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VOL 13 ISSUE 29 ● NEW YORK / DALLAS ● JULY 19 - 25, 2019 ● ENQUIRIES: 646-247-9458

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India is doing more totackle climate change

than any other country,says India's RailwayMinister in London

LONDON (TIP): The Indian HighCommission in London in associationwith the Federation of IndianChambers of Commerce and Industry(FICCI) and India Inc. on July 14hosted an event in honor of India'sMinister of Railways and Commerce& Industry Piyush Goyal in Londonduring his UK visit. This was theMinister's first visit to the UK sincetaking office in the new Government.

India Inc. Founder & CEO ManojLadwa conducted an in-depthFireside Chat with Piyush Goyal,which involved a wide-ranginginteraction between the minister

contd on Page 32

India’s Focus now is Private Sector led Growth,says NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar

BIDISHA ROY NEW YORK (TIP): In its first five

years, the Modi government has donethe foundational work for India'stargeted growth, and now it's time tofocus on accelerate the growth - whichmust be led by private sector, says Dr.Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman, NITIAayog.

Addressing a gathering at the 'IndiaInvestment Seminar' organized by theIndian Consulate at New York, July 17,Dr. Rajiv Kumar spoke on India'sInvestment scenario and economicreforms and interacted with New York'sInvestment Community.

In his welcome note, Consul GeneralAmbassador Sandeep Chakravorty gavea brief summary of accomplishments ofDr Kumar who took over as ViceChairman NITI Aayog in the rank

contd on Page 32

NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar addressing a gathering at the 'India InvestmentSeminar' organized by the Indian Consulate at New York, July 17. Consul General Sandeep

Chakravorty is seen on the right.

US House votes to condemnTrump over his ‘racist’ tweets

Republic of Palau becomes 76thcountry to sign the International

Solar Alliance Framework AgreementWA S H I N G T O N

(TIP): In a rare move,the US House ofRepresentatives haspassed a resolution tocondemn PresidentDonald Trump's"racist" tweets againstfour non-whiteDemocratic congresswomen who have beencritical of his harshimmigration policies.

The vote on Tuesday, July 16, came days after Trump's tweetsabout four newly elected lawmakers - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezof New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley ofMassachusetts, and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan - triggeredwidespread uproar.

Trump, on Sunday, July 14, in a series of controversial tweets,said that four Democratic Progressive congresswomen shouldjust "go back" to where they came from.

Moved by Congressman Tom Malinowski, the resolution waspassed by the 435-member House of Representatives, the LowerHouse of the US Congress, on a partisan line of 240-184 votes.

contd on Page 32

Reporters trying to seek comment of HouseSpeaker Nancy Pelosi

NEW YORK

(TIP): Tommy E.R e m e n g e s a u ,President of theRepublic ofPalau, signed theI n t e r n a t i o n a lSolar Alliance(ISA) FrameworkAgreement, 15July 2019, at theP e r m a n e n tMission of Indiato the UnitedNations, NewYork. PresidentR e m e n g e s a urecognized theISA as a keyinitiative forp r o m o t i n gsustainable energy. Palau became the 76th country to signthe ISA Framework Agreement. To date, a total of 54 of the76 countries have ratified the Framework Agreement.

contd on Page 32

Tommy Esang Remengesau, Jr., President ofthe Republic of Palau signing the

International Solar Alliance (ISA) FrameworkAgreement, 15 July 2019, at the PermanentMission of India to the United Nations, New

York.India's Permanent Representative to theUnited Nations, Ambassador Syed

Akbaruddin is seen standing on extreme left

Photo:/ Jay Mandal- On Assignment

India Inc. Founder & CEO Manoj Ladwaconducted an in-depth Fireside Chat with

Piyush Goyal

2 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019NEW YORK

Ambassador Shringla Inaugurates QueueManagement System at New York Consulate

NEW YORK CITY (TIP): TheConsulate General of India, New Yorkhas launched 'Queue ManagementSystem' to manage queues of applicantswho come to the Consulate for variousservices and also to improve the overallquality and delivery of servicesrendered at the Consulate. The newQueue Management System (QMS)considerably reduces the waiting timein availing the consular services.

Ambassador of India to the UnitedStates Mr. Harsh Vardhan Shringla onJuly 15 inaugurated the QueueManagement System at ConsulateGeneral of India, New York.Ambassador was also apprised ofvarious initiatives taken by Consulate

General of India, New York for thewelfare of the applicants availingconsular services at the Consulate,such as free coffee and freephotocopying machine and Internetfacilities. The Consulate provides about150000 persons with various servicesannually.

Ambassador Shringla also interactedwith applicants present at theConsulate. Applicants lauded variousinitiatives taken by CGI, New York toimprove the overall quality andeffective delivery of services. QueueManagement System considerablyreduces the waiting time and will makedelivery of Consular services a hasslefree and comfortable experience.

Ambassador Shringlaon July 15

inaugurated theQueue Management

System. He is flankedby Consul General

Sandeep Chakravorty,on his left, andDeputy Consul

General ShatrghnaSinha, on his right.

Photo / Jay Mandal-on assignment

Rotary Foundation approved a grant for25 Shelter Homes for Kerala Flood Victims Ravi Bhooplapur raises $194,750 through Rotary for

housing for flood victims in Kerala NEW YORK (TIP): Long

Island based eminent Rotarian& Philanthropist RavishankarBhooplapur has managed toraise $194,750 for funding toprovide 25 low cost housing inthe Kottayam andPathanamthitta districts ofKerala, India for the peopleaffected by the floods there lastyear. In the second phase ofthis initiative, another 25houses will be provided for.

The Rotary Foundation has confirmedthrough a letter dated July 15 to RotaryDistrict 3211 (located in Kerala) andDistrict 7255 (Long Island and parts ofNYC) about the approval of the RotaryGlobal Grant of $94,750 to match the$100,000 raised locally. Bhooplapur isthankful of the role of Dr Thomas Mathew(President of AKMG - Association ofKerala Medical Graduates) and Mr BijuChacko (ECHO charity) for the Keralaflood relief fundraiser held last year atCotillion in Jericho, New York.

Bhooplapur, past Rotary DistrictGovernor, informed proudly: "This is oneof the biggest grants in recent years I gotapproved and raised full funds for."

He is known for his penchant to rise to

the occasion and takeleadership roles to help whendisasters strike like theGujarat Earthquake andTsunami in south India in thepast. Commented KamleshMehta, also a past RotaryDistrict Governor, "It is anexcellent humanitarianservice arranged by Ravi ashe took the lead in securingsuch a big Rotary Grant.

Everyone on Long Island should takeinspiration from him."

Ravi Bhooplapur, President of XavierUniversity School of Medicine, Arubasince 2008, has been a very active memberof Rotary International and has donatedgenerously to Rotary and raised funds forits various projects. The RotaryFoundation has honored him with itshighest award "Service Above Self" for hiscommitment to humanitarian workworldwide. He is a board member ofnumerous charities, hospitals andbusinesses. He is the founder of the "Gift ofLife India" that has been instrumental insaving over 6,000 children's lives to date byproviding free heart surgery to childrenunder the age of 15. He is also a recipient ofthe "Ellis Island Medal of Honor".

3THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019 PICNEWS

NEW YORK (TIP): NITI Aayog Vice ChairmanRajiv Kumar and India's Ambassador to the US Harsh VShringla were in town recently. While Mr. Kumar spokeat the United Nations and at the Indian Consulate here

on several aspects of Budget and Investment ,Ambassador Shringla inaugurated an initiative tomanage queues at the Consulate and met withcommunity and political leaders.

Here are some of the events captured inpictures by Jay Mandal / on assignment.

IN TOWN

Ambassador Harsh V Shringla during a meeting with NITI Aayog VC, Rajiv Kumar in NYC. Also inthe Photo, Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty, July 15, 2019

Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog meets with Annika Strandhäll, Minister for SocialSecurity of Sweden on the sideline of HLPF, 2019, July 16, 2019

From Left, Sanyukta Samaddar, Joint Secretary, NITI Aayog; Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, PR, Indian Mission to the UN; Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chair, NITI Aayog; Achim Steiner, Director UNDP; andRenata Dessallien, UN Country Head, India release the report on "Localising SDG's Early Lessons from India, 2019" during a special meeting at the United Nations, July 15.

Ambassador Harsh V Shringla at an informal dinner reception, hosted in his honor by the NewJersey Governor, Phil Murphy and his wife Tammy Murphy at his private residence in NJ. From L to

R: Ambassador Harsh V Shringla, Governor Phil Murphy and Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty

Ambassador Harsh V Shringla during a photo session with the Hosts, Governor Phil Murphy (right)and his wife Tammy Murphy at their private residence in NJ.

Photos / Jay Mandal-on assignment

4 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019INDIANS ABORAD

Senate confirms IndianAmerican J. Nicholas

Ranjan as district courtjudge

WASHINGTON (TIP): The U.S.Senate on July 10 confirmed 41-year-old Pittsburgh lawyer J. NicholasRanjan as a judge in the U.S. DistrictCourt for the Western District ofPennsylvania.

J. Nicholas Ranjan, a partner withK&L Gates in Downtown andnominated by President DonaldTrump, was confirmed by an 80-14vote.

Ranjan's practice focuses onappellate and complex commerciallitigation, with an emphasis on energylaw, class action defense, and domesticarbitration.

He has been selected by ChambersUSA as one of the top commerciallitigators in Pennsylvania multipletimes, with clients commending his"creative approach andresponsiveness." He has also beenselected as a fellow with TheLitigation Counsel of America, whichis an invitation-only trial lawyerhonorary, representing less than one-half of one percent of Americanlawyers.

Mr. Ranjan is the pro bonocoordinator for the firm's Pittsburghoffice. During his time in this position,the Allegheny County Bar Associationawarded the firm the pro bono lawfirm of the year award. He also is thechairman of the Pittsburgh office'sdiversity committee and is a memberof the K&L Gates global diversitycommittee. He is active in leadingdiversity initiatives within the firmand in the community. For theseefforts, he was a recipient of theLeadership Excellence Award,awarded by the Pittsburgh LeadershipConference.

Indian AmericanAppointed to Georgia

State BoardATLANTA (TIP): On July 16,

Georgia Governor Brian P. Kempappointed fourteen people to variousboards, commissions, andauthorities including an IndianAmerican.

Kartik H. Bhatt has been appointedas a consumer member for theGeorgia Board of Examiners for theCertification of Water andWastewater Treatment PlantOperators and Laboratory Analysts.Bhatt and his wife, Twisha, have achild and live in Marietta. Bhatt is aproperty manager withLaxminarayan 108, LLC.

Indian American Professors at UC San DiegoReceive Presidential Early Career Awards

SAN DIEGO (TIP): Two IndianAmerican Professors are among fourfaculty members from the University ofCalifornia San Diego who have beennamed recipients of the PresidentialEarly Career Award for Scientists andEngineers (PECASE).

Piya Pal, professor of electrical andcomputer engineering; and PadminiRangamani, professor of mechanicaland aerospace engineering-both at theJacobs School of Engineering are therecipients of the highest honor bestowedby the United States government toscientists and engineers in the earlystages of their independent researchcareers.

"Our efforts to attract, retain and grownationally recognized, top-quality,diverse faculty at UC San Diego arepaying dividends to our students as wellas our community," said UC San DiegoChancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. "Throughleadership in their respective fields,dedication to accessible publiceducation, and commitment tocommunity engagement, these fourearly-career faculty membersdemonstrate UC San Diego's vision to bea leading student-centered, research-focused, service-oriented public research

university."Pal was recognized for her

fundamental contributions to signalprocessing by designing innovativegeometries and developing newoptimization techniques that overcomebottlenecks of traditional array designs,and for enhancing fundamentalperformance limits of sparse inferenceproblems. She was nominated by the

Department of Defense.Rangamani was recognized for her

exceptional research accomplishmentsin the advancement of TheoreticalBiophysics in physical biology andmedicine, and for fundamentalcontributions to the physicalunderstanding of lipid bilayers. She wasnominated by the Department ofDefense.

Piya Pal, professor of electrical and computer engineering; and Padmini Rangamani, professorof mechanical and aerospace engineering

NEWARK (TIP): Surya Makkar, amathematical finance and informationtechnology management major in theStillman School of Business, received a$2,500 scholarship from the New JerseySociety for Information Management(NJ SIM) Foundation.

Makkar is one of four students in thestate who received this scholarship atthe foundation's annual charity golfouting. The New Jersey Chapter of theSociety for Information Management,one of 30 chapters in the country, is aprofessional association of executives,academics and consultants in theinformation management field. The NewJersey chapter's nonprofit organization,

the NJ SIM Foundation awards anannual scholarship to IT managementstudents who demonstrate bothacademic excellence and leadership intheir schools' IT programs.

David Rosenthal, associate professorand chair of the Department ofComputing and Decision Sciences,nominated Makkar. Rosenthal taughtMakkar in his Management InformationSystems (BITM 2701) course during hisfreshman year and serves as hisacademic adviser.

Makkar is also actively involved in theUniversity community. This summer, heis interning with the Bank of Americaas a financial analyst.

Indian American Stillman StudentSurya Makkar Receives InformationTechnology Management Scholarship

Surya Makkar (center) is interning with the Bank of America as a financial analyst Photo / Courtesy Stillman School of Business

The U.S. Senateon July 10

confirmed 41-year-old

Pittsburghlawyer J.

Nicholas Ranjanas a judge in the

U.S. DistrictCourt for the

Western Districtof Pennsylvania.

Indian American ArtDealer Charged in

Antiquities SmugglingRacket

NEW YORK

(TIP): DisgracedIndian art dealerSubhash Kapoor,previously theowner of the Art ofthe Past gallery inManhattan, andseven co-conspirators havebeen charged withoperating a $145million smuggling ring that dealt withthousands of looted antiquities over aperiod of 30 years.

The Manhattan District Attorney'sOffice filed criminal charges againstKapoor and seven others and arrestwarrants for the eight men were filed inNew York City criminal court on July 15.Subhash Kapoor will be extradited to theUS following the completion of his long-running trial in India. Currently he is ontrial in Chennai for allegedly running a$100 million international smugglingracket. On 30 October 2011, Kapoor wasarrested at Frankfurt InternationalAirport and on 14 July 2012 extradited toChennai, India on charges of receivingartifacts that had been stolen from disusedtemples in southern India. Many of theseobjects were purchased by museumsthroughout the world. For example, in 2008an 11th-century Chola-period bronze statueof a Dancing Shiva was sold by Kapoortothe National Gallery of Australia for $5.6million. The statue was allegedly stolenfrom a temple in Tamil Nadu.

Subhash Kapoor willbe extradited to the US

following thecompletion of his long-

running trial in India

5THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019 ADVERTISEMENT

QUEENS, NY(TIP): Queens BoroughPresident Melinda Katz, in partnershipwith the Kupferberg Center for the Artsat Queens College and NYC Parks,announced the full schedule of the fifthannual "Katz Concert Series," a slate offree outdoor concerts taking place thissummer in various locations throughoutQueens.

"Summers are all about free concertsin the parks," said Borough President

KATZ. "We're delighted to continue thepartnership and bring this concert seriesback for the families of Queens."

"Queens College is delighted onceagain to partner with Borough PresidentMelinda Katz and NYC Parks inpresenting the Katz Concert Series,which showcases wonderful musiciansin outdoor venues throughout ourborough," said WILLIAMTRAMONTANO, Interim President of

Queens College. "This vital series fulfillsthe goals of the Kupferberg Center forthe Arts at Queens College, making topcultural programming readily accessibleto our students, their families and theQueens community."

"There's nothing sweeter than freesummer concerts in NYC Parks," saidNYC Parks Commissioner MITCHELL J.SILVER, FAICP. "Borough PresidentKatz's Concert Series bringscommunities together to celebrate musicand gives everyone a great reason toenjoy all that our parks have to offer."

The 2019 Katz Concert Series began onJune 18 with a Celebrate Jerusalemconcert in MacDonald Park in ForestHills featuring Yoel Sharabi and hisband. It resumes Sunday, July 21 inSpringfield Gardens and runs throughAugust 25 at other parks in RockawayBeach, Long Island City, Bayside,Cambria Heights and Far Rockaway, andon the campus of Borough PresidentKatz's alma mater, St. John's University.

The full upcoming schedule for theKatz Concert Series can be found below,along with brief descriptions of the

scheduled talent. All performances arefree admission and will lastapproximately 90 minutes. Attendees areencouraged to bring lawn chairs and/orblankets to these outdoor events.

***PLEASE INCLUDE IN YOURCOMMUNITY CALENDAR***http://www.queensbp.org/katzconcerts/

Read full story onwww.theindianpanorama.news

6 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019NY/NJ/CT

Who's looking out for immigrants? Askscommunity leader Albert Baldeo

Thriving communities built on thebacks of immigrants, and with theirblood, sweat and tears, have becomeghost towns, retreating in fear and panicas the U.S. Immigration and CustomsEnforcement service (ICE) launchedmacabre raids, presumably to rid theUSA of "these terrible people," althoughAmerica itself is a "nation ofimmigrants."

It is as draconian, as it is un-American, and will only divide thenation further. It is evil. Some peopleconveniently ignore our history that weare a great nation because ofimmigration, to score cheap politicalmileage. Some even feign amnesia thattheir closest families are immigrantsthemselves. What hypocrisy!

In these communities, which receivelittle city, state and/or federal funding,immigrants are treated like orphans andstep children. They deserve better! Yes,immigrants have paid their dues inpolitical, economic and historical ways,but continue to be exploited,marginalized and ignored. Mostpoliticians see their communitiesasmilking cows for campaign cash, andthen slither away when issues confrontthese communities. They cannot befound. So when you see these so-calledleaders, ask them, "What have you donefor me lately? Where were you when ICEstruck?"

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. advised,"We have to demand our check!" This

great civil rights leader meant thatimmigrant communities, like everyoneelse, have to demand what the USA haspromised. Their check is good, and theirtrack record is irrefutable. In 2008, theRichmond Hill- Ozone Park communitymade the gut wrenching sacrifice to helpDemocrats re-capture the NY StateSenate since 1965, a watershed moment

in our political history, when I assistedState senator Joe Addabbo defeat SerfMaltese after 20 years in office. "Theroad to the Senate majority passedthrough Baldeo's people in RichmondHill, Democratic leaders gleefullygloated then." Where are they now?

Immigrants have developedflourishing communities from decaying

neighborhoods to the thriving economicengines that now contribute massivelyto the national and local economies.

So where are these people when weneed their help and their voice? Sadly,they are missing in action. The holyscriptures caution us that ingratitude isa major sin. We therefore demand thatall of our elected officials, fromGovernor Cuomo and Mayor DeBlasio toour Senate and CongressionalRepresentatives, State Senators,Assembly members, City Councilmembers and others, CommunityBoards, NGOs, political, religious,cultural, social and economicorganizations-indeed everyone, comeout and denounce this barbaricinitiative to make immigrants thewhipping boys of American politics.

You know who you are. You need to sayin unison loudly to ICE that NYC is asanctuary city, and that you condemnand demand an immediate halt to thedespotic and mean measures that havedisrupted the local economies,businesses, fellow Americans andvisitors-indeed, everyone, living andworking in this nation that belongs to somany.

( Albert Baldeo is a civil rights activist andcommunity advocate. As the President of theBaldeo Foundation and Liberty Justice Center,

he has continued the fight for justice, equalrights, dignity and inclusion for all. He can be

contacted at the Baldeo Foundation:AlBaldeo@aol.com or (718) 529-2300.)

Community advocate Albert Baldeo points to the now quiet hub of Richmond Hill-Ozone Park atLefferts Boulevard and Liberty Avenue. Many local businesses and the economy are suffering,and people panicking, due to ICE's intrusion into immigrant communities all across the USA.

Queens Borough President Katz announceslineup for 2019 "Katz Concert Series"Free Outdoor Summer Concerts Throughout Queens

“Summers are all about free concerts in theparks," said Borough President Katz.

7THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019 ADVERTISEMENT

Every new path in Indo-Pakrelations ends in a treacherouscul-de-sac. Yet, after every

ambush the twins born of colonialcunning go back to start it all overagain. Even Ajmal Kasab walking upand down the South Mumbai streetswith an automatic rifle in hand did notchange the pattern; nor did four warsand the splitting of Pakistan into two.Indira's generosity after victory,Vajpayee's peace bus, ManmohanSingh's Sharm el-Sheikh blunder andModi's surprise birthday gift for NawazSharif, nothing ever changed the

Pakistan deep state's attempts to bleedIndia with a thousand cuts and amillion mutinies. But the Pulwamabomb attack and the retaliatory Balakotairstrikes have broken the cycle of Pakattacks and Indian negotiations.

It is in this context we need to look atthe recent events: the verdict of theInternational Court of Justice (ICJ)asking Pakistan to review its decisionto execute Kulbhushan Jadhav, thearrest of Hafiz Saeed the very same dayand the just-concluded Kartarpurcorridor talks. The Government ofIndia, with great reverence to the Guru,

upholding the Sikh sentiments, hasrightly kept the Kartarpur corridor outof the ambit of Indo-Pak negotiations.Apart from Sikhs, only Hindus worshipat gurdwaras and revere the Guru, yetPakistan tried its best to ban Hindus toturn the corridor communal. Despiteall these provocations and thelegitimate fear of Pakistan fanning2020 secessionist fires, New Delhi hashonored the wishes of its Sikh andHindu believers by building thecorridor.

Now, if Pakistan really wants tobreak out of its vicious cycle of terror

and talks, it should let Jadhav go home.The ICJ verdict does not acquit Jadhav,as it did not have the jurisdiction toexamine the evidence for and againstthe accused. But the spirit of the ICJdecision is in favor of Jadhav's return.Beyond the breach of Article 36, 1 (b) ofthe Vienna Convention, what have beenexposed are the mock trial and the useof a former Indian Naval officer as atool to settle diplomatic scores.Pakistan cannot achieve anything moreby keeping Jadhav in its custody.Jadhav's release can lure India back tothe talks table. (Tribune, India)

8 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019EDITORIAL

GUEST COMMENT

AS I SEE IT

By MK Bhadrakumar

Reading Pak gestures carefully after Jadhav verdict

Shock and awe in the world ofpolitics work in unpredictableways. They could have disastrous

consequences or could have a salutaryeffect on the protagonists involved andhave a chastening influence, leading tosomething good.

The shock and awe that the then USPresident George W Bush hoped toadminister to Iraq by invading thatcountry destroyed that country and led tomayhem.

In comparison, the shock and awe thatthe then Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchevgave to his American counterpart JohnKennedy in 1962 by dispatching radarsand missiles to Cuba had the desiredeffect. Khrushchev prevailed upon the USto remove the nuclear missiles deployedin Turkey as a reciprocal step for hiswillingness to not press ahead with theplanned deployment of the Sovietmissiles on the Caribbean island-state.

The invocation of such poignant slicesof modern history helps to underscorethat the shock and awe of the imminentspecter of the return of the Taliban to themainstream political life in Afghanistan -and Pakistan's success in bringing itabout - need not necessarily be taken asdefeat from the Indian point of view.

Henry Ford, the great Americanindustrialist who founded the iconicmotor company, once said, "Failure issimply the opportunity to begin again,this time more intelligently."

The clue almost always lies in humility,which keeps out hubris. There was norationale for waging a proxy war withPakistan on the tragic Afghan turf, sinceno matter how anyone tried, Pakistanwouldn't have caved in, given the highstakes involved. If nothing else, the 2,200-kilometre long open border withAfghanistan alone could have motivatedIslamabad to seek a friendly governmentin Kabul that is receptive to its core

concerns and vital interests of nationalsecurity.

A former Director General ofPakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence(ISI) once told this writer that if anAfghan had a toothache, he got it fixed bya dentist in Peshawar.

India can and should learn to live withthe emerging reality in our region -Taliban's ascendancy to power in Kabul,Pakistan's reasonable success inensuring that the future power brokerson the northern side of the Durand Lineare friendly and cooperative, and, third,Afghanistan's inexorable transformationas a regional hub of China's Belt andRoad Initiative.

The time has come to address India-Pakistan tensions, which is fundamentalto regional security and stability. Signsare looking good that Pakistan is in the

least interested in triumphalism. Threemost recent trends must be noted. One,the guns have fallen silent on the borderand incidents of infiltration sharplydeclined. Two, Pakistan bowed to makeconcessions on the Kartarpur Sahibpilgrimage. And, three, Pakistan hasunceremoniously reopened its airspace,bringing much relief to Indian travelers.

What lends enchantment to the view isthat these nascent trends appeared as thecountdown began for the verdict by theInternational Court of Justice (ICJ) atThe Hague in the case of KulbhushanJadhav, who is on death row in aPakistani jail.

A consensus ICJ ruling is usuallyarrived at through candid discussions,which the plaintiff and the defendant areprivy to, informally. Quite obviously, sucha fair denouement may provide the exitdoor for both Islamabad and New Delhi tomove on, and it is entirely conceivablethat both countries are in a chastenedmood today over an a priori history thatis best laid to rest.

Surely, this is where the most recent'goodwill gesture' by Pakistan over theKartarpur Sahib pilgrimage assumesparticular significance. The differencesbetween the two countries dramaticallynarrowed once Pakistan assured Indiawithout caveats that it will not allow pro-Khalistan activists to use the 'PeaceCorridor' to indulge in anti-Indiaactivities. Indeed, very little time is leftbefore the 550th birth anniversary ofGuru Nanak in November.

It is often the case in life that othersmay open the doors, but you must enterby yourself. To be sure, India needs to

thoroughly explore Pakistan's recentbehavioral pattern against the backdropof its extraordinary victory in the four-decades-old Afghan civil war that isfinally sailing into view - after so much oftrials and tribulations and aftercommitting such massive resources inmen and material, risking Pakistan's owninternal stability.

The recent Pakistani stance vis-a-visIndia is devoid of any traces oftriumphalism. The time has come for theIndian leadership to take a big leapforward to begin a serious conversationwith Pakistan. The heart of the matter isthat a rare opportunity may be at handfor the two countries to discuss the ritesof passage to a new era based on amoratorium on asymmetrical or proxywars. This needs to be done at theleadership level.

An improvement in the India-Pakistanrelationship will provide an open sesameto the emerging regional securityscenario to turn it into an opportunity forIndia's development. It will require thatIndia jettisons its notions of the Talibanbeing a creature of darkness and a resetof regional policies that puts inperspective the tumultuous period thatfollowed the Saur Revolution in 1978,which is breaking loose and drifting intohistory books. Importantly, thenormalization of the India-Pakistan ties -and making them predictable - is the sinequa non for a steady enhancement ofIndia's partnership with China to make itstrategic, which Prime MinisterNarendra Modi has set his eyes upon as ahistoric legacy of his leadership.

(The author is a former ambassador)

Kulbhushan Jadhav

Send Jadhav home; It could trigger a fresh start for Indo-Pak talks

India needs to thoroughly explore Pakistan's recentbehavioral pattern against the back ofits extraordinaryvictory in the four-decades-old Afghan civil war that is

finally sailing into view - after so much of trials andtribulations, risking Pakistan's internal stability.

At the root of most of the gripe in recent weeksabout the state of relations between New Delhiand Washington is a long-standing popular

expectation since the demise of the Soviet Union that asIndia and the US got closer, the latter would become asubstitute for Russia. Because of the heavy Americaninfluence on the think tank community and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the publicdiscourse on Indo-US relations has also fostered such anexpectation.

Policymakers within successive Indian governmentssince then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao - duringwhose tenure the Soviet Union collapsed - have mostlyhad serious reservations about such a perception.Unfortunately, their American counterparts have bothpublicly and privately encouraged the policy line thatwith the fall of the Berlin Wall and with the East blocgone, all that was needed was for India and America toconsummate their marriage that was made in heavenand ordained by their horoscopes matched by theconstellations of democracy, English language, the ruleof law and so on.

Additionally, after the George W Bush-ManmohanSingh nuclear deal, which ended India's long nuclearwinter, Americans at every level of strategic thought,both within their administrations and outside, nursed asense of entitlement about India. When Sanjaya Baru,then PM's Media Adviser, handed over the firstconsignment of Alphonso mangoes to then USSecretary of State Condoleezza Rice in June 2007 at theannual meeting of the US-India Business Council, asenior State Department official standing next to thiswriter loudly exclaimed: "We give India the nuclearbomb and all we get in return is a basket of mangoes."

This official's reaction was patently an exaggeration,but it reflected the strong feelings within theWashington establishment then - as also now. Till 2007,mangoes - like many other Indian agricultural products- could not be exported to the US despite New Delhi's

strenuous efforts because of stringent US regulations.In May 2006, Boeing invited Indian journalists based

in Washington to visit the company's highly secure andheavily restricted Integrated Defense Systemsheadquarters in St Louis, Missouri, where its modernmilitary aircraft were being designed and developed.Word had been out then that India was about to order126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), thebiggest military aviation deal in history. Indo-USdefense trade had not picked up in 2006 to anywherenear what it is today.

Pin-stripe-suited Boeing senior executives, who flewdown to St Louis to smoke exquisite cigars and sippremium cognac with the journalists at the RitzCarlton's Cigar Club, were smug in their belief that theMMRCA deal would go to US companies which werepreparing to bid as soon as the tendering process wasset in motion by the Congress-led government. "We havebeen told that in six months everything would becompleted once the process begins," he said confidently.

In the end, it took a decade to sign an agreement forpartial purchase of the original 126 planes and the dealdid not go to American companies. This anecdote isworth narrating because it is just one of the manyexamples of how companies in the US have little idea ofhow to do business in India and are ill-equipped to copewith the peculiarities of decision-making in the Indiangovernment.

Just as US administrations want to send Indian-Americans as Ambassadors to India in the belief thatthey can swing things for them in New Delhi, UScompanies and lobbying groups hire retiredbureaucrats from Lutyens' Delhi whose contacts arefrom a bygone era. But when things go wrong, the blameis on India, as many Americans in the Donald Trumpadministration and outside are doing now.

But six months after Hillary Clinton becameSecretary of State, she found these 38 groups to be meretalking shops. During a visit to New Delhi in July 2009,she persuaded her Indian counterpart SM Krishna toscrap these working groups. In their place, Clinton and

Krishna created the lofty sounding 'five principalpillars' of their relationship: strategic cooperation;energy and climate change; education anddevelopment; economics, trade and agriculture;science, technology, health and innovation.

In retrospect, this was a mistake. When there were 38working groups, there was constant toing and froingbetween the two sides and they were in constant andunbroken dialogue offering numerous windows tounderstand differences and disputes. India and the USwere talking to each other then on 38 platforms. Nowthey are talking at one another.

Such difficulties have been compounded by atendency in India to run down Trump and view him asa bull in the global diplomatic China shop. But there ishope because the new External Affairs Minister, SJaishankar, does not believe in demonizing Trump.When he was Foreign Secretary, within a month ofTrump's inauguration as President, Jaishankar beganadvising those in India who practice diplomacy andengage in strategic thought. "Do not demonize Trump,analyses Trump. He represents a thought process. It isnot a momentary expression" what Trump is saying,has been Jaishankar's approach. If Trump is re-electedPresident next year, India will have to follow this advicein letter and spirit or give up on India's most importantforeign policy priority.

(The author is a Strategic Analyst)

9THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019 PERSPECTIVE

By KP Nayar

The Kulbhushan Jadhav Case at the International Court of Justice

In March 2016, Kulbhushan SudhirJadhav, an Indian national, wasdetained by Pakistan, accused of

performing acts of espionage andterrorism on behalf of India. In April 2017,he was sentenced to death by a militarycourt in Pakistan. On 8 May 2017, Indiafiled a case against Pakistan at theInternational Court of Justice or ICJ inThe Hague, alleging violations by Pakistanof its obligations under the ViennaConvention on Consular Relations of 1963.Article 36 of the Convention specificallyrequired Pakistan to inform India,"without delay", of the detention ofKulbhushan Jadhav, inform KulbhushanJadhav of his rights, and allow Indianconsular officials access to KulbhushanJadhav.

Pakistan rejected India's claims by usinga variety of legal arguments during thehearing of the case at the ICJ. On 17 July

2019, the ICJ delivered its judgement,stating that the "Court finds that theIslamic Republic of Pakistan, in the matterof the detention and trial of an Indiannational, Mr. Kulbhushan Sudhir Jadhav,has acted in breach of the obligationsincumbent on it under Article 36 of theVienna Convention on ConsularRelations." In the landmark judgement, theICJ unanimously asserted that it hadjurisdiction over the case, since both Indiaand Pakistan were signatories of theVienna Convention. The ICJ rejectedPakistan's efforts to divert the case toeither an arbitral tribunal or a conciliationcommission, holding that India had theright to approach the ICJ directly in thismatter. The ICJ rejected Pakistan'sargument that the Vienna Convention didnot apply to cases of persons detained foralleged espionage. The Court found thatPakistan, by not informing India for threeweeks of Kulbhushan Jadhav's arrest, andnot providing India consular access, hadviolated its obligations under the ViennaConvention which required it to do so"without delay". The ICJ rejectedPakistan's attempt to apply its obligationsunder Article 36 of the Vienna Convention

in a conditional manner, dependent onIndia's actions on other issues.

The heart of the ICJ judgment iscontained in Section 6, which recommendsways to remedy this violation of theVienna Convention by Pakistan. CallingPakistan's denial of its obligations touphold Kulbhushan Jadhav's rights,including the right to consular access,"internationally wrongful acts of acontinuing character", the ICJ has askedPakistan to comply with both obligations.It has opined that the "appropriate remedyin this case to be effective review andreconsideration of the conviction andsentence of Mr. Jadhav", which "must beperformed unconditionally" by Pakistan.This would include Pakistan"enactingappropriate legislation" if needed toensure justice. Till then, the ICJ hasorderedthe "continued stay of execution"as an"indispensable condition for theeffective review and reconsideration of theconviction and sentence of Mr. Jadhav."

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi saidafter the judgment, "Truth and justice haveprevailed. Congratulations to the ICJ for averdict based on extensive study of facts. Iam sure Kulbhushan Jadhav will get

justice. Our Government will always workfor the safety and welfare of every Indian."

The ICJ judgement is significant for atleast three reasons. First, the judgement isbinding on "the parties and in respect ofthat particular case" according to Article 59of the ICJ Statute. Second, thejudgementvindicates India's consistentbelief and advocacy in using the rule of lawto ensure justice for her citizens, and thepeaceful settlement of disputes betweenstates. Third, implementing the judgementwill act as a litmus test for the principle ofinternational cooperation, on which thecurrent multilateral system, including therule of law, is founded. In the widerframework, the ICJ judgment embellishesIndia's track record since 1947 of givingsubstance to Article 13.1 of the UN Charter,which calls for "the progressivedevelopment of international law and itscodification". The provisions of the ViennaConvention on Consular Relations havebeen significantly amplified by this case.

(The Commentary was written for All India Radio)(The author is a former

Permanent Representative of India to the UnitedNations,Distinguished Fellow, Vivekananda

International Foundation, New Delhi)

By Ambassador AsokeKumar Mukerji

India-US ties and the Soviet baggageTill about a decade ago, India and the US were talking to each other on 38 platforms. Now they

are talking at one another. Such difficulties have been compounded by a tendency in India to rundown Trump and view him as a bull in the global diplomatic China shop. But there is hope as the

new External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, does not believe in demonizing Trump.

10 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019SOUTH ASIA

Taliban close Afghanhealth facilities run by

Swedish groupKABUL (TIP): The Taliban forced

a Swedish non-profit group to close 42health facilities it runs in easternAfghanistan, the organisation saidJuly 17, the latest attempt by theinsurgents to show strength amidnegotiations to end the country’snearly 18-year war.

The Taliban currently controlnearly half of Afghanistan and aremore powerful than at any time sincethe 2001 US-led invasion.

In Sweden, Sonny Mansson, thecountry director of the SwedishCommittee for Afghanistan, told TheAssociated Press that the Talibanthreatened the NGO’s staff by sayingthat if they do not close the facilities,“it would have consequences forthemselves and their families.”

Parwiz Ahmad Faizi, the group’scommunications manager, said thefacilities were closed after Afghanforces last week raided a clinic run bythe NGO in Daimirdad district. TheAfghan troops, acting on intelligence,were allegedly looking for suspectedTaliban fighters hiding in the clinic.— AP

Afghan radio stationcloses down following

Taliban threatsKABUL (TIP): The head of a local

radio station in eastern Afghanistansays it was shut down after repeatedthreats from the area’s Talibancommander. Ramez Azimi, director ofthe Samaa station in the city ofGhazni, the capital of eastern Ghazniprovince, says he received phone callsas well as written warning notespurportedly from the Talibancommander. Azimi says the Taliban,who control several districts inGhazni province, threatened thembecause three of the station’s 16employees are women. ZabihullahMujahid, a Taliban spokesman,denied the insurgents had threatenedSamaa. AP

52 rescued after cloudburst wreaks havoc in

PakistanISLAMABAD (TIP): The Pakistani

military rescued 52 people in a remotevillage of Pakistan's Neelum Valleywhere torrential rains triggered offby a cloudburst wreaked havoc in theregion, an Army statement said onTuesday.

According to the the army's mediawing Inter-Services Public Relations,the 52 individuals have beenevacuated to camps and safer places.Search operation for drowned personsis in progress, Xinhua news agencyreported.

Local media reports said that 22people -- two security personnel, ninelocals and 11 preachers who werestaying in a mosque were killed afterbeing wiped out by flashflood in theregion on Monday. IANS

Pak’s anti-graft agency arrests ex-PM Abbasi

LAHORE (PAKISTAN) (TIP):

Pakistan’s anti-corruption agencyarrested former Prime Minister ShahidKhaqan Abbasi on July 18, drawing afurious response from oppositionparties, which accused the governmentof trying to silence its opponents.

The National Accountability Bureausaid in a statement, Abbasi had beenarrested in a case that was opened lastyear over a liquefied natural gas (LNG)terminal project.

The arrest, as Abbasi was on his wayto a news conference in the eastern cityof Lahore, adds to a political scenealready thick with accusations ofcorruption and abuse of office withopposition parties planning a day ofprotest next week.

“I believe today is yet another blackday in Pakistan’s history,” Ahsan Iqbal,a senior parliamentarian from Abbasi’sPakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, told reporters, accusing PrimeMinister Imran Khan of trying tosuppress opposition. “We are not afraidof your fascist acts. Don’t think that youwill gag our voices through sucharrests,” he said.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the head of

the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), theother main opposition party,condemned Abbasi’s arrest, which hesaid was part of a government“witchhunt” against electedrepresentatives. The PML-N wasalready engaged in a bitter standoffwith Khan’s government, which came to

power last year accusing Abbasi and hispredecessor, Nawaz Sharif, of large-scale corruption and mismanagementof the economy. Sharif was disqualifiedby the Supreme Court in 2017 overaccusations that eventually led to aseven-year jail sentence for receivingundeclared income. — Reuters

US ban on Myanmar army chief not enough, says UN

KUALA LUMPUR (TIP): A US travelban on Myanmar’s army chief and threeother top officers for their role inorchestrating a crackdown againstRohingya Muslims does not go farenough, a UN rights investigator said onJuly 18. The sanctions announced onTuesday were the strongest censure yetfrom a Western power since the armylaunched its offensive against thestateless minority in August 2017following attacks on police posts.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saidarmy chief Min Aung Hlaing and theother officers were responsible forhuman rights violations—includingextrajudicial killings during the “ethniccleansing” of Rohingya when more than740,000 people were driven intoBangladesh. But the United Nations

Special Rapporteur to Myanmar,Yanghee Lee, said the US move “does notgo far enough, it should go further”.

Lee, during a visit to Malaysia,criticised the sanctions as unrealistic,saying that the officers were unlikely totravel to the US anyway.

Washington should go further byseizing their assets, and those of theirfamilies, and extending the sanctions tocover other senior commanders, shesaid. Myanmar does not recognise theRohingya as one of its many officialethnicities, insisting they areinterlopers from Bangladesh.

The US, Canada and the EuropeanUnion have previously passed sanctionsagainst members of the powerfulmilitary, but stopped short of reachingthe very top of leadership. AFP

Thailand's new Cabinetsworn in, ending rule by

army juntaBANGKOK (TIP): Thailand's new

Cabinet was sworn in on Tuesday,creating a nominally electedgovernment after five years of militaryrule but keeping power in the hands ofthe same allies of the army.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn presidedover the swearing-in of the 36-memberCabinet, during which they pledgedtheir loyalty to the constitutionalmonarch.

"Every task has obstacles. Everymission faces problems," he told them inbrief remarks. "It is normal to take onwork and solve problems so that thecountry can be run smoothly accordingto circumstances."

The Cabinet afterward regrouped atGovernment House for its first meeting.

Prayuth Chan-ocha, who as armycommander seized power in a 2014 coupand then served as junta leader andprime minister, returns to serve againas prime minister.

This time he was elected by aparliamentary vote after a Marchgeneral election gave pro-militaryparties a majority.

The junta, which had given itselfalmost unlimited powers withoutoversight, was dissolved with theinauguration of the new Cabinet.

The election was held under a newconstitution and laws enacted byPrayuth's junta aimed at disadvantagingestablished political parties.

Critics say the vote was undemocraticand engineered to prolong rule by themilitary and its conservative allies. AP

11THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019 ADVERTISEMENT

12 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019US

Indian Convicted inKilling of Estranged

Wife in Arizona

PHOENIX (TIP): An Indian originman accused of killing his estrangedwife in Arizona in 2007 before fleeingto India for several years has beenconvicted of first-degree murder.

Twelve years after Avtar Grewal, 44,killed his 30-year-old wife NavneetKaur, a jury has found him guilty offirst-degree murder for his wife's deathon July 16.

According to media reports, Grewalkilled Navneet Kaur in her Ahwatukeehouse in 2007 after she told him shewanted a divorce. He strangled her andthen submerged her in a bathtub ofwater and fled to India. He wasarrested by international authoritiesand extradited back to the US in 2011.

His sentencing is scheduled forAugust 23.

‘You had the NobelPrize?’ Trump learns ofYazidi activist MuradWASHINGTON (TIP): US President

Donald Trump on July 17 appearedunfamiliar with the work and cause ofNobel laureate Nadia Murad as shepleaded with him to help the Yazidis ofIraq.

Murad, one of thousands of womenand girls from the ancient faithabducted by the Islamic State group asthey overran swathes of Iraq in 2014,joined a group of survivors ofreligious persecution who met Trumpin the Oval Office on the sidelines of amajor meeting at the StateDepartment.

After Murad explained how hermother and six brothers were killedand that 3,000 Yazidis remainedmissing, Trump said, “And you had theNobel Prize? That’s incredible. Theygave it to you for what reason?”With little pause, Murad, who wasjointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prizelast year, repeated her story.

“After all this happened to me, Ididn’t give up. I make it clear toeveryone that ISIS raped thousands ofYazidi women,” she said, referring tothe Islamic State group. “Please dosomething. It’s not about one family,”she said. Trump, who has boasted ofcrushing the self-styled caliphate ofthe Islamic State group that oncestretched across Iraq and Syria, alsoappeared at a loss when Murad askedhim to press the Iraqi and Kurdishgovernments to create safe conditionsfor the Yazidis to return. “But ISIS isgone and now it’s Kurdish and who?”Trump asked, before later telling her,“I know the area very well.” AFP

Avtar Grewal found guilty of killing hiswife in Ahwatukee in 2007

ASPIRE PAC Endorses Sri Kulkarni;Indian American Candidate Running for

Texas' 22nd Congressional DistrictHOUSTON (TIP): ASPIRE PAC, the

political arm of Asian American andPacific Islander Members ofCongress, voted to endorse andsupport Indian American candidateSri Kulkarni in his campaign forTexas' 22nd Congressional District inthe U.S. House of Representatives.

"Sri has served his country andcommunity with dedication anddistinction throughout his life, andASPIRE is thrilled to endorse hiscampaign to represent Texas," saidCongresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY),Chair of ASPIRE. "Sri knows what'sat stake in protecting Americanfamilies, and he will fight to protectaccess to healthcare and safe schoolsfor our children in Congress."

Srinivas Rao Preston Kulkarni is aformer diplomat and a candidate for aseat in the United States House ofRepresentatives in Texas's 22ndcongressional district in 2020. In 2018, henarrowly lost a Congressional race inthe same district to incumbentCongressman Pete Olson.

Sri received a Pearson Fellowshipto serve as a defense, foreign policy,and veterans' affairs advisor in theU.S. Senate, working on some of themost critical threats facing our

national security. Sri went on to earna Master's Degree in PublicAdministration from Harvard, wherehe started an initiative called"Breaking Bread," aimed at reducingthe partisan hostility anddivisiveness afflicting our country.

Inspired by a calling to serve hiscountry, Sri was commissioned as aUnited States Foreign Service Officerby Secretary of State Colin Powell. Inthe Foreign Service, Sri served toursoverseas in Iraq, Israel, Russia,

Taiwan, and Jamaica, promotingAmerican values.

ASPIRE PAC was established towork for fair representation in theU.S. Congress by supporting andincreasing the number of AsianAmerican and Pacific Islander(AAPI) policymakers and federalcandidates with large AAPIconstituencies. The PAC works tosupport the values and address theissues important to the AAPIcommunity.

In 2018, he narrowly lost aCongressional race in the

same district to incumbentCongressman Pete Olson

Indian Envoy discusses strengthening India USties at Leadership Summit

WASHINGTON (TIP) : India'sAmbassador to the US Harsh VardhanShringla participated in a conversationwith Dow Wilson, President & CEO,Varian Medical Systems at the 2ndAnnual Leadership Summit of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum(USISPF) held in Washington DC July11.

In his remarks, Ambassadorhighlighted the enormous potentials ofthe India-US bilateral economic &strategic partnership. AmbassadorShringla said that strengthening tradewill require empowering ministers andcoming up with solutions that aremutually beneficial for both sides.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi,Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross andSenior Advisor to the President JaredKushner were among the prominentspeakers at the summit. "There is anopportunity to lift the values of thewhole world, create more markets, andbe more entrepreneurial through theUS-India strategic partnership", said Pelosi.

"Our trade differences are a lot lessthan the opportunities. Lets deepen ourrelationships with traditional tradepartners through USMCA and NAFTAand turn to the real challenge i.e.China", said Senator Dan Sullivan.

On the sidelines of the summit,Ambassador met Speaker Nancy Pelosi,

Secretary Wilbur Ross, Senior AdvisorJared Kushner and senior industryrepresentatives, including AmbassadorManuel Rocha, SVP, Global Corporateaffairs, Xcoal Energy & Resources;Ankhi Das, Public Policy Director-India,South & Central Asia, Facebook; Dr.

Vivek Lall, Vice President, LockheedMartin Corporation; Harvinder Singh,Divisional VP, Abbott; Vishal Wanchoo,President & CEO, South Asia GE India;and Sudipta Bhattacharya, CountryHead and Shailesh Vyas from the AdaniGroup.

Ambassador Harsh V Shringla met Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi on the sidelines of US-India Strategic Partnership Forum Second Annual Leadership Summit and discussed

strengthening India US ties (Picture Courtesy - Indian Embassy)

13THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019 US

HOUSTON TO HOST PM MODI IN SEPTEMBER

HOUSTON (TIP): The Texas IndiaForum, a Houston-based non-profit, willhost "Howdy, Modi!" a large communitysummit that will host India's PrimeMinister NarendraModi during hisvisitto the region on September 22, 2019."Howdy", shorthand for "How do youdo?," is a friendly greetingcommonlyused in the southwestern United States.

The event is expected to bring togethertens of thousands of people to encourageand explore commoninterests and anexpanded partnership between theUnited States and India's fast growingeconomy. Texasalone has over 500,000people of Indian descent, contributingsignificantly to signature sectorsincludingspace, energy, medicine,education, information technology, andbusiness.

"There is unprecedented synergybetween our region and the aspirationsof a 'New India' that PrimeMinisterNarendraModi represents. TheAmerican dream shares manysimilarities with emerging Indiandream,and an event of this scale suggests anopportunity to build bridges across twogreat democracies,"said JugalMalani, aconvener of the "Howdy, Modi!"organizing committee.

Attendance at the summit will be free,

but passes will be required. Passes areavailable on a first-come-first- servebasis and exclusively through an onlineregistration process(www.howdymodi.org). Hundredsofprominent business and communityleaders from across America areexpected to attend.

In addition to thePrime Minister'saddress, the program is expected toinclude a cultural program thatshowcases the Indian-American

community and will be broadcast liveonline and on television channelsreaching over 1 Billionpeople across theUnited States and India.

This will be the first trip to the UnitedStates for Prime Minister Modi after hislandslide victory in Indianelectionsearlier this year. The Prime Minister ofIndia has previously addressed similargatherings atMadison Square Garden inNew York and the SAP Center in SanJose.

This will be the first trip to the United States for Prime Minister Modi after his landslide victoryin Indian elections earlier this year

U.S.-India Bilateral Trade Projected to Grow to $238 billion by 2025, says Trade Report

WASHINGTON (TIP): The US-IndiaStrategic Partnership Forum (USISPF)estimates that U.S.-India bilateral tradeis likely to grow from $143 billion to$238 billion by 2025. This growth willoccur if trade grows by 7.5% each year,as has been the trend for the last 7years.

The estimate also projects that, by2025, bilateral trade could rangebetween $283 billion to $327 billion, atan annual average growth rate of 10%-12.5% (as witnessed in 2017 and 2018).The assessment underscores pathwaysfor growth and economic opportunityin our bilateral ties by highlightingcurrent trends. Sectors such as defensetrade, commercial aircrafts, oil andLNG, coal, machinery and electronicsare areas of potential growth in U.S.investments and commerce into India.Similarly, Indian industry has anopportunity to promote the automotive,pharmaceuticals, seafood, IT and travelservices to the U.S. market.

The assessment was launched atUSISPF's second annual leadershipsummit, amid overwhelmingbipartisan support for U.S.-India ties.U.S. Cabinet officials in attendanceincluded: Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of theUnited States House ofRepresentatives; Rick Perry, UnitedStates Secretary of Energy; WilburRoss, U.S. Commerce Secretary; JeffreyGerrish, Deputy United States TradeRepresentative for Asia, Europe, the

Middle East, and IndustrialCompetitiveness; U.S. Senator DanSullivan (R-AK); and India'sAmbassador to the United States,Harsh Shringla. During the summit,speakers highlighted areas of bilateralcooperation, including: trade andinvestment; strategic energy ties;manufacturing, and the U.S.-Indiainnovation partnership.

Speaking at the summit, USISPFChair, John Chambers said, "PrimeMinister Modi's re-election is the startof a new era for India and US-Indiarelations. It is my honor to be inWashington, D.C. today to

commemorate the second annualUSISPF leadership summit, whereconversations with political andbusiness leaders from both countriesfocused on India's projected growth inthe coming months and years. WhileIndia's ambition to become a $5 trillioneconomy by 2025 is certainly welcomefor businesses, government, andindividual citizens in the U.S. andIndia, it is essential that we level theplaying field and stay away fromprotectionism. I am confident that wecan achieve $327 billion in bilateraltrade by 2025 if we grow at 13% everyyear. I challenge the government and

industry to work together to advancethis objective."

USISPF President and CEO MukeshAghi said, "In collaboration withgovernment and industry leaders, we aremaking tremendous strides in movingthe needle on our commercial priorities.Next week, the Atlantic Council and theForum will release a report withrecommendations to both governmentson how to advance the bilateral traderelationship. We will also releaserecommendations on growing U.S-Indiacooperation in high-technologymanufacturing sectors, such asaerospace and medical devices."

Trump secures billiondollar deal to eradicate

AIDS from US in a decadeWASHINGTON (TIP): The US has

now reached a stage wherein it caneradicate AIDS from the country in adecade, President Donald Trump hassaid. Health and Human ServicesSecretary Alex Azar told cabinetcolleagues on Tuesday that theadministration had entered into a tieup with Gilead, an Americanbiotechnology company that focusesprimarily on antiviral drugs used inthe treatment of HIV, hepatitis B,hepatitis C and influenza.

“The President secured a historicdeal to get 2,00,000 courses oftreatment per year for the next 11years of free drug for our program tobe able to treat people that keeps themfrom being able to get HIV, even if theyhave at-risk behaviours” Azar said.

The deal is worth billions of dollars,which Gilead has promised tocontribute over the next decade.“We’re really at a point where we caneradicate AIDS from the United Stateswithin 10 years,” Trump said. Termingit a “historic” agreement, Azar saidthe US has a chance to stop HIV within10 years from being an “epidemic” inthis country. “It is going to be one ofPresident Trump’s great legacies forhistory, is the eradication of HIV as anepidemic here in the United States,” headded. PTI

14 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019INDIA

TAX DEPT SEIZE RS 400 CRNOIDA PLOT BELONGING TOMAYAWATI'S BROTHER

NEW DELHI (TIP): The Income Tax Departmentsaid on Thursday it has attached a benami plot inNoida worth Rs 400 crore belonging to BSP chiefMayawati's brother Anand Kumar and his wife aheadof by-elections in Uttar Pradesh.

A senior IT official told IANS that the wealth ofAnand Kumar and his wife rose steeply between 2007to 2012, coinciding with the years Mayawati was theUttar Pradesh Chief Minister.

The official said that Anand Kumar, a businessmanwho maintains a low profile in the party, had been onthe radar of the Income Tax Department even beforethe 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections thatbrought the BJP to power.

The total properties apparently belonging toAnand Kumar and his wife are estimated at ?1,300crore.

The official revealed that Anand Kumar was theproprietor of over 12 companies and had amassed awealth of over Rs 440 crore in cash and propertiesworthRs 870 crore.

According to BSP leaders, Anand Kumar iscurrently the BSP Vice President while his sonAkash Anand is National Coordinator.

Finance Bill passed in LS, cess on petrol, diesel stays

NEW DELHI (TIP): The Lok Sabha today passedthe Finance Bill 2019 to give effect to the taxproposals for 2019-2020 with Finance MinisterNirmala Sitharaman saying the proposals wouldboost “Make in India”, less-cash economy and easethe pain of the common person.

Sitharaman, while replying to the debate on theBill, did not relax tax proposals – a demand mostOpposition MPs made. She disagreed with theOpposition suggestion of removing the cess on petroland diesel and reconsidering 2 per cent TDS onwithdrawals of more than Rs 1 crore annually.

The minister was silent on raised customs duty onnewsprint to 10 per cent. This hike was opposed byseveral Opposition MPs.

On the issue of proposed raise in tax liability onpeople earning more than Rs 2 crore a year, she saidthe proposal won’t impact Foreign PortfolioInvestors (FPIs) if they organised themselves as acompany.

“There is an option for FPIs to register as acompany. When that’s done, you don’t have a problemof tax which some members have raised,” she said,describing a trust as a taxable entity.

Ayodhya: SC seeks report on mediation by August 1

NEW DELHI (TIP): The Supreme Court today allowedthe mediation process to continue in the politicallysensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land disputecase and sought a report on its outcome by August 1.

A five-judge Constitution Bench, headed by Chief JusticeRanjan Gogoi, said after perusing the report filed by themediation panel, it will take a call on August 2 on whetherhearing is required in the case. The Bench, which perused areport about the progress of mediation process till July 18,said its contents would remain confidential as per itsearlier order.

“However, taking into account what has been brought toour notice by the said report, we now fix hearing of thecase, if required, on and from August 2,” the Bench, alsocomprising justices SA Bobde, DY Chandrachud, AshokBhushan and SA Nazeer, said.

‘UNCLE NELSON’ FIRST TOLD ME TO JOIN POLITICS,SAYS PRIYANKA ON MANDELA’S 101ST BIRTH ANNIVNEW DELHI (TIP): Calling Nelson Mandela her

inspiration and guide, Congress general secretaryPriyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday said the anti-apartheid icon told her that she ought to be in politicslong before anyone else did.

Remembering the former South African president onhis 101st birth anniversary, she said the world missesmen like Mandela more than ever today. His life was atestament to truth, love and freedom, Priyanka Gandhiadded.

"To me, he was Uncle Nelson (who told me I ought tobe in politics long before anyone else did!). He willalways be my inspiration and my guide," she tweeted.

Priyanka Gandhi also posted her photograph withMandela, captioning it, "Laughing heartily at my son'sfancy topi in 2001".

Ending years of speculation, Priyanka Gandhiformally entered politics in January with the Congressappointing her general secretary for Uttar PradeshEast.

As the Congress faces uncertainty after RahulGandhi's resignation as party chief, voices within theparty are growing in favour of Priyanka Gandhileading the party in critical times.

India submits dossier to Pak onpro-Khalistan activities on its soil

NEW DELHI (TIP): India hasconveyed to Pakistan that Sikhpilgrims visiting that country areregularly subjected to anti-Indiapropaganda and Khalistan agendaand elements based there burn thetricolour to hurt their sentiments.In a dossier given to Pakistan, NewDelhi also said a federal minister ofPakistan even eulogised slainHizbul Mujahideen terroristBurhan Wani and told the Sikhpilgrims in an address that Sikhsand Kashmiris are treated like"slaves" by the Indian government.

The four annual Indian Sikh'Jathas' that visit importantgurdwaras in Pakistan every yearunder the bilateral Protocol to visitReligious Shrines, 1974, have beenregularly subjected to anti-Indiapropaganda during their visitagainst the spirit of the visit and incomplete subversion of theobjectives of the bilateralarrangement, the 23-page dossier,accompanied by pictures, said. Thedossier, presented to Pakistanduring the recently-concludedbilateral meeting on the KartarpurSahib corridor held in Wagah, hasin its cover a picture of formergeneral secretary of Pakistan SikhGurdwara Prabandhak CommitteeGopal Singh Chawla burning theIndian flag.

"Unfortunately, a large part ofthis propaganda is perpetuatedduring the religious functionsorganised by Evacuee TrustProperty Board, Pakistan and theforum has been exploited topromote the agenda of Khalistaninstead of focusing on the religiousdiscourse," it said. Some blatantinstances of such anti-Indiapropaganda during the visits ofIndian Jathas in the recent yearswere also narrated in the dossier,accessed by PTI.

The dossier gives details ofseveral pro-Khalistan groups,including Sikhs For Justice (SFJ),operating freely in Pakistan. TheSFJ was recently banned by India.The dossier also contains picture of

Chawla's meeting with Lashkar-e-Taiba founder and Mumbai terrorattacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed. In2016, during the Guru Nanakanniversary, Sardar MohammadYousuf, Federal Minister forReligious Affairs and Harmony, inhis address at the main function inGurdwara Nankana Sahib,eulogised Burhan Wani and allegedthat the Sikhs and Kashmiris aretreated like "slaves" by the Indiangovernment, the dossier said. In thesame meeting where the Pakistanfederal minister spoke, Chawlaraised the demand of Khalistan andeven advocated violent means toachieve it.

Chawla asked the Indian Sikhpilgrims to revolt against theSupreme Court's decision in inter-state water agreement involvingPunjab and raised anti-Indiaslogans from the dias. During the'Nagar Kirtan' on November 14,2016, a pro-Khalistan group carriedbanners depicting photographs ofSikh militants Jarnail SinghBhindranwale and Subheg Singhand pro-Khalistan literature wasopenly distributed.

Pro-Khalistan radical Sikhs hadset up the usual Khalistan stage atGurdwara Nankana Sahib onNovember 14, 2016 and severalspeakers, including Chawlacriticised Indian government andraised the demand for creation ofKhalistan.

A seminar was organised onNovember 18 at Lahore on

contentious 'Nanakshahi' calendarwhere speakers accused India ofnot protecting the interests of Sikhsand Muslims and extended their fullsupport to militancy in Kashmir."Attempts were made to instigatethe Sikh pilgrims against Indiangovernment over the issues likedemonetisation, denial ofpermission for unauthorised'Sarbat Khalsa', inter-state disputeinvolving Punjab and creation ofKhalistan," the dossier said. Duringthe pilgrimage in November 2016,one Jagroop Singh alias Rupainstigated youths to carry out terrorattacks in India.

In April 2017, during 'Baisakhijathas', UK-based pro-Khalistanelement Manmohan Singh Bajajwas allowed to address the pilgrimsin Gurdwara Panja Sahib where heraised pro-Khalistan slogans andunequivocally stated that he wasfighting for the cause of Khalistan.During the main function, manyposters of secessionist campaign'Referendum 2020', 'Get Ready ForReferendum 2020' were permitted tobe prominently displayed at thepremises of Panja Sahib gurdwaraand Bhindranwale's posters withslogans like 'Be Khalsa, GetKhalistan' were displayed.

During the birth anniversarycelebration of Guru Nanak Dev inNovember 2017, pro-Khalistanposters and banners were openlyand prominently displayed atvarious gurdwaras wherever thepilgrims visited.

15THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019 INDIA

AFTER ICJ VERDICT, INDIACALLS FOR JADHAV RELEASE

NEW DELHI (TIP): India on Thursday called onPakistan to immediately release Kulbhushan Jadhav,on death row following his conviction on charges ofespionage, in view of the International Court ofJustice’s ruling, asking for a review of the formernaval officer’s sentence.

The Hague-based top court of the United Nationsdeclared on Wednesday that Pakistan had violatedJadhav’s rights under the Vienna Convention onConsular Relations, and called for an effective reviewand reconsideration of the death sentence given tohim by a military court.

In a statement made in both houses of Parliament,external affairs minister S Jaishankar said Jadhavwas innocent of the charges levelled against him anda forced confession without legal representation anddue process wouldn’t change this fact.

“We, once again call upon Pakistan to release andrepatriate him forthwith... I can assure that thegovernment will vigorously continue its efforts toensure Shri Jadhav’s safety and well-being as well ashis early return to India,” he said.

Jadhav, 49, was sentenced to death about a yearafter he was arrested in Balochistan in March 2016on charges of involvement in spying and subversiveactivities. After India petitioned the ICJ in May 2017,the court directed Pakistan to stay Jadhav’sexecution.

In its ruling on Wednesday, the ICJ said thecontinued stay of Jadhav’s execution was an“indispensible condition” for the review of hisconviction at a forum of Pakistan’s choice.

Pakistani officials have said they will proceedaccording to the country’s laws. Prime MinisterImran Khan tweeted on Thursday: “Appreciate ICJ’sdecision not to acquit, release & return CommanderKulbhushan Jadhav to India. He is guilty of crimesagainst the people of Pakistan. Pakistan shallproceed further as per law.”

Jaishankar said Jadhav continued to be inPakistan’s “illegal custody” after being sentenced todeath sentence on “fabricated charges”. The ICJ’sjudgment is a vindication for India, Jadhav and allwho believe in rule of law, he added.

Noting that the ICJ had made it clear its judgmentis “final, binding and without appeal”, externalaffairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told anews briefing: “We expect Pakistan to implement thedirective immediately without any further delay.”

The verdict went in India’s favour on eight pointscited by the ICJ, either through a unanimousdecision or majority decisions by the 16-judge bench,he said. These points include the jurisdiction of theICJ, the admissibility of India’s petition and theviolation of Jadhav’s rights under the ViennaConvention.

Kumar said Pakistan must now grant consularaccess to Jadhav and conduct an effective review ofhis case.

Asked about claims in Pakistan that the verdicthad gone in Islamabad’s favour, he said, “It seems tome they are reading from a completely differentverdict. Each and every point was ruled in favour ofIndia and there is no confusion. I think they havetheir own compulsions as to why they have to lie totheir own people.” Source: HT

Dosas, floor beds in BJP’sKarnataka assembly sleepover

BENGALURU (TIP): Upping theante, about 100 Bharatiya JanataParty (BJP) legislators are sleepingin the Karnataka Assembly fromThursday night to protest againstthe delay in taking the floor test byChief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamyon the confidence motion he movedon Thursday to prove that hisCongress-JD-S coalitiongovernment has majority.

“About 100 of our MLAs are on anovernight stay in the Assemblyprecincts after Speaker KR RameshKumar abruptly adjourned theHouse without the trust vote despiteGovernor Vajubhai Vala directingthe latter to hold it by the end of theday7,” party’s state unit spokesmanG Madhusudan told IANS.

The legislators had ‘masala dosa’and curd rice for supper in theassembly lounges. Many went to

sleep early after a long day in theHouse due to heated exchanges andacrimonious scenes in the House, asthe ruling combine was reportedlydelayed in going through the crucialvote.

Though most of the partylawmakers have been staying at aresort on the city’s northwestsuburb since July 12 when the 10-day monsoon session began, theyare overnight staying to ensure thefloor test is conducted on Friday by1.30 p.m. as Vala directed the ChiefMinster.

As many of them didn’t havepillows and bedsheets, some rebelsbought them from nearby shops tosleep on the floor on bedsheets andrest their heads on soft pillows for asound sleep.

“We will not budge from theAssembly till the confidence motion

is put to vote for the floor test toprove the ruling allies have themajority of the House,” a BJPlawmaker told IANS on thecondition of anonymity.

Some of the legislators watched amovie on TV sets in the lobby wherethey were shown before going tosleep, others were in seriousdiscussions over the strategy to beadopted for the Friday trust vote.

The legislators have decided to goback to resort or their rooms in theadjacent Legislature Home on earlyFriday and return to the Assemblyfor the session from 11 am. toresume the inconclusive debate onthe motion.

With the Governor writing to theChief Minister to prove majority inthe House by 1.30 p.m. on Friday,uncertainty continues to dog thelegislators.

As many of them didn’t have pillows and bedsheets, some rebels bought them from nearby shops to sleep on the floor onbedsheets and rest their heads on soft pillows for a sound sleep.

India on Thursday called on Pakistan to immediatelyrelease Kulbhushan Jadhav.

ARMY MONITORING CHINESE ACTIVITIES ONDOKLAM PLATEAU: DEFENCE MINISTRY REPORTNEW DELHI (TIP): India and

China have reduced their presenceon the Doklam plateau post thedisengagement in 2017, but theIndia Army is monitoring Chineseactivities in the area and isadequately prepared to respond toany contingency, the DefenceMinistry said in a report.

In its annual report 2018-19, theministry also said that Pakistanshould take "credible andirreversible" steps to stopsupporting terrorists and terrorgroups operating from territoriesunder its control and dismantleinfrastructure operated by them.

It said India will continue to take"robust and decisive" steps toensure its national security.

Following the disengagement onAugust 28, 2017, after a 72-daystandoff at Doklam, Indian andChinese troops were redeployedaway from their respectivepositions. This year, the number ofChinese transgressions haveconsiderably reduced, so has thefaceoffs, aggressive interactionsduring such instances.

"(But) the Indian Army iscontinuously monitoring Chineseactivities in the area and isadequately prepared to respond toany contingency," the defenceministry report said. It noted thatthe situation along the India-Chinaborder has remained peaceful.

There are a few areas along theborder where there are differing

perceptions of the Line of ActualControl. Both sides patrol up totheir respective perceptions of LAC,it added. The standoff at Charding-Ninglung Nallah (CNN) junction ineastern Ladakh due to constructionof a benign track and the constantrasing of construction of atemporary operating base inArunachal Pradesh by India werethe only two instances where therewas a major difference of opinionbetween the two sides.

"Post Wuhan Summit, there hasbeen an increase in the number offlag meetings. This may beattributed to intent of resolvingoutstanding issues throughdiscussions at various levels," thereport said.

16 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019THEATER

McNally’s ‘Frankie and Johnny’ McNally HonoredLGBTQ Community, Stonewall-50 Commemorated

By Mabel PaisGet swept off your feet at Terrence McNally's "Frankie

and Johnny In The Clair De Lune." It's one evening oftheater you'll never forget!

AUDRA MCDONALD, Tony (six-time), Grammy (two-time), and Emmy Award Winner and MICHAELSHANNON Academy (two-time) Award Nominee star inthe new Broadway production of Four-Time Tony AwardWinner TERRENCE McNALLY's "FRANKIE ANDJOHNNY IN THE CLAIR DE LUNE." The Play is directedby Obie Award winner ARIN ARBUS making herBroadway debut.

This new Broadway production of the play celebratesthe artistic achievements of playwright Terrence McNally,recipient of the 2019 Tony Award for LifetimeAchievement in the Theatre, whose career spans sixdecades, director Arin Arbus in her Broadway debut, andstars Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon in their firstcollaboration. The play is produced by Tom Kirdahy,Debbie Bisno and Hunter Arnold. It is playing at theBroadhurst Theatre, 235 West 44th Street, on Broadway.

"Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune" runs untilSunday, July 28, 2019.

Originally produced more than 30 years ago Off-Broadway, "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune" isone of McNally's most acclaimed plays and has nowappeared on Broadway as the playwright celebrated his80th birthday. The play was a runaway hit from 1987 to1989, returned to Broadway in a highly praised productionin 2002 and was also turned into a feature film.

Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon two of the mostacclaimed actors of their generation, bring new life to thebruised dreamers of Terrence McNally's timely andtimeless romance. Director Arin Arbus directs thisportrait of two lonely souls: a waitress and a short ordercook who meet for a one-night-stand-but discover aconnection deeper than they ever expected. Over a nightfilled with intimate thoughts and outlandish coincidences,meatloaf sandwiches and moonlit dreams, piano suitesand the sweetest talk, they realize that making love is easy-falling in love is hard.

Aside from Claude Debussy's "Clair de Lune" music, weare treated to excerpts from Bach, Scriabin, Shostakovichand Wagner. The creative team includes RiccardoHernandez(Sets), Emily Rebholz (Costumes), NatashaKatz(Lighting), Nevin Steinberg (Sound), J. Jared Janas(Hair, Wig and Makeup), Laurie Goldfeder (Production StageManager) and 101 Productions, Ltd. (General Manager).

Category: Broadway, Comedy/Drama, PlayPerformance Time: 2 hrs. 15 min.Closing Date: July 28, 2019Venue: Broadhurst Theater, 235 W 44th St.

For more information visit FrankieAndJohnnyBroadway.comFollow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube at@FandJBwayTickets are available at FrankieAndJohnnyBroadway.com orTelecharge.com at 212 239 6200.

About Terrence McNally“(Terrence [McNally] is able to get to the coreof the human condition.) I defy you to name another playwright who cando that" - Audra McDonald

Terrence McNally, born November 3, 1938 at St.Petersburg, Florida, U.S.A, is an American playwright,librettist (writer of books for musicals), and screenwriter.He grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas. His career spans sixdecades. His works explore human relationships-frequently those of gay men-and are typicallycharacterized by dark humor. His parents, both from NewYork, liked Broadway shows and took him with them onoccasional trips to New York, where Terrence saw his firstmusicals at age eight. McNally knew from childhood thathe was gay, started college at Columbia University beforeturning seventeen, and began his literary career early. Hewrote and copy-edited for his high school newspaper. It wasa high school English teacher who encouraged him to

become a writer, and he never forgot her.After graduation from Columbia in 1960, McNally

worked as a newspaper reporter, became a tutor for theteenage sons of the American novelist John Steinbeckwhile the family traveled the world during the last days ofocean liners, and worked as a stage manager at The ActorsStudio. In 1965, he had his first Broadway play produced(and his first flop), "And Things That Go Bump in theNight," which featured an openly gay character.Undaunted, he proceeded to write a string of progressivelymore successful plays and musicals in an amazinglyprolific career that's well into its sixth decade.

His three dozen plays included "Bad Habits" (produced1971), "The Ritz" (originally produced as "The Tubs," 1973;film 1976), and "Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune"(produced 1987; film 1991) "The Lisbon Traviata" (1989). In1995 McNally won a Tony Award for best play, for "Love!

Valour! Compassion!" (film 1997), and "Master Class" (1995)one of several works he wrote about opera. Among hislater plays were Deuce, which opened on Broadway in 2007,and "Golden Age," which followed in 2012.

In his play "Mothers and Sons" (2014), McNallyexamined a mother coming to terms with her late son'shomosexuality and with society's evolving understandingof what constitutes a family. "Fire and Air" (2018) is aboutthe "Ballets Russes" and founder Serge Diaghilev'srelationship with "Vaslav Nijinsky."

The dozen musicals for which McNally wrote thelibretto include "Kiss of the Spider Woman" (1992) and"Ragtime" (1996). His corpus of work also includes severalopera librettos and movie screenplays. McNally's librettosfor "Kiss of the Spider Woman" and "Ragtime" won himTony Awards in 1993 and 1998, respectively. Additionalcredits as a librettist included "The Full Monty" (produced2000), "Catch Me if You Can" (produced 2011), and "TheVisit" (produced 2001). He earned an additional Tonynomination for a 2015 revival of the latter musical. In 2019,he received a Tony for lifetime achievement.

Doc on McNally's Life, LGBTQ ActivismAs part of the many events in New York City to

commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the StonewallUprising, Pride and Resistance of the LGBTQ Community,PBS aired the new documentary: American Masters -"Terrence McNally: Every Act of Life." The seriespremiered nationwide on June 14 on PBS,pbs.org/americanmasters and the PBS Video app in honorof LGBT Pride Month. "Every Act of Life" lifts the curtainon the life, career and inspirations of the complicated andbrilliant Emmy-and-four-time Tony Award-winningMcNally, explores past productions of Frankie and Johnnyin the Clair de Lune and features original interviews withTerrence McNally and Audra McDonald.

In the documentary, McNally speaks plainly about hisrelationships with his lovers, beginning with EdwardAlbee, who was writing "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"when they met, and moving on to a serious romantic affairwith the late playwright Wendy Wasserstein. He ismarried to theater producer Tom Kirdahy.

Having survived grueling treatment for lung cancer,McNally is currently working on three plays. Howfortunate for him, and for us, that he disregardedSteinbeck's heartfelt suggestion: "Don't become aplaywright. It'll break your heart."

McNally's brother Peter is interviewed in depth in thefilm and offers thoughtful words about their childhood.The many show biz talking heads, including AudraMcDonald, F. Murray Abraham, Christine Baranski, TyneDaly, Nathan Lane, and Billy Porter, all have fascinatingstories to tell. "Every Act of Life" is available as a DVD.

The Actors Studio where McNally worked as a stagemanager, is the prestigious professional actors' workshopin New York City whose members have been among themost influential performers in American theatre and filmsince World War II. It was founded in New York City in1947 by directors Cheryl Crawford, Elia Kazan, and RobertLewis. It is one of the leading centers for the Stanislavskymethod of dramatic training. For more information onThe Actors Studio, visit theactorsstudio.org.

(Mabel Pais writes on the Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues,Spirituality, and Health & Wellness.

She can be reached at mabelep1406@gmail.com)

"Two of the best performances on Broadway. Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon'schemistry burns up the stage"

The Daily Beast"Superb! As hilarious as it is touching" -

The Hollywood Reporter

Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon

Photo / Deen van Meer

Arin Arbus (director) with Terrence McNally (playwright)

Photo / Jenny Anderson

Left to right: Arin Arbus, Michael Shannon, Terrence McNally,Audra McDonald

Photo / Courtesy, Polk & Co

17THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019 ADVERTISEMENT

POOJA BATRA MARRIES NAWABSHAH IN HUSH-HUSH

CEREMONY, SHARES PHOTOS

SUNNY LEONELAUNCHES ECO-FRIENDLY COSMO-TECH LINE

Bollywood actress Sunny Leone isexpanding her base as anentrepreneur. After launching

perfume, cosmetic and lingerie lines inthe past, she will now sell eco-friendlycosmo-tech products.

"Not only am I foraying into a newindustry altogether, but this project isgoing to be environment-friendly as well.I think it's high time we realize ourresponsibility towards mother earth and Iam more than happy to contribute in anyway possible," said Sunny about thebrand called Xcentric.

The products will be under the actress'sbeauty and cosmetic brand, Star Struck.Sunny hopes her new venture "will strikea chord with women all around theworld".

Sunny's new brand will create eco-friendly cosmo-tech products includinghair-dryers, curlers, epilators, wrinklereducers and blackhead removers.

This is not the first time that Sunny isexploring a business opportunity. Apartfrom Star Struck, Sunny has alsolaunched a perfume brand named Lust inthe past, and a lingerie brand calledInfamous.

She also started a play school fortoddlers named D'Art Fusion, along withhusband Daniel Weber.

Currently, the actress is busy with the11th season of the TV show, MTVSplitsvilla.

In Bollywood, she has special itemdances coming up in "Arjun Patiala" and"Jhoota Kahin Ka". She will also be seenin south Indian films such as"Veeramadevi" and "Helen".

Days after Pooja Batra and NawabShah tied the knot in a secretwedding, the photos from the low-

key but classy ceremony are out. Thecouple married on July 4 in a privateceremony in Delhi, which was attendedonly by family members.

The photos from the wedding are outon social media now. Pooja is seendressed in a green saree with blush pinkdupatta covering her head while Nawabis in a beige kurta-pyjama with a turbanon his head. In another photo shared byPooja, they can be seen in traditionaloutfits again – perhaps for a reception.Both are twinning in grey -- while it is alehenga for Pooja, Nawab is wearing amatching sherwani.

Speaking to Bombay Times, the TigerZinda Hai actor said he wanted to marryPooja as soon as he met her. “One has tobe ready to experience something likethis, and I guess, Pooja and I were in thatspace. It was as if we were destined to betogether. We didn’t want to think aboutit too much and delay it (marriage) anyfurther. Both of us have gone throughvarious phases in life and have maturedover the years. When I reconnected withher, a relationship wasn’t on my mind.However, at this stage in life, you feel thevoid of not having a companion. Poojaentered my life like sunshine and I wassure that I wanted to spend the rest ofmy life with her. In fact, I wanted tomarry her right after our first meeting,”he said in the interview.

Pooja had earlier told the daily,

“Nawab and I exchanged vows inDelhi, with only our families inattendance. Our loved ones keptasking us why we were delaying it (themarriage). I was simply going withthe flow, but then I realised that he is

the man I want to spend the rest of mylife with, and there is no point indelaying it any further. So, here weare. We had an Arya Samaj wedding,and we will register our marriage thisweek.”

18 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019BOLLYWOOD

KATRINA KAIF SHARES BIRTHDAY PICIN SWIMSUIT FROM MEXICO

Actor Katrina Kaif is celebrating her birthday in Mexicowith her friends and family. The actor, who turns 36 onTuesday, shared yet another sun-kissed picture from

the beach destination.Katrina’s birthday click shows her posing in front of the

deep blue see in a white bikini and sarong with tassels. Thesunlight falls lightly on her face as she strikes a sultryexpression. She captioned the picture with a cake emoji, theMexican national flag and a yellow heart emoji.

Her many colleagues from Bollywood wished her on herbirthday in the comments but it was Arjun Kapoor’scomments that stood out. “U’ve basically gone for aphotoshoot,” he commented on the picture. However, hequickly realised that maybe he should be kinder to Katrina onher birthday. “Ok on ur birthday I shall be nice Katrina. Havea super birthday ur a mad kind goofy soul and I love u becauseof ur nonsense not despite it,” he wrote in another comment.

Shweta Bachchan wrote, “Happy days always gorgeous”.Fashion designer Manish Malhotra wrote, “Gorgeous andsuper hot .. happy birthday.” Rapper Badshan and singerGuru Randhawa also wished Katrina. Actor Alia Bhatt shareda picture of the two on her Instagram Stories to wish her.“Happiest birthday dearest Katy! May you laugh and dance allday...shine and smile all year and give us body goals yourwhole life,” she wrote with the picture.

Katrina is on a four-day vacation in Mexico. She had earliershared two more pictures from her holiday on Instagram. Onepicture showed her posing next to a pillar in a swimsuit.Arjun commented, “Watch where you going girl! Hope youdidn’t walk into the pillar while posing. “I’ll be careful,”Katrina replied.

She recently launched herlingerie brand too. Another

recent venture is a one-of-its-kind playschool for toddlers,

which she has opened along with her husband

Daniel Weber

SCARLETT JOHANSSON CLARIFIESHER COMMENTS ON POLITICALLY

CORRECT CASTING

Emma Stone in talks tojoin ‘La La Land’ directorDamien Chazelle’s next

Damien Chazelle, the American-French director who helmed 'La LaLand', is ready with another feature

film, titled 'Babylon', and actor EmmaStone is in talks to hop onboard.

While the director has not yet shared theplot details of the film, according to anAmerican entertainment magazine, thestory will take place during the transitionfrom silent films to talkies. Much like'Once upon a time in Hollywood', the filmwill feature a blend of real-life andfictional characters.

Meanwhile, Emma Stone will be nextseen in Disney's 'Cruella'. Set in the early1980s, Stone will play the role of infamousfashionista villain Cruella De Vil, whohates dogs and covets the furs of 101Dalmatian pups to design a perfect coat forherself.

Ryan Reynolds teams up withGal Gadot, Dwayne Johnson

for Netflix’s heist thriller

Ryan Reynolds has joined GalGadot and Dwayne Johnson inaction heist thriller Red

Notice.The film, which was earlier setat Universal Pictures, is now movingforward at Netflix, reported Deadline.

A major coup for the streamingservice, the Rawson Marshall Thurber-directed movie will start production in2020.Gadot and Johnson were attachedwith the project when Universalacquired the project as a pitch earlyfollowing a bidding battle last year, onewhere Netflix came in second.

But Universal announced Mondaythat it will now release an untitled filmin place of the previously announced

November 13, 2020 debut of Red Notice.According to Deadline, after Thurberdrafted his pitch into a screenplay witha budget, the filmmakers sensedhesitation from Universal in a meetinglate last month.

When Thurber’s finished script wasshown to Netflix 10 days ago, thestreaming platform committed toeverything the filmmakers deliveredand a complex deal was brokeredduring the holiday break.

Thurber has earlier directedJohnson in Central Intelligence andSkyscraper and Gadot will re-teamwith her Fast and Furious co-starJohnson on the project.

19THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019 HOLLYWOOD

The Duchess of Sussex, MeghanMarkle and pop singer Beyonceattended the London premiere of

The Lion King and immediately bondedwith each other.

Beyonce sported a custom off-the-shoulder gold pleated gown with a thigh-high slit by Cong Tri, paired with fancycoloured diamond Lorraine Schwartzearrings and diamond rings, as shewalked the film’s red carpet at LeicesterSquare Gardens with her husband Jay-Z,reported People.

The singer voices Nala in theupcoming remake of the beloved 1994Disney film.While, Meghan has walkedplenty of red carpets as an actor earlier,this marked her first film premiere as a

royal. The Duchess of Sussex wore asemi-sheer Jason Wu black dress, pairedwith Aquazzura slingback heels and ablack Gucci clutch. She was accompaniedby her husband Prince Harry, who rockeda classic tuxedo for the event.

They were spotted talking to Beyonceand her husband. The ladies seemedhappy around each other and hugged itout immediately. This marked the firsttime they have been captured togetherand is believed to be the first time thatthey have met, reported E! News.

Harry kissed Beyonce on both cheeksin greeting and Jay-Z told Meghan andHarry, congrats for welcoming their sonArchie Harrison, who was born twomonths ago.

Beyonce meets Meghan Markle at The Lion King premiere

One year after actor Scarlett Johansson decidedto exit upcoming film Rub and Tug following thebacklash she received for being cast as a

transgender man, the star made headlines for a newinterview in which she spoke about politically correctcasting and stated that she should “be allowed to playany person.”

The 34-year-old actor clarified her comments madein the interview in a statement to EntertainmentWeekly on Sunday, via her representative, claiming“An interview that was recently published has beenedited for clickbait and is widely taken out of context.”

“The question I was answering in my conversationwith the contemporary artist, David Salle, was aboutthe confrontation between political correctness andart,” Johansson said of her interview with As IfMagazine that was published earlier this month.

“I personally feel that, in an ideal world, any actorshould be able to play anybody and art, in all forms,should be immune to political correctness. That is thepoint I was making, albeit didn’t come across thatway,” she added.

“I recognize that in reality, there is a wide-spreaddiscrepancy amongst my industry that favoursCaucasian, cisgendered actors and that not every actorhas been given the same opportunities that I have beenprivileged to. I continue to support, and always have,diversity in every industry and will continue to fightfor projects where everyone is included,” shecontinued.

BY I.S. SALUJA / BIDISHA ROY

Icould not have been more blessed than when I got acall from my friend Prem Bhandari, President ofJaipur Foot USA, the organization which is known

worldwide for providing artificial foot across the globe,to interview Acharya Shri Chandana Ji, popularlyknown as Tai Maharaj at another friend, Kanak Golia'shouse in Manhasset, Long Island , New York. I haveknown Kanak and his lovely wife Prabha as deeplyspiritual and philanthropic who have always welcomedspiritual masters and lent their support toorganizations and individuals working for thebetterment of humanity.

An hour spent in conversation with Acharya jirevealed a person who is a harbinger of hope and peace.Her tremendous work in spiritual and social spheressets her apart from many traditional spiritual gurus.One cannot but marvel her courage in undertaking toeducate children in Naxalite areas of Bihar, at a gravethreat and risk to her life. She simply transformed thethinking of Naxals and provided their children theeducation which brought them respectability andhappiness.

Here are some excerpts from the interview.Q. At the age of 83 plus you are still soactive - so busy with your social work andyou travel a lot. How do you get thestrength?

Ans. The people for whom I work - their love, bestwishes and happiness are my strength. If you go to theseaside when it's raining - and you hold your palmsproperly, water will pour in. If you do the opposite - itwon't. I kept my palms that way to get the water. I amdoing this since my childhood. I always loved to do goodthings in life. I even didn't hesitate to steal food from myhome for the poor kids around me. I got scolded for that,but I remained the same. If any underprivileged needssomething I'll do it for the person. For someone's good,telling lie is not a sin for me. If you are doing wrong toharm someone, then it's a sin but if it is for good causethen it's a virtue. If your thoughts are right, then you can'tget wrong. Is it a sin if you are plucking fruits from a treeto feed a hungry? Are you doing injustice to the tree? No.

Q. You do various kinds of social work forpoor, disadvantaged people for changingtheir lives for good and are successful indoing so. You have done a lot for theireducation. What is your experience in theeducation sector?

Ans. If you look at the world today - there is an oceanof jobs to be done. In my country I chose Rajgir in Bihar.I started with primary school, then high school andthen college. Right now, there are 10,000 students arestudying in my schools in various parts of India. I triedto go places where getting education was really tough. Itwas not an easy job. Gaining trust of people was verydifficult. I worked in the Naxalite area. It's been twentyyears, but I am doing social work for last forty years. Wehave schools in Gujarat and Rajasthan and Nepal aswell. In total we are working in 25 places. My missionwas to do quality job. From infrastructure to education- I wanted to ensure best quality for my students. Theyshould not feel that they are being deprived or notgetting proper treatment just because they are poor.Now our students are coming at top 10 at CBSE exams.

F or several worldwide, Acharya Chandana ji is somuch more than a religious leader because shestrongly believes that religion is not about

finding Moksha but about striving to resolve theeveryday challenges of people and bring peace to theirlives. Most importantly, she vehemently focuses onserving people rather than preaching aboutcompassion.

Regarded as one of the rarest, most precious souls inthe history of Jain spirituality,Acharya ShriChandanaji, known to the world as Tai Maharaj, is thevision of peacewho believes "Religion accepts life in itsentirety. To work towards getting rid of any physical ormental suffering is true religion. Service is no differentfrom spirituality, service is spirituality."

She embraced diksha (renunciation of the materialworld) at the tender age of 14. As a Sadhvi, she also tooka vow of silence, one that lasted 12 years. When the seedfor a cause such as Veerayatan was sowed in her heartand mind, she first questioned why Sadhus and Sadhviscould not physically contribute in making a difference

to society.A clairvoyant and thinking leader, Tai Maharaj then

decided to add onto the traditional Jain school ofthought. She began her journey to tangibly uplift andimpact those facing everyday challenges of survival.

Simply clad in a white sari, always accompanied by asmile on her face, Tai Maharaj unrestrictedly showersher blessings and kindness. She is a ray of sunshine inthe sorrow-struck lives of millions. You may spot her onthe dusty ground of Bihar, surrounded by the poor andsick, and you'll see how she warms the cockles of theirhearts. Or you may see her walking confidently on thedelicate rubble of earthquake-shattered Kutch, her armaround an orphan, pain in her eyes, as she swiftlyfacilitates shelter for those who lost their families andhope to Mother Nature.

In 1973, she founded Veerayatan that stands on thethree pillars of Seva (service to humanity), Shiksha(education for all), and Sadhana (self-development) toinspire and empower lives.

But as all beginnings go, the inception of Veerayatanwas riddled with challenges for its founder. AcharyaShriji had to alter mindsets, and gain the confidence,trust, and belief of people to justify her hands-on workfor the greater good. For her, the unconditionalteachings of love by Tirthankar Mahavir and Gurudevwere not just ritualistic. They had to be spread, shared,and sown; Veerayatan was born.

Veerayatan was founded with the mission to directlywork towards the care of humanity through health,education, and spirituality without distinction.Veerayatan is actively enabling meaningful projectsacross the globe. Acharya Shriji envisions theorganization's efforts to grow in leaps and bounds in thefuture.

Veerayatan comprises:

Seva Mandirs, which include medical camps, eyesurgeries, and post-surgery care for the mostunderserved populace.

Schools, colleges, hostels, and vocational trainingthat aim to empower masses with an earning abilityand skill.

20 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019PERSONALITY

Harbinger of Hope and PeaceAcharya Shri Chandana Ji First-ever Jain Sadhvi to receive the title of "Acharya"

Acharya Shri Chandana Ji answers questions from Prof. IndrajitS Saluja, editor of The Indian Panorama

CONTD ON PAGE 21

Acharya ji giving her blessings to Kanak andPrabha Golia at their residence Also seen is

Sanghamitra Ji

Rehabilitation and emergency reliefprograms in the wake of naturalcalamities.

Brahmi Kala Mandir: An art gallerycomprising inventive media to betterunderstand life, culture, and religion.

Guest houses and libraries.Prayer halls, spiritual retreats, and

inspirational programs for all agegroups.

Veerayatan has many internationalchapters as well including a USA chapter.Veerayatan International USA wasfounded in 1996 with inspiration fromAcharyashri Chandanaji and throughthe dedication of Dr. Nayan Shah fromHughesville, Maryland.

Under Acharya Ji's visionaryleadership, along with Sadhviji'sdedication and through the support ofhundreds of volunteers and patrons,Veerayatan International USA has beenable to serve thousands of people acrossthe globe. Veerayatan Internationalworks with organizations such as JAINA(Federation of Jain Associations inNorth America) to support its Mission.

The USA chapter Board of Trustees:Dr. Nayan Shah (Chair), Mr. Amar Shah,Dr. Kiran Patel, Dr. Kiran Mehta, Mr.Mukesh Turakhia, Mr. Jainesh Mehta,Dr. Vinod Shah

Executive Committee:President: Chair Mr. Mukesh Turakhia

Vice President: Chair Mrs. Punita Shah

Secretary: Chair Mr. Yogesh Bapna .

Treasurer: Chair Mr. Satish Shah .

Public Relations Chair: Mr. Mukesh Gandhi

Seva, Shiksha, Sadhna Chair: Mrs. PrabhaGolia

Youth Committee Chair: Ms. Nidhi Turakhia

Key Supporters include Mr. KanakGolia, Mr. Bhupendra Mukim, Mr. AshokSancheti, Mr. Prem Bhandari, Ms.Sampurna, Ms. Mangla, Mr. ChintuPatel, Mr. Nilesh & Preeti Mehta, Mr.Ambrish - Rupa Shah and many more.

The primary activities of the UScommittee include

● Creating awareness of theVeerayatan Mission (Seva - Service toHumanity, Siksha - Education andSadhana - spiritual upliftment) in theNorth America community includingat key events like Jaina, etc.

● Hosting large seminar gatherings inmultiple US cities during the visit ofAcharya Shri Chandana Ji and otherSadhvis

● Identifying, sponsoring and raisingfunds for Seva, Siksha and Sadhanaprojects including large capitalexpenditure projects like hospital,school, religious scholar traininginstitution; and small projects likesponsoring to educate a child,conduct an eye operation, etc.

● Expanding and maintainingrelationship with the Veerayatancommunity in North America, andcoordinating activities with otherglobal centers

Despite being 83 years old, AcharyaShriji visits USA at least once a year. Shewas the keynote speaker at the JainaConference held in July in Los Angeles.During this visit she held seminars inmultiple cities including Seva, Sikshaand Sadhana Seminar in IndianConsulate in New York that was

sponsored by Shri Kanak - Prabha Golia,Chair of Seva, Siksha and Sadhana andthe event was attended by large numberof people from the tri-state region.

Acharya ji is the inextinguishableforce behind the revolution in Jainreligious history by introducing theconcept of compassion in action to therenounced community. Leading byexample, she inspired these people toactively engage in social work for thebetterment of humanity.

A receiver of many firsts such as thetitle of Acharya, she went on to establishthis additional branch of Jainism for thefirst time in its history.

A true source of inspiration tohumanity, she has been bestowed withmany awards and honors for herundying focus on doing good. Here are afew of them:● 18th August 2012: Vishva Vibhuti

Award by Param Pujya Shri JayantiMuniji Maharaj.

● 20th October 2008: NagariAbhinandan by Koshi Region Peoplefor the service of mankind in floodaffected areas.

● JAINA Convention 2007: JAINAPresidential Award for the exemplarywork Veerayatan has done inspreading the work of Lord Mahavirto one and all through compassion,education, non-violence, etc.

● 15th August 2004: Woman of the YearAward by Jnr. Chamber, Marine Line,Mumbai for the motherhoodepitomized by Acharya Shriji.

● 5th September 2002: Shri Devi AhilyaNational Award - It was presented atIndore by Smt. Sumitra Mahajan,Central Minister, for the services tothe mankind in the field of health,education, population, pollutionprotection, natural calamitiesthrough Veerayatan.

● 28-31 August 2000: Millennium WorldPeace Summit of religious andspiritual leaders held in UNO.Acharya Shriji represented the Jaindelegation in the summit fromdifferent nations. Her valuable ideasfor eradication of poverty on aninternational level became thesubject of discussion among the morethan 1200 strong delegation.

● 8th November 1995: MahaveerFoundation Award for excellence inpropagating non-violence, truth,vegetarianism, education, medicine,community, and social service. It waspresented by K R Narayanan, Vice-President of India with a gift of Rs500,000.

● 1987: The title of "Acharya" given byPujya Rashtrasant Amar Muniji. Shebecame the first-ever Jain Sadhvi toreceive this prestigious accolade inthe Jain community since the time ofLord Mahavir (2600 years). Sheaccepted it as respect towards womenand to establish the mindset that anycapable individual, Sadhu or Sadhvi,could be a high priest.

● 1987: Sant Balaji Award● 1987: Sangali Jan Seva Award

Acharya Chandana Ji has surely madethe worlda better place to live in. Hertremendous contribution intransforming the social fabric in manyparts of India will be better understoodwith the passage of time.

21THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019 PERSONALITY

CONTD FROM PAGE 20

Mrs. & Mr. Chintu Patel seeking blessings of Acharya Ji

Acharya Shri Chandana Ji giving a gift to Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, editor of The Indian Panorama

Prem Bhandari, Kanak Golia and Prabha Golia are among the group of devotees to seek Acharya Ji's blessings. Also seen is Acharya ji's constantcompanion Sanghamitra ji.

22 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019WORLD

Iran Guards seizeforeign oil tanker

TEHRAN (TIP): Iran’sRevolutionary Guards said onJuly 18 they had detained a“foreign tanker” and its crew forallegedly smuggling fuel in theGulf.

The tanker was seized onSunday “south of the (Iranian)island of Larak” in the strategicStrait of Hormuz, the force’sSepahnews website said. Theguards did not detail the name orprovenance of the vessel.

“With a capacity of two millionbarrels and 12 foreign crew onboard, the vessel was en route todeliver contraband fuel receivedfrom Iranian boats to foreignships in farther regions when itwas intercepted,” the force said.The announcement comes twodays after Iran said it had come tothe aid of a foreign tanker afterreceiving a distress call -- makingno mention of the vessel beingseized.

“Iranian forces approached itand using a tugboat brought itinto Iranian waters for necessaryrepairs,” foreign ministryspokesman Abbas Mousavi said.— AFP

Manchesterbomber’s brotherappears in UK courtcharged with murder

LONDON (TIP): The brother ofthe suicide bomber who blewhimself up in a deadly 2017 attackin the northern city ofManchester appeared in a Londoncourt on July 18 after hisextradition from Libya.

Hashem Abedi, 22, who returnedto the UK on Wednesday, appearedat Westminster Magistrates’ Courtcharged with the murder of the 22people who died in the explosion,attempted murder and conspiracyto cause an explosion.

His lawyer said he would bedenying the charges.

Wearing glasses and a greytracksuit, Abedi stood to confirmhis name, date of birth and toconfirm he currently had no fixedaddress.

When asked for his nationality,he replied “British”.

His older brother Salman Abediblew himself up at the end of ashow by US singer Ariana Grandeat the Manchester Arena twoyears ago.

Zafar Ali, representing Abedi,said his client denied all thecharges and had not opposed hisextradition back to the UKbecause he wanted to clear hisname. Abedi will next appear viavideo-link at Oxford Crown Courton July 22 for a bail hearing. Apre-trial hearing will take place atthe Old Bailey court in London onJuly 30. — Reuters

Arson attack on Japanese animation studio kills 33

TOKYO (TIP): A man shouted “die”as he doused an animation studio withfuel and set it ablaze in Japan on July 18,public broadcaster NHK said, killing atleast 33 people in the nation’s worst massmurder in nearly two decades.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called theattack in the city of Kyoto - the latestgrisly killing in a nation widely knownfor its low crime rates - “too appalling forwords” on Twitter and offeredcondolences.

Police detained a 41-year-old man whohad shouted “die” as he poured whatappeared to be petrol around the three-storey Kyoto Animation building shortlyafter 10 am, public broadcaster NHKreported.

Thirty-three people were confirmeddead, an official for the Kyoto City FireDepartment said.

Fire engulfed the building as whiteand black smoke billowed from itscharred windows. It was Japan’s worstmass killing since a suspected arsonattack on a Tokyo building in 2001. ShiroMisaki, a 47-year-old owner of aneighbourhood bar five minutes fromthe studio, said he was driving nearbywhen he saw the thick smoke.“Policemen were stopping traffic and itwas really hazy with smoke,” he said.“Even after I got back to my restaurant Icould smell the smoke.”

The Prime Minister said the cause wasarson.”Today, many people were killedand wounded in an arson murder case in

Kyoto,” Abe said in a post on Twitter. “Itis too appalling for words.”

Some of the victims were found in thestudio, some on the third floor and othersin a staircase leading up to the roof, thefire official said. Another 36 wereinjured, 10 of them seriously, the officialsaid. The suspected arsonist was injuredand was being treated in a hospital, sothe police could not question him, NHKsaid. The Kyoto police declined tocomment.

The studio produces popular seriessuch as the “Sound! Euphonium”. —Reuters

Recent mass murders in thecountry

2001: Eight children were stabbed todeath at their school in Osaka by aformer janitor

2008: Seven people were killed when aman drove a truck into a crowd andbegan stabbing people in Tokyo’selectronics and “anime” district ofAkihabara

2008: 16 persons were killed in an arsonattack on an Osaka video shop

2016: A knife-wielding man broke intoa facility near Tokyo and killed 19patients

Boy finds 50-year-old message in abottle on remote Australian beach

SYDNEY (TIP): AnAustralian boy whodiscovered a message in abottle on a remote beachmay have a new penpalafter the Englishman whodropped it from anAustralia-bound ship 50years ago was trackeddown.

But Jyah Elliott, agednine, may have to waitsome time as the message’snow 63-year-old author isonce again at sea—thistime on a cruise in the Baltic, the ABCreported.

Jyah discovered the decades-oldtreasure in sand dunes on a SouthAustralian beach on Tuesday and by thenext day the writer had been located.

Paul Gilmore was just 13 when onNovember 17, 1969 he dropped the bottleinto the Indian Ocean hoping to reach anew friend.

The letter, which gave the ship’slocation as “1,000 miles east ofFremantle, Western Australia, asked itsrecipient to “Please Reply”.

Although Jyah initially thought theletter was a fake, he was quick to post areply on July 17.

“He was so excited,” his mother CarlaElliott told the ABC.

Gilmore’s sister Annie Crossland toldthe ABC that her brother was currentlycruising but would be sure to contactJyah when he returns home.

“It’s amazing, absolutely incredible,”Crossland said. “He’ll be chuffed to bits.”She said the family had long ago movedon from the reply address on the letter.

Gilmore sent six bottles from the TSSFairstar, a ship that transported so-called “10-pound Pom” migrants fromGreat Britain to Australia.

“The last time he was on a ship wasprobably going to Australia,” she said.“Cruises aren’t his thing.” AFP

Israeli educationminister apologisesfor remarks on gaysJERUSALEM (TIP): Israel’s

education minister has apologisedfor controversial remarks abouthomosexual “conversion therapy”and intermarriage among DiasporaJews that drew widespread criticismin Israel and the US.

Rafi Peretz, leader of a smallreligious nationalist party, wrote in aletter to the head of the JewishAgency on Tuesday that his likeningof marriage between Diaspora Jewsand non-Jews to a “secondHolocaust” was “misplaced”.

Peretz’s comment at a Cabinetmeeting was leaked to the press lastweek.

In another letter to schooladministrators, Peretz said he“vehemently opposed” acontroversial technique that seeks toconvert gay men into heterosexualsafter originally saying he supportedit.

The minister’s comments aboutconversion therapy drew widespreadcondemnation and hundredsprotested in Tel Aviv.

Peretz, a former chief rabbi inIsrael’s military, assumed office inIsrael’s interim government lastmonth. —AP

BERLIN (TIP): Germany will makechildhood measles vaccinationsmandatory from March 2020, aiming towipe out the resurgent and potentiallydeadly disease, Chancellor AngelaMerkel’s cabinet decided on Wednesday.

Children will only be admitted tokindergarten or school if they have hadthe jabs, and vaccinations will also becompulsory for staff in day-care centres,educational institutions, medicalfacilities and refugee shelters.

“We want to protect as many childrenas possible from a measles infection,”said Health Minister Jens Spahn, who isaiming for at least 95 per cent coverage.

Violations will lead to fines of up to2,500 euros (USD2,800) under the Bill thatis expected to pass easily through theBundestag lower house of parliament.

Germany’s paediatricians’ associationhas long demanded mandatorychildhood vaccinations against measlesand a range of other diseases.

The UN World Health Organization(WHO) has warned that global efforts toincrease immunisation coverage againstdeadly diseases are stagnating. Last year,350,000 cases of measles were reportedworldwide, more than double thenumber for 2017. And they increasedfourfold globally in the first quarter of2019 compared to the same period lastyear, according to WHO.

Germany recorded 543 cases last year,and hundreds so far this year. Theresurgence of the disease in somecountries has been blamed on the so-called “anti-vax” movement, which islargely based on a 1998 publicationlinking the measles vaccine and autismthat has since been debunked. — AFP

23THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019 WORLD

Donkeys painted tolook like zebras for

theme wedding causesoutrage

MADRID (TIP): Two donkeyswere painted black and white toresemble zebras for a safari-themedwedding reception in a Spanish beachtown, triggering outrage online,where pictures of the painteddonkeys were shared.

The incident took place in Cadizwhere the painted donkeys werefilmed grazing close to a bar in ElPalmar town while celebrations weregoing on.

A concerned local filmed theanimals and reported the incident toanimal rights activists.

Angel Tomas Herrera Pelaez, whofilmed the donkeys, termed the sightas "shameful" and shared the videoand the images in a Facebook postwhich has now gone viral.

His post prompted other netizens tocriticize the mistreatment of theanimals.

One user wrote, "You had to paintthem for the wedding? This type ofactivities makes me veryembarrassed to think that I belong tothe same species." "I have not seen itwith my own eyes, but come on, I willnot see it either, because my facewould fall out of shame. If someone isgoing to promote some action, pleasekeep them informed," wrote another.

The matter was brought to theattention of the Agrarian RegionalOffice of Medina Sidonia as well asthe Nature Protection Service ofSpain. An investigation into theincident was launched. — IANS

4-year-old Aussie boyclaims to be

reincarnation ofPrincess Diana

LONDON (TIP): A four-year-oldAustralian boy has bizarrely claimedto be the reincarnation of Britain’sPrincess Diana.

The boy’s father, a noted Australiantelevision presenter, has said that hisson believes he is the reincarnatedembodiment of Diana, a UK mediareport said. Billy Campbell, son ofAustralian TV personality DavidCampbell, was born 18 years after thePrincess’s death in a car crash in 1997.The bemused father said: “Billy (agedtwo at this time) pointed and said,‘Look! It’s me when I was a Princess’,”when he spotted Diana on a card.However, David goes on to say that thekid’s obsession with Diana didn’t stopthere. Peculiarly, Billy couldapparently recount details aboutDiana’s life as a toddler, he wouldrefer to Princes William and Harry ashis “sons” and have conversationswith freaked-out family members inwhich he would casually mention his“boys”. Even more ludicrously, Davidalleges that his son would talk aboutDiana’s brother John, who sadly diedas a baby just hours after his birth. —IANS

‘Make South America Great Again’: Brazil’s Bolsonaro borrows

slogan from TrumpSANTA FE (ARGENTINA) (TIP):

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro hasurged his South American colleagues toborrow a slogan from Donald Trump andfocus on making their own nations greatrather than emphasising regionalbrotherhood.

“We don’t want a ‘Great homeland,’”the far-right Bolsonaro said onWednesday at a meeting of the Mercosurtrade bloc, using a frequent slogan ofVenezuela’s late socialist leader HugoChavez to refer to the regionalintegration of South America.

“We want every country in SouthAmerica to be autonomous, democratic,and that each country can be great. Justlike Trump says that he wants to ‘MakeAmerica great again,’ I want to makeBrazil great, Paraguay great, Boliviagreat, Uruguay — all of our countries.”

The meeting of the Mercosur group —Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay andUruguay — comes after the bloc’s June 28signing of a trade deal with theEuropean Union following two decadesof negotiations.

Bolsonaro’s sought to strike a markeddifference with the centre-left politicsthat dominated Mercosur until arightward shift in politics left the regionmore polarised than it has been indecades. “We can’t allow what’shappening in Venezuela to happen toanother country,” he said about thecrisis-torn nation that was suspendedfrom Mercosur in 2017 for failing touphold democratic norms amid anintensifying crackdown on dissent.

“How can a country as rich asVenezuela reach this point? We all knowthat all of this was born out of populismand the irresponsibility of a powerproject on a country that knew nobounds ...,” Bolsonaro said.

The United Nations estimates thatmore than 4 million Venezuelans havefled their country’s economic andhumanitarian crisis in recent years inwhat has become the largest exodus inmodern Latin American history.

Dozens of nations say VenezuelanPresident Nicolás Maduro won a new

presidential term in an illegitimateelection last year.

Juan Guaidó, head of the opposition-dominated congress, has wonrecognition as the country’s rightfulleader from more than 50 nations,including the United States, but he hasbeen unable to wrest power fromMaduro.

Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay alsorecognise Guaidó as Venezuela’s leader,but Mercosur has not done so, becausethe centre-left government of Uruguayopposes doing that.

Turning to trade, the Mercosur leadersagreed Wednesday to try to speed up theimplementation of the free-tradeagreement with the EU.

The deal, which came amid globaltrade tensions and rising protectionism,has been hailed as a way to integrate theblocs into a market of some 800 millionpeople. But it must still be ratified by thelegislatures of the countries involvedand it has raised concerns aboutcompetition on both sides of theAtlantic.

The French government recently saidit was not yet ready to ratify the pact,saying Brazil must “respect itscommitments” to protecting its

rainforest.Before the deal was finalised, French

President Emmanuel Macron had saidFrance would not sign if Brazil did notcontinue within the Paris climateagreement.

“We hope it benefits all of the citizensof our countries,” Uruguayan PresidentTabaré Vázquez said Wednesday.

The deal would integrate nearly afourth of the world’s gross domesticproduct and more than USD 100 billion inbilateral trade of goods and services.

The European Commission has said itwould also remove most tariffs on EUexports to Mercosur, cutting more than 4billion euros (USD 4.5 billion) worth ofduties each year.

The commission says the agreement isparticularly important for industrialsectors like cars and car parts,machinery, chemicals andpharmaceuticals.

Mercosur hopes to benefit with moreexports of its agricultural products,including beef, poultry and sugar.

“It’s a clear sign to the world thatMercosur must be an open and dynamicbloc,” Macri said. “It must have clearrules for businesses and investments.” —AP

Germany makes measles vaccinationcompulsory for children

Some of the most popular homeremedies for acne involve theuse of natural herbal extracts,

many of which traditional medicinepractitioners have used forhundreds of years.

Below, we discuss the best homeremedies for acne, what theresearch says, and lifestyle changesthat can help.

Tea tree oilTea tree oil is a natural

antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, which means that itmight kill P. acnes, the bacteria thatcauses acne.

Tea tree oil's anti-inflammatoryproperties mean that it can alsoreduce the swelling and redness ofpimples.

How to use tea tree oilPeople can apply tea tree extract

to their acne in creams, gels, oressential oils. If people use essentialoils, always dilute them in a carrieroil first.

Jojoba oilJojoba oil is a natural, waxy

substance extracted from the seedsof the jojoba shrub.

The waxy substances in jojoba oilmay help to repair damaged skin,which means it may also help speedup wound healing, including acnelesions.

Some of the compounds in jojobaoil might help to reduce skininflammation, which means it mayreduce redness and swelling aroundpimples, whiteheads, and otherinflamed lesions.

How to use jojoba oilTry mixing jojoba essential oil

with a gel, cream, or clay face maskand applying it to acne. Otherwise,place a few drops of jojoba oil on acotton pad and rub this gently overacne sores.

Aloe veraAloe vera is a natural

antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, meaning it mayreduce the appearance of acne andprevent acne breakouts.

Aloe vera contains lots of waterand is an excellent moisturizer, so itis especially suitable for people whoget dry skin from other anti-acneproducts.

How to use aloe vera gelTry cleaning the acne sores and

then applying a thin layer of creamor gel with at least 10 percent aloevera content.

HoneyHoney has been used to treat skin

conditions, such as acne, forthousands of years. It containsmany antioxidants that can help toclear waste and debris from cloggedpores.

Doctors use honey in wounddressings because of itsantibacterial and wound-healingproperties.

How to use honeyUsing a clean finger or cotton pad,

rub a little honey into pimples.Otherwise, add honey to a face orbody mask.

HOME REMEDIES TOTREAT ACNE NATURALLY

Dhansak MuttonIngredients ½ kg mutton 11/2 cup tur dal preferably wet ½ an hour before

cooking 2 small brinjals cut into 4 pieces each Few mint leaves, coriander leaves and curry leaves 1 big tomato diced nicely ½ tsp haldi powder 1 tsp red chilli powder 11/2 tsp dhanajeera powder 11/2 tsp dhansak masala powder ½ tsp garam masala Salt to taste 1 or 2 green chillies slit into 2 1 tsp ginger garlic paste 1 tsp oil or ghee

Methodwash the dal and mutton . take oil or ghee in the cooker

put curry leaves , mint leaves and Ginger garlic paste andslit green chillies last add nicely diced tomatoes and fry oversim for Few moments then add mutton and cook till themutton is nicely coverd in the masalas and Then add all thedry masalas let the mutton roast for sometime now add thedal and 1 glass Full of water and put the cooker lid on. Cookfor ½ an hour. Open and add finely chopped Corianderleaves.

Brown rice

Ingredients 2 cups rice2 tbsp jaggery2 onions nicely chopped into thin thin slices2 pieces of cardamoms2pcs cinnamon1 bay leaf3 or 4 whole peppers2 pepper corns1 piece star aniseed¼ tsp jeera and salt to taste.Ghee for frying

MethodWash the rice and keep it aside. Fry onions in ghee till

brown along with all the dry Masalas then put the jaggeryand fry over low gas and put the washed rice add salt totaste and last add water. Cook till done.

FOOD CORNER

24 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019WOMEN

HOW TO HAVE A HEALTHY FIGHT?Simply and genuinely listen

Be present in the moment. Really listening meansopening your heart and shutting off any innerdialogue, which attempts to defensively answer yourpartner before he is finished speaking. Never interrupt,make eye contact, and focus on your partner withinterest.

Open your heart and be flexibleRemember that you are a species in evolution and

your life is ever in motion. Thus, people change… andsituations change. Though we all fear the unfamiliar, bybeing flexible, you can be available to the change andgrowth of your partner and yourself.

Be honestSay what you really feel, not what you think your

partner wants to hear. Value yourself and validateyourself. If you do, your partner will value you as well.Mutuality is essential in relationships. So, listen toyour inner voice and be who you authentically are. Thatis the only way to be loved for yourself.

Don’t read your partner’s mindDon’t tell your mate how he feels. Listen, and let your

partner tell you what is on his mind. For example, if hetells you he loves you, believe him. Never project yourfeelings onto the other. That only leads to fightscentered on your projected material, and time lostfighting battles that do not exist.

Honor the processDon’t try to make anything happen, but rather see

where your dialogue takes you and trust that becauseyou love each other, you are capable of going there.

Researchers have discovered apreviously unidentified cellpopulation which could lead

to new treatments for patients withinjured hearts.

The cell, described in the journalImmunity, was discovered in thepericardial fluid found in the sacaround the heart of a mouse withheart injury.

The researchers from theUniversity of Calgary in Canadafound that a specific cell, a Gata6+pericardial cavity macrophage,helps heal an injured heart in mice.

The same cells were also foundwithin the human pericardium ofpeople with injured hearts,confirming that the repair cellsoffer the promise of a new therapyfor patients with heart disease.

"Our discovery of a new cell thatcan help heal injured heart musclewill open the door to new therapiesand hope for the millions of peoplewho suffer from heart disease," saidPaul Fedak, a professor at theUniversity of Calgary.

"The possibilities for furtherdiscovery and innovative newtherapies are exciting andimportant," said Fedak.

Heart doctors had never beforeexplored the possibility that cells

just outside the heart couldparticipate in healing and repair ofhearts after injury, researcherssaid.

Unlike other organs, the heart hasa very limited capacity to repairitself which is why heart disease isthe number one cause of death inNorth America, they said.

"We always knew that the heartsits inside a sac filled with a strangefluid," said Fedak.

"Now we know that thispericardial fluid is rich withhealing cells. These cells may holdthe secret to repair andregeneration of new heart muscle,"he said. Source: PTI

DR. SATISH AND GITANJLI ANAND DDRR.. SSAATTIISSHH AANNAANNDD

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PPAAGGEE SSPPOONNSSOORREEDD BBYY

MORE BREASTFEEDINGCOULD SAVE THE WORLD $1 BILLION EVERY DAY

Not enough breastfeeding costs the globaleconomy almost $1 billion each day due to lostproductivity and healthcare costs, researchers

said on Friday, as health experts urged more supportfor nursing mothers.

A new website developed by researchers in Canadaand Asia showed that the world could have saved $341billion each year if mothers breastfeed their childrenfor longer, helping prevent early deaths and variousdiseases.

Known as the "Cost of Not Breastfeeding", theonline tool used data from a six-year study supportedby the U.S.-based maternal and child nutritioninitiative, Alive & Thrive.

"It is a human right, it saves lives and improves theprosperity of economies," Canada-based healtheconomics expert Dylan Walters said about theimportance of breastfeeding.

Walters, who led the study of more than 100countries, said the website was the first of its kind andaimed to help policymakers to measure economiclosses in individual countries when they do notsupport breastfeeding.

The United Nations' World Health Organization(WHO) recommends that babies be breastfedexclusively at least their first six months, then have adiet of breast milk and other food until they are twoyears old.

Breastfeeding can help prevent diarrhea andpneumonia, two major causes of infant death, andprotect mothers against ovarian and breast cancer,according to the U.N. agency.

But only 40% of infants under the age of six monthsare exclusively breastfed globally, while 820,000 childdeaths could be avoided each year if therecommendation is followed, it said.

Obstacles to breastfeeding range from a lack offacilities and break times at places of work, aggressivemarketing of baby formula, and harassment or stigmaif women nurse in public.

SCIENTISTS FIND A CELL THATHELPS HEAL THE HEART

FORGET SYNTHETIC MEAT, LABGROWN DAIRY IS HERE

The search for sustainable,healthy alternatives to meatcurrently hastwo paths: the

meat-mimicking veggie burger andlab-grown proteins. But in the landof dairy, there’s only plant-basedalternativeslikecashew “butter”and almond milk.

Whether you’re milking them orslaughtering them, industrialcattle husbandry is bad for theplanet. Studies show it to be a keyculprit in the climate crisis and asource of localized environmentaldamage. The refrigerator aisle hasbeen full of plant-based dairy forsome time, but now there are a fewstartups who, like the purveyorsofculturedmeat, want to take dairyone step further.

Already under siege by fallingmilk sales, Big Dairy lobbyists havebeen lashing out at makers ofplant-based rivals as they growmarket-share. But their next enemymay be coming from the laboratory,in the form of synthetic whey, andinvestors are already lining up.

While fewer people are drinkingcow’s milk, they’re still eatingyogurt andcheese, and a crucialproteinthat comes from makingthose products is whey.It’srelatively flavorless andincorporates well into a range offood formulations for everyonefrom infants to adults. There’salready a huge market for it, asdemand for whey protein andwhey-based products is on the

risethanks to consumerdemand forprotein in everything, from bars toshakes.

The U.S. is the single largestexporter of whey products, withestimated salesof $10 billion lastyear. BCC Research said thecategory will grow by 6% annuallythrough 2023. But for all itspopularity, all that wheystill comesfromcows, a fact increasingly seenas a liability for climate- andhealth-conscious dairy and protein lovers.

Ryan Pandya saw an opportunityin this consumer conundrum. Hewants to be the first to market anon-animal whey protein throughhisSan Francisco area-basedcompany,Perfect Day. Like other

food startup founders, Pandya andpartner Perumal Gandhiare bothvegan. Rather than forego the tasteof real cheese and dairy for poorvegan substitutes, the pair decidedto invent their ownversion of thereal thing. The startup focused onthe well-worn food path ofmicrobial fermentation—harnessing custom yeast andbacteria to grow the proteins thatmake milk taste like milk.

But first, the company and otherslike it face some big hurdles:consumer squeamishness andregulatory reviews that may end upfocusing more on the geneticallymodified organisms [GMO] used tomakelab-grown whey.

25THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019 HEALTH

GOOGLE MAPS TO SHOW BIKESHARING STATIONS ON APP

To make Maps more useful for users, Google isadding support for bike-sharing stations to letpeople be informed on docked bike sharing

services near them.The feature has been testing in New York City for

the last year and is now expanding to 23 more citiesincluding Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Budapest,Chicago, London and Los Angeles among others, TheVerge reported on Tuesday.

The new integration is made possible from dataprovided by Ito World, which provides information onwhere to find a bike-sharing station, how many bikesare available there and whether or not there's a spacewaiting for you to dock your bike when you arrive atyour destination.

The feature is being rolled out to Android, as well asiOS devices and even though the feature has notreached India as yet, Google plans to expand thefeature to other countries shortly.

On a similar issue, on December 2018, Google Mapsgained a feature to direct users towards shared Limescooters and bikes, the report said.

Since the beginning of 2019, Google has been testingand introducing several new features on Maps.

After running tests in the US and elsewhere, earlierin May, Google rolled out speed limits and mobileradar locations in over 40 countries, including India.

In July 2019, Maps also added more than 45,000community and public toilets as part of the Centralgovernment's "Loo Review" campaign that covers 1,700cities in India.

Besides, the search engine giant has introducedfeatures like Augmented Reality (AR) navigationfeature and off-route alert feature on Maps as well.

AI algorithm solves Rubik's Cube in less than a second

Researchers have developed an AI algorithm thatcan solve a Rubiks Cube in a fraction of asecond, faster than most humans.

The work is a step toward making AI systems thatcan think, reason, plan and make decisions.

The study, published in the journal Nature MachineIntelligence, shows DeepCubeA—a deepreinforcement learning algorithm programmed byUniversity of California computer scientists andmathematicians—can solve the Rubik's Cube in afraction of a second, without any specific domainknowledge or in-game coaching from humans.

This is no simple task considering that the cube hascompletion paths numbering in the billions but onlyone goal state—each of six sides displaying a solidcolour—which apparently cannot be found throughrandom moves.

"Artificial Intelligence can defeat the world's besthuman chess and Go players, but some of the moredifficult puzzles, such as the Rubik's Cube, had notbeen solved by computers, so we thought they wereopen for AI approaches," said study author PierreBaldi, Professor at the University of California.

"The solution to the Rubik's Cube involves moresymbolic, mathematical and abstract thinking, so adeep learning machine that can crack such a puzzle isgetting closer to becoming a system that can think,reason, plan and make decisions," Baldi said.

For the study, the researchers demonstrated thatDeepCubeA solved 100 percent of all testconfigurations, finding the shortest path to the goalstate about 60 per cent of the time.

26 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019SCIENCE AND TECH

WHATSAPP, TELEGRAM MEDIAFILES CAN BE MANIPULATED

If you thought instantmessaging platforms likeWhatsApp and Telegram that

provide end-to-end encryption giveyou rock-solid security, thinkagain. Researchers from cyber-security firm Symantec on Mondayrevealed vulnerabilities thatallowed hackers to manipulate theimages and audio files you receiveon these platforms.

The security flaw, dubbed "MediaFile Jacking", affected WhatsAppfor Android by default, andTelegram for Android if certainfeatures were enabled, Symantecresearchers said in a blog post.

According to the researchers,WhatsApp saves files to externalstorage automatically, whileTelegram does so when the "Save toGallery" feature is enabled.However, neither apps have anysystem in place to protect usersfrom a Media File Jacking attack,the researchers from Symantec'sModern OS Security teamexplained.

Attackers could exploit thisvulnerability to scam victims invarious ways.

"If the security flaw is exploited,a malicious attacker could misuseand manipulate sensitiveinformation such as personal

photos and videos, corporatedocuments, invoices, and voicememos," wrote Software EngineerAlon Gat and Yair Amit, Vice-President and Chief TechnologyOfficer, Modern OS Security,Symantec.

Giving example of imagemanipulation, the researchers saida seemingly innocent, but actuallymalicious, app downloaded by auser could manipulate personalphotos in near-real time andwithout the victim knowing.

The app runs in the backgroundand performs a "Media FileJacking attack" while the victim

uses WhatsApp. It monitors forphotos received through the app,identifies faces in photos, andreplaces them with something else,such as other faces or objects.

"A WhatsApp user may send afamily photo to one of theircontacts, but what the recipientsees is actually a modified photo.While this attack may seem trivialand just a nuisance, it shows thefeasibility of manipulating imageson the fly," said the blog post.

Using the same vulnerability, theattackers could make paymentmanipulation, audio messagespoofing or spread fake news.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THEVIRAL AI PHOTO EDITING APP

Remember FaceApp? TheArtificial Intelligence-basedphoto editing app is trending,

once again. Since 2017, when the appwent viral the last time, the AI photoediting app has become a lot betterwith better effects. It has also racedto top 4th grossing app on GooglePlay Store. If you’re wondering whyeveryone’s talking about it, here’swhat you need to know.

What is FaceApp?FaceApp uses Artificial

Intelligence to predict how youwould look when you get old oryounger. You can also artificiallyadd beard, mustache style or certainlook on the app. You can also swapgender or replace background witha single tap. The AI can also find thebest hairstyle and colours for you.Unlike other free apps on Play Store,FaceApp’s AI prediction looks muchmore realistic.

How to useDownload FaceApp from the Play

Store. Launch the app and choosethe photo you want to edit. The appalso gives you the option to editphotos from Facebook or ofcelebrities. You can also use photosfrom the gallery on your phone.There’s an in-app camera button totake photos and edit directly fromthe app.

Once you have selected the photo,you can apply filters appearing atthe bottom of the screen. You can

choose between smiles, impression,age, beards, hair colour, hair styles,glasses and other effects.

Not all filters are freeFaceApp is free to download on

Google Play Store and Apple AppStore. The app, however, comes, a lotof in-app purchases. The developersare offering a premium version ofthe app as well called “FaceAppPro.” The premium version givesfull size filters, filter updates, mixand match styles, and ad-freeexperience. The monthlysubscription costs Rs 299 whereasan annual package will cost Rs 1,599.For Rs 3,099, you get the premiumversion forever.

Performance: IncaonsistentThe AI photo editor does a good

job at predicting how a person maylook old or young. Like early days of

once-viral app Prisma, FaceApp isalso slow at times and is unable toprocess the images in one-go. Theperformance, however, is muchbetter than the early version of theapp.

Privacy questionsEven as FaceApp has gone viral,

people have raised concerns overhow the app handles users’ data.Some reports alleged FaceAppuploaded full camera roll to itsservers. Top security researchersBaptiste Robert and Will Strafach,however, have given clean chit to theapp. “Using a network trafficanalyzer, I tried to replicate thething people are talking about withFaceApp allegedly uploading yourfull camera roll to remote servers,but I did not see the reportedactivity occur,” Strafach said in atweet.

LABOUR MINISTRY REJECTSMOVE TO LOWER EPFO RATEOF INTEREST

NEW DELHI (TIP): The labour ministry hasrejected the finance ministry’s request to reduce the8.65% interest rate offered in 2018-19 by the EmployeeProvident Fund Organisation, the government ownedpension fund manager, in a move that should bringcheer to 46 million subscribers whose funds aremanaged by EPFO.

Government officials familiar with the matter saidthe labour ministry is of the view that EPFO hassufficient surplus of over Rs 3,150 crore, mainlyearned from investments in exchange traded funds(ETFs).

EPFO interest rate is determined by theorganisation’s Central Board of Trustees (CBT),which does so after assessing the annual returns onthe investments. It is the duty of EPFO to pass on therightful share of the subscribers, the governmentofficials cited in the first instance added on conditionof anonymity. EPFO does not take any money from theconsolidated fund of the Government of India, and isnot obliged to follow the finance ministry’ssuggestions, they added.

CBT is chaired by the labour minister and hasrepresentation of central and state governmentofficials, trade unions and industry bodies.

“The finance ministry is worried that EPFO isoffering significantly higher returns compared tosimilar funds managed by the central government.Instead of asking for the EPF interest rate to beslashed, it should make its fund management systemmore efficient,” said one of the officials.

The finance ministry on Tuesday slashed interestrate on General Provident Fund (GPF) and othersimilar funds to 7.9% for the quarter endingSeptember 30 as compared to 8% offered on pensionfunds of government employees the previous quarter.

Source: HT

Carlos Ghosn sues Mitsubishi,Nissan for breach of contract

PARIS (TIP): Formerauto titan CarlosGhosn, currently underhouse arrest in Tokyo,is suing Nissan andMitsubishi in a Dutchcourt for “impropertermination” of hiscontract, Frenchnewspaper Le Figaroreported on Wednesday.

Ghosn is accusing theJ a p a n e s emanufacturers ofbreaching his contractas an employee of NMBV, their joint subsidiary basedin the Netherlands, and seeking up to 15 million eurosin damages, it said.

The former chief of Renault and Nissan is awaitingtrial in Japan on charges of financial misconduct. Hewas kept behind bars for over 100 days before beinggranted bail and sacked from all his managementroles. Source: AFP

27THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019 BIZ AND FINANCE

Trump says he could imposemore China tariffs if he wants

President Donald Trumpreiterated that he couldimpose additional tariffs on

Chinese imports if he wants, afterpromising to hold off on moreduties in a trade-war truce hereached with China’s Xi Jinpinglast month.

“We have a long way to go as far astariffs where China is concerned, ifwe want. We have another $325billion we can put a tariff on, if wewant,” Trump said. “So, we’retalking to China about a deal, but Iwish they didn’t break the deal thatwe had.”

China said Wednesday thatfurther levies would complicate thenegotiations.

“If the U.S. imposes new tariffs,this would create a new obstacle forU.S. and China trade negotiations,would make the road to coming toan agreement longer,” ForeignMinistry spokesman Geng Shuangtold reporters in Beijing. “Chinastill hopes to resolve U.S.-Chinatrade frictions through consultationand dialogue.”

Trump and Xi called a tariffceasefire and agreed to resumetrade talks after meeting at theGroup-of-20 summit in Japan inlate-June, breaking a six-weekstalemate. The U.S. president saidhe’d hold off on a threat to imposetariffs on an additional $300 billionin Chinese imports, and that Xi hadagreed to buy large amounts of U.S.farm goods in exchange.

No such deal to increaseagricultural purchases was made,

Chinese officials familiar with thediscussions said earlier. Therehasn’t been any large-scale buyssince the meeting in late June.

Stocks fell from a record afterTrump made the remarks at acabinet meeting Tuesday at theWhite House. Treasury 10-yearyields surged earlier in the day aftersolid economic data added to signsthe U.S. expansion is holding upeven as central bank officialsindicated they’re ready to cut rates.

Treasury Secretary StevenMnuchin and U.S. TradeRepresentative Robert Lighthizerexpect to have another call thisweek with top trade negotiators inChina, and the two may travel toBeijing for meetings if thediscussions by phone are

productive, Mnuchin said Monday.Trump resumed pressure on

China through tweets this weekabout the ongoing trade tensions.On Monday, the president indicatedthat the U.S. tariffs were havingtheir intended impact by squeezingChina’s economy.

China released figures this weekshowing growth in the world’ssecond-largest economy slowed to6.2% in the second quarter, theweakest pace since at least 1992when the country began collectingthe data.

Meanwhile, Trump last weekcomplained that China wasn’tliving up to its promise of increasedpurchases of Americanagricultural goods. “China is lettingus down in that they have not beenbuying the agricultural productsfrom our great Farmers that theysaid they would. Hopefully they willstart soon!” Trump said on Twitter.

The U.S. expects China toannounce significant purchases offrom U.S. farmers, Trump’s topeconomic adviser, Larry Kudlow,told reporters Monday, implyingthat the step is necessary for tradetalks between two nations toadvance.

The talks broke down in May afterthe U.S. accused China of renegingon commitments in a draft deal thatMnuchin said had been 90%completed. China has said there’llbe no trade deal unless the U.S.removes all existing tariffs put inplace during the year-long tradewar. Source: Bloomberg

Trump and Xi called a tariff ceasefire and agreed to resume trade talks after meetingat the Group-of-20 summit in Japan in late-June, breaking a six-week stalemate

Facebook’s Libra prospects dim, but cryptocurrencies roll on

WASHINGTON (TIP): Facebook’splanned global digital coin Libra has runinto a wall of opposition in Washingtonthat could prevent its launch asenvisioned, but analysts saycryptocurrencies are likely to makegains around the world nonetheless.

The plan by Facebook and its partnershas generated skepticism from USlawmakers and G7 finance ministers aswell as from central banks andregulators globally.

Lawmakers have also raised concernsover Facebook’s spotty record on privacyand data protection.

Facebook’s scale—with some 2.7billion users for all its applications—means the proposed Libra currencycould roil the global financial systemand make the job harder for the world’scentral banks.

“If people are using Libra as a storedvalue and holding a lot of money in it,you might have less effective monetarypolicy,” said Martin Chorzempa, aresearch fellow at the Peterson Institutefor International Economics.

The US Federal Reserve, for example,“can affect the dollar but it might notaffect Libra in the same way.”

Since the Libra would likely hold thedollar, euro and other major currenciesas reserve assets, the impact could besignificant in “emerging markets ordeveloping countries where people wantto get rid of those currencies,”Chorzempa said.

“Imagine the demand for Libra in aplace like Venezuela,” where thecurrency has collapsed fromhyperinflation.

Hoping to avoid the wild swings ofother virtual currencies, Libra would begoverned by a non-profit associationbacking up the coin with a basket ofmajor global currencies.

Amazon in dealwith Germanwatchdog

FRANKFURT (TIP):

Amazon has reached a dealwith Germany’s anti-trustauthority to overhaul itsterms of service for third-party merchants, takingaction to appease regulatorsas pressure on the e-commerce giant grows inEurope and the UnitedStates.

The Federal Cartel Officesaid on Wednesday it wasdropping a seven-monthinvestigation after Amazonagreed to amend its BusinessServices Agreement thatapplies to merchants usingits platform.

Neighbouring Austriaended a similar probe intoAmazon, yet a full-blownEuropean Union antitrustprobe still looms.

Lawmakers in the UnitedStates meanwhile grilled anAmazon boss on Tuesdayover how the company treatsmerchants.

28 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019ASTROLOGY

ARIES: Ganesha says good people - skills areyour forte, and you can encash them now, inseveral ways. You are a natural ofcommunicating with others and also have astrong steak of creativity. What could also beeasy, warns Ganesha, are the workings of yourconscience. It could make you willing, even eagerto turn a blind eye to unorthodox ways ofearning, or access to money by some ratherunconventional methods.

TAURUS: You make flamboyant career moves.You take risks without caring too much for theconsequences. There is love, passion, newassignments and a lot of contacts andcorrespondence as the period advances. The endof the period you will see many emotionalmoments. You spend quality time with lovedones and make take a relationship to the nextlevel.

GEMINI: You may have a problem keepingyour word. You often shoot your mouth off and donot follow it up. Watch out for health issues thisperiod. Ganesha suggests you take the necessaryprecautions. There may also be health problemsfor parents, elders, in-laws, and friends. But,despite it all, you have the confidence, vitality,even daring to enjoy life so grab it.

CANCER: Caution, restraint and moderationshould be part of the fine time you're having. Allyour relationships will definitely improve.Ganesha promises adding glamour, glitter, aspecial glow to your family and personal life,emotional equations and interactions. Therecould be international travel and new interests.There are relationships, new projects andinitiatives, renovations to home and office andseveral fiscal instruments to deal with.

LEO: There are many domestic issuesincluding intense love and bonding. You relish thewarmth in personal interactions and familybonding. You are able to give a lot and so it is nosurprise that you are also able to receive a lot.There is comfort, intensity and security in yourlife and you enjoy yourself to the hilt. This willtherefore be progressive, productive period thathelps you to enjoy life to the hilt.

VIRGO: You are far more accepting andtolerant, and aware of the many truths thatpeople often ignore in their quest for success. Awish fulfilment is also quite possible. Ganeshashows me the true picture and I interpret it, that'sall. Take it or leave it. There is travel, romance,marriage, collaborations, financial gains, familyreconciliations. Your plate is filled withopportunity. Glory, achievements and gains stareyou in the face.

LIBRA: With some effort and risk-taking, somecourage and daring, a few brilliant and inspiredmoves, you will strike gold. There is morestability and you are grounded. You have theenergy and the focus and so there is a very goodchance of success. All the P's - pets, projects,pastimes and protégés will keep you occupied.There is travel, more money and a new love.

SCORPIO: You display the caring side to yournature and attract a lot of love too. This periodsees you also in a serene mode as you do a lot ofself-evaluation. But this is also a period when youmake rapid progress on all fronts. You may spendlong periods in trying to understand yourself.Ganesha wishes you well of course. Visits tolonely places, hospitals and welfare centres arevery probable - they give you solace, even as youmake efforts to give it!

SAGITTARIUS: You are torn by manythoughts. But this is the beginning of a greatperiod and the next period will be very lucky foryou. Make the most of it. Ganesha points out thatthere will be business deals, hectic romance,rendezvous, slight secret activity, journeys andcollaborations and enormous opportunities toearn money. You may get it through a milliondifferent sources like rentals, legacy, tax rebate,loans, funds, joint-finance.

CAPRICORN: Ganesha raises your levels ofenthusiasm, energy, performance. You attack lifewith renewed zeal and confidence. You look formore success in all areas of your life. You wantmaterial progress and recognition. To make thishappen, you will be reconciling different trendsand squaring up to your responsibilities. There ishope and promise, optimism and joy, as you movealong the path of greater glory.

AQUARIUS: You are in line for peace, plentyand prosperity. There is also time to relax, tolaugh and to enjoy yourself with friends. Therewill be a happy mix of fun and work as the periodends. There could be happy moments like amarriage or engagement in the family. There willbe domestic bliss. You seem to have a suddenawakening in terms of the joys of family life andyou enjoy every moment of it.

PISCES: There is also a lot of going on for youin the sphere of finance. You take risks and makeinvestments. Ganesha blesses you. There is acertain joy in life and a huge amount ofconfidence. Your mind and attitude are all open,expansive, and charismatic. There is a lot on yourplate and you could have bitten off more than youcan chew. Make space for new spiritual insightsand look for rest, relaxation and inner peace.

Shree Ganeshaya Namah

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

Bejan Daruwalla is available for astrological

consultations. He can be reached at

info@bejandaruwalla.com and on phone

011-91-8141234275www.bejandaruwalla.com

JJUULLYY 2222NNDD: Ganesha says communicate your needs,plans, intentions relating to the work you do; get adialogue going. Later, give and take seems out ofwhack.

JJUULLYY 2233RRDD:: With a little digging, you can acquire whatyou need. With a little persistence; you can getwhomsoever you want. People and events are intense.Align with people who share your convictions. It's not aday to be lukewarm.

JJUULLYY 2244TTHH:: You may want to take a chance, butrestlessness is a poor reason to act, especially considering

that the results can be so unpredictable. Focus and clarityare lacking.

JJUULLYY 2255TTHH:: Hidden resources are potentially availablefrom which you can draw benefits. Review options foradding to your financial security. A relationship benefitsfrom thinking about the future you can build together.

JJUULLYY 2266TTHH:: Promises, hopes, and dreams give yousomething to contemplate, but you probably won't beable to build on any of them just now. Recognise thatnecessary means and methods are in short supplynow.

JJUULLYY 2277TTHH:: The Moon increases movement, travel,and communication, but also warns to be mindful ofnecessary safeguards concerning these areas and torespect them. Protect personal information.

JJUULLYY 2288TTHH:: To avoid getting into a conflict or having tosay anything unpleasant or displeasing, some may notgive the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Watchfor where that can waste time or cost money.

JJUULLYY 2299TTHH:: Keep lines of communication open,especially if they turn awkward. Staying close to homeversus travel can be one of the many issues that canhave everyone dividing up into separate camps.

Weekly Horoscope - July 22 - July 28, 2019

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

Birthday Horoscope July 22 - July 28, 2019

The holy month of Sawan orShravan has begun. It isconsidered to be the most

auspicious month of the Hindu calendar.Sawan, the fifth month of the Hinducalendar, falls during the month of July-August and is known for worshipingLord Shiva, the Hindu deity also knownas ‘The Destroyer’ among the Trimurti.Hariyali Teej and Naga Panchami is alsocelebrated in the month of Shravan.

Lakhs of people go on the KanwarPilgrimage every year to offer LordsShiva the Holy water and ask for hisblessings. People keep fasts and alsoworship Goddess Parvati seeking theirprotection and hoping to get their desiresfulfilled.

The month of Sawan or Shravan isstarting on 17 July 2019 and the monthwill conclude on 15 August with thecelebration of Rakshabandhan.

Devotees spend the entire monthworshiping Lord Shiva for his blessings.People go to the Jyotirlingas forpilgrimage and offer the Holy water ofRiver Ganges to the Shivlinga.

What is the significance of Monday in Sawan (Shravan Somwar)?

There will be four Mondays in themonth of Sawan this year. Numerousmen, women and unmarried girlsworship the deity on this day andobserve fasts dedicated to Lord Shiva.People perform special Rudra AbhishekPuja with desires of a child, a healthy lifeor a successful career. Shivratri will becelebrated on 30 July this year.

What is the Significance of Sawan ?As per a popular legend, Lord Shiva

had consumed the Halahal (poison) thatcame out of the ocean during theSamudra Manthan (churning of theocean). As Lord Shiva did that to save theworld, his devotees perform Puja asrendition to the Lord who alwaysprotects his followers from all dangers &diseases and bestows good health andfortune.

It is believed that Lord Shiva held thevenom in his throat, turning it blue, andthus, is also referred to as Neelkantha.

How to do Puja in Sawan?People go on Kanwar Yatra during the

Holy month of Sawan. They fetch waterfrom the Holy rivers and carry Kanwars,on their shoulders to offer it to Shivlingaof their nearest temples.

Every year lakhs of devoteesundertake this pilgrimage with utmostsincerity. Once the Kanwar is filled withthe Holy water, it must not be kept on thefloor or at any surface until it is offeredto Lord Shiva. This is when thepilgrimage comes to an end. People alsoperform Shivarchan at their homes andpray to the Almighty for his blessings.

The Legend Behind Shravan MonthAs per the traditional story, the

daughter of Daksh had sacrificed her life

and was reborn as Parvati in the home ofHimalaya King. Parvati wanted to marryLord Shiva. That is the reason why sheperformed penance during Shravanmonth. Lord Shiva was pleased with thedevotion of Parvati and he fulfilled herwish. Lord Shiva likes the Shravanmonth very much as he got reunited withhis wife during this period. Shravanmonth 2018 began on July 28. During theholy Shravan month, Shivaling isworshipped and people pray to LordShiva for the entire night. All this is doneto win the special grace of Lord Shiva.Any act which violates the religiousprinciples is strictly prohibited duringShravan month.

Another Story Behind Shravan Month

The legend of Shravan Maas ShivaPuja is referred to the ‘SamudraManthan’ which was performed duringthe month of Shravan. Out of thefourteen elements that came out of theocean during the churning, the ‘Halahal’poison was consumed by Lord Shiva tosave the world.

He came to be known as Neelkantha ashe held the poison in his throat thatturned blue due to the deadly venom.The Shiva Puja during Shravan Maas is arendition to the Lord who alwaysprotects his followers from all dangers &diseases and bestows good health andfortune.

SAWAN 2019: SIGNIFICANCEOF MONDAY, SAWAN PUJA

ARISH K. SAHANI SSeerrvviinngg SSiinnccee 11997722

Please Call or Write for Your Insurance Needs

Arish K Sahani (Father)

Shiv Sahani (Son)

Priya Sahani Sood (Daughter)

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

PPAAGGEE SSPPOONNSSOORREEDD BBYY

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

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

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

29THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019 SPIRITUALITY

30THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019 TRAVEL

The coastal district of Kollamformerly known as Quilon lies 70km from Trivandrum, the capital

of Kerala. The first thing that comes tothe mind of a Keralite when he hears ofKollam is the delicious cashew nut. Theorchards and their abundant yield of thecostly nut has led to the title “CashewKings” dispersed among some of therich. The place is rich in marine yieldalso. It is one of the oldest ports andtrading centers in Kerala. It findsmention in history pointing to itstrading connection to Phoenicians andRomans before the start of Christian era.

Over 30% of the area is covered by theAshtamudi Lake which derives its namefrom the meeting of the 8 streams.“Ashta ” stands for 8 in Sanskrit. Kollamis the gateway to the backwaters ofKerala. It takes a cruise of only 8 hoursto reach Alappuzha.

The sights around are so wonderfulthat a tourist does not want the cruise toend. You can see the water plants, such asLotus with its head held high, waterlilies almost in contact with the watersurface, groups of ducks floatingleisurely with not a care in the world.The Chinese fishing nets hanging frompoles to the surface of water is a commonsight. On the way you can stop at theMunroe Island. From Munroe Islandalso, a tourist can begin the cruise.

Kollam backwaters offer youunforgettable experiences. Alumkadavuvillage twenty three km from Kollam onthe way to Allapuzha is one such. Youcan actually observe the vintage craft offashioning a Housboat or “Kettuvallam”,which means a boat bound with ropes.Many families used to own one for theirouting and spending some days on theriver. It was widely used to transportcargo.

Going on a cruise in Kettuvallom orHouseboat through the Kollambackwaters to Alleppey will be anexperience that one will never forget!!

The Amritanandamayi Asram is only 4km away. Devotees and visitors flockthere to experience the concept of“World is one large family”. Enjoy theview of Kayamkulam lake andKarunagapally lying on its bank, whichthe locals say was the playground ofKochunni a Robin Hood type of “dacoit”famous in Kerala folktales.

There are many famous temples builtin the traditional style like the DeviTemple at Thevalakkara andAnandavalleswaram Temple.. The oldPullichira church is also nearby.

The Sree Dharma Sastha Temple withits view of Sasthamkotta fresh waterlake invites you to spend a day there.This lake provides drinking water tomost of Kollam town. A visit to thetemple during day and the relaxingcruise on the moonlit water can beexhilarating experiences.

Asramam picnic village, a center oftourism activities in Kollam, is part ofthe government guest house complex.The Government guest house is around200 years old and was the residence ofLord Munroe then. This picnic village liefacing Kollam backwaters.

The adventure park is the latestdevelopment here. You can hire any typeof boat from the jetty. You can take anevening cruise and/or “go around”cruise from the village. There is a budgethotel conveniently situated near thepark; and all this at 2 km away fromtown.

THE BEAUTY OF KOLLAM BACKWATERS

HOW TO REACHBY FLIGHTThere are no regular flights from other majorcities of the country to Kollam. Nearestairport is Thiruvananthapuram InternationalAirport.

Kollam: 51 km away

Thiruvananthapuram International Airport(TRV), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

Kollam: 129 km away

Kochi Airport (COK), Ernakulam, Kerala

BY TRAINKollam is well connected to other majorcities of the country via regular trains.

Railway Station(s): Kollam Junction (QLN),Eravipuram (IRP)

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contd from page 1India’s Focus now is PrivateSector led Growth, says NITIAayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv

Kumar and status of a Cabinet Minister, on 1 September 2017.Highlighting the reform measures introduced in the

recent budget, Dr Kumar said that there are more thana dozen provisions in the budget to encourage theprivate sector to lead India's growth and it's time tomake space for them and give the private sector moreincentive.

"The intention and the sharp focus of the Modigovernment is very clear and it is that privateenterprise must be given the space, the incentives toplay its role in the economy. The government has nointention at all to try and be the main driver of growthin the country because it is not possible," he said. "Thenext five years, India is going to be at the cusp of amajor transformation and if we succeed, as thisgovernment is wanting to, you will see a decade plusmore of sustained high growth which will beundertaken with inclusion but also with sustainability,"he further added.

Dr Kumar acknowledged that there is still space forbolder reforms like changing the mindset. Noting thatagriculture needs corporate investment, as there havehardly been any investments in that sector, but for thatstructural reforms are essential, he pointed out. Focusis also being given for major transformation in themining, oil and natural gas sectors, electric mobilitysectors, textile and leather, as well as 'sunshine'industry like tourism, he added.

During a Q&A session, answering a question by ProfIndrajit S Saluja, Chief Editor of The Indian Panoramaabout water scarcity in different states, Dr Kumar saidthe water index, introduced by NITI Aayog, has raisedthe alarm. He said the problem and its solution both areassociated with agriculture. At the moment about 90percent of the water is consumed by agriculture, hesaid. The agriculture has to be more water efficient andif there is a shift to horticulture, water could be freedup for other uses, he suggested.

Later, in a brief interview with The IndianPanorama, Dr Kumar answered a few questions fromChief Editor Prof Indrajit S Saluja.

Q. As in charge of policy planning in India, whatwould be your top priority? I am not talking about thegovernment, what would be your top priority?

Ans. My top priority would be two - one isagricultural transformation and I stick by that. Theother one is to eliminate mal nourishment. Ourchildren and our women - 38% of our children are malnourished - it's a shame. Fifteen percent of our womenare anemic. If we can't change that, we are not goinganywhere at all. And the third would be water. If I cansolve these three, I would die as a satisfied person. I justheaded a committee called the North East WaterManagement Authority. They did a very good job; wehave to implement that. It would solve the Brahmaputraproblem at least.

Q. When it comes to human beings, what kind ofquality of life do you think you would be able to providefor people of India under your supervisory capacity aschief planner of India?

Ans. I am not a planner. I gave up planning. I am justa thinker. Our problem is much bigger than quality oflife. You know if I can tackle, get people sufficientamount of potable good water and a clean environment,if I can get them quality education and health - that inthe five years I am not promising. But the beginning isbeing made. Those are the areas we want to work on.For that (We need) domestic private investment. FDIcontributes no more than 3 to 4 percent in our totalinvestment. We have to depend on domestic investmentand domestic investors.

US House votes to condemnTrump over his ‘racist’ tweets

The resolution also got support of four Republicansand an Independent in the House where the DemocraticParty has a majority. Though the result carries no legalrepercussions for President Trump, it was anembarrassing one for him.

Reproaching a sitting President on the record is anextremely rare in the US House. "It's not who we are. Itis playing with fire because the words that the presidentused are heard by people with disturbed minds who doterrible things, violent things, and a line needs to bedrawn," Malinowski told the House. "So that's what wehope to do," he said.

"These comments from the White House aredisgraceful and disgusting and these comments areracist," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said during thedebate. Trump had been accused of racism andxenophobia for telling the members of congress to leavethe country. The President has since tweeted: "I don'thave a Racist bone in my body!"

Congresswoman Grace Meng said President Trump'scomments are "racist" and his vile rants on Twitter arebeyond the pale and show his callous disregard for theoffice he holds.

Little political damage ● Trump has a history of what critics consider race-

baiting. He led a movement that falsely claimedBarack Obama, America's first black President, wasnot born in the US

● A Reuters poll this week showed little immediatepolitical damage from his latest tweetstorm.Support among Republicans increased slightly,while he lost support with Democrats andindependents after the comments.

(Source: Agencies)

Republic of Palau becomes 76thcountry to sign the International

Solar Alliance FrameworkAgreement

President Remengesau praised India as animportant partner for South-South Cooperation andcommended the positive role being played by theIndia-UN Development Fund in promotingsustainable development projects in partnercountries. He appreciated that India made nodistinction between the size of countries and treatedsmall countries like Palau with respect and mutualunderstanding.

Background: The International Solar Alliance was jointly

launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi andthen French President Francois Hollande at the UNClimate Change Conference in Paris on 30 November2015. It is a major global initiative for contributingto the implementation of the Paris ClimateAgreement through rapid and massive deploymentof solar energy. The ISA Framework Agreement wasopened for signature during the 2016 United NationsClimate Change Conference in Morocco on 15November 2016. The ISA became a treaty-basedintergovernmental body on 6 December 2017. TheFounding Conference of the ISA was jointly hostedby Prime Minister Narendra Modi and FrenchPresident Emmanuel Macron in New Delhi on 11March 2018. It was attended by leaders of 48countries, including 25 Heads of State/Government.The First Assembly of the ISA was held in NewDelhi on 3 October 2018. The Assembly wasinaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi andthe United Nations Secretary-General H.E. Mr.António Guterres.

India is doing more to tackleclimate change than any othercountry, says India's Railway

Minister in London and representatives of the Indian diaspora in

Britain.

The Minister in his own words:● The norm across government is

transparency and more transparency● This government has proved that it is

willing to take on black money head on● India is doing more to tackle climate

change than any other country despite notbeing responsible for the problem

● The per capita consumption of coal inIndia is what the US consumed 150 yearsago

● At no point of time any more can there beany trade pact which will be at the cost ofIndia's interests

● Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman haslaid out a truly remarkable roadmap in herBudget for India to move towards the goalof becoming a $5-trillion economy by 2024

● I don't agree with the naysayers who saythere hasn't been job creation because thenature of job creation has changed.(Courtesy - India Inc.)Dr. Kumar answering questions from The Indian Panorama

Editor Prof. Indrajit S. Saluja

33THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019 ADVERTISEMENT

NEW DELHI (TIP): The nationalselection panel's meeting to picksquads for the West Indies tour hasbeen pushed to Sunday amidintense focus on skipper ViratKohli's availability and MS Dhoni'sfuture.

The meeting was scheduled forFriday but was postponed followingCommittee of Administrators'(CoA) directive that the chairman ofthe panel, instead of BCCIsecretary, will convene it. "Thereare some legal modalities that needto be followed due to the rule changeand it took some time. Also theBCCI's cricket operations teamneeds to apprise the chairman ofthe availability of the captain forthe meeting. The fitness reports ofthe players will be available onSaturday evening," a BCCI officialsaid.

The 38-year old Dhoni would bethe centre of discussion amidspeculation that the Jharkhandplayer is contemplating retirementeven though he hasn't spoken aboutit till now. Dhoni's selection oromission would be an indicator ofthings to come in the future. Indiaare set to play three T20Is, as manyODIs and two Tests in a full-fledgedtour to the Caribbean islands,starting August 3.

Considering next year's T20 WorldCup to be held in Australia, theselectors might opt for RishabhPant, who is seen as the heirapparent to Dhoni.

Dhoni was dropped from the T20series against West Indies and

Australia last October and there is astrong chance that he won't beincluded this time around too. Pantwas recently called up as areplacement for an injured openerShikhar Dhawan in the World Cup.

Another issue that would surelybe debated is the availability ofKohli, who has been on the road fora while.

There is a school of thought thatthe skipper could be restedconsidering the long domesticseason ahead, which begins inSeptember, and in this scenario,Rohit Sharma could be handedcaptaincy for the shorter formats.However, with the two Tests beingpart of the ICC Test Championship,Kohli could be included in the Testsquad. A similar approach could betaken for pacer Jasprit Bumrah.The MSK Prasad-led panel would

also work on restructuring themiddle-order as it was one of theprimary reasons for India's exitfrom the World Cup semifinal.Picking the middle-order could leadto a big debate as the panel has a fewchoices among Karnataka's MayankAgarwal, Manish Pandey andMumbai's Shreyas Iyer.

Shubman in reckoningThe selectors may consider

Punjab batsman Shubman Gill andMumbai's Prithvi Shaw. But Shaw'ship injury could come in the way ofhim being considered. Gill has beenamong the runs in the West Indiestour for India A. It could also be endof the road for Dinesh Karthik andKedar Jadhav, who failed to performin the World Cup. If Dhawan isdeemed fit, he would, in allprobability, open with Rohit.

34 THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019SPORTS

Selection meet postponed,focus on Dhoni’s future,

Kohli’s availabilitySachin Tendulkar, Allan Donaldinducted in ICC Hall of Fame

LONDON (TIP): Indian batting icon SachinTendulkar has been inducted into the InternationalCricket Council’s Hall of Fame alongside SouthAfrican pace legend Allan Donald. JoiningTendulkar and Donald in the Hall of Fame was two-time World Cup-winning Australian womancricketer Cathryn Fitzpatrick.

“It’s a huge honour for me,” Tendulkar said at theinduction ceremony held here on Sunday night.

The 46-year-old former right-hand batsman isregarded the greatest to have played the game alongwith Sir Donald Bradman and remains the top run-accumulator in both Tests and ODIs.

He has 34,357 runs across formats and is the onlybatsman to have 100 internationals hundreds underhis belt. The 52-year-old Donald is one of the finestbowlers to have played the game and had 330 Test and272 ODI wickets to his credit before calling it quits in2003. Fitzpatrick is the second highest wicket-taker ofall time in women’s cricket with 180 ODI scalps and60 in Tests. As a coach, she guided the Australianwomen’s team to three World Cup titles.

ICC suspends Zimbabwe overgovernment interference

LONDON (TIP): Zimbabwe were suspended fromthe International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday,with the world governing body saying the country'scricket administration was not free fromgovernment interference. The ICC Boardunanimously decided to freeze funding to nationalgoverning body Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) and ban thesouthern African country's teams from internationalevents. Zimbabwe failed to qualify for the recent 50-overs World Cup, having struggled to schedulematches against the major teams in internationalcricket as their financial position worsened.

Novak Djokovic, Ashleigh Barty on top in latest tennis rankingsPARIS (TIP): Novak

Djokovic’s successful defence ofhis Wimbledon crown ensuredthat the Serb remained at worldnumber one in the latest ATPrankings released on Monday.

The 32-year-old collected hisfifth Wimbledon title and 16thmajor Sunday with a thrillingfive-set win over Roger Federer,a match that last three minutesshort of five hours.

He is now 4,500 points clear ofsecond-ranked Rafael Nadalwho is just 485 points ahead of37-year-old Federer.

The biggest climber isRoberto Bautista Agut whoseride to the semi-finals, where helost in four sets to Djokovic, seeshim rise nine places to 13,equalling his best ranking.

David Goffin, who lost toDjokovic in the quarters,returns to the Top 20, rising fiveplaces to 18th.

Barty retains top spot

Ashleigh Barty hung on to topplace in the WTA rankings onMonday despite crashing out ofWimbledon in the last 16.

The French Open champion,who was hoping to become thefirst Australian to win at the All

England Club since EvonneGoolagong Cawley in 1980, lostin three sets to the AmericanAlison Riske.

The top three of Barty, NaomiOsaka and Karolina Pliskovaremains unchanged although

none of them reached thequarter-finals.

Simona Halep, whodemolished Serena Williams inunder an hour in Saturday’sfinal, moves up three places tonumber four.

Williams also moves up oneplace to nine.

Former world number oneAngelique Kerber, who lost toLauren Davis in the secondround at Wimbledon, drops outof the top 10 to 13.

35THE INDIAN PANORAMAFRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019 ADVERTISEMENT

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