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Osama bin Laden Washington, DC: In letters from his last hideout, Osama bin Laden fretted about dysfunction in his terrorist network and crumbling trust from Muslims he wished to incite against their governments and the West. A selection of documents seized in last year's raid on bin Laden's Pakistan house was posted online Thursday by the US Army's anti-terror arm. They reveal that until the end, bin Laden remained focused on attacking Americans and coming up with plots, however improbable, to kill US leaders. He wished especially to target airplanes carrying Gen. David Petraeus and even President Obama, reasoning that an assassination would elevate an "utterly unprepared'' Vice President Joe Biden into the presidency and plunge the US into crisis. In effect, documents show dark days for al-Qaida and its hunkered-down leader after years of attacks by the US and what bin Laden saw as bumbling within his own organization and its terrorist allies. "I plan to release a statement that we are starting a new phase to correct (the mistakes) we made,'' bin Laden wrote in 2010. "In doing so, we shall reclaim, God willing, the trust of a large segment of those who lost their trust in the jihadis.''. But a US analysts' assessment describes him as upset over the inability of spinoff terrorist groups to win public support for their cause, their unsuccessful media campaigns and poorly planned plots that, in bin Laden's view, killed too many innocent Muslims.
A view from the gunner's cockpit of an Mi-35 attack helicopter during the Shoorveer military exercise in Rajasthan near India-Pak border on May 3 electronic warfare system and surveillance equipment carried out battle drills. Continued on page 4
Washington, DC: In a new ad, the Obama campaign has accused presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney of outsourcing jobs to India when he was the Massachusetts Governor. "What about Mitt Romney? As a corporate CEO, he shipped American jobs to places like Mexico and China. As governor, he outsourced state jobs to a call center in India. He's still pushing tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas," said the ad which will run in the key states of Virginia, Ohio and Iowa at a cost of about $780,000. "It's just what you'd expect from a guy who had a Swiss Bank account," says the advertisement approved by President Barack Obama seeking his reelection this November. The Indian IT software and services companies get about 60 per cent of their revenue from the US market, as American firms outsource their back office jobs to India and other countries to cut cost.
The Bethpage store of AW Mobile. This is very exciting news and Bethpage is a great town, said Kohli. County Executive Mangano is coming specially to inaugurate our store in his hometown. [That speaks of] AW Mobile as a fast-growing company. Kohli went on to say that the TMobile-ATT merger that fell through last year was good. Business is better now, he said. People didnt have the confidence before but now weve had a lot of people come back for TMobile as their exclusive provider. We at AW Mobile are dedicated to customer service.
Pastor Terry Jones burned the Quran to protest the imprisonment in Iran of Christian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani. Youcef Nadarkhani. Nadarkhani was arrested in 2009 and was sentenced to death in connection with his conversion. His death sentence was overturned by the Iranian Supreme Court in February. The Pentagon has asked Jones to refrain from burning the Quran out of concern for the safety of NATO forces in Afghanistan.
The Amphion String Quartets Katie Hyun and David Southorn on Violin, Wei-Yang Lin on Viola and Mihai Marica on Cello.
with a scintillating performance of Kathak dance by Brinda Anonya Guha, who has been learning dance from Kalamandir of NJ Dance School under the guidance of her mother Malabika Guha. Her performance invigorated the atmosphere and delighted the entire audience.
Some prominent members of the Indian community of Long Island organized a Meet and Greet for Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano on May 2 at Antuns, Hicksville. Contributors for the evening included Dr Jagga Rao Alliri, Dr Bhavani Srinivsan, and Kawaljit Chandi. Organisers included Bina Sabapathy, Aruna Saxena and Prasad Kambhampaty. Besides Hon. Mangano who addressed the gathering, Nassau Countys Department of Social Services Commissioner Dr. John E. Imhof attended the dinner event.
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New York: The new Popchips ad which showed brown faced Ashton Kutcher sending up a Bollywood producer, was briefly yanked Wednesday following a public uproar over its alleged racist overtones, putting the snack's manufacturer on the defensive. In the ad, Kutcher plays a number of characters looking for love on a dating service. Popchips apologized, saying the ad was never intended to stereotype or offend anyone.
Washington: The sexual Secret diaries of an warmth is definitely Australian woman there but the rest who was one of of it has sharp edges young Barack and Im finding it all Obamas girlunsettling and findfriends, show the ing myself wanting warmth and trust of to withdraw from it the future president all, Cook wrote. in love, but also The account by hint at his reserve Maraniss shows the and coolness. young Obama trying Accounts of the to make sense of the 1980s romance different cultural A young Obama and between Genevieve and racial strands of Genevieve Cook Cook and a 20-somehis life, as the son of thing Obama in New York were a white American woman and a excerpted in Vanity Fair magazine Kenyan father who spent boyhood from a new book called Barack years in Indonesia. He comes across Obama: The Story by Pulitzer Prize as cerebral, searching, perhaps prewinning journalist David Maraniss. tentious, brooding but earnest, and as Cook, daughter of an Australian an outsider traits, in one degree or diplomat, remembered how on another which another marked his Sundays Obama would lounge lightning rise to the top of US poliaround, drinking coffee and solving tics two decades later. Cook, who the New York Times crossword puz- met Obama at a Christmas Party in zle, bare-chested, wearing a blue and New York in 1983, had not previouswhite sarong, Maraniss wrote. ly revealed the diaries. The book also includes accounts The account of their time together, from Cooks diaries, which show while Obama was in his formative how the romance grew and then years working in New York, shows cooled when the couple moved in the couple poring through books together, according to the excerpts. together or cooking.
pictures of the battle zone provided to a centralized command and control center from fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and attack helicopters, waging war in network centric environment and massed tank drills backed by long range artillery guns. More than 300 combat vehicles including main battle tank T-90, T-72, long range 150mm artillery guns, multi barrel rockets and about 60000 troops have taken part in this massive exercise in Rajasthan. Integrated air-land war-fighting machinery and the synergy between Army and IAF was the major highlight of the exercise, said Defense Spokesperson S D Goswami.
Money laundering story Continued from page 1 As they are, the documents reviewed by Reuters, combined with regulatory filings, court documents and interviews with current and former HSBC employees, paint a damning portrait of a bank allegedly unable, and unwilling, to police itself or its clients. The revelations come as HSBC confronts multiple investigations into its internal policing abilities. The Justice Department, the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Manhattan district attorney, the Office of Foreign Assets Control and the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Consultant - Media Alliances Bhrigu Pankaj Prashar C: 516.303.4002 Bhrigu@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Investigations are scrutinizing client activities such as cross-border movements of bulk cash, and transactions linked to Iran and other parties under US economic sanctions, the bank said in a February regulatory filing. A successful case against HSBC could result in an onerous fine and represent one of the most significant money laundering cases ever brought against an international bank. It also would draw unaccustomed attention to the challenges governments -- and financial institutions -- face in monitoring the trillions of dollars flowing through banks' back-office operations, flows essential to the daily functioning of the global financial system. Photographs: Gunjesh Desai/ masalajunction.com. Xitij Joshi/xitijphoto.com Photo Journalist: Parveen/Bhanu Seth Chief Cartoonist: Mahendra P. Shah Art and Design: Vladimir Tomovski Bhagwati Multimedia, Rahul Sahota Web Editor: B.B.Chopra News Service: HT Media Ltd. IANS Newswire Services Printing: Five Star Printing, NY Richner Publications Contacts Editor@TheSouthAsianTimes.info Subscribe@TheSouthAsianTimes.info Advertisements Advertise@TheSouthAsianTimes.info P : 516.390.7847 F : 516.465.1343
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Dr. Narendra Hadpawat, an eminent cardiologist and community leader in Long Island with Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi during his recent visit to India.
Najibullah Zazi in 2009 York's Times Square May 1 while working with the Taliban in Pakistan. He has been sentenced to life in prison. Shahzad admitted he drove a Nissan Pathfinder into the crowded Manhattan intersection laden with improvised explosives. He fled when they failed to go off and was arrested May 3 at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport after boarding a flight to Dubai.
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dance recital was organized in honor of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavans completion of thirty years of service to the community both Indian and non-Indian. Bhavan USA, through its various cultural and educational endeavors as well as through its numerous publications and periodicals, has created a strong impact on the community and is sought out by individuals and community organizations for guidance in promotion of Indian culture, education and the arts. The Bharatanatyam recital Bhakti Nrityam by Smt. Padmini Radhakrishnan of Soundarya Natya Kalalaya (Mumbai) was jointly organized by the Bhavan and Shri Vari Foundation. The evening started with Dr. Rashmi Mehta and Bharatanatyam guru Gayatri Devi welcoming Smt. Padmini Radhakrishnan. Dr. Navin Mehta presented a plaque to Smt. Radhakrish-
next primaries on June 26. "Our goal has been to assist the Board of Elections in providing language assistance that will have the greatest impact, and to ensure that the assistance will be provided as soon as possible during this important election year," said Glenn D. Magpantay, Director of the Democracy Program at AALDEF. AALDEF will now focus on making sure that local election officials fully comply with the law. In the past, poll sites have mistranslated ballots by listing Democrats as Republicans and vice versa, or by incorrectly assigning interpreters. Vigorous enforcement of the language assistance will be required.
ational Indo-American Association for Senior Citizens Inc. (NIAASC) in collaboration with The Indian American Kerala Cultural and Civic Center will hold 23rd conference on Seniors on June 1, 2012 from 10 am to 3 pm at the Marina Fair Grounds, Flushing, near LaGuardia airport. The conference will focus on topic 'Aging in place' and the subtopics for panel discussion will be: De-cluttering; minor and major modifications to make home elder friendly; costs involved; health and security including identity theft. The speaker will be Edward O'Connor, chairman, Long Island Chapter of National Aging in Place Council. Registration fees is $20.00 per person and includes breakfast and lunch.
n April 30, 2012, Ambassador Anupama Rao opened the doors of the Embassy Residence to welcome members of the Cleveland Park Historical Society (CPHS). Around seventy members of CPHS gathered on the lawns of the Embassy Residence to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Cleveland Park Historic District that has the Residence listed as one of its grand estates. (The Residence, also known as The Homestead, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987). Ambassador informed that the building, originally built in 1914 and then renovated in the 1930s by the Schoellkopf family, was acquired by the Government of India as the Embassy Residence in 1945.
The Czech photographer Jiri Makovec has combined 58 of his favorite shots taken while living in New York into a collection, From the Island. This one of a Sikh Day Parade was published in The New York Times.
Vikram J Singh
Washington, DC: India's Ambassador Nirupama Rao has asked American students to be alert to the "stifling effects" of protectionism as it is retrogressive and hinders economic growth and development in the age of globalization. "Borders between nations are becoming increasingly porous and in time they will be increasingly irrelevant, as people are allowed to move freely to transact trade and commerce and to travel without hindrance," Rao said delivering the commencement address at University of Florida, Gainesville, Friday. "Protectionism in such a situation becomes a hindrance to economic growth and development because it seeks to cap the flow of people, of goods and services, of ideas and technologies. It builds walls and is thus retrogressive," Rao said. "We must be alert to its stifling effects," she said, noting: "Globalization integrates the world today in many ways. But it has also unleashed its discontents." Asking the students to use their education to "make the world a better place", she hoped they would become the "builders of an even better and high yielding partnership between our two democracies, India and the United States." "Just as we see many Indian students coming to study in universities in this coun-
Ambassador Nirupama Rao delivering Commencement Address at University of Florida, Gainesville on April 27, 2012. try, I hope I see many more young Americans drawn to India and the study of India in a serious and comprehensive way," Rao said. More than 1,100 Indian students are currently enrolled at the University of Florida. "Through its linkages and partnership with several Indian academic institutions, the university is performing yeoman service in the promotion of greater understanding between the Indian and American peoples," Rao said. Recently, a University of Florida-led research team has been selected to participate in a five-year, $125 million project on the development of clean energy technologies involving research institutions, universities and industry from India and the US, she noted.
Buddhists, Hindus, Jains and Sikhs join hands for first-ever White House conference
Washington, DC: On April 20, 2012, Hindu American Seva Charities (HASC) along with The White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Agencies and the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships hosted a historic conference, Community Building in the 21st Century with Strengthened Dharmic Faith-Based Institutions for the Dharmic (defined as ,Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Sikh) Religious Leaders. HASC partnered with many organizations, including the Council of Hindu Temples, Federation of Jain Associations of North America, Soka Gakkai International-USA Buddhist Association and others to create a coalition that can deliver collaborative solutions and services to benefit the communities around us while promoting better understanding of our beliefs, cultures and values. In his opening remarks, Paul Monteiro, Associate Director, White House Office of Public Engagement observed that the Dharmic-American community is interested in all the same issues that everyone is interested in - healthcare, security, education, etc. "In America, our collective faith infrastructures (temples, ashrams, and meditation and yoga studios) are in early stages of development. The Dharmic Americans, mostly post 1964 immigrants, are just becoming part of the mosaic of the pluralistic landscape of America. ...As we see it, in America, the seva movement is a tool for social justice, a way to deal with community issues. The eastern Dharmic traditions share many commonalities and have infrastructure gaps. We are trying to understand how can we engage with each other collectively, what are our issues? How can more of us engage with the administration?" said Anju Bhargava of HASC, lead organizer of the event. An event Celebrating Padma Desai & Her New Book: "Breaking Out: An Indian Woman's American Journey" was held at Pulitzer World Room, Columbia Journalism School, New York, NY on Tuesday, April 24, 2012. The event was hosted by Jagdish & Anu Bhagwati and Sree Sreenivasan & Roopa Unnikrishnan. After a lifetime of scholarly work demystifying Russia, India and America for the world, legendary Columbia professor Padma Desai has finally turned the lens on her own story. Her memoirs have just been published by Penguin Books India.
South Asian Hindi-Urdu teachers assembled in Madison, WI where they reorganized themselves under one forum. In the foreground on right is SALTAs president Gautami Shah of University of Texas. (Photo by Ashok Ojha). ganization, NCLCTL. SALTA meeting. Agreeing to continGautami Shah, who teaches Hindi ue as SALTAs president, Gautami at University of Texas at Austin and Shah promised to work for developserved at several Ivy League univer- ing the organization into a potent sities, represented SALTA on the movement for promotion of teaching board of NCLCTL. It is a matter of South Asian languages. pride for us that Gautami represents Three visiting Hindi scholars from our voice at the national level. We India also presented their papers. support her and want her to continue Fulbright scholar Nishpriha from as SALTA president for another Surat and Kamran from Aligarh preterm, said Seema Khurana of Yale sented refreshing ideas about includUniversity, moving a motion at the ing Hindi proverbs and common
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Yoga Beyond Asana, by You will learn about Action/KarSatya Kalra, made its debut ma Yoga, Love/Bhakti Yoga, Janna/Knowledge Yoga, and eight on March 1, 2012 at the International Yoga Festival on the steps of Raja Yoga, meditation and Samadhi. banks of Ganga at Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh (India). Kalra is a The colorfully designed with ilCalifornia-based author and lustrations pocket book helps you to raise your level of consciousfounder of Path to Anandam, a non-profit organization. Path to ness, overcome old, self-defeating Anandam is the road that takes behaviors and limiting beliefs, atCover of Yoga one to the hidden treasure of eter- Beyond Asana tain good health and peace of mind, reach your unlimited energy nal happiness and peace by unshackling from all emotional attachments and and potential, and find the beautiful person negativities through a spiritual journey of self- within. I earnestly hope that this Anandam transformation. guide helps you as much it has helped me to Yoga Beyond Asana. is based upon the understand the ultimate meaning and purpose teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali's of the Yoga and also practicing in daily life, Yoga Sutra and Satyas personal experiences. says Kalra.
goals to accomplish. Though opting to stay out of the race, Jindal, a Republican, made a sharp attack on President Barack Obama, charging him with leading America toward a European socialist-type government. He warned that America's energy sector would see "continued hostility" if President Barack Obama is re-elected. "You already see it in the first term," Jindal said. Jindal said that the Obama administration has brought America high unemployment and high deficits, and "you've got a president who is leading us toward a European socialist-type government."
aryland state governor Martin O'Malley, who last November led the largest state trade delegation to India, opened his house to celebrate Vaisakhi to recognize the Sikh community's growing influence in the state. Over 150 Indian and Sikh community leaders gathered at O'Malley's residence for the celebrations Monday in Annapolis, capital of the state that bounds Washington on three sides. This governor, who had opened his house to the Sikh community for the second time, issued a proclamation to mark the holiday and announced the formation of a new commission of South East Asia headed by Jasdip "Jesse" Singh. Dr. Rajan Natarajan, who has been appointed as Maryland's deputy
secretary of state, external affairs, was also present. "Vaisakhi is not only a Sikh or Punjabi holiday but now it has become an American holiday," said Maryland state delegate Aruna Miller.Asking the Indian community to be involved in the political system, Maryland delegate Sam Arora thanked the governor for making Maryland the sister state to Indian States like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Punjab. Noting that O'Malley is the first governor to start Vaisakhi celebration at his residence, Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown said: "This certainly reminds us of our goal to have One Maryland recognizing its own diversity." Sikh community leaders presented a 'dhal' with two 'kirpans' as a memento to O'Malley along with a book about Sikh religion.
American Muslims grew in number over the past decade, outnumbering Jews for the first time in most of the Midwest and part of the South majority of expanding congregations have fewer than 100 members and are not large mega churches, Jones said. Jones said Buddhists made strong gains in the Rocky Mountain states, where the number of temples and congregations increased markedly. The total number of Buddhist adherents in the United States was nearly 1 million. There was no estimate in 2000. "Based on some of the temple names, I think some of the upscale yuppie types are looking for something different than the church they grew up in," Jones said.
85% Indian-Americans want Indian-Americans caught in $450 mn Medicare fraud second term for Obama
Washington, DC: A new survey, results of which were released on Tuesday, showed that 85% IndianAmericans had a favorable impression of President Obama. And 56% of them thought poorly of Romney. Asked who they would vote for if elections were held today Indian Americans were totally for Obama over Romney (76 to 8%), over Santorum (72-8) or any other Republican candidate. Of the Asian-American communities surveyed, Indian-Americans were the most pro-Democrats and most anti-Republicans. Asian-Americans are the fastest growing ethnic community in the US, according to the 2010 census, grown by 46% since 2000. They are expected to be 9% of the population by 2050. Chinese (4 million), Korean, Filipino, Japanese and Vietnamese are other nationalities that, with Indians (3.23 million), comprise the growing community. The survey the first of Asian Americans yet was conducted by Lake Research Partners, a DCbased political consultancy firm, with APIA Vote, Asian American Institute and Asian American Justice Center. An Indian-American running for US House of Representative from a district in Texas said he wasnt in the least bit surprised by
Washington, DC: Several Indian-Americans are among 107 people charged in Medicare fraud schemes involving $450 million in false billings uncovered in an operation across seven cities in the largest US bust in recent history. Top US law enforcement officials announced the charges were filed in seven metropolitan areas, capping an investigation of several months into efforts to defraud Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health programs for senior citizens. At least 91 of the defendants in the case have been taken into custody following an early morning roundup and the execution of 20 search warrants, the officials said. In Miami, 59 people were charged. Seven defendants were charged in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, nine were charged in Houston, eight were charged in Los Angeles, 22 were charged in Detroit, one was charged in Chicago and one in
President Obama scores over Mitt Romney for Indian-Americans the findings of the survey. Most Indian-Americans would identify themselves as Democrats, though a few, who have made a lot of money, might become Republicans, he said, not wanting to be identified. Difficult to explain, therefore, the two Indian American governors in the US Nikky Haley and Bobby Jindal are both from the Republican Party. But Lal Motwani, president of the National Federation of IndianAmerican Federations, pointed to the large number of Indian-Americans in the Obama administration. USAID chief Rajiv Shah is the highest ranking Indian-American in the Obama administration. Aneesh Chopra was Obamas IT czar till he left earlier in the year. Its Indian-Americans again who said Obama has done an excellent/good job as president 66% when the larger AsianAmerican community was split 49-49. And the Democrats could do no wrong: they were better than Republicans on health care, creating jobs, foreign policy, national security, taxes and immigration. Everything. Asian-Americans are politically important but they are not courted either by Democrats or Republicans, barring a few noticeable exceptions. Presidential candidates and political parties ignore Asian-American voters at their own peril, said pollster Celinda Lake. The Obama administration, to its credit, hasnt. It reaches out to this community on the Obama-Biden homepage seeking to engage it, and perhaps, get it to write a few checks. Indian Americans, for instance, have donated generously to the Obama campaign, with a few heavy-hitters raising upwards of $500,000. There arent many of them among Romney donors.
Tampa. At least four Indian Americans figured among those charged in Detroit. While Sachin Sharma, 36, and Dana Sharma, 29, of Michigan and two others were charged for their roles in a $23 million scheme to defraud Medicare, Madhur Thawani, 27 and Ankit Patel, 27, also of Michigan and three others were charged in another $13.8 million scheme to defraud Medicare. Those arrested include nurses, therapists, social workers and a pharmacist. Charges against ambulance companies for billing to cover unnecessary rides represented a new wrinkle in fraud enforcement, officials said. FBI Deputy Director Sean Joyce told a press conference here to announce the charges that the FBI is currently investigating more than 2,600 cases of health care fraud. In 2011, the FBI charged more than 1,600 individuals, and helped secure more than 700 convictions, he said.
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without any bottom or glaze. Homdoor epitomizes the concept of all tandoors: vertical barbequing. It creates intense heat (700850 degrees F) that quickly sears food, while keeping it moist, tender and infused with the flavors of the grill and marinades. It is a healthy, low-fat cooking method for meats, poultry, seafood, and the naan, which is slapped on the inside wall and baked in 90 seconds. Its also the perfect grill for vegetarians, offering a variety of ways to easily prepare meatless dishes. The Homdoor is available in a charcoal, propane or gas version. Homdoor is not even limited to Indian food. Though most associate the tandoor with Indian food, the Homdoor is also uniquely suited to American-style barbecue steaks, chicken, hot dogs, even corn on the cob, says Levy. Its uncomplicated, fast, tasty, exotic, and with just a little attention, almost foolproof. Plus its plain fun. Homdoor, available in a charcoal, propane or gas version, has been received well by restaurant owners and chefs for its simplicity
Designed by Ron Levy (left) and made in Ohio, Homdoor is a tandoor meant for home use and ability to offer tastes rivaling the richest reputations from back in the motherland. "Ive been using Ron Levy's restaurant grade tandoors for catering, fairs and special events, said Manoj Bhatti, owner of Imlee, the No. 1 rated Indian restaurant in Miami, Florida. His tandoors cook naan to perfection and tandoori items such as shrimp, vegetables and fish come out of the tandoor moist, succulent and delicious. Recently, I used the Homdoor and it cooks with the same perfection as his commercial tandoors. The Homdoor is perfect for family meals and social gatherings up to 40 people." Made in Ohio, USA, Homdoor is distinguished from other home tandoors because it has been pre-fired to 2,000 degrees F making the clay strong and durable. It is more sanitary and the insulation is cast and bonded on to the tandoor, giving it structural strength. It is placed inside a stainless steel jacket on 10 inch wheels. Beth Kaminstein, head of Homdoor Marketing and Sales, told the SATimes, You can do almost anything in Homdoor that you can do in a regular barbeque. Vertical barbequing is really a healthy way to cook and a key thing is having a way to cook the bread. Indian food is exciting to the American public now. People are genuinely interested in the cuisine, more so than 30 years ago. For the second generation Indian Americans, theres a certain nostalgia. The Indian community, for sure, is ready for it. While the authentic carryingover of native flavors from India was once overlooked immediately upon mention, Homdoor has made possible the experience of that same, rich tandoori tasteanywhere.
US Affairs TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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President Obama with his counterpart Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan Kabul: President Barack Obama signed a cooperation agreement with Afghanistan as he paid an unannounced visit to the war-torn country Tuesday on the first anniversary of the killing of Al Qaeda's ex-chief Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. "Afghanistan has a friend and a partner in the United States," said Obama before he and Afghan President Hamid Karzai signed the Strategic Partnership Agreement outlining cooperation between their countries once the US-led international force withdraws in 2014, CNN reported. Obama, on his third trip to Afghanistan since taking office, also addressed troops at Bagram Air Field. During he signing ceremony, he said neither country asked for the war which began over a decade earlier, but now they would work in partnership for a peaceful future. Talking about the concern in Afghanistan that the US would abandon the country once its troops leave, Obama said, "With this agreement, I am confident that the Afghan people will understand that the United States will stand by them." The US "did not come here to claim resources or to claim territory, he said, adding "We came here with a very clear mission to destroy Al Qaeda." At present, there are over 90,000 US troops in Afghanistan and the US is expected to draw down that number to 65,000 by the end of 2012 and to less than 20,000 by the end of 2014.
Obama and Romney traded barbs over the Presidents handling of the 1st anniversary of Osama killing. ties. First, terrorism is a decentralized phenomenon - in its funding, planning, and execution. Second, Pakistan, home of some of the most dangerous terrorists in the world, is decidedly less than a full partner in the war against terror, he said Bruce Riedel, a former CIA officer now at the Brookings Institution, agreed that bin Laden's death "was a setback to Al Qaeda, but the Islamic terror organization remains a potent threat around the world". It's on the defensive, but it's far from defeated, he added. Another former CIA official, Reuel Marc Gerecht, now a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, said, "I don't think his death fundamentally affects the future of jihadist groups in Pakistan and
New York: Freedom Tower, or One World Trade Center, overtook the Empire State Building, after a steel column was lifted into place on the 100th floor. Work on the building began in April 2006 and when it's finished it will have 104 floors. When an antenna is added as the finishing touch, it will be
the tallest building in the US. The tower stands on the site where terrorist attacks destroyed the World Trade Center's twin towers on 11 September 2001. One construction worker told a BBC reporter "It's a beautiful thing that we're up there but it's a horrible reason to have to put it up."
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India TheSouthAsianTimes.info
The BJP-led opposition may not be able to put up a credible fight in the polls to determine who should replace Pratibha Patil New Delhi: A Congress nominee, either finance minister Pranab Mukherjee or Vice-President Hamid Ansari, seems set to be elected President, with all indications suggesting that the BJP-led opposition may not be able to put up a credible fight in the polls to determine who should replace Pratibha Patil. Although BJP scrambled to con-
The disclosure came when the government tried to downplay the controversy by saying family members accompanying the President was a "normal diplomatic practice" relatives D S Rathore, Mrs D S UK, Cyprus and China between Rathore and A G Patil, This was April 2009 and May 2010, the followed by a trip to Mumbai, President was accompanied by at Lakshadweep (Agatti, Kavaratti, least two relatives including her Bangaram Islands) and Kerala grandchildren on each trip. (Kochi) between December 23-28, Incidentally, the disclosure came 2009 where she was accompanied on a day when the government by 10 relatives including her chil- tried to downplay the controversy dren, their spouses and grandchil- by saying family members accomdren. In her travel to countries like panying the President was a "norPoland, Spain, Russia, Tajikistan, mal diplomatic practice".
Baba Ramdev
Ramdev, addressing the media while launching his month-long yatra in Chhattisgarh's Durg area, said, MPs "are those people who don't care, don't love the farmers, the laborers or the people of this country. "They are friends and slaves of money. They are illiterate, dacoits and murderers. They are devils in the form of humans, who we have elected to those posts," Ramdev said. The yoga guru also said there were good people among the parliamentarians and he respected them.
Actress-MP Jaya Bachchan and her one-time co-star Rekha elected to the upper house. Meanwhile, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has been allotted seat number 103. Both Rekha and Tendulkar along with industrialist and social worker Anu Aga have been nominated to the upper house by the president.
India TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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A crowded ferry (in the picture) carrying around 300 people capsized at Madattari in lower Assam's Dhubri district. not be less than 200 and that most bodies had been washed away downstream due to strong undercurrents. "So far we have recovered 21 bodies and we have 42 missing reports. So the death toll comes to 63 till Wednesday," Dhubri Deputy Commissioner Kumud Kalita said. "There may have been over 300 people in the boat but we cannot say that until we recover the bodies. Our inquiry is still on," he said. Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi cut short his Amethi visit to reach the disaster site to express solidarity with the families of the victims. Gandhi was accompanied by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and state Congress president Bhubneswar Kalita.
In Chandigarh, the gurdwaras in Sector 8 and Sector 34, two of the biggest ones in the city, have taken the lead by installing ACs for summer and heaters and blowers for the winter.
biggest ones in the city that get the maximum number of devotees, have taken the lead by installing air-conditioners (ACs) for summer and heaters and blowers for the winter. In the Sector 8 gurdwara, a special projector screen shows everything a granthi is reading from the Sikh holy book. With the help of a laptop, the Gurmukhi text is translated into English for people of non-Sikh origin and those who do not understand the language, especially youth. Sikander Singh, the person who translates and projects the text, said: "One of our regular devotees got the idea during a trip abroad where screens were being used to translate the holy book and hymns."
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India TheSouthAsianTimes.info
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (left), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Economist Bipul Malakar feels increase in potential American This certainly would be good much this city and Eastern India the visit will provide Clinton an investment in the state. opportunity to discuss potential have transformed and what a opportunity to clear certain mis"She (Clinton) is expected to be investment in the state in fields bright future lies ahead," she said conceptions people have about accompanied by a business like information technology or after the meet. America and its policies. entourage. She would not only be biotech where the land requireAt the national level, the strate"To a large extent that too inex- meeting policy makers or politi- ment is comparatively lesser," he gic importance of Cinton's tour plicably, people of the state have cians but also people from the said. was not lost on experts. an adverse feeling towards industry. US Ambassador to India Nancy "Clinton's India visit carries America and its policies. This visit Some pacts or collaborations are J Powell who Monday met strategic importance as it comes surely provides an opportunity to bound to happen," regional direc- Banerjee said she (Powell) was weeks before the US-India Clinton to address the peculiar tor of Indo-American Chamber of looking forward to Clinton's visit. Strategic Dialogue in Washington issue and ally all fears. The visit is Commerce, Madhusree Daityari "I am looking forward to wel- co-chaired by her and External likely to yield not only political said. Roychowdhury agreed. "The coming Secretary of State Hillary Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna as but also economical benefits," he visit may lead to increase in Clinton to Kolkata next week. I also the Barack Obama adminissaid. potential American investment at think this visit will be an opportu- tration is on its way out and facing Some feel the visit may lead to least it can spruce up the stocks. nity for her to see firsthand how elections," Roychowdhury said.
Rahul Rathi blog, which had a tetrapack (the 'packaging' referred to in his tweet) on which the 'ingredients' list included leadership, decisionmaking, problem solving and team-playing skills.
Religion TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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people around the world. Along with Jain scriptures, she also studied Hindu and Buddhist texts with very good communicating skills in English, Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati. Along with her studies, she also held an administrative post at Veerayatan Rajgir for a few years. For the past 17 years, she has been living in the United States where she was married and has a beautiful 12 year old daughter, Ruhani. Even though she was living in the USA for so many years, her heart was with Veerayatan all the while. During her stay in the USA, she continued her religious studies and worked and supported
various volunteer activities of Veerayatan. Mangalam had a long desire to take vows of Jain ascetic (Diksha) and live a complete spiritual life. Jain Diksha (initiation) occurs in two phases. The initial Diksha and within 6 months, the final (Badi) Diksha. Mangalam's initial Diksha took place under Acharya Shri Chandanaji at Veerayatan, Rajgir, Bihar, India on December 20th 2011. During the initiation process she was given a new name Sadhvi Sanghamitra. The Badi Diksha took place at the Jain Center of Northern California, Milpitas (San Francisco) California on April 8, 2012. This was an historic event for
the entire Jain Community of USA and of North America since it was the very first Diksha ceremony in the country and continent. Acharya Shri Chandanaji performed the Badi Diksha ceremony. The Veerayatan principle mission of Seva (help other human beings and animals), Siksha (Educate other human beings), and Sadhana (along with Seva, and Siksha continue your spiritual progress) is very conducive to uplift the morality and spirituality of children born and raised in North America. In the past many of Jain youth have worked voluntarily at Veerayatan hospital and Kutch Education center. Jaina Education Committee took an active part in the Badi Diksha ceremony function of Sadhvi Sanghamitraji. The Diksha Ceremony book was compiled and published by the committee. In addition to Diksha ceremony vidhi, the book contains a brief information of Veerayatan mission, Acharya Shri Chandanji's message, Sadhvi Shri Sanghamitraji's life, Veerayatan Palitana project, and some pictures of initial Diksha ceremony. Diksha ceremony book was to every attendees (more than 1200) of the function. The Diksha vidhi sutras were taken from the Jain Agams - Nandi Sutra and Dasvaikalik Sutra. The sutras were recited by Sadhivi Shree Sanghamitraji and the entire audience joined in the recitation with Sadhviji. Acharya Shri Chandanaji and Sadhvi Shri Subhamji explained the meaning.
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Ultimate Bollywood
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chala Sachdev, best remembered for playing the screen wife of Balraj Sahni in B.R. Chopras 'Waqt,' died of respiratory failure in Pune this week. Born in Peshawar in 1920, Achala made her film debut with Fashionable Wife (1938), and acted in over 130 films. She shifted to Pune after marrying Clifford Douglas Peters, who had a factory in Bhosari. Achala gained immense popularity for playing the roles of mother and grandmother in Hindi films. The song O meri Zohra Jabeen from Waqt was picturised on Sahni and her and most people referred to her as Zohra Jabeen ever since. Achala was a favourite with Yash Chopra and was seen in his first production venture Daag: The Poem Of Love. She also played memorable roles in Yash Raj Films Chandni and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, in which she played Kajols grandmother. Her
Achala Sachdev, original Zohra Watch Rajesh Khanna 'Tezz': a slick action film with engaging thrills again, in a TV ad! Jabeen, is dead 'The Avengers' smash 'Tezz!' W
ollywood's first superstar Rajesh Khanna, who recently had a health scare, is back in action with his first television ad and says he is "delighted to reconnect with fans once again". The actor will be seen in the new Havell's fan ad campaign called Havells Fans Forever. The TVC, directed by R. Balki, shows
and I am delighted to reconnect with my fans once again. Shooting after a gap of so many years has definitely brought back fond memories and I feel that not a lot has changed at all. It's good to be back," Rajesh Khanna said in a statement. In the ad, he goes down memory lane, remembering how his fans used to follow him everywhere when he was a
VARIOUS MOODS: Achala Sachdev with Balraj Sahni in 'Waqt.' other memorable films include Mera Naam Joker, Julie, Haqeeqat and Himalay Ki God Main. She also was a part of English films such asNine Hours to Rama and Merchant Ivory film The Householder. Her last film was the Hrithik Roshan-Esha Deol starrer Na Tum Jaano Na Hum. Rajesh Khanna in Havell's fan ad. the iconic superstar talking about his fans and giving the viewers a sense that he still enjoys a huge fan following. "To be approached after so many years is indeed a great honour for me superstar. Balki, also the chairman and chief creative officer of Lowe Lintas, said Rajesh Khanna was an apt choice as he still commands a lot of respect.
hat do you do when a country, a culture and their purveyors wrong you irreparably? You plant a bomb in a speeding train and hold the establishment to ransom. Taking a cue from Hollywood's most watched bomb-maro-bomb rush-hour excursions into plunderland "Tezz" springs forward a nicely-packaged expertly-cut hedunnit. And that's a very different genre from the whodunit. Here we know Ajay Devgn is the closet terrorist. But since his fans won't like it, Devgn is, with due respect to Mira Nair, a reluctant terrorist... how reluctant, we won't reveal fully. Devgn has a back story with screen wife Kangna Ranaut, who in keeping with her character's British domicile, sports blonde hair. No, this is not a joke.
his week, a Hollywood superhero sci-fi flick has streaked past a star-studded Bollywood biggie at the box-office. The Avengers netted in around Rs. 15 crore over the weekend in India, while the Anil Kapoor-Ajay Devgn Tezz managed only Rs. 11.25 crore says trade analyst Komal Nahta, adding, Tezz is a non-starter and given that summer vacations are on and theres no strong Bollywood re-
lease this week, The Avengers is likely to keep going strong. According to UTV Motion Pictures thats distributing the film in India, The Avengers collected Rs. 4.01 crore on Friday, Rs. 4.67 crore on Saturday and Rs. 5.32 crore on Sunday. The studio claims that it is the third biggest Hollywood weekend after Avatar (2009) and Mission Impossible 1V: Ghost Protocol (2011).
Ajay Devgn and Anil Kapoor in a scene from Tezz. Luckily, Priyadarshan's plot has a lot more going for itself than its leading lady's hair-to-stay problems. The director creates a taut cat-andmouse game between 'terrorist' Devgn and cop Anil Kapoor who in
true Hollywood style, is on the verge of retirement from service when duty beckons. There are enough men on duty on both sides of the law here to fill up one section of Tihar jail. The narration allows elbow-room for an army of actors laden with
anxious motivations and tense expressions to match, all hurling like the speeding train towards an uncertain nemesis. Luckily, the plot finds itself a convincing finale. And we can go home feeling all is not lost for the slick action genre in Bollywood.
Fatboy Slim in India, promises 'The Avengers' ups the bar for superhero phenomenal evening
merican model-turned-actress Nargis Fakhri, whose voice in her debut film "Rockstar" was dubbed due to her poor Hindi diction, is busy working on the language and reveals that finally she can read and write a bit of Hindi. "Everything takes time, it doesn't happen like this. I was plucked out of the sky and put here. So, it's taking time but it's going well," she said Monday at the launch of the Gaja Store. "I am really happy, I am reading and writing, which is great. So at least when I can read I am like, 'Yes, I can read'," she added. The 32-year-old has one film in hand, "Khiladi 786" opposite Akshay Kumar. The film also stars Paresh Rawal. Meanwhile, she is reading scripts and may zero in on something soon.
ritish Musician Norman Quentin Cook, known by his stage name Fatboy Slim, is all set to enthrall Indian music lovers for the very first time with his performances. He says India has always been a dream destination. He has two shows lined up - he will first perform May 5 in Gurgaon and the next day in Bangalore. The 48-year-old created magic at global festivals like Glastonbury Festival, Big Beach Boutique, O2 Wireless Festival and Rockness Festival. "Great crowds is what an artist craves for and India promises all that and more. India has always been a dream destination for me and it will
franchisee
n a multi-hero film, it is tough to do justice to each character. Imagine a multi-superhero film? Yet to the delight of movie lovers, second-time feature director Joss Whedon proves himself to be a superhero as he pulls the impossible with fun, humor and unbelievable panache in "The Avengers". 'Shield' director Nick Fury (Jackson) manages to assemble six superheroes when Loki (Hiddleston) threatens to destroy the Earth. Sadly, strong personalities don't make a good team and our superheroes fight with one another. It is only when everything seems lost, that our superheroes realize that alone they might be lost, confused souls, but together they become something they never thought they could be - the invincible avengers. The film is so engaging that de-
British Musician Norman Quentin Cook. be a euphoric feeling to see the crowds going insane with eclectic mixes at a phenomenal evening. I am looking forward to it," he said in a statement. His most notable tracks include "Weapon of Choice", "Praise You", "The Rockafeller Skank" and "Right Here Right Now". The performances will also include opening acts by Arjun Vagale, DJ Ivan and DJ Mash.
Kim Kardashian.
ovie aficianados are in for a summer delight! From Hollywood treats like "The Avengers" and "Madagascar 3" to Bollywood potboilers like "Jannat 2" and "Rowdy Rathore", a heady mix of romance, drama, action and comedy await movie-goers this holiday season. "We have got two of the most eagerly awaited releases lined up. We are bringing Oscar winning film 'Hugo 3D' on popular demand to India in May and 'Madagascar 3' in June. We are expecting great response for our releases in the holiday season," Vikram Malhotra, COO of Viacom18 Motion Pictures, told IANS. While "Hugo 3D" releases May 4, "Madagascar 3" (3D) will hit the screens June 8. Set in 1930s Paris, the Oscar winning film "Hugo" tells the
A scene from Madagascar 3. tale of an orphan who lives within the and Melman the giraffe, who fight to walls of a train station and is wrapped get home to their beloved New York. in a mystery involving his late father "'Madagascar 3' is one of the most and an automaton, while "Madagacar loved franchises. The previous two 3" narrates the story of Alex the lion, films of this franchise have received Marty the zebra, Gloria the hippo, tremendous response from people
across all ages and we are expecting the third one to be equally successful," Malhotra said. "'Hugo 3D' will have limited but loyal audience. There is a lot of curiosity among people for this film," he added. "The Avengers" is another big Hollywood release this summer. Distributed by UTV Motion Pictures, the film is going to hit 800 Indian screens, a record number of screens for any Hollywood film in India so far. It is also dubbed in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The film starring Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson and Chris Hemsworth, has been directed by Joss Whedon. "'The Avengers' is a superhero film and we are expecting a really good response after its release, more so as it is releasing first in India than in the
US," said Gaurav Verma, vice president, distribution, India, UTV Motion Pictures. "We expect a good viewership as the film is releasing in four different languages, which in turn expands the reach too. Other Hollywood films lined up for release this summer are 'Spider Man' and 'Batman'," he added. Apart from "Hugo" and "Madagascar 3", other Hollywood treats are "Cindrella 3D", "Men in Black 3", "Brave (3D)" and "Chimpanzee (documentary)". Bollywood is not far behind. The month of May will see films like "Jannat 2", "The Forest", "Dangerous Ishhq", "Ishaqzaade" and "Department" hitting the screens, June will see films like "Rowdy Rathore", "Shanghai", "Ferrari Ki Sawaari", "Gangs of Wasseypur" and "Teri Meri Kahaani" entertaining the audience.
'The Dark Knight Rises' Big B open final trailer goes viral to working with Rekha again
spite some flaws, you choose to ignore these. It is witty, smart and funny, with enough comic-book humor and elements of delight for everyone from a five-year-old to an 85-year-old. So, everything you can imagine in a film with multiple superheroes - great action, good costume, witty writing, good subplots and most of all, the superheroes fighting one another - is there in the film. It's been designed for success and this design works like a charm. Not one character has been given extra attention while giving enough time to establish the characters of the two who don't have a separate film yet - Black Widow and Hawk Eye. "The Avengers" thus become a surprising example of too much being put in one film, yet it working out in the end.
A
A poster of 'The Dark Knight Rises.' he latest and final trailer of 'The Dark Knight Rises' has hit the web and taken it by storm. The trailer that debuted on screens with 'The Avengers,' features much more dialogue along with a clearer and more sinister plot. Warner Bros. released the new teaser online, following a day of viral marketing that saw an ambitious Batman fan
create a .GIF of the trailer using "leaked" frames from the official Dark Knight Rises website, reported Huffington Post. The trailer ominously begins with Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) saying, "There's a storm coming..." Though she referred to the storm called Bane (Tom Hardy), little did she know that even before that there would be a storm on Twitter.
n all time popular on screen couple, Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha might have parted ways over decades but Big B doesn't rule out the possibility of reuniting with her again on the silver screen. "If there is a good story and like it then I don't mind working with her," the megastar said at a function here Saturday. The two have earlier worked together in films like "Silsila", "Mr Narwarlal", "Muqaddar Ka Sikandar" among others.
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Travel TheSouthAsianTimes.info
"To be crowned the world's best destination in the Olympic year by millions of travelers is a tremendous honor for London," the Sun quoted Emma Shaw, spokeswoman for TripAdvisor, who polled travelers worldwide as saying. "It's fantastic to see the capital recognized and rewarded by those that have really experienced the city -- travelers themselves," she said.
Backdropped by the historic Tower Bridge, a giant Olympic Rings floats on the River Thames in London in the run-up to the Olympic Games.
he United States has unveiled its first national destination commercials, in an attempt to lure more tourists from around the world. The new ads were shown for the first time April 21 and have been put together by Brand USA, the organization established by President Barack Obama to increase interest in the US among the world's travelers. Brand USA CEO Jim Evans said that the aim of the campaign was "nothing short of rekindling the world's love affair with the USA -- the place, the spirit and the dream." Surprisingly, it's the first time the US has run a campaign for the entire country, with previous efforts generally promoting individual states, such as Visit California's popular Misconceptions ads. However, now tourists from around the world will be seeing the inspirational new spots from next month, with the UK, Canada and Japan first, followed by nations such as Brazil and South Korea.
Rosanne Cash sings "Land of Dreams" for the promotional ad. The new strapline for the campaign, "discover this land, like never before," is designed to tackle what tourism chiefs believe is negative perception about the US as a travel destination, with market research suggesting some potential visitors believed Americans were arrogant and not particularly welcoming. As such, the full 60-second video, which features Johnny Cash's daughter Rosanne Cash, delivers a diverse, upbeat message without any patriotic or nationalistic overtones. The song has been made available to download at DiscoverAmerica.com, a trip planning website that has also been redesigned as part of the marketing effort. In an interview with travel trade publication Travel Weekly, Brand USA's chief marketing officer said that the message is designed to be "very welcoming and would speak of possibilities and experience."
America has irresistible tourist attractions like the Grand Canyon with its vertigo inducing Skywalk. In some good news for travelers, the official also noted that his organization was working closely with the US's notoriously unfriendly Transportation Security Agency to improve the welcome visitors receive at airports.
Op Ed TheSouthAsianTimes.info
the freedom of speech and the press under the First Amendment of the US constitution, widely written about and supported in the Supreme Court of New York by mainstream American media as amici curiae that included the New York Times, Associated Press, Time Warner, CBS, Association of American Publishers, Reader's Digest, etc. The cause of the libel suit against the publication and the wire service was the fact that the latter picked up and distributed the story originally appearing in the Dagens Nyheter, claiming that the Bachchans were the custodians of some of the bribe money. Although the Swedish newspaper settled the claim, India Abroad chose not to settle. It did report the Dagens Nyheter apology and settlement. However, Raju, a gutsy Indian American publisher, decided to fight the case on the basic contention that publications and wire services do routinely pick up and transmit news stories in good faith and cannot, by the virtue of just that action, be held liable on the ground of malice. While the British court granted the Bachchans a victory in the libel suit and awarded them 40,000 pounds in damages, Raju cited the newspaper company's New York location to invoke the First Amendment protection
against the enforcement of a British judgment on an America publication. A New York court ruled in favor of Raju and in the process set up a frequently cited legal precedent in America. There was a perception in America's legal community at the time of the lawsuit being an instance of "libel tourism" where those with means file libel lawsuits in countries where the libel laws are weighed against the media. While the Bachchans have emerged unscathed, albeit after such a long time, for Gandhi's family, Sten Lindstrom's comments are equivocal. "There was no evidence that he (Gandhi) had received any bribe. But he watched the massive cover-up in India and Sweden and did nothing," he has been quoted as saying. Of course, Lindstrom's disclosures are not seen as particularly remarkable because a lot of what he says has been claimed in some form or the other over the years, including that Gandhi himself did not benefit. For the Bachchans, its importance comes from the fact that for the first time there is an authoritative face other than their own behind the assertion of their innocence. It may have been too long in coming but it does offer them a much-deserved closure.
Of all the names crowding India's biggest and most notorious arms purchase scandal at that time, the most incongruous ones were those of actor Amitabh Bachchan and his younger brother Ajitabh. Through a series of complicated innuendoes and stage whispers it was let known to obliging journalists that the Bachchans, particularly Ajitabh, were among the recipients of the Rs.640 million (about $53 million at the mid-1980s exchange rate of Rs. 12 to a dollar) Bofors gun bribery payoff. The actor himself, stung stiff by the sheer absurdity of the campaign against him and his brother, reacted with ferocious contempt and went to remarkable lengths to clear his and his family's name. On Jan 31, 1990, the Dagens Nyheter, a Swedish daily newspaper, reported that Swiss authorities had frozen an account
Of all the names crowding India's biggest and most notorious arms purchase scandal at that time, the most incongruous ones were those of actor Amitabh Bachchan and his younger brother Ajitabh.
belonging to Ajitabh Bachchan into which Bofors commissions were transferred from a coded account. That story was vigorously denied and challenged by the Bachchans, eventually compelling the paper to retract, apologize and settle saying they had been misled by Indian government sources. With former police chief of Sweden, Sten Lindstrom, asserting in an interview with the media watchdog website The Hoot that the Bachchans' names were "planted" by Indian investigators, a can of worms has been reopened on how the actor and his family were victimized in a vicious political game. Despite Lindstrom's revelations, India is none the wiser about the real
motivations behind dragging the actor's name into it. At the time the most educated guess, which endures until today, was that prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was being attacked politically via the soft target of the Bachchans. The Bachchans' efforts to clear their name included a libel lawsuit against the former avatar of this wire service, India Abroad News Service, and its New Yorkbased parent India Abroad Publications. The suit by the Bachchans was filed and won in a British high court, enforcing its award on the New York-based India Abroad Publications and its owner, the late Gopal Raju. It became one of America's most cited cases of
of a new technical committee to re-examine the issue. The commissions new 2020 claim has been questioned by parliaments standing committee on finance. The committee has not only questioned the very basis of the new target of ending poverty by 2020 or the end of 13th Five Year Plan (2021-22), it has also asked the government to appoint an expert group to evaluate the performance of the commission itself and even to redefine its role. Surprised at the commissions sudden burst of optimism, committee chairman
Yashwant Sinha of the BJP gasped: The committee is at a loss to understand as to how the target for poverty elimination at 2020 can be achieved on a re-computed estimate. He advised the commission to go back to the desk and make more rigorous efforts to arrive at some realistic targets. In a damage control exercise the UPA government thought it necessary the very next day to say the it could not guarantee such an achievement. An embarrassed Minister of State for Planning, Ashwani Kumar, told MPs in the Lok Sabha the
government would strive to meet the target but could not guarantee the same. We are moving towards the target , we have hoped that if we factor the net effect of some of the government programs for empowering the poor , we will be able to move in that direction. An angry Samajwadi Party MP Shailender Kumar said the Planning commission has failed to make a realistic assessment, while Sharad Yadav of the Janta Dal (United) called the commissions numbers as a joke on Indias poverty ridden people.
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
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Interview TheSouthAsianTimes.info
uthor, Professor and Smithsonian Institute Curator Pawan Dhingras new book, "Life Behind the Lobby: Indian American Motel Owners and the American Dream" takes a close look at and chronicles the story of how Indian Americans have come to own almost half the United States' motels. Its a full-length book on this phenomenon with vivid stories and analysis of these immigrants' complicated role in this quintessential American industry, according to Dhingra. The book has profound implications on how we see a group of entrepreneurs and their families when it comes to embodying the American dream, he says. Despite their dominance in the motel industry, Indian American moteliers are concentrated in lower- and mid-budget markets, with many living in their motels. The book explains Indian Americans' simultaneous accomplishments and marginalization and takes a close look at how their own actions maintain such a place in society. The idea came from recognizing the remarkable achievements of the Indian and realizing that there was probably more to their story than had been written already. In particular, relatively little scholarly attention has been paid to them, which is surprising, says Dhingra, who is Associate Professor of Sociology and Comparative American Studies at Oberlin College. From 2011-2012 he is a Museum Curator at the Smithsonian Institution, heading its initiative, HomeSpun: The Indian American Heritage Project. Dhingra received his Ph.D. in sociology from Cornell University in 2002. His first book, Managing Multicultural Lives: Asian American Professionals and the Challenge of Multiple Identities(Stanford University Press, 2007), won Honorable Mention for the Best Book in the Social Sciences from the Association of Asian American Studies. He has received other awards for his teaching and research, including the Early Career Award from the American Sociological Association in 2009. The award is given to, a scholar in the
early stage of her/his career (no more than 10 years post Ph.D. award date) and who is conducting exemplary research on the sociology of Asia or Asian American communities. In an interview with the SATimes Dhingra spoke about the interesting aspects he came across while working on the book What were the challenges faced while working on this book? I collected a lot of information, so the main challenge is always writing it up and finding the time to do so. How did you overcome them?
The challenges used to be in attaining insurance or a loan, and AAHOA has helped in those problems earlier on. Today, the challenges come from many directions, including the current recession, expectations from franchises, customers who may hold a bias, government authorities, trying to form an enjoyable domestic life while living in the motel, and the like. Also, with more and more people entering the business, competition is getting more intense, including between Indian Americans. Owners are coping with it in the best ways they can. AAHOA works with franchises and the government, and it helps individual owners when facing
Pawan Dhingra, Associate Professor of Sociology at Oberlin College Photo credit: Jennifer Manna
"I have a deep appreciation of what motel owners and their families have done and how important it is for not only the motel industry but for the country at large. I hope readers of the book will take away the same appreciation."
This is why a book takes years to write - you collect a lot of wonderful information from the research and you have to take much time to parse through it and organize it. What was the most enjoyable experience for you as a researcher and author? The most enjoyable experiences were hearing owners tell me how they came with little and worked their way up to a steady business. I've populated the book with lots of stories, both of this and other topics. Which are the challenges faced by the motel-hotel owners nowadays? How do you think are they coping with it?
extreme challenges. As a result, franchise-franchisee relations seem to be improving. Individual owners have found many ways to avoid problems before they happen, whether through whom they hire in their motels, strategies to cut costs, having husbands and wives divide their roles, and the like. Such strategies do not take away the hardships, but owners do the best they can within their circumstances, and are having a meaningful effect. How's the second generation participating in growing the businesses....are they in the first place...your insights? Many in the second genera-
tion who grow up in motels have no intention of running motels as adults. But, many return to the business because the white collar workplace does not offer the opportunities they want. And, others in the second (and now even third) generation want to pursue business and so focus on motels even during college. All in all, the second and third generations are intent on growing their businesses and taking their parents' accomplishments to the next level. The later generations see motels more as a business to navigate, while the older generation more often sees their motels as something to be protected and held onto. Each generation is learning from the other and becoming better owners in the process. Indians, mostly Gujaratis, some 90 per cent of them own at least 40% motels/hotels in the US. What do you think leads them to get into this business in such a big way and also succeed? Many Gujaratis, whether they came from Gujarat or Africa or UK, do not like working for someone else, for back in Gujarat they have worked just for themselves as farmers. They are motivated to own their own business, especially one like motels that allows for ownership of land. Patels also help one another out financially very generously, knowing that the person they are lending to will do whatever they can to pay back the money. This is essential to starting a business, as is the influx of family who immigrate and assist in running motels before starting their own. AAHOA has made it easier for owners to negotiate with vendors and eased ownership challenges. And, the opportunities for motels grew in the 1970s and 1980s, and since then people have built motels. How did you go about researching for this book? I met owners at their motels, spent time at their homes and leisure events, attended Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) conventions (both national and regional), learned much from leaders of AAHOA, and assisted in motels. I interviewed immigrant owners (both men and women), the children of owners
Cover page of Dhingras new book Life Behind the Lobby Indian American Motel Owners and the American Dream
who now run their own motels, staff and more. During the research, any interesting aspect that really surprised you? I did not know the history of Indians running hotels dated back to the 1940s. That is a remarkable fact. So much of the attention to Indian Americans either attends to Punjabi immigrants in the early 1900s or to Indians who came after 1965. The 1940s and 1950s are not discussed much. But, this is the time when Gujaratis first entered the hotel industry and set the stage for the achievements that followed. I also learned quite a bit about how owners run motels efficiently, the challenges they face, the clever ways they handle them, the history of AAHOA, the ways they enjoy living in the motels, and more. I have a deep appreciation of what owners and their families have done and how important it is for not only the motel industry but for the country at large. I hope readers of the book will take away the same appreciation. What impressed you the most? I am very taken by how Patels help one another in entering and achieving in the motel industry. One could imagine that competition between owners would not allow for a sense of community. And it is true that competition does influence relationships. But owners still come together and help one another and the Patel community has a proud history of helping relatives and friends financially with just a handshake!
Diaspora TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Annie Johansson (right) with son Domenic (center) Social Welfare Committee. the ground that the parents were The NGO said that the authori- not taking proper care of him. ties of Gotland Municipal Social The mother alleged that the Welfare Committee had allegedly Swedish authority which had no taken away Annies son, Domenic idea of Indian culture and tradiJohansson in 2009 and placed him tion, held that Domenic was not in an emergency foster home on being reared suitably.
An Indian is found to commit suicide every sixth day vent the rising number of suicides. The reason for the high number of suicides could be the lack of someone to confide in, P M Jabir, Indian Social Club Welfare Secretary, said. Many of the victims are people who are living away from their families and relatives, which lead to loneliness and stress. Also, most of these people might be undergoing tremendous financial crisis in fulfilling the family obligations back home. To overcome all that, they seek easy methods like taking loans from private money lenders, which later turns into a death trap, he said. A senior Indian embassy official said the mission is ready to provide help to Indians who are under stress. A dedicated Community Welfare Wing, headed by a senior Indiabased officer, caters exclusively to the needs of distressed Indian workers, A P S Chauhan, Second Secretary (Community Welfare, Culture and HOC) at the Indian Embassy, said.
Debashish Majumder computer. The court sentenced Majumder to seven months in prison, suspended for two years.
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Subcontinent TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Osama bin Laden was killed in Abbottabad almost a year ago, on May 2. mountains as many had guessed raised eyebrows in the West. The %Pakistani army was already accused of playing both sides in the campaign against militancy, providing some support against al-Qaida but keeping the Afghan Taliban as strategic allies. A week after the raid, President Barack Obama said bin Laden had a "support network" in Pakistan and the country must investigate how he evaded capture. Pakistan responded by announcing the formation of a committee to investigate bin Laden's presence in Pakistan as well as the circumstances surrounding the US raid. Soon after it began its work, the head of the committee said he was sure that security forces were not hiding bin Laden. Other statements since then have also suggested the report will be more of a whitewash than a genuine probe. Last week, committee spokesman retired Col Mohammad Irfan Naziri said its findings were being written up but they might not be released
joins parliament
Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Parliament. Myanmar: Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was sworn in to Myanmar's military-backed Parliament, taking public office for the first time since launching her struggle against authoritarian rule nearly a quarter century ago. The opposition leader's entry into the legislature heralds a new political era in Myanmar, cementing a risky detente between her party and the reformist government of President Thein Sein, which inherited power from the army last year. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party will occupy too few seats to have any real power in the ruling-party dominated assembly, however, and there are fears the presence of the opposition lawmakers could simply legitimize the regime without any change. But the new lawmakers are also likely to bring a level of public debate to the legislative body that has never been seen as they prepare for the next general election in 2015. The solemn swearing-in ceremony took place in the capital, Naypyitaw, which was built by the former army junta. With white roses in her hair, Suu Kyi stood along with several dozen of her party's lawmakers as the speaker the lower house asked them to read the oath. Speaking briefly to a mob of reporters afterward, Suu Kyi said her focus will be "to carry out our duties within the parliament as we have been carrying out our duties outside the parliament for the last 20 or so years." Suu Kyi's ascent marks an astonishing reversal of fortune for a woman who became one of the world's most prominent prisoners of conscience, held under house arrest for much of the last two decades. When the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner was finally released in late 2010, just after a vote her party boycotted that was deemed neither free nor fair, few could have imagined she would make the leap from democracy advocate to elected official in less than 18 months.
US official Walter D. Givhan meets Sri Lankan Navy commander Dissanayake to discuss de-mining in the country's north.
International TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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A British parliamentary committee report said Rupert Murdoch is unfit to be the chairman of News Corporation, the $60bn New York-based conglomerate. evision. The 81-year-old Murdoch gave evidence to the British parliament's media committee last July in the wake of one of his newspapers, the now-defunct News of the World, illegally hacking into people's mobile phones in the guise of newsgathering. The committee said, "On the basis of the facts and evidence before the committee, we conclude that, if at all times Rupert Murdoch did not take steps to become fully informed about phone-hacking, he turned a blind eye and exhibited willful blindness to what was going on in his companies and publications. This
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arriving in Beijing. Beijing: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Beijing this week for the fourth round of the China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue. The top US diplomat and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, special representatives of US President Barack Obama, will join Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan and State Councilor Dai Bingguo, special representatives of Chinese President Hu Jintao, to cochair the annual meeting ThursdayFriday, Xinhua reported. The dialogue, initiated in 2009, aims to advance the construction of the China-US bilateral cooperative partnership, deepen communication and coordination on macroeconomic policies and major issues in the world economy, boost economic and trade cooperation and enhance communication on international and regional affairs. During her stay in Beijing, Clinton will also co-chair with Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong the third US-China HighLevel Consultation on People-toPeople Exchange.
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Business TheSouthAsianTimes.info
The German giant has already booked a negative impact of 125 million euros.
Mumbai: Adidas, the world's second largest sports goods maker, may take a Rs 1,350 crore hit after unearthing a massive commercial fraud in its Indian unit. The German giant has already booked a negative impact of 125 million euros and warned it could take a further 70 million euros hit barely a month after replacing the local leadership team in India. The 13 billion euros group had replaced the top management in India with Claus Heckerott taking charge as MD and Frederic Serrant
assuming the role of sales director. "We discovered commercial irregularities at our Reebok business in India. These irregularities will likely affect the prior-year consolidated financial statements of the Adidas Group. In total, we are talking about a negative impact of up to a pre-tax amount of 125 million euros. Additional one-time charges in the remaining quarters of 2012 is an estimated amount of up to 70 million euros could also occur," said Herbert Hainer CEO of Adidas group.
All Indian core sectors, barring coal, showed little or no growth. have a near 40% weight, econo- arising from there is much smallmists are predicting that industri- er. But if the situation continues al production will grow around like this, then this sector will also 2% in March, although it has a be affected and the situation will tendency to surprise given the get worse," said Samiran data volatility. Chakraborty, regional economist The commerce ministry is pre- at Standard Chartered Bank. dicting a tough year ahead for "Although March core sector exports, especially with the US numbers are exaggerating the economy slowing down. Further, pace of slowdown a little, we the poor increments are expected expect sub-par growth in manuto affect consumer sentiment and facturing to continue in the first may impact domestic demand. half," said Anurag Jha, econo"The consumer driven sectors are mist at ICICI Securities Primary doing okay although the capex Dealership.
The Norwegian firm has been worst affected by the Supreme Court's decision. Oslo: Norwegian telecom giant ordered cancellation of 122 Telenor said it has written down its licences, including 22 licences of remaining assets in India worth Uninor, a joint venture between $680 million owing to the India's Unitech and Telenor. The "increased uncertainty" in the apex court also asked the governcountry's telecom sector. ment to re-distribute the licences "Following the Supreme Court's through auction process. ruling in February to cancel The Telecom Regulatory Uninor's licenses and the recent Authority of India (TRAI) in its recommendation from the TRAI recommendation for auction has regarding the 2G license re-auc- now proposed a reserve price of tion, the uncertainty has increased Rs.3,622 crore per megahertz of significantly," the company said in spectrum at the pan-India level. a statement. This is around 10 times higher than "As a precautionary measure, the price for 2G licences in 2008. The firm, which has been worst Telenor ASA has decided to write down the remaining fixed and affected by the Supreme Court's intangible assets in India amount- decision, has also said it would ing to NOK 3.9 billion (NOK 2.6 have to shut down its India busibillion after non-controlling inter- ness if the telecom regulator's recommendation is approved by the ests)," it added. The Supreme Court on Feb 2 government.
Sports TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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London's main stadium that will host the 2012 Olympic Games. kilometers from the Olympic Park in the Stratford district of east London. HMS Ocean is a helicopter carrier and floating command center while naval helicopters will also be used. Naval early warning helicopters and Royal Air Force helicopters will be deployed at an army base in Ilford, several kilometers to the east of the Olympic Park and RAF Typhoon jet fighters will fly across the London skies as part of the exercise.
The batting legend's entry into Rajya Sabha (Upper House) had evoked mixed reactions with some raising concerns. Pune: Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar broke his silence over his Rajya Sabha nomination, saying he was honoured by the Indian government's offer but he would always remain a sportsman and not a politician. "It is an honor when the President nominates your name. I was excited to be nominated," Tendulkar said at a ceremony here where he was felicitated for making 100 international hundreds. The 39-year-old acknowledged
Wrestler Sushil Kumar. Schultz Memorial International Wrestling Tournament in Colorado Springs, where he won the gold medal. But he struggled in the first Olympic qualifier at Astana last month. Sushil, however, was in sublime form at the World Qualifier in China last week. He defeated Georgian Otar Tushishvilli, also a Beijing Games bronze medalist, in the final to book his ticket to London.
Tyson Chandler (right) being felicitated. thing. I know I'm here to accept as an individual but it's definitely a team award," Chandler said at a press conference at the Knicks' training facility. Chandler received 311 points, including 45 firstplace votes, from a panel of 121 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the US and Canada. Ibaka, the league leader with 3.65 blocked shots per game, had 41 first-place votes and 294 points.
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Health TheSouthAsianTimes.info
oney and Cinnamon, when mixed , cure most diseases. Honey can be used without any side effects; when taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm even diabetic patients. According to Weekly World News, a Canadabased magazine, following diseases can be cured by using honey and cinnamon: ARTHRITIS Arthritis patients may take daily (morning and night) one cup of hot water with two tablespoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. When taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week (out of the 200 people so treated) practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain. BLADDER INFECTIONS Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm
COLD Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and, clear the sinuses. IMMUNE SYSTEM Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacterial and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of Honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles (where DNA is contained) to fight bacterial and viral diseases. INFLUENZA A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural 'Ingredient' which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu. PIMPLES : Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it off the next morning with warm
water. When done daily for two weeks, it removes all pimples from the root. SKIN INFECTIONS Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections. WEIGHT LOSS Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast and on an empty stomach, and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. When taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet. CANCER Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder three times a day for one month.
water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder.. HEART DISEASES Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply it on bread instead of jelly and jam and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also, those who have already had an attack, when they do this process daily, they are kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada , various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as one ages the arteries
and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and the veins. CHOLESTEROL Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water given to a cholesterol patient was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, when taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.
Lifestyle TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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he clean cut is not fashionable, says well-known French hairstylist Laurent Decreton, who believes older Indian women should not shy away from trying a messy or classic look. He also suggests that brides be more adventurous by adopting trendy hairstyles for their D-day. Decreton, who himself sports very short hair, said: "I think women should try new fashionable styles and experiment with hairdos. Hairstyles in India are very formal. It should not be that formal. I feel it's only young girls who are playing with hair in India." The celebrity stylist, known for his modern-day cuts and styling, has a wide range of experience be it working on top models and celebrities like Naomi Campbell, Carla Bruni, Emmanuelle Beart and footballer Robert Pires or collaborating with fashion shows by Chanel, Yves Saint-Laurent and Jean-Paul Gaultier. Decreton, who has been frequently traveling to India in the past 12 years, said: "It's not necessary to have a clean hairdo. I think people here (India) don't try the messy or classic look, especially mature females. "I've been observing Indian faces and their hairstyle for a very long time. One thing that is really missing is that Indian women don't focus on the sides of the head while making hairstyles. "The front will look nice if you tighten the sides, which most Indians don't do. Also, they should be careful for the side hair for finishing and to make it
classic," he added. Decreton is the creative brand ambassador of L'Oreal Professionnel and a member of the Haute Coiffure Francaise creative team. He was here to unveil seven bridal looks (hairstyles) under the theme - Royal Wedding Collection of L'Oreal Professionnel. The brand has come out with its fresh fashionable hairdos to cater to the demands of modern Indian brides. It collaborated with some of the best Indian hairstylists like Dhruv Abhichandani, Sachin Dakoji, Sumit Israni, Raman Bhardwaj and Vipul Chudasama, and Decreton to create the looks. Decreton suggests that "Indian weddings and the hairstyles are very formal. But Indian women should change this habit and try new, trendy hairstyles for wedding. That is the reason we picked wedding as the theme for
the same. Weddings are all about happiness, trying something new gives confidence and happiness to the bride." He started his career at a young age of 19 and has 30 years of experience in hairstyling. Decreton never had a mentor and his creations are the outcome of his imagination. "It's been more than 30 years that I'm into this profession. I started my career at the age of 19 and learned hairdressing from a local master in France," he said. "I participated in many competitions like Opera, theaters and luxury fashion shows from the beginning of my career which gave me opportunities to learn things while working on these kinds of projects. Most of my ideas and themes come from my dreams," added the 49-year-old, who is currently working on his portfolio in Mumbai. Though Indian women are not
so adventurous in trying new hairdos, Decreton says the salon business has boomed here. "In the last 12 years, I've seen a rapid and massive growth in the Indian hairstyle business. I think the growth in real estate and change in the lifestyle of people are making it big here," he said. Asked about some of the
spring hair trends and hair color for Indians, he suggested: "Hair colors like honey, chocolate and red would look stunning on the Indian skin tone. But, yes, it should be balanced, not very light. I think it's nice to play with the roots and the end should be left lighter with color."
Though Indian women are not so adventurous in trying new hairdos, French hairstylist Laurent Decreton says the salon business has boomed here.
cocaine works in a similar way, which can have varied effects from increasing alertness, confidence, energy, feelings of well-being and euphoria, but also anxiety, paranoia and restlessness. He has also written a book, "The Winner Effect: How Power Affects Your Brain". Power has almost identical effects to cocaine and too much of it can produce too much dopamine, leading to more negative effects such as arrogance and impatience. "Baboons low down in the dominance hierarchy have lower levels of dopamine in key brain areas, but if they get 'promoted' to a higher position, then dopamine rises accordingly. This makes them more aggressive and sexually active, and in humans sim-
ilar changes happen when people are given power," Robertson wrote in the Telegraph. "Conversely, demotion in a hierarchy decreases dopamine levels, increases stress and reduces cognitive function," he said. He said power has also been found to make people smarter because dopamine improves the functioning of the brain's frontal lobes. Submissiveness and dominance also give similar effects through the same reward circuits of the brain as power and cocaine. The feeling of power has been found to have a similar effect on the brain like cocaine as it increases the levels of testosterone.
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Humor TheSouthAsianTimes.info
ueen Elizabeth II is celebrating her Diamond Jubilee, receiving congratulatory messages from all over the world for her great achievement of spending 60 years on the throne. Its a tough job - living in that cramped old palace with a staff of only 250 to take care of your needs, sometimes having to butter your crumpets all by yourself. Most people would have quit by now. Its no wonder that the Diamond Jubilee is being celebrated throughout the British Commonwealth, particularly in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Jamaica and a dozen other sovereign states where the Queen is still considered Head of State, with the constitutional authority to make important decisions, such as whether to allow Justin Bieber to sing within 1,000 miles of her. In just four years, when shes 89, shell pass Queen Victoria for the longest reign of a British monarch - and if she lives to be 108, shell pass King Sobhuza II of Swaziland for the longest verifiable reign in history. And her eldest son, Prince Charles, will set a record for the longest wait in history. The current record of 75 years is held by David Neevadock, whos been waiting to see a doctor at Toronto General Hospital. If you havent followed the Queens reign
closely, here are some facts that may surprise you: She married Prince Philip on Nov. 20, 1947 not long after World War II. She had fallen in love with him when she was 13 and he was 18. The tabloids promptly dubbed them Philizabeth. She took her vows as Queen on June 2, 1953. A televised recording of her coronation was watched by 100 million people in North America. Soon after that, the remote control was invented. In 1945, she received training as a driver and mechanic after joining the Womens Auxiliary Territorial Service. Her knowledge came in handy in 1949 when her car broke down and poor Philip looked in the trunk for the carburetor. In 2010, Forbes magazine estimated her net worth to be $450 million. But that was before she invested heavily in the web-
site MarryPrinceHarry.com. Its customary to address her initially as Your Majesty and thereafter as Maam. Calling her girl or babe is acceptable only if you dont mind having a handbag print on your forehead. The Queen travels freely around the world without a passport. Only one airport security officer has ever tried to frisk her. God rest his soul. She has bestowed almost 400,000 titles and awards during her reign. She has conferred a knighthood on acclaimed author Salman Rushdie, appointed singer Kylie Minogue as an officer in the Order of the British Empire (OBE), and honored President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe with an IBE: Idiot of the British Empire.
The Queen has donned more than 5,000 hats over the decades. Her hat closet is so large, someone once got lost in there. Thankfully, a crack squad from London Police Service, using GPS devices and a pair of sniffer dogs, was able to locate Prince Philip. After completing 250 official visits to 129 countries, the Queen gained a spot in the Guinness World Records for the Most Traveled Monarch - the only human in Guinness history to ever displace a butterfly. The Queen speaks both English and French fluently. Her knowledge of Hindi is limited to the phrase topi mere saiz ka milegaa? (Do you have this hat in my size?)
by Mahendra Shah
Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist, cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrant Indians for the past many years in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Tech Life
Astrology
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By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj he main benefit to being steady like the tree is to be able to progress spiritually in our meditation. Spiritual progress rests on us stilling the body and stilling the mind. We cannot move from consciousness of this physical world to consciousness of the spiritual realms if our physical body is moving. Physical movement relies upon our attention focusing on our brain, which sends signals to our muscles to keep us in motion. For us to walk, our sensory currents have to be spread out in the body. Our body is not just a robotic machine. It is our will that is moving our body. Our will is our attention focusing on moving that body. If our body is to move, our sensory currents will be spread out through our head down to our toes. This means we cannot withdraw our attention to the seat of the soul between and behind the two eyebrows while we are walking. We can multitask and think of other things while walking, and can even walk and chew gum at the same timeor at least many people canbut part of our attention is still in the physical body. For us to withdraw, we need to keep the body still.
Master, and simran. In this way, we are engaged in actions that are not creating karma for us. We are like vessels or pipes in which water can flow. As we do seva, grace is flowing. But if we jam up that pipe with thoughts, the water gets backed up and cannot flow out. How can grace come to us when our thoughts are mired in criticism of others or hurting others? For us to benefit from seva, we need to keep our focus on God, the Master, and simran. We need to do our physical or intellectual seva but keep our attention focused on God. If we are like the stable tree, we do our job of giving fruit and shade, but are calm and collected. Finally, if we are like the tree we will benefit from the grace of the Master we receive in satsang or from the darshan of the Master. The Master is pouring out love and grace to us. If our mind is still, we can drink from that fountain of love and intoxication. We can sit in the satsang and imbibe those waves of grace radiating from his charged presence and his divine glances. But if we are buffeted about by the ups and downs of our thoughts, we are blocking that grace. It is coming at us, but like a rock in a stream, the waters of his love are flowing around us rather than within us. If we can sit in satsang with the stable calmness of the tree, we can drink in his words, his charged presence, and loving glances. Then, nothing can interfere with the love he is pouring out to us. That love will charge us and uplift us. It will lift us from this physical consciousness and bring our attention to the still point within. From there, we will rise into the current of Light and Sound and soar on its divine wings back to God. Let us be like the tree and remain calm and stable no matter what is happening in life. If we can still our mind no matter what is going on in our lives, we will find quick progress in meditation and soar at godspeed on our spiritual journey back to God. Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj is an internationally recognized spiritual leader and Master of Jyoti Meditation who affirms the transcendent oneness at the heart of all religions and mystic traditions, emphasizing ethical living and meditation as building blocks for achieving inner and outer peace. www.sos.org.
Next, we need to still the mind. If the mind is engaged in thoughts, it is not focused at a point known as the single or third eye, between and behind the two eyebrows. The mind that is not stilled is blind to the inner spiritual realms but alive to this physical world. To meditate, we need to switch our focus to shutting off sensory input from the physical world so we can become alive to what we experience in the inner realms. For this, we need to still our mind. At the time of initiation, the
The next benefit of being like the tree is the calmness it adds to our daily life. No one enjoys living life on an emotional rollercoaster. Think of all the stress and anxiety it causes to go from the heights of elation to the depths of despair from one moment to the next. We reach a state in which even when we are happy we are sad because we worry about something happening to upset our happiness. We begin to feel that the moments of sorrow far outweigh the moments of joy. If we get a moment of joy, it appears shortlived. The next moment, we are back again in the sorrows of life. We live in a state in which we are so caught up in the changes of every moment that we cannot enjoy our happiness because when thrust back into sorrow, those happy moments are forgotten. Similarly, when we are in periods of pain, and suddenly have a moment of happiness, we forget the pain and think that happiness will last forever. Then, we are disappointed when the moments of happiness are short and fleeting. So, we are always in a state of anxiety, stress, and disappointment. This rollercoaster ride keeps us off balance and we begin to head into a tailspin. Our thoughts begin to ruminate over these ups and downs of life. We become tense and stressed. We start getting into tussles with those around us. Then, others react to us and the relationship spirals into fights and arguments. The atmosphere becomes poisoned. We know that tension causes stress-related ailments. The body begins to suffer the effects of stressful thoughts. Our health breaks down. We start feeling ill. When we are ill, we cannot
The next benefit of being like the tree is the calmness it adds to our daily life. No one enjoys living life on an emotional roller-coaster. Think of all the stress and anxiety it causes to go from the heights of elation to the depths of despair from one moment to the next. We reach a state in which even when we are happy we are sad because we worry about something happening to upset our happiness. We begin to feel that the moments of sorrow far outweigh the moments of joy. If we get a moment of joy, it appears short-lived. The next moment, we are back again in the sorrows of life.
pain to others, we will receive pain in return. Our life becomes one of more misery rather than more happiness. If we lead life like the stable tree, we can avoid creating more karma. If we do not create more karma, we will not suffer in the future for what we did today. Our life will become more calm and peaceful. We will radiate actions, without the stillness of mind, do not bring the richest fruits. Seva means selflessness. To benefit from seva, we need to do it with stillness of mind so we are receptive to receive the grace of God and the Master. For that, we cannot be engaging in thoughts that create a reaction or karma. We may have to use our mind and body to do seva, but our attention is on God, the