ANAND DDRR.. SSAATTIISSHH AANNAANNDD
Scientists have successfullygrown mini versions ofpatients' tumours in a lab—and tested them againstdozens of drugs to find thebest possible treatment.
In the study published inthe journal Science,researchers treated the lab-grown 'mini tumours' witha range of drugs.
They then looked to see how this compared to howsuccessful treatment was in those patients.
The approach found a drug that had a chance of shrinkinga patient's tumour in almost nine in 10 cases.
Drugs that did not work in patients also had no effect onthe mini tumours. This suggests they could help predictwhen drugs would not work, researchers said.
The study, led by scientists at The Institute of CancerResearch (ICR) in the UK, was carried out in bowel andstomach cancers, and other cancers of the digestive system.
The results of the study did not change how patients weretreated. However, the approach could be used in the future tohelp choose treatment.
According to Nicola Valeri, who led the study, thetechnique needed to be tested in large clinical trials, but thatit "has the potential to help deliver truly personalisedtreatment." Mini tumours, also called organoids, are tinyballs of cancer cells grown in the lab.
They can be grown from a tissue sample (biopsy).Scientists take cells from a tumour and place them inside agel, where they are free to grow as a 3D ball.
Researchers believe that growing the cancer cells in thisway can more closely mirror how they behave inside thebody.
They grew mini tumours from biopsies taken from 71patients with advanced bowel, stomach or bile duct cancerthat had spread to other parts of the body.
The researchers tested 55 cancer drugs on the minitumours, allowing them to compare the results to how eachpatient's cancer responded to the treatment they were given.
Mini tumours were more effective at predicting whendrugs would be effective than looking for gene faults(mutations) in the cancer cells' DNA.
The study focused on stomach and bowel cancer, but Valerisaid that "the technique could be applied to a wide variety ofcancer types".
Organoids have already been grown from a variety ofdifferent cancers, including liver, pancreatic andoesophageal. Source: PTI
In the study published in thejournal Science, researcherstreated the lab-grown 'mini
tumours' with a range ofdrugs. They then looked tosee how this compared tohow successful treatment
was in those patients.
Wine may be good for oral healthLONDON (TIP): Sipping wine may be
good for your oral health, say scientistswho found that certain compounds inthe drink can fend of harmful bacteriain the teeth and gums.
Traditionally, some health benefits ofpolyphenols have been attributed to thefact that these compounds areantioxidants, meaning they likelyprotect the body from harm caused byfree radicals.
However, recent work indicatespolyphenols might also promote healthby actively interacting with bacteria inthe gut. Plants and fruits producepolyphenols to ward off infection byharmful bacteria and other pathogens.
Researchers including M VictoriaMoreno-Arribas from Institute of FoodScience Research (CIAL) in Spainwanted to know whether wine and grapepolyphenols would also protect teeth andgums, and how this could work on amolecular level.
The study, published in the Journal of
Agricultural and Food Chemistry,checked out the effect of two red winepolyphenols, as well as commerciallyavailable grape seed and red wineextracts, on bacteria that stick to teethand gums and cause dental plaque,cavities and periodontal disease.
Working with cells that model gumtissue, they found that the two winepolyphenols in isolation - caffeic and p-coumaric acids - were generally betterthan the total wine extracts at cuttingback on the bacteria's ability to stick tothe cells. Source: PTI
26 THEINDIANPANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018 SCIENCE & TECH
SAN FRANCISCO (TIP): To help "metro newspapers"take their digital subscription business to a new level,Facebook has launched a local news accelerator for newspublishers.
The $3 million, three-month pilot programme titled"Journalism Project: Local News Subscriptions Accelerator"will begin in the US with 10-15 metro news organisations.
"We are working with Tim Griggs, a former New YorkTimes executive and leading digital media consultant, tohelm the programme's curriculum focused onunderstanding digital audiences and building marketingplans for digital subscriber acquisition," Campbell Brown,Head of News Partnerships at Facebook, said in a blog poston Wednesday.
Currently enrolled publishers include The Boston Globe,The Chicago Tribune, The Miami Herald, The Seattle Timesand The San Francisco Chronicle, among others.
When it comes to the future of journalism, digitalsubscribers are critical to the long-term sustainability of thenews business.
"We know Facebook is one part of the strategy to engagereaders and ultimately drive paid subscriptions," addedBrown, a former NBC and CNN anchor who joined Facebookto lead its news partnership team last year.
Participating publishers will convene in-person once amonth, receive coaching from digital subscription expertsand participate in weekly trainings covering a broad arrayof digital subscriptions marketing activities, including butnot limited to the use of Facebook.
"Working with programme coaches, publishers will thendesign individual projects that tackle their unique businessneeds. Grant funding will empower each publisher toimplement solutions that help elevate their subscriptionbusiness," Facebook said.
"The Accelerator has been designed by publishers forpublishers," said Jim Friedlich, Executive Director of TheLenfest Institute for Journalism. Source: IANS
Apple now using Google serversfor storing iCloud data
SAN FRANCISCO (TIP):
Apple has provided anacknowledgement for the firsttime that it is relying on rivalGoogle's public cloud for datastorage for its iCloud services,according to the latest iOSSecurity document that theCupertino-headquartered giantupdated on its website.
"The disclosure is freshevidence that Google's cloud has been picking up usage as itlooks to catch up with Amazon and Microsoft in the cloudinfrastructure business," CNBC reported late Monday.
There have been some reports on Google's iCloud win in2016 but Apple never provided confirmation.
"For years the document contained language indicatingthat iCloud services were relying on remote data storagesystems from Amazon Web Services, as well as Microsoft'sAzure," the report added.
The latest iOS Security document which gives a detailedexplanation of the technology choices it makes to keep itsusers from getting hacked, the company disclosed it's usingGoogle's Cloud-computing infrastructure to store iClouddata such as photos, files and data backup.
However, there is no indication if Apple is also relying onGoogle for additional computing work.
When phones powered by Google's Android softwareappeared on the market, Apple co-founder and then-CEOSteve Jobs was famously outraged by their similarity toApple's competing iOS, according to CNET. Source: IANS
‘Happy space suits’ may preventdepression in astronauts
WASHINGTON (TIP): Scientists aredeveloping 'happy space suits' that canmonitor symptoms of depression inastronauts, and provide real timefeedback to improve the atmosphere ofthe spacecraft as well as boost theoccupants' mood.
Depression is a major problem inspace, as astronauts can be adverselyaffected by factors like insufficientexercise, excessive exposure to light andlack of sleep, according to researchersfrom Florida Polytechnic University inthe US.
The technology, called Smart SensorySkin (S3), will detect emotional andphysical deficiencies in astronautsthrough wireless sensors that will thensend an immediate response to improvethe "atmosphere", and adjust theastronauts' environment to fit theirindividual needs.
The adjustments include changes intemperature, light exposure, lightcolour, and oxygen levels.
"It's vital for astronauts to be mentallyhealthy during missions and right nowthere's no active, real-time solution tohelp them when they feel stressed or
anxious," said Arman Sargolzaei,professor of at FPU.
"This technology would provide themwith immediate relief to their state ofmind," Sargolzaei added.
The eventual product will incorporatethe wireless sensors into astronautclothing, so that physicians on Earth canalso monitor the person's pulse rate,blood pressure and joint angles.
Similar technology already exists, butit is cumbersome, often uncomfortable,and data collection is passive.
This means the data must be reviewedby a physician and the user can onlymake appropriate actions after his orher recommendation.
The S3 will be a step forward bymaking it an active technology, alsolighter and more ergonomic, increasingmission effectiveness by reducingdistractions. Source: PTI
WHATSAPP TESTINGFEATURE TO BLOCK
SPAM MESSAGES
WhatsApp appears to betesting a new feature thatlets users block spam
messages. According to a report byWABetaInfo, WhatsApp will be ableto identify spam messages that havebeen shared multiple times. Thefeature was spotted in the betaversion of the app with the number2.17.430. The report said WhatsAppis likely to roll out this new featurein the next update for Android andiOS.
At the moment, WhatsApp doesblock spam messages which havebeen forwarded over 25 times.Moving forward, the new featurewill alert if a message has beenforwarded more than 25 timesthrough a label that reads“forwarded many times”. And if auser needs to send a message tomultiple contacts, WhatsApprecommends to use the BroadcastList feature, where only contactsthat have your phone number intheir address book will receive yourmessage.
The messaging app has over 200million active users in India,making it the biggest market for theFacebook-owned WhatsApp. Given the rise in the user base, there has been a lot of talk over thepast few years over the increase in circulation of “spam” and “hoax” messages on the platform.
WhatsApp seems to be aware about the issue and has published tips for spotting spam and hoaxmessages. “If you’ve received spam from a contact, delete the message and do not click on any linksor provide personal information. Tell the contact that the message they sent includes spam andpoint them to this WhatsApp safety page.You can also send reports of spam to WhatsApp bycontacting us from inside the app,” the company says.
By introducing the new feature, WhatsApp is continuing its quest to crack down on spam andhoax messaging being circulated on its messaging platform. It also gives a larger message amongits users that WhatsApp is serious about tackling fraudsters from sending out fake emails, photosand videos in order to steal highly sensitive banking and personal information.
WhatsApp will start showing ‘ForwardedMessage’ on spam posts
WhatsApp is reportedly testing a newfeature that lets users block spam
messages. The feature will be rolledout in the next update for Android
and iOS
Moon to get 4Gmobile networknext year tostream HDvideos to earth
The moon will get its first4G mobile network nextyear, enabling HD video
to be streamed from the lunarlandscape to the earth, part ofa project to back the firstprivately funded moonmission.
Vodafone Germany,network equipment makerNokia and carmaker Audi areworking together to supportthe mission, 50 years after thefirst American astronautswalked on the moon.
The companies are workingwith Berlin-basedPTScientists, whose privatelyfunded Mission to the Moon isdue to launch in 2019 fromCape Canaveral on a SpaceXFalcon 9 rocket.
The 4G network will enabletwo Audi lunar quattro roversto communicate and transferscientific data and HD videowhile they approach and studyNASA’s Apollo 17 lunar rovingvehicle that was used by thelast astronauts to walk on themoon, Eugene Cernan andHarrison Schmitt, inDecember 1972.
The rovers cannot send thescientific data, HD video andphotos they collect directly toearth because it takes toomuch power. Instead, they willuse the 4G network to streamthe data to a base station,which will beam it back toearth. Vodafone’s networkexpertise will be used to set upthe 4G network, while NokiaBell Labs will create a space-grade ultra compact networkthat will be the lightest everdeveloped – weighing less thanone kilo.
NEW YORK (TIP): Firestar DiamondInc., PNB fraud accused Nirav Modi’sinternational jewellery business, hasfiled for bankruptcy in the US.
Firestar Diamond filed the Chapter 11voluntary petition in the New YorkSouthern Bankruptcy Court on Monday,according to the court filing. Thebankruptcy case has been assigned toJudge Sean H. Lane and an “order forrelief entered”.
Firestar Diamond, which on itswebsite states that its operations spanthe US, Europe, the Middle East, the FarEast and India, blamed liquidity andsupply chain challenges. It listed up to$100 million in assets and debt, the courtdocument said.
In its eight-page petition filed by itssole director Mihir Bhansali, FirestarDiamond said that in the judgement ofthe director, “it is desirable and in thebest interests of the Company, itsrespective creditors, and otherinterested parties that a petition be filedby the company seeking relief under theprovisions of Chapter 11 of Title 11 ofthe United States.”
The court papers do not mention thename of its founder Nirav Modi or hisuncle Mehul Choski, both of whom arecharged with the $2 billion PNB fraud.
On its website, Firestar Diamondstates that it was founded in 1999 as aloose diamond supplier and expandedinto jewellery manufacturing in 2001. Itacquired Frederick Goldman diamondjewellery to get a private label and enterthe US national retail market.Thereafter, it expanded US distributionand set up a Belgium unit in 2009. In2010, the firm launched “Nirav Modiultra-luxury diamond jewellery brand”,it said.
The website did not provideownership pattern of Firestar Diamond.
Modi, his uncle Mehul Choksi andfirms linked to them are alleged to havedefrauded Punjab National Bank (PNB)of close to $2 billion (Rs12,717 crore).The jewellers and companies linked tothem had allegedly colluded with PNBofficers to obtain fake letters ofundertaking (LoUs) to get loans fromoverseas branches of Indian banks,including Allahabad Bank, Axis Bankand UCO Bank.
The bankruptcy filing includesFirestar’s A. Jaffe Inc. wedding jewelleryaffiliate and Fantasy Inc. affiliate, andestimates the numbers of creditors atbetween 50 to 99.
HIGHLIGHTS Firestar Diamond
Inc has listed assetsand liabilities in therange of $50 millionto $100 million,according to a courtfiling
Punjab NationalBank had earlierthis monthunearthedfraudulenttransactions at oneof its Mumbaibranches
27BIZ & FINANCETHEINDIANPANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018
AIRCEL FILES FOR INSOLVENCYAFTER ‘NEGATIVE BUSINESSAND REPUTATIONAL IMPACT’
NEW DELHI (TIP): Telecom operator Aircel saidon?Wednesday it has filed for bankruptcy as the company hasbeen facing “troubled times” in “highly financially stressed”industry.
In a statement in New Delhi, Aircel said that intensecompetition following the disruptive entry of a new player,legal and regulatory challenges, high level of unsustainabledebt and increased losses had together caused significant“negative business and reputational impact” on the company.
“The Board of Directors of the Corporate Debtor todayannounced that they have filed an application under Section10 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016 forundertaking Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process for therespective companies: Aircel Cellular, Dishnet Wireless,Aircel Ltd,” the the statement said.
Sources said that the filing was made in National CompanyLaw Tribunal (NCLT) Mumbai.
The company statement also noted that efforts to mergewireless business with another operator did not yield anyresults and had ultimately lapsed in September 2017.
“Post detailed discussions with the financial lenders andshareholders, the company could not reach consensus withrespect to restructuring of its debt and funding. Despitethese discussions and the invoking of a Strategic DebtRestructuring scheme in January 2018...no agreement couldbe reached,” Aircel said.
The company also said it believes that in the currentcircumstances, resolution process under the Insolvency andBankruptcy Code is an “appropriate recourse”.
“The Company would like to emphasise that CIRP is not aproceeding for liquidation, rather is a process to find bestpossible resolution for the current situation and that wouldbe in the best interest of everyone (vendors, distributors,employees, etc) to protect and preserve the value of thecompany and manage the operations,” it added.
Aircel said it will strive to provide uninterrupted serviceconnectivity to its customers and sought their support in the“current difficult period”. Source: PTI
Australia recalls 2.3 million vehicles over airbag problems
SYDNEY (TIP): Australia announced the compulsoryrecall of 2.3 million vehicles on Wednesday due to problemswith faulty Takata airbags that have caused at least 23 deathsworldwide.
The government intervention — one of the country’sbiggest-ever consumer recalls — follows consultations withaffected manufacturers and industry stakeholders.
It affects vehicles made by Ford, GM Holden, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volkswagen, Audi andSkoda. Similar action has taken place around the world.
“The compulsory recall will capture approximately 2.3million vehicles that still have a defective airbag that needsreplacement,” said assistant treasurer Michael Sukkar.
“Absolute priority will be given to replacing alpha airbags,which pose an immediate and critical safety risk.” Given thescale of the task, suppliers have until the end of December2020 to progressively replace all defective airbags made bythe Japanese group. A total of four million vehicles inAustralia are affected. Some have already been voluntarilyrecalled by manufacturers, with Wednesday’s actionconcerning those that have yet to be fixed.
An investigation by Australia’s Competition andConsumer Commission found that Takata airbag inflatorswithout a desiccant—a drying agent—or with a calciumsulphate desiccant had a design flaw.
It said that over time the ammonium nitrate propellantcould degrade, potentially leading to the airbags beingdeployed in error. Source: AFP
Moody’s says India recovering from GST, DeMo; sees 7.6% growth rate
NEW DELHI (TIP): Moody’sInvestors Service said on WednesdayIndian economy is starting to recoverfrom the negative impact ofdemonetisation and disruption causedby GST roll out, but kept GDP growthestimates unchanged at 7.6% for 2018.
In its global growth forecasts for 2018and 2019, Moody’s said the Budget forfiscal year beginning April 1 (2018-19)includes some measures to stabiliserural economy that wasdisproportionately hit by scrapping ofhigh denomination 500 and 1000 rupeenotes.
“There are some signs that the Indianeconomy is starting to recover from thesoft growth patch attributed to thenegative impact of the demonetisationundertaken in 2016 and disruptionrelated to last year’s rollout of the Goodsand Service Tax (GST),” Moody’s said.
It kept the growth forecast for India inthe calendar year 2018 unchanged at7.6% and for 2019 at 7.5%. “Among theother major emerging market countries,we have left our growth expectations forIndia and Indonesia unchanged.”
In November last year, Moody’s hadraised India’s sovereign rating for thefirst time in 13 years, saying growthprospects have improved with continuedprogress on economic and institutionalreforms. The US-based agency hadupped India’s rating to Baa2 from Baa3and changed its rating outlook to ‘stable’from ‘positive’, saying the reformswould help stabilise rising levels of debt.
At that time, it had projected India’sreal GDP growth to moderate to 6.7% inthe current fiscal year ending March 31(2017-18), from 7.1% last year, and put thegrowth at 7.5% for 2018-19 fiscal.
“The 2018 budget includes some
measures that could stabilise the ruraleconomy that was disproportionately hitby the demonetisation policy and is yetto recover,” Moody’s said today.
“As we have said before, the bankrecapitalisation plan should also helpcredit growth over time, therebysupporting growth,” the agency added.
Moody’s Investors Service revised itsglobal growth forecasts for 2018 and2019, incorporating stronger thanexpected economic data and reflectingthe likely pick up tied to additional USfiscal stimulus.
It revised real GDP growth forecastsupwards for the US, Japan, Germany,France, UK, South Korea, Russia, SaudiArabia, South Africa and Turkey for2018.
The rating agency raised itsprojections of real GDP growth for theUS to 2.7% in 2018 and 2.3% in 2019,from a prior forecast of 2.3% and 2.1%,respectively. “These revisions accountfor stronger than expected momentumgoing into 2018 and additional fiscal
stimulus from the February 2018congressional budget deal. The recentfinancial market selloff does not alterMoody’s US and global growth outlook,”it said.
G20 economies will collectively grow3.4% in 2018 and 3.2% in 2019, up fromprior forecasts of 3.2% and 3.1%,respectively, Moody’s says. “Notably, theeuro area is exhibiting the besteconomic performance since the 2012sovereign debt crisis.”
Moody’s said stronger inflationarypressures would lead to a steadyconvergence of the monetary policyoutlooks of global central banks overthe next two to three years.
The current “goldilocks” period ofsynchronised upward growthmomentum, low inflation, low interestrates, steadily rising asset prices andhistorically low volatility willgradually wane, it said adding therecent return to financial marketvolatility is likely here to stay.
Source: PTI
Nirav Modi’s Firestar Diamond files for bankruptcy in US
28 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018ASTROLOGY
WEEKLY HOROSCOPE MARCH 5 - MARCH 11, 2018
Aries: Ganesha says with your restored and enhancedperception of life you will take it easy, be relaxed,a bit laid - back too. You are happy and optimisticand take time away from work with your lover /social outings with friends, children and parents.You find joy in building and maintainingvaluable partnerships and have a gentle lovingattitude which helps foster intimate bonds. It isnot all as rosy as it sounds and you could facehurdles, setbacks and delays coupled withsluggish funds and unexpected expenses.
Taurus: There has been a steadily increasing awarenessof the importance of relationships in your lifefor the past period. So, a further strengtheningand bonding, at work and at home, can beachieved through mutual care and respect. Strifeand friction, when they occur, should be tactfullyand diplomatically handled. As we all know,peaceful solutions will lead to greater growth andprogress. Control your ego and allow wisercounsel to prevail.
Gemini: You are determined to sustain the growth youhave achieved and even build further on it. Thisis an action-packed period as you find your handsfull at work, much more than you can handle.The rewards are immediate and, buoyed, youpush ahead frenetically. This could lead to aburnout, causing more harm than good. So, useavailable resources judiciously to avoid such aneventuality. Spending time in the company ofsmall children / pets and on hobbies / leisurepursuits could energize you.
Cancer: The hectic work situation slows down to someextent in this period. You are satisfied with theway your projects have turned out and now youfeel relaxed enough to spend time with yourloved ones. Home matters occupy your mind andyou may even delve deep into the history of yourfamily. Family trees, older relatives, extendedfamily, visits to the ancestral home, even takingshock of ancestral property are some of the waysthe current trend may manifest in your life.
Leo: You now allow yourself to become more relaxedand enjoy a "chilled out" time, as they say, withyour loved ones. The married may want to renewtheir marriage vows or go on a secondhoneymoon. This intensely passionate time alsoaffects your money angle. So, get your accountbooks out and keep track of expenses. You dohave to pay for all your indulgences and so a tabon expenses will be prudent. It may be a goodidea to avoid any new undertakings at this time.
Virgo: Having all aspects of your life running smoothlylike the well-oiled wheels of an engine, you feelcontent as acknowledgement and appreciationpour in for your brilliant performances at work.You now enjoy an enhanced stature in society,and this is very gratifying, especially if you lookback at the hard work and sacrifices you havemade to get there. But now there is a completecontrast, a veritable volte-face, as you move awayfrom the absolute grind of the past period to thepresent mood of pure elation.
Libra: Your confidence as well as the caring side of yournature will be at an all-time high as you give andget love and affection in equal measure fromyour family and loved ones. The past period hasgiven you some exceptionally special moments,heart-warming and thoroughly enjoyable, withyour spouse / lover and children / parents. Thetemptation of going overboard and showeringthem with the most precious gift of all - yourtime - will fill you with pure joy and happiness.
Scorpio: Happiness and contentment come into yourpersonal life through the blessings of Ganesha.There is closeness and warmth in all yourrelationships leading to greater pleasure andcheer. Your spouse / lover showers you will loveand you reciprocate. It is a lucky period in whichunexpected profits flow in and allow you to enjoythe fruits of your labor. There is exultation andexuberance in your life as material success palein front of the ecstasy of soul-stirringrelationships.
Sagittarius: Professional pursuits hold your interests. You setgargantuan goals and expect to achieve them.Each and every aspect of your life is at its peakand fills you with a heightened sense of self-worth. There are monetary gains too. Youraccomplishments fill you with pride and you areon a roll but the tendency to neglect intimaterelationships, children and health issues couldgain cause roadblocks in your progress.
Capricorn: You will experience true inner peace andcontentment this period. You have worked hard,conscientiously and consistently, and the resultshave been superlative; you were absolutelydeserving of the awards and rewards that comeyour way. Your performance at the work placehas been stellar, to say the least, but now you lookat issues far removed from the workplace. Youare less fiery and ambitious and are morecomplacent and calm in your interactions.
Aquarius: You will be closer to people now and enjoying thenew bonds you have forged in the past period.You look forward eagerly to widen your personalhorizons and the scope of your interactions andrelationships. All kinds of gains have come toyou but now a completely different dimension ofconnections, communications and collaborationsopens up. Geographical / physical boundariesand limitations are no longer a hindrance as afresh universe virtually opens up before you asyou make full use of the latest networking tools.
Pisces: Ganesha gives you just about everything that youwish for. But your focus will continue to remainon your work. A strong network of friends /relatives, in-laws is your lifeline as you immerseyourself completely into professionalcommitments. Your efforts are scintillating,sparkling and truly divine. You plumb the depthsof your inner being to bring forth creations ofsupreme innovation, novelty and originality.This is an excellent time for those in artisticprofessions.
Shree Ganeshaya Namah
Bejan Daruwalla is world's most famousastrologertoday. He appears regularly onworld wide TV shows. Bejan who has been aprofessor in English, hasauthored a numberof books on astrology. India'sPrime MinisterNarendra Modi , on March 29, 2012,lunchedone of Bejan's books, '2012- End oftheWorld? Bejan contributes to a number ofjournals andnewspapers in many parts of theworld which includeBerkley Communications(London) Times of India(Delhi, Mumbai,Kolkata, Chennai) and The IndianPanorama (New York and Texas). Bejan'spredictionshave mostly been correct andpeople the world overrely on his predictions.
Bejan Daruwalla is available for astrologicalconsultations. He can be reached [email protected] and on phone 011-91-8141234275www.bejandaruwalla.com
In Vedic times, Indra was the leader of godsand the lord of the heaven. He received alarger share in Vedic offerings. Agni,
Mitra, Soma, Varuna and several others werehis friends with whom he shared the ritualhonors. He was the illustrious leader whobroke the back of feisty asuras in many a warand helped his devotees destroy their enemiesin fiery battles. He was a student as well as ateacher of the secret doctrine of theUpanishads. People loved him, feared him andrespected him for he could break the walls ofmightiest forts to forge victories, and hurlbolts of lightning from the heaven to releasethe water held in captive by the dark cloudsthat blocked the sun.
Ganesha was then relatively unknown. TheVedas are silent about him. If there is any hintof him in the Vedas, it is hidden in theinvocations to other gods such as Brihaspatior Brahmanaspati. In excavations andarchaeological findings, he appears later thanKumara. In all likelihood, Ganesha was anoriginal Saiva Deity, elevated from rustictraditions, and probably unknown to the earlyVedic people. He was the leader of the ShivaGanas, which consisted of all types offerocious beings, who struck terror in thehearts of their enemies. As their leader,Ganesha played an important role in thePuranic wars against the enemies of Shiva aspart of his filial duty.
Overtime, Indra lost his position in theHindu pantheon as the leader of gods. He wasrelegated to a lower position which probablycorresponded with the ascendance of Shivaand Vishnu and the growing popularity ofBhakti tradition in Shaivism andVaishnavism. Indra continued to be the lord ofthe heaven in an expanded universe of severalother heavens. However, in the larger schemeof things, he was just a ruler of a direction(dikpala) and a weak god who oftensuccumbed to moral turpitude. In the esteemof people, he became a god with human likefrailties, while admiration for Ganesha as theleader of gods grew.
Those who are acquainted with Hinduismand Hindu rituals methods know that in thetraditional, ritual worship, devoteesinvariably worship Ganesha before theyworship other gods. The only exception isLord Shiva who is considered by his devoteesthe highest Supreme Being. Because of hispopularity, in Hindu temples you will mostlikely find a statue of Ganesha near thesanctum or near the entrance so that peoplecan offer him worship before they visit themain deity.
Ganesha is also worshipped by millions ofHindus on the occasion of GaneshChathurthi. He is invariably worshipped onmany auspicious, festive occasions andsacrificial ceremonies when devotees offertheir respects to Hindu gods and goddesses tocelebrate important milestones in their livesand express their gratitude. Currently we mayconsider Ganesha the most popular deity ofHinduism, next only to Shiva and Vishnu. Inthis essay, we discuss the symbolicsignificance of why Lord Ganesha is theleader of gods in the Hindu pantheon.
The hidden truth in the legend of GaneshaLegend has been that Shiva wanted to
appoint one of his sons as the leader of gods.Therefore, he held a contest betweenKumaraswamy, his elder son and Ganesha hisyounger son, stating that whoever made around trip of the triple words and reachedhim first would be the winner and the leaderof gods. Knowing his limitations, Ganeshasought the advice of his father who suggestedhim to go around him and Parvathi threetimes.
Accordingly, Ganesha circled around them
three times with great devotion and won thecontest to become the leader of gods. He wasdeclared winner because he took refuge inGod and sought his help rather thanegoistically relying upon his own power. As adevotee he truly qualified himself to lead withhumility the followers and believers of Shiva,including the gods. Besides, his mother andfather represented the entire creation, andcircling around them was equal to circlingaround all the worlds.
This is the surface story, which is wellknown to almost all Hindus, who worshipGanesha. However, hidden in it is thesignificance of Ganesha as the presiding deityof intelligence and the lord of the mind andbody. The moral of the story is that if you areclever and if you have intelligence, you canovercome any problem and achieve victory.
Ganesha used his intelligence to becomethe leader of gods. In an unequal contest, hewisely used his problem solving ability todefeat his brother who was far superior to himin physical prowess. Intelligence rules theworld. Intelligence overcomes all obstacles. Ifyou worship the presiding deity ofintelligence, you will gain intelligence,perceive solutions and answers to overcomeobstacles. Ganesha clears our paths byilluminating our minds with supremeintelligence. He is therefore, Vighnesa, theremover of obstacles as well as their lord.
Ganesha leadership symbolismAs the deification of intelligence, Ganesha
is the leader of all. He is the path breaker andthe path finder. He leads the way in thedarkness of ignorance and delusion. Ganesa(Ganesha) means the lord (isa) of Ganas, thearmy of Shiva. The ganas represent theenergies, elements and organs in the body.Ganapati means the commander of Ganas.Vinayaka means the leader of the ganas andgods. Ganesha also has several other names.The most popular among them are Vighnesaor Vighnaraja, meaning the lord of theobstacles and the king of obstacles.
As the son of Shiva, Ganesha partakes thefunctions of his father as a destroyer. He
engages in destruction as part of areformative and renewal process to upholdDharma and ensure the order and regularityof the worlds. He destroys the enemies of Godjust as he destroys the obstacles and theadversity that often beset people. He helpsthose who worship him by opening theirminds to hidden truths and creativesolutions. For the enemies of God and evildoers, he is the source of obstacles anddifficulties. He obstructs their paths bydeluding them. However, to his devotees he isthe destroyer and remover of all obstacles andimpurities. By illuminating their minds withintelligence, he brings them peace, prosperityand happiness.
Ganesha the lord of intelligenceGanesha gives us the discerning power to
know truth from falsehood and find rightsolutions to overcome obstacles and solve ourproblems and difficulties. Since Ganesha isthe lord of the mind and body, he is rightlyqualified as the leader of the organs (deities)in the body. The ganas constitute the parts andenergies of the body and mind. Parvathi is thebody or the field (Kshetra). Shiva is the soul,or the owner of the field (Kshetrajna). Asintelligence (Buddhi), Ganesha is the first(pradhama) among gods and the leader(nayaka) of the ganas (tattvas and body parts).He rules over them and their functions andproperties.
Adversity and difficulties arise due todelusion and ignorance, or lack of discretion.When intelligence is clouded by desires,attachments, egoism, etc., one becomesdeluded and experiences suffering. When theyare removed, intelligence shines in theconsciousness and one finds a way to achievecomplete liberation from all suffering.Intelligence is a reflection of the soul in themind. Just as Vinayaka in Creation, in a livingbeing (Jiva) it is the child of Purusha (soul)and Prakriti (mind and body).
Thus, symbolically Ganesha representssupreme intelligence, which controls anddirects the aspects and working of Nature inthe microcosm of beings as well as in themacrocosm of Isvara. As the child of Purushaand Prakriti, he contains aspects of both andcommunicates with both. His elephant headsymbolizes his unusually high intelligence.The large ears in his images represent hisattentiveness and keen sense of hearing, whilethe trunk denotes his ability to discriminatethings. Because of his association withintelligence, he was rightly chosen by sageVyasa to be his scribe for the composition ofthe Mahabharata, the longest epic in thehistory of the world. For the same reason,Siddhi (success, perfection, supernaturalpower) and Buddhi (intelligence, discerningwisdom) are considered his consorts.
Source: hinduwebsite.com
29SPIRITUALITYTHEINDIANPANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018
GANESHA, THE FIRST AMONG GODS
ARISH K. SAHANI SSeerrvviinngg SSiinnccee 11997722
‘If Hindus don’t maintain Hinduism, who shall save it? If India’s ownchildren don’t cling to their faith, who shall guard it? Indian alone can
save India, and India and Hinduism are one.’
30 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018WORLD
Sun Mark holds annual Celebration & Awards Dinner at Gulfood 2018, Dubai
DUBAI (TIP): Sun Mark held its annual Celebration &Awards Dinner in Dubai during the Gulfood exhibition at thelavish Shangri-La Hotel on 19th February 2018. It was, asalways, a glittering affair with esteemed guests from theMiddle East and South Asian region but with many also flyingin from as far away as Canada, Cameroon and South Africa;with the array of guests resembling a gathering of the UnitedNations. Sun Mark is the only British company to have beenawarded the Queens Award for Enterprise in InternationalTrade for an unprecedented 5 consecutive years and exports toover 130 countries. Sun Mark's achievements are seen as thegold standard and recognized as an Ambassador for UKBusiness. The Chief Guest from the British Government wasthe Rt. Hon. Richard Harrington MP, Under-Secretary of Statefor the Department for Business, Energy and IndustrialStrategy. The Guest of Honor was Her Majesty's ConsulGeneral to the U.A.E, Mr Paul Fox.
The evening was also attended by the cricket legend MrMuttiah Muralitharan and the Honorable Mr MaalaineSalama, Head of Media Relations at Dubai Municipality. H.EMirza Al Sayegh, Representative of HH Sheikh Hamdan binRashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and FinanceMinister of the UAE, could not attend the gala dinner, butconveyed his best wishes to Sun Mark for the event.
The evening began with Mr. Harmeet (Sunny) Ahuja,Director and CEO of Sun Mark, welcoming the guests. Heinformed them that 2017 had been a monumental year in thehistory of the company as it was the year of the 70th birthdayof the company's founder and chairman, Dr Rami RangerCBE. He then proceeded to show a special video outlining DrRanger's story and milestones through his life.
Dr. Ranger, in his speech, paid tribute to all those whoworked closely with him and how the success of Sun Markwas a result of a combination of customers, and suppliers andother service providers coming together to help each other toprogress. He thanked his team from Sun Mark for all of theirefforts. He reminded his guests that with the right valuesanyone can succeed and told his own story and how it caninspire anyone to do the best they can.
The guests were then addressed by Her Majesty's ConsulGeneral to the UAE, Mr Paul Fox, who spoke of theimportance of trade and reiterated its importance in forgingimproved relations across the world. He also acknowledged Dr.Ranger's philanthropic efforts and achievements. He spoke ofthe British food industry being a major employer and is thelargest sector of UK manufacturing and an unsung hero ofthe British economy. He encouraged British companies towork in the UAE and to use it as a base to grow their businessfurther. The Chief Guest, Mr Richard Harrington MP, spoke ofDr Ranger and his team's achievements and lauded him foracknowledging the efforts of all those who worked for him andalso of his wife's great contribution to the company's success.
Mr Sunny Kulathakal, Global President of GOPIO (GlobalOrganisation of People of Indian Origin) addressed the guestsand acknowledged the contribution of Dr Ranger in social andcultural arenas and encouraged others to join them in theirefforts.
Sun Mark then recognized some of its regional partnersand distributors in the region who had made a significantcontribution to the growth and development of business. Theywere Sir Prince Oji Okisisi of company Prince Oji in Nigeria.Mr Izzat Ullah Khan of Naveed Trading, Pakistan, Mr VijayAswani of Al Vihag Enterprises, Gambia and there was aspecial award for outstanding lifetime achievement for SheikhKhalid Mahmood of Bismillah Stores of Pakistan whocollected his award with his son, Sheikh Omer Khalid.
The Vote of Thanks was given by Mr. Harmeet Ahuja, whothanked Dr. Rami Ranger and Sun Mark UK and UAE team formaking the evening possible and for bringing together such amyriad of people from all over the world.
‘The formal part of the evening was then concluded, anddinner was served.
Mr Harmeet Ahuja, Director of Sun Mark, welcoming the guests
Dr Rami Ranger CBE, Chairman of Sun Mark, addressing theguests
Mr Paul Fox, Her Majesty's Consul General to the UAE deliveringhis speech
Mr Sunny Kulathakal, Global President of GOPIO (GlobalOrganisation of People of Indian Origin) delivering his speech
The Rt. Hon. RichardHarrington MP,
Under-Secretary forthe department forBusiness, Energy
and IndustrialStrategy delivering
his speech
Award presented to: Sir Prince Oji Okisisi of company Prince Oji,Nigeria
Award presented to Mr Izzat Ullah Khan of Naveed Trading,Pakistan
Award presented to Mr Vijay Aswani of Al Vihag Enterprises,Gambia
Special award for outstanding lifetime achievement presentedto Sheikh Khalid Mahmood and his son, Sheikh Omer Khalid of
Bismillah Stores, Pakistan
The cricket legend Mr Muttiah Muralitharan at the event
Guests at the event
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32 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018TURN PAGE
contd from Page 1
Trump calls for a comprehensiveapproach to Gun Laws
strategy that has stalled action in Congress. Giving hope toDemocrats, he said he favored a "comprehensive" approach toaddressing violence like the shooting at Florida school earlierthis month, although he offered no specific details.
Instead, Trump appeared to support expanded backgroundchecks. He endorsed increased school security and mentalhealth resources, and he reaffirmed his support for raising theage to 21 for purchasing some firearms.
Trump also mentioned arming teachers, and said hisadministration, not Congress, would ban bump-stock devicesthat enable guns to fire like automatic weapons.
"We can't wait and play games, and nothing gets done,"Trump said as he opened the session with 17 House and Senatelawmakers.
"We want to stop the problems."The president has previously backed ideas popular with
Democrats, only to back away when faced with oppositionfrom his conservative base and his GOP (Grand Old Party)allies in Congress. It was not clear whether he wouldcontinue to push for swift and significant changes to gunlaws, when confronted with the inevitable resistance fromhis party.
Still, the televised discussion allowed Trump to play therole of potential dealmaker, a favorite for the president.Democratic lawmakers made a point of appealing to thepresident to use his political power to persuade his party totake action.
"It is going to have to be you," Senator Chris Murphy toldTrump.
Trump's call for stronger background checks, which arepopular among Americans, has been resisted byRepublicans in Congress and the NRA.
Republicans have instead been leaning toward modestlegislation designed to improve the background systemalready in place. Trump made clear he was looking for moreand accused lawmakers of being "petrified" of the gun lobby.
"Hey, I'm the biggest fan of the Second Amendment,"Trump said, adding that he told NRA officials it's time toact.
"We have to stop this nonsense."The White House meeting came amid fresh public debate
over gun laws, fueled by student survivors of the massacreat Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, whohave been meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Theschool reopened yesterday for the first time since aValentine's Day assault killed 17.
Gun legislation has lost momentum in Congress asRepublican leaders showed little interest in pursuingstricter gun control laws.
Democrats said they were concerned Trump's interestmay fade quickly. After the meeting, Murphy, D-Conn., toldreporters: "I'm worried that this was the beginning and theend of the president's advocacy on this issue. The WhiteHouse has to put some meat on the bones. The White Househas to send a proposal to Congress." The White House isexpected to reveal more on the president's plans for schoolsafety this week, though it has not announced any plans.
That announcement will likely include goals forbackground checks and bump stocks, though whether agerestrictions will be specifically addressed remains unclear,according to an administration official who soughtanonymity to discuss private conversations.
Trump rejected the way Republican leaders in Congresshave framed the debate, saying the House-backed billlinking a background check measure with a bill to expandgun rights by allowing gun owners to carry concealedweapons across state lines was not the right approach.
The concealed carry measure is the gun lobby's toplegislative priority. But "you'll never get it passed," Trumptold lawmakers, reminding them that Democratic senators,including some in the room, strongly oppose it.
Instead, he suggested Republicans should focus on thebackground check bill, then load it up with other guncontrol and safety measures.
Ever the marketer, Trump suggested that the leading billadjusting the National Instant Criminal Background CheckSystem-now known as "Fix NICS"-could use a new name."Maybe you change the title, all right? The US BackgroundCheck Bill, or whatever," Trump said.
The hour-long meeting with lawmakers was reminiscentof one in January on immigration, when he told lawmakersto come up with a good bill and he would take the "heat"from critics.
That effort, however, ended in failure in Congress amidTrump's shifting views and priorities in the debate.
Among those at the White House yesterday were Sens. PatToomey, R-Pa., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who are pushingtheir bill-which failed twice in the Senate after the 2012Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting-to broadenbackground checks to include pre-purchase reviews atonline and gun show sales.
Trump asked Toomey if his plan to expand backgroundchecks included raising the minimum age for young peopleto buy an assault weapon. Toomey told the president it didnot.
"You know why," Trump scoffed."Because you're afraid of the NRA."The meeting came after one major retailer, Dick's
Sporting Goods, announced it was halting sales of assault-style rifles and high-capacity magazines at all of its storesand banning the sale.
Meanwhile, US retail giant Walmart announced onThursday that it was raising to 21 its minimum age to buyfirearms and ammunition, the latest US company torecalibrate its stance on weapons after a deadly Floridaschool shooting.
"In light of recent events, we've taken an opportunity toreview our policy on firearm sales. Going forward, we areraising the age restriction for purchase of firearms andammunition to 21 years of age," it said in a statement.
(Source: AFP)
(Read the related story-Walmart raises to 21 minimum ageto buy firearms and ammo)
Queen of silver screen Sridevicremated with state honors
The couple's daughters, Jahnvi and Khushi, were by hisside, said sources close to the family.
Sridevi, who gave hit Bollywood movies, including Sadma(1983), Nagina (1986), Mr. India (1987), Chaalbaaz (1989),Chandni (1989), Lamhe (1991), English Vinglish (2012) toname a few, died following accidental drowning in thebathtub in her hotel room in Dubai around 11 pm onSaturday, February 24 night, plunging millions of Indiansand her fans all over the world in gloom as the newsemerged the next morning.
The actor's body was brought to the crematorium in anopen, flower-bedecked hearse.
The state honors for the actress, who was conferredPadma Shri in 2013, included draping her body in theTricolor, elaborate arrangements by the Mumbai police, anda gun salute before the cremation.
According to a statement issued on behalf of the Kapoorand Ayyappan families, Sridevi's body was kept for threehours at the Celebrations Sports Club to enable people topay their last respects.
The final journey commenced around 2 pm to the VileParle Seva Samaj Crematorium and Hindu Cemetery at SVRoad in Vile Parle west, where itreached around 3.30 pm.
Meanwhile, several thousands of mourners, includingcelebrities, Bollywood personalities, politicians andbusiness persons, grieved for the queen of the silver screen.
Since dawn of February 27, thousands of teary-eyed fansand admirers of the late actress, many carrying flowers, hadstarted queuing up outside the Celebration Sports Club atLokhandwala Complex for a final 'darshan' of their idol.
After the flower-bedecked body was brought to the clubpremises, a steady stream of celebrities started alightingfrom their vehicles and were whisked inside to pay their lastrespects.
Among the early callers were Rekha, Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan, Arbaaz Khan, Madhuri Dixit-Nene, AkshayeKhanna, Tabu, Farah Khan, Nitin Mukesh, Neil NitinMukesh, Vidya Balan, Sushmita Sen, Shabana Azmi, JavedAkhtar, Madhur Bhandarkar, Deepika Padukone, SanjayLeela Bhansali, Jackie Shroff, Farhan Akhtar, Hema Malini,Jaya Bachchan, John Abraham, Sulabha Arya, Ajay Devgnand Kajol, among many others.
Earlier, in the past four days since her demise, the Kapoorhousehold had witnessed a steady stream of visitors,including Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Shah Rukh Khan,Salman Khan and Krishna Raj Kapoor, among others.
Most visitors on February 27 were sporting darksunglasses to ward off the harsh early-summer glare, andcarrying flowers or small bouquets. They embraced andconsoled the bereaved family members, fleeting in from themain entrance and out from the other side as fans tried tocatch a glimpse.
Sridevi's body was flown to Mumbai from Dubai, and fromthe airport was taken to the Kapoor residence in GreenAcres at the posh Lokhandwala Complex.
Despite the late hour, several hundreds of fans kept vigiloutside the residence when a motorcade, including anambulance, reached there late on Tuesday.
For three days, the Dubai police authorities completedvarious legal and medical formalities before the body wasfinally handed over to the Kapoor family on Tuesdayafternoon. (Source: IANS)
Indian government introduces lawto impound properties of FugitiveEconomic Offenders
The Union Cabinet meet chaired by Prime Minister NarendraModi also approved setting up of a National Financial ReportingAuthority (NFRA) as an independent regulator for the auditors.
The proposed fugitive law aims to impound and sell assets ofNirav Modi-type escapees with a view to quickly recover dues. Italso will apply to defaulters who have an outstanding of Rs 100crore or more and have escaped from the country.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the Bill, which will betaken to Parliament for approval in the second half of theBudget session beginning March 5, defines a fugitive offender assomeone against whom a court has issued an arrest warrant fora scheduled offence and who leaves or has left India so as to avoidcriminal prosecution, or refuses to return to India to face trial.
The new law is different from the Prevention of MoneyLaundering Act, which also provides for confiscation of assets ofeconomic offenders, he said.
Under PMLA, only profit of crime is confiscated and that tooupon conviction. The new law extends to all assets irrespective ofwhether it is acquired as a result of crime or not, he said. "Thisis triggered by the offender being a fugitive."
"A trial of fugitive will never be complete," he said, reasoningwhy confiscation of assets has been provided for. The new lawwill apply "the moment warrant is issued (and) the court decidesthe man is not submitting," he added.
It provides for an application being made before a specialcourt for a declaration that an individual is a fugitive economicoffender, attach and confiscate his properties in India andabroad, including benami property, and disposing them off torecover dues. It provides for disentitlement of the fugitiveeconomic offender from defending any civil claim.
"If at any point of time in the course of the proceeding priorto the declaration, however, the alleged Fugitive EconomicOffender returns to India and submits to the appropriatejurisdictional Court, proceedings under the proposed Act wouldcease by law," an official statement issued after the Cabinetmeeting said.
The Bill has been proposed to address the lacunae in thepresent laws and lay down measures to deter economic offendersfrom evading the process of Indian law by remaining outside thejurisdiction of Indian courts.
The Bill makes provisions for a Court ('Special Court' underthe Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002) to declare aperson as a Fugitive Economic Offender.
The law, though it was announced in the Budget for 2017-18,has been hastened after Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksiallegedly defrauded state-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) ofRs 12,700 crore and left the country and are refusing to cooperatewith law enforcement agencies.
The new law will allow quicker recovery of dues through aspecial court from such absconding offenders.
"In the last Budget, there was an announcement that thegovernment bring law to confiscate assets of fugitives undereconomic offences. That has been approved by (the) cabinettoday," Jaitley said.
He said the law will apply to new and old cases of persons whohave fled the country to avoid prosecution.
All assets, not just proceeds of crime, will be confiscated of anoffender fleeing the country, he said, adding that offender cannotpursue any civil case in the country.
"There have been several instances of economic offendersfleeing the jurisdiction of Indian courts, anticipating thecommencement, or during the pendency, of criminalproceedings. The absence of such offenders from Indian courtshas several deleterious consequences -- first, it hampersinvestigation in criminal cases; second, it wastes precious timeof courts of law, third, it undermines the rule of law in India,"the statement said.
Most such cases of economic offences involve non-repaymentof bank loans thereby worsening the financial health of thebanking sector in India. The existing civil and criminalprovisions in law are not entirely adequate to deal with theseverity of the problem and so the new law provide an effective,expeditious and constitutionally permissible deterrent to ensurethat such actions are curbed.
The jurisdiction of NFRA for investigation of CharteredAccountants and their firms would extend to listed companiesand large unlisted public companies, the thresholds for whichshall be prescribed in the Rules. The Central Government canalso refer such other entities for investigation where publicinterest would be involved. (With inputs from PTI)
Located 35 kilometres from Dehradun,Mussoorie is a picturesque hill station inthe Indian state of Uttarakhand. The hill
station is located at the foothills of the GarhawlHimalayan ranges, and is also known by itsnickname “The Queen Of Hills”. The place isalso known as the gateway to the “Gangotriand “Yamunotri” shrines. The best time to visitthe place is between mid-March to mid-November as the rains during monsoons andcold during the winters make it prettyinaccessible.
Mussoorie was originally chosen by theBritish as a sanatorium, with the constructionof the first European house dating back to the1820s by Captain Young. Its landscape is thusdotted with prominent, grand, heritagestructures of Colonial descent.
PLACES TO VISIT
Mall RoadThe aforementioned carnival pretty much
defines Mall Road. You start from the LibraryChowk, which marks the beginning of MallRoad. With a public library established in 1843,just at the beginning of the thoroughfare andan ornate gazebo called Band Stand (built in1850, it was the venue for jazz artistes andmilitary bands during the Raj era) set on thecorner for shoppers and trekkers, the roadzigzags its way until the Tehri Road begins. It’sa long road, which overlaps with areas such asCamel’s Back, Landour or Kulri Bazaar, and isthe most comfortable walk-through ascompared to the steep slopes of a quainterMussoorie a few kilometres away. There areendless shops selling clothes, utility items,candles, Tibetan teapots and wickerworkamong others; gaming parlours keep kidsentertained and photographers parade aroundwith local costumes for you to pose in. KulriBazaar falls in the fringes of Mall Road. Oncedone with the commercial attractions, enterthe premises of Central Methodist Church,dating from 1885, a stunning building in greystone and white, adorned with archeddoorways and angular roofs. Then you can takethe ropeway to Gun Hill, the second highestpeak in Mussoorie, instead of walking the 2kmstretch up there.
Gun HillA strategic location during Colonial times,
from where a cannon was once fired at nooneveryday, Gun Hill boasts a great view ofDehradun and its surrounding ranges.
Camel’s Back RoadNamed after the hump-shaped rock
formations, this road spreads out in an even,serpentine concrete path, twisting and turningalongside lush forests. The 3-km walk offers anuninterrupted quietude that one can usuallyonly dream of. Horse rides and rickshawservices are available at the beginning of theroute, both excellent options.
LandourLandour is characterised by a gradual
waning of Mall Road’s joie de vivre andexemplifies the oft-heard aphorism, ‘quiet ofthe hills’. The only stalls belong to vegetableand fruit vendors, along with an odd antiquestore or two, shops selling walking canes andshoemakers selling bespoke footwear. Aspacious chowk, with the landmark ClockTower Café towards the right, hints that thereused to be a Clock Tower in Landour.
Landour has been a military cantonmentsince 1827 and was a health resort for woundedsoldiers who were looked after by nurses, thusgiving the main Landour cantonment its name,Sisters’ Bazaar. Cosy houses appear cuddled upagainst the backdrop of dense pines and moss-laden cemented railings as you stroll towardsSisters’ Bazaar.
Lal TibbaThe view of the postcard-perfect snow-
capped peaks and the evanescent misty
horizon will not fail to enchant. A lighthousetower offers a telescope to get a closer look ofthe Himalayas, Banderpunch, Badrinath andKedarnath. A word of advice: with monsoonscome the leeches, so be covered and prepared ifyou can’t avoid the season.
Hathipaon: Cloud End and Park Estate
Hathipaon is the hidden treasure ofMussoorie. Hathipaon is known for mainly twoattractions: Cloud End and the Park Estate.Marking the end of Hathipaon, Cloud End isenveloped by woods and has several trekkingtrails. More significantly though, there is afascinating in-house museum, whichcomprises memorabilia such as paintings,crockery and books, among other artefacts.Further up is Benog Wildlife Sanctuary, a partof Rajaji National Park, which offers a chanceto spot rare Himalayan birds, such as the RedBilled Blue Magpie or the near-extinctMountain Quail, which reportedly inhabit thearea.
Kempty FallsKempty Falls is a magnificent waterfall and
recreation area set in the lap of a green valley.It’s a favorite hangout of local residents, whocome to cool off in waterholes, have fun withrelaxed boating activities and enjoy scenicpicnics. A British officer established KemptyFalls in the 1830s as a place for the British Rajto hold tea parties. The waterfall’s name isrumored to stem from the colloquial name ofCamp Tea. Follow the walkways and bridgesthat lead from the falls’ entrance to vantagepoints. Marvel as the milky-white watercascades down a cliff face before bouncing offrocks and into a manmade waterhole. Admirethe verdant foliage that frames both sides ofthe waterfall. Listen to the invigorating soundsof the rushing water, which mingles with theexcited cheering of visitors.
Mussoorie has a host of shopping options forkeen buyers. Connected by the serpentine MallRoad, which is the busiest shopping area, youcan make your way to Kurli Bazaar andLandour Bazaar to find the usual branded
stores and tiny shops selling trinkets andknick-knacks. Owing to its British legacy, thevarious antique shops become an interestingstop for those who treasure postcards,furniture, advertisements on tinned cans and
maps from that era. You will also find armymemorabilia, books, silver jewellery as well astoys. Wooden items can be found at a bargain,and the famous handcrafted oak walking sticksmake good gifts.
33TRAVELTHEINDIANPANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018
MUSSOORIE: HOME IN THE HILLS
CONTD FROM PAGE 1
The 2018 Olympic Games had many highs and lows aspolitics took the center stage at the start with the North Koreajoining South Korea in fielding a unified Women's Ice Hockeyteam besides sending a strong contingent, including cheerleaders, besides a high-powered political delegation.
While many participating nations, including Norway,Canada and the hosts Korea had every reason to cheer about, itwas not so sweet for the US, both on sports and political fronts.Its athletes could not perform that well as was expected andpolitically, the North Korean presence in the Games at everyforum was perhaps a thorn in its flesh.
While the Vice-President of the United States, Governor-General of Canada, Prime Ministers of Japan, Norway and theNetherlands witnessed the opening ceremony, it was IvankaTrump, daughter of the US President, who was cynosure of alleyes at the closing ceremony.
Participation of North Korea may have stalled the threats ofa global nuclear confrontation emanating from the war ofwords between the US and North Korea, the situationthreatened to relapse into pre-Olympic times as the US insistedon imposing strong sanctions against the North Koreans.
There was, however, a bright spot when North Korea offeredto have a dialogue with the United States. How the TrumpAdministration reacts to the offer will be known in comingdays.
Whatever be the political outcome of the barbs of the Worldleaders, the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games werenot without controversies. Starting with suspension of theRussian Olympic Committee and imposition of ban on 50-oddRussian athletes for being part of a concerted campaign toevade Doping control violations during the 2014 OlympicWinter Games at Sochi, two Russian athletes, including abronze medalist in mixed Curling, were banned after testingpositive for banned substances.
The Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), that has its headquartersin Montreal, Canada, had set up two special Commissions inPyeongChang that heard appeals of 50-odd banned Russianathletes and rejected all upholding the right of theInternational Olympic Committee to decide the eligibilitycriteria for participation in the Games.
The Games were perhaps the coldest after Lillehammer. Thelast two editions - Sochi (2014) and Vancouver (2010) were heldin a little warmer weather than freezing cold and windyPyeongChang.
Norway finished at the top of the medals tally.The 39 medals won by it is an all-time Winter Games record
by any country. With 14 gold medals, they matched Germany'sfirst place totals, and byvirtue of another 14 silver and 11bronze, the Games of PyeongChang 2018 belonged to Norway.
Unsurprisingly, the Norwegians were most prolific in cross-country skiing - the nation's top medal contributor with 14 - ledby Marit Bjoergen. She took five in Korea (two gold, a silver,and two bronze) for 15 overall in her career. The 37-year-old isthe most decorated winter Olympian of all-time, and rightly itwas her win in the very last event at PyeongChang that liftedNorway over Germany.
The official Olympic medal table ranks countries in order ofmost gold acquired. To that end, Germany had top spot in itsgrasp but for conceding a shorthanded goal to OlympicAthletes from Russia in the men's hockey final withless than a minute to go. The Russian team went on towin the hockey final, leaving Germany second in themedal standings.
With 14, Germany tied Norway, and Canada'srecord from Vancouver 2010 for most gold medalswon by a country at a single Winter Games. Theyadded 10 silver and seven bronze medals for 31overall. Massive contribution to the German causecame from Francesco Friedrich (bobsleigh) andNatalie Geisenberger (luge), each winning two goldmedals.
Canada has every reason to be pleased with itsperformance here as it also has a record haul ofmedals. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir team were thedarlings of the Canadian contingent with their goldsboth in Team Figure Skating and Ice Dancing. KimBoutin with three medals became the only Canadian
athlete in PyeongChang to end with three medals, a silver andtwo bronze medals.
The Netherlands won allits 20 medals (eight gold, six silverand bronze) in speed skating (16 on the big oval, and four inshort track). Of note, Jorien ter Mors made the podium in bothdisciplines, winning gold in the women's 1000m on the oval,and joining her short track teammates to take the 3000m relaybronze.
The South Koreanshad their best-evermedal haul at the Olympic WinterGames with 16 (five gold, seven silver,four bronze). As expected, Korean speed skaters were mosteffective winning 13 of the medals, seven long track, six inshort. In the latter Choi Minjeong was a double gold medalist.
As mentioned earlier, Japan, the host of the next Olympicsummer Games in 2020, did well to win 13 medals (four gold,five silver, four bronze). It is perhaps the best-ever show byNippon as it was helped by Yuzuru Hanyu becoming the firstback-to-back Olympic men's figure skating champion sinceAmerican Dick Button did it in 1948 and 1952.
Athletes from the United States may not like to rememberthese Games for their laurels. Though they dethroned theirneighbors and arch rivals Canada in women's Ice Hockey finalin a shoot out, their medal count down from 28 four years agoto 23 in Korea. Nonetheless, nine gold medals cannot bediscounted, including two Olympic titles that Canada heldsince Turin 2006: men's curling and women's hockey.
Though the Russians remained in spate of controversiesthroughout the Games, they had something to cheer about too.
At these Games their biggest highlight by far was thewomen's figure skating showdown between Alina Zagitova andEvgenia Medvedeva. The two teens finished first and second,respectively, with Zagitova becoming the second youngestOlympic women's figure skating champion at 15 years and 281days, just 26 days older than Tara Lipinksi of the United Stateswho still holds that record. The Olympic Athletes from Russialeave Korea with 17 medals.
They had requested the IOC for permission to participate inthe closing ceremony with Russian flag. The Russians wereallowed to compete here as a neutral team and the IOC flagunder the banner of Olympic Athlete Russia. Their request toparticipate in closing ceremony with Russian flag was,however, turned down and the IOC reiterated with thesuspension.
Arguably the most impressive individual performance ofPyeongChang belonged to Ester Ledecka. The Czech Olympianshocked the winter sports world by winning the women'ssuper-G on skis reportedly borrowed from American MikaelaShiffrin (herself a gold medalist in the giant slalom).Primarily a snowboarder, Ledecka doubled her golden tallytaking the women's parallel giant slalom, becoming the firstwoman to win gold in two different sports at one OlympicGames. Hers were the only two gold medals for the Czechs.
Some non-traditional winter sports countries often manageto find one athlete who can dominate a particular discipline.For the Brits, that's Lizzy Yarnold. The skeleton racer repeatedas Olympic champion, in the process becoming the nation'sfirst winter athlete to win two Olympic gold. Britain also sawits first-ever winter double podium with Laura Deas deliveringskeleton bronze.
Martin Fourcade won a hat-trick of gold medals in biathlon.The most impressive athlete on the planet in this discipline,the Frenchman has been on top of the podium five times (aFrench Olympic record) counting a double gold at Sochi 2014.He's now up to seven Olympic biathlon medals at the age of 29.
Other notable national achievements included New Zealandand Spain ending winter medal droughts dating back to 1992,
while Hungary ended an even longer wait going backto 1980 by taking the 5000m short track relay gold.
Staying with short track, Italy's Arianna Fontanabecame the most decorated Olympic speed skater inher discipline with three more podiums taking her toeight, and Belarus' Darya Domracheva added to herillustrious career becoming the first woman to winfour Olympic gold medals in biathlon.
India's two-member contingent returned homewithout a medal. Shiva Keshawan finished 34th inLuge while Jagdish Singh in cross country skiingwas placed 103rd in a field of 119.
In all six new nations, including Malaysia, madetheir debut in Olympic Winter Games here. Besides,there were at least half a dozen athletes who earnedthe distinction of representing their countries bothin summer and winter editions of Olympic Games. -
Courtesy PTC News
34 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2018SPORTS
Special Report byPrabhjot Singh in
PyeongChang
23rd Olympic Winter Games atPyeongChang end on a bright
note, as Norway heads tally witha record number of medals
President of the International Olympic Committee ThomasBach, President of South Korea Moon Jae-in, North Korea'sdelegation leader Kim Yong Chol and Ivanka Trump, senior
White House adviser, attend the closing ceremony.Photo /courtesy Reuters
Exquisite Fireworks Photo/ Courtesy CNN
Bye, Bye 2018 Winter Olympic Games at PyeongChang
Will meet again in 2022 in Beijing Photo / courtesy Olympic
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