The South Asian Times
e x c e l l e n c e
Vol.12 No. 2 May 11-17, 2019 80 Cents
Modi second most followed politician
after Obama on social media: Report
New Delhi: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi is the second
most followed politician in the
world on social media after for‑
mer US President Barack Obama,
according to a report.
Modi has a total audience of
110.9 million on Facebook,
Twitter and Instagram. Obama's
total following stood at 182.7
million, the report released by
digital marketing platform
SEMrush said on Tuesday.
"With his approximately 110
million followers worldwide,
Narendra Modi has overtaken the
present US President Donald
US-Iran tensions
rise ahead of
anniversary of
nuclear deal pullout
Washington, DC: A sudden White
House announcement that a U.S.
aircraft carrier and a bomber wing
would be deployed in the Persian
Gulf to counter Iran comes just
days ahead of the anniversary of
President Donald Trumpʼs decision
to withdraw America from
Tehranʼs nuclear deal.
Iranian President Hassan
Rouhani is said to be planning a
speech Wednesday on the anniver‑
sary to discuss the next steps
Tehran will take in confronting the
U.S. Officials in the Islamic
Republic previously warned that
Iran might increase its uranium
enrichment, potentially pulling
away from a deal it has sought to
salvage for months. The military
has almost always had an aircraft
carrier in the Persian Gulf as part
of its sprawling military presence
in the strategic region, but had
begun to scale back its presence as
the air campaign against the
Continued on page 4
INDIA 12 EKAL FOR VILLAGE UPLIFTMENT 18
i n
PM Modi has a total audience of 110.9 M on Facebook,
Instagram and Twitter
Trump who has 96 million fol‑
lowers globally. However, Trump
still enjoys the second most fol‑
Mahatma Gandhi should be
honored with Congressional
Gold Medal: Maloney
New York: Mahatma Gandhi,
whose principles of non‑violence
inspired world leaders such as
Nelson Mandela and Martin
Luther King, should be honored
this year with the Congressional
Gold Medal, the highest civilian
award in the US, as the world com‑
memorates his 150th birth
anniversary, an influential
American lawmaker has said.
Congresswoman Carolyn
Maloney from New York, who in
September last year introduced a
bill in the US House of
Representatives to posthumously
present the Congressional Gold
Medal to Mahatma Gandhi in
recognition of his promotion of
nonviolence, said Gandhi has been
a “truly inspirational leader, his‑
toric figure.” Mahatma Gandhi was
“transformational in so many
ways” and an inspiration to all
Americans and people across the
world, Maloney said while
addressing an audience at the
j o u r n a l i s m
New York Edition
lowed politician position globally
on Twitter (with 59.8 million
Continued on page 4
Congresswoman
Carolyn Maloney
Consulate General of India in New
York at the event ʻNon Violence: A
message of Lord Mahavirʼ and the
150th birth anniversary of
Mahatma Gandhi organized by the
International Ahimsa Foundation
USA (IAF).
She said Mandela and King both
attributed their philosophy of non‑
violence and their leadership to
Mahatma Gandhi and both are
Continued on page 4
DIPLOMACY 20
Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info
France backs
India membership
of bigger UN
Security Council
India is at forefront of efforts to push for long‑pending
reform of the UN Security Council
United Nations: India and nations
like Germany, Brazil and Japan
are “absolutely needed” as perma‑
nent members of a reformed and
enlarged UN Security Council to
better reflect contemporary reali‑
ties and the addition of these key
members to the UN high‑table is
among Franceʼs “strategic” priori‑
ties, the French envoy to the UN
has said.
“In terms of policy, France and
Germany have a strong policy
which is to work together to
enlarge the Security Council and
to succeed in terms of the negotia‑
t ions that should lead to the
enlargement of the Security
Council that we consider absolute‑
ly needed to better reflect the
world as it is. There is no question
about it, Franceʼs Permanent
Representative to the UN Delattre
told reporters here last week.
Speaking alongside German
envoy to the UN Christoph
Heusgen at the end of Germanyʼs
Presidency of the Council for
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 30
April, Delattre emphasised that
France considers that Germany,
Japan, India, Brazil and a fair rep‑
resentation of Africa, in particu‑
lar, are absolutely needed at the
table to get towards a fairer repre‑
sentation of the Security Council.
This is for us a matter of priority.”
He underlined that Paris
believes the enlargement of the
Security Council with the addition
of a few key members is “one of
our strategic priorities.”
India is at the fore front of
efforts at the UN to push for the
long‑pending re form of the
Security Council, emphasizing
that it rightly deserves a place at
the UN high table as a permanent
member.
France has maintained that if
the crises of recent times have
confirmed the centrality of the
UN, they have also reinforced the
need to make the organization
more ef fective and more repre‑
sentative of the current balances
in the world.
excellence in journalism
TheSouthAsianTimes.info May 11-17, 2019
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US to propose hike in
H-1B application fee
Washington, DC: The Trump administration
is proposing a hike in the H‑1B visa applica‑
tion fee to increase funding for the expan‑
sion of an apprentice programme, which
trains American youths in technology related
activities, Labour Secretary Alexander Acosta
told US lawmakers.
Testifying before a Congressional commit‑
tee on annual budget of the Department of
Labour for the fiscal year 2020 beginning
October 1, 2019, Acosta, however, did not
give details of the proposed increase in H‑1B
filing fee and as to which categories of appli‑
cants it would be enforced on.
But given past experience, the Indian IT
companies, which account for a large num‑
ber of H‑1B applications, are likely to face
the additional financial burden because of
this proposed increase in H‑1B filing fees.
Arguing that foreigners hurt American
workers by competing for jobs and driving
down wages, the Trump administration has
tighten the noose around the H‑1B visa pro‑
gramme. The Seattle Times on Monday
reported that last year immigration officials
denied nearly one out of every four requests
Comcast’s new curated content
for Asian American Pacific
Islander Heritage Month
Philadelphia: Comcast on May 1st launched
a specially curated content collection of
Asian American shows, movies, music and
podcasts in celebration of Asian American
and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The
2,500 hours of content is accessible to all
Xfinity X1 customers across platforms and
includes hit K‑Drama series, “The Fiery
Priest”; box office hit, “Lost in Thailand”;
and a new series of interviews with popular
South Korean boy band NCT 127. Xfinity X1
customers can go right to what they want to
watch by saying “Asian American” into their
voice remote.
According to a 2017 study from Nielsen,
engagement for a range of shows with Asian
American characters and plotlines was high‑
er among both Asian Americans and the
general population compared to each seg‑
mentʼs norms, indicating that these shows
resonate with not only Asian American
viewers, but non‑ Asian viewers as well.
“With this content collection, we hope to
showcase the contributions of Asian
American talent that enrich the TV, movie,
and music experience for all,” said Rebecca
Simpson, Executive Director of International
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
for new visas for skilled foreign workers.
In FY 2020, the Department's budget
includes $160 million to continue our
expansion of apprenticeship programmes,
along with a proposal to increase H‑1B fee
revenues to fund additional apprenticeship
activities, Acosta said in his testimony on
May 2 before the Senate Appropriations
Committee Subcommittee on Labour, Health
and Human Services, Education and Related
Agencies.
Acosta told lawmakers that last year the
Department of Labour had launched the
first‑ever sector‑based apprenticeship grant
funding opportunity to invest $150 million
to expand apprenticeships in those in‑
demand industry sectors most often filled by
individuals on H‑1B visas, such as informa‑
tion technology, health care and advanced
manufacturing.
This grant funding opportunity introduced
an innovative approach: a 35 percent pri‑
vate‑sector match requirement. This brings
the total investment to $202.5 million, $57.7
million coming from the private sector, he
said. (PTI)
Strategy for Comcast. “We celebrate Asian
American identity and are proud to provide
a platform for diverse cultures to be
embraced and heard via the Asian American
Film and TV On Demand destination that is
available year‑round on X1.”
All month customers can access entertain‑
ment from popular Korean, Indian, and
Japanese networks such as KOCOWA, Eros
Now and TV JAPAN; music videos from
Music Choice; Stingray Music videos,
karaoke content and concerts; TVK‑Pop;
podcasts like “They Call Us Bruce” from
iHeartRadio where hosts Jeff Yang and Phil
Yu have unfiltered conversations about
what's happening in Asian America; and spe‑
cialty movie and TV collections dedicated to
Anime – one of the most popular genres
according to Anime News Network, the
Association of Japanese Animations (AJA).
Customers will be able to enjoy English‑
language content as well as in‑language
content in Chinese, Japanese, Korean,
Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Hindi in the home
on X1 and on XfinityTV.com. Select pro‑
gramming is available on‑the‑go via the
Xfinity Stream app and on Xfinity Flex.
A record 5000 visitors who availed of the ʻAround the World Embassy Tourʼ May 4th to
experience a glimpse of ʻIncredible Indiaʼ at the Embassy of India, Washington DC were
regaled with a bouquet of dance & music; Henna hand paintings; traditional Indian
attire; yoga and meditation; exhibition on Mahatma Gandhi@150; and Indian chai.
State Farmʼs new Indian ads
spotlight cricket fans in US
New York: This week,
State Farm launched
two new spots target‑
ing the ever‑expanding
Asian Indian community in the United States.
Inspired by the excitement and energy of the
Cricket World Cup just a few weeks away, two
new ads, Cricket Crashes and Commercial
Breaks, capture the emotions of Indians root‑
ing for Team India while living in the U.S.
Cricket is an extremely popular global sport
but has yet to gain the same popularity in the
U.S. For fans, each cricket season comes with
a reminder that being a fan of the sport in the
U.S. can sometimes be challenging. The newly
launched State Farm spots, led by Admerasia
and fluent360, touch upon that unique
insight – the longing to find your fandom in a
place where few are interested in a sport you
like – something rarely expressed in either
mainstream or multicultural advertising with
humor and empathy. Both ads feature Jinisha
Patel, a real‑life State Farm agent who under‑
stands Asian Indiansʼ love for cricket and that
you canʼt miss a single second of the match,
especially when India is batting.
Cricket Crashes, the 30s spot, brings to life
a distinctive yet familiar story of Ankur, a
cricket fan who misses watching cricket with
his friends in India. The ad hilariously plays
up his predicament of being a cricket fan in
the U.S., where everyone seems to watch
either baseball or basketball, especially com‑
pared to India where cricket is practically a
religion. Served with a healthy side of nostal‑
gia, this spot takes the viewer on Ankurʼs
journey of searching for fans who love cricket
as much him.
Commercial Breaks focuses on an intense
yet completely relatable aspect of being a
May 11-17, 2019 3
cricket fan ‑‑ taking
calls only when the
commercials are on.
T he unique 15s ad
tells another amusing story when Ankur has
ʻliterally seven seconds before the commer‑
cials endʼ and canʼt speak to his State Farm
agent – a rather meta take on commercial
breaks told through… a commercial.
However, Jinisha Patel, the real‑life State
Farm agent is here to help in whatever way is
needed. In Commercial Breaks, she gets why
cricket fan Ankur canʼt talk on the phone
when the game is on and in Cricket Crashes,
Jinisha recognizes how the first cricket sea‑
son away from home can be tough and helps
him get back to the game after a cricket
crash.
“Cricket has a massive fanbase among the
Asian Indian community, and itʼs a terrific
opportunity for us to convey our core mes‑
saging of empathy and connect with our
Asian Indian customers,” said Justin
Reckamp, Marketing Manager, State Farm.
“We are always looking for exceptional
insights that make the viewer break into a
smile each time they watch the commercial.
We wanted people to feel like they can easily
see themselves in those situations. Thatʼs how
people truly relate to a brand,” said Yashica
Dutt, Associate Creative Director, Admerasia.
“What makes these spots compelling and
keeps them on point is that when it comes to
casting, acting, and the script, we made sure
we portrayed our audience in relatable ways,
never stereotypically. Last year we accom‑
plished this and we just wanted to make sure
we continued with that ef fort.” said Jose
Suaste, Executive Creative Director, flu‑
ent360.
 4 May 11-17, 2019
A strong India under PM Modi is a
guarantor of global peace & stability
Dear Mr Editor,
The Economist, London
A
propos the op‑ed published by
your publication titled “Under
Narendra Modi, Indiaʼs ruling
party poses a threat to democracy.”
As a person of Indian origin living in
New York for the past several years, I
have closely followed the political, eco‑
nomic and social developments in India.
The progress made by India in the last
five years under Prime Minister
Narendra Modi is unparallel and historic.
Your op‑ed is fiction, rather than based
on facts. Besides, I believe that by writ‑
ing such a fictitious article and asking
people of India to vote against Modi, is
direct interference in Indiaʼs election. I
demand that The Economic tender an
apology and reveal under whose influ‑
ence it has done so.
Letʼs talk facts now.
As per the latest figures from all major
international financial institutions
including the IMF and the World Bank,
India under PM Modi has emerged as the
worldʼs fastest growing economy. Not
denying that India has a long way to go
to achieve a high level of living for the
common people, Modi has laid a strong
foundation in terms of various social
security measures, providing health
insurance programs to a significantly
large segment of the population, making
basic necessities like electricity, housing,
af fordable food, banking and internet
accessible to all.
I wish before publishing this one‑sided
op‑ed you looked at the annual Ease of
Doing Business report of the World
Bank. Can you name one single country
of the size of India that has climbed the
rankings of Ease of Doing Business as
much as India has done in the last five
years? And what about the FDI billions
that India has attracted under Modi.
Letʼs talk about freedom of the press
and the baseless and slanderous allega‑
Chairman and Co-Founder
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Open letter to The Economist
tion of Modi being un‑democratic and
intolerant to criticism. These are relative
terms and contextual in nature, but I will
point to you how Modi, who was denied
visa by Washington, went on as PM to
develop Indiaʼs strongest‑ever relation‑
ship with the United States. This is pri‑
marily because he strongly believes this
is in the best interest of India, America,
and the world. I am sure you must be
aware of Nixon‑Indira Gandhi relation‑
ship and how then India drifted into the
Soviet camp, not very democratic by any
means.
If anything Narendra Modi is intoler‑
ant to it is corruption and terrorism.
You can count articles critical of Sonia
Gandhi – the most powerful leader of
India during the 10 years of UPA regime
‑‑ in major Indian publications on your
fingertips or at the most list them on a
page. But I can show you numerous news
articles, op‑eds and television shows in
major Indian media outlets critical of the
policies and views of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
Let me bring your attention also to two
senior leaders of BJP – Yashwant Sinha
and Shatrughan Sinha – who for the last
five years have openly talked against
Modi and his policies, and even joined
the platforms of opposition leaders. Still,
they were never dismissed or expelled
from the party. Would you call that intol‑
erance?
Moreover, if an online publication like
The Wire with limited resources can run
an open campaign against Prime
Minister Modi, nothing stops other
Indian publications from doing so. India,
dear editor, has a free and vibrant press.
Your article tries to say that major publi‑
cations like The Time of India, The
Hindustan Times, India Today and NDTV
are scared of Prime Minister Modi. You
are wrong. They are publishing what
they believe in. You are simply trying to
Managing Editor: Parveen Chopra
P : 516.710.0508
parveen.chopra@gmail.com
Associate Editor
Hiral Dholakia-Dave
hiral@thesouthasiantimes.info
Contributing Editors:Shaker Nelanuthala,
Prof. Shivaji Sengupta, Surekha Vijh
(Washington, DC), Suchitra Srinivas (New
Jersey), Melvin Durai, Dr Prem Kumar
Sharma, Ashok Vyas, and Dr Akshat Jain
New Delhi Bureau
Meenakshi Iyer
Delhi@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
TURN PAGE
demean the prestige and work ethics of
these major Indian publications.
India under Modi has emerged as a
strong country which will not get bullied
any longer. Doklam is one example.
Today, when India talks, the world listens
with attention and acts. Look at the
standing of Pakistan, the nerve center of
terrorism. Itʼs because of Modi govern‑
mentʼs diplomatic efforts that Pakistan is
so globally isolated today. Not even after
Osama bin Laden was raided. Before
Modi came to power, look back at the
global opinion towards Chinaʼs One Belt
One Road. Itʼs India, under him, which
took the lead in telling the world about
the predatory economics of China.
Modiʼs guiding principle is
“Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is
one family) as reflected in his steps on
climate change, solar alliance,
International Yoga Day or free satellites
to third‑world countries. India has
merged as a major donor – both in terms
of financial and technical know‑how.
I am amazed at the last two paragraphs
of your op‑ed. India, under the 10 years
of UPA rule, were bitter suf ferers of a
corrupt and inefficient government and
you are favoring that group. Your bias is
reflected even in the way you have put
Congress with capital C and BJP in small
letters. You are not an Indian publica‑
tion, so what is your interest in asking
people of India to vote against BJP. You
very well know that the BJP is coming to
power. So you are asking Indians to at
least vote for a coalition government,
which will definitely result in a weaker
India. But the world needs a strong India.
In 2019, itʼs only Prime Minister
Narendra Modi who can lead a strong
India. And people of India have already
made up their mind. You will see the
results on May 23. They will not be influ‑
enced by your blatant interference in
Indian elections.
Jagdish Sewhani
New York
Jaipur Bureau
Prakash Bhandari
Prakash@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Modi second most followed politician after
Obama on social media: Report
Continued from page 1
followers)," it said. According to the report, Modi had over
43 million followers on Facebook, about 47 million follow‑
ers on Twitter and more than 20 million followers on
Instagram. Congress party President Rahul Gandhi has accu‑
mulated 12 million followers on Facebook, Instagram, and
Twitter, the report said.
US‑Iran tensions rise ahead of anniversary of
nuclear deal pullout
Continued from page 1
Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria wound down. Sunday
nightʼs statement from national security adviser John Bolton
said the USS Abraham Lincoln, other ships in the carrierʼs
strike group and a bomber wing would deploy to the
Mideast. Bolton blamed “a number of troubling and escalato‑
ry indications and warnings,” without elaborating.
“The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian
regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack,
whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or
regular Iranian forces,” Bolton said. In Iran, the semi‑official
ISNA news agency on Monday quoted an anonymous official
as saying that Rouhani planned a broadcast address
Wednesday and may discuss the “counteractions” Tehran
will take over Americaʼs withdrawal from the nuclear deal. It
said Iranian officials have informed their European counter‑
parts ̶ with whom Iran has been trying to salvage the
agreement ̶ of the planned speech.
Mahatma Gandhi should be honored with
Congressional Gold Medal: Maloney
Continued from page 1
recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal. “Already Nelson
Mandela and Martin Luther King have received the Medal.
Itʼs only right that the inspirational leader for both of them
was Mahatma Gandhi and so he should receive this award,”
Ms. Maloney said. Ms. Maloney, who spearheaded efforts to
have the US Postal Service issue the first Diwali Stamp,
urged members of the Indian‑American community to reach
out to the Congress members and friends across the nation
to co‑sponsor the legislation to honor Gandhi with the
Congressional medal. The medal will “honor his leadership”
and his gift to the world of inspiring with his principles of
non‑violence. Paying homage to the memory and teachings
of Lord Mahavir, she said she was not aware that one of
Mahavirʼs most important message is ʻLive and let live.ʼ
“This slogan is one of the most famous quotes in America,”
she said. Addressing the gathering, Consul General Sandeep
Chakravorty said Gandhi himself was deeply influenced by
the work and principle of civil disobedience of American
poet and philosopher Henry David Thoreau, emulating it in
his life.
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TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE May 11-17, 2019 5

Sikkil Gurucharan brings palanquin carrying

Tamil ʻisaiʼ on a grand US tour
By Suchitra Srinivas
Washington, DC: Sikkil C
Gurucharan; the young, talented
and a versatile vocalist from the
decorated capital of Carnat ic
music, Chennai is on a US tour,
having embarked on a rare mis‑
sion of the tribe. Pioneering the
well‑themed concert series ʻTamil
Isai Ula,ʼ Gurucharan is set to
warm the hearts of music lovers
on a new platform.
ʻUla,ʼ in Tamil means procession.
T hroug h the current series,
Gurucharan is gearing up to carry
the ʻpalanquinʼ of Tamil music to
US cities, detailing its metamor‑
phosis over t ime. T his bold
attempt comes at a juncture when
the Tamil world is seeking oppor‑
tunities to bring back the glory of
the rich Tamil music, embellishing
the contemporary world of arts.
No doubt many of the current
top artists have always attempted
to present Tamil music in different
forums successfully. But, in gener‑
al, the vocal renditions are limited
to a few popular compositions,
covering the post 14th century
time period leaving the earlier
ones unexplored.
“The deep roots of music dates
back to 300 BC, the heydays of the
Sangam period,” said Gurucharan.
“Unfortunately to a large extent,
the enormous wealth of Tamil lit‑
The first event at NYTS saw an
overwhelming response. Sikkil
Gurucharan (inset)
erature and music available during
the Sangam period has not been
showcased on popular stages of
Carnat ic music concerts,” he
added.
The compositions of the Sangam
period remained as rich literary
work limited to classroom studies
and research tables. The ʻTamil
isai Ulaʼ attempts to break this
routine and bring it to the current
concert platform.
It all started when Gurucharan
was at the University of Berkeley
as a Fulbright scholar. Through
the literary contacts he developed
at the varsity, the gifted singer was
able to access extensive material
on music during the Sangam peri‑
od. This largely motivated and
propelled him to study on the ori‑
g in of Carnat ic music and its
chronological developments.
In 2015 and 2016, he presented
lecture‑cum‑concerts, organized
by the NY Tamil Sangam under the
banner ʻNetru Indru Naalai.ʼ While
it was well‑received, Gurucharn
felt there was a lot more to offer
that meant deeper research on the
Tamil music, particularly on com‑
positions of the Sangam time peri‑
od. Here he is back again curating
the mega‑series under the title
ʻTamil isai Ulaʼ!
The current series categorically
defines the moments and the
structure of Tamil isai. T he
Sangam period compositions had
no musical treatment in the
The music concert is set to tour the Bay area,
Boston, St Louis, Chicago, and Atlanta
poems. T hese are available as
mere texts of prose and poetry
with no visible musical structure.
But interestingly, one can find
enough mention and use of musi‑
cal phrases, rendition techniques
and musical instruments in these
literatures.
“As an artist, I feel there is more
scope and freedom to take the
poems of the Sangam age and
deliver them within the grammar
and structures of the current of
the Carnatic music tradition. Itʼs
more rewarding personally,” he
asserted.
In the current series,
Gurucharan has selected composi‑
tions from the Sangam period,
from the great epic Silapadikaram,
aganannoru and purananoru texts,
Thirukkural, Thevram, Divya pra‑
bandham, Kamba Ramayanam,
Thiruppugazh, to covering those of
the 20th‑century composers. It is
presented as a lecture‑cum‑singing
style format aimed at capturing
the attention and understanding of
the audience.
For the first time, one whole
chapter/adikaram of the worldʼs
most secular text Thirukkural was
complete ly rendered in the
Carnatic style that engages the
audience meaningfully, felt many.
Gurucharan has always been an
innovative artist seeking avenues
for expanding the audience base
for the art form. He rightly feels
that the current series is sure to
bring in a whole new audience to
the genre of Carnatic music.
Gurucharan observed “the great‑
est challenge that lies before us is
that we burn out a lot. The artists
in the eighties and nineties had a
longer shelf life. With no social
media pressures, the concert hall
remained sealed then but not any‑
more. It has become a common
practice for the audience to watch
the concert through cell phone
camera, videotaping our perform‑
ances rather than absorbing and
enjoying the live shows.”
The first of the ʻTamil Isai ulaʼ
series was held in New York on
April 27, 2019. Thanks to the NY
Tamil Sangamʼs ef fort, the initia‑
tive got ignited.
“T he audience response was
overwhelming. The numbers liter‑
ally doubled our expectations,”
said Ranganathan Purushothaman,
President, New York Tamil
Sangam. A must‑attend music
series for all those who are gen‑
uine patrons of music!

CJBO hosts inaugural networking event
South Brunswick, NJ: Local busi‑
ness entrepreneurs and mentors
met for their first networking
event of business organization
in Central Jersey ‑ Central
Jersey Business Organization,
LLC – CJBO on May 2nd at
Ember Restaurant in South
Brunswick, NJ. CJBO is the
first‑ever business organization
to bring all types of business
owners under one roof for net‑
working, coaching, mentoring,
education and other business
ideas and exchanges on an
ongoing basis which was estab‑
lished in December 2018 by
local business entrepreneurs
and mentors.
The networking evening was
attended by some renowned and
successful business owners and
some new and young business
owners which was very well
received and applauded by
many who attended the event.
Event coordinator Dr. Tushar
Pate l we lcomed everyone &
gave a presentation on CJBOʼs
goals & objectives and promised
to provide networking opportu‑
nities & support and mentorship
CJBO held networking evening in collaboration with
Princeton Visionary Lions Club
to local businesses on a regular
basis. Under the leadership of
three successful business entre‑
preneurs and founders – Hitesh
Patel, Mahendra Z. Patel and
Pinakin Pathak and organization
coordinator Dr. Tushar Patel,
CJBOʼs inaugural networking
evening had a presentation by
we ll‑known Attorney‑at‑law
Prag at i Parikh Dubal on
“Business Basics” which was
very informative and eye opener
session for young and new busi‑
ness owners who dream to be
entrepreneurs. The event was
collaborated and supported by
Princeton Visionary Lions Club –
PVLC which was established in
2018, and now at more than 50
members to commit their serv‑
ice to the community.
For further information on
membership, sponsorship or
additional information on CJBO
can be found on the organiza‑
tion website at
www.cjbousa.com.
New York gets its first
Kathak festival
New York: New York Kathak Festival
presented its first festival at the Ailey
Studios and Ailey Citigroup Theater
from April 19‑21. The first of its kind,
the classical dance event was attended
by over 750 ‑ a confluence of artists
and Kathak aficionados coming togeth‑
er as a community to learn, share, and
connect. The New York Kathak Festival
is a registered nonprofit run by a team
of 10 young professionals. “The NYKF
organizing team is mostly millennial
women who live and work in the New
York + New Jersey area. The festival is
our passion in addition to our careers,”
said Meenakshi Lala, on behalf of the
festival.
Anisha Muni, also on the festival
team said, “We created this event with
the intention of using art to bring the
community together and create a plat‑
form for Kathak to blossom in New
York City. Weʼre on a mission to make
Kathak a household name.” The festival
created space for performance, teach‑
ing, and discussion. Raoul Bhavnani of
the India Center Foundation, co‑spon‑
sored panel discussions on critical con‑
versations relevant to Kathak dance.
He said, “An honor to co‑host an expert
panel on the present, past, and future
of Kathak dance today during the
Kathak Festival weekend. Well done to
all the panelists who grounded us in
the living tradition, gender, and the
idea of the divine. Inspiring conversa‑
tion.”
Eminent artists contributed to the
festival, including Pandit Divyang
Vakil, Dr. Pallabi Chakravorty, Dr.
Purnima Shah. Dr. Sitara Thobani, and
many others. Consul General Sandeep
Chakravorty and Air India supported
the event. The concert lineup included
50 dancers and 10 musicians from all
over the world. Prashant Shah, an
Indian dancer now based in New York
closed his showcase of traditional and
contemporary Kathak to a standing
ovation. Shivangi Dake Robert traveled
the furthest̶all the way from
Singapore̶and was electric. The
weekend was closed with a finale by
the festivalʼs guest of honor, legend
Pandit Birju Maharaj and his foremost
disciple, Saswati Sen. Speaking about
the eventʼs organizers, Sen said, “What
the seniors couldnʼt do, these children
have done: bringing everyone together
for Kathak.”
The FIA is a community partner of
the New York Kathak Festival.
 6 May 11-17, 2019 TRISTATE TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Marathi Vishwa of New Jersey celebrates 40 years of existence

East Brunswick: It was one of the biggest
Maharashtrian celebrations in New Jersey
to date.
Thousands of Marathi speaking families
traveled from all over New Jersey to attend
the two‑day Marathi Vishwa 40th anniver‑
sary ce lebration extravaganza in East
Brunswick held on April 6th & 7th.
Founded by long term NJ residents
Chandrakant & Shashikala Yande, the
Marathi Vishwa event was attended by cur‑
rent members who witnessed stunning cho‑
reographed Indian dancing, amazing classi‑
cal and religious songs sung by topnotch tal‑
ent from Pune and popular Marathi dramas
performed by award‑winning film and stage
actors.
It was also the Marathi New Year Gudi
Padwa which happened to fall on the first
day of the celebration giving the atmos‑
phere an even more celebratory feeling.
Marigold decorated walkways and a gold‑
en Lord Ganapati welcomed in guests by
women dressed in traditional nauvari sarees
who handed out goodie bags to members as
they entered the auditorium after being
sprinkled with traditional rose water.
Noted Marathi celebrities who graced the
special occasion included famed classical
singer Anand Bhate, Marathi film and stage
Marathi Vishwa founders, long term NJ
residents Chandrakant &
Shashikala Yande
superstar Prashant Damle and classical
Indian award‑winning dancer and actress,
Archana Joglekar who along with her group
from Archana Arts, performed several
dances including a very popular Marathi
Lavni that commanded a standing ovation.
"I am very happy and excited about
Grand two-day extravaganza had Marathi celebrities,
cultural programs and traditional food
Marathi Vishwa turning 40," said an emo‑
tional Mrs.Yande.
"I can't believe something so small that I
named has become a strong and huge
organization in NJ and I am especially hon‑
ored that Governor Phil Murphy sent his
best wishes to us as part of the celebration."
"Over the last four decades, Marathi
Vishwa of New Jersey has provided various
educational, cultural and health and well‑
ness programs dedicated to enriching and
developing strong communities. The organi‑
zation focuses on leadership and innovation
while bringing South Asian communities
together. I commend Marathi Vishwa of New
Jersey and all of those associated for their
positive impacts and outstanding contribu‑
tion. I am also pleased to congratulate this
year's honorees: Mr. and Mrs. Chandrakant
and Shashikala Yande. As founders and first
board members of Marathi Vishwa of New
Jersey, they collectively have established a
wonderful resource for the South Asian
community. I join with their friends, fami‑
lies, and colleagues in applauding them for
their commitment to serving the organiza‑
tion," said Philip D. Murphy, Governor of
New Jersey in his congratulatory message.
Renowned Marathi stage and film actor
Prashant Damle, who along with Kavita Lad,
entertained the audiences with his famous
play Eka Lagnachi Pudhchi Ghosta that was
performed to a packed house and turned out
to be an audience favorite. The drama focus‑
es on a married couple whose marriage has
lost its luster & romance and think of ways
to bring it back in this very appealing and
funny comedy. The cast received a standing
ovation after their performance.
Melodious and prominent award‑winning
classical singer Anand Bhate, thrilled the
packed audience with his soothing voice
with songs including Chinamaya Sakal
Hridaya from the famous Marathi movie
“Balgandharava."
Bollywood and Marathi film actress and
award‑winning dancer Archana Joglekar
mesmerized the guests with beautifully cho‑
reographed solo Marathi dance based on
Lord Vitthal and Krishna.
The celebrations continue as Marathi
Vishwa is planning a massive Ganesh
Chaturthi celebration in September keeping
the momentum going strong.

Hundreds take part Engineering building at Houston varsity

in 6th Annual renamed after Dr. Durga & Sushila Agrawal
Vaisakhi 5K Run
Co‑founder of the race, Satnam Singh Prahar (left) and
Assemblyman David Weprin with the winners in the male
and female category.
New York: The 6th Annual Vaisakhi 5k Run held on April
28th at Victory Field in Queens attracted 500 runners. The
event was dedicated to the 550th anniversary of Guru
Nanak.
The winner in the menʼs category was Avnoor Singh Deol
and in the female category, it was Navjot Kaur. A cash prize
of $500 was given to each winner along with a trophy.
T here were other prizes as we ll and all reg istered
runners received T‑shirts, bags, and medals for their partici‑
pation. Everybody enjoyed food and entertainment after the
race.
NYC Councilman Barry Grodenchik, Assemblyman David
Weprin and Jennifer Rajkumar from Governor Cuomoʼs
office appreciated the efforts made by the organizers of the
race.
The founders of the Vaisakhi 5k Run are Dr. Avtar Singh
Tinna and Satnam Singh Parhar along with Gurbhinder
Singh Brar, Sarbjit Singh Dhami, Manvir Singh Jaswal and
Harjinder Kaur Jammu.
By Manu Shah
Houston: Dr. Durga D. Agrawal, a long time Houston resident,
is well known for giving back to the community particularly to
his alma mater ‑ the University of Houston. On April 26th, the
University recognized his sizable and generous gift by renam‑
ing the engineering building as the Durga D. and Sushila
Agrawal Engineering Research Building. A floor is also named
after the couple and the gift will provide ongoing support for
faculty, students, research and building operations.
Chancellor Renu Khator, Consul General of India Dr. Anupam
Ray, members of the Indian community, students, faculty, Dr.
Agrawalʼs children, grandchildren, and colleagues were present
at the ribbon‑cutting ceremony.
In his remarks, Dr. Agrawal credited several people for his
success. He expressed his admiration and respect for his pro‑
fessors at UH like Dr. Rhodes (who was present at the ceremo‑
ny), Dr. Donaghey, Dr. Dawkins, and Dr. Elrod who “put their
heart and soul” into teaching students including some like him
who had trouble understanding both the language and the
American accent. He traced his values of compassion, giving
back and respect for education to his parents and acknowl‑
edged his wife Sushilaʼs support and patience without which,
he said, he would not have completed his doctorate or built his
business. UH, he concluded, “has a very special place in my
heart. We must keep the torch of knowledge, excellence and
innovation growing and glowing.”
Chancellor Dr. Renu Khator tweeted: “Today, we named the
new Engineering building after Dr. and Mrs. Durga Agrawal,
our alum and regent to celebrate their generosity. Your gift will
inspire our students and alumni for many generations! Thank
you. Over the years, Dr. Agrawal, who is 74, has been providing
endowments, scholarships, and internships for UH students. In
2013, he was named a member of the UH System Board of
Regents by Texas Governor Rick Perry. He hopes his contribu‑
tions “will encourage additional donors and attract high‑cal‑
iber students, especially since many UH students are from the
Houston area and will most likely stay here upon graduation to
pursue their careers.”
The building today bears no resemblance to the one Dr.
Durga studied in but has been rebuilt on the same piece of
land. UHʼs engineering college boasts of more than 4,200 stu‑
Dr. Durga Agrawal, Sushila Agrawal, Chancellor Khator,
and Dr. Khator celebrating outside of the building
(Photo credit: www.AlexandersPortrait.com)
dents, including over 1,150 graduate students, enrolled in 10
engineering disciplines, as well as several interdisciplinary
graduate programs. Dr. Agrawalʼs kindness and generosity isnʼt
limited to giving donations but also comes across in small ges‑
tures. When Houston was hit hard by Hurricane Harvey, Dr.
Agrawal and members of his family showed up at the campus
with vans to transport stranded students to other locations and
even took many home. His deep‑seated value for education
probably stems from his own early struggles for educational
opportunities. He was born in Lakhanpur, a small village in
Madhya Pradesh in India with a population of 700. The village
did not have a water supply system, electricity or high school
which meant that he had to cycle or sometimes even walk to
the high school 13 miles away. He was also the bookkeeper for
his fatherʼs prosperous business from the time he was in ele‑
mentary school and reveals that “when you work in the family
business, you learn a lot.”
Encouraged by his parents, he attended one of the best engi‑
neering schools in India, IIT, New Delhi. In 1968, he came to
Houston to pursue his Masters in Industrial engineering and in
1974 added a Doctorate to his resume, both from the UH
Cullen College of Engineering. He attributes his present suc‑
cess to the two institutions equally and gives back unstintingly
to both. As he says “giving back to the community is important
and thereʼs no other field where money invested gives back
more returns than education.”
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Manjul Bhargava,
Akshay Venkatesh
named Royal Society
2019 Fellows
Mathematicians Manjul Bhargava (left), Akshay Venkatesh
(Image courtesy: scoopnest.com)
Washington, DC: Indian American profes‑
sors Manjul Bharg ava and Akshay
Venkatesh are named among the latest
cohort of 2019 Royal Society Fellows,
the society said in an April 16 news
release.
The two scientists are among 51 emi‑
nent scientists named Fellows, as well as
another 10 new Foreign Members and a
single Honorary Fellow, all named for
their "exceptional contributions to sci‑
ence," the society said.
"Over the course of the Royal Societyʼs
vast history, it is our Fellowship that has
remained a constant thread and the sub‑
stance from which our purpose has been
realized: to use science for the benefit of
humanity," Venki Ramakrishnan, presi‑
dent of the Royal Society, said in a state‑
ment.
"This yearʼs newly elected Fellows and
Foreign Members of the Royal Society
embody this, being drawn from diverse
fields of enquiry – epidemiology, geome‑
try, climatology – at once disparate, but
also aligned in their pursuit and contri‑
butions of knowledge about the world in
which we live, and it is with great honor
that I welcome them as Fellows of the
Royal Society."
Bhargava, Princetonʼs Brandon Fradd
Class of 1983, professor of mathematics,
is recognized internationally as one of
the foremost mathematicians of our
times, the university said.
He is a leading expert in number theo‑
ry, a branch of mathematics in which he
has made several pioneering break‑
throughs.
His research includes foundational con‑
tributions to arithmetic statistics and to
the theory of quadratic and higher
deg ree forms, number fie lds, class
groups and ranks of elliptic curves,
according to the university.
Bhargava is also well‑known for his
contributions to the public populariza‑
tion of mathematics, and held the first
Dist inguished Chair for the Public
Dissemination of Mathematics at the
National Museum of Mathematics in New
NATIONAL May 11-17, 2019 7
York, it said.
Bhargava was born in an Indian family
in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada but grew
up and attended school primarily in Long
Island, New York. He obtained his B.A.
from Harvard University in 1996. For his
research as an undergraduate, he was
awarded the 1996 Morg an Prize.
Bhargava went on to receive his doctor‑
ate from Princeton in 2001. He was a vis‑
it ing scholar at the Inst itute for
Advanced Study in 2001–02, and at
Harvard University in 2002–03.
Princeton appointed him as a tenured
full professor in 2003. He was appointed
to the Stieltjes Chair in Leiden University
in 2010.
Venkatesh is a professor at the
Princeton, N.J.‑based Inst itute for
Advanced Study School of Mathematics.
He is a mathematician who has worked
on many topics at the interface between
number theory and other fie lds,
including representat ion theory,
dynamics, and algebraic topology, his bio
states.
His recent work examines new algebra‑
ic structures related to the topology of
locally symmetric spaces, it said. Prior to
IAS, he was a professor of mathematics
at Stanford University and was working
at the Courant Institute of Mathematical
Sciences at New York University and
MIT.
He earned a bache lor's from the
University of Western Australia and a
doctorate from Princeton University.
Other scient ists named as 2019
Fellows include Sri Lankan American
professor at U.C. Irvine Kumar
Wickramasinghe; University of Oxford
professor Anant Parekh; India‑based
Translat ional Health Science and
Technolog y Inst itute professor
Gagandeep Kang; and Colorado State
University professor Akkihe bbal
Ravishankara, a Foreign Member.
The Fellows will be formally admitted
as fellows of the Royal Society at a cere‑
mony on July 12, when they will sign the
charter book in London.
 8 May 11-17, 2019
Immigration reform, physicians shortage
take center stage at AAPI Legislative Day
Washington, DC: Healthcare contin‑
ues to be at the center of the nation‑
al debate, especially after the
Trump Administrationʼs ef forts to
dismantle Affordable Care Act, and
to do away with the Individual
Mandate, affecting almost everyone
in the country. Association of
American Physicians of Indian
Origin (AAPI), the largest ethnic
organization of physicians, repre‑
senting over 100,000 physicians of
Indian origin, wants to make their
voices heard on Capitol Hill and
around the nation, particularly on
issues relating to healthcare.
AAPI leaders and members
brought to the fore some of the
major concerns of the Indian‑
American community, particularly
those affecting the physicians and
their patients during AAPIʼs
Legislative Day on Capitol Hill,
Washington, D.C., on April 30th,
2019.
Attended by several key leading
Congressmen and women from
both the major political parties, the
event held at the Rayburn House
Mumbaiʼs hip‑hop dance
crew wins NBC's reality
show World of Dance
The 14‑member group's journey started from the streets
of Mumbai in 2008
New York: Mumbai's hip‑hop dance
crew The Kings, the 14‑member
crew that impressed judges includ‑
ing Jennifer Lopez, Ne‑Yo and
Derek Hough with their amazing
performances, have won NBC's
dance reality show World of Dance
beating the other finalists. They
took home the prize money of 1
million dollars. Canadian contempo‑
rary dancer Briar Nolet, sister duo
of Ellie and Ava, VPeepz, a hip‑hop
group from the Philippines, and
Unity LA, a 10‑person squad from
Southern California, managed to
reach the finale‑‑that took place on
May 5 (Sunday)‑‑apart from The
Kings. The win of 14‑member squad
aged between 17‑27 doesn't come
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
AAPI members with Rep Steny Hoyer
Of fice Building, highlighted key
issues affecting physicians and the
country in general. House Majority
Leader, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D‑MD),
Rep. Ami Bera, (D‑CA); Rep. Raja
Krishnamoorthi, (D‑Illinois); Rep.
Tulasi Gabbard (D‑HAWAI) , Rep.
Michael Guest (R‑MS); Rep. Joe
Wilson (R‑SC); Rep. Frank Pallone
(D‑NJ); Rep. Phil Roe, MD (R‑TN);
Rep. John Sarbanes (D‑MD); Rep.
Andy Harris, MD (R‑MD) and sever‑
al other leading lawmakers
as a surprise as they had been get‑
ting blockbuster scores throughout
the three‑month run of the show.
T he Kings that specializes in
Bolly‑hip‑hop style started out from
the streets of Mumbai in 2008 but
shot to limelight after winning
India's Got Talent Season 3. They
secured the third place in World
Hip‑Hop Dance Championship
2015.
The third season of American
reality show World of Dance pre‑
miered on February 26, 2019, on
NBC. Jennifer Lopez, Ne‑Yo, and
Derek Hough returned as the judges
for their third consecutive seasons.
Scott Evans replaced Jenna Dewan
as the host. (Source: indiatoday.in)
addressed the AAPI delegates and
listened to their concerns and
promised support.
A White Paper outlining the con‑
cerns of the fraternity was submit‑
ted to lawmakers who addressed
the delegates. Some of the issues
outlined in the White Paper includ‑
ed Increased Residency Slots,
Immigration Reform, Medicare and
Medicaid Reimbursements, Tort
Reform, Repeal of the Individual
Mandate, Lowering the Cost of
Upset Hindus urge Amazon to apologize,
withdraw Lord Shiva toilet cover set
Nevada: Upset Hindus are urging
the world's largest online retailer
Amazon.com for the immediate
withdrawal of toilet cover set car‑
rying the image of Hindu deity
Lord Shiva; calling it highly inap‑
propriate.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a
statement in Nevada, said that Lord
Shiva was hig hly revered in
Hinduism and was meant to be
worshipped in temples or home
shrines and not to adorn a toilet
cover or put your feet on.
Inappropriate usage of Hindu
deities or symbols or concepts for
commercial or other agenda was
not okay as it hurts the faithful.
Zed, who is President of Universal
Society of Hinduism, also urged
Amazon.com and its President
Jef frey P. Bezos to of fer a formal
apology, besides withdrawing the
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Prescription Drugs, and, The South
Asian Heart Health Awareness and
Research Act of 2017.
In his welcoming remarks, Dr.
Naresh Parikh, President of AAPI,
stressed the importance of young
physicians in AAPI, who are the
“future of AAPI.” He highlighted the
ef forts of the current team under
his leadership” to make AAPI finan‑
cially sound and stable for the years
to come.”
In his opening remarks, AAPI
Legislative Chairman – Dr. Vinod K.
Shah, said, “AAPI is once again in
the forefront in bringing many
burning health care issues facing
the community at large and bring‑
ing this to the Capitol and to the US
Congress. This is an exciting time
for Indo‑US relations. Each of us, as
part of AAPI, the largest ethnic
organization, representing over
8,0000 Indian American Physicians
have a unique role to play in
strengthening the re lationship
between India, the largest democra‑
cy and the US, the greatest democ‑
racy in the world.”
This is not the first time Amazon
has offered to sell products
offending Hindu
religious sensibilities.
Lord Shiva toilet cover set, as this
was not the first time for the com‑
pany to offer such products which
were deemed of fensive by Hindu
"This immensely successful event,
including our partnership with the
Indian Embassy, has showcased
AAPI's strong relationship building
and maintaining ties with our elect‑
ed of ficials," said AAPI Legislative
Co‑Chair – Dr. Sampat Shivangi. He
emphasized “AAPI contributions in
issues like lowering drug costs,
strong advocacy on Immigration
reforms, especially for physicians
working in rural areas of the US and
their long decades of waiting in
acquiring Green Cards.”
In his keynote address,
Ambassador Hon Harsh Vardhan
Shringala praised AAPIʼs lobbying
ef forts. "I believe all of you will
have an important role to play in
contributing to this. All of you in a
sense are permanent Ambassadors
here. You have an understanding of
the US. You have an understanding
of India and Indian society. So
based on this understanding and
the network that you have you will
be in a position to take forward this
relationship in different areas," the
Indian Envoy said.
devotees.
Hinduism was the oldest and
third largest religion of the world
with about 1.1 billion adherents
and a rich philosophical thought
and it should not be taken frivo‑
lously. Symbols of any faith, larger
or smaller, should not be mishan‑
dled, Rajan Zed said.
Zed further said that such trivial‑
ization of Lord Shiva was disturb‑
ing to the Hindus world over.
Hindus were for free art ist ic
expression and speech as much as
anybody else if not more. But faith
was something sacred and
attempts at trivializing it hurt the
followers, Zed added.
This objectionable three‑piece
black‑white toilet cover set was
priced at $46. Soft and elegant
bath rug “feels great on your feet”,
product description
Jain Social Group Beverly Hills ‑ a
leading chapter out of 450 chap‑
ters worldwide hosted a Petersen
Automotive Museum tour fol‑
lowed by luncheon at Spice Affair
in Beverly Hills. Founder &
President Rajendra Vora (2nd
from left) with members & visit‑
ing Bollywood actress Shabana
Azami (center) in Beverly Hills.
Currently, Rajendra Vora is also
International Vice President of
JSG Intl Federation. This is his
third‑time appointment as an Intl
Vice President in his 35+ years of
involvement in JSG movements.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
In two years Indian population UK businessman joins
up by 30 percent in Australia Brexit Party for EU elections
Sydney: The Indian population in Australia
has exponentially grown in the last two years
according to the latest figures released by the
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The ABSʼs preliminary estimates suggest
there are 592,000 Indians living in Australia
as of June 2018. This is a 30 per cent jump
compared to Census 2016 figures which
recorded 455,389 Indians living in Australia.
India with 592,000 people moved into third
place dropping the New Zealand born
(568,000) down to the fourth place.
India now accounts for 2.4% of the
Australian population and the median age of
an Indian migrant is revealed to be 34 years,
same as those born in Australia.
India has been Australiaʼs biggest source of
migrants since 2016.
While 33,310 places of 162,417 permanent
places in 2017‑18 were granted to Indian cit‑
izens, 38,854 visas of 183,608 places went to
Indian citizens in 2016‑17.
The number of Indian students studying in
Australia too ascended to a seven‑year high in
2018. According to November 2017 figures,
close to 70,000 students were studying in
Australian universities and colleges.
Over 7 million migrants were living in
Australia as of June 2018, with people born
in England continuing to be the largest group
of overseas‑born residents.
ABS Assistant Director of Migration
DIASPORA
Indians now third largest
migrant group
Statistics Neil Scott said new figures showed
that in 2018 just over 29 per cent of
Australia's resident population was born
overseas.
"Australia's multicultural society is made up
of migrants born in every country around the
world. Although almost 18 million
Australians were born here, our society is
continuing to become more culturally diverse
over time," Scott said. China ranked second
on this list with 651000 people born in China
residing in Australia today.
The 2016 Census revealed that along with
population, Indian languages too had grown
in Australia. Hindi came out as the top Indian
language spoken at home in Australia with
159,652 speakers, with Punjabi a close sec‑
ond at 132,496.
Hindi and Punjabi have made it to the top
ten languages spoken in Australia.
The other languages which have seen a big
jump are Tamil (73,161), Bengali (54,566),
Malayalam (53,206), Gujarati (52,888),
Telugu (34,435), Marathi (13,055) and
Kannada (9701). Other languages recorded in
the 2016 census were Konkani language
(2,416), Kashmiri language (215), Oriya (721)
and Sindhi spoken by 1,592 speakers across
Australia. (Source: sbs.com.au)
May 11-17, 2019 9
London: An Indian‑origin businessman has
switched his allegiance from the Conservative
Party to join the newly‑formed Brexit Party to
contest the European Parliament elections
next month.
Ajay Jagota, a self‑proclaimed housing and
property expert, stepped down as chairman of
the local South Shie lds Conservative
Association in northern England last year
after claiming that the Tory party had failed to
address complaints he made about anti‑
Muslim racism.
The founder of Keep it Simple house lettings
outfit had previously signed a joint letter of Ajay Jagota switched allegiance and will
Tory association chairmen calling on British stand as a Member for the European
Parliament (MEP) from London.
Prime Minister Theresa May to "recognise the
discontent" over her Brexit deal and examine erendum result, which we were promised they
alternatives "that respect [the government's] would.
red lines and offer an ambitious and positive "Combined with my experience in the Tory
global future for our country." party as chairman and now the Brexit issue I
Now, just as campaigning for the European felt I could no longer rely on them as a party
Union (EU) elections intensifies, Jagota has with the incumbent leader [Theresa May]," he
joined ranks with Nigel Farage's new anti‑EU said.
Brexit Party and will stand as a Member for Jagota is being seen as one of many desert‑
the European Parliament (MEP) from London. ing the Tories, after reports that the ruling
"This [Brexit] is such an important issue that Conservative Party was shedding supporters
for me it was imperative that I did whatever I to the new Brexit Party amid dissatisfaction
could to ensure that those 17.4 million people with PM May's handling of Brexit.
that voted to Leave were not let down," Jagota Britain is forced to contest the EU elections
told The Sunday Telegraph. on May 23 as a result of the repeated defeat
"I would have hoped for the Conservative of the British PM's Brexit withdrawal agree‑
Party to deliver on their manifesto and the ref‑ ment in the UK Parliament. (PTI)
 10 May 11-17, 2019
Op Ed by Dr. John Sparks
P
eriodically, those who do not think
that the U.S. Constitution is “democrat‑
ic” enough set out to repudiate the
documentʼs genius. The Electoral College is
often the recipient of such attacks, particular‑
ly before and after national elections, and
those attacks are currently underway. But the
most recent constitutional provision to be
called into question is the clearly stated
requirement of Article I, section 3, that “the
Senate of the United State shall be composed
of two Senators from each state.”
Professor Eric W. Orts, of the Wharton
School, puts it this way in a recent article in
The Atlantic: “Today, the voting power of a
citizen in Wyoming, the smallest state in
terms of population, is about 67 times that of
a citizen in the largest state of California... the
situation is untenable.” Orts then proposes a
plan according to which, every state would
get one Senator in the 110 seat Senate and
the rest would be apportioned according to
population, giving California 12 seats instead
of its current two.
But this proposal fails to recognize that one
of the reasons the Constitution has been pro‑
tective of liberty is because it was not intend‑
ed to be purely democratic. Classically, it is
called a “mixed government”: taking in the
best of democracy, aristocracy and monarchy.
For instance, they gave “monarch‑like” pow‑
ers, such as the veto, to the president. They
made other parts of the government̶like the
federal judiciary̶much more “aristocratic.”
Federal judges are appointed, not elected, and
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
US AFFAIRS
REMAKING THE US SENATE:
Hyper‑Democracy Rears Its Head
Demolishing the argument that the
number of senators from each state
should be proportionate to its
population, under which California and
New York will get lionʼs share of the seats.
serve for a life tenure. Then, the Founders
created a legislative body (the House) which
is more “democratic” where large populous
states like California have many more repre‑
sentatives than Montana, Wyoming, and
Alaska. In Federalist No. 62, Madison says the
equal representation of each state in the
Senate is meant to be “a constitutional recog‑
nition of the portion of sovereignty remaining
in the individual states.” St. George Tucker,
noted Virginia lawyer and author of Tuckerʼs
Blackstone, explained that the equal represen‑
tation in the Senate was to recognize that
even the most diminutive of states, “the small‑
est republic,” might view itself as equal, in
that body, to even the largest state, which he
called “a powerful monarchy” by comparison.
This distinction between the House and the
Senate was wrought by the Great
Compromise between the large, more popu‑
lous states and the small states. If it had not
been reached in Philadelphia in the summer
of 1787, an impasse might well have disrupt‑
ed and delayed the Union of the Several
States indefinitely. In fact, this compromise
was deemed so important to the formation of
a union that another provision protects its
perpetuation, which brings us to yet another
obstacle to the Ortsʼ proposal: Article V.
In Article V, the Founders identified the
only provision in the Constitution which is
perpetually exempted from amendment: “that
no state, without its consent, shall be deprived
of its equal suf frage [voting power] in the
Senate.” That is a categorical, unambiguous
statement which protects the Great
Compromise from being undone by the
Amendment process.
So Orts first reminds us that the various
voting rights amendments̶the Fourteenth,
the Fifteenth, the Nineteenth and the Twenty‑
sixth̶sought to provide equal voting rights
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
which had not been extended to persons
because of race, sex, or age. Secondly, he
maintains that these Amendments established
the principle that the states had consented to
allow Congress to eliminate voting inequality
for these reasons. Therefore, concludes Orts,
Congress can pass a statute which he dubs
the “Senate Reform Act,” which legislatively
eradicates the “voting inequality” produced
by the two‑senator provision and the Great
Compromise. Orts ignores the fact that the
voting rights Amendments were specifically
directed toward voting inequality produced
by the misuse of race, sex, and age to disquali‑
fy voters. To argue that Congress can alter
the fundamental structure of the Senate by
mere legislation, bypassing the Amendment
process, while side‑stepping the absolute pro‑
hibition of Article V, is to make a mockery of
the written constitution.
Even Prof Orts recognizes that the prospect
for the passage of such a Senate Reform Act is
politically unlikely. On top of that, judicial
review, with the current Supreme Court,
would likely and rightly so, find it unconstitu‑
tional, which it surely is.
Dr. John A. Sparks is the retired dean of
Arts & Letters at Grove City College and a fel‑
low for the Institute for Faith & Freedom.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info US AFFAIRS May 11-17, 2019 11

Democrats to hold Attorney Trump's approval

General in contempt
New York: Escalating the con‑
frontat ion w ith US President
Donald Trump's administration,
the Democrats moved on Monday
to hold Attorney General William
Barr in contempt after he refused
to turn over to a Congressional
panel the entire report of a probe
into Russian interference in the
2016 presidential election.
Jerry Nadler, the chair of the
House of Representatives Judiciary
Committee, said that it would vote
on Wednesday on a motion to hold
Barr in contempt for refusing to
comply with its orders to hand
over by 9 a.m. Monday the report
without portions of it blacked out.
"The Attorney General's failure
to comply with our subpoena, after
extensive accommodation ef forts,
leaves us no choice but to initiate
contempt proceedings in order to
enforce the subpoena and access
the full, unredacted report," he
said after the deadline passed.
Barr has released a version of
the report by Special Counse l
Robert Mueller that redacted cer‑
tain portions of it like secret testi‑
monies and matters relating to
ongoing investigations or individu‑
als deemed innocent.
Demo crats, who control the
House, are pursuing leads that
may have the potential to lead to
impeachment of Trump for inter‑
fering with the probe or help with
other Congressional investigations
of Trump and his family.
The issue heated up with the let‑
U.S. Attorney General William Barr.
ter written by Mueller to Barr
questioning the completeness of a
report summary he released in
March.
T he inquiry report absolved
Trump of colluding with Russia,
while establishing that Moscow did
interfere in the elections. It also
was inconclusive about allegations
that Trump meddled w ith the
probe, which Democrats are now
pursuing.
Trump has stoo d by Barr's
re fusal to test ify be fore the
Judiciary Committee or to release
the report and has said that former
White House lawyer Don McGahn
and other of ficials should not
appear before Congressional pan‑
els. Barr appeared last week before
the Judiciary Committee of the
Senate, which is controlled by
Republicans. But he was grilled
there by Democrats like former
prosecutor Kamala Harris, who
lunged into him with prosecutorial
acuity, stumping him at times.
Barr refused to testify before the
House Judiciary Committee object‑
ing to its plans to have lawyers
quest ion him in addit ion to
Representatives.
If Barr is held in contempt, it
would only be the second time it
happens to a cabinet member. The
only case so far is of then
President Barack Obama's
Attorney General Eric Holder who
was he ld in contempt by a
Republican‑controlled House in
2012 for failing it give a panel
documents about a federal law
enforcement st ing operat ion
involving guns that went awry.
hits highest ever in
Gallup poll
Washington: US President
Donald Trump is enjoying the
strongest polling of his presi‑
dency following the release of
special counsel Robert
Mueller's report and positive
economic news, according to
public opinion poll agency
Gallup.
Trump's job approval rating
crept up one point to 46 per‑
cent for the two‑week period
ending April 30, a substantial
rise from the 39 percent
approval he recorded in early
March.
"In addition to the initial
interpretation of the Mueller
report, which Trump claimed
vindicated him from charges
that he had colluded with
Russia, the economy has
US Presidentʼs
approval rating
reached 46 percent for
the two‑week period
ending April 30.
offered several reasons for
Americans to look more favor‑
ably on Trump," Gallup said.
Trump remained underwater
in Gallup polling, however, with
disapproval of his performance
at 50 percent, although down
from 57 percent on March 10.
The polling was conducted
before it was revealed that
Mueller had written to US
Attorney Bill Barr to complain
how Barr summarized the
investigation's findings.
It also preceded Barr's refusal
to testify before a House panel,
and came before Democrats
threatened to hold Barr in con‑
tempt for failing to turn over a
full unredacted version of
Mueller's report on Russian
2016 election interference.

Mnuchin refuses to give Trump taxes to House Democrats

Washington: US Treasury Secretary Steven
Mnuchin has denied a request from House
Demo crats for access to six years of
President Donald Trump's personal tax
returns.
"I am informing you now that the
Department may not lawfully fulfil the
Committee's request," Mnuchin said in his
one‑page letter on Monday, written in con‑
sultation with lawyers from the Department
of Justice.
He added that the Department of Justice
would issue a formal legal opinion, CNN
reported.
Last month, Mnuchin said that he would
deliver a response by May 6.
The denial comes after two missed dead‑
lines by the Treasury Secretary, who again
in his letter said the request by House Ways
and Means Chairman Richard Neal under an
obscure statute of tax law is "unprecedent‑
ed", arguing it raises "serious constitutional
questions" that could have dire conse‑
quences for taxpayer privacy.
Trump has refused to release his tax infor‑
mation, first as a candidate and now as
President, breaking a precedent.
In response to Mnuchin's letter, Neal said
in a statement later on Monday that he was
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
st ill determining next steps. "To day,
Secretary Mnuchin notified me that the IRS
(Internal Revenue Service) will not provide
the documents I requested under Section
6103 of the Internal Revenue Code," Neal
said. "I will consult with counsel and deter‑
mine the appropriate response."
The committee chairman could issue a
subpoena on top of his request, or
Democrats could move to hold the Treasury
Secretary or IRS Commissioner for whom
the original request was addressed to in
contempt of Congress.
Mueller should not testify
before Congress: Trump
Washington: US President Donald Trump
has reversed course, saying Special
Counsel Robert Mueller should not testify
before Congress just two days after he
said that Attorney General William Barr
should make that decision.
In a series of tweets, the President said
Mueller should not appear before the
House Judiciary Committee and ques‑
tioned why the Democratically‑controlled
committee would need the Special
Counsel's testimony after concluding his
two‑year investigation into allegations of
collusion between Russian operatives and
Trump associates during the 2016 presi‑
dential campaign and transition, CNN
reported.
"Are they looking for a redo because
they hated seeing the strong no collusion
conclusion? There was no crime, except
on the other side (incredibly not covered
in the report), and no obstruction," he
wrote, adding: "No redos for the Dems!"
The President, when asked by reporters
at the White House about Mueller poten‑
tially testifying, said that Barr should
determine whether or not Mueller would
provide congressional testimony. "I don't
know. That's up to our attorney general,
who I think has done a fantastic job."
Trump's Sunday tweet came hours after
House Judiciary member David Cicilline
told Fox News that the committee has
reached a "tentative date" of May 15 for
Mueller to testify, though he later clari‑
fied that the date for the appearance had
not yet been finalized.
"Just to clarify: we are aiming to bring
Mueller in on the 15th, but nothing has
been agreed to yet," the Rhode Island
Democrat tweeted later. "That's the date
the Committee has proposed, and we
hope the Special Counsel will agree to it.
Sorry for the confusion."
 12 May 11-17, 2018
Gogoi gets clean chit in sexual harassment case
New Delhi: The Supreme Court
appointed three‑judge in‑house
committee probing the allegations
of sexual harassment against
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan
Gogoi on Monday gave a clean
chit to the CJI in the matter.
A statement issued by the top
court said: "The in‑house commit‑
tee has found no substance in the
allegations contained in the com‑
plaint dated April 19, 2019, of a
former employee of the Supreme
Court of India."
The in‑house panel comprised
Justice S.A. Bobde, the second
most senior judge in the apex
court, Justice Indira Banerjee and
Justice Indu Malhotra.
The committee submitted its
report on May 5, in accordance
with the "in‑house procedure to
the next senior most judge compe‑
tent to receive the report and also
sent a copy of the report to the
judge concerned, name ly the
Chief Justice India."
The court also said that the "in‑
house procedure was not liable to
be made public."
On Sunday, the apex court had
issued a statement declining that
Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and
Justice Rohinton Nariman had
Court quashes FIR against
AAP's Somnath Bharti
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court
on Tuesday quashed an FIR filed
against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
MLA Somnath Bharti in a domes‑
tic violence case lodged by his
wife.
Just ice Chander She khar
quashed the FIR observing that
the couple was happily living
together now and Bharti's wife did
Congress moves SC against
Modi's remarks on Rajiv
New Delhi: T he Congress on
Tuesday moved the Supreme Court
against Prime Minister Narendra
Modi calling former Prime Minister
Rajiv Gandhi "Bhrashtachari No. 1
(Corrupt No. 1)" at a poll rally in
Uttar Pradesh last week.
In an additional af fidavit filed
before the court, Congress MP
Sushmita Dev, said that by making
extremely derogatory comments on
Rajiv Gandhi, the Prime Minister has
committed an "act unbecoming of
the high of fice he holds; made
unprecedented obscene/ derogatory
remarks in a speech on May 6 by
referring to present Congress
President Rahul Gandhi's late father
and former Prime Minster of India
Rajiv Gandhi, in Pratapgarh, Uttar
Pradesh." Dev's additional affidavit
Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi. (Photo: IANS)
met Justice Bobde, who was head‑
ing the panel probing the sexual
harassment allegations against
Gogoi. It was claimed that
Chandrachud and Nariman had
met the members of the in‑house
committee on the evening of May
3 to register their concerns over
continuing with the probe against
the CJI in the absence of the com‑
plainant.
In a press release issued on
Sunday, SC Secretary General
Sanjeev Kalgaonkar said: "This is
wholly incorrect. The in‑house
committee which is deliberating
not want to pursue the matter any
further. In 2015, the Delhi Police
lodged the FIR against Bharti on
charges of abusing his wife Lipika
Mitra and setting his pet dog to
attack her.
The police had then said that the
AAP leader had been abusing his
wife ever since they married in
2010.
came a day after the Supreme Court
asked her to put on record the
Election Commission (EC)'s order
giving clean chit to Prime Minister
Modi and Amit Shah.
The Congress also attacked the
lack of transparency in the function‑
ing of the EC, and claimed that dis‑
sent on record by one of the Election
Commissioners has not been provid‑
ed with the order. "This demon‑
strates a complete lack of trans‑
parency and arbitrariness in deci‑
sion‑making process on complaints
against Modi and Amit Shah," said
the af fidavit. The apex court last
week directed the Commission to
decide on all the remaining com‑
plaints against Modi and Shah filed
by the Congress regarding the viola‑
tion of MCC before May 6.
INDIA NEWS
on the issue concerning the hon‑
ourable Chief Justice of India
deliberates on its own without
any input from any other hon‑
ourable judge of this court."
On April 30, the former employ‑
ee of the Supreme Court, who had
accused the CJI of sexually harass‑
ing her, had said that she would
no longer appear before the in‑
house panel set up by the apex
court to probe her charges as she
felt that she was "not likely to get
justice".
The woman said she felt "quite
intimidated and nervous" in the
Sailors' abduction: Sushma
asks highest level action
New Delhi: External Affairs
Minister Sushma Swaraj on
Tuesday asked the Indian High
Commissioner in Nigeria to take
the abduction of five Indian sailors
by pirates in the African nation
two weeks ago, at the "highest
level".
The Minister also asked Indian
High Commissioner to Nigeria,
Abhay Thakur, to prepare a report
over the incident.
"I have seen news reports about
abduction of five Indian sailors by
pirates in Nigeria. I am asking
Indian High Commissioner to take
this up at the highest level with
Government of Nigeria for their
release. Abhay ‑ Please take this up
and send me a report. @india_nige‑
ria," Sushma Swaraj said in a
tweet.
According to reports, it has been
over two weeks since the sailors
were abducted. Their families said
that they have been unable to con‑
tact them for several days. Earlier,
Bhagyashree Das, wife of one of
the abducted sailor Sudeep Kumar
Choudhury, appealed to Sushma
Swaraj on Twitter saying her hus‑
band has been kidnapped from the
MT APECUS (IMO 733810) vessel.
In a tweet on April 29, she wrote:
"@SushmaSwaraj ma'am plz look
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
'Shocked' complainant
seeks probe copy
New Delhi: A woman who
accused Chief Justice Ranjan
Gogoi of sexual harassment on
Tuesday asked the apex court's
in‑house probe committee for a
copy of the report giving a clean
chit to the CJI on all charges.
"I have a right to know how,
why and on what basis have your
Lordships found my complaint to
have 'no substance'," the com‑
presence of the three Supreme
Court judges.
In a statement to the media, she
had expressed serious reserva‑
tions over the functioning of the
panel, saying it was "an in‑house
committee of sitting judges junior
to the CJI and not an external
committee as I had requested..."
The woman said that during the
panel's hearing on April 26, the
judges told her that it was neither
an in‑house committee proceed‑
ing nor a proceeding under the
Vishakha Guidelines and that it
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
into this matter. It's been more
than 10 days and yet no updates
on this. We even don't know where
and how they are! We are eagerly
waiting for your reply! We have
faith and hope on you and I am
sure you won't disappoint us. Plz
save my husband." In her another
tweet on April 30 tagging BJP
spokesperson and former MP from
Odisha Baijayant Jay Panda,
Bhagyashree wrote: "@PandaJay
Sir Plz help us to save my hus‑
band, Sudeep Kumar Choudhury
3rd Officer Merchant Navy, who
has been kidnapped along with 4
plainant said, adding she was
"deeply shocked" on the outcome
of the committee's findings.
"Despite my detailed affidavit,
ample corroborative evidence
and clear, consistent statement
reiterating my experience of sex‑
ual harassment and consequent
victimization, the Committee has
found no substance in my com‑
plaint and affidavit," she said.
was an informal proceeding.
"I was asked to narrate my
account, which I did to the best of
my ability even though I felt quite
intimidated and nervous in the
presence of three Hon'ble Judges
of the Supreme Court and without
having a lawyer or support person
with me," she said.
The committee was formed after
the woman on April 19 levelled
allegations of sexual harassment
ag ainst Chie f Just ice Gogoi,
reportedly in a letter addressed to
22 judges of the Supreme Court.
other Indians from vessel, MT
APECUS(IMO 733810) anchored
off Lagos, Nigeria on 19.04.2019.
Require ur early & urgent inter‑
vention into this matter." The
Indian mission in Nigeria wrote
back to her saying the officials are
in touch with the Nigerian Navy
and police for the past 10 days.
The High Commission also said
that the "concerned parties" (the
abductors) have made initial con‑
tact.
On May 1, Bhagyashree replied
saying it has been 12 days already
and with no updates.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA NEWS May 11-17, 2019 13

MAHA KUMBH
OF DEMOCRACY
New Delhi: Over 62 per cent vot‑
ers exercised their franchise on
Monday in the fifth phase of Lok
Sabha elections in 51 constituen‑
cies, with voting percentage mar‑
ginally higher than 61.75 per cent
recorded in 2014 parliamentary
elections.
The constituencies were spread
across seven states. T he fifth
phase was the smallest of seven‑
phase elections to elect a new Lok
Sabha.
T he polling percentage was
higher compared to 2014 in Hindi
heartland of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh
and Rajasthan.
"The overall polling percentage
was 62.56 per cent in 2019 com‑
pared to 61.75 per cent in 2014,"
Deputy Election Commissioner
Sandeep Saxena told reporters
here.
He said the figure is expected to
Over 62% voting in 5th‑phase
Lok Sabha elections
People queue up to cast their votes during the fifth phase at a
polling station in Nagaur, Rajasthan. (Photo: Shaukat Ahmed/IANS)
go up further once all the votes
cast are accounted for.
In seven seats in West Bengal,
polling percentage was 73.97 per
cent compared to 81.37 per cent
in 2014.
In Uttar Pradesh where 14 seats
went to polls on Monday, 57.33
per cent voters had cast their bal‑
lot by 6 p.m. The polling percent‑
age was 56.92 per cent in 2014.
In five seats of Bihar, the voter
turnout was 57.86 per cent com‑
pared to 55.69 per cent in 2014.
In Jharkhand, where polling was
held for four seats, 63.72 per cent
electorate had cast their vote by 5
p.m. The polling percentage in
these seats was 63.85 per cent in
2014.
In Madhya Pradesh, the seven
seats that went to the polls on
Monsday, recorded a polling per‑
centage of 62.60 per cent com‑
pared to 57.86 per cent in 2014.
In Ladakh const ituency of
Jammu and Kashmir, polling was
63.76 per cent by 5 p.m com‑
63.64% voter turnout
recorded in Rajasthan
Jaipur: Rajasthan recorded 63.64 pc voting on Monday in the second
round of polling in the state for 12 seats, an official said.
Highest 73.93 per cent polling was recorded in Sri Ganganagar, fol‑
lowed by Jaipur at 68.19 per cent, and Alwar and Churu both recorded a
poll percentage of 66.21 per cent.
Among the other constituencies, Sikar saw 64.42 per cent voter
turnout, Nagaur 61.67 per cent, Jaipur Rural 63.65 per cent, Bikaner
60.19 per cent, Dausa 61.66 per cent, Jhunjhunu 61.70 per cent,
Bharatpur 58.12 per cent and Karauli‑Dholpur 54.51 per cent.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded the arrest
of Sikar Congress candidate Subhash Maharia.
Two Union Ministers including Arjunram Meghwal and Rajyawardhan
Singh Rathore had cast their votes in the second phase of election for
Bikaner and Jaipur Rural seats, respectively.
pared to 71.9 per cent in 2014. 2014. Saxena said 26 states and
Polling was completed in Union Territories have completed
Anantnag parliamentary seat on their election with the conclusion
Monday after a three‑phase elec‑ of fifth phase.
tion. The two districts ‑ Shopian T he polling percentage was
and Pulwama ‑ where polling was 69.50 per cent for the first phase,
held on Monday, registered 2.88 69.44 in second, 68.40 in third
per cent and 2.14 per cent polling and 65.51 in the fourth phase.
until 6 p.m. He said in the five phases of
The overall polling percentage elections completed until Monday,
in Anantnag is 8.76 per cent over six crore additional votes
which is far less compared to have been cast compared to the
28.45 per cent reg istered in last general election.

Congress goes full throttle in Delhi

New Delhi: The Congress is putting its might
in the Lok Sabha election campaign in the
national capital with party chief Rahul
Gandhi scheduled to address three rallies
here and party General Secretary Priyanka
Gandhi Vadra scheduled to hold two road
shows.
The elections in the national capital will
take place on May 12 in the sixth phase.
W hile Gand hi's campaign beg an on
Monday with his rally on Eid Gah Road in
Chandani Chowk where the party has fielded
former MP J.P. Agarwal, he is expected to
address a rally in East Delhi in support of
party nominee Arvinder Singh Lovely and in
North West De lhi in support of Rajesh
Lilothia.
Priyanka Gandhi will hold a road show in
North East Delhi where former Chief Minister
Sheila Dikshit is in the fray. She is also
expected to hold a road show in South Delhi
where boxer Vijender Singh is contesting.
Between the two top campaigners of the
party, they would cover five of the seven con‑
stituencies in Delhi," a Congress leader said.
The presence of two top leaders signals
party's intention to give its best shot in the
parliamentary polls but also to revive the
party ahead of assembly polls next year.
The Congress was willing to give four of
the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi to AAP
when alliance talks were being held between
the two parties but after these failed, it put
up strong candidates on all seven seats. The
Congress President Rahul Gandhi with
party's Delhi President Sheila Dikshit in
New Delhi. (Photo: IANS)
party is also boosting its campaign with
other star campaigners.
Cricketer‑turned‑politician Navjot Singh
Sidhu was slated to campaign for Congress
candidate from West Delhi Mahabal Mishra
on May 8. Former Uttarakhand Chie f
Minister Harish Rawat will also campaign in
the constituency on that day.
9 attacks in 5 years:
Kejriwal blames BJP
New Delhi: After being slapped during a
roadshow, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal has blamed the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) for the attack saying the party
was trying to silence voices raised against
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and establish
dictatorship. Addressing the media, the Aam
Aadmi Party (AAP) chief said: "Yesterday
(Saturday) a man attacked me. This was the
ninth attack on me in the last five years and
fifth since I became the Chief Minister. I
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
don't think any Chief Minister was attacked
being slapped during a road show in
so many times."
New Delhi. (Photo: Video Grab/IANS)
He said Delhi was the only place in the
country where security for the Chief me, it was on Delhi. They attacked the Chief
Minister was in the hands of an opposition Minister elected by the people of Delhi."
party. "My security is the BJP's responsibili‑ Kejriwal said the BJP was not able to digest
ty. In all other states, the Chief Minister's the fact that the AAP won 67 of the 70 seats
security is the responsibility of the state in the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections. "We
police, which comes under the CM." have done so much for Delhi in the fields of
Claiming that nine attacks cannot be called education, health, electricity and water. They
security lapse, he said, "It was a conspiracy (BJP) fear the people will question them on
against me." Attacking the BJP, he said the what work they have done." Through the
party had tried its best to destroy the AAP. attack, the BJP was trying to send out a mes‑
"They made the CBI raid my office. The Delhi sage that those opposing Modi would not be
Police raided my house. A total of 33 cases spared, "even if he is a CM," he said and
have been filed against me. They want to added the attacker's wife said he could not
remove us physically. The attack was not on listen to anything against Modi".
 14 May 11-17, 2019
MAHA KUMBH
OF DEMOCRACY
Ghatal (West Bengal): Ridiculing
West Beng al Chie f Minister
Mamata Banerjee's claim that she
does not consider Narendra Modi
as the Prime Minister, BJP
President Amit Shah on Tuesday
said she should rather prepare her‑
self for another five years as Modi
is set to return at the helm follow‑
ing the Lok Sabha polls.
"Mamatadi (Banerjee) has recent‑
ly said that she does not consider
Modiji the Prime Minister. Tell me,
Mamatadi, do you have faith in the
country's Constitution or not? "The
Constitution states that whoever is
Film stars lose their
sheen in elections
Lucknow: Till the turn of the millen‑
nium, film stars guaranteed crowds
and votes in politics. Political par‑
ties wooed them ardently. As a
result, top stars like Rajesh Khanna,
Vinod Khanna, Shatrughan Sinha,
Raj Babbar, Dharmendra, Hema
Malini, Jaya Prada, Govinda and
Jaya Bachchan braved the heat and
dust of campaigning for their politi‑
cal parties. Some like Dharmendra
and Govinda could not understand
the manipulations of politics and
called it a day after one term.
Others like Raj Babbar, Shatrughan
Sinha, Hema Malini and Jaya
Bachchan continue to stand their
ground.
However, if various political par‑
ties are to be believed, the stardust
is losing its glitter and film stars
can no longer guarantee a win on
the seats they campaign for.
A clear indication of this is the
fact that the demand for film stars
as campaigners is rapidly going
down in these elections.
A BJP candidate said: "There is no
use getting film stars to campaign
because they cannot give speeches
and do not leave any impact on vot‑
ers." Explained senior journalist R.K.
Singh: "The stars are losing their
credibility because they lack convic‑
tion in what they say. People know
that in most cases stars take money
to campaign and this erodes their
sincerity. Some stars like Ravi
Krishna and Manoj Tiwari have
changed more parties than they
GET READY FOR MODI AGAIN:
Shah to Mamata
chosen by the people becomes the
Prime Minister. It does not matter
if you accept this or not," Shah said
at an election rally in Ghatal parlia‑
mentary constituency. "Be pre‑
pared for another five years as
Modi is going to become the Prime
Minister once again," he said amid
massive cheers and chants of
"Modi‑Modi" by the BJP supporters
present at the rally.
Responding to the Prime
Minister's allegation of not receiv‑
ing his calls, Banerjee had on
Monday said she refused a meet‑
ing with Narendra Modi over the
Cyclone Fani impact as she does
not consider him the country's
Prime Minister.
"I do not consider him the coun‑
try's Prime Minister. Hence I did
not sit for the meeting. I do not
want to be seen with him on the
same platform. I will speak to the
next Prime Minister. We can take
Veteran actor Dharmendra campaigns for his wife and BJP MP
Hema Malini in Mathura. (Photo: IANS)
have delivered hits." Besides, he
explained, the glamour factor has
also reduced because film stars
were now seen 24x7 on the social
media and television. "Earlier, peo‑
ple would wait for hours to catch a
glimpse of their favourite actor but
not any more. You just need to get
on to the Internet and you can have
your fill," he added.
Bhojpuri stars Ravi Kishan and
Dinesh Yadav Nirahua, who are con‑
testing the Gorakhpur and
Azamgarh seats respectively, are
already finding the going tough.
Raj Babbar, who is presently seek‑
ing election for his sixth term to
Parliament and holds the position
of Uttar Congress President,
explains that it needs more than
just stardom to survive in politics.
"Much before I started working in
theater and then films, I was associ‑
INDIA NEWS
BJP chief Amit Shah addresses a public
rally in Belda, West Bengal. (Photo: IANS)
care of the cyclone damage by our‑
se lves. We do not need the
Centre's he lp ahead of polls,"
Banerjee said.
Hailing the BJP's Ghatal Lok
Sabha candidate and former IPS
ated with the socialist youth poli‑
tics. I joined the Janata Dal in 1989
and actively participated in party
activities. I later joined the
Samajwadi Party and then the
Congress. "I never confined myself
to campaigning and that is one rea‑
son why the parties and the people
started taking me seriously," he
says. W hen Raj Babbar was
appointed President of the Uttar
Pradesh Congress in July 2016, few
took him seriously in his own party.
But two years later, they under‑
stood that he means business.
Hema Malini, Jaya Prada, Jaya
Bachchan and most others have, on
the other hand, confined them‑
selves to campaigning in their own
constituencies or in select con‑
stituencies. They have not actively
involved themse lves in party
matters.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
the Bengal government. Ghosh had
resigned last year.
The BJP chief also said that the
attendance at his rally despite the
hindrance and intimidation by
Trinamool Congress supporters
and the state administration, clear‑
ly showed that Ghosh will achieve
a resounding victory in the con‑
stituency.
"People told me the rally will not
be successful in Ghatal as Mamata
and her party are stopping people
from coming here. I told them,
even if there are just 25 people, I
will still go to rally for our sister
Bharat i Ghosh. She is facing
Mamatadi's wrath as she refused
to obey her illegal orders," he said.
of ficer Bharati Ghosh, who once Reiterating his party's stand on
shared a cordial relationship with infiltrators, Shah said after the BJP
Banerjee before they had a falling government comes back to power
out, Shah said Banerjee is angry it will implement the NRC across
with Ghosh because she refused to the country and will throw out
follow the illegal orders issued by every single infiltrator from here.
'Pragya not guilty
but scapegoat of
saffron terror'
Bhopal: Former Madhya
Pradesh Chief Minister
Shivraj Singh Chouhan
on Tuesday said that
Malegaon blast accused
Sad hvi Prag ya Sing h
Thakur has been made
the BJP candidate from
Bhopal as the party feels
she is "not guilty" but
was made a scapegoat by
the then Congress gov‑
ernment after coining
the word 'bhagwa aatan‑
ki' (saffron terror).
Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur.
In an interview to IANS,
Chouhan said, "Sadhvi Pragya have waited till the time the
Thakur was made the party's court acquitted her in the
candidate after a lot of delibera‑ Malegaon blast case, he said,
tion. "Why should we have to wait to
He said in 2008 a word was get her acquitted when we
coined 'bhagwa aatanki' (saffron believe that she is not a terror
terror). "Congress coined this accused."
word and they made her scape‑ "And Sad hvi Prag ya is not
goat and Digvijaya Singh was the fighting alone we all are fighting
medium," he said. with her in the elections," he
The former Chief Minister said said.
that a dif ferent kind of atmos‑ To a question if she was fielded
phere was created by bringing in from Bhopal after looking at the
"Hindutva terrorism" in the pic‑ Congress candidate Digvijaya
ture. Singh, Chauhan said, "We fielded
"This was brought under a con‑ her only after Digvijaya Singh's
spiracy to defame Hindutva. And candidature was announced in
Sadhvi Pragya was made the Bhopal. It was decided that she
scapegoat. She was tortured and was the perfect candidate against
despite being a woman she was Digvijaya Singh.
beaten up mercilessly," he said. "And it was a collective deci‑
When asked if the party could sion of the party," he said.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info May 11-17, 2019
 16 May 11-17, 2019 ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Will 'Avengers: Endgame' beat 'Avatar'?

I
n Hollywood's box of fice war,
'Avengers: Endgame' has turned
out to be a game‑changer as it
gallops its way to the $2 billion
In India, 'Avengers:
mark, raising the million dollar
question whether it will surpass Endgame' mints over
the $2.78 billion benchmark set by
'Avatar' a decade ago.
According to Forbes, 'Avengers:
Rs 250 cr in first week
A
Endg ame' has already minted
$1.82 billion in worldwide receipts vengers: Endgame", the the Hollywood film. He pointed
as it heads into the second week final chapter from the out that the film has crossed the
since its re lease, making it "Avengers" franchise, has first week business of Hindi
inevitable that it will zoom past the registered a business of over Rs. films like "Baahubali 2" (Hindi),
lifetime collection of its predeces‑ 250 crore at the Indian box "Sultan", "Tiger Zinda Hai",
sor 'Avengers: Infinity War' ($2.05 office in the first week of its "Sanju" and "Dangal".
billion) and 'Star Wars: The Force release. "'Avengers: Endgame' has an
Awakens' ($2.07 billion). According to a statement outstanding week one... crosses
Even 'Titanic' made $2.19 billion, The film has already minted $1.82 billion in worldwide issued on behalf of the makers, week one business of all Hindi
but James Cameron's 'Avatar', a receipts. Pic: Disney/Marvel Studios). the Marvel Studios' film collect‑ films by a margin. Friday Rs
tale set in the magical land of ed a massive Rs 310 crore (gross 53.60 crore, Sat Rs 52.20 crore,
2008. The talk of the film crossing more here than its $760 million box office collection) and Rs Sunday Rs 52.85 crore, Monday
Pandora and about blue‑skinned
its threshold is intriguing, and com‑ domestic total in today's dollars, a 260.40 crore (nett box office Rs 31.05 crore, Tuesday Rs
Na'vi people, is the big daddy. Not
plicated, reported The Washington number that actually puts the glob‑ collection). 26.10 crore, Wednesday Rs
only is 'Avengers: Endgame' a
Post. "The most obvious reason is al total of 'Avatar' near the $3 bil‑ Trade expert Taran Adarsh is 28.50 crore, Thursday Rs 16.10
direct sequel to 'Avengers: Infinity
inflation. Movie tickets cost a lot lion mark," its report pointed out. amazed by the performance of crore," he tweeted.
War', it's the culmination of the
more now than they did in 2009 ‑‑ Also, 'Avatar' was playing on
previous 20‑plus t itles in the
a full 20 per cent more in the US fewer screens than 'Avengers: lion of the '...Endgame' box office, also to do with the spurt in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU),
alone. That means 'Avatar' would Endgame', China being a key case more than double the $204 million number of theaters in the country
a blockbuster series of films that
have grossed some $150 million in point. It has minted $460 mil‑ 'Avatar' registered there, but that is in the last 10 years.
commenced with 'Iron Man' in

AKSHAY'S ELIGIBILITY 'Blank': Sleekly

FOR NATIONAL AWARD mounted but bland
QUESTIONED By Troy Ribeiro

A D
kshay Kumar, who said he has Canadian
esigned as a mystery thriller,
citizenship, was questioned on social
"Blank" is the drama of a suicide
Actor Akshay media about winning the National Award.
bomber who is on a mission.
Kumar has However, filmmaker Rahul Dholakia supported
Debutant Karan Kapadia plays Hanif, the
Canadian the actor and said that "foreign nationals can
citizenship. suicide bomber who is connected with a
get National Awards".
"dead man's switch". This "DMS" is a com‑
Several social media users including National
plicated bomb attached to his chest and is
award‑winning film editor and writer Apurva
connected with his heartbeat. The moment
Asrani questioned Akshay on being a National
he ceases to exist, or in other words, when
Award‑winner.
his heart stops beating, the switch would
Asrani tweeted: "Are Canadian citizens eligible
activate 24 other devices that are remotely
for India's National Awards? The year (2016)
controlled. Thus creating a mayhem in the
Akshay Kumar won 'Best Actor', we were
city.
expecting Manoj Bajpayee to win for
The premise is definitely intriguing.
'Aligarh'. If the jury/ministry has made an
Narrated in a non‑linear manner, the film
error in Kumar's case, will there be a
opens on a dramatic note. The plot unfolds Debutant Karan Kapadia plays
revote."
with the suicide bomber landing in hospital a suicide bomber in the film.
However following the rulebook of
and into the police's clutches, only to be
the Directorate of Film Festivals, the the investigating Anti‑Terrorism
rescued soon by his brethren

REVIEW
organization that presents the National Squad (ATS) Of ficer Siddhu
to check, what did he reveal to
Film Awards, under the section of eligi‑ Dewan (Sunny Deol), who is torn
the police. This by mid‑point,
bility of a candidate it reads: "Film pro‑ between his work and personal turmoil.
you wonder, is a waste of ener‑
fessionals and technicians of foreign This sub‑plot is half‑baked. With nearly
gy for a dispensable soul. But that does not
origin can also be considered for equal footage, in terms of drama and action,
stop you from wondering what's next? The
awards." Sunny Deol, with his charismatic overload,
writing is well‑researched, gives you a fair
Filmmaker Rahul Dholakia, who has overshadows Karan. But there is no denying
flavor of the subject. The action‑packed sec‑
also been part of the jury of the that Karan has put his heart and soul into
ond half is fast‑paced and exciting. But at
National Film Awards earlier, took to the character he portrays. He is convincing
the same time it leaves you realizing that
Twitter to clarify the matter. and does a brilliant job of essaying the
this is a far‑fetched war against terrorism.
Sharing a screenshot of the rule‑ unassuming Hanif. He also displays his flair
It is far‑fetched because the denouement
book, he wrote: "Clarification on for action, with natural ease.
is totally unconvincing as the crux of the
National Award ‑‑ foreign nationals Visually, the look and feel of the film is
drama hinges on a plot which appears bor‑
can get National Awards. Itʼs legal, simply realistic. Cinematographer R.Dee's
rowed from B‑grade potboilers of the
legit and by the books have been on camera work is definitely noteworthy.
1980s. It plays to the masses with the good
the jury (not for this one) and so The unwarranted song, post end credits,
against the evil theme.
found out from an official Manoj picturized on Akshay Kumar, is like over‑
Also, while this is the story of the suicide
Srivastava who sent me this." egging the pudding.
bomber, the canvas appears to be that of
TheSouthAsianTimes.info ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD May 11-17, 2019 17

The changing ways of film promotion

By Vinod Mirani would stop to gape at posters of an upcom‑
ing film (they would be put up overnight.

A
picture is worth a thousand words
and you never forget a picture you
saw was the rule for and logic for
promoting Indian films. Illiteracy has
always been a problem and the best way to
grab attention has always been through a
graphic. Nowhere has this been more rele‑
vant than with the promotion of a film.
A film registered itself on its prospective
audience better with attractive visuals.
That is why we had posters, on walls as
well as on poles. We had, what was called
six‑sheeters: they accounted for six stan‑
dard 30"x40" wall posters pasted together.
Anybody who studied Commerce as part
of college syllabus in those days knew what
were the traditional, well entrenched ways
of advertising, be it cigarettes (most publi‑
cized product in those days) or films.
There was no All India Radio nor
Doordarshan. The films were promoted
city, town and village wise as and when
needed to. There was no national platform
to promote any product, let alone films.
The approach to publicizing films was
standard, simple be it a small film or big.
Yet, far more effective than it is today when
crores are spent on promotion.
While all the publicity was done at the
local level, advertizing on the cross country
railway routes was the only way this was
Actors Ananya Pandey, Tiger Shroff and Tara Sutaria promoting
their upcoming film ʻStudent of the Year 2ʼ.
done nationally. Posters in two main sizes
were splashed on the railway stations at all
popular routes. The idea in those days was
to let a film's promotion grow slowly
through visual exposure as well as word of
mouth. Today, if a superstar is passing on
the road, a person may not pause to look at
him. But, those were the days when people
Pictures in print were the best way to com‑
municate as well as convey to prospective
film audiences.
The best thing about designing a film's
release publicity, which included trailers
and street publicity was that original photo‑
graphs from the film were used in them. A
film's trailer was made from the footage
shot for the film.
WhatsApp, Twitter, email messages have
now replaced this home delivery of promo‑
tion through fliers and loudspeakers. There
is YouTube and other mediums besides the
dedicated website set up by filmmakers for
their films. Wall posters were another
mode of promotion but now the big banner
films avoid that. As it were, some cities
banned this defacing of city walls long ago.
Delhi was the first to impose this ban.
Trailers, which are called promos now,
are not always made by the ones who made
the film. Some portions are shot especially
for this purpose and, often, have nothing to
do with the content of the film!
The latest way to promote a film is
through popular TV shows like "Tarak
Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashma", "The Kapil
Sharma Show" and such. The problem still
is that nothing comes across about the
essence of the film! The stars end up being
promoted, not their films.

RK Studios to bow out for

residential, shopping complex
T
he show will no
longer go on at
the iconic 71‑
year‑ old RK Studios. It
will now make way for a
swank residential com‑
plex‑cum‑shopping plaza
through its new owner,
realty major Godrej
Properties Ltd., an offi‑
cial said.
The GPL has pur‑
chased the 2.20 acres
(roughly, 100,000 sq.
feet) RK Studios premis‑
es in Chembur, north‑
east Mumbai ‑‑ founded
in 1948 ‑‑ which were gutted
in a major fire that engulfed it
on September 16, 2017.
GPL, which has inked the
deal for an undisclosed
amount with the Bollywood's
Kapoor clan ‑‑ plan to now
convert it into a modern resi‑
dential apartments complex
and a luxury retail centre
spread over a saleable area of
around 350,000 sq. feet.
Executive Chairman of GPL,
Pirojsha Godrej, said the deal
fits with the company's strate‑
gy of deepening its presence in
key locations across India's
leading cities.
"We will seek to ensure we
celebrate the remarkable lega‑
cy of this site with the goal of
RK Studios in Chembur, Mumbai.
delivering an outstanding
lifestyle for its residents,"
Godrej said.
Veteran Bollywood actor
Randhir Kapoor, son of the
founder of RK Studios, the leg‑
endary Raj Kapoor, said: "This
property in Chembur, has been
of tremendous significance to
my family over the many
decades that RK Studios has
operated from there. We are
excited to have chosen GPL to
script a new chapter for this
location and build upon its
rich history."
Incidentally, the studio prop‑
erty sale deal comes barely
eight months after late Raj
Kapoor's widow, Krishna,
passed away at the age of 87,
on October 1, 2018.
Soon after the blaze, which
also reduced to ashes precious
memorabilia and costumes
from the RK Films and Studios
banner films over the past
seven decades, the Kapoor
family had expressed their
inability to revive it or contin‑
ue maintaining it.
The RK Studios was the
shooting venue for some clas‑
sics of RK Films like "Aag"
(1948), "Barsaat" (1949),
"Awaara" (1951), "Shree 420"
(1955), "Jaagte Raho" (1956),
"Anari" (1959), "Sangam"
(1964), "Mera Naam Joker"
(1970), "Bobby" (1973),
"Satyam Shivam Sundaram"
(1978) and many more.
I'm being punished
for turning 60:
Madonna
S
inger Madonna
has opened up
about her fight
against ageism in the
music industry, saying
she is being punished for
turning 60.
In an interview to
British Vogue, Madonna,
who has sold more than
300 million records
worldwide in a near four
decade career, has
detailed her fight against
ageism, reports daily‑
mail.co.uk.
"People have always
been trying to silence me
for one reason or anoth‑
er, whether it's that 'I'm
not pretty enough', 'I
don't sing well enough',
'I'm not talented enough',
'I'm not married enough',
and now it's that 'I'm not
young enough'," said
Madonna, who broke
Singer Madonna has sold more than
300 million records worldwide.
into the music scene in
1982. Now I'm fighting ageism, now I'm
"So they just keep trying to find a being punished for turning 60,"
hook to hang their beef about me added the songstress, who turned
being alive on. 60 in August last year.
 18 May 11-17, 2019 COMMUNITY TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Ekal for all-round village uplift in India

E
kal is the largest village development
movement with a tangible presence in
more than 85,000 remote rural villages
across India and Nepal. Through its single
teacher schools that run on a dollar a day, Ekal
provides free education to 2.3 million children
every year and that number is growing. Ekal's
mission is holistic development of villages
through empowerment of tribal (vanvasi) and
rural communities in India with basic educa‑
tion, digital literacy, skill development, health
awareness, learning modern and productive
agricultural practices and rural entrepreneur‑
ship.
Ekalʼs mobile
Every year, Ekal USA organizes a series of An Ekal Vidyalaya class in a remote area, and
digital literacy in villages.
musical events to raise funds for the education computer lab to enhance
program. This year their Long Island chapter is
hosting one on May 18 in Bethpage. vides education for one school for one full the importance of making a kitchen garden ness promotion center. It offers a variety of
A unique aspect of the Ekal movement is its year. growing and eating vegetables and fruits. Ekal skill training courses and also has a production
very large volunteer base that allows it to keep Digital Literacy: Reducing the Digital Divide is is currently experimenting with Telemedicine. and marketing center where villagers can
overheads low. key to empowering people in the 21st century. For hygiene, it works with villagers to create package and sell their products.
Education : The Foundation of the Ekal Ekal on Wheels is a mobile computer lab that Soak Pits to prevent stagnant water pools, Tailoring Training Center: Ekal has successful‑
Movement: Ekal Vidyalaya primary schools travels to villages and teaches basic digital lit‑ Waste Pits to ensure proper disposal of com‑ ly implemented Tailoring training in several
located in the villages provide education to eracy to the villagers. Ekal schools use tablets postable waste. It also encourages villagers to states of India. Once trained, women are able
children between the ages of 6‑14. Local youth to enable children to be digitally literate. build and use toilets in their homes. to establish small tailoring shops and earn Rs.
are trained to be teachers. The curriculum is Graduates of digital literacy training earn over Skill and Entrepreneurship Training: This 3,000 – 5,000 per month.
designed specifically to teach rural youth who Rs. 10,000 a month. comes handy because youth in rural areas do
may be first generation learners and motivate Health and Hygiene: Health and hygiene is not have access to skill training and skilled To raise funds, Ekal USA’s Logn Island
them to continue their education. Over the key to rural development. A health resource labor to help provide services is missing. chapter is hosting a musical evening
years 10 million children have been educated. center is established in the middle of every 30 Women particularly lack skills to bring eco‑ with accomplished singers, Dipayan
Girls in remote areas too lages get access to villages. Ekal hires local youth and trains them nomic opportunity. Banerjee and Madhuraa Bhattacharya
education. Alumni Pinky Karmakar from to be health care workers. The workers organ‑ Village Development Resource Center: In the on May 18 at The Sterling, Hicksville
Assam carried the Olympic torch during the ize village gatherings and provide information middle of every 100 Ekal villages, Village Road, Bethpage, NY.
London Olympics. A donation of $365 pro‑ about health and hygiene. Ekal teaches women Development Resource Center serve as a busi‑
TheSouthAsianTimes.info OP-ED May 11-17, 2019 19

Azhar's designation as terrorist a turning point

By Arul Louis toll on Pakistan, whose diplomats like to available resources.
point out that their country has suffered For China, it was time to recognize its

C
hina's retreat from providing
international protection for Jaish‑
e‑Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood
Azhar and its patron Islamabad, marks a
milestone in the political and diplomatic
war on terror with potential reverbera‑
tions beyond the subcontinent.
For a decade, Azhar was cast as the
touchstone of Pakistan‑China friendship
and flag‑bearer in a proxy war on India.
That finally ended on Wednesday when
Beijing wilted under growing international
pressure and revulsion towards terrorism
and agreed to the Security Council sanc‑
tions committee branding him the terror‑
ist he is.
Totally isolating them, none of the other
191 other members of the UN ‑ including
some who advocate "your‑terrorist‑is‑my‑
freedom‑fighter" policy in other cases ‑
had joined Pakistan and China in backing
Azhar.
India's Permanent Representative Syed
Akbaruddin said that India's persistent
"subterranean" diplomacy helped achieve
this.
Now the next milestone in the political
and diplomatic war on terror ‑ it is still
only that, and not an all‑out war ‑ will be a
global one if that consensus against ter‑
rorism can be extended to the
Comprehensive Convent ion on
International Terrorism that was proposed
Perhaps if China has had a true
change of heart, it could move
Islamabad away from the proxy war.
by India in 1996. Work on it has been
stuck on the most basic issue ‑ defining
terrorism, with some making a false dis‑
tinction between "freedom‑fighters" and
terrorists. It escapes them that the mark
of terrorism is the method ‑‑ wanton
killing of civilians including children ‑‑ and
not the ideology.
Arriving on a consensus on the conven‑
tion is the challenge before Sri Lanka's
Permanent Representative Rohan Perera
who heads the UN's working group on
e liminat ing internat ional terrorism.
China's turnabout, despite its words of
sympathy for Islamabad, may force
Pakistan to take a long‑overdue inward
look at its policy of classifying terrorists
as bad and good ‑ those creating mayhem
within the country and those in India.
That schizophrenic policy has taken a
the most from Islamist terror. Yet
Islamabad ‑ or specifically its military
overlord ‑ was willing to pay the price to
keep its army of proxies. For the world,
that was too high a price. Pakistan's
strategic doctrine that its nuclear weapons
provided immunity against Indian retalia‑
tion against its war by terror was tested in
the aftermath of the Pulwama attack in
February that killed more than 40 Central
Reserve Police Force personnel.
While that attack itself stung the world,
the Indian air retaliation against terror
camps and Pakistan's counter attack in
which an Indian plane was downed
showed the international community how
fragile the situation is.
China had reluctantly gone along with a
Security Council press statement con‑
demning the Pulwama attack, which was
short of a formal resolution, and it was
expected that it might relent on Azhar. But
it vetoed in March for the fourth time his
listing as a terrorist by the sanctions com‑
mittee that deals with al Qaeda, the
Islamic State and their affiliates.
That re‑energised the US, Britain and
France to pursue the option of having the
Security Council itself declare him a ter‑
rorist under sanctions of financial freeze
and travel ban. They circulated a US draft
resolut ion and lobbied hard, w ith
Washington declaring it will utilise all
own risks. It has an Islamist terror prob‑
lem in the Uighar region and beyond, and
its support to JeM and Azhar was not buy‑
ing it goodwill with them. As its One Road,
One Belt initiative advances, Beijing will
have to ensure the safety of its multi‑bil‑
lion‑dollar investments along it, while
ensuring that pan‑Islamist terror does not
ply the road.
Already, China has faced terror attacks
in Pakistan, where its workers and
resources have been targeted and even its
consulate in Karachi attacked last year.
Under these circumstances, it had to
come out openly against all forms of ter‑
rorism if it were to credibly protect its
investments elsewhere and even itself.
This was the moment for it.
Even afar in Sri Lanka, where it has bil‑
lions invested and loaned, China saw
Islamist terrorism's potential to disrupt
the island's stability with consequences
for it.
And no doubt, the Sri Lanka suicide
bomb massacres about a fortnight ago
added to international community's pres‑
sure on China.
Perhaps if China has had a true change
of heart, it could move Islamabad away
from the proxy war. Then in a post‑elec‑
tion India there may be an opportunity for
a fresh start having met New Delhi's prime
condition of abandoning terrorism.

Parliamentary democracy: Does it really work for India?

the vote which didnʼt give the
By Mark Tully
party even one seat.

I
ndia is being acclaimed
around the world for uphold‑
ing democracy by conducting
the largest general election ever
held. But this election once again
raises two questions. How demo‑
cratic is Indiaʼs democracy? And,
is parliamentary democracy right
for India?
It is often suggested that presi‑
dential democracy would be
preferable to parliamentary
democracy in India, that a presi‑
dent would be able to deliver
development more efficiently
than a prime minister.
Certainly a president elected by
the people is far freer to act than
a prime minister because he is
not answerable to the Parliament,
and doesnʼt have to restrict his
choice of ministers to members of
parliament (MPs). But a president
is less of a democrat than a prime
minister because so much power
is concentrated in his hands.
That is dangerous and not nec‑
essary. Itʼs often forgotten that
two prime ministers whose pow‑
ers were particularly limited by
the constraints of parliamentary
democracy were the most suc‑
cessful economic reformers ̶ PV
Narasimha Rao, who headed a
minority government, and Atal
The best outcome for India would be first‑past‑the‑post elections leading to a two‑party democracy.
Bihari Vajpayee, who had to hold
a jumbo coalition together.
It can certainly be argued that
India would be more democratic
if its MPs, now elected by being
first‑past‑the‑post in their con‑
stituencies, were elected by pro‑
portional representation (PR).
There are different forms of PR
but the basic principle is that
seats in Parliament are allocated
to parties in proportion to the
number of votes each party wins.
In other words, a party winning
30% of the votes gets approxi‑
mately 30% of the seats in
Parliament. The results of the
2014 election demonstrate how
undemocratic the first‑past‑the‑
post voting proved to be. We have
come to believe that a popular
wave swept Narendra Modi into
Parliament, whereas, in fact, most
Indians voted for parties other
than the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP). The party Modi led won
282 seats with just 31% of the
votes.
This is the lowest percentage of
votes ever to win an absolute
majority in Parliament. The
Congressʼ performance wasnʼt as
miserable as its tally of seats, 44,
suggests. Its vote share was
19.3%. Third came the Bahujan
Samaj Party (BSP) with 4.2% of
If the election had been held
under PR and if the voting had
been similar, the BJP would have
been well short of a majority,
with about 170 seats and the
Congress would have had a more
respectable total of nearly 110
seats. The BSP would have found
itself with 23 MPs. These figures
show that under PR there is much
more chance of every voterʼs vote
getting him or her representation
in Parliament.
I believe PR elections resulting
in coalitions would be the most
democratic way for a country as
diverse as India to choose govern‑
ments, rather than first‑past‑the‑
post elections, which might lead
again to one‑party domination.
However, I doubt whether politi‑
cians can exercise the discipline
and are willing to make the nec‑
essary sacrifices of personal
interests and ambitions for multi‑
party coalitions to work. So
maybe the best outcome for India
after all, would be first‑past‑the‑
post elections leading to a two‑
party democracy. That would
require the Congress to revive
and the BJP to temper its ambi‑
tion.
(The article appeared in The
Hindustan Times)
 20 May 11-17, 2019
ʻIn US‑India ties, defense is sweet
spot, commerce Achillesʼ heelʼ
M
ichael Kugelman, the
Deputy Director of the
MICHAEL KUGELMAN,
Asia Prog ram and
Senior Associate for South Asia
at the Wilson Center in
Washington DC, is a prominent
expert on India, Pakistan and
Afghanistan. He has edited/co‑
edited 11 books, including
Pakistanʼs Interminable Energy
Crisis: Is There Any Way Out?
(Wilson Center, 2015).
In an interview with Frank
Islam, he spoke about the geopol‑
itics in South Asia, Chinaʼs global
influence and US‑India relations,
among other issues. Here are
edited excerpts:
Why is South Asia so significant
to American people?
South Asia is a critical region
that I think that Washington
tends to forget about.
Geographically, itʼs essentially
the gateway to the Middle East
and to East Asia ̶ two critical
regions of the world. T hereʼs
Afghanistan, where the United
States has been fighting a war for
17 years. Itʼs also, of course,
where India is ̶ which is a criti‑
cal strategic partner for the US.
Then youʼve got Pakistan.
On Afghanistan, do you think
we can get out of there? Whatʼs
our game plan?
I think part of the problem is
there is no game plan. I think
that the US government, and not
just the current administration
but previous ones [as we ll],
havenʼt really known why theyʼre
still fighting in Afghanistan. The
original goal, letʼs remember, was
to eliminate the Al Qaeda sanctu‑
aries. T hat had been accom‑
plished.
What about the peace theyʼre
trying to accomplish between
Pakistan as well as in
Afghanistan?
The objective for the Trump
administration is to try to get the
Taliban to stop fighting. T he
problem is, the Taliban has been
doing so well on the battlefield it
really has no incentive to step off
and negotiate an end to the war.
On the US‑India relationship
under this administration, where
are we going?
I think thereʼs been a lot of
progress. Thereʼs a lot of momen‑
tum in this relationship, particu‑
larly on the defense and security
side. But I think the economic
side is where thereʼs been a lag,
and what I like to say is that the
defense partnership is the sweet
spot of the relationship and the
economic side is the Achilles
heel. So thereʼs still a lot of work
to do.
Are you talking about trade,
investment, commerce? But our
trade with India has increased
significantly.
It has, absolutely. But given the
importance the US invested in
this partnership, I think thereʼs a
concern here in Washington that
it really could stand to strength‑
en a bit more on the economic
side, particularly over the last
year with this Trump administra‑
tion in power.
Whatʼs your thought on tariffs?
I think the administrationʼs
policies have been problematic…
Counter‑productive?
Very counterproductive, partic‑
ularly in the context of India,
because some of these tarif fs
[the United States has levied],
manufacturing tarif fs, steel tar‑
if fs, they really could have a
direct impact on India. And you
donʼt want, what you describe as
a critical partner in Asia, to be
af fected negatively in that way
through these tariff policies.
The US is putting a lot of pres‑
sure on India not to buy oil from
Iran.
Itʼs one of the sore points in the
re lat ionship rig ht now. T he
Trump administration takes a
very singularly negative view
toward Iran and it doesnʼt want
countries doing business with
Iran, even key partners like India.
Iran is a key energy partner for
India. I think that even the
Trump administration realizes
that it would be unrealistic to
expect India to reduce, or to elim‑
inate all of its oil imports from
Iran.
Do you see a brighter horizon
DIPLOMACY TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Deputy Director of the Asia
Program at Wilson Center in DC,
spoke to FRANK ISLAM, an
entrepreneur, philanthropist,
civic leader, and thought leader.
to work together. risen, but its influence continues
under Prime Minister Imran
Absolutely, in an ideal world. to increase.
Khan for India‑Pak and US‑Pak
But weʼre looking at a dif ferent
relationships?
type of administration now here They need to contain China…
Iʼm not very optimistic.
in Washington than weʼve had You canʼt really contain China,
previously. It simply doesnʼt but push back, yes. Itʼs building
Even though Imran brings the
seem interested in trying to find this huge Belt and Road initiative
star power…
common ground with China. across the world, this huge con‑
Heʼs got a lot of cricket friends
nectivity infrastructure project,
in India. He came to power…
Have we been losing in global and thatʼs going places. Yet, there
speaking in a very conciliatory
leadership we had under the pre‑ are ways of trying to come up
fashion about India. However, I
vious administrations? Are we with other types of policies to
think the baggage and the mis‑
isolated pretty in the world compete with China and make it
trust in the relationship got the
scene? a bit more difficult for China to
better of him. The relationship
I donʼt know we are isolated, be the only, the sole economic
has really been set back, and for
but we getting there. And you heavyweight so to speak.
one reason‑‑Imran Khan is very
look at the type of responses
close to the military in Pakistan,
coming from even our former What about the China‑Pakistan
which is a very powerful actor
partners, NATO partners, defense corridor thatʼs happening right
and is mistrusted by the Indians.
treaty partners in Asia. now? Do you think India has to
So itʼs going be difficult.
worry about that? Or India could
Also, you have to look at the
We have been a beacon of be part of that?
Indian side as well. Iʼm not sure
democracy and hope and inspira‑ I think if the political relations
Indiaʼs ready. And it doesnʼt play
tion for many, many generations, between India and Pakistan, and
well politically for the Indian
for many, many years…. India and China were better,
prime minister to extend a hand
I think thereʼs been a revolu‑ India may want to be a part of it.
to Pakistan during campaign sea‑
tion in world af fairs since the But I think that India is just very
son.
Trump administration came into worried ̶ India always worries
power, and itʼs been a very inter‑ ̶ that China is trying to encircle
China is making a major play,
esting revolution in which every‑ India by you know engaging in
especially in South China Sea.
thing that we took to be true in these investments and infrastruc‑
Why and what should we do?
world af fairs for the last few ture projects around South Asia,
Simple, China is trying to deep‑
decades has been thrown out the right in Indiaʼs backyard.
en its global footprint, to expand
window: key alliances, partners
its influence… And I think that
̶itʼs all come into question. And Is that your perspective as
this is concerning for the United
that certainly will have conse‑ well?
States.
quences far beyond whenever No, I donʼt think so. Certainly,
the Trump administration ends. China is very present in Indiaʼs
So why are we not doing any‑
backyard, but whether itʼs seri‑
thing about it, while we are [wag‑
When it ends, do you think we ously trying to encircle India, I
ing a trade war] with China,
can repair the damage? think, that sort of takes things a
against whom we have a large
I think it certainly is repairable. bit far.
trade deficit right now?
One could argue that in certain
The Trump administration has
levels, particularly in terms of For Pakistan, China is probably
taken a very critical position
key partnerships with allies in the place that they need to go to.
toward China and itʼs telling that
Europe and Asia, the damage is Yes, letʼs face it. Pakistan needs
the administration came out with
done. And itʼll take a long time. friends. Its relationship with the
a national security strategy [in]
But nothing is irreversible when US is very much on the rocks. So
December [2017]. It describes
it comes to international affairs. it looks to countries like China.
strategic rivalry [with China] as
When it comes to South Asia, But itʼs also trying to increase its
the biggest national security
itʼs a bit simpler. relations with other players ̶
threat facing the United States.
T he United States needs to Russia Turkey.
The US considers China to be a
work out its disagreements with
big strategic rival.
India. On China, US and India Also the Gulf countries…
very much see eye to eye. They Exactly, particularly the Saudis,
China has already risen. It is
both worry about its rising influ‑ which has been a long‑standing
better for the United States then
ence. Youʼre right, itʼs already relationship.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info SUBCONTINENT May 11-17, 2019 21

Additional 'factual' evidence Sri Lankan public

ensured banning of Azhar: Sources
New Delhi: Additional "factual"
evidence provided to the UN
Security Council (UNSC) lately
ensured lifting of ʻtechnical hold
by China on sanctioning of Jaish‑
e‑Mohammad ( Je M) chie f
Masood Azhar and the decision
was "obviously" linked to the
Pulwama attack as the process
was initiated after that, diplomat‑
ic sources said.
The additional information was
provided to the UNSC's 1267
Sanctions Committee collectively
by "some countries" along with
India, which "convinced, not only
China, but the whole world com‑
munity", they said about the May
1 decision to list Azhar, a
Pakistani national, as a global
terrorist.
China had been blocking the
move for over 10 years and even
after the February 14 Pulwama
attack, it retained its 'technical
hold' when the proposal came up
for considerat ion in the
Sanctions Committee in March.
The sources said the process to
list Azhar as a global terrorist
was initiated after the Pulwama
attack but refused to go into
details as to why the terror
attack did not find a mention in
An effigy of Jaish‑e‑Mohammed chief Masood Azhar.
the Resolution of the Sanctions
Committee.
"The link to Pulwama is pretty
obvious since the process (to
proscribe Azhar) was started
after this terror attack," the
sources underlined while talking
about the UNSC Resolution.
The fresh process to ban Azhar
stemmed out of a strong state‑
ment issued by the UNSC con‑
demning the Pulwama attack and
calling for action against the per‑
petrators of the crime, they said.
The process was initiated by
France and was joined by the US
and UK, which also strong ly
pushed for sanctioning of Azhar.
"Additional information" link‑
ing Azhar directly with JeM, a
terror outfit which already stood
banned by the UNSC, was provid‑
ed to the Sanctions Committee
post‑March meeting after which
his listing as a global terrorist
became possible, the sources said
while answering questions on
what made China change its
stand.
The "factual evidence", which
No negative
impact of move
against Azhar:
Pak US envoy
Washington: Pakistan
Ambassador to the US Asad
Majeed Khan has said that
there will be no negative
repercussions of Jaish‑e‑
Mohammad (JeM) chief
Masood Azhar's designation as
it only "reinforces"
Islamabad's commitment with
the international community
to fight terrorism. "I see no
reason why this designation
should have a negative impact
on our relations with the US or
China," said Khan while talk‑
ing to the media after address‑
ing the World Affairs Council
in Houston, Texas.
"It reinforces our commit‑
ment to fight terrorism."
was additional to that furnished
earlier, was provided to the com‑
mittee collect ive ly by "some
countries", they said but refused
to identify them.
urged to surrender
swords, knives
Colombo: Sri Lankan authorities
have urged the public to surren‑
der swords and large knives
amid heightened security con‑
cerns following the deadly April
21 Easter Sunday bombings.
The Sri Lanka Police's media
unit said the public must han‑
dover the swords and knives at
the nearest police stations,
reports the Daily Mirror.
The police also requested not
to park vehicles after 1 pm near
any schools in Colombo as spe‑
cial search operations were
scheduled to be conducted in
those areas. Since the gruesome
attacks that killed 253 people
and injured over 500 others,
law enforcement authorities
have seized a large number of
weapons from various parts of
the island nation. The call came
as investigations into the deadly
bombings continue.
Security forces on high
alert in Colombo

Bangladesh Minister warns Afghanistan peace summit

of hanging British IS bride calls for immediate ceasefire
London: Shamima Begum, a
British teenager who ran away in
2015 to become an Islamic State
(IS) jihadi bride, will be hanged
for "terrorism offences" if she
comes to Bangladesh, the coun‑
try's foreign minister has said.
In an interview to Britain's ITV,
Bangladesh's Foreign Minister
Abdul Momen said the 19‑year‑
old ‑ who is currently living in
the Al‑Hol desert refugee camp
in Syria ‑ would face the death
penalty if she ended up in the
South Asian country. She was
also stripped of her British citi‑
zenship by Home Secretary Sajid
Javid in February.
Although Shamima Begum is of
Bangladeshi descent, the coun‑
try's Foreign Ministry denied it.
Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Abdul Momen.
"We have nothing to do with
Shamima Begum. She is not a
Bangladeshi citizen. She never applied
for Bangladesh citizenship. She was born the Islamic State online. She was one of
in England and her mother is British,"
Momen said.
"If anyone is found to be involved with
terrorism, we have a simple rule. There
will be capital punishment. And nothing
else. She will be put in prison and imme‑
diately, the rule is, she should be
hanged," he added.
Kabul: A five‑day
summit on peace in
Afghanistan ended
with a call for an
urgent cease fire
and a schedule for a
proposed withdraw‑
al of foreign troops
from the war‑torn
country.
The Loya Jirga, or
grand assembly, set
out its recommen‑
dations and urged
the government and
the Taliban to
"announce an
immediate and per‑ Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani.
manent cease fire
with the arrival of Ramadan", reports Efe the recommendations of the peace jirga".
news. Asking the Taliban to shun violence, They said the constitution and the cur‑
the council called on the warring groups rent political structure of the government
to begin "intra‑Afghan talks". should be "maintained and protected" and,
Begum ran away from her London
President Ashraf Ghani inaugurated the if necessary, amendments be brought in
home as a schoolgirl after reading about
meeting, which saw about 3,200 ethnic, only through legal ways.
religious and tribal representatives and The resolution asked the government
three friends to do so. The other two are
politicians from across the country gather "to pave the way to bring the Taliban
believed to have died in Syria.
in the capital city under heavy security polit ical of fice from Qatar to
Since the terror group's "collapse" in
cover. Afghanistan".
Syria last year, the teenager ‑ who has
At the end of the five‑day consultations, Among the key demands, was a
had three children who all died in Syria ‑
the participants issued a 23‑article resolu‑ timetable to be drawn up in consultation
has been living in refugee camps. She
tion to Ghani and called on the govern‑ with all related sides for what the partici‑
had expressed her wish to return to the
ment, the Taliban, the international com‑ pants said was a "responsible withdrawal"
UK.
munity and regional countries to "respect of foreign troops from Afghanistan.
 22 May 11-17, 2019
Kim oversees 'strike drill' missile component test
Pyongyang: North Korea has con‑
firmed via state media that its
leader Kim Jong‑un has overseen a
"strike drill" testing various missile
components. "A number of short‑
range projectiles" were also fired
from the Hodo peninsula into the
Sea of Japan.
North Korea's leader gave the
order of firing to "increase the
combat ability" of the country, the
announcement said, BBC reported.
US President Donald Trump
tweeted he believed Kim would not
jeopardize the path towards better
relations.
He added that the North Korean
leader "knows that I am with him
& does not want to break his
promise to me. Deal will happen!
"I believe that Kim Jong‑Un fully
41 killed in Russian
passenger
plane fire
The passenger plane caught fire during an emergency landing.
Moscow: At least 41 people
were killed after a Russian
plane made an emergency land‑
ing and burst into flames at
Sheremetyevo airport in
Moscow. Videos on so cial
media show passengers using
emergency exit slides to escape
the burning Aeroflot aircraft,
the BBC reported. Two children
and a flight attendant were
among the dead, Russian media
reported. One witness said it
was a "miracle" anyone escaped
the jet, which was carrying 78
passengers and five crew.
Veronika Skvortsova, head of
Russia's ministry of health, said
in a statement that six patients
are in hospital ‑ three of whom
are in a critical condition.
Aeroflot, Russia's national
carrier, said the plane was
forced to return to the airport
"for technical reasons", but did
not elaborate.
T he aircraft, a Sukhoi
realizes the great economic poten‑
tial of North Korea and will do
nothing to interfere or end it,"
Trump posted on social media.
A report in Korean Central News
Agency (KCNA) said Kim stressed
the need to "defend the political
sovereignty and economic self‑sus‑
Superjet‑100, departed
Sheremetyevo airport at 6.02
pm for the city of Murmansk.
The crew issued a distress
signal when "malfunctions"
occurred shortly after depar‑
ture.
After making an emergency
landing at the airport, the
plane's engines caught fire on
the runway, Aeroflot said in a
statement.
Of the 78 people on board the
Superjet‑100, only 37 have
been accounted for, the Russian
Investigative Committee said.
Murmansk's Acting Governor
Andrey Chibis has reportedly
said that the families of those
killed in the fire w ill each
receive one million rubles
($15,300), while the victims
being treated in hospital will be
given 500,000 rubles ($7,650).
An investigation has been
opened into the incident,
reports say.
INTERNATIONAL
North Korean
leader Kim
Jong‑un
gave the
order of firing.
tenance" of the country in the face
of threat and invasion.
The aim of the drill, which was
testing "large‑calibre long‑range
multiple rocket launchers", was to
"inspect the operating ability and
the accuracy of striking duty per‑
formance," the report said.
Israel, Hamas close to
agreeing on ceasefire
Jerusalem: Israel and Hamas are
nearing a ceasefire, brokered by the
UN, Egypt and Qatar, after two days
of violence, the Palestinian
Information Centre said.
Since May 4, Palestinian militants
in Gaza have launched more than
600 rockets at Israel, which has
responded with over 320 attacks on
military positions, making it the
most significant escalation of vio‑
lence since the 2014 Israel‑Gaza
conflict, reports Efe news.
A total of 25 Palestinians have
been killed in the violence, said the
independent Palestinian organiza‑
tion, citing the Gaza Ministry of
Health. Among the victims were 12
militants, two pregnant women, a
baby and a child. Meanwhile, the
Israeli Defense Forces confirmed
the death of four Israeli civilians.
"Air‑raid sirens sounding in south‑
Rouhani vows to defeat US
through 'unity, resistance'
Tehran: Iranian President Hassan
Rouhani said that Tehran will
"defeat" Washington through unity
of the nation following the end of the
180‑day US waivers for major
importers of Iran's oil, announced by
the White House, which aggravates
the impact of tough measures
against the Middle Eastern nation.
"We should solidify our unity and
strengthen hope in (the Iranian) soci‑
ety. The US aims to disappoint the
Iranians and sow discord between
the people and the government by
exerting the sanction pressures,"
Rouhani was quoted as saying by
IRNA news agency.
Rouhani said that the US seeks to
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Satellite image shows
N Korean missile launch
Washington: A new satellite image obtained by CNN has showed the
smoke trail of a rocket launch by North Korea on May 4 that is likely
a short‑range missile, according to the group that analyzed the pic‑
ture. "The location of the launch, the thick, smoky appearance of the
exhaust and the fact that there is only one rocket trail all suggest this
was the short‑range ballistic missile that North Korea showed in its
propaganda," Jeffrey Lewis, Director of the East Asia Nonproliferation
Programme at the Middlebury Institute, said.
A US of ficial told CNN that an early analysis said the launches
"appear to have been both MLRS (multiple launch rocket systems)
and what is being looked at as a possible short range ballistic missile".
Kim had pledged not to fire long‑range intercontinental ballistic
missiles, so the launch doesn't violate the letter of his agreement with
US President Donald Trump, but it does violate an understanding
Pyongyang made with Seoul to stop firing missiles as a confidence
building measure.
A total of 25 Palestinians have been killed in the two‑day violence.
ern Israel. Over 600 rockets have tion of hostilities, Palestinian infor‑
been fired at Israeli civilians in the mation website Sama reported.
last 36 hours," the IDF said on Sama reported that the ceasefire
Twitter. Israeli and Palestinian was agreed following Israe l's
media indicated that a ceasefire is announcement that it would step up
imminent. its air strikes and that it does not
Egyptian mediators and a Qatari rule out continuing the targeted
delegation reached an agreement assassinations of leaders of Hamas
with Hamas for a temporary cessa‑ and other Palestinian factions.
rency income and cut our currency
expenditures. We have no other way
but to unite and resist."
The US waivers for India, China,
Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey,
Italy and Greece ‑‑ major importers
of Iran's oil ‑‑ formally expired
recently. Last May, US President
Donald Trump withdrew from the
JCPOA, an Iran international nuclear
deal signed in 2015.
Following the withdrawal, Trump's
Iranian President
administration reimposed the sanc‑
Hassan Rouhani.
tions on Iran's oil exports in
lower Iran's oil income and has tar‑
November, which had been lifted
geted its independence and sover‑
under the JCPOA. Tehran has vowed
eignty through economic pressures.
to bypass the US sanctions and con‑
"We have to increase our hard cur‑
tinue to export its oil.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Chinese trade team heads to US despite Trump's threat
Beijing: China on Monday said that
its trade delegation was still ready‑
ing to go Washington after US
President Donald Trump abruptly
announced to crank up tarif fs
from 10 per cent to 25 per cent on
Chinese imports worth $200 bil‑
lion. Trump's announcement was a
new twist in the ongoing US‑China
trade spat that seemed to be eas‑
ing until last week as he claimed
that a deal could be in the offing.
Following Trump's new tarif f
threat, some media reports said
China could cancel trade talks in
Washington this week which is to
be attended by its top trade envoy
Liu He. But the Chinese Foreign
Ministry said that their delegation
was still preparing to go the US for
the parleys.
"We are trying to get more infor‑
mation on ( Trump's announce‑
ment.) What I can tell you is that
the Chinese team is preparing to
go to the US for the trade talks,"
Ministry spokesperson Geng
Shuang said here.
Asked if Liu will attend the trade
talks, Geng was non‑committal. As
to the threat of the US increasing
tariff is concerned, such a situation
has appeared many times before.
My firm has bought 1st
Amazon shares: Buffett
Berkshire founder and CEO Warren Buffett.
New York: Berkshire founder and
CEO Warren Buf fett has said that
his firm just bought its first
Amazon shares. The news led to
Amazon shares surge 2.3 per
cent in the pre‑market trade.
According to a CNBC report,
Buf fett said that someone at
Berkshire's asset management
desk just invested in some
Amazon shares, but "it wasn't
me."
"One of the fellows in the
of fice that manage money ...
bought some Amazon," Buf fett
was quoted as saying.
The stake in Amazon is a first
for the investment conglomerate.
Chinese Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang.
China's position is clear‑cut and
the US knows that clearly," he said.
"The trade consultation between
the US and China have made posi‑
tive progress. We hope that the US
and China will work together to
reach a mutually beneficial treaty
on the basis of mutual respect.
This is not only in the interest of
the US and China but also in the
interest of the international com‑
munity."
The two largest economies have
been locked in a bruising trade
war since July last year after
Trump slapped an additional 25
Buf fett has repeatedly praised
Amazon and its CEO Jef f Bezos
in the past.
"The truth is that I've watched
Amazon from the start and I
think what Jef f Bezos has done is
something close to a miracle, and
the problem is if I think some‑
thing is going to be a miracle I
tend not to bet on it," Buf fett
said.
Last year, Berkshire, Amazon
and JPMorgan Chase unveiled a
joint venture to improve health‑
care for their employees.
Berkshire Hathaway owns
about 250 million shares of tech
giant Apple.
BUSINESS
per cent on an initial $50 billion of
Chinese goods.
T he US President followed it
through with another 10 per cent
on an additional $200 billion in
products in September.
It is the levies imposed in
September last year that Trump
has now threatened to increase to
25 per cent from Friday.
This may scuttle the progress
both sides have claimed to make in
preventing the spat to worsen, a
scenario that could impede the
world's economic recovery.
New Delhi: State‑run Air India has
decided not to pursue its plan to
take B777s from grounded Jet
Airways as it has found it commer‑
cially not viable given the huge
maintenance requirement.
"The engineering unit has done
their work around the B777s and
found no merit in taking them,"
said an airline executive.
A few weeks back, Air India had
shown keen interest to take five
wide‑body Boeing 777 aircraft of
Jet Airways on dry/wet lease and
initiated talks with the crisis‑hit
airline's lead lender SBI.
Air India Chairman Ashwani
Lohani had even discussed the
proposal w ith SBI Chairman
Rajnish Kumar. However, now that
Air India has changed its decision,
SBI seems to have a plan B for the
grounded long‑haul airplanes. An
internal Jet Airways mail has
revealed that one of the B777 jets
Vodafone Idea pays Rs 17,920 cr to rights issue
New Delhi: The promoters of telecom
major Vodafone Idea contributed Rs
17,920 crore to its Rs 25,000 crore
rights issue against their initial com‑
mitment of Rs 18,250 crore due
over‑subscription by public share‑
holders, the company said on
Sunday.
Consequent to this contribution,
the promoters' stake in the company
rose marginally to 71.57 per cent
from 71.33 per cent, the company
said in a regulatory filing.
Announcing the successful conclu‑
sion of its rights issue, Vodafone Idea
Markets tumble over
US‑China trade tensions
Mumbai: In line with global
markets, Indian equities on
Monday logged steep falls as
US President Donald Trump
threatened to impose fresh
trade tariffs worth $200 billion
on Chinese goods.
The US move is being seen as
an unexpected and a major
escalation in trade tensions
between the two big economies.
"Indian markets opened gap
down dragged down by escala‑
tion in US‑China trade tensions.
Markets later remained in a
range before closing near their
opening levels. Market volumes
were lower than the recent
average as buyers stayed away
amid tense times," said Deepak
Jasani of HDFC Securities.
The fear index, or the 'India
VIX', jumped over 10 per cent
to 27.83, hitting its highest
leve l in 52‑weeks. T he BSE
Air India won't take
B777s from Jet
Jet Airways employees during a protest at
Azad Maidan in Mumbai. Photo: IANS
is scheduled for maintenance ferry
said that its new shares are expected
to be listed on the BSE and the
National Stock Exchange on or
around May 10. "The issue was over‑
subscribed approximately 1.08x and
the public participation was approxi‑
mately 1.2x. The promoter or pro‑
moter group applied for higher than
their aggregate rights entitlement in
line with their earlier commitment.
However, due to strong demand
from public shareholders, the final
allotment to the promoter or pro‑
moter group was Rs 179.2 billion (Rs
0.9 billion over their aggregate
May 11-17, 2019 23
Sensex closed 362.92 points, or
0.93 per cent, lower at
38,600.34 and the Nifty
finished 114.00 points,
or 0.97 per cent, lower at
11,598.25.
"Market slid as an unexpected
threat to US‑China trade tariffs
influenced investors to book
profit. A weak rupee and a
mixed bag of quarterly result
further impacted the sentiment,
while consolidation in oil prices
and 10‑year yields are the posi‑
tive triggers for the Indian mar‑
ket," said Vinod Nair, Head of
Research, Geojit Financial
Services.
"Any further escalation in
trade tensions may impact the
flow of foreign funds to the
domestic market which may
lead to sideways movement in
the near term," he added.
to Hong Kong on May 10.
rights entitlement)."
Commenting on the rights issue,
Balesh Sharma, CEO Vodafone Idea,
said: "The successful closure of
rights issue is a clear indication of
the investors' belief in our post‑
merger strategy and our ability to
leverage the growth opportunities
offered by the sector. Our ongoing
investments are improving broad‑
band coverage and capacity,
enabling us to offer a superior net‑
work experience to our customers as
well as enhancing our ability to win
new broadband customers."
 24 May 11-17, 2018 SPORTS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Rahul's carnage helps Punjab beat Chennai

Mohali: Opener KL Rahul's blis‑

IPL 2019 points table

tering 71 of f 36 balls, followed
by Nicholas Pooran fireworks (36
of f 22 balls) guided Kings XI
Punjab (KXIP) to an impressive
six‑wicket win over defending
champions Chennai Super Kings
(CSK) in the Indian Premier
League (IPL) contest at the PCA
I.S. Bindra Stadium, here.
Rahul's run rampage made
most Chennai bowlers look help‑
less. The opener, whose stunning
knock was decorated with seven
fours and five massive sixes,
bought up his half‑century of f
just 19 balls. It's now the third
fastest half‑century of the ongo‑
ing season. Chasing the 171‑run
target, Rahul and his partner
Chris Gayle (28 of f 28) gave
Punjab a flying start and the
hosts were 33/0 in the first three
overs, before the former clob‑
bered Harbhajan Singh for 24
runs in the next over.
W hile Gayle, the se lf‑pro‑
claimed 'boss of universe', mostly
remained silent, there was no
stopping Rahul whose carnage of
Chennai bowlers saw Punjab
reaching 85/0 in just seven
overs. At one stage it looked as if
Team Mat Won Lost Tied NR Pts
MI 14 9 5 0 0 18
CSK 14 9 5 0 0 18
DC 14 9 5 0 0 18
SRH 14 6 8 0 0 12
KKR 14 6 8 0 0 12
KXIP 14 6 8 0 0 12
RR 14 5 8 0 1 11
RCB 14 5 8 0 1 11
tute Dhruv Shorey at long‑on. However, it was too late for the
Just when the two new bats‑ visitors with Punjab comfortably
men ‑‑ Pooran and Mayank placed at 163/4.
Agarwal ‑‑ could add another 10 With just 8 more runs needed,
runs in Punjab's scorecard, Mandeep Singh (11 not out off 9)
Harbhajan showed his class to and Sam Curran (6 of f 7) easily
Kings XI Punjab's KL Rahul and Chris Gayle play against send Agarwal to the hut. Agarwal drove Punjab home with 12 balls
Chennai Super Kings in Mohali. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS) could contribute just seven runs. to spare. For Chennai, Harbhajan
It seemed the Yellow Brigade was the pick of bowlers as he
the hosts would cross the line in mum sliced a delivery high in the would make a comeback in the scalped three wickets, but leaked
just 15 overs as their scorecard air and Imran Tahir made no mis‑ game. But Pooran seemed in a 57 runs from his four overs.
read 106/0 in 10 overs. take at extra cover. hurry to finish things of f as his Jadeja bagged one for 16 runs.
Harbhajan finally gave Chennai Just in the next ball, Harbhajan lusty blows saw Punjab crossing Earlier, opener Faf du Plessis's
some respite with a much needed packed back Gayle to reduce the the 150‑run mark in 14.5 overs. 96 of f 55 balls and Suresh
breakthrough, dismissing a dan‑ hosts to 108/2. The Caribbean Pooran couldn't continue till the Raina's 53 of f 38 balls helped
gerous Rahul in the 11th over. had tried to clear the fence but last as Ravindra Jadeja cut short Chennai post 170/5 in the allot‑
Rahul trying to go for the maxi‑ ended up giving a catch to substi‑ his stay in the 17th over. ted 20 overs.

Was aware of teammates' wrongdoings: Afridi

New Delhi: Former Pakistan captain Shahid
Afridi has revealed in his autobiography
'Game Changer' that he was aware of the mal‑
practices by teammates Salman Butt,
Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif before
the 2010 spot‑fixing scandal broke out in
open. When he raised it with the team man‑
agement, the inaction caused him frustration
leading to his stepping down from the Test
captaincy and eventually retiring from the
longest format of the game. "Yes. For the
record, I gave up. I quit," Afridi says.
In the autobiography, an excerpt of which
was published by ESPNCricinfo, Afridi says he
become aware of suspicious conversations
between player agent Mazhar Majeed, who
was at the center of the scandal, and players
who were eventually accused during the
2010 Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.
"I got hold of the original evidence in the
racket ‑‑ phone messages that would eventu‑
ally come into play against players involved
in the spot‑fixing controversy," he says.
"When I took that evidence to the team man‑
agement, what happened next didn't inspire
much confidence in those tasked with manag‑
ing and running the af fairs of Pakistan's
national cricket team."
Afridi says, "Before the Sri Lanka tour,
Majeed and his family had joined the team
during the championship. At one of the Sri
Lankan beaches, Majeed's young son dropped
his father's mobile phone in the water and it
stopped working.
Majeed gave the phone for repair to a shop
whose owner was a 'friend of a friend'. While
fixing the phone, the shop owner, when asked
to retrieve the messages came across
Majeed's messages to players of the Pakistan
team. Though he shouldn't have seen what he
YOU NEED TREATMENT:
Afridi to Gambhir
New Delhi: The verbal
duel between Shahid
Afridi and Gautam
Gambhir doesn't seem
to end anytime soon.
Afridi started the tif f
by writing in his auto‑
Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi. biography titled "Game
Changer" that Gambhir
did, it was that leak from him to my friend is "someone who has
and a few others (whom I won't name) that no personality and the
looped me in on the scam." one who has a lot of
Afridi elaborates how he tried to alert the attitude problem".
Pakistan team officials about conversations, "In Karachi we call
but no action was taken. "When I received guys like him 'saryal'
those messages back in Sri Lanka, I showed (burnt up). Its simple, I
them to Waqar Younis, then coach of the like happy, positive
team. Unfortunately, he didn't escalate the people. Doesn't matter
matter. Both Waqar and I thought it was if they are aggressive Gautam Gambhir.
something that would go away, something or competitive, but you
that wasn't as bad as it looked, just a dodgy have to be positive and Gambhir wasn't," he for which he can be treated in Pakistan.
conversation between players and Majeed, at adds in his book. "I think Gautam Gambhir may have some
worst. But the messages weren't harmless Reacting, the former Indian opener on problems. I am working with hospitals and I
banter ‑‑ they were part of something larger, Saturday said that Afridi needed to visit a psy‑ can get him very good treatment here," Afridi
which the world would soon discover," the chiatrist. said at the launch of his autobiography in
former Pakistan captain says. Now, the former Pakistan all‑rounder has Karachi.
Former all‑rounder Abdul Razzaq who tend‑ hit back at Gambhir, saying the cricketer‑ The former Pakistan T20 skipper also
ed to "refrain from locker‑room politics was turned Indian politician has some problems offered to arrange visa for Gambhir.
of the same opinion that something wasn't
right with Salman and the lads”. Majeed was put in a formal request that Majeed should be sages, printed on paper. After going through
lurking around the three players prior to the distanced from the players, physically, and them, Saeed, taken aback, eventually came up
series against Australia in England in 2010. that no one in the team should associate with with a dismal response: 'What can we do
"That's when I decided to take up the issue him even on a personal level. When Saeed about this, son? Not much. Not much'," he
officially with team manager Yawar Saeed. I didn't take action, I showed him the text mes‑ says.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info May 11-17, 2019

Supported By
The South Asian Times
e x c e l l e n c e i n j o u r n a l i s m
 26 May 11-17, 2019
Are Asian Americans people of color?
By Shivani Parikh, et al
Students at Cornell
T
he quest ion of whether
Asian Americans qualify as
people of color has become
increasingly pertinent, especially
after The Cornell Daily Sun pub‑
lished an article about admissions
statistics for the class of 2023,
stating, “Nearly 55 percent of this
yearʼs admitted students are ʻstu‑
dents of colorʼ ̶ underrepresent‑
ed minorities or Asian Americans
̶ a new record for Cornell.”
So then, are Asian Americans
people of color? Itʼs complicated.
United States v. Bhagat Singh
Thind (1923) was a case in which
the Supreme Court unanimously
decided that the Indian Sikh man
who identified as a “high caste
aryan, of full Indian blood,” was
racially ineligible for naturalized
citizenship in the US. Associate
Justice George Sutherland said
that authorities on the subject of
race were in disagreement over
which people were included in the
scient ific de finit ion of the
Caucasian race, so he instead
chose to re ly on the common
understanding of race rather than
the scientific understanding of
race. Concurrently and subse‑
quently were the advents of calls
to action for the government to
address the “Ye llow Peril,”
Japanese internment during World
War II, and fear of the “Hindoo
Invasion.”
Asian Americans in the 1960s
joined the fight for ethnic studies
departments and for courses in
higher education to teach them
about themselves through a lens
that was not anthropological or
militaristic, but through focusing
on the history of people of differ‑
ent minority ethnicity in the U.S.
The combined determination of
the Lat in American Student
Organization, the Black Student
Union, the Intercollegiate Chinese
for Social Action, the Mexican
American Student Confederation
and later the Asian American
Polit ical Alliance g alvanized
California and the rest of the
nation with the first student strike.
Groups like the Asian American
Polit ical Alliance and Asian
Americans for Action and publica‑
tions like I Wor Kuen, Wei Min She
and Gidra all further exemplify the
contributions of Asian Americans
in the civil rights movement at
large.
But what about Asiansʼ access to
white privilege? The murder of
Vincent Chin due to the ignorant
homogenization of all East Asian
people, the rise of the Dotbusters
and the targeting of South Asian,
Arab, Muslim and Sikh immigrants
post the Sept. 11 attacks demon‑
strate that Asian Americans were
FEATURE TheSouthAsianTimes.info
however, asserting ourselves as nations being now called “develop‑
The answer: it is complicated people who are deemed perpetual
foreigners and come largely from
ing countries.”
We are calling for more harmo‑
nat ions that were former nious coalition‑building amongst
European colonies and nations students of color at Cornell and
that have suf fered from Western transnational anti‑imperialist soli‑
policies of interference and mili‑ darity across the world.
tary operations. Erasing our post‑ We are not competing to be rec‑
colonial histories re lieves the ognized as equally oppressed
British, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch because Asians are not affected by
and many others from the horrors the school‑to‑prison pipeline and
they inflicted upon our ancestors, mass incarceration, police brutali‑
as well as the bloody revolutions ty and active genocide in the ways
and freedom fighters that fought that black, Latinos and indigenous
to demand and realize liberation communities here are.
precluded from it. Disaggregated implications about an equivalency and sovereignty from Europeʼs However, not experiencing these
data when looking at the socioeco‑ of experiences of oppression ̶ economic exploitation of their should not then allow for drawing
nomic backgrounds and documen‑ the acronym BIPOC serves as a resources and people, white colo‑ a conclusion that Asian Americans
tat ion statuses of Laot ians, strategic and useful tool to, “undo nizersʼ multifaceted attempts at must be white‑aligned. Quite the
Cambodians, Vietnamese, and Native invisibility, anti‑Blackness, permanent socio‑cultural hegemo‑ contrary.
Bangladeshis reveal structural dismantle white supremacy and ny, and the disenfranchisement
inequities that are hidden when advance racial justice.” We are, that has resulted in many Asian (Courtesy : The Cornell Daily Sun)
Chinese, Korean, Japanese and
Indian data is incorporated into
statistics on “Asians” as a demo‑
graphic population as a whole.
South Asians whose ancestors are
of indentured servitude migration
patterns (like Indo‑Trinidadians
and Indo‑Guyanese), when immi‑
grating to the U.S., largely lack the
presupposed privileges that many
Indians immigrating directly from
the subcontinent benefit from.
When left unacknowledged or dis‑
missed, we erase the first genera‑
tion, low income and undocument‑
ed Asians who struggle to feel that
they can call the U.S. their home.
Prudently, the model minority
myth was cultivated to preserve
white supremacy, and through
racial triangulation drives a wedge
between Asians and other minori‑
ties. The consequences are pro‑
found ‑‑ delegitimizing the experi‑
ences of racism and institutional
oppression that Asian Americans
face while also producing new
issues within our communities,
like underreporting cases of men‑
tal health issues and illnesses,
domestic violence, and most preva‑
lently, rampant colorism and anti‑
Blackness.
The recent admissions debates
at Harvard and with New York City
specialized high schools show that
Asian communities are diverse and
not uniform in their polit ical
beliefs ̶ presuming their inclina‑
tions is ultimately unproductive.
Best articulated by Hasan Minhaj
in an episode on affirmative action
in Netflixʼs the Patriot Act, pro‑
gressive Asian Americans readily
recognize the reasons behind and
necessity of affirmative action, in
addition to refusing to be used by
the conservative and pro‑white
lawyer Edward Blum.
From writing this, we are not
seeking to equate Asian American
struggles to those of other people
of color nor necessarily do we feel
that we are people of color
because of the development of and
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Gaining the edge with Gap Year
SHINE ON, STUDENTS
By Kristen Moon
T
raditionally, students have
transitioned directly from
high school into their first
year of undergraduate. While
some students follow this path
and excel, other students might
have trouble adjusting. Moving
to a new environment, taking
classes, and studying for exams ‑
all without having their parents
monitoring their behavior and
grades. Some students are just
not ready to go to jump right into
college, and that is okay.
Many are now taking a gap
year between high school and
college to gain life experiences to
better prepare for university.
Students can use the gap years to
travel, volunteer, or further their
knowledge in a particular sub‑
ject.
Gap years have started to gain
in popularity within the last few
By Dev Banad Viswanath,
Esq. & Michael Phulwani, Esq.
I
f a foreign individual would
like to come to the U.S. for
some sort of short business
activity they will most likely have
to apply for a B‑1 visa. A B‑1 visa
is a temporary non‑immigrant
business visa. This visa is for for‑
eign individuals who are coming
to the U.S for business purposes.
BUT NOT TO WORK. Some quali‑
fying business purposes include:
8 Settling an estate,
8 Negotiating a contract,
8 Taking part in short‑term
training, or
8 Consulting with business
associates
Foreign individuals entering
the U.S. under a B‑1 visa may not
do any productive work or
accept paid or unpaid work. The
B‑1 visa status does not give an
individual permission to manage
a business or start a new busi‑
ness. When planning to travel to
the U.S. with a B‑1 visa, the for‑
eign individual must make sure
they have a valid passport as
well. If their passport is expired
and it contains a valid visa in it a
U.S. Embassy will not transfer a
decades. Malia Obama, Prince
William, and Prince Harry all
took a year off before attending
college. Luckily, you donʼt have
to be a member of the elite to
take a gap year. More students
are starting to take advantage
of gap years as universities are
allowing students to defer their
admission for one year.
Schools like Harvard
University, Princeton, and
Middlebury College often look
positively on gap years and fre‑
quently g ive students the
opportunity to defer enrollment
for one year to pursue this
opportunity. One option is to
attend a gap year program, like
the ones listed below, that give
students a structured and trans‑
formational experience.
NOLS
NOLS is an immersive gap year
program that allows students to
explore every corner of the
world, from India to Alaska to
Mexico. NOLS teaches lessons in
leadership and confidence, with
the chance to earn college credit
through courses like backpack‑
ing, canoeing, whitewater kayak‑
ing, wilderness medicine, and
more. The non‑profit outdoor
education school aims to teach
environmental ethics, outdoor
The B-1 Visa - for the
Business Traveler
VISA
TALK
valid visa in an expired passport
to a new passport. The foreign
individual will need to carry both
their old passport with the valid
visa and their new passport or
apply for a new visa to be includ‑
ed in the new passport.
Under a B‑1 visa a foreign indi‑
vidual may stay in the U.S.
between one and six months, six
months being the maximum.
However, most B1 visa appli‑
cants will get 3 months of
authorized entry. The rationale is
that there is really no need for a
person to be in the US for more
than months on a non‑working
business trip. After the initial
period of stay ends, an extension
of stay may be granted for up to
COLUMNS
technical skills, and risk manage‑
ment and judgment. Scholarships
make this gap year program pos‑
sible for every student.
Learn more: www.nols.edu
Thinking Beyond
Borders
As a global leader in gap year
prog rams, T hinking Beyond
Borders is an expert in of fering
culturally enriching experiences.
They provide students with the
IMMIGRATION
an additional six months. The
maximum total amount of time
permitted in B‑1 status on a sin‑
gle trip is one year. An individual
is not required to have a return
ticket when they come to the U.S.
but they should have evidence
with them to show that they have
a reason to leave go back home
at the end of their stay. One of
the requirements needed for an
individual to be granted a B‑1
visa is to show that they will be
here for a specific amount of
time and they plan on returning
to their foreign home. A B‑1 visa
is a temporary visa and therefore
an individual cannot stay in the
U.S. for an infinite amount of
time.
From the year 2014 there has
been decrease in the number of
B‑1 visas that were granted.
According to the Department of
State (DOS) in 2014 there were
44,880 B‑1 visas granted and in
2018 there were only 38,705 B‑
May 11-17, 2019 27
opportunity for cultural depending on the length of the
immersion through homestays expedition.
in foreign countries. If one of Learn more: https://www.out‑
your main determinants to wardbound.org/
doing a gap year is the cost, Completing any of these gap
T hinking Beyond Borders year programs is an excellent
(TBB) gives students options. way for your college application
They of fer both scholarships to stand apart from others̶after
and assistance in helping stu‑ all, not many college applicants
dents raise funds for their can say that they have completed
tuition. TBB helps students an 80‑day expedition into the
build a crowdfunding cam‑ wild or lived with a family in a
paign through Generosity.com, foreign country.
which has helped students A gap year can help students
raise anywhere from a few adequately prepare for college
thousand to twenty thousand by increasing their confidence,
dollars. rediscovering a love for learning,
Learn more: https://think‑ and gaining invaluable life les‑
ingbeyondborders.org/ sons and skills.
Outward Bound
Outward Bound aims to
change lives through chal‑
lenges and discoveries.
Participants in the program have
the chance to explore the wilder‑
ness or cities through 30‑ to 85‑
day expeditions that give stu‑
dents real‑world, hands‑on expe‑
riences. Many people have found
that Outward Bound pushes
them both mentally and physical‑
ly, allow ing them to achieve
Kristen Moon is an
things they never thought possi‑
independent college
ble before joining the program.
counselor and founder
Students can also receive
of MoonPrep.com.
between 3 and 18 credits,
1 visas granted; those numbers Any dependents of B‑1 nonim‑
include boarder crossing cards. migrants, spouse and children
From the year 2014 to 2018 under the age of 21, are not
there has been a steady decrease allowed to obtain a dependent
in the number of B‑1 visas that visa.
are granted. This may be con‑ Each dependent who will join
nected to the stricter compliance the B‑1 visa holder to the U.S.
with immigration rules and regu‑ must apply separately for a B‑2
lations under the Trump visitor visa and must follow the
Administration. rules of that visa.
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.
He will be in India from April 21 through
May 10 and able to meet people for
personal consultations.
28 May 11-17, 2019 HUMOR
Humor with Melvin Durai
Thereʼs nothing like a
good protest
T
he tweet was liked and
retweeted thousands of
times. No one remem‑
bered who the original tweeter
was, but they understood the
importance of the message:
“Weʼre protesting outside the
White House this Saturday. Bring
your signs and loud voices!”
Melissa Diamond, a 30‑year‑old
mother of three, showed the
tweet to her husband. “Wanna go?”
BEST Mike Diamond shrugged. “What exactly are
we protesting?”
RATE “Iʼm not sure,” Melissa said. “The usual
stuff, I guess.”
FOR The Diamonds took their 16‑year‑old son,
David, along. He wanted to write a report for
INDIA his school newspaper. He was surprised to
see more than 10,000 people gathered in
AND front of the White House gate, coming togeth‑
er through a single tweet.
PAKISTAN David heard two young men chanting,
“Build the wall! Build the wall!”
“Are you concerned about all the people
coming across the border?” David asked.
New York Head Quarter “No, we just love walls,” said one man.
422‑S Broadway “Weʼre graffiti artists.”
Added the other man: “We want to set a
HICKSVILLE
Guinness World Record for longest work of
NY 11801 art.”
“What are you going to draw thatʼs so long,”
516‑827‑1010 David asked.
“I donʼt know,” the first man said. “Maybe
the presidentʼs nose.”
David spotted a group of women chanting,
“No more borders! No more borders!”
“You want to get rid of all borders?” David
Laughter is the Best Medicine
By Mahendra Shah
Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist,
cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrant Indians for the
past many year in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
asked.
“Well, most of them,” one woman said. “You
should see the ones on my mother‑in‑lawʼs liv‑
ing room wall. Theyʼre hideous. Iʼve told her
to remove them, but sheʼs a traditionalist. She
loves borders.”
David walked to the other end of the crowd,
leaving behind the chants of “Build the wall!”
and “No more borders!”
He spotted a man holding a sign that said,
“Axis of Evil: Russia, North Korea, Facebook.”
“Are you upset that Facebook is sharing
your data with other companies?” David
asked.
The man shook his head. “No, Iʼm upset that
Facebook is allowing all my friends to share
their vacation photos. Because of that, my
wife and I are always miserable.”
“Canʼt you just unfriend them?”
“I could, but who would I share all my dog
photos with?”
David spotted a bearded man holding a sign
that said, “Mr. President, Stop Promoting
ʻAmerica First!'”
“Donʼt you want America to be first?” David
asked.
“I do, but weʼre taking it too far,” the man
said. “Weʼre first in school shootings, first in
illegal drug use, first in incarceration! Itʼs not
always good to be a world leader.”
David came across a man in a red cap hold‑
ing a sign that said, “Four More Years!” Next
to him was a woman holding a sign that said,
“Four More Ears! If you had ʼem, youʼd listen
better.”
David returned to his parents, who were
holding signs of their own. Melissa Diamond
was holding a sign that said, “Clean up Your
Mess!”
Mike Diamond was holding a sign that said,
“Stop this madness!”
“What madness are you talking about,
Dad?” David asked, hoping to get another
good quote for his article. “The presidentʼs
tweets?”
“No, your mom is trying to get me to do
more cleaning at home.”
“Why are you protesting here, Dad?” David
asked.
“So other men can join in. We mow the
lawns and take out the trash – we shouldnʼt
have to do household cleaning too.”
Melissa smiled at David. “Donʼt you just love
it?”
“Love what, Mom?”
“The freedom to protest. Thereʼs nothing
like it.”
“Does that mean Dadʼs going to get his
way?”
“No, but heʼs free to keep protesting.”
TheSouthAsianTimes.info ASTROLOGY May 11-17, 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

MAY 11‑17, 2019

Aries: Business contacts may prove
fruitful for bringing in good business.
A prized posting can be bagged by
those in uniform. Your careless attitude
towards physical activity may af fect your
fitness.
Homemakers may focus on giving the home
a facelift. Donʼt take it to heart, if someone
decides to ignore you, since it can be an
inadvertent lapse.
Taurus: Those in a niche field may
find many job offers. You may over‑
strain yourself in achieving some‑
thing that is proving most elusive. If you
are yearning to change your environment,
consider your wait over the coming week.
Financially, you will need to be a bit more
judicious in your spending. You may need
to increase your options on the academic
front.
Gemini: Romantic front may experi‑
ence rough weather. Those dealing
with the public will have a compara‑
tively easy time ahead. Some of you are
likely to complete all formalities regarding
some property.
A social gathering may get you into the
midst of some really interesting people. You
will benefit by turning your focus on health
and well‑being.
Cancer: You may need enough sup‑
port to enter into the fray of public
life. Donʼt take things at face value
on the academic front, as what is projected
may not be the whole truth.
Pending payments are likely to be received
soon. If you expect to turn someoneʼs mind
to your way of thinking, you may be
disappointed, but take it as a temporary set‑
back.
Leo: Your popularity on the work
front may become a source of great
satisfaction to you. If you are in line
for promotion, you can expect a favourable
development.
There is a chance of visiting a place you
had been looking forward to. Friends and
relations will prove to be a big support. A
matchmaking process for the eligible is
likely to have a positive outcome.
Virgo: A work‑related project gets
completed to the satisfaction of high‑
er ups, so expect a pat on the back.
Your romantic aspirations are likely to
make you bag a perfect mate. At home,
there will be much happening with the
arrival of guests, so get set for some fun.
Academic assignment may keep you busy
and may even make you burn the midnight
oil.
Libra: A new hobby may keep you
occupied and entertained. Those
sceptical will finally get convinced
about the efficacy of a far‑reaching decision
on the work front. Forging lasting relation‑
ship is important, especially if it is in your
favour. Health needs nurturing and caring.
Shun bitterness over a domestic issue, as it
may keep you in an agitated state.
Scorpio: Grab the chance to hone
your networking abilities, as it may
provide undreamt of opportunities.
You may harbour a wrong impression
about an elder, who appears a bit firm. So,
get closer to know him or her better. On the
academic front, you will not disappoint
those who have high expectations from
you. Read the market well and put your
money judiciously to cut even or get hand‑
some returns.
Sagittarius: Your creative potential
is likely to be tapped and bring you
some nice of fers. You will manage
to overcome all odds on the academic front
and forge confidently ahead. Things begin
to look bright on the domestic front.
Sharing innermost feelings with lover is
likely for some. Your determination in stick‑
ing to an exercise regime will keep you in
good shape.
Capricorn: You may be made
accountable for your actions at
work, so donʼt lose sight of the
directions from higher ups. Quitting is no
option for those feeling stuck in a monoto‑
nous job, think of other alternatives. An
outing or doing fun things together with
family is foreseen. You must fulfil a promise
given to someone, as not doing so may not
be taken in the right spirit.
Aquarius: Limited knowledge can
be dangerous, especially in a new
field. So, donʼt feel reluctant to take
advice from seniors. A piece of good news
awaits you on the academic front.
Financially, you are likely to improve your
present position. Stick to the decision, if
you make it once. Otherwise, you may not
be taken seriously by others. Health‑wise,
no problems are foreseen.
Pisces: Things start to work out for
you, as you leave confusion behind.
Mutual attraction is likely for those
working together. Now that you have some‑
oneʼs full support, take this opportunity to
turn your ideas into action. Gains through
investments is foreseen for some. Guard
against a conniving person posing as
friend. A youngsterʼs performance will
become a source of great pride for you.

May 11, 2019 focus your energy into profes‑

Influenced by number 2 and
the Moon. You are active, smart,
energetic, responsible, systematic
and a friendly person. You
always aim high and you are not
satisfied until you achieve your
goals. You are helpful and loyal
to your friends but you need to
check your tendency to behave
stubborn and fickle‑minded at
times.
T his year investments w ill
bring you fresh gains and you
will spend more on luxuries and
other comforts. Romantic entan‑
glement will be pleasant and
chances to enter into a matrimo‑
nial alliance will be very strong.
Religious feelings will arise mak‑
ing you embark on a pilgrimage
later in the year. Expect gifts and
goodies both in cash and kind,
but some unexpected expenses
will take you by surprise. The
months of October, December,
January and April will especially
be significant.
May 12, 2019
Governed by number 3 and the
planet Jupiter. You are a practi‑
cal, energetic, religious, brilliant,
sober and an optimistic person.
You are always looking for a
change and you adapt to new
technologies quickly than others.
You are efficient and sincere, but
you need to check your tendency
to behave jealous and stubborn
at times.
T his year you should plan
things well in advance to reap
ANNUAL PREDICTIONS: FOR THOSE BORN IN THIS WEEK
benefits. Efforts that you put dur‑
ing this period will bring desired
results in the long run.
Favourable period for property
investment. Romance will be on
top of your list. There seem to be
chances too of a new arrival as
well. Your financial condition will
improve as you pickup job
involving higher responsibility
and position. Some exhilarating
news from distant relations will
boost up the spirits of the entire
family. Travel and journey will
be pleasurable. The months of
August, November and June will
be significant for you.
May 13, 2019
Ruled by number 4 and the
planet Uranus. You are generous,
peace loving, dashing, systematic,
disciplined, and creat ive in
nature. You are very hardwork‑
ing and possess an ability to
impress others with your intelli‑
gence, but you need to control
your tendency to be extravagant,
reckless and moody at times.
This year you are asked to han‑
dle additional responsibilities at
work. This would put you in good
books of your employer and go a
long way in bring ing you
rewards. You would work on new
ideas, which would he lp you
increase your income. Spouse
expected to bring in some
thrilling news later this year.
Distant journeys, maybe overseas
for some would be highly pleas‑
urable and rewarding. T he
months of September, December
and April seem to be highly bene‑
ficial.
May 14, 2019
Ruled by number 5 and the
planet Mercury. You are highly
intelligent, diplomatic, highly
business oriented, accommodat‑
ing, dashing and kindhearted
individual. You are a very social
person and your family and
friends have a priority in your
life, but you need to curb your
tendencies to behave reckless,
vindictive and moody at times.
This year sharing personal and
secretive information would not
be in your best interest. T he
atmosphere at office would be
competitive and would require
you to handle important jobs
with more responsibility. You can
look forward to new friendships
and even a romantic alliance
through work related projects.
You need to control your mood
and erratic behaviour; otherwise
you are likely to disappoint many
people around you. Distant jour‑
neys, maybe overseas for some
would fetch favorable returns.
T he months of November,
January and June will prove to
be significant.
May 15, 2019
Influenced by number 6 and
the planet Venus. You are ener‑
get ic, pract ical, systemat ic,
methodical and a generous per‑
son. You are fond of charity and
social work and you frequently
associate with like‑minded peo‑
ple to support the noble cause,
but you need to control your ten‑
dencies to behave impatient,
whimsical and jealous at times.
This year you would find your‑
self changing plans more than
usual and decision on certain
fronts would not be easy. Some
changes in friendship also seem
to take place later this year.
Frequent and fruitful journeys
would be undertaken. A property
transaction or acquiring a new
vehicle during this period seems
likely. Visit to a religious place or
blessings from a spiritual person
would be high on your agenda.
Your outgoing nature will work
to your advantage as you gain
favours and benefits from impor‑
tant people. T he months of
October, February and July will
bring prosperity.
May 16, 2019
Governed by number 7 and the
planet Neptune. You are af fec‑
tionate, charming, sober, coura‑
geous, original and an honest
person. You are highly coura‑
geous and fond of accepting chal‑
lenges, but you need to control
your tendency to behave impa‑
tient, timid and short temper at
times.
T his year you should try to
sional endeavors. It would be a
period of success and happiness,
as you would make major gains.
You would easily outsmart your
competitors because of you bet‑
ter skills and apt itude.
Investments during this period
would also yield handsome gains.
New proposals for joint venture
would be alluring, but a partner‑
ship is definitely not on your
cards this year. You would make
new friends through old ones.
T he months of September,
January and April would be high‑
ly significant.
May 17, 2019
Ruled by number 8 and the
planet Saturn. You are creative,
active, confidant, intelligent and
an artistic person. Your strong
determination always keeps you
ahead of others and makes you
popular in your surrounding, but
you need to restrain your tenden‑
cies towards being erratic, stub‑
born and jealous at times.
This year businessmen are like‑
ly to diversify into new and more
profitable avenues. Few unex‑
pected trips would be taken this
year. You could also be traveling
to an exotic destination of your
choice. Health however would
need more attention than before.
Some exhilarating news from
your children later in the year
would boost up your spirits.
Investment would be profitable,
but do not put all your money at
one place. The month of August,
October, March and May will be
eventful and result oriented.
 30 May 11-17, 2019
By Sant Rajinder Singh
Ji Maharaj
O
nce upon a time, there was
a man who lived alone. He
kept his money in a special
jar so that no one could steal it. One
day, while the man was out farming
his land, a thief broke into his
house. Looking for something to
steal, he came across a heavy stone
jar. He could barely jiggle it to hear
the coins inside. He could not lift
the jar. So the man stuck his hand in
the jar to take out the money. His
hand fit perfectly into the jar.
The man grabbed as much money
as he could, holding it in his fist. But
when he tried to pull out his hand, it
would not come out. He tried his
hardest to pull out his hand, but the
fist made his hand wider. While
holding the money, he could not get
it through the neck of the jar. He let
go of the money and his hand was
freed to come out of the jar. But he
was intent upon having the money,
By Sant Rajinder Singh
Ji Maharaj
T
rue friends are those who
stand by you always. They
will sacrifice themselves
for you, and are people on whom
you can always rely. True friends
listen to your problems and share
your burdens. Truly, if we have
even one real friend in life, we are
lucky.
If we think about our childhood
friends, how many are still with
us now? Have we parted ways
already? Perhaps they have
moved away, or we have lost con‑
tact with them. Let us consider
our close friends today. Can we
imagine that they, too, will one
day be parted from us just as
those friends from our childhood
are gone? Even if we have one
close friend, or even a few, they
can only be with us up to our last
breath, or their last breath. They
can only remain with us in this
life and cannot help us in the
moment of our greatest need̶
the time of death.
In this connection, there is an
interesting story from the Hindu
scriptures. There was a learned
pundit who was the personal min‑
ister of King Prikshat. Each day
the minister would read out the
scriptures to the king. The partic‑
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS
This article has been selected and reprinted from Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharajʼs book, Spiritual Pearls for
Enlightened Living, an inspirational collection of stories from the worldʼs great wisdom traditions.
Learn to let go and be free
so he tried again and again. Each
time he enclosed the coins in his
fist, his hand was too wide to be
removed from the jar.
Suddenly, he heard the owner
coming home. He knew that if he
did not get his hand out of the jar,
he would be caught. But he was so
intent upon trying to get the money
out that he would not give up. The
result was that the man came in,
caught him, and had him arrested.
We too are like the thief in the
story. Desires cause us to be caught
with our hand in the jar. Desires
keep us bound to this world. It is
only by letting go of the things of
this world that we can be free. We
need to stop clutching for whatever
binds us as prisoners of our desires
so we can enjoy true freedom. We
need to stop clutching and let go.
Then we will find the joy of free‑
dom.
What kind of joy did the thief
have in his pursuit of the money?
Instead he ended up a prisoner in
the jail. We too are like prisoners in
the jail of this physical world. We
spend all our time going after
things that will not give us happi‑
ness. Whatever material gains we
have in the world can lead us to
more bondage if we are attached to
FINDING A TRUE FRIEND
ular scripture said that whoever
hears the scriptures will receive
spiritual liberation and enlighten‑
ment. Month after month, the
king listened to the scriptures
read by the minister. However, he
did not attain liberation.
One day, the king sat down and
thought, “Here I am̶listening to
these scriptures every day, and I
am not yet spiritually liberated.
The scriptures say that whoever
listens to these holy writings will
receive salvation once and for all,
but I have not.”
Therefore, the king called the
minister and said, “Look here. I
have heard these scriptures so
many times and have not attained
liberation. I will give you one
more chance to read these scrip‑
tures to me from end to end. If I
am not liberated after that, you
will be put to death.” Trembling in
his shoes, the minister began the
task of re‑reading the scriptures
to the king. By the sixth day he
was nearing the end of the scrip‑
tures, and the king was not satis‑
fied. Fearing that on the seventh
day he would be put to death, the
minister sat down in his home
and started to cry.
How can we end our
bondage? We need to let
go and be free. When we
can let go of our desires
for impermanent gains,
we can be free.
them. For example, if we want a big
house, we have to work longer
hours to pay for its mortgage. Then
we need to fill it up with more and
more furniture. That will take more
time to work to pay for it, shop to
buy it, and then to clean and repair
everything. Before we know it, the
house that was supposed to bring
us pleasure has made us a slave to
it. We no longer have time for our
family, our children, or pursuits that
will give us more fulfillment. We
spend all our time going after
things that may not give us true and
lasting happiness.
“Why are you so sad?” asked his
daughter when she saw him.
The ministered explained the
situation to her, “The scriptures
say that whoever reads them will
be liberated. However, I know
that the king is not liberated, nor
am I liberated. Therefore, tomor‑
row, I will be put to death.”
The daughter was wise and had
an idea. “Do not worry,” she said.
“Tomorrow I will speak to the
king.” On the following day, the
ministerʼs daughter asked for an
audience with the king.
“Why have you come?” he ques‑
tioned her.
She told him, “I have come to
reply to the question that you
have asked of my father. But to do
this, you and I must go together
to the wilderness.” The king was
perplexed, but agreed to go along
with her plan. The girl then sent
for her father. She brought along
two ropes and when they reached
the wilderness she tied the king
to one tree and her father to
another tree. Both were then
bound, hand and foot. The king
was wondering what all this
meant when the g irl asked,
“Father, can you kindly unbind
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Similarly, we may want to buy a
computer to keep up with the latest
technology. We then find ourselves
working harder to buy all the right
software and equipment to make it
work. Soon we realize that we are
not happy with a simple computer.
We want to upgrade to a faster and
more elaborate computer. Next, we
find the computer that was sup‑
posed to save us time is taking up
all our time. We end up spending
hours learning to use the computer.
We spend hours exploring the
Internet. The e‑mail system that
was supposed to make communica‑
the king over there?”
T he minister replied, “I am
already bound! How can I free
him?”
The girl asked, “Your Majesty,
w ill you kindly unbind my
father?”
The king replied, “Foolish girl,
donʼt you see that I am bound?
How can a bound man unbind
another?”
That is all she wanted to hear
and said, “T hen how can you
expect my father, who is not free
himself, to liberate you spiritual‑
ly?” T he king himse lf had
answered the dilemma in which
he had placed the minister. With
that understanding, the king
spared the life of the minister.
At the time of death, we all
depart by ourselves. No friends of
this world can help us. They can
sit by our bedside and hold our
hand, but they can neither protect
us from death nor accompany us.
Knowing this, we still put our
reliance on people of this world.
Looking back at the friendships
we have had in our lives, how
many of them led us closer to
God, and how many of them have
taken us away from God? What
tions faster is taking more and
more of our time. Suddenly, we find
fifty people e‑mailing us daily and
they expect an instantaneous
response. If we do not respond right
away they accuse us of being nonre‑
sponsive and indifferent. Soon, we
are spending hours on the comput‑
er. We have become slaves to our
possessions.
How can we end our bondage?
We need to let go and be free. When
we can let go of our desires for
impermanent gains, we can be free.
Then, our soul can experience the
love and beauty that God has to
offer. True happiness comes when
we connect with the source of joy
within us̶our soul and God. To do
so, we must turn our attention from
the worldly enticements and listen
to our soul. Beautiful melodies of
God are playing within us all the
time. Light and love are shining
within us. By turning our attention
from the world, we are releasing
our hold on the coins that keep our
hand stuck in the jar. By letting go,
we are gaining eternal freedom.
By sitting in meditation, free from
all worldly desires and attachments,
we can let go and find ourselves
free to soar back to God.
(For more visit www.sos.org)
kind of friend should we look for
then? To be truly awakened spiri‑
tually, we should seek the friend‑
ship of the Lord.
We have only a set number of
breaths to reunite our soul with
God. Let us do everything possi‑
ble to attain that goal. The best
way to reach the Lord is through
meditation, sweet remembrance,
and selfless service. These activi‑
ties safeguard us from being
pulled away by distractions of the
world. If we do these things, then
we will be ready at the time of our
death. Having mastered the art of
rising above body‑consciousness
(by meditating daily on the inner
Light and Sound of God) , we will
know what awaits us in the
Beyond.
Befriending God makes our
spirit soar. Waves of divine love
make our soul rise to the eye‑
focus where we see tremendous
Light. Is there any love or friend‑
ship of the world that can bring
us to the eye‑focus and make us
rise above physical body‑con‑
sciousness? Only the love of the
Lord can make us wide awake̶
not only in this world, but wide
awake into the Beyond.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info May 11-17, 2019

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