New York: Amid scandal over his

engagement to a much younger

woman and question mark over his

tenure as president, the conserva-

tive author and filmmaker has left

his position at The King’s College

in Manhattan.

The board of trustees of the small

evangelical school announced

Thursday that D’Souza will be

replaced by former president and

current chairman Andy Mills for

the interim period.

“God has a mighty future for

New York: Tension was brewing

for some months between

Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit and

Michael E. O’Neill, who became

Chairman early this year, after a

series of public missteps with regu-

lators and shareholders and con-

cern that Pandit was not moving

fast enough to cut costs, and

O’Neill paved the way this week

for the board to ask for Pandit’s

resignation after five years at the

helm.

Pandit was replaced Tuesday

with a longtime Citi executive,

OBAMA CAME OUT STRONGERIN HOFSTRA, BUT DEAD HEAT IN RACE WITH ROMNEY

Pandit was asked to quit:Citigroup Chairman

Obama baiter D’Souza resignsas King’s College president

The South Asian Times had the proud distinction to be invited to cover the secondpresidential debate held Tuesday in Hofstra University on Long Island.Our team of Vikas Girdhar, Associate Editor, Arjit Mehta, President, and Namit Narain,Vice President, were witness to a spirited clash between President Obama andGovernor Romney as well as the frenzied scene in the media room.For our in-depth coverage of the debate and its aftermath, please go to pages 15-17.

Dinesh D’Souza, maker of‘2016: Obama’s America’, isstung by a scandal over an

affair.

As CEO for 5 years,Vikram Pandit nursed the

bank to recovery through thefinancial crisis.

The South Asian Timese x c e l l e n c e i n j o u r n a l i s m

Vol.5 No. 27 October 20-26, 2012 60 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Diaspora 13 Personal Growth 18 Spiritual Awareness 30Op Ed 12 excellence in journalism

Continued on page 4

Continued on page 4

Michael Venditto (sitting) is runningfor Nassau Countylegislature from the

12th district in abyelection caused

by the deathOctober 3 of PeterSchmitt, who was

Presiding Officer inthe county

legislature. Someprominent Long

Islanders hosted afundraiser for theyoung Republicanleader Thursday.

October 20-26, 2012TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Washington: In a surprise move, Citigroup's

Indian-American chief executive Vikram Pandit

has stepped down ending his tumultuous five-

year reign atop the banking giant that he had

nursed to recovery through the financial crisis.

The move that sent shock waves through the

financial world came just one day after

Citigroup wowed Wall Street with solid third-

quarter earnings. Citigroup's President and COO

John Havens also resigned.

The resignation followed “a clash with the

board over strategy and performance,” accord-

ing to The Wall Street Journal. The Economic

Times of India reported that Citigroup directors

replaced Mr. Pandit because they believed he

had “mismanaged operations,” which led to

“setbacks with regulators and a loss of credibili-

ty with investors.”

Citigroup's board of directors appointed

Michael Corbat, who headed the bank's opera-

tions in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, as

the bank's new CEO.

The Nagpur-born Pandit, who was named the

CEO of Citigroup in December 2007, replacing

interim-CEO Sir Winfried Bischoff, worked for

two years for a salary of $1 a year as he nursed

the ailing bank to recovery.

In January 2011, Pandit's annual base was

raised to $1.75 million for the progress Citi

made under his leadership. After posting five

consecutive quarterly profits, Citigroup in May

2011 announced $23.2 million retention award

to Pandit making him one of the highest paid

CEOs. However, in April 2012, shareholders

voted against increasing his pay to $15 million.

"Thanks to the dedication and sacrifice of

people across Citigroup, we have emerged from

the financial crisis as a strong institution," said

Pandit in a company statement.

"Citigroup is well-positioned for continued

profitability and growth, having refocused the

franchise on the basics of banking."

"Given the progress we have made in the last

few years, I have concluded that now is the right

time for someone else to take the helm at

Citigroup," he said

"Mike is the right person to tackle the difficult

challenges ahead, with a 29-year record of

achievement and leadership at this Company,"

he said.

"We respect Vikram's decision," said Michael

E. O'Neill, chairman of the Citigroup Board of

Directors in a company statement.

"Since his appointment at the start of the

financial crisis until the present time, Vikram

has restructured and recapitalized the company,

strengthened our global franchise and re-

focused the business. The Board and I are grate-

ful to Vikram for his leadership, integrity and

resilience in guiding Citi through the crisis and

positioning it well for the future.”

Hempstead, NY: By hosting the

Tuesday night’s presidential

debate, Hofstra University and

Nassau County may have incurred

huge costs, but it was a matter of

pride for both and also promised

tangible returns in the short or long

term.

In the hope to elevate Hofstra’s

reputation as a nationally recog-

nized institution, its leaders have

invested millions in the two presi-

dential debates (the first was in

2008) and a 2010 debate in the

governor’s race to gain exposure,

attract applicants from outside the

tristate area energize donors and

students.

It was Hofstra President Stuart

Rabinowitz’s idea to apply to host

the 2008 debate after the universi-

ty attracted a $3.5 million gift to

found a presidential studies center

in 2006.

Hofstra was chosen both times in

large part because of its facilities:

the debate hall is big enough to

accommodate several different

debate formats, it has room for

large production trucks and media

filing equipment, and there is

enough parking for thousands of

journalists, debate personnel and

attendees, said Janet Brown, the

executive director of the

Commission on Presidential

Debates.

Hofstra spent $4.5 million get-

ting the campus ready for its

national appearance. A donor has

picked up most of the costs

incurred by Hofstra to host the

debate.

Meanwhile, the influx of media

and other observers on Long Island

to watch President Obama take on

Mitt Romney translated to a big

boost for the hospitality industry

near the Hempstead campus. The

Garden City Hotel was booked

solid since Friday.

On the other hand, an estimated

$600,000 was spent for the all-

hands-on-deck police presence.

This time since a sitting president

was taking part in the debate, more

security measures were implement-

ed.

Nassau County Executive Ed

Mangano said the cost of hosting

the debate is worthwhile because

of the work created, the sales tax

revenue collected and the spotlight

the debate puts on Nassau.

Vikram Pandit quits as Citigroup chief after clash with board

Hofstra debate boosts the university and Nassau county

Vikram Pandit

3October 20-26, 2012TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY

Hofstra President, Stuart Rabinowitz, welcoming President Obama before the debate. (Right) the media center during the debate atHofstra University snapped by Vikas Girdhar, The South Asian Times’ Associate Editor who was there for the prestigious assignment.

Bangladeshi heldin plot to attackfederal reserve

New York: A Bangladeshi

man who came to the United

States to wage jihad was

arrested in an elaborate FBI

sting on Wednesday after

attempting to blow up a fake

car bomb outside the Federal

Reserve building in

Manhattan, authorities said.

Before trying to carry out

the alleged terrorism plot,

Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul

Ahsan Nafis went to a ware-

house to help assemble a

1,000-pound bomb using inert

material, according to a crimi-

nal complaint. He also asked

an undercover agent to video-

tape him saying, "We will not

stop until we attain victory or

martyrdom," the complaint

said.

Agents grabbed the 21-year-

old Nafis - armed with a cell-

phone he believed was rigged

as a detonator - after he made

several attempts to blow up

the bomb inside a vehicle

parked next to the Federal

Reserve, the complaint said.

Authorities emphasized that

the plot never posed an actual

risk. However, they claimed

the case demonstrated the

value of using sting opera-

tions to neutralize young

extremists eager to harm

Americans.

Prosecutors say Nafis trav-

eled to the U.S. on a student

visa in January to carry out an

attack. In July, he contacted a

confidential informant, telling

him he wanted to form a ter-

ror cell, the criminal com-

plaint said. Nafis was living

in Queens.

The bank in New York,

located at 33 Liberty St., is

one of 12 branches around the

country that, along with the

Board of Governors in

Washington, make up the

Federal Reserve System that

serves as the central bank of

the United States. It sets inter-

est rates.

The Federal Reserve is one

of the most fortified buildings

in the city.

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

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Vikram pandit storyContinued from page 1

Michael L. Corbat.

O’Neill, who has a hands-on approach,

said on Wednesday that the progress the

bank made in recovering from the financial

crisis under Mr. Pandit “has been enormous.

Five years ago this company was in dire

straits and I don’t want to minimize

Vikram’s legacy because it is something he

can be proud of.”

“But there is a British saying about horses

for courses,” O’Neill added as quoted by

New York Times, “and Mike Corbat has a

sort of single-minded data approach that is

right for the job today.”

The Nagpur-born Pandit, who was named

the CEO of Citigroup in December 2007,

worked for two years for a symbolic salary

of $1 a year as he nursed the ailing bank to

recovery. In January 2011, Pandit's annual

base was raised to $1.75 million for the

progress Citi made under his leadership.

After posting five consecutive quarterly

profits, Citigroup in May 2011 announced

$23.2 million retention award to Pandit mak-

ing him one of the highest paid CEOs.

However, in April 2012, shareholders voted

against increasing his pay to $15 million.

Obama baiter D’Souza storyContinued from page 1Dinesh, but there are some things he has to

go through first," Mills said after breaking

the news to King's students. "I have to admit,

I got a bit over-enamored with him," a media

story quoted.

Bombay-born D’Souza came under fire

Tuesday when World magazine revealed that

he was engaged to a 29-year-old woman

while still married to his wife of 20 years.

D’Souza and Denise Odie Joseph allegedly

shared a hotel room at a Christian conference

in September, and D’Souza introduced her as

his fiancee. D’Souza lashed out against the

magazine report on his relationship, denying

that he had ever shared a hotel room with

Joseph and accusing the magazine of libel.

The board was also said to be dissatisfied

with D’Souza’s leadership as he spent much

of the past few months promoting his docu-

mentary, 2016: Obama’s America

Letter to the Editor Bloomberg floats ‘super PAC’ toinfluence national politics

New York: Seeking to reshape a

national political debate he finds

frustratingly superficial, Mayor

Michael R. Bloomberg is taking a

plunge into the 2012 poll cam-

paign in its final weeks, creating

his own “super PAC” to direct

$10-15 million of his money to

help elect candidates from both

parties who he believes will focus

on problem solving.

Bloomberg, a billionaire and a

registered independent, will allo-

cate the money in highly competi-

tive state, local and Congressional

races. The money would be used

to pay for advertising on behalf of

the candidates who support three

of his key policy initiatives: legal-

izing same-sex marriage, enacting

tougher gun laws and overhauling

schools.

Among those Bloomberg will

support are former Gov. Angus

King, an independent running for

the US Senate in Maine; State

Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod,

who is challenging a fellow

Democrat, Representative Joe

Baca of California, who the

mayor believes has been weak on

gun-control; and Representative

Bob Dold, a Republican from

Illinois who has backed gun-con-

trol measures, reported New York

Times.

Bloomberg’s move comes in the

wake of the 2010 Supreme Court

decision that paved the way for a

flood of independent expenditures

through super PACs (political

action committees), which are

playing an outsize role in elec-

tions this fall. Though his spend-

ing is on a much smaller scale, he

is joining other wealthy

Americans by bankrolling outside

groups to influence elections.

These include the Koch brothers,

industrialists who have backed

conservative causes, and George

Soros, the billionaire investor who

has championed liberal ones.

Bloomberg’s group is called

Independence USA PAC.

Iappreciate your team for doing

a wonderful job in not only

informing but also educating

your readers about relevant topics.

Regarding the article, “You vote

for a candidate, but Electoral

College decides the President” by

Vikas Girdhar (Oct 13), while I

commend you for covering the

importance of the Electoral

College, I wish there was more

information regarding the process,

more details as to how the system

works and citing some examples

like the difference between popular

president and Electoral College

president (case of Mr. Gore vs.

President Bush). Lastly, the ration-

ale of having Electoral College

could have been given more space.

I’d appreciate if we can have a fol-

low-up article.

Akshat Kaul

Branch Manager,Indus American Bank

Hicksville, NY

Some Sikh organizations from NY-NJ recently organized a fundraiser for the re-election ofSenator Kirsten Gillibrand at the World Fair Marina in Queens. She took over the New York

Senate seat from Hillary Clinton in 2009. President of Richmond Hill gurdwara, Gurdev SinghKang, Ex-president of Baba Makhan Shah gurdwara, Raghbir Singh Sobanpur helped in the event

pushed by Kirpal Singh Billing, Jasbir Singh and Jasvir Singh Ubhi.

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg

4 October 20-26, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoTURN PAGE

Washington, DC:

Sonal Shah, most

recently the first ever

director of the White

House Office of Social

Innovation and Civic

Participation, has been

appointed a senior fel-

low at The Case

Foundation, a

Washington, D.C.-

based organization investing in peo-

ple, nonprofits and social entities

that connect people and promote

civic participation.

The announcement was made

Sept. 20 at the White House Forum

on Philanthropy Innovation by Case

Foundation chief executive officer

Jean Case. Shah, the foundation said

in a press release, will oversee a

“multifaceted effort and cross-sector

conversation to explore launching a

targeted, time-limited campaign to

inspire an exponential increase in

impact investors and investments.”

As director of the White House’s

innovation and civic participation

office, the Indian American social

planner launched the Social

Innovation Fund and led efforts to

expand national service through the

Edward M. Kennedy Serve America

Act. The concept of impact invest-

ing has begun to gain

momentum as pio-

neering investors and

organizations have

built a bourgeoning

marketplace to finance

a new class of world-

changing enterprises,"

Case said. “We’re

thrilled to have

(Shah’s) expertise and

guidance, along with the partnership

of so many leaders, as we look to

find new and interesting ways to

unleash new capital and build new

on-ramps to engage investors who

are sitting on the sidelines today.”

Shah will also coordinate an advi-

sory group led by Case charged with

contributing to a detailed plan of

action. The Case Foundation will

release its findings within six

months.

“We’re just beginning to scratch

the surface of the opportunities for

deploying capital in more creative

and productive ways to drive social

change," said Shah. "Jean and Steve

Case and the Case Foundation have

long been at the forefront of explor-

ing new models for creating impact

in the social sector, and I'm excited

to join the team to help expand the

potential for impact investing.”

Sonal Shah joins The Case Foundation as Senior Fellow

Kolkata: The child welfare serv-

ices in New Jersey, which had

taken over the custody of one-

year-old Indrashish, have agreed

to hand over the child to a "bona

fide guardian", his grandfather

said here Tuesday.

"My son (Debasish Saha) has

told me from New Jersey that the

US authorities have agreed to

hand over the child to a 'bonafide

guardian'. They have urged the

ministry of external affairs

(MEA, India) to suggest the

name of the appropriate person

who can take the custody,"

Nirmal Saha said.

Indrashish was taken into pro-

tective custody by US authorities

after the child suffered a head

injury Aug 9. The access to the

child by his parents -- a US-based

Indian couple from West Bengal -

- has also been limited.

The US authorities have urged

the Indian external affairs min-

istry, to verify through an NGO

or an agency the person most

suitable among the family's

friends and relatives to be given

custody of the child, he said.

Saha said that his son had sug-

gested names of four relatives

before the Court in New Jersey

where the matter is being heard.

"It appears that after the US

authorities get any response from

MEA then only they would

decide on who is the most suit-

able person to be given the cus-

tody of the child," he said.

Saha is among the people who

can take the child's custody as

suggested before the court in

New Jersey. He had expressed his

willingness to go to the US and

take custody of his grandson.

Saha had met President Pranab

Mukherjee and wrote to Prime

Minister Manmohan Singh and

the external affairs ministry seek-

ing their intervention in the

matter.

Custody row: New Jersey authorities agree to hand over child

New York: US prosecutors

want Rajat Gupta, a former

Indian-American director of

Goldman Sachs Group, jailed

for up to 10 years, but his

lawyers suggest he could repay

for his "shocking" crimes with

community work in rural

Rwanda.

Prosecutors have urged a sen-

tence of 97 to 121 months for

Gupta, 63, who is scheduled to

be sentenced Oct 24 for his

June conviction for insider trading on three

counts of securities fraud and one count of

conspiracy.

"Gupta held positions of extraordinary priv-

ilege and prestige," said Assistant US

Attorney Richard Tarlowe in a court filing

Wednesday, according to the Wall Street

Journal.

"He understood as well as anyone the spe-

cial responsibility that came with being in

such an extraordinary position of trust .....Yet,

time and time again, over the span of nearly

two years, Gupta flouted the law and abused

his position of trust."

Gupta, who allegedly passed corporate

secrets he learned in the boardroom about

Goldman to convicted hedge fund manager

Raj Rajaratnam, should also for-

feit more than $1.1 million, an

estimate of the hedge fund

titan's personal gain from his

tips, prosecutors argued.

They also wanted Gupta to

pay restitution of nearly $6.8

million to Goldman for legal

fees, compensation and inves-

tigative costs.

However, lawyers for Gupta

said he should receive probation

and community service because

he never profited from the alleged illegal trad-

ing, lived an "exemplary" life and had already

suffered serious consequences.

As one option, they suggested Gupta work

on health care and agriculture in rural

Rwanda. "It would be punishment reflecting

the seriousness of the offense of which he was

convicted," Gary Naftalis, a lawyer for Gupta,

said, while "enabling him to give back to soci-

ety and employ his talents in a country, and in

a manner, consistent with US interests."

In handing down a sentence to Gupta, US

District Judge Jed Rakoff, is likely to consider

the defence's arguments about Gupta's "exem-

plary life of uncommon accomplishment" and

dedication as a family man despite a demand-

ing career, the Journal said.

Prosecutors want Rajat Gupta jailed for ten years

Washington: In the run-up to the November 6

polls, Indian-American Congressional candi-

dates, including Democrat Ami Bera and

Republican 'young gun' Ranjit Ricky Gill,

have significantly out-raised their opponents,

according to latest fund-raising figures.

However, it would be known only on the

election day if this fund-raising power of

these candidates gets translated into votes for

any of them, thus sending a third Indian-

American to the US House of Representative.

Apart from Bera and Gill, both of whom are

from California, other Indian-American can-

didates who have out-raised their rivals are

Upendra Chivukula from New Jersey; Manan

Trivedi from Pennsylvania and Syed Taj from

Michigan.

In the third quarter ending September 30,

Bera added more than $731,000 to his cam-

paign funds, dramatically out-raising his

opponent Dan Lungren by more than

$223,000. Bera has now successfully out-

raised Lungren for 12 out of the last 13 quar-

ters and netted almost $2.7 million this cycle.

"With less than one month to go until

Election Day, this strong showing adds to the

momentum our campaign has been building

after successfully receiving the endorsements

of President Clinton and The Sacramento

Bee," said Bera.

Bera is closely followed by the 25-year-old

Republican 'young gun' Gill, who has raised

over $720,000 during the same quarter; con-

tinuing a trend of successful quarters in which

he consistently out-raised incumbent

Democratic Congressman Jerry McNerney.

Gill now has raised more than $2.3 million

over the course of the campaign, almost

exclusively from individual donors. He ended

the third quarter with over $1.1 million cash

on hand. According to a recent poll, Gill is

leading the incumbent among likely voters

and holds a 20-point advantage among inde-

pendents. Contesting for a Congressional seat

for the second consecutive time, Manan

Trivedi has significantly outpaced incumbent

Republican Congressman Jim Gerlach in the

recent third quarter fund-raising reports,

reflecting the tightening of the race in what

has been a traditional Republican stronghold.

In the third quarter ending September 30,

Trivedi, an Iraq War veteran and primary care

physician, raised over $437,000 compared to

Gerlachs's $333,000.

Indian-American Congressional candidates out-raise opponents

Rajat Gupta

Sonal Shah

Edison Mayor Antonia “Toni” Ricigliano, Chanchal Gupta,chairman, Indo American Festival, wife of late Mangal Gupta,the Founder of Dushahra Festival and Mamta Narula at the

14th Grand Dushahra Festival in New Jersey.

5October 20-26, 2012TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY

6 October 20-26, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoTRISTATE COMMUNITY

IN BRIEF

Star Network presents “Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana”Exclusive media sponsor of South Asian International Film Festival 2012

On the run from London gangsters,

ne'er-do-well Omi Khurana returns

to his native village in Punjab to

discover that his forgetful grandfather has

"lost" the family's secret recipe of "Chick-

en Khurana," the signature dish that has

made the family restaurant famous across

Punjab. Even more disheartening, Omi also

finds his childhood sweetheart engaged to

his cousin.

Produced by Anurag Kashyap and

helmed by first-time director Sameer Shar-

ma, this quirky and entertaining comedy-

family film is being presented by Star Net-

work. It is among the varied gamut of films

being showcased this year in the South

Asian International Film Festival to be held

in New York City.

The movie will premiere at the Clearview

Chelsea Cinemas, New York City on Octo-

ber 30th, from 4:00PM-6:30PM and will be

subtitled in English.

SAIFF is the largest film premiere desti-

nation for South Asian/Indian filmmakers

in the United States.

The Festival brings films from South Asia

(i.e. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka,

Bangladesh, and Nepal) and with a focus

on dynamic, visionary cinema.

Star Network has been associated with

SAIFF for the last three years to encourage

emerging talent and to be partner of the

'Largest' South Asian film festival in North

America.

Share and Care Foundation raises $600,000 at AnnualGala & Fund Raiser celebrating 30 years of service

Share and Care Foundation (SCF)

hosted their annual gala on Sunday,

October 14, 2012 at the State The-

atre, New Brunswick, New Jersey. “More

than 1,100 supporters attended the Gala and

$600,000 plus was raised for SCF pro-

grams,” said Jayant Shroff, President.

The dance ballet choreographed by

Mythili Prakash, with an ensemble of

skilled dancers and musicians, left the au-

dience spellbound.

The performance skillfully weaved

episodes of Krishna’s lives through expres-

sive choreography.

The improvisatory interplay of move-

ment, expressions, sound, and light brought

the stories to life. The dance drama was a

spectacle of graceful energy, beautiful

rhythm and melodious music that aroused

deeply embedded memories of Krishna sto-

ries.

The Annual Gala marked the finale of a

yearlong celebration of Share and Care

Foundation’s 30th Anniversary. “This is not

just a ‘Gala’ but it’s about offering an op-

portunity for education, women’s empow-

erment and youth development in rural In-

dia. Our aim is to unlock doors and create

opportunities for the disadvantaged,” said

Jayant Shroff, member of the Management

committee.

Impacting 20 million people via a net-

work of over 500 NGOs through grants of

$63 million in cash and kind, our focus has

been on Children and Youth Education,

Healthcare, Disaster Relief and Women

Empowerment. Since last 30 years, SCF

has touched and transformed many lives.

Miss India Connecticut Joins AmeriCares Airlift to Guatemala

The recently crowned

Miss India Connecticut,

Ronita Choudhuri, trav-

eled to Guatemala with Ameri-

Cares this week to tour the hu-

manitarian organization’s aid

programs. The West Hartford

native was one of 75 supporters

who left the AmeriCares Airlift

Benefit on Saturday night on a

chartered plane destined for

Guatemala. Airlift passengers

were taken on a whirlwind tour

of the hospitals, clinics and

homes for children and the eld-

erly AmeriCares supports with

donated medicines and supplies. The 24-hour

trip gave supporters of the Stamford-based

charity a glimpse into its work in more than 90

countries.

“The work AmeriCares is doing in

Guatemala and the impact they

are having is truly amazing,”

Choudhuri said. “I feel so fortu-

nate to have been able to witness

firsthand just a slice of the great

work the doctors, nurses, volun-

teers and caretakers do every

day.

This was a journey of hope,

and with the resources and aid

provided by AmeriCares, we are

ensuring Guatemalans have a

better and healthier tomorrow.”

The 25th annual AmeriCares

Airlift Benefit “A Journey of

Hope” raised more than $1.2

million for the organization’s relief efforts

worldwide. More than 750 supporters attend-

ed the sold-out event in the Panorama hangar

at Westchester County Airport in White

Plains, N.Y. on Sept. 29.

Indian American 'Obama' filmmaker investigated

Aconservative scholar behind a high-

grossing documentary that condemns

President Barack Obama is under in-

vestigation by the evangelical college he leads

over a report he took a woman who is not his

wife to an event on Christian values, the As-

sociated Press reported.

The King's College board announced the re-

view on Tuesday, the day the conservative

Christian news magazine WORLD reported

event organizers had confronted Dinesh

D'Souza about sharing a hotel room with a

woman he introduced as his fiancee. D'Souza

filed for divorce from his wife, Dixie D'Souza,

a few days after the conference, California

court records show.

The event, Truth for a New Generation, was

held the weekend of Sept. 28 in South

Carolina.

In a brief telephone interview with The As-

sociated Press, Dinesh D'Souza, who became

president of The King's College in 2010, said

he and his wife have been "living in a state of

separation for two years." He denied sharing

the hotel room with the other woman.

"Obviously, I wouldn't have introduced her

as my fiancee if I thought we were doing any-

thing improper," D'Souza said, adding they

have called off their engagement.

The college, which was located in the Em-

pire State Building before moving this year to

lower Manhattan, aims to shape young Chris-

tians as future leaders in all sectors of society.

D'Souza is a former policy analyst under Pres-

ident Ronald Reagan and a prolific author

known most recently for his critical works on

Obama. He directed the film "2016: Obama's

America," based on his book "The Roots of

Obama's Rage."

The film was condemned by many critics,

including Newsday's Rafer Guzman, who

called it an "attempt at character assassina-

tion." But it has become one of the most suc-

cessful political documentaries ever released.

Miss India ConnecticutRonita Choudhuri (left).

Krishnam Vande Jagath Gurum – a hypnotizing performance by Shakti Dance Company

Famous BollywoodSinger Mika Singh

and his troupeenthralled the

houseful gatheringat Colden Auditorium

in Flushing. The concert was

organized by BharatJotwani & Victor

Khubani.

Photo by Vijay Shah

Used American heartdevices for Indian patients

Washington, DC: Used

heart devices of U.S.

patients can be safely fixed

in seriously ill heart disease

patients in the developing

world, researchers say.

The devices, which are

known as implantable car-

dioverter defibrillators

(ICDs), automatically deliv-

er potentially life-saving

electrical shocks to the heart

in people at high risk of car-

diac arrest.

However, in the develop-

ing world few people have

the money to afford the cost

- about 5,000 dollars in the

U.S. for pacemakers, and

four times that for ICDs.

"These devices did work

well. They delivered appro-

priate shocks and saved

lives," Fox News quoted

lead researcher Dr. Behzad

B. Pavri from Thomas

Jefferson University

Hospital in Philadelphia as

saying.

A few studies have already

shown that it is possible to

reuse pacemakers - devices

that use electrical pulses to

the heart to keep a normal

heartbeat.

According to researchers,

one remedy would be for

wealthy nations to donate

used ICDs - taken from

cadavers, or from patients

who have their ICD

removed because of an

infection or to get an

upgraded model.

The new study, reported in

the Annals of Internal

Medicine, is the first to look

at reusing ICDs.

The researchers of the

study found that ICDs

donated from the U.S.

appeared to work safely for

75 impoverished patients in

India. Over more than two

years, there were no infec-

tions, and no evidence that

the devices malfunctioned -

the two biggest concerns

with reused heart devices.

Still, Pavra said, plenty of

questions remain.

This study was small and

reviewed the records of con-

secutive patients who got

the donated ICDs at one

center, Holy Family

Hospital in Mumbai.

It was not a "prospective"

study, where researchers

recruit patients then system-

atically follow them over

time.

"We clearly need more

data. Hopefully, these data

will help in achieving a

prospective trial," Pavri

said. However, even begin-

ning a trial is far easier said

than done. One of the

biggest obstacles is U.S.reg-

ulation, Pavri noted.

The Food and Drug

Administration (FDA)

allows ICDs and pacemak-

ers to be used only once. For

there to be any large-scale

exportation of the devices

from the U.S., the FDA

would have to be on board

with it.

The Indian patients in this

study received their ICDs

after Pavri and his col-

leagues flew to Mumbai

themselves, carrying the

devices in their baggage.

In this study, 81 patients

received ICDs, and the

researchers were able to fol-

low up with 75 - which is

actually quite good in this

context, according to

Crawford, who was not

involved in the work.

For 54 percent of the

patients, the ICD delivered

an appropriate shock at

some point over two-plus

years.

This was higher than what

would be seen in U.S.

patients, Pavri noted.

According to Pavri, the

difference is that the patients

in his study were higher-

risk. They all had "class 1

indications" for an ICD.

That includes people who've

already suffered life-threat-

ening heart arrhythmias or

have significant damage to

the heart muscle from a past

heart attack.

Nine patients died, after an

average of two years with

the device.

A limit of the study, Pavri

said, is that there was no

information on how often

the ICDs may have deliv-

ered inappropriate shocks -

where the device mistakenly

detects a dangerous heart

arrhythmia and gives a need-

less and painful shock.

That's a risk with any ICD,

but it's important to find out

whether reused devices

carry a particular risk.

Future studies would need to

look at that, Pavri conclud-

ed. The study has been pub-

lished in the Annals of

Internal Medicine.

US trade mission in India toexplore architectural market

Kolkata: An American

trade mission comprising

20 companies is here

exploring business avenues

in India's expanding infra-

structure sector.

"Like other countries, the

US too has been hit by

recession and, like most

other services, architecture

too has been adversely

affected.

With a view to exploring

new avenues and to tap the

rapidly expanding Indian

market, the mission is

here," US consul general

Dean Thompson said.

The trade mission, organ-

ized by the International

Trade Administration and

the American Institute of

Architects (AIA) in associa-

tion with the Bharat

Chamber of Commerce,

will also visit Chennai and

Bangalore.

"In cities like Kolkata and

Bangalore there is still a lot

of scope for infrastructural

development. That is why

the mission has chosen

these cities. We are hopeful

of forging long-term part-

nerships with our Indian

counterparts," said AIA first

vice president Mickey

Jacob.

"India seeks to invest one

trillion dollars in its infra-

structure in the next five

years and the country

requires significant outside

expertise to meet its goals.

We hope through collabora-

tions we can provide the

required expertise," added

Jacob.

7October 20-26, 2012TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY

Washington, DC: A

Sikh-American commu-

nity organization has

raised over $250,000 to

fund scholarships for

needy students striving

to acquire higher profes-

sional education in

Punjab and neighboring

Indian states.

The funds were raised

at an event in Vienna,

Virginia, a Washington

suburb in support of

Sikh Human

D e v e l o p m e n t

Foundation (SHDF)'s

mission to provide need-

based scholarships for

higher professional edu-

cation in India.

Noted television talk

show host and producer

Gurmeet Sodhi served

as the emcee.

Welcoming the audi-

ence Foundation chair-

man Amar Jit Singh

Sodhi said in the last 12

years SHDF had award-

ed nearly 2,400 scholar-

ships at a cost of nearly

a million dollars. About

800 of these scholars

have graduated and are

working as profession-

als in some 31 disci-

plines.

"These scholarship

recipients in turn are

changing the lives of

their families by educat-

ing their siblings and

helping their parents

live their golden years

with a smile on their

faces," he said.

Applauding SHDF at

the gala, chief guest and

p h i l a n t h r o p i s t

Harshivinderjit Singh

Bains, an ophthalmolo-

gist from Austin, Texas

said, "We as contribu-

tors to SHDF can extend

a strong helping hand

that not only pulls that

individual out of pover-

ty but potentially a cou-

ple of generations

before and certainly

those that follow."

A highlight of the

evening was a move by

a dozen girls, all around

the age of ten, which

contributed to the out-

pouring of compassion-

ate giving by the guests.

Seeing their parents

and grandparents selling

tickets for the Gala

event, these girls formed

a group called Young

Khalsa Girls (YKG) and

raised $17,500 - enough

to give 35 scholarships.

Before the program

began, guests observed a

moment of silence in

remembrance of the vic-

tims and those affected

by the recent shooting in

a Wisconsin Gurdwara.

Sikh-American body raises$250,000 for education in Punjab

Jackson: Citing President Barack

Obama's stance on outsourcing of

jobs to India and work visas for IT

firms, a leading Indian-American

Republican has said that Mitt

Romney, not the incumbent, is the

best bet for strong and enduring

Indo-US relations.

Dr Sampat Shivangi, who was one

of the three Indian-American dele-

gates to the Republican National

Convention and a major fund raiser

in Mississippi state, said the

Democrats' India-friendly image is

but just a myth.

Dr Shivangi, the president of

Indian-American Forum for

Political Education (IAFPE), said

that with Obama openly and unhesi-

tatingly criticizing outsourcing to

India, the future of ties between the

two nations will be in safe hands

only if a Republican occupies the

White House. He pointed out that

Romney had publicly declared at the

Republican National Convention

last month that India is the strategic

ally of the USA, indicating the

importance Republicans attach to

India. He pointed out that Romney

had promised to bring out a white

paper on India soon.

Washington, DC: A Sikh temple

and school that was under con-

struction in Vancouver in

Washington state has been

burned to the ground in an early

morning fire, according to a

media report.

The fire sparked just before

2.30 a.m. Friday at the 17,000

square-foot former Landover

Athletic Club in the east

Vancouver Landover-Sharmel

neighborhood, The Columbian

reported.

The Guru Ramdass Sikh

Community, the largest Sikh

group in the Portland metro area

with about 200 member families,

bought the building in 2008 and

planned to move from its small

Rose Village gurdwara to the new

building in December.

"It was devastating," group

president Sarabjeet Teja was

quoted as saying of the fire.

"We've been working on this the

last four years."

The building is a total loss, said

Vancouver Fire Dept. spokesman

Capt. Kevin Murray. According

to county property records, it was

valued at $213,000.

The fire was reported by neigh-

bors at 2.25 a.m. When the first

engine arrived seven minutes

later, the entire building was

engulfed in flames, Murray said.

Two men, believed to be con-

struction contractors, were stay-

ing in the building. They were

awakened by the fire and escaped

without injury, Murray said.

The FBI and US Bureau of

Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms

were on the scene Friday morn-

ing and will investigate the fire

along with the city fire marshal.

"We want to think that it is an

accident - a really bad accident,"

Pawneet Sethi, a spokesperson

for the Sikh temple was quoted as

saying. "But if it turns out to be

anything else, it's going to be a

shock."

There were people in the neigh-

borhood who opposed the

temple.

They were worried about traffic

and a lack of fire hydrants,

according to The Columbian.

Obama anti-India, says Indian-American Republican

New Delhi: American fashion

designer Rachel Roy is making

inroads into the Indian fashion

market through Kitsch, a multi-

designer store which will exclu-

sively retail her clothes.

"This would be the first time that

Roy's collection would be avail-

able to the Indian market, and she

will be retailing exclusively

through Kitsch.

Her collection and designs work

really well for the discerning

Indian palate, and so the choice to

bring her in and add her to our

roster of designers and labels was

an easy one," Charu Sachdev,

founder and CEO of Kitsch said.

The store will encapsulate Roy's

resort 2013 collection.

The designs will have youthful

appeal with geometric shapes,

mixing and matching of bright

pop colors and laser cult embell-

ishments.

"Roy's upcoming collection is a

mix of whimsical prints and

vibrant hues, which creates an

effortless yet exotic escape for the

modern Indian woman," added

Charu.

The designer is a known name

in American fashion world. Her

client list boasts of well-known

names including Michelle Obama,

Diane Sawyer, Kate Hudson,

Jennifer Garner, Sharon Stone,

Tyra Banks and Penelope Cruz.

American designer gets Indianentry through Kitsch

Seattle: The Washington State India

Trade Relation Action Committee pre-

sented Dr. Chandra Bhanu Satpathy

with the “Building Bridges Across the

Nations Award” Sept. 27 at the Intiman

Playhouse, Seattle Center, here for his

contributions in connecting the world

though his literary and humanitarian

endeavors. The event was celebrated as

part of the opening reception of the first

Washington state summit on U.S.-India

Trade. Debadutta Dash and H. Habib,

co-chair of WASITRAC, hosted the

event. The city of Seattle recognized

Satpathy’s contribution in spreading the

message of humanism, purity, love,

compassion and tolerance as taught by

Shri Shirdi Sai Baba.

Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen, the

chief guest, also recognized Satpathy on

behalf of the state of Washington and

invited him to return to Seattle often to

celebrate the Shirdi Sai movement.

Consul General N. Parthasarathi was

the guest of honor who congratulated

Satpathy for the award and wished him

more such awards in the future.

In accepting the award, Satpathy

emphasized the need of involving cul-

tural, educational and need-based initia-

tives among nations to build better

bridges and fill gaps. He also acknowl-

edged the influence of spiritual master

Shri Shirdi Sai in his life.

Washington Committee honors Dr Chandra Bhanu Satpathy

Fire destroys Sikh temple in Washington state

New York: The patients of KEM hospital in

Parel in Mumbai got a surprise visit by Dr

Sriram Nene, who met with some of patients

who had undergone heart surgeries. Dr Nene,

who shifted base to India in 2011 along with

wife, actress Madhuri Dixit and their two

sons, is soon going to take up the honorary

post at the BMC-run KEM hospital. A cardio-

thoracic surgeon with special expertise in

Mitral Valve repair surgery, Dr Nene was

offered lucrative jobs by some of the leading

‘five star’ hospitals in the city.

But Nene seems to have rejected high-flying

jobs and has decided to work for a govern-

ment hospital. Dr Nene met KEM dean Sanjay

Oak to discuss his joining date.

According to a daily, he spent four hours

meeting doctors and patients at KEM`s

Cardio-Vascular Thoracic Surgery (CVTS)

building and was impressed by the services

that the hospital offers to those who cannot

afford an expensive medical treatment.

Dr Nene had offers to head premiere med-

ical institutions like Harkisondas, Kokilaben

and Hiranandani hospital. But Dr Nene wasn’t

keen on doing a corporate job and was more

interested to use his skills in a municipal hos-

pital as the cases that come there are lot more

varied.Speaking to the daily, Dr Oak con-

firmed that Dr Nene had indeed met him and

had decided to accept the honorary post. "Yes

he is interested in doing work at KEM hospi-

tal. It`s a perfect match, but we will only

decide once he is registered with the

Maharashtra Medical Council," said Dr Oak.

Dr Nene, who has already applied for registra-

tion with the Maharashtra Medical Council, is

expecting to get a nod from the council in a

few weeks.

Madhuri’s husband graduated from one of

the top medical schools of US- the

Washington University School of Medicine in

St Louis, Missouri and was practicing at

Rocky Mountain Cardiovascular in Denver,

Colarado before the couple decided to shift to

India. While Madhuri has decided to make a

comeback in films, the couple has also appar-

ently bought space in Mumbai to set up their

own production house. Whether or not he

takes interest in films or television is some-

thing we will have to wait and watch but for

now Dr Nene gets a big thumbs up from us for

rejecting big offers to serve those who are in

need of good medical treatment.

Mr Madhuri Dixit rejects corporate job to serve those in need

Dr.Sriram Nene with wife Madhuri Dixit

8 October 20-26, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoNATIONAL COMMUNITY

New Delhi: US Deputy Secretary

of State William Burns will meet

Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai

Friday to discuss the East Asia sit-

uation and the flux in

Afghanistan.

Burns, on a five-nation Asia

tour, comes here after visiting

Japan, South Korea, China and

Myanmar. He will also call on

External Affairs Minister S.M.

Krishna.The two sides will review

their bilateral relations, including

the progress in implementing the

India-US civil nuclear deal, ener-

gy security and cooperation in

developmental projects. "He will

discuss regional priorities and

review progress across the

breadth of the strategic partner-

ship, including measures to

strengthen our bilateral economic

engagement, and deepen our secu-

rity and defence cooperation," the

US State Department said in

Washington.Issues relating to the

18-nation East Asia Summit, the

democratic reforms in Myanmar

and ways to stabilise Afghanistan

are expected to figure in the dis-

cussions, said informed sources.

India, US to discussEast Asia, Myanmar

Rachel Roy

Dr.Chandra Bhanu Satpathy (center) was honored

New Delhi: In a bold step that

opens a new door in bilateral ties,

India and Australia have decided to

start negotiations for a civil nuclear

deal that will enable the sale of ura-

nium by Canberra to New Delhi.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

held talks with Australian Prime

Minister Julia Gillard on a wide

cluster of issues that included civil

nuclear cooperation, intensification

of economic ties and enhanced

counter-terror and security coopera-

tion.

The two sides inked four pacts and

announced a slew of steps that will

imbue their burgeoning ties with

greater depth and diversity. The ini-

tiatives include annual meetings at

the summit level, either bilaterally

or during multilateral events, a min-

isterial-level dialogue on energy

security and setting up of a water

technology partnership.

"The prime ministers announced

that India and Australia would com-

mence negotiations on a bilateral

Civil Nuclear Cooperation

Agreement which, for Australia, is a

prerequisite for uranium sales to

other countries," said a joint state-

ment after the talks.

"We have agreed to begin negotia-

tions for an agreement on civil

nuclear energy cooperation, which

will precede actual cooperation,"

Manmohan Singh said at a joint

media statement with Gillard.

He added: "As you are aware,

under Prime Minister Gillard, the

Australian Labour Party has articu-

lated a new policy on uranium sales

to India. This is recognition of

India's energy needs as well as of

our record and credentials and I

have expressed to Prime Minister

Gillard our India's appreciation of

this development."

At a banquet at Hyderabad House,

Manmohan Singh toasted Gillard

for her pathbreaking initiative to

start nuclear deal negotiations with

India.

The launch of nuclear negotiations

marks a turning point in bilateral

ties that were blossoming in virtual-

ly all areas, but were held back by

Canberra's reservations over selling

uranium to a country which has not

signed the Nuclear Non-

Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Gillard, the prime mover behind

the India-Australia nuclear rap-

prochement, however, has made it

clear that the deal could take a year

or two before uranium exports

begin. In December last year,

Gillard pushed the ruling Labour

Party to reverse an earlier policy of

not selling uranium to countries

which have not signed the NPT and

argued that this was a necessary step

to bolster ties with one of Asia's

biggest economies.

The decision has removed a "point

of tension" in relations between the

nations, Gillard stressed. "Australia

has changed, in determining to

export uranium to India. India is

changing, through important eco-

nomic reforms in areas like energy,

aviation and retail," she added. The

two sides also signed four pacts that

included cooperation in the field of

wool and woollen products, cooper-

ation in student mobility and wel-

fare and cooperation in civil space

science, technology and education.

India, Australia transform ties, to begin N-talks

New Delhi: India Against

Corruption (IAC) has accused BJP

president Nitin Gadkari of grabbing

farmers' land and corruption in col-

lusion with NCP's tainted Ajit Pawar

but the BJP quickly dismissed the

charges as "laughable".

Accusing Gadkari of taking over

land taken away from a farmer in

Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, IAC

chief Arvind Kejriwal said Gadkari

was promoting his business interests

at the cost of farmers.

"Whose interests does Gadkari

represent? He has a very big busi-

ness empire. His interests are clash-

ing with those of Vidarbha's farm-

ers?" the activist-cum-politician

said.

Gadkari called the IAC's claims

"baseless", saying there was no

scam. "My conscience is clean. I am

ready for a probe."

Banking on a string of official

documents translated from Marathi

into English, Kejriwal said under

rules excess land taken from farmers

must be returned or leased to them.

But in this case, he said, the land

was handed over to Gakdari's com-

panies by Nationalist Congress

Party's Ajit Pawar, who was the

Maharashtra irrigation minister until

recently.

"This was in violation of rules,"

he told a crowded news conference.

"When farmers protested, they were

threatened by Gadkari's henchmen."

Kejriwal added that almost the

entire water from government-spon-

sored irrigation dams were diverted

in Maharashtra to power and sugar

industries in which Gadkari and

other politicians had business inter-

ests.

All this was done in collusion with

Ajit Pawar, who has been accused of

largescale corruption in what has

come to be known as the irrigation

scam, he said.

While Gadkari wrote letters to the

Maharashtra government seeking

early payment of money owed to

contractors, he never raised issues

concerning farmers, Kejriwal said.

"Is Gadkari a businessman or a

politician?" he asked, and went on

to answer that anyone with business

interests could never honestly repre-

sent people's interests.

Both the NCP and BJP denied the

charges. The BJP called it "a politi-

cal stunt" while the NCP said the

matter was an old one and was

already under investigation.

Nitin Gadkari is corrupt: Kejriwal

9October 20-26, 2012TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA

Rahul denies Chautala's allegations on landNew Delhi: Congress gen-

eral secretary Rahul Gandhi

has dismissed as "entirely

false, utterly baseless and

defamatory" allegations by

former chief minister Om

Prakash Chautala that his

purchase of 6.5 acre land in

Haryana was irregular.

Chautala, of the Indian

National Lok Dal, alleged

wrongdoings in Gandhi's

purchase of 6.5 acre land in

Hassanpur in Palwal district

of Haryana bought March

3, 2008.

Talking to reporters in

Jalandhar in Punjab, he said

while Gandhi bought the

land in Hassanpur, his

brother-in-law Robert Vadra

had purchased land in

Gurgaon from the same

seller. Vadra is embroiled in

a controversy over various

land deals in Haryana.

Gandhi's office here, in a

late evening statement, said

the land in Hassanpur was

bought March 3, 2008 at a

price of Rs.26.47 lakh paid

through a cheque at the rate

of Rs.4.10 lakh an acre.

SC dismisses rape allegation against RahulNew Delhi: The Supreme Court gave a

clean chit to Congress general secretary

Rahul Gandhi, saying that the 2006 allega-

tion of gang rape against him and his

friends was fake.

An apex court bench of Justice B.S.

Chauhan and Justice Swatanter Kumar said

the allegation was "without substance and

not even an iota of evidence" was there to

support it.

The court imposed a cost of Rs. 5 lakh on

petitioner Kishore Smrite who had moved

the Allahabad High Court seeking produc-

tion of the victim.

Rahul meets PM amid talk of cabinet reshuffleNew Delhi: Congress general

secretary Rahul Gandhi met

Prime Minister Manmohan

Singh for a "routine meeting",

party sources said as specula-

tion gained ground about a

likely cabinet reshuffle.

The meeting with the prime

minister at his 7, Race Course

Road residence comes in the

wake of speculation that

Rahul Gandhi may join the

cabinet. The prime minister

has invited him to join his

team several times in the

past, but the young leader

always declined, choosing

instead to focus on strength-

ening the party.

"Yes, he (Rahul Gandhi)

met the prime minister," a

Congress source said, but

refused to divulge what was

discussed, saying it was a

routine meeting between the

two. Manmohan Singh and

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi

met President Pranab

Mukherjee, sparking off

rumors about a likely cabinet

reshuffle that has been on the

cards for some time.

Speculation about a cabinet

reshuffle has been doing the

rounds since the Mamata

Banerjee-led Trinamool

Congress quit the United

Progressive Alliance (UPA)

last month, leaving six posts

vacant.

India Against Corruption headArvind Kejriwal

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard in New Delhi

Killing me won't help, Kejriwaltells Khurshid

New Delhi: Alleging that Law

Minister Salman Khurshid had

threatened him, India Against

Corruption (IAC) leader Arvind

Kejriwal said his words did not

behove the minister of a country.

In a tweet, Kejriwal posted that

Khurshid had threatened to kill

him and said it would be better

that the Congress "sensed the

anger of people and took some

concrete steps against

corruption".

Khurshid, it was reported, had

threatened Kejriwal against com-

ing to his constituency

Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh.

"Killing me won't help. Kyonki

poora desh jaag gaya hai. Ek

Arvind marega to 100 Arvind

khade honge (The whole nation

has awakened... If one Arvind

dies, 100 other Arvinds will

arise)," Kejriwal tweeted.

10 October 20-26, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoINDIA

Ralegan-Siddhi (Maharashtra):

Veteran social crusader Anna

Hazare will launch an 18 month

nationwide tour for a citizens'

movement against corruption

from January 2013, an aide said.

"It was originally scheduled to

kick off from Diwali. However,

on account of Hazare's cataract

operation last week, it had to be

postponed by a couple of

months," the aide, declining to be

identified, said.

The rescheduled tour will be

taken up from Patna's Gandhi

Maidan as planned from January.

The exact date will be announced

later.

In the next couple of days,

Hazare, 75, is expected to meet

his core advisers and experts to

review and react on former associ-

ate Arvind Kejriwal's charges

against Bharatiya Janata Party

chief Nitin Gadkari Wednesday.

"Hazare will discuss the entire

issue with his colleagues and sup-

porters and is likely to come out

with his statement (on the allega-

tions against Gadkari) after a cou-

ple of days," the aide said.

Briefly interacting with the

media after his medical check-up

in Pune Wednesday, Hazare

declared that he would strive for a

nationwide organization, compris-

ing citizens, activists, students and

others working against corruption,

during his one-and-a-half year

tour in the run-up to the 2014 Lok

Sabha elections.

"I shall reach out many crores of

Indians during the nationwide tour

and build up public pressure on

the government to enact the Jan

Lokpal legislation and other simi-

lar laws for good governance. The

organizations of activists will

carry forward the work of creating

that public awareness on these

issues. The time for change has

come," he remarked.

Hazare claimed that thousands

of anti-corruption activists,

including youth, retired govern-

ment servants, ex-servicemen and

others have sent letters expressing

their willingness to join his pro-

posed organization and fight cor-

ruption from the taluka to the

national levels.

Hazare to begin 18 month tour from January

Social crusader Anna Hazare

New Delhi: Senior Haryana government offi-

cer Ashok Khemka, shunted out of his post,

was transferred 43 times in over 21 years in

the state, an unprecedented service record for

an officer anywhere in the country, govern-

ment officials said.

Khemka, who began a probe into the muta-

tion of a 3.53-acre land by Sonia Gandhi's

son-in-law Robert Vadra to realty major DLF,

was transferred last week from the post of spe-

cial collector and director general (consolida-

tion) in the land management and acquisition

department in the state.

He held that post for less than three months,

having joined on July 18. Against this back-

drop, the Indian Administrative Service (IAS)

officer claimed that the state government had

"abruptly" transferred him as a "punishment"

for acting as a whistle-blower in several

"dubious" land transactions.

Officials of the ministry of personnel, which

manages service records of IAS officers, said

they have not heard of any other instance of a

service officer being kicked around in such a

manner in any other state.

The ministry's records on Khemka, a com-

puter engineering doctorate, show that he is a

first class in computer science in both his

B.Tech and Ph.D.

A domicile of West Bengal, he is a 1991 IAS

batch officer, with Haryana as his home cadre.

He got his first posting after joining the serv-

ice as a sub-divisional officer in 1993.

Since then, he has served the Haryana gov-

ernment in departments such as information

technology, housing and urban development,

fisheries, electronics, AIDS control, housing

board, Hartron (a state-run public sector unit),

finance, planning, agriculture, warehousing,

administrative reforms, social justice and

empowerment, and land revenue management

and acquisition.

His executive record sheet, maintained by

the ministry of personnel, notes that he has

had only three postings in his career where he

could stay put for over a year. These were: as

registrar in Rohtak between 1999-2000 when

he was on deputation to the human resources

development ministry; as director of training

in the labour and employment department

between 2000 and 2001 for 14 months; and as

chief administrator in the state housing board

for 17 months, the longest stint in a post for

him, from 2005 to 2007.

Soon after his latest transfer as managing

director of the Haryana Seeds Development

Corporation, a post held by an officer 12 years

his junior as additional charge, Khemka wrote

to state Chief Secretary P.K. Chaudhery.

Khemka's 43 transfers in 21 years unprecedented

Kolkata: After their recent

divorce, the Congress said there

was no possibility of aligning

again with the Mamata Banerjee-

led Trinamool Congress in the

near future.

"With so much of hostility

shown by her (Banerjee) and the

way she has been repeatedly

attacking the prime minister, I do

not think there is any possibility

of Mamataji coming back to the

Congress alliance in the near

future," Congress spokesperson

Shakeel Ahmad said here.

Banerjee's Trinamool last

month withdrew support from the

Congress-led United Progressive

Alliance (UPA) government after

it initiated economic reforms

including allowing overseas

investment in retail.

Ahmad also exuded confidence

of surviving a parliamentary no-

confidence motion which both the

Trinamool and the Bharatiya

Janata Party (BJP) have been

mulling.

"We have 256 members of our

own and have the support of 50

more from various parties. So, we

are not at all worried because the

magic figure is 275 and we have

at least 306 members," said

Ahmad, party general secretary in

charge of West Bengal.

"In case a no-confidence

motion is brought either by the

Trinamool or the BJP, the other

will have to support. This will

bring to the fore the dual polity of

Mamataji who talks secular but

supports a communal party," said

Ahmad. He also mocked at politi-

cal parties who have been propos-

ing the formation of a third front

as opposed to the ruling Congress

and the opposition BJP.

"A third front cannot be a reali-

ty. Because most of the leaders

who are talking about the front

are too ambitious and anyone

becoming a leader of the ambi-

tious lot is difficult," quipped

Ahmad.

No alliance with Mamata in near future: Congress

Manesar (Haryana): Differing with

former National Security Advisor

(NSA) M.K. Narayanan, Home

Minister Sushilkumar Shinde called for

more NSG hubs in the country, noting

that the move will improve the accessi-

bility of the elite commando force.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines

of a function to mark the 28th raising

day of the National Security Guard

here, Shinde supported the creation of

the four hubs and said more were need-

ed.

"India needs more hubs of NSG

which will increase its accessibility,"

Shinde said.

Narayanan, who is currently governor

of West Bengal, had last week

expressed reservations over the setting

up of the four regional hubs. It was an

issue that created a chasm between him,

in his previous role as NSA, and then

home minister P. Chidambaram follow-

ing the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

Narayanan had said he was concerned

at the current emphasis on increasing

the size and numbers of the NSG,

adding that the elite special force was

intended to meet a specific situation and

its strength does not lie in its numbers.

The minister also said the government

was looking into demands for modern-

ization of weaponry of the specialised

force.

Answering queries, Shinde said the

government "can think of removing"

Armed Forces Special Powers Act

(AFSPA) from some parts of Jammu

and Kashmir after monitoring the situa-

tion for some more months.

The situation had been relatively

peaceful in the border state for the past

year, he said.

"I visited Kashmir recently. It is

peaceful," Shinde said.

There have been demands from some

political parties in the state for removal

of the act from districts of the state that

are peaceful.

Shinde said his ministry was in touch

with authorities in Haryana over spurt

in rape cases in the state.

Shinde differs withNarayanan, wants NSG hubs

Senior Haryana government officerAshok Khemka

Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee

New Delhi: India has strengthened

its military power since the 1962

war with China and is now fully

capable of defending itself, Defense

Minister A.K. Antony said but

admitted that infrastructure in the

northeast needs to be upgraded.

"We are now capable of defending

every inch of our country," Antony

told reporters on the sidelines of an

Indian Navy conference here.

He was responding to a question

on India's preparedness to deal with

China 50 years after the 1962 war in

which India had suffered a humiliat-

ing defeat. He, however, admitted

that "infrastructure in the northeast

is not up to our satisfaction", but

stressed that it has improved a lot as

compared to the past."The India of

2012 is not the India of that period,"

he said. "Now we have moved very

fast. Now our infrastructure, assets

and manpower have substantially

improved compared to the past," he

said while alluding to a slew of

steps taken by India to upgrade its

infrastructure in the northeastern

states. The minister underlined that

India will continue to build its infra-

structure and provide the best equip-

ment to its armed forces even as it

continued its dialogue with China

on the border issue.

"On the one side, we are strength-

ening our capability in the border,

on the other side, we have estab-

lished a border management mecha-

nism with China that is now func-

tioning satisfactorily," he said.

India capable of defending against China: Antony

Federal Defense Minister A.K. Antony

Don't get Akshay to inaugurate IFFI: Hindu group

11October 20-26, 2012TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA

Panaji: Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar should not be

invited to inaugurate the 43rd International Film festi-

val of India (IFFI), because he has denigrated Hindu

deities in his latest film "Oh My God", a right-wing

Hindu group said.

"Akshay Kumar who is acting as an incarnation of

Bhagvan Shri Krishna, is shown in Western attire. In

place of Sudarshan Shakra, Bhagvan Shree Krishna is

shown rotating a key chain in the finger," Hindu

Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) convenor Manoj Solanki has

said in his petition handed over Monday to the chief

minister's office (CMO).

Solanki has also said that the screening of the film

"Oh My God" should be banned in Goa because it hurt

religious sentiments and that inaugurating IFFI at the

hands of the actor would amount to "rubbing salts on

the wounds of Hindus in this secular state".

Rajiv assassination: LTTE leader freed by Sri LankaColombo: The leader of Sri Lanka's defeated Tamil

Tiger rebels, who is wanted by India over the assassina-

tion of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, will not

face criminal charges, Sri Lankan authorities said.

Selvarasah Pathmanathan will be allowed to continue

his work running a non-governmental development

organization in the north of Sri Lanka, they said, despite

being on Interpol's wanted list.

There is no case against him," military spokesman

Ruwan Wanigasuriya told reporters in Colombo.

Lakshman Hulugalle, head of the defence ministry's

media centre, said: "It's a victory for us, because a

Tamil leader who fought against the government is now

working for the country's development. He has got the

freedom to do that."

When asked if Pathmanathan was in detention any

longer, he added: "Practically, there is no detention

now."

However, the media centre later said Pathmanathan

had not been released, but was under special protection.

Neither official gave any details on why Sri Lanka

was apparently ignoring Interpol's arrest warrant, which

was instigated by India.

The warrant required him to be extradited over allega-

tions he helped plan Gandhi's killing by a Tamil Tiger

suicide bomber in southern India in May 1991.

The Indian embassy was not immediately available

for comment. Pathmanathan - also known as KP - suc-

ceeded Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam founder

Vellupillai Prabhakaran, who was killed by Sri Lankan

troops in the final battle of the three-decade war in May

2009. He was arrested in August 2009.

Actor Akshay Kumar in a scene from 'Oh My God'

By Amulya Ganguli

As is known, if Narendra

Modi wants to play a

larger role on the national

stage, the Bharatiya Janata Party

(BJP) will have to record a

thumping victory in the forth-

coming Gujarat elections. What

this means in real terms is that the

party will have to win at least 117

seats, its tally in 2007, out of the

state's 182 assembly seats.

But will this be enough consid-

ering that it had won 127 in

2002? Arguably, if Modi wants to

demonstrate his total command

over the state before moving on

to greener pastures, the party will

have to reach or overtake the

higher figure. Otherwise, any

shortfall will be grist to the mills

of the chief minister's critics

since it will suggest a decline in

his popularity.

Ironically, the two figures of

117 and 127 seats, which give a

comfortable majority to the rul-

ing party in normal circum-

stances, can no longer seem

enough where Modi's ambitions

are concerned. The disadvantage

of a larger-than-life personality,

who also likes to equate himself

with the state, is that the political

expectations about him are inor-

dinately high. What is enough for

ordinary mortals can no longer

seem sufficient for a poster boy.

However, what may be of some

concern to the BJP is that

between 2002 and 2007, its num-

ber of seats and vote share

dropped from 127 to 117 and

from 49.8 percent to 49.1.

Although the voting percentage

fell only marginally, it has to be

seen against the fact that the

Congress's tally of seats rose

from 51 to 59 while its vote share

also rose marginally from 39.2

percent to 39.6.

The scene changed quite a lot in

the 2004 parliamentary elections

in which the Congress won 12

seats (equivalent to covering 90

assembly constituencies), with a

voting percentage of 43.8 percent

against the BJP's 14 seats with a

vote share of 47.3 per cent. In the

2009 parliamentary elections, the

BJP won 15 seats, which is

equivalent to 105 assembly con-

stituencies, with a vote share of

46.5 percent while the Congress

won 11 seats with a vote share of

43.4 percent.

While the Congress has evi-

dently fared better in the parlia-

mentary polls than in the assem-

bly elections, it is worth noting

that the BJP's tally of seats in the

assembly fell from 127 in 2002 to

92 in 2004, if the results in the

assembly segments of the Lok

Sabha elections are taken into

account, then the total went up to

117 in 2007, and finally down to

105 assembly constituencies in

the 2009 parliamentary contest.

It has to be remembered that the

decline has taken place despite

the widespread belief that the

Congress does not exist in

Gujarat, as Prof. J.S.

Bandukwala, who was nearly

killed in the 2002 riots, once said.

In any event, the Congress's

political weakness in the absence

of a leader to match Modi's

stature is an accepted fact

although its vote share hovers

around a respectable 40 percent.

Irrespective of whether this

base of support is enough or not,

several other factors can be taken

into consideration. One is the fact

that the BJP's tally in recent years

was the highest in 2002, when the

riots polarised the communities

as never before and led to a surge

of support from the communal-

minded Hindus for Modi. That

kind of polarisation is no longer

there. Besides, Modi's overtures

to the minorities during his sadb-

havna or goodwill fasts may have

confused the more virulent of his

admirers.

Now the focus is more on his

suspected prime ministerial ambi-

tions with the result that it has

caused a rift in the BJP-led

National Democratic Alliance

(NDA) with Bihar Chief Minister

Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal

(United) openly opposing any

move by the BJP to select Modi

as its prime ministerial candidate.

But it isn't only the JD (U) which

is against Modi in this respect,

the PM wannabes in the BJP

itself may not be too unhappy if

the party fails to win 117 seats,

the benchmark of Modi's

approval ratings.

Why winning 117 seats in Gujarat crucial for Modi

Ironically, the two figures of 117 and 127 seats, which give acomfortable majority to the ruling party, can no longer seem

enough where Modi's ambitions are concerned.

12 October 20-26, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoOPED

By Gayathri Sreedharan

In the middle of October,

Malala Yousafzai had 70 per-

cent chances of recovery;

amazing, considering she was shot

at point-blank range only a few

days ago. Having successfully

removed a bullet from her spinal

cord, doctors treating her at a mili-

tary hospital in Rawalpindi report-

edly informed her family that her

recovery in the following days

would be critical. So we wait

patiently for news, preferably

good, from her bedside.

While Yousafzai rests, the world

outside is in a nervous tizzy. The

Taliban is now threatening mem-

bers of the Pakistani media for

their coverage, and strong stance,

on this incident. According to a

BBC Urdu report, intelligence

agencies have intercepted conver-

sations between Tehrik-e-Taliban

Pakistan (TTP) leader Hakimullah

Mehsoud and his subordinates, in

which he reportedly directed them

to take action against opponents in

the media. The government is now

offering protection to any media

organisation that seeks it.

Indeed, this erstwhile blogger-

for-the-BBC has been the headline

to beat ever since October 9. That's

when her school bus was stopped

by a Taliban gunman in a town

named Mingora, in Pakistan's

restive Swat valley in the North

West. He demanded that she identi-

fy herself, then shot her repeatedly.

(Two of her schoolmates, both

girls, were injured as well.)

The unwarranted viciousness of

the attack has spurred Pakistan's

most influential men into speaking

out in protest, using strong words

in turn: "inhuman", "barbaric",

"terrorist". Late night on October

12, The Guardian reported that,

taking an exceptionally critical

stance, the Sunni Ittehad Council

has issued a fatwa denouncing the

Taliban's attempts to justify

Yousafzai's shooting. October 12

was marked as a day of prayers for

Yousafzai and observed across

Pakistani mosques.

In the last week, public figures,

including Army Chief General

Ashfaq Kayani, Chief Justice

Ifthikar and Prime Minister Raja

Parvez Ashraf, have visited

Yousafzai, while calling on the

nation to stand united against those

who attacked her. President Asif

Ali Zardari reportedly reached out

to Yousafzai's family. Interior

Minister Rehman Malik termed the

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region a hub

for terrorists, adding that the gov-

ernment is seriously considering

another offensive in the north-

western tribal agencies. Not to be

left out, Imran Khan, viewed off

late as a serious political threat to

Zardari's ruling Pakistan People's

Party (PPP), offered to foot the

costs of her treatment.

However, Khan has been criti-

cized by some sections for turning

the debate back towards the

unmanned drones that have killed

thousands of Pakistanis. Khan isn't

the only one liable to make the

same tenuous link between a bar-

baric act and a foreign attack on

Pakistani sovereignty.

Although his is an important

voice, Maulana Fazlur Rehman,

chief of the Jamiat Ulema Islam-

Fazal, used the opportunity to con-

demn Yousafzai's attackers to also

censure those who do not protest

the bombing of a mosque by

drones as vociferously. It's this

digression of the argument that

Najam Sethi, editor of the weekly

The Friday Times, railed against in

his editorial: "To suggest that

Malala Yousafzai was shot in the

head because of America's drones

is not just lazy deduction; it is

disingenuous, even dangerous

deflection from the real issue."

More importantly, the attackers

have inadvertently glorified

Yousafzai's role as an activist and

articulate critic of the Taliban.

Having found fame (and infamy in

some quarters) through her diaries

for BBC Urdu, Yousafzai had

already won admirers, even

awards, for her outspokenness.

In January 2009 she recorded,

"On my way from school to home I

heard a man saying 'I will kill you'.

I hastened my pace... to my utter

relief he was talking on his mobile

and must have been threatening

someone else over the phone."

The Taliban continues to threaten

Yousafzai. She will need continued

support and protection from

Pakistani society if she is to escape

a repeat attempt.

(Gayathri Sreedharan is aresearcher who worked with theBBC's South Asia bureau in Delhifrom 2008 to 2011)

Malala's tragedy a test for Pakistani society

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

The Taliban continues to threaten Yousafzai. She will need continued support and protection from Pakistani society

if she is to escape a repeat attempt.

Dubai: Arun Mehra, 53-year-old chairman

of UAE based Link Global Group has

embarked on an ambitious project of mak-

ing a billion-dollar ornate, functioning

replica of the Taj Mahal, three times bigger

than the wonder of the world at Agra.

A romantic at heart — Mehra wants to

dedicate this new monument to 'love in the

world.' Love and romance apart, Mehra

says the project is a financial proposition

that will attract customers from across the

world. He plans it to be a Las Vegas where

you could also wear sarees and sherwanis

and get married.

The Taj Arabia, as it is being called, is at

the heart of a mega purpose-built tourist

city called 'Falconcity of Wonders' that will

have a direct link with the Dubai airport.

The city will also have pyramids, Great

Wall of China, Hanging Gardens of

Babylon, Eiffel Tower and the Leaning

Tower of Pisa. It will be part of an area

called 'Land of India' and will house a 300-

key five-star hotel, a 3,000-seater banquet

hall and apartments. This place would be a

one-stop shop for weddings, with a gold

souk and a wedding boutique with clothes

from India, Pakistan and other parts of the

globe.

Mehra plans to invite celebrities, and

hopes to host a few mega award functions

as well. The huge Mughal Gardens, thrice

the size of a football field, could organize

large concerts like, say, the Grammys. His

team has set itself an ambitious target to

finish all of this in two years, by end-2014.

This is the pace at which Dubai works, says

Mehra, who came here in 2004.

Hawaii: Large crowds of Indian

Americans, Christians, Buddhists and

Native Hawaiian groups joined together to

celebrate Gandhiji’s Birthday.

Many music groups, health and yoga

groups, organic food activists joined the

celebration. Many ethnic groups presented

recitals and dance programs. The event

started with the oldest and the only munici-

pal band in the entire U.S. - “The Royal

Hawaiian Band” (183 years) playing

Hawaiian, Indian and American National

Anthems. This is the most famous Band in

Hawaii mastered by Mr. Clark Bright &

Susan Ishida. They also played peace

songs.

Lieutenant Governor Brian Schatz pre-

sented the proclamation. The proclamation

reads as follows: In recognition of

International day of Non Violence now I,

Gov. Neil Abercrombie, and Brian Schatz,

Lt Gov of Hawaii do hereby proclaim Oct

2nd, 2012 as “International day of

Nonviolence” in Hawaii and ask people of

the state to join us in celebrating the Birth

day of Mahatma Gandhi and following his

preaching of love, truth, kindness,

Harmony, Non Violence and promoting

world peace on this day of Sep 2012.

Mr. Peter B. Carlisle, Mayor of Honolulu

proclaimed Oct 2, 2012 to be “Mahatma

Gandhi and Non violence Day” in honor of

freedom, justice, and human rights and con-

veyed his memorable tributes.

Dr. Raj Kumar, founder and president of

Gandhi International Institute for Peace and

Non Violence and Dr. Krishna Reddy,

Founder of Indian American Friendship

Council met with Governor Neil

Abercrombie at his private office and dis-

cussed various India issues including trade

and tourism partnership. Governor also did

not fail to praise Gandhi’s principles, he

always carries his teachings in his wallet

for the last 40 years. Gov also presented

spiritual gifts to Dr. Raj Kumar and Dr.

Reddy.

Earlier Dr Raj Kumar spoke about the

UN General Assembly resolution in 2007 to

celebrate Gandhi’s birthday a day of

“International day of Non Violence”, Raj

Kumar also said not to give up hope of

peace and praised Gandhi’s fight against

injustice and violence. Dr. Elaine Valdov,

Director of International Peace

Ambassadors and International Young

Leaders Vision Summit, and Ambassador

Anwarul K. Chowdhury, Former Under-

Secretary-General and High Representative

of the UN, also sent their messages on this

special event.

Dr. Reddy who was also keynote speaker

and Chief Guest said to follow the princi-

ples of Non Violence especially in the wake

of international terrorism and suggested to

the audience present that the terrorism will

not solve the problem. Dr. Reddy did not

fail to call upon the Governor to thank him

for placing Gandhi’s Birthday in Hawaiian

calendar as a memorable day of peace.

Several prominent political leaders,

Senator Pohai Ryan and Tulsi Gabbard,

Nominee for Congresswoman, also attend-

ed this event. Many Interfaith groups’ lead-

ers like Rev. Stephen Randolph Sykes, Rev.

Joan Chatfield, Bishop Eric Matsumoto,

and Honpa Hongwanji, Pieper Toyama-

Principal of Pacific Buddhist Academy, and

Chat Dal Santo, District 5000 Governor of

the Rotary Club spoke about Gandhi and

his principles and praised the Lord for

peace on Earth. This entire event was done

in front of life size Gandhi statue in Waikiki

Park facing the beautiful ocean.

Splendid Gandhi Jayanthi celebration in HawaiiLondon: Five NRIs have been honored here

for promoting Hindi in the UK on the occa-

sion of 'Hindi Diwas' organized by the

International Hindi Society.

Lord Gulam Noon, chairman of the Noon

Products and chief guest on the occasion, pre-

sented the award to Deepak Dogra, managing

editor of Mayanewspaper, and four others at

the Indian Gymkhana here.

Others are C B Patel, Editor/Publisher of

the bi-lingual English and Gujarati weekly

Asian Voice, Dhruv Gadvi of Zee TV,

Editor/Publisher of Pardes Weekly Jaskaran

Singh and Patron of the International Hindi

Society Rajendra Joshi.

Speaking on the occasion, Lord Noon

described the UK as a "fair country" and wel-

comed its decision to resume contacts with

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.

He also lauded the achievements of NRIs in

this country in all walks of life, particularly in

the field of education.

Seema Malhotra, Labour MP, said: "We can

feel proud of our secular identity."

Dr Onkar Sahota, Member of Greater

London Assembly emphasized the need to

promote Hindi in the UK. "In this country

Chinese is taught in primary and secondary

schools. We should see Hindi is also taught

similarly." Dr Jagdish Kaushal, Chairman of

the International Hindi Society said: "very

soon we will have Women's Wing and Youth

Wing of the Society here."

Councillor Ashok Kapoor, Vice Chairman

of the society, said: "the vision of the society

is to promote all Hindustan's culture to unify

under one umbrella no matter what religion,

language and culture."

Pritam Lal, First Secretary (Coordination)

in the Indian High Commission, and Jagdish

Sharma, Leader of the Hounslow Council,

also spoke on the occasion.

Five British-Indians honored for promoting Hindi in UK

NRI building replica of Taj Mahal in Dubai

The replica will be three times bigger than the original

DIASPORA 13October 20-26, 2012TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Indian found guilty of rape in AustraliaSydney: An Indian taxi driver in Australia has

been found guilty of raping a woman student

who was in an inebriated state.

The court found Sunveer Jassar, 28, guilty of

raping an intoxicated female student in the

back of his cab after driving her to an isolated

area in Brisbane's city center early last year, the

couriermail.com.au reported.

The incident occurred last April, when Jassar

raped the then 27-year-old Thai national under

the Story Bridge at Kangaroo Park.

The jury heard that the victim student and her

two friends had been drinking at several venues

in Brisbane before deciding to catch a taxi

home.

After two of the girls were dropped off, pros-

ecutors said, the heavily intoxicated woman

became alarmed when Jassar drove his taxi

onto the Story Bridge, opposite to the direction

that she wanted to travel.

She telephoned one of her two friends and

requested to give Jassar instructions on what

address to drop the woman at.

Jassar, who pretended he was unable to

understand the friend, drove off the taxi at the

first available Story Bridge exit, stopped near

an isolated park, raped the inebriated student

and then left her stranded under the bridge, the

court heard.

Prosecutor Ron Swanwick has submitted that

Jassar, who came to Australia from Punjab on a

student visa in 2008, be jailed for in excess of

six years.

Jassar's sentencing was yet to be announced.

If, as they say, a picture is

worth more than 1,000 words,

then an effective cartoon is

worth 10,000 words. We scoured

the newspapers and websites to

select the most telling cartoons on

the ongoing presidential race,

which otherwise is very dour as

some analysts have dubbed the

2012 election, with hyperbole of

course, “the most important in a

generation as the choice is not

between two candidates but

between two paths for America”.

So a bit of levity is in order. Not

to say that some of these cartoons

are not making biting comment at

the same time.

Presidential race as cartoonists see it

At Tuesday’s presidential debate at Hofstra, both Mitt Romneyand President Barack Obama were trying to evade some uncom-

fortable questions.

During the GOP primaries, theRepublican hopefuls were tearing each other apart to the glee of Democrats.

A laughing-smirking Vice President Joe Biden treated Paul Ryan like a

schoolboy sometimes during the vice-presidential debate.

A conserva-tive’s parti-san portrayalof the twocandidates.But it is true,as someRepublicanspointed out,that Obamacampaignwas attackingBain Capitalas if successwas a crime.

Ordinary folks want their leaders toget along, but here were two

campaigns satanising the opposition’scandidate.

The Arab world sees an oversized influ-ence of Israel and the Israel lobby on

US presidential race.

Hofstra was a different story. But at Denver, Obama wasalmost apologetic about his record, admitting that it will takemany more years before America fully recovers from its eco-

nomic woes. Analysts wondered whether he was interested in and ready for a second term at all.

During Denver debate, PresidentObama counted Osama bin Laden killas an accomplishment, while GovernorRomney threatened to defund PBS and

Sesame Street if elected president.

A cartoonist’stake on howObama pre-pared for theHofstradebate afteradmitting that“I was toopolite” in theDenverdebate.

14 October 20-26, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoUS ELECTIONS

CALL FOR SCHOLARLY ARTICLES ON JAINISM

About a year ago, JAINA, Jain Center of Southern California and ISJS (International School

for Jain Studies) have partnered together to promote Jain studies at CLU (Claremont Lincoln

University) in Claremont, CA. Within the last 12 months, we have made lots of progress

towards creating a robust program leading to graduate degree in Jainism at CLU.

CLU is committed to offering Masters and PhD degree program in Jainism and has many

innovative projects to reinforce teaching and research activities related to Jainism:

• In September, the University hosted the first International Jain Scholar’s conference –

“Bio Ethics: Religious and spiritual approaches”. Planning has already begun for the

2013 Jain Scholars conference on “Role of Women in Dharma Traditions”.

• A very ambitious, India based multi media research project is under way on the role

Jains played (or did not play) in the violent aftermath of the partition of India following

the independence from the Britain.

• In cooperation with the Jain Center of Southern California, the University is planning to

offer a national summer youth program for Jain studies on campus.

• A campus wide Ahimsa day celebration on October 2nd of every year emphasizing

Forgiveness.

The University is preparing for on line courses on Jainism that will be offered free of cost to

anyone in the world. As companion to these on line courses, we are looking to build a siz-

able library of high quality Jain knowledge such as research papers, articles and discourses

in English, French, German, Hindi, Gujarati and Kannad languages for the CLU website.

Through this announcement, we are requesting you to send us your articles, essays or

videos for the Jain studies pages on CLU web site. The material should be original, not copy-

righted and with permission for its free and unrestricted use by CLU. The material can be

sent to LidyaPotapenko: lpotapenko@claremontlincoln.org. CD’s or DVD’s can also be

mailed to her at: Center for Jain Studies, 1325 North College Avenue, Clermont, CA

91711.All of the material should be made available to CLU free of cost. Credit to the authors

will be given on the CLU web site. No material weather used or not will be returned to the

author.

We thank you for help in this noble endeavor. If you have any questions, you may contact

any one of the following ISJS volunteers.

Dr, Sulekh C Jain Dilip V Shah Dr. Nitin Shah

scjain@earthlink.net dilipvshah@gmail.com nitinshahmd@gmail.com

APPEAL

US ELECTIONS

Assertion and aggressionat 2nd Presidential debate

as Obama gains edge

15October 20-26, 2012TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Vikas Girdhar, Associate Editor of TheSouth Asian Times, along with Arjit Mehta

& Namit Narain was there to cover thesecond presidential debate hosted by

Hofstra University, his alma mater. Here ishis take on the debate watched on

television by 65.6 million Americans.Hempstead, NY: President

Obama came out swinging, didn’t

relent, and was met by an equally

dogged challenger in Governor

Romney. The winner of this sec-

ond debate in New York was the

President, but many would say so

because it was miles above his per-

formance in the first debate in

Denver only a fortnight ago.

This time around, there was no

more Mr. Nice Guy. There was no

room for it; Romney was even

more aggressive than he was previ-

ously. But the main difference is

that the President seemed up to the

challenge and handled every obsta-

cle with passionate grace and

aggression. He was firm, certain,

and did not stumble en route to

highlighting Romney’s flaws.

The second Presidential debate

of 2012 at Hofstra University in

Hempstead was held in a “town-

hall” like setting, wherein 82 unde-

cided voters waited to ask ques-

tions that would give the candi-

dates a chance to win over those

with similar concerns. Each candi-

date was given two minutes to

offer their responses, although that

was rarely abided by.

This particular round of what is

shaping out to be a fierce race for

the most powerful office on earth

featured a much more noticeably

aggressive President Obama and

Mitt Romney who walked a fine

line between required zest and

downright rudeness.

The main differences between

this and the first debate was that

this one allowed near face-to-face

confrontation and an exhibition of

the President’s preparedness to

offer counter punches and more to

Romney.

There was hardly any stuttering

or uncertainty evinced by Obama

at the beginning of his responses—

something that eclipsed his first

debate showing. Moderator Candy

Crowley, from CNN’s State of the

Union program, handled the eager

candidates with as much poise as

she could muster but even she was

constantly interrupted by Romney.

Romney grabbed every chance

to take jabs at the President but

defended himself adequately as

well. However, it seemed as

though the challenger became

uneasy and testy anytime the

President defended himself.

“I wasn’t done talking,” chided

Romney during one confrontation

when the two were invading each

other’s space. “You’ll get your

chance in just a second. That was-

n’t a question, that was a state-

ment.” Rude, when said to a sit-

ting President, some will say.

Such a tone came to pass even in

the first debate, yet not so “in-

your-face”.

20-year old Jeremy Epstein was

given a chance to ask the first

question of the night, which

focused on a reassurance of stabili-

ty for both himself and his parents.

The remnants of the previous

debate seemed to pick up directly

from the outset in the current.

“I want you to be able to get a

job, I know what it takes to get this

economy going,” said the chal-

lenger. “More debt, less jobs. I’m

going to change that so you have

the kind of opportunity you

deserve. I’m going to create jobs.

The middle class has been crushed

the last four years. When you

come out in 2014, I’m going make

sure you get a job.”

President Obama responded with

an allusion to the five million jobs

he created in the private sector

alone, saying he wants to build on

that.

The direct references between

the candidates began when the

bailout of the auto industry was

discussed. Romney alleged that the

President allowed Chrysler and

GM to go bankrupt and that the

trend should not be allowed to con-

tinue. President Obama responded

numerous times in denial—“not

true, simply not true, Governor.”

The President’s views were

much better arranged and present-

ed this time around. Regarding

energy, he said, “The Governor

does not have a five-point-plan,

it’s a one-point-plan. The last thing

we need to do is to go back to the

same policies that got us here (in

the first place). The most important

thing we can do is to make sure we

can control our own energy.

Natural gas production is the high-

est it has been in decades. We can’t

just produce traditional energy.

Governor Romney has the oil and

gas part but not the clean energy

part.”

While many are projecting the

President’s comeback performance

at the second debate to finally be a

momentum changer in the race,

there are others who believe this

will do little to swing undecided

voters his way because it was not

the first impression.

The Vice-Presidential debate last

week made headlines because it

was an impressive display by the

Democrats to attempt to aggres-

sively wrestle momentum away

from the Republicans after

Romney clearly obliterated the

President in the first debate.

President Obama at Hofstra

marked the second straight show-

ing of orderly aggression by

Democrats and a party that looks

set to tackle any and all maneuvers

orchestrated by Republicans who

are on running on Obama’s record

on economy in the past four years.

Obama, who had heard all of the

critics and analysts rip him apart

for his performance in the first

debate, seemed up to the task of

tackling a big-talker in Romney.

There was a certain energy on the

stage, the type of fire necessary for

any candidate to be willing to

engage in. Both men seemed to

relish in their respective opportuni-

ties while undermining the other.

As the Democrats rejoiced in the

wake of a much more even-sided

fight, Romney may not have been

as giddy as he was seen on his

plane after the first.

The third and final presidential

debate is right around the corner

and it promises to be just as tense

and fiery as this one. The topic:

foreign policy.

Louisiana Governor BobbyJindal, who could not attend

the Republican NationalConvention in late August

because Hurricane Isaac hithis state around the sametime, was there in the spin

room after the Hofstra debate.

Hofstra President, StuartRabinowitz, welcomingGovernor Mitt Romney

to the campus.

The town hall style setting allowednear face-to-face confrontation.

The process en route to cov-

ering the second

Presidential debate at

Hofstra Tuesday night was expect-

edly protracted one. There were

applications, auditing and the

anticipated e-mail for approval.

Once we were in, however, we

took it by the horns and ran with

it. It’s not every day that

Presidential candidates debate just

minutes away from the office

–which happens to be in

Hicksville on Long Island--and

exclusive entry is available to a

South Asian newspaper. We were

proud just to get the opportunity.

We had submitted our applica-

tions for media attendance some

two months ago, complete with

headshots and social security

numbers. “We”, as in myself,

Associate Editor of the paper, Arjit

Mehta, President, and Namit

Narain, Vice President. The

Commission on Presidential

Debates (CPD) had replied that

our applications were pending and

our paper’s weekly issues were

being audited for authenticity and

to ensure adequate coverage of

U.S. affairs leading up to the

debates.

Apparently, we had passed the

test. The three of us had been

approved and we were set to

become maybe the only South

Asian media house at the national-

ly televised, media-frenzied,

event.

We went to the venue, Hofstra

University in Hempstead, the day

before to pick up our press creden-

tials. Although security was pres-

ent then too and television stations

were doing pre-debate coverage, it

paled in comparison to the debate

day. Picking up our press passes

was a breeze. We introduced our-

selves, were found in the system,

signed in and were given a media

kit and pass. All was set for

Tuesday.

We left the office at 7pm, a full

two hours before the debate was

slated to begin because we antici-

pated road blockages and consid-

erable time allotment for security

checks. We were right. After

repeated detours just to park in the

lot from which a shuttle would

take us to the media center for the

debate, we finally made it at 8:30.

At four separate checkpoints, our

media passes were either looked

at, scanned or both. That was just

to get to the building we were sup-

posed to situate ourselves in.

Check in was next.

Upon entrance, we noticed the

walls and ceiling emblazoned with

banners and signs that read

“Debate 2012: Pride, Politics &

Policy”. This was the designated

Media Center—a massive room

full of media teams from all over

the world. Small publications to

huge news corporations filled the

space as hundreds of mediaper-

sons were seen furiously typing

away on laptops, setting up cam-

eras, holding microphones and

conducting interviews and com-

mentating. Every few feet, TV sets

had been mounted to track every

moment of the debate. This whole

scene was unlike anything I had

ever seen before. Every person in

the room was waiting to watch the

debate, scrutinize the action, and

interpret everything in his or her

own way in order to flesh it out to

a waiting audience, whether local,

national or global. It was serious,

large-scale and everything I could

dream of to be witness to.

Arjit, Namit and I found our

assigned seats and settled in. We

were ready and knew what we had

to do. My colleagues were tasked

with uploading the latest updates

to our website, on Twitter and on

Facebook. This included impor-

tant facts and quotes and the

uploading of pictures. I was to

write the story. As part of our

exclusive coverage, I followed

every statement and exchange of

the candidates to ferret out the

more important stuff and con-

texts, and what it meant for each

candidate’s success in the debate.

By the end of the show, I had an

exclusive story hot off the press

and ready for submission to our

website. The mood in the entire

room throughout the debate was

frenzied. Everyone was in a zone,

it seemed. Anytime there was a

turning point or major moment,

there were audible reactions:

groans, moans, laughter and the

like. We were not able to snap

shots of the candidates because we

were in the media center, which

was separated from the town hall

setting.

What we were able to do upon

completion of the debate was to

look for prominent figures. We

came across Bobby Jindal, John

Kerry, Chuck Schumer and

George Pataki, to name just a few.

The hundreds of members of the

media - their number must have

been in the vicinity of 700—were

all looking to collar the political

heavyweights to get exclusive

sound bites about their particular

assessment of the debate and the

candidates’ performance.

Fieldwork was being conducted

every few feet. I was in the media

capital of the world, it seemed

then. All eyes in the country and to

an extent the world at large were

on the work being carried out

here—the audiences far away

looking to information being pro-

vided from within the confines of

these walls. It was a surreal expe-

rience.

All this surely would not have

been possible without the perse-

verance of Arjit, who worked furi-

ously to stay on top of and meet

the deadlines for all the require-

ments of the CPD. In the end, we

could boast that we were the only

South Asian publication that was

present at the event. We had exclu-

sive coverage, but it was so much

more than that.

The true satisfaction of the line

of work we are in is not so much

that we were in a place millions of

others could only dream of; rather,

it was more so that this night

would be one we would personally

remember for the rest of our lives.

“We were in a place millions of others could only dream of. We were the only South Asian publication accredited by the Commission on Presidential Debates at Hofstra,” writes VikasGirdhar, Associate Editor of The South Asian Times, who was accompanied by Arjit Mehta,

President, and Namit Narain, Vice President, of the media house.

Yes, SATimes was there!

At the media center, hundreds of mediapersons were seen furiously typing away on laptops, setting up cameras, holdingmicrophones and conducting interviews and commentating.

Senators John Kerry and Chuck Schumer, and former NY Governor George Pataki were spotted and snapped.

16 October 20-26, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoUS ELECTIONS

(Photos: TheSATimes)

US ELECTIONS

Obama's Round 2 win unlikely to alter tight race

5 South Asians in the fray for US Congress

17October 20-26, 2012TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Washington: Giving up his cool

'Mr. Polite' demeanor, a decidedly

more aggressive President Barack

Obama got the better of Mitt

Romney in their second encounter,

but few were willing to say if it

would significantly alter the White

House race.

Most media commentators

judged Obama the winner of

Tuesday night's tense, lively

debate at Hofstra University in

Long Island, NY, with his

Republican challenger, whose

campaign has been on a roll since

their first encounter in Denver two

weeks ago.

Print as well as national and

local TV reports positively

assessed Obama's "aggressive" or

"feisty" debate stance with the

New York Times saying it "was a

chance for a redo for Mr. Obama".

The Washington Post similarly

described Obama as "far more

engaged and prepared" for this

debate, while Romney "was less

able to unsettle the president".

The Los Angeles Times took

note of a "a newly energetic and

aggressive ... Obama" who "went

directly after his Republican chal-

lenger".

Even the generally pro-

Republican Fox News conceded:

"Obviously we saw a more aggres-

sive, a more assertive President

Obama tonight. He was much

more on his game."

Polls taken after the debate

largely validate the view that

Obama won the bout, with the

president ahead in a CBS survey of

uncommitted voters (37 percent-30

percent) and a CNN poll of regis-

tered voters (46 percent-39 per-

cent).

If the analysts were universally

agreed on the president's much

improved style, few were willing

to predict if it would significantly

alter the dynamics of the White

House race which is a dead heat,

according to the latest opinion

polls, all taken before last night's

debate.

A National Poll Average by Real

Clear Politics, an influential politi-

cal news aggregator, shows

Romney just 0.4 percentage points

ahead with 47.4 percent to

Obama's 47 percent.

But Obama still enjoys a 201 to

191 vote advantage over Romney

with 146 votes too close to call in

the 538 strong Electoral College. It

takes 270 votes to win the White

House.

Writing in the Washington Post,

commentator Chris Cillizza said

"both sides will be pleased with

how their candidate did". But ulti-

mately, "it's hard to imagine the

debate changing any minds".

During the town hall format

debate, where 82 uncommitted

voters picked by Gallup organisa-

tion got to ask the questions,

Obama mocked Romney's five-

point economic plan saying:

"Governor Romney says he's got a

five-point plan. Governor Romney

doesn't have a five-point plan."

"He has a one-point plan. And

that plan is to make sure that folks

at the top play by a different set of

rules," he said. "That's been his

philosophy in the private sector.

That's been his philosophy as a

governor. And that's been his phi-

losophy as a presidential candi-

date."

Romney shot back that Obama

was "great as a speaker, but his

policies don't work".

"That's what this election is all

about," Romney said. "It's about

how we can get the middle class of

this country a bright and prosper-

ous future."

By Vikas Girdhar

New York: This election season,

the presidential race is occupying

all the mindspace. But the Indian

American community may simulta-

neously be tracking candidates of

their own in the fray. There are five

running for US House of

Representatives (none for US

Senate). Four of them are

Democrat, and one is Republican.

They face heavy odds but are a bea-

con of hope for future generations

of the community, which would be

able to boast many more in posi-

tions of political power.

Dr. Ami Bera: Dr. Bera is a

Democrat running for

the 7th

Congressional dis-

trict of California

against incumbent

Dan Lungren. He

got a boost when

President Clinton endorsed him.

Bera, who has never held elected

office, lost to Lungren by seven

percentage points in 2010. Dr. Bera

is a first-generation Indian

American who took advantage of

California’s public schools, from

KG to medical school. He has

served as Chief Medical Officer for

Sacramento County and became a

Clinical Professor of Medicine and

Associate Dean for Admissions and

Outreach at UC Davis. He lives in

Elk Grove.

Upendra J. Chivukula:

Chivukula is a

Democrat running

for the 7th

Congressional dis-

trict of New Jersey

as a challenger to

incumbent Leonard

Lance in Republican

stronghold. In 2001, Chivukula

became the first Indian American

elected to the New Jersey State

General Assembly and the fourth

Indian American in the US to reach

that high in a public office. He has

been the Assembly’s Deputy

Speaker since 2007. He was also

one of New Jersey’s presidential

electors on the Electoral College in

2004. He is an electrical engineer

and was born in Nellore, India and

lives in Somerset, NJ.

Ranjit ‘Ricky’ Gill: Gill is a

Republican running

against incumbent

Jerry McNerney for

the slightly left

leaning 9th

Congressional dis-

trict in California.

Gill was raised on Lodi

and is a native of San Joaquin

County. He is the son of immigrant

parents, a small business owner, a

family farmer and a former member

of the California State Board of

Education. Gill graduated Phi Beta

Kappa from Princeton University’s

Woodrow Wilson School of Public

and International Affairs and earned

his Juris Doctor from the

University of California at Berkley.

He is a Republican “young gun”

who was endorsed by California

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Dr Manan Trivedi: Trivedi is a

Democrat running for

the 6th

C o n g r e s s i o n a l

District of

Pennsylvania. He

was also the nomi-

nee in 2010, when he

lost to Republican Jim

Gerlach.

Trivedi was born and raised in

Fleetwood and went to Boston

University for college and medical

school. He completed a Masters in

Public Policy at UCLA. Currently,

he is certified as a doctor of internal

medicine at The Reading Hospital

and Medical Center in West

Reading. He also served as a battal-

ion surgeon with the United States

Marine Corps during the Iraqi War.

Dr Syed Taj: Taj is a Democrat

running for the 11th

C o n g r e s s i o n a l

District of

Michigan. He won

the Democratic

Primary against

William Roberts and

will face Republican

Kerry Bentivolio on November 6 in

a Republican leaning district.

Taj was born in Gaya, India, and

attended Patna University and

Medical School. He worked his

way up from resident to staff physi-

cian and finally, Chief and Chair of

the Department of Medicine at

Oakwood Hospital. He was elected

as the only Democrat on the Canton

Board of Trustees in 2008.

Obama and Romney hit the campaign trail the day after the Hofstra debate.

Ann Romney and Michelle Obama both showed up in hot pink at the Hofstra debate.

Final debate in Florida on foreign policy

The final presidential

debate is scheduled for

October 22. President

Obama and Governor Romney

will square off for a third time

this month at the debate on for-

eign policy in Boca Raton, Fla.

The event is slated to follow the

same format as the first debate,

with the moderator focusing on

facilitating a more free-wheel-

ing back-and-forth than was on

display during Tuesday night's

more segmented town hall

event. The less-defined format

wasn't without its flaws the first

time around.

As selected by moderator Bob

Schieffer, there will be one 15-

minute segment on each of the

following four topics: 1)

America's role in the world; 2)

Our longest war: Afghanistan

and Pakistan; 3) Red Lines:

Israel and Iran; and 4) the Rise

of China and Tomorrow's

World.

And two separate 15-minute

segments on: The Changing

Middle East and the new Face

of Terrorism. That means,

Romney and Obama will have

another chance to discuss the

attack on the US consulate in

Benghazi and the White

House's response to it.

By Hiral Dholakia-Dave

Anita Moorjani has become

a sought after international

speaker/author thanks to

her appearances on Dr. Wayne

Dyer’s PBS special and sharing the

stage with him at the prestigious ‘I

Can Do It Conferences’ around the

world organized by the publisher

Hay House. She’ll be in New York

for I Can Do It! Ignite on Nov.3-4

with Dyer, to tell her story to thou-

sands of attendees, a story that is

inspiring millions around the

world.

Moorjani was diagnosed with

terminal cancer. It was early 2006

when she 'crossed over' and

returned with a clearer understand-

ing of her life and purpose on

earth. This understanding led to

total recovery of her health. Her

work is now ingrained with the

insights she gained while in the

other realm (near death experience,

or NDE). Her bestselling book is

Dying to be Me: My Journey fromCancer, to Near Death, to TrueHealing

Anita was born in Singapore to

Indian parents, and moved to Hong

Kong at the age of two. Because of

her background, she is multilingual

and grew up speaking English,

Cantonese, and an Indian dialect.

She worked in the corporate world

for many years before her cancer

diagnosis.

SATimes caught up with

Moorjani before her New York trip

Were you a believer in ‘soultransmigration’ or started believ-ing in it after your NDE?

I always believed that the soul

never dies. I believed in karma and

past life. I even thought that cancer

was some kind of retribution of

past karmas. But during my experi-

ence I could see the past, present

and future – all of it happening

simultaneously. I realized that one

can change one’s future by chang-

ing one’s present. So from then on

I no more fear about my future.

What lessons did you learn fromyour experience?

I lost the fear of living and dying.

In the past I never loved or valued

myself. Life is a huge gift and I

realized my value in the tapestry of

life. I realized I have a purpose and

that is to be who I am, be true to

myself. Secondly I lost interest in

chasing materialistic ambitions. All

I want to do is live life to the fullest

and appreciate it to the fullest. The

need to compete comes from fear.

When I lost that fear I stopped

competing and started allowing

what comes to me.

I have realized that my inner

world is actually the real world, the

outer world only a reflection of my

internal state.

Therefore, the kinder I am to

myself, the kinder are other people

to me.

What do you enjoy doing themost now?

I really enjoy writing, never used

to do it before. I got a lot of com-

fort from writing. I love connecting

with people. I wake up every day

and look forward to whatever is in

store for me. I like to live in a quiet

place, by the water. I enjoy medi-

tating, listening to music, going for

walks, hiking, drives, going to

beach and being with people.

Islandia, NY: The stage was

stark. No paraphernalia, not even

a lowly chair, not to speak of the

throne like couch many gurus like

to sit on. Just plain red backdrop.

The 400-strong audience in the

hall of Marriott Islandia hotel on

Long Island was expectant this

balmy afternoon last Sunday, but

having not a clue what to expect

or even what the speaker looks

like.

Then Mahatria walked in, wear-

ing white kurta-pajama, and sport-

ing Sai Baba hairdo. “Happy

afternoon!” he greeted the audi-

ence. As expected, people did not

know how to respond to this

unusually worded greeting. It was

a ploy. He took off from there,

pointing out that we may be living

our lives by rote and need to snap

out of it.

He came across as more a moti-

vational guru than a spiritual mas-

ter when he hammered home his

prescription for a life of meaning

and fulfillment, which is to bal-

ance these four aspects.

� Happiness in the small things of life

� Success in the big things of life

� Meditation on the nothing of life

� God in everything of life.

An engaging and commanding

orator, Mahatria (real name T.T.

Rangarajan) expounded on these

four points for two full hours,

often with the help of anecdotes

and stories. He recounted how his

own transformation started when

a child he was with laughed out of

the blue and when asked, coun-

tered, “Do I need a reason to be

happy?” Indeed, we should keep

the child in us alive, and not need

reasons to be happy, and instead

bring celebration in everyday

activities of life.

On the second point, Mahatria

said, “Each one of you is unique,

‘son of God’, and should live life

with that inheritance.” That means

stepping out of our comfort zone,

working towards something larger

than ourselves, walking the extra

mile and putting others ahead of

us. That is how an Agnes Gonxha

Bojaxhiu becomes Mother Teresa.

Need for meditation, he

explained in terms of breaking our

incessant doing and mental traffic

jams with a period of non-doing,

of withdrawal.

On the question of God, he said

skeptics and agnostics do not find

a convincing proof of the exis-

tence of God, but no matter.

Offering gratitude to God (call it

Energy, if you wish) is a sure way

to be happy. Proof of righteous

life is the happiness that mani-

fests.

Outside the hall, material about

Mahatria’s teachings was on sale,

and information given on a one-

day retreat he was leading on

October 21 at Woodlands at the

Greens in Melville, NY.

Based in Chennai, Mahatria is

on a lecture tour of the USA and

Canada this month.

According to his promotional

material, he has transformed hun-

dreds of thousands of people by

providing significant break-

throughs in their lives. Realizing

the great hunger in the world for a

new way of life, he has recently

divined the path as ‘infinitheism’.

His vision of lifting humanity to

a higher level of consciousness is

carried through his experiential

workshops, residential retreats

and a magazine – ‘infinithoughts’.

His published books include

‘Unposted Letter’ and the recent

‘Most and More’.

For more info go to infinithe-ism.com.

Life is a huge gift, appreciate it: Anita Moorjani

Anita Moorjani, and the title page of her book

18 October 20-26, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoPERSONAL GROWTH

Secret to findinghappiness

Mahatria gavean inspiring talkon Long Island

By Parveen Chopra

Taliban-hit Malala's condition stable

London: Doctors at the hospital in

Britain where Pakistani teenaged

rights activist Malala Yousafzai is

being treated said they were hope-

ful she can recover, even as several

people tried to get to her ward by

falsely claiming they were family

members.

The 14-year-old girl, who

arrived in Birmingham, had a bul-

let removed from her skull last

week.

David Rosser, hospital medical

director at the Queen Elizabeth

Hospital in Birmingham, said

some British colleagues who had

been in Pakistan believed Malala

had "a chance of making a good

recovery". "Clearly it would be

inappropriate on every level, not

least for her, to put her through all

of this if there was no hope of

decent recovery," he said.

Malala was flown from Pakistan,

via the United Arab Emirates in an

air ambulance, a week after she

and two other schoolgirls were

attacked as they returned home

from school in Mingora in the

Swat valley.

She became widely known as a

campaigner for girls' education in

Pakistan after writing a diary for

BBC Urdu about life under the

Taliban, when they banned girls

from attending school.

Rosser said specialists at the

Queen Elizabeth Hospital were "in

a good position to treat her"

because they had 10 years of expe-

rience in treating military casual-

ties. Once Malala recovers suffi-

ciently, she will also need neuro-

logical help as well as treatment to

repair or replace damaged bones in

her skull.

However, many people have

tried to get to the ward housing

Malala by falsely claiming they

were family members, the Daily

Mail reported.

Management at the hospital said

police stopped the people getting

near the 14-year-old Monday

night. "We do not think that there

is a threat to her personal safety.

We believe that it is a case of peo-

ple being curious," Rosser told the

Daily Mail.

British Foreign Secretary

William Hague said Malala's brav-

ery "in standing up for the right of

all young girls in Pakistan to an

education is an example to us all".

Around 50 clerics in Pakistan

issued a "fatwa" (religious edict)

against the attempt on her life, and

declared it "un-Islamic".

"Islam doesn't prohibit women

from getting education. The attack-

ers transgressed the Islamic

Hudood (principles)," said the

clerics from the Sunni Ittehad

Council.

19October 20-26, 2012TheSouthAsianTimes.info SUBCONTINENT

UN chief lauds Malala as 'role model'

Islamabad: UN Secretary-General

Ban Ki-moon has written a letter to

the parents of Pakistani teenaged

rights activist Malala Yousufzai,

lauding Malala as a "role model

not only for your country, but for

our world".

Ban handed over the letter,

addressed to Malala's parents, to

Pakistan's permanent representa-

tive to the UN, Masood Khan, the

Daily Times reported.

Ban said he had already issued a

strong statement condemning the

Pakistani Taliban's "cowardly act"

of shooting the 14-year-old girl.

"Malala is a role model not only

for your country, but for our

world," the secretary-general wrote

in his letter. He said education was

a fundamental right for everybody,

and that the UN was partnering

with the people of Pakistan in their

struggle to promote education.

Ambassador Masood Khan said

the Pakistani leadership and the

entire nation had condemned the

abominable act against Malala.

"The whole nation is united

against this kind of obscurantism.

Malala has been an icon of educa-

tion for girls and an inspiration for

the international community,"

Khan was quoted as saying.

The Pakistani envoy informed

the UN chief that the Pakistan gov-

ernment was committed to the pro-

motion and protection of human

rights, including the right to educa-

tion.

Compelled to share Malala'sstory with kids: Jolie

London: Actress Angelina Jolie has written an essay

sharing how she informed her children about Pakistani

child activist Malala Yousafzai, who was shot early this

month.

In the essay written in Daily Beast, the actress wrote:

"I felt compelled to share Malala's story with my chil-

dren. It was difficult for them to comprehend a world

where men would try to kill a child whose only crime

was the desire that she and others like her be allowed to

go to school."

The 37-year-old raises six kids -- Maddox, 11, Pax,

eight, Zahara, seven, Shiloh, six, and four-year-old

twins Knox and Vivienne -- with fiance Brad Pitt and

the children gave solutions and asked question about the

incident, reports dailymail.co.uk.

"Our 8-year-old (Pax) suggested that the world build a

statue for Malala, and fittingly create a reading nook

near it. Our 6-year-old (Shiloh) asked the practical

question of whether Malala had any pets, and if so, who

would take care of them? She also asked about Malala's

parents and if they were crying," Jolie wrote."Still try-

ing to understand, my children asked, 'Why did those

men think they needed to kill Malala?' I answered,

because education is a powerful thing," she added.

Sethusamudram: DMK trains guns on AIADMKChennai: DMK president M. Karunanidhi accused

Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa of having double stan-

dards and betraying Tamil Nadu's interests by submit-

ting to the Supreme Court that the Sethusamudram

ship channel may not be in public interest.

The Sethusamudram project envisages the dredging

of a channel across the Palk Strait to allow ships sail-

ing between the east and west coasts of India, instead

of circumventing Sri Lanka.

In a statement issued here, Karunanidhi said: "Those

in power in the state would strive to secure new proj-

ects for the benefit of the people. But the AIADMK

government is of the view that it is better that the

Sethusamudram project need not be there than other

parties taking credit."

The Tamil Nadu government told the Supreme Court

that the Sethusamudram project would have serious

environmental impact and uneconomical if the channel

is made without cutting Ram Sethu/Adam's Bridge.

However, cutting of Ram Sethu/Adam's Bridge has

invited severe opposition from several quarters as it is

considered sacred by the Hindus.

Recalling AIADMK's 2001 and 2004 election mani-

festos where the party had supported the

Malala Yousafzai is widely known as a campaigner for girls' education in Pakistan

The Sethusamudram project envisages thedredging of a channel across the Palk Strait to

allow free ships sailing

Islamabad: Pakistan's interior minister Rehman

Malik has announced a $1 million bounty on

Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Eshan, who

claimed responsibility for the attack on anti-

Taliban child rights activist Malala Yousafzai last

week.

"All our law enforcers, intelligence agencies

are hunting those involved,'' the interior minister

told CNN in an interview on Monday. "I have got

some other names which I would not like to men-

tion on record because it may damage the investi-

gation. But let me assure my Pakistani nation and

the entire world that we will get them very soon."

He said the attack was planned in Afghanistan.

"This...assassination plan was made across the

border in Afghanistan.. four people came from

there (Afghanistan).'' Ehsan had claimed that two

killers from Mullah Fazlullah-led militants

attacked Malala on October 9. He had threatened

to kill the girl's father following the failed bid on

the girl's life.

Malala case: $1m bounty on Taliban

Casualties as attack hits Afghan base: Nato

Kabul: A suicide car bomb

attack on a joint Nato-Afghan

army base in eastern

Afghanistan Wednesday caused

several casualties to Afghan

forces, the International

Security Assistance Force said.

"Early reports say the attack

(in Paktiya province) resulted in

several ANSF (Afghan National

Security Forces) casualties, but

there is currently no reporting

on ISAF casualties," a

spokesman said.

Sethusamudram project and

declared that it would press the

central government to implement

the project, Karunanidhi said the

ruling party has changed stance

just to deny DMK the credit for

being instrumental in initiating the

project.

Sydney: Australian Prime

Minister Julia Gillard, who was

on a three-day trip to India, has

said that uranium sales to India

will not start quickly and a safe-

guard agreement may take one or

two years, it was reported here.

Gillard hosed down any sugges-

tions that uranium sales to India

will start quickly, saying that

negotiating a safeguard agreement

is likely to take one or two years,

rather than months, reported

Sydney Morning Herald from

New Delhi.

She is in the Indian capital to

clear the way for negotiations to

begin on a safeguards agreement.

She said Australia knew how to

negotiate a proper agreement to

ensure uranium was used for

peaceful purposes, the media

report quoted the Australian prime

minister as saying.

The launch of nuclear negotia-

tions will pave the way for the

sealing of a civilian nuclear deal,

and will remove the last stumbling

block in accelerating bilateral ties.

Gillard said that action had been

taken to ensure the welfare of

Indian students and the ban on

uranium exports to India had been

lifted.

She had visited India as deputy

prime minister and education min-

ister to deal with the tensions over

violence towards Indian students

in Melbourne some years ago.

Australia is home to 450,000

Indians. The attacks on Indian stu-

dents in Australia a couple of

years ago have not dimmed the

appeal of that country as an edu-

cation destination with the

Australian government launching

a multi-pronged plan to prevent

such attacks. Currently, there are

about 36,000 Indian students who

are studying in Australia.

During her three-day trip that

began Monday, Gillard will hold

talks with Prime Minister

Manmohan Singh during which

the prospects of civil nuclear

cooperation and intensification of

relations in areas like trade and

investment, science and technolo-

gy and education will figure in the

discussions.

London: British novelist

Hilary Mantel made literary

history by becoming the first

woman and the first British

author to be a two-time win-

ner of the Man Booker Prize

for fiction.

Mantel picked up the prize,

one of the highest profile

awards in English-language

literature, for "Bring up the

Bodies," part two of her

Thomas Cromwell trilogy, at

a ceremony at London's Guildhall.

The 60-year-old first won in 2009

with "Wolf Hall", the first of the his-

torical fiction saga with King Henry

VIII's chief minister as the protago-

nist.

Accepting her prize, the winner

said: "Well, I don't know, you wait

20 years for a Booker Prize and two

come along at once."

She called the award an "act of

faith and a vote of confidence."

"I know how lucky and privileged

I am to be standing here tonight,"

she told the audience.

"Now I have to do something very

difficult, I have to go away and

write the third part of the trilogy,"

she joked.

"I assure you that I have no expec-

tations I will be standing here

again."

She becomes just the third writer

to clinch the award twice since its

inception in 1969, joining Australian

author Peter Carey, who won in

1988 and 2001, and the South

African JM Coetzee in 1983 and

1999.

The £50,000 ($80,000, 62,000

euros) Booker is awarded annually

for the best work of fiction by an

author from Britain, the

Commonwealth or Ireland.

Mantel makes history withsecond Booker prizeWashington: After

Vice President Joe

Biden, it's now the turn

of the Secretary of

State Hillary Clinton to

save the president

under attack from his

Republican challenger

Mitt Romney over the

attack on the US con-

sulate in Benghazi, Libya.

The bucks stops with

her when it comes to who is blame for a deadly assault on

the US mission on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist

attacks, she said in a series of interviews ahead of the sec-

ond presidential debate in New York.

Clinton, who as America's top diplomat has stayed away

from the campaign, insisted Obama and Biden are not

involved in security decisions. "I want to avoid some kind

of political gotcha," she added, noting that it is close to the

election. "I take responsibility" for what happened Sep 11,

Clinton said soon after arriving in Lima, Peru for a visit.

The interview, one of a series given to US television net-

works Monday night, were the first she has given about the

attack on the US consulate in Benghazi. The attack killed

Chris Stevens, the US ambassador to Libya, and three other

Americans at the consulate. The Obama administration has

been heavily criticized after Biden said during last week's

vice presidential debate that the White House did not know

of requests to enhance security at Benghazi, contradicting

testimony by State Department employees that requests had

been made and rejected.

Hillary takes rap for securitylapse in Libya

Uranium sales to India not to start quickly: Gillard

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard

Tripoli: New evidence implicat-

ing militias in executions after

ousted Libyan dictator Muammar

Gaddafi was captured and killed

in Sirte last October 20 raises

fresh questions over his death, a

watchdog said.

"The evidence suggests that

opposition militias summarily

executed at least 66 captured

members of Gaddafi's convoy in

Sirte," his home town, said Peter

Bouckaert, emergencies director

at Human Rights Watch (HRW).

"It also looks as if they took

Mutassim Gaddafi, who had been

wounded, to (the port city of)

Misrata and killed him there," he

said of Gaddafi's son.

"Our findings call into question

the assertion by Libyan authori-

ties that Muammar Gaddafi was

killed in crossfire, and not after

his capture," Bouckaert said of a

Human Rights Watch report doc-

umenting the executions.

The 50-page report, "Death of a

Dictator: Bloody Vengeance in

Sirte," also details the final hours

of Gaddafi's life and the circum-

stances under which he was

killed on the basis of witness tes-

timony and mobile phone

footage.

HRW said its evidence suggests

that Misrata-based militias cap-

tured and disarmed members of

Gaddafi's convoy and, after

bringing them under control, sub-

jected them to brutal beatings.

'Evidence of mass murder after Gaddafi's death'

Late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi

British novelist Hilary Mantel

US Secretary of StateHillary Clinton

20 October 20-26, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoINTERNATIONAL

Melbourne: An Australian politician has questioned

his Prime Minister Julia Gillard's decision to award

an Order of Australia to cricketer Sachin Tendulkar

for his contribution to sport. Federal Independent

MP Rob Oakshott who expressed his love for Little

Master, said the special award should not be used for

diplomatic gain, the ABC news reported.

"I love Sachin Tendulkar, I love cricket. but I just

have a problem with soft diplomacy as you call it,"

he said, adding "Getting in on the act of the

Australian honors."

Oakeshott said the Order should be focused on rec-

ognizing Australians doing community work instead.

"I'm not going to die in a ditch over it...but it's

about the integrity of the honours list which should

be for Australians," he said.

He said that Tendulkar was an "obvious diplomatic

touch point", and further suggested setting up an

inter-nation gong, such as an "Australia-India

award".

Gillard had announced that Tendulkar would

receive the special honor. "This is a very special

honor, very rarely awarded to someone who is not an

Australian citizen or an Australian national," she

said. "He is away playing cricket - surprise, surprise

- but the award will be conferred on him by Minister

[Simon] Crean when [he] visits India," he said.

ABC also quoted Australia India Youth Dialogue

chairman Ruchir Punjabi as saying that approach has

worked with the Indian public.

"I think perhaps the Order of Australia to Sachin

Tendulkar is probably going to be bigger than the

nuclear issue," he said.

MP questions Gillard overaward to Sachin

US visa processing goes online in IndiaNew Delhi: Despite announce-

ments of a series of reforms,

Global ratings agency Standard &

Poor’s has said that there were

chances that India's credit ratings

might be downgraded. It stated

that the country's external position

and political climate looks shaky

and if that continues it won't be a

good sign.

The rating agency said it had not

released anything new on India's

sovereign rating but only pub-

lished the Asia-Pacific sovereign

report card which has no informa-

tion on India's rating. Still the

news of warning hit the Indian

markets hard and BSE Sensex

came down crashing by more than

100 points and dragged rupee as

well.

“India was the only Asia-Pacific

sovereign to see a negative rating

action in the past six months. The

weaker global economic outlook

and domestic policy instability

contributed to deteriorating

growth prospects and investor

confidence in the country,” S&P

said in its report titled ‘Asia-

Pacific Sovereign: A Bit of

Stability in the Sea of

Uncertainty’.

“In our view, there is a signifi-

cant chance that this trend could

eventually affect political, eco-

nomic, fiscal or external factors to

lower the credit rating on India,”

the agency said, adding that the

negative outlook signaled at least

a one-in-three likelihood of a

downgrade of the sovereign rating

within next two years.

The rating agency, however,

said that it may revise the outlook

back to stable if the government

carries on with reforms and imple-

ments its announcements along

with making the investment cli-

mate better and attempt for a bet-

ter growth rate.

S&P had revised the outlook on

India’s sovereign rating to nega-

tive from stable citing the high

fiscal deficit, stalled policies,

slowing growth and stubborn

inflation.

Stockholm: American economists

Alvin E. Roth and Lloyd S.

Shapley shared the 2012 Nobel

Prize for Economics, which they

won "for the theory of stable allo-

cations and the practice of market

design".

The award was announced by

Staffan Normark, permanent sec-

retary of the Royal Swedish

Academy of Sciences in

Stockholm.

"This year's prize is awarded for

an outstanding example of eco-

nomic engineering," Xinhua quot-

ed the academy as saying in a

statement.

The two researchers worked

independently, but their empirical

investigations, experiments and

practical design have generated a

flourishing field of research and

improved the performance of

many markets, the academy said.

Roth and Shapley tackled a cen-

tral economic problem -- how to

match different agents as well as

possible.

"The prize rewards the two

scholars who have answered these

questions on a journey from

abstract theory on stable alloca-

tions to practical design of market

institutions," the academy said.

It was Roth who recognized that

Shapley's theoretical results could

clarify the functioning of impor-

tant markets in practice.

Through a series of empirical

studies, Roth and his colleagues

showed that stability is the key to

understanding the success of par-

ticular market institutions. Roth

also substantiated the conclusion

in systematic laboratory experi-

ments.

Later, he also helped redesign

existing institutions for matching

new doctors with hospitals, stu-

dents with schools and organ

donors with patients. All the

Nobel prizes will be presented on

December 10, the day Alfred

Nobel died.

Two Americans share 2012 Nobel Prize for Economics

21October 20-26, 2012TheSouthAsianTimes.info BUSINESS

Big data to drive IT spending in 2012: GartnerKolkata: Big data will drive $28 billion of

worldwide IT spending in 2012, according to

Gartner. In 2013, big data forecast to drive

$34 billion of IT spending.

Most of the current spending is used in

adapting traditional solutions to the big data

demands machine data, social data, widely

varied data, unpredictable velocity, and so on

and only $4.3 billion in software sales will

be driven directly by demands for new big

data functionality in 2012.

Big data currently has the most significant

impact in social network analysis and con-

tent analytics with 45% of new spending

each year. In traditional IT supplier markets,

application infrastructure and middleware is

most affected (10% of new spending each

year is influenced by big data in some way)

when compared with storage software, data-

base management system, data

integration/quality, business intelligence or

supply chain management (SCM).

"Despite the hype, big data is not a distinct,

stand-alone market, it but represents an

industrywide market force which must be

addressed in products, practices and solution

delivery," said Mark Beyer, research vice

president at Gartner. "In 2011, big data

formed a new driver in almost every catego-

ry of IT spending. However, through 2018,

big data requirements will gradually evolve

from differentiation to 'table stakes' in infor-

mation management practices and technolo-

gy. By 2020, big data features and function-

ality will be non-differentiating and routinely

expected from traditional enterprise vendors

and part of their product offerings."

Big data opportunities emerged when sev-

eral advances in different IT categories

aligned in a short period at the end of the last

decade, creating a dramatic increase in com-

puting technology capacity. This new capaci-

ty, coupled with latent demands for analysis

of "dark data," social networks data and

operational technology (or machine data),

created an environment highly conducive to

rapid innovation. Starting near the end of

2015, Gartner expects leading organizations

to begin to use their big data experience in an

almost embedded form in their architectures

and practices. Beginning in 2018, big data

solutions will offering increasingly less of a

distinct advantage over traditional solutions

that have incorporated new features and

functions to support greater agility when

addressing volume, variety and velocity.

However, the skills, practices and tools

currently viewed as big data solutions will

persist as leading organizations will have

incorporated the design principles and

acquired the skills necessary to address big

data concerns as routine flexibility.

Washington: A new mini-

car could be rolling onto

the US automotive market

within three years, as

Indian automaker Tata has

announced plans to

redesign its Nano no frills

mini-car for release in the

US.

"The US is a very entic-

ing market," said Ratan

Tata, CEO of India's Tata

Group in an interview with

Automotive News. "We

hope that the sub-$10,000

car has appeal."

The current Nano is an

egg-shaped four-seater ini-

tially launched in India as

an alternative to scooters. It

went on sale in 2009 with a

price tag of about $2,500,

making it the world's

cheapest car.

To compete in the US, the

Nano would have to under-

go redesigns to meet

American standards includ-

ing adding power steering

and traction control.

Even with the updates,

the Nano is estimated to hit

the US market with a price

tag of about $8,000. That

would make it America's

cheapest car beating out the

Mexican-made Nissan

Versa that retails for

$11,750.

The new version of the

Nano will also come with a

bigger engine and "more

bells and whistles", accord-

ing to reports.

Tata says it is also

redesigning the Nano for

Europe as well. The coun-

try's largest automobile

company, with consolidated

revenues of Rs.165,654

crore (over $31 billion) in

2011-12, Tata Motors has

subsidiaries and associates

in Britain, South Korea,

Thailand, Spain and South

Africa.

US visa applicants can now pay application fees via electronicfund transfer or through mobile.

American economists Alvin E. Roth and Lloyd S. Shapley

The Nano is estimated to hit the US market with aprice tag of about $8,000

Tata's Nano to hit US market

22 October 20-26, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoSPORTS

Court upholds BCCI's decision toterminate Chargers

New Delhi: There was no relief for

the cash-strapped Deccan Chargers

as the Bombay high court quashed

arbitrator's order for status quo on

the BCCI's decision to terminate the

IPL franchise.

Both BCCI and DC had agreed to

take their dispute to an arbitrator

and the Bombay high court had

appointed retired SC judge Justice

CK Thakkar as the sole arbitrator to

go into the dispute.

The arbitrator had on Friday

evening had the first preliminary

meeting with both sides where DC

lawyer made a representation seek-

ing a status quo on the termination

that would kick in as it had failed to

get any further extension of time to

furnish the bank guarantee to the

Board.

The arbitrator granted a status quo

at 7.30 pm which the Bombay high

court stayed on Saturday on an

urgent appeal made by the cricket

board.

The IPL governing council had on

Wednesday discussed various issues

related to the termination.

The committee discussed in-depth

the legal ramifications of the

Deccan Chargers termination and

about the future of nearly 30 crick-

eters (foreign and Indian) who have

been left without a team due to this

decision.

The BCCI is likely to encash the

bank guarantee that is with them

and pay the salaries of the former

Deccan players and support staff.

World Billiards: Advani leads Indian challenge

I'm hit by racism: Jeremy Lin

Leeds: Pankaj Advani spearheads

a strong Indian challenge in the

first ever unified World Billiards

Championship, commencing here

this weekend with as many as 65

players, including defending

champions Mike Russell and

Bangalorean Revanna Umadevi in

the fray.

The tournament is being jointly

organized by two world governing

bodies. The newly-formed World

Billiards Ltd has brought together

the International Billiards and

Snooker Federation (IBSF) and

World Professional Billiards and

Snooker Association (WPBSA).

Advani, who at only 27 is him-

self a multiple World champion, is

currently embroiled in some con-

troversy after qualifying for the

final stages of a professional

snooker event due to start in

China while the World Billiards

Championship is still taking

place.

Advani has taken the decision to

withdraw from the event in China

to concentrate on billiards, some-

thing which has delighted the bil-

liards fraternity but somewhat

angered the snooker aficionados.

For the first time this year both

lady and junior players will be

competing alongside the men.

Junior champions from England,

India and Ireland will also be pit-

ting their skills against the best in

the world. Countries sending

players for the first time include

Guernsey and Canada.

Favorite for the title is current

World Champion and undisputed

king of billiards Russell.

Originally from England but now

based in Qatar, Russell is making

the annual trip to defend the title

he has made his own, having won

a total of 16 world championships

since his first in 1989 at the age of

20.

Other contenders for the title

include former champions Peter

Gilchrist (Singapore) and Geet

Sethi (India) who alongside

Russell are the only players to

have made a competitive 1,000-

break in the modern game.

Also expected to mount a strong

challenge this year is 10-time

Australian champion Matthew

Bolton who last year recorded a

break of 831 on his way to the

final of the timed event.

New York: Jeremy Lin, the NBA

playmaker of Taiwan and Chinese

heritage whose rise last season

sparked "Lin-sanity" worldwide,

told GQ Magazine in a cover story

that he still feels the sting of racist

attitudes.

"I'm going to have to play well

for a longer period of time for cer-

tain people to believe it because

I'm Asian. And that's just the reali-

ty of it," Lin told GQ in a story

from the November issue posted

on the magazine website.

Lin is featured on the cover

wearing a suit and basketball shoes

and holding a basketball in his left

hand with a headline: "Jeremy Lin

will not be denied".

"I don't always pass with my left,

but when I do, its for GQ...

thanks," Lin posted Tuesday on his

Twitter page.

Lin, a 24-year-old Harvard grad-

uate, was pulled off the bench for

the New York Knicks last season

when the club had two starters

felled by injury. He shocked every-

one with a star turn that sparked a

win streak and "Lin-sanity".

The starters returned and so did

reality but the Knicks reached the

playoffs and Lin was expected to

play a role for new York in the

upcoming season.

Billiards player Pankaj Advani

NBA player Jeremy Lin

I am close to my Indian roots: MonishaHinwil (Switzerland): Monisha

Kaltenborn, the first female team

principal in Formula One, is look-

ing forward to visiting the country

of her birth, thanks to the Indian

Grand Prix. Though she has been

away from India for the major part

of her life, the Sauber chief has

remained close to her roots.

Dehradun-born Kaltenborn

migrated to Austria with her par-

ents when she was eight and has

traveled across the world since

then. An Austrian citizen now, she

still retains her Indian surname,

Narang, on the passport.

"I really like my Indian name.

My Indian heritage and my parents'

family mean a great deal to me,

and that is why I never wanted to

give up Narang. On the other hand,

you have to admit that double-bar-

relled names aren't very practical in

day-to-day business operations.

That's why I only rarely use my

full name," said Kaltenborn, who

took charge of Sauber at last

week's Korean Grand Prix, replac-

ing team owner Peter Sauber.

The 41-year-old says she is proud

of her Indian roots even though her

Hindi-speaking skills have deterio-

rated.

"I don't think you ever lose your

roots, and anyway you can tell

where I am from just by looking at

me. I also think I have a certain

serenity and openness you might

describe as Indian. That includes

shrugging off negative experiences

and focusing positively on the

future - something that is very

important in an environment as

competitive as Formula One.

"As for my Hindi, it's no longer

as good as I'd like it to be. But I do

try to talk Hindi with the children

occasionally. Our son is ten years

old, our daughter seven, and I'd

like them to learn the language.

But my parents are better teachers

than me," she told her team's offi-

cial website.

Kaltenborn's rise in the male-

dominated world of F1 has been

remarkable. She earned a master's

degree in Law from the London

School of Economics in 1996 and

joined Sauber's legal department in

1998. She became the head of the

law department in 2000 and was

part of the Board by 2001. In 2010,

she was made the CEO before

Peter Sauber asked her to fill his

shoes.

"Peter Sauber's withdrawal from

the day-to-day running of the busi-

ness has been on the cards for a

long time, so this latest step was

well prepared. I am acutely aware

of what it means to carry the

responsibility for this company,

which has been around for over 40

years and involved in Formula One

for almost 20 years."

Her team has also had a good

year with four podium-finishes out

of the first 16 rounds. A fifth one

will be welcome at the Buddh

International Circuit, says

Kalterborn.

"The track layout is very similar

to that in Korea. There are slow

and fast turns and quite a long

straight. The circuit is likely to be

neither ideal terrain nor particular-

ly problematic. I am confident that

we will manage another decent

points haul."

Monisha Kaltenborn is the first female team principal in Formula One

Best face forwardChange the world by changing the way you live and look.

Make a commitment with yourself to seek the best beauty methods for a seamless glow on your face.

By Ritu Ghai

Beauty is skin deep, all

right, yet we all must care

for our skin that suffers the

most in meeting deadlines and

finding time for oneself. Splashes

of creams and lotions can help but

ultimately you have to romance

the purest hue of beauty and bring

alive nature’s bounty to fall in

love with yourself, once again.

The market is replete with

Cleansers, Toners, Day Cream,

Night Cream, sun protective

lotions of SPF 15 & 30 to save

you from the blaze, scrubs, masks,

serums to exotic Jewel Scrubs,

face sculpting lotions, age recov-

ery creams, Indulgent and fla-

vored facials like Choco–wine,

Mango Moist or Fresh Fruit or all

skin types.

Dr. Varun Katyal, Internationally

acclaimed consultant

Dermatologist & Cosmetologist,

has a few tips for a beautiful skin:

� Cleanse your face and neckevery morning and evening before

you go to bed. Use a gentle, pH-

balanced facial cleanser as per

your skin type and skin concerns

twice daily followed by an appro-

priate toner.

� Don’t get into the habit ofcleansing too often because

cleansing too often can break

down the skin’s protective barrier,

causing excessive dryness and irri-

tation, and may also cause break-

outs.

� Remember that oil produc-tion is the body's way of protect-

ing the skin, so never use anything

harsh and never over dry the skin.

� People with oily to normalskins may use a gentle cleansing

wash that makes their skin feel

fresh.

� People with excessively dryor mature skins may use a cleans-

ing milk, oil or balm that provides

a deep clean without over-cleans-

ing.

� A good make up removershould be definitely used to

remove make up properly.

The ‘Compact’ touch

Make-up, the best and handiest

tool to enhance our best features

and camouflage the not-so-

impressive spots, is galore with a

market range of multiple shades

and never-seen-before effects.

Right from the time Cleopatra

highlighted her own panache for

cosmetics, make-up has been a

powerful mean to make a state-

ment.

The woman of today is sponta-

neous and mischievous. She is

bold, confident, sure of her place

in the society. She loves to experi-

ment and the market caters to her

spirit. Its no longer a red lipstick,

tan face powder, blue eye shadow

and a black liner for her. She is

wooed by an invigorating range of

shades and hues.

Mineral rich cosmetics,

Shimmer Smudgers, powder with

a multi-iridescent light reflective

glitter for the face, age defying

make-up, water proof, suntan

proof and cosmetics with fruit

extracts.

Metallic plums, greens, blues,

bronzes and greys to crazy riot of

light blue, silver mauve or silver

and coppers and old.

It's best to stay within the realm

of your natural skin tone and

enhance it slightly by applying

subtle shades and neutral high-

lights.

A fair skin can wear lots of

nudes to neutral colors. It's best to

avoid garish and bright colors.

For the wheatish skin color a

mix of brown, yellow and beige

pigments look best. Eye color in

green to ocean, green and hazel

can add a certain glamour.

For dusky to dark complexion

deep metal pink or brown or else,

a deeper red with a hint of brown.

Even bronze, gold, copper and

maroon would suit this skin type.

From a plain Jane to a ravishing

beauty, it’s time to Gloss, Glitter

and Shimmer with a few tips by

Beauty & makeup Expert, Shikha

Taneja.

� Set the foundation with oilabsorbing powder to avoid a

cakey look;

� Avoid any cream basedmake up and use powders or make

up setting spray

� It best to stay away fromtoo much shimmer or glitter as

this would make your face look

more shiny or oily. Matte bronzers

are flattering;

� Always use water proofeyeliner and mascara set these

with black eye shadow on top of

the liner especially in humid

weather.

23October 20-26, 2012TheSouthAsianTimes.info SELF-HELP

One ‘Zinger’ can undo 20 ‘I Love Yous’

By Vijai P. Sharma, Ph.D

Love and commitment are necessary for

a good marriage but they are not

enough. John Gottman, author of

"Why Marriages Succeed or Fail," his study

of nearly two thousand marriages, says, for a

marriage to be successful, a couple must have

at least five positive moments for every nega-

tive moment. If the five to one ratio drops,

lowering the number of positives, the mar-

riage descends into a state of emotional

poverty. The partners in the marriage suffer

from "positive strokes deprivation." Beware,

the power of the negative is far greater than

the power of the positive. Unkind words echo

in our ears for years while the kind words are

forgotten in days. A "zinger," that is, a cruel

and aggressive quip or retort, can cut wounds

too deep for pacifying words to heal.

Many marriages break up simply because

they can't withstand the crushing pressure of

bitter arguments, insults, and unkind deeds.

When the episodes of yelling at and blaming

each other outnumber the times of laughing

together and enjoying one another, the love,

that juice of relationship, simply dries up.

Once the love dries up, it may be too late to

fix the relationship and mend the differences

because there is nothing left to work with.

Even if the couple comes for counseling at

this stage, there is no real desire in either

partner to change his or her ways, accommo-

date the other, or make sacrifices for each

other. Markman and Notorious, authors of the

book, "We Can Work it Out," say that a mar-

riage is in serious trouble when one or both

partner do the following: 1. Instead of argu-

ing the point or talking it out, begin to with-

draw from the conflict 2. Have a tendency to

escalate conflict. 3. Are unable to stop fights

before they get ugly. 4. Hurl insults at each

other during an argument.

Occasional arguments and angry exchange

of words are resolved much easier in a rela-

tionship in which love and liking for each

other prevails. But once a pattern of insults

and ugly fights is established, all arguments

and even the minor behaviors displayed dur-

ing those arguments become highly "nega-

tively charged." Each partner's body and

nervous system respond with an increased

heart rate, perspiration, and adrenaline pump-

ing into the blood. Thus, minor behaviors and

topics of disagreement are to a couple as the

red cloth is to a bull. Tests carried out in the

laboratory on couples in marital conflict have

shown that when they begin to talk about the

conflict creating issues, even a slight change

in the facial expression or tone of voice, a

raised eyebrow, or curl of the lip will trigger

an increase in the heart rate, perspiration, and

the adrenaline level.

The increase in the heart rate, perspiration,

adrenaline level and other physical stress

responses result in production of more stress-

hormones. The body then goes into a full

blown "fight or flight" gear creating intense

anger and fear. Just consider the impact on

the physical and mental health of partners in

bad marriages who live in this highly charged

condition day after day for hours on end.

They live in a chronic state of "flooding," that

is, the body is being flooded by the stress-

related secretions and hormones, which not

only damages their health but also makes it

extremely difficult for the partners to discuss

the differences of opinion in a calm fashion in

order to find solutions.

Further, in such a state of flooding, it is dif-

ficult for either partner to think of the positive

qualities and characteristics of the other part-

ner, to remember the good times they had, or

recall the things they used to do to please and

make each other happy. The partners have to

first learn to be calm and relaxed in each

other's presence. Until then, they should not

attempt to discuss or resolve their differences

due to the intensity of the negative response

they evoke in each other. Partners need to sit

down, take a deep breath, relax, and learn to

physically and mentally calm themselves

while in each other's presence. Perhaps they

may need a third party or a counselor to help

them achieve this.

To learn to handle a conflict without hurt-

ing, insulting, and engaging in ugly fights is

the single most important skill that partners

can learn in order to save their marriage.

Learn to suppress those facial expressions,

modulate the tone and the pitch of that voice,

avoid raising the eyebrows and curling of

lips, and suppress the words and actions that

provokes the partner. Studies show that con-

flict management and effective communica-

tion cuts down the divorce rate and domestic

violence. The author is a life coach.

Unkind words echo in our ears for years while the kind words are forgotten in days. A ‘zinger’, that is, a cruel and aggressive quip or retort, can cut wounds too deep for pacifying words to heal.

Washington: Adolescents' abuse

of prescription painkillers (anal-

gesics) like vicodin, valium and

oxycontin at a rate 40 percent

higher than previous generations,

is turning into an epidemic in the

US, says a study.

"Prescription drug use is the

next big epidemic," said Richard

Miech, professor of sociology at

the University of Colorado

Denver, who led the study.

"Everyone in this field has

recognised that there is a big

increase in the abuse of non-med-

ical analgesics but our study

shows that it is accelerating

among today's generation of ado-

lescents," said Miech, the Journal

of Adolescent Health reports.

That makes it the second most

common form of illegal drug use

in the US after marijuana, accord-

ing to Miech.

The study drew on data from the

National Survey on Drug Use and

Health, a series of annual, nation-

ally representative, cross-sectional

surveys of US drug use. The

analysis used data from 1985

through 2009, according to a

Colorado statement.

Miech said that the prevalence

of prescription pain medication

abuse among the current genera-

tion of youth was "higher than any

generation ever measured".

"The increasing availability of

analgesics in the general popula-

tion is well documented, as the

total number of hydrocodone and

oxycodone products prescribed

legally in the US increased more

than fourfold from about 40 mil-

lion in 1991 to nearly 180 million

in 2007," the study said.

"Youth who observe their par-

ents taking analgesics as pre-

scribed may come to the conclu-

sion that any use of these drugs is

OK and safe," Meich said. Yet, the

consequences are often severe.

Miech said there were now

more deaths due to accidental

overdoses of these drugs than

deaths due to overdoses of

cocaine and heroin combined.

Most people who abuse prescrip-

tion pain relievers report that they

obtained them from family or

friends.

"While most people recognize

the dangers of leaving a loaded

gun lying around the house," said

Miech, "what few people realize

is that far more people die as a

result of unsecured prescription

medications."

London: While skipping

a few hours of slumber

could be the norm for

many people, even two

hours of missed sleep

could affect our memory

power, scientists have

warned.

Just two hours of missed

slumber is enough to stop

the brain from laying

down and storing memo-

ries, research suggests --

and simply cutting down

from eight hours of sleep

to six could make the dif-

ference, Daily Mail

reported.

What is more, any

memories lost due to not

getting enough shut-eye

may be gone forever, the

Society for

Neuroscience's annual

conference heard.

Researcher Ted Abel

said: "I think what it real-

ly means for modern life

is that sleep is not a

luxury.

"It is really critically

important for the brain

and for the brain to func-

tion and for you to be able

to really remember and

consolidate what's hap-

pened to you over the day.

Abel and his team from

the University of

Pennsylvania looked at

how mice that were

stopped from sleeping

fared on a memory task.

The creatures were kept

awake for varying

amounts of time, to pin-

point just how little sleep

had to be lost for their

recall to be damaged.

The professor told the

New Orleans conference:

"What we found is that

when we deprived ani-

mals of sleep, that

impaired storage of mem-

ories."

Abel also said that any

information lost due to

lack of sleep is gone for-

ever - meaning that sleep-

ing longer the next night

won't bring it back.

Missed sleeping hours can erasememories forever

Berlin: The annual death rates of

alcohol-dependent women are 460

percent higher than the non-drinking

general population while male alco-

holics have a 190 percent higher

death rate than the general popula-

tion, German researchers have found.

"Clinical data has revealed a higher

proportion of individuals who have

died than among the general popula-

tion of the same age," explained

Ulrich John, professor of epidemiolo-

gy and social medicine at the

University of Greifswald.

John and colleagues gathered a ran-

dom sample of 4,070 respondents

aged between 18 and 64 years. Of them,

153 were identified as alcohol dependent

(AD). Of these, 149 (119 males, 30

females) were followed for 14 years.

"Gender-specific data is rare, even

among clinical samples. Furthermore, these

studies have two main limitations," adds

John, according to the journal Alcoholism:

Clinical & Experimental Research.

"First, we know that only a minority of

AD individuals receive treatment. We lack

knowledge about how this selection occurs.

Second, we have no evidence about the

potential effects of specialized alcoholism

treatment on mortality among people who

had been diagnosed AD," says John,

according to a University Medicine state-

ment.

"We would like to know whether treat-

ment might enhance survival time. For eth-

ical reasons, no controlled trials are possi-

ble. Thus, longitudinal descriptive data as

in this study are helpful," says John, study

co-author.

John adds that Germany is well-suited for

this kind of research since it is mandatory

for residents to provide vital status data.

"Our data are also of international inter-

est because researchers used the Composite

International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI),

which is an internationally and widely

accepted instrument," he said.

It's a short life foralcoholic women

Painkiller abuse next big epidemic in US: Study

Prescription drug use is the next big epidemic, says the study

Kochi: More than 1,000 people from

across the world will gather here in

January for the Indo-US Global Health

Summit (GHS) 2013.

The Jan 1-3 summit, to be organized by

the Overseas India Conclave of

Association of American Physicians of

Indian Origin (AAPI) in collaboration with

the Government of India, aims at advanc-

ing the accessibility, affordability and

quality of world-class healthcare by focus-

ing on prevention, diagnosis and treatment

options.

The event, organizers said, would feature

plenary sessions, interactive roundtables,

clinical practice workshops, and meet-the-

expert sessions.

Cancers, diseases of the heart, mental

health and mother and child health would

take centrestage.

The event will also host a first-of-its-

kind CEO forum in which CEOs of hospi-

tals, teaching institutions and heads of

pharma, medical devices and technology

companies will get together to explore

potential opportunities for collaboration.

"Indian doctors have made tremendous

progress in the 21st century and India is

now being touted as a medical tourism

hub. This entails additional investment in

health infrastructure," said R. Narendra

Kumar, who is leading the Overseas India

Conclave.

Amongst those expected to attend are

Jeremy Lazarus, president, American

Medical Association, Chicago,

Chittaranjan Ranawat, clinical professor of

orthopaedic surgery, Cornell University,

New York and Prathap C. Reddy, chair-

man, Apollo Group of Hospitals.

Kochi to host Indo-US Global Health Summit

24 October 20-26, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoHEALTH

Time to turn Navratri fasting into feastingBy Aastha Khurana

New Delhi: Cookies, vegetarian

'mock duck', Parsi 'malai kulfi' and

much more -- chefs have put

together interesting recipes for

those observing the nine-day

Navratri fast.

They have also brought "mouth-

watering twists" to the traditional

menu promising to turn the fast

into a feast. Navratri started on

October 16 and ends on October

24.

Zing GourMET Shop at The

Metropolitan Hotel & Spa has spe-

cial cumin and candy pineapple

cookies.

Made of 'kuttu ka atta', the cook-

ies, prepared for the first time, are

available for Rs.400 for 700 gm.

"During Navratri, it is usual to

have products made of 'kuttu/sing-

hara' flour. But these have a limited

appeal. So these cookies will be

something unique to those fasting,"

Sandeep Panwar, Zing's executive

chef, said.

He said they offered a break from

mundane and less appealing

recipes.

And if you miss having non-veg-

etarian food during the nine-day

festival, Royal China has a solu-

tion. It has come up with vegetari-

an 'mock duck', a dish prepared by

Chinese chef Eric Khoo.

Made with soya bean, mush-

rooms and plum sauce, it tastes like

a duck. "On demand from guests

fascinated with the duck concept,

we decided to create a vegetarian

mock duck for Navratri," Aashita

Relan, director, Royal China, said.

The 'duck' is available during lunch

and dinner for Rs.525 plus taxes.

Without compromising on tradi-

tional fasting norms, several eating

joints are also offering 'vrat (fast)

thalis'.

Ignis Kitchen and Bar has put

together a 'saatvik menu' with

tempting options. It includes

snacks and savouries such as 'kuttu

poori' served with 'kaddu ki sabzi',

'aloo dahiwale', paneer makhani,

'aloo saboodana ki tikki', 'raita',

salad and 'saboodana papad'.

Of course, Ignis has special

offers for those with a sweet tooth.

It serves 'parsi malai kulfi' and

'makhane ki kheer' for dessert.

Available at Rs.269 per thali plus

taxes, there is also an assorted 'pa-

pad' basket and potatoes served

with the main course. Besides,

there are mouth-watering snacks

for those odd hours, when one

doesn't feel like having something

heavy. So you can pick from 'aloo

anardana chaat', 'aloo saboodana ki

tikki' and 'paneer tawe wala', to

name a few.

Mast Kalandar, a north Indian

chain of restaurants, is hosting a

Navratri food festival at all its 32

outlets in Bangalore, Chennai,

Pune and Hyderabad.

25October 20-26, 2012TheSouthAsianTimes.info LIFESTYLE

Armstrong steps down fromcharity, Nike drops him

Austin, Texas: Lance Armstrong

stepped down as chairman of the

Livestrong cancer support charity

he founded, as Nike Inc dropped

the disgraced cyclist over the

doping scandal that will likely

cost him his seven Tour de

France titles. Armstrong's

Livestrong foundation is best

known for the more than 70 mil-

lion iconic yellow rubbery wrist

bands that have been distributed

worldwide, but the scandal

threatened to overshadow the

group's wider work with cancer

patients. So far, donations have

actually increased despite the

scandal.

To spare the foundation any

negative effects as a result of

controversy surrounding my

cycling career, I will conclude

my chairmanship, Armstrong said

in a statement on Wednesday. He

will continue to serve on the

board.

At around the same time that

the foundation announced

Armstrong's resignation, Nike

posted a statement to its website

saying the athletic apparel maker

would still back the charity but

could no longer sponsor the man

behind it.

Due to the seemingly insur-

mountable evidence that Lance

Armstrong participated in doping

and misled Nike for more than a

decade, it is with great sadness

that we have terminated our con-

tract with him, the company said.

Beer maker Anheuser-Busch

said it too would end its relation-

ship with Armstrong when his

contract expires at the end of this

year, though it would also contin-

ue to back the foundation and its

athletic events.

“Oakley Inc, the sunglasses

brand also associated with

Armstrong,” said in a statement it

was reviewing the reports into the

cyclist's conduct and awaiting a

final decision from the sport's

international authorities. A Radio

Shack spokesman said the elec-

tronics retailer remains a sponsor

of Armstrong and Livestrong.

Go pandal hopping in Kolkata this Puja!By Anurag Dey

Kolkata: Sojourn to an exotic Goan

beach, participate in a Chinese Dragon

Festival, blow vuvuzelas at

Johannesburg's Soccer City Stadium - the

community Durga Puja organizers here

are pulling out all stops to take revellers

on a magical tour during the October 20-

24 festival.

From the abstract to the exotic, innova-

tive marquees have been lined up to usher

in the socio-religious carnival and dazzle

pandal hoppers with their creativity and

imagination during the five-day puja.

South Kolkata's Suruchi Sangha has

created a tiny slice of Goa with its allur-

ing beaches and amazing marine life. The marquee,

resplendent with Portuguese-influenced Goan art and

architecture, also has a message: Save the oceans from

pollution.

"On entering the pandal one will feel as if one is in

Goa. We have tried to blend Bengali and Goan cultures

and apprise the people about the threat that pollution

poses to oceans and the marine life," said Raja Sarkar,

the man behind the idea.

The inside walls have been adorned with sculptures

and the marquee is a fitting tribute to Goan art and

architecture. Aquatic animals and schools of fish would

also be there to provide originality to the concept.

The idols have also been sculpted in tune with the

essence of the thematic content.

With international peace as its theme, North Kolkata's

Ahiritola Sarbojonin will bring in the Chinese Dragon

Festival in the city. Teams of lions, ghosts with huge

white faces, dragons and noisy drummers will create a

mini China as goddess Durga descends on the earth

astride a lion to wipe out evil.

"The Chinese have been living in this city for long and

we plan to make this community a part of our festivity.

The Dragon festival is analogous to our Puja and we

have tried assimilating cultures of both the countries,"

said club secretary Dulal Sil.

Much like Durga Puja, football too has been a symbol

of Bengal. Stimulating the Bengalis' love for the beauti-

ful game is Central Kolkata's Mohammad Ali Park,

where the marquee replicates the Johannesburg stadium,

Africa's biggest.

The feel is accentuated by the use of fountains similar

to those that adorn the stadium. The pandal's interior

would correspond to the look and feel of an ancient

royal palace. South Kolkata offers a huge multitude of

popular Durga Pujas and one of them is Sanghasree,

which is celebrating tales of ancient times through col-

orful designs using paper pulp as the raw material.

The walls of the pandal would provide a glimpse into

the spectacular and abundant cave paintings, early men

and their traditional way of life, their act of preparing

elaborate pictographs and prayers to the supernatural

before and after battles. Durga Puja is not only the cele-

bration of triumph of good over evil but also one that

salutes women's empowerment. Keeping the deity as the

backdrop, the Kalighat Nepal Bhattacharjee Street Puja

would be celebrating women's liberation.

Navratri Cookies at Zing restaurant

Vrat thali at Mast Kalandar restaurant

Mock duck at Royal China restaurant

Lance Armstrong

From the abstract to the exotic, innovative marquees havebeen lined up to usher in the socio-religious carnival

International socialite Paris

Hilton is set to visit India

again and this time she will

perform as a disc jockey (DJ) at

the India Resort Fashion Week

(IRFW) in Goa, starting Nov 28.

"Yes, Paris Hilton is perform-

ing at IRFW 2012. She has been

brought to India by E-sense

Entertainment and shall be per-

forming on Dec 1," Aman

Swetta, creative show director,

IRFW said.

The heiress, who visited the

country last year to launch the

Fall-Winter designs of her hand-

bags, made her debut as a DJ this

summer during a music festival

in Brazil.

Before this, Hilton made her

entry into the music world in

2006 as a solo artist with "Stars

Are Blind" and also released a

self-titled album in the same

year. The four-day fashion

extravaganza is scheduled to

take place on Goa's popular

Candolim Beach

Actor Saif Ali Khan and Kareena

Kapoor completed the formalities

of a registered marriage this week

and became husband and wife.

The marriage took place at Saif's Bandra

home. While Kareena's mother Babita and

father Randhir Kapoor signed as witnesses

from the bride's side, Saif's mother and

veteran actress Sharmila Tagore signed as

a witness from the groom's side.

For her D-day Kareena, 32, wore a green

punjabi suit, while 42-year-old Saif chose

to dress up in a grey kurta-pyjama. Also

present at the wedding was Kareena's sis-

ter Karisma and cousin Ranbir Kapoor.

Both were dressed in white.

Saif and Kareena dated each for five

years before getting married, which has

been a very private affair.

The couple featured together in films

like "Tashan", "Kurbaan" and

"Agent Vinod".

SRK wishes Saifeena 'happiest mar-

riage bond'

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has wished

good health and happiness for his friends

Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, who

became husband and wife following a reg-

istered marriage.

"Happiest marriage bond to my friends

Saif and Kareena. May Allah keep your

family healthy and happy.

Just saw it is registered, sealed and deliv-

ered," tweeted Shah Rukh, who shared a

roaring chemistry with Saif in "Kal Ho

Naa Ho" and teamed up with Kareena for

"RA.One".

Saif and Kareena -- the couple is also

called Saifeena -- held the marriage cere-

mony at the former's Bandra home in the

presence of their close family members.

Paris Hilton toperform at Goa

fashion fest Speaking fluent English is

not only a big deal for a

Maharashtrian housewife

as shown in Gauri Shinde's

English Vinglish. The film's mes-

sage of overcoming a linguistic

barrier has gripped Bihar's col-

lege-going Dalit girls who are

rooting for Sridevi in English

Vinglish in the way cricket lovers

cheered Aamir Khan in Lagaan.

Girls en masse from various col-

leges in Patna and neighbouring

towns of Bihar have watched the

film and are motivated into

improving their spoken English.

Suman Sinha a leading Patna

exhibitor says, "It 's not just

housewives.

Young unmarried college-going

girls feel the same sense of inferi-

ority that Sridevi experiences in

English Vinglish because of a

lack of fluency in English. They

are coming forward in huge num-

bers to see the film and going

back with the determination to

join English-improvement class-

es."

Delighted by the turn of events

English Vinglish producer R

Balki said, "That our film has

influenced a section of the audi-

ence to improve its language is

awesome. English Vinglish is not

just about learning English. It's

about the determination that the

lack of a familiarity will not stop

people's aspirations and dreams

from growing."

"I don't like people dancing

unnecessarily in the film, but it

has become a part of movies

nowadays. We Indians are musi-

cal- and dance-minded people. If

a child is born or on a wedding,

birthday, we dance. But when a

song starts unreasonably, it irri-

tates me," he said.

Adds Sridevi, "To see our film

make such an impact makes me

happier about its success. This is

the real success of English

Vinglish."

Last weekend was the most

unsuccessful one for

Bollywood this year. All

three releases — Aiyyaa, Bhoot

Returns and Makkhi — were

duds at the box-office. And none

are expected to sustain business

through the week.

Trade analyst Komal Nahta

says, “Both Aiyyaa and Bhoot

Returns are really bad movies.

And on Monday, they hit rock

bottom. As for Makkhi, though

the film received appreciation,

the absence of a well-known star

in it meant that the film couldn’t

connect with the audience.

Though the actor is famous in

the Telugu film industry, people

here don’t know him. Also, the

movie title created some confu-

sion. It has been a weekend with

horrendous collections.”

Film exhibitor and distributor

Akshaye Rathi agrees. “Bhoot

Returns is the one film that

delivered what was expected of

it: a disastrous performance. It’s

about time (director) Ram Gopal

Varma realises that he needs to

make films to entertain the audi-

ence rather than pull off gim-

micks that excite only him. It’s a

dead duck at the box-office.”

He adds, “Aiyyaa opened very

badly at the box office. Reviews

suggest that it’s un-entertaining

and slow. With that, I don't see it

doing well either.”

Trade analyst Vinod Mirani

also believes the films that have

released this weekend have a

hopeless week ahead. “Makkhi

didn’t do well because of the

lack of good promotions. As for

the other two, they’re not going

to last. Some theatres stopped

on the shows on Saturday

itself.”

According to trade figures,

English Vinglish and OMG Oh

My God! — films that are in

their second and third week

respectively — are doing way

better than any of the newly

released movies.

Sridevi's 'English Vinglish'encourages Dalit girls

Flop show! Bollywood hit by dud wave

Saif, Kareena husband and wife, finally

Actor Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor being accompanied by Karishma Kapoor

Paris Hilton is set to visit India again

Sridevi in English Vinglish

A scene from Bhoot Returns

26 October 20-26, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD

Now is the golden era of Indian cinema: WaheedaW

aheeda Rehman, the

star of ageless classics

such as "Guide" and

"Kaagaz Ke Phool", feels the

golden era of Indian cinema was

not in her day but now when it is

getting global appreciation and

also evolving in terms of subjects,

performances and technology.

Waheeda, as charming as ever at

76, also feels "sorry" for the

younger lot who she says are

burning out because of multi-task-

ing. "People come up to me and

say that when I did films, that was

the golden era, but I don't agree

with that. With our films getting

appreciation abroad, I feel now is

the golden era," Waheeda said.

"I feel actors burn out fast these

days because they do too many

things. Other than movies, they

take up endorsements, stage per-

formances, promotions, and it

takes up so much of their time. I

feel sorry for the fact that they

have to do so much."

Before entering Hindi movies

with the 1956 release "C.I.D",

Waheeda had been a part of suc-

cessful Telugu and Tamil films

like "Jayasimha", "Rojulu

Marayi" and "Kaalam Maari

Pochu".

Then came unforgettables like

"Pyaasa", "12 O'Clock", "Kaagaz

Ke Phool", "Sahib Bibi Aur

Ghulam", "Chaudhvin Ka

Chand", "Teesri Kasam" and

"Mujhe Jeene Do" - all landmarks

in Hindi cinema.

Waheeda, who has spent over

five decades in filmdom, in what

is now commonly known as

Bollywood, feels the industry has

changed for the better since her

time.

"There have been a lot of good

changes - be it technically, or in

terms of subjects and performanc-

es. There are very good movies

made like 'The Dirty Picture',

'Kahaani', 'Black', 'Paan Singh

Tomar' and 'Peepli Live'."

"But there is too much of uncer-

tainty too. Movies have become

very expensive and fortunately for

them, within a week they get back

their money. But it is not a ques-

tion of money; it is also about the

quality of movie," she said.

Waheeda also appreciates actors

for playing all kinds of roles,

something that was unheard of

during her heyday.

"In our times, even for a small

negative role, people used to be

like, 'I am a leading lady (so) how

can I say this dialogue, or slap

someone?'," she said.

She never shied away from

unconventional or bold roles.

"Guide" is a case in point. The

1965 film, in which she was

paired with Dev Anand, saw her

playing a dancer who walks out

on her husband to pursue her

dreams to be a dancer.

"I was very different. When a

scene demanded an abuse or a

slap, I used to do it. Actors were

always conscious about their pub-

lic image. They had complexes

those days, but now they don't

have, which is a good thing," she

said. Was she image conscious?

"I was never conscious of this. I

thought an actor should be able to

do any role with conviction and

sincerity. Script is the most impor-

tant thing and if the script is good,

then whatever role you are doing,

it's fine," said the actress, who

also excelled in character roles in

"Mashal" and "Namak Halaal".

After her appearance in

"Lamhe" (1991), she retired from

the film industry only to return

after 11 years with "Om Jai

Jagadish" in 2002 followed by

"Rang De Basanti" in 2006; she

was last seen in 2009 "Delhi 6".

An accomplished, talented

dancer herself, the actress feels

good dancing skills are important

but not vital in current scenario.

"For an actor, one doesn't have

to be a dancer. But because our

Hindi movies have so many song

and dance sequences, it is pre-

ferred if they are good dancers.

It's always advantageous to know

dance. But if you don't, it's okay,"

she said.

With the changing scenario,

Hindi movies lack the element of

classical dances.

"It's not possible to have classi-

cal dances in the movie unless the

subject demands so," she said, cit-

ing "Guide" and "Umrao Jaan".

Yesteryear’s actor Waheeda Rehman

Skyfall tipped to be 'most successful' Bond film

Priyanka Chopra joins 'Gunday' gang

The latest 007 installment ‘Skyfall’ is

set to be the most successful James

Bond movie in the 50-year history

of the franchise and is predicted to rake in

more than 1 billion dollars at the box

office.

It has been met with universal praise fol-

lowing its preview and is expected to storm

to the top of the box office.

Experts said the stunts were some of the

best ever seen in a Bond film and one critic

wrote that the dramatic opening sequence

should merit an Oscar in itself, the

Telegraph reported.

The early signs of success will be wel-

comed by Skyfall’s producers after work

on the film was suspended in 2010 when

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, its studio, fell into

severe financial difficulties.

It was later rescued a deal that put a US

firm, Spyglass Entertainment, at MGM’S

helm.

The film, Daniel Craig’s third appearance

as 007, received four and five-star reviews

recently in the Daily Telegraph, Times, and

Daily Mail, and in Empire magazine.

After striking gold with "Barfi!",

actress Priyanka Chopra has

bagged a meaty role in Yash Raj

Films' (YRF) "Gunday".

She will share screen space with two

male actors - Ranveer Singh and Arjun

Kapoor - in the movie, which is her sec-

ond project with YRF after "Pyaar

Impossible".

"Gunday" will go on floors in

December with "Mere Brother Ki

Dulhan" director Ali Abbas Zafar behind

the camera.The movie will be set amidst

the most turbulent times in the history of

Kolkata, then Calcutta, from 1971 to

1988. It will narrate the story of Bikram

and Bala, who rose from being small-

time wagon breakers and coal thieves to

becoming the biggest and most powerful

black marketing mafia-men.

Daniel Craig in Skyfall

Priyanka Chopra

27October 20-26, 2012TheSouthAsianTimes.info ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD

Interview

There was a time, many years

ago, when humans knew lit-

tle about etiquette – they

didn’t have to follow any social

codes of conduct. They could

cough without covering their

mouths, visit a friend’s home with-

out calling first, whistle at pretty

women on the street without wear-

ing a tool belt and hardhat.

Fortunately for the human race,

one man started to change it all.

His name was Mongah and he was

a caveman. He had been watching

the other cavemen closely and real-

ized that while everyone did things

differently, some of their habits were more

appealing than others.

Oongah, for example, used the nail of his

little finger to pick his teeth after his

meals, slurping up any morsel of food he

dislodged. Dongah, on the other hand,

seemed much more civilized: he carried a

twig around with him, using it to not only

pick his teeth, but also his nose and ears.

Now and then, he would also scratch his

back with it, not to mention other hard-to-

reach places. As if that wasn’t enough,

Dongah would often draw pictures in the

mud with his twig – he was a pioneer in

the emerging field of stick art.

How efficient it seemed – one twig for

so many tasks. But it wasn’t just the twig

that set Dongah apart. Unlike Oongah,

when Dongah dislodged a piece of food

from his teeth, he didn’t eat it — he flicked

it off the twig, usually in the direction of

whichever cavewoman he desired. Seeing

this, Oongah’s lady friend, Bupha, would

give Oongah a glare, as if to say, “Why

can’t you be so romantic?”

Oongah smirked. He didn’t care

for such public displays of affec-

tion. His brute strength was enough

to attract women. It was he, after

all, who had pulled Dongah from

the river when the clumsy man had

slipped off a fallen tree branch.

Oongah believed that he hadn’t just

saved Dongah from the river – he

had saved the river from Dongah.

But Mongah had more respect for

Dongah, who seemed to be more

than just a stick-in-the-mud.

Mongah decided to put together a

set of rules of social behavior. He

borrowed Dongah’s twig and started draw-

ing pictures in the mud, while a dozen

cavemen, as well as Bupha, gathered

around to see what he was doing. He first

drew a picture of a man sitting on a rock,

while a woman stood next to him. Then he

drew a picture of the man getting off the

rock and the woman sitting on it. He point-

ed at the second picture, drew a circle

around it and smiled, as if to say, “Always

give your rock to a woman.”

But the cavemen jeered. They thought he

was saying that men shouldn’t sit around

the cave. They should always be hunting

and gathering. Dongah, trying to avert a

riot, erased the second drawing with his

foot, not realizing he had introduced some-

thing he and other artists would forever

detest: censorship.

Undeterred, Mongah moved to another

spot in the mud to illustrate his second

rule. He drew a picture of a man and a

woman inside a cave, and another man

outside, with his mouth wide open. He

used squiggly lines to indicate that some-

thing was coming out of the man’s mouth.

He pointed at the picture, circled it and

smiled, as if to say, “Always call out

before visiting.”

But the cavemen jeered again. They had

misunderstood Mongah’s picture and

thought he was telling them that they

should always go outside to belch. To

show his disdain, Oongah belched as loud-

ly as he could. Bupha put her arms around

him, as if to say, “That’s my man!”

Mongah shook his head. Teaching eti-

quette to cavemen was harder than he had

thought. But he was determined to keep

trying. He drew a picture of a river and a

man standing beside it. Then he drew a

picture of a man in the river. He pointed at

the second picture, drew a circle around it

and smiled, as if to say, “Bathing good.”

But Mongah had forgotten that Dongah

had fallen into the river a week ago. It had

been very embarrassing for Dongah.

Thankfully only a few cavemen saw him.

But now Mongah appeared to be spreading

the news.

It was then that Dongah, unable to con-

trol his anger, ran toward Mongah,

grabbed the twig from him and poked him

in the eye with it. As Mongah writhed in

pain, all the cavemen cheered: They

believed that Dongah had taught them an

important lesson in social behavior: gos-

siping can hurt.

Dongah raised his arms in exultation. He

had found yet another use for his twig.

Humor with Melvin Durai

Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner celebrated his unprecedentedfeat on Monday after becoming the first man to break the sound barri-er in a record-shattering, death-defying freefall jump from the edge ofspace. The 43-year-old leapt from a capsule more than 24 miles (39kilometers) above the Earth Sunday, reaching a top speed of 833.9

miles (1,342 kilometers) per hour, or 1.24 times the speed of sound,according to organizers. The veteran skydiver was in freefall for fourminutes and 20 seconds before opening his red and white parachute

and floating down to the desert in the US state of New Mexico.

Photo of the week

28 October 20-26, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoHUMOR

The etiquette of early humans

October 20:

Ruled by number 2 and the moon, you are honest, sim-

ple, imaginative, generous, intuitive and broadminded.

You are fond of intellectual conversation and soothing

music, but you need to control your tendency to be-

have nervous and restless during adverse times. The

upcoming few months will be very important for busi-

nessmen as new opportunities for growth are foreseen.

Investments made during this phase will bring in good

profits in the long run. Distant travel, may be overseas,

brings pleasure and joy along with a possible reunion

with a close relative. Speculations are going to yield

excellent returns this time. Renovation of the house or

construction related activities might be on the anvil

this year. Chronic patients definitely need to be more

careful of their health. Preventive medicines should

not be avoided at any cost. January, March, July and

September months will prove to be highly eventful.

October 21:

Dominated by number 3 and the Planet Jupiter, you are

ambitious, hardworking, talented, dignified and high-

ly methodical. You are independent by nature and

make your own decisions, but you need to curb your

tendencies towards stubbornness, extravagance and

dictatorial nature at times. Remarkable year for man-

agement students and those pursuing career in arts.

Your stars might bring in recognition and monetary

gains for you this year. Children might cause minor

disappointment or dissatisfaction, but spouse would be

caring and highly supportive. A family dispute involv-

ing ancestral property will add to your stress and anx-

iety. Hectic traveling during the yearend will ensure

monetary gains and influential contacts. Matrimonial

alliances for those eligible. All financial transactions

need to be made carefully. Avoid emotional outburst,

as it would only complicate sensitive issues. Novem-

ber, December, March, May and June will be eventful.

October 22:

Influenced by number 4 and the Planet Uranus, you are

energetic, trustworthy, reliable and systematic. Your

objectives are quite high and you tend to dream of the

things, which you can’t achieve, but at times you re-

ceive a setback after coming very close to your goals

because of your changeable, inconstant and stubborn

nature. This year a spectacular leap in your profes-

sional career is foreseen provided you make use of the

opportunities that arise before you. Good flow of the

funds should improve your living comforts and sav-

ings. Journeys to the overseas and foreign transactions

May not yield returns immediately but eventually. An

old friend will try to help you out even out of the way.

An infatuation with the opposite sex will come as a

surprise and it might take some time before you start

thinking straight again. Meditation and yoga should be

practiced for physical and spiritual gains. Exhilarating

news from your children will boost up your spirits to-

wards the yearend. The months of December, March,

April and August will be highly important.

October 23:

Governed by number 5 and the planet Mercury, you

are active, smart, dashing, practical, accommodating,

helpful, sincere and kind hearted. Your approach is

business oriented. You are not very good in expressing

your emotions to your spouse or beloved. Your ten-

dencies towards restlessness, over occupation and ex-

travagance need to be curbed at times. Long cherished

dreams seem to be fulfilled. Investments made in this

period will bring in good returns, though not immedi-

ately but eventually. Those looking forward to estab-

lish a business contact overseas will hear some en-

couraging news. Some dispute with government de-

partments would lead to stress and anxiety. Students

will perform well in academics and will be rewarded

for their contribution towards extra curricular activi-

ties. A long awaited marriage will get finalized and

bring about happiness for the entire family. Spouse re-

mains cooperative despite your erratic behaviour. Feb-

ruary, March, June, July and October will be eventful.

October 24:

Influenced by number 6 and the Planet Venus, you are

enthusiastic, loyal, charming, responsible and jovial in

nature. You are self-contained, responsible, accommo-

dating and highly generous. Your memory is really

wonderful. But you need to check your tendencies to-

wards moodiness, timidity and over-interfering nature

in the affairs of others at times. This year begins with

plenty of growth opportunities for you. Your confi-

dence and your communication skills will be at its

peak. Time management will be of immense impor-

tance. New ventures and alliances would be beneficial.

Old differences that have drained your mental energy

would finally subside. Socialising, parties and pleas-

ure jaunts will be quite regular and pleasurable. Wed-

ding bells will ring for those eligible and other may

find romance to keep them going. Avoid lending mon-

ey to casual acquaintances. Period of Judicial and

Govt. favours. Your ignorance in the family affairs

may bring in some dismay and resentment among the

family members. May, June, September and October

will be highly significant.

October 25:

Governed by Number 7 and the planet Neptune, you

are ambitious, independent,

practical and original. You are highly social and help-

ful and enjoy enormous respect in your group, but you

need to check your tendency to behave stubborn and

self-centered at times. Financially it seems to be a bet-

ter year. A promotion or an increase in responsibility

would also improve your monetary position. Those

professionals looking for a career abroad will receive

favorable response to their proposal. Property related

matters will bring in the satisfactory results. A healthi-

er and loving atmosphere prevails at home, which

brings good health and prosperity. Housewife will have

to cope with regular arrival of guests and relatives, al-

though some would bring gifts in cash and kind but

your habit to keep all family members happy would

show on your health. A birth of a child or a grandchild

towards the yearend likely. Distant travel for pilgrim-

age or a vacation seems high on your cards. July, No-

vember and October will prove to be result oriented.

October 26:

Influenced by number 8 and the planet Saturn, you are

practical, disciplined, systematic, original, and author-

itative. You are conscious of every move you make and

your duties and responsibilities take priority over

everything else, but you need to control your tendency

to behave pessimist, adamant and nervous at times.

This year you can expect lot of good and memorable

moments. Real estate and construction activities

would reap good profits. Your desire to travel to an ex-

otic location along with your family would be fulfilled.

Emotional outbursts should be avoided at office and at

home. Servants and subordinates may cause some

worry and unnecessary tensions. Your capability to im-

press others with your good manners and decent be-

haviour would bring you additional popularity. New

contracts and ventures for some. January, February,

June and September and be eventful.

By Dr Prem Kumar SharmaChandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com

Stars Foretell: October 20-26, 2012 Annual Predictions: For those born in this week

Learn about the fair value ofdiamonds & precious stones.

from a Gems Expert For appointment, please call 516-390-7847

or email consult.gems@gmail.comA special offer for the readers of

The South Asian Times

Free Consultation

29

Aries: This week travel would pro-

mote new romantic connections.

Important people around you would appreci-

ate your ideas. Relationship with the oppo-

site sex would be highly cordial and pleas-

ant. Spend some exciting time with family

members and relatives. Your ability to con-

verse intelligently would help you seek

favours. You can easily double your financial

gains if you play your cards well.

Taurus: This is an excellent period to

show your knowledge and skills. You

should go ahead with new plans and finalize

important deals. Children would give you

happiness and comfort. This is also the per-

fect time for romance, pilgrimage and even

seeking favors. Financial gains from past

investments would roll in, but not at the rate

you might expect.

Gemini: Travel and learning should

be on your agenda this week. For

some, a change in residence would prove

highly lucky. Your income would rise and

you would spend lavishly on family mem-

bers and friends. Be cautious while handling

sophisticated equipment or entering a new

alliance. Your ideas would bring

you rewards.

Cancer: This week you are likely to

be asked to handle additional respon-

sibilities. Your outgoing nature would work

to your advantage as you gain favours from

others. Business trip might prove unproduc-

tive. Exercise caution while dealing with

colleagues and important clients. Not a

favorable period for romantic alliance.

Speculation will prove highly beneficial.

Spiritual gains

for some.

Leo: This week your partner expects a

lot from you, which seems to add pres-

sure on your mind. Do not sign any legal

documents or any other papers pertaining to

property. You need to take some time off and

go for little recreation towards the weekend.

This period is also not very good for

romance or those seeking a matrimonial

alliance. A close friend will try to do the

unexpected.

Virgo: Discuss your objectives with

experienced people to benefit this

week. Your intellectual charms would win

heart and bring you opportunities that you

least expected. Visiting a place of worship

would bring peace of mind. Businessmen

and those starting a new venture stand to

gain. Residential moves would prove to be

highly hectic and expensive.

Libra: This week money matters

would take high priority and new ven-

tures would be highly alluring. Students need

to concentrate on their career and plan for

the year ahead. Be at your best behaviour

and precise in your communication when

meeting influential and important people.

Take firm decisions regarding office matters.

Be careful not to say anything that will

offend others.

Scorpio: Colleagues would appreciate

you because of your skills and talents.

Good period for materializing real estate and

financial transactions. Unexpected gains on

the money front are quite likely. A long jour-

ney concerning work is on the cards for

some of you. Renovation or purchases made

for your home would pay off in the long run.

Be careful while driving.

Sagittarius: This week support from

friends and family members would

generate new confidence into you. Pending

correspondence should be completed imme-

diately, but be precise and honest when writ-

ing to the one you love. Personal needs and

requirements would increase but gains from

unexpected sources would take care of the

financial obligations. Close relatives might

try to force their opinion on you.

Capricorn: Do not trust others with

important information. Matters relat-

ed to property, partnerships and new ven-

tures would work to your advantage.

Maintain a positive approach to reap maxi-

mum benefits during this period. Children

and youngsters would demand attention. A

new romantic affair is likely for some of

you. Go out with friend, as you need to relax

towards the weekend.

Aquarius: Concentrate on your

efforts and rewards will follow by

themselves. A stable period of growth and

prosperity. This is also the right time for

establishing new contacts, participating in

charity and social work. Affairs of the heart

would be pleasant and highly enjoyable.

Work with people who are creative and

enterprising. Friends will understand your

problems and your needs.

Pisces: This is going to be a highly

rewarding period for women. An

unexpected

achievement or news would bring in happi-

ness for you and the entire family. Also pre-

pare yourself for favourable changes at your

work front. Children would look forward to

some of your time. Some situation might be

blown out of proportion, which might bring

tensions at home.

i) Accurate Data: Please make sure Date,

Time and Place of birth is accurate.

ii) Careful: Did you check background of the

astrologer before disclosing your secrets.

iii) Fee: Discuss the charges before, don’t feel

shy. It’s his business.

iv) Expectation: Expect the best, if the out-

come is not as desired, never give up.

v) Consult: Take second opinion before

spending thousands on cure/remedies.

Before you consult...

October 20-26, 2012TheSouthAsianTimes.info ASTROLOGY

What is the value of an ethi-

cal life? Although ethical

life alone does not lead to

drinking the divine Nectar of God, it

is a stepping-stone. Ethical life

includes nonviolence, truthfulness,

chastity, humility, and selfless serv-

ice. It means living on a vegetarian

diet in which we do not eat fish,

fowl, meat, or eggs. It means raising

our consciousness and not lowering

our consciousness by using hallu-

cinogenic or intoxicating drugs or

alcohol. In each religion, the saints,

Masters, prophets, and enlightened

beings who have found God laid out

the prerequisites for entry into God’s

kingdom. Not one of them said we

can find God by being violent. Not

one of them said we could find God

by being thieves, liars, and hyp-

ocrites. Not one of them said we

could find God by being egotistic.

Not one of them said we could find

God by being selfish. It is true that

saints came for the sinners and said

that everyone has an equal opportu-

nity to find God, but they would

need to change their lives and devel-

op ethical virtues.

Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj has

said, “Every saint has a past and

every sinner a future.” He explained

that the kingdom of God is open to

saints and sinners alike. Whatever

we did in the past, we still have a

chance to alter our ways by develop-

ing ethical virtues so we can enter

the kingdom of God. The saints

shared their spiritual wealth no mat-

ter what someone’s past was, but

then they expected them to develop

the ethical virtues if they truly want-

ed admittance to the home of the

Lord.

When people see we are nonvio-

lent, they are inspired to also devel-

op that virtue. For example, if in the

workplace a co-worker calls us

insulting names or even hits us, but

instead of retaliating with violence

we show them compassion and

understanding, our action makes a

statement to others. People will say,

“Look how kind they are, even

when people are unkind to them.”

When they see that we act with love

and kindness to all people, others

take notice of that. They see there is

something special in the way we are

behaving.

When most people succumb to

their baser nature and want to retali-

ate, violence becomes the norm. But

when someone is responding nonvi-

olently, it is so unusual that others

notice it. They see that we remain

calm, cool, and collected in the face

of the day-to-day quarrels in which

people are engaged and realize we

have some special quality. This

often leads them to ask us how we

can be so calm in the face of other

people’s violence. We can then take

the opportunity to tell them that we

are leading a life of meditation and

ethical living which is resulting in

inner spiritual experiences. We are

able to explain to them the benefits

of a nonviolent way of life in keep-

ing our mind and emotions calm and

explain how it has a beneficial effect

on our health. We can talk about

how we experience less tension

resulting in less stress-related ail-

ments. We can talk about how such a

way of life helps us get along better

with people in our family, in our

neighborhood, and at our jobs. We

can explain that when we do not

take revenge, the person who

attacked us eventually comes around

and befriends us. Such an example is

powerful. One by one, others will

see the benefit of leading a nonvio-

lent way of life.

Similarly, we can be a model of

truthfulness. It has become all too

common for people to be dishonest.

Dishonesty takes many forms. Some

people think their dishonesty is

harmless, such as stealing from their

boss or company at work, borrowing

money from their friends or family

on the pretense of paying it back but

never paying it back, telling a small

lie, or being deceitful. It is rare in

this day and age to find someone

who is truthful and honest.

When people see someone being

honest, it is so rare that others take

notice of it. They say, “Wow, look at

that person who admitted to making

a mistake, or who returned money

they found that was not rightfully

theirs. That person has guts! That

person has strong morals and con-

victions!” The result is that others

respect the honest person and say, “I

wish I could have such bravery to

own up to my mistakes.” This alone

may make others ask us how we

have such moral fortitude. At that

point we can explain what is giving

us the strength to be honest. We can

explain how we meditate and see the

Light of God within. We can explain

how we realize that God within

knows whatever we do. If God sees

everything, there is nowhere we can

hide from God. Thus, how can we

fear the judgment of other people,

when God, the Source of all, knows

what we have done and has forgiven

us and requested us to do no more?

Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji

Maharaj used to tell people that they

are forgiven if they “do no more.”

We are all human. We are bound to

make mistakes. The key is that hav-

ing made a mistake and acknowl-

edging it, we make amends so that

we do not repeat that mistake.

If we are honest, we will earn the

respect of others. Then, when we

talk about the value of a spiritual

life, others will see that we are lead-

ing such a life and they will be more

inclined to want to do the same.

Many are egotistical. They think

too much of themselves. They boost

themselves up at the expense of oth-

ers. They brag about how great they

are. They present themselves as

being better than others. It is notice-

able when someone is humble.

When we see others who are realis-

tic about themselves, accepting their

talents as well as their faults in an

honest way, it is noticeable. When

we find that someone treats others

with equality and respect, it is

noticeable. In a world where there is

so much bigotry and prejudice, it is

refreshing to find someone who

loves all people as equals. When we

see someone who gets along with

many people, we, in turn, have great

regard for such a person, and we

want to find out his or her secret. We

ask how is it that that person is

accepted by people of all nationali-

ties, religions, countries, or walks of

life in such a positive way. When

that person explains that through

meditation he or she sees the Light

of God shining in all people and sees

all as one family of God, others are

impressed. Others see that we have a

life with less turmoil and more

friends. They see that we are even-

keeled and calm wherever we go

and are not afraid to be with people

who are different from us. They, too,

want to lead a life with a wider

range of tolerance and friendship,

and they are inspired to be like us.

We find many are selfish.

Selfishness is rampant in all spheres

of life. Why is it sensational when it

is reported in the news that someone

did something giving and selfless? It

is such a rare quality that it often

makes front page news. We hear of

people who do not have a lot of

money but give generously to oth-

ers. We find people donating their

time to help others. We read of peo-

ple who donate a kidney to save

someone else’s life. Some people

help the poor, the needy, and the

downtrodden. These selfless acts

have an effect because most people

tend to think first of themselves. If

people see we are giving and caring,

they admire us. They see that we

have a big heart. They see the joy we

get from giving. They too want to

partake of such joy. When they ask

us how we can be so giving, we can

point to our life of meditation in

which we see that we are all part of

one family of God. They will learn

that we treat all as one family, and

that we give because we consider all

as brothers and sisters in the Lord.

They realize that our giving comes

from a place of love, in which we

feel joy in helping others. The joy

that we get from giving is conta-

gious and others want to lead such a

life as well.

People see that by leading a vege-

tarian lifestyle we enjoy better

health. They find that we have more

energy and more stamina. They see

that we are less afflicted with the

diseases caused by eating meat.

They see the vegetarian diet makes

us calmer and more balanced. When

they see the benefits we experience,

they too may be inspired to adopt

such a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.

Some people drink alcohol and

take drugs. In many places of work,

Friday is a time in which people

meet for “Happy Hour.” There, they

engage in drinking to feel good.

There are numerous television com-

mercials for beer and wine, depict-

ing the happiness people experience

by drinking. In private circles, peo-

ple speak of how good they feel

when they get high on drugs. There

is a tremendous drug culture in mod-

ern societies. People seem to feel

they cannot be happy without alco-

hol or drugs. But we all know that

that happiness is temporary and

comes at a high price. They may feel

good for a few minutes, but later

they feel sick to their stomach. They

may get addicted and require more

and more to make them maintain

their high. Drugs and alcohol lead to

impaired judgment and poor motor

skills, which in turn can lead to

deadly car accidents. People turn to

crime to get money to buy drugs and

alcohol. This leads to people getting

hurt and those perpetrating the

crimes going to prison. In some

cases drugs and alcohol lead to dis-

ease and death.

When people see that we are

happy and blissful without drugs

and alcohol, they ask us how we can

feel so good. We can then explain

that meditation gives us a natural

state of intoxication. We can explain

how the sweet nectar of the divine

Wine within provides more intoxica-

tion than any intoxication which

outer drugs and alcohol can give us.

We can talk about how we get this

divine bliss within that lasts twenty-

four hours. There is no hang-over.

There are no side effects. We do not

pass out or get sick. We do not have

to steal from anyone to get this bliss.

We do not have to cause car acci-

dents or commit crimes. Rather than

lowering our consciousness through

drugs and alcohol, we are raising our

consciousness to spiritual heights

and even attaining God-conscious-

ness. The joy people see we have in

our lives will inspire them to also

want to partake of that sweet honey

within. When people who see us

meditating notice a change in us,

they are also inspired to experience

the same change. They see that med-

itation makes us calmer and more

balanced. They see that we are able

to deal with the challenges of life in

a much more even manner. They see

that even though everyone goes

through the challenges of financial

problems, health problems, relation-

ship difficulties, and other chal-

lenges, we sail through them much

more easily than most people. This

makes people wonder what secret

we hold that helps us face life’s

struggles with more fortitude.

Finally, when they see how bliss-

ful and intoxicated we are without

the use of unnatural means such as

drugs and alcohol, they too want

such happiness. Just like the

princess who saw the joy that people

had when they tasted the sweetness

of honey and how they wanted to

share that delicious taste with others,

people will see the joy we experi-

ence from meditation and they will

want to enjoy that as well.

Our action makes a statement to others

By Sant Rajinder SinghJi Maharaj

I am reminded of a verse by Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj which says:

Who has said that you must drink in secret?

This is divine Wine that you must share with others.

While drinking this Nectar, forget the sorrows of life and the pains of the

world.

And hum songs of beauty and love.

We can appreciate what a blessing it is to have a Master and to receive the

spiritual teachings from him. This is a valuable gift that actually is sent to us by God through

the Masters. God wants each of us to have the gift. If we are lucky enough to receive such a gift

from a Master, we should treasure it and put it to use. We should make the best use of the gift

by spending time in meditation. Let us enjoy the divine honey of the Light and Sound within.

Let us then travel on the divine nectar back to the Lord.

30 October 20-26, 2012 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoSPIRITUAL AWARENESS

Concluding part of the discourse 'Sharing the divine honey'

Giv

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Mira

cle... Give a Diwali Kit!

This Diwali will there be

a miracle of light or sadness of being

abandoned?

SOS Children’s Villages is the world’s largest charity dedicated

to the long-term care of orphaned and abandoned children.

Present in 133 countries, SOS has 540 children’s villages.

There are over 40 SOS Children’s villages in India, spanned

between Kashmir and Kanyakumari. We also have over 122

community.

The Diwali Kit is a campaign we are running to bring in donations

to help children who have been left without parental care, and

we are focusing on our Villages in India during this Diwali time

period. For kids in this situation, it really is a miracle to be able to

get help from us, and from you. That’s we’ve made this campaign:

Give a Miracle. Give a Diwali Kit.

To create a miracle this diwali visit

www.SOS-INDIA.org/Diwali

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October 20-26, 2012TheSouthAsianTimes.info

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October 20-26, 2012TheSouthAsianTimes.info