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This weeks question

Has Pakistan been able tointernationlize Kashmir again?

Last weeks result

YES 63% NO 37%

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CONTENTS

UN WON'T INTERVENEON KASHMIR ISSUE

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Community Post -------------- 11-21Date Book -------------------------- 42

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Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 45-47

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ROYAL WELCOME: President Pranab Mukherjee with Queen Sonja, King Harald V, and HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit,attending a state banquet at Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway on October 13. (Details on page 8)

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan's latest efforts seekingUN intervention on the Kashmir issue have failed to drawany new response from the world body which reiteratedthat India and Pakistan need to resolve all differencesthrough dialogue to find a long-term solution to the dis-pute.

Sartaj Aziz, adviser to Pakistan Prime Minister NawazSharif on national security and foreign affairs, had written

to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on the recent bor-der tension with India and sought the UN's intervention,stepping up its attempts to internationalize the Kashmirissue.

In the letter to Ban, Aziz said Pakistan believes the UNhas an important role to play in promoting the objective ofpeaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue, including throughhis "good offices". Details on page 5

Wide supportboosts LaddiSingh chances

Laddi Singh

Huge support toTulsi Gabbardin Dallas

See pages on 24-36

Details on page 5Incentivize NRIsby treatingthem fairly

Sharif raisesKashmir issuewith US Senators

Economists warnModi govt onMNREGA

Tharoor removedas Congressspokesperson

Human RightsWatch laudsSatyarthi

Are there still hassles ingetting India visa?

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Bollywood:Shah Rukh as Dhyan Chand?Joining the bandwagon of sports biopicsis Karan Johar who has bought the rightto make a film on Dhyan Chand

5Cover Story:UN refusal

16Community:Wide support

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Techbiz:

RBI governor Raghuram Rajan has ex-uded optimism that the country will be"solidly" in the 5 per cent growth bracket

45Travel:Orchha16th and 17th century palaces andtemples make Orchha a famous touristdestination in Madhya Pradesh.

5 per cent growth

Indian American Democratic Organiza-tion has lent its full support to the candi-dacy of India origin Laddi Singh

Pakistan's efforts seeking UN interven-tion on Kashmir issue have failed to drawany new response from the world body

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Immigration:

Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber was hurt byfiancees revealed that she entered intoa fraudulent marriage with an immigrant

Shocking revelation

Congratulations are in order for the two Nobel Peace Prize winners thisyear who have made us proud. It is events like these that help put intoperspective the politics of enmity between two neighboring countries asalso the potential for human betterment if only nations were to be at war againstthe right causes, and not against each other.

In his statement congratulating India's Kailash Satyarthi and Pakistan'sMalala Yousafzai for jointly winning the Nobel Peace Prize, President BarackObama made an uncanny observation: The worthy winners happen to be aHindu and a Muslim; an Indian and a Pakistani; and are a generation apart;but share an unyielding belief in basic dignity for every boy and girl.

Recent reports of casualties at the Indo-Pak border in unprovoked shellingby Pakistan's military are damning evidence of how grossly misplaced the pri-orities of that nation are. Here is a young teenage girl who is fighting fundamen-talist ideologies and working for the rights of girl children in Pakistan andelsewhere, while the Pakistani government is so stuck up in its ridiculous politicsover Kashmir.

Child labor, trafficking, and deprivation of basic education especially forgirls, is a scourge of the modern world that all the laws and awareness in theworld have not been able to diminish. Of course it would only be an impossibleideal to have a world free of military expenditure and where men and womenearn a just living to give their children the right to a childhood free of discrimi-nation and deprivation. In the real world however, you have individuals whobelieve in that idealistic world and work to make it a reality. Obviously, suchindividuals are few and their work never enough because there are still millionsof children working as slave-like labor and girls who get shot for attempting togo to school.

Proud as I am of my Indian origin at the moment, I do cringe as a humanbeing at the atrocities meted out by some humans on fellow humans and theindifference of the millions of others, especially governments, who choose not tostop such atrocities.

37Health Science:

A new class of molecules - produced inhuman and mouse fat - have been discov-ered that can protect against diabetes.

'Good' fat

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Cover/Top Stories

UN won't intervene on Kashmir issueUNITED NATIONS: Pakistan's

latest efforts seeking UN inter-vention on the Kashmir issue havefailed to draw any new responsefrom the world body which reiter-ated that India and Pakistan needto resolve all differences throughdialogue to find a long-term solu-tion to the dispute.

Sartaj Aziz, adviser to PakistanPrime Minister Nawaz Sharif onnational security and foreign af-fairs, had written to UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon on the re-cent border tension with India andsought the UN's intervention,stepping up its attempts to inter-nationalize the Kashmir issue.

In the letter to Ban, Aziz said

Pakistan believes the UN has animportant role to play in promot-ing the objective of peaceful reso-lution of the Kashmir issue, in-cluding through his "good of-fices".

Ban's deputy spokespersonFarhan Haq, when asked to com-ment on the letter seeking Ban'sintervention and his viewpoint onthe issue, told reporters he wouldrefer to a statement that was is-sued by Ban's spokesperson inwhich the UN chief encouragedIndia and Pakistan to resolve alldifferences through dialogue andengage constructively to find along-term solution for peace andstability in Kashmir.

The Secretary-General is "con-cerned about the recent escala-tion of violence along the Line of

Control between India and Paki-stan. He deplores the loss of livesand the displacement of civilianson both sides," said the statement.

A war of words between thetwo countries over the situationat the LoC took place at the UNGeneral Assembly where Indiasaid that it was a "matter of deepregret" that Pakistan violated theceasefire, in which eight peoplewere killed and several others in-jured.

India made it clear that its armedforces are "fully ready" to respondto "provocation".

India also said that the onus ofcreating a positive environmentfor normalization of relations is on

Pakistan.The UN has long maintained

an institutional presence in thecontested area between the twocountries. The UN Military Ob-server Group in India and Pakistan(UNMOGIP) observes and re-ports on ceasefire violationsalong and across the LoC and theworking boundary between theSouth Asian neighbors in Jammuand Kashmir, as well as reportsdevelopments that could lead toceasefire violations.

India has however always main-tained that UNMOGIP has "out-lived its relevance" and has "norole to play whatsoever" on theissue. -PTI

A war of words be-tween the two coun-tries over the situationat the LoC took placeat the UN GeneralAssembly whereIndia said that it wasa "matter of deepregret" that Pakistanviolated the ceasefire

Sharif raises Kashmirissue with US Senators

Talks with Pak only 'withoutshadow of terrorism'

UNITED NATIONS: India hassaid that serious bilateral dialoguecan happen only "without theshadow of terrorism" as Pakistanraked up the Kashmir issue at theUN.

The forthright Indian standwas put forward at the FourthCommittee meeting in UN GeneralAssembly on decolonization is-sues when the Pakistani delegateraised the issue.

The Pakistani diplomat said thedecolonization agenda of the UNwould be incomplete without reso-lution of the Jammu and Kashmirdispute and Islamabad is willingto engage New Delhi to settle theissue.

"Pakistan is willing to engageIndia in a comprehensive dialogueto normalize relations between thetwo countries by finding an ami-cable solution to the Jammu andKashmir dispute.

"Peaceful resolution of thisdispute is imperative for durablepeace and stability in SouthAsia," he said, quoting PrimeMinister Nawaz Sharif's UNGAaddress where he had said a veilcannot be drawn on the issue ofKashmir and resolving the issueis the responsibility of the inter-national community.

Exercising the Right of Reply,Abhishek Singh, First Secretaryin the Indian mission to the UN,rejected the "untenable" com-ments made by the Pakistani dip-lomat and reminded him aboutPrime Minister Narendra Modi'sremarks at UNGA last month inwhich he had said that he is pre-pared to engage in serious bilat-eral dialogue with Pakistan "in apeaceful atmosphere without the

shadow of terrorism."The Pakistani diplomat re-

sponded saying that his countrycondemns terrorism in all its formsand the "just struggle of thepeople of Jammu and Kashmir fortheir inalienable right to self-de-termination cannot be subsumedunder the label of terrorism."

He said that in South Asia the"unresolved" Jammu and Kash-mir dispute has been at the heartof conflict and tensions for de-cades. Recognized by many UNresolutions, the dispute is aboutthe exercise of the right to self-determination by the Kashmiris,he added.

Singh said that it is regrettablethat Pakistan has made a refer-ence to Jammu and Kashmir,which is an integral part of India.He added that the references toJammu and Kashmir during thesession are also "completely ir-relevant" to the work of theFourth Committee.

"I would like to bring to thenotice of this Committee that thepeople of Jammu and Kashmirhave peacefully chosen theirdestiny in accordance with theuniversally accepted democraticprinciples and practices and theycontinue to do so.

"Democracy in Jammu andKashmir has enabled the people

of the state to freely express theirwishes and elect their represen-tatives," Singh said.

The Pakistani diplomat saidthat according to various UNresolutions the settlement of theJ&K issue would be through a"free and impartial plebiscite"conducted under UN auspices.

"No electoral exercise con-ducted by Indian authorities inJammu and Kashmir can substi-tute a free and impartial plebiscitemandated by these UNSC resolu-tions," he said. -PTI

Pakistan briefs P-5 about tensions on LoC

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan PrimeMinister Nawaz Sharif raised theKashmir issue during his meetingwith a delegation of US Senators,saying it should be resolved in ac-cordance with the UN resolutions.

Sharif, who met Senators TimKaine, Member of the SenateArmed Services Committee, andAngus King, Member of the Sen-ate Armed Services Committee,underlined that dialogue is theonly way forward between Indiaand Pakistan.

A statement issued by thePrime Minister's Office here saidthat Sharif told the two Senatorsthat the "UN resolutions mustform the basis for any solution forKashmir and people of Kashmirbe made part of it."

"He asked the UN to honor itsown resolutions on this matter. Hesaid the only acceptable solutionof Kashmir will be the one whichis endorsed by all parties includ-

ing Pakistan, India andKashmiris," the statement said.

Sharif expressed his disap-pointment on the cancellation ofForeign Secretary-level talks be-tween India and Pakistan.

Aziz expressed Pakistan's con-cern over tensions with India dueto situation at the LoC.

"He (Aziz) underscored thegovernment's approach of seek-ing peace in the neighborhoodand expressed his concern at thecurrent security situation alongthe Line of Control," the state-ment said.

The Senators appreciatedPakistan's efforts to curb terror-ism, it said, adding they agreedthat the root causes of terrorismmust also be addressed.

Aziz has written a letter to theUN urging the world body to in-terfere to calm down the ongoingtension with India along the bor-der. -PTI

His country condemns terrorism in all itsforms and the "just struggle of the people ofJammu and Kashmir for their inalienable rightto self-determination cannot be subsumedunder the label of terrorism."

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan hasbriefed the envoys of five per-manent members of the UN Se-curity Council about the tensionson the LoC and InternationalBorder with India.

In a statement, Pakistan For-eign Office said Adviser to thePrime Minister on National Se-curity and Foreign Affairs SartajAziz briefed the ambassadors ofthe US, the UK, France, Russiaand China in Islamabad on thesecurity situation.

"He expressed his concern thatthe ceasefire violations by Indiaand the provocative statements

by Indian leadership were not onlya setback to peace efforts but alsoa distraction from Pakistan'scounter-terrorism commitments inthe ongoing Operation Zarb-e-Azb(operation in North Waziristan),"the statement said.

Aziz expressed disappointmentthat first the Foreign Secretary-level talks were cancelled, andthen "India resorted to unpro-voked firing and shelling on theLoC and the International Borderresulting in many civilian casual-ties, injuries, and extensive dam-age to property".

He outlined the Prime Minister's

vision of a peaceful South Asianregion and his positive overturesto the Indian government sincecoming to power in May 2013, in-cluding reaching out to Prime Min-ister Narendra Modi.

Aziz also informed the P-5Ambassadors about his letter tothe UN Secretary-General inwhich he had called upon the worldbody to play its due role towardsdefusing the prevailing situation,and monitoring of the ceasefireviolations by the UNMOGIP, whichpossessed both the mandate andthe infrastructure to play its impor-tant role.-PTI


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MNREGA provisions should notbe diluted: Economists to PM

NEW DELHI: Several leadingeconomists have said that PrimeMinister Narendra Modi shouldnot dilute the provisions of therural work guarantee program,M N R E G A ,which hasp r o v i d e deconomic se-curity to mil-lions of poor.

The signa-tories to anopen letter tothe PrimeMinister in-clude DilipA b r e u( P r i n c e t o nUniversity), Pranab Bardhan (Uni-versity of California Berkeley), VBhaskar (University of Texas atAustin), Jean Dreze (Visiting Pro-fessor, Ranchi University), AbhijitSen (former Member, PlanningCommission) and DilipMookherjee (Boston University).

The MNREGA, they said, wasenacted in 2005 with unanimous

support from all political partiesand it will have a "far reaching"impact on the much-needed eco-nomic security to the lives of mil-lions of people who are on the

margins of subsistence."For the first time, the Central

Government is imposing caps onMNREGA expenditure on stategovernments, undermining theprinciple of work on demand,"they said in the letter.

"The message seems to be thatthe new government is not com-mitted to MNREGA and hopes to

restrict it as much as possible. Weurge you to reverse this trend andensure that the program receivesall the support it requires to sur-vive and thrive," it added.

MNREGA stands for MahatmaGandhi National Rural Employ-ment Guarantee Act.

The letter, signed by 28 econo-mists, said the Central Govern-ment appears to be consideringan amendment aimed at restrict-ing MNREGA to the country'spoorest 200 districts.

The economists have opinedthat the program could and shoulddo even better but said that thegains that have been achieved aresubstantial and amply justify fur-ther efforts to make it a success.

"This runs against a fundamen-tal premise of the Act: gainful em-ployment that affords basic eco-nomic security is a human right.Even India's relatively prosperousdistricts are unlikely to be freefrom unemployment or poverty inthe foreseeable future," the letteradded.-PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Tharoor removed asCongress spokesperson

NEW DELHI: Acting tough,Congress has removed ShashiTharoor as party spokespersonfor praising Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, capping a contro-versial nine-month tenure of theKerala MP as party's mediapointsman.

Tharoor accepted the decisionas a "loyal worker of Congress"but suggested he did not get achance to put his views across,saying he would have welcomedan opportunity to respond to thecomplaint by the state unitagainst him.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Com-mittee had prepared a reportagainst Tharoor, which was re-ferred to AICC's disciplinary ac-tion commit-tee a fewdays ago.

The re-port of theKerala unithad held thatT h a r o o r ' sa d u l a t o r ysta tementsabout Modihad hurtC o n g r e s sworkers inKerala, whohad workeds i n c e r e l yand tire-lessly for hisvictory fromThiruvananthapuram Lok Sabhaseat.

Taking a swipe at Congress foracting against Tharoor, BJP saidit reflects "intolerance" as theparty cannot digest somebodydoing good work.

Though the AICC maintainedthat the decision was takenagainst Tharoor as the state unitwas "incensed" with Tharoor'sremarks, including on social me-dia, for last few months, the im-mediate provocation was his ac-cepting with alacrity the PrimeMinister's invite to him to be anambassador of "Swachh Bharat"mission.

"Congress President SoniaGandhi has accepted the recom-mendation of the AICC disciplin-ary committee to remove ShashiTharoor from the list of spokes-persons of the AICC with immedi-ate effect.

"The Kerala Pradesh CongressCommittee had submitted a com-plaint in this regard to the disci-plinary committee," said partygeneral secretary organizationJanardan Dwivedi in a press re-lease.

After the party action, Tharoorposted his statement on Twitter

and Facebook saying it is the"prerogative of the party to "al-ter" the responsibilities given tohim.

At the AICC briefing, partyspokesperson Shobha Oza saidthat a spokesperson has to alwaysspeak the party line.

Asked whether Tharoor con-tinues to be a Congress member,she said he remains a Congressleader and is still the Chairman ofthe Parliamentary Standing Com-mittee on External Affair.

Replying to a flurry of ques-tions as to why Tharoor was notgiven an opportunity to explainhis position or whether it wasright for Congress to take actionagainst him for participating in a

cleanliness campaign, Oza soughtto give an impression that thisalone was not the reason for ac-tion against him.

A senior party functionaryspeaking on the condition of ano-nymity said that Tharoor wasgiven a "far too long rope" andthe party was repeatedly embar-rassed by him as he praised BJP'sPrime Minister as well as Opposi-tion Chief Ministers like NaveenPatnaik in Odisha.

Asked whether Congress re-moved Tharoor after the freshAIIMS report suggesting poison-ing behind his wife SunandaPushkar's death, Oza was dismiss-ive saying the decision has "noth-ing to do with that".

Sunanda was found dead in a5-star hotel in south Delhi on thenight of January 17 after her Twit-ter spat with Pakistani journalistMehr Tarar over an alleged affairwith Shashi Tharoor.

In his statement, Tharoor saidthat he has seen the press releaseissued by the AICC and as a"loyal worker" of the Congressparty, he accepts the decision ofthe party president to relieve himof the responsibilities as aspokesman.-PTI

Shashi Tharoor

Human Rights Watch laudsNobel to Satyarthi

NEW YORK: Lauding the ac-complishments of Indian childrenrights activist Kailash Satyarthiand Pakistani girl MalalaYousafzai, a leading human rightsgroup said the Nobel Peace Prizeto the two will draw attention tothe severe challenges in enforc-ing child rights.

"Far too many children aroundthe world risk their lives to get aneducation," Bede Sheppard,deputy children's rights directorat Human Rights Watch said.

"This prize is an award to twoactivists, but it is also a testamentto the fortitude of children every-where fighting for the right tostudy and learn without fear."

Sheppard applauded Satyarthifor building a global movementagainst child labor and rescuingthousands of children from ex-ploitative labor and trafficking.

"Satyarthi has campaigned fordecades on ending child labor,particularly bonded labor, in In-dia. Honoring Satyarthi andYousafzai draws attention to thesevere challenges in enforcing thechild rights and protections in thesubcontinent," Sheppard said.

Conferring the award onYousafzai honors studentsaround the world who take greatrisks to learn in the face of adver-sity and conflict, the organization

Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai

said."As the youngest winner of

the Nobel Peace Prize, MalalaYousafzai has become a symbolof the challenges students faceamid internal conflict and war,"

Sheppard said adding that "theNobel Committee's recognition ofMalala Yousafzai and KailashSatyarthi should increase ourcommitment to ensuring that allchildren can attend school safely,no matter where they live."

Human Rights Watch addedthat the recognition of Satyarthiwould also draw attention to gapsin enforcing India's ambitiousRight to Education, which pro-

vides free and compulsory edu-cation to all children up to age 14.

While enrollment has spiked,retention remains a serious chal-lenge, with many dropping outpartly because of discrimination

they face in the classroom, it saidadding that many children in In-dia and elsewhere end up joiningthe work force, instead of gettinga chance at childhood.

Describing Yousafzai as a te-nacious advocate for the rights ofall children, HRW said she in-spires young children and girls inparticular, to go to school and re-ceive a quality education, freefrom discrimination and fear.-PTI

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Top StoriesNokia wants early permission

to sell off Chennai plantHELSINKI: Finnish mobile

manufacturer Nokia wants earlypermission to sell off its plant inChennai and put the money fromthe deal in escrow account till thetime its tax dispute with Indiangovernment is resolved.

"We have said that if we areallowed to sell the factory, anymoney we get from the sale, wewould put it in the escrow ac-count. It won't be ours. We wouldput it in a place until the tax dis-pute is resolved," Barry French,Executive Vice President, Market-ing, Communications and Corpo-

rate Affairs, Nokia, told PTI in aninterview here.

In first comments by a top ex-ecutive after Nokia's decision tosuspend operations at its mobilemanufacturing unit near Chennai,French expressed concern overthe status of the plant and its de-

clining value."What is particularly crazy is

that the value of the facility isgoing down literally every day,"he said. "It would be in the inter-est of everybody that we get whatvalue we can get from theamount," he added.

Nokia has announced suspen-sion of operations at Chennaiplant, once the biggest facility ofthe company anywhere in theworld, from November 1 which hasthrown into uncertainty the futureof about 1,100 employees cur-rently working there.

"We will be happy to put themoney into escrow and try to finda buyer to get the jobs back. It isheartbreaking," French said.

The Helsinki-based companywas forced to keep the factory outof a USD 7.5 billion deal for saleof its handset business toMicrosoft Corp, due to tax disputewith Indian authorities.

Tax authorities allege thatNokia avoided paying taxes bywrongfully claiming an exemptionon software exports. Nokia haschallenged the claims of tax de-partment in courts.

In March, the Tamil Nadu gov-ernment served a Rs 2,400 crorenotice on Nokia, saying the firmhad also sold products from theChennai plant in the domesticmarket instead of shipping themoverseas.

In a separate tax case, the Su-preme Court had ordered NokiaIndia on March 14 to give a Rs3,500 crore guarantee before ittransfers the plant to Microsoft.

"At a time when 60 per cent ofthe mobiles in the Indian marketis imported, it was a pity that theabsolutely world class and cost-effective Nokia unit in Tamil Naduwill be shut down," French said.

The Chennai plant has beenfrozen by tax department and thecompany could not transfer thefacility to Microsoft. "It is an im-portant issue for us because it isstill a property owned by Nokiaand we wish it wasn't owned byNokia.-PTI

'Make in India', Mukherjeetells Norwegian companies

OSLO: Join the "Make in In-dia" initiative of the new Indiangovernment was the message fromPresident Pranab Mukherjee toNorwegian companies as he in-vited investors and entrepreneursto explore possibilities of invest-ment in India's infrastructure sec-tor.

"We welcome foreign direct

investments in our railways, roadsand ports, power and communi-cations sectors, we invite Norwe-gian companies to join Indiancounterparts in the 'Make in In-dia' initiative of the new govern-ment and we are presently simpli-fying the procedures to facilitatetheir participation in India'sgrowth story," Mukherjee said atthe state banquet hosted by KingHarald V and Queen Sonja at the

Royal Palace last night.Asserting that while trade be-

tween India and Norway has beenexpanding but there is significantpotential waiting to be realized, hesaid, "The new government is tak-ing a number of measures to en-courage investments, revive themanufacturing sector in India,promote skill development, de-

velop smart cities and engageclosely with all interested partnersand investors in India and abroadto make this happen".

Enlisting the areas in whichIndia and Norway have a reward-ing trade partnership including oilexploration and scientific re-search, Mukherjee said both thecountries are keen to expand thescope of their collaborative effortsin earth sciences, bio-technology,

clean energy, fishing and healthcare.

"I am confident that the bilat-eral agreements that we havesigned will lead to further fruitfulengagement in the many fieldswhere India and Norway haveobvious complementarities," thepresident said.

Mukherjee, who is the first In-dian head of state to visitthe Scandinavian coun-try, congratulated Nor-way on celebration ofthe bicentennial of itsConstitution andthanked its governmentfor the assistance andsupport extended to In-dia in establishing itsPolar Research Stationin Svalbard.

"We are grateful foryour endorsement ofIndia's rightful claim toPermanent Membershipof the United NationsSecurity Council and foryour proactive effortsthat helped India achieveObserver status in theArctic Council," thepresident added.

Applauding the role played byNorway in global efforts aimed atpeace and development,Mukherjee said, "Norway's con-tribution to the recognition of ex-ceptional human endeavor in allfields of activity, through the in-stitution of the Nobel Peace Prize,is an outstanding example of thelead taken by you in advancementof human and civilization values."-PTI

President Pranab Mukherjee addressing at the Plenary Session of the Joint Seminar onBusiness, Science and Technology, at Oslo in Norway on October 14

PM announces Rs 1000 crore aid for AP

Cyclone damageruns in thousandsof crores

VISAKHAPATNAM: Devas-tating Cyclone Hudhud causeddamage worth thousands ofcrores in the port city and otherstorm-hit areas of the coast,Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister NChandrababu Naidu said here.

Eastern Power DistributionCompany of Andhra Pradesh Lim-ited alone is estimated to havesuffered a loss of Rs 40,000 crore,which includes damage to substa-tions, high-tension transmissionlines, poles and disruption in dis-tribution network.

About 16,000 electric poleswere knocked down by cyclonefury that also left around 6,000transformers damaged.

Damages to Rashtriya IspatNigam Limited (Vizag steel plant)were estimated at Rs 1,000 crore,Indian Navy Rs 2,000 crore,Andhra University Rs 300 croreand Vizag airport Rs 500 crore,Naidu said.-PTI

VISAKHAPATNAM: PrimeMinister Narendra Modi has an-nounced an interim assistance ofRs 1,000 crore for Andhra Pradeshto take up immediate relief work inthe aftermath of the devastationcaused by Cyclone 'Hudhud'.

"Full survey is yet to be con-ducted. For now, to deal with dif-ficulty of such a magnitude, I an-nounce, on behalf of the Govern-ment of India, an interim assis-tance of Rs 1,000 crore," Modi toldreporters after a meeting withChief Minister N ChandrababuNaidu, senior ministers and topstate officials.

He also announced an ex-gra-tia of Rs two lakh to the next ofkin of those killed in the cycloneand Rs 50,000 to the injured.

"The Centre will fully stand byAndhra Government in this hourof difficulty, Modi said.-PTI

A view of the damaged airport after Hudhud Cyclone inVishakapatnam on October 13

India PostOctober 17, 2014 9

www.indiapost.com

Horoscope

Your Weekly Future

(March 21 to April 20)

Do not go unprepared forlegal matters or will have to pay heftypenalty. Eye sight may start togive some trouble and remember

it could be the blood pressure. On the positive notethere will be some interesting developments in careeras well as relationship. You may be assigned an im-portant project and boss will definitely take your adviceseriously.

PANDIT PARASHAR, CEO & COO Astro Scan USA isalso available for individual consultations.He can be reached at: [email protected]

510-886-4370www.parashar.com

(July 23 to August 22)

Planets are in perfect order to make your long cherished desire come true.You will get the new this week.Money may come through legal

channel also. You may change your mind going to areligious event on the last minute. You may go to malland finally spend some money on your self. You willreceive very good advice from a learned person.

(November 23 to December 22)

Trip will be finalized on a very short notice. You may need to take one of your vehiclefor minor repairs. Money wise itlooks like a very promising week.

Stocks and lottery could get extra money in your pocket.For people in business, the new contract will not beany less than a jackpot. Strong Mars in fifth will helpyou achieve you professional goals easily.

(April 21 to May 20)

Avoid any arguments with people specially who are lot older. Property dealcan get extra money in yourpocket. Decision will be hard to

make but you will end up making the right choice. Newcontract will be big and you will end up saving a lot inlong term. You will buy some expensive item for thehouse or may have some changes done in kitchen.

(August 23 to September 22)

Payment stuck for a while will come. It is a very favorable week for jobseekers. Offer will be reasonableand on your terms. Some of you

will be moved to better place in the same company.You will be spending money on buying some gifts forimmediate family members. There will be slight changein your travel plans. You will hear from an old friend.

(December 22 to January 19)

Gambling instincts will pay off, and you willreap rich rewards foryour bold actions. People in busi-ness will have a chance to make

some extra money little unorthodox way. Strong Marsin fourth will help you with a property deal and helpother goals easily. You may be training a new associ-ate at work. You will be just lucky in all money mattersthis week.

(May 21 to June 20)

You will regain confidence and make some tough decisions about career orthe business you have been do-ing. Changes will relive you of lots

of tension of the past. Money wise you will continue togrow but at a very slow pace. Some of you may join ahealth club to get in shape. You will be invited to a bigsocial event this weekend.

(September 23 to October 22)

Week full of pleasant surprises. There willbe some dramaticturns in on going legal battle andoutcome could be even better than

your expectations. If appearing for any highly competi-tive exam, have no doubts you will clear it in first shot.Malefic in sixth will help you gain an edge over youropponents. Health will improve with change of diet.

(January 20 to February 18)

Things may not happen in first attempt but will ultimately. A new projectwill cause excitement and youmay take family out to celebrate.

You will become more spiritual and make a trip to aholy place and participate in special prayers. An oldfriend will call and invite you to a social event. You willdo very well in all money matters.

(June 21 to July 22)

Some cracks could start opening up in ongoing relationship. Its the otherperson who will become doubleminded. Planets in eleventh arevery favorable for all financial mat-

ters. take your chance and you can not fail. An over-seas trip will get finalized after minor change. You willbe spending lots of money towards the education of achild.

(October 23 to November 22)

You will become more religious and perform some serious charity work thisweek. A big check in mail will bea pleasant surprise and that toofrom a totally unexpected place.

You will hardly sit idle and make very good use of timeon hands. Spouse may buy some items for the home.You will continue to have the Midas touch and get manyimportant things done.

(February 19 to March 20)

Obstacles will be followed by solution but will cause some uneasinessin the mind in the meantime. Newbusiness partners will have somevery good ideas and risk takers.

You may spend some money on upgrading your homeor buy new furniture. you may call an old friend andseek his advice on an important issue. You may alsovisit a holy place with family.

October 17th - October 23rd, 2014

by Pandit Parashar

India Postwww.indiapost.com

October 17, 201410

www.indiapost.com October 17, 2014

COMMUNITYACROSS AMERICA

11 India Post

Desi News

Details on page 20

Navratri Garbaat Radha

Krishna Mandir

Details on page 17

Details on page 18

Details on page 19

Wide support boosts Laddi Singhchances for Nov elections

RAJ MAGO

PALATINE: Indian AmericanDemocratic Organization (IADO)has lent its full support to the can-didacy of India businesswomanLaddi Singh (aka Nimrata KainthSingh) who is campaigning doorto door in the Illinois State Houseof Representatives District 54 forthe November 4 elections.

The District includes Palatine,Rolling Meadows, Inverness,parts of Barrington, SouthBarrington, Hoffman Estates, andArlington Heights. The electionsare on November 4.

IADO is apolitical wing of In-dian Americans and its support toLaddi Singh enhances her credibil-ity and chances to win the election.Besides, IADO Laddi Singh alsogot support from Sen. MikeNoland, Commissioner Frank Avila,Committeeman Matt Flam and Illi-nois State branch of the Interna-tional Union of Operating Engi-neers. This round of support fromdifferent agencies and directionshas boosted the chance of Laddito win the election, it is believed.

In a very close race, she is pit-ted against incumbent right wingRepublican candidate TomMorrison. Laddi Singh is a Demo-

Laddi Singh with Sen Dick Durbin

focused on ideologicallyextreme "social issues"while accomplishingnothing that benefits thepeople of our district. Weneed a representativewho will listen to all of herconstituents, not just tofellow extremists," saidLaddi Singh.

During her door todoor walks, Laddi hasbeen getting a favorablenod not only from ethnicminorities like Hispanics,African Americans, andAsian Americans but alsofrom the mainstreamAmerican Caucasian vot-ers of her district.

"Many people I talk tolike my sincerity of pur-pose and transparencybesides my clear cut po-sition on many issuesfacing Illinois residents,"she said.

"I will meet with rep-resentatives of all com-

munities that are part of the 54thDistrict and listen to their con-cerns and ideas.

cratic candidate with party sup-port. Many Asian American com-munities have rallied behind herboosting her chance to be the first

ever Asian American woman rep-resentative in Illinois.

"My opponent is not represen-tative of our community. He has

Huge support to Tulsi Gabbard in Dallas

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard with Community leaders at Gandhi Plaza in Irving

India Post News Service

IRVING, TX: A group of In-dian American activists in Dallasheaded by Dr. Prasad Thotakuraand others, including Mrs.Subhashini and Dr.Subrahmanyam, M MuraliVennam and Gopal Ponangi or-ganized a fundraising luncheonto support Congresswoman TulsiGabbard at Pasand Indian Cui-sine in Irving last week

In his welcome and introduc-tory address, Dr. Thotakura urgedeveryone to support the young-est woman US Congress member,Tulsi Gabbard.

Contd on page 13

Contd on page 13

India Day byWomenNow TVrocks Santana RowIndia Post News Service

SAN JOSE, CA: "I knew thatWomenNow TV would be the bestorganizers for the first ever IndiaDay event to be held at SantanaRow," exclaimed Ash Kalra, "Buteven in my wildest imagination, Icould not imagine how hugelysuccessful it was."

Kalra, San Jose City Councilmember, championed this event tobring India's cultural diversity toa mainstream population in thistrend-setting free event. SantanaRow, always a hub of activity onthe weekends, was completelyjam-packed as over an estimated7,000 people braved the hot dayto watch the non-stop entertain-ment on the open stage.

Sri Sri RaviShankar to visitChicagoVINESH VIRANI

CHICAGO: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,a global humanitarian and founderof the Art of Living Foundation,will visit Chicago October 23-25.

This visit will be a unique op-portunity for Chicagoans to takethe Art of Living Happiness Pro-gram and learn meditation to gaindeep insights into managing one'smind and emotions and live a trulyhappy life.

Sri Sri's vision of a violence-free and stress-free society hasunited millions of people aroundthe globe. This trip follows hisvisits from earlier this year whenhe launched a multi-city Stress-Free, Violence Fee campaign in theU.S. On July 12, 2014, Sri Sri un-veiled the global happiness plat-form called Truly Happy that al-lows individuals to experience,track and grow happiness.

SEF Dandia on fourdays to meet hugeinterestIndia Post News Service

SANTA CLARA: Sankara EyeFoundation (SEF) presented SEFDandia 2014 on four different daysto accommodate the huge interestfrom the bay area patrons. The firstevent was on September 20 at thePleasanton Middle school fol-lowed by events on Oct 4, 10 and11 at the Santa Clara ConventionCenter, the largest venue in theBay area.

October 17, 2014India Post12 Community Across Americawww.indiapost.com

Jalaram Mandir undergoing major expansionYOGESH THAKKAR

CHICAGO: Shree JalaramMandir of Hoffman is going thru amajor renovation and expansion in2014 and 2015. The project con-sists of a complete renovation ofthe existing building as well as ex-pansion.

Bhoomi Poojan was done a fewweeks ago. Sheelanyas Ceremonywas held at the Mandir on Satur-day, October 4 from 2 PM onwards.Over 500 devotees were presentduring this auspicious occasion.The expansion work of the Mandirand installation of deities beganwith 'Sheelanyas Pooja'

The new temple will also havethree new entrances with newcanopies. The new prayer hall willbe double the existing size. Thelower level will be used for temple

programs as well communityevents. A new stage and with up-dated AV system is also in theplans. Phase two of the project willinclude "Indianization" of thebuilding, with traditional domesand shikhars.

Pooja was performed by priestsKeyur Sevak and Hasmukhbhai.They provided explanation of pur-pose and reason behind each ritualin a nutshell. Acharya RajendraPrasadji blessed the congregationand he described the significanceof this occasion, the importanceof creating such temples, and thebenefit attained by creating suchcenters for the preservation ofHindu morals, culture and prin-ciples.

He explained the importance ofNidhi Kumbh and appealed to ev-eryone to donate $250 towardsthe Mandir and he received 30. Thefirst floor and basement will becompletely renovated to meet thedemands of the growing organi-zation. New LED light fixtures, firesprinkler system, complete newHAVC system will be implemented

into the existing building. The ex-pansion will be approximately12,000 square feet.

It will be a dream come true formany devotees of Jalaram Bapa asexpansion of Jalaram Mandir isscheduled to take place within 15to 18 months as Idols have alreadyarrived and a spacious communitycenter will be built with the assis-tance of Sachi Contractors Inc.who have considerable experiencein constructing temples.

Regular activities at the templeinclude Bhajans, Sunderkand Pathevery Saturday, Abhishek onMondays and on Ekadashi, group

Satyanarayan Katha, JalaramJayanti, lectures of saints from In-dia and celebrations of all reli-gious events.

The temple arranges annualhealth camp, provides free flushots, arranges blood donation. Itprovides monthly clinic Seva,which will include doctor's consul-

tation, laboratory tests and pro-viding free generic medicines onan ongoing basis.

Educationally, the activities in-clude Math classes, BharatNatyam, yoga classes, musicteaching, India Culture (IndianHistory), Gujarati classes and reli-gious classes.

Jalaram team with priests

Bhajan session in progress

Carrying Kalash to the ceremony site

It will be a dream come true for many devo-tees of Jalaram Bapa as expansion of JalaramMandir is scheduled to take place within 15 to18 months as Idols have already arrived

India Post 13October 17, 2014 Community Across Americawww.indiapost.com

This includes all ethnic groupsand economic classes. Goodideas come from all sources, butthe Illinois General Assemblydoes not hear from large parts ofour community.I will make thathappen. The additional advan-tage that I have is being a self-made business woman," saidLaddi Singh.

Born in a rural village in Punjab, Laddi graduated in ComputerScience , was an officer in N.C.C.(National Cadet Corps), playedcollege soccer at university stateand national level in India, immi-grated to USA, worked many oddjobs while going to school for Cer-

Wide support boosts LaddiSingh chances for Nov elections

tified Medical Assistant studies.And now she is the CEO of herown healthcare business. Her fa-ther is a village Chief (Sarpanch)of their village in Punjab and shehas decided to do one better byjumping into challenging arena -State of Illinois politics.

She has the support of topleadership of the DemocraticParty who want to win this dis-trict over and she is confident thatthe 54th District will go to theDemocrats in the November 4general elections. "Our commu-nities must register to vote andmust exercise their right to voteon November 4. They can alsovote early in person at certain lo-cations, and also," she said.

Contd from page 11

Huge support to TulsiGabbard in Dallas

He pointed out that she hadserved in US military with greatpatriotic fervor, practices Hindu-ism since her childhood, alwayscarries Bhagavad-Gita and is astrong voice of the Hindu commu-nity in Washington DC.

Community members extendedhuge financial support and ap-plauded Tulsi for her firm standon certain critical issues and a keyrole that she is playing in US Con-gress currently. The Fundraisingluncheon was well attended byseveral Indian American leadersincluding Kalyan Viswanathan,Sanatana Dharma Foundation,Mrs. Kalpana Fruitwala,Mrs. Hema Mohan,Subrahmanyam , EkalVidyalaya, PrashantPatel, Anshul Agarwaland Mrs. Parul Agarwal,HSS, Mrs. SangeethaChandrakanthan, Glo-bal Organization for Di-vinity, Dr. Rajiv Pandit,Hindu American Foun-dation, I V Rao, GlobalHindu Heritage Foundation,Srinath Chakravarthy, SanskruthaBharathi, Chalapathi RaoKondrakunta, SrikanthPolavarapu, Sanjay -Tanmayi Jew-ellers, Sanjay Anand, SanjayTiwari, Sunil Patel and severalother members of the communityat large.

In her response, Rep. Tulsithanked everyone who attendedand extended a lot of support andurged Indian American communityto be proactive in mainstream poli-tics especially youth to come for-

ward to serve the community andcountry with a passion and dedi-cation. She was presented with abeautiful bouquet of flowers,shawl and a beautiful woodencarving painting of Lord Krishna.

Gopal Ponangi thanked Pasandfor providing sumptuous lunchand community for their generoussupport, He also thankedRep.Tulsi who was on a two-daytrip on the occasion of the grandunveiling of the Mahatma Gandhistatue in Irving, TX.

Tulsi attended a breakfast meet-ing wherein many local physicianstalked on several topics relatedto healthcare, youth participationin politics and collaborative efforts

of the Indian American communityto have a unified voice andstrength in the mainstream. Shevisited the newly built HinduTemple of Greater Fort Worthwhere she was also present dur-ing the ground breaking ceremonytwo years ago.

She found time to go to theMahatma Gandhi Memorial Plazain Irving. She paid homage toMahatma Gandhi by offering abouquet of flowers and standingfor few minutes in silence withfolded hands to the Global Leader.

Contd from page 11

Rep. Tulsi urged IndianAmerican community to beproactive in mainstreampolitics especially youth tocome forward to serve thecommunity and country

Incentivize NRIs bytreating them fairly

RAM KONDURI

As Non-Residents Indi-ans (NRIs), we play asubstantially big role inIndia's economy. Wedo it replete with pride, heart, andsoul, albeit with some ego at-tached. We relate to our mother-land internally as our"Karmabhoomi."

The fact is thatwe remitted to India$70 billion in 2013compared to $2.1 bil-lion in 1993, and thatis higher than the$28 billion foreigndirect investment(FDI) to India in 2013in terms of foreignexchange.

According to re-ports, inward remit-tances form 22-23percent of thecountry's foreign ex-change money.Around 25 millionNRIs contribute tothe Indian economy.

Around threepercent of India'sGross DomesticProduct (GDP) is contributed byNRI remittances. Yet, NRIs are ne-glected from India's economicstrategy by the government. Fur-ther, NRIs are taxed unfairly whencompared to resident Indians.

Many NRIs expressed to metheir pain at the unfair attitude ofGovernment of India (GOI) toward

them in resolving various issues,after reading my article in IndiaPost (Sept. 13, 2013). Mr. SudhirKaushik (CFO & co-founder ofTaxspanner.com) also expressedhis anguish in his article in TheEconomic Times (July 22, 2013).

I continued my efforts andraised the issues when presentedwith opportunity, when I met RBIgovernor Dr. Raghuram Rajan, onSept. 5, 2014 at the Chicago Coun-cil on Global Affairs (CCGA)event in Chicago. I asked him,"Why are we NRIs not offeredany incentives for remittance asfamily maintenance, as the

amount is consumed within In-dian economy?" He replied,"Comparing interest rate on de-posits between U.S. (1 percent)and India( 8 percent) , Rajan said,"We welcome NRIs remittance,but India does not need it; remit-

tance is adding to foreign re-serves but not to correct India'scurrent account deficit (CAD).On the contrary NRIs earn lot ofmoney on deposits," Rajan coun-tered. However, Dr. Rajan was notsure whether NRIs are taxed morethan resident Indians.

My question was not related

to deposits at all. It is an irony onthe part of Mr. Rajan to think thatentire remittance is going into de-posits. According to ReserveBank of India (RBI) survey 61percent of remittance (around US$42 billion) is spent as familymaintenance in India, and not leftas deposits.

The most common thoughtNRIs have is, "I send a lot ofmoney to my family; why doesGovernment not offer any incen-tive to me? Yes beneficiaries re-ceive currency in the form of ru-pees, but GOI receives foreigncurrency. When both FDI and

NRI remittances generate foreignexchange why is there discrimi-nation for NRIs in terms of incen-tives? Also compared to the NRI,any FDI investor expects morereturns on investments. So out-flow will be more than inflow."

Let me give a classic scenariocomparing NRI remittance to thetourism industry. To generate for-eign exchange, the Ministry ofTourism spends billions of U.S.dollars to promote tourism in vari-ous sectors.

Other policies like "Visa on ar-rival" have been implemented topromote foreign tourism. Accord-ing to data, average expenditureby each foreign tourist in India isaround US$2,600 (The data isbased on number of foreign tour-ists to Forex earning).

As a result local businessesgrow in sales. In this case, tour-ism promoters are Forex genera-tors, receiving incentives. In caseof NRI remittances, the familymembers who receive remittanceas family maintenance are Forexgenerators too! They spend thereceived money to support thelocal business in many ways.

My objective is to raise theconcern, not to go against the GOIor Dr. Raghuram Rajan. HopePrime Minister Narendra Modiwill understand NRIs' contribu-tion to the Indian economy andreview NRIs' taxation andincentivize us by treating us fairly.These steps will help the govern-ment in building confidenceamong NRIs, increasing Forex,and reduce Hawala transactions inthe country.

"I send a lot of money to my family; whydoes Government not offer any incentiveto me? Yes beneficiaries receive cur-rency in the form of rupees, but GOI re-ceives foreign currency,,

Ram Konduri with RBI Governor Dr Raghuram Rajan


Appeal for youth involvement at Balaji banquet

Chairman and Board of Trustees with local Chicago musicians

Asian Media USA

CHICAGO: Sri VenkateswaraSwami (Balaji) Temple in south-west suburb Aurora celebrated itsannual Appreciation Banquet atWaterford Banquet & ConferenceCenter in Elmhurst on SaturdayOctober 4.

The evening started with em-cee Dr. Sanjay Rao briefly outlin-ing the work of Balaji Temple andinvited the Balaji Vidya Pitham stu-dents to sing the Prayer song'Tumhi Ho Mata.'

The welcome speech was de-livered by Dr. N. S. Rao, Vice Chair-man of SVS Temple. He observedthat "SVS Balaji has been in exist-ence for nearly 30 years openingits doors to devotees for worshipand for participation in social andcultural gatherings."

Chairman Athimoolam Naidusaid, "Our temple enjoys an envi-able reputation as one of the mostbeautiful and truly authenticHindu Temples outside India. All

our volunteers spend long hoursdespite personal commitmentsand obligations, just to serve thecommunity in the name of our God.We are involved in youth educa-tion, cultural activities, summercamps, health fair, Balaji Garden,Yoga and Meditation programsand so on".

He thanked the Board of Trust-ees, Advisory Committees, priests,office staff, kitchen staff, volun-teers, and cleaning staff for theirhard work. He also announced fu-ture plans to build additional classrooms, bigger auditorium and aseparate dining area which will re-quire additional funding and ap-pealed to devotees for their gen-erous support.

A video presentation compris-ing temple's religious activities

during the past year was shownto highlight the authentic mannerin which temple priests conductreligious celebrations. He inviteddevotees to attend the temple ac-tivities in large numbers to showHindu traditions to our children.

The temple's new web portalwas introduced by Mr. AnuAgnihotri who explained in detailits salient features. Devotees arewelcome to visit balaji.org to seeupcoming temple events and re-quest religious services both inthe temple and offsite.

Awards were given to threetemple volunteers - Anu Agnihotrifrom Volunteer and Public Rela-tions Committee; Usha Pariti fromCultural Affairs and Banquet Com-mittee and JayashreeParthasarathy of Youth and Edu-cation Committee for their untir-ing efforts to help with the growthof the organization.

Keynote speaker Ms. VasudhaNarayanan is a Distinguished Pro-fessor, Department of Religion, at

the University of Florida and apast President of the AmericanAcademy of Religion (2001-2002).In her inspiring speech shedescribed the role of the templesin our society. Hinduism is a dy-namic religion and through ourcombined efforts we can carry onour Hindu traditions for genera-tions to come, she pointed out.

She also proposed ideas for thefuture benefit of the temple likecreating an endowment and nam-ing the temple as the life insurancebeneficiary. To help spread ourreligion and tradition she urgedmembers to get children involvedin temple activities such as SAT/ACT classes, performing artsclasses, engage them in commu-nity volunteer work such as healthfairs, and food drives which will

motivate them to understand andpractice Hindu religion in future.

The main cultural program ofthe evening was a light music con-cert with live orchestra in multiplelanguages like Tamil, Hindi,

Telugu, Malayalam and Kannadawere presented by popular Chi-cago singers.

The singers delighted the au-dience with their beautiful voice

and entertained them non-stop fortwo hours. Sumptuous dinner wasserved at this point which was rel-ished by all.

In conclusion,Vote of Thankswas given by Dr.Garla Gupta, Trea-surer of BalajiTemple.

The followingare the office bear-ers:

Board of Trust-ees: ChairmanA t h i m o o l a mNaidu; Vice Chair-man SudershanRao Nagulapalli;Secretary SureshMehta; TreasurerPrabhakar Gupta

Garla; Members Sudershan RaoAkkineni; Harinadha B. Koneru;Vankata S. Masunuru; PrasadNeerukonda; PethinaiduVeluchamy; Ramaraja B. YalavarthiBalaji Vidya Pitham students singing prayer song

Chicago Kalashetra Group

Vasudha Narayan Keynote speaker


Rawals felicitatedon birth and marriageanniversaryIndia Post News Service

CHICAGO: Hundreds of family friends will wishers andleading community members flocked to Manav Seva Mandirin Bensenville - Chicago to be part of grand celebration of75th birth anniversary and 55th marriage anniversary ofChicago doyens - Prof Anant Rawal and Smt Niruben Rawal.

The three-hour celebration organized by three Rawals -Hithesh, Dr Paresh and Rajesh - was a lively affair withclassical Bharat Natyam and Bollywood dances performedby JanakiRawal andher friends.Chicagolandprominentp h y s i c i a nDr ArvindK a k o d k a rregaled thea u d i e n c er e n d e r i n gthree beauti-f u lBollywoodsongs fromyesteryearsin his melo-dious voice.He receivedhuge ap-plause and was greeted with requests for more.

Prof Anant Rawal and Niruben, who migrated to thiscountry in late eighties, thanked the guests and acknowl-edged the early help they received from the community.Prof Rawal headed the Sanskrit Department in Baroda Uni-versity and has mastered many a scripture. His proficientlyin astrology and knowledge of Hindu rituals has made himfamous and popular with community.

Prof Anant Rawal and Smt Niruben are blessed with threesons, three homely daughters-in-law, five grand sons andone grand daughter. All of them live in Chicagoland.

12 Houston schools introduce YogaIndia Post News Service

HOUSTON: It seems that the Indian system of Yoga forphysical and mental well-being is catching up fast in thiscountry and the visit of Prime Minister Modi has given afurther boost to it. Twelve schools of Houston Indepen-dent School District (HISD), largest school district in Texas,have announced introducing Yoga there

It will cover over 6,500 students at Crockett, Elmore,Hilliard, McNamara, Oak Forest, Oates, Stevens, Shadydale,

Thurgood Marshall, and Whittier elementary schools, aswell as Forest Brook Middle and North Forest High schoolsthis year.

According to National Institute of Health, Yoga may helpone to feel more relaxed, be more flexible, improve posture,breathe deeply, and get rid of stress. According to an esti-mate, about 21 million Americans, including many celebri-ties, now practice yoga

Yoga by definition is a "Hindu philosophy that teachesa person to experience inner peace by controlling the bodyand mind," observed Sohan Joshi, head of the NationalFederation of Indian Associations.

Yoga for good health - some poses

Contd on page 17


Yoga is the repository of something basic in the human soul andpsyche, says Rajan Zed president of Universal Society of Hinduism

Many turn to yoga for quiet time but also as a regular fitness routine.Colleen Eggers, coordinator of land based programs and certified per-sonal trainer/fitness instructor at the Advocate Good Samaritan Healthand Wellness Center in Downers Grove, says that pre-natal yoga canprovide women with a host of health benefits. One study found that aslittle as one yoga session can reduce anxiety and stress in expectantmoms by a third.

"Yoga relieves tension in the lower back, hips, upper back, chest andshoulders and it is also a great way to develop stamina and strength",she said

Yoga also boosts mental health, Eggers says.Calling it a "step in the right direction", Rajan Zed, suggested all

school districts of Texas to incorporate yoga in the lives of the stu-dents. Yoga, referred as "a living fossil", was a mental and physicaldiscipline, for everybody to share and benefit from, whose traces wentback to around 2,000 BCE to Indus Valley civilization, Zed pointed out.

About 100 languages are spoken in HISD, seventh-largest schooldistrict in USA, which has about 213,000 students in 283 schools. JulietStipeche and Rhonda Skillern-Jones are the President and First VicePresident respectively of its Board of Education, while Dr. Terry B. Grieris Superintendent of Schools.

12 Houston schoolsintroduce Yoga

Contd from page 16

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to visit ChicagoVINESH VIRANI

CHICAGO: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,a global humanitarian and founderof the Art of Living Foundation,will visit Chicago October 23-25.

This visit will be a unique op-portunity for Chicagoans to takethe Art of Living Happiness Pro-gram and learn meditation to gaindeep insights into managing one'smind and emotions and live a trulyhappy life.

Sri Sri's vision of a violence-free and stress-free society has

united millions of people aroundthe globe. This trip follows hisvisits from earlier this year whenhe launched a multi-city Stress-Free, Violence Fee campaign in theU.S. On July 12, 2014, Sri Sri un-veiled the global happiness plat-form called Truly Happy that al-lows individuals to experience,track and grow happiness. Sri Sriis now coming to Chicago to em-power individuals and strengthenthe local community.

The Happiness Programteaches practical tools to managethe mind and emotions so that anindividual can live with greater pur-pose and fulfillment. This dynamicworkshop allows one to tap vastpossibilities within and discoverone's unlimited power and freedom.

The centerpiece of the Happi-ness Program is the SudarshanKriya, a powerful technique thatuses specific, natural rhythms of

the breath to harmonize the body,mind and emotions, eliminatingstress, fatigue, depression andanger. Sudarshan Kriya practitio-ners have reported better immu-nity, increased stamina and sus-tained high-energy levels. Mod-ern medical science has validatedthe health benefits of this timehonored technique.

Named one of the five mostpowerful people in India by

Forbes, Sri Sri has reaches theschool students through YES! forSchools that is dedicated to pro-viding youth with a healthylifestyle. In Chicago, nearly 5000students across 12 schools havetaken this program.

The Art of Living center in Chi-cago serves the local communitythrough a variety of breathing,meditation, yoga, and knowledgeprograms.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar


India Day by WomenNow TV rocks Santana Row


SAN JOSE, CA: "I knew thatWomenNow TV would be the best organiz-ers for the first ever India Day event to beheld at Santana Row," exclaimed Ash Kalra,"But even in my wildest imagination, I couldnot imagine how hugely successful it was."

Kalra, San Jose City Council member,championed this event to bring India's cul-tural diversity to a mainstream populationin this trend-setting free event. SantanaRow, always a hub of activity on the week-ends, was completely jam-packed as overan estimated 7,000 people braved the hotday to watch the non-stop entertainmenton the open stage.

Democratic candidate for San Jose May-oral election Dave Costese commented, "Ihave never seen Santana Row look so beau-tiful."

Cortese was referring to a beautifulmandap with henna artists, tents, villagescene with colorful carts and brightly em-broidered cushions and throws around the

stage. The nonstop entertainment includeddance performances by leading Indiandance groups such as Dance Identity,Chhandam, Tarana, Targini, Kriti, S3, SanJose State University Bhangra, Ushanjaliand Bombay Jam.

Every performance was exceptional.Youngsters from Chhandam got a standingovation for their mesmerizing performanceand Dance Identity had an entire audiencerocking as they taught them the latestBollywood moves.

Priya Gandhi and Raunak entertained theaudience with their foot-tapping music andDr Clifton presented yoga. Top fashiondesigner houses Vama, Celebrations, ChonaPike, Ateka Sultan and C-Bazar presentedthe trendiest fashions and bridal wear. Am-ber Restaurant served special Indian cui-sine.

Contd on page 20


Kewal Singh runningfor AC Transit Ward 5


FREMONT: Kewal Singh, aTransit Safety Administrator forthe BART system and Fremontresident for the past 22 years, isrunning for AC Transit Ward 5,which covers Fremont, Newark,and parts ofUnion Cityand Hay-w a r d .Kewal's toppriority is en-suring thatAC Transit issafe, afford-able, and reli-able for se-niors, peoplewith disabili-ties, and stu-dents.

"40% ofAC Transit'sriders rely onpublic transitas their onlymode oftransporta-tion," saidSingh. "I know from personal ex-perience just how important reli-able bus service is; my mother, mychildren, and myself are all ACTransit riders. Our bus serviceneeds to improve and that's whyI'm running."

Singh noted that AC Transit'sbudget is improving and that hebelieves the Tri-Cities need a Di-rector who can work together withthe AC Transit Board, laborunions, and other elected officials,which he claims the current Direc-

tor has failed to do.He pointed to his endorsements

from the Alameda County Demo-cratic Party, the Tri-Cities Demo-cratic Forum, and many localelected officials, including formerU.S. Deputy Assistant Secretaryof Commerce Ro Khanna, Fremont

Vice MayorVinnie Ba-con, FremontCouncilmemberRaj Salwan,and UnionCity MayorCarol Dutra-Vernacci.

S i n g halso earnede n d o r s e -ments fromS e n a t o rEllen M.C o r b e t t ,C o u n c i lM e m b e rKansen Chu,A s s e m b l yMember BobWieckowski,L i b r a r y

Commissioner Deepak Chhabra,Human Resources CommissionerFremont Dharminder Dewan,Evolve' Board Of Directors, RickJones Planning Commissioner inFremont

"Every AC Transit Directorneeds to listen to residents, rid-ers, and businesses, and to workcollaboratively with the rest of theBoard. I've gained broad supportfor my run against an 8-year in-cumbent because we can do bet-ter. We have to do better."

Kewal Singh

SEF Dandia on four daysto meet huge interest


SANTA CLARA: Sankara EyeFoundation (SEF) presented SEFDandia 2014 on four different days

to accommodate the huge interestfrom the bay area patrons. The firstevent was on September 20 at thePleasanton Middle school fol-lowed by events on Oct 4, 10 and11 at the Santa Clara ConventionCenter, the largest venue in theBay area. SEF is packing popularmusic for fun filled evenings withBay Area's favorite artistsPreetisha & Troupe.

SEF Dandia 2014 is a fundraiserfor many SEF projects includingthe Jodhpur hospital, Rajasthan.The hospital will be 200 bed state-of-the-art eye care hospital and

will perform over 20,000 free eyesurgeries per year and its loca-tion is about 10.8 kms from Jodh-pur railway station. With SEFmodel outreach program, they will

be able to service the poor inJaisalmer, Balmer, Jalor, Pali, Ajmer,Nagaur and Bikanur districtsaround Jodhpur. Project cost forthis hospital is about $4.2 milliondollars.

An anonymous donor haspromised to match all your dona-tions up to $1 million until Decem-ber 31, 2014 to help us make hugeprogress in fundraising forRajasthan. A founding donor canavail this wonderful opportunityand donate for this noble cause.

Sankara Eye Foundation is aUS based organization registered

under Sec 501(c) (3) of the IRS.They operate and manage eighteye care hospitals all over India.Through these fundraising ef-forts, SEF, USA has played a sig-

nificant role in increasing thenumber of free surgeries to over12,001,22 in 2014. Their missionis to realize the goal of 20/20 vi-sion for the people of India bythe year 2020.

"We think big here. Right fromthe beginning, Mission 20/20,not one or two but 20 hospitalsby 2020, and it has been possibleby continuous efforts of our vol-unteers. It amazes me how theymanage it with office hours, doall the running around. They areour biggest strength," saidKrishnamurthy.


The Ms. WomenNow pageanthad its first two rounds in the cen-ter stage, followed by the finalevents and crowning at a sold-out ticketed event at HotelValencia. Payal Tailor wascrowned Ms. WomenNow. ZeeTV, cosponsor of the event, andother sponsors Yupptv,Travelopod, Bears for Human-ity, UST Global and UltimateLounge Building Kids all se-lected spokespersons and brandmodels from the bevy of beau-ties.

India Day by WomenNow TV rocks Santana RowContd from page 19

Ro Khanna, Democratic Can-didate, 2014, was among themany dignitaries that came outto support the event.

"This was only possible be-cause of the shared vision ofour team of dedicated volun-teers," said Ena Sarkar, CEO of

WomenNowTV. "Everyoneworked together to make this acompletely flawless event. Forsuch a huge undertaking, therewas not even one minute delayin the production of events. Infact," she laughs, "at one pointthere was a quick panic because

we were actually running threeminutes ahead of schedule!"

WomenNow TV, created in2010 is the first South Asian TVTalk Show located in the BayArea that reaches out to Indianand South Asian communitiesaround the world.

Navratri Garba at Radha Krishna MandirIndia Post News Service

NORWALK, CA: RadhaKrishna Mandir in Norwalk beganits ten day Navratri festivity withunprecedented excitement andburst of activities.

Yet again this year the templehosted Raas Garba on its premises.

The tent was bigger than the onein previous years and a record at-tendance was seen during theweek. Attendees came togetherto enjoy in the traditional folkdance of Gujarat known as Garbaand Dandia.

Contd on page 21


Navratri Garba at Radha Krishna MandirThis is Radha Krishna Mandir's flagship

event where all attendees can enjoy theevents free of charge. The Mandir orga-nized ample parking arrangements with se-curity, chai, and snacks at no charge forthe attendees. The young and energeticBoard of Trustees with their vision and zealsaw their hard work pay off with a success-ful ten-day event.

Attendees of the event enjoyed the fabu-lous music and singing which was providedby Bhavna Patel and group. One attendeestated, "With such a great group of musi-cians playing some of my favorite Garbasongs as well as new songs, it made thenight fly by!"

Contd from page 20

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22 India Post October 17, 2014www.indiapost.com

TechBizTech News

Economic recovery in India stilluneven, says RBI Governor

NEW YORK: Stating Indianeconomic recovery is still uneven,RBI governor Raghuram Rajan hasexuded optimism that the countrywill be "solidly" in the 5 per centgrowth bracket during the courseof this fiscal and accelerate furtherin the next financial year.

The RBI governor also said heis not "overly" worried about anyinterest rate hike by the FederalReserve, saying the country hadenough foreign exchange re-serves.

"It is still an uneven (economic)recovery, so my guess is that thisquarter may be a little weaker thanthe previous quarter but I thinkover the course of this year, wewill be solidly in the five per centgrowth range and by next year weshould be solidly in the six per centgrowth range," he said.

Rajan was speaking at the In-stitute of International Finance inWashington.

He also said there was no needfor "grand-sounding announce-ments" and that the India neededto "fix the plumbing," including

correcting problems in coal andgas sectors to accelerate improverecovery and get the Indian

economy back on track.Rajan said that while India has

to do its basic homework, the

"good news" is that there are "lotsof low-hanging fruit and we got topluck them".

"Of course the big question iswhy we did not do it before but Ithink there is an environment and

there is a willingness at this pointto do what it takes.

"What it means, I would cau-tion people on, is not at this pointgrand-sounding announcementsbecause that is not what we reallyneed.

"We need to fix the plumbing."We need to do the basic stuff

which will get the economy backon track," he said when asked howIndia will meet the high expecta-tions that have been set by thenew Narendra Modi governmentto revive economic growth.

In a lighter vein, Rajan said theexpectations need to be toned down.

He however added that on thereal side focus should be on get-ting the projects that are stalledgoing again, fixing problem incoals and gas, "which are not thestuff of headlines but are quiteimportant" as well as getting busi-nesses and government depart-ments to make payments on time.

Rajan said beyond 2016, theIndian economy will grow depend-ing on what the country does overthese couple of years. -PTI

RBI governor Raghuram Rajan has exuded optimism that the country will be"solidly" in the 5 per cent growth bracket during the course of this fiscal.

Reliance to sell US shale gas interestNEW YORK: Reliance Indus-

tries is looking to sell its 45 percent stake in the Eagle Ford basinshale oil and gas venture in the USfor an estimated USD 4.5 billion.

RIL, which bought 45 per centinterest in Pioneer Natural Re-sources Co's Eagle Ford shale for-mation of south Texas for USD 1.3billion, is working with CitigroupInc and Bank of America MerrillLynch to find a buyer, industrysources said.

When contacted, a companyspokesperson said, "Relianceconstantly strives to identifymeans by which to create addi-tional value for its shareholders"but declined to comment on thespecific sale.

"It is Reliance's policy not tocomment on market speculation.If there are any required disclo-sures, Reliance will make them at

the appropriate time," the spokes-person said.

Pioneer holds 46 per cent in theEagle Ford venture while the re-maining 9 per cent is with AlphaSAB's Newpeck LLC.

Newpek too is exploring oppor-tunities to sell its share and is be-ing advised by Tudor PickeringHolt & Co.

RIL is also selling its invest-ment in EFS Midstream LLC, anoil and gas gathering treatmentand transportation network,

sources said.EFS Midstream operates 11 cen-

tral gathering plants in south Texas.RIL, in a July presentation to

investors, had stated that it hasinvested a total of USD 3.91 bil-

lion in Pioneer joint venture sinceinception. 472 wells have beendrilled to date with average pro-duction rate of 676 million stan-dard cubic feet per day.

The Eagle Ford assets spreadover 230,000 acres have becomemore attractive after the US Com-

merce Department in June gavePioneer permission to export a typeof ultra light oil known as conden-sate produced from the region.

The approval will "help easepressure on differentials, whichhas remained key challenge," RILhad stated in the presentation.

Besides Eagle Ford, RIL hastwo more shale ventures in US -40 per cent stake in Chevron'sMarcellus shale acreage and a 60per cent interest in Carrizo Oil andGas Inc's Marcellus shale acreagein Central and Northeast Pennsyl-vania.

According to RIL's July pre-sentation, the company has tilldate invested USD 0.87 billion inthe Carrizo joint venture and an-other USD 2.59 billion in the Chev-ron venture.

Its total investment in US wasUSD 7.36 billion. -PTI

Srinagar in SmartCity schemedemanded

SRINAGAR: State EconomicReconstruction Forum (SERF), anamalgam of trade bodies in Kash-mir which was formed after dev-astating floods, has demanded thatthe Centre should include Srinagarin the Smart city Scheme an-nounced by the Union Governmentin the current fiscal's budget.

"The Central governmentshould declare Srinagar to one ofthe first SMART cities in the coun-try under the plan of making 100SMART cities," SERF SecretaryMubeen Shah told reporters.

Shah said this will makeSrinagar city, which was worst af-fected part of the valley in the lastmonth's flood, for huge fundingearmarked under this scheme.

In response to a question, Shahsaid the trade bodies had no ob-jection if some of the governmentoffices need to be relocated to theperipheries under the SMART cityscheme.

"If removing the offices (likeCivil Secretariat) from the citygives fillip in creating a Smart city,why not!" he said.

The amalgam also asked theCentre to include Jammu andKashmir in the National OpticalFiber Network, which is currentlydeveloping a new communicationsystem. -PTI

India CarpetExpo garners Rs376-cr business

VARANASI: The 28th IndiaCarpet Expo has generated busi-ness worth Rs 376 crore, the Car-pet Export Promotion Council(CEPC) has said.

The four day carpet fair wit-nessed nearly 326 buyer registra-tions and participation from 210agents, who represented otherbuyers, CEPC Chairman KuldeepR Wattal said.

He claimed that the businessgarnered during the expo is to thetune of Rs 376 crore, which hasturned out to be a very positiveoutcome for both buyers and ex-hibitors.

"Buyers from new countrieshave also participated in this exhi-bition along with our old ones.Importers from around 57 coun-tries had registered themselves inthis exhibition," he added.

Nearly 50 per cent export in thecountry is made through the exhibi-tions of India carpet expo, organizedby CEPC at different places acrossthe country every year, he said.

The closing ceremony was at-tended by Virendra Singh, Mem-ber of Parliament (MP) of BJP fromBhadohi. -PTI

Gujarat to promotesolar water pumps

AHMEDABAD: Seeking to reduce the usage of conventional powerfor irrigation in the agriculture sector, Western Indian state of Gujarathas drawn up an ambitious program to provide solar-powered waterpumps to 1,000 farmers in the state.

The project is also envisaged to ease their financial burden due tosubsidy on electricity provided for irrigation, official sources said.

The project will be implemented under the aegis of Gujarat Urja VikasNigam Ltd (GUVNL) and four distribution companies (DISCOMS) - DaxinGujarat Vij Company Ltd, Madhya Gujarat Vij Company Ltd, PaschimGujarat Vij Company Ltd and Uttar Gujarat Vij Company Ltd, accordingto a state government notification issued last month.-PTI

23India PostTechBiz PostOctober 17, 2014www.indiapost.com

Sebi slaps three-yearban on DLF

J&K Special Credit-cum-Relief Camps launchedJAMMU: As part of relief &

rehabilitation package for the floodaffected people of Jammu andKashmir, Union Minister of State,PMO, Jitender Singh haslaunched 'J&K Special Credit-cum-Relief Camps' here.

Flanked by State Finance Min-ister Abdul Rahim Rather, Chair-man Indian Banks' Association(IBA) T M Bhasin,J&K Bank Chair-man & CEOMushtaq Ahmad,Singh said: "thispackage has beenin the line of thingsthat central gov-ernment hascharted out forflood victims ofJ&K".

Speaking on theoccasion, Singh,said, "Thesecamps have beendevised by theMinistry of Fi-nance (GOI) andIBA with completesupport from J&KBank which is Con-vener State LevelBankers' Committee (SLBC)."

"The main feature of the reliefpackage is to provide loans foreconomic activities and recon-struction of houses to the flood-affected on softer terms like longerrepayment schedule,concessional rate of interest andextended moratorium," he said.

"The government of J&K is wellaware of the magnitude of thelosses that the people in Jammuand in Kashmir have suffered dueto the floods," Rather said.

"We are expediting to bringeconomy back on wheels as soonas possible," Rather said.

Earlier, J&K Bank ChairmanMushtaq Ahmad expressed hissympathies for the flood affectedpeople of the region.

He thanked IBA, RBI and thecentral government for extendingfull support in drafting and sanc-

tioning of the package as per theneed and sentiments conveyed inthe special meeting by the bank-ing fraternity operating in thestate.

IBA Chairman T M Bhasin alsoexpressed his feelings on the un-precedented situation in the val-ley due to the deluge and pledgedsupport for the initiatives taken bythe banking Industry especiallythe J&K Bank for rehabilitation ofthe people in the flood affectedareas of the state. -PTI

Jitender Singh

India's rank improves onglobal hunger index

NEW DELHI: The number ofhungry people has declined in In-dia with its score on the GlobalHunger Index improving to 55thposition in 2014 due to progressmade in addressing underweightin children, says a report.

The country's score is betterthan Pakistan (rank 57) andBangladesh (57) but it still trailsbehind Nepal (44) and Sri Lanka(39).

India was at 63rd position onGHI last year.

"Progress in dealing with un-derweight helped India's 2014 GHIscore fall to 17.8 points. India nowranks 55th out of 76 countries,before Bangladesh and Pakistan,but still trails behind neighboringNepal and Sri Lanka," the reportsaid.

While the country is no longerin the "alarming" category, India'shunger status is still classified as"serious," it said.

While India has made signifi-

cant progress in reducing under-weight among children under fivein the past few years, "much workstill needs to be done" at the na-tional and state levels so that a

greater share of the population willenjoy nutrition security, it sug-gested.

The GHI report has been jointlyprepared by International FoodPolicy Research Institute and

NGOs Welthungerhilfe and Con-cern Worldwide.

This year marks the end of a"data drought", the report said,adding that India has determinedits first new provisional nationalunderweight estimate in eightyears.

At 30.7 per cent, it points to realprogress compared with the lastestimate of 43.5 per cent in 2005-2006, it said.

"As a consequence, India nolonger ranks second to last on un-derweight in children, but 120thamong 128 countries with data onchild under nutrition from 2009-2013," it added.

Highlighting the efforts madeto address underweights in India,the report said that since the lastundernutrition data became avail-able, the Indian government rolledout and expanded several pro-grams that targeted a mix of directand indirect causes of under nu-trition. -PTI

While India hasmade significantprogress in reducingunderweight amongchildren under fivein the past fewyears, "much workstill needs to bedone"

MUMBAI: In a major blow toDLF, Sebi has barred the realtymajor as well as its six top execu-tives, including chairman andmain promoter K P Singh, from thesecurities market for three years

for "active and deliberate suppres-sion" of material information at thetime of its IPO.

Besides K P Singh, those barredfrom the markets include his sonRajiv Singh (Vice Chairman),daughter Pia Singh (Whole TimeDirector), Managing Director T CGoyal, former CFO Ramesh Sankaand Kameshwar Swarup, who wasED-Legal at the time of thecompany's public offer in 2007.

After its over four-year-longprobe, Sebi found that a "case ofactive and deliberate suppression

of any material information so asto mislead and defraud the inves-tors in the securities market in con-nection with the issue of sharesof DLF in its IPO is clearly madeout in this case."

In his 43-page order, Sebi'sWhole-Time Member RajeevAgarwal said that violations aregrave and have larger implicationson safety and integrity of the se-curities market.

While the regulator has not im-posed any monetary penalty, therestraining order would bar DLFand the six persons, from any sale,purchase or any other dealings insecurities markets for a period ofthree years, including for raisingfunds.

Sebi said that all these six per-sons were part of top managementat the time of filing IPO documents,wherein the company was ac-cused of non-disclosure of certaindealings with three subsidiariesthrough "sham transactions".

DLF's IPO in 2007 had fetchedRs 9,187 crore.

While Singh, his two childrenand Goyal are still on the board ofDLF, Sanka is no more with thecompany. DLF is the largest realestate group in the country withnearly Rs 10,000 crore annual turn-

over and market capitalization ofover Rs 26,000 crore. Thecompany's market cap hadcrossed Rs one lakh crore marksoon after its listing in 2007, butfell later.

The company and its top ex-ecutives were found to have vio-la

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