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Vol.11 No. 2 May 12-18, 2018 80 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Poll campaign hits fever

pitch in Karnataka
Rahul Gandhi says ready to be Prime Minister

President Trump said US will re‑impose sanctions; Iranian

President Hassan Rouhani said Iran to renegotiate
with Europeans, Russia and China.

PM Modi wants to dislodge Congress

from power in the state.
Sonia Gandhi joined Rahul on the campaign trail,
for the first time in 2 years.
Trump pulls out
from Iran deal,
Bengaluru: With just a couple of accusing him of stooping low in the common man. UPA
days left, campaigning in the his attacks on political rivals. Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on
Karnataka Assembly elections Party President Rahul Gandhi, Tuesday slammed Modi, accusing
reached a feverish pitch with for‑ campaigning in Kolar, also him of being intolerant and also
mer Prime Minister Manmohan alleged that the government had that the stomach of the poor can‑
Singh launching a blistering
attack on Prime Minister
Narendra Modi over the Centre's
handling of the economy and
collected Rs 10 lakh crore in
taxes on petroleum products but
refused to pass on the benefit of
low international crude prices to
not be filled by his oratory.
Continued on page 4
See related stories on page 12.
causing outcry
8 European nations regret US move,
Bharara in the mix for Pak probes Nawaz EU to decide in unison
for ʻlaundering
NY attorney general seat 8 President Obama slams decision
New York: Preet
$5 billionʼ to India as serious mistake
Bharara, the former Islamabad: Dealing yet
another blow to deposed Washington: President Donald Comprehensive Plan of Action
Manhattan US Trump announced on Tuesday that (JCPOA) had failed to prevent Iran
Attorney fired by Pakistan Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif, the coun‑ the US will withdraw from the Iran from developing nuclear weapons
President Trump said nuclear deal, a decision that drew or from supporting terrorism in
he's not interested in tryʼs anti‑graft watchdog,
the National global frustration and outcry. the region.
becoming the next The pullout of the US from the "The deal's sunset provisions are
state Attorney General Accountability Bureau, on
Tuesday ordered an deal, which eased sanctions on totally unacceptable," he added. "If
‑ but didn't completely Iran in exchange for the country I allowed this deal to stand, there
rule out a possible inquiry against him for
allegedly laundering $4.9 limiting its nuclear program, risks would soon be a nuclear arms race
run. sparking an arms race in the in the Middle East. Everyone
"It's flattering," the billion to India.
Former US attorney Bureau chairman Justice The World Bank has Middle East, experts said, Xinhua would want their weapons ready
Indian American told
Preet Bharara is coy Javed Iqbal (Retd) took denied former Pakistan news agency reported. by the time Iran had theirs."
CNN's Wolf Blitzer on PM Nawaz Sharif In a speech from the White Trump's decision came on the
about a run for the seat notice of a media report
Tuesday. "Other people laundered money House, Trump said that he will re‑ heels of visits to the US by French
of Eric Schneiderman claiming that the incident
have put the thought
who resigned in disgrace. was mentioned in World Bankʼs Migration and impose sanctions lifted under the President Emmanuel Macron,
out there. I'm not put‑ accord against Tehran and nations German Chancellor Angela Merkel
ting it out there. And I'm happy doing what I'm Remittances Book 2016. The statement, however, has
not mentioned details of the media report in question. it has business links with. and British Foreign Secretary Boris
doing now." Asked if that Continued on page 4 Trump argued the Joint
The press release claimed, Continued on page 4 Continued on page 4

MOTHER’S DAY 15 HERITAGE 18 CULTURE 24 SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 30 excellence in journalism

TheSouthAsianTimes.info May 12-18, 2018
TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY May 12-18, 2018 3

Kim could be offered Accused of assault, NY

regime security Attorney General resigns
Hong Kong: As Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo arrives in Pyongyang New York: Eric T. Schneiderman, the New York
to lay the foundation for a historic Attorney General who rose to prominence as an
summit between President Trump antagonist of the Trump administration, has
and North Korean leader Kim Jong resigned hours after four women accused him
Un, South Korean officials are hope‑ of physically assaulting them in an article pub‑
ful that the two leaders can secure a lished by The New Yorker. "It's been my great
deal in the weeks ahead that would honor and privilege to serve as attorney general
lead to complete denuclearization of for the people of the state of New York," The
the peninsula in exchange for regime New York Times quoted Schneiderman as say‑
security. ing on Monday night.
Eric T. Schneiderman and one of his
“The details have to be worked out "In the last several hours, serious allegations,
accusers, Sri Lankan Tanya Selvaratnam,
which I strongly contest, have been made
at the negotiating table, but general‑ an author‑activist (courtesy heavey.com).
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is meeting against me. While these allegations are unrelat‑
ly it will be a comprehensive pack‑
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for the ed to my professional conduct or the operations I have engaged in role‑playing and other con‑
age of denuclearization in return for
second time this week. (Photo: White House) of the of fice, they will ef fectively prevent me sensual sexual activity. I have not assaulted any‑
regime security and, if we go further,
from leading the of fice's work at this critical one." After the allegations were made public,
the well‑being of the regime,” South mit.” Trump said Friday that a date and
time. I therefore resign my office," he added. many of his allies, including New York Governor
Koreaʼs Deputy Minister of Foreign place have been set for the summit but
His resignation represented a stunning fall for Andrew M. Cuomo called for him to step down,
Af fairs and Ambassador for Public details have not been announced.
a politician who had also assumed a prominent reports The New York Times.
Diplomacy Enna Park told TIME in an Reports say the rendezvous could be set
role in the #MeToo movement. Since 2017, Schneiderman had raised his pro‑
exclusive interview in Hong Kong in Singapore and that it is likely to take
Two of the women who spoke to The New file nationally by taking on President Donald
Tuesday. Park, who took part in previous place in June. T he historic meeting
Yorker, Michelle Manning Barish and Tanya Trump's agenda repeatedly in the courts. He
negotiations between former Korean comes on the heels of a landmark Inter‑
Selvaratnam, said they had been choked and hit was pushing to change state law so that his
leaders Kim Jong Il and Kim Dae Jung in Korean leaders summit, the first such
repeatedly by Schneiderman. Both said they office could prosecute Trump's aides even if the
2000, said condit ions are ripe for meeting in 11 years, that saw Kim
had sought medical treatment. Another woman, President pardoned them.
progress, and that the U.S. and its ally become the first North Korean leader
a lawyer, said she was slapped violently across Cyrus R. Vance Jr., the Manhattan district
South Korea must offer “a deal Mr. Kim ever to set foot inside the South.
South Korean President Moon Jae In the face. A fourth woman also said she had simi‑ attorney, said in a statement that his office “has
cannot refuse.”
lar experiences. opened an investigation into the recently
“We have high expectations that they and counterpart Kim announced after
All the women in the article, who had been reported allegations concerning Mr.
may produce very applicable outcomes, the summit that they agreed to pursue a
romantically involved with Schneiderman, said Schneiderman.” Barbara Underwood, the solici‑
setting a road map toward denucleariza‑ treaty that would bring a long‑awaited
the violence was not consensual. tor general of New York, has been picked to
tion,” Park said, adding that Seoul would close to the Korean War, which began in
Schneiderman has denied abusing the women, temporarily replace Schneiderman, according to
be playing the role of “navigator, to steer 1950 and ended in armistice three
saying: "In the privacy of intimate relationships, an announcement Tuesday.
the success of the U.S.‑North Korea sum‑ bloody years later.

Falguni and Chintu Patel's 'Irada' wins 2 National Film Awards

New Delhi: ʻIradaʼ, produced by New York‑
based Falguni and Chintu Patel, bagged the
Best Film on Environment award at The
National Film Awards 2018 ceremony at
Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on May 3. It
also won the Best Supporting Actress award
for Divya Dutta.
The prestigious annual awards were pre‑
sented by Indiaʼs President Ram Nath Kovind
and I&B Minister Smriti Irani.
President Kovind said on the occasion,
“This is a special moment for all of you.” He
added that cinema is “an expression of
Falguni Patel (top row, second from left) at the awards ceremony in New Delhi.
Indian soft power and has a transcontinental
Indiaʼs President and I&B minister are in the front row.
footprint.” The Best Film on Environment
Conservation/Preservation award for ʻIradaʼ reverse boring, and fertilizer poisoning due Times Person of the Year 2017, and were
was received by Irada Entertainment founder to the green revolution and their adverse felicitated by the newspaper at a gala func‑
and partner Falguni Patel from Irani, and impact on the people who live in Indiaʼs tion in January this year on Long Island, NY.
cheered by Chintu Patel in the august hall of Malwa region, spanning parts of MP and Pleased with the award for ʻIradaʼ, the first
Vigyan Bhavan. Rajasthan. film from Irada Entertainment, Chintu Patel
ʻIradaʼ, that also stars Naseeruddin Shah, Chintu and his brother Chirag Patel are co‑ told The South Asian Times, “We will be mak‑
Arshad Warsi and New York born actor chairmen of Amneal Pharmaceuticals, the ing more content based films, making more
Prashantt Guptha, raises the contemporary fifth largest generic drugs firm in America. web series and growing it into certain other Chintu and Falguni Patel at
ecological issues of uranium poisoning, Chintu and Chirag were The South Asian media outlets over a period of time.” an event to promote ʻIradaʼ.
 4 May 12-18, 2018 TURN PAGE TheSouthAsianTimes.info

On the behest of Mohinder Singh Gilzian (left),
President of INOC USA, Rahul Gandhi visited
Gurudwara Shri Jhira Sahib in Bidar to pay obeisance.
INOC campaigning in
Karnataka for Congress win
New York: In the Karnataka Assembly polls, a team led by
Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President Indian National Overseas
Congress USA, has been helping with the campaign work,
reaching out to various communities. Given a large number
of OBC and Sikh population in the state, the Congress High
Command has specially invited Gilzian and his team from the
USA for campaigning. Gilzian, along with Harbachan Singh,
Secretary General INOC, and Dayanand Naik, president INOC
Karnataka chapter, under the guidance of Sam Pitroda, the
Chairman of IOC, have been campaigning in the state to
impress upon the families of overseas Indians and of the Sikh
community to vote for Congress.
Nestle paying $7.2 B to
sell Starbucks coffee
New York: Under a deal, Nestle will pay $7.2 billion to
market, sell and distribute Starbucks' packaged coffees
and teas around the world, the companies said Monday.
Nestle already has a significant presence in the coffee
business with well‑known brands like Nescafe and
Nespresso. It's now adding Starbucks coffee and tea prod‑
ucts to the list. The agreement only covers Starbucks'
packaged goods sold outside the US company's stores. It
doesn't include Starbucks' ready‑to‑drink coffee, tea or
juices. Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson said the deal "will
bring the Starbucks experience to the homes of millions
more around the world." The deal still needs approval
from regulators and is expected to be finalized in summer
or early fall this year, the companies said. About 500
Starbucks employees will join Nestle under the agree‑
ment, the Switzerland‑based company said.
Trump pulls out from Iran
deal, causing outcry
Continued from page 1
Johnson. The White House said later
that Trump had "directed his adminis‑
trat ion to immediate ly beg in the
process of re‑imposing sanctions relat‑
ed to the JCPOA," and "the re‑imposed
sanctions will target critical sectors of
Iran's economy, such as its energy,
petrochemical, and financial sectors."
"Those doing business in Iran will be
provided a period of time to allow them
to wind down operations in or business
involving Iran," it added. "Those who
fail to wind down such activities with
Iran by the end of the period will risk
severe consequences."
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo said that the US "will be work‑
ing with our allies to find a real, com‑
prehensive, and lasting solution to the
Iranian threat." In a joint statement
released by Macron's of fice, French,
German and British leaders regretted
the US decision. Macron, Merkel and
Theresa May reiterated their "contin‑
ued commitment" to the Iran nuclear
deal, stressing that it "is of particular
importance to our shared security."
Trump's predecessor Barack Obama,
under whose administration the deal
was signed, said in a Facebook post
that Trump's announcement is "so mis‑
guided" and "a serious mistake."
"The JCPOA is working," Obama said,
adding that "the United States could
eventually be left with a losing choice
between a nuclear‑armed Iran or
another war in the Middle East" with‑
out the landmark deal.
Europe will abide by the JCPOA, EU
foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini
said, adding she was "particularly wor‑
ried" about the possible repercussions
of Trump's decision.
For his part, Iranian President Hassan
Rouhani said that his country will
remain in the deal, adding he has asked
the Iranian foreign minister to initiate
negotiations with the European part‑
ners as well as China and Russia over
the fate of the deal. Experts from the
Washington‑based Arms Control
Association also denounced the deci‑
sion. Daryl G. Kimball, the group's exec‑
utive director, said Trump's announce‑
ment "is an irresponsible act of foreign
policy malpractice" and "a twofold
abrogation of US commitments."
Brookings Institution senior fellow
Darrell West told Xinhua that "the risk
is his decision will spark an arms race
in the Middle East."
Poll campaign hits fever pitch
in Karnataka
Continued from page 1
Under relentless attack from BJP lead‑
ers, Karnataka Chie f Minister
Siddaramiah issued a notice of defama‑
tion against Modi, BJP President Amit
Shah and BJP's Chief Ministerial face
B.S. Yeddyurappa for their attacks on
him on corruption like "sidda rupiah
government". On his part, Modi reject‑
ed the Congress accusation against his
government claiming that several of its
initiatives led to the creation of jobs in
public and private sectors. He held the
Congress responsible for the unem‑
ployment situation and accused it of
opposing technologies/initiatives like
the EVMs and Aadhaar.
Meanwhile, in a statement that is
bound to ruf fle the feathers in some
opposition parties, Rahul Gandhi on
Tuesday said he would become the
Prime Minister if the Congress emerges
as the largest party in the 2019 Lok
Sabha polls. He also said that Prime
Minister Narendra Modi will not be the
Prime Minister again.
This is the second time Rahul Gandhi
has expressed his readiness to be the
Prime Minister if the Congress gets a
majority in next year's Lok Sabha polls.
T he first t ime was in a speech in
California during his USA visit last year.
Karnataka Assembly elections are
scheduled for May 12.
Bharara in the mix for NY
attorney general seat
Continued from page 1
meant he was ruling out a run, Bharara
dodged. Currently, he teaches law at
NYU law school and has a weekly pod‑
cast.
Bhrarara made a reputation for him‑
self as a tough but fair prosecutor who
went after political corruption, terrorism
and Wall Street with equal enthusiasm.
Taking over as New York Attorney
General after Eric Schneiderman
resigned in disgrace amid abuse of
women claims, Bharara could pick up
the litigation that New York State has
filed against President Trump.
Scheiderman has sued the President
over citizenship questions on the
Census, violating national fuel economy
standards and weakening consumer pro‑
tection.
State Reform Party head Curtis Sliwa
has urged the New York state legislature
to name Bharara as Schneiderman's
replacement, but that's considered
unlikely given the number of prosecu‑
tions of politicians Bharara oversaw at
the U.S. Attorney's office, reported New
York Daily News.
Other names for NY attorney general
being floated include Public Advocate
Letitia James and Rep Kathleen Rice.
Pak probes Nawaz
for ʻlaundering
$5 billionʼ to India
Continued from page 1
“The amount was laundered to the
Indian finance ministry after which
Indian foreign exchange reserves wit‑
nessed an increase while Pakistan had
suffered as a result.”
However, in 2016, the State Bank of
Pakistan had rejected the estimates of
$4.9 billion remittances from Pakistan
to India.
The bank said the outflow of $4.9 bil‑
lion cited in the said book suggests esti‑
mates (not actual flows), which are
based on a number of assumptions.
And in a blow to the credibility of the
anti‑corruption watchdog, the World
Bank on Tuesday rejected the claim that
its two‑year‑old report on remittances
levelled $4.9 billion money laundering
allegations against Nawaz Sharif.

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TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY May 12-18, 2018 5

Deepa Ambekar appointed

interim civil court judge in NYC
New York: Indian‑
American Deepa
Ambe kar has been
appointed as interim
judge to the civil court of
New York City, becoming
the second Indian‑
American woman judge
in the city after Chennai‑
born Raja Rajeswari.
Ambekar, 41 is appoint‑
ed to Civil Court and will
be serving in Criminal
Court, said a statement
from the of fice of New
York City Mayor Bill de
Deepa Ambekar is second
Blasio. T he mayor
Indian‑American woman judge in NYC
announced the appoint‑
(Image courtesy: dailyhunt.in)
ment of interim Civil
Court Judge Ambekar and the reappoint‑ Counse l to the Committee on Public
ment of three Family Court judges. Safety.
"Every New Yorker deserves access to a Prior to that, she was a Staff Attorney at
fair and equitable justice system," de the Legal Aid Society, Criminal Defense
Blasio said. "I know these judges will Division, and a litigation associate at a pri‑
ensure due process is afforded to all who vate firm. She received her undergraduate
come before their court." Ambekar served degree from the University of Michigan
with the New York City Council for three and her law degree from Rutgers Law
years as Senior Legislative Attorney and School.

Gujarat Divas celebrated

at Indian Consulate
New York: On May 2nd the Federation of
Indian Association of Tri‑State and Gujarati
Associations from various states in the U.S.
organized an evening to celebrate 58th
Gujarat Din at the Consulate General of
India in New York. This was the second
year where this group celebrated Gujarat
Din at the Consulate General office which
was attended by more than 175 invited
guests, dignitaries and the leaders of com‑
munity organizations from the tristate
area, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Consul
General of India in New York, Sandeep
Chakravorty was the guest of honor for the
evening.
The evening started with social meet and
greet followed by Indian National Anthem.
ʻJay Jay Garvi Gujaratʼ video of versatile
singers from Gujarat was displayed on the
screen. FIA President Srujal Parikh wel‑
comed the audience, introduced Consul
General Chakravorty and felicitated him
with a memento of Gujarat.
In his address, CG Chakravorty congratu‑
lated everyone on Gujarat Sthapana Divas
and stated that “it is a proud moment that
all organizations from the nearby states
are here under roof. It is our biggest
achievement and our endeavor should be a
model as also principles of our government
to be inclusive and you all are the best car‑
riers of this message. Gujarat inspires our
country with richness of its culture, diversi‑
ty, architectural history and many other
areas.”
Furthermore, he urged everyone to be a
part of the biggest India Day Parade organ‑
ized by FIA‑Tri‑State on August 19, 2018 at
Madison Avenue in New York. An inspira‑
tional written message from Chief Minister
of Gujarat Vijay Rupani was very well
received by the audience.
Yogesh Patel, MLA from Gujarat attended
the event as a special guest and addressed
the audience by congratulating everyone
and described the progress of Gujarat.

FIA president Srujal Parikh with Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty

 6 May 12-18, 2018 TRISTATE COMMUNITY TheSouthAsianTimes.info

New York Indian Film Festival completes 20 glorious years

Special to
The South Asian Times
New York: Among the major desi film festi‑
vals held outside the South Asian region, the
one organized by New York Indian Film
Festival (NYIFF) has a pride of place. It is the
long‑running and among the most presti‑
gious Indian film festivals.
The NYIFF has just completed its 20th
anniversary and organized a news confer‑
ence and community event at the consulate
general last weekend.
Aroon Shivdasani, the artistic and execu‑
tive director at Indo‑American Arts Council,
a major backer of the festival, is a founding
member of the same.
“In 1998 Indian artists were invisible,
unknown and unappreciated in North
America. For well over 20 years, we have
blazed a trail promoting, showcasing and
building an awareness in North America of
the hitherto invisible arts of India through
presentations of Indian film, dance, art,
music, theater, literature and fashion,” she
told the event held on May 4.
The council has raised money and incul‑
cated awareness of social causes and natural
disasters, as well as causes like gender
equality.
Shivdasani is giving up the key leadership
role of the festival after the ongoing event.
The opening night red‑carpet ceremony
Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty, Artistic and Executive Director of
NYIFF Aroon Shivdasani and Festival Director Aseem Chhabra
(all standing) along with participants in the ongoing festival.
took place on May 7 for about an hour at
the Village East Cinemas in Manhattan fol‑
lowed by the US premiere of Marathi film
Nude. This and all other films numbering a
total of 70 (30 feature and 40 short) have
English subtitles. The films represent a vari‑
ety of linguistic groups.
Among the films are Bhasmasur, c/o
Kancharapalem, Clash of Morality,
Re fract ion, the Peanut Se ller and
Monogamish. The six‑day event ends on
May 12. This newspaper spoke to three film‑
makers on the festival eve.
G.R. Venkatesh, also known as Maha, is a
native of Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. He
worked in various Telugu films and TV
shows. He went to Kancharapalem, near
Visakhapatnam in 2016, and based on his
visit Venkatesh wrote a script called c/o
Kancharapalem. His script is in the colloqui‑
al dialect used by the residents of that vil‑
lage. “It is an interesting film and the lan‑
guage is no hindrance to understanding
what is going on,” Venkatesh noted. “There
is one truth, but many paths. We are all one
but many.”
The film is shown on Wednesday, May 9,
at the same cinemas.
Hesh Sarmalkar, an award‑winning film‑
maker, is the lead actor and co‑producer of
Clash of Morality.
“Mohamed gets stuck in an elevator along
with a Caucasian man Richard,” Sarmalkar
said. “Richard panics on being alone with a
suspicious‑looking Muslim guy, who he
thinks is trying to blow up the building.
Mohamed confronts Richard for calling him
a terrorist and judging him by the color of
his skin and his religion.”
According to Sarmalkar, a message has to
be sent out that ignorance leads to false
assumptions and it further leads toward
hatred. He played the Muslim character.
Kaushik Das was a criminal lawyer from
Australia before entering the film field. He
did his training at the Actorʼs Conservatory
and the Film and TV Studio International.
Before he completed his training, Das got his
break in his first feature film with director
Chris Sun in an acclaimed cult horror classic
Daddyʼs Little Girl. The award‑winning film‑
maker has an English‑Bengali short film
Refraction in the festival.

University of Rochester institutes Rajesh

Wadhawan Chair for Development Economics
Rochester, NY: The Simon Business
School at the University of
Rochester announced the establish‑
ment of the Rajesh Wadhawan
Chair for Development Economics,
according to a report in
BusinessWire. The investiture is in
commemoration of the WGC
Groupʼs Indian American founder
and his vision of economic equi‑
tability.
Over last three decades, the WGC
Group has been at the forefront of
developing solutions for financial
inclusion of the marginalized sec‑
tions. The Chair is a part of its
social investments to enable oppor‑
tunities for the transformative
progress of these communities. It is
aimed to be a critical driver of new
insights and enabling wisdom in the
Philanthropist Meera Gandhi with Mayor Bloomberg at the understanding of development eco‑
annual Central Park Conservancy Hat Luncheon on May 2 in New York. nomics. The WGC Group will contin‑
Meera has been attending this event for a decade. Mayor Bloomberg ue to support the Chairʼs curricu‑
donated $4 million to the park. (Photo: Mohammed Jaffer/SnapsIndia) lum by of fering internships and
other associations to students
across its Group companiesʼ offices
in India and the UK.
“Through the investiture of the
Rajesh Wadhawan Chair, the
Wadhawan family and the WGC
Group reinforce their commitment
towards creating a more equitable
society. Their generosity will enable
us to channelize analytical research
towards solutions for inclusive
growth.
Through this partnership, we are
hopeful of deepening our participa‑
tion in the global dialogue for finan‑
cial inclusivity,” remarked Dean
Andrew Ainslie of Simon Business
School.
Kapil Wadhawan, chairman of the
WGC Group, said, “T he Rajesh
Wadhawan Chair reinstates our
founderʼs legacy of doing business
with purpose. As we take our part‑
nership with the Simon Business
School to the next level, we aim to
shape a future of equitable progress
and create a larger impact globally.”
The Wadhawan family, represent‑
ed by Mrs. Aruna Wadhawan, wife
of late Rajesh Wadhawan, and son
Kapil Wadhawan, his wife Vanita
and daughter Tiana and son Kartik,
were present at the plaque ceremo‑
ny at the campus.
Prof. Gregory H. Bauer, Associate
Dean of Full‑Time Programs, Simon
Business School, has been nominat‑
ed as the permanent faculty for the
Chair. He was associated with the
Bank of Canada as Senior Research
Director for Financial Markets.
Bauer has taught at the Simon
School for 22 years. He is a four‑
time winner of the Superior
Teaching Award from the Simon
MBA program and a multiple win‑
ner of awards from the Executive
MBA program. His research con‑
cerns international capital flows
and the origins of financial crises.

AIF's NY gala raises $1.84 M for children's education in India

New York: A leading philanthrop‑
ic organization has raised $1.84
million for childrenʼs education
in India as prominent business
leaders and entrepreneurs came
together at its annual gala to
support its poverty‑disrupting
work on the ground in India.
T he annual g ala of the
American India Foundation (AIF)
he ld on April 30 raised the
amount as over 500 guests,
including business executives,
investors, entrepreneurs and
community leaders, attended the
gala to support the AIFs Learning
and Migration Program (LAMP).
The Program provides access
to quality education opportuni‑
ties to children in areas of high
migration, while also advocating
to communities and governments
the universal right to education.
AIF vice chair Harit Talwar and
Head of Dig ital Finance at
Goldman Sachs thanked the sup‑
porters.
The AIF said in India each year,
70 million people migrate from
their villages to find work, bring‑
ing their children with them to
hazardous work sites like salt‑
pans, brick kilns and sugar plan‑
tat ions, where they are
vulnerable to child labor and
trafficking.
During the g ala, Axis Bank
Managing Director & CEO Shikha
Sharma and Chairman & CEO of
The Dow Chemical Company and
Director & Former Executive
Chairman of DowDuPont Andrew
Liveris were honored.
Attending the gala Sunita Koli,
a LAMP beneficiary, shared with
guests how the program had
made an impact on her life.
As a child, Koli worked long
days in Gujarat and was not able
to go to school and learn. (PTI)
TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY May 12-18, 2018 7

Nikki Haley says does Indians accounted for over 74 pc of H-1B

not think about
running for presidency
Washington, DC: Nikki Haley,
America's envoy to the UN, has
said she is not thinking about
running for the presidency and
wants to do her best in her cur‑
rent job.
The 46‑year‑old top Indian‑
American diplomat is often
described as one of the
Republican Party's brightest
stars.
Her name is often raised in
Republican circles as a potential
future contender for the White
House or other high‑profile roles
in government.
"I don't think about it. No one
wants to believe this. But people
spend more time talking about
my future," Haley said when
asked if she is running for the
president.
"My job is to be the best UN
Ambassador I can possibly be
and make sure that people are
proud of it. I don't think about
the future, and honestly, I don't
have time. Between North Korea,
Russia and Syria, the last thing
America's envoy to UN
Nikki Haley wants to do
best in her current job
(Image : foreignpolicy.com)
I'm thinking about is what I'm
gonna do in the future," Haley
told CBS News.
Haley has spent much of her
adult life in elected office. She
served in the South Carolina
state House from 2004 through
2010. In 2011, she was elected
governor. She served in that job
until she was appointed by
President Donald Trump to her
current position.
visas in 2016 & 2017: USCIS report
Washington, DC: Technology pro‑
fessionals from India accounted for
74.2 per cent of the total number of
H‑1B visas issued by the US in 2016
and the next year the figure rose to
75.6 per cent, a government report
said. However, there has been a
drop in the number of new H‑1B
beneficiaries from India, the United
States Citizenship and Immigration
Services report said.
China with 9.3 and 9.4 per cent
respectively for 2016 and 2017,
comes a distant second after India
in terms of number of H‑1B visas
issued.
The number of beneficiaries from
India approved for initial employ‑
ment decreased by 4.1 per cent in
fiscal 2017, while the number of
beneficiaries approved for continu‑
ing employment increased by 12.5
per cent in fiscal 2017, the USCIS
said in its latest report titled
'Characteristics of H‑1B Specialty
Occupation Workers'.
The H‑1B visa is a non‑immigrant
visa that allows US companies to
employ foreign workers in speciali‑
ty occupations that require theoreti‑
cal or technical expertise. The tech‑
nology companies depend on it to
hire tens of thousands of employees
each year.
The USCIS said petitions for initial
employment are filed for first‑time
H‑1B employment with an employ‑
er, only some of which are applied
to the annual cap. Examples of peti‑
tions for initial employment that are
exempt from the cap include peti‑
tions submitted by nonprofit
research organisations or govern‑
mental research organisations.
Continuing employment petitions
refer to extensions, sequential
employment and concurrent
employment, which are filed for for‑
eigners already in the US.
Extensions generally are filed for H‑
1B workers intending to work
beyond the initial three‑year period
up to a total of 6 years, the maxi‑
mum period generally permissible
under law.
In 2016, as many as 70,737
Indians received initial H‑1B visas,
which dropped to 67,815. During
the same period, Indians accounted
for 185,489 visas for continuing
employment, which increased to
208,608 in 2017. In all there were
256,226 Indians on H1B visas in
2016 and 276,423 in 2017.
A copy of the report, sent to US
lawmakers on April 10, became
public this week.
Dismantling several myths about
H‑1B, the USCIS said the median
salary of beneficiaries of approved
petitions increased from $82,000
for fiscal year 2016 to $85,000 for
fiscal 2017.
While the number of H‑1B peti‑
tions filed increased 1.24 per cent
from 398,718 in 2016 to 403,675
in 2017, the number of H‑1B peti‑
tions approved increased 5.9 per
cent from 345,262 in 2016 to
365,682 in 2017.
According to the report the num‑
ber of H‑1B petitions approved in
2017 for workers between the ages
of 25 and 34 was 66.2 per cent, the
number of H‑1B petitions approved
in 2017 for workers with a bache‑
lor's degree was 45.2 per cent.
In addition, 44.5 per cent of
approved petitions were for work‑
ers with a master's degree, 6.8 per
cent had a doctorate, and 3.3 per
cent were for workers with a pro‑
fessional degree. The number of H‑
1B petitions approved in 2017 for
workers in computer‑related occu‑
pations was 69.8 per cent, it said.

Indian American professor

gets $1.6M grant to protect
kidneys from obesity
Houston: Tahir Hussain, an Indian inherently low and hence, "weak", Hussain
American professor of Pharmacology at said, adding that "but because we know it
the University of Houston, has received a has anti‑inflammatory activity, we want to
grant of $1.6 million from the National pump it up."
Institutes of Health (NIH) to examine a To strengthen it, Hussain said he would
kidney cell that could prevent damage use a drug that binds to it and activates it.
from inflammation With one‑third of
caused by obesity. the US populat ion
The targeted cells being obese, the NIH
express a protein est imates that the
called the angiotensin annual cost to man‑
type 2 receptor age or treat obesity‑
(AT2R), which recent‑ associated disorders
ly has been indicated to be as high as $125
to have anti‑inflam‑ billion. These disor‑
matory and reno pro‑ ders include chronic
tective actions. as well as acute kid‑
If act ivated, the ney injury (AKI).
AT2R w ill protect "Obesity is associat‑
against chronic and ed w ith low g rade
acute kidney injury, chronic inflammation
Hussain said. in the body," Hussain
Hussain, originally said.
from India and an Prof Tahir Hussain is hopeful that his He added he was
research would one day work to stop
alumnus of the hope ful that his
kidney diseases caused by inflamma‑
Alig arh Muslim research would one
tion. (Image courtesy: uh.edu)
University, will study day work to stop kid‑
the impact of inflammation in kidneys ney diseases caused by inflammation.
with active AT2R as well as those with no Hussain earned his B.Sc (Chemistry),
AT2R. M.Sc, M.Phil and Ph.D (Biochemistry) from
"What I'm proposing in this grant is that the Aligarh Muslim University, in Aligarh,
certain cells in the kidney can protect the India, and Post‑Doctorate (Pharmacology)
kidney itself," he said. from the East Carolina University,
The expression of AT2R in the body is Greenville, NC. (PTI)
 8 May 12-18, 2018 NATIONAL COMMUNITY TheSouthAsianTimes.info

BAPS Womenʼs Conference focuses on the power of unity

New Jersey: Unity is strength. This
was simple yet powerful subject of
conversation at this yearʼs annual
BAPS Womenʼs Conference held at
14 centers across North America
between April 21st and May 5th
with the goal of bringing together
women of all ages and back‑
grounds for an open dialogue
about concepts that impact them
and their families.
With the thought of unity cur‑
rently on the minds of many in
society, the conference focused on
the individualʼs role in creating a
unified nation and global commu‑
nity. The speakers delved into the
qualities of humility and positivity
and their roles in initiating a more
unified mind‑frame.
The conference aimed to inspire
its attendees to bring about change
through dialogue and reflection.
Over 2000 women gathered at
the BAPS Mandirs in five cities ‑
Edison, NJ; New York, NY;
Robbinsville, NJ; Washington, D.C.
and Westboroug h, MA in the
Northeast region to participate in
this annual conference.
The event was held over one day
and covered three key concepts:
importance of unity, power of
humility and power of positivity.
The conference not only provided
an opportunity for attendees to
understand the significance of
unity as a global concept, but also
More than 2000 women attended the conferences
discussed the little steps everyone the core theme of the conference
can take toward this ultimate goal. stating that “Positivity is simply
The conference at Robbinsville surrendering our fears, humility is
started with a speech by Dhrupi surrendering our ego, and unity is
Patel, emphasizing what unity becoming one with the elements
truly means and why it is essential and seeing everything as an inter‑
to achieve it. connected whole.”
While there are more apparent At the conference in
benefits one can claim from inte‑ Robbinsville, New Jersey Senator
gration, the speaker focused on Linda Greenstein very astutely
how the small actions of each can explained, “It doesnʼt make you
lead to a more unified family, less powerful to be united. It adds
which can in turn influence a com‑ great strength to anything that
munity and even society at large. youʼre doing, began with a power‑
“When people of shared inclination ful message in which she shared,
come together, they get positive “The unity within us enables and
results.” fosters the unity around us.”
Speaking at the conference in Dr. Tamanna Kalra, a practicing
Washington, DC, Amita Shukla, nephrologist, used an evidenced
CEO of Vitamita, emphasized the based approach to af firm that
importance of the mindset in humility is not a fixed trait, but one
achieving unity. that should be practiced and devel‑
Shukla beautifully summarized oped. Dr. Priya Patel, an OBGYN
Panel discussion at Edison Mandir
resident, closed out the conference
with a compe lling talk on the
power of positivity. Her story of a
cancer patientʼs calm, thoughtful,
and positive response to a life end‑
ing diagnosis was inspirational for
all.
Naimi Patel, closed out the con‑
ference with a compelling talk on
the power of positivity. Giving a
simple yet pract ical piece of
advice, she said, “You can turn a
negative situation into a positive
situation through a change in per‑
spective.”
Gauri Chandna, a celebrated
author of the book, SPARKS
expressed at Westboroug h,
“Women play a great role in the
growth and development of socie‑
ty making it an advanced and mod‑
ern society. There is a famous say‑
ing by Brigham Young that you
educate a man; you educate a man.
You educate a woman; you educate
a generation.”
Also, attending the event were
First lady of New Jersey, Tammy
Murphy, Assemblywomen Nily
Rozic from New York, and Suhag
Shukla, Executive Director of the
Hindu American Foundation.
The speakers, just like the audi‑
ence, were from various profes‑
sional and personal diasporas and
yet were able to come together to
bring about an environment for
dialogue for self‑reflection and
growth.
One of the attendees, Ellen
Dorian, Chief Operating Officer at
Main Street Bank, stated the con‑
ference allowed her to “think
about some of [her] own behaviors
and actions through a dif ferent
perspective.”

NJ community welcomes Spring with cultural fest

South Brunswick, NJ: Indo‑
American Cultural Foundation of
Central Jersey ‑ IACFNJ held their
second annual Spring Color and
Cultural Festival on Sunday, April
29th at Reichler Park here. The
event brought the community
together to welcome spring after
long winter months and to mark
Indian festival of Holi. About 175
people attended this event
despite low temperature.
Middlesex County Freeholder Traditional and Bollywood dances were highlight of the event About 175 people participated despite low temperature.
Shanti Narra attended the event
and congratulated IACFNJ team Sangeet Madhuram performed entertainment and traditional to make this event a huge suc‑ Swaminarayan Temple, old
and all participants for their some superbly choreographed colorful Holi songs were played cess. The upcoming events of YMCA, 329 Culver Road in
involvement in community and cultural and Bollywood dances in by DJ Darshan and talented IACFNJ will be summer picnic at Monmouth Junction, from 11
wished everyone Happy Holi. The colorful costumes which were singers from local group Hidden Mercer County Park, West Picnic a.m. to 2 p.m. For further infor‑
talented kids of local dance highlight of the event. There was Gems. The IACFNJ's dedicated area on Sunday, July 1st from 11 mation about IACFNJ events and
group of Bina Master of a raffle from New York Life and enthusiastic executive com‑ a.m. to 7 p.m. and India other activities visit organization
Nrityakala Dance Academy and Insurance Company and color mittee, trustees, committee mem‑ Independence Day celebration on website at www.IACFNJ.org or
Meghana and Anupam Goradiaʼs play during the event. The live bers and volunteers worked hard Sunday, August 19th at e‑mail at iacfnj@yahoo.com.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY May 12-18, 2018 9

Microsoft hell‑bent to protect Srinivas Kuchibhotla's

customers' data: Satya Nadella
By Nishant Arora
Redmond (Washington): At a
time when data privacy is making
headlines the world over,
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on
Monday reiterated that the com‑
pany is determined to ensure con‑
sumers' data and is building
secure solutions towards preserv‑
ing data privacy.
Delivering the keynote address
here on the first day of Microsoft's
"Build 2018" developers' confer‑
ence, he said it is the job of the
tech industry to build customers'
trust in technology.
"We have the responsibility to
ensure that the new‑age technolo‑
gy is empowering everyone, creat‑
ing equitable growth for all while
creating employment on the glob‑
al scale," Nadella told the gather‑
ing of over 6,000 developers.
Amid increasing data breaches
like the massive Facebook data
scandal, tech giants are today
busy de liberat ing on how to
ensure privacy and security for
the users.
"Customers must be in control of
their data. It is our collective
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella
speaking at 'Build 18' developers
conference. (Image : medium.com)
responsibility to keep the data
safe," the Microsoft CEO empha‑
sized. As the European Union (EU)
prepares to introduce the General
Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
on May 25 to harmonize data pri‑
vacy laws, Nadella said engineers
at Microsoft are working round
the clock to build GDPR‑compliant
solutions.
"Choices we make today are
going to define the future. We at
Microsoft have enshrined princi‑
ples to preserve human rights.
killer gets life in jail
GDPR is a sound regulation and
we will be GDPR‑compliant by the
Kansas: A US Navy veteran was While Purinton would be eli‑
end of this month," Nadella said,
sentenced to life in jail for gible for parole in 50 years, he
adding that no other company
killing Srinivas Kuchibhotla, the was likely to spend the rest of
than Microsoft has done more to
Indian techie from Hyderabad, his life in prison.
legitimately protect their cus‑
in a racially motivated hate He is also facing federal hate
tomers' data.
crime at a bar in Kansas City crime and firearms charges,
After four years of debate, the
last year. "Get out of my coun‑ which could result in the death
GDPR was finally approved by the
try!" Adam W Purinton had penalty. Purinton has pleaded
EU Parliament on April 14, 2016.
shouted before firing shots at not guilty in the federal case.
Organizations that fail to comply
Srinivas Kuchibhotla and his Describing her husband as an
with the new regulation may face
friend who were at a bar in the immigrant with "dreams for a
he fty fines. On Art ificial
city of Olathe on February 22, better future", Kuchibhotla's
Intelligence (AI), Nadella said he
2017. Kuchibhotla died after he wife Sunayana Dumala, in a
believes in a privacy‑preserving
was taken to a hospital, while video statement said, "Today's
AI. "We are working on the AI
his friend Alok Madasani was sentencing in the murder of my
technology across domains with
injured. Another man, Ian husband will not bring back my
encrypted data as we can only, col‑
Grillot, who tried to intervene Srinu, but it sends a strong
lectively, make ethical AI choices,"
was also shot. message that hate is never
he said.
Purinton was captured a day acceptable."
"With over 50 regions, Azure is
later at another restaurant, Kuchibhotla, 33, who grew up
now the world's computer ‑‑ more
where he had allegedly boasted in Hyderabad, moved to US to
than any other Cloud provider,"
of killing Middle Easterners, study engineering at the
Nadella said.
according to The Kansas City University of Texas at El Paso.
Driven by consistent growth in
Star. Later, he bought a house, got
its Of fice and Cloud of ferings,
The 52‑year‑old Purinton married and planned to start a
Microsoft posted revenue of $26.8
received the maximum punish‑ family, his wife had said.
billion and net income of $7.4 bil‑
ment for murder, and two sen‑ Kuchibhotla and Madasani
lion in its third quarter that ended
tences of 165 months each for were aviation systems engi‑
on March 31 this year. The Azure
attempted murders, the prose‑ neers for GPS manufacturer
Cloud of fering had 93 per cent
cutor's office said. Garmin.
revenue growth.

DIASPORA

UK review amid immigration scandal; Indian‑origin teen's heart disease

Indians affected, says opposition project wins award in Singapore
London: Britain's Prime Minister Theresa
May has announced the country's Home
Office review of its handling of the so‑called
Windrush immigration scandal, even as the
opposition warned that Indian‑origin Britons
are likely to be among the immigrants affect‑
ed by the issue. Prime Minister May told
British MPs in the House of Commons that
"speed is of the essence" and that Britain's
new Home Secretary Sajid Javid "will be com‑
missioning a full review of lessons learned,
independent oversight and external chal‑
lenge."
"The review will have full access to all rele‑
vant information in the Home Office, includ‑
ing policy papers and casework decisions,"
she said, as the scandal continued to domi‑
nate parliamentary proceedings in the coun‑
try. In an Opposition Day Debate in the
Commons titled 'Windrush and the Prime
Minister's Policy of creating a hostile envi‑
ronment', the Labor party warned that the
scandal engulfs immigrants from many
Commonwealth countries, including "those
who came from India, Pakistan, and
Bangladesh."
"This is an issue that has resonated around
the Commonwealth. At a time when we are
trying to build our relationship with the
Commonwealth post‑Brexit for trade and
other reasons, it is extremely damaging what
has been revealed about the way
Commonwealth citizens have been treated,"
said Labor MP Diane Abbott, the UK's shadow
home secretary. She made a specific refer‑
A specific reference was made
about overseas doctors, many of
whom are from India, and being
denied visas to come and work for
the state-funded National Health
Service or NHS.
ence to overseas doctors, many of whom are
from India, being denied visas to come and
work for the state‑funded National Health
Service or NHS and termed as "grotesque" the
government "wrongly removing" students,
many among them from India, over a contro‑
versial English language test dating back a
few years.
"The NHS is suffering, the education system
is suffering, all because of a narrative that
deems immigration as toxic," Ms Abbot said,
demanding "justice" for all migrants. Mr Javid
responded by vowing to do "whatever it
takes" to put things right and helping every‑
one affected by the Windrush scandal.
The issue has caused turmoil for the UK
government and led to the forced resignation
of Amber Rudd as home secretary earlier this
week over "inadvertently" misleading
Parliament on her department's illegal migra‑
tion targets. The group referred to as the
'Windrush generation' relates to a ship
named Windrush, which brought hundreds of
Jamaican workers to UK shores in 1948.
(PTI)
Singapore: An 18‑year‑old Indian‑origin girl
has won this year's A*Star Talent Search
award in Singapore for her study of genetic
heart disease "hypertrophic cardiomyopa‑
thy." Chennai‑born Vijayakumar Ragavi, now
a Singaporean citizen, topped the list of 611
other students from secondary and tertiary
institutions, reported Tabla!, a Friday weekly
for the Non‑Resident Indians community in
Singapore.
She has been awarded a cash prize, a spon‑
sored trip to an overseas conference and a
trophy as well as a certificate for winning the
competition. Ragavi said she spent almost
two years studying and preparing for her
award‑winning project on hypertrophic car‑
diomyopathy.
"It is estimated to be the most genetic heart
disease in the world. People with the disease
often suffer from arrhythmia induced sudden
cardiac death," Ragavi said.
Arrhythmia is a group of conditions where
the heartbeat is irregular, too slow or too
fast. At the talent search, Ragavi's research
focused on stem‑cell technology, which
allows for the detection of genetic disease
through blood samples, rather than the typi‑
cal method of performing cardiac biopsies.
Such biopsies are extremely difficult proce‑
dures which entail taking a small piece of the
heart so that it can be checked for genetic
disease in the laboratory.
Ragavi designed a humanized hypertrophic
cardiomyopathy model that recapitulates the
disease phenotype. The subsequent findings
Vijayakumar Ragavi
(Image courtesy: ndtv.com)
set the foundation for gaining insights into
disease pathology and therapeutic interven‑
tion. She will be pursuing a degree in bio‑
medical science at an overseas university
next year. "I want to become a researcher in
future and thought this would be good expo‑
sure for me," said the Year 6 student from
National University of Singapore's High
School for Mathematics and Science. "I want
to work in the field of stem cell and regenera‑
tive medicine," she said.
Her parents, Rajamanickkam Vijayakumar,
who works at Hewlett‑Packard, and home‑
maker Rajendran Gomathi, couldn't be more
proud. A*STAR Talent Search is a 2006 initia‑
tive, rewarding students who have performed
well in scientific research. It is part of the
A*STAR Graduate Academy (AGA)'s Youth
Science outreach to schools with the aim to
inspire & sustain a passion in science in the
young in Singapore.
 10 May 12-18, 2018 US AFFAIRS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Trump not obligated to answer Trump acknowledges

to Russian probe: Rudy Giuliani payment to porn star
Washington: President Donald
Trump is not obligated to testify
for the ongoing Russian probe, his
lawyer and former New York
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said on
Sunday.
Giuliani said Trump doesn't
"have to" comply with a subpoena
if Robert Mue ller, the Special
Counsel who leads the investiga‑
tion, were to issue one.
"He's the President of the United
States. We can assert the same
privileges other presidents have,"
the long time Trump ally told ABC.
Giuliani said recent actions from
Mueller's of fice, including the
unveiling of dozens of potential
questions for Trump, persuaded
him to think twice about an inter‑
view.
"Not after the way they acted, I
came into this case with the desire
to do that, and they keep convinc‑
ing me not to do that," Xinhua
quoted him as saying.
Giuliani said fe llow Trump
lawyer Jay Sekulow agrees with
his position. The Trump adminis‑
Will only be questioned in Russia probe if treated
fairly: President Trump. (Photo: IANS)
tration has been moving away in
recent weeks from accepting to an
interview with Mueller, after con‑
cerns that Trump may provide
inaccurate or contradictory
answers grew.
Ty Cobb, a Trump lawyer who
supported such an interview, sig‑
naled his retirement at the end of
May. The Russian probe, coupled
with Trump's alleged af fair with
adult movie actress Stormy
Daniels and an ensuing hush up
effort, has become a major cloud
hanging above the Trump adminis‑
tration, dominating US media as
well as Trump's own Twitter feed.
Trump has described the probe
as a witch hunt, and insisted that
he was free of any wrongdoing.
Washington: President Trump affair between the two, Efe report‑
acknowledged last Thursday having ed. T his represents a complete
reimbursed his lawyer Michael reversal of Trump's position, having
Cohen for a $130,000 payment he previously denied knowledge of the
made to adult film actress Stormy payment and the source of the
Daniels to stop "extor‑ money.
tionist accusations" T his payment has
made by her about an raised questions
af fair with the real regarding the possible
estate mogul. violation of campaign
"Mr. Cohen, an attor‑ finance laws, as it is
ney, received a month‑ reported to have
ly retainer... from taken place a month
which he entered into, before the 2016 pres‑
through reimburse‑ idential election and
ment, a private con‑ Stormy Daniels aka could be considered
tract between two par‑ Stephanie Clifford. an illegal campaign
ties, known as a non‑ contribution to protect
disclosure agreement, or NDA," Trump's image as a candidate. The
Trump said on Twitter. President denied that any money
"These agreements are very com‑ from the campaign had been used
mon among celebrities and people for the payment to Daniels.
of wealth," he added. Despite the non‑disclosure agree‑
The President, who used three ment, Daniels has spoken openly
consecutive tweets to explain the about her alleged af fair with
matter, said that the money was Trump, which purportedly began in
used to "stop the false and extor‑ the summer of 2006, when the real
tionist accusations" made by estate mogul was already married
Danie ls, whose real name is to his current wife Melania and had
Stephanie Clifford, about an alleged just had a child with her.

Cambridge Analytica McCain does not want Trump at his funeral

is shutting down Phoenix, AZ: Sen. John McCain, this month, McCain has criti‑ paign that McCain was not a
London: Cambridge Analytica, the politi‑ the Arizona Republican who is cized the president for his hesi‑ war hero. A former Navy pilot,
cal consultancy firm at the center of the battling brain cancer, encour‑ tancy to accept refugees as well McCain spent more than five
Facebook data‑sharing scandal, is shut‑ aged former vice president Joe as the language he has used to years as a prisoner of the North
ting down, media reported. Biden to “not walk away” from praise autocrats like Vladimir Vietnamese. The book and film
The firm was accused of improperly politics, according to a report Putin, according to several will also address McCainʼs
obtaining personal information on behalf Saturday in the New York reports. regrets for not choosing former
of political clients. Times. In one possible sign of that senator Joseph Lieberman of
According to Facebook, data of up to Biden, a Democrat who hasnʼt strained relationship, the sena‑ Connecticut as his running
87 million of its users was harvested by a ruled out a run for president in torʼs “intimates” told the White mate in 2008, according to the
quiz app and then passed on to the politi‑ 2020, visited with McCain last House that they intend to invite Times. McCain instead chose
cal consultancy. The social network said weekend. McCain, 81, has had a Vice President Mike Pence to former Alaska gov. Sarah Palin,
its own probe into the matter would con‑ touchy relationship with McCainʼs funeral but not a relative unknown at that time
tinue, the BBC reported. President Trump. In a book and Trump, according to the Times. who became a star of the con‑
“This doesnʼt change our commitment documentary set to be released Trump drew criticism from servative movement but antag‑
and determination to understand exactly within his own party for saying onized many others in the
what happened and make sure it doesnʼt Senator John McCain during the presidential cam‑ party.
happen again,” said a spokesman.
“We are continuing with our investiga‑

NASA's portable nuclear reactor

tion in cooperation with the relevant
authorities.”
Clarence Mitchell, a spokesman for

could power missions to Mars

Cambridge Analytica, referred the BBC to
a statement on the firmʼs website.
“Over the past several months,
Cambridge Analytica has been the subject
Cleveland, Ohio: NASA has said al nuclear security administra‑ “I expect the Kilopower proj‑ from sunlight is difficult
of numerous unfounded accusations and,
that it successfully demonstrat‑ tionʼs Nevada national security ect to be an essential part of because lunar nights are equiv‑
despite the companyʼs efforts to correct
ed a new nuclear reactor power site from November 2017 lunar and Mars power architec‑ alent to 14 days on Earth, said
the record, has been vilified for activities
system that could enable through March. tures as they evolve,” Reuter Marc Gibson, lead Kilopower
that are not only legal, but also widely
crewed missions to the moon, Such a demonstration could said. Kilopower is a small, light‑ engineer at Glenn.
accepted as a standard component of
Mars and destinations beyond. pave the way for future weight fission power system “Kilopower gives us the abili‑
online advertising in both the political
NASA announced the results Kilopower systems that power capable of providing up to 10 ty to do much higher power
and commercial arenas,” it said. “Despite
of the demonstration, called human outposts on the moon kilowatts of electrical power ̶ missions, and to explore the
Cambridge Analyticaʼs unwavering confi‑
Kilopower Reactor Using and Mars, NASA said in a state‑ enough to run several average shadowed craters of the Moon,”
dence that its employees have acted ethi‑
Stirling Technology (KRUSTY) ment. “Safe, efficient and plenti‑ households ̶ continuously for said Gibson.
cally and lawfully… the siege of media
experiment on Wednesday at ful energy will be the key to at least 10 years. “When we start sending
coverage has driven away virtually all of
its Glenn Research Centre in future robotic and human Four Kilopower units would astronauts for long stays on the
the companyʼs customers and suppliers.
Cleveland. exploration,” said Jim Reuter of provide enough power to estab‑ Moon and to other planets,
As a result, it has been determined that it
The Kilopower experiment NASAʼs Space Technology lish an outpost. The pioneering thatʼs going to require a new
is no longer viable to continue operating
was conducted at the US Mission Directorate in power system is ideal for the class of power that weʼve never
the business.”
department of energyʼs nation‑ Washington. Moon, where power generation needed before.”
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Trump not going to Jerusalem for
embassy opening, sends Ivanka
Washington: US President Donald Trump
will not be traveling to Jerusalem for the
inauguration of the new United States
Embassy in that city on May 14, but in his
place will send daughter Ivanka Trump and
her husband, Jared Kushner.
The White House said in a statement that
the US delegation will be headed by Deputy
Secretary of State John Sullivan, who will
also be joined by US Treasury Secretary
Steve Mnuchin, Efe reported.
The US representation will be rounded
out with the US ambassador to Israel,
David Friedman, and the assistant to the
president and special representative for
international negotiations, Jason
Greenblatt. The president suggested last
week that he might attend the inaugura‑
tion, but finally decided against it.
Trump promised last December that he
would move his country's embassy from
Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a decision in defi‑
ance of the international consensus not to
recognize any sovereignty over that city
until Israelis and Palestinians reach a
peace accord.
At present no country has an embassy in
Jerusalem, only consulates, because the
understanding is that an embassy there
would signify a de facto recognition of
Israeli sovereignty over the city, whose
eastern part is considered by the interna‑
US AFFAIRS
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner will
represent the President at the event.
(Photo courtesy Reuters)
tional community to be Palestinian territo‑
ry occupied by Israel.
Ever since the US president indicated he
would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of
Israel and announced that the US embassy
would be moved there, Honduras, Romania,
Guatemala and the Czech Republic have
publicly stated that they would do the
same. Palestinians consider this act a
provocation that disqualifies the Trump
administration as an honest broker in the
Palestinian‑Israeli peace process.
Since then the head of the Palestinian
National Authority (ANP), Mahmoud Abbas,
and other representatives of that organiza‑
tion have refused to meet with the US
negotiating team.
May 12-18, 2018 11
Melaniaʼs platform tells
children to 'be best'
Washington: Me lania neonatal abstinence syn‑
Trump, nearly 16 months drome and emphasizing
into her tenure as First the importance of healthy
Lady, has at last revealed pregnancy; and so cial
her formal platform: "Be media, where Me lania
Best", a comprehensive pro‑ plans to encourage chil‑
gram which will focus on dren to use the internet in
well‑being, fighting opioid posit ive ways, tamping
abuse and supporting posi‑ down cyberbullying and
tivity on social media. negativity.
"As a mother and as First A former mo de l and
Lady, it concerns me that in designer, she has not had
today's fast‑paced and ever‑ the past policy experience
connected world, children of her most recent prede‑
can be less prepared to cessors, reports CNN.
express or manage their Former First Lady
The First Lady unveiled her
emotions and oftentimes Michelle Obama was a cor‑
platform Monday. (Photo:NYT)
turn to forms of destructive porate attorney, a public
or addictive behavior such as bullying, drug service advocate and a senator's spouse
addiction or even suicide," CNN quoted the before Barack Obama was elected president.
First Lady as saying during a Rose Garden She announced her "Let's Move" campaign to
event on Monday. help end childhood obesity in February 2010.
"I feel strongly that as adults we can and Though a librarian, Laura Bush had long
should be best at educating our children been exposed to political life before her hus‑
about the importance of a healthy and bal‑ band entered the White House.
anced life," she said. As part of the Bush family dynasty, she was
The platform pillars she revealed during versed in education policy and literacy pro‑
her 10‑minute speech in the White House gram for kids, her platform, which she
Rose Garden include well‑being, encompass‑ unveiled as First Lady.
ing healthy living as well as emotional health; Hillary Clinton championed health care as
opioid abuse, including bringing awareness to First Lady during Clinton presidency.
12 May 12-18, 2018 INDIA TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Congress says Sonia's visit

can save deposits: Modi
Vijayapura (Karnataka):
Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on
Tuesday took a dig at
the Congress, claiming
that its leaders were
now saying that if for‑
mer party chief Sonia
Gandhi canvasses in the
state, it can at least save
the security deposits of
Congress candidates.
Modi said he had
watched an interview
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
of a Congress leader
who said that the son
(Congress President Rahul
Gandhi) "will not be able to do
anything".
"If you bring the mother (Sonia)
to Karnataka and she does some‑
thing, then maybe the deposits
can be saved. This is what
Congress leaders have started
speaking," Modi said at a rally
here. Modi also accused the
state's Congress government of
trying to gain votes by seeking to
divide communities.
He claimed the Congress was
spreading lies on the issue of
women's security and said that a
daughter is a daughter irrespec‑
tive of the community she belongs taken along. This Congress gov‑
to. The Prime Minister also
accused the Congress of not sup‑
porting the triple talaq bill in the
Rajya Sabha.
Modi said the Bharatiya Janata
Party was seeking votes in the
name of development but the
Congress was in such a position
that their leaders did not have
faith in their 'naamdar' (dynast)
leader. Modi referred to
Vijayapura as the birth place of
during a rally in Karnataka.
Lord Basaveshwara, a 12th centu‑
ry social reformer and philoso‑
pher who founded the Lingayat
religious tradition, and targeted
Karnataka's Siddaramaiah govern‑
ment over its move to recommend
minority community status for
the Lingayats in the southern
state.
He said Lord Basaveshwara's
message was against divisions of
caste and community but the
state government had got into a
habit of working against his mes‑
sage and of forgetting his words.
"Bhagwan Basaveshwara con‑
veyed that everyone should be
ernment is dividing communities,
castes, voters... divide and rule, pit
one against the other. They want
to save their chair. But Congress
leaders do not know this is the
land of Bhagwan Basaveshwara. It
is not going to be divided into
communities and will not accept
division among brothers. They
will remove the Congress but will
not allow poison of casteism,"
Modi said.
Modi's oratory cannot fill
stomach of poor: Sonia
Vijayapura (Karnataka): UPA
Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on
Tuesday made a strong attack on
Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
accusing him of being intolerant
and also that the stomach of the
poor cannot be filled by his oratory.
Addressing a rally here hours after
Modi spoke, she lashed out at his
government, saying it had discrimi‑
nated against Karnataka.
"Modiji is besotted with Congress‑
free India. Leave Congress‑free
India, he cannot even tolerate any‑
one in front of him," Gandhi said in
her first rally in about two years.
UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi with party President Rahul Gandhi
She said Modi may be a good
and leaders Sachin Pilot and Ghulam Nabi Azad.
speaker but speeches alone cannot
solve problems of the people.
"He (Modi) is proud of his oratory I could be PM after 2019 polls, says Rahul
skills. If his oratory can fill hungry Bengaluru: In a statement that is bound to ruffle the feathers in the
stomachs, he must speak more opposition, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said he would
often. Speeches cannot fill the stom‑ become the Prime Minister if the Congress emerges as the largest party
ach of the hungry. Speeches cannot in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. He also said that Prime Minister Narendra
empower women, cure those suffer‑ Modi will not be the Prime Minister again.
ing from diseases, it cannot create "Well that depends... that depends on how well the Congress does. I
employment. For all this you need mean... the Congress, if it's the biggest party, yes," he said in reply to a
strong commitment, determination question at an interaction with eminent citizens here.
and good intention," she said. This is the second time Rahul Gandhi has expressed his readiness to
Lauding the Siddaramaiah govern‑ be the Prime Minister if the Congress gets a majority in next year's Lok
ment for its initiatives concerning Sabha polls. In September last year, speaking to students in Berkley, he
the poor and the farmers, she urged had said that he was "absolutely ready" to be the Prime Minister. The
people to defeat the BJP over its statement assumes significance in the context of parties that want to
"jumlas". keep equi‑distance from both the BJP and Congress and are working for
"BJP people come, make false a Third Front or Federal Front, which would not want to work under
promises, create hatred and return. Gandhi. Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has already
I know that you will unmask each of met leaders including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and
their jumlas and form a Congress DMK's M.K. Stalin in efforts to tie up a Federal Front of parties.
government with clear majority,"
gations concerning Reddy brothers ruption. Wherever he addresses ral‑
Gandhi said in her brief speech. She
and about spurt in turnover of a lies in Karnataka, there are people
said that ending corruption was
company linked to BJP chief Amit around him. Will you adopt their
among tall promises of Modi but he
Shah's son Jay Shah. model or you will adopt model of
had failed to appoint a Lokpal.
"What is his model of ending cor‑ your closest associate," she said.
Gandhi also targeted Modi over alle‑

Siddaramaiah serves Rs 100 cr

defamation notice to Modi, Shah
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister
Siddaramaiah has served a Rs 100‑crore
legal notice on Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, BJP President Amit Shah and party's
state unit chief B.S. Yeddyurappa for
alleged defamatory speeches and adver‑
tisements against him in the media.
The BJP leaders will have to face civil
and criminal action and pay damages of Rs
100‑crore in the event of the BJP leaders
failed to withdraw their statements and
issuing an unconditional public apology,
the notice added.
"The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has
published several political advertisements
in Kannada and English newspapers, tele‑
vision channels and on the social media,
which are defamatory against
Siddaramaiah," said lawyer and Congress
Member of Legislative Council V.S.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Ugrappa in the notice. The lawsuit also
termed as "maligning" Modi's speeches
referring to Siddaramaiah‑led government
as a "seedha rupiah sarkar" (money‑mak‑
ing government) and that the state govern‑
ment was talking about "ease of doing
murders" while the world was talking
about the ease of doing business.
It also referred to newspaper advertise‑
ments appearing since March 28 in
Kannada and English, which claimed that
the Congress government had turned
Bengaluru into a city of garbage and
destroyed its lakes, along with pictorial
display of silhouettes of Siddaramaiah.
"These allegations are completely false,
fabricated and do not have an iota of truth
and have been made with a malicious
intent to defame (Siddaramaiah) and
destroy his reputation in the eyes of the
public at large," said Ugrappa in the legal
notice. During public rallies in the south‑
ern state ahead of the May 12 Assembly
elections, Modi on several occasions
alleged that the state's Congress govern‑
ment worked on commissions basis and
was hand in glove with the mining mafia,
and was talking about ease of committing
murders instead of business.
Through the statements and advertise‑
ments, the BJP leaders had committed
offences punishable under Sections 499,
500, 501 and 502 (defamation and print‑
ing defamatory matter) of the Indian Penal
Code, the notice said.
"You are called to cease and desist from
making such statements and give an
unconditional public apology immediately
through electronic, print and social media
in which the statements and advertise‑
ments have appeared," the lawsuit notice
asserted.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Condemnation for
Chennai tourist
killed by stone
pelters in Kashmir
Srinagar: The body of a 22‑year old
tourist from Chennai killed by stone pel‑
ters here was flown home on Tuesday as
Kashmiris cutting across the political
spectrum continued to condemn the cow‑
ardly act. The grieving parents and sister
of the slain R. Thirumani, whose vehicle
was among many attacked on the
Srinagar‑Gulmarg road on Monday,
accompanied the body on an Indigo flight,
an official of the tourism department told
IANS. Thirumani was hit on the forehead
and nose when the stone pelters targeted
several vehicles with rocks during
protests called against the Sunday killings
of five militants and six civilians in
Shopian district.
On Tuesday, Chief Minister Mehbooba
Mufti reiterated her condemnation of the
tourist's killing. "I have no words strong
enough to condemn this tragic incident or
even condole with the family," she said in
a statement.
She described the incident as a blot on
the cultural value system of Kashmir and
an attempt to bulldoze its economy.
The Chief Minister, who went to meet
the tourist's family at the hospital imme‑
diately after the killing, had said on
Monday: "My head hangs in shame."
Her predecessor and National
Conference leader Omar Abdullah said:
"We have killed a tourist by throwing
stones at the vehicle he was travelling in.
Let's try and wrap our heads around the
fact that we stoned a tourist, a guest, to
death while we glorify these stone pelters
and their methods."
Come with Cauvery
scheme, SC orders Water
Resources secretary
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday
directed the secretary, Water Resources
Ministry, to be personally present in the
court on May 14 along with the scheme
for the implementation of the Cauvery tri‑
bunal award which was reaffirmed by the
top court with marginal modifications.
The bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra,
Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice
D.Y.Chandrachud directed the presence of
the secretary, Water Resources as
Attorney General K.K.Venugopal sought six
days' time for the Karnataka election to be
over before the government takes a deci‑
sion. Chief Justice Dipak Misra told
Venugopal that the Centre was in sheer
contempt of the court. "You are in sheer
contempt of the court," the CJI told
Venugopal. Venugopal said the draft
scheme for the implementation of the
Cauvery award was before the Cabinet and
the meeting has not taken place as Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and other minis‑
ters were busy campaigning in Karnataka,
where assembly elections are slated to be
held on May 12. The AG sought six days'
time for filing the scheme. Senior counsel
Shekhar Naphade, appearing for Tamil
Nadu, asked why it cannot be filed on
Thursday and Friday.
INDIA
Congress MPs withdraw
CJI impeachment petition
New Delhi: A petition by two Congress MPs
against Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah
Naidu's rejection of an impeachment
mot ion ag ainst Supreme Court Chie f
Justice Dipak Misra was withdrawn on
Tuesday.
Senior counsel Kapil Sibal, appearing for
the MPs, withdrew the petition after the
five‑judge Constitution Bench headed by
Justice A.K. Sikri asked him to argue the
main matter challenging Naidu's order on
merits.
They did not agree to his plea for a copy
of the administrative order which led to the
bench being set up.
Rajya Sabha members Pratap Singh
Bajwa and Amee Yajnik had moved the top
court challenging Chairman Naidu's rejec‑
tion in April of the notice of motion seek‑
ing the removal of Chief Justice Misra.
"You (want) to challenge that (administra‑
tive order setting up five‑judge bench) for
what outcome?" Justice Sikri asked Sibal,
who told the bench: "You must say who
passed the order. I must have the copy of
the order so that I can challenge it."
As Sibal argued that the matter could be
referred to a Constitution Bench only by a
judicial order and wondered how could it
be done by an administrative order, Justice
ʻArmy can't be blamed for
radicalization of Kashmiri youthʼ
New Delhi: Defense Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman on Tuesday said the armed
forces should not be blamed for Kashmiri
youths joining militants, indicating that
there will be no relaxation in the govern‑
ment's tough policy on dealing with violent
extremism.
"I think we need to understand the issue
which is very sensitive with a great deal of
nuance. You cannot hold the armed forces
responsible for being firm with terrorists.
We need to be firm," Sitharaman told
reporters here.
Sitharaman, on the sidelines of the bian‑
nual Naval Commanders' conference here,
said the death of a tourist from Chennai in
a stone‑pelting incident in the Kashmir
Valley only proved how the armed forces
"need to be firm with terrorists and ensure
safe movement of tourists".
Without mentioning Chief Minister
Mehbooba Mufti's recent appeal to the
Centre for "compassion and empathy... by
engaging in a meaningful dialogue", the
Defense Minister recalled how the PDP
leader had herself been making passionate
invites to tourists to visit the state.
"I am sure the Chief Minister has said
and has been keen on getting more tourists
to Kashmir because that will also help in
restoring normalcy. So if that has been the
stated desire, for a stone‑pelting incident to
have hurt and killed the tourist, certainly is
not very conducive to that very rightful
Supreme Court Chief
Justice Dipak Misra.
Adarsh Kumar Goel asked if there was a
bar on directly referring the matter to a
five‑judge bench by the latter process.
The bench, also comprising Justice S.A.
Bobde, Justice N.V. Ramana, Justice Arun
Mishra and Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel,
reminded Sibal that at the outset of the
hearing he had said that he has no person‑
al agenda and was for upholding the digni‑
Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Defense
Subhash Bhamre and Naval chief Sunil Lamba in New Delhi.
suggestion of the Chief Minister that we
need to have more tourists."
She said everything could not be "put at
the doorstep of the armed forces".
"The Army has to be firm as regards ter‑
rorists. But at the same time I appreciate
that we need to have a lot more free
moment of tourists, safe moment of
tourists so that normalcy can be restored,”
she added. The BJP government, since it
came to power in May 2014, has said it
May 12-18, 2018 13
ty of the court.
"Will the dignity of the court be jeopard‑
ized if you give me that (administrative)
order (constituting five judge bench). It is
not a secret document under the National
Security Act," Sibal countered.
Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, appear‑
ing for the Rajya Sabha Chairman, said the
Chief Justice had discretionary powers on
the administrative side to allocate any mat‑
ter to any bench of whatever strength.
Venugopal, who questioned the maintain‑
ability of the petition by the two Congress
lawmakers, said the notice for the motion
for the removal of Chief Justice Misra was
moved by 64 MPs belonging to seven polit‑
ical parties including Congress but only
two of the signatories had moved the court
challenging the April 23 decision.
The Attorney General suggested: "Let 50
of the 64 MPs who had moved the notice
of removal pass a resolution authorising
Bajwa and Yajnik to move the court."
Taking a jibe at Venugopal's argument,
Sibal asked why two people could not chal‑
lenge the decision and asked him if the
remaining 62 have told him that they did
not support Bajwa and Yajnik.
"I will satisfy you. I will bring 60. You will
be satisfied," Sibal told Venugopal.
would deal firmly with who engage in vio‑
lence and support militants.
In the last four years, some 680 militants
have been killed in counter‑terror opera‑
tions in the Kashmir Valley, including 72 in
the first four months of 2018, according to
data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism
Portal (SATP), run by New Delhi‑based
Inst itute for Conflict Management.
Militancy related violence has also killed
291 security personnel.
 14 May 12-18, 2018 OP-ED TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Winners may be losers in Karnataka's Catch 22 endgame

By Saeed Naqvi vague?
Modi chastised Rahul for bad‑mouthing

I
t was what a film director would have
described as a perfect take. "You are a
beginner," he said, grinding his teeth in
simulated anger. "These are your days to
learn." A measured pause; he then emoted.
"And you are insulting a former Prime
Minister, a senior‑most leader?"
This was Narendra Modi chastising Rahul
Gandhi, the Congress President. In the
course of a fierce three‑way election cam‑
paign, Rahul Gandhi, prompted by Chief
Minister Siddaramaiah, described the Janata
Dal‑Secular ( JD‑S) as the B team of the
Sangh Parivar. Modi tore into Rahul.
The manner in which Modi leapt to Dewe
Gowda's defense raised eyebrows. The out‑
burst cast the JD‑S as a party which had the
BJP's sympathies.
If this creeping murmur reached Muslim
enclaves which were once Congress vote
banks, a section of the Muslim vote which
would otherwise have travelled towards
Gowda, would check itself. This would be
ironical given that the "S" in JD‑S stands for
secular.
After the demolition of the Babari Masjid
in 1992, the disenchanted Muslim vote,
walking out of the Congress fold, was way‑
laid by regional parties. In Karnataka, this
vote took respite under the JD‑S umbrella.
In these circumstances, is the Congress
delusion, of being the "only" national alter‑
native, sustainable when a pan‑Indian quan‑
tity like Muslims is permanently averse to it
in the states? To overtly woo Muslims,
Congress leadership has been advised, risks
loss of Hindu vote in direct proportion to
JD(S) chief HD Deve Gowda. Conventional wisdom in Bengaluru gives Congress
95 to 100; BJP 85 to 90 and JD‑S 35 to 40 in a hung house. (Photo: IANS)
the saffron in the air. Congress avionics are
now conditioned entirely by these weather
conditions. Such abject dependence on the
weather will have its logic. There will be
occasion when the flight will not take off at
all. Now, the post‑Babari shortfall has to be
made up by holding on assiduously to the
Hindu vote. This requires the kind of Hindu
cohesion the Congress is not geared for. If it
plugs upper caste haemorrhage, the lower
castes flow out into regional receptacles.
It cannot do what the BJP does: Pose the
Muslim as the unstated other for Hindu con‑
solidation. The Congress simply steers clear
of the Muslim like one would steer clear of
trouble. It differentiates itself from the BJP,
though. It has a distinct self‑image: It's the
party of "good Hindus". It does not endorse
the lumpenization associated with "street"
Hindutva or the BJP.
It is a difficult pirouette. How do you proj‑
ect yourself as a squeaky clean Hindu with‑
out criticizing excesses in the name of the
cow, love jehad, Muslim youth languishing
in jails without trial. National monuments
like the Red Fort will now be handed to
cement magnates for repair and mainte‑
nance and so on.
All right, the BJP erects its "hard" Hindu
edifice "othering" the Muslims. How does
the Congress delineate its "soft" Hindu out‑
lines? Is there clarity or is it all hazy and
Gowda. Rahul found it so important to come
clean on the subject that he agreed to give
his very first newspaper interview since he
became Congress President in December to
Karnataka's Deccan Herald group of news‑
papers.
He said he was not attacking Gowda at all;
he was only inviting Gowda to explicitly
declare whether he was on "that side or this
side". An epic ideological battle was on
between the Congress and the BJP. Choose
one. What was the urgency for him to seek
this clarification? In fact, it is all the more
puzzling because Modi's intervention was
designed to soften Gowda towards the BJP ‑‑
it was like an olive branch to the JD‑S. If
amplified, this would have the effect of the
Muslim vote shifting away from the JD‑S
towards the Congress. Why would Rahul
need to neutralise conditions for this possi‑
ble outcome? Well, it was a gamble. Rahul
needs an outright victory with a safe mar‑
gin. In a house of 224 he needs well in
excess of 113 seats. Muslim support might
help.
Conventional wisdom in Bengaluru gives
Congress 95 to 100; BJP 85 to 90 and JD‑S
35 to 40 in a hung house. This is dicey ‑‑ for
the Congress. Deve Gowda, as kingmaker
w ill immolate himse lf but not make
Siddaramaiah the Chief Minister.
The moment Rahul looks for an alternative
to Siddaramaiah in order to keep Gowda in
good humor, a new game will have begun.
From the Bengaluru throne, the Gowdas,
BJP, everybody will then train their guns on
Siddaramaiah. It is Catch 22 for all.

Opposition unity: Not easy to achieve

By Amulya Ganguli talk about the constituents of the not have nationwide relevance
front is aimed at presenting an although they may be politically

T
elangana Chief Minister K.
Chandrashekar Rao is
among the more active
opposition leaders at the national
level who are trying to form an
alliance against the Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP).
Sonia Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee
and Sharad Pawar are the others.
But they appear to work in fits
and starts and not in a sustained
manner.
Sonia Gandhi, for instance, has
hosted a dinner for the opposition
leaders, Mamata Banerjee has met
Rao and had a telephonic conver‑
sation with the DMK's M.K. Stalin
while Pawar organized a "save the
Constitution" rally in Mumbai.
But there is little to indicate that
they have got their acts together
in the sense of preparing an agen‑
da or formulating a plan of action
with public meetings and use of
the social media, the latest tool in
the war of ideas.
Rao has been somewhat more
energetic, having taken the trou‑
ble to fly down to Kolkata to talk
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav with Telangana
Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao in Hyderabad. (Photo: IANS)
to the West Bengal Chief Minister,
travelling to Chennai to meet M.
Karunanidhi and Stalin and meet‑
ing Samajwadi Party leader
Akhilesh Yadav in Hyderabad. But
none of these informal contacts is
likely to give the BJP sleepless
nights. There has, however, been a
slight forward movement with
Rao dropping his earlier reserva‑
tions about the Congress, arguing
that no one is untouchable. When
he met Mamata Banerjee, he was
firm about keeping out the
Congress from the so‑called feder‑
al front, but Mamata was not so
sure. Later, she said that the
Congress could be a part of an
anti‑BJP front but not as a leader.
It may well be that much of the
inflated picture by the regional
parties of their importance in
order to play an assertive role
when the time comes for getting
down to serious business.
At the same time, it is obvious
that neither Rao nor Mamata
Banerjee has the stature to play a
leading role at the national level.
The latter has also undermined
her own capacity for fair gover‑
nance by failing to control ‑‑ will‑
ingly or inadvertently ‑‑ the rowdy
party cadres during the ongoing
panchayat elections in West
Bengal.
It is also clear that the reserva‑
tions which the two Chief
Ministers have voiced about the
Congress stem from their earlier
close and not always happy asso‑
ciation with the party, which prob‑
ably makes them believe that they
will again be sidelined if the
Congress becomes a part of the
front.
Yet, it is impractical to think in
terms of a non‑BJP, non‑Congress
group as the regional parties do
strong in their respective states.
It is imperative, therefore, for
them to concede that a party like
the Congress, with a pan‑Indian
image, if not presence, will be in a
better position along with the oth‑
ers to present an alternative to
the BJP, which, too, is perceived as
a "national" party despite its
weaknesses south of the
Vindhyas.
For the present, the Congress is
trying to bring its former ally, the
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP),
to its side.
Furthermore, the Congress has a
potential ally in Akhilesh Yadav,
although Mulayam Singh is not a
friend. Neither is Bahujan Samaj
Party's (BSP) Mayawati as her
decision to align with the Janata
Dal‑Secular in Karnataka and the
Indian National Lok Dal in
Haryana shows.
The Congress will also probably
be unwilling to play a secondary
role under the leadership of
another party. Clearly, opposition
unity will not be easy to achieve.

The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info MOTHER’S DAY May 12-18, 2018 15

Mother’s Feliz día de la Madre! One Big Wonder

By Avana Grace Sharma
Day is on Poem by Arin Ravindran

I
love my mommy because she gives me the best hugs and

May 13. kisses. She dances with me. Sings to me. Reads Oh dear Mother,
with me every how do you do it all?
day. And we laugh Cook and clean
together. And we while answering a
live together. call,
Valued for values Because I love ani‑ but still have room
to pick me up when I
mals, we volun‑
she gave me teer at Pets4Luv fall.
together. I wish we When I injured
By Sunil Tolani could go there myself, I cried tear
after tear,

C
every day but I
elebrating Mother's day is our have kindergarten. you healed me, yet
family tradition with a deep per‑ Mommy likes to carried my pain year
sonal meaning, very positive and after year.
learn Spanish from Arin with his mother,
Avana, 5, with her mother, I start to ponder, how
wholesome. I grew up in Bombay and stud‑ me. We chant Vineetha Nair, journalist and
actor Geeta Citygirl‑Chopra. any human can cope
ied @ St. Anneʼs convent school, Pali Hill, together, we plant TV anchor
Bandra. Sitting by my motherʼs feet by together (“hey with the ongoing thun‑
the tree, with bonfire burning, listening to
Sunil Tolani, CEO of Prince der of noise, distractions,
mommy, Chant and Plant rhyme.”)
Organization, pays tribute to all the useless blunder.
Christmas carols and writing wishful let‑ Sometimes I see my reflection in her eyes, thatʼs reminding
his mother.
ters to Santa, I had beautiful Christmases. me that I was in her belly. And she is beautiful and the kind‑ Unless, you are not human at all, but one big wonder.
My mother said we had the wealth of virtue, integrity and deftness to succeed est person except when we have arguments. But we always I remember when I was scared by the lightning and rain,
with the blessings of our great forefathers. hug it out. She calls me “Mijita” which means “my sweet how always you found a way to keep me entertained,
My mother instilled in me the Values, Ethics, Character and Honor by not daughter.” spending the day with me, puzzles and playing games.
just mere talks, but by walking the talk, doing right, doing her best honoring My mommyʼs mom is my Grandma Asha; she loves me and Now when I have a personal plight, you give advice,
GOD. She would ask spreading her arms, “Do you love me this much.” Iʼd smile calls me her baby doll. My Mona Massi is the most strict but not once, often twice or thrice,
and give her a big hug and kisses. I love when we do healing treatments for Grandpa Raj. But urging me to do the right,
I also remember, sheʼd repeatedly tell me to “be a good boy today and grow my favoritest person is my bestie Uncle JR. And I love my making sure I never ever have an internal fight.
to be a strong HONEST man with good character and honor and if I focus on cat, Miss Bonita, and my baby doll Bitta. And I love my Oh dear mother, I still donʼt understand
my moral compass and really ensure that I do not harm anyone, things will Spanish All Year teachers, EPIC Martial Arts instructors, and How you can do this summer, spring, winter, and fall,
work out”. Soccer Shots coaches. And I love Mother Nature. And our living up to all this demand?
Sheʼd remind me that itʼs never too late, too early or too often to make this Nature Circle Friends. I love museums, shows, gardens. I love I don't understand it all.
world a better place and if I did not contribute positively, then I will be wait‑ angels. And I totally love the city. I was born in the city. And Today, I realize that you had loved me from the start,
ing to die. Her dedication inspires us to do more, knowing that making the my mom was born in Queens. always gifted those hugs and kisses with all your heart.
world a better place is a challenge. But it's one we rise to every day. She But everything I do and everything I love is because of my In a strong relationship, Love counts a ton,
taught us to be different and that wealth is not something to get spoiled over; Mommy. She is the one who takes care of me. I never had a especially between a Mother and a Son!
it is a lot of responsibility, which requires you to do more, better than if you babysitter like my friends. Arin, a 7th grader in Edison, NJ, published a book
didnʼt have the money. And I am thankful that sheʼs my Mommy. Feliz día de la ʻA Dent in Timeʼ 3 years ago.
I have not inherited her wealth but inherited her values. Madre (Spanish for Happy Motherʼs Day).

Reminder to take time An amazing power‑

to remember her house of a woman
By Mamta Mishra By Aishwarya Madan

M M
y mother is a survivor of y mother, Nilima Madan, is
Indiaʼs Partition. I try to a powerhouse. She has
imagine how she, as a worked very hard and still
young girl, managed to escape her continues to work hard providing
birthplace Muzaffarabad (now on for the family, volunteering, and
the other side of the border), along organizing events in the community.
with her family and other minority My feelings for her revolve around
Hindus, to safety in Solan, Himachal immense respect, love, and joy. Five
Pradesh. words I would use to describe her
How she continued her refugee jour‑ are: caring, beautiful, intelligent,
ney to Jammu, where they would set strong, and brave. I know that I can
up home and make sense of every‑ always turn to her for answers and if
thing they had left behind forever. I ngs with she doesn't know something, she will
wonder what childhood and refugee‑ Mamta (extreme left) and three sibli
ade s ago . find out for the both of us. I hope to
their parents some 5 dec
road memories, both good and bad, one day become half as amazing as Aishwarya with her mother,
she still holds on to.
The decision to leave behind Surajpur for a life in my mother is. She is my idol and hero Nilima Madan.
My mother had an arranged marriage. in this life.
faraway small town Picton in Ontario was not
Becoming Kamlesh Mishra from Kamlesh My brother Aditya Madan adds: There me the beauty and depth of our religion
hers, but she embraced it as she had both
Sharma, this time she would leave behind her is no one in the world who is more tena‑ through trips to temples in Vaishno
Partition and the arranged marriage.
Punjabi‑speaking, non‑vegetarian, Hindu Brahmin cious, more resourceful, more ambi‑ Devi, Varanasi, Nepal and Mumbai just
My mother is a survivor. She now gets around
family in Jammu to marry into a Bhojpuri/Hindi‑ tious or more loving than my mother. to name a few. Despite a recession, and
with the aid of a walker and wheelchair and,
speaking, vegetarian Hindu Brahmin family from All of the parts which I attribute to any an economy that has worked against
though she's not thrilled about old age, she is
eastern Uttar Pradesh living in small town named modicum of success that I have her, she has persevered in sales and
happy to have her children by her side. We, in
Surajpur, next to Chandigarh. achieved have been inspired by her continued to achieve both inside and
turn, are happy to laugh, cry, and argue with a
I wonder what memories live on inside her from example. Nilima Madan has bent back‑ outside the office through her vital
mother who has tirelessly cared for us, given us
this time and space, and how she coped with wards, and used every tool at her dis‑ roles in a number of local organiza‑
love and hope, and allowed us the freedom to
another new reality that was decided for her. My posal in order to make sure that our tions.
think, learn and make our own choices.
mother moved to Canada in 1967, where she and needs were met. In what seemed like In business, with family and in life
An Indo‑Canadian, Mamta Mishra ran literacy
my father raised five children (three of us proudly minutes, she has produced meals in acts she continues to inspire me, and I am
programs in India.
remain vegetarian). of culinary prestidigitation. She's shown proud to say that I am her son.
 16 May 12-18, 2018
National Film Awards breaks with 64‑year‑old tradition
T
he 65th National Film
Awards ceremony was a
departure from its tradition
of the Indian President handing
over the awards to all the winners.
Many "hurt" recipients even
skipped the ceremony in New
Delhi as President Ram Nath
Kovind had time to present only
11 out of 125 awards.
Vigyan Bhawan in the Indian
Capital was buzzing with artistes
from Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam,
Tamil, Assamese and Manipuri
film industries who looked excited
about getting recognition from the
government for their work in
movies.
But there were some winners
whose name plates were placed
facing down as they were not at
the venue.
Praveen Morchhale, the director
of "Walking With the Wind",
which won three National Awards
including Best Film (Ladakhi) this
year, was among those 60 recipi‑
ents who chose to give the cere‑
mony a miss.
"The decision was not taken by
one person. It happened last night.
During rehearsal, it was
announced that the ceremony
would be done in two parts. All
were shocked," Morchhale told
IANS.
Mahira Khan heads to
Cannes Film Festival
A H
ctress Mahira
Khan will be
representing
Pakistan at the 71st
Cannes Film Festival
later this month.
The actor, who was
named the first
Pakistani brand
ambassador for make‑
up giant L'Oreal last
year, took to
Instagram to share the
news, Geo News
reported.
Mahira shared a pho‑
tograph of Hollywood
star Arnold
Schwarzenegger at the
1977 Cannes and cap‑
tioned it: "Cannes
2018, Let's do this!"
She also took to
Twitter and wrote: "My
name is Cannes and I'm
not a..."
Other celebrities
attending the Cannes
this year to represent
L'Oreal Paris are Julianne
Moore, Jane Fonda, Eva Longoria as
well as Bollywood stars Deepika
Padukone, Aishwarya Rai and
Sonam Kapoor.
Indian actress Kangana Ranaut is
Filmmaker Boney Kapoor along with his daughters
Janhvi & Khushi Kapoor, receives the National Film
Award from President Ram Nath Kovind.
Over 60 awardees even wrote a
letter to the Directorate of Film
Festivals, President's office and
Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting, to stop them from
categorizing between winners.
"Our protest is not against who
is getting the award from the
President. It is against discrimina‑
tion. Everybody should be given
by the President or the ministers.
Discrimination is very humiliating.
It is very hurting to us. It's like
artistes have been categorized into
A and B," said the director.
Actor Mahira Khan.
also reported to be gearing up for
her debut at Cannes this year.
The 71st annual Cannes Film
Festival is scheduled to be held
from May 8 to May 19.
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
The President handed over the
Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Nargis
Dutt Award for Feature Films on
National Integration, Best Book on
Cinema, Best Direction (non‑fea‑
ture film), Best Jasari Film, Best
Male Playback Singer, Best Music
Direction (songs and background
music), Best Actress, Best Actor,
Best Direction (feature film), Best
Feature Film and Best Editing.
Information and Broadcasting
Minister Smriti Irani and Minister
of State for Information and
Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh
'Omerta': Cold, brutal and
repulsively compelling
ansal Mehta is an accom‑
plished film maker, but
his "Omerta" is not one
that will shine as one among his
best, simply because, it offers
nothing exceptional.
Based on real life events and
modified for cinematic liberty,
"Omerta" is the biography of
Omar Saeed Sheikh, a British citi‑
zen of Pakistani descent, who
had links to various Islamist mil‑
itant organizations and was
responsible for several terrorist
activities in India and Pakistan.
The film exposes state‑spon‑
sored terrorism and how it
manipulates young minds into
believing a sordid interpreta‑
tion of struggle or fight against
the enemies of one's religion.
This is not a film about the
rightness or wrongness of
Omar's cause or the political
situation that inspired it. It
simply documents his cold‑
blooded journey.
In the process, the film inad‑
vertently glorifies terrorism.
Sans any entertainment, there
are blood churning moments
that make you feel repulsed
right from the kidnapping of a
few foreign tourists in Delhi to
the scenes that involve the anni‑
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Kavita Khanna receives the National Film Award on behalf of her late
husband Vinod Khanna. Also seen are actor Akshay Khanna & Union
Ministers Smriti Irani and R.S. Rathore. (Photos: Amlan Paliwal/IANS)
Rathore gave rest of the awards to
winners, including Bhanita Das.
She received the Best Child Artist
honor for her work in "Village
Rockstars" which became the first
Assamese film in 29 years to win
the National Award for Best
Feature.
There was another change in the
ceremony. It had no musical per‑
formance by best playback singers
this time.
But as usual, the Dadasaheb
Phalke Award was presented by
the President and a video featur‑
Rajkummar Rao in a scene
from the film ʻOmertaʼ.
hilation of the Wall‑
Street journalist
Daniel Pearl, in Review
Pakistan.
The characters are well‑etched
and mounted with utmost real‑
ism. On the performance front,
the film is Rajkummar Rao's can‑
vas and as usual, he is impres‑
ing known names from the film
industry praising the recipient
was shown at the venue.
This year, it was given posthu‑
mously to Vinod Khanna. His wife
Kavita Khanna and son Akshaye
Khanna received it on his behalf.
Late actress Sridevi won the
Best Actress Award – her first
National Award ‑‑ for her impact‑
ful performance in the film
"Mom".
Her husband Boney Kapoor and
their daughters ‑‑ Jahnvi and
Khushi ‑‑ received the honor.
sive as the thoughtful and
quixotic Omar. He delivers a bril‑
liant performance as the emo‑
tionally inclined but brutally bar‑
barous, "intelligent and well‑edu‑
cated member of the holy war.
Timothy Ryan Hickernell who
has a striking resemblance to
Daniel Pearl offers an earnest
portrayal. Keval Arora as Saeed
Sheikh ‑ Omar's helpless and lost
father is sincere.
Shot across actual locations,
Anuj Rakesh Dhawan's cine‑
matography is simple yet effec‑
tive.
It captures the fine nuances of
Neil Chowdhury's production
designs, the locales and the emo‑
tions of the cast, to perfection.
The title, "Omerta" which in
Italian means a code of silence
about criminal activity and a
refusal to give evidence to the
police, refers to the attitude of
ordinary people who
look the other way
and don't bring the
criminals to book. It
denotes the motivating fac‑
tor of Omar's strife.
Overall, at the end as you leave
the theatre, you are bound to
question the motive of this film
and its worthiness.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
My social work comes from
pure compassion: Akshay
W
hether it is
standing up for
the rights of
stuntmen in the Indian
film industry or training
girls for self‑defense, sup‑
porting the 'Swachh
Bharat Abhiyan' or narrat‑
ing the story of a man who
took up the cause of men‑
strual hygiene ‑‑ National
Award‑winning actor
Akshay Kumar has dabbled
in it all. He says his social
work is a result of compas‑
sion towards humanity.
"I am really fortunate that
God has given me fame,
money and a celebrity sta‑
tus, and many youngsters
Actor Akshay Kumar un
get influenced by what I do.
So I think my whole idea of
standing for any cause is to
utilize the power in a
responsible manner. My social work comes
from pure compassion. I talk about issues
that I feel for," Akshay told IANS in New
Delhi.
Once known as the poster boy of action
dramas in Bollywood, over the past few
years Akshay has associated himself with
films with patriotic themes ‑‑ like "Airlift"
and "Rustom" ‑‑ and those with a social mes‑
sage, like "Toilet: Ek Prem Katha" and "Pad
Man". While "Toilet..." was about the need of
toilets, "Pad Man" was aimed at spreading
awareness on menstrual hygiene ‑‑ both
hardly spoken about subjects.
He says though he can make a lot of
money from films, he also feels responsible
DON'T BLAME PERSONAL LIFE
FOR FILM'S FAILURE: RANI
A
ctress Rani Mukerji, who is cur‑
rently riding high on the success
of her comeback film "Hichki",
says age or marital status of an actress
has nothing to do with a films failure or
success.
Asked if she feels that age and marital
status of an actress considered detrimen‑
tal in the industry, Rani told IANS over
phone from Mumbai: "The success of
'Hichki' has changed a lot of that think‑
ing... It is important to understand that
the audience is changing. They want to
see a good film and a content oriented
film... When you give them a good film
they don't really care what your martial
status is." Rani, 40, says that the audience
wants to be "entertained by films".
"What I am doing in my personal life is
none of anyone's business... What I do
outside my work is not really important as
long as I am doing films and the roles that
suit me and the roles which I feel the
audience will connect with," she added. "A
film not doing well also happens to actors
who are not married and who don't have
babies. Just because a married actress
comes back and her film is not do well lets
not blame her personal life," she said.
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
veiling the New India
Conclave in Mu mb ai. (Photo: IANS)
to help in building the society.
"If I want, I can make a 'Singh Is Kinng'
part 2... I know I have an audience for that. I
know I can make millions of money from
such a film. Not that I am not interested...
But as a celebrity, I should be changing one
thought. I should be influencing youngsters
to contribute to a good cause. That is how
we can build a society. I am doing it in my
way," he said with a smile.
The actor, 50, has become the brand
ambassador of the New India Conclave
2018, which will recognize rural achievers
of the country.
He says change will be visible in the socie‑
ty when people start focusing more on solu‑
tions than problems.
Actress Rani Mukerji. (Photo: IANS)
May 12-18, 2018 17
Radiant in red, Sonam
weds Anand Ahuja
A
ctress Sonam Kapoor,
who has earned the
'fashionista' tag in
Bollywood with her experimen‑
tal taste, chose a bright red
lehenga with heavy jewelry for
her wedding day as she tied the
knot with long‑time beau
Anand Ahuja at a traditional
Anand Karaj ceremony in
Mumbai.
Sonam wore a lotus‑motif
ensemble by designer
Anuradha Vakil and looked
every bit the Punjabi bride with
her hands adorned by a deep
maroon colour of henna, both
wrists full of the 'chooda' and
'kaleere'. She wore a statement Newly‑wed Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja.
maatha‑patti for the Sikh wedding
by her brothers, led by Harshvardhan and
rituals. The groom, a Delhi‑based business‑
cousin Arjun. Sonam's father and veteran
man, too looked dapper in a Raghavendra
actor Anil Kapoor and brother Harshvardhan
Rathore creation, a beige sherwani. He paired
looked smart in sherwanis while cousins
his sherwani with a beige and cream 'saafa'
Janhvi, Khushi, Anshula, Shanaya and Arjun
along with pearl and ruby strings.
were dressed in ethnic designer wear for the
The wedding took place at Sonam's aunt's
special day.
place in Bandra in Mumbai, with a slew of
Other family members Boney Kapoor,
close family and friends of the couple in
Sanjay Kapoor and Maheep Kapoor too were
attendance. The wedding proceedings were
present for the occasion.
closely guarded as even Sonam arrived at the
From the film and fashion industry,
venue in a car with curtains hiding her look
Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Karan
from the media.
Johar, Jacqueline Fernandez, Rani Mukerji,
Later, an official photograph of the actress
Swara Bhasker, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Saif Ali
in her bridal avatar, as well as another one
Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, design‑
featuring the happy couple, were released.
er Masaba Gupta and stylist Pernia Qureshi
However, curious fans of the actress were
were present.
filled in with inside photographs and video
The actress' "Veere Di Wedding" co‑star
snippets via social media.
Kareena looked elegant in a soft pink ensem‑
A short video showcasing Sonam walking
ble as she walked colour coordinated with
the aisle saw the actress being accompanied
husband Saif and son Taimur.
I have no legacy to leave
behind: Big B
T
he world knows him as Bollywood's ence far greater than mine," Amitabh told
"Shahenshah", but he prefers to be IANS in an email interview from Mumbai.
known as the son of late eminent poet "I have no legacy... My father's legacy is
Harivansh Rai Bachchan. what I am interested in, and I
Megastar Amitabh shall try always to further
Bachchan says he has it."
been in public life from The 75‑year‑old, who also
the day he was born, but enjoys reciting his father's
has no legacy of his own works, especially
to leave behind. "Madhushala" at public
The actor, who has events, hopes he has passed
successfully transitioned on his father's wisdom to
from Bollywood's "Angry his son and actor Abhishek.
young man" to its "Memories with my
"Shahenshah" to its most father and time spent with
globally known ambassa‑ him are personal... But, yes
dor during his over four lessons learnt from him
decade‑old career, says would certainly be passed
his father's "public pres‑ on to Abhishek," added Big
ence is far greater than" B. The cine icon feels it is
his. very important to taste
"It is coming on to 50 failure to value success.
years in public life... That "Criticism," he says, "is
an. healthy. If not, we would all
is as far as I am personally
Superstar Amitabh Bachch
concerned... But I have been be living in a Utopian world,
in public life from the day I was born. I was and we know that, that is not possible. Abuse,
always the son of Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan, negativity, criticism is a most important ele‑
eminent poet, litterateur, having public pres‑ ment in our growth”.
 18 May 12-18, 2018 HERITAGE TheSouthAsianTimes.info

TRIP THROUGH MILLENNIA OLD

Indian civilization
New Delhi: A wide swath of the millennia‑
old Indian civilization came alive through a Indian handaxe Balochistan beaker Humped bull
cluster of artefacts of astonishing bril‑
liance as the National Museum opened a
nearly two‑month transcontinental exhibi‑
tion that takes the viewers on an intriguing
and exhilarating trip of the countryʼs spec‑
tacular past and its links with the outside
world since antiquity.
"India and The World: A History in Nine
Stories", the first of its kind event in India,
marks an unprecedented collaboration in
museum exhibition with the British Banded agate and gold, Harappan
Museum, London; National Museum, New period, About 1800 BC,
Delhi; Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Bhiwani Khera, Haryana.
Sanghahalaya (CSMVS), Mumbai; and some
20 private collections pooling in their
resources for the phenomenal show. Gupta dinar of Chandragupta II
A unique line‑up of around 200 ancient Terracotta with iron‑oxide pigment,
Stone, About 50,000 BC, 3500–2800 BC, Nal, Balochistan.
Continued on page 19 Chittor, Rajasthan.
‘Unicorn’ seal with ‘script’
Bodhisattva Maitreya Harappan weights

Gold, AD 385–414, Central India.

Islamic gravestone
Chert, 2200–1700 BC, Mohenjodaro,
Sindh, Pakistan.

Royal barge

Steatite, 2500–2000 BC,

Mohenjodaro, Sindh, Pakistan.

Pelican altarpiece
Grey schist, AD 120–200, Gandhara,
Pakistan or Afghanistan.

Armor attributed to Akbar

Stone, About AD 1000–1050, Odisha. Marble, AD 1400‑99, Probably made in
Cambay, India; found in Aden, Yemen.

Astrolabe
Shield of Maharana
Sangram Singh II

Made by Muhammad Muquim,

grandson of the court astrolabe maker
Steel with gold damascene, of Humayun, Shaikh Allahdad of Lahore, Silver on wood and glass, AD 1600s, Shield (dhal), about AD 1730,
AD 1581, North India. Brass, AD 1665, Lahore, Pakistan. from Sé Cathedral, Goa. Udaipur, Rajasthan.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info HERITAGE May 12-18, 2018 19

The pioneering exhibition at National Museum in New Delhi takes Indians to

moments in history that are a matter of pride for us. It is a window into India’s
immense contributions to the world in terms of culture, science and spirituality.
Maharaja Shree Execution of Mutineers Desh Sevika
Shambu Singh of
Mewar playing Holi

Opaque pigment and gold on paper,

about AD 1868–70, Udaipur, Rajasthan. Photograph by Felice Beato, Albumen Print, 1858.

Continued from page 18

and modern exhibits which offer a
chronological and thematic depic‑
tion of the evolution of India with
multiple expressions of art and
artefacts, stories and aesthetics
was unveiled by IGNCA President
Ram Bahadur Rai.
Some of the eye‑popping objects
on display include the oldest
known hand‑axe in the world (1.7‑
1.07 million years) from
Attirampakkam, Tamil Nadu; a
replica of the Dancing Girl of
Mohenjodaro (2500 BC); a gold‑
horned Harappan humped bull
(1800 BC); a Mughal miniature‑
inspired work by Rembrandt; an
Ashokan Edict (250 BC); and an
imprint of the Constitution of
India having more than 50 paint‑
ings supervised by the renowned
artist Nandalal Bose. Rai
described the exhibition as a
"journey through history", taking
Indians to "moments in history
that are a matter of pride for us".
"This is also a celebration of cul‑
tural exchanges and a moment to
remember that our civilization
has existed for millions of years
and what it has given to the world
in terms of culture, science and
spirituality," he said.
The 7‑week epical exhibition at
the museum, which comes after a
successful showing in Mumbai,
commemorates 70 years of Indian
independence and a year of major
cultural exchange between India
and the UK. By offering 124
objects, the British Museum has
become the biggest lender for the
show and some of these exhibits
have never been shown in India
earlier. Dr. Hartwig Fischer,
Director, British Museum, said
India and the World represented a
new approach and new model of
Sarnath excavations
Paper, early 20th century, Raja Bahadur
Motilal Poona Mills Ltd, Mumbai.
Indian banknotes
Showing Lion Capital of Ashoka Pillar found in March 1905,
photograph by Frederick Oertel, Silver Gelatin Print.
the museum exhibition that sets
one culture in a global context of
shared histories and common
Warli painting
ground, looking at similarities and
differences and combing the
strength of their collections and
expertise.
"This is a history you will not
find in textbooks and schools, in
that it provides a better under‑
standing of how one culture has
been in communication and
exchange with another. It marks a
new dimension and new stage in
cooperation between global muse‑
ums," he said. 10 rupee note, British India, October 1944; and 5 rupee
Conceived over a period of two note, Republic of India, issued on 26th January 1950.
years of intense planning and
curatorial brainstorming, "India
and the World" has been jointly
a and
y "Indi .
curated by a team in the UK and
urtes
India with Jeremy David Hill from s co tion
the British Museum and Naman P. Picture orldʼ exhibi
The W
Ahuja of JNU in Delhi as the co‑ By Jivya Soma Mashe, AD 1975–77,
curators. Maharashtra.

The 7‑week epical exhibition at the National Museum, which comes after a successful showing in Mumbai,
commemorates 70 years of Indian independence and a year of major cultural exchange between India & the UK.
 20 May 12-18, 2018 SUBCONTINENT TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Pakistani minister
Ahsan injured in
assassination attempt
Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal is
considered among the top brains of
Pakistan's political elite.
Islamabad: Pakistan Interior Minister Ahsan
Iqbal was shot and injured in an assassina‑
tion attempt during a rally in Narowal dis‑
trict of the country's Punjab province, police
said. District Police Officer of Narowal Imran
Kishwar said a local resident opened fire at
the minister soon after he concluded his
speech during a rally in Kanjrur town of the
district, Dawn reported.
The gunman Abid Hussain, 22, managed to
fire just one shot that hit the minister's right
arm. The suspect was arrested by the police
soon after he fired the shot, the officer said.
The minister was rushed to the District
Hospital in Narowal where he is undergoing
surgery. He is out of danger, the officer said.
Chief Minister of Punjab Province Shahbaz
Sharif sent a helicopter to shift the minister
to a hospital in Lahore, the provincial capital
of Punjab.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan
Abbasi condemned the attack.
Iqbal is considered among the top brains
of Pakistan's political elite. He has two port‑
folios, including minister of interior and
minister of planning, development and
reform.
Six Indians abducted in
Afghanistan, Taliban blamed
Kabul: Militants abducted seven
people, including six Indians in
Afghanistan's Baghlan province,
of ficials said, adding that talks
were on to get them freed.
The kidnapping took place in
Bag h‑e‑Shamal village,
TOLONews reported.
Baghlan Governor Abdulhai
Nemati said that those abducted
worked for an Indian company
KEC. The seventh person who
was seized was an Afghan.
Nemati said the Taliban had
done the kidnapping and moved
the g roup to the Dand‑e‑
Shahabuddin area of Pul‑e‑
Khumri city. He said they con‑
tacted the Taliban, whose repre‑
sentatives said the abduction
took place because the insur‑
gents thought that the seven
were Afg han government
employees. Nemati said they
Bangladesh asks UK to extradite Zia's son
Dhaka: Bangladesh has asked the
UK to extradite Tarique Rahman,
the exiled son of former Prime
Minister Khaleda Zia and
Chairman of the Bang ladesh
Nationalist Party (BNP) who has
been convicted in two corruption
cases. "The process is going on.
Next step always depends on the
response from the British govern‑
ment," Foreign Minister A.H.
Mahmood Ali was quoted as say‑
ing by bdnews24.com on
T hursday. In February, a
Bangladeshi court sentenced
Rahman, living in London since
The kidnapping took place in Bagh‑e‑Shamal village.
were trying to rescue the vic‑
tims with the help of tribal eld‑
ers. According to local officials,
the incident occurred while the
employees were travelling to the
area where the company has a
contract for an electricity sub‑
2008, to 10 years imprisonment
in a fraud case related to a foun‑
dation created to fund an orphan‑
age trust, while his mother was
handed a five year prison sen‑
tence for the same offence.
After the verdict, the BNP
named Rahman as the party's
chairman to replace Zia, current‑
ly serving her prison term.
The opposition leader's son had
been sentenced to seven years in
prison in 2016 on charges of
laundering $2.5 million between
2003‑07.
Zia ‑‑ who headed the
India in touch
with Afghan
authorities
New Delhi: India is in touch
with authorities in
Afghanistan following the
abduction of six Indian
nationals there, an official
said. "We are aware of the
abduction of Indian nationals
from Baghlan province in
Afghanistan. We are in con‑
tact with the Afghan authori‑
ties and further details are
station. being ascertained," External
Kidnapping of locals for extor‑ Affairs Ministry spokesper‑
tion is common in Afghanistan. son Raveesh Kumar said.
Most of those abducted have
been Afghans but foreign work‑ Judith D'Souza was kidnapped in
ers have also become targets. Kabul. She was released after 40
In 2016, Indian aid worker days.
Bangladeshi government twice
(between 1991‑96 and 2001‑06)
‑‑ was named in 13 cases of cor‑
ruption, violence and sedition.
According to the BNP, hundreds
of its activists and leaders face
similar charges.
The BNP, which does not cur‑
rently hold any seats in
Parliament, boycotted the 2014
general elections after the gov‑
ernment, led by Sheikh Hasina of
the Awami League, scrapped the
system of an interim government Tarique Rahman, son of former
PM Khaleda Zia, has been
which for decades had supervised
living in London since 2008.
elections in the country.

No deal on doctor who 'helped' Sri Lankan President

CIA track Osama: Pak
Islamabad: Pakistan said
there was no deal between
Islamabad and
Washington for the
release or handing over of
Shakil Afridi, who helped
the US track down Al
Qaeda chief Osama bin‑
Laden in 2011. The
remarks by Foreign
Ministry spokesman
Mohammad Faisal came
days after Pakistani
authorities moved Afridi, a
physician, from a prison in
Peshawar to an undis‑
closed location, triggering
speculation about his pos‑
sible release.
Faisal turned down
questions about media
reports claiming that the Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA) had tried to stage
Pakistani doctor Shakil Afridi
assisted the US
in tracking down bin Laden.
chief, leading to his
death.
a jailbreak in Peshawar in
order to rescue Afridi, say‑
ing he had no information
about the matter since it
concerned the Interior
Ministry.
Afridi, a former surgeon
believed to be in his mid‑
50s, was arrested eight
years ago after it emerged
that he had passed on
intelligence about bin
Laden to the CIA.
He was convicted by a
court in 2012 and sen‑
tenced to 33 years in
prison over ties with
banned militant groups.
He was never formally
convicted of helping the
CIA find the Al Qaeda
appoints new ministers
Colombo: Sri Lankan
President Maithripala
Sirisena appointed new
ministers, a day after he
reshuffled his cabinet.
Eighteen ministers ‑‑
10 deputy, eight state ‑‑
took oath before
Sirisena, reports Xinhua
news agency.
The reshuffle took
place after the defection
of six ministers from
the Sri Lanka Freedom
Party (SLFP) to the
opposition last month.
The defected minis‑
ters had voted in favor
of a no‑confidence
motion on Prime
Minister Ranil
Wickremesinghe when
it was taken up in Ministers took oath before Sri Lankan
Parliament. President Maithripala Sirisena.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INTERNATIONAL May 12-18, 2018 21

Iran warns US not to exit nuclear deal

Tehran: Iran's President warned
the US not to abandon the
nuclear ag reement signed
between Tehran and six major
powers, according to his official
website.
Hassan Rouhani repeated his
refusal to negotiate a new deal in
place of the 2015 Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action,
which US President Donald
Trump has repeatedly said he
would pull out of on May 12, Efe
reported.
"If the US exits the JCPOA, it
will soon regret it," Rouhani said
during a speech in northeast
Iran. "We don't favor war and
tension, but will strongly defend
our rights," he asserted.
"We have lived up to our obli‑
g at ions in the Joint
President Hassan Rouhani said Iran will strongly defend its rights.
Comprehensive Plan of Action,"
he said, stressing that Iran's
"commitment" to the deal had
been recognized by the interna‑
t ional community, w ith the
exception of the US, Israel and
'Iranian nuke deal horrible'
Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the
Iranian nuclear deal "horrible", saying that the deal allows the
continuation of uranium enrichment and "Iranian enrichment".
Netanyahu has been a sharp critic of the deal since the days it
was being negotiated by Iran and six powers as Russia, China, the
US, Britain, France and Germany, Xinhua reported.
Since Trump took office last year, Netanyahu has earned an ally
in Washington. But Trump and Netanyahu find themselves large‑
ly alone in an international arena that is largely favorable of the
nuclear agreement. Israeli officials have said the nuclear deal
does not prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Saudi Arabia. Tehran's support for the Syrian
Trump is seeking to add addi‑ regime and the Lebanese group
tional conditions to the agree‑ Hezbollah, among others.
ment as a pretext to withdraw, "We tell the world explicitly
such as limits on Iran's military that we will not negotiate our
capabilities, especially its ballis‑ defensive weapons with anyone,"
tic missile system, as well as Rouhani said.

France disapproves
Trump's gun law
comments
US President Donald Trump (L) and
French President Emmanuel Macron.
Paris: France has strongly criticized US
President Donald Trump's remarks suggest‑
ing more flexible arms rules in the country
could have helped prevent deadly terrorist
attacks in 2015.
"France expresses its firm disapproval of
President Trump's comments about the
Paris attacks on November 13, 2015 and
demands that the memory of the victims be
respected," the French foreign ministry said
in a statement.
"Every country freely decides on its own
laws on carrying firearms, as in other areas.
France is proud to be a country where
acquiring and carrying firearms is strictly
regulated," the statement added.
Trump told a gathering at the National
Rifle Association (NRA) which advocates for
gun rights, that if civilians had been armed,
it would have been a different outcome to
the 2015 series of explosions and shootings
that left 130 people dead.
"The free flow of arms within society does
not constitute a bulwark against terrorist
attacks, it can instead facilitate the plan‑
ning of this type of assaults," the ministry
fired back.
N Korea accuses US of misleading
world on denuclearization
Pyongyang: North Korea accused the US situation on the Korean Peninsula by
of misleading world opinion by saying deploy ing strateg ic assets on the
that Pyongyang's commitment to denu‑ Peninsula and increasing its attempt of
clearization on the Korean Peninsula was taking up the 'human rights' issue against
the outcome of international sanctions Pyongyang," said the spokesman.
and pressure. "This act cannot be construed otherwise
The Korean Central News Agency quot‑ than a dangerous attempt to ruin the
ed a spokesperson for North Korean hard‑won atmosphere of dialogue and
Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying that bring the situation back to square one," he
Washington is deliberately provoking added.
Pyongyang despite the improvement of T he spokesman warned that if
the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Washington miscalculates the peace‑lov‑
"Recently, the US is misleading public ing intention of the DPRK as a sign of
opinion, arguing as if Pyongyang clarifica‑ weakness and continues to pursue its
tion of its intention for denuclearization pressure and military threats against the
of the Korean Peninsula made through latter, it would be counter‑ef fective to
the Panmunjom Declaration adopted at Kim Jong un, top leader of the addressing the nuclear issue on the penin‑
the historic North‑South summit is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. sula.
result of so‑called sanctions and pres‑ North and South Korea issued a joint
ing that it would not ease the sanctions
sure," said the spokesman, Xinhua report‑ and pressure until North Korea gives up declaration on April 27, saying the two
ed. its nuclear weapons completely. sides are committed to the goal of denu‑
He slammed the United States for say‑ "The US is also moving to aggravate the clearization on the Korean Peninsula.
LEBANON VOTES IN FIRST GENERAL
ELECTION IN NINE YEARS
Beirut: Polling stations opened first time such expatriate vot‑
across Lebanon on May 6 for ing has been allowed.
the first parliamentary elec‑ The change is due to the new
tions in almost a decade. electoral system being used,
T he last e lect ions in the the BBC reported.
country took place in 2009, It also reduces the number
for what was supposed to be a of districts and uses a list‑
four‑year term, reports the based proportional system for
BBC. But parliament extended voting, with seats distributed
its term twice due to instabili‑ among the various Christian
ty in neighboring Syria and to and Islamic groups.
reform the country's electoral Le banon has long had a
laws. Hezbollah is seeking to power‑sharing political system
increase its parliamentary rep‑ between the dif ferent reli‑
resentation. gious denominations.
Tens of thousands of Major issues facing the A man casts his ballot in a polling station in Beirut, Lebanon.
Le banese cit izens living new ly‑e lected parliament
aboard have already cast their include the fate of a large entered the country since the war, and continuing economic
votes earlier this week ‑ the number of refugees who have outbreak of the Syrian civil difficulties.
22 May 12-18, 2018
Centre denying
benefits of low oil
prices: Manmohan
Bengaluru: Former Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh has accused the Modi government of pun‑
ishing the com‑
mon man by
not passing on
the benefits of
low interna‑
tional petrole‑
um prices to
the people.
"Petrol and
diesel prices in
India are at a
historic high.
This is in spite
of lower inter‑
Former Prime Minister
national crude
Manmohan Singh.
oil prices
because the Modi government chooses to levy
excessive excise taxes.
"Instead of passing on the benefit of low prices
to the people, the Central government has sought
to punish our people," the senior Congress leader
told the media here.
Noting that the nation was going through diffi‑
cult times, with farmers facing a crisis, youths
not finding jobs and the economy growing slow‑
ly, he said the two avoidable blunders of the gov‑
ernment ‑ demonetization and hasty implementa‑
tion of the GST ‑ had hurt the Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector, resulting in
loss of thousands of jobs.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) was intro‑
duced on July 1, 2017 as an indirect tax in place
of various state and Central taxes, including
Value Added Tax and Service Tax.
"Besides losses, the economy suffered due to
these twin blunders, exports as a share of the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) plunged to a 14‑
year low."
Mukesh Ambani's daughter Isha to wed Piramal scion Anand
Mumbai: Business tycoon and Reliance
Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani and
Nita Ambani's daughter Isha will tie the
knot with Anand Piramal, son of corpo‑
rate magnates Ajay Piramal and Swati
Piramal, in December this year, family
sources said.
Anand and Isha have been long‑time
friends and both the families have known
each other for over four decades.
Anand, who reportedly proposed to Isha
at a temple in Mahabaleshwar, is the
founder of Piramal Realty, one of India's
leading real estate companies.
Prior to Piramal Realty, Anand had
launched Piramal Swasthya, a rural
BUSINESS TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Flipkart turns into private
firm for buyout by Walmart
Bengaluru: India's e‑tailer major Flipkart
has turned into a private company from a
Walmart has
holding firm, ostensibly for a strategic
won the $15
buyout soon by the world's largest retail
billion bid for
giant Walmart Inc, according to docu‑
India's most
ments it filed for regulatory approvals.
popular
"Documents filed by Flipkart with the e‑commerce
Singapore's Accounting and Corporate site Flipkart.
Regulatory Authority (ACRA) indicate that
the holding company has become a pri‑
vate firm ‑ Flipkart Pte Ltd in Singapore
where it is registered," business intelli‑ from a set of its investors for $350.46 mil‑ ground to Amazon in their traditional US
gence platform Paper.vc Founder Vivek lion in a transaction that closed on April market, while Flipkart in India has man‑
Durai told IANS. 27. "The buyback and the subsequent con‑ aged to maintain its lead, albeit slender,
Big box‑retailer Walmart has won the version to private company status appear over Amazon. It's not surprising that
bid for India's most popular e‑commerce to be part of a series of steps aimed at eas‑ Walmart wants to take over Flipkart,
site Flipkart. The $15 billion deal comes ing a proposed acquisition by Walmart," which has built an exceptional engineer‑
as a setback for Jeff Bezos as he stands to Chennai‑based Durai said. ing talent at many levels of operations,"
lose roughly 32 per cent of the subconti‑ Though the buyback was on April 27, affirmed Durai.
nent's online shopping market share, Flipkart filed the documents on May 3. It "Flipkart, which raised $6.11 billion in
according to research firm Forrester. has obviously paid from the $2.5‑billion 18 rounds of funding since 2009 and
In a regulatory filing with ACRA, the funds it raised from Soft Bank Vision bought back over 26 lakh shares worth
city‑based e‑commerce behemoth said it Fund, Microsoft, E‑Bay and other investors $1,320 million ($1.32 billion) places its
concluded a second buyback of shares last year. "Walmart has been losing valuation at $17.69 billion," said Durai.
US jobless rate drops below 4%, first time since 2000
Washington: The US' headline unemploy‑ jobs in April, but even so, it was the 91st the rise due to the continuing demand in
ment rate fell to 3.9 per cent in April, the straight month to show increased the labor market. The labor force partici‑
first time it has dropped below 4 per cent employment in the US, the longest labor pation rate, defined as the share of the
since 2000, the government said. market growth streak on record. population 16 years and older either
The current jobless rate in the US indi‑ The drop to 3.9 per cent comes after working or seeking work, dropped mini‑
cates a market with virtually full employ‑ six consecutive months in which the mally from 62.9 per cent to 62.8 per
ment, though the creation of 164,000 employment rate remained stable at 4.1 cent. This report on a robust labor mar‑
new jobs was slightly below analysts' per cent. As for workers' wages, on aver‑ ket raises expectations that the Federal
expectations, Efe reported. age they were up 4 cents an hour last Reserve will increase interest rates, cur‑
Economists had forecast that the US month, the equivalent of 0.1 per cent or rently between 1.5 per cent and 1.75 per
economy would create some 190,000 $26.84, and are expected to remain on cent, at its next policy meeting in June.
healthcare initiative that treats 40,000
patients a day.
Anand holds a Bachelor's Degree in
Economics from the University of
Pennsylvania and a Masters in Business
Administration from Harvard Business
School.
The twin sister of Akash Ambani, Isha is
on the Boards of Reliance Jio and Reliance
Retail.
She holds a Bache lor's Deg ree in
Psychology and South Asian Studies from
Isha with
Yale University and will be completing her Anand
Master in Business Administration pro‑ Piramal.
g ram from the Graduate School of (Photo: IANS)
Business, Stanford, by June.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info SPORTS May 12-18, 2018 23

Coming back to tennis is

IPL 2018: Rahul stars as
Punjab outplay Rajasthan
Pos. Team
1 Hyderabad
2 Chennai
3 Punjab
4 Kolkata
Indore: Opener Lokesh Rahul's
unbeaten 84 helped Kings XI
Punjab beat Rajasthan Royals
by six wickets in an Indian
Premier League (IPL) match
here.
The win takes Punjab to third
spot with 12 points in nine
matches while Rajasthan, who
faced their third consecutive
defeat, are tottering at the bot‑
tom of the table with six points
in nine matches. With this loss,
Rajasthan's chances of qualify‑
ing for the play‑offs are over.
Chasing 152/9, Rahul's 54
ball knock, comprising seven
boundaries and three sixes,
helped Punjab chased down the
Plyd. Won Lost Tied
9 7
10 7 14
9 6
10 5 10
target in 18.4 overs.
Right from the start, opener
Rahul cleared his intentions,
slamming bowlers all around
the park. Chris Gayle (8) and
Mayank Agarwal (2), however,
could support Rahul at the
other end but Karun Nair (31)
contributed handsomely.
Rahul and Nair forged 50‑run
partnership for the third wicket
before Nair was dismissed by
Anureet Singh in the 11th over.
New batsman Axar Patel (4)
also went back cheaply but
Marcus Stoinis (23 not out)
supported Rahul and rotated
the strike. Soon, the duo man‑
aged to overhaul the target
priority: Sania Mirza
New Delhi: After a
career‑pausing break
and motherhood, will
though, it definitely
looks very doable
right now. But one
Sania Mirza bounce has to wait and watch
Kings XI
back to the tennis where life really takes
Punjab
celebrates court for the 2020 you. Most definitely, I
after Tokyo Olympics? It's a would say coming
winning long way off, feels the back to playing is pri‑
against former doubles World ority as soon as the
Rajasthan No.1 who says resum‑ pregnancy is done,"
Royals at ing her game is a pri‑ said the 31‑year‑old,
Holkar ority as soon as the who is due to deliver
Cricket pregnancy is done. her first child in
Stadium in She wants to set an October.
Indore. example that people She is not letting
(Photo:
shouldn't give up weight woes worry
IANS)
dreams just because Tennis player Sania Mirza. her.
they're pregnant. "Weight is so super‑
Net RR Pts. "It was just about time... I was down ficial. For a woman, it's all about
14 with my knee injury anyway and we had embracing the pregnancy. When you're
been thinking about it for a while... We pregnant, what's most important is hav‑
thought it was a good time to start a ing a healthy baby. I really want women
12 family and experience this new phase of to understand that whether you're a
our lives," Sania told IANS over phone celebrity or not, it doesn't matter. You
from Hyderabad. are going to get bigger when you're
w ith more than one over The tennis ace is suf fering from a pregnant and you will lose the weight as
remaining. For Rajasthan, K. condition called jumper's knee, which long as you want to."
Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Ben has kept her off the game for over six Sania, whose baby's surname would
Stokes, Anureet Singh scalped months. She even missed the Australian be Mirza‑Malik ‑‑ an amalgam of the last
one wicket each. Open earlier this year. names of both the parents ‑‑ is confident
Earlier, teenaged Afghanistan Is the knee any better? she won't let motherhood hold her back
off‑spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman "It definitely is. I haven't played since in her career.
continued his impressive per‑ mid‑October, so it has been a solid six Does she see anyone capable of taking
formance as his three wickets months and more. Rest was something over her mantle in the domestic circuit?
helped Kings XI Punjab restrict everyone was recommending... So, I Sania laughed and said: "I mean, I
Rajasthan Royals to 152/9. won't say it's perfect, but it's better," don't know... I am pregnant, so hopeful‑
After a 49‑run third‑wicket said the sportswoman, who finds it diffi‑ ly someone can. I think there are a cou‑
stand between Jos Buttler (51) cult to rest. ple of young girls who are quite good.
and Sanju Samson (28), Mujeeb Will she compete at the 2020 There's Ankita Raina, Karman Kaur
picked his English compatriot Olympics? T handi and Prarthana T hombare...
Ben Stokes (12) and Jofra "The 2020 Olympics is a long way off. These are the girls who are the next
Archer (0) in his second two‑ I've said this many times that as tennis generation. They are 23, 24 years old,
over spe ll to derail the players, we wish we knew what our lives and these are the girls I've seen since
Rajasthan innings. brought us tomorrow. Having said that they were 16 or 17”.

Wearing salwar-suits, Indian mother takes to international WWE

By Jaideep Sarin
Jalandhar (Punjab): WWE fights may be
flashy, hard and violent at times but the
first Indian woman to get into that ring at
the international level has beaten bigger
odds at home to reach there.
Kavita Devi, who is better known in the
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
international circles as "Hard KD", is cur‑
rently training and wrestling in Orlando,
Florida, in the United States as part of her
three‑year contract with the WWE.
Kavita, the first Indian woman to reach
the international level in WWE, is no ordi‑
nary sportswoman.
Even while being a professional WWE
wrestler, Kavita is making sure that she
dresses traditionally, the Indian way. When
she fights in the ring, she is always dressed
in a salwar‑kameez, a popular dress for
Indian women.
"I am proud that I enter the ring wearing
a salwar suit. It is part of our Indian culture.
I am the only one at the international level
(in WWE) to be doing so. Many girls in
India avoid getting into WWE wrestling see‑
ing the clothes that most women in this
The mother of a 6‑year‑old son has beaten odds, including financial hardships,
to live her dream of making it big in the field of wrestling.
sport wear inside the ring. I have broken
that image and more girls in my country
are getting inspired," Kavita told IANS in an
interview, pointing out that wearing the sal‑
war‑suit was no impediment in her per‑
formance in the ring.
Being married in a conventional family in
2009 and mother of a six‑year‑old son,
Kavita has tackled several odds, including
coming from a humble farming back‑
ground, growing up among five siblings
and facing difficult times economically.
Hailing from Malvi village in Haryana's
Jind district, this determined Haryanvi Jat
girl is out to prove her mettle in WWE cir‑
cles. She is full of praise for her mentors ‑‑
"The Great Khali" (Dalip Singh Rana) and
Jinder Mahal, both former WWE champi‑
ons.
"Khali sir got me to the (WWE) ring. He
has a big contribution in shaping my
career. Jinder Mahal is a big star in WWE.
He has earned a big name for India at the
international level," said Kavita, who has
trained in Khali's wrestling academy in
Jalandhar.
Kavita, 34, who had been wrestling for
over 15 years before switching to WWE (in
2016), won a gold medal at the 2016 South
Asian Games for India.
Weighing 75‑kgs and standing 5‑feet 9‑
inches tall, Kavita has been part of the
Continental Wrestling Entertainment (CWE)
and participated in the Mae Young Classic
WWE championship event in Florida in
June 2017 ‑‑ the first Indian woman in this
professional circuit.
Kavita is modest when she says: "I feel
proud that I am able to motivate girls to get
into this field where Indian women have
not ventured at all. It is heartening to see
that girls are getting inspired by me."
 24 May 12-18, 2018
Under 'Shifting Sands of Culture' series, IANS commissioned five noted personalities to address
diverse issues and trace the changing dynamics of India's culture. Here are two of those essays.
India changed in the 1990s and the
cultural milieu changed with it
By Vidyun Singh
Head of Programming,
India Habitat Centre
T
he cit ies of Bombay
(Mumbai), Madras
(Chennai) and Calcutta
(Kolkata) had deep cultural roots
and urbanized commerce and
industry even during the colonial
period, possibly because a diversi‑
fied and robust economy is impor‑
tant for the growth of cultural
activities, beyond the purely tradi‑
tional forms. Delhi has had the cul‑
tural institutions created by the
government ‑‑ but not the eco‑sys‑
tem in which culture thrives. Till
the 1980s Delhi was predominant‑
ly a bureaucratic town.
For Delhi, the big change came
via cable TV, expectedly offering a
w indow into foreign soaps.
Primet ime te lecasts of "Santa
Barbara" and "The Bold and The
Global perception of India has taken a beating
By Shashi Tharoor
Congress MP and author
F
or a decade and a half now
I've been a tireless advo‑
cate of India's soft power,
arguing that in the information
age, it is not the side with the big‑
ger army that wins, but the side
that tells the better story. In the
past India has successfully man‑
aged to be what I've called the
"land of the better story": As a
Beautiful" re‑set the clock for
Delhi's social set. Delhi gorged on
cricket, fashion, cinema, ice‑cream
and potato chips. Stand‑alone clas‑
sical music and dance events and
theater productions that had com‑
prised the Delhi cultural scene
were all grappling with the lack of
af fordable performance spaces,
vanishing sponsorship support and
dwindling audiences. There was a
sense of collective pessimism.
Delhi deserved better.
We sensed the potential. The
problem was hugely constrained
supply of supportive spaces and
facilities. It was against this some‑
what bleak backdrop that we at
Habitat World was privileged to
take the opportunity and create an
ecosystem for culture at the India
Habitat Centre. It has worked very
well. The pent‑up demand for such
cultural facilitation was embraced
with joy and relief by artistes and
performers. Our calendar of events
is a directory of the greats of
India's performing arts.
We were careful to align our pro‑
grams with the demographics of
our members and the broader
potential audience. Some data min‑
ing helped. Nothing intrusive. Just
second‑guessing their aesthetics
and proclivity from their age, edu‑
cation, income and location.
For those missing the good old
society with a free press and a
thriving mass media, with a peo‑
ple whose creative energies are
daily encouraged to express them‑
selves in a variety of appealing
ways, India has an extraordinary
ability to tell stories that are more
persuasive and attractive than
those of its rivals.
This is not about propaganda;
indeed, it will not work if it is
directed from above, least of all by
the government. But conversely,
government actions can under‑
mine the story. Indeed, troubling
internal disruptions have begun to
tarnish this global perception of
India.
If one were to pick up an inter‑
national daily of repute, such as
The New York Times or the
Washington Post in the US or Le
Monde or Frankfurter Allgemeine
Zeitung in Europe, to look for sto‑
ries on India, one would be
CULTURE
Capitalizing on the constrained supply of supportive spaces
and facilities, India Habitat Center was opened in 1993
in New Delhi and created an ecosystem for culture.
days, we replayed the familiar
favorites and they blessed us. For
those who had never thought of an
evening of performing arts as a
leisure option, plays with a recog‑
nizable "star cast" that straddled
cinema and theater was the lure
for a first foray. Film screenings
and book launches, with an oppor‑
tunity for a Q&A and an autograph
(this was before the selfies age)
with star directors, authors and
actors (including the Big B him‑
self ) were teasers to enlarge the
habit of enjoy ing a cultural
evening. Out‑of‑the‑box workshops
for children and adults, cinema, art
and music appreciation courses
provided a predictable and steady
stream of events to plan for.
Our outreach was primarily
assailed by the reportage on inci‑
dents of communal violence, cow
vigilantism, minorities feeling
besieged and the alienating
effects of the present ruling
party's disposition towards a nar‑
row‑minded Hindutva ideology.
Even less traditional news outlets
and programs such as Vice and
John Oliver's popular Last Week
Tonight show have picked up on
this disturbing trend in India. The
recent murder of Gauri Lankesh
raises India high on the list of
countries where journalists are
perceived to be in danger.
In this super‑connected world,
people across the globe are now
more aware than ever of incidents
of beef violence, the rise of gau
rakshaks, the assassinations of
rationalists and the episodes of
mob lynchings that have taken
place in India in the last couple of
years. Instead of strongly con‑
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
through our monthly calendar that
was mailed to our 7,000 members;
posters in other performance
spaces and clubs and via insertion
of the event listings in the city
magazines and papers. For ticket‑
ed plays, the extra push that would
make all the dif ference would be
the coveted Page 3 interview or
pre‑show write‑ups. At the time,
paid‑for news insertions were not
the norm as they are today. If
resources permitted, an advertise‑
ment in the newspaper was the
exceptional add‑on.
Our broad range of programs
enabled us to tweak the composi‑
tion towards progressive accept‑
ance of the more avant‑garde and
contemporary. New choreogra‑
phies, fusion music, stand‑up com‑
demning these incidents and
bringing the elements that have
perpetrated them to heel, our
dominant political dispensation
has instead decided that their
energies are best spent making
unbecoming statements about
everything from disowning the
Taj Mahal as a symbol of Indian
culture to the "cleansing" of
Western cultural influences from
India's ethos. The horrors of
Kathua and Unnao, and the unfor‑
givable political defense of the
perpetrators by the ruling party,
have plunged India's image world‑
wide into the depths.
For the "better story" is not
merely the story that can be told;
it is the story that is heard and
seen (and repeated), whether or
not you are trying to tell it. That is
what the Indian government and
ruling circles seem to be in danger
of overlooking.
edy, play scripts collectively creat‑
ed through workshops and indie
cinema soon became part of our
mainstream offerings. All this led
up to "festivals" catering to specific
art forms ‑‑ festivals of music,
dance, theatre, film, food, colle‑
giate theatre, documentaries and
shorts, comedy, environment,
women directors... the possibilities
seem endless.
So, what changed? Just as India
changed in 1990 and opened its
doors and windows to the world, in
the noughties, digital technology
upended both performance spaces
and forms. Internet, Facebook,
YouTube, W hatsapp, Tw itter,
Instagram and blogspots, connec‑
tivity, access, mobility... a mind‑
bogg ling network that spun a
whole new culture of excellence.
Today, the audience can come pre‑
pared to watch a classic play after
watching the international greats
do the same play on YouTube.
Audience expectat ions have
increased and the cultural scene is
responding. Importantly, the digi‑
tal economy has created an entire‑
ly new audience of socially con‑
cerned persons looking for "time
out" outside a beer bar and with
the means to pay for culture.
Demand has created its own sup‑
ply of new‑age customers and
Continued on page 25
For millennia, India offered a
haven for the persecuted, a refuge
to Jews after the destruction of
their Temple by Babylonians and
Romans, a new home for Parsis,
Tibetans, Sri Lankan Tamils,
Nepalese fleeing their civil war,
and most famously 10 million
Bengalis escaping the Pakistani
Army's crackdown in 1971, the
largest recorded refugee crisis in
the history of humanity.
In all this India's humanitarian
record has been exemplary and
has been admired around the
world. Yet our present govern‑
ment announced a unilateral deci‑
sion to deport all members of the
Rohingya refugee community in
India back to Myanmar, where a
state‑sponsored genocide is cur‑
rently taking place in the Rakhine
state against this ethnic group.
This move,
Continued on page 25
TheSouthAsianTimes.info IMMIGRATION May 12-18, 2018 25

Want to study at a fine US institution?

Get the F1 student visa!
By Michael Phulwani, Esq. to find employment on‑campus need additional time to complete additional 17 months of OPT
& Dev B. Viswanath, Esq. depending on what they will be their program, they will need to may be granted.
required to do. After the first request a program extension. A Any dependents of F‑1 nonim‑

T TALK
he F‑1 visa is a temporary
nonimmigrant visa that is
available to individuals
who wish to come to the United
States to attend an academic pro‑
g ram or Eng lish Language
Program at a U.S. college or uni‑
versity. In order to qualify for an
F‑1 visa an individual must meet
the following requirements:
4 Must be enrolled in an aca‑
demic educational program or a
language training program;
4 The program or course of
study must result in a degree,
diploma, or certificate;
4 The school which the indi‑
vidual plans to attend must be
approved by the Student and
Exchange Visitors Prog ram
(SEVP);
4 T he individual must be
enrolled full time at the college
or university;
4 Must be proficient in
English or be enrolled in courses
to learn English;
4 The individual must have
enoug h financial support to
finance themselves while in the
U.S.; and
4 Must maintain a foreign res‑
idence which the individual does
not intend on giving up.
Only schools certified by the
Student and Exchange Visitor
Program (SEVP) can enroll non‑
immigrant students. Once the
school determines that the indi‑
vidualʼs application is complete
and they are academically eligi‑
ble, the school will issue an I‑20
form for SEVIS to allow the indi‑
vidual to obtain the student visa.
Students on an F‑1 visa are gen‑
erally not allowed to work of f
campus during their first aca‑
demic year, but may be allowed
year, the student may work of f‑
campus but only in the following
three categories
4 Curricular Pract ical
Training (CPT)
4 Optional Practical Training
(OPT)
4 Science, Technolog y,
Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM) Opt ional Pract ical
Training Extension (OPT)
Any employment that an F‑1
student finds of f‑campus must
be related to their area of study
and must be authorized by the
Designated School Official (DSO)
and USCIS be fore they start
working. The Designated School
Of ficial is the person who is
authorized to maintain the
Student and Exchange Visitor
Information System. The student
must also attend all classes and
maintain passing grades and
complete the program by the
date listed on their I‑20. If they
student is also allowed to remain migrants, spouse and children
in the U.S. up to sixty days under the age of 21, may be eli‑
beyond the length of time it gible for F‑2 nonimmigrant sta‑
takes to complete their academic tus.
program (called a grace period) However, a dependent spouse
or apply to work under the OPT is not allowed to work or study,
Program in order to stay for a but dependent children are
longer period of time. OPT is usu‑ allowed to study. The F‑2 status
ally given for 12 months under is granted for no longer than the
the F1 visa, unless the degree is a period of time granted to the
STEM degree, in which case an principal F‑1 nonimmigrant.
Dev Banad Viswanath is the Principal
Attorney of The Banad Law Offices PC in the
United States, and Banad Immigration in
India for which Attorney Michael Phulwani is
also affiliated as Of Counsel. With Offices in
Manhattan, Queens, Bangalore, and Mumbai,
the firm is able to assist clients with all facets
of the immigration process, including
Employment Visas, Consular Visa Assistance,
Student Visas, Removal & Deportation, US
Citizenship and Green Card Applications
based on Family or Employment. Dev B.
Viswanath can be reached at
Dev@Banadlaw.com and 718‑361‑5999.

India changed in the 1990s and
the cultural milieu changed with it
Continued from page 24
practitioners. Digital technology empowered a new gener‑
ation of creativity by reducing the cost of producing good
art and accessing audiences. Work can be uploaded and
sent out into cyberspace and, on occasion, can garner
recognition overnight. New audiences and new stars were
born without putting a foot onstage. The arts were now
online. Artistes, events and festivals can be discovered,
researched, followed, booked and publicized online.
The other big lifestyle change that the age of connectiv‑
ity has ushered in is the travel trend. Over the last two
decades, Indians have begun to travel like never before.
The one annual holiday that was planned and looked for‑
ward to all year has turned into a series of shorter forays
to new destinations, and long weekend getaways are par
for the course. The more unique and experiential the
package, the more its allure. Travel is a driver for wider
cultural engagement of a personal kind. It encourages
choice and competition and often deep commitments to
what was earlier an exotic culture. On the supply side, it
has generated a more aware, experimental and apprecia‑
tive audience, which we at Habitat World are delighted to
cater to.
Today it is psychographics and not demographics that
provide a better insight into what the audience wants and
how it can be persuaded to see multiple truths of the
same reality. Cultural curators have recognized the poten‑
tial of this aspiration and created a brand of experiential
culture travel opportunities. If you have a mind to be a
serial culture vulture, you could pack in a festival a month
and still not cover a half of them.
There is new talent and enormous energy surging
through the arts. An energy that is supported by the gov‑
ernment, individual and corporate well‑wishers. The good
news is that we have merely scratched the surface,
Consider: Arts and culture is one space which is the most
resistant to the invasion of robotics ‑‑ a major threat to
job creation in the near term. India has a glorious tradi‑
tion of art and culture; we should leverage it to create
good jobs, great art and happy audiences.
Global perception
of India has
taken a beating
Continued from page 24
which seems prompted by the fact
that the Rohingyas are Muslims (and
therefore are being accused without
evidence of supporting terrorism), has
invited strong condemnation across
the board and has damaged the popu‑
lar perception of India abroad as a
democracy and a land of asylum.
As a result of all these develop‑
ments, a global impression has gained
ground that India is now governed by
obscurantist and intolerant forces
determined to put minorities, rational‑
ists and liberals in their place. This
has far‑reaching implications for India
and threatens to derail the country's
soft power projection. It is a far cry
from the time of the 2004 elections. I
remember, when I was travelling
through the Gulf as a diplomat with
the UN, senior officials I was meeting
expressed their astonishment and
unabashed admiration about the elec‑
tion results, where a party led by an
Italian woman of Roman Catholic
faith had made way for a Sikh to be
sworn in by a Muslim President as the
Prime Minister ‑‑ of a country where
80 per cent of the population were
Hindus. To go from that celebration of
diversity to a time when our
President, Vice President and Prime
Minister are all followers of a sectari‑
an Hindu chauvinist movement is a
fall indeed in the eyes of the world.
I have repeatedly argued that we
cannot simultaneously sell ourselves
to the world as a land of pluralism,
tolerance and Gandhism, while pro‑
moting intolerance, communal hatred
and minority insecurity within the
country. The present government
would do well to learn that it cannot
promote 'Make in India' abroad while
condoning the propagation of 'Hate in
India' at home.
However, that said, as a cautious
optimist, I still believe that India can
reverse this recent trend. It continues
to have a thriving free press, a strong
watch guard in its civil society and an
independent judiciary (which has
passed verdicts that have struck down
triple talaq, upheld an Indian citizen's
fundamental right to privacy and con‑
victed a popular religious leader for
rape, despite an overwhelming show
of force and violence from his sup‑
porters). I believe it is these principled
elements of India's society, along with
our civilizational ethos, that are and
will continue to be an immeasurable
asset for our country.
This is also soft power and we don't
have to thank the government for it.
When people argue that cultural
diplomacy is important, they tend to
focus on what governments can do to
showcase culture and promote Indian
society. I believe the message that
really matters and the one that gets
through is that of who we are, not
what we want to show.
As an opposition Member of
Parliament, that is my message to the
Indian government too. Don't change
our invaluable traditions. Don't try to
remake India in a way that will actual‑
ly damage its soft power. We as a
society have celebrated our own
diversity, our own democracy and our
own pluralism and the world has
admired us for these very things.
Today we have unfortunately given
free rein to those who have promoted
bigotry and intolerance that should
have no place in the narrative of
Indian society.
We must be conscious of the quali‑
ties that are so attractive about our
culture and that give us our soft
power in the world and we must
ensure those qualities are not under‑
mined by recklessly irresponsible,
often semi‑educated individuals who
have been given a free hand by some
of those in power who should know
better.
I believe that the principal ingredi‑
ents for India's soft power success
continue to remain. But in order to
realize that potential, India needs to
address its own internal challenges
first. It is essential that India does not
allow the specter of religious intoler‑
ance and political opportunism to
undermine the soft power that is its
greatest asset in the world of the 21st
century.
Our democracy, our thriving free
media, our contentious civil society
forums, our energetic human rights
groups, and the repeated spectacle of
our remarkable general elections ‑‑ all
of these together make India a rare
example of the successful manage‑
ment of diversity in our globalized
world. It adds to India's soft power
when its NGOs actively defend human
rights, promote environmentalism
and fight injustice. It is a vital asset
that the Indian press is free, lively,
irreverent, disdainful of sacred cows.
Maintain that, and true leadership in
our globalizing world ‑‑ the kind that
has to do with principles, values and
standards ‑‑ will follow.
26 May 12-18, 2018 HERITAGE TheSouthAsianTimes.info

The Magic of Vedic Mathematics Part 13

Rediscovered half a century ago by the Puri Shankaracharya Bharati Krishna Tirtha, Vedic Mathematics is a lightning fast mental math
system. We continue to serialize from ‘The Curious Hats of Magical Maths’ book that makes learning the system easy.

Answers

Extracted from ʻThe Curious Hats of Magical Maths ‑ Vedic Mathematics for Schools Book
1ʼ by James Glover, with permission from Motilal Banarsidass (MLBD). Founded in 1903,
they specialize in Indology books. For more information, Mr R.P. Jain, email:
mlbd@mlbd.com. US distributor: southasiabooks@gmail.com

To be continued in the following issues of The South Asian Times.

TheSouthAsianTimes.info SELF HELP May 12-18, 2018 27

Diet vs. exercise: Which works better for weight loss?

W
hatʼs more important: diet or exer‑
cise? Anyone whoʼs tried to lose
weight and maintain a healthy
The answer from
lifestyle has likely asked this question.
Sixty‑eight percent of people want to lose
10 pounds or more, according to a recent
experts is: 80
Harris Poll on behalf of Nutrisystem. Itʼs
always a good time to get started on your
goals. So, should you focus on diet, exercise
percent focus on
or both? When it comes to weight loss, the
split should be roughly 80 percent focus on
what you eat and
what you eat and 20 percent on exercise. The
logic is simple, say experts.
“Itʼs all about calories in and calories out. If
only 20 percent
youʼre eating less and exercising, youʼre going
to burn more calories,” says Courtney on exercise.
McCormick, corporate dietitian at
Nutrisystem. “However, exercise often makes smaller meals every three hours keeps you high in filling fiber and loaded with nutrients. months than those who didnʼt sip before sit‑
us hungrier, which is why many people who feeling full, controls blood sugar and helps For breakfast, add spinach to an omelet; at ting down to eat. So, fill up that water bottle!
only change their exercise habits donʼt see boost metabolism. lunch, pile your sandwich high with fixings • Get moving: The Centers for Disease
the scale move.” • Watch portions: American portions have like tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, or use Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends
To achieve a healthier lifestyle and shed become too big; and those used to dining out lettuce as a wrap instead of bread. During 150 minutes of aerobic activity weekly, but
weight, consider these quick tips that com‑ may consider restaurant portions to be cor‑ snack time, munch on carrots dipped in hum‑ research suggests that it doesnʼt matter if you
bine both diet and exercise. rect when theyʼre often four times as large as mus or blend kale into a fruit smoothie. exercise for two‑and‑a‑half hours straight or
• Eat more often: A 2015 study from the whatʼs recommended. Learning portion con‑ • Drink more water: A study found that break it up into 10‑minute chunks. Aim for 30
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and trol is key to losing weight. When eating out, when people drank six cups (48 ounces) of minutes of exercise per day then build up to
Dietetics found that on average, people who ask for a to‑go box and save half for later. You cold water, they increased their resting calo‑ 60 minutes when youʼre ready.
ate six times or more daily consumed fewer can also turn to plans, like Nutrisystem, which rie burn by up to 50 calories each day. Remember the key to meeting your weight
calories, had a lower body mass index, and deliver portion‑controlled meals to your Another study found that dieters who drank loss and health goals is to make sustainable
ate more nutrient‑rich foods than those who home. two eight‑ounce glasses of water before lifestyle changes. Focus on eating better and
didnʼt eat at least six times a day. Eating • Veg out: Vegetables are low in calories, meals lost 36 percent more weight over three moving more and youʼll be on the right track.

A doctorʼs tips to stay Higher salaries and more jobs

healthy while traveling
may be coming for US workers
T
ravel can sometimes feel by nearly 50 percent. “Pycnogenol, a

more daunting than relaxing,
between flight delays and
bumper‑to‑bumper traf fic. Whatʼs
more, it has potential health impacts,
including leg swelling and increased
risk for cold and flu.
“Air travel, long drives, less sleep
and added stress can weaken your
immune system at a time when
youʼre around more people and sus‑
ceptible to illness,” says nationally
renowned natural health physician
and best‑selling author, Dr. Fred
Pescatore.
Dr. Pescatore is sharing a few tips
to help boost health while traveling.
Feed your immune system
Being around so many people in
tight spaces means you may be more
at risk of catching a bug. “Take pre‑
cautions before boarding your flight
‑‑ wash your hands frequently, bring
hand sanitizer with you and snack
on antioxidant‑packed vegetables
like broccoli, carrots and sweet pota‑
toes to keep your immune system
strong,” says Dr. Pescatore.
Fend off fatigue
The American Sleep Association
estimates that nearly 93 percent of
travelers experience jet lag and it
can be severe enough to interfere
with vacation plans. “Sleep distur‑
bances make you feel tired, nau‑
seous and irritable ‑‑ not a good com‑
bination with a packed travel itiner‑
ary,” says Dr. Pescatore.
A peer‑reviewed study shows that
daily supplementation with the
super‑antioxidant, Pycnogenol (Pic‑
noj‑en‑all), reduces jet lag symptoms
S
natural botanical extract from the
mall and mid‑size busi‑ news for the American work‑
bark of the French maritime pine
ness owners are feeling force: 49 percent of business
tree, is a travelerʼs best friend. You
more optimistic than leaders anticipate increasing
can spend less time feeling fatigued
they have for a long time, sug‑ their employee compensation
and more quality time enjoying your
gests a new survey, and experts in the next six months and 32
destination,” says Dr. Pescatore.
say this could mean positive percent expect to add full‑time
Boost circulation
things for the overall economy ‑‑ staf f. However, four out of 10
Long periods of immobility in a
including for workersʼ salaries respondents say itʼs harder to
cramped space like a car or plane
and job‑seekersʼ prospects. hire qualified employees today
contribute to swelling and fluid accu‑
According to the PNC compared to six months ago,
mulation throughout the legs.
Economic Outlook, optimism is with the biggest challenge
Known as edema, it can be uncom‑
running at historic highs in all being lack of experience or
fortable and may feel worse after
categories that the semiannual skill.
travel. Dr. Pescatore recommends
survey of small and medium‑size “Small businesses are a key
taking shorts breaks to move around
business owners evaluates. This source of economic activity and
on road trips and to stand up and
is reflected by the 85 percent of employment, and ownersʼ per‑
stretch during long flights to keep
respondents who selected a pos‑ ceptions can be a good indica‑
blood circulating and reduce
itive emotion to describe how tor of whatʼs to come,” says Gus
swelling. “Pycnogenol is also shown
they feel about the business cli‑ Faucher, chief economist of The
to promote circulation and studies
mate during the next six months, (from the time of the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. “Our overall findings
show its benefits for reducing
survey): hope (39 percent), enthusiasm (37 percent) and confirm that U.S. economic expansion will likely contin‑
swelling and discomfort during long‑
distance travel. Again, itʼs a good
joy (9 percent). The survey also points to some good ue throughout 2018.” (StatePoint)
supplement for travel,” he says.
Pycnogenol is one of the most
researched ingredients on the mar‑
ket with decades of studies showing
its benefits for a variety of health
applications. Itʼs available in more
than 700 dietary supplements, multi‑
vitamins and health products world‑
wide. For more information, visit
pycnogenol.com.
“Drink plenty of water, use a sup‑
plement for a beneficial boost and
remember to enjoy yourself. Yes,
even the travel to and from your des‑
tination can be fun,” says Dr.
Pescatore. On your next vacation,
ensure better health by taking sim‑
ple steps.
28 May 12-18, 2018 HUMOR
Funny Side by Nury Vittachi
Why is modern life so
incredibly annoying?
A
man raised by
wolves in a forest
says he misses his
old life. Living as a wolf cub
in a Spanish wilderness was
much less stressful than
modern life, Marcos
Rodríguez Pantoja told the
BBC recently.
Journalists expressed sur‑
prise at his declaration, but I
BEST totally get his point.
Last week, my book ran
RATE out of batteries!
I know Socrates is looking
FOR down at me from heaven
and laughing, waving his
INDIA "always on" scroll.
Meanwhile, at home, my
AND
child is outraged. Why? "My
snacks are so crunchy I can't
PAKISTAN
hear the TV," she complains, furious.
This is literally the worst thing that has
ever happened to this child. I mean, how is
she going to cope with real life, during
which massively tragic things happen, like
New York Head Quarter
they forget to put mayo in your sandwich, a
422‑S Broadway devastating incident that totally spoiled this
HICKSVILLE columnist's day yesterday?
I told her that in my day, the only TV was
NY 11801
a window facing a brick wall and the only
516‑827‑1010 snacks our fingers. She said brick walls were Roomba vacuum cleaner from its Korean
probably better than what was on TV these
days and she's probably right.
Back at work, I was moaning about my
dead e‑book when a colleague told me about
another tech problem. The trend spreading
Laughter is the Best Medicine
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 year in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
(Image courtesy: uk.toluna.com)
across Asia is to have a Roomba machine, a
wheeled disk that quietly vacuums your
floors in the middle of the night.
Unfortunately no one told these machines
that a) Koreans and Japanese people often
sleep on thin mattresses on the floor; and b)
sucking up hair on the floor is not a good
thing to do if it is still attached to a human's
head. On one recent occasion, firefighters
had to be called to remove a ravenous
owner's head.
East Asian owners are junking their clean‑
ing robots for superior technology:
Broomsticks.
Police officers in the Indian state of
Odisha recently demonstrated how they use
pigeons to get messages across a vast por‑
tion of the state in just 20 minutes. During
floods and power cuts the police pigeon
service is the only functioning communica‑
tions system.
So, basically, if their conversations are
anything like mine, you send a bird across
the state with your message, such as "LOL"
and 40 minutes later, you get the bird back
with a message saying "LMAO" (Laughing
My Ass Off).
Oh well, at least no one can complain
about information overload.
A colleague showed me an angry text that
had been sent by a young person from an
aircraft recently. "There's so much leg room
in business class that I can barely reach the
touch screen TV," she complained. What suf‑
fering!
The odd thing is her inability to realize
how the rest of us, sitting in economy class
seats with our noses mere millimetres away
from the seat in front, will take her message.
Where's her brain?
Uh‑oh. I would canvass readers, contribu‑
tors and colleagues for more examples to fill
this column with, but the main functional
section of my own brain ‑‑ which is housed
in a smartphone in my right hand ‑‑ is about
to run out of batteries. So I have to stop
here.
Socrates! Stop laughing!
TheSouthAsianTimes.info ASTROLOGY May 12-18, 2018 29

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

By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899
psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com

MAY 12‑18, 2018

ARIES: Someoneʼs firmness will ulti‑
mately benefit you, so donʼt have appre‑
hensions about his or her intentions.
Stars on the romantic front look strong, so
those looking for love should double their
efforts! Financially, you will be able to work
towards enhancing your earnings. Adhering
to an active life and controlled diet will be
enough to find you hale and hearty. You will
manage to deal with a man management
issue tactfully. You will have your say in a
property matter.
TAURUS: Desire to break free and
indulge in some pleasurable activities
may not get fulfilled and frustrate you.
At work, you may find the ʻinʼ tray perpetual‑
ly full. Ignoring a seniorʼs advice may get you
in all sorts of trouble on the academic front. A
family elder may not be as supportive as you
had believed. Those in love may find it diffi‑
cult to spare time for a meeting. Suitable
lodging that fits the pocket may not be readi‑
ly available.
GEMINI: Obliging someone who is use‑
ful to you is important, so donʼt let up
on this. Someone is likely to take a
great deal of interest in what you have to
offer on the business front. Those performing
well are likely to get full credit for their work.
Accolades and congrats may pour in for
something you have achieved. You are likely
to get socially active and renew many rela‑
tionships that have cooled over the years.
CANCER: You will find someone who
was shying away from you more
open and friendly. Find out why.
There is a good chance of meeting someone
important who will he lp you with your
career. Networking is likely to bring you
nearer to your professional goal. You are like‑
ly to go out of your way to help out a friend
or relation and win a lot of praise. Those
undertaking a long journey will make it in
good time.
LEO: Being overconfident may be your
undoing at work, so curb this tenden‑
cy, if you want to avoid embarrass‑
ment. Health of those unwell is likely to dete‑
riorate and may require extra care. An oppor‑
tunity may be wasted just because you could‑
nʼt get your at together on the professional
front. Chances of being made a scapegoat for
something you havenʼt done look bright. Love
life may not be a bed of roses. Spouse may
remain cross with you over an issue.
VIRGO: You cannot af ford to gloss
over the essentials at this juncture, so
get down to it right away. Attempts to
come into the good books of an important
person on the professional or academic front
will partially succeed. Financial situation is
likely to improve for some. A family outing
will prove to be fun. Something that you
desire on the social front will be yours. Your
romantic endeavours are likely to bring posi‑
tive results. Health remains satisfactory.
LIBRA: You may wish for a change,
but nothing seems to indicate that in
your current situation. Some of you
are likely to enjoy your stay with a friend. A
family elder will be most understanding and
support you in everything you do. A social
gathering promises to make you the star of
the evening! Young couples and those young
at heart w ill be able to share int imate
moments with their partners. Monetary prob‑
lems are set to vanish.
SCORPIO : This is your special week,
so expect the very best this weekend!
Attending a function or a celebration
is on the cards and will prove most enjoyable.
This is a good time to make important con‑
tacts by meeting people on the social front.
Participating in something important is indi‑
cated and it will help you make your mark on
the professional front. Positive steps to con‑
serve money may get encouraging results.
Love is in the air, so have a ball!
SAGITTARIUS: This is an exciting time
when you will be socially much in
demand. Sweet taste of success is like‑
ly to linger for long on the professional or
academic front. Your excellent performance
is likely to bring you to the notice of those
who matter. You will be cool and calculating
where money is concerned, as you earn as
much as possible. Good dietary control and
an active life will ensure that you retain good
health.
CAPRICORN: You will need to put in
some more ef forts to improve your
performance.
There is really no point in projecting yourself
more than what you really are on the profes‑
sional or academic front, because it will not
get you any brownie points. The need of the
hour is to get serious in whatever you are
involved in and try to do your best. A family
elder may try to curb your expenses. Health
remains satisfactory.
AQUARIUS: This is the time to return
the favors to someone who had been
kind to you in the past. You are likely
to tighten your belt for an impending job that
may af fect your career. Donʼt ignore some‑
oneʼs advice, as it is for your own good.
Chances of strengthening the bonds with
those you are causally acquainted with can‑
not be ruled out.
PISCES: Calling the shots at home is
indicated, as you manage to take cer‑
tain things in your hands. Your popu‑
larity is set to rise on the social front. Things
go your way on the professional front.
Excellent showing on the academic front will
put you on the forefront. Spouse will be sup‑
portive and will be with you in thick and thin.
Financially, you will be much better poised
than before.
You remain fit and energetic. Love life is most
fulfilling.

12th May, 2018
Traits in you: As you are influenced by
planet Jupiter, you are dignified, reli‑
gious, mentally strong, enthusiastic, lov‑
able, respectable, determined, devoted,
and courteous. You are self dependent
and have a great leadership quality. You
are able to take quick decisions.
However, you need to take care of you
nature of being arrogant and stubborn.
Health this year: Your health will
remain good throughout the year.
However, you need to go for regular fit‑
ness programs or practice yoga and
meditation for better results. Do not
avoid your regular medication. Look out
the health of your family members as
they may fall ill frequently.
Finance this year: Sudden gain in
money may surprise you. Your pending
legal issues will get resolved this year
and provide you with ample of money.
You may go for new investments this
year as this year seems to be profitable
for you. Do not trust strangers in busi‑
ness. Do not lend any money this year
as you face a straight loss.
Career this year: You will be over
ambitious as far as your career goals are
concerned. Take time to plan your
career. Do not be in a hurry for a job
change. You will improve your skills and
expertise. You will find your work pretty
interesting and it will give you the job
satisfaction you wanted.
Romance this year: Your romantic life
would be at its peak this year around.
Try to sort things out if you have any
problem with your spouse or partner.
Do not initiate an argument with your
beloved as it may result in weakening
your relationship.
13th May, 2018
Traits in you: As you are ruled by
planet Uranus, you are highly energetic,
generous, focused, friendly, humble,
honest, hard working and optimistic.
You are endowed with the ability to deal
with various kinds of people. You should
control your mood swings and stub‑
bornness to be a better individual.
Health this year: You may suffer from
stress related sickness throughout the
year. Do not work overtime and take
unnecessary stress. You should see a
doctor regularly to get relieved from
ANNUAL PREDICTIONS: FOR THOSE BORN IN THIS WEEK
your health issues. Try meditation to
avoid your problems. You should also
take care of the health of you parents.
Finance this year: Financial gains will
be plenty for you this year as your past
investments would pay of f. You may
start few new business ventures. You
may expand your business in foreign as
well. Do not trust new people as they
may prove untrustworthy. Do not lend a
big amount of money.
Career this year: Being a hardworking
professional, you may create wonders
for your organization. You need to learn
more and look for better options. You
may not get your expected promotion or
salary hike in spite of your hard work
and efficiency.
Romance this year: You may get mar‑
ried to your long time partner this year.
If you are already married, this year will
bring you the joy of being in a marital
relationship. Do not create any unpleas‑
ant situation at home as it may weaken
your relationship with your spouse.
14th May, 2018
Traits in you: The influence of your
ruling planet Mercury makes you
dynamic, unique, smart, confident,
workaholic, knowledgeable, and highly
independent. You being very social
loved by your friends and you are capa‑
ble of making friends very soon. You
should not become introvert and work
on your frequent mood swings.
Health this year: You need to stop
your bad habits such as smoking and
consuming alcohol to remain healthy.
You should take expert advice from a
doctor to avoid health related issues.
You should take your medicines at time
to avoid further complicacy in your
health. Take care of the health of your
spouse and parents as well.
Finance this year: Your new business
alliances and partnerships will help you
earn financial stability this year. You
will receive all the pending payments
and money you gave away as loans in
the past. You should go for investing in
real estates and share market.
Career this year: You will find your
profession hectic enough as you have to
do overtime due to the project require‑
ments. Your confidence and determina‑
tion will be at peak so you will perform
better than ever this year. You may not
like the behavior of your seniors. You
need to deal diplomatically with the
unpleasant situations arising at your
workspace.
Romance this year: Your spouse will
be supportive enough throughout the
year in crucial times. You can rely on
your partner for any kind of support
may be financial or emotional. You
should get married this year as this is
the best time for you.
15th May, 2018
Traits in you: As you are influenced by
your ruling planet Venus, you are very
energetic, joyful, optimistic, practical,
realistic, punctual, determined and kind‑
hearted. Your helpful nature toward all
help you earn friends and popularity
wherever you go. Your friends are quite
fond of your company.
Health this year: You will remain fit
and fine throughout this year. However,
the health issues of your family mem‑
bers may put you in immense pressure.
You need to secure the health of your
family member by investing some
money every year.
Finance this year: You will be in ample
financial gains this year. Your new busi‑
ness ventures will be successful this
year. You should go for new partner‑
ships and businesses as your star favors
your luck this year. You may go for
investments in any sector. Do not spend
unnecessarily in luxury and comfort.
Career this year: Your communica‑
tions skills will be proved instrumental
in the overall improvement of your pro‑
fessional career. You will be able to
make enough contacts and you will get
regular projects and assignments. You
may get promotions and salary hike
towards the end of the year.
Romance this year: If you are yet to be
in a romantic relationship, this is the
ideal time to go for one. You will enjoy a
pleasurable relationship with your
spouse or partner.
16th May, 2018
Traits in you: As your governing plan‑
et is Neptune, you are simple, dignified,
unique, charismatic, reliable, trustwor‑
thy and confident. You have a great
leadership skill and you are very cre‑
ative. You should not be pessimistic and
show your stubbornness.
Health this year: As far as your health
is considered you may go through minor
health issues this year. However, regular
medical checkups and proper medica‑
tion will solve this problem. You may go
for Yoga and meditation classes to
remain healthy.
Finance this year: Your financial con‑
ditions will be very stagnant this year.
As you will not earn much or spend
much, you will lead a peaceful life in
money matters. You may invest for
future. Do not lend or borrow money
from your friends or colleagues.
Career this year: With an enhanced
confidence and brushed up skills, you
will become very successful profession‑
ally. You will do justice to the role
assigned to you. You may get promotion
or a hike in your current salary. If you
are in creativity field, this year will
bring you much more success and
recognition.
Romance this year: Your marital life
would be a peaceful one this year. Your
partner will be supportive enough in
every tough situation. You should get
married this year if you have not mar‑
ried yet.
17th May, 2018
Traits in you: Your ruling planet the
Saturn makes you highly dynamic, hard‑
working, courageous, trustworthy, reli‑
able, courteous and friendly. You are
very much inclined to music and litera‑
ture. You should work on your impa‑
tience. You need to enhance your con‑
structive ideas as well.
Health this year: You will enjoy a pret‑
ty good health this year. You need to
take care of the health of your family
members. You need to take extra care of
your health if you are having some
chronic diseases. You may go for domes‑
tic healthcare instead of allopathic med‑
icines as it will give better results for
your ailments and save your money as
well.
Finance this year: You may try your
entrepreneurship skills this year and
you will be successful unexpectedly. You
will be able to get many projects, which
you help you establish as a good busi‑
nessperson. You should go for invest‑
ments in real estate and stock market.
Career this year: Your professional
ability and skills will take you to new
heights. You will be admired by your
peers and seniors for your high produc‑
tivity. You should help others at office
as it will be considered as a positive
pointer during your appraisal.
Romance this year: Your relationship
with your partner or beloved will be
strengthened as day passes. You may
decide to get married this year if you are
in a long term relationship.
18th May, 2018
Traits in you: Being governed by the
planet Mars, you are adventurous, sensi‑
tive, courageous, emotional, hard work‑
ing, charismatic and punctual. You are
full of enthusiasm and ambitions. You
should try and avoid your shyness and
stubbornness.
Health this year: Your health may
remain disturbed throughout the year
because of some minor ailments. If you
do not take proper care of your health
you may end up spending a lot of
money for your treatment. You should
take preventive actions to avoid health
issues.
Finance this year: As far as finance is
concerned, you will be earning a lot of
money. You will be assigned to new
projects and those will be highly yield‑
ing for you. You will gain enough profits
from your past investments. Your
improved financial status may bring you
lot of happiness and joy later this year.
Career this year: If you are a working
professional, you may face various pro‑
fession related problems this year. You
need to handle all the issues diplomati‑
cally else you may lose your job. You
may create wonder in the creativity field
if you are a writer, singer or actor.
Romance this year: This is a quite
good year for women when romance is
concerned. You will enjoy a very strong
relationship with your spouse. You may
decide to get married towards the end of
the year.
30 May 12-18, 2018 SPIRITUAL AWARENESS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

True happiness awaits us within

we experience the astounding joy
There is only one source of within. Those
who learn to meditate can
happiness, that is lasting, that cannot
switch their attention to the
be destroyed by wind, fire, water or source of happiness even in the
midst of sorrow. True, they still
earth. It cannot be taken away from us undergo the outer pains and sor‑
either in this life or at the time of death. rows of life, but they do not affect
them. The ecstasy we experience
The only permanent source of happiness within fill us with happiness and
we are able to overcome prob‑
By Sant Rajinder Singh is God. Some mystics of the East refer to lems. As we meditate and come in
Ji Maharaj God as Sat- Chit-Anand. These words contact with the source of love
within, we begin to spread it to

F
rom the moment of birth,
every human being wants
happiness and does not
want suffering. From the very
core of our being, we simply
desire contentment.
We look for happiness in meet‑
ing our emotional needs for love
and companionship through our
relationships, with family, friends
translate respectively as truth,
consciousness and bliss.
mystics of the East refer to God as
Sat‑ Chit‑Anand. These words
translate respectively as truth,
consciousness and bliss.
Saints and mystics have been
able to realize God within them‑
selves and have shared their
from God and returns to Him.
When our soul comes in contact
with this stream, it can travel back
on it back to the source.
By meditation, the soul begins
(Image : find‑happiness.com)
its voyage to the ultimate source
of happiness. We are all con‑
scious, all bliss and in a perpetual
state of happiness. Our worldly
desires become more trifles when
others. We will be always in tune
with the happiness within and will
radiate it to all who come in con‑
tact with us. This leads to expan‑
sion of self and one becomes a
true citizen of the world with cos‑
mopolitan outlook on life..
(For more visit www.sos.org)

How to improve spiritually

and loved ones.
We try to find happiness in
worldly possessions and relation‑
ships. If we analyse, we find that
they do not bring the happiness
knowledge with humanity. They
tell us that God is an ocean of
light, all love and consciousness.
The soul is drop of His essence.
Each of us is actually a drop of By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj stage in which we have zero shortcomings; we would
have improved.

they have promised. We may
derive happiness from them for
some time, but the loss of any of
our possessions or relations
brings untold pain and suffering.
If our house is destroyed by fire,
we feel as if we have lost every‑
thing.
If we are millionaires and sud‑
denly become bankrupt, we
become dejected. And if one of
our loved one passes away, we are
drowned in grief. The happiness
we had during the time we had
our money, belongings and near
and dear ones turns into deep
misery from their loss. At some
point in the life, we discover that
happiness in the outer world is a
transitory illusion. As long as we
seek happiness in the world, we
will be disappointed, for all matter
is subject to decay and destruc‑
tion. Everything in this world
must perish. Ultimately, we too
must face our physical end and
must leave behind all that we
cherished. This is the way of the
world. Looking at the realities of
life, we begin to wonder if there is
any hope for finding real happi‑
ness in the world.
How to find lasting happiness?
Throughout the ages, the great
teachers, sages, saints and
philosophers of the world have
been telling us that true happi‑
ness does exist. But it does not lie
in anything in this world. It can
only be found within. There is
only one source of happiness, that
is lasting, that cannot be
destroyed by wind, fire, water or
earth. It cannot be taken away
from us either in this life or at the
time of death. The only permanent
source of happiness is God. Some
W
this blissful awareness. It is only
henever we apply for a job and write our By reading the writings of the saints and watching
when we identify with our real
resume, we try to highlight all the good their lives we can see what a virtuous life looks like.
self that we become moving drops
things about ourselves and our experi‑ Then, we measure ourselves each day against that
of bliss on earth.
ence. Many hide all the difficulties they had in their goal. We count our shortcomings and apply their
The way to tap into this pool is
career and focus on their great achievements. When teachings to conquer each area. The writings of the
simple. It is only a matter of our
employers read through such resumes they often saints are rich in positive advice on how to overcome
attention. We can direct our atten‑
feel each person is the greatest person who ever failures in the qualities we need. Each day as we hon‑
tion wherever we wish. We can
lived, because we try to put ourselves in the best pos‑ estly count our failures, we then apply their advice
place it on our body. We can focus
sible light to land the job. for making the following day more successful. We
it on our mind. Or we can concen‑
When people go to a bank for a business loan, they avoid the pitfalls.
trate our attention on our soul.
write up all their greatest financial achievements and If we were allergic to a particular food and we kept
Instruction in how to place our
best references. They want to appear that they are a taking that food, we know we would have a reaction.
attention on our soul is domain of
safe client and not a cred‑ Would it be wise for a
spiritual teachers. This process of
it risk. They write down person who gets so ill to
concentration or focusing our
all their business and continue to eat the sub‑
attention is popularly known as
financial successes in stance they are allergic
Meditation. Meditation is focusing
hopes that the loan offi‑ to? No. They should be
one's attention at the seat of the
cer will grant them a loan. super careful each day to
soul located between and behind
When we apply for col‑ avoid such foods.
the two eyebrows. If we can stop
lege or business school, Similarly, if our actions
putting our attention on our outer
we collect all our best ref‑ each day result in failings
eyes and ears for a while and con‑
erences from former in a particular category of
centrate at the seat of soul, we
teachers so that a college virtue that is keeping us
will tap into the source of happi‑
will find us appealing as a from spiritual growth,
ness and bliss awaiting us within.
candidate. would we not want to
Spending two hour concentrat‑
That is typical in world‑ avoid that behavior so we
ing on the eye focus each day will
ly affairs. can overcome that prob‑
help our attention withdraw from
Whereas in worldly lem? Analyzing our short‑
the body. Generally, the sensory
work we always want to comings helps us identify
currents give us sensation in the
appear our best, when it the allergens in our spiri‑
body. It is the sensory currents
comes to spiritual work, we cannot hide who we are tual life so we can avoid and overcome them.
which make us aware of the hear‑
from the Divine within us. Our progress is an open Let us work on introspecting our weaknesses with
ing, smell, taste and touch. It is
book. The grace we receive in our spiritual progress honesty. We are not applying for a job with the
through the senses that we can
is based on our sincere efforts. We cannot hide the Divine and writing spiritual resumes that show us in
see beautiful sights, hearing pleas‑
truth of our spiritual gains and failures from the a good light. We cannot hide our failings from the
ing sounds, smelling sweet fra‑
Divine. One who sees all. We need to make an honest effort
grances eating delicious foods
One way for us to improve spiritually is to take an to overcome our failures. The beauty of the Divine is
and having pleasurable sensation
honest look at our weaknesses. By doing so, we can the law of compassion and grace. When we are seen
through the sense of touch. If we
weed them out and see the areas that need improve‑ making an honest effort to weed out our failings, to
withdraw our sensory currents
ment. If we looked at only our successes, we would honestly assess these shortcomings ourselves, even
from the outside world and collect
get complacent and think we had reached the pinna‑ if we have difficulty, our sincerity is noticed. The
them at the eye focus, a vista of
cle of glory. Then, we would never change. Divine will respond with compassion and grace. By
Divine Light and Celestial Sound
Our shortcomings show us which areas we have to our effort and grace of the Divine, we will achieve
opens for us. We witness the light
do better in each day. Then, by making an effort, we spiritual improvement faster, reaching our goal of
and Sound which emanated from
find that each day we have less failures than the pre‑ union with the Creator. We will see rapid spiritual
God at the dawn of creation Like a
vious day. Over time, we would ultimately reach a progress in our lives.
current, this stream flows out
TheSouthAsianTimes.info May 12-18, 2018

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TheSouthAsianTimes.info May12-18, 2018