The South Asian Times
e x c e l l e n c e
Vol.11 No. 21 September 22-28, 2018 80 Cents
No Hindu rashtra without
Muslims: Mohan Bhagwat
New Delhi: A Hindu Rashtra does
not envision the exclusion of
Muslims and the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh has not
gone against the Constitution
and the law of the land; the RSS
head Mohan Bhagwat said on
Tuesday.
On the second day of his lec‑
ture series, an outreach exercise
aimed at those who are not famil‑
iar with the Sangh, Bhagwat
sought to clarify that the RSS is
not anti‑minorities and doesnʼt
propose to change the frame‑
work of the Constitution, as is
often alleged by the Opposition.
“We think everyone must abide
by the Constitution…The RSS has
never gone ag ainst the
Constitution. (Sure), The words
secular and socialist were added
later, but now they are there,” he
Exhilarating view of
India in 2050
By Parveen Chopra
New York: Asia Society kicked
off its "Season of India" on Sept
14 with a series of programs
and special events on arts, cul‑
ture, business, and policy, held
in conjunction with the exhibi‑
tion of modern art in India.
On the first day, a conversa‑
OP ED 14 BOLLYWOOD 16
i n
The RSS chief was giving a major speech on
“Future of Bharat” in New Delhi.
said. The RSS is the ideological
parent of the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP).
In 2017, Bhagwatʼs statement
that the Constitution was written
based on the understanding of
Discussion on
Indiaʼs economic
future with
Charles R. Kaye,
Vinita Jain, Arun
M. Kumar and
Bobby Ghosh
kicked off Asia
Society's
'Season of India'.
tion about India's economic
future had a keynote by Amitabh
Kant, chief of the National
Institution for Transforming
India, a think tank. The program
continued with acclaimed jour‑
nalist and editor Bobby Ghosh
moderating a panel discussion
on ʻIndia 2050: Roadmap for
Continued on page 4
IMMIGRATION 26
j o u r n a l i s m
New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Kavanaugh’s
accuser wants
FBI probe before
testifying
the ʻBharatiyaʼ (Indian) ethos, but
that there are several laws in use
based on foreign sources that
need a rethink, was perceived by
the Opposition as an indicator of
Continued on page 4
RBI can sell
$ 25 bn more Prof Christine Blasey Fordʼs sensational allegation of sexual assault
by Brett Kavanaugh has put Trumpʼs Supreme Court nomineeʼs
to arrest rupee confirmation in jeopardy and may have a bearing on the
midterms in November.
fall: SBI report Washington: Christine Blasey Ford allegations,” the letter said, as
Mumbai: T he Reserve Bank of
wants the FBI to investigate her reported by The AP.
allegation that she was sexually This puts paid to the hearing
India (RBI) should intervene in
assaulted by Supreme Court nomi‑ scheduled for Monday by the
both spot and forward markets to
nee Brett Kavanaugh before she Judiciary Committee Chairman
arrest Indian rupee's depreciation,
testifies at a Senate Judiciary Chuck Grassley for Kavanaugh and
suggested a State Bank of India
Committee hearing, her lawyers Prof Ford to testify.
(SBI) Ecowrap report on Tuesday.
said in a letter sent Tuesday to the T he deve lopment comes as
As per the report, during the
panel. President Trump showered sympa‑
June 2008 to May 2009 period,
The lawyers wrote that Ford, thy on his embattled Supreme
when rupee depreciated by 13 per
who is now a college professor in Court nominee and as Senate
cent, the RBI sold dollars worth
California, wants to cooperate with Republicans and Democrats fought
$43 billion, thoug h the forex
the panel. But in the days since she determinedly over who should tes‑
reserves at that time stood at
publicly accused Kavanaugh of the tify at a high‑stakes hearing on the
$312 billion.
assault when they were teens at a allegation just six weeks before
The report cited that even dur‑
party 35 years ago, she has been major congressional elections.
ing the 1990s, when the total
the target of “vicious harassment Democrats have said they want‑
forex reserve was less than $40
and even death threats.” Her fami‑ ed more time for the FBI to investi‑
billion, the RBI had intervened in
ly has relocated, they said. gate and more witnesses besides
the market by selling 8‑9 per cent
An FBI investigation “should be Kavanaugh and Ford, hoping to
Continued on page 4 the first step in addressing the Continued on page 4
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 30 excellence in journalism
TheSouthAsianTimes.info September 22-28, 2018
TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY September 22-28, 2018 3

Mahatma’s 150th anniversary NEW YORK PRIMARIES

celebration kicked off in Long Island
Huntington, NY: Supervisor of
Huntington Chad A. Lupinacci
co‑hosted the launch of a year
of festivities commemorating
Mahatma Gandhiʼs 150th birth‑
day with Arvind Vora and Bakul
Matalia of the Shanti Fund and
Hon. Sandeep Chakravorty,
Consul General of India in New
York, where they were joined by
Town and State Of ficials on
September 7 at the Town Hall.
"Known as Mahatma, or 'the
great souled one,' Gandhi was
revered the world over for his
nonviolent philosophy of pas‑
At the event (from left) Janki Sheth, Town Clerk Jo‑Ann Raia, Assemblyman Andrew Raia, Former
Supervisor Anthony Santino, Town of Hempstead; Councilwoman Joan Cergol, Father Walter J.
Kedjierski, Councilman Edmund J.M. Smyth, Pastor Mark Bigelow, Ila Vora, Supervisor Chad A.
Lupinacci, Arvind Vora of Shanti Fund, Kamlesh Mehta, Consul General Sandeep Chakravorty, Dr.
Pradeep Albert, Seema Bhansali, Ravi Bhooplapur, Senator Carl Marcellino, Bakul Matalia.
sive resistance and his devout
Hindu faith," said Supervisor
Lupinacci. "Gandhi was quoted:
'The best way to find yourself is
to lose yourself in the service of
others.' Gandhi lived, until his
last day, by this philosophy."
Speakers included New York
State Senator Carl Marcellino;
Assemblyman Andrew Raia;
Former Town of Hempstead
Supervisor Anthony Santino;
Ravi Bhooplapur, President of
Xavier University School of
Medicine; and Kamlesh Mehta,
Chairman, T he South Asian
Cuomo’s easy win over Nixon,
Times. Letitia James wins AG contest
Delivering prayers at the cere‑
New York: Governor Andrew
mony were Sangeeta Kulkarni,
Cuomo had a decisive win
who delivered the benediction;
against Cynthia Nixon, the
Father Walter Kedjierski of the
actress and education
Seminary of the Immaculate
activist last Thursday in the
Conception; Reverend Mark
Democratic primary. And
Bigelow of the Congregational
though it was status quo at
Church of Hunt ington; and
the top, with the Lt
Janki Sheth and members of the
Governor Kathy Hochul also
Jain Group of SRMD.
prevailing though with a
Arvind Vora and Bakul
slender margin, other chal‑
Matalia of the Shanti Fund pre‑
lengers benefited from the
sented a framed photo of Gov. Andrew Cuomo is set to serve 3rd term;
progressive wave sweeping
Gandhi to Supervisor Lupinacci Letitia James set to become first black woman
national politics.
at the end of the ceremony. to hold statewide office in New York.
The sudden resignation of
Eric T. Schneiderman, after he was won the post in 2014, leading Mr.
accused of violence against several Williams by a much smaller margin
romantic partners, left a vacancy that than Mr. Cuomo leads Ms. Nixon. In
four Democrats were vying to fill. the State Senate, there were many
Eventually Letitia James, the New incumbents who had belonged to the
York City public advocate, defeated so‑called Independent Democratic
the other three: Rep. Sean Patrick Conference, who had a power‑sharing
Maloney and Zephyr Teachout, a law agreement with Republicans. Under
professor. If elected in November, pressure from Cuomo, the group dis‑
she would be the first black woman banded in April and returned to the
occupying a statewide office in New chamberʼs mainstream Democrats.
York. Still, dozens of anti‑Trump resistance
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, Mr. Cuomoʼs groups backed a slate of candidates
running mate, was fending off an who were mounting energetic chal‑
energetic challenge from Jumaane D. lenges to the renegade senators,
Williams, a city councilman from arguing that their deal with
Brooklyn. The race is normally an Republicans had prevented a raft of
afterthought to the governorʼs race, progressive bills from becoming law,
but polls showed Ms. Hochul, who reports New York Times.

UN Secretary‑General: American soft power is in decline

United Nations: For the past two
years, the secretary‑general of the
United Nations, António Guterres,
has watched as President Donald
Trump upend American foreign
policy, engaging in trade wars
while simultaneously disengaging
from international agreements and
alliances. And now Guterres has
reached a verdict: T he United
States, once the guarantor of glob‑
al stability, is losing its ability to
influence world events.
“I think that the soft power of the
United States … is being reduced
at the present moment,” Guterres
told The Atlantic in an interview.
This, he suggested, is dangerous
because there “is no way to solve
most of the problems in the world
without” America.
Guterres was sitting in his New
York office, beside an array of win‑
UN Secretary‑General
António Guterres
dows overlooking Four Freedoms
Park̶a homage to Franklin
Rooseveltʼs vision of what the US
and its allies were fighting to pre‑
serve and promote during World
War II. It was Roosevelt who spear‑
headed the ef fort to raise the
United Nations from the ruins of
that war more than seven decades
ago. “The United States is today
involved in a number of conflicts
of different natures̶in relation to
trade, in relation to other situa‑
tions̶and indeed that means that
the … attraction of American soci‑
ety that was a dominant factor in
international relations just a few
decades ago is today less clear,”
Guterres said.
This is happening at the same
time as the world itse lf is “in
pieces,” moving since the end of
the Cold War from an American‑
led order to an order led by multi‑
ple powers that has yet to be
defined, he said. “Itʼs inevitable
that mono‑state leadership of the
international order will be more
and more put into question,” said
Guterres. “Both the United States
and the rest of the world need to
be able to adapt to this new situa‑
tion,” he said.
Guterres did not directly criticize
Donald Trump or even mention the
U.S. president by name, even when
pressed for his views on Americaʼs
disruptive foreign policy.
The secretary‑general has man‑
aged to maintain a workmanlike
relationship with the U.S. govern‑
ment on issues like internal UN
reform despite the Trump adminis‑
trationʼs exit from the Paris cli‑
mate agreement and the UNʼs cul‑
tural and human‑rights organiza‑
tions; its withdrawal of funding for
the UN agency that supports
Palestinian refugees; and its broad‑
er hostility to international institu‑
tions on the grounds of putting
America first.
Guterres has a “simple” strategy
to keep Washington engaged: “It is
to affirm the things we believe in,
not in confrontation against, but as
such,” he said. “Iʼm not a multilat‑
eralist against anybody. Iʼm a mul‑
tilateralist because I believe in a
multilateral order … I consider cli‑
mate change as the biggest threat
[to the world]. That has nothing to
do with who is or is not the head of
a country or another … [With] cli‑
mate change, if you do not act deci‑
sively in the next few years, you
might have irreversibly dramatic
impacts on the planet. And we are
losing the race. Climate change is
running faster than we are.”
Asked whether he is worried
about a severe disruption like the
United States withdrawing entirely
from the United Nations, the secre‑
tary‑general responded diplomati‑
cally, “I will do everything possible
to avoid it,” he responded.
Courtesy: The Atlantic
 4 September 22-28, 2018 TURN PAGE TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Trump orders
to declassify
docs related to
Russia probe
Washington: President Donald
Trump ordered the declassifica‑
tion of various documents and
text messages related to the
Russia investigation, according
to the White House.
The order included selective
portions of the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act
(FISA) application and "all FBI
reports" prepared in connection
with the FISA warrant request,
White House press secretary
Sarah Sanders said on Monday.
The President also ordered
the Justice Department to
release all text messages related
to the Russia investigation from
former FBI Director James
Comey, former FBI Deputy
Director Andrew McCabe, for‑
mer FBI agent Peter Strzok, for‑
mer FBI lawyer Lisa Page and
Bruce Ohr, a Justice Department
official.
Trump has singled out all of
those individuals in the past
with scornful criticism, often on
Twitter.
"When the President issues
such an order, it triggers a
declassification review process
that is conducted by various
agencies within the intelligence
community, in conjunction with
the White House Counsel, to
seek to ensure the safety of
America's national security
interests," a Justice Department
spokesperson said. "The
Department and the FBI are
already working with the
Director of National Intelligence
to comply with the President's
order."
Kavanaughʼs accuser
wants FBI probe before
testifying
Continued from page 1
avoid what would turn into merely
a “he‑said‑she‑said” moment. Those
witnesses would include
Kavanaughʼs high school friend
Mark Judge, who Ford said was in
the room when she was assaulted,
but Judge said no. Kavanaugh has
denied Fordʼs allegation, and Judge
says he doesnʼt remember any such
incident.
The lawyers for Ford predicted
the hearing, as now scheduled,
“would include interrogation by
senators who appear to have made
up their minds” that she is “mistak‑
en” and mixed up.
The furious jockeying over her
testimony underscores the political
potency so close to an election that
will decide control of both the
House and Senate, not to mention
the confirmation of a conservative
justice likely to serve on the high
court for decades.
Trump picked Kavanaugh in July
to replace retired conservative
Justice Anthony Kennedy to move
the Supreme Court rightward.
No Hindu rashtra without
Muslims: Mohan Bhagwat
Continued from page 1
the Sanghʼs intent to change the
Constitution.
Speaking at length on the issue of
Hindutva, as defined by the Sangh,
Bhagwat said the concept of a
Hindu Rashtra or Hindu nation
does not rest on segregation or
rejection of any community or faith.
“Hindu Rashtra doesnʼt mean
thereʼs no place for Muslims. The
day it becomes so, it wonʼt be
Hindutva. Hindutva talks about one
world family,” Bhagwat said. He
also channeled BR Ambedkar to say,
“our perspective towards religion is
that it is based on values.”
In the wake of attacks against
minorities by cow vigilantes, the
RSS has been accused by its oppo‑
nents of fostering an anti‑Muslim
sentiment in the country.
Bhagwat, however refuted these
allegations and said the genesis of
RSS was unification of society; and
it is for this reason the Sangh has
made a conscious decision to stay
away from electoral politics since
its inception. He said while
swayamsevaks (volunteers) are not
forbidden from joining political par‑
ties, office bearers of the Sangh are
not permitted to hold positions in
political parties or to contest elec‑
tions. He was also quick to point
out that volunteers are not given
directions to favor any political out‑
fit. He said no one party can have
the sole mandate of working for
national interest, so the swayam‑
sevasks are instructed to support
anyone who works with the country
best interest in mind.
Exhilarating view of
India in 2050
Continued from page 1
Successʼ with Vinita Jain, founder of
Biotique, the biotech company
using Ayurvedic principles; Charles
R. Kaye, co‑CEO of equity firm
Warburg Pincus; and Arun M.
Kumar, chairman and CEO of KPMG
India.
Amitabh Kant said that India
needs to grow at 9% for three
decades to lift its young population
and all above the poverty line. He
cited projections that in 2030 India
will be the third biggest economy in
the world at $6.8 trillion, and that it
will remain the fastest growing
economy till 2050. He listed many
steps taken by the Modi govern‑
ment to accelerate the pace of
growth like ranking states on vari‑
ous indices, and if a state govern‑
ment does not perform, voters can
vote it out. India has opened up
every sector, even defence, to for‑
eign investments, which has netted
$222 billion in the last 4 years,
Kant noted.
But Kant said Indiaʼs biggest chal‑
lenge is going to be urbanization of
about 700 million people ‑‑ the
equivalent of two Americas ‑ that
will put pressure on infrastructure.
But that challenge also offers a
huge opportunity. The good news,
he said, is that India is already
using technology to leapfrog, for
example there are a billion biomet‑
rics (courtesy Aadhaar card
scheme), there are 1.14 billion
wireless phones, the data consump‑
tion is equivalent to US and Chinaʼs
put together. Digital payments
using apps is the highest in the
world. A metric of domestic con‑
sumption is that every second car
sold in the world by 2030 will be in
India. The number and range of
startups in India is amazing. But
Kant acknowledged that so far India
has done well in the service sector,
but it can only reach its growth
goals through export driven manu‑
facturing. He also wants women in
work force to almost double – cur‑
rently only about 28% women
work.
Vinita Jain said that the world will
be dominated by Artificial
Intelligence by 2050 and India will
be in the forefront of that. Its spiri‑
tuality and wisdom will also be
sought after then. For example,
given that life expectancy will be
much higher then, India already has
Ayurveda, literally the science of
life.
Arun Kumar said India has
grown amazingly not only in IT, but
even in the auto sector. Twenty
years ago nobody would have
thought that it will become the
biggest manufacturer of subcom‑
pact cars and even an exporter of
automobiles. Same with global
R&D. His one worry is inequality
and crony capitalism in India, which
can alienate people, with dire con‑
sequences. Charles Kaye praised the
current governmentʼs achievement
of making Indiaʼs political or mass
argument for growth. A noteworthy
positive he said was that India is on
the path to create the lowest cost
payment infrastructure in the
world. He added that the sustained
India GDP growth in high single
digits, which is possible, will have
meaningful implications for not
just Indian but also the world.
RBI can sell $ 25 bn more
to arrest rupee fall:
SBI report
Continued from page 1
of total reserve to rein in a fall in
rupee. "So, we believe in the present
scenario, RBI could go up to its tol‑
erance limit of 10 per cent (a crude
proxy of the average ratio over all
periods) by selling at least an addi‑
tional $25 billion in the forex mar‑
ket," the report said.
RBI is known to enter the markets
via intermediaries to either sell or
buy US dollars to keep the rupee in
a stable orbit.
In addition, the report said that
oil companies may also be asked to
purchase all their USD require‑
ments directly from the RBI
through a single bank, an arrange‑
ment that was used in 2013.
"Further, oil companies may also
be asked to borrow $ for import
payments directly from foreign
branches of Indian Banks. These
funds may be borrowed for longer
term instead of the very short‑term
funds borrowed currently," the
report said.
The report comes on a day when
latest global trade protectionist
measures, along with high crude oil
prices, dragged the Indian rupee to
a fresh low of 72.98 per US dollar.
According to analysts, concerns
over a rise in the inflation rate,
growing protectionism in global
trade and an outflow of foreign
funds from the country's equity
market have had an adverse impact
on the Indian currency.

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TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY September 22-28, 2018 5

Sufi singer Zila Khanʼs voice booms in DC Air India pilots save 370 lives
By Surekha Vijh
Washington: T hey say music
heals, especially when sung with
devotion and heard with atten‑
tion. Classical music, whether
Indian or Western, has even more
power to heal. In such an
evening of enthralling Sufi music,
Zila Khan enchanted
Washingtonians with her capti‑
vating voice.
Khan, the visiting Sufi singer
from India who renders classical
and semi‑classical musical forms
and performs in the tradition of
Imdadkhani gharana, won the
hearts of the audience with her
brilliant singing skills and splen‑
did stage presence. The concert
was held in Lohrfink Auditorium at
Georgetown University on Sept 16.
Alka Batra, a long t ime
Washingtonian, called it an “uplift‑
ing experience,” while Arvind
Krishna, a resident of Virginia,
billed it as an “evening of pure joy.”
Khan, the daughter of noted sitar
maestro Ustad Vilayat Khan, started
with a Sufi invocation and then
sang shairy of Amir Khosrow, a
13th century mystic poet. She also
complied to request from the audi‑
ence who wanted her to sing‑ Aaj
jane ki zid na karo and Chhap Tilak,
popular gazals.
Indian classical music has two
foundational elements, raga and
tala. The raga forms the fabric of a
melodic structure, while the tala
measures the time cycle. Zola Khan
explained some beats (taal) and
some notes of the ragas. For her
invocation to Devi, she had the
lights turned off. She said that the
prayer to Goddess was very close to
her heart and she got a lot of
strength from that. “It was also for
women to see their own strength,”
she added.
Khan was named by her father on
the raga Zila Kaafi of Amir Khusrau.
Ustad Vilayat Khan taught her
for 14‑16 hours a day and she
has mastered all his composi‑
tions. She has produced d a
documentary called Spirit To
Soul on her father.
Zila Khan has also acted in
Bhansali film ʻBajirao Mastaniʼ
and in theatrical plays like
Gauhar. She is also a playback
singer for Bollywood films.
Khan, who sings in eight dif‑
ferent languages, has per‑
formed in many major Indian
and Internat ional Music
Festival and venues, has great
command over various music
styles such as Indian Classical,
Semi‑Classical, Sufi, Folk &
Bhakti Sangeet. She has also sung
'Western Concertos' in English,
Latin, Persian & Arabic. She has
performed at several Jazz Festivals
with leading artists from an array
of genres and cultures. She also
works w ith Indian Tourism
Ministry as a representative of
Indian heritage and culture.
More than 300 people gathered
to relish Zila Khan concert, an
event co‑sponsored by the
Georgetown University India
Initiative and the Embassy of India
as part of the embassy's India@70
Celebrations.
onboard Delhi‑NY flight
New York: A 15‑
hour‑long Air India
flight from New
Delhi to New York
battled bad weather
and multiple sys‑
tems failure on
September 11
before landing at
Newark airport in
New Jersey instead
of John F Kennedy International air‑
port, according to of ficials and
reports that on Monday detailed
tense moments following a rare
combination of electronic malfunc‑
tion.
According to NDTV, which first
reported the news, the flight
involved was AI‑101, and had 370
people on board.
T he pilot reported to the Air
Traffic Control (ATC) that the flight
experienced multiple system failure
and was low on fuel, which also
restricted its time of flying when
the system failed. "We're really, you
know, stuck and there's no fuel,"
Captain Rustom Palia, who was
commanding the aircraft, told the
ATC, according to NDTV.
Moreover, the flight also wit‑
nessed a malfunctioning of all three
of its Instrument
Landing System
(ILS) receivers on
board the jet.
"This Instrument
Landing System is
unpredictable", the
pilot told ATC
"because every
time we turn
towards the
localiser, it is just gone," NDTV
reported. The ILS becomes more
crucial in bad weather conditions
such as the ones faced by the pilots
of AI‑101, when they could not visu‑
ally estimate an approach because
of heavy cloud cover.
This meant that the pilots of the
aircraft, which was a nine‑year‑old
Boeing 777‑300, had to manually
land it. An Air India spokesperson
told Hindustan Times, "The weather
was bad at New York airport and
due to the snag, radar was not visi‑
ble in the cockpit. The pilot had to
carry out landing without the help
of radar and since the weather was
bad in New York, the aircraft was
diverted to Newark.
An emergency crew had already
been put on stand‑by at the Newark
airport

WHC honors ISKCON, BAPS, Gita Press People with Medicare,

Gorakhpur and Chinmaya Mission Mark Your Calendars!
Alka Parmar
receiving the Open enrollment
plaque on
behalf of BAPS is October 15 to
December 7, 2018.
Swaminarayan
from RSS chief
Mohan
Bhagwat.
During this period, you can
enroll for the first time and
sign up for or switch your
Medicare Prescription
Chicago: The World Hindu Congress (WHC) served to stimulate curiosity and interest in
held from Sept. 7‑9 here reaffirmed Swamiʼs Hindu architecture and through it Hindu Drug Plan and/or
Vivekanandaʼs message of universal love, Dharma among people of different cultural Medicare Advantage Plan.
peace, acceptance and service to humanity. and religious backgrounds. They also serve
In this context, it recognized and honored as seats for learning Hindu values and pro‑
the contributions of four organizations vide an environment for people of all ages to All changes are effective
whose selfless volunteers have dedicated connect with their Hindu identity.
their lives in spreading these teachings of The credit for making Indiaʼs rich litera‑
January 1, 2019.
Hindu Dharma and preserving its unparal‑ ture accessible and af fordable and in turn
leled culture around the world. They were sustain Indiaʼs ancient civilization and histor‑
ISKCON, BAPS Swaminarayan, Gita Press ical identity goes to Gita Press, Gorakhpur.
For more information,
Gorakhpur and Chinmaya Mission. Till March 2018, 664 million copies of “char‑ call 311 and
ISKCON was honored for its work in acter building” books like the Gita,
spreading the philosophy of the Bhagavad Ramcharitamanas, Ramayan, Mahabharat ask for “HIICAP.”
Gita to the remotest corners of the world and have been published in most major Indian
sparking an interest in Hindu traditions. languages by Gita Press.
Itʼs easy to be awed by the architecturally Chinmaya Missionʼs most significant con‑
magnificent BAPS Swaminarayan mandirs tribution has been the spread of the knowl‑
around the world with their intricate marble edge and understanding of Gita amongst the
Department for
carvings and sprawling spotless surround‑ multitudes through the methodology of the Aging
ings. T hese visually appealing temples Gyan Yagna.
 6 September 22-28, 2018 TRISTATE COMMUNITY TheSouthAsianTimes.info

ʻEntry Indiaʼ guide launched in New York

New York, NY: Entry India LLC in associa‑
tion with Consulate General of India, New
York and GOPIO International Chamber of
Commerce (GICC), launched its guide 'EN‑
TRY INDIA' on September 5th at the Indian
Consulate here. Over 100 businesses,
investors and trade professionals participat‑
ed in the event which also hosted a panel
discussion on 'Doing Business in India.'
At the start of the event, Dr. Thomas
Abraham, Chairman of GOPIO international
(the largest association of PIOs and NRIs
across the globe) provided opening remarks
and noted Entry India's commitment to posi‑
tion India as a business and investment des‑
tination of choice among US based manufac‑
turers and investors.
Dr. Abraham said, "Entry India's guide is
indeed a first‑of‑its‑kind publication ever to
be introduced with such practical resources
necessary for successfully launching new
products and ideas in the Indian market." He
further said, "With the 5 panelists soon to
talk on topics related to doing business in
India, the insights available here offers tips
also the Managing Editor of the guide, talk‑
ing about the business opportunities in
India called India 'The Galapagos of the
Modern World'. He said, "People, especially
college students, are ready to take risks with
their ideas, ready to partner for new possi‑
bilities."
Adding further to the value proposition
that the guide offers, he said, "It is the time‑
ly access to the reliable resources that yields
business success in India and that is the pur‑
pose of the guide."
The printed copies of the guide will be
made available through many business asso‑
ciations whereas the online version of the
guide is available for download from Entry
India's portal,
Release of the guide ʻEntry Indiaʼ at the Indian Consulate (L to R) GOPIO Chairman http://entryindia.com/India_Business_and_
Dr.Thomas Abraham, USISPF COO Gaurav Verma, Entry India Senior Partner Navin Travel_Guide. The guide will soon be avail‑
Pathak, Consul Devi Prasad Misra and Entry India Senior Partner Mahendra Pratap. able on mobile app.
The next Doing Business in India event
and insights into creating business success growth in the proximity of 7.5%, Entry India will be hosted in the city of Edison, New
in India." Devi Prasad Misra, Consul Trade at guide is very timely for the businesses look‑ Jersey in the month of November 2018.
the Consulate General of India NY, in his ing at India for their business expansion." Dates and Venue will soon be announced on
keynote address said, "With India's GDP Entry India's Senior Partner, Navin Pathak, Entry India's portal.

MASCONN raises funds for flood victims

in Kerala at Onam celebrations
The lighting of
the traditional
Nailavilakku or
lamp by
honored guests
of MASCONN
and the
executive
United Sikhs organization joined the 17th year remembrance of 9/11 committee
attacks at the memorial in Manhattan. They were there to give a message members.
of peace and harmonious co‑existence. They prayed for the victimsʼ
families and placed flowers where the names of the victims are
inscribed on the edges of the reflecting pools. Trumbull, CT: T he mood was subdued and the organizers had decided scale down the cele‑
somber. But the colorful traditional attire, chil‑ brations in honor of flood victims in Kerala.
dren, women and men clothed in conveyed a mes‑ “MASCONN is an offshoot of the natural growth
Indian American child dies sage of hope and joyfulness. For the nearly 300
people from across the state of Connecticut, who
of the Indian‑American especially Malayalee
Community in the southern Connecticut region,”

of heat exposure had come together to celebrate their culture, tra‑

ditions, and fellowship during the 10th annual
said Wilson Pottackal, President of MASCON, in
his welcome address. “In a very short period, we

A
n Indian American child,
Nishchay Patel, 3, was found
unresponsive inside a minivan,
outside the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan
Mandir Temple, in Oldham County,
Kentucky. Patel was transported to
Norton Childrenʼs Hospital where he
was pronounced dead upon arrival,
according to a WHAS11 report.
Officials say Patel died of hyperther‑
mia from the environmental heat expo‑
sure in an enclosed minivan.
The temple has released a statement
saying: “Our congregation and members
are deeply saddened by the loss of a
young, bright boy who brought
immense joy to his family and our con‑
gregation. We are focused on support‑
ing his family through this tragic time,
keeping them in our thoughts and daily
prayers. We ask for respect and privacy
to allow the family and our congrega‑
tion to mourn this loss and heal through
prayer.” According to report, no charges
have been filed as yet, but the investiga‑
tion is ongoing.
Onam celebrations organized by Malayalee
Association of Southern Connecticut (MASCONN)
at Madison Middle School, Trumbull, CT on
September 15th it was a way of cherishing their
rich culture, while paying homage to those who
had lost their lives, properties and to some, every‑
thing they ever had owned, due to the devastating
floods that inundated the beautiful state of Kerala
and the livelihood of millions last month.
The colorful Pookoalm and the thilak (pottu)
that had traditionally welcomed participants at
the entrance of school, giving them a warm tradi‑
tional Indian welcome, was missing this time, as
have grown by leaps and bounds and we strive to
meet the growing needs of our community.”
Earlier, he called on the audience to stand in
silence paying homage to those who had lost
their loves in Kerala in the floods and to those
who lost their lives due to Hurricane Florence in
the mid‑Atlantic states. The funds raised today, he
announced, will be sent to help the victims of the
devastating floods in Kerala.
The more than four‑hours long cultural extrava‑
ganza was in many ways “reliving the culture and
traditions” and a “cherishing the past with a view
to pass it on to the future generation.”
TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY September 22-28, 2018 7

Prof. Arul Chinnaiyan NY Times suggests Nikki

awarded $6.5 Million to
improve cancer diagnosis
Washington, DC: The US National
Cancer Institute has given the
"Outstanding Invest ig ator
Award" to Professor Arul
Chinnaiyan, from the University
of Michigan, and $6.5 million in
funding over seven years, to
identify cancer biomarkers to
improve diagnosis and develop
new targeted therapies.
"The field of precision oncolo‑
gy continues to evolve with the
overarching goal of providing
cancer patients with enhanced
diagnostic and prognostic capa‑
bilities and better treatments,"
Chinnaiyan, said in a statement,
late on Monday. "This grant will
help us identify new biomarkers
and understand their biological
roles in cancer progression," he
added.
A pioneer in precision oncolo‑
gy, Chinnaiyan in 2010, launched
the Michig an Oncolog y
Sequencing (Mi‑ONCOSEQ) pro‑
gram.
Mi‑ONCOSEQ is a research pro‑
tocol for sequencing the DNA
Arul Chinnaiyan
and RNA of metastatic cancers
and normal tissue to identify
alterations that could help drive
treatment.
The program includes a preci‑
sion medicine tumor board in
which experts discuss each case.
Chinnaiyan's lab has also ana‑
lyzed the global landscape of a
portion of the genome that has
not been previously we ll‑
explored ‑‑ long non‑coding RNAs
(lncRNAs).
Earlier, considered as the dark
matter, new evidence suggests
that lncRNAs may play a role in
cancer and that understanding
them better could lead to new
potential targets for improving
cancer diagnosis, prognosis or
treatment.
Chinnaiyan's lab has also iden‑
t ified and explored several
lncRNAs that could be promising
targets for future therapy.
"We want to further character‑
ize the dark matter of the
genome. Some of these lncRNAs
will certainly be very useful as
cancer biomarkers and we think
a subset are important in biologi‑
cal processes," Chinnaiyan noted.
"We hope to make it common‑
place for pat ients to have a
molecular blueprint of their
tumor to guide treatment
choices."
(IANS)
Haley bought $52k curtains
The paper faced backlash for wrong
focus as the curtains were actually
purchased by Obama admin
Washington, DC: The US State
Department spent about $52,701
last year on customised and mech‑
anized curtains for the official res‑
idence of US Ambassador to the
UN Nikki Haley at a time when the
department was undergoing deep
budget cuts and had frozen hiring,
according to a media report.
The report in The New York
Times said Haley is the first US
ambassador to live in the resi‑
dence, located in a new building
just blocks away from the UN
headquarters in New York.
A spokesman for Haley said
plans to buy the curtains were
made in 2016, during the Obama
administration and that Haley had
no say in the purchase.
The curtains themselves cost
$29,900, while the motors and
hardware needed to open and
close them automatically cost
$22,801, the report said, citing
contracts. Installation took place
from March to August last year,
during Haleyʼs tenure as ambassa‑
dor. Haley, 46, is the highest rank‑
ing Indian‑American in the Donald
Trump administration.
The NYT report said that Haleyʼs
curtains are more expensive than
the $31,000 dining room set pur‑
chased for the office of Ben
Carson, the secretary of the
Department of Housing and Urban
Development.
Following the controversial
$31,000 purchase, President
Donald Trump had even consid‑
ered firing Carson.
Patrick Kennedy, the top man‑
agement official at the State
Department during the Obama
administration, however, defended
the purchase, saying that it would
probably be used for years and
that it was needed for both securi‑
ty and entertaining purposes.
“All sheʼs got is a part‑time maid,
and the ability to open and close
the curtains quickly is important,”
Kennedy said.

AAPI's Global Healthcare Summit

2018 to be held in Mumbai
New York, NY: Association of American
Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) has
organized its groundbreaking Global
Healthcare Summit (GHS) from December
28th to 31st in Mumbai in collaboration
with the Government of India, with partic‑
ipation from some of the worldʼs most
well‑known physicians, and industry lead‑
ers.
“This international healthcare summit is a
progressive transformation from the first
Indo‑US Healthcare Summit launched by
AAPI USA in 2007,” Dr. Naresh Parikh,
President of AAPI, says. “Providing a
forum for innovative opportunities for
learning, networking and giving back to
our motherland that have now enabled us
to plan ahead and prepare for an out‑
standing event that will have over 300
very prominent and talented physicians
and surgeons from abroad, in addition to
the hundreds of physicians from India,
who are very passionate about serving
their homeland, mother India.”
“Under the leadership of Dr. Naresh
Parikh this year, AAPI is poised for a
quantum leap in its activities in India with
initiatives in new directions,” says Ravi
Ravi Jahagirdar, M.D., Chairman of 2018
Global Healthcare Summit. “The Global
Health Summit in December this year will
w itness an expanded Internat ional
Research Competition for budding resi‑
dents and physicians ‑ overseen by all the
Medical Schools in Mumbai, with gener‑
ous awards for the winners.” For the first
t ime, GAP IO (Global Asso ciat ion of
Physicians of Indian Origin) will team up
with a sizable representation, to promote
a worldwide platform for Global Health.
In keeping w ith its "needs based"
approach, AAPI has identified the specter
of Mult i‑Drug Resistant TB as the
"Challenge of the Year," and starting with
a think tank, will oversee multisite imple‑
mentation and monitoring, with involve‑
ment from the US Embassy and its Health
Attache ‑ who also represents the inter‑
ests of Human and Health Resources in
the USA, and works in tandem with the
Clinton and the Gates Foundations.
The Womenʼs Leadership Forum this
year is spearheaded by Mrs. Amruta
Fadnavis, the dynamic and talented young
wife of the Chief Minister, who is also the
Chief Hostess for the entire event, Dr.
Asha Parikh, Chairwoman for the
Womenʼs Forum announced. Anwar
Feroz, Strategic Advisor of AAPI, said,
“For the first time at a CEO Forum ‑ this
year will have a full dedication to the
AYUSHMAN BHARAT initiative by our
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and
the Government of India, an ambitious
project to provide financial support for
about 500 million needy but poor
patients.”
T he part icipants w ill arrive from
AYUSH, healthcare industry, academia,
and from regulatory and clinical leaders,
to brainstorm this gigantic challenge, and
how to make it work.
8 September 22-28, 2018
NRI body seeks Indian citizenship for
Hindu immigrants from Bangladesh
A Presidentʼs security detail
group of some Indian‑American
organizations in the US has
launched a campaign seeking
Indian citizenship to Hindu immigrants
from Bangladesh who have been left out
of the National Register of Citizens (NRC)
in Assam.
The group under the banner of organi‑
zations like SinghaBahini America, Global
Hindu Heritage Foundation (GHHF) and
NavaBanga are seeking support for the
Citizenship Bill 2016, which seeks to
amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 to pro‑
vide citizenship to persecuted minorities
from India's neighboring nations who
have come to the country for safety.
The members of the group had met
Indian leaders during the recently con‑
cluded World Hindu Congress in Chicago.
"In the light of the well‑intended NRC to
help identify the illegal Bangladeshi
immigrants who came as fortune seekers,
it has come to light that a large number
of Hindu population find themselves left
out," said a media release issued by the
group.
Based on estimates, around 1.4 million
to 2.5 million Hindus find themselves in a
position to be stripped of their Indian citi‑
zenship, it said.
"Forefathers of Hindu brothers and sis‑
ters had come to India because of the
Indian couple arrested for not
allowing tests on baby
A
n Indian‑origin couple was
granted bail on Thursday after
being arrested for allegedly
neglecting and abusing their six‑month‑
old daughter. They were arrested last
Friday, weeks after they took her to a
hospital at Broward County in Florida
with a swollen left arm. However, Child
Protective Services will continue to
have custody of their six‑month‑old
babies, with no parental access.
Authorities booked them for child
neglect and abuse after the couple from
Tamil Nadu allegedly questioned why
the girl had to undergo expensive tests
at the medical establishment and
attempted to take the child from the
hospital against doctors' advice.
The couple, Prakash Settu and Mala
Paneerselvam, was earlier sent to a
prison in Fort Lauderdale with the bail
amount set at $200,000. A person
familiar with the matter told NDTV on
Thursday that "the bail amount was
ultimately reduced to $30,000, and the
couple released just a few hours ago."
The baby, Himisha, and her twin
brother were taken away from them by
Child Protective Services a few weeks
ago.
Friends of the family, who deny the
allegations leveled against the couple,
have organized an online fundraiser to
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
IN BRIEF
Around 1.4‐ 2.5
million Hindus
find themselves
in a position to
be stripped of
their Indian
citizenship
persecution they faced in Bangladesh, yet
they had not given up their faith."
To ensure that the resources of India go
to the citizens, NRC in every state is need‑
ed, but at the same time it is equally
important that India protects poor
Hindus from Bangladesh, the statement
said.
"The Citizenship Bill, 2016 which seeks
to provide Indian citizenship to persecut‑
ed minority Hindus, Sikhs and Jains who
came from Pakistan, Bangladesh and
Afghanistan till 2014 is thus a must to
showcase a historic Hindu Unity to send a
message to our own people," the group
said.
help them wage a legal battle against
the US authorities. "Separating new‑
born twins from biological parents is a
sin. Let them hand over them to me, as
a grandmother. I'd take care of them,"
Ms Paneerselvam's mother, Malika, told
NDTV.
A close friend of the couple claimed
that they had enquired about the need
for expensive medical tests at each
stage of the treatment only because
they could not afford them. "Their
insurance did not cover all of them.
This was misconstrued as neglect," the
friend said.
The Ministry of External Affairs is
also in touch with US authorities in this
regard.
However, a report from Florida
Health Children's Medical Services,
Broward County, in NDTV's possession
alleges that Mr Settu and his wife
refused to let hospital staffers conduct
a "skeletal survey" and even tried to
take their daughter away. The hospital
viewed this as a case of possible child
neglect and summoned Child Protective
Services agents to the scene.
The US consulate, when contacted,
stated that they will not be able to com‑
ment on "individual cases of investiga‑
tion."
(source: ndtv.com)
Indian American becomes
first Sikh to be inducted into
I
ndian American
Anshdeep Singh Bhatia,
originally from
Ludhiana, Punjab, India,
has become the first Sikh
to have been inducted into
the security detail of
President Donald Trump.
According to a
Hindustan Times report,
Bhatiaʼs family moved
Anshdeep Singh Bhatia
from Kanpur to Ludhiana
during the 1984 anti‑Sikh
(Image courtesy: kannadaprabha.com)
riots after his family suffered many losses.
In 2000, Bhatia and his family moved to
the U.S. He was 10‑years‑old at that time.
Over 500 attend 16th biennial alumni
reunion of 3 med schools from Andhra
Funds were raised for mother and child buildings at government general hospitals.
A
record over 500 Alumni and their fam‑
ily members attended the 16th
Biennial Alumni Reunion of three med‑
ical colleges from Andhra Pradesh, Guntur
Medical College, Rangaraya Medical College,
and Siddhartha Medical College, in Atlanta,
Georgia during the Labor Day weekend of
September 1 ‑3.
The 3 day conference, a coming together
and reliving the pleasant and memorable
moments of student life back in India, was
packed with cutting edge CME presentations
and cultural programs, and most importantly
fund raising activities to support their Alma
mater back in India.
Guntur Medical College Alumni raised more
than $1,000,000 to help complete the MCH
(Mother and Child Health) building at GGH
(Government General Hospital) in Guntur, AP.
While Rangaryans raised about $500,000 to
help finish construction of MCH building at
Kakinada Government General Hospital.
Among the special guests attending event
included Dr. Naresh Parikh, President of AAPI
(Association of Physicians of Indian origin),
the largest ethnic physician organization in
USA representing Indian origin physicians in
USA, Dr.Sudhakar Jonnalgadda, Vice
President of AAPI, Dr. Anjana Samadder,
Treasurer, AAPI, and Dr. Srini Gangasani,
Board of Trustees of AAPI. Dr. Parikh lauded
the efforts and contributions of the alumni
from the 3 colleges, and appreciated the pres‑
ence of the large number of physician alumni.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Bhatia always dreamt of becoming a
security guard for the President of the
United States one day.
Dr. Parikh commended their fundraising
efforts to help their Alma mater. He offered
his support to advance the CPR/COL training
programs in India spearheaded by
Resuscitation Council of ISA (Indian Society of
Anesthetists) that are being conducted all
across India to train lay people to be life
savers reviving patients who suffer cardiac
arrest in the community before they can get
proper medical attention.
Sashidhar Kona, IAS, District collector of
Guntur, Dr. C.V Rao, Vice Chancellor of NTR
University of Health Sciences and Dr. Srinivas
Kaminenni, former Health Minister of the State
of Andhra Pradesh were special invited guests
from India and addressed the gathering about
various aspects of health care delivery and
medical education in the state of AP, India.
Sashidhar Kona agreed to launch CPR in
Guntur district to all 50,000 high school stu‑
dents and 900 Auxiliary nurse midwives in the
presence of AAPI Regional Director Dr. Lokesh
Edara and was also very supportive of estab‑
lishment of Emergency Medicine department
in the district. He is using his entire official
machinery and his connections with the Union
Health Minister for the success of this proj‑
ect.This project was initially supported by
donations of Rangaraya Medical College alum‑
ni in its initials phase of planning & now has
been adopted by many district and state
branches of ISA (Indian Society of Anesthetists)
who are training large number lay people all
across India in this life saving skill.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Trump nominates
Indian‑American to key
administration post
Washington, DC: Indian‑American Bimal
Patel has been nominated to a key admin‑
istrat ive posit ion in the Treasury
Department by President Donald Trump.
Patel, from Georgia, has been nominat‑
ed to be an Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury for Financial Institutions.
Currently, he serves as the Deputy
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for the
Financial Stability Oversight Council.
Before joining the US Department of the
Treasury, Patel was a partner and head of
the Financial Advisory and Regulation
practice in the Washington, DC, office of
O'Melveny and Myers LLP, the White
House said.
Patel previously served as a senior advi‑
sor to Director Jeremiah O Norton on the
Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation. Additionally, he
has served as an adjunct associate profes‑
sor at Stanford University, teaching an
undergraduate course on banking regula‑
tion. Patel earned his BA from Stanford
Indian student selected for
Young Scholar award
Washington, DC: Rajalakshmi Nandakumar,
an India‑born woman scholar in the US, has
been chosen for a prestigious award for her
work to help detect potentially life‑threaten‑
ing health issues using smartphones.
Rajalakshmi, studying at the University of
Washington, has created a technology that
turns an ordinary smartphone into an active
sonar system capable of detecting physio‑
logical activities, such as movement and res‑
piration, without requiring physical contact
with the device.
She has been se lected for the 2018
Marconi Society Paul Baran Young Scholar
award.
She took inspiration from bats, which use
sonar technique to navigate in the dark by
sending out acoustic signals and using the
reflections to identify objects.
Her system works by transmitting inaudi‑
ble sound signals from the phone's speaker
and tracking their reflections off the human
Rajalakshmi Nandakumar has created
a technology to help detect potentially
life‑threatening health issues
using smartphones
NATIONAL September 22-28, 2018 9
Bimal Patel, from Georgia, has been nom‑
inated to be an Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury for Financial Institutions
University, MPP from the Kennedy School
of Government at Harvard University, and
JD from the Georgetown University Law
Center. (PTI)
body. The reflections are then analyzed
using a combination of algorithms and sig‑
nal processing techniques, a media release
said.
Rajalakshmi received her bache lor's
deg ree in Computer Science and
Engineering from Chennai.
She worked for Microsoft Research India
before beginning her graduate work at the
University of Washington in 2013. Her
Madurai‑based parents founded a company
for distribution of diagnostic medicines to
hospital laboratories in Tamil Nadu.
Young scholars are selected by an interna‑
tional panel comprising engineers from
leading universities and companies and
receive a $5,000 prize plus expenses to
attend the annual awards event.
Being named 'Young Scholar' brings valu‑
able mentorship and guidance by Marconi
Prize winners who include some of the
world's leading scientists and researchers.
"I always wanted to find a way to detect
physiological signals, like breathing and
heart rate, because they are the most com‑
monly used signals for healthcare applica‑
tions," said Rajalakshmi.
Her system is disrupting the sleep indus‑
try by creating a non‑intrusive, low‑cost
application ApneaApp for detecting sleep
apnea, a breathing disorder af fecting mil‑
lions of people worldwide that often goes
undiagnosed, a media release said.
"Rajalakshmi has a knack for selecting
problems with high social impact," says Dr
Shyam Gollakota, an associate professor at
the Allen School.
"Our Young Scholar award attracts the
world's brightest young communications
researchers," said Dr Vinton Cerf, Chairman
of the Marconi Society and 'Father of the
Internet'. (PTI)
 10 September 22-28, 2018
Neo Indian ʻinvasionʼ of America
Op-Ed by
Shivaji Sengupta
B
ack when I first came to the United
States, 50 years ago, there was a play
being performed Of f‑Broadway
called “Gupta Invades the Bronx.” It was a
slapstick humorous play about an Indian
immigrant unable to adapt to American
ways. Much fun was made of his “Desi”
English, the type which today would earn the
production the racist epithet. But in those
days it was regarded as good clean fun.
Little did the playwright or the producers of
that play know that 50 years hence it may
truly become an invasion, albeit of the popu‑
lation mode.
41% of immigrants who arrived in America
since 2010 are from Asia, replacing Latin
Americans as the highest group of non‑white
immigrants. About 3 million of those Asian
immigrants arriving in 2010 are from China
and India. Today, Indians number at 2.8 mil‑
lion. Also, in stark contrast with our Latin
American brothers and sisters, 45% of those
Asians entering this country in 2010 are col‑
lege educated. And possibly because of that
the average income of Indians in the U.S., is
$64,000 per year whereas the average
income of a Latino is slightly over $15,500.
Do I sense my Indian brethren smile with
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
Florence retreats, leaving
flooded towns in NC
Wilmington, NC: With Wilmington cut off
from the rest of North Carolina by still‑ris‑
ing floodwaters from Florence hurricane,
officials plan to airlift food and water to
the city of nearly 120,000 people as res‑
cuers elsewhere pull inland residents from
homes threatened by swollen rivers.
The spreading disaster claimed addition‑
al lives Sunday, with at least 17 people
confirmed dead, and the nation's top
emergency official said other states were
in the path this week.
In Wilmington, the state's eighth‑largest
city, residents waited for hours outside
stores and restaurants for basic necessi‑
ties like water. County commission chair‑
man Woody White said of ficials were
planning for food and water to be flown
into the coastal city.
About 70 miles (115 km) away from the
coast, residents near the Lumber River
US AFFAIRS
41% of immigrants who arrived in the United States
since 2010 are from Asia, replacing Latin Americans
as the highest group of non‐white immigrants.
self‑contented superiority as they read this?
Well, maybe then, they should read on. Our
president Donald Trump is already writhing
with impatience. Not only is his Wall not yet
been built on the Mexican border, but he
and his administrators at Homeland Security
are also quite distraught at the “Asian
Situation” as well. One of the establishmentʼs
experts on immigration said aloud what
President Trump may have been already
thinking: “This is quite different from what
we had thought…. We think of immigrants
as being low‑skilled workers from Latin
America, but for recent arrivals thatʼs much
less the case. People from Asia have overtak‑
en people from Latin America.” In 2010, 2.6
million came from Asia (with the vast major‑
ity from China and India) while 1.2 million
came from Latin America.
All this makes me wonder: what kind of
the United States is in store for us? When I
say “Us,” though, I except myself, mainly
because I am already into my seventies! But
I do think of my children, and my grandchil‑
dren (now that I have begun to get a few). I
stepped from their homes directly into
boats floating in their front yards; river
forecasts showed the scene could be
repeated in towns as far as 250 miles
inland as waters rise for days.
Florence was still massive, despite being
downgraded to a tropical depression.
Radar showed parts of the sprawling
storm over six states, with North and
South Carolina in the bull's‑eye.
In North Carolina, fears of what could be
the worst flooding in the state's history led
of ficials to order tens of thousands to
evacuate, though it wasn't clear how many
had fled or even could.
President Donald Trump said federal
emergency workers, first responders and
law enforcement of ficials were "working
really hard." As the storm "begins to final‑
ly recede, they will kick into an even
higher gear."
Volunteers
have
rescued
hundreds
from
flooded
towns
and homes.
(Photo
courtesy
USA Today.)
think we (our generat ion of Indian
Americans) are leaving behind an America
for our children and grandchildren fraught
with social stigmas and problems, very few
of which we have been able to solve. On the
one hand, we are “invading” America with
what we are best at: multiplying people. On
the other hand, because of the types of
Indians who come to this country, the elites,
we have very easily and comfortably min‑
gled with the whites in this country to prac‑
tice nearly the same sort of racism as they
do.
Dr. Vijay Prashad has dealt with this very
problem in his “The Karma of Brown Folk.”
In that book he continues from where
Winston Dubois had left off in “The Soul of
the Black Folk.” In the latter book, Dubois,
the first African‑American Harvard graduate,
very early in the twentieth century, used to
be asked by less‑enlightened whites, “Why
are other Black folks not like you? Why are
they such a problem?” Dubois lamented the
fact that questions like this made him think
of himself, a black man, as a part of the
Manafort to cooperate
with Mueller in plea deal
Washington: President Donald Trumpʼs
former campaign chairman Paul Manafort
agreed Friday to cooperate with the spe‑
cial counselʼs Trump‑Russia investigation
as he pleaded guilty to federal crimes and
avoided a second trial that could have
exposed him to more time in prison.
The deal gives special counsel Robert
Mueller a key cooperator who steered the
Trump election effort for a pivotal stretch
of the 2016 presidential campaign. The
result also ensures the investigation will
extend far beyond the November congres‑
sional elections despite entreaties from
the presidentʼs lawyers that Mueller bring
it to a close, AP reported.
It is unclear what information Manafort
is prepared to of fer investigators about
the president or that could aid Muellerʼs
investigation into Russian interference in
the 2016 election. But his involvement in
key episodes under scrutiny, and his lead‑
ership of the campaign at a time when
prosecutors say Russian intelligence was
working to sway the election, may make
him an especially valuable witness.
Manafort had long resisted the idea of
cooperating even as prosecutors stacked
addit ional charges ag ainst him in
Washington and Virginia. Trump had
saluted that stance, publicly praising him
and suggesting Manafort had been treated
worse than gangster Al Capone. Trumpʼs
lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, had suggested a
pardon might be a possibility after the
investigation was concluded.
Then came Fridayʼs extraordinary devel‑
opment when Manafort agreed to provide
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
problem. Prashad, a leftist who earned his
doctorate in Sociology in the States, reports
that he too was asked a similar question:
“Why canʼt the blacks in this country be like
you?” It made him wince, just as much as it
did Dubois – “to be a part of the problem.”
Ishmael Reedʼs comic satire of the Blacks
and Indians of contemporary USA is another
book that deals with the problem I am pos‑
ing. Reed is a very successful African‑
American novelist. In his comic novel,
“Conjugating Hindi,” he takes up the “prob‑
lem” of Indian‑American‑African‑American
relationships in the US with burgeoning col‑
ored population that “threatens” to be over
50% by the mid‑2030s. How will these so‑
called “minority‑majority” behave with each
other? The protagonist in the novel is fore‑
warned about Indians: “They are just as bad
in treating African‑Americans as the whites –
only worse, because they treat their own
dark‑skinned folks with dread and con‑
tempt.” The novel abounds in stereotypical
characters of all shades and colors, from
white, to off‑white, to brown, to dark brown
and, finally, black; each as hilariously funny
as the next.
It is my hope that creative writers like
Reed and serious scholars like Vijay Prashad
will ultimately show us the path to a kinder,
gentler America.
Former Trump campaign chairman,
Paul Manafort
any information asked of him, testify
whenever asked and even work undercov‑
er if necessary.
Fridayʼs deal, to charges in Washington
tied to Ukrainian political consulting work
but unrelated to the campaign, was struck
just days before Manafort was to stand
trial for a second time.
He was convicted last month of eight
financial crimes in a separate trial in
Virginia and faces seven to 10 years in
prison in that case. The two conspiracy
counts he admitted to on Friday carry up
to five years, though Manafortʼs sentence
will ultimately depend on his cooperation.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Top Court nominee & accuser to
appear before Senate committee
Washington: The Senate Judiciary
Committee will hold a public hear‑
ing on Sept. 24, at which Supreme
Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh
and a woman who alleges that he
sexually assaulted her will have the
opportunity to testify under oath
about the events in question,
Republican senators on Capitol Hill
confirmed late Monday afternoon,
reported CNBC.
"As I said earlier, anyone who
comes forward as Dr. Ford has done
deserves to be heard," said Senate
Judiciary Committee Chairman
Chuck Grassley, R‑Iowa, on Monday.
"We will hold a public hearing
Monday to give these recent allega‑
tions a full airing," he said.
"Judge Kavanaugh looks forward
to a hearing where he can clear his
name of this false allegation," White
House deputy press secretary Raj
Shah said in a statement Monday
afternoon. Kavanaugh's nomination
has been in turmoil since the explo‑
sive allegations by Christine Blasey
Ford, who said that President
Donald Trump's nominee to the
high court sexually assaulted her at
a party when they were both
teenagers. Christine Blasey Ford is a
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh & Prof Christine Blasey Ford
clinical psychology professor at
Palo Alto University in California
and is a Democrat.
Kavanaugh has categorically
denied Ford's allegation, calling it
"completely false." In a statement
Monday, he said, "I have never done
anything like what the accuser
describes̶to her or to anyone."
Ford's allegations against
Kavanaugh became public on
Sunday, just days before the Senate
Judiciary Committee was scheduled
to vote on his confirmation.
Until now, the confirmation had
seemed all but assured, with
Kavanaugh expected to be con‑
firmed with both Democratic and
Republican votes. But now, every‑
US AFFAIRS
thing appears to have changed.
Republican senators spent much
of the day Monday assessing
whether Ford's allegation, first
detailed by The Washington Post,
would imperil Kavanaugh's ability
to gain a majority of votes on the
Judiciary Committee or in the full
Senate. As it became clear Monday
afternoon that Kavanaugh would
not have the votes he needed unless
senators were satisfied that Ford
had been given an opportunity to
testify, and Kavanaugh an opportu‑
nity to respond, it also became obvi‑
ous that their plan to push
Kavanaugh through the committee
on T hursday would need to be
revised.
September 22-28, 2018
Mike Pompeo blasts
John Kerry over Iran
meetings as 'unseemly'
Washington: Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo blasted his John
Kerry on Friday for engaging in
talks with Iranian government
of ficials, saying John Kerry's
actions were “actively undermin‑
ing" the Trump administration's
foreign policy.
Kerry, who served as former
President Barack Obamaʼs secre‑
tary of state, said in a national
radio interview on Wednesday
that he had met with Iranʼs for‑
eign minister, Mohammad Javad
Zarif, “three or four times” since
leaving his post. He said the con‑
versations occurred at two con‑
ferences they both attended, one
in Norway and another in
Munich. The contentious Iran
nuclear agreement is in focus. It
was negotiated by the U.S. and
five other world powers, was
intended to blo ck Iran from
developing a nuclear weapon, in
exchange for relief from crip‑
pling economic sanctions. Kerry
was deeply involved in those
11
negotiations during the Obama
administration. Earlier this year,
President Trump withdrew the
U.S. from that agreement, a move
that Kerry has sharply criticized.
Asked by conservative radio
host Hug h Hew itt if he was
"coaching" Zarif about how to
handle Trump's withdraw from
the deal, Kerry said no.
Kerry, in an interview with FOX
News host Dana Perino, did not
directly answer a question when
asked whether he specifically
told Iranian government officials
to wait out President Trump until
he leaves office.
“I think everybody in the world
is talking about wait ing out
President Trump,” Kerry
responded.
“W hat Secretary Kerry has
done is unseemly and unprece‑
dented,” Pompeo told reporters
in Washington on Friday and that
Kerryʼs actions were aimed at
“actively undermining U.S. poli‑
cy” as directed now by Trump.
 12 September 22-28, 2018 INDIA NEWS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Modi signs off his 68th birthday with prayers

Varanasi: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi signed of f his
68th birthday with a visit to the
famous Shiva temple Kashi
Vishwanath here where he prayed
for about 30 minutes, amid very
tight security.
Modi drove through the lanes of
Kashi Vishwanath temple, which
has the Gyanvapi mosque adja‑
cent to it, in his bulletproof vehi‑
cle.
With SPG men throwing a secu‑
rity ring around him, the Prime
Minister waved at the crowds
waiting to catch a glimpse of him
before entering the temple prem‑
ises.
Accompanied by Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath
and state Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) chie f Mahendra Nath
Pandey, Modi sat cross‑legged at
the sanctum‑sanctorum and
of fered the presiding deity 68
lotus flowers and received
"prasad".
A special puja was performed by
the priests present at the temple
and yellow "chandan", "kumkum"
and "bhasm" was smeared on the
forehead of the Prime Minister.
Modi animatedly listen to the
hymns that were being chanted
and seemed engrossed in the ritu‑
als, an official present at the tem‑
Prime Minister Narendra Modi being welcomed by the Anganwadi
workers in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. (Photo: IANS/PIB)
ple told IANS. PM Modi earlier
donned the hat of a teacher dur‑
ing his visit to Varanasi, his parlia‑
mentary constituency, as he inter‑
acted with students at a primary
school in Narur village here and
gave them tips on life.
He told children that sports is
an integral part of development in
formative years and that they
should "go out and play".
He also told the students, who
gifted him red roses, that they
should not shy away from asking
questions, as doing so "is a key
aspect of learning".
Greet ing students on the
Vishwakarma Puja, the Prime
Minister also told the neatly
dressed school children that it is
important for them to understand
the significance of skill develop‑
ment.
The Prime Minister earlier had a
brief interaction with Aanganwadi
workers who carried banners to
thank Modi for increasing their
daily wages. He mingled with
them freely and enquired about
their work, families and their
issues. He also told them that they
should become "Yashoda Maiyya"
Varanasi to be 'gateway
to East India': Modi
Varanasi: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on Tuesday said
that the Centre was making
serious efforts to develop
Varanasi, his parliamentary con‑
stituency, as the "gateway to
East India".
Addressing a large gathering
at the Banaras Hindu University
(BHU) amphitheatre, the Prime
Minister detailed the many proj‑
ects being launched and inaugu‑
rated in the city and nearby vil‑
lages so that the face of
Varanasi could change.
He said in the bid to make
Kashi a smart city, care was
being taken not to disturb the
ancient flavour of the temple
city and conserve its rich histo‑
ry and culture.
The Prime Minister who cele‑
brated his 68th birthday on
for thousands of children who
need attention and better health‑
care.
A "68‑Kundalini Mahayajna" was
also organized at the Panini Girls
Degree College. Several leaders,
Monday with school children
and party workers in the city,
also said he was "doubly"
delighted each time he saw the
people of Varanasi posting pic‑
tures of the city on social media.
"The changed face of the city
can be seen by people right
from the time they step down
from the trains that bring them
here," the Prime Minister said
alluding to the pictures of the
railway stations here posted on
the social media.
He also exhorted the people to
roll out a never‑before hospitali‑
ty to the hundreds who would
coming here for the 'Uttar
Pradesh NRI (Non‑Resident
Indian) Diwas' in January 2019.
Modi also launched and inau‑
gurated projects worth Rs 557
crore.
including President Ram Nath
Kovind, Congress President Rahul
Gand hi, De lhi Chie f Minister
Arvind Kejriwal and Adityanath
tweeted their birthday greetings
for the Prime Minister.

Parrikar ill, Congress Rajnath hopes Pak changes

stakes claim in Goa
Panaji: Political activity in Goa gathered
steam in the absence of an ailing
Manohar Parrikar, with the Congress
staking claim to form a government in
Goa even as leaders of the BJP‑led
alliance discussed leadership options to
replace the Chief Minister who is cur‑
rently being treated for pancreatic can‑
cer at the AIIMS in Delhi.
In a letter submitted to Raj Bhavan,
Leader of Opposition Chandrakant
Kavlekar demanded that in view of the
political instability arising out of
Parrikar's absence from office, the state
Assembly should not be dissolved or held
in suspended and instead the Congress,
the single largest party, should be invited
to take power.
"We have requested the Governor that
Goa Congress legislators during a party meeting at Goa Assembly. (Photo: IANS)
under new government
the government should not be dissolved
and put the state on the path of elections.
Jammu/New Delhi:
We have also asked her not to impose
Home Minister Rajnath
President's Rule or keep the House in
Singh hoped Pakistan's
suspended animation. People have elect‑
attitude towards India
ed us for five years. Imposing an election
changes "for the better"
after a mere 18 months is not good for
while his ministerial
anybody," Kavlekar said.
colleague V.K. Sing h
Earlier, a team of Bharatiya Janata
said the new Pakistani
Party central observers, including
Prime Minister has
General Secretary in charge of the organ‑
been propped up by the
ization Ram Lal, who on Sunday had met
Army which still virtu‑
BJP MLAs and leaders from alliance par‑
ally rules the country.
ties and independent lawmakers, con‑
"I don't think that
versed with senior BJP leaders from the
there w ill be any
party's core committee as well as former
change in Pakistan's
MLAs in a bid to draw up a list of poten‑ Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh addresses a
nature. I pray to God press conference in Jammu. (Photo: IANS)
tial alternative options for the post of
that there would be
Chief Minister, in place of Parrikar.
change. I hope the change will be better than to maintain relations with Pakistan as a
before," he told reporters who asked him neighbor.
whether he expected a change with the forma‑ "Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to
tion of a new government under Imran Khan. Pakistan by breaking protocol only to main‑
He was talking to the media at the BSF head‑ tain better relation. If Pakistan is not trying to
quarters in Paloura in Jammu and Kashmir understand despite that approach, then what
after launching two "smart" border fencing can be done."
pilot projects under the Comprehensive Launching the two pilot CIBMS projects,
Integ rated Border Management System each covering a 5.5 km stretch along the
(CIBMS) program. International Border in Jammu, a first‑of‑a‑
"Pakistan has its own nature and we cannot kind high‑tech surveillance system, he said
change it. What Pakistan can do (to change its the new fencing will be erected in vulnerable
nature), it will have to do itself. Pakistan has areas along the 2,026 km border after moni‑
to understand how to behave with neigh‑ toring its proper functioning.
bours," the Minister said. He said technology will help in minimizing
He said India had taken maximum attempts the casualties of soldiers guarding the border.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Probe PMO, Jaitley role in
Mallya escape: Congress
New Delhi: Upping the ante against
the Narendra Modi government for
its "collaboration" in letting Vijay
Mallya flee the country, the
Congress on Tuesday demanded a
probe into why the Prime Minister's
Office (PMO) and Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley did not act against the
liquor baron.
"Complicity, collusion, connivance
and collaboration of the Modi gov‑
ernment at the highest level has
been unmasked. Nothing can
absolve Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley of their responsibility in
Vijay Mallya's escape," Congress
spokesperson Randeep Singh
Surjewala said.
Pointing to the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI)'s changing
stance against Mallya in the Rs
9,000‑crore loan default case, the
Congress leader questioned if the
"PMO nudged the CBI to protect
Mallya". "Why has CBI shifted its
stance thrice ‑ ʻSeeking Advance
Sanjay Raut appointed
Shiv Sena Parliamentary
Party chief
Mumbai: Senior Shiv
Sena leader Sanjay
Raut has been
appointed the chief
of its Parliamentary
Party, a party official
said here on
Tuesday.
A close confidant
of Shiv Sena chief
Uddhav Thackeray
and Executive Editor
of party mouthpiece
Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut.
'Saamana', Raut, 56,
will now exercise
complete control over the entire
Sena flock of 21 members in
Parliament, said the official.
The party, a part of the
National Democratic Alliance,
has 18 Lok Sabha members
headed by Anandrao Adsul, and
three in the Rajya Sabha led by
Raut. Raut's appointment, the
first ever for the party, became
effective after Shiv Sena
President Uddhav Thackeray
wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker
Sumitra Mahajan late last month, deter any such move.
seeking the arrangement as a
"facilitative measure."
Thackeray's decision has been
prompted by a faux pas in July
when Shiv Sena Chief Whip in
the Lok Sabha, Chandrakant
Khaire, had issued a whip to the
party MPs to vote in favour of
Congress spokesperson
Randeep Singh Surjewala.
Information' to ʻInadvertent Error'
to ʻError of Judgment'? Why are the
two of ficers ‑‑ Joint Director A.K.
Sharma and SP Harshita Attaluri ‑‑
mum on the reason for changing
ʻLookout Notice to Detain' to
ʻInform'?" said Surjewala.
He also said that a consortium of
17 banks led by the State Bank of
India was advised to move the
Supreme Court against Mallya on
February 29, 2016 and get his pass‑
the Bharatiya Janata Party‑led
government during the
Opposition's no‑confidence
motion.
Later, Thackeray removed
Khaire as the Chief Whip and
said that the party's decision was
to abstain from voting, which
was finally adhered to.
The party has also been haunt‑
ed by the spectre of alleged
attempts to poach its MPs by the
BJP, but Raut's aggressive image
and plainspeak is expected to
Raut, who will continue to lead
as the Rajya Sabha party leader,
is also expected to infuse tough‑
ness in dealing with the BJP on
various issues on which the Sena
was seen to be going soft,
besides curbing intra‑party tus‑
sles among its MPs.
INDIA
port impounded.
"On February 29, the banks failed
to file a case or move for confisca‑
tion of Mallya's passport. T hey
moved the Supreme Court against
Mallya only on March 5 after he
had escaped on March 2, 2016.
W ho directed them not to act
against Mallya?" he said.
Surjewala also questioned
Jaitley's failure to inform the banks,
the CBI, the Enforcement
Directorate (ED), the Serious Fraud
Investigation Office (SFIO) and the
immigration authorities about his
meeting with Mallya and to detain
him.
The Congress demanded a com‑
prehensive probe into the role of
the PMO, Jaitley and officers of the
Finance Ministry, the CBI including
then Director Anil Sinha, Joint
Director Sharma and SP Attaluri as
well as the consortium of banks,
particularly the management of
State Bank of India, for not acting
against Mallya.
Parachuting leaders won't
get ticket: Rahul Gandhi
Bhopal: Congress President Rahul
Gandhi said politicians joining the
Congress from other parties will
not be fielded in elections while
those who have remained with the
Congress will.
Addressing party workers here
after a road show, Gandhi said:
"When the Congress takes power,
its priority will be farmers and
youth.
"The issues of party workers will
take the second position and party
leaders will come after that," he
said. "T hose who joined the
Congress from other parties will
SC to hear plea for probe into Rafale deal
New Delhi: The Supreme Court
will hear on October 10 a PIL
petition seeking probe into the
purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets
from French company Dassault.
The bench of Justice Ranjan
Gogoi, Justice Navin Sinha and
Justice K.M. Joseph adjourned
the hearing of matter on Tuesday
as pet it ioner advo cate M.L.
Sharma had circulated a letter
seeking adjournment till October
5 on the grounds that he was not
well. But as Sharma came to the
court and sought its permission
to file additional documents,
Justice Gogoi wondered that
while he had sought adjourn‑
September 22-28, 2018
Charges of duplication of
votes misleading, EC tells SC
New Delhi: The Election
Commission on Tuesday told the
Supreme Court that allegations
about the presence of large‑scale
duplicate votes in electoral rolls in
Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan
are "misleading and miscon‑
ceived". The poll panel asserted
that it had always upheld the
integrity and purity of the elec‑
toral process and was committed
to holding "free and fair elec‑
tions".
"The ultimate decision‑making
authority rests with the Election
Commission of India and it cannot
be compelled to follow the direc‑
tives of any particular party or
person," the EC told the court as it
described a Congress petition on
the matter as "misconceived and
mala fide and an abuse of the
process of law".
Congress leaders Kamal Nath
and Sachin Pilot had moved the
apex court about a large number
of duplicate votes in the electoral
rolls of the two states which will
go to Assembly polls this year.
not be given ticket. We welcome
them but they will not be made
candidates," Gandhi added.
Slamming the Mo di and the
Madhya Pradesh governments,
Gandhi said: "Madhya Pradesh
tops the list in farmer suicides,
unemployment and rapes but
Chief Minister (Shivraj Singh)
Chouhan is making new announce‑
ments every day.
"Like we call Sachin Tendulkar a
run‑machine, similarly Shivraj has
become announcement‑machine.
He has already made 21,000
announcements," he added.
ment owing to his indif ferent
health, he was now seeking per‑
mission to file more documents.
Init ially, the court fixed
October 22 as the next date of
13
In Madhya Pradesh, the
Congress leaders claimed, there
are about 60 lakh duplicate votes.
Kamal Nath and Sachin Pilot are
President of Madhya Pradesh and
Rajasthan units of the Congress
respectively.
Seeking dismissal of the two
petitions with costs, the Election
Commission, however, admitted
that during updation of the elec‑
toral rolls between January 19
and July 31, "there was a net dele‑
tion of around 24 lakh entries
from electoral rolls and it is also
correct that more than two lakh
photo entries were flagged as
unclear/blank/repeated photos".
It said that out of these two lakh
photo entries, as many as 104,284
were found to be valid. Only
97,687 entries had to be correct‑
ed during the updation of the elec‑
toral rolls.
The Commission denied mal‑
functioning of Voter Verified
Paper Audit Trails wherein votes
were recorded in favor of one
party.
Congress President
Rahul Gandhi.
hearing but as Sharma urged for
an early date, Justice Gogoi said
he could not have an adjourn‑
ment and also the next date of
his choice.
However, the court later
advanced it to October 10.
The lawyer sought a stay on
the fighter jet deal between India
and France alleg ing
discrepancies.
The Rafale deal is a defence
agreement signed between India
and France for purchase of 36
Rafale fighter aircraft in a fly‑
away condition as part of the
upgrading process of the Indian
Air Force equipment.
 14 September 22-28, 2018
By Frank F Islam
O
n November 6, the mid‑
term Congressional elec‑
tions will be held in the
United States. And because of the
growing polarisation and partisan‑
ship within the country, these mid‑
terms will be quite important.
The US Congress has two cham‑
bers: the House (435 members, with
its distribution based on the popula‑
tion of states) and the Senate (100
members, two each for the 50
states).
At present, the ruling Republicans
control both the chambers of
Congress. If they retain that majori‑
ty in the mid‑term, they will be able
to continue supporting President
Donald Trumpʼs agenda. If the
Democrats gain control of one or
both the chambers, they will be able
to push back and potentially stymie
Trump.
Trump supporters and opposers
sharply differ over his performance
as President, and, for that reason,
these mid‑terms become
pivotal.While the candidatesʼ quali‑
fications and local issues will large‑
ly decide the elections, it will also
be considered as a referendum on
Trumpʼs presidency.
It is hard to tell who will win. But
itʼs clear that the “swing” and “toss‑
up” districts and states will decide
the outcome. Of the 435 House dis‑
tricts, three leading US polling firms
classify between 80 to 100 as
AMIT SHAH'S 50‑YEAR DREAM:
WHISTLING IN THE DARK?
By Amulya Ganguli
B
haratiya Janata Party (BJP)
President Amit Shah's
boast at the national exec‑
utive meeting about the party rul‑
ing for 50 years may have been in
keeping with his usual aggressive,
bombastic style, but it has been
interpreted in two contradictory
ways. One was to see it as a sign
of arrogance and the other was to
discern in the seeming extrava‑
gant claim a hint of whistling in
the dark to keep up the party
morale. Both the surmises have an
element of plausibility.
If the assertion underlines hau‑
teur, the reason undoubtedly is
the BJP's belief that it faces no
serious challenge at the moment.
Notwithstanding the continuing
unemployment, agrarian distress,
high fuel prices, falling rupee,
stagnant exports and the unease
among the minorities and Dalits,
the opposition has not been able
to get its act together.
Because of this failure, there are
now doubts about how it will fare
US mid‑term elections are
a referendum on Trump
“swing” districts and 30 to 40 as
“toss‑up” ones.
In mid‑August, the polling firms
were projecting that the odds were
approximately 50‑50 for both the
parties wining the majority in the
House. Another research firm set
the odds of the Democrats winning
control of the House at five out of
seven and the Republicans at two
out of seven.
The bottom line is that the
experts give the Democrats the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah.
in the forthcoming assembly elec‑
tions in Rajasthan, Madhya
Pradesh and Chhattisgarh since
the BJP's main opponent in these
states, the Congress, which was
earlier expected to have an easy
run, has been unable to reach an
understanding with the Bahujan
Samaj Party (BSP) and is troubled
by its familiar internal squabbling.
Besides, the question as to who
will be the opposition's prime
ministerial face is yet to be settled
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
OP-ED
The US mid‑term elections matter
not because they will bring about
dramatic changes in law‑making,
but because they will change a
few of the law‑makers.
edge for winning back
the House. Given the
results of the most
recent polling, it
wonʼt be surprising
to see the
Democrats actual‑
ly win big nation‑
ally in the House.
The recent con‑
viction of Paul
Manafort, the
Presidentʼs campaign manager, for
bank and tax fraud, and Michael
Cohen, the Presidentʼs personal
attorney and “fixer”, pleading guilty
to several criminal charges related
to his financial malfeasance, will
only help the Democrats.
In the Senate, 33 out of the 100
seats are up this election cycle. As
many as 24 of these seats are cur‑
rently held by the Democrats and
only nine by the Republicans. The
polling firms also believe both the
while there has been no clearcut
articulation of an economic blue‑
print. The BJP, on the other hand,
is pursuing a well‑defined path.
Even as "vikas" (development)
remains its catchphrase, it also
cannily indulges in the ruses of
what a dissident saffron intellec‑
tual and former BJP minister,
Arun Shourie, has called a "one‑
trick pony".
The "trick", according to him, is
to foment divisiveness which has
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
parties have almost equal chances
of winning the majority in the
Senate. Given the large number of
Democratic seats at risk and the
fact that there are Democratic seats
in the toss up category, it seems
likely that the Republicans will
retain control of the Senate.
From a legislative standpoint, it
doesnʼt matter who controls the
House. The Congress has been suf‑
fering from a sort of dysfunction for
nearly a decade now, with little
compromise between the two par‑
ties, and hardly any legislation
passed. President Trump will con‑
tinue to govern as he has, primarily
through executive orders.
A Republican majority in both the
chambers will aid and abet those
orders and will help pass legislation
to support the orders. Split control
would mean endless battles with
one chamber blocking or reversing
the otherʼs actions. The control of
the House will matter only in terms
of support for the presidentʼs agen‑
da. The most intriguing possibility
is the Democratic Party controlling
both the chambers, which would
undoubtedly lead to attempts at
been highlighted by the commu‑
nal uncertainties posed by the
National Register of Citizens,
which the Assam Chief Minister,
Sarbananda Sonowal, wants to be
extended from his state to the
entire country so that the "ghus‑
petiyas" (infiltrators or illegal
immigrants) can be summarily
evicted. "Chun chun ke nikaloon‑
ga", as Amit Shah has thundered.
The BJP's confidence apparently
stems from the belief that while
the promise of development will
keep the youth and the middle
class on its side ‑‑ as has been con‑
firmed by the Delhi University
Students Union election results
where the BJP's student wing, the
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi
Parishad (ABVP), won three of the
top four seats ‑‑ the party's
nationalist plank targeting "ghus‑
petiyas" and the so‑called urban
Naxalites will keep the opposition
off balance.
It is obvious that the opposition
has found no effective answers to
the allegations of being soft on
illegal aliens and Maoist sympa‑
curbing Trumpʼs immigration pro‑
posals. And, it might even bring arti‑
cles of impeachment now that
Cohen has stated that when Trump
was a candidate, he directed him to
pay two women to silence them
about his affairs with them.
Just as in the legislative arena, the
party that controls Congress will
have a limited impact on India. This
is because President Trumpʼs poli‑
cies on international affairs have
primarily been unilateral; whether it
is the tariffs, treaties or tirades
against nations that have earned his
disfavor, he consults only a small
circle ̶ and Congress doesnʼt fall
in that.
In sum, the US mid‑term elections
matter not because they will bring
about dramatic changes in law‑mak‑
ing, but because they will change a
few of the law‑makers. That will
influence the tone and tenor of the
national debate and dialogue in the
country.
(Frank F Islam is an entrepre‑
neur, civic leader, and thought
leader based in Washington DC. The
article appeared in The Hindustan
Times)
thisers and has to depend on the
judiciary to keep any excesses of
the ruling party in check as in the
matter of lynchings.
It is not surprising that he
believes that a combination of the
promise of economic growth and
a depiction of the opposition as
unpatriotic will keep the "lion"
safe from the "wild dogs", to quote
the similes used by Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief
Mohan Bhagwat while addressing
the World Hindu Congress in
Chicago to describe the Sangh
Parivar and its opponents.
With so much in the BJP's favor,
its 50‑year project may not seem
all that far‑fetched ‑‑ except that
the Indian voter remains famously
inscrutable.
Considering that the BJP
secured no more than 31 per cent
of the votes at the height of its
popularity in 2014, it is obvious
that a large percentage of the
population do not think much of
the party. It may be this inconven‑
ient fact which made Amit Shah
whistle in the dark.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info September 22-28, 2018
 16 September 22-28, 2018 ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD TheSouthAsianTimes.info

ʻHollywood has not really I admire Priyanka for fighting so

tapped Indian marketʼ many Hollywood battles: Apte
A
By Natalia ctress Radhia Apte, who is you are brown in colour, you
Ningthoujam going to make her debut will only get to play
cademy Award nominated‑ in Hollywood soon, Indian characters in

A producer David Womark

sees India as a huge market,
but feels that Hollywood is yet to
tap it.
The American producer had
backed the Oscar‑winning 2012
film "Life of Pi" that starred Indian
talent like Irrfan Khan and Adil
Hussain.
"While 'Life of Pi' is an interna‑
tional film, if you look at the box
American producer
office collection...the majority of the
box office collection internationally,
came from Asia. Hollywood has not really
tapped the Indian market. It doesn't make
films that cater to this market," Womark told
IANS in a telephonic interview from Mumbai.
While shooting for "Life of Pi" in India, he
fell in love with the country's culture as well
as the way stories are told on the big screen.
"There is a different way of storytelling in
Indian cinema. I got to watch a lot of Indian
films and I fell in love with the independent
Indian cinema... the quality cinema," he said.
He is back to the country for the promotion
of "Love Sonia", based on child trafficking.
"I met Tabrez Noorani (the film's director)
during 'Life of Pi'. It was a three‑year journey.
I met Tabrez in the beginning of the film and
by the end of the film, he gave me the script
that he had been working on for seven or
eight years. I read it and I was interested in it.
Tabrez and I spent a year developing it,"
recalled Womark.
The presence of Womark, actress Demi
Gomez would love to
David Womark.
Moore and filmmaker‑actor Mark Duplass in
the film has given it an international appeal.
Will the international audience be interested
in the project that was lauded at film festivals
in London and Melbourne?
"I think everybody will be interested in a
movie like this, but we are essentially a for‑
eign film. When you look at the business
today, that's how Hollywood looks at these
films which in my opinion...we are in the
process of transformation where there will
no longer be foreign and domestic films
because all the films now play everywhere,
thanks to streaming sites," he said.
"So ultimately, the format isn't important.
It's the reach. The reach is international now.
Period. So, even though Hollywood still cate‑
gorises these films as foreign films, I don't
think it matters anymore," he added.
"Love Sonia" also stars Manoj Bajpayee,
Richa Chadha, Rajkummar Rao, Sai
Tamhankar, Adil Hussain, Anupam Kher,
Mrunal Thakur and Riya Sisodiya.
admires actress Priyanka Chopra
and truly respects her global
fame.
During the “India Today Mind
Rocks Youth Summit 2018” in
New Delhi, Radhika said: "I
admire whatever Priyanka is
doing. She is doing an amazing
job. She has been in Hollywood
for a while and has fought so
many battles there."
However, she feels there is a
dearth of south asian women in
the world cinema.
"If you go to Canada or Los
Angeles, you will get to see many
South Asians there but on screens
they are so less in number. It is
abnormal not to have much South
Asians on screens. We need more
people." Radhika also expressed
that people should not only
dream for Hollywood but also
fight for equal respresentation in
the world. "I want our generation
to break stereotypes and I want
Indians who are making their
foray in Hollywood to get all
kinds of roles. "It does not mean if
Hindi version of 'Avengers:
Infinity War' in India again
M
arvel Studios is going to release the
Hindi version of hit film "Avengers:
Infinity War" in India again. The
studio is set to re‑release the film on
International films.
This cliche thinking
should be broken,"
she added.
The "Pad Man"
actress also explained
how this showbiz
industry works.
She said: "Industry is
not only driven by tal‑
ent, it depends upon so
many factors. If you
need to be sucessful in
this field, one should
know how to convert
everything into a plus
point. If you have a
dusky face, make that
your plus point. One
should know how to
comepete with chal‑
lenges like gender and
age. It is very important
to transform every disad‑
vantage into an
advantage."
Actress Radhika
Apte.
supervillain Thanos. Anthony and Joe Russo
have brought the story alive on the big
screen with actors like Robert Downey Jr,
Mark Ruffalo, Benedict Cumberbatch and

sing for Bollywood film October 2.

"The record breaking success of 'Avengers:
Infinity War' was historic. The response
from Indian fans has been extremely over‑
whelming and seeing the ever‑increasing
Singer Selena following for the Hindi version we have
Gomez.
decided to re‑release just the Hindi version
on demand from our English fans to enjoy
the extended long weekend on October 2,"
said Bikram Duggal‑ Head of Studio
Entertainment, Disney India, in a statement
to IANS. "Avengers: Infinity War" brings
together 22 superheroes to fight one
Scarlett Johansson.
The film also features Chris Evans, Chris
Hemsworth, Chadwick Boseman and Tom
Holland.
The 19th film in MCU (Marvel Cinematic
Universe), "Avengers: Infinity War" is a
unique one in the superhero genre as none
of the heroes save the day despite their cool
gadgets and powers.
The Disney‑Marvel film released in India
on April 27, and got a flying start by record‑
ing a gross box office collection of Rs 120.9
crore in its opening weekend.

A scene from the film

rs'.
'Avengers Infinity Wa

S
inger‑actress Selena Gomez is open to
singing in a Bollywood film, and says
it will be a beautiful experience.
Asked if she would consider singing for a
Bollywood film, she told IANS: "I've never
been asked that! Why not, I think that would
be beautiful."
Gomez found fame as a child through a
Disney show "Wizards of Waverly Place".
She is known for making hits like "Come
and get it", "The heart wants what it wants",
"Bad liar", "Wolves" and "Back to you".
As an actor and a voice‑over artiste, she
has been a part of projects like "Another
Cinderella Story", "The Big Short",
"Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising", "Monte Carlo",
"The Muppets" and the "Hotel Transylvania"
franchise. The first part of the film came out
in 2012.
The third part "Hotel Transylvania 3:
Summer Vacation" was released in India by
Sony Pictures India in July.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD September 22-28, 2018 17

Karisma Kapoor
and Kareena
Kapoor Khan
I always wanted to do
at Mukesh
Ambani's something in music: Badshah
R
residence to
apper Badshah says he
celebrate
always wanted to enter
Ganesh
Chaturthi in the music industry, and
Mumbai. did engineering only for his
parents.
"I always wanted to do
Actor Shah Rukh
something in music and
Khan with his
went for engineering only
wife Gauri Khan
at Ambani's for my parents. I had per‑
residence. formed for the first time on
stage for my college festi‑
val," Badshah said in a state‑

Stars celebrate Ganesh ment. "I still remember after a

lot of begging we got an opportu‑
nity to open for Euphoria and

Chaturthi at Ambani's bash were asked to perform for 15 min‑

utes. When we started 15 minutes
Rapper Badshah.

F
rom Amitabh Bachchan,
Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir
Khan to Katrina Kaif and
Kareena Kapoor Khan, several
Bollywood personalities celebrated
Ganesh Chaturthi at Reliance
Industries Chairman and
Managing Director Mukesh
Ambani and Nita Ambani's house
in Mumbai.
Nita shared photographs from
the event on her Instagram featur‑
ing "Antilia" all decked up to wel‑
come Lord Ganesha ‑ and the
celebrities ‑ on Thursday. She also
shared an image of Lord Ganesha's
idol captioned "Antilia Cha Raja"
(The king of Antilia).
Shah Rukh was spotted outside
the house with wife Gauri Khan
twinning in white outfits whereas
Salman Khan looked dapper in all
black ensemble. He was joined by
his "Bharat" co‑star Katrina who
was in a red dress. Big B came with
his daughter Shweta Bachchan
Nanda.
Sisters Karisma Kapoor and
Kareena attended sporting yellow
traditional dresses, complement‑
ing the bright occasion. Actress
Madhuri Dixit Nene was in a blue
sari with white polka dots accom‑
panied by her husband Sriram
Nene.
Filmmaker Karan Johar and
Aamir's wife Kiran Rao also came.
Other celebrities at the event
included Ileana D'Cruz, Athiya
Shetty, Madhur Bhandarkar, Anu
Malik, Manish Malhotra, Sachin
Tendulkar with wife Anjali,
Maharashtra Chief Minister
Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena
leader Uddhav Thackeray.
turned into 30 minutes then those
30 turned into 45; audience
wouldn't let us go. It was a crazy
night," he added.
The rapper, known for chart‑
busters like "Saturday Saturday",
"Chull", "DJ waley babu" and "Abhi
toh party shuru hui hai", opened
up about how his career in music
started when he appeared on
"Midnight Misadventures with
Mallika Dua" hosted by comedi‑
enne Mallika Dua. The show will
go on air with Badshah's episode
on September 17 on TLC. Sharing
her views about the rapper,
Mallika said: "Badshah is one of
the most intelligent and entrepre‑
neurial individuals in the industry
and I am delighted that he is part
of the inaugural episode. "It was
fun shooting with him; we gelled
almost from the word go ‑‑ a sharp
contrast from the shy start we
made when we first met for a
shoot of a different show earlier
this year. I loved the point when
we danced together on his new
song."
TheSouthAsianTimes.info September 22-28, 2018
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Mumbai‑born Bindra hopes
for 2nd term in NZ parliament
Chicago: With his first three‑year
term as a Member of Parliament in
New Zealand behind him, Mumbai‑
born Mahesh Bindra is biding his
time for the next phase of his
engagement in his adopted coun‑
try's public life.
"With some luck I might get a sec‑
ond term, but irrespective of that I
enjoy being part of politics in a
democratically vibrant country,"
Bindra told IANS on the sidelines of
the recently‑concluded World
Hindu Congress in Lombard near
here where he was a special invitee.
Travelling to New Zealand with
his wife and three children in 2002,
Bindra has attained a position of
political prominence after becom‑
ing an MP in 2014. From being a
principal correctional officer at the
Mount Eden prison, which then had
400 inmates, Bindra's career took a
political turn when he asked a
tough question of Winston Peters,
leader of the controversial New
Zealand First party who is also the
country's deputy prime minister
and foreign minister, at a public
Indian
billionaire's teen
UK's "poshest"
student, says
British media
London: An Indian billion‑
aire's daughter who will stay
in a mansion and has a dozen
staff including a chef to look
after her at university in
Scotland is making waves in
the UK media.
The Indian teen, a first‑year
student of the University of St
Andrews, could be UK's "posh‑
est", says a section of the
media. Her family has hired a
mansion for her four years at
college, so she will not have to
share halls or dorms at the
university, a magnificent
structure with lush gardens
and reminiscent of a Scottish
castle.
T he student w ill have a
maid, a butler, three house‑
keepers, a gardener, three
footmen, a private chef and a
chauf feur, according to The
Sun. Media reports also reveal
that an ad for the staf f posi‑
tions was posted through a
recruitment agency a few
months ago.
Those who qualified could
expect around 30,000 pounds
a year.
Some dailies urged readers
to guess who the student is
and email them.
(Source: ndtv.com)
Mahesh Bindra
(Image courtesy:
newstalkzb.co.nz)
gathering. Peters and his party had
the reputation for race‑baiting and
Bindra being an outspoken man
wanted to find out the truth for
himself. A candid exchange with
Peters prompted the latter to invite
Bindra to join the party and consid‑
er politics. "I come from a political
family.
My father was an active member
of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. When
Peters asked me to consider a politi‑
cal career it seemed like a natural
Asian Achieversʼ Award honors
leading British Indians
London: Scotland Yard's first
Indian‑origin counter‑terrorism
chie f has won the Asian
Achievers' Award in the
Uniformed and Civil Services cat‑
egory for his contribution to
policing in the UK.
Assistant Commissioner Neil
Basu, who is the Metropolitan
Police's Nat ional Lead for
Counter Terrorism and the Head
of the Met Police's Specialist
Operations, had sent a colleague
from the force to receive the
award on his behalf at the 18th
annual awards event, organised
by UK‑based media house Asian
Business Publications Limited
(ABPL) Group.
The award citation described
Basu's job as "one of the toughest
policing roles in the country" and
praised his hard work and dedi‑
cation in achieving such seniority
within the force as the "first offi‑
cer of Asian heritage to hold the
post in the UK."
"(British Asians) continue to
excel across all spheres of socie‑
ty...I am determined to ensure
the government looks more like
the country it serves, and to see a
new generation creating oppor‑
tunities for people across the
whole of the UK," Prime Minister
Theresa May noted in her mes‑
DIASPORA
progression," he said.
When he first contested for par‑
liament from the Mount Roskill con‑
stituency in the city of Auckland in
2011, he got 419 votes and was
placed 21st on the party list. It was
only after he began rising steadily
that in 2014 he was elected to par‑
liament under New Zealand's rather
complex electoral system. Although
his first term ended last year, there
are strong expectations that he will
return in 2020.
Scotland Yardʼs counter‑terrorism chief Neil Basu was honored for
ʻtoughest policing roleʼ (Image courtesy: standard.co.uk)
sage for the awards night at
Grosvenor House Hote l in
Mayfair, London.
Among some of the other key
winners, selected by a panel of
judges made up of academics
and entrepreneurs, included
Rishi Khosla, the CEO of unicorn
start‑up OakNorth who was
named Businessperson of the
Year, and Adarsh Radia, the
founder of the popular Dishoom
chain of Indian restaurants in the
UK who was named
Entrepreneur of the Year.
"T he awards have grown in
stature year after year and once
again we received an overwhelm‑
ing number of nominat ions,
September 22-28, 2018
2019 INDIAN DIASPORA
CONCLAVE TO BE
BIGGER AFFAIR
New Delhi: The 15th Pravasi
Bharat iya Divas (PBD), the
External Af fairs Ministry‑
org anized conclave of the
Indian diaspora, to be held in
Varanasi from January 21 to
23, 2019, will be a bigger affair
than all the past editions with a
couple more programs being
added, it was announced on
Saturday.
Speaking at the launch of the
of ficial website for the event
here, External Af fairs Minister
Sushma Swaraj said that in
addition to attending the three‑
day PBD in Varanasi, the partic‑
ipants will also be taken to
Allahabad where the Kumbh
Mela will be going on then and
then brought to New Delhi for
the Republic Day celebrations.
Giving details of the program,
Sushma Swaraj said that on
January 21, a Youth PBD will
be held where Himanshu Gulati,
which is an indication that the
success of the British Asian com‑
munity in various fields contin‑
ues unabated," said CB Patel, the
founder‑chairman of ABPL Group
and Editor and Publisher of
'Asian Voice' and 'Gujarat
Samachar' ‑ the weekly newspa‑
pers which invite its readers to
nominate achievers for the annu‑
al awards.
"Our awards recognize all those
unsung heroes within the Asian
community ‑ many of whom
arrived here as migrants. They
have made great strides, not just
within their communities and
professional sectors but have
made huge contribut ions to
19
an Indian‑origin member of
parliament of Norway will be
the chief guest and Kanwaleet
Singh Bakshi, also an Indian‑
origin member of parliament of
New Zealand will be the guest
of honor.
On January 22, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi will
inaugurate the main event with
Prime Minister of Mauritius
Pravind Jugnauth, who is also
of Indian‑origin, attending as
the chief guest.
The event will conclude on
January 23 with a valedictory
session that will be addressed
by President Ram Nath Kovind.
During the session, the
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman will
be conferred on 30 Indian‑ori‑
gin individuals for their excep‑
tional and meritorious contri‑
butions in their chosen fields or
professions.
(IANS)
British society and the UK econo‑
my," added Patel, who presented
a special Editor's Award to lead‑
ing NRI hotelier and Chair of the
Bharat iya Vidya Bhavan in
London, Joginder Sanger, for his
contributions in the field of busi‑
ness and philanthropy.
The Asian Achievers Awards
has helped to raise around 1.5
million pounds for various caus‑
es and charities since its launch
in 2000. This year's chosen bene‑
ficiary was Oracle Cancer, a lead‑
ing charity funding research into
head and neck cancer, which
attracted nearly 100,000 pounds
through donations and an auc‑
tion hosted by famous British
author Lord Jeffrey Archer.
Leading general practitioner
(GP) and honorary secretary of
the Welsh Division of the British
Asso ciat ion of Physicians of
Indian Origin (BAPIO) Hasmukh
Shah was presented w ith a
Lifetime Achievement Award.
Other major winners on the
night were Indian‑origin BBC
presenter, author and documen‑
tary filmmaker Babita Sharma in
the media and arts category and
healthcare entrepreneur and
CEO of Regent's Park Healthcare
Anil Kumar Ohri, who was named
Professional of the Year. (PTI)
 20 September 22-28, 2018 SUBCONTINENT TheSouthAsianTimes.info

ʻInfo leak about Rafale weaponry Qureshi, Ghani discuss

can help China, Pakistanʼ ties, regional security
New Delhi: Indiaʼs Defense or China? Those countries which Kabul: Pakistan's Foreign
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has keep an evil eye on us will benefit. Minister Shah Mehmood
refused to reveal the exact full Do we have to do this? I am sorry Qureshi held a one‑on‑one
price of each Rafale aircraft fitted that the president of the oldest meeting with Afghan
with weaponry, saying that "infor‑ political party sitting in the oppo‑ President Ashraf Ghani in
mation leaked about the weapon sition is demanding this." the Afghan capital where
systems can ultimate ly he lp She said the government had the region's security situa‑
Pakistan and China." disclosed the basic price of Rafale tion and bilateral relations
Sitharaman said in 'Aap Ki aircraft in Parliament, but Gandhi were discussed.
Adalat' programme on India TV was comparing the basic price of This was Qureshi's first
that 36 Rafale fighter jets being Rafale aircraft with the final price, foreign trip after assuming
purchased by government from which he believes is Rs 1,600 office. Upon arrival at the
France were nine per cent cheaper crore. "I do not know from where Presidential Palace, the
than the price negotiated by the he got this figure. Even a child can Pakistani Foreign Minister
previous UPA government. understand this. He should com‑ was received by his Afghan
Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman counterpart Salahuddin
According to an India TV release, pare basic prices." Sitharaman
refused to reveal the exact
she described as "white lie" the said the talks for purchasing Rabbani, Geo News report‑
price of Rafale.
allegation made by the Congress Rafale fighter aircraft began in ed. He was in Afghanistan
that the approval of Cabinet heads in reply to two beheadings 2007 during UPA regime and then for a day.
Committee on Security was not (by Pakistan Army)", Sitharaman they were put in cold storage for The Office of the Afghan Pakistan's Foreign Minister
taken for the Rafale deal. said. "kaat to rahe hain, display five years. President, ARG Palace, said Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
"Saraasar jhoot hai (It's a plain nahin kar rahen" (heads are being "In December, 2011 or January, in a statement that the two
lie). The PM visited Paris in 2015, cut off, but are not being displayed). 2012, it was announced that the sides discussed security, region‑ Pakistan Consulate General in
where a memorandum of interest To a query about why she was not basic price of each Rafale aircraft al peace and stability, joint fight Jalalabad due to a security cri‑
was signed. There was no need for revealing the full price for each would be Rs 520 crore. Had the against terrorism, border man‑ sis came under discussion.
CCS approval for this. Only after the Rafale aircraft as demanded by UPA government then purchased agement and other issues relat‑ Qureshi separately met his
prices were finalized, the Inter‑ Congress President Rahul Gandhi, these aircraft at that rate in 2012, ed to the Afghanistan Pakistan Afghan counterpart Rabbani.
Governmental Agreement was she said: "For whom is he worried? then the first of the 18 flyaway air‑ Action Plan for Peace and The latter said that establishing
signed in September 2016, and for By leaking information (about craft would have come by 2015 or Solidarity, Khaama Press peace was as important for
this the final approval of CCS was weapon systems fitted on Rafale air‑ 2016. By then, three per cent cost reported. Pakistan as for Afghanistan,
taken in August that year," she said. craft), whom is he trying to help? escalation per year would have Qureshi also held delegation‑ while the Pakistani minister
Asked what happened to asser‑ By demanding replies from us, who come into force, and by 2015‑16 it level talks with the Afghan side said that the sides should coop‑
tions by BJP leaders that if the will ultimately benefit? This is what would have gone up to Rs 738 crore during which bilateral trade erate in dealing with various
party came to power, it "will get 10 I am seriously asking. Is it Pakistan, per aircraft." matters and closure of the challenges.

Suu Kyi defends Pakistan says India‑US statement

imprisonment of violates diplomatic norms
Reuters journalists
Hanoi: Myanmar's de‑facto
leader Aung San Suu Kyi defend‑
ed the seven‑year jail terms
handed to two Reuters journal‑
ists and said their convictions
had nothing to do with freedom
of expression.
Suu Kyi made the remarks on
the sidelines of the ongoing
Asean World Economic Forum
here, reports Efe news.
"If anybody feels that there has
been a miscarriage of justice I
would like them to point it out,"
the Nobel Peace Prize laureate
said of the case, which has been
condemned internationally.
"(The judgment) had nothing to
do with the freedom of expres‑
sion at all, it had to do with the
Official Secrets Act," said Suu
Kyi, urging critics to read the
judgment and adding that the
case had been held in open court
with everybody free to attend.
"They weren't jailed because
they are journalists, they were
jailed because the court has
decided they had broken the
Official Secrets Act," she added
after being asked by the modera‑
Islamabad: Pakistan took "strong
exception to the unwarranted
reference" against it in the joint
ror attacks on other countries.
At the weekly news briefing
here, Foreign Of fice spokesper‑
"What is more ironic is that
many other thorny issues involv‑
ing the 'third country' were
statement issued following the son Muhammad Faisal said: avoided in the joint statement by
2+2 India‑US dialogue in New "Pakistan rejects the baseless the Indian side," the spokesper‑
Delhi last week. allegations. We have also con‑ son said.
The statement issued after the veyed our position to the US side. He added that the trial of the
US Secretary of State and the "Mentioning a 'third country' Pakistanis said to be involved in
Secretary of Defense met their with unsubstantiated accusations the 2008 Mumbai terror attack
Indian counterparts called upon in a formal outcome document is was ongoing in an anti‑terrorism
Pakistan to ensure that its terri‑ inconsistent with established court in Pakistan and "the judi‑
tory was not used to launch ter‑ diplomatic norms. cial process shall take its course".
Myanmarʼs de‑factor leader
Aung San Suu Kyi called for
respect for the rule of law.
tor how she, as a democratic
leader, felt about the jailing of
journalists.
Suu Kyi called for respect for
the rule of law, and said the two
reporters were free to appeal the
sentence.
The reporters, Wa Lone and
Kyaw Soe Oo, were arrested on
the night of December 12, 2017,
after meeting two policemen who
handed them supposedly confi‑
dential documents. A press meeting underway after the India‑US 2+2 Strategic Dialogue in Delhi.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Iran to increase uranium London Mayor calls
enrichment if EU fails for second Brexit vote
Tehran: Iran would increase urani‑
um enrichment if the European
Union (EU) fails to implement its
obligations following the US with‑
drawal from the Iranian landmark
nuclear deal, Iranian Foreign
Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif
said.
"The Europeans and the other
signatories must act in order to
compensate for the effects of the
US sanctions," Zarif was quoted as
saying by Press TV.
He downplayed the possibility of
Iran's withdrawal from the nuclear
deal, but cautioned the EU part‑
ners that Iran might act if they fail
to secure Iran's interests in the
deal. "Oil and banks" are the "lit‑
mus test," he said, alluding to the
EU pledges to help Tehran in the
face of US re‑imposition of sanc‑
tions on Iran's oil exports and
banking transactions.
European parties need to decide
whether being ready to follow
their words, Zarif said, adding that
"they should also decide if they
want to submit to US pressure."
Iran has incessantly urged
Europe to take "practical and tan‑
gible measures" to protect Iranian
interests since the US pullout from
the landmark agreement over
Iran's nuclear prog ramme in
2015.
Typhoon Mangkhut Abbas: Palestine committed to
hits mainland China peace, negotiations with Israel
Beijing: Typhoon
Mangkhut, the world's
strongest storm this
year, continued its path
of destruction across
Southeast Asia, reaching
mainland China after
pummeling Hong Kong
and killing dozens in
the Philippines, authori‑
Mangkhut is one of the most powerful
ties said.
storms to hit the Asian region in decades.
In the coming days,
Mangkhut is expected to move
inland of China's western
Guangdong. While the storm has
weakened, a T8 warning was still Guangdong as Mangkhut made
in place ‑‑ meaning that winds
with speeds of about 63 kph
were expected, CNN reported.
The storm has carved a deadly
trail across the region, killing
two people in southern China
and at least 54 people in the
Philippines, with more than
250,000 people affected.
Many of the Philippines'
deaths were caused by land‑
slides, with dozens more still
believed to be buried beneath
the deluge, government officials
INTERNATIONAL September 22-28, 2018 21
London: London Mayor
Sadiq Khan has called
for a second Brexit
vote, criticizing the
government's handling
of Brexit negotiations
with the 28‑member
European Union.
Writing in the
Observer daily, the
Labour politician said
that with the UK due to
leave the EU in six
months, it now faced
either a "bad deal" or
"no deal", the BBC
reported.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan
The debate had also
slammed the way Brexit
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. become "more about
negotiations have been handled.
(former Foreign
Minister) Theresa May has the
Oil market held 'hostage' by
Secretary) Boris Johnson's
political ambitions" than what mandate to gamble so flagrant‑
Saudi Arabia, Russia: Iran was good for the UK, he said. ly with the British economy and
Khan said that although he people's livelihoods."
Tehran: Saudi Arabia and Russia have held "hostage" the oil market as campaigned to remain in the Earlier this month, May said
US President Donald Trump seeks to impose new sanctions on Iranian bloc, he had accepted "the will the government would not back
oil sales, a senior Iranian energy official has said. "Russia and Saudi of the British people was to another vote, saying: "To ask
Arabia claim they seek to balance the global oil market, but they are try‑ leave the EU". the question all over again
ing to take over a part of Iran's share," Iran's governor of the He said he had never expect‑ would be a gross betrayal of
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Hossein Kazempour ed to back calls for a second our democracy ‑ and a betrayal
Ardebili, was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency. "Trump's efforts referendum but had become of that trust."
to cut Iran's access to the global crude market has prompted Russia and "increasingly alarmed as the However, Khan said that May
Saudi Arabia to take hostage the oil market," Kazempour Ardebili said. chaotic approach to the negoti‑ had "failed to negotiate a Brexit
He accused Moscow and Riyadh of welcoming sanctions against Iran ations had become mired in position with her own party ‑
for their own gain, and warned that such actions would damage the confusion and deadlock. let alone agree a deal with the
credibility of OPEC, according to Tasnim, Xinhua reported. "I don't believe (Prime EU".
Jerusalem: Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas said that the
state he represents remains com‑
mitted to peace and a negotiated
settlement with Israel so long as
these could be guaranteed by
international law.
In an article to Efe news days
after the US said it was closing the
Palestinian diplomatic mission in
Washington, Abbas said that
Palestine was prepared and enti‑
tled to live side‑by‑side with Israel
said at a news conference. within the 1967 borders.
More than 2.45 million people "Palestine remains committed to
have been ievacuated in peace and negotiations based on
international law and resolutions
landfall on September 16, of international legitimacy," Abbas President Mahmoud Abbas says Palestinians remain
according to Chinese state meda. said in the article. committed to peace.
Some 18,327 emergency shel‑ The White House had closed the T he Oslo pact was signed accountability and under the
ters had been activated in the de leg at ion cit ing Palest inian between Israel and Palestine on patronage of the UN.
province, and that 632 tourism refusal to sit down to negotiate September 13, 1993, to effectively Israel has long offered to resume
and 29,611 construction sites and also to allegedly rejecting an bring their conflict to its end by peace negotiations, which stalled
had been shut down. as yet unpublished peace plan means of territorial concessions in 2014, but has said that it would
As Mangkhut moved toward being prepared by Donald Trump's and facilitating the creation of the only do so in the absence of pre‑
the Chinese mainland, Hong government, the report said. Palestinian Authority. conditions, discarding Palestinian
Kong was also buffeted by fierce Abbas, who wrote the article to Abbas said that negotiations requirements which included a
winds that tore off roofs, mark the 25th anniversary of the should be held within a multilater‑ cessation of the growth of Israeli
downed trees and caused cranes signing of the Oslo Agreement, al framework and include interna‑ settlements in occupied territory
perched atop half‑built skyscrap‑ said he was prepared to "engage tional guarantees so that the out‑ and the release of prisoners jailed
ers to swing ominously. with Israel in good faith". come could be implemented with before the Oslo process.
 22 September 22-28, 2018 BUSINESS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Merger of Dena Bank, Vijaya Bank,

Bank of Baroda announced
New Delhi: In a reform measure
aimed at further consolidation, the
government has announced the
merger of three state‑run banks‑‑
Dena Bank, Vijaya Bank and the
Bank of Baroda‑‑that will make it
the country's third largest bank
w ith a combined business of
Rs.14.82 lakh crore.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
announced the merger proposal at
a press conference saying that the
respective boards of the three
banks have been directed to con‑
sider the proposal at the earliest.
The three banks will continue to
operate as independent banks till
the proposal is passed by the
boards of individual banks and the
name of the merged bank would
be decided by them in the scheme
of amalgamation, he said.
Jaitley said the merger would
create a sustainable mega‑bank
which would be third largest in the
country. "The amalgamated entity
would increase banking operations
and its ability to go for further
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
consolidation," he said.
The merger decision was taken
by the "alternative mechanism",
which met on Monday. The meet‑
ing chaired by Jaitley was attended
by Ministers Piyush Goyal and
Nirmala Sitharaman.
This is the second such exercise
in the last 18 months. In the previ‑
ous such mega merger, five associ‑
ate banks and the Bharat iya
Mahila Bank became part of the
state‑run State Bank of India on
April 1, 2017, making the coun‑
try's largest lender among the
world's top 50 banks.
"No employee would face
adverse service conditions due to
the merger," he added.
Jaitley said while consolidation
of banks was on agenda and was
even announced in the Budget, the
Sensex plunges over 500 points
Mumbai: The key Indian equity indices provisionally closed deep in
the red, as the S&P BSE Sensex lost more than 500 points and the
NSE Nifty50 slipped by around 140 points amidst negative global
cues on concerns over the US‑China trade war escalating.
Sector‑wise, heavy selling pressure was witnessed in banking, con‑
sumer durables and auto counters.
The S&P BSE Sensex, which had opened at 38,027.81 points, provi‑
sionally closed at 37,585.51 points, lower by 505.13 points or 1.33
per cent from the previous close of 38,090.64 points.
It touched a high of 38,027.81 points and a low of 37,548.93
points during the day's trade.
government was waiting for the sought to be brushed under the
non‑performing assets (NPA) situa‑ carpet, he added.
tion to take a turn for the better "Prior to 2008, loans worth Rs
before going ahead. 18 lakh crore were given. And
Rejecting Congress claim that between 2008 and 2014, there
the gross NPAs stood at Rs 2.5 was lending of almost Rs 55 lakh
lakh crore when the UPA exited crore," he said.
power, he said that actual figure Jaitley said the government took
was Rs 8.5 lakh crore because of a series of steps to tackle the NPA
the indiscriminate and dispropor‑ challenge including the Insolvency
tionate lending during 2008 to and Bankruptcy Code "which was a
2014. The government had only de fining moment in creditor‑
unearthed the NPAs which were debtor relationship".

Trump to impose tariffs on No‑deal Brexit will

$200 billion in Chinese goods
Washington: US President
Donald Trump's administra‑
tion will impose a 10 per
cent tarif f later this month
on $200 billion worth of
Chinese goods, increasing to
25 per cent at the end of the
year, a move that w ill
sharply escalate the
American trade war with
Beijing. The administration
announced that the addition‑
al tarif fs which will take
effect from September 24, are on
top of penalties enacted earlier
this year on $50 billion worth of
Chinese goods, CNN reported.
Taken together, it means roughly
half of the products that China
sells to the US each year will be hit
by American tariffs.
In July, the administration pub‑
lished a list of thousands of prod‑
ucts that would be subject to the
latest round of trade penalties.
More than 300 products were
The additional tariffs will take
effect from September 24.
removed from that list ‑‑ including
smartwatches, health and safety
devices and children's playpens.
Trump had urged his advisers to
press forward with the $200 bil‑
lion round, even as Washington
and Beijing worked to restart trade
talks.
The President's decision threat‑
ens to upend the possibility of a
diplomatic breakthrough with
Chinese negotiators.
"China has had many opportuni‑
ties to fully address our concerns,"
Trump said in a statement
released Monday evening by
the White House.
"Once again, I urge China's
leaders to take swift action to
end their country's unfair
trade practices."
Trump also threatened to
inflict more economic pain in
the form of additional tariffs
if Beijing takes any retaliato‑
ry action.
Treasury Secretary Steven
Mnuchin had invited the negotia‑
tors to Washington this week to
resume talks.
But China said it would turn
down the of fer if the US went
ahead with more tariffs, CNN said.
The tarif fs are meant to punish
China for alleged unfair trade prac‑
tices, including intellectual proper‑
ty theft. China has accused the US
of trade bullying and, to this point,
has responded dollar‑for‑dollar
with tariffs of its own.
hit UK economy,
warns IMF
London: The International
Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned
that a "no‑deal" Brexit on World
Trade Organization terms will
entail "substantial costs" for the
UK economy.
IMF Managing Director
Christine Lagarde gave a speech
at the Treasury in London, less
than 200 days till the UK, yet to
secure a post‑Brexit deal with
Brussels, is due to depart the
bloc.
The IMF said that all likely
Brexit scenarios would "entail
costs", but a disorderly departure
could lead to "a significantly
worse outcome", the BBC report‑
ed.
"All the likely Brexit scenarios
will have costs for the UK econo‑
my and to a lesser extent, as well,
for the EU," Lagarde said. "The
larger the impediments to trade
in the new relationship, the cost‑
lier it will be. This should be fair‑
ly obvious, but it seems that
sometimes it is not."
Lagarde said the UK's economy
was projected to grow 1.5 per
cent over the next two years only
if a substantial deal was struck
with the EU and the withdrawal
process was orderly. The UK's
conservative government, under
the leadership of Prime Minister
Theresa May, has so far failed to
strike a deal with negotiators in
Brussels despite two years of dis‑
cussions.
The Cabinet's draft deal, the so‑
called Chequers plan, even faced
opposition from hardline Brexit
supporting backbench party
members, increasing the chances
of a no deal scenario.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Indian captain
Rohit Sharma
during a
practice session.
(Photo: Surjeet
Yadav/IANS)
India's sports stars overcame
personal odds to achieve success
By Ajeyo Basu
New Delhi: Ever since she was a
kid, Hima Das woke up every
morning before the crack of
dawn and would go to the local
g razing g round in a remote
Assam village. With no proper
gear or even a playground, she
practiced running at this grazing
ground, around 50 meters from
her house, before the villagers let
their cattle loose post sunrise.
Daughter of rice farmers, the
same teenager left the world
awestruck when she ran at a
track and fie ld stadium in
Finland during the 400 meter
final at the U‑20 World
Championships, becoming the
first Indian sprinter to win a gold
medal at an international track
event.
T he 18‑year‑old from
Kandhulimari village in Dhing ‑‑
a small town situated approxi‑
mately 20 km from Nagaon ‑‑ fol‑
lowed that with a gold in the
women's 4x400 metres and sil‑
ver medals in the women's 400
metres and mixed 4x400 metres
events at the recently‑concluded
Asian Games at Jakarta,
Indonesia.
There are numerous such sto‑
ries of Indian athletes who came
from poor, underprivileged fami‑
SPORTS
Asia Cup: India to take on
minnows Hong Kong
Dubai: Favorites India will
look to sweep aside minnows
Hong Kong in their Asia
Cup opener and pre‑
Bangladesh beat Sri
pare for the much‑
anticipated clash
Lanka in Asia Cup opener
against arch‑rivals Dubai: Bangladesh dominated
Pakistan the next with both bat and ball to out‑
day. class Sri Lanka by 137 runs in
Hong Kong, the opening match of the Asia
expectedly, lost Cup cricket tournament here.
to Pakistan by Electing to bat first,
eight wickets Bangladesh rode Mushfiqur
in their first Rahim's career‑best score of
g ame. India, 144 runs to post what eventual‑
who even ly turned out be a pretty com‑
without tal‑ petitive total of 261 in 49.3
ismanic overs. Chasing what should have
skipper been an achievable target, the
Virat Kohli, Sri Lankan chase never really
should give
them the experienced M.S. Dhoni in their
same treat‑ ranks, India will look to get their
ment. combination right in the first
Under Rohit game before the tougher test of
Sharma's cap‑ Pakistan on which all eyes will
taincy and w ith rest.
Baban Bhokanal did all sorts of
odd jobs from digging wells to
selling onions to working at a
petrol pump in his arduous jour‑
ney to the gold in men's quadru‑
ple sculls event at the Asiad.
Harish Kumar, who was a part
of Indian sepak takraw team that
won bronze at the Asian Games,
used to sell tea at his father's
shop in Delhi to support his fami‑
ly.
T hese are not isolated
instances. According to one of
India's most celebrated athletes
Anju Bobby George, this is more
a norm than an aberrat ion.
Perhaps because due to their
tough lifestyle and the absence
of too many options in life, "they
Sprinter Hima Das during
a press conference in Guwahati. have insatiable hunger to suc‑
ceed", George told IANS.
(Photo: IANS)
"Children from rural areas or
lies but who showed true grit poor backgrounds engage in
and foug ht extreme o dds to physical activities as part of their
make their families and the normal daily rout ine. After
nation proud. returning from school, they
Swapna Barman, daughter of a either work in the fields or play
van‑rickshaw puller and tea‑ sports. So naturally most of our
estate worker from Jalpaiguri in sports stars come from rural
West Bengal, overcame extreme areas," he said.
poverty to become the first In Maharashtra, Dattu Baban
Indian woman to achieve a top Bhokanal endured unimaginable
podium finish in the gruelling suf fering and hardships before
heptathlon event at the Asian achieving the pinnacle of sport‑
Games. ing success. The Indian army
The Indian Army rower Dattu rower won gold in the Men's
September 22-28, 2018
gained any momentum and they
were dismissed for 124 runs in
35.2 overs.
The islanders were off to dis‑
astrous start when Kusal
Mendis misread the pace of a
Mustafizur delivery in the sec‑
ond over, played across the line,
and was hit in the pads plump
in front.
Earlier, veteran pacer Lasith
Malinga enjoyed a wonderful
return to international action
with figures of 4/23.
Besides Rohit, the likes of
Shikhar Dhawan, K.L. Rahul and
Kedar Jadhav add teeth to their
batting while in the bowling
department, Jasprit Bumrah,
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep
Quadruple sculls event at the
Asiad. The 27‑year‑old, who had
claimed a silver medal in the
men's single sculls at the Asian
Rowing Championships in 2015,
is currently one of the top row‑
ers in the continent.
But his upbringing and early
struggles is typical of millions of
sportspersons in the country.
From digging wells to selling
onions to working in a petrol
pump to representing India at
the Rio Olympics while his moth‑
er was in a coma, Dattu has over‑
come every obstacle in life.
Boxer Amit Panghal, another
rising star, hails from the msall
Mayna village in Rohtak district
of Haryana. His father
Chaud hary Bijender Sing h
Panghal owns just an acre in his
village and the family struggled
to make ends meet.
T he light flyweight (49 kg)
boxer won the gold medal in his
debut appearance at the national
championships in 2017 and took
bronze at Asian Amateur Boxing
Championships in Tashkent in
May last year.
He took silver at the
Commonwealth Games earlier
this year before defeating reign‑
ing Olympic and Asian champion
Hasanboy Dusmatov in the Asian
Games final.
23
Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal
throw up a lot of variety.
The Asia Cup will once again
bring to the fore Dhoni's batting
frailties with age as his strike
rate has been below par in recent
limited overs matches. The cele‑
brated former India captain,
known for his big hitting skills,
has been a pale shadow of his
former self lately and will once
again come under the scanner if
the same trend continues.
India's middle order is an issue
too and needs to be resolved
ahead of the World Cup next
year.
T he Bumrah‑Bhuvneshwar
combinat ion w ill be back in
action along with the Kuldeep‑
Chahal combination, which has
been a steady set‑up for past one
year. Back in the mix after a back
injury, Bhuvneshwar will also
look to use the Hong Kong game
as a warm‑up ahead of the
Pakistan tie.
Indian women
to kick‑off
SAFF U‑18
Championship
New Delhi: Seven countries are
set to kick‑off the inaugural
edition of the SAFF U‑18 foot‑
ball Championship for Women
which gets underway later this
month in Bhutan.
India have been clubbed in
Group A, along with neighbors
Sri Lanka and Maldives.
The Indian girls kick‑off their
campaign against Maldives on
September 28 before facing Sri
Lanka on October 2 ‑‑ the birth
anniversary of the Father of
the Nation and national hero
Mahatma Gandhi.
The tournament follows a
round robin format where all
the teams in each group play
each other once. The top two
teams get to qualify for the
semi‑finals (October 5), where
the winner of Group A faces
the runners‑up of Group B, and
vice versa. The final of the
tournament is set to be held on
Sunday, October 7.
At the senior level, the Indian
women have been the most
successful team in the SAFF
Championships, winning all
four editions of the tourna‑
ment that have been held till
date. The Senior SAFF
Women's Championship is
scheduled to be held later in
December.
 24 September 22-28, 2018 BOOKS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

By Mayabhushan

Sandeep Jauhar's 'Heart'

Nagvenkar

D
edicated to the beating
heart, Dr. Sandeep

is in the right place

Jauhar's latest book
'Heart ‑ A history' provides a
thumping tribute to the protago‑
nists ‑‑ some legendary some
unsung ‑‑ of medicine, who over instruments to monitor heart rate Like a good doctor, Jauhar also require warning labels on ciga‑ ment, to the reader.
the years have innovated and brain waves of live‑ leaves a trail of humor you can‑ rette packets," calling the However, apart from chroni‑
and persevered to stock at a farm near not miss in his writing, which is President Nixon era legislation as cling the evolution of the disease
find cures for car‑ New York, learned what makes reading him easy, one of the great public health tri‑ and medical innovations which
diac ailments about heart even for the layman. umphs of the second half of the tried to arrest and cure heart ail‑
through land‑ block from two For example, note the matter in 20th century. ments, Jauhar also tries to pitch
mark break‑ surgeons, who parenthesis: "By the early 1960s, Through the book, the writer the reader a more holistic per‑
throug hs in were around a definite association had also also introduces medical profes‑ spective, to make the point that
their field. on a summer been made between cigarette sionals like Daniel Hale Williams, medical technology is limited and
Do not mis‑ sabbatical. smoking and heart disease an African American doctor who that control of heart disease
take 'Heart ‑ A Years later, (smokers in previous studies had‑ performed the world's first open‑ largely depends more on the life
history' as a when he was tin‑ n't lived long enough to draw heart surgery in Chicago; and C. choices we make. The book is
health digest. kering w ith the definitive conclusions). This led Walton Lillehei, who connected a extreme ly re levant to Indian
Neither is it n e w l y ‑ to the first Surgeon General's patient's circulatory systems to a Americans and India, where
a prescrip‑ invented report detailing the health haz‑ healthy donor's paving the way deaths due to heart disease have
t ive scrib‑ ʻHeart ‑ A Historyʼ (Viking) is written
radio tran‑ ards of smoking. In 1966, the US for the heart‑lung machine ‑‑ leg‑ risen by as much as 34 per cent
by Sandeep Jauhar, director of the
ble on how sistors, he became the first country to ends who redefined heart treat‑ over the last 26 years.
Heart Failure Program at Long Island
to keep accidentally
Jewish Medical Center.
yourself inserted a
healthy. It spans throug h resistor in the gadget's circuit,
progress made vis‑a‑vis heart which in turn triggered rhythmic
care through civilizations right pulse. Viola! The pacemaker was
till date. Jauhar's writing style born. "I stared at the thing in dis‑
reads like an Arthur Hailey man‑ belief and then realized that this
uscript, engaging the reader with was exactly what was needed to
ease and keeping you hooked drive a heart.... For the next five
with interesting personal anec‑ years, most of the world's pace‑
dotes, historical nuggets, and makers used (this circuit) just
recounting how some of the key because I grabbed the wrong
inventions related to the treat‑ resistor," Jauhar quotes
ment of cardiovascular diseases, Greatbatch as saying.
were, in fact, stumbled upon. T he "taking charge of the
For example, in the 1950s, elec‑ human heartbeat" was a seminal
trical eng ineer Wilson moment in the history of science,
Greatbatch, who was test ing according to Jauhar.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info SELF HELP September 22-28, 2018 25

3 questions to ask before How to turn your side

hustle into a business
accepting that job offer
W
hether youʼre

M
any people view their job
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looking to pick
employees reach financial and
up a side hus‑
legal goals.
tle or make the leap into
Aflac herein means American
starting your own busi‑
Family Life Assurance Company of
ness, there are many
Columbus, American Family Life
ways to be your own
Assurance Company of New York,
boss.
Continental American Insurance
To get inspired, check
Company and /or Cont inental
out these tips from a few
American Life Insurance Company.
of the men and women
To learn more, visit aflac.com.
featured in the Avon cam‑
All that said, you might not want
paign, based on their own
to limit your decision to the
real‑life successes.
prospect of generous take home
Be Authentic: A former
pay alone.
Marine and full‑time
3. What is in it for my family?
pharmacist, Starsky Clark
Does your potential employer offer
of Baton Rouge, LA, says:
any services or benefits that can
“Be passionate about
improve the lives of your family
your business and the
members? For example, do health
products youʼre selling,” says Starsky
benefits include round‑the‑clock
Lean on Your Mentors: Andres Taberes of Grayson, GA, who
access to telemedicine? Are there
worked in a car body shop, says, “My mom encouraged me to
health advocacy services offered to
become an Avon Representative and Iʼve never looked back.”
help employees and their families
reduce stress over navigating the Dedicate Time Consistently
heath care environment? These are
the items that can make or break Donna Reid‑Mitchell of Frisco, TX was a single mother working
that job offer. These are also serv‑ as a hairstylist when she joined Avon on the side. She very quick‑
ices that you could suggest to your ly learned that consistency was the key to an effective business.
current employer as an option to By laying the groundwork and pushing herself to continuously
help keep talent happy, productive make time to work on and grow her business, Donna was able to
and at the company. transform her side hustle into a lucrative business long‑term.

How to choose tech toys to help

your child develop crucial skills
C
hildren today are growing up sur‑
rounded by technology from infan‑
cy. But even in a digital world,
research has found that itʼs crucial for kids
to draw on classic play patterns that they
have enjoyed for decades ‑‑ such as cod‑
dling a doll, kicking or throwing a ball and
learning to follow the rules of a board
game.
The world may have changed in todayʼs
digital age, but playing in classic ways is
essential for children to reach healthy phys‑
ical, cognitive, social and emotional devel‑
opmental milestones. However, with so
many technological toy options, itʼs more
challenging than ever for parents to choose
playthings that kids can understand and
that will help them develop critical skills
they need to mature.
“In many ways, itʼs a Golden Age for chil‑
dren and play. There are more options ‑‑
physical toys, games, digital devices and
content ‑‑ than ever before. But thereʼs a
downside to more play options. Too many
choices make it harder to find high‑quality
toys ideally suited to a specific childʼs
needs, interests and abilities,” says David
Kleeman, an ambassador with The Genius
of Play, a nonprofit initiative dedicated to
promoting the importance of play in chil‑
dren's learning and development.
The solution is to ask yourself some key
questions when reviewing toy options,
especially those loaded with the latest tech‑
nologies, say the experts at The Genius of
Play. Here are some things to consider that
are important for child development:
4Does a doll thatʼs equipped with tech‑
nology change the way your child can play
with it? Can the doll still be carried, fed and
bathed? If the doll uses artificial intelli‑
gence to “communicate” with children, does
this guide or restrict the conversation so
much that itʼs no longer spontaneous or
imaginative?
4 Does a ball with added technology
make it difficult to roll, throw or kick? If so,
is it in fact still a ball?
4 Does a digital board game make all the
decisions so that the players are left watch‑
ing the computer play?
4 Is a screen‑based construction app like
a bottomless box of pieces with which the
child can freely envision and create, or is
building limited to a few pre‑programmed
models?
The benefits of play are numerous and
experts urge parents to return to one main
consideration when choosing a new play‑
thing, regardless of the amount of technolo‑
gy it has: what is the childʼs contribution
versus the value that the toy adds?
Statepoint.net
 26 September 22-28, 2018 IMMIGRATION TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Child Status Protection Act

By Dev Banad Viswanath, Esq.

VISA
sion in the Matter of Wang in
& Michael Phulwani, Esq. Concluding part of the 3‑part series 2009, stating that CSPA does not
apply to a now adult noncitizen

T TALK
his is the third and conclud‑
ing part of the series of arti‑
cles with regard to the appli‑
cability of the Child Status
Protection Act (CSPA) and the for‑
mula, based upon which the child
who aged out may qualify to obtain
immigrant visa, and other relevant
information.
We now discuss how and in what
type of cases, the priority date can
be retained and various decisions
rendered by the Board of
Immigration Appeals (BIA) and
Circuit Courts in certain parts of
the country on this issue.
Retention of
Priority Date
A petition filed on behalf of a
child of a green card holder under
F2A preference category is auto‑
matically converted to F2B prefer‑
ence category if the child ages out
and does not qualify under CSPA.
When a derivative child of an F2A
petition ages out, and is not eligi‑
ble under CSPA, the green card
holder parent has to file a new sep‑
arate I‑130 petition under F2B cat‑
egory on behalf of the aged‑out
child. The child is able to retain the
original priority date of the first
petition for the new petition under
F2B category. However, derivative
children who age out under F1, F3,
& F4 preference categories and
who are also not eligible for CSPA,
will have to wait until their parent
becomes a green card holder and
that parent files a new I‑130 peti‑
tion on their behalf under F2B
preference category, and is accord‑
ed a new priority date, for which
the current waiting period is many
years away. Recently, there have
been some court decisions wherein
the courts have held that, in such
cases, children should be accorded
the same priority date as of the
petition filed on behalf of the par‑
ent. Detailed information with
regard to the decisions of the
Board of Immigration Appeals
(BIA) and courts is provided in this
concluding part of the article.
The Immigration & Nationality
Act (INA) as amended by the CSPA
provisions provides: Retention of
Priority Date – If the age of an alien
is determined… to be 21 years of
age or older…, the alien's petition
shall automatically be converted to
the appropriate category and the
alien shall retain the original prior‑
ity date issued upon receipt of the
original petition.
It was not clear to the U.S.
Citizenship & Immigration Services
(USCIS) as to whether the new peti‑
tion can be assigned the priority
date of the original petition that
was filed on behalf of the childʼs
parent. USCIS has interpreted the
CSPA provisions narrowly. USCIS
has taken the position that these
aged‑out children may not retain
the original priority date.
In the matter of Garcia, BIA held
on June 16, 2006 that CSPA allows
for priority date retention when
the green card holder parent files a
new I‑130 petition for the aged‑out
child. In this case, the alien, Maria,
was the derivative beneficiary of an
I‑130 petition filed on behalf of her
mother in an F4 petition filed by
her motherʼs sister in 1983. When
the visa numbers became current
in June 1996, Maria had aged out
and was unable to obtain a green
card. Her mother, upon becoming a
green card holder, filed a new I‑
130 petition on behalf of Maria
under F2B category. In this case, (meaning that foreign national
the BIA determined that as per the child who aged out) who was previ‑
CSPA provision stated above, Maria ously listed as a derivative on a
automatically converted to the F2B visa petition filed on behalf of the
preference category as she was still childʼs parent. In other words,
the unmarried daughter of a green Wang decision reversed the Garcia
card holder. Further, it also held decision mentioned above and held
that Maria was eligible to retain that the child cannot be granted
the 1983 priority date of the peti‑ the old priority date.
tion filed by her aunt on behalf of There have been several federal
her mother, thus making her cur‑ court cases that had come about in
rent in the F2B category. the Courts of Appeals across the
Unfortunately, the USCIS decided country, which ultimately led to the
not to follow the Garcia decision Supreme Court decision in
and continued to give new priority Scialabba v. Osorio, on writ of
date for the petitions filed by green Certiari from a decision in the 9th
card holder parents for the chil‑ Circuit, the Court, in 2014, sided
dren left behind. with the BIAʼs interpretation in
Subsequent to the Garcia deci‑ Matter of Wang, except as it per‑
sion, BIA rendered another deci‑ tains to F2A‑ F2B conversions.
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.

Rep Krishnamoorthiʼs bill gives

flexibility to H1B workers to switch jobs
Washington: Indian‑American
Congressman Raja
Krishnamoorthi has introduced a
legislation in the House of
Representatives which gives flexi‑
bility to H‑1B workers to switch
jobs and reduces the Green Card
backlog by expanding education‑
based exemptions from per‑coun‑
try caps for H‑1B holders.
Krishnamoorthi was joined by
Republican lawmaker Mike
Coffman in introducing H R
6794, the ʻImmigration
Innovation Act of 2018′ in the
House of Representatives
Thursday.
If passed by the Congress and
signed into law by the President,
the two lawmakers said it would
reform and streamline the H‑1B
high‑skilled worker visa program
while increasing investment in
American Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM) Education for students in
K‑12, post‑secondary, or college
programs.
“To develop the skills of our
domestic workforce, our bill
increases investments in our edu‑
cation system to guarantee that
American workers are trained for
high‑tech jobs. It also reforms the
visa system for highly‑skilled
workers which allows American
businesses to compete in the
global economy,” said
Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat
Congressman.
“Our immigration policies must
fit with the economic needs of our
country,” Coffman said. “One criti‑
cal part of Congressʼ job is ensur‑
ing that immigration laws match
our countryʼs high‑tech workforce
requirements as well as meet the
needs of H1‑B visa applicants and
their families.”
The legislation also proposes to
ban employers from hiring H‑1B
holders to replace American
workers while increasing funding
for STEM education at the K‑12,
post‑secondary, and university
levels.
Under the bill, fees collected for
H‑1B visas and conditional Green
Cards will go to state‑adminis‑
tered funds to promote domestic
STEM education and worker
training, including financial aid
and research initiatives.
These expanded investments in
advanced training for the domes‑
tic workforce would ultimately
reduce demand for foreign work‑
ers while helping the American
economy grow, the two lawmak‑
ers said.
The bill among other things
removes existing annual exemp‑
tion cap on H‑1B visas for holders
of US masterʼs degrees or higher,
which is currently exempting
20,000 per year, for individuals
who are sponsored for a Green
Card; narrows education‑based
cap exemption to those with US
PhDs. It creates lottery prioritiza‑
tion for cap‑subject petitions in
the order of: US masters or high‑
er, foreign PhDs, and US STEM
bachelorʼs degrees and establish‑
es a grace period to allow H‑1B
visa holders to change jobs with‑
out losing their legal status to
permit mobility under qualifying
circumstances.
The bill subjects employers who
have more than five H‑1B employ‑
ees to a penalty for each employ‑
ee who worked less than 25 per
cent of the first work‑authoriza‑
tion year and prohibits employers
from hiring an H‑1B visa worker
to replace a US worker. It also
provides work authorization for
spouses and dependent children
of H‑1B visa workers at the pre‑
vailing wage.
It proposes to eliminate per‑
country limit for employment‑
based green cards and adjusts
per‑country caps for family‑based
green cards; and enables reas‑
signment of unused visas from
previous years. The bill exempts
spouses and children of employ‑
ment‑based green card holders,
holders of US STEM masterʼs
degrees or higher, and individuals
with extraordinary skill in arts
and sciences from caps.
It creates new conditional
Green Card category to allow US
employers to sponsor university‑
educated foreign professionals
through a separate path from
H–1B. It also requires employers
to attest that no US worker has
been displaced for the Green Card
holder, undertake recruitment
efforts to fill the position with a
US worker and offer prevailing
wage not less than USD 100,000
per year.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
No stage‑film, Holly‑Bolly
boundaries for this actor
I
ndian American actor Saim Hyder was
honored by the Indian Overseas National
Congress USA at their annual awards night
in New York on July 28. He was presented the
ʻRising Starʼ Award for his contribution as an
actor in the US and India in the presence of
Sam Pitroda, INOC Chairman and tech policy‑
maker. Hyder has played lead roles in numer‑
ous off‑Broadway shows in the US and plays
in India. He just completed shooting for an
intense film dealing with drug abuse and drug
addiction, where he plays the lead protago‑
nist. It is directed by Tabish Zaidi. He will also
be playing the role of Indian independence
hero Subhash Chandra Bose in his upcoming
film.
Saim Hyder talks about his passion, ambi‑
tion and his creativity with The South Asian
Times.
With the huge, thriving film industry like
Bollywood, why United States? Why
Hollywood?
INTERVIEW
Hyder
Saim Hyder: Itʼs true, I have grown up with
a healthy dose of Bollywood
movies and superstars such as
Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip
Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan,
which has shaped my creativi‑
ty and developed my passion
for acting. As an actor I want‑
ed to broaden my range work‑
ing with not only Indian
actors but also with different
actors of the world. My inten‑
tion is always to develop new,
more deep, more challenging,
more demanding levels
of my art. Itʼs well
known that
New York is
the melting
pot of all cre‑
ativity and
has Broadway
and theatre
DISPLAY CLASSIFIEDS
September 22-28, 2018 27
and films involving diverse people from all
over the world. It was the natural choice for
me and I have been incredibly lucky to work
with people from all over the past few years.
How do you feel acting on stage compared
to films?
Saim Hyder: I do not compare as stage is
live and film is not. The theatre is more
intense, more demanding and audience too is
quite different for both. I have extensively
delved in and loved both mediums. As an
actor it is a privilege to be recognized as both
a theatre and film actor.
That said, at this point in my career I would
like to focus more on films due to the much
larger exposure. But will always keep my
options open for a good role in a play.
Indian American actor Saim Hyder was
What was your most memorable
honored as Rising Star by the Indian
stage performance?
Overseas National Congress at their
Saim Hyder: There have been
awards gala in New York in the
many but I would like to mention presence of Sam Pitroda.
here my first off‑Broadway show
Alexander Loheman in the classic Anton
ʻBona Fide Womenʼ where I
Chekov play 'The Cherry Orchardʼ ‑ itʼs a dif‑
played two lead characters alter‑
ficult role to play. How did you master it to
nately. One was a pimp ‑ crass,
make Broadway.com and others to say you
loud‑mouthed, cunning and crimi‑
stole the show.
nal ‑‑ and an innocent high school
Saim Hyder: (smiles) When I got this role I
kid with big dreams. It was on a
studied the character deeply and realized
stage in Times Square, with houseful
that Alexander is like a ruthless landowner in
audiences. Many great the‑
India. In my growing years I have come
atre personalities wel‑
across such people from my maternal side –
comed me to the scene.
they were ruthless, always arrogant, cunning
Juggling the contrast‑
who took advantage of poor people and
ing characters repeat‑
would rule by the sword. Alexander to me was
edly in a matter of
also a person like that and slowly I developed
hours was an adrenalin
the mannerisms, arrogance befitting a
rush.
wealthy ruthless landlord and presented him
You have acted as
on stage as Alexander Loheman.
 28 September 22-28, 2018 HUMOR TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Funny Side by Nury Vittachi

Flights which arrive before they take off

A
few years ago, my brother from
New York phoned me on the
morning of January the first ‑‑
but in America it was still December 31.
I told my kids: "Your uncle is calling
from last year." Their eyes widened. I
explained: "It sounds weird, but it's all to
do with time zones."
When the phone rang an hour later, I
answered it and told the kids: "It's your
great‑grandma. She's phoning from
1880." They nodded sagely and mut‑
tered: "Time zones."
I like to mess with children's heads. It
is called "parenting" and doctors recom‑
mend it.
This memory was triggered by the lat‑
est news. A flight from New Zealand
took off in 2018 and landed in Hawaii in
2017, US news outlets reported a few
days ago. The aircraft started in a city
where January 1, 2018, had started but
finished its journey in a place where it
was still December 31, 2017.
That made headlines in the West, but
it's actually pretty unimpressive to trav‑
elers in Asia, who encounter ridiculous
time zone issues all the time.
W hen you fly from Asia to North
America you often land before you take
of f. The Nagoya to Hawaii flight lands
12 hours before it left, which I love,
because you can legitimately eat six
meals that day.
My advice is to talk to your smart‑
phone assistant as you land in Hawaii.
Me: "So, Siri, what year is it?" Siri:
"2017." Me: "But earlier you said it was
2018." Siri: "I don't like you; please send
me back to the factory."
There used to be a famous road tunnel
in Zuny i town in China's Guizhou
province which sent you back in time.
You drove into the tunnel at 4 pm. As
you emerged, 400 meters later, the clock
on your phone would say 3 pm. This was
very useful when Guizhou residents
were late for something ‑‑ they just
zipped through the Zunyi tunnel and
were suddenly 59 minutes early.
Technicians said this was caused by a
malfunctioning transmission tower but I
found explanations of wormholes and
time warps more believable.
T hese days China spans five time
zones but the leaders are so bossy they
make everything run on Beijing time. If
you live in the west of China, you can
spring out of bed at the crack of dawn ‑
which is 10.30 am. Sunset is just before
midnight. This is astonishingly inconven‑
ient for literally hundreds of millions of
people, and Beijing rulers are deeply
sympathetic ha ha ha ha yeah right.
Time zones are measured in how many
hours they dif fer from GMT, which
stands for Greenwich Mean Time, the
part of the UK which apparently first
emerged from the Big Bang. But India
and Sri Lanka insist on being 30 minutes
out of step with everyone else and Nepal
goes in 15‑minute time zone increments.
But get this. One summer I actually
went to Greenwich and decided to reset
my watch. I kid you not: The time in
Greenwich was GMT plus one hour! That
made no sense at all ‑‑ like everything
else on this planet. So I suppose it fits in
just fine.
Happy New Year to everyone, includ‑
ing the Siri in my phone, who is still in a
sulk.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

BEST
RATE
FOR
INDIA
AND
PAKISTAN
New York Head Quarter
422‑S Broadway
HICKSVILLE By Mahendra Shah
NY 11801
Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by
516‑827‑1010 profession, artist and humorist, cartoonist and writer by
hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrant
Indians for the past many years in his cartoons. Hailing from
Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info ASTROLOGY September 22-28, 2018 29

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

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

SEPTEMBER 22‑28, 2018

ARIES: It is the right time to gear up for
some smart and bright career moves.
Kick of f the distractions that obstruct
you from meeting deadlines. You are probably
too desperate for rewards. This is the reason
why you want to focus on new initiatives that
allow you to express your creativity. Be
assertive but diplomatic when dealing with
wilful subordinates. Avoid any arguments with
dear ones this week. Put mutual plans on hold
to sustain your financial position.
TAURUS: It is an excellent week for
those who wish to achieve and conquer.
Grab every opportunity to express your
opinion in the meetings with the top manage‑
ment. Delays and obstacles can be overcome
with the help of some valuable insights from
the seniors. Family members may feel anxious
if you are unable to keep your promises, you
made with them. Expect the unexpected on the
financial front. Investment in stocks at this
time will ensure good times as the cash regis‑
ter keeps ringing.
GEMINI: This week is likely to be a
rewarding for you. Business partner‑
ships will prove to be favourable and
new contracts will be signed. Be proactive and
take initiative to put your plans to action, but
better be practical about your expectations.
Ups and downs in the relationship can be
overcome if you can spare some time together
and talk about the differences. Do your home‑
work well and be prepared with the relevant
information. Advice regarding financial mat‑
ters will prove fruitful.
CANCER: Professionally, donʼt take
people on their face value; use your
intellect to make the necessary judge‑
ment. It is time to revise your old methods of
relating to people. Adopt a different strategy
to get things done from the juniors. Your
financial growth will be linked to sensible
investments, so put your money wisely. Spend
some time to pamper yourself with a spa.
Spend quality time with the loved ones. Keep a
close tab on your health and follow a strict
exercising regimen.
LEO: New commitments may take a
while to materialize but these certainly
ensure the potential to succeed. With
your confidence and skill, you are sure to get
exactly what you dream of, no matter what
others think or believe in. Certain issues that
af fect your romantic relationships might
upset you temporarily. Romantic Prospects
look positive, as some of you wish to take your
friendship to a next level. Monetary offerings
should be accepted with caution.
VIRGO: Confusions and misunderstand‑
ings may occur over decisions taken by
you in the past. This week colleagues
may not appreciate your ideas in the business
meetings. But this is not a right time for you to
cheek people who hold positions of authority.
Be polite and let your work speak for your
capabilities.
A fluctuation in sales figures is a matter of
great worry for retail owners. Something not
budgeted for, may have to be bought in an
emergency.
LIBRA: Out of the box thinking will
enable you to come up with innovative
ways to handle problems on the pro‑
fessional front. It seems to be a busy period
where you may have to put in extra efforts to
get through your tasks and filter out distrac‑
tions. Disagreements among family members
need to be handled with care. Avoid imposing
your decisions on them to maintain conjugal
happiness. Good health allows you to cope with
stress. Not bringing discipline in your life may
put you at risk of a lifestyle disease.
SCORPIO: This is one of your best phas‑
es when your organizational expertise
will be appreciated and your communi‑
cation skills will be complimented. Find ways
to restructure your domestic priorities to
maintain the relations well. A change in work
environment is needed to avoid routine ten‑
sions. Focus on your capabilities and decide
what is best for you. This will help you chalk
out a better plan regarding your approach for
the same. Finding love at the workplace is a
possibility for those single.
SAGITTARIUS: This is a perfect week to
cheer up people who mean the most to
you, especially if they have been feel‑
ing low lately. Getting along with people who
stimulate you intellectually will be helpful in
adding new elements to your routine. Do not
make any financial commitments if you are
not too sure about them. Planning a short holi‑
day or a special evening with your beloved
will give the much needed relaxation and spice
up your relationship.
CAPRICORN: Maintain your calm atti‑
tude and try to resolve the issues ami‑
cably. Confrontation and anger will
only worsen the things. Focus your energy on
something more productive and concrete.This
might be a challenging phase where you need
to use your skills and expertise to prove your
point. You may be asked to rework on the
tasks assigned to you. Donʼt lose heart but
give it your best shot once again. Confirm that
money invested in insurance or pension plans
proves beneficial to you.
AQUARIUS: You might feel enthusiastic
about the idea of meeting interesting
people this week whom you can share
your thoughts and concerns with. Constructively
use the resources at your disposal in order to
cope up with the challenges coming your way.
Be objective about certain decisions you need to
make as your emotions may be clouding your
judgement. Avoid making hasty decisions when
it comes to finance. Love life needs to be priori‑
tized. Flowers and chocolates should do the
magic to please your beloved.
PISCES: Projects that allow you to
make use of your creative abilities will
interest you most right now. Learn to
organize your work if you want positive
results. Success will not only bring apprecia‑
tion but give your morale that much needed
boost. Be ready to accept the new ideas.
Expressing your feelings to your beloved will
improve your love life. Health of elders in the
family may require concern. Make sure your
family doesnʼt feel neglected.

22nd September, 2018
Traits in you: As you are influenced
by Uranus, you are full of positive
energy. You are honest, re liable,
cheerful, and highly honorable. Your
personality is pretty attractive and
influential. You should not be lazy if
you want to grow mentally, physically,
and financially.
Health this year: You should go for
regular medical checkups this year as
there are chances of degradation of
your health conditions.
Finance this year: You may find new
and innovative money making busi‑
ness this year and it will also click for
you. You will be able to improve your
financial conditions later this year.
You may end up spending a lot in
maintaining a comfortable and luxuri‑
ous lifestyle. You may go forward
investing on real estate and stocks as
it may bring you long term benefits.
You should plan for foreign trips to
enhance the territory of your business
as it will result in monetary gain later.
Career this year: You have the abili‑
ty to handle every crucial task in a
simple way and that makes you get
appreciation from your peers and sen‑
iors in your profession.
Romance this year: You will be
enjoying love, care, and support from
your spouse or partner throughout
the year. If you have become eligible
for marriage, you will receive many
marriage proposals this year.
23rd September, 2018
Traits in you: Mercury being your
ruling planet blesses you with practi‑
cability, sensitivity, diplomacy and
optimism. You are the master of a
intelligent brain, sound health, and an
influential character. To grow as a bet‑
ter human being, you should avoid
being lazy and arrogant at times.
Health this year: You may have to
visit distant pilgrimages to attain men‑
tal peace. You will enjoy a sound
health but one of your aged family
memberʼs health may degrade and put
ANNUAL PREDICTIONS: FOR THOSE BORN IN THIS WEEK
you in immense stress.
Finance this year: You will be bene‑
fited from your previous investments.
You may go for innovative ideas and
stat new thing in your life this year.
You are advised to create new con‑
tacts and make friends with new peo‑
ple as they will come forward to help
you later during your financial crisis.
Career this year: As you are an intel‑
lectual person, people in your profes‑
sional surroundings will hold you in a
high esteem and sought your advice
and he lp. You should grab every
opportunity come across you with
both hands as it will prove beneficial
for you later.
Romance this year: You will improve
your relationship with your partner
with lots of love, care and concern.
24th September, 2018
Traits in you: Your ruling planet
Venus makes you the master of a
highly dynamic and charismatic per‑
sonality. You are independent, daring
and ambitious by nature. Being very
social, you love to make friends with
educated and intelligent people. You
have the attractive nature to make
friends with ease. You should avoid
being stubborn and lazy. You need to
control your mood swings to share a
better relationship with your friends
and family.
Health this year: In spite of minor
health issues during the initial months
of the year, you will enjoy a good
health throughout the year. You may
practice meditation and yoga for bet‑
ter results.
Finance this year: You will be bene‑
fited hugely financially this year. You
may invest in real estate business as it
may bring you unexpected returns.
You may go for long trips to distant
places for business purpose
Career this year: Your energetic per‑
formance in your profession will bring
you recognition and increment in
salary.
Romance this year: Your romantic
life may touch new heights this year
as you may get married during the
last few months of the year.
25th September, 2018
Traits in you: Being ruled by
Neptune, you are independent, intelli‑
gent, quick, confident and sociable by
nature. You are very joyful and amus‑
ing by nature as you have an excep‑
tional sense of humor. You should not
behave jealous, introvert and self‑cen‑
tered.
Health this year: You will be enjoy‑
ing a normal sound health. However,
minor health issues may bother you
throughout the year.
Finance this year: You may suf fer
from instant losses and gain will also
be spontaneous. To avoid such situa‑
tions, you need to take decisions very
wisely after researching on all aspects.
Career this year: You are not a big
fan of office politics as you dislike
arguments and conflicts. You will
enjoy new hopes and possibilities in
your profession this year. You will get
results according to your ef forts.
However, you will have the luck factor
with you. Your creativity will help you
get success and recognition in life.
You need to develop good relation‑
ships with people who are in higher
positions as they may help you obtain
your goal.
Romance this year: Your romantic
life will be exceptionally good. You
will share your emotions with your
partner and this will improve your
relationship.
26th September, 2018
Traits in you: Your ruling planet
Saturn makes you confident, jolly, cre‑
at ive, and enthusiast ic. You are
blessed with a very effective intuition.
You possess a lot of talent which helps
you drive otherʼs attention towards
you. Though you are gifted with char‑
acteristics such as simplicity and hon‑
esty, your behavior towards others
makes you a hypocrite and selfish per‑
son. You need to work on your nega‑
tive characters to become a better per‑
son.
Health this year: Your health may
deteriorate badly this year. You need
to take precautions to restore your
health.
Finance this year: Your investments
will yield incomparable results for you
this year. You may spend a good
amount of money towards luxury and
comfort. You may receive gifts and
money from your near and dear ones.
However, you will be pretty surprised
w ith the way you have to spend
money unnecessarily.
Career this year: You may reach new
heights in your profession by per‑
forming to your caliber. It may win
you a promotion or a salary hike. You
will be admired by your colleagues
and seniors for your work efficiency.
Romance this year: Your romantic
re lat ionships w ill go strong and
chances of marriage will increase.
27th September, 2018
Traits in you: As the planet Mars is
your ruling planet, you are blessed
with personal traits such as active,
daring, friendly, and religious. You are
always inclined to music, art, and liter‑
ature. There are few negative traits in
your nature that you need to work on.
You should not behave jealous or
unpredictable.
Health this year: You will be enjoy‑
ing a sound health this year provided
you go for proper medication. You
need to get your medical checkup
done on time.
Finance this year: If you invest on
real estate this year, it will be highly
beneficial for you. You will be able to
make yourself stable financially. You
will be taking dif ferent jobs of high
risk and responsibility. You may travel
abroad for business purpose or holi‑
days.
Career this year: You believe in
research oriented work and make sure
your work is perfect. You should
behave a bit proactive to show your
efficiency in your professional career.
You need to plan your year effectively
to get benefits from everything you
do. You will enjoy exceptional results
of your efforts later in the year. You
will be however delivering quality in
your work.
Romance this year: You will enjoy a
great romantic life this year.
28th September, 2018
Traits in you: As you are governed
by the power of the Sun, your ruling
planet, you are unique, dynamic, fear‑
less, honorable, responsible and down‑
to‑earth. You do dare to accept any
challenge that has been offered to you
as you trust your intelligence and effi‑
ciency. However, you should have a
control of your dominant and destruc‑
tive attitude.
Health this year: Your health will be
absolutely fine this year. You may feel
very tired if you do some physical
work. So you need to go for regular
jogging to enhance your stamina.
Finance this year: You may face
some financial difficulties during the
initial months of the year but later you
will be able to solve your problems
and you w ill become stable. You
should create new contacts and go
back to old ones as this year you may
require friends to support you during
critical financial conditions. You
should not put your money in joint
venture by partnering someone in
their business.
Career this year: If you have been
waiting for a long time to get a promo‑
tion or hike in your salary, this year
will end your wait.
Romance this year: If you think you
are eligible to marry during the end of
this year, it may happen.
30 September 22-28, 2018
Sant Rajinder Singh
Ji Maharaj
Amityville, NY: On September 9,
hundreds of people came from
throughout the Tri‑State region to
the Science of Spirituality
Meditation Center in Amityville,
NY to celebrate the birth anniver‑
saries of two great spiritual lumi‑
naries, Sant Darshan Singh Ji
Maharaj and Sant Rajinder Singh
Ji Maharaj. T he Science of
Spirituality/Sawan Kirpal Ruhani
Mission sponsors an annual festi‑
val on this special occasion com‑
bining fun activities for the whole
family, along with inspirational
presentations to nourish the spir‑
it. The Darshan Mela has been a
long‑standing tradition in India,
and has become a much‑ antici‑
pated yearly event at the
Amityville Science of Spirituality
Meditation Center. Over 600 peo‑
ple from diverse cultures and
backgrounds attended this yearʼs
program. Ordinarily an outdoor
fair, this year mother natureʼs
raindrops did not dampen the
spirits of the attendees and the
Center amply housed all the vari‑
ous activities.
The day began with the Centerʼs
weekly Yoga for Everyone class,
taught by Steve Youngblood. In
the spacious sanctuary the spiri‑
tual Satsang program was pre‑
sented on the theme of Divine
Love and Selfless Service, followed
at 1:00 pm with a free luncheon
consisting of a wide variety of
vegetarian food stalls of fering
A group deep in meditation during the daylong program.
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS
Hundreds gather on LI to honor
Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj
dishes from throughout the world.
T here were de licious Indian,
Caribbean, and South American
selections, as well as old‑time
favorites like veggie burgers and
roasted corn on the cob. Ice
cream, fruit smoothies, and
delightful Indian sweets added to
the festive atmosphere for chil‑
dren and adults alike.
An expansive spiritual bookstall
and photos were on display,
including multi‑media of spiritual
talks g iven by the Spiritual
Masters of Science of Spirituality,
along with music, gift items and
inspirational literature. During the
day there were a variety of games,
kidsʼ entertainment, and colorful
face painting for the children. For
the grown‑ups there were work‑
shops including Meditation for
Inner and Outer Peace presented
by Jim Rose, and Learn to
Meditate! a fun challenge to intro‑
duce meditation to everyone by
Rosy Singh. Many benefitted from
the free medical checkups provid‑
ed by physicians Dr. O.P. Chawla,
GP, Dr. Raman Kumar,
Cardiologist, and Dr. Sunanda
Batra, PT.
Later in the afternoon, poetry,
music and videos were presented
ce le brat ing the lives of Sant
Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj and
Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj.
Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj
(1921‑1989) was a Master of
Surat Shabd Yoga and the founder
of Science of Spirituality/Sawan
Kirpal Ruhani Mission. In addi‑
tion, he was acclaimed as a great
mystic poet writing in the Urdu
language. He won four Urdu
Academy Awards for poetry.
Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj
is one of the worldʼs most highly
regarded and distinguished mas‑
ters of meditation. As the current
spiritual leader of Science of
The hall of Science of Spirituality Meditation Center in Amityville hummed with activity on the day of
Spiritual Fair to honor Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj and his message of peace & unity.
Spirituality/Sawan Kirpal Ruhani
Mission, he tours the world year
round presenting his powerful,
yet simple meditation technique
to millions of people in 5 conti‑
nents and over 20 countries. His
many books include the critically
acclaimed Spiritual Pearls for
Enlightened Living, Meditation as
Medicat ion for the Soul, and
Empowering Your Soul through
Meditation, and Inner and Outer
Peace through Meditation, both
Barnes & Noble #1 best sellers in
their genre.
The Melaʼs festivities continued
into the evening, as the audience
was warmly welcomed by Mr. D.S.
Rana, coordinator for the SOS
Centerʼs Hindi Chapter. All were
treated to an enchanting multi‑
media presentat ion written,
directed and performed by the
SOS Kids and Young Adults group.
The play explored the many bene‑
fits of meditation and the impor‑
tance of having the right priorities
in life, and how, no matter what
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
difficulties may confront us, prac‑
ticing meditation and ethical
virtues can help us meet those
challenges for a life of happiness
and fulfillment. This was followed
by the beautiful musical perform‑
ances and recitations of Sant
Darshan Singh Jiʼs illuminating
poetry. The theme of the evening
was that though there are many
dif ferent re ligious traditions
throughout the world, at the heart
of each lies the same universal
principle ‑ to love each other. This
was the core message of Sant
Darshan Singh Ji. Some of his
inspiring quotes are:
“Love has only a beginning, it
has no end.”
“When the flowers of the
church, mosque and temple gath‑
er together,
Spring will blossom forth in
Your garden, O Lord.”
“All places of worship are sym‑
bols of the One Beloved,
Bow your head when you see a
temple, and salute when you see a
Free basic medical checkups
were conducted.
mosque.”
“Embrace every man as your
very own, and shower your love
freely wherever you go.”
Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj
taught that when we are in a spiri‑
tual gathering, we realize that we
are all part of One God. But we
should not just read or listen to
that message. We should also take
steps towards our main goal,
which is attaining Self‑knowledge
and God‑Realization.
Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj
continues to bring that universal
message of hope, love and respect
for all life, and the oneness of all
Creation in his travels around the
globe. He offers a simple method
of spirituality which helps us cope
with the challenges of daily life.
He teaches: “We all have a place
of calm inside us all the time. It is
free from the problems and con‑
flicts of the outer world. It is like a
sea of tranquility that lies in the
stillness within us. We can dip
into those healing waters anytime
we want through meditation.”
T he Science of Spirituality
Meditation Center holds spiritual
programs weekly in multiple lan‑
guages including Hindi, English
and Spanish. Its Hindi presenta‑
tions are held every Wednesday
evening with meditation begin‑
ning at 8:30 pm, Satsang from
9:00 pm to 10:00 pm, followed by
a vegetarian dinner.
All programs sponsored by the
Science of Spirituality/Sawan
Kirpal Ruhani Mission are free of
charge and all are welcome. To
learn more about events happen‑
ing at the Science of Spirituality
Meditation Center contact D.S.
Rana at 516.381.2808, or 631‑
822‑7979 ext, 4;
hinditristate@sos.org; soshindisat‑
sangny@yahoo.com
TheSouthAsianTimes.info September 22-28, 2018
TheSouthAsianTimes.info September 22-28, 2018