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The South Asian Times

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Vol.8 No. 31 December 5-11, 2015 60 Cents

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New York Edition

269 dead, millions suffer,


Chennai under water

On Friday, rains had stopped, but life for people in


Tamil Nadu's capital continued to be harrowing.
Chennai: Millions in Tamil Nadu grappled
with lack of water and other basic essen
tials on Thursday as the heaviest rains in a
century and floods left 269 people dead,
thousands homeless and turned Chennai
into a sea of water. Chief Minister J.
Jayalalithaa urged Prime Minister
Narendra Modi to declare the unprece
dented crisis a national disaster.
Modi flew into Chennai and announced
Rs.1,000 crore Jayalalithaa sought
Rs.5,000 crore in immediate relief after

j o u r n a l i s m

an aerial survey of some of the worst hit


areas. "We are all pained by the devasta
tion," Modi said. In New Delhi, Home
Minister Rajnath Singh said the situation
in Chennai and three other districts was
"alarming".
"It indeed is alarming," Chennaibased
lawyer Elangovan told IANS, adding that
thousands of people were fleeing the city
that has been virtually cut off after high
ways and railway tracks came under water
and the airport
Continued on page 4

Follow us on

FBI probing
California
massacre as
terrorism case
Pak-origin shooter duo had ammo for more
mayhem and bomb making material at home
Targeted group of about 90 were attending a
Christmas party in San Bernardino

Modi talks tough at Paris climate


meet, warns against curbs

Authorities found a duffel bag stuffed with


pipe bombs inside the home of Syed
Farooq. (right) Syed Farook was born in US
to parents from Pakistan. Picture of
his coshooter wife, Tashfeen Malik,
was not in circulation.

Paris: Prime Minister Narendra Modi enu


merated Indias tough stand at the Paris
climate conference, saying any agree
ment without differentiation would be
morally wrong and asked rich
nations to ratify the second com
mitment period of the existing cli
mate treaty, Kyoto Protocol.
Modis crisp and short speech
after a series of meetings with
leaders of advanced nations,
such as US President Barack
Obama and British Prime Minister David

San Bernardino, Calif.: The married couple


who police say killed 14 people at a social
services center had built more than a dozen
pipe bombs and stockpiled thousands of
rounds of ammunit ion, of ficials said
Thursday, and they fired as many as 150
bullets at victims and police of ficers in a
rampage that shattered a quiet day and
ended in their own deaths.
The FBI is treating the shooting as a
potential terrorist act, though they are far
from concluding that it was, two law
enforcement of ficials said Thursday. The

TOURISM 15

Cameron, underpinned Indias unwill


ingness to budge from its stand and
that it would stand up for the poor
across the world.
Worlds billions are at the bot
tom of the ladder and are seeking
a place to grow, he said, address
ing the highlevel segment of the
Paris climate talks.
India needs to grow as 300 mil
lion people are still without access
to energy. We are determined to
do so. Unlike other Continued on page 4

ART & CULTURE 27

HEALTH 24

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 30

suspects extensive arsenal, their recent


Middle East travels and evidence that one
had been in touch with people with Islamist
extremist views, both in the US and abroad,
all contributed to the decision to refocus the
investigation.
The suspects, Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and
Tashfeen Malik, 27, are believed to have
opened fire inside the Inland Regional
Center on Wednesday. In addition to the 14
people killed, the authorities now say 21
were injured, four more than originally said.
T he attack was
Continued on page 4

excellence in journalism

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

December 5-11, 2015

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

TRISTATE COMMUNITY

December 5-11, 2015

NYC Council celebrates Diwali at City Hall


New York: Council Member Rory
I. Lancman and 14 other Council
Members hosted a Diwali cele
bration at City Hall earlier this
week and honored three distin
guished South Asian leaders:
S.M. Kathuriya, founder of the
Hindu Center; India Home for
seniors; and Natraj S. Bhushan,
an attorney. Dance performances
were g iven by Brinda Dixit,
Nrityalina Center for Performing
Art and the Hindu Center Youth
Group.
Said Lancman, Im honored to
join the many Hindus, Sikhs,
Jains and Buddhists in our city

who celebrate this important hol


iday of Diwali and acknowledge
their meaningful contributions to
our city.
The event was hosted besides
Lancman by Speaker Melissa
MarkViverito w ith Council
Members Andrew Cohen, Daniel
Dromm, Rafael Espinal, Corey
Johnson, Peter Koo, Karen
Koslowitz, Alan Maisel, I. Daneek
Miller, Annabel Palma, Donovan
Richards, Ydanis A. Rodriguez,
Eric Ulrich, Paul Vallone and
Jimmy Van Bramer.
"We are delighted to celebrate
Deepavali at City Hall once again

this year, said Dr. Vasundhara


Kalasapudi, the Execut ive
Director of India Home, who was
presented a certicate by Council
Member Miller. We strive to
bring light into the lives of our
seniors with the support of all
our elected and government of
cials." Council Member Dromm
said, Diwali is already an impor
tant part of our rich cultural her
itage. As such, I am proud to
sponsor resolut ions in the
Council calling on the NYC
Department of Education and
CUNY to establish Diwali as an
ofcial school holiday.

Mark Zuckerberg and


wife to give 99% of FB
shares to new foundation

San Francisco: Mark Zuckerberg


will put 99 % of his Facebook
Inc (FB.O) shares, currently
worth about $45 billion, into a
new philanthropy project focus
ing on human potential and
equality, he and his wife said
Tuesday.
The plan, which was posted on
the Facebook founder and CEOs
page, attracted more than
570,000 "likes," including from
singer Shakira, former California
Facebook Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg and wife
Governor
Arnold
Priscilla with their daughter named Max in this
Schwarzenegger and Melinda
image released on December 1, 2015.
Gates, wife of Microsoft founder
Bill Gates. The Gates and other highpro or charitable causes over their lifetime
le billionaires such as Warren Buf fett or in their will.
"Mark and Priscilla are breaking the
have set up foundations of their own to
dedicate their massive fortunes to phil mold with this breathtaking commit
ment," Buffett said on Facebook. "A com
anthropic endeavors.
Zuckerberg, 31, who will control the bination of brains, passion and resources
new initiative jointly with his wife, on this scale will change the lives of mil
Priscilla Chan, said he would sell or give lions. On behalf of future generations, I
up to $1 billion in shares in each of the thank them."
In welcoming the birth last week of his
next three years.
Zuckerberg will keep a controlling rst child on his Face book page,
stake in Facebook, valued at $300 bil Zuckerberg posted a photo of himself,
lion. Zuckerberg said he plans to remain his wife and their daughter, Maxima,
CEO of Facebook for "many, many years nicknamed Max, along with a post enti
tled "A letter to our daughter." In the
to come."
Zuckerberg's new project, the Chan 2,220word letter, Zuckerberg and Chan,
Zuckerberg Initiative, is not his rst in a pediatrician, touched on issues includ
the world of philanthropy. When he was ing health, education, Internet access
26, he signed the Giving Pledge, which and learning before announcing the
invites the world's wealthiest individuals Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which aims
and families to commit to giving more to "advance human potential and pro
than half of their wealth to philanthropy mote equality."

Rory I. Lancman (in kurta and scarf) and other Council Members
hosted the event and honored Indian Americans.

Silver's guilty verdict puts


heat on Cuomo to
toughen ethics laws

Gov. Andrew Cuomo flanked by former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos who is charged
with corruption and former Speaker Sheldon Silver (right) has been convicted.
Albany: Disgraced exAssembly Speaker
Sheldon Silver's conviction on corruption
charges has put the heat on New York Gov.
Andrew Cuomo in more ways than one.
Cuomo, whose administration already
appears to be in the crosshairs of U.S.
Attorney Preet Bharara's ofce, needs to
deliver tougher ethics laws if he wants to
avoid having his legacy tarnished by Albany's
ethics morass, re form advo cates said
Tuesday. The governor is going to have to
do something to show the public that he gets
the message from the public," said Susan
Lerner of Common Cause, New York.
Lerner and other reform advocates said
Cuomo must push reluctant lawmakers into
adopting a set of ethics measures that
include greater restrictions if not an out
right ban on legislators outside income
and tighter campaign nance restrictions,
including closure of the socalled LLC loop
hole that allows a nearly unlimited torrent of

contributions from LLCs. "He has tinkered


around the edges but he now needs to solve
the problem of lawmakers using their public
ofce for private gain, said Citizens Unions
Dick Dadey.
The call for tougher ethics measures came
as Albany reeled from Monday's conviction
of Silver on 7 counts of corruption and the
ongoing trial of former Senate Majority
Leader Dean Skelos on charges he used his
political clout to enrich his son Adam.
Bharara's ofce has also taken an interest
in Cuomo's administration, including the
governor's decision in 2014 to shutter his
anticorruption Moreland Commission, and
the awarding of economic development con
tracts in Buf falo. Cuomo told reporters on
Tuesday that ethics reform would be an issue
in the Legislature's upcoming term but did
not give specics on what he would propose.
He indicated that he would call a special elec
tion to replace convicted Silver.

December 5-11, 2015

Police search for


suspect after
Hindu flags burned
at Queens home

Woodhaven, Queens: Police are searching for


the man who lit more than three dozen reli
gious flags on fire in front of a Queens home.
The NYPD released images showing the
man in the front yard of a Woodhaven home,
lighting fire to 40 religious Hindu flags.
It happened early Thanksgiving morning
near 89th Avenue and 80th Street.
"I don't think he was mental he knew what
he was doing," said neighbor Boorandeo
Sukhraj.
Sukhraj lives next door to where everything
happened. Just after 1:00 on Thursday morn
ing while everyone in the neighborhood was
sleeping, police say the suspect lit 40 of the
brightly colored Hindu prayer flags on fire.
The sacred items are symbols of faith.
The man took of f southbound on 80th
Street after starting the fire, police say.
No one was hurt. The suspect is described
as wearing a three quarter length jacket,
baseball cap and pulling a medium size travel
bag. Anyone with information in regards to
this incident is asked to call Crime stoppers
at 1800577TIPS (8477) Hindus are highly
concerned after reports of burning of Hindu
flags. Rajan Zed, President of Universal
Society of Hinduism, said that it was shock
ing for the hardworking, harmonious and
peaceful US Hindu community numbering
about three million to receive such signals of
hatred and anger.

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TURN PAGE
FBI probing California massacre as...
Continued from page 1
the nations deadliest mass shooting since the assault on an ele
mentary school in Newtown, Conn., nearly three years ago. Most of
the carnage unfolded in a single room of the Inland Regional
Center, the police said, which was filled with people with whom Mr.
Farook had a personal connection. While shots rang out, others in
the building cowered and hid, sending text messages or making
frantic calls.
The suspects were armed with two .223caliber assault rifles and
two 9millimeter semiautomatic pistols, and they left behind at the
service center an explosive that did not detonate, made of three
pipe bombs, Chief Burguan said. In a rented Ford Expedition with
Utah plates, he said, the couple had 1,400 rounds for the rifles and
200 for the handguns with them at the time of the shootout. And at
the home where they apparently lived in the nearby city of
Redlands, officers found more than 2,500 rounds for the assault
rifles, more than 2,000 for the pistols, several hundred rounds for
a .22caliber rifle, and 12 pipe bombs. There were also supplies for
making more of them.
Law enforcement officials said the F.B.I. had uncovered evidence
that Mr. Farook was in contact over several years with extremists
domestically and abroad, including at least one person in the
United States who was investigated for suspected terrorism by fed
eral authorities in recent years, but had not been charged.
The officials called the case perplexing, saying that no clear evi
dence of terrorism had emerged, though the attack was clearly pre
meditated. The victims were Mr. Farooks coworkers at the county
health department, and the shooting may have involved grievances
against them, but it did not fit the mold for workplace violence,
either.

269 dead, millions suffer Chennai...


Continued from page 1
was ordered shut till December 6. "The situation in Tamil Nadu is
alarming. It is not an exaggeration to say that Chennai has turned
into an island," Rajnath Singh said.
Chennai suf fered unprecedented destruction, with water over
flowing from rivers and reservoirs seeping into scores of apart
ments and houses, markets, shopping malls, offices and education
al institutions, unsettling life like never before.
Though there was respite from the rains and the army, navy and
air force and the National Disaster Response Force worked hard to
rescue the marooned and provide relief, the water level did not
show major signs of receding.
Residents complained about lack of medicines, milk, potable
water, vegetables and public transport. Some 1.64 lakh people
were housed in 460 camps in Chennai, Cuddalore, Thiruvallur and
Kanchipuram districts. Many thousands also shifted to others'
houses after water entered theirs. In several places, power supply
and communication lines were down, adding to the misery.
"I have had no drinking water and milk since yesterday
(Wednesday)," Harish Rao told IANS from his house in south

Chennai.
The worst hit were the poor, tens of thousands of who live in
shanties in lowlying areas. Hundreds were stranded at the railway
stations. Banks advised customers to use ATMs to take out cash as
some branches would not open.
Surinder Singh, a doctor from Delhi who was stuck in Chennai,
told IANS: "It looks like the entire city is under one foot of water. In
some places, the water level is more. Flood water has reached
almost every locality, including posh areas. Everyone on the streets
is barefoot."
Jayalalitha, who had a meeting with Modi, said over 41.95 lakh
food packets were provided to people and those living in apart
ments in affected areas were given water bottles and food by heli
copters and boats.
She said the power supply would be restored once the water was
drained out of the flooded areas.
The railways cancelled 20 trains out of Chennai Central and
Chennai Egmore stations and seven trains from other stations.
People in many areas opened up their homes to the distressed.
Some gave away food to those marooned. Hundreds had moved to
rooftops in the hope of getting food packets from military helicop
ters. Chennai has been battling heavy rains since early November
due to a low pressure area over southwest Bay of Bengal. The
floods have also killed 54 in neighboring Andhra Pradesh and two
in Puducherry.

Modi talks tough at Paris climate...


Continued from page 1
world leaders, he mentioned that India would not agree to a Paris
agreement without a clear differentiation in responsibilities and
action between the rich and developing worlds in all elements of
the proposed deal such as mitigation, adaptation and transparency.
Rich nations are keen on diluting dif ferentiation in the Paris
agreement and, instead, have a universal agreement for all 196
nations who are party to the climate convention.
Modi spoke on all elements of the proposed deal from mitigation
to adaptation to technology transfer to proposed transparency
mechanism, putting forth Indias point of view. In all, he made
Indias stand clear and it may not ring pleasant bells in the ears of
negotiators from rich nations.
Their attempt to put curbs on use of coal fuel received a clear no
from the Prime Minister. He said conventional energy coal
was needed for growth and warned against any attempt to impose
barriers to economic growth in the name of climate change.
Modis refrain on Monday was clear that rich nations need to do
more to fight climate change and provide enough of the remain
ing carbon space to the developing world to grow and meet aspi
rations of billions of poor people living there.
Carbon space is the amount of emission that can be added to the
atmosphere without huge implications. Also, the Prime Minister
underscored Indias assistance to the fight against climate change,
called Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), say
ing it was doing much more than its capability.

New Delhi Bureau


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Delhi@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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December 5-11, 2015

TRISTATE COMMUNITY

NYTS Deepavali 2015 program a grand success


New York: New York Tami Sangam (NYTS)
Deepavali 2015 Prog ram Deepavali
Athiradi Natchathira Saravedi was a smash
ing success. The celebrations coincided with
45 years of community service by NYTS.
Ram Rammohan, NYTS Secretary delivered
the welcome address.
The auditorium was filled to its capacity
including the seats in the balcony. A total of
850 people attended the program and the
audience sat and enjoyed the program until
the end. Super Singers Divagar, Sonia,
Deepak and Jessica stole the hearts of each
one in the audience and so did the Jodi#1
dancers Amudhavanan, Anandi and Priya.
While Jessica enthralled the crowd with her
melodies, Divagar, Sonia and Deepak mes
merized the crowd with all alltime hit Tamil
songs.
Amudhavanan was outstanding with his
comedy skits where the audience was
unstoppable in laughing. Amudhavanan
taught how to perform mimicry with the
help of some members in the audience and
impersonated various actors for a song
which was so hilarious and incredible.

Dr. Ramanathan Raju MD, President & CEO of


NYC HHC (Center) and Judge Raja Rajeswari,
Manhattan Criminal Court was honored
at the event.

NYTS Former President & Advisor Kanchana


Poola honored actor Pooja Kumar.

Anandi and Priya were excellent with their


dance numbers where the audience was
seen awe struck.
Deena, 8K radios RJ presented and talked
about 8K RadioTamil 24 hour radio station
in USA and how one can easily download the
application on their cell phones etc.

This star studded program was attended


by eminent personalities in New York who
have made the Tamil community proud
namely Dr. Ramanathan Raju MD, President
& CEO of NYC HHC, Judge Raja Rajeswari,
Manhattan Criminal Court and actor Pooja
Kumar of Viswaroopam and Uthama Villain

Vijay M Rao named


Radiological Society of
North America Board chair
Washington:
An Indian
American, considered an authori
ty on head and neck imaging, has
been named chair of the presti
gious Radiological Society of
North America or RSNA Board of
Directors.
Vijay M Rao, an All India
Institute of Medical Sciences
(AIIMS) graduate, is currently the
David C Levin Professor and
Chair of Radiology at Jef ferson
Medical College of T homas
Je f ferson
University
in
Philadelphia.
As chair of the RSNA Board, she
brings her expertise in health
services and policy matters to
bear in a shifting healthcare land
scape of increasing complexity
and declining reimbursements, a
media release said.
As chair, I will work with the
Board to advance patient care ini
tiatives, focusing on quality, safe
ty and efficiency in a patientcen
tered mo de l of care throug h
implementation of IT tools, in
partnership with industry. I will
also work with Society leadership
to find ways to leverage IT tools

Vijay M Rao
to provide educational resources
of the RSNA at point of care for
radiologists," Rao said.
Rao, who has served on the edi
torial boards of multiple journals,
has published more than 200
papers, 250 abstracts in medical
literature, and a dozen book chap
ters.
She coedited MRI and CT Atlas
of Corre lat ive Imag ing in
Otolaryngology the oldest med
ical specialty in the United States.

Abid Naseer gets 40


years in alQaida plot
to bomb NYC Subway
New York: Abid Naseer was sen
tenced to 40 years in prison Nov.
24 for a failed alQaida bomb plot
on the New York City subway.
A federal jury in Brooklyn con
victed Naseer in March following
a trial that featured spies in dis
guise, evidence from the raid on
Osama bin Laden's compound
and the defendant's questioning
of an admitted coconspirator.
Naseer was first arrested in
2009 in Great Britain on charges
he was part of a terror cell plot
ting to blow up a shopping mall
in Manchester, Eng land. T he
charges were dropped after a
British court found there wasn't
enough evidence, but U.S. prose
cutors later named him in an
indictment alleging a broader
conspiracy that included the sub
way plot. He was rearrested and
extradited to the United States in
2013 to face charges of conspira
cy and providing support to al
Qaida. The government alleged
Naseer had received bombmak
ing instructions in Pakistan in
2008, and Assistant U.S. Attorney
Zainab Ahmed told jurors the
arrest of Naseer and other mem
bers of his ce ll averted mass
murder.

fame. Vijay D. Vijayakumar, NYTS President


invited the Guests of Honor on to the stage.
NYTS Former President & Advisor Dr. M N
Krishnan introduced and honored Dr.Raju
and Judge Raja Rajeswari. NYTS Former
President & Advisor Kanchana Poola hon
ored actor Pooja Kumar. The dignitaries
were honored on stage with traditional
Ponnaadai and presented w ith
Appreciation Awards. All of them spoke
briefly and praised NYTS for its 45 years of
glorious service to the Tamil Community
and to others as well when they were in dis
tress. Vijay D. Vijayakumar, NYTS President
presented an award of honor to Jessica
Judes for her impeccable and enthralling
performance. To commemorate 45 years of
community service NYTS launched a build
ing fund drive and explained the need for
having an own building and address for
NYTS. With the pledge form float ing
amongst the audience the building fund
raised during this great program crossed a
landmark amount of $25,000 and the hope
to have an own building for NYTS started
becoming a reality now.

USAID, EnglishHelper
launch RightToRead
project in India
New York: Indian Americanled
EnglishHelper and the United
States Agency for International
Development have launched the
RightToRead project to help
improve the reading levels of
many schoolchildren in India.
The project, launched Oct. 16,
is hoping to help roughly one
million students in India. Boston,
Mass.based EnglishHelper has
developed a computerbased
technology platform that can
verbalize any text, including stu
dents textbooks. According to
the Annual Status of Education
Report (in) 2014, only 48.1 per
cent (of ) children in class 5
could read a class 2 textbook,
EnglishHelper chief executive
of ficer (global) Sanjay Gupta
said
in
a
statement.
RightToRead is a multistake
holder alliance bound together
with a common vision: to pro
vide a scalable and ef fective
solution to achieve literacy for
every child in the country.
We are seeking to demon
strate that technologyenabled

Sanjay Gupta, EnglishHelper CEO


reading support is a compulsory
opportunity that can make a real
difference, he added.
The platform uses a multisen
sory approach to improve stu
dents retention, develop vocab
ulary and enable comprehension
and pronunciation. USAID will
assist EnglishHelper in initiating
the platform into 5,000 govern
ment schools across eight states
in India. They will be set up in
existing computer labs. The
governments of the United
States and India firmly believe
that education is a pathway to
better opportunities for individ
uals, communities and nations,
said USAID mission director to
India Jonathan Addleton.

December 5-11, 2015

TRISTATE COMMUNITY

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Vin Gopal in Politickers Teen Ruchita Zaparde among 2015


Nickelodeon HALO winners
top 100 Power List
New Jersey: Vin Gopal,
in 2012. He was also elect
Monmouth
County
ed to a three year term as
Demo crat ic Committee
President of the Hazlet
Chairman has been includ
Business
Owners
ed in top 100 politically
Association, serving from
inuential people in the
January of 2010 to January
Power List for 2015 in
of 2013. Vin is the
Politicker NJ. Born and
President
of
Direct
raised in Monmouth
Development, LLC (DD), a
County to an Indian
market ing
and
cre
American, Vin is a success
ativedesign agency based in
ful entrepreneur and busi
Hazlet Township.
ness development profes
Prior to being a small
sional who graduated from
business owner, Vin
Penn State University with
worked as a legislative aide
B.A. in Political Science. Vin
to two NJ members of the
has served in a leadership
State Legislature. He was
Monmouth County
role for many nonprots,
elected Monmouth County
Democratic Committee
including the Board of
Democratic Chairman in
Chairman Vin Gopal
Trustees for Big Brothers,
June of 2012 with 73% of
Big Sisters of Monmouth and Middlesex the vote. At the age of 27, he became NJ's
Counties (20102012) and the Board of youngest person elected to head a major
Directors for the Northern
political party in Monmouth County's histo
Monmouth Chamber of Commerce (2009 ry. He remains today as the youngest per
2012), where he served as Chairman of the son to head a major political party in any of
chamber's Government Af fairs Committee New Jersey's 21 counties since June 2012.

New Jersey: An Indian


American New Jersey teen was
among four young community
leaders honored with a 2015
Nicke lo deon He lping and
Leading Others award.
Ruchita Zaparde, 18, of
Plainsboro, N.J., was awarded
the HALO honor during a Nov.
29 concert that aired across
Nickelodeon and its sister networks. The con
cert was part of a celebration of Zaparde and
three other youth Ethan Cruikshank of
Virginia, Riley Gantt of California and Joshua
Williams of Florida for their contributions to
their communities.
A student at the Princeton Day School in
Princeton, N.J., Zaparde was honored for her
Sew A Future project, which helps women
achieve nancial stability by becoming seam
stresses.
The Indian American teenager started the
project after a family trip to India where she
saw the difculties widows in the country
faced.
Through Sew A Future, now in its sixth year,
Zaparde locates women in need in India and
delivers sewing machines and supplies to

them. Fundraising ef forts by


nearly 1,500 students at 57
schools in 30 states throughout
the U.S. have led to more than
200 families receiving sewing
machines in India.
Being a HALO honoree
means sharing Sew A Future on
a platform larger than Ive even
been a part of before, which is
incredible,
Zaparde
told
myCentralJersey.com in an article published
Nov. 22.
Zaparde added in the report that it is
extremely important for teens to give back to
their community, no matter how big or small
the contribution.
We all get so caught up in our lives that
sometimes we forget there are people living
in our global community who struggle to get
by on a daily basis, she added in the
myCentralJersey.com report.
The Nickelodeon HALO awards is an annual
event now in its seventh year that recognizes
reallife kids who are making extraordinary
contributions in their communities. Winners
are awarded a grant for their organization
and scholarship funds.

Indian Americans express support for journalist


victimized for speaking up against child abuse
Washington DC: The Indian American
Muslim Council (IAMC www.iamc.com), a
US based advocacy group, has expressed
support for journalist VP Rajeena, who
described instances of sexual abuse of chil
dren that she witnessed in a Madrasa (tra
ditional Islamic school) over two decades
ago.
Rajeena, who works for a Malayalam
newspaper, posted on Facebook her child
hood experiences at a Madrasa, where an
"ustad" (teacher) allegedly engaged in abu
sive behavior with both boys and girls.
Unfortunately, instead of taking the jour
nalist's revelations with the seriousness
they deserve, many Muslims questioned
her motives or launched a harassment

VP Rajeena

CONGRESS LEADERS FETE


GEORGE ABRAHAM
Chennai: Senior Congress leaders of Tamil
Nadu including Pradesh Cong ress
Committee President and former Union
Minister EVKS Elangovan felicitated George
Abraham, chairman of Indian National
Overseas Congress (INOC) at a function
held in Satyamurti Bhavan, the headquar
ters of the party, in Chennai recently.
Elangovan placed a shawl on Abraham as
mark of respect before the invited Congress
leaders and workers and praised the efforts
of Abraham in propagating the ideals of the
grand old party in the US. Elangovan said
the INOC not only invites Congress leaders
visiting the US to attend events in New York
but also actively involves itself in various

national and state elections in India. He


complimented the team headed by
Abraham for their active involvement.
Others who attended include Youth
Cong ress leader Vazhapadi Rama
Suganthan, State Congress spokespersons
Tiruchi Veluswamy, Jothimani, America
Narayanan and SM Hidayathulah and
Chairman of State SC and ST Wing Selva
Perunthagai.

Tamil Nadu Pradesh Congress


Committee President EVKS Elangovan
(right) honors INOC Chair George
Abraham

campaign online including


threats and hateful remarks.
Rajeena has repeatedly
stated her post was not
intended to be a generaliza
tion of all Madrasas, but a
sharing of her own experi
ence. Since Rajeena's revela
tions, Kerala lmmaker Ali
Akbar has come forward
alleging abuse by an Ustad
at a Madrasa in Wayanad
district.
"T here
are
many
Madrasas across India that
have made positive contri
butions to Islamic scholar

ship and to the religious and spiritual


upbringing of Muslims. However it does
not mean all Madrasas are automatically
immune to problems in the wider society,"
said Umar Malick, President of Indian
American Muslim Council. "We support
Rajeena's right not only to speak up about
past abuse but also warn the community
about the potential for such abuse, that
would victimize innocent children," added
Malick.
IAMC has called for an internal but inde
pendent and transparent assessment by
credible community leaders, leading up to
an investigation by law enforcement in all
instances where there are grounds to
believe the law has been violated.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

NATIONAL COMMUNITY

Indian to lead US varsity's cancer


prevention, control research
Washington DC: The University of
Michigan Comprehensive Cancer
Centre has appointed Bhramar
Mukherjee as associate director for
population science research. He will
oversee work on cancer causes, pre
vention, care delivery and outcomes.
"As a biostatistician and epidemi
ologist, I can bring a lot to this role,"
a university re lease quoted
Mukherjee as saying.
"We live in a very datadriven
world. There are tremendous oppor
tunities, both within the University
of Michigan and nationally around
big data using medical records and
mining large datasets to manage
patient outcomes and care," she said.
"Groundbreaking prevention and
health communications research is
happening today by using social
media and mobile sensors. Data is
helping us to better understand dis
parities in cancer care, delivery and
outcomes." Mukherjee is John D.
Kalbeisch Collegiate professor of
biostatistics and professor of epi
demiology at the UM School of
Public Health. She also serves as the

associate chair for biostatistics. Her


cancer research has focused on how
the interaction between genes and
the environment impacts cancer
risk. She has studied the roles of
diet, physical activity and lifestyle
factors, and their interplay with the
genetic architecture of an individual.
"I am so impressed with Mukherjee.
She is a stellar researcher in biosta
tistics, epidemiology and disparities.
These are key issues for our cancer
centre to address," said Ted
Lawrence, distinguished professor of
Oncology and director of the UM
Comprehensive Cancer Centre.
Mukherjee plans to foster and
facilitate crosscollaboration within
the population sciences programme
in the cancer centre and across vari
ous other units at the University of
Michigan, something she has done
frequently as a biostatistician.
The associate director for popula
tion science position was last held
by Stephen B. Gruber, who is now
the director of the University of
Southern
California
Norris
Comprehensive Cancer Centre.

PRANAV DESAI NAMED ADVISER


TO ACCESSIBLE INDIA CAMPAIGN
Washington, DC: Indian American
techie Pranav Desai has been
appointed adviser to the Accessible
India campaign scheduled to be
launched by Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi Dec. 3 to make
transport, public spaces and infor
mation and communication technol
ogy accessible to dif ferentlyabled
people.
Desai, a polio survivor, is vice
president of global IT services com
pany NTT Data and had played a
key role in the inclusion of issues
related to speciallyabled people in
the ruling BJP's Vision 2020 docu
ment and its election manifesto.
Desai, who had met Modi when
the latter toured Silicon Valley in
September, said the Accessible India
Campaign would jumpstart a trans
formation by creating massive
awareness for the disability sector.
Desai was appointed adviser to
the campaign by the Ministry of
Social Justice and Empowerment.
He is the founder of the nongov

Educator sues Emporia State


University officials for racism
Washington, DC: A former assistant professor has
led a racial discrimination lawsuit against four
Emporia State University ofcials, a month after
another professor in the same department also sued
the Kansas school.
Rajesh Singh, an Indian American educator, taught
at the university's School of Library and Information
Management from 2009 until he was red in
January 2015. His lawsuit names two current
administrators in the department, Provost David
Cordle and former university president Michael
Shonrock. The university will be added to the law
suit when Singh's attorneys receive a right to sue
letter from the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission.
The lawsuit comes about a month after Melvin
Hale, an assistant professor in the same department,
led a defamation and invasion of privacy lawsuit
against the university.
In the lawsuit, Singh details discrimination and
retaliation from department Dean Gwen Alexander
and interim associate dean Andrew Smith, who he
said were supported by Cordle and Shonrock. He
said the discrimination occurred despite his receiv
ing positive reviews during his rst three years on
campus. Singh alleges the discrimination began in
2010 after he asked to be paid the same as two
other, newer staf f members, including Smith. He

December 5-11, 2015

Rajesh Singh was fired in January 2015


said he was actively marginalized and criticized, cul
minating when all of his fall 2014 teaching assign
ments were canceled without warning, he was
locked out of his ofce and had all his ofce con
tents seized. Singh said he sought to resolve the con
ict through personal meetings and the university's
procedures, but administrators ignored or disputed
his efforts and did not follow the procedures.
The university does not comment on pending liti
gation, spokeswoman Gwen Larson said. Alexander,
who has been on administrative leave for most of
this school year, plans to retire next June.

Pranav Desai seen with Prime Minister Narendra Modi


ernmental Voice of Accessible India,
which has been working on a multi
pronged approach as part of the
roadmap to achieve Vision 2020
such as providing policy inputs on
assisting technologies, proposals to
railways, nance and seven other
ministries for adopting inclusive
policy decisions, a media release

said.
The campaign, Desai said, is now
becoming a countrywide reality and
inspiration to other nations in the
world as well. The campaign by the
government, social leaders and
media will help sensitize the society
at large and accelerate change and
transformation, he added.

Over 100 South Asian


immigrant detainees
on hunger strike
Washington, DC: About 110
detainees, largely from South Asia,
at three immigration detention cen
ters in Alabama and California are
on hunger strike demanding an end
to their indenite connement and
improved conditions. The hunger
strikes started Wednesday at deten
tion centers in Etowah County,
Alabama, Theo Lacey facility in
Orange County, California, and Otay
detention facility in San Diego,
California, according to Vice News.
Most of the hunger strikers are
Bangladeshi. T hey also include
detainees from India, Pakistan,
Nigeria, Cameroon, Ethiopia and
Togo. The detainees are calling for
an end to all detention and deporta
tion, according to Fahd Ahmed,
executive director of Desis Rising
Up and Moving (DRUM), a New
Yorkbased organization that advo
cates on behalf of South Asian
immigrants. They are also demand
ing the abolition of the socalled
"bed quota," which requires immi

gration authorities to hold an aver


age of 34,000 people in detention
on any given day, he said. All of the
hunger strikers are said to be asy
lum seekers that have passed the
"credible fear" stage of the asylum
review process, although some have
since had their claims denied, Vice
News said. Many of the hunger
strikers are said to support the
Bangladesh National Party (BNP),
the country's second largest politi
cal group that according to a recent
Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) decision qualies as an
undesignated "Tier III" terrorist
organization.T he latest hunger
strike was preceded by a similar
action in October, when dozens of
immigrant detainees in El Paso and
Louisiana's La Salle facility refused
meals for about 10 days. Former El
Paso hunger striker Kamran Ahmed
said on Thursday that ICE has mis
characterized his political views in
relation to the BNP. "We don't know
why they call us terrorists," he said.

December 5-11, 2015

NATIONAL COMMUNITY

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

IN BRIEF

Leading Indian actors lend voice


to AIDS awareness content

Ambassador Verma at Akshay Patras Bangalore Kitchen

Richard Verma visits Akshay


Patras Bangalore kitchen

S Ambassador Richard Rahul Ver


ma visited Akshay Patras kitchen
in Bangalore on November 4. Dur
ing his visit, Ambassador Verma was
shown the customized kitchen technolo
gy, including the ecofriendly solar pan
els, briquette boilers and RO plant. He
was impressed by the boilers reliance on
plantwaste briquettes instead of petrole
um fuels.
Ambassador Verma rolled up his
sleeves to prepare the school meals, don
ning an apron, gloves, and hair cover. Am
bassador Verma stirred pulao and kesari
bhat as they cooked in customtilt caul

drons.
The Ambassador watched the food be
ing packaged into the distribution vessels
and sent by conveyor belts to the dispatch
area. He was deeply impressed by the
cleanliness and hygiene of the kitchen
processes.
As he departed from the kitchen, Am
bassador Verma promised to endorse the
good work of Akshaya Patra . Later on
that day, Ambassador Verma highlighted
Akshaya Patra's work in a speech titled
"Technology, Innovation, and Societal
Change" at the Indian Institute of Man
agement Bangalore.

New tech enables solar cells


to absorb more light

team of scientists at Stanford Uni


versity, that includes an Indian
origin researcher, has discovered
how to make the shiny upper metal con
tact 'invisible' to light, thereby funnel
ing light directly into the cell.
Their findings could lead to a new
paradigm in the design and fabrication
of solar cells.
In most solar cells, the upper contact
consists of a metal wire grid that carries
electricity to or from the device. But
these shiny wires also prevent sunlight
from reaching the semiconductor.
"Using nanotechnology, we have de
veloped a novel way to make the upper
metal contact nearly invisible to incom
ing light," said study lead author Vijay
Narasimhan, who conducted the work
as a graduate student at Stanford.
"The more metal you have on the sur
face, the more light you block. That
light is then lost and cannot be con
verted to electricity," explained study
coauthor Yi Cui, an associate professor
of materials science and engineering.
Metal contacts, therefore, face a seem

ingly irreconcilable tradeof f between


electrical conductivity and optical
transparency.
The solution: Create nanosized pillars
of silicon that "tower" above the metal
surface and redirect the sunlight before
it hits the metallic surface.
The scientists immersed silicon and a
perforated gold film together in a solu
tion of hydrofluoric acid and hydrogen
peroxide.
The gold film immediately began
sinking into the silicon substrate, and
silicon nanopillars began popping up
through the holes in the film.
Within seconds, the shiny gold sur
face turned dark red. This dramatic
colour change was a clear indication
that the metal was no longer reflecting
light.
"As soon as the silicon nanopillars be
gan to emerge, they started funnelling
light around the metal grid and into the
silicon
substrate
underneath,"
Narasimhan explained.
The findings were published in the
journal ACS Nano.

lobal NGO TeachAIDS on Monday


said it has roped in 22 leading Indian
film actors to create instructional an
imated multimedia content to promote
HIV education, especially in schools.
Launched on the eve of world AIDS Day,
the material is available free of cost for all
on the NGO's website.
IndianAmerican Stanford University lec
turer and social activist Piya Sorcar, the
founder of TeacherAIDS, told reporters that
they have also made 100,000 CDs for dis
tribution among state AIDS control soci
eties, schools, hospitals and counseling
centers.
Amitabh Bachchan, Akkineni Nagarjuna,
Shabana Azmi, Suhashini Maniratnam,
Anushka Shetty, Sudeep, Suriya, Imran
Khan and Shruti Hassan have given their
voice for the animations to promote HIV
prevention among Indian youth.
The material has been prepared in seven
languages Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada,
Assamese, Odia and English.
Trustee Amala Akkineni said they em
barked on the project following the good
feedback from a Telugu CD prepared in
2011. Sorcar said through indepth re
search and intensive localization, the NGO
creates stateoftheart HIV education ma
terials and makes them available for free

Social activist Piya Sorcar


founder of TeacherAIDS
and accessible to those who need them
most. She said the initiative would go a
long way in promoting awareness among
school children as the teachers feel shy to
discuss the subject.
"We are humbled that this initiative has
the support of the most iconic cultural fig
ures of India who have donated their voic
es and personalities to this movement," she
said. Spun out of Stanford University,
TeachAIDS (www.teachaids.org) is a non
profit social venture that creates break
through software solving numerous per
sistent problems in HIV and AIDS preven
tion around the world.

Lufthansa sweepstakes celebrates Diwali

ufthansas India Ticket Sweepstakes,


available at lh.com/us/india, is inspir
ing families and friends to continue en
joying Diwali. One grandprize winner will
be selected at random to receive two round
trip Economy Class tickets from any of
Lufthansas 21 gateways in the U.S. and
Canada to one of the airlines five India gate
ways. The sweepstakes invites entrants to
answer multiplechoice questions, including

some regarding Lufthansas flights to India.


The airline introduced scheduled service to
Kolkata, India in 1959 and today flies to five
cities, including Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi,
Mumbai and Pune. The sweepstakes is cur
rently underway and ends at midnight on
December 14, 2015. It is open to residents
of the United States and Canada, excluding
Puerto Rico and the Provence of Quebec. To
enter, go to: lh.com/us/india.

Paris Attacks: US visa waiver program,


'smart' passports may tighten

he U.S. House of Representatives


could vote as soon as next week on a
measure that would tighten U.S. bor
der controls after last month's Paris attacks
by toughening entry requirements for trav
elers from countries that currently have
visa requirements waived, a Republican
leader said on Wednesday. "Now we're look
ing at the visa waiver program those gaps
and vulnerabilities in that," House Majority
Leader Kevin McCarthy said on CNN.
"You're going to see a bill roll out later this
week and pass next week as well." Mc
Carthy then told Fox Business Network the
bill would be unveiled on Thursday and that
he expected it would pass with strong bi
partisan support in the Republicancon
trolled House. If it does not pass as a stand
alone bill, some lawmakers and congres
sional aides also have said a visa measure

could be rolled into a sweeping spending


bill that must pass by Dec. 11 to keep the
government from shutting down. U.S. offi
cials have been looking at ways to tighten
border security since the Nov. 13 attacks in
Paris, which killed 130 people. The militant
group Islamic State has claimed responsi
bility for the attacks, and threatened to send
more fighters to the West. The Obama ad
ministration announced changes this week
to the visa waiver program, which allows
travelers from 38 countries to enter the
United States without obtaining visas before
they travel. Each year about 20 million vis
itors use the program, which allows them to
stay 90 days. Under the changes, security
officials can more closely screen such trav
elers, including collecting more information
from people who have made past visits to
countries such as Syria and Iraq.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

December 5-11, 2015

US AFFAIRS

TWO MASS SHOOTINGS IN A WEEK


Pak origin couple did commandostyle
planning for California shooting
W a s h i n g t o n :
Invest ig ators
on
Thursday hunted for
motives why a heavily
armed USborn county
health worker and his
Pakistanborn w ife
killed 14 people and
injured 17 others dur
ing a holiday party in
California.
T he suspects in
Wednesday's shooting Syed Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik were killed in
Farhan Khan, brotherinlaw of San Bernardino
in San Bernardino gunfire battle with the police within hours of the duo
shooting suspect Syed Farook, speaking at the
were identified as Syed
killing 14 and wounding 17 in a government facility
press conference in Anaheim, CA, called by Council
Rizwan Farook, 28,
where Farook worked.
on AmericanIslamic Relations on Wednesday
who was born in the
US, and a woman described as his Pakistan bought legally, according to the New York to ShootingTracker.com, which tracks
born wife, Tashfeen Malik, 27, according to Times. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, deaths by guns in America, the US has seen
the Washington Post. The couple apparent Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives con 355 mass shootings so far in 2015. Twenty
ly did commandostyle planning for the firmed that it had traced all four guns, but days of 2015 saw four or more mass shoot
deadliest US mass shooting since the Sandy it would not identify the buyer, which two ings in a single day.
In the past week, there have been six
Hook Elementary School massacre on weapons those were, or say where they
mass shootings, ShootingTracker.com
December 14, 2012 when a gunman shot were bought, the NYT said.
Officials cited by the daily said the two reports including the shootout at a
20 children and six adult staff members in
assault rifles were variants of the AR15, Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado
Newtown, Connecticut.
"I don't think they grabbed the guns and the semiautomatic version of the military Springs, Colorado. The San Bernardino
tactical gear on a spurofthemoment M16 rifle; one was made by DPMS Panther massacre was the second one on
thing," San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Arms, and the other was a Smith & Wesson Wednesday alone. Earlier in the day, four
Burguan was quoted as saying hours after M&P model, a designation meaning mili people were shot at in Georgia, one of
whom died.
the rampage and a police shootout that left tary and police.
Despite only accounting for 5 percent of
There are roughly 300 million firearms
both alleged shooters dead.
Armed with .223calibre assault rifles and the global population, an astounding 31 in the US one for every American. Tens of
semiautomatic handguns and wearing percent of the world's mass shootings millions of Americans, however, do not own
masks and body armour, Farook and Malik occur in the US, NBC reported citing the guns, NBC said.
Fifty times more Americans have been
are believed to have opened fire at a social University of Alabama Department of
services centre in San Bernardino around Criminal Justice. There have been more killed by guns than terrorist attacks since
11 a.m. on Wednesday. Federal agents have mass shootings defined as incidents in 9/11, it said citing the US Centers for
traced the origins of the four guns recov which four or more victims are shot than Disease Control and Prevention and Global
ered from the suspects, at least two of them days in the calendar year, it said. According Terrorism Database.

Mayor Emanuel fires


Chicago police chief over
black man killed by cop
Chicago: City Mayor Rahm Emanuel dis
missed Police Superintendent Garry F.
McCarthy after nights of demonstration
that followed the videos release of a white
police officer shooting a black teenager 16
times along a Chicago street last year and
growing calls for changes at the citys
Police Department and beyond.
It was a sudden shift for. Emanuel, who
had brought Mr. McCarthy to Chicago four
years ago and had expressed confidence in
his work as recently as last week. And it
highlighted the intensifying public and
political pressure the Mayor faces over the
shooting of the teenager, Laquan
McDonald; the integrity of the depart
ments handling of his death; and the citys
resistance to releasing the video. The
footage became public last week only after
a judges order.

Updating the
Planned Parenthood
shooting in Colorado
Colorado Springs, CO: Three people died
and nine others were wounded last Friday
after a gunman opened fire at a Planned
Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs,
Colorado. Gov. John Hickenlooper on
Sunday called the shooting "a form of ter
rorism" and said the United States needs to
do more to "keep guns out of the hands of
people that are unstable."
The alleged gunman has been identified
as Robert Lewis Dear, 57. Described by his
neighbors as a loner and someone "you had
to watch out for," Dear had several previous
runins with the law. Dear is being held
without bond on charges of firstdegree
murder .
Multiple news outlets have reported that
Dear mentioned "no more baby parts" in a
statement taken by law enforcement after
he was in custody. Though Dear's motives
for the attack have not been confirmed by
investigators, "baby parts" is a clear refer
ence to the widely debunked series of
videos released earlier this year that show
Planned Parenthood staf f talking about
fetal tissue research.

The shooter, Robert Lewis Dear, mentioned


no more baby parts echoing the antiabor
tion rhetoric of some right wing Republicans.

Republicans say no to new gun


control legislation after San Bernardino
Washington: Republicans in Congress
made it clear Thursday that they will not
be moving quickly to bring up new gun
control legislation in the wake of
Wednesday's shootings in San Bernardino,
Calif.
Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday there
are still too many unknowns about the San
Bernardino shootings, but he said one com
mon theme among many mass shootings is
mental illness, an issue he says Congress
has already been working on with legisla
tion.
"People with mental illness are getting
guns and committing these mass shoot
ings," Ryan said on CBS This Morning. Ryan
made the same point earlier this week in
reaction to the postThanksgiving shooting
at a Colorado Planned Parenthood clinic.

The Wisconsin Republican said part of the


discussion surrounding mental health leg
islation is who should and shouldn't have
access to guns, but he signaled that barring
gun purchases by people on nofly terror
lists as President Obama urged
Wednesday is not an option.
Ryan said government officials put peo
ple on such lists without any due legal
process and so denying those listed the
right to bear arms would violate their
rights. "People have due process rights in
this country," he said.
He said that if someone is suspected of
plotting an attack, law enforcement of fi
cials should arrest them.
Ryan suggested there will be multiple
issues Congress can address, whether it's
finding gaps in enforcement or passing leg

islation. But he said there shouldn't be a


rush to do either at the risk of "infringing
upon the rights of lawabiding citizens."
Obama said Wednesday that Congress
should, at a minimum, take up legislation
that would bar anyone on the federal ter
rorist watch list from buying a gun. He told
CBS News "some may be aware of the fact
that we have a nofly list where people
can't get on planes but those same people
who we don't allow to fly could go into a
store right now in the United States and
buy a firearm and there's nothing that we
can do to stop them. That's a law that
needs to be changed. But House
Republicans have rejected several
Democratic attempts to use a procedural
motion to bring that legislation to the
House floor this week.

10

December 5-11, 2015

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

INDIA

RAINS, FLOODS DEVASTATE CHENNAI;


RS.15,000 CRORE LOSS ESTIMATED

After some days of respite, fresh downpour crippled life in Chennai, flooding numerous roads and neighbourhoods and causing traffic jams and power cuts.
Chennai/New Delhi: Life in the Tamil Nadu
capital was crippled as fresh downpour
worsened an already disastrous flood situa
tion, posing danger to thousands of people
in lowlying areas. The financial loss may
exceed Rs.15,000 crore, an industry lobby
body said, as weather forecasting agencies
predicted heavy rain to continue for at least
the next two days.
Soldiers joined the rescue and relief work
and more troops were on their way from
Bengaluru to Chennai, the sprawling south
ern metropolis with over 4.6 million resi
dents.
The unprecedented rains, the worst in
100 years, have battered Tamil Nadu's
northern districts such as Chennai,
Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram and Cuddalore. In
the last spell of rains, around 180 people
had died in the four districts.
Union Urban Development Minister M.
Venkaiah Naidu said in New Delhi that the
situation was "unheard of and unprecedent
ed", and promised all help to the belea
guered city and other areas.

A joint statement by the India


Meteorological Department (IMD) and
Skymet, a private weather forecasting
agency said: "Tamil Nadu's weather is
under observation for the next 72 hours as
the rain in the next 48 hours is going to be
comparatively heavy."
The financial loss may exceed Rs.15,000
crore, the Asso ciated Chambers of
Commerce and Industry of India
(Assocham) said, while the state govern
ment put the total loss at Rs.8,481 crore.
The government said 72,119 people were
housed in 432 relief camps, but thousands
of passengers were still stranded at the
Chennai airport and railway stations.
Electricity supply snapped in many areas.
Telephone services too were hit.
With schools and colleges shut, and vast
areas under water, most buses went off the
roads and suburban train services were
suspended. Autorickshaws and taxis plied
in some parts of Chennai but the operators
fleeced commuters. A taxi driver reportedly
charged Rs.4,500 to ferry three people

Facebook activates 'Safety


Check' for Chennai floods
New York: Facebook activated the
"Safety Check" feature for its users
in Chennai early on Thursday to
provide them with a way to reas
sure loved ones that they are safe
in the floodhit city, a media report
said.
As the torrential rains in
Chennai entered its fourth straight
day, with power and telephone
lines down in many areas owing to
flooding, Facebook's Safety Check
feature would allow people to
mark themselves as "safe" from
the floods, Time reported.
The feature, which debuted in
October 2014, allows Facebook to

ask users whether they're safe if


located near a natural disaster. A
click or tap on the "I'm Safe" but
ton lets friends and loved ones
know straight away. Users can
also check to see whether their
friends are safe too.
Facebook's Safety Check feature
has now been deployed on several
occasions, the most recent being
last month's terrorist attacks in
Paris. T he torrential rains in
Chennai has impacted normal life.
Many were stranded in their
homes, with the army and air
force deployed for rescue opera
tions across the city.

from the airport to a hotel.


The Indian Coast Guard has shifted over
150 marooned people in Chennai, and over
1,000 people stranded at dif ferent loca
tions were provided with food cooked on
board Coast Guard ships.
Unlike in the past, upmarket localities
like Shastri Nagar, Anna Nagar, Alwarpet
and Mylapore were flooded. With the river
overflowing, traffic over the Adayar bridge
near Saidapet was closed for safety.
Surplus water from Poondi reservoir,
which supplies water to Chennai, was
released, causing more misery. Water level
in the Chembarambakkam, Puzhal and
Sholavaram reservoirs have also touched
the danger mark.
Marriage may not be the first thing on
your mind when your life has been disrupt
ed by a torrential downpour and there is
water everywhere. However, braving heavy
rain and flooding, many couples across the
state capital entered into wedlock on
Wednesday, an auspicious day for wed
dings.

The Southern Railway cancelled 13 trains


out of Egmore station and four trains from
Chennai Central. Ten trains from other sta
tions too were axed.
Several private establishments declared a
holiday. The government on Wednesday
issued an advisory to private sector under
takings to allow their employees to take
leave or permit them to work from home
on Thursday and Friday.
The Hindu and Business Standard news
papers did not come out on Wednesday
due to heavy rains. The Hindu will be pub
lished on Thursday, a newspaper employee
said.
Telecom service providers and mobile
payment solutions providers have come up
with free mobile recharges to help the resi
dents stay connected.
Police have meanwhile blocked the wide
stretch of Chennai beach as a precaution.
According to of ficials, the Chennai air
port has been shut till Thursday morning
and all flights have been cancelled after the
runway got flooded.

Uproar in Rajya Sabha over


Selja's caste bias remark
New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha wit
nessed three adjournments in the
prelunch session after an uproar
over former union minister and
Congress member Kumari Selja's
remark that she was asked about
her caste at a temple in Gujarat.
Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien
adjourned the house for 20 min
utes at 12.17 p.m. after the lead
ers of the house could not reach a
consensus over the issue.
Chairman Hamid Ansari had
convened a meeting of the leaders
before adjourning the house for
15 minutes at 12.07 p.m. to end

Kumari Selja
the stalemate after the treasury
benches on Wednesday sought to
contradict Selja's claim that she
faced caste discrimination at the

temple when she visited it as a


union minister. The Rajya Sabha
was first adjourned till 11.44 a.m.
over the issue. When the house
reassembled, union minister
Piyush Goel regretted his remarks
in which he had termed Selja's
claim as "manufactured discrimi
nation".
Leader of the House Arun Jaitley
referred to Selja's comment made
during the discussion on constitu
tion and said that contrary to her
claim, Selja's comments in the visi
tors' book of the temple were full
of "complimentary words".

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

December 5-11, 2015

INDIA

11

Amid sparks, Rajnath says intolerance won't be allowed


New Delhi: Home Minister Rajnath Singh
has said the government won't allow intol
erance at any cost and urged intellectuals
who have returned their awards to take
them back, as Congress vice president
Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister
Narendra Modi of silence over remarks jus
tifying intolerance by some of his col
leagues.
Rajnath Singh, who wound up a twoday
debate in the Lok Sabha, reached out to the
opposition and promised that mistakes if
any would be rectified by the government.
The debate saw furious Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) members repeatedly refer to the
197577 Emergency, the antiSikh riots of
1984 and the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits
from the Kashmir Valley to take digs at the
Congress. These were dubbed the three
biggest instances of intolerance.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha to mark the
125th birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar,
one of the prime architects of the constitu
tion, Modi said: "The mantra of unity should
be in focus... There are many excuses to be
divided but we must look for opportunities
to be united."
"We wanted a united India," he said, refer
ring to the partition of the country in 1947.
But Modi steered away from the topic of
intolerance. Rajnath Singh did not. He

Home Minister Rajnath Singh.


rejected charges of intolerance hurled at the
government, and said the BJP and Modi
were the worst victim of intolerance in poli
tics. Gandhi asked Modi not to learn wrong
lessons from Pakistan, which "has failed
because they did not allow the voice of peo
ple to be heard".
"Our greatest strength is our tolerance,"
he said during a speech that saw repeated
interruptions by BJP MPs. At one time,

Sushma Swaraj
likely to visit Pakistan
next week
Islamabad: External
Af fairs
Minister
Sushma Swaraj is likely
to visit Pakistan next
wee k for a reg ional
conference
on
Afghanistan, officials in
Islamabad said.
Pakistan is cohosting
a ministeriallevel con
ference on December 9
to discuss reg ional
cooperat ion
on
Afghanistan and of fi
cials of about 27 coun
tries are expected to
attend it.
A Foreign Office (FO)
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
of ficial told PTI that
Pakistan has invited the Foreign Pakistan's Foreign Of fice and an Indian
Ministers of different countries including diplomat that "Swaraj will most likely
attend the conference following this
India for the meeting.
"We hope for maximum participation, week's unscheduled meeting between the
though some of the countries like India so prime ministers of Pakistan and India in
far not confirmed highlevel participa Paris".
PM Modi and Mr Sharif had a brief
tion," he said on condition of anonymity.
meeting
during which they warmly held
Another FO of ficial said there was
hands
before
sitting down for a chat, with
"greater possibility" that Ms Swaraj would
come to Pakistan for the regional confer the Indian side describing the encounter
ence after the brief interaction between as a "brief exchange of courtesies" but
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistanis terming it as a "good" meeting.
Ms Swaraj's possible visit may also indi
Pakistani counterpart in Paris on the
cate breaking of impasse created in Indo
sidelines of the UN climate summit.
According to Dawn, a senior Pakistani Pak t ies after the cance llat ion of a
of ficial said that Ms Swaraj was "highly meeting between the NSAs of the two
countries in August amid mutual blame
likely" to attend the meeting.
The Express Tribune quoted officials at game.

Gandhi was taunted as he took a sip of


water. "At least let me drink water," he
exclaimed.
Gandhi asked: "Will the prime minister
start listening to the voice of our people? Or
will he stand by and watch as his colleagues
trample on people's voice?
"Does he (Modi) think he can condemn
our nation into silence?"
The Congress leader cited instances to

back his charge of intolerance, including the


lynching of a Muslim man in Uttar Pradesh
on charges of eating beef. He sought the
resignation of union minister V.K. Singh for
allegedly comparing Dalit children with
dogs.
Rajnath Singh said: "The country will
decide who is intolerant. As far as the gov
ernment is concerned, we will not allow
intolerance in any circumstances."
He said he was prepared to meet the intel
lectuals who have returned the awards.
"Let's talk." The government was willing to
take any step towards harmony and correct
mistakes if any.
Rajnath Singh said an attempt had been
made to defame the Modi government by
returning literary and other awards.
As he referred to tensions in some Muslim
countries, opposition members asked him
to reply to allegations concerning the Modi
government.
NCP leader Supriya Sule said: "Rajnath ji,
you had asked for suggestions. I am giving
you one: please ask your ministers to think
before they speak."
BJP's Kirron Kher said intellectuals and
writers did not think of returning their
awards when thousands of Kashmiri Pandits
fled the Kashmir Valley and after the anti
Sikh riots of 1984 that left thousands dead.

India's interest is in a peaceful,


stable Nepal: Sushma
New Delhi: The present state of confronta
tion in Nepal needs to be addressed by the
political parties and the people of Nepal,
External Af fairs Minister Sushma Swaraj
said on Thursday adding that "India's inter
est is in only peaceful, united and stable
Nepal". "The causes underlying the present
state of confrontation in Nepal need to be
addressed credibly and ef fectively by the
political parties and people of Nepal them
selves," Swaraj said in a statement in the
Rajya Sabha on a calling attention motion

by Janata Dal (United) leader Pawan Kumar


Verma. "India's only interest is in a peace
ful, united and stable Nepal and our
approach is completely consistent with
these objectives," she said.
The minister also clarified that there was
no blockade of Nepal by India.
"Obstructions are by the Nepalese popu
lation on the Nepalese side in which gov
ernment of India can not interfere. There is
no blockade by India of supplies going to
Nepal," the minister

JDU keen to change its symbol


to 'wheel': Nitish Kumar
Patna: Bihar's ruling JDU will approach
the Election Commission to change its
election symbol 'arrow' in favor of its pre
vious symbol 'wheel', Chief Minister Nitish
Kumar said.
"The JDU will approach the Election
Commission for a change of its symbol.
There is unanimous agreement in the
party on this," the Janata DalUnited
leader told the media here.
He said there was confusion among vot
ers over the 'arrow' symbol, with some
other parties having more or less similar
symbol.
"The JDU lost some seats (in the assem
bly polls) due to confusion over the party's
symbol with other parties' similar symols."
He said the JDU was keen to get its old
symbol 'wheel'.
"JDU will talk to (former prime minister
and Janata DalSecular president H.D.)
Deve Gowda for this," he said.
The 'wheel' was the symbol of Janata Dal
before it split into the JDU

and JDS.
JDU leaders Ajay Alok and Neeraj
Kumar say the party lost at least four seats
as people confused the JDU symbol with
the 'bow and arrow' symbol of the
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Shiv Sena.
The JDU contested 101 of the 243 seats
and won 71.

12

December 5-11, 2015

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

OP-ED

COP21 MUST FIND PRACTICAL,


PRAGMATIC, SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

By Amit Kapoor

staggering 147 heads of state have


assembled at Paris to discuss and pos
sibly find a solution to the problem of
climate change at the COP21. The broad
consensus that exists is that the global tem
peratures should not be allowed to breach
the 2 degree Celsius change over the pre
industrial atmospheric temperatures.
However, the foundations of this number as
well the likelihood of averting this limit both
seem shaky at present.
The reason is that the limit before it
become mainstream in the climate change
policy discourse was used by Yale economist
William Nordhaus in a 1977 paper. He used
it to express "a first intuition" to show that
these levels "would take the climate outside
the range of observations which have been
made over the last several hundred thou
sand years". Post this, several conferences
and resolutions have been passed but little
serious commitment is observed from most
stakeholders. In 2010, the Cancun
Agreements committed the governments to
hold the increase in global average tempera
ture below 2 degrees. However, the limit in
itself is arbitrary. It is used though as it
serves as an important benchmark for gov
ernments to commit to measurable targets.
Also, it forces the global leadership and
national leadership to find solutions within

A staggering 147 heads of state have assembled at Paris to discuss and possibly find a
solution to the problem of climate change at the COP21.
this 2 degree limit.
Another major problem with the 2 degree
limit is that it does not take into account the
historical contribution so far that countries
have made. This makes it even more difficult
to reach a consensus on the limit.
Developing countries like India have argued
that since they have not contributed to cli
mate change in a massive way in the past
150 years, why are they being pressurized
to reduce carbon emissions in the same way
developed countries have been asked to do?
It is a question of fairness, they argue. India
goes further to talk about the issue of "cli

mate justice" to its 300 million people who


do not have access to electricity. The gov
ernment has the mandate to resolve the
"power poverty" of its people in this regard.
Development and access to power for citi
zens cannot be held hostage to international
relations and obligations. This is where
developing countries like India find them
selves in a spot of bother, as reducing
dependence on coal at present simply looks
impractical. This is because coal is at pres
ent the cheapest source of producing power
and India has abundant reserves of it.
Another important point is that govern

ments have to subsidize new and renewable


energy that make them environmentally
good but financially costly.
The solution that countries like India seem
to look at is boosting the renewable capacity
over the next few years more than the coal
output increases. It is a pragmatic stance
since it increases the output of Co2 emis
sions but at the same time looks to move
towards renewable energy more so than
ever before and more than coal. The leaders
have already submitted their countries'
Intended
Nat ionally
Determined
Contributions (INDCs) to COP21. India has
pledged to reduce its emissions by an esti
mated 3335 percent by 2030 down from its
2005 level. It aims to do so by focusing on
solar and wind energy. It is estimated that
the funding requirement to achieve this
would be close to $2.5 trillion.
The leaders that have gathered in France
must find solutions that are practical, prag
matic and sustainable. The best way forward
is to commit to investing in R&D and radical
innovation in solar and other renewable
energy sources, both in the developed and
developing countries. From the point of view
of developing countries, the issue of equity
and access to power for their citizens are of
critical importance. All the leaders must look
at finding solutions by investing in energy
technolog ies that are nove l and less
polluting.

India's democracy allows for fetishised nationalism, kneejerk rejectionism


By Mayank Chhaya
ndia, or at least parts of it, is
going through a weird phase of
fetishised nationalism and knee
jerk rejectionism. The divide is
between those who profess
unquestioning nationalism and are
staunch supporters of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and those
who castigate everything and are
virulently antagonistic to the prime
minister.
Social media seems neatly divid
ed between those who insist Modi
can do no wrong and those who
assert that he can do no right.
Prime Minister Modi is not merely
a person but is more of a metaphor
that represents a certain type of
resurgent Indian thinking.
A subset to this rigid posturing
on both sides is the shrill debate
over whether India has become
more intolerant with the rise of
Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) and his Hinduist af filiates.
Both sides come across as sancti
monious and selfrighteous.
The simple fact is that if India is
intolerant now, it was always that
way. And if it is tolerant now, it was
always that way. India has not fun

The simple fact is that if India is intolerant now, it was always that
way. And if it is tolerant now, it was always that way.
damentally changed, but the articu
lators of its core values have. That
has much to do with the sheer size
of its population and inherent reli
gious, cultural, demographic and
linguistic diversity.
It is absurd to think that a nation
of 1.25 billion people, which is
home to six world religions, can be
treated with monolithic certitudes.
Purely in terms of its demographic
heft and diversity one can create
about a dozen separate countries
out of India. With that being the
case, how does anyone say any
thing with such finality? There is

no comparable multireligious,
multilingual and multicultural
democracy of India's size and com
plexities. T hat uniqueness
demands a far deeper engagement
than what the shallow hordes that
run amuck on social media prac
tice. However, even those shallow,
often uninformed and misinformed
people on social media, collectively
called trolls, serve a greater demo
cratic purpose than the kind of
misanthropic epidemic that is
debilitating parts of the Middle
East and Africa. No matter how
unpleasant their counter to the lib

eral, reasonable positions may be,


at most what they indulge in is ver
bal crassness.
Sections of the mainstream
media, which has been long used to
being the arbiter of the nation's
moral destiny, suddenly find them
selves challenged and ambushed in
real time, all the time. That any
Singh, Patel, Reddy, Rao, Kulkarni
or Das can bypass the gated opin
ionmaking establishments of Delhi
that the mainstream media used to
be and directly express their angst
has also greatly unsettled profes
sional journalists. Converse ly
though, even those who hold jour
nalists in contempt and describe
them as "presstitutes" fail to under
stand the irony that everything
they know, opine and fulminate
over comes from the very media
they despise. They mistake access
to social media platforms on their
mobile phones for official access to
the real powers that be and their
own opinions as professionally vet
ted information. It is in this current
climate that dissenting the nearly
doctrinaire position on either side
of the divide now has become a
lazy synonym for bigotry and trea
son. One is either bigoted or trea

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

sonous. There are no shades left at


all in the national colour palette.
There is no lesser transgression
left; it is best to be on the sidelines
and watch the current spectacle of
idiocy run its course. What we have
now are echo chambers where like
minded people get together and
keep repeating each other's ideas
and positions in the smug assur
ance of the righteousness of their
respective positions. Nowhere is
this more evident than on
Facebook and Twitter. There is
such boring predictability to peo
ple's outrage on these platforms,
no matter what their ideological or
cultural persuasion. The outrage
comes in waves and then subsides
until another tide rises. It dumps
some dregs on the shore, only to be
swept back. Notwithstanding their
often unvarnished construct and
fractured cohesion, such opinions
eventually strengthen India's
democracy because they allow mil
lions to let their steam out mostly
without beheading anyone. It may
be useful though if those who exult
with fetishised nationalism or
reject with kneejerk contempt
bother to first acquire enough first
hand knowledge to do either.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

OP-ED

December 5-11, 2015

13

WHY INDIA NO LONGER TRUSTS


ANTIMODI MEDIA
Some Indian TV networks are so
viscerally opposed to the PM that they
no longer attempt to hide their bias.
A history of how media became
politicized and partisan.
By Minhaz Merchant

our pillars are needed to hold up a struc


ture. Take one away and the structure
tilts.
In a democracy, the four pillars are the
executive (government), the legislature
(Parliament and state assemblies), the judici
ary and the media. Each of these pillars has
had its moments of turbulence: the executive
and the judiciary during the Emergency; and
the legislature through the decades when
state assemblies were routinely dissolved and
President's rule imposed.The media, before
and after independence, faced several chal
lenges. Under colonial rule, newspapers like
The Times of India often toed the British
Viceroy's line. Many others though were
nationalist and suffered colonial interference.
After independence, the Emergency marked a
new low point. Most newspapers lost their
nerve and bent their spine.
The late 1970s and 1980s were the golden
period of Indian media. The Emergency was
gone. New publications were launched.
Specialized Sunday papers made their appear
ance. So did specialized magazines.
In the 1990s, television was nascent but
neutral. News had not yet fallen hostage to
vested political and business interests. When
did media's fall begin? The seeds were sown
in the late 1990s when the first BJPled gov
ernment took office. It was around this time
that Sonia Gandhi displaced Sitaram Kesri as
Congress president.
In 1984, the BJP had two MPs. In 1999, it
had 182. In 1984, the Congress had 414
MPs. In 1999, it had 114.
It is within these numbers that lie clues to
the schisms that would develop over the next
16 years. The media was drawn into this
political vortex. Senior editors in the 1980s
and 1990s were (relatively) politically neu
tral. The concept of paid news was notably
absent. I launched my first media company,
Sterling Newspapers, in the 1980s. Our jour
nalists researched, interviewed, wrote and

edited without fear or favor. Very few editors


had fallen prey to external influences: politi
cal parties, business houses, foreign intelli
gence agencies and power brokers.
The real change came in the 2000s. By then
the Indian Express group had acquired
Sterling Newspapers with our cache of nearly
100 editors, writers, designers and mar
keters. I set up a new media firm soon after
that and began hiring a new generation of
young editors and correspondents.
But things had changed. By 2004, when the
Congressled UPA government returned to
office, more and more journalists had begun
to cosy up to politicians and business houses.
Between 1998 and 2004, when the NDA was
in office and LK Advani home minister and
then (from 2000) deputy prime minister, it
did not even occur to me to seek an appoint
ment with him though he had been a regular
columnist in one of our publications for over
10 years. That was the arm's length approach
to politicians we had always maintained.
As I once wrote: "The first principle of jour
nalism is to keep politicians at arm's length.
Do not socialize with them. Do not curry favor
with them. Do not treat them as friends. In a
democracy, journalists and politicians have to
be natural adversaries." In short, keep the
relationship professional.
When the Congressled UPA government
took office in May 2004, we found ourselves
receiving invitations to interview UPA minis
ters. Soon after he assumed charge as finance
minister, P Chidambaram conveyed to our
Delhi bureau chief that he would be happy to
accede to our request for an exclusive inter
view.
We did the interview in Chidambaram's
North Block office. This was followed in the
next few months and years by exclusive inter
views with (then) Industry and commerce
minister Kamal Nath, (then) petroleum minis
ter Mani Shankar Aiyar and the chief minister
of Jammu and Kashmir Mufti Mohammad
Sayeed who hosted us to a sumptuous
Kashmiri lunch at his residence along with

daughter Mehbooba. Not once did we attempt


a further meeting with any of them beyond
the strictly professional.
But on every trip to Delhi and Srinagar
from 2005 onwards, I noticed a distinct
change in the interaction between journalists
and politicians. It is around this time that the
scourge of paid news became an epidemic.
Many journalists became PR intermediaries
for political leaders. It was inevitable that PR
would overwhelm journalism. The Radia
tapes were recorded in 200809. Unofficial
versions were circulated in early2010 and
finally published by two weekly magazines in
November 2010. They revealed the nexus
between politicians and journalists.
The nexus has only grown stronger. It has
also since Prime Minister Narendra Modi
took of fice in May 2014 become more
brazen. The masks have slipped. Pretence has
been dropped. Shame at violating the princi
ples of ethical journalism has evaporated.
Paid news and private treaties are not the
issues any more: they are far too common.
The real cancer is the politicization of jour
nalism.
According to an article in Mint published on
January 8, 2013, "In the aftermath of the
2009 general elections, a news report by
Rediff.com cited Congress MP Kapil Sibal as
saying that over 150 media publications were
owned by individuals af filiated with the
Congress party. The report said that with the
impressive win under its belt, the Congress
party would activate this machinery to 'carve
a legend out of Rahul within a decade.' "
Sonia Gandhi was among the first in the
Congress to spot Narendra Modi's potential
as a threat to the Congress' political hegemo
ny. Her maut ka saudagar invective in 2007
sparked a chain of abuse that lowered stan
dards of political discourse which have today
become mainstream.
A campaign of vilification was launched
against Modi by the Congress in 2013 which
saw him as an existential threat a fear that
would be borne out in May 2014 when the

Congress plunged from 206 Lok Sabha seats


to 44. It was now that the mainstream media
lost the plot. A large section had been co
opted by the Congress and by 2013 was fully
embedded into its ecosystem. Some colum
nists were so obsessively and often viciously
antiModi that they achieved three unintend
ed objectives: one, they eroded their own
credibility; two, they generated unexpected
support for Modi among readers who felt he
was being unfairly maligned; and three, they
caused widespread revulsion in the public for
mainstream media.
Television fell victim as well. Anchors took
sides, again violating professionalism and
journalistic integrity. Foreign media took the
cue from biased, politically affiliated Indian
journalists. T he New York Times, T he
Guardian, The Washington Post and The
Economist carried stories that failed the test
of neutral journalism. Facts were mangled
and interpretations distorted. The victim: the
newspapers' own reputation.
Some Indian television networks are so vis
cerally antiModi today that they no longer
attempt to hide their bias beneath a veneer of
journalistic professionalism. The charge of
being an inhouse channel of the Congress
does not bother them anymore.
The Modi government's abysmal media
management has further emboldened sec
tions of the media grown fat on old largesse.
No longer do they fear a backlash to even
serious charges of being fronts for politicians'
money laundering. They know they have
defenders of the faith within the highest eche
lons of the NDA government. Protection is
assured at least till the prime minister
wields the axe.
Fortunately, there are still many honorable
and upright journalists across media print,
online and television. Alas, there are many
more who are not.
Minhaz Merchant is biographer of Rajiv
Gandhi and Aditya Birla. ExTOI & India
Today. Media group chairman and editor.
Author: The New Clash of Civilizations.

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

14

December 5-11, 2015

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

OP-ED

Whodunnit: The truth behind Turkey


downing a Russian plane
By Saeed Naqvi
urkEman tribesmen, on the
Syrian side of the border
with Turkey, calling them
selves the Syrian Liberation Army,
are actually in harness to protect
routes on which oil tankers have
been plying regularly from Syria
to Turkey for the Western market.
This smuggling enterprise is con
trolled by Bilal Erdogan, son of
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
The whodunnit nature of the inci
dent is explained by the extraordi
nary pressure on the Presidents
office brought by this extra consti
tutional entity.
Ever since the Russians entered
the Syrian theatre as part of a
broader understanding with the
US, these tankers and the merce
nary soldiers protecting them
have come under heavy Russian
fire. Moscow would be justified in
being somewhat puzzled that nei
ther the US nor NATO, with its vast
intelligence apparatus, spotted
90,000 barrels of oil being clan
destinely transported over the
border. Profits from this enter
prise finances groups which con
stitute the ISIS. It is universally
acknowledged that Turkey has
been most enthusiastic and active
in supporting anti Assad militancy
in Syria. When some of the groups
patronized by Turkey, mostly affil
iated to the Muslim Brotherhood,
mutated into the Islamic state,
Turkey tried its best to have this
reg ion of its operat ion, in
Northern Syria, declared a nofly

Oil tankers have been plying regularly from Syria to Turkey for the
Western market. This smuggling enterprise is controlled by a son of
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. These tankers and the mercenary
soldiers protecting them have come under heavy Russian fire. So, that
gives credence to Putin charge that Turkey has been siding with ISIS
and shot down his plane deliberately.
zone. The of ficial Russian press
note quotes verbat im what
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
told his Turkish counterpart,
Mevlut Cavusoglu on November
26: by shooting down a Russian
plane on a counterterrorist mis
sion of the Russian Aerospace
Force in Sria, and one that did not
violate Turkeys air space, the
Turkish government has in effect
sided with ISIS.
Lavrov added Turkeys action
appears premeditated, planned
and undertaken with a specific
object.
Even Washington has not come
to Turkeys rescue. In the joint
Press Conference with Frances
Francois Hollande, President

Obama made a perfunctory


remark that every country has the
right to protect its borders and air
space. But on the specifics of the
shooting down of the Russian
fighter jet, US officials maintained
the Russian plane was in the
Turkish air space for no more
than 17 seconds during which
period 10 warnings could not
have been given to the Russian
pilot as Turkey claims.
Even among Western countries
who recently forged an alliance
against the ISIS there are skeptics
who see Turkey playing both sides
of the street. There are serious
suspicions that the shooting down
of the plane had been planned. As
soon as the Russian pilot and his

navigator ejected from the jet in a


mountainous, inhospitable terrain,
their parachutes were instantly
targeted by machine guns which
were clearly expecting the shoot
ing of the Russian plane in their
area. This area was not in Turkey.
It was in Syria.
W hile the pilot, Sergey
Rumyantsev, was killed, the navi
gator is alive. He is being treated
in Syria. He has confirmed what
would otherwise be speculative
stories emanating from Moscow.
There are other issues the US
and NATO must be confidentially
sorting out with Russia. Written
into the understanding between
Washington and Moscow was an
obligation to give prior notice of
every aerial activity to the alliance
partners. In this instance, neither
Washington nor NATO were
informed of the airspace violation
by Russia and that Turkey pro
posed to take drast ic act ion
against the Russian aircraft.
Recently, an AnkaraMoscow
hotline was established to avert
just the sort of mishap which has
generated fears of a wider conflict.
A senior Turkish of ficial turned
the argument ag ainst the
Russians. Russians are under
global sanctions and their pur
chase of oil from ISIS for delivery
to the Syrian regime is in violation
of these sanctions. The of ficial
has, in his armory, the transcript
of the warnings issued to the
erring Russian pilot. But the tran
script only records warning and
no response and, by that token, is

weak testimony. That Iraq and


Syria are overcrowded with diver
gent interests became clear in
February when Iraqs Army shot
down two British planes who were
allegedly carrying weapons for the
ISIS in the Anbar province. The
incident was never denied largely
because Iraq Parliaments National
Security and Defence Committee
had photos of the planes that had
been shot down. And now that
Prime Minister David Cameron is
rearing to go into Syria w ith
airstrikes he is probably eager to
reach out for the piece of the
Syrian pie he could not lay his
hands on all these months.
An amusing sketch that surfaces
on the social networks at intervals
shows Uncle Sam seated in an
ornate carriage. An Arab, looking
rather like the Saudi King, is in the
drivers seat. He has a firm grip on
reins strapped to four burly, hood
ed ISIS militants. The message,
consumed avidly in Iraq, is that
ISIS was at one stage a SaudiUS
asset. Some of this act ivity
boomeranged on the US when an
embarrassed Defense Secretary
Ashton Carter had to announce to
the press that a $500 million
training program in Syria had
been withdrawn after Syrian oppo
sition trained by the US had hand
ed their weapons to militants and
sought safe passage to heaven
knows where. So far the Syrian
Iraqi terrain has been the grave
yard of many reg ional and
Western reputations. Russians
must keep their fingers crossed.

Door shown to artistes overstaying in govt houses in Delhi


New Delhi: Spacious apartments,
leafy avenues and an address to
flaunt government accommoda
tions have a magnetic pull that
can make people latch on to
them. And it is not just the politi
cians who will do anything to
retain their Lutyen's De lhi
address; eminent artistes have
joined their ranks too.
Famous names like Kathak
exponent Pandit Birju Maharaj,
santoor player Bhajan Sopori and
painter Jat in Das have been
issued notices for staying for
decades in government flats that
were originally allotted only for
three years. The flats are located
in prime lo cat ions such as
Shahjahan Road, Asian Games
Village and Lodhi Colony.
Taking a stern view of these
unauthorized occupants, the

Pt Birju Maharaj, Jatin Das and Pt Bhajan Sopori are among those
asked to vacate government accommodations.
Cabinet
Committee
on
Accommo dat ion on Tuesday
directed the urban development
ministry to initiate proceedings
to get the flats vacated.
What is likely to cause heart

burn to aam aadmi perennially


plagued by housing trouble,
these plush flats were to be allot
ted for three years to eminent
artistes in the 40 to 60 age
group, whose monthly income is

less than Rs 20,000. Pt Birju


Maharaj has been living in his
Shahjahan Road house for 36
years, Jatin Das has been living
in his Asian Games Village flat
for 26 years and Kuchipudi
dancer Raja Reddy has occupied
his Kaka Nagar flat for 21 years.
The UD ministry has been told
to issue notices to the occupants
asking them to furnish details of
their income and if they own any
other houses in Delhi or adjoin
ing NCR cities of Gurgaon and
Noida. "Since they were allotted
flats on the recommendation of
the culture ministry, the CCA has
directed them to review each
case and inform the UD ministry
on who all should be evicted for
violating allotment norms," a
government source said. In three
cases out of 27, families of

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

artistes are still residing in the


flats long after their death. Of the
27 o ccupants, the CCA has
directed the UD ministry to start
immediate eviction proceedings
against the families of late sitar
player Ustad Vilayat Khan, dhru
pad player RFK Dagar and rudra
veena player Asad Ali Khan.
"We are issuing evict ion
notices in three cases. The house
was allotted to the artiste and
not his family member. The fami
ly members will be told to vacate
immediate ly," said a source.
"However, all the 27 artistes who
were allotted flats in areas like
Shahjahan Road, Asian Games
Village and Lodhi Colony have
overstayed in violation of norms
long after their allotment tenure
was over," said a government
source.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

TOURISM

No one can miss the beautiful St Basil's Cathedral in the Red Square area with its
colorful onion shaped domes. It is showcase of Renaissance Russian architecture.

December 5-11, 2015

15

A view of the Kremlin. The complex serves as the official residence of the President of
the Russian Federation.

Moscow, a city of monuments,


churches, bygone era charm
By Aparajita Gupta
Moscow: Walking along the wet pave
ments on a chilly wintry evening looking
at the imposing palatial buildings, beauti
ful churches and parks is bound to make
one feel romantic and dreamy. Such is the
charm of Moscow, the capital and the
largest city of Russia.
The city with rich political, cultural and
economic heritage is strewn with elegant
sprawling buildings all over, that speak of
the bygone era.
One can spend a whole day looking at
the beautiful architecture of the Kremlin,
the of ficial residence of the President of
Russia. And then step into the Red Square
area, which is considered as the central
square of Moscow.
No one can miss the beautiful Saint
Basil's Church in the Red Square area with
its colorful onion shaped domes. Saint
Basil's Cathedral is a showcase of
Renaissance Russian architecture.

Facing Red Square is the most famous


mall in Moscow, Gum. It is not one of the
glass buildings that we are accustomed to
see as a mall. It is also one of those impos
ing old structures.
Though the Soviet Communism period is
long gone, there are umpteen buildings
and statues to remind us of that era.
The city is named after the river Moskva,
which has meandered through it. A ferry
ride along the river during sunset is an
ideal opportunity to enjoy the beauty and
grace of the city.
The city has a subway under it, helping
daily commuters to move from one part to
the other easily, avoiding notorious traffic
congestion.
With beautiful stations, the metro rail
service in the city is one of the oldest in
the world. Starting its operations in 1935,
it now has 197 stations. Along with the old
architectures in the city this also speaks
about the heritage. During the extreme
winter months, metro rides are pleasura

ble as they protect people from the chilly


breeze outside.
In some parts of the city tramway net
works are also visible.
Though the city experiences extreme
cold weather for almost 7 months, that
does not stop the wanderlusts from visit
ing the place even in November to experi
ence the chill in the air and snow.
"Moscow is a beautiful city. There is so
much to see and experience. But food is a
problem for Indians," Tanvi Bakshi, an
Indian tourist, told IANS.
The locals usually eat a lot of red meat
and potato and of course drink Vodka! All
these help them maintain their body tem
perature in extreme winters, when the
mercury dips as low as 10 or 15 degree
Celsius.
Language is a hindrance. A majority of
the population speaks only Russian. Even
the road signs are in Russian.
But the sheer attraction of the place sur
passes all such issues. "For the last few

years we have seen a huge number of


Chinese tourists visiting Russia. But for
some reason, this year there was a lot of
Indian tourists as well," Svetlana, a guide,
said.
For Indian travelers this is a good time
to visit Moscow as the rupee and rouble
are comparable.
A must visit is the memorial museum of
Pushkin, the Russian writer of the
Romantic era.
Besides the old buildings, one should
visit the Moscow International Business
Center, also known as MoscowCity, which
houses Europe's tallest building, the
Federation Tower. A stroll on the observa
tion deck of any of these skyscrapers will
give one the feeling of walking on Cloud 9.
Till date, Russians' feel strongly connect
ed with India through legendary actor Raj
Kapoor. Many of them still recollect watch
ing his Shree 420. Songs of the block
buster movie of the 1980s Disco Dancer
are also fresh in their memories.

Come winter and Kashmiris return to traditional cuisine


Srinagar: Despite changes brought in by
middleclass affluence in Kashmir, modu
lar kitchens, microwave ovens, frozen
foods and hiend eateries become redun
dant in the winter months and nudge the
locals back to what was handed down to
them by forefathers as heritage the tra
ditional winter cuisine.
Doctors and dietitians might cry hoarse
about the 'harmful effects' of dried vegeta
bles, dried and smoked fish and dried wild
mushrooms, but practice and experience
have taught Kashmiris that their past gen
erations lived a healthier, better and
cheerful life because they looked within
and not outside the landlocked Valley dur
ing the harsh winter months to keep body
and soul together.
"The first and foremost problem with
frozen foods including chicken, mutton
and vegetables is that once thawed, it has

With electricity shortages, refrigerating


vegetables or meats is a problem,
so buying and stocking dried items is the
best option in the Valley.
to be consumed in one go. The first casual
ty of winter in Kashmir is electricity and
without electricity, all your socalled mod
ern kitchen gadgetry becomes junk.
This is the reason the local markets in

Srinagar city and other major towns of the


Valley are selling dried vegetables includ
ing tomatoes, brinjals, bitter gourd, lotus
stems, wild mushrooms, turnips and, of
course, the delicacies of the more affluent
locals like dried and smoked fish.
Hawkers carrying dried vegetables move
in most old city and some uptown areas of
Srinagar selling their stuff as a lot of hag
gling goes on between the sellers and buy
ers over something the state consumer
affairs and public distribution department
(CAPD) never thought of fixing prices on.
Even fruits like pears are dried and
cooked during the w inter months.
Kashmiri children, however, like dried
pear slices called 'tang hache' raw and eat
them like normal fruits.
When cooking gas and kerosene oil
shortages hit the Valley this invariably
happens each time the JammuSrinagar

national highway gets closed due to land


slides and snowfall many rural houses
revert to firewoo d lig ht tradit ional
hearths.
"It is better to return to tradition than
queue up in bone freezing temperatures
for a cylinder of LPG when chances are
nine out of 10 that you will return empty
handed," said Noor Muhammad Wani, a
resident of north Kashmir's Safapora vil
lage.
Many rural homes still have their small
poultries and those living closer to water
bodies have small flocks of ducks and
swans. The magic of the 'shab deg' still
brings back excitement and thrill among
the older generations of Kashmiris. It is a
special highlyspicy dish of the fattest
rooster cooked in a doughsealed nickel
plated copper vessel with turnips over the
simmering fire of the hearth.

16

December 5-11, 2015

ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

US studio's nod for film on Hindu gods

n his quest to understand Vedic mythol


ogy, Sanjay Patel, an IndianAmerican,
took the animation route to tell a story
featuring Hindu gods as superheroes. The
firsttime director says an approval by a
US studio to such a "culturally specific"
story came as a "shock" (pleasant surprise)
to him. The underlying thought behind his
animation short "Sanjay's Super Team"
goes deeper than what meets the eye from
the plot. The film shows how he uses his
own experience to tell the story of a
young, first generation IndianAmerican
boy whose love for western pop culture
comes into conflict with his father's tradi
tions.
The project is now shortlisted among 10
animated short films to advance in the vot
ing process for the upcoming 88th
Academy Awards.
The 41yearold says that since he hadn't
seen a story like his "in animation at
large", he didn't believe it was possible to
make it. But US film production studio
DisneyPixar readily backed the film,
which will release with "The Good
Dinosaur" in India on Friday.
"Jim Morris, the President of Pixar, was

A scene from animation short film Sanjay's Super Team.


instrumental in helping me see that there
was room for different or foreign stories
here. I hadn't seen a story like mine at the
studio, let alone in animation at large;
hence I didn't believe it was possible nor
did I believe that my story mattered.
"Once I put together my pitches for John
Lasseter (chief creative officer, Disney

Pixar), he was extraordinarily supportive


and approving of my voice and my per
spective. In many ways, this was the
biggest shock (pleasant surprise)," Patel
said.
This is not Patel's first association with
Pixar Animation Studios. He joined the
company in 1996 as an animator on "A

Cinema unites all: A.R. Rahman,


minister Rathore at IFFI
scarwinning music direc
tor A.R. Rahman and
union minister of state
for information and broadcast
ing Rajyavard han Rathore
hailed in unison cinema as a
unifying factor.
Rahman, who was the chief
guest at the closing ceremony of
the 46th International Film
Festival of India (IFFI), also
made a pitch for more humani
tarian lms, calling himself a
fan of World Cinema.
"Cinema theaters have
become mo dern shrines of
unity. I hope better things will
happen and people come with
great cinematic, humanitarian
movies which will unite the
world and also spread culture
and make us understand the
commonality of consciousness,"
Rahman said at the event, where
he was also paid a musical trib
ute.
Rathore, whose ministry
organizes the IFFI every year, in
tandem with the Goa govern
ment, also said cinema cuts
across caste and religion.
"Indian cinema is even more
unique. When we go a theater, it
can be an escape from the
world, it can be an inspiration
for all of us too. The words stay
with us. Most of the time we
become part of the movie. We
silently ally with the underdog
in the movie," Rathore said.

Shouldn't impose on the


younger generation:
SharmilaTagore
con Sharmila Tagore
shattered stereotypes
in Indian cinema and
still continues to make
heads turn in her public
appearances. The versa
tile actress, who hasn't
been seen in films
recently, believes seniors
in the film industry are
Actress Sharmila Tagore interacts
still treated with respect
with press during the 21st Kolkata
and not brushed aside International Film Festival in Kolkata.
even though the young
generation has taken over. National Award winner trans
After facing the arclights for form from film to film. Be it
half a century, the cinema vet Tapan Sinha's "Nirjan Saikate",
Mukherjee's
eran, mother to actors Saif and Hrishikesh
"Anupama"
or
Shakt i
Soha, is support ive of the
Samanta's
"Kashmir
Ki
Kali",
younger generation having
Tagore's repertoire has been a
their way.
"I have been working for rare combination of critical
long and there comes a time and commercial success at a
when the young generation time when women were cast in
takes over. This is a country of secondary characters.
Re lated by birth to the
very young people. Naturally
they want young people on famous Tagore family of
screen. It's very nice, we have Bengal that gave to the world
a young workforce, confident, Noble laureate Rabindranath
intelligent and ready to face Tagore, she continued her win
ning streak with meaty roles
the world," Tagore said.
Tagore made her act ing even after her marriage to
debut at the age of 13 when Indian cricket ing legend
she began shooting for auteur Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.
And at 70,, the g race ful
Satyajit Ray's "Apur Sansar"
(World of Apu), the last in the Tagore, on an acting break,
celebrated Apu trilogy. The concedes "working is tiring".
Additionally, she is conscious
film was released on May 1,
1959. Since then, audiences of the fact that seniors have to
have seen the mult iple behave responsibly.

Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore at the closing ceremony of the


46th International Film Festival of India in Panaji.
"We become part of the lm
and we carry the message of the
lm when we go back to our
lives," the minister said.
Rathore also said Rahman's
very name unites India.
Rahman at an IFFI event on
November 25 praised the writ
ers, lmmakers and poets
returning government awards
in protest against rising intoler
ance in the country.
"I had gone through some
thing similar a couple of months
ago. Nothing should be violent.
We are all ultracivilised people
and we should show the world
that we are the best civiliza
tion," Rahman said.

"Everything should be done


classily. I feel what people are
doing is very poetic. We should
set an example for the world
because we come from the land
of Mahatma Gandhi. He has
shown how a revolution can
have an impact without any vio
lence," he added.
The 11day festival, the coun
try's biggest international lm
event, started on November 20.
A total of 187 lms from 89
countries, 26 of which are of
cial Academy award entries,
were screened at IFFI apart
from the lms which were
part of the Indian panorama
section.

Bug's Life", and has animated on many of


Pixar's feature films, including
"Ratatouille", "Cars" and "Toy Story 3".
Patel also storyboarded extensively for
"Monster's Inc.", "The Incredibles" and
"Toy Story 2".
Then there came a point where he was at
"cross roads" with his career at the studio.
"Having spent the previous decade work
ing by day at Pixar and at night writing
and illustrating picture books and graphic
novels based on Hindu mythology it felt
like time to decide on one or the other. It
was a hard decision but I decided to forgo
the safety and security of Pixar to pursue
my personal work.
"This is when the studio approached me
to bring my personal work to try and
develop it as a short. Yet I was very reluc
tant as I was skeptical the studio would
really give me freedom to creatively pur
sue material that was both so personal and
so culturally specific," he shared.
A word of advice from his father helped
him to set his mind.
In the past also, Patel used images to tell
a story on gods through "The Little Book
of Hindu Deities".

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD

December 5-11, 2015

17

DID 'BAJIRAO MASTANI' FOR SANJAY


LEELA BHANSALI: PRIYANKA
ctress Priyanka Chopra,
who is not playing the
title role in "Bajirao
Mastani", says she has a very
challenging role as Kashibai in
the film, which she took on
only for director Sanjay Leela
Bhansali.
"I did this film for Sanjay
Leela Bhansali. I know you all
will ask me, 'Mastani is played
by Deepika (Padukone), and
Bajirao is played by Ranveer
(Singh). So why did you do this
film?' Let me tell you, I was the
first person to be cast in this
film. I remember Sanjay came
to me with this script and he
was clear he wanted me to do
this film," Priyanka said here.
"I thought Kashibai's charac

ter was very heartbreaking.


This is a feminine character
and it was very challenging for
me to do the role... It's a spe
cial film for me. I am just super
excited to be part of it," she
added.
Priyanka Chopra will be seen
playing Bajirao's first wife in
the movie.
"It was not easy to do this
role. I wanted to get the
Maharashtrian accent right
and there were many dramatic
scenes, which I used to take
back home. I am generally a
switch on and off actor, but
this character was very heart
wrenching."
The film is slated for
December 18 release.

Actress Priyanka Chopra in "Bajirao Mastani"

Intolerance more a political


than social issue: Subhash Ghai
ith no end to the debate
over "growing intoler
ance" in the country,
filmmaker Subhash Ghai says the
whole issue is politically motivat
ed, instead of being relevant to
the society.
Babuji says intolerance
comes from intolerant people
who are deprived of power, cor
ruption, promotions, facilitations
because of changes made. If 100
crore people living in poverty for
70 years have learnt tolerance as
their virtue and strength, so why
to debate on 12,000 intolerant
gems," Ghai tweeted.
Finally we can see today that
intolerance is more of political
issue than a social issue where
124 crore people, including (the)
poorest (have) been tolerant, he

Subhash Ghai.
added. Ghai's comments were
perhaps in reference to recent
incidents, involving Bollywood
superstars Shah Rukh Khan and

Aamir Khan, who faced the


wrath for their views on growing
intolerance in the country.
The director, who has given
cinematic gems like "Karz", "Ram
Lakhan", "Khalnayak" and
"Pardes", also shared a link lead
ing to his Facebook page on the
microblogging site to elaborate
his point of view.
The Facebook post read: So
finally truth has come out today
that intolerance is more of a
political farce than a social or
communal issue where 124
crore people including poor and
poorest job less less fortunate
have been tolerant for years.
Treating it as their virtue to be
tolerant within given situations.
And move ahead with new inspi
rations.

India is an important
audience for us: MLTR
anish band Michael Learns
to Rock (MLTR), who have
won over music lovers
through their pop and soft rock
numbers, are looking forward to
their multicity tour of India next
month as they consider the coun
try important. Formed in 1988,
the band consists of singerkey
board player Jascha Richter,
drummer Kare Wanscher and
guitarist Mikkel Lentz. The
group, which has delivered hits
like "Paint my love", "You took
my heart away", "Sleeping child"
and "Someday", will visit
Gurgaon, Guwahati, Dimapur,
Kolkata and Goa to celebrate
their 25th anniversary tour '25
Live. Commenting on the
upcoming tour '25 Live', Richter
said in a statement: "It is a pleas

Danish band Michael Learns


to Rock (MLTR).
ure to be back here. India is an
important audience for us and
the love we have received over
the years here makes us want to
reciprocate and celebrate our 25
years with you. We are grateful
to 7 Sisters Entertainment for
putting this show together and
making this tour possible." The
band have performed in Shillong
and Mumbai in the past.

'Embrace of the Serpent' wins Golden Peacock award


outh American lmmaker Ciro Guerra's lm
"Embrace of the Serpent" won the prestigious
Golden Peaco ck award at the 46th
International Film Festival of India (IFFI) that con
cluded here.
Indian lmmaker Kaushik Ganguly won the
newlyinstituted Unesco Fellini medal for his lm
"Cinemawala".
British lmmaker Peter Greenaway won the best
director award for his lm "Eisenstein in
Guanajuato", while Julia Vargas' lm "Sealed
Cargo" won the Special Jury award.
The best actor male award was won by French
actor Vincent Lindon for "Measure of a man",
while ve actresses Gunes Sensoy, Dog a

A scene from the film 'Embrace of the Serpent'

Dugusulo, Tukba Sungurugulu, Eltitz Kan, and


Liada Akdogan, who acted in the Turkish lm
"Mustang" jointly won the best actor female
award.
Goran Radovanovic's Serbian lm "Enclave" won
the special mention award from the IFFI jury
headed by renowned director Shekhar Kapoor
also.
The IFFI closing ceremony came to an end with
awarding of the lifetime achievent to Russian lm
maker Nikita Mikhailkov.
The 11day festival began on November 20, with
the opening lm "The Man Who Knew Innity"
directed by Mathew Brown a lm on the 1913
se lftaug ht Indian mathemat ical genius
Ramanajun and his friendship with G.H. Hardy
who helped reveal the mathematics genius to the
world.

18

December 5-11, 2015

LENS EYE

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

GOOD SHOTS

Photo taken on Nov. 30 shows the famous


sculpture "Broken Chair" installed with a
"new leg" and a "new foot" on Place des
Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. A meeting
of the States Parties of the 1997 Convention
on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling,
Production and Transfer of AntiPersonnel
Mines and on their Destruction opened
Monday in Geneva. (Photo: IANS)

The popular Macy's annual Thanksgiving Day Parade with balloons, floats, celebrities and musical acts cruised
down New York City's Central Park West, through the Avenue of the Americas and ending in Herald Square, near
Macy's iconic Manhattan store. The parade, now in its 89th year, featured perennial favorites like Snoopy,
Spongebob Squarepants and of course Santa Claus bringing up the rear, mixed with new arrivals like Red from
Angry Birds, and a new Ronald McDonald balloon.

Oscar winning
Hollywood actor
Morgan Freeman
arrives at Sarnath
Buddhist monasteries
near Varanasi in India
early November. He
was shooting there
for a documentary on
the greatest religions
of the world.
(Photo: IANS)

Devotees perform
Abhisheka to the statue
of Gomateshwara on the
occasion of
Masthakabhisheka near
Mysore on Nov 29, 2015.
The 57ft monolithic
statue is dedicated to
Bahubali (one with
strong arms), son of
Rishabha, the first
Tirthankara of Jainism.
The famous statue is sit
uated on a hill in
Shravanabelagola in
Hassan district of
Karantaka.
(Photo: IANS)

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Khan Academy launches


Hindi platform for India
New Delhi: Khan Academy, which revolu
tionized the way schoolchildren learn math
and science in the US, is set to enter India
and will launch its free online offerings in
Hindi first and other languages eventually.
Launched by Salman Khan (or Sal Khan), a
former hedge fund manager born to a
Bangladeshi father and a Bengali mother,
the Khan Academy is considered by some to
be the precursor to socalled massive open
online courses (MOOCs).
The academy was born in 2006 when
Khan started tutoring his young cousin in
math.
Since then, Khan has become an iconic
figure, as much for the simplicity of the
tutorials (and their use of technology) as for
the fact that his academy is a nonprofit.
Then Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft,
said he uses the academys videos to teach
his children. Fame followed, as did a TED
talk.
Khan Academy Hindi was launched on 3
December in New Delhi with support from
Central Square Foundation (CSF), a philan
thropy fund focused on education and pro
moted by ChrysCapital founder Ashish
Dhawan.

Sal Khan, founder of the nonprofit Khan


Academy from California
After the US, Khan Academy sees India as
a huge market but not to make profit. We
shall provide customized and localized
highquality content in dif ferent lan
guages, said Sandeep Bapna, India country
manager of Khan Academy.
The Khan Academys Hindi platform will
provide a similar experience to its English
platform and cover the syllabus prescribed
by the National Council of Education
Research and Training (NCERT) for math.
The Khan Academy has around 20 million
visitors to its site a month70% from the
United States.

English football's
governing body a
player on a student
visa cannot join a
club in the top two
t iers of women's
football.
After this, she
signed a oneyear
deal with third divi
sion team, West Ham
United Ladies.
Her student visa is
now expiring and
the team had planned to sponsor
her for a work visa.
But Aditi, however, cannot apply
for a work visa through the club
because West Ham are in the third
tier and classed as semiprofes
sional.
"There is nothing to do but laugh
at it," Aditi said.
"I was not allowed to play in the
first or second division at first, but
now I'm not allowed to play in any

19

Indian student in Dubai


gets perfect SAT score
Dubai: A 15yearold
Indian student here has
scored
a
perfect
2400/2400 in the covet
ed Scholastic Aptitude
Test exams he ld on
November 7, a media
report said on Monday.
Sanchit Kapoor, who
has represented the UAE
at the World Youth
Scrabble Championships
(WYSC) for the last four
years, is among the top
0.5 percent out of the
1.8 million students who
appeared for the College
Board exam, the Gulf News reported.
The SAT score is a qualifying prerequi
site for admission into undergraduate
degree courses in US universities.
The student dreams of studying soft
ware programming and computer sci
ence engineering at Stanford. I knew I
had done well, but never expected this
score. It was a surprise, Gulf News quoted
Kapoor as saying.
A Class 11 student at GEMS Modern

Indian footballer Aditi facing


deportation in Britain
London: Indian woman footballer
Adit i Chauhan, who plays for
English side West Ham United
Ladies as a goalkeeper, is facing
deportation as she cannot renew
her visa due to rules and regula
tions of the Football Association
(FA).
Adit i, 22, made history by
becoming the first woman from
the Indian national team to play in
the English League four months
ago but now may have to head
back to India due to visa problems,
The Telegraph reported last week.
Aditi came to Britain last year on
a student visa to pursue Master's
degree in sports management from
Loughborough University.
During her course, she started
giving trials with clubs in the
women's leagues like Millwall
Lionesses, a second division club.
However, she could not join the
club due to the FA rules.
According to the rules of the FA

December 5-11, 2015

DIASPORA

Aditi Chauhan
divisions but those. It's just ridicu
lous and stupid," she added.
She doubts if a male footballer
faces any such problem.
"T he men's clubs have more
money and they can af ford to
sponsor visas. I don't think they
have problems like this, but for
women footballers, it's just a bit
more difficult. I've never heard of
a male footballer in my situation,"
she noted.

Sanchit Kapoor (right)


Academy student in Dubai, he topped his
school as well as throughout the UAE in
his Class 10 board examination.
Annually, only 400 students world
wide from 1.8 million who appear for
SAT achieve a perfect score, said Peter
Davos, a Dubaibased independent educa
tional consultant for US universities.
He said a perfect SAT score has
brought Kapoor closer to his objective of
gaining admission in a top US university.

Kerala to set up
NRI Commission

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala


cabinet on Wednesday decided to
set up an NRI Commission,
announced Chie f Minister
Oommen Chandy.
With this, Kerala becomes the
second state after Punjab to have
such a body. A retired high court
judge will be the chairman, and the
members will comprise a retired
Indian Administrative Service offi
cer, two representatives of the
Kerala diaspora and a state gov
ernment of ficial of the rank of a
joint secretary. To be headquar
tered here, it would meet every
quarter. W hile speaking to
reporters here, Chandy said the
commission will be a quasi judicial
body and will address all issues of
the diaspora including fake
recruitments as well as disputes
over properties, and investment.
Chandy later told IANS that a bill
for the purpose will be introduced
in the upcoming session of the
assembly that begins on November

30.
"This has been a long standing
demand of the diaspora and our
of ficials after home work have
given the nod for setting this up,"
he said.
Even though there is a special
NRI Police Cell, there are limita
tions in its functioning but with
the commission being a quasijudi
cial body, diaspora complainants
can engage a lawyer who will be
appearing before the panel and
the complainant need not waste
his/her time, unlike when police
handles such cases.
The Kerala diaspora has always
been regarded as the backbone of
the state economy and latest stud
ies reveal that the number of
Kerala emigrants as in 2014 was
23.63 lakh, with 90 percent settled
in various Middle Eastern and Gulf
countries. During the 12month
period ending March 1, 2014,
their total remittances stood at
Rs.72,680 crore.

20

December 5-11, 2015

SUBCONTINENT

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Pakistan executes four


SharifModi meet an
icebreaker: Pak official Peshawar school attackers
Paris: The brief meeting here
between the prime ministers
of India and Pakistan was
"more of an icebreaker than
anything else", a Pakistani
official said in remarks.
The meeting took place on
Monday when Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi went
to the lounge for visiting lead
ers and saw his Pakistani
counterpart Nawaz Sharif
seated there, the Dawn quoted
a diplomatic source as saying.
Modi walked up to him, and
the two leaders warmly shook
hands and sat next to each
other and briefly chatted. No
of ficial delegates were pres
ent during the meeting.
This happened on the side
lines of a climate summit in
Paris. It was the first meeting
between the two leaders since
they last met in Ufa, Russia, in
July. Even as Indian external
af fairs ministry spokesman
Vikas Swarup said the meet
ing, which lasted just about
two minutes, was only an
"exchange of courtesies",
Sharif said they had "good"

PM Narendra Modi meets Pak PM Nawaz Sharif


at COP 21 in Paris.
talks. Sharif was also quoted
as saying that "doors of dia
logue (w ith India) should
open".
The Dawn quoted an official
from the Pakistani delegation
as saying that the ModiSharif
meeting was more of an ice
breaker than anything else.
Sharif later met Shakee l
Ramay, a member of the
Pakistani de legation from
Sustainable Deve lopment
Policy Institute, a thinktank
in Islamabad, and told him
that Modi was the one who

India seeks
political solution to
problems in Nepal
New Delhi: India has sought a political solution to
the problems in Nepal, where protests against the
new constitution have virtually closed the bor
ders with India and
led to massive short
ages.
External Af fairs
Minister Sushma
Swaraj conveyed this
message
when
Nepal's
Deputy
Prime Minister and
Foreign Minister
Kamal T hapa met
her here.
Sushma Swaraj reit
External Affairs Minister
erated the "need for
Sushma Swaraj
urgent political solu
tion to political problems facing Nepal", external
affairs ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup tweet
ed. Nepal's new constitution has evoked strong
resentment from the southern Terai region where
Madhesi political parties have launched violent
protests alleging that their interests had been
ignored.
The protests have led to a blockade of essential
supplies from India to Nepal. Most border cross
ing points on the Nepal side have been shut due
to the protests.
Sushma Swaraj assured Thapa "that there is no
hindrance to supplies from India. But Nepal
needs to normalize situation asap", Swarup
tweeted.

approached him.
"It was a cordial chat, (last
ed) less than two minutes long
and nothing of significance
was discussed," the Dawn said.
The two leaders last met on
July 10 on the sidelines of
SCO summit in the Russian
city of Ufa. But this did not
lead to any breakthrough.
Sharif and Mo di were
together in New York during
the UN General Assembly ses
sion in September but only
got to wave at each other and
exchange smiles.

Islamabad: Pakistan
has executed four ter
rorists
for
their
involvement in last
year's attack on a
school in Peshawar.
"Four
militants
involved in the Army
Public School attack
were hanged in Kohat
district prison on
Wednesday," Geo Tv
quoted a Peshawar
security official as say
ing. T his is the first
Pakistan is to observe the first anniversary of
time that convicts of a
December 16 attack that killed
deadly terrorist attack
at least 150 people, mostly children.
were executed. Army
chie f General Rahee l Sharif on was involved in Pakistan Army Force
Monday signed the death warrants base attack in Peshawar and abet
ment in the school massacre.
of the convicted terrorists.
Maulvi Abdus Salam was found
The four were identified as Maulvi
Abdus Salam, Hazrat Ali, Mujeeb ur guilty of harbouring suicide bombers
Rehman alias Ali alias Najeeb Ullah, who were later used in the attack.
All four terrorists were active
and Sabeel alias Yahya.
The mercy petitions of the four members of Toheedwal Jihad Group
were rejected in August by President ( TWJ ) and admitted their guilt
before the court.
Mamnoon Hussain.
The executions come as Pakistan
Hazrat Ali was convicted of
involvement in collecting funds to prepares to observe the first anniver
sary of December 16 attack that
carry out the school attack.
Najeeb Ullah transported suicide killed at least 150 people, mostly
bombers for the attack, while Sabeel children.

Afghanistan says Pak unleashing


terrorists as 'violent proxies'
United Nations: Calling 2015 the bloodi
est year since 2001, Afghanistan has
lashed out against Pakistan accusing it
of unleashing terrorists as "violent prox
ies" because of its anxiety over Kabul's
relations with India.
"External support to the Taliban and
other terrorist groups is primarily moti
vated by regional rivalry, with excessive
and unnecessary anxiety and suspicion
of one state over its rival's otherwise
ordinary relations with Afghanistan,"
Kabul's Permanent Representat ive
Mahmoud Saikal told the UN General
Assembly during a debate on the situa
tion in his country.
"This has resulted in an unsavory poli
cy of using violent proxies in pursuit of
political objectives, which has created a
significant trust de ficit between
Pakistan and Afghanistan and provides
oxygen for terror to breathe," he added.
The hardhitting speech diplomatically
avoided directly mentioning India, but
the phrasing, "suspicion of one state
over its rival's otherwise ordinary rela
tions with Afghanistan," left no doubt
that it was a re ference to India
Afghanistan ties.
This was probably the first time Kabul
raised before the international forum
Pakistan's motives for backing Taliban
and other terrorist organisations.
"We appeal to Pakistan to increase

direct bilateral contacts w ith


Afghanistan away from lens of tension
with other states," Saikal said.
Amid rising tensions between the two
neig hbors, Pakistan's Permanent
Representative Maleeha Lodhi said it
was "important for the antiPakistan
rhetoric from Kabul to cease".
Saikal, who took over as Afghanistan's
Permanent Representative in October,
recalled shortlived capture of Kunduz
by terrorists managed by "foreign
orchestrators".
He said, "We have come under high
levels of attacks from foreignbased
Taliban. including the Haqqani network,
AlQaida, ISIS (Daeish), Hekmatyar's fac
tion, and other extremist groups." These
were facilitated by Pakistan allowing
internat ional terrorists to enter
Afghanistan and by Islamabad's failure
to coordinate counterterrorism actions
with Kabul, he added.
In addition to the terrorist attacks,
Saikal said, Afghanistan also had to con
tend with regular attacks by Pakistani
security forces across the Durand Line, a
disputed border demarcation. "As a
result of heavy artillery shelling in the
eastern provinces, many civilian and
border police lives have been lost, and
our citizens live in fear," he said.
Although Afghanistan has raised with
Pakistan the attacks carried out "in vio

lation of our sovereignty and territorial


integrity", he said "no action has been
taken to rectify the situation".
W hen President Ashraf Ghani
assumed of fice last year, he initially
tried to build bridges to Pakistan and
China while cooling ties with India, hop
ing it would make Islamabad curb the
terrorists.
However, the strategy has failed and
the situation has been compounded by
the discovery that Islamabad had hidden
from Kabul the fact that Taliban leader
Mullah Mohammed Omar was dead
even as it tried to encourage negotia
tions with the dead man's representa
tives.
Saikal recounted the overtures Kabul
had made to Islamabad and the talks
with Omar's representatives in Murree,
the hill resort near Islamabad, Pakistan
capital.
"Soon it was realized that we were
negotiating with the representatives of a
leader who had died two years earlier in
a hospital in Karachi," Saikal said, still
smarting from the deceit. "So, as you
can see, there has been a lack of reci
procity to our trust building initiatives."
Lodhi glossed over Islamabad hiding
Omar's death, saying it had acted in
good faith. "Pakistan remains ready to
assist in reviving an Afghanled and
Afghanowned peace process," she said.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

December 5-11, 2015

INTERNATIONAL

21

Modi launches solar alliance, talks of 'green' promises


Paris: Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi launched an alliance
of some 120odd nations here to
harness solar energy better and
asked the rich nations to shoulder
their responsibilities in protecting
the environment, with funding and
transfer of clean technology to poor
and emerging economies without
further delay. He also said India
would cut carbon emission levels
substantially by 2030 by expanding
renewable energy.
"Today, when the energy sources
and the excesses of our industrial
age have put our planet in peril, the
world must turn to Sun to power
our future," the prime minister said
at the alliance launch event with
French President Francois Hollande.
"This is an alliance that brings
together the developed and devel
oping countries, governments and
industries, laboratories and institu
tions in a common enterprise," he
said, offering to host this initiative
in India, providing the requisite
land and also making a contribution
of $30 million for the proposed sec
retariat.
During his various engagements
at the 21st Session of the
Conference of Parties (COP21)
under the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change and
side events, Modi said India has

Modi holds brief


meeting with Sharif

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande at


launch of the International Solar Alliance during the COP21 Summit in Paris.
done its bit by targeting 175
gigawatt of renewable energy in
seven years, and said the world
must also act with urgency, led by
rich nations.
"The entire world, 196 nations,
have come together to shape the
future of this world and the health
of our planet," said Modi.
"We want the world to act with
urgency. We want a comprehensive,
equitable and durable agreement,
which must lead us to restore the
balance between humanity and
nature, and between what we have
inherited and what we will leave
behind," he said.
At another event on innovation
also attended by President
Hollande, US President Barack

Obama and Bill Gates, among oth


ers, Modi said it was imperative to
make renewable energy much
cheaper and more reliable, and the
conventional sources cleaner, while
developing newer sources that are
green.
"Our innovation initiative should
be driven by public purpose, not
just market incentives, including on
intellectual property. That also
means strong public commitment
by suppliers to developing coun
tries. That will make clean energy
technology available, accessible and
affordable for all."
The prime minister, who landed
here on Sunday, also held bilateral
talks with Presidents Hollande and
Obama, as also Japanese Prime

Paris: Prime Minister Narendra


Modi held a brief meeting with
his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz
Sharif as world leaders con
verged here for the start of the
Conference of Parties (CoP) cli
mate summit.
Neither the Indian external
affairs ministry not the Pakistani
foreign ofce gave details of the
meeting but the Pakistani media
quoted Sharif as saying that
"Pakistan wants peace with India
with dignity".
"PM @narendramodi meets PM
Nawaz Sharif at COP 21 in Paris,"
external af fairs ministry
spokesman Vikas Swarup earlier
Minister Shinzo Abe, besides an
unexpected brief meeting with
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif.
"India will work closely with US
on 'Mission Innovation'," he assured
Obama, referring to the initiative to
dramatically accelerate public and
private involvement on cuttingedge
technologies to address climate
change, provide af fordable clean

Modi has clear vision of India and


ties with US: White House
Washington: White House
heaped high praise on Prime
Minister Narendra Modi say
ing he has a clear understand
ing of the IndiaUS relation
ship and a clear vision for
where he wants to take his
country.
President Barack Obama
"certainly does respect Prime
Minister Modi and has appre
ciation for his skills and abili
ties as a politician," the White
House spokesman Josh
Earnest told reporters here
Wednesday when asked
about the re lationship
between the two leaders.
"He also is somebody who
is given the very difcult chal
lenge of sitting atop the
world's largest democracy
that's not easy work, and the

US President Barack Obama with Narendra Modi.


President of the United States
has special insight into how
difcult it is."
Obama, who met the Indian
Prime Minister for the sixth
time in Paris during the cli
mate change summit, has

found "Modi to be somebody


who is honest and direct," he
said. He is "somebody who
has good command of the
facts; somebody who has a
clear understanding of the
issues that confront his coun

try and our relationship,"


Earnest said.
"He is also somebody that
has a clear vision for where
he wants to take his country.
And that makes him not just
an effective politician but an
effective Prime Minister."
Earnest noted that Obama
"has had the opportunity to
consult with Prime Minister
Modi on a number of occa
sions."
Asked if Obama had invited
Modi for a seventh meeting
early next year at the White
House, the spokesman said he
was not "aware of any meet
ings that are on the agenda at
this point, but I certainly
wouldn't rule out another
visit by Prime Minister Modi
before the end of next year."

EcoSikh seeks Modi backing for climate agreement in Paris


Washington: Washingtonbased
EcoSikh has appealed to Prime
Minister Narendra Modi to commit to
reducing carbon emissions and to
work towards a meaningful agreement
at the ongoing UN Climate talks in
Paris.
Nearly 200 nations are attending the
UN's 21st Conference of Part ies

(COP21)to negotiate a landmark cli


mate agreement to limit greenhouse
gas emissions.
"India stands to be affected severely
from the effects of climate change in
the coming decades. Many important
parts of the country are vulnerable,"
said Dr. Rajwant Singh, President of
the Washington based EcoSikh.

"India's policy to increase coal plants


and production of coal based energy is
devastating to the overall goal of con
trolling carbon emissions," he said.
"India's poor are some of the hardest
hit by climate change, and w ill
cont inue to be if India does not
take a g rander stand in the UN
negotiations."

tweeted along with a picture of


the two leaders shaking hands.
T he two leaders were then
seen sitting on the same sofa and
engaging in an animated discus
sion for a brief while.
T his was the rst meet ing
between the two leaders since
they met on the sidelines of the
Shang hai
Cooperat ion
Organisation (SCO) meeting in
Ufa, Russia, in July this year.
After the meeting, they direct
ed their foreign secretaries to
initiate the process of renewal of
talks, including meet ings
between the national security
advisors of the two countries.
energy and create commercial
opportunities in this area.
Among his other engagements,
the prime minister opened the India
pavilion at the convention to show
case the country's commitment
towards renewable energy and cli
mate change while also seeking to
demonstrate that the world also
needs to look beyond to focus on
climate justice.

Six global lenders


push for $100 bn
climate funding
Paris: Six global lending institutions led by the World Bank
Group, having contributed $100 billion to combat climate
change in developing nations, will enhance such contribu
tions substantially to ensure the global development is
sustainable and green.
Their commitment, made through a joint statement at
the ongoing 21st Conference of Parties (COP) here under
the UN framework, comes against the backdrop of the
global effort to ensure that by 2020 at least $100 billion
is raised anually for climate action in emerging and poor
economies.
T he others who made the pledge were African
Development Bank (AfDB), Asian Development Bank (ADB),
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(EBRD), European Investment Bank (EIB) and Inter
American Development Bank (IDB).
"On climate change, the development banks are shifting
into high gear. We have the resources. We have the collec
tive will, and we have a clear roadmap in the national
plans that our clients have submitted ahead of Paris," said
World Bank Group president Jim Yong Kim.
IDB president Luis Alberto Moreno said following the
Paris conference they would help countries in tackling cli
mate change through investment plans.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the COP
21 on Monday said it was the responsibility of the devel
oped countries to make clean energy available, affordable
and accessible to all in the developing world. "This is in
our collective interest."
"So, we look to the developed countries to mobilize $100
billion annually by 2020 for mitigation and adaptation in
the developing countries. They must fulll their commit
ment in a credible, transparent and meaningful manner,"
Modi said.

22

December 5-11, 2015

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

BUSINESS

India logs 7.4 percent growth,


government says happy news
New Delhi: The Indian economy grew 7.4
percent in the second quarter ended
September, showing some improvement
over the 7 percent expansion in the quarter
before but a notch lower than the 8.4 per
cent in the same quarter of the last fiscal.
The government welcomed the figures, say
ing they held out hope for achieving 7.5
percent GDP growth this fiscal.
As per of ficial data on gross domestic
product (GDP) released by the Central
Statistics Office (CSO) under the statistics
and program implementation ministry, the
growth of 7.4 percent was led mainly by
expansion in commercial and financial
services and manufacturing output.
GDP, which is the aggregate market value
of all the goods and services produced in
the country, had expanded by 8.4 percent
in the corresponding quarter of last fiscal.
"GDP at constant (201112) prices in Q2
of 201516 is estimated at Rs.27.57 lakh

crore, as against Rs.25.66 lakh crore in Q2


of 201415, showing a growth rate of 7.4
percent," a statement quoted the CSO as
saying.
"Quarterly GVA (gross value added) at
Basic Price at constant (201112) prices for
Q2 of 201516 is estimated at Rs.25.80
lakh crore, as against Rs.24.02 lakh crore in
Q2 of 201415, showing a growth rate of
7.4 percent over the corresponding quarter
of previous year," it added.
The GVA, which is a gauge to measure the
value of goods and services produced in a
particular sector or a grouping of indus
tries, had stood at 8.4 percent in the corre
sponding quarter of last fiscal.
According to the data released, economic
activities which registered growth of over 7
percent in Q2 of 201516 over Q2 of 2014
15 are "trade, hotels and transport, commu
nication and services related to broadcast
ing, financial, insurance, real estate and

professional services and manufacturing".


During this period, the growth in agricul
ture, forestry and fishing was 2.2 percent,
mining and quarrying grew 3.2 percent,
electricity, gas, water supply and other util
ity services' growth was 6.7 percent, con
struction at 2.6 percent, and public admin
istration, defense and other services grew
4.7 percent, CSO said.
Growth in the commercial services seg
ment, which includes trade, hotel, trans
port, communication and services related
to broadcasting, in the quarter under
review was at 10.6 percent, compared to
8.9 percent in Q2 of the last fiscal.
The financial services sector which com
prises financing, insurance, real estate and
professional services grew by 9.7 percent, a
fall from 13.5 percent in the corresponding
quarter of 201415. Manufacturing output
rose by 9.3 percent, as compared to 8.4
percent in the first quarter of the last fiscal.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Microsoft CEO to visit THub,


Volkswagen US
sales plummet after address budding entrepreneurs
emissions scandal
Chicago:
Volkswagen
US
announced lackluster sales fig
ures, showing a large drop, dur
ing the month of November.
Volkswagen sold fewer than
24,000 cars in the month of
November, posting a drop of
24.7 percent.
Volkswagen stocks fell over
one percent after the release of
November sales figures, which
showed the Volkswagen Golf
sales falling by 64 percent from
the previous year.
The famed Beetle series fell by
39.3 percent from the previous
year. The Volkswagen Beetle is
the secondbest selling car in the
world history.
The figures come in the wake
of an emissions scandal in which
the US Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) issued a notice to
VW Group for violation of the
Clean Air Act.
The EPA discovered that VW
had manipulated its diese l
engines to mislead emission tests

Volkswagen sold fewer than


24,000 cars in the month of
November, posting a drop of
24.7 percent.
to the ef fect that certain pollu
tants met US standards.
The EPA report indicates that
the cars produced up to 40 times
higher nitrogen oxide during
driving than in the laboratory
setting.
Volkswagen Group CEO Martin
Winterkorn resigned shortly
after various countries began
taking legal action against the
German auto maker.

Hyderabad: Microsoft CEO Satya


Nadella will visit THub, billed as
India's largest technology incuba
tor, during his visit to Hyderabad
later this month.
Jayesh Ranjan, secretary for
information technology in the
Telangana government, said on
Wednesday that Nadella will be
taken around the facility located
at the International Institute of
Information Technology (IIIT),
Hyderabad.
He is also likely to address bud
ding entrepreneurs as the gov
ernment has already requested
him to be a mentor of THub.
Nadella will be in his home
town of Hyderabad for 34 days.
He will visit THub and meet
state government of ficials on
December 20.
Built at a cost of Rs.40 crore,
the facility was launched last
month to create the muchneed
ed ecosystem for startups, pro
viding them technology and busi
ness mentorship.
More than 130 startups have
set up their operations at THub,
created by the state government
in collaborat ion w ith IIIT

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.


Hyderabad, Indian School of
Business (ISB) and NALSAR
University of Law.
The 70,000 square feet unique
ly designed and fully automated
facility has brought together
startups, incubators, mentors,
venture capitalists, ange l
investors, legal and accounting
firms and other players.
The Microsoft CEO's visit is
expected to give a big boost to
the government's efforts to make
Hyderabad the startup capital of
India. The government is seeking

collaboration with technology


giants for strengthening the facil
ity and for developing the second
phase on a much larger scale.
T he state government has
already announced Rs.10 crore
for the Rs.100crore innovation
fund of THub and it expects
Rs.90 crore from private players.
It has plans to scale this fund to
Rs.600 crore. The Telangana gov
ernment is also likely to discuss
with Nadella the plans Microsoft
has to expand its operations in
Hyderabad.

SPORTS

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

December 5-11, 2015

23

Serious doubts over IndiaPakistan series in Sri Lanka


New Delhi: One of the key issues Prime
Minister Narendra Modi has to address on
his return from the UN Summit on Climate
Change in Paris is whether or not to clear
the short cricket series between India and
Pakistan in neutral Sri Lanka next month.
Media reports clearly suggest that it's a
done deal as far as the Indian and
Pakistani boards are concerned and after
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has
quickly given his green signal, all eyes are
on Modi.
There are serious doubts among senior
ministers as well as among board officials
over the series coming of f. The Pakistanis
are getting tensed with no response forth
coming from the Indian side. Four days
elapsed since Foreign Office spokesman in
Delhi Vikas Swarup tweeted that no decision
has been taken on the series.
As suspected Nawaz Sharif scored a diplo
matic point by clearing the series thus put
ting Modi in an awkward situation. The
hawks in his government and party are
deadly opposed to any contact between the
two countries till Pakistan desists from its
terror activities in India from across the bor
der. He knows he must have a convincing
line of argument to either clear or refuse the

The biggest fear in both the countries is crowd response in


Sri Lanka even if the series is of shorter format..
team's trip to Sri Lanka.
Though the Indian board is opposed to
playing Pakistan's home series in the United
Arab Emirates (UAE) as other international
sides do, its chief Shashank Manohar had no
qualms about meeting his Pakistani counter
part Shahryar Khan in Dubai to work out the

modalities of the series.


The Indian board invited Pakistan to play
in India thinking it would be tempted to
jump at it as the series is only of three One
Day Internationals (ODIs) and two T20
matches instead of originally planned two
Tests, five ODIs and two T20s. Also, the

Pakistanis are desperate to play India more


for financial considerations.
Yet the Pakistanis refused to cross the bor
der, citing the political atmosphere in the
country and invoking their right to host the
home series in the UAE. Pakistan also point
ed it out that the MOU signed in 2014 was
for playing in the Emirates.
The Indians had objection to playing in
the UAE going by the past experience and
the lone option left was Sri Lanka. Pakistan
agreed to play in the Island nation.
Once the chiefs of the boards decided in
principle that the series should go ahead
subject to clearance from the respective gov
ernments, the Pakistanis moved quickly get
ting all clearances whereas the Indian board
is waiting with bated breath for the Modi
government to clear the series.
Should the series be played at a neutral
venue?
Pakistan is desperate to resume cricketing
ties with India. While Pakistani players, for
mer and current, are keen that the two
countries should play at any venue India
chooses. The Indian players invariably leave
it to the board, though some former players
have strong views subject to their proximity
to the border.

Kohli slams ICC for Golfer Lahiri set for


negative pitch
grand debut at
assessment
World Challenge golf

New Delhi: India captain Virat


Kohli slammed the International
Cricket Council (ICC) for rating
the track in the third Test
against South Africa at Nagpur
as poor.
The pitches during the ongo
ing series have attracted a lot of
controversy as all three Tests
have seen rank turners with
pro dig ious turn and unpre
dictable bounce right from the
start. India won the first and
third Tests with both matches
being over within three days.
But Kohli pointed out that
pitches in South Africa also favour the
bowlers, with visiting teams to that coun
try being dismissed for less than 100
runs on six occasions.
"There have been three scores of under
50 runs in South Africa but I haven't seen
any sort of articles on that. Teams have
been bundled out under 100 for about
six times in South Africa. Never saw any
articles written on that. Articles are there
to be written. It's a mindset or an opinion
of someone. I don't relate to it, I don't
understand it and I certainly don't enter
tain it. It doesn't bother me or the team,"
Kohli told reporters here on the eve of
the fourth and final Test.
"People can write about their opinions
as and how they wish. It is totally on us to
do what we do best," he added.
"I do not not see any kind of problems
with any wicket that we play on."

India captain Virat Kohli


The Delhi lad also pointed out that the
first ever pink ball Test between Australia
and New Zealand in Adelaide recently
was dominated by the pacers with the
former winning the game on the third
day.
"I don't think anyone has written an
article about Adelaide Test which fin
ished in two and a half days. So I don't
see anything wrong in our pitches," Kohli
said.
"Yes, I am talking about anyone (includ
ing the ICC). I am not only talking about
people writing articles in general. It's an
assessment that happens in every condi
tion and at every ground. Unfortunately,
the situation in our country is highlight
ed a bit too much and that's a fact.
Because only thing we talk about is the
pitch and when we were in South Africa,
the only thing we talked about is how
badly we played.

India's leading golfer Anirban Lahiri.


Albany (The Bahamas): India's leading
golfer Anirban Lahiri will rub shoulders
with the world's very best as he debuts in
the $3.5 million 18man Hero World
Challenge starting at the Albany Golf Course
here.
World No.39 Lahiri has been given special
exemption to compete at the Professional
Golfers Association (PGA)sanctioned event.
T he 28yearold will tee of f alongside
Jordan Spieth, winner of this year's two
Majors Augusta Masters and the US Open.
The No.1 will also defend his title here.
The field consists No.11 Zach Johnson,
who won his second Major at the 2015
British Open, No.4 Bubba Watson, No.5
Justin Rose, No.6 Rickie Fowler, No.8 Dustin
Johnson, No.10 Adam Scott, world No.13
Patrick Reed, No.14 Hideki Matsuyama,
No.17 Brooks Koepka, No.19 Matt Kuchar,

No.23 J.B. Holmes, No.24 Paul Casey, No.25


Jimmy Walker, No.36 Billy Horschel, No.41
Chris Kirk and No.43 Bill Haas.
Spieth will play the event for the third
time, hoping to cap a dream 2015. Already
this year, the 22yearold Spieth has also
claimed the PGA Tours FedExCup title, cap
tured PGA Tour Player of the Year honours
and ascended to the No.1 ranking.
Spieth and 2013 Hero World Challenge
winner Johnson are the only two past event
champions in the field. Johnson, who also
finished runnerup in 2007 and 2011, will
be making his eighth appearance in the
event, which is the most of anyone in the
field.
However, Lahiri, who is the undisputed
leader in the 2015 Asian Tour, has done
enough this year to earn the respect of his
highprofile rivals.in for it."

24

December 5-11, 2015

HEALTH

Bill de Blasio,
Andrew Cuomo pitch
efforts to fight AIDS

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio and State Governor Andrew Cuomo


New York: NYC of ficials
announced Tuesday on World
AIDS Day that they will put
$23 million in new annual fund
ing toward prevention and treat
ment to stop the disease.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, speak
ing separately at the same event
at Harlems Apollo Theater, said
his administration will seek
financial and programmatic
commitments of $200 million
toward housing, life insurance
and other programs. The funds
would come on top of $2.5 bil
lion that the state currently
spends combating HIV/AIDS.
In the city, Mayor Bill de
Blasios administrat ion w ill
expand the HIV/AIDS Services
Administration housing, nutri
tion and transportation assis
tance to all New Yorkers with
HIV or AIDS.
T he city has 120,000 New
Yorkers living with HIV and
AIDS, 80 percent of the states
cases, de Blasio said. The city

seeks to steadily lower its num


ber of cases in line with the
statewide goal of no more than
750 new infections annually by
2020.
City Council member Corey
Johnson (DManhattan), who is
HIV positive, at the event said
the citys new funding aligns
with Cuomos blueprint to fight
the virus.
City health of ficials said the
city last year had a historiclow
2,718 residents who were newly
diagnosed compared with 4,397
new cases in 2004.
We can beat this epidemic
with our existing tools, City
Health Commissioner Dr. Mary
T. Bassett told reporters.
Resources include the distribu
t ion of free condoms, the
#PlaySure media campaign to
encourage safe sex practices and
access to treatments such as the
preexposure and postexposure
prophylaxis medications known
as PrEP and PEP.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Can this pill end the


AIDS epidemic?
New York: Charlie Ferrusi is
a 23yearold gay man with
a winning smile and an easy
going manner. In May, he
completed a master's degree
in public health and recently
began a job at the New York
State Department of Health
AIDS Institute.
Ferrusi said he is HIVneg
ative and would like to stay
that way. He's the kind of
person that could be taking
Truvada, a onceaday pill
Truvada, developed by Gilead
that is nearly as effective as
Sciences company,
condoms in preventing HIV,
is a PrEP (Preexposure prophylaxis)
the virus that causes AIDS.
Some doctors and politi
Men who have sex with men
cians have hailed the antiretrovi account for more than half of the
ral drug, known as PrEP (Pre 1.2 million people living with HIV
exposure prophylaxis), as a key to in the US. "People at high risk who
ending the AIDS epidemic.
should be of fered PrEP include
"You go into a panic that would about 1 in 4 sexually active gay
n't be there if I was on PrEP," and bisexual men, 1 in 5 people
Ferrusi told CNN. "I'm having a who inject drugs and 1 in 200 sex
good time and being a good per ually active heterosexual adults,"
son and that comes with a risk according to the Centers for
sometimes. If I can eliminate those Disease Control and Prevention.
risks by taking PrEP, I think it
But not everyone is applauding
would be a good idea."
the pill as a major advancement in
Still, like many others, Ferrusi is the fight against HIV and AIDS.
grappling with a decision to take
No one, at least publicly, is advo
the drug as a preventive. When cating for using PrEP without con
taken as prescribed, PrEP can pre doms. Still, it erodes the "condom
vent more than 90% of sexually culture," said AIDS Healthcare
transmitted HIV infections. So why Foundation President Michael
aren't people jumping on the Weinstein, who is among PrEP's
bandwagon?
most prominent critics.
FDA approved Truvada in 2004
"If people take this drug, they're
for treating HIV infections. In not going to use condoms. Let's
2012, it was approved as the first just be real about it," Weinstein
and still, only drug for PrEP. It said. "The reality is that condoms
works by establishing a presence are 98% effective. So if people use
of the drug in the cells that HIV condoms, they don't need to take
targets for infection; the virus this pill." Weinstein said it might
can't produce a genetic code, so it be the best choice for people who
can't replicate and cause an infec refuse to use condoms. But for
tion.
many people, taking the pill as

prescribed could be a chal


lenge. Without insurance,
the drug can run about
$1,500 per month. Many
insurance plans, as well as
Medicaid, cover it, and the
drug's maker, Gilead
Sciences, of fers assistance
for people who can't afford
the cost.
Side ef fects of Truvada
include g astrointest inal
issues, fatigue, headaches
and mild itching or skin
rash. Some Truvada patients
have experienced kidney
and liver problems. For that
reason, anyone taking the
medication have their blood tested
every three months to ensure
proper kidney and liver function
and to make sure they remain
HIVnegative. If someone manages
to contract HIV while on PrEP, he
or she must switch to a different
treatment regimen, so he or she
won't build up a resistance to the
medication.
Others say the ef fects of PrEP
extend beyond preventing HIV.
Sarit Golub, a Hunter College pro
fessor who has been studying the
psychological effects of PrEP, said
her research indicates 40% to 60%
of gay men report thinking about
HIV while they're having sex all or
most of the time. She calls that a
"psychological tragedy." Her PrEP
pat ients report significant
decreases in anxiety, depression
and stress, she said.
Truvada has only been on the
market as a preventive drug for a
few years, but some liken the
debate around it to a betterknown
drug: birth control, when it first
went on the market for contracep
tion in the 1960s.

What is the Holiday Heart Syndrome?


By Patrick Neustatter, MD
y brotherinlaw, Olly, likes a spot
of red wine, but usually by the bot
tle rather than by the glass. When
my wife Paula and I were visiting, he man
aged to drink himself into the holiday
heart syndrome, despite it not being the
holidays. Now that the holidays, in all their
horror, are actually upon us, let me tell
you this salutatory tale.
Alcohol, which is of course the hallmark
of the holiday season for anyone who is a
serious party animal, has the ability to
tickle up those specialized nerve cells in
the heart. Then, what is meant to be an
orderly progression of the e lectrical
impulse to the heart muscle to make the
heart beator pump to be more precise

becomes a bit chaotic. Atrial fibrillation is


the commonest specific arrhythmia caused
by alcohol, and this whole phenomenon
got named the Holiday Heart Syndrome
(HHS for short) following an analysis of 32
patients who had dysrhythmic episodes
after having been on a bender.
Symptoms are liable to be palpitations,
which is a prominent or irregular heart
beat. Or if the arrhythmias persistent, it
may impair the hearts pumping ability,
causing weakness, shortness of breath,
even angina: the cramp like pain across
the chest that typifies coronary artery dis
ease, when theres not enough blood flow
to the coronary arteries to oxygenate the
heart muscle. Incidentally, some claim HHS
can also be induced by marijuana so pot
heads beware also.

It is common for my sister Angie, and


Olly, to have fairly welloiled dinner par
ties when we are over, when we are catch
ing up with all our friends. The morning
after one of these, Olly complained he had
nt slept well and he felt kind of peaky.
When I felt I his pulse, it was definitely
irregular, and my diagnosis was he had
gone into atrial fibrillationas he has in
the past. His regular doctor being closed,
we took a taxi to University College
Hospital in London.
Despite the fact that on the way he sud
denly announced I feel a lot better, and
when I felt his pulse it seemed to be back
in regular normal sinus rhythm, we contin
ued on. Olly was whisked into the British
hospital, examined, had an ECG and was
deemed cured, all in a matter of about 45

minutes. So this story had a happy ending.


But arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation can
cause sudden death, according to a review
in the Brazilian journal Arquivos
Brasileiros de Cardiologia. And atrial fibril
lation especially can lead to the formation
of blood clots that can cause strokes.
Alcohol can do other bad things to your
heart but even if youre not a regular
drinker, if youre tempted to gargle to
excess at the of fice Christmas party or
New Years eve, be warned, you might just
short circuit your hearts vulnerable
wiring.
Patrick Neustatter, M.D. practiced pri
mary care for more than 40 years. He
recently published Managing Your Doctor:
T he Smart Patient's Guide to Getting
Effective, Affordable Healthcare.

LIFESTYLE

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Jogging helps you


stay sharp!
esearch suggests that exercise
enhances development of new brain
cells that play an important role in
learning.
Exercise can enhance the development of
new brain cells that play an important role
in learning and memory of adults, new
research has found.
The process of developing new brain cells
in the adult brain is called adult neurogene
sis, the scientists explained.
The researchers found that mice that spent
time running on wheels not only developed
twice the normal number of new neurons,
but also showed an increased ability to dis
tinguish new objects from familiar objects.
Our research indicates that exercise
induced increase in neurogenesis improves
pattern separation by supporting unique and
detailed longterm representations of similar
but nevertheless dif ferent memory items,
explained lead investigator Josef
Bischofberger, professor at University of
Basel in Switzerland.
Pattern separation is involved in many
memory tasks of everyday life. For example,
when learning the game of chess, it is criti
cally important to remember the dif ferent
shapes of pieces like the pawn and bishop,
Bischofberger explained.
For the study, the researchers tested two
groups of mice that were housed either with
out (sedentary) or with running wheels (vol
untarily running) using a novel object recog

nition task to assess learning and longterm


memory.
The researchers found that whereas dis
tinct objects were remembered and recog
nized by both cohorts of mice, only the run
ning mice could faithfully distinguish similar
looking objects.
Investigators determined therefore that
the running mice had developed better pat
tern separation capabilities than sedentary
mice. To investigate further, the researchers
looked for changes in the brains of the mice.
By using markers that could identify newly
formed brain cells, they found that running
mice deve loped about twice as many
new cells.

on glucose alone.
The researchers warn that such
glucoseonly drinks could pro
duce gut discomfort and suggest
sucrosebased alternatives, or
sugar in water, can help make
exercise easier.
The carbohydrate stores in our
liver are vitally important when
it comes to endurance exercise
as they help us to maintain a sta
ble blood sugar level.
However, while we have a rel
atively good understanding of
the changes in our muscle carbo
hydrate stores with exercise and
nutrition, we know very little
about optimizing liver carbohy
drate stores during and after
exercise, lead researcher Javier
Gonzalez said.
They tested various sucrose
and glucosebased drinks to see
how dif ferent carbohydrates
could help. Their experiment,
conducted on longdistance
cyclists, showed that ingesting
carbohydrates in the form of
either glucose or sucrose pre
vents the decline in liver glyco
gen carbohydrate stores and

25

Is that compliment on
your new dress for real?
W
hen she says she loves your new
haircut, is she telling the truth or
being sarcastic? The answer is not
always obvious, especially for men, a study
says.
Also, for people who suffer from diseases
like Alzheimers or Parkinsons, or neuro
developmental conditions such as Autism,
any form of nonliteral speech such as sar
casm, teasing or white lies can be very con
fusing.
A new video inventory of examples of
these forms of indirect speech developed at
McGill University, Canada, should help in the
diagnosis and clinical testing of those with
disorders of this kind. We tend to believe
that people tell the truth most of the time,
said Kathrin Rothermich from McGills
School of Communication Disorders. So sar
casm and white lies seem to go against a
basic understanding of what should be hap
pening in conversation. This may be part of
what makes them so dif ficult to recognize
for some, Rothermich explained.
Rothermich and her colleague Marc Pell
have developed the Relational Inference and
Social Communication (RISC) video invento
ry. These 926 videos feature short, scripted
scenes with four actors interacting in differ
ent relationships (as romantic partners, as
friends, as colleagues, or as boss/employee).
In each exchange, the actors were asked to
convey one specific intention through their

Spoonful of sugar before


long running kills fatigue
f you are a longdistance run
ner and fee l marathon
fat igue quite often, try a
spoonful of sugar first and hit
the ground running like never
before.
According to researchers, stir
ring in table sugar from the bak
ing cupboard into a water bottle
before a big physical event could
be the dif ference between suc
cess and failure. This helps stave
of f tiredness faced by weary
marathon runners or other
longdistance athletes when
they hit the wall, said the team
from University of Bath in
Britain.
Both sucrose in the form of
table sugar and glucose are
important carbohydrates often
referred to as simple sugars.
It appears that combining dif
ferent sources of sug ars
improves the rate at which we
can absorb these from the gut.
Although many sportsper
formance drinks designed to pro
vide energy during exercise now
use sucrose, or mixtures of glu
cose and fructose, many still rely

December 5-11, 2015

can avert tiredness.


Our study showed that ingest
ing carbohydrates during exer
cise can prevent the depletion of
carbohydrate stores in the liver
but not in muscle. This may be
one of the ways in which carbo
hydrate ingest ion improves
endurance performance, the
authors said.
The researchers also found that
the exercise felt easier and the
gut comfort of the cyclists was
better, when they ingested
sucrose compared to glucose.
This suggests that when your
goal is to maximize carbohydrate
availability, sucrose is probably a
better source of carbohydrate to
ingest than glucose, the authors
said.
So, if your goal is optimal per
formance during exercise lasting
over two and half hours, con
sume up to 90g of sugar per
hour diluted to 8g sugar per
100ml.
The findings were published in
the American Journal of
Physiology Endocrinology &
Metabolism.

According to the study, people espe


cially men had difficulty identifying
when someone was being sarcastic.
speech and actions: to be sincere, to tell
white lies, to tease or to be sarcastic.
Rothermich then tested the videos on a
group of healthy participants to see whether
they were able to identify the speakers
intentions, and to get feedback about which
vocal and facial cues had helped them identi
fy what was going on. Participants were gen
erally well able to identify the speakers
intention either when one of the actors was
teasing someone else or when they were
telling the truth. What proved to be more dif
ficult, and particularly so for men, was iden
tifying when someone was being sarcastic.
The findings were described in a paper in
the journal PLoS ONE.

Why sex loses steam after


just one year of relationship

The research shows that 'sexual frequency is heavily influenced by


the existence and age of children'.
eople are happiest about
their sex lives after a year
into their relationship, and
thereafter the frequency and
passion in the action between
the sheets gradually declines, a
new study says. The researchers
questioned 3,000 people aged
between 25 and 41, asking them
on several occasions to rank
their sex lives. An analysis of the
results showed that people were
happiest about their sex life after
a year into their relationship,
marieclaire.co.uk reported.
And contrary to popular belief,
having children doesnt have a
noticeable effect of the quality of
a couples sex life, the study

found. We did not find that hav


ing children played a major role
in a couples sexual satisfaction,
said studys lead author Claudia
Schmiede berg from Ludw ig
Maximilian University in Munich.
She added that this is remark
able as research has shown that
sexual frequency is heavily
influenced by the existence and
age of children.
Rather than children, argu
ments were to be blamed for a
decline in sexual activity, with
couples asserting that more
quarrelling led to less sex. So if
you want a great sex life, try to
put the fights on hold, the find
ings suggest.

26

December 5-11, 2015

SELF HELP

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

5 things to put on your yearend financial checklist

he end of the year is a good time to


wrap up financial loose ends and set
priorities for the year ahead.

department at work to increase your with


holding. Some companies even allow you to
allocate a portion of your yearend bonus
to your 401(k) pretax.

Heres a checklist of timely financial


todos.

Empty Flexible Spending

Get Budget Savvy


Over threefifths of Americans identify
staying within budget as a take charge pri
ority in a recent Lincoln Financial Group
Measuring Opt imism, Outlook and
Direction (M.O.O.D.) of America study.
(Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing
name for Lincoln National Corporation and
its affiliates, which are separately responsi
ble for their own contractual obligations.)
An online tracking tool tied to your bank
account is an easy way to monitor spending
habits and identify where to make neces
sary tweaks to redirect money toward
important financial goals. Many financial
institutions offer these for free.

Boost Retirement Savings


For 59 percent of Americans, saving for

retirement is a financial priority, according


to the same Lincoln study. Take their cue.
You can lower your tax burden by increas
ing your retirement plan contribution,
since deposits are made pretax.
Unfortunately, you cant just write a
check to your 401(k) if you want to con
tribute more. The money must come out of
your paycheck, and you must ask your HR

A flexible spending account (FSA) is a


great tool for saving on healthcare. You
decide during open enrollment how much
youd like to have taken out for healthcare
related expenses throughout the year, and
the money is deposited in the account pre
tax.
But theres a catch: You must spend it all
before yearend or lose it, although some
companies allow you to carry over up to
$500 into the next year. If theres still
money in your FSA, push up scheduled
healthcare purchases, like new eyeglasses
or planned dental work, into the current
year.

Portfolio Rebalancing
Rebalancing is a necessary but often
overlooked portfolio task. Financial advi
sors recommend reviewing your portfolio

at least once annually to decide whether


rebalancing is warranted, typically if your
positions have strayed five to 10 percent
from where you originally set them.
For example, if you allocated 60 percent
of your portfolio to stocks, but it has now
moved to a 70 percent allocation due to
strong market performance, it might be
time to rebalance. Rebalancing helps you
restore your allocation back to your intend
ed risk profile.

Charitable Contributions
The holidays are a good time to remem
ber the causes you care about. In fact, youll
be in good company, as December is the
most popular month for charitable giving,
with 18 percent of annual donations hap
pening this month alone. If you itemize
your deductions, you can take a deduction
ag ainst
donat ions
to
501(c)(3)
organizations.
Your donations can take many forms:
cash, appreciated stocks, or even the cost of
ingredients for a big pot of chili for a home
less shelter.

How to make tech gifts


When sibling rivalry
more meaningful
goes too far
T
B

echnology gifts continue to dominate


holiday wish lists. Before purchasing
the latest gadget, remember that one
size doesnt fit all. Just as you wouldnt buy
the same sweater for everyone, dif ferent
recipients have dif ferent needs when it
comes to tech gifts.
This season, consider technology gifts
that can improve your loved ones daily
lives by matching devices to their personal
interests. Here are some ideas for thought
ful holiday tech gifts for everyone on your
list.

The GoGetter
Purchasing a gift for a busy parent, a
world trave ler or a so cial butterfly?
Wearable technology will definitely be at
the top of their lists this season.
Fitness fanatics will love soupedup
Bluetooth headsets and activity trackers;
while onthego moms will be grateful for
the ease a smart watch provides them.
Do your homework to ensure whichever
gift you pick is compatible with the recipi
ents existing technology. If your loved one
is an Apple fanatic, you dont want to get
an Android smartwatch.
Add extra personalization by taking into
account product design. For example, sev
eral jewelry designers have introduced
necklaces and bracelets that cleverly house
sports act ivity trackers inside the
accessory.

The Home Office Worker


Entrepreneurism is on the rise and that
means home offices are becoming a staple.
The key to working from home is staying
organized, maximizing space and minimiz
ing clutter. Many entrepreneurs and
telecommuters dont realize that their
phones can actually help them streamline
their home office experience. These days,
you can link your mobile phone calls to

your home phone to maximize efficiency.


For example, with the Panasonic KX
TGF382M Link2Cell Digital Phone, you can
link up to two smartphones to make and
receive calls, as well as receive talking ID
alerts so you never miss texts.
Added bene fit? T his pro duct he lps
increase e f ficiency. A downloadable
Android App provides alerts when the
linked cell phone receives emails and
social media updates. A busy entrepreneur
can block up to 250 unwanted numbers
with the touch of one button, cutting down
on
t imesapping
conversat ions.
Additionally, a powerful battery backup
system will keep the phone connected for
up to seven hours even if the power goes
out.

The Entertainer
Gift lists always include a friend or fami
ly member that loves to entertain guests.
Home chefs who like to throw dinner
parties will surely appreciate a wireless
Bluetooth cooking thermometer that syncs
with a smartphone to alert them when
their main dish is done, or a digital meas
uring cup, that enables cooks to precisely
measure liquids and easily convert meas
urement units.
Wine aficionados can also go high tech
this season. New g ifts include sonic
decanters, smart chillers, and even special
devices that allow you to pour wine with
out uncorking it to preserve freshness.

ullying outside
the
home
makes head
lines daily, but sib
ling bullying can
happen under ones
own roof, and can be
misperceived as nor
mal, say experts.
Sibling rivalry
and sibling abuse
are two separate
things, says Pam
Franklin, author of My Five Sisters, a mem
oir of the authors challenging childhood.
Mental health issues are both at the root of
these problems, and can also perpetuate
them.
Franklin, who was psychologically and
physically abused by her mentally ill older
sister, has turned her story into a unique
exploration of how dangerous sibling abuse
can become if not addressed. She feels her
story could help others and is of fering
insights to those attempting to identify
whether behaviors they have witnessed are
normal or problematic:
s While all siblings are inclined to bicker
or compete, a supreme imbalance of power
that threatens the mental or physical safety
of a particular child is not acceptable and
should be addressed. Observe your children
and ask other responsible parties, such as
babysitters and relatives, for feedback on
what theyve seen or heard.
s Keep in mind that many children wont
normally share problems occurring at home,
fearing retribution from abusers or possess
ing anxiety that no one will believe them.
Many such children become masters at hid
ing their feelings. Dont ignore signs. Pursue
the matter until you discover the truth. Even
if there are no visible issues, regularly talk
ing to your children about their thoughts

and feelings is fun


damental.
s
Write down
troubling symptoms
to share with your
childs doctor or
therapist. A listing
of behaviors can
help healthcare pro
fessionals make a
proper diagnosis.
For
example,
Franklins sister and
tormenter suf fered from Dissociative
Identity Disorder, (DID, previously known as
Multiple Personality Disorder). Af fecting
only 0.01 to one percent of the population,
DID is a severe form of dissociation charac
terized by the presence of two or more dis
tinct identities or personality states that
have power over a persons behavior and
can be accompanied by mood swings, sleep
disorders, panic attacks, compulsions and
psychoticlike symptoms.
s
Some mental health disorders are
much more common than DID and can also
have larger ramifications. In fact, 10 percent
of the population today takes antidepres
sants and many more have undiagnosed
issues. If you have concerns, talk to your
childs pediatrician about next steps.
Without treatment, gaining control of a con
dition is difficult or even impossible
s
Dont let your familys financial situa
tion be a deterrent towards getting needed
help. Counseling services are available at
every price point and some clinics have a
sliding scale pay structure based on income.
For victims and abusers alike, treatment is
one of the only paths towards leading a
functional, healthy life.
More information can be found at
www.Pam Franklinauthor.com.
(StatePoint)

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

December 5-11, 2015

ART & CULTURE

27

Aali adapted doha style of Hindi in Urdu poetry


Jamiluddin Aali was a well- regarded Pakistani poet with roots in
India. His death last month was mourned on both sides of the border.
By Prakash Bhandari
n Pakistan a poet became known for
adapting the Hindi dohas (couplets) in
Urdu poetry. He was Nawabzada Mirza
Jamiluddin Khan, Pakistans national poet
feted for his patriotic songs. He had close
links with India and his recent death in
Karachi at the age of 90 was mourned by
lovers of Urdu poetry even in India, particu
larly Delhi and Jaipur, the two cities he had
close links with.
Belonging to the Nawab family of Loharu in
Haryana, he was better known in the literary
circle of Pakistan as Jamiluddin Aali. He would
visit India frequently to meet his family
members, who are settled in Loharu, Delhi
and in Jaipur.
Jamiluddin Ali was a very successful man as
a careerist, as a poet and writer. As poet, he
adapted the doha style of Hindi in Urdu poetry
and was very much appreciated for his experi
mentation.
Poetry was his first love the vocation had
for long been there in the family having ties of
kinship with Mirza Ghalib. Aali started com
posing poetry at an early age. He referred his
early compositions to Nawab Sirajuddin Khan
Sail Dehlavi, a noted Urdu linguist to learn the
techniques of the art. Beginning as a ghazal
writer, he turned to doha after he fell in love
with Tayyaba Bano whom he married in 1944.
By the time he graduated from Delhis Anglo
Arabic College in 1944, Aali had already
earned for himself a name as a poet. His
famous dohas which he very admirably used
in Urdu poetry (one translated here into
English):
What has the existence bestowed?
A burning soul and a longing

Nawabzada Mirza Jamiluddin Khan, better


known as Jamiluddin Aali
For a Sur, the heavenly tune
To unveil the secrets of life:
But Lo! Failing to invoke muses.
Goes Aali, forlorn and cast down
Born on January 20, 1925 in Delhi. Aali did
not have pleasant memories of his childhood
days. His mother, a direct descendant of
Khwaja Mir Dard, was the fourth wife of Sir
Amiruddin Khan, the Nawab of Loharu. Aali
was hardly 11 or 12 years old when his father
died and the family was obliged to manage life
on a meager stipend allowed by the British
India government.
He along with his family migrated to
Pakistan in 1947 and started his career as an
assistant in the Ministry of Commerce. In
1951 he cleared the Central Superior Service
examination to join the Pakistan Taxation
Service. He was Of ficer on Special Duty at
President House from 1959 to 1963. He was
also a known name in Pakistans banking sec
tor. He also served former Pakistan President
General Ayub Khan as his secretary.
Though adhering to the traditional form of

the craft, his was a fresh voice. He soon devel


oped his own diction with evocative imagery
and a lyricism that was unique. But he shows
his real potential and creativity in dohas.
Gifted with a melodious voice and an under
standing of classical music, Aali would take
the listeners to a state of ecstasy and leave
them in trance. His poetic sensibility is better
captured and expressed in his dohas than his
ghazals. He broke new grounds while experi
menting with its form and technique which he
would later referr to as Aali Chaal (Aalis style
or innovation). Aali deviated from the cen
turiesold strict rules of Hindi doha and took
the genre to new heights by redefining its the
matic boundaries and altering its form. A con
siderable part of his ghazals and dohas is
autobiographical. His most original and great
est contribution to the world of literature is
his long poem Insan. Though still incomplete,
it took Aali more than five decades to write
more than 10,000 lines.
He was very popular poet and was known
for inspiring the youth with the spirit of
nationalism. His poem Aye Watan Ke Sajeeley
Jawano was sung by Pakistans melody queen
Noor Jahan during the IndiaPakistan war in
1965. Another patriotic song Jeevay Jeevay
Pakistan was sung by famous singer Shahnaz
Begum and Mera paigham Pakistan by
Nusrat Feteh Ali Khan. One of his famous
poems is Yeh Kavita Pakistani Hai.
When more than 80,000 Pakistani soldiers
were made prisoners of war after the IndoPak
war in 1971, moved by the plight of the
POWs, he composed Aey des ki hawaon,
sarhad ke paar jao in 1972. He had five chil
dren three sons and two daughters. One of
his son Raju Jamil is a TV actor and his sec
ond son Murad Jamil is a famous Pakistani

architect.
Here are two of Aalis best poems in
Romanized Urdu:

Ghazal in Urdu by Jamiluddin Aali


Hum Duno Ne Ki Jo Muhabbat... Aur Kisi Ne
Ki Hee Nahin,
Kya Mutlubb.. Array Mutlubb Ye Ke Tujh
Jaisi Koi Thih Hee Nahin.
Aik Mausum Mein TarkeJunoon Se.. Koi
Bharam Nahin Buntaa Hai,
Agli Bahar Aanay Waali Hai... Chaake
Garaibaan Thih Hee Nahin.
Maazi O' Haal Juda Bhi Nahin Thay..
Mustaqbil Koi Cheez Na Tha..
Tere Wisaal O' Firagh Se Pehle... Waqt Ki
Gardish Thih Hee Nahin..
Dunya Ki Pehli Naari Ne Narr Ka Mutlubb
Jaan Liya.....
Aaj Tera Mujh Se Ye Kehna...k Mein Tou
Kuch Samjhee Hee Nahin.

Karb Ho Ke Lazzat Ho
Karb Ho Ke Lazzat ho
Zindagi Ganeemat ho
Ai Chiraghaye
Betab Bas yehi
Wakt Ne mitta
Daaley Who Gulab Se
Rukhsar
Aab to Zard Chehroun
Ki Dilkashi Ganeemat hai
Husn o Ishq ka
Mahfoom kyon samajh ke
Hoon mamnoon
Aise chaand lafzon
Ki Naghmayi Ganeemat
Hai

I was misquoted on Gandhi


and Partition: Wendy Doniger
By Preetha Nair
New Delhi: Acclaimed American
Indologist Wendy Doniger claims
she was misquoted on her remarks
about Mahatma Gandhi and the
1947 partition of India.
Last week, Scroll.in quoted her
saying that partition may have
been averted had Gandhi been less
reverential toward cows, inviting a
lot of criticism.
The USbased scholar clarified in
an email that she believed it was
the antiMuslim agenda which suc
ceeded despite the e f forts of
Gandhi and Muhammad Ali Jinnah
to avoid partition.
I was misquoted on this subject
by a professor who claimed, on the
basis of remarks that he says he
overheard at an academic dinner

party in my honor. T his is of


course nonsense and not what I
was saying. The situation is far
more complex than that. But
Gandhi was indeed a supporter of
the Cow Protect ion So ciety,
despite, rather than because of, the
antiMuslim agendas that it had
then and still has. Those agendas
contributed to the ultimate failure
of his sincere efforts to work with
Jinnah to integrate Muslims and
Hindus and to avoid partition,
Doniger said.
Slamming arguments that
Muslim rulers introduced beef in
the country, she pointed out that
Vedas mention the eating of beef
on several important occasions.
Muslim rulers did not introduce
beef eating in India. Long before
the Charaka Samhita, the oldest

Hindu scriptures, the Vedas, pre


scribe the eating of beef on several
important occasions, as when an
important guest comes to a house.
But later, around the beginning of
the Common Era, the cow became
a symbol, both of Brahmins, who
were always paid by being given
cows, and of motherhood.
Lending support to writers and
filmmakers returning awards in
India on the intolerance issue,
Doniger said it will inspire other
writers and publishers to produce
works that do not toe the Hindutva
line.
The author's book, "The Hindus:
An Alternative History", is back on
shelves after having been with
drawn by publishers Penguin India
early last year following protests
from some Hindu groups.

Wendy Doniger has angered a section of the Indian American acade


mia for her views seen as antiHindu

28

December 5-11, 2015

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

HUMOR

Funny Side by Nury Vittachi

4 EXAMPLES OF KNEEJERK REACTIONS


ow that my children are all on
Facebook I dont punish them for mis
deeds any more.
I just tag them on old family pictures of
them pooping at the poolside etc.
Mwa ha ha.
***

But I was scolded by a friend named Kyra


who said that the biggest cause of problems
today was people handing out instant pun
ishments / decisions without consulting
trained negotiators like herself.
She gave this rather grandiose example:
France and Iran negotiated a worldsaving
deal to halt nuclear proliferation last month
but fell out over arrangements for the fol
lowing celebratory meal. The Iranian presi
dent insisted on an alcoholfree dinner while
the shocked leader of France flatly refused
to eat without wine: it was cancelled.
I would have simply moved the joint meal
part of the ceremony to breakfast: problem
solved, world saved, Kyra said. Good point.
***
After talking to her, I saw kneejerk reac
tions wherever I looked.
A reader sent me a report about a woman
in the UK who found a text from her hus

bands mistress on the phone hed left


behind.
So she SOLD THEIR HOUSE and moved out
before he got home from his business trip,
said the report from the Birmingham Mail
newspaper.
Now you have to admit that that instant
punishment was risky.
What if the message from the mistress
had been a thoughtless, insensitive prank
from the husbands buddies, a fair possibili
ty given that thoughtlessness and insensitiv
ity have been proudly upheld as the defining
attributes of the male sex since time imme
morial? (See Caligula, Nero, Genghis Khan,
Attila the Hun, Donald Trump, etc)
***
The following day, a worrying example
came from China.
A reader sent me a news clip about a
young woman who had an argument with
her parents. She punished them by moving
to an Internet caf far away, where she
stayed for 10 years.
***
I am so hiding that article from my chil
dren.
Ten uninterrupted years playing computer

games would be their idea of heaven.


Maybe Ill even lay off the embarrassing
pooping pics for a while.
If they run off, the repercussions might be
hard to explain.
WIFE: Where are the kids?
ME: Theyve all moved to some Internet
caf in China. Mmm, nice and quiet, isnt it?
She probably would refuse to see the
bright side. Women are awkward like that.
***
But the main reason to avoid kneejerk
reactions is those are the decisions youll
regret them later. Im sure the following con
versation happens in many families these
days.
DAD OF NEWBORN: Darling, weve decid
ed that we are going to keep you away from

screenbased entertainment so that you can


have a healthy, active childhood.
[Time passes.]
DAD OF TWOYEAROLD: Darling, meet
Mr Tablet Computer. You can call him New
Daddy.
***
Kyra the negotiator says that when are
upset with someone, you should write down
how you feel, fold up the paper, put it into a
locked chest, and then use the chest to beat
your enemy to death.
***
Okay, I made up the last bit, but in mitiga
tion, I would just like to point out that I am
male.
***

Laughter is the Best Medicine

BEST
RATE
FOR
INDIA
AND
PAKISTAN
New York Head Quarter
422S Broadway
HICKSVILLE
NY 11801

5168271010

by Mahendra Shah
Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist,
cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the
immigrant Indians for the past many years in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat,
he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

ASTROLOGY

December 5-11, 2015

29

Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874


Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899
psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com

By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma

DECEMBER 511, 2015


ARIES : You will be successful in realising
your targets at professional front. Relatives
will be willing to lend a helping hand at the
time of need. Improvement in finances is certain.
Love life brings immense romantic pleasure. Yoga
and meditation would help in keeping in shape
and mentally agile.
A beckon destination sounds tempting to you.
Buying property can lead to gains as property
prices continue to increase. A long wait for inter
esting things happening in life is likely to be
materialise this week.
TAURUS: With your high confidence you
will be able to cross all hurdles at profes
sional front. New relationship at family
front will be long lasting & highly beneficial. This
week you should focus investment on land/real
estate or cultural projects to earn profits.
Traveling proves a blessing in disguise by bring
ing a love in your life. Blessings of a saintly per
son give peace of mind. Planning a trip for your
love will embrace you and your spouse. You could
buy the property that you are looking for.
Pleasure trip undertaken with friends would be
satisfying.
GEMINI: Timely help of associates will not
only pass difficult times at work but also
help in regaining professional edge.
Guests visit would make it a pleasant & wonderful
week. Speculation coupled with some unexpected
gains improves financial health. You are likely to
get a new friendship opportunity in the evening.
Chances of recovering from physical ailment are
high. Enjoy your holiday with love of your life.
Investing on properties which are under devel
oped will be profitable. Your ability to easily con
vince others will benefit you.

CANCER: A promising week to start a new


venture in partnership. All are likely to be
benefited. You will be in the mood to cele
brate with family and friends this week. A new
source of income will generate through influential
contacts. New romance that some of you are going
to experience would take the worries of f mind.
Inexhaustible energy enables to participate in out
door activities. Romantic destinations seems appeal
ing to you. Whether young or old, now is the time to
start investing. You succeed in completing long
pending construction work to your satisfaction.
LEO: Your technical expertise gives a deci
sive edge over competitors at work. Good
advice from family members brings gains.
Investment made this week would enhance prosper
ity and financial security. Make sure you celebrate
your new love by enjoying a pleasure trip with part
ner to make a perfect start. You attain a bloom in
health on sharing happiness with others. Travel for
fun and pleasure is what you demand. Looking for
good long term investments, then go for a property
which is under construction. A desire to do some
thing different makes you innovative.
VIRGO: Hard work of the past brings rich
dividends. However continue enhancing
your skills/adopt techniques for further
development. Be generous in your approach and
enjoy lovely moments with family members. An
improvement in financial position would enable to
make important purchases. You enjoy a memorable
time with partner to cement the lovely bond.
Engaging yourself in creative work would keep you
relaxed. Small journey with your office colleagues
will be interesting. Ability to take calculated risks
impresses the people who are closely monitoring
you.

LIBRA: Dedication & loyalty at work


would bring desired results. The compa
ny of family friends will keep you in a
happy & relaxed mood. You are likely to earn
monetary profits through most unexpected
sources. You will be attracted to someone special.
A cheerful state of mind would allow enjoying the
perfect health. Your boss may ask you for your
company to a friends party. It always is exciting
to begin looking at homes for sale in your area. By
merely observing others you are likely to learn a
lot this week.
SCORPIO: New ventures start on a positive
note. Parental guidance in your decision
would immensely help. A sudden inflow of
funds will take care of your bills and immediate
expenses. Warm romantic thoughts occupy mind.
Divine knowledge from a saintly person provides
solace & comfort. Travel plan with a colleague
might lead to a new relationship. Buying cheap
property in the right location can provide you
triple gain annually. this week you involvement in
voluntary work will enable to bring fame to you.
SAGITTARIUS : You succeed in complet
ing projects efficiently provided you put
in all your efforts. A week when misun
derstandings at family front are sorted out with
ease. A promising week to put your innovative
ideas on use to make extra money. Your charm &
generosity bring new romantic opportunities for
you. Meditation and yoga prove beneficial for
spiritual as well as physical gains. Small picnic
organized by your company is good to change
your mood. Investing in property business sounds
very appealing.
A wonderful week to contact persons with whom
you can share your dreams/aims.

CAPRICORN : Hard work putin the past


will yield handsome rewards in business
this week. Believe it or not someone in the
family is watching you closely and considers you a
role model. You are likely to raise capital through
collecting outstanding debts or asking for funds to
work on new projects. You will have to make some
courageous efforts to renew romantic bond. A very
healthy week when your cheerfulness gives the
desired tonic and confidence. Of ficial journeys
prove to be more fruitful for you. Banks love to
finance those, who invest in properties which are
underdevelopment. Joining hands with humanitari
an group in social work would benefit you.
AQUARIUS: Business partners behave
supportive on executing strategies to sort
out pending problems. An important
development at personal front brings jubilation for
entire family. Monetary position is likely to
improve on recovering of delayed payments. Love
life brightens your week. You are likely to maintain
good health that would also give you success.
Planning a vacation, keep an eye on your expendi
ture before you travel. A good deal on commercial
property might occur.
PISCES: High time to know your full poten
tials to enhance career prospects. A happy
time in the company of friends and relatives
as they do many favours to you. Investment in
antiques & jewelry brings monetary gains and
improvement in financial position. Take love com
panion into confidence before taking any decision
related to love. A continuous positive thinking gets
rewarded as you succeed in whatever you do this
week. Fly away with your dreams, new business
horizons are ready to explore. Their might be a
chance of acquiring a plot from your closed relative.

ANNUAL PREDICTIONS: FOR THOSE BORN IN THIS WEEK


5th December, 2015
Ruled planet: Sun Ruled by no: 5
Traits in you: Being number 5, you are very strong headed
person with friendly nature and practical thoughts. You
inspire others to do their work with full dedication and per
fection. You have an ability to make many friends and the best
is that you are known as a very loyal friend to all your friends.
Health this year: A very promising year to achieve mental
peace by making yoga a part of life. Keep in mind that it
helps in raising your energy levels and improves blood cir
culation, digestive system and respiratory functions. It is
good for both soul and mind.
Finance this year: Sudden unexpected expenses could force
to take a loan this year. You need to borrow the money
according to your paying capacity. If possible, look for activ
ities that are not very expensive yet highly entertaining to
keep yourself busy.
Career this year: Those of you in business, will attain suc
cess in your new projects and plans, which you will under
take, this year. You will find the cooperation of your col
leagues in finishing your task on time.
Romance this year: Your charming personality, will draw
many friends towards you. You will be the centre of attrac
tion at many social gatherings. In matters of love, you will
have to be careful, while choosing the right life partner.
Lucky month: July, September, November and March
6th December, 2015
Ruled planet: Venus Ruled by no: 6
Traits in you: Being number 6, you are lover of simplicity
and originality. You are always there to help others. You are
an ambitious person, who always climb the stairs of success
in whatever work you take in hand. You are very outspoken
in nature and good at solving other's problem. The best
quality in you is that you have an ability to laugh at yourself
and make others smile.
Health this year: If possible, pay a little attention to follow
the path of spirituality. As this will help in handling stress
and emotional wellbeing of yourself and others. At the same
time a peaceful mind would bring a different kind of enjoy
ment to you, which is a need of a hour.
Finance this year: Lucrative incentives offered by reputed
companies for investment would attract you many times
this year. However you need to invest only after checking all
the details. Don't run after incentives only look at the flip
side to make your capital safe.
Career this year: Your intelligence and sharp memory, will
bring you success in your professional pursuits, in the year
ahead of you. You will gain high positions and earn lots of
money too.
Romance this year: Your family will be of utmost impor
tance to you, in the coming year. You can expect to receive
love and affection from them. In love, make some serious
efforts to keep love fresh like precious things. Romantic

evening with partner for a candlelight dinner would make a


perfect beginning.
Lucky month: July, September and November
7th December, 2015
Ruled planet: Neptune Ruled by no: 7
Traits in you: Being number 7, you are an intelligent, inde
pendent and kind hearted person. You know how to play
with words. Using your this quality you will easily impress
people around you. Your supportive nature makes you
famous in your group. justice. You love to be a leader in a
group and can easily sense positive and negative energies
coming from the people around you. This year you might go
for a foreign trip, which would be both pleasurable and
rewarding.
Health this year: You tend to get depressed, when you get
too engrossed in one subject. So, try to keep yourself busy,
with various activities, instead of concentrating on one sub
ject or work. A very successful year for persons suffering
from digestive problem. There are indications that you will
find a remedy for your ailment.
Finance this year: Chances of earning handsome monetary
returns are high this year, as you utilise your parttime to
open a link associate of a good concern. Your parttime
work will help you devote your full time as you begin to
reap rich dividends.
Career this year: You will be cautious and alert in taking
decisions. In the coming year, you will be able to take wise
decisions, both in your professional as well as your domes
tic front.
Romance this year: Your goodhumoured nature, will draw
many friends towards you, and you will have a good social
life in the year ahead of you. The world would appear beau
tiful and a place to live as you experience falling in love this
year.
Lucky month: June, September, December and March
8th December, 2015
Ruled planet: Saturn Ruled by no: 8
Traits in you: Being number 8, you are a person who loves
challenges in life and always come out as a winner which
ever task you take in hand. You are very practical, systemat
ic and friendly person who is always there to help needy
people. You determination and sincerity at work will fetch
you both good finances and respect in society. Although you
don't like anyone assisting you, but when you do any mis
takes, you accept them easily and learn not to repeat it
again.
Health this year: You are likely to notice an improvement in
health this year, as you get rid from negative thinking. At
the same time you must unnecessarily refuse to worry
about your health. This would not help you anyways, but
even stop you from enjoying your good health to the fullest.
Finance this year: An improved financial position will make

it convenient for you to make important purchases this year.


However avoid taking crucial decision regarding investment
in the first half of the year. Later in the year you will see
good returns through your investments.
Career this year: Coupled with your organizing capacity, you
will be able to achieve success in your professional field, in
the coming year. Your inborn urge for knowledge, will allow
you to go deep into the study of different subjects. You will
leave no stone unturned to achieve success in whatever
project you undertake. You are likely to get support from an
influential person in professional matters.
Romance this year: This year you are likely to give someone
else more importance than yourself, as you will experience
falling in love. This would begin your romantic journey as
you prepare yourself to bathe in the sea of love.
Lucky month: August, December and February
9th December, 2015
Ruled planet: Mars Ruled by no: 9
Traits in you: Being number 9, you are one of the most
energetic, courageous and brilliant person, who successfully
completes the work taken in hand. You can be called cleanli
ness freak person. You always help those who need your
help. You love to be in the company of those people who are
intelligent and sophisticated. You are good at evaluating any
situation and work accordingly. For you emotional happi
ness is more important than material happiness. Being
focused in life, you climb the ladder of success.
Health this year: Keeping a positive outlook towards life
will give muchneeded relief to your health this year. At the
same time it would be in your interest to get rid of your neg
ative emotions to bring a permanent growth in your health.
Finance this year: In this year, you are likely to inherit prop
erty from ancestors, especially from your fathers side. Your
technical skills and marketing knowledge would help you in
earning good money. You are likely to generate a new
source of income to reap handsome returns.
Career this year: Hard work and the ability to take right
decisions, will bring success to you in the coming year. For
those, who are into business, it will be a good year. You
might sign and negotiate big deals.
Romance this year: This year you are likely to be touched
by a wonderful emotion that can make you a giving person.
As first time in the life you will find happiness in other's
happiness. There is nothing to worry, as you might simply
fall in love this year.
Lucky month: October, December and February
10th December, 2015
Ruled planet: Sun Ruled by no: 1
Traits in you: Being number 1, you are a person who loves
originality in whatever work you do. By nature you are an
authoritative person and so you always take charge of
things which also makes you responsible person. If you take

some task in hand, you are determined to finish it. You are
very soft spoken and kind hearted person.
Health this year: This year you will have to be little careful
while travelling. As you will be travelling a lot this year, just
keep in mind that careless driving could harm you. So, be
extra careful while driving especially on turnings. Health
wise a good year ahead.
Finance this year: You need to apply your thinking power to
make quick decisions regarding investing the money in
right place this year. You yourself would invite financial
losses if you invest carelessly. You need to save yourself
from investing in dubious financial schemes.
Career this year: Happiness, prosperity and fame, is what
most of you can expect in the coming year. Your methodical
approach to work, coupled with your sincerity, will take you
to newer heights in your professional career. Your quest for
knowledge and research will help you immensely in your
field of work to achieve success.
Romance this year: This year you are likely to develop a
sudden acquaintance with a stranger who will share your
thoughts fulfil dreams and love without end. This will not
only bring an everlasting fragrance of true love but also
sink you slowly in the sea of love. Those who are already in
a relationship will enjoy the love and affection of their loved
ones.
Lucky month: July, September and January
11th December, 2015
Ruled planet: Moon Ruled by no: 2
Traits in you: Being number 2, you are a person who is
highly ambitious and always look upwards towards
progress and prosperity. You need to control your dominat
ing nature, to keep those around you happy. You are a born
leader, and expect your colleagues and friends to follow
whatever you order them to. This sometimes, leads to mis
understandings.
Health this year: Nature and natural surroundings will draw
your attention in the coming year. You will be able to enjoy
the seas, flowers and on the whole, nature, which will give
you a sense of satisfaction. Being closer to nature gives both
mental and physical peace.
Finance this year: Investment related to your house can be
profitable as you will decide to purchase a new plot. It will
improve your financial position by bringing long term gains
for you.
Career this year: In the coming year, your superiors will
notice your sincerity and loyalty, and they will entrust a lot
of responsibility on your shoulders. You will be able to fulfill
these duties to the utmost.
Romance this year: If you are in love, then your affair will
have to face some testing times as it might get disclosed this
year. However, it will be in your interest to face it courageous
ly, so that you can enjoy your life with the person you love.
Lucky month: June, September and December

30

December 5-11, 2015

SPIRITUAL AWARENESS

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Happiness is a State of Mind

By Sant Rajinder Singh


Ji Maharaj

ife is filled with many chal


lenges and somet imes,
under pressure, people
crack. T hey fee l they can no
longer stand all the problems
facing them. Sometimes people
feel they have the worst job in
the world. Others feel they have
the worst health problems; they
feel no one could be plagued
with as many physical problems
as they have. At some time in our
lives, we feel that no one could
have things as bad as we have.
There is a folk tale about a
wise man who lived in a forest.
People would travel far and wide
to seek him out for answers to
their problems. One day, a
woman came to him for advice.
He said, My dear, what can I
do for you?
She said, Things are terrible
at home. I live in a small hut with
my husband and two children.
The hut is barely large enough
for the four of us. I wanted a big
ger house but my husband is not
doing well at work and cannot
afford anything larger. As times
are bad, my husbands father lost

his job, so his parents had to


move in w ith us. We were
already crowded before, but now
with six of us living together in
that small space, it is unbearable.
I cannot take it anymore. I feel
like screaming!
The wise man thought for a
moment and asked, Do you have
a cow?
The woman said, Yes, we do.
He said, I advise you to bring
the cow into the hut to live with
you for a week and then come
back to see me.
The woman was puzzled. She
thought that since he was a wise
man, there must be some magic
in bringing the cow into the
house, so she did what he said.
The next week was horrible. It
was so crowded in the house that
every t ime the cow turned
around, all the six family mem
bers had to change their seats.
When they tried to sleep, the
sme ll was intolerable, and it
would moo throughout the night,
waking them all up.
After the week passed, the
woman returned to the wise man
and beg an shout ing at him,
What have you done? I came to
you to make things better and
now I am more miserable than
be fore. Your advice did not
work.
He thought for a moment and
asked, Do you have any chick
ens?
Yes, she said.
He told her, Take them into
the hut with you for a week. She
did not understand how this
would help, but since he was a

wise man, and everybody in her


village found his advice helpful,
she thought she would give this a
try.
When she returned home, she
collected all the chickens from
the backyard and moved them
into the house. For the next
week, the chickens were flying
around the hut, landing on every
thing and making a mess of the
place.
After a week, she returned and
cried, in tears, You must be
crazy. Your advice is terrible. It is
impossible to live in the hut now.
T he cow turns around and
knocks into us. The chickens fly
all around the hut. My inlaws
are always choking from the
smell and complaining about
how bad it is living with us. The
children find chicken feathers
falling into their food. My hus
band is constantly fighting with
me over the living conditions in
our home and says, It is all your
fault!
The wise man thought for a
moment and said, My dear, go
home and try one more thing.
Take the cow and the chickens
out of your hut. Then, come back
to me in a week.
The woman was fed up with his
advice but thought she would
g ive it one last chance. She
returned home and pulled the
cow out of the house. She took
the chickens out and returned
them to the backyard.
A wee k later, the woman
returned to the wise man.
How are things now? he
asked.
Thank you so much! You are
truly wise. Since I removed the
cow and chickens from the hut, I
feel so much happier. Things
have become so peaceful.
T he w ise man smiled. T he
woman returned home and lived
happily with her husband, her
children, and her inlaws.

We think our job


is horrible, until
we lose it and find
that life is harder
without an
income. We think
our health is bad
until we spend
time in a hospital
and find people in
worse condition
than we are. We
always feel the
grass is greener on
the other side.
This story illustrates that we
are often unhappy with our situa
tion until we find that things
could always be worse. We think
our job is horrible, until we lose
it and find that life is harder
without an income. We think our
health is bad until we spend time
in a hospital and find people in
worse condition than we are. We
think our family members are
bad, unt il we find ourse lves
alone and realize how dif ficult
life is without them. We always
feel the grass is greener on the
other side.
The woman learned that what
she thought was bad was actual
ly not so bad when she saw how
much worse things could be. It is
human nature to think that
everybody else has it so good,
and it is only we who are suffer
ing.
We think we know what is best

for us. How many times have we


tried to intervene with our two
cents to find that when we tried
to change our situation, we made
things worse? Then, we regret
what we have done and wish we
could make things go back to the
way they were.
On the spiritual path, one of
the lessons we need to learn is
accepting the will of the Lord.
Life would be so much easier if
we accept that God knows what
is best for us. If we examined the
times in our lives that we inter
fered with Gods will, we may
have discovered that we messed
things up terribly on our own
and prayed to God to return
things to the way they were.
Next time we think things are
going badly and that God is not
properly listening to us, we
should sit back, take a deep
breath, and relax. We should give
God a chance to let things hap
pen and observe patiently. We
will find when all is said and
done that God worked things out
for the best in the end. If we
reflect, we would find that if God
had listened to our complaints
and let us do things our own
way, things may not have been in
our best interest at all.
Happiness is a state of mind. If
we think that God is not doing
what is best for us, we w ill
always be unhappy. If we would
realize that we are living accord
ing to what God wishes for us,
and that God is giving us what is
best for us, we would always be
happy and content.

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj


is an internationally recognized
spiritual leader and Master of
Jyoti Meditation who affirms the
transcendent oneness at the heart
of all religions and mystic traditions, emphasizing ethical living
and meditation as building
blocks for achieving inner and
outer peace. www.sos.org.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info

December 5-11, 2015

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