vol 10 issue 33 new york aug 26 - sep 01, 2016 - Static End

Transcription

www.theindianpanorama.com
VOL 10 ISSUE 33
● NEW YORK
● AUG 26 - SEP 01, 2016
ENQUIRIES: 646-247-9458
● PRICE 40 CENTS
Y E A R S
Hillary Clinton leads
Donald Trump by double
digits in new national poll
US Honors Indian Festival of Lights: Issues
Commemorative Diwali Stamp
Clinton’s support comes from
women and non-white voters; Trump
leads among men and white voters
Culmination of 7-year relentless effort of Chairperson of Diwali
Stamp Project Ranju Batra and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney
I.S. Saluja
Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump by 10
percentage points nationally. Clinton's
favorable/unfavorable rating is 41 percent/53
percent, while Trump's is 33 percent favorable / 61
percent unfavorable, according to a Quinnipiac
University survey released Thursday, August 25.
NEW YORK (TIP): A Quinnipiac University
survey released Thursday, August 25, found 51
percent of likely voters in the U.S. support
Clinton while 41 percent said they support
Trump.
contd on Page 32
NEW YORK CITY (TIP):
What gift could have been
better
than
the
US
magnanimously offering a
Diwali
Commemorative
Stamp? The gift hasn't come
easily. It took a seven- year
relentless effort by Ranju
Batra, Chairperson of Diwali
Stamp Project to have it for
1.25 billion Indians and for 4
million Indian Americans.
Not that she could do it alone.
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and Diwali Stamp Project Chairperson Ranju
The most important person
who made it possible, besides Batra announced that the Diwali Stamp will be unveiled on October 5 at the Indian
Consulate. Seen in the picture, from L to R: Prof. Indrajit Saluja, Neeta Bhasin,
Ranju
Batra,
is
her
Rajeev Sharma, Vandana Sharma, Regional Manager Air India, Ranju Batra,
Congresswoman
friend
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Kamlesh Mehta, Consul General Riva Ganguly
Carolyn Maloney who, in
Das, Pal Dhillon, Ravi Batra, Harpreet Singh Toor, Sudhir Vaishnav, Srujal Parikh
Contd on Page 3
Photo/ Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia
The Diwali Stamp. The Diya
is photographed by Sally
Andersen-Bruce of New
Milford, CT and the stamp
has been designed by Greg
Breeding of Charlottesville,
VA while William J. Gicker
of Washington, DC is the
project's art director.
Photo / courtesy USPS
Historic Peace Accord: Colombia, FARC Rebels End Navtej Sarna likely to be India’s next Envoy to the US
52 years of Bloodshed
5 decades, 220,000 deaths later, a deal which endsone of the
world's longest conflicts
BOGOTA (TIP): In a historic peace pact,
Colombia's government and Marxist FARC rebels
reached a final peace deal on Wednesday, August
24, to end a five-decade war which once took the
resource-rich country to the brink of collapse.
Under the agreement to end one of the world's
longest conflicts, the Revolutionary Armed Forces
of Colombia (FARC) will lay down arms and
reintegrate into civilian life.
More than 220,000 people were killed in the
conflict, tens of thousands disappeared and
contd on Page 32
Joyous moment: People celebrate after
the peace deal in Bogota on Wednesday,
August 24.
NEW DELHI (TIP): The
race for the next Indian
ambassador to the US has
started in earnest. Arun
Singh, the current Indian
envoy to the US, is set to
retire by August-end and the
government is mulling its
options on the next person to
head
its
mission
in
Washington DC.
Though there are three
diplomats believed to be in
the run for posting in
Washington, India's High
Commissioner to UK Navtej
contd on page 32
Three diplomats -Navtej Sarna (left), Pankaj Saran (center),
Navdeep Suri (right) - are believed to be in the run for
Washington posting.
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FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 2016
NEW YORK
YEARS
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
India Day Parade in Manhattan: a boring, outdated show
Spl Correspondent
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): August 21.
Thousands converged on Madison Avenue in
Manhattan, waving the Indian flags and
chanting Bharat Mata ki jai, marking the 36th
annual India Day Parade, celebrating the 70th
anniversary of India's independence.
Hundreds of people marched in the colorful
parade while thousands of others, including
mainstream Americans, gathered on both
sides of Madison Avenue from 38th Street to
25th Street to cheer on the marchers and the
floats. It was a show of strength and a salute to
the diverse culture of India.
Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan was the
Grand Marshall, and his presence created
some buzz. Acharya Baba Ramdev, who
popularized yoga all over the world, was the
guest of honor and was also a big draw. Consul
General Riva Ganguly Das and leaders of the
Federation of Indian Associations, New York
(FIA-NY) led the parade and greeted the
people.
Bachchan said he was amazed at the
turnout and the enthusiasm of the people for
India. He also thanked the community in the
US for the support it gave artists like him.
He noted that he had attended the parade 19
years ago in 1997 when his father Amitabh
Bachchan, was the Grand Marshal celebrating
the 50th anniversary of India's Independence.
'It is a great honor to be here and represent the
beautiful nation of ours,' he said.
Amitabh tweeted, "And this Abhishek in
New York a short while ago... Grand Marshall
for the India Day Parade in Manhattan NYC,
USA. A proud moment... I was appointed the
same years ago... now son follows."
Baba Ramdev pointed out that the world
recognizes
India's
strength
and
its
contributions in various fields. He noted that
India is moving forward with spirituality and
modernism to greater glory.
As for yoga, he said it was not mere physical
exercise but a way of living which promotes
non-violence and harmony.
American Association of Physicians of
Indian Origin (AAPI) TV Asia, Parikh
Worldwide Media, and Royal Albert's
Broadcasting Network along with Air India
and others came out with colorful floats.
Manning the Air-India float were people
dressed as crew members, including a pilot,
all in official outfits.
As earlier, the Brahma Kumaries, dressed
in white, marched in large numbers, carrying
billboards and calling for peace and respect
for all.
True to the secular spirit of the country,
Christians from Tamil Nadu carried the
statue of Arogya Mata of Velankanni while
Jains marched advocating ahimsa and noting
that Gandhiji was inspired by it.
Shalli Kumar from Chicago came out with a
float under the banner of the Republican
Hindu Coalition supporting Donald Trump. It
carried the photos of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and several Hindu leaders,
too.
The New York Fire Department joined the
parade with two fire trucks - an antique one in
pristine condition, and a spanking new one and an ambulance with several members of
Bollywood Actor Abhishek Bachchan greets the gathering in New York on the occasion of India's
Independence Day Celebrations on 21st August, 2016
Photo / Mohammed Jaffer-SnapsIndia
New
York's
bravest
marching.
Fire
Department Commissioner Danile Negro
announced his own support for Indian culture
in a banner. It was an impressive show.
Police officers belonging to the Indian
Officers Association at the NYPD joined the
event in sizable numbers. It is a new
organization after officers of Indian origin
lost control of the original desi organization.
A larger number of young men in police
uniforms showed that there has been a
welcome change in our community as well as
in the police.
The Overseas Friends of BJP marched in
the parade but the opposition Indian National
Overseas Congress was not on view this time.
Marchers from Telangana did carry a photo of
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, thanking
her for the formation of Telangana, a state
carved out of Andhra Pradesh. It played a role
in the party losing both states in the Lok
Sabha elections!
George Abraham, chairman of the Indian
National Overseas Congress, said, "The INOC
salutes India on its 70th anniversary of
independence and also pays tribute those who
sacrificed so much for the freedom and the
dignity the people of India now enjoy. We are
especially grateful to Indian National
Congress which has led the way and secured
the freedom and the individual liberty for all
of us."
The Keralite and Sikh communities
appeared to have kept away. Usually, Kerala
organizations such as Fokana and Fomaa
march in the parade. Last week, most of them
participated in the first ever parade in
Queens, a borough of New York City. It was
the first time, New York City had two parades
to celebrate India's Independence Day.
Sunderlal Gandhi came dressed as
Mahatma Gandhi for the eighth year. The 83year-old
Gandhi,
a
retired
Central
Government official who moved to the US
about 15 years ago, had met his better-known
namesake twice and become a lifelong
Gandhian. Many people crowded around the
American Gandhi and took photos with him.
He said he came dressed as Gandhi to create
awareness about that icon of the non-violent
movement. And yet, he said he does not want
to say anything about problems endemic in
India, such as corruption, and that his words
have no relevance.
That was all that was really good about the
program. Now for the problematic:
Well, it was boring. One needs to see just
one India Day parade in his life time and, with
minor variations, you have seen them all.
Nothing changes, not even the organizers!
The cardboard billboards, yellowed with
age, were unpacked and saw the sun again,
and most likely will see light again next year.
What are we showcasing to the mainstream
Americans with theses billboards? What kind
of India or Indian culture are we showing?
What is original or creative about it? Who
wants to see the same tired slogans again?
The replica of Taj Mahal displayed on a
company's float is welcome, even if it has been
exhibited for many years. But there have been
no replicas of famous temples, historic
monuments, a depiction of locales there, a
statue or even a cut-out of such leaders as the
Buddha or someone like the Mahatma, who
are well known in America.
It seems the organizers and community
lacked imagination and creativity. The parade
aims to showcase Indian culture to the
American people and also empower our
community, but relies on an excess of noise
and color. What have we gained from it?
Organizers may trumpet that tens of
thousands marched on Madison Avenue
making it a historic event. The fact is, fewer
people came this year than last year. The
Grand Marshall, Abhishek Bachchan did not
generate the same excitement as his father
Amitabh Bachchan once did, or Shahrukh
Khan, Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra or
Deepika Padukone could have done.
This year the stalls were moved to the 26th
Street, which could not handle the crowd,
smaller though it was this time. Stalls were set
up on both sides of the street, with barely a
few feet for people to shuffle and squeeze their
way through.
The stage was set up near 25th Street unlike
in earlier years when it was set up near 23rd
Street, leaving two blocks for stalls and the
width of Madison Avenue for the crowd.
People also complained that the parade
ended abruptly and unceremoniously.
Dr Thomas Abraham, founder of FIA noted
earlier about the need for creativity for the
parade, "To make it more successful and
colorful, organizers should bring in floats of
various community groups. That is how the
whole parade got started in 1981, i.e. all major
community groups had their floats and a large
number of their members marched in the
parade. In the last several years, there have
been
more
floats
from
commercial
organization and businesses.
"We should have them, too. However,
emphasis should be on showcasing the best of
India - its art forms, music and culture - to the
American society.
"The parade is a great effort to provide a
positive exposure of the community, to say we
are here and that we are a dynamic
community. The parade projects the strength
and unity of Indian Americans, even when we
are a diverse group of people originating from
India, with the second and third generations
now adding to our diversity.
"Politicians and the media have been
making a note of our parade which has built
up a better image for the community and
India," Abraham said.
READERS WRITE
India Day Parade in
Manhattan
lthough the India Day Parade in
Manhattan is no longer considered a
much-anticipated event by the Indian
community, it hasn't lost its relevance or
significance. Undoubtedly, it is part of the
identity politics in U.S. that has gained so
A
much traction in the last few decades. Indians
too, have taken advantage of that opportunity
to exhibit their culture and advancement once
every year.
It is a fact that as the number of parades
continues to mushroom in other boroughs and
nearby States, fewer and fewer people are
attracted to the Parade in Manhattan. The Parade
is also gaining a reputation as a monopoly of a
certain group that is under the scanner for lack of
regional
representations,
democratic
governance, and financial transparency.
Indian National Overseas Congress, USA
has participated in the parade in the last
several years with a float but decided against
it this year. In 2015, INOC and Dr. Ambedkar
floats were relegated to the last in the order,
and the crowd started to dissipate by the time
they had reached the viewing stand. It is quite
ironic that the floats, representing the
political party that won the Independence for
the Nation and the other one memorializing
the author of the Constitution of India were
selected for such ignominious treatment.
As an Alumni Board member and a former
Chairman of the Public Relations Committee
of FIA in 1981, my sentiment can be expressed
in few words: the Parade must go on, however;
please bring the community back together
again!
George Abraham, New York
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
NEW YORK
YEARS
3
US HONORS INDIAN FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS: ISSUES
COMMEMORATIVE DIWALI STAMP
contd from Page 1
2013 January introduced in Congress a
resolution
-HR
47for
a
Diwali
commemorative stamp. She was supported by
her many colleagues which included
Congressman Ami Bera and Congresswoman
Grace Meng, besides others. Let me come to
that story later.
It was a beautiful Tuesday, August 23
morning, in sync with the cheerful occasion,
when Representative Carolyn Maloney and
Ranju Batra announced from the City Hall steps
to a gathering of Indian Americans and the
media that the USPS Diwali stamp had become
a reality.
Speaking on the occasion, Carolyn Maloney
congratulated the Indian diaspora on the
achievement. Appreciating the relentless effort
put in by Ranju Batra and her husband Ravi
Batra who has always been very supportive of
his wife in the seven-year marathon to secure
the Diwali commemorative stamp, Carolyn said
"Diwali has finally joined Christmas, Kwanzaa,
Hanukkah and Eid, with its own stamp." On the
occasion, Carolyn recited the short poem
former Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay
had composed for Diwali Stamp:
"Brighten up the world
Light up the nearest lamp
Stamp out clouds of darkness
Bring in the Diwali Stamp".
Ranju Batra, apparently overwhelmed, spoke
about the long haul of 7 years to have the Diwali
stamp issued. She said while she was serving as
Ambassador Hardip Singh Puri, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations
extended his support for Diwali Stamp project at a press conference on February 2, 2013. Seen
in the picture (seated from L to R): Representative Grace Meng, Ranju Batra, Carolyn Maloney.
Ravi Batra is seen standing.
The Indian Panorama file photo
Cultural Chair at AIA-NY she decided to "focus
and get the Diwali stamp issued".
Ranju Batra said she knew "that to get Diwali
stamp issued, "grassroots effort" alone was not
enough-for many before had tried and given up.
I needed hardworking national political leader
to lead-and our dear friend-Congresswoman
Carolyn Maloney agreed to provide that vital
national leadership- while I continued with the
grassroots effort with all community leadersmany present here today".
Narrating the story at length, Ranju recalled
President - Elect of the
United Nations General
assembly to visit India
United Nations General
Assembly President-elect
Ambassador Peter Thomson
will be in New Delhi on
August 29 where he will meet
with Mr. Modi, Ms. Swaraj
and Secretary for External
Relations, Sujata Mehta
Prakash M Swamy
UNITED NATIONS (TIP): The Presidentelect of the 71st session of the United Nations
General Assembly, Ambassador Peter
Thomson, will visit China later this week and
India early next week.
Ambassador Thomson will spend Friday 26
August attending official meetings in Beijing.
It is expected the President-elect will meet
with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, State
Councillor Yang Jiechi and Minister of
Foreign Affairs Wang Yi.
On Monday 29 August the President-elect
will be in New Delhi for official meetings with
the Indian Government. It is planned that he
will meet with India's Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister
Sushma Swaraj and Secretary for External
Relations, Sujata Mehta.
Ambassador Thomson said: "Coming from
the Asia-Pacific nation of Fiji, I am pleased to
have this opportunity to visit the two biggest
countries in the regional group to which I
belong. I look forward to the high-level talks I
will be having with the Governments of
China and India. My main interest will be to
discuss how the United Nations can assist and
accelerate the implementation of the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development."
The President-elect will be accompanied by
the Office of the President of the General
Assembly's Chef de Cabinet Ambassador
Tomas Anker Christensen and Senior Adviser
Meena Syed. For the Beijing visit, Wen Li,
Senior Adviser to the Office of the President
of the General Assembly, will also accompany
the President-elect.
that "true to her word, Carolyn Maloney
introduced House Resolution 47 on January 25,
2013 calling upon Citizens' Stamp Advisory
Committee of the United States Postal Service
to issue a Diwali Stamp.
Representatives Ami Bera and Grace Meng
also lent their support. With the help of
community leaders paper petitions were
collected and submitted while in Washington
DC,
Congresswoman
Maloney
worked
relentlessly to push USPS at every turn to issue
the Stamp.
On January 14, 2015, Maloney introduced
House Resolution 32. When Prime Minister
Narendra Modi came to New York for the UN
General Assembly session Ranju and Maloney
met him and urged him to use his good offices
with President Obama to have the Diwali stamp
issued. Ravi Batra and Ranju wrote letters to
President Obama requesting for Diwali Stamp.
Ravi, in his letter, cited the "Equal Protection
Clause of the Constitution".
An ecstatic Ranju announced, amid cheers," The
time is now. … India's 1.2 billion people, represented
here by the dynamic Ambassador Riva Ganguly
Das, along with almost 4 million Indian Americans
yearn for such inclusive recognition, and issuing
the Diwali stamp will help USPS' bottom line.
Diwali's "Light over Darkness" - is intellectual,
emotional and financial".
A happy ending, in deed, to a seven- year long
journey.
Speaking on the occasion, Consul General
Riva Ganguly Das said the Diwali Stamp was a
great gift to the Indian American community
just a few weeks before Diwali which the
community enthusiastically celebrates. She
thanked Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and
her colleagues for their valuable support in
making it possible to have the Stamp issued. She
congratulated Ranju Batra for her perseverance
in the face of setbacks and succeeded in
obtaining for not only the Indian American
community but for people of India a great
Diwali gift.
Ravi Batra played the master of ceremonies.
4
INDIAN ABROAD
YEARS
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
Indian American Ash Kalra receives
Multiple Endorsements
Three Indian-American Women in Race
to Make History in November Polls
WASHINGTON (TIP): As Democratic presidential
candidate Hillary Clinton targets to break the "highest glass
ceiling" in the US, three Indian-Americans figure in a list of
19 women who could make history if elected to the US
Congress in November.
In a Congress that has only 19 per cent women, over a
dozen women from both sides of the aisle could end up
breaking barriers if elected in the November polls, the
popular Cosmopolitan magazine said as it released the list of
the women.
The three Indian-American women who figure in the list
are Pramila Jayapal, who is running for House of
Representatives from Washington state; Kamala Harris, who
is seeking to enter the Senate from California; and Lathika
Mary Thomas, who is running for the House on a Republican
ticket from Florida. Jayapal and Harris are from Democratic
party. If elected, Harris would be the second black woman in
Senate after Carul Mosley Braun in 1992 and the first IndianAmerican in the Senate.\ Ms Harris, who has been endorsed
by US President Barack Obama is currently the California
Attorney-General.
Ms Jayapal, who earned an endorsement from Vermont
Senator Bernie Sanders, would be the first Indian-American
woman in Congress, if she wins the elections in November.
Read full story on www.theindianpanorama.com
SAN
JOSE,
CA
(TIP):
Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren declared
her support for Ash Kalra in the open seat
race for the Assembly in District 27. As
the only Congressional member in this
district, Zoe's support holds enormous
weight in this contentious race.
" I am proud to endorse Ash Kalra for
California State Assembly and I urge
you to join me in supporting him. Over
the years, when I've advocated for
Human Rights, Ash was there with me.
When we fought for immigration
reform, Ash was there. When we fought
for housing opportunities so our sons
and daughters could live in the
communities they grew up in, Ash was a
leader. When it came to improving
education, Ash stepped forward. In
short, Ash Kalra has been a stand out
leader while serving on the City Council.
He is smart, articulate and will be an
effective leader in Sacramento. I believe
he will represent our community
instead of special interests. In my
experience with him, he is honest,
committed to the public good and a hard
worker. Voters have a rare opportunity
to select this outstanding individual to
represent them in the California
Legislature," said Congresswoman Zoe
Lofgren.
The campaign received additional good
news as the lone Republican in the June
Indian American couple donates for Sikh, Punjabi
culture research in US
WASHINGTON (TIP): An Indian-American
couple has donated $100,000 to a top American
university to support graduate students studying
Sikh and Punjabi culture there.
The endowment by Harkeerat and Deepta
Dhillon to University of California, Riverside, will
help attract graduate students with an interest in
Sikh and Punjabi culture, and support fieldwork on
Sikh communities in the United States, the
university said in a statement.
"This gift is a testament to their commitment to
higher education, their passion for the arts and
humanities, and their desire to expand the
knowledge base about Sikh and Punjabi culture,"
said Milagros Pena, dean of the College of
Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.
The Harkeerat and Deepta Dhillon Endowed
Research Award for Sikh and Punjabi Studies in
the Arts and Humanities will provide much-needed
support for dissertation research and writing on
arts and humanities topics that relate to Sikh and
Punjabi culture, said Pashaura Singh, professor
and Jasbir Singh Saini Endowed Chair of Sikh and
Punjabi Studies and chair of the Department of
Religious Studies.
Dhillon, a prominent Riverside orthopedic and
hand surgeon, had earlier helped raise funds
needed to launch the endowed chair in Sikh
Studies in 2008.
"We are grateful to Dr. Dhillon and his wife,
Deepta, for their generous gift. This award will
help UCR attract new graduate students interested
in Sikh and Punjabi music, history of Sikh settlers
in California, film and media studies, and
ethnographic fieldwork on various Sikh
communities in the United States," he explained.
"Dr. Dhillon has contributed energetically in many
ways to build the new program in Sikh Studies at
UC Riverside. His selfless and untiring support has
put the field of Sikh Studies on the academic map
of North American universities."
Dr. Dhillon, a prominent Riverside orthopedic
and hand surgeon, and Deepta Dhillon, who
worked as an architect in India and London, said
the graduate student research award will raise the
profile of UCR nationally in the field of Sikh and
Punjabi studies.
"UCR is justly proud of and known nationally for
its diverse student population," said Dr. Dhillon,
who has been a member of the UCR Foundation
Board of Trustees for 14 years and helped raise the
funds needed to launch the endowed chair in Sikh
Studies in 2008. "We believe that establishing this
award will enhance the belief that this is an
educational institution that recognizes diversity
and teaches diversity. The fact that an institution
with the reputation of UCR's is supporting this
kind of research will give the Sikh community in
the United States confidence that mainstream
America wants to know about us."
The fifth-largest organized religion in the world,
Sikhism has more than 25 million adherents.
About 80 percent of the world's Sikhs live in the
Indian province of Punjab. More than 500,000 live
in the United States, about half of them in
California. Sikhs have lived in the U.S. for more
than a century, but their culture and religious
practices remain unfamiliar to a majority of
Americans.
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion that
originated in the Punjab province of India about
500 years ago. Sikhs believe in the equality of all
people, emphasize the family, and advocate service
to others and living in the world without being
worldly.
Dr. Dhillon said he hopes that graduate-level
research supported by the award over time will
embrace all aspects of Sikh culture, from music
and history to the Sikh diaspora and the influence
of Sikhs in global politics.
"It's important to add this dimension to Sikh
Studies," he said. "We hope this gift will spread the
global influence of UCR and stimulate more
positive energy for the university. When you fund
something like this, you can see what our graduate
students can do, and their potential. We want to
give back to this community, and pass something
on to the next generation of teachers and leaders.
Primary, ESUHSD Trustee Van Le,
formally endorsed Ash Kalra, joining two
other Primary opponents, Democrats
ARUSD Trustee Esau Herrera and
community activist Cong T. Do.
"I am so grateful to Congresswoman
Lofgren for her support in this race and
for the years of leadership she has
shown in this district. She is a national
leader on pushing comprehensive
immigration reform and has led our
California Congressional delegation
with honor," commented Ash Kalra, "I
am further humbled to receive the
support of three of my former
opponents. They are all outstanding
community leaders and have proven
their strong support from the
community by garnering over 20,000
votes accounting for over 26% of ballots
cast. Their confidence in my ability to
represent our city well in Sacramento is
a great source of pride as we continue
our movement towards Election Day."
Zoe Lofgren has represented San Jose
in the United State Congress since 1995.
As the Chair of the California
Democratic Congressional Delegation
and the highest-ranking Democrat and
former chair of the Subcommittee on
Immigration and Border Security,
Lofgren is recognized as a leader within
the party and a champion for
immigrants' rights in San Jose. She is
the only Congressional Member
representing Assembly District 27.
In 2008, Ash Kalra was elected to the
San Jose City Council. Ash is one of two
candidates in the open seat race for
California State Assembly that will be
vacated by termed-out Assemblyperson
Nora Campos. For a full list of
organizations and individuals who have
endorsed Ash Kalra, please visit
AshKalra.com.
2 INDIAN-AMERICAN WOMEN NAMED WHITE
HOUSE FELLOWS
WASHINGTON (TIP): Two IndianAmerican women have been selected for the
prestigious White House Fellow program
that offers first-hand experience of working
at the highest levels of the US federal
government.
Astrophysicist Anjali Tripathi from
California and physician Tina R Shah from
Chicago are among the 16 White House
Fellows appointed from across the nation for
the year 2016-17, officials said.
Shah is a Pulmonary and Critical Care
physician-scientist focused on transforming
healthcare delivery for patients with
chronic diseases.
She recently completed her clinical
fellowship at the University of Chicago
(UC), where she redesigned the care cycle
for patients with Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease (COPD), dramatically
reducing hospital re-admissions.
As the recipient of the inaugural UC
Innovations Grant, Shah also led an interprofessional research team to evaluate this
value-based care delivery program.
Shah was a trustee for the Chicago
Medical Society and has held leadership
positions in other medical societies to
advocate for her patients and for a
sustainable medical workforce. She received
a BS and an MD from the Pennsylvania
State University/Jefferson Medical College
accelerated six- year medical program and
MPH from Harvard.
Tripathi, an astrophysicist recently at
Harvard University, focuses on the
formation and evolution of planets. She has
pioneered the characterization of planet
forming environments and developed the
first 3D simulations of planets evaporating
due to extreme atmospheric heating.
Tripathi has also been involved in
modelling the Milky Way and the search for
dark matter. Previously, she has conducted
Astrophysicist Anjali Tripathi and
physician Tina R Shah were selected for
White House Fellow program
particle
physics,
seismology
and
engineering research at Fermilab, Caltech,
MIT, and NASA JPL, as part of the mission
operations team for the Mars Rovers, Spirit
and Opportunity.
Her commitment to improving her
community has been recognized by
Harvard, MIT, and the American Red Cross.
Tripathi will receive her Ph.D. in
Astronomy from Harvard, where she
earned an AM in Astronomy as an NSF
Graduate Research Fellow. She received M
Phil in Astronomy from Cambridge
University as a Marshall Scholar and SB in
Physics, with a minor in Applied
International Studies, from MIT.
The White House Fellows Program was
created in 1964 by President Lyndon B
Johnson to give promising American
leaders "first hand, high-level experience
with the workings of the Federal
government and to increase their sense of
participation in national affairs".
Selection as a White House Fellow is
highly competitive and based on a record of
professional achievement, evidence of
leadership potential and a proven
commitment to public service. Each Fellow
must possess the knowledge and skills
necessary to contribute meaningfully at
senior levels of the Federal government.
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
ADVERTISEMENT
YEARS
5
6
NEW YORK
YEARS
The latest App for Devotional
Music on-the-go - SAREGAMA
SHAKTI
NEW YORK (TIP): Saregama Shakti, the latest app
from the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group owned music label
Saregama offers a large collection of devotional music on
demand to provide users across the world with a medium
to imbibe positivity and mental strength at any time of
the day. The bhajans on the app are sung by renowned
artistes like Lata Mangeshkar, Anup Jalota, Jagjit Singh,
Asha Bhosle,Suresh Wadkar, Anuradha Paudwal and
Sadhna Sargam, amongst others. The app also offers
audio recitals of granths like Tulsi Ramayana, Geeta
Govinda, Sundar Kand, Satyanarayan Katha, Sai
Satcharitra Granth and Krishna Charit Manas etc.
The Saregama Shakti App has the entire content
catalogue of Art of Living with Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi
Shankar's talks on Vedic Wisdom, Ashtavakra Gita,
Patantali Yog Sutras, Guided Meditations and much
more. In addition, Saregama Shakti is endowed with over
100 hours of discourse, chants and bhajans from
Gurudev
Swami
Chinmayananda,
Swami
Tejomayananda and other Acharyas of Chinmaya
Mission. Through the Chinmaya section in the app, one
can learn the ageless wisdom of Advaita Vedanta for
inner growth and self-unfoldment. This content can be
enjoyed by all age groups.
● Single destination for Bhajans, Aartis & Mantras
dedicated to 8 deities - Lord Rama, Hanuman, Sai
Baba, Shiva, Krishna, Devi Maa, Ganesha, Shabad
Gurbani
● Entire Content Catalogue of Art of Living
● Chinmaya Mission's audio, videos and wallpapers
● 10k music videos and songs on-demand, accessible
globally
● 9 dedicated TV channels and 10 dedicated radio
stations, 24 hours x 365 days
● Option to save songs in offline mode and enjoy later
without internet or data charges
Commenting on the launch of this app, Mr. Vikram
Mehra, Managing Director, Saregama India Ltd. says,
"The US market is cluttered with music apps but our
research shows that Indian consumers still find it
difficult to discover and listen to Hindu devotional
musicsuch as Shiv mantras or Durga aartis or even the
Ramanyana. Basis this feedback, we've realised that
majority of Indians residing in America want an
application where theycan easily access their choice of
devotional content, especially during the festive season
and other significant religious days."
SAREGAMA Shakti is a free to download app with a 30day trial period (applicable for iOS users only).Payment
for subscriptions can be made through iTunes, Google
Wallet andCredit Card.
About Saregama India Ltd:
Listed on the NSE and BSE, Saregama India Limited,
is India's largest and best-known music recording
company.
Formerly known as The Gramophone Company of India
Ltd, Saregama owns the largest music archives in India,
one of the biggest in the world. The ownership of nearly 50
per cent of all the music ever recorded in India also makes
Saregama the most authoritative repository of the
country's musical heritage. Saregama has now expanded
into other branches of entertainment - it is involved in
publishing, television software and digital content. It also
runs studio facilities in Dum Dum, Kolkata making it one
of the best end-to-end entertainment houses in the country.
(Press Release)
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
Mangano to Host 9/11 Sunset Candlelight
and Remembrance Ceremony
EAST MEADOW, NY
(TIP):
With
the
15th
Anniversary
of
the
September 11, 2001 attack on
America
quickly
approaching, Nassau County
Executive
Edward
P.
Mangano announced that the
County will honor the
memory of those who lost
their lives.
A Sunset
Candlelight
and
Remembrance Ceremony will
take
place
Thursday,
September 8th at 6:30 p.m.
(rain or shine) at the 9/11
Memorial in Eisenhower
Park, near Parking Field 6.
County
Executive
Mangano
stated,
"The
passage of time does not
diminish the tragedy that our
nation suffered 15 years ago.
As we prepare to observe a
Nassau County will honor the memory of those who lost their
lives in 9/11 attack on New York.A Sunset Candlelight and
Remembrance Ceremony will take place Thursday, September
8th at 6:30 p.m. (rain or shine) at the 9/11 Memorial in
Eisenhower Park, near Parking Field 6.
national day of remembrance
on September 11th, it is
imperative
that
we
commemorate this day by
reflecting and honoring those
we lost that tragic morning
and the bravery and heroism
shown by first responders
and our service men and
women who continue to make
sacrifices to secure our
freedom and safety."
The
Remembrance
Ceremony will include the
reading of names of Nassau
County residents who lost
their lives in the attacks and
will be read by family
members at Nassau County's
9/11 Memorial in Eisenhower
Park. The memorial features
two
semi-transparent
aluminum
towers,
representing the World Trade
Center towers, rising 30 feet
from a fountain, and also
contains two pieces of steel
recovered from the World
Trade Center.
(Press Release)
EB-5 Investor Program Better Alternative than F-1 Student Visa for
Indian Nationals Pursuing Entry into U.S. for Higher Education
NEW YORK (TIP): Western Energy
Regional Center, a U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS)-approved
EB-5 Regional Center, will host
informational seminars in Mumbai,
Pune and New Delhi, India, in October to
educate high-net-worth (HNW) Indian
families about the benefits of the EB-5
investor program versus an F-1 student
visa for children who wish to attend an
American college or university.
Designed for high-net-worth families,
the EB-5 Program has been in effect
since 1990. Through EB-5, immigrants to
the U.S. invest $500,000 (approximately
Rupees 3.35 crores) into a U.S.
Government-approved Regional Center,
such as Western Energy. The program
provides permanent residency to
investors and their immediate family.
The EB-5 Investor will receive all of the
same benefits as anyone who is a U.S.
citizen, and the family will retain these
benefits and opportunities for all
succeeding generations.
Western Energy's research into HNW
Indian families has revealed the
following:
They do not want the uncertainty
associated with visa lotteries; they want
certainty of their immigration status in
advance.
They do not like paying the inflated
fees charged to foreign students by U.S.
universities.
They do not want their children to
have work restrictions after they
graduate. The requirement to be
"sponsored" by their employer after
graduation causes a competitive
disadvantage for top positions. The need
for sponsorship also reduces the
opportunity to pursue entrepreneurial
opportunities.
They are happy to participate in
immigrant investor programs, but they
want to invest low-risk products that
aim to return their invested capital, plus
interest, over the same time period as
their children are studying in the U.S.
Gregory Neher, CEO of Western
Energy Regional Center, claims their
EB-5 Investor Visa Program is a superior
alternative to the traditional F-1 student
visa for the following reasons:
It provides a U.S. Green Card for
participants and their immediate family
(including all children under 21 years of
age). This means parents and children
will all become permanent U.S. residents
at the same time.
Children of families holding EB-5 visas
pay lower, in-country college tuition.
College graduates in the U.S. will be
permanent residents, so they do not
need to be sponsored by their employer,
putting them on the same playing field
as American citizens and providing
them with a competitive advantage over
other international students.
The investment provides investors
with first lien position, and they get paid
back first at maturity.
Neher also said: "As permanent
residents, EB-5 families keep the option
of permanently resettling in the U.S.,
splitting time between the U.S. and their
current home or using their new Green
Card for occasional visits. In all cases,
the EB-5 visa is far more flexible and
robust than other options. In addition,
on August 1, 2016, the EB-1 visa,
formerly a popular choice for Indians
immigrating to America, has been
paused for Indian Nationals."
Currently, 10,000 visas are allocated
annually to EB-5 investors. Between 2009
and 2013, 162 EB-5 visas were issued to
Indians. "Compared to the number of
high-net-worth Indians (HNIs) in India,
there is a huge opportunity here. China
currently tops the list, and we now
expect many more HNIs to go the EB-5
route," Neher said.
In
addition
to
many
direct
relationships with HNW families,
Western Regional also works closely
with chartered accountants, lawyers and
wealth managers who have close
relationships with HNIs. "Awareness of
the EB-5 program is really growing,
since it is the cleanest path for Indian
families to access new education,
immigration and citizenship options,"
Neher reiterated.
For more information about the
company's
upcoming
information
seminars in India, please visit
http://www.wercregionalcenter.com or
contact Reema Rasool via email at
[email protected].
Legislator Solages to Host Inwood/ Back to School Day Saturday August 27th at the Five Towns Community Center
MINEOLA, NY (TIP): Legislator Carrie
Solages to Co-Host Inwood Day in conjunction
with a Back to School Community Celebration
that will feature a Backpack Giveaway in
partnership with the key sponsorships of
Green Acres Mall and Applebee's as well as
the thoughtful sponsorship of the rest of our
sponsors who include: Bethpage Federal
Credit
Union,
Healthfirst,
Affinity
Healthcare, Fidelis Care, Apple Bank, New
York State Senator Todd Kaminsky, Elmont
Ladies Auxiliary and the Five Towns Kiwanis
"It is great to celebrate going back to school
with a community party because there is no
greater gift we give our children than that of a
high quality education," said Legislator
Solages. "I'm glad this great event allows us to
provide our local students with many of the
tools they need to succeed."
For children to receive the free supplies they
must be a resident of Nassau County and be
accompanied by a parent or guardian who can
show identification. Please share this
important information so the wonderful
school supplies can be shared with all of those
in need. This back-to-school celebration will
include a barbecue lunch provided by Applebee's
as well as refreshments, activities, the music of
DJKIDD and of course wonderful backpacks
filled with school supplies.WHAT: Legislator
Carrie Solages will co-host Inwood/Back to
School Day Backpack Giveaway at the Five
Towns Community Center, 270 Lawrence Avenue,
Lawrence, NY from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Please share this important information
with family, neighbors and friends, and join us
at this FREE event. For more information,
contact the office of Legislator Solages,
District 3 at 516-571-6203.
(Press Release)
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
MISCELLANY
YEARS
Big victory for #RightToPray
campaign: Landmark verdict lifts ban
on entry of women into Haji Ali dargah
MUMBAI (TIP): In a
landmark
verdict,
the
Bombay High Court today
lifted the ban on women's
entry inside the inner
sanctum of the Haji Ali
Dargah.
While delivering the
verdict, the High Court
stated that the ban imposed
on women is contrary to the
fundamental rights of a
person as provided in the
Constitution.
High Court has said that
women should be permitted
in the dargah along with
men and has ordered the
Maharashtra government
to provide security to
ensure the safety of the
women.
A bench of
Justice
Vidyasagar Kanade and
Justice Revati Mohite-Dere
gave the verdict on a public
interest litigation which
urged lifting restriction on
women inside the inner
sanctum which houses the
mazaar or tomb of the
saint. The ban was imposed
by somewhere between
March and June 2012 by the
Haji Ali Dargah Trust.
The Trust had defended
the ban saying entry of
women in close proximity
to the tomb of a male saint
is grievous sin in Islam.
The State government had
batted for women saying
they cannot be banned
inside the inner sanctum
unless it is shown that
banning them is integral to
Islam.
On 30th March 2016, the
Bombay HC had observed
that there's no law which
prevents
women
from
entering temples. The HC
also said that women
should have equal access to
places of worship and it is
the state government's duty
to protect rights of women.
"If you allow men then
you should allow women
also", the HC added.
7
Sikh-Americans Welcome
Removal of 225 Sikhs from
Blacklist
WASHINGTON (TIP):
Calling it a "step in the
right direction", SikhAmericans
have
welcomed the Indian
government's decision of
removing the names of
225
Sikhs
from
a
blacklist.
"This is a step in the
right direction and a
promise fulfilled by the
Modi government," said
Mr. Jasdip Singh Jasse,
founder of Sikhs of
America, at a joint news
Mr. Jasdip Singh Jasse is the
conference
with
the
founder of Sikhs of America.
Overseas Friends of BJP(File Photo)
USA, which was attended
by leaders of
Sikh
American community.
Last year, a delegation of Sikh-Americans led by Mr.
Singh had submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister
Narendra Modi when he visited the Silicon Valley.
Mr. Singh, along with a delegation of OFBJP-USA, had
also submitted a similar memorandum to Home Minister
Rajnath Singh last year.
Names of 225 Sikhs, chronicled in the government's
blacklist for their alleged involvement in subversive or
anti-India activities, have been removed over the last four
years.
The pruning has been done in a list of 298 Sikhs which
was prepared at different levels by security agencies since
1980s.
8
EDITORIAL
YEARS
AS I SEE IT
GUEST COMMENT
A Bharatiya Parivar
Bill: The 'rent-awomb' practice to go
n a bid to check commercialization of surrogacy, the
new draft Bill approved by the Union Cabinet has
gone to another extreme. It aims to reinforce the
traditional idea of Bharatiya Parivar, allowing a mami,
chachi or bhabhi to carry a surrogate child for the
married infertile relative. If enacted, the Surrogacy
(Regulation) Bill 2016 would ban the "rent-a-womb"
practice. Since 2002, when commercial surrogacy became
legal in India, it grew into an unregulated industry worth
$2 billion, exploited by foreigners and NRIs, who paid
underprivileged women for renting their womb, to escape
tough laws on surrogacy in their own land.
Women rights activists demanded concrete steps to
regulate the sector like registering surrogate mothers,
fixing compensation and eliminating the middleman. In
the absence of proper legislation, there have been
instances of surrogate children getting entangled in an
international legal web or just abandoned. Legislation
was indeed needed. The Bill does take some progressive
steps like giving legal rights to the surrogate child and
banning repeated pregnancies. But it is imprudent in this
age to expect a woman to bear a child as an act of
altruism. It would be hard for needy couples to find a
relative who has one healthy child and is willing to bear
another one whom she can't claim as her own. The Bill
deals an unkind blow to infertile couples.
Imposing a ban is a simple option; regulating the ban is
the real challenge. The organ transplant ban has shown
how things get pushed underground in case of a demandsupply mismatch. Citing "Indian ethos" for denying the
surrogacy option to single people, homosexuals and livein couples, the new Bill tends to stigmatize a large section
of society and ignores the changing ground reality.
Anyone can adopt a child, irrespective of the marital
status, under a different law. The new Bill articulates
prejudices associated with the overly nationalist
government at the Centre. A puerile comment by the
Foreign Affairs Minister that people have surrogate kids
for "fashion and glamour" takes a dig at the Khans of
Bollywood and reinforces the prejudice.
I
(Tribune, India)
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER:
OVERSEAS CORRESPONDENTS
Prof. Indrajit S. Saluja
DELHI BUREAU CHIEF:
VICE PRESIDENT: Chitagam Saluja
Ashishpal Singh
CHIEF EDITOR: Prof Indrajit S. Saluja
CHANDIGARH: Manjit Sidhu
LUDHIANA: A.S. Arora, R.P.Sharma
GRAPHICS DIRECTOR:
PATIALA: Bhupinder Batra
Om Parkash Malik
DIRECTOR ADMINISTRATION:
Gauri Beri
SIMLA: Chandan
AGRA: Pramod Aggarwal
AHMEDABAD: Rajiv Sethi
DIRECTOR MARKETING: Karan Beri
PATRON : Dr. Navin Mehta
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS:
Vijay Shah -Photo Journalist.
Gunjesh Desai/ Masala Junction
Mohammad Jaffer/ SnapsIndia
Baldev Singh / BJ Videos
Vaaho Photographers
Mohammad Shahzad, Zia Khan
DISTRIBUTOR : Sukhwinder Singh
CORRESPONDENTS :
SACRAMENTO: Parminder S. Aujla
NEW YORK : Amarjit Anand, Chitagam:
FRESNO:
Tarlochan Singh
DALLAS: Harjit Dhesi, Amarjit Dhillon
The Indian Panorama
P.O. Box No. 190067, South Richmond
Hill, NY 11419, Tel: 646-247-9458
Email:
[email protected]
DALLAS EDITION
Lovllien Kaurr, VP & Bureau Chief
E-mail [email protected]
Phone: 646-595-5026
Karan Beri
E-mail
[email protected]
Phone: 646-431-4064
Printed at Five Star Printers ,
Queens, NY, Published by Prof.
Indrajit S Saluja
DISCLAIMER
The Indian Panorama assumes no responsibility for the claims made
in advertisements. We only sell space. Views published in the
newspaper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the
views of the newspaper. All rights are reserved. Reproduction in
whole or in part without permission in writing from The Indian
Panorama is prohibited.
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
Method in US Madness
By Mary Dejevksy
t is possible to sense relief, even
guarded optimism, among US
Democrats and right-thinking people
everywhere. Donald Trump, the tycoon
and political neophyte, who swept to the
Republican nomination despite the
hostility of party stalwarts, has had a
bad couple of weeks, very bad, in fact.
Trump's showing in the opinion polls
has been inexorably downwards since
Hillary Clinton's triumph at the
Democratic National Convention. He
has reshuffled his top team for what
seems the umpteenth time, and
muttering can be heard to the effect that
he never really wanted the job anyway.
Wishful thinking even has sundry
Republicans asking whether Trump
might decide to make way for someone
supposedly more electable.
Of course, it's not over until it's over.
Trump's whole campaign to date has
defied the odds, and his camp insist quite rightly - that it is very early days.
The campaign proper never really
begins until after Labor Day, the first
Monday in September. Even then it will
have two full months to run. What is
more, there are legitimate questions
about both the accuracy of polling and
the volatility of US opinion. Americans
vote on November 8. Throughout this
time, the Europeans will be commenting
from the margins, comparing our
variegated systems with theirs, almost
entirely
to
our
advantage.
US
presidential campaigns, we will say, are
far too long, far too expensive and
borderline corrupt. Even the voting
system, with its differences between
states, those ancient machines that
frustrate recounts and the inequalities
seemingly built into the registration
system will be cited as proof of our
superiority. Many Americans would
agree; they are some of the least sparing
critics.
What Donald Trump's unpredicted
rise and, current, fall already show,
however, is something we tend to
neglect. What looks like a mad electoral
marathon that serves no one well and
costs extortionate amounts of cash is
not a bad test of presidential potential.
What is more or less a year-long
campaign has a pace and a logic that
ruthlessly exposes those who cannot
make the grade.
A US election campaign has
something of the medieval tournament
about it. It offers a grueling series of
obstacles to be surmounted and trials to
be endured. Whoever wins will have
proved to be equal to the task of
presiding over the most powerful
I
A US election campaign has something of the
medieval tournament about it. It offers a grueling
series of obstacles to be surmounted and trials to be
endured. Whoever wins will have proved to be equal to
the task of presiding over the most powerful country in
the world. And yes, by the way, it still is", says the author.
“
Donald Trump's ratings have spiraled down.Clinton's favorable/unfavorable rating is
41 percent/53 percent, while Trump's is 33 percent favorable / 61 percent unfavorable,
according to a Quinnipiac University survey released Thursday, August 25.
country in the world. And yes, by the
way, it still is. The most basic
requirement is stamina. Would-be
presidents have to put in the time and
the miles. Trump and Clinton have now
been on the road more or less
continuously since last autumn. They
cannot be seen to flag. From September
they will be crisscrossing the country,
speaking at venues from vast sport
stadiums to tiny parish halls, fitting in
several meetings in one day. It is an
intense replication of what it is like to
be President of the United States. The
last frantic dash, coast-to-coast, battleground to battle-ground is one of the
ultimate in electoral challenges, and - in
a close race - one of the most thrilling.
The second is the capacity to raise
money; a lot of it. Like it or not, though,
the role of corporate money in the
United States makes the confidence of
business a pre-requisite for any US
president.
There are different ways to acquire it.
Hillary Clinton has the benefit of her
husband's presidential network, and her
own from her time as New York Senator
and Secretary of State - corporate
support which risks also being a liability
this electoral year, because it associates
her so closely with "the establishment".
George W Bush had the Bush networks
and his own business ties. Donald
Trump can boast - as could Michael
Bloomberg - that his money is largely his
own, and his business record stands for
itself. Barack Obama's biggest task eight
years ago was arguably to convince
corporate America that he was a winner.
As the personification of the state, a US
President must also be at least, on the
presentational front, competent. Bill
Clinton was the master communicator;
he grasps at once the disposition of his
audience. He makes the connection,
conveys the message, wins the argument
- and all with an ease that his wife has
had to learn. A future president must
convince, both in person and, crucially,
on television - even in this time of social
media. If he or she isn't born with the
ability, they acquire it over the months
of campaigning.
A US presidential campaign is the
longest and most demanding political
stress test conducted anywhere, and it's
always in the public eye. Candidates
must keep cool under pressure and cope
with reversals. Personal flaws, past and
present, can surface at any time. These
need not be fatal, as Bill Clinton and
Trump - so far - showed. It depends how
the candidate handles them and how the
public responds. As the polls now stand,
it looks as though the voters will have
the sense to reject Donald Trump. If he
nonetheless prevails, however, it would
be wrong to dismiss his victory as a
fluke. He will have won not primarily
because of money or showmanship, but
because, in emerging victorious from
the trials of a US presidential campaign,
he will have convinced Americans that
he can do the job.
(Source: The Independent)
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
PERSPECTIVE
YEARS
9
The Paranoid Art of Nationalism
The BJP's nationalism is like a nervous tic which agitates itself every time the party runs out of ideas.
The strategy is shortsighted and creates two casualties at the level of ideas. It
aborts the power of nationalism as a process, disguising the many doubts
about nationalism which stalwarts like Tagore or Gandhi had. It attempts to
By Shiv Visvanathan
remove their voices from history to create its own meaner version of it. It
demolishes the creativity of civil society by turning every act of dissent and
difference into a canned idea of sedition", says the author.
“
great scholar once claimed that
patriotism is the last refuge of
scoundrels. If he had lived another
hundred years, he could have added that
the nation state is the first home of the
insecurely authoritarian. Today, the
nation state has become a police
operation, censoring categories, modes of
thought that do not march in uniform
with its official definitions of citizenship.
Oddly, this process of the nation state as
a panopticon, an institution for policing
thought, has to be seen today as a part of
an electoral democratic phenomenon.
Majoritarianism in India has combined
with a jingoist nationalism to carry out
two separate sets of policing operations.
At a local level, vigilante forces like the
Bajrang Dal police the body and guard
against any threat of sexuality either in
ter ms of dress or in ter ms of the
creativity of art and cinema. The policing
of sexuality at the local level goes with
policing of thought at the national level. If
America had a Ku Klux Klan on race,
India is creating a network of vigilantes
on the nation.
A
Citizenship and
thought policing
This vigilantism of patriotic and
chauvinist groups has the seal of official
approval. A good citizen is not only
someone who is corseted in dress but one
who wears a corseted mind. Majoritarian
nationalism creates a new kind of thought
policing
where
the
deviant,
the
dissenting,
the
marginal
and
the
minoritarian find it different to fit into
the chorus of the nation state. Parties like
the BJP realize that anxiety about jobs,
security, the body creates a vulnerability
which the nation state can exploit. Anyone
who differs from you becomes antinational. The transition from nationalism
of the independence movement, which
was a costume ball of ideas, to the
uniformity of the nation state is complete.
Citizenship becomes a proactive idea of
thought policing. Any sign of difference
confronts the mob and the lynch squad.
Thanks to this arid mentality of
nationalism, democracy becomes a threat
to a democratic way of life. The irony is
virtually complete.
While Narendra Modi pretends to play
statesman immersed in the problems of
gover nance, his electoral double, Amit
Shah, plays impresario to this knee-jerk
nationalism, adding a surreal gravitas to
what is both farcical and lethal. Mr. Shah
is
a
menacing
figure
whose
pronouncements become virtual diktats to
party workers. He creates a fetish around
nationalism which even threatens free
speech blatantly. He is clear that
nationalism is too sacred to be even
questioned through free speech. He
Hall of sedition: (From left) Arundhati Roy, Hardik Patel, Kanhaiya Kumar, Binayak Sen and Aseem Trivedi.
transforms it both into a theology and an
official state ideology such that reasons of
the nation state become even more
sacrosanct than democracy. He is clear
that what he labels as propaganda against
the nation should not be considered as
part of free speech. Such 'free speech', he
claims, insults the martyrs of the freedom
movement. In a fell swoop, past and
present move under majoritarian control.
He cites Bhagat Singh without realizing
he was a more open ended mind than Amit
Shah is. Bhagat Singh would never
endorse the Gujarat riots of 2002. This
appropriation of the freedom movement
by the RSS is a card-sharping act worthy
of examination. Since character building
seems to be beyond the BJP, this fiction of
being the custodian of 'nationalist
character' lets it beat back dissent or
difference of any kind.
Rajnath Singh as Home Minister plays
second fiddle to Mr. Shah contending that
Pakistan
has
been
deliberating
misleading Indian youth. At one sweep, he
exonerates Delhi, the police, the local
gover nment from any kind of error,
locating the source of mischief in an
external enemy. Blaming Pakistan is easy,
while realizing your own mistakes takes
courage. Not be left behind, Manohar
Parrikar, the Defense Minister, recently
claimed going to Pakistan is like going to
"hell".
Ramya, the former actress and Congress
member who visited Pakistan as part of a
delegation, was quick to retort, "Pakistan
is not hell." In a sane civil way, she
observed, "People are just like us. They
treated us well." This was enough to spark
an accusation of sedition, and a complaint
against her was filed by a Kannada
advocate. The lawyer, Vittal Gowda,
alleged that Ramya had insulted Indian
patriots by praising Pakistan. Updating
themselves, BJP activists who earlier
advocated the train to Pakistan to any
dissenter now insisted that anyone who
thought Pakistan was heaven should take
the next flight. Sedition now becomes the
easiest label to tar your opponent with. All
one needs is a simple difference of
opinion.
Fortunately, Ramya is a sensible person,
who, in an article, matter of factly said,
"we need to build enduring bridges with
our neighbors." The BJP's attempt to
create its storm in a teacup was quietly
foiled by the film star. In fact, Bollywood
known for its melodrama seems sane,
allowing the BJP to monopolies all the
hysterical roles. Ramya's sanity is a
perfect antidote to the ruling regime's
hysteria.
Uses of a nervy
nationalism
The question one has to ask is, why are
the BJP and its cohorts adopting this
knee-jerk jingoism? Part of it is because
as a party it has sought a theory of
uniformity as unity without any real faith
in inclusion. The backstage and the front
stage of its politics just do not hold
together. A nervy nationalism becomes its
real claim to solidarity. The BJP's attitude
to Dalits has undermined any hope of
inclusion. As election time approaches,
this nervy nationalism nitpicking at every
source of dissent becomes its one
electoral plank. It is as if
its
majoritarianism by habit has nothing else
to resonate with. Its inability to resolve
issues in Kashmir, its illiteracy about the
agony of Kashmir weaken its sense of
problem solving. Besides, student revolts
at JNU and Hyderabad have dented its
claim to be the party of the youth. At a
time when its claims to justice and
competence are beginning to sound
hollow, the drumbeat of nationalism
seems to be its only calling card. By fusing
majoritarianism and this spectacle of
nationalism, it makes dissent to be
against the nation. It is only this false
fusion that gives it a sense of unity.
The strategy is shortsighted and creates
two casualties at the level of ideas. It
aborts the power of nationalism as a
process, disguising the many doubts about
nationalism which stalwarts like Tagore
or Gandhi had. It attempts to remove their
voices from history to create its own
meaner version of it. It demolishes the
Photo / courtesy PTI
creativity of civil society by turning every
act of dissent and difference into a canned
idea of sedition.
Protest and differences which sustained
both nationalism and democracy are now
emptied out. As this new nationalism
unfolds, one realizes its lack of organic
embeddedness. As it has no sense of
communities
beyond
a
conscripted
uniformity, it is forced to rely on a false
sense of leadership by inflating the
reputation of one person and his alleged
charisma or becomes an excuse for
technocratism seeking a moder nism
around its uncritical acceptance of
technology. Such empty bullying by
nationalism eventually degenerates to a
fascism that flies on democracy. Dialogue
becomes impossible, and difference and
debate unrealistic. Whatever the shortterm popularity, it is becoming clear that
this is not the world Nehru, Gandhi and
Patel dreamt of. Nationalism rather than
becoming a way of life becomes a
symptom of an inferiority complex where
the regime eventually lacks the cultural
imagination to challenge the West or
China. The regime has made the singing of
the National Anthem compulsory. Here
nationalism is converted into a form of
church attendance. What could have been
a way of life becomes a ritual for scrutiny.
Such a perspective is illiterate about
history
and
unprepared
for
any
cosmopolitan future. It substitutes the
unity of the flag with uniformity, the mob
mentality of vigilantism. It fails to
understand that both cadre and mob lack
the nuance, the subtlety or mentality of a
plural nation.
The BJP's current view of history and
the nation is inaugurating not an epic of
nationalism but a jingoistic tragedy that
threatens democracy both as plural
imagination and a way of life. The BJP's
nationalism is like a nervous tic which
agitates itself every time the party runs
out of ideas.
(The author is the Director of Centre
for the Study of Knowledge Systems
and Professor Jindal Global Law
School)
10
Hundreds fall sick after toxic
gas leak in Bangladesh
CHITTAGONG (TIP): An explosion at a chemical
fertiliser factory left at least 200 people needing medical
treatment after toxic gas spread across large parts of
Chittagong city in Bangladesh, officials said on August 22.
Police and fire officials said hundreds of residents were
also evacuated from their homes near the di-ammonia
phosphate (DAP) plant in the port city where a 500-tonne
capacity ammonia tank exploded late on Monday.
Mesbah Uddin, the district's chief administrator, said that
56 people had been admitted to the Chittagong Medical
College Hospital after the gas leak, none of whom was in a
life-threatening condition.
"Eight have been discharged. Forty-eight people are still in
the hospital today but they are out of danger," he told AFP.
"Around 150 people were given first aid locally," he added.
Firefighters battled through the night to halt the leak and
finally declared that the situation was under control in the
mid-morning.
"We used loudspeakers to urge people to evacuate the area.
Hundreds did leave but they came back after the situation
improved," said Uddin.
The local police chief Rafiqul Islam confirmed that
hundreds of workers from nearby factories had also been
ordered to leave their premises.
Other officials said that strong winds blew the toxic gas
across a 10-kilometre radius and there were reports of people
being taken ill at the southern city's international airport.
Authorities mobilised a special team of some 60
firefighters after the explosion triggered panic among people
living nearby.
"We saved two other tanks by spraying water," Abul Kalam
Azad, a senior fire official told AFP, adding that the
explosion occurred when a tank was being refilled with
ammonia gas.
The government has ordered an investigation into the
explosion and a three-member inquiry team was scheduled
to visit the fertiliser plant later Tuesday, chief administrator
Uddin said. (AFP)
Police say at least 20 killed in
Nepal bus accident
KATHMANDU (TIP): Police say at least 20 people were
killed and another 17 hurt when bus drove off a highway in
Nepal and plunged into a river.
Police office said the bus rolled about 100 meters (330 feet)
down the slope early on Friday and crashed into the fastflowing Trishuli river near Chandibhanjyang, about 120
kilometers (75 miles) west of the capital, Kathmandu.
Police and villagers were helping the injured and pulling
the dead from wreckage, which was mostly submerged in the
river.
Police are investigating the cause of the pre-dawn
accident.
Road accidents in mountainous Nepal are generally
blamed on poorly maintained vehicles and roads. (AP)
Sri Lanka arrests son of former
leader Rajapaksa in money
laundering case
COLOMBO: Sri Lankan financial crime police arrested
the eldest son of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa on
Monday on suspicion of laundering money, his lawyer said,
the latest legal difficulty for the once-powerful family.
Sri Lanka's new president, Maithripala Sirisena, faces
pressure to act on allegations of corruption dating back to
the Rajapaksa era, especially from civil society
organisations who backed his successful bid to oust
Rajapaksa last year. The son, Namal Rajapaksa, who is also a
member of parliament, had been questioned by officers from
the Financial Crimes Investigations Division investigating
some money he had invested in two companies, the lawyer
said. "He was arrested by police under the anti-money
laundering act. He will be produced before a court in a
while," lawyer Premanath C. Dolawatta told Reuters.
Neither Namal Rajapaksa nor family members were
immediately available for comment but they have in the past
all publicly denied wrongdoing. It was the second time he
had been arrested. In July, he was arrested in connection
with a separate case on suspicion of misappropriating of
funds in a $650-million apartment project and was released
on bail after seven days in detention on remand. (Reuters)
YEARS
SOUTH ASIA
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
Don't let India use your soil against
us, Pakistan tells Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD (TIP): Pakistan has
asked Afghanistan to restrain India
from
using
its
soil
against
Islamabad, Radio Pakistan reported
on August 25.
"Such cooperation should not be to
the detriment of Pakistan," Foreign
Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria
said in a statement.
The statement on the IndiaAfghanistan nexus comes two days
after a report saying New Delhi will
deliver more arms to Kabul to help it
fight militants.
India has provided over $2 billion
in
economic
assistance
to
Afghanistan in more than a decade.
New Delhi has also been assisting
Kabul in building its war-ravaged
buildings and heritage sites.
India assisted in building the
Afghan Parliament complex as well
as in restoring the Store Palace in
Kabul.
These
were
jointly
inaugurated by Prime Minister
Narendra
Modi
and
Afghan
President
Ashraf
Ghani
on
December 25 last year and August 21
Attack on university in Kabul orchestrated
from Pakistan, says Afghanistan government
NEW DELHI (TIP): Cooling ties
between Afghanistan and Pakistan
took a further hit on August 25
evening, with the Afghan government
saying the attack on Kabul's
American
University
was
orchestrated from Pakistan. Afghan
President Ashraf Ghani spoke with
Pakistan Army chief Raheel Shariff
and demanded strong action against
the terror networks responsible for
the attack.
Kabul's accusation that the attack
was orchestrated from across the
Durand Line, the AfPak border, comes
at a time of spiralling relations
between the neighbours. Recent
developments have also seen Kabul
increasingly playing up the optics of
its closeness with New Delhi, and of
lethal weaponry transfer from India.
Afghanistan's accusation came in a
statement
from
the
country's
National Security Council, which met
at the Presidential Palace for an
extraordinary session on Thursday,
reported
Afghan
news
outlet
Pajhwok.
The
statement
said
President Ghani had spoken on the
phone with Pakistan Army chief
Raheel Sharif and demanded "serious
and practical measures against the
perpetrators of the attack", Pajhwok
reported the statement as reading.
Meanwhile,
Pakistan's
InterServices Public Relations said
General Shariff
had promised
Afghanistan that it would not allow
Pakistani soil to be used to stage
attacks on Afghanistan. "Afghan
authorities have shared 3 mobile
telephone numbers allegedly used
during the University attack who
allegedly were on contact with the
attackers... Our evaluation of the
evidence provided and outcome of
Combing op so far, has shown that all
Afghan SIMs used during the attack
were from a network owned and
operated by Afghan company whose
spill over signal affects some areas
along Pak-Afghan border," read a
statement from ISPR.
Relations between Afghanistan and
Pakistan have been strained in recent
times, with Kabul pressing for
stringer action against Taliban
terrorists who are waging war
against the Afghan government.
Wednesday's attack on Kabul saw a
near-10-hour siege of the American
University campus. A total of 13
people were killed and 53 injured in
the attack.
Kabul's pinning of the attack as
emanating from Pakistani soil also
comes a day after Islamabad
expressed disappointment over a US
decision to block $300 million in
military aid for not doing enough to
fight terror outfits like the Haqqani
network. (TOI)
respectively.
New Delhi in December last year
announced the supply of four
military helicopters in India's first
transfer of lethal equipments to
Afghanistan since the hardline
Taliban movement was toppled.
At a corps commanders' conference
on August 9, top Pakistan ar my
officers said the terrorist threat was
transforming because of a growing
nexus between hostile actors in the
neighbourhood
and
facilitators
within the country. (IANS)
North Korea's Kim
praises submarine
launch test as a
success
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (TIP):
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said
on August 25 that his country had
achieved the "success of all successes'' in
launching a missile from a submarine,
saying it effectively gave the country a
fully equipped nuclear attack capability
and put the US mainland within striking
distance.
Kim's
comments,
carried
by
Pyongyang's official Korean Central News
Agency, came a day after South Korean
officials said a ballistic missile fired from
a North Korean submarine was tracked
flying about 500 kilometers (310 miles), the
longest distance achieved by the North for
such a weapon. North Korea already has a
variety of land-based missiles that can hit
South Korea and Japan, including US
military bases in those countries. But its
development of reliable submarinelaunched missiles would add a weapon
that is harder to detect before launch.
The KCNA said Kim watched from an
observation post as the test-firing
happened, which the agency said was
carried out without "any adverse impact"
on neighbouring countries.
The North's official Rodong Sinmun
newspaper published several photos that
showed the missile, with the name
Pukguksong printed on its side, soaring
into the sky, and Kim smiling and
embracing with one of the North Korean
officials accompanying him from what
appeared to be an observation deck. The
KCNA quoted Kim as saying the
successful test showed that North Korea
had joined the ``front ranks'' of military
powers fully equipped with nuclear
attack capabilities. (AP)
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
ADVERTISEMENT
YEARS
11
12
Revamped Scholarship for
Children of NRIs, Persons of
Indian Origin
NEW YORK (TIP): A revamped scholarship program for
children of NRIs and Persons of Indian Origin to pursue
under graduate courses in Indian universities and
institutions was on Wednesday announced by Ministry of
External Affairs (MEA).
Under the new scheme, the Scholarship Program for
Diaspora Children (SPDC) has been extended from 40 to 66
countries including 17 ECR (Emigration Check Required)
countries, the MEA said.
The number of scholarships has also been increased from
100 to 150 with 50 slots earmarked for the Children of Indian
Workers in ECR counties. Of these 50 slots, one-third of slots
are reserved for children of Indian workers in ECR countries
studying in India. Income criteria would be applicable to all
categories of students.
According to the Emigration Act, 1983, Emigration Check
Required (ECR) categories of Indian passport holders need
to obtain 'Emigration Clearance' from the office of Protector
of Emigrants (POE) for going to 18 countries which are
mostly in Gulf region.
Under SPDC, children of PIOs and NRIs can pursue under
graduate courses in Indian universities and institutes in a
range of fields except medical and related courses.
The scholarship amount is given for payment of tuition
fee, admission fee and post admission services including
hostel fee but excluding payment of food charges.
"The revamped SPDC is now in place from academic year
2016-17," the MEA said.
It said scholarship will be offered for pursuing courses in
central universities, institutions accredited "A" Grade by
NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) and
in number of other institutions including National
Institutes of Technology (NITs), Schools of Planning and
Architecture (SPAs), Indian Institutes of Information
Technology (IIITs).
A portal SPDCINDIA.GOV.IN has been developed to
process applications for the scholarship. Applications can be
submitted online till September 23.
'It's too late now to say sorry' :
Clinton to Trump
WASHINGTON (TIP):
Democratic
US
Presidential
nominee
Hillary Clinton on August
23 told her Republican
opponent Donald Trump on
Twitter that it was too late
to apologize for the highly
controversial remarks he's
been making throughout
his campaign. Clinton's
message to Trump accompanied by a video
compilation of Trump's comments - came after the real
estate magnate on Saturday said at a North Carolina rally
that he regretted saying things that "may have caused
personal pain."
"It's too late now to say sorry," Clinton's tweet reads. The
accompanying video begins with a clip from the rally where
Trump attempted to express regret for his past comments.
"Sometimes, in the heat of debate, and speaking on a
multitude of issues, you don't choose the right words...And
believe it or not, I regret it, particularly where it may have
caused personal pain," he'd said.
In the video, the Clinton campaign interspersed the clip of
that conciliatory statement with clips from older speeches
and interviews featuring the Republican nominee. In these
clips, he is seen calling Republican primary candidate Marco
Rubio 'Little Marco,' (allegedly a reference to Rubio's height)
calling for a ban on Muslims entering the US, and referring
to an unnamed woman as "a disgusting pig."
The video goes on to show other controversial statements
involving Trump - notably his suggestion that the mother of
a fallen Pakistani-origin Muslim American soldier wasn't
allowed to speak at the Democratic National Convention,
while her husband famously criticized Trump's call for a ban
on Muslims coming to America. It also shows him
categorically refusing - on a number of occasions - to express
regret or apologize for his views and remarks, in response to
questions from journalists. "I like not to regret anything," he
is heard saying. (Agencies)
YEARS
US
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
HARDEEP WALIA TO BE THE
KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT ECOSIKH
GALA EVENT IN WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON DC (TIP): Hardeep
Singh Walia, CEO of Motif, based in the
Silicon Valley, will be the Keynote
Speaker at the EcoSikh Gala event in
Washington, DC, on September 18, 2016.
EcoSikh Gala gathers over 300 people
from all over Washington and the nation
every year to support its work on
environment and climate change on
behalf of the community.
Hardeep is founder and CEO of Motif,
a next-generation online broker whose
mission is to simplify complex
investment products and make them
universally accessible. The company's
flagship product allows individual
investors to act intuitively on their
insights by turning them into a "motif"
of stocks. Hardeep also serves as CEO of
Motif
Capital,
an
institutional
investment advisor that develops
thematic models for clients such as
Goldman Sachs, Global Atlantic, and US
Bank's UHNW arm Ascent Private
Capital Management.
Hardeep Walia grew up in Kuwait and
in the aftermath of the Gulf War has
seen firsthand the devastating impact of
man-made war on the environment. He
said, "I'm honored to be the keynote
speaker at this year's EcoSikh Gala.
Conversations about humanity's impact
on the environment needs to be a
priority and I'm passionate about
continuing the efforts towards a more
sustainable planet."
Dr. Rajwant Singh, President of
Washington based EcoSikh, said, "We
are thrilled that Silicon Valley leaders
like Hardeep Walia are causing a real
shift in the business world to become
conscious of our planet's future. This
sector can have a major impact in
changing the course of humanity. We are
looking forward to welcoming him and
hearing him at the Gala."
EcoSikh, since its inception in 2009, has
engaged the Sikh community in Punjab
and around the globe to work on
environmental and climate change issues.
It has recently been able to work with the
SGPC to make the langar (free meal to
100,000 daily) at the Golden Temple in
Amritsar to go organic. It has been invited
by the White House and also by the United
Nations and the French Government
during the climate change deliberations
last year in Paris. It maintains fourmember staff in Washington and in
Punjab. It is also involved in increasing
green cover in the sacred city of Amritsar
and in educating farmers on the effects of
overuse of chemicals in Punjab. EcoSikh
has also started and popularized the Sikh
Environment Day which is now marked
by Sikh institutions on March 14 every
year.
Prior to Motif, Hardeep spent more
than six years at Microsoft, where he
was General Manager of the company's
enterprise services business. He also
served as Director of Corporate
Development and Strategy, helping to
oversee Microsoft's investments and
acquisitions. He started his career at
The Boston Consulting Group. Hardeep
holds a BS in Economics and
Engineering from Yale University and
an MBA from the Wharton School of
Business.
He serves on FINRA's Technology
Advisory Committee and is on the
Advisory Boards of US Bank's ultra high
net worth arm Ascent Private Capital
Management and real estate startup
PeerStreet. He is a featured contributor
for LinkedIn, and a frequent guest on
CNBC.
He lives in the Bay Area, with his wife,
two daughters and their amazing golden
retriever Karma.
Harmeet Singh, Head of the EcoSikh
Washington Team, said, "We are
certainly encouraged by the positive
response from the community this year
for the cause. Every faith community is
challenged by this threat facing the
world and this is an important cause."
China 'worst abuser', 'currency
manipulator': Donald Trump
WASHINGTON (TIP): Calling China
the "worst abuser" and "currency
manipulator", Republican presidential
candidate Donald Trump warned that if
elected+ , he will identify all countries
violating trade agreements and take
serious actions against them.
The 70-year-old real estate tycoonturned-politician said he will instruct
the US trade representative to bring
trade cases against China, which is also
building a "massive military fortress" in
the strategic South China Sea.
Trump said he would direct the
secretary of commerce to identify every
violation of trade agreements+ that a
foreign country is currently using to
harm American workers.
" China+ is the worst abuser," Trump
said. "They have no respect for our
country+ . They have no respect for our
leadership. And we don't blame them, we
don't blame them. We want to put
ourselves in that position very soon. You
watch. And they'll like us better than
they do now," he said.
"They don't like us. They're building a
massive military fortress in the middle
of the South China Sea that they're not
allowed to do.
"They're doing that, and yet, they're
ripping us economically. We have
tremendous power over China —
economic power — tremendous. We don't
do anything. They build and build and
build, and they didn't get environmental
impact statements when they decided to
rip up the sea," he told supporters at an
election rally in Tampa, Florida.
"They said — Sunday night, let's build.
Monday morning, they were digging. A
little different than our country,
wouldn't you say? A little different. A
little bit different," he alleged.
"I don't think our politicians even
know what's going on. And they will stop
or we're going to take in one hell of a lot
of money, I'll tell you that. I'm going to
instruct the United States trade
representative to bring trade cases
against China, both in this country and
at the World Trade Organisation
(WTO)," Trump said.
Trump further said he would instruct
his treasury secretary to label China a
"currency manipulator," the greatest in
the world".
"Any country that devalues their
currency in order to take unfair
advantage of the US and all of its
companies who can't compete will face
tariffs and taxes to stop the cheating.
And when they see that, they will stop
the cheating," he said.
"China's unfair subsidy and its
behaviour is prohibited by the terms of
its entrance into the WTO, and I intend
to enforce our rules. That's all. Very
simple," he added. (PTI)
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
US
YEARS
US Lawmakers Appeal Obama to
Support Dalai Lama’s Return to Tibet
WASHINGTON (TIP): A group of 72
American lawmakers have asked US
President Barack Obama to publicly
support the right of the Dalai Lama to
return to Tibet and call for an immediate
and unconditional release of all Tibetan
political prisoners languishing in China.
"We write to ask that you redouble
efforts in support of the Tibetan people
during your remaining months in office.
We believe it is critically important to
move beyond words to actions," the
lawmakers said in a letter to Obama.
"The Tibetan people view the US as
their friend. It is time to honor that
friendship with new, creative strategies
to encourage meaningful dialogue,
protect Tibetan rights, and preserve
their unique cultural, religious and
linguistic identity," the three-page letter,
dated August 17, said.
The letter, organized by Congressman
Jim McGovern, urged Obama to invite
the Dalai Lama to every event, on every
occasion, where his knowledge and
decades of reflections would be helpful
for addressing the world's problems.
The letter, released yesterday, call for the
US government to facilitate the
involvement of the Dalai Lama or his
representatives in the global debate on
climate change and its potential
consequences given Tibet's fragile
environment, rapid warming and critically
important reserves of freshwater.
Urging the US government to publicly
Dalai Lama carries out religious rite (File Photo
support the right of the Dalai Lama to
return to Tibet, the letter asks Obama to
publically and regularly call for the
immediate and unconditional release of all
Tibetan political prisoners held by the
People's Republic of China whose cases have
been documented by the CongressionalExecutive Commission on China.
It seeks establishment of a US
consular office in Lhasa, Tibet to help
the US observe and address the obstacles
to freedom of movement that affect both
Tibetans within China, and US citizens,
including Tibetan-Americans, who seek
to travel to Tibetan areas of China.
The letter also seeks enforcement of
norms of reciprocity to ensure that
senior Chinese officials responsible for
restricting the access of US officials,
journalists, Tibetan-Americans and
other citizens to Tibetan areas of China
are themselves restricted in their travel
when they are in the US.
Prominent among those who signed
the letter are Congressman Eliot Engel,
Ranking Member on the House Foreign
Affairs Committee Nita Lowey among
others.
Tulsi Gabbard called 'devil' by
Republican opponent
WASHINGTON
(TIP):
Tulsi
Gabbard, the first Hindu to be elected to
the US Congress, has been targeted for
her Hindu faith by her Republican
opponent in the Congressional elections,
prompting sharp reactions from the
Hindu-American community members.
35-year-old
Democratic
Representative Gabbard is seeking her
third-term re-election from Hawaii
against Republican candidate Angela
Kaaihue.
Kaaihue last week described support
to her as "worship(ping) the devil" and
called the Democratic Party the "Devil
Democratic State."
"Some Christians say, a vote for Tulsi
Gabbard is a vote for Satan, the devil do
you agree or disagree?" Kaaihue alleged
in a Facebook post, which has now been
deleted.
This infuriated the Hindu-American
community. The Hawaii Republican
Party in a statement urged party
members to disavow Kaaihue for her
attacking Gabbard for her religion and
faith.
The chairman of Kaaihue's party also
condemned the attack, calling it "vulgar"
and "religiously intolerant".
"Her vulgar, racially bigoted, and
religiously intolerant descriptions of
Democratic Party candidates are
offensive, shameful and unacceptable in
13
Dr. Eboo Patel to Speak on the
art of interfaith leadership
WASHINGTON (TIP):
Dr. Eboo Patel, a former
member
of
President
Barack Obama's inaugural
Advisory Council on FaithBased
Neighborhood
Partnerships,
for
the
Religion
and
Culture
Lecture along with other
spiritual leaders from the
Christian, Jewish, and
Muslim faith traditions
with come together in an
event
sponsored
by
"Ministry Mentors", a
national
not-for-profit
organization, on Thursday, October 6, 1:30-4:30 p.m. at the
Winnetka Covenant Church, 1200 Hibbard Road in Wilmette,
Illinois.
Patel will talk about how "Interfaith Leadership Can Save
the World" and about the importance and timeliness of The
Art of Interfaith Leadership.
Spiritual Leaders have a special role to take for interfaith
communication and leadership. All faiths are invited to this
presentation which will be followed by a panel representing
three different faiths: Imam Hazim Fazlic, Imam of the
Islamic Cultural Center of Greater Chicago; Rabbi Wendi
Geffen, Senior Rabbi of North Shore Congregation Israel;
Rev. Peter Hawkinson, Senior Pastor of Winnetka Covenant
Church; and Rev. Dr. Hal Edwards will moderate the panel.
Dr. Eboo Patel founded the Interfaith Youth Core on the
idea that religion should be a bridge of cooperation rather
than a barrier of division. He is inspired to build this bridge
by his identity as an American Muslim navigating a highly
religious diverse social landscape.
For over 15 years Dr. Patel has worked with governments,
social sector organizations, and college and university
campuses to help make interfaith cooperation a social norm.
He has written for the Washington Post and is a regular
contributor to Sojourner magazine. Dr. Patel was named by
the US News and World Report as one of America's Best
Leaders of 2009. Dr. Patel also served on President Obama's
Inaugural Faith Council and is the author of "Acts of Faith",
"Sacred Ground" and "Interfaith Leadership: A Primer." He
holds a doctorate in the sociology of religion from Oxford
University, where he studied on a Rhodes scholarship.
Ministry Mentors is excited to present this timely event as
we continue to seek ways to learn from each other and work
together in our diverse communities and faith traditions.
REGISTER ONLINE AT: www.ministrymentors.org
Ministry Mentors is a spiritually-based, independent,
cross-denominational,
Christian
organization
that
facilitates and supports mentoring relationships among
clergy. For more information about Ministry Mentors, please
visit our website at www.ministrymentors.org
Deaf driver shot dead by US
police during traffic stop
public discourse," said Fritz Rohlfing,
chairman of the Hawaii Republican
Party.
"Attacks on Congresswoman Gabbard,
especially on her Hindu faith, are a
reflection of religious prejudices that
originate from an impoverished view of
a religion and culture that is practiced
by nearly one sixth of the world's
population," alleged Sandeep Dedage,
director Hindu Education Foundation
USA (HEF).
"It's shocking that in 2016 any political
candidate in the US faces such absurdly
ignorant and bigoted personal attacks on
their Constitutionally guaranteed right
to practice the faith of their choice," said
Rishi Bhutada, Hindu American
Foundation board member.
"Furthermore, these attacks clearly
show that Hinduphobia and religious
bigotry is very much alive and kicking
in the United States, even if not all
incidents of Hindu phobia are so direct
and open as what we've seen here," he
said. According to local media, Kaaihue
has refused to take back her words and
attacked her party chief, asking him to
be cautious because he is attacking the
"messenger of God." (PTI)
Lookout for news, views and reviews log on to
MIAMI (TIP): Authorities in the southern US state of
North Carolina said on August 24 they are investigating the
death of a deaf man who was fatally shot after a trooper tried
to pull him over for speeding.
Daniel Harris, 29, who used sign language to
communicate, led trooper Jermaine Saunders on an eightmile (13-kilometer) chase on Thursday that started on an
interstate highway and ended outside his home in Charlotte,
local television station WSOC reported.
The driver exited his vehicle in the neighborhood and an
"encounter took place" that led to a shot being fired, North
Carolina State Highway Patrol spokesman Sergeant Michael
Baker said in a statement.
The driver died at the scene, Baker said. No weapon was
recovered from Harris, the State Bureau of Investigation
told WSOC.
Saunders has been placed on administrative leave while
investigators review evidence, including dashboard and
body camera videos.
A neighbor called the shooting "totally unacceptable."
"He didn't even hear the siren, he didn't hear anything...
You're pulling someone over who is deaf, they are
handicapped," Mark Barringer told WSOC.
Harris's family has launched an online fundraiser to pay
for funeral expenses. (AFP)
14
INDIA
YEARS
WHY MODI CHOSE URJIT
PATEL AS RBI GOVERNOR
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
KASHMIR UNREST:
MEHBOOBA WALKS OUT OF
PRESS MEET WITH RAJNATH
Says had a kid gone to buy toffee from Army camp? Children
being pushed into fire, used as shields in Valley
NEW DELHI (TIP): How the governor of the
Reserve Bank of India came to be finalised is an
interesting story.
Urjit Patel was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first
choice for the top job, according to the first tweet from
the closed circle of officials privy to the process of
selection.
The appointment had to be made based on the
recommendation of the Financial Sector Regulatory
Appointments Search Committee (FSRASC), headed by
the cabinet secretary. The committee undertook an
extensive exercise to suggest a panel of names to the
Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC)
There were at least six names before the committee
[ACC] that did the shortlisting. The ACC had to pick
some and leave some to start with.
The names that got picked were Urjit Patel, Arvind
Subramanian and Kaushik Basu - the first, the present
RBI deputy governor; the second, the current Chief
Economic Adviser (CEA) and the third, of course, some
of us may remember as the former CEA.
The names that had to be left out in the first round
were Arundhati Bhattacharya, SBI chief; Subir
Gokaran, who was deputy governor, RBI some time ago,
but presently at World Bank; and Shaktikanta Das, the
present economic affairs secretary and an old hand at
budgets, including the first Modi Budget.
There was an hour-long meeting between the PM and
finance minister Arun Jaitley, a week before the actual
process of selection commenced over the appointment
of a new RBI governor, a post that will fall vacant on
September 4. It is to be noted that the FM was not a part
of the committee of selection.
After Raghuram Rajan having opted out already from
continuing for a second term, the three under
consideration were Urjit Patel, Arvind Subramanian
and Kaushik Basu.
Senior officials familiar with the ACC’s selection
process confided that Patel was chosen by Modi himself
at first to be a contestant. In the second round, the
choice had come down to a contest between Urjit Patel
and Arvind Subramanian. Officials are believed to have
said later that Patel was the final pick since he was
always Modi’s first choice.
The reason, it is believed, is that Modi was particular
to have a chief from within the RBI itself. This is not to
understate the competence of any of the contestants
and rank them second or last.
SRINAGAR (TIP): Jammu and
Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba
Mufti walked out of a press conference
with Union home minister Rajnath
Singh on Thursday even as the Centre
promised an alternative to pellet guns
that have left thousands of people with
eye injuries in the Valley.
Singh’s announcement on a
substitute for pellet guns soon and
willingness for talks with “anybody” to
end the wave of violence in Kashmir
capped his two-day visit to the Valley
where violent protests after the killing
of a militant commander have left at
least 68 people dead.
However, the government’s outreach
was overshadowed by Mehbooba
leaving the joint press conference in a
huff after reporters repeatedly
questioned her handling of the
situation and compared her stand
during a similar violent phase in 2010.
The press conference was her first
formal interaction with the media
since violence broke out on July 9 but
it ended abruptly after journalists
asked how she could justify the alleged
disproportionate use of force when she
had criticised her predecessor Omar
Abdullah during the 2010 street
protests that left more than 100 dead.
They also asked her to clarify a
remark that said “only 5% of the
population (is) supporting the current
agitation’’.
“I did not say it’s just 5%. All I said
was 95% people in the Valley want
peaceful resolution to the problem. The
issue has, however, been hijacked by
5% of people who believe in violence,’’
a visibly upset Mehbooba said even as
Singh tried to pacify her, constantly
patting her on the knee.
As tempers rose, Mehbooba said the
2010 and 2016 unrests could not be
compared as the earlier protests were
against alleged human rights
violations – a fake encounter, rape and
murder.
Union home minister Rajnath Singh and Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba
Mufti interact with media during a press conference in Srinagar. Photo courtesy: PTI
“Today, three militants were killed,
as has been happening for years, people
came out on the roads and curfew was
imposed. How is the government to be
blamed?” she asked.
Mehbooba blamed “miscreants” for
inciting children to violence and
justified the killing of protesters by
security forces.
“Most of the children killed (by
security forces) died in retaliation for
attacking army camps. The children
didn’t go to the army camp to buy milk
or toffees,” said Mehbooba, CM Mufti,
whose Peoples Democratic Party is in
an alliance with the BJP.
Earlier, Rajnath Singh said the
government was ready to talk to
anybody, raising hopes in Kashmir of
possible negotiations with the
separatist Hurriyat Conference that
has two factions and claims to
represent the all sections in the Valley.
“Anybody who is willing to talk
within the framework of “kashmiriyat
(Kashmiri ethos), insaniyat (humanity)
and jamooriyat (democracy) is
welcome. This includes everybody,”
Singh said, going back to the three
principles floated by former Prime
Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
Singh said an expert committee will
submit within four days a report on
pellet guns.
The home minister also urged people
to identify those “fanning trouble”,
hinting at what the government calls
elements backed by Pakistan to
instigate people to attack security
forces.
“Youth in Kashmir should have pens,
books and computers in their hands,
not stones. If Kashmir has no future,
India has no future,” Singh said adding
the government will appoint a nodal
officer, and the people of Kashmir can
reach out to him directly in need.
Singh also said an all-party
delegation will be sent to Kashmir to
access the situation.
“I’ve told CM Mehbooba Mufti that
an all-party delegation should visit the
state and preparations should be made
for that,” Singh said.
Source: HT
Opposition divided over government’s plan to advance Union budget to January
NEW DELHI (TIP): The Modi
government’s plan to announce the General
Budget in January might get the Congress’
support, even as some small parties remain
apprehensive.
The government is planning to advance the
budget by a month, from next year. The NDA
managers feel the move will provide more
time for savings and tax payout plans.
“The time has come to think differently.
There are strong arguments for changing the
schedule of budget presentation,” said
Jairam Ramesh, a Congress strategist.
“No final decision has been taken so far,
but the ministry is examining the idea to
advance the date of presenting the budget,”
said a finance ministry official who did not
wish to be named.
The official added that if an early budget is
finalized, pre-budget consultations will most
likely begin from September.
Biju Janata Dal also supported the move to
advance the budget. “An early budget will
Finance minister Arun Jaitley leaves the north block to present the budget on February 29, 2016.
help the states,” said BJD’s floor leader in
Lok Sabha, Bhartruhari Mahtab. “The states
can get their money under the devolution of
fund by April. It will help the local
governments to use the summer more
effectively to carry out development works,”
added Mahtab.
Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj
Party, as usual, stood poles apart on the idea
of advancing the budget. Rajesh Dixit, SP
national secretary and spokesman said, “The
manner in which the NDA government is
going about changing established
procedures, it would appear that India
achieved freedom only in 2014”.
BSP MP Salim Ansari said, “If it helps
ease the parliamentary process, no harm in
preponing the budget exercise by one
month.”
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury
maintained that the government must take
all parties and state governments on board
before finalizing any new budget schedule.
“The move will be meaningless if the
finance year is not changed. Is the
government read to do that as well?” The
Left’s arch rival, Trinamool Congress didn’t
see any merit in the plan. “What benefit will
it accrue? These are time-tested process and
changes are not always good,” said former
union minister and Trinamool MP, Saugata
Roy.
Source: HT
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
INDIA
YEARS
Sensitive data on India’s
Scorpene submarines leaked
NEW DELHI (TIP): Sensitive data
related to India's Scorpene submarines
has been leaked, with French
shipbuilder DCNS which designed the
submarine facing a leak of documents
spreading over 22,000 pages, a report in
Australian media revealed on August 23
(Tuesday).
According to a report in The
Australian, DCNS, which recently won a
contract to design 12 submarines for
Australia, includes details of
submarine's underwater sensors, abovewater sensors, combat management
system, torpedo launch system and
specifications, communications system
and navigation systems.
Variants of Scorpene submarines are
also used by Malaysia and Chile with
Brazil to join the club soon.
First of the Scorpene class
submarines being built in India Kalvari
went for sea trials in May, 2016 and is
expected to be inducted in the Indian
Navy soon.
Indian Navy officials have said the six
submarines, once inducted, would form
the core of the Navy's submarine arm
for the next two decades.
According to the report, DCNS has
said that such a leak of technical data
could not happen with its proposed
submarine for Australia.
The DCNS also implied that the leak
might have occurred at India's end,
rather than from France.
"Uncontrolled technical data is not
possible in the Australian
Arrangements," the company said as
per the report in The Australian.
"Multiple and independent controls
exist within DCNS to prevent
unauthorized access to data and all data
movements are encrypted and recorded.
In the case of India, where a DCNS
design is built by a local company,
DCNS is the provider and not the
controller of technical data," it said.
INDIAN NAVY TRIES TO
DOWNPLAY DATA LEAK
The leaked specifications of the
Scorpene submarine will not pose any
security compromise, the Indian Navy
claimed.
The Navy has been trying to
downplay concerns over an information
leak that could blunt the operational
edge of six stealth submarines that
India is building under license from the
French shipyard, DCNS.
A day after The Australian newspaper
published 22,000 pages detailing the
combat capabilities of the new Indian
submarine made with French
collaboration, the Navy asserted that
the vital parameters of the boat have
been blacked out in papers available
online.
The Indian government, meanwhile,
said that an elaborate impact
assessment is being undertaken by a
high-level committee constituted by the
defense ministry.
The Navy is also undertaking an
internal audit of procedures to rule out
any security compromise.
It has also discussed the leak with the
Director General of Armament of the
French government, conveying its
concerns.
A request was made to the French
government to investigate at its end
how the documents came out in public.
In a parallel effort, the authenticity of
reports in public is being verified
through diplomatic channels.
“The Government of India, as a
matter of abundant precaution, is also
examining the impact if the
information contained in the documents
claimed to be available with the
Australian sources is compromised,”
said a statement released on Thursday.
The Navy swung into action at the
highest level as the first of the six
Scorpene submarines, INS Kalvari, is
expected to be launched in the coming
months.The induction is already
running four years behind schedule.
Officials explained that many of the
technical details about the submarine
are in the public domain, and the leak
will not have any impact on the
operational deployment.
But many experts argued that the
stealth factor is at the core of
submarine operations, and the leak is a
matter of serious concern.
Indian officials have maintained that
the leaks originated overseas.
AAP likely to suspend Punjab convener
Chhotepur over tickets for cash charge
NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH (TIP):
AThe Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is
contemplating action against its Punjab
unit convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur
for taking a packet of cash in a reported
video sting operation . Not only may he
be removed from his post, but even be
expelled from the party, barely six
months before the assembly elections
are due.
The video was shown to AAP national
convener and Delhi chief minister
Arvind Kejriwal upon his return from
Himachal Pradesh, where he had gone
for a Vipassana retreat from August 1 to
11, and he was “very upset”, said a
Delhi-based, senior AAP leader, who
briefed the media on the issue on
Wednesday, on the condition of not
being named.
“That is one of the reasons why
Kejriwal did not meet Chhotepur
regarding any change in tickets,” said
the leader, adding that Delhi deputy CM
Manish Sisodia last week “confronted”
Chhotepur with the video, for a reaction
before any “appropriate action against
him in the next few days”.
Chhotepur has expressed objections
incriminating,” he said, adding that it
had more content than acknowledged
by Chhotepur in an interview to HT on
Tuesday.
When contacted, Chhotepur said he
is not aware of the party mulling any
action : “I have already said that it
(sting) is a move to embarrass me. I
don’t have anything more to say on the
matter. I will speak up when the time is
right.” He refused to comment on his
meeting with Sisodia.
‘No tolerance’
over the two lists of candidates
announced so far, and has been waiting
for an appointment to meet Kejriwal. He
was absent at both press conferences
where the lists, containing 32 names so
far out of 117, were revealed earlier this
month.
The video was made by an AAP
supporter following verbal complaints
that Chhotepur was demanding money
for various purposes, the Delhi-based
leader said. When asked for a copy of
the video, the leader refused to part
with it saying that will bring bad name
to the party. “But the video is
The Delhi-based leader, when asked
if Chhotepur was being targeted for
raising his voice against the party’s
Delhi leadership, said rules are the
same for everyone. “If a similar video
of mine surfaces, I will be the first to
quit politics. There is no tolerance in
AAP for such things,” he said.
When HT contacted party MP and
campaign panel head Bhagwant Mann
on the matter, said the party has taken
the matter “very seriously”. “But I
don’t know what the party’s next
course of action is,” he added.
Source: HT
15
WILL ONLY DISCUSS
CROSS-BORDER TERROR,
INDIA TELLS PAK
NEW DELHI (TIP): India is ready to hold talks with
Pakistan only on the issue of terrorism emanating from
the territory of the neighbouring country and affecting
the entire region.
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar on Wednesday wrote
to his Pakistani counterpart,
A A Chaudhry, stating that New Delhi was willing to
discuss with Islamabad only issues concerning crossborder terrorism, which remained its “core concern”.
Jaishankar’s letter to Chaudhry also mentioned that
terror emanating from Pakistan was targeting not only
India, but also other nations in the region.
India’s reference to cross-border terrorism being
sponsored from Pakistan and affecting other countries
in the region came to public domain on a day when
Afghanistan charged that Wednesday’s attack on the
American University in Kabul had been “organised and
orchestrated from the other side of the Durand Line
(Pakistan)”. Thirteen people were killed and 45 injured
in the terror attack.
Jaishankar’s letter was in response to a communiqué
from Chaudhry, who on August 19 had invited his
counterpart in New Delhi to travel to Islamabad “by the
end of this month to discuss the Jammu and Kashmir
dispute with a view to finding a fair and just solution as
per the United Nations Security Council resolutions
and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir”.
The foreign secretary’s letter was delivered to his
counterpart in the Pakistan government through
diplomatic channels on Wednesday.
New Delhi’s latest communiqué to Islamabad also
stressed that Pakistan should immediately vacate the
territories it had been illegally occupying in Jammu
and Kashmir, which had been and would always remain
an integral part of India, sources told DH.
India, last week, set clear terms for talks with
Pakistan — outlining a five-point agenda and asking the
neighbouring country to stop exporting terror and
inciting violence in Jammu and Kashmir.
CBI, ED GET DETAILS OF
MALLYA’S ASSETS ABROAD
NEW DELHI: In what
could take the probe
against Vijay Mallya
forward, the CBI and the
Enforcement Directorate
(ED) have received "crucial
details" about properties
and investments of the
former liquor baron from
several countries. Mallya
had fled to London on
March 2 and has refused to
cooperate with investigators.
Sources in the two agencies said the UK, France, the
US, Mauritius, Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, South
Africa, Switzerland and some other countries were
asked — through a judicial request and through the
Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) — to provide details
about Mallya's shareholding in companies abroad, his
movable and immovable properties and his travel
details. It is suspected that of the Rs 6,027 crore taken
by Mallya as loan from banks, some part was diverted to
these countries.
Sources in the CBI and the ED told TOI that they had
received "crucial details about Mallya's
investments/properties" from these nations. The
development comes at a time when the ED and the CBI
have enlarged the probe against Mallya and his
companies to unearth the "larger conspiracy" to cheat
the consortium of 17 banks, led by State Bank of India,
from which he took loans of around Rs 6,027 crore
between 2005 and 2010.
The ED is also preparing to attach properties/shares
worth around Rs 5,000 crore belonging to Mallya,
sources said. It has already attached properties worth
Rs 1,411 crore till now.
The CBI has claimed that Mallya deliberately didn't
repay the banks in conspiracy with group companies
and their promoters. Meanwhile, there has been no
response from Interpol on issuing a red corner notice
against Mallya several months after a request was
made. He fled to London on March 2 without informing
the authorities and has refused to reply to notices sent
to him.
16
YEARS
ADVERTISEMENT
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
ADVERTISEMENT
YEARS
17
18
YEARS
MOVIE REVIEW
Happy Bhag
Jayegi
BOLLYWOOD
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
RICHA CHADHA’S
BEFITTING REPLY TO
TROLLERS
ollywood actress Richa
Chaddha has come up with
befitting replies to those who
trolled her on Twitter after she
answered a question about cultural
similarities with Pakistactor Fawad
Khan at the Indian Film Festival in
Melbourne. Twitterati described the
'Fukre' actress as a 'bimbo' and
'dimwit'. Richa refused to take the
unnecessary bashing.
"So, a bollywood bimbette
@RichaChadha_ says she has more in
common with a Muslim Pakistani
than a Tam Brahm. Hahaha," tweeted
a hater.
The 29-year-old actress in a reply
said, "Thanks. Bimbette is a first for
me. Thank you so much."
Another wrote, "No self respecting
South Indian or any other Indian
should watch this filth making
industry Brothelwood."
"Bollywood starlet - I've far more in
common with Fawad coz I am from
North India.. than i'll have with
tambrahm or malayali or NE India,"
read another tweet. The tiff was
triggered when a journo at the IIFM
asked the Bollywood heartthrob about
cultural disparities between India and
Pakistan film industries. The 29-yearold actress immediately rose to
Fawad's defence, saying, "I would like
to answer that. Sorry, I am cutting in!
You know we were colonised by the
British for a really long time. It's a
part of the... I am sorry if I am
offending anybody here, but if you
look at the worldwide history, every
B
CAST: Diana Penty, Abhay Deol, Jimmy Sheirgill, Ali Fazal,
Momal Sheikh, Piyush Mishra
DIRECTION: Mudassar Aziz
GENRE: Comedy
DURATION: 2 hours 6 minutes
STORY: Feisty and foolhardy, Amritsari kudi Happy
(Diana Penty) escapes from her own wedding to be with
her beau Guddu (Ali Fazal). This infuriates her would
be groom - wannabe politician Bagga (Jimmy Sheirgill).
Confusion ensues when Happy doesn't end up with
either and accidentally lands up in Pakistan. She bumps
into Bilal (Abhay Deol), a budding politician and sparks
fly. But he is engaged to Zoya (Momal Shiekh). Who gets
the girl?
REVIEW: Happy Bhag Jayegi is a fresh, light-hearted
take on cross-border camaraderie that revolves around a
runaway bride. It lures you into throwing logic out of
the window ('baher') for a while as it offers clean
entertainment with ample gags. The cat and mouse
game between the characters, with a dash of romance,
forms the story.
If you are curious to know about our neighbours and
their culture, this film satiates that intrigue to a certain
extent. The comic caper clicks for its situational
humour, smart writing and perfect casting. The first
half has tons of laugh out loud moments,
predominantly stemming from Piyush Mishra speaking
chaste Urdu (Javed Akhtar style).
Jimmy Sheirgill may not get the girl but he gets
memorable roles and his portrayal of Bagga is the
highlight here. Be it him calling Ali, Justin Byeber or
saying, 'Mere shaadi rukwane ke peeche, padosi mulk
ka haath hai', Jimmy steals the show, hands down. Both
Abhay and Ali are equally competent and the men
dominate the film, even more than the film's central
character (Diana), whose looks overshadow her acting.
Momal is sincere.
Since the love tracks seem unconvincing and abrupt,
the second half tanks a bit. The cartoonish climactic
chase sequence too seems juvenile. However, overall, the
family comedy manages to pull the right strings and
change the present (if not the history) of Indo-Pak
relations for the two hours that it lasts. Buckle up and
enjoy the ride, Janaab!
time the British left an empire they
divided it. Whether it was North
Korea or South Korea, then there was
Germany. It is a part of the strategy to
keep political unrest to sort of
maintain a global kind, I am sorry but
your question to me doesn't make
sense because I will have far more in
common with Fawad because I am
from the North of India than I will
have with somebody who is a
Tambrahm or maybe Malayali or from
the Northeast. I think we should avoid
stereotyping in questions or creating
some kind of contradiction here
because the whole intent and
especially art doesn't really have any
borders."
Some people also took offence by
pointing out historical errors in her
comment about British colonisation.
Richa is currently waiting for the
release of the Pooja Bhatt directed
film 'Cabaret'.
Source: ANI
KATRINA KAIF TO ROMANCE
VARUN DHAWAN IN ABCD 3?
fter enthralling the audience
with their duet performance
at the Dream Team tour in the
US, Bollywood diva Katrina Kaif and
Varun Dhawan may also be seen
doing a project together. According to
a leading tabloid, the 33-year-old
actress will be see grooving with
Varun in the third outing of the
dance drama flick 'ABCD 3'. They will
not just be dancing together but the
duo will also be seen romancing on
screen, according to reports.
While there has been no
confirmation yet from either the
director or the producer, the
chemistry between the two at Dream
Team tour certainly hinted in favour
of the report.On a related note,
Katrina will next be seen opposite
Sidhartha Malhotra in 'Baar Baar
Dekho' while Varun will be seen
alongside Alia Bhatt and Pankaj
Kapoor in romantic drama 'Shudhi'.
Source: ANI
A
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
HOLLYWOOD
YEARS
19
MOVIE REVIEW
AMBER HEARD DONATES
USD 7 M DIVORCE
SETTLEMENT TO CHARITY
ctress Amber Heard has
pledged to donate her USD 7
million divorce settlement from
estranged husband Johnny Depp to
charities that support battered women.
The star ended her nasty threemonth legal battle with the actor on
Monday, and as part of their official
marriage termination agreement, she
will receive approximately USD 7
million from 53-year-old Depp.
During the divorce proceedings
Heard alleged she was physically
abused by Depp throughout their 15month marriage, and the 30-year-old
has now announced she won't be
pocketing any cash from the
settlement, using the money instead to
help others in need, reported TMZ.
"The donation will be divided
equally between the ACLU (American
Civil Liberties Union), with a
particular focus on helping defend
battered women, and the Children's
Hospital of Los Angeles, where I have
worked as a volunteer for the past 10
years," she said in a statement.
"Hopefully this experience results in
a positive change in the lives of people
who need it the most."
Less than a week after filing for
divorce from Depp in May, Heard
obtained a domestic violence
War Dogs
A
restraining order against him, which
was rescinded as part of the terms of
the couple's separation
agreement.
Heard has made it clear throughout
the divorce proceedings that she's not
after a big cash windfall, and after
reaching their settlement earlier this
week, the former couple released a
statement, in which it confirmed
"neither party has made false
accusations for financial gains".
In her latest announcement, Heard
emphasised her motivation for ending
her marriage to Johnny had
absolutely nothing to do with money,
stating: "Money played no role for me
personally and never has, except to the
extent that I could donate it to charity
and, in doing so, hopefully help those
less able to defend themselves."
Source: PTI
EMILY BLUNT GRABS EYEBALLS
IN PUBLIC APPEARANCE
POST PREGNANCY
ust two months after the delivery of
her second daughter, actress Emily
Blunt looked stunning as she hit the
red carpet premiere of husband John
Krasinki's upcoming film 'The Hollars'.
Showing off her tiny post-baby waist,
the 33-year-old actress donned an all
white, calf length, figure hugging dress
with triangular cutouts, reports People
Magazine.
The news of her pregnancy was
confirmed by one of Blunt's aide just five
months after her hubby Krasinki joked
about giving a sibling to their daughter
Hazel.
"Hopefully one day we will! One day, I
don't know when. We've got to give her
some competition at some point," he said.
Earlier in June this year, the couple
welcomed their second daughter Violet.
"What better way to celebrate the 4th
than to announce our 4th family
member!!!" Krasinski tweeted a few weeks
after Blunt gave birth. "2 weeks ago we
met our beautiful daughter Violent."
The pair welcomed their first daughter,
Hazel, in February 2014.
Source: ANI
J
CAST: Miles Teller, Jonah Hill, Ana de Armas, J. B. Blanc,? ?
Bradley Cooper, Barry Livingston
DIRECTION: Todd Phillips
GENRE: Biography
DURATION: 1 hour 59 minutes
STORY: Two high school friends - David Packouz (Teller)
and Efraim Diveroli? ?(Hill) - with a yen for weapons and
the ability to make a few hundreds of millions of dollars
or more, bag a deal from the Pentagon to supply arms to?
?American allies in Afghanistan. This is, after a decent bit
of hustling. Seems straightforward enough? Probably not.
For when the stakes are so high, you can bet anything that
there's going to be some dirty deeds being done.
REVIEW: A quick lookup of this movie might label it to
be a comedy. However, it is anything but that. If there is
any humour in this, it is a brand of dark humour that is
played upon with a light touch, thanks to the director's
and screenwriters' vision. And of course, Teller and Hill,
who both excel in their roles.
Teller's Packouz is the unlikely arms dealer who used to
working a massage parlour in Miami. Hill is the
unrepentant smooth-talker, unabashed risk-taker and
high-strung counterfoil to Packouz. You will definitely see
shades of the character that he played in ??Wolf ? ?Of Wall
Street, where he did a commendable job opposite Leo's
character.
War Dogs is a telling statement about the shadowy and
murky world - albeit a dollar-drenched one fraught with
risk and danger at every turn - of arms contractors and
subcontractors who facilitate the running of the global
war machine. Efraim's repetitive whoops of joy about
'Dick Cheney's America' (the movie does reference to the
past few years). It is also a barely-veiled reference to how
two relative amateurs armed with ambition, can make
suckers out of the most powerful government on Earth, by
playing on their desire to carry on the war industry.
It does catch up with them in time though, as no one
does really escape the long arm of the law. But Teller and
Hill's camaraderie is undeniably present. They're a delight
to watch as they play of each other really well. There's a
generous dose of fiction thrown in but for the most part,
20
YEARS
ADVERTISEMENT
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
ADVERTISEMENT
YEARS
21
22
UK SCHOOL ABLAZE AS
EXPLOSIONS HEARD
LONDON: A huge fire on Sunday engulfed a school in the
south of England after reports of loud explosions.
More than 75 firefighters tackled the blaze at Selsey
Academy in School Lane in West Sussex as huge plumes of
black smoke were seen emanating from the site.
The cause of the fire has not yet been established and no
injuries have been reported so far.
"People in vicinity of smoke from Selsey school fire are
advised to stay clear of smoke, stay indoors and keep
windows closed," West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said.
Chairman of governors for the school, Bill Emerson, told
BBC: "There is a possibility we might be able to save a small
section of the school and the emergency services are doing
their best to make it happen.
"It's shocking. The structures are effectively a skeleton
now compared to what they were and we have still got fire
raging in sections."
The Academy is a mixed school for pupils aged 11 to 16.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service has sent crews to
help West Sussex colleagues and South East Coast
Ambulance Service is also at the scene. (PTI)
Modi, Obama among world
leaders who will attend G20
meet: China
BEIJING (TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US
President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir
Putin will be among the Heads of State and Government
who will attend the G20 summit from September 4, the host
country China announced on August 24.
The Hangzhou summit, to be presided over by Chinese
President Xi Jinping, has invited the maximum number of
developing countries in G20 history, Chinese Foreign
Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said, adding that leaders of
all G20 countries will attend the meeting.
"It represents the inclusiveness of the meeting with both
developed and developing countries sitting together as
equal partners," he said.
The voices of developing countries will be fully heeded
during the summit to be held from September 4-5, Lu told a
media briefing here.
This shows the major changes of the international
economic regime that developed and developing countries
can have equal consultations and make decisions on
international economic affairs, he said.
"This is in line with the trends of history and is a historic
progress," Lu said.
China has said the summit will mainly focus on
improving the global economy with structural reforms and
innovation. It is also actively campaigning against bringing
up political disputes like the South China Sea during the
summit.
Besides the heads of the state and governments of G20
countries, leaders of some guest countries including
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, Singaporean
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Thai Prime Minister
Prayuth Chan-ocha, would also attend the meeting.
WORLD
YEARS
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
Why France’s burkini swimsuits
are drawing international anger
PARIS (TIP): French mayors are
drawing international anger for banning
the burkini, an all-encompassing
swimsuit worn by a small minority of
Muslim women. The Associated Press
explains the core of the controversy.
What are burkinis?
They're a recent retail invention, not a
religious requirement in any country.
Around a decade ago an Australian
woman of Lebanese origin created a
swimsuit for Muslim women designed to
permit them to keep their bodies covered
while working as lifeguards on
Australian beaches. Her design was
dubbed the burkini or burqini.
Burkinis cover the head, torso and
limbs _ much like a wetsuit with a hood.
The word conflates the words bikini and
burqa, a full-body covering with only a
mesh screen for the eyes. Burqas are
worn primarily in Afghanistan.
Burkinis are rarely seen in France,
where you're more likely to spot women
sunbathing topless. International sales
reportedly have soared in response to
French efforts to restrict their public
display.
Why ban them?
France is both exceptionally secular
and unusually fearful of Islamic
extremism following last month's truck
attack in Nice that killed 86 people and
slaying of a Catholic priest during Mass
in Normandy, both claimed by the
Islamic State group.
While the burkini's defenders have
argued that the wearing of the garment
has nothing to do with promoting
bloodshed, mayors have countered that
wearing the outfits could undermine
public order by make other beachgoers
angry or afraid.
The French, who famously ban baggy
men's swim trunks from their pools, also
argue that excessively large women's
swimwear poses a similar risk to public
hygiene. Prime Minister Manuel Valls
says burkinis represent the enslavement
of women and puts his opposition in the
context of France's promotion of
women's rights worldwide.
But France's predominant argument is
that the burkini violates France's
century-old commitment to promote
secularism in public life. The first article
of the French constitution enshrines
this principle, while polls show French
people are among the least religious in
the world. France repeatedly has cited
this secularist agenda when targeting
Muslim practices that are seen to push
religion too far into mainstream society.
Backlash to the bans
French Muslims say they feel
stigmatized by the restrictions, while
some police have complained that the
new rules are too vague or problematic
to be enforced.
Images this week that showed Nice
police appearing to instruct a burkiniclad beachgoer to remove her tunic
stirred indignation online. Human rights
groups petitioned France's highest
administrative authority, the Council of
State, which plans to issue its ruling
Friday on the burkini bans.
The policy is raising tensions within
French President Francois Hollande's
leftist government, too.
It's politics
Critics say the anti-burkini crusade
reflects a far right, anti-Muslim agenda
that could prove to be a vote-winner in
France's 2017 presidential election.
Many mayors to the fore on the issue
are members of former President
Nicolas
Sarkozy's
conservative
Republicans party. Sarkozy, who is
seeking re-election, said Wednesday:
``We don't imprison women behind
fabric.'' He linked burkinis to radicalized
Islam, a contention that many Muslims
regard as baseless and dangerous. But
this kind of rhetoric could help Sarkozy
win votes from the anti-immigrant
National Front party of Marine Le Pen, a
presidential
contender
who
has
campaigned against what she calls the
Islamization of France.
Burkinis pose a dilemma for the
French left, a staunch defender of
women's rights. The prime minister and
women's affairs minister support the
bans because they say burkinis oppress
women; the education minister and
health minister say authorities shouldn't
dictate what women wear.
A less secular world
France's stringent secularism is
exceptional in the western world, and
much of the rest of the world is
struggling to understand France's
actions. Protesters rallied Thursday
against the French bans in London and
Berlin. Burkinis are sold by major
retailers in Britain. Elsewhere in
Europe, burkinis are rare but no
municipal bans exist. Not yet anyway. In
Belgium, the right-leaning Flemish N-VA
party doesn't want burkinis on public
beaches, calling it a sign of oppressing
women.
The Muslim fashion
Women in Muslim countries wear a
range of swimwear, from bikinis to fulllength garments, reflecting their
personal tastes and understanding of
their faith.
Burkini-style wear has generated
debate in Morocco, with its large tourism
industry. In Egypt, some resorts, elite
clubs and restaurants ban veils entirely
and the wearing of burkini-style outfits
in
swimming
pools.
Religious
conservatives, who have been gaining
ground, say such bans perpetuate a
colonized mentality by enforcing
Western-inspired freedoms and styles.
(AP)
Iran vessels make 'high speed intercept' of US ship
WASHINGTON (TIP): Four of Iran's
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
(IRGC) vessels "harassed" a US warship
on August 24 near the Strait of Hormuz,
a US defense official said, amid
Washington's concerns about Iran's
posture in the Gulf and in the Syrian
civil war.
The official, speaking on the condition
of anonymity, said on Wednesday that
two of the Iranian vessels came within
300 yards of the USS Nitze in an incident
that was "unsafe and unprofessional."
The vessels harassed the destroyer by
"conducting a high speed intercept and
closing within a short distance of Nitze,
despite repeated warnings," the official
said. IRGC, the Islamic Republic's
praetorian guard, is suspicious of US
military activity near Iran's borders and
appears to be sticking to a familiar
posture in the Gulf that predates last
year's nuclear accord between Iran and
six world powers, including the United
States. The United States and other
countries are concerned about Iran's
support for Syrian President Bashar alAssad, its ballistic missile program, and
its backing for Shiite militias that have
abused civilians in Iraq.
The US defense official said that in
Tuesday's incident the USS Nitze tried to
communicate with the Iranian vessels 12
times, but received no response. It also fired
10 flares in the direction of two of the Iranian
vessels. "The Iranian high rate of closure...
created a dangerous, harassing situation that
could have led to further escalation,
including additional defensive measures by
Nitze," the official said.USS Nitze had to
change course in order to distance itself from
the Iranian vessels, the official said, adding
that the incident could have led to a
diplomatic protest, but the United States does
not have diplomatic relations with Iran. (AP)
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
WORLD
YEARS
Russia launches large-scale military
drills, puts troops on full combat mode
MOSCOW (TIP): Russia on August 25
launched large-scale snap military
drills, putting its troops on full combat
readiness in districts bordering
Ukraine+ and the Baltic states, the
defence minister said.
"In accordance with the decision of
the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of
Armed Forces of
the Russian
Federation ( President Vladimir Putin+
), a spot check started today," Defence
Minister Sergei Shoigu said in televised
comments.
Troops in the country's southern,
central and western military districts,
as well as the air force, northern fleet
and paratroopers were in "full combat"
mode as of 0400 GMT, he said.
The drills — which are taking place in
military districts that encompass the
contested Crimea peninsula+ , the
region that borders Ukraine and NATO
members
Estonia,
Latvia
and
Lithuania, as well as territory spanning
from the Ural mountains to central
Siberia — are set to last until the end of
the month.
Shoigu did not reveal how many
troops are taking part in the exercises.
Relations between NATO and Russia
have soured since Moscow annexed the
Crimea peninsula of Ukraine in March
2014, and eastern European countries
are worried that they too could be
targets of Russian aggression.
NATO vowed at a summit in Warsaw
in July to bolster its eastern flank to
counter a resurgent Russia, agreeing to
deploy four battalions in Poland and the
Baltic states.
Moscow slammed the decision,
accusing NATO of working to counter a
"non-existent threat."
Since Moscow annexed Crimea from
Ukraine in March 2014, Russia has
stepped up its military presence in the
peninsula, which is home to its Black
Sea fleet.
Russia's most advanced air defence
system, the S-400, was delivered to
Crimea earlier this month. (AP)
China expresses concern over India’s
plan to deploy BrahMos on border
BEIJING (TIP): China's defence
ministry said on Thursday that it
hoped India could put more efforts
into regional peace and stability
rather than the opposite, in response
to Indian plans to put advanced cruise
missiles+ along the China border.
Indian military officials say the
plan is to equip regiments deployed at
the China border+ with the BrahMos
missile+ , made under an IndiaRussian joint venture, as part of
ongoing efforts to build up military
and
civilian
infrastructure
capabilities there.
The two nuclear-armed neighbours
have been moving to gradually ease
long-existing tensions between them.
Leaders of Asia's two giants pledged
last year to cool a festering border
dispute, which dates back to a brief
border war in 1962, though the
disagreement remains unresolved.
Asked about the missile plans at a
monthly news briefing, Chinese
defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian
said maintaining peace and stability
in the border region was an
"important consensus" reached by
both countries.
"We hope that the Indian side can do
more to benefit peace and stability
Gunmen attack beach
restaurant in
Somalia's Mogadishu
MOGADISHU (TIP): At least seven
people were killed in a bomb and gun
attack on a beach restaurant in the
Somalian capital of Mogadishu, police
along the border and in the region,
rather than the opposite," Wu said,
without elaborating.
China lays claim to more than 90,000
sq km (35,000 sq miles) ruled by New
Delhi in the eastern sector of the
Himalayas. India says China occupies
38,000 sq km (14,600 sq miles) of its
territory on the Aksai Chin plateau in
the west.India is also suspicious of
China's support for its arch-rival,
Pakistan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will
meet Chinese President Xi Jinping
when he visits China next month to
attend the G20 summit+ .
Modi government has ordered
BrahMos Aerospace, which produces
the missiles, to accelerate sales to a
list of five countries topped by
Vietnam, according to a government
note viewed by Reuters and previously
unreported.Modi
visits
Vietnam,
which is embroiled in a dispute over
the South China Sea with Beijing,
before arriving in China. (Reuters)
said on August 25.Shabaab jihadists
attacked the Banadir Beach Restaurant
in Mogadishu on Thursday, setting off a
car bomb before exchanging fire with
security forces, an AFP correspondent
said. Security forces said they killed two
attackers and arrested another after a
six-hour operation overnight.
The al-Qaeda-linked Shabaab group
claimed responsibility for the attack
through the website of their Andalus
radio station. The Banadir Beach
Restaurant near Lido beach is a popular
eatery frequented by young people and
Somali officials.
As in other recent Shabaab attacks,
the violence began with the militants
setting off a nearby car bomb before
storming the building and engaging in a
gunfight with security forces. (AFP)
23
After years of delay, London's
'night tube' trains start running
LONDON (TIP): The world's oldest underground rail
network takes a big step forward this weekend when the
"tube" starts all-night august 20 and August 21services after
years of obstruction and delay.
In a move bound to please revelers, shift-workers and
insomniacs, two lines will run trains through to 0530 in the
morning, with others due to follow.
Traveler's in the capital have long been promised an
overnight or later service but proposals had been postponed
due to opposition from unions seeking better pay and
conditions in return for working antisocial hours.
Now that agreement has eventually been reached, trains
will run between north and south London and from east to
west, before being rolled out on three further lines
including to Heathrow Airport.
"It will support thousands of workers who have to travel
to or from work at night, it will provide huge economic
benefits to our vital night-time economy and it will help
Londoner's get home quickly and safely after a night out,"
said Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.
The scheme is set to boost the capital's economy by 77
million pounds ($100 million) a year, according to the mayor,
and could help support London's nightclubs and bars.
It will also go some way to catching up with train services
in other major centers: the New York subway already runs
throughout the night and the Paris metro operates late on
weekends.
Once the full service is in place, 100 police officers will
ride the network. Britain is on its second-highest level of
security alert, "severe", meaning an attack is considered
highly likely, though not imminent.
The first underground railway service ran between
Paddington and Farringdon Street in central London on
January 10 1863 and now the "tube," known the world over
for its red roundel symbol, stretches well into London's
suburbs and beyond.
Famed for its simple map design and incessant warnings
to "mind the gap," it now carries over 1.3 billion passengers
a year. (Reuters)
Turkey shells Kurdish fighters in
Syria after warning
KARKAMIS (TIP): Turkey shelled Kurdish militia
fighters in Syria on the second day of a major military
operation inside the country, saying they were failing to
observe a deal with the US to stop advancing in jihadist-held
territory. Turkey sent a fresh contingent of tanks Thursday
into Syrian territory, a day after a lighting offensive by
hundreds of Syrian rebel fighters -- backed by Turkish
tanks, war planes and special forces -- took the Syrian town
of Jarabulus, ending over three years of jihadist control.
Turkey says Operation Euphrates Shield -- its most
ambitious offensive of the five-and-a-half year Syrian civil
war -- is aimed at ridding the northern Syrian border area
of both Islamic State (IS) extremists and the Kurdish militia
vehemently opposed by Ankara.
Defence minister Fikri Isik warned the Kurdish
Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its People's Protection
Units (YPG) militia -- who also had designs on Jarabulus -to move back east across the Euphrates or also face
intervention from Turkey.
Hours later, Turkish artillery shelled targets of the PYD
inside Syria, the state-run Anadolu news agency said,
saying the group had violated a deal with the United States
to stop advancing. It quoted security sources as saying that
the Turkish military would continue to intervene against
the PYD until it began to retreat.
The Hurriyet daily said the PYD elements had been
identified by a Turkish drone 10 kilometres north of the
Syrian town of Manbij.
The group of PYD elements was then fired on by Turkish
Firtina howitzers from inside Turkey, it said. The group
was "eliminated", it added, without giving further details.
US Secretary of State John Kerry was due to meet his
Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Geneva on Friday
morning for talks expected to focus heavily on the situation
in Syria. Successive rounds of international negotiations
have failed to end the Syria conflict, which has killed more
than 290,000 people and forced millions to flee their homes.
Moscow and Washington support opposite sides in the
conflict, which erupted in 2011 after President Bashar alAssad's regime unleashed a brutal crackdown against a prodemocracy revolt. (AFP)
24
YEARS
WOMEN
SHOULD YOU WEAR
PERFUME TO WORK?
earing perfume to work is an
office style conundrum that
rates as high as whether you
can wear high boots to work in
winter or don floral prints for the
Monday meeting. In the US, there's
actually been a legal move to outlaw
perfume in the workplace - in the US
Census Bureau, and government
offices in the city of Detroit, it's no
longer allowed. While some private
companies in Canada and the US
have followed suit, others have
adopted formal fragrance policies.
It seems a little perfume can raise a
lot of stink. Perfumes can trigger off
allergies in the workplace. They can
cause sniffling, dizziness, headaches,
nausea and breathing problems.
"Many corporates in India especially
hotels, banks, and airlines have
fragrance policies in place," says
Yatan Ahluwalia, corporate grooming
and training expert. These policies
guide the usage of perfume
addressing questions like how much,
how little, how to wear it and what is
acceptable.
But soft skills trainer Raell
Padamsee defends the idea that it's
okay to wear fragrance in an office
environment, "What's relevant is
what you wear, and how much," she
says. Ahluwalia advises on 'less is
more'. "It's better to smell good than
not smell good. But use it such that
there's a lingering after smell," he
says.
Padamsee, who wears a mild day
perfume, says, "If you are sweating,
DO NOT use perfume to mask the
odour."
W
Notes to self
The secret, of course, is application
- a dab, a spritz, a touch, not a
drenching. Perfume should only be
applied on the pulse points - wrists
and behind the ears. "Never on
clothes," Ahluwalia states. An ideal
work perfume is mild yet long lasting.
Ahluwalia picks: anything from Hugo
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
FOOD
Kesar Peda
Ingredients
500g Soft white milk fudge (khoya)
300gms sugar powdered
½tsp cardamom powder
1tsp cardamom seeds semi crushed
1tbsp slivered or crushed pistachios
A few strands of saffron
1tbsp warm milk
2 drops saffron color (optional)
Recipe Method:
Soak the saffron in warm milk.
Crumble the milk fudge. If very hard, grate the fudge.
Add powdered sugar and mix well.
Put mixture in a large heavy or nonstick pan. Heat on
medium high for few minutes. Reduce the flame and cook
till soft and gooey.
Make sure to stir continuously, while on heat. When
mixture is thick and gooey, add cardamom and saffron. Add
the color if desired.
Mix well, and take off fire. Allow to cool, gently turning
occasionally.
Use cookie molds, or shape pedas with palms into patty
rounds. Mix pistachios and cardamom seeds and press a bit
on top of each.
If using molds, first sprinkle some at bottom. Take some
mixture and press into mold. When set well, invert and
carefully, unmold.
PEACH ALMOND SUJI HALWA
Ingredients
Boss for men and Chanel for women.
"Be careful of the notes. Men
shouldn't go too floral and women
shouldn't pick woody notes," he says.
For the winter, one can pick spicy
notes too.
The scent should be undetectable to
anyone more than an arm's length
away from you in any direction. As a
general rule of thumb - go scent free
at job interviews. If your office
doesn't have a fragrance policy, opt
for a light perfume with no
reapplication. "And a deodorant is
not a stand-in for perfume,"
Ahluwalia talks of his pet peeve,
"One is before you get dressed and for
personal hygiene, the other is used
after and for its feel-good factor - and
never mix the two." It's a rather tall
odour!
'OD' Cologne
How to tell a colleague he/she has
gone overboard
- If you are friends, tell them
directly. If you are not, broach it
when the person is alone and be
polite. They may not be aware that
their perfume is a problem. When
people wear the same fragrance for a
long time, their scent receptors can
become immune to it, so they
overspray.
- Say, "I'm sorry to ask you this, but
I'm really sensitive to scents, and I
think I'm reacting to something
you're wearing..." And then ask them
to tone it down.
- If the colleague doesn't respond,
get the manager in and ask her to
raise the issue with the person.
Source: TOI
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup suji
2 tsp ghee
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water
8 peach halves, chopped
1-2 peach halves, sliced for garnish
Method
-Blanch the almonds in boiling water for 5 minutes, peel,
and slice. Reserve
-Place sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Stir to mix sugar. Simmer until suji is ready, 2-3 minutes
-In the meantime, roast the suji in a heavy bottom
kadhai/wok over low heat until light golden brown. Reserve
in a bowl
-Heat ghee in the same wok and add the almonds and
roast for 2-3 minutes. Next add the suji and continue to
roast for 1-2 minutes over low heat
-Gently pour in the boiling sugar syrup, keeping heat to
low, and stir to mix
-Increase heat to medium, and stir until the water is
absorbed and the halwa begins to thicken and leave the
sides of the wok
Add the peaches and stir well until the halwa leaves the
sides, 1-2 minutes
-Transfer peach almond suji halwa to serving dish
-Serve hot garnished with peach slices and slivered
almonds
ARE YOU A LOVE ADDICT?
e are a generation of addicts - games, gadgets,
goodies. But what slips quietly under the radar is
relationship addiction. And it seems we all are
W
hooked
Carrie Bradshaw — the poster girl for modern love — once
talked of the zsa zsa zus. For the uninitiated, the zsa zsa zus,
as she says are the "butterflies-in- your-stomach when you not
only love the person, but you gotta have them!" Pop
psychology? Not really.
A 2010 Stanford study went on to prove that the butterflies
are real. The study found that the euphoric 'high' of early
days of love affects the brain in the same way drugs like
cocaine or pain relievers do. And it seems people have found
their go-to fix.
LOVE AS A BAD MEDICINE
Relationship addiction is on a high, pun unintended. The
guiding principles are the same as any other addiction. Love
addicts have a chronic and compulsive craving for romantic
love to get a sense of security and self-worth. They flit from
relationship-to- relationship, or stay in an emotionally —
sometimes physically — abusive relationship because they
feel a need for it.
Not being in a relationship makes them jittery and restless.
Psychologist Dr Rachna K Singh, is seeing more people
under-30 with a history of 6-7 relationships. She says, "The
practice of rebounds is going up. There's no mourning period
or a cool down before jumping into a new alliance." Love
addicts need admiration. Relationship counsellor Dr
Geetanjali Sharma says, "The reason they jump ship when
one relationship sinks is because there's a need to prove to
themselves that there's nothing wrong with them - they can
find partners easily."
ADDICT VS EXPERIMENTER
But not everyone who's experimenting with love is an
addict. There are some who don't get hit by the emotional
baggage of multiple relationships. People with low selfesteem, family history of abuse or neglect, coming from
unhappy homes, or with bad experiences in a serious
relationship are more likely to get caught in this love spiral.
Each time they get into a new relationship, they say, "This
one will work." Or, in case they get back with the same
abusive partner, "This time will be different." Marriage
counsellor Dr Nisha Khanna says that love addicts have a low
emotional quotient (EQ). "Psychologically, we talk a lot about
depression, conversations on EQ need to start," she says.
What's needed is "a look within". As Sex and The City wisdom
states: What do you call zsa zsa zu gone bad? Zsa zsa ew.
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
HEALTH & FITNESS
SIT LESS, LIVE
LONGER
itting down most of your waking
hours is as likely to kill you as base
jumping, indicate a gaggle of studies
released this year that found sitting to be
an early marker for heart disease,
diabetes, cancers and early death. This
makes sitting a lifestyle risk factor along
with smoking, overweight, high blood
pressure, among others.
Irrespective of how much you exercise
the rest of the time, spending a lot of time
sittingups your risk of heart disease,
diabetes, cancer and dying prematurely,
concluded a large review published in the
Annals of Internal Medicine this week. It’s
not enough to exercise for one hour a day
and be sedentary for 23 others, said the
study, which found people spend half their
day sitting at workstations or hutched over
smartphones.
This study echoed the findings of a 2012
review of 18 studies that included 794,577
people, which had found that sitting for
long periods raises the risk of diabetes,
heart disease and death. The study,
published in Diabetologia, the journal of
the European Association of the Study of
Diabetes, also found that the risk
remained even when people met physical
activity guidelines.
S
Trouble ahead
Apart from leading to weight gain,
sitting down raises calcification in the
heart’s arteries, which is an early marker
of heart disease, reported a study at the
American College of Cardiology’s 64th
Annual Scientific Session in March.
Again, the study found no association
between coronary artery calcification
–calcium in plaques deposited within the
heart’s arteries that cause narrowing and
obstruction of blood flow measured
through a heart CT scan -- and the amount
of exercise a person does, suggesting too
much sitting cannot be countered by
exercising.
Sitting also shows a gender bias.
Spending leisure time sitting raises
women’s cancer risk by 10 per cent,
specifically for multiple myeloma (a type
of blood cancer), breast, and ovarian
cancers. The risk for women remained
after adjusting for physical activity, body
weight and other factors.
There was association between sitting
time and cancer risk in men, showed the
study – published in Cancer Epidemiology,
Biomarkers, and Prevention -- of more
than 146,000 men and women (69,260 men
and 77,462 women) who were part of the
American Cancer Society Cancer
Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort.
Fix it
An average adult spends 50-70% of their
waking hours sitting down, and by
limiting the time spent sitting, the risk of
diabetes, heart disease and death can be
reduced. Breaks in sitting time improve
markers of good health, such as lower
body weight and improve diabetes control.
Even healthy adults who exercise and
sleep for eight hours each night should
target to lower sitting time by two to three
hours in a 12-hour work day, say experts.
Cutting back on sitting time -- for example,
standing up or moving for one to three
minutes every half hour and fidgeting
when you can’t -- should be a companion
strategy to exercising an hour a day to
lower risk of disease and death, show
studies.
A study in American Journal of
Preventive Medicine reports that fidgeting
counters the adverse health impacts of
sitting for long periods. The study, from
the University of Leeds and University
College London, found that while women
YEARS
who spent time sitting ranked high on risk
levels, those who fidgeted a lot while
sitting had the same low risk of disease as
active women, showed data from more
than 35,000 women aged 35 to 69 in the UK.
Get smart
Targeting sitting time, rather than
physical activity, is the most effective way
to reduce prolonged sitting, showed
another review of strategies designed to
reduce sitting time published in the
journal Health Psychology Review earlier
this week.
The research, from King’s College
London, searched the current existing
literature on interventions that sought to
reduce sitting time. Of the 38
interventions assessed, 23 (60 per cent)
were found promising whilst 15 (39 per
cent) were found to be worthless.
Among things that work are offering
employees sit-stand desks at work, keeping
a record of individual sitting time, setting
individual goals for limiting sitting time,
and using prompts and cues on
smartphones and fitness gadgets to remind
you to get moving.
The take-away for all of us is that
prolonged sitting is a risk factor for
lifestyle diseases independent of how
much you exercise and the sooner you get
up and start moving, the healthier you
will be.
25
GUT BACTERIA CAN
HELP LOSE FLAB
iologists at Chalmers University of
Technology in Sweden have for the first
time identified in detail how some of
our most common intestinal bacteria interact
during metabolism.
New research enables "tailored" diet advice based on our personal gut microbiome - for
people who want to lose weight and reduce the
disease risk.
The researchers developed a mathematical
calculation platform that makes it possible to
predict how different patients will respond to a
modified diet, depending on how their gut
microbiome is composed.
"This allows us to begin identifying each
individual bacteria type's metabolism and thus
get a handle on the basic mechanisms in
human metabolism," said Jens Nielsen,
professor of systems biology at Chalmers in a
statement.
There can be up to 1,000 different types of
bacteria and other microorganisms in the
human digestive system, many of which take
part in metabolism in one way or another.
"This is clear as regards to Type 2 diabetes,
hardening of the arteries and obesity, for
example. There are also indications that the
same might apply to depression and the body's
ability to respond to various cancer
treatments," Nielsen explained.
The research will make it easier for
physicians to identify overweight patients who
are at higher risk of cardiometabolic disease
and could truly achieve major health benefits
by modifying their diet and losing weight.
"In the long term we might be able to add
intestinal bacteria for patients whose
metabolism does not function properly," she
explained.
What are known as probiotics are already
being used - various yoghurt cultures are one
example - but the task of these bacteria is
primarily to stabilise the intestines and create
a favourable environment.
"The next generation of probiotics will
pertain more to adding bacteria that integrate
directly with the existing gut microbiome and
make a lasting change to the composition,"
Nielsen noted.
B
Eat dried plums to reduce colon cancer risk
diet rich in dried plums could reduce
the risk of colon cancer according to a
recent American study presented in
Boston during the 2015 Experimental Biology
conference. The fruit promotes the retention
A
of beneficial bacteria for the colon.
Researchers from the Texas A&M
University and the University of North
Carolina based their study on preexisting
research that demonstrated how one’s diet
can modify the metabolism and the
microbiota composition of the colon (the
bacteria present throughout the colon and
digestive tract).
According to Dr. Nancy Turner, among the
trillions of gastro-intestinal bacteria present
in the digestive tract, over 400 individual
species have already been identified.
Previous studies have shown that
disruptions to the microbiota are involved in
the beginnings of intestinal inflammation as
well as recurring inflammatory bouts that
can lead to the development of colon cancer.
“Our research explored the potential
cancer-protective properties of dried plums
using a well-established rat model of colon
cancer,” explains Dr. Turner. “Dried plums
contain phenolic compounds, which have
multiple effects on our health, including
their ability to serve as antioxidants....”
The experiment tested the hypothesis that
the consumption of dried plums would
promote retention of beneficial microbiota
and patterns of microbial metabolism
throughout the colon. In order to do so, the
researchers fed the rats either a diet that
included dried plums or a control diet. After
having examined the intestinal contents and
different segments of colon tissue, the
researchers found that a diet of dried plums
had increased the quantity of Bacteroidetes
and reduced the amount of Firmicutes, two
major kinds of intestinal bacteria found in
the distal colon, without modifying the
amounts found in the proximal colon. On the
contrary, the rats that were fed the control
diet had a weaker amount of Bacteroidetes
and a higher amount of Firmicutes.
In addition, the researchers noted that the
rats that had consumed dried plums also
presented significantly reduced numbers of
aberrant crypts, generally observed in
precancerous lesions.
For the research team, the reduction in
aberrant crypts associated with an inverse
ratio of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes
support the hypothesis that dried plums
appear to reduce the risk of colon cancer.
The phenomenon could be explained in
part by their ability “to establish seemingly
beneficial colon microbiota compositions in
the distal colon” concluded Dr. Turner.
Both plums and prunes are considered
anti-cancer foods thanks to their antioxidant
properties.
26
YEARS
YOUNG MASSIVE STAR
IDENTIFIED IN THE
MILKY WAY
LONDON (TIP): A team of astronomers has
identified a young star, located almost 11,000 light years
away, which could help us understand how the most
massive stars in the universe are formed.
This young star, already more than 30 times the mass
of our Sun "is still in the process of gathering material
from its parent molecular cloud, and may be even more
massive when it finally reaches adulthood".
An average star like our Sun is formed over a few
million years, whereas massive stars are formed in
orders of magnitude faster, around 100,000 years.
"These massive stars also burn through their fuel
much more quickly, so they have shorter overall
lifespan, making them harder to catch when they are
infants," said Dr John Ilee from University of
Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy.
The protostar that Ilee and his colleagues identified
resides in an infrared dark cloud - a very cold and dense
region of space which makes for an ideal stellar
nursery.
By using the Submillimeter Array (SMA) in Hawaii
and the Karl G Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in New
Mexico, the researchers were able to "see" through the
cloud and into the stellar nursery itself.
The researchers identified a key stage in the birth of
a very massive star and found that these stars form in a
similar way to much smaller stars like our Sun - from a
rotating disc of gas and dust.
The team was able to determine the presence of a
"Keplerian" disc - one which rotates more quickly at its
centre than at its edge.
"This type of rotation is also seen in the solar system
- the inner planets rotate around the Sun more quickly
than the outer planets," said Ilee.
"It's exciting to find such a disc around a massive
young star, because it suggests that massive stars form
in a similar way to lower mass stars, like our Sun," the
author noted.
WhatsApp to share user’s
phone nos with Facebook
essaging service WhatsApp has updated its
global privacy policy, under which it will now
share phone numbers of users with its parent
company, Facebook.
While the move will help Facebook offer more
targeted advertisements on its own platform, WhatsApp
will continue to be ad-free, a WhatsApp spokesperson
told PTI.
He added that this is the first time when WhatsApp
has updated user privacy policy after being acquired by
Facebook in 2014 in a USD 19-billion deal.
Privacy advocates had raised concerns that Facebook
would start mining WhatsApp accounts for data.
However, both the companies have maintained that
WhatsApp would operate separately from the parent
company and that its user data would not be shared
without users’ consent.
WhatsApp has over one billion users globally, with a
significant chunk coming from India. Facebook also
runs photo-sharing platform, Instagram.
“As part of the Facebook family of companies,
WhatsApp receives information from, and shares
information with, this family of companies. We may
use the information we receive from them, and they
may use the information we share with them to help
operate, provide, improve, understand, customise,
support, and market our services and their offerings,”
the spokesperson said.
Source: PTI
M
SCIENCE & TECH
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
NASA REESTABLISHES
CONTACT WITH SUN PROBE
LOST TWO YEARS AGO
WASHINGTON (TIP): Nasa has
finally reestablished contact with a
spacecraft communication with which
was lost nearly two years ago.
Contact was reestablished on Sunday
with one of Nasa's Solar Terrestrial
Relations Observatories, known as the
STEREO-B spacecraft, after
communication was lost on October 1,
2014, the US space agency said in a
statement on Monday.
However, the health of the
observatory is not yet known.
Over the course of the 22 months, the
STEREO team had worked to attempt
contact with the spacecraft.
Most recently, they attempted a
monthly recovery operation using
NASA's Deep Space Network, or DSN,
which tracks and communicates with
missions throughout space.
"The STEREO Missions Operations
team plans further recovery processes
to assess observatory health, reestablish attitude control, and evaluate
all subsystems and instruments," the
statement added.
Communication with STEREO-B was
lost during a test of the spacecraft's
command loss timer, a hard reset that is
triggered after the spacecraft goes
without communications from Earth
for 72 hours. The STEREO team was
testing this function in preparation for
something known as solar conjunction,
when STEREO-B's line of sight to Earth
-- and therefore all communication -was blocked by the Sun.
The spacecraft's twin, STEREO-A, is
still working normally, Space.com?
reported. Launched in October 2006,
STEREO is the third mission in NASA's
Solar Terrestrial Probes programme
(STP).
It employs two nearly identical spacebased observatories -- one ahead of
Earth in its orbit, the other trailing
behind -- to provide the first-ever
stereoscopic measurements to study the
Sun and the nature of its coronal mass
ejections, or CMEs.
The two STEREO spacecraft were
originally designed to complete a twoyear mission, ending in 2008.
But -- like many NASA spacecraft -they lasted much longer. The long life of
the two STEREO spacecraft has been a
boon for scientists studying the Sun
and its influence throughout the solar
system, the US space agency said in a
statement earlier.
The two STEREOs slowly drifted
away from Earth as they orbited the
Sun, one ahead and one behind our
home planet, giving scientists
constantly-improving views of the
Sun's far side, allowing us for the first
time to see the whole Sun at once, it
added.
Source: IANS
Here are some Android 7.0
Nougat’s cool new features
ndroid’s next instalment Nougat
is soon going to start rolling out
to Nexus Devices and the 7th
version of the operating system has
some cool feature.
While LG V20 will be the first
smartphone that comes with Nougat
out of the box, Google is promising
seamless updates to manufacturers like
HTC, Samsung, LG, Sony.
However, Android is still suffering
from a low adoption rate. Currently on
12% of Android devices are running
the previous version -- Android
Marshmallow, which is very low for an
OS which has completed a year.
Here are some cool features of the
new operating system:
Doze on the go: Android
Marshmallow had improved battery life
with the doze mode. The mode would
kill CPU activity if the phone was
stationary. But Android N or Nougat
takes it to the next level. Even if the
phone is in a pocket or in the bag as
long as it not being used, it will go into
Doze mode saving more battery.
Notifications and multi-window
feature: Simplicity is the name of the
game. Andorid N has cleaned up the UI
and users now can reply to a
notification just from the bar itself just
like in the new iOS 10 beta update.
Long pressing the notification will
show options to either remove the
notification or interact with it in a
different way. Coming to the multiwindow feature, Android N will allow
users to perform tasks both in splitscreen mode or picture-in-picture
mode. The new OS will let users decide
the space for each window by tinkering
with the divider, and it will work on
A
Android tablets, TV sets as well.
New camera app: The stock camera
app on Android will now come with
three grid options including 4×4 grid,
golden ratio overlay and a standard
square. This will help the user during
uploads to different websites which
have different acceptance sizes for
images.
Data saver: This feature is sure to be
a hit in India as it is one of the most
price sensitive markets when it comes
to data. The data saver will let a user
restrict data usage for select apps in
their smartphones. This will help those
on a limited data pack per month, and
keep a tab on apps which are data hogs.
If the device is on a metered network,
the system blocks background data
usage, and signals apps to use less data
in the foreground wherever possible.
Vulkan 3D: The new Vulkan 3D
rendering API will result in a “boost in
performance for draw-call heavy
applications.” Vulcan is now a part of
the Android platform and will ensure
better graphics performance, especially
for gaming.
DayDream: This new feature is a part
of Google’s virtual reality (VR)
platform. With the inclusion of the new
feature, Google will be able to soon
bring in VR centric Google Play Store,
Street View, and Photos.
Source: HT
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
BIZ AND FINANCE
RBI LETS BANKS ISSUE
MASALA BONDS, TO ACCEPT
CORPORATE BONDS IN LAF
MUMBAI (TIP): Reserve Bank on Thursday announced
a slew of changes in fixed income and currency markets
such as allowing lenders to issue 'masala bonds' and to
accept corporate bonds under the liquidity adjustment
facility (LAF).
"These measures are intended to further deepen market
development, enhance participation, facilitate greater
market liquidity and improve communication," an RBI
release said.
To encourage overseas rupee bonds market, banks are
being permitted to issue rupee-denominated bonds overseas
(masala bonds) for their capital requirements and for
financing infrastructure and affordable housing.
Currently, masala bonds can be issued only by corporates
and non-banking lenders like, HFCs and large NBFCs.
Masala bonds are instruments through which Indian
entities can raise funds by accessing overseas capital
markets, while the bond Investors hold the currency risk.
These will constitute for additional tier-I and tier-II
capital for the lenders, it said, adding such overseas bonds
can also be issued to finance infrastructure and affordable
housing under a current dispensation which applies for
foreign currency bond raising.
It can be noted that so far two Indian corporates — HDFC
and NTPC — have made use of this facility to raise over Rs
5,000 crore, but the segment was not open to banks.
The RBI will be seeking amendments to enable the
central bank to accept corporate bonds under the LAF
which is used to bridge temporary liquidity issues by
lenders, it said.
Outgoing Governor Raghuram Rajan had earlier said RBI
would be announcing a series of measures aimed at bonds
and currency markets by end of the month. Rajan, whose
tenure ends on September 4, is likely to handover charge to
Governor designate Urjit Patel on September 6.
Stating the absence of an overarching ceiling on total
borrowing by a corporate entity from the banking system
has resulted in banks collectively having very high
exposures to some of the large corporates, the RBI will be
coming out with draft guidelines on the 'large exposure
framework', it said.
To give an impetus to the corporate bonds market, RBI
has also decided to expand limit of partial credit
enhancement (PCE) provided by banks.
"The aggregate PCE that may be provided by the
financial system for a given bond issue will be increased
from the present 20 per cent to 50 per cent of the bond issue
size subject to the PCE provided by any single bank not
exceeding 20 per cent of the bond issue size and the extant
exposure limits," the RBI said.
RBI has constituted a working group to review the
guidelines for hedging of commodity price risks by
resident investors in the overseas markets.
Patanjali becomes third largest
FMCG seller at Future Retail
NEW DELHI (TIP): Baba Ramdev promoted Patanjali
Ayurved has become the third largest seller of FMCG
products at the shelves of Kishore Biyani-led Future Retail.
"Patanjali has become number three in sales at Future
Retail's stores. The number one is HUL followed by P&G
and Patanjali is at number three at our place," Future
Group CEO Kishore Biyani told PTI.
Patanjali, which had started its association with the
Future group last October, is now followed by rivals like
GCPL, Dabur, Emami etc.
He further said: "Its (Patanjali) sales is growing every
month. It would grow 20 per cent this month from the
previous month." Besides, Future group, is also in talks for
selling ayurvedic FMCG products of Sri Sri Ayurveda
promoted by spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
"We are also launching some products of Sri Sri Ravi
Shankar. It's in process," Biyani added.
Future Group, which has several companies in its fold
including Future Retail, Future Lifestyle Fashion, Future
Consumer Enterprise etc, is expecting to end this fiscal
with Rs 26,000 to 27,000 crore in overall revenue.
"This fiscal year Future would clock around Rs 26,000 to
27,000 crore," he said.
Last fiscal, it was around Rs 21,000 crore.
Moreover, Future Group is also planning a major
expansion of its southern supermarket chain Nilgiris by
adding more products and taking the store count to 1,000 in
next three years.
The group, which had acquired the Bengaluru-based
chain in 2014, is also launching new products in bakery to
strengthen its portfolio.
Source: PTI
YEARS
27
SAUDI SIGNALS AT
RAISING OIL OUTPUT
AHEAD OF FREEZE TALKS
MOSCOW/DUBAI (TIP): Saudi
Arabia is sending signals that it could
boost its crude oil supplies in August to
a new record level, overtaking Russia,
the world's top oil producer, as it gets
ready for tough talks next month for a
global output freeze pact.
Industry sources say the kingdom,
already the world's largest oil exporter,
started to raise production from June,
after holding it steady for the first half
of the year, to meet rising seasonal
domestic demand as well as higher
export requirements.
Higher production could give it more
leverage during talks in September
when both OPEC and non-OPEC
producers are expected to revive a
freeze deal to support oil prices, the
sources say.
Saudi Arabia appears to want higher
prices, but agreeing a level to freeze
supplies will be the main obstacle to a
deal.
Some analysts, however, said using
hard negotiating tactics could backfire
on Riyadh.
"It would therefore be a very hard
sell for Saudi Arabia to have other
countries join a collective action plan,
while it is the main source of supply
increase - outside of Iran post
sanctions," Olivier Jakob at
Petromatrix said in a note.
In June, Saudi Arabia pumped 10.55
million barrels of oil per day, and lifted
production to 10.67 million bpd in July,
the highest in its history.
Now the sources expect the OPEC
heavyweight to raise its crude supplies
to another record this month as
demand inside and outside the kingdom
looks healthy.
One source from outside OPEC said
the Saudis were quietly telling the
market that output could rise further in
August to as high as 10.8-10.9 million
bpd.
Last week, Saudi Energy Minister
Khalid al-Falih sought to clarify why
the kingdom hiked its production in
July in an oversupplied market. In a
statement, Falih explained the rise was
due to rising seasonal domestic demand
and customers asking for more oil
worldwide.
"Despite the bearish sentiment
engulfing the market, we still see strong
demand for our crude in most parts of
the world, especially as supply outside
OPEC has been declining fast, supply
outages increasing, and global demand
still showing signs of strength," he told
state news agency SPA.
The amount of crude supplied to
the market in July was 10.75 million
bpd, above actual output as Saudi
drew down the additional barrels
from its huge inventories, SPA
reported.
Oil prices dropped to $27 per barrel
in January from as high as $115 in
mid-2014, hitting the budgets of oil
exporters worldwide, including Saudi
Arabia, and resulting in a record
fiscal deficit for Riyadh.
A previous attempt to freeze output
at January levels to support prices
collapsed in April after Saudi Arabia
said it wanted all producers,
including Iran, to join the initiative.
But since the appointment of Falih
in April, Saudi Arabia has taken a
softer tone towards Iran at OPEC.
OPEC sources say the group will
probably revive talks on freezing
output when it meets non-OPEC
nations next month in Algeria as
Riyadh appears to want higher prices.
In January when the freeze idea
first emerged, Saudi Arabia was
producing 10.2 million bpd.
The Saudis are not alone in raising
production.
Iranian oil minister Bijan
Zanganeh said in parliament last
week he wanted to take the country's
output to 4.6 million bpd within five
years - well above the current 3.6
million bpd and pre-sanction levels of
3.8 million-4 million bpd.
Iraq, OPEC's second largest
producer, which said in April it would
support the freeze deal, has since
agreed new contract terms with oil
majors to develop its massive fields,
which will allow output to rise further
next year by up to 350,000 bpd.
Russia, which back in April was
ready to freeze production in the first
coordinated action with OPEC since
2001, has also signalled it is no longer
very keen on a dialogue to freeze
output and would continue boosting
production.
Its output currently hovers near an
all-time high of 10.85 bpd and Russian
officials expect it to edge up further
next year.
Source: Reuters
US trade deficit hits $44.5
billion, biggest in 10 months
WASHINGTON (TIP): The US
trade deficit increased to the highest
point in 10 months, driven up by a big
rise in imports of oil and Chinesemade computers, cell phones and
clothing.
The deficit rose to $44.5 billion in
June, 8.7 percent higher than a revised
May deficit of $41 billion, the
commerce department reported on
Friday. It was the biggest gap between
what America sells abroad and what
the country imports since a $44.6
billion deficit last August.
Exports, which have struggled this
year because of the strong dollar and
global weakness, edged up 0.3 percent
to $183.2 billion. Imports rose a faster
1.9 percent to $227.7 billion, led by a
19.4 percent jump in petroleum
imports.
The politically sensitive deficit with
China increased to $29.8 billion, the
highest in seven months.
A wider US trade deficit acts as a
drag on growth because it means the
nation is earning less on overseas
sales of US exports while spending
more on imported products.
America's deficit with China was up
2.5 percent to the highest level since a
deficit of $31.3 billion last November.
Through the first six months of this
year, the deficit with China, the largest
with any country, is running 6.5
percent above the same period in 2015,
putting it on track to set another
annual record. Republican
presidential nominee Donald Trump,
seeking to tap into the economic
anxiety of Americans who have seen
jobs disappear in an increasingly
global economy, has accused the
Obama administration of failing to
protect U.S. workers from unfair trade
practices in China and other
countries.
Trump has said he would exit from
the North American Free Trade
Agreement with Canada and Mexico if
it were not renegotiated, kill the
pending Trans-Pacific Partnership
trade agreement and take a more
aggressive approach with China,
including charging the country as a
currency manipulator.
The US Chamber of Commerce,
normally an ally of Republicans on
trade, contends that Trump's approach
would cost 3.5 million US jobs and
result in higher prices for American
consumers and a weaker economy.
Through the first six months of this
year, the deficit is 2.3 percent below the
same period in 2015, a year in which
America's deficit in goods and services
trade rose 2.1 percent to $500.4 billion.
The lower deficit so far this year
reflects the fact that while U.S. exports
are down, the value of imports is down
by a larger amount, reflecting in large
part lower oil prices.
Source: AP
28
ASTROLOGY
YEARS
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
"|| SHRI GANESHAYA NAMAHA ||"
Contact
BEJAN
DARUWALLA:
BEJAN
DARUWALLA
E-mail : [email protected]
Phone:
+919825470377
Phone
: +91-9825470377
PREDICTIONS FOR THE MONTH OF MAY, 2015
Internationally acclaimed astrologer Bejan Daruwalla predicts: "I am sure Hillary Clinton will
surely win the elections and will help the people in each and every way she can."
TAURUS
Predictions for the month of SEPTEMBER, 2016
Aries
(April 20 to May 20)
"From the land of mist and snow" you From Taurean Tendulkar a big Hop - step - jump to Satyajit Ray and Isreali Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
will glimmer and glow. Simply put, it
is the ground covered by the earthy sign Taurus. Obstinate, immensely capable, practical, fond of comforts
means despite hardships you will
and all the good things of life the Taurean has a finely tuned artistic and culinary side to his rigid nature.
triumph and be happy. The mighty
Taurus says I possess. He is happy with money. Surprisingly enough he is very God fearing, honest and hard
Hanuman, signifying Saturn, will clear working. Quite
You amay
Family life, lots of entertaining, wining
bull.feel you're being rewarded by
the way for you. Worry not, be bold,
Ganesha / God / Allah but all of a sudden
and dining and also lots of financial
Ganesha says a very demanding, perhaps
communicate brilliantly, circulate
emotional job
and imaginative
(twist and
there isYour
fulfilment,
- satisfaction,
activity convolutions
are the new trends
now.complexity),
You try to
even challenging
start happily,
is what secure
Ganesha
freely, converse
in the
nature
favors kindness,
charity,
it quiteinto
a tangled
You will
recognition,
popularity
. I need to
warn you
resolve make
them
onetale.totally
gives you
this period.
Work
willbe
be victorious.
vitally
knowledge
that
you will
benevolence.
Blessings
gurus
both sting
and- sing,
expenses
against letting your
ego - usually
larger of
than
lifewill
is
homogeneous
whole
all geared
(I mean
important, of course, and you'll try to give it your
balance your depression, mood
mount, taking care of others,
most Leos - take over. You'll lose the regard of the
finances, entertaining) to a better quality of life for
best shot. Arians go all out when they hunt, don't
swings.
nursing, fulfilling numerous social,
Taurus
people whose approval you crave the most. Nurture
the family, and yourself
in the
midst of safeguarding
it. You will
they? It is however, people and how you relate to
charitable
obligations,
your spiritual side, touch base with both old and new
have parties, house
guests,
children
doing
them that is the core area now. Where there may be a
your own
health and
that of your
"One touch to her hand / one word in
friends,
keep
the
lines
of
bonding,
communication,
sleepovers,
and
also
much
greater
faith,
spirituality,
life - time bound developing
and
glorious
love
(all
partner,
will
lead
to
genuine
her ear," is just what Ganesha ordered
affection open is Ganesha's parting advice.
religious observance.
adding up to marriage,
if The
you're
still
single)
there
spirituality. May is a mixed grill of
for you.
astro
reason
is that
the
Virgo
trips and ties. For sure.
could also be a breakup,
/ separation.
Sun isainparting
your own
sign, Western
Multiple events happen with
Astrology. Why? In your sensitivity
Capricorn
surprising velocity and suddenness.
and sympathy is your spirituality and
The
rune,
Isa,
showing
standstill,
in
salvation. Friends, partying, hosting,
The Taoist masters say "stand like a
the vortex and whirlpool of life, is
entertaining is the dominant tone of
pine and walk like the wind". It
your best bet, materially,
May. A boon will be given to you, and
means
brand
you.
Fan -out
to
You want
to a
live
lifenew
truly
king
size.
psychologically, spiritually. The
you will do plenty of good to others.
people and places. Your neighbors,
There's nothing that you want to leave to
Once more, you focus on changes in the
Faith, finances,
friends
mantra is,entertaining,
"I will to do THY
will".- all
The
Gains and gaiety and goodness are the
and your communicative skills will
the chance
of being
second
rate. Higher
family, or3G's.
the family equation - there could
show anhome
upward
pleasing
to
andmovement.
the outsideIt's
world,
pull you
decide
your quota
of -happiness.
Yes,
learning,
further
study,
be a fraught situation there. You may find
be part of
it all. Children
drawThe
close,
in different
directions.
lastthere
10
we all have our stipulatedresearch,
share.
daysand
are pointers
to the ties;
real you're
enhancement of your
/ qualifications
is the
yourself taken unawares, or even a little
is affection
closer family
Trips skills
and ties
will be contributory
spiritual
material,
of
name of the gamefactor.
now. And
you play
well!
Travel,
hurt by developments.
I must explain
theand
financial
angle
Gemini Property matters will fulfilled and happy.direction,
Contacts
leaditto
bliss.
Love
Have
faith. micro - (read
and be loved.
business partnerships,
the Expenses
progress mount.
of your
definitely be handled - adding on, acquiring,
a little, though. It'syour
the life.
macro
- rather
You will beseech Shiva and the West
children are all favored, too, and will yield the
renovating, even trade - offs and exchanges - possibly
domestic / personal) level that you're on Wind, "Destroyer and Preserver; hear,
results you've envisaged. You will even be
within the family. OIthear!"
will see
generous,
stock options; in short, the
Bothyou
will being
hear you
and help investments, trading,
Libra
imaginative and Aquarius
inspired in your handling of
accommodating, staying
cool.
larger picture but geared to family welfare.
you. Tremendous
and awesome
"The
light
that
never
was
on
land
and
religion and faith.Remember
'Great mental
pressures of work and home. Leos are
"yehactivity'
- HOW -thus
vah"sums
the
sea" can be yours, as the Sun (light)
capable of living with it. May 4 full
it all up!
god of the Old Testament, as this
and Neptune (mysticism) make a
Moon, makes you balance work and
can be a month for pilgrimage,
mighty fine formation. Journeys,
home till you are blue and red in the
glimpses of God, looking after the
ceremonies, rites of passage, rituals,
face. Parents, boss and in - laws pitch
unfortunate and the troubled in
ancestor worship, research await you
in with a vengeance.
spirit. Technology and humanity will
with open arms. Give them a hug.
find a marriage in your mind, blood,
You can't move away from personal
Finances
continue
to
be
center
stage,
Expenses
will go through the ceiling. This
Time to move in every which way.
heart. I am bursting at the seam
relationships,
perhaps
even
at
work!
You
claiming
a
lot
of
your
time
and
attention.
might
well
beas
theI predict
only catch
an otherwise
Anticipate
a
few
obstacles,
hurdles.
Cancer
even
this.inExpenses
and
will, in fact, personalize your work, put
Trade mark-ups,
offs,perfect.
speculation
high - illpowered
period
Nothing in spin
life is- ever
- health are
part ofofthegains
game. and
withstamp
open on
mouths
their
your own"Singing
individual
it. You
need
and investing in good shares (are there any,
achievements.
thrust
will now be on
NothingThe
in life
is perfect.
strong melodious
songs" is
applicable
to do it because
you may perceive
room
for
as I write this?) Work and home are balanced
contacts, communications, correspondence even
equally to you dear Cancerians. All
Scorpio
improvement in your personal space in terms of home
harmoniously, and
you even have the tie and
cybermail (is there such a term? If not, I've just coined
your talent and open artistry and
/ property, your time
with
your
family
.
You
want
all
inclinations
to
play
the
field
a
little
in
terms
of
it!) - all the C's. YouPisces
may have your own Internet portal,
Walking on the wild side is not the
creativity will swish and soar. Children
these to be just right
and
goand
all delight.
out to make
it so.
You
goodside
vibes
withspiritual
someone
new,
or
or perhaps some hush - hush deals. The range is vast,
or the
side.
Keep
give
joy
Friends
and
well - passion, great sex,right
There is "a green bough (branch) in
rarely do things by wishers
halves, anyway
.
Alongsense
withof such
your poise,
valuesphysical
and ideas. indeed!
will spring
to your help. Love an existing partner.
your heart and the singing birds will
A journey, a message, a contact, a
liaisons.
and laughter will flow freely.
surely come." Good for you!
contract spurs you powerfully. Mars,
Entertainment, amusement, children
your main planet, Western Astrology
and brainchildren, music, dance,
gives impetus and galvanizes you;
Leo
drama, a round of good cheer should
best to channelize it in prayers,
please you. Let yourself go. In the
God allows U - turns and you U - turn
meditation, love, sex. Let the
release, is your true spirituality.
All thattowards
caring tantra,
may well
have devotion,
taken thejoint
You have
got
your
work
and
money
angles
mantra,
temporal lead to the spiritual. Got it?
Neptune
in your sign,
mickey finance,
out of loans,
you, leaving
you feeling A
firmly under control, with your activities of
You now
see yourself
in Western
terms of the
funds, collaboration.
Astrology,
give pep
push.
mix by,
of the
spiritualused.
and material.
hard done
exploited,
We're all
the last period. Now you have the time, the
community,
of society,
ofand
even
a Extend
world
your boundaries.
Health
and
accidents,
are
a
possibility.
only human, after all. Showdowns,
will, the Sagittarius
desire to turn to people. Your self order. You're willing to give something of
But,confrontations
I do go wrong, could
so, notflare
to worry.
Ganesha!
arguments,
up image, popularity, public image show a
yourselfShri
to all
of the above - and love it! It
Confusion, complications, contacts,
more so in the work scene. You try to rise above them,
major rise. Finances, too, are pretty good and serve to
is a mindset that works well closer to, and in, the
avoiding both pettiness and vindictiveness in your
further boost your confidence. Please note the use of
home, too. Friends, relatives, children, their friends,
attitude and dealings. Your lover / spouse stands by
the word 'further'. You seldom, if ever, lack confidence
neighbors will be pampered, indulged, amused, taken
you, making large - heartedness easier to
- sometimes, in fact you have too much of it.
care of, as you lavish time, effort, money, and above
accomplish. You don't want to be small - minded.
all, love, on them.
Aries
Leo
Sagittarius
Capricorn
Taurus
Virgo
Gemini
Libra
Aquarius
Cancer
Scorpio
Pisces
Bejan Daruwalla is world's most famous astrologer
today. He appears regularly on world wide TV shows.
Bejan who has been a professor in English, has
authored a number of books on astrology. India's
Prime Minister Narendra Modi , on March 29, 2012,
lunched one of Bejan's books, '2012- End of the
World? Bejan contributes to a number of journals and
newspapers in many parts of the world which include
Berkley Communications (London) Times of India
(Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai) and The Indian
Panorama ( New York and Texas). Bejan's predictions
have mostly been correct and people the world over
rely on his predictions.
Bejan
Daruwalla
is available
for astrological
consultaBejan
Daruwalla
is available
for astrological
tions. He can be reached at [email protected].
He can also
be reached over
phone
at 011-91consultations.
He can
be reached
at
9825470377.
Bejan Daruwalla's address in India is: A-5 SPECTRUM
and on phone
011-91-9825470377
TOWER, SHAHIBAUG,
AHMEDABAD
380004, GUJARAT.
[email protected]
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
SPIRITUALITY
YEARS
29
SHANKH
A symbol of luster, brilliance and purity
n Hindu religion, Shankh, is of great
importance and symbolizes luster,
brilliance, purity and auspicious. In India
the sound of the conch is associated with the
sacred syllable AUM, the first sound of
creation. Conches that spiral clockwise are
said to symbolize the expansion of infinite
space. These conches belong to Lord Vishnu,
the preserver god. Conches that spiral
counterclockwise are said to defy the "laws of
nature," and belong to the
destroyer/transformation god, Lord Shiva.
The conch is one of the five principle
weapons of Vishnu. Followers of Vishnu
believe the conch shell was given to us to
destroy all evil. Arjuna, the hero of India's
epic Mahabharata, blew a particularly
powerful conch as a battle horn. It was said
to banish evil spirits, avert natural disasters
and scare away poisonous creatures.
Lord Shiva once stole Vishnu's conch, but
blew the conch so loudly that Vishnu knew
immediately who had it. Shiva instantly
appeared before Vishnu and explained that
the conch was at his home on Mt. Kailash,
but it was his son the elephant god Ganesh
who had it. If Vishnu wanted the conch
returned he would first have to perform a
puja ceremony in honor of Ganesh. The
Hindu gods are always engaged in these
mythic dramas, usually for our benefit. You
can hear all of these stories from India's
itinerant holy men, the sadhus. When the
sadhus sit around a ceremonial fire and
smoke ganja in their chillum pipes, before
they light up they chant, "Bom Shiva
Shankara!" which means "Hail Lord Shiva
the Conch Shell Blower!"
A conch (shankha) is blown to invoke
Shiva, this is not so in the case of other
Hindu deities. The conch is a rather
primitive instrument used in tribal societies.
There is a special relation between the conch
(shankha) and Shiva as is evident from the
similarity between the word Shankha and
the word Shankara which is one of Shiva's
many names. The word Shankara could have
been derived from Shankha-kara which
roughly means conch-blower (Shankha =
conch, Kara = blower).
In Vishnu’s lower right hand, which
represents the revolving or creative tendency,
I hold the conch, symbol of the five elements.
The Conch (SHANKH) named PANCHJANYA
is the fountain that evolves the five elements,
i.e., water, fire, air, earth and sky or space.
When blown it produces a sound that is
associated with primeval sound from which
creation developed. This is one of the most
important emblems of Vishnu. The blowing
of the conch symbolizes the primordial
creative voice and Indian mysticism links it
to the sacred sound OM, which is said to be
the breath of Vishnu, pervading all space. Its
convolutions are variously suggested as the
rising and setting sun, hence further
cementing Vishnu's solar associations.
Shankh literally means ‘pacifying the
inauspicious.’ In Hinduism, origin of the
conch shell took place during the Samudra
Manthan or churning of ocean.
There are two types of Shankh – left
handed conch shell and right handed conch
shell. Valampiri Shankh or Lakshmi Shankh
is the right handed conch shell and is
considered auspicious.
The shankhas that open towards the right
hand are called Dakshinavarti Shankhas.
Vamavarti and Dakshinavarti Shankha are
important within Sanatana Dharama. The
right-handed conch, also known as the "Sri
Lakshmi Conch", is held to bring abundant
blessings on the possessor. The
Dakshinavarti Shankha is a kind of calling
card for Sri Lakshmi (or Padma), the consort
of Lord Vishnu; she removes sorrows and
gives intelligence, success, and worldly
freedom. According to tradition, a living
right-handed conch is conceptually
indistinguishable from an earthly
incarnation of Vishnu or Lakshmi
themselves; the blessings of Lakshmi
literally flow out of the remaining shell on
their own.
Usually, right handed conch shell is used
for worship. The shell is thoroughly cleaned
and is placed on a clean cloth, usually red ,
white or yellow cloth. Normal puja is
performed. In some places, conch shell is
placed on a silver or clay pot. A cloth is used
to cover the mouth of the pot and it is placed
on it.
People usually collect and keep water in
conch shell and is sprinkled while
performing pujas. While performing
Lakshmi Puja, conch shell is filled with milk
and then it is poured over the idol. Water
collected in Shankh with Holy Ganga water,
banana, china rose flower and atap rice - is
offered while worshipping sun.
Leaving aside the mythology part, the
conch shell's significance can also be
corroborated by science. If you try holding a
shankha near your ear, the sound of the
gently humming ocean can be heard. This is
actually the natural vibration or cosmic
energy of the Earth which gets magnified on
entering the conch shell.
I
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These shahkhas are rare and are available in
white color with brown lines on them that
run towards the right or South. Lord Kuber
(God of wealth) resides in South and so this
shankha represents wealth and prosperity.
Shankha is blown at every festival and
auspicious beginning and the sound ushers
in freshness and new hope. Right handed
conch shell is kept at home by many people
as it is believed to bring wealth and
prosperity. It is also associated with Kubera,
god of wealth. Many institutions and
organizations employ conch shell as their
symbol.
Shankha is closely associated with Lord
Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi. Image of Lord
Vishnu always has him holding a conch shell.
It is believed that during the Samdura
Manthan, first conch shell appeared and it
was followed by Goddess Lakshmi.
The conch has the form of a multiple
spiral evolving from one point into everincreasing spheres. It thus denotes eternity,
since it may go on forever
Hindu religious art often shows deities
carrying a conch shell, although both the
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“If Hindus don’t maintain Hinduism, who shall
save it? If India’s own children don’t cling to
their faith, who shall guard it?Indian alone can
save India, and India and
Hinduism are one.”
30
YEARS
TRAVEL
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
RISHIKESH
HUB OF YOGA, MEDITATION AND SPIRITUALITY
ishikesh, situated in the foothills of
Himalayas on the banks of River
Ganga in Northern India, is
undoubtedly one of the best places to find
quick relaxation from the mundane life.
Located about 43 km away from Dehradun,
Rishikesh is a hub of Yoga, meditation and
spirituality. The place is frequented by many
international travellers and pilgrims.
Rishikesh has also become a popular
destination for white water rafting,
attracting tourists from both India and
abroad. It is also a center for hiking,
backpacking, camping, rock climbing,
rappelling, kayaking and bungee jumping.
No doubt, it has become one stop destination
for everyone seeking peace, fun and
enjoyment. Besides these, there are 5 things
about Rishikesh that you never knew.
R
NEERGARH FALLS
Rishikhesh is the home to many lesserknown waterfalls and the beauty of these
hidden treasures is that one has to take a
trek of few Kilometres to reach the falls. If
you wish to spend some quality time with
your family and friends amidst nature-rich
environs, you can definitely plan a waterfall
trekking in Rishikesh. The trekking to
Neergadh Waterfall starts 3 km away from
Laxman Jhula on the Badrinath Highway. It
is one of the most frequented waterfalls as it
is easiest to access. Visit Neergarh Waterfall
just after monsoon season and you will
witness water cascading thousands of feet
from the mountain top. There are small pools
along the hike where a hiker can sit and
enjoy the serenity of falls, while soaking the
tired feet. You can also consider taking a dip
into the pool of fresh water. Trekking
through Neergarh waterfall and passing by
shallow pool will give you a feel and touch of
what the state of Uttarakhand is all about.
The best thing about this adventure activity
is that it does not require any special skill to
trek, owning to easy path and can be
undertaken by people from all age group.
Vendors are also available here to sell the
beverages, which will cost slightly higher but
a cup of tea in hand will be a good idea to
enjoy the surreal beauty of the place.
NEELKANTH TEMPLE
Neelkanth temple is one of the most sacred
places of worship for Hindus. It is situated
on a hill above Swargashram and located at a
distance of 32 km from Rishikhesh.
Neelkanth temple is considered to be an apt
example of complete natural hill heaven that
lies adjacent to mountain ranges of NarNarayan. Owing to its raw beauty & religious
significance, both the devotees and nature
lovers visit the place round the year. The way
to the temple is quite exhilarating. There are
steep & narrow roads taking above the hill,
which will add the extra spice of adventure
amidst the beauty. There is river flowing on
one side and mountain terrain is on the
other side. Road is very curvy and narrow
with steep slopes.
TREKKING THROUGH
RISHIKESH
Trekking is all about reconnecting yourself
with nature and exploring the wonders of the
Himalayas. For adventure enthusiasts, it is a
much sought after option to escape the daily
mundane life to find themselves in the lap of
nature. Walking through verdant landscape,
lush greenery and waterfall, and breathing in
fresh air really prove to be a refreshing
experience. Located in the lap of the Shivalik
Himalayas, the picturesque town of
Rishikhesh offers a host of scenic locales for
trekkers. It gives the trekker a chance to
witness the outstanding scenery of flowery
green meadows, dense forests, fascinating
local communities and astounding landscape
of the eastern part of the Garhwal
Himalayan ranges. There are all sorts of
treks available near Rishikhesh, which can
be categorised into easy, moderate and hard
treks. Small treks can be done in the
adjoining villages and waterfalls while
longer treks can be taken in near-by
mountains. Few famous treks which can be
taken near Rishikhesh are Neer Garh
waterfall trek, Kunjapuri trek, Neelkanth
Temple Trek, and Jhilmil Gufa Trek. Longer
treks which serve route from Rishikhesh are
Gomukh (Gaumukh) Trek, Valley of flower
Trek, Tungnath-Chandrasheela Trek, Deoria
Taal Trek, Hemkund sahib trek, Kuari Pass
Trek and Roop Kund Trek.
DEVPRAYAG
In Sanskrit, prayag means 'confluence' and
Devprayag stands for 'holy confluence'.
Devprayag is the confluence of two holy
rivers Alaknanda and Bhagirathi to form
Ganga. According to religious scriptures,
Devprayag is one of the five important holy
confluences. Rivers like Bhagirathi,
Alaknanda & the mythological river
Saraswati (flowing underground) meet to
from the River Ganga. River Bhagirathi
originates from Gangotri and Alaknanda
originates from Badrinath, both of which are
considered sacred destinations for Hindus
across the world. Devprayag is the last
prayag of River Alaknanda. Religiously, the
site is very sacred and holds immense
significance among the Hindu followers. It is
believed that Lord Rama and the King
Dushratha did penance here. There is an
ancient temple of Raghunathji built above
the confluence with massive rocks. It is
believed that the temple was built more than
ten thousand years ago. There is a small
water spring called Baitalshila, which is
believed to have powers to cure leprosy.
Devprayag is also hugely blessed with divine
natural beauty and showers tourists with its
serenity. The place is accessible throughout
the year and can be visited anytime. Try
avoiding Devprayag during monsoons, when
the water level rises and there are chances of
roads getting blocked due to landslides.
Devprayag is a small town situated in Tehri
Garhwal district in the state of Uttarakhand,
located on the Rishikhesh-Badrinath
highway.
RAJAJI NATIONAL PARK
Rajaji National Park is known for its
pristine scenic beauty and rich bio-diversity.
A paradise for nature lovers and wildlife
enthusiasts, Rajaji National Park or Chilla
Park is just 25 km away from Rishikhesh. A
normal safari by jeep usually takes 3 to 4
hours to complete the 36 km stretch of safari
range and costs around Rs. 1200-1500 per
person. It is carried out twice in a day; at 7
am in the morning and around 2 pm in the
afternoon. Rajaji National Park is home to
Asian elephants, deers, birds, tigers (only
few), and antelopes such as the Nilgai,
langoors etc.
This park is the first staging ground for
the migratory birds when they cross
Himalayas to enter India. The Himalayan
pied kingfisher, fire tailed sunbird & great
pied hornbill can be spotted here. The safari
in the park is organised throughout the year,
adding its touch of special essence every
season. Don't miss out on an early morning
drive along the river stream which connects
to Power House in Chilla. In addition there
are many hotels and tourist complexes
available around Rajaji National Park at
Haridwar and Rishikhesh, which makes it
even more convenient to visit
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
ADVERTISEMENT
YEARS
31
32
contd from Page 1
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Thirty-seven percent of likely voters said
they'd consider a third-party candidate.
But two-thirds of voters said Clinton is
qualified to serve as president, the poll
found, whereas 58 percent said Trump is not
qualified.
Three-quarters of voters said that Trump
should release his tax returns, including 62
percent of Republicans. Nearly 60 percent of
voters said "the way Donald Trump talks
appeals to bigotry."
A Suffolk University poll released
Thursday, August 25, found Clinton leads
Trump by 7 percentage points in Michigan.
The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 1,498 voters
between August 18 and 24 with a 2.5
percentage point margin of error.
YEARS
Historic Peace Accord...
millions fled their homes because of the
violence. The accord, which was reached
after almost four years of talks in Cuba,
sparked celebrations in parks and bars in
the Colombian capital, Bogota. It will now
go to a plebiscite vote on October 2.
"Today I can say - from the bottom of my
heart - that I have fulfilled the mandate that
you gave me," said President Juan Manuel
Santos, 65, who was re-elected in 2014 on the
promise of a peace deal. "Colombians: the
decision is in your hands. Never before have
our citizens had within their reach the key
to their future," he said in a televised
address. Most opinion polls suggest
Colombians will back the deal but Santos,
who has staked his legacy on peace, will
face fierce opposition from powerful sectors
of the country who believe the only solution
is to finish the FARC militarily. The deal is
opposed by two former Colombian
presidents, including popular right-wing
hardliner Alvaro Uribe.
In Bogota, several hundred people
gathered around a giant screen in the rain
to listen to the announcement, waving
Colombian flags and banners.
Under the deal, the FARC will have nonvoting representation in Congress until
2018 and can participate in elections. From
then on, the 7,000 former rebels will have to
win votes like any other political party,
Santos said.
"We have won the most beautiful of all
battles" lead FARC negotiator Ivan Marquez
said following the announcement in Havana
on Wednesday. "The war with arms is over,
now begins the debate of ideas."
The two sides had signed a ceasefire in
late June. US President Barack Obama
spoke by phone with Santos on Wednesday
TURN PAGE
to congratulate him on the deal, the White
House said.
Plebiscite to decide fate of accord on
October 2
The deal, opposed by two former
Colombian presidents, still needs to be
voted on in a plebiscite. Colombia's
president Juan Manuel Santos said
Colombians would decide to approve or
reject the peace accord in a plebiscite vote
on October 2
But the FARC were hit hard by Uribe's
government from 2002, when he launched a
US-backed offensive that killed many
guerrilla leaders and halved their ranks
The FARC took up arms in 1964 to fight
against
deep
economic
and
social
inequalities and, funded by the cocaine
trade and kidnappings for ransom, swelled
to as many as 17,000 fighters at the end of
the 1990s, controlling large swathes of the
country
Grim count of five-decade-old war
There are nearly 8 million war victims
registered on the government's official
register, the majority of whom have been
forcibly driven from their homes by the
warring sides
With 6.7 million people uprooted,
Colombia has one of the world's highest
displaced populations. Indigenous groups
and Afro-Colombian communities have
been
disproportionately
affected
by
displacement
More than 230,000 children have been
forced to flee their homes since peace talks
with the FARC began in November 2012
Around 7,850 child soldiers have fought in
rebel and paramilitary ranks.
Over the decades, rebel groups have
planted
landmines
to
push
back
government troops making Colombia quite
literally a minefield. It's not known exactly
where all the landmines are
After Cambodia and Afghanistan,
Colombia has the third highest number of
landmine casualties, with 11,440 people,
including civilians, children and soldiers
killed or injured by landmines since 1990
Rape has been used as weapon of war by
all factions. Around 14,000 women, men and
children have been victims of sexual
violence
At least 40,000 Colombians have
disappeared without trace during the
conflict.
(Source: agency reports)
Navtej Sarna likely to...
Sar na
is
favored
to
head
for
Washington as Ambassador to the US,
considered a high-profile posting. The
other two are Pankaj Saran, India's
Ambassador to Russia, and Navdeep
Suri, Indian High Commissioner to
Australia.
It
is
lear nt
the
India's
High
Commissioner to Sri Lanka Yashvardhan
Kumar Sinha may replace Mr. Sar na in
the UK.
Mr. Sar na, an Indian Foreign Service
(IFS) of ficer of the 1980 batch, was
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
serving as Secretary (West) in the
Ministry of Exter nal Affairs before he
was posted to London in January.
The 59-year-old diplomat was among
the longest-serving spokespersons of the
MEA. He had held the post between 2002
and 2008.
Mr. Sar na is likely to take up the new
assignment in the midst of the highvoltage presidential campaign in the US
and his main task will be to ensure
continuity in Indo-US relations when a
new dispensation takes charge in
Washington.
Mr. Sar na is an author of many fiction
and non-fiction books, with the most
recent being 'Second Thoughts: On
Books, Authors and the Writerly Life'
released last year. He was also India's
Ambassador to Israel from 2008 to 2012.
For two years from August 2012, Mr.
Sar na had served as additional secretary
in-charge of inter national organizations
in the MEA.
Mr. Sar na had served at various Indian
missions, including in Moscow, Warsaw,
Tehran,
Geneva,
Thimphu
and
Washington.
Mr. Sinha, tipped to be Indian High
Commissioner to the UK, is a seasoned
diplomat and, in his career spanning 35
years, he has handled several important
assignments at the MEA and in Indian
diplomatic missions in South Asia, the
Middle East, Europe and South America.
Taranjit Sandhu, who is India's deputy
chief of mission in Washington, is
headed to Sri Lanka as the new High
Commissioner. Mr. Sandhu's position is
likely to be taken up by Santosh Jha,
Joint Secretary (policy planning) in the
Ministry.
NOTICE
NAME CHANGE
I, Ajit Singh Bhalla, son of Parshotam Singh
Bhalla, holder of Indian passport no.
G0037098, issued at Chandigarh on
September 28, 2006, permanent resident of
house no. 2, Sham Nagar, Model Town,
Yamuna Nagar, Haryana and presently
residing at 22 Lawrence Street, Hicksville, NY
11801, have changed my name from Ajit
Singh Bhalla to Ajit Singh, with immediate
effect.
I, Jasvir Singh Lubana, son of Jarnail Singh
Bhalla, holder of Indian passport no.
H0028590, issued at Milan on August 4, 2008,
permanent resident of VPO Jalalpur, Tehsil
Dasuya, District Hoshiarpur, Punjab and
presently residing at 1470 Cameron Glen
Drive, Marietta, GA 30062, USA, have
changed my name from Jasvir Singh to Jasvir
Singh Lubana, with immediate effect.
Look out for news,
views and reviews.
Log on to
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
CLASSIFIEDS
YEARS
33
ACCOUNTING
EATS
EATS
NEW JERSEY
NEW JERSEY
NEW YORK
SRI GANESH'S DOSA HOUSE
SHAN SWEETS INC.
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809 Newark Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07306
Gopal/Madhavi
Indian, Pakistani & Bangladesh
All Kinds of Sweets, Snacks &
Catering for all Occasions
119-16 94th Avenue, S. Richmond Hill, NY 11419
PH# 201-222-3883
Tel: 718-850-7800 | Fax: 718-850-7801
EATS
EATS
INCOME TAX:
INDIVIDUAL/BUSINESS/NON-PROFIT
New Company setup -Accounting-Payroll
Foreign Assets Reporting (FBAR) & Tax matters
NAILESH T BHAVSAR CPA
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100 Plainfield Ave, Suite 6 A
EDISON, NJ 08817
TEL: (732) 317 3696
EATS
LONG ISLAND
CHENNAI DOSAS
Kosher
South Indian Vegetarian Restaurant
Dine In - Take Out - Catering
128 Broadway
Hicksville, NY 11801
Tel: 516-681-5151 Fax: 516-681-5151
Email: [email protected]
EATS
RAJBHOG FOODS INC.
Sweets & Snacks
351 S. Broadway
PH# 516-513-0939
Cell: 917-533-9865
NEW JERSEY
SATGURU
SWEETS & CATERING
134-08 Rockaway Blvd
South Ozone Park, NY 11420
PH# 718-659-5235
EATS
BENGALI
SWEET HOUSE
Indian Cuisine
836 Newark Avenue
DOSA HUT
100% Vegetarian
777 Newark Avenue
Jignesh
PH# 201-420-6660
Fax# 201-420-0635
EATS
SAKOON
INDIAN RESTAURANT
Vegetarian & Non-Vegetarian
Fine Dine In & Pick up
275 W. Old Country Road
PH# 201-798-9240
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FAX# 516-935-1213
EATS
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GROCERY
TASTE OF COCHIN
PUNJABI
KITCHEN
Fine Indian Restaurant & Bar
WE SERVE NORTH INDIAN & SOUTH INDIAN
FOOD. WE DO HAVE A PARTY HALL
248-08 Union Turnpike
Bellrose, NY 11426
Manager: Jibi
PH# 718-347-3900
Indian Visa Center
VISA / OCI PIO / PASSPORT
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Edison, NJ 08820
NEW JERSEY
SUBZI MANDI
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PH# 201-222-9442 FAX# 201-222-9432
ASTROLOGY
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NEW YORK
www.punjabikitchenrestaurant.com
Email [email protected]
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We carry a wide range of West Indian
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President: David Ramsawmy (Elvis)
Cell: 516.304.8808 Fax: 516.218.8009
PH# 718-925-0100
DEEPAK BANSAL
34
SPORTS
YEARS
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
AFTER SUDHA SINGH, OP JAISHA
HAS SWINE FLU TOO
Abhinav Bindra to head
NRAI review committee
on Rio debacle
NEW DELHI (TIP): India's first and only individual
Olympic gold-medallist Abhinav Bindra was on Thursday
named chairman of a five-member review committee to
probe the shooters' Rio Games debacle but has recused
himself from questioning them as he was himself a part of
the team.
The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) said the
mandate of the committee is to "examine and identify in a
cold and ruthless manner" the causes behind shooting not
securing any medals at the Rio Olympics.
The committee is also mandated to recommend concrete
steps that NRAI must immediately undertake to ensure that
this is not repeated in future Olympics.
Bindra, who retired from the sport after his fourth-place
finish in Rio, has told NRAI that though he would not
question any of his teammates, he would remain open to any
assessment by the review committee.
The NRAI order states that only in "matters specifically
pertaining to the interview or findings/conclusions if any
against or in favour of any Olympic team athlete that maybe
examined by the committee, the Chairman of the committee
shall be exempt participation in toto from such tasks by
recusal, however upon his own request he too shall make
himself available for interview by the remainder of the
panel."
The order further states that, "for this specific issue only,
the remaining members of the commission shall officiate
jointly, where majority view shall prevail".
Other members of the committee include former tennis
player Manisha Malhotra, who has also been appointed
convenor of the committee, NRAI Secretary Rajiv Bhatia
and two journalists.
The order empowers the committee to go into a wide range
of factors affecting the performance of the athletes. Also, as
per the order, the NRAI Review Committee has been asked to
submit its report to the President within a maximum period
of four weeks.
The committee is expected to hold its first meeting on the
August 30 or 31 and it has also been allowed the use of all
available technology to help conduct its work smoothly. (PTI)
BENGALURU (TIP): The Sports
Authority of India's fears came true
when marathon runner OP Jaisha, who
left the campus as soon as she landed
from Rio last week, tested positive for
H1N1on August 25.
Jaisha, who fainted after the women's
marathon at the Olympics owing to
dehydration, submitted her blood
samples on Wednesday, four days after
she returned to the city along with
middle distance runner Sudha Singh
last Saturday. Test results confirmed
that she was also suffering from the flu.
"OP Jaisha has tested positive for
H1N1 and has been admitted to Fortis
Hospital, Bannerghatta road, following a
recommendation made by Dr Sunanda
(district surveillance officer of the state
health and family welfare department).
Her reports came from NIMHANS today
and she has already been put on
antiviral drugs. She will be provided all
support from our side till she gets
completely well," Dr Harshvardhan,
Karnataka surveillance officer, told
media.
While Sudha, who complained of
fever and bodyache, was the first to test
positive for H1N1 after she was admitted
to a hospital hours after she had landed
in the city, Jaisha was keen on going
back to her home town in Kerala for
Ayurvedic treatment. She left SAI soon
after but did not return to Kerala. She
was staying at her friend's house close to
the campus, it is learnt.
On Wednesday, doctors from the state
health department and surveillance as
well SAI officials tracked her down and
convinced her to submit her blood
samples. A day later, they admitted her
to hospital. The athlete, who has been ill
and racked by cough ever since she
landed in the city, has not fully recovered
from dehydration, it is learnt. Doctors at
the hospital have been told that she
needs to be treated for electrolyte
imbalance too, sources told media. (TOI)
Another dope controversy hits NADA
NEW DELHI (TIP): Close on the
heels of
the Narsingh Yadav+
controversy, another athlete banned for
doping has moved Delhi High Court
alleging foul play. Sumati Devi, a
national level weightlifter who is
facing a four-year ban for allegedly
taking a prohibited substance, has
claimed in her plea that one of her
colleagues gave her a drink laced with
a banned drug.
Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva has sought
a reply from National Anti-Doping
Agency (NADA) on her plea and also
issued notices to the Centre and CRPF
on Devi's petition. She is working as a
CRPF inspector and is a resident of
Manipur. Devi has sought quashing of
the July 8 order passed by NADA,
terming the penalty of four years "very
harsh". Devi has alleged that one of her
colleagues, with whom she shared a
room in the sports hostel attached to
Jawaharlal Nehru stadium while
participating in 63rd All India Police
Games Championship in March 2015,
had given her a protein drink which
was laced with an "anabolic steroid".
She said that in the event held on
March 5, 2015, she secured the second
position and as the urine sample of
first three position holders was
collected for screening the presence of
any prohibited substance, her blood
sample was also taken. She then
participated in the 30th women
national weight lifting championship
held in Rajasthan during which the
NADA issued first notice to her on
April 10, 2015 stating that some
prohibited sub stances were found in
her body, the plea said. On April 21,
2015, Devi informs in her plea she went
to NADA office and explained her case
after which she was served with a
second notice on April 28.
Explaining the sequence of events,
Devi claimed that on March 3, 2015,
when she came to her room after her
practice, she found that one of her
roommates was preparing her protein
drink which was offered to her in a
friendly manner.
"After much deliberation, it had
come to her knowledge that one of her
roommates/colleagues...
have
given/shared her protein drink/food
supplement. By now she is fully
convinced that she must have laced the
said drink with anabolic steroid during
the said sports meet. Accordingly, she
has lodged a written complaint to the
Director General, NADA, for taking
appropriate action against her on May
7, 2015," her plea added. (PTI)
Our results were satisfactory if not ideal in Rio: Roelant Oltmans
NEW DELHI (TIP): His wards
might have failed to break the medal
jinx at the just-concluded Rio
Olympics, but Indian men hockey
team's chief coach Roelant Oltmans
says their results in the quadrennial
extravaganza were satisfactory if not
ideal.
India finished fourth in group stage
having won two, drawn one and lost
two. One of India's win came against
eventual gold medallists Argentina.
But the Men in Blue failed to go
beyond the quarterfinals having lost 13 to silver medallists Belgium.
"The results were satisfactory if not
ideal according to our preparations.
But looking back we can see that in
every game we pushed our opponents
till the very end," Oltmans said after
returning to India here on Thursday.
"This is a team of high quality.
Sometimes the results don't accurately
display the performance. In this case, I
think the team has learnt a lot. It
deserves a short break, and then, very
soon, it will be back to the grind," he
added.
With some strong performances in
the lead up to the Rio Games that
included a silver medal finish at the
FIH Champions Trophy in London, the
expectations from the Indians were
very high in the Olympics. But after a
strong start, the PR Sreejesh-led side
dished
out
some
inconsistent
performances to exit from the lasteight stage of the competition.
Sreejesh feels the Rio Games have
been an eye opener for each and every
member of his side. "For all of us the
Olympics has been a great eye opener
and a huge life experience. As
professionals we always dream of
representing our country at the
highest level and the Olympics is the
highest. I'm proud of the team for the
way we played," he said.
"Barring some small moments, our
performance was very good. Now we
have to focus on correcting all the
things we got wrong and believe in
ourselves for the future."
The women's hockey team, which
represented the country in the
Olympics after a long gap of 36 years,
also returned to the country alongside
their male counterparts on Thursday.
The Indian eves, ranked lowest
among the participating teams,
however had a disastrous campaign
losing all their games barring a draw
against Japan in their tournament
opener.
"It was always a dream for us to
represent India at the Olympics. There
was a fear of getting overawed by the
occasion, but we didn't and I am proud
of the team for that.
"Ours is a young team and we have
already made a small mark in the world
stage. Now we have to try and get better
and make that mark more and more
visible," Indian women's team captain
Sushila Chanu said. (PTI)
THE INDIAN PANORAMA
ADVERTISEMENT
YEARS
35
36
YEARS
ADVERTISEMENT
THE INDIAN PANORAMA

vol 10 issue 33 new york aug 26 - sep 01, 2016 - Static End

Transcription

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