The South Asian Times
e x c e l l e n c e
Vol.11 No. 46 March 23-29, 2019 80 Cents
Modi govt again with 283 seats: Survey
Modi remains the tallest leader and BJP's single biggest
vote catcher. (Photo courtesy Reuters.)
Boeing probe grows as US
reviews 737 Max's approval
Washington: The U.S. Department
of Transportation has asked for a
wide‑ranging review of how the
government and Boeing Co. certi‑
fied the 737 Max ‑‑ the jet thatʼs
been involved in two fatal acci‑
dents since October.
HOLI 15-17 INDIAN ELECTION 11
i n j o u r n a l i s m
New York Edition
Unemployment a
major concern, but not
helping Opposition
New Delhi: According to the latest
survey from Times Now‑VMR, the
National Democratic Alliance
(NDA) is predicted to grab 283
out of 543 Lok Sabha seats, giv‑
ing it a simple majority, not a
brute one. Congress‑led UPA will
get only 135 seats and Others ‑
125.
This is an improvement over the
last Times Now‑VMR poll which
gave NDA 21 seats short of the
half‑way mark had the elections
been held in January.
However, since then, a number
of events have taken place. Two of
the most notable developments
are ‑ Interim Budget, which was
said to have been exceptionally
populist and the Balakot counter‑
terror operation of February 26
in response to the Pulwama car‑
Transportation Secretary Elaine junction with the Department of
Chao requested Tuesday an audit Justiceʼs Criminal Division. Chao
in a memo to the departmentʼs asked Scovel to compile “an
Inspector General Calvin Scovel. Continued on page 4
The new audit is separate from the
criminal probe that the Inspector
General is also conducting in con‑
The U.S. Wishing our Readers
Department of
and Supporters
Transportation
has asked for a
wide‑ranging
review of how the
FAA and Boeing
Co. certified the
737 Max, with two
of these crashing.
HEALTH 25 SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 30
Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info
RSS backs pivot
Narendra Modi
to return to power
nage. The total number of people
who participated in the poll MAHA KUMBH
released on March 18 poll is
16,931.
The opinion poll pegs unem‑
ployment as the biggest concern
for over 40% of the voters sur‑
veyed. This may seem like a set‑
back for the incumbent Narendra
Modi government but there may
be a silver lining for the BJP sup‑
porters. Just as many people‑‑
about 40% of those surveyed‑‑feel
that the job opportunities have
actually improved.
Loan waivers and sops for farm‑
ers followed unemployment as OF DEMOCRACY
the most defining issue.
Construction of the Ram temple Extensive coverage
at the disputed site in Ayodhya
and cow protection were the
of the Indian Election
Continued on page 4 in every issue.
India's 1st Lokpal
is Justice Ghose
New Delhi: Retired Supreme Court
judge Pinaki Chandra Ghose is the
country's first Lokpal, or the anti‑
corruption ombudsman. His
appointment has been cleared by
President Ram Nath Kovind.
Justice Ghose was appointed as
the judge of the Calcutta High
Court in 1997 and elevated to the
Supreme Court in 2013. As Chief
Justice of Andhra Pradesh High
Court he had convicted Sasikala,
the live‑in companion of former
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J
Jayalalithaa, in a corruption case.
Former Chief Justices ‑‑ Dilip B Retired Supreme Court judge
Bhosale, Pradip Kumar Mohanty, Pinaki Chandra Ghose will be
Abhilasha Kumari ‑‑ besides sitting the countryʼs anti‑corruption
Continued on page 4 ombudsman.
excellence in journalism
TheSouthAsianTimes.info March 23-29, 2019

Dust from old, peeling paint

can contain lead, which can
cause learning and behavior
problems in children.
„ $VN\RXUODQGORUGWRƓ[
peeling paint. If your
ODQGORUGGRHVQōWƓ[LW
call 311.
„ :DVKŴRRUVZLQGRZVLOOV
and children’s hands and
toys often.
„ Ask your doctor to test
your child for lead.

WARNING: MAY CONTAIN LEAD

Call 311 or visit nyc.gov/leadfree
for more information.
Bill de Blasio
Mayor
Oxiris Barbot, MD
Commissioner
TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY March 23-29, 2019 3

DNC chief Seema Nanda sees Democratic Party as the solution

By Surekha Vijh
Exclusive Interview The South Asian Times
Washington: Seema Nanda, the first Asian
as well as first Indian American to become
the Demo crat ic Nat ional Committee
(DNC)'s Chief Executive Of ficer, felt that
her party had the positive solutions for
the country and their fight was to “take
back our country for working families.”
“Solutions forged by the strength of our
diversity, the rigor of our ideas, and the
decency of our values,” added Nanda, a
former senior Obama administration offi‑
cial who left her post as executive vice
president at ʻThe Leadership Conference
on Civil and Human Rightsʼ to take over as
DNC chief last July.
Her office is marked by a high desk. “I
With Democratic National like to stand and work,” she smiled.
DNC job because to set “our country back
on track is to elect Democrats in every
corner of the country.” Nanda was born in
Chicago, raised in Connecticut and attend‑
ed Brown University and Boston College
Law School. She is a member of the
Massachusetts Bar Association and prac‑
ticed labor and employment law and has
also served on the boards of several non‑
profits.
She believes that the Democratic Party
was built on forging positive solutions
that included everyone and empowered
people from diverse backgrounds to
speak up and make their voices heard.
And she considered support ing the
Democratic Party was synonymous with
building a future for “our children that we
can be proud of.”
Nanda said she believed in comprehen‑
back together and stopping these inhu‑
mane, nonsense policies.”
She wants all immigrants, including
Indian Americans, to get involved in the
political process.
Nanda said a major challenge in her
journey has been male dominance in poli‑
tics in the US and women facing discrimi‑
nation and systemic barriers. She finds it
heartening to see so many women in
Congress from her party.
On #MeToo she said: “It is a great
movement for women, for women in the
low income group to feel safe in a work
environment.”
Nanda who lives in Arlington, VA, with
her husband and two sons, 14 and 12, felt
that her promise to her boys was to do all
she could to create “an America that is
bright, fair, and that works for everyone,

Committee’s CEO Punjabi by heritage, Nanda, 47, an unas‑

suming woman, said she took over the
sive immigration reform. “But our most
immediate step is getting those families
where opportunity for all means some‑
thing."

Sabrina Singh, Cory Booker Mayor’s $10B plan to

campaign's press secretary
Washington DC: The campaign
of fice of New Jersey Sen. Cory
Booker has announced a number
of staffers for his 2020 presiden‑
t ial bid, w ith Sabrina Sing h
among those named. Singh is the
former Demo crat ic Nat ional
Committee deputy communica‑
t ions director. T he Indian
American was named by Booker
as the campaignʼs national press
secretary. Prior to her DNC role,
Singh was a regional communica‑
extend lower Manhattan
to protect against storms
tions director on Hillary Clinton's
2016 presidential campaign. New York: A new
Sabrina Singh, whose grandfa‑ climate resiliency
ther, JJ Singh, was instrumental in plan announced by
formulating a historic legislation Mayor Bill de
in 1946 that enacted a quota of Blasio last
100 Indians to immigrate to the T hursday would
U.S. every year, is now a key play‑ e x p a n d
er in the of fensive communica‑ Manhattanʼs south‑
tion strategy of the Democratic ern shoreline up to
party against the alleged divisive 500 feet into the
policies of the Trump administra‑ Sabrina Singh had worked for East River and
tion. Hillary Clinton in 2016. build new flooding
prevention meas‑

NRIs urged to register for voting ures to protect the

shore line from
destruction like that unleashed by plan is an update to other propos‑

in Indian elections hurricane Sandy in 2012. “Global

New York: Yes, all Indian citizens
living in America can now vote in
state and national elections in
India:
1. Under Section 20A of the
Representation of People Act,
1950 and rules made there under
every citizen of India:
(a) whose name is not included in
the electoral roll;
(b) who has not acquired the citi‑
zenship of any other country; and
(c) who is absenting from his
place of ordinary residence in
India owing to his employment,
education or otherwise outside
India, is entitled to have his/her
name registered in the electoral
roll as “Overseas electors” in the
constituency in oneʼs place of resi‑
dence in India as mentioned in
oneʼs passport.
2. The application (Form 6A) for
this purpose can be filed in the
prescribed form in person before
the concerned Electoral
Registration Of ficer or sent by
post or can be filed online on the
website of Chief Electoral Of ficer
of the concerned state or website
of Election Commission of India
(www.eci.gov.in). After getting
warming is an extraordinary threat
to all of our country, all of our
als including some which are in
construction at the South Street
Seaport, parts of the Financial
enrolled in the electoral roll, such
earth, but when it comes to New District and the Two Bridges neigh‑
person though will not be issued
York City one of the great coastal borhood. The mayorʼs plan to build
Elector Photo Identity Card but can
cities in the world we are particu‑ into the river would cost $10
cast oneʼs vote in India during
larly threatened and nowhere is Billion and he admits heʼs not sure
Assembly or Parliamentary elec‑
that threat greater than for the how heʼs going to pay for it. And
tion at the respective polling sta‑
hundreds of thousands of people here at home experts warn a plan
tion after showing his/her valid
who live and work in Lower like this would require private
original Indian passport.
Manhattan,” de Blasio said. development dollars which could
3. The Consulate General of India
That part of the city was plum‑ drown the mayorʼs proposal in the
in New York requests all the NRIs
meted into darkness shortly after notoriously long land use process.
(holding Indian passports) in the
the storm made landfall. For days The mayorʼs plan could take up to
consular jurisdiction of CGI, New
the area was closed off to traffic, 12 years to complete. He said that
York to get their names registered
the Battery Tunnel completely shut timeline could be sped up if the
on the electoral rolls as NRI voters
down and major subway lines were federal government funds the
to enable them to become the part
taken out of service. De Blasioʼs proposal.
of the election process.
 4 March 23-29, 2019 TURN PAGE TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Modi govt again with Court. Justice Ghose's name was finalized

Mohinder Singh Gilzian takes 283 seats: Survey

over as President of IOC ‑ USA
Queens Village, NY: Mohinder Singh Gilzian
took charge as the new President of Indian
Overseas Congress, USA at a function on
March 17 at Jericho Palace here. At the col‑
orful ceremony attended by IOC of ficials
and Congress loyalists from the tristate area,
the gavel was passed by the outgoing
President Shudh Prakash Singh.
About 200 people came to felicitate
Gilzian on taking charge. Dr. Surinder
Malhotra, the first President of INOC, lauded
his appointment and urged for unity in mov‑
ing forward. He stressed the importance of
promoting the strategic partnership
between India and the U.S. George Abraham,
vice‑chairman, described Gilzian as a dedi‑
cated Congressman who earned the right to
be President through hard work and sheer
determination. Shudh Prakash Singh
pledged his cooperation to the new
President. Harbachan Singh, Secretary‑
General, toasted Gilzian's appointment by
Continued from page 1
other pressing issues. What is worse for
Modiʼs rivals, some of the other issues
raised by the challengers like the alleged
corruption in the procurement of Rafale
fighter jets from French company Dassault
has very little resonance among voters. Less
than 3% of the voters surveyed cared for it.
Congress party, led by Rahul Gandhi, has
tried to capitalize on the recent controver‑
sies around unemployment data. Evidently,
it has failed to make a reasonable dent on
the government's image.
Meanwhile, the Sangh Parivar is with
Mohinder Singh Gilzian was felicitated
Modi all the way. In the face of an increas‑
by Dr. Surinder Malhotra, George
ingly hostile Rahul Gandhi, the RSS contin‑
Abraham, and Shudh Prakash Singh.
ues to bank on PM Modi as the pivot to stay
Sam Pitroda, Chairman of the Overseas
in power for the next five years. With Modi
Congress. Gilzian explained his vision for the
remaining BJP's single biggest vote catcher,
organization and said, “We will be enrolling
it is an unequivocal thumbs‑up for him from
new members especially those with leader‑
the Sangh.
ship quality to strengthen and expand our
As such the Sangh remains steadfast in its
reach to the Diaspora. The upcoming elec‑
commitment to providing the BJP manpow‑
tions in India are very critical, and we are
er for micro electioneering, a parallel setup
planning to send teams of volunteers so that
to manage all the constituencies across the
we can make a difference.”
country.
From 'Prantcharaks' to 'Zilla Karwas', they
and recommended by the Selection
Committee led by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi last week. Passed in 2013, the Lokpal
Act involves the setting up of a Lokpal at
the Centre and Lokayuktas in states to look
into cases of corruption against certain cat‑
egories of public servants.
Anna Hazareʼs relentless campaign nine
years ago for a Lokpal Bill has been real‑
ized now.
Boeing probe grows as US
reviews 737 Max's approval
Continued from page 1
objective and detailed factual history of the
activities that resulted in the certification of
the Boeing 737‑MAX 8 aircraft,” according
to the memo. Boeing in January 2012
sought an amended “type‑certification” for
the jet and the FAA (Federal Aviation
Administration) issued it in March 2017.
Chaoʼs move opens a new front in the U.S.
governmentʼs inquiries into the October
crash of an Indonesian 737 Max and anoth‑
er crash of the same model in Ethiopia last
week. The 737 Max family of jets was
grounded by the FAA after evidence sur‑
faced linking the two crashes.

IALI celebration of Holi are coordinating with local units of the “We will fully cooperate in the
Bharatiya Janata Party for door‑to‑door Department of Transportationʼs audit,”
campaigning. Bringing the voter to the poll Boeing spokesman Charles Bickers said in

draws big crowd booth is the simple strategy as the BJP

Hicksville: India Association
of Long Island (IALI) cele‑
brated Holi on March 17th at
the Cotillion in Jericho, NY
with some 300 people in
attendance. Guests were wel‑
comed with Holi Tikka and
served hot Jalebis. Lunch and
cultural program followed by
IALI President Lalit Aeryʼs
speech, which started with a
moment of silence against
terrorism and the attack on
Indiaʼs jawans on Feb. 14 in Kashmir. Aery Commissioner, was there to greet IALI.
lauded the fact that attendance at their Vijay Banjaraʼs Dhol & Bollian had people
monthly programs has increased.
York State Senator Ana Kaplan sent cita‑ played Holi outside the party hall with dry
tions for IALI and its officials. Zahid Syed, colors and had lot of fun like that back
Nassau county Human
'karyakartas' and the RSS foot soldiers work
in tandem.
an email.
The audit wonʼt affect the timing of an
update to flight‑control software that
Boeing is preparing for the 737 Max, the
FAA said in an email.
India's 1st Lokpal is Justice Ghose
The request comes after U.S. federal
Continued from page 1
authorities had already been exploring a
Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court
criminal investigation of how the 737 Max
Ajay Kumar Tripathi have been appointed
was certified to fly passengers before the
as judicial members in the anti‑corruption
latest crash in Ethiopia, according to people
ombudsman, the communique issued by
familiar with the probe.
Rashtrapati Bhavan said.
That investigation was prompted by infor‑
Former first woman chief of Sashastra
mation obtained after a Lion Air 737 Max 8
Seema Bal (SSB) Archana Ramasundaram,
crashed shortly after takeoff from Jakarta
ex‑Maharashtra chief secretary Dinesh
IALI President Lalit Aery and others at the event. on Oct. 29, said one person, who wasnʼt
Kumar Jain, former IRS officer Mahender
authorized to speak about the investigation
Singh and Gujarat cadre ex‑IAS officer
and asked not to be named.
Indrajeet Prasad Gautam have been
The investigation has taken on new
appointed as non‑judicial members of the
New dancing. As weather was nice, some guests urgency after the March 10 crash of an
body.
Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max 8 near Addis
The selection was made weeks after the
Ababa that killed 157 people.
February‑end deadline set by the Supreme
Rig hts home in India.

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TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Supervisor Saladino inaugurates
Food Universe store in Hicksville
Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino and Nassau County legislator
Rose Walker join other guests at the inauguration of the store opened by
Amandeep Singh ʻTonyʼ (cutting the ribbon).
By SATimes Team
Hicksville, NY: Amandeep Singh
ʻTonyʼ, who has been in retail busi‑
ness for 20 years, has opened a Food
Universe store in Hicksville. The
opening ceremony on March 15 was
graced by Town of Oyster Bay
Supervisor Joseph Saladino and
Nassau County legislator from
Hicksville, Rose Marie Walker as
well as Food Universe officials and
key community people as well as
Indian media.
Food Universe is a banner of Key
Food chain of stores headquartered
in Staten Island, NY. Tony Singh
already has been running a Food
Natya Darpan 2019 stages 6
plays in 4 languages
Edison, NJ: Indian Heritage and
Cultural Association (IHCA) of New
Jersey that is synonymous with
Natya Darpan wrapped up yet anoth‑
er year with resounding success.
Known for its short multi‑lingual the‑
ater festival, IHCA showcased six
plays this time: three Marathi, two
Hindi, and one English‑Bengali, with
award‑winning actors.
Held at the Middlesex County
College, Natya Darpan 2019 created
a lot of curiosity among the main‑
stream audiences and was a sold‑out
event. The Governor of New Jersey
wrote to congratulate IHCA.
Those present at the opening cere‑
mony of the festival were Padmashri
Dr. Mohan Agashe, psychiatrist and
actor, Dr. Farley Richmond, of the
Dept. of Theatre and Film Studies at
the University of Georgia, Consul
General of India Sandeep
Chakraborty, Deputy Consul General
Hon. Shatrughna Sinha, Edison
Council President Ajay Patil, Edison
Councilman Joe Coyle, Mayor of
West Windsor Hemant Marathe,
Mayor of Woodbridge John
McCormac, and Isha Vyas, Head of
the Division of Arts and History
Programs & Services at Middlesex
County Of fice of Culture and
Heritage. They applauded the efforts
Universe store in New Hyde Park
and a Key Food in Union Turnpike,
Glen Oaks as a franchisee. When
asked by The South Asian Times the
secret of his success, Singh who
immigrated from India 20 years ago
replied in just two words: “Hard
Work.” Indeed, he said he visits all
three of his stores – that employ
about 125 workers‑‑at least once
daily. He is married to Kuljeet Kaur
and they have a daughter. The Food
Universe grocery store in Hicksville
has a very welcoming interior with
good floor plan. It is mainstream
American store but does have spe‑
cialized aisle for Indian and Mexican
food items. Seafood and Halal is also
The Guests of Honor at the opening of the successful theater festival
included CG Sandeep Chakravorty and Dr. Mohan Agashe.
of IHCA in promoting local talent
and bringing all communities togeth‑
er through performing arts with the
focus being on social issues such as
womenʼs empowerment, human traf‑
ficking, immigration, LGBTQA+
advancement, mental illness and
more. IHCA/Natya Darpan has been
supported by several local organiza‑
tions and renowned personalities
from Film, TV and Theater. It was
founded by Dr. Ashok Chaudhary in
2013. Its advisory board comprises
those who have made a mark in their
professions, namely Prof Farley
Richmond, Director Ashok Vanjari,
Dr. Meena Nerurkar, actor‑director
Ashok Kamerkar, media personality
TRISTATE
Food Universe is one
of the banners of Key
Food, headquartered
in Staten Island,
NY, that has over
200 stores.
available. Given the rising demand
for frozen foods, Tony says one
entire wall has been devoted to
frozen items, raw and cooked. It is
open 24 hours of the day. There are
sales every week and senior discount
available on Wednesdays. Key Food
stores are known for quality fresh
foods from top brands. Key Food top
of ficials John Durante ‑ Vice
President Business Development
and CFO Sharon Konzelman were
present at the opening of Tonyʼs
store. They told The South Asian
Times that Key Food under its vari‑
ous banners has over 200 grocery
stores in the tristate area as well as
in nearby states.
& entrepreneur Nutan Kalamdani &
actor‑director Dr. Dipan Ray. For its
work, IHCA has received support
from the Middlesex County Board of
Chosen Freeholders and the
Consulate General of India in New
York. Dr. Chaudhary hopes to get
more support from organizations
and individuals, as the awareness
and popularity of this festival grow
over time. IHCA is a volunteer‑based
nonprofit cultural organization (501
C‑3) dedicated to promoting local tal‑
ent and preserving the rich heritage
of India in the tristate area by show‑
casing performing arts like classical
music, dance, and theater. Website:
http://www.ihca‑nj.com/index.php
March 23-29, 2019
Kevin Thomas
introduces bill to
declare Hindu, Sikh,
Muslim school holidays
New York: Kevin Thomas, the
first Indian‑American Senator in
the Empire State, is sponsoring a
bill that establishes school holi‑
days for people of Hindu, Muslim
and Sikh faiths among others.
T he bill ident ifies Diwali,
Vaisakhi, Onam, Eid al Fitr, Eid al‑
Adha, and Good Friday, and calls
for amending the current list of
cultural/religious school holidays
for the whole state rather than
the current restricted areas
where Diwali is recognized.
However, it is not all‑encom‑
passing and allows school dis‑
tricts with a population equal to
or greater than seven and a half
percent of those cultural/reli‑
gious groups to declare these
CRY raises $260,000 at 3
galas for childrenʼs rights
New York: Child Rights & You (CRY)
America, a 501c3 non‑profit that
works towards ensuring underprivi‑
leged children their basic rights,
hosted their annual gala dinners
across Houston, Long Island & New
Jersey in March 2019 to bring peo‑
ple together for the cause of chil‑
dren's rights.
The CRY Gala Dinner was organ‑
ized in Houston on March 3rd at the
Marriott Town Square, on March 7th
at the Hilton Melville, Long Island
and on March 8th at the Crystal
Plaza in Livingston, NJ. Speakers
included New Jersey Attorney
General Gurbir Grewal, Houston
Consul General Anupam Ray & spe‑
cial guest Tanishaa Mukerji who
joined Shefali Sunderlal, president of
CRY America, to amplify the voices
of underprivileged children. The
three galas were attended by 800
guests and raised over $260,000
which will be directed towards
(from left) Lipika Sharma, General Manager Global Operations CRY,
Nilima Jain, Grand Sponsor, actress Tanishaa Mukerji, Beena Kothari and
Shefali Sunderlal, President of CRY America, at the Gala in Long Island.
5
days as holidays.
Currently, NYC schools recog‑
nize the Chinese Lunar New Year
(Feb. 5, 2019), and Eid al‑Fitr
(June 4, 2019), but the demand
for Diwali was not accepted
despite a push by the Indian‑
American community last year,
according to Suhag Shukla, exec‑
utive director of Hindu American
Foundation.
“Itʼs about time our diverse
population gets the opportunity
to celebrate its holidays,” Sen.
T homas told the media after
intro ducing on Fen 26 bill
S4038 which “Relates to estab‑
lishing certain cultural and reli‑
gious observances as school holi‑
days.”
grassroots projects working on criti‑
cal childrenʼs issues.
Apart from raising awareness for
the cause, guests enjoyed the
evening with dinner, cocktails, auc‑
tions and Bollywood entertainment.
Performances by Rhythm India in
Houston, Kanushree Jain in Long
Island and the Satrangi School of
Dance in New Jersey added spark to
the events.
Auction items donated by Indian
artists, fashion and jewelry design‑
ers and cricket bats signed by
Saurav Ganguly & Virendra Sehwag
sold out quickly.
Shefali Sunderlal said, “CRY
America believes that “YOU” can
empower childrenʼs dreams and be
ambassadors of change for chil‑
drenʼs rights. CRY America has
transformed the lives of over
716,386 children across 3,755 vil‑
lages and slums." Website:
http://www.america.cry.org.
6 March 23-29, 2019
US to begin accepting
new H1‑B visa petitions
T A
he US Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS) would start accept‑
ing new H1‑B visa petitions for the
fiscal year 2020 starting April 1, the
media reported. The employment start
date for these visas would be October 1.
Like previous years, the regular visa cap
limit for H‑1B this year remains at 65,000.
Additionally, another 20,000 petitioners,
who possess a Master's, or a higher degree
from a US university, will also get the
visas. But, according to many lawyers, this
year may be extraordinary, mostly
because of the continued scrutiny as well
as some subtle rule changes announced
ASC condemns the mass
murder in New Zealand
T
he American Sikh Council (ASC)
expressed shock over the killing in
New Zealand mosques. “T he
American Sikh Council (ASC) stands in soli‑
darity with all the Muslims across the
world in prayer and condemns this
heinous crime in every possible way,” it
said in a press statement. American Sikh
Council (ASC) Vice‑President S.Jasbir Kaur
stated, “Our heartfelt condolences and
prayers go out to the families of the vic‑
tims of this unspeakable and unprecedent‑
ed violence by this terrorist.” “T he
American Sikh Council (ASC) stands firmly
against all kinds of terrorism and especial‑
ly homegrown terrorists who must be
denounced in the strongest possible terms
and brought to justice,” the statement
Two J.P. Stevens students qualify for
USA Biology Olympiad semifinals
Y
ashas Ravi and Keya Patel are mov‑
ing on to the next round of the
USA Biology Olympiad. The J.P.
Stevens students were in the top 10% of
the first round of exams in the open round
of the Olympiad. The semifinals will be
administered from March 18 through
March 22. It is a three part, 120‑minute
exam that includes an essay portion along
TRISTATE
IN BRIEF
earlier this year. In January, the USCIS
introduced a change in the order in which
allocations would be counted.
The agency will now put all the petitions
including the ones with an advanced
degree in the regular cap. In the second
round, it will select the remaining peti‑
tions. T he new order is expected to
increase the chances of petitioners with a
US Master's degree. According to the
USCIS, the new change would result in an
estimated 16 per cent rise, or an increase
of 5,340 workers, in the selected H1‑B
petitioners with an advanced US degree.
(IANS)
Dr. Uzma Syed
honored
At the South Asian woman's
empowerment event organized
by Bindu Kohli Entertainment on
March 14 at Leonard's of Great
Neck, NY, Dr. Uzma Syed was
honored by the Bollywood star
Sushmita Sen. Indian origin Dr.
Syed is a partner at South Shore
Infectious Diseases and Travel
Medicine Consultants in West
Islip, N.Y. and Syosset, N.Y
read. The American Sikh Council (ASC)
urged all the Gurdwaras and other Sikh
institutions to hold candlelight vigils,
organize and/or join hands in any local
rally being held against hate and bigotry,
and continue to educate non‑Sikh neigh‑
bors about the Sikh message of universal
brotherhood/sisterhood to spread peace
and inclusiveness as directed by its faith
founders.
The American Sikh Council also urged
all Sikh Americans to be vigilant and make
sure that there are security measures in
place for the respective Gurdwaras and
the sangats. “These are vexing times and it
is up to us to be proactive and be prepared
to keep our children and everyone safe,” it
said in the press statement.
with standardized test questions. Students
with the top 20 scores on the semifinal
exam will be eligible for the finals. The
twenty finalists will be invited to a residen‑
tial training program where they learn
advanced biological concepts and exacting
lab skills at the USABO National Finals,
according to USABO.
(Source: tapinto.net)
Freida Pinto urges people to
act on climate change
head of the premiere of "Wild
Edens: South Asia" documentary in
India, actress Freida Pinto urged
people to "focus on the planet before the
e f fects of g lobal warming become
absolutely irreversible." The documentary
highlights the issue of climate change with
an emphasis on the unique and delicate
habitats of India and Bangladesh and the
region's rarest and most spectacular
wildlife, read a statement.
So being an ambassador of the "Wild
Edens: South Asia" project, Freida said:
"We all share a common vision that
humankind has to be inspired to focus on
the planet before the ef fects of global
warming become absolutely irreversible.
Actor among 3 more arrested
in Florida man's murder case
T
hree more persons, including Telugu
film comedian Surya Prasad, were
arrested on Thursday in Hyderabad,
India in the murder case of Florida‑based
NRI businessman Chigurupati Jayaram,
police said. Besides Prasad, the police also
took Kishore and Anji Reddy into custody.
Deputy Commissioner of Police A.R.
Srinivas told reporters that they have
almost completed the investigations into
the case. He said the invest ig at ions
revealed that Jayaram's niece Shikha
Chowdary had no role in the murder.
According to police, main accused Rakesh
Reddy had hatched a conspiracy to extort
money from Jayaram. Surya Prasad and
Kishore brought Jayaram to his house in
posh Jubilee Hills and it was here that the
Couple held guilty
of human trafficking
A
n Indian‑American couple from
California Satish Kartan and
Sharmistha Barai has been found
guilty to the charges of forced labor of for‑
eign nationals from India and Nepal.
Residents of Stockton in California, Satish
Kartan (45) and his wife Sharmistha Barai
(45) took advantage of overseas workers,
forcing them to work without pay, physically
abusing them and threatening them of nega‑
tive repercussions if they tried to leave,
Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband
said. The Indian‑American couple faces a
maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in
prison and a $ 250,000 fine. The sentencing
is scheduled for June 6.
According to court documents and evi‑
dence presented at trial, between February
2014 and October 2016, Kartan and Barai
hired workers from overseas to perform
domestic labor in their home in Stockton.
In advertisements seeking workers on the
internet and India‑based newspapers, the
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Freida Pinto is an ambassador
of 'Wild Edens: South Asia'
(Image courtesy: wild‑edens.com)
businessman was murdered. Anji Reddy
reached Rakesh Reddy's house after the
murder but did not inform the police.
On allegations that Rakesh Reddy spoke
to a couple of police officers after the mur‑
der, the DCP said they were conducting
investigations.
He said while Rakesh Reddy had relations
with politicians but there was no evidence
of any political involvement in the crime.
The body of Jayaram, 55, who was direc‑
tor of Coastal Bank, was found on the back
seat of his car of f the national highway
near Nandiagama close to Vijayawada on
January 31. Jayaram, also a Managing
Director of Express TV, a now‑defunct
Telugu channel, had come to Hyderabad
from the US a few days earlier.
defendants made false claims regarding the
wages and the duties of employment. Then,
once the workers arrived at the defendants'
Stockton residence, Kartan and Barai forced
them to work 18 hours a day with limited
rest and nourishment.
Few of them were paid any wage, court
documents said. They kept their domestic
workers from leaving and induced them to
keep working for them by threatening them,
by creating an atmosphere of fear, control
and disempowerment, and at times, by phys‑
ically hitting or burning them. When a vic‑
tim pushed back or said she wanted to leave,
it got worse. Victims flew from India and
Nepal to testify. According to evidence pre‑
sented at trial, the couple struck one worker
on multiple occasions. Barai threatened to
kill her and throw her bones in the garbage,
backhanded her across the face for talking
back and slammed her hands down on a gas
stove, causing her to suffer first‑ and second‑
degree burns on her hands from the flames.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL March 23-29, 2019 7

US Senate confirms Indian American jurist as judge

New York: The US Senate has confirmed
the appointment of a controversial Indian
American jurist, Neomi Rao, to an impor‑
tant judgeship that was vacated by an
appointee to the Supreme Court.
Her confirmation on Wednesday came
after days of opposition from both liberals
and the hard right over her writings as an
undergraduate and her perceived luke‑
warm stand on legal abortion.
The Senate voted 53 to 46, to approve
her appointment to the District of Columbia
Court of Appeals by President Donald
Trump to replace Brett Kavanaugh, who
was elevated to the Supreme Court. Federal
judicial appointments need Senate
approval.
Situated in the nation's capital, that court
is considered the most influential after the
Supreme Court as many important federal
cases are heard by it and four of the cur‑
Neomi Rao
rent nine Supreme Court Judges had previ‑
ously served on it.
Another Indian‑American, Sri Srinivasan,
who was on then President Barack Obama's
shortlist for the Supreme Court, is also on
the D C court of appeals. With Rao's
appointment, there would be Indian
American candidates that either party
could consider for future vacancies to the
Supreme Court.
In an op‑ed she wrote for the college
newspaper decades ago, she had said about
date rape that if a woman "drinks to the
point where she can no longer choose, well,
gett ing to that point was part of her
choice." This provoked opposition from lib‑
erals and centrists who saw it as blaming
the victim rather than the perpetrator.
She wrote a letter to the Senate Judiciary
Committee on Monday apologizing for "the
insensitivity demonstrated in my remarks
on rape and sexual assault.”
Conservative Republican Senator Josh
Hawley, on the other side, initially opposed
her nomination because he said she was
not totally opposed to abortions, but later
backed down. Trump announced his inten‑
tion to nominate her for the judgeship at
the White House Deepavali celebrations
last year calling her a "great person" who
"is going to be fantastic."
Rao, 45, headed the Office of Information
and Regulatory Af fairs in the President's
executive office which reviews government
regulations and oversees the collection of
information by government and privacy
policy. Before that, she was a professor at
George Mason University.
Rao comes from a Parsi family and her
parents, both doctors, immigrated from
India. A graduate of Yale University, she
received her law degree from Chicago
University and went on to be a clerk for the
conservative African American Supreme
Court Justice Clarence Thomas. She has
also worked as a lawyer in then‑President
George W. Bush's White House and with
the Senate judicial committee.

Funds raised for AAP Chennai teen pianist Lydian Nadhaswaram

by US supporters wins American reality show The World's Best
‘Action for Nation’ drive argues that the
Delhi government model of development can
provide a blueprint to other states as well
AAP volunteers Prabhat Sharma and Sreekanth Kocharlakota
By Vijaylaksmi Nadar
Dallas: Appreciative of the good
work that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
is doing in Delhi, and realizing
that it needs a constant flow of
funds, several professionals
spread across the USA have raised
about $23,000 in a single day on
March 17.
The money raised is part of the
Action for Nation donation drive.
T hey argue that many Indian
states despite massive budgets are
experiencing severe distress in
every sector. Delhi, on the other
hand, had a budget of only Rs.
53,000 crores in 2018, which the
AAP government increased by 86
% from what it was in 2015 when
it was about Rs. 31,000 crores.
The AAP government has used
this wisely and has not only over‑
hauled the government education
system but has brought in huge
changes in the health sector. The
focus in these two key areas is
what makes a country progres‑
sive. The success of the Delhi gov‑
ernment model, which provides a
blueprint to other states as well, is
what got Sreekanth Kocharlakota,
Amit Behere, Rajendra Lodha,
Sandeep Aggarwal, Sajan Dewan,
Jeshwanth Reddy, all IT profes‑
sionals, to support AAP, knowing
fully well that their dollar will go a
long way in bringing change in
the country. Ravi Katiyar, an
automation architect, despite his
reservations about the party lead‑
ership, is still convinced that AAP
is the party to support.
“NGOʼs and social activists, bare‑
ly make a difference in years, but
the Delhi model has established
that a strong intent and intelligent
execution can bring about massive
changes within a few years,” says
Prabhat Sharma, also an IT profes‑
sional. He firmly believes that only
AAP can counter the destruction
unleashed by both the BJP and the
Congress on the country.
The Action for Nation donation
drive plans to extend to other
countries as well to alleviate the
funds' crunch in AAP.
New York: Chennai teen Lydian
Nadhaswaram has won American
reality show The World's Best. The
pianist, who recently wowed the
viewers on The Ellen DeGeneres
Show with his blindfold act pipped
South Korea's Kukkiwon a.k.a The
Flying Taekwondo Masters and won
the $ 1 million prize. For the finals,
Lydian Nadhaswaram performed
two piano medleys and impressed
the judges and audience alike. Faith
Hill, RuPaul Charles and Drew
Barrymore were the front line
judges on The World's Best and
they had 50 other world judges
with them to make the final call.
The show was hosted by James
Corden. The final tally of points was
Kukkiwon at 63 and Lydian at 84.
Lydian was accompanied by his
father, Music Director Varshan
Satish as he received his award.
Google paid Singhal $35 M after resignation over sexual harassment probe
San Francisco: Google paid former
search executive Amit Singhal $35
million in an exit package when he
was reportedly forced to resign
after a sexual assault investigation,
according to court documents
released March 11.
Details of the exit package were
revealed as part of a shareholder
lawsuit against the company, one
that followed a published report of
payouts Google made to executives
accused of sexual misconduct.
The lawsuit targets the board of
Google parent Alphabet, charging
that its members had a duty to pro‑
tect the company and its sharehold‑
ers from risk and reputation dam‑
age. Instead, it says, the board
agreed to pay of f and otherwise
support male executives facing mis‑
conduct charges ̶ opening the
company to reputational and finan‑
cial damage by doing so. Previously
Lydian Nadhaswaram and his father Varshan Satish with The World's
Best's host James Corden and judges Faith Hill, RuPaul Charles and
Drew Barrymore. (Picture courtesy: Twitter/Faith Hill )
Drew Barrymore and a couple of
more judges were in tears when
Lydian was announced as the win‑
ner of the show.
Lydian Nadhaswaram goes to KM
Music Conservatory which is run by
A.R. Rahman in Chennai. A.R.
Rahman went to Lydian's residence
redacted portions of the lawsuit
were made available March 11,
including quotes from Alphabet
board committee meetings. One
portion of the minutes showed that
Singhal, an Indian American senior
vice president of search who left the
company in 2016, received two $15
million payments and a payment of
between $5 million to $15 million
as part of a separation agreement.
The total payment could have been
up to $45 million.
Singhal was one subject of a New
York Times investigation last year
that revealed Google paid Android
creator Andy Rubin $90 million in a
severance package after the compa‑
ny found allegations of sexual
assault against him were credible.
Rubin has denied the claims.
Singhal has also denied the claims
against him, saying in a statement
to the AP in 2017 that he had not
on Thursday with a bouquet of
flowers and did a live session on
Twitter. It's a more than 10 minutes
long video where Lydian's family
gives a warm welcome to the music
maestro and later Lydian even plays
a beautiful tune on the piano for
him. (Source: www.indiatoday.in)
been accused of harassment before
and that he left Google on his own
terms. Singhal did not immediately
return a request for comment Mar.
11. But the New York Times, citing
three people briefed on the inci‑
dent, reported that an employee
claimed Singhal groped her at an
off‑campus event. A Google investi‑
gation found her claims credible,
according to the Times. Previously,
the Times reported Singhal was
paid “millions” in an exit package.
Singhal later joined Uber, but left
after just five weeks. News reports
at the time said he failed to tell
Uber he left Google because of a
sexual harassment allegation.
Google acknowledged the unredact‑
ed claims in the lawsuit March 11
and said in a statement that there
are “serious consequences for any‑
one who behaves inappropriately at
Google.”
8 March 23-29, 2019
You are making Canada proud:
Trudeau to Lilly Singh
C
anadian Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau congratulated Canadian‑
born Lilly Singh, who goes by the
stage name Superwoman, on bagging a
late night show of a major TV network and
said the YouTube sensation is making
Canada proud. Trudeau tweeted on Sunday
evening: "Congratulations Superwoman!
You're making Canada proud ‑ and making
us laugh along the way."
To which, Singh replied: "Thank you
Prime Minister! Please find a way to send
me ice caps and Timbits while shooting."
American Telugu Association
celebrates Womenʼs Day
Events were held on a grand scale across Washington DC, NJ, Delaware,
Detroit, Nashville, Austin, Dallas and Raleigh
A
merican Telugu Association, ATA, a
28‑year‑old Telugu organization
serving the interests of Telugu peo‑
ple across North America celebrated
Womenʼs day weekend with much fervor &
gusto. International Womenʼs Day
Celebrations were held on a grand scale
with events across Washington DC, New
Jersey, Delaware, Detroit, Nashville, Austin,
Dallas and Raleigh areas.
Womenʼs day theme concept of
#BetterforBalance focused primarily on
addressing the immediate needs and chal‑
lenges of modern day Indian women and
how to strike a balance between eastern
and western cultures. Scores of saree clad
Indian women enjoyed the festivities
across various cities. Fashion shows and
thought‑provoking discussions enthralled
the audiences. Sumptuous lunch with vari‑
ous delicacies from both the Telugu states
was served.
International Womenʼs day event in
Washington DC included Panel discussions
with elite panelists from legal, medical,
social, civic engagement and business
areas to ignite a sense of awareness
amongst women regarding work‑life bal‑
NATIONAL
IN BRIEF
Justin Trudeau (left) congratulated Lilly
Singh for bagging late night NBC show
ance, legal rights, financial knowledge,
health & family. ASHA for Women organi‑
zation explained how women going
through domestic violence can get help.
Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton was
the chief guest of the event. Cultural
Programs were the highlight of the evening
and enthralled the audiences. ATA
President‑elect Bhuvanesh Boojala & team
spearheaded the event in DC Metro. New
Jersey Womenʼs day event included semi‑
nars on homeopathy, yoga & business
entrepreneurship. Immigration attorney
Prashanti Reddy was felicitated for her
contribution to the Indian community espe‑
cially in matters related to the immigration
issues. In Dallas International womenʼs day
event offered prayers to the fallen and
wounded Indian soldiers of Pulwama
attack. Panel discussions were held on the
causes of depression, addiction in kids and
precautionary measures to be taken to
avoid such situations.
Awareness session on financial planning
was also conducted. Raleigh doctors
educated women about breast cancer
menace along with statistics and
mammograms.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Participants after successful completion of Jain Workshop conducted by the
Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA) at Jain Society of
Northern California (JCNC) Milpitas.
OFBJP‒ USA pays tribute to
Manohar Parrikar
O
verseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) ‑ India in Modi cabinet. A man with princi‑
USA paid tribute to departed ples he led a very simple life throughout.
leader, Shri Manohar Parrikar. OFBJP President, Shri Krishna Reddy
Shri Parrikar has been fighting pancreatic Anugula said, “He was one of the tallest
cancer for the last year and he breathed leaders of India and BJP. OFBJP is mourn‑
his last on Sunday, March 17, 2019. OFBJP ing his untimely death and it is an irre‑
members reminisced their interactions placeable loss to the nation and the party.”
with him during his visits to the US on ear‑ Dr. Adapa Prasad, Vice President said
lier occasions. A graduate of IIT‑Mumbai, that no illness could stop Parrikar ji from
Manohar ji had immersed in the service of working for the people till his last breath
people and the nation. He served as a and he was a thorough gentleman and a
member of Goa state legislative assembly great patriot.
and elected as a member of parliament. He Vasudev Patel, General Secretary said
was a four‑time Chief Minister of Goa State that he was an inspiration to youth and
and served as the Defence Minister of someone to emulate.
Muslim Democrats Abroad to
educate Non‑Resident Americans
about voting rights
T
he Muslim Caucus need to register through
of America the State Board of
launched Muslim Elections or
Democrats Abroad to edu‑ VotefromAbroad.org and
cate Non‑Resident would receive the ballot
Americans about their via mail and they can vote
right to vote from abroad and return it to their State
and appointed Dr. Tausif Board of Elections.
Malik as the first Global Dr. Tausif Malik had
Chair to establish country approached Ghazala
chapters, support and edu‑ Salam, President and
cate about Democratic Zarina, Baber Vice
Party of USA to Non‑ President, Muslim Caucus
Resident Americans. of America to establish
As per the American Global Chapters for Non‑
constitution, the Resident American
Dr. Tausif Malik appointed first
American citizens have a Muslim to support and
Global Chair of Muslim
right to vote by mail and educate about
Democrats Abroad
it can be from any part Democratic Party of USA
of the world. The American citizens just to Non‑Resident Americans.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info US AFFAIRS March 23-29, 2019 9

Trump issues first veto

on bill to block his
national emergency
Washington: President Donald
Trump issued his first veto last
wee k, re ject ing Cong ressʼs
ef fort to cancel his declaration
of a national emergency to pay
for a wall on the US‑Mexico bor‑
der, a centerpiece of his 2016
campaign.
“Congress passed a dangerous
resolution that, if signed into
law, would put countless
Americans in danger,” Trump
said just before signing the veto
President Trump signing a veto March 15 of the congres‑
in the Oval Office, where he was sional measure to end his emergency declaration to get
joined by family members of funds to build a border wall. (Photo courtesy Reuters)
crime victims and law enforce‑
ment officials. The measure ‑‑ which cleared tion funds for the border wall after Congress
the Senate with support from a dozen refused to provide more than $1.4 billion.
Republicans ‑‑ dealt a political setback to the By vetoing the congressional resolution,
president by seeking to block his effort to Trump can continue with his plan to tap
free up additional federal funds for the wall. money budgeted for the Pentagon, though
But the Senate vote Thursday and the House Democratic state attorneys general and out‑
vote last month were well short of the sup‑ side environmental groups have filed law‑
port needed to override Trumpʼs veto. suits in a bid to block the project.
The Senate measure marked the second The president likely will use the issue to
rebuke of Trump by lawmakers in as many hammer Democrats in the 2020 presidential
days. On Wednesday, the GOP‑controlled campaign.
chamber passed a measure seeking to with‑ Ahead of Thursdayʼs Senate vote, some
draw US military support for the Saudi‑led Republicans joined Democrats in arguing
military campaign in Yemen. that Trumpʼs use of emergency powers
Trump sought an end‑run around lawmak‑ would erode the constitutional prerogative
ers to use $3.6 billion in Pentagon construc‑ of Congress to appropriate federal dollars.

Beto O'Rourke announces

2020 bid
Democrat Beto O'Rourke gave a good fight
to Ted Cruz for Texas Senate seat last year.
Washington: Beto O'Rourke, former
Democratic congressman from Texas, has
announced that he will run for president
in the 2020 election.
"I am running to serve you as the next
president," O'Rourke wrote in a tweet last
Thursday, adding that the challenges
faced by the US "are the greatest in living
memory."
In a video embedded in the tweet, the
46‑year‑old said while his wife sat beside
him that he will run a "positive campaign
that seeks to bring out the very best from
every single one of us, that seeks to unite
a very divided country", Xinhua news
agency reported.
Having served as a member of the city
council of El Paso, a Texas town that bor‑
ders Mexico, O'Rourke said he will work
to ensure that all Americans, irrespective
of where they are, "can acknowledge that
if immigration is a problem, it's the best
possible problem this country can have."
"And we should ensure that there are
lawful paths to work, to be with family
and to flee persecution," said O'Rourke,
who was narrowly defeated when trying
to replace Republican Senator Ted Cruz in
the November mid‑term elections.
In his announcement video made inside
his El Paso home, O'Rourke also pledged
to lift up the country's rural areas, "work
on real justice reform and confront the
hard truth of slavery and segregation and
suppression," as well as "squarely con‑
front the challenge of climate change
before it's too late."
According to a CNN/Des Moines
Reg ister/Mediacom Iowa poll in
December, 28 per cent of the responders
had a "very favorable" view of O'Rourke. A
new poll this month found that number
had decreased to 19 per cent, the report
said.
O'Rourke, father of three, represented
Texas's 16th district from 2013‑19.
 10 March 23-29, 2019 US AFFAIRS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Half of Americans say Trump is victim of FAA's approval of Boeing

a 'witch hunt' as trust in Mueller erodes 737 Max under probe
Washington: Amid signs that spe‑
cial counse l Robert Mue ller's
investigation into Russian election
interference may be near its con‑
clusion, a new USA
TODAY/Suf folk University Poll
finds that trust in Mueller has
eroded and half of Americans
agree with President Trump's con‑
tention that he has been the victim
of a "witch hunt." Support for the
House of Representatives to seri‑
ously consider impeaching the
president has dropped since last
October by 10 percentage points,
to 28 percent.
Despite that, the survey shows a
nation that remains skeptical of
Trump's honesty and deeply divid‑
ed by his leadership. A 52 percent
majority say they have little or no
trust in the president's denials
that his 2016 campaign colluded
with Moscow in the election that
put him in the Oval Office.
That number does reflect an
improvement from previous polls.
One year ago, 57 percent had little
or no trust in his denials; in
December, 59 percent did.
Twenty‑eight percent say they
have a lot of trust in former FBI
director Mueller's investigation to
be fair and accurate. That's the
Washington: T he US
Transportation Department's
Inspector General has opened an
investigation into the Federal
Aviation Administration's (FAA)
approval of Boeing's 737 Max
planes which were involved in two
deadly crashes just five months
apart, The Wall Street Journal said
in a report.
The Journal's report on Sunday
comes a week after the 737 Max
planes were grounded for an
indefinite period globally follow‑
ing the two deadly accidents
involving the aircraft model, CNN
reported. The first accident was
the March 10 crash of the Nairobi‑
The USA TODAY/Suffolk University pollʼs findings set the stage
for a ferocious partisan battle when Mueller submits his report to bound Ethiopian Airlines flight
302 that took place just six min‑
Attorney General William Barr. (Photo courtesy Vanity Fair)
utes after it took‑of f from Addis
lowest level to date and down 5 presidentʼs aides of participating Ababa, killing all 157 people on
points since December. In compar‑ in that operat ion. Last wee k, board. The second crash occurred
ison, 30 percent express a lot of Trump's former campaign manag‑ last October when a Lion Air
trust in Trump's denials, the high‑ er, Paul Manafort, was sentenced Boeing 737 Max 8 ‑ the same type
est to date. to a total of 7.5 years in federal of plane ‑ plunged into the Java
Mue ller indicted 34 people, prison for financial crimes. The Sea minutes into the flight from
including Russian intelligence poll's findings set the stage for a Jakarta and killed all its 189 peo‑
operatives and some of Trump's ferocious partisan battle when ple. T he investigation will be
closest aides and advisers. The Mueller submits his report to focused on an automatic safety
indictments detailed the eagerness Attorney General William Barr. system implicated in the October
of the Trump campaign to benefit The president's cascade of criti‑ crash, CNN quoted the Journal
from a sophist icated Russian cism of those pursuing him has which cited a US government offi‑
effort to influence the 2016 elec‑ fortified his support and raised cial. It is unknown if the Ethiopian
tion but have not accused the questions about his investigators. Airlines crash will play any role in
this investigation or not.
The Transportation Department
is yet to comment on the develop‑
ment.
Following the probe announce‑
ment, the FAA said in a statement,
that its "aircraft certification
processes are well established and
have consistently produced safe
aircraft designs".
Meanwhile, both the crashes,
which occurred five months apart,
remain under investigation by the
Indonesia and Ethiopia govern‑
ments, with the assistance from
the US and Boeing.
T he Ethiopian Minister of
Transport said on Sunday that pre‑
liminary data recovered from the
black boxes showed "similarities"
between the two accidents.
A preliminary report of the Lion
Air crash revealed that the pilots
fought with the automatic safety
system, known as the maneuver‑
ing characteristics augmentation
system (MCAS) for control of the
jet. Meanwhile, Boeing announced
on Monday that it was working
with the FAA to finalize a software
update related to the MCAS sys‑
tem to make the planes safer. The
company plans to have the update
mandated no later than April, CNN
reported.

Rep Steve King posts Resume talks with Dalai

red state-blue state Lama, aides, US tells China
civil war meme Dharamsala: The US Ambassador‑At‑
Large for International Religious
Freedom Samuel Brownback has said
Washington: Republican Iowa Rep. Steve King ̶ no
the US will continue to support the
stranger to controversial social media posts ̶ posted a
Dalai Lama's 'middle‑way' approach
meme on Facebook Saturday, speculating about a poten‑
and urged China to resume formal dia‑
tial second civil war in the United States.
logue with him or his representatives,
Captioned “Wonder who would win….” along with a
the Central Tibetan Administration
smirking emoji, the meme shows a red figure whose
(CTA) said on Monday.
body is made up of traditionally conservative states like
Brownback said this during a visit to
Texas, Alabama and Georgia punching a blue figure
Taiwan for the 2019 Reg ional
whose torso is California and whose head is Oregon.
Religious Freedom Forum, last week,
“Folks keep talking about another civil war,” the meme
where President Tsai Ing‑wen was
reads. “One side has about 8 trillion bullets, while the
also present. Brownback noted in his
other side It has been 60 years since the Dalai Lama fled
speech March 2018 marked "the 60th
doesnʼt know Lhasa for India after a failed uprising against the
anniversary of His Holiness the Dalai
which bath‑ Communist rule over Tibet.
Lama being forced into exile."
room to use”
According to a CTA post, the US government, he cited persecution of Uygur
̶ a confus‑
Ambassador criticized China's occupation of Muslims in Xinjiang, Tibetan Buddhists,
ing reference
Tibet saying it "demonized and criminalized Falun Gong practitioners and Christian
to transgen‑
the Buddhist faith that lies at the core of groups in China.
der bath‑ Some 60 years ago, around 80,000
Tibetan civilization". "Tibetans understand‑
room bills
ably continue to lament his absence from Tibetans along with the Dalai Lama fled
that many
Tibet and long for the day that he is able to Lhasa for India after a failed uprising
states have
return and resume his rightful place as their against the Communist rule over Tibet.
enacted or China and the Dalai Lama's envoys have
most important religious leader," he said.
reversed. In
"We urge the People's Republic of China held nine rounds of talks since 2002 to
June last
to resume formal dialogue with His Holiness resolve the Tibetan issue.
year, King In the last round of talks in Beijing in
or his representatives immediately," he said
said the US
and added we would continue to support 2010, the CTA submitted an "explanatory"
was moving
the Dalai Lama's middle‑way approach for note to the Chinese leadership to clarify its
toward a sec‑
meaningful autonomy for all Tibetans stand on genuine autonomy for the Tibetan
ond civil war.
across the Tibetan Plateau, while remaining people. Since then, there has been no move‑
a part of China. Condemning the Chinese ment forward.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA NEWS March 23-29, 2019 11

MAHA KUMBH
OF DEMOCRACY
New Delhi: In the face of an increas‑
ingly hostile Rahul Gandhi, the RSS
cont inues to bank on Prime
Minister Narendra Modi as the
pivot to stay in power for the next
five years. With Modi remaining
BJP's single biggest vote catcher, it
is an unequivocal thumbs‑up for
him from the Sangh.
As such the Sangh remains stead‑
fast in its commitment to providing
the BJP manpower for micro elec‑
tioneering, a parallel setup to man‑
age all the constituencies across
the country.
From 'Prantcharaks' to 'Zilla
Karwas', they are coordinating with
local units of the Bharatiya Janata
Sangh backs pivot Modi to return to power
discourse with both sides adopting
polarizing attitudes and positions,
Congress President Rahul Gandhi is
attacking the Sangh openly and
brazenly, even as Modi is targeting
the dynasty. The shrill nature of
this visceral hatred is acting as a
divisive agent and the Sangh, which
is confident that Modi will return to
power, doesn't want any mishaps
along the way.
Pollsters and pundits are already
predicting that the BJP will fall
short of a simple majority on its
own and despite the ratcheting up
of the volume on the convergence
between hyper nationalism over
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. (Photo: IANS) nat ional security and Hindu
machismo, the BJP has over‑prom‑
Party for door‑to‑door campaign‑ this into an art form. It is evident ised and under delivered. As such
ing. Bringing the voter to the poll that the Sangh is backing the Prime they have moved all their muscle
booth is the simple strategy as the Minister to the hilt, he is their go‑to and firepower behind Modi and the
BJP 'karyakartas' and the RSS foot man for the 2019 polls. BJP. The Congress is gnawing away
soldiers work in tendem. Now that the Congress has real‑ at economic issue ‑‑ 'notebandi',
Connecting with the voters direct‑ ized that the 2,20,000 polling farm distress, jobs and 'Gabbar
ly, involvement in bringing them to booths across the country are what Singh Tax' ‑‑ as also corruption over
the booth is the priority. Voter con‑ everyone is fighting for, they too Rafale. Despite that Modi's own
tact and polling booth management have fine‑tuned their new strategy charisma and equity are relatively
are core areas. This mass of legion‑ to focus on workers and voters and intact and the Sangh would want
naires is the grassroots army that ensuring that they dovetail. him to lead the BJP to power for a
supports the leadership. BJP Sangh insiders also reckon that second full term, something that
President Amit Shah has perfected with the debasement of the political the BJP has never done in the past.
In that it is a seminal election
where the Sangh doesn't want any
unnecessary problems.
With the Ayodhya issue more or
less kept in abeyance by the
Supreme Court, given that the
three‑member mediation team will
only provide its findings to the
apex court by May 8, it is a non
sequitur.
While the 'Sangathan Mantri' and
'Prabharis' are often borrowed
from the Sangh, Modi himself came
from the Sangh just as the departed
Goa Chie f Minister Manohar
Parrikar was from the RSS, at the
vanguard of this massive operation
to retain power are Ram Lal, V.
Satish, Saudan Singh, Shiv Prakash
and B.L. Santosh, who are working
on the mechanics of the poll prop‑
er. While they are overseeing the
organization at a national level,
there are region in‑charge who are
managing 'Prants' (breakdown of
states or regions is different within
the Sangh).
Both the BJP and the Sang h
believe that Hindu consolidation
will take place as Hindu votes
aggregate behind 'Hindu Hriday
Samrat' Prime Minister Modi.

No one happy with Modi 'Chowkidar' Narendra Modi,

government: Priyanka PM flaunts prefix
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra performs rituals on
the banks of Ganga river near Prayagraj Sangam. (Photo: IANS)
Bhadohi (Uttar Pradesh): Congress General
Secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Tuesday
attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi say‑
ing no one was happy with his government.
Demanding to know what Modi had done in
the last five years, Gandhi told the media
here: "Be it farmers, youth or anybody, no one
is satisfied with the government. Together
they will change the government this year."
Gandhi, 47, is on a three‑day boat ride on the
Ganga as part of the Lok Sabha election cam‑
paign that will end on Wednesday in
Varanasi, Modi's parliamentary constituency.
Gandhi began the day after offering prayers
at the Sita Samahit Sthal temple in Sitamarhi.
She was asked to comment on Uttar
Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's
claim that the Congress had ruled Uttar
Pradesh for most years since the country's
independence and so it was to blame for
New Delhi: After launching the
"Main Bhi Chowkidar (I am a
watchman too)" campaign on social
media, Prime Minister Narendra
Mo di changed the t itle of his
Twitter account to "Chowkidar
Narendra Modi". Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) President Amit Shah
followed with "Chowkidar Amit
Shah" and tweeted: "The one who
made cleanliness a moral value... he
is called Chowkidar
#MainBhiChowkidar. Say with all
your heart #ChowkidarPhirSe Prime Minister Narendra Modi changed
the title of his Twitter account to
(watchman again)." Shah's remarks
"Chowkidar Narendra Modi".
came after senior BJP leaders and
Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, J.P. Nadda, ing that "anyone who is doing his/her bit
Harsh Vardhan and Dharmendra Pradhan in getting India free of dirt, corruption
followed suit, changing their names simi‑ and so cial‑evils is a Chowkidar.
larly on Twitter accounts. #MainBhiChowkidar... Let's join the move‑
keeping the sprawling state economically
"As Chowkidars of our nation, we are ment and help in making India a well‑gov‑
backward. "This 'what they did in last 70
committed to creating a clean economy erned, secure and prosperous nation."
years' has an expiry date. Now the BJP should "As Chowkidars (watchmen) of our
by using cashless financial transactions.
tell the people what it did in the last five
T he menace of corruption and black nation, we are committed towards safety
years (after Modi took office).
money has adversely af fected us for and security of our people and their
"Shiksha mitras and anganvadi workers did
decades. Time to eliminate these for a bet‑ wealth. Elimination of middlemen and
not get anything. The BJP had announced Rs cleaning of economy has rattled all cor‑
ter future," Goyal tweeted.
17,000 per month for them," she said. "It is
In his tweet in Hindi, Nadda said: rupts in every part of the country and
good to produce report cards but what has
"Country changed, trust changed. A today every thief is afraid of Chowkidar,"
actually happened? There is nothing on the Dharmendra Pradhan tweeted.
watchman was found in every person."
ground. I am meeting people daily, they are Goyal and Pradhan uploaded a video on
"In comparison to 2013, mangrove
distressed," Gandhi said.
cover increased by 293 sq km during the their Twitter accounts with a message of
Gandhi, who set out from Prayagraj on
tenure of Narendra Modiji‑led govern‑ #MainBhiChowkidar. The campaign coun‑
Monday in a specially‑built vessel with sup‑
ment. While 18 effluent treatment plants ters Congress President Rahul Gandhi's
porters, earlier met Congress leaders here
were set up to reduce river pollution, 44 repeated attacks on Modi and his govern‑
and exhorted them to work hard during the
real time water quality monitoring sta‑ ment over various alleged malhandling of
elections. She spent Tuesday night at a guest
tions were set up on Ganga and its tribu‑ economic and defence deals and situa‑
house in Bhadohi. tions, with the slogan ‑ "Chowkidar Chor
taries," Harsh Vardhan tweeted.
Before resuming her journey on the Ganga,
Suresh Prabhu also took to Twitter say‑ Hai (watchman is a thief )".
Gandhi met Congress leaders in the area.
 12 March 23-29, 2019 INDIA NEWS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

MAHA KUMBH
OF DEMOCRACY
New Delhi: Even a fortnight after
the air strike by Indian Air Force
fighter jets on terror camps in
Pakistan's Balakot, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi continues to domi‑
nate the popularity charts despite
Modi continues to rule popularity charts
a dip in his rating from the peak
witnessed during the first week of
March, but his distant rival Rahul
Gandhi has shown only marginal
signs of recovery.
The latest 'state of the nation'
tracker poll by CVOTER‑IANS
based on the data collected till
March 14 showed that Modi's rat‑
ing has begun to slide from the
high of around 60 per cent seen
on March 4, 5, 6 and 7 to come
down slightly to around 56.
In contrast, Rahul Gandhi's rat‑
ing, which had gone down to less
than 3 per cent in the period when
Modi's had surged, has improved
marginally to around 7 per cent
though it remains much below
around 20 per cent support he
enjoyed in his best days in January
2019.
In terms of satisfaction with the
Prime Minister's work, there is not
much change with over 50 per
cent remaining in the very satis‑
fied category. T hough his net
approval rating in the range of 60s
in the first week of March has
come down to 56 on March 14.
The gap between the two leaders
has come down below 50.
A majority of the respondents
(over 40 per cent) continue to
be lieve that Bharat iya Janata
Party‑led National Democratic
Alliance (NDA) can run better
coalition. The findings are based
on a sample size varying between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP party chief Amit Shah
4,000 and over 6,000. in New Delhi. (Photo: IANS).

Congress, JD‑S pact to Fiery political content

'outsmart' BJP in Karnataka
Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and H.D. Deve Gowda with
Congress leaders in Bengaluru. (Photo: IANS)
Bengaluru: Karnataka's ruling coalition
allies Congress and Janata Dal‑Secular (JD‑
S) hope to "outsmart" the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) by jointly contesting the 28
Lok Sabha seats across the state in April, a
party official said.
"With the JD‑S and Congress contesting
together, there will be no splitting of secu‑
lar votes in the state. The seat‑sharing pact
well positions our parties to outsmart the
BJP in the Lok Sabha elections," JD‑S
spokesman and a former Member of
Legislative Council (MLC) Ramesh Babu
told IANS.
The vision of the coalition allies was to
combine their forces to keep the BJP out of
winning the majority seats, he added.
The ruling parties committed to a pre‑
poll alliance for the ensuing Lok Sabha
elections in the state, to be held in two
phases on April 18 and 23, with eight seats
for the JD‑S and 20 for the Congress.
Admitting that JD‑S and Congress, which
bitterly fought against each other in the
May 2018 Assembly elections, had differ‑
ences in a few constituencies, Babu said
the parties were working to strengthen
their unity.
"We fought the Assembly elections as
rivals, particularly in the old Mysuru
region, where both parties have significant
strength. So, it is natural for differences to
exist. The parties' leaders are working to
resolve the dif ferences right down to the
worker level," the JD‑S spokesman said.
The Congress party also believes that if
the coalition partners stay united and end
their "bickering", they can "comfortably"
win the Lok Sabha elections.
"If the JD‑S and Congress stay united,
they can project the failures of BJP at the
Centre like the issue of unemployment. We
can comfortably win the Lok Sabha elec‑
t ions if the part ies avoid bickering,"
Congress state unit Vice President B.K.
Chandrashekar told IANS.
The BJP was far less likely to benefit due
to the "charm" of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi in the ensuing general elections, the
Congress leader said.
The JD‑S and Congress leaders expect the
Rs 48,000‑crore farm loan waiver
announced by the coalition government of
Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to have
a positive impact on the poll outcome.
The BJP, on the other hand, mocked the
JD‑S and Congress seat‑sharing pact as
"superficial".
arriving on social media
New Delhi: Political parties have gone 24/7
on creating election‑special content like
issue‑based memes, jokes, GIFs and short‑
format videos to bombard various social
media platforms and woo millions of voters.
According to social media experts, while
issues like unemployment, farmer distress,
Rafale deal and demonetization would domi‑
nate the social media content for the oppo‑
sition, the Modi‑led NDA government is aim‑
ing to highlight the Balakot air strike and
poverty alleviation.
"Some political parties have appointed
social media 'warriors' to reach out to the
public on digital platforms. They are work‑
ing round‑the‑clock as political content
aggregators, preparing fiery content for
social media trollers," says social media
expert Anoop Mishra.
The bombardment is likely to begin from
next week and would only gain momentum
as the voting process inches closer.
The rise in popularity of social media plat‑
forms has also opened up a relatively new
advertising economy driven by "influencer
marketing". There was a little slump in their
activities, say experts, after the Cobrapost
investigation last month revealed that sever‑
al Bollywood celebrities were willing to pass
views of political parties as personal opin‑
ions for money.
The dust is now settled and the army of
social media "influencers" are again out to
Congress suffering from inflated arrogance: AAP
New Delhi: Accusing the Congress of suffer‑
ing from "ego" issues and "inflated arro‑
gance", Delhi's ruling AAP on Tuesday it will
not waste any more time to sew an alliance
with the grand old party.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Gopal Rai
told the media that the Congress was not
interested in saving the country.
"It (Congress) is more interested in its ego
and inflated arrogance. It is not much inter‑
ested in defeating the Modi‑Shah duo," he
said, referring to Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and BJP President Amit Shah.
"This is clear from across the country, be it
spread the propaganda of political parties.
The trend to reach out to their voters via
social media platforms has caught up with
many politicians, the recent ones being
Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) supremo
Mayawati and Congress General Secretary
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who are now on
Twitter.
"Parties like Congress and the BJP have
shared a WhatsApp number which people
can directly use to connect to the party.
"Every major party and its leaders now
have Twitter handle and can often be seen
making parodies and memes mocking each
other to connect quickly with the youth,"
said Mishra. Congress can now often be
seen live‑streaming their rallies on
Facebook. Regional parties have spruced up
their social media presence too.
Till the voting process begins, the social
media platforms would turn into a battle‑
ground for the political parties.
"The post and ad frequencies would be 10
to 20 times higher than normal days. The
parties would try to woo users on emotional
sentiments and finally engaging them by
trying to change their perception," Mishra
noted.
The game is set to go dirty, with more and
more politicians taking jibes and trading
barbs on social media platforms, which will
then be reworked upon by creative agencies
to flood Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter.
Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi, Bihar or
Andhra Pradesh. In all these states, the
Congress is thinking about saving its own
party and its ego, not the country."
He added: "They are not coming out with a
clear stand about Delhi."
He said the AAP will go ahead with all its
seven candidates in Delhi.
"We will now focus on how to defeat BJP on
our own. Post Holi, we will beef up our elec‑
tion campaign."
Rai said the way Congress was divided over
an alliance in Delhi was a shame. This, he
said, would harm the anti‑BJP alliance.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA NEWS March 23-29, 2019 13

After Parrikar's demise, Ex-SC judge Ghose to

new Goa CM takes charge
Panaji: Newly appointed Goa Chief
Minister Pramod Sawant took
charge on Tuesday morning, after
paying a courtesy visit to the fami‑
ly of his predecessor late Manohar
Parrikar.
BJP sources said the floor test to
prove the majority of the Sawant
headed BJP‑led coalition govern‑
ment was likely to be conducted
on Wednesday. Before reaching
the Chief Minister's Of fice at the
state Secretariat, Sawant (45), who
was sworn in as Chief Minister at
Raj Bhavan, visited Parrikar's resi‑
dence and met his sons Utpal and
Abhijaat.
"Parrikar has been my political
ideal and guru. He has been a
fatherly figure for me. I became
MLA, Speaker and CM because of
him. It is my courtesy visit,"
Sawant said.
Sawant also said the 11 cabinet
ministers will soon be allocated
their portfolios.
Earlier, the last rites of Goa Chief
Minister and former De fense
Minister Parrikar were held with
New Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. (Photo: IANS)
full military and state honors at
the Miramar beach here on
Monday evening.
Thousands of supporters and
BJP workers accompanied the
funeral cortege from the Kala
Academy Arts and Cultural Centre,
where the remains had been kept
throughout the day for the public
to pay last respects to the nearby
Miramar beach.
Parrikar, 63, is survived by two
be India's first Lokpal
New Delhi:
Former Supreme
Supreme Court judge
on March 8, 2013.
Court judge His was among the
Just ice Pinaki top 10 names short‑
Chandra Ghose listed by the Lokpal
was recommend‑ Search Committee.
ed to be the first In July 2015, a
Lokpal or anti‑ Supreme Court
corruption bench of Just ice
ombudsman of Ghose issued notice
India. Former Supreme Court to late former Tamil
His name was Nadu Chief Minister J.
judge, Justice Pinaki
finalized and rec‑ Jayalalithaa on a peti‑
Chandra Ghose.
ommended by the tion by the Karnataka
Selection Committee comprising government challenging the high
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, court verdict acquitting her and
Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Lok three others in a disproportion‑
Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan ate assets case.
and eminent jurist Mukul He is a former judge of the
sons, two daughter in‑laws and a Rohatgi. Calcutta High Court and former
grandson. Congress leader in the Lok Chie f Just ice of the And hra
Top BJP leaders including Prime Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, who is Pradesh High Court.
Minister Narendra Mo di, BJP part of the committee, did not Born in Kolkata, Justice Ghose
President Amit Shah, Union attend the meeting. is son of Late Justice Sambhu
Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Justice Ghose, 67, who is a Chandra Ghose, former Chief
Nitin Gadkari, Smriti Irani, Suresh member of the National Human Justice of Calcutta High Court.
Prabhu and Ramdas Athawale Rights Commission (NHRC) since Jutice Ghose's appointment has
offered floral tributes to Parrikar. June 2017, retired from the come nearly five years after the
Maharashtra Chie f Minister Supreme Court on May 27, Lokpal Act was not ified on
Devendra Fadnavis also paid his 2017. He had assumed charge as January 16, 2014.
last respects.

Anil thanks Mukesh, UK court issues warrant against Nirav Modi

Nita for settling
London/New Delhi: A UK court has Janata Party (BJP) government for from his apartment. The new busi‑
issued an arrest warrant against its "failure" to bring the fugitive ness was incorporated in May
fugitive Indian diamantaire Nirav diamantaire to justice while he 2018, said the report.

Ericsson dues Modi, wanted in the Rs 13,500

crore PNB fraud case, confirmed
the Enforcement Directorate (ED)
on Monday.
According to the ED, the
Westminster Court issued the
arrest warrant on March 13.
T he deve lopment came days
after the UK's The Telegraph news‑
paper claimed that Modi was spot‑
ted in London, leading to the
Congress slamming the Bharatiya
apparently thrived elsewhere.
Accused in the Rs 13,500‑crore
Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud
case, Nirav Modi is living openly in
a three‑bedroom flat, occupying
half the floor of the landmark
Center Point tower block, T he
Telegraph had reported.
The report also claimed Nirav
Modi was involved in a new dia‑
mond business, run from an office
in Soho, just a few hundred yards
The Interpol had issued a red
corner notice against Nirav Modi
in July 2018 on the request of the
ED and the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI). An extradition
request ag ainst him has been
pending before the UK authorities
since last September. The ED on
February 26 attached Rs 147 crore
properties of Nirav Modi and his
associate companies in connection
with the PNB fraud case.

Vadra's custodial questioning

may be needed: ED
Anil with Mukesh who has paid his younger brother's
Rs 550 crore dues to Ericsson.

Mumbai: Anil D. Ambani, Chairman and demonstrating the importance

of Reliance Communications, has
thanked Re liance Industries
Chairman, Mukesh Ambani and Nita
Ambani for their support regarding
payment of dues to Ericsson as all
the RCOM's outstanding to the
Swedish company stand cleared.
"The requisite payment of Rs 550
crore and interest thereon to
Ericsson has been completed today
in compliance of the judgment of
the Supreme Court," an RCOM
spokesperson said.
Acknowledging his elder brother
and RIL Chairman Mukesh' support,
Anil D. Ambani, Chairman, RCOM,
said: "My sincere and heartfelt
thanks to my respected elder broth‑
er, Mukesh, and Nita, for standing
by me during these trying times,
of staying true to our strong family
values by extending this timely sup‑
port."
"I and my family are grateful we
have moved beyond the past, and
are deeply grateful and touched
with this gesture," he added.
Shares of Anil Dhirubhai Ambani‑
led Re liance Communication
(RCOM) settled 10 per cent higher
on Tuesday.
Reliance Communication closed
at Rs 4.40 per share, up 10 per cent
from its previous close.
"The requisite payment of Rs 550
crore and interest thereon to
Ericsson has been completed today
in compliance of the judgment of
the Supreme Court," an RCOM
spokesperson said on Monday.
New Delhi: T he Enforcement
Directorate (ED) on Tuesday told a
Delhi court that Robert Vadra, the
brother‑in‑law of Cong ress
President Rahul Gandhi, is not
cooperating in the probe and the
agency may require his custodial
interrogation in a money launder‑
ing case. Special Public Prosecutor
D.P. Sing h told Special Judge
Arvind Kumar that despite being
given various opportunities, Vadra
was not cooperating in the investi‑
gation and he is evasive in his
responses.
T he ED also filed a reply on
Vadra's anticipatory bail plea.
The agency opposed Vadra's plea
and requested the court to dismiss
it.
The court listed the matter for
further hearing on March 25, and
extended interim protection from
arrest granted to Vadra till that
date. The ED told the court that the
investigation was at a crucial stage
and Vadra has been enjoying the
protection as a blanket.
"The application is the key link
to unearth the modus operandi
adopted by all the accused and it is
in the interest of justice that the
ED be given a 'free' hand to inter‑
rogate thoroughly," the agency
said. The agency said that various
incriminating documents have
come on record to show the com‑
plicity of the accused persons.
The ED added that he is the ben‑
eficial owner of the various prop‑
erties, which is under investigation
in the instant case and they have
been acquired through the pro‑
ceeds of crime.
The case is based on an inde‑
pendent set of transactions initiat‑
ed on the basis of the commission
of offenses under the Black Money
Act, the agency stated.
The agency said that Vadra has
become involved in political mud‑
slinging.
The case relates to the owner‑
ship of overseas assets worth 1.9
million pounds by Vadra. It per‑
tains to undisclosed foreign assets
and entities to evade tax.
On December 7, 2018, the ED
had raided several of Vadra's prop‑
erties in Delhi‑NCR and Bengaluru.
14 March 23-29, 2019
AZHAR AND CHINA VETO
What Modi can do now
By Jayanta Ghosal
M
asood Azhar is a danger‑
ous name ‑‑ a global ter‑
rorist of Jaish‑e‑
Mohammed (JEM) under the UN
Resolution 1267.
The proposal to list Azhar was
initiated by the US and the UK
among other members of the UN
Security Council. But China has
once again disturbed the whole
process, making it the fourth time
in the last few years that China
put a technical hold on the listing
of Masood Azhar.
An interesting facet of this is
that China has never openly sup‑
ported him. They cannot and to
date, China has never said that
Azhar is not a terrorist. So, what
exactly has China done? India sent
evidence to all UNSC members,
and even the US was convinced.
But China reiterated that there
was not enough evidence ‑ a tech‑
nical snag.
In spite of the expected Chinese
veto, I think that this time India
has been able to isolate Pakistan
globally and not just Pakistan, but
China has also been alienated due
to the international pressure in
A paradox called Parrikar, India's first IITian CM
By Mayabhushan
Nagvenkar
I
t will take a while for Goans to
come to terms with the fact
that 63‑year‑old Chie f
Minister and former Defence
Minister Manohar Gopalkrishna
Prabhu Parrikar died after a pro‑
tracted battle with pancreatic
cancer for over a year. And the
disbelief need not necessarily
stem from unadulterated love for
the country's first IITian CM.
In recent years, after several
unpopular, controversial deci‑
sions, questions were being asked
whether Parrikar, who won over‑
all adulat ion for nearly two
decades for his w it, bluster,
charm and audacity, was really a
salt‑and‑pepper‑haired political
rockstar or just a closet groupie
clinging to the coat‑tails of the
casino, mining and real estate
industry.
The shock is also rooted in the
belief that the trained metallur‑
China is blocking Indiaʼs Masood Azhar bid to balance the scales
of power diplomacy and give a message to New Delhi.
the Masood Azhar issue.
Earlier, India would propose the
action and others would support.
This time, India was not even a co‑
sponsor. This time the proposal
was moved by other members of
the P5‑club and dozens of other
countries, including the African
nations and countries in South
Asia like Bangladesh.
I think that this is a brilliant
strategic move of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi. This time, the
issue was not just that of India
versus Pakistan. By not getting
In his third term as Goa CM, Manohar Parrikar was elevated as
Defense Minister. In his fourth term, death snatched him away.
gist was simply too omnipresent
and omnipotent to melt away,
just like that. The very fact that
he continued in office for a year
after he was diagnosed with can‑
cer and occasionally attended
office as well as public functions
w ith medical parapherne lia
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
OP-ED
involved in the co‑sponsorship,
India avoided the bilateral‑ism and
as a result, now, it is China, who is
giving the veto against the inter‑
national community on a terror
issue. There are few key lessons
here for India. The role of China is
now one that we need to reassess.
The first question is why exactly
did China do this? China has done
it not just for their friendship with
Pakistan but also, I think, to check
India's growing diplomatic proac‑
tive assertiveness. China is doing
this to balance the scales of power
Obituary
trapped to his person, testified
his penchant for not giving up
and appearing infallible in the
small, but closely followed cos‑
mos of Goan politics.
While Parrikar was undeniably
the weave, which determined the
quality of Goa's political fabric
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
diplomacy and give a message to
India.
At the Financial Action Task
Force (FATF) summit in 2018, it
ag reed to the g rey list ing of
Pakistan in return for being
of fered a vice presidency of the
intergovernmental body.
India didn't give any equivalent
counter offer to make in exchange
for Masood Azhar's listing. In
future, it maybe Tibet, Taiwan or
Xinjang or on the economic trade
front. We have to give some sense
of relief to the Chinese authorities,
since China also has its own grow‑
ing problem.
North Korea is trying to move
out from the shadows of Beijing
and Australia and has begun the
open criticism of China in its
domestic area. So this might be
the right time for Prime Minister
Modi to be more proactive on the
follow‑up pressure on the Chinese
government. Right now, Modi is
following three strategies:
Firstly, through other countries,
he is putting pressure on China on
the Masood Azhar issue. Already,
the French have announced that
they will attach the various prop‑
erties of JEM and Azhar.
for nearly 30 years, there was
very little about Parrikar's public
persona which wasn't a paradox.
He appeared sloppy, but was
meticulous in political strategy.
He promised much, but actually
delivered very little. As Defence
Minister, he was obsessed with
Goa politics. In 2012, he prom‑
ised to retire and never contest
elections again, but ended up
clinging to power from a hospital
bed until his end.
He swore to end casinos, illegal
mining when in opposition, but
failed to crack down on them
when in power.
But paradoxes apart, the young
boy born in a nondescript town
called Mapusa, to a Gaud
Saraswat Brahmin family of gro‑
cers in Portuguese‑held Goa, rose
to be India's Defence Minister
and was partly credited with car‑
rying out cross‑border surgical
strikes along the country's east‑
ern and western borders.
Working in tandem w ith
Secondly, knowing fully well
that Imran Khan is not in a posi‑
tion to do much and that he is
entirely under the control of the
Army, India wants to raise the
issue of deportation of Masood
repeatedly. Already, Arun Jaitley
and Swaraj have said that if Imran
Khan is, indeed, against terror
then why is he not ready to hand
over Azhar.
Thirdly, A strong legal argument
can be made that targeting an
individual who is an active mem‑
ber of an organization that has
engaged in a violent conflict with
one's own state is an act of self
defence ‑ and is permissible under
Article 51 of the UN charter.
The US succeeded in targeting
Osama bin Laden. Israel has done
it on several occasions in Gaza.
National Security Adviser Ajit
Doval wants to carry out such an
operation, but this government
needs specific information and the
right timing to act, along with
global support. This is easy to say
for a journalist like me, but not
that easy to carry out on the
ground. For now, the diplomatic
escalation against Masood Azhar
is on.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
veteran Subhash Ve ling kar,
Parrikar was the cornerstone of
BJP's rise in Goa, from a party
whose candidates routinely lost
poll deposit fees in the late
1980s through early 1990s, to a
powerful outfit which won a sim‑
ple majority in 2012.
But somewhere along the mete‑
oric rise, the BJP became Parrikar
and Parrikar became BJP in Goa.
Vijai Sardesai, Parrikar's critic‑
in‑chie f as a leg islator from
2012‑17 and now a ruling coali‑
tion ally, recalls his first meeting
with Parrikar in the 90s.
Incidentally, Parrikar served as
CM on four occasions, but could
never complete a full term in
office.
In his first stint he dissolved the
assembly mid‑way. His regime
was toppled during the second
term as CM. In his third term, he
was elevated as Defence Minister.
In his fourth term, death
snatched him away.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah, hosts the
biggest annual Holi celebration in this part of the world. This year
it will over the March 30‑31 weekend.
By SATimes Team
P
eople all the world love festivals. If
Indians have started celebrating
Christmas/New Year Eve and lately
even Valentineʼs Day, Indian festivals of
Diwali and Holi are slowly getting recog‑
nized and celebrated in countries like
America. Diwali because it has a pious mes‑
sage of victory of god over evil, and light of
knowledge dispelling darkness of ignorance.
Holi, on the other hand, is pure fun, and let‑
ting your hair down. Yet, it does have a
meaning and message: a harbinger of spring
and suggesting turning a new leaf, by rid‑
Krishna began Holi
by coloring Radha
in his own color
I
ndians grow up reading and listening
about boy Krishnaʼs mischievous ways
and how he tricked people around him
when he was growing up. His great sense
of humor and larger than life childhood
tales are mesmerizing to say the least.
It is said that as a child he was envious of
Radhaʼs fair skin as he himself was ʻshyamʼ
i.e. dark/blue. One particular day, Krishna
complained to his mother Yashoda about
the injustice of nature which made Radha
so fair and him so dark. He was crying so
hard that the doting mother thought of
something that could bring peace to her
son. She asked him to go and color Radhaʼs
face in whichever color he wanted. Krishna
went straight to Radha and applied color
on her face, turning her like himself. This
prank of Krishna applying color on Radha
and other gopis using water jets called
pichkaris gained acceptance and populari‑
ty. So much so that it evolved as a tradition
and later, a full‑fledged festival.
This legend is brought alive during Holi
each year all over India, particularly in
Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana and
FESTIVAL
The Caribbean community takes out an annual Phagwah
parade in Queens, NY. This yearʼs parade is on March 31.
ding oneself of past errors, ending conflicts
by meeting others, a day to forget and for‑
give. As the festival transcends caste, color,
hierarchy, gender, creed and nationality, it
can become a perfect platform for fostering
equality and universal brotherhood all over
the world.
Over the years, Holi has become an impor‑
tant festival in many regions wherever
Indian diaspora were either taken as inden‑
tured labourers during colonial era, or
where they emigrated on their own, and are
now present in large numbers such as in
Africa, North America, Europe, Latin
America, and parts of Asia such as Fiji. Holi
is a national holiday in Suriname and
Nandgaon ‑ the places associated with
Krishna and Radha. In some states of
India, there is also a tradition to place the
idols of Radha and Krishna in a decorated
palanquin, which is then carried along the
main streets of the city.
All this while, devotees chant Krishnaʼs
name, sing devotional hymns and dance in
the name of the lord
March 23-29, 2019 15
It is now a
multicultural
festival fast going
mainstream as it
appeals to diverse
communities for
its message of
equality and
universal
brotherhood.
(CA), Boston (MA), Potomac (MD), and
Chicago (IL). In New York, the Caribbean
community takes out an annual Phagwah
parade in Queens; this year the parade is on
Gyuana. March 31.
In many parts of the USA now fabulous There is another aspect of the festival that
Holi events are held, attended by not just is slowly catching the imagination – commu‑
NRIs but also other communities. It is usual‑ nity service, Utsav Seva (Festivals of Seva).
ly hosted in temples or cultural halls. Developed by Hindu American Seva
Members of Hindu associations and volun‑ Communities founded by Anju Bhargava in
teers assist in hosting the event along with New Jersey, it augments the spirit of Hindu
temple devotees. Some of the places known festivals through seva events organized dur‑
to host big Holi celebrations include New ing this time and connecting them with the
Brunswick (NJ), Spanish Fork (Utah), cultural heritage of equality that we cele‑
Houston (TX), Dallas (TX), South El Monte brate during Holi.
 16 March 23-29, 2019 FESTIVAL TheSouthAsianTimes.info

T
he spring festival that originated in
north India is now not only a pan‑
India calendar event but has spread
to wherever Indian diaspora is.
This year Holi falls on March 20‑21 and
will be celebrated with a riot of color in
India. Here, the Indian American community
will, of course, celebrate it at events on
weekends before or after the actual Holi
dates.
Significance
Holi gets us close to Indian mythology.
Foremost is the legend of Prahlad and
Hiranyakshyap in which Lord Vishnu incar‑
nates as Narsimha to vanquish the evil
demon. Holi also celebrates the legend of
Radha and Krishna, which describes the
extreme delight Krishna took in applying
color on his beloved and other gopis. In
South India, a popular legend of Holi is that
of Lord Shiva and Kamadev. People there
celebrate the sacrifice of Lord of Passion,
Kamadev, who risked his life to force Shiva
out of his samadhi and save the world.
The social significance of Holi is that it
helps to bring the society together and
strengthen the secular fabric of India – it is
celebrated by non‑Hindus and lower castes
too. Celebrations extend to stiff upper lip
politicians and boisterous film stars alike.
Also, in the spirit of Holi even enemies turn
friends on Holi and banish hard feelings. the festival here is now celebrated with not and men spray water and colors at this pro‑
Aptly, many social gatherings and events on just colors, but with lathis. As per tradition, cession.
women chase away the men with the long Hola Mohalla – Punjab: Hola Mohalla,
the day are called Holi Milan. One of Holiʼs
sticks. known as the warrior Holi, is celebrated in
biggest customs is the loosening strictness
Basant Utsav and Dol Jatra ‑ West Bengal: Punjab. This festival is observed by Nihang
of social structures, which normally include
The Basant Utsav is a way to welcome the Sikhs. They exhibit martial arts, and sing
those of age, sex, status, and caste.
spring season. On this day, there is a special their hearts out on this day that is usually
Holi is of course celebrated in different
celebration at Shantiniketan, set up by celebrated a day before Holi.
parts of India in their own unique way. Here
Noble laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Boys Holding of kavi sammelans around Holi
is a sampling:
Lathmar Holi – Barsana, UP: Holi is said to and girls dress up in yellow clothes and sing time, predominantly featuring humorous
and dance. Dol Jatra is when idols of Radha poetry is another tradition that has grown
have originated in the Barsana region of UP,
and Krishna are taken out in a procession over the years.
the play ground of Kirshna. Interestingly,

Traditional 9 songs for your perfect Holi

(1) ʻRang Barse Bheege Chunarwaliʼ (6) ʻBalam Pichkaariʼ
Holi delicacies No Holi
party is
The most
recent gift

R
ight from the burst of vibrant colors to some complete from
heavenly gujiyas and bhang pakoras, this festi‑ without Bollywood
val is all about enjoying the good times with people for Holi
friends and family. Here are some items relished getting parties,
around Holi time. high on this song
bhang and from ʻYeh
Gujiya dancing to Jawani Hai
Made with this song Diwaniʼ is
semolina, khoya, from yet another
dry fruits and ʻSilsilaʼ, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha with must‑play. The fun level in the song takes the exist‑
powdered sugar, an adultery angle. ing entertainment factor at the party up by a cou‑
this deep fried
ple of notches.
sweet recipe is
(2) ʻAaj Na Chhodengeʼ
world famous
and is made
This song from the 1970 film ʻKati Patangʼ was (7) ʻHori Khele Raghuveeraʼ
across India with a regional twist. brought to life by Asha Parekh and Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan has given us some amazing Holi
bringing romance, fun and open flirting out in the numbers. This item from ʻBaghbanʼ is a yet another
Malpua open. favorite amongst people of all age groups.
This simple, sweet and delightful delicacy is made with
(3) ʻDo Me a Favourʼ (8) ʻJai Jai Shiv Shankarʼ
all purpose flour, milk and sugar. To add an edge one
can top it with sweet khoya.
Anu Malik crooning to ʻDo Me A Favourrrr, Letʼs How can any Holi party be complete without
Play Holiii!ʼ from ʻWaqtʼ, starring Akshay Kumar bhang? And where there is bhang, there has to be
Moong Dal Kachauri and Priyanka Chopra, is a must amongst the this song featuring Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz in
younger crowd. ʻAap Ki Kasamʼ. With visual
Spicy and crunchy, Moong Dal Kachauri is made with
soaked moong dal sauted with black pepper, garam
(4) ʻAng Se Ang Laganaʼ (9) ʻLahu Muh Lag Gayaʼ
masala and coriander powder. This simple recipe goes
well with spicy aloo curry.
This 1993 movie ʻDarrʼ starring Sunny Deol, Juhi Deepika
Chawla, and Shahrukh Khan brought a change in Padukone
Thandai the kind of roles played by lead actors. And along and Ranveer
with it came this song, which is a favorite amongst Singh chem‑
Thandai is spe‑
Holi enthusiasts. istry is to
cially prepared
watch in this
during Holi, with
or without
(5) ʻHoli Ke Din Dil Khil Jaate Hainʼ Holi song
bhang. It is This evergreen song from the ever popular movie from
packed with the ʻSholayʼ is a hit amongst all generations and simply ʻGoliyon ki
goodness of milk, cannot be missed when you are totally immersed in Raasleela‑
dry fruits, herbs and spice. playing Holi. Raam‑Leelaʼ.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info FESTIVAL March 23-29, 2019 17

Modi’s saffron vs Maya’s blue

& Akhilesh’s red in Braj ki Holi
Agra: Expect the streets of Uttar Pradesh to
be bathed in colors of politics this Holi.
Falling weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha polls,
the festival of colors is witnessing sale of
merchandise themed on elections.
Shopkeepers in the Braj region, compris‑
ing Agra, Mathura and a few other neigh‑
boring districts, are selling Modiʼs saffron
gulal, Mayaʼs blue color and pichkaris with
pictures of Priyanka Gandhi and Akhilesh
Yadav among other things. Premium quality
Rahul Gandhi herbal green color (abeer) is
particularly in demand, Times of India
reports.
Ramesh Agarwal, a whole seller of Holi
merchandise based in Agraʼs Bodla, said,
“Colors associated with political parties like
saffron of BJP, blue of BSP and red of SP are
in great demand this year. We have received
pre‑orders of organic gulal of political
shades. There can be short‑
age of saffron and blue color
gulal in local markets near
Holi.” Agarwal said most
girls go for water tank
pichkaris with Priyanka
Gandhiʼs picture while Modi‑
Yogi pichkaris are a hot
favorite among boys. Vineet
Goyal, a retailer based in
Rawatpara, said, “Pichkaris
with photos of Modi, Yogi,
Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi
are available with us.
Colored balloons with pic‑
tures of political leaders are
also in demand.” Karan
Verma, another shopkeeper in Naimer, said, sion. This trend was absent in last yearʼs
“This year, people are buying colors and Holi. Masks of political leaders are also
other items for Holi with political expres‑ in good demand.”

Ladies, here are 3 essential

hair care tips for Holi
H
oli is the harbinger of spring in India, and Holi
colors have made their way onto every store in
the market. But donʼ forget that Holi tends to
take a toll on our skin and hair. The
colors used are usually rich
in chemical content and
can be harsh on the
exposed areas of our
body. Because it is
next to impossible to
escape the
colour
play, the
best we
can do is
follow some precautionary measures to stay protected
before and after the celebrations.
Oil your scalp
Applying a good amount of oil all the way from the
roots to the tips of hair is a simple mantra if you wish
to enjoy Holi without harming your hair. This will pre‑
vent Holi's chemical laden colors from sticking to the
strands and will also allow easy washing post the fes‑
tivities. There's no better protective layering to your
hair than oils like coconut, jojoba, and castor and
hence it is an indispensable hair care ritual before Holi.
Pinup or keep your hair covered
Another great way to prevent any form of hair dam‑
age during Holi is to carefully cover it with a scarf.
This will not only ensure that your tresses are totally
safe from coming into contact with colors but will also
help you wash your hair post celebrations with lesser
effort. However, when covering your is just not be
possible, you can choose to braid your hair so that it is
at least partially protected. This is a good way to pre‑
vent hair breakage that many women experience after
Holi.
Rinse off the right way
Rinsing off colors from your hair in the right way is a
golden rule. It is important to ensure that you rinse off
your hair only with cold water as warm water tends to
solidify the colors, making them linger on the surface
of your hair and scalp. You can also choose to prep
your hair with a conditioner that will ensure that the
colors wash out easily. Going herbal while washing and
treating your hair post the color splash can be a wise
decision. Aloe‑vera and tea‑tree oil are good natural
shampoo ingredients to choose from.
 18 March 23-29, 2019 ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Indian‑origin YouTube star ‘Badhaai Ho’ writer slams film

lands US late night show awards for dropping her name
Y B
adhaai Hoʼ writer Jyoti Kapoor stated that if any part of her story or
ouTube sensation
has called out the Filmfare character is used, she would be given
Lilly Singh, who
Awards for dropping her credit. However, her bit wasnʼt used.
goes by the stage
name from the Best Story category However, Jyoti maintains that the
name Superwoman and
nomination, the Hindustan Times premise of the film (parents of adult
has her roots in Punjab,
reported. While she was credited children get pregnant, leading to a
has landed a rare chance
along with Akshat Ghildial and crisis in the family) was her idea and
to host a late night talk
Shantanu Srivastava initially by it was duly registered. Her basic story
show on a major broad‑
Filmfare, her name was unceremoni‑ was called Hum Do Hamaare Char, on
cast network ‑‑ a feat for
ously dropped later. “My name was the basis of which, Junglee had hired
a woman of color.
included in the nomineesʼ list…, until her. Jyoti further said that she would
Canadian‑born Singh
it magically disappeared...” legally pursue the matter.
will replace Carson Daly
However, the report goes on to give Ayushmann Khurrana starrer
as the host of NBC's late
the film producersʼ side as well. Priti ʻBadhaai Hoʼ was directed by Amit
night talk show. The
of Junglee Pictures said that though Sharma and also starred Neena
show will be re‑titled "A
Jyoti was part of the initial team, her Gupta, Gajraj Rao, Surekha Sikri and
Little Late with Lilly
contract ended in 2016. The contract Sanya Malhotra in important roles.
Singh" and will launch in
September, making her
the only woman to cur‑
Lilly Singh has more than 14 million subscribers on YouTube.
rently host a late night
talk show on one of the big networks, report‑ Singh's Unicorn Island Productions, will serve
ed variety.com. as co‑executive producer.
"A Little Late" will feature Singh, who first Superwoman, as she is popular, has been
became famous as a YouTube star, conducting famous with video series like Battle of Sexes,
in‑studio interviews, as well as feature pre‑ The Parents Lols, My Parents React, #GirlLove A still
or Awkward Message Thoughts. from the
taped comedy sketches and other "signature
movie
elements." Singh, who has more than 14 million
ʻBadhaai
"Lilly is truly a star and we're thrilled to wel‑ YouTube subscribers, was overwhelmed with
Hoʼ.
come her to our NBC family," said Doug all the messages that came her way.
Vaughan, executive vice president, special She wrote: "My heart is so incredibly full.
programmes and late night, NBC Thank you so much for all the love and posi‑
Entertainment. tive energy. I'm speechless. I'm overwhelmed...
Singh will serve as executive producer on "A Oh... and India I can't wait to celebrate with
Little Late", while Polly Auritt, who heads you. Mamas timing ain't no mistake."

HERE'S WHAT SELFIE EPISODE 'Hamid': Local flavor,

TAUGHT NAWAZUDDIN universal appeal
C By Troy Ribeiro
ritically acclaimed
actor Nawazuddin REVIEW

Siddiqui is always
open to interacting with his
fans but after an admirer
recently dragged him for a
selfie, he has learnt that occa‑
sionally he needs to be "more
careful".
Last month, he was in
Kanpur, shooting for "Raat
Akeli Hai". In a video that
surfaced online, he can be
seen surrounded by fans.
One of his over‑enthusiastic
fans dragged him for a selfie.
Asked if he is scared of get‑
ting close to his fans now,
Nawazuddin told IANS in an
e‑mail interview: "I am
always open to meeting and
interacting with my fans. But
I have learnt that I need to be
more careful... This is something I did
not really think about.
"But it does not mean that I won't
interact with them because they are
very important to me and they right‑
fully deserve the respect," added the
actor, who is followed by 2.59 million
people on Twitter.
Apart from this film, the "Thackeray" would love to be a part of it," said the
actor has more projects lined up such
An over‑enthusiastic fan dragged actor
Nawazuddin Siddiqui for a selfie.
as "Bole Chudiyan". He is also happily
fronting advertisements of online
poker brand PokerStars India.
But if one looks at his filmography,
he has acted in just one sports related
film ‑‑ "Freaky Ali". Does he wish to
add more films in the genre to the list?
"Yes, if a good script comes across, I
National Award winning actor.
S
et in Kashmir and
inspired by true inci‑
dents, Aijaz Khan's film
Hamid is a fictional tale with
local flavor and universal appeal.
An adaptation of Amin Bhat's
play 'Phone No. 786', it's a well‑
crafted portrayal of a boy's loyal‑
ty to his father and his determi‑
nation to get him back to make
his family whole again. Seen
through the eyes of Hamid, 7‑
year‑old son of Rehmat, a ship‑
wright (a person who makes
boats for a living), the film is a With arresting demeanor, Talha Arshad Reshi
testament to the lives of those
portrays Hamid with all earnestness.
waiting for their loved ones to return. It Arshad Reshi who with sparkling eyes and
reveals their pain and grief. arresting demeanor, portrays Hamid with all
The tale is narrated in a simple and yet earnestness. He is simply charming. You'll
love his spunk and honesty and he does full
savvy manner with layers to interpret. It
touches upon issues like the state of affairs justice to his character.
in Kashmir, how life has changed and the There are some moments that seem forced
hardships the people have to bear. in the narrative, especially when at a bus
The casting too is pitch perfect. Each actor stop, when a funeral passes by, Rehmat
plays his part with all honesty. Rasika Dugal stops to "give shoulder" to the coffin, despite
is a competent actress and as Hamid's sto‑ knowing that his son would miss the bus.
ically suffering mother Ishrat, she is consci‑ DOP John Wilmor deserves kudos as the
entious and convincing. So is Sumit Kaul as cinematography, is yet another highlight of
Hamid's father Rehmat and Vikas Kumar as the film. His lens captures the beauty of the
the repentant Abhay. locales as well as emotions of the people
But the star of the film is definitely Talha with equal candor.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Actors make the worst
friends: Sunny Leone
Actress Sunny Leone expressed her views on a TV show.
S
unny expressed her
views when she
appeared on an episode
of show "By Invite Only" on
zoOm Styled by Myntra.
"Actors and entertainers make
the worst friends because they
are never available, neither emo‑
tionally, nor physically. We are
not there for our own birthdays,
let alone somebody else's birth‑
day," Sunny said.
On the appreciation she has
received from the industry, she
AAMIR KHAN SAYS SON JUNAID
IS MORE INTERESTED IN THEATRE
A V
ctor Aamir Khan has said
that his son Junaid is cur‑
rently more interested in
doing theatre and he supports
his decision, a report in the
Hindustan Times said.
Junaid, Aamirʼs elder child
from his previous marriage to
Reena Dutta, has worked as an
assistant director on Rajkumar
Hiraniʼs ʻPKʼ, which featured the
Bollywood superstar in the lead.
“It is up to him (about making
his film debut). He should lead
his own life and take his own
decisions. I donʼt want to take it
for him. I have left it all to him.
He certainly has an inclination
towards the creative world and
towards filmmaking. “He is actu‑
ally more interested in theatre
than films. I am allowing him to
go and find his own path. Thatʼs
how it should be,” Aamir said in
an interview.
The superstar once again made
it clear that if Junaid wants to
venture in to Bollywood as an
actor, then he will have to follow
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
said: "I don't set very high
expectations when it comes to
the industry reaching out and
appreciating me, so I'm never
really disappointed."
Sunny has been trolled time
and again. But she wouldn't
want to be trolled about her
children.
"I don't care what people say
about me but I wouldn't want
people to say bad things about
my kids," said the actress, who
has three children.
Actor Aamir Khan said he wonʼt take decisions for his son.
the proper process and give
audition for roles.
“If I feel there is something
that I got and if he (Junaid) fits
Ten weeks and five hits:
Content matters
By Vinod Mirani
W
hen a maker has solid
content, a superstar is
not needed. Of the reign‑
ing but 50+ superstars, only Aamir
Khan seems to have realized this
fact! Or, so his film ʻDangalʼ and his
portrayal of a determined Haryanvi
father, wanting to turn his daugh‑
ters into world class wrestling
champs, has proved!
Salman Khan played varied char‑
acters all along in films like
ʻBaaghi: A Rebel For Loveʼ, ʻSaajanʼ,
ʻHum Aapke Hain Koun..!ʼ to a typi‑
cal South Indian theme like
ʻBandhanʼ. He did not stick to a par‑
ticular genre. He did a series of
action/comedies starting with
ʻWantedʼ for over half a decade,
changed tracks with ʻBajrangi
Bhaijaanʼ and ʻSultaanʼ.
Shah Rukh Khan is the latest case
of a star being the prisoner of his
own image. The couple of times
when he tried to be different was
with ʻMy Name Is Khanʼ and
ʻRa.Oneʼ. He stuck to his image in
ʻRaeesʼ, ʻJab Harry Met Sejalʼ, ʻZeroʼ
or ʻFanʼ where he preferred to play
larger than life romantic charac‑
ters.
There are the second rung stars
with Akshay Kumar leading the
pack followed by Ajay Devgn.
Akshay Kumar has his strategy well
sorted out. Akshay does three to
four films a year and yet manages
in, then only (I will cast him)... He
will have to go through a casting
process. He hasnʼt audition for
anything,” Aamir said.
March 23-29, 2019 19
are the real heroes, mak‑
ing films run. One of the
reasons being that the
new breed of stars like
Ranveer Singh, Varun
Dhawan, Ayushmaan
Khurana, Tiger Shroff,
Alia Bhatt, Anushka
Sharma, Kangana
Ranaut, Yami Gautam or
even Shahid Kapoor and
John Abraham are all
willing to try newer
themes and have avoid‑
ed being slotted.
Not to rob them of
due credit, these actors
‑ male and female ‑ are
getting a great band of
talented supporting
actors who have
Actor Akshay Kumarʼs choice of films is
become stars in their
relevant to what is happening around us.
own right. The cur‑
to survive. His choice of subjects is rent favorites are Saurabh Shukla,
varied, relevant to what is happen‑ Annu Kapoor, Piyush Mishra,
ing around us. The process started Yashpal Sharma, Pavan Malhotra,
with films like ʻTanu Weds Manuʼ, Zakiir Hussain, Rajesh Sharma,
ʻABCDʼ, ʻPikuʼ, ʻMasaanʼ, ʻ2 Statesʼ, Brijendra Kala, Vipin Shrma, and
ʻEk Villainʼ, ʻHighwayʼ, ʻQueenʼ, many more.
ʻVicky Donorʼ, ʻFukrayʼ, ʻDirty Look at how the year 2019 has
Pictureʼ, ʻKahaaniʼ, ʻNeerjaʼ, ʻKapoor started and been so far – about 21
& Sonsʼ, ʻPinkʼ, ʻHindi Mediumʼ, ʻA new releases. No superstar to hog
Wednesday!ʼ, ʻJolly LLBʼ, ʻThe Ghazi the premiere release dates like the
Attackʼ, ʻʼMuktii Bhawanʼ, ʻHichkiʼ, January 26 weekend! And, we
ʻRaaziʼ, ʻ102 Not Outʼ, where one already have five hits, all content
out of a score worked as so many based and controlled budget. All
such experiments failed. But, that these films did not break box office
seemed to be the only way! records on day one. They had to let
In the last year or so, the stories the word spread.
Jeetendra's 'Caravan' to
be screened in China fest
eteran
actors
Jeetendra
and Asha Parekh
starrer "Caravan"
will be screened
at the upcoming
Hainan Island
International Film
Festival (HIIFF) in
China. The 1971
Bollywood classic
will be shown
under the catego‑
ry of 2019 Spring
Actors Jeetendra and Asha Parekh
screening Gems of
in a still from ʻCaravanʼ.
Asia ‑ Spotlight on
India. Happy about the screen‑ filmmaker Nasir Hussain,
ing, Jeetendra said in a state‑ "Caravan" was a thriller which
ment: "I am honored to know also starred actress Aruna Irani
that 'Caravan' movie has been in a pivotal role.
chosen by committee to be The film was released in
screened on the day of opening China later and its music by the
ceremony in the festival. "This "Mozart of Bollywood", RD
is the great initiative which will Burman become very popular
enrich and promote the cultur‑ then, read a statement. The fes‑
al exchanges between China tival will be held from March
and India." 23 to April 16 in the city of
Directed by the legendary Sanya on the Hainan Island.
 20 March 23-29, 2019
All are alive and all is well: JeM
M
asood Azhar, the head
of the proscribed Jaish‑
e‑Mohammed terrorist
group, said in a purported col‑
umn false news was being spread
about the losses incurred by the
JeM and about his health and all
these were untrue. “Nothing like
that. All are alive and all is well,”
he wrote in his column.
In his most recent column writ‑
ten, under his pen name Saadi, in
the latest edition of JeMʼs weekly
paper Al‑Qalam, Azhar chal‑
lenged Indian prime minister
Narendra Modi to a shooting or
archery competition in a bid to
prove how medically fit he is, a
Hindustan Times report said.
Al‑Qalam is widely known as
JeMʼs mouthpiece and Saadi is a
we ll‑known pseudonym of
Azharʼs. Comparing his situation
and that of his organization to
that of Muslims during the time
of Prophet Mohammed, Azhar
said that both he and his sup‑
Bangladesh FIFA
official held for
'defaming' PM
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina has made
no public comment on the issue.
Dhaka: Bangladeshi authorities
have arrested a senior member of
football's world governing body
FIFA for allegedly defaming the
country's prime minister.
Mahfuza Akhter Kiron, a FIFA
Council member, was detained
after she had said that Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina was
neglecting football, the BBC report‑
ed.
A defamation claim was then
filed by a local sport official, alleg‑
ing that the comments embar‑
rassed the entire nation.
Kiron was denied bail and sent to
jail, her lawyer said.
The government of Sheikh
Hasina has been accused by
human rights groups of using
Masood Azhar is the head of Pak‑based
terror group Jaish‑e‑Mohammed.
porters are well.
Azhar said that the fire started
by Kashmiris like Adil Ahmad
Dar (the suicide bomber behind
the Pulwama attack that killed
40 Indian troopers) was not
going to be extinguished any
time soon. Azhar also referred to
terror activities in Jammu &
tough media laws to stifle dissent
in the country.
Last August, renowned
Bangladeshi photographer and
activist Shahidul Alam was jailed
for "spreading false information"
during mass demonstrations.
During a recent TV talk show,
Kiron said Hasina was neglecting
football in the cricket‑mad
Bangladesh.
This prompted local sport offi‑
cial Abul Hasan Chowdhury Prince
to file a defamation claim.
The defamation claim alleges
that such comments about the
sports‑loving prime minister
embarrasses the entire nation.
Sheikh Hasina has so far made
no public comment on the issue.
SUBCONTINENT
Kashmir as a freedom movement
and claimed it would spread
across the region and out of the
valley as t ime prog ressed
because this is how such move‑
ments evolve.
Azhar wrote that the situation
in the region is critical and drew
attention to what was happening
Afghan city shuts down over
police chief appointment
Kabul: Afghanistan's northern city
of Mazar‑e‑Sharif observed a shut‑
down as armed supporters of a
powerful former Governor clashed
with government forces over the
appointment of a new provincial
police chief. The central govern‑
ment cleared the appointment of
Abdul Raqib Mubariz as the new
police chief of Balkh, replacing Gen.
Akram Sammeh, amid worsening
security situation in the northern
province, Efe news reported.
"In order to improve the security
situation of Balkh, it was decided to
bring change in police leadership,"
the Interior Ministry said in a state‑
ment. But the decision was objected
by former Governor and powerful
warlord Atta Muhammad Noor, who
is also Chief Executive of the
Jamiat‑e‑Islami political party, and
Pak seeks UN probe into disclosure
of Saeed's info to Indian media
New Delhi: Irked over disclosure
of information regarding the UN's
rejection of Jamaat‑ud‑Dawa chief
Hafiz Saeed's plea for removal of
his name from the list of global
terrorists earlier this month,
Pakistan has written to the global
body urging the setting up of an
enquiry to find out how Indian
media got the information.
“In a letter to the UN last week,
Pakistan's Ambassador to the
United Nations Maleeha Lodhi
urged the sett ing up of an
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
France freezes assets of JeM chief
Paris: The French government announced that it has decided to
freeze the assets of Masood Azhar. A joint statement issued by the
French Interior Ministry, Finance Ministry and Foreign Ministry said
that France would also discuss putting Azhar on an European Union
list of people suspected of being involved in terrorism, Reuters
reported. Pakistan is under pressure from many countries to act
against terrorist groups including the JeM, which claimed responsi‑
bility for the February 14 suicide bombing in Jammu and Kashmir
that killed 40 CRPF personnel.
in Afghanistan. tor for several years.
On his own health, Azhar said He also said a Quran inspired
that this was a topic on which he diet have freed him from the
was usually reluctant to talk, but clutches of ailments such as
that g iven the propag anda hypertension and diabetes.
against him, he was forced to “T here is nothing to worry
write about his personal situa‑ about,” the Je M chie f said,
tion. He claimed he was fit and adding that in his spare moments
fine. he practised archery. “Unlike
“I am fully well. My kidney and Narendra Modi, I am fully fit. I
liver are perfectly fine.” He said challenge him to a g ame or
that for 17 years he had never archery or a shooting competi‑
been to a hospital, and added tion to prove I am more fit than
that he had not consulted a doc‑ he is.”
The northern city of Mazar‑e‑Sharif is famous
for the historic Blue Mosque.
holds great sway in Balkh province. in a statement on social media. He
Mazar‑e‑Sharif is the provincial cap‑ alleged that the Presidential Place
ital of Balkh. in Kabul had plotted against him
"I call upon on all residents of and "brought the war to Mazar‑e‑
Mazar‑e‑Sharif to stay indoors. Sharif ", indicating that there is an
Shops and markets must be kept all‑out war between him and
shut until further notice," Noor said Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
enquiry to find out which of the
15 members of the Committee
had provided the information to
India's ʻof ficial news agency'
about the UN's rejection of Hafiz
Saeed's plea for removal of his
name from the list of global ter‑
rorists earlier this month,” a gov‑
ernment source said here. This is
one of the rare occasions when a
country has written to the United
Nations seeking a probe into pub‑
lishing of happenings at the world Jamaat‑ud‑Dawa chief and
body. 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
NZ carnage: Suspect charged with
murder; death toll mounts to 50
Christchurch: An Australian man,
who is the main suspect in the
massacre of people at two
mosques in Christchurch,
appeared in a court here where
he was been charged with mur‑
der. Brenton Harrison Tarrant,
28, appeared be fore the
Christchurch district court
dressed in a white prison jump‑
suit, handcuffed and barefoot. He
did not speak but appeared to
make a white supremacist sign
with his hands, the Guardian
reported.
He has been charged with one
count of murder. Judge Paul
Kellar did not reveal the victim's
name on grounds of undue hard‑
ship to his family. He was
remanded in custody without a
plea and is due to appear in court
again on April 5.
The death toll from the terror
attack rose to 50 as one more vic‑
tim was found at one of the shoot‑
ing scenes, the police said.
Investigators found the victim
while removing bodies from the
Al Noor mosque where more than
40 people were killed as a gun‑
UK MPs vote by
majority to delay Brexit
British PM
Theresa May
is planning
another
vote on her
withdrawal
deal.
London: UK MPs have voted in
favor of delaying the Brexit
process by at least three
months, acknowledging that
more time was needed to break
the deadlock over Britain's
departure from the European
Union (EU), although a call for a
second referendum was deci‑
sively rejected. The MPs voted
412 votes to 202 to approve of
Prime Minister Theresa May's
plan to delay Brexit, after the
House of Commons earlier this
week overwhelmingly rejected
her withdrawal agreement by a
large margin, for a second time,
and then voted to reject a no‑
deal Brexit, CNN reported.
The votes were the last in a
People mourn for victims of Christchurch attacks.
man stormed the mosque and
went on a shooting rampage,
Police Commissioner Mike Bush
told a press conference.
Tarrant, who grew up in the
Australian town of Grafton, had
been living in the Dunedin, about
360 km south of Christchurch.
New Zealand police closed the
Christchurch court to the public
over security concerns, but the
media was able to attend.
series of vital parliamentary
decisions on Brexit over several
days, mean that Britain's depar‑
ture from the EU should not
now take place before June 30
and gave May a window to
resuscitate her plan.
May will now ask European
leaders to grant an extension to
Article 50, the mechanism tak‑
ing the UK out of the EU on
March 29.
Unless a delay is approved by
all 27 remaining EU leaders,
Britain is heading for a chaotic
exit on March 29.
The MPs, earlier rejected an
attempt to secure another
Brexit referendum by 334 votes
to 85, the BBC said.
INTERNATIONAL
Australian police are investigat‑
ing Tarrant's connections around
Grafton.
Tarrant was one of three people
arrested in connection with the
shootings at the Al Noor Mosque
and the Linwood Avenue Masjid.
The other two remain in custody
but their role in the shootings
remains unclear, CNN said. A
fourth person who had been
taken into custo dy was later
NORTH KOREA MAY BREAK
OFF US TALKS: TOP OFFICIAL
Pyongyang: North Korean leader
Kim Jong‑un may break off denu‑
clearization talks with the US and
resume missile and nuclear test‑
ing, a senior official here said.
Vice Foreign Minister Choe
Sun‑hui told foreign diplomats
here that Washington threw
away "a golden opportunity" at
the Vietnam summit between US
President Donald Trump and
Kim, the BBC reported.
Choe accused the US of taking
a "gangster‑like" stance at the
February summit which was held
to discuss the regime's denu‑
clearization process. Trump and
Kim first met in Singapore last
year.
North Korea had earlier offered
to dismantle its main Yongbyon
nuclear complex. But talks col‑
lapsed after Trump refused to lift
sanct ions unless Pyong yang
destroyed all its nuclear sites.
"We have no intention to yield
to the US demands in any form,
nor are we willing to engage in
negotiations of this kind," she
told reporters in North Korea,
according to Russian state Tass
news agency.
Choe said that North Korea's
demand during the summit was
for five key economic sanctions
to be lifted, not all sanctions, as
March 23-29, 2019 21
NZ PM questions Facebook
N
ew Zealand Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern said she
intends to ask Facebook
how the Christchurch gunman,
who slaughtered 50 people during
Friday prayers, was able to
livestream the massacre. Using a
GoPro camera, the terrorist broad‑
cast extremely graphic footage of
him shooting people at the Al Noor
Mosque via Facebook Live. The
livestream was available to watch
on social media for hours after the
attack, newshub.co.nz reported.
Besides being livestreamed on
Facebook, the video, lasting 17
minutes, was shared repeatedly on
YouTube and Twitter, before being
New Zealand Prime Minister
removed by the social media giant. Jacinda Ardern.
In a press conference, Ardern dis‑
approved of the social media giant Facebook's incompetence at allow‑
ing graphic content to be uploaded and shared thus widely. Facebook
has on its part said that as many as 1.5 million videos of the attack
were removed from its platform in the first 24 hours.
determined to be an armed Indonesia all say some of their cit‑
bystander who wanted he lp izens were killed in the shooting
police. India, Bangladesh and and others are unaccounted for.
North Korean leader Kim Jong‑un may resume
missile and nuclear testing.
Trump said after talks broke full sanctions relief.
down. "What is clear is that the "It was all about the sanctions.
US has thrown away a golden They wanted the sanctions lifted
opportunity this time. I'm not in their entirety and we couldn't
sure why the US came out with do that," Trump said that time.
this dif ferent description. We "Sometimes you have to walk and
never asked for the removal of this was one of those times."
sanctions in their entirety." In Washington this week, the
Choe said that Kim will make US special representative for
an official announcement on his North Korea, Stephen Biegun,
position regarding future talks said that diplomacy was "still
with the US soon. very much alive", though he did
Trump and US Secretary of not say if there had been any
State Mike Pompeo stated after negotiations since the summit or
talks in February that North outlined any plans for
Korean of ficials had asked for further talks.
 22 March 23-29, 2019 BUSINESS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

HDFC Bank joins Reliance Ex-Nissan chief Ghosn

Industries, TCS in
$100‑billion m‑cap club
India now has three companies in the
global top 100 list in terms of market value
New Delhi: Private sector lender
HDFC Bank has joined the $100‑
billion market capitalization (M‑
cap) club. Including the value of
its American depository receipts
(ADRs), the Mumbai‑based
lenderʼs market value currently
is $101.6 billion.
Only Reliance Industries (M‑
cap $123 billion) and Tata
Consultancy Services ($108 bil‑
lion) have higher market value.
At fourth and fifth place are con‑
sumer goo ds companies
Hindustan Unilever and ITC, with
a market cap of $55 billion and
$53 billion, respectively.
India now has three companies
in the g lobal top 100 list in
terms of market value.
Reliance Industries (RIL) ranks
72, Tata Consultancy Services
(TCS) is at 86 and HDFC Bank
at 99.
released on bail
Tokyo: Former Nissan Motor
chairman Carlos Ghosn was
released from a Tokyo detention
facility on Wednesday after more
than 100 days of incarceration in
a case of financial misconduct.
Ghosn, 64, had been charged
with under‑reporting his remu‑
neration in Nissan's securities
reports and aggravated breach of
trust, but he denies any wrong‑
doing. His previous requests for
bail were turned down and his
lengthy detention has drawn
international criticism.
A Tokyo court made the sur‑
prise decision to allow his
release on Tuesday, setting bail
at 1 billion yen ($8.9 million), the
BBC reported.
Carlos Ghosn
He left the detention center
after a "terrible ordeal" of 108 ed access to the use of mobile brought Mitsubishi on board in
days surrounded by guards, phones and computers. Ghosn, 2016. He ran the alliance of the
wearing a cap and white medical who was arrested in November three global carmakers as both
face mask. Ghosn, who must stay 2018, would also be required not Chief Executive and Chairman
in Japan after his release, will to contact Nissan executives or and had claimed his arrest was
live in a court‑approved resi‑ others involved in the case, to the result of a "plot and treason"
dence in Tokyo and prepare for a prevent any attempt at tamper‑ against him ‑‑ a bid by some
trial that could begin late this ing of evidence. Nissan executives wanting to
year. He will also have to remain Ghosn was the architect of the stop his plan to integ rate
under limited video surveillance alliance between Nissan and the Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi,
and will only be granted restrict‑ French carmaker Renault. He the BBC reported.

New Zealand firms to pull Top Facebook, WhatsApp

ads from Facebook, Google
Wellington: A collective of some of
New Zealand's biggest companies is set
to pull ads from Facebook and Google
in the wake of the March 15
Christchurch mosques shootings in
which the gunman live‑streamed his
massacre of 50 people.
Using a GoPro camera, the gunman
broadcast extremely graphic footage
of him shooting people at the Al Noor
Mosque via Facebook Live. The live
stream was available to watch on
social media for hours after the attack.
Besides being live‑streamed on
Facebook, the video, lasting 17 min‑
utes, was shared repeatedly on
YouTube and Twitter, before being
removed by the social media giant.
The New Zealand Herald said on
Monday that the collective, including
ASB Bank, Lotto NZ, Burger King,
Spark, has come together to take a
stand against the harm caused by
unmoderated content on the Internet.
At this stage, it is still unclear how
extensive the pull‑back will be or for
how long the companies are likely to
pull their digital ads.
Other brands have also acted inde‑
pendently, The New Zealand Herald
reported.
Kiw ibank suspended all dig ital
advertising on March 15 shortly after
the carnage took place at the Al Noor
mosque and the Linwood Avenue
Masjid that also left over 40 others
injured.
On Sunday, New Zealand Prime
Minister Jacinda Ardern said that she
intended to ask Facebook how the gun‑
man was able to live stream the mas‑
sacre.
Facebook has on its part said that as
many as 1.5 million videos of the
attack were removed from its platform
in the first 24 hours.
executives quit
A
s Facebook pushes for a more private
and encrypted communication across
its apps, two of its top executives ‑‑
Chief Product Officer Chris Cox and WhatsApp
Vice President Chris Daniels ‑‑ have quit the
company, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has
announced.
Embroiled in data privacy scandals amid the
unabated spread of fake news on its platform,
Facebook has lately seen several high‑profile
exits.
"Cox and I have worked closely together to
build our products for more than a decade and
I will always appreciate his deep empathy for
the people using our services and the uplifting
spirit he brings to every thing he does,"
Zuckerberg said in a blog post late Thursday.
In a separate Face book post, Cox said
Facebook is turning a new page in its product
direction, focused on an encrypted, interopera‑
ble, messaging network.
"It's a product vision attuned to the subject
matter of today: a modern communications
platform that balances expression, safety, secu‑
rity, and privacy.
"This will be a big project and we will need
leaders who are excited to see the new direc‑
tion through," wrote Cox, who was one of the
first 15 engineers Facebook hired 13 years
back.
Zuckerberg also announced the departure of
Chris Daniel, who helped Facebook define the
business model for WhatsApp going forward.
"Daniel has also done great work in many
roles, including running our business develop‑
ment team, leading Internet.org, which has
helped more than 100 million people get
access to the Internet," said the Facebook CEO.
Daniel was in India last year where he met IT
Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to discuss ways
to sanitize WhatsApp amid several lynching
episodes that happened owing to the spread of
rumors on the platform. "Will Cathcart will be
the new head of WhatsApp. Most recently, he
has done a great job running the Facebook
app," Zuckerberg informed.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Lost a battle, hope not the war
By Yajurvindra Singh
I
ndia, with a 2‑0 lead against
Australia in the five‑match One
Day International (ODI) rubber
at home, looked certain to clinch
another series. But the final result
of a 2‑3 defeat did come as a rude
shock to the Indian camp.
What is more worrying is the
false bravado that followed the loss.
One does understand that the focus
of the Indian cricket think tank is
on selecting the players for the
upcoming World Cup. But losing
three matches on the trot is defi‑
nitely a cause for concern.
A rookie Australian side mauled
the strong Indian bowling attack,
scoring over 300 runs on two occa‑
sions. The Australian batsmen, who
earlier looked vulnerable against
spin and pace, seemed to have got
the measure of the Indian bowling
unit.
India probably exposed their
bowlers more than it was neces‑
sary. T his, therefore, gave the
Australian batsmen the time to
make the finer adjustments to play
them successfully.
Australia, the defending World
Afghanistan notch
up maiden Test win
Afghanistan's cricket team with the trophy. (Photo: IANS)
Dehradun: Afghanistan registered
their maiden win in the longest
format of the game on Monday
after hammering Ireland by seven
wickets in the one‑off Test here.
Chasing 147 for victory,
Afghanistan comfortably crossed
the line on the fourth day of the
contest, thanks to the 139‑run
second w icket partnership
between between Rahmat Shah
(76 off 122) and Ihsanullah Janat
(65 off 129).
It was also Shah's second fifty of
the match as he had played a 214‑
ball 98‑run kno ck in
Afghanistan's first innings score
of 314.
With just three runs needed for
victory, Afghanistan lost Shah and
Mohammad Nabi in successive
deliveries before incoming bats‑
man Hashmatullah Shahidi hit the
w inning boundary to hand
A rookie Australian side mauled the strong Indian bowling attack,
scoring over 300 runs on two occasions.
Cup champions, was not looked at
as a front‑runner for the showpiece
event this year. But the series victo‑
ry against India has given them
that extra pair of wings and confi‑
dence.
India, one felt on sheer past per‑
formance, had a pool of players
who could be interchanged without
showing any major weakness in the
composure of their final playing
eleven.
This has now been proved wrong,
as the young Indian players,
blessed with plenty of natural tal‑
ent, have shown that they lack
maturity and understanding of the
Afghanistan a memorable win.
Earlier opting to bat, Ireland
were bundled out for 172 runs,
courtesy some decent bowling by
the Afg han bow lers ‑‑ Yamin
Ahmadzai (3/41), Mohammad
Nabi (3/36) and Rashid Khan
(2/20).
The war‑torn nation then rode
Shah, Shahidi (61) and skipper
Asghar Afghan's (67) knocks to
post 314 runs, taking a healthy
142‑run lead.
This was Afghanistan's second
Test outing after making their
debut in 2018 against India, while
Ireland have also played two five‑
day games.
Afghanistan played India in
their maiden Test in Bengaluru
last year which was a goodwill
gesture from the Narendra Modi
government to help the war‑torn
nation play the game.
SPORTS
dynamics of the situat ion.
Unfortunately, the Indian team has
to once again look at the "tried and
tested" players. Going by his last
press interview, it seems that
Indian captain Virat Kohli has
finalised his playing eleven, as well
as the core group of players. One
hopes that the Indian selectors and
Kohli are on the same page, espe‑
cially as April 23 is the last date for
submitting the Indian side for the
World Cup to the International
Cricket Council (ICC).
Kohli also said that the perform‑
ances in the Indian Premier League
(IPL) will have no bearing on the
SC lifts Sreesanth's life ban
New Delhi: The Supreme Court
canceled life ban on India crick‑
eter S. Sreesanth and asked the
Board of Control for Cricket in
India (BCCI) to reconsider his
punishment.
Sreesanth was arrested by
De lhi Police along w ith Ajit
Chandila and Ankeet Chavan on
charges of spot‑fixing during the
2013 edit ion of the Indian
Premier League (IPL).
In a relief for the pace bowler,
the apex court set aside the life
ban imposed on him as a bench
headed by Ashok Bhushan asked
the BCCI to consider the quan‑
tum of punishment on Sreesanth.
The top court though maintained
that he is guilty of
BCCI agrees to work with
NADA for 6 months
New Delhi: The Supreme Court‑
appointed Committee of
Administrators (CoA) of the
Board of Control for Cricket in
India (BCCI) met ICC chairman
Shashank Manohar in Mumbai
on Monday and decided that the
Indian board will work with the
National Anti‑Doping Agency
(NADA) for the next six months
on a trial basis.
Speaking to IANS, sources in
the know of developments said
March 23-29, 2019
selection of the World Cup side. But
the IPL is such a popular tourna‑
ment that a good performance by
the likes of Ajinkya Rahane,
Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey,
Mayank Agarwal or the other aspir‑
ing prospects may garner public
support which may be hard to
ignore, g iven the weakness in
India's middle‑order.
The Indian side should have four
possible openers in their fold.
Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and
K.L.Rahul at present look certain.
The weather conditions in England
in June are likely to be wet and
cold. The Indian team has struggled
in England in the past and more
than flamboyant stroke‑play, the
technically correct and subtle
placements get better results. This
is precisely why Rahane could be
preferred as a possible alternative.
The No. 3 spot should be a perma‑
nent fixture for Kohli. He is by far
the best batsman in the Indian side
and the more overs he gets to bat,
the better it is for the team. The No.
4 and No. 5 slots are where India is
showing a certain weakness.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a cer‑
tainty in the side for his wicket‑
bett ing/match‑fixing. De lhi
Police had arrested Sreesanth
from his friend's house while
Chandila and Chavan had been
that the board was willing to
work with NADA for a period of
six months, but the agency would
be allowed to collect only 10 per
cent samples for testing.
"The Indian board has agreed
to try and work with NADA for
the next six months and then
decide on the road ahead.
"Trust has been an issue and
that needs to be gained with
quality work from the agency.
The agency will collect only 10
23
keeping, but he definitely does not
look like India's best option to fill
the No. 4 position. Dhoni should be
used as a floater, as his astute crick‑
eting brain is important in getting
the best from whomsoever he may
be batting along‑side.
The street smart cricketer, Kedar
Jadhav, has cemented his place at
the No. 6 position. He is a shrewd
spinner and a very handy lower
order finisher.
The bowling all‑rounder's posi‑
tion will revolve around Hardik
Pandya and Vijay Shankar. The lat‑
ter has also shown that he has the
technique to bat higher up the
order, if and when required.
Although Dinesh Kartik looks to
be a strong contender for the sec‑
ond wicketkeeper's slot, the young
and talented Rishabh Pant should
be chosen. He is an ideal limited
overs batsman, who has the natural
flair to be a match‑w inner. In
England, the ball will not spin the
way it does in India and with more
pace bowlers operating, Pant will
feel much more at ease. Now the
entire country will cherish if they
win the "war" of cricket by clinch‑
ing the World Cup.
S. Sreesanth cheers
after the Supreme Court
canceled life ban on
him. (Photo: IANS)
picked up from the team hotel as
the three were plying their trade
for Rajasthan Royals in the T20
league.
per cent samples for testing.
"The board feels that with the
2022 Commonwealth Games in
sight, India would like to field the
women's team in the event at
Birmingham and this is a move
aimed at that direction," the
source said.
While the International Cricket
Council (ICC) has decided to
remain compliant to the WADA
directives, the BCCI had reserva‑
tion on dealing with NADA.
 24 March 23-29, 2019 RELIGION TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Post‑Christchurch mosque attack, people

of many faiths rallied around Muslims
C
hurches are opening their
doors after mosques were
told to close for security
issues in the wake of the
Christchurch, New Zealand, ter‑
rorist attacks. Mosques are
receiving messages of solidarity
and flowers. A fundraiser for the
victims is nearing $400,000. And
a UK‑based national forum for
Christian‑Muslim engagement is
calling on Christians to go along
to Friday prayers at their local
mosques ‑‑ a call the archbishop
of Canterbury endorsed.
These are only a few examples
of how people and institutions are A man who stood outside a Manchester mosque after the shooting People of various faiths pray for victims of the Christchurch
showing solidarity and of fering of 49 people at mosques in New Zealand said he wanted to shootings at Lakemba Mosque in New South Wales,
help to Muslim communities all "respond with friendship". (Photo courtesy BBC) Australia. Picture: (Photo courtesy: AP)
over the world after March 15th
shoot ing attacks on two closed. "Tonight we will open up port by Justin Welby, the arch‑ dent Andrew Graystone was pic‑ protest or whatever'.
Christchurch mosques that killed The Meeting Place from 7pm to bishop of Canterbury. tured with a placard saying: "You "And then when they saw the
at least 49 people and seriously 8pm for prayer for Christchurch. People started writing support‑ are my friends. I will keep watch message say ing 'You are my
injured 20 others. Come and light a candle, say a ive messages using the hashtag while you pray." friend', their faces broke and
In some of the worst terror silent prayer and stand with our #T heyAreUs to signal that He said Muslims at a they beamed and smiled."
attacks and mass shootings of fellow kiwis. All welcome," the Muslims are welcome in New Levenshulme mosque "beamed" Mr Graystone, who runs a
recent years, Muslim communi‑ post said. "We especially invite Zealand. The phrase gained trac‑ when they saw his act. Christian charity and led London
ties have stepped up to help in the Muslim community whose tion after New Zealand Prime "There are two ways you can 2012's multi‑faith chaplaincy
dif ferent ways. In the aftermath mosques have been closed, to Minister Jacinda Ardern used the respond to an attack like this ‑ team, said he was surprised the
of October's Tree of Life come and join us tonight." words when discussing the attack you can respond with fear or you image of him was widely praised
Synagogue shoot ing in Other landmark churches, such on Friday. Ardern said migrants can respond with friendship," he on social media, including by
Pittsburg h, for example, the as St. Paul's Cathedral in London, and refugees could have been said. Paralympian Baroness Tanni
Muslim‑American nonprofit said it was offering prayers dur‑ caught up in the attack. Mr Graystone said he chose to Grey‑Thompson.
g roups Ce le brate Mercy and ing daily services for those affect‑ "They have chosen to make New stand outside the Medina "I hadn't intended for anybody
MPower Change launched a ed by the shoot ings in New Zealand their home and it is their Mosque on Friday because he other than the people at Medina
crowdfunding appeal that raised Zealand. The Christian Muslim home. They are us," she said. "The "wanted to make sure that peo‑ Mosque to know about this," Mr
thousands for the victims. Forum called on Christians to go person who has perpetuated this ple know we can respond with Graystone said.
Immediate ly after Friday's to Friday prayers at their local violence against us is not." friendship". "But I guess there are little
mosques "to stand in solidarity." "As people walked up, you things that lots of people can do
attacks in Christchurch, the Te
Atatū Baptist Church in Auckland, "Churches are visiting mosques Friendship could see in their eyes that they to just express friendship rather
New Zealand, announced it was
opening its doors to Muslims
across the country today in soli‑
darity," the group told CNN. The
over fear were looking at somebody stand‑
ing outside their mosque, think‑
than fear with Muslim friends,
and neighbors and colleagues ‑
because mosques had been message was retweeted in sup‑ In England, Manchester resi‑ ing 'Oh no, is this some kind of so I just took one little action."

UN expert urges countries to protect freedom of religion

Geneva: States must step up measures to pro‑
tect freedom of religion or belief, a UN
human rights expert said earlier this month,
citing concerns about the increasing use of
anti‑blasphemy laws and the imposition of
draconian criminal penalties for expressing
an opinion about religion.
“The increasing application of limits on
freedom of expression, including new legal
and extra‑legal limitations by State and non‑
State actors, is having a concerning impact
on freedom of religion or belief, globally,”
Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur
on freedom of religion or belief, told the
Human Rights Council in Geneva.
“Freedom of religion or belief and freedom
of expression are closely interrelated and
mutually reinforcing rights when exercised
within the legal framework established by
internat ional human rig hts law.
Consequently, where we observe abuses of
one right, we are likely to see the stage being
set for abuses of the other,” he said.
In his report to the Council, Shaheed pre‑
sented examples of restrictions on freedom
of expression, including public order meas‑
Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special
Rapporteur on freedom of religion or
belief, spoke to the Human Rights
Council in Geneva.
ures, anti‑blasphemy, anti‑proselytizing and
anti‑apostasy laws, as well as policies to com‑
bat religious hatred and extremism.
8 Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman
sentenced to death for blasphemy in 2010.
Bibi was reportedly accused of defiling the
cup meant for her Muslim colleagues after
drinking water from the vessel, on the
grounds that as a Christian she was ʻuncleanʼ
and forbidden to use the same utensils as
Muslims.
8 Ashraf Fayadh, Palestinian poet and
artist, who was sentenced to death in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for apostasy in
2015, after which an appeals court commut‑
ed the sentence to eight years in prison and
800 lashes. He was accused of apostasy
because he allegedly questioned religion and
promoted atheism through his poetry. Mr.
Fayadh remains a prisoner of conscience,
detained for the mere peaceful expression of
his opinion.
8 “Pussy Riot”, the Russian feminist punk
rock protest group which briefly performed
(and filmed itself performing) a song deemed
critical of the authorities on 21 February
2012 in the restricted part where the altar is
lo cated in Moscowʼs largest Russian
Orthodox Church. Members of the band were
arrested and criminally charged with hooli‑
ganism.
8 Adoption of an amendment to Nepalʼs
penal code in 2017, which criminalizes ʻhurt‑
ing of religious sentiment” and religious con‑
version.
Shaheed said that nearly 70 States have
anti‑blasphemy laws, with 30 States also car‑
rying anti‑apostasy laws. In some jurisdic‑
tions, either or both of these laws may pro‑
vide for the use of the death penalty.
“There has been a revival of anti‑blasphemy
and anti‑apostasy laws, a proliferation of, and
increasing reliance on, public order laws to
limit expression deemed to be of fensive to
religious or belief communities, along with
increasing investments in strategies that
combat expression which incites persons to
discrimination, hostility or violence against
persons on the basis of religion or belief,”
said the Special Rapporteur. At the same
time, he welcomed that some countries have
recently repealed their former anti‑blasphe‑
my laws.
Shaheed urged States developing strategies
to tackle the issues to be guided by interna‑
tional initiatives like the Rabat Plan of Action,
which seek to operationalize Statesʼ obliga‑
tions to respond to any promotion of reli‑
gious hatred. He also stressed that the Beirut
Declaration on “Faith for Rights” was a
source of important guidance and inspiration
for action.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Night shift can affect bladder, health
Rome: Working night shifts
may deteriorate your quality of
life by af fecting your bladder,
researchers have warned.
Night shift workers reported a
significantly hig her rate of
overactive bladder, and a poor‑
er quality of life when com‑
pared with day shift workers,
suggests the study presented at
the European Association of
Urology Congress in Barcelona.
They also need to pee more,
said researchers, including
Cosimo De Nunzio of
Sant´Andrea Hospital, Rome.
"We know that long‑term
night work is stressful, and is
associated with increased levels
of health problems. This work
shows that constant nig ht
workers may have a higher uri‑
4 simple hacks to beat Excessive hygiene can
seasonal allergies cause antibiotic resistance
A
llergies are the
sixth leading
cause of chronic
illness in the U.S. and
more than 50 million
Americans suffer from
them each year, accord‑
ing to the Centers for
Disease Control and
Prevention. When it
comes to spring aller‑
gies, you donʼt need to
anticipate the season
with dread.
There are steps you
can take to proactively If you suffer from outdoor allergies, switch
dodge allergens and miti‑ to evening showers. This will rid your hair
gate debilitating symp‑ and skin of pollen, so you donʼt bring it to
bed with you. (Photo: Statepoint)
toms, according to the
experts at AccuWeather.
Change Your Routine
Are you a morning bather?
Experts say that if you suffer from
outdoor allergies, you would be
wise to switch to evening showers.
This will rid your hair and skin of
pollen, so you donʼt bring it to bed
with you. No matter what time of
day you shampoo and scrub, youʼll
want to wash your linens in hot
water, to remove as much pollen as
possible.
Stay in‑the‑Know
From dry winds blowing tree
pollen into the air, to wet, rainy
days causing dust mites and mold
to thrive, weather has a huge
impact on the spread of allergens
and, subsequently, the way you
feel, say experts.
“Spring allergies are driven by
trees and grass pollen, and differ‑
ent people will have their own
reactions. If you do suffer from
spring allergens, a cold front pass‑
ing through can bring some relief,”
says Alan Reppert, AccuWeather
senior meteorologist. “But even
nary frequency as well as a
decline in their own quality of
life," said De Nunzio.
"One of the most concerning
things about this work is every‑
one in our sample was
under 50. We normally expect
bladder problems with older
people, but here we have
younger people expressing a
deteriorating quality of life," the
author added.
For the study, the researchers
surveyed 68 men and 68
women between March and
October 2018. All were workers
in the Italian National Health
System, with 66 of the volun‑
teers working night shifts, on
average, 11 hours per night
shift.
The 70 day workers worked
when the weather seems quiet,
allergens can be present and con‑
tribute to illness. For example,
when rain begins and washes
pollen out of the air, mold spores
can climb and cause allergy prob‑
lems.”
Protect Indoor Air
Fresh air may sound appealing,
but opening your car and homeʼs
windows is a fast‑track to a high
pollen count indoors. For a breeze,
stick to air conditioning, as fans
can kick up dust and pollen into
the air.
Consider Your Wardrobe
For those times when you must
be out and about on high‑pollen
count days, wear a wide‑brimmed
hat and sunglasses to protect your‑
self. A scarf or mask over your
mouth and nose can be useful
when symptoms are severe. When
you get home, be sure to remove
outerwear, including shoes, in your
mud room or foyer so you donʼt
track allergens throughout the
house, particularly in areas where
you sleep and spend the most time.
HEALTH March 23-29, 2019 25
an average of 9.1 hours per day.
Using the generally accepted
Overact ive Bladder
Questionnaire, the team found
that those on night shift report‑
ed an average total score of 31,
as against a score of 19 for
those working day shifts.
T he team also found that
night workers scored a signifi‑
cantly worse quality of life, with
scores of 41 against 31 with
day shift workers.
Long‑term night work is
stressful and bad for health.
But new research shows that
night workers may have a
higher urinary frequency as
well as a decline in their quality
of life. (Photo : Lifehacker)
W
hile maintaining hygiene intensive care unit of the institute become ill and die from antibiotic‑
is good for health, excess with clean rooms subject to strong resistant germs is increasing world‑
cleanliness could lead to microbial control in the aerospace wide, said the study, published in
antibiotic resistance often resulting industry and with public and private Nature Communications. Hence, the
in death and illness as well, suggests buildings which have hardly any results indicated that a stable micro‑
a new study. microbial controls. "In environ‑ bial diversity in clinical areas coun‑
Comparing all existing microor‑ ments with strong microbial control teracts the spread of resistance.
ganisms and antibiotic resistance, in the intensive care unit and indus‑ With the microbial control of
the researchers at Austria's trially used clean rooms, there are pathogens already being used in cul‑
University of Graz, showed that increasing antibiotic resistances tivated plants and also in humans in
microbial diversity decreases in which show a high potential for the framework of stool transplanta‑
areas with high levels of hygiene combining with pathogens," said tion, pursuing such ideas in indoor
and the diversity of resistance Alexander Mahnert, director at the areas in future is recommended,
increases. The team compared the varsity. The number of people who said Gabriele Berg from the varsity.
Free sanitary products for female students in UK
T
he UK will provide free san‑ said. gin activist, in order to secure free
itary products to female In December 2017, a survey of sanitary products for school stu‑
high school students in a 1,000 women and girls in the UK, dents. Last year, Scotland became
fully funded government program, carried out by charity Plan the first in the world to offer free
the media reported. Chancellor of International UK, revealed that 10 sanitary products to all students.
the Exchequer Philip Hammond per cent had been unable to afford Earlier this month, National
said last week that the sanitary sanitary products, while 15 per Health Services England said it
products will be available to sec‑ cent had "struggled" to afford would provide free sanitary prod‑
ondary school and college stu‑ them and 12 per cent used ucts to hospital patients who need‑
dents, who are typically between makeshift sanitary protection. The ed them, after a report by the
the ages of 11 and 18, reports same month, more than 2,000 British Medical Association found
CNN. The program, which will be people protested at Downing that 42 per cent of hospital trusts
developed by the Department for Street as part of the #FreePeriods and health boards in the UK did
Education, will be implemented in campaign, started by Amika not offer free sanitary products or
the next school year, Hammond George, an 18‑year‑old Indian‑ori‑ provided only a limited amount.
 26 March 23-29, 2019 LIFESTYLE TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Deepika gets a wax statue at Digital media linked to

Madame Tussauds London depression in young adults
London: As actress Deepika
Padukone unveiled her Statue of
Purpose at Madame Tussauds
here. The actress, who has been
an active voice in creating aware‑
ness about mental health has ded‑
icated the Statue to her initiative,
and hence it is named as Statue of
Purpose.
Apart from giving blockbusters,
the actress has created awareness
about the significance of mental
health and has been striving to
get rid of the stigma revolving
around various mental diseases.
She also runs a foundation Live
Laugh Love to signify mental
health at every step.
"As a little girl, I was a very curi‑
ous kid, for me, purpose is some‑
thing that is very important.
However, big or small, whatever I
am doing in my life, purpose and
why we do what we do is very
important to me," Deepika said in
a statement.
"After I got a call from Madame
Tussauds, I thought 'What is the
purpose of this, why are we doing
this, or what is it that my fans will
remember me for, remember my
figure for, what is it that I would
like to leave behind', and the
cause of mental health is very
close to my heart, it is something
that I am extremely passionate
about.
"I said that's it, I would like for
my fans when they see my figure I
hope it reminds them of someone
who did something for the cause
of mental illness, who worked
towards creating awareness and
destigmatizing mental illness. I
hope that it gives people a sense
of upliftment and a sense of hope.
I hope that message comes
through."
Deepika was accompanied for
the wax statue launch by husband
Ranveer Singh, her parents and
her in‑laws.
The "Padmaavat" actress is cur‑
rently gearing up for her first pro‑
duction venture which will have
her essaying the role of an acid
attack victim.
New York: Increased use of digital
media may be partly responsible
for the growth in the percentage of
young adults experiencing certain
types of mental health disorders in
the US over the past decade, sug‑
gests new research.
"More US adolescents and young
adults in the late 2010s, versus the
mid‑2000s, experienced serious
psycholog ical distress, major
depression or suicidal thoughts,
and more attempted suicide," said
lead study author Jean Twenge,
Professor of Psychology at San
Diego State University in the US.
"These trends are weak or non‑
existent among adults 26 years and
over, suggesting a generational
shift in mood disorders instead of
an overall increase across all ages,"
Twenge added.
For the study, the researchers
analyzed data from the National
Survey on Drug Use and Health, a
nationally representative survey
that has tracked drug and alcohol
use, mental health and other
health‑related issues in individuals
aged 12 and over in the US since
1971. T hey looked at survey
responses from more than 200,000
adolescents aged 12 to 17 from
2005 to 2017, and almost 400,000
adults aged 18 and over from 2008
to 2017.
The rate of individuals reporting
symptoms consistent with major
depression in the last 12 months
increased 52 per cent in adoles‑
cents from 2005 to 2017 ‑ from
8.7 per cent to 13.2 percent ‑‑ and
63 per cent in young adults aged
18 to 25 from 2009 to 2017 ‑ from
8.1 per cent to 13.2 per cent,
showed the findings published in
the Journal of Abnormal
Psychology. "Cultural trends in the
last 10 years may have had a larger
effect on mood disorders and sui‑
cide‑re lated outcomes among
younger generations compared
w ith older generat ions," said
Twenge. She believes this trend
may be partially due to increased
use of electronic communication
and digital media, which may have
changed modes of social interac‑
t ion enoug h to af fect moo d
disorders.

LMIFW celebrates sari's

multiplicity at finale

(Image courtesy: tribuneindia.com)

New Delhi: Popular designers such as
Rimzim Dadu, Rohit Bal, and Wendell
Rodricks celebrated the multiplicity of sari
on the runway of the Lotus Make‑Up India
Fashion Week (LMIFW) grand finale on
Saturday here.
"The grand finale paid homage to the
adaptability ingrained in the warp and weft
of this traditional fabric, which hasn't lost
its relevance pan‑India despite western
onslaught. Today, the sari has seen many
innovative and artisanal renditions to woo
the modern, thinking woman in a youthful
way," Sunil Sethi, President FDCI, said in a
statement. Other designers or brands who
presented saris and their myriad interpre‑
tations included names such as Akaaro,
Alpana & Neeraj, Amit Aggarwal, Anamika
Khanna, Anavila, Anita Dongre, Bodice,
Gaurav Gupta, Little Shilpa, Neeru Kumar,
Pankaj & Nidhi, Payal Khandwala, Prashant
Verma, Raw Mango, Rohit Gandhi + Rahul
Khanna, TAANI by Tanira Sethi, Tarun
Tahiliani and Urvashi Kaur.
The fashion extravaganza was preceded
by a nationwide social media campaign
celebrating six yards of magic.
For some, the sari is #sixyardsoflife; for
others, its #sixyardsof history, #sixyard‑
sofinheritance, #sixyardsofdrama, #six‑
yardsofselfexpression, #sixyardsofmagic or
even #sixyardsofmischief.
T he #sixyardsof campaign invited
women across India to post their images in
their saris on social media and tagged
them with the emotion evoked by the
draped wonder.
"The sari has remained a symbol of femi‑
ninity and versatility, two key elements of
our philosophy, making it a perfect fit for
the ultimate showcasing at LMIFW. What's
interesting is new dimensions are being
curated out of the existing template of the
sari to make it culturally emblematic,"
added Nitin Passi, Jt. Managing Director of
Lotus Herbals Pvt. Ltd.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info IMMIGRATION March 23-29, 2019 27

DENATURALIZATION-
ADMINISTRATIVE & JUDICIAL
VISA
By Dev Banad Viswanath, Esq. they are found to have violated become a naturalized citizen. to scare immigrants and espe‑
& Michael Phulwani, Esq. the terms of their status. The Trump administration is cially those who had committed
The Department of Homeland cracking down hard on immi‑ fraud decades ago or may not

T TALK
he Office of Immigration
Litigation prosecutes and
defends the federal gov‑
ernment on immigration matters
in court that also bring denatu‑
ralization actions against individ‑
uals who are suspected of cheat‑
ing or lying to obtain citizenship.
From 2004 to 2016, denatural‑
ization cases filed by that office
and by United States attorneys
averaged about 46 each year. In
2017 and 2018, prosecutors
filed nearly twice that many
cases.
USCIS opened a new office in
Los Angeles where agents have
been reviewing over 2,000 natu‑
ralization files for possible denat‑
uralization, usually for fraud and
willful misrepresentation. There
have already been more than
100 cases referred to the
Department of Justice as crimi‑
nal naturalization fraud cases.
The Department of Justice is
allowed to file a denaturalization
lawsuit against a naturalized citi‑
zen if they obtained their citizen‑
ship illegally or they lied about
or hid something that was “mate‑
rial” to their case during the citi‑
zenship process. If a naturalized
citizen loses in immigration
court, then they will return back
to having lawful permanent resi‑
dent status.
A lawful permanent resident
can have their legal status taken
away and deported through
removal proceedings through
immigration court hearings if
Security (DHS) had set up a task
force to see how many finger‑
print records were missing from
people who should have been
barred from obtaining citizen‑
ship. If an individualsʼ finger‑
prints are missing from the data‑
base, then it is possible for them
to have obtained citizenship
under one identity at the same
time as having a deportation
order under another identity. In
2011, DHS found that 315,000
people who had been convicted
of crimes or were fugitives, or
who had been ordered deported
from the U.S. since 1990 did not
have their fingerprints in the
DHS database. The new
California office will be responsi‑
ble for finding out whether those
missing fingerprint records
match to anyone who has since
grants and wants to decrease the have understood the actions they
number of illegal immigrants as took when filing for permanent
much as possible. residence or citizenship.
Attempts to withdraw citizen‑ If you are concerned about the
ship is not new but has greatly means in which you or a loved
increased under the Trump one obtained citizenship, you
administration. should contact and experienced
Many immigration activists and immigration to discuss your
attorneys believe that this plan is matter.
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.

SCI-TECH

Shooting livestreams a
new rage on social media
T
he Facebook livestreaming of
New Zealand mosque shooting
has brought to the fore a critical
issue for the law enforcement agencies
to deal with, as tech giants struggle to
find a solution to pro‑actively stop such
incidents.
Strapped with a GoPro camera to his
head, the gunman broadcast graphic
footage of shooting people via
Facebook Live for nearly 17 minutes
that was later shared in millions on
other social media platforms.
The point here is not that the social
media platforms removed the shooting
footage from their platforms, the real
problem is: Why couldn't they automat‑
ically catch the upload and re‑uploads
of such footage?
According to The Verge, exact re‑
uploads of the video will be banned by
YouTube, but videos that contain clips
of the footage have to be sent to human
moderators for a review.
"Part of that is to ensure that news
videos that use a portion of the video
for their segments aren't removed in
the process," says the report.
The YouTube tool searches re‑
uploaded versions of the original video
for similar metadata and imagery. The
real problem is that the YouTube's sys‑
tem is not built to deal with breaking
news events.
This is not the first time livestream‑
ing of a shooting incident has taken
place on social media.
In January 2018, the family of a slain
Cleveland man sued Facebook, alleging
the social media platform could have
done more to prevent his murder. The
killing of Robert Godwin, Sr., 74, was
recorded and made viewable on
Facebook in April 2017.
Steve Stephens, the man who killed
Godwin, announced his intent to kill
someone on Facebook before killing
him. Stephens later logged onto
Facebook Live and described the
attack.
In July 2016, a Facebook livestream‑
ing showed three men listening to
music inside a car in Norfolk, Virginia,
being suddenly shot by a gunman. The
video posted on Facebook by TJ
Williams was viewed 1,634,815 times
and is still available on YouTube.
In the same month, Antonio Perkins,
28, was shot in the head and neck in
Chicago. The live video of Perkins
showed him and a group of people talk‑
ing before gunshots are heard. The
video was posted on Facebook. In July
2016, A Minnesota police officer shot Date: Friday, April 5  8:00 pm - 9:00 pm 
and killed Philando Castile of African Location: Science of Spirituality Meditation Center, 79 County Line Rd, AMITYVILLE, NY, 11701
origin during traffic stop. Castile's girl‑ Contact info: 631-822-7979 ext. 3 | InfoTristate@sos.org |  nyfytp.eventbrite.com
friend, Diamond Reynolds, took out her For more info. please visit www.sos.org
Facilitator: John Bednarik, OHST
cellphone and started livestreaming on
Facebook after the shooting. The video
gathered over 2.7 million views before
the stream disappeared from Facebook.
‑IANS
 28 March 23-29, 2019 HUMOR TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Humor with Melvin Durai

A cheap cellphone makes life easier

M
y 12‑year‑old daughter,
Divya, had been asking
me for a cellphone for a
couple of years and I finally
decided to buy her one, not
because I thought she absolutely
needed one, but because I was
tired of her borrowing mine.
“Daddy, can I use your phone
for just a minute?” she would ask.
An hour later, she would still be
using the phone, and when I final‑
ly retrieved it from her grasp, I
would discover several new apps
that she had downloaded.
The new apps didnʼt bother me
much, but I wasnʼt thrilled about
receiving dozens of notifications
such as “Jessica liked your com‑
ment” and “Rupa shared your
photo.”
Divya wanted an iPhone,
because her friends have Apple
products and it would be easier to
communicate with them. T he
iPhone 6 and 7 were priced too
high for our budget, so we settled
for an iPhone 5, though it wasnʼt
exactly cheap, at least by my stan‑
dards. I reluctantly parted with
$150 for the phone, fearing that I
would regret the expense.
My phone, in comparison, cost
me only $80, and if I happen to
lose it, I probably wonʼt lose much
sleep. Just a week or two. If Divya
loses her phone, I might lose a
month of sleep, especially if she
starts borrowing my phone again.
What concerns me is that she
takes her phone to school. All the
other kids do it, she said, so why
shouldnʼt she? Besides, how is she
supposed to occupy herself dur‑
ing the bus ride to school?
“Why donʼt you talk to other
kids?” I asked.
She looked at me like it was the
most ridiculous thing she had
ever heard. “Oh Daddy, nobody
does that anymore.”
I hate to see Divya being
obsessed with her phone, and I
also worry that she will lose it or
have it stolen from her.
I donʼt understand how people
can walk around with phones that
cost $750 or more. If I spent that
much on a phone, Iʼd want it to be
immobile – not mobile. Iʼd want to
keep it in one spot, preferably
inside our home, where I can
make sure it doesnʼt get lost or
stolen. For many people, phones
are status symbols, no dif ferent
from wearing expensive jewelry.
But thereʼs one major difference:
jewelry is usually attached to our
bodies in some way, unlike a cell‑
phone, which is far more likely to
fall out of our grasp – and into
the toilet.
Numerous cellphones take the
plunge each year, not just into toi‑
lets, but into swimming pools,
lakes, rivers and many other
places where cellphones arenʼt
intended to go. For the average
American, itʼs a loss of not just a
few hundred dollars, but also a
few hundred cat photos.
Just recently, a man from New
York City was traveling on a train,
moving from one car to another,
when he dropped his phone on
the tracks. So what did he do? He
pulled the emergency stop.
As reported by the Associated
Press, Eric Jones apparently con‑
sidered it an emergency that he
was about to lose his phone.
Thanks to his “emergency,” the
other passengers on the train,
taking the morning commute to
work, were delayed – and perhaps
late for work. Other trains on sev‑
eral connected lines were also
delayed.
Jones was charged with “defiant
trespass” and “interfering with
transportation.” The article does
not say how much Jonesʼ phone
was worth, but it was apparently
worth a lot to him.
As for me, if my phone dropped
on railroad tracks, Iʼd just whis‑
per “bye” to it and turn toward
my daughter.
“Divya,” Iʼd say. “Can I borrow
your phone? Just for a minute, I
promise.”

Laughter is the Best Medicine

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

516‑827‑1010 By Mahendra Shah

Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession,
artist and humorist, cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording
the plight of the immigrant Indians for the past many years in his
cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info ASTROLOGY March 23-29, 2019 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; w.premastrologer.com

MARCH 23‑29, 2019

Aries: Chances that you will need
physical stamina to cope with the
stress and strains of high‑pressured
career. Make sure you donʼt get disappoint‑
ed on a sad beginning in romance. Your
brilliant ideas in business fetches handsome
returns provided you execute them to the
perfection. Destination with a great deal is
on your way, be ready for trave ling.
Balanced & nourishing food coupled with
daily exercise will keep you fit.
Taurus: Create a well‑defined and
mature set of values. Efforts on your
part would bring positive results, as
you are likely to be lucky in unexpected
areas. You are going to make love life happi‑
er by expressing your true love. This would
reenergize your lovely bond. You may face
some chaos or disruption while traveling. To
enjoy a sound health, avoid losing temper.
Gemini: Your creat ivity g ives a
chance to succeed at work. Help of
experienced colleagues will be an
additional bonus. Some of you even might
get a hike in salary. Writers will have a very
goo d t ime in execut ing their plans.
Auspicious week is foretold to start a new
family venture. A good deal on the property
front might occur. You need to remain cau‑
tious at health front.
Cancer: A wonderful week is ahead
to enjoy the company of guests.
Plan something special with your
relatives. Software professional would suc‑
ceed in realising their aspirations. You are
likely to get rid from backache/joint pain as
you take the help of herbal treatment. Your
ideas blossom and plans would find support
that you have been looking for quite some
time.
Leo: Your habit of always complain‑
ing about lack of opportunities could
land you in some trouble. It would be
in your interest if you heed to good advice
while making career plans. Make sure you
avoid playing comparison game especially
in love. Running after lucrative of fers by
dubious financial schemes could cheat you.
There might be a chance of acquiring a plot
from your closed relative.
Virgo: There are indications that you
will see many of your professional
dreams coming true. At academic
front, positive outlook and energy will lead
you in a right direction. Diabetic patients
should involve themselves in moderate
exercises like walking. Valuation is must
before you purchase a plot. Take some cau‑
tious moves to keep yourself away from
gossips and rumours.
Libra: If you are just worried about
own affairs and busy in personal life
chances of people losing interest in
you are high. Make efforts to involve yourself
in social activities and gatherings to have an
enjoyable social front. Carelessly wasting
money on goods, which are not immediately
required, would only block the money. Early
detection of a potentially serious ailment
would enable to cure it altogether by medica‑
tion and a little modification in your diet.
Scorpio: Keep yourself away from
indulging in petty issues to enjoy
peaceful environment. You need to
handle investment with extreme care.
Carelessness on your part might bring some
important projects to an abrupt halt thus
blocking the money. You need to keep your
concentration and work relentlessly to
achieve success. Pretending what you are not
would only invite partnerʼs wrath.
Sagittarius: You need to be a little cau‑
tious while undertaking a long jour‑
ney. It is high time for you to re‑
apprise your aspirations & pursue only firm
priorities. Little disturbances at family front
are foreseen for some. Those appearing for
competitive exam need to keep their cool.
Include definite time allocation for leisure &
exercise to enable you to maintain good health.
Capricorn: A dominant attitude at
work could create some problems. You
need to be more supportive & cooper‑
ative to get the work done. Unexpected
income would help in improving financial
health. You are likely to express gratitude to
the relatives who have helped you at the time
of crisis. You may fall in love at first sight as
you are likely to meet your dream person.
Aquarius: You will experience fewer
stress as you will have more
resources to deal with these distress‑
ing encounters. Purchasing home loan is not
the right decision for you. It would be in your
interest to take the help of some expert to
give yourself a better option for investment.
Exciting time is foreseen for some as your
long pending wait for affirmation in love is
going to materialize this week.
Pisces: Long ambition to join market‑
ing field might materialize. It will give
you tremendous joy and remove all
hassles, which you had faced during procur‑
ing the job. Going for a vacation is always a
big expenditure ‑ you must plan everything
in advance. If you have some money idling
away in your saving account it is opportune
time for you to put it in some work.
Optimistic attitude will give the courage to
fight health problems.

March 23, 2019 to law and order will take some

Harnessed by number 5 and
planet Mercury. Love, career and
family are interw ined and
enlig hten your road ahead.
Through your good reasoning
ability and the capacity to assess
situat ions or circumstances
shrewdly, you draw sound con‑
clusions. Despite of a pool of tal‑
ent and positive attitude towards
life, you have to be careful of
your revengeful, temperamental
and spendthrift attitude. This
year you work hard to achieve
your target but because of a men‑
tal or emotional strain by your
employer, you are not fully rec‑
ognized for your work.
Financially you will be strong
this year as there is a hike in
your salary but manage your sav‑
ings carefully.
Advice for you, spend some
time with your partner to main‑
tain personal relations. Any con‑
flict with regard to property
might get settle down. Beneficial
months: September, February
and July.
March 24, 2019
Commanded by number 6 and
planet Venus, you are self‑gov‑
erned and love to be what you
are. Soon you might come in con‑
tact with some spiritual leader
who teaches you to know the
importance of traditional thera‑
pies. Your immunity is high and
keeps you away from all the
pains.
Your flight for over the seas is
waiting for you to expand your
business horizons. Controversy
might distract you but you need
to have sharpened vision. You
will get all the luxuries in your
ANNUAL PREDICTIONS: FOR THOSE BORN IN THIS WEEK
life as unexpectedly big bucks activities. Capital gains from the
will come to you. Your seasonal sale of property will be win‑
parties will also benefit you as nowed out. On the front of
more and more people will add important issues, the month of
up in your friend list. You are September, February and June
loyal and of high moral sense should be considered.
throughout your life. Uneasiness
and agitating on small matters March 26, 2019
might takes your peace of mind, Shaped by number 8 and
so work on it. Tact of dealing Saturn, your pragmatic approach
with shrewd people and prompt‑ toward life makes you a veteran
ness in your attempt will make of your field. You can attract oth‑
you fast among others to reach ers by your act ivit ies. You
to the worldʼs highest position. always head the group in which
Dreams might fulfilled in the you get involve. Sometimes you
months of November, March and become spendthrift, obstinate
August. and careless which will af fect
your social circle. This year you
March 25, 2019 will perform remarkably with
Dominated by number 7and high energy and lots of spirits.
planet Neptune, you are gener‑ You tend to complete your work
ous, flexible, and munificent and by all means. When you need
have a sound knowledge. Others assistance, your fellow workers
have confidence in you and they are always there and they will
take your guidance. You have a become your admirers. Your
strong desire for success and financial gains would be impec‑
achievement. You are delightful cable but you need to review
and do not want yourse lf to your percentage time and again.
indulge in any dispute. You are Your search for a dream partner
solemnly dedicated but you will come to an end.
should keep a check on your You w ill throw a big bash
brooding ill humour and your for your acquaintances and in
extravagant nature. return might get lot of surprises.
This year you may start a new December, March and August
venture. You are imaginative and proves happiest months
it is the time to raise a toast for for you.
the successful completion of a
challeng ing project. March 27, 2019
Businesspersons would sign new Powered by number 9 and
profitable agreements. You will planet Mars, you like the compa‑
be intervened by your admirers ny of healthy and sound thinking
when you are going to spend person. You always planned the
t ime w ith your partner. You things be forehand and run
should not hurt the emotions of according to it. Amiability and
others while organizing social simplicity characterizes you.
Your risk taking abilities will out‑
shine you in the outer world and
you may win some prestigious
awards. Apart from all these you
need to crack the jinx of being
restless and envious. An exotic
and thrilling island is waiting for
you to celebrate your achieve‑
ments. To provide all the ameni‑
ties to your family members is
always in your mind. Check your
mailbox, might be there is some‑
thing in return for your long
term contribution to the compa‑
ny in terms of incentives waiting
for you.
You need to recharge the
health card of yours and your
family members before it gets
too late. Inner peace, which is the
need of the hour comes to you
soon through some sacred per‑
son. You ought to spend some
long life cherishing moments
with your spouse. September,
January, and July will bring luxu‑
ries to your life.
March 28, 2019
Controlled by number 1 and
the planet Sun, af fectionate,
earnest and industrious are your
characteristics. You are brave
enough to deal with any kind of
situation. Your creativity and
newly designed structures will
catch everybo dyʼs attent ion
which makes you a big civil con‑
tractor. Ill humored and chippy
nature may take you away from
the so cial part ies. Potentate
nature might make you to lose
your credibility. Soon you will
take the marriage oath. Have
patience as your disputes related
more t ime to reach to any
verdict. Your young ones stars
will take them to the new height
of excellence. You will be satiate
both from domestic and profes‑
sional front. You will get lot of
opportunities to raise your bar at
your workplace, but be careful to
avail all the chances. Ef fective
and meaningful time for you
would be November, March and
June.
March 29, 2019
You are manipulated by moon
and number 2 and that is the rea‑
son why you are so energetic,
impressive and full of life. People
will look at you with respect and
de ference. You w ill not only
enthrall the audience but make
them spellbound. Loyal to your
work and audacious attempt is
what makes you to hit the new
frontiers. Be mindful towards
your hasteness and capricious
attribute. Be proact ive and
change the ambience of the pro‑
fessional life as per your require‑
ment to increase your overall
pro duct ivity. Meet ings w ith
world renowned delegates will be
on your hit list. Now you will be
in posit ion to save for your
future also.
You will enjoy to be in the com‑
pany of your spouse. Romance
will take you to seventh heaven
and you will forget all your wor‑
ries. You strongly believe in God
and might soon experience a visit
to many sacred places. Interior
designing and buildings will
attract your attention. Full of
events and happiness would be
the month of September,
December and May.
30 March 23-29, 2019
By Sant Rajinder Singh
Ji Maharaj
W
hen a fire is first lit, the
flame needs protection
from being extin‑
guished. Similarly, we need to
tend the spark of light illumining
our soul. A spiritual Master pro‑
vides a protective shield around
our spark to maintain it through
a spiritual gathering called sat‑
sang.
"Satsang" literally means "com‑
munion with truth." It is a gather‑
ing in which we can discover who
we are as soul, whether there is
God, and how to meditate to
experience these truths firsthand.
What are the benefits of attend‑
ing satsang? People are search‑
ing for answers to the mysteries
of life and death. They want to
discover if there is really God, if
there is a soul, if there is life after
death, and what will happen to us
when this life ends. These basic
questions lead one to explore
spirituality.
Spirituality is not only an intel‑
lectual study. Intellectual
answers to questions about the
mystery of life and death are not
satisfying because one may still
have doubts about whether or
not they are true or not. One
wonders if those who wrote or
orally gave answers to these spir‑
itual questions through the ages
were right.
The only answer that satisfies
those who want proof is a per‑
sonal experience. Only when we
can see for ourselves the truth of
what was written in the scrip‑
tures or described orally by
saints over centuries do we truly
believe and have faith.
Spirituality is proven by first‑
hand experience. To attain this
proof, we need to do more than
read books and listen to lectures.
We need to perform practices to
experience inner spiritual truths.
The process leads from this outer
world to the inner world. It is a
step‑by‑step scientific experi‑
ment. A Master teaches those
steps so we can see for ourselves
the inner proof of spiritual exis‑
tence.
It is not easy to find God. It is a
process of withdrawing our
attention from the world outside
to focus within. Many worldly
attractions draw our attention
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS
The importance of Satsang
outward. It takes tremendous
strength to resist outer diver‑
sions that keep our attention
from meditation so we can know
God, know our soul, and connect
the two. To keep our attention
spiritually focused, saints offer
the gift of satsang.
Satsang offers protection to
keep the flame burning. A hectic
life leaves little time for spiritual
practices.
We need to find time in our
daily routines for meditation.
Satsang provides a sacred
space in which we can close the
door to the world for an hour or
two to focus on our soul and God.
In a satsang meeting, people can
meditate together. There are no
distractions because all are medi‑
tating. The rest of the time in sat‑
sang is sent listening to spiritual
discourses to remind us of our
true purpose of life. The dis‑
courses, meditation, and spiritual
charging of the satsang refocus
our mind on the importance of
meditation, ethical living, the
vegetarian diet, selfless service,
and attaining communion of our
soul with God. It motivates us to
put in the time for meditation
through the rest of the week. It
recommends us to engage in
spiritual practices on a daily
basis.
Satsang awakens us to activi‑
ties that are truly helpful. If we
engage all week in worldly pur‑
suits, satsang draws our atten‑
tion to the spiritual side of life.
Satsang is a wakeup call to peo‑
ple of all ages to spend some
time daily communing with God
within.
At satsang, we are reminded of
the spiritual treasures within us
and how to make the best use of
initiation into the inner light and
sound. If we look for spiritual
gifts in the outer world, our mind
will remain in doubt. It is only
when we go within that we can
remove all doubts and see for
ourselves that we are a soul and
there is God.
We are all children of one God.
The light and sound current is
available to all. That is why the
satsang of a Master teaching
meditation on the inner light and
sound is open to people of all
religions, nationalities, cultures,
ages, and walks of life. God wants
all to return Home. Just as a
mother feeds all her children,
God has made the gift of the light
and sound available to all who
seek it. God does not discriminate
between people of different reli‑
gions or even those who are
agnostic or atheists. God does
not care if our skin color is dark
or light, or whether our eyes are
blue, brown, green, or black. God
does not care if we are rich or
poor, literate or illiterate. God
provides a way for all to return
Home. A satsang is a protective
place in which people from all
faiths can enter and commune
with God within their own selves.
The wine of God's love is for the
whole world. Saints and Masters
have come to pour out without
end so that the whole world may
drink. Masters lovingly give the
nectar of the light and sound to
all who are thirsty.
God has entrusted the saints
with the task of bringing the lost
children back Home. The saints
walk the earth in search of souls
crying to return to God. Many
people have the idea that the
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
saints come to take back only
saintly people. There is a false Satsang is the
idea that one must already be
holy and perfect to come to the protective
satsang of a saint. However, if we
look back through history we shelter of a
find that every saint came to help
anyone crying for the Lord, fire‑pit that
whether a pious person or a
sinner. protects the
When one plants a young tree,
the sapling is in danger of the flames from
forces of nature that may knock
it down. being exposed
To protect the sapling, one puts
a small hedge around it. Besides to the heavy
meditation and ethical living, sat‑
sang also offers a protective rains and
hedge that helps our tree of spiri‑
tuality to grow. When new to the winds of a
spiritual teachings it is easy to
become diverted from our goal
passing
by the many temptations that
bombard us.
storm.
Satsang provides a protective
hedge to remind us to meditate.
The
It focuses us on leading an ethi‑
cal life. It helps us stay on a vege‑
charging of
tarian diet. It gives us a chance to
cleanse and purify ourselves
the satsang
through selfless
service. Our growing tree
helps to speed
receives at satsang the nourish‑
ment of the charging and bless‑
our progress
ings of the saint.
It fills us from our roots to our
on the
branches with love, grace, and
spiritual upliftment.
spiritual way
Satsang is the protective shel‑
ter of a fire‑pit that protects the
so we can
flames from being exposed to the attain our
heavy rains and winds of a pass‑
ing storm. The charging of the goal of the
satsang helps to speed our
progress on the spiritual way so soul's union
we can attain our goal of the
soul's union with God. with God.
(For more visit www.sos.org)
TheSouthAsianTimes.info March 23-29, 2019
TheSouthAsianTimes.info March 23-29, 2019